Pride Vs. Nobility
Chapter 1: Betrayal
The dark sky was cloudy. A man with long, light blue hair stood in the courtyard, staring forward. His clothes rustled in the wind, his captain's robe fluttering back, obscuring the eight symbol on his back.
"I'm telling you…stand down now or face the consequences." Captain Shosuke placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. With a smirk, he added, "You don't want that, do you?"
Captain Dosu stood over Ayame's dead body, sword bloodstained. Blood also covered the lower half of his captain's robe and was caked in his short, black hair. "You actually think you can stop me, 8th squad captain? You always were an arrogant son of a—"
"Don't make me do this, Dosu. I don't want to hurt you." Shosuke interjected. He drew his sword from it's sheath and held it firmly with his two hands in a tense manner.
Dosu gripped his sword. "These people are animals, Shosuke. They all deserve to be put down like animals as well." Dosu stepped towards his former captain. "I thought you of all people would understand why I have to do what I'm doing."
"You're killing innocent people, Dosu. You're the animal. Now put your zanpaku-to away and come quietly. There's still a chance you won't be put to death."
"Come quietly? So the pompous—I mean fearless Commander Kurosaki can lock me up for all eternity? I don't think so." Dosu stepped forward again. He was releasing a massive amount of reiatsu; the air around him seemed to be darker. Shosuke stepped back.
"I'll ask one more time, Dosu. Stand down or I will take you down."
"Then I guess there's no use arguing anymore." Dosu looked down. He saw the blood on his sword and hands. "She was a foolish girl, that Ayame. How long was it before she became your lieutenant? A month after I was promoted? Come now, Shosuke. You really couldn't have been that attached to her."
"Ayame was a dear friend of mine and a loyal lieutenant, and I used to say the same about you." Shosuke couldn't even look at her body. He tried as hard as he could to suppress the anger coursing through him. Anger never solved anything, that's what his sensei always told him. "I wanted to let justice and the law avenge her death, but it seems as though I'll have to do it myself!" Shosuke ran forward and swung as hard as he could at Dosu, who quickly looked up and raised his sword to defend. The two swords hit, and the pressure of both captains' reiatsus collided with a huge eruption of energy.
Dosu laughed. "How quickly you go from docile to hostile, captain. You're the same as all the others, a pacifistic hypocrite!" Shosuke pushed forward, pushing Dosu back.
Shosuke thrust his sword forward. Dosu parried and swung from the side as Shosuke raised his blade to defend, stopping Dosu's sword inches from his neck. Dosu pulled away and swung, this time a downward swing. Then from the side, then towards the shoulder, then downward again, Shosuke barely being able to keep up with Dosu's speed.
I had no idea Dosu had gotten this much stronger. thought Shosuke. I'm barely able to keep up with him and he's not even breaking a sweat.
Continuing the assault, Dosu pushed forward hard, shoving Shosuke back. "Come now, Captain. Surely this isn't the extent of your abilities?"
Breathing a little heavier, Shosuke raised his sword to his chest. "You leave me no choice." He raised the sword above his head. "Strengthen...Genkan…" Dosu smiled. He knew what this sword was capable of.
The sword began to glow brightly, and soon the aura surrounded all of Shosuke. Slowly the hilt and guard of his blade began to grow and cover Shosuke's hand. It creeped up his arm and over his shoulder, then hardened into a tight, black armor. The sword itself nearly doubled in thickness, and began to look more like a claymore than a katana. When the glow began to die, the blade was a cold black.
"I told you, Dosu, I will not let you succeed on your twisted mission!" Shosuke released a massive amount of reiatsu, breaking up the ground around him and sending out a blast of cold air that chilled Dosu to the bone.
Dosu shook it off. "You're pathetic sword doesn't scare me!" screamed Dosu as he ran full force at Shosuke. Dosu swung down so hard that he smashed the ground, raising a huge cloud of dust. When the dust cleared…nothing. Shosuke was gone. Dosu looked around confused, then felt a huge chill run through his body as an ice cold blade touched his neck.
"Dosu…give up now." Shosuke stood behind him, blade to his neck. Dosu's eyes bulged. He had forgotten how much Genkan increased it's master's speed. Sweat of fear began to roll down his face…and freezing when it got near Shosuke's blade.
"I forgot how much speed you gain when you release Genkan, captain. Perhaps I underestimated you."
"This is the end, Dosu. Give up now, although I'm sure the Commander would love the head of his new 13th squad captain. There's—"
"Captain Dosu! Captain Shosuke! What on earth are you two doing?" said a voice.
Dosu took the opportunity to duck away from what would have been his untimely beheading. "Miko…you must help me! Captain Shosuke's gone mad!"
Dosu's lieutenant ran into the courtyard towards her captain. "Captain Shosuke, why have you released your zanpaku-to?"
"Miko, get away from that man, he's a criminal now." Shosuke warned.
"Captain Dosu…what's going on—" she noticed Ayame's dead body. "AYAME!"
"Miko, Captain Shosuke has gone mad. He killed his own lieutenant and now he's trying to kill me." Shouted Dosu.
"Don't believe him, Miko. He killed Ayame and I'm here to stop him."
Dosu move towards his lieutenant. Standing in front of her, he held up his sword. "I won't let you hurt Miko like you did Ayame, Shosuke."
"Captain Dosu…" Miko looked confused. Her eyes welled up with tears seeing Ayame, her sister's dead body.
"Miko, step slowly away from your captain. He is a criminal charged with several murders and treason." Shosuke tried to remain as calm as possible. He pointed his sword at Dosu.
"Captain…" said Miko softly, "is this true?"
Dosu spun around and grabbed Miko, and she screamed as he put his sword to her neck. "You know, a loyal lieutenant wouldn't even question her captain."
Shosuke, careful not to set off Dosu's anger, slowly stepped forward. "Let her go, Dosu."
"Yes…please Captain, let me go!" screamed Miko.
"Oh please, like your heroic crap is really going to make me let her go. If I let her go then she'll run away and get some of your eighth squad morons to stop me. But as long as I hold on to her I'm in control of this game." Dosu's sword was pressed against Miko's neck, ready to cut at an instant. "I guess we're at a standstill now." He smiled.
OOOOOOOOOOO
Koji opened his eyes. The sky was bright.
How long have I been laying here? How…did I get here?
A sharp pain shot through Koji's body. He moved his hand down to his side, and felt a warm, sticky substance. Am I…dead? Dying?
Koji tried to remember the events that got him there. All he could remember was flashes of clanging swords, anger, and screaming. Reaching again to his side, he realized the bleeding had stopped. Koji slowly and painfully sat up, and noticed his sword lying beside him, charred from hilt to tip.
"When did I release you, Kashou?"
The sword glowed slightly, giving off a faint heat. "Koji…we lost a battle."
"Well…I can tell that. What happened?"
"Dosu…"
Memories suddenly snapped back into Koji's mind. He remembered now. "Dosu…Captain Dosu…I tried to stop him…I failed…" Koji remembered the fight now. Koji had seen Dosu harassing Ayame. Upon arriving, Dosu became hostile, drawing his sword on Koji. Koji did likewise, and a battle ensued. Dosu's shikai…it was so powerful. More powerful than a measly third seat could handle, at least.
"Kashou…why am I not dead?"
"I singed your cut...stopping your bleeding. Koji, can you get up?"
"Yes…I think I can." Koji slowly stood up. The pain was nearly unbearable. He picked up his sword. The scorch marks slowly faded away, revealing the shine beneath. He put his sword back in its' sheath, and slowly walked towards the wall near him. He could barely support himself.
Off in the distance, he heard a scream. "AYAME!"
"That's…that's Miko! Miko is in trouble!" Wincing in pain, he ran as hard as he could towards the scream.
Looking down off the balcony, Koji saw Captain Shosuke, sword released, pointing his sword at Dosu, who was holding Miko. Ayame's dead body lay behind Shosuke.
"Dosu…that bastard…"
OOOOOOOOOOO
"YOU BASTARD!"
Dosu looked up, surprised to see Koji atop the balcony. Shosuke saw his chance. In a flash he smashed his elbow into Dosu's face, forcing him to release Miko, who coughed and fell down. Dosu, quick to react, caught his footing and swung down at Shosuke, who blocked the attack and thrust his shoulder into Dosu's body, knocking him onto his back.
Koji had jumped down and ran to Miko. He held her tightly as she was crying. "Koji, why is Captain Dosu doing this? Why did he kill Ayame?" Koji's gaze stayed on Dosu. Rage was in his eyes.
Shosuke pointed his sword down at Dosu's neck. Dosu's sword lay a few feet away. "It's over, Dosu. You-" Shosuke stopped mid-sentence. He couldn't move.
Dosu slid out from under Shosuke's sword. "You can't move, can you, Captain? My zanpaku-to seems to have graciously saved me at this point." Dosu got up and picked up his sword. Holding it tightly, he said "Devour…Kokuei!"
No…thought Miko. Captain is going to use it…
Dosu's sword began to glow and change shape. The hilt grew longer as the blade grew shorter, curving into a hook-like tip. Dosu himself even seemed to change appearance, his short, black hair turning grayish and his eyes growing dark. His sword had changed into a scythe with a huge blade, and when the glowing stopped it could be seen as pitch black. Dark energy surrounded Dosu.
"What…have you…" stammered Shosuke. He was regaining a little of his movement.
"What have I done? Is that what you're going to ask?" laughed Dosu. "Why my Kokuei has stolen your shadow, Captain."
Shosuke's eyes grew wide as he saw his very shadow leave from under his feet, being absorbed into Dosu's scythe. He never knew that losing a shadow would hurt this bad.
Koji held Miko tightly. She clung to his clothes, neither of them able to move out of fear. They both just stared at the on-going battle.
"Do…su…you…bastard!" shouted Shosuke. His reiatsu became almost visible, as he was trying to break out of the binding Kokuei had put on him. With a scream he shattered the hold, blowing up dust. He fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
"Now, now…Captain Shosuke. Don't be too hasty." Dosu said with a smirk. "You'll soon be dead, and won't have to worry about stopping me!" With that he charged at Shosuke, swinging his scythe at his neck. Shosuke, barely able to react, ducked down and raised Genkan to block. The two swords clashed violently.
Koji and Miko both nearly collapsed due to the thick concentration of reiatsu in the air. Shosuke's cold but silent and Dosu's dark…almost choking.
OOOOOOOOOOO
Hiroshi woke up to a surge of reiatsu. Shosuke…and Dosu? Why…have you released your zanpaku-tos?
He rolled over and saw his wife. She was undisturbed. Wow…she could sleep through this? I bet everyone in Soul Society is waking up over this. There must be something very wrong.
Pulling on his kimono he stepped outside into the morning light. Looking over Soul Society from the 7th squad tower, he could sense that many things had occurred over the past night. Rising with the sun was reiatsu, flowing to him from the east…towards the main courtyard.
Suddenly…a strong familiar force from behind. Hiroshi looked back, seeing his sword glowing brightly. "What's wrong, Akeno? You sense it too?"
"I sense…coming death."
OOOOOOOOOOO
Another clash of sword and scythe sent energy rumbling through the courtyard. Shosuke pushed hard against Dosu, moving him back as Shosuke charged forward, swinging with all his might. The very air he swung through froze, falling as ice chunks to the ground. Dosu raised his scythe to meet the oncoming blade, blocking with the extended grip. The impact caused ice to roll over the grip of Dosu's scythe, and over his hands.
"AHH!" he screamed as he felt the intense cold shoot through his arms.
"You made a mistake…Dosu." Shosuke pressed harder onto his opponent. "You forgot that my Genkan will freeze anything other than the blade of another zanpaku-to." Dosu's eyes were squinted in pain. "You should have—"
Dosu's eyes changed from pain to pride. He pulled closer to Shosuke…who couldn't figure out why he couldn't pull away. "I remembered fully what you're capable of, Captain. Terror of Shadow!" Suddenly Dosu's blade became shrouded in dark reiatsu. An entity began to flow out of it.
The ice on Dosu's hands shattered as he kicked Shosuke away. The entity kept flowing out of Dosu's blade and formed into a shadowy figure. It looked exactly like Shosuke.
