26 Unohana's Guilt and Esteban's Wrath
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Esteban's eyes were aflame with a chaotic mix of emotions. He held Unohana's gaze, feeling the powerful spiritual pressure she emanated. He knew he needed to make a strategic withdrawal.
He was pretty injured from the onslaught, and if any more Captain Class Soul Reapers arrived on the scene, for who knows why, he would be significantly outmatched. It wasn't an admission of defeat, merely an acknowledgment that he would live to fight another day.
Esteban's eyes narrowed, his gaze turning into gray voids. There was a heavy finality in his demeanor that couldn't be missed, "Entropy Touch!", He announced, his voice echoing with a terrifying intensity that made the surrounding chaos seem like a whisper.
Caught in the throes of her onslaught, Unohana barely had time to register the foreboding shift in Esteban's spiritual pressure. As she swung Minazuki towards him, a profound sense of decay abruptly invaded her senses.
Her weapon, once gleaming with lethal intent, was now rusting and disintegrating before her eyes. The debilitating fatigue that accompanied this effect was not one of ordinary physical strain, but rather a profound disorder and breakdown at a spiritual level.
"Your power... It accelerates entropy levels of all systems...", She managed to say, her usually steady voice edged with surprise and strain. Her movements had turned sluggish, her body fighting against the sudden increase in disorder.
"Yes, I can bring everything towards its ultimate end and ultimately destroy any kind of order that exists in the universe.", Exerting his power to its fullest, Esteban fixed his gaze on Unohana, every ounce of his focus directed at her.
His abilities took a toll on him, draining him, but the more formidable the target, the greater the expenditure of energy and focus required. Unohana, as a seasoned and powerful Captain, was indeed a formidable target.
He brought his hands together, a sudden shift in the air signaling the deactivation of his Chaos Field, a strategic move to conserve his dwindling energy. And then he thrust his hands forward, the words "Terremoto de Entropia," tumbling out in a guttural growl.
As Unohana was still reeling from the power of his Entropy Touch, Esteban, taking advantage of her distraction, began gathering the chaotic energy of entropy in his fists.
His hands glowed with hauntingly beautiful white energy, his own version of death embodied in his fists. His energy reserves were dwindling, yet he needed to launch one final attack to give the time needed for him to escape.
Taking a deep, ragged breath, he called out, "Terremoto de Entropia," and launched himself at Unohana, his arm arcing out in a devastating punch.
Instead of physical harm, the punch unleashed a shockwave of chaotic energy which disrupted the very fabric of existence. The entropy quake radiated from his fist, rippling out in a forceful wave.
Unohana, caught off guard by the sudden melee attack, was thrown backward by the sheer force of the hit. Her movements slowed down even further, the world around her collapsing and decaying unnaturally.
The spiritual pressure she was exerting flickered and became unstable, as if she too were being pulled into the pit of decay by his entropy quake.
Unlike the precise, concentrated effects of his Entropy Touch, this quake was raw and uncontrolled, a wide-ranging destructive force.
It was a less taxing move, but it held the same potential for ruin, focusing less on enhancing entropy in a single target and causing havoc in a broader area.
Unohana was thrown back by the sheer force of the entropy quake. The rapid decay of her surroundings was mirrored in her spiritual pressure, which flickered and waned as if being dragged into the abyss of decay by his entropy quake.
With the battle temporarily halted, Esteban took advantage of the quiet, albeit fleeting moment. He was panting heavily, the taxing struggle against the formidable Unohana consuming an alarming amount of his spiritual energy.
His instincts kicked in, and with a swift decision, he activated his Sonido. The raw speed and precision of the technique transformed him into a blur against the tumultuous backdrop of the battlefield.
In an instant, he had traversed the scarred battleground, reaching Aura who had been flung back into the ocean's depths from the blow delivered by Ukitake's powered-up strike.
Without hesitation, he reached out, carefully scooping her up in his arms. Despite the raging battle and his exhaustion, he held her with almost gentle ease, mindful of the harm she had suffered,
"Don't worry, we'll tactically retreat for now, but you did really well against them! You are on par with the two highest-ranking Soul Repear Captains and you should be proud. They were prepared to even forsake their lives in order to deal with you!",
With the battlefield growing ominously quiet and the Soul Reaper Captains rallying, Esteban knew that their window of opportunity was rapidly closing. His resolve solidified, and with a swift hand gesture, he opened the Garganta.
As he stepped into the swirling void of the Garganta, the battlefield behind him remained eerily silent. Esteban held Aura close, the protective edge to his gaze never wavering as they disappeared into the Garganta. The inter-dimensional portal closed, leaving behind a scarred battlefield and a tense silence.
As he teetered on the edge of the Garganta, Esteban paused, his figure silhouetted against the swirling void. His gaze swept across the battlefield, catching the stunned expressions of the three Captains, who now came together, the shock in their eyes giving him a moment's satisfaction.
Then, with a throaty growl that morphed into a roar, his voice echoed out across the battlefield, a sound as fierce and untamed as the man himself, "This ain't over, Soul Society!", He declared, his words laden with a guttural wrath that reverberated through the air, sending an ice-cold chill down the spines of those who heard him.
"I'll remember this day, every last damn detail of it.", He continued, a ferocious promise coloring his tone, "You attacked me for no reason, and for that, I'll come back for you, and I won't stop until I've burned your Soul Society to the ground! I'm a being above you people!"
His words hung in the air like a dire prophecy, the promise of an unyielding vendetta. And then, with Aura cradled securely in his arms, Esteban stepped into the void, disappearing into the swirling darkness of the Garganta.
The portal closed behind him, leaving a scarred and silent battlefield in its wake. All that remained was the fading echo of his vengeful promise, a testament to a battle far from over.
The three captains - Unohana, Ukitake, and Kyoraku - surveyed the battleground, the disturbed sea below, reflecting the intensity of the battle they'd just experienced.
Unohana was the first to break the silence, "That hollow's threats can't be taken lightly...", She said, her eyes narrowing at the recollection of the hollow's savage growl and their battle.
Ukitake, ever calm and analytical, hummed in agreement, "He was much more formidable than we'd anticipated, and we were unprepared for the addition of that Fullbring girl. That miscalculation led to our failure today."
Kyoraku, under the shade of his straw hat, nodded, "We went in with the information we had, but it was insufficient. We underestimated them. If not for her, we might have been able to deal with him."
There was a pause as each captain considered their failure, their missed opportunity to eliminate a significant threat, "We were selected for this mission by Old Man Yamamoto on the orders of the Central 46...", Ukitake added, his tone somber, "They believed us to be the most suitable and capable to handle this threat. But we failed."
Unohana's gaze grew harsher, her Kenpachi persona embodying the severity of their situation, "This is no time for excuses...", She declared, her voice resonating across the desolate battlefield,
"The world has grown unpredictable, and the disturbances within the Soul Society require all Captains to step up. Even I had to revert to my Kenpachi form after centuries. Yet, we failed."
Though they had stumbled, their resolve was stronger than ever. They knew the threat the hollow and his Fullbring ally posed was still out there, looming over them. Their miscalculation had cost them this battle, but they were prepared to face whatever came next. With renewed determination, they would stand ready to face their foes once again.
Unohana's gaze was distant, her mind whirling with the echoes of the fierce clash she had just experienced. There was a particular guilt, she found, in finding pleasure in something so dire.
The thrill of the battle, the rush of adrenaline, the satisfaction that comes with matching blow for blow against an opponent worthy of her, was all too intoxicating. Her lips thinned at the realization. She was supposed to be a healer, not a warrior.
Her Reiryoku was still stirring within her, a strange feeling of unrest settling over her being. It was in turmoil, attempting to regain equilibrium after the chaotic influx from the Hollow's entropic assault. It was a sensation she hadn't experienced in a long while; it was thrilling, it was... disconcerting.
And then, an image flashed before her eyes: a young, wild-eyed Zaraki, brimming with potential and unrefined power. His thirst for a fair battle, his instinctive self-restraint to prolong the joy of combat, everything was so eerily similar to what she was feeling now. She had to suppress a sigh.
Zaraki had changed his path because of her, subconsciously sealing his power to ensure that he could continue to enjoy their future battles. The weight of the guilt felt heavier now, a silent admonishment of her previous indulgence. She had, in her own twisted way, stunted the most promising Shinigami Soul Society had seen in centuries.
That was the very reason she had left her Kenpachi persona behind all those years ago. She had chosen to suppress her lust for battle, to refocus her energies on healing and supporting others.
Yet, now, here she was, thrilling in the aftermath of a battle, the echoes of her past threatening to shatter the carefully cultivated peace she had built. It was a harsh reminder of the duality she carried within herself and a realization that despite her attempts, she was still far from escaping her true nature,
'I am Yachiru Unohana, a healer, a peacemaker. Yet, the blood of Kenpachi still courses through my veins. Am I truly so torn?', A sigh escaped her lips, barely audible, 'And Zaraki... because of me, your potential... How can I find joy in battle knowing what it has cost you?'
