Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Into Hell
Yu Mikami looked behind him in sheer terror. At some point, two pitch-black chains had wrapped around his feet, preventing his attack from hitting Kuchiki Rukia and only tearing her Shinigami robes, exposing her.
Following the chains' direction, Yu Mikami's eyes widened in shock when he discovered their origin.
"How is this possible?"
The chains were emerging from the Gates of Hell. Yu Mikami couldn't believe it—how could chains extend from the Gates of Hell and even grab him? There was nothing like this in his memory!
"Awwooo~" Regardless of the reality, he knew he couldn't let the chains keep hold of him. Turning sharply, Yu Mikami slashed fiercely at the chains with his claws.
Clang! A sharp metallic sound rang out, and sparks flashed as Yu Mikami was horrified to find his attacks left no mark on the chains!
The chains emitted a grinding sound and began to slowly pull Yu Mikami toward the Gates of Hell.
"Awwooo~" No matter how much Yu Mikami roared in anger or frantically attacked the chains, the black chains remained unbroken and continued to pull him toward the gates.
Meanwhile, Kuchiki Rukia clutched her torn Shinigami robes to cover herself, watching with lingering fear as Yu Mikami was dragged inch by inch toward the Gates of Hell.
"Hmph~ An evil soul deserves to fall into Hell!"
Kuchiki Rukia huffed with a slight blush, embarrassed as it was the first time anyone had seen her exposed.
Because of this incident, Kuchiki Rukia committed Yu Mikami's face to memory. As a woman, she would certainly never forget who had seen her body exposed for the first time!
"Awwooo~" Yu Mikami realized he couldn't avoid his fate of falling into Hell, no matter how much he struggled. So, he decided that if he was going to Hell, he would ensure that Kuchiki Rukia, who was sending him there, wouldn't have it easy either.
A dark red Cero quickly gathered in Yu Mikami's mouth, compressing and condensing until fully formed. With a fierce resolve, Yu Mikami launched the Cero straight at Kuchiki Rukia!
Watching the immensely powerful Cero hurtle toward her, Kuchiki Rukia found herself unable to move, paralyzed and resigned to being consumed by it.
In the instant Rukia closed her eyes, prepared to meet her end, a figure appeared before her. Drawing a Zanpakutō, the newcomer effortlessly blocked the Cero with the scabbard!
Crash! A second later, Yu Mikami's Cero collided with the newcomer's Zanpakutō, or more accurately, the scabbard, and was completely stopped, unable to advance an inch, compressed against the scabbard.
With a casual flick of the Zanpakutō, the figure deflected Yu Mikami's Cero, which exploded harmlessly to the side!
"Who the hell is that?!"
Yu Mikami cursed as he was pulled closer to the Hell entrance, finally seeing the newcomer's face—a face he recognized!
Yu Mikami's anger melted into emptiness, and as the Gates of Hell closed, he uttered one last word:
"Ma... Mother..."
Boom! As soon as Yu Mikami spoke, the Gates of Hell closed and shattered like glass, disappearing into the air.
"Capt... Captain Retsu Unohana..."
Opening her eyes, Kuchiki Rukia was thrilled to realize that her savior was none other than the Fourth Division Captain, Retsu Unohana!
"Kuchiki Rukia! Are you alright?"
Smiling gently, Retsu Unohana immediately inquired about Kuchiki Rukia's wellbeing.
"I'm... I'm fine! Thank you, Captain Unohana, for saving me!" Kuchiki Rukia responded respectfully.
"It's nothing. I sensed the presence of the Gates of Hell opening, so I came to check on it. Can you tell me what happened?" Retsu Unohana asked softly, having only just passed by the area. However, she was particularly concerned about the Hollow being able to attack even as it was being dragged into the Gates of Hell.
"Of course," Kuchiki Rukia replied promptly. "I heard that Hollows often attack this area, so I came alone to train my combat skills..."
At this, Kuchiki Rukia blushed with embarrassment, but she confessed everything without any hesitation. She recounted how she was nearly killed by the Hollow, how it was struck by lightning, how she seized the opportunity to slay it, the appearance of the Gates of Hell, the Hollow's resurrection, its attempted escape, her interception, its near attack again, the appearance of chains, and finally how she was saved by Captain Unohana from its Cero attack.
"I see..." Retsu Unohana mused thoughtfully. While it was Kuchiki Rukia's first encounter with the Gates of Hell, Retsu Unohana knew it well. The situation with Yu Mikami being drawn into the Gates of Hell was unlike anything she had encountered before.
Compared to Yu Mikami's ability to revive, which she dismissed, being pulled into the Gates of Hell was, in Retsu Unohana's mind, a definitive end for Yu Mikami.
"Kuchiki Rukia, you've been through a lot! Let's return," Retsu Unohana said, suppressing her unresolved questions. She removed her captain's haori and draped it over Kuchiki Rukia to prevent any further accidental exposure.
"Captain Unohana..." Kuchiki Rukia exclaimed in surprise, feeling unsure since it was the captain's garment.
"Let's hurry back! I have important matters to report to the Head Captain," Retsu Unohana said with a smile.
"Ah... yes, Captain Unohana!" Kuchiki Rukia nodded in agreement, and together they left...
In the endless darkness, with occasional flashes of piercing crimson, Yu Mikami was unsure which corner of Hell the chains had dragged him into, only aware of the horrifying screams echoing continuously, chilling him to the core.
The screams didn't interrupt Yu Mikami's thoughts, which lingered on the moment he saw Retsu Unohana.
Though he knew she wasn't his real mother, seeing Retsu Unohana felt like seeing his mom.
Honestly, one of the main reasons Yu Mikami loved watching "Bleach" was to catch glimpses of someone who resembled his mother.
In his previous life, Yu Mikami's mother looked exactly like Retsu Unohana, and she had passed away two years prior. Yu Mikami started watching "Bleach" because it reminded him of his mother and helped him cope with the loss.
"Seeing Mom one last time is so nice!" thought Yu Mikami. Yet, a wicked thought also emerged—since Retsu Unohana had saved Kuchiki Rukia, who had led him into Hell, if he ever escaped, he resolved to dominate Retsu Unohana too.
"What am I thinking..." Yu Mikami shook his head, his mind filled with images of Retsu Unohana unclothed, a product of Arisawa Shirou's influence over his thoughts being too strong.
The clanking of chains finally ceased...