Author Notes: I wanted a brief period of levity before implying more about Abenosuke's past and elaborating on the Fullbring and how it really differs from most powers. Kazui's own powers will get more elaboration in the following chapters.
Chapter 25: Lessons from a Saint and Xcutioner
Kazui hadn't heard from the man since he suddenly appeared and disappeared, but it was enough for Kazui to stop talking about the topic Ichika wanted to discuss. Kazui and Orihime continued their day like normal and went home like normal. They had however, been noticeably more distant since the abnormal events that had transpired since the morning and didn't elaborate on what it was, much to the concern of those who were interested in them.
Kazui and Orihime arrived in front of the Kurosaki Clinic, with the former opening the door.
To the boy's surprise, the same man was now sitting on the sofa, barely due to his height easily being greater than Isshin who already was a tall man. And to a bigger shock, Uryū and Ryūken were there. Orihime was as shocked to see the man there.
Uryū was a bespectacled man of average height, slender build, straight, chin-length black hair that hung mostly on the right-side of his face, the rest hang behind his left ear, due to his glasses, fair skinned and blue iris eyed.
Ryūken was a middle-aged man of average height and fit figure. He wore thin, frameless glasses and a plain grey suit with a light blue shirt and a tie adorned with Quincy crosses. He had narrow blue iris eyes, and was fair-skinned with white hair that parted down the middle of his forehead.
Yuzu and Karin were apparently working late tonight, so neither showed up.
"Where are Aoihana and Mizuyrū?," Kazui asked, sounding more gleeful for the former and exasperated for the latter.
"Their mother is taking care of them.," Ryūken explained before Uryū was about to insert.
Orihime then turned around to see Ichika and Nemuri behind her.
"I wanna know who the bald geezer is.," said the redhead as she entered into the house.
"Abenosuke Seimeiryū.," the scarf wearing Soul Reaper that looked ancient, replied in a gentle yet eccentric tone of voice.
Ryūken and Isshin's eyes widened when the name was heard.
"I thought you were long dead at this point.," said Isshin, sounding surprisingly less enthusiastic to have Abenosuke in his house.
"I have a greater purpose in aiding the boy in his training.," Abenosuke replied.
"I already have a trainer in mind before you even popped out of nowhere.," Isshin noted as a Senkaimon suddenly appeared from the celling above. It opened and seven individuals popped out as Ryūken casually moved the table so it wouldn't collapse from their weight.
"Right on cue.," Isshin added whie Uryū looked in exasperated confusion while Orihime looked utterly shocked.
"Ganju what are you doing here?!," Uryū asked.
"Big sis had me, these Fullbringers and some Noble brat with her flunkies into the Dangai while running like hell from the Kōtotsu (Wresting-Surge) and the bartender's Fullbring setting everything on fire so we'd hurry up!," Ganju replied with irritation.
He then slapped Giriko from behind.
"What the hell was that?! You trying to kill us!?," Ganju demanded.
"You're here right? If you were any less quick...I'd apologize to Ms. Kukaku about your loss.," Giriko said with a subtle chuckle;
"That's ok- What?! You planning on killing me?!," Ganju said initially with a smirk before realizing the insult and going back to shouting.
"If you died then it would've been your fault for being dumb.," Tsukishima said with a tone meant to mess with Ganju.
"Who are you calling dumb?!," Ganju shouted back.
"What is this place? I'd hardly call it a hiding spot to hide Lady Rurichiyo.," Kenryu complained as he observed the household.
"You could've stayed at Urahara's.," Isshin chipped, which made Kenryu imagine Urahara as a malign trickster taking advantage of Rurichiyo in very suggestive positions.
"T-this is fine.," Kenryu stuttered as he backtracked.
Enryu looked in horror at Abenosuke.
"Who are you stranger? Answer me!," Kenryu shouted before Ganju pushed him aside.
"Who the hell are ya?! I don't trust a guy that hides his face!,"
"Ganju?! What are you doing here?! Why is there a little girl and Soul Reapers with you?," Uryū asked, ignoring Ganju's question.
Ryūken sighed as his son engaged in what seemed in inane banter.
"We're protecting the little miss from monsters!," Ganju explained as he pointed to Rurichiyo.
"You mean Hollows?! Why would you let Hollows get in so close?!," the bespectacled man demanded.
"Nah, it had an ugly face, it had these black as hell wings and a big-ass horn on its head! It said it was after Rurichiyo, but it also was scared shitless of Kūgo's Zanpakuto. Speaking of which-," Ganju said before slapping Kūgo.
"What the hell was that?! That could've killed us if it hit us!,"Ganju shouted.
"...My condolences if you passed on.," Kūgo said unapologetically, which annoyed Ganju.
"Wait, why are the Fullbringers here?! Wait a Zanpakuto?! Why do you have a Zanpakuto?," Uryū asked and demanded Kūgo.
"Yeah, I was a Substitute Soul Reaper once, you tend to forget that fact. Anyway, my Zanpakuto's a little rusty in control since I haven't used it in a while. Don't complain if the World of the Living gets slightly wrecked. The thing that attacked Rurichiyo's gonna have allies that will make this town a warzone if things get hectic.,"the slicked back haired man explained with a shrug.
"What thing?," Uryū asked more seriously.
"Hell if I know.," Kūgo replied honestly.
"I do, it's a Diable.," Abenosuke said before Orihime jumped in the conversation, completely ignoring the bald man's statement.
"It's good to see you Ganju...Tsukishima, Kūgo...and...," Orihime said initially with glee for her friend before her tone turned sour when seeing the Fullbringers for obvious reasons due to the things they did to her husband in the past.
"Giriko.," the mustached man said, slightly annoyed that Orihime hadn't recalled his name.
"Uryū. How are you doing?," she asked her glass wearing friend.
"It's been a while, but I'm following in dad's footsteps.," he replied, feeling relieved that the tension had dissipated with her inclusion to the conversation.
Rurichiyo proceeded to bow with a reluctant expression on her face.
"Thank you for taking us in-," the blonde said with a bow of respect.
"Oh she's not staying here. Why don't you let her stay at Mizuryū's place?," Kazui said with a closed eyed smile, interjecting the princess' statement.
"Why are you making my house into a place to dump girls from Soul Society?," Ryūken asked Isshin.
"Don't look at me.," Isshin complained.
"BECAUSE MIZURYŪRYU NEEDS COMPANY!," Nemuri shouted, which alerted Ryūken to her presence.
"Sigh...Guess, I'll prepare another room. Guess I'm going to be involved in Soul Society's affairs more than I need to.,," said Ryūken in reluctant acceptance, while annoyed.
"Mizuuryū...who is that man? Who are you?," Rurichiyo asked Kazui, now paying attention to the boy.
"Kazui Kurosaki, milady...And I think this means you'll be transferring into my school as a new student. I read enough comics to know how this goes.," Kazui said bluntly and casually as he bowed to her.
"How dare you refer to her Ladyship so insolently.," Kenryu demanded before Kazui stepped on his foot and grounded it.
"I've had a terrible morning., so excuse me if I'm a little tense So I don't need another fucking thing to think about.," Kazui said with an increasing feral snark as one of his eyes briefly gained blue sclera, blue irises and pupils of increasing lighter tints and the other gaining a reddish brown iris.
This made Rurichiyo nervous as Enryu shielded her. The others felt an ominous presence, which all except Abenosuke, Ryūken, and Isshin felt alarmed by.
Ichika then proceeded to knock Kazui on the back of the head, which turned him back to his normal look.
"You're under stress. I get it, your dad's gone and got sick. Monsters we don't know about threatened your family and all things happen the moment you get home. But, keep it together.," she said.
Kazui nodded, reluctantly.
"What was that?," Uryū asked slightly startled by what he saw.
"The reason I am here. To tame his sword now that these circumstances have reawakened it.," Abenosuke explained as he moved his scarf lower to show his face. This caused several seeing it to widen their eyes in horror or narrow their eyes in observation.
From his nose to the end of his chin, his white bones were exposed with the flesh ending under the bags of his wrinkles. Various possibilities popped in their minds to how he got that horrendous facial scarring.
Orihime then approached him and bowed.
"I'm sorry, but if only I had Shun Shun Rikka. Then I would've been able to heal you.," Orihime said in pity.
"It's my cross to bear.," Abenosuke replied as he patted her head.
He then turned to Kazui.
"I will show you what the wolf means. And what the power of the stigmata you wield that can ward off the Diable.,"
Isshin then tapped the larger man's elbow.
"I appreciate the thought, but I don't want Kazui to learn about that yet. He's learning about his Fullbring first. You can check up when he's done with that.," the black haired man said.
Abenosuke reluctantly bowed.
"I will explain what you both are eventually, but for now. I know when I am not needed for the moment. Farewell, Shiba.," Abenosuke said with a hint of animosity towards Isshin before he lowered his head and exited the house, leaving without a trace.
Kazui looked in the direction of Abenosuke before turning to see Kūgo. Orihime looked in his direction, feeling sad that the man who had saved her from Flauros was being rejected.
Ryūken whispered to Isshin-
I want him to talk to Uryū and the children. This Diable terminology needs to be elaborated.
Isshin nodded as the white haired man, Rurichiyo, Kenryu, Enryu, and Uryū left the clinic.
"We can catch up later. See you Uryū.," said Orihime as Uryū silently waved goodbye as he left with Nemuri following him.
"It's nice to meet you.," he said with a tone of feigned joy, but he was clearly not thrilled. His thoughts were more on the mysterious man who knew more about the visions he had been seeing more of lately in addition to the power he wielded.
"Things are going to go quicker since your dad's not here. We're not buds for obvious reasons. So I'm not going to be buddy-buddy with you either.," Kūgo said bluntly.
"Where's the cemetery?," Tsukishima asked.
"Why?," Isshin asked.
"Because that's how he's going to get his Fullbring.," the wavy haired man explained.
Orihime looked baffled and her mouth was agape with shock.
"Don't worry. We've no reason to kill him.," Giriko said.
"That's reassuring.," Ganju remarked.
"Better not do anything funny.," Ichika said with a scowl.
"I won't. I'm aware how Isshin will react.," Kūgo said with a sarcastic laugh.
"You're going to be understanding more about yourself. That way you can help the others. You should be happier.," Isshin said to his grandson.
Kazui nodded half-heartedly.
Karakura Cemetery
It was late at night with the slabs of stone of simple or ornate designs covering the hills and flat grasslands of the sanctioned area. It looked eerie in the darkness.
Orihime had been told to stay home while Tsukishima, Isshin and Giriko protected her and Sora Jr. So this fact alleviated some of Kazui's concerns. Ichika left, but didn't say where she was going.
Kazui looked up at Kūgo who looked down at him as they walked deeper into the cemetery, the slabs gradually looking older as they went deeper into the sites where people who died hundreds of years before Kazui's birth.
"I'll tell you about Fullbringers since you're going to be learning how to become one. They're all spiritually aware Humans, Fullbringers can sense the Spiritual Power of other spiritual beings, such as Hollows, Soul Reapers, and other , they differ in that they each have a parent who survived a Hollow attack before they were born. As a result, traces of the Hollows' power remained in their mothers' bodies, which were then passed onto them at the moment of their birth. Consequentially, their powers more closely resemble a Hollow's than those of a Soul Reapers...That's the public explanation.," he said.
"Our ability, called Fullbring (Full Manifestation Art), enables us to manipulate the souls contained within matter. Everything, even rudimentary objects such as lampposts and chairs possess a soul, however small compared to the living Souls. By using their power to "pull" on this soul, Fullbringers can manipulate the object's movement or even alter its physical characteristics. For example, Fullbringers could have beet assist them in drinking it by pulling on its soul, drawing it into their mouth. Likewise, by pulling on the soul of water, Fullbringers can walk across its surface without falling through...like this weird Mess guy that Quincy like guys worship. Many more feats are possible, making the technique highly versatile for different objects. Unlike other spiritual beings, Fullbringers use their power with their physical bodies, but it's possible when they die and maintain their bodies to use it in the afterlife. Because of this, they must train extensively to build up their stamina so they can use it properly and without it backfiring on them. While all Fullbringers are born with this power, the age at which they come to realize it varies between individuals. When Fullbringers die, all traces of their abilities disappear from the physical world. However, they do carry their abilities into the afterlife as I explained earlier.," he added.
"But, I'm too young to drink.," Kazui noted.
Kūgo then sighed as he used high speed movement to get behind Kazui.
"We Fullbringers can use high-speed movement through Fullbring. It's shown through the flickering of a green luminescence called Bringer Light (Full Manifestation Light), which is the preliminary for each high-speed movement we can use. This speed is achieved through a variety of different uses of Fullbring. By pulling on the soul of the ground beneath their feet, Fullbringers can increase its elasticity, greatly enhancing their jumping ability as a result. In addition, by Fullbringing the air around them, they can accelerate their movements. Doing so can consequentially strengthen the force of their blows to make punches or kicks hit harder. The ability to use this technique signifies that one is beginning to master Fullbring.,"
"So I can get to school even quicker.," Kazui observed interested, but not fully.
"Another thing, wise-guy...by developing an affinity for a particular object, a Fullbringer can alter its form, granting powers that vary greatly among individuals. This affinity can be defined by one's love for the object in question, or simply by an overall fondness for it. As such, this power is usually awakened through a strong emotion associated with the object, such as pride, loathing, love, yadad yada. Using this affinity, Fullbringers pull out the object's soul and boost it with their own, transforming it in the process. For example, I can change my saltire pendant on his necklace into a large claymore. While Fullbringers typically have an affinity with one such object, it is possible to have many, but it's harder to master. While all Fullbrings are unique, they can be defined by different types. For example, Fullbrings that shroud their users with their power are called Clad-Type or Raiment-Type Fullbrings. And those who just use objects are Wielder or Channeler Type. You're a Clad type from what Isshin told me.," Kūgo responded.
Kazui nodded.
"Once a Fullbringer has fully realized this power, its abilities cannot and do not change through growth unless special circumstances are involved. However, Fullbringers must progress to a certain level before they can use their unique abilities to their fullest. As such, a Fullbring's various developmental stages can look radically different from its final form, and can thus be considered "incomplete."When the Fullbring's potential is fully realized and it progresses to its final form, it releases a violent burst of energy that can potentially damage its user's body. Because of this, another Fullbringer is typically required to oversee the process, and to prevent the recently completed Fullbring from injuring its user by suppressing the explosion. In addition, a Fullbring's growth can be promoted by exposure to the atmosphere of Hueco Mundo, as a result of its Hollow nature. A Fullbring's unique power largely depends on the object that is used as a focus. In addition to souls, material objects also possess memories. As its holder experiences various events, the object experiences them as well; the memories are engraved onto its soul each time it is touched. Because of this, Fullbringers who had a considerable amount of battle experience prior to awakening their power have stronger Fullbrings.," he told Kazui.
"Now we're getting into more private territory.," Kūgo said as he stopped at a grave and looked around to see if anyone was there.
"It's apparently because we have pieces of the Soul King. Not the new one, but the old one. It's why we don't Hollowify like the Visored or have powers like the Soul Reapers. It's the reason why Hollow attacks before a Fullbringer's birth due to being drawn to it like a magnet..., but it's not entirely the case.," he whispered.
Kazui nodded before looking down at the grave. An ancient grave belonging to Feudal Japan looking foreboding and ominous.
What lies there is someone you must understand. Not beat into submission., Abenosuke's voice was heard in Kazui's head.
Kūgo gave a suspicious look.
"The reason why objects of strong value give powers to Fullbringers isn't just due to the soul of the object by itself. It has to do with something else aiding it...Someone else.," Kūgo said as the ground began to shake.
"You might want to stand back.," Kūgo said as the ground grew louder.
It was quiet for a moment until a sword jutted out form the ground and a figure began to rise.
Kazui gulped at the implication.
"That's right. It's something Ichigo and the Soul Reapers would try to stop if they really knew. The Fullbring is born from binding a Soul that lingers on to an object in order to give it power.," the former Substitute Soul Reaper explained.
The towering skeletal samurai looked down at Kazui with glowing white lights within its empty sockets.
It then raised its sword to attack Kazui.
Next Chapter: Lonely Samurai