Chapter 11: Kido Mechanics 101
AN- Well, yet again I write while I should be revising for my exams next week. Seriously- I am terrible. Either way, you get a chapter out of it (That took far too long- like three months), so 'ppreciate it.
Disclaimer: I totally own Bleach. Yup- look at me, most definitely owning that series, and I just happen to be writing fanfiction about my own work. Seems legit. *Rolls eyes*
"I can't believe it guys!" Exclaimed Daichi energetically. "One more year to go- then wham! We'll be Shinigami! Seriously, I can't wait!"
"I know, Daichi." I responded, leaning against the back of the hedge that I had claimed as my own. Around me, Mika's garden remained as pretty as ever, and the other members of my ragtag group of friends sat within it. Hayato was reading (Shock horror), Akimi huffing, Daichi pacing and Mika merely watching with an amused gleam in her eyes. Mika smiles a lot less now, but when she does feel the need to express her happiness her smile seems all the better now. In all honesty, the two of us tended to ignore what had happened following the Gurou Affair- I had not pried, and I think she appreciated this.
"Its just-" Daichi stopped pacing, as if suddenly thinking of something. "My god. One year. One year. How the hell have you lasted so long anyway Marc?"
"Har har." I rolled my eyes. I agree that it was quite unlikely, but I'd somehow hung in there. Somehow I hadn't failed. I was still top in Kido, and I had gotten reasonably good at Zanjutsu and the theory based lessons, but I must admit that Hoho and Hakuda was just as physically challenging for me as before. It had gotten better recently, almost worryingly easier, but I was pretty sure that I had found the reason for that. "Just keep picking on the poor pathetic human, oh mighty Shinigami!"
"You sure?" Asked Hayato, speaking out of the blue.
"What'd you mean?"
"By now- are you?" Hayato said.
"What else- idiot." Stated Akimi, falling into her default insult. "Ageing."
Oh yeah. That. It had been a slow process, but maybe I'm not quite as 100% living as I had been once.
"I did tell you what Captain Unohana said about how slowly but surely the physical matter is being replaced in my body, so its not surprising that my body clock is slowing down." I remarked. I suppose that this slowing down has been going of for a while actually, since I've been at this academy for FIVE years. I'm TWENTY ONE! Which is like, really old! But when I look in the mirror, I don't appear twenty one. A bit older certainly, harder perhaps- but not really changed. I don't feel any different either.
"Well at least I don't have to worry about you dying too soon, at least." The Noble born woman huffed.
"Why Nishisaka, it almost sounds like you care for Marcus." Mika said teasingly with a smile in her eyes.
"Sh-shut up, Ikeda!" The redhead flushed and pointed her finger accusingly. "I don't! Plus, you can hardly say anything, shameless woman!"
"My, my." Mika put a hand up to cover her smirk. "Are you jealous of my close friendship with Marcus?"
"Lucky bastard." Muttered Daichi from his corner.
"Of course not!" Stormed Akimi. "So be silent, you plebeian, you!"
"Excellent vocabulary. Have you been practising?"
"All my hate." Hissed Akimi, "All of it." The two of them act like they hate each other, and its quite funny seeing the two of them always taking digs from the other, but I like to think that they're friends down inside. DEEP down. Or at least friendly rivals... maybe just rivals... not enemies at least...
"Face it- when those two are together, its like putting the tiger and dragon in the same room together."
"Come now, we're all friends here." Mika gestured round.
"I'm just here because its quiet." She instinctively responded.
"Yeah, yeah. Of course." The four of us responded in synch. Because seriously, its amazing just how she's still denying that we're friends after all the time we've spent hanging out with each other. When you know someone for nearly a quarter of your life (For me at least- five years is forever), its hard to just pretend to be acquaintances.
"Still, I'm just glad that we're all together this summer." I mused, quickly changing topics. "Normally Daichi and Hayato are at the Rukon District and Akimi's back with her family, so this is the first time we've all been together for some free time."
"I know, right!" Daichi grinned. "We could go back to the District whenever we want, and this is the last time we'll have to really spend together! Next year is our last one, then after that we'll go to our respective Squads, so lets have a fun time, 'kay?"
"Hmmph! Well I for one couldn't just allow Ikeda and Solus to be alone for the summer." Mentioned the girl aloofly. "Who knows what trouble you would get into."
"Again, jealous?" Smiled Mika.
"N-No!" She denied.
"Lucky bastard..." Daichi's grumbles had reverted to quiet sobbing. Hayato was merely ignoring the crying boy next to him. "Two of 'em..."
"Anyway-" I interrupted before things degraded once more. "Has anyone had any ideas on where you'll go once we finish all our exams?"
"Well I think that I will go into the Second Squad." Mika admitted. "I have always been quite fast, and my Hoho is one of my better subjects. Plus, I think the masks are kind of cool."
"And I'll be going to the most noble of divisions, the one and only-"
"Sixth Squad. We know." Daichi deadpanned. "You've said a million times about how you and all the other nobles with sticks up their asses are going there to nose up to the pretty-boy Captain."
"Sounds like someone has a grudge."
"No male has the right to be that pretty!" Declared Daichi. "He is my eternal rival in love, for he dares steal all the pretty and refined women!"
"You'll be going to the Fifth Squad, right Marc?" Mika inquired, cutting the male off.
"Indeed. My ass is their property, so that's my guaranteed location."
Akimi scowled at me. "Have you ever considered being less crude?"
"Not really." I admitted. "Life is too short, and I have my friends besides me. Excuse the 'power of friendship' speech, but if I can't be myself to you lot, who would I take my mask off to?"
"Now you are just being overly dramatic, right Hayato?" The book lover merely shrugged at the scarf wearers comment.
I smirked. "Still, this is going to be a good summer."
XXXXXXXXXX
I sat opposite Momo, with a cup of tea in front of each of us on the low table that was sitting between us. I had never gotten into the Eastern tea that everyone in the Seireitei drunk, but considering the woman in front of me was my teacher in the arts of Setting Things On Fire and could throttle me with her Reiatsu alone, I was willing to drink it anyway.
"Its nice to see you again, Marc." The Lieutenant cheerfully began, taking a delicate sip. I followed her lead and slurped some of the mixture down. "I have to admit that I've been looking forwards to this."
"As have I." I agreed. "Kido is a really interesting topic, and you're a good teacher, so I look forwards to when you have the time to tutor me."
"Yes." She nodded happily. "Its nice to see someone who has such an interest in the topic, because not enough people see the use of Kido. Most Shinigami focus purely on their Zanpakuto, believing that knowing their blades name makes them invincible- but there is so much more that a Shinigami can learn from studying Kido than just how to light a fire!"
"You don't need to tell me." I defended. "I love the topic- nothing beats the feeling of firing off a good Shakkaho, and its such a reliable system. So much goes into it, and anyone can learn to do it, if only they put the time in. For someone as weak as me, its marvellous."
Momo's smile only grew wider. "If Captain Aizen and myself hadn't already picked you up, I would have sent you straight to the Kido Corps. You might not be a prodigy, but I have to admit that you have an excellent affinity with this topic."
"That's just because I put the time and work in. Warriors might be as reliable as a linear line, but Wizards are quadratic." I said, paraphrasing. In any RPG's I always went for the mage character, since they are normally much more powerful later on. Just look at D&D to see how awesome Mages can become- imagining that one day I could be close to that is an empowering feeling.
"Still, I'm happy to teach you. Its nice to get away from the office for awhile, and I'm glad that I have a protégée to pass my skills down to."
"So I'm your protégée now am I?" I smiled jokingly.
The powerful woman in front of me laughed and drank some more of her drink. "You might as well be with how much time I've put into you."
"Of course, of course!" I mock bowed. "Oh wise sensei, teach this humble student."
Her lower lip wobbled cutely. "You should stop teasing people so out of your weight category." True- mocking a heavyweight never goes well. "Besides which, when you find out what I'll be teaching you this summer, you'll be praising the ground I walk on!"
"Go on then- lets hear."
"I wonder what this'll be?" Questioned Javan. "The last few times we've just been going over general fighting stuff and honing the Kido skills for the next year, but I have the feeling this time it'll me something special."
"Well, I think you are good enough with the basics now, so we don't need to cover them." She said. "You are still failing Hakuda, but we already assumed this would happen, your Zanjutsu is good enough and Hoho barely satisfactory, and you are at a level in Kido now that you don't need to worry about next years topics."
"So...?"
"Impatient." Momo noted. "So for the next few months I'll teach you things that will actually be helpful. Not things that will help you catch up or match your classmates, not tricks to allow you to weather the storm of people better than you or tactics to allow you to out-think them instead." She paused dramatically to drink once more, savouring the look of intense curiosity she had to know I was giving.
Seriously. I can't HANDLE THE ANTICIPATION!
"No. Instead, I will bestow upon you advanced skills, something far beyond what an Academy should know. I am going to teach you two things. One you have already started doing, from what I've seen with you firing higher powered Sho's through your fists and taking the electric property of your Kido and amplifying them, and the other is something that I feel you are ready to learn."
"Go on!" I urged, practically leaning over the table.
"I'm getting there." Damn you Momo, for you are just as cruel as any other woman. That innocent façade you give off? False as any other, for you are a damned sadist!
"Marcus D Solus, how would you like to learn the foundations of modifying Kido, and to learn a Hado spell ranked higher than any you have ever learned?"
Blink. Blink. Did she just say she was going to teach me how to modify my Kido? Did she just says she was going to teach ME how to modify me KIDO!?
"Why yes. She did."
And a high level Kido spell too?
"Momo, marry me." I said, utterly serious. "Seriously, marry me right the hell now, you wonderful, destructive spell giving women, you."
Momo's beam was brilliant. "I knew that you'd love it!"
"So... no marrying for the potential of getting more awesome Kido spells?"
"Sorry, you're too young for me." Momo said sadly, but jokingly.
"I'm wounded. Right here." Rolling my eyes, I pounded my heart. "No Waifu for for me now."
"Now, do you want to keep flirting with me or do you want to learn how to set things on fire?"
Obvious choice. "The latter, please."
XXXXXXXXXX
"Learn destructive techniques she said." I muttered, dragging myself away from the Kido range Momo's latest lesson had been held at. "Its easy and simple and painless, she says." I wince at the hastily healed burn wound on my shoulder. "Painless my ass."
I stopped walking as I saw a figure I knew out the corner of my eye. The school was mostly empty this year (Gurou was smart enough to go home this holiday- damned bastard), so there was only one person I knew who would be in the meditation garden.
I ducked my head in to see how progress was, when I saw something shift within my field of vision.
Hayato's eyes opened slowly as he rose to his feet, sheathing his Zanpakuto to his side as he did so (For by this point in time, all students aside for me had been given as Asauchi).
"Evening." I greeted. Hayato blinked questioningly, then returned my greeting with a quiet nod.
"So how's the training going?" I asked, genuinely curious. Recently Hayato had begun working on his own brand of Shinigami training, and due to its nature only I knew of what he was actually doing.
He briefly tugged out his blade and pointed to the pummel of the weapon, now a light aqua colour. It wasn't previously.
I smirked in happiness. "You sly devil you, you've nailed it, haven't you?"
"Maybe."
"Hayato!" I shouted in happiness, marching forwards and seizing him in a tight, totally heterosexual Bro Hug. "And you thought you could get away with not telling me you were so close?"
Hayato notably tensed. "Please stop hugging me."
"Nope. We're friends, therefore in this situation I am obliged to give you totally not gay hugs in response to you not informing me sooner."
The boy smaller yet older than me blinked. "Just done it now."
"Well then congratu-fucking-lations." I stated. "You awesome person you, you did it. For this I must continue to hug you!"
"..."
"..."
"... please let go."
"Only if you agree to show it off during our practical exam next year. After all the work and secrecy, you're going to damn well get the recognition you deserve! Okay?"
"... fine."
I let him go.
XXXXXXXXXX
The sword lunged straight towards my throat. I only just managed to see the blade move, and I didn't even bother moving. My foe was too fast, and he holds nothing back. Every advantage was taken, any opening obtainable, and all weaknesses exploited. Instead, I threw myself back, and I felt the liquid of the floor seep through my clothing.
Ignoring it, I rolled, avoiding another thrust, and I cut wildly with my Zanpakuto, buying precious moments while my foe jumped the cut aimed at his legs. I staggered back to my feet, heart racing, and lunged. No hesitation could be accepted against this opponent, since he would damn right disrupt me at every chance if I allowed him to.
… there! A single opening as he landed, his sword slightly out of place. We'd fought so many times I knew his sword stance off by heart. My foe used a merciless style, the sole of purpose behind it to overwhelming and utterly destroy any holes left in the foes defence due to his relentless assault. It was risky and if his stride was broken he could be caught off guard, but in general it was difficult fighting him.
Still- an opening. I thrust straight for his chest, both hands gripping my weapon, expecting him to block. As our steel clashed, I pushed, forcing him to contend with keeping my weapon at bay. He was stronger than me though- even with five years of exercise and training, I was still outclassed by him. Stronger and faster, but compared to everyone else these growths mean nothing.
I only needed to occupy him for the moment. I let one hand fall, and as I began to be overpowered, I slammed my fist into his face.
The moment ended, and we disengaged. I smiled- I got a hit in. It felt wonderful.
BANG!
I woke to a blinding headache, waking up once more to look at the sky of my Inner World while Javan loomed over me, his sword in hand. It was no Zanpakuto, but was still impressive. Thin and hard, it was not a thing of curves, with the metal of the edge itself being almost rectangular, ending in two right angles of razor cutting metal.
"You handed my ass to me while I was still internally patting myself on the back after getting a hit in, didn't you?"
"Yup." Javan smirked and offered a hand to me. Wincing, I took it and allowed myself to be pulled to my feet. "Really, you should no by now that any good fighter can ignore being decked in the face and immediately lash out."
"Yeah, yeah." I rolled my eyes. "Another spar? I'm feeling lucky today."
"Sure, though the fact that I'm looking forwards to beating you black and blue probably isn't very promising."
"Shut up and start trying to stab me." I taunted. He did. I wish he hadn't.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Kido is the demon way." Explained Momo, as she nibbled on one of the cookies she had made. While the cookies looked nice, and I knew Momo was good at making baked goods, I was far too creeped out to take one. While it might be fun to nibble on a fully iced rendition of Captain Aizen to her, it just feels really weird to me, like he's going to be counting all the times I desecrated his image and will get his revenge in sword cuts once he goes all 'Badass Evil' mode.
"Go onnnn... take ze cookiessss... you know you want one... join the dark side, we have disposable mooks AND cookies..."
"How did I know that you'd take this chance to make a 'dark side cookie' joke?" Javan whistled innocently.
"While some of what this means is covered in lessons, normally the fundamentals are left out, as you can already tell from some of our lessons. All people need to do to use Kido is to say the chant, gather the appropriate amount of Reiryoku and release it in the correct way- this is all a military organisation needs to train its troops to do."
"A soldier needs to be able to fire and maintain his gun, but has no need to build one." I agree.
Momo cheerfully nibbles on Aizen's left ear. That sounds so amusing out of context. "But why do we say those lines? Why those words in particular? How did people choose them, pick the image and channelling method? All these questions and more are answered within the topic of Kido creation- though since I'm only giving an intro course into modifying them we can be a bit briefer."
"Ugh, sensei." I groaned. "Stop taking after your captain and being dramatic and get on with it! Its like you're dangling a tasty morsel in front of me but not letting me eat."
Momo shurgged. "You have to admit, Aizen's dramatic flair is good."
"True. I could certainly imagine him delivering an Evil Monologue about his plan." I told her straight, not actually saying that he actually does give one. Several time. The damned Ham.
"Hehe. An evil Captain Aizen? Don't be silly. That would never happen." Momo says full heartedly. I didn't have the heart or stupidity to tell her how wrong and ironic that statement was.
"Anyway, I guess I can start explaining now. All the spiritual arts are based around willpower and belief, desiring for things to occur. We as Shinigami will the world to change, will for our blades to modify themselves to reflect our souls, we will that we travel faster than is physically possible, and we will for our Reiryoku to form Kido spells."
Nom nom nom. I gave into temptation and ate a cookie. Happy now?
"Very."
Oh yeah, in the middle of a lecture. Cool Kido stuff. Willing reality to change- that stuff. Honestly though, a damn good- CONCENTRATE DAMN IT!
"Kido spells are formed from shaping Reiryoku into different ways, and willing the energy to change and adapt to create phenomena- once Shinigami did not have Kido but instead manipulated their Reiryoku directly, becoming adept over centuries at making it set alight or carry charge. It was studying how this happens that formally began the art of Kido."
"So I kinda get that Reshi compounds are easier to modify, and Reiryoku is no different, so I can believe that its our desire to make a freakin' fireball that actually causes it to form."
"Uh huh!" She nodded agreeably. "The cause and effect sort of interlinks. Its this pure desire for the Reiryoku to change that allows us to make spells. I could go into detail on this, but basically the incantations within Kido are commands for the Reiryoku to follow. For thousands of years holy men, priests and all types of wisemen have used chants to focus their belief, to bring them closer to their 'gods' and help them perform their spiritual cures- we are no different."
CRUNCH! Aizen's head is now irreparably dead now.
"In short, its the chants that help the Shinigami focus and make the spell work?"
"Exactly! There are words and phrases that naturally help an individual focus and shape a spell into its correct form, and the spells taught today are those who's incantations have been tested to be the ones to get the best results from Shinigami. But these words aren't set, though some of them are integral to the makeup of the spell. Like, Shakkaho and Sokatsui are both very similar Kido spells, being around the same power level and both utilising fire, but Shakkaho includes 'Mask of blood and flesh', whereas Sokatsui instead has 'Mask of flesh and bone'."
I blinked. Hang on, there's a correlation between the two. "They both include 'mask' and 'flesh'."
"Go on." Momo encouraged tentatively.
I pondered for a moment, thinking through my answer. If there are definitely words that make it easier to focus and shape Kido, them obviously there are words that are better for shaping different types of spells. A word that helps form an offensive fire Kido might not be effective in shaping a defensive Bakudo spell.
"So those words probably help shape the same thing... so maybe flesh is fire related? Like, both spells have it, and they both release flames. Is 'mask' what makes it offensive maybe?" I said, analysing Momo's face to see if she was letting anything slip. She wasn't. "Shakkaho says 'mask of BLOOD and flesh', the others 'mask of flesh and BONE', so for all I know 'bone' and 'blood' are modifiers, resulting in whether the fire is released an a projectile sphere or a beam."
"Very good deductions." Says Momo, not actually saying whether I was right or not. "You get the idea, and you are quite right on some things but wrong on others. I'm proud that you were able to identify even that much at this stage."
"Ahh, you'll make me blush." I say jokingly.
Ignoring me, she carries on. "Flesh was partially responsible for their fire natures, but you are forgetting that there is more to the incantations. Some words decide element, size, intensity, or duration, while others add additional effects like making the energy stay stable for longer, forcing a current through the Reiryoku or the words might even allow effects like piercing or barrier forming."
"Ouch. So lots of time's put into making sure each word in the spell is necessary for the purpose?"
"Yes, though there is way more to it than this- though that's the basic idea. More rules come into play later." Momo's face fell for the first time, and she shook, staring into the distance, as if she was looking beyond me into something that happened long, long ago...
"Oh so many rules." Then the moment was over.
"Rules?"
"Like how some phrases determine the level of the spell, and how some words have different effects depending on spell levels, or how we have to put filler words in so it makes some level of sense so Shinigami don't feel stupid saying it and affect their focus, then there are..."
"Okay, I get it. Lots of rules. Rules traumatising."
I sigh. Of course there was more theory. There is always more theory. Still, this does make a lot of sense, and certainly explains how it is that we have so many different spells and why they all have different chants. Each Kido spell just has words tailored to producing the desired effect, we just fuel the spell and actively cause the Reiryoku change. But-
"Hang on then- then how does Eishohaki (Incantation Abandonment) work then?" Eishohaki is basically where you perform a Kido spell without chanting first, though often a spells power is reduced. If the words are important for shaping it, then how can someone perform without them, and how can I use some spells wordlessly?
"Good question. Kido is just us shaping Reiryoku and applying effects to it- we CAN do it without words, like how things were before Kido, its just harder. By performing a spell long enough we can sort of train ourselves and our Reiryoku-"
"A spellcasters muscle memory?"
Amidst our conversation, even Momo had chosen to stop devouring Cookie-zen, as I am now referring to him as. "Yes- if a spell is cast enough, we are able to replicate the process, but naturally without the chant to help concentrate and reinforce our efforts, the spell is normally harder to cast and weaker."
"When I cast chantlessly, there is a reduction." It was one of the earliest things I noticed. "Same when I fully cast non-verbally."
"Again, just another step further. Keep practising and eventually you will be able to replicate the original power of your Kido, though by this point you will probably be powerful enough that casting with the chant will make it greatly stronger."
"Awesome. Lets move on. After all, this stuff is priceless. I want to learn as much as you can teach me while you have free time."
Momo nodded enthusiastically. "Finally! Somebody else besides Captain Aizen cares about this!"
"What about the Kido Corps?"
"They're all snobs who can't spread their own 'secret' training." She snorts. "No, I am happy I joined the Fifth Squad. And I am glad that I have someone who my knowledge will help, even if it just a little bit."
"Well why wouldn't I be interested? This stuffs cool! I could just swap some words, put new ones in and then badabing badabang, I have a lightning Shakkaho or something."
"A bit harder than that." Reminded Momo. "Lots of rules. Potential for spells to blow up when experimenting."
"Okay then... no dangerous self experimentation, got it."
Momo's eyes narrowed. "Seriously though. I am trusting you with this knowledge- don't make my trust misplaced."
"She did so NOT pull the 'guilty trust' card!"
"If you do ever fancy messing around with some Kido, wait until I am free before doing anything practical- or at least do it with your Kido instructor around. Promise me that, Marc."
"Okay, okay! I promise! Swear down!"
"Very well then." My agreement noticeably calmed Momo down.
"Can we continue please?" I asked enthusiastically, my Cookie-zen cookie completely forgotten. We continued talking long after she was supposed to leave to return to her next shift.
XXXXXXXXXX
I stared down at the squiggles in front of me and squinted. It had taken so many years now, but they were no longer unrecognisable. What was once nonsense, now made sense, though I still much preferred not looking at them. No wonder the Japanese had the highest suicide rate in the world if they had to read this shit every single day.
"You aren't terrible any more." Concluded Akimi, with a frown as she crossed her arms. She looked over the symbols that I had just drawn in response to the text she had put in front of me, and was scrutinising it for any mistakes. "You still have some bad grammar when writing, and your handwriting is on par with a five year old, but you're legible, and you are fluent in reading anyway."
"Sooooo?" I said, leaning forwards.
"I guess we're done." She said with a sad smile. "I agreed to teach you how to read and write in Japanese, and we're done now. I guess that... our lessons... are done."
The phrase hit me like a blow to the gut. We'd been having these lessons for so long now, that it seems unreal that I've finally finished. I'm slow at languages, and even with the universal language thing working against me, I had learnt. But now I wanted to still be crap, because I've been having these tutoring sessions with Akimi for literally years. I don't want them to end.
"I... guess they are." I awkwardly replied. Akimi looked away uncomfortably. In a lot of ways she is a difficult person to get along with and understand, always acting aloof and untouchable, but hiding much more warmth. She's got Tsundere tendencies that are easy to pick up on, but people are more than a collection of cliches and tropes. She normally complains about it, and never outright says it, but we're friends. And I think that she's just as upset that this is over as I am.
"So. Goodbye then." Akimi sourly stated. "You've got what you've came here for, so... go."
"Ummm..." I scratched my chin, stalling for time. "Actually, would you mind going over some of the stupid Shinigami protocols they need us to know? Like, they're a pain in the ass to remember, so while I hate to impose, would you to take the time to help me out?"
"Huh, but-" but I practically knew them all due to my fear of doing something wrong and getting executed due to the higher ups hating me being a foreign Ryoka? But I didn't actually need her help? I'm sure that's what she was going to say.
"Yup." I nodded happily. "So, teach, gonna teach me?"
Akimi's confusion changed, and a rare smile graced her features. Not an arrogant one, more demure. Afterall, those protocols were an excuse, and we both knew it. We didn't want the lessons to end, but her pride as an individual meant that she couldn't bare the idea of us meeting up without the tutoring as a mask, so therefore I'll keep finding things for her to teach. Once the protocols are done, I'll move onto the next topic, and the next one, and the next one. I like the company of my friend more than I do the lessons- but the two come hand in hand.
"Humph!" She snorted, falling back into her default behaviour. "I suppose I can grace you with some of my valuable time to impart my obvious wisdom and knowledge into a plebeian like yourself! Fine, I guess I can keep teaching you, though it'll cost you!"
"I'm sure it will." I dryly noted. "Now, how about we go practice some Kido since you'll obviously want to make a lesson plan."
"I just like doing things properly!" She defended.
"Perfectionist."
"Slob!" She shot back. "And yes, I'd like that. I still need to beat you this year after all!"
"It is three for two." I nodded sagely, rising from the table we were sat at. "I've already won our little rivalry, but I can't just let you draw with me without giving a good fight first."
XXXXXXXXXX
Our class stands at attention, all of us wearing our Academy uniforms and Asauchi (Save for me) with pride. We had all been called together by our Headmaster for an announcement, though we all knew what it would be. Time had flown, and now it was almost the end of our stay at the Academy. One month left, then we will sit our final exams and see whether we will go into one of the Thirteen Squads or not.
But first, there was one more thing that must be done before the exams begin.
"Students of this school," Boomed the headmaster, addressing us all with pride. "You are the pride and joy of your year group, and have fought long and hard to get to this point today. Many among you have left, given up, unsuited, unready or unwilling to take on the responsibility of being a Shinigami- but you have endured."
We had. All of us. I myself thought back to my early days at this school, when being in a fictional world was still new and exciting, when things had seemed oh so daunting. It had seemed like I would never be as strong as anyone else, that I was too weak, too slow and utterly inept to ever do a single thing. I had nearly given up and broken down, if it hadn't been for Mika.
Reflexively, I looked to her and saw her already looking back at me with a smile. Yes, I had her and all my friends to thank for being where I was today. Mika was my constant, a good friend. Daichi raised my spirits, and was the friend I needed. Hayato was the friend I wanted, who was always there in the background, even if words were never exchanged. Hell, Akimi and our rivalry pushed me on and energised me, while our lessons brought me up to speed with kanji.
I could even include Kasumi, that nurse I always see once or twice a year, since she always raises my spirits too.
Even so, we had all suffered and endured much to get here.
"Cough, cough- KENPACHI ZERAKI DOJO INCIDENT- cough cough."
"Yes, you were strong, and soon you will be rewarded for your efforts." The man continued. "But first, you will prove your practical skills. A Shinigami is not all about booksmarts or training, his worth is found on the battlefield. In a weeks time you will all be sent for a pre-emptive test to the Human World. In this practical exam you will show the skills you have learnt and your adaptability in tracking down and slaying several Hollow replica's, and should you fail then you will clearly never be ready to be a Shinigami, and will not sit the final exams."
We all gulped and began chattering amongst each other, panic and worry in our tones- none of us wanted to flunk out this near to the final goal.
"Silence!" He commanded. "This is tradition, and you will uphold it. This exam will happen, and if you want to continue you will complete it. Prepare for it while you still can, and form a group of five that you wish to work with for the duration of the exam- people you trust with your back and your life."
I glanced to my friends and they looked at each other in turn. It was clear already. Me, and Mika would definitely be together, Daichi and Hayato (Together) would add to the group and Akimi would inevitably grumble but tag along with some flimsy excuse when really she just doesn't want to say that she'd rather we not be hurt without her 'genius self' being there to bail us out.
"And remember, class. Throughout the exam, and your life as a Shinigami, you must always uphold your principles and your values. Do not seek beauty in battle, nor seek virtue in death. It is not there. No, don't make the mistake of only considering your own life either. To be a Shinigami is to protect the living and the dead, and so if you are to protect that which you must protect... slice the enemy you must defeat from behind. Pride is meaningless, as you will someday learn. Fight with these values and I will be proud to see you graduate. Dismissed!"
Accomapnied by an anxious uproar as students immediately began to talk, I began to stroll towards the Green Garden, our regular hang out spot, and the others followed.
XXXXXXXXXX
Time had passed, but Fate was eternal. Fate was untouchable. Time was a currency that she would never run out of, and she could be patient. She had waited and waited, locking in on the Error she had cornered before.
Now she had found it. The Error. She had watched it. Studied it. Not a big Error, she had faced worse. Its actual potential to warp and distort the world was less potent than those she had squashed in other words.
Alas, she was Fate, her system was to be untouched (With few exceptions), and so the Error must be deleted.
Now was the time to act. The Error was leaving its hiding hole, where there was little Fate could do to end the Error when the agents she had manipulated to try and kill him in a heat of anger failed.
That attempt failed. The Error was more resourceful, stubborn and confident than she had assumed.
So this time, the agent of destruction she would use to crush the Error would not be defeatable. She had been biding her time for awhile, and now she would use her influence. By her hands causality spun and weaved. People acted in certain ways, powerless to her influence and whispers. Monsters woke up and gathered, and an idea was planted in their minds.
A single week. Then even the stubborn- yet weak- Error would die. The first of 666 beasts would destroy the Error, and even if it failed, Fate was patient. She would always strike again... and again... and again... and again. Until her system was pure (Aside from the exception- but again, hypocrite).
For if the first failed, the Error could never survive 665. And she never gave up- such was Fate.
The Error would die, then everything would be right with the world.
AN- Well, it took three months, but I brought this bad boy out. I actually kinda postponed a while due to prep work for my new Fate Self Insert (Check it out, it'll be awesome) and another project I'm working on, plus school, but I got inspiration so I wrote this.
As for this chapter, some good bits, some bad. Its annoying writing the progression of time without flat out saying 'nine months passed- this happened'. I've been trying to show time gradually passing, and showing it through scenes rather than exposition, but not sure how that worked. Plus, you got a glimpse of Javan's fighting style and their training spars.
Momo's Kido scene was my favourite to write. For one thing, we got a canon character. Let me know if you think she was OOC or something. For another, we got worldbuiling. And before you start groaning 'oh no, not MOAR world building. Plot plz?', it was this Kido bit that inspired me to write this chapter. Kido is my SI's primary means of attack save for later when he FINALLY gets Shikai- so I felt it important to explain it a bit.
In addition, it kinda irks me when an author doesn't explain himself. Like, I need explanations on how and why powers work. I don't enjoy it when a character says "I can do X and X" its never really explained how they can do it. Like, I love the Quincies and their powers were explained really well early on- shaping Reshi to form bows, as a great bastardisation of the full explanation. Plus, Quincy Letz Stil and the Senrei Glove was badass as hell, AND made sense as to how the glove was even able to power Uryu up. So new Quincies are kind of annoying me. "What's that you say? If Quincies gather Reshi to make weapons, then how is it possible that we're SUDDENLY able to use this one ability and do all kinds of shit like have control over fear, warp reality, turn people into zombies and other stuff? How can removing our gloves now do Quincy Vollstandzig instead? How is our one gimick of making spirit bows able to do this? Fuck knows. Apparently it was due to special, awesome, super secret with a cherry on the top training- but we call it plot convenience. Trololololol!"
So as you can tell, them not explaining how they could actually LITERALLY do this pissed me off. Kido's similar. Its really vague in canon- explained on the Wiki as being produced by 'strong Reiryoku' and being triggered by an 'incantation'. No rules or reasons for why saying some magic words causes spells to happen. Thus, part of my enjoyment for writing this is exploring the mechanics of the Kido I'll be using- so I really needed that scene.
And BLOODY HELL that was a large explanation. Moving on, we also got an Akimi scene (Yay more OC's scenes), and the next chapters contents is revealed- a practical exam in the world of the living. Give it a chapter for that, maybe another to finish it, then we'll be on the final chapter of the Academy Arc, which will end with a BANG! FINALLY! Then there's Fate being generally ominous, which is always meta.
So let me know what you think- reviews encourage and inspire me to update more, plus its disheartening when I can't tell if people actually like the content I'm pumping out or if I am just shovelling shit- reviews tell me if I'm doing a good job and inform me of what I need to work on next. So now I am off to do some school work- writing within exam period is probably stupid, but I did it anyway for you guys, so I'm off. Undying Soul out.