"I wouldn't have pegged you as someone who knew how to cook," I said to Renji across the fire, finishing off the last bite of the food he had made for us.
"I don't know why, but I feel like that's an insult." I laughed, and a smile bloomed on his face. "But thanks, I guess."
A harrowing howl echoed through the night air. We stilled.
"Hollows …" I breathed with a confirming nod from Renji. I had lost track of how much time Renji and I had spent together just talking and laughing and enjoying each others' company again; it felt like catching up with an old friend, and I had been delightfully consumed by it. So much so, that when that sound rang out, my blood ran ice cold. Like Shokyakuro had reminded me earlier: this wasn't a social call. We had a job to do.
Renji doused the fire and was by my side in an instant. I tried to stave off the nerves working their way up my spine but I couldn't help but feel fear in my gut. I watched as it dawned on Renji why my panic was rising.
"This is your first time facing hollows, isn't it?" He asked softly. I nodded. His eyes softened as he said, "You're going to do great, I know it. And if anything goes wrong, I'll be by your side the entire time. You have nothing to worry about." I swallowed hard but nodded again.
My gaze was fixed on the dark path before us — the path that led to any number of hollows; I couldn't make out how many there were, but by the look on Renji's face, I guessed there were a lot of them. Shokyakuro thrummed at my side, his excitement evident. I grasped his hilt in an attempt to still him but surprised me when he burned hotter in my palm in response. Renji started towards the path and I placed my hand firmly on his arm, stopping him. He looked over his shoulder at me.
"Renji …" I started, taking a deep inhale. "If it gets to a point where I need to release my zanpakuto … promise me you'll run." He scoffed.
"Katsumi … "
"I'm serious. I can't … I don't fully know how to control him. And if I hurt you again …" He turned and took my face in his hands.
"I'm not running anywhere, especially away from a fight, and especially from a fight where you could get hurt," he said in a fierce whisper. "You and I are fighting together this time, not against each other. If you release your zanpakuto, I'll keep an eye on it, fine. But there's nothing you could say that could make me run from you." I felt some of the tension I was holding seep out of my skin at his words.
"Okay." Was all I said. His eyes bore into mine for another few seconds and my heart constricted at the intensity of his stare. He gave me a tight smile and stepped away, starting towards the path again. I followed.
He's right for once, you know. I hung back a few steps behind Renji as we stalked towards our prey.
"Right about what?" I whispered, hoping Renji wouldn't hear.
He has no reason to fear me, I'm not going to hurt him.
"You say that now, but your lust for battle, for power …"
He is not my enemy. And just because you may not be able to control me, does not mean that I cannot control myself. There was something weird about his voice, something I couldn't put my finger on.
"Fine," I finally said. "I sure as hell hope you're right."
Aren't I always? I dug my nails into his hilt, winning me a classic dark chuckle from my zanpakuto, before picking up my pace to walk at Renji's side.
"You two have a nice conversation back there?" I bristled.
"Oh … uh, well —" Renji let out a low laugh.
"Don't sweat it, I talk to Zabimaru all the time," he admitted. "There's nothing weird about it."
"I guess. With Shokyakuro, though, it's just … different."
"Different how?" Another hollow bellowed up ahead; the sound made my skin crawl.
"Different like …" I started, lowering my voice further. "He's always just felt more alive than other zanpakuto; more than just a spirit, or a weapon. It's hard to describe how it feels, and obviously I don't know how it feels for other people and their zanpakuto, but I just know there's something different about him, somehow."
You flatter me. I hissed under my breath and Renji raised his eyebrows at me.
"I'll take your word for it, then," he said with a shrug. "You know your zanpakuto better than anyone else does, anyway."
Debatable …
"Shut it, ya damn chatty bastard …" I scolded. Renji snickered and I sent a glare his way. "Don't start."
I watched as Renji's expression changed on a dime and his arm flew out in front of me to stop me in my tracks. We stood, motionless, as Renji attempted to suss out the spirit energies of the creatures we were about to encounter.
"… I can't tell how many there are," he said through his teeth. "Which means …"
"… there are probably a lot of them." I finished his thought and he nodded, eyes narrowed.
"Stay on your toes. Keep your eyes out, watch them, try not to turn your back on them," he instructed. "And remember — aim for the mask."
Without another word, the two of us burst through the trees and into the clearing, and found ourselves face to face with thirty or something hollows.
They were ugly, nightmarish creatures, most at least three or four times my height, and each one bigger than the next. The monsters turned to behold us, all screeching and howling in hunger or bloodlust or something else entirely, I couldn't tell. In an instant Renji was in the air, surging towards the closest beasts, his zanpakuto extending and slashing through whatever it could. For a second, fear chained me in place, threatening to drag me down through the earth. But when one of the hollows lunged for me, my body sprang into action.
Shokyakuro was in my hands cutting through mask after mask, dodging their massive fists and terrifying jaws. I found a sort of peace in listening to Renji fighting behind me; something about knowing he was up and fighting by my side pumped courage and strength through my veins as I fought. Though I knew there had to be an end, the hollows just seemed to keep coming. What had originally looked like thirty was steadily becoming forty, and then fifty, and so on.
"Where are they all coming from?" I yelled at Renji after managing to slash through the mask of a particularly large one.
"I don't know," he called back, his breathing heavy. "I've never seen this many at once."
These ones are simply pawns — their leader is lurking somewhere in the shadows.
"How do you know?" I asked as I ran another one through.
I can sense its energy; something strong lies beyond these weaklings. Shokyakuro's voice was steady, but there was still an edge to it. Still …
"Still what?"
Even though these ones are weak, they still share the same energy as the other one somehow … like they're a part of it, or something.
"Like it's creating them from its own spirit energy?" I said, piecing it together as I spoke. "They're just extensions of the same thing … so if we cut off the source —"
—they all disappear. We need to find it. I nodded and glanced at Renji. He was panting as he gripped his zanpakuto; three of them were staring him down.
"Shit … I can't just leave him here alone."
You don't have a choice.
"But …"
No! This is no time for arguments or stupid feelings for stupid boys. We have a mission and we need to find the damn thing and put an end to this. He's a soul reaper, and your lieutenant at that — if he can't handle himself with a group of hollows, then that's on him. I was surprised by his words, his boldness, but realized with chagrin that he was correct.
"Renji!"
"A little busy here …" he yelled through gritted teeth. His zanpakuto was clenched in the maw of a large hollow and he was struggling to get it free.
"They're all coming from somewhere. Some main hollow or something like that," I called out. "I'm going to find it and put an end to it. Are you going to be okay here?" With a bloody slash Renji cleaved the beast in two and spun to face me.
"Don't insult me," he said, a wicked grin on his lips. "Of course I will. I'll be by your side before you know it. Just go." I nodded, allowing myself another moment to appreciate the man in front of me, before Shokyakuro burned at my palm and I darted further into the forest.
"Can you feel it?"
Of course I can feel it. What, you think I'm just leading us into the abyss with no idea where I'm going?
"Damn you're snarky today, aren't you." He didn't answer. I knew he was aching for a fight, burning for it. His agitation was apparent to say the least. Regardless of his attitude I was thankful for his taking lead; it would have been pitch black had it not been for the moon shining in the fortunately clear sky, and I had no idea where I was going. I had never been exceptional at feeling spiritual pressure, especially if it was unfamiliar to me. It wasn't until we were so close that Shokyakuro stopped us that I really felt its crushing power wash over me.
Feel it now?
"… yeah."
What are you waiting for? Release me. I felt sweat bead on my brow.
"But …"
Are you stupid? He snapped. This is no time for your weakness to take over. We are facing a hollow — not your friend or your team member or whoever it may be. This is a real enemy, in a real fight, and I'm not about to let us go in unprepared. I ground my teeth but I couldn't deny that he was right. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with as much air as I could, and braced myself.
"Burn. Shokyakuro!" The blade ignited, sending a bright flame up through the sky and illuminating the world around us. I could feel his power pulsating, stronger than I ever had before. He growled, a deep low rumble; it was so visceral it almost felt he was behind me, the sound right up against my ear.
The growl that sounded back sent ice through my veins.
"Well, well …" an unfamiliar voice purred from the patch of darkness that lived outside of Shokyakuro's reach. "It's been a long time since I've felt that spiritual pressure." A man emerged from the shadows clothed in an immaculate suit, of all things. His dark, wine red hair that fell just below his collarbone blazed in the light of Shokyakuro's flame; it was almost more purple than red as the color changed with the flickering embers. His lips were twisted into a sinful smirk as he beheld the two of us. His amber eyes burned liquid gold. "Hasn't it … Shokyakuro?"