Author Notes: I always thought it was a waste that Yoruichi's Zanpakuto was never revealed despite being a Captain. So I'm having my own version be revealed here and give a reason why she doesn't normally use it.
Also this begins a major departure from Orihime's more defensive role from the original manga- although it was hinted early on with her more offensive techniques like the phoenix technique in the fanfic's earlier chapters. From now on, Orihime will be as combat oriented as the rest of her group. The Samsara elements become much more prominent in Orihime's 2nd power-up. It also gives more hints to a certain archer group with wing powers.
Also Chad is going to get some screen time, much needed after he slowly lost prominence in the original series. Especially after the Hueco Mundo arc. If you noticed that Chad's powers are increasing rapidly, the reasons will be partially revealed in the next chapter.
Chapter 22: 6 Faery Paths/ Zanjutsu2
Yoruichi looked at the enlarged six beings that now stood before her gaze with uncertain hesitance. Orihime looked up with astonishment at her Shun Shun Rika's altered appearances.
No longer were they silly fairy like beings, but winged humanoids reminiscent of Japanese deities.
Hinagiku wore purple regal robes of a udaijin and his "horn" became an eyepatch with a red jewel embedded in the center. He bore an inquisitive look as he observed the cat girl. His wings were now a solid blue, shaped like high-tech wings.
Baigon wore a olive green humble monk robes with a dirty blond ponytail on his over wise bald head along with his mask now stylized with knight visor-eque design. He retained his muscular and rounded girthed body as the largest of the Shun Shun Rikka, towering over the other five. Large silver gargoyle-eque wings grew on his back. He looked gloomy as he silently became depressed over his now intimidating presence. Shun'o patted his shoulder to cheer him up.
Lily retained her three bun hairstyle that were covered by orange cloth, but lost orange eye-gear and bikini wear. She now wore a very loose indigo kimono that showed off her cleavage. Pink swan colored wings grew from her exposed shoulders.
Shun'o largely retained his closed eyed appearance and attire, but was noticeably more handsome in a young adult sort of way with his hair reaching his waistline. Green ethereal wings sprouted from his back. Shun'o was placid in expression and did not smile as much.
Ayame remained the same in appearance except larger, lacking the red winged cover over her head and making her look like a highborn princess. Red dragonfly wings grew from her back. Ayame hid behind Baigon with a meek expression.
In contrast to the others, Tsubaki wore a shinobi attire colored black with red outlines with two katana worn on his back. He retained the bandana mask, scar and black hair from before. Two sets of angular wings grew from the shoulder blades. Tsubaki crossed his arms and looked to the side with irritation.
"...Guys...why are you big now- Are you like Chia Pets?," Orihime asked the now human sized beings, Tsubaki got noticeably irked by the comparison while Shun'o smirked amused.
"I don't know. Maybe Character Development made us evolve to suit your needs...Shun'o I dare you to explain this in any other way.," Tsubaki explained as he turned his sight to Shun'o with upturned eyebrows. His voice was less hyper-tense as before and more of a middle toned gruff of a slight temper.
"...Darn, you Tsubaki.," Shun'o replied with a narrowed brow, he was not happy Tsubaki found out the reason for the sudden change in their looks quicker than he did. His voice was less high-pitched, having a feminine yet boyish tone.
"So what happens now...?," Orihime asked while Tsubaki suddenly appeared behind her.
"You're the boss. Say something that comes to mind to kick that hairball's butt.," Tsubaki told her as he kicked her butt from behind to her shock.
"...Lily- Hana no Sōshoku-hin: Yuri (Flower Adornment: Lily).," Orihime recited a phrase instinctively as if she had been taught this before as she got to her feet.
Nothing happened to the group's surprise.
"Guess it wasn't said right- Maybe with some different kanji-," Orihime said to herself, wondering why it didn't work.
"Lady Orihime- I think it's better if you try names just in Japanese, but others you learn in school as well.," Hinagiku suggested to the battered girl. His voice now less extremely emotional and more subtly sophisticated with a mid-low tone.
"Ok...," Orihime replied as she went back to concentrate.
Yoruichi continued to stare with curiosity at Orihime.
"Adorno De La Flor: lirio- Huá Yán: Bǎihéo- Fleur Parure: Lys- Floribus Ornatus: Lilium- (In an incredibly bad American pronunciation) Flower Adornment: Lily...," Orihime guessed as she went through the languages she learned through her time in school.
Then Orihime blurted out as if subconsciously aware of the words behind them.
"Heilige Acht Leben der Ewigkeit: Tier Welt (Sacred Eight Lives of Eternity: Animal World).," Orihime recited as she stood up.
Suddenly, Lily floated back to Orihime's right as the others vanished from sight, she slid to her left as she phased with Orihime's form. A blue light of an eight pointed star shined in Yoruichi's eyes.
This surprising actions made her to come to her senses and caused her catgril form to dissipate.
That aura...it feels like a Q-," Yoruichi spoke internally as her mind returned to human level thinking.
Yoruichi covered her eyes as a blurring flash covered the room. Once it dimmed back to normal, Yoruichi saw what had occurred.
Orihime manifesting her special Visored mask, she was now wearing a very risqué midriff exposing outfit of a gym bra and sweat pants with pink swan wings. Like Yoruichi, Orihime was now dominated by animal instinct, particularly that of a highly aggressive bird of prey.
"Honk!," Orihime screamed like an aggressive swan.
Yoruichi pressed a pad on the platform, which caused a section to open up. It revealed her Zanpakuto- a kodachi with a black and golden pattern.
I don't like using this. It's too..refined for my tastes, Yoruichi thought as she held up the sword with some irritation
"Be Cursed, Jōhin'na Fuun'na Neko (Elegant Unlucky Cat).," Yoruichi recited as she waved her weapon from side to side until it had transformed. It was now a black fan with the kanji of "Omen" written on the top of each section and the end of the fan had a black cat tail that wrapped around Yoruichi's sword arm.
She then leaped at Orihime as she unfolded her fan.
The bestial girl flew up and then lunged at Yoruichi who raised her fan as a defensive measure.
Ichigo clashing with the three Visored, using his large weapon's size to block their strikes. Admittedly, he was cornered by their better experience in battle, they would weave around his sword, deactivate their Zanpakuto transformation and take a swipe at Ichigo. He barely was able to dodge the strikes.
"By the way, it was a lie.," Lisa abruptly spoke in the middle of the sparring. Ichigo's eyes widened.
"What was- you mean about last night?!," Ichigo responded with alarm to this reveal.
"Yep, after injecting her with the Visored Spiritual Power via mouth. She puked out the Visored orange liquid like I did onto you, the power caused you to turn to normal with Kisuke stitching the animal soul to repress it permanently. It's something others don't like as much- gets one aroused in the wrong way.," Lisa replied in a way that seemed like it was a story she made up, making Ichigo even more confused.
"Then why were you in your underwear and why did-?," Ichigo asked the bespectacled girl embarrassed.
"Because it's funnier that you came up with that conclusion on your own.," said Hiyori with a mocking grin.
"Did you play along with this?," Ichigo asked Love was remained stoic.
"Yep...maybe it did happen and maybe it didn't. It's how you view it.," Love said with a vague answer that confused Ichigo.
No one's ever going to tell me the truth anyway., Ichigo told himself in his mind.
"Let's start this lesson already.," Ichigo groaned, knowing that the sparring was more important at the moment.
"Yeah. It's better to focus on the sword technique shit anyway.," Hiyori told Ichigo with an aggressive tone.
"How rude, Hiyori.," Love said to Hiyori in a mellow tone.
Chad's Apartment
Chad was sitting alone in his apartment. After his grandfather died under mysterious circumstances, his close relatives from his mother's side of the allowed him to stay in Japan. Eventually, he moved to his own room within the apartment once he started high school while still remaining in the same building as his relatives.
He raised his hand and thought about yesterday.
Did that all really happen? Or was it a dream?
Chad pondered in silence until a voice was heard at the open window on his left.
"You're Yasutora Sado "Chad" right?," it said.
Chad suddenly noticed four individuals on his porch- a magenta pigtail haired girl, a middle aged man with a strap covering one of his eyes, a wavy black haired man with brown eyes and a man with combed backed hair who was eating ramen all standing on his porch.
Chad stood up, walked to the phone and attempted to dialed a number on the telephone located in his room.
"Um, what're you doing?," asked the magenta haired girl with some perplexity in her eyes.
"Calling the landlord. Do you want a room or something?," Chad told the people as he was about to dial the last digit.
"Well, actually I already have a place in Naruki City and- I mean, that's not what we're here for!," shouted the combed back haired man to stop Chad from calling.
"If you're selling me something, I'm not buying.," Chad responded unconcerned to the people as he pressed the cancel button on the phone in the room
"Ugh, we're here to recruit you to our forces, Chad.," said the magenta haired girl in a peeved expression of annoyance.
"...Have you been stalking me- How do you know my name?," Chad inquired the people as his eyes widened from shock.
"Let's change the subject.," said the wavy haired man as he point his fingers to his head and sighed.
"No, this is very concerning- how did you know where I live?!," Chad insisted on why they knew his name
"Do you want me to fix you a drink?," the middle aged man asked Chad with some mild sarcasm.
"I'm a minor and that sounds like bribery.," Chad replied flatly.
"It's not bribery if you like it.," the wavy haired man suggested with a smirk.
"...You know what I am going to report this.," Chad resumed dialing on his phone, this time for the police.
"Love Gun.," said the magenta haired girl as she pulled out a heart-shaped toy gun deice with wing-like protrusions on both sides and a liquid containing vial that juts out of the back. She unleashed a powerful pressure from her body that got Chad to take a stance.
Chad then subconsciously manifested the armor on his right arm that he manifested yesterday.
She twisted the vial of fluid on the back, causing it to drain out and the heart on the front to glow. The girl then shot out of the gun a bunny rabbit toy at Chad.
Cute, thought Chad as he observed the projectile creature's cuteness.
To his shock, it grew in mass over seconds until it grew large enough to hit Chad with concussion force against the wall. The four then entered his room through the window and stood in front of him.
"It's simple. You're being recruited because you're like us- a Full-Bringer. One of your folks got attacked by a Hollow- like the bat you punched to hell- and the traces got into your Soul from them when you were conceived. It allows you to manipulate the souls of objects- like your arm and alter its characteristics. Your school got a rare type of Full-Bring awakening- they were injected with so much Hollow power that we worried that they'd commit Soul Suicide due to the extreme imbalance of receiving that much opposing nature and would die, immediately going into the next realm of their chosen reincarnation. Luckily, due to that girl's odd powers, it was enough rejecting resistance to allow for a Full-Bring ability to appear.," the man with combed back hair explained to Chad as the latter was pinned to the wall.
"What there's more at the school who awakened their powers? Wait, you know about Ichigo and Orihime?!," Chad shouted with a widen gaze to the man who spoke, realizing who he meant by those words.
"Oh that's what their names are. I'm not sure on the boy, but the girl's a potential recruit for our forces.," the man with combed back hair replied as he scratched his head.
"For what, exactly?," Chad inquired with narrowed eyes in concern.
The combed back haired man's expression turned from laid-back to sinister.
"Killing the Quincy race of archers. They're naturally opposed to us so we need to kill them so they won't start killing us again like 200 years ago when we nearly went extinct in this area- the rest of the world's fine though. There's a few Quincy left over here in the World of Living- Karakura Town and another group- much larger in a dimension called Silbern, their current stronghold. The ones that aren't able to face the latter due to lesser combat skills, will come to Karakura Town to eliminate the Quincy here, since they're easier to kill. And the ones that can will go over to Silbern in order to kill the bigger fish Quincy in a week's time. We have Hollow Spiritual Power, their kryptonite that makes them die if they get into contact with it. We have the advantage in that regard.," the man explained with a vile expression, but resumed his calm expression when he saw Chad looking more anxious than before.
"Archers...you're going to kill Uryu- his parents?!," Chad realized who he meant to kill as he stared at the man.
"So you know a few of them. I'm apologize in advance, but our forces coming here will be killing him and his folks. It's for good reasons believe me, though you might not see that way right now. If you join us, you'll understand why we have to do this.," the man answered as he bowed with genuine concern of what he was going to do to Chad's fellow classmate. His eyes were surprisingly discouraged as if the action wasn't preferable, but felt that it had to be done.
"Heh. I don't think Ichigo will sit back and watch.," Chad stoically answered as he continued to be pinned against the wall.
"There was a large Spiritual Pressure in this town last night. This Ichigo- Could it be that he's training to master his powers?," said the man with the strap over his eye with a hand under his chin.
"I'll give an estimate, by the end of that week, he'll be stronger and I sense Orihime's there with Ichigo as well so she'll be on another league whenever she gets done with that training. You'll be left in the dust," Chad answered as he looked at the Full-Bringers from the pinned position he was currently in.
"Nice estimate. What's to stop us from going there and halting that training seminar?," the wavy haired man chuckled, not taking Chad's words seriously enough.
"Simple, I need to get better as well in order to keep up with them.," Chad replied as his Spiritual Pressure flared greater than yesterday.
"How?," asked the middle aged man with the strap around his eye as it narrowed in curiosity.
"You said Hollow powers. Since yesterday, my arm's been feeling restless. It's been this way since I was born, like it was always waiting for someone to arrive to wake it up. I tried using violence to shut it up until my Abuelo said not to use it that way, only to protect. I restrained myself and my throbbing pain silently as I get up. I thought it was when I fought for Ichigo's sake, but that's wasn't it all- it wasn't born out of a desire to protect- just a wake call from something that it had a close affinity to. Otherwise, I'd have activated this immediately from the angered trauma when Ichigo got killed by those Hollowes- it's how power ups usually happen in Keigo's manga if it's not from training to manifest it. I got a hint against the bat Hollow when this power awakened, but the throbbing began to slow down as it felt its energy and remembered how similar it was to the creature. And now it's silent- its finally found a clue of where it came from, though it still needs more hints- because your Hollow traces are waking it up slowly.," Chad explained himself as his arm was covered in the substance that made it become like it did against Shrieker.
"What kind of clue?," said the man with combed back hair as he raise his right eyebrow.
"Of being welcomed home by its rowdy relatives throwing a fiesta to help it become sane again- to know what it could do when it wasn't apart of me.," Chad explained to the group as his Spiritual Pressure pushed back the large rabbit towards the group, pinning them this time against the wall.
Chad's right arm mutated into a different form. It was modified with a black shield melded into it, which extended from his hand to some distance beyond his forearm, with the same intricate pattern as before, the white part had vanished completely. Skeletal teeth lay in the center, with a rose-like pattern or skeletal nose and eyes near the end. He lost the wing-like protrusions of his previous form, which extended from his parts of his arm and replaced it with a hexagonal plate, which covered his wrist up to his shoulder.
"Oi, oi, that's progressing too much for a thing, you learned yesterday. Do you think you're one of the main characters of a story?," the wavy haired man joked, while not minding being pinned agains the wall.
"Brazo Derecha de Gigante (Right Arm of the Giant). I think my Abuelo spirit flows within this arm- the power to protect...Maybe, I'm not a main character, so it's a little expected for me to improve this quickly.," Chad calmly spoke to the group.
Green light suddenly showered the room to Chad's shock.
Chapter 23: Temporada y Diablo (Season and Devil)
