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Prize of Victory 1.5
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
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Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach nor profit from my works.
Chapter List
- 1
- 2
Welcome to what I call POV 1.5, a collection of chapters that take place throughout the Prize of Victory timeline. Since they are just little snippets captured here and there, there will be no set update schedule for them. The first set of chapters cover each of the main Arrancar plus Aizen on the their day of Victory. After that, it will be whatever comes to mind as I would like to work in some scenes I had in my head that just never made it in due to flow or perhaps just because I couldn’t find a way to express it at the time. I make no guarantee to timeline consistency between chapters.

As ever, huge thanks goes out to Black Fox for her amazing Beta skills, and look forward to a few chapters from her as well at some point. I know some people have asked if they could write in this universe, if you do and send it to me, I just might slip it in if it fits into the story. As always, you may use my ideas, such as Claiming, so long as credit is given and links to my works are provided.
The First
‘Why,’ Coyote Starrk thought as he surveyed the various conquests surrounding him, ‘doesn’t this seem as if I’ve really won anything?’

Maybe he would have felt more triumph if the prizes he’d taken weren’t so damaged and stricken-looking. Despite treatment rendered by the one called Unohana-Taichou, Ukitake Jushiro was still in rough shape. Starrk would have preferred it if the man could walk unaided, but that was probably wishing for too much. He and Lilinette would have to settle for ‘still alive and still breathing… sort of and proceed from there.

His fellow Espada had started the selection process, singling out those they wanted from the surviving Taichou and Fukutaichou. Moreover, Aizen would summon the rest of the lower-ranking Arrancar soon and chaos would descend on the conquered as the Numeros set about finding pets of their own. Before that happened, Starrk needed to keep the promise he’d recently made to the foe he’d vanquished and remove his two new charges from the line of fire. That included ushering any family they might have to safety too, lest they end up in the middle of the carnage. He sighed and decided that there was no time like the present to start.

“You are Ise Nanao, correct?”

The young woman wearing glasses and clutching Kyoraku Shunsui’s blood-drenched kimono slowly nodded in response, but her teary eyes stayed on her fellow captive’s pale face. She hadn’t left Jushiro’s side since Starrk had brought him back to the Soul Society. Perhaps that was for the best, since her presence made fulfilling his vow to her dead mate considerably easier.

“Good. I officially Claim you as mine,” he stated, his normally sleepy voice loud enough the others in the room would hear him. He didn’t want any confusion over the fact he was taking her in addition to Ukitake.

Now her eyes met his and he could see the confusion in them. Despite Aizen’s speech, it was clear that she didn’t fully comprehend her change in status. With luck, she’d never have to learn the full extent of what a Claim entailed, but if it came down to it, Starrk knew he’d have to risk casting one on her. From the look of her, she might not survive the first three minutes of the act. Then the Espada set his concerns aside and focused on consolidating his new pack.

“Things are about to become unpleasant. Do you have any family?”

“No,” she eventually replied, still gripping the pink haori as if her life depended on it. Starrk didn’t sense any deception on her part and from the bereft way she stared at the garment in her fists, he surmised that he’d probably robbed her of the one person that qualified as kin.

A sinking feeling spread throughout his stomach and it only grew worse when he addressed the man leaning heavily on Ise-san’s shoulder. His face was as white as his hair and Starrk wasn’t certain how long he’d be able to stay on his feet.

“What of you?”

“I… I have a mother… and siblings,” Ukitake rasped. One of Nanao’s hands flew to the Taichou’s bicep. Grasping it, she slid his arm over her shoulder in an attempt to keep him upright. Starrk frowned as the action revealed the extent of the Shinigami’s weakness. Perhaps he would ask Ulquiorra if he could borrow Inoue Orihime’s talents later to fix the rest of the damage. The Fourth Espada hadn’t bothered to wait until the end of the war to Claim the woman he wanted and if Starrk needed her abilities, he’d have to bide his time until the dust cleared.

“Take me to them,” he ordered. Dread immediately bloomed in the Taichou’s eyes and Starrk found it necessary to elaborate. “I can offer them my protection, but to do that, I need to establish my territory and den as soon as possible. Lead the way.”

The fear in Ukitake’s eyes only deepened at this. If the man had any doubts about the necessity of leaving, Lilinette’s next impatient words buried them.

“C’mon! Let’s go! If we don’t hurry, some other jerk’ll try and snatch what we’ve won!”

She stomped her foot in agitation and then stalked around Starrk, until she was behind the two officers. Then she put both hands on the small of Nanao’s back in an attempt to push her. The woman jumped at his other half’s brazenness, but got moving, assisting Jushiro as he murmured directions to his family’s holdings. Thankfully, she seemed to know where they were supposed to go; when the Taichou’s eyes suddenly rolled back into his head and his knees buckled, she took over the job of navigating down the white, featureless streets of the Seireitei. Starrk had no choice but to follow her, carrying the limp Jushiro while Lilinette left a trail of grouchy curses in her wake.

A loud, ripping sound high overhead stopped them just as they approached the west gate. The Garganta appeared as a black rent in the sunset-colored sky, the darkness growing as the seconds ticked by. Starrk knew what he would see if he looked over his shoulder: almost one hundred, white-clad Arrancar piling through the tear, intent on pillaging the unsuspecting Shinigami. The very walls that should have kept those warriors safe would serve to keep them penned in and ripe for hunting. He guessed that Aizen had already used his Shikai to conceal any potential escape routes the doomed could use to flee, judging by the way his soon-to-be-pets had balked at going through the open gate. Their reticence left him no choice but to pick up Nanao and haul them both through against their will.

Jushiro’s family lived farther away than Starrk expected, though the property was still within the boundaries of the wealthy 1st District. The Ukitake Estate turned out to be a large walled compound with a very old, heavy gate bearing the clan seal and lit by several lanterns with the sigils for ‘protection’ painted on their paper screens. Beyond the walls, the Arrancar saw the top of numerous trees. He stared at them, never having seen the real thing before, while Nanao unsuccessfully tried to push it open by herself. Lilinette made a frustrated sound in the back of her throat after a minute and marched over the help. Once inside, it was a mercifully short trot to the house.

The elderly woman who answered the door when Nanao knocked on it sighed when she saw Jushiro’s limp body. Her resigned expression was so much like that of the unconscious man that Starrk concluded that she must be a close relative.

“Oh dear, another attack? I’m surprised Unohana let you bring him home!”

The cargo in his arms didn’t stir and the lack of movement began to worry him in earnest. If he didn’t mark this place, trouble might arrive sooner than he expected. At the same time, barging past the Ukitake elder seemed somehow wrong, though he didn’t think Lilinette had it in her to wait for an invitation, so he did his best to obtain permission to enter.

“I am afraid that she is… indisposed. May we come in?”

His two eyes met Lilinette’s one and whatever his other half had been about to snap died on her tongue. The old lady’s frown deepened as she scrutinized him, taking in the hole in the middle of his chest and the bone circling his neck without a word. The longer she remained silent, the more Starrk began to sweat.

In the end, the sound of Ceros exploding in the distance and the eerie orange and red glow coming from the direction of the Seireitei’s high walls did the trick. If the Estate had been any closer, the screams of poorly-prepared Shinigami would have been audible too. From the way her lips thinned as she listened to the barrage, Starrk guessed that she’d put the pieces of the situation together correctly and was now trying to decide what to do. Maybe the fact that he had her still-breathing-but-not-quite-whole kinsman draped over his shoulder like a coat led her to conclude that not all was right in the Soul Society, and that it would be in her best interests to do as he said.

A few tense moments went by before she stepped aside and fully opened the door.

“You may enter. Ise-san, I trust you know where to find my son’s room and the first aid kit. Would you be so kind as to tend to him while I speak with your… ah… companion?”

“Of course, Ukitake-san.”

“Help her, Lilinette.”

Starrk handed Jushiro off to the Fukutaichou as he uttered the command. Lilinette immediately rounded on him, annoyance plastered across her face.

“What! Why do I have to…?”

“Because I said so. Now get going.”

He was sorely tempted to bare his teeth at her for her obstinacy, but settled on glaring. Correctly interpreting the look, she snorted but obeyed. The brat’s departure left him alone in the foyer with Jushiro’s mother, who eyed him warily. Her slight body also blocked the corridor. Starrk thought that her courage was laudable but futile and he had to get her to see that for now, he wasn’t her biggest problem.

“Your family will be safe from any harm while I am here. I give you my solemn word. However, it would be best to get everyone to an easily-defendable room.”

He put his hands up in a placating gesture. To her credit, the family matriarch wasted no more time on questions. Instead, she bowed and moved as swiftly as her clothing and her aged frame allowed, deeper into the house. Not wanting to become lost, Starrk pursued her as she gathered the rest of the household. Finding two of her daughters in one room playing some kind of game with a wooden board and tiles, she crisply instructed them to round up the rest of their siblings and take them to the largest of the common areas. She provided no explanation for either the command or the presence of the tall man behind her, but they immediately complied.

Their passing was much like the whisper of a faint breeze against the skin and he frowned. As more of the Ukitake daughters and the few staff members the family employed convened, his frown turned into a full-blown grimace.

‘So weak… the lot of them would barely count as a mouthful.’

Their fragility was an unwelcome surprise, considering their brother’s strength. Jushiro’s mother was the lone exception; she had a healthy pool of reiatsu for a mere Plus, but the others… no, he and Lilinette might be the death of them if they stayed.

Starrk scratched his chin and wondered whether his current glumness was due to fatigue. He’d been wide awake and fighting for the better part of a day and the lack of sleep was starting to get to him. Nor could he nap the way he wanted until after Aizen called off the slaughter. Then he shook his head, to dispel all of the worries over things he could not change.

‘I’m over thinking this. They’ll be fine for a day or two. I can decide then what to do about them later.’

The woman walking before him chose that moment to speak. Her accent was subdued and formal, betraying nothing of her thoughts or feelings. She didn’t stink of fear, which said something about her self-control, but the set of her shoulders and the stiffness in her spine told him that despite his promise, she was still on guard.

“Forgive me. You must think I’m a terrible hostess. My name is Ukitake Kiku.”

“Coyote Starrk, Primera Espada. My counterpart is Lilinette Gingerback,” he replied as the elder entered the common area and pursed her lips. Her brown eyes darted about, falling on each occupant and Starrk quickly realized she was conducting a headcount. He let her take a tally, not knowing how many people actually lived on the Estate himself. Eventually, she let out a long, relieved breath and faced him.

“I wish I could say it is a pleasure to meet you, Starrk-san, but I presume that your presence and my son’s condition are only part of whatever dreadful thing is going on out there. Am I correct?”

At this point, denial was out of the question, so he inclined his head in acknowledgement. Then he paused and decided that she deserved better for her cooperation.

“Aizen won. He’s taken the Seireitei,” he stated bluntly.

Her fingers reflexively clutched the fabric of her house kimono in response to the unhappy news, but she did not break down or give in to hysterics. Starrk was grateful for that, since he had almost no experience in handling such and didn’t want to start now. Her next question was hesitant, as if she was afraid to know the answer.

“I see. What of Kyoraku Shunsui?”

“Dead. With his last breath, he asked me to protect his friend and mate if I could.” When she paled he swiftly followed with, “By extension, I will protect his friend’s family. It would do me no good to safeguard one without doing the same for his pack.”

Now she finally lowered her head in an attempt to hide her grief. She wasn’t a Hollow so her earlier acceptance of her family’s new reality struck him as a little too good to be true.

“That boy… yes, I suppose Shunsui would ask for something noble like that,” she murmured and then said nothing else. The only sounds in the large room came from her huddled daughters as they fearfully conversed among themselves. When she raised her head again Starrk saw resignation and sorrow vying for dominance in her eyes, but not the rage that should have accompanied those emotions.

“I’ve told my children and the staff not to leave this room for any reason. I will hold you to your promise to protect us, Hollow. However, I should see if Ise-san needs anything before we speak further. Please follow me.”

Being used to taking orders and instructions from a smaller female, Starrk fell in behind her as she stepped out into the hall and slid the door closed. The Estate’s corridors eerily reminded him of the Seireitei’s look-alike streets; if he hadn’t felt Jushiro and Nanao’s reiatsu ahead of him and getting stronger as he approached, he would have been quite lost amid all of the twists and turns.

Kiku finally stopped at the end of one short corridor and without preamble, pushed the wooden door to the side. Her slipper-clad feet made no noise as she crossed the threshold, making Starrk’s booted footfalls that much louder by comparison. Even so, no one else seemed to care, thanks to their preoccupation with the pale man lying on a sheet in the middle of the room. Nanao had stripped Jushiro down to his fundoshi and was busy wiping the barely-congealed blood from his chest and arms. She went about the task with an enviable efficiency. In the meantime, Lilinette had seen fit to pull a thick, rolled-up futon from a nearby cupboard and crouched next to it, waiting for Nanao to finish mopping up her unconscious charge.

“Oh my! He certainly coughed up a lot of blood this time,” Kiku exclaimed, taking in the amount of red still smearing her son’s body, as well as the water in the bowl next to the Fukutaichou and the growing pink stains on the sheet. Starrk made a face and provided as complete of an explanation as he dared.

“No. Most of that is from a chest wound.”

“Unohana-Taichou did the best she could,” Nanao added, sounding defensive. “His breathing is laboured, but I think he is just exhausted from the battle, not his illness.”

One of the woman’s silver brows rose an inch when she heard this.

“I’m familiar with my son’s condition. Let me listen and be the judge of that.”

She proceeded to kneel next to the prone Taichou in a practiced manner and pressed her ear against the left side of his chest as Starrk and Lilinette looked on. After a few minutes, the elderly lady dug an odd apparatus out of the first aid kit and inserted the knobby ends of two of the three tubes attached to it into her ears. She then placed the metal circle attached to of the last tube at a spot just above her son’s heart and waited. Every time Jushiro took a shaky, wheezy breath, she moved the disk to a new location and repeated the short wait. Starrk didn’t know what it was she was listening for, but if it required a device to hear, it was probably beyond his capabilities.

“Hmm, well, he doesn’t sound too bad. Let’s finish cleaning him up and put him to bed. A full night’s rest should do him good. Nanao-san, I trust you will be staying here for the time being?”

“I...”

“Yes, she’ll be staying.”

Starrk answered for Nanao before she could say anything to the contrary. Then he addressed her specifically. “Once you have him settled, I need to speak to you privately.”

Nanao’s eyes appeared too wide behind her glasses. Her face was a touch too pale and strands of her long brown hair had begun to escape from the clip at the back of her head. She was apprehensive, obviously not wanting to be alone with him, but when he folded his arms across his chest, she nodded. In the meantime,

“You must be Lilinette, yes?” Kiku asked his other half and smiled at the girl.

“Yeah, so what?”

“Dammit, Lilinette…” Starrk growled. She flinched but understood the message: be nice. Therefore, she heaved an exaggerated sigh and turned back to the matron.

“Fine. Whaddaya need?”

“Can you be a dear and fetch another bowl of hot water please? We need to be certain he has no other wounds.” Pausing, the elderly woman suddenly looked at the other woman. “What of you, Ise-san? Are you injured?”

“No, I’m quite all right! You don’t need to worry about me!” Nanao said in a rush and waved her hands, one still holding the pink washcloth, before her. A few drops of liquid scattered across the sheet and Lilinette chose that moment to escape, ostensibly for the requested water. “I was left in charge of the 8th Division. Kyoraku-Taichou... told me…”

Her words trailed off into nothingness and even Starrk knew better than to say anything. Once Lilinette returned with a bowl of clean water and new washcloth, Kiku and Nanao finished cleaning up Jushiro in silence. They bandaged a few of the man’s overlooked scrapes and cuts, and finally rolled him into the waiting futon. He slept through the whole affair. Starrk thought that was just as well. It meant he could deal with the next order of business with minimum fuss.

“We need to talk, Nanao-san,” he sighed as both women began to clean up the mess. “Lilinette, keep an eye on him for now and stay alert. Let me know if you sense any Arrancar activity outside the walls. There will be plenty of instinct-driven fools looking for dens in the next day or so and they need to find them someplace other than here.”

Lilinette sniffed disdainfully, either at the order itself or the idea that anyone would be crazy enough to pick a fight with the combined Primera, but she eventually sat down in a comfortable place to watch over the slumbering Taichou.

“Is there a place where we won’t be interrupted?” he asked Kiku as she rose with the new

“You know where the guest chambers are, Nanao-san. Why don’t you two go pick out your rooms? Are you hungry? I can have the girls make something for you to eat…”

“Starving!” Lilinette piped up, though Starrk shook his head. He didn’t want the staff to leave the safety of the common area yet. Nanao also turned down the offered meal, even as she got to her feet.

While his smaller half waited for her snack, the young woman led him down several corridors until they came to what he presumed were three guest suites. All were fully furnished, complete with a small kitchen, a bathroom equipped with a shower, a tiny water closet, a sitting room and finally, a bedroom. Starrk picked one and gestured for her to sit down before taking the cushion across from her.

“I will not lie to you. My blade ended your mate’s life. It was not a battle I wanted to fight.”

“My mate?” She seemed confused by this designation, so he elaborated.

“Was Shunsui not your mate? Did you not share a nest?”

Her mouth opened, but no sound came out and soon after, her cheeks turned bright red as she divined his meaning.

“Once,” she confessed. It might have been a trick of the light across her glasses, but he thought he saw wetness at the corners of eyes that were already on the red side. “Last night.”

“Ah, I see. It is tradition among Hollows to either kill the loser’s pack members or take over the pack once there are no more contenders for the slain leader’s position. It is not uncommon to take a defeated male’s mate as one’s own.”

Nanao tensed at this and her brows knit. One hand shot up, its palm facing him and Starrk wanted to groan. Since her Zanpakuto had already been confiscated, she probably intended to use Kido against him if he made a move towards her. As tired as he was, he noted that she did not reach for her absent weapon, which told him that she must not have relied on it very much, or that she was much better at energy manipulation. Since he had no desire to end up on the wrong end of a Kido spell, he tried his best to appear non-menacing.

“Ise-san, don’t misunderstand me. Shunsui asked me to care for you and his friend if I could. Aizen has given the Espada permission to Claim two pets, as is our right as the victors. Jushiro will be my first, you will be my second. As my pet, no other Arrancar can touch you unless I permit it.”

Nanao’s remained silent as she digested this bit of information, though she didn’t lower her guard. Starrk didn’t blame her, considering the natures of some of his cohorts. However, she needed to know the rules and the sooner she did so, the better.

“And what do you expect of me?”

His new underling sounded nervous, but not outright frightened. Starrk took it as progress.

“I do not expect you to share my nest,” he told her, and then added, “You will take the rank of ‘fraccion’ and the role of a servant. You would not survive anything more than that. Just perform whatever tasks I assign you to the best of your ability.”

That frank admission took her by surprise and the dread in her expression lessened. More silence followed while she regarded her hands, balled into fists and resting atop her thighs. Starrk allowed enough time, or so he thought, for the information to sink in and when she stayed quiet, he figured she had a grasp on her new station.

“Is there anything else?” Nanao asked after a long wait. Starrk’s eyes travelled to the ceiling and decided that he ought to hand her his first order. With luck, and unlike Lilinette, she’d follow it and not give him too much grief.

“I do not want you to leave until things settle down. That includes going back to your Division. If you are concerned about your subordinates, abandon any idea of trying to help them. They will survive or fall depending upon their strength. If you leave, I will not be able to keep my promise to your mate. You should take this time to rest.”

With that, Starrk stood and stretched, relishing the slow popping of his vertebrae. Before he could reach the door, he heard Nanao exhale. An unexpected question from her made him stop on the room’s threshold, with one booted foot already in the hallway.

“Did he die well?”

He had to turn around to make sure he’d properly heard what amounted to a pained whisper.

“Pardon?”

She turned tear-stained eyes up to look at him and for a second, the pink haori she’d draped around her shoulders dwarfed her, its volume too much for her slight frame. If he breathed in deeply, he could still smell the dried blood staining it.

“Shunsui. Did he die honorably? Did he fight hard?”

“He fought well.”

Keeping his reply short kept him from thinking about how dry his mouth felt as he uttered a gross understatement. His adversary had done more than just ‘fight hard’. Starrk had prevailed of course but at that moment, going into greater detail struck him as decidedly wrong.

“Thank you.”

The urge to leave became overwhelming and Starrk left her to sit in the room that would be hers for the foreseeable future. He didn’t think she would do something drastic or foolish, at least not yet, and she wasn’t stupid enough to think escape was possible… not with what was going on outside.

One thing of which he was certain was Lilinette’s low tolerance for boredom. It would be best to get her into bed before her innate crankiness got the better of her and she hurt someone. Retracing his steps, he returned to Jushiro’s room. The patient was still comatose, having barely moved during Starrk’s absence and his skinny nursemaid had just popped the last portion of whatever Ukitake Kiku fed her into her mouth.

“Oi, are ya done?” she snapped when she’d finished chewing and swallowing. Her eye narrowed. ‘That was quick.”

Starrk chose to ignore her lurid insinuation about Nanao.

“For now. Consider her our first fraccion. Are you done with your food?”

This time the girl grinned and patted her exposed stomach contentedly. The plate and bowl next to her were empty, devoid of crumbs. Starrk suspected she’d licked both dishes clean.

“Oh yeah! I could get used to eatin’ like this every day!”

“Where is Ukitake-san?”

“You mean the old lady? She went back to stay with her weak-ass daughters.”

He felt the beginnings of a headache. The last bit wasn’t necessary, even if it was true.

“If your belly is full,” he said as he hooked one thumb over his shoulder at the door, “I suggest you take the room next to mine and Ise-san’s. I want you close if I need to use you. No starting any fights either.”

One pink eye rolled in exasperation.

“Jeez…fine! I’m leaving. You’re on babysitting duty. Don’t fall asleep and let him croak while you’re snoring!”

So saying, Lilinette scrambled to her feet and trotted down the hall, probably tracking Nanao’s reiatsu. He let her go, not wanting one of her boots to find his head and make the dull ache behind his eyes a full-blown migraine.

‘That’s it… I need to lie down.’

With the futon occupied, Starrk made do with a few cushions and tried to pretend he was back in Los Noches, lounging in his personal pile of pillows. After that, it was only a matter of finding a comfortable position and allowing his reiatsu to flow outward until it engulfed the Estate. Closing his eyes and tucking his chin until it came into contact with the remnant of his mask, Starrk kept at it until he was cognizant of every blade of grass, every tree and flower and most importantly, every heartbeat with the confines of the compound walls.

His senses expanded as well, allowing him to detect the rest of Aizen’s forces. Several of the Arrancar, as well as all of the Espada, had moved from the Seireitei to the inner Districts in search of new dens, their newly-Claimed Shinigami and Plus pets in tow. The bloodshed wasn’t over either, but there was nothing he could do for the rest of the Soul Society.

Kiku entered the room a few times during the night, mostly to check on her son, but Starrk put a stop to the visits as the sky in the east began to turn pink. When she asked why, he pressed the heel of his hand into his forehead and informed her that it would be best to see to other things until he sent for her later.

He hoped that she would do as instructed and not press him for answers. Aizen, using his recently-gained abilities, had just relayed an unfortunate, unwelcome message regarding his prizes. The Espada didn’t think the matron would want to witness what he would have to do to them.

Jushiro stirred to life and immediately regretted waking up. He was in his own room, back at his childhood home rather than the 13th Division’s Taichou’s quarters, which puzzled him for a few seconds. In his exhausted state, he almost wondered if he hadn’t dreamed the whole battle during a drinking binge with Shunsui. The sprawled form on the cushions next to his futon even looked like his friend, until his eyes focused in the thin morning light and the individual rolled over to contemplate him.

Shunsui’s eyes weren’t grey, nor was he in the habit of wearing a fanged lower jaw bone as a necklace. They stared at one another, while Jushiro’s heart sank. The events of the previous day trickled back into his brain, which only added to his despair.

“You are awake,” Starrk observed. The lanky Espada sat up and scratched the back of his neck. Jushiro tried to do the same and failed miserably.

“My family?”

“Safe for now, as is Ise-san.”

The constriction in Jushiro’s chest lessened at this, though his relief was short-lived.

“Aizen made a declaration a few hours ago.”

Judging by the Hollow’s tone, he assumed that whatever the traitor proclaimed wouldn’t end well for anyone.

“What was it?”

“All Taichou-class Shinigami must be Claimed. Otherwise, Aizen will execute them.”

There was more to the statement than Starrk let on, if his unhappy face was any indication. Jushiro did his best to remember what the term ‘Claim’ meant. Aizen had mentioned something about them during the brief, post-defeat assembly and Shunsui had said something to Starrk about them in regards to Nanao before… before…

“I will not force myself upon you, so the decision is yours to make. Do you wish to get on your hand and knees beneath me, or do you wish for death?”

The question startled him, temporarily keeping him from reliving his best friend’s death yet again and giving him something new about which to worry.

Hands and knees?

‘What is he saying? He can’t possibly mean what…’

When Starrk didn’t say anything to the contrary, or provide a different take on the lurid scenario Jushiro’s mind was frantically putting together. The very thought of doing something like that, with a Hollow no less, shocked and appalled him. Worse, if he understood what Aizen intended, the alternative to enslavement via rape was death.

He was tempted to open his mouth and say that he’d prefer execution, but he couldn’t just do that to the survivors, especially Nanao. That sent his thoughts down another, darker alleyway and this time he hauled his body into a sitting position.

Kami, what had he done to Nanao? Claiming apparently involved sex and Starrk had declared he would Claim Nanao as ‘his’ at the meeting…

“What about Nanao-san? Did you give her the option, or did you just take her?” Jushiro said this through gritted teeth, rounding on the Espada and Starrk immediately shook his head.

“No. She is not Taichou-class and his edict does not apply to her… unless there is something about her you are both hiding.”

The sleepy-eyed Hollow followed that with an almost-hurt expression. Jushiro thought it odd that the Espada seemed to take offense at the idea that he’d force himself on the woman. Nevertheless, he was grateful she remained unharmed and whole, at least bodily.

“She is a gifted Kido Master, but she does not have a Bankai. So, you truly haven’t touched her?”

“No, nor do I plan to Claim her. She will function as my fraccion, and will be bound to me in that manner. Unfortunately, Aizen will not let me do the same with you, as I had originally hoped. I will give you a few minutes to think about it.”

His tired-looking captor rose from the cushions, used his toe to push an empty plate out of the way and made for the door, scratching his side. Jushiro, still stunned that the creature would give him a choice in the matter at all, stared at the other’s back.

He had no illusions about Aizen’s decree – the former Taichou would follow through with the death sentence if he refused. His Division was most likely under siege or utterly lost and as much as he’d trusted his two 3rds Seats to see to the day-to-day running of things, they weren’t much in the leadership department. The other Divisions were in the same fix. The only thing he thought might keep Aizen from killing the rest of the Gotei 13 was the necessity of the Shinigami’s most basic function: performing konso and preserving an even ledger of souls. Not even Aizen could go against that mandate.

There were some responsibilities more important than his pride or his dignity.

‘I am still a Taichou. I’m still bound to keep the balance between the Realms, even if it costs me my life… or my freedom. There are still people who need me, who depend on me and not all of them are under this roof.’

“I don’t need a minute,” he told the Espada. “I cannot protect anyone if I am dead.”

He saw Starrk’s hand, which he’d raised in order to push open the room’s door, fall back to his side, though he did not turn around. The lack of enthusiasm in his reply spoke volumes.

“So be it. Do you have anything to use as a lubricant?”

“There should be some cream in my bathroom. It’s through that...”

Jushiro moved his blanket aside, intending to retrieve it, but Starrk was already rummaging through his medicine chest. The Hollow returned a moment later, not with the requested jar. Instead, he’d found a plastic container from the Living World one of his subordinates had given him as a gift two New Year’s prior. It was half-full of the petroleum jelly that he normally used on his perpetually chapped lips and dry skin during the colder months.

He swallowed a few times as he stared at the jar in his hand.

For all of his extensive experience as a Shinigami, when it came to sex he was no better than the greenest of Academy enrolees. His condition had proved a turnoff to potential partners in his younger years and as a Taichou, he’d lacked the necessary time to pursue serious relationships with women, to say nothing of a man. That didn’t mean he was naïve about the mechanics; while rape was not a common occurrence, it wasn’t unheard of amongst the troops. All Taichou undertook mandatory lessons on how to handle such a situation if it arose, as well as how to recognize a victim’s post-traumatic symptoms, since more than a few had tried to hide what had happened to them over the centuries.

It had never occurred to Ukitake Jushiro that he would be on the receiving end. The only consolation in all of this was that the perpetrator didn’t actually want to go through with the act either.

He opened the jar and did his best to ignore the Espada as he disrobed. Mercifully, Starrk didn’t rush him as he laid back and slowly inserted a lubed finger inside of himself. It stung, but he forced his way through it. Of course, if a finger hurt this much, how bad was it going to be when Starrk entered him? He did his best not to think about it.

“Calm down,” Starrk ordered. “I will do my best not to harm you, but it will only work if you relax.”

“Easier said than done,” he countered, but tried to control his breathing. When he finally had three fingers inside, he let the Espada know he was as ready as he was going to be. Starrk let his hakama fall to the floor, took the jar, and rubbed a thick layer of the jelly on his shaft. Slowly, the Hollow coaxed it into a state of arousal. He was also not looking at Jushiro. Instead, he’d closed his eyes. The Shinigami wondered who, if anyone, he was really thinking about in order to remain hard enough to follow through with the act.

His eyes widened at the sight of Starrk’s length when it sprang fully to life. It was far thicker than his three fingers combined and longer than he’d expected. How bad would something like that feel when it dug at his insides?

“When you are ready for me, get on your hands and knees,” Starrk instructed. “One-sided Claims are always done from behind.”

Taking a deep breath, Jushiro did as instructed and waited. His long hair fell to either side of his face like white curtains, shielding everything but the sheets immediately below him from view.

‘This is for my family, for those that look to me for guidance. I will not abandon my duty just because we were defeated.’

It was still hard not to flinch when he felt Starrk rest a hand on his left hip.

“What do you know of Claiming?”

If the Espada behind him was trying to put him at ease, he was doomed to failure. Jushiro decided to tell him the truth, since it would do no good to put up a false front. He’d deduced that it was potentially dangerous; Starrk had revealed that Claiming Nanao might well kill her. Whether it would do the same to him was debatable.

“Nothing.”

“Well, you are a Shinigami… it was probably too much to expect you to understand, so I’ll be brief. In layman’s terms, I will pour my reiatsu into your body as I take you. I won’t lie; you will perceive it as pleasurable. This is normal, so don’t be alarmed. When I’ve infused you with enough of my energy, I will bite down and drink a mouthful of your blood. I will also take a small portion of your reiatsu and retrieve most of mine with it. This will enslave you and bind you to me. You will be unable to defy any order I give you. You won’t be able to deceive me either. I’ll feel what you feel, physically and emotionally. That’s the way it works.”

Jushiro flipped back around to stare at Starrk in horror at the implications. The thought was terrifying, but the tactician in him understood the reasoning underlying Aizen’s sordid orders. If he had full control over the remaining Taichou via his minions, it would also work as a deterrent to any sort of organized rebellion. Starrk could order him to purge his entire Division or kill his family and he would have to obey.

The idea was beyond outrageous. It was sick, the product of a twisted, amoral mind. It was also, sadly, an effective means of keeping several powerful entities in line.

“Do you wish to change your mind?”

“I…” he stammered, suddenly uncertain about the whole thing. He could endure run-of-the-mill sex, but having his will shackled was something else. Then Starrk brought up something he hadn’t considered.

“If I do not Claim you, and should Aizen want you alive, he can easily give you to another. If you want, I can spare you such an end and kill you now. I would make it painless and quick. There are others who would not be as obliging.”

None of the array of less-than-great options appealed to him, but allowing Starrk to execute him, after his mother and Nanao had gone to such trouble to see to him was one choice he immediately set aside. He would not traumatize his immediate family by dying in the heart of his own home. That left death by Aizen or submission to the male half of Aizen’s strongest Espada.

It was not an easy decision, but when he weighed what little he knew of Coyote Starrk and his behavior thus far, Jushiro had to concede that he’d been decent towards both Nanao and Jushiro’s mother. He’d made good on his promise to Shunsui. He’d displayed no sign of the sadism he’d seen the dark-robed skeleton with the crown exhibit and was also right as far as his assessment of how poorly the other, more powerful Espada might treat him. The coyote and his mouthy counterpart were the best of the bunch.

“You won’t use this power to force me to harm anyone, will you?”

Starrk scratched his scalp, but said, “Not unless Aizen-kami tells me to do so. As for me, my only instructions are to never raise your power against us, unless if it is in self-defence, and to continue with whatever duties Kami-sama gives you. Do them to the best of your ability.”

It was likely the best, most honest answer he would get. With that weight off of his shoulders, Jushiro shifted once more to his hands and knees. A moment later he felt the heat of Starrk’s cock nudge his entrance. He forced himself to take easy breaths and relax as much as he could, but it was hard to do.

His sphincter stretched painfully around Starrk’s girth as the Espada slid into his body. Mercifully, the Hollow moved slowly, giving the man beneath him time to adjust to the intrusion. Eventually, the pain faded to an uncomfortable ache, with the lubrication easing things. When the Espada was about halfway in, Jushiro felt Starrk’s other hand grasp his left hip to hold him still.

“How are you doing?”

“It hurts,” Jushiro confessed, his voice strained, “but I can bear it.”

“I am going to pull back out. The next thrust will be accompanied by a burst of my power. This will end quicker if you do not struggle or try to fight my reiatsu with yours. You will feel a strong burst of pleasure with each dose of energy. Are you ready?”

“As ready as I am going to be.”

Starrk slowly pulled back, until just the head remained within. Then he pushed in and this time he did not pause until their hips met fully. There was pain, but it paled in comparison to the stunning sensation that flooded him. Jushiro’s eyes, previous screwed shut in anticipation of something dreadful, flew open. His back arched and he bit down on his inner cheek in an attempt to stifle a cry. Starrk held still, though Jushiro could feel the tremble in the legs pressed against the backs of his upper thighs.

When his shocked brain churned to life once more, he found he was panting. More embarrassingly, the limp flesh hanging between his legs had hardened. Jushiro, unfortunately, didn’t have time to ruminate on his unexpected erection, as Starrk pulled out and thrust again. This time the head of the Espada’s cock pressed against a spot within him that turned his spine into water. It also delivered another bout of powerful reiatsu into the core of his being.

This time there was no holding back his cries. He’d never felt anything like it, not even wielding stolen and amplified energy with Sōgyo no Kotowari. The white-hot pleasure licked along his nerves, sending his body into near-spasms with each successive infusion.

‘Pleasurable’ was an understatement, he thought hazily, before another delicious wave drowned him. After the fourth thrust, he began to lose track of time and the number of infusions. He was vaguely aware of his chest pressing against the sheets and his hips moving on their own to meet each of Starrk’s movements, as well as the overwhelming need for friction against his shamefully stiff cock. Each strike to his prostate sent a bolt of heat straight to his groin.

At least he wasn’t the only one feeling the effects. Starrk’s hands shook and his grip tightened. On more than one occasion, Jushiro thought he heard a low groan or a few bits of shaky-muttered profanity from behind. Maybe it meant that the Espada wasn’t as experienced at this as he’d first assumed.

Eventually the fullness of Starrk’s reiatsu inside of him crossed an unseen threshold into bloated discomfort, which did nothing to mitigate his rapidly-approaching climax. It was too much, too overwhelming and Jushiro imagined his body popping like a balloon in danger of bursting with a mere pinprick.

The form behind him abruptly shoved forward and hot breath scoured the back of his neck. The heat covered up the sting of a set of sharp teeth as they broke his skin and once his engorged cock came into contact with the rumpled cotton sheets, it was all over. The bite and the friction undid him completely. Starrk stiffened and shuddered against him and Jushiro detected a lessening of the reiatsu that threatened to shatter him from the inside out. It slowly drained away as the Espada sucked it back, along with a portion of Jushiro’s power and blood. His very first orgasm ended up with him shooting streams of cum onto the bedding and making an embarrassingly animalistic sound while he did it.

He made no move to throw off the weight that kept him pinned while his release played out and Starrk completed the Claim. His arms and legs wouldn’t have obeyed him anyway. Thankfully, the intensity of the sensations roiling through him subsided enough for him to feel his extremities and bring his ragged breathing under control. He also winced when Starrk’s flaccid cock slipped from him. The Arrancar’s cum subsequently leaked from his overstretched hole, to join his own seed staining the bed. Wrinkling his nose at the sharp smell, he balled his fists and tried to gather his thoughts as Starrk collapsed next to him. It was small consolation that the Hollow seemed as wasted as he was by the ordeal.

“How are you feeling?”

There was concern in the other’s equally-fragged voice, which didn’t quite make up for what had just happened to him.

“I… I think you downplayed a few things,” Jushiro croaked as his body slowly came down from its high and he became aware of more than a few bruises and a slow burning in his nether regions. He lacked the energy to deal with them so he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against his folded arms. “I’ll live.”

“Good. If it helps, Claiming usually exhausts both parties. Sleep. You will feel better in a few hours.”

There was something more to the command than just a simple request. Staying awake became impossible. Before Jushiro could protest, the bedroom, the mingled scents of sex and sweat and the sight of the Espada propped up on one elbow next to him on the futon faded to nothing. The pain in his backside and the dull throbbing of his bandaged wounds faded too, until the blackness swallowed him.

When he next awakened, it was afternoon. From the slant of the light, it had to be less than an hour before the early winter sunset. At first it seemed as if the sex he’d had with Starrk was nothing more than a bizarre dream, but when he shifted and his ass and back immediately complained, he realized his mistake. The unhealed bite on his shoulder confirmed his fears and the feel of the alien reiatsu surrounding his hammered the fact home.

He’d finally lost his virginity, to a male Arrancar.

‘Not the way I envisioned my first time.’

Rolling over, he found Starrk gone, which relieved him. Starrk hadn’t hurt him, but what did one say to a Hollow on the morning after one’s enslavement? Any conversation would have been awkward, at best, and from what he could tell, Starrk wasn’t the loquacious sort.

Someone had wiped Jushiro’s thighs clean, for which he was grateful. In addition, there was a cup of lukewarm medicinal tea and a tray of easy finger food waiting for him. Both things were typical of his mother’s tender care. She’d probably checked on him at some point during the day, most likely when she’d brought in the tea and the food tray. The idea of her having to see to him after he’d… after he and Starrk… well, it was utterly mortifying. Then again, he couldn’t see Nanao, or worse, his sisters, performing such an embarrassing task. Of course she would have seen the whole of the Claim’s aftermath.

Jushiro slowly staggered to the bathroom and then partook of the meal left for him. After filling his stomach, he lay back on the futon and contemplated Starrk’s reiatsu. After assessing it, and pushing against it with his own considerable energy, he began to think of it as a kind of net. There was some ‘flex’ to it, but he doubted that it would give way, even if he put all of his strength behind an attempt to tear it. It didn’t seem to hinder him and he hoped that after a few days, he would grow accustomed to it.

Shifting to his side, he drifted off again. Even with Unohana’s healing, his body had gone through a lot of trauma. He needed to regain his strength, something he knew he would need when he had to face what had become of the Gotei 13 and the rest of the Soul Society. The only thing he hoped was that the state of the afterlife wouldn’t make him wish he’d chosen death instead.

Stay tuned for chapter 2, where we will see Barragan, Yumichika, Ggio and Soi Fon.
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Prize of Victory 1.5	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 14938 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach nor profit from my works.

Prize of Victory 1.5