Margin's Return

"Admit it. You've got us lost again!"

Hawke Kori was a masculine young man of sixteen years. He sported black hair with a white fringe, glaring yellow eyes and a sleeveless shirt with denim jeans. The speaker was David Jones who two years Hawke's junior. He sported violet hair and green eyes, with a yellow jumper and black chinos.

"Have not!" Lied Hawke.

How the two had come to be lost on a mountainside in Switzerland was easy. They had been chasing Hollow and, in their haste, forgot the way back. And everything looked the same! White snow was piled atop the ground and any landmark visible they had already passed once or twice as it was.

"Your sense of direction sucks." David complained.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Homing Pigeon! What about your sense of direction? I don't see you trying to get us home."

BOOM!

An explosion was heard not that far away from where the two boys are. "No.. Please.. I... I'm sorry... Please.. Please spare me.."

The explosion unbalanced both boys who barely kept their feet! David was the first to react by steadying himself on a flow of reishi, where he then reached out to steady Hawke.

"We going?" Hawke asked.

"Do we have too?" David said in a joking fashion.

Both bounded off towards the origin of that explosion...

As the boys reached the place, a bloody mess was revealed. A red liquid stained the once pure-white snow on the ground. A five pointed cross can be seen on the white cloth lying on the pool of blood where in which a man possessing this sinister aura was standing. This man had brown tinted hair and eyes that can be compared to that of a demon's in terms of the dark nature enveloping them. He noticed the two beings that appeared before him, having his eyes gaze upon them. An evil grin showed itself on the man's face, showing a sign of excitement upon seeing the boys.

"What have we here..?" The man spoke, his voice echoing throughout the place.

"Apparently you've found the only sane people on this mountain." David answered snidely.

"Don't." Hawke warned carefully.

David's was a posture that, despite the scene surrounding him, was quite dismissive. Hawke's on the other hand was a lot more serious and his features showed well his anger.

"Did you do this?" Hawke asked angrily.

"I wonder.." The mysterious man continued to grin maniacally, staring at Hawke right at the eye. The trace of his reiatsu can be found all over the place, this fact should answer Hawke's question without further assistance.

He removed his attention from Hawke before having his head move from left to right. "Seems this one was the last.." He said as he took the white cloth from the ground before burning it to ashes with the intense heat from the surge of reiatsu from his hand.

Hawke shrouded himself in reiatsu, the focus his tekkou gloves. The result was an outward form that looked like a Hollowfied Shinigami minus the mask, with a ninja-esque appearance. His gloves became red and black vambraces with two red ridges running along his knuckles, his uniform becoming that of a Shihakushō with red shoulders and an equally red lining, secured by an ōbi sash. Beneath the kosode his body was covered in an assortment of bandages instead of average shitagi, while his hakama share the same color and shade of black as the kosode, minus the red. From his back he took a machete-like sword with a cylindrical red hilt, which he immediately leveled at Margin's head!

"Who are you?"

David merely watched his brothers reaction. He then sighed as he focused both spirit energy and particles onto his right hand, summoning a pulsating bow of blue reiryoku. He already had an arrow nocked and ready for firing.

"Margin.." The man answered.

Within a moment of a blink, the man vanished and reappeared behind Hawke, avoiding the latter's blade while doing so. The who calls himself "Margin", had already summoned his own sword which was already placed at Hawke's neck. He raised his left arm and pointed his palm at David, already charging a cero-like ability and ready to fire it at his other would-be opponent. "Margin Heart.."

Margin's reiatsu shrieked, as it would seem to be just as excited as Margin himself, releasing an ear-piercing noise. The dark energy was already surrounding the whole area, somehow giving Margin a step ahead in terms of preparation.

Even with a blade to his neck Hawke twisted around, with his skin screeching in protest. Sparks flew from his neck and the edge of Margin's blade before Hawke deflected it with a rising slash, whilst retreating backwards with a slide. He then brought his sword down swiftly! The Cero aimed at David was struck by a veil of black energy from Hawke's sword, allowing David to release his arrow through the scattered energy towards Margin!

"Damn it! He's fast." Hawke noted.

David backed away so that he and Hawke formed a loose triangle in relation to Margin, where he had already formed another arrow.

Before the arrow could reach Margin, the thick layer of Margin's reiatsu made it that its speed was gradually decreased enough for Margin to catch it bare-handed. With a tight grip, Margin dispersed the arrow into nothing while having his other arm hold the hilt of his sword to clash with Hawke by moving towards the latter. A single piece of chain dropped from Margin's left sleeve and with a whip from his arm, the chain moved quickly on to David. Margin's reiatsu flowed through the chain, physically manifesting itself as a sharpened tip at the chain's end. This actions done without Margin even having to look at his target, focusing more on his enemy in front of him.

By the time Margin had moved towards Hawke the Kori clansmen had already sheathed his sword, though his Fullbring remained active. He twisted unnaturally to the right and followed his movement with a quick parrying blow, leading Margin's attack to the side, his momentum suddenly his weakness. David, though, simply stood his ground. He raised his arm to shield himself and the chains tip cut into his arm, though David gave a quick jerk so that the chain was now pulled taught! He then used Beruhige to heal his injuries whilst absorbing the energy coating the chain via his Quincy powers. Now the chain was essentially turned against Margin too. Taking advantage Hawke moved in with an energy-sheathed fist!

With his blade parried, Margin won't be able to make any direct contact just yet. However, Margin was not to be underestimated with such tactics. The man had literally threw himself on to the ground, hitting the snow with his back first before stretching out his right arm to make a piercing blow against Hawke's fist. By the time Margin's blade was about to strike Hawke, he dropped the sword and rose up. He went directly against Hawke, catching the latter's fist with the palm of his hand enveloped by his own reiatsu. Pulling himself closer, Margin had a clearer look at Hawke's face. The grin of his face never once disappeared throughout this chain of actions.

David on the otherhand, had done something that he shouldn't have. Absorbing Margin's spiritual energy is the last thing anyone would want to do. Soon shall Margin's influence on him grow stronger. The mere presence of Margin's reiatsu is that which corrupts the mind and the body but to take it in directly...

One common side-effect is the horrifying images that flashes to one's mind each second that passes. The very memories Margin had, the same pain he had felt will surely be shared. Now to a care-free spirit such as David, what effects shall Margin's reiatsu induce?

Back to Margin's and Hawke's encounter, a short moment passed before Margin decided to make a decisive blow this early. Still holding Hawke's hand, Margin started to gather his energy right at his palm. He felt a burning sensation as the spiritual energy flowed through his arm. Margin's eyes stared directly at Hawke's.

The madman was about to fire the overloading power gathered at his palm but..

At the last moment, Margin's smile disappeared as he took his hand off and directed the blast towards a nearby mountain. The huge blast of energy created an even bigger hole on to the mountain which then proceeded to fall apart from the lost of its foundation. He stepped back away from Hawke and took his sword. The reiatsu surrounding the place gathered on to him, even the ones David had absorbed. This course of action prevented any further effects to could have been worse.

"Sorry.." He apologized, now smiling in a more gentle manner. "Let's try that again.. "

David went to his knees almost immediately! The reiatsu he absorbed should have strengthened him but...! "AGH!"

David's howl attracted Hawke's attention and he thus missed Margin blowing up most of a mountain, though he felt the force of the attack even at this distance. "Old man Garian will not be pleased at that." The old coot loved this mountain because very few visited it. "But why am I thinking of him? David's in trouble!" Hawke ignored Margin and his creepiness and moved to his brothers side. "David!? Hey, you alright!" He then turned to Margin. "What the hell did you do!?"

David struggled to his feet. His face was laced with sweet from his exertion, though he somehow managed to form the words. "Puls," he whispered. It turned a Quincy's body into a more effective conduit for channeling reiryoku. Harnessing only what he had absorbed earlier David formed around his hand, which he then brought back suddenly. A smile broke through his concentration and he then released it all at once! The energy formed a potent shockwave using Margin's own reiatsu, and Hawke rode the resulting shockwave as thought it where a wave at the beach. He was crouched low, blade drew, black energy of the Rei Furashuu coating his blades edge.

"You'll regret not hitting me with that last attack. Rei...!" The energy pulsated more violently, gaining a fang-like appearance, "...Furashuu!" The fang sped forward at the tip of David's shockwave, which Hawke avoided by leaping off the energy to land beside his brother, whom he quickly flashed a thumbs up.

"He's got foul reiatsu." David noted. "I flushed my system, though. Don't worry."

Margin did not move an inch, watching the wave coming closer at him without a hint of worry in his facial expression. With Hawke growing closer, several chains bursted out of nowhere in front of Margin. A dozen or so, the chains made thick layer of defense with hint of offense sprinkled on top. Five of the chains rushed towards Hawke but before coming any contact, all of it moved aside and headed at David at such speed surpassing that of a bullet. The formation of chains made a small prison to engulf Hawke inside where in which Margin himself entered, firing an arc of energy wave similar to that of a getsuga in appearance.

Hawke expelled his own Rei Furashuu to counter, though the force of Margin's attack sent him flying against the wall of chains! "Jeez, you're good. Really good!" He had no choice really. He took his Shinigami badge and applied it to his Fullbring, altering his appearance yet again, creating segmented black armor plates around his chest, armored forearms protectors with a tekkou design on the glove, armored shinguards, and a slightly longer blade. "Now, let's dance."

Margin moved, appearing to go forward towards Hawke. However, as the distance closed between them, Margin simply phased through Hawke and through his chains. He headed towards David, the tip of his blade already forming yet another burst of energy in which he launched at David. The wave of energy raced the chains that were also heading towards the quincy. Margin looked back, with Hawke in his prison his movement should be restricted to a certain degree. "Im not the kind to hold back..."

Margin's reiatsu flowed into the chains that withheld Hawke, each link glowing purple as the energy passed through. "Now.." He whispered, as the gathered energy in each link caused tiny explosion all within the prison of chains.

"HAWKE!"

Their teamwork might be their strength. But it was also their weakness. Seeing Margin emerge distracted David, which left it difficult to dodge Margin's onslaught even with his Hirenkyaku expertise. He tried to return attacks by firing his own arrows but he may as well have been a fly rallying against the heavens for all the good they where doing.

Inside the prison, however, Hawke had erected a protective barrier from the Rei Furashuu, but he was still trapped. "Great. Now what?"

One of Margin's chains slashed David's leg and he barely outran the explosion of energy that soon followed. His blood fell atop the snow and he was already breathing heavily, despite the short amount of time that had elapsed. However, he formed a gauntlet of pulsating reishi and waved his fingers at Margin, hoping to provoke him into an attack.

Margin grinned as he turned his attention to David. His sword at his right hand, he was ready to attack! He knew right from the start that it would do him no good to attack head on but he decided... "To hell with it!" With a burst of speed, he got to David with a moment of a blink. The tip of his sword now inching closer on to David's gut, whatever it is David had planned... it better work or else.

"Heilig Verteidigung!" David called. His gauntlet became a durable arm-shield with which he blocked Margin's strike. In the meantine, his other hand as overcome in the same gauntlet shape. "Heilig Longe!" He lunged forward with a slashing wave to increase his range, hoping that Margin not only touched it, but deflected it aside.

Margin's reiatsu made an invisible layer just outside his body, forming a form of defense that although not impenetrable, reduces the speed and power of the attack dramatically. As David's hand inched closer, Margin acted in reflex and moved to his right to avoid David. The Heilig Longe broke into Margin's defensive outer layer but did not penetrate deep enough to pierce through his flesh, his evasive movement further allowing him to prevent any injury to be caused. Margin jumped up, reaching a few meters above David before spinning his body downward towards the Quincy to confuse the latter. This should direct David's attention on to him but with a sudden flick from his body, he appeared just below David's head level in which the edge of his blade is ready to slice off his entire midsection.

Steel sang!

"Miss me?"

Hawke stood dressed in the garb of a Shinigami with the blade of his Zanpakutō placed firmly between Margin and his brother. "Meet my Zanpakutō: Jitsunogetsu." Jitsunogetsu retained its katana form, though from halfway up where the cross guard sat, there was a 45 degree cut on the inside of the blade where a second blade juts out in the shape of a crescent moon. David, in the meantime, took this opportunity to work some Gintō. He dumped the contents of several silver tubes over his head, activating the effects of Stärken, which was characterized by the golden aura that replaced his usual blue. Hawke, in his Shinigami form, was roughly of Captain-level and David, with Stärken active, was his equal spiritually.

"Not one bit." David answered.

With Margin's close proximity the brothers put their plan in motion. Hawke moved David to Margin's back via Rei Tareginu, where the young Quincy broke yet another silver tube. "The world spins on the whim of the preserver. Spülung!" The silver tube gave rise to an electrical burst of energy in the palm of David's hand, accompanied by two solid rings. Hawke, on the opposite side, charged, condensed and subsequently released his Rei Furashuu in the form of a potent spiritual pulse from his chest, while David moved to slam Spülung right into Margin's back! Both forces neared and it was only then that Hawke, using Rei Tareginu, moved himself and David clear...

Margin only found it amusing that he was to be crushed in between two of his opponents' techniques. Arrogance, once again getting the better out of him, Margin attempted to stop the attacks from crushing him through the use of mere brute force alone. He extended both of his arms towards his left and his right, the palm of each of his hands connecting with both of his enemies' brutal attacks. All forces applied went up against Margin's body, wounding him in many parts. His arms bled as he grinned with excitement.

"Nice.. very nice.." Margin remarked, still in the position in which caused him several wounds all over his body.

"Now.. my turn.."

Margin summoned several chains on his side, each of which is somehow connected to his body. The chains rose in number, as the ones he summoned earlier paled in comparison in terms of quantity. Swinging the chains around, he sent them all towards David and Hawke. The chains ravenged all that it touched with Margin's reiatsu causing this effect as it all surrounded both of the boys. Left, right, top, bottom...The chains moved in every possible angle with each second making escape quite impossible. Margin raised his right arm with an open palm and with a mere blink of an eye, he closed his hand signaling an order to crush David and Hawke with the chains.