Beginning of a New Tale

Prologue
"This dimension, Soul Society, is a new environment, which will compel our kind to change. If the first stage in our evolution was his evolution from an ape to a human, and the second stage was his breakthrough from feudalism to the rational science of the Renaissance, then the third will be his transformation into a new type of spiritual being, a man with profound sensitivity and insight and a far greater awareness of the vastness of the universe.

The transition to psychics will be a natural one. The act of walking increased man's range of movement and helped the concept of tribe and nation-state to develop. Powered vehicles expanded man's awareness to a global level. And now civilization is advancing into new heights. By living and working in this new spiritual realm, man's consciousness will transcend the boundaries of World of the Living and become truly universal. The vastness of this realm will be "home". And as man's consciousness expands, he will begin to tap the unutilized portions of his cerebrum- the over half of his brain cells unused that modern beings no longer harness precisely for the new environment of Soul Society- that will act as the trigger.

Listen up, people of spiritual composure! Now is the time to awaken! To realize your latent potential! We are at the dawn of a transformation of mankind. A true enlightenment of our forms. And we may finally be poised, ready to transcend what has always been thought the impossible- infinite dimensions, and time itself. This is no idle dream. To live in a new universe, man must transcend the psychological limitations of his old environment!

It is the height of arrogance for those who remain in the World of the Living to look up at the heavens and believe they can continue to rule over all its inhabitants. We are developing a new identity and awareness. We are a new people. We live, eat, and sleep in this new world. We live in the infinite vastness of Soul Society, and we will have access to infinite energy. Our consciousness will expand, and the infinite vastness of the spiritual realms will be our true home." -Kazuma Nagareboshi

It had been twenty years….History had passed onto a new generation.

All over Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and other realms, the war between spiritual beings and the militant terrorist cell, Fifteen Pillars, continued to rage violently, engulfing these worlds in all-cleansing flames of discord. The war had been instigated since the act of Meteorfall; the Soul King's first act upon gaining his power was to inadvertently start this eternal conflict, which, to this day, showed no signs of ceasing.

Up until three years ago, the cycle of despair persisted on continuing throughout Soul Society's history, threatening to devour everything and instill hopelessness in all until nil was left. With the disappearance of the Soul King of our world and the forces of evil setting their plans into action while the general populace remained unaware, the only saviors of Soul Society remained the few powerful fighters scattered throughout the land, one in particular that mustered the power and resolve in an attempt to destroy this vicious cycle once and for all. The one who saved us all was certain unlucky person, who despite all odds, managed to overcome all challenges before his person and obliterate the cycle of despair for his own lineage and their connections with the aid of those he held dear.

One would call him a legend, but knowing how modest he is about things like this, he'd probably get annoyed. Anyways, that person—He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night, and the storm in the heart of the sun. He's ancient and forever. He burns at the center of time and he can see the turn of the universe. He's the light that shines towards the future, guiding us all to a new era; an era of peace. This man is Gaillardia Nagareboshi. And…He's wonderful.

As Gaillardia Nagareboshi sat at a computer awkwardly, relaying vital information to Captain-Commander Haruko Kiseki, the Mototsu-Seishin hybrid heard a familiar sound—the dull *ting* of coffee hitting the base of the cup. While he didn't give the other person any recognition, he took note of Gunha Teishin, who slowly approached him, handing him a cup. "I've brought you some coffee." A few seconds passed; no response. "Commander. Captain-Commander Gaillardia Nagareboshi." Gunha prodded, causing Gai to turn around.

Gai inquired, "…Hm? What is it, Gunha?" Fatigue could be seen in his expression—a face that had the paradoxical combination of both innocence and weariness. Nodding, Gunha handed him one of the cups, which Gai nonchalantly snatched, turning back to his work without any concern. His eyes had bags under them—he hadn't slept in a few days.

"Oh, yeah. That new artificial Nox Core is ready to go…sir." Gunha's tongue almost became tied at the instance of 'sir'—honestly, he found it weird to refer to his best friend with any elegant title—more so, referring to somebody like Gai as 'sir' sounded out-of-place. "…It's working well. Soon, we'll be able to bestow upon normal Pluses powerful spiritual weapons to assist them in defending themselves. But…we're already getting requests for more of them to be made…"

"…I see." Gai's professional tone shattered in an instant as he declared almost childishly, "Of course. That's because they're based upon Gaikaōtori—the Zanpakutō of yours truly. Everyone knows that I, Gai Nagareboshi, am it's highest selling point. …In any case, give priority to requests from the front-line forces."

"Yes, …sir." Gunha muttered as he took another sip of his coffee, further commenting, "An operation plan? You're as busy as ever."

"…Uh, yeah. I'm going to find every Daitenshi den I can find, and wipe them off the face of the spiritual realms." Gai's eyes sharpened as he uttered such a shocking statement—all Gunha could do was widen his eyes in surprise.

"…How long do you think this war will go on…?" Gunha muttered in doubt; to be truthful, he wasn't sure where he stood anymore in this war. "…We ourselves only discovered this war ten years ago. We only took part since it was in that devil woman's will…"

"…Central 46 has made many peace offers; but they've rejected them all."

"Yeah."

Gai clenched his fists, hissing in an annoyed tone, "They don't think like living beings. Peace isn't an option in their eyes."

Gunha remarked, "You…you're damn focused on achieving victory against the Daitenshi, Gai—er, sir."

Gai regained his composure, coolly stating, "Of course. They're the enemies of every living being in the spiritual realms."

"As always, your judgment is flexible, but you never yield on one thing. It's honestly a mystery to me." Gunha yawned, causing Gai to angrily hand back his cup.

Gai's eyes sharpened, accusing Gunha in his former delinquent tone, "…You tryin' to tell me my way of thinking's wrong?"

"No! I didn't mean…" Gunha began to panic.

"You should know that a Captain should always attempt to understand the Captain-Commander." Gai rebutted, returning to his usual cool composure.

Gunha smiled, finding it amusing at how Gai attempted to keep in the air of Captain-Commander. "My apologies. Will you be seeing your family on your next leave?"

"Of course." Gai calmly responded, as Gunha began to depart. Gazing up at the full moon shrouded in the dusk of the moonlight, Gaillardia thought to himself in concern, "…Arata. What are you doing now?"

Perspective
All alone. It honestly felt as if he were alone in a crowd. At least a hundred people give or take walked through the school ground, leaving him a small figure in the middle of a crowd as vast as the sea. He felt so alone. None of these people were his friends. In his perspective, they were merely a mixture of different figures. Some of them, he was aware of—some of them, he wasn't. Very few he'd called friend, while others, he wanted to dispose of. He made enemies easily. That was one of his worse points—this person had very little he liked, a lot he hated.

Suddenly, the youth leered at an ornate, golden stature which was shaped in the image of the new 6th Division Captain, Yukimura Masamune. Snarling, all Arata could mutter was "…Masamune…" All that Arata contained was hatred for this person.

As if out of nowhere, schoolyard bullies, appeared, grasping Arata's shoulders firmly; sending a chill down his spine. "Hey, Arata, we saw that! Bow to the Great Yukimura!"

Arata stammered nervously, "I…I already did."

Angrily, one of the bullies corrected him, "No, you didn't! You don't like the Great Yukimura, do you? That's why you're trying to destroy Rukongai! Because Yukimura restored it to it's former glory!"

Arata stuttered, "W-What are you talking about?"

One of the boys furiously snapped, "Don't act like an idiot! Ever since the Captain-Commander found you, we learnt of the existence of the Thirteen Pillars! You're planning on getting your Daitenshi friends to attack Rukongai, aren't you!?"

Arata vehemently shook his head and waved his hands in protest. "O-Of course not…!"

One of the bullies sneered, "Okay, then prove it!" Arata gave the two a look of confusion, as they insisted, "Swear your allegiance to The Great Yukimura right now! If you do that, then we'll believe you. Come on, let's hear it." It was true that Arata's mind worked out of step with everyone else's. It's just that he didn't know what to say to other people. So hid his nervousness and try to go along with what they say.

Glaring at the statue's plaque, Arata growled in defiance. The bullies chanted in synchronization, "What's the matter? Swear it!"

Arata snarled while turning around, "Hell no!" Such an act of treason caused the bullies to jerk back in surprise, as Arata furiously informed them, "Yukimura killed my parents and I'll never swear allegiance to that murderer!"

"We heard that! So, that's how you really feel, huh!?" The bullies declared, advancing upon the youth."

Growing scared, Arata weakly protested, "N-No. That's not what I meant to say."

"Shut up, you monster! We'll teach you a lesson!" With an 'Hmph,' the youth took his hand off Arata's jacket and hit his cheek. An impact with a bam. Clink, the sound of something hitting the ground. He shoved Arata to the ground…right in the path of a stranger.

All Arata could see was a highly effeminate young male who was almost identical to a female in appearance. Possessing raven hair that reached down to his hips, he took extra care of his hair- his bangs were parted in the middle, framing his face, extending down to his pectoral muscles in multiple layers. Resting upon his forehead were several clumps of hair- the largest rested in-between his eyes. His eyes were heterochromatic; that is to say, his left eye was scarlet, and his right eye was azure, creating a sight that was stunning to behold.

"Get lost." The mysterious figure uttered, all while nonchalantly assisting Arata stand up.

"Who the hell are—"

"I said GO!" The figure snapped, causing the bullies to flinch, before scrambling off. Gazing at the mysterious beauty in front of him, Arata couldn't help but blush. This person was very cute in Arata's eyes. A face that had the combination of both innocence and childishness; yet paradoxically, he seemed very stern. Countless questions started appearing in Arata's mind. This person was expressionless, yet Arata could sense that they were slightly surprised.

Turning to Arata, this person's stunning eyes shimmered vibrantly as he placed his hands upon Arata's shoulders firmly, stating confidently, "…You know, you should stand up for yourself." With that, the mysterious figure departed; faster than Arata could react.

Watching the figure leave, Arata muttered to himself, "I…I was too scared to even thank him for that. Maybe that's why I haven't been able to make any friends." He hung his head. "I…I wish I had friends. But I guess, I guess that'll never happen. ….'Stand up for myself'. He's right. I should thank him for helping me out the way he did. That's what I'll do!"

Core
Without hesitation, Arata followed this mysterious figure to the park, who immediately spotted him, questioning in a stern tone, "…Hm? What is it?"

Arata shrunk back in fright, remarking to himself, "…Maybe this was a bad idea."

Impatiently, the figure added, "If you've got nothing to say, then I've got something to ask you." As Arata nodded, the figure continued, "So, they said your name is Arata. Well, Arata, have you seen a certain red jewel around here?"

Arata stuttered while shaking his head, "What? Uh, I, uh…mmm-mmm—no…"

Puzzled, the figure scratched their head, "What are you so nervous about?"

Glancing away, Arata muttered, "Um, I, uh…"

Quickly, the figure placed their hands upon Arata's shoulders, advising, "…When you refused to swear allegiance to Yukimura, didn't you feel courage welling up inside of you? Those who would grovel and beg, or run away at the first sight of another's anger are dogs. Or even worse. Are you a dog? Or are you really a man?" Gazing into Arata's hazel eyes, the stranger attempted to enforce that this was a question that had to be answered.

Glancing away, Arata hesitated, before shaking his head, "I…I'm—uh…"

Turning back to Arata, the figure chuckled, "Just try to do your best to be a man, Arata." With that, the mysterious and beautiful raven-haired figure disappeared.

Arata clenched his fists, declaring to himself, "…I'm not a monster. I need to stand up like a man!" A distinct ringing sound resounded throughout the air; Arata immediately recognized it as his own ringtone; a series of electronic beeps and boops—Arata certainly preferred having a rather retro air about him. Scrambling for his pocket, Arata grabbed his cellphone; upon hearing the voice on the other line, he smiled—this smile illuminated his whole face. "…Gai!"

The sound of gossip resounded throughout the Inazuma household, as a celebration had just begun. Arata, for once, was incredibly joyful. All of those closest to him were sitting around with him at the dining table, with Kurenai laying out the plates and drinks; Arata gazed down at the meal, noting that she'd cooked roast turkey for the family. Inside the glass was some sort of fizzy drink—he couldn't make it out, honestly. "Happy Birthday, Arata!" Kurenai smiled.

"…Thanks, Kurenai." Arata cheerfully nodded, as he took a sip of his drink, glancing over at Gai, asking, "…Anyways, it's rare for you to be able to come home, Gai."

"Yeah, it's been a while." Mitsuru smiled, nudging at Gai to answer Arata's question. "How long has it been, again?"

Meanwhile, a certain misogynistic white-haired bishōnen consumed what was in front of him like a pig in a stable looked up, "Of course, Gai's the new Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 now. He can't just leave the barracks to play with his family."

Gai remained completely silent, before turning to Arata, inquiring, "…Arata. You're 17 now, right?"

"Yeah."

"…Hey, Kurenai. Gimme seconds!" Kagirinai tapped at the empty plate with his fork loudly.

"…Oh, come on! You know you shouldn't each too much." Kurenai frantically responded.

"That's right, Giri. Eat any more and you'll get fat." Eimi butted in insistently.

"Oh, come on Eimi! This is only my fifth plate!" Kagirinai objected.

Silently, Gai placed a glowing crimson core which was shaped like a phoenix's wing next to Arata. Arata gazed down at it—immediately realizing what it was. "Arata, this is for you. Think of it as a birthday present. It's the precious legacy of the Nagareboshi family."

Arata picked the core up, gazing into it's center. "…The legacy of the Nagareboshi family…?"

"Someday, it had to be passed down to you. And I think it's time." Gai affirmed.

"…What is this?"

"You'll know soon. It'll protect you, and those you care about. Carry it with you at all times." Gai answered, sighing.

"Gai…Thanks, I'll take good care of it!" Arata smiled.

"Listen, Arata. If anything happens, you need to protect everyone. That's the task of the heir of the Nagareboshi family. Understand?" Gai demanded.

"…Right!"

Kurenai informed Gai, "Anyway, there's a stand-up contest on next week. Arata's trying to win for the second time in a row. Come and see it with us!"

Gai glanced down, apologizing, "…Sorry. I only get one day of leave. I'll be leaving tomorrow."

Arata sighed, glancing down at the half-eaten roast turkey. All he wanted was to impress Gai; then he could be happy.

Gai did ask, however, "Arata, I'm sending a recommendation to the Gotei 13 for you. Elite schools can be tough, so don't forget your studies now." Arata gulped; the pressure was piling on.

The First Encounter
On his way to school, Arata heard a faint *rumble* sound. Slowly, it grew louder and louder, until he witnessed a multitude of black-cloaked beings flying overhead, all heading towards Rukongai. "That's…the Thirteen Pillars!" Now, he was worried. Gai had made sure that Rukongai's safety was really tight—for something like this to occur, it was madness. "This is bad…" Stating the obvious to himself, Arata sprinted back to Rukongai, fully aware that the Thirteen Pillars could kill everyone.

Rushing towards Rukongai, where fires were raging, Arata dialed his cellphone. …No response. "…Damn! I can't get ahold of any of them…!" By now, he was worrying for the safety of his loved ones more than ever.

…*BOOM!* With a burst of speed, Arata reached the town square of Rukongai. Still, everything was ablaze. Glancing around, he noticed a black-cloaked figure slowly approaching a small child, blade drawn. There was no time. He couldn't hesitate. If he didn't act now, then he'd regret it for the rest of his life; no matter how absolutely terrified he was, he had to act. The core was the key. As Arata clutched it tightly, the core began to glow a vibrant crimson, before that light expanded and shaped itself, before solidifying into a new form, an elegantly crafted and slender katana that featured a solid black blade, surrounded in its entirety by a narrow white cutting-edge. However, the most unusual portion of this weapon was its hilt, which consisted of a completely smooth cylindrical handle.

Arata's eyes sharpened. From a fair distance away, another being, the same raven-haired being gazed on with their binoculars, commenting to himself, "…So, Arata. Let's see what you can do."

Gripping his Zanpakutō tightly, Arata panted heavily. "I…I can do this. I can do it!" From behind, a surviving Shinigami rushed towards the cloaked figure, blade drawn. Almost nonchalantly, the figure offhandedly sliced it's foe's arm off, before clutching him with it's free hand and throwing the Shinigami's mostly dead corpse in front of Arata, shaking him up through this intimidating act. "Haa…I can do this. I have to protect everyone!" Arata continued to chant as if it were a mantra.

Arata shot forward like a bullet at the mysterious figure, charging at them with all of his might. Brandishing his blade, Arata swung forward while running…only for the cloaked figure to nonchalantly sidestep his attack, causing Arata to lose his bearings and tumble to the ground, eyes widened in absolute shock. Arata squealed, "K-Kyaa!" as he slid face-first upon the pavement.

Regaining his foothold, Arata spat, "Dammit! I'll beat them no matter what!" Running his hand down his Zanpakutō, Arata summoned a second blade, gripping it with his right hand; clashing the two together resolutely. In an instant, the cloaked figure moved like the wind towards Arata; who deftly swung the blade in his right hand forward, only to be attacked from the back, tackling him to the ground. With a *thud*, Arata's body impacted upon the cold, hard pavement; before he could perceive the foe's next actions, the cloaked figure gripped their own blade, attempting to impale Arata through the spine.

"Haa!" Arata let out a fierce battle cry as he made a violent jerking motion, managing to head-butt the opponent from behind as he gripped the pavement; using that as a fulcrum for a burst of speed, getting away from his foe for a matter of moments. Facing them once again, Arata thought to himself, "What…what would Gai do?" Focusing his movements and clearing his mind, Arata focused on one thing and one thing alone—the defeat of his foe."

From a fair distance away, the same raven-haired figure remarked to themself, "…You're inexperienced, aren't you? A rookie."

As the foe charged forward, they swung their blade downwards at Arata, who reflexively swung his right-handed blade around, causing both swords to clash in a vibrant display of sparks; the moment the foe withdrew their sword, Arata spun around, slamming his left-handed blade around, impacting upon the foe's left wrist, pushing them to the ground. Arata instinctively pointed both blades at the foe's neck, aiming for a kill, only to be blown away in a burst of spiritual energy which kicked up a large amount of dust.

Shooting from the dust clouds was a spinning blade, which the foe barely dodged; Arata had thrown one of his swords at the foe. Shooting from the cloud like a light illuminating the darkness was Arata, who whizzed past his foe like a bullet, severing their left arm with which they held their sword. Instinctively, Arata hopped upwards, thrusting his remaining blade into the foe's face, who leapt away. "Haa…haa…" Arata was almost at his limit; it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe and by impaling his foe with his last blade, he didn't have any weapon.

As the foe advanced upon his defenseless figure, they felt a slight tugging—the Shinigami from before, barely alive, had grabbed their foot to prevent them from moving. This was all the cue that Arata required—grabbing the foe's severed arm, he shot forward like a bullet train, screaming, "Yatte yaruze!" *SCHWING!* Arata swung forward with the foe's severed arm, using the blade to slice them clean in half vertically. "Shining…Onslaught!" At that moment, light gathered and roared around his blade, as white feathers surrounded the blade. Arata's eyes sharpened, focusing on his foe as the white feathers converged, before immediately hardening. A loud *BOOM!* echoed throughout the air, as Arata Yaguruma unleashed a spinning, cross-shaped blast of feathers at his foe, obliterating them.

Collapsing to his knees, Arata coughed up blood. "Haa…haa…I got them. Did I…do it? Did I win?" He couldn't feel his legs or arms; in fact, he didn't understand how he was alive right now.

"…Go, Arata. Fight, fight, fight. So you beat a Peditum? I guess…that's your power, then." The raven haired figure smiled to themselves, impressed by Arata's valour. Suddenly, a vague mist mustered up, blocking Arata from view; quickly, the figure called a number on their cellphone, commanding, "…This is Reika Gimansha. Arata Yaguruma has disappeared from view!"

Gazing up at the sky in Seireitei, Gaillardia Nagareboshi noted to himself, "So, it's begun…This is our destiny. I want to spare you the pain of being unable to protect those you love. Arata…I entrust the Infernox Core to you."