So…I was rewatching some earlier episodes of Bleach and got inspired by Yumichika's fight with Ganju. Although it's a rather comedic fight, he comes across as a very vicious and sadistic character – which seems to drop away later in the anime. Unlike Ikkaku, it's not so much the fight as it is the kill that Yumichika loves (and he clearly has a passion for striking people in the back), and this idea sort of blossomed from that. Doesn't really fit too much with the more current canon though?
Beauty in Death
The Seireitei has always thrived on rumour. Its par for the course when its residents live centuries and Shinigami can enter the academy with hundreds of years of unknown history behind them.
Ikkaku and Yumichika are no exception. Ever since the two of them showed up at the doors of the academy, Ikkaku screaming at the ridiculousness of having to go to school (Shinigami kill hollows, and frankly by this point he doesn't think anyone can teach him anything about killing he doesn't already know) and Yumichika at his back murmuring bland agreements while he fills in the paperwork for both of them, tongues were wagging. Their exceptionally quick advancement to seated officers didn't do anything to help, especially with no family reputation to shield them.
Admittedly, Ikkaku seemed to miss the most of the flak. He was from a dark, dangerous district, and his looks and temperament matched.
And then there was Yumichika. Pretty, delicate, flamboyant and over-acting Yumichika. The polar opposite of Ikkaku in every possible way. Who then joined Ikkaku in the vicious and bloodthirsty Squad 11. A shiny gemstone in a pile of coal. Rumours flew from every corner of the Seireitei.
Ikkaku had taken personal pleasure in hearing every single one and reciting them to Yumichika during drinking sessions. The most prevalent was that Yumichika had been a whore of some variety - Ikkaku had nearly laughed himself sick the first time he heard that theory. Had these idiots even MET Yumichika? The man had beaten up opponents with his eyes closed rather than be forced to look at some supposed ugliness. Did they really think the man would ever allow ugly people to touch him? For money?
The other most popular rumour that managed to show up every now and then was that Yumichika was the scion of some fallen noble family - a bastard child or the last of his clan, or maybe human nobility in his previous life. This at least, Ikkaku could understand, and if he was honest, it could be true. Yumichika had never revealed early details of his life - if he even remembered them to begin with.
The only issue that seemed to stop people from turning it into fact was Ikkaku. What it did a junkyard dog have in common with a possible noble?
It was probably a good thing Yumichika loved being the centre of attention regardless of how it was obtained. He strutted around with his perfect skin and colourful feathers and poise worthy of a noble, flirted with the ease of any night worker, and pretended to ignore the rumours before laughing hysterically with Ikkaku over the stupidity of their fellow Shinigami.
Although to be fair, even Ikkaku admitted their friendship was a tad unorthodox. At the end of the day, Ikkaku and Yumichika were bound together through mutual desire.
Ikkaku wanted to die in battle against a stronger opponent.
...And Yumichika wanted to watch him do it.
Their meeting was over mutilated bodies and spilt blood. This wouldn't be particularly surprising to hear, but that none of the bodies were on the ground due to Ikkaku might have been.
They'd met not long after he'd arrived in Soul Society. He'd started to build up a reputation of his own not long after he woke up - enough thugs had tried to use the fresh meat as an example, only to find themselves bleeding in the dirt thanks to the bald youth. Fighting had been the only thing that kept him going – the only thing that saved him from the numb feeling.
As his name spread, the rumours started to echo, hitting the edges of the district and bouncing back towards him. But other tales were mixed in – whispers of men and women having been viciously sliced to ribbons. Innkeepers barging into locked rooms only to find bloodbaths inside.
The only thing people seemed to be certain of was that every victim had been seen in the company of a young boy - a beautiful one.
Ikkaku's battles were bloody and brutal, like a rabid dog ripping through anything in his path. This kid was a cat, toying with his prey for as long as he could before the kill.
Just the thought of fighting someone like that had Ikkaku's blood boiling.
The other rumours came from the far side of the district, and Ikkaku's trip lined the road with corpses and screaming declarations, announcing his presence the only way he knew how. But his prey eluded him - it took him a while to realise that it wasn't just their fighting styles that were opposite, but their choice in opponents. Ikkaku wanted strong fighters, in the desperate hope of finding one strong enough to take him out. This guy was a lot less picky - men, woman, young, old, thugs, merchants, there was nothing in common whatsoever.
So while he spent his time beating up the local thugs, he tried to hunt down boys his age who might actually be the one - all the time coming up empty. After 2 months, he was about to give up and head out, when sheer dumb luck brought his quarry to him. As he walked down the street, he caught sight of a youth in the company of 3 men who were known as some of the worst of the district. He'd gotten to know most of the brats in the area hunting for the other brat, and this one wasn't on his radar. He was also ridiculously attractive - Ikkaku would have mistaken him for a girl if he hadn't heard the deep masculine chuckle.
An attractive boy in the company of 3 ugly and morally dubious men - hardly an odd sight in the lower districts. But the boy's eyes...
Youths 'in the business' should have fear, or in the best case a heavy cloud of resignation and weariness in their eyes. This kid? Looked positively gleeful.
They all walked into a hut on the edge of town, and Ikkaku hesitated outside just long enough to hear the first yell cut short. He bolted across the dirt, slamming the door open, only to freeze at the sight.
The other boy didn't, and the knife hidden in his hand slashed through the final man's neck, all but severing it from the torso. The body crashed to the ground, and the boy turned to look at his intruder.
He was frightfully beautiful – even drenched in blood, his tongue darting out to taste the splashes on his cheek. Big purple eyes inspected him, clearly trying to decide if Ikkaku was a target or just a distraction.
The only difference the decision would make was exactly how quickly the youth would try to kill him.
Ikkaku felt his face split into a grin, and grabbed the hilt of his sword. As the other boy lunged forward, he threw himself into the fray, heedless of the bodies at their feet.
Yumichika is well aware that the Seireitei consider Ikkaku and himself as an oddity.
To be fair, Yumichika is an oddity in himself, a pearl shining in the coal tray of squad 11, but most of the seated officers are used to that. You only need to watch the Fifth Seat fight once to understand his choice in squads.
But nobody has ever quite figured out his actions when he's not on the battlefield.
Traditionally, Squad 11 members fight one on one, but Yumichika will inevitably end up following Ikkaku and more often than not, in the case of one opponent, stand on the side-lines regardless of said opponent's strength or skills.
In this situation, Yumichika is perfectly at peace, watching the fight with excitement burning in his eyes, and calling in any necessary medical or funeral arrangements with nothing less than pure professionalism.
Yet, when Yumichika is not there, has found himself in a fight that takes him away from Ikkaku, and learns that Madarame isn't winning, he becomes a basket case. Erratic and desperate, he will rip through anyone and anything to get to the battleground.
Strangely enough, very few ever bothered to ask why. Usually alcohol was involved, and Yumichika just laughed them off, citing some meaningless answer that they all forgot come morning. They wouldn't appreciate the beauty of his and Ikkaku's understanding.
Ikkaku would die one day, and Yumichika was going to be there to see it. A glorious battle that would be one of the most beautiful sights this world could ever hope to see.
With that in mind, Ikkaku is not allowed to lose if Yumichika is not there to see it. He hasn't spent the last century following his magnum opus just to let him bloom out of sight.
He will stand at the side-lines; he will call in funeral arrangements. Just let him be there to see Ikkaku fall.
And embrace a death that might finally, finally, satisfy both of them.
Their first fight is bloody, and messy, and probably the most exhilarating event either of them had ever experienced. Ikkaku has more technique, and is utterly fearless, while his opponent is ruthless and lets no opening escape him.
They'd both ended up collapsed in the bloody room, heedless of the corpses, trying to catch their breath and watching the other with electric eyes. The smile on the beauty's face probably matches his own, as they both try and gauge who will recover first.
It's a question that is never answered, as they hear noise from outside, and realise their prolonged fight, and his opponent's earlier targets have drawn attention.
No words are spoken, but both of them find a silent acceptance, and flee out the window, stumbling and gasping into the wilderness.
They find themselves stopping in the middle of the forest, crouched by opposite trees as they take in each other. Both are injured, but not lethally. Ikkaku's eyes refuse to leave his opponents, which are practically gleaming in the light – he's actually chosen a seat that allows the moon to reflect on his face and give him an ethereal sheen. It's the weaker position since Ikkaku has the dark to protect him, but the confidence in the act kind of impresses him.
"You're not half bad" he admits to the other boy. It's something of an understatement – even if he'd recovered first, he's not entirely sure he would have won.
The dark haired boy smiles. "I could say the same to you. I assume you are the stray dog I've heard so many rumours about?"
Ikkaku smirks. "I just like to fight. It's the only decent thing to do out here."
The boy seemed to mull this over before nodding in understanding. "It is an ugly world – death is the only beauty some of these souls will ever know."
He cocks his head and stares at Ikkaku in curiosity. "But you…there's no class or finesse, but the way you fight, the passion you have…one day if might actually be called beautiful."
Ikkaku can't help but snort. Nothing he has ever done, or likely ever will do, has been considered beautiful.
The boy is still staring at him though, and Ikkaku shrugs.
"I don't know about beautiful, but I'm sick of this place. I'm ready to die – I just want to go out fighting."
His hand tightens around his sword. "If you're up for round 2 pretty boy, want to find out if you're strong enough to do it?"
It's a long several seconds, before the boy breaks eye contact, turning away and brushing a hand through his silky hair.
"I won't waste our time" he replies. "We fought long enough for me to know I could only win through luck. We're too evenly matched."
He turns to look at Ikkaku again, smirking with vicious glee as he stands.
"I'll have to get a lot stronger if I want to kill you. Would you be willing to wait?"
It's been a long time since Ikkaku felt quite so exhilarated. He'd be worried if he wasn't acutely aware of how broken he was.
It's possibly the riskiest thing he's ever done, but he stands up and sticks out at hand anyway.
"Madarame Ikkaku."
The boy smiles, and extends his own, shaking it with a firm grip.
"Ayasegawa Yumichika."
You would think it would be hard to adjust to having someone who had promised to kill you at your back 24/7, but within a week, Ikkaku was wondering how the hell he'd ever lived without his personal pretty psychopath.
Not only was Yumichika the master of finding accommodation, food and fresh water at little to no cost, but if Ikkaku was itching for a fight, all the other boy had to do was walk down the street and he'd hook in half a dozen victims for Ikkaku to practice on.
It didn't hurt he was also an excellent sparring partner, who – after taking a sword from one of his 'beautiful' corpses, took to learning the sword like a duck to water. His knives were easier to hide, but he did suffer from the range. Ikkaku got the feeling that even the sword didn't cover the area Yumichika fully desired – pretty boy liked to leave his prey in pieces.
And it was prey. Ikkaku fought to fight strong opponents. Yumichika fought to kill. It was important not to forget that, or Yumichika would 'remind' him, usually in the dead of night.
And his friend/partner/future killer had no qualms about striking him in the back.
The first time Ikkaku fights Kenpachi Zaraki, Yumichika wants to kill the man himself for leaving Ikkaku alive.
That fight had been exhilarating – Ikkaku had been stretched to his very limits, fighting an opponent he had no chance of beating. Yumichika had barely risked blinking, desperate to soak it all in.
Truly, Zaraki was a warrior one did not meet every day. When Ikkaku fell, perhaps Yumichika would fall behind him instead. See what it took to take out a monster in human form.
These feelings and desires however, quickly evaporated when Zaraki left Ikkaku lying in the dirt, bleeding and broken but inarguably alive.
It was an insult to Ikkaku – and if not for the fact that Ikkaku would die on the ground if he didn't get him to a medic, Yumichika might have very well followed Zaraki and finished the job himself. Instead, he put out feelers, keeping track of Ikkaku's deadliest opponent for when the man is healthy enough to give chase.
Fighting Kenpachi Zaraki for the very first time is the second most dangerous thing Ikkaku's ever done.
The third was fighting Yumichika for the very first time.
But the most dangerous was telling Yumichika he wanted to die under Captain Zaraki's command.
The man did not take it well.
He'd been all for chasing Zaraki. He didn't even mind entering the academy – at the end of the day Shinigami had access to far more dangerous opponents and resources than Yumichika could ever hope to gather. Entering the squads with no intention of challenging powerful opponents? That was something else entirely.
It had been the first time the two of them had properly fought since their first meeting. Yumichika had been vicious – his sword skills a match for Ikkaku.
But like it had the first time, their match ended in a draw, the two of them gasping for air.
The very next day, they entered Squad 11, and the next chapter began.
It's not until Ikkaku achieves Shikai that Yumichika finally forgives Zaraki for tainting Ikkaku's mind.
For years, the two of them stumbled through squad 11, Ikkaku beating recruits into shape rather than killing them outright, while Yumichika digs through paperwork and tries to bring order to chaos when he's not killing opponents who think he got his seat through 'other' means.
That at least takes the bite off not getting to fight decent opponents.
However, when Ikkaku drags him to the side and reveals his new weapon, a weight Yumichika hadn't realised he'd been holding dropped from his shoulders.
Ikkaku wasn't wasting time training and following orders. He was perfecting his style for that fight.
For that, Yumichika could forgive anything.
Ikkaku thinks Yumichika is actually happier than he is about achieving Bankai.
His friend considers Hozukimaru's bankai to be beautiful. Ikkaku disagrees, but given that his sword is designed to cut and shred his opponents to pieces – Yumichika's favourite method of execution – he can sort of see his point.
He's less happy that Ikkaku is hiding it, but Ikkaku has no intention of leaving Zaraki's service. Yumichika will just have to make sure that when he finds a worthy opponent, Ikkaku is far, far away from anyone that might be able to see.
For Yumichika, it's a very strange time for him when he finally learns his swords name.
On the one hand, he has discovered an unbelievably beautiful technique. One that will one day turn all the ugly souls into beautiful flowers, that will in turn replenish his own beauty. It might not damage the body, but corpse mutilation is hardly new to him. He doesn't think he could create a better technique if he tried.
On the other, any hopes he had of being the one to kill Ikkaku have now crumbled to dust.
Ikkaku requires a warrior's death. A battle of sword and skill, and kido has no place in it. Although he and Ikkaku remain equally matched while sparring, it would be almost sacrilegious to take out Ikkaku while holding back.
So he creates a false shikai – one that allows him to slice opponents into multiple pieces – beautiful - and ignores the swords displeasure. One day this sword will cut a swathe across the ugliness of the world, but for now, Yumichika must remain in Squad 11 with Ikkaku, while Ruri'iro Kujaku hides in the wings.
The best things in life come to those who wait after all.
Ikkaku seems to approve of his false release, although there's a hint of relief in his eyes that make Yumichika want to claw them out. The Third Seat fully intends to die as Kenpachi's underling, and being taken out by a fellow squad member isn't his desired way to go. Yumichika just wishes he didn't look so unconcerned at his four blades.
Several hours and one very intense sparring session later, Ikkaku's relief has long since evolved into respect, and Yumichika's world order is restored.
When he's feeling particularly wistful, Yumichika will idly wonder what his fellow Shinigami must think of his attitude. He's well aware that he plays up the narcissist whenever possible, as it keeps them from looking too deep, but he knows they look at him and Ikkaku and wonder how on earth it works.
Some days, he wonders the same thing. Especially when a thought seizes him one day, and catches him off guard, reeling from the implications.
He's going to miss Ikkaku.
The idea itself is understandable. Ikkaku has been the one constant in his life for the last century. He has followed the man, compromised his own ideals, and hidden in the shadows just to stay with him. Chains of his own making.
Chains, he's terrified to admit, he's not quite ready to remove. When Ikkaku survives a fight Yumichika expected him to fail, he should be disappointed – but he's elated.
Why?
Perhaps it's the thrill of knowing there's an even better battle still to come, but that doesn't feel quite apt. Yet the alternative seems even more confusing – the idea that he doesn't want Ikkaku to die.
Thankfully, Squad 11 is nothing if not distracting. All he needs to do is seek out some of the squads lower ranked nobodies and beat them into a bloody pulp. Followed by whatever mission request he can slip off Zaraki's often neglected desk so he can go hollow hunting solo.
And with nobody around, he releases his chains and basks in the beauty of his destruction.
Those feelings are odd and unnerving, but they quickly pass, much like Ikkaku one day will.
And Yumichika will be free to find a new masterpiece. One that will have to be truly phenomenal in order to surpass his precious Madarame.
A beautiful thought.
Ikkaku doesn't fear death. But he does fear what will become of Yumichika.
It's easy to forget, sometimes, just what lurks under that smug grin and flawless complexion. Especially when surrounded by others who don't understand – how many look at him, at what he does and don't actually see. You would think after Aizen, people would start looking a little deeper. But they don't, and Ikkaku just throws hands up in frustration and accepts that the Sereitei is in for a nasty surprise when he finally kicks the bucket.
Will he stick around Squad 11? See if he can achieve a better result with Captain Zaraki? Or would he decide he was done with dancing to the Shinigami's tune and walk back out into the Rukongai? He doesn't know, and he's smart enough not to ask.
On the bright side, being dead means he won't actually have to deal with the aftermath.
He just hopes that when he finally falls, it's a battle worth Yumichika's faith.
END