A transformation eclipsed the battlefield, washing the scene in an aura of inexplicable marvel. Hikari's katana, once a solid embodiment of sleek lethality, surrendered its form. Steel fibers unraveled into a cascade of liquid metal, an ethereal myriad of molten droplets hovering, protecting, a metallic guardian angel surrounding Hikari. The tsuba and handle remained loyal to his grasp, the lone survivors of the sword's ethereal metamorphosis.
Tatsuki's eyes narrowed, tension sculpting her features as she studied the miraculous display of weapon alchemy. "His sword... liquified?" A silent question painted in her eyes, she found herself submerged in a sea of confusion.
Capturing her awe, Hikari's voice sliced through the air, a gentle tide of explanation. "Confused, aren't you?" he mused, a secretive smile flirting at the edges of his lips. "This, Tatsuki Arisawa, is the heart of a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto, the Shikai. Kinzoku Kaieki, that's the name of my Zanpakuto."
Laughter, a brief shimmer of light in the dense forest of their battle, threatened to break from Tatsuki. "You name your swords?" she asked, a playful incredulity threading her words.
Hikari laughed, a warm sound that seemed almost alien amidst their fierce encounter. "No," he chuckled, a soft amusement in his eyes. "We aren't naming our swords, each Zanpakuto has a spirit living inside the sword, each one unique and special to the one wielding it."
In the word "spirit," Tatsuki found a similarity, a reflection of her tumultuous symphony of power and struggle. "Interesting," she muttered, her mind weaving threads of connection and understanding.
Shrouded in a halo of liquid metal, Hikari positioned himself with a warrior's grace. His stance spoke the language of offense—a symphony of poised muscles and anticipatory energy. Feet a harmonious distance apart, one slightly ahead of the other, he held the remnants of his sword with a forward grip, the handle an extension of his will. His body angled subtly forward, a living sculpture of readiness, his eyes the focused epicenter of his impending onslaught, "You better be ready," he warned.
In the reality of conflict, a show of combat and control unfolded. Tatsuki, a living embodiment of vigilance, took her stance with the harmonious blend of grace and determination. Legs firmly planted, bearing the weight of her readiness, her knees subtly bent, soft as the petal of a bloom but strong as the roots of an ancient oak. Her arms held aloft, palms open, eyes sharp - a fortress of resilience molded by the fires of her spirit. Her mind whispered the silent echoes of a determined readiness, I'm ready for whatever you got.
Hikari's muscles coiled, a serpent ready to strike. The Liquid Metal, ever-responsive to his intent, writhed and twisted, metamorphosing into a barrage of sleek metallic knives. With a deft flick of his katana's hilt, he directed this lethal rain toward Tatsuki, the knives slicing through the air, cold and unrelenting.
Time seemed to fold in on itself. Each knife, a harbinger of imminent danger, zipped with a deadly intent. Tatsuki's reflexes, honed by constant train, surged to the forefront. A knife, its glinting edge thirsty for her gaze, hurtled towards her eyes. With a gentle tilt of her head, she evaded its sting. As if flowing with the tide of water, she executed a fluid sideways somersault, evading the twin metallic fangs aimed at her abdomen. Mid-flip, her hand lashed out, intercepting and deflecting another blade with the force of her conviction.
The ground greeted her once more, her feet planting with the soft thud of a warrior reclaiming her territory. She rose, her display of evasion complete, a beacon of defiance in the face of danger. "Is that all you got?" Tatsuki remarked.
In the intricate dance of warfare, the line between predator and prey often blurs. As Hikari's intent solidified, the fluid metallic blades, like serpents ready to strike, lunged at Tatsuki with renewed fervor. Each blade was a shadow of malice, a whisper of doom rushing through the air, eager to taste the blood of its target. The world around them seemed to slow, every heartbeat, every breath echoing in the vast expanse of the battlefield.
Hikari felt a sense of challenge then he his face twisted into a smirk, "that's more like it, let's see if you can handle this!"
With a heightened sense of alertness, Tatsuki, attuned to the very air she breathed, could almost feel the cool breeze that each knife cut as they raced towards her. She danced through the edges of death with a fluid grace, sidestepping a treacherous trio that lunged at her from behind with ill intent. Without missing a beat, her form launched into an elegant front flip, narrowly escaping the dual threat that sought to pierce her side.
As blades whizzed and danger loomed, a revelation emerged in the recesses of Tatsuki's mind. Observing Hikari's motions in tandem with the metal's movements, she gleaned a potential weakness. Hmm, There looks like he might have a limit on how much control he has over the weird metal, these things are annoying - I need to get closer, She pondered, mentally piecing together her observations.
She met another knife with a powerful punch, sending it flying away, defeated. She felt herself absorb the spiritual energy of the metal as she met them with her fist. As two more converged on her, she twisted her body in a spin, then she channeled her energy into a powerful kick that carried the momentum of her spin, repelling them with a show of raw strength. Her keen eyes caught the momentary lull, watching as Hikari, like a maestro summoning his orchestra, beckoned all Liquid Metal back to his vicinity.
He breathed out heavily, looking tired from his assaults, "why… Why am I getting tired like this?" He questioned to himself out loud.
The tides of the battle shifted ever so slightly, and in that fraction of a pause, a window of opportunity cracked open for Tatsuki. Now! I need to take advantage of this, it might be my only shot, she vowed silently, her resolve firming as she prepared for her counterattack.
The battlefield became an arena of silent conversations and unspoken strategies. Tatsuki, in the embrace of turmoil, kicked away another metallic menace with a seamless blend of hope and precision. In the silent communion with her soul, she echoed a quiet prayer, I hope this works.
Emulating skills she wielded in when she was possessed, Tatsuki mustered the might of her resolve. Arms poised in front of her, she transformed the nebulous flow of spiritual energy into tangible fury. A sphere, pulsating with a fierce vitality and as vast as a beach ball, bloomed into existence before her - a blossom of power cultivated in the garden of her resolve. It actually worked! Triumph shimmered in her thoughts as the fruit of her endeavor came to life.
Driven by the momentum of her spirit, the sphere soared through the battleground, a phoenix of energy cutting through the chaos, aimed relentlessly at Hikari. In the face of impending fury, Hikari's Liquid Metal morphed into a shield of defense.
Shit, that doesn't look good, he thought while conjuring a shield that bore the onslaught of Tatsuki's spiritual bombardment. The collision birthed an explosion, a symphony of blue brilliance that composed an overture of dust and debris, obscuring vision and veiling intentions.
As the smokescreen of battle's drama veiled him, Hikari leaped into the air—a visible silhouette against the canvas of conflict. Tatsuki, with the sharp acumen of a warrior, seized the opportunity. Rooting herself in a stance resonating readiness, she propelled herself off the ground, an arrow unleashed from the bow of determination.
Tatsuki sailed through the air, her body articulating a powerful narrative of resistance. Her legs, amplified by a wreath of spiritual energy that embraced her boots, sculpted the trajectory of her assault.
You learn fast, you're going to need that trait for what's ahead. The spirit inside Tatsuki's soul thought to himself.
Surprise flickered in Hikari's eyes,She's moving too fast I don't have enough time, I need three more seconds! Panic filled his body, the initial shock eclipsed by the shadow of Tatsuki's rapid onslaught. The Liquid Metal, despite its kinetic agility, failed to match the tempestuous speed of her advance. With the inevitability of impact looming, Hikari's arms rose in a futile gesture of defense, a bastion about to be breached.
"Makai Kyakushō," Tatsuki heralded, as her boot, armed with the ardor of her spirit, collided with the canvas of Hikari's abdomen. A burst of energetic defiance marked the moment, a minor yet formidable explosion that narrated the tale of impact, sending Hikari on a tumultuous journey towards the unforgiving embrace of the ground below.
The battlefield, still murmuring the echoes of the brutal battle, watched as Tatsuki descended from the tempestuous skies. With a harmony that spoke of a gentle warrior's spirit, she kissed the earth, one foot caressing the ground softly, while the other lingered, knee bent, in a quiet embrace of the wind.
Her steps painted a deliberate path through the remnants of their tumultuous duel, each footfall a whisper in the theatre of war, leading her to the cradle of a new-found quandary: a crater, the earth's scar, cradling Hikari's battered form.
A tapestry of bruises and defeat adorned his body, and his sword, once a river of fluid menace, now lay there—restored to its original state, no longer was his blade in it's shikai. Coughs racked his body, each one painting the air with the harsh strokes of suffering and the splatters of blood, laying down the verses of his undoing.
Hikari felt his veins and chest had been lit on flames. Each cough sending torrents of pain throughout his body. Fuck I can't believe I let me guard down. I need to keep training with my shikai.
In the crucible of pain, Hikari's eyes found Tatsuki's, a reflection of battles fought and a quiet resignation to the aftermath. "You're here to finish me off, huh?" His words, carried by the breaths broken by blood and agony, filled the space between them. His voice was a tapestry woven with threads of surrender and acceptance, underscored by the harsh rhythm of his struggling breaths. "Ah damn, I thought you were going to be weak, but here you are, the victor," he sighed, an unexpected softness clouding his words. "I'm kind of glad. I didn't really want to kill you…" His words, carrying the weight of unfulfilled intentions and reluctant admiration, faded into the silence of unconsciousness.
Tatsuki, anchored in the aftermath, stood caught between the currents of victory and the shadows of uncertainty. Her eyes, mirroring the tumult of a warrior's dilemma, lingered on Hikari's unconscious form, damn I needed him to tell me where Rukia is, and I knocked him out, A thirst for answers rumbled in the depths of her spirit, she needed to know information, her quest for the threads that would lead her through to Rukia's prison.
The sun, now fully exposed with the warmth of its rays bathing the world in light. With a world-weary exhale, Tatsuki reached down to lift Hikari's fallen sword, her fingers encased in gauntlets that still hummed with energy. As her touch met the cool steel, a torrent of raw, electrifying essence surged into her, like icy water running through her veins, seizing her breath and dilating her pupils. The sword tumbled from her grip, its metallic clang echoing through the stillness of the vicinity like a gong of awakening.
The sensation, a fusion of enticement and dread, whispered of an energy transfer, "It felt as if I was… absorbing the spirit in the sword," she murmured, her voice a fragile thread amidst the ambient noise.
From the dark corners of her mind, a voice, dripping with malevolence, slithered forth. That's because you were, it hissed. Take its essence, devour its power. Rise. Become the apex predator of existence.
Her gaze locked onto the blade, its edge reflecting the battle-scarred terrain around them, and she hovered over it, like a moth to a seductive flame. A life resides within this sword, she pondered, hesitating. Am I about to kill another life just for my own selfish gain?
With determination, she clasped the blade, dispelling her Kyūsui Kūmaku with a mere thought. She then gently retrieved its sheath from Hikari's unconscious form, returning the weapon to its resting place. Her inner thoughts echoed her tumultuous emotions, I won't take another life, not like this, not even a swords. I refuse.
That venomous voice, wrought with impatience, retorted sharply, Pathetic child! Move over, and let me do it!
Tatsuki's spirit, bathed in the fiery crucible of her resolve, lashed back, No! I control this body, and I dictate my choices. What ever I say, goes.
There was a pause, a standstill in her mental battlefield. The voice, simmering with vexation, sneered, Foolish girl. The presence retreated, leaving behind an unsettling chill.
Annoyed, she shot back internally, Hey, freeloader! What gives you the right to live in my head rent-free, huh? She waited, met with silence. Oh, now you're silent? What ever I don't care!
Shaking off her momentary distraction, she glanced back at Hikari,I still have questions for him, I need to know where Rukia is, so I can regroup with the others and tell them. Gently, she hoisted him onto her shoulders, his weight a burden not just of flesh, but of the choices and consequences that lay ahead.
"Where the hell are they?! Show yourself!" The distant shouts of Soul Reapers, their voices tainted with aggression and urgency, reached her ears, and she realized the respite was fleeting. The next battle was on the horizon. I can't fight any one right now I'm tired from fighting this guy.
Tatsuki looked in every direction frantically. The rising panic in her chest rising as she heard foot steps getting louder. Her eyes fixated on a pot hole that went into the sewers, then an idea formed in her head.There's no time to think, I got to move or I'm done for.
With Yoruichi
"Tatsuki sure is a special girl. In just a short period of time she was able to gain enough power to match a third seat who is able to use their Shikai. Quite impressive." Yoruichi watched as she perched herself on a building that had full view of the battle.
Though it might be her ability to absorb her opponents spiritual energy subtly through contact that lead her to win. The girl needs more training… Maybe that ability could allow her to be able to do, that, Yoruichi pondered to herself as she kept an eye on Tatsuki.
Then concern crept to the corners of her mind,that ominous spiritual pressure coming from her is something I should look out for.