Hi! How is everyone? Sorry for the wait. I hope this chapter makes up for it.
The noise was horrific. The whole first tier, the most heavily seated and easily the most disorganised tier, had jumped to their feet and started to shout random numbers into the air. Shini held up a hand for silence. The room was silent instantly.
"Not even Soutaichou Yamamoto gets this sort of respect," Byakuya observed silently.
"He wouldn't," the Betrayer replied bluntly, "he doesn't threaten to kill you and the people you love if you even seemed to be disrespectful.
"That may have something to do with it."
Shini looked around the room, then at his twin, Hana.
"Choose a number between 1 and 20, nee-san!" he called, smiling almost jovially.
Hana made a great show of thinking hard, before finally smiling. Lazily, she drew her hand through the air, making a neat 十二 in glowing reishi. Twelve.
Byakuya looked over at the first tier, sensing their reishi and evaluating them. He hid a smirk. This wouldn't even push him.
Shini smiled. He seemed never to stop.
"Ah!" he appraised, looking over the men, "Good choice, First Tier! Shinigami-san let me present to you…Dachi, Eita and Daisuke!"
Light shone around the three. The first was tall and bald, unspeakably pale with apathetic eyes and long gangly limbs. The second was shorter and darker, with long brown hair, stocky and strong. The third was even smaller, about waist-high, tanned and blonde. They all stepped forward and bowed.
Byakuya narrowed his eyes, unmoving.
Shini's voice called out again.
"Also, Kaito, Akio, Kazuya and Kaito,"
The four stepped forward and bowed, all tall and completely indistinguishable apart from eyes that glittered like beetles underneath the black hoods that obscured their faces.
"And Ryo, Riku, Saburo, Minabu and Shinichi,"
The men stepped forward, hair the same shade of brown, and faces covered in scars. They towered over Byakuya, with muscles like the tomes in the Kuchiki household bulging out of their arms. They also bowed, albeit with insolent expressions.
The men all lined up, staring Byakuya down. Shinichi snorted with laughter. Byakuya quelled his ruffled pride. It would do him no good here. He saw the Betrayer nod slightly.
"For the benefit of our Shinigami friend," Shini purred, "I will explain the rules. You can do anything to win, except kill my men. Kido, Shikai, Bankai…whatever. Let's see how long you last. First Tier…ATTACK!"
The First Tier charged.
Byakuya sighed, disappointed. He dodged the first oaf- Riku- and punched him in the stomach. He folded and was sent flying back into the wall of the arena. A klaxon sounded.
"That means he's out," the Betrayer murmured, "Try to defeat them all like that."
Shinichi and Kaito advanced, far too slowly for Byakuya's liking. He shunpo'ed to them, tripping one, catching his shirt and throwing him into the side wall. The other one snarled and barreled into him. Byakuya didn't offer any resistance, allowing him to charge into the wall. Just before impact, Byakuya shunpo'ed out of his grip. The man crashed straight into the wall headfirst. He moaned pathetically. Two klaxons sounded. Three down, nine to go. The idiots decided to attack in one body. Byakuya shook his head.
They formed a ring around him, producing switch blades. They all attacked at once. Byakuya snapped his palm into the side of one, sending him sideways. It produced an admirable domino effect, taking four out at once. They were quite pathetic really. The remaining five stabbed and slashed, going into a wild frenzy. Byakuya sighed again. He was reduced to kicking one in the stomach, slapping one into the pile of defeated men and shunpo'ed away. He watched the other three. They ran at him, screaming death threats. He let them approach until they were close enough to strike. He punched one in the face, sent one flying into another wall and sent the last backwards into him with a kick. The klaxons sounded for the defeated.
Silence covered the arena.
"Wow, Shinigami-sama," the Betrayer sounded shocked, "that looked effortless."
"It was, I didn't become a Fukutaichou for nothing. It just annoys me that I have to stoop so low as to use hand-to-hand combat," he replied, curtly.
Shini was not pleased. His face was stony with displeasure. He started to get up, but Hana grabbed his arm. She pulled him down to her and whispered something in it.
The Betrayer went shock-still.
"What is it?" Byakuya asked, cautiously, unsure if he could talk to her first.
"They're-"
Shini stood and she fell silent.
"In regards to how simply you took out the First Tier, we have decided to implement a rule change. You will not have to fight the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth or Sixth Tiers. You will just fight the Seventh. Or, to be specific, Kayo-san!"
Kayo smiled evilly. The audience howled angrily. People got to their feet, yelling complaints into the air. What Byakuya could see of the Betrayer's skin had gone white. Her eyes were wide and terrified. Byakuya was confused. It sounded like they had spared him the boredom of fighting the lesser men.
"What is wrong, Betrayer-san? This will be difficult, but not hard. I've fought equally with Kayo before."
"You don't understand! Kayo-sama wasn't even trying when you fought! I put a stop to that before he entertained you as a threat!"
Kayo got to his feet, shrugged off his black overcoat, and jumped to the floor. Silence descended again, but petulantly.
"Fancy that, Shinigami-san! I get my rematch!" he gloated, still smiling.
Byakuya said nothing, still outwardly appearing disinterested, reaching for Senbonzakura.
Shini smiled and clicked his fingers.
"Let the battle begin!"
Kayo disappeared in a pulse of darkness. Byakuya turned, parrying the blade aimed for his throat with his own. Kayo smiled. Byakuya was yanked off his feet and into the air. His eyes widened, gagging and trying to tear the thing around his throat. He felt blood trickle down his throat. He sliced through the air with Senbonzakura. The pressure disappeared, allowing him to breathe. He fell towards the ground, landing somewhat gracefully. He coughed once, turning around and catching the knife flying at his face. Something cold travelled down his spine. He shunpo'ed away, unable to believe what he was seeing. Inky darkness had lacerated the space he had just occupied. Kayo smiled.
"Am I becoming predictable, Shingami-san?" he smiled crazily, appearing behind him. He slashed, Byakuya jumping backwards. What was with this man?
He felt something sweep his legs out from under him. He hit the floor hard. He rolled as darkness slammed into the ground. This fight wasn't like the other he had fought earlier. This was a completely different game.
He darted in front of Kayo.
"Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudō 61: Rikujōkōrō!" he cried, arms extended towards Kayo.
Six white, thin blades of light slammed into Kayo, bringing him to his knees. Kayo struggled for a minute, before going still. Byakuya watched him warily, prepared for an attack. Kayo laughed quietly.
"Is this it?" he hissed, amusement in his voice, "Is this the best you can do?"
Byakuya watched uneasily as darkness gathered around him. He heard a snapping sound. That couldn't be-?! Darkness slammed into him, launching him across the room. He landed on his face, tasting dirt. What?! He felt something wrap around his waist and lift him skyward. Blood dripped into his eye, but he could still see Kayo sauntering over to him.
Byakuya clutched Senbonzakura tightly. He still had one more trick up his sleeve.
Kayo surveyed him critically. "Some Fukutaichou you are!" he sneered, "You suck at fighting, don't you?"
This drew protests from the First Tier. Kayo turned and began to snap at them. Now was his chance!
"Chide, Senbonzakura!" Byakuya whispered, watching as the blade disintergrated. Kayo whirled around, but could only watch in horror as the wall of pink descended on him. His shrieks echoed around the room and Byakuya dropped onto the floor, free of the black. He let Senbonzakura do it's bloody work for a minute longer, before withdrawing the blades away.
Kayo stood for another minute, covered in blood, swaying slightly. Then, he started to fall backwards. Just as he was about to hit the ground, he disappeared.
"Neat trick, Fukutaichou," he snarled in Byakuya's ear, digging yet another knife into his already damaged throat, "But my cat scratched worse than that!"
"Hado 88: Hiryugekizokushintenraiho!" Byakuya muttered, jabbing Kayo in the stomach.
The resulting explosion was enormous. Byakuya was blown forward, wall approaching at high speed. He put a hand on the floor, ignoring the friction tearing skin from his palm, and slowed his flight. He searched the smoke for Kayo.
Kayo was on his back, stiller than still.
Is he…Could he be dead?
"Don't fool yourself, Shinigami-sama," the Betrayer murmured grimly. "If it was that easy to kill him, I'd have done it years ago."
Byakuya studied his prone enemy for a while. He seemed to be dead. Byakuya stood up shakily and walked over to him.
Sharp pain exploded in his back. Byakuya collapsed on the floor, feeling blood flow down his back.
"NO!" a voice screamed in his head, distraught and terrified.
Kayo kicked him in the side, completely unharmed. The corpse in front of him disintegrated into blackness. He had been tricked.
Kayo dragged him to his knees; darkness coalescing into a single dagger, curling around his arm. He stepped back, admiring his work with a sadistic smile.
"It's been fun, Shinigami-san," he hissed as the crowds bayed for blood, "but you lose!"
He swung his arm down…
And the Betrayer gasped in pain.
The crowd screamed in outrage, but it sounded so distant, almost like Byakuya was stood at the bottom of a well. He saw the Betrayer, arm outstretched, blocking the blade with her arm. Kayo, face set in a feral snarl. Everything was fuzzy and distant, with black spots creeping in.
"Sleep, Shinigami-sama," she whispered, "let me handle the rest."
He was powerless to resist.
The Betrayer felt him slip into unconsciousness, and sighed in relief. The crowds screamed abuse at her, throwing whatever they had to hand at her head. Kayo's eyes were narrowed slits.
"What do you think you're doing?!" he raged, digging the blade deeper, "Who do you think you are?!"
She didn't answer.
Shini stood, eyes blazing.
"Betrayer-san," he said evenly, but with an undercurrent of hostility, "what is the meaning of this?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Kayo yelled, "She's being insolent!"
"You'll do well to speak when spoken to, Kayo-san." Shini reprimanded him, barely looking at him, "Remove your blade."
"Yes sir," he replied, dragging the blade out.
The Betrayer didn't even flinch.
"Betrayer-san, I will repeat myself, what is the meaning of this?"
"Shini-sama," she said quietly, humbly, "I see potential in this Shinigami. I ask a chance to train him."
Kayo stared at her in disbelief, before throwing back his head, great bouts of laughter echoing around the arena.
Shini raised an eyebrow.
"Are you serious, Betrayer-san?" he asked politely, looking her in the eyes, "Are you telling me the truth?"
"Yes Shini-sama, I speak nothing but what I believe."
Shini turned and whispered something to Hana. Hana nodded once.
Shini turned back around, regarding the Betrayer with amusement.
"My sister and I have decided to grant your request."
"WHAT?!" Kayo shouted, whirling around and staring his superior in the face, "But he's a Shinigami!"
"Are you contesting our judgements, Kayo-san?" Shini asked coldly, authority in his voice, almost daring Kayo to defy him.
Kayo paled. "N-no Shini-sama! I would never!" he spluttered, almost trembling.
"Good. Then shut up."
"Yes Shini-sama!"
Shini waved his arms expansively.
"Everyone, you are free to leave, our business for tonight is finished. Our next meeting will be in three day's time."
"YES, SHINI-SAMA!" the crowd roared, glaring at the Betrayer as they filed out of the arena through the doors that swirled into existence like dun coloured portals.
Kayo walked past the Betrayer, bumping into her as he walked past.
"If you do anything even remotely suspicious, I will be the first to know. I will watch until you slip up and when you do… well, I'll leave that to your imagination. Shini may believe in you, but don't think for one minute I do." he vowed, starting to walk away.
"I'll keep that in mind Kayo-sama," the Betrayer called to his retreating figure, "but I'm not overly confident you can keep that promise."
He froze.
"And why not?" he sneered, glaring balefully at her over his shoulder.
"Because I'm not your student anymore. I'm stronger than you think." she replied calmly, turning and stooping down to lift the prone Shinigami up.
"We'll see about that." he snarled, vanishing in a flash of black.
"I suppose we will," she whispered to the empty air.
Carefully, she wrapped Byakuya's arm around her shoulder and dissolved into purple mist.
The world was paved in purple as the Betrayer carried her charge to safety. The districts of the Rukongai blurred together into one until she reached the 78th, Inuzuri. She slowed down, tired and feverish. She didn't have half as much reiatsu as people presumed and using it every day was taking its toll. She half-carried half-dragged the Shinigami towards a small homestead at the edge of the district. It was small, too small, with lit windows that shone out against the gloom. Set in the twilight, it seemed like a haven from the horrors of midnight. She walked over to the door, taking a key from her garments. She unlocked the door and walked inside.
It was sparsely furnished. The floor was wood, the same as the door and walls, with a mat on the floor for some modicum of comfort. She glanced at her companion. He wasn't going to like this. She set him down on the mat, dragging the thin blanket over him. A strand of hair fell into his face. Gently, hesitantly, she swept it back and tucked it behind his ear. She put her other palm on the mat, concentrating. Purple energy coated her hand. She shuddered; feeling like the life was being leeched out of her. It wrapped around him, targeting his wounds, acting like a healing balm. In a while it would be like he had never been harmed. She gasped, sinking to her knees beside him, ignoring the pain shooting through her core. She was draining her reiatsu too much. Something had to be done. Soon.
She waited for the pain to pass. She sat back on her heels, watching him sleep. Just by the way he had spoken to her, the way he held himself, the way he acted, she could tell he came from the Seritei. She could tell he had never really been to the Rukongai. He was too polished, too polite, too…alien. But something unsettled her about him. He resembled her.
The hair, the same apathetic expression, the delicacy that surrounded them, the survivor spirit…it made her want to cry. Though she had only been a baby, there was something there, something almost twin-like; dredging the torment to the forefront of her mind. It was uncanny…unbearable.
She wouldn't fail this stranger like she had her. She couldn't bear the thought. She wouldn't. She realized she hadn't released his face yet. Blushing under her bandages, she drew her hand back as if scalded. He looked so untroubled, so at peace in his sleep that she smiled, her eyes softening.
"You will make it back home, Shinigami-sama, I swear it on my soul."