Disclaimer: No I do not own Bleach.

Heart of Wind

Chapter 11: Clear

Takai snapped his Soul Slayer up, the blade glittering with blue light. "Jigen Kizu!" Then he slammed his sword downwards, a crescent of shimmering light tearing through the ground towards Kemura quickly.

Kemura's sneer didn't relent. ("Just as fast as before…foolish boy. He should have learned his lesson last time.") He could tell by Takai's stance that he had put his full swinging power into that attack. And that meant his back was open, just like last time.

Flash-stepping right behind Takai, he pushed the blade of his Soul Slayer in towards the small of Takai's back. ("You cannot protect yourself, just like before. Be smitten by my might, weakling!")

Takai glanced behind him, his eyes meeting with Kemura's. "What are doing? Are you trying to kill me with that kind of speed?"

Kemura immediately realized his mistake, and his mental restraints on his spiritual power dropped just in time to give him the speed to reposition his blade to stop a downward swing that would have chopped him in half.

Takai held his blade pressed against Kemura, not letting up on the pressure in the slightest. His face came inches from Kemura's, and their eyes met…relaxed ice against angry fire. "I'll tell you this only once, Kemura Ushudan. If you take me lightly again…I won't hesitate to chop your head off just like I did to your henchman."

They stood there for the longest time, simply matching glares while the wind blew through their hair. And then that silence was broken. "How?"

Takai narrowed his eyes slightly. "Come again?"

"How have you become so strong in such a short amount of time?" Kemura pushed against Takai's blade, and like he had expected he found the resistance absolutely solid. "Your defensive power is suddenly on par with that of a 2nd seat, and your offensive power, if that last strike was any indication, shows you can most likely match any Vice Captain blow for blow. So I ask again, how?"

Takai's expression of cold distaste didn't change. "I don't feel the need to answer you."

"…….." Kemura closed his eyes. "That's a shame." And then Takai was launched thirty feet into the air, huge bolts of blue lightning arching through him and sending his body into a wild dance as it was pounded with who-knows how many volts of electricity. "Your intelligence didn't improve at all, or else you might have actually had a chance to show me just how strong you had become."

Takai's body twitched a few times…and then leapt up to its feet.

Kemura stood there, wide-eyed, as he watched the boy shake himself off like a dog shaking water from its fur. "Impossible…you should be dead."

Takai slowly brought his eyes in line with Kemura's, to reveal that he hadn't changed expressions at all. "Your lightning attack is dangerous…but honestly, I expected more from you Kemura. That's fine though." He lifted the thin blade of his Soul Slayer to point at the Ex-Vice Captain's nose. "Get ready, because I'm about to go all out on you."

Kemura felt it now, something he should have felt before. It was a power beyond what this boy should have been able to access. ("What…what is this? Why is his spirit force rising so quickly?")

Takai's mind slowly slipped back to just a couple of days ago…

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Two "days" ago…

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Urahara's eyes snapped wide open as he felt it…a surge of spiritual pressure far beyond what he had expected. ("Did she come out again?") Then he realized that something was coming out of the crater his attack had caused…

Takai slowly walked out of the crater, the air around him pulsing and swirling. He began to approach Urahara slowly, his very footsteps menacing in nature.

Urahara dipped his sword towards the ground slowly, watching Takai very carefully. He couldn't tell whether this was Takai or Kyaru, and depending on who it was he would have to adjust his tactics appropriately.

Takai was suddenly moving, his blade connecting with Urahara's for a moment, before they broke away. But just as quickly as he was repelled by the Ex-Captain's impossible spiritual strength, he returned without breaking his stride at all. His stance spoke of a calm composure that most in his situation would never be able to pull forth.

Urahara didn't feel any heat or passion in these blows being thrown at him. Knocking another swing aside, his eyes looked right into Takai's and for a moment he was hypnotized by the strange relaxing glow that emanated from the boy's gaze. ("What is this calm feeling? Why is it that I cannot bring myself to strike him back?") His arm snapped up to block another blow, sparks flying everywhere because of the impact. ("I don't understand you, Ito-san. You possess her fire sometimes, and then at times like this you are as cold as ice. And yet it seems that no matter which way you are, you possess a power that makes you dangerous.")

Takai's mind was a blank slate, that voice echoing in his thoughts over and over again. He twisted the blade of his sword to stab Urahara in the throat, but was quickly stopped and sent sliding back again because of a burst of spiritual pressure. "Urahara-san…"

"Hm?" Urahara felt too relaxed now, and he wasn't sure why. Something about Takai's stance spoke that his body knew something his mind didn't…

"Tighten up your defense…or you'll die." Takai's calm exterior suddenly turned focused and angry….

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Back in the present…

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…his body became surrounded in a spinning tornado of blue air. It shook the entire school and sent cries of surprise coming from the windows of the classrooms that were open.

Kemura frowned as he felt that power building. ("What is it? What is he doing?")

Takai's eyes flashed emerald for a moment. "Michisio, Kessouenkatsu!" Then his sword fell, and as it fell an explosion of blue energy erupted from the blade, tearing through the rooftop and shooting right past the side of Kemura's surprised face.

The Ex-Vice Captain snarled and gripped his Soul Slayer's hilt tighter. "Shikai? Fool, do you think just because you know your Soul Slayer's name that you can match me?"

The tornado died out as a blue and black blur exploded from it, launched right at Kemura. The aristocratic Death God snapped up his Soul Slayer to block the inevitable attack, and as soon as he felt that blade meet his own he sneered coldly. "You won't shake it off this time." Then lightning exploded along his sword's blade. "Enough electricity to kill anything human or Hollow…"

Takai calmly lifted up his head, eyes still glowing emerald. "Wrong choice of attacks, Kemura." Then he was moving faster than his opponent could, slashing a deep cut across Kemura's chest and kicking the Ex-Vice Captain in the stomach hard enough to send him sliding to the other end of the rooftop.

Kemura's spiritual energy immediately stopped his wound from bleeding, and he straightened up, glaring at Takai. "Impossible, you couldn't have simply shrugged off that much lightning…"

Takai's eyes spoke infinite calm, a form of tranquility that wouldn't be broken. "You misunderstand." He stabbed his Soul Slayer into the rooftop. The weapon had gone from a small katana to a very long and thin weapon with no guard. But what made the weapon truly unique was its blade. It was almost completely clear. "Crystal doesn't conduct electricity."

"A crystal-bladed Soul Slayer…" Kemura frowned and looked down at his own weapon, the blade shimmering with a healthy blue glow as it begged him to attack through his mind. "I see. So that is your Soul Slayer's true form…a weapon made not of metal, but of crystal."

Takai pulled the long weapon, almost two-thirds his height, out of the rooftop and snapped it back and forth a couple of times. "Kessouenkatsu u (Crystal Harmony) is a weapon that uses the purest spiritual energies in the air around it to create a weapon of the purest purpose. This weapon has no reason to exist except to cut through people like you." The blade let out a quiet and peaceful humming noise as he aimed it at Kemura. "It is my Soul Slayer, the first Soul Slayer that has two Shikai."

"Two Shikai." Kemura smirked. "Impressive, but honestly…not that scary." He suddenly flash-stepped out of sight, appearing right behind Takai. "The Soul Slayer is powerful, but the wielder is still weak!"

Takai turned and snapped the clear blade up, both weapons crashing into each other hard enough to send shockwaves across the rooftop. "You don't get it, do you?"

"I think the one who doesn't get it is you." Kemura flash-stepped once more, not surprised at all to find Takai right in front of him when his step ended. Snapping up his Soul Slayer's curved blade, he caught Takai's swing and deflected it easily. Using that opportunity, he sacrificed his defensive stance to stab at Takai full force. "I see an opening in your defenses every second…your skill is too low!"

Takai pushed off with his right foot and flash-stepped a few feet back. "Is that so? I wouldn't comment too much on that. Your speed and skill are rather weak, and your power isn't too much to comment on either."

"Is that so?" Kemura slowly straightened up again and tapped the un-bladed edge of his Soul Slayer against his shoulder. "You don't understand then, what my true skill is. Unlike most Death Gods, who foolishly focus on only one aspect of their abilities, I focus on all aspects of my abilities equally. You can't even use Demon Arts, which puts you at a huge disadvantage compared to me."

"Your Demon Arts don't scare me because their special abilities have to connect to hurt me." Takai glanced at his Soul Slayer for a moment, and then his eyes turned emerald again. "Show me what you've got."

Kemura lifted the blade of his Aoihekireki (Blue Thunder) up with Takai's head. "I will chop you down in one slash."

Takai was suddenly surrounded by a pulsing aura of blue air. And then he flash-stepped out of sight.

Kemura turned and blocked a blow aimed for his side. Before he could even finish blocking fully Takai had already disappeared though. ("His speed is incredible…but not impossible. I can catch him with this!") His Soul Slayer's blade crackled with lightning and he snapped it around him in a wide arc, leaving a line of electricity hovering wherever it passed. "Ikazuchi Kago!" (Thunder Cage)

Takai flash-stepped into view at the other end of the roof, his emerald eyes looking at the ground at his feet. Then, as if just remembering what he was doing, he looked up just in time to see a blast of white lightning hurtling towards him. ("That's one of Homorue's techniques!") Then he flash-stepped out of the way right before that blast could incinerate him.

Kemura sneered and with his free hand unleashed another Sokatsui (White Lightning) from his hand, watching as Takai flash-stepped in the exact directions he had predicted. ("This boy is a fool. In a few seconds he will be trapped.")

Takai flash-stepped out of the way of another of the blasts, and then stopped his step when he was at the center of the rooftop. All around him, there were crackling networks of blue lightning that seemed almost as if they would attack him if he moved.

Kemura laughed out loud. "That was too easy. And here I was hoping that you had something worthwhile to show me!" His free hand flexed into a fist and the networks of electric nets launched inwards, collapsing around Takai's position. "That was far too…"

Suddenly the nets all shuddered and exploded into little pieces, tiny threads of electrical energy raining down over the rooftop and school. Takai slowly rested his Soul Slayer on his shoulder, emerald eyes glowing.

Kemura's pleased demeanor was replaced by a calm and deadly serious expression. "What was that just now…that couldn't have been just your abilities. How did you stop my Ikazuchi Kago?"

Takai closed his eyes. "You're right, I didn't do that on my own." His calm stance grew even calmer, and his eyes flashed brighter.

Kemura's eyes widened in understanding. "Your Soul Slayer…"

"That's right." Takai turned the clear blade of his Soul Slayer slightly, catching a few rays of sunlight on the blade and making it glitter. "Kessouenkatsu's special ability is not anything special or flashy, like your Soul Slayer and its power over lightning. No…it's power is much more subtle than that." His unending gaze seemed to stare right into Kemura's soul. "It is the power of total insight into a battle. My mind cannot be shaken, cannot be tricked, and I cannot be defeated by your tactics. This is the power of my Soul Slayer…and its name is Meirou Shinen!" (Clear Thought)

Kemura's eyes widened as he suddenly realized that Takai had disappeared. He turned just in time to watch as a glittering crystal blade slashed down across his chest once more.

Takai didn't flinch in the slightest at the spray of blood he saw. His mind was too relaxed and too focused to be disturbed by anything. "You've lost, Kemura."

Kemura stumbled back, the whole of his spiritual energy getting poured into stopping the blood flow of his wound. Finally it stopped and he looked down at his chest. Then his eyes lifted to meet Takai's, and for a few moments neither of them could look away. It was as if time had stopped… "No."

"What?" Takai's eyebrows lifted slightly. "What do you mean?"

"This battle is far from done." Kemura calmly stabbed his Soul Slayer into the ground. "I will use my full power to defeat you, for you have earned my respect in that regard. What is your name?"

"Takai Ito." Said Death God was fully alert to any possible sneak attacks, and he was surprised that no such sneak attacks were in Kemura's stance. ("This is an authentic question, no tricks….")

"Takai Ito…" Kemura grasped the hilt of his Soul Slayer. "A short name…but one with respect. Very well, I will end this with my Shikai." Lightning crackled along the blade of his sword. "Do you understand, Takai Ito?"

Takai's expression didn't change. "Do what you wish, I intend to finish you."

"If you believe that, then let me tell you something." Kemura pulled his Soul Slayer out of the roof. "And that is the true nature of my Soul Slayer. All I have shown you so far is simply a meager portion of its, and my, real power. Here is my true strength…in the form of your doom." Suddenly he was surrounded four glowing balls of lightning, each the size of a basketball. "Are you prepared to face my ultimate technique, and my true ability?"

Takai glanced at each of the balls in turn, and then casually rested his Soul Slayer against his shoulder. "You need to ask me that? Are you preparing for something?"

"Preparing?" Kemura swung his sword once and the balls all scatter to the four corners of the rooftop, each one hovering a few feet above the overhang. "I do not need to prepare for this. Let us begin."

To be continued…