The Straw that Broke the King's Back

Hours had passed since Hyōsube fell unconscious from blood loss. He laid across the ground his eyes barely open, looking into the sky above him. His hands were hurting and soaked in his own blood and he had trouble keeping his eyes open. His head slumped over and in the distance he saw Ihai sprawled out on the floor in its sheath.

Silence came from the blade, something Hyōsube was hoping would not. He yearned for the call of Ihai and the small pity arguments they would get in to. But he also yearned for other things. Pushing himself off the ground, he gasped for air as he felt a pain in his chest. He was sure that his entire body had to be broken, as that was the only possible answer for the pain.

Limping over to Ihai, Hyōsube lifted it up and propped it into his belt. He tossed on his shirt and took in another deep breath. He glanced to the right, over the mountains side where the sound of running water could be heard. Straggling off and over the cliff, Hyōsube took his time doing so. He occasionally glanced at Ihai, in hopes that it would speak to him, to no avail.

A large spring with a small waterfall came into view as Hyōsube came over the cliffside. He fell to his knees and hovered above the water, dying for a drink. Dipping his hands into the water, he cupped them and lifted into the air a handful of water. Gulping it down, despite the blood and dirt that covered his hands, he began to cough and gag. "When I'm the big shot, I'll be drinking wine and the finest liquor... not this petty water from a dirty string" he murmured to himself.

He dipped his hands in once more and washed away the blood from his hands. He removed his shirt and casually ripped it in two, dipping it into the spring, soaking up the water in the process. Folding the ripped shirt into a ball, he slowly placed it over his abdomen, sending a shocking pain through him in the process.

"You look terrible" said an unknown voice through the air. Behind Hyōsube was the faded image of Ihai, standing with his arms folded. Hyōsube shrugged off the comment and simply looked down into the water. What he saw was not as appealing as listening to Ihai. Staring back at Hyōsube was himself, worn and weary with a look of depression on his face. Striking the surface of the water, he yelled and rolled onto his back.

Ihai shook his head at the sight of Hyōsube breaking down, closing his eyes at his wielder. "What do you want..." Hyōsube said. Ihai did not respond and simply walked over to the spring. He saw as the water, tainted with blood, rolled by down the side of the cliff. "Nothing really, after all I am the game piece and you are the game master... you die and I go with you" Ihai said.

"Don't mock me" Hyōsube said stubbornly. Hyōsube lifted himself up and lowered the cloth from his body. "That thing that you fought... Diablo was it?" Ihai said, trying to spark a conversation. Hyōsube didn't respond, but he was listening. "Well he's occupying space inside yer head with me now, I'm keeping him in line... but if you break down he'll break down with you" Ihai warned.

"Why does this concern me?" Hyōsube said.

"It should, since me pacifying him is keeping your mind in this world... if he goes wild he can easily kick away what's left of your mind and take over" Ihai called, scolding his wielder. Hyōsube still showed no care and wobbled a bit as he stood up.

Ihai watched as Hyōsube raised two hands and called out "Kyōki". A circular portal appeared before him, glowing a neon orange and swirling rapidly. "Watch yourself" Ihai warned as Hyōsube leaped through, ignoring his Zanpakutō's call.

Breaking Point
Appearing high above the skies of a large town, Hyōsube glanced up at the sky. The moon was beaming down from the night sky, shining brightly. Its shine annoyed Hyōsube, as if it was mocking him. Clenching his fist Hyōsube looked up and yelled to the heavens "ONE DAY! I WILL RISE ABOVE EVEN YOU... I WILL BECOME THE GREATEST".

He Flash Stepped down to the ground, leaning on a single knee. He placed a hand over his mouth and screamed into his palm. He needed an outlet for his frustration and this was the closest thing he had at the moment. He stood up and ran a hand through his hair.

In his spiritual form, Hyōsube began to walk through the streets of the city, watching the happenings of the people go by fluidly. He watched some drunken men burst out of a bar, only to get in a fight with some passing by teens and he watched some gangsters gambling on a street corner. The world interested him greatly, to the point where he would rather have the entire human world under his control then the Soul Society.

As he walked, Hyōsube suddenly felt a pulse of spiritual energy. Not even close enough to draw his attention, Hyōsube continued to walk, his previous injuries still evident in his movements. "Shinigami... what business do you have here?" he heard behind him.

Hyōsube ignored the call out and continued down the streets. Appearing in a flash of light, a tall figure swiftly slammed into the ground in front of him. "It's rude to ignore someone like that" said the figure, standing up tall. He was wearing a blue dress shirt and gray slacks, with a dark blue tie around his neck. Over his shoulder was a large broad sword, with several delicate jewels and the kanji "書" imprinted onto its flat surface.

"What do you want?" Hyōsube asked, disgusted by the beings approach on someone as great as him. "And how can you see me?" he continued.

The man didn't respond and simply pointed his blade forward. "I asked a question first" he said as he disappeared from sight. Appearing at Hyōsube's side, the man swiftly sliced his blade towards Hyōsube going for a killing blow.

Blocking the sword with his hand, Hyōsube scoffed at the man. "You think YOU can touch ME?" he yelled, his eyes were evidence of how infuriated he was. Tossing the man and his blade away, Hyōsube raised a arm and took a fighting stance.

The man flipped through the air and skidded across the ground. He glanced around and saw that the area was void of anyone, something he was happy with. "Draw your sword Shinigami" he said as his eyes locked with Hyōsube.

"For trash like you? Not a chance" he said as he took pace towards the figure. Disappearing as he sped towards the figure, Hyōsube quickly appeared behind the man and called out "Todome" before his hand connected with the mans neck.