Chapter XCIV: Shirako and the Wolf

Martin stood at the center of the crater he'd made less than five minutes prior. Mr. Rievere sat upon a tree branch just outside the blast radius. Shirako faced his blue-haired zanpakuto just ten meters away from Martin.

Shirako looked back at his former student. "Martin, back away. Let me handle this."

"But…" Martin protested.

"This is my fight." Shirako muttered. "It's my zanpakuto, and it's my problem to solve. I don't need to drag anyone else into this."

"Martin." Mr. Rievere called. "Let your friend be and come here."

Shirako quickly shot a glance up to the tree branch where the informant was sitting. What? I didn't even notice he was there. Mr. Rievere waved at him. "Martin talks about you a lot, Shirako Yasufumi."

"How do you know my name?" He asked.

"I know a lot of things that many people would not expect." Mr. Rievere said. "Some would say I know everything. Although, I have not mastered Wisdom."

"And what's your name?" Shirako inquired. "It's impressive that you were able to hide yourself in plain sight."

"I appreciate the compliment, but I've had 50,000 years of practice doing exactly that." He replied. "And I go by Mr. Rievere."

Shirako stared at him for a little while longer as if trying to figure something out. Eventually, he looked away and said, "just watch yourself. The aura you're giving off makes me...uncomfortable."

Mr. Rievere closed his already squinted eyes and smiled. "Of course."

"Are you done with your little chat?" Yabokami Seigyo asked in his deep voice.

"I apologize for the wait." Shirako responded. "Shall we begin now?"

Yabokami Seigyo grew three long blades out of the top of each wrist. They extended long past his fists. "I was created to kill you. I was literally born ready."

"Hide, but do not fear." Shirako muttered. "Yabokami Seigyo." The same three blades grew out of Shirako's sleeves as he placed himself in a fighting position. "Let's go." He transformed into a Super Saiyan 5.

The two shot at each other. As they clashed blades, they hopped around, bounding off tree branches with perfect precision, like wild animals. The initial skirmish lasted no longer than twenty seconds. They landed back on the ground and stood still, neither of them breathing hard in the slightest. Martin watched in awe, almost unable to comprehend what he just saw. He could barely keep up with their movements. Shirako's sleeve ripped at his forearm. He hardly acknowledged it. Then, the trees began to crack. They fell from clean incisions just meters above the ground. Thin logs fell with the tops of the trees: results of the triple bladed claws both warriors wielded.

"Martin, go up with Mr. Rievere." Shirako told him. "I want you to watch this fight. My zanpakuto lends me the instinct of a wild animal. Instead of power, it focuses on speed and precision. If you keep going on the route of brute force like you are now, it will be opponents like me that will bring your downfall."

Martin didn't protest. Not after the demonstration he just saw. He silently accepted and jumped to the tree branch that Mr. Rievere was sitting on. He did not let his guard down, however. Something about this was off. Shirako said that this fight should be easy for him. And yet, it was clear that he'd lost that skirmish.

Shirako stepped forward again. "Let's turn it up a notch." He said as he raised his own battle power. Soon, his hair was red and his fur gold. He launched himself at his own zanpakuto like a long jumper: both his hands and feet in front of him. He slashed downward with both his hands at the same time. Yabokami Seigyo blocked the attack by making an "O" shape above his head. His feet were still pushed into the dirt and debris below. Shirako left go with his right hand and swung again, this time from the side. The zanpakuto blocked this as well. Shirako jumped off his opponent, and his feet barely touched the ground before he dashed in again. This time, he went behind. He planted his feet horizontally on one of the longer tree stumps left over from their initial exchange, dislodging its roots as he pushed himself off toward his zanpakuto. Yabokami Seigyo turned around just in time to flip his claw up in front of him to reduce the damage he was about to receive. The impact of both all six of Shirako's short blades sent the zanpakuto flying past Mr. Rievere's tree into where the forest was dense.

Staying calm, Shirako followed his opponent. He ran with a graceful stride.

"Shirako, you've won!" Martin shouted. "His power level is gone."

Mr. Rievere smiled. "Even I can't sense it at all."

Shirako stayed focused. And soon Martin knew why. He was uneasy for a reason. Even though there was no power level to sense, the zanpakuto was still there.

"This is my bankai." Shirako told them. "It's basic function is essentially perfect stealth." He slowed down to a walk, and eventually got far enough into the forest where Martin and Mr. Rievere could not see him. "Bankai. Moikodaibu Yabokami Seigyo." His blade rippled, then disappeared.

It then got quiet. One could hear each leaf ripple on every tree in the forest when even the slightest breeze passed through. Even though it was nearly noon, Shirako could barely see. The forest was so dense where he was, it was nearly pitch black. Realizing it was no use, he closed his eyes. The life force was the trees around him was extremely weak, but with his heightened senses granted to him by his bankai, he could feel their energies clearly. He began to move slowly. He knew his zanpakuto was watching him. He could feel the gaze, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from.

Shirako. A voice came from inside his head. Let me handle this. It's impossible for you.

"Yabokami Seigyo." Shirako responded. "This isn't a fight that I can sit out of."

I understand how you feel, but you can't win. There's no way for you to sense him.

"Nothing can change that."

I know, but he can't sense me. Yabokami Seigyo told him. I can defeat him.

"It's okay." Shirako muttered. "I already have a plan."

If you say so.

There was a laughter that echoed throughout the trees. It seemed to come from every direction at once. This was a part of the bankai's powers. "You may have me beaten me in raw physical power, but you can never win. I will always have the superior stealth, no matter what you do."

"I know that." Shirako called back. "However, there are some things that you can never beat me in. As a being whose basis is reiatsu, you will never surpass my fighting power."

"What good is fighting power if you can't hit me?" The evil zanpakuto asked.

"There is always a way." Shirako said. "If I've learned one thing from Soriyamo, it's that."

"You're wrong. There is no way." Yabokami Seigyo said with a laugh at the end. "My stealth is perfect. It was crafted to be perfect. That's why that kid Nimaiya cast us into the Dangai. We were made to be unstoppable."

"Your hubris will be your undoing." Shirako retorted. "You should never underestimate the power of a Saiyan."

"Don't be stupid." Yabokami Seigyo snarled. "I am going to kill you, Saiyan or not."

There was an uneasy feeling in Shirako's stomach, telling him the fight was nearly over. Yabokami Seigyo was about to make his attack, and this would be his one and only chance for a counterattack. His muscles tensed up. It became completely silent once again. Then a twig broke on the ground. Shirako immediately turned and dashed the opposite way.

Shirako, he's trapping you! That was a diversion!

Shirako didn't respond. He exited the forest into the crater of charred wood that martin had created just minutes earlier. He felt the wind shift right in front of him. In instinct, he brought his claw hardened fists up to protect himself. Before he knew it, he was in full on battle again. He could only react to the slight perturbations in the air that signaled where Yabokami Seigyo's attacks would come from. This disadvantage completely cancelled out any upper hand Shirako had in strength. In fact, he was pushed completely to the defensive since he couldn't tell where his opponent was until the instant before he attacked. There was nothing he could do. Continuing like this, he would eventually tire and be killed. If only he could catch one of the attacks.

Martin was hearing every clash of the blade-like claws below him, but he couldn't see anything except some black dust being thrown up into the air every once in a while. Anxiety was bubbling up in him. This couldn't continue for long. He knew something was about to happen.

Black leaves were thrown up into the air, and the two fighters appeared still in the center of the disturbance. Martin's heart sank. Coming out of Shirako's lower back were three claws, which belonged to Yabokami Seigyo. "No!" He shouted.

He got up to fly down and help Shirako, but Mr. Rievere stopped him.

Shirako grabbed the clone of his zanpakuto by the forearm. "I've got you." He smiled. "You said yourself, I have you beaten in raw strength. You can't escape from my grip."

Yabokami Seigyo's smile turned into a growl. "You bastard. What a cheap trick."

"This is a fight to the death between the two of us. As long as I don't involve anyone else unnecessarily, anything goes." Shirako muttered. He raised his left hand to the zanpakuto's face, a strong energy blast forming in his palm. "It's over."

Yabokami Seigyo shut his eyes. Whether it was out of fear or defiance, Shirako didn't know. He released the attack to end his opponent's life. Yabokami Seigyo's body fell limply to the side, then turned into light blue reiatsu and dissolved into the air. Shirako then, fell to his knees, then onto the ground, his breaths becoming shorter and more labored. Mr. Rievere, seeing that the fight was over, finally let Martin go tend to his former master.

"Shirako!" Martin yelled as he flew down. He lifted Shirako's head up with one hand and pressed down on the wounds with the other. "Stay with me."

"Martin." Shirako smiled. "There's nothing to worry about. I've survived worse wounds. I'm lucky to be conscious right now. It's nearly impossible to heal my own wounds, but I can at least stop the bleeding. Lend me your shoulder and help me stand up, please."

The two of them slowly stood up. Shirako put a finger to each of the wounds in his stomach. His fingers began to glow and pain began to show on his face. He was cauterizing his own wounds. Martin looked at Shirako in concern.

Mr. Rievere stared from the tree above. His gaze grew stern upon viewing Martin's care for his former master. Shirako felt Mr. Rievere's gaze and glared up at the tree where he was. Mr. Rievere returned the glare with a big, squinty-eyed smile.

Shirako sighed. "Martin, I don't trust that man at all."

"I know." Martin replied. "I don't either. But for some reason, I know he won't do anything. It's like he can't. Like he's not allowed to, or something."

Shirako looked back up at the tree. "I know I can't tell you not to train with him. But I will tell you to watch your back."

"Thanks, Shirako."

Jiino looked up from his meditation and smiled. "Good. It seems as though Yabokami Seigyo has done his job, albeit he had to sacrifice himself to do so." Then, his smile faded. "No, the zanpakuto wielder is still alive. Injured and weak, but alive. I guess I'll have to finish the job myself."

He stood up and made sure his black heavy armor was in place and secure. He was coming from the southern forest, trying to intercept his prey coming from the east. As he travelled north, the trees eventually started to thin out. He saw a small house in the opening, with two people walking out of another forest to the east. One was a muscular coffee-skinned man in a tank top, and the other was a blonde man who seemed to be having trouble walking. He smiled, knowing who it was he was about to kill.

"I don't think so." Another man tapped his shoulder.

Jiino turned around, astonished that he couldn't sense the presence before it snuck up on him. "Who are you?" He demanded. A smiling man with purple hair stood in front of him now.

"That is unimportant. I'm here to divert you from interfering with affairs here."

"What's it to you?" Jiino pushed Mr. Rievere. "If you want to live, then I suggest you get out of here."

"No."

"What did you say?"

"I said no." Mr. Rievere said. His smile faded. "Listen, punk. You have no idea what you're dealing with here. You're attempting to trifle with something that my organization must keep safe for now."

"And what organization would that be?" Jiino asked, crossing his arms.

"I'm talking about the Shinden Kokuto. You haven't heard of us?" Mr. Rievere put a smile back on. "That's good."