Okay, guys, sorry for the delay. My finals are taking over my time and I'm really annoyed with it. But, during this downtime, I did have time to write the next chapter for you. Please enjoy.
Chapter 17—My Duty, My Reasons
For a short while, Koji was concerned that the rogue would not show himself again, which was disappointing, now that he had achieved Bankai. He wanted to use it, to defeat the rogue with this power he had worked so hard to attain. And yet, while searching the next day with his captain—who he was starting to, in his mind and sometimes verbally, call "Father"—he felt the strange desire to return to the Seireitei and claim that the rogue had left for good.
"Do you think we'll find him?" Koji asked, looking up at the sky as the sun set on the horizon. "I mean, he hasn't come back in almost a week."
"I do not know," Komamura responded. As usual, he looked uncomfortable while stuffed in his Gigai and Koji couldn't blame him. His Gigai was uncomfortable, now that he had released his Kido. "Hopefully, he will return soon enough. The sooner he is defeated, the better off we shall be. Remember, he has only appeared at night, and we may just have to wait for nightfall."
"Yes, sir," Koji murmured, slightly dejected. Then, he perked up. "Do you think I'm stronger now?"
"Yes, you are, there is no doubt about that."
Koji beamed which, outside the Gigai, would've looked like a snarl. He was happy to think that he had impressed the captain, but there was more to it than that. "Do you think I'll be a captain one day?"
"Perhaps, if you keep training."
"Will I get as strong as you?"
Komamura stopped and looked down at Koji. He smiled as well before saying, "I'm sure you'll get even stronger."
Koji let out a small cheer before stopping abruptly. A sudden burst of pressure overtook them and they, almost instinctively, looked upward. A Garganta was opening the sky, revealing the black void inside. Then, someone stepped though, dressed in white and with three swords strapped at his waist. His clothes may have changed, but there was no mistaking the power that radiated from him.
Without thinking, Koji pulled out his Gikon and flicked the small pill into his mouth and jumped out from his Gigai as a Soul Reaper, flying upward with his zanpakuto unsheathed in an attempt to land a single, fatal blow on the rogue who floated above them. He made a horizontal slash that would have bifurcated the rogue... but he struck something strong, solid... Too solid to be flesh.
"Well, look at you," the rogue said, turning to look directly at Koji, having blocked the strike. "You look like that ugly dog-captain. And you seem stronger." He vanished with a loud booming sound before reappearing behind Koji. Koji quickly turned around to face the rogue, glaring daggers into that hated face. "What's wrong? You seem angry, coward."
"I'm not a coward."
"Perhaps not," the rogue admitted. "No coward would've attacked me like that. But that just makes you foolish."
He put his hand to his face. "I'm not going to play games with you this time. This time, I'll crush you completely from the start." Waves of energy flowed towards his face, a deep, crimson color. The color soon stopped, but he moved his hand away; his Hollow mask covered his face. "Are you ready to die, Soul Reaper?"
He moved forward and Koji had barely had time to block... but he had not attempted to kill with his sword; he had attempted to kill with his bare hand, an open palm. His palm had touched the cutting edge of Koji's sword, yet it was not bleeding. A ball of red energy appeared: a Cero. With the quickest thinking he could, Koji flash-stepped away, just seconds before the Cero discharged. The beam flew into the distance before dissipating and the rogue turned to face Koji once more, who had reappeared just behind him. For the first time, the rogue withdrew one of his swords—it looked like Captain Hitsugaya's zanpakuto: Hyourinmaru.
"What's your name, little doggy?"
"Third Seat of the Seventh Division: Koji Shimizu."
"I am a former Soul Reaper of the Twelfth Division: Hayate Nakamura."
"KOJI!" called a voice. Captain Komamura had flown up, sword drawn.
"Captain, I'll handle this," Koji assured him. "Leave him to me."
"Koji—"
"Sir," Koji interrupted. "Please, let me do this. I need to."
The captain seemed conflicted, but Hayate Nakamura had started to laugh behind his mask. "Really, little reaper? You think you can do it?"
"I have more power than before," Koji replied, sounding remarkably snarky in his own ears. He sounded arrogant to himself. "Flash, Hikari no Inu."
Koji's zanpakuto flashed brightly, but before the sword had completely transformed, Koji had charged, slashing with his zanpakuto as he dashed forward. Hayate brought Hyourimaru up to defend himself, but Koji had prepared for it.
"Kessho..."
As the swords clashed, crystal began to grow on Koji's sword, starting to encase the two swords together. Hayate attempted to pry his sword away from the quickly growing crystal, but when he deemed it impossible, he released it, skipping back a few inches. Koji's eyes narrowed and he twisted his sword slightly. The crystals vanished almost immediately and Hyourinmaru-copy started to fall, tip down, towards the world below. Quickly, Komamura glided down to catch it by its handle, looking up with a slight sense of amazement.
"Impressive, to so easily defeat a captain's zanpakuto," Hayate noted.
"You're not a captain," Koji said.
Hayate frowned at the rejected comment, though it was hidden behind his mask. "Don't mock me, boy." He withdrew another sword. "Growl, Haineko."
The new sword had... vanished. For a brief moment Koji was confused before he felt something slash his leg. He fell onto one knee. He looked down at his now bleeding leg and saw what looked like a small cloud of steam around his leg. Quickly, he tumbled out of the way, just as Hayate swung Haineko's sword handle.
"Well done, but you can't just escape you know."
"Haineko..." Koji murmured. What did that mean?
Haineko...
Haineko...
"Ash cat," Koji realized as he continued to dodge the clouds of ash.
"STAND AND FIGHT, SOUL REAPER! I DON'T WANT TO KILL YOU JUST YET! I WANT TO KILL A WARRIOR, NOT A COWARD!"
"I am a warrior!" Koji bellowed, and he pointed Hikari no Inu's tip at the incoming cloud of ash. The orb of light appeared and ruptured, firing the beam of energy into the ash, which almost immediately dispersed. Hayate was laughing uproariously. Koji looked at him; Haineko had reconstituted its sealed form.
"Aren't you going to fight me seriously? Or is this the full extent of your capabilities?"
You're ready for it, said a voice in Koji's head and he recognized it as the voice of his zanpakuto. There's no need to hold back anymore.
"I haven't done it before," Koji said, to both Hayate and Hikari no Inu. "I don't know what'll happen, but I'm willing to give it a chance." Then, with increasing confidence, he said, "It's my job as a Soul Reaper to stop you here."
"Don't be an idiot," Hayate reprimanded. "Don't throw your life away on a battle that you know you can't win."
"I'M A SOUL REAPER!" Koji shouted. Hayate and Komamura jumped in surprise as Koji's newfound resolve. "I LIVE MY LIFE BY PUTTING MY LIFE ON THE LINE!"
He held his sword up to the sky. "BANKAI!"
The sword seemed to explode in a brilliant flash of whitish-blue light. Koji felt it, the power radiating from his sword... The synergy, the power which rested within the sword.
The real fight started now.
The light faded and Koji stood there, clad in azure, crystalline armor that covered his chest, gauntlets over his arms, and a helmet over his head. A blue and white scarf had appeared on his neck and his sword was clenched in his hands, slightly longer with a single red stripe on the blue blade.
"Akurui Hikari no Ookami."
"So, that's it?" Hayate asked. "That's your Bankai? You hardly look any different. Don't play games with me, little doggy."
It had happened to fast for Hayate to respond. Koji had vanished, his arm had been sliced off and he was standing there, still shouting where Koji had once stood. It took a moment, but Hayate soon realized what'd happened. Pain surged outward from where the limb had been cut and he wheeled around, trying his hardest not to shout in pain.
"Bastard," Hayate grumbled. "You really want to die, don't you?" Quickly, he touched his shoulder and grunted; a new arm sprang forth quickly and he flexed it to be sure that it worked. "Cut my arms off as much as you like. It won't make a difference." Hayate reached for his third sword. "My Nomanake won't let me die."
"What if I kill you before you have a chance to regenerate?"
"Try it," Hayate grumbled, holding his sword horizontally in front of him. "I'll be honest; I've been taking it too easy on you."
"What do you mean?"
"I underestimated what you could do, but no longer. If you're coming at me with your full skill, then let me come at you with mine." The air became heavy again and Hayate's entire being glowed with crimson energy. Koji felt his breath hitch; even in Bankai, this power that Hayate exuded was frightening. "Nomanake, Saishu Keitai: Tabla Rasa."
The light flashed brightly for just a moment... then faded. Koji, temporarily blinded, looked away, but when he looked back, he saw... himself, standing there with his Bankai activated... but how could that be? He knew that there, Hayate had just been standing, sword drawn, ready to release some unseen power.
"You seem surprised," the double said. Somehow, it had even copied his voice. "You never knew, did you?"
"What are you?"
"Tabla Rasa," the copy repeated. "The blank slate. This is my Resurrección. As of right now, I have no power of my own. Every bit of my power is coming from you."
Koji scowled.
"So this is your Bankai," Hayate murmured. "Quite interesting." He flexed his body. "Wow, this furry gets a bit itchy, doesn't it? Or maybe it's because I'm not used to it."
"Don't mock me!" Koji shouted.
Hayate laughed. "Mock you? I am you."
He vanished and Koji had barely managed to turn to block the incoming slash. Their swords met and repelled each other, bouncing off the metal. They took steps back, each one mirroring the other's movements perfectly. They stood there, mirror images not daring to make a move.
"Are you still scared?" Hayate asked.
"If you're really me, then you know the answer."
Silence...
"We have a full audience," Hayate remarked. "Surely you don't want to disappoint them, right?"
Audience? Koji was confused before he looked down and saw the two captains and two lieutenants there, watching in apprehension. He could see it on their faces. They wanted to help, but did not dare intervene for fear that they might strike their ally.
"If you're really me, then you know that this can't end well for either of us. If we're equal, then we're both going to die."
Hayate raised an eyebrow. "Why would I die with you? That's just pointless."
He pointed his finger at him, and it shined with crimson energy. "Tell me, I'm curious. How does it feel to be hurt by your own power?"
A beam of red energy fired from the orb and Koji copied the attack. The blasts met in midair and exploded in a smoky release of energy. They both charged into the smoke and slashed at each other. It was almost like watching a choreographed dance, as each of them moved around the other carefully, making the perfect slashes (nothing less than a fatal strike) and perfect blocks (which were executed with precision).
Komamura watched from where he stood, his hands shaking. He knew which one was which, but Koji's request rang in his head. He did not want help, but it was almost impossible to keep himself back. His hands were clutching the Hyourinmaru-copy, which was rattling in his hands.
"Komamura, what's going on?" Hitsugaya demanded.
Komamura was silent.
"Komamura!"
Silence.
"SAJIN!"
Komamura looked down at the small captain, who looked so upset that it was nearly palpable. "Yes, Captain Hitsugaya?"
"You know who's who, don't you?"
"Yes," Komamura said, returning his attention to the fight.
"Why don't you help him. At this rate, they'll kill each other."
"He knows that," Komamura replied, and the words had made him choke down a small ball of worry.
"Then help him."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"He doesn't need my help."
"Sajin—"
"Just watch, Captain Hitsugaya."
It happened just as Hitsugaya turned back. An explosion of energy as their swords collided, sending them both reeling backwards. They quickly regained their footing and glared at each other, feeling the other's emotion and growing fatigue. How much longer could this last?
One of them charged forward and the other parried. The combat continued, each one matching the other's techniques. Crystals fired from both swords, beams of light from the palms and blades clashed in midair as they each had their own drive, their own desire, to win, to be victorious. Once more, a force of energy pushed them apart.
"This is getting us nowhere," one said.
"Probably," the other huffed, "but I'm still alive."
"You're pretty damn arrogant, you know."
"So are you."
"Coward."
"Bastard."
One charged, but the other did not move; he stood still, as if paralyzed, before finally, the blade pierced his stomach and he coughed, blood from his mouth splashing onto his opponent, who was grinning widely... then he coughed too, blood droplets surging down to the ground below.
"I told you we'd kill ourselves," one (Koji) wheezed before coughing again.
"You're wrong," the other one (Hayate) said. "I can regenerate myself countless times. As it stands, I'm immortal." The other pulled his sword from his opponent's body, but the opponent kept his blade where it was. Once more, the other stabbed, this time aiming slightly higher, piercing the shoulder. He stabbed over and over again, but his opponent's blade stayed where it was. "You can stab me a hundred times, but I won't die. I can't die, not before I—"
"Kessho..."
The command, uttered with audible and visible difficulty, was obeyed almost immediately. The first one's blade—still imbedded in his opponent—exploded with crystals, stabbing the second one numerous times inside the body, rupturing everything those crystals paths as they spread and grew, before finally piercing the head, the brain, and jutting out from the top of the second's head.
The second one shimmered, like an image in water, before the image was broken like glass, revealing Hayate Nakamura, shocked and barely alive.
"You... bastard..."
He slumped, and the crystals retreated back into the blade from whence they came. Carefully, Koji kicked the rogue from his sword and the rogue fell backward, a bloodied mess of cuts and slashes, landing on a building below with a sickening thud. Koji looked down for a second, just to be sure, before he himself fell and darkness overtook him and he fell...
Okay guys, Chapter 17 is completed and I hope you like it. Just as a thought, since it's the Holiday season and all... How would you guys feel about me doing a Christmas story with Koji and Komamura. I know Christmas stories are a bit overdone, but I just figured it'd be something festive.
Let me know what you think.