Hey guys! I've finally graduated so I should have more time to write this fic. Sorry this chapter came so late. But as I write this, I think of other projects I could be writing along the way. I don't plan on giving up on this fic.
Review Corner:
-Barrett M107: Thanks!
-Ten Commandments: Yeah, you'll get to know their crazy Captain-Commander in the future.
Ch. 12 CHANGE: Laws of the Strongest Pt. 2
Opening: "My Dearest" by Supercell
"Mmph... rgh..." Shard groaned. It's eyes were closed, but it could tell that something was very wrong with itself. It's body felt different, the cold air had a different chill than the one he was used to, and the scent... it couldn't even smell anything.
Shard's eyes snapped open and it bounced into a battle stance. But it felt different. It felt taller than usual. It also felt much heavier than usual, as if it was taking more support for it to keep standing. Then it noticed a glimmer of light. It turned to it's right and spotted a mirror. It walked towards the mirror... and promptly gasped in horror.
It's entire body had changed. It was no longer standing on all fours; rather, two (it's hind legs). It's two arms resembled human arms, but with metal wolf claws. Then it noticed that it's entire body, save it's uncovered shoulders and knees, were covered in dark-blue metallic armor. Covering it's head was a dark-blue helmet with wolf-ears and a black visor. It's tail was outfitted with a much sleeker, sharper blade with Reiatsu sparks emitting from it.
"Welcome, cyborg," A voice from the darkness said to Shard, causing it to go into a battle-ready stance.
"Who are you?" Shard demanded.
From the darkness of the laboratory, Akihiko Kiriyama stepped into the light with his arms folded, his face stone-cold as he looked at the Hollow. It was then that Shard became aware of it's surroundings. It was standing in a dark laboratory with several machines surrounding it. A bed table was located in the center of the room.
"What do you think of your new body?" Akihiko inquired.
Shard turned back to the mirror and glanced at it's body, unsure of what to think. It whisked it's tail to test it, finding it moving a lot faster than it did previously. Despite that, Shard turned to Akihiko and demanded, "What have you done to my body?"
"You simply underwent surgery to combine your body with a cybernetic outfit powered by spirit energy from souls," Akihiko replied, walking around the table before stopping a few feet away from Shard. "Now, your body responds approximately 1.525x as normal. Not only that, but the added armor and weaponry increase your overall combat potency by several percent as well."
Shard was too dazed by what had occurred to comprehend what he said, but continued to ask, "Why?"
"For a Hollow, you ask too many questions. But I suppose not all Hollows are mindless soul-thirsty beasts. Especially Adjuchas-Class Hollows such as yourself," Akihiko mused. "Why do people experiment? To learn new things about life... but in your case, death..."
Shard narrowed it's eyes. "Was that your only purpose in doing so?"
Akihiko suppressed a laugh. "You're perceptive also? I knew Adjuchas were more intelligent than your average Hollow-"
He shut his mouth when Shard flicked it's tail at the machine right next to him, cleaving through the machine as if it was slicing through butter. "Answer my question."
"The reason I had you kidnapped and experimented on was to see if I could somehow mass-produce cyborg Adjuchas-Class Hollow soldiers like yourself," Akihiko said, widening Shard's eyes. "I already succeeded with the Menos Grande Hollow Zakus, though my secret weapon Sazabi isn't possible for mass-production for reasons I do not have to tell you. I wanted to see if I could take a step in-between the levels of Hollows by using Adjuchas since there are enough of your kind to make an army."
"I am not a soldier for your army," Shard growled.
"I'm not so stupid as to realize that Hollows like yourself aren't easily swayed to our cause," Akihiko continued. "Which is why I have this."
He held up a remote with Shard's Hollow mask drawn on the front. Shard narrowed it's eyes and brought it's tail-blade up. "What is that?"
"It's a simple remote that monitors your stability," Akihiko replied. "Do not worry; it cannot control your movements. However, it acts as a tracking device so that I know where you are at all times. And if you happen to disobey one of my orders, one press of a button will send a powerful, negative Reishi wave that will interfere with your usual Reishi absorption and wipe away all your memories."
Shard's eyes widened. "That isn't possible...!"
"It is. Shall we demonstrate?" Akihiko taunted.
Shard leaped towards him, trying to swipe the remote away, but Akihiko swayed to the side and dodged it's ferocious tail. Shard continued to unleash stabs with it's lightning-fast tail, but none of it's attacks connected.
Akihiko jumped back and fisted his hand, announcing, "Bakudo #63, Sajo Sabaku." A rope made of yellow Reishi materialized from his fist and came towards Shard at high speed. Because of their close distance, Shard was unable to dodge in time and was contained within the rope.
"I cannot lose my memories yet!" Shard cried. "There is someone I must defeat before I die. Do not take away my memories of him. Please, find a different Hollow to do this experiment on!"
"Hmph. A Hollow does not have a purpose other than to eat souls. In other words, you are meaningless unless you cause destruction," Akihiko replied. "However, I have given you a legitimate purpose on why you should live. Now, your purpose is simple: to be a spearhead as I change the world."
Shard whimpered, being unable to move it's upper body because of the powerful Kido rope. 'No... I must find Juuda Tsubaki and defeat him...'
Wake... up...
Suda's eyes sprang open and he jumped up with a scream. His memory was fresh; Kanji Sendou had dealt him a heavy injury and it hurt him badly. Suda drew his Zanpakuto and looked around...
...only for him to realize five seconds later that he was holding nothing. His Zanpakuto wasn't in his sheath! Suda also felt his chest and realized that the wound had completely healed, leaving a large, diagonal scar. And then he realized that he was standing in a place he didn't recognize...
He was in an area shrouded in thick fog. It was so thick that Suda stretched his arm out and he could no longer see his hand. He was standing on a floor decorated with red tiles and black trim. After walking aimlessly for a few steps, he found the trail end to a large, misty sea with several pillars sticking out of the body of water.
"Suda Tsubaki!" He heard a voice call his name. The voice sounded strangely similar to Suda's, but seemed more shrill than usual.
"Who's there?!" Suda demanded.
The fog in front of him began to clear. His eyes widened upon seeing two figures in front of him.
The first that caught his attention looked exactly like him. However, all of the colors were inverted. Instead of Suda's black shihakusho, black hair, and brown skin, the person in front of him had a white shihakusho, white hair, and pale-white skin. His eyes were different too; His was yellow with black pupils. He resembled what Suda would look like if Suda underwent Hollowfication.
The second also had pale skin, but with grey eyes. He had large, spiky hair that resembled something out of a little kid's anime. He wore a black tank-top with shoulder armor and a long black coat that resembled a schoolboy's uniform, only unbuttoned. He had black pants and black boots. And he was standing on top of something with both feet. It resembled a one-foot hilt, but there was an extremely long chain from the butt of the hilt that wrapped around it. Whatever sword was attached to the hilt was hidden under the tiles.
"Who are you two?" Suda asked.
"I don't have a name," The pale-skinned man said.
"I refuse to tell you," The one standing on the hilt said.
Suda frowned. "Uh huh..."
"This is your inner world," The spiky-haired man said. "This is the place in your body where I reside."
"Where you reside... wait, are you my Zanpakuto's spirit?!" Suda exclaimed. "And why am I here, exactly?"
"I am your Zanpakuto's spirit," The spiky-haired man replied. "You were in near-death state which is why I sent you here. I was about to tell you my name to save your life, but this man offered his power to help you instead."
"Hmph! You are a weakling," The pale man snapped. "I can't believe you almost died from that man's Shikai! What's wrong with you?!"
Suda gulped. "Um... are you a Hollow?"
"What do you think?" Hollow Suda sarcastically asked. "You should be grateful that I exist. Otherwise, that blade would've sliced you in half."
"Oh... thanks?"
"Show some gratitude!" Hollow Suda roared.
"Thank yooooooouuu!" Suda replied, bowing his head as low as he could. Then he asked, "Um... a few weeks ago, this Vasto Lorde Hollow injected it's Reiryoku into my body so that I would obtain more power. Are you... that power...?"
"Yes," Hollow Suda replied bluntly.
Suda went up to Hollow Suda and bowed his head again. "Then, please! Allow me to use your power so that I can save Haruka!"
"That girl you keep fawning over? No thanks!" Hollow Suda said, pushing Suda away. "That girl is annoying and the people she befriends are annoying. She's useless and I can't believe you keep coming back to her!"
"But... I can promise you that if you help me save her, I'll let you take over my body and you'll be able to fight strong opponents like the guy who got me," Suda pleaded.
"Please. I'm not like that Hollow Ichigo from that fictional manga Bleach," Hollow Suda replied. "I have no desire to take over your body. I'm not here because I want to, but because I'm forced to. That Vasto Lorde that trapped me here... damn him..."
"Okay... but what about you?" Suda turned to his Zanpakuto's spirit. "Can you please tell me your name?! I need your power to save Haruka!"
"I refuse to give you my name. Don't make me repeat myself," The spirit said. "Do you know why?"
"Wha..." Suda backed away as the spirit jumped off the hilt.
"It's because you're weak," The spirit answered for him. "When a powerful enemy stands before you, either you cower in fear or lose horribly. Even if I did grant you my power, it would do nothing to help you."
"But-"
"I could use his power much better than you could," Hollow Suda mused.
Suda gulped. "None of you guys are willing to help me...?"
"Not true," Hollow Suda said. "I will only help you if your life is in danger. If you die, I die as well."
"Which means you won't need my power in emergencies," The spirit continued. "If you want to know my name, show me bravery in combat. If you cannot do that, you and I will forever be strangers."
Before Suda could reply, the fog started to spread between him and the other two. Suda ran through the fog to get to them, but he couldn't see them anymore.
"You aren't worth much, other me," Hollow Suda's voice echoed through the fog.
"Your world is filled with fog. Filled with uncertainty," His spirit's voice said. "Change that uncertainty into courage and fight the enemy will everything you have."
"Wait...!"
WAKE UP!
"Holy crap!" Suda exclaimed, jumping out of his bed.
"Ahhh!" Everyone in the room screamed and jumped back.
Suda plopped back down on the bed and quickly scanned the area he was in. He was in a white-tiled room with white-tiled walls and beds at all four corners of the room. Three familiar faces were sitting around his bed, with equally shocked faces as him.
"Ryo! Chotaro! Yushi!" Suda cried. "What am I doing here?!"
"You fell unconscious after your battle. Captain Zaizen quickly brought you here to the 4th Division hospital," Ryo explained.
"Dude, you okay?" Chotaro asked.
"You got hurt pretty bad," Yushi said. "I'm surprised your wound healed as fast as it did."
"My... wound?" Suda looked down and saw a long, diagonal scar going down his chest and stomach.
"You were heavily injured, but your wound healed faster than what would normally happen," Ryo said. "Usually, someone who's sliced with a sword like former captain Kanji Sendou's blade would be cleaved in half."
"Hmmm..." Suda nodded before realizing, "Hey, wait! You know who he is?"
"Yes, he's the former 7th Division Captain, Kanji Sendou," Ryo said. "I vaguely remember him when I first got into the academy. Also, the Captain-Commander talked about him during the briefing, from what I heard from Captain Sarutobi."
"What briefing?"
"Captain-Commander Umitakano wants to get revenge for what happened in the Rukongai, so he's sending a team of randomly-chosen Shinigami to get them," Ryo explained. "I was chosen for that mission."
"What?!" Suda gasped, realizing his chance to save Haruka was gone.
A few hours ago...
"SO, I GOT KUBO TO WRITE THE NAMES OF EVERY SHINIGAMI IN THE SEIREITEI AND PUT THEM IN THIS POT," Genbugi said, pointing to the pot besides his seat as he addressed the twelve captains. "I WILL RANDOMLY CHOOSE TWELVE SHINIGAMI FROM THE ENTIRE GOTEI 13 TO SEND TO FIGHT THEM."
"But, Captain-Commander!" Youko said, incredulously. "What if they're all low-ranked Shinigami?! They won't be able to fight Shinigami Captains!"
"SHUT UUUUUUUPPP!" He replied, causing all the captains to groan. "He reached into the pot and took out a slip of paper. "NUMBER ONE. RYO YAMURA."
"My Seat 4?" Youko groaned. "Seriously?"
"Is she not strong?" Saeko asked.
"She isn't talented in combat, but she's a great healer. I'm just worried how powerful the former captains are," Youko replied. "What if she has to fight them?"
"NUMBER TWO. KOUKEN SEIREI."
"My lieutenant?" Ryu asked. "Meh, he's good. Probably a better choice than I."
"NUMBER THREE. HEBITO WATAKUSHI."
Shouhei's ears perked.
"Oi, Captain-Commander!" Hikaru shouted. "Isn't he still recovering from that mission a few weeks ago? He shouldn't be sent out in the condition he's in."
"No, he should be fine," Shouhei spoke, startling the other captains. "I've visited him everyday and he's recovering at a fast rate. He says that he wants a chance to redeem himself after the last mission."
"NUMBER FOUR. SABURO KAZUYA."
"Lucky. He gets to fight some of the fiercest captains in history," Vergil muttered. "That kid better come back alive."
"NUMBER FIVE. YUSEI MIZAKI."
"You've gotta be kidding me," Vergil cried, jumping out of his seat. "My squad members are going out to battle and I'm stuck here doing absolutely nothing?!"
"Calm down," Saeko said. "I'm sure you'll get your chance eventually."
"NUMBER SIX. XING JIA LI."
"Another person from my division, eh?" Shouhei said aloud. "Xing's a feisty one. I'm sure she'll be fine."
"Pretty cute, too," Keruno said. "Hopefully, Mizaki won't lay his grubby hands on her."
"NUMBER SEVEN. KYOTAKA KAZOKU."
"He's a Noble, like I am," Takumi murmured. "I've heard rumors about how prideful he is. Hopefully, his pride won't lead him to defeat."
"HEY! WATCH YOUR MOUTH! HE'S PART OF MY SQUAD!"
"Yes, sir."
"NUMBER EIGHT. KERUNO ZAIZEN."
"Yes! Keruno sprang to his feet, irritating Vergil. "I'll make sure I kick that Sendou's ass!"
"I don't see what's the big deal in getting the chance to fight former comrades," Remi commented. "I guess I just can't understand."
"NUBMER NINE. JUNICHI HIGASHI."
"Now, it's my lieutenant?" Hikaru asked. "What is with lieutenants being chosen?"
"No faith in your subordinate?" Takeshi asked.
"He's quite young."
"He's a year younger than you!"
"NUMBER TEN. TAKUMI HIBIKI."
"I'm going also?" Takumi said. "Hmm..."
"NUMBER ELEVEN. JARED FREDERIK."
"I see," Jared said, nodding his head.
"One more... will I get chosen?" Vergil said.
"NUMBER TWELVE. TAKESHI ISHIHARA."
Vergil's head drooped.
"How unfortunate," Kamiki said, who had been silent the entire time. "I wished I could've went on this trip as well. I would like to have met these former captains."
"Commander, why did you pick twelve captains to hunt them down?" Shouhei inquired.
"WELL, WHY ELEVEN... WHEN IT CAN BE TWELVE?"
"A more important question would be who exactly we are dealing with," Hikaru interrupted. "Captain-Commander, you've mentioned that the intruders are former captains. But who exactly are they?"
"THE FORMER CAPTAINS BEFORE MOST OF YOU TOOK THEIR PLACE... 3RD DIVISION CAPTAIN, YURIO SHIROCHIRO. 5TH DIVISION CAPTAIN, MITSURU AKASHI. 7TH DIVISION CAPTAIN, KANJI SENDOU. 11TH DIVISION CAPTAIN, BAKITARO ONICHI. AND FINALLY, 12TH DIVISION CAPTAIN, AKIHIKO KIRIYAMA. THEY USED TO BE CAPTAINS HERE, UNTIL THEY LEFT MYSTERIOUSLY."
"Why did they leave?" Hikaru asked.
"WELL, IF I KNEW, IT WOULDN'T BE MYSTERIOUS NOW, WOULD IT?"
All of the captains groaned.
"ANYWAY, THE OMNITSUKUDO HAVE LOCATED THE AREA WHERE THE EX-CAPTAINS RESIDE. THIS TEAM IS TO LAUNCH TOWARDS THAT AREA AND KICK THOSE CAPTAINS' ASS! DISMISSED!"
Suda tried to get up, but the pain in his chest shot through his entire body, causing him to fall back into his bed.
"Don't try to push yourself," Ryo said. "It was a bad wound."
"Haruka's in danger," Suda said. "I have to save her."
"I'm sure we'll be strong enough to take down the captains and whatever we face," Ryo tried to assure him. "You don't have to worry."
"Oh, I do..." Suda muttered. "You mentioned Kyotaka Kazoku in that list. That guy's hitting on Haruka also, and I'll get really pissed off if he saves her and I don't."
"That's the reason?" Chotaro groaned. "Really, dude?"
"And also," Suda began, forcing himself to lean up on his bed. "There's that captain. I think his name was Kanji Sendou. That bastard really hurt and embarrassed me, and I'm not just gonna let him walk away with that victory. I have to defeat him."
"That's stupid," Yushi said. "He's a captain. Even if you did go, your Zanpakuto is broken, so how will you win?"
Suda drew his Zanpakuto and looked at it's broken blade. "I'll win somehow."
"Hmmm... don't say I didn't warn you," Ryo said.
Suddenly, the door smashed open. Everyone turned around and Suda gasped to see Jia Li standing at the entrance, her face glaring straight at his and his alone. "SUDA TSUBAKI!"
Suda groaned. "Hello, Jia Li..."
She used Shunpo and immediately appeared in front of him. She grabbed his throat and shoved him against the wall, shocking everyone. "So how does it feel to fail, huh? Especially with the burden of protecting Lady Haruka being passed down to you? Why did she get kidnapped and not you?! Do you even know how much trouble you are in with the noble house?!"
"Rrgh..." Suda groaned.
"Let go of him, Jia Li!" Ryo snapped, slapping Jia Li's hand away. "We are in a hospital and he's injured!"
"He's a fool!" Jia Li shouted back. "I cannot believe that Lady Haruka would sneak out of the mansion just to visit you and those slums! And then she gets kidnapped the same day? It cannot be mere misfortune!"
"...Sorry," Suda muttered.
"Tch!" Jia Li scoffed, turning around. "I can't believe a mere Shinigami like you would easily earn favor from her. Thankfully, she's going to be rescued by a real man like Kyotaka Kazoku, so her opinion of you and him should change."
She slammed the door with a thud and stomped away.
"Rich people," Ryo scoffed.
"Are you just gonna let her get away with that?" Yushi asked.
"Of course not," Suda replied. "I'm gonna pursue Haruka."
"How are you gonna do that when your Zanpakuto is broken?" Chotaro asked.
"Well, I'm gonna need your help," Suda said, then he bowed his head. "Will you guys help me?"
"Meh. Got nothing better to do," Chotaro replied.
"Sure," Yushi said.
"What? Just like that?" Suda asked incredulously.
"Well, to be honest, we've just finished our training with our teachers and we're a lot stronger that we were before," Chotaro admitted. "We want to test our strength against whatever comes up."
"We're fighting against captains here," Suda said. "Are you sure?"
"If anything, you should be worried about yourself," Yushi said. "Your Zanpakuto's broken, I'm pretty sure you're weaker than the both of us at our current state, and I think you'll lose to those captains if you fight them."
Suda groaned. "Thanks, Yushi."
"I'm just being honest."
"So, the captain left Lieutenant Ayagi to take care of the place while he's gone?" Daisuke asked Kuroji as the two laid on the top of the highest building within the 8th Division.
"Yup. You know what that means," Kuroji said, grinning. "It means that we don't have to do sweeping duty while he's gone. He's the only one besides Ayagi who actually cares about sweeping, but she never goes around to make sure we're actually doing it."
The two laid on the roof comfortably. Suddenly, someone appeared in their face and flashed something in front of them, temporarily blinding them and winced their eyes in pain. "Who-"
"Hey guys!" Suda exclaimed happily, gripping a camera in his hand. "How are you guys doing?"
"Dude, what's wrong with you?!" Daisuke snapped, covering his eyes. "Why'd you take a picture of us?!"
"Just in case I needed it," Suda said. "Look. My Zanpakuto is broken and I don't know if Chotaro and Yushi will be enough to protect me when I go on the mission to fight the ex-captains that infiltrated Rukongai. I need you guys to come with us and protect me."
"Why should we do that?" Kuroji demanded.
"'Cause I have a photo of you guys skipping out on your duties," Suda said, holding up his camera. "Captain Zaizen is most annoyed after a mission, and I'm sure he doesn't want to see you guys slacking off your duties when he gets back."
"You wouldn't dare," Kuroji said, narrowing his eyes.
"Try me."
Meanwhile, the Shinigami 'dream team' had finally left the Rukongai and were heading towards the destination the Omnitsukudo laid out for them. The carriages had enough room for four, so the team split up into different numbered groups to go.
Ryo looked out of her window and saw the vast wasteland that was outside of the Rukongai. "It's been awhile since I've been here. It's just as empty as it was last time I was here."
"Well, it's not like anything would've changed," Saburo said.
"Mmhmm..."
Yusei Mizaki was also in their and was eyeing Ryo. "So, Ryo-chan. Have you gotten a date for the Shini Festival yet?"
Ryo blinked in surprise, then blushed. Saburo, who was sitting on the opposite side, snapped his head to look at her as she said, "Uh... no, not yet."
"Well, what luck! I do not have a date yet, either!" Yusei said. "Since we don't have dates, and the festival is quite boring without females, why don't we go toge-"
"HOLD IT," Saburo loudly said, shutting Yusei up. "Yamura's not going with you."
"Why?" Yusei asked, grinning, as if he knew what was going to happen.
"Because... because she's going with me, dammit!" Saburo shouted, causing everyone in the nearby carriages to look at him. He blushed and sat back down. He looked at Ryo and asked, "Please?"
"Um... okay. Sure."
"R-Really?!" Saburo jumped for joy inside his carriage. "Whoo-hoo!"
"Yo, Kazuya!" Keruno yelled from afar. "Stop shouting! You're getting annoying!"
"Yes! YES!" He continued to shout.
"He's quite loud, isn't he?" Kouken Seirei asked Hebito Watakushi."
Kouken Seirei is the young 7th Division Lieutenant. He had spiky, black hair and green eyes, wearing a short-sleeved shihakusho with a zipped-up collar. His Zanpakuto was a katana with a four-point tsuba with prongs extending upward strapped to his back.
"A little, but it's part of his personality," Hebito responded, continually putting his hand into a fist. "I know from first-hand experience."
"Are you okay?" Kouken inquired. "You keep fisting your hand."
"I'm just making sure that it functions well," Hebito said. "I was almost paralyzed from getting hit from a large rock and I want to make sure I can move to the best of my ability."
"Well, don't push yourself," Kouken advised. "You may have recovered a little, but your body might not be as responsive as you think."
"You be careful as well," Hebito said. "I've heard you are quite talented, but your captains tell stories of how your pride leads to failure. Make sure you don't get cocky."
"Of course not," Kouken replied, putting his hand through his hair.
Junichi Higashi was riding in the same carriage as 9th Division Captain Takumi Hibiki. Junichi is the 7th Division Lieutenant, known for being one of the skinniest and palest due to his distaste in combat. He had short, strawberry-blond hair and teal eyes to complement his harmlessness. His Zanpakuto was a wakizashi with a purple hilt and a tsuba in the shape of a teardrop.
"Captain Hibiki, I do not like this," Junichi said. "The Captain-Commander knows I hate to fight. Why would he send me here?"
"He chose randomly. Why would you become a Shinigami if you didn't have an inkling of a desire to fight?" Takumi asked.
"My father forced me to join the Shinigami Academy because it's a long-running tradition. He was the former 7th Division Lieutenant before he retired," Junichi explained. "I never wanted to do this."
"Well, there are some things that people don't want to do that they are forced to do," Takumi said. "It's like growing up; Some people don't want to do it, but we must. No one ordained life to be fair."
Junichi groaned. "You're right."
"So, how's the kid doing?" Keruno asked Jared as the two, including Takeshi Ishihara, rode in the same carriage. "Has he made any progress in learning the name of his Zanpakuto?"
"Unfortunately, no," Jared replied. "His Zanpakuto is quite rough around the edges. Suda told me that it refuses to tell me it's name, no matter how much he begs."
"That's interesting. Perhaps his Zanpakuto is some mythological weapon that won't come out unless he does something specific," Takeshi suggested, causing the other two captains to frown at him. "Hey, it happened to Ichigo Kurosaki."
"He's not a real Shinigami," Jared said. "I have heard from Captain Saeko and Lieutenant Mizaki that Yanagi and Naramichi have made improvements in their battle-style."
"That's good, but I'm more worried about Suda," Keruno said. "A Shinigami who doesn't know his own Zanpakuto's name is all but useless. Not only that, but the girl he likes has been kidnapped."
"You think it won't bode well for his sanity?" Takeshi asked. "He was easily defeated by a captain who kidnapped his girlfriend."
"It's not that," Keruno responded. "I'm more worried that he'll follow us to get to her. He's the kind of guy who's motivated from getting embarrassed. Who knows what he will do?"
"...And so, I was able to defeat the five Menos Grande, as expected!" Kyotaka flaunted as Jia Li listened on. "My teammates were on the ground, close to death, but I easily defeated them with my Suzukimaru!"
"Oh, excellent!" Jia Li clapped.
But in the inside, she was groaning. 'Oh man... How long is Kazoku going to brag about his feats? I cannot believe this man's behavior. He should be listening to a woman rather than talking about himself.'
"Are you listening? I'm about to get to the best part."
"Oh, yes! Yes, I am!"
'Oh brother...'
"I can sense the Reiatsu of approaching Shinigami. Powerful Shinigami," Akihiko muttered. "Of course that man would send his strongest to face us. However, power will not be enough."
"Shall we take our stations in the anti-Captain Pillars?" Mitsuru asked, walking into the room and joining her companions.
"Yes, please do," Akihiko replied.
"Alright," Bakitaro grinned, cracking his knuckles. "I'm gonna have fun beating them up."
"I will get to see their resolution," Yurio mused. "This will be interesting. Shinigami nowadays aren't as strong as they used to be."
"As long as I can get my revenge, I'll be fine," Kanji said, clutching the hilt of his Zanpakuto.
With that, they left.
Akihiko walked into a large, empty room carrying the bags Bakitaro and Kanji had delivered to him. He closed the door and placed the bag on the ground before opening it. Hundreds of souls in the form of fireballs flew out of the bags and exploded onto the ground. When the smoke cleared, the souls were standing before him.
"Hey! Where are we?!"
"Where's my son?!"
"Who are you?!"
"My name is Akihiko Kiriyama and I've gathered you this day to give you souls a purpose to change your meaningless lives," Akihiko said, causing everyone to gasp. "You will be converted to spiritual energy so that I can power CHANGE, a weapon with the potential to destroy the Seireitei."
"WHAT?!"
"No way!"
"I'm not doing that!"
The entire area burst into cries and pleas, but Akihiko kept his face stone-cold. One person ran to him and tried pleading for his life, but Akihiko didn't budge. When the person tried to punch him, he phased behind him and kicked him away.
"You do not have a choice," Akihiko said, then he retorted. "Besides, what would you have done had I not taken you in? Live the rest of your lives in the Rukongai with no purpose? Live in poor conditions while the Shinigami live in prosperity? Even if you did become a Shinigami, what would you do? Kill the Hollows only for more to appear?"
"You're a Shinigami too!"
"But I have given up my wealthy life to enact the plan," Akihiko said. "The Shinigami are too infested with their power and luxuries without looking into truly what is the problem in life. But I have found the answer to changing the world and I will start the revolution."
"No! You're wrong!" Everyone turned to the source of the voice. Haruka Souma walked from her place in the crowd to face Akihiko. "The Shinigami protects people by maintaining order and destroying Hollows. The coming of Hollows are inevitable so Shinigami are needed."
"I never said they weren't," Akihiko replied. "But with my plan, the coming of Hollows will finally end."
Everyone gasped. The thought that Hollows' existence could end never occurred to them. Even Haruka was baffled by his statement. "That's impossible."
"Oh, it's possible," He said. "Looking at the logic by which Hollows are created, there are ways to keep them from forming."
"Then how?" Haruka demanded. "How do you plan on doing it?!"
"...Why should I speak to an energy source?" Akihiko asked.
Haruka's eyes widened as Akihiko phased behind her. She quickly drew her Zanpakuto, spun around and tried to slash him, but he jumped away. He drew his Zanpakuto as well and the two battled each other. Haruka couldn't use her Kido in a place with so many people, but Akihiko's superior Shunpo kept her guessing where he was.
'I won't be able to defeat him like this,' Haruka thought as she went into a defensive stance. 'It looks like I need to use my Zanpakuto's power...'
"What's wrong?" Akihiko asked, phasing around her. "Giving up yet?"
"Walk in my reflection, Chihanamu," Haruka said, causing her blade to glow pink. Akihiko blinked in surprise as four copies of Haruka phased from her body, all wielding pink katanas as well.
"So, this is your Zanpakuto," Akihiko mused. "Creates clones of yourself? I expected more."
The five Harukas jumped towards Akihiko with their blades raised. He jumped back, clashing blades with one Haruka. He turned around and guarded an attack from another, then had to block the one he previously guarded from. Two Harukas appeared from above and tried to strike him, but he blocked and stabbed through one. To his surprise, Haruka shattered into a hundred fragments, all reflecting Akihiko's body.
'A mirror? Interesting,' Akihiko thought, spinning around and slashing another, causing it to shatter also. Some of the mirror shards landed on him, causing some of his clothes and skin to get cut. 'A good defense and offense.'
"Not yet!" Haruka yelled, causing more clones to phase from her.
Akihiko quickly leaped towards her and slashed who he thought was the real Haruka, but was surprised when she shattered as well. He jumped back to dodge the mirror shards, but they followed after him.
"Hmm..." Akihiko glanced at the rest of the Harukas before realizing what was going on. "Now, I see."
Using his Shunpo, he phased out of the way of the mirror shards and came towards one Haruka, who was going into a battle stance. But then, he looked down to the ground in front of her. Haruka's eyes widened, realizing that Akihiko had discovered the secret of her Zanpakuto. She tried to jump away, but Akihiko caught up to her and kicked her down to the ground. As soon as she got hit, all her clones disappeared and her Zanpakuto's glow ended.
"Your clones are made of your Reiatsu solidified into a mirror that mimics your looks only. So when I hit one, it shatters like a mirror and you can control the shards' directions," Akihiko explained. "The only way for me to identify who the real user is, is through their shadow. You were the only one who had a shadow and it was the only thing I could use to distinguish from your clones."
"Mmph..." Haruka groaned.
Akihiko turned to the crowd before picking Haruka up using the back of her shihakusho. "You will all stay here until you're needed to power the cannon!"
"Hey! We're not gonna be used by you!"
Everyone attempted to gang up on Akihiko, but he responded by saying, "Bakudo #1, Sai." Immediately, everyone's arms were restrained behind their backs, causing them to drop to the ground.
"You're coming with me," Akihiko said to Haruka, dragging her out of the room.
Back at the entrance to the Rukongai, Suda reigned the horses and started the ride to the fortress. Yushi, Daisuke, Chotaro, and Kuroji were sitting in the carriage. As they rode there, Suda explained to everyone what happened during his encounter with the ex-7th Division Captain Kanji Sendou. He didn't include the part where his Hollow took over.
"Wow. You're lucky that you came out alive," Daisuke said. "I don't understand how you weren't cut in half."
"Gee thanks," Suda said. "I could've defeated him if I could activate my Shikai. Unfortunately, my Zanpakuto is being really arrogant and won't tell me it's name!"
"I can see the fortress," Keruno said as the five carriages neared their destination.
It was a large, dome-shaped building, painted completely white. There was a single entrance at the front, consisting of two large, golden doors. There were four large, lighthouse-looking towers each a mile away from the fortress separated from each other in the shape of a square if they were connected.
"I wonder what the purpose of those towers are for," Junichi said.
"I don't know, but I have a very bad feeling about them," Takumi replied.
As soon as the carriages passed one of the towers, an alarm went off from the fortress, causing all the horses to stop and buck the riders off. All the Shinigami jumped out of their carriages and prepared for battle.
The desert floor opened up in front of them, causing all the sand to drown into the hole, revealing two titanium doors that opened up. Underneath, the floor started to rise, revealing four large robots. The robots were colored green with tunic-like upper-body armor and spiked-shoulder armor. It's head resembled a knight's helmet with a single eye. In it's hand, it wielded a large, metal axe. On it's forehead was the word 'ZAKU.'
"Hey! This is from Gundam!" Takeshi yelped.
"They're gigantic!" Ryo exclaimed.
Saburo and Yusei rushed towards the Zakus, but Jared and Keruno put their arms in front of them. Jared said, "We'll take care of them."
"But-" Saburo began.
"You need to conserve your strength," Keruno said. "I don't know what those captains have in store for us, but we can't afford you guys to get exhausted at the beginning of the mission."
Junichi, Kyotaka, Jia Li, Ryo, Saburo, Yusei, Kouken, and Hebito backed away as Jared, Keruno, Takumi and Takeshi stepped forward. The four Zakus stared down at them before shooting a concentrated beam of Reiatsu from their mono-eyes! Fortunately, they managed to dodge.
"That was a Cero right now, wasn't it?" Takumi asked.
"It looked like it," Takeshi replied. "But it doesn't matter. Let's take them down quickly, shall we?"
"Get ready to die! Crush, Genshuku!" Keruno roared, holding his Zanpakuto above him. The hilt of the katana increased it's length by one-foot and the katana itself stretched to eight feet, making it large.
The Zaku he got in front of surprisingly swung it's axe at a fast speed. However, Keruno instantly phased away from the axe's strike and reappeared on top of the axe, running towards the Zaku's arm to it's head. He tried to slash it, but he was shocked that the blade simply banged against the armor with no visible scratch.
'The power of it's armor. It's like a Hollow's Hierro...' Keruno thought. 'But that doesn't mean anything!'
He jumped into the air from the Zaku's shoulder and shot some Reiryoku from his body to the katana. The weight of the katana shifted from light to extremely heavy! So heavy that the blade was too much for Keruno to lift and he simply let the blade come down right on top of the Zaku's head, crashing through it's helmet and breaking it's mono-eye! A loud shriek blared through the entire area before it exploded.
"That voice," Kouken muttered. "It sounded like a Hollow's wail."
"Hopefully, my Zanpakuto is effective against an opponent like this. Everyone, get back!" Jared yelled to the lower-ranked Shinigami, to which they complied. "Flee, Kyofu!"
His sword transformed into the same crescent moon blade with the rune of a raven on each side he used against Suda. The eye on the left side started to glow red, causing a trembling effect to occur in the area.
"W-Why am I shuddering?" Ryo said aloud.
"I've heard of Captain Frederik's Zanpakuto," Hebito said. "I've heard it's one of the most fearsome Zanpakuto in the entire Gotei 13 because it's entire effect is based on fear."
"Sorry guys, but Kyofu's Tremble effect causes everyone in the vicinity to start trembling. The other captains aren't fazed by this because their large Reiatsu nullifies it's effect," Jared said.
He turned his attention to the Zaku, who was also trembling. It swung it's axe at him, but he blocked it with his crescent moon blade. As soon as the two blades made contact, the right eye of the raven glowed red, streaking black waves from his Zanpakuto through the axe as a conduit and made direct contact with the Zaku. The Zaku suddenly straightened and started jittering, as if it had been shocked.
"The second effect of Kyofu, Paralysis, does what it sounds like," Jared said. "But it's time to end this."
"With his blade still clashing against the Zaku's, more black energy appeared from the tip of the crescent moon blade. Both eyes of the raven glowed dark-red and an ominous feeling began to fill the atmosphere.
"The third and final effect of Kyofu, Visions," Jared said.
The Zaku was overcame by the darkness spreading from Jared's Kyofu and it's mono-eye started looking all over the area, circling like a tornado. It attempted to swing it's axe at Jared, but ended up slashing the air in front of him. Jared watched as the Zaku was overcame by the darkness.
"Kyofu drowns my opponents in horrific hallucinations," Jared explained. "This robot has no chance of winning anymore."
And as he concluded his sentence, the Zaku fell to the ground and died, overcame by it's visions.
"That was pretty cool," Yusei complemented.
"Very frightening," Jia Li said.
"Feh. I could easily overcome that fear and take it down," Kyotaka boasted, but all the Shinigami saw that he was still jittering from the effects of Kyofu.
"More importantly than his Zanpakuto, is anyone wondering why a robot would experience hallucinations in the first place?" Junichi asked.
"I don't think this is a stretch, but I believe that robot isn't actually a robot," Hebito said.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Kouken asked.
Ryo frowned. "What are you guys talking about?"
"Can't let these guys overshadow me," Takeshi muttered. "Sorry Zaku. As much as I'd love to find out how you came into existence, I gotta defeat you. So here we go. Tear a hole through the barriers of heaven, Hinshi Tengoku!"
He brought his Zanpakuto above his head. A lightning bolt from the sky came down and struck his Zanpakuto, changing it into a yellow-colored halberd with two curved horns at the side and a blade in-between them. The halberd was as long as Takeshi himself, with the same runes that were on his Zanpakuto's sealed form.
"Hey! Now that's my kinda weapon!" Yusei exclaimed.
"A cyborg like you should be shocked by my power!" Takeshi claimed. By passing Reiatsu from his body to the spear, lightning shot from the tip, blasting the Zaku and causing it to flail wildly.
"But my Zanpakuto can't do anything like that!" Yusei whined.
"Wouldn't a machine malfunction if zapped?" Jia Li asked.
"And to finish you off! Rakurai Hotengeki!" He roared, throwing his lightning-powered halberd straight at the Zaku, striking the center of it's mono-eye with incredible accuracy. It let out a death wail before falling to the ground, dead.
"I'm the last one? That's fine," Takumi said, smiling. "Sing gently, Otome no Uta."
His katana transformed into a katzbalger with eight holes going down the blade.
Junichi said, "I've never seen a sword like that before."
"A katzbalger is an arming sword used in Renaissance times," Ryo explained. "It used to be the standard weapon of a medieval knight."
"Of course, the only weapon fit for nobility," Kyotaka flaunted.
The Zaku looked up at Takumi, who was floating in the sky, and fired a Cero from it's mono-eye. Takumi put his finger through the third hole near the hilt of the blade and announced, "Otohei!" He waved the blade in front of him, causing a wall of sound to appear, deflecting the attack to the ground!
"What a pleasant sound," Kouken remarked.
"Kizu Teisei!" A swirling whirlpool of Reiatsu-created sound surrounded his sword after he placed his finger into the fourth hole. He slashed the air, firing a blade of sonic energy straight at the Zaku. This time, the attack bounced off it's armor.
"It's armor is like a Hollow's Hierro also," Hebito said. "I've confirmed it."
"Confirmed what exactly?" Saburo asked. "Is that machine... a Hollow?"
"Not going down easily, huh? Well, take this," Takumi said, putting his fingers through the fifth and sixth holes of the sword. "Juubun Teishuuha!"
He used his Shunpo to appear in front of the Zaku and struck it with his blade. With the Zaku's Hierro, the blade simply bounced off. But that was what he wanted. The blade's strike created a small vibration that resonated throughout the Zaku's body. He touched the Zaku with the blade again and poured his Reiatsu into the blade, using it as a conductor to transmit the Reiatsu into the Zaku, amplifying the vibration and causing the Zaku to break open!
"Agh!" Ryo cried.
"That sound's loud!" Saburo yelled.
"Haha... sorry guys," Takumi said, sheathing his blade and returning to the lower-ranked Shinigami. "My Zanpakuto's power is based off sound. So it's natural it might not be pleasant to the ear."
"It's fine," Hebito said. "We should get going into the dome."
The other three captains returned and they all started walking towards the large entrance of the dome.
Akihiko watched the Shinigami team from the televisions of his security room in his fortress. Haruka was bound with powerful Reishi ropes that she couldn't break free from. Her Zanpakuto was tied with her behind her back so she could draw it.
"Even though Hollows serve no purpose but to torment, I've given them purpose also," Akihiko said. "I created these Zakus from Menos Grande, simply configuring their body a bit to resemble these Gundam-inspired machines. By implanting control chips into their bodies, I would simply input commands for them to follow my orders without question. Unfortunately, the captains proved their strength against these machines. I guess Menos Grande-leveled cyborgs aren't enough..."
"That's horrible," Haruka muttered. "All you're doing is using the Hollows for your sickening purposes! You're sacrificing innocent people for your stupid plan!"
"Sacrifices are needed to save lives. Isn't that something living people glorify?" Akihiko asked. "My plan will save everyone and change the world. Besides, if we can control Hollows, then there will be no point in sacrifices because no one will die. In order for peace to be obtained, we must prove we are the strongest by taking control of everything."
"You still haven't told me what that plan is!"
"In any case, those captains could be a problem," Akihiko said. He reached down to the control panel and pressed a red button. "Unfortunately for them, I've prepared the ultimate defense against you. You won't be entering this fortress."
Suddenly, the circular roof of the fortress started to glow a bright purple, causing the Shinigami Team to freeze in their place. The bright purple aura came together and formed one giant ball of spiritual energy atop the roof. Then four streaks of lightning blasted from the orb and struck the top of the four towers near the fortress. A purple light covered the entire fortress as the end result, causing the front doors to open.
"What a welcome," Keruno said sarcastically walking towards the entrance. But when he tried to enter, a wall of purple energy formed in front of him, keeping him from going in. "Hey! What the hell?!"
Everyone frowned. Ryo walked towards the purple wall and put her hand on it. Surprisingly, she was able to enter without harm. "What? How am I going in."
Kyotaka and Junichi walked in as well. The latter said, "Works for me too."
Takumi placed his hand on the purple wall, but couldn't get it through. He tried punching it repeatedly, but it wouldn't give in. "Could it be that it repels people with high Reiatsu?"
"Impossible. How come I could get in?" Kyotaka asked, causing everyone to frown more.
"None of the captains can get in?" Kouken asked after walking into the fortress.
"Nope," Takeshi and Jared said, unable to get through the purple wall.
"Should we try a different route then?" Hebito asked.
"No, you guys should go on ahead," Keruno said, shocking everyone but the captains. "I'm guessing that the pillars over there are the source of this barrier. If we can destroy them, we should be able to get in."
"But what if we get into a fight with the captains?" Saburo asked. "Can we take them on?"
"I'm pretty sure you can," Takeshi said. "You guys are pretty strong."
"I'll take them all down," Kyotaka proclaimed. "Then I'll save the beautiful Haruka and get all of us out of here!"
"Hey! I'll save her!" Yusei exclaimed.
"Anyway! We should get going, right?" Jia Li asked, irritated by Kyotaka and Yusei's behavior. "We still don't know what they are up to. We have to save everyone now!"
"Right!"
"I can see it!" Suda yelled as their carriage also neared the large dome fortress. "Now, let's- AHHHHHHHHH!"
He (and everyone on the carriage) screamed as the ground underneath them gave way and they all fell down the ground...
Ending: "Reason" by Nami Tamaki
Very long chapter, but the next chapters should be shorter. I hope you guys are happy with the abundance of OCs introduced here. They'll all have their spotlight in due time. The reason the captains can't get into the fortress is to limit just how powerful the Shinigami team is. If the captains entered, the battle would be much easier. Don't worry; the captains will still be fighting.
I'll also have time to develop the characters more as this arc progresses. You'll see.
OCs introduced:
-Kouken Seirei - ShadowDrago6
-Junichi Higashi - JJun
Zanpakutos introduced (I'm not including Takumi's just yet, because I haven't introduced all it's abilities. It'll be shown in a later chapter in this arc).
CHIHANAMU: 6th Squad, 7th Seat Haruka Souma's Zanpakuto. It is a Kido-Type Zanpakuto harnessing the power of illusions. In it's unreleased state, it takes the shape of a katana with a pink hilt and a white, square tsuba. It is released with the phrase, "Walk in reflections." In it's Shikai state, the blade changes into a light-pink color. In this form, Haruka can send some of her Reiryoku into the blade, creating mirrors that take her form. These mirror-doppelgangers will act how Haruka will act, but will shatter in one hit. However, the mirror fragments can be controlled by Haruka and can be used to harm the enemy.
GENSHUKU: 8th Squad Captain Keruno Zaizen's Zanpakuto. It is a Melee-type Zanpakuto. In it's unreleased state, it takes the form of a katana with a crimson hilt and gold butt with no tsuba. It is released with the word, "Crush!" In it's Shikai state, the hilt's height increases by one foot and the blade itself increases to eight-feet. In this form, Keruno can shift the weight of his sword. He can make it extremely light so that he can deliver swift attacks while running at fast speeds or extremely heavy so that it's unwieldable but he can crush anything in his path.
KYOFU: 5th Squad Captain Jared Frederick's Zanapakuto. It is a Melee-type Zanpakuto based on fear and darkness. In it's unreleased state, it takes the form of a katana with cyan-blue wrapping on the hilt and a dark-blue tsuba. It is released with the word, "Flee!" In it's Shikai state, it takes the form of a large crescent-moon blade with an image of a raven on both sides of the blade. In this form, it has three abilities. 1. Tremble: The left eye of the raven glows, causing nearby beings to tremble. 2. Paralysis: The right eye of the raven glows, paralyzing enemies. 3. Visions: Both eyes of the raven glows, forcing the enemy to experience horrific halluciantions.
HINSHI TENGOKU: 6th Squad Captain Takeshi Ishihara's Zanpakuto. It is a Melee-type Zanpakuto based on the power of lightning. In it's unreleased state, it takes the form of a two-foot katana with Nordic runes on both sides with a dark-yellow hilt and a guard shaped like a bird's wings. It is released with the phrase, "Tear a hole through the barrier of heaven." In it's Shikai state, it takes the form of a halberd with two curved horns on the sides and a yellow blade at the tip. In this form, it can act as a conductor to manipulate electricity. It's strongest attack is Rakurai Hotengeki, in which he can throw the halberd with perfect accuracy.
Hope you guys enjoyed despite the long chapter!