Chapter 25: Chapter 25
One by one, hollows began to converge on Shirou's location. Each new hollow caused Yamamoto's and the others expressions to harden until it became difficult to differentiate them from statues.
After all, the hollows that had arrived had similarly pierced a path through the Seireitei's defences.
Nel for her part was leading her group of hollows like a stampede, trampling her enemies beneath spiritually enhanced hooves. Her lance held securely in her hands releasing tendrils of spiritual energy forward and reduced those in her path into ashes for her to pass over. The hollows behind her cheered in her praise even as she appeared next to Shirou and Harribel's side; completely won over by the strength Nel had displayed as she like Shirou paved them a path forward with little resistance. After all, most of the Captain had already been gathered by Yamamoto, leaving those defending to be the weaker sort of Shinigami.
The war path Nel and her group had taken was quite apparent, blood and gore splattered from the weight of the hollows passing. Ordinary Shinigami who saw such a sight instantly became light headed and helpless.
Baraggan though, was even more tyrannical. Nothing remained in his way except the blackened remains of what were once glorious spires and barracks, now nothing more than a figment in time.
Despite moving by himself at the back of the group of hollows he had sent forward, Baraggan alone was drawing a significant portion of the Captain's attention.
Where he walked, there was death.
Where he breathed, there was only age.
No Shinigami that approached him left even a single trace behind as the process of their skin rotting away from their bones was visibly evident to all those watching.
In front of Baraggan's eyes, there was no clear path to take, and no defences that could stop him. Kido, Zanpakuto, buildings, nothing mattered in his disinterested eyes. Only the path ahead of him mattered, but even then, unlike Nel, Baraggan was walking at a leisurely rate. He didn't even care if there was a wall in front of him, or even an entire barrack. He would simply raise his hand and give a simple touch before the entire thing disappeared as if it were never there.
Different from Nel, the Shinigami that met Baraggan were far from just light-headed and helpless, they were terrified. Nothing they could do would work, for everything ages and deteriorates.
For though he travelled as a single hollow, he alone met the least resistance as he continued forward. By his pacing, it would take him far longer to reach Shirou than the others Baraggan had already sent ahead. In fact, Brans had already fallen to stand dutifully behind Shirou's back.
Yet Baraggan was just beginning his path through the Shinigami's defences, causing dark lines to form over Yamamoto's brows.
If Shirou was the highest priority to kill in the Shinigami's eyes, then Baraggan was undoubtedly the second.
"Truly the act of a hollow," Kaname Tousen spoke towards Shirou. "To hold over the life of a fellow Shinigami over our heads instead of a head-on confrontation."
Shirou looked impassively at Kaname before speaking. "To take one of our own and expect no repercussions, what does that make you?"
Kaname fell silent after the response as Sajin Komamura stepped forward. "Enough talk, hollow. It's clear from your actions that you are far from valiant yourself. We had only taken one of yours, but how many of ours have already perished?"
Apacci snorted from her spot recuperating by Harribel.
"Clearly, not enough," Apacci said through gritted teeth.
Apacci's answer caused a growl to come from Sajin's mouth, but a movement from Yamamoto silenced everyone. Most of the Captains were reassured seeing Yamamoto act, but it was only Shunsui who remained tense.
After all, Shirou still had Jushiro in his possession.
"You know clearly that this situation is unfavourable for the both of us," Yamamoto began. "Although it's evident that our side is losing out more in this exchange, but that can also be contributed to the fact that the brunt of our strength is already concentrated here while yours are not. In this regard, we are still fairly even, however, this is not Hueco Mundo."
A startling spiritual pressure descended on the hollows, forcing a few of them to crash to the ground while the majority of them were trembling on their knees.
Yamamoto's eyes were wide open, a seriousness on his face that he had not displayed in decades.
"Impudent hollows!" With a thump of his cane, a blazing inferno had appeared in the sky stronger than that of even the sun.
"The might of the Seireitei has been tested and proven to defeat hollows like you. Do you honestly think that this time would be different?!" Yamamoto spiritual pressure only increased with his words. Portions even effecting the allies around him.
Almost all the hollows of Adjuchas and lower plummeted to the ground, and struggled to remain on their knees. But the King still stood standing, seemingly unaffected.
Shirou nodded towards Harribel and Nel, and then placed Jushiro just in front of him.
"Harm him, and you will not see the light of Hueco Mundo's moon ever again," Yamamoto's tone was clipped, and Shunsui was radiating a deathly aura.
Shirou didn't care. The two children he could see in his periphery were staring at him earnestly, but weren't doing anything, seeming to understand something as they jumped on Jushiro. Staring silently at him, the two children gave a nod before waving a silent goodbye.
At that moment, a shadow quickly snatched Jushiro from in front of Shirou as his hand was still stretched out.
Nel's expression immediately soured seeing who it was.
"You're not dead," Soifon spoke in astonishment towards Nel.
"Certain death was it? Cleary, it doesn't meet expectations," Nel taunted, causing Soifon's eyes to narrow.
Jushiro was in Soifon's hands, and no sooner than when Yamamoto and Shunsui realized this, that all their reservations disappeared.
Shunsui instantly appeared next to Soifon and took Jushiro into his hands before retreating a safe distance away.
As for Yamamoto, a wave of fire would be too underwhelming to describe it. It was an ocean of flame; that which could reduce all into ashes. And even then, it didn't appear as if the man had put much effort into the attack: A simple tap with his cane. It was truly a show of power. And indeed, it was affecting the hollow's morale. The heat coming off of it was already enough to melt steel, and the hollows pressed to the ground felt as if they were being baked alive. The attack wasn't even directed towards them, but they still felt its effects. Just from this alone, it was enough of an indication about what would happen if Yamamoto decided that he wished to deal with them.
They swallowed slowly, eyes riveted to the form of their King who stood unmoving. Harribel and Nel stood behind him, and not too far off was Ulquiorra and the other three Vasto Lordes watching form the side.
A single hand to part the sea.
That hand exhibited a concentrated burst of a towering spiritual pressure that seemed to contain the entirety of the flame within its palm.
Thereafter, the flame was extinguished with a single squeeze.
Embers trailed to the ground, creating flames that caught fire from atop the ruined rubble of the destroyed infrastructure.
The sky, a fiery red, was reflecting within those deep and unmoving bronze eyes.
It left the Shinigami staring at the scene speechless. This was an attack by the Head-Commander. And for it to be extinguished just as easily as the Head-Commander had launched it, what did that mean for the strength the King of Hollows, the Vasto of White possessed?
"Are you done Head-Captain?"
That voice was piercing in the silence that followed.
Even more so when the sky itself began filling with countless swords.
They appeared in the dozens at first, and then the hundreds, spanning to the thousands as the sheer number of them was staggering.
The lonely hill.
That which was spoken by their very own Zanpakuto appeared in the Shinigami's minds. It was even more so for the Captains who had seen the image of the eyes staring back at them.
Rooted, all Shinigami and hollows alike turned towards the sky.
It was magnificent. The power exuding from those swords alone causing both a sense of awe and trepidation.
"This is ether, a powerful energy source available only for one with the power of a God,"
The words spoken in a council meeting long past returned to the minds of the Captains that were present for it.
Some of those swords hovering in the air gave off the feeling that they had felt that day.
"Therefore, they are most likely artifacts left behind by the Soul King."
Unohana sent a glance at Yamamoto's direction, only to find the man staring fixedly ahead. She too then turned to find herself freezing in place.
Zanpakuto, their Zanapkuto floated amongst the several thousands of swords.
"Preposterous," Yamamoto mouthed, staring at the floating wooden cane in the middle of the group of swords.
"Ryujin Jakka," Shirou spoke quietly. "The strongest Fire-Type Zanpakuto."
The words Shirou spoke rung in Yamamoto's head, seemingly leaving him at a loss.
Yet Yamamoto didn't know that Shirou was bluffing. For the majority of the Zanpakuto he had traced, it was only in outer appearance alone. The spirits within the blades had yet to acknowledge him, making it impossible for him to use them. Which was why even now he only traced them from a distance. Even if it was just their outer appearance, there was still resistance.
But it would do.
The aura from the other swords completely engulfed the other Zanpakuto, making it impossible for the Shinigami to tell the difference from them, and the swords in their hands.
He stared at Yamamoto, making sure that the man's attention was on him.
Indeed, it was.
In fact, Yamamoto was staring daggers at him. Clearly, the priority to kill Shirou had skyrocketed.
But it wouldn't be that easy.
"How many swords can you burn, Head-Captain?" Shirou said.
Stepping forward, every single sword then pointed in the Shinigami's direction oppressively. Not one Shinigami present wished to see what would happen if such a mass of steel were to descend.
In response, Yamamoto's flames only burned brighter till the point where they were no longer visible.
"Your flame may reduce all to ashes, but will it be enough to cover all of the Shinigami behind you?" Shirou asked slowly, his spiritual pressure increasing exponentially.
In the distance, Baraggan peered up from his leisurely pace and stared silently at the towering light before him.
Other hollows too looked at that pillar of spiritual power their King was releasing and cheered.
"The thing is Head-Captain," Shirou said while Kanshou and Bakuya appeared in his hands. "Although you may have thought that it was underhanded to use Jushiro to gain the advantage, the truth is,"
"I never needed him."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To Rukia, the scene playing out in front of her was almost unbelievable despite the vice-like grip around her collar. It was even more so when she considered just who it was that was standing up for her.
"Byakuya Kuchiki," Aizen said slowly. "I would think that you above all would understand the present situation of the Seireitei?"
Byakuya remained silent, his gaze calm as a swirl of tiny petal-like blades condensed around him and morphed into the form of a sword in his hands.
A gleam appeared in Aizen's eyes in the next moment. "Shouldn't you still be recuperating Captain? I'd heard that from Lt. Isane that Captain Unohana was far from pleased from your disappearance at the medical wards of the fourth division-"
A slicing sound cut through the air as a few strands of Aizen's hair floated towards the ground. Aizen barely even reacted, seeming to take everything in stride.
"Are you sure of your actions, Captain? You know as well as I that insubordination is punishable by death or life in prison within the Maggot's Nest. Will you be obstructing me from my duties?"
"Cut the bullshit, Aizen," Byakuya's eyes narrowed as he tossed out something that appeared to be a body of some kind.
It was shrivelled, skin greying, and eyes hollow sockets that spoke of the surprise the person must have felt before death.
"This is the state of the Central Forty-Six," Byakuya said simply, drawing a gasp of realization from Kukaku's mouth as she clenched her fists.
From the sheer fury she directed in Aizen's direction, it was clear that if Kukaku had the power to kill him, she would be more than happy to do so. She would make him wish he was never born. Yet the disparity in spiritual power wasn't something that could be bridged by emotions and personal feelings alone. Therefore, she could only release a repressed murmur of rage.
"Based on the spiritual deterioration of the body alone, its death was far from recent; even before the order to call back Rukia Kuchiki from the Human World," Byakuya continued, sheathing his blade.
"Therefore, Captain Aizen, those orders issued by the Central Forty-Six, are far from valid. Now release my sister, she will be in the care of the Kuchiki clan until the perpetrator can be found."
Aizen stared in silence at Byakuya, the smile on his face creasing until it returned to a tranquil calm.
"Is that so," Aizen spoke, loosening his grip on Rukia's collar and allowing Rukia to drop down onto the ground on her feet. "I'm curious though, Captain Kuchiki, what made you decide to make a trip to the Central Forty-Six?"
"Mayuri Kurotsuchi," Byakuya said, expression growing less tense with Aizen's actions. Thereafter, he motioned towards Rukia to come towards him.
She did so promptly standing meekly by his side.
"Oh, and you were able to come to such conclusions from Captain Kurotsuchi?" Aizen said, laying a hand to rest firmly on his sword, Kyoka Suigetsu.
Byakuya nodded his head. "It was already suspicious that he would come to the human world without first sending someone to verify the traces of spiritual energy he had detected in his labs. Furthermore, there was something off about the way the Central Forty-Six allowed his deployment alongside myself and my lieutenant. This only became apparent to me after careful contemplation in the medical ward."
There was a tapping sound echoing in the air as Aizen rapped a finger against Kyoka Suigetsu's hilt. "So, you moved towards the Central Forty-Six for such reasons," Aizen mused aloud. "Pray tell then Captain, did you not go because some part of you disagreed with the given orders?"
"…" Byakuya didn't answer as Rukia's attention fell on him.
It was true that that had also been one of his motives. As the Head of the Kuchiki clan, he like Kukaku Shiba could have a direct audience with the Central Forty-Six to some degree as decreed by the rules set down by the Spirit King. It was true that he had already done so before entering the Human World, but he couldn't help but try again after he thought things over. Low and behold, he discovered corpses instead of a council.
Aizen walked leisurely towards the corpse Byakuya had revealed, picking it up to examine it. Aizen's actions weren't impeded in the least as Byakuya could discern that the man was simply inspecting the corpse to ascertain its validity.
However, that reasoning faded completely when the corpse erupted into a ball of flame, and then into ashes.
"What are you doing?" He spoke coldly.
Aizen smiled in response before clapping his hands clean from the soot and ashes.
"I really should have had disposed of these bodies when I first payed a visit towards the Central Forty-Six, but I had assumed my helpers competent. Regardless, it doesn't matter."
Slowly, Aizen removed his glasses and stored them within his white Haori. His entire appearance seeming to change from the natural calm he exuded towards others to become more suave and confident; as if the very world were sitting in the palm of his hands.
It was a change that caused Byakuya to instantly draw his sword.
Byakuya wasn't a fool, and he could understand the meaning of Aizen's actions even without the man speaking.
"You are the traitor," Byakuya said bluntly.
Aizen only stared back silently, almost mockingly. "At this point Captain Kuchiki, there's nothing you can really do to stop me anymore."
It was a flurry of flowing petals that danced in the wind.
Without warning they appeared. Sharp, and gleaming in the light as they fell in a cascade towards Aizen.
Yet almost at that moment, Aizen moved too.
Swift, and faster than what Byakuya knew Aizen was able to move at, the man disappeared from his location and reappeared a few steps to the left.
Byakuya's eyes narrowed. Aizen's speed may very well by faster than his. If so, everything became much more difficult, but it was expected as Aizen was a Captain-Class Shinigami.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura," the words that came from his mouth were like a catalyst; his entire sword fading away into a sea of tiny sharp blades that moved towards Aizen in a torrent.
Its formation was no longer like a spear.
But an all-encompassing wave.
It didn't matter if Aizen had speed. It would mean nothing if the man had nowhere to escape to.
"How, naïve Captain Kuchiki,"
The voice that sounded right next to his ear had his hair raising behind his neck.
Impossible.
Eyes widening, he blocked the incoming fist with a palm, sending Aizen flying backwards and tumbling against the ground before reorienting himself.
"Not using your sword is not the wisest of moves," Byakuya said coolly. "Draw your sword, or this will end too quickly."
Aizen shrugged in response after patting the dust off of his clothes. However, Aizen still didn't draw his sword, raising his hand instead.
Kido?
Arcs of lightning fast spells zipped towards him, yet he could hardly take them seriously. Was this Aizen's idea of a joke, or a simple underestimation? The Kido fired at him were moving at such a slow rate that it would have had been a miracle if he had allowed himself to get hit.
He wasted no time at all, ending this farce.
Appearing in front of Aizen, he fired his own blast of Kido directly onto Aizen's chest.
"What the fuck are you doing?!"
His brows furrowed as for a moment, it felt as if he had heard a voice. Still, the situation was far from peaceful, and it wouldn't allow him to contemplate too much on the matter.
Wisps of smoke trailed behind Aizen's path of descent, his body lying motionless on the ground as his charred skin gave off an unpleasant smell. Yet almost instantly after, Aizen seemed to get up and acted as if he had taken no damage at all.
However, Byakuya wasn't one to allow himself to lose the initiative. He left Rukia's side and charged forward.
If Aizen wouldn't draw his sword, then so be it.
"W-Wait Stop!"
Byakuya's expression hardened, ignoring all other noise as he focused on the enemy at hand.
Some sort of barrier appeared in front of him and Aizen, Aizen smiling mockingly on the other side.
This kind of barrier wouldn't work at all.
With a flourish of his hands, he sent a cascade of Senbonzakura's petals to thoroughly destroy the barrier which exploded and injured Aizen further.
This was when Byakuya paused. "Draw your sword Aizen," he said simply as he watched Aizen get up again.
Aizen was injured now. Cuts over his body, and the Byakurai Byakuya had shot into the man's chest still smoking.
"Indeed, perhaps I should," Aizen said, drawing forth Kyoka Suigetsu.
Based on Byakuya's memory, Aizen had a water-type Zanpakuto. Therefore, he expected it when torrents of water completely surrounded him.
Acting fast, Byakuya countered with a cyclone of rose petals that swirled violently around him to dissipate the water.
Thereafter, Senbonzakura once again appeared in Byakuya's hands before he charged towards Aizen.
Spouts of water like jet streams shot at his approach, but he swerved past them all by utilizing his proficiency in Flash Step.
The surroundings were reduced to rubble, the strength of the water Aizen was releasing boring holes into the ground and straight through the trees and nearby boulders.
Byakuya reached Aizen in a matter of seconds, locking blades with the man, he stared coldly as his strength overpowered Aizen's.
Sparks fell towards the ground in showers of heat and steel, creating shadows that casted themselves over Aizen's features.
Disengaging from the sword lock, Aizen used the moment to stab forward with his sword. It was fast, a movement that should have had pierced any other Captain, but himself. After all, one of the aspects he prided himself in was his speed.
He swerved just out of reach from Aizen's sword, and stabbed forward with his own, knowing the distinct feeling of his sword piercing through flesh. He had hit his mark.
Aizen's body seemed to fall limp, staring straight at Byakuya as blood dripped down the edge of Senbonzakura.
"It would seem as if I'd miscalculated," Aizen's voice sounded bitter.
Byakuya didn't respond. There was no need to when facing traitors of the Soul Society.
Yet, Aizen wasn't done talking. Instead, the man was insistent on it.
"Tell me then Kuchiki, did you not inform anyone else of this matter?"
A look of resignation appeared on Aizen's face, his brows furrowing as the man forced down a gag reflex caused by Senbonzakura still stabbed through his chest.
"I alone am enough," Byakuya said coolly, unwilling to admit that he had been too anxious after his discovery at the Central Forty-Six.
"So that's how it was indeed," Aizen said nodding his head despite the blood leaking from his mouth. "Unfortunately, then, Captain Kuchiki,"
Aizen gripped the flat of Senbonzakura and thrust himself further down its blade, such that he was now face to face with Byakuya.
"Our time is up."
The sound of shattering glass seemed to ring in Byakuya's head, before the world around him seemed to morph and twist; stripping away what he thought was reality and replacing it with a bone chilling horror scape.
Screams seemed to ring in his ears, but he could hardly care at this moment as the grip he had on his sword slackened entirely.
"R-Rukia!?" He exclaimed in shock and disbelief after seeing his own blade stabbed straight through the person he had vowed to protect. She was paling fast, numerous wounds on her body that he knew could have had only been caused by him.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
"…B-Brother, why?"
Rukia's mouth was still opening up and down, a look of shock and despair on her face that hurt more than any dagger or sword.
His hands stretched forward by instinct, catching her into his arms as her body lost its strength to stand.
That face.
That expression.
It was all too similar.
No, No. Not again, NO.
He could see her gasping for breath, could feel the warmth of her blood.
T-This wasn't possible. What the hell happened?!
It was at that moment that Byakuya finally took his eyes off of Rukia to glance around him.
The Ryoka, the one's that infiltrated the Seireitei at the same time as the hollows. They were scattered everywhere. Some were near him, and others were much farther, but it was the same scene for each of them. They lay there bleeding and unmoving, clearly in a state of unconsciousness or death.
A dull numbness seemed to take root within him before his gaze eventually settled on Kaien Shiba whose body was sprawled protectively over top his siblings. Out of the three Shiba's the most blood was coming from out of Kaien's own back.
The brother was beneath Kaien, and the sister at the very bottom.
Out of everyone, only Kukaku was barely awake, and even then, it was because her brothers had taken most of the injuries for her.
Still, she lay battered and wounded, and was completely unable to move. Bits of dirt and grime covered her body from head to toe, making it appear as if she had rolled in mud. Dried tears stained her face, and her gaze was still pointed in his direction, stunning him in what he saw.
Because in her eyes, was an untold fury.
Her mouth was opening and closing, rasping out a cracked voice that eventually exploded on him.
"Kuchiki, you BASTARD!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone