Kenpachi and Arata deflect each others attacks with their own attacks. Both men were on edge and filled with unbridled battle lust. The clashing of their weapons was like music to their ears and only fueled their desire for fighting.
Kenpachi acted faster than Arata and slashed his chest. However, to his delighted surprise, He did not bleed. Hell, a wound wasn't even made. Arata kicks him in the head, pushing him back before he went for an overhead attack. Kenpachi blocks the powerful attack and the two back off for a moment.
The captain looks at his arm and notices how much they were shaking and how numb it was. "Your attacks are so powerful my arm is actually hurting" he said as he grinned. "This is what I'm talking about! This is good!"
"You took the words right out of my mouth" Arata replied. He the shunpos in front of Kenpachi. The captain strikes but he evades him using shunpo again. Though his training with the technique was still fresh, Arata used it like a champ, with him using it multiple times in succession.
Kenpachi, going on instinct, slashes at where he thinks Arata would shunpo next. He is correct and lands another attack on him however, it was blocked. Kenpachi then starts pushing him with a myriad of powerful strikes. He attacks until Arata nears the cliff edge where Arata lets himself fall back. Kenpachi looks down the cliff but doesn't not even seeing a falling body.
Before he knew it, he spits out blood, feeling his back once again slashed. The wound was larger than before and he felt warm blood coating his clothes. He turns and attacks but Arata catches his blade, his skin new and improved after attaining shikai. He drops his axe for a second before shooting a red fire ball at Kenpachi's face. He quickly picks his weapon back up and flash steps away, creating distance between them but for only a fleeting moment.
Kenpachi charges at him, face slightly burned, and clash again. The shockwave created as so great it sent some of the lieutenants flying back.
Ichigo and Orihime stare at Arata awestruck. For Ichigo, he was impressed and somewhat envious. His battle with Kenpachi wasn't anything like this. It wasn't as long as this fight and Ichigo wasn't sure he would've lasted long against Kenpachi if the two fought for this long.
Orihime looked at Arata smiling hopefully, seeing that he had a fighting chance to win. Although she was happy he had a chance, she couldn't help but feel unnerved at how savage Arata was fighting. It was like the time he activated his soul reaper powers for the first time. She was awed and intimidated by the way the man fought at the time but now, she was feeling more intimidated than awed.
Back to the fight, the two continue to go at each other like rabid animals. They landed attacks on each other but this time, it was different. Kenpachi was actually bleeding more than Arata. Probably his new skin played a part in this, being more durable than before.
Arata uppercuts Kenpachi. The latter stumbles back some steps before he was then delivered a hook kick to the head. When Arata landed back on the ground, Kenpachi acted and sliced his right shoulder deep. The wound from before may have closed and somewhat healed themselves but much of the fatigue from before still lingered and now, with Kenpachi adding more, the tiredness was increasing by the second and the old wounds were opening back up after so much damage.
"You look like you're gonna topple over" Kenpachi comments.
"Same goes for you too. Is it me or are your eyes fluttering?"
"I ain't down just yet. Lets keep this party going!" and he charges in once again. The two engage again but this time, Kenpachi gained the upper hand. He slashes Arata's body and it was then that Arata started noticing the durability of his skin wasn't protecting him that much from Kenpachi's mighty attacks. He slashes again across Arata's chest and shoulder and the executioner was forced to shunpo away. This did little as the captain used his natural speed to catch up with Arata where he was only a few feet from him.
Arata raises his open hand and tries to focus another Shakkaho. What came out was entirely diifferent however. A burning white sphere emerges from his open palm before a large beam of wild white energy erupts from Arata's hand and fires at Kenpachi. From being too close at the time, he does not dodge and takes the hit head on and it blasts him back many feet.
Arata lets off the energy and the beam dissipates. He looks to see Kenpachi standing but burnt as all hell, his shirt in pieces and his skin charred. He pants like an exhausted dog as he regains tries to regain himself.
Everyone looks on shocked; Arata just used a signature move of the hollows, a cero. Ichigo recalls his encounter from the menos grande and how it did the exact same thing Arata just did. The blast was different though, in power and most notably, heat. He could feel it from where he was standing.
Arata pauses. He looked down at his hand and saw it shaking. His body wasn't prepared to unleash an furious attack like that. Unlike the others, he knew little of hollow powers so he did not know what he did but he can reflect on that later. He still had a battle to fight. Seeing an opportunity, Arata rushes Kenpachi just as he regained his senses. He was too late to stop Arata from creating a large deep slash across his now bare chest but he wasn't done. Arata spins around and uses the momentum to slam Kenpachi using the flat 'face' of his axe. He is knocked down on his back, bleeding and feeling the wind knocked out of him.
Arata looks down at Kenpachi's downed form but his shoulder wound spews blood and Arata topples and uses his axe as support to lean on.
Orihime smiles in happiness. "Arata! You won!" she yells out to him.
"I can't believe it" Ichigo said in disbelief. Not only did Arata do the impossible and win against Kenpachi, he also demonstrated hollow powers and abilities. He even did it without losing control of himself. How? How can he have such control? How can he do it so effortlessly while he himself... couldn't. Even now, his inner hollow was clawing at him and he feared losing himself each and everyday.
"What an interesting specimen" commented the clown-looking captain. "Nemu, make sure you acquire blood samples from that man"
"Yes master Mayuri" the girl as she then bowed.
Yamamoto looks down in acceptance before looking back up. "It would seem that I have to adhere to our agreement Arata Takahashi"
Arata moved again, on shaky legs, towards Kenpachi. He towers over him and raises his axe above him.
Ichigo and everyone knew what he was about to do. "ARATA DON'T!" the substitute yelled out but he was left ignored. Arata then brought his axe down at an alarming speed at Kenpachi's head, hoping to split his skull open with the attack and paint Sokyoku Hill in more blood.
A flurry of pink cherry blossoms stop him though. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees them rush him and Arata blocks using the large 'face' of his weapon. He was pushed back and away from Kenpachi and the cherry blossoms stopped. Arata peaks over his axe to see Byakuya holding his sword but the blade was missing. He wondered where it went until he was answered when the flowers converged on the empty sword before the a blade formed.
Arata growls in frustration. He just interrupted his kill. He was going to pay.
"That is enough. The deal was for you to defeat Captain Zaraki. You are pushing your luck if you wish to kill him" Byakuya states. Though the noble had little love for the battle-hungry man, his death would not serve them well. They were, after all, in the middle of a war.
Kenpachi also felt Arata's frustration and cursed the noble. "Damn it Byakuya. Had to ruin the fun huh?"
Arata attempts to shunpo at the man, ready to chop him to pieces for interrupting his kill until a dainty female hand grasps his shoulder. "Arata, it's okay. You won. There's no need to-" Orihime was saying before a startled gasp escaped her lips. Arata looks at her with questioning eyes but does not realize it was his eyes that startled her.
Flashes of her brother come to her mind and she freezes, afraid. Arata grows more confused. She was just talking normally a second ago but now she was seizing up like a rigid corpse. He knew it was fear. He has seen it all before but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. Was it his bloodied body? Was it his new weapon?
Another wave of pain washes over him and he groans out quietly and he collapses to the ground. That was enough too shock Orihime out of her daze and she tries to heal him but found that it wasn't working. She was too scared of his watching eyes to concentrate.
Arata was beginning to lose consciousness. Orihime saw it and tried kicking herself into high gear but no matter what she told herself, no matter what she assured herself, his eyes... his eyes...
A gently hand grasps her shoulder and she looks up to see Captain Unohana. "Tend to Captain Zaraki Orihime. I will take care of Arata. Don't worry" the captain assures the teen. Orihime looks at her before looking down at Arata's face, his eyes slowly closing. She feels guilt well up inside her at the fact she couldn't heal him but moves to Kenpachi to let Captain Unohana work. The captain gets to work immediately and starts to use her healing arts on the executioner. Though not as perfect as Orihime's Soten Kisshun, kaido was still efficient, especially if Unohana was the one doing the healing. Unohana's hands glow green and she hover them over Arata. It took some time but she was eventually able to restore his reiatsu to stable level and close his wounds. All there was left was to wait.
Which didn't take too long As Arata flutters his eyes open and looks up to see not Orihime that healed him but a captain. The two lock eyes and whether it was mutual or not, they stare into each others souls. It was clear to Unohana that this man has seen more battles than any other person and she wonders how that came to be. A more deeper voice inside her though reveled in those thoughts. Arata though saw a mix. A motherly healer and a skillful killer all in one. It intrigued him greatly.
He shakes those thoughts away and ask, "How did you heal me? Also, who are you"
"I used Kaido on you. As for who I am, I am the captain of squad 4, the medical squad, Captain Retsu Unohana. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Arata Takahashi" the woman introduces herself with a smile.
Arata believed that Tessai mentioned Kaido before in his kido lesson but they never got to that stage in his kido training. However, here he saw an opportunity. Why not let the captain of the medical unit of the soul society teach him the healing kido? For sure she would teach him the basics and much more.
"Teach me this kaido" Arata says suddenly.
Unohana was taken back by the abrupt request. Though she was always willing to teach kaido to her squad and others who might be interested, she was surprised it was coming from someone like Arata of all people. The man seemed like the type to only learn offensive kido spells and not any other. "May I ask why?" the captain questions.
"A warrior must always be prepared and must know everything to adapt to certain situations. Also... I love fighting. Learning how to heal myself will let me fight longer" Arata explains.
Unohana's eyes widen in nostalgia for a second before they return back to normal. It's been a long time since she heard that before. She smiles as she says, "That is quite a reason but I see no reason not to teach you. However, you can not just walk on in whenever. I am a captain after all and as a captain, I have many responsibilities. I will send a hell butterfly your way to inform you of whenever I am available". An intimidating aura then surrounds her. "With that matter out of the way, I suggest you work on your proposals Mr. Takahashi. If I was more stricter, I would feel quite insulted"
The aura does little to Arata. In fact, it only reinforces what he saw inside her soul. His own terrifying aura seeps out and the two regard each other. "That is your fault if you feel insulted. Why should I care what your reaction would be?" he shoots back.
Unohana continues to smile as her the air around her thicken. "Such a disregard for other people's feelings. Tell me, how has that worked for you? Has it gotten you in trouble before"
"I don't know. I never stay long enough to find out and never cared enough to listen"
As the two forces collide the others stay out of the way. Even the barely conscious Kenpachi was shivering from all that creepy.
Some time later...
After both men were tended to and healed, they and the others assemble back in the hall. The head-captain sits upon his chair as he stares down at Arata. "As per our agreement, you will now be apart of the division that is to watch over Karakura. As for your origins, those will have to wait. I look forward to you involvement in our organization Arata Takahashi"
Arata nods and just as he was about to leave, the old captain speaks again in a more serious tone. "I am willing to overlook your transgressions for now. After all, the lives you took were that of criminals. However, if something like this were to happen again, I will personally punish you myself".
The masked man stares back at the old man, feeling the sincerity in his statement. After some time, he softly scoffs and says, "Whatever". He looks in Ichigo and Orihime's direction, and the girl widens her eyes before casting her eyes away. He frowns and walks out with Ichigo and Orihime in tow.
Yamamoto narrows his eyes in their direction. The small female captain approaches him and asks, "Do you wish for me to assign spies to watch over him Head-Captain?"
Yamamoto shakes his head. "That will not be necessary Captain Soi Fon. He is fortunately under enough watch with Kisuke Urahara, Ichigo Kurosaki, and his human friends. And judging by his shunpo performance earlier, under Yoruichi Shihoin's watch as well"
Soi Fon scowls, the thought of that man training with her precious mentor souring her mind.
"With them there, they should be sufficient in stopping him" Yamamoto says.
"But what about his origins? We are still in the dark about where he came from" Soi Fon proposes.
"I do not trust that man but I do trust the people he surrounds himself with. In time, they will shine the truth on Arata Takahashi but for now, this case is settled. You are all dismissed"
Soi Fon and the rest of the captains and lieutenants file out, leaving Yamamoto to his thoughts.
Meanwhile...
Arata was walking around the Seireitei with Ichigo, Orihime, and Renji. The redhead joined them after departing from his captain only to find the trio wandering aimlessly in the streets.
"What're we even doing?" asks Renji walking.
Arata continues to look forward as he asks, "Where is a good place to eat here?"
Renji then realizes what Arata's aim was and started directing them to a good place to eat. The executioner looks at the other two members of his party only to find Ichigo conversing with Renji about something and Orihime avoiding his gaze.
He did note that it had to do with something she saw on him but Arata did not what it was. Only that it was enough to shock her enough to instill fear into her.
He found the thought bothersome. Things are going to get complicated. He was sure of it.
