Chapter 1: A New Enemy! The Materialization of the Zanpakuto!
The zanpakuto, its unique shape and abilities are defined by its Soul Reaper. A Soul Reaper is able to harness the power of the zanpakuto by learning its name and forming a synergistic unit. The Zanpakuto is born with its Soul Reaper and dies with its Soul Reaper. That is the existence of the zanpakuto.
A strange green light glowed in the water of a cavern as a group of individuals were gathered on the plateau above, waiting for someone to come.
"Hey…" a female voice as the owner jumped off the rock she was sitting on. The owner is a woman with peach-colored skin, turquoise eyes, chin-length maroon hair that styled into two cat ears at the top of head. She has pink fur covering her forearms, pelvis, feet, and upper body, and a tail. "How long are we gonna have to stick around this place anyway? I'm so freaking bored here. I'm going to take a look outside."
"Not a good idea." Another voice said. The owner is a woman with pale white skin, long lavender hair, icy blue eyes, wearing a white kimono with long sleeves, a yellow-green obi around her waist and a large purple bow on her back. "It's too soon. Not everyone has arrived as of yet."
"Everyone who?" The woman with maroon hair questioned. "How many more are coming?"
"Well I can't be sure exactly."
"Who care about our numbers?" A male voice laughed. The owner is a man with long black hair and a red outlined body, wearing dark gray strips of cloths around his neck, shoulder, wrists, and lower body. "In fact, why don't I go out there I handle this myself?"
"Shut up!" Another male said. The owner is a large, muscular man with long orange hair styled into three spikes around his face and beard, wearing a white robe as a skirt. "Rushing into things is foolish."
"You said it." A tiny girl with long brown pigtails wearing yellow and black clothing with a segmented yellow and black stinger on her right arm said. "An impatient man is so unattractive." Then a sound of a door opening was heard following by the sounds of footsteps, catching everyone's attention.
"Welcome back." A little girl with long brown hair and wearing a white kimono said to the figure.
"I have brought us a new friend." The man said as he placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. He has pale skin, shaggy dark brown hair and wears a long white robe-like coat. "Look after him." The man continued to walk down the stairs as another figure was seen coming down the stairs as well. He is a tall man with an icy blue X mark on his face, gray eyes, long teal-green hair, and wears a pale blue kimono.
"Hey, that guy is pretty good looking." The tiny woman said, looking at the teal-green haired man.
"Be straight with me." The woman with maroon hair said, stopping the man with dark brown hair. "How long we going to be stuck down here waiting?"
"You'll have to bear it longer." The man said. "The rest of our comrade will be joining us very soon. The era of the soul reaper is coming to an end."
In his inner world, Ichigo lays on one of the buildings asleep.
"Ichigo…" A voice called, echoing through the building. "Can you hear it, Ichigo?"
Ichigo slowly opened his eyes and sat up. He looked around and saw that he is in his inner world. "Hold on…" he said. "Why am I…"
"Ichigo…" the voice said again. Ichigo looked to his left and saw Zangetsu. "Surely, you are able to hear Ichigo."
"What? Your voice?" Ichigo questioned. "Of course, I hear it."
"No Ichigo, that is not what I mean." Zangetsu said.
"Huh?" Ichigo tried to listen for whatever Zangetsu is talking about but heard nothing. "Sorry, I don't hear anything other than you. What are you talking about?"
"Forget about it." Zangetsu said, confusing Ichigo.
"I can't forget about it now!" Ichigo refuted. "Listen old man… Hey… Answer me!"
"Roar, Zabimaru!" Renji stretched his zanpakuto at Byakuya, who blocked the attack with his sword and flash stepped out of the blade's way. Byakuya appeared behind Renji and slashed his sword at Renji. Renji blocked it with his sword and pushed his captain back.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura!" Byakuya's sword dissolved into cherry blossom petals, leaving the sword's hilt in Byakuya's hand. The petals rushed towards Renji, causing the lieutenant to block with his zanpakuto.
"Lieutenant!" one of the squad members shouted as all of Squad 6 watches their captain and lieutenant battle.
"Bankai!" An explosion erupted, causing the pedal-like blades to disperse. The smoke cleared, revealing Renji landing on the ground and holding a huge snake skeleton-like whip. "Hihio Zabimaru!"
Byakuya dropped his sword and it phased the ground. "You haven't forgotten, have you?" he said as countless flying blades surrounds. "When Senbonzakura is controlled directly by my hand, it has twice the speed. Your slow bankai is no match for it. Here I come." As Byakuya prepares to attack, one of the pedal-like blades cut his wrist. Byakuya looked his wrist with widen eyes as Renji prepared to go the offensive. Byakuya turned his attention back to Renji and fired his flying blades at the lieutenant. Renji jumped out of the way and saw the flying blades still coming at him.
"Now, Hikotsu Taiho!" Renji lashed his zanpakuto through the flying blades and fired a blast at Byakuya. Byakuya quickly moved his hand and the flying blades appeared in front of him, blocking the attack.
Renji smirked as he rubbed the sweat off of his face. "Look at that. You used your bankai?" Byakuya closed his eyes as Senbonzakura returned to its sword form.
"Captain, is there something wrong?" Renji asked, walking up to Byakuya.
"No." Byakuya answered.
"Captain?" Then Renji heard someone clapping and saw Captain Kyoraku walked towards the two with Nanao close behind.
"Wow fellas, that was quite the sparring session." Kyoraku said.
"Yes Lieutenant Abrai, your skills have improved." Jushiro said, walking up to the two.
"Have they?" Renji said. "Thank you." He looked at Byakuya, who just turned his back on him. "Captain?"
"That will be all for today." Byakuya said, looking behind his shoulder and sheathing his sword.
"Yes sir." Renji said. "I appreciate the opportunity."
"Byakuya…" Jushiro said, trying to get his fellow captain's attention.
"Please excuse me," said Byakuya as he walks away.
Kyoraku rubbed his chin and said, "I wonder what's eating that guy."
"Hyorimaru!" Toshiro said as he slashed the air with his sword. The blade of his zanpakuto disappeared with the hilt following suit. Then an ice dragon appeared in front of the Squad 10 captain. Toshiro looked the dragon, noticed something different about it. "What's wrong?"
The dragon didn't respond to the question. Toshiro extended his hand out towards it. As the dragon lowered his head to the captain's hand, it was shattered into pieces. Toshiro watched disappear with widen eyes. He looked down at his hand and saw that he's holding his sword.
"What was that about?" Toshiro asked himself, looking at his sword. "Hyorimaru…"
The sound of a window breaking caught the captain's attention. It was soon followed by Rangiku shouting, "Just come on out already!"
"Rangiku!" Toshiro growled, annoyed with his lieutenant.
In the captain's office, Rangiku stabbed her zapakuto into the wooden floor in anger.
"Come out here, Haineko!" she shouted irritated. She started looking around the office, trying to her zanpakuto spirit. "Are you seriously ignoring me?! You think that I'll just take this from you?! You better watch yourself!"
Toshiro opened the shoji door to his office and said, "Hey…"
"Are you even listening?!" Rangiku shouted, ignoring her captain. "That's it! I'm mad! You are lazy, moody, and a brat! What a useless zanpakuto! Whoever forged you was…"
"Rangiku!" Toshiro shouted, surprising Rangiku and cutting off. "What's the yelling about?"
"Hey, don't scare me like that." Rangiku said. "I was just having a friendly chat with my zanpakuto."
"That was a chat?!"
"Excuse me?" a voice said from the shoji doors. The doors opened up and revealed Isane and Momo.
"Hello there, Rangiku, Shiro." Momo greeted.
"Momo…Isane…" Rangiku said, happy to see her two friends.
"Why do you always refuse to call me captain?" Toshiro asked, irritated with the nickname Momo gives him.
"What brings you girls around here?" Rangiku asked.
"This does." Momo said, giving Rangiku a piece of paper. "It's a special notice announcing a lieutenants' meeting." She looked at Toshiro. "Is there something wrong, Shiro?"
"You two, don't you have somewhere to be?!" Toshiro said annoyed.
"Rangiku…" Isane said, looking at Rangiku's zanpakuto in the floor. "What were you doing in here?"
"Just talking to my zanpakuto." Rangiku said, annoyed with her zanpakuto. "Our enemies are getting craftier all of the time. So we have to hone our skills too. And yet that silly Haineko, she refuses to manifest. I'm telling you that she could be so lame."
"You really shouldn't bad mouth your zanpakuto like that." Momo said. "You must be more forgiving towards it. When I was at my lowest point, Tobiume was so concerned about me. That's when I realized that I'm never alone."
"So you're telling me you even drive your zanpakuto crazy?" Toshiro questioned.
"Speaking of zanpakuto problems, my Itegumo has also been slow to respond the past two or three days." Isane said.
"Yours too, Isane?!" Rangiku said surprised. Toshiro widen his eyes, hearing Isane's zanpakuto problem.
"Yes, this has never happened before."
"You're lucky that it was just once." Rangiku said. "With Haineko, it has been constant."
"It's the first time. That's what concerns me." Isane added. Wondering what was going on, Toshiro started to walk away.
"Um…Toshiro…" Momo said, trying to get the captain's attention. "Where are you going?"
"Where do you think?" Toshiro responded. "I'm still on duty."
"But we brought over some sweet baked bean deserts we got from Captain Unohana." Momo said.
"Let's take a tea break, Captain." Rangiku said, trying to her captain to stay. "After all, they are your favorite treats."Toshiro ignored the girl's plea and walked out of his office. "Captain?"
Toshiro walked down the halls of his squad barracks, thinking back to what happened with Hyorimaru.
'So strange…' he thought. 'What does this mean?'
To be continued…
Next Chapter: The Soul Reapers Wiped Out! The Zanpakutos' Sudden Attack!