Here, beneath the weight of Seireitei's judgment, Yoruichi faced a darkness unlike any she'd ever known. Sweat poured down her face. The air was thick with the stale scent of bloodlust.
Zangetsu dashed forward like a spectral blur, lashing out its sword. Her heart panted heavily as she struggled to dodge every one of the strikes. Years of gilded moments living as a cat had dulled her fighting senses. "Yoruichi, was it? Don't go and make this fight dull for me," Zangetsu taunted. "It's been a long time since I had the pleasure of facing someone other than Silas!"
Zangetsu swiped horizontally, causing her to duck. Seeing an opening, she tried punching its abdomen. But Zangetsu dodged and pressed forward. She barely had any room to breathe. Silas merely stood there, unconcerned for her safety.
Yoruichi was known as one of the best flash step users in the Seireitei. Seeing that she was able to dodge Zangetsu's attacks came as no surprise. And with each moment that passed, she was getting faster.
Zangetsu's laugh was manic, enjoying that it got to toy with her. "I can't tell what's got you so distracted in our fight: Silas's betrayal or that shop owner's stupidity!" She twisted and ducked, the wind of Zangetsu's blade singing on her skin. An opening was finally seen, so she reeled her fist back and met Zangetsu's jaw!
There was a sickening crunching sound, but when she looked, she was surprised to see it had no effect. Zangetsu's face hadn't even moved. Only that calm smile remained. "Silas, you promised me a good fight, but all I'm getting is a cat that's lost its tongue! Hahahahaha!"1
Zangetsu continued to unleash an array of chained attacks, each one harder to dodge. Its attacks were all instinctual. It had no thought about where it was swinging or what its opponent might do next. It was like the sword was an extension of its body.
Silas had watched many animated warriors fight: Kirito from Sword Art Online, Afro from Afro Samurai, and Sabre from Fate/Stay Night. But he had never witnessed a swordsman as utterly unbound by tradition, brutally dancing in perfect, terrifying counterpoints.
In that instant, Zangetsu vanished in a blink, reappearing behind her and then carving a deep hole in her back! Yoruichi began slowly dropping to her knees. Before another blow could be given, she used the flash step to gain some distance. Blood splattered where she stood.
"I'll let you in on something since you're about to die," Zangetsu's twisted, echoey voice snarled. "Silas isn't the type to train by himself. You see, him and I have been waiting long for this opportunity."
"For a Zanpakuto, you don't seem to know how to stop talking," Yoruichi panted.
Silas didn't mind the dialogue, nor did he care that his real name was being used. Yoruichi looked his way, a sliver of doubt gnawing at her resolve. She could tell what he was after: he was trying to make her use shunkō.
A spark ignited in her heart, fueled by defiance. This was Princess Yoruichi Shihōin, a female warrior with over a thousand victories.
Her feet slapped against the stone as she charged, not at Zangetsu but at Silas. "Your fight's with me!" Zangetsu hurled, chasing after her. She ignored it, closing the distance between her and Silas. Her raw fist, imbued with her spiritual power, collided with his chest. The impact sent him flying, crashing into a boulder with a bone-jarring thud.
Zangetsu finally reached her, attempting a slash, but she flipped away from it. A mischievous smile raced across her expression as she faced the Zanpakutō. With a flick of her wrist, the air around her began changing. A soft exhale escaped her throat. Her spiritual pressure surged from within, bathing her in a blinding aura.
Silas recovered from the previous attack, not at all scathed by it. He looked forward and could only think, 'Finally…'
As the energy coalesced, it solidified into arcs of crackling electricity, tracing patterns across her skin and causing the fabric on her back and shoulders to violently tear off. Her eyes, once playful, now burned with predatorial intensity.
'Shunkō.'
Zangetsu could only laugh despite sensing her increase in power. This prompted her to ask what was so funny. So the Zanpakutō answered, "You should be grateful to him. Even now, he's holding me back!"
"What're you saying?" she asked in bewilderment.
"The connection that's keeping me bound in this world was purposefully weakened so he could test how much power we should exert in a real fight."
The truth couldn't have been more insulting. Not only was Zangetsu's power being held back, Silas hadn't even considered this fight worthy of going all out in!
• • •
Some time passed. Giant scorch marks were left on the walls and on the ground. The battle had become a desperate waltz, with Yoruichi eventually running out of energy. She had to solely rely on what little agility she had left. Both Zangetsu and Silas stood there, hardly a scratch on either one of them.
Yoruichi herself was covered in blood, scrapes, and bruises, her muscles screaming in protest to stop fighting. Anyone would feel pity for her. If she had been in her peak physical condition, things might have turned out differently.
The stale air punctuated by her rasping breaths told Silas she was at her limit. He could still sense her will to continue, but the light in her eyes had already faded into oblivion.
Yoruichi lunged in a final, desperate attempt. But Zangetsu anticipated her movement, its sword connecting with a sickening crunch to her torso. Her screams echoed through the chamber as she fell like a broken doll discarded in the dust.
Zangetsu paused, resting its weapon on its shoulders. "Well, I guess that's it."
Silas stepped forward, a cold expression etched on his face. His final words to her hung heavy in the air: "You should know something about me, Yoruichi Shihōin... I absolutely despise cats." At those words, Zangetsu took one quick swipe at her throat, ending her time in this world.
1 That's strike two, author-dono.