Author Notes: The chant Flauros does is based on the song titles by a song writer called Cat Stevens done in 1971, sort of a homage.
This chapter mainly served as a means to make Flauros a punching bag, show off Abenosuke's strength to a bare minimum and set up things for the future.
Next chapter is focused on Kyōraku and his cohorts seeing something shocking.
Chapter 21: The Accedia-2
The yellow cat backed a few feet away from the larger man, who actually seemed to narrowing his back just to fit in the hallway due to his large size.
Flauros' pupils/irises multiplied as he gritted his teeth.
This is bad, his sword isn't like the current models. It's better to avoid a battle with him or not have it at all!, he thought as time began to reverse with him smirking in victory. However, he noticed a bird flying outside...going forward.
Flauros looked in confusion as everything around him forwarded back to when he first activated the power.
Damnit, damnit! He was using his powers wasn't he?! And I can't use my Mal on him since he's of the older generation that didn't delve into the corruption of the current generation. And he can just negate my own powers if I play it safe. The answer is simple...., he thought.
He then placed his claws together as he raised an energy that to Orihime didn't feel like normal Spiritual Pressure. The purples on the starlights on his wings turned red as the wings wrapped around his form.
"Si je ris de l'ombre de la lune, le vent de mon amour rubis changera. Comment puis-je vous dire que le mardi matin est mort et brisé. Bitterblue, le vent suit le train sur son chemin désespéré vers la paix. Taquiner le chat de feu.," the Diable declared within the winged pupa.
Flauros then unveiled himself, revealing a new form of a cat made of yellow flames with red iris eyes.
Orihime felt an intense fear looking at that form.
"The Quincy nowadays have Vollstandig, the Arrancar have Resurrección, and the Soul Reapers have Bankai. The Diable have a Renaissance, a transformation that far, far, far, far surpasses all of those combined.," said the flame based cat, his voice having an even more distorted reverb than before.
"He may be a capable fighter, a good one but he appears to be one of those many individuals who does not develop his craft for specialization, and who holds no surprises to show off as a result. Just a surface satisfaction with no substance that will be forgotten in the passage of time.," Abenosuke explained to Orihime as he glanced back at her.
"You have time to chat when you stare at my glory?!," Flauros shouted as he lunged with his knuckle claws, much longer than before, positioned to impale the man in front of him.
Abennosuke took one of his hands off his weapon, which generated a six-petal flower star like stigmata of golden color. In an instant, he proceeded to palm strike the approaching Diable into the ground without any visible show of movement. The yellow fiery cat convulsing like a flopping fish in pain, his form returning back to its original design.
Why is he able to do what Kazui did last night?, thought Orihime.
"I get it now. The answer is that you know how to deal with my kind. C-come on lemme go!," Flauros pleaded before Abenosuke stomped on his head for good measure, leaving a messy and blooded stain on the floor.
Orihime gasped in horror at the sight.
"That was one soul he just used up. There's 5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 999 souls he's consumed over the course of countless universal conclusions and renewals across the grander timeline of the macro verse left until he's down to his measly little life. It's how Diable maintain their nigh infinite vitality by consuming others.," Abenosuke explained as Flauros began to regenerate another head to replace the one that was squashed earlier in a spark of glittering starlights.
As the cat got up, Abenosuke smashed him into a wall into a bloodied mess.
"Now it's 5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 998 souls.," the larger man remarked as he cracked his knuckles.
"M-my buddies are just a few doors away. They'll-," Flauros remarked in bravado as he regenerated before Abenosuke interjected.
"They know of my reputation on what I do to your ilk on a daily basis outside of the High Overseer's gaze. They know better than to come out. And they've likely recalled the Chevalier Creux so you're on your own.," the bald man explained.
Flauros whimpered before the towering Soul Reaper like man slapped him into a bloodied mess against a window.
"5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 997 souls.," Abenosuke noted.
"That hur-hur-hurts.," Flauros whined before Abenosuke punched the feline's head inwards into his chest area.
"5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 996 souls.," Abenosuke noted again.
Flauros proceeded to leap and launch a barrage of kicks and punches onto the larger man, but he didn't even make him budge.
Abenosuke elbowed him into the ground, leaving Flauros into a bloodied pile of guts.
"5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 995 souls.," the bald man noted.
Flauros rose up as he regenerated as he fired a fiery projectile from his mouth, hoping to kill the man before him, even firing fiery eye beams for an additional measure.
However, he wasn't even singed and Flauros was squashed for his efforts.
"5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 994 souls." Abenosuke noted.
Flauros then gathered flames and condensed it into his chest and expanded it outwards in a fiery half-sphere wave
"This will blow up this entire...school...," Flauros gloated before Abenoesuke casually pushed it back onto Flauros, causing the cat to blow up instead.
"5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 993 souls.," Abenosuke said.
Flauros then jutted forward to bite on his foe's throat before he was grabbed and throttled to the ground. Flauros then swiped with his knuckle claws, but they bent inwards when coming into contact with Abenosuke's body.
Flauros whimpered as he was squashed again.
5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 992 souls.
As he regenerated, he then threw a barrage of flame rings, sphere projectiles, claw shaped blasts, cat shapes blasts, blue flames, white flames, black flames, fiery tornados, etc, but they bounced off of Abenosuke.
Flauros then thinned out and propelled towards Abenosuke.
"If I can't beat you- I can poss-," Flauros said before he ripped apart by an emission of powerful Spiritual Pressure from the larger man.
5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 991 souls.
He then generated a flame barrier to protect himself, but Abenosuke walked through Flauros' barrier with ease before decapitating him.
5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 990 souls.
Flauros attempted to become intangible to phase through the floor, but Abenosuke grabbed his tail and thwacked him so hard that Flauros was now a bloodied pile of guts again.
5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 989 souls.
Flauros sucked in Abenosuke's energy, but this somehow caused him to explode from the capacity being too much for his body to handle.
5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 988 souls.
Flauros attempted to pull some debris to launch at Abenosuke, but he was hit by a instantaneous blow so quick that his neck snapped backwards.
5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 987 souls.
Flauros generated a purple poisonous blast, only for Abenosuke to force it down the feline's own throat.
5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 986 souls.
Flauros turned invisible only to stomped upon instantly.
5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 985 souls.
Flauros turned into a little boy, hoping to not be hit...only to be hit anyway.
5 trillion, 999 billion. 999 million, 999 thousand and 984 souls.
Flauros teleported away to Orihime and held his claws against her throat. He let out an anguished howl of humiliation and dread, knowing that this would lead into a repeated cycle of nigh-endless torture if this continued.
"D-don't try anything funny. I busted her only means of defending herself. If you come near, I'll take her and her brat's head!," he shouted.
The threat caused something in Orihime to snap as her skin turned white, her hair black and her sclera/irises becoming green/yellow respectively.
In a millisecond, his upper torso was blasted by a controlled black Cero- a Cero Oscars.
...3 trillion, 999 billion, 999 million, 999 thousand, 400 souls.
Flauros was breathing heavily after the strike.
"H-how, was the hairpin a limiter?! The fuck?! Shit!," he shouted in frustration.
"C-calling it off! Calling it off! You're off the hook for now. Once the Gate of Hell is broken wide open! You'll be so screwed! You and your little brats two!," he said as he teleported away as the space returned to normal.
Orihime looked at the tall figure who looked in relief and sullen sadness.
"You will likely be needing an explanation for this. I'll talk about it with you and your father-in-law after school.," Abenosuke explained as he vanished from sight.
Orihme looked confused as she returned to normal in terms of looks and personality.
Karakura Middle School- Outside- A Few Hours Later...
Halthus, Raüm and the others heard this order from Flauros and stopped their actions, remaining dormant in their possessions for the moment.
That was a Diable Evil Pressure, must have been a time stop temporally., thought Greta with Maschera nodding in agreement.
However, both felt it odd that the Diable weren't doing anything at the moment, so they went back to hanging at the playground.
Kazui was in the middle of his conversation with Ichika, Shinkō, Kimyōna, Yōmi, and Shōinchi.
He then saw a large, bald man in an archaic Soul Reaper uniform appear in the middle of the group.
"Who are you?," Ichika demanded, being as surprised as Kazui was.
Ignoring Ichika, he focused on Kazui.
"I know of the identity of the white, ten-tailed wolf. I too possess the power similar to what that beast is to you.," the old man said to Kazui.
Kazui raised an eyebrow in utter shock.
Next Chapter: Underground Tombs of the Hollow Gods