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Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
- 53
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- 55
Ant Hill: Part 1

Grimmjow always had been someone capable of grabbing the spotlight and shaking it until the thing shattered. As promised, both Espada were doing a superb job keeping the Swarm�s attention fixed on them. Karin, for her part, did her best to lead the others to Ajuga. However, navigating the actual corridors of the three-dimensional �diagram� she could see via the Swarm�s movements was easier in theory than in practice. It wasn�t as if it was a fixed blueprint, since the �lines� consisted of constantly moving insects� energy signatures. Her daughter, ironically, wasn�t helping matters either. Ajuga�s particular energy mass darted about randomly, making her hard to track. The only good thing about it was that the Swarm was having just as much trouble following Ajuga as Karin was. She could see Zee as well, and a part of her wanted to pay him a visit and crack his carapace. Zee, however, was no longer near Ajuga, the latter having thoroughly eluded him, so she abandoned the impulse to track down the General for some retribution and concentrated on the path ahead of her.

�Well?� Orihime whispered, waiting for the signal to advance.

�This place is a bloody maze,� Karin grouched, rubbing her forehead in an attempt to stave off a stress-induced headache. �I think we are getting closer though.�

�Why don�t we flare our reiatsu? That would give Ajuga-chan a heads up that we are here. The Swarm has never shown any indication that they can detect reiatsu,� Hana proposed.

Karin bit her lip, thinking about it. It was true the Swarm seemed oblivious to reiatsu. Right now, she was the only one who could see Ajuga, and if anything separated her from the other three, the others had no way to find the girl. If they let Ajuga know they were there, her daughter might try to get to them instead of scampering around in circles. After spending all of this time within the Hive, she might also be familiar with the tunnels, possibly knowing a better way out than trying to retrace their steps.

�Alright, let�s do it.�

Diaemus allowed his reiatsu to build, letting it shine like a beacon for a full minute. In Hana�s case, she paused and uttered the command word to remove the seal that Aizen had given her as a child. The risk of doing so was low, as there were no Arrancar here to entice with her powers. Besides, as Harribel�s fraccion she was safe from such things. Diaemus� eyes grew a little larger at the true extent of his childhood friend�s strength, but he said nothing.

Ajuga�s signature froze, letting Karin know that her daughter had picked up on the equivalent of a loudly shouted greeting. Sure enough, her daughter changed course, doubling back and moving in their direction. She even stopped hiding her own bright reiatsu, letting it flare brilliantly in response. Karin held her breath, waiting for any indication that her daughter had become a target. She let it out when there was no change to the way that the Swarm moved. The insects still scuttled for every exit in an orderly manner. There was no indication that the reiatsu flare had tipped off the Generals either. She hoped that some of her relief made it through to Grimmjow.

�It�s working!� she told them. �This way!�

Karin led them forward and to the left. She tried to keep her cool, but the closer she moved towards Ajuga, the more adrenaline she felt pumping through her veins. Of course, much of that came from Grimmjow. It had been a long time since her mate was able to let loose with all he had without the fear of harming others. She wondered how many Locusts had already dropped dead from coming too close to Ulquiorra and Grimmjow�s combined strength. In this desolate, northern waste, there was no need to hold back to avoid harming the civilian population or the line troopers. Then again, anything weak enough to succumb to the two Espada�s reiatsu levels, their scouting party wanted dead anyway.

A dose of pure glee jolted her, nearly causing her to stumble. Grimmjow�s emotions were far more potent than anything she had ever felt outside of their bedroom, or in whatever other location he happened to pin her down and have his way with her. Her mate was really enjoying this. Both Arrancar�s reiatsu flashed wildly above the dome as they worked out their anger on the Swarm for daring to target their children. It was a good thing she wore Szayel�s shades. Otherwise, the overwhelming light might have blinded her. Worse, she might have lost track of Ajuga�s reiatsu as the glare from the two Espada drowned it out. Zee�s easily distinguishable signature had changed. The General and a few of the other, stronger leaders were en route to the commotion outside. As far as she could tell, they�d called off the pursuit of Ajuga to fend off the Hive�s attackers.

Karin increased her pace, until she gave up any pretence of restraint and used Shunpo to move faster. Diaemus bent down and let his mother hop on his back so they could keep up. They were so close� She rounded another corner and her arms flew open as Ajuga leaped into her embrace.

�Mama!� Ajuga cried, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Her child was filthy, ragged, too thin for her liking, her fur matted with old blood and she was the most beautiful thing Karin had seen since the whole horrible ordeal had started.

�Oh, Ajuga!�

Karin returned her daughter�s hug, clutching her so tightly that her arms began to hurt, but she didn�t care. �I am never letting you out of my sight again,� she vowed. Ajuga didn�t even bother to argue, sniffling against her mother�s shoulder and trying not to do any damage to the human woman with her claws.

Suddenly there were more limbs to contend with as Orihime and Hana joined them in their group hug, tears of relief washing down their faces as well. The walls of the Hive shook ominously, the rumbling cutting their joyful reunion short. Somewhere, the sound of ice cracking made it very clear that they needed to get out and quickly.

�Ajuga,� Diaemus said as the women pulled apart.

�Diaemus!� Ajuga replied and then smirked. �I knew you could make it!�

�Indeed,� he agreed, and then turned his eyes upwards towards the trembling ceiling. �It would be prudent to escape before Father and Grimmjow-san bring down the entire Hive around us,� he noted. �It seems the lure of battle distracted them from recalling that we are inside of it.�

�Yeah, good idea,� Hana agreed then looked around at the tunnel walls. �Um, can anyone remember the way out?�

It was a good question. They had taken so many corners and ramps that there was no way of truly knowing where they were. She could use her sight to find the parade of insects heading towards the surface and follow them, but she really didn�t want to join them, lest the Locusts attack them or worse, summon Zee and his Generals.

While she pondered this, the boy with them made a decision. A flash of green light nearly blinded them, followed by a loud explosion. Snow and ice rained down about them and mist from the heated water washed over them, dampening their hair and the exposed skin on their faces and hands.

�Diaemus!� Orihime reprimanded her son, reaching up to pick bits of ice from her tresses. �Was that really necessary?�

�I have provided an exit, Mother,� he explained. �It is not the first time I�ve done so, and I thought the same method would work again.�

Karin looked up through the large hole in the tunnel�s ceiling, leading all the way to the surface and the blue sky beyond. Then she shrugged. Well, they had planned on bringing the Hive down and whatever window there might have been for any negotiation with the Swarm had now closed. The dark-haired woman sighed in resignation. What was one more hole, more or less?

�I love the way you think, Diaemus!� Ajuga�s chuckle brought Karin back to the present.

�That�s odd. I distinctly recall you complaining about my usual methods of applying reason to a problem,� Diaemus returned, though Karin could hear a trace of humour in his words. �Rather frequently, I might add.�

Ajuga and Hana laughed, Orihime murmured something about �children� and Karin shook her head. Gathering reiatsu about her feet, she leaped up into the air and started to �hop� her way up and out through the vertical shaft. Orihime jumped once more onto her son�s back, Hana followed Karin�s example and Ajuga just dug her claws into the ice, occasionally jumping on the air to help with her ascent.

A scene of utter mayhem greeted them the moment they emerged from the Hive. The flying members of the Swarm milled about, trying to organize in much the same way hornets might if someone threw a brick at their nest. The great, black mass of them were easy pickings for the two Espada as they fired Cero after Cero into the bulk of the insect cloud. With such dense numbers of their own troops in the way, the Beetles could not invoke their acid without creating far too many casualties.

�Wow, you go Papa!� Ajuga exclaimed as Grimmjow�s bright blue energy continually lit up the cloud from within, in much the same way lightning would illuminate a thundercloud. Carcasses fell from the seething mass of insects like rain after every strike.

�Come on. We have to get out of the way!� Hana cried over the sound of the Swarm�s buzzing and the crackling of Cero-based combat.

Ajuga had plastered her ears against her head against the loud noise. Karin didn�t blame her. The sound was getting to her too, like a swarm of bees rattling about her brain. It was nails-on-a-chalkboard irritating. For some reason she didn�t understand, it was also getting louder, the pitch changing until she could feel the vibrations in the slippery dome under her feet.

The sound was also the only warning they got before all hell broke loose.

The ice below them shook violently, causing them to leap into the air. Locusts scattered in all directions as the Hive erupted like a volcano. Pieces of the Hive�s exterior crashed and tumbled around them as the hill exploded outwards, sending debris flying to smash into the frozen lake. Some chunks hit hard enough to break through to the water below, causing huge splashes of frigid water to rise into the air.

The cause of the destruction shook its gargantuan body and emerged from the depths of the ruptured structure. Karin had only glimpsed the massive creature through her sight but once she got a good look at it, she found that she wished she�d never seen it at all.

It looked like nothing Karin had ever seen before, but if she were to describe it, she would have told Szayel to take a millipede and breed it to a porcupine, for that was the best description she could apply to the long, segmented, spiky� thing. Clouds of what looked like exhaust came from the tips of each of the creature�s spikes, and she prayed it was just warm oxygen hitting the Arctic air, rather than anything toxic. Either way, the discharge served to shroud the 'porcu-peed' in mist, giving it a frightening appearance. Then she caught sight of its mouth, filled with angrily clicking mandibles and decided that �frightening� didn�t do the thing justice.

�Holy fuck!� Ajuga breathed.

Karin was too stunned to reprimand her daughter for her language, since �holy fuck� summed up her own reaction nicely. If she thought Grimmjow had been excited before, the thrill he sent her at the sight of this new opponent left her gasping. She hadn�t felt him this agitated since he�d fought her brother in the park. Their bond had still been new and hadn�t transmitted as clearly or strongly as it did now.

The sky was black with insects as the Hive finished disgorging every bug within it. Beetles crawled out of the debris field created when the explosion occurred, while more Locusts flew to join the cloud surrounding the two Espada, trying to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Even the Scarabs emerged, shaking their multicolored wings and looking rather pissed, if Karin was any judge of their body language thanks to her time spent with Mushi. They began moving out of the combat zone while grooming their wings on the way.

Oh yeah, Karin thought, they were upset, and they oddly reminded her of Szayel as they tried to both run and keep up with their personal hygiene. Her common sense kicked in at that point and she waved her hands frantically, causing the others to look away from the mess the battlefield had become and to turn to her.

�We need to get out of here!� Karin shouted over the noise. �Hurry!�

They bolted ahead of the thick mass of Locusts swirling about the flashes of light that marked the presence of the two fighting Espada. A few glances to the rear let her know that, so far, no one had noticed their escape, and Karin planned on keeping it that way. The debris field from the exploded Hive offered them cover as they raced across the frozen lake, trying to avoid the dangerous holes in the ice and any stray Beetles that might be hiding in the rubble. Eventually, they reached the far shore and began climbing, coming to rest on a cliff overlooking the lake.

Karin went to her knees in the shelter of a large boulder, her heart racing with adrenaline. Ajuga collapsed to her rear, panting and favouring her arm. Orihime slipped from her son�s back and then raced to the girl�s side, her Sōten Kisshun snapping up around the young Arrancar. Ajuga let out a breath of relief as her half-healed and recently aggravated injuries started to mend.

�At least we don�t have to worry about bringing the Hive down now,� Hana quipped.

�Indeed,� Diaemus agreed, scrubbing at his face with one hand.

�I hope Grimmjow and Ulquiorra are alright,� Orihime frowned, looking over her shoulder at the cloud of foes. They�d have to skirt around the entire lake to get back to their encampment, if possible, to grab as much as they could before they fled.

�Father would never be defeated by such creatures,� her son said, sounding very sure of his statement.

�Yeah, and Papa is too damn stubborn to stop fighting, even if they do sting him,� Ajuga agreed, breathing hard as her feet came to rest on the snow-covered ground.

All Karin could physically see when she looked back at the Hive was a swirling mass of insects. Her other sight showed her Grimmjow and Ulquiorra as bright sparks of light amongst a dense fog as they fought. The giant 'porcu-peed' was on its way towards the fray, lumbering its way through the pieces of what had once been half of the dome and Karin bit her lip nervously. Those spines looked incredibly sharp and she still had no idea if the steam or gas coming out from them posed a threat to the Espada. At least, she told herself, the �porcu-peed� lacked any wings. As long as Grimmjow and Ulquiorra remained in the air, it was unlikely they would have to engage the creature.

�Who am I kidding? Grimmjow is going to be all over that thing,� she thought in dismay.

�What took you so long?�

Ajuga�s question, directed at Hana, startled the other girl, before the Shinigami grinned shamelessly and jerked a thumb at her winged friend.

�Diaemus-kun took a long nap after he made it back.�

The boy scowled at Hana while Ajuga let out a short laugh and shook her head. Karin let herself relax for a few minutes, the level of adrenaline in her bloodstream diminishing now that she was out of immediate danger. She wasn�t worried about Grimmjow or Ulquiorra, even in that swirling mass. The Locusts lacked the strength to get through either of the Espadas� Heirro. Strangely, the Beetles looked as if they were setting up a perimeter, rather than moving to join the Locusts. She could make out the Scarabs from her vantage point. They�d gathered off to the side, surrounded by what she assumed were Cockroaches and possibly Pill Bugs. It also looked as if the Generals had joined them. It was hard to tell what was going on at this distance. Karin threw her arm across her face, fatigue that she couldn�t really afford to feel right now washing over her. Honestly, she didn�t care what they did, so long as they did it over there and left them alone.

�There, all better!� Orihime chirped happily, as her shield fell away.

�Thanks!�

Ajuga checked her arm�s range of movement, wriggled her fingers and gave a nod of satisfaction when her limb functioned properly. They were ready to move. It was time to call in the two men and make a run for it. Although, with such a large opponent on the field, and considering how much fun her mate was having, Karin wondered if reining them in before they reduced every bug to a stain on the snow was a possibility. She doubted that he�d even listen to her at this point. It couldn�t hurt to let them take out their frustrations on as many of the Swarm as possible, for making them come all this way to retrieve Ajuga as well as for nabbing both children in the first place. After all, Aizen�s group was on the way and destroying the Hive had been part of their mission. She might as well let them go at it while they were still going strong. Karin was content to sit and try to calm down enough to send Grimmjow an emotional �message�, to let him know that they were in the clear.

�Um, Karin-san, is it just me, or is the Swarm coming this way?� Hana asked nervously, getting to her feet. Cracking an eye open, Karin turned to look over her shoulder.

The black, buzzing cloud had shifted. Instead of hovering near the remains of the Hive, it and everything in it had begun to move across the ice. Karin sat up fully as she realized that Hana was right. The Swarm swirled and parted, finally revealing the fight going on between the �porcu-peed�. However, Karin paid little heed to the larger battle, focusing on the Locust swarm heading right for them. She had no idea if the bugs were getting out of the way of the attacks, or if one of the Generals had figured out where their escaped prisoner had gone. Either way, the horde of insects would be on them in less than a minute.

They couldn�t hope to defend against that many enemies at once. The Locusts would capture her and Ajuga and they wouldn�t hesitate to slaughter the others. Hana and Orihime wouldn�t survive such an onslaught. Even if Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were to disengage from the huge creature and help them, they�d stand no chance and might not even make it in time.

Orihime�s Santen Kesshun flew into place before them, for all the good it was going to do them, and Tsubaki raced out ahead, slicing his way through insects, but hardly making a dent. The rest of them fell into a fighting stance, bracing for the impact�

�only to see the oncoming bugs smash headlong into a shining array of pink, glowing swords.

They stared, shocked, as the weapons dissolved into millions of tiny blades that reflected the late morning light. They shredded the front line of Locusts, whose death screeches causing the very air to shiver. From a different angle, Karin saw a series of bright blue beams sear across the Swarm�s flank. She sensed the imminent explosions before they happened, and she dragged both Ajuga and Hana down behind the golden triangle Orihime had placed to shield them, while Diaemus wrapped his wings around his mother and ducked. Ajuga clapped her hands over her ears as the blue lights blew up everything they touched and a wild rush of wind that smelled strongly of burnt Locust guts whipped around them, followed by a dusting of ash, most of it deflecting off of Orihime�s shield.

Byakuya appeared beside Karin, the noble�s face only lightly sheened with sweat, having pushed hard to intercept the Swarm before they could overrun the scouting party.

�Ajuga-chan, you�re alright!� Lilinette�s oddly distorted voice cheered as Starrk landed beside Byakuya. The First certainly didn�t look winded. In fact, he almost appeared bored.

Karin couldn�t recall ever having seen Starrk�s Resurrección. Other than a change of apparel for the furrier, and a shift of his mask from the usual jawbone collar to a rectangular eye patch reminiscent of Lilinette�s framing the empty spot where his left eye should have been, he didn�t look all that different. Every other Espada had at least a change of forms, taking on various animalistic traits. In contrast, Starrk almost reminded her of a gunslinger in one of the movies her father had liked to watch from time to time, which made sense when she thought of his name.

�Lili-chan? Where are you?� Hana�s head whipped around, trying to find Starrk�s other half.

�Right here!�

Lilinette�s cheerful, disembodied voice startled everyone. Karin blinked and stared at the pair of pistols in Starrk�s hands, then at the empty holsters hanging from his belt. It was the first time she�d seen any indication that anyone in the Seireitei, Shinigami or Arrancar, knew how to use a modern weapon, let alone a firearm. Then again, none of the other Espada could boast of a Resurrección that also doubled as a small, mouthy companion, part-time babysitter and errand girl.

�The rest are right behind us. We were the fastest,� Starrk spoke up, explaining their presence and the lack of the others before she could ask. It was hard to hear his lazy drawl over the sound of insects dying as Byakuya did his best to hold the line back with what she assumed was his Bankai. The number of blades definitely suggested it, as his Shikai had far fewer parts. She hadn�t had an opportunity to see him fight, as they didn�t often defend the same battle lines during a Swarm attack, but she certainly didn�t question its effectiveness.

The mass of Locusts wavered slightly at the new arrivals, but their hesitation didn�t last long. With only a short delay, they came at them again in a thick cloud. Starrk alternatively holstered one pistol and shot with the other, the barrels of the guns blazing each time he pulled the trigger, Lilinette�s enthusiastic shouts almost inaudible above the din. Both attacks took out more and more of the flying menaces, enough to slow the creeping progression of the insect horde. They also allowed the others to collect themselves enough to go on the defensive.

Tsubaki raced back into the fray, slicing his way through Locust after Locust, cutting through wings and legs in an attempt to disable as many as possible. Hana chanted incantations next to her, lightning bolts leaping from the girl�s fingertips to fry successive enemies as the bolts sizzled from one opponent to the next. Taking a cue from Hana, Karin fired her own bolt of chain lightning. Ajuga and Diaemus engaged the Swarm, tossing Cero after Cero into the writhing mass.

Despite all of this, their combined attacks did nothing more than remove a hundred grains of sand from a beach filled to bursting with it.

�This isn�t getting us anywhere!� Karin shouted as the Swarm closed in on them, flying over the bodies of their dead as if they were not even there. Byakuya frowned and gritted his teeth, while Stark actually glared at the approaching wall of Locusts and fired off round after round of blue-tinged Ceros. Karin could feel the heat from each round on her face and knew that soon, it would be too dangerous for Starrk to keep shooting as the Swarm closed in lest he hurt those he was trying to defend.

That�s when Karin heard a gigantic series of �CRACKS� from the direction of the lake, in quick succession and sounding much like the popping of bullets leaving the barrel of a rifle. A few seconds later, she saw a colossal wave of water rise from the fractured surface and engulf a portion of the oncoming bugs. She could hear the combined resonance of Sonido and Shunpo as vibrations against her skin, before the wave locked into place, freezing before her eyes. The wave vanished, along with anything in it, as a glacier replaced it. Then a sandaled foot belonging to someone with familiar white hair and an equally white haori stomped down upon the top of the edifice and shattered the thing into a multitude of insect-laden shards.

The Taichou of the 3^rd Division spared them a glance over his shoulder before another wave of water surged out of the cracks in the lake ice and he got back to work. With both abundant cold and water at their disposal, Toshiro and Harribel began systematically reducing the number of Locusts via their combined attacks. They weren�t alone, either.

Aizen, to Karin�s surprise, appeared behind them, a calm, calculating look on his face as he surveyed the damage Toshiro and Harribel inflicted and continued to cause. The rest of his handpicked minions appeared behind him. His eyes flickered their way briefly, before he turned to look at the battle between Grimmjow, Ulquiorra and their horrifically out-sized enemy. From his smug expression, Karin surmised that he had already assessed the situation and had conceived of a thousand different ways he could achieve victory.

�Destroy the outpost, and everything that moves within it.�

He gave the order with an air of absolute authority and the way he said it told everyone he would expect nothing less than absolute success in fulfilling it. The others leaped at the enemy, all of them releasing their various weapons for maximum devastation. The clash looked like a pod of whales going after a school of herring. Szayel arrived at the tail end, Tesra by his side. Both of them looked as if they were on their last legs. The two clearly hadn�t had a fun time racing up here. Renji, bundled against the cold, hesitated just long enough to make sure Szayel would be able to stand, before disappearing into the melée. Zabimaru�s howl was quickly lost beneath the sounds of buzzing and conflict.

The scientist�s eyes lit up at the sight of Ajuga.

�Ajuga-chan, did they do anything to you?� he asked, trotting to her daughter�s side. His golden eyes gave her a thorough �examination� before Ajuga sighed and shook her head.

�Not a thing Szay, other than starving me and keeping me locked up and chained,� she told him with a scowl. �I think Zee has a few loose screws, though.�

�Zee?� Aizen interjected, one eyebrow going up. Karin noticed that Szayel�s hands had gone very still, but gave him credit for not going as stiff as board and tipping off Aizen via his posture.

�That�s what the General calls himself. Spoke really clearly, but he knows fuck-all about us. The idiot tried to feed Diaemus-kun and I some pathetic Plus soul,� she snorted derisively.

Karin frantically tied to catch Ajuga�s attention without alerting Aizen to what she was doing, warning her daughter to drop it there. She didn�t want to think about the possible outcome if Aizen were to ask her if he�d mentioned the reason Zee had taken her. That was not, however, the question he asked.

�Are any of you injured?� Aizen asked, the question taking them all by surprise.

�No, Kami-sama,� Karin answered for them.

�Good. Then do not disobey my orders,� he stated, nodding in the direction of the now-greatly-expanded fight going on over the lake.

Karin stared at him, shocked that he would order them directly into the fight so soon, and then looked back at the battle. She opened her mouth to protest, to ask for a short breather, for they had already been at it for some time, but Ajuga spoke first.

�Yes! Time for a little payback!�

Ajuga cracked her knuckles and launched herself at the closest enemy she could find, shredding the Locust with a vicious smirk on her face. Diaemus and Hana shared a quick �not again� glance between them before they hurried after her, trying to remain on their friend�s tail. Karin could only stare at the space Ajuga had vacated only seconds before. Then she swore up a storm in the privacy of her head, chasing after the children and cursing Aizen to any level of Hell that would have him.

Off in the distance, the Scarabs had finished their project as they formed a large circle and lifted their massive, glittering wings up, aligning them tip to tip. She suspected that they were summoning reinforcements, and she certainly didn�t want that to happen. Ajuga must have thought the same thing, because that was where the girl headed next. Karin cursed the fact that the Arrancar had greater speed at their disposal, as well as the exhaustion that weighed on her. She was, after all, still only human.

Szayel didn�t waste time catching up to her. He had no desire to stay with Aizen, even with Orihime there, especially when the tyrant might construe any reluctance as �disobedience.� Aizen had blatantly told them to �get out there and fight� in so many words. The Seventh did keep his hand on Fornicaras�s hilt the entire time and she thought that the gesture made a nice cover. Protecting his �mistress� was allowable, after all.

�Karin-sama, can you tell me anything about that new specimen?� he shouted to her over the din, pointing towards the thickest part of the conflict and the monstrous, multi-legged thing.

�The �porcu-peed?� Not much, I�m afraid. I think it�s the source of the extra oxygen the Swarm needs to operate in our Realm,� she shouted back, indicating the hot steam coming from the vents in each spike. �Maybe it also supplies the heat and the humidity too.�

Szayel rolled his eyes at her choice of nomenclature.

�Nicknames� why must you give everything a nickname?� he complained to the uncaring heavens, raising his hands in dramatic supplication. Karin snorted back and grabbed his arm.

�Forget the �porcu-peed� for now. What do you think those Scarabs are up to?�

She swatted aside a Locust as she asked this, cracking its thorax with a reiatsu-enhanced punch. The damn things had started to converge on her, and she suspected that Zee was the one sending them in her direction. She could see the General by the Scarabs, with Ajuga making a beeline for him. Worse, Hana and Diaemus were right behind her.

Karin wanted to shriek in frustration. Had her daughter learned nothing of her last encounter with the bastard? She honestly didn�t know which to blame the most for Ajuga�s irrationality, the Jaegerjaquez or the Kurosaki bloodline. Honestly, mixing the two had not been the smartest decision ever made.

�I don�t know,� he frowned, looking at the pillar, before suddenly going pale and swallowing nervously. �I think�I think they are creating a gateway.�

�To their world?� she asked, hoping that they would do the smart thing and sound a retreat, rather than bring in fresh troops. Szayel shook his head.

�No, somewhere in ours,� he answered, puzzled over why they would choose to do so. He told her as much too. Fear pricked her belly as she looked at the large pillar as it disappeared high into the sky.

Into the sky�

Understanding dawned and with it, the adrenaline was back, her heart hammering as she figured out what Zee might be planning to do.

�Fuck!� she nearly screamed aloud, forcing more speed out of her body and praying that she got there in time. Szayel could only shout �Karin-sama!� before he went after her, panting heavily in her wake.

Huge hugs to all of those that took the time to leave a review. This chapter was over 24 pages long, so I divided it into two parts. The next part I will probably post after work tomorrow, as I am going from a night shift into a morning shift. Joy.
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Prize of Victory 2	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story

Prize of Victory 2