Aadan [zanpakuto] in the picture
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"Damn it!" Renji yelled in irritation, gritting his teeth, fists clenched. "Why the hell would she do that?"
"Even I have to admit it was a cheap trick," Saru, Zabimaru's female spiritual form, agreed beside the Lieutenant.
They were currently rushing towards the outskirts of the Ninth Division where they could feel spiritual pressure raging in the heat of battle. "But she had a reason to do it," Hebi, the little boy snake, spoke up. "Your friend didn't want us to get hurt."
"It doesn't matter, she could die!" Saru snapped back. "Aadan is not to be messed with! Especially if that person has no zanpakuto!"
"Sera," Renji grumbled in worry and anger.
A thunderous roar shook the area, causing the three to stumble, and Soul Reapers nearby cowered in fear. Flames set fire to the buildings, a steady source floating high in the air. "It's Aadan!" Saru yelled, pointing.
The spirit shot towards the ground at frightening speed, blade in front of his body. "We need to get out of the way, now!" Hebi yelled.
"I know that!"
"But we're a Division way," Renji stated. The woman grabbed the back of his collar, pulling the Lieutenant inside a building.
"It doesn't matter! There's a reason Sera is the granddaughter of the Head Captain! Their zanpakuto powers could wipe the face of the Soul Society from existence! We need protection, now!"
The explosion was massive, leveling the Ninth Division and ripping apart a section of the Eighth and Tenth. But it didn't stop there, the after shock stretching over the Society breaking windows, pushing over barely standing structures, and causing the Soul Reapers' stationed back near the Fourth and First Division to cover their faces from the flying dirt and rubble.
Renji shoved a section of rock off of his body, freeing himself and the zanpakuto. "What the hell...?" The Lieutenant couldn't even find the words, looking over the wasteland that had once been a Division.
"And we got lucky," Saru stated.
The three didn't waste anymore time, rushing through the rubble to the center of the battlefield. "Sera?" Renji called out, looking around.
"Sera?" Hebi's child-like voice dragged out the said girl's name.
They came up on a monstrous crater that stretched for miles, as smoke still grazed the edges. Even the heat was suffocating. "Over there!" Saru yelled.
Aadan's spiritual form was crouched over another, head hanging, shoulders shaking. "It looks like he's calmed down," Hebi stated, seeing that the once burning flames on his figure had been nearly extinguished. "But we should still approach with caution." The other two nodded in agreement.
"Aadan!" Saru called out. "Are you thinking straight again, or still under Muramasa's control?"
The man's form shifted. "Saru, Hebi, I am thinking for myself again," he answered. "But what have I done?" It sounded like he was crying as they approached.
Renji then noticed two arms wrapped around the zanpakuto's neck, covered in soot, cuts, bruises, and burns. His stomach dropped, walking at an angle to look around the fire spirit. "SERA!" the Lieutenant yelled in horror.
The Soul Reaper's zanpakuto was running right through her stomach, pinning her to the ground. The young woman's eyes were closed, body visibly broken. "What have I done," the zanpakuto whispered. Slowly, the arms fell, releasing Aadan from around the neck and causing him to release a strangled cry.
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"So this is the reason you fell under Muramasa's curse," the Fourth Seat stated. "I'm sorry you thought that, Aadan, but I would never do that." Sera looked up at her zanpakuto as he came flying head on at her. "Because you're my friend." She released the useless weapon in hand, spreading her arms open wide. "I'm not afraid of you or your power. I wouldn't reject you." The blade pierced through the skin, arms enveloping the fire as they fell back to the ground as the world around them began to explode. "I will never leave you." And those were the words that broke Aadan from his spell, but it was too late. It was far too late.
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"I need some assistance over here!" Shuuhei called over to a Squad member.
"Coming, Lieutenant!"
The rebuilding of the Soul Society was beginning. Each Division was taken care of by those who had survived, rummaging through the wreckage to see if anything could be salvaged, and discarding the rest. The Zanpakuto Rebellion had ended, Muramasa having finally been defeated by the Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki. The once chaos had been dispersed.
Renji sighed heavily, running a frustrated hand through his hair while walking down one of the many halls in the Fourth Division. While the war had been won, the Healing Squad was far from done tending to the wounds of many Soul Reapers.
"You know, you're going to land yourself in one of these hospital beds if you don't start eating or getting some sleep," Saru pointed out.
"That's right!" Hebi nodded. "And then you'll be totally weak. Not fun at all."
The Lieutenant ignored their banter, sliding open the door to the room of interest. However, he froze, seeing someone else already standing inside. "Forgive me, Head Captain," Renji bowed quickly. "I didn't know you were in here."
"I was just leaving, Lieutenant Abarai," the old man spoke, not turning around. "You may come in."
"Uh, we'll see you later, Renji," Saru stated, seeing that he probably wanted to be alone. The zanpakuto went in search of something else to do.
The redhead stepped inside, closing the door and looking down at the body of Sera lying motionless on the bed. Her body was wrapped in multiple bandages, an oxygen mask placed over her face, along with a number of wires and IVS running in and out of her body.
"It's a frightening power we both have," Yamamoto finally broke the silence. "I remember when my zanpakuto and I first teamed up... Sadly, Sera witnessed the effects of her own power. She's lucky to still be breathing." The Head Captain turned away, heading for the door. "Aadan is clearly upset by all of this. It won't happen again, so you can stop worrying, Lieutenant. My granddaughter will get better."
Renji clenched his hands into fists, clearly irritated by everything that had happened. "Why did you do it?" he asked out loud to be met with no answer. "You put something in Saru, Hebi, and my own drink to make sure I passed out long enough for you to escape. You're lucky we found and brought you back to the Fourth Division before it was too late." The young man sighed heavily. "Why did you have to go alone? I would've gone too. I could've..."
The Lieutenant turned to leave. This was just too painful to look at.
"I'm sorry..." the voice was barely above a whisper, and the young man froze, whirling around. "So... sorry..." Sera's lips barely moved when she spoke. They were quivering, something the Soul Reaper always did when she was very upset. "Renji..."
He walked forward swiftly to her side, gently placing a hand over a wrapped one. "You idiot," Renji choked up, wanting nothing more than to hold the young woman tightly in his arms. "What were you thinking?"
"I didn't... want you to get hurt..." A sniffle escaped from her nose, the bandages wrapped around her eyes turning damp from unseen tears.
The Lieutenant grabbed a glass of water, helping to quench her dry throat, making it easier for Sera to speak. "I'm a lot stronger than you think."
"How bad do I look?"
"Captain Unohana says that seventy-five percent of your body was burned. However, we're in contact with Orihime Inoue in the World of the Living. She'll be coming over as soon as everything is patched up and will tend to the remainder of your serious wounds. You'll be good as new. Well, except for your hair. You'll have to grow that back by yourself most likely." A small smiled spread across her trembling lips, a short laugh escaping the throat. Renji couldn't help but grin, leaning down and kissing an eyelid through the wrappings. "Just focus on getting better. And then, I'm going to marry you one day when all of this is over."
Sera smiled in pure happiness.
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