BleachX Chapter 16. SMASH The Legion

Ukitake's reiatsu disappeared. The sudden stillness was felt all across the Soul Society. Shunsui looked up sharply, twisting his neck to see across the desolate battlefield, his face stricken with worry. 

"NO!" He screamed, sweat running down his forehead. Grimacing, he span around and smashed blades with Ashtaroth, the horned man standing perfectly still as a blast of air barrelled past him, rippling his cloak. 

Ashtaroth closed his eyes. 

"Mammon...you will have to repent for this," he said softly, thinly opening his blood red eyes. Shunsui pushed hard against him, sparks fizzing between them, spitting out gold light. 

"He isn't gone," Shunsui growled, pushing down relentlessly. Ashtaroth scoffed.

"You're awfully short-sighted for the Captain-Commander," the horned man said, pushing away from Shunsui. "We're here to relay a message. I fear it's just now being felt across the Soul Society." 

Shunsui roared, throwing himself at Ashtaroth again, pulling one of his great, black scimitars behind his head. 

"Bushogoma! 不精独楽" He cried, and they both disappeared in a whirlwind of pale blue smoke. 

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Shinji's eyes shot open as he felt the disappearance. 

Ukitake-san!? He bared his teeth, narrowing his eyes. It can't be-! He fought so hard in the war against the Quincies...it can't all end here! Beside him, Momo continued to sob, almost rocking back and forth in a hysterical mess. 

Something's happened to her...this isn't right... Shinji looked down at his lieutenant before turning his gaze to his foe. The sinister looking masked man stood hunched, his black cloak continuously flowing, obscuring his entire body. 

"Do you feel that?" The masked man said in a muffled voice. "That is despair. Sadness. A hopeless hole burning itself onto your heart. Despair crushes all, subdues all." 

"What the hell have ya done to Momo?" Shinji cursed, lifting his zanpakuto. 

"She is just now understanding despair...now you too will fall under my shadow!" The man cried, lifting his arms, casting a thick, dark veil around them, Shinji cursing under his breath as the black dome sealed them in. 

Meanwhile, across the battlefield, Soi Fon noticed Ukitake fall. She cursed and darted towards her opponent with Suzumebachi raised. 

"C-Captain!" Omaeda spluttered, calling out to her as she leapt into the air, her golden blade high above her head. Soi Fon had a furious, determined look on her face, and wasn't listening to a word her lieutenant shouted. "Don't! She can do weird things with zanpakuto - like make them disappear!" 

Soi Fon flew downwards, but the silver-haired woman stepped past her, blood shooting out of Soi Fon's side. 

"You've grown impatient in the wake of that captain's death," her opponent whispered, glancing back at Soi Fon with her gold eyes, the captain kneeling on all fours as she tried to stop the bleeding. "Don't get lazy, Captain." The woman sneered, Soi Fon glaring back at her. 

Back in the infirmary, Kenpachi stared down his two opponents. The bearded one smirked, combing some of his hair back.

"You don't seem particularly fazed by the fact that a captain just died...that's not very groovy," he waggled the comb at Kenpachi. "Don't act all tough now just because you're the famous Kenpachi Zaraki!"

Kenpachi looked around as fires began to swallow up the building. Isane's body lay still, blood still caking the walls around her. He turned to face his opponents again, gripping his zanpakuto tightly. 

Everything's going to shit outside...I ain't sittin' around here anymore. Kenpachi thought, lifting his blade. 

"Oi, don't ignore me!" The bearded man grumbled.

"Shut your mouth, Furcas," Abaddon barked. His purple eyes flashed as his colleague cowered away. Abaddon flexed his fingers, a mad looking spreading across his face. He threw his white hair from his eyes. "Here it comes!" 

Kenpachi's eyes lit up with a bright yellow spark as the room around them thundered with reiatsu. 

"DRINK!!" Kenpachi roared at the top of his beaten voice, Abaddon's smirk growing wider as the room was ripped apart by Kenpachi's reiatsu. Furcas yelped as a chunk of the infirmary's wall came flying past them, a storm of wind and smoke building up around them as Kenpachi's long, jagged sword transformed in front of them. "NOZARASHI!! 野晒"

A ball of yellow light erupted around the infirmary, engulfing it before blasting outwards. As fast as it had appeared, Kenpachi swiped outwards, slicing the reiatsu in two. The yellow light collapsed in on itself, revealing Kenpachi standing in the centre of the room, his great weapon by his side. It was enormous, with a flat tip. 

The tip itself was adorned with a cap, with large, heaving tassels flying from it. The blade was as sharp as it was wide and Kenpachi hoisted it as though it weighed nothing. 

"Heh..." Abaddon chuckled as the dust died down. "The famous Nozarashi that has been asleep for so long. I think the pure reiatsu unleashed during that alone almost killed Furcas," Abaddon sneered, Furcas quivering on the spot. "However, you may have a hell of a lot of reiatsu," Abaddon said, placing one of his hands in his pockets.

Kenpachi lunged at them, swinging Nozarashi with force enough to end the fight immediately. Furcas cried out and leapt backwards, but Abandon stood his ground, waves of dust and smoke blasting past him as he faced the attack head on. Abaddon raised his hand and opened his palm with a flick. Instantly, Nozarashi smashed into a million pieces, Kenpachi holding only the remainder of the hilt in his hand. 

"Wha-?" Kenpachi choked, watching as shards of his blade fell like rain around them. 

"But reiatsu itself bends to my every command...and your Nozarashi is still as fragile as a newborn, Kenpachi Zaraki." Abaddon said darkly, a shadow crossing under his white hair. 

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Mammon stood, his sword out in front of him. Ukitake gasped for breath before stumbling, dropping his blade. Behind him, his Bankai shattered, breaking away into tiny pieces before drifting off on the wind. 

"I will repent in your name, Ukitake Jushiro. That was an incredible fight," Mammon breathed, blood dripping from his lips. "What's left of the Soul Society will sing your name tonight." 

Ukitake staggered forwards before falling, hitting the ground with a thud. 

"What a fitting send-off...for one of Genryuusai's own." Mammon said, looking down at the white-haired captain as blood began to stain the rocks. Mammon turned away from Ukitake, the captain lying motionless. His zanpakuto reverted back to its base form, before cracking and snapping in two. 

Rukia...Kaien...I...I'm sorry...Ukitake thought as his eyes closed. Mammon began to leave when he heard a blood-curdling shriek. Turning, he saw Rukia blast towards him from her hidden perch, bringing her zanpakuto crashing to the ground. Mammon leapt aside and locked blades with her, tears streaming down her face. 

"Your captain told you to flee," Mammon said softly, twisting his sword and batting Rukia aside. The girl skidded across the floor, panting heavily. Above them, the black clouds generated by The Legion began to open up, rainfall covering the battleground as lightning and thunder rumbled overhead. Her vision blurred by tears, Rukia lunged again, but Mammon knocked her sword aside, his green hair matted to his forehead from the slick rain. 

"You killed him..." Rukia hissed, her black hair obscuring her eyes as she gripped her sword tightly. "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" She roared, lifting her blade above her head. "BANKAI! HAKKA NO TOGAME!" She screamed. Mammon looked on, sadly. Nothing happened. 

"Why..." Rukia dropped her arms, the weight of her sword almost too much to bear. She collapsed to her knees, her shihakusho soggy and heavy. "Why won't you help me anymore...Sode no Shirayuki?" The girl grit her teeth. Mammon stepped up to her, his sword at her neck. His face was forlorn as lightning thrashed above. 

"I have already spoken with your zanpakuto. I need not do it again." Mammon said. Rukia looked up at him, a fire in her eyes. Rukia gripped the hilt of her sword tighter, feeling it quiver in her palms. Mammon's eyes widened and he gasped.

Is she...?

Rukia roared as she lunged at him, swinging her sword. 

"You-!" She screamed when suddenly the ground shook. They froze. Mammon looked around when the ground rumbled again, almost knocking him from his feet. 

"What's going on-!?" Mammon stammered. Rukia stared at the ground. 

"At last," she breathed, lifting her head to stare at the sky. 

Mammon looked up at her, when suddenly the floor trembled and quaked. Then, without warning, the ground exploded in front of him, a torrent of dust shooting up into the air and covering the battlefield. Mammon spluttered, covering his eyes as chunks of rock flew about, debris crashing down around him as the thick wall of dust hung in the sky. 

"What is-?" Mammon breathed, staring through the dust as it began to thin. Then, as the dust parted, Mammon's eyes widened. 

Ichigo Kurosaki stared back at him. 

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