Chapter 65: I want to live (2)
"Then now there is!"
"Flying to the edge of the Soul-Sealing Barrier with Inoue's shield and then jumping down, instead of fighting our way in from the outside – only you could think of that, Shimiya! Did Miss Yoruichi give you the idea? Go ahead and tell me, I won't laugh at you ~ Really!"
"Just tell me if it works or not?"
"Nonsense! Give me more good ideas like this in the future, but what we need now isn't good ideas, but… Getsuga…"
"Shichisen!"
The two figures, bickering and yet with fierce glints in their eyes, landed on the phoenix's back, giving the impression of jumping from a height and using gravity and inertia to pounce on prey. Besides being extremely sudden, it was also incredibly brutal.
"…Tenshō!"
Ichigo gripped his Zanpakuto in reverse, its blade enveloped in massive spiritual pressure, and used it like a harpoon to pierce the phoenix's head, directly blasting it to smithereens.
"—Draw Sword!"
Meanwhile, the relatively weaker, yet extremely massive body was shredded by Shimiya Takeru's seven consecutive "Shichisen" attacks within a mere second, almost to the point where its original form was unrecognizable.
It didn't even have a chance to let out a cry.
The phoenix's blood rained down like a veritable firestorm, a beautiful and spectacular sight that left one dazzled and captivated.
"'Destroyer King'… was dismembered…?!", Ōmaeda stammered.
"It won't die that easily," Tsubakabe said in a deep voice.
Yes, the phoenix's body was about to reform; after all, flames cannot be killed by cutting.
But just as everyone's attention was drawn to the surprise attack from above, two figures suddenly shot out from the edge of the cliff.
It was Yoruichi and Orihime.
"Sōten Kisshun… I reject!"
With a swing of an orange-yellow slash, wherever it passed, the phoenix's remnants aggregated and gathered into a long spear, as if time were flowing backward.
The release was forcibly canceled.
"What?!"
There weren't many people present, but all were astonished by the ability displayed.
So this was the real killing blow?!
"Well done, Inoue!"
After completing his attack, Ichigo flipped and landed on the execution stand. Seeing the plan unfold smoothly and that terrifying thing subdued again, his eyes lit up.
"Indeed, the first step of the plan was successfully completed. As for the second step…", Shimiya Takeru also landed on the execution stand, leaning on his sword. His Shinigami uniform flapped loudly in the strong wind, and his narrowed eyes, sharp as a hawk's, swept over the faces of everyone below.
"So few people came, only the First Division, Second Division, and Sixth Division."
"Don't say it's not even half, it's not even a third. Does this count as a great success?"
Ichigo naturally picked up the conversation, joining in the teasing.
"Well…"
Shimiya Takeru was about to speak when Rukia, caught between the two, finally came to her senses. She stared up, dumbfounded, and shouted, "You—idiots! Morons! What… what are you two doing?! And why is Inoue here too? Who told you to come save me? Do you even know what you're doing?!"
"Someone like me isn't worth you, who have great futures, going to such lengths! We've barely even met a few times. I'm going to die anyway, and I'm not some important person. Killing me will protect the Soul Society, and the Central 46's judgment cannot be wrong!"
Ichigo: "Sorry, no matter what you say, I can't accept such an unreasonable judgment."
Shimiya Takeru: "Sorry, no matter what you say, I can't stand people arrogantly killing others."
With that, the two raised their eyebrows and exchanged a look, as if saying, 'You seem to be using my line.'
"You… you two…"
Rukia's lips trembled, her heart greatly shaken.
"Don't say anything. Wait until everything is over to speak. If you absolutely must say something, then there's only one phrase suitable for you right now."
Shimiya Takeru's expression slowly grew serious.
"Ah," Ichigo also showed a similar expression, frowning, and said in a low voice: "'I want to live.'"
"No matter if someone comes to save you, or if they can save you, you only need to say that… After all, you said it yourself, you're not some important person. So how could someone as utterly ordinary as you be willing to generously face death?"
"Inoue came because she always believed you wanted to live. Do you want to disappoint her?"
Hearing this, Rukia subconsciously looked down, meeting Orihime's eyes as she looked up.
Their perspectives at this moment reminded her of when she had saved Orihime.
At that time… Orihime was lying in a pool of blood. She was standing in front of her.
Now, although it was still a Overlooking (overlooking) perspective, their positions were completely reversed.
But one thing hadn't changed: her desperate desire to save the other, and the other's desperate desire to save her. It was the same.
"No need to worry about appearances, shout it out loud. The rest… just leave it to us," Shimiya Takeru's voice was full of power.
One could imagine the strength of this person's inner spirit just from that voice.
And it was precisely such a strong-willed person who stood beside her.
Rukia had no choice but to concede, and with tears in her eyes, she shouted loudly, "I want to live!"
Her weak, even trembling voice was fragile beyond measure.
It echoed across the summit of Sōkyoku Hill, captured by everyone.
Naturally, that included the two figures above.
"Well, that's spirited!" Ichigo grinned.
Shimiya Takeru moved his thumb. A powerful slash and an invisible strike cut through the heavy execution stand, releasing Rukia from the bonds that symbolized death.
"Uwaaaaaah… You two…!"
But the two stopped there, letting Rukia fall from the sky.
Fortunately, Orihime had prepared in advance, swinging her sword and deploying Santen Kesshun to catch her, otherwise she would have fallen terribly hard.
"Miss Kuchiki—!"
"Now is not the time for reunions, retreat!"
Yoruichi grabbed the two and quickly ran off.
She could already feel the oppressive killing intent approaching.
"What terrifying killing intent, whose is it?"
What Yoruichi felt was actually only a part of it.
The main target was the two audacious madmen on the execution stand.
"Who else could it be…", Shimiya Takeru said, looking at Yamamoto Genryūsai slowly walking forward.
"Time to change locations, Brother Kurosaki."
"Oh." Ichigo's mouth twitched.
Immediately, the two disappeared with a Shunpo.
As they left, Yamamoto Genryūsai also snorted coldly and vanished instantly.
"What are you standing around for?! Chase them!" Suì-Fēng's eyes widened, and she roared furiously.
"Um… Captain? Which way do we chase?" Ōmaeda asked weakly.
This question stumped Suì-Fēng.
Clang!
Torrential spiritual pressure collided fiercely. Blades met.
Renji was actually fighting Byakuya.
"I won't let you catch up… Captain Kuchiki!"
"Is that so? Though I don't know where your confidence comes from, but…" Byakuya was about to release his Zanpakuto to finish the fight quickly and pursue Rukia, when a figure blocked his path.
"Captain Kuchiki, although I have no right to clean up your household, Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai has ordered me to intervene in battles during emergencies. So, I will handle this disloyal subordinate for now."
"Lieutenant Tsubakabe…?"
The intervention of the usually low-key Tsubakabe surprised both Byakuya and Renji.
"I understand, I'll leave it to you." Byakuya looked at the back of the man who had accompanied the Captain Commander for countless years, then finally sheathed his Zanpakuto and disappeared with a Shunpo.
"Hey! I didn't allow you to leave…!" Renji tried to stop him, but a cold flash suddenly stabbed towards him, making him break out in a cold sweat. If he hadn't dodged in time, he would surely have had another hole in his body.
"Wait…"
He suddenly realized something significant.
Renji stared intently at the Western-style rapier in the other man's hand.
Did this guy… not shout his release command just now?
"Lieutenant Abarai, make your move. Let me see… where you, disloyal to your superior, found the courage to draw your blade against him."
Tsubakabe held his left hand behind his back, twirled his sword a few times, and then held it vertically before his chest.
His gaze was profound, completely different from his usual serious, almost comical demeanor.
The spiritual pressure he emitted was so strong that one might suspect it was a Captain in disguise.
"I can probably guess… it's Bankai, isn't it? But if that's your hidden strength, then I can only regretfully say… I reached this level a thousand years ago."
"Damn it…!" Renji felt a drop of cold sweat run down his forehead, fully realizing that the man before him was an unimaginably formidable foe.
But now, he had no choice but to push through!
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