第21章: Bonds

"I'm sorry, please forgive me" Erza said bowing to Sōma. "Erza? Forgive what?" she asked "I've been lying to you" the red head said uncomfortably "what are you talking about? You're scaring me Erza" she said with concern "To tell you the truth, I am a shinigami and my assignment was to get Jin Kariya through you." Sōma was shocked saying "I don't believe you" before leaving a sad Erza. Sōma was blocked by Shiba and Abarai before she can leave "Kariya has asked us to keep you safe, in return for his cooperation" Shiba explained "I don't want to be protected by shinigami" Sōma said as she tries to go past them but Abarai blocked her way and she turned around "Erza, I'll forgive you under one condition, just leave me alone" Erza let out a deep sigh "lieutenant" she said looking at Shiba who nodded in response and gave way to Sōma as she ran away from them. Erza was so worried about her that even from afar she keeps looking after her. She knew she broke a friend's heart which made her realize that her job was never easy.

Erza brought the depressed Sōma to a safe house surrounded by shinigami and led her to her room and opened the door for her "come in" Erza invited her with a smile as she obeyed and looked around the room "It's just for three days. I'm sorry about this" Sōma just kept quiet and looked outside the window to see the well secured area and went back to her bed "I'm doing this for Kariya, so it's alright" then she laid down her bed pulling up the sheet to cover her.

One of the minor shinigami attacked the two other shinigami who were guarding the door to Sōma's room. He went inside and reached the bed and pulled the covers away from her to sees Shiba waiting for him. "So it's you" he said. The assassin didn't know that Sōma was with Erza and Abarai in a different place. Out of annoyance he revealed his real identity, he transformed from being a shinigami to a large creature that has six limbs, flame-patterned mask and a flock of tentacles on his back. Metastacia was a particularly cruel Hollow, taking joy in eating Shinigami. Shiba recognized him, he remembered that the same creature killed Miyako, his wife. "How many shinigami have you eaten?" he asked "I don't keep track of them" Metastacia answered boastfully "had you had any regrets eating anyone?" Shiba asked preparing for a fight "I have a heart and is filled with many regrets such as not eating your wife's head and torso" he said mocking Shiba with a sadistic grin.

Shiba attacked him, cutting off one of his tentacles but broke his zanpakutō. Even without it, Shiba continued to attack Metastacia, cutting off another of his tentacles."You are a decent fighter to be able to cut few of my tentacles even without a weapon" he said and laughed. He then uses his body fusion ability, launching his tentacles at him and overtaking Shiba's body as his Hollow body crumbles. Urahara felt Shiba's reiatsu slowly fading so he rushed to his aid finding Metastacia fully overtaken Shiba's body. He called out to him but he attacked Urahara and tried to eat him. Urahara attacked the hollow and said "I would find a way to separate Shiba's body from you" but Metastacia just laughed and said "Our fusion is permanent and that we will be joined forever". Realizing there was nothing he could do, Urahara resolved to cut Metastacia and Shiba's body in half killing both the hollow and Shiba.

Erza and Renji came running as soon as they heard the news "Is he alright?, where is he?" the red head asked Urahara who just stood there quiet "what happened?" Renji asked. "I killed him" he answered which left Renji speechless and Erza grabbed his collar and asked "How could you?" and started crying then Urahara told them the whole story "I want to see him" Erza said and went towards her lieutenant's dead body and mourned. Erza was crying silently while she held Shiba's lieutenant badge tightly. The grief surged with every expelled breath, always reaching higher peaks, never sufficiently soothed by her long intakes of the damp spring air. Her hazel eyes well up and tears streak down her face, her lips trembling until she bites them and throws back her shoulders, as her tears dry on her cheeks.The need for revenge was like a rat gnawing at her soul, relentless, unceasing, it could only be stopped by the cold steel of a rat trap, a trap she would devise herself. Her need for revenge was like an abscess on the skin of the soul that could only be cured by the cruel sharp steel point of revenge. Festering like a septic wound, and the only effective antibiotic is cold hard revenge. Savage. Spiteful. A dish best served cold. Unforgiving. Brutal. Callous. Satisfying. Empty. Pointless. Excessive. Mean spirited. But even though this was her thought she all know too well that revenge is not an answer so she vowed to herself to put a stop on this and will make sure her lieutenant gets his justice. "I swear, I promise" she whispered as she formed a fist with his badge in her palm.

Out of nowhere they are attacked by a group of hollows similar to what attacked them when they chased Kariya. Renji and Erza prepared to fight trying to protect and hide Sōma behind them. Erza unsheathed her zanpakutō "dance my blades, Yōtō Benizakura" and her katana shined in bright red as her reiatsu flowed towards it's blades she ran forward slashing the horde of hollows, with one strike it slashes everything and anything in it's direction which caught Renji in awe "so this is the famous Scarlet" he said to himself, for him the way she fights and wields her sword is like a fairy princess dancing around beautifully. "Howl, zabimaru" Renji commanded and his zanpakutō transforms into an even longer 6-part segmented blade; each segment is wider than the one preceding it from the hilt, with 2 pick-like protrusions on the front and back of each segment, with the ones on the front much longer than the ones on the back. He swayed it then the segments of Zabimaru grew in number almost without limit. The segments are connected by a stretchable thread, making Zabimaru more useful as a whip than an actual sword, eliminating multiple hollows at one attack just like Erza's. "Damn it, why are they countless?!?" he sighed as he strike again. "They are like horde of zombies, not reducing in number" Erza commented back. "Bakuhatsu Benizakura" Erza commanded.  Crimson flower buds appeared scattered in the air and when she swayed her sword they bloomed in bright scarlet blood like color, they glowed and moved in the air but instead of attaching themselves to the targets they remained scattered and moving in the air and once hollow comes in contact, it explodes putting down at least a hundred of them.

"Bankai: Sōō Zabimaru" Renji commanded. His sword takes on a more compact form that is predominately worn. On his right wrist, Renji gains a gauntlet resembling the top portion of a snake's skull, with a cowl of red fur surrounding its base. A long, bony tail composed of vertebra-like structures protrudes from the back of the skull, trails behind him and hangs around his waist like a loose sash. At will, Renji can extend a large blade from the snake's mouth. Renji also gains a large cowl of green fur that hangs down from his left shoulder. Additionally, he gains a pair of pauldrons that form an armored collar, as well as additional vertebral cords that hang down from his waist. He charges at the hollows killing more but it seems the fight was endless. He checked on Erza at the corner of his eyes "She never fails to amaze me" he thought. 

"Metsuryūken: Beruserion... Hyouen Ken" she commanded, then her sword was divided into the flame and ice dragon swords "Hyōma no Reiki" an ice dragon swept the area and froze everything "Karyū no Honō" a fire dragon burned all her enemies into ashes. "Kuso, why do they keep on coming, where are they from? It's exhausting!" she growled.

"Bankai: Shinku Ryūjin" she commanded. Renji was surprised to learn that the little Erza already had her Bankai activated and watched her in amazement. Her twin blades unified and changed into a giant grim reaper scythe and dragon like wings appeared behind her. The scythe is black in color and is adorned with red dragon head and wings as it's blade and dragon tail at it's base. She moved her weapon and about a hundred of the enemy vanished. "Death Scream" she commanded and the crimson dragon god scythe absorbed all the life force and reiatsu from her targets.

"Tenrin Sākuru Sōdo" swords circle around her "Dance, My Blades" she said, then the swords begin spinning rapidly around her and she sends them flying towards her opponents in a disc formation at first and upon impact the swords separate and fly in different directions dealing great damage killing the hollows. Renji continued to aid her in the fight thinking "Her bankai is scary and powerful yet amazing".

"This will finish this nonsense. Guran Shario!!!" she said then seven orbs connecting to a constellation like pattern appeared from the sky, each orb then releases a powerful light blast down on the opponent, forming the same pattern on the ground before exploding, bombarding an opponent with countless beams of light which destructive capabilities rival that of an actual meteor's. 

"Hah, finally!!!" Renji shouted while panting. As Erza breathes she scanned around to check for Sōma, but she can't find her anywhere. Her eyes widen in fear as her heart started to beat crazy fast and growled "Renji, where's is she?" and he came into realization "Fuck, I forgot about her!!!" he growled "Sōma's gone, she's missing, kuso!!!" Erza said in annoyance and worry that she may be in danger and blames herself for being so engaged in the fight that she was not able to protect her which is her mission. "We have to find her and get her back fast" she said. "Renji took her head and made it rest on his chest as he plays with her hair. "Don't worry, we'll get her back, I promise" he assured her then she looked at him and chuckled "You look nice when your hair is down... you actually look like me... we can be twins" she said and giggled as he blushes.

A motorcycle stopped in front of them. "Erza, are you alright?" the rider with the helmet asked "uhm yeah, we are" she answered "OK then hop in, we need to get Sōma back" he extended his hands for Erza then she looked at Renji before taking his hand and riding at the back. "Hey, red head, I'll take Erza, you go and get some help and follow us" he instructed then grabbed Erza's hand and made her wrap them around his waist. She nodded and smiled at Renji "I'll wait for you guys" she said and Renji nodded, the rider looked at her "ready?" he asked "I am, go for it Yuuta" she answered and rode off.