"Of course I'm going to help Icchii! He's Ken-chan's friend, after all!" - Yachiru
"Now let's get started, Zaraki Kenpachi!" Komamura bellows as his Bankai mimics his battle stance. "This is the fight to the death that you love so much!!!"
"HAHAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!! A fight to the death, huh!!! That's fantastic!! I'll be happy to take up your offer!!" Zaraki raises his sword in manic glee. "Turn into another monster when you die so I can kill you a second time!!"
Their fight is suddenly interrupted by an unmistakable surge of energy in the distance. Komamura stares at the execution stand, the Dual Terminus, standing on its distant cliff, "This is...!"
"...Yeah," Zaraki looks over there as well. "It seems to have started."
The Dual Terminus is a monstrous structure. The execution stand where the ceremony is taking place is composed of two tall wood pillars and a cross pillar near the top. The execution spear stands in front of it, suspended upright by eight cables. The Captains that are present for the ceremony are lined up not far behind the spear, which is releasing strong pulses of energy.
Everyone in Seireitei stops and takes notice. Sentarou from Team 13 stares out a window, Ishida and Orihime look up in shock, Rangiku is amazed, and even Ikakku takes notice as blood runs from a sword wound on his cheek.
Hitsugaya looks up in concern, "It has begun...! Let's go, Matsumoto!"
"Yes, sir!" Rangiku follows.
Unnoticed by either of them, a foot appears at the corner of the hallway they left behind. It seems that someone is keeping a close eye on them. (1)
In a building elsewhere, Sentarou panics, "This is bad, Kiyone! The execution is already starting! Is our Captain ready yet!?"
"Shut up!! I can hear you!!" Kiyone snaps back at him. "You don't have to scream so loud, you monkey-with-armpit-hair-for-chin-whisker
Sentarou crosses his arms, "You're the one that's screaming."
"Captain! Are you ready yet!?" Kiyone goes up to knock on the double doors. "Kuchiki-san's execution has begun!! If we don't hurry... Cap..."
The double doors pull open before she even knocks. She stands there speechless.
"...Sorry to keep you waiting... the release of the seal was delaying me just now..." Captain Ukitake of the 13th steps out of room, "but... with this done, we can go...!" He rests the large object he's carrying with him against the floor and catches his breath, "Since my recommendation didn't get approved by Central Office 46, this is my only option..."
"Let's go," Ukitake stands with a black pole in one hand. In his other hand is a white shield that is nearly as tall as himself with a black design painted on it composed of four stars. "We will destroy the Dual Terminus."
"YES, SIR!!!" Sentarou and Kiyone shout.
~*~*~
"...Wha... What's that over there...?" Orihime looks up at the active Dual Terminus in bewilderment. She and the rest of the crew are getting closer to the cliff, but it only seems that half of them really understand what is going on.
"I guess it started," Yachiru says. "The execution, I mean."
"Eh!?" Ishida looks down at her as they all keep running. "Then we have to hurry...!"
Yachiru thinks for a moment, "...I'll go on ahead."
"EEH!? Why..." Orihime asks.
"The execution doesn't really matter to me, but Icchii might turn up over there," Yachiru says. "I gotta help out Icchii, y'know."
"Ah... Thank you..."
"AHAH! How strange!" Yachiru looks back to giggle at Orihime. "Why thank me, Pururun? Of course I'm going to help Icchii!" She looks ahead with a smile, "He's Ken-chan's friend after all!"
Chad, Ishida, and Orihime stare at her.
"Well, here I go! I'll take care of the strong guys! You guys take care of the small fry!" she orders them in a sing-song voice. The next step she takes cracks the ground a bit as she propels herself into a sprint with enough force to cause a small explosion. She is gone in no time.
"She's... so fast...!" Ishida stops running in amazement.
"Insanely fast..." Ganju agrees.
Orihime holds her hands over her heart, moved by Yachiru's earlier words, "...Thank you... Yachiru-chan..."
~*~*~
A faint light pierces the all-encompassing darkness. The light spreads out and gapes open to reveal the blue sky above.
Renji opens his eyes weakly, "...Alive? I'm... Hm..." As he slowly becomes aware of his surroundings, he notices a figure leaning over him healing his wounds. Renji recognizes him immediately, "You're...!"
"...H... Hello..." Yamada Hanatarou greets him nervously.
"You're the 4th Division guy that was with Ichigo..." Renji sits up. Despite his entire upper body being wrapped in bandages, he doesn't seem to show the slightest pain or discomfort. No wonder Hanatarou has 7th seat of his division. "Why are you..."
"...It was me..." another voice speaks up. "I called him..."
A young man stands in front of them with a familiar tattoo right over his left brow. Before Renji's failed battle against Ichigo within Seireitei, he had been Renji's dedicated and somewhat inept assistant. The young man keeps his gaze down, unable to look anyone in the eye.
"Rikichi...!" Renji stares at him dumbfounded, "You..."
"I heard that Hanatarou-san had been imprisoned for trying to rescue Kuchiki-san..." Rikichi explains, "so I thought he might heal your wounds since you both share the same goal..."
"The general first aid station was broken into by the 11th Division, so my division was evacuating people from there..." Hanatarou picks up where Rikichi left off, "When he saw a chance, he snuck into the Division holding cells and opened the door for me..."
"I... couldn't believe it..." Rikichi keeps his head bowed, "I couldn't believe that Renji-san lost against the intruders... nor that you broke out of jail to aid them... and how for that sake... you turned against us...!"
"...But... I remembered..." Rikichi calms down a little, raises his head and points at the tattoo on his forehead with a smile, "I joined the 13 Divisions because I admire Renji-san...! I know that... no matter what happens, I want Renji-san to live...!" He pulls a cloth bag off his back, "And just as you would wish... I want want you to fight in that awesome way you do!"
"Rikichi..." Renji murmurs, moved by his words.
Rikichi shoves a bundle of cloth at him, "Take this! It's a new Shihakushou, a face towel and a hair tie! Please get it done like a pro!" (3)
With the Dual Terminus humming with energy in the distance, Renji finishes dressing and ties his hair back.
Hanatarou gets up from his sitting position with a solemn expression. "The truth is that I don't want to be a burden to anyone anymore... I thought it would be wonderful if I could somehow get Rukia-san out of here by nothing more than my own hands... It seems that I came all this way... to the point where I'm powerless to do anything more..." He stands in front of Renji and bows low at the waist, "...Please... save Rukia-san...!"
Rikichi smiles as he watches the man he admires prepare to save the day.
"I will!" Renji shouts.
~*~*~
"...So be it," the Captain-General of the 13 Divisions assures Rukia as he stands with the spear of the Dual Terminus towering above him. "As you wish... on the dawn following your execution... the intruders shall be sent back unharmed."
"...Ah... Thank you very much..." Rukia says in relief.
Standing far enough away to not be heard by the condemned, a Vice Captain with short blond hair and dark eyebrows turns to Captain Unohana of the 4th Division. "...How cruel...," she frowns. "He doesn't even intend to send them back alive..."
"It is not cruel, Isane. It is mercy," Unohana says calmly. "If this is the end where she must die, then at the very least there will be no doubts. At the very least, it will be peaceful."
Shinigami in ceremonial clothes approach the cables that restrain the execution spear.
Rukia bows her head and closes her eyes as she hears the Captain-General's order.
"Release the Dual Terminus."
(1) It's that damn Mysterious Foot (tm), again! >_< I thought there would be no more of that after Gin and Hitsugaya faced off. Either KT really likes to use the Mysterious Foot (tm) technique for no real reason or there is some weird stalker going around Seireitei randomly following important characters... (if the latter is true, I can't blame him/her - I'd do the same thing :P)
(2) In case you're wondering how to call someone a monkey-with-armpit-hair-for-chin-whisker
(3) Shihakushou - Shinigami Uniform.