Ch-22: Midnight Rescuer

As the voice crackled with the command "Scatter Senbonzakura," the once-frozen ice layer shattered into a million pieces. Before me, Byakuya Kuchiki stood enveloped in a mesmerizing display of countless small, razor-sharp petals. It was a sight to behold, resembling a breathtaking shower of cherry blossoms, but I knew that these were not ordinary petals; they were fragments of his zanpakuto, Senbonzakura.

Senbonzakura's Shikai transformation was a testament to the true power of a zanpakuto's first release. Byakuya's reiatsu surged, and his abilities were magnified significantly. Each of the tiny petals possessed incredible cutting power, capable of slicing through almost anything that dared to challenge them.

This Shikai form allowed Byakuya to control and manipulate the Senbonzakura petals with precision, turning them into a formidable weapon. He could command them to swarm his opponents like a lethal storm or arrange them into intricate patterns to confuse and entrap his foes.

The beauty of Senbonzakura's Shikai was both captivating and deadly, making it a fearsome sight on the battlefield. As Byakuya stood there, surrounded by the swirling storm of petals, his presence alone was enough to send shivers down the spines of those who faced him.

I was really in a tight spot with Byakuya's deadly attack closing in. So, I thought, "Hey, why not try a random Bakudo?" I shouted, "Bakudo #15 Kansei!" But guess what? Nothing happened! Wait, something did happened, The blades of Senbonzakura just stopped in their tracks.

Byakuya's face went from 'I've got this' to 'What the heck just happened?' He looked super frustrated and demanded answers, like, "What's this technique? Why did I lost control from my own Zanpakuto? How do you even know about Bakudo?" He even gave Rukia the side-eye, probably wondering if she spilled the beans.

I was just as clueless as Byakuya, so I quickly read the description of Bakudo #15 Kansei to figure out why it worked like a charm. Man, talk about an unexpected twist!

<System >: Bakudo #15 Kansei: It allows the caster to control inanimate objects within a limited range for limited time. This works on both still and moving objects.

I couldn't believe my luck, seriously! So, this Bakudo #15 Kansei, it's all about having control over inanimate stuff within a limited area, right? I mean, it sounded like some crazy plot armor or something. And what's even crazier is that it gave me control over Byakuya's Senbonzakura. Like, really? Was this for real or some mix-up? 'Cause it felt like a Bankai-level power in the heat of battle, and that's just nuts!

I couldn't help but grin like crazy. I got into a battle stance and yelled, "Now taste my power! Scatter Senbonzakura!" The petal-like blades started moving and shot straight at Byakuya. Man, it felt awesome, like I had the perfect counter against him. He looked surprised and quickly dodged the blades, but they just kept coming after him.

Ichigo shouted, "Save Rukia!" and that snapped me back to reality. I'd completely forgotten about everyone else in the heat of the moment. But using these abilities was surprisingly easy. "Come on, just surround him! Go, my blades!"

Well, it seemed like my good luck had run out, and those blades just went rogue and fell to the ground. Ouch, does staying for two more minutes will kill the spell? Why ruin my good moment. But just as I was about to let out a complaint, Byakuya, probably realizing I was turning into a real threat, vanished.

Now, in the world of Bleach, when someone disappears, they usually come back to give you a surprise attack. So, quick as a flash, I did a 180-degree turn and yelled out my ultimate move: "Hado HYDRA!" It was like a barrage of spells gushing from my hand, but they hit a dead end. Byakuya had already karate-chopped me, rendering me completely immobile, and then he dropped this bombshell: "Was that a Cero? You're way too dangerous for the human world."

I guess I should've expected that.

And just like that, Byakuya disappeared yet again, only to reappear right behind Renji, who had just managed to break free from my spell. Well, I guess my little fiery surprise was going to haunt his dreams for a while, along with his questionable taste in fashion.

As I braced myself to endure the inevitable pain, something unexpected happened. They left, taking Rukia with them. Ichigo and I couldn't help but yell together, "Rukia!" She knew she had no choice, or her overbearing brother would probably kill us all without mercy.

Her eyes held a mix of emotions as she glanced at Ichigo, but then her gaze fell on me. I couldn't help but think, "Seriously? You get kidnapped, and now you're giving me that look, like I'm some kind of clown who just tried to save your life? Do I get a 'thank you' or at least a nod of appreciation? No? Okay then." Sheesh, tough crowd.

Well, there we were, lying on the ground, me all paralyzed and Ichigo with his zanpakuto in pieces. He started grumbling, "Why didn't you save her first?"

I shot back, "Hey, you were down on the ground first, buddy. I did try, you know. Got pretty close, too."

Ichigo let out a heavy sigh and wondered aloud, "What should we do now?"

I had this feeling that someone would come to our rescue, or at least I hoped so.

An hour later, I realized maybe I'd put too much faith in Urahara. Here we were, Ichigo looking like a mess went to sleep peacefully, in the middle of a road at midnight, and me stuck in paralysis. Guess those main character powers were taking their sweet time to kick in.

But suddenly, it felt like my prayers had been answered when a voice echoed in. "They really did a number on you, Ichigo, and what are You doing here Ridhiro?" and it was Uryu.

I couldn't help but quip, "And what brings YOU here at this hour, Uryu? Planning to steal our purses in the middle of all this?" I chuckled, "Go ahead, take'em. I've got a whopping 2 yen in there, and it's an old note too!"

Ishida shot me an angry look, which just made me laugh even more.