The Last Sunset

Part 1
It was a grand day.

The palace had been decorated accordingly. The thick pillars and arches were as imposing as ever, the statues polished so that they resembled living beings forever trapped in the confines of marble, golden ornaments reflected the light of sun to illuminate the spacious hall. All the servants, guards and family members gathered in the room, dressed in their most elegant robes, each one of them, even the lowest slave, bedazzling in their splendour.

And in the middle of this was a little boy with glistening jet black hair styled in a fashionable braid, his eyebrows clipped and the bright yellow eyes gleaming with youthful vigour and amazement. He too wore a formal robe, the most embellished of all, a little glow-worm in the centre of the world. Flanking him was a tall, brooding man with stern face expression and a beautiful, if unassuming, melancholic woman with spectacular long blond hair.

"When will they come, Father?", the boy asked the man to his right, looking at him with a mixture of love and awe.

"Patience, Hikari-kun", replied Mitsuo Maebure, the Head of House Maebure. "This is an event of utmost importance. Behave."

"Yes, Father", the boy said, nodding with fervour.

Then, at last the messengers came, announced with loud fanfares. The parade entered the splendid palace with appropriate solemnity, black-clad warriors escorting a large, muscular balding man. The man held an elongated package wrapped in ceremonial pall in front of his chest. He marched slowly, with respect, toward the little boy. Ultimately, the warriors halted and kneeled. The blacksmith took several farther steps forward ere he kneeled right before Hikari, outstretching his arms to pass the object he had been carrying. When the boy reached toward it, the man bowed his head low.

"Is it that?", Hikari asked with a wide smile as he grabbed the package.

A sword. A . Magnificent example of the finest craftsmanship with perfectly proportioned, sharp blade with a slight curve. Ornamental, octagonal tsuba. Regal hilt of ivory colour and a tassel attached to the pommel.

An.

"Take this blade, Hikari Daikōki Maebure-sama", said the blacksmith without daring to look upon the young master. "Honour it, cherish it, rely upon it, and it shall serve loyally as the extension of your will."

The man retreated. Meanwhile, the boy stood up, barely holding the sword in his frail hands. Observed closely by everyone present in the hall, Hikari was ignorant of everything himself. The entire world around him narrowed down to that single excellent blade that was granted to him. A symbol. A tool. A weapon. An extension of his will, with which he was going to shape the world.

"Magnificent", the boy muttered with gleaming eyes.

***

"Focus, Hikari-kun."

The young heir of House Maebure jumped backward to gain some distance. He was panting, several streaks of sweat flowing on his face and body. He wore only a simple, light kimono designed for training. His Father was dressed in similar garments, although he did not display any symptoms of fatigue.

"You are too prone to rush. Too forceful. Think before you strike", Mitsuo lectured his son with a strict tone.

Still breathing quickly, Hikari wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had been growing at a rapid pace lately, approaching the imposing height of his parent. Regardless, he was still largely a child, with a boyish face and slim body that was only beginning to exhibit the results of his arduous trainings with the emergence of fledgling muscles. His hair was very long now, so he had to wear it in a topknot to avoid being distracted by it in the middle of manoeuvring.

He assumed a somewhat stiff combat stance, holding the hilt of his Zanpakutō with both hands. He squeezed it so hard that the knuckles became white with exertion.

Then, he charged to strike. He took an abrupt Flash Step to the side to change the linear attack to something less predictable. He swung from a side in an angular slash. However, his Father merely deflected the blade with his own rather effortlessly. Suddenly, Hikari was defending himself yet again, just barely blocking the relentless onslaught with the shaking sword of his.

"Better, but not good enough", stated Mitsuo unabated in his assault. "That was a respectable manoeuvre. But never expect to defeat the enemy with a single strike."

Soon afterward the shower of strikes was interruped with a particularly strong one that propelled Hikari backward. Aggravated, the young Sōzōshin frowned. Then, he lifted his katana toward the training hall's ceiling.

"Rise, and banish the shadows!", he exclaimed. "Tteooleuneun Taeyang!"

The metal blade disappeared in a flash of light. When the young noble swung the hilt downward to the side, a narrow column of highly condensed spiritual energy burst forth in its place with gentle hum. His Father merely raised one of his eyebrows in reply to the unexpected release of Shikai.

With his power increased, Hikari pounced upon his parent with renewed vigour. The gleaming blade became a blur as it descended upon the old man in a flurry of rapid strikes. Each clash was followed by a flash and the static sound of energy colliding with tempered spiritual steel. Be that as it may, no matter how much strength Hikari put behind those attacks, his Father seemed unimpressed.

"Power is important, but brute strength alone shall not suffice", he explained casually. "Your swings are strong, yet you telegraph them to the point of excess."

With those words Mitsuo unexpectedly took a step to the side, dodging a quick sally. Hikari barely had the time to show surprise when his Father struck him to the face with his elbow.

Hikari stumbled. Broad horizontal slash that followed missed his head by a few centimetres as he was slanting backward, uncontrollably. Then, he rapidly regained his footing and thrust his own blade in a diagonal strike. Mitsuo's eyes widened. Then, the tip of Hikari's Zanpakutō pierced the air barely a couple of centimetres from his face when he had made a quick dodge to the side. Mitsuo retreated with a swift Flash Step. In the meantime the younger Maebure straightened up. He was still panting, but the gaze of his bright yellow eyes was focussed. Determined.

"Excellent!", remarked Mitsuo. "You have led me to a false sense of security, displayed weakness only to retaliate when I least expected it. That is the sign of a true warrior. You do not have to overpower the opponent through sheer physical strength. Always attempt to outwit the enemy. Only then you can completely dominate the fight."

Faint smile appeared on his statuesque face, normally so unmoved as if chiseled in stone. The intimidating frown on Hikari's own face vanished without a trace, replaced by a childish grin.

"Thank you, Father", he said with a blush he wished was not so visible.

Mitsuo nodded. Then, he calmly sheathed his Zanpakutō and took a deep breath.

"This is enough for today, Hikari-kun", he announced, already walking toward the exit.

"But, Father! I've just warmed up!", protested Hikari with sudden enthusiasm. "I want to learn more!"

"Patience, my son", replied Mitsuo, gazing upon him with the corner of his eye. "Mastery is not something one achieves in a matter of minutes or hours. Many years will have passed before you become a true warrior. Now, come with me. We need some rest."

Helpless, Hikari reluctantly disactivated his Shikai. He put it back in the scabbard whilst following his Father quickly. Then, the two walked outside.

The training hall was located inside a medium-sized wooden building atop a hill. From there they had a wonderful view of the Royal Dimension. The buildings of House Maebure sprawled beneath them, the other three Noble Houses hovered high in the air to the sides. And, of course, in the centre of that formation was the splendid Royal Palace itself. Mitsuo was gazing intently at the cylindrical building with arcane face expression.

"What is it, Father?", Hikari asked after a period of peculiar silence. "Are you worried about something?"

His question remained unanswered for a time.

"You are the hope of our kin, Hikari-kun", stated Mitsuo with great solemnity. "We are an ancient race. Our age of glory has already had reached its peak. Difficult times lay ahead of us, and we will need the strength of the youth like you to prevail."

Hikari nodded, abashed by the serious tone of his Father's words. He kept watching him for a short while, then his gaze was directed toward the Royal Palace in the distance.

The centre of the world. The lynchpin of creation. And within the Soul King, the greatest of all living beings, spiritual or not. The one who ruled above existence, the progenitor of Sōzōshin.

He, who maintained the order of things.

Part 2
War.

The premonition of his Father had been proven right in the end. The Human race of the World of the Living multiplied endlessly. The Sōzōshin, who had been always few and far between, struggled to maintain peace in the spiritual realms. The influx of fresh kept spiraling out of control. Many of them were meagre commoners, some were almost as noble as the Sōzōshin themselves. However, the vast majority of those Humans were barbarians.

Difficult decisions had to be made. Decisive steps had to be undertaken.

"So, you wanna challenge me, boy?"

Here they were, on the wastelands surrounding the buildings of the. Now, they housed the wandering bands of dangerous pillagers, barbarians who threatened the docile Souls inhabiting the city. They could not be allowed to pose such a risk to the Balance of Souls with impunity.

"Yes, this is indeed my intention", replied Hikari.

His Father was the commander of an army assembled to fend off the bandits. Hikari, now a young adult, had been recruited as one of its warriors. He led his own team of mighty Sōzōshin. What they lacked in numbers they compensated for with their inhuman power. No-one could dare oppose them.

"We might avoid excessive bloodshed. Too much blood has been spilt already", he explained. "Duel between two enemy commanders should suffice to resolve the situation in the least violent way possible."

"Least violent my ass", replied the brute with disdain.

Iwao Honda. One of the most notorious bandit leaders amongst the masses of evil Souls. It was uncertain how had he come in possession of a Zanpakutō, though the most likely theory was that he simply took it away from a fallen Sōzōshin. Regardless, the man had grown a frighteningly adept wielder of the spiritual weapon in spite of being perceived as an overly belligerent simpleton. He was not a man of high intellect, yet he boasted rare fighter sense that turned him equally lethal in the heat of combat.

"You've come here fer some brawlin', haven't ya?", he asked, looking down upon the young Maebure both figuratively and literally.

Even though a mere Human Soul he was of imposing stature, raw and muscular. Extremely tall and broad-shouldered, his giant muscles were ridden with bulged out veins and numerous scars. He held his Zanpakutō resting casually on his right shoulder, the massive form of its Shikai resembling a .

"Stop actin' all high an' mighty, boy", Honda said, then spat disrespectfully to the side. "You ain't gonna scare me away wit sum long an' silly words."

"Then we both agree in this regard", retorted Hikari as he stepped in front of his warriors. "The time for words has been long over. Let our deeds speak for themselves."

He was anxious, but he did not show that in the slightest. He had to stand tall, to be firm, resolute, relentless. After all, she was watching him right now...

"Rise, and banish the shadows, Tteooleuneun Taeyang", he said with solemnity.

With this he activated his own Shikai to counter the one of his would-be adversary. Iwao Honda was a brute, true, but the amount of raw, unrefined power he was emanating was impressive. Hikari could not afford to hold back.

"Whaddya plan to do wit dat shiny stick of yers, eh? Pick mah teef?", chortled Honda as he lowered his weapon.

The countless bandits accompanying him retreated quickly, unwilling to get in the way of his huge blade. They had seen it in action many times, so they knew full well once it began swinging, there was no stopping it. It did not discriminate, friend and foe alike fell to its lethal sweeps.

"Nikkō Taihō", replied Hikari, pointing the tip of his Zanpakutō at him.

Suddenly, a beam of burnt orange light erupted forward with loud bang. However, for all his ostensible nonchalance Iwao reacted without delay. One vertical slash of his guandao was enough to split the technique in twain, harmlessly redirecting its halves to the sides. Harmlessly for the giant bandit himself, though, for some of his henchmen were caught up in the ensuing explosions. Not that they mattered to any of the combatants.

Honda was quick to retaliate. He charged forward, swinging his polearm in a potentially deadly attack. However, Hikari was a swift warrior. He evaded the counter strike with a single Flash Step. In a surprising display of dexterity, Iwao smoothly transitioned from his bold charge into a rapid follow-up that left little time to react. Still, Maebure dodged again by slanting to the side. With this it was the time to resume the offence. He slashed at the enemy. The gleaming blade of his Shikai bounced off the shaft of his enemy's Zanpakutō. Both of the combatants retreated just slightly, then simultaneously swung at one another.

The blades of their Zanpakutō clashed with great force. Even though young Hikari appeared frail next to the giant of a man, his naturally higher degree of physical strength honed throughout years of training proved sufficient to block the powerful blow. The single clash escalated into an intense exchange of swift strikes. The blades were reduced to blurs, the air swooshing with each rapid attack, the clutter of metal and condensed energy resounding across the plain time and again.

Then, Hikari saw his opportunity. The strength of his opponent was devastating and the reflexes inhuman, although his delivery left a lot to be desired. Thus, the young Sōzōshin ducked to move beneath a broad horizontal slash. Without delay he sallied at Iwao with his Zanpakutō poised forward. Unable to respond in time, the brute was pierced by the gleaming blade that sunk into his chiseled abdomen.

Maebure widened his eyes. He stumbled backward gasping for air whilst Honda was retreating his leg, the knee of which had abruptly struck Hikari in the chest. The large man swung at him with his guandao, although the young Sōzōshin managed to evade premature death.

"Nice goin', boy", commented Iwao, smearing the blood from his wound on the abdomen with his off-hand. "Not everyun can poke me like dat. They all fold when I pay them back, tho."

The brute grabbed the handle of his polearm with both hands, then lifted it high above his head.

"Clash, Ōnamazu!", he exclaimed when the weapon descended toward Hikari.

Maebure once again escaped a direct hit. Regardless, when the blade of the Zanpakutō collided with the ground fraction of a second later, a devastating release of kinetic energy caused the earth to literally explode. The resultant shockwave blew the young Hikari away with its incredible power.

"Hahaha, yer funny, boy!", said Iwao with a wide grin exposing his yellowed teeth.

There was little warning to his next move as he leapt at Hikari with his weapon held high.

"Kōkōtaru Byōtō!", exclaimed Maebure.

Tteooleuneun Taeyang summoned the gleaming sphere of energy to protect its wielder just in the nick of time. The large guandao struck the immaculate surface of the barrier with terrible force, cracking and shattering it in an instant. Still, the young Sōzōshin within was unaffected. His anxiety growing, he decided to draw more of his innate power. As such he quickly surrounded the enemy with a number of to distract him. When Iwao gazed upon them with mild curiosity, one of the afterimages launched a silent spell.

Such an abrupt attack left no time to dodge or block. However, Honda did not seem to be harmed by the detonation in any significant manner. Maebure quickly launched another spell, and again the effect was rather unsatisfying. Keeping up the pace he then fired the third blast of crimson energy, though this time Iwao bifurcated it with his Shikai.

"Silly tricks ain't gonna werk on me, boy!", he bellowed.

Barely had he uttered those words he struck the ground with his guandao. The rock exploded instantly and the entire area shook heavily as if in an earthquake. Hikari's manoeuvres were interrupted, throwing him off-balance. Iwao exploited that quickly. Despite the fact that he managed to defend himself with his blade, the sweeping attack of the brute propelled Maebure with its crushing might. The young Sōzōshin crashed into the earth, carving a several metres long ditch before he stopped.

"Seems you've got sum fight in ya, boy, but you oughta try a lil' harder to keep up wit me!", remarked Iwao, then he started cackling.

Hikari supported himself on his left elbow. Later, he pointed the tip of his Zanpakutō at the adversary. He stared at him with an ominous frown before he uttered the words:

"Achim: Sinseonghan Gidung."

"Ahn?", Iwao expressed mild surprise.

A pillar of light struck him from the heavens, consuming him in an eruption of destructive light. The ground shook perceptibly and the booming sound was defeaning. Maebure was panting. He glanced at the bandits, who appeared to become nervous. However, it soon occured to him that the signature of his adversary was still very much there.

He heard a cough.

"Yeah, dat's what I'm talkin' 'bout", said Honda, massaging his neck with the off-hand. "I sure felt dis un", he added, now turning his head and arms around as if warming up.

In the meantime, Maebure stood up and superficially dusted off his kimono. The white and black uniform was a symobol of his status. Even in the middle of a fight it should be kept as tidy as possible.

"You must've heard the stories of mah blade, haven't ya?", asked Iwao with his Zanpakutō held low to the side. "Ya sure know many guys've tried to beat me up. I've got lotsa scars, but I'm still alive an' kickin', ain't I? Yer a funny boy, so I'm gonna show ya how real men brawl."

The amount of spiritual pressure emitted by the giant man increased rapidly. Its intensity proved sufficient to obtain visible form as an expanding aura of yellow light enveloping the muscular body. Then, Iwao grabbed the handle of his guandao and impaled the ground with its pommel.

"Bankai, Takemikazuchi!", he roared.

His yell was quickly drowned in the overwhelming boom of an explosive release of energy that swept across the area like a devastating shockwave. In the middle of this tempest the tattered rags the man treated as clothing were replaced by brand new light blue trousers and an open double-breasted trenchcoat with high collar that exposed his oversized chest. At the same time the guandao enlarged itself drastically, becoming a hulking fusion of a polearm, hammer and what seemed to be the head of a furnace from which the large blade protruded. Once the initial wave of Reiatsu subsided the Bankai emanated a booming roar similar to that of a trumpet.

"Come at me, all of ya at once, pansies!", Iwao bellowed.

He lifted the huge weapon above his head and began spinning it with both of his hands. The speed of rotation quickly became so considerable that it stirred a whirlwind that enveloped the brute with raging winds. His henchmen observed him with awe, the group of Sōzōshin who accompanied Hikari with apprehension.

But Maebure himself smirked.

"Of course I have heard of your Bankai, Iwao Honda-san", he stated, standing calm amongst the storm. "I may lack the ferocity or sheer strength of people like you, however, I am most definitely not stupid. I would not have come unprepared."

Yes, this was his time to shine. He had been training strenuously to master his Zanpakutō. Tteooleuneun Taeyang proved to be a magnificent partner, always helpful and willing to cooperate. Now, he had the chance to display his new power for the first time in front of anyone. Anyone, but most importantly, Ayako Kōtaku. Thus, he grabbed the hilt with both hands and held it upward in front of his chest.

"Bankai, Jeonche Taeyang!", he exclaimed with fervour.

He was immersed in a column of blinding light. His worn-out uniform changed into elegant white robes and a spreading cape with golden adornments. The shine of his blade intensified substantially, so much that it appeared as if he held a sunray itself in his hand. The aura of his augmented spiritual pressure assumed a spherical shape not unlike that of a miniature sun.

"I am afraid that not many of your former adversaries wielded the power of a Bankai against you. This time you might find your unrefined abilities put to the test", proclaimed Hikari boldly.

"Who would've thought!", replied Iwao, laughing loudly. "Look at 'im, the boy's got a fuckin' Bankai! Wooohooo!"

Then, he abruptly swung his Zanpakutō at the ground in front of him. Once the furnace-like head of the weapon impacted with the rock, the earth split apart with frightening speed. The entire world seemed to quake in its foundations, large plates of rock subsiding or rising in the wake of the strike. Hikari jumped high into the air to avoid damage. However, he soon found himself followed closely by Honda.

"Taaake dis!"

"!"

The enormous bladed head of the Takemikazuchi clashed with the rectangular Kidō barrier. The shield shattered, and the kinetic force unleashed by the brute's Bankai blew Hikari away. The young Sōzōshin quickly regained his footing, though. Seeing that Iwao had been already charging at him, he prepared for a clash.

"Meiankyōkaisen!", he exclaimed when swinging his shining sword whose blade expanded suddenly.

The two Zanpakutō collided with one another in an earth-shattering clash. Maebure was pushed back, his arms trembling, although Iwao seemed stunned as well. The man attacked again, albeit Hikari dodged with a swift Shunpo manoeuvre. Honda maintained a surprising degree of speed in spite of the size of his weapon. Regardless, Maebure dexterously evaded a series of his strikes.

"You ain't gonna beat me by runnin' around, boy!", yelled Iwao, who appeared rather cheerful even whilst unable to land a single hit.

Meanwhile Hikari was pushing his speed to its limits in an attempt to outmanoeuvre the powerful bandit. At last, he became confident enough to strike. He poised his blade to the side in preparation for a sweeping attack.

"Meiankyōkaisen!"

The blade expanded rapidly again, its power increased momentarily. The gleaming edge of humming energy approached the exposed back of the adversary, so close to sink in the light clothing and the flesh beneath it... but it did not come to pass. Instead, Jeonche Taeyang was deflected by the shaft of Iwao's own Bankai. Thrown off-balance, Maebure hesitated for a crucial moment.

Then, Honda retaliated swiftly with an abrupt horizontal slash. Something clicked in the frozen mind of Hikari, warning him of lethal danger. He jumped back with the use of Shunpo as fast as he could. He could perceive the enlarged blade closing in, ready to decapitate him with one strike. Then, he felt pain. The massive silhouette of the enemy decreased in size significantly.

"Ya sure can run around! Too bad you ain't got what it takes to cut me up!", exclaimed Iwao.

Maebure reached toward his face with his off-hand. He had escaped death by the fraction of a second. The very tip of his opponent's blade slashed him across the face horizontally, below the eyes, damaging his nose in the process. Blood was flowing freely from the wound, prompting him to choke.

"You're funny, boy! I can let you run away, I promise I ain't gonna chase ya!", shouted Iwao, nonchalantly swinging his oversized weapon with just one hand.

"Curse you!", exclaimed Hikari in response.

That was not supposed to happen. He was a Sōzōshin, the heir of a high noble house. He boasted a Bankai, and with such power at his disposal he should have been able to overcome that brute. Instead, he ended up with a serious injury on his noble face after just a short exchange.

"Curse you!", he yelled louder than before.

He pounced upon him like a wild animal. Their blades clashed with horrible force. Swing after swing, Hikari could feel the burning of his overexerted muscles. But he kept on striking at the hated enemy, time and again. His attacks could barely be seen, each clash sent ripples across his entire body. He had to destroy him.

And then, as he was rising his arms for yet another attack, he noticed that Iwao's Bankai was approaching him in a broad arc. How did it happen? When did the enemy retaliate? One moment he seemed to just barely defend himself, the other he was striking back fast. Too fast. Too fast to...

Everything was drowned in darkness. All senses were shut down. Only some traces of sight remained functional, although what they showed his mind was an incomprehensible mess. Did he die? What was happening? Was that endless blue expanse the sky? He could hear nothing, sense nothing. For a time there was only blue. Then, he felt a shake. Something blurred his vision, staining the immaculate blue plain with a shroud of brown.

He existed. Nothing more. Nary a thought disturbed his mind. Then, a distinct shape manifested in his narrowed field of vision. Was it a face? The face of a woman. A beautiful woman. He recognised her.

Ayako Kōtaku.

***

She abandoned him.

The defeat he had suffered was humiliating, devastating. His growing reputation was left in shreds. His body was broken, his determination undone. She ignored him, yelled at him, cried whilst resting her head against his chest. She told him they cannot be together anymore. Their relationship was wrong from the beginning. He was a high noble. She was a half-Human hybrid. Nobody knew of them, not even their close ones. That was against the rules, against the tradition. The love born of battle-forged friendship and secrecy could not prevail in a time like this.

She told him he was irresponsible. Arrogant. Stupid. He did not have the strength to argue with her. He was broken. He was indifferent to everything, even her. Thus, he said nothing when she left. She left, taking their unborn child with her. He was not ready to be a father. He could not bring up an illegitimate child with an attitude like that. He could not afford to vanquish the remnants of his honour in the event of being exposed.

Thus, she left with their daughter, and he was not to see the face of his child.

Never.

*** War.

Those were the dark times. An era of waning glory and escalating conflicts. An era of incessant bloodshed.

The Sōzōshin could not stand their ground forever, overwhelmed by the numerically superior Shinigami, Human Souls who have obtained powers like those of their predecessors. The ancient Balancers fought valiantly, but they lost ground with every battle.

With every battle like the last one.

Hikari was standing there amongst the ruins of a settlement. Dead silence reigned supreme in the remnants of once glorious city. Now, there were only corpses who inhabited it. Corpses of the Sōzōshin, comrades and relatives.

And amongst them, slumped on a pile, the corpse of his Father.

His face was stern as always. Determined. Strict. Relentless. However, this time the look of his eyes was blank, directed toward the blue sky high above. He rested there, mutilated, his broken blade stuck in between the bodies of his fallen men. Hikari gazed upon him in utter silence. There existed no words that could express his emotions.

His Father had been killed by no-one else but the notorious Iwao Honda of the Plains.

Only the tears that were steadily flowing down from his scarred cheeks could express a fraction of the all-encompassing sorrow.