Here we go, Bleach fans. The end of the beginning is upon us, and things will only get more challenging from this point onward. Upon MFM's request, the Captains of Squads 8 and 13 shall be joining the brave souls below into battle.
- Yamamoto, Level 17, Power-type, Ryujinjyakka LV 01, C Attack Support, 3 Mobility, 2 Co-Op Slots
- Abilities: Burn 1, Res Burn 2
- Skills Learned: None
- Can Support: Matsuri, Retsu, Kyoraku, Ukitake, Seigen, Urahara, Yoruichi
- Seigen Suzunami, Level 16, Speed-type, Shiden LV 02, B Attack Support, 5 Mobility, 2 Co-Op Slots
- Abilities: Shock 3
- Skills Learned: Shigasumi (Holds all targets in range, 0 power, 15 cost)
- Can Support: Matsuri, Yamamoto, Aizen, Kaien, Fujimaru, Urahara, Yoruichi
- Yoruichi, Level 13, Speed-type, Hakuda LV 01, C Attack Support, 5 Mobility, 2 Co-Op Slots
- Abilities: None
- Skills Learned: Byakurai (Shock, 100 power, 20 cost)
- Can Support: Matsuri, Seigen, Urahara
Note that some supports do not go both ways, and certain units cannot perform a Team Attack. For example, Yamamoto can support Yoruichi, but she cannot support him back. However, if I had Yamamoto support her despite this, he'd still provide benefits and be able to rescue Yoruichi when the going gets tough. As for the twins, they are just one level higher than before, and have the same abilities as before. Matsuri can support with everyone we've met thus far, while Fujimaru can only support Matsuri, Seigen, Aizen, Kaien, Retsu, and Urahara. Once I have decent supports set up (with only Matsuri having a loose end, since she obtained a new Co-Op Slot recently), it's time to finally face Arturo in battle.
Six of our seven Reapers stand before the gate, while Arturo and a whole ton of Hollows teleport to nearby positions. Arturo's fed up with our resistance, and tells Yamamoto to accept his defeat. Seigen pops in closer to Arturo than the others, wanting to face him personally. Yamamoto's upset, having told Seigen to wait. The battle then begins, and we can see our opponents:
- Hollow's Side
- Grand Savage, Tech, Lv. 7
- Grand Savage, Speed, Lv. 7
- Grand Savage, Power, Lv. 7 (blocking a side path to Seigen, rather than the direct path to Arturo with the other Savages)
- Screamer, Tech, Lv. 8 (x4, all at upper portion of map near the Sky Rift)
- Frog Head, Speed, Lv. 10 (x3, all between Seigen and Arturo)
- Frog Head, Tech, Lv. 8 (x2, guarding Arturo's other side)
- Frog Head, Tech, Lv. 9 (with the other two)
- Sky Rift, Non Com, Lv. 4 (guarded by Screamers)
- Arturo Plateado, All, Lv. 15 (knows the skill Fenice, which drains enemy HP and can be used after moving, and has an ability that doubles spiritual pressure gained in battle)
I start by sending my main force towards the enemy, though only Matsuri and Yoruichi can reach/Team Attack an opponent (the Tech-type Savage) on the first turn, while Seigen (who, like Arturo, begins with full Pressure) charges forward and tackles his first Frog Head. The Squad 5 Captain is quickly surrounded by Frog Heads, but kills the one he weakened and brings the other foes down to half of their HP. As it would be suicidal to just let Seigen charge at Arturo like he wants, he continues chopping up Frog Heads while Yoruichi and Ukitake deal with the Screamer bunch (and a Power-type Frog Head that the Rift spat out), and others kill two of the Savages. Matsuri and Fujimaru kill off the Tech-type Savage that was weakened earlier, while our two Power-type Squad Captains Team Attack the Speed-type.
Yamamoto: "Here we go, Shunshi!"
Kyoraku: "If that's what you want, old man."
Ukitake gets pummelled on the enemy's second turn, his HP dropping to far less than 30%, but he stays in the fight. Suddenly, at the beginning of turn 3, Urahara and Lady Konoka pop in as Guests! Urahara's glad that they made it in time, which Konoka (who's holding the Shisui Mirror) agrees with. Seigen freaks out a bit at his beloved sister being on the battlefield, and the twins are a bit startled as well. The Mirror then activates, and after Arturo has a turn at being surprised by recent events, Seigen asks if Konoka's sure that she wants to do this. Konoka's sure that Seigen will keep her safe. Arturo's ticked off, saying that he'll simply kill more Reapers to regain the power they're draining from him. Yamamoto orders an all-out attack on the Arrancar, and the music changes into something more upbeat when I regain control.
- Guest's Side
- Kisuke Urahara, Tech-type, Lv. 13 (knows Flash Step Tangeki, a skill that damages enemies while moving on the field, and the Sure Hit ability)
- Konoka, Non Com, Lv. 10 (has no Zanpakuto, but knows a healing skill and a status ailment curing skill)
Ukitake and Yoruichi finish off the Screamers, Yamamoto and Kyoraku charge towards Arturo while Seigen clears their way, and the Kudo twins face the third Savage when it pops out and rears its ugly head. Konoka sticks to the back while Urahara tries to rush to Arturo's position. Arturo still hasn't moved from his starting position by the start of Turn 4, and with the Arrancar's Pressure drained down to nearly nothing, Yamamoto and Kyoraku deal a whole...381 out of 2084 HP with a Team Attack. And Yamamoto goes down to below half HP with Arturo's counter. I then have Seigen run away rather than attack Arturo. If I did have him attack Arturo, he'd be surprised by the amount of power Arturo still has. Arturo tells him that while Seigen may match his speed, he is outclassed in terms of power. He'd then, more likely than not, die in one hit. The enemy's actions on Turn 4 lead to another Frog Head being spat out of the Rift and the first time I've selected to Guard an attack instead of Countering it this game, for Yamamoto would not have survived (with 95/1158 HP, might I add) if I hadn't.
On Turn 5, I lead with Kyoraku, who only takes 2 damage thanks to his Absolute Def ability. This also reduces Arturo to half of his HP, and after he calls the Reapers impertinent, Matsuri remarks that he's definitely getting weaker. Fujimaru states that they have the strength of a thousand thanks to Lady Konoka, who then wishes the others luck. Suzunami tells everyone not to let Arturo get any closer and to bring him down. However, I instead choose to use a bunch of the Ointments (and a bunch of actions, since using an item ends a unit's turn) I brought along to bring Yamamoto back to a decent HP total. Everyone ended up crowded rather close to each other, save for the duo that had now just reached the Rift. Kisuke was able to attack Arturo at this point and nearly got himself killed, but the Arrancar was weakened further and once again complained about his lack of power. Matsuri is now confident that they can win this, and Fujimaru tells the others not to let Arturo anywhere near Lady Konoka. Konoka, who's starting to look a tad worried instead of her usual cheery self, tells the others to keep going. Seigen notices the change in his sister, but she tells him to concentrate. Arturo actually starts moving and goes after the recently-healed Yamamoto, who once again defends and only takes a little damage thanks to Arturo constantly being weakened.
Turn 6 is the most important turn yet, because if I don't blitz Arturo with everyone in range, someone's bound to die soon. The moment that Ukitake and Yoruichi have shut down the Rift, Kyoraku leads with another Team Attack, dealing just over 600 damage. Arturo once again complains about how everything's going wrong, Matsuri says more encouraging things, and Konoka...isn't looking so good anymore. She tells Seigen to hurry, and after Seigen asks what's wrong, Arturo's mood suddenly shifts. After a good laugh, he claims that he is victorious after all. Matsuri's confused, but Arturo states that we should have known the price for using our 'little toy'. He can feel Konoka's strength waning like the light of the moon before dawn. Matsuri asks if that's true, and Konoka tells her that she can still go on, and she WILL finish this. Seigen, clearly worried about his sister, tells everyone to hurry up and finish off Arturo.
Yeah...go back to some of the first Free Time events. Remember how Konoka had some mysterious regeneration power? And how Captain Urahara told the twins to keep it a secret from others? This is why he wanted to hide that fact. The Shisui Mirror drains the power of its wielder as well as its target, and only someone that can regenerate power like Konoka can wield it. And unfortunately, it doesn't look like she's regaining power at a fast enough rate...
Since they're in range and could make good use of the experience, I let the twins finish off Arturo with a Team Attack, letting our female protagonist take the lead. The battle is finished the moment Arturo is KO'd, even though there is one Frog Head (spit out by the Rift) left on the field. It ended in 6 turns, and while there were some close calls, no allies died. Yamamoto gains a point of affinity, but Seigen and Fujimaru remain the only two that have maxed-out Affinity bars and have given us items. Back at the main plot, Seigen tells the Arrancar that it's over. Arturo agrees, as a few seconds later, Lady Konoka falls to the ground. The Kudo twins are immensely worried, with Matsuri calling out her name, while Seigen is mostly just stunned. Arturo gets in another laugh and claims that he's won, rushing to Konoka's position in an attempt to destroy the Shisui Mirror and guarantee victory. The mirror becomes dark, and...
Seigen: "ARTUROOOOO!"
Arturo: "Resign yourselves! You no longer have any hope of defeating me!"
Fujimaru & Matsuri (while the Mirror becomes darker, and seems to be sucking things in like a black hole): AAAAAAAAGH!
Arturo: "It is too late for you now."
The Mirror goes from 'like a black hole' to 'a black hole, no doubt about it'. Matsuri, Fujimaru, and Seigen are barely able to say anything to express their shock. Arturo also wants to know what's going on, not having expected this to happen. We get one final look at Arturo's face, followed by a blast of light, and a picture of a beam of light rocketing to the sky. Yoruichi wants Kisuke to tell her what just happened, and he's speechless. We get a save prompt, and the chapter ends. The title for the next chapter appears, and instead of a silhouette of the Kudo twins in the background, we instead see the shadow of a different figure...
As predicted, something really, really bad just happened that will prevent the Kudo twins from socializing with their best friends for quite some time. But what, exactly, just happened? Did Lady Konoka get herself killed trying to once again help her brother, or was she merely on the verge of death when things went crazy? Who is that different figure that we will be focusing on for the next chapter or two? And is this the last that we'll ever see of Arturo, Seigen, or Fujimaru? ...We'll almost certainly see Matsuri again, though, considering that she's the protagonist. Tune in next time to get some answers, folks!
