Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).
Chapter Seven: I Got a Name
The excited crowd poured into the arena, well ahead of the scheduled first match. This was what everyone had been waiting for—the culmination. With the semifinals, the truly greatest fighters were now squaring off for their chance at glory.
Kain's fearful students and apprehensive friends gathered in their seats. The waited impatiently as Koto took the stage and began to make her introductory presentations.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to this, the fifth day of the Kalan Lockeheart Cup! This incredible tournament, featuring the greatest fighters the world has ever seen, is showing us an even grander scene on this, the 20th Anniversary of the world's victory and salvation! Never before has the tournament seen a Final Four quite like this!
"There has been everything you could ask for in this tournament! A youthful but impressive heir of the heroes of days gone by! A duel between two master swordsmen, the youth surpassing the legendary previous generation! A true underdog overcoming foe after favored foe! A mysterious reincarnation of the heroic savior! And two of the mighty heroes themselves, heading straight for a confrontation in the championship!
"And so here they are: the four greatest fighters this tournament has ever scene! Initially ranked twentieth, Natsu Dragneel, 'The Salamander', a mage of Fairy Tail, a wielder of the Lost Magic, Dragonslayer Magic, this man has terrorized his foes and fought his way through some brutal competition, even overcoming the 4th Seed, Horn Il-Durn, BattleMage of Halteese, and the 5th Seed, the rogue Warlock Richard! The incredible dark horse rounding out the Final Four!
"The man whose appearance has rocked this world, with his name, appearance, and strength: Kalan Lockeheart! Mysteries surround this man: what relation is he to the hero of old? Is he playing us, or is there something supernatural here? Can he possibly live up to that name? So far, we have no answers…we only know that he has thus far lived up to all his lofty expectations!
"One of the most famous of the hinigami captains who guard over this world: Kuchiki Byakuya! The captain who traveled alongside Kalan Lockeheart himself, the most famous head of the renowned and powerful Kuchiki clan of the Seireitei! His motives for engaging in this 'mortal' sport are unclear, but he has mercilessly crushed all comers, including Delryn Rylack, the son of his own former companion!
"And speaking of that man…Aiden Rylack himself is our #1 Seed! The master treasure-hunter, archaeologist, mercenary, the man who has seen the length and breadth of Arcanus Myrror, member of the Red Wings, a man who has stared into the abyss and even passed through it to the other side! Favored to win this tournament, can anyone take the prize from this man?
"It begins now! The Semifinals of the 14th Lockeheart Cup…starts! Let's bring out our first competitors!"
Kain and Byakuya walked slowly out onto the stage. Byakuya walked as he always had…slow, measured and dignified. Kain's gait, usually a hurried, purposeful stride, almost nervous or afraid, was slower, more measured itself, not with dignity, nor trepidation, but with subtle acceptance.
"Our first battle! Kuchiki Byakuya and Kalan Lockeheart…begin!"
Kain went first. Instantly, without a word or any hesitation at all, he activated kanka and charged in, bringing a high-powered punch straight into Byakuya. The man half-drew his sword to block the strike, then threw Kain away by completing his draw. "What an aggressive beginning," Byakuya noted. "That was not an attack of desperation, by one who believes he must hit first and hardest in order to win a disadvantageous battle…why this unusual haste?"
"I'm just not in a mood to waste time," Kain replied. "We already had our preliminary over two months ago. This is the real deal; let's not play around. Release your Bankai already—nothing else, even in your impressive repertoire, is going to stop me at this point. In return, I'll come at you with my best, and we'll settle this as we should."
Byakuya actually smiled slightly and gave an ever-so-slight chuckle. "In the past, I would have been insulted by your presumption. But time and experience have taught me to offer more respect to the callow youths that catch my attention." Byakuya reverse-gripped his sword. "Just by coming this far, you have more than earned the right to see this." And he dropped it. "Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
Kain stared at the thousand swords that emerged from the ground. He reversed his flow and activated his True Kanka as they disintegrated into that fog of pink petals and began to descend upon him. The power began to radiate out from him, and a nimbus of visible bright white energy began to stream from his shoulders.
Kain blasted into the air, right through the cloud, scattering it, and stopped in the sky. He grabbed a quick spell and then hurled it at Byakuya. The Soul Reaper half-turned to allow the shot to fly past, and showed no reaction even as the shot detonated in a massive explosion behind him. Kain dove in towards Byakuya, and then stepped behind him. The white-clad captain foresaw his tactic and stepped away beautifully, and Kain was soon swarmed again by the mass of pink and was forced to retreat.
"Hadô 31: Shakka-ho." Byakuya sent a blast of fire flying Kain's way. Kain dodged, but suddenly his foe was behind him, a glowing monochrome pink sword in his hand, and the boy just narrowly avoided the strike that came.
Kain retaliated, drawing his sword and unleashing a blast of sword pressure. The pink petals swept around to block the attack, and Kain attempted to move in behind him…but the storm was already there, waiting for him.
"Do not underestimate my Bankai," Byakuya informed the young man. "Your step was slow…you could not make a direct movement to this position, correct? The million fluttering blades of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi disrupt the atmosphere, making it almost impossible to teleport or use a quick step through it, as you've discovered. The time it takes for the two steps, once to clear the Senbonzakura and the second to move into the flank, is far too long in this kind of a battle. To successfully evade this is one thing…to attack through it is quite another, and requires a most unusual speed. Still, you are not doing poorly. Proceed…show me what you can do." Again the mass of glittering pink came towards him.
Kain charged his power and blasted into the cloud, planning to ram straight through it and into his foe. As he burst past the mass, however, he suddenly came face to face with another horde…of glowing pink swords. They flew in, and Kain was forced to dodge and weave around them….
"Hadô 73: Sôren Sôkatsui!" The blast took Kain and slammed him into the ground.
('Yes…he's strong. As strong as I thought…no, more so. I saw a measure of his strength…but he's also had twenty years to increase his power, to train…and probably, this entire time, he's been chasing the same shadow I have….')
"You realize, now, do you?" Byakuya admonished him as Kain retreated to the opposite side of the arena. "Do not overlook this battle, boy. You have grown remarkably strong, but you have not yet reached the maturity of man. Even now, your gaze wanders. The son of Aiden Rylack was concerned with his own name, with surpassing the title that was his inheritance, and thus he erred, disregarding the privileges he was given. Your flaw is contrary—you obsess over the man who came before you, and you are unable to see anything else. You have even taken his name in order to be closer to him. Your respect for your honored forebear is just and proper…but you cannot let it cloud your vision. You must seek to claim your own place as well…not simply follow along with what is expected of you…whether as the son of Kalan Lockeheart, or as the teacher of those girls. Tell me, son of Lockeheart…for what reason are you striving to defeat me? For what reason are you trying to win this tournament? For what reason do you oppose the Obsidian Star?"
Kain stared back at Byakuya. "Reason? I have all sorts…but most of all, for the sake of my students, my friends, and for all those who might suffer at the hands of the Obsidian Star…."
"For them? Very noble. If it is the truth. Are you certain…that this your purpose…that you do not fight because it is expected of you?"
Kain remained silent. Byakuya continued, "Hear well the words of one who has walked that path. As the heir and eventual head of the Kuchiki Clan, I did many things, nay, I performed nearly all my actions in answer to the expectations that were upon me. The one who woke me from that dream was your father, Kalan Lockeheart. For the sake of 'expectations', for 'what must be done', for 'the law', I attempted to kill even my own sister, in direct violation of my oath to my wife. Kalan Lockeheart stopped me, and showed me what I should be fighting for. Now then, what is that you should be fighting for? If it is for the sake of those precious to you, that is good…just as long as you are also willing to step aside if that is required. If you must choose between them and the expectations on you, make sure you choose well."
Kain continued his silent stare as Byakuya seemed to finish. "I understand what you're saying," he said finally. "I'm rather surprised, though. I didn't expect you to talk so much. Are you going to tell me what kinds of choices like that I should expect?"
Byakuya gave a light chuckle. "You are right. It is not in my character to lecture. Those under me generally know their expectations and duties…but although they lack your strength, they have a great deal more years of maturity and temperance in them. I cannot tell you how to act…I simply wished to warn you of a trap that I foresee haunting you." He gathered the blades of his Bankai into a cloud of more visible swords by him. "There shall be no more words. Show me your growth, your strength, and your resolve…defeat me, as is the expectation upon you."
The swords came darting towards Kain….
8-8-8
Renji and Rukia stared down at the arena in rapture. "I've never seen the captain so serious," Renji remarked. "Even if…even if that's the son of the hero, to even merit this kind of attack…."
"Nii-sama can't do any less for the son of Kalan Lockeheart," Rukia remarked. "No…Kalan Lockeheart is the only man who ever defeated him. His son…Kain Lockeheart is impressive in his own right. Even for Nii-sama, this is not an easy fight."
Jade watched the battle on one side of Emperor Peony as they sat in the Grandall VIP booth, with Field Marshal Overcast on Peony's other side. ('A battle of this level…there for the world to see. What a tournament for the 20th anniversary of Kalan Lockeheart's victory…a duel that is grander than any previous final is now relegated to semi-final. A champion of the Seireitei, and our own war-mage, the son of that hero…it almost seems tragic that we're distracted by this incredible event while the Obsidian Star is lurking under the surface of this city, but we really have no choice….')
"What is Kain-sensei doing?" muttered Hinagiku. "He…should be doing better than that…shouldn't he?"
"Kain-sensei…isn't experienced with an enemy like this," Momo explained. "The only real experience he's had fighting a spiritual being is his spars with me…and there's no comparison between the two of us, between me and Kuchiki-taichô, not in power, in speed, in ability, no, not even in my specialty, kidô. And especially, the power of my sword against the fury of that Bankai…it's like comparing a firecracker to a major bomb."
"Even so…Kain hasn't had to really go this far yet," Mai explained. "That power of his…he hasn't yet been able to really test the limits of it. Although it's the same True Kanka he 'invented' during the Mahora Festival, it wasn't…I don't know, complete, I guess. Even against Sakura-san, Kain had to be careful with it. Now…with that strange body he's gotten…he's able to call on it a lot more. There might not be a limit to it…but Kain is careful, and afraid of himself as much as anything…he hasn't yet used it enough with this new body of his to be comfortable."
"A fight like this will help him learn," Inuyasha pointed out, sitting behind Mai, Hinagiku and Momo, next to Kagome. "He'll have to. Just what they're doing…that power they've got is setting my nerves on edge. This is your teacher you always talked about, Kagome? Heh. I'll say this for him…he's something, all right…."
"Look at that swordsmanship," Erza remarked. "It's incredible…I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. They are both master spellcasters with their respective magics as well, but just with those swords…as a swordswoman myself, I feel completely inadequate watching them."
"Y-you're kidding, right?" Lucy pleaded. "I mean, I kn-know they're good, but you can't tell me even you feel discouraged watching this…."
"Kain-sensei…" Nodoka murmured. "Will he really…be all right…?"
"What are you talking about?" Lina retorted. "Don't worry so much, Nodoka. You've been watching him long enough, haven't you? I have only heard the tales—but even from what I've seen…no, I hate to admit it, but he's no longer the nervous little kid I was dragging through secret spell libraries…."
"Kain Lockeheart," Erika said wistfully. "The boy who outfoxed the Princess Infernal, Alysaser. The boy who overcame the Obsidian Star in Kyoto. The boy took down the mazoku Graf Wilhelm Josef von Hermann. The boy who saved the future of the mage society from the time-traveling hinigami captain, Sanada Sakura. The boy who has led us all this far. No, he hasn't reached his limit yet. He's just getting started…."
"Everything we started three months ago is coming to a head at this moment," Nanami said. "This is our teacher, Kain Lockeheart-sensei…the boy who will never let us down!"
"You're not even at the finish line yet, you idiot," grumbled Chisame. "You can't stumble here. I know you can do a whole hell of a lot better than this…you did better against Kenjirô. Don't let this guy push you around!"
"'The White Wings'," Saber murmured quietly. "Even the name of your unlikely party was taken to honor us…but now is the test. You are aiming to stand alongside us…that's the whole reason for this, isn't it? Now is the time for you to prove that you can. There are no excuses…not age, not inexperience, not temperament. If you wish you stand on that stage, this is the only time you can."
8-8-8
Kain shot out of the way of Byakuya's oncoming blizzard, moving at high speed, flying freely, but not with steps. Byakuya turned to follow him, and the storm came next. Kain continued to move, flying around, seeking for an opening. Byakuya's cloud was fast, but Kain was faster, even relying on this somewhat mundane method of movement.
But racing in a circle was also predictable, and Byakuya waved a hand, speeding up his Bankai…and causing it to move even faster, not chasing Kain, but moving to intercept him. A blast of energy from his hand cleared the first wave of it, and he somersaulted in midair over the rest and turned to evade by passing it heading straight down. He hit the ground and, the way to Byakuya clear, stepped into his flank.
"Impressive, but predictable," Byakuya declared, slashing his sword around….
But Kain was now positioned in his front, not his flank, and this counterattack turned Byakuya away from his foe. By the time he recognized the deceptive move, Kain was already lashing out, hitting him with a sidekick. He followed this strike with a blast of flame from his off-hand, but the shards of Senbonzakura came sweeping in to block the attack. Immediately after, the swarm turned on Kain again, separating into streams and driving towards Kain in drilling waves.
Kain dodged and weaved the strikes, using steps as necessary to avoid them, but his defense was forcing him further and further from Byakuya. He began to gather energy in his hands, and then paused slightly. He waited for the swarms to converge on him, and then unleashed a blast of magic to scatter the blades aside. He then fired a stream of missiles at Byakuya….
…Who was no longer down below. The missiles impacted empty ground. Byakuya put his finger to the back of Kain's shoulder. "Hadô 4: Byakurai."
There was a massive explosion…and when the smoke cleared, both Kain and Byakuya were unharmed. ('Impossible…he blocked that spell in that time at that distance?')
('That was a close one,') Kain thought in reply. ('I owe Momo most of all for this fight…if I hadn't trained with her, I wouldn't know anything at all about these Soul Reaper spells, but thanks to her, I at least have an idea of how they work….')
He manifested a black orb around Byakuya, a globe of gravity magic, but Byakuya stepped down to the ground without much apparent harm. The blades of Senbonzakura, likewise, came streaming in at him without trouble.
Kain dodged and weaved again, and then retreated as several small clusters again fused into sword shapes and shot out to impale him more directly. As he cleared the latest danger and settled back upon the ground, Byakuya was suddenly upon him, swinging with one of his glimmering swords in one hand. They began to exchange furious parries and ripostes, both using a one-handed sword style. For Kain, this was odd—not that he was using it, as a more fencing-like one-handed style was his general method anyway. However, Byakuya had been a very standard kenjutsu (or, for the hinigami, zanjutsu) practitioner, using one-handed killing thrusts on the draw and in disdainful finishing blows but otherwise, in dueling, using two hands for superior strength and control, the same kind of skills he was used to from Momo, but at a much higher skill. Now, however, Byakuya was using only a single hand….
And then Byakuya's other hand came up and opened…and a stream of high-speed Senbonzakura projectiles came barreling for Kain's head.
('And I saw that, too….') Kain just moved his head aside to avoid the blast, then grabbed Byakuya's outstretched arm. Before he could establish a lock, however, Byakuya managed to step away.
"You're not…I don't know, not what I expected," Kain chuckled. "Maybe I didn't expect you to be someone who could be unexpected, although now I sound like a bad comedian doing double-talk."
"Even if Aiden Rylack showed you some of the events of our past, you would be foolish to believe that you could learn about one who has hundreds of years on you in such a short amount of time," Byakuya replied. "Nonetheless, you are to be commended for forcing all these tricks from my hand…and surviving them. But the battle is far from decided. Come…let us continue."
8-8-8
"How long has this even been going on? Five minutes? Ten? More? We've seen some amazing things in this tournament, but neither of these fighters seems to be slowing down! It's like they're both immortal! You folks in the audience can't tell because you're behind that protective shield, but down here, I tell you, it's a storm just being on the sideline! Each fighter has gotten a few good licks in and blooded his sword once, but neither seems ready to give up, slow down, take advantage, or give ground! It's a real awe-inspiring duel here!"
"As the girl Koto-chan says, this is incredible," remarked Shunsui. "To think the kid could match Byakuya not only in skill, but in endurance, all while using that crazy power-up…we talk about 'Captain-class' so easily, but like this, Kain-kun has proven his level. Even Kalan-kun wasn't this strong when he showed up in Soul Society…well…at least not until he got those Quincy powers of his under control."
"He's doing well," agreed Jûshirô. "I can't say I'm surprised, but…I'm still impressed. Byakuya isn't holding back or anything of the sort, not that I ever thought he would. He isn't one to play games or take it easy, and so the sheer amount of strange tricks he's using, differing techniques and ways to use that Bankai of his, his placement and use of spells…it's all proof that he views Kain-kun as that much of a threat."
"Considering his parentage, his spiritual powers should at least be potentially equal to his father's," noted Rangiku. "What would that boy be like if he became a hinigami? It would be amazing to see…."
"I doubt he could ever be one now," Tôshirô replied. "He's sacrificed the opportunity…in a way, I think you could say that he's already more than a hinigami could ever be. Whether it's enough…only time will tell." He glanced over at Momo. ('This is your 'teacher', Hinamori? You've taught him well, yourself…yes, it's easy to see how he's 'his' son. Even so….')
"Kain-sensei will win," Rei stated quietly.
Rin glanced askew at her. "You seem awfully sure about that. It looks pretty even to me."
"She is right," Archer said softly from her shoulder. "They seem fully matched…but neither one is slowing down or losing energy. They are both equivalently immortal creatures, and seem equal in skill, intelligence, strategy, power…but if you look deeper, you will see the truth."
8-8-8
Over the course of the battle, Kain had been undergoing a visible change. The nimbus around his shoulders had been growing, changing…slowly, they seemed to be growing out, blossoming into full, glittering white wings of energy, looking more and more, every moment, like the wings of, for want of a better description, an angel. Kain did not pump them to fly or seem to use them for their expected purpose…indeed, he seemed not to even realize they were there, although he somehow, consciously or subconsciously, none could tell, began to beat back his opponent with them, blocking attacks and on occasion reaching out with them to attack and grapple in a fashion more akin to arms or even tentacles than wings. At the same time, it was also apparent to the most experienced fighters among them that, contrary to growing tired and losing power, he was growing stronger as his wings became larger and more visible.
('The boy truly is incredible,') Byakuya thought as their blades clashed. ('In his fighting, in his instincts, in his abilities…he is completely different than his father. No, there is seen more of the mark of his mother. But in his determination, his desire and drive to succeed…in that is both of them. I do not know what trick Aiden used on him, to make him into this, this strange physical manifestation, or this mental juggernaut…but it is clearly his victory to have survived whatever ordeal forced them upon him.
('I do not know if you are alive or dead, Kalan Lockeheart, but I wonder…can you see this boy of yours? Can you behold this child? He chases after you with all his heart, and that chase has been perhaps the greatest gift he has been given by your legacy. He has proven worthy of everything he has sought….
('It is time to end this, to perform the final phase of this test….')
"Hadô 88: Hiryû Gekizoku Shinten Raihô [Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Striking Thunder Cannon]." A massive explosion of electrical and spiritual energy flew out and engulfed Kain. He escaped the blast by flying back up into the air…and suddenly he found the shards of Senbonzakura flying around him…encompassing him entirely in a globe of churning, drifting, flittering death.
"Gôkei [Mawscape]," Byakuya explained from outside the phenomenon. "The million blades of Senbonzakura encompass the target, cutting off all avenues of escape. The victim is struck down from all sides, by an attack with no blind spots. Now, how will you defend yourself against this?"
Kain glanced around at the readying death. ('He's certainly correct—this is not easy to escape. As he explained earlier, that mass of flittering reiatsu disrupts the atmosphere as well…or at least the sense of it. I can teleport through it, but I'd be doing so blind, and I'd have no idea where or how I'd end up…but it would be an escape….
('…It's unlikely he doesn't realize that…is that what he's hoping for…?
('Well…I suppose I do have one other option….')
"Collapse, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."
The spherical formation did indeed collapse upon that command, creating an explosion of force that forced even Byakuya to flash step away, to the edge of the arena away from the center of impact.
"W-what an attack!" Koto gasped, shielding herself from the aftershock. "It was like a megaton bomb going off in the air! Is there even going to be anything left of Kalan Lockeheart after that!? What a horrifying attack delivered by Kuchiki Byakuya! I s-still can't see anything through that cloud of pink petals that are still floating around…let me see…they're starting to disperse…this is…!"
Byakuya stared up at the sight as well, waiting, watching…and although his expression did not change, he seemed to tense just slightly in surprise as the petals finally swept away, revealing Kain floating in the air, in the same location he had been, calm and seemingly unharmed, still adorned by those brilliant white wings. "That was…" Byakuya began.
"That's right…this cloak." Kain brushed lightly at it with his hand to accentuate his words—the adornment had almost become lost in the midst of the new magical accessories radiating from his shoulders. "I didn't really think that there was much to it except for its dimensional storage capacities, at least until I saw my father use it in a dream-memory of Alyssa Searrs. Since then, I've been using it quite a bit, for all sorts of reasons, and have been practicing with it…as you realized during our first duel back in Granicus. This cloak is an artifact of time and space, and makes a great focus for all sorts of spells that call on those kinds of rare and lost magics. The attack from all sides, encompassing its victim, leaving no blind spot or avenue of escape…so the only way to escape it is by not being there when it happens. There are a couple ways to do that, but in this case, I just jumped myself forward a few seconds into the future, after the attack had already finished."
"Well done," Byakuya congratulated him. "You truly have arisen to a new level. You have passed that test and survived…it is time to bring this prolonged battle to a close." He began to gather the shards to him, forming them into a new glowing shape. "You likely have seen this attack before. If you can withstand it, you will have taken an important step towards walking that path you so desperately follow. It will mean that I have no more ability to defeat you."
Kain watched as the Shûkei, the 'Endscape', formed around Byakuya, giving him his 'White Emperor Sword', along with its shining wings. He chuckled. "Yes…I remember that well. Let's do it, then…." He began to gather his own power and set himself for this final confrontation.
"I-it seems like our two combatants are preparing to put a finale to this battle!" Koto shrieked. "I-I'm not sure I want to be anywhere near when it goes off, but it's my duty to see this through…!"
The warriors exploded into each other. The blast of energy they released engulfed the two of them….
There was a sudden burst in this stressed-out bubble of power, and the two combatants went flying out of the attack. Byakuya hit on his feet and one hand, and slid to the edge of the platform. Kain landed roughly, bounced up, but managed to plant himself on his second drop and slid his own way to his edge. Both seemed seared and bloodied all at once, with aggravated wounds and red staining their clothes. Kain's wings had finally drained off and dispersed, his kanka obviously gone, leaving him appearing once again quite mortal.
A mass of light had been engulfing Byakuya on his trip, but it seemed to be draining quickly away even as he traveled. By the time he came to a stop, the last of the light faded away from the object in his hand, leaving him holding his sealed zanpaku-tô. He smiled slightly. "Yes. That was most impressive." His sword suddenly cracked and shattered, breaking off near the hilt.
Kain managed to pull himself fully to his feet, and he stared across at Byakuya. The man bent down and picked up his broken sword blade. He walked slowly across the arena floor to Kain standing on the other side.
"This battle is yours," he said quietly to Kain as he walked up to him and continued past him. "You have passed every challenge I could give you. One test remains for you on this path you have chosen. I expect you to pass it as well. Do not disappoint me." Then he stepped out of the arena and, with a shunpo, disappeared.
Kain stared after the man, as did Koto, who had finally been rendered silent by this unusual finish to the match. The announcer fox yôkai finally found her voice. "I-it appears…well, I'm just lost for words after that finish. Both competitors suffered horrific wounds from that final attack, worse than they've suffered during the rest of their battles! But after that terrible exchange, Kuchiki Byakuya seems to have withdrawn from the match! He has apparently surrendered this battle to his opponent! Kalan Lockeheart is victorious and will be the first fighter in our tournament to advance to the Finals! What an incredible battle! What an unbelievable finish!"
The crowd erupted into roars and cheers. Kain stared out after Byakuya, unmoving, unblinking, for several moments. Finally he shook life into himself, slipped his sword into his cloak, and then bowed slightly to the adoring crowd.
Kain's watching friends were frozen for several long moments themselves before they finally came to life and began to join the roaring throng. As Kain slowly made his way back to his pit, Kagome rose and began to hurry away…and she was not alone.
8-8-8
The minute the nurse spotted the first of Kain's students trying to poke their heads into the infirmary, she excused herself and slipped out, allowing them to pour in and accost their teacher. "Kain-sensei!"
"Easy, easy!" Kain laughed as they rushed in on him. "Ow…I'm pretty roughed up, you know…."
"That's right, allow me," Kagome said, pushing forward. She called on her artifact and used the sword to heal his wounds. "There we are."
"Thank you." Kain turned his face on his myriad friends. "Well…that just leaves one…."
"Are your really okay, Kain-sens…Kalan-san?" Kaoru asked, worried.
"You don't have to worry, Konoe-san. Kagome's artifact can heal just about anything. That was rough, but now I'm perfectly fine…."
"It still seems incredible," Riku noted. "The two of you mostly just seemed to be playing around, at least until the end there. Was that really serious…?"
"Hard to say just how 'serious' it was," Kain admitted. "He…Byakuya is the kind of man who can push hard without really trying to kill. I…was doing my best to keep up with him. I probably could have pushed it further, harder, but…well, it's as you see. The important thing is, it's over and I've won. Now I just have to finish this."
"Don't act like it's just another tournament victory," Mai scolded him with a smile. "You've fought your way past a true member of the Red Wings. You can't tell me that doesn't mean anything to you."
Kain smiled back. "Maybe. But right now…there's too much else on my mind. Or maybe I'm just numb from the intensity of it all.
"Regardless, we should head back," Kain continued, standing. "I know you're all excited, but there's one more match today, and it should be starting soon…and I want to see all of it. I don't have any illusions on who will win…sorry, Nodoka…but I may see something important in that fight."
"No, it's all right," Nodoka replied with a small smile of her own. "I understand…I trust Natsu-san, but against someone like Aiden Rylack…."
"Still, I think he'll surprise everyone, particularly Aiden-san," Ami added. "Let's get back, then!"
Kain nodded and started herding them out. "Let's go."
('That was…just what I needed,') Kain thought. ('As I thought…he really is incredible. This, too…was all because of my father. Thank you, Dad…for everything. This name and legacy you've given me…finally, I have truly taken it to myself. I just hope I can continue to be worthy of it….')
F I N
Author's Note: Clash of Titans
Well! One of the biggest battles concluded, leaving only two more to go! I had Byakuya throw everything up to and including the kitchen sink at Kain. It shows some of his own growth and training over the years and from his battles alongside the Red Wings. Byakuya in Bleach had been a powerful warrior generally able to rely on a small handful of mastered techniques to overcome most of his foes. However, against an enemy like Kain, who always employs unique and well-prepared attacks and spells, that kind of fighting will actually put him behind…at least now that Kain has arisen to be his equal in power. He has learned to expand his repertoire over the years, including from some of the fights we witnessed in the flashbacks Side-Act. He employed a couple of those tricks here and a few adaptations of techniques or tricks he used in the original Bleach.
Naturally, this Byakuya is quite different from the one that first confronted Ichigo in Bleach, or the carbon copy that first fought Kalan. Although he largely acts the same most of the time, he has learned quite a bit about temperance, faith, and respect from his time with Kalan and Aeli, making it certain that his companionship with them has not been wasted in the least. He is as much teacher and mentor to Kain here as opponent…he has stoically accepted his role as a test of Kain's growth.
And Kain, of course, passes his first real test with flying colors. Although he is still cautious, he does not back down or despair in his battle with Byakuya, but simply takes the lectures and the attacks calmly, deals out his own best shots, and carefully builds his winning strategies. He comes up with his defenses to slip the noose, and then goes all-out to meet and surpass Byakuya in the endgame. The valiant, determined fighter is beginning to truly emerge.
Kain carries his daddy's name with him, now…his name, his song and his dream will carry him into his final battle….