Chapter 47: Dragon of the Falls
The air was thick over the Kuchiki estate, and, as the rain swept down, it was all Juushirou could do to keep his footing in the slick mud beneath his feet.
Every breath he drew into his lungs was clogged with his grandfather's reiryoku, interspersed with something unfamiliar; an acrid sensation that emanated from the pale figure which stood only a few feet from Kinnya's huddled form.
Juushirou's heart clenched in his chest, his hands gripping tightly to the hilts of the two broken sword shards as if afraid that any slight relaxation in his grasp might cause the apparition that swung and weaved above his head to turn and devour him instead. The weapons were now little more than two sharpened barbs, like lightning conductors, the rest of the shikai blades having fragmented into dust at the release of his Bankai in order to draw together the water and lightning that formed the core of the spirit dragon that now loomed above him. Although he knew this was a normal part of Sougyo no Kotowari's progression, the unfamiliar sight still made him uneasy.
He had never used this power like this before. He had trained with it, with Kinnya, but only on a couple of occasions had he managed to draw out this level of release, and then, only for a few moments, before the ferocious dragon of storm and sea which was Sougyo no Kotowari's truest and purest form splintered and exploded into a burst of light, leaving him gasping for breath on the ground. The first time, he remembered grimly, he had lost consciousness, only to wake up a week later in the tender care of the Fourth Division. This was not a good time to experiment, and yet, with Kinnya's bloody form hunched over on the river bank, he knew that it was also not a time to hold back. Taiyourei's spirit was potent and rich, its unforgiving waves of solar energy already beating down against the thick cloud cover that spread like a shield in the sky above their heads, and it was only a matter of time before his own defences, like his grandfather's, were ripped into shreds and burned in the Sun's forbidding glare.
He took a deep breath, aware that now, more than ever, he needed to control his spirit. In'you were capable, he knew that. It was he who had always been the weak link, his fragile physical state and his uncertain health holding him back and slowing down every step of his training - but right now, Kinnya's life, and also, now, his own life, rested on his ability to hang on just that moment longer. The enemy had turned his head, pale, empty eyes staring at him from across the sodden grounds of the Kuchiki estate. Juushirou had never met Senaya, but this first glimpse of his grandfather's brother was eerily familiar, his features reminding the Thirteenth Division Captain of the fallen Captain of the Sixth who lay unconscious not far from this land. Something about this realisation hardened Juushirou's resolve.
Seireitei is in danger. Now isn't the time to hesitate. I'm committed to this fight. I only hope I can pull this off. In'you, please don't let me down. I may be about to do something very stupid. I'm trusting you to make sure that I'm alive for you to scold me at the end of it.
There was no reply from the fish within his blade, but the creature that writhed above him lowered its head slightly, its pearl-flame gaze meeting his for the briefest of instants. Comforted by this acknowledgement, Juushirou uttered a quick internal prayer, glancing from one hand to the other to ensure that the spark of electricity that flared between them was still bright.
"Who are you?"
The enemy spoke now, his tones clear and carrying despite the fact he spoke out of vocal chords that had lain unusued for several years. Juushirou did not speak, knowing that if he opened his lips to do so, he would probably cough blood and choke, breaking his concentration and weakening his position. This enemy was dead, he reminded himself. There was no need for any mercy. This wasn't a person, nor an ally. It was a dead sword spirit possessing the corpse of a respectable man, and he would have to end it.
But can I end it?
Juushirou glanced at Senaya's blade, as the corpse raised its arm, the tip of the weapon glinting with light once more.
Can I get past the blade to the man beyond? Can I...
He faltered, his gaze resting on the gleaming weapon as the first fragments of an idea began to come together in his brain.
Senaya swung his sword arm determinedly towards the ground.
"If you will not answer me, I will sear you through and then kill the old man!" he exclaimed, and the atmosphere suddenly swelled with energy, as the Sun's power blazed forth once more from the weapon, searing across the grass and evaporating the water into clouds of steam. Without a moment of hesitation, Senaya swung the weapon back across in the opposite direction, and the flare of light shot out towards where Juushirou stood, the heat drying the drops of falling rain before they could even reach the ground. Without pausing to think, Juushirou swung his left arm up, as though instinctively trying to absorb the flare into the blade of his left weapon, but the broken tip glittered ominously with reiryoku at his gesture, and the spectral monstrosity that pawed the clouds above his head opened its mouth in a silent roar.
Juushirou winced inwardly as he felt his spirit power surge inside of him in response to his desire to protect himself, and the dragon's huge aquatic tail swept around in a sharp arc, the long streams of water colliding with the solar flare. Despite the fact that Senaya's weapon had scorched through the rain, the density of water in the dragon's tail was a different matter, and, as the two collided, the beam of light shattered and fragmented through the liquid into the colours of the rainbow. These bright rays lit up the clouds harmlessly for a moment before fading into the misty haze as nothing. The enemy cursed, clearly taken aback by this unexpected resistance, but Juushirou drew a ragged breath into his battered lungs, aware that he was only seconds away from losing control of his breathing completely. Although the dragon's tail had done its job, Juushirou could feel the beast's pain at the collision, and he knew that the spectre had taken damage from the directness of the hit.
Sorry, In'you. I didn't think. I'm so used to shikai...I didn't think what to do. Thank you for protecting me - I'm sorry I didn't react with more speed.
Keep your composure, Juushirou.
You's voice was impassive.
This fight isn't over. You have time to grovel later, but a few burnt tail strands will be nothing if you end up a charcoal corpse.
Right.
Juushirou gritted his teeth, steadying his reiryoku and drawing it back once more under his control. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his grandfather, slowly and painfully pulling himself out of the line of attack, and this movement, though hesitant and stiff, reassured the Thirteenth Captain that the old man was not mortally wounded by his encounter with his brother.
So I don't need to worry about him. Whatever happened between them, I got here in time. Now I have to use what I can do, because both our lives probably depend on it. This is a Royal Blade, but that's all it is. A sword. It has no shinigami driving it - and that means it doesn't understand how to fight with that body or strategise to preserve life. It only understands raw power in its blade. And I can use that. I need to. It's about all I have that I can do. This isn't a fight I'm going to win by direct combat. So I'll have to use my other strengths. I'll have to use my brain.
Glancing once more at the broken blades he held in each hand, he drew them slowly together, so that the guard of each weapon brushed against its companion. The beast in the sky responded once more, lowering its head and bringing its claws together in a clearly defensive formation. The heavy tail dropped down behind it, exposing to the gaze of the enemy the scorch marks that now rippled through the strands of water, leaving gaps in the heavy shield. At this sign of damage, Senaya let out an exclamation.
"I see. You're not as powerful as you pretend to be, are you? Your dragon is hurt, just from such a small blow. Why are shinigami so pitiful and so stupid? I was foolish to think your blade resembled Kinnya's. You're nothing but a weak imitation - and now you've lost the element of surprise. You have nothing with which to fight me. Do you really think it wise to stand and wait for me to come?"
Juushirou did not answer, and the dragon in the clouds swept the tail from side to side, before bringing it back up over its head, allowing the flowing water to fall down like a shield between Senaya and its master like the silver sheets of a waterfall. Senaya snorted, darting forward with his blade gleaming with energy once more, and, with one fell swing, he severed through the tattered strands of cascading water, sending them splashing in all directions and evaporating into a cloud of steam as he probed forward to reach Juushirou's own body.
"Juushirou!" Kinnya's hoarse voice penetrated the hazy atmosphere, but Juushirou's gaze was fixed on the glint of the blade, and at the last minute, he leapt back, bringing the broken shard of his right blade down sharply by his side. Immediately the dragon responded, its electric claws pawing the air between Senaya and his target. Claw met blade in a spark of light and energy, and Senaya cursed, taking a step back before renewing his assault. Senaya may have been long dead, but Taiyourei's spiritual energy showed little sign of running out, and Juushirou allowed the corpse to draw closer and closer, each time allowing the claw of the dragon to prevent Senaya laying the tip of his blade against Juushirou's own body. Senaya was now close enough that Juushirou could see his features clearly, and make out the form of what had once been a handsome and charismatic leader, but the dead eyes just chilled him to the bone.
Nobody should be forced to walk beyond the grave, In'you. And nobody who loved that person should be forced to see them like this. We need to put an end to it. I can't hang on much longer. He's close, now. Is it close enough? Do you think...can you do it?
Only one way to find out.
You's voice responded.
Trust us, Juushirou.
In added.
We are your spirit power. If you die here, Kinnya dies too. These are the times that you need us. Put your faith in us. We will do what we can.
Right.
Juushirou slipped into a clumsy shunpo, re-materialising some few feet to Senaya's left. The movement startled Senaya's concentration, and the corpse swung around, blade extended as he tried to gain proper aim on his foe. His movements were quick, but Juushirou knew he no longer had time to waste. With a cry of determination, he thrust his hands out before him, and immediately the creature above his head swooped down, swirling scales glittering with the flickering pulse of electric energy as the claws extended towards Senaya's body. Senaya drew back the blade, ready to parry away the monster one more time, but, instead of engaging claw on blade as he had done previously, this time the beast's huge ghostly head plunged down towards Senaya, it's immense jaws opening. In a split-second it had clamped those jaws around the glimmering metal of Senaya's blade, holding it fast. Juushirou gasped, feeling the blood and bile surging through his body as, instinctively, the dragon's contact with the other weapon drew in Senaya's spirit power, attempting to transform it into its own attack. Senaya cursed, struggling to pull the blade free, but the creature's teeth held firm.
The next moment there was an explosion of energy, so bright that for a moment Juushirou thought that he himself had exploded. The entire landscape was engulfed in a haze of spiritual energy, in which sound and vision were swallowed up. Everything around him seemed silent and white, and he could no longer discern the ground from the sky. His body was filled with an intense, ripping pain, and he felt his lungs spasm in his chest, as finally, the effort of holding back the flooding reiryoku proved too much. He choked, blood spilling from his lips, but the damp sensation of fresh blood against his skin little by little brought back his other senses, and he dragged air desperately into his lungs, wiping his sleeve across his lips to remove the blood as he tried to bring his surroundings back into some kind of focus.
He did not know how much time had passed in that moment of oblivion, but, as he brought himself back slowly to the present, he realised that he was on all fours, and that Sougyo no Kotowari lay on the ground in front of him, sealed into its sleeping form. The dragon that had ruled the sky was no longer anywhere in evidence, and the storm clouds that had covered the heavens had drifted away in shattered wisps of broken spiritual energy. The rain no longer fell, but, as Juushirou gazed cautiously around him, he saw that his gamble had somehow paid off.
Lying on the ground a few feet away was the motionless form of Senaya's corpse, his skin pale and chalky in contrast with the crimson stains left on his funeral robes by his exposure to Kinnya's blood rain. In his thin fingers, the hilt of Taiyourei was still tightly clasped, but the blade itself was broken off at the base and, as Juushirou pulled himself painfully towards the corpse, he could make out shattered fragments of silver steel against the ground. Where each piece of Taiyourei's blade had fallen, the ground was scorched and dry, and despite the previous flood, the force of the explosion had evaporated the water from the river bed and surrounds, leaving a muddy, mulchy mess. Juushirou ignored the soft and slimy feel of the earth beneath his hands and knees, pressing forward until he reached Senaya's side. Carefully, and with a trembling hand, he raised his fingers to Senaya's throat almost automatically, before realising that such a gesture was futile. As he moved to close Senaya's eyes, he realised that the corpse, which had previously seemed so impossibly alive, now seemed more of a cadaver than ever. Beneath the funerary robes, the chest and stomach had sunken in, and there was a greyish, gaunt look to Senaya's features which had not been there in the moments before. Despite himself, Juushirou pulled his hands together in a silent prayer.
He really is dead, now, isn't he, In'you?
He always was. What you killed was the sword. Swords shouldn't be able to control their masters like that. It's unnatural.
You said frankly.
Thank you, both of you.
You don't need to thank us, Juushirou.
In scolded him softly.
We're a team. We fight these things together. That sword, she'd forgotten what such a partnership means. Swords like that should not exist. You did right, coming here. Now you should rest, and let yourself recover.
"Juushirou!"
Kinnya's voice from across the grass made the Captain turn, and he offered his grandfather a rueful smile, dragging his heavy body to his feet and moving to retrieve the sealed Sougyo no Kotowari.
I guess now I have to face the music, and explain to him why I'm here, don't I?
You saved his life. He should be grateful.
You remarked.
Maybe.
Juushirou cast a glance back at Senaya, then let out a sigh.
It's thanks to Ojiisama that we even know this technique. I hope he understands why I intervened...just like he did, all those years ago, when Keitarou wanted to kill me. Sometimes not having a connection to the enemy is the best way to fight.
Grandfather was willing to shed his life in battle against his brother, though - and by coming here, I prevented it. I hope he understands why I wanted to save him - and isn't angry that I did. From the things I heard when I arrived, their relationship was much more complicated than I even knew...I hope he'll forgive me for meddling in Kuchiki matters. But then, he didn't tell me that he intended to act like that. I suppose I have to talk to him about that as well. Having Clan family is sometimes so complicated, In'you. I swear, no matter how long I live, I won't fully ever understand it.
He will understand that you came to defend him from love, just as he defended you against Keitarou. Clan or District, it doesn't matter. Your bond to him is like your bond to us. It is a connection, and you are right not to forsake it easily.
In said gently.
Now, go speak to him. I am sure he is proud of you. We are. Today you used your Bankai in battle to save a life. It may be the first time, but it probably won't be the last. Take pride in that feeling. You are now a shinigami to be reckoned with...just as your father always believed one day you would be.
Shunsui had come to District Four.
Mitsuki pushed back the sliding door that led out onto the main pathway down towards the forest, stepping out onto the stone and pulling the door shut behind her as quietly as she could. With her patient otherwise occupied, she had taken the decision to head out into the green land that surrounded the Fourth District hospital in search of herbs and other wild flowers. It was true that there was always a need to top up the reserves of dried greenery in the main medicine preparation chamber. Deep down, however, she knew that she was not just going to collect raw materials. Despite Retsu's simple explanations, she had felt a deep sense of unease when she had seen Shunsui, the wound at his brow clearly cauterised by her Captain's kidou magic. She had not forgotten the strange message that Hiyama had urged her to write, and Shunsui's appearance, coupled with the sudden interest in the mysterious frozen shinigami, told her enough to know that something much bigger was at stake than she had currently been led to believe.
But it isn't my business to ask two Captains what is going on, and it isn't as though I can talk to Hiyama-dono about it, either, not while they're here - although I'm sure he would tell me if I asked. He seems a lot more coherent now than he was at first, and if his message was a warning then clearly he knows something about whatever is going on in other parts of Seireitei. Well, I'm a healer and I'm currently relieved of my main duty. We always need herbs, so I might as well take a walk down into the woodland and see whether I can find any clues around the place Hiyama-dono was apparently found. I don't know the exact location, but if I can get to the village nearby, maybe I can ask some of the locals there. They know me, and I'm sure they'll remember. They know the forests better than I do, and maybe if I find something useful, I can use it to broach questions with my Captain without seeming like I'm interfering in something above my rank.
She pulled the strap of her herb bag further up onto her shoulder, resolve in her silver grey eyes.
I'm not here to get involved in political matters, but Hiyama-dono is my patient, and I rather like him - even if I don't understand everything he says. And Kyouraku-kun may be the Captain of the Eighth Division, but he's also my school friend and I don't want him to get hurt. If something attacked him...and Hiyama-dono's message was true...then the place he was found must be worth investigating. He must have got here somehow. The only explanation is that there's a Gate, somewhere in the vicinity - but Saionji-san said they'd all been locked down, and in any case, there's no Gate on the network in this forest. That means...something else. And...
She bit down on her lip.
Keitarou was able to open Gates. And so could someone else. I can't help but think that maybe the reason I don't know as much about what's going on as maybe I could is because someone is protecting me - someone in Inner Seireitei, maybe even Kyouraku-kun too. Because five years ago I did something that would get me into a lot of trouble, if it were to be widely known. But I really believed in him...and I want...to keep believing.
She sighed heavily, taking the turning that led down towards the village with a heavy heart.
I have to settle it for myself. I have to know what's going on - and whether I made a big error of judgement, in saving Katsura's life that day.
As she crossed the small brook, stepping over the ring of stones that marked the edge of the forest and ducking in between the broad trunks of two flourishing trees into the woodland beyond, something struck through her senses and she paused, gazing around her in alarm as she registered the faint but unmistakeable sensation of an opening Senkaimon.
But they're all on lockdown...
Without thinking about the potential danger, Mitsuki quickened her pace, hurrying through the trees in the direction of the sensation. While she knew that she was being reckless, her fears nagged away at her heart. There was no Gate in the woodland, and yet someone had opened one. The Gates were all sealed, and yet one had been opened...and...
A sprawling tree root halted her flight and she would have fallen headlong, but a hand shot out from behind one of the taller laurel trees, grabbing her by the wrist and forcibly steadying her. She took a breath, turning to thank her unexpected saviour, but as she met his solemn blue gaze, the words died in her throat, and she just stared at him, unable to make a sound. At the sight of her consternation, the other individual sighed, releasing his hold on her and leaning up against the tree trunk. He was wounded, she realised, for a bloody and torn scrap of fabric was tied around his upper arm, but in spite of that, she had not picked up either his presence or his injury until he had shown himself in front of her.
"I didn't think you'd be happy to see me," he spoke in resignation, "but you could try not to stare at me as though I'd grown a new head, Mitsuki-san."
"Katsura-kun." Mitsuki found her voice at last, struggling to take in this apparent proof of her worst fears, standing in front of her. "Then...the Senkaimon...you..."
"Yes, I opened it," Katsura looked surprised, then his eyes narrowed, and he became thoughtful. "I see. You think I'm responsible for all the trouble as well, don't you? Well, I don't suppose I can blame you. But I didn't come here to fight with you. I sensed your reiatsu, so I came to meet you. I hoped you'd at least listen, because there are some individuals and they need your help."
"My...help?" Mitsuki echoed faintly, and Katsura nodded, grasping her by the wrist once more and dragging her into an unexpected shunpo step. Disorientated, Mitsuki found herself speeding through the streams of light to an unfamiliar clearing, and as the world came into focus around her once more, she let out an exclamation, taking in with horror and dismay the sight that greeted her.
Sprawled out on the grass, in various stages of sandy dishevillment were several unconscious Gotei shinigami, each in dusty shihakushou. One of them was badly injured, and, as she took an unsteady step towards them, followed by another, she was aware of the lingering strands of the Senkaimon once more.
"I didn't hurt them," before she could say a word, Katsura spoke again, and Mitsuki gazed at him uncertainly. "You're looking at me that way again! I swear, I didn't. I came to you because you're a healer. Your job is to fix people, isn't it? Well, I thought you might fix them."
"What happened to them?" Slowly Mitsuki crouched down at the side of the most badly injured individual, reaching to his throat to check his pulse. A rough tourniquet had been drawn around his body, stemming the worst of the bleeding, and with a sense of relief she realised that no major organs had been ruined by whatever had done the damage. Although the right lung had almost certainly suffered with the force of the attack, it had not been bad enough to stifle his breathing. The damage was mostly to the ligaments of the right arm, but, although they were torn, nothing was missing, and she reached to her waist for Yuuyugo, the idea of collecting herbs forgotten as her healing instincts took precedence.
"They went into the Dangai," Katsura's lip curled slightly at the memory. "I tried to send a warning about it, but they went in anyway. I guess it didn't get to Koku in time - or he didn't tell his Captain. Anyway, they were stupid, and went in. And then he," he jabbed his foot in the direction of the most injured individual, "cornered me in the forest and made me help him go in too, so I did. I can open Gates, so I helped them. But I guess they were in there too long. He's hurt too," he added, shunting his foot towards a second, red-haired officer. "Those two weren't in there as long, but I guess the Hollows battered them about a bit, so it had the same effect. I didn't do it," he added again hastily, as Mitsuki sent him a troubled look. "I swear! I didn't. And I was going to just disappear - but I sensed your reiatsu. I thought...hoped...if anyone would come with me and listen...you would."
Mitsuki did not reply at first, murmuring instead the release command to her zanpakutou and watching as the tiny fragments of spiritual energy scattered and sank deep into the nasty gouging wound. The aura around it suggested it had been inflicted by a Hollow, but there had been no Hollow sightings in District Four in some weeks.
Which means Katsura's probably telling the truth?
She pressed her lips together.
But even if I want to believe in him...I need...to be sure.
"I came here to look for a hidden Gate, actually," she said aloud, as she guided the last of the fragments into the wound. "They're all meant to be locked, but...I couldn't shake the fact I knew someone who might be able to open them. And here you are."
"Yes..." Katsura looked troubled. "Here I am."
Mitsuki turned her attention to the other shinigami, assessing them one by one for damage. As Katsura had said, the red-haired individual had suffered a blow to the chest, with a cracked rib or two, but the injury was not serious, and, as she looked at him, she frowned.
"Kotetsu Tenichi?" she murmured, and Katsura nodded.
"You know him?" he asked. Mitsuki shrugged.
"A friend of mine does," she said evasively. "Then these are officers from the Seventh Division?"
"You didn't know that?" Katsura seemed surprised.
"I don't spend a lot of time in Inner Seireitei," Mitsuki replied evenly. "I spend time in Rukongai, and out in places like this. I'm a healer. I go where I'm needed."
"I suppose so," Katsura's expression became clouded. "I'm sorry. I promised I wouldn't ask anything of you again. I don't really have the right to do so now. Maybe it was a mistake, showing myself to you - I guess you would've found them sooner rather than later, anyway."
"Maybe," Mitsuki sat back on her heels, gazing up at him. "You're hurt too. Don't you want me to look at that arm?"
"No," Katsura touched the ragged sleeve of his robe with his good hand, then shook his head. "I don't have the right to ask you to do anything for me. I wanted you to heal them, that's all."
"I see," Mitsuki's expression softened, and she spread her hand out over Tenichi's chest, a faint glow of kidou engulfing his upper body. "Then you are trying to remember the things I said to you, five years ago?"
"I would never forget them, even if I wanted to - they're engraved into my soul, I think," Katsura sighed, reaching up his good arm into the tree bough and pulling himself up onto the lower branch of the nearest laurel tree. "I've done nothing but think about it, since that day. And I didn't intend to ever speak to you again. But...I suppose part of me also wanted to. When I sensed you...I..."
He hesitated, and Mitsuki offered him a faint smile.
"I don't really understand what's been going on in Seireitei, though I know something has," she said softly. "And if you helped these shinigami, somehow, then you must know more than I do. Is there something you want me to know, Katsura-kun?"
"I don't know," Katsura admitted. "Just, this is the place that shinigami appeared, isn't it? The one that was frozen in ice."
"I suppose so. I came to look at that for myself," Mitsuki reflected. "Why? What do you know about it - or him?"
"Nothing. I've never met him. I just heard rumours on my travels, and I knew the Gate was here, so I figured that here was where he came out," Katsura pursed his lips. "I'm telling the truth, Mitsuki-san. I did open the Senkaimon. I opened it to let them out, but I made a deal - I said I'd get them out if they let me go, and I don't intend on staying. I couldn't take them closer to Inner Seireitei. It's too dangerous for me. But I knew your hospital was near here. I thought...in Fourth...someone would help them. And I promised I wouldn't kill any more shinigami. For Koku's sake. And for yours. Because I already disappointed you once. I don't want to do so again."
He curled up against the trunk of the tree.
"I don't want to kill people," he said softly. "I never did. But I did, and I can't change it. And the last time we met, you saved my life even knowing that I'd done that - to people you cared for. In spite of that, you helped my brother. I know that where he is now, he's happy and he's no longer alone. And...I can't ever repay those debts to you. So at the very least, I didn't...want to disappoint you. I wanted you to see...that I listened to you. So I wanted you to know...I was here. And that...I wanted you to help them. Not me."
"I believed in you five years ago," Mitsuki got to her feet, cupping her hands together to form a tiny black butterfly, which spread its wings across her palm before fluttering off into the sky. "I've sent for help, but I'm sure they'll all be fine. Even this one...his injury is deep but the bleeding is stemmed now and he'll heal. Kotetsu-kun's injury has probably also made him weaker, but it's not serious enough to kill him. As for the others...they're just exhausted. Dehydrated, too. I don't suppose they've eaten in a few days...but if you were in there too..."
She eyed him speculatively.
"I can't sense anything from you," she added. "I can't sense your reiatsu or feel your pain, either. I know your arm must hurt, Katsura...and I can see from your face that you're tired, too. I am a healer, remember. My duty is to heal those who need it. If I don't help you now, who will look after you?"
"I'm fine," Katsura offered her a wry smile. "I'm used to scraping a living and my body can get by without much fuel. I also wasn't in there as long as some of them, and I don't think being around Hollows bothers me as much as it maybe does them. I was a little shaky when I came out, and I don't really know much about my spirit power, even now, but I grew up in a much more hostile environment than they did, and I guess it helps. I don't need you to heal me - it will heal on its own, this time. But there is one other thing that you can do for me...maybe for them as well."
"Which is?" Mitsuki looked startled.
"Koku's Captain. You know him, don't you?"
"Juushirou?" Mitsuki frowned. "Yes. We were at school together. Why?"
"I thought so," relief flickered in Katsura's eyes. "I remember you saying that Koku was with someone you cared about. Good. Then listen. The Gotei have stepped up searches for me in recent weeks. I've done some thinking, and I've realised that by hunting for me, they're wasting resources. Your frozen shinigami isn't the only individual who came through a Senkaimon Gate. There are two more - and they're dangerous. I know they went to attack the Kuchiki manor. You're a Kuchiki, so I guess that'd bother you."
"Anyone being attacked bothers me," Mitsuki murmured, though her heart leapt in her throat as she recalled Retsu's words about Guren and his apparent injuries, realising that Katsura's claim was corroborated by her Captain's statements as well. "Was anyone...killed?"
"I don't know. I wasn't there to see, but I heard about them," Katsura's reply was vague, and gave the healer little comfort. "More importantly, the Dangai isn't just the Dangai. I guess they," he jerked his head towards the unconscious Seventh officers, "will report on it too, but who knows how long it will take for them to be coherent about it, and there's not much time. There's a whole other world in there, on the other side of the Gates. A world with sand and Hollows and...those two rogue shinigami were in there. Maybe for a really long time, plotting an attack. I don't know about your patient, but the other two...I can tell, it's something major. There are also lot of scary Hollows in there. I don't know if...they can get out of the Gates, but I saw one in the Dangai, so maybe they can. Maybe they will. Maybe they've been doing that exact thing for ages, and it's just that nobody's noticed. In any case, though, the ones inside the sand world are not normal Hollows. They can think and they can plan and they use a technique like shunpo to attack, only it's different. I could control them, but your comrades? They didn't do so well."
"So that's why they're hurt like this?"
"Mm," Katsura nodded. "That one," he indicated the most injured, "jumped in front of a claw like a moron, and it impaled him. In any case, by my estimation, the shinigami didn't seem really prepared for Hollows that think and hunt. I could read the Hollows' thought processes, so I could anticipate them and I could manipulate them to attack each other - but if I hadn't, some of them," he gestured to the collapsed group of officers, "would not be here now. And then there's the other problem. Those shinigami. Their reiatsu is all over the Gate in Sixth and it's not normal. It's scary. Scarier than Father's...maybe scarier than Koku's, when his rages out of control. I haven't seen them, so I don't know what they look like - but I don't need to see them to know that they're a threat. One of them, he has an aura like death, and there have been random incidents around Seireitei of corpses coming to life and attacking people. I'm sure it's them. I'm certain of it, and if the shinigami don't take it seriously, it's going to get worse. Your friend...Koku's Captain...he probably knows more about this than you do, and maybe more than me. But I want you to take a message to him, from me. I want you to tell him...please...that they don't need to look for me any more. I won't be causing any more trouble to anyone. They need to stop these shinigami before they do real damage. I don't need Koku's spirit power to know that people are going to die."
"Corpses...coming...to...life?" Mitsuki blinked, and Katsura frowned.
"You really don't know anything at all, do you?" he demanded, and Mitsuki shook her head.
"No, but I'm starting to build bits of a bigger picture," she said grimly. "If I take this message for you, though...Katsura, what are you going to do? You've helped these shinigami get out of the locked Dangai, which is fine - but..."
"I'm going to take myself out of the picture," Katsura said evenly, and Mitsuki was alarmed.
"Take yourself out...?" she whispered, and Katsura shook his head.
"You gave me this life," he said evenly, putting his hand to his chest, and Mitsuki knew that, beneath the worn fabric of his clothing lay the scars of the wound she had knitted closed five years before. "You gave it to me and told me to use it to atone for the things I did for Father. I've tried to do that. I'm not afraid of dying, but I won't take this life myself. It's the easy way out, so I won't. But while the shinigami are looking for me, they won't find out what's really going on. So please, tell your friend that I'm not going to be a problem for anyone any more. I've decided what I need to do. It's a bit of a gamble, but I think it's the right decision."
"You promise you aren't going to hurt yourself?" Mitsuki asked softly. "Your brother loves you a lot, you know. He'd be devastated, if you did."
"I stopped Koku from taking his own life, once," Katsura replied simply. "I wouldn't set him that kind of bad example. No, I give you my word. You gave me this life. I'm not so selfish as to choose to end it myself."
"Then you probably shouldn't linger here," Mitsuki remarked. "I sent the Hell Butterfly, and people will come to help bring these shinigami to the hospital. If you don't want to be captured, you need to leave. You're tired and you need rest...and to make sure you clean that wound, if you won't let me treat it. Do you understand?"
"You are going to let me escape, then?" Katsura cocked his head on one side, eying her keenly. "Even though to do so could get you into more trouble?"
"I was worried, when I came out here," Mitsuki admitted. "I knew that something was happening with Senkaimon, and when I sensed it open here, I felt sure it must be you. I was worried...but now I'm not. I know you haven't done anything, Katsura-kun. Even though I can't sense anything from you, now, I can tell. And it's not my job to capture prisoners. I heal people. I don't fight them."
"I don't deserve your faith in me," Katsura looked sad. "But I do try to live up to it. I won't hurt any shinigami, Mitsuki-san. Tell your friend you saw me. Tell him what happened - tell him what I said. Oh, and one more thing."
He gestured his good arm towards one of the unconscious shinigami, the only female member of the group.
"That's the daughter of Endou Hirata," he continued, and Mitsuki's eyes widened at this unexpected tidbit. "I know, right now she doesn't look much like a hime, covered in dust and with her hair all over the place, but she is. My sister killed her brother. I wanted to avenge Sakaki's death, but then you came, and you healed me, even though I killed your friends. I don't owe the Endou a debt, but I owe you one. So you can tell Hirata-dono that his daughter is safe. I'm not seeking trouble with the Endou. I don't want anything from them. And by returning his daughter to him, I want him to know I don't care. I could have killed her if I'd wanted. They all collapsed the moment they left the Gate, and I could have - but I didn't. I didn't hurt any of them. I'm not interested in revenge. You taught me that - that sometimes revenge isn't the right thing. Sometimes it's better to just let go."
He winked at her, but his smile was melancholy, and, with a whoosh of shunpo, he was gone. Alone in the clearing with the injured officers, Mitsuki swallowed hard, running over the conversation in her head.
So now there's no choice. I'll go to Juushirou. I'll ask him - and I'll pass on Katsura's message. I don't know...what happened to the Seventh officers or why they were in the Dangai. I don't know why Kikyue-hime is here...I only met her in passing, so I didn't recognise her, not in this dishevilled state. He is right - like this, Katsura could have killed any of them to avenge his sister. But he didn't.
She sighed.
Maybe it wasn't wrong to heal him, five years ago. But something in his expression...it reminds me. When I was a student, I prized the life of Onoe Tomoyuki so much that I pulled him back from the brink. Because I did that, he existed in an unconscious limbo, and ultimately was made a puppet to kill by Aizen Keitarou. Looking at Katsura today, hearing his words...I feel like maybe I made the same mistake again. Katsura is his own man, not a puppet. He knows his own mind, but I feel as though...that fact is causing him pain. He took my words to heart - but somehow I feel they've become his burden. I don't know what he is planning, but it worries me a little. When he looked at me...for a moment, I felt he'd given up. That he really intended to hurt himself...but even if he lied to me, there's nothing I can do. I can't sense him at all. All I can do is get these officers somewhere safe, and then go to Inner Seireitei. I need to find out the gaps in this puzzle...and find out what exactly is threatening Seireitei now Keitarou is dead.
"Well, the Kuchiki manor grounds have certainly seen better days."
Kinnya sat back against the sodden grass, resting his weight on his hands with a heavy sigh as his grandson carefully picked his way through the muddy puddles and slick ground to join him on the riverbank. Though his uniform was dirty, and there were signs of blood on his sleeves, the Thirteenth Captain seemed mostly unhurt, and at this realisation, relief flooded the old man's heart. When he had first sensed his grandson's reiatsu, he had been worried, afraid that Taiyourei's dominant spirit power would rip the young man to shreds in front of his gaze, but, as he took in Juushirou's form now, Kinnya realised that he had underestimated his kinsman's ability to fight under pressure.
I always knew he was powerful, and that he had potential. But when we've trained, it's sometimes been inconsistent. Today, it wasn't. I suppose that was because it couldn't be...because it was for real. His life and mine were both in the balance...and I could not have kept fighting, so thankfully he could. I am old and I am rusty, Raiu. You may be a Royal Sword, and I may be the Rebel, but today, Juushirou proved that he's in no way our inferior. And perhaps it would have horrified Oniisama, had he really been here to see it - an illegitimate grandson born in the Districts - but I confess, now it's over, all I can do is be grateful that he was here and that he cared enough to intervene. A Clansman may not have, not in a battle of pride and honour like that one - but Juushirou sometimes acts from other motives, and every time he does, I am refreshed by his involvement in my life. I had given up on us...but he hadn't given up on me. I suppose that is the foolishness of a Kuchiki, compared to the idealism of the Districts.
Out loud he said,
"That was unexpectedly violent of you, my boy."
"You were about to kill yourself settling old family grievances," Juushirou sheathed his sword, sinking down beside his grandfather with a reproving look. "You came here to fight your brother to the death and you didn't tell me. Don't try and pass it off with jokes now, Ojiisama. I take that very seriously."
"I didn't come here to do any such thing," Kinnya protested, and Juushirou arched an eyebrow. "Well, I suppose it ended up that way. I admit, I wasn't expecting quite that kind of a fight. But Taiyourei was strong and she was resentful. And I realised that she could do as she pleased, because she didn't have anything to hold her back.
"I heard some of the conversation between you," Juushirou reflected. "Taiyourei accused you of killing your brother. You didn't deny it."
"I told you when first we met that old Clansmen like me all have skeletons in the closet," Kinnya sighed again. "It was one of the reasons I held back from meeting you, because I didn't want to taint you with such business."
"I think by the time we met, I was already pretty familiar with tainted Clan business," Juushirou said acidly, and Kinnya offered a humourless smile.
"Maybe that's true," he agreed. "I had hoped not to talk to you about that particular skeleton, but I suppose it can't be helped. I didn't kill my brother, no. But I did aid and abet him in the ending of his own life - something he hoped would bring his sons together and unify the Clan for the future. It's my biggest regret, Juushirou. I was always loyal to Senaya-nii - and as you see, I still am. Fighting his corpse reminded me...and at the same time, it didn't. There was nothing of my brother left in that apparition...but still..."
"Senaya-sama killed himself?" Juushirou's gaze flitted to the still form lying on the grass a short distance away. "I didn't think that was something Kuchiki did."
"It isn't, which is why it had to be so carefully plotted out," Kinnya grimaced. "My brother loved his sons more than anything else in his life. Well, all his children, to be truthful. But Guren and Seiren fought so as children and he didn't know what else to do. So he arranged his own assassination, and charged me with ensuring that, after the event, his sons were united in hunting down those responsible. Of course, the assassins were those whose loyalty made them willing to die for the cause, but even now, neither Guren nor Seiren knows the depth of their father's love, or his deceit."
"Hearing that makes me so glad I'm not a Kuchiki," Juushirou groaned. "I'm sorry, Ojiisama. That must have been a heavy burden to live with, especially if Senaya-sama expected you to bear it alone."
"I think today I realised for the first time how much of a burden it was," Kinnya admitted. "I am fond of my nephews and of Shirogane and Ryuu as well. But today I fought my Clan Leader...the man whose shadow I was born to be...and having his corpse shout accusations against me like that, in Senaya-nii's voice...I admit, it was more than I was able to deal with."
He swallowed, tears glittering on his lashes, and Juushirou sighed, resting a hand on the old man's shoulder.
"I'm sorry I charged in," he said softly. "But I wasn't about to let my grandfather martyr himself over some old regret. You had a life then, but you have one now, too. A lot of people would grieve if you were gone. Me included. I am just as impulsive as you are, diving in to the rescue when someone I care for is in danger - and I suppose, in one way, I owed it for that day in the storm all those years ago...when you saved me from my foolishness and Keitarou's blade."
"Ah, we are kin indeed," Despite himself, Kinnya smiled, sending his companion a warm glance. "You needn't apologise, Juushirou. I was very happy to see you, as it happens. Although I don't remember ever seeing you use quite that technique before. We've only trained a few times with your sword in that level of release, and I don't remember it ever trying to bite me."
"Well, biting my grandfather is not very respectful, and definitely not filial," Juushirou's eyes glittered with wry humour. "Besides, it was a hunch - a gamble between In'you and I. I know your spirit power - the water your blade controls washes reiryoku out of your opponents, but my flood can't do that. The waves that Sougyo no Kotowari musters are shields, but that is all they are. However, I do have one other skill that relates a little to yours. The ability to absorb and to refire energy."
"Yes," Kinnya frowned. "Yes, but with the level of power Taiyourei contained...to use such a skill...Juushirou, if that was what you thought to do...you are fortunate that the blade broke before she could burn you inside and out."
"No..." Juushirou shook his head slowly. "That was the gamble. Whether my dragon's teeth were sharp enough to shatter a Royal Blade. Whether Sougyo no Kotowari could do that before too much of Taiyourei's energy penetrated mine and forced me to deal with it. It was...a risk...but our intention was never to take her spirit power. It was to break her into pieces."
"To shatter the sword?" Kinnya looked startled. Juushirou nodded.
"I never fought Senaya-sama, or saw him alive," he said simply. "You did, which means you couldn't see him as anything but your brother. Even knowing it was Taiyourei, even knowing she was driving it - you still looked at the man, not the sword. But...if Taiyourei was really the source of the power, then Taiyourei needed to be taken out. And because Taiyourei's master is dead, she could use levels of power that a normal zanpakutou wouldn't be able to use for fear of killing the wielder. But, by the same token, a broken zanpakutou needs a living soul and the reiatsu of that soul to repair. So if Sougyo and I could break it...then..."
"Taiyourei wouldn't be able to fight any more," Kinnya's expression became one of wonderment, and then he laughed, reaching up to squeeze his grandson's hand briefly before turning his attention back to the broken blade that glittered in angry fragments across the grass. "I'm impressed. I've clearly managed, somehow, to produce a genius in my family line - though I am certain that intelligence didn't come from me."
"Don't be silly," Juushirou snorted. "You're the one who taught me to raise and release my sword to this level. And I've never used it before in battle. I hoped I never would have to, because if I'm truthful, I am still not entirely confident of holding it in release. If I hadn't had the element of surprise, she would have killed me, probably. But I had the objectivity. Like I said, that," he gestured at the body, "was never Senaya-sama to me. He was never my Great Uncle, or anything other than another corpse doll. I could make that judgement because he wasn't someone I loved. If it had been you, or Mitsuki, or one of my siblings...or Koku or Shunsui or one of my friends...then it would have been different. Like you, I'd have looked at the person, not the blade. And like you, I wouldn't have wanted to strike them down."
"I can't bring myself to do it now, either," Kinnya sighed, pulling his heavy body to his feet and limping painfully across the short distance to gaze down over his brother's soggy form. "Senaya-nii valued appearances so much. Even though I know I should put my blade through his heart, or burn the corpse, to make sure it can't happen again...I can't, Juushirou. I can't consign my brother to his grave in a state of imperfection. I will need to send for fresh robes before he is reburied...but although I know that to leave him is a risk, I...can't. It's one thing that I helped to put him here in the first place, even though it was done on his orders. I can't defile his body in death as well."
"But Senaya-sama isn't there," Juushirou moved to join him, a thoughtful look on his face. "Do you think even this necromancer could wake him a second time?"
"Shirogane did say that the man thought he heard a hime's voice. His companion mocked him for it," Kinnya remembered.
"Then it was Taiyourei he heard. Not Senaya-sama," Juushirou moved to carefully extract the broken hilt of the sword from Senaya's dead grip, glancing it over and handing it to his companion. "Maybe this should be burned...all of its pieces, just in case. I don't know if breaking a Royal Sword after the wielder dies is a problem or if it means the Sun sword won't resurrect again, but in the circumstances, I'm not sure I regret it. I'm not convinced Royal Swords are necessary or good things to have, given recent events, and it might be better for the future if Taiyourei isn't allowed to be reborn - at least for a long time. Koku's struggles have taught me that raising one is more trouble than it's worth. If we were to burn Taiyourei, Grandfather - would you be able to accept that? Then Senaya-sama could be reburied. His voice isn't here. His soul is gone. His corpse would be able to sleep in peace and nobody would disturb him again."
Kinnya took the sword hilt, turning it over in his hand.
Well, Raiu? What do you think? Is Juushirou right?
Royal Swords are servants and partners of the living, Kinnya. Thanks to your grandson, you still number among that group. Your duty is, as it always was - to protect the living. Senaya is dead. Taiyourei is dead. Destroy the sword. It will change nothing, if you do. Taiyourei's soul was shattered from Senaya's body when the blade broke, but she still lurks there, deep in the fragments. If you burn the blade, then you set her free. The Sun sword may one day return - or it may not. Royal Swords are rarely broken, so I do not know the answer. But in this broken form, Taiyourei will be a prisoner forever. And for all her faults, no sword deserves that.
"Raiu agrees with you," Kinnya raised his voice, offering his grandson a sad smile. "He says that Taiyourei is trapped in the pieces at the moment. Burning the blade will set her free and allow my brother to move on. Their bond was already severed...so it won't matter if we sever it a little more."
"I'm sorry, Raiurei," Juushirou bowed his head sombrely towards Kinnya's sheathed sword. "I realise we're talking about your sister sword, just as we're talking about Grandfather's brother."
"Raiu understands the finality of death. Probably better than I do," Kinnya reflected. "I am not sure if I can muster much kidou on my own. How about you? Between us, can we put an end to this?"
"I think we should try," Juushirou agreed. "Between us, we must be able to take care of Taiyourei's last rites."
"And then I suppose I will go and tell Seiren that we've made a mess of the Kuchiki manor grounds," Kinnya sighed heavily. "At least I can tell him that his father is no longer on the roam."
"Are you up to roaming yourself?" Juushirou looked concerned. "You forced your Bankai, and I can tell...it took a lot out of you."
"It did," Kinnya agreed, "and I'm an old man, so I don't recover as quickly as once I would from such activity. But I will be all right, Juushirou. There are probably still horses here somewhere, as the stables are to the rear. Unless you managed to drown them, which I doubt, I should be able to ride. In the current situation, there's not much time for taking care of wounds."
"No, but you don't need to do anything else just now," Juushirou said firmly. "Report to Seiren-sama, if you need to. I'll come with you to do that, as some of the blame is mine. But then you should go home and see Keiichi. You still need to talk to Jun'ei-dono about Katsura, don't you? Inner Seireitei you can leave to me - it's my job, and I can report this to Shirogane-dono if you need."
"Mm," Kinnya eyed his grandson critically. "I'm no more fooled than you are, my boy. You took some of Taiyourei's energy into you when your dragon bit her blade into pieces. You're covering it well, but I know that you're not feeling fully fit, either. It's hard work, to begin with, managing Bankai so effectively, and you are still very inexperienced with using that skill. The battlefield was full of my reiryoku and Taiyourei's as well, and your sword absorbs that matter easily." He gestured to Juushirou's stained sleeves. "I also saw you cough blood today, which is something you've not done in some time. I will be scolded if I let you come to harm. You have very attentive friends."
"I could do with a rest," Juushirou admitted. "You're not wrong, but I can walk, just as much as you can." He rubbed his chest ruefully. "I may have coughed blood a little, but in context, it's not as much as the last time I tried to use my Bankai. I didn't fully pass out, either, so I can manage. Besides," he shot his grandfather a sidelong look. "I'm not the only one who coughed blood today, am I?"
"Ah," Kinnya put his fingers to his lips sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders as they came away bloody. "I suppose not."
"You really did push yourself to the extremes, didn't you?" Juushirou sighed, shaking his head slowly. "I'm just glad I got here in time to intervene. I'm pretty sure I'm in better shape than you are, so we'll between us get word to Seiren-sama. Maybe he can arrange for Senaya-sama's reburial. Looking at the corpse, I think that needs to happen sooner rather than later...if Taiyourei's spirit is severed from it, it will begin to decay, and nobody should have to see that - especially not you. We should head to the Nagoya estate and report. Then you can go home, and I can go back to Seireitei. Whether I'll have a chance to take a break, I don't know - but I did get some sleep last night, so I'm sure I'll be fine. I am stronger than I was, and even if I cough a bit as a result of this, it was still worth my coming."
"Why did you come?" As they gathered the fragments of the blade into a small heap ready to burn them, Kinnya cast his grandson a quizzical glance. "I'm slow, but it just occurred to me that at no point did I give you reason to think there'd be a problem dealing with this here today. I certainly sent no distress signals or messages. What brought you to my aid? It's a long way to come from Inner Seireitei, especially without Gates. You must have pushed yourself through shunpo to get here - on what grounds?"
"Kohaku," Juushirou said simply, and Kinnya's eyes widened.
"Then that boy..?"
"Saw it raining blood," Juushirou nodded. "And a sun that was dead. He had no idea what he was talking about, but I did. And I put threads together. I've seen your Bankai, Ojiisama. And if I had been wrong, no harm done - but I couldn't take the risk I was right."
He rubbed his hands together.
"Well?" he asked softly, as his fingers glittered faintly with red light. "Let's put Taiyourei at peace. For the sake of Senaya-sama as well as for her own sake, it's time to bring this to an end."
Author's Note: Rokurou Tsunetoshi and the God of the Nunobiki Waterfall
So I am already imagining all of you kind of blinking and going, what? Who? Where? At that author's note title. But I haven't lost my mind.
A long time ago, as a simple, naive Bleach fan, I believed wholeheartedly that Kubo-sensei would reveal Juu's sword powers, and his Bankai.
As a much wiser Bleach fan now, I know that not to be the case. But that fact alone made me determined that this time, this story...I wouldn't hold back. In the past, I have always been constrained where Juu is concerned because of the lack of official data on his abilities. People have complained to me about the fact that sometimes Juu isn't in those major battles - but that was because I was waiting for something that never came.
So this time, I decided that it would come. And when I stopped to think about Juu and the spirit power and the way I've written him to date, a story that I came across in my research for my PhD also crossed my mind.
In Spring of 2017 I was lucky enough to be based in Japan, and one of the places I visited was the Nunobiki Waterfall, in Kobe. This waterfall is very beautiful and has many poetic resonances, but while I occasionally dash them into this story, I don't really focus on Japanese poetry. I deal with warriors and war tales, and the story in particular that sprung to my mind was one relating to this location in a more brutal manner.
It focuses on a warrior of high rank called Shigemori and his retainer, Rokurou Tsunetoshi. They visit the waterfall, and Tsunetoshi, on Shigemori's agreement, goes to investigate. Tsunetoshi dives into the pool beneath the waterfall and finds a whole other realm beneath the surface. But his trespass angers the dragon god of the waterfall, who strikes thunder through the sky and lightning through Tsunetoshi's body, killing him outright. It is the spirit of this waterfall - this vengeful deity - from which I formed the basis of Juu's Bankai.
The combined form of In and You into a single Sougyo no Kotowari entity - the dragon of lightning and waves - was also deliberately done, because they have always been two parts of the same whole, two aspects of the same sword, and two elements that together make up Juu's power. Fuuinryuu
actually means Dragon of Nunobiki. The connection between waterfall and dragon in Japanese orthography is particularly intense, as the character for waterfall in both old and revised kanji is essentially the dragon character with the three splashes of the water radical on the left hand side ( either 龍 - 瀧or 竜 - 滝). Nunobiki is also associated directly with this particular waterfall as well. For that reason, it can also be understood as the Dragon of the Nunobiki Falls.
The full name of the Bankai, including the sword name, is
雙魚理・布引龍 (Sougyo no Kotowari: Fuinryuu.) For anyone who doesn't recognise the choice of kanji for "sou" in Sougyo, there is a reason for this change. The character Kubo-sensei uses is 双, which is the simplified version of the character. It always kind of bothers me when old characters are given very new kanji for techniques and their sword names. It makes more sense to me that Juu's sword originally would have used the traditional character 雙, which only became obselete in Japanese after the Second World War. As this story is set way into the past, I have stuck with all traditional forms of the characters where necessary, including here.
Part of the reason I also took this line is that I have always written Sougyo as a descendent of Kinnya's sword, Raiurei, whose name means Spirit of the Rainstorm. Raiurei was inspired by stories relating to Susano'o, a decidedly rebellious deity from the Imperial Royal House who nonetheless slew a serpent (or orochi to be exact), stole a sword from its tail and used it to legitimise the Imperial house of Japan. It therefore seemed meet that Juushirou's own sword -while not a 'Royal Blade', had some of these aspects too - a lesser deity but also connected to dragons, water, storm and the desire to punish those who do what they really should not.
This is of course only one way in which Juushirou's Bankai could be represented, and I am not trying to make it canon by any means at all.
It has been a long time coming, but I hope it doesn't disappoint.
