James was losing badly. Bloodied and bruised, he was barely able to defend himself as Ragnarok threw him across the room.
"You say you want to be King, that you are the ruler here, but your actions state otherwise." Ragnarok grabbed James by the shirt and slammed him against the rough wood of the throne room. "Your actions are that of a weakling, too afraid to take command, to do what is necessary."
"What is necessary?" James moaned.
"To abandon all fear. To continue to move forward and grow stronger."
"Haven't I been doing that?"
"No. You still fear: fear that your sister shall be harmed, that you will lose to your Inner Hollow, that you will not be able to regain your powers. Abandon these shackles. They are what are holding you back. You promised me that you would continue to move forward, that you would grow strong enough to leave your mark on the world. Keep your word! Prove that you are the rightful King of this world!"
James frowned as he considered Ragnarok's words. It sounded as if the Zanpakuto/Hollow Spirit was telling James that he wanted him to be in charge, to take command. Somewhere deep down, Ragnarok still had faith in James to do prove his worth.
"Abandon your fear," James whispered. He brought his feet up and kicked Ragnarok away. Falling into a crouch after being released, James surged forward, his sword materializing in his hand. Gripping it tightly in both hands, James brought it down hard in a heavy-handed diagonal slash.
"Flames of the End Times!" James roared. A massive wave of fire engulfed Ragnarok. Snarling, he swept it away with a hand only to see James' sword cut the air and then blood fill it. Stumbling, Ragnarok collapsed to his knees and weakly gazed up at James.
"You still have much to learn about being King," Ragnarok coughed, blood spilling from his lips.
"You dare try to seize control again and I will truly put you in your place," James stated calmly. Ragnarok grinned, "As a King should."
Evelyn deflected a strike from James' berserk body. It was covered largely in white bone-like armor common of Hollows. It now resembled something akin to a werewolf. His hands were now clawed and he was broader in the shoulders. The berserker raised its sword to attack again but froze. It lowered its sword before collapsing to his knees. The white armor started to dissolve; all but the mask. Slowly James reached up and removed his mask. He regarded it coldly before smashing it in his hand.
"James, is that you?" Michelle asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, yeah it's me." James looked up at her wearily. "Sorry to scare you like that."
"I think it's time we call it quits for today. Tomorrow, if you think you're up to it, we can work on your Bankai. You can already materialize your Zanpakuto Spirit so next you just need to make it submit," Evelyn stated. James nodded, too tired from his earlier fight against Ragnarok to really think about it. Michelle shut down her Bankai and helped her brother back to his barracks to rest.
Ragnarok roared as he charged James. James deflected the strike wide and slugged his Zanpakuto in the face. The wolf knight snarled and unleashed a wave of fire to block James' next attack. James jumped high and over the flames before using the force of his fall to power a heavy tow-handed over head slash. Ragnarok grunted under the force of the strike but managed to force James back.
"Hado 33: Sōkatsui!" James barked unleashing a blast of blue flames at Ragnarok who batted it aside with a look of contempt.
"Do not patronize me," Ragnarok growled. "Fire is mine to command. Your pathetic Kido will not harm me." James glared but twirled his sword before charging and slamming his sword into Ragnarok's.
"You do not have the strength necessary to defeat me," Ragnarok sneered. "You are weak; unworthy of the crown!"
"I am your Master! You will submit!" Sparks flew as the two traded blows before forcing themselves apart.
"Flames of the End Times!" Both combatants yelled simultaneously. Two massive waves of flames slammed into each other and exploded. Before the smoke had even cleared both Soul Reaper and Zanpakuto Spirit were exchanging blows.
Ragnarok twisted his blade and caught James' awkwardly causing it to go wide. Quickly Ragnarok whipped the sword back and slashed James across the chest. Hissing, James brought his sword down in a high angled slash. Ragnarok deflected it but James ducked low and swept Ragnarok's legs out from under him. Ragnarok grunted as the air was forced out of him and then snarled in pain as James drove his Shikai through Ragnarok's chest.
"I am King," James whispered as Ragnarok faded away and returned to James' Inner World.
"Congratulations, my liege, you have won and earned my Bankai. Do not fail me; prove yourself worthy of its power," Ragnarok whispered in James' ear. James nodded and collapsed to his knees.
"You have five minutes to recover before we train with your Bankai," Nick ordered. James nodded and Michelle ran over with some food and water. James guzzled the water and took a large bit out of the turkey sandwich Michelle gave him.
"You're doing great," Michelle whispered, a soft smile gracing her lips.
"It seems like I'm fighting a never ending battle," James groaned. Michelle looked at him confused as James elaborated. "No matter how many times I defeat Ragnarok and prove I am the rightful King, he keeps telling me I am weak, that I am not worthy of being King."
"Ever think he might be referring to something other than physical strength?" Michelle asked as she tended to James' chest wound. Though given offhandedly, it rocked James. He had never considered that.
"On your feet solider!" Nick barked. James glared at him; Nick was taking this "Drill Sergeant" act a little too serious. James shoved the rest of his sandwich in his mouth and stood.
"Be careful. Nick may not have a Bankai, but he didn't make lieutenant by sheer luck," Michelle whispered. James nodded and stabbed his sword into the ground.
"Bankai."
Red-tinted reishi erupted around James and forced Michelle away. In an explosion of power James became encased in grey armor with a wolf-motif; wolf heads adorned his shoulders, a snarling maw adorned his chestplate, a long grey cloak billowed behind him, attached to the chestplate via clips in the shape of wolf heads. A flaming crown adorned his head.
"Ragnos Ragnarok Rex," James intoned his voice taking on the characteristics of nobleman: aloft and regal. Gripping his greatsword in his gloved hand, James brought the sword up and flipped it upright.
"Give me your worst," Nick grinned. To Michelle, he said, "Be ready to step in if things get out of hand and Ragnarok tries to take control again."
"I doubt that will happen," James stated. "He's still weak from our fight. He won't give us any trouble." Nick grunted and attacked with a blast of darkness. James brought down his sword in a simple slash, but the power was immense. A massive blast of fire and reishi surged forth from James' greatsword, plowed straight through Nick's attack without losing strength, and then detonated in the wall behind Nick after the poor lieutenant dodged out of the way.
"Do you still wish to fight me after witnessing such power?" James asked calmly.
"Lieutenant Gautier, I advise you stand down," a voice growled beside Michelle. She gasped and jumped in surprise as she noticed her captain beside her.
"Captain Zachariah! What are you doing here?" Michelle asked.
"I've been sent to collect you for a Captains Meeting regarding Mr. Urahara's research and the strange beings you fought," Zachariah stated.
"Why are we needed at this meeting?" James asked, sealing his Bankai. "We've already given our reports to our captains and only one of us is a lieutenant."
"General Patton requested your presence; I didn't care to ask the old man for his reasoning," Captain Zachariah stated. The three subordinate Soul Reapers shrugged to each other and followed Zachariah to the First Company's main barracks. Inside the meeting hall, General Patton had assembled the Thirteen Captains. Captain Pearce and Lieutenant Romanov were already there. James joined them as Captain Zachariah, Lieutenant Gautier, and Eighth Seat Blair went to Tenth Company's spot.
"This meeting is being called to order," Patton stated as he walked in.
"Sir!" The Captains, Lieutenants, and Blair Siblings all snapped off crisp salutes as the general walked between them and stood at the head of the captains. Urahara respectfully bowed as was his nation's custom.
"At ease," Patton ordered. The assembled American Soul Reapers went to parade rest while Urahara simply stood at ease. "Mr. Urahara report."
"After doing extensive analysis of the Blackwater Ridge Spiritual Region, I have come to the conclusion that it is a heightened spiritual area similar to what Karakura Town was during the Japanese Soul Society's war against Sōsuke Aizen. More properly it is called a Spiritual Nexus. The strange fluctuations Fifth Seat Blair reported were indications that the Nexus was awakening and strengthening."
"What do you mean awakening?" Captain Stark of Ninth Company interrupted. He was a tall, thin man with messy black hair.
"It means that at some point long ago, Blackwater was much stronger than its current level and something happened to make it lose that power and fall dormant. Things like that happen all the time as areas of heightened spiritual energy move about due to natural occurrences," Captain Einstein of Twelfth Company stated. His hair was as haphazard as always.
Interesting how a man of science became a foremost leader in spiritual affairs.
"Thank you for that," Urahara smirked. "Now, my research indicates that this Nexus will finish strengthening and finally stabilize around the time of the Autumn Equinox. Whether this is of any significance or is mere coincidence is up for debate. But from what Lieutenant Gautier informed me from his fight against the strange Spiritual Beings, there seems to be a ritual revolving around the stabilization of the Spiritual Nexus.
"I requested access to your records and those of the Japanese division to see what this ritual may refer to. I found something rather disturbing. Apparently there does exists an ancient ritual that can harness the concentrated reishi of a Spiritual Nexus, strengthen it further, and then unleash it in a single blast that would release a global electromagnetic pulse. It would destroy the world, devastating all technology that exists, knocking the living world back to before the Industrial Revolution. In addition, the residual reiatsu would affect the living allowing everyone to see spirits. And I do mean everyone, everyone from those with even a little spiritual awareness to those who don't have an ounce."
"Hmm, that does not bode well," Patton mused. "What information do you have on the strange Spiritual Beings?"
"Not much," Urahara sighed. "Their reiatsu doesn't resemble that of a Soul Reaper or a Hollow, though it does feel similar that of a Hollow: dark, corrupt. They are able to use a weapon similar to a Zanpakuto. They move about the dimensions via a red, swirling portal, not a Garganta or Senkaimon. Aside from that we don't know much."
The general rubbed his chin pondering the situation for several minutes before coming to a decision.
"I am going to call the Japanese Soul Society and request assistance. This is unlike anything we have ever seen before. However given the Japanese's history of fighting strange spiritual beings and extensive records, they may have an idea as to what we are facing," Patton explained. "Until they arrive I have no further information. Dismissed."
"Sir!" The Soul Reapers saluted and then filed out.