第24章: Dragon vs Shinigami

"Erza! Oi Erza wait up!" Said the red haired male running to catch up to the red haired female who walked so fast and not looking back, so he grabbed her shoulder to make her stop and face him. "I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to piss you off" Erza just nodded "so what's the mission?" She asked waiting impatiently arms crossed one foot tapping the ground. "We just need to gather Intel without being discovered as shinigami" he explained. "Undercover again?" She sighed "yeah, we will head to one of the laboratories that Seireitei uses for experiments, they suspect activities being done there that links to the recent attacks" he added. "Alright, let's get going then" she concluded. "We'll leave two days from today, meet at the Shuwaimon (Southern Red Hollow Gate) at dawn" he said and she nodded.

Renji took her hand "we need to go and get some change of clothing for our disguise first, we can't go wearing our uniforms" he said taking her into the 6th division office thinking "besides your shihakusho is too short, your thighs are damn attention seeker" and smirked. "Sit here and wait, I'll go get some clothes" he instructed her. So Erza took a chair from a table set that looks like a conference room and waited quietly. Renji came back after few minutes with a neatly folded fabric and handed it to her. "Here, wear this before we leave for the mission, see you then" he said and smiled. Erza took it and smiled back, went to the door and stopped and looked back "thank you Renji" and left to go back to division 13. His heart raced again, he wanted her, deep down he's trying his best not to show her how he feels around her, he becomes unusually nervous and proper, his arrogance is replaced by gentleness and weird enough even the way he say things becomes different, he shakes his head and laughed as he realized what she's doing to him.

She knocked on the door and went in "Good morning Ukitake Taichō, may I have a minute?" She asked the white haired captain seated behind the huge desk working on a pile of paper work. "Sure my dear, have a seat, what can I help you with?" He asked gently. "I'm going on a mission in two days with Renji Abarai, I thought it's a good way to get my mind off what happened" she said sadly. He nodded in agreement "walk with me Erza" he invited reached out his hand to help her stand, he held her hand fingers wrapped together as they walk outside towards his spot on the pond. "Lieutenant Shiba will not be happy to see you like that" he said squeezing her hand. "I know and I'm sorry Taichō" she answered squeezing his hand back, somehow he liked how her hand fits his perfectly and how warm it made him feel. He raised their interlocked hands and placed it close to his face and kissed the top of her hand without letting go, he took the other and gently placed it on his cheeks and kissed her palm.

She felt warmth and electricity which heated her cheeks. "Taichō" she squealed with her red face and pulled her hands back. Ukitake just smiled in return, leaned a little closer and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Follow me" he instructed as he lead the way. She stood there frozen for a moment touching the part that was moisten with his kiss. "Come on Erza, let me train you before you join Renji on his mission, show me what you can do" he said smiling "hai, Taichō" she answered running towards him. Ukitake stopped at the barracks training area, a wide open field. He pulled and unsheated his zanpakutō and pointed at Erza "do not hold back, fight me with all your might, if you manage to scratch me then I'll let you join the mission" he said smiling. Erza closed her eyes, smiled back and nodded. "You clearly do not know me, I'm Titania, and I will show you no mercy" she said smirking as she unsheates her zanpakutō. "I like your confidence, it suits you well" he commented. "There will be no rules in this battle, you can use anything to defeat me" he added but deep within his thoughts what he really meant was different. Erza was the first to attack as he parries and defends in his mind he says "Erza I have watched you from the day you were born as the soul king tasked me to keep you safe from your brother. He gave me his right hand and hosted mimihagi but I have fallen for your grace, wit, beauty and heart. It is my decision to erase your memory of your magic and it is now my responsibility to make you remember.  I am willing to die for you my queen, not because it is my mission but because I loved you".

Erza stopped attacking. "What's wrong Taichō? You're the one holding back" she said in annoyance "are you looking down on me?" Ukitake scratch the back of his head. "I'm sorry just got lost in my thoughts, let's start again" he said charging towards her as she turns to dodge and parry. The purpose of Ukitake is to test Erza to her limits and force her to use magic so he used a binding spell that won't let her use her reiatsu. "Impressive even without your zanpakutō and reiatsu you can match me on a combat but that going to exhaust your body, why don't you try and dispell that bakudō or you won't be able to join the mission" he teased and left her but kept an eye on her from afar coughing out blood. Erza tried her best to get free from the spell but is having difficulty,then she relaxed and sat down to meditate,she thought if she can't use reiatsu and her body is fatigued she should be able to use something else, then she remembered that she used magic before but can't remember how to wield it. She concentrated all her energy into her core, red light started to glow around her and she broke through by regaining control of her reiatsu. She stood up and nodded as she smiled in victory. "She is good, I need to find a way to bring her magic back, it might come in handy" Ukitake whispered.

"Oi Erza, what took you so long?" Renji greeted. Erza stood frozen as she looked at the red head male and blinked a few times. He was wearing a white yukata with red sakura flowers prints, a black obi and pants, geta and his hair laid down and his tattoos covered up. "Hey is something on my face?" He teased which made her blush and ignores him "let's go" is all she said walking past him. "You look like you know where we're going" he commented which made her stop walking "then lead the way" she answered,he walked a little past her stopped and looked back "You really look good today, stay close to me, I get jealous easily" then he took her hand and walked side by side. Erza's face twitched in annoyance but decided to keep quiet not to ruin the mission. She had her hair ties up in a messy loose bun ornamented with flowers and she wears a black traditional royal kimono with gold dragon prints held together by a white obi and red fabric hanging down.

It only took them a short walk to reach a village. People looked at the two, the fangirls giggles whenever Renji looks at their direction and the fanboys look at Erza as if she is a goddess that they worship. Renji out of jelousy placed his arms around Erza's waist and pulled her closer, his actions clearly declares that no one is allowed to have her as he sees at the men. "Renji, what's wrong with you? We shouldn't attract attention remember?" She whispers as she nudges his side. "I just don't like the way they look at you" he whispered back "you're the one to talk" she teased and he blushed. They reached past the village and followed an old track towards the forest. It led them to a cave like opening and decided to go in "this sure is interesting" Erza commented as she pulled away from his arms. Renji sighed, he wished he could hold on to her longer. She examines the path and reached a door. She pushed it gently and it opened. They reached an old abandoned laboratory. "Are you sure about the Intel? This place looks like it hasn't been used in a while" she asked the man "yeah, it's weird, maybe the report is incorrect" he answered, "well since we're already here why don't we look around and try to find anything useful" Erza suggested as she scans around and dusts a few things as Renji does the same picking random stuff. Erza found an old photograph framed on top of one of the tables, she dusts it off and wiped it clean to reveal Kisuke Urahara and Sōsuke Aizen working and laughing together. She took the photo from the frame and placed it in her pocket.

"Renji, do you feel that?" She ask all of a sudden. "Yeah, it is a nasty energy" he answered. "It's no reiatsu, it's done else" she said worried. "I wonder what that is" he added. Erza closed her eyes and tries to feel it "it's from Gotei 13, Ukitake Taichō is fighting this source of..." She was silent "Erza?" Renji tries to encourage her to continue "I felt this before, I'm not sure what it is but it feels familiar"she continued. "What ever it is we need to get back and help" Renji suggested "I think it's magic" Erza whispered loud enough for him to hear. "Let's go" he instructed and Erza followed as she becomes worried about the white haired captain as she feels his reiatsu getting weaker "we need to hurry, Ukitake Taichō's reiatsu is fading" she said with a shaky voice "Erza, everything will be alright, don't worry too much, Ukitake is one of the oldest Shinigami and his experience and abilities are legend" he said trying to calm her as they jump from one tree to another, run over the roof and jump from one place to another "I promised that I won't let anyone, any of my friends die" she growled.

From a distance they can see Seireitei and a huge winged creature. The upper half of his body is covered in pitch black, round scales which have a blue spiraling muster on it.The upper part of his body has a grey color and appears to be smoother,his eyes are white and beady and at the end of his head are 4 (two on each side) large, elongated paltes directing backwards, his mouth is filled with of rather large, sharp teeth and his chin is has a protrusion in the shape of an arrow, his wings look more feathery than that of a reptile or bat. Erza's eyes widened "it's a dragon!!!" She screamed and ran towards it. "Metsuryūken: Beruserion" she shouted as she unsheates her zanpakutō (Dragon-Slaying Blade: Belserion ) "Hyouen Ken" she added getting ready to face the dragon but worried that she can no longer feel Ukitake's reiatsu (Twin blades: Fire and Ice swords).

She jumped in front of the dragon and found countless unconscious Shinigami scattered around. She looked around to look for her captain in fear of loosing another comrade. She slashed the dragon managing to do a small cut. "Kuso, it looks like reiatsu won't do him any harm" she growled. The dragon gathered and formed a huge orb of magic power from its mouth and fired it towards her, she crossed her arms in front of her above her head to brace for the attack but it didn't hit her. When she looked she found her captain in front of her taking the hit, as the light disappears, she watched him slowly fall down to the ground gashing out blood and covered with burns, a loud thud hit the floor and there he lies not moving.