Well, since this is that chapter, the moment has finally arrived! You will see a certain goal that Ryuichi has been trying to accomplish. I had been planning this chapter for quite some time, and you will see that it will be quite worth the wait.
Even though this is a very important chapter, there won't be a lot of action unfortunately. However, that will start next chapter.
In the meantime, though, enjoy this one :D
Chapter 7: Karyuu
There was a lot on Ryuichi's mind while he walked towards the Third Division Barracks.
The main thing was the fact that his own father was captured by the enemy. He had never gotten enough sleep the night before because he spent the night tossing and turning, having nightmares about possible instances of his father's capture. He knew it was not his mother's fault. There was nothing she could do; however, if he were in her position, he would do whatever it took to get his father back. The only thing he must do is train hard to be strong enough to protect his family.
Another thought was Ruby – the way she called after him just before he left. He was not certain of her true intentions or, if possible, any change in her personality. Ever since she and her brother beat him to almost an inch of his life that day, his grudge would increase every time he saw them. He could almost hear Ruby taunt him every time he saw her, and it would just drive him away. If he had no honour, he would kill her in the worst possible way, but that was not the case. His parents taught him better than that. The best he could do was to just avoid her, no matter what her intention may be.
The third and final thought on his mind was achieving his zampakutou's shikai. No matter how hard he trained, he could not learn the name of his zampakutou. There were times when he just wanted to give up hope, but he knew he could not give up. There had to be some kind of way – some trick to it. He must figure out this trick and learn his zampakutou's name soon. After all, there was nothing more he wanted than to make his father proud of him, even if he had to run off to Hueco Mundo and get him back.
He arrived at the gate of the Third Division Barracks and pushed through the heavy door, taking in the scenery of the vast building and its training ground. Lanterns hung on every corner of the pagoda-style roofs while the streaming ribbons underneath them flowed slightly in the breeze.
Ryuichi took a deep breath and walked towards the building, eyes full of confidence and determination.
As soon as he stepped through the doorway, he was tackled by Yachiru. Hanatarou, who happened to be visiting at that time, laughed from behind.
"Ryu!" Yachiru squealed from on top of Ryuichi's chest.
"Hey Yachiru," he said while faking a smile.
"You here to see Ren-Ren?" Yachiru questioned.
Ryuichi chuckled at the nickname. "Yeah, where is he?"
Before the small lieutenant could answer, a voice answered for her. "Right here. Get off him, Yachiru."
"Okie dokie," Yachiru chirped as she allowed Ryuichi to stand.
"Hope she wasn't too much trouble," Renji said with a smirk.
"Oh no, not at all," Ryuichi replied – once more with a fake smile.
It had been really hard to smile lately and Renji understood why. But he knew that the boy was tough and was more than eager to let out as much aggression as he could in this training session.
Renji lifted a hand as a beckoning gesture. "Come with me."
Ryuichi nodded as he followed the captain out into the training grounds. Hanatarou and Yachiru tagged along to serve as spectators.
Ryuichi and Renji faced each other. "Are you ready?" The captain asked, hand on the hilt of his zampakutou. "Draw your sword if you are."
Ryuichi nodded and did as he was told.
Renji drew his and ran his hand lightly along the blade, changing it to its shikai state. Ryuichi swallowed nervously, but relaxed to show his godfather his confidence.
"You know the drill," Renji said, going into a fighting stance. "You must give me everything you've got. Understood?"
Ryuichi went into a fighting stance as well. If he wanted to get his father back and make him proud, he had to achieve his goal – he had to achieve shikai once and for all. "I do," he replied with determination.
"One more thing before we begin," Renji added, "Push all nerves and weaknesses aside. Never let the enemy know you're nervous or scared because they'll use that to their advantage. It's not easy but it's crucial to any fight."
Ryuichi took a deep breath and tightened his hold on the hilt of his katana in impatience. "Yes."
Renji smirked. He could feel his friend's son's eagerness to begin his training session. "Let's go."
Immediately, they lunged at each other – dust flew outwards as they pushed off the ground. As soon as they collided in the centre, Renji attacked with a downward strike, which Ryuichi blocked immediately. He managed to hold the powerful sword at bay, gritting his teeth. Both swords creaked as metal pushed against metal.
"That's good! Keep your eye on your opponent." Renji instructed. He swept his zampakutou in a swift circle, catching the opposing katana within its prongs.
Ryuichi struggled to hold onto his sword, but when Renji flipped his zampakutou over, he – Ryuichi – immediately got disarmed. Renji sent a piercing side kick against his student's abdomen, knocking him to the ground with a grunt.
Renji sighed. "You're not concentrating, Ryuichi," he said with disappointment. "You need to have thorough concentration when you converse with your zampakutou's spirit."
Ryuichi gritted his teeth as he stood up from the ground. "You think I don't know that? I'm trying as fucking hard as I can, but you keep coming at me!"
"Exactly," Renji agreed. "What if a hollow or any other kind of enemy comes when you are trying to talk to your zampakutou's spirit? They won't wait for you." He got into a fighting stance. "Now let's go again."
Before Ryuichi could do anything, however, Renji extended his sword towards him, catching him off guard. Ryuichi barely dodged the technique, cursing under his breath. Within seconds, Renji whipped his zampakutou forward once more. Ryuichi dodged the attack once again and jumped back, trying to avoid every blow.
After Renji retracted the multiple blades, he extended his zampakutou once more, causing the younger man to jump back. Another extension sped towards its target, and Ryuichi blocked the attack immediately, sliding along the ground and gritting his teeth as he struggled against the attack.
He tried to calm his mind. Come on! He shut his eyes and tightened the hilt of his katana. Please tell me your name! Tell me before something happens here. Come on!
However, no voice came to his subconscious. What made matters worse was that Ryuichi could not defend himself anymore against Zabimaru's vicious attack. It slipped past the steel blade and tore through Ryuichi's shoulder, causing him to hiss in pain as he fell on his back.
Renji sighed as he retracted his blade once more and ran towards his fallen student.
He held out his hand to help the boy up. "Let's take a break. There's something I must tell you anyway."
Ryuichi looked at him with a puzzled expression and took his hand.
Renji pulled him up onto his feet and the two walked towards the headquarters.
As soon as they sat on the steps, Yachiru and Hanatarou joined them.
"Guys, can you give Ryuichi and me a moment?" Renji asked as calmly as he could.
Yachiru and Hanatarou both nodded in unison and left the two in peace.
Renji turned his head towards Ryuichi, who was staring frustratingly at his sword. "Ryuichi."
Said boy looked up at his mentor. "Yea?"
Renji sighed. How was he going to say this? "You know your mother, Hinamori, Tatsuki, and I are going to Hueco Mundo tomorrow to get your dad back."
"Really?" Ryuichi gave his godfather a hopeful look.
Renji sighed again. "Unfortunately, you're not coming with us."
Ryuichi furrowed his eyebrows in a tight scowl. "What...?"
"Your mother thinks that you won't be ready in time," Renji explained, trying to find the right words to say so that he will alarm the boy in any way. "You haven't learned shikai yet and..."
"I'm trying my fucking hardest!" Ryuichi snapped, cutting off his mentor. "What the fuck am I supposed to do? Slit my fucking throat?"
Renji was taken aback by these words. "It's not easy..."
Ryuichi cut him off once again. "I know it's not fucking easy! But he's still my dad and I must make him proud no matter what!"
Renji sighed once again. If the saying, "there's a time and place for everything", was true, it would be the perfect opportunity to say what he needed to say. "Don't say that, Ryuichi. You know your dad is proud of you, no matter what you do."
"How can you be so sure? I haven't even achieved shikai yet! I supposed to be, as they say, gifted! Yet, that bitch Ruby and her asshole brother Jade surpassed me! What do you have to say to that?"
Renji tried to be calming and re-assuring. "Listen to me. There's a hidden meaning behind your mother's words, and if your dad were here, he would also agree."
Ryuichi stopped ranting and raised an eyebrow. "What the fucking hell are you trying to say?"
"When your dad told you stories of his adventures, he left out a very important one -something that happened to you when you were a baby."
It took a while for Ryuichi to find his words. "What? What are you talking about?"
Renji sighed. "When you were 3 months old, you were carried off to Hueco Mundo by a former ally on Aizen's orders. You might have remembered how your father used to be friends with a girl named Orihime Inoue, right?"
Ryuichi nodded without saying a word.
Renji continued his explanation. "You were taken from your parents while they were away one afternoon. When they returned and found you missing, they were both so heartbroken that they had to do everything in their power to get you back, fighting their battles and receiving the help they could get from Urahara-san and other allies. The challenges they faced...the hardships they endured...you could say that Aizen had made sure that they wouldn't get you back so easily."
"W-why...me?" Ryuichi stammered, tightening onto his katana's hilt at full strength.
"In the previous war, your father proved to be victorious. So Aizen wanted revenge. He had to find a way to lure your father to Las Noches, his palace in Hueco Mundo, so that he could finish him off once and for all. So he used you as bait. In fact, he nearly had his revenge...if it weren't for your father's," Renji paused for a moment. He had made a promise to Ichigo that he would not tell Ryuichi about his hollow powers. He continued after a second of silence, "strong-willed spirit that kept him alive."
"Dad nearly...died?" Ryuichi asked. He could not believe that his own father would go to such heights to sacrifice himself for his son.
Renji nodded. "It wasn't just Ichigo. Your mother was also nearly slain by Aizen's hand as a way to lure your father, who was protecting you at that moment, to his throne room. As soon as your father sensed the sudden decrease in your mother's reiatsu, he immediately rushed towards the throne room where he was stabbed right through the chest."
Ryuichi gritted his teeth. He tried so hard to fathom such events, but why was it so hard to believe? And why was it so hard to believe that his parents could have survived such horrible attacks? It was too incredible to believe.
"H-how was I brought back?" He inquired hoarsely – his voice barely audible.
It took a while for Renji to think about what to say. "You weren't the only one who was brought to Hueco Mundo against your will, but your aunt Yuzu as well. In fact, Aizen brought her under hypnosis, an ability which I'm sure Ichigo had told you about already, and had used her as part of his plan. In fact, she was the one whom Ichigo was standing up to the moment when Aizen stabbed your mother. She used any means necessary to stop your father from removing you from your room, even if it meant poisoning him through unnatural means –"
"Stop," Ryuichi snapped abruptly.
Renji looked at him inquisitively.
"Are you telling me that Aunt Yuzu was part of all of this as well?" Ryuichi questioned.
"Yes," Renji replied. "I know this is pretty hard to believe."
"You're damn right, it is!" Ryuichi shouted, glaring at his mentor with tightened fists and clenched teeth. "Why haven't I been told about all of this?"
Renji sighed. "Look, the day you were taken from your crib that time, that was the worst day of your parents' lives. They put everything on the line just to protect you and bring you and Yuzu back safely. Sure enough, they did and Unohana-Taichou had to erase your aunt's memories of Aizen to rid her of the pain she had caused herself. It was really tough on all members of your family. It's hard to believe, but trust me."
"What's the point in telling me all of this?" Ryuichi growled, continuing to glare at his mentor.
"They want to protect you," Renji explained. "That time when you were taken from them, it hurt them to no end."
"Look," Ryuichi said, "That was 15 years ago. I don't need protection right now."
"I understand that, but that is beside the point. Your parents don't want anything to happen to you. You're just not ready. I'm sorry, Ryuichi."
Ryuichi sighed. He wanted so much to make his father proud of him, but he did not care about how he seemed to be protected at any turn. However, he felt the same way about his little sister, so he seemed to understand his parents' reasoning to some extent. He was still not happy about the fact that he could not partake in this mission, but that did not stop him from achieving shikai.
Determination took over as he locked eyes with his mentor. "Let's continue."
Renji nodded and smirked. "Good idea."
Rukia sighed as she doodled at her desk. All of the paperwork for that day had been completed, so she could finally have a break to think and be alone for a while.
However, everything about the office reminded her of her husband. After all, he was the captain of their division. But all this reminders broke her heart completely. What made matters worse was the six-foot zampakutou leaning against the wall in front of her, wrapped in its trademark linen – Zangetsu.
Ever since that horrible night, she could not sleep for nightmares had her tossing and turning in tears. Everyone had told her it was not her fault and there was nothing she could have done, but that could not shake the guilt that overtook her every step of the way.
"I'm so sorry, Ichigo," she whispered softly to no one in particular, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry."
A soft knock on the door brought her back to reality. She vigorously rubbed the tears off her face and called, "C-come in!" She silently cursed herself at the show of weakness.
"Kurosaki-fukutaichou," Hinamori said as she opened the door. "Don't be afraid to hide your emotions. I know what you're doing, and it's all right."
Rukia sighed and pursed her lips. "Whatever. What is it that you want, Hinamori?"
Hinamori smiled and whispered to someone around the corner. Then she turned back to Rukia. "Someone would like to see you. I think she wants to cheer you up."
On cue, Aiko trotted inside, holding a stuffed bunny. When she saw her mother, she ran towards her. "Mommy!"
Rukia got up from her desk and wrapped her arms around the little girl. "Aiko baby!"
"I figured that she would want to see you and cheer you up, since you seemed sad the past couple of days."
Since Rukia did not want the news to reach her daughter's ears for obvious reasons, she had to tell her that Ichigo was off on a vacation and will be back soon. Aiko had wondered why her father did not say good bye to her, but her mother assured her that he was in a hurry and wanted her to pass along the message. This settled the little girl's mind to a certain extent.
"I know mommy misses daddy," Aiko said, "So Chappy and I should cheer her up."
Rukia smiled sadly at her daughter.
"I should leave you two alone for a bit," Hinamori said. "Take care, Rukia."
Rukia nodded and went back to hugging her daughter. "Thank you, baby."
"Mommy?" Aiko asked.
"Mhm?"
"Please be happy. Daddy will be back soon like you said and we can be happy again, like the bunnies I drew earlier. You remember the bunnies, mommy?"
Rukia thought back to the adorable picture her daughter drew at her aunt's house several days ago. "Yes I do, honey."
"And the bunnies were happy, right?" Aiko asked.
"Yes they were, baby," Rukia replied, smiling at the memory. "I'll try to be happy for you, honey, and your daddy will be home soon as I had promised."
Aiko wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and her mother tightened her embrace.
As they shared this moment together, every negative feeling that Rukia had welled up inside seemed to fade away – even if it was just for a moment. Ichigo will be home soon, and I am going to do whatever it takes to make sure of that. She thought about Ryuichi – how he was struggling to achieve shikai – and continued her thoughts. I'm sorry, Ryuichi, but this is the best I can do for you. I do not want to lose you like I had almost done when you were a baby.
Ryuichi stood in the middle of the training field, mind calm and focused. He tried as hard as he could to hear his zampakutou's spirit's voice, but to no avail.
Suddenly, Zabimaru's extended blades flew at him. Sensing the surprise attack, Ryuichi opened his eyes and held his katana up to block it, getting pushed back from the powerful force. Damn it!
Renji whipped his zampakutou forward once again. This time, Ryuichi dodged it and again he dodged the third attack. Around that moment, he thought he heard a faint voice calling his name, but it was too mute to be clear.
Renji flash-stepped towards his student, unleashing his shikai's attack once more. Ryuichi blocked the attack and parried it away, but when the second attack came, he tried to block it once again. However, he was knocked on his back by the violent force.
Renji retracted his blades and shook his head. "I think we're done for today."
Ryuichi got up and cursed under his breath. "Just tell me the trick or something!" He shouted, frustrated at his failure.
Renji shrugged. "It depends on the person. Some people get it just by sparring with others; some people get it from straight meditation. Apparently, sparring doesn't work with you. So you need to meditate. You'll get it eventually."
"Can we do this one more time?" Ryuichi asked.
Renji shook his head. "As much as I would like to, I can't. I've got paperwork to do," he rolled his eyes when he mentioned the activity, "Take a break for now, Ryuichi, and do whatever you can to learn the name of your zampakutou."
He turned his back to walk towards the headquarters and Ryuichi stared after him. He swore he heard someone call his name earlier, but why was the voice too quiet? He shook his head. Probably my sub-conscious playing tricks on me or something.
He sheathed his katana and head towards the gate that would lead him out of the Third Division grounds.
"Thanks for coming, Ryu!" Yachiru called from several feet away. She was cuddling with Hanatarou, who had his arms around her.
"Yep, see you around, Yachiru! You too, Hanatarou!" Ryuichi waved as he stepped through the gate and turned in the direction of his home.
He did not walk very far when he saw Ruby in front of him. Furrowing his eyebrows, he averted his eyes from her as he continued to walk past.
"Ryuichi, wait!" She called, but Ryuichi did not hear her. She ran up towards him. "Ryuichi, I need to talk to you!"
"Go away, Ruby," Ryuichi snapped, annoyed by her presence. "I'm not in the mood to deal with your bullshit."
"Just listen to me!" Ruby shouted, trying to be persistent. "I'm really sorry for what Jade and I put you through and..."
"FUCK OFF!" Ryuichi bellowed, fists and teeth clenched.
Ruby became silent. She watched as Ryuichi turned and walk away, unable to move or say anything else.
Later on that night, Ryuichi was on his way towards his room when he heard sobbing coming from his parents' room. He quietly leaned forward slightly to listen, heart breaking from the depressing sound.
He did not know what to do. He knew his mother did not want anyone to see her like this, but at the same time he could not leave her alone.
His determination rose immediately. As soon as he would figure out his zampakutou's name, he will do whatever he can to get his father back. Even though it would break his mother's heart even more, he could not bear to listen to her crying like this.
After all, he had his father's blood. He knew that Ichigo had never listened to a thing Rukia had told him in the past, and he had acted out of his own judgement. Ryuichi was the same.
Who knows what could happen to his mother, Hinamori, Renji, and Tatsuki in Hueco Mundo? After all, he still had strong feelings for Hinamori, and he would do anything to make sure she was safe. If he wanted to protect his family, this had to be the only way.
Ryuichi softened his eyes. "I'm sorry, Mom," he muttered, and he continued his retreat to his room where another restless night would await him.
"Ryuichi...Ryuichi!"
Ryuichi looked around. He was enshrouded by darkness, and a certain voice was calling his name.
"Ryuichi! Ryuichi!"
Ryuichi looked around, trying to see through the darkness. Maybe calling would do the trick? "Who are you?"
However, the voice did not answer him.
"Hello?" He started to run in a direction he had no idea where to. "Hello?"
"Ryuichi!"
The voice was more audible now. Ryuichi kept on running. The closer he got, the more clear the voice was.
"Ryuichi..."
It was very familiar – pained even, as though its owner had just been tortured a great extent. He could start hearing laboured breathing, as though someone was panicking.
"Hang on! I'm on my way!" Ryuichi shouted into the darkness, hoping the person would hear him.
"No, Ryuichi," the voice replied. "Don't come any closer! Ahhh!"
Ryuichi continued to run. A figure came into view before his eyes – a figure with orange hair and a white haori. A red chain strung around the haori, but there was no zampakutou anywhere near the figure. It was Ichigo.
"D-dad! Hang on!"
"Ryuichi, no!" Ichigo shrieked in between breathing. He was keeled over and trembling, as though he were fighting something inside. His eyes were shut tight and he had his hands on his head, grabbing tightly onto his hair. Blood ran down his arms and chin and his shinigami robes underneath were tattered. Dark bruises showed on almost every surface of skin that was exposed.
"Dad!" Ryuichi shouted. He tried to get closer, but no matter what, he always kept the same distance.
Another figure joined them – a tall, dark shadow with robes that flowed behind him. Ryuichi tried to grab onto his zampakutou but realized it was not there. The shadow stepped in front of Ichigo, drawing his sword as he stepped toward the boy.
Ryuichi swallowed as he froze on the spot. The reiatsu this shadow was emitting was immense, and he found it quite hard to breathe. He could not recognize this ominous figure, who was inching closer to him and chuckling darkly.
A scream echoed behind the figure, and Ryuichi wanted to help his father. But this shadow was making everything difficult, and with no zampakutou or weapon to fight with, he knew he was done for. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to tell himself that it was just a dream – a nightmare – that nothing will happen to him.
He felt the figure's presence right in front of him, no more than a foot away. He opened his eyes to find the shadow's blade raised above his head. "Good bye," the figure chuckled as he brought down his blade in one downward motion.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Ryuichi screamed as he awoke from his bed, sweat dripping from every pore of his shaking body. His chest heaved as he breathed heavily, and he tried so hard to block out the horrifying nightmare.
It took him a moment to calm down his nerves. Over and over he reflected on the horrible dream that he had just had. It seemed strange to him, for he did not understand what his father was fighting against. Could it be some kind of evil spirit? And that figure that tried to kill him – could that be Aizen?
Either way, Ryuichi knew that he did not want to go back to sleep. He looked over towards his katana and narrowed his eyes. Instead of sleeping, he will go for a walk somewhere and meditate, where he will try to figure out his zampakutou's name.
Quietly, he stood up from the futon, put on his shinigami robes, sheathed his katana, and slipped out of his room, trying not to waken his mother or sister.
It took him a while to tiptoe through the dark house, but he found the front door eventually and slipped through, closing it silently behind him.
Immediately, he turned on his heel and walked swiftly towards a random direction – towards the Soukyouku Hill.
He did not know why, but that was always the best place to think in his opinion, probably due to the high cliff area that formed the edge of the former execution site. This would be the perfect place to meditate and try to figure out his zampakutou's name – assuming he would figure it out by the time dawn arrived.
As he walked towards his destination, his thoughts wandered back to the terrible dream that he just had. He could not get over the fact that his father was keeled over, holding his head in a torturous way as though he were fighting something. What could he be fighting against? What other secrets could be hidden from him? Could a portion of whatever eerie power his father was fighting against be passed on to him? Ryuichi had no clue what was going on.
He finally arrived at Soukyouku hill and looked around. As soon as he found the edge of the cliff, he thought back to the dream that he had of Hinamori – how they had almost kissed on that very spot. He shook his head vigorously, trying to tell himself that it was not going to happen and he should not be distracted by irrelevant details.
He walked towards the cliff edge, drew his katana, and sat cross-legged on the grass, placing the sword across his legs. Then he calmed his mind, closing his eyes in concentration. Please tell me your name. This is an urgent emergency. Please...
At that moment, he felt a tug as he was thrown into some kind of dimension. It happened too fast for him to understand what was going on, and he felt dizzy from the result.
Everything calmed within seconds and Ryuichi opened his eyes.
He found himself in a strange place. It was very hot with smoke rising from every portion of the ground. Lava flowed through all directions, reminding Ryuichi of a volcanic area. There weren't many trees in this place, and those few that stood on the basalt ground were barren and charred.
Ryuichi looked around, hoping to find some kind of life and wondering why he could be in such a place.
That was when the ground shook, and Ryuichi tried to contain his balance. The temperature rose as a burning sensation blasted his face. Ryuichi shielded his face for a moment and then lowered his arms, only to gaze in shock at a colossal entity glaring before him.
It was a dragon – a huge, fiery dragon with enormous wings that stretched for miles on each side. Its crimson eyes stared at the young man that was awed and overcome by this strange sight.
"Ryuichi..." It spoke in a voice that echoed throughout this strange place. "Why have you not heard me?"
All what Ryuichi could do was stare in disbelief, but he finally found his voice when he spoke. "What?"
"I had been calling your name, but you hadn't heard me."
Ryuichi furrowed his eyebrows. "I didn't hear you. You spoke too quietly for me to hear you."
"That was because you weren't concentrating hard enough."
"Okay, okay," Ryuichi looked up at the beast. For some reason, the scorching fumes did not bother him anymore. "Are you my zampakutou's spirit?"
"I am, for my name is Karyuu. However, I will only be wielded if you are willing to fight with everything you have, if you have the will to do whatever it takes to protect those you love."
Ryuichi thought of his family and Hinamori. This was what he had been striving to accomplish. "I do."
The dragon nodded slowly. "So you are ready to wield me, Ryuichi?"
"Yes, just lend me your power. My dad is..."
"I know. Your father is in grave danger, but you must understand that going to him will put you in the same danger as him."
Ryuichi remembered what Renji had told him. "I am willing to do anything it takes to get him back."
The dragon nodded once again. "Very well. With your spirit, you are definitely deemed worthy to wield me. Good luck."
The same tug that brought him to this place happened once again – this time to take him out and back to the Soukyouku Hill.
Ryuichi opened his eyes and looked down at his sword. It was the same as before. He scowled and he examined the katana for any differences. Is this some kind of trick?
That same voice echoed in his conscience. This time he could clearly hear it. "You have not released me yet. Say the incantation, 'Rise above the smoking crater' and then my name."
Ryuichi nodded. The instruction made enough sense. He stood and held the katana tightly as he exclaimed, "Rise above the smoking crater...Karyuu!"
The katana caught on fire, catching the young shinigami by surprise. However, the flames did not hurt. They continued to glow brightly, engulfing the blade and changing its shape. A beam of light looped towards Ryuichi's other hand and a flaming scythe formed, turning the beam of light into a glowing chain.
Ryuichi looked at the actual sword. Instead of the traditional single blade that every katana had used, there were two blades and the design of the blades caught the young man's interest. The blade had a gold sheen and curved edges stuck out of the blade as though they resembled flames.
Ryuichi stared at his weapon with awe and amazement. He threw the scythe with all of his strength and was amazed when the chain stretched with the scythe's distance. Then the scythe boomeranged back towards its wielder's hand.
Ryuichi turned towards the post where the Soukyouku's cross, the beam in which prisoners were bound to, had once stood. He raised the main part of his weapon and slashed at the post, easily cutting through it like a hot knife through butter. A triumphant smile widened on his face as he reverted his zampakutou back to normal and sheathed the katana.
Now he was ready to embark on a perilous journey to retrieve his father.
Next time on Inherited Nightmares...
Rukia softened her eyes when she turned to face her daughter. "Look after her, Nii-Sama."
Byakuya nodded as he adjusted Aiko against his chest. "Don't worry about her, Rukia. She will be kept safe at the manor. I will make sure of that."
Rikichi, his lieutenant, beamed at Renji. "Good luck, Renji! You're the best ever!"
Renji smirked. "That's Abarai-Taichou to you."
Well, I knew this chapter would be long as it's quite an important one. Next chapter, the mission in Hueco Mundo begins!
The dream that happened earlier in the chapter is also a foreshadowing which will take place in a couple chapters. You will have to find out what will happen then (although you may already know but I never said when it would happen hehe). This is a scene that I have been planning for quite a while.
As for the video versions, the artist who is drawing Ruby and Jade is busy with university so it will take some time before she is done. I am going to ask my friend about more details later on.
With all that said, please review and tell me what you think!
Take care!