第25章: The Scarlet Reaper Awakens
She stood there body getting numb and getting harder to move almost freezing like in a state of rigor mortis, almost crying out in frustration.The darkness enveloped her with its cold embrace and she cringed away from its icy touch, though it drew her in tighter with every movement. Everything and nothing folded into her, constricted her lungs until she was gasping with dizziness and an urge to vomit. She held her head in her hands, trying to tear into her skull with hysteria and everything caught up with her and she was falling, falling into the abyss. "No, no, no, not again. I promised. I promised I won't let anybody die." she said holding back her tears as she walks slowly towards her captain, she knelt and leaned forward and held him in her arms, tears started falling from her eyes.
"Erza, don't cry. I'm a dead man a long time ago. When Mimihagi saved my life when I was three years old, he took away my lungs." he said touching her face, wiping the tears with his thumb. He stood up coughing out blood as his robes fell to reveal the Kamikake "Taichō, you back" Erza said in utter surprise "Oh, this is Kamikake, a symbol of Divine Possession or vow, since I host the Mimihagi. It is a ritual that an individual who has had part of their body taken by Mimihagi can perform by sacrificing the rest of their body and their life in exchange for becoming the vessel for Mimihagi in the role of the right hand of the Soul King." He explained and smiled at the red head and faced the dragon.A shadow spread across his entire body before stretching toward the sky in the shape of a hand.Darkness erupts from his orifices to form the hand before Ukitake draw his sword and started enchanting "Mimihagi-kami. Mimihagi-kami. Onmi no chikara o hiraki tamae. Waga fu ni uzumeshi onmi no chikara o waga fu o mihanashi hiraki tamae."
"Took you long enough to release the Mimihagi" said a tall man with a long face, broad chin, and pronounced cheekbones. He has long black hair, which reaches to his lower back, and reddish-brown eyes with thin eyebrows. He has well-kept mutton chops and a connected mustache, but is otherwise clean-shaven. He wears a white, double-breasted trench coat, which has the Wandenreich symbol on the middle, with large buttoned cuffs and lapels, white trousers, and trench boots.Over this, he wears a tattered, ankle-length maroon-black cloak, which has a red ribbon near the neck and is fastened to the left with a single large button. "I see, my sister is alive" he said with a menacing tone and a sly smirk then began absorbing the Mimihagi that caused tremendous pain on Ukitake as he screamed and the shadow emanating from Ukitake's mouth is pulled into the sky, leaving Ukitake to collapse to the ground and Yhwach disappeared after saying "I'll deal with you later my dear sister". The dragon grabbed one of the shinigami with his teeth and split him in half, slinging the body out of the area. The roar brought her awake and snap back to the present with a surge of adrenaline hitting her system. The dragon let out a breath- that hurricane force winds didn't rip open the building. The sound embodied rage, a promise of death coming swiftly. Her brain registered all this as she burst off and ran towards him. The dragon gathered another orb like energy that transformed into fire. The flames roared up and wreathed. A black smoke swirled in the air. Its streaming scales kindled, and blazed behind. In its mouth was a blade like a stabbing tongue of fire and it aimed towards her but when he saw the dragon attacks he gathered all his remaining strength, hugged her to cover her from the dragons attack.
Her eyes widen in shock when she realized what just happened, she moved her head slowly to check on the weak man hanging on her shoulders, his arms hanging down and he is coughing out blood "Tai-chō..." she said in a low whisper but he did not respond.The nausea swirled unrestrained in her empty stomach. Her head swam with half-formed regrets. Her heart felt as if her blood had become tar as it struggled to keep a steady beat. Her melancholy mood hung over her like a black cloud, raining sorrow down on her. "Erza" he coughed again, his heart beat going slower and his voice becoming weak "I love you" and just like that he let out his final breath and closed his eyes, his body becoming cold and stiff. She held him in her arms, she wrapped her arms around her tightly, her tears and throat dried up. Her heartache was was like a wolf eating at her chest, tearing it's way to her trembling heart. It threatened to devour her, eat her whole and leave nothing behind. The heartache was like a red hot coal placed in her chest, it glowed and burnt her at the same time, It rung her out until she was dry inside, no more tears would come. Her insides still felt as raw as if a winter wind was blowing right through her skin.
In her intense silence she somehow screamed with her whole body. The eyes wide with horror, the mouth rigid and open, her chalky face gaunt and immobile, the fists clenched with blanched knuckles and the nails digging deeply into the palms of her hand. There is a scream from deep within that forces its way from her mouth, it is as if her terrified soul has unleashed a demon. All she feel is anger, her these fists clench and her teeth lock up once the sound is out.It was the kind of scream that makes your blood run cold. It pierces the brain and ignites some primeval pathway. Adrenaline surges through her veins, fight, stand and be a hero. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" she screamed. Her head tilted up towards the sky, her eyes shut close. A glowing red energy force emits from within her as it surrounds her like a magical aura. It gets stronger, bigger an scarier. The area was enveloped by darkness and the only source of light was her, the radiant red magical beam of light accompanied by strong winds that blows everything fragile and a force that cracks the ground and made rubble fly around. Anything that touches the energy force is vaporized. It was unlike any other reiatsu, it was not just a spiritual pressure. It is a mix of reiatsu and magic. She laid him carefully on the ground and kissed his forehead. Stood up and walked. A dragon like wings appeared and stretched from her back. Her zanpakutō transformed into her bankai a scythe adorned with dragon powers. Dragon like scales appeared on some part of her body and monster-like horns appeared on her head. Her ears extended like that of a fairy elf. Her clothes was a short black dress designed and is covered in golden armor.
She walks slowly towards the dragon. It tried to attack her but she just deflected it away and destroyed the building where it landed. It attacked again and she deflected the same. Her force is so strong that even in a far distance, her aura pushed the dragon backwards. It tried to escapee and flew but she stopped it by holding on to its tail. It is pulling away but she manages to keep it without moving a single inch. She pulled it by it's tail and landed a huge blow on its face ans sent the dragon flying then tumbling on the ground. She jumped in front of it and ripped its wings apart using her bare hands. It tried to eat her but she held its mouth open removing its fangs with just a flick of her finger. She flapped her wings and flew above the dark sky and lifter her scythe then sliced the dragon in half as a pool of blood showered over her and the dead body dropped on top of her as she supported its weight by stretching her arms up and threw it aside. She started an incantation "Karete suitai shi, kono unmei o owara se, korera no chijō no kusari o tachikiri, seishin o kaihō shite kudasai. Hōkai enchanto: Shi" then the dragon started to decay, whither, crumble and disappear as if nothing happened. She then floats in the air and the darkness faded and her Dragon wings changed into that of an angel's and her scythe into a sword ornamented with wings. her clothes changed into white short flowy fairy dress as she glowed into a bright golden white light. "Hana, kirakira to kagayaki, anata no chikara o kagayaka se, tokei o gyaku ni shi, kizutsuita mono o iyashi, unmei no dezain o kae, ushinawa reta mono o hozon shi, katsute no jōtai ni modoshimasu. Hīringuenchanto: Kaifuku!" a green magical energy scattered through the area and the injured men. Everything it touches was restored to its original form and those who were hurt was healed. When everything is saved and taken cared of, she then went back to her regular form.
Streaming tears cleansed her red cheeks. Few droplets remained, forgetting their way as the path was swept from beneath them, consequently blurring Erza's vision with waves of sadness only the broken encounter. The salty release calmly flowed into her mouth so that she could taste her own sorrow.
Bitter. Unforgiving. Pain.
Then she started to remember. His smile. His voice. Memories flooding back into her head. The gentle, loving man that exited her life so abruptly leaving her so vulnerable and lonely. The sadness flowed through her veins and deadened her mind. It was a poison to her spirit, dulling her killing off her other emotions until it was the only one that remained. It was as if a black mist had settled upon her and refused to shift, and no matter how bright the day was she would feel no sun and hear no bird song.
She held his dead body once more and started an incantation "Sonohi o shiki suru kami wa, kyō kaiten suru taiyō to issho ni, subete no fujun'na mono wa kokufuku sa remasu. Korera no kami wa,-seki no yō ni shikō sa re, tetsu no yō ni shikō sa reta kyōryokuna hōsoku o hataraite imasu. Sumu! Masutāenchanto: Umarekawari" snd she rested her forehead on his. Jigokuchō appeared around Erza and covered Ukitake as his lifeless body transformed into a scatter of tiny beautiful cherry blossoms that dances in the flow of the wind as the the jigokuchō guided them into the sky. As the scarlet reaper watches him disappear a smile formed on her lips and whispers "See you soon Jūshirō, enjoy your new life until we meet again. I'll find you, that's a promise"
She felt someone wrapped his arms around her. She felt the warmth in his hug. She turned her head around to see who it was and was surprised to see a man with a silver hair smiling with his eyes narrowed into slits "Gin!" she said and he opened his eyes for the first time "It's alright Erza, I will never leave your side" She did not respond, mesmerized with his bright sky blue colored eyes. He touched her shoulder and made her turn towards him and made her bury her face into his chest as he brushes her hair gently. She wrapped her arms around him and started sobbing quietly.