Episode 29: Black I
We come across a small village on the outskirts of Rukongai. The young children are playing outside in the dirt while some of the older villagers settle down and chat idly to each other in the glistening sun.
This would have been my heaven.
"Stay focused Banzai." Adopheles removed me from my dream as we entered the small town.
"Good day to you two..." A small-framed old man walks out using his cane as support. "Say are you two travellers? Welcome! Come inside we'll treat you to a drink.
Our faces were concealed by our hoods. An icy drink was passed over to my table. "Go on this one's the house." The small old man sat backwards on an old wooden chair. "So what brings you fine gentlemen here?"
I'm tongue tied. "We're...uh..."
"We're training to become Shinigami." Adopheles quickly responds.
"Oh!" The old man leans back impressed. His wife cleans our table nearby. "Have you honed any swordsmanship skills yet?"
"Yes...we both have a Zanpakuto."
"Already? How long have you two been enrolled at the Shinigami Academy?"
"Now Adopheles is speechless. Our cover seems to have already been blown.
"Who are you two anyway?" He reaches over and pulls back the hood of my cloak.
Ahh! He's gonna find out I'm an Arrancar!
Adopheles produces his sword and slams it on the table. "We'll be leaving now."
"That was too close." I sighed as we left the bar.
"We must seal our reatsu for a while, it should dissolve our masks temporarily."
"Okay..." I pause. "...Um...how exactly do we do that?"
"Channel your reatsu deep into your inner conciousness and relax your mind."
"Um...Okay..." I try reaching into my head but it's very difficult. I scrunch my eyes closed focusing my reatsu but it soon goes nowhere. I glance over and see Adopheles meditating with ease.
"Oh come on!" Slowly the white fragments of his face flake away. He would now appear as any other Rukongai resident.
"You may need to keep the hood on for a little longer until you develop your Arrancar skills." He seems patronising but at least only one of us looks suspicious now.
We travel further into the villages until we arrive at some more elegant houses. It seems the deeper in the city the more upper-class the area seems. Adopheles indicates there is hotel nearby where we can settle for the night. The building is aqua with a yellow tiled roof. I knock on the wooden door to which we are kindly greeted by a humble young girl with short hazel hair, green eyes and rosy cheeks.
"Hi you travellers could sure use a room..." She sounds chirpy. "My name's Kyoyu Unomei please come in.
That name...she can't possibly be that girl from before...
"Please remember me...my name's Kyoyu Unomei...please live for me…"
I grab her arms and shake her. "Did you just say your name was Kyoyu Unomei?"
"Please sir, I don't understand why are you hurting me?" She cries. I can hear a few angry men arriving to quell this aggressive man – myself.
"You have to remember me..." My hood starts to fall back revealing part of my face. Of course she wouldn't recognise me now, I was a man-eating hollow back then. "Do you remember that hollow and the Shinigami."
"No..." She shook her head trying to deny the past. "It can't possibly be you know."
I pull back my hood revealing my partially masked face. "I never forgot that girl who saved me from becoming a complete monster."
The other hoteliers shriek when they see my face. I suddenly channel my reatsu and inadvertently seal my mask away. They all breathe a sigh of relief when they realise I'm no monster.
"Is it really you...the lost soul from all those years ago?" Kyoyu shows me to her room. She has grown up since then and her hair is a lot shorter. "I'm so glad you became a human soul."
I avert my gaze in sadness. "Actually I'm not quite a human."
She presses her hands against my chest and cries. "What do you mean by that?"
"Well it's very difficult..." I wrap my hands around hers. They feel so tender and smooth. "I'm afraid I can't stay long."
As I turn to leave she tugs at my cloak much like when she tugged the hide of my leg for the first time. "I've been waiting for ten years to see your true face...if you cannot stay...will you at least..." Her rosy cheeks become beetroot red. "Let me offer you a kiss."
Her eyes twinkle and they seem soft and watery. She seems to share a burning passion for me for which I cannot leave behind. I rest my hands on the bed whilst our lips are in junction for the first time. She sweet pleasure of a kiss is something to die for. I want to savour this. I move forward, pushing my body against hers until we both rest onto the bed. I grab her hand whilst she wraps her other arms around the back of my head. She caresses my hair and curls her fingers in my other hand. Our one kiss soon turn into copulation with our legs wrapped in a majestic display of coitus.
I wake up several hours later with my arm still wrapped around her naked body. Her breath is warm against my chest. It seems such a shame I cannot stay like with her like this for the rest of my afterlife. My mask fragments have returned leaving a white cross on my face. I must hurry and put on my clothes. Before I leave I lift the sheets to cover her breasts and kiss her cheek for one last moment before I leave my destiny behind.
"Alright we can go now Adopheles...Adopheles?" He's not in his room.
I look out his window to find several Shinigami are roaming the streets.
Shit if they find me...
"Excuse me sir." An assertive voice enters the room. The black kimono tells me he's trouble. "We've heard reports of a few hollow in this part of Rukongai could you let us know if you see any strange people around?"
I notice his reatsu is weak. His stance seems frigid and he appears to be shaking slightly. I can deal with this one. I pull back my cloak to reveal my true identity. "Sure...I'll let you know about any monsters." I say before I ram my flattened hand through his gut like a sharpened blade. He coughs lightly then slumps forward.
"AGGHHH!" A shrill scream comes from outside the doorway. It's Kyoyu, her face is dotted with Shinigami blood.
"No...please you must understand-"
"KYAH! GET AWAY FROM MEEEE!" She flees from the monster that she once had faith for.
"No...please don't..." I feel crushed. The trace of heart that was left in my soul evaporated in that instant. My instinct had returned.
We must stop her before she blows our cover...
"PLEASE SOMEONE...ANYONE...HELP ME!-"
THWACK. Her small fragile body collapses to the ground in a heavy thud. Blood pools from her head. My concious returns and I begin to realise the extent of the damage created by me.
"Ohhh noo! Please be okay, I was only trying to keep you quiet..." I'm on the verge of becoming irrational as I try and rouse her from her unconsciousness.
I hear the sounds of clashing metal outside. I move away from Kyoyu and look out the window. Adopheles is surrounded by at least eight Shinigami. This is bad. Our cover's already blown. All we can do now is fight.
"HURGGHHH!" I smash through the window and enter the battle. A Shinigami charges with his sword but I parry him back several feet into a shopping stall. "You right mate." Addressing my comrade."
"I can handle these low-grade Shinigami myself thanks." He pants so I can tell his bluffing.
"We need to get away from here."
"HALT!" The Shinigami troupe impede our advance. I decide it might be time to show off my Zanpakuto.
"TAKE THIS!" I channel my reatsu into the sword, releasing it's spiritual bonds and allowing it to materialise into an array of sharp razorwires. With one swift swing a can create a hundred slashes. It's only a light scratch and it seems to damage their clothing more than their actual bodies. They cover their privates and we flee through the distraction.
We rush through the crowd barging our way past in desperation. Another group of patrolling Shinigami spot us. This time there are a few female recruits. I know I shouldn't be naughty at this time but I cannot resist.
"KYAH! MY CLOTHING!" One of them shrieks as her bustling breasts fall out of her top. As her friends confide with her we weave through the crowd and make our way deeper into the heart of Soul Society.
"Seretei is ahead...we can seek refuge there disguised as Shinigami." Adopheles suggests.
"I'll use my perverted sword to steal some clothing off those guards ahead." Pointing over to the Shinigami in the horizon. As we head over to the large white structures that make up Seretei a giant wall seemingly falls from the sky to keep us out. "Now what will we do?"
"There they are!" I hear the Shinigami forces in the distance. We must move forward and find a way through. However we are now cornered as a giant warrior descends from the fortifications. His body is ape like and he wields two enormous axes.
"HAHAHAHAHA NO INTRUDER CAN GET PAST THE MIGHTY JIDANBO!"
Fugitives in the realm of pure souls...how can we succeed in our covert mission now? How can we escapoe alive? Don't miss the next exciting chapter!