Purgatory [Bleach Fanfiction]

7. Reunion

[I]n the face of their assailant's ominous threats, time seemed to freeze, and as the rain resumed, the cloaked figure became even more menacing in the eerie darkness.

A vicious kick from the sinister figure sent Karin skidding across the gritty ground, leaving her breathless and battered.

Struggling to her knees, Karin clutched her abdomen, grimacing through coughs of blood.

Natsumi, alarmed by that, attempted to approach but found herself swiftly seized by the assailant, effortlessly lifted off the ground.

"Be a sweetheart and stay still, unless you want to experience firsthand what these hands can do," he taunted, unsheathing a blade with a chilling gesture.

Shivers raced down Karin's spine as she faced the one-sided assault, her defiant glare met with a sinister chuckle. "Let her go!" she demanded, unwavering against their tormentor.

The assailant narrowed his gazed and tightened his grip on Natsumi, relishing in her struggles.

Gritting her teeth, Karin summoned the bits of her Reiatsu she could adeptly control, casting a defiant spell. "Hado #33, Sokatsui (Blue Fire, Crash Down)," she pronounced, releasing a torrent of blue flame at the attacker.

In that crucial moment, his grip seemed to loosen, and Natsumi dropped to the ground coughing. Swiftly blending into the shadows, the assailant's eerie voice echoed, "Hoh? You can use Kidō? Too bad, you missed."

Ignoring the pain, Karin spat bitterly, "I knew it... wouldn't work."

From the hidden darkness, the figure arched an eyebrow, demanding, "Then?"

Cool and collected, Karin elaborated, "It's a signal. A sudden surge in my Reiatsu will surely draw attention. Reinforcements will be here soon."

"My target isn't you, anyway." the figure scoffed, and shouted, unfazed by the revelation,

Sensing the subtle implication, Karin swiftly moved to shield Natsumi at her side. Chuckles resonated around them again, and in an instant, an impact sent Karin colliding into a nearby tree. Struggling to rise, the figure materialized once more.

Time seemed to stretch as the assailant's blade menacingly approached Natsumi from behind.

Karin's urgent screams, "Out of the way," echoed, but before the blade could strike, a crashing sound and a swirling mist of dust engulfed the scene.

Natsumi's voice, filled with bewilderment, broke through the chaos, "K-karin? H-how?"

In that moment, Karin realized she had moved with astonishing speed, holding the assailant's Zanpakutō in one hand that was now dripping with blood and Natsumi in the other.

As her mind raced to grasp the situation, she questioned the swiftness of her movements. It couldn't have been shunpō.

Snapping back to reality, her gaze sharp Karin whispered a command to Natsumi, "Natsumi-chan, there's gotta be a reason you're trying to escape from this guy, right?"

"K-karin?"

"Got it! No need for explanations now. Get out of here. I'll buy time until reinforcements arrive."

"But Karin, what if—"

"Nothing's happening to me. He made it clear I'm not his target. The moment you're gone, he'll be after you. I'll hold him off. You've got a couple of minutes to vanish and stay hidden. Wait until I come for you." Karin's words, firm and decisive, leaving Natsumi with no choice but to nod in agreement.

"Okay, be careful." As those words left Natsumi's lips, the assailant growled, "What's your little scheme?"

He lunged into another attack, slashing ferociously at Karin. Swift as ever, Karin dropped Natsumi and nimbly ducked beneath the incoming strike.

Using the opening, Natsumi utilized shunpō, disappearing from the scene.

"You fucking little brat," the assailant snarled. As expected, he begin to give chase, his eyes fixed on Natsumi.

Seizing the advantage, Karin grabbed him from behind, her hand coiled around his neck, squeezing with determination. "Run, Natsumi-chan."

As Natsumi vanished into the shadows, Karin briefly believed she had outmaneuvered the monster. Until, a sinister chuckle echoed, and he retaliated by elbowing her abdomen with surprising force.

"Your move was foolish. Just because you're not my target doesn't mean I won't kill you."

The impact of the blow sent shockwaves through Karin's body. Her hand instantly released its grip, and she lost her footing, crashing onto the dirty, muddy ground.

Wet clothes clung to her, weighing her down, while her vision spun with disorientation.

"But I can't kill ya, not my orders. My boss wants you bad, Karin Kurosaki, or should I say, Karin Shiba?" The assailant's eerie chuckle filled the air as he approached.

Flipping his Zanpakutō with the blade facing down, he unleashed a strike, impaling her without mercy.

Blood gushed from her mouth, her body sprawled on the muddy ground, the puddles of water now merging with her life's essence.

"If you're lucky, you won't die, Karin. Until our paths cross again." With those chilling words, he withdrew his blade from her flesh, earning another gasp of blood before vanishing away.

Lying there, beaten and defeated, with the sound of rain echoing loudly in her ears.

As consciousness waned, her breath grew labored.

In the fleeting moments before her eyes closed, a man of moderate stature materialized above her, gracefully employing shunpō. Clad in a black shihakusho, a shinigami with a white haori, his white hair and teal eyes conveyed genuine concern as he began to land near her.

'He looks familiar,' were her final thoughts before succumbing to the depths of utter darkness.