This story has now surpassed my others as having the most chapters! And there's still plenty more action to come even at ep. 31...Enjoy ch. 31!
Episode 31: Black III
Orihime was wearing a black kimono when she found me. I asked her if she was a Shinigami to which she shook her head.
"Are you one of the Ryoka as well?"
I wasn't sure what a Ryoka was, she said she hadn't heard of the term until she and a couple of her friends ran into a group of Shinigami referring to them as 'Ryoka'.
"So I think a Ryoka is an intruder basically." She chirped. She had shown me into a small warehouse on the outskirts of Seretei. A thin man with glasses greeted us.
"Please don't report our whereabouts to the Shinigami." He adjusted his spectacles. It would be a benefit to us all if we kept our location secret."
"So what are you – ahem, humans doing here in Soul Society?" I quizzed them.
"Possibly the same reason why you're here...to get back at these corrupt souls and collapse the place from within."
"Ishida...I thought we were here to rescue Rukia."
Rukia! She was the Shinigami who exchanged powers with the Substitute...
"Ah yes! We are actually here to rescue a friend of ours." Again adjusting his spectacles whilst maintain a smug look. "Rukia Kuchiki was taken from us a short time ago and so we are trying to free her from these filthy Shinigami."
"I am looking for someone as well." I add to the conversation. "A very special person...I don't think you guys could help me though."
"Why not?" Orihime sulked. "If we stick together then we can easily find our friends."
"I dunno...I'm not the kind of guy you wanna associate with."
Ishida raised his voice in protest. "Why not? We both have a hatred for Shinigami – though judging by your reatsu you're not a Quincy...in fact if anything you remind me more of a hollow than a human or anything for that matter..." He becomes more inquisitive and points his finger at my chin. "So what exactly are you?"
I gulp. "I'm Steven Benson...just a uh..."
Orihime gasped. "What if they did horrible experiments on him to make him become a hollow?"
I procure a weak smile and nod. "Yeah she's right...I'm a prisoner and they were doing these weird test on me, you know injecting all things and putting all sorts of substances in my body...Alright I'll help you guys out then..." I raise a fist. "LETS TEACH THESE SHINIGAMI BASTARDS A LESSON!"
I feel like I'm walking alongside the enemy. Ishida is a Quincy and Orihime is a spiritually aware human. Although they are fighting against Soul Society they aren't necessarily my allies. I mean I once ate humans. She eve tried to kill me as revenge for the Substitutes death.
"Well-well-well I have the pick of the bunch right here...K-k-k-k-k" A creepy sounding (And an even creepier looking) Shinigami spoke from behind us. "I was going to blow up the Ryoka until I realised how useful you could be for my experiments" The Shinigami bore a sinister grin with his painted face. His fingernails were long like claws and he wore a strange hat that projected to one side and a lab coat. Though he is a saint, he shows himself to be quite the sinner.
"Stay back Orihime, I'll deal with this." The Quincy stretched his right hand, a strange glowing object appeared from his hand. The object materialised into a large bow. "Can you fight?" He called over to me.
"Yes of course." I scraped my feet against the dirt as we faced our Shinigami enemy.
"Not so fast!" The clown-faced Shinigami stretched out his bony hand to which he pointed behind us. Orihime was surrounded by several Shinigami. "If you dare fire that bow I'll order my men to break her precious neck."
Shit...This is bad...although she's an enemy of mine I can't help but feel sorry for her predicament...besides the last thing I should do now is betray the Quincy...this other guy's a total freak...As I eye the clown-faced Shinigami I notice faint scars across his exposed flesh. I'm guessing the excess make-up is to hide the horrible experiments he's performed on himself over the years.
"You are a scientist correct." I question my captor.
"What's it to you boy...soon-to-be-guinea-pig."
"You Shinigami say you kill us hollow to purify us right? The how do we go about purifying the so-called purest of souls?" His cocky grin soon inverts. "You have displayed great hypocrisy in apprehending an innocent human, holding us against our will and threatening to perform experiments – the nature of would be unjustified against an animal...how do you plead my fellow Shinigami?"
"K-k-k-k-k-k-k-KILL THEM ALL!" He pulls out a small remote with a red button and presses hard on the trigger. The Shinigami begin to foam at the mouth and their flesh bubbles rapidly.
"ORIHIME GET AWAY!" Ishida calls out in desperation.
"KOTEN ZANSHUN...I REJECT!" She cries out, a small object forms an arc around her body slicing her captors so she could escape before they self-destruct. She would have died if not for the orange triangular shield she had produced.
"You will die by my bow." Ishida pulls back on his bow and produces a blue energy arrow. He fires it at the clown-faced Shinigami but a female intervenes, literally capturing the arrow with her hands.
"Will I deal with the Quincy master?" She addresses the clown-faced Shinigami.
"No Nemu! I will take great pleasure in taking the Quincy back to the lab in pieces...You can take care of the preaching hollow."
"Yes master." As Nemu turns towards me she spins her wrist back and forth rapidly. She does this to the extent of making it appear as a sort of drill. She lunges at me with the drill hand but I dodge out of the way in time. She jumps to the side for another attack but I can dodge again. Finally I grab her drill hand at the side, stopping its motion and effectively breaking her arm. I'm surprised to see she does not scream or even flinch at the sight of her mangled limb. I smell burning flesh and am suddenly alarmed to find my hand is corroding to the bone.
"AAAHHHHHGGHH!"
Nemu smirks slightly. "You should have brought your sword with you, then you wouldn't have touched the acidic oil on my skin.
"DAMMIT!" I step back and point with my other hand, forming a cero. "You'll pay for that bitch!"
She swoops to the side, avoiding my slow cero and grabs my throat. If she puts her acid skin on my throat it will reach my jugular and kill me instantly.
"I'm coming Benson-san!" I hear Orihime rush over with her orbital cutting device. She slices away Nemu's arm so my neck only has a few singes.
"You...saved my life..." Before I can thank her I duck from a horizontal karate chop then jump over a sweeping kick. Nemu may not have a Zanpakuto but she sure knows some martial arts, and I really don't want to touch her again after what happened to my hand.
I quickly glance over at Ishida's battle. He seems to be struggling, in fact he's leaning against a wall, paralysed.
"BEN-SAN!" Orihime warns me but it's too late. Nemu drives her drill-hand into my gut. As she wrenches it out I fall on my knees and cough up blood and other thick-black stuff I know must be part of my vital organs. I'm wrapped in an orange aura and my life substances begins to rise up and return to my body. My hand is also being healed.
"Orihime..." Observing the tears rolling down her eyes I can tell she really cares about me. I'm indebted to her yet I killed her best friend. I feel horrible allowing her to heal me knowing the pain I have caused her.
"Thanks Orihime but you must go now...Take Ishida with you..."
"No, I won't leave you until you're safe and healed..." She wipes away her tear with her sleeve. "We must fight together and save our friends."
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh how sweet?" The inhumane clown-faced Shinigami returns holding Ishida's torso. "That's an interesting ability you have there young girl... let's test the extent of this power on your friend." He lobs Ishida's body over to her. She presses her hands against her head in horror.
"You're...you're a monster!" She begins healing Ishida's body but it's slow at working.
"HAHAHAHAHA You're very interesting indeed I'll take you back with me" The scientist cackles until I shot off his lower jaw with a small cero bullet.
"I find you to be guilty of cruelty...you shall be punished through death" As I fan out my hands red orbs of judgement are slowly forming on the tips of my fingers. "Jucio Cero"
From this distance I just hope Orihime and Ishida haven't been affected by the powerful blast. The bright explosion fades and I can see the two figures, well half of one and the majority of the other.
"C-c-c-c-curse you...I spent many years perfecting her body...Now I'll have to start again from scratch." The scientist is missing a large portion of his left side. He stabs his own heart with his strange blade before melting into a watery puddle. "You should hope we don't meet again...After three days in this form I'll punish you severely" The puddle trickles into the cracks of the ground. The battle may be over but there is no victory in the end.
I look over to Orihime who's healing Ishida. He's limb's are gradually regenerating but he may still have permanent damage. I can't help but feel like it's all my fault. My reatsu may have drawn the Shinigami to this area in the first place.
"Heal him up good Orihime..." I speak softly. She doesn't pay any attention while she focuses on her true friend. "That's right...you good luck in finding your friend Rukia..." I continue to myself. "If only you knew that your other beloved friend were still alive...Farewell and thank you..." Descending into the shadows of darkness...
THE NEXT MORNING:
I'm roused by the loud footsteps of some Shinigami outside. Looking out the window of this warehouse offers warmth to my face. The sky is clear with the exception of a few small clouds and the sun parches the dirt.
I recall last night as I go for a stroll outside. I have a feeling I will reunite with those two, if not here then somewhere else. I feel along these walls gathering all the warmth.
I turn a corner and enter a large courtyard, a lone Shinigami stands nonchalant. Cherry blossoms rain down along the courtyard but my soul turns black when I see this man's face again.
"So you finally showed your slimy face...lowly hollow..." He throws my sword along the courtyard. "I've been minding that toy for you so we would meet like this."
I catch the sword with my foot. "Heh...you don't deserve a warriors death after the hell you put me through." I slowly crouch down and pick up my weapon, holding the handle so I'm ready to draw my sword.
My long awaited opponent taps his fingers around the handle of his sword. "I modified my Zanpakuto so creatures like you wouldn't become purified...I haven't tested it on anyone yet...are you willing to be the trial?"
I begin to draw out my sword and smirk. "Anything to allow me to rip you're head off quicker...Mitzuki Sheehari..."
I knew this day would surely come...the day I would meet this man again...the man who sent me to hell and back He thought he could end my life back then but he was gravely mistaken...now he will have his little rematch - his deathwish. Will I emerge victorious? Or more damaged than ever before? You cannot miss the next epic (and I mean epic!) chapter!