Chapter 10
Several silent minutes passed.
"Kagine." I closed my eyes and swallowed my pride. "I...I want you to train me."
He looked at me with curiosity.
"I'm no idiot, Kagine. I do know my own strengths and I have to admit... they aren't anywhere near your level. Please help me, to be stronger.
I may not know who you are or where you came from or why you even saved me, but at this point, you're the only one that I can trust to help me."
I dropped down on my knees with tears rolling down my face.
"I beg you Kagine! Help me get stronger! Strong enough to protect everyone from that evil... creature who not only destroyed Soul Society's defenses, but killed my friends and loved ones... I BEG YOU KAGINE!"
He gave me a knowing look; no doubt he had seen this before.
He rolled his eyes and closed them.
He gave in. "Fine, I'll do it."
I was instantly filled with gratitude.
"But do me a favor." He looked at me with a smile and scratched the back of his head.
"Cry somewhere else. You're embarrassing me."
I jumped up, embarrassed as well. I brushed off my face, attempting to look better.
Kagine turned his back against me.
"Follow me Saidō, I have something else I need to show you."
He then walked into another tunnel. It led into a another domed cavern. Unlike the previous small one, this looked more like a coliseum. There was a soul reaper training right in the center. As we came more closer, I noticed who this soul reaper was. It was Aiko, wielding what looked like a long black four pronged tuning fork, most likely her zanpakutō.
Standing several yards away from her, Kagine told me. "Well Saidō, this is Aiko, one of my finest students. She was a whole who came to me over
eight years ago. Her parents were first murdered by Aizen in the city of Karakura."
"That's rough," I said, starting to sweat.
"That's not even the half of it. To top it off, some idiot of a soul reaper took her away from family and abandoned her in the middle of a graveyard."
I blushed; I couldn't tell whether or not he knew that I was that idiot.
"This is what drove her to become a soul reaper: revenge on that same soul reaper who shattered her life."
It was then I understood Aiko, a little at least.
"She was also the one who found you."
"What? How? Through kidō, I'm guessing?"
"Um... something like that. Her zanpakutō's power is kidō based. It has the power to locate anyone's zanpakutō regardless of range, pinpoint their coordinates and even talk to em."
So the beautiful voice was hers.
"Wow! That's pretty impressive, too bad it's not useful for attac-"
"Scream Sonā!" Aiko yelled as she held her battle stance.
Swinging her zanpakutō over her head, she released a destructive sound wave that reducedm the a thirty foot boulder to rubble.
"Holy crap! She's that powerful?" I said to Kagine. I might be in trouble if she pulls that on me.
Kagine laughed, proud of his student.
"Yes she is; however, there is one drawback."
Aiko then sensed our presence and walked toward us, taking small plugs out of her ear.
"She has to wear thsose before she uses that attack." Kagine added.
She bowed her head before us.
"Greetings master! And.. you." She motioned. "Just finishing warm ups! Ready to start-"
"That's not necessary Aiko. I am no longer your master." He said.
She was overwhelmed by this. Her mouth couldn't form words.
Kagine looked down and scratched his head awkwardly.
"How should I put this. Um, Aiko, for many years you have been my loyal student, a wise leader, and a great friend. There isn't anyone else on this base whom I trust more than you. Unfortunately you're going to be replaced. I'm sorry."
"Wait! What! Kagine! Are you trying to get me killed! She already has enough reason to kill me already!" I thought.
She didn't take it very well either, instantly turning from a seemingly sweet, loving person into a stonecold psychopath.
She didn't have to be a detective to deduct who was her replacement.
"Why you little..!" She clobbered me in the face and nearly broke my nose. "First you take my family and now you take away my
reve-" She directed her shikai at me, however Kagine grabbed her hand.
"Aiko!" He told her seriously. "I'm sorry for what happened, I truly am, but I need you to pull it together and work this out. Its all in the past, so get over it."
Aiko finally relaxed and her grip on her zanpakutō weakened.
"You're right master." She turned towards me. "I am sorry, please forgive my previous actions, I-I must have mistaken you for someone else."
Kagine joined in with her with a strange look in his eye. "Isn't she right!... Saidō?"
It was really an excuse to avoid the troubling issue. But who am I to argue.
"Yes, I'll consider the attacks earlier a form of welcome."
"Glad to hear it, oh! by the way Aiko, you're still my student."
Me and Aiko joined together. "What! Then what was-"
Kagine began laughing. "I was kidding around! Come on! Laugh a little! You should have seen your face Saidō-"
I punched him in the face while Aiko hit him in the stomach. Now I see where she acquired her sense of humor. This marked my first day of training.
Rule number one: always expect the unexpected!