Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

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
- 56
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Left Behind

Starrk finally let Lilinette go, after making sure his smaller, feistier half didn�t plan on doing anything rash, like marching back to the Palace and demanding that they go back for Hana. They both needed a bath, but he had bigger priorities now and so he told her to go home, check on Soi Fon and the children and clean herself up. She stuck out her tongue at him, but went anyway.

He watched her go, glad she really hadn�t put up a struggle. What he really needed was a chance to think without worrying about her. Starrk also needed to make sense of what had just happened. Unfortunately, the one with the answers he needed was also the one who had just slashed his pack�s strength in half and smiled while he�d done it.

The best option would be to talk to the two people whose opinions he�d come to both respect and trust, because he�d inevitably have to do so anyway. He continued on to the 2^nd Division, where he could feel Jushiro and Nanao, the two apparently taking their midday meal together. In the meantime, he tried to organize the various bits of information he did have. Maybe, between the three of them, they could assemble the pieces into something coherent.

The First didn�t actually doubt Aizen�s assertion that Grimmjow, Karin and Szayel had somehow betrayed him while in the Royal Realm. It would have surprised him if any of them had remained loyal after all of the things Aizen had inflicted on the Seventh and his pack. Starrk wasn�t particularly pleased with their leader either and hadn�t been for some time. However, there was no evidence that they had actually done something during the battle to earn such a label. Szayel, in particular, would have been leery of giving Aizen any ammunition to use against him. The scientist had far too much to lose to risk doing something like that. There was also the fact that Starrk himself had told Grimmjow to leave off wasting his time on an opponent whose defences were too strong for him to crack and to go after his mate. Aizen should have allowed him to speak up on the Sixth�s behalf instead of shutting him down.

Then there was Hana. Where Ajuga and Diaemus went, Hana was certain to follow. Yet Aizen had made no mention of Nanao�s daughter, as a captive, a traitor or a casualty.

Perhaps the declaration had something to do with Aizen�s drop in power. Most of the others would not have noticed it, nor would they have felt it unless Aizen wanted them to know about it. Starrk had picked up on it though, the moment he�d exited the strange gateway. Kami�s power had taken a distinct nosedive, nearly returning to what he�d had prior to assuming the Throne.

Logic dictated that Aizen had lost control of the Throne and the power that went with it, though he still had plenty of his own. Starrk knew better than to think his leader had given it up voluntarily, which meant that someone had taken the Throne�s power away without asking. As Aizen was still alive, whatever means the culprit had used hadn�t included violence. Instead, it suggested that someone with an actual right to the Spirit King�s Throne had been involved and that�s where things got murky.

Starrk wouldn�t put it past Szayel to have discovered and engineered a way to get into the Royal Realm. The scientist did have access to Unohana�s blood after all and a stealthy, underhanded reputation. Then again, as insane as Szayel could be at times, he wouldn�t dare try anything unless he knew there was no chance that anything might go wrong. If anyone were to ask him about the look he�d seen on Szayel�s face when he�d followed Karin into that pillar of light, �assured� wouldn�t be the word Starrk would choose. �Terrified� would be a better description. Starrk suspected something else was up, and if Szayel hadn�t planned the supposed �betrayal�, the only other person that might have had a hand in it was Karin.

That was a little more believable. When trouble struck, the human woman had a knack for finding her way into the center of it, though to be fair she also provided more than her share of solutions. It meant that he needed information and help from two of the better minds at his disposal. Thankfully, getting their help was a given.

He arrived at the 2^nd Division, walking past the surprised members and into the office where Jushiro was going over a report with Nanao. Both looked up, startled at his return, and any greetings died on their lips when they noticed his sombre expression and the fact he looked even more disreputable than usual. He reached up and scratched the back of his neck, wishing Jushiro�s office had a couch. Was his distress that obvious?

�You�re back. How did the mission go?� The silver-haired Taichou was the first to break the silence.

�We destroyed the Hive,� he admitted and yawned.

�That is good news,� Nanao replied, though she sounded concerned as well.

�Guess I am that obvious,� he thought with some regret. �Better get it over with��

�Not everyone returned.�

The stricken looks on both their faces mirrored the dread he could taste coming from Jushiro. Putting both hands up, he waved them to try to mitigate how dire that statement sounded.

�No one died,� he tried to explain, all the while going about the room, closing windows and locking doors. They both let out sighs of relief at this and followed his progress around the office with their eyes, but gave him time to continue without interrupting him.

He had a theory, one that had been percolating in the back of his mind for a very long time and now was the perfect time to see if that theory had legs. When he�d finished with the security measures, he pulled out the spare chair and sat down. Starrk sighed and tightened his grip on Jushiro�s Claim, watching as the Shinigami stiffened when he felt the controlling reiatsu entrap his own. He didn�t like having to resort to this, but he needed the truth.

�Someone took the Throne�s power away from Aizen during the battle with the Swarm,� he announced and watched their faces.

Jushiro�s fear lashed into him, as potent as a striking whip, while shock bloomed on Nanao�s face, confirming his suspicions. Jushiro knew something and she did not. While he trusted Jushiro to be honest with him, he needed to be one hundred percent certain that the information was accurate before he decided what he needed to do next.

�Jushiro?� He looked at the trapped Shinigami, letting the man�s name contain the question he really wanted to ask. Jushiro might not be as sharp as either he or the late Kyoraku Shunsui, but he was certainly no slouch.

�Karin is the late Spirit King�s granddaughter,� Jushiro confessed in a whisper, mindful of the need for secrecy.

Nanao gasped, turning to the noble whose house she shared. �But Isshin was a Shiba��

Jushiro shook his head, stopping her before she could continue and motioned for her to keep her voice down.

�That was a cover, to protect him. The Shiba family fell into disgrace because they misplaced the King�s youngest son. The late Soutaichou gave him a position, mostly because the young man wanted experience. �Isshin� wanted to know about the lives of those his father�s actions affected. He served as Taichou of the 10^th Division for years and only the Soutaichou, Shunsui and I knew his real identity. Then, for some reason, he went to the Living World without authorization and failed to return. That was,� the pale-haired man looked to the side, as if tallying something, �over thirty-five years ago. The Soutaichou sent a search team to Kurakara, but there was no trace of him. If Karin was his daughter, then Kurosaki Ichigo and Yuzu��

Jushiro fell silent as the implications hit him, as did Nanao.

Starrk rubbed his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose as he fought off the urge to lean back in the chair and close his eyes. He needed to think, not snooze and this was one of the times that he regretted that the Vasto Lorde he�d once been had given most of its ambition and energy to his shorter half. Instead, he gave his �pets� an account of what he�d seen before, during and immediately after the battle, finally concluding with the portal�s destruction.

�Aizen said that the portal lead to the Royal Realm and that Ajuga, Grimmjow and Szayel tried to take the Throne from him. I�d say the decrease in his power confirms at least part of his story and you�ve confirmed a second part.�

Jushiro then gave Starrk a sharp look. �You think Karin sat on the Throne, don�t you?� he asked, keeping a wary eye on the door, lest one of his Division members try to walk in and find the doors locked. �How?�

Starrk�s slate-blue eyes slid to Jushiro and he released the grip he had on the man�s Claim while he considered the question. Did he truly think Karin had stolen Aizen�s power while up there? He reviewed Aizen�s actions today, going over them staring at spot on the desk.

�I think it�s likely. I know he declared Szayel, Ajuga and Grimmjow traitors. Anyone who sees them is to kill them on sight, which means if they were in the Royal Realm, they aren�t there now and that they�re still alive. He didn�t say anything about Diaemus, but that is probably due to Ulquiorra�s presence. Nor did he mention Hana. Either that was an oversight or it�s because he isn�t sure she�s involved yet.�

Nanao sighed in relief. It meant that she considered her daughter safe for the time being. Knowing the girl the way he did, he�d bet hard money and his softest pillow that Hana had likely gone with the others, wherever that might be.

�So Ajuga and her father are traitors, but Karin isn�t? That seems unlikely.�

Jushiro said this with a look of scepticism, and the male half of the First had to admit that bit made no sense to him either. He ran fingers through his shaggy, dirty hair and pulled out a twig, giving it a tired look before placing it on the desk. As much as he wanted a nap, a bath sounded good too and he was sure that if he didn�t take one shortly upon returning to the Estate, Lilinette would be after him with a bucket of soapy water.

�No, not Karin-chan,� Starrk agreed as he stared at the ceiling for a few minutes.

Karin and Grimmjow kept nothing from one another. Where one went, the other followed and the Sixth wasn�t always the one in the lead. If Grimmjow had pulled something, Karin would have been right there to back him up. Separating the two would also be impossible, unless one was dead. He grimaced at that possibility, but discarded it. Had Karin perished while she was there, Grimmjow would have attacked Aizen with all he had and Starrk would have seen some evidence on Aizen�s person. �Kami� had walked out of the portal without a hair out of place, which killed that scenario.

�Aizen had his Zanpakuto drawn when he rejoined us. I think there was a reason for that and that it didn�t involve self-defence.�

Nanao looked lost, or perhaps just still thankful Hana was safe, but Jushiro appeared to follow his line of reasoning and when his mouth thinned into an unhappy line, Starrk knew he�d arrived at the same conclusion as his Master.

�You think he cloaked Karin with Kyoka Suigetsu, and has her in custody,� Jushiro stated.

�Yes,� he agreed, glad that Jushiro could at least provide confirmation. �I do not think Karin was the one to sit on the Throne though. He called for Ajuga�s death, not hers. I think he�s taken Karin captive, which is why he never mentioned her. The way he moved, and the way he kept glancing to the side, suggested there was another presence there. If it was Ajuga� we all know that kid wouldn�t have sat still. She would have had her claws and fangs in him the whole way.�

Nanao�s eyes darted to the window and she pressed all ten fingers to her mouth. His fraccion was not only intelligent, but also observant and she�d shared a house with Karin for nearly a decade. The two talked and worked together on an almost hourly basis. If anyone knew how Karin might act in such a situation, it would be Nanao.

�Karin though�she would have gone with him. She�d be obedient if it meant he wouldn�t go after her family right away.�

�Takes one mother to understand the actions of another, I guess� Starrk conceded silently and let out a long breath as she went on. �But, why are you back so quickly?�

Starrk�s yawn was truly ear splitting this time and he flexed his jaw. His ears had popped during the transport and he still hadn�t gotten used to the pressure change.

�Aizen used his powers to get us back here. Didn�t even need an incantation, just the name of the spell. I think it was part reward, because we�re all pretty mangy.� His lazy admission made Nanao smile, despite the worrisome topic and Jushiro chuckled weakly before they got back down to business. �I also think he wanted to remind us that he was still in charge. Maybe it was for my benefit, since no one else seemed to notice he isn�t quite the man he used to be.�

Nanao and Jushiro traded a look between them, but Starrk was sure he�d nailed it. He�d been straining on the proverbial collar around his neck for a while now and Starrk knew he�d probably stepped over some line or another with �Kami� when he�d intervened on Szayel�s behalf.

�Besides, if Karin was with him, taking us all back that way instead of making everyone hoof it means he�d be able to start in on getting his Heir that much sooner.�

While his word clearly appalled and distressed Nanao, it pulled a resigned nod from Jushiro. He also felt an inordinate amount of depression from the man. Perhaps the difference between those who had worn the Taichou�s haori and those who had not, prior to Aizen�s ascension, involved an inability to lie to oneself about an ugly situation. Aizen needed an Heir and if he had Karin and Unohana at his disposal, he�d get one soon enough.

Starrk wished he had real proof, something tangible to confirm that Karin was, indeed, Aizen�s prisoner. He�d have something to use against Kami at that point, but all he really had were suppositions and those wouldn�t be enough. Getting evidence would be dangerous as well, on a number of different levels.

�Wait, if Szayel�s been declared a traitor, what does that mean for Vindula and Abisara?� Nanao suddenly asked. �Szayel and Nemu would never leave them behind willingly and you�ve seen how protective Renji is with those children!�

Starrk froze, as did Jushiro; he hadn�t had the time to consider the Seventh�s children, or how this might affect them. Aizen had declared Szayel and Grimmjow�s property up for grabs, which meant that Nemu and Renji would have targets on their backs the moment they showed up in the Seireitei, and Starrk wouldn�t put it past any of the Numeros to try to help themselves to the Seventh�s children. Vindula was especially vulnerable, considering the previous attempt on her and this time, they�d have no guardian to intervene nor would Aizen punish anyone who tried to Claim them.

�Starrk�� Jushiro began, the growing alarm in the man�s voice equal to the alarm rising in his Starrk�s chest. Without a word, he rose, unlocked the door and disappeared, making his way back to the Estate as quickly as he could before something could happen. He hoped that Lilinette would be there to prevent any potential kidnapping, but with someone as loud-mouthed as Nnoitra, word of what had happened was sure to have spread by now.

He had to get there before his pack dwindled any further.

Rage and fear�

�and utter helplessness.

Those three emotions lanced through his heart like toxic knives as he stepped out of the Garganta. His feet crushed damp grass and the smell of orchard flowers filled his nose. Behind him, Szayel tumbled out of the tear between the Living World and the Dangai and immediately went to his knees.

They were just in time. The passage collapsed in on itself the second the scientist�s body hit terra firma and winked out.

His burden stirred, and then started struggling in earnest. He let the Espada go, dumping him unceremoniously in the middle of a patch of wildflowers. Grimmjow staggered as his metabolism worked on ridding his body of the sedative. Truthfully, the Sixth was the last of Renji�s concerns. Instead, he took two steps to the right, reached down and hauled the scientist to his feet by the front of his uniform.

�HOW COULD YOU LET HER DO THAT!� he all but screamed at Szayel. �We left them behind! You KNOW that fucking Aizen has �plans� for your son! You know we�ll end up on the wanted list, and that will put the two of them on the open market! You should have left me behind, damn you! Who is going to protect them now?�

Kami, the very idea of Aizen getting his mitts on Abisara sickened Renji. Aizen had been eyeing the boy for months now and Renji hated the barely-disguised salaciousness on the tyrant�s face whenever he saw Abisara. It was as if he�d already decided that Szayel�s son would be his next plaything. Only his age had saved him thus far. Then there was Vindula-chan. He shivered, remembering the few times Aizen had paid attention to her. The beautiful, trusting little girl would happily skip right into the snake�s den and not think twice about what she was doing, as long as he dangled something pretty in front of her.

Such was his panic that he didn�t even realize he was crying until his tears started to stain Szayel�s uniform and his eyesight blurred. The Seventh Espada�s fingers scrabbled against his, trying to get Renji to let him go. When that failed, Szayel fell back and tried reason.

�Aizen would have��

The pink menace never got to finish. Renji found himself abruptly shoved aside by a furious Grimmjow. The blue-haired Arrancar assumed Renji�s place and stance and twisted the other�s collar tightly.

�Open that fucking gate right now!� Grimmjow snarled and continued to twist until the other Espada began to gasp and choke.

�I can�t!� he rasped. �The device is on the other side! Besides, Karin ordered me to make sure you didn�t do anything to get yourself killed, so even if I wanted to and had the means, I can�t!� The last came out as a horrified whisper as he slumped in Grimmjow�s grasp. �Kami, we really left them behind,� Szayel choked, his guilt-ridden golden eyes squeezing shut. Grimmjow spat and pulled the scientist�s body up until his face was mere inches away from Szayel�s own. Then he violently shook Szayel and Renji heard fabric tear.

�AIZEN IS PROBABLY FUCKING RAPING HER AS WE SPEAK!!! OPEN THE FUCKING GATE!!!!� he howled at the top of his lungs.

The Sixth had apparently lost what little reason he had left. Renji had only seen glimmers of that look before, on a night when he�d had a chance to go all out against the Espada in a knockdown, drag-out fight, where the only rule involved not losing limbs.

The fury he saw blazing in Grimmjow�s eyes now left that night in the dust and for a second the redhead thought the Espada would kill the much weaker Szayel. Renji guessed that Nemu thought the same thing because he saw her move forward out of the corner of his eye, another hypodermic in her hand. He doubted that this one contained anything as benign as a sedative. As much as he detested Szayel right now, he couldn�t allow Grimmjow to kill the twins� father and he couldn�t allow their mother to kill the Espada cutting off her mate�s air supply.

He started to reach for Grimmjow�s shoulder, his right hand reaching for Zabimaru�s hilt, only to find Pantera at his throat, the hateful glare in those blue eyes now encompassing him as well. The situation had deteriorated in a matter of seconds and if he didn�t do something soon, there might not be anyone left to go back for Abisara and Vindula.

Renji felt himself start to hyperventilate.

Before Szayel could respond, the Shinigami heard a new, guttural voice chimed in on the murder-about-to-happen, and he staggered under the menacing weight of a reiatsu signature that tasted of maniacal violence and bloodthirsty glee seasoned with a dash of psychosis.

�Well, look what the cat dragged back!�

It was enough to spook Renji out of his panic attack. He knew that voice. He�d spent enough time listening to it during his career as a Shinigami after all. The others froze too, recognizing a much bigger danger when they heard and felt it, along with a number of others.

The edge pressed against his jugular eased away as Grimmjow looked at something over Renji�s shoulder. Nemu slowly lowered the hand holding the needle, her green eyes getting bigger. Szayel hung from Grimmjow�s fist, wearing a dazed expression, until Grimmjow turned and flung the Seventh straight at Renji, discarding him in favour of a new target. The Shinigami caught the scientist around the midsection and in a flash, Nemu had her hands on her mate, smoothing back his hair and whispering things to him as she lowered him back to the grass and got him into a sitting position.

The source of the killer reiatsu brayed with laughter and when Renji turned around, he found himself staring up at one Zaraki Kenpachi. The thuggish ex-Taichou hadn�t changed much, save for his longer, even-spikier hair. Everything else, including the eye patch, had remained pretty much the same. That included the pink-haired child perched on his shoulder like a parrot. Yachiru waved down at him and clapped her hands in delight.

�Hey, Ren-Ren! Boy, you guys sure are dirty!�

Renji made a vague motion with his right hand and hoped Yachiru took it as a greeting, keeping his eyes on Grimmjow�s back. The way his muscles bunched told him that the Sixth had just traded up as far as targets. When he saw who had caught Grimmjow�s attention, he groaned audibly.

Kurosaki Ichigo, a good six inches taller and more muscular than the last time Renji had seen him, stood ankle-deep in the grass a few yards away, Zangetsu already drawn and pointed directly at Grimmjow. The knuckles of his other hand were bone-white as the man clenched his free fist and Kami help them all, his expression was just as full of white-hot fury as Grimmjow�s was. He saw a few others that he didn�t recognize approaching through the trees, but the person standing next to the strawberry was the one that grabbed and held his attention.

For a few, brief seconds all thoughts of the twins fled.

His first thought was that Rukia looked good� really good. She�d cropped her hair shorter, but she appeared healthy and even if they were full of apprehension, her indigo-coloured eyes were still bright. She felt much stronger too, and stood with far more confidence about her than he remembered. His childhood friend�s focus was strictly on the potential bloodbath in front of her, and he didn�t blame her. Rukia�s fingers rested lightly on her Zanpakuto�s hilt, but Renji was well aware of how fast she could draw it if she had to.

She also stood very close to Ichigo, a bit too close he thought with a pang. Then again, he should have expected that. She had chosen Ichigo over him after all and had married the brat to boot. It was also in Rukia�s nature to back up those for whom she cared. He�d known there was something between them from the minute he and Byakuya had dragged her back to the Soul Society, all those years ago. The clues had been there for Renji to see: her reticence to implicate Ichigo in the loss of her powers, her willingness to dive headfirst into Hueco Mundo to help Ichigo get Orihime back. Renji was the one who had chosen to ignore them.

To his surprise, now that he�d seen her again, he found that the knowledge didn�t really hurt. He�d wondered, over the last few months, what he would feel if and/or when he saw her again. The answer to that turned out to be �grateful.� She was well and there was a new sense of purpose in the way she held herself, qualities befitting a Kuchiki-now-Kurosaki

Still, he couldn�t really say he was sorry about her choice. He�d made one of his own after all and he carried the reward around with him like a protective cloak. As the others came to a halt behind Rukia, Renji peered around and through the branches and the blossoms, trying to find the one person he suddenly wanted to see more anything. His out of control emotions ought to have summoned her, and she couldn�t have missed Grimmjow and Ichigo�s reiatsu levels rising as both prepared to tear one another limb from limb.

Where in the Living World was she?

�What about my sister being raped?�

Grimmjow had been about to cut Red a new smile for trying to interfere when company arrived.

He remembered the huge, one-eyed bastard as the one who had gone up against Nnoitra and the dark-haired girl had been the one to kill the dumbest of his fraccion, DiRoy, before Grimmjow had put a hand through her midsection. But when he saw a head of orange hair and a furious scowl emerge from the trees, Grimmjow decided that he�d have plenty of time to let Szayel know how pissed he was later. Renji could have at the Seventh while he faced down a more worthy opponent.

It had been so long since he had last seen the former teen, or cared about punching Ichigo�s face into the dirt. Then again, the person glowering at him, sword already drawn and ready to go didn�t look much like the punk kid he remembered. It had been what� almost ten years now? Kurosaki Ichigo had grown and his face had hardened with maturity and he�d certainly packed on a decent amount of muscle in the last decade, but Ichigo�s hateful eyes were always what had stood out for the Espada. Grimmjow could see how much the other wanted to gut him.

He pitched Szayel Renji�s way. The scientist�s mate was all over him in a heartbeat. That only served to anger him further; why should Szayel have the benefit of a mate when his was most likely already in Aizen�s grasp?

Then Szayel went and opened his mouth. That served as the spark for Grimmjow�s very short fuse.

�Karin-sama ordered us to leave her behind in the Royal Realm. Aizen knows about her bloodline. She had me drug him�� Szayel tried to tell Grimmjow�s rival, but from the change that came over the human�s face, Ichigo stopped following Szayel�s pathetic excuse for an explanation after the second sentence. The mask came out and that eerie, distorted, gurgling sound Grimmjow remembered filled the air. The next second, he had to bring Pantera up to block Zangetsu as Ichigo tried to bury the sleek, black blade in the Espada�s throat.

�YOU LEFT HER?�

The enraged man roared as he surged forward and struck again. Blue sparks went flying as the weapons met, then met again. He heard Renji scramble to haul Nemu and Szayel out of the way, half-dragging the other Arrancar and adding a new fashion element to the other�s travel-dirtied white uniform: grass stains.

Grimmjow didn�t get a chance to respond, and if he were honest with himself, he didn�t want to waste the time or the breath. He didn�t want to admit that Szayel had gotten the drop on him and tranquilized him. He definitely didn�t want to think about how Karin had probably been the one to order him to do so. He didn�t want to acknowledge that he had failed, that she�d likely stayed behind to slow Aizen down and give him time to escape with their daughter.

His mind awash in shame at his failure and livid at Szayel�s weakness, Aizen and the universe in general, Grimmjow needed an outlet for his boiling anger. Fortunately, Kurosaki seemed more than willing to give him that. His answer was to bellow like a bull about to charge.

�Grind, Pantera!�

He released his blade and before Ichigo could land a third blow, he attacked the masked hybrid with every ounce of power he had. Zangetsu sliced through his Hierro, leaving long red cuts that bled as he moved. His claws ripped through Ichigo�s flowing black kosode, into the flesh of his chest and the meat of one thigh. Neither one of them fought as if they noticed the wounds, though Grimmjow could hear shouting around them. Then, as quickly as it began, their fight was brought to an end, far sooner than either one would have liked.

Someone big and heavy landed on his back, bearing him to the ground and pinning him. A scarred, calloused hand gripped his long hair and pulled it back harshly and a wicked-looking blade with a serrated edge pressed against his throat. Grimmjow�s eyes went wide at the sneak attack.

�Down, kitty cat!� a childlike, girlish voice exclaimed cheerfully.

�Stop it, Ichigo!�

The short woman snapped that order at Ichigo in an authoritative, no-nonsense tone that Grimmjow knew only came from sharing a last name. She�d pinned the hybrid�s mask-first in the grass, holding him by one shoulder, while Yoruichi, back to being bipedal and clothed, had him by the other.

�Rukia, damn it��

�Calm down, all of you!�

Yoruichi cuffed Ichigo on the back of the head to get her point across and nodded in satisfaction when the mask on his face dissipated. She also shot Grimmjow a warning look that told him he had a very limited amount of time to let go of his Resurrección. His mouth twisted in a sneer at her, but when the hand in his hair tightened its grip, he allowed his reiatsu to slip away until he was back to his normal state. When the woman seemed satisfied that this round was over, she addressed them both.

�Karin�s decision, as painful as it is for us to accept, was the right one. Aizen won�t try to kill Ajuga, or bother hunting the rest of you down, until he can get an Heir out of either Karin or Unohana. That will take a minimum of nine months. It might take longer in Karin�s case.�

She gave Ichigo a harsh look as she got up. He chose not to move, which Grimmjow considered wise.

�Your sister is a smart cookie. I�ve talked to her enough to know that much. She�ll stall Aizen any way she can, starting with letting him know that she can cast a Claim by touch.� Yoruichi wriggled her fingers at Ichigo, as if to emphasize her point. She then turned her golden eyes on Grimmjow and snorted derisively. �Give your mate some credit, Jaegerjaquez-san! She�s not some helpless little powder-puff and at least she understands that the most important person right now is Ajuga, not her.�

Szayel, massaging his abused throat, hesitantly joined the conversation. The Seventh watched both him and Renji warily for any sign that they planned on continuing to thrash him.

�Such a threat, I hope, ought to keep him at bay for a time. While he could easily snap any such Claim, there is a danger that she could hold him long enough to force him to do himself harm. One would hope that she might even order him to swallow his Zanpakuto through his navel before he could dissolve her Claim, but I�m not certain of the odds on that. I can tell you, from personal experience, that Aizen likes games. I think he likes the pursuit more than the having at times.� Szayel muttered the last, before shaking himself and finishing his thoughts. �He�ll likely play this game for at least a little while with her. It might give us the time we need to think of a way to recover from the hash this whole thing has made of our plans.�

�True enough, Espada,� Yoruichi said and then narrowed her eyes at Grimmjow. �So instead of trying to kill each other, we should be making the most of her sacrifice. We have a short amount of time to kill Aizen and rescue Karin before he gets bored and ends it. If we move fast enough, we might even get to her before Aizen can touch her, but,� she then turned to Ichigo with that same, no-nonsense voice, �that is not going to happen if we waste time indulging in territorial pissing competitions. Keep at it boys and I�ll make sure that neither of you have anything to compete with, if you get my drift.�

Renji went a little pale at that threat, and Grimmjow had little doubt that she had both the means and the will to do it. She�d managed to elude Aizen�s patrols and search parties for the last decade-and-a-half and drag some powerful people along for the ride. He wouldn�t put a double neutering past her.

The weight on his back eased up, the hand in his hair let go and the jagged Zanpakuto withdrew.

�Now be a good kitty!�

Grimmjow sat up and took in a few deep breaths to refill his lungs, scowling at the imp sitting on the one-eyed-monster�s shoulders and rubbing the back of his neck.

Yoruichi, as much as he hated to admit it, was right about a few things and her mention of his daughter felt like a kick to the kidneys. Fuck, he had almost forgotten about Ajuga, and that whole Consort thing. He saw himself having a chat with Ulquiorra�s boy about that bit of business. Never mind Kurosaki Ichigo; Karin would be the one to kill him if anything happened to their child and she�d been counting on him to keep Aizen from taking her too.

The idea that she trusted him that much was little consolation. Kurosaki had every right to pummel him for what had happened to his sister. He deserved it and more for failing his mate.

Before he could get too lost in self-hatred and anguish, Ichigo asked a question that not only caught his attention, but also promised to set off another round of fighting.

�Who�s Ajuga?�

This chapter was 24 pages long, so I decided to cut it here and save Ichigo�s meeting of Ajuga for the next chapter. Besides, it makes for a good cliff hanger no? This is, again, one of those chapter that would be better animated, where you could really get a chance to see the fury reflected on the characters faces and the strength behind their blows. Not to mention add some really deep music. I am posting this real fast on my way to work, so no questions answered this week.

Thought I should mention that this chapter ends on page 788/1340. Yep, just over halfway of the prewritten stuff. The final battle is going to be a long one. There are so many lose ties to tie up.

Next Chapter: Ichigo meets his niece, as promised. And Renji finds out something is wrong with Nel.

This Weeks Question: What is one thing you are really anticipating to see in the Manga, other than Grimmjow�s return of course because I know pretty much all of us are desperately waiting for that? I can�t wait to see Jushiro and Sunsui�s Bankai.
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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