Zangetsu (2)
10 advanced chapters on my Patreon: Fiction Haven
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On the other part of Seireitei, a young Quincy named Ishida Uryū, stared at the picture near his feet. The picture displayed the bloody head of an elderly man he was familiar with: Ishida Sōken, his grandfather. Rage bubbled inside him, making him grit his teeth. Looking up to see the one who had tossed the picture, he used the technique that was almost forgotten by Quincy, Ransōtengai.
Tens of Reishi strings attached to his body, controlling it as if he were a marionette. His paralyzed body moved, allowing him to stand up. The man who had reduced him to such a state watched in intrigue. It was his first time looking at the lost technique in use. Even in the past, only elderly Quincy used it to help them fight more effectively.
"Maybe, it is fate that leads us to meet. The man you experimented on happened to be my grandfather," Uryū said with an anger-laced tone. "I swear on my Quincy pride, I will kill you to avenge my grandfather. You will regret ever doing that to him!"
The mad scientist who also happened to be a Shinigami, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, scoffed in disdain. "That was quite a bold statement coming from an extinct species."
"I am sorry, grandfather. I am going to break my promise again," Uryū muttered to himself, ignoring Mayuri completely.
Uryū removed the Sanrei Glove he was wearing, allowing him to use Quincy's ultimate technique, Letzt Stil. Mayuri was stunned to silence the moment he watched the structures in the surroundings converted into Reishi before being absorbed by Uryū. A wing made of blue flame appeared behind him, getting bigger the more Reishi he absorbed.
When Mayuri realized Uryū was bending Reishi to his will, Uryū quickly fired a Heilig Pfeil at him. He narrowly avoided it. Cursing in irritation, he was shocked to find Uryū above him, firing another Heilig Pfeil. He couldn't dodge this time, causing him to lose an arm. Not wanting to back down because of his pride, he extended his Zanpakutō to the side.
"Bankai: Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō!"
A gigantic baby with a golden head and the body of a caterpillar materialized above Mayuri. The said baby had a silver halo above its head and a red cape covering the upper part of its body. As it opened its mouth, purple poisonous gas came out of it. Mayuri ordered it to charge at Uryū, prompting it to reveal the blades on its chest before charging.
Uryū gathered as much Reishi as he could to his Heilig Bogen and then fired his last Heilig Pfeil. As he let go of the arrow, it immediately collided with the golden-headed baby.
Boom!
The air exploded, kicking up dust. When the dust cleared up, Uryū was greeted by the bisected Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō and Mayuri with a large hole in his torso. A victorious smile appeared on Uryū's face as he looked at the disbelieving Shinigami. His heart sank when his bowstring snapped, but he ignored it in favor of watching Mayuri out.
"Unbelievable! To think that I got defeated by an extinct species!"
Uryū wanted to shoot another Heilig Pfeil at Mayuri but couldn't. Just like what his grandfather had said, Letzt Stil gave him immense power for a brief moment in return for losing his ability as a Quincy. He could feel his power dwindle the more the second passed, making it harder to maintain Ransōtengai which allowed his body to stand.
"I am out of this!"
Surprising the young Quincy, Mayuri stabbed his neck. He turned into a green liquid, seeping through the ground and thus escaping the battlefield safely. A part of Uryū was irked that Mayuri could escape alive, but the other part was relieved to see him go. He no longer possessed any power to contend against Mayuri.
As his body was about to crumble because of the poison he had breathed in, the artificial soul whom he thought had died sprang up. She patted her Shihakushō a couple of times before tossing him something that she took under her badge.
"It's the antidote to the poison. This is a payment to let Captain Mayuri live."
Uryū looked at the antidote in his hand silently before downing it. The artificial soul, Kurotsuchi Nemu as she was named, was already gone by the time the antidote took effect.
"I didn't spare him. I just didn't have enough," Uryū muttered to himself.
Sighing as he regained his control over his body, Uryū headed to the Senzaikyū compound. Upon arriving there, a sense of foreboding overwhelmed him. He stopped in his tracks and looked around. He soon found someone walking to him, obscured by the mist covering some part of the compound.
When the man came out of the mist, he didn't waste any second to unsheathe his Zanpakutō. Uryū grimaced but readied himself to get into another battle.
"Howl, Suzumushi."
The moment the Shinigami released his Zanpakutō, Uryū's ears were assaulted by a high-pitched noise that shook his consciousness. His eyes widened in disbelief before falling unconscious. The next time he woke up, he found himself in a cell, alive and treated. His attention was soon taken away by the other residents of the cell.
"Yo, Four Eyes. Good to know that you are alive."
"Yasutora-san," he greeted the dark-skinned male, ignoring Ganju who greeted him first.
"Ishida-san," Yasutora Sado, better known as Chad, greeted back.
"Oy, bastard! Are you just going to ignore me like that!?" Ganju cried out indignantly.
Uryū sighed before acknowledging Ganju. He asked why they were there and Ganju revealed that they were the primary suspects of the recently killed Captain, Aizen Sōsuke. Uryū was glad that he was still alive, but the development made his head throb. They discussed what they should do next before deciding it was best to wait for Ichigo.
"That Shinigami from the Thirteenth Division knocked me unconscious before being brought, so I don't know where Ichigo went. You can rest assured, though. He is strong. There is a rumor circulating, stating that he won against that stuck-up Kuchiki," Ganju recounted.
"Do you mean Kuchiki Byakuya?" Uryū inquired in surprise, getting a nod from Ganju.
He heaved a sigh of relief. Given his friend's capability, escaping Soul Society with Rukia wouldn't be an issue. However, he couldn't bring himself to relax. He had a bad premonition and it turned out to be true. Rukia's execution date was fast-forwarded. The next morning, Inoue Orihime came to release them with the help of Zaraki Kenpachi and his lieutenant, Kusajishi Yachiru. Frantically, they ran to Senzaikyū.
…
Escorted out of Senzaikyū to Sōkyoku Hill, Rukia stopped in her tracks when Ichimaru Gin, the Captain of the Third Division, stood in her way. Her escorts bowed their heads politely, not daring to look at Gin in his eyes.
"Ichimaru Gin," she called out.
"Mou… that is impolite, Kuchiki-san. It's Captain Ichimaru, you know?" Gin smiled creepily, unnerving Rukia and her escort. He walked to Rukia, ignoring the escort's warning completely. Leaning down, he whispered, "I can save you; you know? Not only you but also your friends. What about it? Do you accept?"
Rukia looked at Gin's face and couldn't detect any hint of deceit. Hope lit up in her chest as she concluded Gin might be serious.
"Gotcha! I was just—"
"I have to refuse."
"Huh?"
At the bewildered look Gin shot her, Rukia explained, "If anyone is here to save me. That person will be Ichigo."
Stunned by Rukia's words, Gin remained unmoving even after she walked past him. When he regained his bearing, he reminded himself that even if he didn't have fun, he could confirm that Hōgyoku was still in Kuchiki Rukia.
Upon reaching the hill, Rukia was left alone on the execution scaffold, bound by the seals that kept her where she belonged. Byakuya was among the audience, but he didn't even glance at her. She didn't mind. She looked at the First Division's Captain, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, who asked her if she had any last words.
"The Ryoka don't know what they are doing. I hope that they are pardoned from their sin and be allowed to return to the human world."
"You have my words."
Bang!
As soon as Yamamoto slammed his staff to the ground, the Kidō Corps lifted her off the ground using their spell. She could tell that Yamamoto was lying, but she didn't mind. She was sure her friends would be just fine. It might be because she regarded her friends highly or because of Ichigo's reassuring back. Despite the situation she found herself in, she strangely felt everything would be all right.
Shriek!
Sōkyoku turned into Kikōō, its true form. The naginata had turned into a bird made out of fire—a Phoenix. She could feel the heat that it was radiating. She knew her soul would be destroyed upon contact. Despite so, she was in peace. She closed her eyes, accepting her fate while thanking everyone who had let her experience joy.
Rukia could feel Kikōō hurtling toward her. Therefore, when she couldn't feel anything after a few seconds, she opened her eyes in curiosity. Her eyes widened in shock when she found someone standing before Kikōō, nonchalantly stopping it in its tracks. She looked at the long-haired Shinigami from top to bottom before calling out his name.
"Ichigo?"
"You forgot me already?"
The smirk she received both assured and irritated her.