Bleach Hereafter RPG

A Cunning Resolve

A year has passed after the attack on Soul Society Archives. While the Captain Commander promised a definitive action against the threat of the demons, time seemed to have passed slower in Soul Society that no one among the Goteijusantai felt the urgency to make a move. It had always been the status quo. Frustrated enough to witness such small developments, Hyakuji set out on a quest to find the other shards from one realm to another. He had successfully borrowed the one in Soul Society for the second time, and he had spent months finding the other two to no avail.

He still didn’t have any idea how strong this Akira was… however, one thing was certain, even the fearless Rengoku Katsumoto sweated a brow at the mere mention of his name. If even the Captain had expressed that kind of worry, that would only mean that it was uncertain if they could defeat him.

Thus he had to make himself stronger.

But how?

The 13th Division Captain pondered for a while. Seated in the garden which used to be the former Captain’s favourite place, Hyakuji gazed at the calm ripples on the pond, a slow shower of rain guaranteed a melancholic atmosphere….

Until the silence was broken by a raven haired man, hiding outside the sliding door.

“Are you not worried about how calm things are these days?”


“I am. And I will remain unrest until I am certain I eliminate the threat.”

“You know you are no match for him at this rate. Your Captaincy is preventing you from getting stronger. You have lied low.”

Hyakuji was stung by Altair’s words. But it was the truth. Since he had been assigned to this post, his visit to the realm of the Living became less and less frequent. He was confined to the gates of Soul Society… to paperworks and boring meetings. Unlike before however, he accepted each task diligently with the goal of becoming the next Captain Commander and then perhaps, fulfill the promise to his beloved… who, as time goes by, became more and more like a stranger.

As if she was becoming a distant memory he was still trying to cling onto…

“Why am I doing all these things again?”

“Hyakuji..” Altair noticed the pause.

“See? You couldn’t even keep up with a single conversation…”

“Huh?”

The visored death god sighed, Hyakuji’s thoughts were clearly in the clouds right now.

“I was asking… If you wanted to go and leave your post. Prepare for whatever danger is coming.”

“W-what?”

“Well, I won’t take no for an answer.”

The Captain was bound in an advanced kido, and swiftly had broken into it... Altair was ready to lunge forth when the Captain suddenly muttered, "You didn't have to bind me. I'll do whatever it takes to save Soul Society... the Realm of the Living... and everyone in it."

In a sweep, he was taken to another dimension. No one knew where he had gone off. At first, the members of the 13th Division thought he just went out on a stroll, or perhaps a quick visit to the Realm of the Living just like he was doing before the Captaincy had overtaken all of him.

However, a month has passed, and there was still no sign of 13th Division Captain Muimina Hyakuji in Soul Society.

[567]

The entrance to the office of the Captain of the Thirteenth Division swung wide open, yet, that did not change the fact - he was not there. He hasn't been there for a month, and even the news that their time was up and the final battle for the fate of the world was about to begin did not change that.

Damn it, Hyakuji...

After a faint, bitter stomp, Maria turned away from the empty room, stepping back into the vacated corridors. She still couldn't understand what happened with him. They both had fought numerous times together, trying to stop Akira and the Demons in their actions of terrorism when the Gotei 13 was not willing to do so, and she couldn't sense him being unwilling to fight. Dejected by the slow pace of the war and frustrated at his inability to stop Akira, sure - she felt much of the same - but that alone was never reason to quit and leave.

"Still not in there?" Fatima spoke from the side. She had infiltrated the Thirteenth Division Headquarters alongside her friend, and for perhaps the first time, she was serious rather than teasing when it came to Maria's longing for Hyakuji. Briefly, the other Shinigami gritted her teeth and glanced to the side.

"I don't... get it. What happened to him? Why didn't he... leave any message, at least? An explanation..?"

"Maybe..." Fatima muttered, but the words got stuck in her throat. "...I don't know. There's no time to worry about him now. Let's just... get back to our Headquarters. We'll wait until the Caps handle it and-"

Maria didn't even seem to be listening anymore. Her eyes were focused on the distance, the depth of the corridors. A sentence flashed to her mind.

I need to be there.

And so, she ran.

"Maria, wait!"



The Trifecta, numerous Counts, Dukes and Barons floated throughout the air besides Akira. They too were itching for battle, but witnessing a fake Tokyo in front of them got quite a few of them baffled. Ilvamal, the Prince, was the first to speak:

"We should have expected this. The Shinigami laid a trap for us. Now we won't possibly be able to reach that portal to Soul Society."

As Akira floated down, landing on the roof of one of the city skycrapers, the Demon King answered:

"If this truly were a trap, then we all would be entangled in it as soon as we arrived. They would not have given us enough time to turn around and leave. This must be..."

Right as he was about to finish his sentence, the sky above them lit up with a powerful glow, crackling like lightning.



As a group, the Captains and Vice-Captains of the Gotei 13 stepped out, led by the Captain-Commander in the front. Each one was armed and ready to take the fight to the Demons - and the sudden burst of Reiatsu pressure that came from their appearance and rolled across the Fake Tokyo got several of the weaker demons flung back.

"...an arena." Zarzil finished her brother's sentence. From behind the backs of the Captains and Vice-Captains, Sadaharu Tendo floated to the side, now dressed in his old Shinigami uniform just like his peers. Just to fit in, for one fight.

"The real Tokyo is now in Soul Society. It will be safe for all of you to unleash your powers here. Give them hell."

"Hahah, just like I wanted!" Vilgrath yelled at the top of his lungs, immediately opening his grimoire and activating its power, with a sudden burst of energy that shocked the weaker demons around him. Ecstatic, determined, he crossed the distance to the scattering Shinigami with a single burst and lunged straight at the Captain-Commander. Yet again, much like last time, in Soul Society, the same powerful yell echoed across the skies, reminding everyone present of the two thousand year long rivalry. "Rengoku!"

"Pick your enemies. Do not waste the powers granted to you by the Ken no Kagi, and kill them all," in his brother's stead, Ilvamal gave the orders to their demon followers.

Akira, standing on the rooftop below, offered a single glare to the Gotei 13, past his flowing hair. Instantly, two Shinigami smashed down onto the rooftop, surrounding him - from one side, Fourth Division Captain Shoreh Avasarala, her Zanpakuto already aimed and pointed at Akira, ready to draw blood from the ancient threat; on the other side, Eleventh Division Captain Yama Kenpachi, unarmed, but ready to throw down with his opponent all the same.

This did not intimidate him. Slowly, he moved his hand towards the grip of his Zanpakuto.

"I'd have wanted you to fight me immediately, Katsumoto... but sure, I'll let the King fall to you first."

A few kilometers from Fake Tokyo lies what seemed to be an infinite sea of tall trees, lush green bushes, and wild flora. Despite its diversity, it was still shrouded in mystery, as countless deaths and disappearances were observed in the area. This mysterious forest however served as Altair and Hyakuji’s playground as they prepared themselves for whatever threat that may come in a few months.

The two men, swinging their swords at each other at lightning speed; with Altair, almost dominating the fight. The short-haired man swung his sword at the Captain in an instant; and with little time to react, Hyakuji was caught off guard, taking a few steps back to regain his composure.

“You are still not using the full potential of the hogyoku, Hyakuji… Were you hesitating?”

There was a brief pause. While the 13th Division Captain was determined to use all means to defeat Akira, he realized he was still wary of tapping the full potential of the shards he possessed. He witnessed how a dear friend was overtaken by the power of just one shard, and it seemed to have completely overwhelmed her, to the point that she exuded a darker personality. He thought he was even lucky to keep himself sane despite possessing two pieces of the Hogyoku.

Hyakuji feared that if he tapped into all the power of the crystal, it would do the same to him, and he might end up hurting the people he cared about instead of saving them.

Altair wasted no time and lunged forth again with great speed, even Hyakuji’s eye ability could not keep up with such a quick move. A diagonal slash, followed by a kick to the chest sending the long haired man flying a few meters away; everything on his path was getting cleared and destroyed with such an impact.

The visored was not done yet however, as he cast a trail of large icy spikes towards his partner, freezing all obstacles in its way. It stopped at Hyakuji’s direction. Blood splattered around him.

Altair paused, on guard at the possibility of a counter or surprise attack. Yet, a few moments had passed and there was still no response from Hyakuji.

“Hyakuji?”

Did he go too far? Surely, with more than a month of training, he would’ve been able to dodge that easily. Was he that tired? If he could not keep up with such a pace still, then this training had been futile.

The next few seconds happened rather quickly, and before Altair knew it, the icy spikes were now being engulfed in dark flames; in Hyakuji’s supposed position laid an impaled boar.

Suddenly, thousands of weapons rained down the forest, the visored tried to steer clear, swinging his sword against the blades falling on him. A graze on his shoulder, a wound on his cheeks.

The shower of blades only stopped at the command of the 13th Division Captain, who was now wearing a pair of large horns, with aggregated weapons serving as his wings, just like his bankai.



“Well done.”

Hyakuji smirked, “Not yet…”

Just as he was about to charge forward again, he felt a great wave of spiritual pressure he had not experienced before. It was so powerful that even the birds and other creatures in their surroundings got frantic, finding a way to escape such a massive force.

Of course, Hyakuji was not oblivious to such signs. It could’ve been the demons, trying to cause another trouble again. Akira might be there, he thought. No, he would surely be there.

This training would be pointless if he could not face him now. He was preparing for this time after all. Whether it was sufficient or not, only his battle against him would tell. He’d rather die now, than spend another endless exercise after everyone in Soul Society… perhaps even those in the Realm of the Living has been wiped out.

“It’s time.”

[663]

A scene was taking place before the Senkaimon within Seireitei, with lots of yelling and explaining to show.

"What?!"

"I'll say it again. Captain Toru Hinawa ordered the Senkaimon to be closed for everyone of lower rank than Vice-Captain. It is too dangerous for any ordinary Shinigami to be in the Living World at the moment."

Maria stared at the two ranked officers of the Fifth Division, standing in front of the large gate with their arms crossed, fuming. She suppressed her desire to just break through the two men and continued with her plead. "You don't understand, I have to be there. I think I know what-"

"If you're not a Captain or Vice, then did you at least get permission from one?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then it's final."

Maria sighed. She looked down to the ground, but after a few seconds, her one eye flashed a glare at the Shinigami in front of her, past her messy hair. Instead of frustration, it was replaced with determination.

"Then I'll make you let me pass."

One of the seated officers laughed, the other answered in a jolly mood: "Really? You're not even seated, you think you're just going to barge through and-"

His words were cut off by a sudden punch to the gut, moving faster than he could even react, and stronger than he could have anticipated. The single blow was enough to force him to his knees and collapse to the ground. Without muttering a single word, Maria turned her eye to the other Shinigami while raising her finger - a Jigokucho slowly floated down on the tip, fluttering its wings after touchdown. The other seated officer merely made a step to the side.



Over a dozen different battles were taking place throughout the skies and streets of Fake Tokyo. Yet, two were by far the most prominent and the most spectacular, and often drew the attention of the other combatants just as much as their respective opponents. The first was the duel between the Captain-Commander and the Demon King high in the sky - having gotten considerably stronger in the short time since their last confrontation, Vilgrath had already forced Katsumoto into his Shikai, and the clash between electricity and elemental attacks sent powerful shockwaves across the entire landscape.

As for the second...

"So young, yet already so..." Akira muttered under his breath, using his hands to block and deflect each one of Kenpachi's increasingly powerful and enormous blows. He had to recognize the Captain's proficiency in Hakuda - certainly, if they were on the same level of power, he might even end up overwhelmed - yet, just from the first strikes alone, he could tell that the man had a... mental lapse.

From the side, Captain Avasarala, having used the precious few moments to make a slice in her arm and draw her blood, sent forth a net of crimson. "Sekibaku!". It entangled around the ancient Shinigami's arm, pulling it away and thus leaving him open for a powerful smash straight into his chest. Akira slid through the air, using a Reishi platform when he was thrown off the rooftop in order to stop himself.

Avasarala lunged at him from behind, aiming with her blade for her opponent's arm - yet, right as she was about to draw blood and thus control him like a puppet, Akira caught it by the tip, holding it back with his hand.

"...senile."

For a second, utter silence set in the confrontation. Avasarala stared at Akira, determined, yet also just a bit baffled. He's... holding back my Shikai with just his hands. I will have to activate my Bankai if this continues...

It was this sight that Maria saw as her Senkaimon opened in the skies above Fake Tokyo and let her out into the empty artificial city, bombarded by battle.

"Haah!" Kenpachi yelled, lunging right at Akira. In his vision, the white-haired renegade was turning more and more into a blur, and his mind was starting to confuse illusion with reality - yet, it only made him more ferocious. An insane amount of Reishi concentrated in his right fist. "Sōkotsu!"

Akira's hand reached for his Zanpakuto. In one swing, moving so fast as to appear instantaneous even to the Captains, he sent a slice across the air. Time felt as if it froze for a second. An utterly enormous gust of wind followed, heated from molecules and atoms split in the path of the attack. A long trail, running hundreds of meters deep into the earth, now cut through the streets and buildings of Tokyo behind them.

The Captain's arm flew to another direction from the rest of the body, leaving a small trail of blood across the air.

"Yama-" Avasarala called out her friends name, but before she could finish, an elbow suddenly smashed into her face, blowing her away.

"Captain!" Maria yelled from above. Kenpachi landed on the roof of a skyscraper, clutching onto the clean stump that was left of his right arm. Akira, meanwhile, slowly lowered his Zanpakuto.

"You were getting rather annoying," he stated, with little emotion in his voice - then, the faintest smirk flashed on his face. "Don't feel dejected. Even if you were the Captain-Commander, you could not have endured this. It attacks on the smallest level, an infinitely narrow cut which bypasses any of your defenses. Rather, feel thankful that I did not aim for the head."

Maria was itching to go, yet, witnessing the display of power, she felt herself tugged back by uncertainty. Even with her new powers, was it really anything more but suicide?

The Final Saga

In one swift move, Hyakuji leapt through the air, leaving the thick, dark forest, getting past the lowly clouds and then disappeared. Altair followed suit.

The two shinigami pursued the trail of the massive aggregate of spiritual pressure, which they noticed, as they drew closer, were not only coming from demons but rather from shinigami as well. As they reached their destination, Hyakuji noticed the empty streets, which seemed rather odd, given that Tokyo was one among the most populated cities in the world.

In front of him, he’d witness a rumble of demons and the strongest among the shinigami in Soul Society, which was mostly composed of the Captains and Vice Captains. He’d also recognised Prince Ilvamal and his brother King Vilgrath from afar.

“Seems your absence made a commotion.” Altair managed to quip.

The 13th Division Captain didn’t answer however, rather, he charged towards the makeshift arena. In a flash, a lot of lower ranked demons faltered, and the Gates of Hell suddenly appeared, one by one claiming the unfortunate damned souls who didn’t even get the chance to bear witness of the battle until the end.

There were still many who survived however, those who were not caught in the storm called Hyakuji. Many turned their heads towards the cause of the assault. Some were indignant at the showing off of this intruder, while some began to sweat their brows in fear.

Prince Ilvamal recognised the man. As he has yet to exact revenge on the shinigami. He was the reason why he failed to acquire the shard, and thus have thrown him in such great embarrassment.

“I thought you already ran in cowardice. But it seems it’s just your habit to put on a show.”

Hyakuji, who was back to his original form, turned, and faced his rival during the battle in Soul Society, “ And you… seemed to have not learned your lesson…”

“... Prince Ilvamal.” Azure eyes pierced through the dark irises of the demon prince, his white haori fluttered along with the gentle breeze.

Ilvamal took note of the immense change in the shinigami’s appearance. He was no longer a lowly shinigami. Rather, became one among the leaders of the death gods he hated. And within a short period of time.

“Don’t get too cocky, ‘Captain’”

“You were lucky you have other people to back you up. Here, no one’s coming to rescue you. The other Captains got their hands full. We have an army. You will all go down here.”

“...and I will kill you myself!” Bone outgrowths charged as fast as it could towards Muimina. Hyakuji evaded them swiftly, one after another, the bones ended up impaling the other demons as the death god lured them towards unsuspecting enemies. Again, more and more hell gates opened claiming its own denizens.

Hyakuji countered with a swift strike, although his eyes still wandered looking for the whereabouts of his main target— Akira.

Remembering what Irisa told him, he searched for the tall and white-haired guy in their midst.

More bone outgrowths protruded, coiling and engulfing the Captain’s zanpakuto first, then crawling and constricting Hyakuji’s body. The shinigami turned to the demon prince, “You’re not the reason why I’m here,” and then melted into an illusory dark flame. Before he know it, Hyakuji was already making his way towards the ancient death god.

While Ilvamal tried to follow him, he was immediately stopped by Altair, “You heard him. Now, let me replace him for you.”

As the 13th Division Captain drew closer, he witnessed how the Eleventh Division Captain, Yama Kenpachi was easily decapitated of his arm. Atop the skyscraper where he fell, was someone who was not supposed to be in this battlefield.

“Maria-san!”

Even though he was itching to deal with Akira, Hyakuji took a detour, gently grabbing the lady shinigami a few meters away from the threat.

“What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be here! It’s dangerous!” The Captain nagged.

Of course, he had no idea that this battle was announced a month ago. Maria must have heard it and found a way to sneak in, just as she always did. Deep down, however, he already realised she would immediately throw herself into danger just to fight for what she believed was right. Right now, the world is at war again. And she wanted to get involved and not just stand idly. That’s the Maria he knew since the beginning of their relationship.

[758]

Still stunned by the sight of her Captain, perhaps the most powerful person she knew - after all, he was so strong that he could match a Bankai without even wielding his Zanpakuto! - Maria did not even realize who was calling out towards her at first. Like a blur, Hyakuji's scream reached her without any response, and she only snapped back to her senses when the Shinigami suddenly grabbed her and pulled her away from the rooftop.

"I-Huh?-" she yelped, confused and infuriated at once. Who dared pull her away from the battle, right as she was about to intervene and save her Captain's life? Yet, once she saw the face, all of the anger quickly melted away.

"You're- Hya?!"

Indeed, it was the missing Captain. Out of nowhere, he arrived, pulled her to his arms, and immediately began to chastise her for joining the battle. Still initially taken aback, both by his words and by his mere presence here, Maria soon regained her bearings, faintly smiled and answered:

"I'm here because it's dangerous." Immediately, she made a step towards Hyakuji. "Where were you? What happened to you? I-We were all looking for you..."

The rest of Gotei 13, sure. But she personally searched near and far for the Captain, for reasons she almost struggled to understand. They were friends, obviously - comrades, who had fought together for a very long time, but comrades were plentiful. One's prolonged absence was not supposed to be the end of the world - yet, it felt like that to her.

Maria was not the only person whose ears caught Hyakuji's yell while flying through the skies of Fake Tokyo. Suddenly, in front of the two Shinigami, between them and Akira, a burst of Reishi flashed to life, briefly overwhelming the rays of the Sun in its intensity, then receded to reveal a demoness covered almost entirely in a purple cloak.

"The prodigy of Soul Society... and a friend, I see," Duchess Ardata muttered, gently raising her hand from underneath the flowing cloth and revealing her Grimoire, which immediately opened and began to flip pages, releasing bolts of purple electricity around her from the sudden release of power. Enhanced by the Ken no Kagi, it easily surpassed the level of the other Dukes. "Master Akira won't even need to fight you. I will bring both of your corpses to his feet."

Somewhat further away, the Ancient Shinigami was looking down on the disarmed Kenpachi, already read to sheath his Zanpakuto and return to his effortless fight. Yet... In spite of losing his limb, the Captain was not yet down. Not only did he rise back up to his feet and remove his hand from the stump, he grinned.

"What you didn't know... villain... is that the Sōkotsu uses two blows."

Thus, he charged forth, aiming with his left.

The Final Saga

Just as he thought.

Maria wanted to get involved in this fight herself. She was always like that. Since their first meeting, she always wanted to take action whenever she could. Perhaps a unique trait of the Tokareva, but one he found quite amusing.

“I should’ve known. That’s just how you are.” The Captain faintly smiled as he gently patted her hair. "I just hope you don't do it too often. You're making me worried every time you flung yourself into danger."

“I’m sorry for not saying anything about my leave. It was unplanned, and I would’ve told you firsthand if I had the time. But let’s just say, I’ve been preparing for this day since my absence.”

Of course, he missed her deeply. But there was no time to tell her yet how he felt about her as one demoness, perhaps, the white-haired devil’s right hand, caught sight of him and interrupted their conversation.

Hyakuji turned to her, stepping in front of Maria to protect her. The gentle azure eyes a few moments ago suddenly turned cold and piercing.

It seemed word about him had reached all horns in Hell that every demon seemed to have taken a keen interest in him. Even the two demons who invaded their mission in New York were dead set on killing him.

“She’s not just a friend…,” the Captain reproved the woman. Perhaps, an odd habit of his to correct other people’s perception about him or his relationships.

“.. And you won’t lay your hands on her while I’m here.”

“Prepare yourself. We will fight together,” Hyakuji briefly turned to Maria, acknowledging that she had a place in this battlefield.

“Master Akira?”

“If you called that traitor, your master, you must be with him when he attacked Soul Society. What you’ve done is unforgivable.”

Just as the purple-haired demon flipped the pages of her grimoire, unleashing the yam-coloured electric charges around them, Hyakuji himself lunged forward in a flash,evading the bolts of lightning that came his way. Moving closer towards the enemy, he reappeared in front of the demoness in an attempt to stab her. However, that was just a distraction; if the demoness would manage to avoid his attack, he’d spin around stretching his right arm towards the grimoire. Dark purple flames would soon materialise in his hand, which would eventually extend to the floating book, and thus, burning it.

After the battle with Ilvamal and the lower ranked demons, he realised that these texts were the demons’ source of power. As such, the first agenda in this skirmish was to disarm the enemy of their weapons. And quickly.

It was certainly far easier to deal with the lowest ranks of demons, but Hyakuji knew this woman in front of him was not to be taken lightly. Thus, he decided to take his time and study the woman’s style in order to make an appropriate strategy.

[500]

Once Hyakuji and Maria were confronted by Duchess Ardata and the Captain spoke back to her, Maria glanced to him with a double take. Uh, what? What does he mean by that? Friends, sure... close friends, but what was the level beyond that which Hyakuji implied? Regardless, afterwards, he turned back to Maria and called for them to fight together - though she wasn't happy with him standing in front of her, when she knew how to defend herself, this was reassuring enough, and she answered with a determined nod.

It did not take long for the heroic Shinigami to leap into the fight. Faced with Hyakuji's charge, with fire and swordsmanship alike, she did not even move at first, merely look down at her opponent from behind her hood. A page flipped on the Grimoire. Instantly, Ardata vanished - not with a poof, or a portal, rather, it was as if she popped out of existence entirely. The black flames spewed forth to try to burn her sealed weapon ended up tearing through nothing but air.

"So, you must know of that little blonde who foolishly tried to stop Akira," Ardata spoke, floating five meters behind Hyakuji, with a cocky smirk. "I was there, Shinigami. I drank in the sight of her loss. Everything she pulled to stop Master Akira, to no avail - the same fate that awaits all of you in this city."

On her last word, Maria suddenly emerged behind the demoness, already having activated her Shikai and holding her enlarged Zanpakuto high, ready to swing down and smash the cloaked woman. At the very last moment, Ardata realized what was taking place behind her from the intense Reiatsu signature, and briefly shifted her eyes to the side.

What happened next... would be imperceptible to everyone around her.



Maria, Hyakuji, they were both frozen in time, and in the half a second which Ardata had before the technique ceased, she swiftly flew around the attacking Shinigami and sent a tap with the side of her hand at the back of her neck. Once time was unfrozen, it would seem that Ardata vanished and reappeared behind Maria with a single bop, sending the Shinigami flying with a single blow.

"But what am I talking about? Like I said, neither of you will reach Master Akira. None of you will be able to hit me, or touch me," she explained, giggling. "Always so slow. Just like how you were too slow to realize what happened in the Archive."

The Final Saga

A battle of speed.

Before the flames could scorch an inch of the grimoire, the lady disappeared entirely. Nothing, even a hint of her suppressed reiatsu was left. As if she didn’t actually exist.

A few moments later, she emerged floating above Hyakuji, mocking the heroic attempts of the late Irisa Ishiwara, who gave her all in protecting the archives.

“Don’t you dare insult the sacrifice of my comrade,” the Captain replied. There was a tinge of bitterness in his tone, yet again betrayed by the calm expression of his face. He had to keep his head cool and not let emotions dictate his actions in this fight.

A single mistake could be their end once he acted on his heart’s own volition. Act recklessly, and it would be over.

Like a game of chess, he had to think ahead of his enemy or they’d end up in a checkmate.

As soon as he retorted back, Maria joined in the skirmish, appearing behind the demoness with her shikai. By this time, Hyakuji realised the demoness had a quick reflex; and he was proven right when the girl easily avoided his comrade’s attack.

The Captain took this small window to create a back-up if the enemy was to counter. He didn’t know what kind of shenanigan she would pull next, but he had to shield his partner somehow.

“Bakudo #52. Kuukyo no Sanzo”

And then in an instant, time slowed down. From an average shinigami’s perspective, it would be like they were captured in a photograph, as if time actually froze for a moment. However, his eyes enabled him to see through a few seconds of the future, and thus catching on to what was about to happen.

His spell managed to activate at the same time. Thus, the moment the demoness laid her hands on the Maria, she’d be sending a clone falling to the ground, while Hyakuji pulled the shinigami away, and then using the momentum both of the unfreezing of time and the speed to which he lunged forward to the demoness again.

Arms reaching out for the second time, he casted a more advanced kido. Another wave of dark flames. This time however, it didn’t spew out of his hands; rather, it would begin to consume the purple-haired demon.

He'd make a quick glance to Maria. He had to take her into account in this fight. The girl will act based on her instincts, sometimes, without thinking twice. It was a dangerous move, but that's just how she was. He had to adjust to her fighting style in order to take advantage of it, otherwise, it could be detrimental for both of them.

He'd turn his focus back to the burning witch, on guard. Awaiting her response.

[469]

From Maria's perspective, right as she was about to cleave the demoness in twain and put an end to the fight, she was teleported to Hyakuji's arms, once again pulled away from the battle. "Hey- what-" She was about to start complaining when she turned back to Ardata, and saw that an illusion of her was suddenly broken apart by the Duchess' time pause strike. That gave the rescue some context.

"That... can't be just her movement..." she muttered to herself. There was no sign of fast flight when she popped from one side to the next, it was as if she got... copied and pasted back. Hyakuji seemed to be able to counter it, but Maria still didn't know what she was dealing with.

Hyakuji's sudden charge, right as Ardata's time skip ceased, briefly stunned her. Either he was already intending to fly and help his partner... or he was somehow already catching on to her abilities. She was already bracing for another time pause when she realized that the Shinigami's next technique was of a far different nature. The black flames he wielded surrounded her, rather than simply spewing out of his arm. She had to act fast, before she gets burned completely.

"You fool!"

Ardata placed her hands in front of her face, summoning a portal that led outside of the city - only for a few seconds, but with a suction effect which drained the black flames into within the portal.

Immediately after, she suddenly blitzed at Hyakuji, stopping above him and displaying both her palms at the Captain.

"Tempus edax rerum."

With a flash, a high level kido activated from her hands, aiming to imprison Hyakuji in a bubble of suspended time. Any sort of movement inside of the bubble would be so slow as to be basically nonexistent, although a person trapped inside could still see and hear what's happening outside like normal.

"You still don't get it, don't you..." Ardata muttered, still floating above the time prison to maintain the technique. "Did you ever wonder why, in spite of all of your senses, all of your efforts, you never seemed to be able to catch Master Akira? First, in Hawaii, then, in Soul Society... It is because I was there. My powers allow me to control time itself - and whenever Master needed to dispose of a weakling without alarming anyone, the entire battlefield would become a time bubble under my control. You were never able to stop him, because you could never know what is taking place, until it was too late..."

She struck a maniacal grin, showing her teeth, her eyes were making a crazed stare. "Master Akira is generous to me just like I am to him. He gifted me with powers beyond what I ever experienced, and when he finally destroys you all, overthrows the old geezers in the Demon Kingdom, and conquers the entire spiritual world, he promised that we shall reign as husband and wife... You won't take this dream away from me. I'll bring your corpse to him, so he'd grant what I want!"

Suddenly, from the side, Maria's Zanpakuto smashed across Ardata's face. It wasn't enough to slash through, but it pushed her back and threw the hood on her head back, revealing hew now-messed hair. Still glaring with insanity, she turned her attention to the one-eyed shinigami.

"Get off him!" Maria yelled, charging again. She sent a handful of swings which the demoness blocked and deflected with a shield of energy in front of her hand, although having to exert herself each time. The fruits of her training in the Dangai were at full display.

Eventually, Ardata activated her time pause again, this time using the brief window to slip past Maria's weapon and attack.



The singular blow, directed straight at her kidney, was enough to immediately push her back and leave her clutching onto her gut from the intense pain.

If Hyakuji was trapped in the time prison, its walls would steadily weaken - focused on the duel with Maria, Ardata could not maintain it with anywhere near the same intensity than before.

The Final Saga

Even if the lady had not filled them in on her ability, Hyakuji already caught what was happening. The lady demon was using time manipulation. It was a tricky technique, which requires not only the mastery of the spell rather, the exact timing of casting it.

This ability further proved that the woman they were dealing with was a formidable caster.

The only way to win this fight was to get ahead of her. He needed to act quickly before she could cast another spell. Every movement is time-sensitive, perhaps, he had yet to challenge the speed of light, or move at quantum speed to beat her.

Just as he was thinking of the next course of action, the demoness lunged forth again, and just as she was about to hit the death god, she disappeared and re-emerged above, palms reaching out, eventually trapping the 13th Division Captain inside a bubble.

No matter how much the effort was, Hyakuji couldn’t break through the barrier. His movements certainly slowed down. Any attempt to move his limbs only proved to be a pain in the ass. It felt like there was a large chain tied to his arms and legs.

Think. The shinigami muttered to himself.

While his movements became as slow as the snail’s, the outside surroundings seemed rather fast-paced from his perspective.

He watched as Maria lunged forth and attacked the enemy.

Now…

The time bubble from where Hyakuji was, suddenly disappeared. Just as the punch had landed on Maria, the fast-paced clip suddenly got reversed, until the time before the demoness had the chance to trap Hyakuji in the bubble.

“If he truly felt the same way as you, he would’ve done so without any conditions…”

Hyakuji emerged above her, just as she was about to cast the time prison spell.

“...because genuine love is unconditional. You should have already noticed. He was just using you.”

“Bankai.”

Suddenly, his katana dissolved into nothingness, and wings of countless blades emerged from his back. Hyakuji extended his arms again, with several blades floating and surrounding him.

His sapphire eyes glowed and became iridescent. He’d be able to read her movements faster now. Except he didn’t want to last this fight any longer, especially now that he already had a grasp of what the demoness could do. He had to get to Akira as soon as possible.

At the swift wave of his hand, the blades would rain down on the purple-haired demon. She might be able to stop some of them, as he noticed there was a limit to the distance the technique could hold. At the same time, he realised, the more she got distracted, the weaker the time pause would be.

Even if she were indeed able to halt the movement of the weapons, it only served as a distraction, as Hyakuji again vanished from her sight.

This time, he’d materialise on the ground; where some of the blades had passed and pierced through. The shinigami would put his palms together, casting another high level kido.

“Hado #88: Hiryuu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho.”

A flash of dark lightning from the brewing dark clouds would strike one of the swords above, connecting each blades that were directed to the demoness, and would flow down to those which already hit the ground, trapping the demon in a web of lightning strike.

As soon as he finished with the woman, Hyakuji immediately approach his partner out of concern, "Maria-san! Are you alright?!"

[585]

(The Unstoppable Storm)

The second blow of the Sōkotsu had actually managed to push Akira back. Yet, the ancient Shinigami remained calm, and once the one-armed Kenpachi lunged at him again, he responded with a brutally precise defense, deflecting each one of the increasingly powerful blows with the sheathed Zanpakuto.

Keeping up her friend's vitality from the side with her blood healing techniques, Captain Avasarala observed the situation. It was not hopeless, but she wasn't sure whether even the entire Gotei 13, save for the Captain-Commander, attacking Akira at once could yield victory. None of the Quincies, except for perhaps the Emperor, had posed such an enormous threat six hundred years ago. He still has not activated any release... while Yama has already tapped to at least eighty percent of his power. If he can match this raw power, while remaining in total control... then the Commander was right in that this is a world destroying threat...

Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide and yelled:

"Now!"

Avasarala launched herself forward with a Reishi platform, while her ally leapt back after a kick, giving Akira a moment of respite. "Senketsu!" she yelled, immediately shooting forth a beam of solid blood aimed straight at the ancient Shinigami. To her brief surprise, the blow actually landed and embedded itself in Akira's shoulder, pinning him down in place for Kenpachi's move.

He moved his arm back, displaying his palm and concentrating as much power as he could within it, then yelled:

"Tesshō!"

With the force of a raging tornado, the Hakuda technique slammed straight into Akira's face, unleashing an enormous burst of energy on impact that roared across the entire artificial city. Skyscrapers and houses trembled, and the unbelievably powerful sound got many of the fighting Shinigami and Demons to turn their attention to the battle.

Any ordinary enemy would have their head splattered by the technique instantly. Yet, instead of smashing down to the ground after the impact, Kenpachi's hand pushed against a wall. That's not to say that for Akira, it was effortless. With so much raw power pushed against him, his feet actually buckled once, though he stayed upright, and he struggled against the Tesshō with all his strength.

Gritting his teeth, Akira raised his hand in response - aiming to fingers at the Captain's chest. Then, suddenly, they formed a fist, which smashed deep into his ribs. It might have appeared like a harmless jab, but with ample energy focused onto his knuckles, it suddenly became a powerful technique that instantly pushed Kenpachi away.

"Agh..." he managed to gush out, clutching onto his chest, before the ancient Shinigami, blitzing forward and breaking the hold of Avasarala's blood beam technique, appeared in front of him and slashed down at him with his Zanpakuto. Though it was not the atom-splicing blow from before, it still left a deep gash across his chest and sent him down, towards the streets below.

"Yama!" Avasarala yelled, throwing herself down, after her friend. She spun the Zanpakuto in her hand and aimed it at her arm. "Bankai." she muttered right as she stabbed down, letting out blood from herself, initially a small trickle, then a powerful torrent. In a matter of seconds, blood to one's ankles covered the entirety of Fake Tokyo, houses and skyscrapers now extending outwards of a plane of crimson extending as far as the eyes could see. From this lake, a set of tentacles grabbed the falling Kenpachi and briefly submerged him in order to begin healing him of his wounds.

For a second, Akira looked down at the scene below, flashing a faint smirk, waiting to comment on the pathetic situation for the two Captains. Yet, soon, another event drew his attention.

Another Bankai activation.

When Hyakuji, now swarmed with wings of blades and emitting power far surpassing her own, broke out of her time prison, Duchess Ardata watched in shock. Maria was hardly any less surprised - though she knew that Hyakuji still had more power to show, she did not expect him to have gotten this powerful. The demoness once again resorted to her time-skip spell, moving out of the way of blades heading her way in frozen time, but by now, the difference in speed as well as power was far too great for her to bear.

While she could get out of the way of any technique, even moving faster than light, in frozen time, she still required a brief window of time to activate her spell. And, against Hado #88, she did not find that time window - by the time that her muscles tensed and time froze, she witnessed herself already inside an inescapable prison of black lightning.

Screaming in terror and pain, she was forced to endure the technique at full force.

"I'm... fine..." Maria answered once the transformed Hyakuji approached her, breathing heavily and pulling herself back to her feet, hand still clutched onto her gut. "I... had her where I wanted her, but... there was no way I could block that pause... it's frustrating..." she immediately began layering excuses. Regardless, however, she appreciated his concern, and she clutched onto Hyakuji's arm while recovering.

Once the Hado ceased, it spewed Ardata out on a rooftop - burned and battered, and crawling on her knees. Akira floated down behind her.

"Master Akira, I... held them off to the best of my ability..." the demoness began to speak. "Please... help me... we can crush them together, without a second thought..."

For a second, Akira looked down to Ardata, then towards Hyakuji and Maria. Something about them... told him that the Captain would be an interesting fight. Perhaps even more than the duo who had just tried to stop him.

Slowly, the ancient Shinigami reached for the second blade he carried - a key sword, hanging on his back. It was the Ken no Kagi, the same artifact he had invaded Soul Society for.

Suddenly, he stabbed it into Ardata's back and lifted her up from the ground.

"M-Master...?"

One twist to the left, another twist to the left. The first twist, just like he had done to her before, would unlock her latent abilities. The second, however...

In an instant, the demoness began to disintegrate, turning to dust and then fading to the side after a gust of wind. Just as gently and emotionlessly, Akira lowered the sword after she vanished.

"You outlived your usefulness," he stated, then stared straight at Hyakuji and Maria. "You too are here to stop me, aren't you? I offer you the same terms that I offered to those two Captains. Do your best, and try to prove to me that the Soul Society of your degenerate future is worth a single glance."

The Promise


Hyakuji felt relieved knowing his partner was alright. Although, a look of concern was still evident on his face as he looked at how Maria struggled getting up. Even so, he was confident she could endure the pain… but he was worried she might not be able to keep up with the fight should Akira show up.

He allowed the girl to hold onto him, supporting her even as he held her arms while she stood on her feet.

Not long after, the 13th division Captain felt a surge of power rushing in their direction. At long last, the white haired demon appeared before them. His back turned on the two shinigami at first, as he approached the demoness, his lover, as the woman assumed.

The next few seconds shocked Hyakuji, however. Iridescent eyes widened in disbelief, his blood boiling in fury at the brutality he just witnessed.

Akira mercilessly stabbed the poor girl…the large key sword tore through her flesh, slowly, as he twisted it to the left twice. Her face endured the sensation at first, as if she was being pleasured despite how painful it actually was. The second twist looked rather unbearable, as the woman gasped for her breath in agony. She tried to smile whilst her tears began falling as she slowly disintegrated into nothingness.

“You…” Eyebrows furrowed in anger, his glare sharp as a piercing knife.

There were no words that could describe this savagery. The demoness had the mistake of falling deeply in love with a monster who had clearly taken advantage of her… Perhaps, she was also a victim, and her only sin was that she believed in sweet-tasting lies. She was blinded by what she thought was love, and so followed the path of utter darkness.

Until the end, she wasn’t able to realise that what she had with Akira was just her own delusion.

The white-haired demon, after disgracing his lover, turned his attention to the two death gods, confident in his own prowess.

“I have nothing to prove to a traitor like you. You deserve the judgment of a god…”

Hyakuji knew this was a life-and-death situation. It would only be a miracle if he’d manage to stay alive after this fight… he could only hope. However, he no longer wanted to waste his chances to tell Maria what he truly felt about her. It had been about two years since his lover was gone, and in those years, Maria stood by his side and filled the void in his heart.

He didn’t know it was possible… because of her, he was able to move forward.

“Maria, you stay here…” The Captain commanded, his back turned against her before facing the lady shinigami.

“I am proud of you… of what you have accomplished thus far. And I believe you will continue to achieve greater things,” he smiled faintly, “...you are important to me. I won’t be able to forgive myself if anything bad happens to you. I can’t lose you, so I will do everything in my power to protect you,” he confessed while holding her cheeks in tender affection.

Blue eyes stared into her hazel eyes lovingly. He no longer cared if she felt the same way, he had to tell her everything before it was too late. In that brief moment, it felt like time had stopped, he wanted this moment to last forever, to be able to feel this kind of peace…

The wind blew, and as soon as the breeze kissed the woman’s face, so did Hyakuji’s lips pressed against her forehead. It was a sign of protection, a conclusion to his promise.

"I love you."

He stepped away from her, and casted an advanced barrier on her. An almost transparent, tinted box, which looked like sturdy, unbreakable glass. Maria would still be able to see the fight outside, but she will have trouble in breaking through it.

Now that has been settled, on this side of the arena, it will be a battle of a demon against a god. The ground below was already covered in crimson, albeit not from those involved in this war.

Hyakuji knew, however, that more will be spilled, especially if he fails to defeat the beast before him. Not only will this town be drenched in blood, but even the whole of the Realm of the Living, worse, even the spiritual realm would be in great danger.

“You have pronounced this curse upon yourself. You have covered yourself with countless deaths of innocent people. Hear this, sinner… vengeance is mine!”

At once, the metal-winged angel would lunge forth at the demon at great speed, several blades from his wings would propel towards Akira at the same time. A katana would emerge in his left, striking him to his head, and would be followed by another swing from the sword on his right aimed at his chest. Unsatisfied, Hyakuji would do a quick turn, kicking the demon in his face, and would barrage him with a series of sword strikes.

He’d conclude his turn with powerful dark flames engulfing the white-haired demon.

Burn in my hell.

[864]