With the banes of long hair being reined back into a braid, the two sides of Tensa Zangetsu could resume their fight. All it took was Tensa's hand tightening on the tsuba of his blade and the two were off once more.
Now that his hair no longer tugged at his scalp whenever it got itself tangled with the chains of his attire, Getsu could focus on what was important. He was quick to lose himself completely to his lust for battle, eyes turning gold before the first minute had passed. The voices in his head vanished and were replaced by images and instinct to guide his blade and body faster. He no longer acted, only reacted. When he saw an opening, he took it. When he saw an attack, he evaded, parried, or deflected. When he sensed a trap, he switched it up with whatever came to mind.
Still, as doped up on adrenaline as he was, Getsu didn't miss the moment his other half fell prey to his true nature as well. Unlike him, Tensa didn't stop thinking. His assaults stayed calculated and strategic, exploiting Getsu's wild style as much as he could to deal maximum damage with minimum risk. No, Tensa's tell was his face. He became more expressive once he let the beast that craved battle and blood free from its confines. He would grin when his arrows hit and snarl out curses whenever he took damage. But the most beautiful thing was his eyes. Those sapphire blue irises glowed with power and burned with ecstasy at the thrill of battle.
Seeing those eyes made Getsu even more excited and eager, for those eyes meant there was a treat in his near future. A treat that goes by the name of Vollständing.
He could count the number of times he had fought his counterpart like that on two hands which made it all the more special. Tensa's Vollständing was a sight to behold and a delight to fight against. Getsu's favourite thing about the technique was the addition of the large, particle-constructed wings that would burst from Tensa's back. They didn't slow him down or obstructed him in any way, as Tensa could manipulate their shape and size to fit his needs. It gave him another manner of defence and Getsu loved how creative he had to get to break through it.
Naturally, Getsu answered in kind and let his mask form. He could feel his heart stop mid-beat, feel his chest open up as his heart turned to liquid. It travelled up his chest and throat, solidifying on his face and forcing its way into his mouth to change his vocal cords from human to creature.
With an ecstatic screech, Getsu lunged at his counterpart. Tensa grinned as he parried, their faces mere centimetres away before they pushed apart to continue their dance of swords and arrows. It quickly turned gruesome. Arrowheads were buried into ankles to hinder speed. Tendons were cut to lower agility. At some point, Tensa lost a finger, a gift he happily returned by destroying Getsu's arm.
The cut-off limb hadn't even been swallowed by the green sea below before it had regrown.
Thus began Tensa's never-ending war on Getsu's arms and legs.
Getsu couldn't give less of a shit. To annoy his counterpart further, he began to actively sacrifice his limbs so he could get another hit in. It cost him his leg and a chunk of his hip but raking his claws through Tensa's back, cutting through Blut and feeling bone and muscle succumb, was more than worth it. He purred in Tensa's ear as he went still, legs immediately ceasing function as the spine was wrecked. The wings froze momentarily in shock. Gravity clawed at him but Tensa shook out of it before he lost more than a few centimetres of height. Thin strings, barely visible to the naked eye, were commanded into existence. Tensa twisted as the last claw left his back, cutting off the arm and a horn with his blade.
'Bastard', Tensa muttered under his breath with a blood-thirsty grin that almost split his face, eyes burning with fire and maybe a hint of madness. He inverted his grip on his sword and formed his bow, pulling the string taut in one fluid motion. 'I will make you my fucking pincushion'.
The threat-no, the promise-made Getsu purr with unadulterated glee, golden eyes wide and shining like that of a child on a sugar high. The rumbling hum transformed into a song chitters as Getsu had to dodge a barrage of arrows that rained from the unblemished sky.
Neither half could remember a time-in either of both of their lifetimes-where they had as much fun as they had now.
If only it didn't have to end.
The end began-as it did with many fights-with a mistake. Tensa evaded the wrong way, creating an opening Getsu couldn't ignore. He swung his blade, intending to bisect the other completely. He noticed the blade too late and when his own cut through Blut-hardened skin, Getsu lost vision in his left eye.
It was a "fatal" injury. The blade went in through his eye and exited through the back of his skull. Tensa wouldn't have survived the clash, either. The blade went in from the side and carved up a way to the centre of his chest.
Neither moved, their breathing quick from excitement. After a spell, it was Tensa who broke the silence.
'Tie'.
It wasn't a question but a statement, a conclusion to an assessment to which Getsu full-heartedly agreed with.
Without needing to communicate, they simultaneously removed their blades from the other's body. Getsu yanked the kyber blade down, following the curve it had carved up back out. Tensa retracted the daito in one swift pull from Getsu's eye, the steel sliding out without touching the edges of the mask. Still, as the tip vacated the eye, the remainder of the mask broke apart. The particles split up, the majority going down to fill the gaping hole in Getsu's chest, and the rest went up to fill in the hole that was once a functional eye. Black smoke started to pour out of his closed eye and smug stretched lips, signalling the healing process was already in full swing. Once he felt his vocal cords could produce words, Getsu spoke.
'Why do ya always have ta stab and shoot me in the eye?' His voice was raspy and hoarse but audible nonetheless.
There was an amused glint in Tensa's eyes as he replied, 'Target practice'.
Getsu barked out a laugh, 'Yer a fucking asshole sometimes, ya know that?'
'Coming from you, I take that as a compliment', Tensa replied.
From the two of them, Tensa looked the worst. He was missing his left arm up to his shoulder, exposed veins a deep black as Blut kept him from bleeding out. The black coat was barely more than a spring jacket with how cut up and torn it was, showing off the blood-drenched—once white—dress shirt underneath. His back was gauged from Getsu's claws, pieces of spine visible whenever the spirit moved. The worst injury, however, was of course the most recent one, the near bisection from his hip to the centre of his chest.
If it hadn't been for Ransōtengai, the fight would have ended much, much earlier.
Tensa looked around, eyes flicking about with purpose. Getsu noticed and knew what his counterpart was searching for. With a low-level kidō, Getsu created a rope and tossed it to his right. It snaked through the air, wrapping around something in the distance. Getsu gave a pull to the woven gold and a long, black-clothed object came his way. He caught it without effort, the rope vanishing now its task was fulfilled.
'This yours?' Getsu asked knowingly, waving the arm as if it weren't abundantly obviously what he was referring to.
Tensa's eyes narrowed.
'So…Do ya need a hand growing a new one?' Getsu asked, pointing with the dismembered arm to Tensa's vacant left side. 'Or do ya rather have this one back? I may not be so sentimental but I know ya were attached to it'.
There was a shift in Tensa's jaw and Getsu grinned only wider. It seemed their fight had put his counterpart in an exceptionally good mood.
He passed the arm over to his other hand, taking it by the hand so he could spin it around at his side. 'Would ya like me ta…hand it over?'
Tensa held out his only hand, non-verbally insisting on his limb back. 'Getsu, please. I—'
'Ah, ah, ah~' Getsu said, wagging his finger in a scolding manner. 'I wouldn't get closer if I were you, could be dangerous'. He stopped spinning the arm and let go, causing it to fly up. He caught it by the forearm and pretended it was a gun. 'After all, I'm armed'.
A genuine chuckle burst free and Tensa had to cover his mouth to stifle it. He pinched his eyes shut, his fingers gripping over his lips tightly to keep himself from laughing but it was no use, his amusement having grown out of his control. His legs grew unstable, trembling more with each chuckle that broke through. One by one the strings unravelled until he couldn't hold it in anymore. Like a marionette who got their strings cut, Tensa crumbled to the ground in a laughing heap.
Getsu strolled over, playing with the fingers of the dismembered arm. 'I know this fight was a tie but I feel like I won'.
'You-! You absolute... jerk!' Tensa managed through his laughs from his rather uncomfortable position on the ground.
'Jerk?' Getsu leaned over his laughing counterpart. 'What happened to "bastard", or any of those other wonderful names ya called me so lovingly during our fight?' he asked with feigned disappointment.
Tensa tried to give him a glare but it only succeeded in making it look like he was having an emotional breakdown. 'My "apologies" if my insults are below your standards'.
'Nah, it's fine', Getsu said, picking the dirt and dried blood from under the dismembered arm's nails. 'Seeing ya crumble in a laughing, crippled heap makes up for it'.
'You are pure evil'.
'Ya only realise that now? And here I thought you were the smart one here', Getsu taunted, bopping the other on the nose with his own hand and pulling it away before it could be snatched away. 'Sides, like you are one ta talk. You are the one who does "target practice" on my eyes and joints. I may be evil but you are a sadist'.
'For being the recipient of my sadistic tendencies, you sound awfully happy about it', Tensa noted. 'Are you a masochist, by chance?'
Getsu shrugged, 'What can I say? Watching another on the hunt…well, it's an art I very much appreciate'. Squeezing the arm under his own, Getsu knelt down and held out his hand. The offer was accepted. Their palms met and Tensa was pulled upright to sit. Shifting a bit, Getsu put his knee behind Tensa's back, freeing up a hand so he could tear off the shredded remains of clothing that covered the torso.
Every vein was visible, coloured black by the use of Blut. It was darker near the wounds and grew fainter as it spread out, almost like a spiderweb crack in glass.
Tensa took hold of his dismembered arm and Getsu lessened the pressure so he could obtain it. Giving the limb a quick look, Tensa put the cut-side to his stump. His eyes started to glow a brilliant blue and Getsu watched as a million thin strands weaved between the two pieces.
'Ya know. My way of healing may be faster, but yers is nice ta look at', Getsu said softly as Tensa stitched himself back whole.
'Want me to stitch you up next time?'
'Tch, don't think I can keep off my Regeneration that long'.
Tensa made a fist of his hand and moved it parallel to his arm, the strands were pulled taut and started to bring the two parts together. They connected, leaving a thin line behind. Tensa flexed his fingers, rotated his wrist and bent his elbow, making sure he had connected everything properly. Everything moved a bit stiffly but Tensa appeared to be pleased nonetheless.
'Meanwhile, my limbs lay somewhere rotting in the forest'.
'Is that a hint of jealousy I detect in your voice?' Tensa asked.
'No, it's a boatload', Getsu corrected without missing a beat. 'Want me ta fix yer insides?'
'If you are offering I will not decline'.
Pressing his hand to Tensa's lower back-covering the claw marks with his palm-Getsu pulled on that little thread of Hollow Energy that hid deep inside the Quincy Zanpakutō. Black was quick to conquer the white of Tensa's right eye, the brilliant blue shifting to emerald and then gold.
There was a pop and crack as several bones snapped back in place and mended. The large gash in his side shrunk, white smoke rising from the rapidly healing skin.
Tensa took a deep breath, keeping it in for a few seconds before releasing it slowly.
'Breathing feels nice when nothing is piercing yer lungs, doesn't it?'
'If you did not heal so fast, I would not have to fire so many arrows into your chest'.
'Is that jealousy I hear in ya voice?'
'Most certainly', Tensa replied. His eyes looked back up and settled on something that made his brows rise just a bit. 'It is still bound'.
Getsu raised an eyebrow, briefly wondering what the other was talking about. He finished healing and then reached back to retrieve the braid. As Tensa had said, it was still neatly woven together. Only a few strands had managed to slip free.
'Well?' Tensa breathed. 'What is your verdict?'
The Hollow Zanpakutō sighed and flung the braid back over his shoulder. 'It will do'.
Tensa frowned at the dismissiveness, his bottom lip a sliver away from pouting.
'I mean, it did stay put throughout our oh-so-satisfying spar', Getsu added with a smirk.
That seemed to appease the other. 'It was very satisfying indeed', Tensa hummed.
'Wanna go another round?'
Tensa chuckled, 'I think I have had my share of battle for now'.
'What about tomorrow?' Getsu pressed.
With his body back in shape, Tensa flexed his fingers again to see if the twitch of before was gone. It was. 'I am afraid you will have to wait a bit longer than that to spar with me again'.
Getsu grumbled but didn't press further.
'Next week, maybe'.
Silver eyes looked up at the other, 'Don't mess with me, brat. Ya can't say stuff like that if ya don't mean it'.
'Next week', Tensa repeated, more certain this time. 'Would Thursday suffice?'
'Ya better mean it', Getsu said.
'I do'. Using Ransōtengai, Tensa pulled himself up to his feet, prompting Getsu to stand as well. Testing the strength of his legs, he found them stable enough to hold his weight. 'On the condition that you cease your continuous hounding for a fight, I am willing to indulge you at least twice a month'.
'I'm gonna hold ya to that'.
'I expect nothing less'.
Without verbal communication, they both pulled back power and sealed their Bankai, followed by their Shikai. Zan wouldn't admit it out loud but he was saddened to see the braid burn up in energy, leaving short, combed-back hair behind.
'In the interim, why do you not focus on your spar with Ichigo?'
'But that's still days away', Getsu complained.
'Are you sure about that?'
Getsu couldn't even raise a brow before the explanation arrived. There was a shift in the air and realisation hit the spirit with disbelief.
'No way…you didn't- we did not-?'
Zan just smiled at him.
Sure enough, the sound of a sonic boom reached them and they could feel Ichigo head their way. Confirming that yes, Zan had indeed, and yes, they actually had.
Getsu's face lit up with bloodlust, excitement and genuine happiness. His Spiritual Pressure was almost strangling Zan's with appreciation. But that wasn't enough. Before Zan knew it his arms were squeezed to his sides as Getsu had trapped him in a bone-shattering hug. He was lifted off his feet and twirled around, feeling Getsu laugh into his abdomen with barely contained excitement.
'I owe ya!' Getsu said, briefly tightening his embrace even more before letting go and vanishing in a buzz of Sonído.
Zan followed him with his senses. Dozens of kilometres were covered before the two met. They appeared to play around a bit before Ichigo left, pulling Getsu along to materialise outside.
Once he was alone in the world he shook his head, the smile still lingering on his face. He couldn't believe they had fought for almost four days straight. It had gone by so fast. It almost felt like a dream, a very violent but satisfying one. The last time he had fought for any considerable amount of time was while Getsu and he were merged all those years ago in the Dangai during the Winter War. Those months didn't even hold a candle to these three and a half days.
It had been liberating, more so than he had expected it to be. As if he had been shackled all this time and only now was able to let go, let himself get lost in a haze of battle and have fun. His face actually hurt from all the smiling and laughing.
"I owe ya".
No, Getsu was wrong. He didn't owe him at all, that he would even think that made Zan feel guilty. "Owing" implied Zan was making a sacrifice, that he was being inconvenienced somehow and that there was an expectation of being repaid in some manner for engaging his other half in a spar.
How could it be a sacrifice when they had nothing but time on their hands? In what way could it be an inconvenience when Zan enjoyed it as much as his other half did? Why would he need to be repaid when the satisfaction from the fight was the best form of payment he could think off? The only reason Zan had put a stop to it was that he knew Ichigo would come to pick Getsu up soon and it would have been awful to stop mid-fight.
I suppose I should not be surprised. How often had he denied Getsu when he had asked him for a spar? How many times had he pointed the other the door whenever he came to him in hope of some entertainment? Zan was uncertain if he had ever said yes to such a request before this week and even this time he had not agreed without some insistence on Getsu's part.
He was a horrible person and a terrible Zanpakutō, how had it taken him this long to realise that?!
His smile was gone, the remaining ache of his facial muscled now weighing heavily on his shoulders. I have brought this upon myself. I let myself get blinded by a pride that was not even mine and was too stubborn to admit it-to accept it. Even when confronted with evidence to the contrary, I choose to cling to falsehoods instead. I have been a fool.
Wisps of emotions reverberated through the Mindscape and Zan found himself longing to join the battle outside. To fight alongside Getsu-his other half-as a joint front against Ichigo-their wielder.
Next time, he decided—no, promised himself. Next time he would join them. Next time he would accept the offer without needing to be convinced. Next time…
…Next time he might take the initiative and be the one asking for a spar.
#
END
(For real this time)
BLEACH – Tite Kubo