Chapter 18

The sun was still below the horizon when I woke up, I tried to get up but my body refused to move. All of the training left my body wore out, and my limbs were stiff and sore. I glanced over to Renamon, she was still asleep. I just laid there, staring at her vixen body. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you Rena, you are all I have left. I'm doing this for you, I paused, I'm doing this for us. I thought to myself. I left my old life behind me. This is my life now. I can't go back, for there is nothing there for me except loneliness and grief. I grabbed my zanpakuto and sat up. I placed the tip of the sheath in the dirt and pulled myself up. It took a few seconds to get myself up, but when I did, some of the stiffness went away. I did a series of stretches and moves to warm up for my training and to relieve the rest of my stiffness. By the time I was done, the sun was just peering over the horizon. I stood in the last few moments of darkness before the rays of the sun scared them away until the night.

Colton was making his way across the sword covered battle field. He seen Adam staring off at the morning sunrise and went over to join him. Adam looked at Colton with a determined face and cracked a small smile towards the Captain ranked Soul Reaper. Colton was standing about six feet from Adam, also looking at the horizon. "Morning Adam." Colton said quietly, realizing Renamon was still asleep.

"Morning." I responded quietly.

Colton glanced over at Renamon again. "Your not going to wake her up?" Colton asked.

"No, I want her to sleep as long as she wants. I don't think she slept very well the past couple of days. Her mother told me that Rena never left my side while I was unconscious for those three days. Now that she knows I'm OK, she can finally rest without worry."

"You both really care about each other, don't you?" Colton asked as he looked at me.

"Yeah, we do." I said with a smile. I paused for a few minutes to admire the sunrise. "It's odd, I never thought Digimon were real. I remember the card game was a big hit back when I was younger, but I never got into it. And now that I have a real Digimon, I really don't know what to do." I paused again, "For some reason, I think I was brought here for something else besides being paired with a Digimon. Something to do with my strength."

"Your right, you were brought here to destroy Black Renamon." Colton said seriously. "But no one really knew that you were going to be the one to do it. I guess the original plan was for you to use Renamon to destroy Black Renamon. But when you realized that you cared for Renamon and had an urge to protect her. Your Soul Reaper powers awakened."

"So what happens when I do destroy Black Renamon? Will they let me stay here with Renamon or let her come with me back to the human world?" I paused, "Or will they separate Renamon and I, and send me back home alone?" I asked.

"I don't know Adam. But I hope that they will let you and Renamon stay together." Colton said worried about the subject.

"Well, I'm going to get some fruit for breakfast so I can finish my Bankai training. Would you like me to get some extra for you?" I asked Colton.

"If that's not a problem."

"Not at all. Be back in ten minutes or so." I said while running into the forest.

I only had to run about fifty or sixty yards until I found the fruit that Renamon shown me that was edible. I quickly picked nine of them and hurried back to the makeshift battlefield. I was back within eight minutes, I gave Colton three and sat three next to Renamon's sleeping figure. Colton and I ate in silence and admired the sunrise through the tree's. When we finished, I stood up and walked over to Rena's body. I bent down to pick her up and carry her off to the side so I could resume my Bankai training. As I picked her up, she put my head against my chest and her arms around my neck. For that moment, I wished I could stop time so I could hold her like that forever. I carried her over to where she was standing yesterday and sat her down. But before I did, I whispered into her ear, "I'm doing this for us Rena. So that we may live together without fear." Her ear twitched and she smiled. I walked back over to Colton, who had the Substitution Doll standing up and ready. I unsheathed my blade and stabbed the doll. Within a few seconds, Shruikan stood before me.

Shruikan looked down at me with his golden eyes. I take it that you are ready to resume our battle?

"I am, and today" I paused, "I plan to find my Bankai blade and cut you!" I said.

Then, let's begin Shruikan said attempting to smile, but only looked as if he were growling at someone.

I ran off to the right to grab the nearest sword and attack Shruikan. He attempted to jab at me with his large triangular head, but I sidestepped them. When I grabbed the hilt of the sword, I held the back side of the blade against my arm. I was holding it like a dagger. I ran back up to Shruikan-sidestepping his attacks-an attacked his back. Like all the other blades, it shattered as the blade hit Shruikan's scales.

Thirty-three Shruikan said, still counting the number of swords I used. After the blade broke, I pushed off of Shruikan's body and landed a few feet away. Shruikan took this opportunity to attack me with his head. As soon as I landed, he jabbed his head at me. The only thing I could do was try and stop it, I put my arms up and stopped his head with my hands. Thankfully he had his mouth closed, otherwise, my hands would have been bit off. He was less than ten inches from my face, and getting closer. My bicep muscles were shaking from the extreme force that was being applied to them. I knew that I wouldn't last much longer like this. I had to focus, then the thought of Rena came into my mind. All the time I've been with her ran though my head. I used this strength and pushed back, and to my surprise, Shruikan's head was being forced back. Then with the last amount of strength I had, I pushed as hard as I could. I forced his head back into the air and made Shruikan take a step backwards. I ran to another sword to arm myself and I took a fighting stance so I could regain my strength.

Shruikan was completely awestruck, this fifteen year old human just pushed a full grown dragon back. This child's strength is incredible. Now I see why his grandfather chose me to be his sword. Shruikan let Adam regain his breath and strength for a few moments. Adam only took a minute or two to rest and then he charged at Shruikan again. And again his blade broke against his scales. Thirty-four.

When my sword broke again, I didn't hesitate to get back. For I didn't want to be attacked again. I ran back into the sword littered field to find another sword. I searched among the Bankai blades for a sword not like the other ones. But most were the same, except for a quarter of them had white blades instead of black ones. I grabbed another sword and stood there. The blade was about six feet in length and about a foot in height. The blade itself was about two inches thick. The foot and a half hilt was located at the top of the sword and was thickly wrapped with a black cloth, and some of the left over cloth hung down two feet from the bottom of the hilt. The blade color was odd, the bottom half of the sword was a black metallic color and the top half was a white matte color. I stood there, thinking of Renamon, and when I did, the black aurora came back and took over my body. Energy swarmed my body and limbs, I let the energy replenish my limbs. After a few moments, I felt like I just woke up for a long rest, I gripped the hilt of the sword tighter and ran back to Shruikan. About a quarter of the way there, the aurora disappeared. When I finally got to Shruikan, he didn't hesitate to attack me. I sidestepped his attacks, but he hit me with his tail when I wasn't paying attention. His attack knocked me straight back about thirty yards, but I countered it by stabbing the ground with my sword to stop me hitting the ground hard. As the sword dug into the hard soil, I planted my feet onto the ground to slow myself down. When I completely stopped, I was on one knee. I stood up and pulled the sword out of the ground. I gripped the hilt tight again and charged at Shruikan, and again he attacked. I sidestepped his oncoming attacks and watched out for his tail. After about three minutes of attacks, dodges, and sidesteps, he stopped and paused. I took this window of opportunity to attack, I went for his right shoulder. When I got into range, I swung the sword from left to right. When it hit Shruikan's scales, the blade didn't break, it cut him. Yes, I found the blade. I said to myself. After attacking, I back peddled back to a safe distance and lifted my blade so that I could rest it on my right shoulder.

Shruikan looked at Adam with his warm golden eyes. Adam had found the Bankai blade in only two days. Congratulations Adam, you finally found the actual Bankai blade. Now I will explain its special attacks. The first one is called Final Judgment, and the second one is called Dragon's Fury. I wont tell you what they do, for it is your job to find out and master them.

"Thank you Shruikan, and I understand that I need to master them." I walked up to him and put my left hand on his right shoulder. He began to hum deep within his throat. Shruikan looked over at Renamon who had woken up when they began fighting.

I give you my power so that you may protect her, so don't let anything happen to her. Or I will take back my power and have you lose her. Shruikan said, joking about the last part. I looked up at his golden eyes.

"I swear on my life that I will not let anyone hurt her. For if anyone does, they will pay, with their life." I said.

Now that you have achieved Bankai, I bid you farewell until you call my name in battle. After Shruikan said that, the swords that were left disappeared and he walked over to my Bankai blade and touched the metal with his nose and disappeared back into the sword.

A few moments after Shruikan went back to his resting place, I reverted the Bankai back into its first stage and put the blade into its sheath. I looked up at the sky, I raised my right hand to cover my eyes from the sun's bright rays. "Good, I've still got a good couple of hours to spend with Rena. Tomorrow I will train with my Bankai, I'll ask Colton if he would spar with me." I stated. I began to walk towards Renamon, who was running towards me to so that she could embrace me.

Well, that was Chapter 18. I have another idea for a story, but i'm not going to start it until I fininsh this one. Please leave a review, I only have 13 right now and I would like to get more. Also I am still looking for an artist to draw Renamon and I Anime style. Please contact me for more Information. Until next time, XxXDragonManXxX out.