Chapter 86: 1,000 Yr. BWArc - A Sibling's Trust

Minata's POV

"It is As Nodt, and he is going after Rukia."

". . . Rukia?" I question as we pick up speed, both of us knowing that there was no time to waste when it came to this particular Sternritter. "Unless she finally achieved her bankai while you were up in the Royal Realm, the only reason why that bastard would go after her now is because he knows she's your sister!"

"I wouldn't put it past him to go after her now to draw me out into the open," Byakuya calls back as his eyes narrow. "He is going to use her as bait, and now here we are, heading straight for the trap."

"At this point, it's safe to assume that he knows that Senbonzakura Kageyoshi is no longer in his possession," I say in return. "And depending on how . . . attached he got to it in the short time he's had it, he may try to steal your bankai again if given the chance."

"And I have no plans to allow that to happen again."

I couldn't help but smirk at the determination I hear in his tone, the bite of his voice containing more emotion than I expected from the usually stoic man.

"It's good to hear you say that Byakuya. . . And to be honest, even though all bankais are dangerous, yours is probably one of the top contenders for most dangerous due to how far reaching it can be."

"You do not have to tell me twice Mina. . . I know what Senbonzakura Kageyoshi is like when wielded, and unfortunately, I now understand what all of my previous opponents felt when they faced my blade's wrath."

"Oh, feeling sorry for them now?"

"For the most part . . . No," He admits, almost flippant with his response. "Aside from Abarai and Kurosaki, all of my previous opponents rightfully deserved their fates."

"I'm sure Ichigo and Renji will be glad to hear you say that. . ."

Unlike the many prior opponents whose goal was the destruction of the Soul Society, or some other nefarious plan along those lines, both Kurosaki and Abarai had fought against Byakuya with more altruistic goals in mind: mainly to go against the injustices that they were witnessing the Soul Society commit.

Granted, the history of Soul Society has long been filled with tales that many could easily see as unjust. Abarai, and especially Kurosaki, were the first to actively go against the trend in a long time.

Kurosaki may have come out of his fight with Byakuya in a better standing compared to Abarai - though it took him two tries to do so - but both undoubtedly had a hand in forcing the usually unmovable clan leader to finally open his eyes to things he long had closed them to.

". . . However, something tells me there was something else to be said after that last statement," I couldn't help but say, having just realized that the man had trailed off with his last words.

"Hmm, what I was going to say is that now that I know how it feels to face my own bankai in battle, I do not wish that level of pain on any of those I love."

I could feel the budding warmth grow in my stomach as my eyes softened at his words, Mizukiri's 'Awwing' not helping matters either. Byakuya may not be one for voicing his emotions openly on a regular basis, but when he does, it can be quite poignant.

"Well . . . " I manage to say, finding my voice as we near the area where Rukia's reiatsu was at its strongest. "As one of those people you proclaim to love, the sentiment is very much appreciated."

If it were not for the current situation we were running toward, a ghost of a smile may have graced his face.

But alas, all I am met with is silence and determined stoicism as we come to a stop before a large strange sphere with one peculiar detail.

"Um, is that a sphere made out of . . . eyes?"

"I believe that is what we are looking at Mizukiri . . . Byakuya, did you experience this when you fought As Nodt the first time around?"

"Unfortunately, I was unable to push him to this point," He says. I am not sure after the first battle, he wished it would have been the case. "Can you tell what is going on in there through their reiatsu Mina?"

Before I could say anything, a piercing feminine scream erupted from within the dome, and without much prompting, Senbonzakura was on the attack.

Byakuya has always held a strong bond with his zanpakuto, probably one of the strongest in the entire Seireitei, but now as their power unleashed itself on the structure separating us from Rukia, it was not hard to see that their connection has evolved even more in a short amount of time. Even though their training was only for a short period in the Royal Realm, it was enough to increase the synergy between man and spirit.

The result: a visible output of power that at first glance would make people think that Byakuya had summoned his bankai from the jump.

Senbonzakura's many shards were absolutely merciless against the sphere, shredding it apart to reveal a shocked Rukia and a startled As Nodt, who looked even creepier than I imagined.

And yet . . . he is the one responsible for putting Byakuya so close to death's door.

Visually, the Quincy looked like a living, blank-eyed zombie. Now obviously in his Vollstandig, his body seemed to have combined with his clothing, further showing off his greatly emaciated form. Dark lines flowed from his blank eyes down to a mouth that could best be described as forever set into a ghastly grin, the lines themselves giving him the appearance of having just cried blood.

With dark purple circular wings poking out from his back and a matching halo of horns above his head, As Nodt looked like a demonic angel come to life, eager to reign doom on his next victim.

"Nii-sama! Mina!" Rukia exclaims, her relief and shock palpable in equal measure as both fighters looked our way.

"Are you alright Rukia?!" I exclaimed, ignoring the way that the Quincy's vacant eyes seemed to narrow at me

"I've been better," She quietly admits, her eyes glancing back at her opponent before moving back to take in her brother. "His power in this form mainly comes from his eyes, so it's best not to look too deeply into them!"

"Well that better explains the ocular dome. . ."

"Doesn't make it any less reassuring Mizukiri."

"Well . . . isn't this a quaint little reunion," As Nodt observes, and we all turn to find him now looking directly at Byakuya. "The siblings . . . reunited once again, and you even brought a friend to the proceedings. Or is lover a better term to use?"

"That man is very unsettling!"

"I will not disagree with you there Kiri." I say in return as the Quincy moves his gaze back to me. ". . . And he is looking straight at me once again."

"I am more than happy to gore his eyes out for you. Just say the word."

"Thank you for the offer, Kiri, but judging from the shift I can feel in Byakuya's reiatsu, he may just beat you to it." I say as I feel the man's reiatsu spike beside me, ready to strike at the next move the Quincy makes.

"Hmm, it has been quite a while since we last saw each other, Captain Kuchiki," As Nodt admits, somehow smiling with that gruesome mouth of his. "You look trimmer since the last time we fought. Have you been eating well?"

"Well, isn't that just a low blow. . ."

I couldn't help but agree with my zanpakuto on that one. Considering that one of the major injuries Byakuya suffered at his hands was the loss of his entire stomach, As Nodt was very much mocking my fiancé straight to his face.

The absolute gall of this man . . .

"It seems you have developed a morbid sense of humor since the last time we have faced each other," Was all Byakuya would say, his response causing the Quincy's eyes to narrow slightly. ". . . Or maybe it was always there."

"I prefer to keep things light during these . . . trying times," As Nodt declares, his voice a creepy attempt at sounding light. "And you never did answer my earlier question. I heard losing an entire stomach can really change a person's eating habits."

"His whole stomach?!" Rukia gasps before turning to me, seeming to seek confirmation on a detail that Byakuya likely was not in the mood to give her.

"Oh, you were out of commission at the time as well, but yes, that indeed happened," I reluctantly admit, much to As Nodt's delight.

"Hmm, I was always aware that you had a little sister," He drawled as he slowly moved his blank gaze between myself and Rukia before finally settling back on Byakuya. "And now I get to see your lady love, the two women closest to you in this world. . . Heh, they will be the first to witness your death."

All of a sudden, the remains of As Nodt's previous attack gather together, forming huge pillars aimed straight for Byakuya to take him down the same way he did the first go around.

However, just as quickly, Byakuya attacks in kind.

Without a single movement needed from his master, Senbozakura strikes, ripping apart the opposing barrage before it could even finish solidifying, visibly shocking As Nodt, if the slight uptick of his eyebrows were anything to go by.

"Ah, so Senbonzakura Kageyoshi has indeed returned to you," He speaks, his voice almost a whisper as his eyes narrow. ". . . It will be a pleasure taking it away from you again."

". . . And yet you are mistaken," Byakuya says, the barest hint of haughtiness appearing in his tone. "Though I do understand how you may have come to such a conclusion, you are wrong. . . I did not use my bankai for that last attack."

" What?!"

Byakuya's POV

As I woke up this morning with Mina nestled in my arms - an unforgettable feeling that I would have wanted to maintain if it were not for the circumstances we were in - I was prepared to face the man that came the closest to sending me to the grave.

I was never unaware of my own mortality, not when I was a part of a clan that contributed to an organization where the mortality rate was not the most ideal, but I never came so close to losing it all until I faced As Nodt not so long ago.

The loss of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi was essentially the beginning of a downfall that was only prevented by the quick intervention of the healers of the Fourth Division before Captain Kirinji and his assistants took over. I very much could have died if it were not for them, and I have no intention to waste this second chance, not when I continue to have so much to live for.

Now that Urahara finally figured out a way for us to regain our bankai - a choice that I will continue to shake my head at for the rest of my long existence - I knew that As Nodt would try to seek me out to retain it.

What I had not fully considered was the idea that he could target those closest to me in order to do so.

With the revelation that the Quincys had watched us from the very shadows ever since their last defeat at our hands, not only did they learn what we were capable of at all times, they could use that same knowledge to pinpoint any weaknesses that we could possess, and exploit it to its fullest.

. . . Unfortunately, family tends to be quite a strong weakness for many.

It was the feeling of Rukia's reiatsu weakening that prompted Senbonzakura to act, the spirit reading my feelings perfectly to know what I wanted before attacking the large dome that had encased her and the enemy within its confines. My zanpakuto shredded the barrier as if it was paper, and though it was a relief to find Rukia looking relatively unharmed - physically, at least - it was the opposite once my eyes found the man that bested me during our first encounter.

Having activated the next level of his power, As Nodt appeared fairly different from what I last remembered of him, more decrepit, yet still retaining that ghoulish manner of his. As he spoke, his words held the same contemptuously apathetic air that I could remember he spoke with the first time.

I could ignore it all, but what I couldn't ignore was the way his eyes would find their way to Mina.

It seemed from one glance, he could tell exactly who Minata was and what she meant to me. It was easy to ignore the petty jibes he made at my expense, but it was hard to ignore the high possibility that As Nodt could use Mina and Rukia both in his attacks against me.

It was too bad that I refuse to give him that chance.

"What did you say?!" He dares to ask, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tries to understand my earlier answer.

"I did not mince my words Quincy," I admit as Senbonzakura gently swirls around us, ready to strike at my command. "Though I can understand how you made the conclusion you did, you are sadly mistaken . . . Senbonzakura's shikai is simply different from what you remember of it."

"Shikai . . . shikai?!" He hisses, as if he was physically offended by the word. "You want me to believe the magnitude of that last attack was the result of your shikai?!"

"Believe what you will, but I know the truth of the matter . . ."

"You must be taking me as a joke!"

"On the contrary; losing my bankai to you proved to me that you are an opponent to not be underestimated," I admit, being mature enough to even say the words. "Losing Senbonzakura Kageyoshi to you made me realize that I needed to seek a better understanding of my blade as a whole. An entire reset if you will . . ."

"In the end, I had to re-learn and reestablish the relationship that I had between my blade and myself," I further explained, sensing that my words only seemed to agitate him more. "And now, my bond with Senbonzakura has never been stronger, and though I hate to admit it, I have you to thank for that, As Nodt."

"You thank me . . . How insulting! I do not need your thanks Captain Kuchiki," He growls, his reiatsu rising with his anger. "It seems that you need a reintroduction into what fear is truly like!"

"Is that what you think?"

Judging from how his spiritual pressure spiked, my words managed to strike an already fraying nerve.

"You may have escaped death at my hand once, but you will not be lucky a second time," As Nodt declares. "Prepare yourself Byakuya Kuchiki, for I will drive you into the deepest levels of fear, and this time, you will NEVER COME BACK FROM IT!"

"As if we would let him try . . ."

"And yet, who says we will be the ones ending this fight Senbonzakura?" I ask, my gaze slowly finding Rukia just off to my side, clutching her blade tightly as the enemy starts to go through another transformation.

"Hmm, you do know this will only anger As Nodt more, correct?"

"What of it?"

"Eh, it is a bit of a petty move, even for you, but I am not mad at it," I hear him say as I approach the woman that I have now long considered my sibling. ". . . Do you think she is ready for this?"

"Senbonzakura, Rukia is a lot stronger than either of us have given her credit for, much to my own stubbornness."

"You were doing it to protect her."

"And yet, I was hindering her all the same."

"Brother?!" She asks, almost sounding surprised as she finally notices my presence.

"Rukia, at first glance, I can understand how easy it is to succumb to the fear tactics that the enemy undoubtedly used on you," I say, her eyes slowly widening at my words. "And yet, there is nothing truly to fear. As Nodt believes that he can use such turmoil against us in order to seize victory by projecting such emotion for his own gain. And yet, it can never be effective, not when such fears can be easily overcome, not when you have persevered so much to let such thoughts get to you . . . So, tell me Rukia, do you still hold such fears within your heart?"

Her expression does not hesitate to solidify into one that gives me the answer I was looking for.

". . . Since that is the case, then the creature before us can no longer affect you in the way he hopes for," I declare. "I know the power that you hold, Rukia. It is strong, so trust in it, trust yourself."

"Master, you have quite the knack for speeches when you are willing to give one."

"Shut it Senbonzakura." I mumble as I watch Rukia look toward the enemy with determination, ready to end this fight. "The remark is not needed."

"And here I thought you would appreciate the compliment."

"A backhanded one if you ask me."

"Sorry, it's the Hollow reiatsu in me."

"Somehow I doubt that. . ."

"It is time that we finished this Byakuya Kuchiki!" The Quincy declares, having now taken a form that was more monstrous caricature than actual man.

". . . And yet, I will not be the one to defeat you this day," I conceded, turning my back on him as Rukia's reiatsu started to rise. Finding Mina a few yards away with her hand barely grasping Mizukiri's handle, I shunpo to her side, swiftly removing us from the area before she could even voice an objection, only stopping once I was satisfied that we were far enough from whatever Rukia had planned.

"Judging by how far you moved us from the battle, it's safe to say that Rukia's new power does not distinguish between friend and foe, correct?" She asks, neither of us looking away from the large creature As Nodt had become.

"You of all people should know that the elements do not discriminate." Is all I say in return as a bright light starts to glow from the area we previously stood in. "Then again, Sode no Shirayuki is not an ice-type zanpakuto in the strictest sense, now is she?"

"Oh, she is not the second coming of Hyourinmaru, that is for sure," Mina is quick to admit. "While the former focuses more on sheer, overwhelming power, Sode no Shirayuki manipulates freezing to such a degree that it's almost concerning."

"What do you mean by that?" I ask, just as the white light from earlier is enveloped by a large pillar of cold reiatsu, one who's reach was so great, it prompted Mina to immediately surround us with a ring of fire to keep us warm.

It was for the best. Despite the impeccable quality of the robes Captain Shutara created for me, I doubt they would still be enough to protect me from the effect of Rukia's power.

"Rukia's power has grown exponentially, and if it is what I think it is, it will certainly aid her in this fight," She explains as the fire danced around us with each movement of her fingers. "But it is young Byakuya, and we both know what the growing pains are like when we first start to use it. . . Rukia's will be no different, will it?"

". . . No, it will not," I concede as we look out at where the battle will undoubtedly conclude. ". . . And that is what worries me."

A/N: Please review!