The Noble Sort

A/N: As usual, all the important information is lurking in the notes of the first two parts.

Enjoy!

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"The Noble Sort"

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"We've got visual, taichou!" One of the technicians shouted, and Kurotsuchi and Sasakibe turned to the large screen that dominated an entire wall of the room.

"Pull it up! Then get to work on the release waiver and set up a decent containment field. Their reiatsu alone could destroy the surrounding buildings."

The technician gaped at him but turned to do as he asked, weaving around the many others working to get the release waiver taken care of and the area contained.

Both men's attention was immediately captured by the images on the large screen, though, as Minako and the fuku-taizhou of Zero flicked into life on the screen. He had her down on the ground, immobilized, in what seemed to be a grassy field in the park.

"—we were doing our fucking jobs while the rest of you were ignoring his schemes."

"Rape is not like accidentally putting in a bad time-morph code, Matsu!"

At this exclamation from the woman they both looked at each other; one more question answered.

"Yes, I took advantage of you. You want the full truth, then? Fine. I'll give it to you. You pranced around your oji-san's house like you were ten times better than the rest of us, Zero or not. The perfect little shinigami brat, that's what they called you. So when they pointed out that you were taichou-level but would never make it, I fucking took advantage of it."

"The containment field should be ready in less than a minute, taichou!"

"Release waiver is taken care of, sirs!"

But their attention was still on the screen, especially Sasakibe's. His eyebrows were steadily climbing to his hairline, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

"It was pay back. Poor little Minako, so helpless strapped to that gurney. Definite role reversal for you, wasn't it? Does that make you feel better? If it had been anyone else, they would've been safe. But you, you little bitch, you had it coming."

"If she doesn't kill him, I'll help taichou do it myself," Sasakibe hissed.

"Get off me," they heard her hiss.

"What? Does this bring back memories, Minako? Does it scare you? Or does it bring up better memories, hmm? Vegas in '93? Me fucking you in the bathroom of Pyro when we went to London?"

"It pisses me off!"

"Do you think he realizes exactly how much trouble he's gotten himself into?" Kurostsuchi asked drolly. Sasakibe fought the urge to slap him—he didn't see how he could be calm while watching this. He knew they were friends, had once been very close to each other.

"Well, you've been pissing me off for the last two centuries. So much better than the rest of us. Even when you were a defector, a fucking traitor! Even then you were too good for me, for any man. You threw it all back in my face. Even threw that ring back at me after years of leading me on, letting me think that I might have had a chance with you."

"Containment field is operational, taichou!"

"Thank the Kami for that bit of self-preservation!"

They watched as his right arm swung backward, jabbing at her stomach. Then he pushed her roughly aside, jumping up. They could see the crimson stain blooming on the red dress she wore, even see her hand clenching as she fought not to grab it in reflex.

"Did he—"

Kurotsuchi glanced over at him. "Should we have a medical team on standby?"

A look of indecision crossed the First Division's fuku-taichou's face, but he shook his head.

"As few people as possible. There are already at least a dozen technicians who will know about this now," he said, his eyes sweeping through the room. "No more."

Kurotsuchi just shrugged.

Sasakibe turned suddenly, his eyes locking onto one of the technicians nearest him.

"You," Sasakibe growled as he grabbed the passing technician by the white lab coat they all wore, "go get the sou-taichou. Tell him it's an emergency involving Red Team."

The startled man nodded quickly, the papers he had scattering to the floor as he took off through the doors at a record pace.

"I won't fucking kill you. I don't think I could, either. But it's done. Over. You come after me or Nishiori again and I won't hesitate to make sure someone takes care of you. Consider it payment for what I did."

"You don't get to decide that! It's not your decision!"

"Fuck off, Minako. Go home."

They watched as she struggled to her knees, grabbing her sword before standing up and charging at him, only to be interrupted by a smaller body slamming into her from the left and a screeched "no!"

"What the fuck, Akane!"

"The containment field message just came through. You can release! But you can't fucking charge in at him like that—you'll get yourself killed! How many times have you told me to stop and think before I act a fool?"

"Back up, Akane."

"Sensei—"

"Back up!" they heard her scream before she roughly pushed the younger woman backwards repeatedly. "We'll knock you out if you don't. You won't be able to handle the pressure."

"I don't want to do this, Minako…but I will if you leave me no choice."

"You don't get a choice. Go, Akane!"

The redhead hesitated before apparently deciding it would be better to listen and then ran backwards, out of their view, as the two facing off in the middle of the park forced off their gigai and held their weapons out.

"Why do you have to be so difficult, Minako?"

"You should have thought of that before you started all of this."

Then waves of reiatsu were tearing through the park in circular arcs that would have ripped up trees and destroyed the buildings on the nearby streets if the containment field hadn't been set up. They both heard a technician in the background gasp at the power of the two fighters—most of them were now watching the encounter on the screen, not their station monitors.

"Leave me a body to dissect, Minako!" Kurotsuchi called out to the figure on the screen. His technicians just stared, in awe of their taichou's levity and the battle commencing on the screen.

"Let's hope she's alive when it's done," Sasakibe muttered, clenching his fists.

Kurotsuchi turned to him, eyes wide with surprise.

"You doubt her? Have you ever fought against her?" He leered at the older man, a nasty smirk on his face. "Don't underestimate her power; they did so and it's gotten them killed."

"Indeed, Kurotsuchi," the sou-taichou remarked dryly as he appeared behind them, eyes already focused on the screen.

All they could see was fire.

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She didn't give him time to react as she let her reiatsu loose; she screamed at Hidaruma mentally—it would be his job to control them now since he had shown he could if they dared release all of her reiatsu—before screaming out "Kogasu!"

Every bit of ground within a twenty foot radius was immediately covered in hundreds of small flames, many of which were separate from the roiling fire taking over the grass. They rose slowly as she spun around, each separate flame rising into the air and zooming off to settle all around the field.

"Now that—that I don't remember seeing in your file," Matsu said, his zanpakutou—a short sword of some sort—held in a defensive stance in front of him.

"There are things about me oji-san made sure to keep out of any file in Seireitei," she growled, and then she was gone, zigzagging across the field with quick shunpo steps. "The few who've seen this didn't live to talk about it, either."

Their blades clanged as they met, the sheer force behind his swing throwing her backwards and into the air.

"How do you like my zanpakutou?" he asked whimsically. "Kairiki is very deceptive—small and easy to hide, but released—"

He flicked the short sword, muttering out "chikarazukude," and the sword elongated, thickened, taking on the appearance of a large European broadsword. She could feel the reiatsu swirling around it, see how it could hit with as little force from him as possible but still push someone back as it utilized his reishi.

"How fitting," she said, disdain dripping from her words. "A deceptive zanpakutou for a deceptive man."

"And yours?" he said, grasping his sword with both hands and raising it in the air. "Constantly something hidden, something waiting in the wings. Don't think I've forgotten about that large fire you've started behind you."

"Insurance."

"Oh?" He pushed off his heel and raced toward her, his sword hammering down on her own and forcing her to bow her back and throw a leg back to even stay upright. She threw out her left hand, though, and one of the flames scattered about the battlefield zoomed into it at a speed no one could track.

She shoved it into his shoulder before he was able to even contemplate moving backwards.

"Bitch!" he shouted as he grabbed his right shoulder. It was smoking terribly, the suit he had worn that night literally welded to his skin.

She sent him an evil grin.

He flashed in her periphery, and she realized he was trying to come around her, to bear down on her from the side or the back, and she once again threw her left arm out. This time, though, she flashed through the air, coming to rest at one ball of flame she had called to from across the field.

His eyebrows rose comically, his sword falling a little in the air.

"What—"

"A hell of my own making, Matsu. I use them how I want. Just imagine fighting me in my barriers."

And they were off again, she using the flames scattered about to transport herself or attack him, he zooming behind her with his unbelievably fast shunpo or bearing down on her with his sword and massive waves of reiatsu. Their swords could be heard as they crashed together periodically, but nothing was visible other than a few quick reflections of the moonlight or the orange glow of the fire on the blades.

It was like a crazy game of tag. She was continually trying to stay a step ahead of him—his attacks were too powerful to fight him close-range. Thankfully, while she was well-trained for close combat, her attacks tended to be made for long-range damage.

They continued battling around the park, the balls of flame disappearing at a record pace as they were used. The light was slowly dimming as dozens of them disappeared every minute.

Then, there was a particularly loud boom as his sword swept hers aside, and Minako flew across the field into a tree.

"Ow," she huffed, wiping the blood from her chin.

She pushed up off of the ground, her eyes scanning the field for her opponent but not seeing him. There were barely fifty bell flames left, she realized, right before she saw his dark form materialize from the shadows to her right and zoom toward her.

"Kasei!" she screamed as he ran towards her, and the circle of flame she had created earlier was suddenly gone.

There was loud rumble from the earth below them as the ground split open around her, flame shooting up from the newly created crevice. She heard his muttered exclamation of surprise just as he slid to a stop barely three feet in front of the wall of flame that was blocking him from her.

He should have moved.

"Hibashira!" she screamed as her left hand shot into the air, and he screamed as the pillar of flame she was known for caught him.

"Shit!" she heard him screech as he flapped around, trying to pull the now-melted and smoldering clothing away from his burned skin. She smiled as she let her head fall back against the tree she was leaning up against; not only had she caught him, she'd bought some time to catch her breath. He wouldn't dare come through the wall of flame now.

Well, everyone's injured, but I'd say we're doing pretty good.

She gave a dry laugh.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, shishi.

Well, we can't keep this up much longer. We have forty-six flames left.

We've already used that many? She exclaimed mentally, surprised that they had already gone through over two hundred of them.

You've got to end it soon.

I know, she gasped out as she pushed off of the ground and climbed to her feet. One more hit like that and we're done. My ribs are already broken.

Stay back from him. Throw them at him or try and catch him with Hibashira again. Keep it long-range. Your sword fighting skills won't help you here, you know that. Get too close and you're dead.

She nodded.

Kidō?

No, not here. Trap him. Three seals should hold him long enough to bombard him with it.

He won't stay still long enough for that. We'll have to—

Not enough energy for six, onna. Form them wide and then pull them in around him.

"Ryōken-Jigoku no Akazora: Kaze-ni," she stuttered out as she coughed up the blood now trickling down her throat. Her sword immediately widened, the six etched seals appearing before her eyes.

Ready, shishi?

He grinned darkly in her mind, fangs glistening.

She stepped through the curtain of flame, instantly spotting Matsu across the field still trying to pull his clothes off. He had gotten out of his jacket and button-up, but his undershirt and pants were literally glued to his skin, impossible to remove without medical assistance.

"In pain, Matsu?" she called as she stepped out of the shadow.

A dark look crossed his face as he raised his sword, and before he could finish calling out his attack she flashed to the right, her hand swiping across the first seal. With her shout of "Dai-Ichi Raimon: Kai!" the sigil lit up, a flash of lightning striking the ground behind him.

She flashed to the right again, not a second before his sword crashed down in the spot she had been standing. The tree that had been behind her was gone, now, splintered into toothpick-sized pieces of wood.

"Dai-ni Himon: Kai!" she called out as she swept her left hand across the second sigil, and a new bit of flame popped up at the second point of the triangle. She flashed away again but he managed to catch her with his attack, and she felt the concussive force of his reishi smash against her right side, the bones in her leg and arm cracking painfully.

"Fuck!" she screamed as she appeared right behind her first seal, staggering from the pain.

He was walking slowly towards her now, stepping into the middle of the field. He was grinning as if he had already won—smug bastard—his sword down at his side.

"Did that hurt, precious?" he sneered. "It won't hurt long, I promise."

She literally slammed her left hand against her blade, swiping it across the third seal and screaming out "Dai-san Tenkamon! Sanmon no Akazora!" He made one quick last attempt to get to her but as the third seal appeared and the barrier lines trapped him he was forced to a stop, the seal glowing in front of him.

"Release me," he growled, and she grinned at him as her left hand flicked in the air, drawing the triangle barrier closer around him. She left barely a five foot radius surrounding him before stepping back and allowing herself to fall to the grass.

"You are one stubborn son-of-a-bitch, you know that?"

He glared at her, one piece of burned hair falling to sit on his forehead.

He raised his sword high into the air above his head. "I'll blow through it, Minako," he warned, but before he could finish his stroke she forced her right arm up, palm facing him, and brought her left up in the air.

"Hibashira!"

The pillar of flame shot out of the earth and engulfed him as the few dozen balls of flame still scattered about the field zoomed toward her barrier. They floated around the pillar of flame until it subsided, then attached to his body and exploded.

When it was done he lay unmoving on the ground, his body smoking.

She flopped back with a heavy thud. She could feel Akane pacing near the street, waiting for her reiatsu to disappear so she could approach. Not five seconds after she contained it the girl was standing over her, a concerned look on her face.

"Lesson number two, Akane: if you're prepared to face someone in battle, never hesitate." She sent a dark glare to the sprawled form of her old lover. "It gets you killed."

"I'll remember that, sensei."

"I think I ruined your dress," she coughed out, throwing her left arm in the air for the girl to help her up. Akane grabbed her hand and pulled hard, jerking her to her feet and putting an arm around her waist. She hissed as the girl's hand met her ribs but didn't say anything; it hurt but she needed the support with her leg fractured.

"It'll be alright. At least you weren't fighting hand to hand—you would've flashed him." Akane gestured to the body in front of them and she waved her left hand, the barrier disappearing as they moved toward him.

"Lesson number three, Akane," she said, her voice hard as they approached the smoldering thing in front of them. "The double-tap."

"Huh—"

Akane was cut off by Minako stabbing the point of her sword through his neck and twisting it. There was no blood to be released by the wounds, but it didn't matter. There was now a large gaping hole in his throat.

He wasn't breathing; she couldn't feel the slightest twinge of reiatsu from his body.

"What the hell was that, sensei?"

"Don't kill them once, kill them twice. High level opponents have a nasty way of staying alive." She sighed as she shakily slid Hidaruma into his sheath. "Heh. And I didn't think I could kill him. Sure showed me, huh?"

"You have issues, sensei," the girl said as they began to move toward the car. "But it was a good battle."

"My issues have issues, girl. And trust me, it could've gone better. Oji-san can just wave his sword and incinerate them; I have to combine attacks to get the job done." She hopped valiantly across the field, bleeding and in pain, but spared the body behind them one last look. "You gonna take care of him?"

"I'm pretty sure Sasakibe already has someone on it. How the hell did you think I got the release and containment field?"

She gave the girl a dirty look as she helped her into the passenger seat of the car.

"I really wasn't worried about it then, to be honest." She gingerly pulled on her seatbelt, wincing as it hit broken bones and tender flesh. "Shit. My purse—"

"Already got it," the girl said, jerking her thumb toward the backseat. "And a nifty little souvenir."

Minako turned slowly and glanced in the backseat. Her eyebrows shot up when she saw her gigai, shoes, purse, and—oh. She couldn't stop the silly grin that bloomed on her face, and she shook her head as Akane got in the driver's seat.

"You're learning well, young Jedi."

She turned the keys in the ignition, a devious smile forming on her youthful face.

"I learn from the best, Obi-wan. So what now?" she asked as they pulled away from the curb.

"Just get me home and get someone to heal me."

"Hai, sensei."

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"Nemu, collect the body and take care of any visible damage."

"Hai, Mayuri-sama," she replied softly as she moved to collect two of the division members at one of the far stations. They were gone quickly, without a backward glance at the room or the screen showing the man they were going to collect for dissection.

"Make sure his body is never found," the sou-taichou said, and Kurotsuchi grinned deviously. Many of the technicians in the room cringed and shrunk into themselves; the sou-taichou was in a mood and the taichou was smiling too much for comfort.

"Of course." The painted man turned to the fuku-taichou between them, still smirking. "Will you underestimate her again?"

The man shook his head, still stunned at the impressive display of power from the fighters. He had never seen Minako-sama fight; it was a surprise of untold proportions to see how strong she truly was. It was little wonder she had been trusted with taking out three members of Zero.

"Sasakibe, get Hikaru and take her to them. She'll enjoy the chance to fuss over the girl."

He nodded at his taichou and literally disappeared from view.

Kurotsuchi moved to a computer not ten feet away, smile still glued to his face.

"Why was she never a taichou again, sou-taichou?"

The old man didn't reply; he simply turned on his heel, slowly making his way out of the room and to his quarters in the First Division's barracks.

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A/N: Yeah, so NOT how that was supposed to go. Let me share something with you guys, and any fellow writers will understand this: Matsu took over. He wasn't supposed to be this guy, not from Zero, any of it. He started as just some human she had a relationship with. Well, about chapter 19 he rebelled, deciding he wouldn't just be a small-time guy. He wanted to be more. His personality is crazy, constantly changing—the psychological issues this character has are unreal. I don't think I even understand the character I created anymore. But it worked, amazingly, so I let him have his way. Then, in this chapter, he just changed everything around. My nice, scripted battle went out the window because he wanted something different.

My entire plot changed at the whim of one fictional character. It constantly amazes me how much fictional characters can take hold of the story and make it what they want, not what you want. It's not the first time I've had it happen, but it's never been like this.

And the Japanese Translations:

Kogasu: Scorch

Kasei: Conflagration

Hibashira: Pillar of Flame

Kairiki: Unbelievable strength (not exact)

Chikarazukude: By sheer strength (not exact)

Ryōken-Jigoku no Akazora: Kaze-ni: Hellhound of the Red Sky, on the Wind!

Dai-ichi Raimon: Kai!: First Gate, Lightning, Release

Dai-ni Himon: Kai!: Second Gate, Fire, Release

Dai-san Tenkamon! Sanmon no Akazora!: Third Gate, Fire from Lightning! Three Gates of the Red Sky!

Oogama: Scythe