Gotei 13 Captains had gathered in front of Sokyoku Hill. Some looked grim, others had serious looks on their faces, but none of them looked like they wanted to have the execution today.
"Everyone's here?" Yamamoto Genryuusai looked at the attendee and narrowed his eyes.
Not all Captains were present. Only 5 Captains, including him, and their Lieutenant were present at the execution site.
1st Division Captain, Yamamoto Genryuusai.
2nd Division Captain, Soi Fon.
3rd Division Captain, Ichimaru Gin.
6th Division Captain, Kuchiki Byakuya.
8th Division Captain, Shunsui Kyouraku.
The others were nowhere in sight, making Captain Commander a bit angry.
"My apologies, I am a bit late."
Just before Kuchiki Rukia was brought out, the 4th Division Captain Unohana Retsu arrived at Sokyoku Hill. Her Lieutenant, Kotetsu Isane, followed behind her closely.
"I didn't think you would come to the execution, Unohana." Kyouraku noted in a joking tone.
"It's my duty to attend this, Kyouraku-san." She answered with a small smile, "But something urgent came up earlier. It needs my immediate attention so I was a bit late."
"You're not so late. The guards are fetching Rukia-chan right now." Kyouraku answered.
Silence descended upon the hill as Yamamoto tapped his cane against the ground. A clear sound of a stick being hit echoed, followed by a voice.
"Bring Kuchiki Rukia here!"
The guard bowed and walked into Senzaikyu, returning a few minutes later with Rukia walking in between six guards. A rope connected the device from her neck to the rods held by the guards. Her face was calm and emotionless, and she walked slowly.
She reached the end of her journey as she stopped in between a tall stand and large naginata, looking up at Sokyoku. She then glanced at the gathered Captains.
Her gaze landed at Byakuya and sadness welled up.
"Bya...kuya..." She muttered his name but he didn't answer at all.
At that moment...
"Kuchiki Rukia, do you have any last word?" Yamamoto questioned.
"Yes, just one thing." She answered in a soft voice. "The Ryoka... I hope you will find it in your hearts to forgive and let them leave."
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow, "Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Very well."
Tapping the cane on the ground once more, Yamamoto answered. Sokyoku behind him hummed and fire burst from the ground, circling the large naginata. An enormous reiatsu could be felt by all Captains present as they looked up at the execution method.
Sokyoku had the power of a million zanpakutou. No one was able to resist its power, and the reiatsu from it would vaporize its victims in an instant, not leaving a single dust behind.
"Let the Sokyoku fall."
With the Captain Commander's command, the guards began to unseal the naginata.
At the same time, cubes flew from under Rukia's body, holding her in place and brought her up to the stand. The ropes slowly unruffled, releasing the large weapon's true power.
The naginata began to glow as the reiatsu began to grow stronger. The fire below the naginata was growing bigger as the seal was lifted.
In the end, the seal would disappear, and Rukia's life would end.
But then, the world suddenly exploded into fire. Having been released, Sokyoku took form as a fiery bird. The zanpakutou spirit flew atop the hill, its form large and bright.
Everyone watched in awe as it flapped its wings.
"Kiko Oh, the Firebird King." Kyouraku muttered the bird's name, watching the large phoenix soar into the air, preparing to dive toward its prey. He pulled his hat down and looked at his Lieutenant. "Don't look so sad, Nanao-chan. You make me feel bad."
"It's not sadness." The Lieutenant pushed her glasses upward, "Just... disappointment. I was expecting a different ending. The Ryoka's intrusion didn't even change anything at all."
"Well, that's how it is."
All Captains looked up at the firebird. Soon it would dive toward Kuchiki Rukia and execute her..."
"Thereby ending her life."
The girl herself closed her eyes, thinking of every good things that happened to her. A few days ago, she felt tremendous reiatsu belonging to Shirou and Ichigo. She wouldn't mistook them, she had spent a lot of time with the brothers, so she could recognize them easily.
And she knew that both of them had grown stronger than before. That was why she was relieved.
They could leave this place and return home safely, so there was nothing for her to worry about.
She had no regrets at all.
"Goodbye."
But just when she thought she would die in the hands of a beautiful phoenix... A man suddenly appeared in front of her. His orange hair swayed to the wind.
And then, he swung his large sword.
"Getsuga Tensho!"
The man, Ichigo, unleashed a blue reiatsu that clashed with firebird. The result was a massive explosion, sending a shockwave that shook the entire Sokyoku Hill.
The large bird stopped at the tip of his sword, being pushed backward slightly.
Surprised, Rukia's eyes widened upon the sight.
"... Why...?"
She couldn't believe what was happening right now.
"What's the meaning of this?! Why are you here, Ichigo?!" She shouted in frustration. Her eyes watered from the shock of seeing the boy. She was relieved a few seconds ago, knowing that he was strong enough to escape Soul Society.
So, why...?
"I am here to save you, of course." Ichigo answered with a big grin.
On the ground, Soi Fon couldn't believe what she saw.
"How? How did he stop Sokyoku with just a single zanpakutou?!" She exclaimed in surprise and anger.
No one could believe what they saw. They only looked at Ichigo and the firebird that stopped from attacking its prey. Both were in stalemate, trying to push the other and gaining advantage. But it didn't look like Ichigo was losing.
He was pushing it back.
"It looks like the Ryoka boy saved the day." Kyouraku pushed his hat further and grinned.
He glanced at a certain direction where his friend had appeared holding the box.
"Perfect."
Captain Ukitake threw a rope toward Sokyoku, holding the bird's neck and pulling it. The rope wrapped itself around the firebird, slowing its movement and stopping it completely.
The spike at the tip of the rope came back down and Captain Kyouraku grabbed it, piercing it to the ground.
"What took you so long?" He smiled at his friend who grinned back at him.
The other captains were surprised. Soi Fon gritted her teeth, angry and annoyed. She couldn't believe that the two Captains just betrayed the Gotei 13 and helped the intruder.
Then she saw the crest on the box Ukitake carried, and she was enraged. Her eyes narrowed as her face scrunched in fury, her teeth clenched as hard as she could, her hand gripping her zanpakutou.
"The Shihouin Clan's crest?!" She shouted angrily, glaring at Captain Ukitake who just ignored her. "Quick, stop them! They're going to destroy the Sokyoku!"
"Huh?" Her Lieutenant gasped in confusion.
Too late, Captain Kyouraku and Captain Ukitake pulled their zanpakutou and slashed the box, sending a massive amount of reiryoku down the firebird. The seal began to activate and in a few seconds, a huge explosion of reiatsu erupted.
Everyone covered their eyes and face as the dust came down to their place, unable to see anything. The reiatsu was strong, but not as much as the Sokyoku's.
It would be fine, everyone expected so.
But when the dust had cleared a second later...
Sokyoku was no more, replaced by the form of a gigantic, broken sword.
Ichigo watched what happened and quickly made his move. He jumped toward the stand where Rukia was caught and injected his reiryoku into his sword.
"Hang on, this will shake you up a bit."
He stabbed his sword to the scaffold, causing a huge explosion that destroyed the place. He put Rukia over his shoulder like a sack of rice.
"I told you," He looked at the girl on his shoulder and grinned, "I am going to save you."
***
The 11th Division barrack was pretty rowdy today.
Heavy footsteps rang in the hallway and all Shinigami immediately made ways for a tall and bulky man walking. He took off his bandage and tried to move his new left arm, grown by strange medicine from 12th Division.
"Damn, that freak did a great job this time." Zaraki said with a smirk, "I can move it like my own hand. Now I can't wait to have fun again."
"You seem happy, Captain Zaraki. Are we going to Sokyoku Hill?"
"Don't be stupid. There will be no fight there."
Turning his head to his side, he saw Ikkaku was walking toward him with a serious face. He rested his arms on his swords, which he put around his shoulders.
"Hehehe, Ken-chan has found someone he wanted to fight. So he's searching for him." Yachiru popped up on Kenpachi's shoulder, looking happy.
"Good for you, Captain." Yumechika said as well, appearing beside Ikkaku.
"You were beat up pretty badly." Ikkaku pointed at Kenpachi's bandage on his forehead.
"And now, you want to go fight the same person? I didn't think the day you got beaten up so badly that you're obsessed with that person would ever come. That was the only person that could make you have so much fun, Captain. I'm jealous."
"Hah!" Kenpachi laughed, stopping on the spot. "That kid was strong. How about the kid who fought you? Is he fun?"
"He is." Ikkaku nodded and grinned widely, "But he is not on the level of fun that can satisfy you, Captain."
"Ikkaku is just too excited about fighting that orange haired boy." Yumichika added with a small laugh.
"You'll understand my feeling once you fight him." Ikkaku looked at his friend with a smirk, "That guy is interesting. Kurosaki Ichigo, if I remember it correctly."
"Kurosaki Ichigo? Isn't the one whom you fought called himself Kurosaki Shirou, Ken-chan?"
"Yeah, I don't understand what that meant, but I guess they are siblings or something. Not that it's important."
Zaraki continued walking. Just now, he felt that boy's reiatsu again, so he wanted to find him again.
However, just as they stepped outside of his barrack's door, a clash of reiatsu stopped them. It wasn't just Zaraki who felt that, even Yachiru was surprised when a huge amount of reiatsu appeared in Soul Society.
"What's that?" Yumichika raised an eyebrow, looking at the source of the reiatsu.
"Two Captains... and a big one that is similar to that guy's..."
"That's Ichigo's reiatsu."
A grin formed on the Captain's face, his eyes shining with a predatory gleam.
"Hahahaha! Let's stop by. Follow me!" Zaraki ran to the direction, his three followers running behind him.
"Yes, Captain!"
Their eyes shone with excitement and thrill, knowing that this would be fun.
However, they somehow went the opposite way.
Kenpachi Zaraki had no sense of direction at all.
***
Bribe me with power stones for a surprise bonus chapter
We have more than 25 advanced chapters in pat -reon / ShuviLily.