Purgatory [Bleach Fanfiction]

8. Entanglement

[A]s his feet touched down beside her, the white-haired taichō moved swiftly to inspect the injured woman.

Initially attributing her condition to the mysterious rifts they were investigating, he couldn't shake the sense of familiarity in her features and the gentle resonance of her reiatsu with his own.

Lost in his thoughts, he began to seal her bleeding wounds with precision, utilizing his ice abilities to prevent further harm.

"Taichō?" The voice of a certain strawberry-haired fukutaicho broke his concentration as she appeared nearby, her right hand secured around the hilt of her sheathed zanpakutō — a stance ready for any potential threats.

"Why'd you just vanish like that?" she questioned, her gaze shifting to the injured woman lying amidst the mud and blood.

"Matsumoto, can you apply healing kidō?" he asked, turning to his trusted lieutenant.

"I'm not exactly a healing kidō expert, but I'll give it a shot," she replied, moving closer to the injured woman. "Though, I doubt it'll do much. Her wounds look—" Her voice trailed off as she examined the woman closely. "Wait a minute... she looks familiar, almost like—"

"Do you recognize her?" he interjected, his curiosity piqued.

"Taichō, doesn't she bear a resemblance to Kurosaki Ichigo?" Matsumoto suggested, her uncertainty lingering in her voice, though her observation sparked a realization within her taichō.

"Ah," he muttered, a sudden flash of recognition hitting him. "Kurosaki Karin?"

His words seemed to jolt Matsumoto into the same realization.

"Of course, it's her," Matsumoto declared, her voice gaining confidence. "No wonder she felt so familiar. But... How could she have been injured so badly?"

"I wish I knew. I've managed to stop her bleeding with my ice, but we need to act fast and get her to Kurosaki Orihime's. That's our best chance to save her," the taichō responded bluntly, with a hint of masked urgency resonating in his tone.

As Tōshirō gently lifted the injured woman, he noticed a wetness spreading onto his sleeve, drawing his attention.

At first, he thought it might've been from the mix of mud and blood, but as his palm laid flat on her back, he felt the edges of a gash against his skin.

Just how injured was she?

Using his ice abilities, Tōshirō sealed her wounds, stating, "Matsumoto, I'll take her to the Kurosakis. You update the others. She may have encountered something from the rifts. Proceed with caution—"

Before Tōshirō could finish speaking, a spiraling attack hurtled their way, its ominous energy palpable even before its arrival.

A cero. It was unmistakable.

Tōshirō, burdened with the weight of the raven-haired woman, attempted to block the attack. Yet, despite his efforts, the cero crashed nearby, enveloping them in a cloud of dust.

Matsumoto swiftly positioned herself between her taichō and their assailant, her zanpakutō raised in defense.

As the dust settled, a malevolent chuckle filled the air, and an unknown presence emerged from the shadows.

"What brings shinigamis like you here?" the intruder demanded, his intimidating aura unmistakable.

The shorter stature man recognized him instantly. "You're an arrancar."

The man's lips curled into a sinister grin, the remnants of a jaw-like hollow mask on his face only accentuating his predatory stance. "Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez," he declared, his eyes darkening with malice.