Bleach: Graceless Unity/ Volume 1: Gates of the Forbidden
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GENJI, BLEACH, .DOTHACK/G.U., OR RELATED PROPERTIES .Dot Hack is own by Bandai, Sony owns Genji , and Tite Kubo owns Bleach. If I owned any of them, I would not be living in the middle of nowhere with a Bi-polar bear for company.
Chapter 1
Ichigo Kurosaki was wiped. It had been a long day at school, and he had to deal with two hollows immediately after classes had ended. In the end, he had to resort to a gikongan soul to bring his body home. The hollows themselves were nothing, not even as strong as the fishbone hollow that he had defeated on his first night as a soul reaper.
So he had dragged his soul into his room, avoiding his sister Karin, who he knew could see him as a soul reaper. He didn't want to answer any awkward questions. Fortunately enough, he had Rukia there to help him.
Slipping back into his body and catching the gikongan as it popped out of his mouth, Ichigo turned to the computer and turned it on. Watching it go through the booting process, he thought back to the end of the day. His friend Kiego Asano had invited him to join him in exploring a game they both played called "The World".
Keigo also passed along rumors about a deadly PKKer who went by the alias "The Terror of Death". Ichigo snorted. If the fool who went by that name saw him as a soul reaper, he'd probably wet himself. Picking up the headset that went along with it, he was about to put them on when a slender pair of hands enfolded his. Turning his head, he saw his girlfriend Rukia Kuchiki. Her violet eyes sparkled with humor as she smiled at him.
Tilting his head back, he smiled back at her as she ducked down to give him a small kiss. "Hey, Rukia. What's going on," he asked her. Tugging on her arm to lead her around his chair, he pulled her down so she was sitting on his lap. Her impish expression didn't ease as she snuggled up to his chest.
"I felt you come back, so I managed to get away. Your sister's very persistent, isn't she?" answered Rukia. She felt comfortable right here. Now if only she could get the rest of the world to go on vacation for a while, it would be perfect.
"Yeah, Karin is that. Was she bugging you about the whole soul reaper issue?" Ichigo knew his sister wouldn't give up until she had answers, but he wasn't about to give them to her. If she knew the truth about Soul Reapers, then she'd want to try and be one… Ichigo got a headache just thinking about it.
Rukia saw his intent expression. She was well aware of how much he worried about his family. Seeing a furrow form on his brow, she ran her hand over it, smoothing it out.
Feeling the soothing hand run over his forehead, he smiled at Rukia and kissed her again. He was lucky to have her, for however long he did. Looking at his computer, he had an idea.
"Rukia? Care to have a night off and relax? We've been working hard recently, and we both need some down time," offered Ichigo. He knew she took her job seriously, but if she was always working, she'd make a serious mistake eventually. Ichigo didn't want to lose her. Especially not because he failed to make sure she took some time off.
Rukia herself was hesitant. "What are we going to do?" she asked her boyfriend. He smiled at her and winked. "It's a game Keigo introduced me to a couple months back. It's called 'The World'. Easy to learn. Fun and diverting."
Rukia had her curiosity aroused now. If Ichigo was enjoying this game then it couldn't be all bad… right?"
Twenty minutes and an extra headset later, Rukia had her character. She had chosen to be a Macabre Dancer. Finishing up the details, she had named her character Shirayuki, after her Zanpaku-to. Logging in to the actual game under Ichigo's careful directions, she was transported to 'The World'.
In Ravens home, Haseo was talking to Pi and Kuhn when all three felt a lurch in the program. Eyes wide, they looked around. The program rippled, the graphics loosing their integrity. It was replaced by a wide open black space. For a split second, the three could see three figures, although they were unable to make anything out about them due to the distance and the inky darkness that surrounded them. They stared in awe, then the graphics of the World re-instated themselves.
Looking at his teammates, Haseo asked in a shaky voice, "What the hell was that?" Kuhn just shook his head and shrugged helplessly. He had no idea. Pi, however, was sweating fiercely.
"That was an Epitaph. I'm sure of it. But who?!" she demanded of the empty air.
Hearing Yata call for them, they hurried into the Serpent of Lore, the headquarters and information center for the troubleshooting group called G.U. by the higher-ups in CC Corp.
Arriving in front of their leader, they were shocked to see him, his face pale and covered in sweat. He shakily activated the Serpent, replaying the images caught. He froze it when the three figures revealed themselves.
"Master Yata, who- what- are they?" asked Pi in a shaky voice.
"Epitaphs. Completely unknown Epitaphs." was his quiet answer.
Opening her eyes, Shirayuki looked around. Standing in a domed building in front of a swirling blue orb. To the left and the right of the right of the large blue doors were two places that appeared to be Merchant stalls. Hearing a humming sound behind her, she turned and saw a tallish, black-haired man appear. He was dressed in blood-red pants, no shirt but he was wearing a sleeveless black overcoat, open to reveal his torso. On his arms were silvered ashigaru gauntlets. A tag above his head identified him as Mizuchi.
Looking at her, his gaze was intense. Then he smiled. Hearing a ping, she heard 'hello Rukia. It's Ichigo. Yeah, I know it's you, I was there when you created Shirayuki, remember?'
Looking around, she asked 'Ichigo? Where are you?'. Seeing the warrior before her tilt his head and smile, she frowned. 'It's me, Mizuchi. This is a private message, by the way. If you need to discuss things with me and you don't want others to see or hear it, then just use this.'
Rukia just nodded. Shirayuki looked around again and said to the large warrior, "Why don't you show me around?" Mizuchi nodded his head and began the tour.
Three months later, Ichigo and Rukia were sitting around outside the entranceway to the Chaos Gate in Mac Anu. Rukia had adjusted well to her new environment. She enjoyed playing the game as much as Ichigo did. They were waiting for Shinryu to show up. Rukia was able to tell who the player for Shinryu was without prompting, but had checked with Ichigo first before saying anything.
Keigo, as Shinryu, was a swordsman, a Blade Brandier. Dressed in traditional Samurai garb, he made quite the sight. What made him that sight was the fact that he was bright. All his colors were set to an eye-searing hue. He wasn't as bad as Piros the third, though. Rukia had booted him into next week when he tried to hug her.
Ichigo had laughed until Rukia booted him too. She then proceeded to stomp them both into the ground, displaying angry tic marks for all the world to see. Keigo was awed at that. He knew that Mizuchi let Shirayuki abuse him like that. That was a rare sight.
Ichigo looked around, impatient for Shinryu to show up. He was feeling antsy, and wanted to get on with the quest. Shirayuki just sat quietly, watching the bustle of the various people going by. She had seen several guilds being advertised, but ultimately none of them where what she was looking for. Part of this could have been that Mizuchi was an unaffiliated player as well.
She had met several moontree members. One of them, Atoli, made her grind her teeth in frustration. She just wanted to take her iron fans and wrap them around the girl-child's neck and twist- slowly. Mizuchi told her about some of the famous 'people' who populated the world. Like 'the Terror of Death' Haseo, rumored to have PKed over one hundred people. Shirayuki was unimpressed.
Sure, he might be strong, but some of the captains she knew, like her brother and Zaraki for example, were scary enough when riled to kill with a look. So without having seen his skill firsthand, she wouldn't be able to comment on it.
As she was pondering these things, Shinryu walked up and sat down. "Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late. Had a bit of a snag before I made it here."
"It's okay. You're here now. What's this thing you wanted us to go and see?" asked Mizuchi in tones that warned Shinryu that it had best be good… or else.
Sweating a bit under the intimidating stare, Shinryu backed up a bit and hastened to explain. "It's a new town, CC Corp. got it up and running last night. It's not much to look at, really, but it has the Arena and a black market for rare goods. I wanted to enter us as combatants," said Shinryu excitedly. He explained the rules of the arena as Mizuchi calmed down and actually listened to him instead of using his Atomic Right punch to blast him to the moon.
Shinryu was happy that his friend had decided not to give him an all expense paid trip to the moon. It wasn't that he had anything against the moon, really, he just wanted to admire it from a distance.
Shirayuki figured it would be a good place to fight. She was willing to go. Grabbing Shinryu by the scruff of his shirt, she immediately set off to the Chaos Gate, with Shinryu trailing behind her begging for mercy. Mizuchi just laughed and followed after.
After accessing the Chaos Gate and warping to the new server, the three looked around. Hrm, the warring city, huh? Kind of a depressing place thought Ichigo. Rukia looked around, agreeing with Ichigo's assessment of the place. Keigo was just happy he was going to be fighting in the arena soon.
Moving up to the registration desk, they started the process of becoming combatants in the arena. Checking their gear, the three teens all used the combatants gate, warping to the ready room.
Checking the board, Keigo found out their opponents were called the Yellow Devils. Looking at the information about them, he saw their win/lose ratio was pretty good. A team consisting of a Twin Blade, a Shadow Warlock, and an Edge Punisher, they picked their targets apart.
Hearing the gong meant to announce their fight, Ichigo looked at his partners. Receiving a nod from each, he faced the Gate and stepped through.
In the Stands, Haseo, Kuhn and Pi were watching as spectators. They did this on the off chance that an Epitaph User would awaken during the stress of an Arena Bout. So far, they hadn't seen any. Haseo was getting grumpy about the lack of entertainment when he felt Skeith shiver within him. Something was coming, but what?
Watching the teams warp onto their display platforms, the Yellow Devils showed off, showboating like a trio of tamed circus apes. Making grand fools of themselves, and either never realizing it or not caring a bit. It was the other team that grabbed Haseo's attention and kept it all throughout the match.
An Edge Punisher, a Blade Brandier, and a Macabre Dancer, they all stood calmly. Not moving at all. They stared their opponents right in the eye and seemed to try and stare them down. The display platform flashed again as they warped to the actual Arena floor as the announcer prattled on.
"Haseo, what do you make of them," asked Pi. The Tribal Grappler looked intently at the newcomers.
"For a trio of rookies, they have guts. Even experienced teams wouldn't try and use intimidation tactics like that right off the bat. Besides… Skeith is reacting to them for some reason," replied Haseo, the infamous Terror of Death. In point of fact, Skeith was gibbering and trying to break free of Haseo's control.
"So's my Magus," put in their friend, the endlessly cheerful Steam Gunner named Kuhn. The yellow and blue garbed man cocked his head to one side and then announced, "Yata has them on screen. We're gonna record this match to try and analyze why the Epitaphs are going bonkers."
"Tarvos is reacting as well. Almost like another Epitaph, but… it feels different, somehow…," muttered Pi. She, like the other two, gripped the rails as she bent her considerable concentration on this match.
In the Arena, Mizuchi looked at the team they had been slotted to fight against. So far, he wasn't impressed a bit. Looking left and right, he saw his team was ready. Taking charge like he always did, he said, "Shirayuki, distract that Edge Punisher for a little while. Stay out of his range and hammer him with magic. Shinryu, the Twin Blade is yours. I'm going to take that Warlock down quick, then back up Shirayuki. Got it?"
Receiving two affirmatives, he nodded. This match was going to be nothing. The announcer called for the match to begin. And immediately, the twin blade tried to use one of his special moves. Keigo waited and then activated his own attack. "Razor's Edge!" yelled out Keigo as he performed the punishing counter. The face of the twin blade had a comical surprised look as the air oophed out of him before he was knocked back.
Rukia charged up her magic and called "Slow!". As the magic circle centered around the Edge Punisher advancing on the group, he stopped for a second. The circle flashed as the spell took effect. The Warlock started to use his own magic to attack someone, but Ichigo counter-attacked with his Shell Breaker attack. The Warlock was hurt by that one, and Ichigo didn't give him the opportunity to recover, persecuting his attack all out.
In the stands, Haseo watched the team of newb's tear a hole in the older team. He was impressed. It looked like the Edge Punisher was the leader here. The Macabre Dancer alternated punishing the pursuing enemy Edge Punisher with healing her team. So far the Blade Brandier was having the hardest time. His attacks were strong, but the Twin Blade was either able to dodge them or block. Although, to his credit, he was able to keep the twin blade entirely on the defensive, effectively removing him from the loop. The Edge Punisher, Mizuchi, was well on his way to wiping out their magical element, but if he didn't hurry, his partner was going to get overwhelmed.
Pi was impressed. She didn't see teamwork like that often. If they were a friendly group, their fighting power would help Raven greatly. If, however, Yata found out that they were a hostile party, then Pi would do all in her power to make sure they were buried and forgotten.
Kuhn was openly praising their determination. He, like his friends, was impressed by this new team. Although they didn't stack up well when compared to a team made up from Raven's ranks, not too many others did either, and they came closer judging from what Kuhn had seen so far. He looked at Pi and Haseo, who nodded.
"If they turn out to be friend, induct them. If they are foe, erase them," said Haseo dispassionately. His life was complicated enough trying to fix 'The World' and bring Shino back. He didn't need extra trouble.
In the Arena, Ichigo had finished killing the Warlock. It had been difficult as the damn brat kept moving aside and blocking. Fortunately, Edge Punisher's are built to crush that little problem. It just took longer, that's all, thought Ichigo as he turned.
Just in time to get smacked by another great sword. Rocking back on his heels, his guard completely down, his opponent decided that now was the time to launch a special attack. Keigo saw it, but was busy defending himself from a sudden onslaught from the twin blade to do anything about it. Ichigo took the full force of the Tiger Strike that his opponent slammed him with.
Rukia couldn't do anything. She was currently out of magic, so she moved up to take the heat off of Keigo for a bit. Seeing this, Ichigo nodded. It made the most sense, after all. Yeah, he was hurt, but not as hurt as his opponent was. Rukia had done a number to him before he magic ran dry. So, he looked at his new foe and grinned.
Taking a better grip on his sword, Ichigo stood up. Glaring at his enemy, he swung the huge sword to kick it off. As he expected, his foe blocked it. Using force, he tried to overpower his enemy. Seeing that it was a deadlock, Ichigo then suddenly swung his blade out wide, perforce taking his foes blade out of line with his. Recovering quickly, Ichigo saw his target using a special attack, probably Tiger Strike again. So, Ichigo waited. Just as the attack was launched, he countered with his own Shell Breaker.
His foe gasped as his body faded into dissolution. Hearing Keigo cry out "Razor's Edge!" he turned to see the twin blade finally fall, having been caught in a counter as well. He moved over to Keigo and Rukia and wrapped his arms around their shoulders, giving a wordless congratulations on a battle well fought.
The arena erupted in cheers as the announcer went crazy about their 'surprise victory!' and all. Ichigo listened to it for a while, then tuned it out. He looked at his team and said, "Let's go. They still need the arena." The other two nodded and warped out.
Appearing before the combatants gate, the three friends decided to explore the warring city a bit. They didn't know that they were being observed by the watchful eye of Yata, master of the Serpent of Lore and head of the Raven guild.
A/N: This is a lot of fun to write. Ichigo's team womped in the Arena. Of course, it could be beginner's luck… maybe. Haseo's got his eye on them, as does Yata. What does the future hold for this intrepid band of warriors. Only the future- and I- know. And I'm not telling. Nyah, Nyah. Not really.