Chapter 42: Heat in Trust
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Within a dark, withering forest, multiple shadowy figures quickly stalk their prey—a young girl with long dirty blonde hair. The girl runs from these incoming figures, jumping over various roots of trees as she does so. This continues for a while, the figures closing in on the girl as she trips on one such root, sending her to the ground, exposed to their assault.
The girl's eyes widen in fear as one of the figures stands in front of her, raising what seems to be a sword-like object above their head. Before the figure can bring the 'sword' down, however, a bright golden light rains down on it, disintegrating it. The other shadows back up in instinctual fear of the light, which now has transformed into a bright golden yellow figure with wings, appearing like a fairy. The fairy, who stands in front of the girl, smirks as she raises her hand, launching rays of light that chase after the remaining figures as well, quickly dispatching them.
The girl stares in awe at the apparent might of the figure, who turns to look at her with a gentle smile. The girl widens her eyes as she notices that the fairy's face has the same structure as her own. The girl takes another few moments to take in the appearance of the fairy, noticing a black tribal tattoo that looks somewhat like a branch trailing down the left side of her face, through her eye. Her eyes are each different colors, her left being yellow with black sclera and her right being green with pale yellow sclera without a pupil. The fairy's hair is short, ending just below her ears, and takes on a light, pale yellow color. There is a familiar white forward-facing horn that protrudes from the left side of her head, which makes the girl narrow her eyes slightly. She can't help but notice the pointed, elf-like ears that the fairy has either. As far as attire goes, the fairy wears a bright yellow, furry scarf-like thing around her neck, not unlike what one would find around a moth's head, and a furry skirt of matching color that ends just above her knees. Her torso is covered by a sleeveless yellow Gi with black highlights at the edges. Lastly, the girl notices light particles occupying the air around the fairy, appearing not unlike fireflies, which are the same shade of color as the bright yellow or gold energy wings that sprout from the top of the creature's back. The fairy walks over to the girl, offering her a hand, which the girl quickly takes before being helped to her feet.
The girl furrows her brows as she stares into the being's eyes, "Why did you save me?"
The fairy's smile widens, and her eyes soften, as a voice identical to her own comes from the fairy's lips, "Isn't it obvious? We can only depend on ourselves. No one else is going to save us…"
The girl, Yuzu, widens her eyes before narrowing them, catching on, "Those shadows… were Shinigami! You killed them!"
The fairy shakes her head, "I did no such thing. This is only a dream after all~."
Yuzu furrows her brows, "A dream…?"
The fairy nods, "Think of that as what you could do if you called my name—our power…"
The fairy then takes off, rising in the sky high above the withering trees, before blending in with the bright yellow moon above.
Yuzu stares in awe at the moon as the voice of the fairy speaks to her, "Speak my name and the bad guys will disappear… but if you refuse to do it, then I am more than happy to take over on your behalf. Whatever you choose, I urge you to protect the ones we love… including yourself…"
The girl's eyes begin to slowly close as her consciousness begins to fade.
6 Days before Execution, Repentance Cell, Senzaikyu, Soul Society
Yuzu opens her eyes, once more greeted by the darkness of the Repentance Cell.
The girl trembles as she grabs the sides of her arms, "N-no, I won't! I won't kill! There has to be another way!"
Suddenly, air blows violently into the Cell from the outside, pushing Yuzu back slightly.
The girl holds her right arm in front of her to impede the gale, narrowing her eyes as she looks out at the Seireitei, "Where's this wind coming from? I don't… wait… this Reiatsu…!"
Yuzu widens her eyes as her mouth falls agape, "Chad?!"
Seireitei
Scores of Shinigami are blasted into the air by an intense blast, generating a shockwave. The blast continues like a tempest, tearing through the walls of the Seireitei. The one generating the attack roars as his red and black fist strikes the air in front of him again, increasing the attack's intensity, and leveling the nearby barracks. Chad then ceases the attack, holding his right arm steady as he gazes upon the leveled battlefield.
Yukio and Kon, behind him, both gawk at the display, the plushie commenting, "I-I'm glad he's on our side…"
Yukio nods his head, slowly, sweating somewhat nervously, "Y-yeah…"
After a moment, another familiar voice sounds, "I figured this was your doing, Chad."
The trio turns, regarding Tsukishima, who approaches them nonchalantly, "It did make it quite easy to find you guys, so I won't complain. These Shinigami also quite frankly deserve it."
Chad merely hums in response while Yukio tilts his head, questioning, "Based on how laid back you're acting, I guess that means you have a lead about where she's being held?"
The tall man in suspenders nods, "She's in that tower in the center of the Seireitei… determining how we'll get in and out safely is something we'll still need information on, though."
Kon snorts, "Why can't Chad just knock the tower down or something?"
Yukio furrows his brows, looking at Kon in mild disgust, "Are you stupid? If we do that, Yuzu will get caught up in it too. We'll need to be covert."
The plushie sighs while Tsukishima shrugs, "We still have 6 days, allegedly, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. It's simply a matter of making new 'friends', is all…"
The trio stand in silence for a few moments before their attention is grabbed by an angered Shinigami approaching them from the rubble. The man has black hair and wears black sunglasses that hide his eyes, notedly also wearing a band on his arm to signify his higher status in the ranks of the Shinigami.
He holds a uniquely shaped sword, a large falchion-like weapon with a pick protruding towards the end of the blade, which he levels at the group of invaders, barking at them, "Who the hell do you Ryoka think you are?! You just leveled the Squad 7 Barracks!"
Chad casually raises his right arm charging another attack, "Looks like I missed one."
The boy then throws his fist at the Vice-Captain, who attempts to block the attack with his blade, however, soon finds himself overpowered as he is blasted across the ground. Chad widens his eyes as the man is caught by another, much larger figure, who easily negates the attack with a swing of his right arm.
Chad assumes a more hostile stance as the figure, wearing a white coat and helmet, stares down at the disoriented Vice-Captain, "Let me deal with them, Tetsuzaemon. You contact Squad 4 for relief."
The man, Tetsuzaemon Iba, breaks off from his captain, kneeling before him, "As you command, Captain Komamura!"
Iba then disappears with a flash, leaving Chad and Komamura to stare each other down.
Kon, meanwhile, begins to freak out, "Captain? CAPTAIN?! We're goners!"
Yukio sweats nervously while Tsukishima looks bored—as if fighting a captain is no big deal.
The Latino boy, not taking his gaze off the captain, regards the others, "You guys go on ahead. I'll handle this guy…"
Yukio frowns, snapping at the boy, "What do you mean? You can't fight a captain by yourself; you'll die—"
The boy cuts himself off as Chad raises his left hand and gives a thumbs-up to the boy behind him.
The blonde boy grits his teeth slightly as Tsukishima starts walking to his left, away from Chad and Komamura, "We should get going, Yukio. Chad says he'll handle it."
Yukio glances at Chad briefly before begrudgingly following the other Fullbringer.
The captain almost seems to growl lightly, "Just because you destroyed the barracks, you seem to be under the illusion that you can hold me off while your allies escape. I almost pity you, mortal… despite that, I'll at least try to make your defeat painless."
"You've got one thing wrong…", Chad raises his left fist, clutching it, which grabs the captain's attention, "…I don't mean to simply hold you off… I'm going to defeat you."
Komamura hums, his eyes narrowing behind his helmet, "I see…"
The captain pulls his Zanpakuto from his belt, holding it in front of him, as he calls, "Roar, Tengen!"
Chad maintains a serious, unflinching look as a massive sword appears in the air behind the captain, held by an equally massive gloved right arm.
The captain wastes no time in swinging back his arm, which causes the arm in the air to mimic his gesture, before he swings the blade downward, bringing the massive blade down on Chad. The boy clutches his right fist, raising his shield-like right arm, attempting to block the attack. Chad widens his eyes slightly as his knees begin to buckle, the captain exerting more of his strength and Reiatsu into the attack. The boy pushes back slightly as a gale coats his right arm. He howls as the gale releases, causing a shockwave that forces the blade back, causing the captain to stumble somewhat.
Chad takes advantage of this opportunity, charging at the captain with his right arm held behind him in preparation for his next attack.
The captain growls, leveling his blade before swinging it down at the boy with great speed, "Too slow!"
Chad, not pausing his pace, disappears with a green flash right before the massive blade slams into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Komamura clicks his tongue as the boy appears behind him, throwing his right fist at him. The captain blocks the blow with his sword, the clash causing an intense shockwave that disperses the dust cloud. Neither combatant gives an inch as they continue clashing.
Chad grits his teeth, forming another gale around his right arm, forcing Komamura's blade back before slamming his fist into the captain's helmet, shattering it, and causing him to stagger backwards somewhat. The boy pauses as the captain quickly regains his bearings, staring back at him with the face of a wolf.
Chad continues to stare at Komamura's face for a few moments, prompting the captain to ask, "Does my appearance frighten you, human?"
The boy stares passively at the captain before responding, "I've seen talking cats and birds, not to mention Hollows. I'm beyond the point of being put off by something so trivial."
The wolfman's ear twitches before he responds, "I see… that wasn't the reaction I was expecting. People usually are intimidated by my appearance and think me a monster…"
Chad's eyes soften ever so slightly, "Where I come from, I have also faced discrimination for my appearance… I had that in common with my best friend. He helped me look past that and to fight for the sake of others."
Komamura softens his eyes slightly in turn, realizing, "I have a friend like that, as well…"
There is then a momentarily silence between the two, allowing the captain to reminisce.
Komamura's Past, Rukongai
On a plain in the Rukongai, a dark-skinned young man wearing the blue and white Gi of the Shino Academy gestures toward a rock formation, questioning, "A… are you okay?! I'm sorry. Didn't know you were there."
A wolfman wearing rugged robes sits against another rock formation a distance behind the academy student, wearing a deadpan as he addresses him, "I'm over here."
"Huh?!", the young man's head comically does a 180 as he realizes he wasn't addressing the right thing at all.
The wolfman widens his eyes slightly as the young man approaches and explains, "That's strange… I couldn't tell where you were."
The student, who the wolfman just now realizes is blind, offers his hand and a smile, introducing, "I'm Kaname Tosen. I'm pleased to meet you."
The wolfman stands up and rubs his head in mild embarrassment as Tosen looks up and remarks, "You're good at hiding your presence. I can't see, but I've never failed to sense someone's presence before."
The robbed man looks away, recalling his past of being discriminated against, "Yes… Forgive me. Force of habit…"
Some Time Later, Seireitei
The form of an older Kaname Tosen wearing a black Shihakushō smiles as he stands in the streets of the Seireitei, looking up at the much taller form of his friend, "Sajin? Is that you, Sajin?! It's good to see you!"
Komamura stands quietly in front of his friend, also wearing a black Shihakushō and a white veil to conceal his face as the other man continues, "Really… So, you joined the Gotei 13 too? If you want, maybe you could join our company."
The wolfman remains silent as he peers through his veil, his friend's enthusiasm remaining ever strong, "Our captain is a great man! I'm sure you'll like him!"
Later, Rukongai
The two friends now stand before a grave somewhere in the Rukongai. Komamura still wears a white veil to conceal his face while Tosen now wears a visor and a headband.
The blind man questions as he looks down at the grave, belonging to a friend from his childhood, "Why did you become a Shinigami, Sajin?"
The wolfman remains ever stoic as he answers, "To repay a debt of gratitude to Sir Genryusai, the man who saved my life and took me in without discrimination."
Tosen smiles as he continues to regard the grave, "A debt of gratitude, eh? That's your style…"
The men remain quiet, allowing the wind to ruffle their robes slightly, embracing the tranquility.
After a moment of this, Komamura questions, "What about you, Tosen?"
The blind man perks up slightly, "Me?"
He takes a moment to consider this as he narrows his eyes, starting, "It's about justice…"
The wolfman raises a brow from under his veil, "Justice…?"
Tosen nods as he looks intently at the grave before him, "She loved this world. She became a Shinigami for the world she loved and for justice. I…"
The blind man pauses briefly before his expression becomes stern, "…I didn't want to see the justice she fought for disappear. So, I decided to carry on her heart's desire. That's why I became a Shinigami…"
At that time, I noted…
…a small untruth to his words.
He mentioned 'the world she loved' several times.
But he never called it…
…'the world I love'.
I understood.
I thought that's because he hates the world.
I understood more than enough…
No, actually, I was glad…
Anyone who'd lost a loved one would feel that way…
I was glad you…
…weren't a saint…
…who claimed to love the world even after what you'd lost.
That's why…
…I decided to become a true friend to you.
If you knew sadness, I would embrace it...
If I knew joy, you would share it…
If you went astray, I would correct you…
If you made a mistake, I would forgive you…
When you had nowhere to go, I would be your refuge.
All so that this man who could no longer love the world…
…might love it again.
Present, Squad 7 Barracks
After the captain finishes recalling his past, he breaks the silence and stares intently at his opponent, taking the boy's words about his friend to heart, "May I assume you've come to save Yuzu Kurosaki?"
The boy nods, clutching his right fist, "My best friend died recently. The least I could do for him now is to protect his little sister from meeting the same fate."
Komamura tilts his head slightly toward the ground, "You have my condolences… I took you for a group of ruffians, but it seems you fight to honor your friend and his memory."
The wolfman matches Chad's gaze, "I am Captain Sajin Komamura of Squad 7. Would I have the honor of knowing your name, warrior?"
Chad nods, "Yasutora Sado… unfortunately I can't afford to hold back on you anymore. I'll end this quickly."
Komamura levels his blade, "Nor shall I… Bankai."
Chad shifts slightly as the massive arm behind the captain extends to become an entire, colossal, suit of armor.
The captain swings his blade behind him, an action that the suit of armor mimics, "Kokujo Tengen Myo'o!"
The boy exhales before holding out his left arm, electricity forming around it before it turns white, with red tribal-like markings and a large spike protruding from his shoulder, "Brazo Izquierda Del Diablo."
The two each shudder in anticipation under the other's Reiatsu, before Chad rushes forward, throwing his left arm at the captain, sending an electrified shockwave at him. Komamura's massive blade briefly struggles against the attack before slicing through, coming down at Chad.
The boy recalls something during his training, which will serve him well, 'You hit decently hard kid, but you're too slow… far too slow.'
Instead of blocking, Chad this time opts to dodge, evading with Bringer's Light and closing the distance between himself and Komamura. The captain swings his normal sword at the boy to bat him away, but the boy grabs it with his right hand, reeling back his left fist before sending it directly into Komamura's gut. The captain spits up blood as the attack pushes deep into his stomach before a skull briefly forms in the air behind him. The captain is immediately sent spiraling backwards into the rubble, the massive suit of armor likewise toppling and crashing against nearby buildings.
Chad exhales as smoke comes off his left hand, "That… was La Muerte."
The boy's eyes widen as Komamura, still spitting up blood and wheezing, slams his left fist on the ground, forcing himself to his feet, "It seems I'll have to use that. Fighting you at long range is not an option…"
Chad raises a brow as he shudders slightly in anticipation.
The captain howls as he holds his blade skyward, "Kokujo Tengen Myo'o: Shinjitsu Yoroi (True Armor)!"
The massive suit of armor glows briefly before condensing into flames, which move and engulf Komamura. As the flames subside, the wolfman's form is revealed, wearing smaller versions of the shoulder pads and gloves from the massive suit of armor. Around Komamura's neck are two large, black ropes which trail down his back. His chest and upper arms are now exposed, revealing a more orange-ish fur, except for his chest and stomach, which is more of a light tan color. Traces of flames come from the wolf's mouth and his expression is in general much fiercer than before.
The wolfman holds a smaller, human-sized version of Tengen in his right hand, which he levels at Chad, "What you see is Tengen and I becoming one—besides the Head Captain, for whom I owe my life, you are the only one to have ever seen this form."
Chad looks down briefly at both of his fists, recalling bygone days.
Chad's Past
Chad sits on the hill next to Karakura's river, fiddling with his necklace which has a large golden amulet on it.
Suddenly, his attention is grabbed by a voice calling out to him from behind, "What the hell was that, Chad?!"
The boy tilts his head backward with widened eyes, looking at the boy behind him, "It's Sado."
The orange-haired boy grunts, "Are you kidding me?! You got lucky this time cause I was here! You would've been killed! You're as strong as an ox! Why didn't you defend yourself?!"
Chad looks away from his friend, solemnly explaining, "I promised, I'd never use my fists for my own sake. I promised my Abuelo."
The orange-haired boy, Ichigo, raises a brow, "Abu… what?"
The Latino boy tilts his head back at his friend, "Abuelo. It means grandfather. His name was Oscar Joaquin De La Rosa."
Ichigo sweat drops, "How many grandparents are we talking about…?"
Chad ignores his friend's comment, continuing his explanation, "He was a Mestizo… a Mexican. I used to live in Mexico before I moved here."
The orange-haired boy gives his friend the side eye, "You said you were from Okinawa when we met last month…"
The tall boy pauses, staring blankly at his friend, "…did I?"
Ichigo's brow twitches in mild annoyance, "Yeah! Aw, forget it! All you do is talk nonsense! Well, I'm not gonna bail you out next time!"
Chad chuckles at this, fiddling with the amulet around his neck, earning Ichigo's attention, "That thing around your neck, you always wear it, huh? Is it something important?"
The Latino stares down at his necklace affectionately, "Yeah. It's important. More important than my life."
Ichigo awkwardly looks to the side before walking down the hill and suddenly sitting next to his friend, "It looks like a coin from another country… or something. Where's it from?"
Chad fiddles with his necklace again, smiling fondly, "Mexico."
The other boy looks to the side, not sure if this is more of the other boy's nonsense or not, "Geez…"
Chad suddenly gets up, explaining, "We should go. There's no bigger waste of time than two guys talking next to a river."
Just then, Ichigo notices an open phone dangle from Chad's belt, "Hey! You got a phone hanging there."
The Latino cocks his head to the side, "Huh? It must belong to one of those guys. Oh well… I guess I should give it back."
As soon as Ichigo eyes the '21 min. 50 sec.' call time on the phone screen, he swipes it from Chad and kicks it in the river, "Throw it away!"
Chad flinches, "H-hey…!"
I hadn't lied.
I was born in Okinawa and moved to Mexico, that's all.
My parents died when I was young, and I didn't have any other relatives.
So, I went to live with my grandfather in Mexico.
That was when I was eight.
Back then, I was a big baby and a bully.
I used my strength to beat down anyone I didn't like.
Then my Abuelo showed me the error of my ways.
Thanks to him, I learned to be good.
I was really just a big baby back then…
…and I was careless that day.
Later, Karakura Town
Chad wakes up tied to a chair under a bridge along the river in Karakura Town. Multiple goons punch him in the face, taking advantage of his disadvantaged state.
He briefly looks behind him, trying to break loose, "The cable's pretty thick… I don't think I can break it…"
In front of Chad sits a delinquent on a couch, with a nose ring that connects to a chain extending to his ear, "Chad of Mashiba, you're finished. How does it feel? Does the pain make you want to pee your pants?"
Chad casually responds, "Pain makes people want to pee their pants? I'm not feeling the urge. Sorry."
The delinquent becomes angry at this, walking towards Chad before grabbing his necklace, "Then how about this? I know all about this. It means a lot to you."
The Latino's eyes widen in panic as the delinquent removes the necklace, "It's a souvenir from Mexico that you value more than your own life. So, if you lose it, you'll die, right?"
The delinquent boy wears a vicious expression as he dangles the necklace in front of Chad's face, "Then die, you jerk—"
A foot suddenly slams into the side of the delinquent's face, cutting him off.
The delinquent is sent skidding on the ground, his goons gasping as they watch, "Yoko-chin?!"
The delinquent slowly rises from the ground, pointing at them in annoyance, "I-I told you not to call me Yoko-chin! How many times do I have to tell you—"
The boy is once more cut off as a foot slams his face into the ground, causing his body to twitch, holding the amulet up.
The goons gasp at the sight of Ichigo, "Y-you're...!"
Ichigo meanwhile swipes the amulet from the delinquent's hand, commenting, "Thanks for being such a sport."
The goons cry out as they recognize the orange-haired boy, "Ichigo Kurosaki of Mashiba Junior High!"
Ichigo begins rummaging through the delinquent's coat, prompting one of the goons to call out to him, "Wait, dude! Don't ignore us! And stop ruffling through Yoko-chin's pockets!"
Chad's mouth is agape at the sight of his friend, "Ichigo…!"
The orange-haired boy finds what he is looking for, pulling a phone from the delinquent's pocket, "Ah! Here it is!"
Ichigo dials a number before speaking into the phone, "Hello? I need an ambulance."
"AMBULANCE?!", the goons question, "Taking care of Chad before you fight us?! What a slap in the face!"
Ichigo continues, "Send it to Nishi-Toriya District Two, under the Onose River Bridge. There'll be…"
The orange-haired boy points at each of the goons individually, counting off, "One… Two… Three… Four… Five…"
Ichigo smirks as he glares at the goons, "…Five of 'em."
The goons angrily charge at Ichigo, "You're dead!"
The orange-haired boy tosses the phone behind him as he charges in at the goons, beginning to viciously battle each and every one of them.
"Okay…"
"…how about this, Chad?"
"You won't have to hit other people on your own account anymore…"
"But in return, you have to hit people to help me…"
"I'll fight for you, and you'll fight for me."
"If there's something you want to protect with your life, then I'll protect it with my life."
Chad stares down at a beaten and bloody Ichigo, pointing up at him from the ground, "Is it a promise?"
The Latino's eyes soften as he responds, "…okay. It's a promise."
Present, Seireitei
Chad balls both of his hands into fists, staring at the wolf captain with resolve in his eyes, "I'll defeat this guy and rescue Yuzu, even if I must die to do it!"
The boy holds his hands up in front of his chest not unlike how a boxer does. Komamura holds his blade offensively, waiting for the right time to strike. Both combatants slowly approach the other before suddenly charging.
Chad is the first to land a punch, striking Komamura's face with his left arm, causing the wolf to spit out blood and one of his teeth. The wolfman quickly counters with a sword strike to Chad's left side, drawing blood. The Fullbringer slams his left arm into the wolf's sword arm, electrocuting it and causing it to spasm under the force. Chad follows up with a right hook to Komamura's chest, forcing him to stumble back.
Both of them regard each other briefly, each breathing a bit heavily before each of them howls in fury, neither willing to back down from their respective vows. Chad jabs each of his fists at the wolf's face drawing more blood, but the wolf slams his own left fist into the Latino's gut, causing him to spit up blood. The captain swings his weakened right arm with his sword at Chad, hitting him in his side, which doesn't nearly have the same amount of power as before, but still does its job of making the boy uncomfortable due to his wound. The boy grunts, gritting his teeth, fighting down the pain.
Chad quickly slams his left fist into Komamura's stomach, causing the captain's mouth to hang agape, spitting up more blood. Chad then strikes the wolf in the face with his right fist again, shaking the wolf's brain around. Komamura growls lowly, bringing his left fist with him in its momentum, which begins to coat lightly with flames, slamming into the side of Chad's face, making the boy spit up blood.
The wolfman regains his bearing before throwing his sword and left fist at Chad in fury, the boy struggling to deal with attacks from both sides. Chad generates a shockwave from his right arm, pushing Komamura's left arm back. In his right hand, the Latino struggles to hold the captain's blade back, the blade beginning to cut into his hand. Chad grunts in fury before slamming his right fist into Komamura's chest, making the wolf let out something of a yelp. He brings his arm back and does this again. And again. And again. The wolf at this point staggers, struggling to breathe, his right arm starting to fall to his side.
Chad, now having his left arm free, strikes Komamura in the face with it, sending the wolf's head to the side. He then brings his right fist to hit the captain on the other side of the face before violently punching the captain's head back and forth, completely disorienting him.
Chad roars as he opens his left hand, electricity forming at his fingertips, before balling it into a fist and slamming it into Komamura's gut, "LA MUERTE!"
Once more, a skull forms briefly in the air behind the captain, before the wolfman is sent violently flying into the rubble behind him, a beaten and bloody mess. In the wake of the attack, the captain lays in the rubble, twitching and with pupil-less eyes.
Chad breathes heavily for a moment, the adrenaline leaving him, before stumbling, giving into his fatigue as he falls to the ground, his arms reverting to normal. As he lies quietly, a certain black cat approaches him, peering down at him curiously.
Yoruichi murmurs, "To think that you would grow this strong for her sake… I am impressed, boy."
There are voices of various urgent Shinigami in the distance, the increase in the volume of their footsteps indicating their approach.
The cat sighs, "Well, I ought to get you out of here, shouldn't I?"
The cat's body begins to grow and transform into something else, looming over the boy.
Repentance Cell, Senzaikyu, Soul Society
Yuzu sits against the wall of the cell with her arms wrapped around her legs, her face buried in her lap, "No… Chad! You shouldn't have come here if you were going to get hurt… not for me…!"
The girl weeps, her tears soaking her lap as she can't bear knowing that her friends are getting hurt or perhaps even killed on her account.
The voice of the fairy sprinkles itself into her thoughts, "If you feel that badly about it, why don't you go out and help them? What is happening is unforgiveable. They need to be punished! Admit it, Yuzu, you want this just as much as me! You want to kill—"
"NO!", the girl screams, holding her hand on her head, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD! I WON'T KILL PEOPLE TO GET WHAT I WANT! NEVER!"
The is a brief silence before the voice retorts, "That's wrong. We both know it. Remember the Grand Fisher? You were going to kill him…"
Yuzu widens her tear-filled eyes, "B-but that… that was…"
The fairy continues, "You were angry and done with him. You—we wanted to destroy him for tarnishing our dear brother's image. How much longer will it be before you reach a similar level here? Your friends will continue to suffer before the might of the Shinigami. We could very easily break out of these restraints right now and save them."
Yuzu narrows her eyes, "But if I do that, they'll hurt Dad and Karin… they might even kill them…"
The voice is silent, unable to give a retort to Yuzu's reasoning.
The fairy eventually responds, "…it is your call to make… Just remember, if you are intent on letting yourself die, I'm stepping in. I will not allow you to throw your life away…"
The voice goes silent for good this time, leaving Yuzu to mull over her thoughts.
Seireitei
Kenpachi runs into a dead end, a wall impeding his path, "What? No! Another dead end! Are you sure this was the right way, Yachiru?!"
The pink-haired girl on his shoulder nods with a smile, "Yep. You just have a crappy sense of direction, Kenny!"
The captain barks back at her, "That's enough out of you! It's your directions that got us lost!"
Yachiru snickers slightly before looking up to the sky to see a large green manta ray creature, "Hey Kenny, look! It's Captain Unohana!"
The man looks up before frowning, "Damn… if she's going, that means the fight's already over, and if it's not…"
Yachiru tilts her head, "What is it, Kenny?"
The man smirks, staring at the giant green creature in the sky, "Never mind… if that woman steps onto the battlefield, the battle is over."
Yachiru stares at her partner quietly as he spins on his heel, "Alright… time to find new prey…"
Shortly after Kenpachi and Yachiru run off, Uryu and Orihime poke their heads out from behind the tiled roof of a nearby wall.
"They're gone…", the orange-haired girl states.
Uryu nods his head somewhat cartoonishly, "Yeah…"
The Quincy sighs, fiddling with his collar somewhat, "That guy's bad news—he's one of those captains that fought that Hollow in the world of the living."
Orihime smiles at the boy, "It's good we were able to avoid fighting him, then."
Uryu nods, narrowing his eyes before looking off in the distance quietly.
The orange-haired girl looks down somewhat dejectedly, "I… hope Chad is alright…"
Uryu nods again, closing his eyes as he lets out an exhale, "There were others over there with him. He should be fine."
Orihime looks away, a distant look in her eyes, "I hope you're right…"
Uryu opens his eyes, now looking to his left, "Anyway, which way now…?"
The girl points in the opposite direction, "What about that way? I see something that looks like a tower way over there."
The Quincy looks over to the girl, "A tower? Where?"
The boy widens his eyes as Orihime continues, with a figure in black robes behind her, "Look. Over there…"
The figure slams a sword down on the girl, causing a dust cloud to kick up.
The large Shinigami, who has a pronounced jaw and big lips, clicks his tongue, "Shoot I missed…"
The man widens his eyes as the dust clears, revealing a light orange energy shield.
Orihime's voice is a bit low as she speaks from underneath the shield, "Underhanded and cowardly… now I'm mad! You should've waited until after I was done talking. I would've fought you fairly."
The man flinches as the girl sends him an upset look, "Get him, Tsubaki."
Before the Shinigami can so much as react, a light orange flash pierces through him, knocking him to the ground, unconscious.
Uryu stares darkly at the man as Orihime stretches her arms, smiling once more as she returns to her casual posture, "As I was saying, I think we should go to that tower over there."
The Quincy doesn't respond as he approaches the downed Shinigami, passing Orihime who looks at him slightly concerned, "Uryu…?"
The boy points his right gloved hand at the Shinigami before a bow sprouts from his wrist, a blue Reishi arrow forming in it.
Orihime gasps, "Don't kill him!"
The Quincy eyes the girl coldly, "And why shouldn't I? Their kind had no issue persecuting mine to death—need I remind you that's exactly what they're doing to Yuzu?"
The girl frowns, her eyes softening, "I know, and I get it… at least somewhat. I can tell, you see Yuzu as your sister, don't you…?"
Uryu's eyes narrow as his hand trembles in rage.
The girl continues, carefully, "I know how it feels to lose a close family member. It stings. You want to lash out at the world, but it won't help anyone… The cycle of violence—trading an eye for an eye—it's not right, and it never will be. If we can put an end to it now, don't you think we should try?"
The Quincy's eyes widen as he recalls words from his past, 'What we had to think about was how to make sure such a thing never happened again…'
Uryu sighs before moving his bow slightly to the side, letting the two arrows pierce the Shinigami's chest.
Orihime cries out, "Y-you killed him!"
The Quincy adjusts his glasses, correcting her, "No, I did not. I did shatter his Saketsu and Hakusui, though. He'll never fight again."
The girl's eyes stare blankly at the boy as she watches his bow shrink down and merge with the glove.
Uryu regards her with a glance, "Now then, shall we go?"
After a moment, Orihime smiles, "Yep!"
Squad 4 Infirmary
There is a rumble within the Squad 4 Infirmary followed by smoke rising from one of the rooms. Squad 12 Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi is to blame, as there is a gaping hole in the wall above the recovery bed in the particular room that he's in. Next to him stands a young woman with braided black hair and a short black Gi—his Vice-Captain, Nemu.
Mayuri glares down at the patient coldly, "So you refuse to talk, Madarame?!"
Ikkaku lies on the bed, his head bandaged, as he quietly and defiantly averts his gaze from the captain.
A nurse urgently rushes into the room just then, "P-please, 12th Squad Captain! This kind of post-combat interrogation is strictly prohibited inside the relief stations!"
The wall next to the nurse is suddenly destroyed, causing the nurse to wince as Mayuri barks, "Shut up!"
Nemu glances at her captain, "Master Mayuri."
The scientist snaps at her, "You shut up too, Nemu! Do you want to be broken into pieces again?!"
The woman looks away blankly, "No, sir. Forgive me."
Ikkaku glances at Mayuri with a somewhat disgusted look in his eye before elaborating, "I'm not refusing to talk. I just don't know anything. I don't know the Ryoka's objectives or destination. I know nothing."
Mayuri furrows his brow, "So that's it? You lost and came here without obtaining any intelligence?"
The bald man looks away, "That's right… But if I may add one thing, I didn't hear the enemy's voice or see her face. So, I have nothing to tell you."
The captain glares wrathfully at the 3rd seat before raising his left head in preparation to strike him, "Very well! Then your punishment shall commensurate your disgrace!"
Suddenly, the scientist's wrist is caught in another hand, restricting it from moving. Mayuri glares furiously back at the owner of the hand: Kenpachi Zaraki.
Kenpachi grunts, "This is irregular. When were you authorized to punish men from other companies? Eh, Kurotsuchi?"
Mayuri growls, "Zaraki!"
The scientist breaks out of the other man's grasp before turning to leave the room, "What can I do if his captain is here? I shall retreat, for now. We're going, Nemu! Move it, you idiot!"
The woman follows submissively, "Yes, sir."
Once the pair are gone, Kenpachi turns back to regard his 3rd seat, who stares up at him in slight disgrace, "Captain…"
Suddenly, Yachiru pops out from behind Kenpachi's back, "Boo!"
Ikkaku widens his eyes, "Oh! Hello, Vice-Captain."
Yachiru waves at the man, "Are you alright?! We were worried about you, Baldy!"
The bald man twitches in annoyance, "I told you not to call me that, twirp!"
Kenpachi cuts in, directly stating, "It appears you lost."
Ikkaku furrows his brows seriously, "I'm sorry. I know it is shameful to lose and return alive, but…"
The captain stares intently at his 3rd seat, "Is she that good?"
The bald man responds, "She is."
"Describe her.", Kenpachi orders.
Ikkaku elaborates, "She has short, spiky black hair and wears a white Gi. She hails from the world of the living, so I think it's safe to say that she came for the girl…"
The captain concludes, "The Quincy…"
The bald man explains, "I don't believe she was going all out, based on the battle I just felt outside. Some of these Ryoka are comparable to our captains. She obviously won't compare to your previous opponent, but you should still be able to enjoy a great fight when you meet her."
Kenpachi smirks viciously, "Is that so…? What's her name?"
Seireitei
As the sun begins to set, a certain young Shinigami with long, black hair walks through the Seireitei, hearing fighting within a crowd of Shinigami.
The boy sweats somewhat nervously, "That sound… what's going on over there?"
A fairly distinguished-looking male Shinigami in glasses shouts back at the boy, "You there! Stop talking! This isn't a drill!"
The boy stutters a response, "Y-yes sir!"
The man turns and yells into a communication device, updating the Shinigami on the other end, while the boy dejectedly sighs, "I got yelled at again…"
Meanwhile, in the middle of the group of battling Shinigami, Ganju yells, "Th-that was too close, you fool! You don't go swinging that thing without warning people! Are you crazy?!"
Ginjo holds his giant sword, the Cross of Scaffold, over his shoulder as his brow twitches, "I told you to duck, didn't I?"
The Shiba man snaps at the Fullbringer, "You didn't give me enough time! That could've killed me!"
The Shinigami around the duo stare at them with unamused expressions, prompting Ganju and Ginjo to regard the group seriously, the former asking openly, "So, what now? I don't think these guys are going to retreat."
Ginjo narrows his eyes, menacingly, "Simple. We kill them all."
Interestingly, as the man says this, the silver star bracelet on his right arm glows a faint crimson color.
The Shiba man flinches, now wearing a slight frown, "Look, I'm all for putting Shinigami in their place, but even I have gotta say that's a bit excessive. It would take too long, anyway, and time is not on our side here, Ginjo."
The Fullbringer grunts before shrugging, "Well, do you have any better ideas?"
Some of the Shinigami begin murmuring between each other, "Did he say Ginjo? As in, the Shinigami Killer?"
Ginjo, hearing the gossip, smirks proudly before leveling his sword at the Shinigami in front of him, it glowing a bright green color, "That's right! I have no problem killing each and every one of you bastards! If you want to die, then step on forward—my blade thirsts for your blood!"
This causes some of the Shinigami to flinch before backing up slightly, however, most of the others step forward, wearing blood-lusted smirks characteristic of their division—Squad 11.
Meanwhile, the young Shinigami from earlier walks through the streets of the Seireitei, alone, "Oh no… I just stopped to tie my sandal… where'd everybody go?"
The boy notices the group of Shinigami from Squad 11 a distance away, "Oh! I'll ask them!"
He quickly approaches before attempting to strike conversation with a Shinigami in the back of the crowd, "Um… excuse me. I'm with the 4th company…"
The boy suddenly trips on a tile sticking out of the ground, sending his head into the back of the Shinigami he attempted to strike conversation with. The man howls in pain before he and the surrounding Shinigami begin to yell at the boy loudly and rough him up.
The noise is so noticeable that Ginjo and Ganju can't help but regard it, the former taking on a deadpan, "Uh… what's going on…?"
Just then, the boy is pushed out of the crowd, falling to the ground in front of the duo of Ryoka.
Ganju smirks as he looks at the boy, "Say, Ginjo… I just thought of another way to get out of this…"
Ginjo nods, slinging his sword over his shoulder, "Me too."
The boy looks up at the two a bit nervously, "H… hello…?"
The duo continues to look at the boy with a fierce glimmer in their eyes, causing the boy to sweat somewhat, "Get out of here…? Um… You two wouldn't happen to be the Ryoka…? No… You couldn't be… are you?!"
The boy starts crying comically as the duo immediately grabs him from the ground and holds him hostage.
Ginjo holds his sword against the boy's neck while Ganju declares, "Okay, outta our way, or your friend here gets it!"
The Shinigami all deadpan, staring at the duo uncaringly, "What are you doing?"
The duo look at the Shinigami in confusion, Ganju questioning, "W-what does it look like? We're taking this guy hostage."
One of the Shinigami from the crowd responds coldly, "Does it look like we're friends?"
Ginjo raises a brow as he eyes the boy, "They're not…?"
The young Shinigami begins to explain, despite his situation, "I-I'm with the 4th company and they're with the 11th company…"
The Shinigami in the crowd elaborate, "We of Squad 11 are the ultimate combat unit of the Gotei 13. Whereas Squad 4 is so weak that they're only fit for relief work, they're dead weight…"
Another adds, "Therefore, we of Squad 11 hate Squad 4!"
The crowd of Shinigami begin laughing as if the sight before them is some kind of joke, "Go ahead and kill the runt! You'd be doing us a favor!"
The boy squeals fearfully, "NO!"
Ganju flinches, "W-wait! You guys want us to kill him?! That's totally heartless!"
Ginjo scowls in disgust as he slings his sword over his shoulder once more, "Figures… typical Shinigami…"
The Fullbringer then steps forward, regarding the other two seriously, "If you guys don't want to die, sit down and don't move. I'll deal with them."
Ganju sighs dejectedly before sitting on the ground. The boy follows suit, looking at the Fullbringer curiously.
One of the Shinigami from the crowd laughs at Ginjo, "You think you can kill us all by yourself? Your crazy—"
Before the Shinigami can finish, Ginjo's giant sword pierces through his head, causing it to explode almost immediately in a green light. The man jumps on the Shinigami's corpse before pulling his blade free, swinging it to the right 180 degrees, bisecting every Shinigami in its range, leaving their bloodied corpses to fall to the ground. The others cry a battle cry before all rushing in at the Fullbringer at once, leaving the young Shinigami to stare wide-eyed at the carnage, green flashes of light and blood just about the only thing he mentally perceives.
10 Minutes Later, Storage Area, Seireitei
"Hanataro Yamada.", the boy states, on his hands and knees.
Ginjo and Ganju, both sitting across the room near some crates, respond simultaneously with unamused expressions, "It's so ordinary, it's actually hard to remember!"
Hanataro flinches, "What?! Everyone says it's a good and easy name to remember!"
Ginjo shrugs, "To each their own…"
Ganju, on the other hand, addresses the elephant in the room, "Hey, you're our enemy… why are you introducing yourself?"
Hanataro stares blankly, before responding, "Well… I don't know."
Ginjo rolls his eyes, "I knew we shouldn't have brought him with us. Maybe I should just kill him, too…?"
Ganju snaps at the other man, "Oh no, you don't! You've killed more than enough today, you psycho!"
The Fullbringer raises a brow, smirking madly, "Psycho? Maybe so… but at least I don't sell out my allies like those bastards did."
The Shiba man retorts, "And I'm telling you that this guy is different than those other guys! Isn't that right, Hanu… Hanato… ah, forget it! Whatever your name is!"
Hanataro pouts, his head falling to the ground in a sign of defeat, "I literally just told you and you already forgot…!"
Ganju then pulls out a hastily drawn map of the Seireitei, which both he and Ginjo look over.
The Shiba man talks to himself, "Even if we know Yuzu's in this white tower, courtesy of one of those guys we beat up—killed earlier, which road do we take to get there?"
Ganju raises a brow, continuing as he looks at the map, "I don't know… but we don't want to bump into one of the captains. We'll want to have as much energy as we can get to book it out of here once we rescue Yuzu. If only we knew where they were, we could avoid them…"
Ginjo raises a brow, "This map doesn't even have roads, man. How is this at all accurate?"
Meanwhile, Hanataro stares at the two with widened eyes, "Yuzu…"
Ganju notices this before regarding the boy, "You can go, now. You aren't any good to us anyway."
The Shinigami continues, "This person you're looking for… is she Yuzu Kurosaki?"
The duo of Ryoka stare at Hanataro in mild surprise, prompting the boy to exhale solemnly, "I thought so… it is her, isn't it? Then… the white tower is the Senzaikyu…"
Hanataro looks away briefly under Ginjo's intense gaze, "I… I know… a secret path to that tower."
Nearby, Seireitei
Nanao stares in horror at the sight of the utter carnage laid out before her. The light from the moon lights up the street, revealing the bloody corpses of a good portion of Squad 11 strewn across the ground.
Meanwhile, ahead of her and speaking with a beaten and bloodied survivor is her captain, calmly inquiring, "You say it was the Ryoka—specifically a man calling himself Ginjo? You're sure of this?"
The Shinigami coughs up some blood before nodding, "Yes… I'm sure. It was the Shinigami Killer…!"
The man's eyes tense up, his body doing likewise before he closes his eyes as his body comes to a rest. The man has died.
Kyoraku solemnly tilts his straw hat downward, hiding his eyes, "Rest now. Your deaths will not be in vain."
The captain rises to his feet before regarding his Vice-Captain with a dead serious glare, "Nanao: prepare a Hell Butterfly to send to Captain Ukitake."
A Few Minutes Later, Squad 13 Barracks, Soul Society
All is quiet at the Squad 13 Barracks as Sentaro and Kiyone sleep softly in front of a particular shrine-like building. Suddenly, the doors swing open as Ukitake marches out of the building, waking the joint 3rd-seat officers from their slumber.
Kiyone sputters, potentially revealing the contents of her dreams, "N-no Isane! You can't marry an abusive punk like that—huh, captain?"
Sentaro rubs his eyes as he gazes at his captain, "You're done already, sir? It hasn't even been a day…"
Ukitake's gaze is fierce, "No, I'm not. You two, keep an eye on the shrine while I'm gone."
Kiyone furrows her brows, "W-where are you going, captain?"
The white-haired man narrows his eyes, "To confront the Ryoka."
Author's Note:
I BEEN WAITING TO FEED CHAD, Y'ALL DON'T UNDERSTAND! The man is Ichigo's most loyal supporter—even in death, their vow endures. I thought it would be nice too to have him pair up and fight Komamura, as the more I thought about it, the more similarities I realized they have. I've touched upon some of those similarities in their fight. Regardless, I hope some of you all enjoyed reading their fight as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Anyhow, the next chapter will follow Uryu and Orihime for the most part, somewhat of a remix of their encounter with a certain captain from canon but with notable changes to reflect changes with this timeline. That said, a lot of what occurs in the next chapter will likely be unsurprising, but there will be a fair share of twists that I've added to give it a bit more of a kick.