Chapter 54: Gotei 13 Invading Arc: End Game

Byakuya's POV

"These reigais really are complete copies of us, even down to the way we conduct ourselves . . . How annoying."

I probably wasn't the only one who was feeling this sentiment. I move through the battlefield, keeping quiet as I kept my spiritual pressure low. My fellow shinigami and I have been battling the reigai ever since we allowed Kurosaki, Urahara, and that weird plush animal with them to escape. Neither side had let up so far, but despite that, I have noticed that there were a few differences between the two sides that I had not noticed before.

"Master, these reigai . . . don't they seem more aggressive to you since the last time we faced them in the 12th Division barracks?"

"Indeed, they are . . . Not only do they seem more powerful thanks to Inaba removing their restraints, they fight with such force and ferocity that's barely seen in us originals." I say as I keep maintaining my spiritual pressure at a low level.

"They also seem very keen on taking advantage of any blind spot that they see, either that or you people are just too prideful to help each other out and team up against them."

"Senbonzakura, this is not the time for snide remarks, even if there is some truth to it."

"My apologies master, but thank you for realizing the truth of my words."

Stopping behind a building to get away from any unwanted attention, I assess the field so far, keeping mind of what my zanpakuto had just said.

That's when I realize the truth of the matter.

"It's not just that the reigai are keen on keeping us from fighting together Senbonzakura. We're allowing it to happen," I say, frowning at my own conclusion. "The members of the Gotei 13 have always been prideful in our ability to fight one-on-one. However, in this case, it's hurting us. The reigai are proving to be willing to grab any opportunity that presents itself to gain an edge. If an opponent's back is open, a reigai will try to strike it, so on and so forth. They'll leap in when they can, and leap away when the opportunity is gone."

"They really fight with an opportunist mindset . . . Wait, where is Reigai Kyoraku going?"

At the sudden question, I look up to see the fake heading straight for Yoruichi, who was sitting on top of a roof studiously looking elsewhere in the battlefield. Knowing that she wouldn't have the ability to react in time, I shunpo to her position, stopping his strike from reaching her.

"Byakuya?" I hear her ask, but I didn't bother to look at her as I stared my smiling opponent down.

"Iro-oni, white"

I feel the skin on my torso split as the wound opens, a result of the color-based attack Reigai Kyoraku inflicted on me. Suddenly, before Kyoraku could strike, Minata appears from who knows where to kick him solidly in the side of his head, sending him plummeting to the ground below.

"Where have you been?" I couldn't help but ask as she stays crouched like a bird by my side. Minata had arrived with the others from the Human World earlier, but this has been the first time I've seen her since then.

"I ran into my reigai. It took me a while to slow her down. . ." is all she says as she stands up to her full height. She had a few scratches and bruises on her arms, but other than that, she looked completely fine. "Are you two alright?"

"I'm fine, as for Byakuya, if it weren't for you making the save, I'm sure Reigai Kyoraku would have done a bit more damage." says the were-cat, instantly getting on my nerves once again.

"I see . . ." Minata mumbles as she looks to her left. "Move!"

We follow her instructions, jumping down to the plaza below before an attack from one of the reigai could hit us. Some of the other captains were already there, and as we looked up, some of the Reigai captains were surrounding us from above, perched on the nearby roofs.

"This isn't good. The Reigai show no signs of tiring, and every time we think we took one down, two more pop up in their place." grumbles Hitsugaya, his grip tight around the handle of his zanpakuto.

"They definitely know how to pick their spots," I hear Minata say as she takes in the situation. "Anytime they see an opportunity to attack, they take it, regardless of who they face."

"They stop a fight they're in to attack another unsuspecting foe mere feet away." adds Soi-Fon. "They've had the advantage on us all this time because we've been unable to cover our backs."

"They take advantage of our weak spots. They may be poised for another attack, but they won't make the first move until we do. They value their self-preservation too much to do so," I say as I stare my copy down, knowing full well that what I just said caught everyone's attention, including the reigai. "If we stay in a tighter formation, we stand a better chance at beating them."

My words struck a nerve with the reigai, earning me a scowl from my own reigai.

"We'll see about that."

Minata's POV - Thirty minutes later

"Are they actually doing what I think they're doing?" I couldn't help but ask as I watched the reigai launch themselves toward the super weapon that was threatening to annihilate the entire Soul Society.

"They've gone from attacking us one minute, to helping us the next." mumbles Captain Hitsugaya as we continue to watch the sudden light show. "They may have been our enemies, but they are still us in a way."

"They were created from traces of our spiritual pressure. Our actions may have been different, but our core principles were the same," I hear Byakuya say from somewhere on my right. "We all want to protect the Soul Society."

The reigai make impact with the weapon, channeling their spiritual pressure into it to cancel it out. It does eventually detonate, successfully exploding in the sky before it could do any further damage to the ground below. As the sky finally cleared, I look around to see some of the others starting to leave the area, probably to check on their respective divisions to see if they were damaged, or to go to the Fourth Division to get their injuries checked out.

"Hmm, now that the whole Inaba issue is over with, I can get to the next thing on my agenda during my time here." says Yoruichi, her smile becoming suspiciously cat-like as she turned to face me and Byakuya. Whenever I saw that smile on her face, I knew things weren't going to go well for either me or Byakuya.

"And what would that be, Yoruichi?" I ask, already kicking myself for asking in the first place.

"Care to tell me about your budding relationship with a one Byakuya Kuchiki? As a former mentor that has overseen both of your training, I feel I should have a right to know."

"Oh, I don't know about that, but if you insist on this line of thinking, why don't you ask Byakuya here about it? I'm sure he would be willing to answer all of your quest-"

My original plan was to divert Yoruichi's attention to Byakuya while I made a quick escape since I knew she loved messing with him more than me, but as soon as I felt his spiritual pressure disappear, I inwardly cringe, knowing that he just ditched me to face Yoruichi's questioning all by myself.

"Damn you Byakuya."

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