Chapter 10: Loss, reunion, and power unleashed

Written by Greatkingratt88. Once again, thank you.

Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.

Please feel free to leave a review. I really, REALLY appreciate them

The sun was shining bright and hot on the courtyard of the eleventh division, and it was brimming with people, filled completely- save for what was effectively a large arena in the middle, its borders drawn by the division members themselves. Erza was lucky enough to stand almost at the front, and she saw it all- her captain, standing tall and strong, facing this new stranger, a man who had the audacity to claim his title as his own name. He was very tall, and he looked tough, all right- lots of muscle, in a lean sort of way, and scars on his face and chest, wild hair hanging from his shoulders. He radiated power, too, she could sense- maybe even as much as her captain.

"What is this?" Erza mumbled to Ikkaku, who had bullied his way to the front, standing just in front of her. "Do you know him?"

"He's the reason I joined here." Ikkaku said excitably. "Back when I walked the Rukon, I thought I was real tough- till he put me down. I learned a lot that day- he didn't kill me, 'cos he doesn't care about killing, just fighting. I always knew he'd come here one day..."

"Why's he challenging the captain? He can't just... win and take the title, right?"

"He can, actually." Ikkaku said, nodding. He seemed spirited, so different from his usual laid-back, tough guy outlook. "It's an old rule, and most divisions don't use it- but one of the ways to become captain is to challenge the captain to a fight to the death. You win, you take the title."

"That's horrible!" Erza exclaimed. It was a revolting idea- leadership wasn't about strength of arm, never had been.

"It's a rule from an older time. But he has to follow it, there's no choice."

"But... he'll win, right?"

Ikkaku shook his head. "No way. Sorry about the captain, but this is the end of the line for him."

Erza opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, wanting very badly to voice some articulate, infuriated protest against this- but nothing sufficient came to mind. She wanted to shout at Ikkaku with rage, at the entire division and the law. But not a sound passed her lips, and gaping like a fish, she stood there, just watching. It didn't take her that long to recover, but it left her angry, and she balled her fists, grit her teeth.

Kiganjo, for his part, didn't seem terribly impressed. He stood before the newcomer, all bulk and muscle with his sword at his side, looking calm and ready. It was the face of a man about to put a pup down, show some punks who was boss; it was the face of a man without fear.

"You the boss here?" The newcomer- Zaraki- said, and the division members, who had been murmuring between themselves, quieted down. There was an ominous sense hovering over the courtyard; it was about to go down and down it would go very soon, and nobody wanted to miss a moment of it.

"I am." Kiganjo said lazily, cleaning his ear with a pinky. "What of it?"

"Yer the boss- an' if I kill you, that makes me the boss. 'Zat right?"

"If you can even put a scratch on me." Kiganjo said, blowing at his finger. "But yeah. That's the way it works- I'm the fuckin' Kenpachi, and if you can kill me, you own that title." He reached for his sword, pulled it out, and a determined frown formed on his face.

"But if ya think I'll let ya have it, you're fuckin' insane, I'll yell ya that much. Give it your best shot- I'll hack you to little bits and send 'em all back to Zaraki, just so they know what happens with people who fuck with me."

"That's the spirit." Zaraki said, grinning a wide, predatory grin, showing off the kind of teeth that made Erza think of a shark.

"Well, I ain't one for speeches..."

And with that, Kenpachi charged, laughing maniacally, his greatsword held in just the one hand. Not a man for speeches, indeed...

Kiganjo blocked the first hit, and headbutted Zaraki. The savage of a man reeled for the fraction of a second, and kept going, slashing like a madman, not hindered even by a little. Kiganjo blocked twice, thrice, and attempted to slam the hilt of his sword into Zaraki's gut-

But in an instant, Kenpachi had cut him savagely, from shoulder to hip- no, from shoulder and far down into his chest, stopping just above his stomach. Kiganjo let out a shocked gargle, and sunk down to one knee, desperately clutching his sword. His sword arm had been cut; he could not lift it. Grinding his teeth, he grabbed at Zaraki's dirty kimono with his one working arm, looking at him with furious defiance, grunting with pain.

"Good spirit." Zaraki said, and took a step back, and cut him across the neck once. "Pity you're a shit fighter." Kiganjo let out the last noise he'd ever make, a small cough as his last breath left him, and fell to the side. A pool of blood formed around him, growing larger and larger.

Erza let out a long, hard gasp. She hadn't been close with the captain per se, she hadn't thought of him as a close friend, a precious person- but he had been her commander, and by and large he was a good man. He had been a good man. And now he was no more. She looked around her, desperate to see somebody else in the same state of shock as her; to know that she was not alone.

And around her, everyone looked uncertain. Some looked as shocked as she, some nodded approvingly, grins on their faces, some just stood there with blank expressions, and the silence was complete. And for at least a full minute, everyone stared, all quiet, while Zaraki stood there, looking pleased as Kiganjo's corpse bled, dying the courtyard red.

Then, Ikkaku stepped up from out the ring, through Kiganjo's blood and stopped, right before the grinning, murderous newcomer. There was a rustle of whispers through the crowd, anxiousness, fear.

"I remember you." Zaraki said. "Didn't I give you a thrashing once?"

"Yeah, you did." Ikkaku said, nodding. "And now, you're my captain."

"Well, ain't I fancy as hell then." Zaraki said, chuckling.

"Everyone!" Ikkaku shouted, turning to face the crowd. "Kiganjo Kenpachi is dead! And in accordance with our rules- the toughest rules, for the toughest division!- this man here is now our captain! The Kenpachi's dead- long live the Kenpachi!"

"Live long!" A division member cheered, and one more, and one after another until it seemed like everyone around did. "Live long! Live long!"

Erza remained silent, though, looking down at the ground. That beast, standing there with his scars and his grin, was a killer- a murderer. He'd killed the captain in cold blood, on his knees- and he was being cheered for. This would never have stood in Fairy Tail- and though that was her past, her principles were not so changed that she could tolerate being subordinate to a killer.

There was a meeting almost immediately after, as soon as Kiganjo's bloody corpse had been cleaned away, all division members getting to know their new captain. Some looked afraid, hesitant, but all too many looked eager- or worst of all, indifferent. Erza did not come. She stood still, watching the bloody spot where Kiganjo had fallen, as everyone walked past it. She saw just one more soldier, standing there staring at it like herself. Ichinose, she recalled- a seventh seat.

"He... killed him." He mumbled, and Erza realized he wasn't talking to anybody, just voicing his despair to the universe.

"He did." Erza said, loud enough to make herself heard. She clenched her fists hard, her nails digging into her palms.

"He killed him," Ichinose said, a blank look in his eyes, "and nobody cares."

There wasn't much else to say to that. Erza slowly walked up to the pool of blood, already drying in the heat, and got down on one knee before it, putting a hand in it, as if to make her memory real, that Kiganjo had been real, had lived and led them.

"Rest in peace, captain," She mumbled. She was unsure if there was an afterlife after the afterlife- that seemed kind of silly- but paying her respects was the least she could do. "Rest in piece and sleep well. You did your best, and you saved many lives. Good bye."

Erza was not eloquent, not poetic, and that short tribute was all she could manage. Her palm red with her captain's blood, she stood up. She would not stay here. This was not home. She had felt at home here; it had been like her old guild in some ways- a laid back approach to life, a rowdy, energetic tone... but this was not how home had been, and it could not be her home. No, home was long gone- and she had to stop acting like she could reconstruct it. She had to make her own home, somewhere where people weren't murdered for their position. Out of this division.

She quit the same day. Yumichika signed the papers, but nobody really seemed to care- the division launched into celebration for their new captain, and out she slipped, unnoticed. The only one who saw her walk out, carrying a bag of what few personal belonging she had, was Ikkaku. He gave her a short look, nodded at her, and walked back to the festivities- and that was that. He had been a friend to her, still was- but something new had happened between them; she had seen a new side to him, and she didn't like it.

And so it came to pass that Erza stood at the central division administration office, the hub of desk jobs in the Gotei, looking at different division papers. The request for a transfer had been approved without much fuss, probably because of the reputation eleventh had- but she was expected to choose a division before the end of the day, preferrably within the hour, and she hadn't a clue what she wanted to choose. She had already excluded divisions two, four and twelve- the first was a squad of spies and professional murderers, the second were supplies, logistics and medical aid, and the third were specialized towards scientific findings, and none of those things suited her. Division one wasn't open for application- recruitment only, as it was the senior division. That left divisions three, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, thirteen...

She could always choose at random, she supposed- although she rather wouldn't. She wanted action, and she wanted a commander she could trust- what was it she remembered about those captains? Kyoraku Shunsui was supposedly a lazy bum and a ladies' man, but was honest and fair. Ukitake Jushiro was a good man through and through, she had been taught, but his health was poor. And division five was headed by Aizen Sousuke, her old mentor...Division five didn't sound so bad, did it?

Erza reached for the papers for division five, and had almost grabbed it when she was interrupted.

"Sorry," came a woman's voice from behind, "but do you know where I can deliver these? My captain sent me with this paperwork, and I never come here-"

The voice went dead quiet as Erza turned around to face the newcomer, and she dropped the papers she'd been holding to the floor, her mouth wide open. Erza, for her part, felt no less shocked. Standing still for what felt like an eternity, she blinked, trying to reassure herself that she was not dreaming, that she was still awake.

Before her stood Lisanna Strauss, long dead member of Fairy Tail, sister to Elfman and Mirajane, wearing the full garb of a shinigami. She looked a little older, and had a small scar on her cheek, but it was Lisanna.

"Oh my god," Lisanna mumbled. "You... oh my god, it's you."

Erza said nothing, and stepped forward, pulling Lisanna almost violently into a bear hug. She could feel tears almost forming in her eyes, as she held Lisanna to her chest. Lisanna had been a friend; not the closest of friends but a friend nonetheless, but at this point she'd have been overjoyed to see even the least friendly of guild members. She held her close, and only stopped when Lisanna made muffled noises, choking under Erza's grip. A little embarassed, she let her go.

"Wow," Lisanna mumbled, rubbing her ribs, "I think you almost broke something there. But..."

"Are you real?" Erza said, touching Lisanna's face with her hand, palming her cheek, her other hand touching Lisanna's shoulder, all to reassure herself that it wasn't a dream. "Are you really real? Really here?"

"Yes, I'm real!" Lisanna said, and giggled as she gently removed Erza's hands, taking them in her own. "I'm real. And... my goodness, so are you. What happened to you?"

"Big fight, sacrificed myself for the others, got sent to the afterlife." Erza said dismissively."But... wow, how are you here? How- all this time-"

"Well, I got sent on too," Lisanna said, in a gentle, happy tone. "And after half a year or so, I got recruited. I did good in the academy, and now... well, I'm fifth seat."

"Well done!" Erza said happily, still feeling overwhelmed, impossibly elated. "I was- I was-"

"So, how long have you been here?" Lisanna said, before Erza could begin stuttering incoherently. "You must have been here for years, if you went through the academy."

"Yes, years." Erza said, nodding. "I've been in active service for about... half a year now." She got a strange look, as something struck her. "Wait- how come you never saw me before? It's been a long time, and..."

"Well, the Gotei is a large place."

"Not that large. And... well, I got very well known after my first mission."

"The massacre- that was you? The lone survivor?"

"Yes- well, not lone, there was one more..."

"Oh Erza, that's terrible!" Lisanna said, squeezing her hands emphatically. "I heard about it by rumour, although I didn't get any names."

"How?"

"Well, to be honest... I was chosen for a dedicated terminator group. I've been out on a hunting campaign for the last two years- I only got back last week." She smiled. "I was so proud- my vice captain chose me and six others to cleanse an infestation, no matter what. And we did it- and not one of us died."

"That... would explain it, I guess." Erza mumbled. "But still! I- I thought I was alone for so long. I lost the friends I made, and I just left eleventh division because of... well, that's a whole other mess. And now, you're here! It..." She choked up, not really knowing how to word her feelings.

"I know," Lisanna said, smiling knowingly. "I know."

There was a quiet for a little while; not an awkward silence, just the two of them looking at each other, two friends thrilled to be reunited.

"So..." Lisanna said, after a while, "you left eleventh division?"

"And I'm looking for a new one. Where are you?"

"Tenth division." Lisanna said proudly. "Our captain's a goof-off, but he's a good man who does what's needed when it counts."

"Let me just get the right papers, then. I'm joining there."

"All for me?"

"It's all I need. It's not like I was set on going anywhere in particular. Your captain's a good man, you said?"

"Yes." Lisanna nodded happily.

Before long, Erza had filed the papers, gotten a stamp of approval, and headed towards tenth division, arm in arm with Lisanna.

Shiba Isshin turned out to be everything his reputation had made him out to be. Lisanna led her directly to the office of the tenth division, where the captain was leaning back in a chair, a busty woman wearing a vice-captain's badge chiding him. She was bustier than Erza herself, she noted- good; maybe now she'd get less stares.

"...and I told you, those papers were due the day before yesterday! And the mission reports are a whole week late! Your subordinates can be bothered to write them down- so why can't you be bothered to look them over and give them approval?"

"All right, all right..." The captain murmured, shrugging. "Get off my back, will ya? Oh, look!" He said, turning to Lisanna, seeming glad about the distraction. "My cute fifth seat is back, with a new recruit. Right? Please tell me she is!" He grinned.

"She is." Lisanna nodded. "She's an old friend- from when I was alive, even."

"Really now?" Isshin said, raising an eyebrow. "That's unusual- and I know of her, too. Erza Scarlet, is it?"

"Yes, sir," Erza mumbled.

"You did good work in eleventh as a hunter, I heard. Kiganjo told me- rest his soul, poor bastard- you did good."

"Thank you." Erza mumbled, not sure what to say.

"Well, let's get you started. What rank did you have?"

"sixteenth seat."

Isshin looked at her, from tip to toe, giving her a knowing look. "Sixteenth seat? That won't do- waste of potential, keeping you that low. How many hunts did you complete?"

Erza scratched her head, not quite remembering the exact number this moment. "At least forty, sir. Most of them successful."

"Well, no sixteenth seat should be able to do that, by herself or in charge of a squad. How's twelfth seat sounding?"

Erza nodded, feeling as happy as she felt surprised. "Yes, sir, that will do. Thank you!"

"Keep it up, and you'll keep moving up, simple as that," Isshin said contentedly.

"Captain," the vice-captain said, sighing irritatedly, "don't think this will get you out of work. You gave her a rank, and the papers are easily signed- now get back to doing your job."

"This is my vice-captain, the charming Matsumoto Rangiku." Isshin said, gesturing to his busty second-in-command. "She's very pretty, and-"

"Flattery's not working either." Matsumoto said indifferently. "Get. To. Work."

The captain sighed. "You know, Scarlet, you may regret climbing up the ladder. Being at the top is all work and no play..." With an overly dramatic gesture of despair, he sat himself down behind his desk, and signed Erza's papers. "Well, that should settle it- I'll let Strauss here find you a room, and you'll be sharing twelfth seat with two more people. You report for duty tomorrow- take today to get a feel for the division."

"Yes, sir." Erza said, not quite sure what to make of this man.

"Paperwork. Now." Matsumoto urged, smacking the captain over the head.

"All right! All right! You vicious, heartless harpy!" The words were harsh, but his tone was light, and Erza got the feeling this was a common routine for the two.

"I'll get you a room." Lisanna said, smiling. "The captain has lots of important things to do."

"Don't remind me," he groaned, staring down a pile of papers. "Well Scarlet, welcome to tenth- where you can't swing a sword without writing a report on it."

With that, Erza let Lisanna lead her out of there.

This was... strange. The captain appeared childish, less than responsible... but this wasn't the eleventh division, though, she reminded herself- just being strong wouldn't make you a leader. And appearances could be deceiving. And even so, a goofy, irresponsible leader would be an improvement over what she had left behind.

As they walked and talked, Erza learned that Lisanna had made quite a name for herself in her division- and by all appearances she was stronger and more accomplished by quite a measure than Erza herself; she had risen far in the ranks as an exterminator of hollows and leader of men. It was amazing to see how much she had grown since she had departed Fairy Tail- and a little bit strange to call her her senior. But senior she was, and Erza didn't mind it- she was more experienced, and had better control of her reiatsu. Sometimes, when life closed a door it opened window- and this time, Erza felt, a huge, shining gate had been opened. Eleventh had been a home to her for a while, a place where she had earned her position, but compared to standing next to an old friend... yes, in a way, the new Kenpachi's arrival had been a blessing in disguise.

The future, finally, looked a little brighter. With a new captain, and friends at her side, she had reason to move forward at last.

She found her place in tenth division, with a room of her own better furnished than anything she had had in eleventh, and in the following days, she slowly started to accept the deaths she had seen, the brutality and flaw of Gotei law- and one day, as she sat meditating by her sword, it happened.

Once again, she stood by the great mountain, surrounded on all sides by a storm of sand and dust, and once again she begun climbing. Nimbly, she avoided pitfalls, carefully choosing only the best rocks, twigs and roots to hang on to, keeping her balance perfectly. Hundreds and hundreds of times she had done this, and she had found an aptitude for it. Today felt different, though. After having climbed for two hours- or so it felt; she had no way of telling time here- she looked down, realizing that the ground below her was far, far down, further than she had ever seen before. She took a deep breath, feeling that breath-taking sensation of being so far, far up- and of having come so much further without even realizing it.

And when she looked up, resolutely continuing her climb, she could see the dust storm lessening, a light shining through it. The air got clearer, and as Erza scaled a steep mountain wall, desperately digging her fingers into cracks and crevices, her feet struggling to find something to rest on, the light got clearer still. Finally heaving herself over the wall's edge, she stopped for a second to catch her breath, half lying down. It had been an exhausting climb...

But she allowed herself only a second, before forcing herself to her feet again. Her arms and hands ached with exertion, her feet and legs were sore, but she wouldn't stop now- not after having come this far. Standing tall, she looked forward, and saw a narrow path, made out of uneven, roughly cut stones lying flat in the ground, on a messy-looking field of half withered grass, leading towards that tree, that husk of a tree she had been climbing towards for so long.

Almost sprinting- she would have run, had she not been so exhausted- Erza marched forward, gritting her teeth. She was almost there now, almost there, iI am coming I am coming I am coming nothing's stopping me now I am/i herei!i

Walking straight and fast, Erza almost slammed into the tree's trunk face first. Stopping for a minute, breathing heavily as she closed her eyes, taking in the feeling of hard bark against her skin, she rested herself against the tree, pulling at it with her hands. After recovering, she stood up straight.

It was right there, before her eyes. A withered tree, unlike any she had ever seen, with only patches of bark on its naked trunk. It was a husk of a tree, frail and weak-looking, withered and dead.

"...where are you?" Erza said uncertainly. "Where are you?!"

She had come so far. She had failed and got up again, failed and got up again over and over so many times now- and today, she had climbed all the way.

So where was it? Where was her sword?

"Damn it!" She swore.

So impatient, as always.

The voice echoed across all of reality, through her head, her body, the very fibers of her being.

"What?" She said confusedly. "Where are you? Show yourself!"

And why should I do that?

"I beat your challenge! I earned the right to know!"

You know already, impetuous one. You need only call my name out.

"I don't! If I did, I would have already!"

With great patience, in the face of adversity, you conquered my challenge. Think to yourself: what does it take to be knocked down a thousand times, and get up a thousand and one?

"A soul of steel." Erza said resolutely. "A soul of steel..."

And realization hit her. She had known, all along, just as well as you know your toes, your fingers, your mind... only hidden in her unconscious.

"Come out," she cried, "Tetsu no Tama!"

The tree begun to crack, and Erza realized the light that had shone on her before came from there alone. Big lines ran up its trunk, pure light, and splinters begun flying in every direction. With a mighty thunderclap, the tree shattered, showering her with light. Erza put an arm over her eyes, shielding herself from the overwhelming force that was bathing the mountain in its light. Around her, the dust storm was blown away, and as Erza's eyes adjust, she saw the landscape change- the mountain grew bright, to a pleasant gray, with green plants and trees running down it, an inviting, neatly laid path going from its bottom to its top. But that was inconsequential compared to her excitement; she wanted to see what her blade looked like. With cheer and wonder in her mind, she looked through the light, and little by little, it became clear.

What she saw was a figure in ornate, brass armor, magnificent pauldrons lying over its shoulders. It was covered in metal from tip to toe, standing a head taller than herself, and its face was hidden to her- not quite clear, light radiating from its very being to the point where details were hard to see.

"So that is you." She said, smiling.

"I am the piece of your soul that always was." The zanpakutou said, its voice bombastic and prideful. "I am your lust for battle, I am your desire to protect, I am your strength of arm and depth of wit. I am born of you- yet, I am not you. I am your power."

"And will you lend me your power?"

"Aye, so I will," the spirit said, nodding, "but not unconditionally. I will show no tolerance for cowardice, weakness or indecision- show me that, and I shall withdraw myself until you prove yourself worthy. But show me courage, show me bravery and strength, and I shall gladly lend you all that I am. And in your darkest hour of need, you shall find that my power grows to match what we face!"

"Good." Erza said, nodding. "I'll make sure not to behave cowardly."

"See that you do not." The spirit said haughtily. "But now, Erza Scarlet, you have achieved enough for one day. Remember me- speak to me as often as you can, that we may become one."

The world around her begun to crumble, and Erza realized she would soon wake up.

"I'll remember!" She said cheerily. "I'll remember that, no matter what!"

"Then until next time!" The spirit cried. And with that, the world around them collapsed.

"To your left! From below! Go, go go!"

Erza dodged the sweep of a hollow's claw just barely with a well-timed shunpo, heeding Lisanna's warning. The two of them were out, hunting two huge class hollows by themselves, and it was almost like old times... only the stakes now were not collecting jewels for a guild, and the monsters looked different.

Right now, far up in the sky above a thick forest, somewhere in the world- she wasn't sure where- Erza was facing a strong, vicious beast, surely over sixty feet long, tail and all, with a segmented, scaly serpent-like body, with three pairs of clawed legs moving with vicious precision. The monster just barely missed her as she slipped away, but instantly caught sight of her again as she reappeared a hundred or so feet back in the air, instantly charging at her, almost slithering through the air. It snapped at her with its huge, malodorous jaws, and Erza stepped back. Clawed arms cut at her, over and over, and Erza found herself driven back, only barely dodging and parrying its attacks in time. It was fast and furious, and very strong- old and experienced, most likely, and not nearly as arrogant as many of the hollows she had slain in the past. Though it wasn't penetrating her defense, she was being driven back- and, she knew, if this kept up then eventually she'd tire, slip up, and then all might be lost. The monster was bigger, stronger, and would definitely outlast her in a game of endurance.

"What are you waiting for?" Lisanna barked, she herself battling a cat-like monster with bladed appendages on its back. "Finish it off quickly and help me!"

"Working on it!" Erza shouted back. "I-"

She was interrupted, as the monster's tail lashed out, slamming into her side and sending her flying down towards the ground. As quickly as she could, she took control of her momentum, slowing her descent through the air. She stopped just short of the forest line. The monster was grinning at her, cackling slowly, spreading its six arms as if to invite her to come at it again.

Erza huffed. Well, no time better to use it..

Holding up her sword, fire in her eyes, she cried, "Strike, Tetsu no Tama!"

Her reiatsu surged, and she was filled with the most amazing feeling; a soul within her soul acting in tandem with her, releasing more power than she ever could have before. This was the first time she'd used it in real combat- but it was well tested, and she knew its strength.

Her sword had grown longer, and straightened completely, its guard changing to a simple cross, so like her old kind of sword, and electric power crackled around it. With a determined look in her eye, she leapt upwards, against the awaiting monster, with furious speed. It saw her coming, every step of the way- but even then, the fury of her assault surprised it, as she slammed into it, cutting at it with one furious strike after another. Using its arms, the beast blocked her strikes- but now, she was matching its speed, even surpassing it. Feinting, she struck forward, dodged under one of its claws, and struck into its softer belly, driving the sword in to the hilt. The monster screeched, but Erza wasn't quite done yet.

"Dragon strike!" She roared, and a torrent of electrical energy ravaged the monster's body. It screamed and spasmed, and Erza brutally twisted the sword. Finally, its arms came for her- but Erza's blade dissolved as she used a shunpo to move away. Two new blades, lighter and shorter, appeared in her hands, and quickly she attacked, mercilessly cutting at the monster with furious speed. It could not keep up, desperately trying to fend her off- but gash after gash appeared on its arms, until one by one, Erza severed them from its body until only two remained. The hollow roared with pain and anger, and raised its head to strike at her, like a snake. Erza looked at it with a gaze cold and steely, and her blades changed again, forming a big, bulky double-edged battleaxe. It was ornate, darkly gray, and it looked grim and cruel, and Erza raised it high as the hollow's head came down. With perfect precision, she cut down hard just as the monster's head came to bite her, and felt the heavy, hard impact as her weapon's edge crushed through its skull. The monster roared one last time, and instantly began dissolving into billions of tiny spiritual particles.

Quickly, Erza looked to Lisanna, readying herself to charge in- but it seemed needless. Lisanna was trashing her target, brutalizing it with a barrage of kido. It was bleeding, one of its arms ripped off, and Lisanna dashed forward, rapidly cutting it to pieces, stroke after stroke, until her blade found its mark and pierced the mask. The hollow shrieked, and disintegrated as well.

"Good work." Erza said, walking closer.

"No problem." Lisanna said nonchalantly. She was covered in blood, sprayed all over her shihakusho, her face, her hands, and she looked eerily calm as she wiped her sword clean and sheathed it. It had been a brutal fight, but she was perfectly calm, having moved with the confidence and ease of a veteran- she had changed, Erza thought, become a very different person in many regards. It reminded her... of herself.

"You're a strong one, Scarlet," Ikkaku said, taking a swig from his sake. The two of them had sparred again, and the score was seventeen to ten- Erza was learning fast, and she had the endurance to keep going. All in all, it was good practice- Ikkaku was a vicious fighter, all experience.

"Yer strong- how many extermination hunts you been to at this point?"

"Seventeen." Erza said. "Fourteen kills so far. I heard I might get promoted if I keep this up."

Ikkaku nodded. "Aye, no doubt on that. The captain rewards those who're strong of arm and put it to good use. No politics, no bullshit- just bein' strong gets you up."

"It's what I like best about this place." Erza said, leaning back against the wall.

"That said..." Ikkaku said thoughtfully, taking another swig.

"That said, what?"

"That said, you sure you don't like the hunts too much?"

Erza blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I done seen my share of new recruits in my day, and most do go on hunts with senior members. Part of what you do when you're green. Most don't go on seventeen hunts in less than two months, though. Four or five, with a couple of kills here and there. You really took to slaying, didn't you?"

"It's what I'm good at."

He nodded. "You sure are."

"I sense a 'but' there."

"But," He said, nodding, "you kill real vicious-like, and you're bloody reckless too. The officers like it, 'cos they see eagerness an' strength, but I wonder if that's really it."

"Are you criticizing me for being good at my job? We're shinigami- we exist to kill hollows."

Ikkaku gave her a look. "Never thought I'd be the one to complain about somebody bein' too violent... but strictly speakin', we shinigami exist to guide lost souls to the afterlife. Strictly speakin', the whole sword-fighting thing's a bit of an afterthought, something we do because we got no choice. Don't get me wrong, I love it to bits." He said, and paused, taking another swig. "But that's not why shinigami exist. And you," he said, pointing at her, "you ain't a thug like me. You're better. You're the kinda person who should remember this."

"I don't understand." Erza said confusedly. "I hunt. I kill. I do my best."

"You hunt, you purify." Ikkaku said, emphasizing the last word. "We deliver the souls of the dead, and the souls of hollows too. Personally, I don't care- I just love fighting, but it's an important thing to keep in mind. You- hollows took a lot from you. That'd make anybody angry. Angry enough to go on hunt after hunt, killin' them endlessly."

"So what?" Erza said, almost angrily. "Shouldn't we be angry? With what they are?"

"Maybe we should." Ikkaku said, shrugging. "Maybe we shouldn't. I can tell you this much, though- I seen angry men before, doing what you do. They make kickass fighters, but they all die early deaths. They kill more than anybody else, but live shorter- that's not you. You're a fuckin' paragon- you actually care about right and wrong, and that makes you different from most people here. And that's why I'm sayin' this- not because I care 'bout right or wrong, but because you do, because it's who you are. And if you're not careful, you could lose sight of who you are, and one day you wake up and you can't recognize the body you see inna mirror."

Erza frowned.

Ikkaku took yet another swig. "Or maybe I'm just drunk and talking shit. But remember this next time you hunt- we don't do it for us. We do it 'cos if we don't, people will die- in the world of the living, or in the soul society. That's why."

"Whatever." Erza mumbled. It sounded like such nonsense- who was he to tell her what she should and shouldn't do, or think?

But somewhere, deep insider her, a chord had been struck.

The monsters they had slain were strong, far above Erza's measly twelfth seat's level of play. It was strange to think of a rank twelve as "measly"- but in truth, she had long surpassed, in terms of sheer fighting ability and raw power, anything but the higher-ranked single digits. She still sparred with Ikkaku at a mostly even level, and he had ended up being bumped up to third seat- she was reaching strength worthy of the elite, and she hadn't expected any less. Not because she had arrogantly expected to be the best of the best, but because power had always come easy for Erza, moreso than most of all people she knew in the Gotei.

And so, when her efforts and brutally efficient record was noticed and Isshin promoted her to ninth seat, she was glad, but not overwhelmed or surprised. Demonstrating shikai was no small feat in itself, and using it to the effect she did was apparently a job well done.

The Gotei was a difficult place, where most power rested with its upper crust, and Erza knew that if she wanted to make a difference for those who needed it most, she had to come as far up the ladder as possible. She had no choice but to keep advancing, keep growing stronger. The one area she was lacking in was experience, especially in administration; she knew all about destroying, but managing her subordinates, handing out orders, filling and filing the right forms, writing mission reports... that was a little alien to her. Which, she supposed, was why she was ninth seat and not much higher. Yet.

Once again, they were terminators, hunters of the wicked, fighting like angels of death to protect mankind. Put less poetically, they- Lisanna, Erza, and a squad of highly ranked officers of their division- had been dispatched, once more, to hunt a pack of hollows that had been terrorizing part of the living world. It was in a city, and Erza found herself fascinated with this world- it was nothing like Edolas; great buildings, impossibly tall, stretched towards the sky, and metal wagons raced across incredibly wide, black streets all by themselves- and with not a trace of magic to be sensed. Had steam engines come that far in this world? She made a note to investigate later, when there was time.

"Scarlet! No time for daydreaming!" Lisanna barked, and Erza snapped out of her pondering thoughts. Lisanna had become tough, and she took leadership seriously.

"Hollows materializing!" One of the squad members cried. "Half a mile from here, dead ahead!"

"Everybody stick together!" Lisanna cried. "Assume formations- I'm taking point! Scarlet, you take my back!"

As one, the group formed an arrow-like formation, with Lisanna at the front. The hollows were many- otherwise, they wouldn't have tried attacking; they were survivors, not warriors, and survivors did not take fights they believe they could not win.

"That's a lot," Erza commented, holding her blade out. "Think we got in over our heads?"

She didn't, but talking was as good a way as any to keep oneself calm.

"Just watch, Erza," Lisanna said, holding her blade at the ready. Raising it high, she cried, "Rend, Raijin!"

Lisanna's reiatsu surged, and the air crackled with thunderous electricity. A pair of three-bladed battle claws had replaced Lisanna's sword, one sitting firmly on each of her hands, blue lightning coursing between each blade. Not wasting another second, Lisanna charged forward, and Erza followed behind, as did the other squad members. She made ready to release her sword if necessary- but, it turned out, necessary was not what it was. As Lisanna charged with furious speed, a field of lightning expanded around her, and she sped far ahead of her teammates. The lightning struck the hollows, shocking and stunning the ones Lisanna didn't cut into herself- and she had no mercy on the ones that were in her path, her claws, rending and maiming anything they could get at, moving faster, almost, than the eye could follow. Quickly, Erza and her squad mates cut into the disorganized hollow pack, dispatching one after another with quick blows to their masks. It was almost too easy, Erza thought as she dodged a lame attempt at clawing her, and following it with a quick thrust into its mask- yes, this was easy.

And all because Lisanna had grown as much as she did.

Before long, all hollows- fourteen in total- were done for, none of the shinigami having taken so much as a flesh wound. Erza sheathed her sword, huffing. Hunts were for glory-hoggers, they said, but was this really glory?

"Good work, terminators." Lisanna said, her shikai dissipating. "Let's return to base and see where our next deployment is."

"One hunt down, and you're already looking for the next?" Erza said, smiling. "You sure turned industrious."

"Is that a problem, Scarlet?"

"No." Erza said, letting her smile turn to a grin. "I love it. But you've come a long way, haven't you? Weird, having to call you 'senpai'."

"I'm the same." Lisanna said, shrugging. "And at the same time, I'm different. We all change. When you think about it, we're all different people throughout our lives. And that's okay, that's good. You've got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people you used to be. Don't you think?"

"Sure." Erza nodded. Lisanna really had come a long way- leadership had changed her, and Erza decided- cautiously- that it was for the better.

"Let's go, then." Lisanna said, opening the portal. "Back home, for new orders."

"Yes, back home." Erza said happily, and followed through. Home- well, she had found a home of sorts now, and it was good enough. Wherever friends were, you could make a home to be sure.

Well, quite a lot happened in this chapter huh?

Erza leaving squad 11 might upset a few people, and I understand that, believe me I do, but fairytail has a strict, no killing belief. After seeing what Zaraki did and have NO consequence's for it, she just didn't feel comfortable with the idea, so she left.

Lisanna was ALWAYS planed to be in this eventually, while im very glad she was brought back to life in cannon...Nothing was really DONE with her. I liked her character a lot and decided that it would be best, for this story atleast, that she ACTUALLY died, and became a soul reaper. As of now, she is stronger than Erza, and while you CAN expect that to change eventually, I plan on her playing a significant role in this for the Erza's shikai, Tetsu no Tama! For a long time, I had a hard time figuring out just what its ability's and name would be, but, in the end, im happy with the result.

Its power is simple really. The swords cutting power is increased by a large amount, and has the ability to change into any weapon she desires,T he only catch is that it has to be a MELEE weapon. So, no guns, and no arrows or anything long range. Spears, Katana's , Lances, Long swords, Broadswords, great swords and many more on the other hand, ARE all available to her.

Then there's the dragon strike. More or less, its a technique similar to the getsuga tenshou. However, as you'll see as you continue to read, there is more to this move than meets the eye.

Lisanna's zanpaktou were ORIGNALLY going to be lighting nun chucks, but I figured what we went with worked better, given her tiger soul she uses in cannon.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I sure know I did. Please, feel free to leave your thoughts in a review which I would greatly appreciate, , or even ask me some questions in a PM if you want.