Behind The Masks
Chronicles
Chapter 3
Three Seats of Pain
So it's my turn to talk. Hello, my name is Kirou Senshi. I am the third seat of squad one. Chris decided we should continue rounding out the squads before he left for his trip, just to make sure everything was secure. It's been about 7, maybe 8 months since he left. All of the shinigami squads have been hard at work doing Bankai training. It's not easy, it takes dedication, time and lots of work… lots of hard work. I've been entrusted with this story, my chronicle; the story that oponed my eyes.
Ever since I joined the squad, and even before that, I've always been confident of my strenght. Through my mind, the thought that I could handle myself on my own was always burning brightly. After I joined, I became so much stronger, that the thought seemed to have gained strenght with me. People seemed to like the way I was, but I still insisted to fight by myself. I never took company. The worst thing of it all is… every time I won a battle I felt bigger, stronger… and I continued being more stubborn.
My chronicle begins on a day like any other. I had just gotten to the Squad House and made my way to the third floor. Captain Milton's girlfriend Zile and some new guy had just come in through the window carrying two wounded arrancar. A few seconds later Vice-Captain Hiroki came in, through the windows as well, obviously battle scarred.
"Captain Charles!" Hiroki shouted as he went towards Captain Arrancar 2
"You're here for a battle report?" Charles responded
"Yes… how did?"
"I recieved the signal on the computer. Two battles, big scale, both at once." Charles said as he cheked the computer "New guy, con here for a sec."
The newbie arrancar went up to Charles.
"Yes sir?" he asked
"What went on? I detected strong signs of reiatsu… stronger than I would be expecting." Charles said
"Well… we were at the tower in the center of town… me, Yasu, and Kenji. These three arrancar girls came out of nowhere and attacked us. We used our release forms to fight them off, but then they summoned some huge beast and…"
"Huge beast? Who exactly were you fighting?" Charles asked
"They had there weird names" the newbie responded "they were… umm… Apache, Mila-Rose and…"
"Sun Sun… what? How?… theyre supposed to be dead!" Charles reacted, almost screaming, as he stood up from the chair "Hiroki, who did you fight?"
"Luppi. I thought he was a girl though." Hiroki answered
"This is strange… i dont get it. I understand that in that weird dimension the Zanpaktou spirits can be called forth… however, an arrancar that was killed ages ago magically coming to life is beyond me… I have to do some research." he said gong back to the compter
"Umm… maybe its residual spirit energy?" the newbie commented
"That wouldn't explain why they would hold such power." Charles answered
"Is it relevant to mention that Luppi showed a gratitude face before he faded away?" Hiroki added
"Hmm… so theres a reason for them being here… a reason against their will… at least against Luppi's. We'll have to check into this better." Charles said
Just as he was done thinking out loud the computer let off a signal, as strong as the last two.
"another one?" Charles asked out loud
"I'll go!" I volunteered
"You sure about that? He asked me
"Of course. It can't be much stronger than the ones that have already appeared." I answered
"I'll go with you." Zile said
"No, I'll go alone. We'll need more fighters in case anything else shows up." I added
"True… Alright, I'll stay. But if you meet any trouble, be sure to use your soul phone right away." she called back
"Okay." I answered back and left
Once outside I followed the reiatsu signature that Charlse picked up on the computer. It came from the southern part of the city, near the car junkyard. As soon as I landed, the target moved a little. I followed my senses and ended up right in the middle of the car junkyard. I looked around to see if I found whatever was emmiting such strange spirit energy, when I turned I saw him, just standing there.
A tall skinny man with a white, long sleeve outfit. Part of his face covered by a bone mask with two slits in it that went up covering his head like a hat, except it was longer on the right side. He approached me, silently, and introduced himself.
"My name is Shawlong Kufang… and you are?"
"I am Kirou Senshi, third seat of squad one." I answered
"Shall we begin?" he asked calmly
"Begin what?"
"I was sent here to kill the first Shinigami I saw, which just so happens to be you." he answered
"And I suppose you Intend to blindly follow that?"
"Clueless…"
He dissapeared and appeared behind me, I blocked an incoming sword with mine.
"The only reason I told you my name was so you would know who is going to kill you!" he added
I stepped back and got ready for battle. He moved towards me, and an incredible speed, our swords clashed. I shunpoed behind him and swing, but he stopped it with his hand. I then slid my foot and tripped him, then flipped around and tackled before he hit the ground. He slid back on the ground a little then got up and flew at me again. I used shunpo to evade and attacked from above, he stepped back and dodged it, so I kicked him in the gut.
From the looks of it, he was furious. He appeared behind me again, only this time he actually kicked me. I was sent forward a few feet, but manager to make a handstand and regain my footing. As soon as I did, I saw multiple sword slashes coming my way. I don't know how but I managed to block most of them, ending up with a small wound on my forearm and shoulder. He jumped at me, but I rolled forward and got out of the way, he turned around with great speed for a slash, which I blocked, still kneeling, but was sent skidding backwards from the force. As I stood up I heard a voice speak to me inside my head.
"Call my name."
"I can handle him alone." i answered
"Really? Cause it looks like he's not even trying, yet he's wiping the floor with you." he asked
"I'm just giving him some time while I find a way to kill him."
"Why are you so stubborn? Can't you just accept that some things you can't do alone?"
"Just give me some more time!" i answered
"Whatever…"
I ran towards Shawlong as fast as I could and dived into him, sword first. He quickly dodged, I flipped, landed and turned for another trique, which he blocked. I took a chance and double slashed quickly, one of them was blocked, the other landed straight across his chest. He took a few steps back.
"See, I told you I could handle it." I told to my Zanpaktou
"Oh yeah! He lands five hits you land one. Keep it up and you'll win in no time!" he answered
"Cut the sarcasm!"
"What's he doing?"
I looked up to see Shawlong charging a large amount of spirirt energy into his hand. I got ready for him to release it so i could dodge it. At the moment he released it I used shunpo to move out of the way and go behind him. I landed the strike, but just at the split second where my body became unprotected, he kicked upwards without looking. I was sent flying upwards. I managed to flip in midair using the reishi in the atmosphere to try to stop my body from moving. However just i was able to gain my balance, a large red blast of reiatsu crashed against me. I fell straight downwards into a pile of junk. I traed getting up to continue the battle, but I heard his voice call me again.
"Get over here!"
My eyes went blank for a second. I wasn't on the battle field anymore. I was on a mountain, overlooking a dry wasteland with some other mountains in the distance. I looked into the destance, forgetting was I was doing before meeting there. Someone tapped on my shoulder and i turned around. Instantly a big fist crashed against my forehead!
"What was that for!?" I yelled
"CAN YOU BE ANY MORE STUBBORN!" he yelled back
"What more do you want! He's an arrancar, their lowest forms are way powerful. This one seems to fight as if he has rank." I answered
"I'm not talking about your battle style, I'm talking about your way of thinking! When are you going to understand that some things can't be done alone… would you at least look at me when I talk to you? I'm your Zanpaktou, for pete's sake!" he reprimanded me
"I… I can't."
"What?"
"I can't!"
"What do you mean you can't? Is it that hard to say my name? You've done it countless times before. We've shared the same power, we've reached incredible amounts of power, together. Yet whenever we're in the middle of the battlefield you forget everything you've learned. What's your damage?"
"There are just som things about me you don't know, that you may never understand." I responded
"That's why I'm here. I'm your friend. I'm not just your sword. I reflect you. If there is anything you ever need help with I can be there. All you gotta do is call me, but nooooo, I can handle everything by myself." he continued
"It's just…" I started
"Come on… sit here and tell me." he said, as we sat down on the edge of the cliff, looking down upon the dry land. "What's on your mind?"
"Well… it's just… when I was little… I had few friends. We had some good times together but… whenever I needed them, they were never there. I had a LOT of troubles growing up in school… and the only person that was ever there for me was… my big brother. He was awesome. He was really tall and really strong… at least it seemed that way since I was little.
He would pick me up everyday at school and scare away all the kids who bothered me. Whenever my parents were busy he would take me out for ice-cream and to the movies… and if we ever saw some of the kids from school when we were out he would puff out his chest all scary like that and make a mean face and they would all get scared.
But then… he became a proffesional and his job made him have to leave the country… and… and then when the kids at school found out they started picking on me more and more. It got to the point where i had to find a way to defend myself. And I started getting in trouble in school, gettting suspended and detention… I almost ended up juvi-hall once.
I know hes a grown man now, and he has his own life… but I really miss him. So ever since then I decided that I woas going to take care of everything, absolutely everything that went on in my life by myself… I need to prove to myself that I can… so if my brother ever comes back, I can show him how much of a man I've become… and that his actions taught me a lot of things.
So you see… I need to do things by myself… I need to prove that I can…" I ended with a sigh
"hehehe… hehe… Oh boy…" he responded
"Why are you laughing?" I asked
"You don't need to prove anything to yourself. Youre the most independent person I've seen. You're brother would be proud of you. Look at me Kirou… why dont you ever look at me?" he asked
"Because… you… you look way too much like him." i responded
"Like your brother?"
"Yeah… in everything. Your face, your height, your body structure… even your hair and the way you stand… it's like you're him… except that look in your eyes when youre saying how i should call youre name, thats totally you! Haha!"
"Look at me Kirou." he said, I looked at him and smiled. "Some things in life you can't do alone, while others you have to. Battle isn't one of them. When we battle, we fight as one. Like two souls in one body. You are with me even when youre alone… so in retrospect, youre never alone."
"Wow… you have a way with words… just like Tetsu." i said
"So… what do you say?" he asked
"Alright… I'll fight with you… Onii-san"
We smiled and I saw a bright light cover the dry land below us. I looked at it and saw how the once dry, barren land became lush, green, and bright with life. It shone across brightly and beautifully. As i continued admiring it, my eyes went blank and I slowly returned to the car junkyard. I got up from between the junk. Shawlong approached me slowly. As he did, I began charging my reiatsu. It felt stronger than it usually did.
"I'm susprised you can still form an increase in your espiritual energy." he said
"Thats because I'm not alone… It just goes to show you how awesome I am." I responded "Now…"
I held my sword in front of me horizontally and let go of it… it floated in midair.
"Divide and Conquer… Zanjutsu." (Art of swords.)
My Zanpaktou let off sparkles outward from the handle and turned into a double blade. As if two swords had been joined together by the handle. I raised my index and middle fingers together, like when we perform Kidou, as my Zanpaktou floated in front of them. I flashed towards Shawlong and swing at him, he blocked. I then doubled up with several more slashes, he managed to block some of them, but the majority hit. I then switched stances.
I slashed an invisible line with my fingers through the center of Zanjutsu's double handle, splitting the weapon into two separate sword. I continued slashing madly at him, changing my position randomly around him with shunpo. I gave a final slash that sent him flying backwards, then took a chance and aimed at him.
"Hadou no san-juu-ichi, Shakahou!" (Hadou 31, Red flame cannon)
A large explosion occured, but instead of feeling a decrease in spirit pressure, i felt an increase. I heard his voice call out some power.
"Snip, Tijereta!"
A light shone in between the smoke, which he cleared out with a swing of his tail… yeah he had a tail. His release form was the strangest thing ever. His mask grew to outline his face. His arm had become bones and his fingers grew long and bone thin. His tail was like the bones of a normal tail but with two ends. He charged red energy and released it at me with great speed. I joined my blade back together quickly and made it spin, a technique I saw Captain Brian use, this caused the cero to break apart. I then decided to go up one more level.
BAN-KAI
As the smoke from the blast cleared, my Bankai came into view. In front of me, floating a few inches from my left hand was a large 'X' made of four blades joined together. Behind me, another 'X' floated a few inches away from my right hand. I looked up to see Shawlong surprised.
"Kyousei Zanjutsu." (Great art of swords.)
I joined both weapons together forming a large star. They began to spin rapidly, gathering reishi from the atmosphere. Once it charge enough it began releasing small burtst of reiatsu rapidly in large numbers. Shawlong tried blocking them but he wasnt fast enough and got hit by almost all of them. I separated the star back into two 'X' blades, then called out one of Zanjutsu's abilities.
"Divide!"
The 'X's divided into four of Zanjutsu's shikai, which positioned themselves next to my hands, one on each side of each hand. I flashed towards Shawlong once more and swing my hand at him, he blocked both blades, but was not able to block the trique from my other hand, recieving two cuts on his chest and getting sent flying backwards into a pile of cars.
"Divide!"
The double blades divided once again into eight separate normal sized swords. They floated next to me as I used shunpo towards Shawlong again. I sent all eight blades forward trapping his clothes into the cars in eight different, very specific locations on his body, completely immobilizing him. I came close to him.
"How… can you have such power…" he asked
"Maybe you forgot what i told you… My name is Kirou Senshi, I am the third seat of squad One… you mess with me, you get three seats of pain."
I said and took a step back.
"I could just let those wounds open and let you bleed to death, but I'm more of a rapid kill guy. Sprinkled on the bones of a beast! Pointy tower, red crystal, steel cartwheels. Move and make wind. Stop and make calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle… Hadou no roku-juu-san, Raikouhou" (Hadou 63, Thunder Roar Cannon
I blasted the Kidou at him at point blank, creating a massive explosion that sent me flying backwards as well. I landed softly and summoned the eight blades back to me. They circled around me once, and then joined together with light, going back into Zanjutsu's sealed form. I sheathed him back, as he thanked me for finally having called his name after so long. I turned and begn walking away back to the squad house.
"That was for you… Tetsu."