Rage of the Heavens

This article, , is the one-shot featuring Kenji's battle with the manifestation of his Hollow powers Kenjiro.

“Think about this! This is foolishness!”

Despite her best pleas Kenji disregarded them almost completely out of hand. Right now the Archon of Storms was about to go on a rampage and the site of that rampage would likely be devastated. But then that wasn’t really his concern right now. Kenji cared little about such things presently. When he was speaking to Akiya earlier about his course of action he’d been concealing his deep-rooted anger and frustration.

“He put Shinrei on death’s door, did the same to Kaimen and almost damaged Van’s soul beyond my ability to repair!” Kenji bit back. “So don’t talk to me about foolishness.”

He turned his back on Ino and donned the haori he’d “stolen” from Van’s pile in Hama Town. His clothing was a mixture of his preferred historic outfits. The colouring of the kosode and hakama was black and the haori was white as newly fallen snow. Like he’d done so often during the war with Averian the kimono he wore was sleeveless without a back to speak of, to convenience his use of Shunkō. Though he doubted he’d need it today. There was only one thing Kenji planned to slaughter Kenjiro with and that was his Bankai.

“I’ll be back shortly.”

With that Kenji tore a hole in the space-time continuum. His scouts had already gotten Kenjiro’s location and it was a simple matter for Kenji to traverse the pathways between the realms and find him. In no time at all the scenery of Heisekai, which was dominated by its massive ocean and small islands, rose up to greet Kenji.

What he sensed upon his arrival turned his anger to rage.

“First you target Shinrei and my friends…” Kenji whispered. “But now you've gone after Kentaro and Hawke? No more!”

Kenji surged across the horizon with the speed of a lightning bolt! When he finally touched the ground he not only kicked up a dust cloud but pulverized the earth immediately below, creating a crater and a mini earthquake! But as quickly as he’d landed he was already moving. Kenjiro, red eyes defiant, with a pipe in his mouth, only smiled. He raised his Zanpakutō quickly enough to block Kenji’s strike and just like earlier the earth immediately to his back was blown away by the force of his swing!

“I always knew how best to strike at you.” Kenjiro goaded.

“Fuck up.” Kenji answered.

Resolve burned in his green eyes and rage coursed his veins like liquid fire! Kenji shattered Kenjiro’s defences with a follow-up strike from his wakizashi and proceeded to unleash a master-class of Zanjutsu! It was perhaps the greatest display he’d ever performed. Kenjiro possessed, after all, the accumulated knowledge Kenji himself possessed: they where akin to a mirror. Yet it was Kenji who dominated, not Kenjiro. Form II flowed into Form III and finally the Wan’nesu sang! Kenjiro only managed to break Kenji’s momentum and retreat after having a deep gash cut into his ribcage and left shoulder.

“I’m surprised Kei didn’t throttle you.” Kenji goaded. “Your skills are sloppy.”

“He was worried encase he injured me. Well, he thought it was you, I guess.”

“Is that so? Would he have expected me to do this?”

Spiritual power surged to life as electricity along Kenji’s limbs that crackled and sparked at regular intervals. The arcs spread to the ground and finally shot skywards! The clouds darkened, storm clouds gathered and rain began to fall in a heavy drizzle that soon had both fighters soaked through almost completely.

“I don’t know how you got out,” Kenji said at last. “But since you’re nothing more than the manifestation of my Hollow powers, it falls to me to deal with you.”

“Can you really bring yourself to kill me? I am a part of you, Kenji!”

“Which is why I'm going to remind you what happens when you cross me. Bankai, Junsui Raijin!”

Lightning bolts beyond counting fell from the heavens! The ground on which they stood was blown to bits almost immediately, forcing the two to float with Shunpo. Yet the display of power never lessened. Not for a second. Kenji stood in the heart of a lightning storm to end all others, with the winds battering both himself and Kenjiro with incredible ferocity. This was the reason he rarely unleashed his Bankai. Aside from the fact that possibly only Averian had the durability to survive it, the collateral damage alone was unconceivable! Yet Kenji was letting that slide just this once. In the middle of all this devestation Kenji himself underwent a transformation. His kosode became form-fitting and sleeveless, a sash descended from his waist to accentuate his hakama, and Van’s old haori billowed in the wind freely. His black hair, now soaked through with rain, fell about his face in a sideways parting that revealed only one eye that gleamed with violet undertones against the usual aqua green. His Zanpakutō, which was usually a katana and a wakizashi combination, was now a single long-bladed nodachi.

“I’ll remind you what my Bankai does.” Kenji whispered.

This was why Kenji reckoned only Averian could survive the sheer brutality of Junsui Raijin. The storm that raged all around them was unrivalled in destructive power. With a mere swing of his Zanpakutō Kenji quelled the storm, which vanished as quickly as it had arrived. The skies cleared, the rain stopped and the sun came into full view.

“The storms power,” he whispered, “is all here.” He motioned briefly to his Zanpakutō. “Junsui Raijin is the storm!”

And as a testament to its power once swing was all Kenji required. The aftermath of that swing however was something else entirely. He’d blasted a trench clean through the ocean! It was as if he’d parted the waves to either side to create a pathway that stretched for miles. And what was even more impressive? No sign of Kenjiro remained at all.

“Back with me again, then? Good. You’ll cause no more trouble.”

He placed the fingertips of his index and middle fingers on his forehead and the tip of his thumb on his left cheek and then ripped down swiftly with his hand. His Hollow mask – which he hadn’t donned in almost sixteen years – formed. The Mask itself covered the upper-half of Kenji's head, possessed a ripple-like pattern and three tomoe-like holes; two of which where the Mask's eye-holes. In addition a cloak similar to that worn by the Excavada fell about his shoulders beneath Van’s haori.

“Now I can rest.”

End.

Next Story >.