章 51: Opening Act
As her body was slowly raised into the sky, bound in a crucifixion pose, Rukia closed her eyes and recollected the days she spent with Ohta one final time before the Sokyoku, having transformed into a giant flaming bird, completely incinerated her soul. She suspected that Yamamoto was lying to her, but she chose to believe in her former Captain-Commander's words, muttering, "Please don't come, Ohta..." as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"Funny. You usually say the opposite..." responded an all-too-familiar voice, a response Rukia initially thought of as an auditory hallucination until she felt a hand on her butt...
"So, you into bondage now?" asked Ohta, drawing Rukia's disbelieving gaze as she turned her head to find him standing behind her.
"Ohta..." muttered Rukia, her voice pained, her brows trembling, and her eyes watering. At the same time, however, she couldn't help smiling as she weakly cried, "You really came..."
"You'll get used to it..." teased Ohta, kissing Rukia's crown before staring down the giant flaming chicken observing their interaction with merciless eyes. The Sokyoku was said to possess the power of a million Zanpakuto, but based on what Ohta could sense, someone had either tampered with it, significantly reducing its power, or the information provided to him was false...
"So, this is the reckless Ryoka that has been making a mockery of the Thirteen Court Guardian Squads..." muttered Yamamoto, his silvery-grey eyes seeing through the depths of Ohta's power instantly.
"Impressive for one so young. A pity..." added the old man, subsequently stamping the ground with his cane as he commanded, "Proceed with the execution...!"
Seeing the flaming chicken flare up, preparing for its charge, Ohta used Shunpo to position himself in front of Rukia, a wispy black aura beginning to rise from his body as he thought ("This better fucking work...")
Slapping his hands together, covered in black gloves that resembled the visage of a wolf or jackal, Ohta shouted, "Balance the Scales, Kuroinu no Anpu...!"
In response to Ohta's shout, his usual Shihakusho exploded, leaving him shirtless but granting him a hooded, shadowy black cloak that cast a shadow over the upper half of his face and had two pointed ears sticking straight up. In place of his hakama, he gained a pair of black trousers and a black belt with a jackal-themed buckle. He was also barefoot, but there were bandages wrapped around his forearms and calves as the gloves he had been wearing became angular black tattoos around his wrists.
Though the observing Captains, Lieutenants, and supporting members of the Gotei had no idea what Ohta was planning, absolutely none of them expected to see him charge head-first at the Sokyoku, his eyes glowing like white flames within the shadow of his hood as he sported a notably sharp-toothed smile...
Despite feeling his skin crack and burn as he approached the Sokyoku, Ohta's smile broadened as he shouted, "Eat shit, Kentucky Fried...!" in a laughing tone. As he did so, he caught the pointed beak of the Sokyoku with his left hand, feeling a powerful, soul-destroying surge penetrate his body. Ohta felt like his insides had charred and vaporized, but the feeling only lasted an instant as he punched forward with a highly-telegraphed, seemingly innocuous punch...
*KAKROOOOW-!*
As a sound akin to a thunderclap reverberated through the bodies of everyone present, Ohta's punch 'obliterated' the entire left side of the Sokyoku. His body was blackened, and magmous cracks had formed across it, but the smile on his face didn't fade in the slightest. Instead, he burst out laughing as the body of the Sokyoku promptly plunged from the sky, forcing those below to flee as it dispersed into a tidal wave of soul-destroying flames on contact...
Continuing to cackle, giving off more of a hyena than a jackal vibe, the hazy white flames representing Ohta's eyes appeared to form tears along their periphery. He couldn't even begin to describe the pain he was in, but it was marginally outweighed by how ecstatic he felt.
"Capture the Ryoka...!" shouted Yamamoto, the only person who hadn't retreated from the Sokyoku's flames. Fortunately, just as he shouted, two figures appeared, flanking the old man with their hands on his shoulders.
"Come on, Yama-jii, let's have a chat..." said one of the figures, a middle-aged man with an unkempt appearance, facial stubble, and messy brown hair fastened into a loose ponytail. As he wore a straw hat and a flowery pink kimono over the usual Captain's attire, Ohta immediately recognized him as the Captain of Squad 8, Kyoraku Shinsui.
"You dare lay your hands upon me?" asked Yamamoto, staring at the two men, each his former students, with slightly widened eyes.
In response to Yamamoto's words, the second man, possessing delicate features, kind brown eyes, long white hair, and an unmodified Captain's outfit, replied, "We'll explain everything once we change venues..."
Though Yamamoto could have easily stopped the two men, he permitted Kyoraku and the white-haired Captain, Ukitake Jushiro, to whisk him away via Shunpo. He intended to discipline the two Captains, regardless of their explanation, but as he had watched over both men since they were snot-nosed youths, Yamamoto decided to hear them out before determining to what extent they needed to be punished...
With Yamamoto being 'escorted' away by Kyoraku and Ukitake, the only remaining Captains atop the Sokyoku Hill were Soifon, a motherly woman with braided black hair running down the center of her body, a massive man with a basket on his head, and Byakuya. Their Lieutenants were also present, but Ohta didn't consider them a threat, even in his current state. Rather, due to the pain he was enduring, he felt more powerful than ever before...
"Meep meep~!" mused Yoruichi, seemingly appearing out of thin air as she grabbed Soifon by her collar, carrying the slightly blushing Captain away at high speeds. At the same time, Ichigo, Chad, Uryu, and Orihime made their appearance, the orange-haired 'hero' leading the pack as he charged forward with his cleaver-like Zanpakuto, shouting, "Leave these guys to us, Ohta! Take Rukia and run!"
Recognizing Ichigo, Renji abruptly exclaimed, "It's you! The human who stole Rukia's powers...!"
Without waiting for his Captain's permission, Renji charged toward Ichigo with a fiercely indignant scowl. His catastrophic defeat against Ohta had damaged his pride in more ways than one, so while he was secretly over the moon about the possibility of Rukia being rescued, he intended to get in a few good licks against the other human who had embarrassed him in the past...
Prompted by Renji's errant charge, the other Lieutenants, sans the inordinately tall and busty Lieutenant of Squad 4, charged forward to provide support. As for their Captains, all three kept their gazes firm on Ohta, a looming sense of dread emanating from the core of their beings as the air and ground around them began to tremble violently.
Running the fingers of his right hand through his hair, an action that caused his hood to come off, Ohta revealed that it wasn't just his cloak that had pointed ears. His eyes also shifted from white to crimson, but if you looked closely, they were actually pitch black, the red hue emanating from the upside-down triangles that had replaced his pupils.
Maintaining his toothy grin, Ohta asked, "Are we about done here? If so, I'm going to take what's mine. Get in my way, and I may not kill you, but you 'will' suffer..."
Responding to Ohta's provocation, the 'man' with the basket on his head shouted, "You are the fiendish Ryoka who attacked Tosen! The only fate that awaits you here is just retribution...!"
Exhibiting none of the usual flair and posturing, the inordinately tall man drew his sword and struck a pose like he was about to smash it into the ground like a hammer, shouting, "Bankai...!" in a barking tone.
Though Ohta had been apprised of the capabilities of every Captain, his eyes widened slightly as he had to crane his head, looking up despite the fact he was in the air. The basket-headed man was the Captain of Squad 7, Komamura Saijin. As for his Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, it took on the form of a giant exceeding one hundred meters in height, its colossal body garbed in samurai-esque armor as it raised its massive sword in the same posture as Komamura.
"That's one big bitch..." muttered Ohta, unmoving even as Komamura's Bankai descended toward him like the blade of a guillotine, only several thousands of times larger. It was an exceptionally intimidating sight, but Ohta just raised his left hand, grinning like a demon as the colossal blade impacted an invisible barrier, creating visible cracks in the air as a massive shockwave spread through the area.
"What sorcery is this...?" muttered Komamura, eyes widening beneath his mask as blood leaked from his right palm. It felt as though all the force of his blow had been reflected back at him, fracturing the bones in his wrist and forearm.
Noticing Komamura's condition, Ohta chuckled and said, "Looks like we have bad compatibility." before punching at the giant's chest. His attack didn't make direct contact, but a large impact crater formed in the giant's breastplate as both it and Komamura was sent skidding backward, the latter coughing up blood that leaked through the thin slats in his bamboo mask.
"Such power..." muttered the motherly-looking woman, Captain Unohana Restu of Squad 4. Her expression conveyed concern, but if one were to look closely, there was an excited glimmer within the depths of her deep blue eyes. No one, not even Ohta, noticed it, but it was definitely there...
Turning his gaze to the two remaining Captains, the crimson triangles in his eyes focusing on Byakuya, Ohta asked, "Any more volunteers...?" in a cheeky tone.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Byakuya said, "Captain Unohana, Lieutenant Kotetsu, please go tend to Captain Komamura's wounds. Leave this one to me..."
Without waiting for the duo's response, Byakuya unsheathed his elegant-looking Zanpakuto, holding it in a reverse grip with the point aiming at the ground as he said, "Bankai..." in a cold, resolute tone. At the same time, he released his hold on his Zanpakuto, its blade sinking into the ground as if it were falling into a stagnant pool, creating visible ripples as the sound of a water droplet echoed through the area.
As the world around him became dark, followed by several giant blades materializing in two rows flanking Byakuya, Ohta felt goosebumps across his body as the ostensibly apathetic bishonen muttered, "Senbonzakura Kageyoshi..."
In response to Byakuya's words, the massive blades flanking his body burst into innumerable, glowing pink flower petals. It was a captivating sight to behold, but even in his current state, Ohta felt his skin prickle as the petals swarmed around him, several cutting deeply into the invisible barrier surrounding his body.
Spreading his hands outward in a swift, sweeping motion, Ohta expanded his barrier from the usual three meters to more than twenty. Furthermore, he flooded the area with a tremendous volume of psychic energy, causing the interior to fill with pink, purple, and blue light that formed ever-shifting geometric shapes, similar to the interior of a kaleidoscope.
Raising his brows slightly, Byakuya hesitated for the briefest of moments before sweeping his right hand forward, condensing tens of thousands of petals to serve as a spear, piercing deeply into Ohta's psychic barrier but ultimately failing to reach him.
If Byakuya was surprised by the potency of Ohta's defense, he was nearly left slack-jawed by what happened next. Beyond altering his appearance, Ohta's Zanpakuto possessed a simple but terrifyingly effective ability. It balanced the mental energy in his body, converting two-thirds to spiritual and physical energy. His maximum psychic output decreased as a result, but as Ohta's power was fueled by rage and other powerful emotions, his power steadily increased as the fight dragged on.
Punching toward the petal-comprised spear, Ohta seemingly 'obliterated' them from existence. As damage sustained by a Bankai could never be recovered, this meant Ohta's attack had decreased Byakuya's effective power 'permanently,' causing the usually stoic Captain's scalp to tingle as he adopted a serious expression and condensed petals in his right hand to form a super concentrated mass of spirit energy, ultimately taking the form of a sword...
...
..
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(A/N: What do you guys think of Ohta's Zanpakuto? Pretty badass, no?)
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