"Hey there everyone. Ajimu Najimi here, standing in for MementoMori115. Seeing as how the idiot really wanted to see this idea succeed, I decided to kick his ass until he wrote a better version of it. Not that I really care, I'm just trying to whip the loser into shape.
It took awhile, but the lazy prick finally managed to produce something that was half-decent. His words, not mine. I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you left a praising review, but I'll just hide them from him, so say whatever you want. Oh, and the dumb ass still wants to try for a harem or whatever. Yay...
And since even I have an instinctual fear of lawyers; Neither he nor I own any of this stuff."
(-)
This was not how it was meant to be...
No longer was he the innocent young man who blindly stumbled into the den of monsters. His original goal of saving his village had been long forgotten in the face of everything he had seen. The depths of human hatred, the darkest pits of depravity, the vile monsters that were hidden behind the face of man. Sin upon sin upon sin was contained within the city to the point that it overflowed and spilled out across the land. If there really was a Hell, it was the closest thing to it.
He couldn't remember the last time he had genuinely smiled. It could have been months or years and he wouldn't know the difference. Moments of joy pass by in a flash, but pain and suffering is agonizingly slow. Just when did it all go so wrong?
It was a foolish sentiment to think that everyone would survive this whole sordid affair. Reality was rather harsh in relaying that truth to him.
"I'm such a klutz. I feel like I'm of no use to anyone outside of killing..."
Dead.
"Forget formalities, you can just call me aniki or handsome!"
Dead.
"And fair warning, next time you try to sneak up on me in the bath, I'll cut 'them' off."
Dead.
"My previous master was a very strong individual, just like your boss. In fact, she is the spitting image of him."
Dead.
"Gah! Stop mocking me! I will gaze upon her glorious breasts one of these days!"
Dead.
"I never miss, because I'm a genius sniper."
Dead.
"Ooh? Did you want nee-san here to give you a good rub-down~?"
Dead.
"Do you have what it takes to walk the same path as us? To fight for justice even though you will be consigned to Hell?"
Dead.
"Please... Don't die Tatsumi..."
Dea-
'NO!'
He stabbed his sword into the ground to distract himself before he drifted too far down that road. His body ached like nothing he'd ever felt before. With blood pouring out from multiple wounds and more bones broken than not, things were not looking good for him. It was moments like these where rather than be thankful for his power, he cursed it. To continue to survive when everyone around him perishes.
The vision from his left eye was distorted, causing him to see the world in two different ways. His right arm was lined with reptilian scales and his fingers were like claws. And through all the pain he was feeling, he could still hear its voice as clear as day.
"Tell me boy... Is this where you plan to drop dead? To let go of everything you've been through, everything you've lost?"
The voice was dark and mocking, and constantly prodded him forward.
"All the blood you spilled, all the friends who died in your place... Was it all in vain~?"
"SHUT UP!" he roared as he slammed the sword in the ground once more. "I am not going to die here! Not until I have won!"
"Ahh... There it is. That fickle human emotion you call determination. Such an easy thing to manipulate for one such as I."
"Be quiet..." he said lowly as he drew the sword upon seeing the coming enemy.
"We are survivors. Even in death I continue to exist. With every encounter we continue to evolve and become all the more stronger. Our potential is nothing short of our toughest enemy. So long as someone is stronger than us, we will surpass them!"
His mind was becoming muddled with the monsters own thoughts. Oh how he wished he could die. A comfort like that was so enticing. But it continued to push him forward, regardless of his desires. Just how much of his original self was left? How much of him has the beast taken for itself?
"Well? What are you waiting for? The enemy stands before you! Call my name and unleash our power! Let the world know once more just who we are!"
"They were right to call you Demon Armor..." he grumbled between ragged breaths as he raised his blade. Holding it aloft and pointing it at his enemies, he called its name just as he had so many time before.
"_!"
(-)
"Wahh!"
Tatsumi woke up with a shout. Shooting upwards and reaching for something that wasn't there, he realized that he was still in his bedroom. Looking at his trembling hand, he couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that dream gave him. His body was drenched in a cold sweat and his heart was still beating like mad. Taking a moment to calm himself, he let out a long breath as he checked what time it was from his alarm clock.
"5 a.m.?" he groaned in annoyance.
He still had time before he needed to properly wake up and get ready for school, but as a result of that crazy dream, his body was now wired and there was no way he would get back to sleep.
He let out a sigh. "Damnit. Might as well start the day early."
Climbing out of bed, he carefully stretched his arms and popped the kinks out of his joints. Taking a brief look in the mirror, he confirmed that he looked just as disheveled as he felt. His short brown hair was a total mess, his emerald green eyes were bloodshot, and the t-shirt he had worn to bed was thoroughly soaked. He needed to get out of the sticky clothes asap.
Pulling off the shirt, he threw it across the room and into his clothes hamper. Doing so resulted in exposing his chest which, whilst not overly muscular, was still somewhat toned from his physical activities. However what was more noticeable was the faint scar that ran from above his right pectoral across his chest towards his lower left torso. Running his fingers along its length, he was once again reminded of that fateful day several years ago.
Shaking such thoughts from his head, he quickly went about his morning routine. By the time he had washed up and dressed himself he still had an hour before he needed to head to school. So since he had the fortune of extra time this morning, he decided to use said time to indulge in one of his hobbies.
Ever since he lost both of his parents in a car accident, he ended up living on his own. Most might think it was a bit lonely for him to live in the decently sized Japanese-style house on his own, but he enjoyed the privacy it provided. And it's not like he was always alone. About once a month his grandfather would stop by and spend several days with him, commandeering the guest room for the duration of his visit. But seeing as how most of the time he was on his own, he was quick to learn how to cook for himself in order to save money, as well as enjoy the higher quality food he produced. Whilst not 5 Star restaurant quality, he felt confident in his skill.
The teens attention was quickly absorbed by his culinary work, and by the time he finished making himself a nice breakfast as well as a bento for lunch it was almost time for him to leave. Finishing his meal with just minutes to spare, he stopped to make a quick prayer at the shrine dedicated to his parents. Grabbing his school bag and slipping on his shoes, Tatsumi headed out and locked the door behind him.
Even with his school being only a mere ten minute walk away, he only made it halfway there before the exhaustion set in.
"Yo, Tatsumi!" a voice called out from behind.
Turning around, the brown-haired teen was greeted by one of his friends. No matter how tired he may be, it would be pretty hard for him to mistake that head of orange hair for someone else. Especially with the dark-haired midget next standing off to the side.
"Ah, good morning Ichigo. You too Rukia." he hastily added as he waved at the duo.
"I would say good morning as well, but from the look on your face I'd say that wasn't really the case for you." the taller boy responded.
"I agree with Ichigo. You look pretty tired." added Rukia. "Didn't get a good nights sleep?"
Tatsumi did his best to hold back a yawn, but failed terribly. "Something like that. I was woken up early this morning by a weird dream, and I couldn't get back to sleep."
"Sounds like that's been happening to you a lot recently." Ichigo opined.
His words rang true. Tatsumi had been suffering from similar dreams the past two weeks nearly every other day. The dreams were strange yet seemed to paint an imperfect picture. It was as if he was reading a book that had all its chapters switched around. But no matter how detailed his dreams were, by the time he woke up the specifics would elude him. Names and faces were nothing but blurs, and voices became distorted. All except for two. His own, and the dark voice that emanated from the sword he often held.
Rubbing his eyes, the brunette nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Maybe I should pay a visit to the doctors. If not for a sleep aid, then at least something to settle my mind."
Ichigo chuckled. "I'm tempted to recommend my family clinic, but my dads idea of a sleep aid would probably be choking you out."
"He can't possibly be that bad." murmured Tatsumi.
"Need I remind you that the old goat wakes me up with a flying kick on most days?"
After a hum of thought, Tatsumi shrugged. "I see your point."
"Hmm, perhaps I can acquire some sleeping pills for Tatsumi." suggested Rukia as she rubbed her knuckles under her chin. "I know a guy who might have someth-"
"No way in hell!" Ichigo shouted as he formed an 'X' with his arms. "Nothing good comes from that place, only more headaches!"
Tatsumi just barely caught the eye-roll that Rukia shot Ichigo. Although to most onlookers the duo appeared to be on relatively good terms, Tatsumi would occasionally see the two at odds with each other. Most of those instances would involve the diminutive girl physically assaulting the orange-haired boy, but it seemed that Ichigo took it all in stride.
'Is this what it means when they say a man is 'whipped'?'
(-)
Lunch time had rolled around at Karakura High, and four friends found themselves spending their time eating on the roof.
The most noticeable of the group was Chad, a large teen who had bronze skin and messy dark hair. A surprisingly soft-spoken individual, he is Ichigo's best friend.
Sitting next to him was Tatsumi, who was eating his special home made bento, much to the jealousy of the boy sitting across from him.
The perfect word to describe Keigo would be eccentric. At least, that's the most polite way of putting it. If they had to choose who the designated joker of the group was, it would be him. Most of his remarks revolved around women, and would more often than not earn him a punch courtesy of Ichigo.
And lastly there was Mizuiro, the unflappable member of the group. Although his appearance was somewhat average, the teen never seemed surprised by anything. Always sporting a calm smile, even in the face of Keigo's rants. One such rant was occuring right then.
"I am telling you!" Keigo exclaimed as he slammed his juice can down. "Ichigo is so sneaking off with Rukia to do wonderfully explicit things!"
"... Keigo, please swallow your food before you speak. You're getting rice on my face." spoke Tatsumi.
"I mean seriously! Who needs to go to the nurses office so often?! They're sneaking off so they can play 'doctor'!"
"I really think you're jumping to conclusions here." Mizuiro opined. "Ichigo's not the type of person to do that."
Chad grunted in agreement.
"Oh yeah? Well then where is he now? We all saw him take off with Rukia just before lunch started."
"He's probably helping her with schoolwork or something." Tatsumi muttered off-hand as he took another bite of his lunch. "Why are you so obsessed with this?"
"Why aren't you?!" Keigo cried as he jumped up. "Our dear friend Ichigo is crossing the threshold into manhood, and he won't even share the details with us!"
The frantic boy suddenly stumbled back when a chopstick caught him in the forehead. "OWW!"
"Do you know no shame?" Tatsumi asked as he reached for his spare chopstick.
Keigo ground his teeth in frustration for a moment before pointing at Tatsumi. "Fine! Then why don't you find out what they're doing?!"
The brunette tilted his head slightly. "Because I don't want to?"
"NO!" the teen shouted as he ran his hands through his hair. "I'm saying; why don't you follow them and find out what they're up to if you're so sure it's nothing important?!"
"... Are you asking me to spy on them?"
It was actually a rather sound idea. Tatsumi seemed to naturally be stealthier than anyone else. He didn't really know the reason, and he didn't really care either way. But if anyone could follow them without being spotted, it was him.
"Yes!"
"That'll be 2000 yen." he replied without missing a beat.
"What?!"
"You didn't really think I'd stalk one of my friends for free did you? You want your answer, you need to pay for it."
"You heartless extortionist!" Keigo comically wept. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his wallet and produced the requested amount. "Here!" he said, shoving the money towards Tatsumi. "Now follow them after school today."
"Hmm... Price change; now 5000 yen." he responded after a moment.
"What do you mean price change?!"
"I have kendo club after school today. If you want me to skip, then you need to pay extra."
After a brief but amusing interlude of Keigo screaming and holding back barely restrained curses, he handed Tatsumi his payment. While the teen wasn't too fond of the idea of essentially stalking his friend in what amounted to an invasion of privacy, he would be lying if he said he wasn't the least bit curious as to what Ichigo and Rukia were up to. And with Keigo paying him, he now had an excuse for why he was doing so... As well as a pansy to pass the blame to.
(-)
The rest of the school day passed by without incident, which had the side-effect of making time seem to pass agonizingly slow. But as the final bell rang and the students were freed from class, Tatsumi psyched himself up for his 'job'.
Keeping track of a head of shocking orange hair was easier done than said, even more so when a diminutive girl was walking alongside it. So this allowed Tatsumi some leeway when it came to maintaining a safe distance so he wasn't spotted. Every now and then Rukia would look over her shoulder as if she suspected someone was following, but Tatsumi kept to the edge of the alleys and roads so he could quickly duck for cover. With how often she did so, he was beginning to suspect she was onto him. But until they stopped to confront him, he assumed his cover wasn't blown.
Suddenly Rukia pulled out a phone and looked panicked. She said something to Ichigo that was too quiet for Tatsumi to hear, before the both of them took off in another direction. Tatsumi was hard pressed to keep up with them now whilst maintaining his cover. Wherever they were heading, it must have been important.
After a short while they arrived at an abandoned construction site. The structure that was being built was only half complete when funding ran out, and no one had yet to do anything about it. As such, the location was frequented by delinquents who were looking for a quiet hangout.
The teen was well aware of how every delinquent and their mother thought Ichigo to be a thug based on appearance alone, so it wouldn't be too surprising for him to deal with some trouble makers. That being said, it's usually them who come to him, not the other way around. So why were Ichigo and Rukia visiting a frequented hideout for thugs?
Whatever train of thought he was about to go off on came to an abrupt halt moments later, when he heard a disturbing low growl emanating from the building. What Tatsumi saw next caused his blood to go cold. Crawling out of the darkness of the building was a literal monster. It looked like some kind of giant lizard of some sort that had a white mask on its face and a hole in its chest.
"Ahh, what delicious looking souls." spoke the menacing creature. "Why don't you be good little prey and hold still while I eat you."
Tatsumi was trembling in fear from the beasts presence. He could barely draw breath and his skin went pale. What the hell were Ichigo and Rukia standing around for?! They needed to run!
"Sorry buddy, but I think you'll find I'm a bit hard to swallow." spoke Ichigo.
Rukia then pulled out a glove and smacked Ichigo in the head with it. Suddenly there was another Ichigo standing there, only this one was wearing a black outfit and was holding a massive sword. The original Ichigo fell to the ground with a thud and Rukia dragged him off.
"Oh? A Shinigami eh? How delectable~." said the creature.
Tatsumi watched in shock as Ichigo did battle with the monster, slashing at it with his sword while the monster swiped at him with its claws. The battle went on for about a minute before Ichigo sliced the creatures mask in half and it faded into nothingness.
"Well, I guess that's over." the orange-haired teen spoke as he wiped the sweat from his brow.
The brunette let out a sigh of relief knowing that his friends were safe. Sure, he wanted to see what his friend was up to, but this was a bit much. Now he had to live with the knowledge that monsters were roaming about the town. However Tatsumi's gaze shifted when he caught a glimpse of movement in the shadows behind Rukia. There was another monster and she was completely unaware!
His body was moving before he realized it. "Look out!" he shouted as he shoved Rukia out of the way.
"T-Tatsumi?! Wha-!" she uttered in surprise, right before she saw the massive hand slap Tatsumi away like a ragdoll. The boy tumbled across the site a few times before slamming into a fence with great force.
"Tatsumi!" Ichigo shouted as he watched his friend seemingly get killed. "You bastard!" Ichigo roared as he charged the monster.
That was the last thing Tatsumi saw as his vision went black.
(-)
It was dark. Cold, silent, and dark. Despite being surrounded by nothing but black, Tatsumi was still able to see his own body as clear as day. The ground was nonexistent, he was just floating in the air with no control whatsoever.
"W-what's going on? Where am I?" he asked aloud as he cast his gaze about the emptiness. Then he remembered what happened before he blacked out. "Am I... Dead?"
"Far from it~."
The teen shrieked as he suddenly found himself plummeting downwards at a rapid pace. He was buffeted by a powerful gust of wind as he fell for what seemed like ages, only to come to a dead halt as his body slammed into the ground. Yet even though he was going god knows how fast when he fell, he got up feeling only slightly sore.
"Keh, keh, keh... Nice to see you again boy." came a most terrifying voice.
Despite how much his body demanded him not to, Tatsumi still found himself looking up towards the source of the unsettling voice. He really wished he hadn't.
Wreathed in darkness was the form of a massive beast that made what he saw earlier seem like a mouse by comparison. To describe it as a dragon would be accurate, but it was far more fearsome by comparison. Claws like spears, teeth like swords, scales like steel, and the four piercing red eyes that gazed right back into Tatsumi's own.
The teen scrambled to his feet and try to back away, only to find the beast wrapped its tail around to prevent his escape.
"Where do you think you're running off to? It's been some time since we last met."
"W-what?!"
"Your skull is just as thick as always. I thought it would take me forever to break through to you... Though I suppose you still don't quite recall who I am. Allow me to enlighten you~."
Tatsumi was completely helpless as the dragon leaned in close to his face to the point where he could feel its searing breath on his skin.
"Remember!"
At the demand, the dragons eyes flashed a brighter red, and Tatsumi gripped his head in pain as his mind was assaulted by countless images. People, places, names, memories... all his own but at the same time not. He screamed with each passing second as more and more memories were forced into his brain. After what felt like years of torture, the images finally stopped and Tatsumi collapsed to his knees.
"Tell me boy; who am I?"
Through ragged breaths, Tatsumi managed to muster the strength to stand and stare back at the beast.
"You are the Tyrant... The Demon Armor: Incursio..."
The beast chuckled. "Ahh, good to have you back~. I would like to continue this conversation further, but I'm afraid our time is up."
Before Tatsumi even had a chance to ask what it meant, he felt a strong pull as he was ripped away from the Tyrant.
(-)
Tatsumi's eyes snapped open and he was in an unfamiliar room. The scent of anesthetic hung in the air and there was a quiet beeping next to the bed he found himself in. Casting his gaze about, he realized that he was in a hospital room. He tried to sit up, but groaned in pain and grasped his chest as he did so.
"What happened?" he wondered aloud.
"Ah, I see that you are awake now." came a voice.
Tatsumi looked to the door where he saw a disheveled looking man walk in. His messy blonde hair was covered by a striped hat and he wore a green robe of sorts over nondescript clothing. The clack of his sandals on the linoleum floor echoed through the room along with his cane.
"Who are you?" Tatsumi asked.
"Oh me? I'm no one important." the man waved Tatsumi off as he pulled out a fan and flipped it open. "I'm just a humble shopkeeper that found you passed out in the street."
"What? Passed out in the street?" the last thing Tatsumi remembered was being knocked across that construction site by that monster.
"Yes indeed." answered the man "Apparently you were the victim of a hit and run. You were lucky to only escape with a few broken ribs."
Tatsumi wasn't buying what the shopkeeper was selling, but he decided to play along. "I see. I think I remember that I was walking home when I was suddenly sent flying. After that it's all blank." he said as he rubbed his forehead.
"Well, you're lucky I happened across you when I did. I called for an ambulance at once and they rushed you here."
"By the way, why are you here to visit me?" Tatsumi asked.
"Oh don't worry. You aren't that special to me. I was just visiting someone else and decided to check up on you as well." the man answered. However Tatsumi knew it was a lie. He just felt it in his gut. The only real question now, was why a shopkeeper he didn't even know would come to check up on him. "Unfortunately I must be off now. I need to go home and feed my cat. She can get real fiesty if she doesn't get fed enough." the man said as he turned and left.
Powering through the pain, Tatsumi quickly hopped out of bed as quietly as possible and pressed himself up against the door.
"He doesn't seem to recall his encounter with the Hollow's." spoke the shopkeeper from outside the room.
'Hollow's? Is that what those monsters are called?'
"Good. So at least I know this damn thing isn't busted." came a familiar voice. Tatsumi recognized it as Rukia.
"I assure you that none of my products are faulty." the man rebuffed.
"And what about the mod-soul?"
"... Well I would love to stay and chat, but I have places to be. Ta-ta!"
Tatsumi quickly hopped back in bed so as to remain inconspicuous should Rukia come in. In the end she didn't. Wise choice as it would be too coincidental for her to come in right after he was visited by a mysterious man.
After awhile, the doctors came to check up on him since he had awoken. It turns out that he was unconscious for several days. Tatsumi groaned. He would have to make up the homework he missed. As the day went on he was eventually visited by his friends who had heard that he was awake. No doubt from Rukia.
It wasn't until the next morning that he was finally released from the hospital. Feeling much better than when he originally woke up there, he headed home and decided to skip school for the day in order to collect himself. He wanted some answers as to what exactly was going on, and the Tyrant was the only one who could provide any. But even then he didn't know how to go about contacting the beast since he no longer had Incursio. So he opted for the obvious approach of meditating.
After settling back in to his home, he sat on his bed with his legs crossed and closed his eyes in the hopes that he would somehow be able to hear the monsters voice.
It was almost disturbing from how fast it worked.
"Well, I see you're ready to talk." came the familiar growl.
"I'm not in the mood for your bullshit Tyrant. Now tell me what's going on." the teen replied curtly. Tatsumi always had to maintain authority when talking directly with the Danger Beast. If he gave it an inch, it would take a mile.
"Hmm? No pleasantries? No; it's nice to see you again?" it asked in a mocking tone.
Tatsumi remained silent at its provocation.
"But I digress. You are probably wondering as to why we are here. Or rather, how we are here."
"Start talking."
"Well, I can't quite say for certain as to how it came to be like this, but when you finally died I managed to latch on to your Soul in order to survive. I can't even count how many years it took for you to be 'reborn', but once you gained a physical body again, I too was brought back. It took me quite a bit of time to break down your mental barriers, but by doing so I have been fully awakened once more~."
Tatsumi held back a scowl. "If you think I'll let you do what you want without a fight, then you are sorely mistaken."
Although he couldn't see it, the teen had a suspicion that the Tyrant was smirking.
"Of course you wouldn't. Though tell me, how does that human expression go? You scratch my back, I scratch yours?"
The boys eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at?"
"Your Soul wasn't the only one to be reborn. I'm sure you've noticed some of your comrades happen to also reside in this town. Your dearest friends who you thought were lost forever."
He wanted to deny the beasts claim, even if it was just to spite it. But he spoke the truth. Several of his friends from Night Raid went to the same school as him, but they never properly interacted with one another. "Your point?"
"Do you recall the emotion you humans have that I find oh so amusing? Determination. Your will to achieve something no matter the cost. So similar to my evolution, yet different all the same... You would be willing to give anything to have your friends back, correct? No need to respond, I already know the answer. Thus I will skip to the part where I make you an offer you can't resist~."
Even though Tatsumi knew what was coming next, it surprised him all the same.
"A rather foolish deity is in need of powerful warriors, and has gifted me the power to return to your friends their memories and power. So I will give you back what was lost, in exchange for a little favor~."
A war waged inside Tatsumi's mind. He could have his friends back? Everyone he lost would be returned to him? But was the price for such a thing to high? Making a deal with the Tyrant was akin to making a deal with the Devil.
"What kind of favor?"
"Hmph! Like it even matters. I know that regardless of what I would have you do, you will agree to it all the same. All to see their smiles one more time. You already sold your body to me for the power to protect your friends, even though you failed. So what difference does it make if you sell your Soul as well~?"
Tatsumi's eyes snapped open, and he saw Incursio floating in front of him, just within reach.
"Take hold of me once more... Raise my blade and strike down your enemies! Slaughter all who stand in your way! Climb to the top where we shall stand as gods! Call my name and unleash our power! Let the world know once more just who we are!"
His resolve found, Tatsumi reached out and grabbed the swords handle.
"And so, it begins~."