Although he didn't hear you, Ichigo also hisses, "Abarai Renji." "That's unexpected," Renji says nonchalantly, "You even remember my name. You have a pretty good memory." "Thanks for the compliment," Ichigo returns, not looking flattered at all. "Who... who is this guy?" Ganju asks, looking shaken. "Compared to the guys we've met before... he has a totally different spiritual pressure!" Both you and he turn at the strangled cry coming from Hanatarou, who gasps, "That...! That person is... Abarai Renji! The vice captain of the sixth division!" "Vice captain?!" Ganju exclaims. "Yeah, I know," you mutter quietly. Ganju whirls to give you an incredulous stare. "Wha...? You know?! What's with that calm face?!"
"I'm really surprised," Renji admits, "I always thought you'd been killed by Captain Kuchiki's attacks." Suddenly, Ichigo stalks forward. "Ah! Oi! Don't go there, Ichigo!" Ganju exclaims, trying to reach him. "I don't know how you survived," Renji says, "But it's very impressive. It's worth complimenting." He steps forward as well. "However, it's all over now." He pulls out his sword. "I've said this before, I will kill the one who stole Rukia's power. If you're still alive, then Rukia's power cannot be restored." He starts walking faster and faster, his killing intent growing stronger as he does so. "Back then, didn't you take her away because you wanted to kill her?! What's the point of saying that now?!" Ichigo demands, also breaking out into a run. "I have to keep going forward!"
Renji also draws his sword. "That will depend on whether you can defeat me or not," he sneers. "Come, if you've got the guts! Don't you... like to risk your life?"
With a ear-splitting clang, two swords collide. Renji's eyes widen, taken aback. The attacker is not the one he was expecting.
"What's the matter, Renji? You look surprised," he hears someone sneer.
"What... You?" he mouths.
"Damn straight," you reply, your tone cold. "Who were you expecting, Ichigo?"
At the sound of his name, the shinigami behind you who had been frozen into shock takes the faltering step he'd meant to in the first place.
"Is there a problem?" you ask, although to whom your question is directed is not clear; you could be addressing both of the men right now. "I like to risk my life, too, you know." "Aki?" Renji finally manages. Then his surprise vanishes, his feelings channel into a stern glance. "Get out of the way. The one I want is behind you." "No," you state. "You're fighting me, you got that? But if you do win, I'll let you pick your next opponent." "If?" Renji repeats, a hint of derision in his voice. "If," you restate. "On the condition of. Should the situation turn in your favor. Need any other explanation, or are you still confused?" At the subtle offense, Renji's expression hardens into an outright glare. "Are you insulting me, Watanabe?" "If it gets you to focus your attention on me," you respond.
"Aki!" Ichigo suddenly shouts from behind you. "What are you doing?!" "What's it look like I'm doing?" you call. "I'm gonna fight Renji!" Ichigo balks. "What?!" he cries, "No! I'm fighting him!" "Shut up!" you shout, stunning everyone into silence. "Shut up. Just shut up and let me fight him," you request, your voice dropping. "There's something I need to know. Renji..." "What the hell is she doing?!" Ganju mutters, "Her opponent is a vice-captain! Doesn't matter how good she is... There's no way she can win..." "Are you sure about that?" Hantarou quietly asks, drawing Ganju's attention. "Please watch her carefully... Her eyes..."
You look up, staring deep into the depths of Renji's eyes, searching for the answer. "Why? I don't understand you. I thought Rukia meant something to you." A sudden wavering in his eyes and a surge of spiritual energy within you, roused by anger, allows you to push forwards. Renji is taken by surprise, and you push him straight into the wall of the fortress behind him.
"She's very strong," Hanatarou says. "But she just took him by surprise!" Ganju protests, still looking slightly panicked. "That may be so," Hantarou continues, "But no ordinary person could have pushed him back, even an inch, even if he were taken by surprise. Aki-san... What kind of person is she...?" Ganju shifts his gaze from Hanatarou to you. "A short time ago, I thought I might have known," he admits, "But now... I'm not so sure any more..."
"Answer me, Renji!" you demand, "Why? You've changed. You weren't like this when you helped train me, and you weren't like this when I left to go look for Rukia. I remember how you were. I remember how you used to be whenever she was around. I've heard about your past. So why? Why are you fighting to keep her in that prison? So she can die?" He remains quiet. The only thing that changes is the look on his face. You think you see a flicker of doubt before it vanishes again into the dark depths of his eyes.
"Aki," Renji suddenly asks, this time surprising you in the way he uses your first name again, "Does this mean that you, too, plan to save Rukia?" "Yes," you respond. "How?" he asks. "How?" you repeat, unsure of what kind of answer to give. "You know as well as I do that even if you defeat me now, there's still eleven more captains. And above that, there are the thirteen squad captains. Do you and your friends know that unless you defeat all of us, there's no way you can save Rukia?" His gaze goes from interested to analytical. "Are you sure you can do it?" "Of course I know!" you shout, "But I don't give a crap! I know how difficult it's going to be, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get as far as I can! And I know that they feel the same, especially Ichigo. He wouldn't care how many captains or vice captains we'd have to go through. He'd just try to defeat them all if they get in his way... In that sense, I'm just the same as he is." You grin. "And you know what? I think we stand a pretty good chance."
Renji studies your face. "You've gotten more confident, Aki," he says. "With only one or two life-or-death battles apiece, you think you can handle anything by now. Or do you think your abilities and Soul Cutters are that different?" You barely have time to prepare yourself before he suddenly flings you aside so easily, you wonder if he had been just playing along this whole time.
"Roar, Zabimaru!" he cries, striking down with his sword. "Shit," you think, blocking the attack just in time. But that's about all you can do. As much as you try to stop yourself by planting your feet into the ground, it doesn't work. Zabimaru keeps extending and pushes you right through the wall next to Hanatarou, Ganju and Ichigo. The wall crumbles from the force, and blocks fall everywhere, the rising dust obscuring you from their view.
"Aki...!!" Ganju shouts, looking shocked. "What the hell? From the way they were talking earlier, I thought they used to be friends!" "Aki!!" Ichigo yells, surprising Ganju and Hantarou with his tone of voice. If he didn't know better, Ganju would swear Ichigo was panicking slightly. Hanatarou watches as Ichigo races towards you. "Aki-san...!" Hanatarou gasps, tears in his eyes. Before Ichigo reaches the smoldering pile of cracked wall, Zabimaru retreats from the dust and returns to its original "shikai" shape. "You've forgotten something, Aki," Renji says quietly, stalking forward. "When vice-captains and higher shinigami go to the human world, in order not to create unnecessary disturbances among the living, we try very hard to suppress our powers. Right now, my power is five times stronger than it was when we last met. You should be able to feel the difference in our strengths."
"He's right," you think, worriedly, coughing from the dust. Renji sneers. "You still want to fight me?" At this point, Ichigo reaches you, but before he can reach out a hand to help you up, you've already gripped the wall and stood on your own. "No shit," you cough, staggering slightly as you take a step forward. "Is that all you got? Guess you're not as scary as I thought you'd be after all, 'sempai!' Thanks for the recap. Now I'm one-hundred percent sure that we'll be able to win this!" "Hmph, idiot," Renji sneers. "If that's how you're gonna be, I have no regrets." "Aki-san..." Hanatarou mumbles, stretching out his hands as if to try to be of some help. But he knows this is no time to be patching up your wounds; they can only get worse from here. "Are you okay?" Ganju asks, looking stunned by your remarks and your appearance. Ichigo, on the other hand, is more concerned with the latter. When you stand, he can clearly see the blood continuing to stream off the side of your head, running down your neck and seeping into your uniform, the red most visible on the V of your white under-kimono. Even as he watches, the shine of your black hair becomes matted with crimson. Drips of blood spatter the ground beneath your shoes, dying parts of your socks red as well. "Amazing," Hanatarou comments, "She can still stand, even after taking a direct hit from Zabimaru. It's totally unbelievable..." But Ichigo can see the ragged breaths you take. His mouth sets in a straight line. "Aki," Ichigo shouts as you readjust your fighting stance. "Don't take another step forward." Everyone turns and looks at him.
"Ichigo?" you ask, surprised and confused (and not just a little bit annoyed). Why's he interrupting? Renji agreed to fight you, and you're gonna give him all you've got (less if you can, so he can stop acting like a cocky bastard). What's wrong now? "I can't let you fight, Aki," he says slowly. "I'll take him." "What?!" you exclaim, "What?! No! The fight's already started, idiot! And I'M his opponent! You heard me earlier, didn't you? Wait till I'm done. Then if I can't move anymore, you can take him." "Don't screw around!" Ichigo angrily shouts. "Look at you! That was one hit! You'll pass out from blood loss if you continue!" "I won't!" you shout back. However, despite your words, you realize the danger you're in. Taking a hit to the head so early on is not good for you. Although you can remain standing, your vision is slightly blurry. You would shake your head to clear it, but then you run the risk of Ichigo seeing it and forcing you to back down. Desperately, you wonder if you'd lost more blood than you'd realized after your first fight with Yumichika.
"Aki," Ichigo repeats, stretching out his hand. "C'mon, tag out." For a minute, you just stare at his hand. Stretched out. Towards you. He wants you to tag him in and leave the battle yourself. You can rest if you do that... He's offering you help. That look in his eyes means only one thing: he wants to protect you. "Aki?" he asks, stepping within reach of you. You're not looking at him...
Without warning, you slap his hand away. Surprised at your strength, Ichigo draws back, looking stunned. "Aki?" Hanatarou hesitantly calls. "What the HELL do you think you're doing?!" you suddenly yell out, your eyes hard. "What's wrong with you today?! You've been treating me like I was just some regular, helpless girl, and you've been trying to keep me from fighting all day, whenever you had the chance! Stop trying to protect me, damn it!" "I'm trying to keep you from dying, dumbass!" Ichigo shoots back. "I'm not gonna die!" you respond, not caring that your verbal spat's becoming childish. "Didn't I make it clear to you?? I'm gonna take him on, and you're going to let me!" "And why would I do that?!" Ichigo retorts, "Look at you! How are you going to keep fighting like that?" "I'll find a way, God damn it, and you're not going to stand in it!!" you shout back. When Ichigo remains quiet, and doesn't move any more, you command, "Now get out of my way, before I make you!"
"Aki..." Hanatarou and Ganju whisper. For a moment, no one moves. And then, Renji takes a step forward. "Are you all done?" he asks, a vein going on his temple. "In case you've forgotten, I still have some unfinished business..." "Like hell I'd forget," you return, walking forwards enough so that you've left the rubble, and Ichigo, yards behind you. "Good," Renji says. "But I have to say, you're as reckless as ever." He jumps in the air, Zabimaru extended in its characteristic segments. "Still insisting on fighting, even when you can barely stand after one hit? It's over!!" With a deafening roar, Zabimaru slashes straight down. So much power emanates from the strike that everything hit by the pressure of the downward sword-stroke is sliced up; even the building behind you collapses as its beams are cut wide open. "If you can still stand after taking that hit," Renji says, about to put away his sword, "then you really were worthy of temporarily being my 'kohai' (*Japanese for underclassman, a younger student)."
To his surprise, he sees a black shape dart out from the wreckage and point something long and thin at him. He catches a glimpse of a bright gold shine before a bolt of electricity shoots out from it; he jumps back just in time, but he underestimated the strike's speed and the leg of his hakama is slightly singed. "Don't talk about people who are still alive in past tense!" you instruct. As he draws his arm back to attack, you hop onto the roof and run down its collapsing length as he throws another strike at you. When this one misses too, he gets on the roof himself and chases you as you jump onto the next roof before the old one completely collapses into a pile on the ground.
"Ichigo!" Ganju exclaims, "Aren't you going to do anything!?" Ichigo is walking to a safe distance away. "No," he says solemnly. "You guys should get out of the way too." "What?" Ganju cries, incredulous. "You heard her, didn't you?" Ichigo asks, "You don't want to get in her way. That girl..." Slowly, he's become aware of it. Today made him see more clearly than he had before up to this point. His feelings towards you... are changing. You're not just any girl any more. You're different. But because you're not just any girl... "She's not just anyone, she's our *nakama. (*According to Wikipedia, Nakama (仲間) means colleague, compatriot, or comrade. It's more like saying that even though this person isn't related to you by blood, you're close enough to consider them in that way.)I realized this too late... but it's disrespectful towards her if we act and keep her from fighting when she's so determined to do so." He heaves a frustrated sigh through gritted teeth and puts his hand to his forehead. "It's saying we don't believe in her if we stop her now." "But, Ichigo!" Hanatarou says, "At this rate-!" "I know!" he suddenly shouts. "I know," he repeats, somewhat quieter. "But, right now, there's nothing we can do. The only thing we CAN do for her is to sit back, and believe in her." He turns and gives them a meaningful smirk. "And who knows? She might actually win..."
"Ichigo..." Hanatarou sighs, moved. "Yeah, she'll definitely win, so just take a break, OK?" Ichigo continues, setting an example by sitting down. "Still," he thinks, "Still, I know... in that condition, she can't possibly strike the final blow. And even if Renji is an old acquaintance of hers, he's changed. We can't be sure he won't hesitate to finish her off in the end. I can't understand why he's so bent on his orders, but it's something Aki wants to know. All we can do now is wait. And all I can do..." He grinds his teeth. "Is let her finish her fight and take over for her once she's done." He watches as you dodge another narrow blow and slice a section of Renji's sleeve off, along with making a deep gash in his arm. "I just hope we can fix her wounds at that time..."
Ganju watches him analytically. Ichigo is so tense. "A normal person wouldn't be able to understand why he's letting her go through such an ordeal, especially given how he feels about you (Ganju is sure at this point, that his hunch was right!)." But Ganju's not an ordinary, naïve fool. He knows... Ichigo's doing this BECAUSE he cares about you. "They have a strong bond. Their understanding of each other is not as weak as a normal one. I just hope she lives through this so they can both realize it."
