Disclaimer: Ben 10 and Bleach do not belong to me
Thank you again for proofreading my work, Pyromania101 and Vandenbz.
This chapter was going to be much longer with a lot more stuff happening but I think I stopped it at a pretty good place. Enjoy everyone.
Battle for Karakura Town
Part One: Pieces on the board
Obviously Ben did not feel comfortable, feet dangling in the air and the only thing keeping him from plummeting being the arms of his friends, locked around his own. Trying his best to distract himself, Ben focused on the Soul Reapers before them. He recognized Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto but everyone else was a complete stranger.
"Explain yourself, Aizen," said the old man at the front of the Soul Reapers. Ben immediately figured him to be the Captain-Commander of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads: Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. His white Captain's coat hung over his back, floating like a cape. His bald head was lined with scars, and his long white beard had a purple band crossing down it. In his hands was a large gnarled, wooden staff. "That boy…"
"Ah, yes," Aizen's smile grew. "Allow me to introduce my esteemed guest: Ben Tennyson."
Captain Hitsugaya gasped. "So that's what his human form looks like."
"The resemblance between him and Ken is uncanny," Lieutenant Matsumoto said, narrowing her eyes. "Aizen must've captured him shortly after he returned to Hueco Mundo with the Espada."
"So he's a prisoner?" asked a petite woman with short black hair except for two long braids wrapped in white cloth that ended with large, golden rings. She too wore the uniform of a Captain, with a yellow sash, or obi, tied around her waist, and long, black armbands. She was looking Ben over and finding herself unimpressed.
"But why would Aizen bring a prisoner here?" asked another Soul Reaper Captain, whose prominent feature was his long, silver hair.
"Prisoner? I just said he was my guest. The hero of another universe, wielder of the Ultimatrix, and the one who shall witness my victory against the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."
"Oh, Aizen, stop," Ben grumbled. "You're embarrassing me."
Aizen had the audacity to chuckle at that before he resumed speaking. "Once I have made the Royal Key and reached the Soul King's palace, I will show Ben the original sin of Soul Society."
Yamamoto, whose eyes had been closed the whole time, slowly opened them.
Ben raised an eyebrow at Aizen, remembering his words back in Hueco Mundo about showing him the true evil of Soul Society. Did this have something to do with that "original sin"? Judging from the sideways glances Starrk, Baraggan, and Harribel were giving Aizen, they didn't know it either. For that matter, the Soul Reapers, with the exception of the Captain-Commander, looked confused as well.
"Apacci, Mila Rose," Aizen said. "Please release Ben." Said Arrancars' eyes shot wide at Aizen's request. "I must make sure that he is safe and comfortable as we deal with the Thirteen Court Guard Squads while at the same time allowing you to fight to the best of your abilities."
Mila Rose and Apacci looked at each other nervously then back at Aizen.
"It's alright, girls," he said softly. "I'll make sure he's safe."
Slowly, and with great reluctance, Apacci and Mila Rose began removing their arms from around Ben's. Ben felt his heart race, honestly expecting Aizen to let him fall to his death. No sooner had his friends fully let go and gravity began taking effect—
"Bakudo No.73: Tozanshō!"
Ben suddenly found himself in a floating, semi-transparent barrier that looked like a blue, inverted pyramid. It reminded him of that Negacion he had been caught in before.
Mila Rose and Apacci were immediately in front of the barrier. "Ben, are you okay?" the latter asked.
Ben sat up as best he could, arms still bound by Aizen's spell. "All things considered, I am."
Both relaxed, before Mila Rose put a hand on the barrier. "This will hold, right?"
"Of course it will, Mila Rose," Aizen said, that ever-present smirk on his face. "A kido barrier such as this is quite durable. Ben is perfectly safe in there."
"I'd like a second opinion," Ben said under his breath as he looked the barrier over.
Unaware of Ben's thoughts, Mila Rose and Apacci bowed to their leader. "Thank you, Lord Aizen."
Captain Hitsugaya frowned when he witnessed this. "Those Arrancar; they were worried about him?"
"It could be possible that they are friends with him," the white-haired captain suggested, earning himself surprised looks from several of the other Soul Reapers.
"Friends with the Arrancar?" the female captain asked with a scoff. "He must surely know of Aizen's true nature if he was bound like he was, why would he remain friends with the enemy?"
"What did you just say?!" Lilynette shrieked at her.
"Let it go, Lilynette," Starrk said with a hint of sterness.
"Ladies," Harribel said to her Fraccione, drawing their attention. "Remember what I told you."
The girls all nodded at once. "Yes, Lady Harribel."
Baraggan said nothing, simply folding his arms as he observed the Soul Reapers with disinterest.
The air was filled with tension as the two sides faced each other down. One Soul Reaper, a mustached man with a prominent haircut and sunglasses, addressed another Soul Reaper captain who not only wore gauntlets and shoulder weights, but had the head of a red-furred wolf. "Our best chance would be to take out the leader first, right?"
"No, Aizen's abilities are too unique," replied the wolf-headed captain. "We should defeat everyone else first so we can then focus entirely on him."
Another captain wearing a pink kimono over his uniform tipped his straw hat as he studied the Espada. "I wonder which of the Espada are the strongest."
The silver-haired captain cupped his chin. "Unfortunately we won't know unless we were to ask Aizen himself."
"What of that boy?" the female captain said. "Surely he would know something."
"The problem is," Hitsugaya spoke up, "There's no guarantee Aizen's group won't interfere while we engage the Espada."
"Or if we tried to free Ben," Matsumoto spoke up.
The Captain-Commander, who had been quiet during this entire exchange, suddenly stepped forward. "Get back, everyone!" He raised his staff, which seemed to dissolve away to reveal a sheathed katana. The captains all looked at him in shock as he grabbed the hilt of his sword. "Reduce all creation to ash: Ryujin Jakka!"
As the Captain-Commander drew his sword, massive flames erupted from the sheath. Ben's jaw dropped as the Captain-Commander seemed to be holding nothing but flames instead of an actual blade. The other captains all scattered as the Captain-Commander was surrounded by an inferno. Then the flames shot towards Aizen, Gin, and Tosen. Just as Ben thought the flames were indeed going to reduce them to ashes, he saw them actually move around the three rogue Soul Reapers, forming a type of barrier around them. Ben looked back at the Captain-Commander, barely making out the slightest hint of an actual blade as the old man sheathed his sword.
"Joukaku Enjou," the Captain-Commander said. "That wall of flames should be enough to hold even Aizen for a while. Now we can finish the rest of them off."
Ben looked at Aizen's own fiery imprisonment. Any other time he might've quipped at how fitting that Aizen wound up a prisoner and yet…
"From Aizen's notes about that zanpakuto, I honestly think that Yamamoto guy could've killed him right then and there," Ben said to himself. "Was he worried Aizen might have something prepared?"
Ben shook his head, deciding he needed to focus more on freeing himself.
"Wow, it's kinda hot," Gin joked, seemingly unbothered by the flames despite the heat. "The Captain-Commander overdid it this time. Still, I'll bet Ben's enjoying this after you stuck him in that barrier, Captain Aizen."
"I would not be surprised if he was," Aizen said. "Though no doubt he saw this as his chance to free himself."
"Which you expected of course," Gin said teasingly. "Once he gets his arms free he can just turn into one of his intangible aliens or even go as far as to absorb the barrier as Chromastone."
"Indeed," Aizen said, his smile never wavering. "But what happens once he is free remains to be seen."
"Unfortunately," Gin said, though he didn't sound upset in the slightest. "We can't participate."
"No need to worry about that," Aizen said confidently. "For now let us watch and see what happens."
"Hmm," Baraggan suddenly said. "We certainly have a lot of enemies before us. And the boss got himself stuck in that thing."
Harribel's eyes narrowed. "You are being disrespectful to Lord Aizen as usual, Baraggan."
Baraggan scoffed. "You're being disrespectful to me as usual, Harribel. But I will deal with that later."
He raised a hand and snapped his fingers. Poww produced what seemed to be a carpet. Vega and Avirama grabbed either end and unrolled it. What seemed to be a Garganta opened from the center of the carpet, releasing a multitude of bones and a pair of skulls. The bones gathered behind Baraggan, connecting together to make the elaborate throne Baraggan had sat in when he had his men attack the Oasis. Baraggan sat down as his Fraccione all bowed around him.
"Since the boss cannot do so, I shall be the one giving the orders here." He looked over at Starrk. "You better not have any problems with that."
Starrk scowled at the Second Espada. "Do whatever you want, Baraggan," he said bitterly.
"Not surprised he'd pull something like this," Lilynette grumbled.
"Bastard," Mila Rose hissed.
"Let him do as he wishes for now, Mila Rose," Harribel said. "We'll worry about him after we deal with the Soul Reapers."
Apparently satisfied that his authority was in place, Baraggan addressed the Soul Reapers as his Fraccione rose to their feet.
"Now onto business. From what you said earlier, the land enriched with spirit energy below us is a fake, am I correct? The real town had been switched with a replica made by Soul Society. Now the boss had said he was fine with infiltrating Soul Society to destroy the town there, but is all that trouble actually necessary? I believe you said that you had set up four pillars and used them to switch the towns. So shouldn't destroying the pillars bring the town back? Findor!"
"Yes, sir," Findor brought his smaller blade to his lips and actually blew on it, creating a loud, high-pitched whistle.
Wincing at the noise, Ben couldn't resist commenting on it. "How does he do that without cutting his lips?"
Instead of a reply, Ben heard the now all-too familiar sound of a Garganta opening. Looking around, he spotted four Gargantas opening at four different spots in the town.
"We already know where the pillars are," Baraggan explained as the pillars opened. "The most commonly used practice would be to establish the four pillars in the four cardinal directions."
Four rather huge Hollows emerged from each Garganta, attacking what appeared to be empty air before four, marble white obelisks were revealed. One Hollow wrapped its long, serpentine body around its pillar and started squeezing; another, hairy-looking Hollow began chomping into the top of its pillar; a purple, four-armed one started stomping on the top of the pillar it was by; the fourth, an insectoid-looking Hollow, was continuously stabbing its claws into the pillar's side.
"Oh no!" cried a rather chubby Soul Reaper who had been standing next to the female captain. "They figured it out! Karakura Town's gonna come back!"
Ben didn't waste his time shouting at the Soul Reaper to do something about it. He instead pulled harder than ever but his arms would not budge. "What I wouldn't give for the Master Control right about now."
"You damn fool!" snapped the Captain-Commander, causing Ben to cease his struggle as the Soul Reaper who had been screaming pointed to himself in confusion, as if he really couldn't believe he was the one being called a fool. "Did you really think we would leave such important places unguarded?"
Ben looked at the pillars to see the Hollows each fall, sporting various wounds on their bodies as blood sprayed out. Ben strained his eyes, just barely making out a figure standing on top of each pillar.
The pudgy Soul Reaper gawked as he looked back and forth between the pillars. "Madarame! Ayesagawa! Kira! Hisagi! Weren't they supposed to be holding down the fort while we mobilized? When I didn't see them at the meeting place, I thought that meant I was better than them! Like "Oh they rely on me more than you"! What gives?! Did everyone know about this?!"
"Of course we did," said the strawhat captain.
"Don't lump us in with the likes of you," said Matsumoto, looking at the other Soul Reaper with annoyance.
"I told you that," said the female captain. "Perhaps you didn't hear me over the sound of you munching on crackers."
The Soul Reaper grabbed his face in shock.
"That has to be it," Matsumoto said scoldingly. "You're such an idiot, Omaeda."
"Hey!" the now named Omaeda cried indignantly.
"Uh," Ben said with all thoughts of trying to free himself having ceased.
Baraggan snorted. "Four soldiers; so what? Four ants are guarding the pillars. If that's the case, I'll just squash them with four dragons. Poww! Chulhourne! Avirama! Findor! Crush them!"
The four Arrancar bowed again. "Yes, sir! As His Majesty commands!" They each shot off to one of the pillars, leaving Vega and Parduoc alone with Baraggan.
Ben blinked when he noticed that none of the present Soul Reapers moved to intercept them, nor were any of them trying to attack the Espada. Were they going to do nothing as the pillars were being attacked? More importantly, why weren't any of the Espada attacking? Were they all seriously just gonna stand there and watch their teammates fight each other over the pillars?
"Okay, not how I thought this was gonna play out but it bought me some more time." For all the good it would do. Maybe the problem was trying to force his arms apart. Perhaps it would work if he moved them slowly.
In the meantime, he decided to plan out his next move. Once he finally managed to get free, Baraggan would probably try to kill him. Unfortunately, he still needed to find a way to convince everyone to just deal with Aizen instead of each other. Would the Soul Reapers allow the Espada to live or kill them simply on the grounds that they served Aizen?
Explosions and sounds of destruction filled the air.
"Are you sure you're okay in there, Ben?" Apacci asked. Ben looked up to see that she, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun were standing in front of the barrier, Apacci tilting her head to look at him over her shoulder.
"As best I can be," Ben answered. After several minutes of his arms not budging even a centimeter, Ben gave up. For all he knew, the only way to break the spell on his arms required spiritual power. Ben sighed; there was no way he could get out of this on his own. As more destruction was heard near the pillars, Ben took a breath.
"Girls," he said, causing the three to flinch before looking over their shoulders. "What Aizen's doing is wrong, you know that."
Apacci sighed. "Ben-"
"You're confident that whatever Aizen plans to show me will help me understand but I can honestly say that nothing he'll say or do can justify the murder of all those innocent people."
Mila Rose lowered her head. "Just like Starrk figured. What are we supposed to do then, Ben? Surrender to the Soul Reapers and hope they'll be merciful?"
"Let me talk to them."
Apacci scoffed. "Talk to them? You seriously think they'll listen to you?"
"I won't know unless I try," Ben said softly. "At least allow me that much."
"And what if they don't listen to you?" Sung-Sun asked. "What if you'll have to fight them regardless?"
"Then I'll fight them on my terms, not Aizen's," Ben said firmly. "It wouldn't be the first time I had to knock some actual sense into someone so that they'll listen to me."
"What if they demand something from you in exchange?" Mila Rose finally turned around, looking him square in the eye.
"As long as it keeps both the civilians and all of you safe then I'll do it and worry about the rest later."
Mila Rose stepped back, ironic since they were floating in midair. Both Apacci and Sung-Sun spun around, staring at Ben in disbelief.
"Y-you would just…" Apacci stammered.
"If that's what it takes," Ben said firmly.
Apacci's jaw hung open, her arms hanging loose at her sides. Mila Rose was troubled while Sung-Sun averted her eyes, her sleeve covering her mouth as usual.
"I don't want the townspeople to die and I don't want to lose any of you to the Soul Reapers, especially not for the sake of a sociopath like Aizen."
"Ben…" Mila Rose whispered.
"I'll admit I'm being idealistic," Ben said. "But I'm going to do whatever I can to stop this here and now."
"…You would really go that far?" Sung-Sun asked so quietly that Ben had to strain to hear her.
Ben gently placed his head against the barrier. "I remember Harribel saying there's no world without sacrifices. But if there's any sacrifices to be made, then I'll be the one to make them, not you."
Apacci turned her back to Ben, but both Mila Rose and Sung-Sun could see the strained look upon their comrade's face. Her fists were clenched, teeth gritted, and her body was trembling. Mila Rose was trying to steady herself, turning her head so Ben couldn't see her shaky breath. Sung-Sun closed her eyes to hide the anguish within them.
While she looked as impassive as ever, Harribel's fingers were digging into her arms. She had heard everything and she was confident Lilynette and Starrk heard it too. Even after everything he had been put through, Ben Tennyson had stayed by their side. Despite all of it, he was willing to put his own life on the line to protect them? He was truly an amazing boy.
Boy?
Boy?
No, Harribel decided that "boy" could not be even remotely close to describing him. As far as the Third Espada was concerned, Ben Tennyson was by all accounts a man. She looked over at Starrk and Lilynette. The latter's lip quivered and her eye was watering once more, a small whimper escaping from her. As for Starrk? He tried to seem stoic but Harribel could make out a slight hint of sorrow in his eye.
Baraggan gave out a great snort, causing Harribel and Lilynette to glare at the Segunda Espada. Starrk frowned but simply looked away.
"Please," Ben slid down to his knees. "Please give me a chance to try, that's all I ask."
"Ben," Sung-Sun started to say when all three girls' heads shot up.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Ben asked, wobbly getting back to his feet. A crumbling noise made him spot one of the pillars crumbling.
"Avirama and Findor are dead," Mila Rose said with a frown. "Charlotte's spiritual pressure is extremely faint but it looks like Poww won his fight. That broken pillar is his doing."
Ben's mind came to a halt as he watched the crumbling tower anxiously, completely forgetting that at least the other three pillars were still intact.
"Those morons," Apacci said. "Did they improve at all over the past month?"
"Most likely they didn't take their opponents seriously," Sung-Sun said. "You'd think they would've gained some humility after losing to us."
Mila Rose scoffed. "They'd sooner brush it off as a fluke than admit they lost."
"Well look where that got them," Apacci said mockingly.
"It means we can't risk underestimating the Soul Reapers either," Sung-Sun added.
"Wait," Ben started to say when a huge figure appeared near the pillar.
It resembled a whale-like creature, Ben figured it to be Poww's Released State. Poww was chasing after someone when suddenly he seemed to stumble. No, as Ben squinted, it looked more like someone had tossed him. Poww crashed into some of the buildings near the pillar but started picking himself back up.
As Baraggan's Fraccion got back to his feet, he seemed to be laughing at whatever his opponents were doing. He opened his mouth and green energy was building up into a Cero when a gigantic, horned samurai appeared in front of him. Poww's Cero dispersed as he gawked at the armored behemoth. The notes had said that Captain Komamura of Squad Seven could summon parts of a giant for his Shikai. Odds were that the samurai was Komamura's Bankai. Ben watched transfixed as Poww tried to attack something near the samurai's feet. He was too slow, however, as the samurai raised his blade and cut Poww down. The whale-like Arrancar collapsed and the samurai faded away in a burst of red light.
"Well, so much for that." Apacci said, hands on her hips.
"So much for Baraggan's entire plan," Mila Rose said, frowning. "If they had all attacked one pillar at a time, they would've won easily but their arrogance cost them. I'm not sad about them personally but we did just lose four fighters while it seems the Soul Reapers have lost none."
"Eh, they probably would've been dead weight even if they actually stuck to Lord Aizen's plan," Apacci said with a shrug and then sneered. "Baraggan's probably pissed."
Parduoc and Vega were staring in disbelief at what had just happened.
"They all lost," Parduoc whispered.
"Those idiots," Vega hissed.
Turning around at a crunching sound, the two saw that Baraggan had shattered the left skull on his throne. As Baraggan rose to his feet, the two quickly bowed. "Our deepest apologies, Lord Baraggan!" Vega cried. "We shall dispose of them shortly. So please sit back down."
There was a blur of motion. The Captains, Harribel, Starrk, and Lilynette all disappeared, finding positions in various parts of the sky. Starrk and Lilynette were facing down the strawhat captain and the one with silver hair, Captain Hitsugaya and Matsumoto stared down Harribel, and the female captain and Omaeda appeared behind Vega and Parduoc.
"Who is going to defeat who?" the captain asked, startling Vega as she tilted her head with a mocking smile. "Are you going to defeat Captain Komamura? Or did you mean you were going to defeat all of us?"
Vega glared at her.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? Depending on your answer, I'll have to kill you first. Of course," The captain drew her sword, which was sheathed horizontally across her back, "I'll kill you anyway."
"Now then, let the real battle begin," declared Yamamoto.
Everyone seemed to be on edge, as if daring each other to make the first move. Even Baraggan, who sat back down on his throne, looked ready to rise at a moment's notice.
"My, my, what a tense atmosphere," observed the strawhat captain. "Being near Old Man Yama when he gets serious really is intense, isn't it?"
The silver-haired captain chuckled. "No kidding. How about, when all this is over, we give him the first shoulder massage he's had in years?"
The other captain chuckled as he tapped his own shoulders with a fist. "No thanks, my shoulders are the ones in need of a massage."
"What are you talking about?" the silver-haired captain inquired incredulously. "I've never seen you with stiff shoulders before."
"Omaeda!"
Said Soul Reaper flinched at being addressed. "Y-yes?"
"You're so nervous I can hear your teeth chattering," his captain said in annoyance. "Scared? It has been awhile since you faced a real battle."
"I-I'm not scared!" Omaeda insisted. "I'm excited about fighting!"
His captain eyed him for a moment before looking away with a dismissive scoff. "You're so pathetic that I can't even look at you."
Omaeda blinked at her.
"This is your chance. Go die off in a corner somewhere."
"Huh?!" Quickly collecting himself, Omaeda put his hands on his hips, threw his head back and let out a haughty scoff of his own. "Why do you say that? I'm not scared and I'm not nervous! There's no way I'm going to die!"
"I see," the captain said, her eyes locked on the Arrancar in front of them. "Then don't die."
A bit surprised by his captain's words, Omaeda too faced their opponents. "You don't need to tell me; I wasn't planning on it."
"It's about to begin," Hitsugaya, his sword already drawn, said to Matsumoto. He gave a slight turn of his head to look at his lieutenant. "Are you upset about anything?"
Matsumoto's eyes were fixed on Harribel's. "What do you mean?"
Hitsugaya's eyes softened. "Nevermind." He steeled himself as he faced Harribel again. "Let's go! Don't lose focus, Matsumoto."
"Yes sir," Matsumoto said, drawing her own sword.
"Kill them," Baraggan ordered to his two remaining Fraccion. "Don't let a single ant live. You will have no place to return to if you fail me. So don't disappoint me."
The other two Arrancar tensed, understanding the severity of their situation.
Baraggan raised a hand before clenching it. "Don't make me walk down a path that isn't drenched in the blood of our foes. Tell me, who do you serve under?!"
"Yes sir!" Vega and Pardouc shouted together as they drew their swords. "We are members of His Majesty Baraggan Luisenbarn's Fraccione! We will destroy all our enemies! We swear that we shall drench the battlefield with their blood!"
Silence passed between Starrk, Lilynette, and their opponents. Neither side had taken a fighting stance, as if waiting to see what the other would do. Then the strawhat captain spoke.
"That kid," he said, surprising Lilynette. "Could you send her off somewhere?"
Curious, Starrk gave a tilt of his head. "What for?"
"I can't fight with my full power when she's here," the captain answered. "Neither can you, right?"
"What did you just say?!" Lilynette screamed at him.
"Shut it, Lilynette," Starrk snapped at her.
"What…" Lilynette's anger died at the soft, almost melancholic look on her other half's face.
"That's fine with me," Starrk said quietly. "If you won't fight at your full power then neither will I.
"What do you mean by that?" the silver-haired captain questioned.
Starrk rubbed his head with one hand and idly shifted his zanpakuto with the other. "That kind of stuff just doesn't sit with me. How about we just pretend to fight and relax while everyone else does their own thing?"
"What are you–?" the silver captain started to say.
"Wonderful!" the other captain said, clapping his hands. His friend looked at him in shock. "Absolutely wonderful! I prefer it that way too to be honest. I hate getting hurt and all but," He raised his head to look Starrk in the eyes. "I'm afraid we can't do it this time around."
"Is that so?" Starrk sighed softly before starting to unsheathe his zanpakuto. "Go figure."
"One last thing," the captain said, stopping Starrk. "That boy, Ben Tennyson, was it?"
Both Lilynette and Starrk tensed, the latter's grip tightening on his hilt.
"What about him?" Starrk said evenly.
"What is he to you?"
"Lay a hand on him and I'll kill you!" Lilynette screamed, startling both captains.
"It's like Lord Aizen said," Starrk answered, not even responding to Lilynettte's outburst. "He's a hero from another universe, wielder of the Ultimatrix, and—someone I hoped to call a friend."
Lilynette's breath hitched, staring at Starrk as her jaw threatened to fall off. The captains weren't far off, amazement on both their faces.
"But," Starrk said, as he fully drew his sword out. "I don't think it's meant to be."
Starrk looked over at the barrier where he could spot Ben looking over the battlefield frantically.
Starrk decided he would try to hold off as long as he could. Maybe, just maybe Ben would get free and pull off something amazing. But if the hero was going to do something, he would have to do it soon.
Apacci's fists shook once again. "I understand that Lady Harribel told us to protect Ben and we will but," She looked over at where her leader was still having a standoff with Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. "I don't like leaving her to fight alone."
"It's alright, Apacci," Mila Rose said with confidence. "Once Lady Harribel draws her blade, those Soul Reapers won't stand a chance."
"Starrk," Ben whispered, looking back and forth between the Espada. "Harribel."
"Captain," Matsumoto said. "We need to find a way to free Ben."
"I agree," Hitsugaya replied. "Unfortunately, the Espada won't let us. And those three Arrancar guarding him will make things difficult as well."
Harribel wordlessly put a finger through one of the rings of her sword. When she drew her blade halfway, she gave a flick of her wrist. The momentum fully drew her sword, spinning it in circles before she snatched it in midair. Both Soul Reapers and the Espada raised their blades.
The Captain-Commander thrust his restored staff down as if he was striking the ground. "Everyone! Put forth all your strength and destroy your foes! Even if your flesh is ripped asunder, become as a steel wall down to your last bones! You must not let them take even a single step into Soul Society!"
The air was filled with the sound of steel clashing against steel.
Ben tried to watch as best as he could. Everyone was a blur of motion, only becoming visible whenever one blocked their opponent from attacking. Unfortunately the only one he could see close enough was Harribel as she clashed with Hitsugaya and Matsumoto. All three seemed content to just use their swords right now. Hitsugaya swung his sword, Harribel blocked. Matsumoto came from the side, Harribel stepped back which caused Matsumoto to miss, then she came at them, swinging with such force that she managed to push both of them back. Starrk and Lilynette were too far away, Ben hoping that the latter was safe. Starrk seriously wasn't going to let her fight by herself, was he?
"Apacci, Mila Rose, Sung-Sun," Ben said hurriedly. "Please let me out! I'll stop this!"
The girls shared a look amongst them, conflict and uncertainty plain as could be. Ben struggled to free his arms again, though by now it was becoming more of a habit than anything. The girls were clearly torn, no doubt still hesitant to go against Aizen but by the way Apacci kept shooting worried glances at Harribel's battle, maybe Ben was getting through to them?
Any hope disappeared the moment Ben looked past them. "Look out!"
The three girls turned to see the giant Samurai towering over them, sword raised. They barely had time to draw their weapons when the giant blade came crashing down. But instead of hitting them, the sword struck the barrier. It held but the force of the blow knocked Ben off his feet. The giant pulled back its fist and punched the barrier, making Ben flop up and down again.
"Kido barriers make lousy bounce castles," Ben said dizzily.
The girls turned around to see the wolf-headed Captain on the ground below them. He raised his sword and the giant did the same.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Apacci cried, a Cero charging at the tip of her horn. The captain raised his left hand, the samurai mimicking his movement. Mila Rose gasped and grabbed Apacci by her collar, pulling her away as the giant swung his fist down. The giant then struck the barrier again with his sword.
"Get away from him!" Apacci fired a Bala at the samurai's hand, the attack not even seeming to phase it. The giant raised his other hand back and punched the barrier once more; this time it shattered.
Harribel turned her head at the sound. Hitsugaya moved in for the attack but Harribel immediately counterstruck. Matsumoto went to stab her from behind but Harribel spun, deflecting her attack and forcing Hitsugaya to step back.
Starrk's head shot towards the barrier breaking before quickly blocking the captain's strike. The captain tilted his head, as if trying to figure something out. Frowning, Starrk resumed his fight and hoped Harribel's Fraccione would be enough.
"Anything happens to Ben, I'll never forgive you!" Lilynette was not so trusting to say the least.
"Ben!" Mila Rose cried, getting ready to dive for him when the giant caught him in its open hand.
"Ben Tennyson," the captain called out to him. "I am Captain Sajin Komamura of Squad 7."
Ben couldn't resist mentally patting himself on the back for figuring out who the giant belonged to. Though he honestly wasn't expecting a werewolf Soul Reaper. Aizen had never mentioned that fact in his notes.
"You are not an ally of Aizen, that much is certain," the captain said. "Then let us join forces to defeat him!"
"Wait, hold on," Ben started to say.
"I said get away from him!" Apacci moved to intercept, only to retreat backwards when the giant swung his sword. "Why you…" She started to charge a Cero again.
"Idiot!" Mila Rose yelled, startling her comrade. "You want to risk hitting Ben with that?!" Apacci was about to shout back when Mila Rose put a hand on her shoulder.
"Remember our training: fight smarter, not harder. That giant mimics the exact movements that the captain is doing. It's possible that they are actually linked together."
Apacci began to smirk as the pieces fell into place. "So if we focus on the captain himself—"
"Then we take out the giant," Mila Rose concluded.
"Focus on distracting him for right now," Sung-Sun told them. "As long as Ben's in range, we can't afford to go all out. Once he's safe we'll take the captain out of the fight."
"So," Apacci spoke lowly. "Are we just going to take him out of the fight or–?"
Mila Rose lowered her head. "We'll try to just keep him from fighting further so Ben can talk to them. We owe him that much."
Apacci nodded before another question came to mind. "And if he refuses to stay down?"
"We'll worry about that when the time comes."
"Got it," Apacci gathered energy around her fist and fired a Bala at Komamura. The captain, and the giant, disappeared in a flash of Shunpo. Apacci's eyes widened when she heard movement behind them. She and her teammates had just enough time to rear back as the giant swung his blade, the sheer force of his swing nearly sending them flying.
"Despite the captain's large size he's deceptively fast," Sung-Sun.
"I got an idea, follow my lead," Apacci unlinked her cuffs, unfolding them into her chakram blades.
With a shriek she threw them at the captain. Just as he was about to move, she fired a Bala at the ground near him, creating a smoke screen. The captain's eyes widened at the move, his ears just picking up the sound of Apacci's chakrams spinning at him through the smoke. He quickly ducked and the giant did too. Hearing movement behind him, Komamura turned to see Mila Rose bringing her blade down at his back. He blocked it with his own and Mila Rose grit her teeth at his strength.
Sung-Sun saw the opportunity to fly at the giant's open palm to grab Ben. Suddenly the sunglasses-wearing Soul Reaper appeared, grabbing Ben and carrying him away.
"Ben!" Sung-Sun cried, making Apacci and Mila Rose turn their heads at the fleeing Soul Reaper. Komamura took advantage of the distraction to push Mila Rose back, the Arrrancar soaring through the air before quickly collecting herself.
"Hey!" Ben cried, having been flung over the Soul Reaper's shoulder like a sack of potatoes as said Soul Reaper started running down the street.
"Sorry about this," the man said as he ran. "Lieutenant Tetsuzaemon Iba of Squad 7. Captain Hitsugaya told us about you."
From what he had heard from Ken no doubt, Ben couldn't help thinking before shaking his head. "Wait! Hold on!"
"Let him go, you bastard!" Apacci tried giving chase only for the captain and his giant to appear in front of her. "Get out of the way, you dog-faced asshole!"
Captain Komamura's response was to swing his sword down. Apacci found herself shoved by Sung-Sun as the blade smashed into the ground, sending debris flying everywhere.
"Damn it, he's getting away with Ben!" Apacci snarled, seeing the lieutenant getting further and further from the battle.
"Getting upset won't help," Sung-Sun said sternly. "We're up against a captain, remember? He killed Poww with one strike, while Poww was released."
"So what do you suggest we do, Sung-Sun?"
"We have to go all-out," Sung-Sun said firmly. "It's the only way we can fight the captain and get Ben back."
"Right," Apacci said, her confidence returning.
Sung-Sun nodded. "We hit them hard and fast before they have a chance to retaliate."
"Got it! Ready, Mila Rose?"
Mila Rose held her sword out in front of her. "It seems we have no choice. But first we need an opening."
Apacci sneered. "Coming right up." Once more she started charging a Cero. Mila Rose and Sung-Sun both joined her.
Despite his uncomfortable predicament, Ben could make out the familiar lights of the girls' Ceros. "Uh-oh."
All three fired their Ceros at the captain, who crossed his arms, the giant copying his movements. The three Ceros all struck at once, the captain grunting from the combined power. He could feel his bankai being pushed back and him along with it. Then, with a tremendous effort and a mighty howl, he thrust his arms out, dispersing the three Ceros.
Komamura panted for breath; that defensive maneuver had taken more effort than he expected. "These three are different compared to that other Arrancar from earlier."
"Thrust, Cierva!"
"Devour, Leona!"
"Strangle to death, Anaconda!"
Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun stood in the air above Komamura. Apacci was now covered in brown fur, sported deer-like antlers above her brow, her feet had been turned into hooves, and she even had a tail. Her eyes had turned to amber, with red outlines around them, complete with small markings that looked like lightning bolts on either end.
Mila Rose now looked even more like an Amazon warrior. Her top had changed into what essentially looked like two claws holding her breasts and her skirt had changed into an armored thong. She wore a pair of armored boots and a neck-like garment. Mila Rose also sported sharp fangs, an orange marking on her forehead shaped like an X, and a long lion's mane on top of her hair. Though she still had her broadsword, it looked vastly different from its previous state.
Sung-Sun's lower body had become like that of a snake, a long slender tail forming from the stomach downwards. She was now sporting pink dots under her right eye as well. Her mask remains had extended to the back of her head and looked more armored.
"Huh," Ben muttered when he saw the three in their Released States. "So that's what their Resurreccione look like."
Iba looked at Ben over his shoulder. "You mean, they never used their power around you?"
Ben clamped his mouth shut. As much as he wanted to talk things out, he wasn't going to just blab something that would give the Soul Reapers an advantage. Though all things considered, he didn't really have much to tell them aside from Baraggan's time abilities.
With a cry, Apacci fired another Cero only this time aiming at the feet of the captain. The force of it knocked the captain back and by extension the giant. Hearing another yell, Komamura made to block from behind again, only this time the air was filled with the sound of Balas striking the ground. Komamura could just faintly hear the sound of slashing, raising an arm to block Mila Rose's blade.
"I see," Komamura said. "The technique known as Bala. Instead of attacking me, your teammate was using the sound of both it and its destruction to hide your movements."
"Tch," Mila Rose winced. "Guess those ears aren't just for show. Sounds like you could still hear me."
"Only just," the captain admitted with a surprising hint of a compliment in his voice.
"Then did you hear this?!"
Apacci and Sung-Sun were on either side above the captain, a red Cero charged at the tip of Apacci's horn and a pink Cero charging in Sung-Sun's right hand. Grinning, Mila Rose started charging an orange one with her left. All three aimed to fire their Ceros at once when something whirled through the air. All three scattered as what appeared to be a giant pinwheel with a chain attached flew between them.
The three looked to see another figure standing on one of the skyscrapers. He was a tall and lean man with short black hair and three scars that ran over his right eye and down his cheek. His left cheek sported a tattooed 69 and above it a blue stripe that ran across his cheek and across the bridge of his nose.
"Lieutenant Hisagi," addressed Komamura.
Sung-Sun narrowed her eyes. "The one who killed Findor."
"Forgive me for interrupting your fight, Captain Komamura," the lieutenant said as he pulled the chain, causing the pinwheel to return to him. As he grabbed the handle, the "pinwheel" was shown to actually be a dual-bladed scythe, one of the blades being inverted. In his other hand was another identical scythe.
"My thanks, Lieutenant Hisagi," Komamura said.
"Can we assist you?"
Harribel's Fraccione turned to see another Soul Reaper had joined the battle. This one had blonde hair that covered his left eye.
"Lieutenant Kira"
"The one who killed Avirama," said Mila Rose with a grimace.
The three Soul Reapers faced down the three Arrancar, Komamura's Bankai looming over them.
"Not good," Apacci said, eyes darting across their opponents. "Looks like we'll have no choice but to use that."
"I don't like it since it's so hard to control," Mila Rose said grimly. "But you're right. We have no choice."
Sung-Sun nodded with resignation. "Sorry, Ben."
"Good," Iba said once he was certain they were a good distance away from the battle. "Shuhei and Izuku are here."
"Can you please put me down?" Ben asked in annoyance. "Also, can you remove the Kido on my arms? They're starting to cramp."
"Right, sorry about that." Iba put Ben back on his feet before he placed his palm on Ben's arms. When he felt the locked sensation on his arms disappear he pulled them apart.
"Finally," Ben rubbed both arms. "Thanks. Now look! We have to stop this before anyone else gets hurt!"
"Don't worry," Iba said confidently. "Captain Komamura and the others won't lose to the likes of them."
"That's not what I meant, I—" Ben was cut short when something flew past them, the force knocking Ben flat on his back. Rubbing his head, Ben saw that the object had hit the ground, tearing up the road. Ben and Iba gasped when they saw it was—
"Captain Komamura?!" Iba exclaimed in disbelief.
"What did–" Ben turned in the direction Komamura had flown from and what he saw made him stagger back.
Standing before him was a humongous creature with hooves and a deer mask on its head. Its legs and muscular arms were covered in dark brown fur. Its head was covered in black fur that formed a mane which flowed down its back. A long snow-white tail rose from behind it, revealing a snake head at the end.
"What the hell is that?" Iba muttered.
"Where did he come from?!" Ben exclaimed.
The next thing Ben knew, someone grabbed his arm and the world blurred as his ears rang with the familiar buzz of Sonido.
"What is that thing?" Matsumoto asked, her captain and herself staring at the beast with utter bafflement.
"So, they have resorted to using Ayon."
Matsumoto and Hitsugaya snapped their heads toward Harribel, who was also looking at the monster.
"Ayon is a powerful creature my Fraccione can summon by each sacrificing a piece of themselves," Harribel said as she raised her blade again. "By making a sacrifice together, they create a mighty force. That is what my subordinates are capable of."
"That thing was able to take even Captain Komamura by surprise," Matsumoto frowned. "They might need help."
"Matsumoto," Hitsugaya said. "I'll handle the Espada. You should go and assist the others."
"What makes you think I'll let you leave?"
Ben found himself on top of another skyscraper a good distance away from the mix-match behemoth.
"Are you alright, Ben?"
"I'll tell you once I'm sure I won't lose my lunch," Ben answered shakily to Sung-Sun's question, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. "On second thought, when was the last time I even had lunch?"
Ben turned around to greet Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun. He would have commented on their Released States but something more dire caught his attention.
"What happened to your arms?!"
All three girls were missing the majority of their left arms, each now a slightly bleeding stump.
"Quimera Parca," Mila Rose answered. "A special ability of ours that requires us to sacrifice our arms to use."
Ben looked back at Ayon, who was simply standing idle, looking to the left, then to the right.
"You could do something like that this entire time?"
Suddenly chains wrapped around Ayon's body. Lieutenant Hisagi was standing on the roof of another building, the chain in one hand, the second scythe in the other.
"It's not something we can really use for training," Mila Rose said. "Ayon is extremely powerful but we have difficulty controlling him."
Hisagi chanted something before he tapped his other scythe on the chain. Electricity surged across the chain and onto Ayon, who let out a grunt that might have been a cry of pain. Kira then appeared behind Ayon, his sword bent inward at a ninety-degree angle, making it look like a blocky hook. But when he went to strike Ayon, the beast's tail suddenly whipped out, striking him and sending him crashing into the wall of a building, forming a sizable crater in it. Ayon quickly grabbed Hisagi's chain and swung overhead, carrying the Soul Reaper with him.
"Like I said, Ayon is extremely powerful," Mila Rose said.
"We understand that you want to talk to the Soul Reapers and all but they don't know that and we were up against three who had wiped out half of Baraggan's Fraccione," Sung-Sun said to Ben.
"I understand, Sung-Sun," Ben told her. "But can we stop him before this gets out of hand? Can you call him off or something?"
Mila Rose shook her head. "Sadly Ayon's never actually listened to our commands."
"It could be simply because he can't hear us," Sung-Sun said. "I don't recall ever seeing ears on him."
Ben was about to speak when Komamura's Bankai appeared once more, swinging its blade down at Ayon. The chimera beast caught the blade with both hands.
"Don't suppose you'd be okay with me going Big Chill on him?" Ben asked as he fiddled with the Ultimatrix.
"Big Chill might not be enough," Mila Rose said wistfully. "I honestly don't know how any of your aliens can stop Ayon once he gets going."
As Ayon held the blade of Komamura's Bankai, Iba appeared behind him, trying to attack. Ayon's head seemed to revolve like an owl's and Ben saw two large, yellow eyes emerge from underneath the deer antlers. Ben blinked; did that mean the deer skull was the chimera's nose?
Any further pondering was cut short when Ayon fired a Cero out of his left eye, shooting a large red beam into the sky and sending Iba flying. As he plummeted towards the ground what appeared to be a large, blue web formed between the buildings, catching the lieutenant. With a grunt, Komamura hefted his sword, causing the giant to pull his back too. The shift caught Ayon off-guard as he too was lifted into the air. Komamura saw his chance and punched the chimera with his left hand, sending Ayon smacking into the pavement. Komamura had his Bankai raise his sword again.
"Ayon!" Apacci called out. "Move, dammit!"
As the blade came soaring down Ayon shot forward from where he lay, headbutting the surprised Komamura. Both the captain and his giant flew back, the giant crashing into several buildings as it sprawled to the ground.
"This is bad," Ben said, activating the Ultimatrix as Ayon rose back to his feet and began walking towards Komamura, each step smashing into the road. "I was gonna save this but I might have no choice. Sorry, girls."
"W-what is it?" Mila Rose asked anxiously. "What are you going to do?"
Ben's words died in his throat when he looked up at Ayon—and saw the beast now had a gaping hole in the left side of his chest, blood running down his stomach. The chimera stopped, looking down at the hole in his chest curiously. Ben found himself on his knees as an incredible pressure poured down on him. It was similar to when Aizen had used the Hogyoku. As the pressure lifted, Ben made his way to the edge of the roof and looked down. Captain-Commander Yamamoto was standing in the air between Komamura and Ayon.
"My goodness," the old man said, in an actual scolding tone like everyone else were children. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves for forcing your Captain-Commander out onto the front lines."
"Oh, crap" Ben couldn't help but say. "Now it's getting out of hand."
"More so than you think," Sung-Sun told him. "If you thought Ayon was dangerous now, just watch what happens when he's injured."
"I'm surprised he can still stand with that hole," Ben said, noticing Ayon was touching the hole with his right hand. Taking a moment to look at the blood dripping down his fingers, Ayon began smacking the hole with his palm.
Ben grimaced as pressure filled the air once again. A red aura emitted from Ayon's body as underneath the deer skull, a massive mouth opened up. Ayon let out a roar that boomed through the air as—was he getting bigger? Sure enough, the behemoth was getting bigger as his wound shrank. No, it wasn't getting smaller, it was closing. High-speed regeneration and the ability to grow bigger? If the circumstances were different, Ben would've been impressed that the girls had such a crazy power. His jaw dropped as Ayon raised his right arm and it began bulging even more than the rest of his body.
Letting out another roar, Ayon struck at the Captain-Commander, his arm smashing apart the roof of the building behind the elderly Soul Reaper.
Ben hastily popped up the Ultimatrix dial and began scrolling through. "Come on, come on, where are you?"
"Ben, I get that you want to keep this from getting worse but which of your aliens can possibly work?" Apacci asked.
"I'll let you know as soon as I find him," Ben said, never taking his eye off the dial. "For once I wish I hadn't unlocked so many of these guys. I swear if he's at the very end—"
"What was that? You didn't even touch me."
All four saw that Yamamoto was beside Ayon's arm, completely unharmed. Said creature's head and eyes swirled wildly before finally landing on Yamamoto, who was not intimidated at all.
"You're nothing more than a wild beast whose only thought is killing people," Yamamoto said, still in that scolding tone. "How pathetic."
Letting out another roar, Ayon grabbed at Yamamoto, who raised his staff again. Ben's breath hitched. "Wait!"
"Ryujin Jakka: the first strike," Yamamoto pulled out his zanpakuto. "Nadegiri."
At first it appeared as if nothing had happened, then a long line ran down Ayon's body. Ben felt the air leave his lungs as Ayon's body split in two, both halves falling in opposite directions. "I-I didn't even see the captain move."
"Ayon!" Apacci cried as both halves hit the ground.
"That's the power of the Captain-Commander," Ben said in amazement. "Surely he could beat Aizen on his own, right?
Just then the left half of Ayon's body twitched a finger. This did not go unnoticed by Yamamoto even without the captain turning his head.
"Really now, would you stop already? Cutting a pitiful beast like you over and over again wears heavily on my heart."
Ben frowned as he hurriedly scrolled through his aliens again. Picking itself up, the left half of Ayon's body managed to let out another roar before hurling itself at the Captain-Commander.
"So you don't understand what 'stop' means, boy?"
Ayon was engulfed in flames. Ben sped through the Ultimatrix dial so fast that he could feel his hand getting sore. Finally, the hologram of his desired alien appeared. Unfortunately his relief was cut short when he saw Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun descending upon the Captain-Commander. Without a moment's hesitation, Ben leaped off the roof.
The Captain-Commander did not even look as the three Arrancar dove towards him. Mila Rose swung down her sword, Apacci brought down her hand, her nails extended into sharp claws, and a snake head emerged from Sung-Sun's sleeve.
"You're attacking me with only one arm each?" The Captain-Commander asked in a deceptively calm tone. "That's quite the spirit you have."
There was a flash of green light and then with a swift swing of the Captain-Commander's sword, flames shot behind him. The last thing Harribel's Fraccione saw was a burst of fire and then all was darkness.
"Out of respect for that spirit," Yamamoto said as he began to resheath his sword, "I shall let you off with only those burns."
"ENOUGH!"
A hush fell upon the battlefield; every single combatant froze in their tracks as that command boomed like the voice of God. All turned their heads to the source of that voice and what they saw took their collective breath away. Even the Captain-Commander, for the first time since the battle began, stared in shock as the flames he had unleashed died down.
From within their prison of flames, Aizen was completely and utterly speechless. The sheer surprise on his face was an equal sight to behold as was what they were witnessing right now.
Gin quickly regained himself, throwing back his head and laughing. "Who would've thought?! This entire time Ben had something like that up his sleeve. Oh this just keeps getting better. Szayel would've loved to get his hands on this guy."
Aizen's smile immediately returned, even bigger than before as he took in the sight before him. His only response was a single word:
"Magnificent."
To say he was big was an insult. To say he was enormous was an insult. To even say he was gigantic was an insult. Only one word could do justice to the being that began rising to his full height, making even the most battle-hardened warriors present suddenly, and fittingly, feel very small.
A titan had stepped onto the battlefield.
"This! Ends! Now!" the colossus roared with a voice like thunder that seemed to shake the ground and sky.
Aside from his sheer size, the titan's body was mainly white, with dabs of red on his boot-like feet, his arms, and his shoulders. He sported a large, red and black fin on the top of his head. His neck and wrists were also black. His elbows sported blade-like fins and the Ultimatrix symbol was set squarely in the middle of his chest.
"Ken never said anything about that!" cried Matsumoto.
Hitsugaya eyed Harribel and was taken aback by the sheer shock in her eyes, so different from how stoic she had been during their battle. "You really didn't know about that form either?"
Harribel said nothing, instead focusing the colossus's hands, which were clasped together against his chest.
"HE COULD TURN INTO SOMETHING LIKE THAT THE WHOLE TIME?!"
Lilynette was clutching her head, eye bugging out as she thrashed around in midair.
"I expected something amazing," Starrk whispered to himself. "But that was not what I had in mind."
"Oooohoho! He's a big one," Starrk's opponent said with a tip of his hat, though no less shocked than everyone else. "Something tells me there's more to him than just his size though."
"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised."
The silver-haired captain, who had taken to sitting on a nearby rooftop nearly went into a coughing fit as he stared up at the entity with amazement.
The titan looked down at his hands and slowly opened them. Nestled within them were the dazed and confused forms of Apacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun, all three completely unharmed. Apacci pushed herself up into a sitting position.
"What happened?" she groaned as she rubbed her head. Then as she tilted her head up, her jaw dropped. Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and the only sound she could make was a series of high-pitched squeaks.
"Apacci, what's—?" Mila Rose was cut off as her teammate pointed a shaky hand upward. Mila Rose followed the hand before she adopted a similar expression. Sung-Sun hid her mouth behind her sleeve but her eyes were no less wide.
"Are you three alright?" The gargantuan alien asked tenderly.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Apacci and Mila Rose shrieked at the lop of their lungs. "WHEN COULD YOU TURN INTO THIS GUY?!"
The titan chuckled, causing their bodies to vibrate. "Say hello to Way Big."
"Yes you certainly are," Sung-Sun muttered weakly.
"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT!" The other girls both snapped.
"The flames that would've left those three with burns…"
Way Big spun around, holding the girls closer against his chest as the Captain-Commander looked him over.
"They didn't so much as warm your fingertips, did they?" Yamamoto said, that condescending tone no longer in his voice and instead grim seriousness.
"I'll be with you in a moment," Way Big said. "But first, hang on girls!"
Everyone was in for another shock as Way Big gently closed his hands over Harribel's Fraccione once more before he zoomed away from the Captain-Commander in a blurring streak of red and white, managing to narrowly avoid any buildings in his path with incredible reflexes. The sheer force of his speed shattered countless windows and kicked up a whirlwind. Several of the combatants had to move to higher "ground" to avoid it.
"Are you kidding me?!" screamed a disheveled Omaeda, his face and clothes covered in dirt and sweat. "He's not only huge, he's fast too! What is he?! What the hell is he?!"
His captain would've berated him if she wasn't in a similar state of shock. She mentally chided herself for brushing him off when she first laid eyes on Ben Tennyson.
Baraggan just stood in midair, his eye following where Way Big had run off to. After the last of his worthless minions had been killed, he finally decided to deal with the ants himself. The captain and her lieutenant had proved to be predictable disappointments but when he heard that voice and saw a new transformation, the entire world was blacked out. Baraggan's grip on his ax began to tighten so much that his weapon shook.
Way Big ran all the way to the other side of town before he began slowing down so as not to dislodge his disoriented passengers. As he came to a stop, he looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was following them. Afterwards he knelt down on one knee and opened his hands again, softly placing the girls on the concrete.
"In case things go wrong, I want you out of harm's way," Way Big told them.
"Ben–" Sung-Sun started to say.
"Sung-Sun, please," Way Big said. "Ayon's dead, all three of you are missing an arm; that Captain-Commander could've…"
The girls lowered their heads in shame. If Ben had been just a second too late…
"Okay, Ben," Mila Rose said resignedly. "Good luck."
"Just, be careful okay," Apacci said, pushing herself to her feet. "Look after Lady Harribel too. Please?"
Way Big smiled. "Already planned to."
All three nodded. Giving them a two finger salute, Way Big jogged away from them, the ground trembling with each step he took. Once he was certain he was far enough away, he zoomed back to rejoin the battle.
Harribel had been transfixed as Way Big had carried her Fraccione to safety. It was hard to miss someone like him. She could tell that he was putting them away from the fight.
"Never once did Ben give any indication that he had such a transformation," she said to herself, correctly guessing that Ben was keeping such a form secret for an emergency. "I always knew he was powerful simply because of his versatility. Yet seeing this form, this Way Big, it's as if I'm just now understanding how powerful he actually is."
And yet such gentleness, such restraint in comparison to all that power. If any singular alien served as the embodiment of who Ben Tennyson was, Harribel was certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that honor belonged to Way Big.
Everyone braced themselves as said alien returned, taking everything they had not to be flown back by the backlash.
"Now then," Way Big said. "Where were we?"
A new pressure filled the air. Way Big turned his head to see Baraggan's spiritual pressure flaring up in an ominous, dark red aura. His muscles bulged, his hands trembled and his teeth were clenched before he looked up, glaring at the hero with sheer hatred.
"IS THERE NO END TO YOUR BLASPHEMY, BEN TENNYSON?!"
Way Big looked around near Baraggan. He saw Omaeda and his captain, who were looking ragged and dirty but otherwise fine. Vega and Parduoc were nowhere to be seen, which was enough to tell Way Big that they were dead as well.
"It's not too late, Baraggan," Way Big called to him. "Your Fraccione are all dead. Let's end this now."
"Those worthless idiots all failed to kill their opponents," Baraggan growled. "I told Ggio and Nirgge that they would have no place to return to if they could not kill my enemies."
Way Big glared at him.
"You want us to stop fighting? You want me to turn tail and run from these Soul Reapers? Me? The god-king Baraggan Louisenbairn, just because you've made yourself the biggest ant here?!"
Harribel narrowed her eyes, "Baraggan…"
"Has he finally lost it?" Starrk wondered worriedly.
"So, you think such a transformation means you can tell me what to do, Ben Tennyson?" Baraggan chuckled darkly. "A while back, Grimmjow said that we should kill that Ichigo Kurosaki boy before he became a potential threat. He was wrong; the one we should've killed was you for your blasphemy!"
"He's not serious is he?" Lilynette panicked.
"You think such a form puts you on the same level as a god?" Baraggan then held out his ax and turned his hand so the head was downward. "Allow me to punish you for your sins."
"Don't!" Lilynette screamed.
"Rot: Arrogante!"
Baraggan's spiritual pressure flared even higher as the pendant in the middle of his ax emitted purple and jet-black flames. Way Big's jaw dropped as the flames burned away Baraggan's flesh to the bone in a matter of seconds, reducing him to a skeleton. His body was wrapped in a purple cloak, with a tattered fur collar around his neck area and the fringes of his cloak. The golden chains that Baraggan had worn as belts now dangled from his armbands. He was wearing a pendant that sported the eye from his ax. His cloak swayed in the wind, revealing that he was wearing white, pointed-toe boots. His crown-like mask fragment had transformed into a decorated, bejeweled crown, with a chain running down the left side while his right eye socket sported a crack reminiscent of the scar of his sealed form.
In a cruel twist of irony, Baraggan looked far more like a grim reaper than any Soul Reaper did.
"Even giants are but large ants to a god," Baraggan said coldly. "Prepare yourself, Ben Tennyson! I'm going to finish you off once and for all!"
To Be Continued
Ben's attempts to stop the fighting between Soul Reapers and Arrancar have instead enraged Baraggan to the point of the Second Espada releasing himself. If Ben wants to end the conflict, he must first face the former god-king of Hueco Mundo. Will the might of Way Big be enough to stop him? Gods and Titans clash in Part Two of Battle for Karakura Town.
Sorry for everything more or less just following canon. I actually had intended for the fight to happen in this chapter, but I was worried I was gonna drag things out if I did. As for how Way Big could possibly stand against Baraggan, I already have a plan in mind for how their battle will go. As well as why Baraggan suddenly snapped at seeing Ben's latest alien.
While not intentional in any way, I remembered reading on the Ben 10 Wiki that the To'kustars, Way Big's species, have a natural predator that is some kind of unnamed virus. While Baraggan's abilities are time related, his Respira ability could be seen similar to an all consuming virus.
Also, apologies for any readers who have been eager to see romance by now. Aside from Ben still recovering from his break-up with Julie, he was thrown into another universe roughly against his will, asked to join a war he knows little about, and is surrounded by potential enemies on every side. Plus, the main girls around him have had to deal with most males constantly preying on them. Needless to say, romance is not on anyone's minds. Respect and caring sure, but not romance.
I've already got a plan in mind for how Harribel does start falling for Ben after the Winter War. I don't intend for Ben to be an oblivious prude like I kinda made him in the original but he does think Harribel is out of his league for now. Such things will be elaborated on when I finally get to the romance part of the story.
