Return of the Legend

This article, , is the final segment of Kenji and Kusaka's battle with Oda Kōhai, though its true purpose is the return of someone much more dangerous...

For a time Kenji and Kusaka, now seated opposite a dumbfounded but uncomplaining Oda, watched the fights unfold without intervention. Kentaro and Akiye where doing the best of the group, though Hawke had arguably drew the short straw. Kitsui was dominating currently but Kenji knew his nephew. Hawke was a strategist at heart and everything he was doing was leading his opponent down the path of his own destruction. The injuries he was sustaining were just part and parcel of the overall cost of victory.

“Akiye is the only one who’s finding this easy.” Kusaka noted.

It was true. Kentaro was suffering setbacks and Hawke was struggling to keep his head above the water. David, although giving a good show, was relying on the same tricks; though the same could be said of Kurokawa. Akiye was the only one of the four who was at her apparent ease. She flowed gracefully around whatever Ichihara threw at her and struck at every exposed opening he presented. Kentaro and Hawke simply couldn’t do that even though Kenji and Kusaka could see a thousand ways to exploit the openings Kitsui and Nakajima were presenting.

“They’re ill prepared for this.” Kenji whispered.

“But they’re struggling on. We weren’t so different once.” Kusaka reminded.

That was true. Kenji cast his mind back to a time when he, Kusaka, Ino and Kazuma where still travelling the Human World. Everything had seemed so easy then looking back but truth be told they where the hardest days he’d ever experienced. The Illusive Man had had his way with Kusaka, Kazuma and Ino and turned them into what they where now; Averian had reared his ugly head again and had to be dealt with; there was the unwilling adventure to the future with Zieg, and finally a spirit cycle to fix. Today’s problems suddenly seemed inconsequential compared to all that Kenji had gone through with his friends at his side. Perhaps Oda had been reading his mind but his following words hit a familiar chord with Kenji.

“It wasn’t part of the plan. You fixing the spirit cycle, I mean.”

“Oh?” Kenji asked. “Why?”

“Merging the realms was never my first choice.” Oda claimed. “Throwing the spirit cycle into chaos would have merely destroyed the Soul Society and the Human World. I would have ruled what remained from my throne in Heisekai.”

“So it was you who was behind that.” Kusaka said. “I always thought it had been the Illusive Man, or one of his agents.”

Oda and Kusaka continued bantering back-and-forth about past endeavours and past encounters. Kenji listened long enough. He heard that one of the mysterious men who had attacked Horiwari some fifty years ago had actually been Oda himself, or at least him in some underpowered form. It was only then that Kenji stopped eavesdropping.

“…Something isn’t right…” He whispered.

He couldn’t understand where this feeling of dread was coming from. He could… sense something. Suddenly he felt like a young man again and the world and all its troubles had been laid out before him. He could feel a set of eyes drilling into his back. The icy grip of death tickled at his spine and a chill air blew past his shoulder blades.

“It’s impossible…!”

Kusaka was only now starting to take notice.

“What are you babbling about?”

“Can’t you sense it?” Kenji asked, frightened. “Can’t you sense him!?”

“Sense who!? You aren’t making any sense.”

Oda began to make muuterings of returning to his former power, but Kenji had almost forgotten about him. It was true that the death blow had been dealt to the majority of his “brothers” but Kenji had his senses set on a different matter. It was one that caused a very real and very cold sweat to run down his spine. What Kenji did next was uncharacteristic: he drew his Zanpakutō and beheaded Oda before he could step back to avoid it, or regain his so-called power. Kusaka reacted too slowly and his parrying slash ate nothing but empty air.

“What the hell, Kenji?”

“Trust me.”

Kusaka, despite his gut feeling, relented. He lowered his Zanpakutō. One upside was that he could release it again on account of Oda’s beheading.

“This had better be good.”

Kenji inhaled sharply and snapped his fingers. The sound reverberated beneath the domed ceiling and once again he stripped away barriers preventing one from being visually seen. The figure that appeared seemingly from nowhere drained even Kusaka’s face of colour. Because in front of these two titans stood a god in his own right! Kusaka drew his Zanpakutō and immediately adopted a ready stance, a motion which Kenji echoed. The figure before them had piercing yellow eyes, long and flowing white hair, and a muscular but lanky physique. His right hand was thrust lazily through his kosode and the left arm hung loosely at his side. In his free hand he held a long-bladed nodachi with the tip trailing along the floor.

“Kenji, Kusaka,” he greeted with an inclined head. “It has been far too long.”

“Averian…!” Kenji acknowledged.

“Surprised to see me?” Averian, thought dead, asked.

“I killed you.” Kusaka whispered in defiance of what his eyes clearly showed him.

“Do you no longer trust what you see, Slayer of Gods?” Averian spat the title. “Hmmm… Now that is a strange title. I recall you slaying only one God, though even that was but a fraction of the whole being.”

“Cut the bullshit!” Kusaka called.

“How did you survive?” Kenji asked, keeping his cool despite everything.

“Anything is possible when you want it badly enough,” Averian answered, dodging the question. “But I am not here to divulge my secrets, at least not yet, young scion of the Shiba clan. I am here to do but one thing.”

He simply vanished. He struck Kenji and Kusaka twice before they could even lift their arms in defence, let alone their Zanpakutō! They went skidding back suddenly and shared a quick concerned look. Whatever Averian had done to gain such power in the interim was staggering. And impossible! They couldn’t even sense a shred of spiritual power from him! Only a foreboding air of dread and self-confidence.

“I think we may be in trouble.” Kenji admitted.

"Oh, you think!?" Kusaka replied.

And he was right. Averian unleashed a master-class! Even when Kenji Hollowfied and released his Zanpakutō he was slapped aside with all the ease of a swatter felling a fly! Kusaka, despite his aggressive Form II offensive, was sliced down the middle and kicked to the side. He was then seemingly forgotten as Averian marched on Kenji.

“This is madness!” Kenji exclaimed.

He tried and tried but he may as well have been a child swinging around a broom! Averian parried his blows using only his free hand and then side-stepped his final strike. As Kenji passed by Averian outstretched his foot and the Shiba clansmen tripped and fell, only for Averian to pin him to the ground through the stomach with his Zanpakutō!

“History's a hard thing to kill. I've survived many times and each time I've returned I've done so by climbing atop the corpses of those who pulled me down before!”

Averian stabbed down through flesh continually! Blood flowed like water until the ground beneath Kenji was dyed a sickly dark red and naught else but painful screams came from Kenji as defiance. Averian only stopped when Kusaka burst from the rubble and grasped his wrist, holding it aloft, eyes defiant.

“Try and stab him again.” Kusaka whispered fiercely. “I dare you…!”

Averian did as asked and attempted it but all he managed to move his arm was a fraction of an inch. Kusaka’s arm was straining from the effort of holding him in place, but it was obvious that this was one battle Kusaka wasn’t going to lose lightly. Kenji was barely conscious. He was looking up and barely believing. Averian had disposed of him with all the effort it would take him to deal with a new recruit. It was maddening! To think, even now, the difference in their power was so vast. And Kusaka, who Kenji knew to be the superior, was barely holding on.

“What you killed,” Averian began in hushed tones, “was a piece cast adrift from the whole. Oda, bless the poor fool, attempted to copy my technique. He failed; miserably!” Averian the laughed. “You see, all those “disguises” I had where simply pieces, and it was but a piece that you killed, Kusaka. The “God” you “killed” was but a fraction of my power!”

Kenji’s screams filled the air as Averian pushed down through his stomach again! Kusaka attempted to strike but was sent flying from a single thrust kick to the chest. The Kori clansmen flew backwards and collided heavily with a stone pillar, though Averian also collapsed a portion of the ceiling down atop him. He then caught Kenji by the throat and hurled him towards the rubble.

“You have no idea how long it took me to regain what I lost.”

Kenji struggled to sit up. He was a bloody mess of wounds but amazingly he was still wholly conscious.

“I get it.” Kenji managed after a series of blood-choked stutters. “Garian beat you once; so did Sōritsu. Then Jiro came and handed you one of your worst defeats, and finally Sousetsu, at the cost of his own life. Then Kusaka! You’ve been hiding in Hueco Mundo since that first defeat, sending out only puppets acting in your name? Unbelievable!”

“You catch on quickly.” Averian admitted. “I always disliked that about you.”

He stabbed forward but instead of snaring Kenji all Averian did was pierce the rubble. Kenji and Kusaka then appeared beside Kentaro and Hawke, who was now joined by Akiye and David, who had been attempting to heal their wounds. Kusaka was out cold and Kenji was only standing because of David’s support. Kusaka had only come along for the ride because Kenji had managed to grasp his wrist amongst the rubble.

“So you will flee, Archon of Storms? Or should I call you a coward?”

“My head won’t be bought with cheap insults, Averian; not this time. I’ve mellowed.”

Kenji then split the space-time continuum in order to beat a very hasty retreat. He landed in his home in Horiwari, where Ino, thank the gods, was washing her hands after doing follow-up treatment on Shinrei. Kenji collapsed into the sofa even as Ino rushed to inspect his wounds, and Shinrei caught Kusaka.

“Who did this?” Ino asked.

“Who’s the only person who’d be capable of doing this?” Kenji answered snidely. “The bastard’s back, Ino. He’s back and he’s stronger than ever.”

“Who are you talking about?” Shinrei asked, confused.

“No clue.” Akiye answered. “One moment Kenji and Kusaka were fighting Oda, and then they stopped. I don’t know what they where waiting for, but Kenji finally spun and beheaded Oda just as this white-haired man appeared. He was the one who did this. I couldn't even follow him.”

Ino connected the dots. She didn’t like it.

“Please don’t tell me it’s Averian.”

“It’s Averian,” Kenji acknowledged. “And this time… I think we pissed him off.”

End.