Looking at all these swords, Shirou couldn't help but smile wryly. How could it come to this again? Fighting swords with swords? That was not something he could ever imagine.
But...
He wouldn't give up. Not yet.
"Kurosaki Shirou."
Byakuya called his name.
"This column of a thousand blades won't strike you at once." He said and raised his hand.
A sword from the column shot toward it and he grabbed it in midair. It was a sword with a white hilt.
The captain stared at him.
"Senkei is shown only to those whom I have sworn to kill by my own hand. You're only the second person to ever see this."
"Should I say that I am honored?" Shirou sarcastically answered with a smirk, "Don't be arrogant, Kuchiki Byakuya. You're not the only one who has thousands of blades."
"Trace... On."
With a single aria, swords formed around him, floating in midair. The Noble Phantasms from the previous era. Swords traced from the King of Heroes' treasury, summoned forth to help him fight the enemy.
All the blades were aimed at the Captain, who stood calmly without a shred of doubt and uncertainty in his mind.
"I am the only one who is allowed to kill you. So, don't you dare die before I defeat you."
Saying so, Shirou charged at his enemy.
At the same time, Byakuya's Senkei charged toward the boy.
Both swung their swords at the same time, discarding any kind of defense and just going straight to attack their target.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Every single sword collided with each other, creating a beautiful and deadly display of sword fighting. Blades flashed in the sunlight and a sound of metals colliding echoed around the hill.
With a simple command, Byakuya's senbonzakura flew toward Shirou, intending to pierce him only to fail when it met Shirou's own swords. The copied weapons clashed against the petal swords.
On the ground, Shirou moved at an unbelievable speed. His hands blurred as they moved so fast. His blades clashed with his enemy, blocking the sword from reaching his body. However, that didn't stop him from getting injuries. A cut here, a scratch there. His skin was slowly getting destroyed and his clothes were torn apart. But his eyes didn't waver, still focused on his opponent.
In the sky, tens, hundreds, and thousands of swords clashed fiercelly, each parrying against another blade. They pushed each other and their blades grazed against each other's surface.
However, Shirou's blades, unlike Senbonzakura, would disappear after being hit once. They exploded, taking the enemy's blades with them.
Nothing would get past his defensive sword that exploded when they touched Senbonzakura's blade.
At this point, Shirou's mind went into a trance. His mind, which was at peace and focused only on the enemy, went into overdrive as he used the last bit of power to destroy everything in front of him.
The same went for Kuchiki Byakuya. He couldn't believe a mere human could push him this much.
Their stamina depleted pretty fast, and the battle would be over in a matter of seconds. So they kept their speed up and attacked at a faster pace, not stopping for even a second.
They didn't even need a minute.
After a full minute of pure swordfighting, both of them jumped back. Nothing remained from the column of swords floating in the sky.
Blood flowed from every wound they got. Each wound, while they weren't deep, were numerous and fatal. Blood trickled down Shirou's skin, making him feel like he was swimming in a pool of his own blood.
Byakuya didn't fare any better than him, with the same wound that he had received. His body was soaked with blood and he was breathing harshly, trying to take as much oxygen as he could. His clothes were also destroyed, torn into pieces.
Shirou gritted his teeth and his vision swam, causing him to shake his head. He looked at the Captain and decided to ask something he was curious about.
Something has bothered him since the start of the fight. By seeing the Captain's zanpakutou and traced it at the start, he could see how this man would fight. He could see the weapon's history, but not the person himself.
However, by comparing his knowledge about this man's history, Shirou was certain that this man wasn't as heartless as he showed. In his eyes, Kuchiki Byakuya was an honorable warrior and not someone who would execute his own sister.
Shirou was confused, so he voiced his doubts.
"Tell me something, Kuchiki-san. Why did you decide to uphold the law that much? Why didn't you try to save Rukia?"
Byakuya, looking at Shirou slightly different from before, narrowed his eyes and answered with a cold, hard tone. His expression didn't change, and he didn't look like he would care at all. He just looked tired, but his voice told a different story. A bit of regret was seeping into it.
"I have nothing to say to you. But..." He raised the last sword he held in his hand and continued, "...If you survive and defeat me, I will tell you about it."
Instantly, Byakuya's reiatsu surged, causing the ground to rumble from the sheer power he exuded.
Then, the last of his power was gathered to the tip of his blade, turning into white wings and a halo of light. The Captain was enveloped in bright light as he prepared to unleash his last technique.
"Shukei, Hakuteiken."
"Trace, on."
Shirou raised his left hand, tracing something that could hope to match that power. He was going against the final technique from the noble captain.
The final stand, the strongest attack, and the greatest technique Byakuya had at his disposal. It would end everything with a single swing.
A few things in his arsenal could match that, but most of them would leave him incapacitated and vulnerable, and he would be dead for sure.
Circuit-like pattern appeared on his body, extended to the left hand he raised slightly above his chest.
He had decided on the weapon.
A black bow without legend or fame, the bow of the heroic spirit, EMIYA. He would finish it with this.
On his right hand, a spiral sword formed and twisted, turning into something that resembled a drill. It glowed with silver light, and was as big as his whole arm.
"I am the bone of my sword."
Knocking the arrow-turned-sword onto the string, he infused a large amount of power into it. Blue electricity crackled around him as his reiatsu shook the earth. The ground he was standing on crumbled, turning into pieces as it couldn't handle the amount of power he exuded.
The tip of the sword shone brightly, and a spiral pattern formed in front of him. His hand trembled slightly as he struggled to pull the bow, trying to keep it in check.
Both of them looked at each other for a few seconds, gathering strength for the final attack.
Then...
"Caladbolg."
... Shirou released the arrow.
At the same time, Byakuya dashed forward. The sword in his hand disappeared as he charged at him, the halo and wings on his back shining brightly, ready to unleash his final technique.
Shirou could see everything in slow motion, his vision sharpened and he was focused solely on his enemy.
And he could see the sword on Byakuya's hand as it formed, ready to stab him.
However, the spiraling arrow had been released. It distorted the space around it, creating cracks of light that followed the tip.
A destructive force was brought forth by it, flying toward the charging Captain. The spiraling arrow and Captain Byakuya clashed.
The result?
Boom!
Both Byakuya and Shirou were blown backward. A shockwave expanded from the area of their impact, destroying everything in their path.
A huge dust cloud was created and it obscured everyone's view. A part of Sokyoku Hill was destroyed and rocks floated around the area of the clash, suspended by a strong force.
When the dust cloud had cleared...
There was a deep hole in the place they fought, and Byakuya stood near the cliff, blood running down from his body, his sword impaled the earth in front of his chest. His face scrunched up in pain as he struggled to stand, his legs shaking.
Shirou stood behind him, seeing better days than the Captain as he dodged the blast. His body was full of injuries, yet he could stand tall on his own legs. He looked at the Captain's back that looked pretty small now.
"Law-breakers must face justice."
His voice was hoarse, yet it didn't sound weak at all. There was no hint of fear in it. He pressed his wound and gritted his teeth to stop himself from crying out.
"Kuchiki Family is one of the four great Noble Houses in Soul Society. We have to set an example, to become a model of how every Soul Reaper must be." Byakuya stated in a neutral tone"
"I have sworn an oath to uphold that standard. That's why I cannot break the rule. That's why she must be punished."
"I don't know anything about the oath you have sworn, but is it really important to sacrifice your sister's life for something that trivial? Is your oath that important to you?"
"It is." Byakuya turned around, showing determination in his eyes, "If we don't uphold the law, then who will?"
Noble house and following rules.
Shirou had seen the noble house before, that of Magus. They were selfish people who were willing to do anything to reach their goal. He didn't want to say that all nobles or Magus were the same, but he could only think of that now. And Byakuya reminded him of them.
And that irritated him.
"Even if you have to kill your own family for it?"
Byakuya stayed quiet, not answering at all. However, his expression darkened as if there were many thoughts going inside his head at that moment.
"You're going into an unsalvageable path, Kuchiki Byakuya. You will regret everything when you reach the end of that path, thinking why you can't save her. You will be alone. And the oath that binds you will destroy everything."
"..."
The Captain closed his eyes, thinking of his past.
"You're wrong. It won't destroy anything at all, and I will have nothing to regret." He said in a soft voice.
"You will."
Because that Hero of Justice regretted his past and even sought the Holy Grail to erase everything from existence. So he was sure that the oath would lead Byakuya to a dark future, and he didn't want that to happen.
"You will regret it."
Byakuya stared at the boy in front of him, and for the first time ever since their fight began, his eyes showed emotion. It wasn't anger, hatred, sadness, or any other emotion.
Respect and surprise were in his eyes, as well as confusion.
There was no hesitation in the boy's words, no sign of doubt. He was confident that the future was dark and full of regret, that Byakuya would lose something important in the process.
That kind of certainty made him feel uneasy.
"You won the battle, Kurosaki Shirou. I shall pursue Rukia no more." Byakuya decided it was wise to stop for now and see how his action in the future would go. If what Shirou had said was true, then he should be careful from now on.
With that, he left the Sokyoku Hill with Shunpo, disappearing from Shirou's sight.
It was not an escape. No, it was his own choice to leave this place and rethink what he had done and his own belief.
Meanwhile, Shirou sighed in relief. He looked at his injured hands and smiled bitterly.
"I should get away too, or someone might come here."
Muttering that, he left the area with Hirenkyaku. He didn't go to find Ichigo, no. He believed his twin brother would do well without him, and he would find him if he wanted to.
For now, he had a promise to fulfill with a certain Captain.
With that in mind, he jumped to the sky, and landed on a roof in Seireitei, before disappearing into the horizon.
***Chapter End***
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