Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and the late Monty Oum (rest in peace). Please support the official release.
Chapter 64: We Live!
(Que Story OP – Hello Sleepwalkers "Hyakkiyakou")
"Why do the young want to fling their lives away so needlessly?" Koga bemoaned.
He wasn't given time to speak further before Weiss crossed the distance with a textbook lunge of her rapier. One of Dalk's balls automatically placed itself in his defense, and the tip of Myrtenaster met it with the toll of steel. The white-haired girl sneered putting all her strength in the thrust, but Dalk did not budge.
"Hah," Dalk's voice echoed around them. "You'll have to try a lot harder than that to scratch me, even less when trying to hurt my man."
More of Dalk's balls swarmed Weiss from all angles. The Schnee followed her instincts by pulling back and skipping backward as her only path of retreat. Dalk closed in the space Weiss once occupied like a snare the air cracked from the speed. Now a condensed ball, the iron body of Dalk rippled like water till it took the shape of the Doll's insectoid appearance. Dark green gems for eyes narrowed on Weiss from a faceplate split by a sadistic grin.
"Oh my~" Dalk spoke as the Doll looked Weiss over. "You're such a pretty thing, aren't you? Such soft hair, white as snow. And such delicate skin. Oh-ho-ho, I wonder how pretty you'll be with your blood all over it!"
Weiss shivered at the gleeful tone of the Doll. She hadn't heard such threatening debauchery from White Fang grunts when they realized she was a Schnee. Looking behind Dalk, Weiss was surprised to see Koga standing still with crossed arms and a stoic expression.
"Do not play around, Dalk!" Koga commanded. "Finish this quickly."
Dalk groaned dramatically. "Ffffiiine~"
As soon as the last hiss left the Doll's mouth, she disappeared before Weiss' eyes. There was a thin blur of movement coming towards her neck and Weiss felt her throat ache with tremendous pain. She barely felt the wind whip as her feet left the ground long ago in an uncontrolled flight through the air. Dull pain lanced through her back once it made an impact on a wall, leaving it devastated as she fell to the ground.
Her Aura flared to heal the damage and dull the pain, restoring Weiss' clarity to right herself by planting Myrtenaster into the ground. Weiss lifted her head to glare back at Dalk and Koga. Scathing words rose in Weiss' throat but she received pain at the point of utterance. Her vocabulary was reduced to a pitiful wheeze.
Her hand gripping the Asauchi left its place to clutch her throat automatically. She immediately pulled back from feeling a warm viscous feel, and her eyes widened at the sight of blood over her palm.
'My throat!' Weiss thought in morbid terror. 'M-My voice!'
Panic grew as one of her greatest fears bubbled to the surface. One of the things she cherished not as a Schnee, but as Weiss was her voice. It was one aspect the heiress took great pride in, with her singing capable of charming entire crowds. A talent that Weiss can proudly say her father can never take credit for.
To lose it was harrowing.
It was only through her upbringing that Weiss cooled down from the brink of panic and returned to rational thought. With a clearer mind, Weiss didn't feel that bad. Her Aura was healing the cut closed, and Weiss felt no discomfort from breathing. Her larynx was most likely bruised but far from irreparable.
That didn't stop the rage from boiling like magma through the fiber of her body.
'She almost took my voice!' Weiss' thoughts exploded in anger.
Meanwhile, Dalk frowned examining the blade arm she used to strike Weiss. The Doll hummed in displeasure at how little blood dripped she drew from the Remnant native. A throaty hiss escaped the Doll as she glared at her living prey.
"You're a tough nut to crack, aren't you?" Dalk sneered. "I meant to take your head clean off. Maybe I should do a more thorough job, starting with those legs!"
The edge of her arm blades morphed to a more serrated finish. A buzz filled the air as the serrated edges vibrated into a distinct blur. Weiss was oddly reminded of the White Fang lieutenant who tried to bisect her with a chainsaw. She fought down the shiver threatening to shake her bravery and instead stood on her feet.
She retrieved her Asauchi and moved to sheath it away to rely solely on Myrtenaster. Weiss knew her faults well and knew even more to not risk trying to practice one in a fight. She had only started to try her hand at dual-wielding as soon as she received the Asauchi. The heiress liked to think she was emulating her older sister well, but thoughts like that didn't belong in a fight. Weiss needed to rely on her strengths built through years of wielding Myrtenaster if she wanted to win.
But before the Asauchi reached her waist, a familiar voice whispered in her mind stopping her.
'...trust me...'
It was so soft that Weiss assumed she was imagining it, but the familiarity made her pause. Weiss took a quick look at her Asauchi. The once bland katana had undergone noticeable changes under constant exposure to her Aura. The blade itself had become thicker and straighter, leaning towards a bastard sword if it weren't for the curve and single edge. The guard has thinned from its rounded shape and turned a brilliant silver with black etchings. On one end of the guard, a small blue pearl was embedded into the metal part. As for the hilt, the twine had turned to a mix of black with dark blue diamond patterns thinner than before.
Weiss' face flashed in a myriad of complicated expressions before settling on a scrunched look. This was not a bad idea. It was a terrible thought, one getting her closer to death. She had not practiced with her new weapon, much less gotten used to the difference in balance.
Yet her actions contradicted her doubts. Instead of the nameless Asauchi, Myrtenaster returned to the sheath at Weiss' hip. The remaining blade replaced Weiss' rapier in her usual stance, the blade held to her chest and parallel to her chest. Immediately, she felt the odd weight of the Asauchi shifting the balance of her stance.
While dual-wielding was out of the table, she didn't necessarily need to use Myrtenaster for her Semblance.
'I better not regret this,' Weiss thought, unable to vocalize with her damaged larynx.
Instead of an infinitely soft voice from before, Weiss felt the Asauchi thrum in her hand like an invisible wave of pressure.
Dalk should have instantly crossed the distance this time and diced Weiss down. But the Doll was ordered on standby by Koga's order, much to her displeasure. As for the Bount himself, he studied Weiss stoically to her plight. As the one in charge of preparing the tribe's youth, Koga was familiar with youngsters under stress. The way they hesitated through one motion and switched to a completely different tactic was either a sign of inexperienced foolishness or a breakthrough for their growth.
And by the feel of Weiss' spiritual pressure becoming more like a Shinigami, Koga was sure it was the latter. The thought of attacking the girl while she was distracted with herself did not sit well with the old Bount. Koga will see Weiss at her best, whether she shatters or breaks through whatever limits constrain her.
He saw the steel return to Weiss as she leveled her icy blue eyes on Dalk and himself. Koga expected some tongue lashing, but his Doll's earlier strike must've struck her larynx. The Bount can still see a bruise over Weiss' throat; a wound that would have left her bleeding if it weren't for that strange shimmer healing her.
'What an odd power,' Koga thought in fascination.
"Dalk," Koga spoke.
That was the Doll needed before she dashed in maddened glee. Dalk opened with a pincer attack to trap Weiss from both sides. In response, Weiss made a vertical leap over the Doll. Weiss didn't bother striking Dalk from behind; she kept on forward in a sprint towards Koga himself. The Bount had the decency to widen his eyes in astonishment at Weiss' boldness.
'Decent tactical mindset,' Koga thought. 'Instead of fighting the 'puppet', go for the master. Cut the strings if you will. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way for Bounts.'
Weiss opened with a lightning-quick thrust that would have skewered Koga if he hadn't sidestepped with ease. The Schnee was undeterred and raised her left hand towards the Bount. Her Semblance flared to life in a brilliant white glyph spinning from her outstretched palm. Koga had no time to admire the phenomenon before he was forced to avoid the man-sized stinger of a summoned Lancer. Yet the Bount cringed from his abdomen leaking blood from a fresh wound where the stinger grazed him before it smashed through a wall.
Weiss continued to capitalize on her assault on Koga. Her glyph grew till it surpassed her size as she poured more Aura to bring her summon in its complete form. At blank range, she was sure Koga would perish or at least be gravely injured.
Dalk was faster to respond. To gain speed, she broke herself into a swarm of steel balls. Once her swarm body was between Weiss and Koga, steel bars shouted out, filling the air with lances. Weiss leaped to the side out of the attack and the Doll reformed to her full form.
"Oi, no one cuts dear Koga!" Dalk screeched, "That's my job!"
Koga's brow twitched before sighing. "A good tactic. It's not too bad to assume killing me would take out Dalk. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way for Bounts. Strike me all you want, but Dalk will not let up even if I perish. A tribe member truly dies when their bounded Bount is slain."
"Too bad among all Bounts I'm the most resilient," Dalk preened.
"And you can forget trying to kill me," Koga said.
In the Bount's vicinity, walls and tiles of the Sereitei broke down into motes of light funneling into Koga's body to light himself in a blue aura. The wound Weiss dealt on his stomach healed shut, leaving no scar and repairing the clothes.
"As long as I reside here within the Soul Society," Koga informed, raising a hand overflowing with spiritual energy, "I will absorb the reishi matter to heal and grow stronger without end. I ask this once: Give up. I cannot stomach putting down the young, not when they haven't reached their full potential."
Weiss would have given quite the cutting retort if it weren't for her injury. Instead, the Schnee focused inward on her Semblance, bringing it out to its fullest. She planted herself in her summoning stance; down one knee with her blade planted into the ground. A massive white glyph spun to life in front of her. Ascending from the glyph emerged a daunting Arma Gigas, shimmering in white light and wielding a massive greatsword. It stood at a height where its shoulders were level with the tops of the roofs around them.
'Let's even the odds,' Weiss thought.
She plastered a smug grin on her face, but only to mask the fatigue of summoning her trump card. From the damage she sustained, her Aura reserves felt they were in the danger zone.
But how does she defeat something that is essentially immortal?
"Ha-ha-ha," Dalk cackled, raising her arms in defiance to the Arma Gigas. "I can't wait to cut that down."
The summon was charged by Weiss' mental command. Dalk widened her eyes at the sudden speed the giant knight gathered in its sprint. Something of that size should not move that impossibly fast. Koga cried a warning to his Doll, but it was too late to follow his command. In the blink of an eye, it slammed down the greatsword on Dalk, who was forced to use her arms to defend herself. She disappeared in a cloud of debris once the greatsword made contact, and the swing created a massive gust of wind.
Weiss was awarded with Dalk's agonized screams. The dust cleared soon enough for Weiss to see the Doll had been split in two. For a moment, the Schnee felt victory had been attained, but was disappointed by Dalk's eyes glaring back at her. The two halves of her body separated into steel balls and reformed into her complete form. There was almost no damage to be seen on the Doll, but Weiss could pick out a thin line vertically going down Dalk's body. However, that small victory was dashed away when Koga gathered more reishi and used that energy to heal his Doll.
"That - hurt!" Dalk screeched. "THAT REALLY HURT!"
"Dalk!" Koga called. "Are you injured anywhere else?"
"I can still fight!" Dalk argued. "I'll reduce this little snowflake into butcher's meat!"
With the boost in power, Dalk was able to send a swarm of metal spheres while maintaining her full form. They flew past the Arma Gigas and aimed straight for Weiss. The Schnee ducked underneath the swarm and deflected any projectile that came too close, but defending herself left Weiss distracted from commanding the Arma Gigas. The summon did not offer any resistance when Dalk pounced on the summon. Her sharp insect-like legs dug into the chest cavity for leverage, allowing Dalk to hack away as she pleased.
With each swipe of her blade arms, the Armor Gigas was losing form as bits of itself were torn away. It healed the damage, but it shrank with every slice Dalk delivered. Weiss knew it as long as her Armor Gigas wasn't given its orders, it was a free target. Giving commands was not an option as long as she was swarmed by Dalk's spheres. She couldn't afford a strike on her body to further diminish her Aura.
'I have no choice!' Weiss thought.
Her brain in overdrive from adrenaline quickly went through the steps of her Semblance summoning. Once she felt she had enough room, Weiss reached her hand out with a spinning glyph. From it came forth an array of Nevermore wings. Weiss only let it last till it shot its feathers before canceling the technique.
She didn't dare try a dual summon without Jaune boosting her Aura. But a partial summoning after a full one was within her current capabilities, albeit very costly. Her gamble paid off as her brief Nevermore summon had taken care of the swarm of spheres. There was the added satisfaction of hearing Dalk cry in pain from her destroyed body parts.
'Smash her!' Weiss commanded her Armor Gigas.
If slicing attacks didn't work, maybe brute force will have a better effect. The once-still Armor Gigas moved and smacked Dalk to the ground with earth-shattering force. It reversed the grip on its greatsword and proceeded to hammer down on the Doll brutally. Walls and houses around Weiss crumbled to low ruins with the strength of each blow. Even as the continued onslaught drained her Aura reserves, Weiss had a wide smile on her face.
'This is what you get for nearly stealing my voice!' Weiss mentally snarls.
After one last blow, Weiss' Aura no longer could keep the Armor Gigas up. Its great form shattered into motes of white light while the same happened around Weiss' body. Now she was as vulnerable as a regular human being. Weiss collapsed on all fours feeling her whole body as if it were stiff lead.
But beyond her fatigue was the sweet taste of victory. She won! Against some wannabe vampire with bullshit powers!
"Most impressive."
Those stoic words froze Weiss' blood. Her head snapped forward onto the lumbering form of Koga approaching her. Dalk was nowhere to be seen, but he looked completely unbothered by his Doll's demise.
'W-What's going on!?' Weiss thought, her mind conjuring up the day those two Bounts turned to dust. 'They're supposed to die when their Dolls are killed, aren't they?'
"While we may be enemies, I can appreciate the talents of the younger generation," Koga spoke kneeling to Weiss' level with a small smile on his face. "I am proud to say you are strong. I'd of thought the likes of a captain would have defeated Dalk. But a human is not even two decades of age. It relieves me that the future is in capable hands like you and your peers."
Koga stood up and he went back to a more serious expression. "However, victory was not possible for you to attain. You see, while you may have destroyed Dalk's body, her core is undamaged."
Koga outstretched his hand and a new weapon appeared in their grasp. It was a large battle axe befitting of Koga's stature with two cheeks. Most of it was colored black with the edges of the axeheads gleaming with sharp steel.
"This is Dalk's true form," Koga intoned with finality. "And I must regret this is where we part ways."
Weiss expected a sudden blow to send herself tumbling down the street, but none came. She watched in shock as Koga walked past her to whatever destination he had in mind. Her shock turned into indignation, and Weiss reached for her Asauchi. Yet her body was too weak to stand and she could only crawl on the ground.
Koga was not blind to her struggles and looked at the girl with a grim frown. "Why do you persist? My enmity is not with you but with Kariya. He plans for something dangerous. I must stop him."
'That doesn't excuse all the lives you've taken to get here!' Weiss thought.
She wanted to scream something, but her throat burned whenever Weiss tried to speak. Her right reached out and gripped Koga's boot with all the strength she could muster. Stoic eyes stared down at icy blue orbs brimming with determination.
Koga sighed in dismay. "Why? Why are the young so foolishly stubborn?"
The Bount went on one knee and pressed his right index finger on the side of Weiss' head. Then, he began to press down. Weiss' eyes shot open in shock at the unfathomable force pressing down on her. If she had her voice, she'd most likely be groaning trying to fight against the pressure. Her body slowly sunk and broke through the tile flooring of the Sereitei with cracks forming on the surface around the pair.
It was a testament to Weiss' inherent durability none of her bones had yet to shatter while stone shattered, but it felt like her skull would be the first. The corners of her vision were starting to darken.
"I will not kill you," Koga said, his finger feeling like the weight of Atlas on her head. "But I cannot let you interfere. With how weakened you are, knocking you out is trivial. So please, go to sleep."
'No...'
Weiss' body had already surrendered, yet her spirit persisted. For a brief moment, her Aura flared to life around her body before flickering away. It wasn't enough and Weiss was welcomed into the embrace of darkness.
(?)
"Ho-ho, is that my little snowflake?"
"Grandpa!"
Tiny feet pittered over a smooth tile floor, carrying a toddler with flowing white hair and bright blue eyes. Those same feet leaped towards a withered, but strong man. He stood with an impressive stature despite the use of a cane to hold him aloft. His face was framed with wrinkles beneath his white hair and beard. Despite his weakness, his eyes sharing the same icy blue of the little girl glittered with pure goodness and strength of spirit. With one arm, he caught the little bundle of joy. His tall stature made it so the toddler could be comfortably cradled.
"Little Weiss, so good to see you back," the old man greeted warmly. "Tell me, how was your time in Vale?"
"It was wonderful, Grandpa Nick," Weiss chirped. "The air was so warm and the water so clear."
"Grandpa Nicholas..."
The man, who carried Weiss to the foot of a stairway, was known as Nicholas Schnee, Weiss' grandfather. One of the strongest humans of Remnant in recent history. More importantly one of Weiss' greatest idols in life. From the earliest of her memories, she wanted to be just like her grandfather; to be strong yet gentle.
And it hurt to see her grandfather so weak. Weiss was told stories of how he stood like a giant against the Grimm, armor unblemished before and after the battle. His greatsword was a mere extension of himself like a world-class artist on a blank canvas.
"Why... Why are you showing this to me?"
Little Weiss didn't know that. She didn't know the weakness that struck Nicholas Schnee in his latter years. Nor the tragedy soon to come.
"No one gave you trouble, did they?" Nicholas asked as he sat down, though with the slightest tensing of his shoulders. "Are you and your little brother fine?"
Little Weiss shook her head. "No. Mommy and Daddy took us around toy shopping. Whitley enjoyed the beach a lot. We made sandcastles."
Nicholas' shoulders sagged, relieved from the hidden weight he held. "Good. That's... good."
The old man lurched, surprising the little girl in his arms. Something almost escaped his mouth but through force of will he forced it back down. The little girl was none the other but Weiss would have learned of the bloody mess he kept away from her younger self's eyes.
"Grandpa!" Little Weiss called out. "Show me! Show your Semblance!"
Nicholas' brow shot up. "Are you sure? Why not ask your mother for a demonstration?"
"But Mom's not like you," Little Weiss said. "You do it better. When I grow up, I want to be like you. Strong and maj... majes... mah-"
"Majestic?" Nicholas supplied with Weiss nodding vigorously. "Oh very well. Just for you, little snowflake."
Weiss clapped in excitement. Nicholas sat his granddaughter down on the step and pulled himself up. The taps of his cane echoed throughout the central hall of the manor till he stood in the center. The old man's eyes closed as he prepared till a thick white aura surrounded him. When the glyph of the Schnee Semblance appeared, it took up the entire floor and pushed up the wind itself from the power.
It happened in a flash. The glyph disappeared and its place was a great majestic avatar of a knight. Its armor gleamed like real metal and a long cape of white stars flowed down from its back. It was impossible to see through it, and the body was highly detailed down to the last plate and link of chain mail. Instead of standing in front of its summoner, the avatar had encased Nicholas who floated within its chest cavity.
And to this day, no summon afterward could compare to the might of Nicholas' mastery over the family Semblance.
But it wasn't over. The summon began to shrink upon Nicholas. The Aura did not lessen but rather condensed as it shrank around the old man. Weiss had to shield her eyes as Nicholas was bathed in too bright pale light. When she was able to look again, Weiss saw Nicholas dressed in the armor of her summon like it was his own, complete with a glowing greatsword.
No sooner than it happened. it disappeared into motes of light. Nicholas leaned on his cane, feeling his insides roil with agony. He looked to Weiss, but instead of disappointment, he was met with the pure joy of a child mesmerized. She ran up to her grandfather and clutched his leg.
"That was amazing," Weiss said.
"Ho-ho-ho-ho, I'm glad you liked it," Nicholas chuckled, softly palming the top of his granddaughter's head. "What's wrong, Weiss?"
Little Weiss' face scrunched up. "I'm never going to be as good as you, am I?" You're so strong, and you've done so much. And what can I do?"
Nicholas' face was set in a neutral look with his lips thinned. He went down one knee so Weiss could look at him at eye level.
"You shouldn't try to be like me," Nicholas said. "You should try to be better."
"Better?" Weiss said. "But no one's better than you."
Nicholas gave Weiss a tender smile. "I'm glad you think so highly of me."
"What would you think if you saw how I failed your expectations, Grandpa?"
"Do you want to know what guided you to be strong, Weiss?" Nicholas asked out of the blue. "Before the Schnee Company was founded - when I was a little lad - my mother used to tell me stories. She told me how our family was a line of hardy folk. They saw the bleakness of life in the north and they decided to give it color. They chose to spite the darkness, being the warmth in the cold, and slayer of the monsters. There were words that family lived by which my mother gave to me: We Laugh, We Rage, We Live! Do you know what that means, Weiss?"
Weiss shook her head. Nicholas did not look disappointed as he continued.
"It means we never forget what makes us, us. What truly manifests as our souls, not just Aura. It's our emotions. Remember this, Weiss. You must never throw them away. Don't even bottle them up. Joy, anger, sadness. They are what separate us from the Grimm. To deny them is to willfully ignore the cruelty of this world when you have the power to stop it. When you need to cry, then cry. Laugh in joy when around friends. Use it to fuel your soul. When you feel anger at anything threatening your loved ones, embrace it. Let it fuel your strength."
Nicholas paused for a deep breath. "I know it's a lot to take in. You may not understand these words even ten years from now. Just promise me to remember them."
"Yes, Grandpa," Weiss answered.
"I failed you."
"Good," Nicholas said, rising to his feet. "Go along now. I'm sure dinner is waiting for you with the rest of your family."
Little Weiss nodded. "Yes, Grandpa."
Nicholas watched warmly as Weiss scampered off through the halls. The world around them wilted away like blown dust. All that was left was a little girl looking forward to dinner with her family.
Completely oblivious that a day later, Nicholas Schnee would pass away in his sleep.
"Why show me this? Why did you remind me of that day?"
"...YOu neEdED tO REmEmbER."
"Remember what? How I have failed? How I will never live up to my promises? How I am so weak that I can't do anything when my friends need me?"
"BeCAUse You're hiDing whAt you feel. Since Nicholas passed away, Jacques took it upon himself to try and mold you into a version of himself. A cold, apathetic thing to better lead the company. He almost succeeded."
"What do you want from me? What the hell do you want from me!?"
"Stop hiding away aND USE ME!"
"!"
"What did you feel when Jacques tore down everything Grandfather stood for?! How did it feel seeing him break down Mother into a drunken mess? Pushing away our brother and sister? How - did - it FEEL!?"
At those words, memories of her less-than-stellar childhood flashed through Weiss' mind. The shouting. The drinking. The heartache. All of it and she could feel was...
...fury!
"You felt but ignored it. You have been leashed to be an unfeeling machine. No more! Now is the time to embrace it. Unchain yourself, Weiss Schnee, and call out my NAME!"
(Soul Society)
Koga hummed in annoyance as Weiss' grip refused to give. The girl's eyes had already blanked to unconsciousness.
"I..."
The Bount raised a curious brow. He wasn't sure if the damage to her larynx was serious. If her vocals returned, what did she have to say?
"Ik..." Weiss rasped as her hand tightened around her Asauchi.
Only now did Koga realize that the blank blade produced an unusual amount of spiritual pressure. It was titanic in quantity, unlike anything Koga expected from a young warrior. The blade was dressed in a white aura of reiatsu flowing over Weiss' body. The bruising over her throat healed to pink skin and her eyes snapped open to full wakeness.
With her voice returned, Weiss called out to her soul. "Banish the long night, IKARI!"
Koga was blown away by the eruption of spiritual pressure, crashing through several buildings he was hurled through. A mighty pillar of spiritual pressure took the place of Weiss. On the night of Soul Society, this pillar of power drew all eyes. The only thing that prevented it from piercing the clouds was the barrier erected around the Sereitei, making the spiritual pressure wash over. Yet in the center, a shadow could be seen of a feminine figure standing proudly - with wings spread to their full majesty.
The eruption of power petered off till it died away. Buildings and walls were flattened to bare earth with none other than Weiss standing in the center. Her strength had returned as her Aura shined stronger than ever. The most dramatic change was the weapon in her hands.
The formerly nameless blade had transformed into a longsword, a blade of foreign forging compared to the usual zanpakuto. Starting from the bottom, the handle featured a dark leather grip long enough for two hands to hold comfortably with a round grey pommel where a blue jewel was set. Going up, the tsuba had transformed into a full silver crossguard where a larger jewel gleamed within the center. This jewel shined a light blue but in another light would go a vivid red.
The real marvel was the blade. It was a considerable heft of steel colored a dark grey for a longsword. Any bigger and Weiss would have to conceive it to be a greatsword, yet in her hands, it was lighter than Myrtenaster. Lines spread like veins across the spine of the blade, pulsing with the same light as the pearl within the guard.
For the first time, Weiss felt free. It was like a manacle she had never known was finally released from her soul. Her mind whirled in joy, but she didn't try to dispose of them in her composure. She embraced it all, from the joy of releasing her Shikai for the first time to the anger of her near defeat. None of it showed on her face, but it flowed through her body like an uncapped stream.
After Weiss' power subsided, Koga had shortly regained his bearings. His stoic demeanor was broken into a gawk at the new level of power Weiss was displaying. Grimacing, Koga hefted Dalk with both hands in a ready stance.
"Shikai?" Koga said, baffled. "But you never held such a weapon for more than-"
"Quiet," Weiss said, her tone offering no rebuttal despite how softly she spoke. "You may not see it, but I am feeling a lot of things. I feel happy I finally got this sword to work, but I am also very angry. I almost lost to you. I'm not vain enough to hide the fact that I hate losing."
Koga blinked. 'What does that have to do with me?"
"Because I'm not going to vent these emotions through some useless screaming," Weiss said, and suddenly the veins and gems of Ikari turned a vivid red. "I'll let Ikari do the talking."
The sword burst with bloody red reiatsu in tandem with a roar making thunder meek. The sudden difference in Weiss' power was startling compared to her transformation. The white color from before while powerful felt pure, almost benevolent. This was no Hollow reiatsu, but the red spiritual power that bathed both wielder and sword echoed with a fury hidden behind Weiss' facade. Spiritual pressure rose like freshly fed flames and Koga felt his heart skip a beat seeing a snarling visage take form within the dark redness. A vague likeness of a crocodilian-like maw filled with fangs, a long snout, and white eyes glowing with such intensity on the Bount.
'Dragon...' Koga's thoughts supplied to the entity given form by her spiritual pressure.
But the Bount steadied himself and made his stand. "It does not matter what beastly power you wield. I must face Kariya and make him answer for his madness. If you must be cut down, then show it shall be."
With a roar, Koga pulled in as much reishi from the surroundings as he possibly could and beyond. His screams turned from effort to pain as his body reached its limits only for the Bount to push beyond that. Even Dalk squawked in worrying what Koga was trying to do.
"Koga stop!" Dalk cried through their mental link. "Your body can't take so much power all at once. You'll tear yourself to shreds, and me with you!"
Koga ignored Dalk's warning and continued to absorb the spiritual matter of the Sereitei till barren flatland stood as the battlefield between him and Weiss. There was no special technique in mind. In this moment, Koga relied on pure physical force further strengthened by the power he had absorbed. Either he falls or wins, it didn't matter with his options so bleak. The Bount unleashed a primal roar and charged at Weiss with speed unbefitting of his size.
Weiss did not meet the charge. Guided by her awakened zanpakuto spirit, Weiss lifted Ikari into a familiar stance, poised parallel to the ground, but lowered the longsword to her chest level. Red spiritual pressure swirled down her arm and coiled around the sword, begging to be unleashed.
She let it go with a thrust of the longsword. At the peak of the motion, all that spiritual pressure was shot off from the tip of her blade like a rail cannon. The spiritual pressure transformed, growing bigger until it took the form of a snarling dragon, its maw open wide to swallow Koga whole. The fear of death struck Koga like an arrow to the heart, and all he could do was look up helplessly at the red dragon looming over him.
For most, despair would take hold of those in the face of death. But as Koga looked towards his grisly end, he made a tired smile. He made no desperate move to escape - even if there was no difference - and accepted death.
'I've lived too long,' Koga thought. 'It's time the youngsters took the world for themselves.'
Those were Koga's last thoughts before the dragon clamped down on Koga's body. Gore and blood didn't get a chance to splash before the spiritual pressure became volatile and imploded in a great haze of heat and fire. Weiss watched the dust settle waiting for any surprise from the Bount, but found no traces of Koga amongst the rubble and gigantic crater left in the wake of Weiss' attack.
Unfortunately, Weiss was unprepared for the wave of fatigue. She collapsed on her knees with Ikari planted into the ground for support. The zanpakuto glowed white as it shrank back into its sealed form amid Weiss' dwindling strength. This time when darkness crept into her vision, Weiss accepted it gladly and faceplanted into the ground unconscious. Her trip to the realm of dreams was too early as Captain Hitsugaya arrived in a burst of shunpo, kneeling over Weiss' body. As the young captain took note of the destruction around him, he uttered one word to the sleeping Schnee.
"Incredible."
Yeh.
Did you know Nicholas Schnee is based on Santa Claus?
"Weiss, your grandpa is Santa Claus?!"
This will be my last update for any chapter for any story for the year since I am going on a long, long trip across the world. For those I talk in the DMs, you won't be hearing from me for a LOOONG while.