Chapter 38: Winter war part 2
"So, the limit is five minutes and 27 seconds, huh" remarked Aizen to himself, his hand on his chin.
The frenzied noises of the battleground were becoming more coherent and less loud as battles were either concluding or interrupted when the participants regained their sense of self.
"Wh….what is this….?!...My….arms…?! Where the hell are my arms….?! Kazeshini….?! What the…..what the hell happened?!" screamed Shuuhei in horror as his entire body began to quiver from the ghastly sight. In the place where his arms were supposed to be, there were only two bleeding stumps. When he scanned his surroundings, he could see his Zanpakuto lying nearby and his two arms still clutching them.
"Aizen used a hado spell that made half of us go crazy! I know it's a lot to take in now but the spell's effects are over so try and calm down! It'll be even worse if you go into shock!" cried Yumichika.
"Thi…this is a joke right…?! Oy…?!"
"if you mean half my squad being wiped out by the oaf whom I had to put down myself, then yeah, that makes for a pretty bad joke" interrupted an annoyed Soi-Fon.
"What?! Omaeda wiped out half the stealth force and now he's been killed by his captain?!" exclaimed Ikkaku.
"This is really bad…" muttered Ukitake.
"If I'd been a second late…..Nanao-chan would've met the same fate…thank goodness I was able to put her to sleep before she went any further" said Kyoraku. "What about the others?! What's your status?!" he called out.
"Graaaah!" roared Komamura, his towering bankai knocking back the last of the fraccione of Barragan, who then retreated to Barragan's side upon seeing that their other fraccione comrades had done the same. "I'm…..relatively alright! Injured here and there, and I'm having a little trouble moving my sword arm but….I should be ready to fight! Damn that Aizen….using such a dastardly move! What about my lieutenant..!?"
"Tetsuzaimon…..he….he just went and took himself out…! I'm sorry, captain Komamura, but there was nothing we could do. Both Ikkaku and myself tried our best to subdue him but in the end….." explained Yumichika downcast. "But…..if that last attack had hit us…..both of us would've been…" Komamura grit his fangs to the point that they creaked, his towering bankai mirroring the same. One could hear low growls coming from him.
"I was able to stop lieutenant Matsumoto before anything big happened using my Wabisuke but…." Interrupted Izuru, appearing by Ikkaku and Yumichika's side. "As you can see, I'm not in the best condition myself but I can fight" he said, pointing to his right leg that was bleeding profusely.
"This is seriously bad…..I really think we need to retreat and regroup…!" said Ukitake.
"I agree, but first we should start with our injured starting with Lieutenant Hisagi. You should excuse yourself from this battle and focus on healing yourself. Captain Kurotsuchi, I hope you can help him and everyone else who's injured" requested Kyoraku.
"Hmph, it's not as if I have a choice, now do I? But make no mistake, I will make Sosuke Aizen pay for what he's done to my Lieutenant. That comes first over anything else" he shrieked.
"Oy! Rose! Love! Did you guys managed to subdue Kensei and Mashiro yet?!" asked Shinji frantically.
"Yeah but…it doesn't look like they'll be fighting anytime soon!" answered Rose, laying Kensei, Mashiro and Lisa side by side next to Rangiku near Captain Kurotsuchi.
"What the hell even happened?! Hiyori was nearly about to rip my head off!" asked Shinji once more, glaring at Aizen.
"Hado 95…..the forbidden hado that causes insanity and hyper awareness in those affected by it….it was used many centuries ago but because of how dangerous and unethical it was, records of it were even removed from the academy texts….I never thought…..he would dare use something like that…" answered Hachi.
"That's all fine and all Hachi, but how come only some of us were affected…?"
"Well, from what I know, it cant be blocked or avoided but it can be resisted if you're mentally strong….but still…at this rate, not just us but the rest of the Soul reapers wont have much of a fighting chance if he decides to use something of that caliber again"
"Damn that Aizen…!" cursed Shinji, and Aizen only smirked back.
"Shunsui, we can't go on like this, we need to regroup!" said Juushiro.
"…yeah, things aren't quite looking peachy to put it lightly. But I must say that we've managed to avoid the worst of it, eh Juushiro?"
"This isnt the time to be aloof, Shunsui! Because of what he did our…..our own…" snapped the white haired captain.
"Come now, Juushiro, after all the years we've known each other, you think I'm aloof now of all times? After what he just did? I'm just as mad as you are. I'm just trying not to let that affect my thinking. We've already been screwed over pretty bad by just one move. We really can't afford to make any mistakes now. As you say, let's regroup and re think our next steps"
"Aizen you bastard! Don't you have any shame as a Soul Reaper using such cowardly tactics?!" demanded Soi-Fon.
"That's strange coming from you of all people, captain of squad 2. You, who specializes in stealth ops and 'dirty tricks' would ask me such a thing. But can you really call that a 'cowardly tactic'? I, as a Soul Reaper, used one of the tools that Soul Reapers are gifted with. Kido. Can you really fault me, the enemy, for using what he has up his sleeves when it is you who should be ashamed for being so ill-prepared?" asked Aizen.
"….bastard…!"
"Captain Kyoraku, how long must we sit and allow his sacrilege?! We have already lost a significant portion of our troops because we acted too late, wouldn't you say that we should strike before our loses grow too severe?" asked Komamura. Kyoraku didn't respond for a while, instead contemplating what really was the best course of action.
"I agree! Instead of sitting here and strategizing, we should make the next move! We've seen that our initial strategy failed so miserably. If he decided to use a kido like that again, we might as well be sitting ducks! If he's going to be using attacks like that anyways, what does it matter what strategy we have!? Instead, we might as well just take the offensive!" suggested Soi-Fon. "I will not be losing any more of my squad again!"
"…..I know we're all pissed at him and rearing to go, but that's exactly what he wants us to do. If we ignore everything and merely charge in blindly, we'll just end up with more casualties than if we went in with a clear head" sighed Kyoraku.
"Then what do you suggest we do?! Look! Many are injured to the point that they can't even fight! And we even have someone dead! Whereas their side has only three casualties caused by their own members while the rest of his forces are still at full strength! Argued Soi-Fon.
Meanwhile, on the other side, things were calming down as well, but not in the same way as it was for the Soul Reapers.
"Oy you just killed my fraccione?! What the fuck's that about?" roared Nnoitora.
"And what about it?" asked Barragan casually. "He was weak enough to be affected by a lowly kido spell that even the enemy could resist to a certain degree. But that aside, he also turned on my subordinates and threatened to disrupt us all. I merely took the necessary action to resolve the situation as best as I could. Be grateful that he atleast got the chance to injure the soul reapers before I put him out of his misery unlike my own fraccione that dared to strike me"
"….tch, lousy old fart"
"But that still doesn't wash away the fact that you killed Ggio and Nirgge" mentioned Zommari.
"Inconsequential. One of them was clawing out his own brains out, and therefore, being the considerate king that I am, I put him out of his misery and saved him a lot of pain. And the other dared to strike at his own king, and as such, I executed him myself, a privilege he will never get again" retorted Barragan. "And as you can see, though we have suffered only 3 causalities, their side has incurred far more losses"
"Then why the fuck are we holding back now and not finishing them off?!" asked Nnoitora.
"Only a fool would blindly charge in. They may be weak, but even ants on the ground can learn to topple an elephant given the right circumstances. And as such, you will hold back until I deem it necessary for you to step in, otherwise, you can just join your fraccione. Is that understood?"
"….fine" accepted Nnoitora grudgingly.
"…I recognize quite a few people here" said Sung-sun. "There's snow white who's going behind Momo, and then…that orange head was there too expect she's out like a candle after Aizen's spell"
"Oh yeah, now that you mention it, there's that bald guy and that flamboyant buffoon I 'fought' back then" added Mila-Rose. "Seriously? They're having guys like that as their main attack force?!"
"I don't see red head anywhere…but….what do we even do, Harribel-sama….?" Asked Apacci. "I don't know about you guys but…."
"You know….if you ask me, I think I'm comfortable where I am right now" said Lily.
"I agree. I'm not really thrilled at the prospect of fighting to begin with" said Starrk.
"Indeed. I see no reason to interfere unless we're asked to" said Tier flat toned. "And besides…." She said, almost to herself. "Right now…..I'm not sure taking sides in this battle is a smart move. The best option would be to simply wait for Ruby to arrive and see how things proceed from there"
But neither the soul reapers, Aizen nor Tier Harribel and Starrk would have any more time to contemplate their next moves, for a sinister and foreboding pressure fell upon them almost without any warning. It sent shudders through the spines of most present. For the soul reapers, it was a beacon of hope, and the personification of their own wrath and the wrath of their leader for Aizen's acts against their comrades. And for the arrancars, it was the manifestation of the wrath of their enemy commander that promised to end them where they stood without any mercy.
"There is no more need for deliberation" boomed Yamamoto's voice, "We of the Soul Society shall not be deterred by this usurper any longer, nor will we let traitors belittle us of the Gotei 13. No longer shall I simply watch while my own fall prey to the enemy. The time to end things is now"
"That's…..all fine and all Yamaji, but what's the plan here?" asked Kyoraku.
"There is really no need to think to hard. I shall create an opening. And then, each of you shall take on each group of the enemy. Shunsui and Juushiro, you will take on the King of Hueco Mundo and his cronies. Captain Soi-Fon shall be responsible for dealing with the lanky one. Captain Komamura…assuming you can still fight, you will be responsible for taking on the dark skinned arrancar. The lieutenants who can still battle shall be responsible for supporting whichever captain needs support the most at the moment. Captain Kurotsuchi, I shall leave the wounded in your hands until the squad from Hueco Mundo returns to the World of the Living"
"Understood" came the collective response from the captains and lieutenants.
"As for the Vizards…..I hope we can continue to rely on you" he asked.
"Tch, don't get us wrong, old man. We're more pissed at that bastard than you'll ever be. That's all that matters. Which is why, you're free to take on whoever you want. But Aizen's ours" replied Shinji.
"….Very well. Infighting now would help nothing. In which case, I shall deal with the other traitors myself first. But should you fail to stop Aizen, know that you were given a chance" said the head captain. "And this time, I shall be the one initiating my attack, Aizen Sosuke, while my own subordinates finish off the rest of your merry band" he said, waving his zanpakuto.
The scene turned from sky blue to orange red, and flaming pillars appeared around them, painting the background around them with the same colors as the skies of Hell, accentuated by the tormented screams of the victims of his rage.
The moment the spell escaped Sosuke Aizen's lips, Genryusai Yamamoto knew he'd made a mistake that he would live to regret for years to come. He was certain that he'd takes whatever measures he could to deal with the situation at hand. He was certain he'd deployed whatever forces he could. He'd even taken the advice from those he admitted were better at matters such as strategizing. People such as Shunsui and Kisuke Urahara. In reality, he wanted to deploy more than just lieutenants and captains to face off against Aizen. But both of his advisors suggested against it, saying it would be foolhardy to leave the Soul Society completely defenseless. If anything, he'd taken this more seriously than a situation like this deserved, for as Aizen himself said, calling the battle against a small faction of traitors could hardly be called a 'war'. And yet, he'd treated it like one.
So then, where did he go wrong? Was he simply ill prepared? Was it that Aizen's abilities were simply that great? Somehow he couldn't bring himself to accept that. It couldn't be. No matter what he was, Aizen was merely a soul reaper. And he was absolutely certain that Aizen was not stronger than himself or even Unohana Retsu. So then...why was he watching his children tear themselves and those around him apart? Granted, his spell affected not just his children but also his own troops, but Aizen's troops wasted no time in disposing of the arrancars that were affected and even using that confusion to engage with his soul reapers. Which meant that in the end, it was his own that were suffering and dying in horrific ways, without even knowing why.
He felt the urge to scorch them where they stood. He'd almost done it in reflex. In anger and in defiance. But he couldn't. Because he knew that if he chose to interfere now, not only would he, the commander, be making the opening move, but his own troops who were trying their best to subdue his men would get in the way of his infernal flames as well. And so, gritting his teeth, biding his time, he waited. For the right opportunity to strike and end this farcical battle once and for all.
Which brought him to where they were now. With his subordinates calm and composed, they could now finally begin their move. Panic had, for the most part subsided and his subordinates were now moving in with him. Now, he would protect them. He drew his blade, releasing erupting pillars of flames precisely where his enemies stood, the fires reflecting his own anger and rage for the man in front of him who dared to use such underhanded tactics against his subordinates. He was well aware he could've toasted Aizen where he stood, along with the other traitors. But as the screams of the victims of his flames filled the air, Yamamoto's gaze was affixed solely upon Aizen. He would make him see. He would make him realize the consequences of meddling with him and his subordinates.
Aizen merely gazed at Yamamoto, a bemused smirk on his face.
"And just what's so funny?" asked Yamamoto, releasing some more pillars of pure inferno. "Do you not see, Aizen Sosuke? Do you not listen to their tormented screams as I burn them to ashes? Those are the screams of your subordinates, Aizen Sosuke. And yet, you seem unperturbed. At the very least, I expected that you would show some qualms of pity for those that follow you because they fear for their lives. In that sense, I truly pity those arrancars. But it is quite apparent that their master doesn't care what happens to them. Even back then, despite who or what we were, treating our subordinates right was the one thing we abided by, even if it was because of their usefulness in war. You scorned me, scorned us for our fallen ways. And yet, despite the strength and vision you claim to possess, you seem to have forgotten what it means to tussle with the one who has stayed as captain commander of the Gotei 13 for a 1000 years. It is not that I looked over the fact that you would be capable of committing an act such as this. I just thought it was beyond you to do so. You had the strength and wit to orchestrate an invasion such as this, even making use of beings that would rather die than obey a soul reaper. Which is why the thought never occurred to me that you would resort to using a technique that warps the minds and psyche of your opponent. Truly, I now see that what little semblance of a soul reaper was left in you is no more. With this, I have no more regrets. I can execute you where you stand, treating you as nothing more than a degenerate soul"
The smirk on Aizen grew wider as a massive pillar of flames greater than any Yamamoto conjured before engulfed him.
"Thank you for the final proof" said Aizen's distorted voice before the flames engulfed him entirely. "I wonder if you will be able to practice what you preach, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto"
*Creeaaak….CRAAAAAAACK!*
And then, the world around Yamamoto changed, ever so slightly.
Just moments before
*KLAAANG! KLAAAANG!*
Sparks flew as the blades of the white haired captain and his childhood friend clashed in an impressive exchange of sword strikes. Seeing that this was a battle between a captain and one who was merely a lieutenant for all practical purposes, one would have expected that the dual between the two childhood friends would have reached its conclusion much earlier. But there were several factors contributing to the reason as to why their battle was still ongoing, despite things settling down slowly around them. For one, neither had the animosity to seriously harm the other. Toshiro had no other desire but to reach a consensus regarding his childhood friend, whereas Momo wanted nothing more than to steer away from him. Despite her loyalty to Aizen, she had no desire to end her friend's life. If anything, she wanted nothing more than for the two of the to go about on their own ways, respecting the fact that the two of them had chosen different paths in their lives and no longer wished to ponder about the past. It also didn't help that Toshiro was not of sound mind thanks to the spell used by Aizen. That, along with the fact that Momo herself was no longer the weak lieutenant level soul reaper from before she defected the Soul Society kept their battle going.
In reality, seeing her childhood friend like this only made her feel more and more sorry for the white haired captain. There was no doubt that he was voicing his inner most desires and wishes, despite the warped way in which he put it. His speech was slurry and his movements were far too sluggish and half hearted compared to the Toshiro she knew. And that was not even taking into account that Toshiro himself was losing the will to continue pursuing her as the battle progressed, clearly indicating that the spell's influence was weakening. He looked so miserable, conflicted and tormented that Momo herself was beginning to lose sight of why she was being this defiant and not just talking to him.
"Why…..why are you being so stubborn, Shiro-chan?!...Just go…..I don't want to fight you…" grimaced Momo, parrying another pathetic sword swing from Toshiro.
"…..Why….Momo…..why wont You eVen….look at me…? Please….I….dOnt WaNt to Kill yOu….please…..just tell me what I did wrong….." he murmured, tearing up and swinging his sword widely but haphazardly. "…I'll do whatever…I'll do whatever you ask…..but just….Give Me One chance"
"….you did nothing wrong, Shiro-chan. But I just can't forgive the soul reapers after what they've done…I'm ashamed to be one myself…..So just go and live peacefully…..forget about me and just go live your own life and I'll live my own…."
"But why…..?...wa…..was it…..what he said…? Is that why…..?"
"…I trusted you…I thought…you'd never keep anything from me….I thought…we had each other's backs. Do you even remember…..? All those days we spent together in the 1st Rukon district…? We weren't even Soul Reapers. But we were happy, and we had nothing but simpler things to ponder about. Even so, you knew how much I looked up to the Soul Reapers….because of Lord Aizen. Because of what an excellent Soul Reaper you were. I made friends. People I trusted. People I thought….were like you and me. Renji-kun. Izuru-kun. Shuuhei-kun. Rangiku-san. Rukia-san. And the captains were no different either. Though I respected captain Aizen the most, it didn't mean I didn't look up to the others as well. Like Captain Unohana. Like Captain Isshin. Then…..can you imagine my feelings when I learn that none of them are what I thought they were?! But even that I could forgive. After all, there were other captains who had questionable motives like captain Zaraki and Mayuri. What I couldn't really forgive…..were the others…who went around acting all proud and noble despite what was really going on inside…..and…none of them….not even you….ever mentioned what was really happening and how corrupt the soul reapers really were…! If…if you'd told me….if it had been you….perhaps I could've accepted it…but…not even you…until the very end…tried to make me see the truth. Instead…..all you were worried about was me finding those things out. Even now…when you yelled at me before the fight started….all that you ever cared about was yourself. And why I left you and the others. As if it was all my fault. As if I was the one who was blind and Lord Aizen was the one who was misguiding me, when it was him that made me open my eyes! It was him who supported me even after all that happened, even though I was so weak back then. He still took his time to help me. Whereas you…forget it. Please….just go, Shiro-chan. I won't ask again, nor do we have anything to talk about. Just….please just go…." She said with a tone of finality. She'd expected that her childhood friend would snap back, would retaliate at her or would scold her like he always did whenever she did something he was annoyed with. But instead, his hands drooped, and his expression only grew regretful and remorseful.
"I…I see….yeah…I suppose I have…I'm sorry…" he said softly, in a voice that was barely a whisper and in a voice that was barely like the Toshiro she knew. No longer did it possess the same stark tone and confidence she knew he had. It was pure, sincere and devoid of anything else but a genuine apology from the bottom of his heart. Like he was too tired to hide behind the mask of a captain or a soul reaper. Momo wanted to believe that it was simply the effects of the Hado spell making him act that way. But a small part of her also wanted to believe that he would've told her these words regardless of the spell.
"…..I know you don't want anything to do with me….I'll even respect your wishes to be with Aizen, if that's what makes you happy. But….please…..just for once…..I'd be happy if just for once we could sit down and talk….and spend time together like we once did…..back when we lived together in the Rukon district…please…." He asked, his eyes literally pleading her to understand and to grant him one last favour. Momo gasped as she watched Toshiro extend his hand towards her, holding it in front of her. His right hand hung loose, making it quite clear that he was totally unguarded in her presence. And his eyes held no animosity or intent to fight but only looked at her with a hopeful grimace. There were a lot of things in her mind, and lot of things for which she wanted time to comprehend. But even so, she couldn't help but inadvertently reach out to him with her own hand. Perhaps she'd been too harsh and perhaps she'd treated him too wrongly. She felt that he deserved a chance to settle his feelings, as did she regarding the matter. She could see a faint glimmer of life return to Toshiro's eyes and a small, relieved smile, and it only took such a simple gesture from her. It made her feel guilty, if only slightly, that she never gave him the chance to talk things out.
"Fine…just this once, Shiro-cha-"
*VOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!*
Searing flames licked at the image of Toshiro who was standing mere inches away from her. His expression of hope and that glimmer of life were still present in his burning eyes, and his now flaming hands were still held out towards her, just centimetres away from her own finger tips. The dancing flames in front of her illuminated her bewildered and aghast face, as well as her hand that was still reaching out to him. She couldn't even let out a single sound, nor could she pull Toshiro away from the flaming vortex for her immediate reaction had been to jump back as far away as possible the moment the heat nearly scorched her too.
When she looked around, she could see similar pillars of flames erupting all around them. And at the centre of it all, was the head captain.
The moment Yamamoto felt the world around him shift ever so slightly, his hands tensed, and his heart twinged from a primal fear that filled him. The roaring pillars of flames around him were still present, and so were the screams of those engulfed within them. What WAS different however, were the positions of those around him. Almost immediately, he knew he'd made a mistake far worse than the mistake of letting Aizen make the opening move. Staring at him, with expressions of doubt, betrayal, disbelief, shock and pain were Shinji Hirako, Soi-Fon, Juushiro and Kyoraku standing in front of him rather than behind him. They were hurt, evident by the light scorch and singe marks on their bodies. Either because they were hit by flames directly or because they risked their own lives to rescue their subordinates hit by the flames. None of them said a single word and were merely trying to understand what came to pass, thought Shunsui's expression seemed to indicate that he'd more or less caught on what happened. And when he turned back, Yamamoto could make out the triumphant and confident smirk on Aizen's face that he remembered seeing before the world shifted around him. And standing around Aizen were all of his subordinates, completely unharmed. Momo Hinamori was looking at him with an expression of utter disbelief and shock, he hands still outstretched.
"Look at what you've done, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto" started Aizen snidely. "In your blind rage, in your need to prove me wrong for exposing you for what you've become, you didn't think twice about looking out for those you claimed to value. You knew about the ability of my Zanpakuto. You knew every single soul here could fall prey to its allure. And yet, you didn't think twice about unleashing your flames that could snuff out the wrong lives in an instant with just a tiny margin of error. My Kyoukasuigetsu can perfectly control all five senses of those that have witnessed its shikai. But even I cannot replicate spirit energy signatures. If you had maintained a level head while under Kyoukasuigetsu's influence, you would have noticed something amiss. I'm sure you did. But you dismissed it in favor of needed to express your rage against one who scorns you for your ways. But I don't blame you completely. After all, it's five senses telling you something is right verses one telling you something is wrong. Even so, you, being the captain commander, should've been expected to pick up on such signs when fighting me. It is true that I provided the stimulus for you to initiate your attack, and it is also true that I did indeed use my Hado spell to cause chaos amongst your ranks to further disrupt your thoughts. But even so, for someone who declares himself to be the leader of all the Soul Reapers, this should've been no more than child's play for you"
"….damn…!" cussed Kyoraku under his breath.
"Th…..this can't…..just how many were…!" stammered Ukitake, looking around. He could see that the places where many of their comrades stood now only had smoking cinders, with some of them containing the unmistakable singed bodies of soul reapers they knew. In the distance, even the colossal bankai of Komamura was disappearing.
"….damn…wh…what was the head captain…why…..? Shit…..I think this is it for me…" stammered a severely burnt Yumichika, the reishi tendrils from his zanpakuto glowing feebly with an orange red hue before finally fading away. He turned to look at Ikkaku who had been right behind him, only to see him burnt down as well, just not as severely as he had been. But both of them already had injuries from fighting Iba, and the head captain's flames had only made it worse.
"….sorry, captain….I think I'm gonna take a little nap…" said Yumichika, allowing the blade to fall from his hand and then himself. Ikkaku fell down himself an instant later.
"M….my squad….they…..they've been wiped out….!" Said Soi-Fon, her eyes wide. Her captain's haori had been burned away and there were obvious black marks on her lean arms. It was clear she'd tried her best to save those that she could, but in the end, it didn't matter.
Shinji stood paralyzed in the spot, as did Hachi. Lisa, Hiyori, Mashiro and Kensei had been by Mayuri Kurotsuchi's side, along with Rangiku, Shuuhei, Nanao and Nemu. And it was only their bodies that had been burnt to a crisp, save for Rangiku, Nanao and Hiyori. Where Mayuri had been, there was now corpse that had been reduced to a liquidy, melted mess, singed and charred all over. The rest had been hastily laid to rest without even proper treatment. Without Mayuri or any healer, it was clear they would die. As for the rest of the Vizards, Hachi could only look away in helplessness, bitterly at Aizen and then with a regretful look towards Shinji. Right in front of him, all that remained of Rose and Love were two burning corpses.
"Since you seem so reluctant to acknowledge what your actions have wrought, let me enlighten you. Misguided as it is, they still believed in you and would follow your orders to the letter. And yet, being burnt to a crisp by their own commander is what they got in the end. Captain Komamura, who betrayed his own clan, took on dishonor all so that he could serve you and yet…..there he lies, dead, burnt to cinders. What words do you have for him now, Genryusai Yamamoto? The members of the stealth force, who would even give their life to acquire intel on the enemy, commit atrocious acts and even do your dirty deeds so that you don't have to stain your hands without even getting the chance to take credit for their sacrifices….and here they are, reduced to nothing but a pile of ash, leaving only their grieving commander to question what it is did they gain by giving up their lives to your blade and following you. Mayuri Kurotsuchi was a despicable man that puts the likes of you and captain Unohana to shame and hence, even you shouldn't feel too bad for burning him where he stood. And his abilities would prove to be troublesome, therefore, this is one instance I thank you for what you've done. And then there's the Vizards, those who only got injustice from you and the Soul Society for being wronged themselves, still decided to ally themselves with you, albeit to take revenge. But that in itself shows that they were still willing to work together with you. They placed a certain amount of trust in you. And now, Shinji Hirako has nothing else left but a handful of his companions who lay there, dying while the rest scattered to the wind after being decimated by your display of power. And then….there's poor captain Hitsugaya. His sole wish was to reconcile with Momo here. Something I was reluctant to allow myself for I knew that it would only cause my subordinate much pain in the future. And even so, considering her interests, I thought I would oblige. I believe you said something about how I was responsible for breaking bonds between trusted comrades? Well, well, well, how the tables have turned, have they not, Shigekuni Yamamoto? You, who promised to grant the boy a chance to mend his broken heart happened to be the one who took that very chance away, forever. Quite the hypocrite, don't you think? And with that act, you have forever destroyed what little trust she or anyone else had in you and your band of Soul Reapers. But I'm not a savage like you are, Shigekuni Yamamoto. I quite care for my actions and don't just brandish my power" he said.
"Shiro-chan…..you….you killed him…..he was one of your own….and ….I just…..you…..YOU MONSTERS!" cried Momo. She could then feel Aizen's arm on her shoulder.
"I knew the head captain would try something like this, but since you had some unfinished business with him, I decided against my better judgement to interrupt you. I've said it before Momo, that you need to steel your emotions. However, considering that this time it was their fault, I'm willing to let it go. If you'd been any closer, his flames would have ended your life. This is precisely why I advised you to prepare yourself" he said. Momo was still in shock, but her expression darkened soon enough and finally looked up at Aizen with ice cold eyes.
"My apologies….Lord Aizen. I promise this will never happen again. I've learnt my lesson. I admit I had some mixed feelings. But with this….I feel free. I won't hesitate anymore" she declared, glaring at the head captain with the same ice cold eyes.
"Our fault?! Are you listening to yourself, Momo?! He's the one who used his Zanpakuto which caused Toshiro to die! This was the result of HIS Zanpakuto! Aizen….so you'll now feed lies to corrupt the mind of your allies just to fuel your own goals?! How low do you intend to sink, Aizen?!" bellowed Ukitake.
"My fault? Are you hearing yourself, captain of the 13th squad? While it is true that my Kyoukasuigetsu has the power of complete hypnosis, it was ultimately the head captain's zanpakuto that was the direct cause of the massacre he caused. This fact was known to you as well. And you were given ample time to prepare. This is a result of YOUR unpreparedness. And YOUR carelessness. Do not twist my words and pin the blame on me. An enemy using their shikai is expected. And Genryusai Yamamoto had the means to prevent it, if he wanted. Do not blame your mistakes on me. And in the end, it doesn't change the fact that I have successfully guarded my subordinates while you on the other hand have failed to do so" said Aizen. "A thousand years ago, you would not have let yourself be tricked by the enemy in this manner. So, allow me to repeat those very words you uttered to me, as a way of reminding you where you stand so that you don't embarrass yourself ever again. 'Truly, I now see that what little semblance of a soul reaper was left in you is no more'"
Nobody could speak or interrupt Aizen as his words struck at Yamamoto sharper and harder than any Zanpakuto could. But the message he delivered was clearer than ever, one that was not only directed at the head captain but to everyone listening. To the other soul reapers, it showed just how formidable their nemesis really was despite how much they prepared for him and it showed just how useless those strategies were against him. And to his own subordinates, it served as a reminder and a warning; 'This is who commands you. This is his prowess. Even if you should conspire against him, woe is all that will befall you. So, tread carefully'. Baraggan couldn't help but involuntarily shudder bitterly, being reminded how his own throne was taken away from him.
Tier, Starrk, Lily and the Tres Bestias gulped. This was nothing, nothing at all like the man they thought they knew despite having served him for many decades. His abilities were far, far beyond their comprehension, and he had so effectively shaken their enemies to the core. No, that was wrong. They had known. From the very beginning. That there was something about him, something beyond sheer power, something beyond fear that made even powerful Espada such as themselves to follow Aizen. At that point, they weren't even sure if Ruby being there would change anything. Was it even possible to win against someone like that? Because for one, he hadn't even started fighting. All he did was use his enemy's strength and emotions against them. His own fighting power was leagues above their own. The situation seemed hopeless.
As for Yamomoto himself, it was as if something inside him fundamentally broke. The more Aizen spoke, the more he found his mind sinking deeper and deeper into something incomprehensible. And the moment he finished, there was but one thing he could do.
"AAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIZZZZZZEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
The aged captain commander's infernal war cry rang out throughout the entire cityscape, as did his reishi as it rained down on them like an ocean of lava. The old man could see nothing but Aizen, every fiber of his being wanting only to sink his blade deep inside Aizen and reducing him to a bubbling grease with the flames of his fury.
"NO! YAMAJI DON'T!" yelled Kyoraku, but to no avail. It was so obvious that Aizen was anticipating something like that and that in his fury, Yamamoto would only end up falling to his words.
"Hado #58, Tenran!"
*WHHHOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHH!*
A roaring gale of power, swirling wind swept across the town, shredding any and every building along its way, reducing them to debris. The gale passed right in between Yamamoto and Aizen, stopping the old captain in his tracks and effectively creating a divider between the soul reapers and Aizen.
Aizen looked to the side from where the attack originated, with no hint of surprise in his expression.
"I was expecting you would show up, but not this late" he said casually. "And certainly not with him"
Standing just a few dozen meters away from them were Yoruichi and Isshin.
"What's the meaning of this?!" snapped Yamamoto, looking at the new arrivals.
"Y…yoruichi….!" Exclaimed Ukitake. "And…Isshin…!"
"Sorry we're a bit late, we were held up by Kisuke" said Yoruichi, looking around to assess the situation. She immediately flinched when she saw chaos around the battlefield, specifically by the side of the soul reapers and the relative calm on Aizen's side. "…damn…"
Isshin on the other hand, didn't have any words to say. But he did feel miserable. Being a doctor in his recent years of life did provide him a new outlook on how he saw certain things. That as well as having met Masaki. It brought him certain peace; saving lives for a change instead of ending them as he did for many, many centuries. And after her death, it only made him realize the importance of the finality of death even more, though he was a former soul reaper. So, when he looked at so many lives taken away in such a manner, not even having a chance to realize that they had been tricked by their enemy, it did make him flinch. If anything, the only thing that brought him some small solace was the relatively unharmed and unconscious bodies of Rangiku and the rest. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could make out a familiar looking Zanpakuto next to a charred corpse.
"…No….Shiro…." he muttered under his breath, clenching his teeth. In a fight such as this, he knew some deaths were unavoidable. The Soul Reapers were expected to give up their lives during missions. It was part of the package. And yet…it was the bleakness of the situation and how little it had taken Aizen to finish off so many that really got to him. But….he also knew that this wasn't the time to grieve. He'd already seen the effects of that right in front of him. He would make Aizen pay for this and everything else. But not at the cost of his own rashness and his own life. After all, he had much more at stake that his own life at this point.
"You noticed huh…" remarked Kyoraku. "Also...thanks for interrupting the old man, Isshin"
"And just what do you mean by that, Shunsui?!" demanded the head captain.
"No offence old man, but if I hadn't stopped you, you would've just made the situation worse. At this rate, he's going to end up winning without even putting up a fight. Try not to pay too much attention to his words next time, head captain" said Isshin. "Also…..I know things look a bit grim, but at the very least, let's deal with that guy first before we get swept away by those that are dead. No point in trying to avenge them or mourn them now if it means that sends us to the afterlife too. And…if it's any consolation, Kisuke and that four eyes are down there taking care of the wounded. They aren't at the level of captain Unohana, but well, it's Urahara we're talking about here. I'm sure he'll figure something out. It's why it took us time to get here, since he said he had something that would help turn the tide"
"Urahara….? He's here too?" asked Shinji, having regained some composure. It was evident from his words that he was still taking in all that had just happened. But Isshin's hado spell combined with Urahara's name being mentioned did shake him out of his trance.
"Yup. He'll join us soon, once he's done with some preparations down there. Said he only needs a couple of minutes. Also, Hachi, Urahara thought it would be better if you assist four eyes down there in stabilizing their condition. With your kido, it would be better if you focus on supporting them than us here" said Isshin.
"Four-eyes…? Whom do you..?" asked Shinji, and upon seeing the stern looking man with piercing blue eyes and silvery white hair, Shinji raised his eyes. "It's him…..how is it that HE of all people is here…?"
"I wouldnt worry about it" advised Yoruichi "And besides, we have more important matters to focus on, noe?"
"You have a point. At this point, I suppose we have no choice but to take on any help we can get. Very well. In that case, I shall assist in helping the injured" said Hachi, taking off to the bottom.
"Right. So, what's the plan, Yoruichi? Do we just split up evenly or...does Kisuke have something in his mind?" asked Shunsui. "At first, we thought it would be best to simply engage directly, seeing as how every other tactic we had failed. Plus, there's his Kyoukasuigetsu..."
"Oh I wouldn't worry about that" said Yoruichi. "Kisuke said he just needs a couple of minutes more"
"Actually, I'm done~~" chimed the sing song voice of Urahara, appearing in front of Urahara with his Zanpakuto. "Sorry for the delay~~! But to make up for that, now we no longer have to worry about Aizen using his shikai"
"What do you mean...?" asked Ukitake.
"Short version? Let's just say I was just done setting up something that nullifies his zanpakuto's shikai's abilities. It wasn't easy mind you, and it'll only work for the next few hours. It took me a month to make it too and it wasn't ready by the time you guys left. So, I couldn't implement it sooner. In modern terms, you could say this is like a software patch for the territory being enclosed by those four pillars surrounding this fake town. I don't want to get too technical, but basically, whatever happened here won't be happening here again, head captain. You can rest easy for now" assured the eccentric shopkeeper.
"Are...are you serious?!" exclaimed Soi-Fon.
"Hmph, interesting" interrupted Aizen, watching their exchanges with an amused smile. "And surely enough, it really seems I can't use my Zanpakuto's complete hypnosis. As expected, Urahara Kisuke. But make no mistake. I wasn't planning to use my Complete Hypnosis from here on to begin with. Because you're mistaken if you think you've won just because you've seen past my Kyoukasuigetsu's illusions. And my troops far outnumber yours comfortably"
"My, I wouldn't know about that" said Kisuke, lowering his hat. "Even you should know that it's not over until it's over, right?"
"I'm merely stating facts. And besides, you're not the only one with tricks up his sleeves" said Aizen. Then, a rip appeared in the space to their left, opening a huge void. And from within the void materialized a gargantuan bulbous looking creature with a bright yellow 'eye'. And then, it opened its 'mouth' which lay right below the yellow 'eye' and was regurgitating a black, gooey flowing liquid.
"Wh...what is that disgusting thing...?!" exclaimed Soi-Fon, her face scrunching in discomfort.
"No wait...look at that...! There's something like...!" alerted Ukitake. And sure enough, from within the black mass, they could make out numerous white masks, all of which resembled the masks of gillians. One by one, they 'stood' upright, numbering in the dozens. Urahara was sure he counted atleast 50 of them.
"How distasteful" remarked Tier, watching the whole thing from a distance.
"Does...does he really expect that to work?" asked Sung-sun. "There might be a lot of them but they're still only Gillians. Against soul reaper captains of that level...is that even going to make a difference?"
"You're right. I wonder what he's thinking" added Mila-Rose.
"I wouldn't be too hasty" said Tier once more. "Knowing Aizen, I wouldn't be surprised if he had something else up his sleeve"
"Surely you jest, Aizen Sosuke" boomed Yamamoto. "Is this really your trump card? A handful of mindless beasts no more threatening than ants scurrying around, that's your answer? Do not test my patience, boy!" roared the aged soul reaper, painting the skies orange red once more with the simmering heat of his ancient blade. A flaming sphere engulfed the entire horde of gillians plus the gigantic thing within the garganta, following which Yamamoto continued to swing his blade, generating several waves of Ryujinjakka's immense flames, which torched everything inside the sphere.
Except, it didn't.
No sooner had he spoken, he could feel the flames of his blade being drawn in towards the epicenter of his attack. It was as if his sword itself was being….consumed by something. And that wasn't all. The flames that he'd generated to decimate the gillians were violently swirling as well, until they disappeared, just as quickly as they had been generated.
"Wh..what…?!"
"Oh dear…" sighed Urahara.
"Yamaji….your zanpakuto….it…..went out…?!" asked Kyoraku, surprised.
"….what trickery is this Aizen?!"
"Do not be so surprised, head captain of the 13 court guard squads. What do you think is happening? Care to guess?" taunted Aizen.
"You fiend….." growled Yamamoto, and upon closer inspection, he realized he couldn't release his shikai no matter what he tried. All that was left was a regular looking katana "This cannot be….My Ryujinjakka…..….what have you done?!"
"Come now, you are the most dangerous out of all present here. Unlike you, did you really think I wouldn't have a counter measure? Consider yourself honoured, normally I don't bother with such frivolities. Let me introduce Wonderweiss" he said, pointing to the place where the Gillians had gathered. They could see that the Gillians had been wounded and their numbers reduced to around 20. But standing there, where the garganta and the creature had been present was a tall, vaguely humanoid looking arrancar with large shoulders, thin, long arms, an elongated head with a mask covering everything above his nose, leaving two eye holes. The arrancar also had five rectangular holes in its abdomen, as well as a circular hollow hole in its chest. "I created him just for you, Genryusai Yamamoto. His only purpose in life is to render your zanpakuto useless. You really should have thought twice about leaving your seat and entering this battle. The old you would've never entered the battle yourself until you were sure your pawns had significantly thinned down the enemy forces and you could come in and finish off the wounded enemy in a single sweep. And well, you did seal my zanpakuto, so I suppose this is only fair"
"No way…..you were able to seal the head captain's zanpakuto..?! How's that even possible?! How can one just seal away another soul reaper's zanpakuto!? Especially the head captain's!" exclaimed Soi-Fon.
"So it seems we were both thinking along the same lines. Except, I did it using a reishi mask field incorporated inside a territory whereas you gave this 'masking' ability to an arrancar when you made him somehow. Possibly using the Hogyouku. Am I right?" asked Urahara.
"I couldn't have put it better myself. As expected, things always go a lot quicker with you, Urahara Kisuke. "It's a shame nobody else thinks along the same wavelengths as you and I in this dreary world. I truly mean that. However, is this the time to be looking away?" he said.
The arrancar, who had done nothing but stare off into space suddenly disappeared using a sonido, appearing right in front of Yamamoto, rearing its arms back and throwing them at the aged head captain. A sly smile graced Yamamoto's lip.
*WHAAAAAAM!*
"You didn't seriously think that you could render me incapable of fighting just because you sealed away my zanpakuto, did you?" said Yamamoto, after punching Wonderweiss away with a single hand. "The tides aren't always in your favour. Now that your complete hypnosis has been broken, I needn't have any further hesitation about being distracted by what I see and sense"
To further prove his point, Yamamoto used his flash step, covering the distance between himself and where Wonderweiss had been punched away. This time, before the dazed, child like arrancar could even react, Yamamoto raised his zanpakuto sans the flames, swinging it down at Wonderweiss's throat.
"Bakudo #75, Gochūtekkan!"
Five massive hexagonal iron pillars linked together by chains slammed down on Wonderweiss before Yamamoto's fists could connect. When the aged captain looked around for who was responsible for interrupting him, he saw Kisuke with his arm raised
"Bakudo #61, Rikujokoro"
Six beams of light snapped around the downed body of Wonderweiss.
"Bakudo #73, Tozansho"
An inverted light blue translucent pyramid enclosure formed around the sealed arrancar, with string like reishi coming from the pyramid's corners attaching itself to various buildings nearby.
"What's the meaning of this, Kisuke Urahara?" questioned Yamamoto.
"Sorry for the abrupt interruption, but I don't think it's a good idea to do that, head captain. If that arrancar is designed the same way I designed the mask on Aizen, then the moment you destroy him, all of your zanpakuto's power will be released explosively all at once. I'm sure you know what that would mean" said Kisuke. "Therefore, it would be better if we seal him for the time being until we can ensure that we can control the explosion that would occur if we do kill him. I'm sure that is what Aizen was going for. He must have prepared those Gillians in order to bait you into releasing your zanpakuto and then counted on you to finish him off to get your abilities back, which in turn would have taken you out as well, along with a few of the others" said Urahara.
"…grrrrrrr…..Aizen you bastard! Just how much more will you!" said Shinji, shaking his fists.
"Oh well. I'd hoped to take you out of the equation without having to do it myself, but either way, you miss the point. That was merely there to make sure you didn't get in my way. Whether you killed Wonderweiss and died from your own flames or if you incapacitated him without killing him and continue being unable to use your zanpakuto's flames, either way, you're severely crippled" he said. "Baraggan. Nnoitora. Zommari. Starrk. Harribel. I'll leave you to handle them. Meanwhile, I think I'll finish my business with you, Genryusai Yamamoto. I could just leave you here while they keep you busy but you're the very cornerstone of the Gotei 13 itself. Your death will mean bringing about the end of that corrupted organization. You could say I can't quite reach for the stars until I get my bases right first. I wouldn't have it any other way than to put an end to it myself"
"Oh no you don't you bastard!" roared Shinji, sprinting towards Aizen, only to be blocked by Tosen.
"Tosen….you…!"
"Your opponent will be me, Shinji Hirako" he declared, fending off an extremely furious Shinji once more. And just like with Tosen, the arrancars and their fraccione intercepted the other Soul Reapers. Nnoitora took on Soi-Fon, while Zommari took on Isshin. Baraggan on the other hand, blocked Kisuke's path along with his fraccione.
"…I should also join them, huh captain" sighed Gin. "I'm just joking captain Aizen, you needn't give me that look. You can have the head captain to yourself, I'm actually glad I don't have to deal with him. Now then, Momo-chan, shouldn't you also be moving?" he asked.
"Y..yeah, right behind you, captain Ichimaru" she said, drawing her Zanpakuto, giving one last look at Aizen before going behind Gin.
"You think you can run?!" boomed Yamamoto, but not before Aizen appeared before him, striking with his zanpakuto.
"Hmph, even without shikai, blocking your blade will be nothing more than-!" Yamamoto watched in surprise as the force he felt in his arm far, far surpassed anything he'd expected, despite blocking it with his sword. Far heavier than even Komamura's bankai, far swifter than even Shunsui or Juushiro's attacks, Yamamoto found himself being flung backwards a significant distance before he could regain his posture. The force was great enough that Aizen's sword slid past his own when they locked blades, cutting through and leaving a deep gash on Yamamoto's sword arm.
"When fighting me you'd better give it your all, Shigekuni Yamamoto. And I shall give it my all to bring an end to your life and put an end to the Gotei 13 as well" said Aizen.
Tier and Starrk were the only ones who were still standing, still deciding on what to do next.
"So…..what now?" asked Lily slowly. "…..if you ask me, this isnt what I thought would happen at all…..that guy….he's just a monster…hey….Starrk….can Ruby…..can anyone….even defeat him…?"
"…hard to say" answered Starrk. "but…for now…..I don't think we have much of a choice"
"True. It's clear that Aizen is a far greater threat to…anyone than we first thought. If we do side with him now and then we lose, after what Aizen did, I'm not sure we should expect the survivors to show us mercy just because we know Summer and Ruby. I doubt…..they'd show any mercy to those responsible for killing so many of their comrades" answered Tier.
"But that's not fair, I mean we didn't even do anything! It was all him!" retorted Apacci.
"I doubt they'll see it that way" said Sung-sun. "And as you say Harribel-sama, if we instead work against Aizen….it would be bad if Aizen does indeed win. And from the looks of it, there's a good chance of that happening as well. Then we'd simply be traitors and he'd just finish us off. I don't know about you, but I'd rather prefer to stay alive. I'm not going to die here…not when we've all just…" she started.
"Yeah, there are many scenarios that can come to pass, most of which ends up with us being dead. But….as it stands now, I think the best option for us is to simply play along. Wait….they said Yoruichi, Isshin and Kisuke….right?" asked Starrk. "Arent those the names of Ruby's…?"
"You're right…! Why didn't I realize this sooner! Then….there just might be a way" said Tier. "Not to mention….those two….their names sound familiar as well…Juushiro…..Shunsui…where….?"
"Tia…?" called out Lily.
"Shuush, don't interrupt me, I'll forget what I'm…..hold on….that's it! Summer….they're…Summer's….aren't those the names of those that Summer took care of during her time in the Soul Society?" she asked.
"Yeah…you're right…!" answered Lily. "Hey then..! We can just go talk to them and we could work out something, right?! I mean….if they were under her care then….I'm sure they'll listen to us!"
"I'm not sure…." Said Starrk. "But…at the moment, we don't really have a choice. Let's do this then. Tia, you take care of Yoruichi along with the girls. I and Lilynette here will go intercept those two. They're considerably stronger than most captains, so I should be able to manage if they attack. And well….I suppose I'll leave you to work out something with Yoruichi" he said.
"Good thinking. Then…" she said, nodding. With a collective nod, Tia and the Tres Bestias proceeded towards Yoruichi, while Starrk and Lily made their way towards Ukitake and Kyoraku.
"So…? Which one do you want?" asked Gin, looking around. And then, as if he found something exciting, he dashed away in the direction Izuru was standing in. Momo felt downcast when she realized Gin picked the one whom she would have the least trouble against. Everyone else was at captain level, and she wasn't sure she would last long. However, she was determined that she would stick with this through till the end, and having no choice, she thought it would be best if she teamed up with someone. Looking around, she could only see two groups that hadn't already engaged anyone. Starrk and Tier. But just as she was about to decide whom to go with, Starrk disappeared along with Lilynette.
"No choice then" she mouthed off to herself, going towards Tier Harribel.
Just as Tier was about to make her move as well, she heard someone flash step in next to her.
"Sorry for barging in like this but…if it's alright, can I join you?" asked Momo. Tier raised her eyes.
"You want to battle alongside me? For what purpose? I haven't heard anything about Aizen asking you to join us" answered Tier.
"No no, it wasn't anything Lord Aizen said…it's just that….most of our opponents will be too much for me to handle. Apart from Izuru and maybe captain Soi-Fon, I'm not confident that I can fight against any of the other captains. So…I thought it would be better if I joined forces with someone" she explained. "And well…..you were the only one here who hadn't already joined a battle"
"And why does that matter? Surely if you really wanted to assist someone, you could just join them in between? I'm not sure why this is even a question" asked Sung-sun. "And besides, our group has fought battles together, so we know how to fight alongside each other. Pardon me for saying this but although we know each other better than most other arrancars, we hardly know each other well enough to be fighting alongside each other side by side. It would be bad if we're disrupted because of that"
"I know….but the same applies to the others as well. It might look like I'm familiar with captain Ichimaru or captain Tosen, but actually, I'd say apart from Lord Aizen and Summer-san, you're my next best option" she said. "Please…I promise I wont get in your way. Perhaps I can support you using my kido"
The Tres Bestias and Tier stared at her and then each other for a few seconds, before Tier closed her eyes and sighed softly. "Have it your way. However, you're still responsible for yourself. We cannot be burdened to cover you in case something happens. In the same manner, I'd appreciate it if you let us handle things our own way" she said.
"Of course! Thank you!" replied Momo, and with that, they were off, going towards Yoruichi.
"Thank you for doing this" said Hachi, re-doing some of the barriers he'd cast over those injured. "I am well aware that you have no interest in interfering in our matters. Even so, I appreciate that you are willing to-"
"I implore to you that you do not misunderstand" said Ryuken. "It is indeed as you say. I have zero interest in your affairs and problems resulting from such. I am a doctor, and I'm here treating sick patients. That is all. Of course, upon his request, I do intend to protect the people of Karakura Town, should it ever come to that. And while I'm at it, it is my responsibility as a doctor to make sure that my patients don't fall under harm when under my care. I fully expect Kisuke Urahara to reimburse me for my services. That is all"
"…..I understand. If there is anything I need to do, please let me know" said Hachi.
"I can handle my patients just fine, therefore, you are free to leave" he suggested. "For starters, it is in quite poor taste to leave the dead lying around, don't you think? Especially if they happen to be your own companions? If you get my gist, perhaps you should start by collecting them and keeping them there to prevent their battles from further desecrating their bodies"
"…Yes, you're right. In that case, I leave them in your care and once again, thank you for doing this" said Hachi, after which he disappeared, making sure to stay well apart from all the fighting and gathering the corpses somehow. Along the way, when he came across Yumichika and Ikkaku, his eyes widened.
"Th…these two….they're still….!" Alive, he thought to himself, surprised. But only barely. Perhaps it was the fact that when he started scourging around, his heart had already accepted the fact that he wasn't out looking for anything alive. Or perhaps it was the fact that he'd already resigned to the fact that at the end of the day, nothing would remain save for corpses. Finding them alive renewed what little determination he had to keep going. First, he would need to get them to Ryuken before anything, for they looked closer to death than life. And so, without wasting a single moment, he carried the two of them back.
Ryuken, on the other hand, was keenly observing the battle, specifically Aizen. He was the one, after all. The one truly responsible for turning Masaki's life upside down on that rainy day. Just like Juha Bach. It was strange, he thought to himself. The first time Masaki's life took a life-threatening turn, it had been a rainy day as well. A fateful one. And it was all because of one man powerful enough to make the entire Soul Society go to war against him. And decades later, Masaki met her end on a rainy day by the actions of a man far beyond in power and abilities than one could comprehend, a man who had also been responsible for giving the Soul Society a run for their money 1000 years ago. Though the direct causes Masaki's illness and death were hollow attacks during both times, they were both caused by the actions of a Quincy and a Shinigami, beings who were the opposite of what hollows were, beings who were 'holy' or 'positive' in nature. He wondered if there was any connection. Somehow, somewhere, he had a hunch that Aizen was going to be much more trouble than anyone here imagined, if he was indeed similar to Juha Bach in some way he couldn't see.
Oof, it's started I suppose. So here's the kill count so far, just to summarize.
At the side of the Soul Reapers:
Omaeda Marechiyo, Hisagi Shuuhei, Tetsuzaimon Iba, Nemu Kurotsuchi Captain Komamura, Captain Toshiro, Captain Mayuri, all other members of the Stealth Force.
Vizards:
Lisa, Kensei, Mashiro, Rose, Love.
Arrancars:
Ggio Vega (Barragan's fraccione), Nirgge Parduoc (Barragan's fraccione), Tesra Lindocruz (Nnoitora's fraccione), Yami Llargo
Injured/Incapacitated:
Rangiku, Hiyori, Yumichika, Ikkaku, Nanao, Wonderweiss
Of course, this list isn't final, for the battles haven't ended after all.
Response to reviews:
Athrick: Thanks! Hmm, you'll see soon enough! Yeah me too!
Cyan-Snake: I can see what you mean. But well, grumpy cat isn't quite the 'romantic' type, nor is the type to openly talk about what he thinks. Kinda like Vegeta from DBZ. What I wanted to show was that on the surface, they might look like they don't get along, but they in fact do care for each other. Vegeta and Bulma is one of the examples I had in mind for them atleast.
Argorok: Thanks a lot! Yeah, well, she will definitely play a role in ending the war, that's for sure.
Firewyrm2: I guess they kinda did but then…most are also dead. Still, there's also the team that's arriving from Hueco Mundo. So perhaps all isn't lost just yet. As for Momo, I have something planned for her. I can tell you that much.
Ninguem248: Thanks a whole lot! Yeah you could say that! Thanks, I will!
Vedahzii: No I get what you mean, I just hope it wasn't too much! Thanks for reading!
The-Killer40513: Yeah sure, why not. Summer is her zanpakuto, and so she should be able to materialize just like Crescent did. Except Ruby had time to figure that out with Crescent, whereas she's only just learnt Summer's name. So it might take her a little time before it gets there.
Battlesny: Hmm…I just went with the aspect that he's very hollow like, more so than any other hollow/arrancar. And well, for hollows, it's the 'fittest survive' ideology. I pondered over this for a bit, and I just thought it would be logical for him to follow along with someone he considered stronger than himself and potentially even Aizen.
Lucian Naruto: Ahahaha yeah she does! Yang's reaction….now that's something to look forward to, isn't it?
Crimsongear: Yup. I always wondered why there were no spells like that one. With the spell I used in this fic, I felt it gave more….essence to what a forbidden spell really should be like.
RandomName3064: Glad to see you back!
Thanks a lot! Hope you like some of the big deviations from canon in this chapter as well.
Yeah, though that was me mostly trying to cater to how these characters usually address people.
Thanks! I used it mostly to introduce the idea that a forbidden hado should really be like this. One that is so questionable and powerful that it was forbidden to use them.
Thanks a lot! I'm glad I pulled that off nicely!
Yeah you're right. Even if it takes a bit longer, I'm willing to throw some light on those fights as well.
Ah that. Some of them I got the idea from the Quincy arc where they let themselves be controlled by the enemy (I know, it was mostly due to Giselle's unique ability and that heart guy's ability but well they do give some reference) and also because I felt many of them simply aren't as strong mentally as let's say, Kisuke or Yoruichi or Ukitake and Kyoraku. And besides, it was Aizen using that spell, who's really powerful. And yeah, for Koma, its as you suspected. That's the reason I had for why he was affected as well.
Well, Yama is fighting Aizen, but well, not going all out I suppose…? After all, Aizen would have some strategy. But as you said, I just didn't want him to go down without a fight, so I thought I'd do this instead.
Fregreg: Thanks a lot! Ahaha, I doubt he has that many true followers. Time will tell.
Lord Feunoyr: Thanks a lot!
Yup, that was what I wanted to show, glad it shows!
I know, but well, you could say that it definitely exists, since Ruby did live with Crescent for many years after first knowing about her and during those 6+ years. I just haven't shown many parts of it yet. But it will be there at some point.
Yeah, I didn't want to make her OP.
Yeah I get what you mean, since a good portion of her life she's spent with the Espada rather than the soul reapers. But then again, they aren't the major focus in the story anyways, so I suppose its all good.
Of course. That's my plan.
Yeah me too! Soon, I'd say around chapter 43-45 she should be in Remnant! So yeah, we're almost there!
L4 of the WEST: Thanks a lot and no worries, hope your project has been going well!
NEGATARO: Thanks a lot!
rama alif: Well, showing full blown romance isn't the point of this story anyways, so even if its there, it wont be the main focus. Of course, in a few chapters she should be back in remnant.
Xeno01: No I just thought it should be there, otherwise it'll feel like it came out of nowhere.
Ahaha true! I already have so many fun scenarios and dialogues for when Ruby returns to Remnant. I'm really excited myself to get to those parts as are many others I can see.
And thanks!
ranjira1988: Thanks a lot, me too! Soon! Within chapters 43-45 for sure!