What an ominous title for a chapter on Christmas Eve (it's already 25 for me though).
Anyway, Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope none of you did anything to end up on Santa's naughty list
***
Unohana grabbed Rukia and Momo under her arms and landed on the stone-paved streets below the hill. Isane arrived beside them, her katana ready for any unexpected attack. The streets were narrow, pressed in by rows of weathered wooden buildings leaning toward one another.
Stretching her senses outward, Unohana felt the frightened souls of commoners fleeing like startled birds.
"We're going to the Living World. Karakura Town," Unohana said, twisting her katana in the air to open a Senkaimon doorway.
Isane frowned, a thin yet vicious silhouette flashing through her gaze. Karakura Town became famous ever since the Arrancar Invasion. Now that place had another mystery linked to her Captain.
"What is in Karakura Town, Captain?" Her voice was quiet, almost hesitant, but the curiosity beneath it refused to stay suppressed.
Unohana's gaze lingered on Isane, then softened as she regarded Rukia and Momo. Rukia's knuckles paled where she clutched her Zanpakutō. Momo smile brightly without a care in the world, once again demonstrating that she cared only for her beloved and nothing else.
"Our allies," Unohana answered. "Rukia and Momo will stay there while we work to quell this rebellion."
She had a good grasp of Harribel's character even though they only met once. She was someone who would spare no effort in protecting anything precious to Kazuya.
Rukia bit her lips. "Momo, we're just burdens here."
Momo patted Rukia's shoulder in comfort, grinning with understanding. "Well, yes. This is between Captains and Vice-Captains. What are we? First year students at the academy."
Rukia nodded before a defiant smirk lifted her lips. "I have a trump card that can help." She paused, noticing Momo's smile widening in a mischievous fashion. "You also…"
"What are you talking about? Oh, look, Senkaimon's ready."
Dozens of doorways spread out before them. Relief barely crossed Unohana's face before a blue Reiatsu beam pierced a hole in the center gate. Senkaimon was ruined before it fully activated.
Muramasa descended leisurely, hands tucked in his pocket. A slim, bandaged figure accompanied him, draped in a long, pale green hood. No skin was visible under those wrappings, save for faint outlines of a delicate jaw. It was Minazuki's true physical form that Unohana had only seen a few times in her Inner World.
Muramasa revealed a faint smile. "Captain Unohana… Surrender, and I'll spare the lives of your companions. Spilling innocent blood isn't the outcome you desire."
Unohana's eyes rested on him, calm and serene like a pool of water. Then, slowly and methodically, her fingers slid along the sheath hanging behind her. The scrape of steel against wood shivered through the street.
Her Reiatsu exploded the moment the blade came out of its scabbard. Her gentle braids loosened under the force of her thick, suffocating spiritual pressure. Thick strands of black hair spilled over her shoulders, fluttering wildly in the gale of her unleashed power.
"I have forgotten how many strong men and women died to this blade," Unohana murmured. "A weakling like you wants me to surrender? Do you believe you have the courage to fight me?"
It was a bluff, but no one looking at her could tell. She could easily kill Muramasa if he was alone, but he had a whole group of Zanpakutō behind him. The Captains were strong, yes, but they couldn't easily overcome their own Zanpakutō. After all, Zanpakutō knew things that not even their master were aware of.
Fighting them wasn't her priority, protecting two kids was.
Isane's lips pressed tight, anxious from the return of the long-suppressed violent side of her mother-like mentor. Rukia and Momo were also shaken, but it was due to Unohana's unfathomable Reiatsu.
Still, Isane pushed past her hesitation and stepped resolutely at Unohana's side. "Captain, I'll take on your Zanpakutō Spirit."
Rukia likewise drew her blade. Breathless but firm, the young rookie had eyes that said plainly: I will fight by your side.
Momo put a hand on her forehead and sighed. "We'll fight together, Captain."
Unohana's head tilted slightly toward them. "Step back, everyone."
Isane blinked at the cold, commanding tone; it wasn't a request. Unohana gave her a command as the Captain of 4th Squad, and she, as the Vice-Captain, had to obey unconditionally.
"You will open a Senkaimon," Unohana continued in the same commanding voice. "Take them and leave immediately."
Isane looked at her captain, biting her lip hard enough to taste blood. She wanted to argue, to refuse, but she could read her captain well. Leaving Rukia and Momo to her was the same as breaking the promise Unohana made with Kazuya. Unohana would never make this demand unless she was truly forced into a corner.
Isane pulled Rukia and Momo behind, hands trembling as she raised her blade.
Unohana had a terrible feeling in her gut when Muramasa showed no desire to act. "You'll not interfere?"
"It's not necessary."
The tip of Isane's Zanpakutō sliced through the air, threads of light starting to form the silhouette of a Senkaimon… Moments before it finished, a pale hand clamped her wrist.
She saw Gin Ichimaru, who had appeared without a sound. His entire being seemed to ooze no presence.
"Well now," he said lazily. "What is going on here?"
"Captain Ichimaru…?" she whispered, shock flashing to wary confusion. Then her expression changed to something close to relief. "Good. You have to assist others. The Zanpakutō are rebelling—"
"There is no point," Unohana said grimly. "He is with them—he has long betrayed Gotei 13."
Gin laughed softly, tilting his head as if enjoying an inside joke. "You're sharper than they give you credit for, Captain Unohana. Or did you hear about it from someone else?"
"Does it matter?"
"No, it doesn't."
Isane yanked her wrist free, stepping back a half pace and lifting her Zanpakutō toward Gin. She had no bond with Gin, and so the betrayal only came as a minor surprise.
Behind her Rukia and Momo exchanged tense glances. Even though Gin merely glanced at them, both felt like a venomous snake was slithering around them. First the rebellion of Zanpakutō and now the betrayal of a Captain—the day spent with Gotei 13, the very day Kazuya took his first Shinigami assignment, was full of history-making events.
"We can only trust the 4th Division."
"Good observation, Rukia-chan," Momo said with a deep sigh. "Captain can't handle three opponents on her own. We may have to fight."
Rukia pumped her fist, heart pounding with fighting spirit. "I'm ready."
"Idiot, take it seriously." Momo firmly gripped Rukia's shoulder. "You might be fine with dying, but me and Kazuya-kun won't be. We'll survive together."
Any one here could easily kill rookies like them. As much as she wanted to help the Gotei 13 deal with this mess, their own lives were more important. Besides, they couldn't contribute much to this conflict other than throwing their lives away as fodder.
Rukia's chest tightened, realizing that she might not see Kazuya or older sister again. "It really isn't. Damn it, I'm not dying today!"
Gin looked toward Muramasa. "Handle Captain. I'll handle the rest."
Muramasa gave a disinterested look. "Very well."
Muramasa and Minazuki's combined pressure rolled over the street like a crushing tide before locking down solely on Unohana.
Although curious about their cooperation, Unohana's face remained emotionless as she looked at her Zanpakutō Spirit. Since Minazuki decided to act like an unruly child, she had to punish her.
"You must be wondering why I joined them?" Minazuki asked. "It's for your sake. You, who has buried her bloodlust and real self beneath this false kindness… I will drag it out today by any means necessary."
Unohana's lips curled into a gentle, almost amused smile. "No."
She moved instantly and slashed at Muramasa. Even though he blocked it, her obscene physical strength sent him slamming into a house on the other end of the street. Before Unohana could follow up with a finishing blow, Minazuki intercepted her, their blades clashing with nearly equal destructive force.
Minazuki stepped back and gripped the katana's blade near the base. Thick blood oozed from her palm as she covered the entire blade with it. The surroundings morphed with a primal bloodlust that Unohana was all too familiar with.
This wasn't the Minazuki who gobbled Shinigami to heal their wounds. This was the true face of Minazuki, the one who brought an end to all things.
Minazuki slashed with the blade made of thick, gooey blood, sending a sizzling wave of blood. Unohana stepped sideways and narrowed the distance. The curved blade plunged into Minazuki's throat. As she pulled back her Zanpakutō, the wound sizzled with steam and the flesh knitted back together before her eyes.
"I'm unkillable in this form." Minazuki's eyes glowed beneath the hood. "No one knows that better than you."
Unohana's eyes narrowed with disinterest. She disappeared with Shunpo, arriving by Muramasa's side. If she couldn't defeat Minazuki then she'd kill Muramasa first. One less enemy meant a quicker battle against Minazuki.
Minazumi, however, didn't allow her to succeed. In spite of their loose coordination, the two made a formidable team. They didn't meet her head-on. They circled, tormented, striking only to lure her away from Isane's team of three.
Unohana had a feeling this battle meant more than just rebellion. It was almost as if Aizen was aiming for the two students in her care.
...
You can read 20 more chapters on my Patreon!
Patreon.com/Lordheaven