Chapter 20 – Mourning
Terri's eyes welled up. "Come on Hiroshi, wake up!" she pleaded, desperately. "You can wake up, right?" She waited for something – a faint ray of hope – but Hiroshi's face remained dead and cold.
Terri stopped crying and stared into his blank glassy eyes. A minute went past, then she finally broke down, burying her head in his chest, his blood covering her silver hair and matting it up.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Kiyomi looking over her, sympathetically. Terri looked up at her, but turned back to Hiroshi's lifeless form, squeezing it tighter. Kiyomi knelt down beside her, sorrow on her face.
"I know that you feel pain, Terri, but he was felled in battle, where some people say is the most honourable place for a warrior to fall," she said, slowly and tentatively. Terri loosened her grip on Hiroshi, looking into Kiyomi's eyes, when suddenly rain started to fall. She quickly looked up, seeing that dark clouds had gathered over the area quite swiftly.
Terri lowered her head, her hair overshadowing her eyes. "I... I can't believe..." she mumbled. "He's... gone... forever..." she added, welling up again. Kiyomi put her arm around her shoulder, pulling Terri closer.
"I don't think he'd want you to be sad, Terri," Kiyomi answered, solemnly. "I think he'd want you to use this as motivation to get better – to live a fuller life." Terri nodded half-heartedly, before breaking down yet again. This was Kiyomi's cue to stand up and leave, quietly.
Raven had his bankai released, and the darkness clouded over on the sky, bringing pitch-black clouds rushing over the area. "So, Kenji, how do you want to die?" Raven taunted, smiling darkly. "Do you want to be deleted from existence by me, or be ripped to shreds by Byakuya's bankai?"
Kenji snarled, glaring at him. "Stop joking around, Ruhodesu," he spat. Raven merely sighed confidently. "I'm not joking around, Kenji," he said, "this is your end, and I'm being gracious enough to allow you a choice of death."
Byakuya stepped forward, holding out his sword. "Make your foolish choice quickly, or I will have no other option, Kenji," he said, flatly. "Raven's disturbing game can only test my patience for a while, you should know."
Raven's face fell. "Screw this, Kenji," he said, darkly, "if you don't want to choose, I'm sending you to Hell, no questions asked, all expenses paid." Kenji looked up into his cold, piercing stare. "So, get ready, because you're going for eternal torment."
Kenji smirked. "That may be true, Ruhodesu," he commented, "but you'll have to slay me to do that!" He quickly stood up and ran at Raven, slashing his sword. Raven was surprised, and took the slice, his chest erupting with blood. He fell back into Crystal's arms, and Byakuya took this chance to attack.
His sword dispersed into the petal-like blades and rushed at Kenji, who smirked and pointed his sword forward. "Shriek, Utsuroshikyo!" he yelled, the large hollow appearing in front of him, blocking the attack.
Byakuya stood back in surprise, and so Kenji forced the hollow forward, it slashing at Byakuya's arm. Byakuya rolled out of the way in time, but was then hit by the hollow's cero, knocking him to the floor.
"Brother!" Rukia screamed, then taking hold of her sword and glaring at Kenji. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" she yelled, spinning her sword, the blade bleaching white and a long ribbon flowing from the pommel. She rushed forward, then stopped on her heel when the hollow was close enough. "Some no mai, Tsukishiro!" she yelled, a large circle of ice appearing under the hollow. It screamed as the ice rose up, freezing it on the spot. Rukia smiled, swiping her sword and angling it at the hollow's torso.
With one slash, the hollow shattered into frozen pieces, clashing against the ground and leaving Kenji wide open for attack. "Oh what will I do?" Kenji asked, sarcastically. "My only line of defence is gone!"
He gestured, and the tiny pieces of 'hollow-cicle' floated up to reform, the hollow slowly piecing itself back together again. Kenji smiled even wider, raising his sword again. "Oscuropira!" he yelled, the blade erupting into black flames. He flash-stepped forward, being met in a sword clash by Crystal, who had appeared in front of Rukia to take the hit.
"Sorry Kenji, but you're not touching her," she said, smirking. She broke the deadlock and jumped back, releasing her sword. "Bankai, Shirohane Youshatenshi!" Her sword spilt into the twin axes, her white angelic wings sprouting from her back. Her blades shone brightly, blinding Kenji temporarily.
She flash-stepped forward, and in the blink of an eye appeared behind Kenji and slashed at his back. He fell forward onto his knees, but his hollow came to his rescue. It fired a cero at Crystal, so she had to dodge and move away.
However, because of that, her attention turned to the hollow in front of her, and she smirked. "Shiro Taiyou Kiyome!" she yelled, slashing her axes diagonally, forming a cross-shaped beam, which erupted on contact with the hollow. The hollow screamed horrendously, and started to dissolve into grains of light.
Crystal smiled triumphantly. "My power destroys those created by sorrow and anger, so your hollow is useless against me, Kenji!" Kenji, however, laughed in reply. "I truly am sorry Kyoraku, but your abilities are useless, for as long as I stand, my hollow stands!"
As if to solidify his statement, the small grains of light condensed back together, forming the whole hollow yet again, it roaring and then laughing darkly. Crystal was stunned, and retreated back to allow Renji a turn.
"Bankai, Hihio Zabimaru!" he yelled, his bankai forming, the large skeletal snake roaring in answer. "Attack, Zabimaru!" he roared, Hihio Zabimaru rushing forward, knocking the hollow back a few yards. The hollow quickly counterattacked, grabbing hold of Hihio Zabimaru's neck and slamming it down to the ground.
Renji smiled, however. "Higa Zekko!" he roared, the pieces of Hihio Zabimaru's body separating and hovering in midair. They sharpened and flew at the hollow, cutting into its flesh and ripping it to pieces.
Kenji yet again gestured for the hollow to reform, but was interrupted by Raven, slamming his scythe into Kenji's abdomen. He slowly took the scythe blade out and stood tall as Kenji fell to his knees.
"Gracia..." Kenji whispered, a white aura surrounding him and healing the wound. Raven looked at him and growled. He jumped back and released a kido blade, which Kenji dodged tactfully. He then fired one after another, hoping to hit him. Kenji dodged every one and appeared behind him, though, and slashed at his back, his blade erupting into flames as it did, which burned into Raven's flesh.
Raven screamed in pain and fell to the ground in a heap. Crystal was broken from her fixation with the hollow and rushed over to his side, before eyeing Kenji darkly. She flash-stepped up to meet him and again got caught in a deadlock with him. "You dare strike down Raven?" she asked, malice visible in her stare, "Then you will be struck down also, but the difference is that you won't get up!"
She broke the deadlock and crossed her axes. "Shiro Taiyou Kiyome!" she yelled, the beam forming from her blade slash. Kenji dodged and stabbed down with his sword, the blade erupting into black flames and charring Crystal's abdomen, sending her down to the ground next to Raven, where she passed out.
Matthew continued laughing as he stepped through the garganta and into the throne room, to be met by Kaede, Rei, Ryo and a happy Maya, who was hanging from a protruding rock from the ceiling.
Ryo stepped forward and knelt down, bowing. "I am sorry to announce, my lord, that Sakura Okui, 4th Knight of the Fearful Four, has fallen in battle," he said, solemnly. Matthew's face fell, but then he gained confidence and brought Ryo over to the side for a discussion.
"Still, we are going through with the plan, alright?" he whispered, Ryo nodding knowingly. "We shall strike as soon as he re-enters Hueco Mundo, if he ever does," Ryo reiterated.
"What're you boys talking about?" Rei asked, curious, walking up to them. Matthew swiftly dismissed the topic and smiled at her. "Oh, nothing Rei," he answered, smoothly, "Nothing at all."
"Well, if you're sure..." Rei answered, trailing off. She returned to her sister's side, and returned to the conversation she was having with her. Matthew sighed silently, then glanced at Ryo, who had turned away and was staring out of a window in the rock wall, into the black sky.
Maya dropped from her position and ran up to him, hugging around his legs when she reached him. "Yay, Mat came back too!" she yelled in joy. "Maya was wondering when everyone would get back, then Kay and Rei came, then Ryo came and Maya was worried that Mat or Saka or Ken wouldn't come back, but Mat did!" She then released her grip and looked up into his eyes.
"Where's Saka, Mat?" she asked, worry quite visible in her eyes. Matthew struggled with what to say. 'Damn, I always forget that she's just a kid at heart' he thought. 'I don't think she can take another loss...'
He sighed. "Sakura isn't coming back, Maya," he said, slowly, dreading her reaction. Maya looked into his eyes, not willing to believe what he had said. She finally turned and ran out of the door to the throne room, audible sobs heard through her footsteps.
"So, Sakura's dead?" Kaede asked, also visibly upset. Matthew nodded, and Kaede clamped her hand over her mouth. Rei patted her on her back. "Don't worry sis," she reassured her, "when we fight again, it'll be in memory of those who we have lost, and for our revenge."
Kaede turned to her and nodded, smiling. "Thanks Rei, you can always cheer me up," she replied, hugging her sister tight. Ryo was snapped out of his gaze suddenly and turned to everyone else, smirking.
"It feels like Master Ito is in trouble..." he said, amused. "Wouldn't it be unfortunate if he didn't even come back?" Matthew, Kaede and Rei looked at him, slightly spooked by his last comment.
'As much as I hate to admit it,' Matthew thought to himself, 'Ryo may just be even stronger than I am, because he's definitely more confident and more psychotic than I am, hands down...'
Kiyomi and Terri stepped slowly into Squad 1 HQ, Hiroshi slumped in Kiyomi's arms. Terri was still crying, although most of the water on her face was more likely rain than her tears, which had long since dried up.
Kiyomi looked to Chojiro, who had entered through the back room after he heard the door, who understood completely, leaving to find a mattress for Hiroshi's body. In the meantime, Kiyomi walked over to her seat and lay Hiroshi down in it, his body limp against the arms.
She then walked over to the door through which Chojiro had just entered, leaving Terri alone with her best friends' lifeless form. She stepped over to him and took his hand in hers. She grasped it hard, then knelt down to his side.
"You can't be gone, Hiroshi, you just can't," she whispered, desperately. "I've known you ever since I started in the academy, you're my only friend. I don't even know if I'll be able to go on without you..."
She raised her head and brought it to the side of Hiroshi's. "But if you were fated to go now, then I have no say in it, do I?" she asked, to no-one in particular. "But, that arrancar... he said it was my fault. You were distracted because of me..."
She was broken from focus by a compassionate voice emanating from the doorway in the back. "I'm sure it wasn't your fault, Terri," Kiyomi said, reassuring her. "That arrancar is vile scum, and the mere fact he still walks today is an insult to this world. Anything he has said to you is a lie, and anything he has done is a disgrace, which includes what he did today. You are not to blame for this, it is that arrancar that should be blamed and destroyed."
Terri turned to her, a small spark in her eyes. "You... you really don't blame me?" she asked, welling up again. Kiyomi shook her head. "And I'm sure Hiroshi doesn't either," she replied. "I'm sure that Hiroshi was happy that when he died, he had you by his side. Don't let his final memory be associated with your sorrow, let it be associated with your care and friendship for each other." She stepped forward and gripped Terri's shoulder, giving her comfort.
"The reason why I chose both Hiroshi and you as my students was twofold: because you both had unnaturally high spiritual energy for soul reapers your age, and because you had something together; a chemistry, you could say, that helped you to overcome stronger opponents together. I witnessed this myself when you stood up to Kenji, and Hiroshi ran in to take a hit for you. Only someone with a pure soul could do such a thing for another, and that is what I saw in both of you."
Terri leaned forward and kissed Hiroshi lightly on his cheek. "Rest well Hiroshi," she whispered. "You deserve it, for standing up for me." She stood up and turned to Kiyomi, a look of confidence on her face.
"You're right, Head-Captain Seiryoku," she said, "and I will do all I can, for Hiroshi's sake." Kiyomi nodded, then smiled. "But first I think you need some rest, alright?" she asked. Terri took a glance at Hiroshi, then nodded back. "Yeah, thanks..." Kiyomi led her to her room, in Squad 1 HQ, and then closed the door.
Kiyomi sighed and leaned on Terri's room's door. "Such a loss..." she whispered. "I am amazed that she has enough strength to walk, as I'd have thought it would have been lost with hopelessness." She turned to the window, showing a clear view of the academy ruins, and she gasped.
"Not now... please not now..." she pleaded, leaving the building quickly and flash-stepping down to the ruins.
Renji dodged another slash from the hollow, Hihio Zabimaru tackling it to the ground in retaliation. The hollow stood up swiftly and slashed Hihio Zabimaru away, causing it to screech in disagreement. It fell back, Renji smirking. "Hikotsu Taiho!" he yelled, a large spiritual energy beam erupting from Hihio Zabimaru's jaw and hitting the hollow squarely in its chest, forcing it to the ground.
Rukia clashed swords with Kenji again, clearly overpowered. She strained against his force, until she broke the deadlock and retreated back to a safe distance. "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" she yelled, slicing her sword upwards, a wave of ice radiating from it and heading towards Kenji.
Kenji smirked and raised his sword to block. "Oscuropira!" he yelled, the jet-black flames erupting and melting the ice, stopping Rukia's attack in its tracks. "Negrozanja!" he continued, his hand reaching out, a black claw of energy shooting out and clutching Rukia by her throat.
He picked her up and laughed darkly. "Poor Kuchiki, you work so hard to get to where you are, and when you finally get there, you realise you're not that strong, are you?" he taunted. "There's no brother to bail you out now, and Abarai is busy with my hollow, so what are you going to do?" he asked, his clutch tightening.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Kenji," a voice echoed, followed by hundreds of petal-like blades ripping through Kenji's arm, removing the surface flesh. He quickly dropped Rukia, who fell to the ground, coughing harshly.
Byakuya appeared in front of her, shielding her. "Are you alright?" he asked, glancing behind him. She looked up and nodded weakly, smiling. Byakuya turned back to Kenji and glared. "I'll show you what it means to mess with one of seireitei's finest soul reapers," he commanded, reforming his sword and turning it upside-down.
He dropped it and it melded into the ground, rippling as it did. "Bankai," he said, softly, two rows of swords rising on either side of him, "Scatter, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi." The blades disintegrated into tiny petals which flew away on the breeze. He closed his eyes, and the blades flew at Kenji, surrounding him in their aura.
Kenji swiped desperately around him, but the petals seemed unharmed, then suddenly they closed in, ripping through his flesh from every angle, his blood staining the ground beneath him. They finally dispersed, surrounding Byakuya again, and Kenji fell to his knees once more.
"Reflexión," Kenji whispered, smirking. A silver aura surrounded both Byakuya and Kenji, noticeably doing Kenji better than Byakuya. Byakuya fell to his knees, coughing up blood, whilst Kenji stood up slowly, stretching out, healthy.
"A nice ability, right?" he taunted. "It reflects all the damage done to me to my opponent and negates all of my injuries, so I'm what I was before you attacked." Byakuya flinched as he tried to move, and Kenji laughed at this.
"Come off it, you don't think you can win, do you?" he taunted, kicking Byakuya in the gut, again knocking him to the ground. "You're now as weak as those two 'captains' over there." He motioned over to where Raven and Crystal lay, but now saw that only Crystal lay there.
He snapped into focus and looked around, awaiting an attack. "Didn't sense me, huh?" Raven's voice echoed. "That's an ability of mine I can access in shikai or bankai, known as completely hiding my spiritual pressure."
Kenji growled and slashed around everywhere, sending black flames streaking across the sky. He stopped for breath, when a kido blade shot out of nowhere, knocking him to the ground, angering him.
"Come out, Ruhodesu!" he yelled, irked. "Stop hiding!" Raven did as he wanted, appearing behind him and slashing into Kenji's back, making him stagger forward before turning to face him. Raven then raised his scythe, showing the kunai hidden in the staff. He span his scythe around his body and head, kunai firing from it and hovering in an array around him.
He then sliced around the same array, firing his kido blades. "Kurotsuki Shinkuuyaiba!" he yelled, the kido taking the kunai with it, firing them at high speed at Kenji, who barely dodged most of them, a line of three hitting him down his right leg. He yelled in pain, stopping and holding his leg. "What are these?!" he yelled, angered.
"Oh, just the keys to your deletion," Raven answered back. "You see, the feathers attached to them hold my spiritual energy, and when five are embedded in you, they make a spiritual energy focus-point, which deletes you from existence."
"Interesting," Kenji mused. "Maybe I'll swipe that ability for myself." He then turned to motion to his hollow, but saw it flying over to him, thrust by Hihio Zabimaru. It landed next to him, groaning in pain. Before he could help it up, a thorny whip wrapped itself around his arm, and he yelled in pain also.
Kiyomi walked up from behind him, glaring at him. "There has been too much damage here today, Kenji," she yelled, obviously not pleased. "Leave now, and no harm will come to you."
"Not likely, Kiyomi," Kenji replied, smirking. "I want revenge, and I will get it no matter what!" Kiyomi growled, angered. "That is exactly the same manner of belief that has led to such disgraceful crimes as what has befallen us today!" she exploded. "Leave now, or I will most certainly kill you."
Kenji didn't budge; he merely smirked and raised his sword to her. Kiyomi nodded over to Raven, who understood immediately. His eyes went white, and he raised both of his hands, a large gate rising from the ground slowly.
It was decorated with two skeletons, their arms each holding a respective door closed. The iron doors slowly creaked open upon Raven's command, and Kenji was utterly astonished. The pull of Hell started to act upon him, and he couldn't escape it. He inched towards them bit by bit, clawing onto the ground in desperation.
Kiyomi glared at him as he went, until the hollow moved of its own accord. She was surprised as it rose up and ran at the gates, punching them directly on the top arch of the frame. Raven shook slightly, the pain flowing through him from the hit. He collapsed, and the gates started to waver, the hollow waiting for an opening.
When the gates wobbled slightly, the hollow pounded onto them, Kenji watching in amazement. The hollow tore through the tough iron, reducing the gates to rubble. Kiyomi was horrified. "But with the frame and doors gone..." she started.
"...Everything is released..." Raven finished for her, struggling to get up. The light emanating from the prior gates was now free, and was circling above the hollow, who looked like it was waiting for it.
The light slowly descended, the hollow absorbing it and its aura shining bright. Kenji smiled, surprised, as the pull of Hell released him. He stepped towards his hollow and looked up to it in amazement. He suddenly felt a pulse of energy flow through him, and he fell to his knees, elated.
"This power..." he whispered, a wide smile on his face. He looked up at his hollow, who looked back, smile on its mask. "You did this to get us stronger?" he asked it. "You're much smarter than I give you credit for, thank you."
He then turned to Kiyomi, who was still in shock. "Actually, Kiyomi," he said, his voice noticeably distorted and deeper. "I think I will leave now. I'm done here, you can have this place for a while... I'd say about 2 months."
He opened a garganta, laughing. "I'm giving you 2 months, because I'm generous," he said, his hollow stepping through first. "Then I'm coming back, and we will destroy both you and your Soul Society!" He laughed darkly as he stepped through the garganta, it disappearing behind him.
Kiyomi stood, wide-eyed. "This is not what I expected..." she muttered. "This is not good at all..."
And it seems that Kenji has slipped through the Gotei 13's fingers once more, only now he's more powerful than ever. But with captains injured and the seireitei's confidence in pieces, will they be able to fight back?
Next chapter: We'll have to wait and see, however, as next chapter Kenji returns to Hueco Mundo, triumphant, only to be welcomed by Matthew and Ryo in the most hostile of greetings. Check it out, next week, in 'Keep Your Enemies Closer'.