Resolve

‘Stand up!’

Ryan and Miria struggled to do so. They’d resolved to learn how to combat Bankai using nothing but their Shikai but the reality of such a thing was much more difficult than either had first considered. A Bankai traditionally increased the Shinigami’s strength by a factor of five to ten, meaning they potentially became a dervish of destruction! And Sōritsu knew little of mercy.

‘I could have killed you both six times over by now! Stand up, damn it!’

He directed a deliberately slow stream of super-heated metal towards them, forcing the Lieutenant duo to move or die. Faced with those options they chose the latter option and leapt skywards, landing on opposite sides of Sōritsu. The elder watched them casually: like an adult might a child at play.

‘Haganekō,’

A wave of super-heated water in the form of highly pressurized water currents, powerful enough to destroy solid material with remarkable ease, shot towards Sōritsu! He deflected it aside with a concentrated stream of molten metal, though Ryan was already moving. Sōritsu’s Bankai was fast and it was powerful, but its effect could only be used once at a time. The stream of molten metal could be fired at a fraction of the speed of light though only from the tip of his Zanpakutō, meaning he could fire it in only one direction as well. Ryan flash stepped close to Sōritsu and, with a low rising slash, forced him to leap back and upwards. That was when Miria sprung her trap! She fell on Sōritsu’s location from above whilst Ryan covered her flanks with Kidō, pummelling the elder to the floor with a rapid display of solid blows!

‘Retreat,’ Ryan advised.

It was a good thing she’d done so. If she hadn’t Sōritsu would have scorched the very skin from her bones with another blast of molten metal.

‘Very good,’ Sōritsu said. ‘But you still lack polish. When you finish training with me, you will both learn what is required to challenge a Bankai.’

Kusaka cut a bloody swath through Hueco Mundo! The sandy dunes were dyed red by blood and only a few drops of it were his. It didn’t matter what he faced: Hollow, Adjuchas, Vasto Lorde (of which he’d killed two) or Arrancar. It mattered not. Kusaka cut them down simply to test his powers. His newfound powers where a by-product of Hollow reiatsu, so ever since he arrived in Hueco Mundo, it was as if his Fullbring was singing. It had died down a fair bit and he’d gained a better grasp on its inner workings as well, and to top it all off he’d culled a few hundred Hollow in the process. Not bad for a days work.

‘Now…’ he asked of the Arrancar standing before him. ‘I believe you tried to assassinate me once. Try me now!’

Kusaka shot forward, drew his machete-like sword, performed a single strike and finally sheathed it with a metallic clink. Blood exploded from the Arrancar’s upper body, a gaping slash wound visible as Kusaka smiled in the background. He then began laughing. He had been contemplating mercy… but would they have shown him any? Not bloody likely! He whipped his machete-like blade free of its sheath, engulfed it wild spiritual power and blasted him to bits with a Rei Furashuu which he purposefully sustained into a wave! It barrelled across the landscape, pulverizing sand and anything else that happened to be in its way. When he finally ceased his attack a massive rend had been blasted into the landscape!

‘Alright, I’m back, baby!’

‘Kusaka Kori.’

Kusaka gave the speaker no time to come closer and loosed a smaller Rei Furashuu which the speaker dispelled with his hand. But before the energy was fully dispersed Kusaka had closed the space between them and sliced him shallowly across the hand!

‘I knew you where watching. It’s why I sent Sojiro away.’ Kusaka revealed. ‘Been a while… eh, Saburo Ryū?’

‘Indeed. Sixteen years if I’m not mistaken?’

Saburo had once been Averian’s second-in-command as well as his strongest General. He’d been a scourge to the Ryū Order during that time. He and Kusaka had clashed many times and always the fight resulted in little more than a draw. It was no exaggeration that Saburo’s power was roughly equal to Averian’s back then.

‘See you’re still wearing the skin of Naibu’s brother.’

Saburo was essentially immortal. He was capable of inserting his spiritons into another’s body and then forcibly takes it over. Using that method he lived for many years, which was why he was capable of contending with Averian. He was quite possibly the oldest Arrancar alive. The body he inhabited was in his prime. Long brown hair, light purple eyes and a lean but toned physique. He was truly the pinnacle of Shinigami conditioning. He wore a light purple kimono matching his eyes and had his arms crossed against his chest.

‘Ever since you triumphed over Averian the amounts of acceptable bodies have declined sharply.’ Saburo replied. ‘Pickings are thus rather slim.’

‘I’ll be sure to knock my next enemy unconscious then.’ Kusaka jibed. ‘So, how’s the rule of Hueco Mundo been treating you?’

‘Well enough. The only snag I’ve encountered is the same one that plagued Averian.’

‘We do our best.’

It was quite strange. Here two men stood who had once been the bitterest of enemies, talking as though they where the oldest of friends! They even sheathed their swords and took a seat close beside one another.

‘I stayed because I need your help.’ Kusaka began. The fuck!?

‘Interesting,’ Saburo remarked. ‘What would the mighty Slayer of Gods need with me?’

‘Your eyes,’ Kusaka grinned. ‘Have you seen anyone come through here that looks like Kenji? Fights like him to boot, but has Hollow powers?’

Saburo scratched his right cheek. ‘Kenji was here not long ago, battling some powerful people, though as you found out for yourself he fled. However, I know of who you speak: Kenjiro Hiroshi.’ Kusaka leaned forward. ‘From what I’ve learned from looking and listening, he plans the destruction of the Soul Society.’

‘… So you’ll likely ally with him?’

‘… Possibly,’

Kusaka got to his feet. ‘Thanks for the information. If you do decide to attack the Soul Society, I’ll see you again on the battlefield. In the meantime, I’d get that hand seen too. Later,’

‘Farewell, Kusaka Kori.’

His conscience allowed him no other action. It was a big risk coming here considering he wasn’t sure whether or not his friends would know just who he was: Kenji or the impostor? So he deliberately extinguished all sign of his spiritual power, wrapped himself in invisibility and proceeded towards the medical wing of the 4th Division. It wasn’t long until he found what he was looking for.

‘… Shinrei…!’

The kid was covered from head-to-toe in white bandages. His chest had been extensively damaged and, by the look of things, organ regeneration had been needed. Momoko had also left behind his medical chart. Multiple ruptured organs, a number of broken or snapped bones, and severe internal and external bleeding? It was a wonder he was alive at all! Kenji touched his brow and found him to be suffering from a very high fever.

‘… They can think what they want.’ He whispered.

Kenji dispelled his invisibility and then opened the room’s only window. He exerted his spiritual power towards the heavens, doing what he’d done earlier in Hama Town to create stormy conditions. He then ripped a bolt of lightning from the heavens! The energy struck his hand but failed to create so much as an injury upon him. Shinrei suffered from low stamina reserves because he burnt through his spiritual reserves so quickly. They had long ago devised a means to get around that however. Both he and Shinrei could absorb lightning. Shinrei’s Zanpakutō – whether sealed or released – simply converted it into the necessary energy to bolster his reiryoku. Kenji channelled the bolt through his arms and directly into Shinrei, who immediately began thrashing on the bed. He soon stilled however and, to Kenji’s surprise, his eyes opened…

‘… I knew it wasn’t you.’

‘You need to rest.’ Kenji said sadly. ‘You’re far from being ready to help.’

‘… I know. You need to get out of here.’ Even now Shinrei had a descent grasp on matters. ‘I’ll make sure they don’t follow.’

‘I’m sorry, Shinrei.’ Kenji hugged his adoptive son before turning towards Akiye, who had accompanied him. ‘Get us out of here.’

‘I like how you didn’t ask him how he knew it wasn’t you.’ Akiye complained.

Kusaka touched down in Grat, his home for the last sixteen years. Wait! He had his powers back again, so he could finally move back to Horiwari! Oh, yeah. About bloody time too. It wasn’t that he disliked the place… Okay that was a lie. He absolutely detested it! There was no soul to the place! People just floated about in the same boring routine, missing out on all the things that made life exciting! Now, all he had to do was find Kenji, kill an impostor and then phone the moving company. Or maybe he’d just blow the house to bits? That sounded so much more appealing. But before he could do any of that he needed to find Sojiro. A quick sweep of the area via spiritual ribbon sensing told him his brother wasn’t in Grat. Tut. He was likely in Hama Town then.

‘Stuff it.’

He walked to the house he’d been in for the last sixteen years and sneered. It sported two garages, four bedrooms and a sizeable kitchen. Fujimaru had loaned him a good amount of money when he’d lost his powers, in order to settle down with, which Kusaka had used to open his mechanical business as well as Kireina’s Grat Spirituelle Handelszentrum, which was a bloody mouthful and a half! Basically it was a shop catering for all the spiritual beings of the world.

‘… I can’t destroy it.’ He mused.

There where too many good memories in that house for him to reduce it to rubble. His son had been born in the living room, simply because Kireina went into labour early and he had been the only sap around to give a hand. He still remembered Kireina’s words: “You got me in this state, so you can bloody-well fix it!” It didn’t help that the only medical knowledge he had to call on disappeared with his Shinigami powers a few months prior! But he’d persevered and delivered his son, who came into the world whole and healthy. Then there was David. He used to play around Kusaka while he tried (and failed) to watch the football. He’d set up an illegal system in the house so he could watch the English football teams play, though at the best of times he ended up having fun with Hawke and David. He then adopted the young Quincy. No. He couldn’t destroy it.

‘Kusaka Kori?’

He turned around slowly. He hadn’t even sensed the speaker approach! His eyes fell upon two people: one a man and the other a woman. The woman sported long red hair and dark blue eyes with shades of purple the way the light was striking them, accompanied with a long black coat and a pair of denim jeans. The man wore a casual black shirt and a pair of black chinos and sported spiked black hair and dark brown eyes.

‘What’s it to you?’ He replied.

‘We’re here with a proposition.’ The man said.

‘I don’t do three-ways, kid. Find another muscled hunk.’ Kusaka said bluntly.

‘Ew! You are so ancient!’ The girl recoiled. ‘Whatever! Serge, you talk to him. He grosses me out.’

‘I’ll fucking knock you out, you cheeky bitch!’

‘Now, now,’ Serge intervened. ‘That’s enough of that nonsense. I am Serge Petrus and this is Verena Ursel.’ She stuck her tongue out at Kusaka who replied by giving her the finger. ‘We are her to ask you to be our vessel.’

‘Speak English, kid. I’m not fluent in creepo.’

‘We want you to take our powers!’ Verena snapped.

‘I thought you weren’t talking to me?’ Kusaka jibed. ‘But whatever, I still don’t have a clue what it is you are talking about.’

‘A Substitute Shinigami,’ Serge began explaining, ‘whether his powers are sealed or not, can take the Fullbring from another Fullbringer. We want you to take ours.’

The hell!?

‘You know my Bankai too well for it to offer anymore challenge.’ Sōritsu said. ‘That is why he is here.’

Ryan followed his surrogate father’s finger and his eyes very nearly popped! Walking towards Miria and he was two Lieutenants of the Gotei 13 – Yukimura Kori of the 7th and Echo of the 2nd. Today Yukimura wore violet Shinigami garb with her brown hair tied back in a tight braid which rested on her right shoulder. Echo, who had been born Blake Shihōin, wore loose Shinigami garb with long sleeves bound to his wrists by pieces of string. He sported black hair and a long blond ponytail, which was the subject of much criticism by his fellow Shinigami.

‘Lieutenant Kori possesses a Resurrección while Lieutenant Shihōin possesses a Bankai. These two will be your sparring partners.’

‘Can we resolve this quickly?’ Yukimura asked. ‘I don’t want to think about what will happen if I leave the division in my brother’s hands too long.’

‘You are an idiot!’ Echo snapped at Ryan. ‘How could you let them steal your Bankai!? In fact, Ryan, why did you even need to use it!?’

‘It’s so nice to see you, Echo.’ He ignored Miria.

‘We might as well strike while the irons hot, then? Come at us with everything – don’t hold back!’ Ryan wasn’t sure if he’d just called the beginning of a training session or signed his name on his own death warrant…

Next Story >.