Never Let Me Fall | By : shadoesong Category: Bleach > General Views: 1394 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, nor do I profit from this story. |
Chapter 10
"They escaped," Byakuya murmured, gazing up at the spot where Yoruichi had been not a second ago.
His expression betrayed nothing, unlike it had before. He promptly turned and walked away, his silvery scarf lifting off his shoulders as he did. Rin quickly turned and followed, scowling darkly at his back.
"Hey, hey! Where you going, Byakuya?" Ukitake called out in bemusement. "What about the others here? Aren't they the reason you came?"
Byakuya didn't even bother to stop or look over his shoulder when he spoke.
"I have lost interest. Do whatever you wish with them."
He then rounded the corner and the older man was out of sight, left to deal with the others alone.
"You asshole," Rin snarled. "Thanks for interrupting me every time I tried to do something!"
He simply ignored her, seeing no urgent need to appease her.
"Well, fine," she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. "Ignore me. I don't care."
They walked in silence afterwards, making their way down the Shishinrou and, after, through the streets of Sereitei. However, Rin, who was never one to be silent for long, found the need to fill the quiet overbearing. She let out a deep sigh and gave in.
"Where are we going?"
"The office," he replied after a second.
"Fucking hell, you promised we'd eat after we were done. After that we should do something active. I want to fight."
"If it will silence you, then we will go for a walk later," he growled in irritation. "However, we will not be participating in the battle until it is required."
She snorted indignantly, but stayed silent.
They didn't get around to the walk until dark, much to the young woman's chagrin. She couldn't find the energy to be irritated though, and her only sign of annoyance was her arms folded across her chest. She was standing barefoot in the grass wearing sleeping robes. Her sharp gaze took in the garden and the cherry blossoms all around. Nearby stood her Captain, wearing his own sleeping robes.
"It's a nice garden," she admitted, her features softening slightly. "Hatori never bothered keeping things like this. After Oka-chan got sick and stopped fighting with him to keep it, he mostly uprooted it and fired all the servants that tended it. She used to help them out with the garden herself before she was bedridden. He banished them to Rukongai along with their families and told them to never return.
"When I asked him why, he said it was a waste of money. Not that he has an overflowing amount of riches or anything," she growled, rolling her eyes.
"And he left the servants without a home?" the man found himself asking. It surprised both himself and his subordinate, but the latter replied anyways.
"Yup. Kicked them out with only the clothes on their backs. Callous bastard never cared for anything but himself and having his blood continue. If he thinks something's useless, he'll get rid of it. I was a disgrace to his family, useless in his eyes, so he got rid of me, too. Not that I care." Her eyes narrowed and she nodded towards the path. "Where we walking to?"
He took the lead down the path, the brown haired woman following a step behind him.
The next morning was also the morn of the execution. Rin lay awake in her bed after another sleepless night, stroking Gilepsi absently and watching as the sunlight coming through the window crept slowly across the room. With a tired sigh, she got up and started getting dressed.
She finished just in time for her Captain to come and knock at the door. She grabbed her zanpakuto and slid open the door. He took the lead down the hallway and she followed, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she gathered her hair and tied it back with a piece of string. She knew she was going to battle, and she didn't want it to get in the way. Abruptly, she was broken from her thoughts when a messenger ran up to them, panting heavily.
"C-Captain Kuchiki!" He bowed deeply. "I've come to inform you that Prisoner Abarai Renji has escaped from his cell! His whereabouts at the moment are unknown, but we believe he is heading towards Soukyoku Hill!"
Byakuya was caught off-guard, and didn't say anything for a second. Finally, he regained his composure.
"I will take care of the matter. Dismissed," he ordered.
When the messenger ran off, he turned and proceeded down the hall once more. For the first time that morning, Rin spoke.
"You looked surprised when you heard that he escaped. You really thought that him, of all people, would just sit in jail and do nothing while something this big is going on? You clearly don't know your own Lieutenant very well," she growled. "Did you even realize how troubled he's been since this whole fucking invasion started?"
"It is not your place to challenge me, Asaje. I suggest you hold your tongue and listen to orders. We will be entering the front lines, soon. I expect you to be ready," he told her in a tone that meant she wasn't supposed to argue. For once, and even though she was tempted, she didn't.
They went outside, but, instead of going towards the gate, Byakuya turned and headed towards a small building a little ways away from the manor. The man slipped inside, with Rin following. She stopped at the doorway, though, recognizing the building as a shrine. But to who?
Her eyes widened when Byakuya stopped at the other end of the room and opened the doors to the shrine. In the centre of the flowers, which were replaced with fresh ones daily, was a picture of a young woman with black hair and violet eyes. Rin had no idea who she was, but she looked remarkably like his adopted sister.
She stepped back so she was outside the building, suddenly feeling unwelcome within the shrine room. Instead, she patiently waited outside the door, leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest. When a messenger came running over, she looked up. She nodded once she heard the message and dismissed him before turning and peeking into the room.
"Kuchiki? They want you at Soukyoku now."
"Very well..." He closed the first door, but his hand lingered on the second. "I'm going, Hisana," he murmured. He then closed the door and swept past Rin out of the room. "Come, let us go now."
They were about halfway to Soukyoku Hill when Byakuya sensed his Lieutenant nearby. Making a decision, he switched directions to confront him. Rin, who was slower by far, scrambled to keep up, her teeth gritting with frustration when he didn't slow one bit to let her catch up.
The pair landed on a roof above a large courtyard lined on one side with tall towers. Renji, who had been running through it, stumbled to a halt, his eyes wide. Slowly, he turned to face his fellow squad 6 members, swallowing hard.
"C-Captain Kuchiki..." he managed to choke out. The noble looked on impassively.
"Where are you going, Abarai?"
"I'm going to save Rukia!" he shouted defiantly, banishing away his fear. "Please, allow me to pass peacefully!"
"I will not." Renji's eyes narrowed.
"I will continue! Even if I have to beat you to do so!" he cried.
"Do not make me repeat myself," Byakuya growled before disappearing.
He appeared behind Renji, and, at first, Rin thought the battle would end just like that. Much to her surprise, the man whipped, drawing his sword and blocking his attack. He smirked smugly.
"Senka," Renji growled, obviously familiar with the technique. "A special type of flash step where you move behind your opponent, directly attacking and sealing one's Hakusui in one strike. It's your favourite attack." Byakuya watched, an indifferent look on his face. "I have seen it countless times, and for a long time been able to follow your movements! Now, I'm able to catch up, too. Captain Kuchiki, your sword can no longer kill me!"
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Rin's neck rose and she grabbed the hilts of her zanpakuto, drawing them. Whipping around, she blocked an attack. The strength of the assault made her arms tremble and shake with pain. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the grinning face of Kotomaru Shuken, a member of her own division.
"Oh, you blocked it. I guess you're going to make this funner than I thought you would, Asaje-san." He giggled maniacally and leapt away.
"Aren't you in my division? The fuck are you doing, attacking me?!" she growled. "We're allies, you dumbfuck baka!"
"Oh no, that would imply that I am loyal to the Gotei 13, which I am not. In fact, I'm not even in your squad! And you didn't bother to check! Little do you know, but I am the 7th Seat of Squad 5. I am loyal to Captain Aizen, and no one else!" He laughed even harder.
"Aizen's dead," she snapped.
"Or so you have been led to believe... Gut 'er like a fish, Kirisakishi Cho!" (Gut ripper)
His zanpakuto changed into a blade in the shape a fish hook. Oddly enough, the cutting edge was on the inside, and he held it reverse style. Rin, however, already knew the danger this sort of weapon posed.
"Hm. Pathetic, your reiatsu is nothing," she snarled.
"Far better than yours, you little bitch! Yours is nothing more than that of a recruit, and yet you speak so high and mighty, as if you think you're more powerful than me! Once I get you pinned, I'll have my way with you and then give you over to Captain Aizen!"
He laughed maniacally and lunged forward. He aimed the point at her gut, intending to rip her open just like the name suggested. She leapt back, landing on mid air above the battle between Renji and Byakuya. Her features were set in a grim expression. Shuken chuckled darkly from his place at the edge of the roof.
"You want to play swords, you little shit?" Rin snarled, crossing her swords in front of her. "Well, I won't give you the satisfaction. I'll fuck you up so bad they won't even be able to identify your body. That is, if they even think of it as a body at all. Rain down the fires of hell, Futago Akuma."
The air around her seemed to shimmer and blur with heat as her zanpakuto transformed into two, sleek, antique pistols with golden flames on them. She spun them in her hands, betraying her talent with wielding them. Despite the situation, one corner of her mouth turned up in a tiny smirk. She gripped both pistols and pointed one at Shuken. His eyes were wide with shock.
Her reiatsu just exploded! It... It can't be! It's beyond that of even a Lieutenant! T-This can't be possible, she's only a recruit! She's weak! She's supposed to be an easy kill! At the least, her power should be equal to mine! Why... Why is she...?! the man didn't have time to finish his thought.
He doubled over, coughing up a mouthful of blood. He hadn't even seen it coming. He hadn't seen the shot at all. She had blown a hole straight through his middle. And then she was in front of him. One of her zanpakuto had been sealed, and she held the blade to his throat. He fell to his knees and looked up at her with gritted teeth. She looked down at him, her blue eyes cold and impassive.
"H-How...?" he growled.
"How?" She snorted with ill-humoured laughter. "Baka! I simply conceal my reiatsu. You have completely underestimated my strength."
"No... That's... not possible! No one can!"
"You want to argue with me? Fine. Those will be your final words."
She drew back her weapon. His eyes widened with horror.
"No! No, no, no, no, no! Please, don't-"
She swung, and his head tumbled onto the roof before rolling off. She stepped out of the way, letting his body follow it. She wrinkled her nose with disgust and sheathed her weapons.
"A fucking waste of time. Why do I even bother humouring them like that?" she muttered to herself as she turned to catch the end of the fight.
As she had suspected, Byakuya had taken care of his Lieutenant easily. He was on the ground, defeated. But, despite his near fatal injuries, the red haired man got to his feet and lunged at the noble. Suddenly, the Lieutenant's sword broke and the wound in his back was pulled open more, sending blood everywhere. The now useless weapon pressed into the Captain's chest, right where his heart was. Had the sword not broke …Byakuya would have died.
The rest of the sword crumbled in Renji's hand and he pitched forward. Rin thought she heard him mumble something, but couldn't make it out. She watched as the Captain pulled his scarf off and threw it across the man's body. It floated in the air before settling across him gently.
"Congratulations. Your fang actually reached me."
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