Chapter 14
Renji Abarai is the Lieutenant of the Sixth Division, under the direct command of its leader Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. For such a long time, their Division has served with utmost loyalty to the Thirteen Court Guards. They have defended the balance of the Three Worlds as is their sworn duty. Whether their adversaries are Hollows, Arrancars, Fullbringers, or Quincies, he has made it sure that their Division adheres to their oath to ensure that peace is maintained throughout the realms.
Right now, Renji is tasked with the duty to inform the entirety of the Thirteen Court Guards about a threat that none of them have ever expected…a primordial being supposed to be adjacent to the Soul King released from one Orihime Inoue.
And so, Renji Abarai bit his right thumb to draw blood. He used it as an ink to draw peculiar symbols on his arm and a rectangular shape on the wooden floor. And despite his underwhelming capabilities in the Art of Kido, he began chanting.
"Silken net of black and white! Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowning sash; footprints, distant thunder, pointed peaks, revolving grounds, nightly prostrations, sea of clouds, the pale ranks of troops, complete the grand circle and surpass the heavens."
Holding his palms out in front of himself, Renji generates a glowing rectangular box and performs various hand movements to create various root-like extensions in the air, which connect to the glowing rectangle. Placing his hands up to the rectangle, the spell began to activate, causing the root-like extensions to glow and create a network extending out from the rectangle.
"Bakudō No. 77. Tenteikūra!" Renji shouted, finally able to connect with all of the recipients that needed to hear this annoucement.
"Attention all personnel, This is Lieutenant Renji Abarai of the Sixth Division. We have confirmed an intruder of unknown origin has entered Soul Society. This is a critical security breach. Effective immediately, all units are ordered to execute lockdown protocols. The intruder was last identified near the Kuchiki Estate. Teams in nearby sectors, proceed to secure all possible escape routes both in land and on air. Guard stations, seal off access points and establish perimeter barriers. Capture the intruder alive. Use necessary force only if the intruder poses an immediate threat. Civilians and non-combatants in the area must be cleared and secured. Report any sightings directly to your immediate Seated Officers via secure channels. All off-duty personnel are to report to their designated posts immediately. No one enters or leaves their designated areas until further notice. This is a Priority-1 Alert. Move swiftly, stay vigilant, and execute your orders with precision. Dismissed."
Renji sat back, huffing from the strain of maintaining a stable connection using a high-level Kido Spell.
'What happens now, Ichigo?' he mused to himself before standing up, and flash stepping towards his next destination. As the second highest ranking officer of the Sixth Division, he must now head the patrol surrounding the Kuchiki Estate…at least until his Captain has returned from their barracks.
In the span of a few seconds, Renji got out of the main building, only to be greeted by the sight of his Captain and his wife arriving. Renji greeted them with a formal bow.
"At ease, Lieutenant Abarai," Captain Kuchiki said in a stern, authoritative tone. "Report."
"Hai, Captain," He stood up, and recounted the details without any omission.
"I see," Captain Kuchiki nodded, before lowering his voice down. "Share only what's absolutely essential with the Captain Commander Kyoraku—nothing more, nothing less."
"Hai, Captain," Renji bowed once again, understanding the meaning behind the Sixth Division Captain. The Head of the Kuchiki Household was basically instructing him to be careful with his choice of words, so as not to implicate Ichigo and his friends more than what is necessary. "Thank you, Captain."
"You may now leave," Captain Kuchiki turned his attention towards his wife, asking her if she had been tired, to which Lady Hisana answered that she was quite fine.
"Hai, Captain," Renji then waited until the Captain and his wife enter the main doors of the residence before he flash-stepped towards the First Division barracks.
Kūkaku Shiba had her attendants open the door to the Shiba Clan's zashiki — reception room — to greet their guests. Looking over the space, she surveyed if the room had been properly cleaned.
The zashiki exuded calmness and simple yet quiet elegance. Pale-colored tatami mats covered the floor, emitting a subdued earthy scent that combines with the faint aroma of cedar from the wooden beams.
A tokonoma alcove was at the far end of the room. It held a single hanging scroll with bold calligraphy of an old proverb and a simple ikebana display of plum blossoms placed inside a clay vase. It was a good thing that the room was uncluttered. Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko have surely outdone themselves. At the center stood a low, glossy black table, surrounded by neatly arranged cushions for their guests.
"Isshin-oji-san," Kūkaku greeted the man in front, their thought-to-be, long-lost uncle. "It's been a long time."
"Kūkaku," he grinned.
"Sit down, Oji-san," she gestured towards the cushion. "The tea will be arriving shortly."
"Thanks," he said before turning back to the people that he brought. "Everyone, this is Kūkaku Shiba, the current head of the Shiba Clan, my niece."
"It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance," the group of people bowed down.
Chuckling, Kūkaku merely waved her hand, repeating that they can now sit down so that they can begin with the agenda for today.
.
.
.
Their uncle had just finished recounting everything he had gone through over the past two decades and more: from Aizen and his cohorts' machinations; how he met his Pure-Blooded Quincy wife; how he had decided to live as a human in the World of the Living; the birth of his children—Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu; his wife's death at the hands of Yhwach; down to the fact that he has returned in Soul Society to help in the fight against the Wandenreich…only to be surprised by the sudden miraculous resurrection of three different people–one of which is his wife. This resurrection was made possible by one Orihime Inoue.
Having been informed of Isshin-oji-san's adventures over the years was nothing short of cathartic for Kūkaku. It was like all threads of confusion had been unraveled right before her eyes. All the doubts and the mysteries surrounding his disappearance were finally cleared.
'Anyway, there were more pressing concerns that needed to be addressed,' she reminded herself. This was not just a courtesy call. If a Shiba Clan Head—even a former one—sent an official letter, it means something important that needed prompt attention. "You've sent a missive, asking residency for your friends, correct?"
"Yes," he replied with a sigh. "More specifically, I plan to reestablish the Shiba Clan…not as one of the Noble Families, but a place where the departed ones of my living associates can congregate."
"What is in it for me?" Kūkaku dropped all formalities. This way of speaking is more efficient especially when it comes to her uncle. Simple. Informal. Direct. It gets the job done.
"Majority of these departed loved ones have considerable Reiatsu. Surely it would be of benefit to you in some way."
She hummed, considering the meaning behind her uncle's words. True, the circumstances of their Clan had seen better days. And though she agreed that it would not be prudent to reestablish it back to its former glory, it still cannot be denied that they are in need of a more 'offensive' force. She had already started by gathering the Fullbringers Kūgo Ginjō and Shūkurō Tsukishima…they might as well increase the numbers of the combatants under their retinue. It is imperative to keep the other Four Noble Clans in check, especially since there were suspicious movements from the Tsunayashiro Clan.
Besides, Kūkaku loves these kinds of complicated shits. She grinned."You really do know your politics, Oji-san. I fucking accept."
"I'll make the preparations. I think I still have some of my assets frozen by Central 46. I will have to ask Byakuya Kuchiki to vouch for me and the current Captain Commander to change my status from Missing in Action to Discharged . Oh, gods. Just thinking about it makes me feel like not doing it anymore."
Kūkaku laughed as she puffed her cigarette. "You've changed, Old Man."
"Huh? How so?"
She hesitated. She wanted to say that he was now more responsible and reliable, certainly because he has become a husband and a father…but she did not say it. Instead, she smiled. "Just…you've changed."
Isshin-oji-san merely sent her a baffled expression.
"We should also take this opportunity to establish friendly relations with the Kuchiki Household. From what you've told me, it seems that Byakuya himself is indebted to Orihime Inoue because one of the people she revived was the late Lady Hisana."
"I'm not sure I follow," Isshin-oji-san raised his eyebrow in confusion.
"Isn't Orihime Inoue the name of your son's girlfriend?" Kūkaku raised an eyebrow of her own. "I distinctly remember her as one of the Ryokas who had decided to invade Soul Society to save Rukia Kuchiki from her death sentence. You and your wife must be very proud of your son for having such a gutsy girlfriend."
" They're not-" Isshin-oji-san began.
Kūkaku burst out laughing. "Damn, Old Man! Your son has no game at all. Are you sure he's actually your son? Last I remember, not a day goes by when you're not chasing and flirting with ladies across Soul Society."
"O-Oi!"
"I see…" Masaki-oba-san suddenly spoke, her voice was gentle yet there was a hint of danger behind such a sweet tone.
Kūkaku grinned to herself, feeling the room's temperature suddenly drop.
'Uh-oh,' she blanched, feeling cold sweat running down the back of her head.
"H-Honeyyy…" Oji-san panicked, promptly turning towards his wife. "I-It's not what you think!"
Kūkaku bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing at the comical and pathetic way by which Isshin-oji-san tried to pacify his wife.
Rumble! The ground and the walls shook.
"Something is out there!" Masaki-oba-san jolted slightly, as if static electricity ran through her. Tentatively, she turned her head to the ceiling, her eyes wide in surprise….and yet there seemed to be a growing realization in her gaze.. "We have to get out of here."
Kūkaku felt the Reiatsu coming closer and closer. Although she has met the owner of this Spiritual Pressure for only a brief time, she cannot mistake it for any other. How could she forget, if the owner of this Reiatsu impressed her by easily activating their Clan's premiere invention, the Reishukaku. But there was something wrong with this Spiritual Pressure…it seemed dense and it lacked its comforting feeling. It feels vengeful for some inexplicable reason.
"Go! Run!" Kūkaku barked, sending all the occupants to the nearest possible exit.
BOOM! A deep clapping sound echoed and reverberated across the halls, and she immediately rushed towards the source of the commotion.
Outside their entrance, a large golden dome had been erected, and it had enveloped the entirety of Shiba Residence including their cannon. That means that the barrier has effectively encased them from all sides of the immediate building up until hundreds of feet above them. The energy from the golden light hummed and thrummed. Kūkaku sensed something wrong with the reishi that composed the barrier. It felt dangerous…something inside her mind is begging her not to touch the golden reishi lest she suffer dire consequences.
"Katagiri!" The white-haired man, the uppity Quincy friend that her uncle brought—Ryuken Ishida—was exclaiming as he ran to follow his wife. "Come back!"
"..." Katagiri Ishida did not respond. Instead, she went on and continued walking until she reached the surface of the barrier.
"Katagiri-san! Ryuken!" Masaki-oba-san cried out.
Slid. It was too late. The pair of Quincies effortlessly slipped outside the surface as if the barrier was specifically allowing and permitting them to go outside.
"We have to get them back," Isshin-oji-san rushed forward but he was sent back by an explosive force as he tried to break through the surface.
"Are you okay?" Masaki-oba-san immediately tended to him.
"Oji-san…Oba-san…it seems that the barrier won't be letting us out anytime soon. The person who cast this spell is likely aiming for those two," Kūkaku said as she watched as the Quincies outside the barrier were drawn out to a nearby clearing. "Let's just hope and pray that nothing bad happens to them."
"The presence is not within the Kuchiki Estate anymore," Urahara-san informed them. His eyes briefly widened before he looked at the rest of them with a panicked expression.
"Where?" Yoruichi-san asked. She was the one nearest to the shop owner, creating the reishi foothold so that the man could keep up with the rest of their speed.
"Where?" Sado-kun repeated the question as Urahara-san kept on hesitating to answer.
"Rukongai District."
"What would the presence do there?" Uryuu supplied.
"No, not the residential area. It's going towards the lands beyond the northern forest. The presence is heading to the Shiba Clan Residence."
Uryuu bit his lip in anxiety. "No…" His heartbeat quickened its pace. His parents are there.
"Everyone!" Ichigo joined them, his face was frantic, and dark circles seemed to have mar his eyes.
"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Sado-kun asked slowly.
"Inoue…Inoue…" Ichigo began to pant. "Inoue's not there."
Uryuu felt the sickening sensation drop down to his stomach. "It's not the presence …It was Inoue…"
"Why would Inoue…" Sado-kun began but he seemed to have realized something. "Oh."
No. No. No. No. No. No.
"Ishida! Snap out of it!" Ichigo barked. "Think!"
Uryuu began to assess the situation. Inoue's target would have to be him. There was a greater likelihood that she would take his parents as hostages to inflict psychological harm on him. That would also mean that she would likely leave the others on their own.
Uryuu arrived at a single conclusion. "Everyone…I will face Inoue alone. Take the time to get to the others."
"But Ishida-" Ichigo protested.
"We don't have time to argue, Kurosaki. You know that I'm right. Circle away from Inoue. Make sure that she won't see you. I will draw her attention. Save your parents."
Ichigo begrudgingly agreed to the most logical plan available.
"Even if we fight Inoue, I'm quite sure that we'll eventually hesitate to harm her. She would use that as a chance to strike us. I can't-"
"It's okay, Ishida," Sado-kun placed a comforting hand over his shoulder. "We'll save them. All of them."
Uryuu put his own hand over Sado-kun', and nodded. He then sped forward before activating his Quincy: Vollständig. "Let's spread out!"
Uryuu immediately descended, his footwear making crunching sounds as it touched the grass. Immediately, he activated his Quincy Cross and summoned his Heilig Bogen — his bow, and fired a warning shot near where Inoue stood.
"Get away from my parents," he gritted. "Inoue."
Inoue did not turn around, maintaining her attention on the two people bound by six, thin, wide beams of yellow-colored light in their midsection. His parents — Ryuken and Katagiri Ishida were currently levitating midair, suspended by what appeared to be a Shinigami's Kido spell.
"Is that-" Uryuu gasped.
"Bakudō No. 61: Rikujōkōrō," Inoue answered, her eyes still transfixed at the light emanating from the Kido spell.
"Who-"
"Why, yes," she interrupted his question. "It was me."
"How-"
"R-Run…idiot…" Ryuken uttered through gritted teeth. "It's a trap…"
"Uryuu…go…now," his mom warned, her face strained from the pain. "Hurry!"
"No!" Uryuu cried out. "Sklaverei!"
Suddenly, the reishi that comprises the surrounding objects within the vicinity floated and converged in his body, further enhancing his Quincy: Vollständig form. Blue-colored energy cuffs appeared on his arms, boots on his legs, and a badge on his right chest. Numerous flechettes materialized out of thin air and hovered around him, their pointed tips facing Inoue as if waiting for his order to fire their laser-like attacks.
"Ishida-kun," Inoue addressed him once again, her voice gentle as ever but it was devoid of any warm emotions.
No, it was not that her way of speaking had gone cold, distant or even indifferent. It was that her tone was filled with disdain, contempt, and animosity. Yes, there was a definite outrage that lies beneath the gentle manner by which their friend spoke.
"You can shoot your arrow…right about here," she gestured towards her chest…right where her heart is placed. "I think you're quite well-aware already where your arrow should strike."
"Inoue…" Uryuu found himself unable to speak. "Please stop this. if you're angry at me, there's no need to target those who are innocent…Please…"
"I will even lower down my Reiatsu so that your arrow will pierce my heart."
"Inoue!" Uryuu barked. With a flick of his hand, he rearranged the floating flechettes to encircle, surround and contain her within the orb-like cage. "Stop or I will detonate this."
Inoue chuckled, her voice filled with derision. "How gallant and gentlemanly of you, Ishida-kun, for giving me a warning." Inoue raised her hand and began reaching out for one of the floating flechettes.
"Nooo!" Uryuu dove forward but he was too late.
BOOM! A great explosion shook the atmosphere, scattering smoke and debris that flew haphazardly through the air.
The dust cleared, revealing the still intact and untouched form of their friend. Uryuu sighed in relief.
"Ah…it seemed that I would need to fight your flying little things with some of my own," Inoue's lips curved into a cruel smirk. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "Rokuten Hishun."
SHIIINGGG! Pure light burst from where Inoue stood, momentarily blinding Uryuu. The light eventually died down, revealing that Inoue's hair grew in length, and six large golden wings made of pure reishi sprouted from her back.
"Activating this technique again only after a few days is quite dangerous," Inoue lamented before she shook her head as if she had just recovered from her daze. "But I really couldn't care less."
Uryuu felt as if his breath was taken away from him. "H-How? A Quincy: Vollständig… But y-you're not- "
"I'm not," she simply said before raising her right hand above her head. A golden halo-like energy appeared to encircle her wrist before widening and releasing countless flying objects made of golden light.
"Tsubaki…"
Uryuu quickly summoned more projectiles to his side, and fired all at once. Each flechette shot a laser-like beam from its tip.
"Koten Zanshun."
All of the released Tsubaki s generated from the halo-like energy shot with dangerous precision towards Uryuu, hitting all of his dart-like projectiles. In a matter of seconds, not one floating flechette remained. Inoue had effectively destroyed all of his summoned attacks as if they did not exist in the first place.
Assisted by the Hirenkyaku technique, Uryuu moved in top speed, creating afterimages as if to confuse his opponent. He moved left and right, up and down, sideward, upward, downward, all in random and quick successions. He strung his bow, and released thousands and thousands of reishi arrows. " Light Regen."
The Heilig Pfeil rained down mercilessly towards Inoue, once again blasting dust and dirt all around while obscuring his vision.
Uryuu's eyes widened in surprise as a flicker of golden light twinkled from where Inoue stood. Not a second later, countless golden arrows shot from below and peppered him with a barrage of his own attack.
"Shit!" Uryuu cursed, unable to dodge the rest of the arrows. He was hit on his shoulders, his stomach, his right leg, and his arms.
'That's her Shiten Koshun…' Uryuu observed. 'The four-pointed shield capable of reflecting back an attack…'
Uryuu landed on a nearby clearing, clutching his abdomen as he felt blood soak his garment. He winced as the pain shot from all the areas that the reflected arrows struck. His knees gave out, and he knelt down to support himself despite the excruciating pain bombarding his body.
'Were her shields always this powerful?' he wondered, trying to recount the times when Inoue's shields have been broken by a mere basic attack. 'This is not normal…' he decided. His Quincy: Vollständig form was able to contend with Abarai's True Bankai form, Kurosaki's True Shikai… and even the Royal Guard Senjumaru Shutara's Bankai. There was no possible way that Inoue's shield would be more powerful than his own evolved and empowered Quincy abilities after he had drunk Yhwach's blood and received his Schrift .
"Sklaverei!" he spat out, healing his injuries with the absorbed spiritual particles, as he glided in extreme velocity through the air. He appeared behind Inoue and with a flourish of his hand, released blue reishi particles that transformed into Heilig Pfeil that shot towards her back.
Inoue snapped her fingers, and a lone golden sprite zoomed and struck each arrow. Uryuu rushed forward, swinging his arm but she turned towards him and grabbed it. In one swift motion, she threw him over her shoulder and slammed him hard against the cold, hard ground.
"Ackkk!" Uryuu yelped. He forgot that Inoue is a black-belt karate practitioner.
Inoue gripped his arm harder and twisted it. Uryuu bit his lip, wincing. A few seconds later, she stomped on his chest, knocking the wind out of his lungs.
'Antithesis,' he said internally, activating his own Schrift. In a blink of an eye, their positions have been switched. "Stop this, Inoue. Please."
"How incredibly astute," she replied with a cold smile. "Not a movement wasted."
Suddenly, light emanated from the ground where Inoue was lying down. He glanced around him, noticing that a five-pointed shield had already manifested around the two of them, and it glowed brighter as the seconds ticked by. Uryuu released his hold over Inoue to escape but she held onto him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Inoue said, her eyes gesturing towards where his parents were bound by the Kido them rest the same five-pointed shield that seemed to gain in brilliance.'
"A Sprenger …" Uryuu breathed out in disbelief. "You intend to defeat Quincies with a Sprenger ?"
"Are you sure that this is a Sprenger?" Inoue taunted him.
"Ugh…" Uryuu hesitated for a moment.
Then, in what seemed to be a moment that Inoue found amusing, she laughed. "Hahahahaha! Take your pick, Quincy. Who gets to die? You or your parents? Hahahaha!"
A second goes by
Two seconds
Three seconds
"Me," he said before activating Blut Vene.
"Clever," Inoue paused. "But not clever enough…Goten Saishun."
"AGHHH!" Uryuu felt the burning sensation as the light erupted into a pillar of merciless force. He gnashed his teeth together in pain. This is beyond impossible. He knew he had activated his Blut Vene prior to the explosion of this light, but how come it felt like his defensive technique was slowly and agonizingly being stripped and peeled away from his own body in such an excruciating manner? He wanted to run away but if he did that, his parents would suffer the same fate. And so, Uryuu bit his lips to prevent himself from screaming, dug his feet to the ground to prevent himself from escaping, and used every fiber of his being to withstand the magnitude of this Sprenger- like ability.
The light faded away, and Uryuu felt himself withered to the ground. His skin felt raw, with tendrils of smoke coming out of his body. He could feel his own strength leaving him as he slumped to the ground. Weakly, he glanced around to see Inoue's feet near his face. He looked up at her.
"Ino-ue…Please…" he uttered, before he was slowly being lifted up into the air. He found himself bound by a golden inverted triangle to a crucified position. 'I didn't know that Inoue has learned to use her Santen Kesshun for binding,'
Suddenly, he felt something was taken away from his wrist. He felt an alarm blaring inside him.
"No!" he exclaimed.
"Ah…the Quincy Cross," she marveled as she slid the bracelet on her own wrist and activated the Heilig Bogen. Strangely, it did not emit a blue light. Rather, the bow manifested using golden reishi.
At that moment, Uryuu realized something. "You're not Inoue. She's not someone who would go this far. "
She paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Hahahaha. How on Earth did that take you too long to figure out? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one?"
"Who are you? And where is Inoue?"
The person inside their friend hesitated for a second, somehow lost in her thoughts for a moment. "She's gone now."
Uryuu's eyes widened, as he felt the surroundings seemed to close in on him. "YOU LIE! WHERE IS SHE?!"
The woman ignored his question and went on to continue speaking. "Name…name…Hmmm…I can't seem to remember my name. Oh, well…names are overrated anyway."
"Inoue!" Uryuu continued to shout. "Wake up, Inoue!"
"Now, where was I? Ah, Wouldn't it be amazing if I used your own bow on your own parents?" she grinned.
"Please. Stop" Uryuu rasped.
"Hahaha!"
"Inoue, help us!" Uryuu felt his eyes sting, and his lips quiver at the hopelessness of the situation.
"Now, who would you like to go first? Your father or your mother?"
Everything seemed to have frozen still, the weight of the moment pressing down on him like a collapsing sky. His mother, looking at him with such an apologetic expression, as if she was saying sorry that she was going to be gone again from his life.
Uryuu had always hoped that his mother was just sent to Soul Society when she died. He even made it a point to look for her after they had rescued Kuchiki-san from her execution, only to be slapped in the face with the cruel reality. Her soul was not sent here. Her soul had been taken by Yhwach. It was one of the driving forces as to why he briefly joined the Sternritter… to get close and take him down as revenge. And yet despite defeating the Quincy Emperor, he felt empty. That was until their compassionate friend fought a losing battle against Yhwach and took his mother's soul back.
His mother is not just a figment of his imagination anymore. She was real, alive, not a distant memory but flesh and blood, now caught in the cruel grip of danger.
Beside her was his father, stern and defiant even in the face of doom. Ryūken had always seemed invincible to him, cold and unyielding. But now, Uryuu saw through the cracks of his façade—saw the flicker of fear not for himself, but for her. For their family.
And then it hit him like a blade through his chest. This was his fault.
In his obsession with taking down Yhwach, he had failed to consider the consequences of his extreme choices and actions…every defiance, every reckless choice, every failure to see the bigger picture—it had led them here.
He had failed to save his mother. First, by losing her when he was just a child…for not doing anything for her. Second, by being powerless to do anything against the person manipulating Inoue's body through her hatred towards him.
And now…his father…the man he had resented for so long for his coldness, his distance…was now telling him something.
In a rare tone of voice that Uryuu had only heard in the happy part of his childhood, Ryuken tried to comfort him. "It's okay, son. It's okay for me to be the one to go. Save your mom. Just…just promise me to always protect her, okay?" his dad said in a voice that threatened to break.
Uryuu's chest ached as tears blurred his vision. He wanted to scream, to tear the everything apart and take back every mistake he had made. He was so sorry. He was sorry for his arrogance. Sorry for his selfishness. Sorry it had taken him this long to realize that he loved his father all along
Uryuu loved them both—with every fiber of his being, in equal measures. He thought that he hated his father enough to choose him to disappear, but…he cannot choose. He wanted them both to be safe.
And now, they might just be taken away from him forever.
"D-Dad…" Uryuu's voice stuttered. "M-Mom…"
"It's going to be okay, sweetie…" his mom smiled at him reassuringly. "I promise."
"Quincies! Don't move, okay? This'll just take a short while," Inoue's voice cut through their family's exchange. She had now drawn the bow, the arrow sizzling and crackling.
"Inoue…" Uryuu hung his head, unable, and too mentally beaten to witness how he would lose both of his parents at the same time. "I'm sorry…"
"I-I-Ishida-k-kun…" Inoue's voice was hoarse, as if she was struggling and wrestling for control over her own body. The Heilig Bogen flickered in and out of existence as she moved and thrashed around. Eventually, it disappeared as Inoue threw the Quincy Cross away.
"S-Soten…K-Kisshun…" she gritted through her teeth. Two sprites flew towards where Uryuu floated, and a golden, oval dome covered him. He felt his injuries disappearing, strength returning, and his arm reconstructing.
"Fool! What are you doing?!" A voice, now disembodied, unfamiliar and strange, echoed throughout the clearing.
"G-Get out!" Inoue exclaimed as she grasped at her head.
"Don't worry, child. This will only take a second."
"N-No! Ishida-kun is my f-friend!"
"But you hate him…we hate him!"
.
.
.
"You hate him, don't you? You want to make him suffer? You want to make him feel the despair that he and his kind caused?"
.
.
.
Uryuu waited with bated breath for the truth. Whatever her answer right now, he must have the courage to face it. It is now time that he followed idiotic Ichigo's words, and took responsibility for the consequences of his actions.
"Y-Yes…I resent him for what he did to Ichigo and the others…
"Then that's all the more reason to do this. You only need to watch for a moment. I shall take his father and mother because in his veins flows the blood of the person that took me from my love. This is but proportional justice."
"וְאִם-אָסוֹן יִהְיֶה, וְנָתַתָּה נֶפֶשׁ תַּחַת נָפֶשׁ. עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן, שֵׁן תַּחַת שֵׁן, יָד תַּחַת יָד, רֶגֶל תַּחַת רֶגֶל. כְּוִיָּה תַּחַת כְּוִיָּה, פֶּצַע תַּחַת פֶּצַע, חַבּוּרָה תַּחַת חַבּוּרָה."
'V'im ason yihyeh, v'natata nefesh tachat nefesh; ayin tachat ayin, shen tachat shen, yad tachat yad, regel tachat regel; keviyah tachat keviyah, petza tachat petza, chaburah tachat chaburah,' Uryuu transliterated in his mind. The one possessing Inoue was saying, ' But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.'
"NO!" Inoue stood her ground and proclaimed, "My anger is my own…it is something for me to bear, it is something for me to deal with, and you…you do not have the right to tell me what to do…SO GET OUT!"
BEAT!
Inoue's body briefly pulsated and a golden light flashed for a moment. She waved her hand, and Tsubaki sliced the Kido spell that bound Uryuu's mother, releasing her from her constraints.
SHATTER! The golden dome encasing the Shiba Residence also splintered into fragments.
"Ishida-oba-san! Kurosaki-oba-san! Now!" Inoue called out, as if she was giving orders to her own Shun Shun Rikka.
Uryuu watched as his own mother quickly encased Inoue within the golden dome of Blut Vene: Anhaben, and a lone golden arrow was released from somewhere inside the Shiba Residence.
It was too late. Ishida realized everything too late, as the single Heilig Pfeil slipped effortlessly inside the Anhaben and struck Inoue in her chest.
"Inoue!" Uryuu watched in abject horror as Inoue's wings lost its light and luster, receded and disappeared altogether. The force of the single arrow drove her out of the Blut Vene: Anhaben , leaving a floating orb of light inside the dome. Her limp body flew and skidded against the dirt before stopping.
"I-Ishida-kun…go to your p-parents…" she looked at him pitifully, her eyes pleading with him to take care of his parents first. "Hurry!"
As if on cue, all the shields, and other energy constructs created by the presence shattered into nothingness, and Uryuu and his father were finally released from their constraints. Immediately, he ran towards his parents, and enveloped them in his arms.
SNAP! CRACK! SHATTER!. His mother's Blut Vene: Anhaben shattered into pieces, releasing the light from inside.
CRASH! Lightning sliced against the darkening skies, and thunder rumbled dangerously as the light took on a more humanoid form.
"Insolence!" The source of the voice morphed into a decidedly feminine figure devoid of any garment save for a fabric-like object that coiled and circled across her body like a serpent. Her hair was very long and it seemed to follow her every movement in an eerie, menacing manner. Her facial features were imperceptible due to the strong emanating light. However, her eyes were very distinct, as it glowed more pronounced, vivid, and more vibrant than the light coming from the rest of her form.
A great gust of wind knocked them a few distance away, as the woman made of light sprouted four gigantic wings from her back. She flew towards the sky like a meteor, disappearing behind the dark clouds, leaving a trail of light that faded over time.
"Inoue!" Uryuu ran back towards their friend. Her body was limp as she was cradled by Ichigo in his arms. The Substitute Shinigami must have rushed towards her immediately after his own family was released from the barrier that confined the Shiba Residence.
Uryuu was about to apologize for everything but she spoke first.
"A-A-re you okay, Ishida-kun?" she asked in that all-too familiar tone of her voice…the voice that promises them comfort, compassion and warmth. "I-I'm s-sorry…"
'I'm sorry too…I-I'm so sorry…' Uryuu apologized, sobbing as he felt the weight of everything crashing down on him.