Hinamori's Apprentice

Chapter 21

"So this is it?" Toushiro said.

"Yeah, that's it," Soi Fon replied.

They stood outside of a large building deep within the jungle. It was dark grey and shaped like a large dome, and rose just barely to the tree line. Based on the appearance, it was likely that the structure continued underground. This was the military outpost that they had received the report about. The area was quiet, with no other settlements for miles around.

As they approached, it was immediately clear that something very serious had happened. A heavy metal door at the front of the building had been completely ripped off, and was now lying on the ground.

"Weapons out," Soi Fon said. She, Toushiro, Rangiku, and the four elite special ops members accompanying them drew their zanpakuto, holding them ready for conflict.

"Did a hollow do this?" Rangiku asked as they walked past the destroyed door.

"I don't know," Soi Fon said, "Now be quiet and stay alert. We don't know what we're dealing with.

When they walked inside, it became even more apparent that something very serious had occurred. Emergency lights dimly lit the place, revealing much damage to the building's interior. There were smashed in walls and holes in the ceiling, as well as a few bullet holes. In several places, blood was smeared on the floors and walls, though there were no bodies to be seen.

"Whatever did this must have cleaned up the bodies afterwards," Toushiro noted, inspecting a large dent in the wall with blood around it.

They walked further into the base. Some areas had lights out or flickering, and spent bullet casings could be found on the ground in places. There were numerous halls and rooms, each of which was carefully inspected, but none of which yielded any clues. Everywhere they looked, they saw the same devastation that existed throughout the building. Furniture was smashed, walls knocked down, and doors torn off their hinges.

"What was this place used for anyways?" Toushiro asked.

"We're not sure; all we know is that the humans were using it as a research base. We suspect that their research involved energy and crystalline material structure, but we're not sure," Soi Fon said, "That's really irrelevant though. Right now we're just focusing on what attacked this place. We've searched enough to know with relative certainty that whatever attacked is long gone. I'm going to inform Soul Society that they can send in an investigative squad to search for evidence."

"I thought that's what we were here for," Rangiku said.

"No, we're here to assess the situation and ensure it's safe. Now that we've done that, we can call in an investigative team to make a more thorough investigation. Whatever attacked this place is long gone, so there's no point in senior officers staying," Soi Fon said. She reached to the communication device on her robe and held it to her mouth. "Captain Soi Fon to Soul Society; the situation has been assessed and it has been determined that it is safe for an investigative team to inspect. We will be awaiting their arrival."

"I guess that's that then…" Toushiro said, "Odd that it was so simple…" At that moment, they suddenly heard a scuffling noise, and all present immediately held their swords up defensively, not knowing if there was a new adversary. They looked around, trying to determine where the noise came from. Their eyes settled on a small closet that was cracked open nearby.

Soi Fon put a finger to her lips and slowly approached. When they were close enough, she put her hand forward and swiftly opened the door. They were greeted with a cry of terror, and looked down to see a soul crouched down at the bottom of the closet shaking in fear. They sighed, lowering their weapons. Soi Fon looked at the soul inquisitively.

"Were you one of the soldiers stationed here?" she asked. The man nodded quickly, his eyes still wide.

"What happened?"

"I-I-I d-don't know…" The man stuttered, "I was j-just playing cards, and then the lights went out, and we went out to investigate. The next thing we knew, something invisible was attacking us!"

"Do you know what it was that attacked you?" Toushiro asked.

"N-no! We couldn't see a thing!"

"Sounds like a hollow to me," Rangiku said.

"Perhaps," Soi Fon said quietly, "Do you have any more information?"

"N-n-no, that-that's all I know!" the man said shrilly. Soi Fon sighed.

"Very well then. Vice-Captain Matsumoto, please perform Konso on this soul."

"As you wish Captain," Rangiku said, putting the hilt of her zanpakuto to the man's forehead.

---

Karin grunted as she stumbled back. She had just dodged a strike, but had leaned back so much that she lost balance. Luckily, Momo caught her before she fell, though she was quite embarrassed.

"Sorry," she muttered quietly.

"Don't worry about it," Momo assured her, "Up until the last bit, that was a great dodge. Just be sure to keep your footwork steady while you're dodging."

"It would be easier if my stupid Shikai were actually capable of blocking," Karin muttered, "Right now, I can only dodge."

"Technically dodging is the preferred defensive method for katana combat," Momo said, "Of course, since your Shikai is not a katana, you'll have to adapt your style to suit its form and ability."

"Yeah, that's the problem, I don't know its ability and I have no clue how to make use of a sword like this," Karin said, "I've been training all this time with a Katana, and was actually getting pretty good at it, but this thing is useless."

"You shouldn't say that about your zanpakuto, you might hurt its feelings," Momo said with a small smile, "Remember, a zanpakuto is your partner in battle. You must learn to appreciate it."

"Well until I've figured out Denryu's abilities, there's not much to be done," Karin said, "The sword is so thin and narrow that it can't block anything. It's just too light! Not to mention the fact that the hilt is so short that I can barely grip it with both hands. I always end up just holding the pommel with my left hand rather than the grip."

"Well that might be your problem," Momo said, "Your Shikai is more like a smallsword or a rapier than a katana. It's not meant to be held with two hands, and it's not meant for cutting or blocking. The trick to this sort of weapon is to use it one handed and to use thrusts and stabs instead of cuts and slashes and to defend by parrying instead of blocking. It's all a matter of technique."

"But you taught me in the use of a katana all this time!" Karin said, "That's how I learned swordsmanship. I can't properly control the blade with just one hand and I've trained with blocking and cutting so much that it's what I instinctively use. What was the point of all that if Shikai renders that sort of combat obsolete?"

"You'll no doubt end up using your unreleased sword at times, so it's worthwhile. Besides, it sets up the basis for other techniques like the ones you'll use in Shikai. It's always good to be aware of multiple fighting styles. You'll use different styles for different situations. For example, against someone of a much lower level than me such as yourself, I can afford to attack aggressively and in a straightforward manner. Against someone of similar skills and average fighting style, I would use my own special technique featuring conservation of movement and elegance. Against an aggressive, straightforward fighter, I would use a heavily defensive technique that would allow me time to tire out the attacker and find the right moment to strike. Against the strongest of foes, I would use a combination of my Shikai and kido spells to even things out. You see, a multitude of fighting styles makes a fighter much more versatile."

"I get what you're saying, but the problem is that my zanpakuto just doesn't seem to have the ability to perform any type of fighting style at all. It's just too flimsy and awkward to use."

"Is that what you think?" Momo asked, "Well then let me show you something: Snap, Tobiume!"

Momo's zanpakuto glowed bright pink and straightened out, gaining several prongs along the side. Karin stared in awe at it. This was the first time she had seen Momo's zanpakuto released.

"Do you see this?" Momo said, "These prongs make it difficult to fight, and the only way to really use it properly is to trap opponents blades with the prongs, which is really tough. When I first achieved it, I had a difficult time with it at first. It seemed useless for combat to me. Until I discovered its power however…" Momo flicked her wrist a little, and a massive energy ball was launched from the tip of the zanpakuto, impacting with a rock and creating a large explosion.

"That's amazing!" Karin said, staring in awe as the smoke cleared.

"That was nothing," Momo replied, returning her zanpakuto to its sealed state, "I can easily launch a blast with ten times more energy than that. My point here is that eventually you'll discover your zanpakuto's power. I can't say when. It could be relatively soon, it could be many years from now, but I'm confident that you will one day accomplish it. You just have to learn to communicate with your zanpakuto. I personally would recommend meditating with your zanpakuto. It's a great way to calm down and helps you to converse with your zanpakuto."

"Meditation, huh?" Karin said a bit skeptically.

"Yeah, now come on, I'd like to get in a few more rounds before heading home."

---

Toushiro, Rangiku, and the others stood around waiting for the investigative team. They had given them the exact location in the building where they were, but they had still not arrived, despite it having been several hours.

"It's been far too long. They should be here by now," Soi Fon said.

"They must have been delayed," Toushiro said.

"Perhaps…" Soi Fon mused, "I'm going to contact Soul Society."

"This is really strange…" Rangiku said.

"Be quiet while I'm contacting Soul Society," Soi Fon snapped, "Soul Society, this is Captain Soi Fon. The investigation unit we requested has not yet arrived."

"They were sent hours ago, Captain, they should be there by now," a voice said from Soi Fon's communication device.

"Well they're not here yet, and if they don't arrive soon, we'll have to-" She was interrupted by a loud clunk down the hall. All present looked up, extremely tense.

"Captain?"

"Stand by," Soi Fon ordered. She drew her sword and slowly walked forward, eyes and ears alert for signs of danger. The others followed behind her, weapons ready.

As they focused ahead however, they neglected to notice several figures approaching behind them. One of these let out a loud battle-cry, alerting the Shinigami to their presence. They turned and raised their weapons just in time to block the attacks.

All seven Shinigami found themselves face to face with an equal number of brown-robed warriors of the same type Toushiro had encountered before. They carried a variety of weapons, including spears, swords, war hammers, axes, and clubs, some of them wielding a different weapon in each hand. They had little time to analyze them however as they immediately attacked again.

"Captain Soi Fon to Soul Society! We are being attacked by unknown adversaries! Repeat, we are under attack!" Soi Fon yelled into her communicator as she deflected several blows with her sword.

"These are the same things I fought before! Don't let your guard down!" Toushiro yelled. The warriors pushed forward, using coordinated attacks to force the Shinigami back. The Shinigami found themselves pushed back into a larger hall, where there was more room to defend themselves. They were beginning to succeed in fighting back when three more of the warriors ambushed them from a side hallway, forcing them to retreat down another hall.

They found themselves in a large, high-ceiling room. There were several broken tables, desks, and chairs lying on the ground, hinting that this may have been a meeting room. Their enemies soon arrived in the room behind them. The Shinigami turned to face them, knowing that they had a better chance in the open space than in the cramped halls.

The warriors rushed to fight them. Rangiku and the four special ops members ended up fighting individual warriors while Toushiro fought two and Soi Fon three. They were skilled warriors, but the Shinigami soon proved their skill as they fought. Rangiku fought a spearman, and soon after beginning had cut off the spear's tip, forcing the warrior to fight with a short sword. Toushiro was fighting two swordsmen, both of whom he was able to dodge and defend against. Soi Fon's opponents fought with heavy axes and hammer-weapons, allowing the speedy Captain to dodge and counterattack more easily. The Special Ops were likewise able to keep pace with the warriors.

Things were looking more and more encouraging for the Shinigami when, without warning, the warriors stopped. They backed away, lowering their weapons. The Special Ops members looked like they might begin to pursue, but Soi Fon held out a hand, signaling them to stop. The brown-robed warriors backed away, melting into the darkness of the halls.

"What was that about?" Rangiku asked.

"I don't know. They might be hoping to trap us in the halls. They do much better when in a tight group formation than on their own," Soi Fon said.

"I have a bad feeling," Toushiro said, "This is too simple."

No sooner had he said this, they heard a strange noise. It was a strange clicking, tapping type of noise, reminiscent of the sound of a dog's nails while walking on a hard floor, only louder and much more strange. The noise of it caused all seven Shinigami to feel very nervous. It wasn't just the oddness of the noise, it was something else. They felt inexplicably filled with dread.

"Captain…"

"Stay ready and keep quiet Matsumoto," Toushiro said tensely. He looked around for a moment before turning to Soi Fon, "I'm going to go stand by the other exit in case they try coming in through there." She nodded, and Toushiro ran over towards the door at the opposite end of the room.

As Toushiro ran towards the door, there was a loud clunk, and the clicking sound stopped. Toushiro stopped running, straining his ears and looking around carefully.

Suddenly, the wall next to where he stood exploded, showering debris all over the place. Toushiro leapt back, his eyes wide as the dust settled. A massive, terrifying figure stood before him. It looked like the skeletons of a man and a dragon fused together. The being's body was made of a white, bony substance which formed something of an armored skeleton. It had inhuman triple-jointed legs, with feet sporting large dagger-like claws spread out like a predatory bird's toes. Hard bony quills jutted out of its back, and its twelve fingers ended in pointed tips. Its head was like a skull, with two sets of horns, one set short, the other long and curving, coming from its head. It had no lower jaw, but a pair of short tusks protruded from the underside of it. The eyeholes were dark and bottomless, with two tiny pin-pricks of golden light shining from within.

Toushiro was in such a state of shock as he looked at it that he neglected to notice it pulling out a pair of thick, curved scimitars from its back. When he realized his mistake, it was too late. The creature was already bringing its blades down upon him. Luckily, Soi Fon and Rangiku appeared at his side and blocked the strike.

"Don't let your guard down!" Soi Fon yelled at him. Toushiro snapped back into the battle and raised his sword to fight. He brought his sword up to attack, but it pushed Rangiku's blade away to block Toushiro's. It leapt into the air, flipping and landing behind them. Before they could even react, it brought its scimitar down in a sweeping motion that cut one of the special ops members cleanly in two. Upon seeing this, the dead man's companions attacked.

"No don't!" Soi Fon yelled, but it was too late. The monstrous thing cut down two of them in the blink of an eye. The third attacked from the opposite direction, and the monstrous being swung its foot out and grabbed the man's head with the claws, smashing it into the ground so hard that the concrete floor cracked. Half of the forces brought to this place were now dead, killed in a matter of seconds.

Toushiro, Soi Fon, and Rangiku had no time to grieve however, for the beast attacked again. It swung its scimitars in sweeping motions that never seemed to stop. It was impossibly fast and strong, easily beating all three of them back. Toushiro and Soi Fon were able to dodge its blows and more effectively combat it, but Rangiku was horribly outmatched, barely able to defend herself against the onslaught. The two Captains weren't without difficulty either. Whenever they attacked, the creature attacked with such force that not only were their blades beaten back, but they ended up having to defend themselves.

They tried surrounding it, but it did no good. It swung its swords so fast and in such wide sweeps that it could attack Toushiro in front of it and block Rangiku's attack behind it in a single stroke. It never locked blades with them; whenever one of them was able to block a strike it would swing its sword around and strike again so quickly that it appeared to be part of the original movement. The beast's attacks looked like a buzz saw of swords.

"What do you want?!" Soi Fon yelled at it as she attacked without effect. The beast let out a hissing noise followed by a gurgling growl.

"We can't keep up like this!" Toushiro yelled, "Soi Fon, we need to-"

"Yes, I know," Soi Fon said, "Vice-Captain Matsumoto, please stay back. Sting my enemies, Suzumebachi!"

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Toushiro yelled. A massive dragon of ice appeared as he swung his sword. Soi Fon and Rangiku leapt away, Soi Fon now sporting her Shikai on her finger. Toushiro directed the ice dragon at the beast. It attempted to jump away, but its left hand and foot were caught in the torrential blast of ice and water, creating a block of ice around the left hand and the sword held in it and freezing the foot to the ground.

Soi Fon took advantage of the moment and attacked with her Shikai. When the small dagger like weapon hit the creature's chest however, it did not create the usual butterfly-shaped mark that normally accompanied a strike from her Shikai. Panicking, she struck again, but once more it did not do a thing. The creature let out a hiss and with its free hand slashed Soi Fon across the back with its sword. Soi Fon collapsed to the ground.

Rangiku immediately ran to attack, striking at the side which was frozen, but as she attacked, the beast thrust its frozen arm forward, hitting Rangiku in the chest. She froze, shakily looking down as it withdrew its hand, revealing a spike protruding from the beast's wrist and sticking out of the ice. Her blood dripped from it.

"Matsumoto!" Toushiro yelled. Before he could do anything, the creature broke its clawed foot free of the ice and swung it upwards, kicking Rangiku in the head and slashing her face open with its sharp claws. She was sent flying by the impact, hitting the ground with a thud.

Roaring in anger, Toushiro attacked, leaping into the air and bringing his sword down in a powerful slash. The monstrous creature swung its frozen hand, hitting Toushiro with such force that the ice encasing its hand shattered. Toushiro barely managed to land on his feet, staggering back. He could tell by the sharp pain in his chest that he probably had broken several ribs. He panted as he stared at the monster, trying to think of a way he could possibly defeat it.

The creature attacked, swinging its swords in the same wide, powerful arcs as before. This time however, Toushiro was alone in fighting it. He was quickly overwhelmed, unable to keep up with the beast's fast movements and powerful strikes. He sustained several minor wounds as he fought, luckily avoiding any fatal injuries. He couldn't keep this up though. He was fully aware of how hopeless the situation was. His hands were getting painful from the vibrations sent down by the powerful strikes, and the pain from his broken ribs was getting to be so bad that he had trouble focusing.

As he fought, one of the beast's strikes hit lower than he anticipated, and he felt a sharp pain in his right hand. In his moment of confusion, the beast used its prehensile foot to grab Toushiro by the ankle and throw him against the nearby wall. Toushiro hit the wall with such force that it cracked and sent bits of debris falling down.

He shakily stood up, wincing as he put weight on his left foot. His head hurt horribly, and his vision was blurry and out of focus, indicating a head injury from the impact. He shakily reached for his sword nearby, only to realize that his hand had been cut in half, with only the thumb and first two fingers remaining. He looked up to see the beast approaching. He glared at it and grabbed his sword with his left hand, holding it up shakily in front of him as he stood defiantly despite his injuries.

"Come on and fight me you damn monster," he growled, "I'm not dead yet, so come and fight me!"

The beast hissed and leapt into the air, both swords held ready to strike.

Thanks for reading! Thank you to nexuswarrior, The Great Pineapple MEKI, Hinata-cutie, blackwitchkarma, war90, Taeniaea, randomguy24, Chillis, Nightraze, Photophopic, Guibin, Thunder Claw03, Revolation, and DigiPal for reviewing! With this chapter, the story passes 100,000 words! Hooray! Please review!