Bleach: White Blossoms

"This is… unsatisfying," Yurei said, her tone calm but cutting. Her gaze lingered on Kariya, her posture relaxed as she leaned against her still-sheathed blade. The faint glow of spectral petals swirling around her only added to her unshaken confidence. "Kariya, was it? Where did all your confidence go? Those 'Dolls' of yours are too weak to even graze me. I was told to keep you Bounts alive for information, but honestly, are you even worth the effort?"

Kariya's jaw tightened, his teeth grinding audibly as her words struck a nerve. He had come prepared for resistance, aware of Soul Society's formidable warriors. But this? He had assumed someone of her caliber had to be a captain, maybe even the Commander-General himself. Yet, she had casually identified herself as a lieutenant. A lieutenant.

There was no way his power wasn't on par with hers—or so he told himself.

"Koga!" Kariya snapped, his voice sharp as he turned to his comrade. "Can you still fight?"

Though Koga's breath was ragged and his body bore the marks of their brief clash, he nodded. "Of course," he growled, his determination unwavering despite the odds stacked against him.

Yurei tilted her head, watching them with mild amusement. "I admire your tenacity, truly. But I've been curious about something. You control Dolls, correct? I can see Koga's—quite the metallic monstrosity, by the way—but why can't I see yours?"

Kariya's expression hardened. "You'll have to find out later," he said evasively, his tone dripping with defiance.

Yurei chuckled softly, the sound both dismissive and unsettling. "Don't worry, I already know the answer. You've merged with your Doll, haven't you?"

Kariya froze, the flicker of surprise in his eyes betraying him.

"I'm impressed you figured it out so quickly," he admitted, though his voice carried a hint of bitterness.

Yurei shook her head, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "No, you're just dumb for thinking it wasn't obvious."

Kariya's fists clenched, his reiatsu flaring slightly in response to the insult. "Tsk. You'll regret those words, Soul Reaper. Once I'm done with you, I wonder what the Seireitei will think when their oh-so-confident lieutenant is defeated."

Yurei's smile faded slightly, her expression growing colder. "The only time I've ever been close to defeat… that was a long time ago," she said, her voice low but resonating with unshakable certainty. Her eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "But I can guarantee you, right now, this won't be one of those times."

"We'll see about that," Kariya spat, his confidence returning in the face of her challenge. "Koga!"

Koga surged forward, his Doll, Dalk, transforming its metallic form into a swirling mass of bladed chains. The chains shot toward Yurei, aiming to ensnare and slice her in one fluid motion.

Yurei sighed, her figure disappearing in a flash step just before the chains could touch her. She reappeared several feet away, perched atop a broken pillar, her posture still relaxed. "Is that all?" she taunted, her voice carrying over the battlefield. "I'd hoped for more of a challenge."

Kariya's reiatsu flared, his aura darkening as he took a step forward. "You won't be so smug for long. Let's see how you handle me when I stop holding back."

Yurei leaped down from her perch, the petals around her intensifying as they began to shimmer with raw power. Her hand rested on the hilt of her Zanpakutō, though she made no move to draw it. "I'll give you one last chance," she said, her tone steady. "Surrender now, and I might consider sparing you both. Keep this up, and you won't leave this battlefield alive."

Kariya's grin widened, though there was a trace of unease beneath it. "Save your threats, lieutenant. You're about to see the true power of a Bount."

Yurei's eyes narrowed, her stance shifting slightly, though her blade remained sheathed. The air between her and Kariya crackled with tension as their spiritual pressures clashed, sending ripples of energy through the surrounding area. Koga stepped forward, Dalk's bladed chains slithering and coiling like serpents eager to strike.

"Don't get cocky, Soul Reaper!" Koga snarled, his voice laced with defiance. With a sharp command, Dalk's chains shot forward, their bladed edges slicing through the air with a menacing whistle.

Yurei moved like a whisper in the wind. With a single fluid step, she sidestepped the incoming chains, her silhouette blurring as she reappeared behind Koga. "Is that all you've got?" she asked, her voice calm, almost disinterested.

Koga spun around, his instincts sharp despite his injuries. Dalk's chains followed his movements, converging toward Yurei like a collapsing web. This time, she didn't move; instead, a cascade of glowing white petals materialized around her, intercepting the chains mid-strike. Sparks flew as the petals absorbed and deflected the attacks, leaving Yurei untouched.

"Those petals…" Koga muttered, his eyes narrowing. "They're not just for show."

Kariya, observing the exchange, smirked. "Careful, Koga. This one's not like the others. But that just makes it more fun."

"Fun?" Yurei echoed, her voice cutting through the battlefield like a blade. She turned her gaze to Kariya, her golden and green eyes gleaming with challenge. "Let's see if you're still smiling when this is over."

Koga lunged again, this time commanding Dalk to form a spinning shield of chains around him as he charged. The barrier of blades spun faster, creating a deadly vortex aimed directly at Yurei. She stood her ground, her hand finally gripping the hilt of her Zanpakutō.

"Shirayuri," she whispered, drawing her blade in one smooth motion. "Dance."

The petals around her exploded outward in a dazzling display, their glow intensifying as they swirled around her like a storm. The spinning chains met the storm head-on, but the petals sliced through them effortlessly, severing the metal links and sending fragments scattering.

Koga staggered back, disbelief etched on his face. "What… What kind of power is this?"

Yurei didn't answer. Instead, she raised her blade, and with a flick of her wrist, the petals surged forward, encircling Koga and Dalk. The air grew heavy as the petals began to glow brighter, their edges shimmering with raw reiatsu.

"Hanabira no Odori," Yurei said, her voice calm yet commanding.

The petals spun faster, creating a vortex that trapped Koga within. He shouted commands to Dalk, but the Doll's chains were torn apart by the relentless petals. A burst of energy erupted as the vortex collapsed, sending Koga flying across the battlefield. He crashed into a nearby wall, unconscious, Dalk dissolving into a puddle of liquid metal beside him.

"Koga!" Kariya called out, his voice sharp. His grin faltered as he turned back to Yurei, who stood amidst the dissipating petals, unscathed and unimpressed.

"Your turn," she said, her gaze locking onto Kariya.

Kariya's reiatsu flared, dark and violent. His grin returned, this time twisted with desperation and malice. "Don't think you've won yet. This fight is far from over."

Without warning, he lunged forward, his speed almost matching hers. His fused Doll, Messer, manifested as glowing veins of energy coursing through his body, enhancing his strength and speed. He aimed a powerful strike at Yurei, his hand crackling with destructive energy.

Yurei met his attack with her blade, the clash of their powers sending shockwaves through the battlefield. The ground beneath them cracked and crumbled as they exchanged blows, Kariya's strikes growing more frantic as Yurei countered each one with precision and ease.

"Is this it?" Yurei asked, her tone calm but laced with disdain. "All that bravado, and this is the best you can do?"

Kariya roared, his reiatsu spiking as Messer's energy surged through him. He unleashed a flurry of strikes, each one more desperate than the last. Yurei deflected them effortlessly, her movements fluid and almost graceful.

Finally, she saw an opening. With a single swift motion, she disarmed Kariya, her blade slicing through the energy veins that connected him to Messer. The fused Doll let out a distorted shriek as its power was severed, leaving Kariya gasping and weakened.

Yurei stepped closer, her blade pointed at his throat. "You talk big, Kariya," she said, her voice low and deadly. "But in the end, you're just another stepping stone."

Kariya glared up at her, his defiance fading into fear. "This… isn't over," he muttered, his voice trembling.

"No," Yurei replied, her gaze cold. "It is."

With a flick of her wrist, she released a wave of petals that encased Kariya in a glowing cocoon. The petals tightened, immobilizing him completely. She turned away, sheathing her blade as the petals solidified into a glowing prison.

"Time to take you back to the Seireitei," she said, her voice carrying the weight of finality. "I'm sure the Captain-Commander will have plenty of questions for you."