230 Chapter 196 - Im here for the fight.
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[Third Person. POV.]
The vast expanse of Sokyoku Hill was bathed in a cold, blue light. The imposing structure of the Sokyoku itself cast a long, dark shadow that seemed to stretch endlessly. The air was thick with tension as numerous shinigami and spectators had gathered, awaiting for the execution.
Rukia Kuchiki stood, her eyes fixated on the ground. Despite the gravity of her situation, her thoughts were occupied with the fate of her friends. She managed to muster the strength to voice a final plea, her eyes meeting those of Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
"Captain-Commander," She began, her voice quivering but firm. "I have one last request. Please, after my execution, let the Ryoka return to their world unharmed."
Yamamoto, unmoving, regarded Rukia for a few moments before nodding slowly. "Very well," he intoned. "After the execution, the Ryoka will be permitted to return to their world without further harm."
A palpable sigh of relief escaped Rukia's lips, her shoulders drooping slightly as the weight of one worry was lifted. Her friends would survive, even Adam, the man she barely knew a thing about, who despite that, had come to her aid.
A few dozen meters away from this, the 4th Division Lieutenant, Isane Kotetsu, frowned at the Head-Captain's words, muttering under her breath. "That's… cruel. He has no intention of letting them go."
"It's not cruelty, Isane," Unohana remarked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's kindness."
Isane turned to her captain with surprise evident in her eyes. "Captain Unohana?"
Unohana gave a slight smile, the serene expression never leaving her face. "If her fate is one that is unavoidable, then the least we can do is ease her worries. To give her that moment of peace, even if it is fleeting."
Isane looked down, processing Unohana's words.
"Well fuck, I arrived early."
The unexpected words made heads turn and eyes shift in the direction of the voice. A figure, contrasting the cold blue sky, stood at the tip of Sokyoku.
His hair, slightly disheveled, flowed with the light breeze, and his posture displayed a readiness for the ensuing confrontation.
It was Adam.
Yamamoto's deep voice resonated across the hill, "You've come, as expected."
Adam smirked, shifting his weight to one foot and resting his hand on the hilt of Zanryuzuki. "Couldn't let a good show happen without the star performer, could I?"
"You dare?!" Sui-Feng stepped forward, her hand gripping the hilt of her own weapon. "I will kill you!"
Adam's smirk widened into a grin. "Please, don't flatter yourself, you couldn't kill me even if I let you kill me, so buzz off; little bee."
Yamamoto raised his hand, silencing Sui-Feng before she could retort. "Enough, Sui-Feng. I will deal with him myself."
Sui-Feng gritted her teeth, clearly angered by Adam's audacity, but she reluctantly backed off. Her eyes, however, never left Adam, burning with intense fury and a promise of retribution.
There was a coldness in the air that wasn't just from the natural surroundings. The shinigami looked on, knowing that this wasn't just any confrontation, but a clash between two immensely powerful beings.
This being the reason none of the captains beside Sui-Feng had moved, they were waiting for Adam to make the first move.
Grinning, Adam stepped down from his elevated position on the Sokyoku, his steps slow and collected, despite the fact he was missing an arm, and a foot. Eventually, he came to a stop a short distance from Yamamoto, their gazes locked in a silent confrontation.
"Old man," Adam began, "Let's get one thing straight. I don't intend to leave this place without the dwarf."
"Dwarf?!" Rukia shouted, clearly insulted by that remark.
Yamamoto's eyes narrowed, the fires of his immense reiatsu beginning to flare subtly around him. "Your arrogance knows no bounds, young one. You stand upon sacred ground, challenging me to a fight you can't win. And for what? For a single soul?"
"You know, had you asked me this… a few days ago, I would've said something like, I don't know… It's not just about Rukia," Adam replied . "It's about challenging a system that's rotten to its core. It's about standing up against blind tradition and tyranny, blah, blah."
"And what is the answer now?" Yamamoto asked, his eyes on Adam.
"Now?" Adam grinned, a wild savage grin. "I'm just doing this because I want to fucking fight you, saving Rukia is just a nice bonus."
"BONUS?! EXCUSE ME!?" Rukia shouted once again.
"You're getting saved shortstack, so zip it," Adam replied, a chuckle escaping his lips.
"I admire your spirit, young man," Yamamoto admitted, his zanpakuto burning through the guise of a cane. The blade gleamed ominously. "But you are a fool if you believe the outcome will be any different this time."
Adam's response was swift, unsheathing Zanryuzuki in one fluid motion. "Only one way to find out, don't you think?"
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[Shunsui Kyōraku's POV]
As the tension between Adam and Yama-Ji crackled on the hill, I found myself standing silently, watching the proceedings unfold. I knew Rukia's friends were going to show up, but honestly, I had hoped, naively perhaps, that the situation would've gone smoother, that my careful planning with Jushiro would have led to Rukia's quiet escape, well, quieter, because we still expected to fight the old man.
Either way, with Adam's brazen entrance, it felt like the threads of our intricately woven plan were coming apart at the seams.
'Damn it, Adam,' I thought to myself, running a hand through my hair, the broad brim of my hat shading my eyes. 'Couldn't you just taken a bit more time to show up? Just a bit?'
Jushiro was by my side, his usually calm face displaying a hint of concern. And how could blame him?! We'd strategized for days, planning contingencies and preparing for any possible scenarios to save Rukia. It was a delicate operation, one that required finesse and timing, especially timing.
But now everything was out of the window.
"Shunsui," Jushiro murmured, his voice carrying the weight of our shared concern. "Did you anticipate this?"
I shook my head, taking a sip from my ever-present sake bottle. The alcohol, however, did little to ease the tension knotting my insides. "No, my friend," I admitted, my voice low. "I knew he was a wild card, but I didn't expect him to play his hand so soon."
Jushiro frowned, looking towards Rukia. "We can't let this derail us. We need to move quickly, use the distraction."
I nodded, the two of us making our way to the edge of the hill, preparing to make our move. In the back of my mind, though, I couldn't help but curse Adam's recklessness. I had even tried to warn him when I visited his cell!
'Why did he have to show up now?' I mused internally, though deep down, a part of me understood, this guy was more than it met the eye. Predicting his path was near impossible.
I sighed, pushing those thoughts aside. What's done is done, we had a girl to save. After that, we had a kid to save from the old man's wrath. Two rescues in one day…
Today is not my day.
