In a moment, Byakuya's blade scattered into thousands of blade petals, each sharp and able to cut him like the sharpest sword, leaving only a hilt.
Shirou didn't stop to admire the technique and quickly reinforced his body and sword with his reiatsu. These petals were dangerous, his instinct told him.
So he created more swords.
Twenty broken phantasms floated in mid-air and charged at Byakuya, each flying at a different speed and pattern. His target, however, easily parried them all. The petals moved to protect him before returning to become a sword again.
"What a peculiar technique." Byakuya commented, "Creating swords out of thin air. How curious."
"Your sword is also interesting. How can the blade become petals?" Shirou replied in a calm tone.
"It's called Shikai."
Byakuya ignored the comment and swung his sword, the blade shattered and turned into deadly petals, surging forward like a wave.
'Again.' Shirou quickly used Hirenkyaku to evade, appearing a few feet away.
Seeing the technique, Byakuya returned the petals into a sword form once again.
"I see." He said calmly, his eyes sharp and focused, "You're a Quincy."
"Quincy?" Renji exclaimed in surprise.
"You're not wrong but I am a bit different." Shirou said. His twin blades ready in his hands.
In response, Byakuya raised his sword in reverse grip and said, "Renji, bring Rukia back. This will end soon."
"Yes."
Hearing the exchange, Rukia's eyes widened.
"Brother, no!"
"Bankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
He released his sword and let it fall to the ground.
Having seen plenty of strange Noble Phantasm's power, Shirou knew that Byakuya activated his sword's power by calling its name. He didn't want to take any chances and quickly tried to stop the sword's descent with a flying sword.
However, before the sword could touch him, hundreds of petals had already moved and cut it down into pieces.
Then the sword fell to the ground and disappeared.
The world turned, changed into a different color, a beautiful sight to see. It's like standing on a field of flowers, surrounded by two walls of large blades. A ceremonial, or so it appeared to look like it.
In a second, these blades shattered into countless petals and flew at him.
'Dangerous!'
Thinking so, he immediately chanted.
"I am the bone of my sword."
Power surged and five red petals formed in front of him.
"Rho Aias!"
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, the shield of petals expanded, its five petals spreading to block the incoming blade. Byakuya's Bankai immediately struck it, the blade petals crashed against it like a violent storm, but none of them could breach the shield.
Rho Aias, the strongest shield of heroes.
"Naive. My Senbonzakura Kageyoshi won't be stopped by something like that." Byakuya said and the petals shattered into various directions.
They moved to dodge the conceptual shield and scattered everywhere. And like that, the petals continued relentlessly from all directions.
"Tsk." Shirou clicked his tongue and raised his swords.
He slashed and blocked the attacks with two swords on his hands, but they were too many to block. He couldn't parry them all, some were cutting his skin, making blood seep from small cuts across his body.
With no choice left, Shirou continued chanting.
"Steel is my body, and fire is my blood."
The petals moved and attacked again. They came like a wave of death, and he quickly used Hirenkyaku to avoid it, moving to the air and creating swords to attack Byakuya.
As if alive, the petals quickly moved to protect their master and cut down every sword that approached him.
"I have created over a thousand blades."
Seeing that, he raised his twin sword, ready to attack. He needed to find an opening. But then...
In a moment of distraction, a thousand blade petals suddenly struck his body, penetrating him from every direction.
His blood splattered everywhere.
"...!"
His mouth was wide open, trying to get some air, trying to scream, but to no avail. He gritted his teeth and glared at Byakuya. The pain was unbearable, his vision became hazy.
"Unaware of loss."
Shirou could see it. The memory of a fight between a great hero, a man whose body was a sword.
He had experienced this before when he fought against the King of Heroes.
Countless blades coming from him, each deadly enough to kill him. Compared to that, these petals were nothing but child play.
Still, defeating Byakuya with his current method was impossible.
Not without giving everything he had.
He needed to become a blade that protected.
His wish. His oath.
The ideal that made him who he was.
Shirou felt the familiar heat in his heart. His wish to become a foundation of the world, the wish that he had made in the fire of his first life.
A dream he held dear, to protect and help everyone. He felt a heat on his back.
His wound slowly healed as his heart thumped, calling the power that resided inside him. He felt the power in his body, a surge of reiatsu that he hadn't felt in years. His magic circuits were activating.
The familiar and nostalgic feeling that had long since left his grasp.
"Nor aware of gain."
His voice, while chanting, was clear and calm despite being in a state of heavily injured.
Rukia's eyes widened. She didn't know what to feel.
She wanted to help but she was too powerless. Without power, she was just a normal girl, one who could only stand still and watch the carnage.
'Kurosaki-kun.' Her eyes widened in surprise, 'Is he-? No, I won't let him sacrifice himself for me.'
Dodging and defending with his sword, Shirou kept trying to attack Byakuya with swords that he made. But Byakuya's power easily parried it. There was no hope to win. The difference in power was just too big.
Rukia knew her brother's power pretty well. If this continued, then Shirou would-
'I can't allow that.'
"Withstood pain to create weapons, waiting for one's arrival."
However, the boy didn't give up. He landed on the ground and created two long swords in each hand. With them, he parried the petals that came at him.
The red petals moved, cutting his skin, slashing through his flesh. He didn't stop moving though, jumping and dashing around using the movement technique.
He couldn't stand in the same spot or the blades would overwhelm him, so he kept moving, his sword always ready to defend or attack. The cuts and wounds on his body were nothing, as he would regenerate.
Rho Aias kept appearing to stop the petals, only to be avoided by them as they changed their movement.
Byakuya didn't move an inch from his place, the blade petals still protecting him from any attack.
"I have no regrets. This is the only path."
The final verse.
Shirou's back was enveloped in blue fire. His red hair fluttered as the power of his heart and soul manifested in the real world. Blue circuit glowed brightly on both arms, a sign that he had fully activated his power.
The fire that represented his origin.
A representation of the beginning of his life as a hero of justice. It wasn't the same fire that took everything from him, it was a fire that saved him.
He would protect those dear to him.
"My whole life was-"
Even if he had to fight the world.
"-Unlimited Blade Works."
Silence engulfed the field of death before fire erupted from the ground.
A blast of reiatsu erupted from Shirou, changing the whole reality around them into that of a hilltop of swords, a barren world of rusted metal and broken dreams, a world where everything was possible, where his dream was realized.
Swords appeared and floated around him, the manifestation of the boy's power, the power he gained from the wish he had.
The world was baked in twilight, sun peeking between sparse gray clouds, showing the state of the boy's mind.
Grass patch grew at some part of the ground. On that grass present a golden sword piercing an old-looking stone. Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory.
In another place a red spear. The color reminded one of blood, the demon spear that had ripped the hearts of many. Gae Bolg, Barbed Spear That Pierces with Death.
Standing on top of the hill was Shirou, looking over everything. The clouds drifted away, allowing the sunlight to shine at him.
"What... is this?" Rukia muttered in wonder.
The power she felt from Shirou was overwhelming.
Byakuya was no exception. He looked at Shirou with wide eyes.
"What is this?" He repeated Rukia's question, "A bankai? No, this is not something from a Zanpakutō... Impossible. What is he?"
"I am just a Faker." Shirou furrowed his brows, pointing his blade at his enemy. "Give up, Shinigami Captain. While your petals are deadly and dangerous, I don't think you can beat me anymore. If you have a thousand petals, then I have thousands of blades."
He raised both hands and the floating gears above them began to spin.
And with a flash, the sky was filled with swords that were created from Shirou's reality marble. They glowed as he raised his sword and commanded, "I am more than ready if you still want to continue the battle. I will not hold back anymore."
***Chapter End***
It's time for B-B-B-Bankai!
I am the spammer of Bankai.
My sword is gone, but that doesn't matter.
i have used Bankai many times.
Unaware of sword fight.
Nor aware of Shikai.
My whole life is, Bankai Spammer!
^ I was bored so I made this lol.
Anyway! While Senbonzakura is technically a projectile, it is also alive and can dodge everything. It can scatter to 360 direction and attack from all direction.
Cheating!
Also, Shirou's Rho Aias isn't complete yet. I remember a scene in Fate Kaleid where a projection could dodge Rho Aias, so I took this inspiration.
Might I interest you to give me stones? I might upload the next chapter faster if you do that!
Or if you want to support me and read further 2 weak ahead of actual release, you may visit my pat - reon! pat - reon com / ShuviLily