Saving Rukia from the execution itself was easy. However, running away from the Captain was another job altogether.
"We're getting out of here, Rukia."
Saying so, Ichigo ran down the scaffold and landed on the ground safely with Rukia in his arms. He immediately dashed to a certain spot in front of the hill.
"Catch him!" Soi Fon shouted loudly.
All Lieutenant present on the hill moved, save for the 4th and 8th Divisions who stayed near their Captain. However, just before the Lieutenants could reach the orange-haired Shinigami, something fell down the hill.
Boom!
An arrow pierced the ground right in the middle between the Lieutenant and running Ichigo, who stopped at the edge of the hill. The dust from the impact rose, covering everyone's vision.
Raising their heads, the Lieutenant saw a red-haired boy standing in the sky. His left arm was holding a black bow, and his right hand was holding an arrow. He looked calm, his expression serious and focused.
"Shirou!" Ichigo shouted happily when seeing his older brother.
"Go, I will deal with this." The archer replied firmly, pointing the arrow at the group below him. "Just run and save Kuchiki-san."
"Okay!"
Without wasting any second, Ichigo immediately jumped down the hill and disappeared from the Captains' sight.
In the middle of chaos, Shirou shot his arrow thrice, knocking all Lieutenant at once with a broken arrow he reinforced to the limit.
Soi Fon used Shunpo to catch up to Ichigo, but someone suddenly interrupted. She was punched and got dragged away before she could even reach Ichigo.
Shihouin Yoruichi, the former Captain and Commander of the Covert Ops arrived and grinned at her former protege.
"Long time no see, Soi Fon."
The short woman widened her eyes, not believing her sight.
"Is it... Y-Yoruichi?! You!"
Both of them crashed in the forest near the execution place, separated from everyone else.
Now only 5 Captains and their fainted Lieutenant remained on the hill, including 2 who made an unexpected move and destroyed Sokyoku. Shirou looked at the situation and landed near the said two Captains.
"Why did you help us?" He asked the Captain with flowery haori.
"That's not something you have to worry about." Captain Kyouraku grinned. "But well, I don't agree with this execution, that's all."
"Indeed, something strange happened so I want to help my subordinate. You're her friend, aren't you?" Captain Ukitake glanced at Shirou, who nodded. "I can't leave her like this."
"I see. Thank you for saving us the trouble of destroying Sokyoku."
"Think nothing of it." Ukitake smiled gently at him, "It's the least we can do. However..."
"Right, this is going to be troublesome."
Shunsui looked around, glancing at every captain. Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryuusai certainly didn't look happy. He was fuming with rage.
He had his cane on the ground, his face contorted with anger as he looked straight at the three. His gaze focused on two Captains who stood beside Shirou.
"It's a Ryoka who took the prisoner so we can go against him later, but..." Narrowing his eyes, Yamamoto looked at his fellow Captain, "Juushiro! Shunsui! Have you two finally decided to go against Soul Society?!"
"Let's run, Juushiro." Captain Kyouraku sighed and grabbed Ukitake, running down the hill.
"Hey!" Ukitake gasped, trying to balance himself while he ran, "Don't just grab me and go, Shunsui!"
"We have no choice. If we fight Yama-jii there, then we will risk everyone else." Kyouraku reasoned with his friend. "Besides, that Ryoka boy who had just arrived would be fine. Everything will be fine as long as Yama-jii doesn't go berserk there."
Shirou watched everything happen in an instant. It only took a few seconds for the situation to change greatly, leaving only five people on the hill.
Captain Unohana left after looking at the situation. She activated his Shikai, turning her sword into a flying manta ray, and took all the unconscious Lieutenant with her.
Shirou looked at Byakuya, who stared at him coldly.
The Captain unsheathed his sword and disappeared. He reappeared behind him instantly with his sword raised to swing it down toward his target.
Sensing the danger from behind, Shirou immediately blocked the attack with his bow. A loud clanking noise echoed as the sword clashed with his bow. Both of them struggled for dominance, trying to push the other back.
"Why are you trying so hard to save Rukia, Kurosaki Shirou?" Byakuya asked, glaring at Shirou, who pushed his sword away with his bow.
"Rukia doesn't deserve this." Shirou replied in a low voice, his expression hardening.
He jumped away and created some distance between them, dismissing the bow and summoned two shortswords.
"You said Rukia would see a fitting punishment, which I agreed to. However…" Shirou gripped the sword tight in his hands as he glared back at Byakuya, "I never thought it would be an execution."
"Law must be upheld. Central 46 has decided that she is to be executed."
"She doesn't deserve death, Kuchiki-san!"
"That is how our rule is. And she has broken it. You are in no place to question the decision of Central 46."
Shirou gritted his teeth and charged at him, sending his twin blades toward the man. His speed was fast, even faster than his speed in the Living World, and he sent slashes toward his target with blinding speed.
Swords clashed against each other, releasing sparks to the air. The ground was destroyed from the clash of reiatsu from both fighters.
Each swing was deadly and dangerous. They moved around the hill, disappearing and appearing at a second notice.
However, that exchange soon ceased as both fighters stood a bit away from each other.
"I see that you've mastered a movement technique as well." Byakuya commented.
"You are very good with yours too, Captain." Shirou responded.
"You can't defeat me." He pointed his zanpakutou toward the the boy, "If you value your life, then leave this place. Leave Soul Society."
"I refuse." Shirou declared, gripping his sword tight, "Say, Kuchiki Byakuya. Do you value your law so much to the point you're willing to execute your own sister for that? The ideals and pride you have to uphold your law are too heavy, and you will lose something important. She doesn't deserve to die!"
"That is how it is. If no one holds the law then everyone will just follow their selfish desire, bringing chaos and disaster. She broke the rule, and she has to be punished." He answered in a cold voice. He didn't hesitate. "We have to set an example."
So stubborn.
Shirou looked down, his expression was dark. He closed his eyes, contemplating.
Would this be him in the future if he followed his ideal, saving everyone without considering their life at all? Or was this just his imagination? He couldn't understand his own thoughts. However, his heart was telling him that Byakuya was wrong. He shouldn't just follow someone's rule or order to the point of sacrificing his own family.
He was an orphan, he had lost everything when he was young. So, he wouldn't forgive someone who would let his own family go to hell.
"Use your Bankai, Kuchiki Byakuya."
"There is no need for that. Unlike before, I can defeat you with just Shikai."
Saying so, Byakuya raised his sword to his chest. His blade glowed in white as he prepared to release his zanpakutou. He swung his sword slowly and whispered the command.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura."
Pink blade turned into small sakura petals, surrounding Byakuya.
However, Shirou had already seen it before. He recorded everything he had experienced in the battle and he knew Byakuya would use that technique.
So he had prepared a countermeasure to it.
Raising his hand, he traced 10 nameless Noble Phantasm and charged them with reiryoku, his reiatsu surged.
These swords, floating in midair after being formed with projection, trembled slightly before shooting forward. Each sword was a bit different, with slight differences in size, length, and design. They didn't have any history at all.
And they had one job: get destroyed and explode.
Boom! Boom!
Every sword touching the petal that surged forward exploded in a huge explosion. A dust cloud formed, hiding Shirou's figure from Byakuya. It also stopped the petals from moving, preventing them from cutting his body apart.
And Shirou didn't stop.
"Trace, on."
Three thin swords appeared in each of his hands.
Black keys, the sacrament of the church. A sword used to fight the enemy of the holy church. The blade, a symbol of the miracle of the saint.
By reinforcing them, each blade became as hard as diamonds. Shirou threw the six of them toward Byakuya by sensing his reiatsu. Black keys flew faster than a bullet and went straight through the dust cloud.
However, the captain of the sixth division easily blocked all the swords by using his petals.
And that was his chance.
Shirou ran to his back and slashed down. His newly traced Kanshou and Bakuya met with resistance but it went past through the defense and cut down Byakuya's back, grazing his shoulder. The blood flew down to his arms.
Surprised that Shirou breached his defense so easily, Byakuya immediately commanded the petal to attack him, but was evaded by using Hirenkyaku to gain distance.
Byakuya pressed his injured shoulder to stop the bleeding. It wasn't a deep cut, but it would be a hindrance to his movement. His left arm was still numb and he couldn't move it, and his left shoulder was also injured. He was at a disadvantage now.
"Very well." He said, looking at Shirou with a cold gaze. "You shall receive your wish."
Shirou narrowed his eyes, feeling that something wasn't right.
"I'm going to show you the true nature of my Bankai once again."
Byakuya stood tall, his right hand raised his sword in front of him. He commanded in a cold voice.
"Bankai."
He let go of his sword, letting the blade fall down to the ground and stabbed the earth. It disappeared from the earth.
Then...
The ground around him was destroyed, replaced by two rows of giant swords floating above the hill, making an enormous tunnel.
"Senbonzakura Kageyoshi." Byakuya stated, his cold eyes staring straight into his enemy's.
A second was all it took for all these giant swords to turn into petals and surged toward Shirou.
Prepared, he lowered his stance and chanted his aria.
"I am the bone of my sword."
Hand raised and pointed at Byakuya's direction. He called the name.
"Rho Aias!"
Seven petals bloomed into life, creating a large flower shield that could withstand even the strongest Noble Phantasm attack, a defensive-type magic that had been passed on since the Age of Gods.
Its fame had reached the ears of many magus in the current age. The shield of the hero, a hero who stood in the face of a thousand men alone, defending the gate and his country from the invaders.
No matter what kind of projectile attack it encountered, nothing shall pass its seven-layered protection. This fact was proven when Byakuya's petals didn't break the flower.
However, that didn't stop him. He still commanded them to continue their attack. Without even moving, the Captain scattered his petals in 360 degrees. The pink sakura petals attacked Shirou's from all directions at once.
"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."
Twenty nameless swords hovered around him, each went for the petals that came to attack him. They were like cannon fodders, their job was to take damage and be broken apart. The explosion created a huge dust cloud that covered Shirou's form.
"I have created over a thousand blades."
He could see that Byakuya's attack was not yet over.
Before it could reach him, he dashed forward through the cloud and threw his twin blades. He quickly traced them again and reinforced them to the limit, changing them to the longsword.
The twin swords spun through the petals, going straight at their enemy. Shirou followed their path and ran in a straight line. He kept his distance with the petals so that they wouldn't hit him. However, some of the sakura managed to graze his face. A blood flowed down his cheeks, staining his face.
It was worth the trouble because Shirou could get close enough to him.
"Unaware of beginning."
Using Hirenkyaku, he appeared behind the unguarded Byakuya. His swords raised above his head, ready to swing down and cut his body into two.
"Nor aware of the end."
Byakuya didn't even turn his head to him. Instead, he called his petals to defend against the attack.
The twin swords clashed against the petals and stopped. Shirou couldn't breach the defense with just a physical attack.
In that split moment of time, the thrown sword reached the Captain.
The sword stabbed him from the front, injuring his other shoulder. Shirou used that opening and attacked him again, but was deflected.
"I see." Byakuya looked straight at Shirou after he moved away with Shunpo.
For the first time ever, the Captain was forced back a few steps. He looked down, checking the injury. He wasn't too injured. Just a stab wound to the shoulder and chest.
But that wasn't important.
"Be grateful, Kurosaki Shirou. This is the true form of Senbonzakura when it abandoned all defense and dedicated itself only to killing the enemy."
Senbonzakura's petals gathered in the air, each formed swords that floated in the sky, circling the Captain and Shirou. Each sword gleamed brightly under the sunlight as if it was about to unleash something.
"Senkei, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
***Chapter End***
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