Author's note: This chapter will have some flashbacks, as well as dive into more about how Lille did NOT die when he was attacked by his own ability. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Tite Kubo. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 42: Of Angels and Devils
Flashback, many years ago, outside a Kyoraku Family manor, Soul Society
The young and easy-going Shunsui Kyoraku was resting at the home of his older brother: Shunsuke Kyoraku, and sister-in-law: Madoka Ise. He always enjoyed coming there, especially to speak with Madoka. In fact, the marriage between her and Shunsuke had somehow changed the brash and stern-headed man's personality. It had also helped heal the formerly strained relationship between the Kyoraku-brothers. This was one of the many reasons why Shunsui quickly accepted Madoka into the family, feeling grateful for her help in getting rid of Shunsuke's arrogant behavior.
The brown-haired teenage boy was sitting on the porch of the manor, leaning against one of its pillars. Meanwhile, Madoka was sitting by the doorway sewing a kimono. Having just returned after a day at the Shin'o Academy, Shunsui wanted to hang with Madoka, while she was waiting for her husband to arrive home. Madoka appreciated her brother-in-law's company.
"So how was Academy today, Shunsui?" Madoka asked him while focusing on the kimono.
"It went better than I expected, actually" Shunsui said with a smug smile. "Today was Kendo practice in class. We would be fighting each other in duels. I was up against that arrogant prick Tokinada Tsunayashiro" he told the young woman who was slightly stunned from what she heard.
"You mean the heir to the Tsunayashiro clan? Goodness, that sounds terrible" Madoka remarked in a worried tone. "From what I hear, that boy is quite the loose cannon when it comes to getting what he wants" she recalled what she had heard about this privileged boy.
Shunsui shrugged off her worries. "Yeah, but he's not good when it comes to swordsmanship. *Cause guess what? I owned his ass three times in a row! You should've seen the look on his face. He began pouting that I should've dialed it back" he remarked from what he had experienced today. "And of course, Old-man Yama had to step in and make Tsunayashiro act more "noble-ish". Really cracked me up" he added to his experience.
Hearing this forced Madoka to laugh, as she had to admit that Shunsui was funny when telling stories like that. "Well, looks like you had a perfect day today" the four-eyed woman remarked.
"Then there was my classmate, Jushiro Ukitake. He was up against Sojun Kuchiki, the Kuchiki clan's heir" Shunsui noted, thinking about his closest friend.
"Oh, and how did he fare in the duel?" Madoka asked him out of curiosity.
"Surprisingly, Jushiro won. I'll admit that I expected Sojun to win due to the immense training he receives at home and the fact that Jushiro is sort of…..timid when it comes to combat" Shunsui answered her, still thinking about how his friend won the match. "And then there was this duel between Seinosuke Yamada and Kenji Kurayashiki, which obviously ended up with Kenji winning. I swear, that guy really has some moves when it comes to swordsmanship" he then went on telling about another duel which was between classmates of his.
"I have a feeling that you will become a great Shinigami in the future, if not a captain" Madoka remarked to him, stating what she personally felt about Shunsui and his talents.
Shunsui yawned before answering. "Nah, I really don't have THAT kind of ambition. But I do wanna contribute to the Soul Society" the teen assured his sister-in-law before scratching the top of his head. "I just wanna find someone pretty, get married and propbably have some kids" he revealed to her as honest as he could.
Madoka was at first stunned to hear Shunsui's words, but she soon formed a sweet smile when realizing what her brother-in-law desired. "That sounds like a terrific goal, Shunsui. But starting a family comes with responsibilities, especially when you plan on having children" she told him while continuing sewing the kimono.
Shunsui could help but to notice how relatively small this kimono was, as if it was designed to fit a child. It made him very curious as to why Madoka was sewing it.
"I don't mean to be nitpicky or anything, but who's that kimono made for?" he asked the woman with glasses.
"Why, it is a kimono made to our future child" Madoka revealed sweetly, causing Shunsui to almost drop his jaw onto the porch. She could see how shocked he was.
"Woah…...are you saying you're…..." Shunsui uttered out those words between his astonishment, only for Madoka to interrupt him.
"No, I'm not pregnant" she blurted out in order to clear the confusion. Even now, she couldn't help but to blush while trying to assure the teen. "But I've always wanted to have children….and I know that Shunsuke would love it too. But at the moment.…...he's not very interested in that just yet" Madoka said, forming a little frown as she said that.
Shunsui scowled while listening to Madoka's words. "Tch, tell me about it. That arrogant prick's been so fixated upon getting into Central 46. Hell, he probably gets hornier from them than you" he said with sarcasm, in an attempt to mock his brother's obsession with become a member of the highest judicial authority in the Soul Society.
Madoka couldn't help bit to be slightly amused from hearing this, despite how vulgar this teen's words were. "The first thing you said may be true. But Shunsuke's love for me is stronger than his desire to become a member of Central 46. Of that, there is no question" she told Shunsui, who was still listening to her.
But their conversation was interrupted by hearing the steps of someone walking towards them. Looking up, they saw Shunsuke Kyoraku standing there, surprisingly carrying a smile so wide as he looked at them. For Shunsui, this seemed a very rare thing for him to be doing, given how Shunsuke was much tougher on him than any others.
Madoka stopped with the sewing and headed straight towards her husband, he embraced her in a loving hug. "Welcome home, my beloved. How was your day?" she asked, only to notice her husband having some tears in his eyes. But they were not tears of sadness as she first thought. Those were tears of overjoy. "Shunsuke…..did something happen?" she asked him lowly.
Shunsuke rubbed his eyes before answering, tears still falling from his eyes. "I did it, Madoka….I finally did it….." he told her, yet his wife was still uncertain about what he meant. He rested his hands on her shoulders. "I'M FINALLY GONNA JOIN CENTRAL 46! THEY HAVE ANSWERED MY APPLICATIONS!" he then loudly declared out of joy while hugging her wife tightly.
Madoka did not know how to respond to this, yet she happily accepted the hug from her husband. The tight hug soon ended and she glanced at him surprised. "So does that mean you'll leave the Court Guard?" she asked him.
"Madoka. I already told you that I never wanted to spend my life as a grunt under Yamamoto. I have greater ambitions" Shunsuke insisted, feeling very confident in himself. "Besides, the Court Guard are powerless when compared to Central 46. With me getting a spot over there, the Kyoraku and Ise Families will blossom into a new era. Are you with me, Madoka Ise?" he explained while holding hands with Madoka.
While stunned to hear this from him, Madoka eventually smiled and held his hands with her own. The couple embraced in a brief kiss. "Then I will support you, Shunsuke Kyoraku. I trust in your judgement as a nobleman" she answered, showing her willingness to support her husband.
Shunsuke nodded his head at her before grinning smugly. "Well, this calls for a celebration!" he said with so much enthusiasm, only to realize how rude it was of him to neglect his wife. "Or we can spend an evening together. Just you and me in the manor gardens alone" he then told her.
Madoka shook her head as a no while giggling. "There's no need to be so careful with me, Shunsuke. We will most certainly celebrate your promotion. And maybe then we will spend the evening together in the garden" the four-eyed woman told him before she snapped, as she almost forgot something.
Madoka pulled something out from the back of her hair and showed it to her husband. Shunsuke watched in bewilderment as his wife was showing him one of her own pinwheel hairpins. From the looks of it, she wanted him to have it.
"Here, my love. I want you to have this hairpin" she told him while her husband took it from her hand.
Shunsuke was confused while glancing at the hairpin. "Huh? But why?" he asked. "I appreciate it and all, but I don't think I need it on my hair" he told her while stroking his shoulder length hair.
"No, dear. I'm not giving you this to wear it" Madoka told him while giggling. "I want you to have it as a token to our marriage. When I'm suppressing Hollows and you're not around, I still know you holding onto one of the same things I do. It inspires me and keeps me strong. You will also feel the same thing when you're in Central 46" she then told her husband.
So far, Shunsuke had not opened his mouth to speak. He had only listened to his wife in utter amazement. In fact, the young nobleman had been enamored from listening to Madoka's reason for giving him this hairpin. Smiling, Shunsuke held his wife's hands.
"Then I really have to thank you, Madoka" he told her. But his wife soon took off, yet she turned around to tell him why she had to go.
"I have some errands to run with the Ises. So I'll be gone for a while. You and Shunsui take care now" Madoka said before walking on towards the path.
Shunsuke could only stand and watch as the woman dressed in pink kimono walked away. He felt proud. Proud over being married to a woman like Madoka Ise. Her kindness had only begun to have an effect on this brash and hotheaded man.
Shunsuke was interrupted in his thoughts when he could hear somebody laugh behind him. He immediately recognized who that voice belonged to and turned around to glare at his younger brother, who took pleasure in seeing Shunsuke gush over Madoka. The nobleman went over and delivered a powerful headbutt at Shunsui.
"The hell are you snickering there for!?" he demanded while his younger brother groaned in pain.
But even as Shunsuke had headbutted Shunsui, the teenage boy was still laughing at him. Shunsuke only felt more annoyed by the minute.
"Go home and study or something! Freaking moron" he suggested to Shunsui, who did not stop laughing. Shunsuke returned to glance at Madoka, who was still walking on the long path.
"Hey, Shunsuke" the nobleman was interrupted when he heard Shunsui call out to him. The teen boy had stopped laughing, yet he was still rubbing his sore nose that he had been given by Shunsuke's headbutting. "You've really mellowed, haven't you?" Shunsui asked his brother, who only glanced at him with a raised eyebrow in return.
Eventually, Shunsuke smiled and looked back to the directions where Madoka was walking towards. "It's not like I made a conscious effort to change. But….it looks like I've grown calm and content" he answered Shunsui, who was not getting his words. "It's only because her kindness…is finally beginning to show through me" Shunsuke then admitted to his younger brother.
Shunsui could not help but to smile, knowing well how Shunsuke spoke the truth about Madoka changing him or at least influence his growth as a nobleman. There had been times that Shunsui envied the marriage between his brother and someone as kindhearted as Madoka, yet deep down inside, he knew that those two were perfect for one another.
But as wonderful as this marriage wa, it sadly didn't last long. The Curse of Ise had begun to take hold on Shunsuke Kyoraku, and it was an illness that seemed incurable. The leading members of the Kyoraku Family was saddened over what had become of their supposed heir to the noble house. Even Shunsui himself felt shattered and shocked once he heard the news from his family. And yet, Madoka had somewhat vanished. However, Shunsui would eventually learn more about his sister-in-law from his dying brother.
On his deathbed, Shunsuke and Shunsui had one last conversation as brothers, knowing well how they would never see one another again. Shunsui had cried, yet Shusnuke had many times told him to stop doing that. Rather, the teenage boy listened as his brother gave him some revelations about Madoka Ise and her past.
"What!?" Shunsui said in slight outrage over what he was hearing from his older brother. "Are you saying that Madoka is repsoniblie for your illness?" he asked Shunsuke.
"No! You misunderstand, Shunsui!" the dying nobleman still had some strength left to speak. "Madoka isn't the one responsible…but the curse from her family is" he then insisted to his younger brother.
Shunsui was filled with so many questions, and he wanted them answered. "A curse…what are you talking about?" he asked his older brother.
Feeling that his life was slipping away, Shunsuke knew that he didn't have much life left. "You need to find out more on your own, little brother. I don't have much time left. And I want to use the last moments I have with you…..to ask a favor of you" the slick-haired man then revealed to Shunsui.
As much as he wanted to know more about Madoka, Shunsui knew that it could wait. Right now, it was important for him to hear the final words of Shunsuke and what he wanted.
"I never told mom and dad about any of this…but I'll tell you, since you're my brother" Shunsuke said, still sweating intensively. "Madoka…..has given birth…..to a baby girl…..I'm a father now, Shunsui" he then revealed, with tears of joy falling from his eyes. Shunsuke could even be seen smiling as he told this to Shunsui.
The teenage boy's grey eyes widened in surprise. "Woah…...are you serious, Shunsuke? You better not be fooling me now" he then told his brother.
Shunsuke couldn't help but to grin cockily. "Dumbass. If Madoka never gave birth, I wouldn't have shared this wonderful news with someone close to me" he told his younger brother while coughing intensively. Shunsui was getting more uncomfortable in seeing his brother in such a terrible condition. "But enough of that! I need you to promise me one thing, Shunsui. I'll never be able to see her again...so please.…..….watch over Madoka…and my girl. I'm trusting the responsibility to you now…since you're the only one I can entrust this secret with…" he then pleaded to Shunsui, who had listened carefully to those heartfelt words from his dying brother.
The young teenager did open his mouth to protest. All that he could do was to reflect on what was being said from his brother's mouth. Without hesitating, Shunsui weakly nodded his head as a yes.
"Yes…I'll watch over them both….." Shunsui said while wiping out a tear from his eyes. "They are after all…family to us" he then said while starting to get more emotional about the subject.
Knowing the honesty that could be heard in Shunsui's voice, Shunsuke smiled. He felt grateful to his younger brother over being able to carry on the commitment to safeguard both Madoka and his newborn child. It was a great relief for him to hear. He would die, knowing that Shunsui would watch over them in his stead.
One of the last tokens that Shunsuke gave to his brother, was the pinwheel hairpin he was given to by Madoka. As such, Shunsui realized that Shunsuke was entrusting him more than the safety of Madoka and their child to him, he also entrusted him to safekeep this hairpin, hoping to carry onto Madoka's promise. That, Shunsui could never forget. He would never go back on the promise he swore to his brother on his deathbed.
Back in the present, in the icy cityscape of Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society
With his targets having escaped him once again, Lille Barro, was floating above the icy cityscape, searching for the whereabouts of Shunsui Kyoraku and his lieutenant. The transformed Quincy had begun to grow weary about his opponent's constant fleeing. It had only made the desire to annihilate him only more satisfying in Lille's mind.
Amidst the rubbles from the destructive attacks he had caused, Lille surveyed the landscape, yet there was no sight of the pair.
"They are gone. Where could they be hiding?" Lille wondered, as he began closing his owl-like eyes. "I best use Engelsnase to find those vermin" he conlcuded.
Somehow, the Sternritter had the ability to figure out where his opponent had been hiding. This was all thanks to the powers of his form called Pummerin. After seconds of having his eyes shut, Lille opened them once again, glancing down below at his shadow on the ground.
"I see. They are hiding there. Apparently, this "Kageoni" allows them to remain within a shadow for quite some time. A sneaky move, indeed" he noted while glancing at his own shadow.
Lille knew that his shadow had somehow been infiltrated thanks to Shunsui's ability and they were hiding there now. But the Sternritter was growing impatient over being taken advantage of by the head-captain's tricks. He only felt an urge to crush his targets until they were nothing but ashes. The transformed Quincy moved his big hands towards his shadow and started generating a ball of light underneath him. Lille laughed as he prepared this powerful attack of his.
"In that case, I wonder what would happen if I simply erase all the shadows from the ground? I suppose one Licht Bombe will do just fine!" he wondered as the ball of light only growing bigger by the minute. "I grow tired of these sinners' games! IT IS TIME TO OBLITERATE THEM ALL!" Lille loudly exclaimed, intending on actually blowing the whole district into oblivion.
But before Lille could even get that chance, something unpredictable happened to him and it surprised the Sternritter. Something began appearing out from the gap between his eyes and just over his beak. Lille glanced up to see a silhouette appear out of him, but it wasn't just anyone. To his surprise, he could see Nanao Ise jumping into the air, clutching onto something with her hands.
Lille was astonished in being witness to this action. "You.…...you actually managed to come of a shadow as small as this!?" he demanded an answer out of the four-eyed woman, feeling very outraged over someone being able to pull something like this on him.
After being up in the air, Nanao safely landed on a nearby rooftop belonging to an icy building in the cityscape. She held onto her blade which was still wrapped around in paper. But the paper was slowly beginning to disappear from it, due to Nanao holding into it tightly. The Lieutenant of Squad 1 faced the powerful Sternritter up in the air, who had so far remained mildly surprised by seeing that only she had arrived to fight him instead of Shunsui.
"What is the meaning of this? It appears that the only one to show up, is you" Lille noted from his observation. "Do you honestly think a lieutenant like you can stand up to me? You run bravely into your demise, woman" the transformed Sternritter taunted Nanao.
Glancing up, Nanao knew that it was time for her to make her move. With her quick reflexes, she tore off the paper that covered her blade. It didn't take long before Nanao was finally being able to hold her own Zanpakutou. She was brandishing her own blade: Shinken Hakkyoken. This blade was considered a family heirloom of the Ise Family. It perviosuly belonged to her late mother: Madoka Ise. Now, after many years of being hidden, it now was in Nanao's hands.
As Lille got a clear view of what Nanao was holding, he started to get curious about her blade. "Hmm…what sort of blade is that?" he asked the Shinigami. But before he could even be given an answer, he noticed how shiny the blade was, and it reflected in his owl-like eyes. "I must admit, the blade you carry is quite shiny. As a matter of fact, it shines so brightly one cannot see the blade itself" Lille added while starting to narrow his owl-like eyes in annoyance. He also moved his hands in an attempt to cover his eyes. "Such an eyesore" he remarked lowly.
While Nanao was confused at first, she understood what her opponent was trying to do. She decided to go along with Lille's sentiment.
"Is that so? Well, I'm glad to hear it" Nanao said while clutching onto her blade. So far, she seemed to have Lille's attention, which only made it more tempting to tell him more about her Zanpakutou. "This sword reflects the ability of a God it's facing off against. If it's reflecting the light from your eyes…..then that means it is diffusing the light you are emanating" she went on explaining the reason for why Lille felt like her Zanpakutou had shined on him.
While listening to her explanation, Lille was still not sure whether he got the point. "Forgive my rudeness, but I simply do not understand what you are implying...though it does not displease me to be referred to as a God" the Quincy told her.
But Lille's attention was focused on Nanao as she jumped up in the air with her Zanpakutou in her hands. It was obvious she was intending on attacking him. But the powerful Sternritter was for some reason not taking Nanao seriously. She was just a lieutenant. A powerless lieutenant from his standpoint. There was absolutely no way that she could possibly harm him.
"Do you plan to cut me down with that sword? So be it. I would like to see you try, knave! There exists no sword anywhere that can harm me the likes of me!" Lille taunted Nanao while stretching out his left elbow in a mocking gesture to block against her attack. Obviously, he was giving her a chance to prove her how foolish she was in challenging him.
Without hesitating, Nanao swung her blade, attempting to cut Lille's left hand. But to her surprise, it managed to cut his hand. But as soon as his left hand was cut, Lille went on to parry her attack by pushing her away. The Sternitter even fired some beams with his Reishi Wings, and some of the managed to cut Nanao, no matter how hard she tried avoiding them with her Shunpo.
Nanao fell down towards the nearby rooftop, rolling a little. But as Nanao got a grip of herself, she could see that she had managed to actually cut Lille.
"It seems that his guard wasn't down as I first suspected he had. But then again, I managed to cut his arm" Nanao remarked to herself as she looked up to Lille, who was beginning to observe the injury he had gotten from her.
Lille was laughing smugly as he studied it. "I thought you had a rather peculiar sword. But now that I have inspected it closely, I realize it doesn't even have a blade" the Sternritter remarked before glancing down at the trembling Shinigami. "A daring gambit, indeed. For you to come slashing forth with a sword such as this, I never imagined that you would actually be able to cut me. But either way, you will not get a second chance!" the Quincy told Nanao and used his right hand to generate a ball of light once again.
Nanao could only stand and look up as Lille generated this ball of light, feeling awed at such destructive powers. She could not believe that her opponent was that powerful. Lille was obviously generating a Licht Bombe once again.
"THIS WILL BE THE VERY LAST THING YOU SEE. YOU WASTED YOUR ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO KILL ME….FOR I WILL NEVER AGAIN LET MY GUARD DOWN AS A MESSENGER OF GOD!" Lille exclaimed out in zealously.
As she heard this exclamation coming from the Sternritter, Nanao could feel her own energy be at its limits. She fell on her knees and panted deeply, still holding onto Shinken Hakkyoken. The four-eyed woman was now in deep thought at the moment. Even now, her thoughts began drifting back into her past.
Flashback, many years ago, at the Ise Family manor, Soul Society
After the death of her husband: Shunsuke Kyoraku, Madoka Ise was forced to return to her family among the Ises. But she did not return alone. The young woman had given birth to a beautiful daughter, whom she named Nanao. She had told her husband on his deathbed that she was pregnant with his child, and it made Shunsuke cry with joy. He could die, knowing happily that his daughter would survive.
But despite Madoka fully embracing motherhood and leadership of the noble house, she still felt depressed over not being able to accomplish what she had desired: to free herself from the Curse of Ise. In the end, even she could not escape from it, and had lost the greatest love of her life. Personally, Madoka blamed herself for Shunsuke's death.
As she raised Nanao in the safety of the Ise manor, Madoka also sought to find out the root of this family curse. In doing so, she hoped that since she couldn't save herself from it, she could at least save her daughter from being exposed to it. Madoka did not wish for Nanao to experience the same grievances as those before her. In the end, she finally discovered the root, or at least she found a hypothesis for it.
To this end, she had requested a private visit from the one person she knew she could trust most. Her former brother-in-law: Shunsui Kyoraku. Even as Madoka returned to the Ise Family, she and Shunsui had still kept in touch with each other. Shunsui never blamed Madoka for Shunsuke's death, even after he gained more knowledge about the Ises and their curse. Instead, it encouraged him to look after Madoka, and honor his brother's dying wish.
While Madoka was having a private talk with Shunsui in the Ise Family's private garden, none of them had expected someone to be listening to what was being said between them. Well, except for one curious soul.
Hiding inside the manor and close to the doorway leading to the private garden was little Nanao Ise. The young girl had been very curious to know who her mother was speaking with. However, her mother had told Nanao to stay in her room and wait for her to come and get her. Regardless, the little girl's curiosity could not hold her back, so she defied her mother's request and eavesdropped on the conversation Madoka had with this visitor.
Nanao had never seen this man before. He was a young man with shoulder-length brown hair and had grey eyes, as well as having a faded goatee on his chin. The clothes he wore were those worn by the students at the Shin'o Academy. But young Nanao had no idea of what those clothes were. Rather, she was more curious about who this man was, and why he and her mother was having this talk alone.
"I'm so glad that you could come, Shunsui" Madoka told him while sighing deeply in frustration. "These days, I really need someone outside my family to talk to" she then admitted before him.
Shunsui shrugged his shoulders easily. "No problems, sis. Despite what happened between our families, you and I will always be friends" he assured her, to which Madoka smiled weakly in return.
"Thank you, Shunsui. I promise that I won't keep you here long" Madoka said before her smile soon faded into a deep frown. Even the eyes behind her glasses had begun showing Shunsui her grim expression. "There is something that I really need to tell you…...something about…..my family" she then said lowly while making sure no one was near them.
Shunsui's grey eyes widened in surprise. But he soon nodded his head weakly towards her. "Okay, Madoka. Tell me everything. I'm all ears" he encouraged her to speak.
Mustering enough courage, Madoka decided to let her former brother-in-law in on a secret. "I have finally discovered it, Shunsui. I have finally discovered…the root for all this curse that has plagued my family for generations" she revealed to him.
The brown-haired man gasped. "Woah…...what are you…." Shunsui was filled with disbelief, yet he did not sure what to make of it. "Are you telling me you know the reason for why…." he added, not daring to speak any further about the tragedy.
Madoka nodded her head weakly as a yes. "Indeed. I may have figured out the reason as why it happened…...not just with me…...but also the other Ises before me" she told Shunsui while reaching for something underneath her pink kimono. It was obvious to Shunsui that Madoka was trying to hide something from others to see. It was a blade wrapped around in paper. "The root of this curse….lies in this sword…..which is a Ise Family heirloom" she then told him.
Shunsui looked at the blade and cooked an eyebrow. "So you're saying that your Zanpakutou is the one that causes all this drama?" he asked Madoka, feeling very confused. "But that doesn't make any sense. I mean, I know about Shinken Hakkyoken and what it does, but still….how is it possible?" Shunsui asked the four-eyed woman.
"I know this may sound preposterous to you. But just think about it, Shunsui" Madoka said while facing the ground with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "It's been always said that one from the Ise Family can never escape from the noble house, nor the Curse of Ise. And despite my own determination to escape from it…I failed" she told the young man as tears started to slowly fall from her eyes. She glanced at the blade packed into paper. "And from reading all the archives of my family about those who were exposed to this curse…all of them were carrying onto this sword. That is why I think the root of this curse…...is this sword…...my family heirloom" she explained further.
Shunsui couldn't believe what he had heard from Madoka just now. True, he had his share of info on the Ises, yet he knew Madoka was smarter when it came to facts such as this. He looked into Madoka's eyes with a sympathetic glance.
"I think you may be right there, Madoka" he uttered out those words lowly. "But if this blade really is the source of it all, what will you do now?" he asked the woman.
Without hesitating, Madoka held out the blade for Shunsui to take, yet he was only surprised from what he saw. "I must get rid of it, Shunsui. That blade will only curse my family as long as it's with us. That is why I want you to have it" she told him.
"Woah! Are you serious?" Shunsui asked while feeling very uneasy about her suggestion. "You know the rules. The Ise Family has been charged as caretakers of this blade. If you throw it away and refuse to fulfill your duties, Central 46 is gonna come after you!" he then told her.
"I know, Shunsui" Madoka said lowly, recognizing the risks she was taking.
Shunsui put his hands on her shoulders, facing Madoka seriously. "Look, I get that you wanna make up for what happened between our families. But going against a family tradition is crossing the line, Madoka. It could lead you to be executed as…." he was interrupted by Madoka's voice of frustration.
"I know that! I know what my responsibilities are! But is holding onto a cursed blade something you can call a family tradition!? No, it isn't! It's a torturous lifetime in hell!" the four-eyed woman snapped angrily at Shunsui. However, Madoka soon realized the error of her outbursts and hung her head in shame, regretting what she just said to him. "I'm sorry, Shunsui…I…I really didn't mean to…" Madoka suddenly felt a hand touch her right shoulder. Looking up, she saw Shunsui smile at her reassuringly.
"It's alright, sis. I know you didn't mean to get pissed at me. And I fully understand this frustration you're carrying" he said to her, forming his mouth into a slight frown. "However, I need you to be honest with me here and now, Madoka. Why are you willing to defy your customs? Just give me a reason, that's all" Shunsui asked her, wanting to know why she was determined to go through this process.
Seeing this made Madoka smile sadly at him. "It's for the sake of my daughter….or more specifically, for the sake of my daughter's future" she told the young man as he was stunned to hear her words. "I don't want Nanao to go through the same suffering as I did. She doesn't deserve such. That is why I am willing to defy family traditions by refusing to hand over this weapon to her. Believe me, with that thing out of our home, she will avoid getting affected by the curse" Madoka insisted to Shunsui.
While Shunsui was listening, he had to smile when he heard what the name of Madoka and Shunsuke's daughter was. It made him recall the day his brother died, about his promise to watch over them both. The young man knew that he could never go back on that vow, especially since it revolved around not just Madoka, but also his niece.
"Believe me, Madoka. I really wanna help you and all" Shunsui told her, yet he was still feeling reluctant. "But I'm not sure whether I'm up for this. You do know that you're playing a dangerous game here" he added while making sure his former sister-in-law got it in her head.
Once again, Madoka held the blade packed in paper for Shunsui to see. "This sword is something that will not respond except to those of the Ise Family. No misfortune will befall you for having it. Besides my family…...you are the only one I can trust. So please, I implore you. Take the Zanpakutou and hide it…...for Nanao's sake" the four-eyed woman desperately pleaded to her former brother-in-law.
To her surprise, Shunsui grabbed the blade and held it in his left hand. He faced Madoka with a slightly determined glance on his face. Nodding his head weakly, Shunsui accepted her request. "
I'll do it, Madoka. I'll do it for Shunsuke and the kid you have made together" the brown-haired man told her.
Madoka smiled and couldn't help but to have tears in her eyes once again. Right now, she was feeling happy over the fact that even though she was a widow, she still had the support of Shunsui.
"Thank you…Shunsui" Madoka told him while taking off her glasses to wipe off those tears.
From that day forward, Nanao had always been curious to know who this man was. Having listened to everything that was being said, she decided not to ask her mom about anything, knowing how she would've realized that she'd eavesdropped on them.
The young girl still lived with her mother in the Ise manor, until the terrible day came when her mother was sentenced to execution. Although Madoka had succeeded in entrusting the Zanpakutou to Shunsui, it did not go unnoticed by the authorities. She was brought before Central 46, and was found guilty for neglecting her duties as the guardian of Shinken Hakkyoken.
On that day, Shunsui was in for a terrible shock. He along with his best friend, Jushiro Ukitake, had become full-fledged members of the 13 Court Guard Squads, serving as important officers in Squad 8 and Squad 13, respectively. It was while they were having a talk by the terrace of the Squad 1 Barracks. The two friends gazed upon the view and admired the Sereitei as it was.
"Well, it's a fine day for being off-duty. Wouldn't you agree, Shunsui?" Ukitake asked his friend who was leaning towards the edge.
"You could say that, pal. Nothing beats being off-duty while the sun's shining" Shunsui said while stroking his shoulder-length hair.
Ukitake glanced at his friend. "Speaking of which, didn't Kenji, Sojun and the others want to come with us here?" he asked Shunsui.
He just shrugged his shoulders in return. "Nah, you know them well, Jushiro. They're more all business and no fun guys. Especially Kenji. That lazy bum always likes to do three things: eat, sleep and fight" he replied while talking about their classmates from their time at the Shin'o Academy.
"But you also tend to do those three things, don't you?" Ukitake teasingly asked his friend, who grew more annoyed by hearing this.
"Tch, buzz off" Shunsui muttered beneath his breath while yawning loudly, despite the fact that it was the middle of the day. "Speaking of which, I overheard something about a big celebration taking place on the Sokyoku Hill, yesterday. Do you know what the fuzz was about?" he then asked Ukitake in a lazy manner.
Being asked about this made Ukitake frown a little, indicating that he knew what Shunsui was asking out of him. "I wouldn't necessarily call it a celebration, Shunsui. This was actually a very serious matter" the young white-haired man told him. "What actually took place on Sokyoku was an execution" Ukitake pointed out.
"Ah, sure! How silly of me to forget. Despite how tall it is, Sokyoku is a place of execution" Shunsui chuckled in a goofy-like manner. "Now which poor bastard got his life ended this time?" he asked Ukitake.
For some reason, Ukitake seemed very reluctant to answer him that. But he did it anyway. "Actually, it was a woman. Yesterday was the execution of Madoka Ise of Squad 9" he revealed to him.
The moment Shunsui heard what his friend just told him, his entire body froze. His grey eyes even widened in shock over hearing the news. "Madoka Ise!?" he asked loudly. "But…..why!?" he then asked once again.
"Apparently, Central 46 made their ruling on the charges related to loss of the Ise Family's sacred treasure. Madoka, who was the head of the Ise Family was accused of neglecting her duties by losing this family heirloom. And thus, the execution was held yesterday" Ukitake answered, yet he did so very reluctantly.
As Ukitake was telling his friend all this, he took notice of the sadness in Shunsui's eyes. It made him feel bad for telling him this.
"Sorry…..I should've kept this to myself….." Ukitake was surprised when he was angrily grabbed on his collar by Shunsui.
The young man was having tears flowing in his angry eyes. "TO HELL WITH KEEPING THIS TO YOURSELF! WHY WASN'T I NOTIFIED ABOUT THE EXECUTION!?" he angrily asked, still holding his friend firmly. But he soon let go of the grip, as his sadness and sorrow was starting to take over him. "Damn it…." Shunsui uttered out while sobbing.
"Shunsui…settle down…...I can explain…..." Ukitake tried to comfort his friend, only for the brown-haired man to run away with tears in his eyes.
"DAAAAAAAAAAMMMNNNNNIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT!" Shunsui yelled out, crying hysterically as he ran towards the exit of the Sereitei.
As much as Ukitake wanted to pursue in hopes of comforting Shunsui, he knew that it would not be of help to him at the moment. The green-eyed man only sighed deeply as he thought about what he had just done. True, he was actually one of the few of Shunsui's friends, who knew about the friendly relationship between him and Madoka, plus the fact that she was the former wife of Shunsui's late brother. Seeing this as a family issue, Ukitake decided to let Shunsui take his time to grieve the loss.
Shunsui's spirit was almost shattered that day. He felt like he had failed the promise he made to Shunsuke on his deathbed. Even now, he started to regret ever agreeing to take Shinken Hakkyoken. If only he had refused it that day, Madoka would've been still alive. Crying before the grave of his brother, Shunsui had begged for his forgiveness. In fact, he had asked for his brother to give him another chance. True, Shunsui had not forgotten about the little child: Nanao Ise. If he could not protect Madoka, then he could at least try to protect Nanao.
After her mother was executed, young Nanao Ise was taken in by an elderly couple, who was related to the Ise Family. They gave her the much-needed she required to function in the Soul Society. She was eventually enrolled in the Shin'o Academy, where she excelled in Kido, which was surprising for someone at her young age. But despite this, Nanao was unable to imprint on her Asauchi, thus leaving her without a Zanpakutou. She had hoped to join the Kido Corps, and had even put it in her assignment preferences. But she was in for a surprise when she found out that she had been placed on Squad 8.
Nanao had been taken aback by this. But little did she know that it was Shunsui who was responsible for her being transferred to Squad 8. Days before the graduations were announced, Shunsui, who at that time had risen to the rank of Captain of Squad 8, had visited the Academy's headmaster, where he laid into a request to have Nanao being assigned to Squad 8, despite her inability to have a Zanpakutou. Given his noble rights, as well as one of Yamamoto's most favoured captains, his request was granted. It was during that visit in which Nanao had gotten a glimpse of Shunsui, as well as taking notice of the pinwheeled hairpins that he wore. The hairpins were similar to that worn by her mother.
On the day when Nanao arrived at the Squad 8 Barracks, she was once again surprised to see Shunsui being her captain. But not only that. She quickly recognized his face, as well as his voice. Nanao also took notice of the pink kimono he wore, it was the kimono worn by her mother. Since being inducted into Squad 8, Nanao had always wanted to know more about her captain, while at the same time work to become a reliability to her comrades due to her not possessing a Zanpakutou. Yet for some reason, Nanao never understood why this captain took such a great care to her well-being.
Being a little girl while joining the Court Guard, Nanao would develop a close friendship with the then Lieutenant of Squad 8: Lisa Yadomaru, who would always read stories to her. This only encouraged Nanao to forget about learning more of Shunsui, devoting her time to serving the Court Guard instead. Still, she had never forgotten the Zanpakutou the captain carried.
Back to the present, Wahrwelt, Royal Realm, Soul Society
After being reminded about her journey, Nanao immedaitley realized that she could not focus on the past. Right now, her own life was at stake here and she was dealing with an opponent more powerful than her. Nanao was for the first time experiencing feelings usually felt by those in combat. They were alien to her.
"I had no idea…." Nanao panted as she slowly got up on her bloodied feet.
But even as she tried, something began to plague her mind right now. Could this be fear? Nanao even saw her hands, even as she held onto her Zanpakutou with them both. The four-eyed woman felt so much conflicted right now.
"…fighting with a sword….could be this frightening" she admitted, knowing that it was nost just fear of her opponent, but also the fear of holding a blade that was taking hold on her.
But Nanao only felt more distressed as she noticed something running across her left foot. Slowly looking towards her left, she was shocked to see that her foot was now bleeding. The woman felt herself getting weakened by the minute.
"My wounds… they won't stop bleeding!" Nanao noticed, knowing that those were Lille's doing. She panted deeply while holding onto her weapon. "It hurts…..I didn't know being cut…..would hurt this much. It hurts…I'm scared…..my feet…they won't budge" she then added, starting to feel her own fear taking hold on her.
It was the truth. Nanao had never been able to hold a blade, let alone fight against an opponent one on one. She had also rarely felt injuries, even cuts.
As Nanao closed her eyes in despair, hoping to not witness to her own demise, she was stunned when she could feel a soft touch on her right shoulder. Someone had approached her from behind and was now doing this in an effort to calm her down, as well as ease all her fears. Briefly moving her head, Nanao was surprised to see Shunsui standing there, smiling at her with confidence.
"C-Captain…." Nanao said weakly, surprised at seeing her superior standing behind her.
Shunsui only nodded her head weakly. "It's all right, Lil' Nanao. I'm here by your side" he told her while still holding her right shoulder firmly. "Now do you recall the time you were promoted to Lieutenant of Squad 8? There was something that I told you when it came to facing your fears" he then reminded her.
Nanao quickly snapped as she remembered that day, when she was made the Lieutenant of Squad 8, despite her not being much of a fighter. But even so, her counsel and tactics had been vital assets to Shunsui when it came to battles. But there was something that he had told her on that very day.
"When you're standing in hell itself, you need to keep going forward until you see the exit. The same thing also applies to a battle. Therefore, you must make your stand here and face your combatant, regardless of whether you're weak or strong" Nanao spoke up the words that Shunsui had told her on the day of her promotion to lieutenant.
Realizing that she fully remembered that day, Shunsui chuckled to himself and slowly let go of Nanao's right shoulder.
"You still remember that day? I'm proud of you" Shunsui told her before glancing up to Lille, who was still generating his ball of light with the help of light in the area. "Now do it, Nanao. Honor the legacy of those who have come before you. Honor your parents" he suddenly encouraged her while speaking in a slightly emotional tone when mentioning Nanao's parents.
While she had listened to this, Nanao had tears running from her eyes. They ran past her glasses and down to her cheeks. All this talk made her eyes burn with passion. She glanced up to Lille while gritting her teeth.
"Bring it on….." Nanao said weakly. "BRING IT ON, YOU TOUGH BASTARD!" the four-eyed woman yelled loudly towards her opponent, signalizing her intend on standing her ground.
While Lille was preparing his attacki, he had taken notice of Shunsui coming out of hiding. The head-captain had done that, yet Lille could see him standing behind Nanao and letting her be in charge of this fight. It did not amuse Lille for one bit.
"So, you finally decide to show up, Shunsui Kyoraku? How pathetic of you to hide behind your own subordinate. What a sad excuse for a head-captain" Lille remarked while suddenly moving his fingers before his beak as if he was playing an instrument. Something happened to the ball of light, as it was now beginning to resemble a giant trumpet. "I grow tired of you sinners. So I will end your existence this instant. Now, listen to the sound of my Trompete and perish!" Lille said, feeling confident in his own abilities.
Nanao remained focused on the Sternritter's attack, and she looked back at her superior one more time. Shunsui nodded his head with his usual smug smile. "That's right. Go get her, Nanao. You can do this!" he encouraged her.
Feeling confident in herself, Nanao returned her focus on Lille, who was prepared to blow his attack on both her and Shunsui. As she stood and made preparations, Nanao could not help but to muse over the things she and her captain had been through throughout the years.
"The captain's passion…...it's almost as if it's flowing outwards. I had returned to provide support for him….but in the end he's the one supporting me…..who can't even stand on her own feet…me, who he's always supported…" Nanao recalled those in her head, only to remain focused on the task ahead of her. "But that's not gonna happen now! This time, I'll make my stand here! This I do as a member of the 13 Court Guard Squads!" she said to herself.
Lille unleashed his terrible attack on the pair, confident as his Trompete blew at them with chaos. But as he watched and waited for their bodies to get blown to bits, he noticed that none of them were moving. This only made the powerful Sternritter more outraged by the minute.
"WHAT?! WHY ARE THEY STILL STANDING!?" he angrily demanded, only to feel something hit back at him. As Lille got a closer look, he could see that Nanao was holding her blade, as if it was directing something towards him. The Sternritter couldn't believe his eyes. "NO…..IT CANNOT BE…..NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lille yelled angrily as he was blown up towards the sky by the powerful blast he had just unleashed.
It was now becoming clearer to him. Nanao's Zanpakutou was able to reflect the ability of the God it was facing. It started coming back to Lille. But the Quincy was blown up towards the sky, vanishing behind the clouds.
Nanao was still standing, breathing deeply in relief over being able to accomplish something that no Shinigami-lieutenant had done before her: defeating a powerful Sternritter such as Lille Barro. The young woman continued gazing up towards the sky, until she began losing her own balance with her feet.
But before she could fall, Shunsui quickly grabbed her by her arms, thus holding her up. He mused to himself while holding his niece.
"You really gave everything you had there, Nanao…..I'm proud of you" Shunsui told her as she sat on the ground listening to this.
"Captain…I mean….….uncle…" Nanao spoke up, not knowing what to address him with all that she knew about him.
Shunsui chuckled. "You can call me whatever you want. And you may as well want to drop the honorifics. I am what I am…and always will be" the pink-clad Shinigami said while still holding Nanao by her arms. But he soon let go of her niece and concentrated on looking towards another direction, especially towards the imposing palace of Silbern. "Now then, shall we go and meet up with the rest of the gang? They're probably starting to miss us as we speak" Shunsui suggested, only to feel himself lose balance of his walking, just like what Nanao did. "Woah…what the…" he spoke as he fell on his behind.
"Captain! Are you…" she stopped as she could see that Shunsui was just feeling very tired. She walked up to join him.
Yet despite being tired, Shunsui was still smiling. "I'm okay, Lil' Nanao. I suppose that this fall was my body's way of telling me to get some rest. You probably feel the same thing, don't you?" he noted while asking Nanao about whether she was feeling tired.
As much as Nanao tried to remain tall and being willing to move on, her own legs felt tired and she felt the need to just sit on her behind and do nothing. In fact, she did that, much to her own embarrassment.
"Fine.…..we'll rest for a while before moving on" Nanao said in agreement while panting to catch her breath. But the four-eyed woman's eyes were suddenly fixated upon the imposing palace lying in the distance. "Damn…...this battle is hardly over…. and we have yet to make it to the palace. I hope the other groups have managed to make an effort" she then pleaded as she surveyed the icy cityscape.
"They most likely have, Nanao. I can sense all of them moving towards their destination" Shunsui said before forming a slight frown on his face. "But that said, they may have to contend with resistance along the way, especially from other Sternritters" he said while sighing deeply.
Nanao understood how dire this situation was for them. But then again, she could not help but to smile at her uncle whilst sitting close to him. Now that Lille was gone and they were alone, Nanao felt this was the perfect opportunity to have this talk about her parents, as she wanted to know more about them.
"Captain…I want to…." Nanao was about to ask something out of Shunsui, only for the two of them to hear a loud bang coming from behind.
This only meant that it happened near them, on the same rooftop they were sitting on. But what was it? Nanao could not help but to froze as she realized who it was. Her eyes were filled with despair once again.
"No…...it can't be…NO!" the four-eyed woman said.
Even Shunsui had to look behind him and see who it was. "Son of a bitch…..this can't possibly be happening right now!?" the head-captain exclaimed out in anger. "How many times does it take before he dies!?" he then asked out in frustration
The smoke soon vanished and it revealed to them someone they had never hoped they would see again. It was Lille Barro! He was still in his second form of his Pummerin yet something was different about him. This time, Lille didn't have his Heilligenschein hanging around his head. Even so, he still remained pretty much the same, except for the bruises and blood that could bee soon across his body.
But from the looks of his owl-like face, Lille was furious, specifically glaring at Nanao. "Damn you…..." the Sternritter uttered out those words lowly. "DAMN YOU, SHINIGAMI-WHORE!" Lille yelled out once again, his voice so hateful and filled with curse words.
Nanao froze. "I don't believe it! Is he truly that unbeatable!?" she cried.
"YOU FIEND! SCOUNDREL! FILFTH! BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME!? HOW DARE YOU TAKE AWAY MY GODLY POWERS!?" Lille angrily asked while pointing a finger at Nanao.
Nanao was too disturbed to even listen to what Lille was hurling towards her. She was more shocked over the fact that Lille was still alive, despite the fact that he had been blasted up into the sky by his own attack. She was once again filled with doubts and despair in her own abilities.
But Shunsui had taken notice of how different Lille was, especially with the lack of Heiligenschein. "I thought something was odd about you…...that halo above your head…it's gone..." the head-captain noted while observing what Lille had lost.
The Sternritter narrowed his owl-like eyes when hearing the Shinigami talk to him about what was missing. "Because of that cursed blade and its ability to reflect my attacks….my Heiligenschein got destroyed…...thus losing my godly powers" he spoke up bitterly. "NOW, IT IS I WHO HAVE COMMITTED A GREAT SIN!" he then exclaimed out in anger.
Shunsui had managed to get up on his feet, and he even helped Nanao do that in the process. But neither of them had the strength to make a run from this troublesome Sternritter. He still had his Reishi Wings and could follow them. But there was something else that he began wondering about. Since Lille had now lost his Heiligenschein, was he still the same dangerous adversary as before? Or had he grown…...weaker? These were some of the questions that Shunsui wanted to find out.
"I won't forgive you for this, Shunsui Kyoraku! I WON'T FORGIVE YOU AND THAT MISERABLE WENCH STANDING BESIDE YOU!" Lille exclaimed out in anger once again. "But even your deaths will not be enough to satisfy my vengeance!" he then said.
Nanao had to admit that she was confused when hearing what Lille just said. "Not satisfied? What are you saying!?" she asked while demanding an answer out of the creature standing before them.
Lille glared angrily at Nanao. "Shut your mouth, little bitch! Once I've disposed of you and that pathetic superior of yours, I will then start hunting down the rest of you rodents that skulks around Wahrwelt. And then, as punishment for depriving me of my godly powers, I shall destroy the Sereitei and all the filth that infests it! It needs to be cleansed from sinners!" the Quincy then made his dark proclamation while making sure the Shinigami-duo were listening to him.
While Nanao was feeling uncomfortable, Shunsui was feeling unfazed by this outburst. "You gotta be kidding me. You just got your own ass blown off by your own attack and now you wanna do all these things all of a sudden? Man, you really are a showoff" the head-captain told him in a smug manner. "And for the record, who're you calling a bitch? You're the one who got blown off by your own attack. But if you wanna try that again, then Lil' Nanao here will be happy to oblige. She'll only deflect your blasts or whatever tricks you got underneath that ugly beak of yours!" he then taunted the Sternritter while holding onto Nanao, who seemed to be surprised at hearing how confident her captain was acting in face of this challenge.
"Bold words from the foolish oaf of a head-captain. A shame that you waste them in throwing insults at me. But allow me correct your assumptions" Lille told him before something appeared above his head.
From the looks of it, it seemed like a star only that it was glowing with Reishi. But not only that. Before Shunsui and Nanao knew it, they could see enormous amounts of Reishi gather above Lille's head thanks to the star.
"I WILL HAVE MY VENGEANCE, STARTING WITH ENSLAVING YOU ALL!" he then loudly exclaimed out of madness.
Shunsui and Nanao were very wary about this, yet they even got more shocked as they could notice their bodies gradually being driven towards Lille. It was shocking.
"Shit….WHAT'S HAPPENING TO US!?" Shunsui cursed.
"CAPTAIN! OUR BODIES ARE BEING DRAWN TO HIM" Nanao told her captain while holding onto herself.
Lille only laughed as he watched them suffer. "NONE OF YOU CAN ESCAPE ME NOW! THE SKLAVEREI ALLOWS ME TO GATHER REISHI IN THE MOST POWERFUL WAY: BY ENSLAVING IT!" he told them while stretching out his hands as the Reishi gathered above him. "LOOK AROUND YOU, SIMPLETONS! EVERYTHING THAT IS COMPOSED OF REISHI COMES TO MY SIDE! AND CONSIDERING HOW POWERFUL SKLAVEREI IS, IT ALSO HAS THE ABILITY TO ABSORB THE BODIES OF SPIRITUAL BEINGS AS WELL!" he then revealed.
Shunsui and his lieutenant were stunned. "SHIT! SO DOES THAT MEAN WE'LL BE SUCKED INTO YOU!?" he angrily asked the maddened Quincy as he felt his skin being drawn to Lille.
"NO, YOU IMBECILE! I WILL ABSORB YOU! YOU AND THAT WHORE WILL BECOME USEFUL IN MY CRUSADE AGAINST YOU SINNERS! ENJOY YOUR LAST MOMENTS WHILE YOU STILL CAN!" Lille taunted them while laughing over the fact that he was about to absorb both Shunsui and Nanao.
Nanao could also feel her body gradually losing skin. It happened so fast and neither she nor her uncle had any idea how to solve this.
As Lille continued his maddening enslavement of every Reishi in the area, the Sternritter was too occupied to take notice of other threats that lurked near him. Out of nowhere, a powerful read beam headed straight towards Lille, or perhaps more specifically the star on his head. It managed to hit it, thus undoing Lille's use of the Sklaverei. The Reishi that he had gathered soon disintergrated and it made Lille outraged.
"WHAT!? WHO THE HELL DID THIS!?" the Quincy angrily asked.
Both Shunsui and Nanao had also been stunned to see the read beam destroy Lille's Sklaverei, given that it appeared out of nowhere. But both Shinigamis knew this wasn't just an ordinary beam. It was something they had seen before.
"Captain…that beam…..it was a…." Nanao spoke up lowly, only for Shunsui to agree with her.
"Yes. It was actually….a Cero" Shunsui remarked underneath his breath before slowly turning around to see if there was someone standing there. "But then again….I did not expect someone like you….to interfere in this fight" he then noted.
"What do you mean by…" Nanao was asking him as she also turned around to see what it was. But when she did, she froze. "It's…..you!" the four-eyed woman noted.
Wanting to know what the Shinigamis were so focused on, Lille himself looked beyond them and saw who was standing on the other side of the rooftop. The transformed Sternritter was not only slightly confused, but also surprised to see who stood there.
"What in the….what is the meaning of this!?" Lille demanded an answer out of the mysterious figure who revealed himself.
It was a red-skinned Arrancar with an eyepatch on his right eye, devilish horns in his head and a cloth covering his mouth while hanging right underneath his nose. Shunsui and Nanao knew who he was. This was one of the Dechados of the Imperio de Hierro: Diablo Gallante. He walked towards the scene, wearing the cape worn by the paragons while carrying his scythe-like Zanpakutou on his shoulders.
"I sensed a great disturbance in this area and happened to find you trying to absorb endless amounts of Reishi. Based upon my own calculations, you would have become a danger to the Arrancars who are with the Substitute Shinigami: Ichigo Kurosaki" Gallante explained as he glanced at Lille with his only eye. "I can't let you become a threat to my fellow Arrancars here in the Royal Realm. Which is why I have stepped in to end your madness" he added coldly.
As Lille only stood and listened, Shunsui had to muse over what he was hearing. "Ah, so you decided to help us in this war, after all?" he smugly asked the Arrancar.
"You misunderstand my intention for interfering here, Shunsui Kyoraku. As I just said, I can't allow that madman to become a danger to the Arrancars who are accompanying Ichigo Kurosaki. That is why I must end his threat" Gallante told him codly, not showing any signs of kindness towards Shunsui.
The pink-clad Shinigami only scoffed in return. "Geez, isn't that just a euphemism for saying that you're here to help us?" he questioned the Dechado, but Gallante was already focused on the Sternritter.
Lille was intrigued by this Arrancar, yet he was also disgusted by just looking at him. "Vile creature. How dare you set foot in His Majesty's domain!?" Lille expressed his dissatisfactions about Gallante. "But on second thought, only a monster like you would be brave enough to confront the likes of me, a messenger of God" he then said while narrowing his owl-like eyes.
"You judge me for my appearance? Quite ironic coming from someone who's allowed himself to be made into a unnatural being such as this" the Arrancar pointed out to him. "In a way, it's as if a monster was judging a monster. But regadless, my appearance alone is natural, unlike yours. Yours us an affront to all living beings you claim to embody" Gallante then explained what he thought about Lille's appearance.
"Insolent Arrancar! This form is a gift, not a curse. My Pummerin symbolizes the judgement I deliver to all sinners who dares stand against me and the God I serve!" Lille exclaimed while stretching out his arms. He then pointed a finger at Gallante. "You, on the other hand, are an abomination, a hapless creature born out of poor and unfortunate souls. That is the difference between you and me" the Quincy insisted.
Narrowing his only eye, Gallante lifted ups his Zanpakutou and brandished it for his opponent to see. "I suppose there is no point in continuing this conversation. You are dangerously deluded, even for the average Quincy" the red-skinned Arrancar said. "The only thing that can free you from this madness…is by ending you" he added to his words.
"You ending me?" Lille asked while moving his head curiously. The transformed Quincy laughed at the Dechado's threats, still feeling overconfident in himself. "Honestly, why am I even talking to an inferior Hollow? And for being an Arrancar, you have a hideous and hellish appearance. But no matter, I won't fall so easily" he spat out in defiance towards Gallante.
The Dechado was unmoved by Lille's taunts. "Best not to insult me, Sternritter. You are challenging one of the Imperio de Hierro's Dechados: Diablo Gallante. Many foes before me have prayed to their saviors before confronting me" he told Lille.
Lille, who was getting more angered over hearing the arrogance in Gallante's voice, responded to this by moving his Reishi Wings, thus flying up in the air. Even though he had lost his godly powers, the Sternritter still had enough power to attack foes. The holes in his wings began loading, indicating that he was planning on killing Gallante with his Reishi Beams.
"I may have committed a sin by losing my Heiligenschein, but I still have a chance of redemption!" Lille exclaimed, still feeling so incredibly overzealous as usual. "And I will redeem myself…BY SMITING UPON YOU, CREATURE OF HELL!" he added before firing a round of Reishi Beams upon Gallante.
Gallante stood while facing up against the Sternritter. From the looks of it, Lille was still a dangerous adversary, despite losing his godly power. This alone required Gallante to get real in this fight. Closing his only eye, the red-skinned Arrancar slowly moved over his hand to the eyepatch, sighing deeply in the process.
"I will make this quick and clean. That would teach him a lesson" Gallante said as the Reishi Beams neared him. "Incinerate...Infierno!" he then said the release command of his Zanpakutou while removing the eyepatch. The moment he did it, a large pillar of fire erupted around him and it surprised everyone.
The pillar was powerful to even deflect the incoming Reishi Beams.
Shunsui grabbed Nanao and ran quickly away from the battleground, even having enough strength to jump over to a nearby building. They both sat and watched as the fire began burning up towards the.
"Captain…what is…" Nanao was stunned from what she was seeing.
"Stay sharp here, Lil' Nanao. Things are about to take an ugly turn here" Shunsui told her while glancing at the pillar of fire. "So, you're showing your Resurrecciòn once again? This outta be fun to watch" he then noted smugly, admitting that he was going to enjoy seeing this fight.
The fire soon stopped burning and Lille was given a slight shock of this form he was being witness to. From what he could see, Gallante now resembled an archdevil with hooves, grayish armor and two white horns sticking up. However, he was still carrying his scythe-like weapon, which was now covered in flames. With his Hollow-shell gone, Gallante had black facial hair around his chin. Meanwhile, his exposed biceps and his eyes were enveloped with golden fire. The sight of him somehow affected Lille.
"By the Gods….." Lille uttered out lowly before speaking out in frustration. "WHAT KIND OF CREATURE ARE YOU!?" he demanded while feeling slightly uncomfortable with the Arrancar's appearance.
Gallante looked up, his fiery golden eyes locked upon his opponent. "You mentioned something about me being too hellish for an Arrancar, and the fact that I was a creature from Hell. Those were true statements. I am indeed a creature from Hell" he said before glancing at his demonic hand and fingers. "I was once a Gaki in Hell, sent there as punishment for the crimes I committed in my pervious life. That is until I was purified and saved by His Highness. As such, I am one of the few Gakis to evovle into an Arrancar" Gallante then told his story, only in small details.
Lille was still floating in the air listening to what was being said. But he soon dismissed it when he began lifting his right arm up in the air. It was obvious that he planned on attacking Gallante by using his Heilig Strahl.
"Is that supposed to make me fear you, cretin!?" he asked out loudly before light was fired from his arm. "DIE BY MY DIVINE PUNISHMENT!" he then yelled.
But Gallante had also prepared an attack of his own and he was charging something with his left finger. It looked like a Cero, except for the fact that it was more powerful than the average Cero.
"Then allow me to respond to you in kind with our Cero. The Cero that only those of Hueco Mundo's true champions are able to master: Cero Oscuras!" Gallante exclaimed before firing the dark and red Cero as a vast and massive attack up to meet with Lille's beam of light.
To Lille's own shock, his beam of light was no match for the powerful Cero and he was soon consumed by it. He yelled out in pain as the beam critically injured him.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! AAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHHH!" Lille yelled in pain as he began diving towards the nearby ground, thus crashing into a pile of rubbles.
By now, Lille's body was in a critical condition, with his right Reishi Wing being torn off, and his legs of a centaur being destroyed, thus leaving him legless. But Lille still had his arms, body, left Reishi Wing and face. He was lyig the ground while bleeding seriously.
"HOW CAN THIS…BE!?" Lille asked before he threw up a pool of blood from his beak. His owl-like eyes had also started to weaken and Lille realized that he was at his limits. "NO! I WON'T BE DEFEATED LIKE THIS! NOT BY AN INFERIOR BEING LIKE YOU!" the Quincy spat towards his opponent.
Gallante had arrived near him by using Sonido, in which he was quite an expert in. He simply glanced at the Quincy with his golden eyes while holding his Zanpakutou onto the ground.
"I respect your zealous demeanor, Quincy. But when it comes to fighting, it is never a useful weapon" Gallante told him as he began taking small steps towards Lille.
"YOU DAMN MONGREL!" Lille cursed before generating a ball of light with his right finger. He was pointing it towards Gallante. "I will use my last trump card with my Trompete! There is nothing you can do to avoid my attack. I AM LILLE BARRO, HIS MAJESTY'S ULTIMATE CREATION I WILL….." Lille stopped saying anything as he could feel his right arm suddenly getting slashed by Gallante's Zanpakutou. He cried as he was bleeding seriously. "AAAARGHHHH! MY ARM!" he yelled in agony.
But Lille's face was suddenly grabbed by Gallante's right hand as he was holding his weapon with his left hand. Using his sharp devlish nails to stay put, the Quincy screamed in pain as his face felt like getting ripped off. But that was not the case here. Gallante pushed his handpalm against Lille's face and proceeded to do something with his body.
"Considering how you are a dangerous foe, I will make sure that there will be little of you left to bury. All that will remain of you…will be ashes and bones!" Gallante said without a slight of remorse as hellish fire began infiltrating Lille's body, starting with his face. "Now perish in the flames of the unforgiving! Ardiente!" he exclaimed while Lille screamed loudly in pain.
Fire began infiltrating everything in Lille's body, especially his veins. Even though he was using his Blut Vene, they were powerless against Gallante's ability called Ardiente. His entire body burned and it didn't take long before his skin disappeared.
As Lille perished in the flames, he could only reflect on his life and the fact that he had failed his liege. "Lord Yhwach…...I have failed you…..my lord…..my God…..my Soul King…." Those were the words Lille thought as his body was incinerated into nothing but ashes and bones.
By the time, Gallante was finished, all that remained of Lille Barro was nothing but a pile of ash and few bones, even though they also began to wither. The skull the Arrancar was holding began to turn into dust as well. It was now over. Diablo Gallante had won against this powerful Quincy, and the first to drink the blood of Yhwach.
"I take pity on your journey, Lille Barro. Perhaps the afterlife will be more kind to you" Gallante spoke up lowly, his golden eyes still focused on the pile of ashes.
As he was still standing there, he could take notice of Shunsui and Nanao walking up to him, yet he never did anything to attack him. The Dechado simply let them walk up to him. The Head-Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads clapped his hands as a means to show his admiration of Gallante's fight.
"Congratulations! You won. I was wondering whether that guy would ever die or not" Shunsui complimented the Arrancar. "But then again, I guess we owe you a little thanks for stepping in and helping us" he then remarked.
Nanao snapped at her captain in slight outrage. "What…..you can't be serious!?" she told him in slight disbelief.
Gallante turned around to glance at the pair with stern eyes. "I believe I made myself clear to you, Kyoraku. I acted only in the interest of the nearby Arrancars, not for you Shinigamis and your pathetic….." while Gallante was speaking, he quickly took notice of Nanao. Somehow, her appearance made him widen his fiery eyes in surprise. "You there...who might you be?" he asked Nanao.
While feeling slightly uncomfortable to speak, Nanao tried to muster enough courage to answer Gallante's question. "My name's Nanao Ise" she replied, albeit sternly.
Listening to this made Gallante ease his surprise. To the astonishment of the Shinigamis, he weakly nodded at her as in understanding. "I see. Then I suppose you have no relation with Batsu'unsai Katori" the red-skinned Arrancar said before taking his leave.
This made Shunsui's eye widen a little. "What? He in the world does he know about her?" the head-captain could not believe his own ears. "After all, Batsu'unsai Katori was...the first ever Captain of Squad 8..." he noted while thinking about this woman.
Nanao had only remained stunned to listen what the Arrancar had said to her, yet he noticed Gallante walk way from her and Shunsui.
"Wait! Where do you think you're going!?" Nanao demanded an answer out of Gallante.
He stopped and used the ability to open a Garganta, which was called Descorrer. The Garganta opened and Gallante entered. But as he stood inside, he looked over his shoulder to glance at the Shinigamis with his fiery eyes.
"Do not waste my time, Shinigamis. Now that I have made sure that my fellow Arrancars are safe from that raving madman, I will return to Hueco Mundo. You and the others may continue your march towards Silbern. However, I would be careful to rush towards the enemy if I were you. All of you are only doing what Yhwach exactly wants you to do" he said as the Garganta closed.
This left Shunsui and Nanao alone among the rubbles in the streets. After a brief silence, Nanao faced her captain once again.
"Captain….what do we do now?" Nanao lowly asked her superior as he was fixing his gaze towards the towering palace of Silbern.
"I think that's obvious fo both of us, Lil' Nanao. We better regroup with the others. Hopefully, we'll be able to lay siege on the palace and bring Yhwach down. That should be our number one priority at the momen" Shunsui said before taking off running, with Nanao following suit.
As they were running, Nanao had to smile as she saw the kind of leader Shunsui actually was. "Perhaps I was a bit too judgmental on you earlier…uncle" she noted, addressing the man as such once again.
But while the pair were busy making preperations for running. They failed to notice something hidden amongst Lille's ashes. There was an egg lying there. Could this have something to do with Lille himself? Nobody knew.
To be continued…
Author's note: Another chapter completed! This was mostly focused on Shunsui and Nanao. I also wanted Lille's defeat to be very different from the one in the canon story, which is why I had Gallante step in. He deserved to be given the honor of finishing off Lille. The flashbacks were also something I added due to give more detail about Shunsui's past. But now let me tell you about the next chapters. Yes, Ichigo and his group are currently contending with Askin, while the main group of Shinigamis will have to contend with Gerard. But then there is Nianzol. I actually think that this is something I want the Sternritter rebels or Uryu to deal with. It's been a while since we last saw Uryu. What has he been doing while all this commotion as going on? Most of the scenes will be loyal to the canon story, but I have plans on adding more flavor to them, like what I just did in this chapter by letting Gallante step in. I have many ideas, but I need time to plan them wisely. Until then, stay tuned for more!
Engelsnase - German for "Angel's Nose": This is an ability Lille is able to use to locate and discover his foes. He can find their whereabouts regardless of what tricks they use.
Licht Bombe - German for "Light Bomb": This is an attack Lille can create to make a bomb of light. It is a quite powerful one.
Ardidente – Spanish for "Burning": This is an ability that Diablo Gallante is able to use to let his hellish fire infiltrate other's body, eventually burning them till they explode. But to do this, Gallante needs to be physically contact the target with his handpalm.