Before she even knew what she was doing, Rukia tackled the ostrich. Sharp winds flew past the duo, sending scarlet petals into the air like flying blood.
Her inhuman strength launched the pair back for quite a distance before they began skidding and stopped. Rukia held her head, her skull hit the dense bones of the flightless bird, causing her to feel shaken, her vision filled with motes of multi-coloured lights.
The ground began reverberating wildly. Causing the Kuchiki princess and jet-black ostrich to rise to their feet. "Wow, there—?!" A jolt of pain from the back of her head alerted the young woman to the oncoming attack, ramming her left shoulder into one of the bird's legs. Helping to support the injured creature, the duo seemed to understand each other despite the obvious lack of language.
"Now—" A large shadow loomed over the duo; the insect Vinter Beast destroyed the area like a living disaster.
'Will you let me finish talking?!'
Rukia had enough of the constant thrashing of the bug. Her companion agreed as the bird decided to become a living spear once more; a fire was lit in the bird's eyes. A saying came to mind, 'There is nothing more dangerous than a cornered animal.'
Readying herself, the Soul Reaper conducted a quiet chant, vivid violet flames covered the edge of her blade, burning with the condensed might of a dozen infernos. Looking at her barely visible reflection in the blade-she smiled.
Constantly fighting to survive had sharpened her skills; if she could be proud of anything, it was for that fact, that fact brought her a fraction of solace.
Without warning, Rukia launched herself like an arrow that had been fired by a master marksman. Following behind her, the ostrich ran like a crazed warrior. The Beast's long, powerful legs caused the earth to shake.
The millipede had been blinded, and blood oozed from its destroyed eyes. Causing the others to be covered in shields of orange, with its vision distorted, it could only flail about wildly.
Before it could even understand what happened, it felt both sharp and scorching pain. A guttural scream of anguish escaped its mouth, reverberating throughout the spine ecosystem.
From beneath it, Rukia and the ostrich were wreaking havoc on the giant creature's body. A crazed smile swept over the black haired young woman's face. Sweeping arcs, burning carapace segments-then finally the monster's wails of pain.
An overpowering type of fiendish glee filled her being with each wail she heard from the massive monster; its once-dominating shadow became nothing more than a mere shade.
'This isn't enough! I'm not satisfied yet!' Many armoured legs attempted to skewer her, only for them to be parried, then destroyed by a well-placed strike from the avian Vinter Beast.
Rukia was the vanguard that made way for the ostrich, deflecting attacks from the multitude of armoured legs, as well as the occasional whip tail attack using one of her Bakudo barriers.
The thrill of the battle, each passing second, every ragged breath, every drop of sweat made her feel alive, she questioned perhaps—
Perhaps she was strong enough on her own without her zanpakuto spirit, Lady Yoruichi and Lieutenant Ise fought without theirs, perhaps she could be the same?
A cry broke the young woman out of her contemplation. Strings of tangerine coloured webs wrapped around the Kuchiki princess's body.
'Crap!' "Don't come any closer!" Rukia warned the ostrich who narrowly avoided the pincers of the millipede. With a second of concentration, she recited the same spell for her blade with over five times the amount of spiritual energy prior.
"Bring it on! You…um…uh big bastard!" 'Insults are harder to come up with than I thought.' Taking to the air, the dark-haired Soul Reaper launched several flame waves. The millipede seemed to have sensed the attacks as it used its legs to kick up the earth to block.
"Big and smart? Really? Isn't that cheating—ahh!" Falling to the ground in agony while her avian comrade screamed in concern.
Gripping her right wrist with her left hand, a grimace crossed her beautiful face. Even with the flames covering her sword, the katana's freezing nature devoured the heat in her body like a poor man at a feast.
Slowing blood flow, numbing the sensations in her hand and cracking flesh, these things were a constant in the field, all weaknesses her original sword posed to her.
With groggy steps, Rukia began rising to her feet, refusing to submit to such an ability, "Okay, if you want to eat away at the heat in my body, then you wouldn't mind if I gave you a feast!"
An explosion fired off, scorching the land beneath her, filling the area with an incandescent violet light. The flames surged around her body as if being embraced by a living flame. Flying back, the two monsters were forced to stabilize themselves as they received the brunt of the shockwave.
Sections of the abomination's hardened carapace were scorched asunder, and the scent of burning flowers and scorched arthropod anatomy filled the air. Ignoring the vile scent that suffocated the surroundings alongside the smoke and rising ash.
The Kuchiki princess rushed for the head of her enemy.
Sickening orange light covered the pincers of the beast again. With the limited movement available to the monster, it attempted to crush or simply destroy its purple foe.
Rukia danced through the air, her blade was her ribbon, carving colourful arcs before her. Terrible screams filled the cavern once more, deep gashes appearing on the large insect's weapon.
Onyx and purple eyes met, in the former unbridled rage was etched inside of them, promising a slow and painful demise. Rukia's own had been covered in her flames; however the mischievous glint within them could be hidden.
Through the sound of whipping fire, the Soul Reaper shouted, "Wish I could feel sorry for you!" Before the insect could decipher the flame elemental's words, it felt a huge pressure build up near its tail—an acute pain shot through its form.
Standing proudly on the back of the insect was the ostrich covered in the vile blood of the bug, a cocky expression within its eyes, if the insect had eyelids Rukia would assume it would be blinking rather comically.
Sadly, that would not happen—
"Run cold like the world…" A minor incantation drew the attention of both Vinter Beasts, the fire elemental that was Rukia had changed, replacing the roaring violet flames with unfeeling azure lightning. Being wiser than the insect that had been attacking her, the ostrich had taken the momentary pause of her foe to flee.
Feeling the weight that had been pressing on its form vanish, the insect charged at the Soul Reaper, palpable killing intent filling every cell of its being. It rushed forward with tremendous speed, shocking for its current condition.
With an exhausted tone, "I wish I could say it's been fun, but that would be a lie."
She was fast.
That was all that the giant millipede could think prior to being severed in half. Rukia moved with tremendous speed, bisecting the monster down the middle. Two enormous halves of the great beast fell with a heavy bang.
Her mantle of lightning disappeared with a quiet rain of sparks, checking on her reserves, Rukia frowned.
"I'm down to 45%? Hmm, maybe using the Dream Fire cloak and the Sea Lightning cloak was not the smartest idea. Urgh, it doesn't matter." Whipping her head from side to side, "Umm…mama ostrich! Where are you?!"
Descending, the young woman focused on a particular indent. A mound of black feathers was ruffling as tiny squeaks reached her ears.
Without any reservations, Rukia approached. The frequency of the squeaks seemed to rise the closer she was to the mound of feathers, peering from behind the large ostrich the young woman wailed.
"Ehh! Haha! You're all so soft and warm! I love you guys!" The young woman grabbed the tiny avian Vinter Beasts. The mother of the infant ostriches saw her four children being nuzzled by her ally. The small flightless birds all began to wail at the sudden action, a cacophony of surprise ringing out through the spine cavern.
The Soul Reaper's cheekbones became more prominent, the speed of her heartbeat increasing, a flood of joy escaped her being affecting the tiny lifeforms in her arms. The little creatures all looked like slightly smaller iterations of their mother, same black feathers, grey heads and golden-plated legs and beaks.
'Aah! I wish I could stay like this forever!' A part of the young woman wanted to simply stay that way, however, another deeper squeak drew both her and the chicks in her arms' attention.
Rukia became flustered as she turned to see the infant's mother staring directly at her, "Oh, sorry about that." 'Focus, Rukia! You're the head of the Kuchiki clan for Soul King's sake!'
Quick pattering feet hit the floor as the little birds circled their mother, the raven-haired woman and the large ostrich shared a glance. "Protect them all right. Kids should grow up with their parents." 'Are you really giving advice to a bird?' A cynical voice rose from the back of the young woman's mind.
A low grumbling rung out, catching the attention of the family of Vinter Beasts. Scarlet touched her cheeks, scratching the back of her head. The Soul Reaper looked at the corpse of the slain millipede. Pointing a finger using a gentle tone, "Mind if I take a bit of that guy? He seems a bit much for even all of you." A nod was her sign of affirmation.
***
"Ugh, done! It took a few minutes, but that's it."
Whipping away as a stray bead of sweat Rukia looked to the four wide eyed baby ostriches, she was standing near the tail end of the abominable arthropod. A cube created from cerulean light floated behind her, only shadows were visible to indicate the sizes of the hacked off flesh of her dead foe.
"KAAAH!" Grabbing the attention of everyone present was the mother ostrich. Her children ran towards the ostrich mother with unrestrained joy in their eyes as if she had returned to them after being apart for years.
Rukia saw how the larger bird gently patted her children's head with her golden beak. A sign of affection that caused the young woman to feel as though she had been struck with an arrow through the heart due to the cuteness of the scene.
"No, no, no! Stay focused Rukia, it's time to go." With one last look towards the happy family the young woman took to the skies, leaving the monster filled spine cavern for the snow covered hellscape.
Instantly a gust of frigid wind struck Rukia, forcing a scowl onto her face. "This bug meat better be some good bait or else this trip was for nothing." Her grumbling stomach seemed to echo out over the snow covered stone spires, the cube of cerulean light followed behind the Soul Reaper like an obedient hound.
From above, the Frozen Frontier seemed like a lifeless land too extreme in its weather to allow any life to propagate.
That would be a deadly assumption—
Jagged mountain sides and treacherous environment forced its residents to adapt, many eyes of varying hues hid beneath the hail. The rules of nature were in full swing, the battle of the ostrich mother and millipede were testament of that fact if Rukia had not intervened in the duel then that insect would have retired with a full stomach.
"RAAAAH!" A roar from right ahead of the young woman shook her out of her contemplation, a large silhouette was obscured by the haze of the snow.
"Is it cruel to go after another bird after I just rescued one?" Placing her hand to her chin the Kuchiki princess contemplated, for five seconds before shrugging. "If anything it should be alright, I saved five birds after all. So taking out one shouldn't really have an impact on any good karma I received."
Using Flash Step the Soul Reaper disappeared, arriving above her prey who was too slow to perceive her movements. With precise skill and timing Rukia severed the monster's tendons that helped it maneuver through the skies, crimson blood gushed out like a river staining the area around the duo.
Before the bird could fall to the ground like a meteor to be feasted upon by the scavengers that roamed the tundra. A large cage made of emerald light imprisoned the creature, protecting it from the fate it would have suffered without the intervention of the young woman.
"Pretty big, around the size of the Kurisaki's home. Hmm you should last m—" A sharp needle-like sensation struck Rukia from the back of her neck causing her to hold her nape.
Shadows obscured her face, as purple eyes became sharp as daggers. Only one thing caused such a reaction, when a part of her very soul was nearby—Sode no Shirayuki.