*Peeks out cautiously from behind the curtain before slowly stepping out onto the stage…* Ahem, uh…hello, out there! Long time, no see…literally! Well, after a couple years – and a whole lot of unforeseen events – I've finally made it back to story-writing utopia, and it feels amazingly great to be here. I would like to extend my sincerest apologies [once again] for the extended absence, and I will try my absolute best not to be gone this long again. Alright, without further ado, I present to you Chapter 17!

A/N: Nope…still don't own bleach…

Chapter Seventeen:

Takuya's Resolve

Grimmjow sat frozen in place for what seemed like forever gone by in sixty seconds, attempting almost in vain to wrap his mind around what the girl had just said. He slowly lifted a trembling hand to his midsection and gingerly placed it right above his hollow hole, where the pain was the most intense. What the hell… H-her power…is releasing mine?! Not even one second after the thought flitted through his mind, waves of excruciatingly sharp pain roiled through his body with unimaginable force. It was all he could do not to scream in pain as he doubled over, wrapping his arms around his midsection once more. …Shit…it's getting worse…

"Your power is undoing the seal, you say? Humph…" Ulquiorra's monotonous tone did little to mask his mounting frustration, his grip growing ever tighter on his zanpakutou. "What manner of fool do you believe me to be, little girl…to think your pathetic trace of energy could be enough to undo our lord's seal. Such an impossible notion…"

"Actually…it's not as impossible as you might think." Urahara suddenly interjected; everyone's attention immediately shifted to the shopkeeper as he slowly sauntered into the destroyed room. "This so-called "seal" that Aizen only barely managed to put into place is shoddy at best…and quite obviously a complete rush job on his part. It's nothing short of a miracle that it's managed to stay in place for as long as it has."

Annoyance began to seep into the green-eyed Espada's otherwise stoic expression as he watched the shopkeeper come to a stop next to Grimmjow. "Your words would suggest that you possess some knowledge of our lord's seal…"

"Why yes, as a matter of fact I do know about the seal; I know quite a bit actually." Urahara replied with a slight smile. "I would even go so far as to say…that I know more about it than you or even Aizen himself, and that's despite the fact that I've only just learned of it myself."

"I highly doubt that."

"I figured you would. Don't worry though; you will be persuaded soon enough."

"I'll be "persuaded?" By trash such as yourself?"

The shopkeeper shrugged. "Well…I do know enough to recognize that this incomplete piece of work that you continuously keep referring to as "your lord's seal" is actually not his seal at all. It is, in fact, a stolen masterpiece that he tried – and inevitably failed – to remake into his own."

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed slightly, and he opened his mouth to speak out defiantly once more; he bit back his words, however, when Urahara spoke up again.

"This rapidly unraveling farce, as Takuya so eloquently described it, is nothing more than a botched imitation, a dumbed-down copycat version that was doomed to fail from the very start. But Aizen, of course, was far too blind to his lack of understanding because he was far too concerned with having to contend with an unruly, overpowered Espada. Now, as a result of his shortsightedness, Grimmjow's power is on the brink of a full release… and there is literally nothing that he is able to do about it…which is why he sent you and that giant mass of stupid to –"

"I've heard enough of your useless prattling, and I've long since grown weary of this pointless interference." Ulquiorra spoke up again, abruptly cutting the shopkeeper off; his glare shifted to Grimmjow then. "It is time for you to accept your fate and relinquish your worthless existence unto my blade Sexta Espada…such is the will of Lord Aizen."

Not even a second after the declaration was made, he moved to attack. In the blink of an eye he'd closed the distance between himself and Grimmjow, and was preparing to send his blade crashing down upon the Sexta Espada, fully intent upon hacking him in two. He was halted yet again, however, when a hand locked itself around his wrist, effectively stopping his blade a mere few centimeters away from his target's flesh. His level of frustration grew immensely in that instant and he immediately moved to free himself from its grasp…only to find that, much to his great astonishment, he couldn't. His eyes widened a little further when another hand was forcefully laid upon his chest.

"I have already told you once before, but I will say it one more time." Takuya said coldly, immediately drawing the green-eyed Espada's attention. "The only way to get to Grimmjow…is through me."

At that moment, the hand upon Ulquiorra's chest began to glow almost blindingly bright; a few short seconds later, he was suddenly sent flying backwards through the very walls through which Yammy had been knocked through, propelled by a very powerful burst of unseen energy that had somehow managed to effectively knock the wind out of him. He was finally able to come to a stop when his body collided with a large, relatively thick chunk of stone about half a mile away from the desecrated shop.

Satisfied with the amount of space she'd created between them for the time being, Takuya hurriedly turned and knelt down in front of Grimmjow. The Espada slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers; deep concern glinted within her crystalline orbs at the sight of the unreserved agony that had etched itself into his facial features.

"Ok…I'm going to need you to sit up as much as you can, Grimmjow." she said softly as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "We have to get rid of this seal right now."

At that she began to push against him as much as he would allow her to, until he was as upright as the intensity of his pain would permit him to be. Once she felt sure that he could hold his current position on his own, her hands fell away from his shoulders and came to a stop at his midsection. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she moved his hand aside and replaced it with her own. Within less than a second of the contact, wisps of light began to appear on Grimmjow's abdomen, forming a broken infinity symbol littered with illegible kanji that appeared to dissolve little by little with every ragged breath he took.

"This is it…" Takuya murmured as energy began to pool around her hand once more; the seal, seemingly responding to her energy, began to burn a little bit brighter.

From where he'd landed, Ulquiorra hastily pulled himself onto his feet, his eyes unshakably fixated upon the scene playing out in front of him.

"No…" he breathed, undeniable dread echoing in his hushed voice. "This…cannot be allowed to happen…"

Without hesitation he sprang forward, charging rapidly toward the girl with his zanpakutou firmly in hand. "You will stop this now, girl! That seal must not be released…not before he is dead!"

"Heed me, purifying light, and do as I bid thee…" Takuya's voice echoed softly; she closed her eyes as she flattened her palm out over the seal on Grimmjow's abdomen. "Reveal to me that which has been hidden…and release that which has been locked away…"

Almost immediately, Grimmjow's power began to surge as raw energy coursed through him with relentless force. Waves of excruciating pain racked his entire body all the more as the seal began to lift away from his core, its botched connections to his innards being severed and rapidly absorbed into the hand still yet laid upon his abdomen…Takuya's hand. For a split second, all focus on his own pain dissipated, and he forced himself to look into the girl's face to see what effect this was having on her. But he could note no real change, save for the slight furrowing of her brow as she concentrated on her task at hand. Takuya…dammit…you had better not be…

"Yo pues ahora…" her voice breached the atmosphere once more. "Restricción Divina, LANZADO!"

In that instant, swirling bright blue energy rapidly filled the desecrated space, engulfing everyone and everything it touched before shooting skyward, piercing the cloud-laden sky in a beaming pillar of light. After a few seconds it diminished, fading away until everything was cast back into its damp, dreary dimness once more.

A few more seconds ticked by before Takuya finally opened her eyes again, and she almost immediately turned her gaze to Grimmjow. He was a few inches away from her now, lying on his back; groans quietly escaped him as he tried almost in vain to move his body. Takuya opened her mouth to call out to him, but closed it again at the sound of movement coming from behind her.

"Foolish human trash…" Ulquiorra muttered maliciously as he finally stepped back into the broken room. "You have absolutely no idea what you have just done."

"Oh I know exactly what I have done, Ulquiorra…make no mistake about that." Takuya retorted, rising to her feet; a slight smirk settled on her lips. "…Would you like for me to spell it out for you…your impending doom, that is?"

Ulquiorra glared menacingly at the girl, his grip upon his zanpakutou becoming so tight that his hand literally began to tremble. Then, without any warning, he charged, reaching her in a split second and bringing his sword down upon her with deadly force. The blow failed to connect, however, as she managed to dodge him, his blade missing her shoulder by mere centimeters. Using the momentum of his own attack against him, she landed a well-placed kick square in the middle of his back, sending him flying forward through the very walls that Grimmjow had crashed through earlier. Not wasting any time, Takuya sprang forward; before the green-eyed Espada could properly regain his footing she was upon him, and it was all he could do to keep her from landing every crushing blow.

"Your interference is pointless…little girl…" he managed to say as he dodged a shot to his face. "You alone…are NOT enough to stop the inevitable… Grimmjow WILL die…by MY BLADE!"

He sonido'ed pass her then, and proceeded to make a mad dash back toward Grimmjow. He didn't get far, however, before a hand took firm hold of the front of his hollow mask.

"FOOL!" Takuya yelled, digging her fingernails into the flesh on his forehead. "So long as I draw breath, you will NEVER reach him! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD!"

Then, in one swift movement, she yanked him backward and flung him back across the dining area, embedding him into the adjacent wall before charging at him once again. Hurriedly trying to thwart her momentum, Ulquiorra immediately raised his right arm to his eye level and charged a cero at the tip of his index finger. Takuya managed to reach him just before he could fire it, and without the slightest hesitation, quickly closed her hand over the emerald green ball of energy, causing it to dissipate instantly. Not missing a beat, she leapt back a couple steps and raised her own arm to her eye level. Ulquiorra's eyes instantly widened as a ball of ethereal blue energy immediately began to gather at the tip of her index finger. No…impossible…

"This ends here…" Takuya muttered.

A mere second before she could release her attack, the wall to the left of her imploded with violent force; moments later, Yammy charged into the room and plowed straight into the girl, dispelling her attack and driving her through the walls at the front of the shop before finally skidding to a rough stop on the wet pavement outside. Slightly disoriented, Takuya moved to stand back up, but didn't make it to her hands and knees before a giant foot forcefully shoved her back down on the ground.

"Stupid little insect…" Yammy growled digging his heel into the girl's back. "Did you really believe that someone as incredible frail and pathetic as you could even hold a candle to us?!"

"Get…off of me…you gigantic…waste of flesh…" Takuya forced out between gasps as she struggled to pull herself from under the immense weight of the Diez Espada.

"I don't believe you're in any position to be ordering me around…foolish little girl." Yammy boomed, increasing the pressure he was already putting on the girl's back.

Takuya inhaled sharply as white hot pain shot throughout her entire torso. She could as feel her ribs began to bend awkwardly beneath the crushing weight, and was almost certain that a few of them had already started to splinter. Despite this she still struggled, even more determined now to free herself from her gargantuan captor. With every bit of strength she could muster she pushed back, making every effort to at least get to her hands and knees. A ghost of a smile danced across her lips when she managed to make it up on her forearms and her stomach was no longer touching the ground. I can do this…just a little bit more, and I'll…

"HA, stupid girl…no amount of struggling is going to free you from this trap." Yammy sneered, a malicious smirk curving his lips. "Do yourself a favor, would ya…just lay there and DIE!"

Almost immediately, the already colossal weight upon Takuya's back quadrupled, and she was suddenly slammed back down with such force that it cratered the ground beneath her. The sounds of multiple, sickening snaps and cracks flooded her ears…and the pain that ensued was nigh unbearable.

Grimmjow's eyes shot open at the sound of agonized screams piercing the damp air, and he was up on his feet almost before he'd even realized his body was moving. Without the slightest hesitation, he wordlessly crossed the room, glancing around himself as he did so. Everyone – even Urahara – was on the ground, seemingly unconscious and unaware of anything happening around them.

"…Shit…" he muttered, coming to a stop in front of a pile of rubble and burying his hand in it; a second later, he withdrew his Pantera and slid it into the sash at his hip.

He hadn't even taken the first step toward the room's destroyed exit before the sound of screams rose and fell once more. Growling slightly, he hurriedly made his way to where he knew them to be coming from, effectively ignoring the remaining twinge of pain still lingering at his midsection. Shit…you had better not be dying…Takuya…

"You STILL haven't given up yet, ya persistent little bitch?!" Yammy bellowed incredulously. "What the hell is it gonna take to make you see that none of you are going to get out of this alive?!"

Takuya ignored the giant Espada, and continued to struggle against him despite the excruciating pain racking her entire body at that present time. Her ribs had been all but broken; she felt a few of them jabbing precariously at her lungs each time she took a breath, and even more so each time she was slammed back onto the ground. Small trails of blood trickled down the corners of her mouth, and wet coughs forced their way out of her throat, sending tremors throughout her being.

"I…cannot allow myself to give up…not now…" she half-whispered, her steely resolve still ringing clearly in her barely audible voice; she clawed at the ground, attempting to gain some sort of leverage, unwaveringly determined to pull herself from underneath the ever increasing pressure upon her. "…I still have to….to protect…"

Yammy snorted at the ebony-haired girl as he lifted his foot once more, this time with every intention of shoving it straight through her torso. "Tch…how many times are you gonna make me say it before you finally understand, huh girl? None of you pathetic flesh bags are getting out of this alive! It's about time you accepted your – AAAAARGH!"

A kick connected viciously with the left side of his face, effectively cutting him off and sending him flying yet again, this time into the buildings across the street and beyond. From her place on the ground, Takuya stared momentarily in the direction the giant Espada was hurled in before attempting to move again. She hadn't even made it back onto her forearms when another pair of hands clamped down on her shoulders. Instinctively, she began to fight back; the struggle was short-lived, however, and within less than two seconds she found herself lying on her back…and staring up into a familiar pair of cerulean eyes.

"…Grimmjow…" a wave of absolute relief washed over her as a small smile worked its way onto her facial features. "Thank goodness…you're ok…"

"Tch…you can't afford to be worrying about me in the shit state that you're in, girl." Grimmjow muttered, pulling the girl into his arms as his eyes immediately assessed the physical damage her body had taken.

Takuya winced at the sudden movement, the adrenaline that had been coursing through her being slowly beginning to ebb. "…My condition…is the least of my concerns…" she spoke again after a brief pause. "I will be fine…so long as you…are ok…"

A frustrated growl reverberated within the blue-haired Espada's chest as he glared down at the ebony-haired girl, but before he could open his mouth to respond, yet another, all-too-familiar voice rang out into the dreary atmosphere.

"How fortunate…it would seem that this little battle has aided us in finally solving the mystery of the elusive third Espada." Grimmjow rolled his eyes at the sound of Soi Fon's mockingly smug tone, turning only just enough to see the woman out of the corner of his eye. "Turns out he's been hiding in plain sight all along among the idiot rabble in this stupid little shop. An incredibly clever move, I'd say…even for someone as disgustingly insignificant as him."

Grimmjow allowed his partial gaze to linger upon the squad two captain for a second or so longer before returning his attention to Takuya once more, releasing an exasperated sigh as he did so.

"Hmm…well…I suppose congratulations are in order now…" he replied nonchalantly as he set the ebony-haired girl back down on the ground. "So, if you would, please do me the honor of…allowing me to pay you your due recognition."

Soi Fon narrowed her eyes as the Espada rose to his feet and turned so that he fully faced her; the blood immediately began to boil in her veins at the sight of a slight smirk forming on his lips as he proceeded to clap his hands in a slow, blatantly mocking round of applause.

"Congratulations…captain. You've finally found me." he spoke again, contempt and sarcasm resounding in his tone as his smirk slowly transformed into a full-fledged, sadistic grin. "I have to say, though…thought you never would. I mean, I've only been here for damn near two weeks, spending all this time among these human bastards…we've only had two different hollow invasions, and I've only fought in BOTH OF THEM. And let's not forget your nice little "house visits"…you know, the ones where you spent all that time less than two feet away from me, and didn't have a damn clue as to just what was sitting in that room with you. Tch…yeah that's a fucking shame I'd say, especially for someone of your, uh…your supposed ability…or lack thereof…"

Snarling, Soi Fon immediately snatched her zanpakutou from its sheath. "I will make you EAT your words, you insolent, vainglorious bastard! Men, eliminate this filth at once!"

Battle cries filled the air as her men charged without hesitation, intent upon hacking the Espada to pieces. They were mere feet away from him, however, when a massive stream of neon green energy barreled toward them with incredible speed, injuring several of them as they attempted to dodge it. Soi Fon's eyes widened in shock, her eyes fixated upon the green surge of power until it had faded into nothing. What in the hell…?!

"Please excuse the inconvenience…but I absolutely cannot allow this level of intrusion." Ulquiorra's droning voice echoed slightly in the damp air, drawing everyone's attention to him as he slowly made his way outside. "The task of eliminating said filth has been personally placed upon me…and I am not willing to allow shinigami trash to complete it for me."

His green-eyed gaze then shifted to Grimmjow, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly at the bored expression currently drawn into the blue-haired Espada's facial features.

"I find that I must admit…you are causing more trouble for our lord than your pathetic existence is worth." he half-muttered as he placed his hands in his pockets. "But now it is time for this useless resistance to be brought to its natural conclusion."

Grimmjow shook his head, chuckling slightly. "Heh, fucktard…you make it sound as if accomplishing that will be the simplest thing in the world."

"That's because it will be. Why? Because, even with all of your immense, newfound power, you still have the simplest and most ridiculous of weaknesses…"

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at the Ulquiorra's words and opened his mouth to fire off another insult; he closed it again, however, when he suddenly felt the presence of the Diez Espada rapidly materializing behind him. Snarling, he spun on his heels, and roughly clamped his hand down over the giant man's face, forcing him to drop Takuya – whom he had hurriedly tried to pull into his grasp – back down to the ground.

"My weakness, you say…" Grimmjow growled; in one swift move, he forcibly slammed Yammy skull-first into the pavement. "Tell me, Cuarto, was this your brilliant idea…using this giant shit stain to try and exploit what you thought was my weakness?!"

At that, the palm upon Yammy's face began to glow a brilliantly bright blue as a mass of turbulent energy began to pool within it. Instantly panicking, the giant Esapda clawed at Grimmjow's arm and chest in a futile attempt to remove his hand, frantically kicking, writhing, and yelling against the mounting energy as it steadily wrapped itself around his head and seared the flesh upon his face.

"…What a fucking joke…"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened in shock as he watched the garganta suddenly open up beneath where Yammy's massive body lay on the ground. Not two seconds after he'd begun to fall in, Grimmjow released the enormous energy blast that, for a few seconds, had illuminated even the most hidden crevices of that dark space and even spilled onto the lot upon which the desecrated shop sat. The Diez Espada's screams breeched the atmosphere for only a moment before fading into nothing just as the rip shut itself back up again.

Tch…his power…this situation has gone beyond the realm of my control-

"You should've carried out your little half-assed scheme on your own…emo clown." Grimmjow's voice abruptly tore the green-eyed Espada out of his thoughts and drew his focus back upon the Sexta Espada; glinting cerulean eyes glared maliciously back at him, daring him to make a move. "I would've been much happier blowing you to hell."

Ulquiorra reacted almost before he'd realized his body was moving, springing from his position just outside the tattered shop and dashing full speed toward where Grimmjow currently stood, zanpakutou firmly in hand. He was mere inches away from the blue-haired Espada when a pair of hands shot out, clamping down upon his throat and his sword-wielding hand and abruptly stopping him in his tracks.

"…Foolish little man…" Takuya's hoarse voice rang bitterly in his ears, her grip steadily tightening upon him. "I told you…that so long as I. Draw. BREATH…you…will NEVER reach him. Not now…not EVER!"

In that instant, she released her hold on his neck; not even a half a second later, energy began pooling rapidly within the palm of her hand. Ulquiorra's eyes widened incredulously, his glare now fixated upon what he immediately recognized as the exact same attack that the girl had attempted to launch earlier. Not wasting any time, he forcibly ripped his wrist out of the girl's grasp and leapt back a few feet. …Tch…bothersome little girl…

"This…is not over…" he breathed, glaring at the girl for only a second longer before vanishing.

Takuya's glare lingered in the now empty space for a few moments before she allowed the energy in her hand to dissipate. Releasing a shaky sigh, she slowly straightened her stance, her arm winding loosely around her midsection.

"I didn't need your damn help, girl."

She almost instinctively smiled at the sound of the Sexta Espada's voice. "…I know…forgive me for that…"

"Takuya! Grimmjow!" Ichigo's unmistakable voice echoed in the dreary atmosphere as he and everyone else hurriedly stumbled out of the battered shop. "Are you two ok? Where's Ulquiorra and Yammy?"

"Yammy's dead…and Ulquiorra ran like a bitch." Grimmjow replied nonchalantly, folding his arms across his chest.

"We are alright, Ichigo…thank you for your concern…" Takuya said; she then shifted her gaze skyward, her eyes squinting slightly against the rain. "Captain Soi Fon…you may come out now. I know that you are still there…"

A second or so passed before the squad two captain reappeared, along with her now cautious squadron. A look of utter disdain marred her expression as her glare immediately fixated upon the ebony-haired girl, who in turn shifted her own gaze elsewhere, releasing a tired sigh before speaking again.

"The things you were unfortunate enough to witness on today must undoubtedly be quite upsetting…and I am fairly certain that you are feeling an immense amount of rage toward us at this present time. All completely understandable, truly…"

"Humph…incredibly perceptive for mere swine." Soi Fon sneered coldly, folding her arms across her chest. "With that level of perception, you surely must know what comes as a result of this incurred rage…"

Then, with a slight flick of her wrist, her entire squadron charged a second time, the sound of unsheathed metal and determined battle cries echoing through the air, but they'd only managed to move a few feet before they were halted in their tracks once again…this time, by a force that they could not see.

Soi Fon's eyes widened, her arms slowly unfolding and falling back to her sides as she glared at the scene currently playing before her. Her men hung motionlessly within the air, frozen in whatever position they'd been suddenly stopped in, the whole of their bodies trembling in an effort to move once more.

What…? What the hell is happening now?!

"…While I do understand your rage…I'm afraid I cannot allow you to act upon it. At least, not right now…"

Soi Fon's eyes immediately shot toward Takuya then. The ebony-haired girl was standing almost perfectly still, one arm still gingerly wrapped around her midsection; she had yet to even look back up at her. Releasing a frustrated snarl, she snatched her zanpakutou from its sheath.

"Infuriating little BITCH! You will release my men immediately!" she yelled, immediately charging toward the girl. "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumeb–"

Her sentence was abruptly bitten off when a hand suddenly clamped down over the base of her blade. In one swift move she was pinned to the ground, her arm twisted uncomfortably behind her back, while another hand clamped down on the back of her neck. Ugh…dammit…

"CAPTAIN!" Omaeda's booming voice echoed through the air as he emerged from his hiding place atop one of the neighboring buildings; unsheathing his own zanpakutou, he leapt from the roof and charged straight for Takuya. "Get your filthy hands off the captain right now!"

He had only cleared half the distance between his rooftop hideout and his captured captain when a knee connected harshly with the small of his back, sending him crashing into the earth below at a nigh inhuman speed, the ground cratering upon impact. The squad two lieutenant merely lay there for a few seconds after the crash landing, groans reverberating in his chest as sharp pain ricocheted throughout his body.

"Damn…it all…" he half-mumbled; willing his body to move again, he proceeded to try and pull himself out of the cratered earth. "…Captain…I'm –"

His sentence was immediately bitten off and all movement stopped when the blade of a zanpakutou was suddenly leveled with his face, its tip almost sitting directly on the bridge of his nose.

"Tch…you're no smarter than that dumbass Yammy was…so ready to interfere in a battle you don't possess the power to fight, and so quick to be squashed like the pathetic piss ant you are." the annoyed sneer immediately drew his eyes up to Grimmjow's face; the Espada glared back at him, his grip tightening around his zanpakutou.

"…You…" he breathed.

"Yeah…me…" Grimmjow growled as he pressed the tip of his Pantera's blade down upon the bridge of Omaeda's nose; a sadistic grin curved his lips when blood began to seep from the rough incision, staining the tip of his blade and trickling down the lieutenant's cheek.

Omaeda winced as the blade scraped over the bridge of his nose yet again, tears welling up in his eyes in response to the new pain. "…Please…spare me…"

"The both of you would do well to stay your blades…" Takuya chided, her attention fixated upon the huffing captain presently pinned to the ground beneath her. "Now, I'd suggest you take heed to what I'm about to say…"

"Release me at once you conniving little maggot!" Soi Fon bellowed as she struggled in vain to free herself from the ebony-haired girl's vice grip. "I don't give a damn about anything you have to say! You can choke and die on your words for all I care!"

Takuya released a wearied sigh, briefly shutting her eyes against the dull throbbing of her ribcage. "I'm going to let you go…captain…" she spoke up again after a moment's pause. "Quite a lot has transpired here today…you will undoubtedly have a very extensive report to make to your superior and fellow captains, and I see no need to get in the way of you doing so."

She then moved to stand to her feet again, deftly removing Soi Fon's zanpakutou from her hand as she did so. "I'm urging you to go, in fact." she continued, watching as the captain slowly stood up; she then stabbed the zanpakutou into the ground beside her and turned her attention to the men still suspended in the air. "And when you make your report, be sure that you disclose everything. Do not leave out a single detail…it would be a great disservice to them if you did."

With a flick of her own wrist, the soldiers were granted movement of their bodies once more and immediately dropped to the ground. They eyed the ebony-haired girl warily as she turned back around to face Soi Fon once more. After only a second's pause, she pulled the zanpakutou out of the ground and handed it back to the captain handle-first.

The annoyed woman snatched the blade from Takuya's hand. "I don't require instruction on how to give my report, fool." she snapped venomously. "I have every intention of divulging every waking shred of detail about everything that has happened here today. And once word gets out that you idiots have been harboring the enemy here among vulnerable human souls, you can rest assured that the full extent of our wrath will–"

"Yeah about that…" Takuya interjected, abruptly cutting her off. "There is one small…stipulation, of sorts…to my letting you to go back and tell all, and it is simply this…the hearing of your report is all that is to take place in regard to everything that has occurred today. None of you are to return here with any intent of bringing harm to Grimmjow or anyone else residing here in this shop."

"…You can't really be serious…" Omaeda chanced speaking up again, the greater part of his focus still upon the blade tip that still sat on the bridge of his nose. "…Do you even understand…how impossible that request is…?"

Takuya glanced back at the lieutenant then. "I will agree that it is a difficult request, yes…but it is definitely not impossible. It only requires a measure of restraint on the part of the Soul Society…"

"You're a damned fool if you believe that the Soul Society is going just stand idly by and ignore the outright treachery that has taken place here…especially when that treachery has placed every soul in Karakura in irrefutable danger!" Soi Fon yelled; she hoisted her blade-wielding hand to eye level. "In fact I'd rather just execute all of you myself! Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!"

The ebony-haired girl only barely had time to turn her attention back toward the captain before Suzumebachi's blade was quickly plunged just beneath her ribs on her right side and then swiftly yanked from her flesh. A vicious grin turned up the corners of the woman's mouth as she watched a decidedly large butterfly-shaped stamp spread out upon Takuya's side.

"Your fate has officially been sealed…idiot girl. I need but to strike you once more in the area in which my Homonka has formed, and then it will be all over…"

"…Nigeki Kessatsu…"

Soi Fon narrowed her eyes at the girl. "What did you just say?"

Takuya gently rested her right hand on the new wound to her body. "Nigeki Kessatsu…Death in Two Steps…that is your blade's ability, is it not?"

A look of shock slowly drew itself into the captain's facial features. "How do you know that? You've never seen my shikai ability before…tell me how the hell it is that you know it by its formal name!"

Takuya's brow furrowed slightly as she watched tendrils of blue light jumped sporadically about her right hand. "…It is an ability that I've only recently learned that I possess…one that I myself have yet to even fully comprehend…"

At that moment, ethereal blue energy suddenly engulfed her hand and flowed into the puncture wound in her side. Within a matter of seconds the wound was closed, and the Homonka, having become consumed in the blue energy, slowly began to shrink and fade away.

Soi Fon gasped in unreserved astonishment, her mind desperately trying to wrap itself around what her eyes were seeing. "…Impossible…how…?!"

"I touched the blade of your zanpakutou, captain…and by that singular action, I was permitted to see everything about it…from the day that you received it, up until this very time…"

The words had only barely left her lips when the Homonka finally faded into nothing, and in that instant, the energy surrounding her hand began to pulsate and burn even brighter until it has completely consumed the entirety of her forearm in blinding blue light. Soi Fon shielded her eyes from the brilliant display, cursing under her breath as the unfamiliar feeling of uneasiness began welling up in the pit of her stomach. This cannot be real…it absolutely cannot be real. The Homonka is my ability; my will alone should be the only thing capable of removing it. And yet…this girl has somehow managed…to undo it on her own…

After a few seconds, the light finally began to fade. Soi Fon cautiously dropped her arms, her eyes finding Takuya once again; pure shock overtook her almost instantly, so much so that her knees buckled beneath her, and a shuddering gasp forced its way pass her lips.

"…N-no…th-this cannot be…"

The greater part of Takuya's forearm was now girded a glowing, onyx-bluish gauntlet. A blue, stinger-like blade sheathed her middle finger, linked to the gauntlet by a simple chain. Soi Fon's eyes widened almost immeasurably as the girl raised her arm to eye level.

"…Suzumebachi…t-that's…," her eyes shifted frantically between her own weapon and the one now in the girl's possession, "…my Suzumebachi! That's my blade!"

Takuya's gaze lifted from her arm and met the captain's once more. "…Yes…it is." she spoke evenly. "But…do not ask me how this is possible, or how it was that I was able to do this. Because, in all honesty…I would not be able to explain it…"

"BULLSHIT! You son of a…you fucking STOLE my power!" Soi Fon yelled as she hurriedly pulled herself back up to her feet and dropped into her fighting stance. "You will pay…I will make you pay dearly for this!"

Chapter Seventeen, down the hatch! And I'm pretty sure that this one – out of all the other difficult chapters – takes the cake for being the absolute HARDEST to write from beginning to end (speaking of ends, is the end of this chapter ok? It doesn't seem rushed, does it?). Thanks so much for reading, and many, many more thanks for your patience and hanging in there with me :). Please feel free to share your thoughts! As always, ALL opinions are welcome… See ya soon!

xLSx