Chapter 21
Raging Beasts
The Red-Haired Beast, Konoka Mitsumi, and the Green-Haired Devil, Emi Otomi, clashed their weapons savagely, sending shock waves through the area. No matter how hard they swung though, neither could gain an advantage. Hoping to change this, Konoka spun her golden glaive ahead of thrusting it at Emi's heart. Her foe smacked her lips and then deflected this, creating sparks as the emerald blade on Konoka's Fullbring slid across Emi's Zanpakutou.
"You use a staff, yet you insist on staying close to me? You're a weird little girl, aren't you?" remarked Emi. She yanked on Konoka's glaive, pulling her in close. "Maybe you're using the wrong kind of weapon."
She slashed at the Red-Haired Beast, yet Konoka's instincts kicked in. She released her weapon, enabling her to jump back in time to avoid the Green-Haired Devil's blade. With a break in the action, Konoka brushed the sweat out of her eyes and caught her breath. Emi did mostly the same.
"I think you forgot something," a smirking Emi said as she held up Konoka's glaive.
Konoka smiled as well. "Not so fast, bitch. Just watch."
Emi did so and was startled by a sudden and green flash of light. It faded, and she wasn't sure why she was now in the possession of an emerald necklace.
"Oh? It doesn't work unless you're touching it? What a weird weapon."
She tossed it back to Konoka to confirm her theory. However, rather than bring out her Fullbring, the Red-Haired Beast charged in and caught her foe off guard with a right hook. Emi was floored though quickly handspringed to her feet.
"That was sneaky!" she said, wiping some trailing blood from her lip.
"Sorry. I just couldn't help myself," replied Konoka. "You looked so sure of yourself."
"Heh! I like you! I like you a lot! This might be fun after all!"
Chad, watching the fight in silence, thought Emi rather enthusiastic for a person that had nearly gotten her jaw broken. Then again, it looked as if Konoka was having the time of her life as well.
"You'd make a pretty good member of the Eleventh Division, little girl," said Emi.
"Me? With those freaks?" Konoka thumbed toward the Shinigami in question. "Tsk. Well, if you're tryin' to insult me, you're doing a damn good job."
"Hey, who is she calling a freak?!" cried a Shinigami with an eyepatch.
"S-She doesn't even care that we're standing here! The nerve!" said another that was missing most of his teeth.
Konoka summoned her Fullbring again. "Talk is cheap. Let's do this, bimbo."
Emi reclaimed her Zanpakutou from the ground. "Say, how come your big friend over there isn't fighting too? Do you really think you can take me on by yourself?"
"Funny. You seem to think you can take me alone too. You're dumber than I thought. As for Sado over there, don't worry about him. He's just a spectator. Besides, he knows better than to get in the way of my fight."
Sado frowned. He was mostly staying out of Konoka's way because he felt a two-on-one advantage was unfair, not because he was afraid of her. Of course, he didn't say any of this out loud. The last thing he craved was incurring the Red-Haired Beast's wrath. She was liable to lash out against him as well as Emi.
"Oh! I see! You don't want to gang up on me!" remarked Emi in the same, self assured tone that got on Konoka's nerves. "Tsk! You two are starting to sound like my Captain and the other idiots in my division!"
Again, the onlooking members of the Eleventh Division didn't appreciate being made fun of so nonchalantly.
"H-How can she talk about us without any respect?!" said a bald Shinigami chewing on a toothpick. He spit it out in disgust, adding, "We're almost as bad as the Fourth Division right now!"
"I mean, I guess it's nice that you're trying to do the 'honorable' thing by taking me one-on-one, but on the battlefield, none of that stuff really matters when you get down to it!" stated Emi, tapping her sword on her shoulder. "Stuff like honor and fairness play no role! It's either kill or be killed, so if you wanna come at me together, I really won't mind! Since I'm planning to end both your lives, you might as well give me everything you've got!"
"Sorry." Konoka took to the skies with her Fullbring at the ready. "That just ain't my style."
She brought her weapon down for the kill. However, she hit nothing but air. Emi employed a burst of Flash Step to first dodge and then sneak up on Konoka. The Red-Haired beast might have been carved down the middle like a Thanksgiving turkey if it weren't for Chad shoving his body into her and pushing her out of harm's way.
"H-Hey! I didn't ask for you help!" she proclaimed. "Stay outta this, Sado!"
As steaming mad as she was, she couldn't help but note the resolve on Chad's visage.
"Sorry, Mitsumi, but I think that Shinigami has a point," he said. "Everyone in this world will be gunning for us, so we really shouldn't be holding back. Besides, I don't want to waste anymore time here. We still have to rescue Kuchiki and your friend."
"S-Seriously?" Konoka shook her head. "Tsk! Whatever! Fine! If it'll get you guys to shut up, I'll do it! I'll fight with you, Sado. This really ain't my style, but if I can see that bitch's face in the mud, I'm willin' to try anything! Just don't slow me down!"
Chad thinly smiled.
"Alright! Now we're talking!" Emi held her sword in front of her. "I guess it's time for me to go all out too!"
Neither Konoka nor Chad had any idea what she was going on about. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, she was prepared to show them.
She shouted, "Sting, Itomakiei!"
Her tall Zanpakutou changed shape, becoming a spear even longer than her body. Sharp, metal prongs pointed upward out of the main blade, making the weapon somewhat resemble a trident. The handle was a bright crimson, while a white tassel extended from the end of it, giving the appearance of a 'tail.'
"...What? What's going on?" Konoka scratched her head. "How'd she do that?"
"Judging from your expression, it looks like you didn't know a Shinigami's Zanpakutou could transform! This is what mine becomes once I use Shikai! Looks like you aren't the only one using a bladed staff now!" said Emi.
"I don't know if I should feel flattered or insulted that you're copyin' me."
Emi's face reddened. "H-Hey! I'm not copying you! How old are you anyway, little girl? Considering I'm hundreds of years old, that means I've probably had my Itomakiei way longer than you've had that toothpick you're holding!"
"...Probably." Konoka shrugged. "I really don't care, grandma."
"'G-Grandma?!' Alright, now you're pushing it!"
With the same air of nonchalance, Konoka swung her golden glaive, launching a green energy blade at the enraged Shinigami.
"It doesn't really matter which one of us is more original since I'm the only one that's gonna come out on top, freak," she stated.
Her projectile tore up the earth, paralyzing Emi for a split second. She got her wits about her and darted out of the way.
"T-That was close! She's just full of tricks, isn't she?"
She wasn't in the clear just yet. Chad took full advantage of Konoka's distraction by closing in and clenching his fist.
"Sorry about this," he uttered prior to launching a massive wave of spirit energy at her using his right arm. It seemingly overtook her, obliterating a number of buildings in the process. Konoka and all the Eleventh Division Shinigami were left lost for words.
"H-Holy..." The Red-Haired Beast was glad she hadn't been on the receiving end of that one. "I-I should've asked you to help me from the start, Sado! Nice one! Looks like that bitch is toast!"
Chad flashed her a thumbs up. However, both of them noted they were celebrating prematurely once they heard the familiar clamor of Emi's voice.
"Oh! That was really sneaky! You two work pretty good together considering you were both so against the idea of teaming up against me!"
Hearing her was one thing, yet Konoka grit her teeth at being unable to locate Emi.
"Mitsumi, above you!" warned Chad.
"Eh?! How did she…?!"
Konoka quickly shot her head upward and finally spotted Emi diving toward her with her Itomakiei. The Red-Haired Beast blocked the sudden assault with her Fullbring. Undaunted, Emi began thrusting her spear all over. Konoka was prepared though.
"Well, looks like all that trainin' with Jives over the years was good for somethin'," she murmured, parrying everything thrown her way. "You talk a bigger game than you can dish out, bimbo."
"Oh yeah? Well, let's hope you don't slip up then! After all, I only need a single attack to hit you in order to finish this fight!" said Emi.
"Eh? A little overconfident, aren't we?"
Emi made Konoka eat her words by sneaking a cut on the Red-Haired Beast's arm. Nevertheless, it was quite shallow, barely strong enough to draw blood. Peering at it, Konoka raised an eyebrow.
"Ha! Gotcha!" said Emi proudly. "This is the beginning of the end, little girl!"
"...You've finally lost your shit, I guess."
"Oh, you think so? Let me tell you something really juicy then! My…!"
Chad came down from above and drove his right arm into the ground, rending it asunder. He missed his target though; Emi Flash Stepped to safety.
"Ugh. Fighting two people at the same time is more trouble than I thought..."
"Yeah, I can tell. You really lower your guard too much," said Konoka, barreling in and swinging her Fullbring like a baseball bat. "Maybe you underestimated us by thinkin' you could fight us both at once, bimbo."
"If you're just going to go and attack me like this, it's clear you're the one underestimating me, little girl!"
Emi not only thwarted Konoka's glaive with her Zanpakutou but sent the Red-Haired Beast soaring back like she had been launched out of a cannon. Unable to stop herself, a wide eyed Konoka quietly questioned what was going on. Chad caught her before any harm could befall her.
"T-Thanks..." she told him. Her red eyes then trained themselves on a cackling Emi. "...What the hell? Somethin' ain't right."
"What do you mean?" asked Chad.
"Her last attack had way more power behind it than her others. Was she holdin' back before?"
"Maybe you're just imagining things. Her energy hasn't gotten stronger."
"...Yeah, you're right." Konoka stretched out her aching neck. "Her sword changed into that weird spear thingy, but other than that, she's the same. Tsk. This is stupid. I don't get it at all."
There must have been some piece of the puzzle she was missing.
"Let me try this time, Mitsumi," said Chad ahead of running at Emi.
"H-Hey! Get back here, you glory hog!" shouted Konoka. "Just save the last blow for me, alright, Sado?!"
With a nod, Chad guided his mighty, right arm at Emi.
"Whoa!" She sidestepped it by the skin of her teeth, enough to feel the air disturbed by it. "I saw what you did earlier, so it'd probably be a good idea not to get hit by you, big guy! On the other hand, getting hit by me is just as bad!"
Chad, sensing danger, leapt back as Emi propelled her Itomakiei at his gauntlet. With her target mostly out of range, the most she could do was leave him with a meager gash. However, the way blood gushed from the lesion, a stunned Chad would have assumed her to have landed a critical blow.
"Oh? I meant to lop off your entire arm, big guy, but I guess I was a few inches off," said Emi, pleased nonetheless. "You might need more than a simple bandage for that one!"
"What the hell is goin' on?!" Konoka's confusion was spurred by the fact Emi's Zanpakutou was now bathed in a red aura. "S-She barely hit Sado just now! I'm sure of it! How could she do that much damage?!"
Chad wasn't sure either as she readied himself to go at Emi once more.
"W-Wait a sec!" A theory concerning Emi's Itomakiei hit Konoka like a ton of bricks. "S-Sado! Get away from her!"
He nodded and did so, yet Emi was hot on his tail.
She informed him, "You can run!"
She aimed her spear right for his heart. Konoka intervened by stepping in between them and repelling the attack with her golden glaive. However, this turned out to be a huge mistake. Besides lacerating her arms, the recoil flung her back like a rag doll and into Chad, where the two of them lied unmoving in the dirt.
"Seriously? Is it over already?" Emi moved her hand up to her mouth and yawned. "Ugh. That's why I didn't want to use my Shikai in the first place. I just knew things would turn out like this."
The fight wasn't over just yet. With some difficulty, Konoka forced her legs to hold the rest of her upright. Blood was pouring out of the various lesions on her arms, but her will to battle remained.
"D-Dammit! Maybe I was right after all..."
Chad, rising as well, asked, "Are you alright, Mitsumi?"
He felt it a goofy inquisition. From the way she was breathing, he could tell she was struggling to even remain conscious. One or even both of her arms might have been broken considering how they were hanging limp at her sides.
"I-I'll live," she told him. "H-Have you picked up on it too?"
"Yeah. There's something weird about her spear. The longer we fight, the stronger it seems to get. Do you have any clue why, Mitsumi?"
"Sorry. That's the only thing still buggin' me about this. How you doin' over there?"
Chad glimpsed at his black gauntlet. It stung immensely, although he was pretty sure he could still fight. It was likely he would have to do so alone from this point forward.
"Hey, looks like you two aren't dead after all!" Emi twirled her Itomakiei as she spoke. "Are you just going to stand there though? If so, maybe I should take the initiative for once!"
She swept her Zanpakutou across the empty space in front of her, perplexing Konoka and Chad at first. They understood loudly and clearly after a torrent of air swept past them, half near knocking them off their feet. The structures behind them weren't so fortunate; they toppled over like they weighed nothing at all.
"Then again, my opponents always die rather quickly when I do," added Emi. "See what I mean? It really hard for me to hold back because of my Itomakiei!"
"...I really hate this bitch," said Konoka as she grit her teeth.
The spectating Shinigami of the Eleventh Division nodded their heads in agreement.
#
Without faltering, Aaron started things off by barreling toward Akira. He hoped to catch her off guard, yet she had little trouble in fending his assault off with her own blade.
"Is that all you got?! What, did Kana teach you how to fight or something, kid?!" she hollered. She suddenly kicked his sword out of his grasp. This distraction enabled her to reel him in by the collar of his robes and drive her skull into his forehead. The mighty blow floored him. "Get up! We aren't done yet!"
She snatched him up by his head before shoving it right back into the ground, denting it. This alone might have been enough for her to claim victory, but she wasn't taking any chances. She pointed her open palm at him, forming a crimson fireball.
"Way of Destruction Number 31: Red Fire Cannon."
Aaron got his wits about him in time to roll out of the way and let the pavement be immolated in his stead. Unarmed, he pounced on top of Akira and prepared to punch her block off. His tightly balled fist missed when she moved her head, and she repaid his efforts by driving her knee into his stomach. Clutching the spot, he rolled off of her and eyed his Zanpakutou in the distance.
Akira, meanwhile, proclaimed, "Way of Destruction Number 4: Pale Lightning!"
The shot of electricity soared at Aaron just as he recollected his sword. He employed it to redirect the Kidou elsewhere. Panting, both combatants took the opportunity to catch their breaths.
"T-This is crazy," said Arashi with a shake of his head. "This is more like a brawl on the street than a battle between two Shinigami. When she lived on her own in Rukongai, this is how she fended off would-be predators. At least, that's what she's told me."
"S-Shouldn't we do something? They'll end up killing each other at this rate!" said Mayu.
"Y-Yeah. That's what I fear. Honestly, it seems like the best we could hope for is that at least one of them walks away from this with their life."
"And Arashi just healed me too," said Aaron, who dabbed his fingers on the fresh blood gushing from the back of his head. "This is what I get for trying to fistfight her, I guess. I never was any good at that sort of thing. I'm gonna lose for sure unless I can force her to use her Zanpakutou."
"You're even more of a no good punk than I thought, Higuchi," said Akira as she stretched out her stiff neck. "I'll give you credit for putting up a fight. You've still got time to run with your tail between your legs if you want though!"
"Like I'd fall for that. You already said you'd kill me if I pulled a stunt like that. Honestly, I'd much rather have you be the one begging for mercy."
"Tsk. You really don't know how to treat a lady, kid."
"I do. I just don't consider you one, Akira Akiyama."
Akira eyelid spasmed. "...Oh, that's it! You are so fucking dead, kid!"
Aaron was grateful for her unbridled ire. If she was mad, it meant her concentration would take a hit.
When Akira abruptly pointed a finger at him, he was led to believe she would use Pale Lightning on again. He was almost right; she was indeed plotting to use Kidou.
"Way of Binding Number 61: Six Rods Prison of Light."
"S-Shit! A binding spell?!" cried Aaron. By the time he took heed of this, it was too late. Six thin beams of energy spawned around him ahead of crashing into his torso. Besides freaking him out, they also constricted his movements. "Tsk! Isn't this cute? Here's yet another spell Urahara neglected to tell me about. It's almost like he was counting on me dying."
"That's too bad," said Akira. Her intonation brimmed with sarcasm. "Well then, have you ever seen Kidou like this?"
She let go of her Zanpakutou, causing it to levitate. She then gently tapped the hilt, which in turn prompted the sword to spin slowly before gradually speeding up until it was a blur.
"W-What the…?! She's going to use that sort of Kidou?!" cried Arashi. "Dammit! Why does she always go overboard like this?!"
"Huh?! W-Wait, what's going on?!" asked Mayu. Rather than answering her, Arashi dived on top of her to keep her out of harm's way. "Hey! What's the big idea, dumb Shinigami?!"
" You're about to find out why Akira is so feared when it comes to using Kidou!"
Aaron overheard this and smacked his lips. "This oughta be good..."
Akira shouted, "Way of Destruction Number 58: Orchid Sky!"
She reached out for her Zanpakutou, halting it. A humongous cyclone then erupted out of it, ripping apart the ground as it tore its way to its helpless victim. It was pointless for him to admit it, but Aaron did indeed recognize the spell from having been nearly killed by it in the past.
"I probably should've asked Kana how to counter it..."
It was too late for that. It might have been too late for Aaron as well if Arashi and Mayu had anything to say about it. They stood by helplessly as the Kidou seemingly wiped him off the face of the earth. The Orchid Sky dissipated after reducing much of the area to rubble.
"T-That was insane!" remarked Arashi. Debris was raining all around him. "I don't recall her Kidou being that good!"
"I-I forgot how scary Shinigami can be!" said Mayu, who was trembling a little.
"Y-Yeah. You can say that again. I've seen Akira upset, but this is taking the cake." Arashi scrutinized what was left of the battlefield but saw no trace of Aaron. "I...don't see how he could've survived that. I don't feel his spiritual pressure either."
"Huh?! Are you saying that dumb Shinigami is actually dead?!"
Not hankering to face the truth, Arashi was mum on the matter.
Akira, busy admiring her handiwork, sheathed her sword. She was already proclaiming herself the winner of the duel, yet her victory felt hollow. It brought her none of the solace and relief she thought it would.
"...Stupid kid. He just had to die that fast on me."
"You look sad. Maybe it's a good thing I'm not dead yet!" proclaimed a voice that made Akira flinch. She shot her head up and snarled at the sight of a still breathing Aaron Higuchi. The top part of his Shinigami robes had been blasted clean off, and cuts and bruises littered his brown skin, but he was otherwise in one piece. "You owe me a new outfit, Akiyama!"
"Y-You've gotta be kidding me! There's no way you got out of my binding spell!"
"Well, you're right about that! Thankfully, I could move my hands enough to grab this!" Aaron presented his Seigetsu in its Shikai form. The giant, blue tachi glimmered in the setting sun. "You know, I hate carrying this thing around when it's released, but its size does come in handy when I want to use it like a shield. It was able to block most of that crazy tornado you threw at me. Then again, it'd take a lot more than your Kidou to take care of me!"
"...My Kidou? ...Is that supposed to be a joke?" If it was, Akira wasn't laughing. Rather, she was shaking in anger. "Are you trying to say someone else's Kidou would've done the job better? Bullshit!"
Her eyes broadened when she eventually understood what he was implying.
"W-Wait? What's going on now? Ugh! I'm so confused!" cried Mayu.
Arashi said, "Back at the Shinigami Academy, Akira had some of the highest scores in her class when it came to Kidou. In fact, there was only one person above her."
"Someone better than her? Who was it?"
"...My sister."
Akira eyed Arashi, desiring to sock him across the jaw for his loose lips. His statement might have been true, yet her pride wouldn't allow her to admit it. She had to shut him and Aaron up once and for all, and she had the perfect plan to do it.
"That's a nice sword you got there, kid. A little gaudy, but not bad," she told Aaron. "Guess it makes sense to fight a Shikai with a Shikai. How about I show you what a real Zanpakuto release looks like?"
Arashi gasped. "Y-You can't release your Zanpakutou, Akira! You'll be putting everyone in the area in danger!"
"Can it, Arashi! Like I give a shit! As long as I can finish this punk here, that's all that matters! If you're so damn afraid, you better get the hell outta here while you can! I can't promise I'll be able to hold back even if it's you here!"
"Is her Shikai that dangerous?" Aaron mumbled to himself. He faced Arashi and added, "I don't know what she's going on about, but maybe it would be better if you and Mayu hid for the time being. I can't say I'll be able to restrain myself either."
"You can't get rid of me that easily, dumb Shinigami! You know as well as I do that you can't do anything without me, so I'm staying until you beat that stupid lady!" declared Mayu.
"I'm staying too!" said Arashi. "There's no way I could leave, not when you're clearly not in your right mind, Akira!"
"Oh? Funny. I've felt better than I have in ages!" said Akira with a laugh. "All I'm doing is whatever the hell I want right now! Is that so wrong? Right now, I'd really like to collect the head of this brat Kana loves so much!"
"...I never thought I'd be saying something like this, but I'm disappointed in you, Akira! Maybe you need to get knocked around some so some of your common sense can come back!"
Leaving wasn't an option, but neither was getting caught up in what Arashi considered as Akira having a temper tantrum. He rested his hands on the ground and formed a circular Kidou barrier around himself and Mayu.
"It should hold up even if Akira goes ahead and uses her Shikai," he bitterly said.
"Tsk. Idiot. I never asked you to stay behind and look after me! I'm not a kid anymore!" said Akira in the same tone. "I hate sentimental stuff like that."
"I think it's nice you still have someone in your corner considering you've been acting like a spoiled brat," remarked Aaron.
Akira's eyelids constricted. "...You've got a smart mouth alright, punk. What the hell do you know anyway?! If Arashi were as smart as he thinks he is, he would know better than to put so much stock in other people because it hurts like hell when they're taken away from you. That's why I said I seriously loathe sentimental crap like that."
Aaron wasn't sure what to say or believe anymore when it came to Akira Akiyama. Clearly, something in her past was causing her to behave this way, something that also concerned Kana. A plethora of questions raced through his mind, but Akira never gave him the chance to ask even one of them.
Instead, she brandished her Zanpakutou and yelled, "Erode! Tatsumaki!"
#
Going back to years past, Heishiro was home alone and eating at a table. As he shoved a handful of rice into his mouth, he leered out of a window. The sun was setting over the skies of Rukongai.
"Hmm. They said they would be back before it got dark out. I sure hope they're alright."
Worry cast over him like storm clouds, but relief replaced it once three individuals stormed their way into the room.
"We're back! We're back!" buzzed the cheerful voice of Kana Mitarashi. "Heishiro, we're back!"
"I think he heard you the first time, sis," said Arashi Mitarashi.
"Sorry it took us so long," added Akira Akiyama. "The ceremony dragged on forever."
"'Ceremony?'" Heishiro didn't comprehend her until he noticed the black robes the three wore. "Y-You guys did it? Y-You guys did it! Wow! I can't believe this!"
"Believe it!" said Kana. She flashed a V-sign. "You're now looking at three fully fledged members of the Gotei 13!"
"I-I still don't know how, but we did it. We really did it," said Arashi.
"Hey, you don't have to sound so sad about it! Let's celebrate!"
"She's right! Congrats on a job well done!" voiced Heishiro. He got up to ruffle the Mitarashi sibling's hair. "You've worked hard the last couple of years to get to this point! You should be proud of yourselves!"
Arashi meekly smiled, whereas Kana hopped all around like a kid in a candy store. The sole person that didn't appear too happy was Akira. She quietly stood in a corner and crossed her arms.
"What's the matter with you, little lady?" Heishiro asked. "If you're wearing those robes too, that must mean you graduated from the Shinigami Academy. Why the long face?"
"...I-It's nothing," she replied without removing her gaze from the floor.
"Nah uh, little lady! I've seen that face enough times to know when something's the matter with you! So, what's up? You can tell me."
"I-I told you that it's nothing! L-Leave me alone!"
Heishiro sighed. If there was one thing he learned raising Akira over the years, it was that she was as stubborn as an ox. She would often bottle her emotions up and suffer in her lonesome. Perhaps it was something she hadn't yet shed from her former life on the streets of the Mitarashi district.
"Eh? What's got you in an even more good mood all of a sudden?" said Heishiro when Kana giggled.
"Akira is upset that Kana here got better scores than her," clarified Arashi.
"Eh? How can that be? Akira is practically a whiz kid!"
"Well, that was true for most of their classes. I mean, it wasn't even close when you think about it. I'm still shocked Kana was even able to graduate."
"H-Hey! Watch it, buster!" shrieked his now agitated sister.
Ignoring her, Arashi continued with, "However, when the final test scores came, it turned out Kana had a higher score than Akira when it came to Kidou. Actually, she had the highest scores in our entire graduating class! I couldn't believe it! To think my only sister could actually be good at something! I mean, it's basically a miracle!"
Without warning, Kana rammed her knuckles into his stomach. He toppled over within seconds, and Heishiro and Akira cringed.
"Okay! That's enough outta you for one day!" she exclaimed. Her mood brightened as she added, "Anyway, I really was the crown jewel of my Kidou class! Akira here put up a good fight though! Still, I guess she'll just have to settle for being number two!"
The brunette cackled. Akira, meanwhile, grit her teeth.
"Y-Your scores weren't that much higher than mine, idiot! Everyone knows that real results gained on the battlefield mean more than stupid test scores! Once we all get assigned to a squad and are handed our first assignments, I'll show you how Kidou is really supposed to be used!"
"Aw! Is someone a little mad? It's okay, Akira! You might be able to wow a crowd with your Kidou, but I'm the only one who can sweep them off their feet! Hey, if you want any lessons, don't hesitate to ask! After all, I did finish first in our class!"
She laughed her tail of some more, while it took everything in Akira's power not to lay her friend out like she did her younger brother. Sensing the tension, Heishiro got in between the two.
"Alright, alright! Break it up! You aren't kids anymore, so no more fighting! Now then, since you three are so-called Shinigami now, what do you plan to do with yourselves?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" inquired Akira.
"What I mean is that the three of you are all grown up! On top of that, you're Shinigami. Therefore, you don't need an old timer like me looking after you anymore! You've got bigger and better things awaiting you outside of this rundown shack!"
"I...haven't really given it much thought to be perfectly honest. I originally wished to be a Shinigami to escape Rukongai, but now..." Akira paused. "...I don't know what to do. I'm not so sure I want to leave. This is my home now. I have family here thanks to you guys."
Her eyes watered.
"I'm...not sure I can just leave all that behind. I don't think I can do it."
"Eh? What in the world are you talking about?" asked a genuinely confused Kana. Akira shot her head up to her, just as baffled. "Regardless of what happens from here on out, we'll always be a family!"
"That's right, Akira! We'll be together forever!" added Arashi.
Their claims weren't enough to lift Akira's spirit. "I-I don't know about that. I just...can't help but get the feeling things aren't going to be the same. It really scares me. Maybe becoming a Shinigami wasn't such a good thing in the end."
Kana and Arashi were the ones left lost for words this time. Heishiro acted on their behalf, holding his arms out. Akira immediately flew into them and sobbed into his chest. She felt it shameful that even after achieving her dream, the most she could do was weep like a helpless child.
"Dry your eyes, Akira," her father figure stated. "This is supposed to be a joyous occasion, right? You, Kana, and Arashi are meant for greater things than remaining here in the slums of Soul Society. That's why I don't mind being left behind! I might not have been able to escape Rukongai, but I just know you brats will! Nothing makes me happier than to see how you three managed to turn out!"
"C-Cut it out, Heishiro. Now I'm gonna cry!" said Kana, sniffling.
"Don't you dare waste this opportunity! All I ask is for you brats to use your powers to the best of your abilities!"
Akira exhaled sharply; his speech lit a fire in her soul. In her panic, she forgot the reason she chose to join the Shinigami Academy and commit herself to a life of service in the Gotei 13. She didn't want more people, people like her, to suffer alone in the impoverished and crime rampant districts outside of the Seireitei. Her newfound powers would ensure things changed. That was the promise she long ago made with herself.
"A-Alright, Heishiro! I'll do it!" she proclaimed. "I'll help others in the same way you helped me all those years ago! I won't let you down!"
"Me neither!" added Kana. "By the time we're finished, living in Rukongai will be just as grand as living in one of those fancy houses in the Seireitei!"
"D-Do you really think we can accomplish all that, sis?" asked Arashi.
"Oh, how come you always have to be such a downer?! Of course we can!"
"Right! You're absolutely right! We can! No, we have to! We'll get it done, Heishiro!"
Heishiro rubbed the back of his head. "Settle down there, brats! You're going to make an old man blush!"
As he heartily chuckled, Akira stared at him intently and prayed she possessed the skills to back up her bold claim. She owed him that much for him taking her in. Heishiro often claimed his actions were nothing special, but she considered him the equivalent of a deity, one who rescued her from despair when she assumed all hope was lost.
Even if it was difficult, she would find a way to pay him back.
#
An intense gust of wind blew Aaron back, but he held his ground, far more intrigued by the weapon in Akira's grasp. Her Zanpakutou took the form of a razor-sharp scythe, one attached to a jagged, brown shaft. Affixed to the bottom of said shaft was a lengthy chain. A good portion of it tightly wrapped around Akira's right arm.
"Whoa! S-Scary!" said Mayu. "T-That's her Shikai then?"
"Yeah. It gave me quite the fright when I first saw it too. They say the image of the Grim Reaper in the Human World is a skeleton wearing black robes and wielding a scythe. The way Akira is now, I'd say she fits that description," said Arashi.
"'Grim Reaper?' Don't make me laugh. If that's all her Shikai is, I think I can handle it," said Aaron. His unusual confidence worried both Mayu and Arashi. "We're both Gods of Death. She doesn't scare me one bit."
"B-Be careful nonetheless! Her sword isn't for show!" warned Arashi.
"It's been a long time since you've gotten to slice someone apart, Tatsumaki," Akira told her Zanpakutou. She aimed it at Aaron, proclaiming, "Well, there's your next victim! Let's go!"
She charged ahead without wavering. Aaron responded in kind. Finally, their battle would begin in earnest.
#
Konoka backed away as Emi's Itomakiei tore the earth apart. The Red-Haired Beast breathed a sigh of relief, but had to admit she couldn't stay on the defensive forever.
"Goddammit! I-I've lost too much blood! I can't see straight!"
"What's wrong, little girl? Getting a bit winded?" taunted Emi.
"Tsk! Just keep talkin'! I'll smack that smirk off your face soon enough!"
"I seriously doubt that. If you want to give up, I don't mind. If you admit I'm better than you, maybe I'll think about sparing your life."
"Get real! Like hell I'd ever do somethin' like that! I'd rather die!"
"If you insist!"
Before Emi could deliver the finishing blow, Chad crept up behind her and loosed his gigantic right arm at her cranium. Instead of punching her block off, he hit the vacant space she seconds ago stood.
"That's more like it! Looks like you two are getting used to this 'double teaming' thing!"
Emi, having Flash Stepped her way to safety, next used the technique to speed around Chad, becoming a total blur.
"You'd think you two would be able to land at least one blow!" she added. "What's the matter, big guy? Afraid to hit a girl? Or maybe I'm too fast for you!"
Her taunting had no effect on the quiet giant. He observed her movements closely, stumbling upon an opening. He then screamed at the height of his voice and smashed the pavement with everything he had. This ruptured the space encircling him, including the ground Emi was dashing on.
"Huh?! Holy cow!" she decried. "I'm outta here!"
She backflipped to an untouched area and noted Chad someone not to fool around with.
"Hmm?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she noted someone approaching, piquing her curiosity. Konoka, the culprit, readied her golden glaive.
"Yeah, I could really get used to this double teamin' thing!"
The Red-Haired Beast left a nasty gash on a powerless Emi's back. It smarted but not enough to throw the Green-Haired Devil off her game. When Konoka attempted to follow up her surprise attack, Emi gracefully backflipped out of the Fullbring's path.
"Ouch! That seriously hurt, little girl!" In spite of her remark, an exhilarated Emi licked her lips. "There was an awful lot of killing intent behind that last attack!"
Konoka raised an eyebrow. "What the hell are you goin' on about? You'd think I'd waste my time killin' the likes of you?"
"You sure talk a big game considering you're on the verge of collapsing over there!"
The Red-Haired Beast smacked her lips but quietly acknowledged the Green-Haired Devil had a point. She tettered on the verge of unconsciousness and came to the conclusion she would have to end things before then.
"Tsk! S-She doesn't look tired at all," she muttered, peering at Emi prancing about. She then picked up on something else concerning the woman. "Wait, her spear thing. It's not glowing as much anymore. I'm pretty sure that happened right after I hit her. Could that mean…?"
"Now's not the time for you to be napping on the job!" said Emi. She closed the gap between herself and Konoka prior to lunging her Itomakiei. "It's over!"
"L-Like hell!"
At the last second, Konoka lifted her Fullbring to intercept Emi's Zanpakutou. Nonetheless, the cracks showing up on the handle of her golden glaive left her speechless. Her weapon should have been stronger than Emi's, yet she might as well have been using a toothpick against a sword.
"Bye bye, little girl!"
In a flash, Emi carved through Konoka's defense and then across her torso. As blood erupted out of the severe wound, Konoka observed it and felt it a mere hallucination. To be this badly injured by the likes of Emi Otomi was unfathomable.
"Y-You bitch!"
She extended her hand toward the Green-Haired Devil but missed by a mile. Her then body hit the dirt in a crumpled heap, her pupils faded, and her head slumped over. A gust of wind swept past the fallen Red-Haired Beast, one that sent shivers down Chad's spine.
"M-Mitsumi!" he shouted in horror.
Emi, on the other hand, derived nothing but humor in Konoka's fate. The red aura enveloping her Itomakiei heightened.
"Do you understand now, little girl? You never had a chance at beating me! You see, my Zanpakutou here grows stronger the more I use it to hurt someone, and I love nothing more than hurting people! What I'm saying is that if I hit someone enough times, my Itomakiei can become powerful enough to finish a poor sucker in a single stroke! Pretty cool, huh? I guess you learned that much the hard way."
She coiled her lips at the lack of appreciation for her Zanpakutou. Then again, Konoka was hardly in the state to hold a discussion.
"Oh, that's right. You're dead." Emi leaned over the person in question. "Wow. I'm kinda shocked at how much damage my Itomakiei dealt! That must've really hurt! I sure hope it did anyway!"
Suddenly, the allegedly dead Konoka's eyes shot open. Glaring a hole into Emi, she afterward latched onto her foe and held on for dear life.
"Gotcha!"
"W-What the…?! Y-You're still alive?! Come on, let me go already! J-Just what do you think you're doing, little girl?!"
"Y-You can't kill me that easily, bitch!" the Red-Haired Beast confidently stated through strained breaths. "And I already figured out the trick to your sword before you went and ran your mouth! You know, there's somethin' else I realized about it too!"
Chad, busy gathering spirit energy into his right arm, said, "...The more you're hurt, the weaker your spear becomes."
"Y-You two really figured it all out, huh?" said Emi. She was impressed though not nearly as much as she was unnerved. "E-Even so, what in the world are you two up to this time?! W-Wait, big guy, you...aren't actually thinking of launching that much energy at me, are you?! Y-You might kill me, but you'll end up killing this little girl too!"
"Yeah, pretty wild, huh?!" said Konoka, revealing her blood-stained teeth as she grinned from ear to ear. "Seems like I'm gonna die anyway, so if I'm goin' to hell, I might as well take you with me! When you get down to it, all I'm really doin' is takin' your advice and 'goin' all out!"
"Sorry things had to turn out this way," added Chad.
Emi grew pale. "You two are serious, aren't you?! Hold on a second! D-Don't you think you're going a little too far here?! We can...uh...t-talk things out, yeah!"
Fidgeting all around, she knew she needed to get as far away from them as humanely possible. Konoka wasn't going to let that happen though, not as long as she drew breath. She kept a vice grip-like hold on the Shinigami.
"What's this? You of all people are sayin' crap like that? I thought you liked this kinda stuff, Emi Otomi! I thought you liked gettin' your hands dirty! If we're really goin' all out, then it makes sense that one or even both of us would bite the big one!"
"Maybe you've just been pretending to love fighting so much," said Chad. "If you're going to go around saying such things, you'd best be prepared for the consequences."
His next attack neared completion, spelling trouble for Emi.
"...This is the end," he stated.
"Well, I'm sure it won't hurt that much!" added Konoka for good measure. "On the other hand, I'm really hopin' it does!"
"I-I swear, I don't know how, but I'm gonna make you two pay for this!" said Emi, clenching her teeth fiercely enough to do harm. "Even if you get rid of me, you…!""
She, Chad, and Konoka were distracted thanks to an approaching stampede of Shinigami. On further inspection, well over one hundred members of the Eleventh Division could be counted among their ranks, making the three gasp in unison.
"Enough with this waiting and watching bullshit!" one of them hollered.
Another declared, "Yeah! Even if she's the Green-Haired Devil, we can't let that chick take all the glory!"
"W-What the hell is goin' on?!" inquired Konoka. "W-Where'd these freaks come from?!"
"T-They've been here the entire time, Mitsumi," replied Chad.
"They have? Shit, how come you didn't say anything?!"
Chad chose not to dignify that with a response. He instead began fending off the Shinigami.
Konoka said, "H-Hold on a sec, Sado! We still have to…!"
"Dammit! I told them to stay outta this! As much as the idea of being saved by those idiots really ticks me off, I guess beggars can't be choosers!" said Emi. "Sorry, little girl, but I'm not quite ready to die!"
Emi used the chaos to her advantage when she rammed the back of her skull into Konoka. The Red-Haired Beast had no choice but to release her.
"Agh! Y-You bitch!" cried Konoka, grasping her now broken nose. "Y-You'll pay for that!"
"Oh man! That was close! I saw my whole life flash before my eyes!" Emi heart was racing, so much so that she feared it would pop out of her chest. "Looks like someone up there likes me! They've let me live to fight another day! On the other hand, I don't think the same could be said about you, Red-Haired Beast."
"...Shut up." Konoka grunted and dropped to one knee yet refused to let herself fall down again. "You talk too much."
Emi cupped her hand over her ear. "I'm sorry. Did you say something? I couldn't hear you clearly just now!"
"Shut...up! You talk too goddamn much, you skank! Am I gonna have to cut those fat lips of yours off in order to get some peace and quiet?!"
"Hey! M-My lips aren't fat! My boobs might be big, but my lips certainly aren't…!"
Konoka's violently quivering hands reclaimed the broken halves of her Fullbring, settling a curious Emi down.
"And just what do you intend to do with that when it's in that state?"
"...You're wrong if you think this weapon is useless, lady. Then again, an idiot like you is probably wrong about a lot of things! Listen, this isn't any ordinary staff I'm using! This is my Fullbring, the power given to be by my mother! That's why it's called Maternal Gift! That's why there's no when in hell an idiot like you would be able to defeat it!"
Through sheer willpower, Konoka stood. She then slammed the two ends of her golden glaive together, reforming it into a single weapon.
"Alright, bitch! If I'm gonna die, I'm goin' out swingin'! Let's do this!"
Emi, stunned beyond belief, remarked, "H-How…?! How can you keep getting up?! How...how in the world could you still want to fight after everything I've thrown at you?! Are you some sort of monster?! No! You're a beast, a devil! You...might be even more of one than me!"
"...You're goddamn right I am." The Red-Haired Beast blew a bang obscuring her already fading vision to the side before sluggishly heading for Emi. She would likely keel over at a moment's notice, yet this fact hardly deterred her. "...I really don't wanna use somethin' that idiot Ginjou taught me, but it looks like it's all I got left."
"Eh? W-What are you going on about now?"
Rather than clarifying, Konoka opted to let her actions do the talking. She took a deep breath and another step forward. Green light flickered around her feet before she launched herself at Emi like a bullet out of a gun. Taken totally by surprise, Emi composed herself and prepared to fend off whatever Konoka had in store. However, the Red-Haired Beast gave her another shock by trampolining off thin air and redirecting herself. Again, green illumination encompassed her legs.
"W-What the heck is that light?! That's not Flash Step!" said Emi.
"No, it's Bringer Light," said Konoka, now behind her foe. "Don't think I'm gonna bother explainin' any more about it. I hardly get it myself to be perfectly honest."
With a third use of Bringer Light, Konoka avoided a desperate stab from Emi's spear and rocketed herself into the Shinigami, knocking them both over. Before Emi could act, she gulped and became as rigid as a statue thanks to the golden glaive trained on her throat.
"You lose, Emi Otomi," Konoka wearily said. "It's over."
Emi blinked a few times and convinced herself she was experiencing some sort of delusion. Many had tried their hand, yet no one had ever bested her before. She was the Green-Haired Devil, one of the strongest members in the all-powerful Eleventh Division. Losing to inferior opponents, especially Ryoka, shouldn't have been possible. All the same, she felt it hard pressed to argue with reality. Her pride might have been smashed to bits, but even she had to acknowledge this human's strength.
She cracked a smile and said, "...Yeah, looks like you finally got me! I guess that makes a beast superior to a devil!"
"That's right! And don't you forget it! Next time, I'll…!"
Konoka, unable to stave off sleep any longer, collapsed on top of Emi out of the blue. The Green-Haired Devil apprehensively checked to see if she were only playing possum once more.
"N-No. She's down for the count for real this time..."
Chad came to a similar conclusion, though he also worried his friend would never awake again due to the extent of her injuries. He hurried past the groaning bodies of the Shinigami he dispatched and to Konoka's side.
"...She's alright," he softly stated.
"Yeah, she'll live. A girl like her wouldn't die from losing a few liters of blood. Well, probably," said Emi. With some effort, she hoisted the snoozing Red-Haired Beast up and into Chad's arms. "I really don't like this losing thing, but I guess I shouldn't be a sore one. I can respect people with strength like this little girl here."
She eyed Konoka's emerald necklace and handed that over too.
"I haven't had that much fun in a while. We should do this again sometime!"
The idea didn't interest Chad too much though he kept this to himself. "...Does that mean you're done trying to kill us for the time being?"
"Do I have much of a choice? You're a lot less banged up than me, big guy. If I try anything funny, you'll likely do me in. On top of that, there really isn't any point in killing you two. If I did that, I wouldn't get the chance to fight that beast over there again!"
Chad still didn't get her logic. He was at least grateful he wouldn't have to fight anymore. His joints were aching him, but as he peered down at Konoka, he supposed he didn't have much to gripe over compared to her.
"Right. While I can't say for sure, I'm guessing you two are here for the prisoners locked up in the Repentance Tower. The whole Seireitei's gone to hell since they were put in there. Anyway, if you follow this road here, you'll reach it eventually. You'll have to go through the Eighth Division's headquarters to do it, so stay alert," explained Emi.
"Why are you helping us all of a sudden? Even if you lost, you don't have to start sharing information."
"Do you always complain this much when someone's giving you tips, big guy? If you must know, it's because I'm kinda curious to see how far you and your friends get! You'll probably die in the end, but things will at least be entertaining until you do!"
"Uh...t-thanks. I guess."
"Get a move on already! More Shinigami are bound to come here after hearing all that commotion. You should find that little girl some medical attention while you're at it. Maybe one of those wimps in the Fourth Division could help you out. Oh, wait. You're Ryoka. Probably not then."
"I'll see what I can do. Thanks again."
Chad left with a nod. Once Emi determined the coast was clear, she cried out in anguish and toppled like a house of bricks.
"Ow! Everything hu-uuuuuu-urts!" she whined. "Ugh! I'm pretty sure I'm the one that's gonna die if I don't get to a hospital! That beast sure did a number on me! I haven't hurt like this since Captain Zaraki punished me for disturbing his nap a while back."
Sheathing her Zanpakutou, she raised it up to the sun and made a sour face.
"How could you lose, Itomakiei? Guess I'll just have to cut up more people and make you the strongest sword in all of Soul Society! I'd like to see that little girl beat you then!"
END