My heart raced in my chest. For so many years, I had been lost, not knowing who I truly was. Searching for myself, I had never found the answers I sought. But how could I have foreseen that the revelation awaiting me would be so shattering?
Memories of my life in the Soul Society washed over me like torrential rain. My mother. My brother. The etiquette school. The academy. Byakuya. Gin. Rangiku.
Kisuke.
I disentangled myself from his embrace. His face hung above me, and I could see the myriad of questions in his gray eyes.
"I mourned for you," he said in a hushed tone, and I swallowed hard.
"I know," I replied with a trembling voice. I had died, allowed myself to be killed by Aizen, to lull him into a false sense of security. Poor Byakuya had witnessed it all and likely informed Kisuke, along with my other friends. The thought of what they must have gone through because of my death had paralyzed me even back when Suzaku explained his plan.
"I'm so terribly sorry, Kisuke. It was the only way."
"The only way for what, Akari? We defeated Aizen. You didn't need to die for that!" Anger now mixed with his voice.
With a swift motion, I looped the chain holding my golden engagement ring around my neck, freeing both my hands, and then raised my sword. With a touch of my Reiatsu, it changed its color to a shimmering translucent pink. It was the ability I had imitated from Suzaku, the one ability that allowed him to transfer powers to others.
"I hope this works," I murmured and cut my hand. I dripped my blood onto my blade and let the pink, gaseous blade pass through Kisuke's body. He touched the spot with his hand, then looked up. I turned to Ichigo, approaching him with a swift movement, brushing him and Orihime as well.
"In your last battle against Aizen, he did something that you weren't aware of, Ichigo Kurosaki," I said, and Ichigo's eyes widened in horror.
"What? What the hell is going on here? Who are you, and what did you just do with your sword?" He bombarded me with questions.
I didn't answer his questions.
"Ichigo... Aizen showed you his Shikai. It was just a brief moment, a moment of distraction, and it was done."
I heard Kisuke's groan. "So, all that... we defeated him, the whole battle against him, was that all just a illusion? Did we just imagine it all?"
My eyes found Sato, who had silently stood in the background, and he immediately understood my silent plea.
I held back, as I could only guess at what had happened. While we had a rough idea of what Sosuke might do when he united the Hogyoku, I didn't know the exact outcome. After all, I had been killed in Seireitei almost twenty years ago and had grown up as an ordinary human girl afterward. It was only thanks to Suzaku's ability that my soul was reborn with the same composition and powers in the world of the living.
"We don't know exactly how much of what happened was part of Sosuke's original plans. But one thing is clear: at some point during the battle, he decided to go underground. Maybe it was because he felt threatened by Ichigo Kurosaki's power and realized he could truly lose this battle. But yes, it was all just an illusion. He made you think you had won and withdrew to plan his next move. And now it has obviously begun."
I raised my head and studied the many cracks in the sky that I had noticed for some time. But before I regained my memories, I had feared the sky so much that I didn't dare to look at it further.
Now I knew why, unlike everyone else, I had been able to see these eerie signs on the horizon. I was not affected by the illusion that convinced everyone else that the world was fine. These rifts probably floated not only over the world of the living but also over the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, maybe even the realms of Hell.
I swallowed hard. How many hours had we spent together, discussing Sosuke's plans, and now it was just the destruction of everything. I frowned; this was not what I had expected from him.
"But if we didn't defeat Aizen, who is imprisoned underground?" Ichigo interjected.
My gaze found Sato again, his face looking tormented.
"What is it, Sato?"
"The one they imprisoned instead of Aizen is very close to death. If he doesn't get help soon, he will die."
"Who...?" I began, but before I could finish the question, the realization struck me like lightning.
"Gin!?"
"What? Ichimaru? But he's already dead. I saw..." Ichigo stopped and gripped his sword tightly.
"You witnessed what Aizen allowed you to see. Kisuke-" I began, my voice trembling with a mix of anxiety and urgency.
But Kisuke interrupted me with a calm assurance, saying, "Already in progress."
I didn't need to articulate the sentence; he already knew what I needed from him. He had begun constructing a gate to the Soul Society.
"But what about Karakura? We can't just leave with those rifts in the sky! Soon, this place will be swarming with Hollows and Arrancar, and my powers aren't fully restored yet," Ichigo exclaimed.
"We'll send reinforcements as soon as we arrive over there," I assured.
"I highly doubt that."
My breath caught in my throat. Ichigo tensed and raised his sword. Slowly, I turned around, scanning the street.
There he stood, right in the middle of the road. The memory of the sensation of his sword inside my chest sent a shiver through my soul.
He appeared different from our last encounter, and I could only guess it had something to do with the Hogyoku. That eerie crystal hidden somewhere within him seemed to erase all traces of humanity.
"So, this was your grand plan. Well done, you've managed to rid yourself of Kuroeien," Aizen applauded mockingly.
"But that won't help you. The Hogyoku is still with me, and your power could destroy me, but I can see in your eyes that you can no longer wield it so effortlessly. You should never have directed your gaze into my mind, Akari Miyazaki. Ignorance could have meant victory for you, but now, you can only lose. You have too much fear, just like Kariko back then when she had the chance to kill me."
I knew he was right. I had to try anyway. So much of my life's time had been invested in this moment.
"And what about your grand plan? To disappear only to reappear here in front of us? To give us a chance to thwart your plan? That's not like you at all," I retorted.
Aizen burst into laughter.
"Thwart my plan? Oh, Akari, I've always admired your naivety. Look around you! My plan can no longer be thwarted. The worlds as we know them will collapse, and there's nothing you can do to change it. That's why I'm showing myself now. I want to see the looks on your faces when you realize all your efforts were in vain."
I raised my sword, let my Reiatsu surge, and launched myself at my enemy without another word. His words made my head spin. I had to remind myself not to pay them too much heed. Surely, his death could prevent the world from falling apart, and if not his death, then Kisuke would find another way with the Hogyoku.
Kisuke always found a way.
I shook off the thought and focused entirely on the battle before me. A brief feeling of happiness washed over me. I felt free, like a bird. My energies danced and flowed through me, and for a split second, I was certain that I didn't need Quasar No Hikari to defeat Aizen.
But then I felt his spiritual energies, and it became clear that he had also grown much stronger since our last encounter.
I was so engrossed in the fight that I barely noticed the newcomers. Only during a brief respite did I stop and look at the others.
"Akari?"
"Hello, Shin. Long time no see."
"Akari! You're—you're alive!"
"Hey, Yoruichi. I'd love to chat, but I'm a bit busy right now. Do me a favor. Grab Sato and rescue Gin from the Muken."
"Me, who, what?" Yoruichi looked deeply shocked, but Sato understood. With his haori of the King's Guard, he could indeed order Yamamoto-Genryusai to open the underground prison.
"So you finally noticed? Good old Gin. He thought I didn't see through his double game." Aizen grinned.
"Since when did you know?" I asked out of pure curiosity and to buy a moment of time.
"Oh, I had my suspicions early on. But I only became sure when I kidnapped Matsumoto and that girl, and he didn't show up there. It might surprise you, but I've always thought my plans through thoroughly. Gin was always a curious fellow, and when I didn't involve him in this plan but allowed him to catch wind of it, and then he didn't appear, it told me he was holding back. That he didn't want to be discovered. That was the one mistake he made. Otherwise, he played his role flawlessly. But it's sad... all that for a woman? He wasted his life, all his potential, just for her?" Aizen shook his head, as if lamenting a son who had squandered his chance to study.
"And, Sosuke? What have you thrown away for a girl? Your integrity, your morals... your concept of good and evil, and everything you once believed in."
"Oh, you misunderstand, Akari. There may have been a time when I was different, but I didn't discard my old self; I shed it like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon. I was free!"
"And if you're so free, why do you keep striving for more and more? You don't even know what you're striving for anymore. You thought the Hogyoku would fulfill you, but it couldn't grant you the one true wish you ever had, so you keep searching, even to the point of wanting to destroy everything!"
I didn't wait for his reaction; I launched myself at him once more. I let my energy burst from within, thrusting forward, and switched my blade, making it shimmer with a blinding intensity. Laughter erupted from me, pure, wild joy in my strength, but once again, Aizen dampened my spirits. The power radiating from the Hogyoku within his body sent shivers down my spine.
I had only one chance. But I understood now that I would need assistance.
I briefly withdrew from the fight again.
"Do you see it now, Akari? You can't defeat me," he taunted.
I laughed and wiped the blood from my cheek, which had trickled from a wound on my temple that I had scarcely noticed.
"Akari!"
I spun around and noticed that the number of onlookers had grown. Kisuke had opened the gate to the Soul Society through which Sato and Yoruichi had vanished. Now, the reinforcements had arrived to protect Karakura from the swarm of Hollows and Arrancar.
I switched to my pink blade and lunged toward Byakuya, grazing him with it. He recoiled but then realized what I had done.
"What's going on here, Ichigo?" asked a young woman who had appeared alongside Byakuya.
"It's a long story. She has an ability that can bypass Aizen's hypnosis. Let her touch you," Ichigo explained.
I turned to the young woman standing before Ichigo and instantly recognized her face.
"I know you! You brought me and Renji to Seireitei back then!"
"What?" Ichigo exclaimed.
"Rukia," I said with a smile, brushing her with my sword before turning to Byakuya.
My hand reached for his, and he stiffened under my touch.
"I'm sorry, Byakuya. I should have informed you, but I couldn't because you wouldn't have let me die."
"What?" he said, bewildered. I felt Aizen's eyes on me and sensed his patience wearing thin.
"But I need your help now to finally defeat Aizen. My black blade... I understand how it works now, and I can use it to destroy him, but only... if he's distracted," I explained.
Aizen chuckled with amusement.
Byakuya seemed to ponder for a moment, then stepped toward me and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"You owe me a detailed explanation for all of this when this is over. But I'll help you."
"Me too," Kisuke joined our side. I wanted to beg him to leave, to go away and be safe, but I knew I couldn't ask that of him. He deserved to be a part of the fight against Aizen just like everyone else here.
"We want to help too," Ichigo exclaimed, but I pointed to the city behind us.
"I think Karakura needs your help."
"Akari?"
Behind Byakuya, Rangiku emerged from the gate, along with other Shinigami whose faces I didn't recognize. She embraced me, and I patted her gently before pushing her away, brushing her with the pink blade. I immediately switched to the purple one and deflected Aizen's attack, as he was losing patience.
"Adorable, but we were in the middle of something," he said with a wicked grin, not allowing me to catch my breath. He attacked me relentlessly, but soon, he found himself facing more than just me as his foe. Byakuya, Kisuke and Rangiku had joined the battle.
For a brief moment, my heart skipped a beat.
Aizen turned around, and Byakuya was too slow. The enemy's sword sped toward his neck but was blocked by another blade.
"Hey, Yumichika, I told you not to interfere! You haven't been freed from the hypnosis yet," Ichigo shouted, but the young man grinned broadly as he repelled Aizen's attack.
"No need," he said casually, and Aizen laughed.
"Well, well, well. I've searched everywhere for you, but I never expected you to be hiding right under my nose."
"What? Yumichika, what is he talking about?" a bald-headed Shinigami, who had evidently been sent as reinforcement, exclaimed. Yumichika glanced at me, and I grinned back.
Byakuya stood behind him, gently pushing him aside, not quite comprehending what was unfolding before him. "You really shouldn't interfere until you've been freed from the hypnosis, and this battle is beyond your level. Besides, it's personal," he advised.
"Oh, this is highly personal for me too, Byakuya. I've been bending my Reiatsu all this time to be Yumichika and go unnoticed. But it stings a bit that you never recognized me," Yumichika replied.
Byakuya hesitated and took a step back as Yumichika's Reiatsu underwent a transformation. It shifted, as if adopting a different hue, and became a Reiatsu that was incredibly familiar to me.
"That can't be—" Byakuya was almost frozen in place.
I raised my sword and noticed that even Rangiku, standing beside me, had covered her mouth with her hands.
"But that's... Yamachi!" she exclaimed.
"Yamachi!" Byakuya echoed, and I felt as if they wanted to embrace but realized the gravity of the situation and refrained.
"Nevertheless, the hypnosis—" Byakuya began, but Yamachi cut him off. "That's not a problem. I'm not affected by his hypnosis, heaven knows why."
"Because he's our father'S brother, and his hypnosis doesn't work on his family members," I explained.
All faces turned towards me for a brief moment, shocked. I grinned, and Yamachi's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline.
"Oh, and his other brother... is the Soul King. The one I trained with and devised this plan with."
"When this is all over, I have a lot of questions for you," Kisuke hissed at me, amused. I grinned broadly, and our eyes met briefly. Then I refocused my attention on Aizen.
"And now we're going to defeat you, Sosuke!"
Aizen grinned and raised his sword.
"Wait—" The voice was barely more than a whisper, but I recognized it instantly. I turned towards the gate and saw Yoruichi supporting Gin.
His face was pale and emaciated, yet his eyes sparkled with deep determination.
"Oh my God, Gin!? How is this possible? I saw you die!"
"Gin, you shouldn't have come," I said, but Gin grinned at me. "And miss out on this? Our whole gang, reunited like in the good old days, fighting together against the enemy who took it all from us?"
He detached himself from Yoruichi, drew his sword, and joined our ranks. We were complete. The image of all of us on the academy field flashed through my mind, and I had to suppress a sob.
It was just this one, brief moment, but there we were, all united, fighting against Aizen together.
"I need to prepare my attack; all you have to do is distract him until I've gathered the energies," I explained, switching my blade once again to the deep black that seemed to absorb every bit of light.
I raised it, and energy swirled towards my sword.
Aizen's eyes flashed, and with a scream, he lunged at me, but my friends formed a solid line of defense in front of me. They fought as if there were no tomorrow. Each of them gave their all. Soon, the spiritual pressure around us became so intense that buildings began to crack.
Only at the edge of my awareness did I notice more Shinigami entering the world of the living to protect Karakura.
The energies continued to grow, and I realized that I was slipping into a trance, the state where I could barely perceive my surroundings. The state in which my mother had ended Sara's life. I flinched, looked around, tried to see if I had hurt anyone.
I saw my friends, some injured from the battle, panting, screaming, giving it their all.
Then came the moment.
Aizen was distracted.
I had enough energy.
As fast as I could, I leaped into the air. The energies around me swirled, and I began to see something I had never seen before. The individual Reiatsus of my friends shone in a multitude of colors, pulsating and vibrating.
They danced around, flowed into their swords, and through Kidō spells into the air.
Then there was Sosuke. His Reiatsu pulsed just like those of my friends, enhanced by the Hogyoku in his chest, but it seemed to both absorb and release it simultaneously.
I had to destroy the Hogyoku with it.
Destroy. Kill. Fight. I was so tired of it all.
The sword in my hand vibrated, and I thrust it downward towards Aizen. At the very last moment, he turned his face towards me, and in his eyes, I saw a mixture of anger and something else. I couldn't decipher it: fear, sorrow, pain? I was so tired of all of it.
But something else tugged at my attention. An energy attached to Aizen, which I had barely noticed at first. It vibrated and pulsed within his chest, but it wasn't the Hogyoku that I saw. It was something, that didn't seem to belong there.
Destroy, kill... why was that always the solution?
My eyes fixated on the faint trace of energy that was so alien, so different.
Different from Aizen's Reiatsu, different from the Hogyoku.
I clenched the hilt of my sword, and a deep-seated desire surfaced in my heart. A tear escaped the corner of my eye. I didn't want to fight, destroy, or kill anymore.
I just wanted to live.
I swung my blade and thrust it directly into the unfamiliar energy, but my sword was no longer pitch-black.
It glowed in a brilliant white.