Alright, here is Chapter 10, and, based on the reviews I've got, Ichigo is taking a backseat for a change. So, thanks for the reviews and suggestions—they're always welcome, and I hope you enjoy this.
Chapter 10—The First Encounter
So, this was it?
Koji walked down the street beside his captain, staring around him with a mixture of enjoyment and apprehension. He felt out of place here, in the World of the Living, and found himself only slightly reassured by his captain's presence. Yet Captain Komamura walked with a brisk pace, and Koji found himself nearly jogging to keep up.
Absentmindedly, he wondered how the others were doing. They had decided to split up to cover more ground, so Rukia, Rangiku and Captain Hitsugaya had gone off in another direction. He wondered if they had found any sign of the creature they were hunting or anything at all. The longer the day dragged on, the more Koji was beginning to doubt that the creature was still here at all.
A few times during the day, they had taken brief breaks—although only to get some food and water. During those breaks, Koji had found himself simply liking the world around them. These people seemed to not have a care in the world. In a way, Koji envied them. They did not know what kind of dangers the unseen posed. They did not know what kind of fate they could meet at the hands of something they could not see.
Yet, as the day dragged on, they still had nothing to show for it. The captain's mood seemed to have dropped with the sun, which was fading away on the horizon. They'd walked all throughout the city, all-day long, and, despite defeating two low-class Hollows with minimal effort (Captain Komamura did not need to leave his Gigai, yet did so gladly), they weren't any closer to finding the mysterious creature that they'd been sent to defeat.
"Captain, should we stop for today?" Koji asked.
"Perhaps," Komamura murmured. "I don't think we'll find what we're looking for tonight. We might as well return to Urahara's shop."
"Where are we staying for the night?"
Komamura stopped and Koji thought he was considering the question. Yet he seemed to be surveying the darkening sky, as if expecting to see something. For a second, Koji was confused... then it struck him... A strange feeling, a heaviness, in the air... At first, Koji thought, perhaps, somebody else from the Gotei 13 had been dispatched; the pressure did feel like that of a Soul Reaper's... yet it was shifting, as it suddenly felt darker, more Hollow-like.
"What's that?"
"It feels like a Vizard," Komamura said, "but not one I recognize."
"So, what're we going to do?"
"I don't know, but—"
Another pressure worked its way through the heaviness, this one much more familiar, yet somehow colder. Komamura's face curled into a scowl and he reached into his pocket, withdrawing the Gikon.
"Sir, what's going on?"
"Captain Hitsugaya is fighting someone. This is Hyourinmaru's power you're feeling," Komamura remarked.
"What if it's just another weak Hollow?"
"Why would he need to release his zanpakuto for a weak Hollow?"
Koji considered the question and before he could come up with an answer, Komamura had started to run, following the feeling of cold that magnified as they got closer. Koji hurried close behind, weaving through the throngs of surprised people that they passed. "Do you think he needs our help?"
"Maybe. Lieutenant Matsumoto and Lieutenant Kuchiki could be enough, but the fact that he did release his zanpakuto is troubling. It may be a Menos-class Hollow."
"A Gillian?"
"We'd have noticed a Gillian. It's too big to stay hidden."
"So, is it an Adjuchas or a Vasto Lorde?"
"Doubtful. Those rarely leave Hueco Mundo."
"Is it even a Hollow?"
"I don't know. Just follow me."
They had come to a soccer field... and it was vacant... Koji looked around, hoping to find some sign of Captain Hitsugaya or the lieutenants, yet it was empty. There was no sign of them or even that there had been a confrontation here. He looked up at the captain; he was just as confused.
"Did we go the right way, Captain?" Koji asked.
"They should have been right here," Komamura replied. "I can still sense the others; they were here not too long ago."
"What should we do?"
Komamura did not reply; he simply reached into his pocket and withdrew his Gikon. He pressed onto the Gikon's top and the pill jumped out and into his mouth. One second later, he stood there in his Soul Reaper form, at full height and furry once more. Under any other circumstance, Koji would have commented on how relieved Komamura seemed upon leaving the Gigai, but he did not say anything as he left his own. After the form-fitting Gigai (and the Gigai's clothes), this was a welcome change.
Then the air grew heavy once more. Koji found himself fighting to keep his knees from shaking as gravity seemed to have increased its hold tenfold. He looked over at Komamura, who seemed to have noticed the pressure himself. The captain's hand had grasped his sword's handle, and his eyes surveyed the sky carefully, waiting. And then the voice came.
"What's this? A Soul Reaper captain?"
Koji swallowed hard. That voice, snarky and cold, sent shivers down his spine.
"Show yourself," Komamura ordered.
"I'm not hiding."
The voice, Koji realized, was behind them. He turned and looked—a hooded figure sat atop a rock there, calm and aloof. The thing (which appeared humanoid) was watching them carefully with bright, glowing green eyes and pearly, white fangs that seemed to shine on the darkening field.
"Captain..."
"I know," Komamura said.
"Oh, look at you," the thing remarked. "A beast... Tell me, little doggy, how did a mutt like you become a Soul Reaper captain? Shouldn't you be on a leash?"
"My appearance has nothing to do with my skill."
"Perhaps, but I always thought that the Gotei had more class than to allow an ugly thing like you to rise to prominence."
"Don't talk about my captain like that!" Koji said and he wished his voice wasn't shaking. He sounded afraid and his trembling hand had scarcely touched his sword's hilt when the hooded figure finally stood.
"Silence, boy," the creature said with tangible malice. "This has nothing to do with a child like you!"
Koji noticed something glinting in the rising moon's light—three swords dangled from the thing's waist. He reached for the one with the light-blue handle and held it out.
"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru."
Koji knew what was going to happen a moment before it did; a dragon of ice burst forth from the sword, and Koji had narrowly dodged to the side when the dragon charged. Komamura, who had only just turned, withdrew his own sword and slashed; the dragon exploded into numerous shards of ice that fell at Komamura's feet.
"Where'd you find that sword?" Komamura demanded.
"I don't owe you and explanation," the creature said as it sheathed Hyourinmaru. A second later, it drew out a completely white sword with a white ribbon dangling from the pommel. It stabbed the ground four times and a small arc of snowy energy appeared before it. "Tsugi no Mai; Hakuren."
This time, Komamura dodged as a wave of ice charged outward. Komamura slashed with his sword and Koji saw a larger, phantasmal image of a giant's sword copy the movement. The phantom blade slashed at the creature, which calmly blocked by drawing Hyourinmaru once more.
Seeing a chance, Koji drew his own zanpakuto and dashed forward, but with a deep, booming sound, the creature had disappeared, reappearing a few feet away from where it had been.
"That was Sonido, wasn't it?" Komamura asked. "Are you a Hollow or an Arrancar?"
"I don't see a reason to answer you," the creature told him. "However..." The creature threw Hyourinmaru from its hand and it fell with a clatter to Koji's feet. Then, it withdrew its last sword and threw it and the white sword to Komamura. "If that's all that the Gotei 13 can do, I have nothing to fear."
"Who are you?" Komamura asked.
"A being with no equal."
With another Sonido, the creature had disappeared. Koji, still shaken, sheathed Hikari no Inu and looked at the swords the creature had left... They were glowing... and changing. Hyourinmaru changed completely first, transforming from a sword... into Captain Hitsugaya, lying prone on the grass. Koji hurriedly fell to Hitsugaya's side, sitting him upright. His eyes fluttered for a moment and he looked at Koji.
"Captain, are you okay?"
"Just fine," Hitsugaya said. "A bit shaken, but fine."
He stood and looked at the other swords... They were changing as well. The white sword transformed into Rukia who slowly woke and the last became Rangiku, who seemed to be dreaming happily.
"Mastumoto!" Histugaya called.
Rangiku jerked awake.
"What happened?" she asked, sounding drunk.
Hitsugaya shook his head before seeing Komamura and Koji. "Did you see it? That weird thing?"
"Yes, we saw it," Komamura said. "Are you alright, Captain Hitsugaya?"
Hitsugaya considered the question before saying, "Not really. I feel really..." And he passed out, falling forward. Komamura hurriedly caught him before he fell onto the grass and then reached out to catch Rangiku. Koji hurried over to Rukia, who seemed to have passed out as well.
"Captain Komamura, what should we do?"
Komamura was silent for a second before saying, "Let's get them back to Urahara."
Urahara analyzed them carefully... Koji watched as he checked their vitals, and his eyes scanned over their unmarked bodies.
"What's wrong with them?" Koji asked after a few uncomfortable minutes.
Urahara looked up. "I can't say. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with them physically, and their spiritual pressures are normal as well. From what I can tell, it just seems to be a bit of exhaustion. What did you say happened?"
For the third time, Komamura explained. When he finished, Urahara nodded.
"That doesn't make sense," he said finally. "Nobody should be able to use a zanpakuto that doesn't belong to them and I've never heard of a Soul Reaper being turned into their zanpakuto."
"So, this is something you're unfamiliar with?"
"For now, but I can keep trying to find some information," Urahara said.
"Kisuke," said a voice, and Yoruichi entered, her arms crossed. "I think I've found something."
"What?"
Yoruichi held up what looked like a shard of metal. "I found this on the soccer field. It's the same kind of metal I found when Lieutenant Iba was injured. It feels like a Soul Reaper's zanpakuto."
"Which once more raises the question of a renegade Soul Reaper," Urahara sighed. "But you said there haven't been any, right?"
"No," Komamura stated. "At least, none that I know of."
"Maybe Yamamoto's keeping secrets again," Yoruichi suggested. "We need to get into contact with him. Maybe he knows something."
"Okay, I'll set it up," Urahara offered. "Meanwhile, can you watch them, Yoruichi?"
"Yes."
"And you two, you'll probably need some sleep. I have a feeling that you'll have to battle that thing again tomorrow night," Urahara suggested.
Komamura simply nodded and Koji found his heart beating heavily... He kept quiet and prayed silently. That spiritual pressure felt too familiar—it was a feeling he had not had in years. He hoped that he wasn't really responsible...
He hoped that he was really dead...
Okay, Chapter 10...I'm pretty sure that it isn't my best work... but here it is. And I'm working on using this as a springboard for chapter 11. So, yeah, Chapter 11 will be more important than chapter 10, yet Chapter 10 leads into Chapter 11. So read both when both are available. Thanks.