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"Rukia" – Normal Speech
'Ichigo' – Thoughts
*Kaien-dono* - Zanpakutō speech/thoughts
"Bankai!" – Spiritual Technique
Chapter 15: Broken Masks Part 2
Kirika vs. Hisagi Shūhei
The clash of zanpakutō resounded throughout the courtyard as numerous duels started. Kirika was actually enjoying her fight for once, since she was facing off against someone who wasn't strong enough to cause her to suffer the effects of Reiatsu Rebound just by attacking them.
The scowling face of Hisagi Shūhei glared back at her as she parried one of his thrusts and countered with a cut of her own that was barely blocked. The man was quite good in Kirika's humble opinion. He was leagues ahead of anyone she'd ever fought in the World of the Living (outside her training with Yoruichi and Hat-and-Clogs), but not good enough to completely outpace her. Training exclusively under three Captain-class Soul Reapers for half a decade had some benefits after all.
For Shūhei's part, he was becoming increasingly annoyed by this masked Soul Reaper. Not only had she stolen Kuchiki Rukia out from under him at the Senzaikyū, not only had she unilaterally dragged him off for a fight when he would have preferred to have supported his Captain in his own fight, but now she was also proving herself to be an astoundingly competent swordswoman which was further preventing him from assisting his captain.
The basic techniques of Zanjutsu had been designed by the Sōtaichō himself over a thousand years ago and at the core of those techniques was a style that was built around adapting and customizing itself to best utilize the skill, talents, and inclinations of each practitioner and their Zanpakutō. Shūhei himself used a style that was only slightly modified from the orthodox style taught in the Shinōreijutsuin, having focused his own personal training in other areas, despite working to maintain an 'acceptable' (to his own conditions) level of skill in the art of swordplay.
This girl though, her style was so heavily modified and bizarre that he barely recognized it as Zanjutsu. In just the short time they'd been fighting he'd noticed elements from a style you'd see in the Noble Houses, the rarely used Onmitsukidō sword style, some defensive style that he wasn't familiar with that seemed to focus on blocking attacks before quickly reacting to them, and another unfamiliar style that focused on quick one-handed thrusts and cuts to quickly attack and withdrawal away from a foe.
It was so random that it kept throwing him off balance. Not even Kenpachi was as random as this girl, and he didn't even use true Zanjutsu, merely relying on his instincts, talent, and combat experience.
Perhaps that was the purpose around her style? To be difficult to predict and thus create openings when a foe made an error in how they reacted?
Beyond that though, there was something that irked him beyond all measure whenever their zanpakutō clashed. He was reading her and she was reading him due to them both being high-level Soul Reapers. There was a key lesson that he always tried to instil into all of his subordinates that this girl lacked and it sorely irritated him.
"What's the matter, Hisagi-san?" Kirika asked, seeing the scowl deepen on his face after they clashed blades again. "You look as if you're sucking on a lemon."
"You…there's no fear in your blade." The tattooed man said in dissatisfaction.
The helmeted head of his opponent tilted to one side in query. "Why would I be afraid? And of what?"
"Your own power." He explained. "At all times, you must fear your power. He who fears not the blade he wields had no right to wield that blade. You do not fear your power. You do not deserve to wield it."
There was silence from Kirika as she digested this statement. Then, a snort burst free from her, followed by a howling laugh of obvious hilarity and amusement. Shūhei scowled at her even as the eyes of other Soul Reapers and even some of the Ryoka turned to look at her in incredulity.
Kirika was bent over as she laughed. Her lungs aching from the exertion as her laughter exploded out of her and she could feel a stitch starting to develop in her side. The good thing was that she wasn't so amused that she was crying with laughter.
"Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" she giggled before finally running out of laughs. "Hoo boy. Haven't laughed like that in years! Thanks for that, Hisagi-san."
"Just what do you find so amusing?" the Lieutenant demanded.
"You. You and your philosophy." Kirika answered in amusement. "Afraid of my own power? For no reason other than it exists? The very idea is ludicrous."
Her voice dropped low. "Specific things though? I fear not having enough power to accomplish my goals. I fear not being able to control my power and getting someone hurt as a result. I even fear using my power for the wrong reasons. But fearing my power simply because it exists? No, that is something that I would never do, for it would limit me in ways unimaginable. I would forever lose my ability to step forward, because I'd always step back in fear the next moment."
Shūhei's breath caught in his throat as he realised that was exactly what was happening to him every time he attempted to train for Bankai. He could never take the step to materialising his Zanpakutō Spirit, because he feared it.
"I reject your philosophy." Kirika said as she pointed her blade at Hisagi Shūhei. "I reject your stance that you are right and I am wrong. I will tear you down and make you see that you and your Captain are wrong. Now, fight me, Hisagi Shūhei!"
Ichigo vs. Byakuya
Kuchiki Byakuya would like to think that he was able to maintain control of his emotions as much as possible. He was, after all, the Head of the Kuchiki Clan, as well as a Captain in the Goteijūsantai. The dual positions required a certain amount of control and composure that some of the other Captains (Kurotsuchi, Kenpachi, Ichimaru) decidedly lacked.
And yet… this human boy seemed to possess some strange and impossible ability to push all of his buttons and fray his control like no other!
The monster of a zanpakutō that the boy currently was at least the same size as the monstrosity that he'd carried when they first met, but at least that one had been an actual sword with a hilt and tsuka! This one was more like an oversized kitchen knife that he had seen the servants of the Kuchiki Clan use to prepare meat.
And yet, the boy seemed to wield it with a grace and finesse that would have put many of his fellow Shinigami to shame, a far cry from the clumsy and slapdash efforts that he recalled from Karakura Town. As with the Shikai of all zanpakutō, it was obvious that the orange-haired boy had been gifted with the basic knowledge on how to use the massive sword to its fullest potential, but there was a grace and smoothness to the orange-haired boy's movements that those insights could not explain. It was something that spoke of either decades of practice or a great deal of full contact sparring.
Or possibly both.
Given that the boy was a mere fifteen years old, it was self-evident that someone had put him through a hellish sparring regime over a short period of time, augmented by the combat he had seen since arriving in the Seireitei itself. This was somewhat concerning as the boy had grown immeasurably more powerful since the first time Byakuya had set eyes on him. Where before the boy had been a novice in every way besides raw power (where he was admittedly gifted), now he was almost certainly as skilled as an upper-level Lieutenant. At least.
However, what was irritating the Kuchiki Clan Head beyond all belief didn't have anything to do with his opponent's sudden increase in skill. It was Kurosaki Ichigo's narrowed eyes. They shone with determination, anger…and judgment. He was judging Byakuya. Judging him and finding him wanting.
By what right did this…infant…dare to judge Kuchiki Byakuya? What made Kurosaki Ichigo think he could imagine the trials and tribulations of his two centuries of life? It was insulting beyond all measure.
"What's the matter, Kuchiki Byakuya?" the orange-haired menace taunted him. "Don't tell me that's all ya got?"
"Curb your arrogance, human boy." Byakuya replied icily. "I have barely started to fight. Now, I will end it."
In a flash of Shunpo, he vanished, aiming to use the Senka technique to end this absurdity. His mind growled as he recalled the ease at which the masked girl, Kokken Asa, had broken and parried his technique, twice in fact. Well, it mattered not, for while the masked rogue had a level of skill in the arts of combat, the brawler he now faced, and even with his newfound strength and skill that was still what Kurosaki Ichigo fought like to Byakuya's well-trained sensibilities, did not.
It was then, with some amount of shock, that the human boy interposed his sword, making it act as a shield against his zanpakutō's attempt to pierce his Saketsu and Hakusui again.
"Ya know, I woulda thought you wouldn't use that technique now that everyone and their auntie saw Kokken beat it like you were an arthritic old granny." Ichigo commented before using his sword as a level to throw Byakuya back a few steps. "But nope. You assumed I was the same slow human that you almost killed back in Karakura."
"Humph. I see that that woman has had her claws in you as well." The Captain said disdainfully.
Really now. The fact that his old Hohō teacher had taken another disciple after being exiled to the Human World was very much a surprise, but now he knew about it, he could see the taint of her teachings all over the Kokken girl. The casual disrespect, the impudent attitude, the certain flair to her Shunpo techniques that was just similar enough to Shihōin Yoruichi's own to act as a calling card of sorts…it all screamed of her tutelage.
He hadn't recognised it for the simple reason that he had purposefully blocked out her teachings as much as he could. Just recalling them made a shiver run down the stoic noble's spine.
"She is a pain in the ass." Ichigo nodded. "Callin' me weird names, playin' 'Shunpo Tag' until I'm exhausted, showing up naked all the time…sheesh."
The last one was a new one for Byakuya, but he was well acquainted with the first two. It was one reason that he was glad he had had a century away from the infernal hell-cat of a woman.
"You would have been better put to have remained in the World of the Living and not interfered in Rukia's trial and execution, boy." Byakuya's voice was still as cold as the Arctic Circle. "Do you even realise what you have done by causing all of this chaos? What you have done by trampling upon the laws and pride of the Seireitei and Goteijūsantai? You have drawn the eyes of the most powerful beings in this life and the next upon you and your friends. In life and in death, you have doomed yourselves to be watched by us and monitored every day of your existences! There is no end to this for you!"
Much to Byakuya's supreme irritation, all this did was cause a cocky smirk to appear on the boy's face. "Yeah…if we lose. If we do or if we don't, bring it on, Kuchiki Byakuya. Tell me something…did ya know that I have an adopted sister too?"
Caught off guard, Byakuya raised an eyebrow inquisitively.
"Yeah. She's a good kid." Kurosaki hefted his monstrous sword onto his shoulder with one hand. "She worries too much about me and my other sisters, she trains too hard whenever she gets into something, she puts up with my old man's stupidity…there are things about her that irritate me and that I don't like, sure, but I'll be damned if I ever let someone so much as lay a finger on her! Not for any reason, especially if was because she was doin' what she thought was right, regardless of whether she broke a stupid law or not!"
This, Byakuya realised dimly, was why the boy was judging him. He was comparing them as older brothers to adopted younger sisters, using his morality as the judging material…and finding that Byakuya was dismally falling short of his standards.
It certainly explained the outrage and fury in the boy's body language, not to mention the judgement in his eyes. So much of the boy's character was devoted to protecting his family at all costs that the thought of acting like Byakuya was right now seemed to be throwing the human boy into a frothing fury.
Still…
"You know not what you speak of, Kurosaki Ichigo." The noble said softly. "Many things above and beyond your knowledge and understanding are at the crux of this matter."
"Then lay it out for me!" Kurosaki spat out, pointing his blade at Byakuya threateningly. "Explain to me why a brother would allow his sister, adopted or not, to be killed!?"
"Humph. If you crave an answer so dearly, then defeat me and take it by force." The Kuchiki Clan Head snorted. Then he raised his blade and held it before his face, flat parallel to his face. "Chire, Senbonzakura. (Scatter, Thousand Cherry Blossoms.)"
Upon his softly spoken command, the blade of his zanpakutō dissolved, scattering into a thousand small blades that were ordinarily too small and thin to be seen with the naked eye, but the light reflecting off of them made them look like a cloud of cherry blossom petals. It was a beautiful sight, one that Byakuya himself had never tired of watching.
Thrusting his hilt, all that remained of Senbonzakura's Fūingata form, at Kurosaki, whose eyes had widened considerably, Byakuya said, "If you cannot even withstand my Shikai, boy, then you have no right to demand answers of me."
"Bring. It. On." Kurosaki repeated his words from earlier before charging at him with his blade drawn back and ready to be slashed.
Yoruichi vs. Soi-Fon
A casually thrown kick that could disembowel someone if it landed. A punch strong enough to shatter concrete. An elbow strike that would make a strong man collapse in pain if it so much as nicked them.
All these and many more strikes were exchanged by the two women as they clashed on the rooves near the Hakutōmon. Yoruichi's confident visage never wavered for an instant, while Soi-Fon's grim scowl just grew and grew. The petit Captain had seen her subordinates taken down by that girl as if they had been first year students at the Shinōreijutsuin. It had been galling to watch, especially with the loud laugh filled with pride that Yoruichi had let out when the last member of the Keigun had fallen.
"You sure you haven't been slacking off on their training, Little Bee?" the Shunshin asked teasingly. "Because Kokken hasn't been my student for a full decade yet. No way should the Keigun be getting their asses handed to them so easily…unless she's really powerful or they've gotten weaker over the last hundred years."
"Silence!" Soi-Fon screeched. She drew back from the slugfest with the other woman and drew her sword. Ordinarily, that would prompt a flurry of Onmitsukidō operatives to appear, but they were currently beaten senseless a dozen meters away.
"Oh, so we're going that route are we?" Yoruichi smirked again. "OK. Lemme just do this."
With a click of her fingers, a Kidō vanished from the person of Soi-Fon's former mentor…an illusion Kidō. Strapped to the small of her back was a very familiar sword, one that Soi-Fon had witnessed in action many times.
Suddenly feeling off-guard, Soi-Fon threw aside her Captain's Haori. Her memories of her training with Yoruichi came to the fore unbidden, of all the times she had been instructed in Zanjutsu by the older woman, of the sparring sessions that they had undergone. The current Commander of the Onmitsukidō very firmly banished her thoughts to the back of her mind. Sentimentality was of no importance here; punishing this traitor was.
"Well then…let's get to it, Little Bee." The werecat said with a grin. In seconds, she had closed the distance between them and swiped at her. Soi-Fon immediately parried her attack and tried for a stab, one that was dodged as easily as it had been a hundred years ago.
As the fight went on, Soi-Fon realised that this match was playing out exactly as the last spar they had had before Yoruichi's betrayal. Every movement, every stab, every cut, every movement was exactly the same. History was repeating itself and she remembered, all too well, what Yoruichi had asked her after that duel.
"Not this time!" she shouted and broke the pattern by appearing behind Yoruichi, sword at the ready. She gripped the tip of her sword and said softly, "Jinteki Shakusetsu…Suzumebachi! (Sting all enemies to death, Hornet!)"
Letting off a white glow, the sword wrapped itself around its mistress' hand and settled there. When the glow faded, Suzumebachi was revealed to be an elbow-length black and gold gauntlet, with an elongated 'stinger' around her middle finger. The gauntlet was indeed patterned like a hornet and the chain linking the stinger and the rest of the gauntlet clinked slightly as the wind blew.
"Moving to Suzumebachi's Shikai so quickly…you really have changed, Soi-Fon." The purple-haired woman remarked. "That reminds me…I never showed you my Shikai, even when I asked you out, did I?"
Soi-Fon's eyes widened as, with one smooth motion, the former Commander of the Onmitsukidō drew and tossed her sword into the air. The zanpakutō spun in lazy circles as the other woman watched, mesmerised by the pattern it carved in the air. Then, almost negligently, Yoruichi's hand shot out and caught the blade between two of her fingers before bringing it around to point at Soi-Fon.
"Now…Scratch and Wound…Manekineko!" her predecessor said softly. White light erupted from the sword and when it faded, Soi-Fon felt her heart skip a beat as she saw a golden gauntlet wrapped around Yoruichi's arm. Looking between Yoruichi's Shikai and her own, the Commander of the Onmitsukidō was speechless.
Yoruichi had to speak up at this point. "Yup. Even if you didn't know it, you took after me in the Shikai department. How do you think I was able to help you with Suzumebachi's Hōmonka (Hornet Crest Flower) so easily?"
That…that question had never occurred to Soi-Fon. Not a century ago when Yoruichi was training her, and not in the many intervening years until this very moment, had she even considered how her teacher had known so much about fighting with a claw-type Zanpakutō. Yoruichi was someone she loved (hated) and respected (envied) with everything she was. So for her to have known the exercises to improve the duration of the crest marks that granted her zanpakutō the Nigeki Kessatsu (Death in Two Steps) ability had just seemed so obvious, because Yoruichi-sama had known everything, hadn't she?
'Enough! She isn't worthy of that honorific anymore!' Soi-Fon thought angrily. She had played with her heart and abandoned her to go with that bastard Urahara when he betrayed the Soul Society. She had to be beaten and punished!
Said soon-to-be-punished woman was flexing her gauntlet-covered hand with a confident smile on her face. "It's a good thing Kokken convinced me to spar with her using Manekineko, otherwise I'd be stuck fighting against you barehanded, and that wouldn't be easy against someone who knows my moves as well as you do, Little Bee."
Perversely, Soi-Fon felt a flicker of actual pride that her former mentor considered her a foe that could not be beaten easily.
"Now, things are going to get seriously bad pretty soon, Soi-Fon." Yoruichi's tone was deadly serious now, so much so that the former apprentice of the woman straightened herself up slightly. "The puppeteer behind this little show will show himself, and we have to be ready to get back to the others so no one dies."
"Wh-what nonsense are you talking about?" Soi-Fon scoffed. Really, did she think that playing mind games would work on her?
"You'll see…eventually." Yoruichi said with a sad smile that made Soi-Fon's heart skip a beat. "I will say this, Little Bee…I wouldn't have left willingly had it not been the only option available to me."
With a growl, Soi-Fon threw herself at her mentor, right hand drawn back and read to strike. "YORUICHI!" she howled in anger.
Just as quickly, the Shihōin Princess brought her own gauntlet-covered hand up and at her former disciple. "Bring it, Soi-Fon!"
The clash made everyone within at least a mile radius shudder from the sheer amount of Reiatsu the two women were putting out.
Back with the rest of the Rukia Rescue Team
"Holy crap!" Ganju shivered as he felt all of the different clashing Reiatsu sources around him. He was a Tenth Seat in strength at best and he was so far out of his depth that it wasn't even funny. Having two Captains, a Captain-class Lieutenant, three Third Seats, a Fifth Seat, a Quincy and two humans on his side wasn't doing him any favours, and those were only the ones who had yet to engage the enemy.
"Amazing…Kokken-sensei's so fast with her sword…" Orihime muttered in awe, her eyes fixed on the masked woman as she duelled with the tattooed lieutenant with increasing ferocity.
Chad grunted in acknowledgement as he fired another El Directo at another group of incoming, low-level Soul Reapers, scattering them like chaff. This made the fourth group he'd been forced to knock back. The low ranking Soul Reapers were currently showing behaviour frighteningly similar to ants, swarming out of every corner in an attempt to overwhelm them.
'I used to only be able to fire two blasts a day at most before nearly passing out, but now firing them is as easy as breathing.' The large, stoic Mexican youth thought with a bit of awe as he spotted another group of Soul Reapers approaching.
He made a note to get Kokken a box of chocolates or something as a thank-you present.
"El Directo!"
"That's rather impressive." Ukitake noted with a wince as the Mexican youth blasted even more Soul Reapers into unconsciousness.
"Yep. A Captain could dodge 'em, but even Lieutenants could get hit by them, never mind the lower ranks." Kyōraku agreed lazily. "Oh, Nanao-chan!"
A strict looking female Soul Reaper appeared in front of her Captain and adjusted her glasses. She carried a book in one arm and had no visible zanpakutō.
"Taichō, the Sōtaichō is taking note of Zaraki-taichō's rampage against Komamura-taichō and Tōsen-taichō." She said briskly. "He should be here soon."
Maniacal laughter accompanied by loud crashes and bangs showed that the Captain of Squad 11 was having a lot of fun. At least someone was enjoying themselves.
"My, oh my, Yama-ji." Kyōraku sighed. "Good job, Nanao-chan. Jū-chan and I will handle him; you stick around here and help the Ryoka."
"But Taichō!" Nanao protested, until Ukitake placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Nanao-chan, Genryūsai-sensei would crush you with a simple flex of his Reiatsu if you got within his reach." he said gently. "This isn't a fight you can come near, as much as having you there would be a boon. You can best support us by supporting these people. We'll be fine, I promise."
The bespectacled Lieutenant bit her lip before sighing and nodding. "Hai, Ukitake-taichō. I shall lend my aid to the Ryoka."
"Good girl." The white-haired man nodded approvingly before walking over to Rukia, who was still watching the orange-haired human boy fight her brother. Ukitake was rather surprised to see that Byakuya was actually using his Shikai against him. He usually only did that as either a one-hit kill or against an especially tough opponent. Judging from the amount of motion the not-Kaien was performing, the Captain of Squad 13 judged it to be the latter in this instance.
"Rukia-chan." He said gently, making the petit ravenette look up at him in shock.
"T-taichō!" she squeaked. Ukitake was amused to note that she had been completely ignorant of his approach, which was a first. Rukia had always been hypersensitive to his presence before so it was pretty telling that the Kaien look-alike held all of her attention.
"Kyōraku and I are going to hold off the Sōtaichō, Rukia-chan." He said with a nod in the general direction of the Squad 1 barracks. "Once this is all over and settled with, you and I need to sit down and talk. It's recently been brought to my attention that I have made several…less than stellar decisions in regard to you, and I need to explain them to you and apologise to you for them. Keep yourself safe until then, alright?"
"H-Hai…" Rukia nodded jerkily, her eyes wide. She couldn't imagine what her Captain could feel the need to apologise to her for, but she would follow his order. Hell, she would have done it anyway.
With a nod at his subordinate, Ukitake then exchanged a look with his old friend, prompting both to vanish in blurs of Shunpo. Anyone with sufficiently good skill at sensing Reiatsu could track their direction; they were heading towards the massive cloud of Reiatsu that had been slowly heading in the direction of the Hakutōmon for the last few minutes.
Slowly stumping his way down the main terrace of the Seireitei was Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryūsai, Sōtaichō of the Goteijūsantai. Over two-thousand years old, venerable and battle-weary beyond belief…and the strongest Soul Reaper to be born in that entire timeframe.
As his two students, men he loved like sons, blurred into position in front of him, Yamamoto sighed and opened one eye fully to glare balefully at the two of them.
"You young whelps…exactly what do you think you are playing at?"
"Forcing the hand of whoever is playing games with us, Genryūsai-sensei." Ukitake said respectfully. That almost made the old man chuckle. Even when outright rebelling against the Soul Society, his youngest student was still so damned respectful.
"I was well aware that someone has been playing games, young'un." He replied gruffly. "That is no excuse for rebelling against the Soul Society!"
"Ah, but Yama-ji, how're we supposed to flush the enemy out unless it looks like their prey is about to flee the trap?" Kyōraku countered easily. "This way, we can pull everyone who has a finger in this pie -the Ryoka, Shihōin Yoruichi and whoever is actually pulling the strings from the shadows- into the open where we can get all the answers we want and need."
That was Kyōraku for you; even when playing at being a lazy bum or a drunk, he had a mind sharper and keener than any zanpakutō's blade. Disrespectful and indolent perhaps, but he was also one of the best strategists and tacticians that Yamamoto had ever known.
"The time for words is over." Yamamoto said and threw aside his haori. "It's time I taught you two a lesson about going behind your teacher's back and acting out against your orders!"
"Would you have listened if we had told you about our plan, Yama-ji?" the kimono-wearing Captain asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Humph. You'll never know now that the moment has passed by." The Sōtaichō responded with a scowl. In truth, he had to privately admit that he probably wouldn't have listened. He strove to maintain the balance of the worlds and, as such, maintain the balance of the Soul Society. This meant that deliberately causing chaos to root out troublemakers was anathema to his way of thinking.
Still, these whelps had forced his hand now, hadn't they? Now he practically had to move as they desired if he wanted the chaos near the Hakutōmon to be worth the trouble. That meant he had to fight his students. He would have simply beaten them down with Hakuda as a punishment, but anyone who was watching on behalf of the mastermind would expect him to become serious in a fight. And to a Soul Reaper that meant one thing…
Grasping his staff, he gave a mental command and it changed into the true form of a sheathed sword; his zanpakutō. Drawing it for the first time in what felt like decades, he stabbed it into the ground and was surrounded by an aura of pure flames, his Reiatsu made visible by the element of his zanpakutō. He slid his arms out of his shihakushō and threw the top of the kimono, revealing his bare torso.
It was heavily muscled like a swimmer, built for endurance and staying power over raw strength. But the most eye-catching part of his bared torso was the countless number of numerous scars that crisscrossed it. As he moved, they became visible; healed wounds from two millennia of conflict against Hollows, renegade Soul Reapers, the Quincy and other threats to the balance of the world. All taken from those who sought to slay him.
The fact that he was still here and they were not was a statement.
Yamamoto then grasped his zanpakutō and pulled it from the ground, allowing the flames of his Reiatsu to coat it. Then he spoke.
"Banshō issai kaijin to nase…Ryūjin Jakka! (Reduce all creation to ash, Flowing Blade-like Flame!)"
With a single swipe of his now-released zanpakutō, the entire area was filled with flames, scorching, blazing hot flames that devoured all they touched.
"My, oh my…Yama-ji's getting into it." Kyōraku chuckled. "Jū-chan, we'd better get ready too…"
"Yes." The white-haired man nodded seriously and drew his own sword. Crouching, he placed his free palm on the tsuka of his sword as he uttered the Kaigo.
"Nami kotogotoku waga tate to nare, ikazuchi kotogotoku waga yaiba to nare… (All waves rise now and become my shield, lightning strike now and become my blade…)"
The sword in his hand split in half, forming two swords, the free hand grasping the new hilt quickly. About halfway up the blades, a pair of inward-facing curved blades reached down to a few inches above the hilt. A red cord with silver charms attached to it stretched between the two pommels and sang sweetly as they rattled.
"…Sōgyo no Kotowari! (Truth of Pisces!)" Ukitake finished grimly.
"Hana kaze midarete, kashin naki. (When the Flower Wind Rages, the Flower God Roars.)" Kyōraku drew his wakizashi as he spoke and flipped it around before horizontally crossing his katana with it. "Tenpū midarete, tenma warau. (When the Wind of Heaven Rages, the Heavenly Demon Sneers.)"
He looked Yamamoto in the eyes as he finished. "Katen Kyōkotsu. (Bones of Heavenly Blooming Madness.)"
Uncrossing his swords, they quickly changed into a pair of Chinese scimitars with red tassels hanging off of the pommels.
"Sōgyo no Kotowari and Katen Kyōkotsu…the only dual-sword zanpakutō in existence…and they are magnificent." Yamamoto praised. He had never been as proud of his students as he had been when they had unlocked their Shikai. A lot of nobles and the Central 46 had criticised him for taking the two of them as personal students, but that had been buried deep when they had unlocked their powerful zanpakutō, as if a single blade was not enough to contain their power.
"Let us begin, then." The Sōtaichō said with a regal nod. It had been many years since he had cut loose and unleashed Ryūjin Jakka like this. It had been even longer since he had sparred against his two students. To do both at once was at least something to offset the amount of paperwork that this mess was doubtless going to cause him.
The roar of his flames engulfed the area.
Kirika vs. Hisagi
The masked Soul Reaper almost staggered as the immense Reiatsu of three of the most powerful Captains in the Goteijūsantai crashed down upon her. Hisagi's wide eyes showed he was just as pressured by the bludgeoning Reiatsu as she was.
"Whew…the old man's still at the top of his game." Kirika whistled. Two thousand years old and still the most powerful Soul Reaper alive. Credit where credit is due, that is one hell of an accomplishment.
Speeding in, she clashed blades with Hisagi again, forcing him back. Seeing the frustration in his eyes, Kirika knew that he'd either release his Shikai or use Kidō next.
Sure enough, he disengaged and threw an Eishōhaki Hyapporankan at her. It was quite the trick, but easier than the ones she knew to do. Using Eishōhaki Bakudō was far easier than Eishōhaki Hadō by far, plus Hyapporankan was only Bakudō #62, so it was far easier to perform without an incantation than Dankū.
As the blue rod flew at her and split into its hundred clones, she had a flash of knowledge and knew what she had to do. Placing her sword in mid-air, she spun it, grabbed the handle to stop it and called, "Hadō #58, Tenran! (Way of Destruction Number Fifty-Eight, Orchid Sky!)"
The roar of a whirlwind appearing almost deafened her as the Hadō erupted from her sword and scattered the Hyapporankan like chaff. Slamming into the ground and walls like oversized nails, they were now only dangerous if she was stupid enough to fall on them.
She counterattacked the stunned Hisagi by firing an Eishōhaki Shakkahō at him, the red orb of fiery Reiryoku arcing at him like a missile.
"Bakudō #39, Enkōsen! (Way of Binding Number Thirty-Nine, Circle Lock Fan!)" He cried, bringing his zanpakutō up in a blocking motion, placing his other hand on the flat of the blade in a supporting motion. A round shield of orange Reiatsu spun into existence in front of him just in time for the Shakkahō to slam into it, shattering the shield like glass, but also deflecting most of it elsewhere.
He was still thrown on his ass though.
"Not bad." Kirika remarked, her mask-modulated voice tinting the simple statement with a mocking tone.
Hisagi's eyes narrowed before he uttered two words.
"Kare…Kazeshini! (Reap…Wind of Death!)"
In an explosion of wind, Hisagi's zanpakutō exploded with green light and changed form. Drawing his hands apart, two handles emerged. Once the light died down, Kirika was able to see that his zanpakutō was in fact a pair of kama linked by a chain, so a kusarigama. Each one had an inverted blade that gave them the appearance of a pinwheel.
"My, you're taking me seriously…I am honoured." Kirika said, meaning it.
"Personally, I would have preferred to have left my Zanpakutō sealed if I didn't have to, but you're too skilled with a blade to be countered with a Fūingata zanpakutō." Hisagi answered. "In all honesty, I don't like my zanpakutō all that much."
"Why? Its very form seems to denote its nature: a weapon to reap life. Is that not the purpose of a Soul Reaper's weapon?" She asked in confusion.
The lieutenant narrowed his eyes at her. "That's exactly why I don't like it."
"Eh?"
"I believe that battle is solely for the sake of justice." The man replied as he started to spin one of the scythes above his head. "It is a mark of respect. For my Zanpakutō to appear as if it is only suited for slaying my enemies is a mockery of my beliefs, and the beliefs of my Captain."
"I take it that useless philosophy is something you got from your Captain, then?" Kirika's voice hardened as she remembered exactly who his Captain was. Tōsen Kaname…his little 'Path of Least Bloodshed' was nothing more than a pale excuse that allowed him to rampage under Aizen's command. If he actually believed the shit he spewed, then he was either delusional or simply insane, and she didn't know which one worried her more.
"And what is your philosophy?" he demanded.
"Stay loyal to your friends, do what is right, and never allow anyone or anything to change or consume you." Kirika shot back. It was the latter that she always thought the Gotei did; changed a person, made them another drone in a shihakushō. Made them someone who followed orders above all else, even above their own morals.
"Tepid." Was Hisagi's opinion.
Kirika shrugged philosophically. "Not everyone needs big ideals to live by. Some of us can manage just fine without an all-consuming cause to dominate and control our lives."
Hypocritical, yes, but how was he to know?
His only response was to throw the spinning scythe at her at lightning-fast speed. She deflected it to one side and charged in, but when he tugged sharply at the chain, Kirika dodged to one side, barely avoiding the weapon as it returned to its master. She even heard the 'whir' of the blades as they cut through the air.
'I couldn't even read where it was coming from properly.' She thought. Having been trained by three Captains, two of whom being former members of the Onmitsukidō, it did not take her long to guess that Kazeshini was either a Melee/Illusion or Melee/Kidō type zanpakutō, with the extra category being for whatever ability erased its presence from the minds of those around its wielder.
"I'm curious, Hisagi-san!" she called over to him. "Can you read the trajectory of your Shikai at all?"
"No. Not even I can tell where Kazeshini will go once I start throwing it around." The Lieutenant replied before he hurled the scythe he had been spinning at her again.
'Good.' She thought. Kirika vanished in a burst of Shunpo, reappearing directly in front of Hisagi and striking at him with her zanpakutō. He blocked with his other scythe, tugging the chain with his free hand to draw the thrown scythe back in.
In her free hand, a golden yellow glow appeared and she quickly threw the Eishōhaki Hainawa around Hisagi's legs before Shunpoing out of the way. The Lieutenant looked alarmed as he tried to break out of the low-level Bakudō before Kirika's voice rang out in a chant.
"Raimei no basha, itoguruma no kangeki, hikari mote kore o mutsu ni wakatsu! (Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six!) Bakudō #61, Rikujōkōrō! (Way of Binding Number Sixty-One, Six Rods Prison of Light!)"
In a flash, the light rope from the Hainawa around his legs warped into six rods that slammed into Hisagi's midsection, freezing his entire body in place. Whereas the low level Hainawa would have taken tens of seconds to break, this would take a solid minute…a minute which he did not have, as the whirring buzz saw that was the other half of his zanpakutō come spinning back towards him, and he couldn't move a finger to stop it!
All he could do was cry out in pain as the blade of his own weapon bit into his shoulder. Then the masked figure of Kokken Asa stood in front of him and placed her hand in front of her eyes.
"Inemuri. (Forced Slumber.)" Was the last thing he heard before everything went dark.
Kirika looked down in satisfaction as the tattooed Lieutenant slumped to the ground once she released the Bakudō binding his body. While they had helped her to win quickly, the fact that she had suddenly gained the knowledge of two Kidō she hadn't had working knowledge of until just now could only mean that the seal holding back Kaien's memories was breaking down quicker than expected. An unneeded distraction at this point.
"Maa…this is interestin'." A lackadaisical voice said, making her freeze in place. Looking up sharply, she spotted Ichimaru Gin standing atop a roof, with a yellow-haired Lieutenant standing next to him, as well as a dignified-looking man with white hair and his zanpakutō drawn.
"Kehehehe…my, what interesting specimens…" another evil voice chuckled. Dread rising she shifted her gaze to land on one Kurotsuchi Mayuri. Next to him was a purple-haired woman wearing a very short shihakushō.
"The two-bit hack has arrived. Oh woe is me." She deadpanned.
"Who're you calling a hack?!" Kurotsuchi snapped.
"That'd be you. A low-level quack who can't compare to his predecessor, no matter how many people you dissect." Kirika said blandly. She knew that Kurotsuchi was a scientific genius with next to no morals, but one thing he wasn't was a warrior by training or inclination. He also had a sense of pride the size of the Seireitei, the same applying to his ego.
Meaning…
Kurotsuchi's face rapidly purpled in outrage and indignation. "DON'T GET COCKY, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" he snarled. Oddly enough, he grabbed onto his right ear and pulled, turning into a small kusarigama, with a ligament attaching it to the rest of his head.
"Gross." She deadpanned before dodging the thrown kusarigama. On the side-lines, Ichimaru just chuckled.
"Man, I wish I had some popcorn for this. Kira, go an' try ta grab Kuchiki-chan."
"And Mo- I mean, Lieutenant Hinamori, sir?" Kira asked.
"If ya can grab her, go ahead." The silver-haired man nodded. "I'll be here watching entertainment…pardon me, observing the battle between Kurotsuchi-taichō and the Ryoka Kokken Asa."
"Hai." Kira bowed his head and vanished in a Shunpo.
"I shall accompany him." Lieutenant Sasikabe stated before following his fellow Lieutenant.
"This's getting' interestin'!" Ichimaru chortled. "What now…Aizen-taichō?"
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Next Chapter: Broken Masks, Part 3
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