Prologue: Kuchiki Seryi and the Rise of the Reaper
Dated: Great House Era Five
Our story begins on a quiet day. The sun is setting across Soul Society. In the middle of the forest sits a small fortress known to the nobles as Kuchiki Manor.
Kuchiki Seryi stood on the roof of his home. He looked over the forests, seeking the something… or someone amongst the treetops.
A wind ran through his long white robe. It whipped and flew across his body. He placed a single hand on the handle of his Zanpakuto, and began to wait.
Somewhere, out amongst those trees, waited his apprentice. The world would be brought to ruin if Seryi failed here. He had to defeat his old friend.
The apprentice walked up to the base of the gate. Slowly, he reached across his back and drew a Zanpakuto. He held three such blades, but this one was special. He had received it as a gift, instead of robbing it from a dead body. It held the power of the Spirit King himself. "Hanto-Chi, Masamune." The plain katana grew until it reached a size that no normal man could ever hope to wield, even with both hands. The apprentice flipped it around with only one. Satisfied with its red glow, he jumped over the wall.
A few guards had been placed around the grounds. The apprentice dispatched three in a single spinning slash. He was an elite soul hunter. They were barely worthy of being called Shinigami.
Atop the building, Seryi sensed his old student's energy. He was here. It was time. He drew his long dai-katana from his back as he stood. "Kai, Zantetsuken." The chant was emotionless, yet it hid a painful, and troubled soul. The apprentice turned to see his master standing before him. His blade, Zantetsuken, was a scythe of jagged steel. It was a blade of unimaginable strength. The man himself was a force to be reckoned with. His mere stance was brimming with strength.
"Ah. You're here. I was hoping I wouldn't have to look for you." The apprentice taunted.
"Let us finish this." The old man spoke briefly.
"That sounds odd, coming from you, old man." The younger of the two responded.
Kuchiki Seryi dove forward. His opponent simply let the scythe sink into his flesh. "You let me win that easily?" The elder asked.
"You lose." responded the student. It was then that Seryi felt the pain, as the jagged steel of his own Zanpakuto slid into his chest. The boy before him fell into ashes. A voice came, whispered from over his shoulder. "I am your student no more. Immortality comes at a price. I could have paid that price with my own life, but yours was much more convenient." Slowly, Kuchiki Seryi fell into ashes. The student picked up the scythe, and restored the Zanpakuto to its normal state. He picked up the sheath, strapped it onto his back, and walked away, the blade in his hand. Behind him, the ashes of his old mentor were scattered on the winds of Soul Society. "I told you I would get you, old man."
"Kai, Zantetsuken": Reap, Scythe of the Reaper
Historical Note: Zantetsuken actually means Blade of Destiny (in Indian). It was the sword wielded by the avatar of death (the Grim Reaper)
"Hanto-Chi, Masamune": Hunt for Blood, Masamune
Historical Note: Masamune was a legendary sword-smith of Japanese legend. He WAS a real person, and is said to have been the greatest smith of all time.