Chapter 8: Watch Your Tone
Arima's disappointment was visible on his face and his tone , in almost a whisper he muttered, "So the hard way it is."
His eyes flickered faintly, betraying neither anger nor pleasure.
Urahara, understanding the gravity of the situation, gripped his Zanpakuto tightly.
He tried to use his Shikai, his voice firm but hurried. "Awake: Benihi—"
But he never finished.
In an instant, Arima disappeared from sight, a blur of absolute speed and precision.
Before Urahara could react, a sharp clang rang out.
Sparks erupted in the fading light as IXA cleaved through Urahara's Zanpakuto with a single, clean swing.
Three shattered pieces fell to the ground, the broken blade ringing faintly as they hit the earth.
Urahara's eyes widened in disbelief, his mind racing.
He cut it… so easily?
At the same time, Yoruichi shot toward Arima with all her speed, her body a blur as she aimed a devastating kick at his head.
Her movements were fluid, precise—befitting the Flash Goddess herself.
But just as her strike neared its mark, the space around Arima's head tore open.
A Garganta formed instantaneously, like a gaping maw of blackness.
Yoruichi's momentum betrayed her as her leg was pulled in.
Before she could escape, the rip expanded and engulfed her, trapping her in a void of swirling darkness.
Arima didn't even glance her way.
"Stay there," he murmured emotionlessly, as though she were no more than an afterthought.
Urahara, now alone and overwhelmed, tried to regain control.
Sweat dripped down his face as he attempted to form a plan, his mind calculating countless outcomes. Think, think…
But before he could utter another incantation, Arima raised Narukami, his left hand steady and silent.
The blade, which had been quietly charging, began to hum with an ominous vibration.
Electricity danced across its surface, a radiant arc of thunderous energy coiling like a serpent.
"Too slow," Arima whispered.
BOOM
The sky lit up as Narukami erupted. A massive arc of blinding thunder tore through the air, slamming into Urahara before he could react.
The impact shattered the earth beneath him, the force of the blast sending shockwaves across the barren landscape.
Urahara's scream was drowned out as he was thrown violently backward, his body scorched and bleeding, landing in a motionless heap.
Nearby, Tessai, still incapacitated but conscious, saw the devastation and gritted his teeth.
Despite his injuries, his resolve burned. With a trembling hand, he began to chant again, forcing himself through the pain.
"Hado no Kyujuukyuu—"
Before he could finish, Arima appeared beside him, IXA already poised.
The movement was elegant, almost gentle.
With a single thrust of the blade, Arima's precision was absolute.
IXA pierced cleanly through Tessai's skull, and in an instant, his head shattered, destroyed beyond recognition.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Arima stood amidst the ruins, IXA glinting faintly in his right hand, Narukami still crackling with residual electricity in his left.
The bodies of his opponents lay scattered, their resistance extinguished like flickering flames.
The wind swept across the battlefield, carrying ash and dust with it.
Arima closed his eyes briefly. "How disappointing," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
"Troubling times indeed…"
And with that, he turned away, his figure disappearing into the distance as though he had never been there at all.
He had spared Urahara for the sake of Yoruichi , he should lay incapacitated for a few days..
As for the Hollow Hybrids.
Arima wished to see if they would mirror his condition...so they were left alive.
Tessai had no such connections to save himself.
---
The Garganta was a vast, endless void—a realm of shadows and swirling darkness that seemed to stretch eternally between the worlds.
Within it, time felt suspended, and the silence was absolute, broken only by faint echoes that did not belong.
Arima's form appeared soundlessly, as if materializing from the shadows themselves.
His eyes, sharp and unwavering, locked onto Yoruichi, who sat collapsed in the void on a platform of reishi.
She was a mess of grief and despair. Her golden eyes, now dull with anguish, were fixed on the endless nothingness around her.
Silent tears traced down her cheeks, her body trembling from exhaustion and disbelief.
The proud Flash Goddess was now unrecognizable—broken in spirit.
Knowing the fate that awaited everyone else.
Hearing his approach, her head snapped up.
Seeing Arima return, her emotions exploded.
With a choked cry, she lunged at him, tears streaming freely as she swung her fists.
"Why?!" she screamed, the sound echoing hollowly through the void.
"You monster!"
Her punches met his open hand—firm, unmoving.
Arima caught her wrist effortlessly, his grip gentle but unyielding.
His face remained stoic, an unmoved pillar against her storm of despair.
"Yoruichi Shihōin " His voice was deep, calm, devoid of anger or malice. "Enough."
She struggled, her free hand weakly slamming against his chest. "Damn you! Damn you!" she cried, her voice cracking.
Arima's grip on her hand tightened slightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to still her movements. "Listen to me," he said firmly.
She froze, her tear-streaked face looking up at him as he spoke.
"I made a promise to your father, years ago." Arima's gaze softened just slightly, as though recalling an old memory. "He was not the strongest of men, nor the most imposing, but… his kindness was unmatched. He helped me in a time I needed it."
Yoruichi blinked through her tears, her breathing uneven as his words registered.
"I swore to him that I would aid the Shihouin clan and his offspring should they find themselves in a moment of true need," Arima continued, his tone steady as ever. "And here you are, in the shadow of collapse, abandoning your duty."
His words struck her like a physical blow. Yoruichi flinched, her heart tightening painfully. "I—"
"It was highly irresponsible of you," Arima cut in, his voice now firm, though not cruel. "To leave your house to fend for itself in the vicious, toxic world of the nobles. Did you think of your brother? Did you think of the consequences your absence would bring to the Shihouin name?"
Yoruichi opened her mouth to argue, but no words came.
Her shoulders sagged as the weight of his words pressed down on her. She knew the truth—she had left them behind, and the Shihouin clan had suffered for it but still it couldn't be that bad.
"I do not blame you," Arima said at last, his tone quieting. "Love often blinds the wisest of souls."
He released her wrist, his hand falling to his side. "But I will fulfill this promise to your father. With this, my debt is repaid."
Yoruichi lowered her gaze, her fists trembling at her sides.
Arima stepped back, his presence still towering, his face impassive as ever. "Understand this, Yoruichi Shihouin: if you ever stand against my blade again…" He paused, his crimson eyes locking onto hers. "I will not hesitate to cut you down."
The words lingered in the void, heavy and final.
Yoruichi flinched again but said nothing, her silence a mix of defeat and mourning.
Without another word, Arima turned, the swirling shadows of the Garganta opening behind him.
Yoruichi followed silently thinking that everyone else had been massacred by the Monstrous White Reaper.
---
Arima returned to the Seireitei, stepping through the gates of the noble assembly grounds with Yoruichi in tow.
Her usually radiant appearance was disheveled—her hair tangled, her face marred with faint trails of tears, and her clothing slightly torn.
She walked silently behind Arima, her head lowered, her demeanor uncharacteristically subdued.
Awaiting them in the hall stood the heads—or rather, their temporary representatives—of the three great noble clans.
Their expressions were a mixture of anger and indignation as they glared at Arima, clearly displeased by the sight before them.
"You dare return like this, Arima?" The stand-in for the Kuchiki clan stepped forward, his tone sharp and accusing. "You were tasked with eliminating Yoruichi Shihōin and the others, yet here you are, bringing her back alive. Is this some sort of insult to our authority?"
The stand-in for the Tsunayashiro clan added, his voice dripping with scorn, "Disobeying orders in this manner borders on treason. Do you take the will of the noble families lightly?"
Before another word could be spoken, Arima lifted his head slightly, his now crimson eyes narrowing.
The moment his gaze fell upon the room, the entire hall fell silent.
The air thickened as a suffocating wave of his reiatsu spread, chilling those present to their cores.
A single glare from him silenced every protest.
"Enough," Arima said, his voice cold and commanding, echoing through the chamber.
He stepped forward slowly, his imposing figure casting long shadows across the floor.
"It would be foolish," Arima continued, his tone sharp, "to help in the destruction of another great clan. Or have you forgotten already?"
He glanced around, his eyes settling briefly on each representative. "The Shiba clan is all but gone, reduced to a shadow of its former self. Do you truly believe that tearing apart the Shihōin clan will bring anything good? No."
The nobles flinched under his words, unable to meet his gaze.
"The Shihōin clan must remain," Arima declared, his tone brooking no argument. "This land—this society—requires balance. Without it, we are left with chaos."
His eyes glinted dangerously as he added, "Destroying a few buildings of the Central 46 does not warrant the execution of a noble. As far as I remember, the Central 46 are but stand-ins for the true nobles who built this land and gave it its foundation."
The Kuchiki representative opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words came.
He, along with the others, realized the futility of arguing against Arima's logic.
But Arima wasn't finished. He took another step forward, his voice carrying a weight that felt almost unbearable.
"And Do not mistake my compliance with your orders as servitude and dare talk to me like that. ," he said icily.
"I follow orders, but I will remind you of the deal I made with Ichibei Hyōsube." The name of the Grand Monk—the leader of the Royal Guard—reverberated through the chamber, sending a chill down their spines. "That deal does not grant you control over me, no matter what authority you believe you hold."
His gaze swept across the room one final time, ensuring that no one would dare question him further. "I am merely fulfilling my end of that agreement. Nothing more."
The hall fell into utter silence, the nobles unable to refute his words or challenge his authority.
Arima turned slightly, glancing back at Yoruichi, who remained quiet but visibly shaken.
"Take this as a warning," Arima said to the assembled nobles, his tone deadly calm.
"Do not allow your petty ambitions to cloud your judgment again."
" And Watch your tone when talking."
With that, he turned and walked out of the hall, Yoruichi following closely behind him, leaving the noble representatives to stew in their silence, their anger muted by the sheer force of Arima's presence.
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