Thanks to my beta reader - peanutbutterthedog
disclaimer: I own nothing. Kubo Tite made bleach. This story ignores everything that happens and is explained in the Fullbringers arc and forward with Ichigo miraculously getting his powers back (who cares he's not even in this story!). Hope things won't get too confusing .
Check out my DeviantArt (VoidInYourSoul) to see how my original characters look like.
Chapter 37 – A demon called Hiro
Who was he? He wasn't sure anymore.
Where was he heading? His legs just carried him around aimlessly.
Did he want something? There had to be something that kept his body moving.
Things around him no longer had any meaning. The dirty streets were nothing more than a surface for his legs to tread on. The buildings were just blocks of material used to limit the road of his endless wandering. The people were just a part of the scenery, moving along their fixed paths, coming in and out of his road with no meaning or purpose.
Was he like them? Maybe they were all stuck in aimless wandering and to them he was also part of the road. Just a nameless figure in the background...
No! He had a name, of course he did. He was someone and he wanted something. He needed something.
But who was he? Could he be someone if there was no one to acknowledge him as a fellow living person?
Niiro Ashura. Yes, that's what he was. Everyone knew about him so he must be real. A demon... A very hungry demon...
But he had a name, a real name. He was thinking right now, confused and unsure, but thinking without a doubt. If he was thinking than he must be a someone. And if he was a someone he must have had a name just like any other someone.
"...hear that the sokyoku has been demolished?"
Demon...
That's what he was, that's how people called him. That wasn't who he was.
Who was he? What was his name...
... that was his name.
No. It's just another nickname. Another mask. Another camouflage.
"...Otori rascal again..."
Otori? What was that? Yet another meaningless name?
"Are you serious? Why's nobody doing anything about that moron? Anyone else causing that much troubles would have been a goner long ago."
Troubles... Serious troubles. He will be in serious troubles if he doesn't do anything soon.
The chatting shinigami passed by him and he stopped. Suddenly he was him again. Suddenly he was in the rukongai again and knew where he had to go. Suddenly he realized that the streets were teeming with shinigami... The world seemed so vividly real to his senses, like a direct sunlight in his eyes or a grinding screech that split his ears.
Easy meals... He shivered in excitement and flexed his fingers. No! He mustn't draw attention to himself.
"Ken-chan, I'm hungry!" someone shrieked.
"I'm looking for something! Pipe down!" someone else growled.
Coming out of one of the side streets was a spiky-haired giant, even taller than him, with a tiny pink-haired girl hanging on his shoulder.
The giant was already across the street when he saw the number on the white haori.
'The Kenpachi...' he thought, his mind freezing again.
Just then, as if feeling the gaze on his back, the shinigami stopped and looked back over his shoulder. His eyes fixed directly at him.
Luckily, a group a people just moved between them and he hurried to disappear among them. He slipped into an alley and kept walking normally, despite his quickened heartbeats.
How could this be? Did the man feel his reiatsu, which soared wildly the moment his eyes laid on the number that identified him as the Kenpachi, a name given to the strongest shinigami?
Impossible. His reiatsu couldn't be sensed by anyone or anything. Except that machine those shinigami had... But even if it did somehow became noticeable for a moment, every person in the street would drop to the ground from the pressure...
Could the Kenpachi sense his blood lust? He was far from up to date with the current happenings in the seireitei or the gotei 13 but tales of the current Kenpachi reached even his ears. Supposedly, he was the most violent and blood-thirsty shinigami to ever exist in soul society. But what did they know?
"Yo.".
So lost in thoughts, he didn't notice someone was blocking his path. Someone who's wide shoulders were at the same height as his eyes.
He didn't move, forcing his breathing to slow down. He was wearing his sunglasses so with some luck he could escape without a fight. But did he want to escape without a fight...
"Hey buddy. We're looking for the Ashura. Think you can help us out?" the Kenpachi said in a gruff voice.
"Forgive me, Kenpachi-dono, I do not see how I could be of any assistance." he said, taking a step back and bowing his head.
"Oh really?" the Kenpachi growled. "I noticed you have a sword there.".
"This? It is just a counterfeit, merely to ward off common thugs. I could scarcely hold it properly." he said lightly.
Something landed on his shoulder as the Kenpachi frowned in disappointment. Something small and giggling. Something with pink hair.
"Oh come on, Ken-chan! There's no way this skinny snob is the Ashura! Let's go I'm hungry!" the little girl squawked, whacking him on the back of his head. "Oops...".
One strong whack made the sunglasses slip off. He watched as if in slow motion how they fell to the ground and smashed to pieces.
"Look what you did Ya-" the Kenpachi snarled but suddenly stopped, his eyes staring at the red ones that were still fixed on the ground.
This was not happening. How could it? These were the last sunglasses he had. His only way to hide his, occasionally glowing, red eyes. He could hardly go to a shop and buy some, even if he did find a shop that sold such luxuries in this parts of the rukongai. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure exactly where he was...
"Well hello there, Ashura-dono, let me tell you how you could be of assistance." the Kenpachi said in a low whisper as the hooting girl jumped back on his shoulder.
He snapped out of his shock an instant before the blade reached his head. Bending backward under the sword, his hands found the ground and he kicked with both legs while leaning on his hands. He hit and the Kenpachi backed away, rubbing his chin.
Struggling against the feral urge to stay and fight, he turned and escaped the alley, running as fast as he could.
'Dammit dammit dammit dammit!' he thought desperately as the sound of a collapsing building echoed behind him. 'Oh Kenpachi, how I would love to fight you any other day!'.
People started staring, not only at him but at the destroyed building. They started to panic and cower away when a dense pressure filled the air. As the crowd started to run in all directions he found himself savoring their fear and distress, but also the delicious murderous intent which hovered around him.
Some shinigami ran in the opposite direction of everyone else, toward the captain, but no one noticed him. He heard the Kenpachi chasing after him, felt him following in his steps even tho he wasn't nearly as fast as he was.
He could escape, he could disappear with the crowd. He could turn around right now and fight that wild beast that was chasing him. He grinned and licked his lips as he considered this option.
No! He must hide, he had to keep moving, he had to find the brat. Fighting the Kenpachi will not benefit him in any way...
Yes it will. It will sate the demon for a long time...
Growling in frustration, he pushed his way thru the crowd into one of the houses. The Kenpachi could sense his murderous intent, obviously drawn to it by his own...
The building collapsed around him just when he finished stuffing all of the cloths into his small bag and threw it to the corner of the room, removing the band that tied his hair.
"Oi oi oi! You give the word "masquerade" a whole new meaning!" the Kenpachi growled in excitement as his opponent stepped out of the rubble, wearing nothing but a red, worn-out hakama and holding a katana in his hand.
"Man at day, beast at night.
Face to face humble and polite.
Turn away, find your neck not intact.
Aren't we all like that, in fact?"
he chanted, his black hair flying wildly around his face.
"Huh what's this? Are you a fucking poet?" the Kenpachi asked in contempt. "Sorry but I'm looking for a demon.".
"Why can't I be both?" he asked with a grin, unsheathing his sword and throwing the scabbard aside.
"I don't care if you want to be a dancer as well! As long as you can fight!" the Kenpachi growled and slashed wildly at him.
He dodged the attacks easily. There was no skill nor speed behind them, just brute force. Deflecting one of the strikes with his sword, he grabbed the Kenpachi's hand and jumped over it, lending a spinning back kick on his face. Staggering back a little, the Kenpachi attacked again with an upward slash. Side stepping, he moved in and punched the Kenpachi in the stomach, pushing him backward.
Laughing, roaring and spitting blood the Kenpachi got up and charged yet again. Momentarily stunned by the man's ferocity, he didn't have time to dodge so he had to block with his sword. They exchanged a few blows, hacking and slashing like wild beasts. His whole body shook with every strike, drenched with excitement and anticipation. Every time their blades collided he felt life blowing back into his body and mind.
"What is your name, Kenpachi? I wish to know the name of the person who brought me back to life." he said with a grin.
"I'm Zaraki Kenpachi." the Kenpachi said, also grinning. "Do you have a name, demon? Or shall I just keep calling you Ashura?".
Zaraki slashed at the demon who backed away and kept a distance.
"It's funny that you ask. I was just wondering that myself before I saw you." he said, holding his sword horizontally infront of him. "I have many names, Zaraki Kenpachi, but none of them can tell me who I am. I'll tell you one of them, as a token of appreciation for this great fight.".
"You talk as if the battle's finished. It only just started!" Zaraki roared and charged as the demon closed his fist on the blade of his katana, just above the cross-guard.
Sliding his hand along the blade, all the way to the tip, the demon crouched as the Kenpachi reached him, ducking under his attack as the weapon in his hand changed. With one swift movement, his shoulder collided with the Kenpachi's belly and he pushed up, stabbing his blade into Zaraki's stomach, and used the man's momentum to hurl him over his shoulder and slam him down on his back. Pulling the small blade from the Kenpachi's belly, the demon straddled the man's huge chest and grabbed his head, pulling his blade-holding-hand back in preparation for the final strike.
"Hiro-chan." he said quietly. "My name is Hiro-chan.".
Pain pierced his chest as a blade stuck out from it. The Kenpachi opened his eye and grinned maniacally, swinging his sword and Hiro-chan with it aside, slamming it to the ground. Gasping, Hiro-chan pulled himself off the sword and backed away. Laughing quietly, Zaraki stood up slowly, stretching his neck and looking at his opponent.
"So, Hiro-chan. You've been walking around in those fancy pants, killing to your heart's content and whenever you felt like relaxing you put on that costume and those glasses. That's pretty neat. I have just one question. How come you don't have any spiritual power?".
"Heh. You know, most people would think that these fancy pants are the costume. You have a good eye, or maybe it's just because we are the same." Hiro-chan said, licking the bloody knife. "What makes you think I don't have any spiritual power? Just because you don't see something, does that mean it doesn't exist? If you can't feel something, is it not there?".
"Argh, enough with this bullshit." Zaraki spat. "Even the best hidden reiatsu can still be sensed. I don't feel anything from you. Only that ravenous blood-thirst.".
"If it troubles you that much, let me assure. I do have reiatsu." Hiro-chan said, standing with his legs apart and crouching slightly.
Taking a deep breath, he braced himself and let his spiritual pressure surge out. The ground beneath him sunk in immediately and around him a massive shockwave lashed out from him, destryoing everything in it's path.
He stopped there, standing in the huge crater he created before he lost control. That sense of freedom when he let his energy rage was so intoxicating that he could easily lose himself in it.
"Nice show, bastard. But I still didn't feel anything." the Kenpachi roared, swinging his sword impatiently. He was the only thing that wasn't blown away. The two man stood alone in the flattened street which looked as if a giant meteor just crashed into it. "And what's with that kitchen-knife? Don't tell me that this crap is your zanpakto!".
"This?" Hiro-chan said, looking at the small weapon in his hand. Yes, it was a rather weird weapon. Less than 30 centimeters long, the small black weapon could have been described as a knife. It had a slightly curved, serrated blade almost all the way but at the tip it was flat and razor sharp and a hollow ring was set at the bottom of the handle, like a kunai. It was as if this weapon haven't decided what it wanted to be used for, slashing, stabbing or throwing. "Yes, it is a weird little thing...".
He put his finger thru the ring and spun the weapon around. He quite enjoyed this conversation and was reluctant to finish it. It was the longest, most coherent, communication he had in a long time.
"But this is not my zanpakto." he said, catching the weapon's handle.
"What?" Zaraki asked as Hiro-chan dashed at him.
Zaraki slashed with his zanpakto but was too slow. Before he could move, Hiro-chan was beside him, stabbing his weapon above Zaraki's shoulder-blade and hitting his shoulder with a flat-palm strike, dislocating it.
"Weren't you listening to me? Your eyes don't always see things as they truly are. In fact, they rarely see things that are right infront of them." Hiro-chan said.
"Will you shut your trap already!" Zaraki snarled. "Is that how you killed Ikkaku? You bored him to death?!".
With a wild roar, the Kenpachi punched his shoulder back into place and dashed at Hiro-chan. Deflecting the attack to the side, Hiro-chan used Zaraki's knee for leverage and jumped, throwing his arms over the Kenpachi's head and wrapping them around his neck so that the Kenpachi's head was under Hiro-chan's armpit, and leaned his weight backward, pulling the giant man with him.
"Who's Ikkaku?" Hiro-chan asked, tightening his grip on the Kenpachi's neck.
"He's. My. 3rd seat!" Zaraki growled, trashing wildly in an attempt to get out of the head-lock.
"Oh, that baldy who wanted to fight alone... I don't know about boring him to death, but I did bore a few holes into him." Hiro-chan said and laughed.
His laughter stopped suddenly when a blade slashed his hip, slicing almost half-way thru. Cursing as his grip slackened for a moment, allowing Zaraki to pull himself free, Hiro-chan drew back, clutching his bleeding thigh.
"I suppose wrestling with a bear was not such a good idea. Tho mind you, I rarely stumble across a prey that can over-power me." Hiro-chan sniggered.
"Prey?" Zaraki asked, starting to laugh. "Do I look like a prey? I almost chopped your leg off!".
"What, this?" Hiro-chan said, taking his hand away from his thigh. "Just a little graze.".
The Kenpachi looked at the leg he slashed a few moments ago and was shocked to discover that it was completely unharmed. Covered in blood but unharmed.
"Oh, and remember this?" Hiro-chan asked, wiping the blood of his chest, where he was stabbed previously. "Ta-da!".
Just like the leg, his chest was without any sign of injury except the smeared blood.
"As for your question. Yes, you look like a prey. A very big, delicious meal." he continued, grinning maniacally.
"I'll show you a meal! Hahahahaha!" Zaraki roared and the battle recommenced.
"Dammit. What a monster." Renji muttered as he watched captain Zaraki and the demon fighting.
"Which one?"
"Ahh! Izuru, how long have you been here?"
"All the time...".
Renji stared at his friend as he too observed the battle and occasionally wrote something on a piece of paper. When asked what he was doing he said that he was taking notes about the Ashura.
"Notes? What for?" Renji wondered.
"We need to use this opportunity to get as much information as we can about the enemy." Kira said and then he noticed the amazed stare Renji was giving him. "You didn't fight him, Renji... I don't think someone like captain Zaraki can defeat this..."
"Hiro-chan." a voice said behind them.
They both jumped and turned around to see Kohaku standing behind them.
"That's how he calls himself. He said that he had other names as well." Kohaku said flatly, as if giving a regular report. "I've just been there up close, but it became more and more dangerous to stay so I retreated. They also talked about some costume he wears when he's walking around and he said that this weapon is not his zanpakto.".
While Kira scribbled quickly Renji frowned at Kohaku for a moment and returned his gaze to the violent battle ahead of him. The demon was much quicker than captain Zaraki and dodged almost all of his attacks, countering with destructive punches and kicks and occasionally with his knife.
"Look, as much as this bastard looks strong, this ends here. Even if captain Zaraki won't be able to finish him, we will. If this Ashura, this Hiro-chan, manages to defeat captain Zaraki, he will be exhausted so we will deliver the finishing blow." Renji said angrily.
"Didn't you listen to me? He can't be defeated by normal means. Kohaku, tell him." Kira said impatiently.
Flicking his wrist, the hidden blade popped out of Kohaku's sleeve. He explained how he pierced the demon's neck and how after a few seconds he just got up as if nothing happened. He also told Renji that every wound captain Zaraki had inflicted on him has healed in seconds.
"Are you saying that he heals himself?" Renji asked, just as the demon knocked captain Zaraki back with a crashing lariat.
"I don't think it's healing. It's more like natural regeneration, just way faster." Kohaku said glumly.
"Well that's just fantastic." Renji snorted. "So is he an arrancar or something? Because I don't see a mask...".
"I don't think so. It looks like captain Zaraki is losing..." Kira said quietly.
"Then get ready. It's our turn next." Renji said, drawing his zanpakto.
Kira looked at Renji as if he was mad and grabbed his hand.
"Are you out of your mind? Are planning to jump into this pit of monsters?" Kira asked, shaking Renji.
"I'm going to help captain Zaraki in case-"
"Renji! Listen to yourself! Do you really think you can defeat an opponent Zaraki Kenpachi couldn't?!" Kira yelled.
"He hasn't lost yet." Renji growled. "But I'm going to finish it if he does.".
~{-}~~{-}~~{-}~~{-}~~{-}~
Dum dum dum... the terrible monster demon finally shows itself! Beware the Hiro-chan!
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