Capítulo 49: 7/8
With a moment of respite before the new wights spawning from the portal would be able to close the distance, Itachi decided to experiment with his Shikai. Waving the sword in a broad circular motion, he saw the flocks of crimson firebirds respond by rushing forward and encircling both the portal and the wights coming out of it. The circle swiftly constricted, and once again the bulk of the wights were consumed by fire. Flash Stepping forward, Itachi quickly finished off the survivors with quick thrusts of his blade.
Good for crowd control, he mused as he withdrew his sword from the dissolving remains of the last wight and pulled back to allow more birds to spawn, and that's just one of many potential applications…
As more wights spawned from the portal, Itachi decided to experiment with another approach. Gesturing both with his free hand and waving his sword almost like a conductor's baton, he organized the fresh firebirds emanating from his Zanpakutō into several small flocks of just a dozen or so flaming creatures each. He then focused on the incoming wights with his Sharingan, identifying individual targets and rapidly assigning them to specific flocks. With his orders issued through both intent and quick motions from his sword and free hand, the flocks surged forward. Each one swarmed an individual wight, concentrating particularly on assaulting their target's head. The wights thrashed about wildly, leaving themselves wide open for a direct attack from Itachi.
Said attack was swift and deadly. Flash Stepping forward again, Itachi's black blade danced through the air. Guided by both trained instincts and the keen perception of the Sharingan, Itachi's swordsmanship was devastating. Every strike resulted in a kill, and his victims could do nothing about it since his flocks of flaming birds were pecking at their eyes and clawing at their scalps. He moved like a shadowy phantom amongst the flames, swiftly and silently cutting the monstrosities down.
Soi-Fon's voice suddenly rang out from behind him. "Hadō 33: Sōkatsui!"
Taking a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw a wave of blue-white light shoot forth from her open palm. Her aim was true, and this time there were no wights in position to take the hit; the blast of spirit energy slammed into one of the four anchor crystals by the entrance, shattering the stone in a brilliant burst of azure light. Itachi's gaze immediately went back to the threat ahead, and while the portal was still up and running, thanks to the Sharingan he was able to perceive some fluctuation in its energy as the remaining three crystals struggled to compensate for the loss of the fourth.
Good, he thought, resisting the urge to smile, I imagine the stress on the portal will amplify considerably if she can take out another one. Perhaps that alone will be enough to take it out. I just need to keep the attention of the wights on me, and she'll have the rest taken care of in short order.
Thanks to the abilities of his Shikai, that wasn't hard to do. Backing off to give himself some space, he allowed his sword to spawn fresh flocks of flaming crows. The portal wasn't idle during this, of course; new wights were already stumbling through, and Itachi would have to contend with them quickly in order to ensure that Soi-Son had a clear shot at her next target. Fortunately for him, his Zanpakutō was proving capable of replenishing spent firebirds quite quickly. A few hundred were already airborne, and that number was still climbing. Itachi didn't know what the maximum limit was; he resolved to discover that through training once this mission was over.
He decided against trying anything too fancy this time. With a broad swing of his sword, he sent his flock forth to meet the spawning wights head-on. As the wave of crimson crows crashed against the front ranks of the abominations, Itachi rushed forward to capitalize on the impact. Black blade flashing through the air, the precision of his strikes enhanced by the Sharingan, Itachi cut a swath through the seared and crisped survivors of his opening firebird attack.
Another flash of blue-white light came from behind him, and he heard Soi-Fon's attack impact another crystal and shatter it. This time, the energy fluctuation in the portal appeared to be serious, to the point that Itachi probably could've perceived it without the aid of the Sharingan. Its outer borders twisted and writhed, yet it still was able to maintain cohesion, albeit with visible difficulty. One more strike from Soi-Fon would probably do the trick, and Itachi was determined to make sure she had the opening for it.
Rather than falling back again, this time he stuck close to the portal and attempted to cut down the wights as quickly as they spawned. Despite the combined boost in power from both his Shikai and the Sharingan, though, he was unable to quite match the pace that the portal could spit out the monstrosities at. That didn't matter, though; even as he'd been plunging his sword into freshly spawned wights, new crimson crows had been taking flight from the gap in his blade. They fluttered about above him in scattered flocks, waiting for orders.
Itachi didn't waste any time in issue those orders. Continuing to cut down wights with the blade in his right hand, with his left he made a series of quick downward gestures. The response from the blazing crows was swift and deadly; they immediately dived straight into the wights, setting alight several that had been trying to surround Itachi and take him down for good. With his opposition thoroughly in disarray, the Sixteenth Seat got right back to what he'd been doing before; cutting down stragglers with ruthless efficiency.
That was when Soi-Fon let fly with a third Sōkatsui, and like clockwork a third anchor crystal exploded in a flash of azure light. For a moment Itachi feared it might still not be enough, but as he focused on the portal with his Sharingan he saw that the destabilization had definitely become fatal. Arcs of energy flew wildly about, forcing him to pull back towards Soi-Fon. A handful of wights still managed to slip out, but the portal was in its death throes. It ultimately went out not with a bang, but a whimper, collapsing in on itself and vanishing a few moments later into a few specs of light, and then nothing at all.
Itachi and Soi-Fon both charged forward, finishing off the remaining wights quickly and quietly. Not only had the portal collapsed, but the barrier sealing the chamber had dissipated as well with the destruction of those key anchoring crystals. However, the thought of leaving was the last thing on either Soul Reaper's minds, even if would've been to go grab reinforcements.
The two of them locked gazes and nodded simultaneously. No words were needed. Their Captain was still locked in deadly combat with a powerful foe, and now they could finally lend a hand.
….
Although she had certainly sensed the glorious twin spikes in spirit pressure that she knew signaled the awakening of Itachi's Shikai and Sharingan, Yoruichi hadn't been able to steal so much as a glance at her Sixteenth Seat. While her confidence had been bolstered thanks to the fact that Itachi's very well-timed power boost would significantly aid both himself and Soi-Fon, that still didn't alter her immediate situation. Her foe was still going strong, and Yoruichi had yet to find a way to counter that damned regenerative ability it had.
She was still on the offensive, but her attacks had become more measured as the clash had worn on. The last thing Yoruichi could afford to do was exhaust herself against such a powerful opponent, not only for her sake but also for that of her subordinates as well. She still struck with blinding speed, but her punches and kicks were made with an eye towards conserving her energy and keeping the enemy at bay while she attempted to formulate a strategy to finish him off.
That, of course, was far easier said than done. The wraith couldn't hope to match her speed, but its power and combat skill were more than enough to make up for that deficiency. Its counterattacks were strong, and despite the mighty gauntlets that were her Zanpakutō's Shikai she had to be careful when blocking them in order to make sure they didn't damage her weapons. Between the mighty swings of its blade and the concentrated bursts of sinister flames it liked to unleash, her foe was more than capable of keeping Yoruichi on her toes.
Blocking the wraith's sword with her left gauntlet, she immediately countered with a right hook that nailed the monstrosity right in the face. She had the satisfaction of both feeling and seeing the abomination's face momentarily cave in thanks to the power of the blow, but once again its stretched skin and pale skull quickly regenerated. The thing looked more pissed off than hurt, although Yoruichi thought it didn't have any room to complain; if any other kind of foe had taken that hit it would definitely be dead.
She was going to press her assault even further but was surprised to hear Soi-Fon suddenly cry out from behind her. "Lady Yoruichi, pull back now!"
It wasn't like Soi-Fon to give her orders, which meant something else was up. Placing her faith in her bodyguard, Yoruichi immediately put some distance between her and the wraith courtesy of a Flash Step. The wraith might not have been as fast as her, but she knew it wouldn't take long for the creature to get back in her face again.
That was when a huge flock of flaming crimson birds flew around Yoruichi from behind. She couldn't get an accurate count, but at first glance she guessed that there had to be at least several hundred of them. What mattered more than their numbers, though, was the spirit energy she could feel in them; it was definitely Itachi's. She saw the swarm of birds rapidly engulf the wraith, either diving directly at it or pecking and clawing at its face. Surrounded by a horde of angry firebirds, the wraith lashed out wildly with its sword. Yoruichi guessed that it would cut through the swarm in short order, but at least she had a moment or two to prepare.
With her opponent at least temporarily occupied, she finally felt safe in stealing a glance at Itachi. It quickly became apparent that her earlier restraint had been wise, because what she saw and sensed now that she could properly focus on him took her breath away.
There he was, black sword in hand and calmly striding forward. More birds of crimson flame were taking flight from the thin gap that ran down the blade of his Zanpakutō, flying above and around Itachi and Soi-Fon. The blood-red circle in the guard of his sword glowed with an eerie light, and while Yoruichi might've been curious about it under other circumstances she quickly realized that it was just a sideshow compared to what she saw when she focused on Itachi himself.
Even with what he had told her during their conversation in the hidden training ground, Yoruichi realized that she still hadn't been prepared for the sight that would greet her when Itachi finally awakened his Sharingan. Now he had, and she was actually at a loss for words. His eyes were a pair of shining rubies, irises a sea of crimson whose depths felt endless. The three tomoe orbiting each pupil seemed to call to her, inviting her to get lost in his gaze. The entirely display was captivating, no, downright entrancing. If she'd known that Itachi would look anything like this when the power of his bloodline returned to him, she would've been pushing him to unlock it much sooner.
She felt like she had to say something, but it was very difficult for her to find something that felt remotely adequate for the dazzling sight before her. In the end, she could only find one word that came even close to matching what she felt.
"Beautiful…" she murmured, almost completely unaware of the heat rushing to her face.
Yes… beautiful in a manner that was beyond anything she had ever seen before. They were far more than just eyes of an exotic color. To Yoruichi, with Itachi's gaze upon her, they felt like lenses that allowed his sight to pierce right to the heart of one's very soul.
What did he see now when he looked upon her with the eyes that had brought his clan both power and ruin? How did he perceive her with those luminous and enchanting crimson orbs? She wanted very much to know, but unfortunately now was hardly the time to be asking such questions. Her Shikai still had that habit of shooting off bolts of white lightning even when she wasn't fighting, and now Itachi and Soi-Fon were well within range. If she wanted to make sure her subordinates didn't fall victim to friendly fire then she needed to reassert her concentration right away.
Soi-Fon was heedless of any potential harm from Yoruichi's Shikai, so great was her concern for her charge. "Lady Yoruichi, are you all right?"
To his credit, Itachi didn't seem all that worried either, and this was despite the fact that Yoruichi knew his Sharingan could easily tell him just how volatile the spirit energy of her Shikai was. "Sorry it took us so long back there."
Yoruichi smiled. "Don't worry about it. You two did well. How long can you keep that thing at bay like this?"
Itachi shook his head. "Not long. It's far too powerful for my Shikai to pin it for good. Still, this is all we need. I stole a few glimpses at your fight earlier; I know this thing can regenerate. I think I can help you counter it."
That was certainly encouraging, and Yoruichi wondered what he had up his sleeve. "How?"
"When it breaks free of my Shikai, engage it," he said, "I'll hang back and observe with my Sharingan. Regeneration isn't a power that comes for free; something has to be fueling it, and I should be able to narrow it down."
Yoruichi grinned as she put the rest together. "And once you find our exact target, we'll hammer it with everything we've got. I like it!"
"I'll fight it with you, Lady Yoruichi," said Soi-Fon, "I know I can't take it head-on, so I'll strike from the flanks and keep it off balance."
Yoruichi could tell that her bodyguard was determined; no amount of effort on her part would be enough to persuade her to hang back. "All right. Just don't do anything stupid. I want us all to get out of here alive so we can brag about this over drinks later, you got that?"
Soi-Fon nodded. "Understood."
She turned to Itachi. "Are you ready?"
"I don't have a choice," he replied as he looked ahead, "I can't hold it down any longer."
Following his gaze, Yoruichi saw that the wraith had finally gotten the upper hand. Bursts of icy blue fire pulsed out from it, driving back the crimson firebirds that had been assailing it. A few more broad swings of its sword were enough to scatter the last of them, reducing them to sparks and embers that died as they hit the floor. The abomination locked its twisted and hateful gaze on Yoruichi; it was more than ready for round two.
Well, so was she. Fresh sparks of white lightning crackled between her gauntlets as she allowed her spirit energy to flow freely again. She had her subordinates backing her up now; this thing had no idea what was about to hit it.
A predatory grin appeared on her face. "Let's do this."
….
He'd thought that he had grown used to her speed, but Yoruichi was still incredibly difficult for Itachi to follow once she made a Flash Step. Even with the aid of the Sharingan he could barely perceive her motion as little more than a blur. Soi-Fon was easier to track, but even then, her speed was nothing to sneeze at. While Yoruichi was moving to attack the wraith head-on, Soi-Fon was angling to the left, looking to get in a strike from the flank while her Captain drew the enemy's attention.
Focusing his gaze on the wraith, Itachi's eyes narrowed as he searched for the target that would be key to victory. In theory he knew what he was looking for; any source of energy that could be fueling the wraith's regenerative abilities. However, what that might look like in practice was difficult to determine. The wraith's twisted and malicious spirit energy was unlike anything he'd sensed before, and while he could perceive it with the Sharingan he had to work to make sense of it. It was the kind of task that a member of the Hyūga Clan would likely be more adept at than an Uchiha, but Itachi's experience with the eyes of his bloodline was more than enough to allow him to adapt to the job at hand.
In the eyes that had won his clan both renown and infamy, there was a marked contrast between the spirit energy of his comrades and that of the wraith. Both Yoruichi and Soi-Fon appeared as fountains of light, their spirit energy flowing outward in constant and consistent waves. The wraith, on the other hand, was surrounded in a violent and unpredictable tempest of dark power. In fact, the more Itachi concentrated on it, the more he realized that this spirit energy didn't have a unified feel to it. Sure, there was the suffocating corruption, but even that seemed to have some form of variance to it.
Almost like it's flowing from multiple sources instead of one…
After a moment of consideration, he changed his approach. Maybe there was more than one source for this tainted spirit energy he was trying to understand. In fact, as he continued to focus on it, Itachi began to suspect that he was looking at it all wrong. The wraith wasn't the source of this tumultuous mix of tainted spirit energy. Not directly, at least.
As Yoruichi clashed with the wraith, hammering it with a series of blindingly fast and powerful punches, the wraith's regeneration kicked in thanks to one particular blow from the Captain damn near tearing the abomination's left arm off. That was when Itachi detected not one, not two, but three distinct spikes in spirit energy, each coming from a source that was on the wraith but not necessarily the wraith itself.
It has an amplifier, he realized, Something it's wearing is what's really behind its power!
He knew what to look for now, but he still had to narrow down the exact target if he was going to be of any use to Yoruichi and Soi-Fon. Not only that, but he had to do it quickly. Yoruichi had the wraith's attention and had already proven more than capable of holding her own against this foe, but Soi-Fon was another matter. She was fast and strong, but Itachi knew that there was a damn good reason why Yoruichi originally had wanted to face the wraith on her own. When one compared Soi-Fon's spirit energy to that of the wraith, it was instantly apparent which was more powerful, and it wasn't Soi-Fon. Not by a longshot.
She had already moved around the flank, and another Flash Step brought her into striking range. Her attack was swift and precise, thrusting her sword into the wraith's side. The move definitely got the wraith's attention, but any damage it might've done was outweighed by her foe's sheer fury at her sneak attack. Soi-Fon's eyes widened slightly as she detected another spike in spirit energy, and she was barely able to pull her blade out of the wraith in time to deflect its counterattack. The force behind the blow was considerable, and if she hadn't already been moving back to bleed off some of the force the attack could've broken through her guard. It was an extremely close call, and one that Itachi didn't want to risk happening again; they had to end this fight quickly.
Focus, he told himself, Concentrate on one aspect of this thing's energy at a time and trace it back to its source. Isolate one, and the others will be that much easier to deal with.
Pushing his newly awakened Sharingan, Itachi watched intently as Yoruichi launched a fresh assault, determined to get the wraith's attention back on her and away from Soi-Fon. She let fly with a series of punches and kicks, and Itachi patiently waited for one of her blows to land hard enough to trigger the wraith's regeneration. It didn't take long; blocking a sword strike with her left gauntlet, Yoruichi countered with a punch from her right that ripped apart the left jaw of the wraith. Right on cue, the brutally torn flesh began to mend itself, and this time Itachi was able to seize upon the fresh flow of corrupted spirit energy and follow it back to where it came from; the ring on the wraith's
Now that he had one part of the wraith's spirit energy figured out, he could focus on the others and trace them back to where they came. It didn't take long; one current led to the crown on the wraith's head, and once he'd isolated that one it was a simple matter to single out the last remaining unknown variant of spirit energy. The strands from this one led to the amulet that hung from the creature's neck. The ring, crown and amulet; he had identified them before the fight had even started, yet Itachi had failed to understand their true significance. All three were working in concert, providing the power behind both the wraith's raw strength and its regenerative abilities. They weren't just accessories or amplifiers, but the heart of the wraith's frightening power.
And with that, Itachi knew he'd found the key to victory.
The whole time he'd been studying the wraith with his Sharingan, more flaming crimson crows had continued to fly forth from his Zanpakutō. They'd been idly circling overhead as Itachi had searched for the enemy's weakness, waiting for orders. There were several hundred of them already, and that number was growing with each passing second.
Now it was time to put them to use.
….
It was invigorating to fight alongside her bodyguard again, even if it meant Soi-Fon was exposing herself to a foe that was far more powerful than her. For Yoruichi, that was all the greater motivation to be aggressive in this clash; the more the wraith focused on her, the less of a threat it would be to her subordinate. At the same time, though, she was holding back to a degree. After all, it wouldn't do to burn through her energy reserves before Itachi finally found this thing's weakness. So here she was, walking a thin line with a fierce but measured assault, hammering the enemy where she could while remaining mindful of the big picture. It wasn't the first time she'd been in a situation where she had to play for time, but never had she faced a foe quite like this one before.
Come on, Itachi, she thought as she blocked a powerful overhand sword strike with her gauntlets before countering with a hard kick at her opponent's torso, I'm counting on you.
It was a shame that their foe was one that demanded such concentration from her; she wanted time to properly observe Itachi's Sharingan and Shikai in action. She liked to understand all that her subordinates were really capable of, but Itachi was a special case. After all, thanks to what she now knew regarding his past, she understood what regaining his Sharingan really meant to him. It wasn't just a hereditary trait or a weapon to supplement his Shikai; it was the source of not only his clan's power, but also its fall to ruin. She trusted Itachi to keep his mind on the mission at hand, but she was sure that once this was over, he would need to take some time to process everything. After all, these were the eyes that had played such a central role in the slaughter of his clan.
The wraith had been slightly driven back by the force behind her kick, and Soi-Fon seized the opportunity to strike. Leaping so high into the air that her feet touched the ceiling, she then proceeded to use it as a spring board, Flash Stepping and coming down at the wraith from above, driving her Zanpakutō into the monstrosity's neck. The blade plunged in deep, but she had to pull it out quickly; the wraith was already swinging its sword at her, and Soi-Fon was only narrowly able to duck beneath the blow and retreat. The abomination fixed her with a vicious gaze, hatred burning in its eyes as it moved to attack her.
Yoruichi would have none of that. "Eyes over here, bastard!"
The wraith barely managed to swing around in time to block her strike. Yoruichi wasn't about to let the creature off that easy. She hammered it with a barrage of powerful blows, fists and feet flying while blasts of white lightning shot from her gauntlets and arced over the abomination's armor. It was certainly enough to get the wraith's attention back on her, and it countered with a series of swift and powerful sword strikes that forced Yoruichi onto the defensive.
As she was bracing to block another blow, she saw the wraith's gaze suddenly shift past her. She didn't think it was possible, but the creature's eyes actually widened, and for the first time she caught a hint of something in its gaze that wasn't cruel hatred or malice.
It was fear.
That was when she sensed the surging spiritual pressure behind her. She knew it was Itachi, but even so she was still amazed by what she was feeling. Soul Reapers always experienced a significant spike in power when they unleashed their Shikai for the first time, but thanks to the Sharingan Itachi's awakening was something else entirely. His power was now much greater than his current rank suggested…
…and it was still climbing.
She heard him drop into Shunpo and knew what was coming, so she sidestepped to the right and gave him the opening he needed. Sure enough, he appeared a moment later, his black blade falling in a fast and powerful overhand strike. The wraith quickly brought its sword up to block the blow, but Yoruichi didn't fail to notice that its gaze was now locked onto Itachi's blazing crimson eyes, and that fear she'd detected a moment ago was quite visible.
There was a sudden onrush of heat, and before Yoruichi knew it she, Itachi, Soi-Fon and the wraith were surrounded by what a swarm of crimson flaming crows. She had no time to try to count them, but even at a glance she knew was sure that the number had to be close to a thousand now. Itachi was clearly putting his Shikai through its paces, and it made Yoruichi all the more eager to find some time to train with him later to see just what else it was capable of.
Of course, the current fight came first, and Itachi wasted no time in sharing some critical information. "The crown, the amulet, and the ring. If we destroy them, we win."
Yoruichi's eyes narrowed as she sought out the items he'd mentioned, her mind quickly filling in the blanks; he must've detected them as the sources of the energy that fueled the wraith's regeneration. "Got it!"
The wraith wasn't about to let them strategize right in front of it, of course. Itachi's blade had only been locked with its own for a few seconds, but the creature was pressing back hard, and despite his newfound power the Sixteenth Seat lacked the raw might to stand up to it in a straight-up fight. Fortunately, Itachi clearly recognized his peril and reacted accordingly.
"Get back," he said, his voice remarkably calm given the kind of foe he was facing.
Yoruichi and Soi-Fon did so, with Itachi joining them a second later. The wraith moved to follow, but with a wave of his sword and a few quick gestures with his left hand Itachi swiftly brought his swarm of firebirds into the fray. They charged the wraith from all sides, and Yoruichi saw that they were concentrating particularly on the wraith's head.
"I'll take the crown," he said.
Yoruichi nodded. "I'll hit the amulet."
"Ring's mine, then," Soi-Fon chimed in.
Yoruichi smirked. "Now that we got that sorted out, let's get to work!"
Itachi made a series of circular motions with his sword and his free hand. The crimson flaming crows that were assaulting the wraith now organized themselves into a series of rings that quickly constricted around the creature. They weren't enough to actually bind it in place, but they did limit its range of motion. Yoruichi didn't know how long the effect would last, but she did recognize the opportunity Itachi had given them and immediately seized it.
They'd already identified their targets, and Yoruichi knew that she'd claimed the toughest. The amulet was clearly visible, but the wraith's defensive swordsmanship had been focused on protecting its center of mass, meaning that it was prepared to ward off any strikes at the target she was aiming for. Yoruichi didn't know how much power would be required to destroy the amulet or the other two targets for that matter, and with Itachi and Soi-Fon fighting alongside her she had to be careful to keep her Shikai's volatile spirit energy under control to avoid potentially hurting them.
That was when she noticed something unusual. Fresh birds of crimson flame had spawned from Itachi's Zanpakutō, but they weren't going for the wraith. Rather, they formed two small flocks that briefly surrounded Yoruichi before focusing in on her arms. They seemed to settle around her gauntlets, and when an errant white spark flew out it was caught and dispersed amongst the flaming crows. A few of them disappeared, but others quickly came to take their place.
Yoruichi couldn't help but smile as she glanced at Itachi and gave him an approving nod. He'd already familiarized himself enough with her Shikai to understand one of its drawbacks and had planned accordingly, creating a layer of flame coursing with his spirit energy that provided a measure of insulation. It wasn't perfect; in terms of raw power Yoruichi was far stronger than him, which meant that if her spirit energy built up sufficiently those errant bolts would eventually be mighty enough to punch through his flocks of flaming birds. Still, it was a nice bit of improvisation, and the flames would also complement her punches quite nicely.
You've always had a thing for the clever ones, Inazuma On'na teased.
Yoruichi wouldn't argue with that.
With the layer of spirit energy-infused flames acting as both an insulator and a conduit, her power flowed towards her fists. Now that she had at least a few seconds where she didn't have to worry about harming either of her subordinates, she could cut loose. Meeting the wraith's hateful gaze, she gave it a taunting grin as she charged forward.
You've defiled this place long enough. I know you've come back from death before, but we're going to make sure you stay dead this time!
….
With Yoruichi taking the enemy head-on, Itachi knew that he now had a window of opportunity to strike his target. When he'd locked gazes with the wraith the creature had seemed unnerved by his Sharingan, but when it had focused on Yoruichi it had been impossible to miss the sheer hatred and malice in its eyes. He didn't know why it seemed to reserve such venom for his Captain alone, but he wasn't above taking advantage of it. Itachi could only hope that he'd get some answers from Yoruichi once the mission was over.
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