Bleach: The Forgotten Captain - The Memoirs of Akari Miyazaki

Chapter 22: Sara

Everything around me seemed unreal. I felt as though I were in a dream from which I could not awaken.

The rustling of the wind through the leaves of the trees brought me back to reality. How merciless it was. I wished I could have lingered a moment longer before taking the step that would determine my future.

"Not just mine," scolded a voice within me, and the faces of all the people I loved flashed before me. Their futures, too, could depend on this moment.

I gripped the hilt of my sword and took a deep, deliberate breath. I filled my lungs with air and savored every second, every heartbeat of my body. The rush of blood in my ears, the tickle of the wind on my skin. I had never felt more alive than in this moment.

If Suzaku's plan failed, this life would be over.

My concentration hardened. I pulled myself out of my daydreams and focused entirely. A final thought went to Kiuske, then I cleared my mind of any distractions.

I released my Reiatsu. Within seconds, Shinigami poured onto the street in front of the sixth division of the Gotei 13. Some drew their swords, while others simply stared at me with wide eyes.

"Who is she?" one shouted.

"Fetch the captain!" another yelled. A Shinigami ran off, and I made no move to stop him.

Yes, go get your captain, I thought grimly but had no intention of raising my sword.

A tingling on my neck alerted me that someone was about to attack me. I swung my sword and struck the young Shinigami on the head with the hilt.

"How rude. You shouldn't just attack strangers like that," I said, and the Shinigami picked himself up from the ground.

"A stranger with a drawn Zanpakuto! I see that as a threat!" He wanted to raise his sword again, but a voice interrupted him, gently but firmly.

"Leave it. I'll handle her."

"Yes, Captain Aizen!"

I slowly turned my body in the direction of my opponent, who had put on a friendly face. He gave me a smile, but in his eyes, I saw the threat he posed.

"Akari. It's been a while. I wouldn't have thought you'd reappear here again. I thought you had slowly accepted your banishment."

"I have. I'm only here because of you, Captain Aizen." I turned my sword so the tip pointed in his direction.

"We've been through this already, Akari. Your limitation makes it impossible for you to defeat me, and even if you could, the other captains would be here within minutes to deal with you."

"Oh, a few minutes are all I need to destroy you."

Aizen sighed, as if he were trying to admonish a stubborn child. I put on a wide grin.

"I know it must be hard for you. Urahara promised you a lot for your cooperation in his experiments, and you were just a young girl. Blind with love. Don't make the mistake of staining your hands further, Akari."

His attempts to provoke me were amusing. I knew he was trying to get me to react. He had been waiting for a moment like this for a long time.

Sosuke had suspected for a long time that I was Seshiro's daughter, but he had never found concrete proof. I would serve it to him on a silver platter, giving him a sense of superiority and satisfaction, just to throw him off balance for a moment.

"You don't need to provoke me; I have enough anger within me. I recently learned that you're responsible not only for my brother's death but for my entire family's. So, I carry enough rage within me to pursue you for the rest of my life."