Victims, Aren't We All?

Bloody Discussion
In the hall of...wherever this god-forsaken place was, Kain Daisuke, a noble of the Reikon Kyuuban. He was, in every shape and form, a Vampire, an elderly one by extension. He stood in this palace as he was the mere spectator of two gorgeous members of his race. On one side was the present Queen of the Reikon Kyuuban, Myst Kagekyo, and on the other side was the Mother of the Reikon Kyuuban, Katsumi Scarlet laughing away. Kain found this spectacle rather humorous, and chuckled while Hitotoki Itoshii silently kept her head bowed throughout the entire conversation. He approached her and asked, "Hitotoki-san? Why do you seem so down? You know you aren't a mere servant correct? You have authority over all Reikon Kyuuban barring the select few who are the closest to Lord Katsumi. Why do you keep shy?"

Hitotoki casually turned her head towards the pale Reikon Kyuuban, Kain Daisuke, and stared at him with a blank expression. She slowly brought up a white laced finger to her to the tips of her lips, implying silence from the man before her. While the inhabitants of this fine residence were "Vampires" as some would say, Hitotoki herself was a beautiful yet silent Shinigami, brought to their service through unknown means. Her silk-like gray hair shone in the moonlight, accenting the curvacious body she routinely kept hidden underneath a maid costume. Whether it was Hitotoki's or Katsumi's decision for the choice of clothes could be debated but with her nonchalant expression, it was hard to tell.

"Daisuke-sama, it's a pleasure to see you at this hour," She whispered. Her voice was calm and child-like, similar to that of a shy school-girl. She continued to speak, apparently ignorant of her Master's conversation. "I'm never down, I've been always like this since the day I was borne." She inched forward, her arms behind her back, and she moved in a skip-like gait. "Why? Are you concerned for my well-being Daisuke-sama? Or are you just curious?" She asked, looking at him with her observant eyes.

"Aren't we cold Hitotoki-san? Oh well, please don't misunderstand my intentions. I was merely asking a question. Well, shall we get back to observing this discussion?" Kain asked Hitotoki, looking back towards the two Queens of the Vampires.

"I'm naturally cold Kain. I believe that is the reason why the Mistress had chosen me to be her servant. Plus, I believe she is expecting to see me smile. It's been decades since that had ever happened." Hitotoki replied, before giving the man a nod of acknowledgement. She turned her head, paying close attention to the words of the child-like woman, Katsumi Scarlet, the Queen Mother of the Reikon Kyuuban and Hitotoki's eternal master.

Myst was in a jovial mood, sitting there relaxing and talking with the person who held the title of 'Queen of Vampires' before Myst claimed it as her own, once without the actual responsiblities of the station thus named, and now, with the aformentioned responsiblities. Needless to say, it took some getting used to, living in such a huge space, easily dwarfing the manse in which she once lived. The fact she was still finding rooms which remained unknown unto her before reminded the vampiress of a shot series, 'Rose Red' by Stephen King.

"So my dear, it has been quite a while since I've seen you. Tell me, what had happened to my "daughter" in this day of age? Anything amusing? Fun? Scandalous?" Katsumi asked, fiddling with her lustrous hair, and baring her fangs with excitement. It is very surprising, to have ever wondered how this vampire, this woman, was the strongest creature out of her entire race. Plainly, she was childish.

Kain chuckled, before telling Myst." I assume you've expected this from the elders of our race by now, correct?" Kain asked Myst before looking back at Hitotoki and whispering." Well, I must say you are quite the beauty when you smile." Kain winked before retaining his jolly laughter at the spectacle before him.

"You'll have to wait before I smile Kain-sama. You may not like it at all." Hitotoki absently stated as she watched the two woman engage in idle conversation.

Myst always expected such questions, although she made every effort to mention her relationship with Ryuichi Ishida, especially after learning how the RK ended up being rouge hunters, and to even have a member of that particular family as an ally was...dangerous, to say the least. "Well, I've spent most of my time exploring the world, or getting lost in this place. Although temping as it was, I didn't dare try to seduce anyone for my next meal. I find playing a good word game always gets the job done, so what use is there in trying to play to their desires, when mine are obviously vital for more than procreation?"

Her predecessor nodded and leaned back on her chair, giving a loud yawn in the process. "I see. Just take careful care of yourself, and you must be wary of everyone. Not all friendships are what they seem... But my dear, you must go out into the world and hunt! Not for food! But just for fun! It's so exhilarating that it could be easily comparable to what the Humans refer to as Big Game Hunting! The location, the target, the prowl, it gets to you! It makes me shudder with pleasure! Even I have a target." She smiled wholeheartedly, obviously taking enjoyment in the conversation.

"You? I doubt a being alive could evade you for long. If such a man exists, he must be something of a terror to behold. If you were trying, I wouldn't even give him more than ten minutes before being found. Although, I do admit, something of that sort sounds...interesting, at the very least. Actually, I've grown weary of just hunting to feed. I need something to rekindle that old spark, the thing that drove me to perfect my skills." Myst replied, enjoying the prospect lain in front of her mind's eye.

"Ahhh. The complements are much appreciated. It is true, that no living man can escape my grip nor my gaze, lest survive past ten minutes. But it's not a being alive so to speak. He's a Shinigami, a mighty fine and powerful man to add. An air of nobility surrounds him and he knows of my existence very well, and I know his respectively." Katsumi cooed longingly, tapping her red fingernail on the pristine wooden table. "His name is Kei Yume. A specimen like no other. We had met before and now I know his spiritual signature whenever he's within my vicinity. It's like a deck of cards. Kei is the King. I serve as the Queen and Joker. I adore him. I fear him. I'm sure the feeling is mutual, don't you think?" She asked with a smile, licking her lips whenever she stated his name. Was Katsumi merely providing Myst a target? Or was she projecting her own self onto the woman before her? Hoping to kindle a terrifying fire within the woman.

Meanwhile....in Soul Society, a youthful man suddenly felt a dark and gloomy chill run up his spine as he walked down the steps towards the Third Division Barracks. "Is something the matter Captain?" One of his subordinates asked, making an effort to pick him up. The Captain raised his head and motioned to them to move away. "It's nothing. I just got the chills for some reason. It felt like someone was talking about me...far far away.." Kei Yume replied back. A shift in the breeze blew past his way, possibly foretelling that something was afoot. And it did not bode well.

Myst smiled. The idea of such a challenge excited her more and more with every passing moment. "If you fear him, even jokingly, this guy must be a true terror in combat. But yes, I'm sure he would say the same about you." she replied to Katsumi, the look in her eyes not disguising her want to see if what she was hearing was true, of if it were a simple ruse. If it were a ruse, then it was well played, but should it be true, then it was worth seeing for herself. Either way, she was desperate to find out.

Kain himself chuckled at the turn of events, he departed without a trace of his existence left behind. He told Katsumi telepathically." I shall make preparations for their encounter, if I may have your leave ma'am?"

"No need Kain. Let Myst handle this herself; I already caught her interest in regards of the Hunt. Let her natural instincts take over while she proves herself to be a fitting Queen of the Reikon Kyuuban. Just watch, Hitotoki and I will keep both of you company." Katsumi replied, her voice booming and powerful.

Katsumi erupted into a hail of laughter, relishing Myst's look of desire. "So be it then! Go hunt the famed Kei Yume at your own peril and discretion! He'll be surprised to find out what's in store for him." She finished, the tip of her finger at her lips. Katsumi sighed with a coo and leaned on her chair once more while she kept her eyes on Myst.

"You're as fired up as I, Your Highness." Myst said standing up. "I will hunt this man, and I will test him using the fullest limits of my power. Hopefully, this will settle my disquiet." she walked to the doors and turned back only once, seeing the same hall from a new vantage point, and proceeded to leave the immaculate palace, her new home, in search of the man named Kei Yume.

The Queen Mother slowly followed her successor to the exit, lazily leaning on the doorway. Her blood red eyes glinted in the moonlight and she smiled at the thought of her scion partaking in the hunt. Katsumi watched Myst as she disappeared into the foggy entrapment before her. "No Myst, I'm not fired up as I may seem to you. It's merely a test of your resolve and skills. We shall see if you'll survive the encounter. We shall see..." Her voice trailed off as Katsumi disappeared in a puff of smoke. Hitotoki soon followed right after.

" Well then my Queen, where are we headed off to?" Kain asked and pointed in Myst's direction, likely to her surprise. Kain told her." You see, considering you are the official queen of the Reikon Kyuuban, I have an obligation to follow you. But choosing between Lord Katsumi and you is quite....the dillema, don't you think?" Kain told her while giving her one more question in his standard exuberant tone.

Myst laughed. Kain always was always in a good mood it seemed. For that, she was thankful. It made life seem less gloom and doom. "I see your problem. Yes, a dillema indeed. As for Kei Yume, I'd surmise he'd be in the Seireitei, if he's a Shinigami. Wait, what rank is he, do you know?" she asked her father figure, as that's how she saw him, moreso than a retainer or guardian. For some, her thought process on how to hunt the elusive Shinigami was a bit dodgey, but really she had a plan, but needed a minor detail.

"Hm....." Kain thought for a while, he didn't really want Myst to be...discouraged when she faced Kei, but nevermind that, he told her in his comical juvial manner," He's the captain of the Third Division. Good luck~" Kain merely finished off, as he leaped up and disappeared into a number of bats before flying off.

One of these days, he'll have to teach me how he does that. Myst thought, watching Kain fly away. But, thankfully, he did impart a bit of help. Knowing her mark was a captain made the hunt easier than what it originally was. The real problem was now entering the Society without attracting too much attention to herself to acually begin the hunt proper. She thought for a moment before drawing her Zanpakto and opening a Senkaimon.

Deathly Arrival
Once inside the portal, Myst realized her mistake. She didn't have a butterfly to guide her, which left her stranded in the Dangai. Crap...At least it's not that time of the week, I hope. And with that, she dashed through the tunnel, hoping like mad that the gates weren't already closed, which meant she had made a mistake. And if she made a mistake at this point, that meant she was as good as dead, or worse, thrown about the timeline like a ragdoll. Although the latter was less grim than the former, the scary part was not knowing when she'd end up, let alone where. Such was the peril of using the Dangai to get from the living world to the Soul Society.

Thankfully, the path was short and straight. The organic looking purple cavern was unnerving at best, and downright horrific at the worst. The gate was still open, which was another boon. Once she escaped the dark prison of time, the bright light that was the Sun (or whatever the spiritual equal to the star could be named) was a warm welcome. Safe from the ravages of inter-universal travel, she could focus on the task at hand, finding Kei Yume.

Myst flew to the gate of the Seireitei and tried to find a way inside that wouldn't incure the wrath of every Shinigami in the place, nor reveal herself too soon. The entire construct was made of Sekiseki which was designed to keep non-invited people out and those in from using their powers. It's impossible. The stone would eat my KGS before I could even hit the door, and flying inside is right out of the question. .. 

That's when the guardian walked up to her and looked down. "What do you want in here for? You should know the rules. Unless you're invited in, I can't just open the gate."

Myst laughed and activated Kuro no Me, the mind control power that the Reikon Kyuuban possessed. "I wish to speak with Kei Yume. He and I have much to discuss, and possibly he can assist me. So, please, open the gate." she commanded and entered as the guard did as he was forced.

The total size of the Seireitei compared to the rest of the afterlife was as small as a single city, rather than a country, to compare the outlying lands with the central fortress. But the challenge diminished not, as her target could have been anywhere, even in the land of the living. This made the game much less simple, and for that fact, Myst facepalmed. She forgot he could be in the land of the living and just assumed she could find him in one spot. But, that was all she had now, a lead. She ran to the Third Division barracks to confront her foe, praying he was there.

Deep within the recesses of the Third Division Barracks, Kei was quietly meditating in his quarters with his back leaned against the wall. To the untrained eye, it seemed that he merely fell asleep but in actuality, he was under deep though, letting his consciousness exit his body and flow freely around the environment. The experience could be seen as enjoyable but it had another purpose, to enhance the user's perception of the world and have a sight beyond sight. And from what he sensed, someone was coming...for him. And she nearly possessed the same spiritual signature of that blasted woman.

She was coming closer; he could feel her inching her way towards him. How she was able to escape the entire Third Division's notice was questionable at best; it was possible she utilized a form of hypnosis of them. "Damn. I wish Ui wasn't on vacation. I could had have her dealt with the intruder." Kei said under his breath, opening his eyes. He let out a huge sigh before standing up, stretching his arms and legs, as if he just woke up.

"Well. I guess I'll wait here then. Or should I play hide and seek for a bit?" The auburn haired Shinigami said, breaking out into a sly smile. He snapped his fingers.

Deep inside the confines of the Seireitei, Myst stuck to the shadows, hiding from as many prying eyes as possible. The trick was avoiding the hundreds of pairs of eyes that could recognize her, or worse, others who didn't know her. Either way, there was likely to be an alarm raised eventually if she were caught. The perfect risk, the perfect reward. Myst loved this feeling. Katsumi had indeed spoken the truth it seemed. The hunt was more and more thrilling every moment. All that was left was to meet her mark.

"Hitotoki, please keep an eye on Myst." Katsumi stated as she walked within the confines of the Rukongai, oblivious to the obvious dangers presented before her. However, as strange as it seemed, the Reikon Kyuuban woman did not exhibit any form of spiritual signature, as well as her two cohorts.

Hitotoki, who was wearing a commoner's clothing turned to her, the Shinigami's face was contorted in a mixture of sincerity and surprise. "That's the first time I heard you say that Master." She noted. "But as you wish."

"I'm not asking you to protect her. Just watch her. See how she does." Katsumi casually replied back, stopping to take a look at some trinkets. "Ooo. How pretty." She said to herself, oogling at the meager items. Hitotoki looked at her once again but turned back. Almost immediately, she took out her pocket watch and disappeared.

Kain was merely wondering the outskirts of the Seireitei, right outside the boundaries of the Shakonmaku. He was merely pondering on what he would do next, he was in utter boredom and wanted something comprehensive to engage with! He realized then that the spiritual presence of Hitotoki was around, and told himself." Alright! Time to talk to Hitotoki-san!" Kain merely used Ketsueki Butoukai to find his way to the young shinigami maiden.

Myst finally reached the barracks and pondered the next step. With a sudden leap, she was on top of the wall that barred her path only a moment before. The question was, where would Kei be? In the office room? The mess hall? The only feature he probably had, if he was as high ranked as was said, would be a haori, but there were a hundred, at least, average Shinigami between her and any possible doorway into the compund proper. ''I wonder if he knew I was coming? Maybe Kain tipped him off? Nah, Kain wouldn't, he'd be standing next to Katsumi laughing while I waste my time thinking he'd tell this guy I was coming.''

Someone lightly tapped Myst on the shoulder. As she turned around, it turned out to be Hitotoki. Her face was very nonchalant and emotionless but there was a certain gleam in her eyes that implied something else. "Myst. If you were a Captain, where would YOU be? If you knew this Captain, it'll be quite easy but you don't. So, I'll be helping you out. A place where he can ultimately relax, somewhere where he's separated from his kinsmen. Heed my words, I'll take my leave for now." The Shinigami woman said as she turned around with her pocket watch raised. It glowed momentarily and in a small flash of light. She was gone.

Myst had to figure out what Hitotoki meant. Where he would go to get away? Somewhere calm, alone, peaceful. That left a vast handful of places. "If I were a Captain, I would be to overwhelmed on paperwork to ever leave my office, or I'd have it in my personal quarters, where I could lounge around while catching up on it."

A devious little smirk graced the features of the young Queen, her mind forming a plan enter the complex, foriegn barracks while leaving the majority of the lower ranked members unaware of her existence. Gently stepping to the edge of the stone awning that adorned the wall, she hunched over and gripped the hard rock, lurched over the edge, rotated her wrist and remained in a hanging position for a moment before dropping to the ground in haste, taking once more to the shadows, eyeing the members who were outside for any possible reaction to her stunt.

A large yawn erupted from within the Captain's Quarters. Kei was lounging around his couch, his feet placed on top of his coffee table. He was lazily watching T.V., how that was possible was quite questionable, but it seemed like he had nothing to worry about. "For a dangerous aura, it sure is taking them quite a while to actually come here. How can you actually get lost in a Barracks, especially in the Third Divisions?!" He said to himself as he munched on chip. "At this rate, I might just fall asleep." He remarked with a calm snicker.

Myst transformed herself into a bat and begain flying about the barracks, looking in windows mostly. Recalling her time among the ranks of the Shinigami before her Reikon Kyuuban nature fully manifested itself, she was sure that most Captain rank members chose a windowed office. And sure enough, this one was no different. Slipping between the gaps in the wooden rods, a simple feat after she retracted her wings to her body, she eyed the strange man, somehow watching a T.V. Returning to her normal state, Myst landed on the wooden floors with a sudden creak, showing the wood's age. "I take it you're the man that Lord Katsumi spoke of? Are you Kei Yume or no?"

A Nonchalant Meeting
A large creak echoed throughout the room, indicating his unannounced guest's arrival. However, Kei neither turned around or acknowledged the origin of the noise. Instead, he kept his eyes glued on the television, continuing to ignore her and eat the snacks placed in front of him. He was so engrossed in a program commonly referred to as a Korean Drama, a genre popular to the Humans. And he could see why.

"I should stop lollygagging and see who it is." He thought. Rather than move to face the intruder, he diligently stayed in his seat, legs crossed and arms resting on his thighs. "I see you finally found me. Took you long enough." Kei stated, his face away from her. "Yes, I'm the Kei Yume you speak of. Let me guess, you're a friend of that vile woman. Aren't you?" He asked, masking his earnest curiosity.

"Of course I am. And let me tell you something, she may be crazy, but vile is a matter of perspective. What is vile? A status of utter and complete disgust. You know, I see you Shinigami as vile, the same way you see us Reikon Kyuuban. While you're watching television, hundreds of people are dying at the hands of the Hollows. Why not do your job, Captain Yume?" Myst answered, waiting for a reaction.

He abruptly turned around to see who was speaking, Kei gasped when he saw that it was a young woman, almost his age, who stood before him. Her blood red eyes ominously stared into his own, giving him shivers up his spine. Aware that she was watching his every move, Kei casually regained his composure but his surprise was fairly obvious. He looked at her again and said, "Ahh, you are a Reikon Kyuuban...that explains so much actually. Me? Vile? HAHA! How absurd that is! You know, you are pretty ignorant to actually declare that all Shinigami see your kind as vile. Not all of us hate your kind."

He continued, "I actually don't have any qualms against your kind. Only the ones who actually did or attempt something on me. Like Katsumi Scarlet. What a terrible experience that was, she actually tried to hunt me you know. And make me her plaything. I don't even know how I survived the ordeal. That's why I see her as vile. Maybe she got the hots for me." Kei stared at the Reikon Kyuuban female, gauging her facial expression for any hint of acknowledgement. "Why not do my job Miss Kyuuban? It is a matter of life and death. Although I would try and help everyone else, that is merely an impossible task; you can't save everyone. And if I did do my job as you say so, there wouldn't be one for anyone else. Plus, I don't get paid enough to be a simple Hollow Exterminator. I rather be at Hama Town with my woman and the guys. But nope, I'm stuck here in my own world of serenity." He finished with a smile. For a moment, the ground shook but Kei was apparently oblivious to that.

Myst was shell shocked by the answer. Any other captain would have insulted her further by going on about their pride and the fact they're supposed to be leaders in an army of thousands, if not millions. Their deaths would be demoralizing, so on and so forth. But no, Kei honestly impressed her. "I apologize for speaking without understanding. It's just, for years, I felt like an outcast because, well, on top of being a vampire, I deserted the Gotei 13 the night I turned into what I am now, so imagine years of mistrust on the part of my former comrades. I always had to watch my back, or risk running into someone who would have recongnized me and turned me in."

"And how would you let them turn you in? Obviously, you wouldn't let them. And I'm sure with the inclusion of the Reikon Kyuuban gifts, you are definitely stronger than an average Shinigami. Depending on your skills, you may be comparable to a Captain but I beg to differ; the only ones I actually fought against were Katsumi and some of your lowly and deranged brethren." Kei said in a casual tone whilst making an effort to get up. He retained a smile, even though the atmosphere was strangely brooding and depressing.

"I see you're becoming soft. But on a more important manner, what brings you here? Is it the same reason as Katsumi had?" He asked.

"No, I'm here for a different reason. Simply to test myself against someone for a different reason then my usual hunts. Lord Katsumi simply gave me advice on who would have been a perfect target. Other than her words, I'm here under my own power." Myst replied. "Besides, sitting inside a castle all day just isn't my style. Sure, it's nice to have such a great location, a prime bit of real estate, but it's sometimes too quiet for my tastes."

"A Castle? How dreary and borish it might sound but you must understand the circumstances of the location, no matter how cliche it may sound." Kei added. "Then shouldn't we go on with the show? Or are you merely content conversing with me? I'm sure you want to play the game now."

Myst smirked. "You've already lost. I've been playing from the moment I flew in here. Everything, testing how you think, your patterns, everything. But yes, the day grows ever older, and I'm sure my Queen expects me home before too long, so yes. I suggest we skip the plesentries and get to the real reason I interrupted your regularly scheduled programming."

"Did you hear that Hitotoki? Myst thinks I expect her to be home." Katsumi confided to her servant. The two were outside observing the Myst and Kei exchange pleasantries. "In actuality my dear, I don't really mind if you're late. I'm not your mother afterall." She haughtily said with her arms crossed. Hitotoki's face was etched with distaste. But it was unknown if it was due to her mistress's words or something else.

"Ah but you don't know what had already taken place. Oh I don't mind that, I have all the time in the world to finish that. But I only have a one time opportunity to face off against you. And if you please, you may "cast the first die" in this game." He stated with a smile on his face. Something was up. But no one could put their finger to it. "Or should I...?"

Kain popped up behind his master and fellow servant. He bowed to the both of them before he stood up, he joyfully exclaimed." My my, isn't she such a mean person? And she expects me to teach her more than she should now, haha! Though, if I may make an inquiry Lord Katsumi, why exactly did you put our newly coronated Queen upto this task? Was it for...a proof of her coronation? Or maybe, did you have some sort of test for the man known as Kei Yume? I am...rather dubious of your current intentions, I hope you don't mind my lord?" Kain hesitated to speak those last few words, though outwardly he seemed perfectly composed, inwardly he was as terrified as a child would be defying his father...in the olden times at least. Now, every boy would raise his hands against their parents without any remorse...such are the days of the modern generation.

"It's nothing of that sort Kain. To simply put it, I merely wished to be entertained. You and Myst could go ahead and see this as a trial but it's just a way for me to watch and enjoy a good battle. And for Kei Yume? It is nothing you listed. I wish to torment that Shinigami for rejecting my courteous advances." Katsumi blatantly replied back. "You can say, it's my way of picking on him. I'll make sure he won't hear the last of me. And to be honest, it's quite enjoyable." She finished with a laugh whilst eyeing the Shinigami Captain before her, who was undoubtedly unaware of the fearsome group dangerously close to him.

"Everything Katsumi-san said is true Kain-kun. She enjoys a good battle once in a while for the sake of pleasure. But it isn't my place to question the Mistress. She has her reasons, no matter how eccentric they are." Hitotoki added, her cold and serious eyes glistened in front of Kain.

" Well then, for more enjoyment, would you like me to...well, the modern word is troll both the combatants? You know how I can do so quite easily no? Plus, it would be a further means to torment Kei, for he would never be able to capture me in my bat form." Kain chuckled slightly at the prospect and began to imagine exactly what would occur.

So, the Bloody Battle Begins
Myst drew her Zanpakto, the golden blade named Gesshoku, and prepared for the battle to come. Just feeling the handle of her soul given form reminded her of the era that she once saw, the era of the Shinigami that she was, and no longer could be. Looking for a quick and effective opening ploy, she dropped the sword and kicked it, sending it spiraling in Kei's direction.

"Do as you will Kain. But I grant you no protection if you incur the wrath of Kei. Although he is graceful and humble, he will not hesitate in striking an individual such as yourself down." Katsumi said to her subordinate in a somewhat mocking and a matter of fact tone.

"She's serious Kain-kun." Hitotoki added.

" Yes ma'am." Kain replied, smiling in a sinister manner; his days of interference were back again. He could remember the older days, the days where Kain had friends...it seemed he'd gained another one, surprising enough. Quickly he transformed into a number of sleek black bats before scurrying off to the destination where he headed, his sinister smile remained.

The Captain raised his hand towards the incoming Zanpakuto and immediately caught it in mid air. The force of the weapon was transmitted up through his arm, taking the form of excessive shaking but that eventually subsided. Kei smiled at Myst, his eyes glistened with cheeky intent. He held up the Zanpakuto and threw it in a lance-like motion but with a significant amount of force.

Myst gazed at the flying sword hurling in her direction not even a moment after she sent it flying like a buzzsaw. Now it was more like a drill, spiralling at high speed. Without realizing she had done it, she felt her feet leave the floor below and a dull thunk met her ears, the sword had embedded itself into the wall where she just was only a moment before.

A moment later, her feet were back on solid ground, right next to her Zanpakto. Wrenching it free with constant wiggling and yanking, Myst smiled. Her opponent was quick, she had to admit that much was true. Deciding against a long-range assult in the form of a red blast of death that she'd grown fond of abusing early in combat, the Reikon Kyuuban woman dashed in, closing the space. Once in suitable range, she swung downward, the speed of her run adding to the power transfered to the swing, and thereby the strike.

In a split moment, Kei moved to his side and materialized his Zanpakuto in response, swinging upward to catch Myst's heavy strike. The attacks connected and it cause sparks to fly around them. "Nice swordplay there." He stated, complementing her intuitive tactic. He tried to move forward and gain the upperhand but their strengths were equal for the time being. However, he managed to edge forward with great effort, his face fixed in concentration. "But can you respond to this?" Kei asked with a sigh. He raised his hand towards Myst's face and it glowed an ominous blue. In a moment, the he fired a discharge of energy.

Myst tried to get out of the way by tilting her head to the side and taking a few steps back, receiving a cut on her right cheek in the process. Paying the minor wound no heed, she closed the new gap and lashed out with her left foot, aiming to hit Kei's shinbone.

He countered with his own kick in retaliation, in an attempt to absorb Myst's attack. However, Kei added a bit of force in his defense, meant to push them away from each other and give the two a bit of breathing room before going on the offensive once again. "Not on my watch young lady!" He called out in a huff.

Suddenly a flurry of bats intervened into the scene, black wings had been risen and were simply circling around both combatants, causing a slight struggle in vision. Kain had been smiling the entire time, as he charged a few orbs upon his talons and let them spring into the field, causing disorientation in both warriors as smoke rose everywhere..

Myst looked about, dumbfounded. ''Bats...This many? This is my fight!'' she mentally screamed, figuring out that only one person could interfere like this, on such a scale. The smoke began obscuring her sight, as good as it is, not to mention the carnage wrought by the multitude of bats. The fluttering of leathery wings sounded as if it were a million gunshots roaring on the plains in the human world. So much for proving herself in single combat. The only solace that her opponent probably endured the same chaos as she.

"Aigoo. It's that pesty servant of hers." Kei thought to himself as he reflexively swiped the smoke away from him. The sound of fluttering wings was excessively annoying and the disorientation made Kei roll his eyes. He jumped a few meters forward away from the chaos, in hopes that he could what was unfolding before him. He tightly gripped his Zanpakuto, cautious for his opponent. For all he knows, she could be lying in wait for him..

Myst waved her hands, dispelling much of the smoke as she could. Through the hazy remnants of the thick smoke, she saw that her opponent was preparing himself to be attacked at any moment. Even though it wasn't chivalrous to attack an enemy who couldn't see as well as yourself, could that rule honestly be true when both sides could be considered at a disadvantage?

Tossing morality to the wayside, Myst embraced the thrill of the hunt, even the wild, unpredictiple nature of Kain's antics. She felt the ground below her as she ran in, each set of boards making their own unique sound, mostly obscured by the bats above. A flutter here, a squealing slab of wood there, each note played a strange song, one of death, one of warning. The vampire woman neared her prey and tried to punch him in the chest.

Unaware of what was going to take place, Kei received Myst's punch with an unusual amount of force but he also counteracted with a slash of his own, in hopes that she too would be affected by the short bout.

He jumped backward, his awareness now alert. Kei took a short breathe and closed his eyes. Once he opened them, the Shinigami activated his latent spiritual particles in the environment, illuminating it for several seconds to give him a brief glimpse of the area.

Searing pain ran up Myst's left arm, pain she knew too well; the sting of a blade, honed to a perfect killing edge. Luckily for her, the slash was too sudden to have enough force to sever the limb entirely. Already she was injured enough to draw blood. Thankfully, her body already started congealing the blood, preventing more of the divine elixer from flooding out of the veins built to carry it.

Dropping her Zanpakto, she raised her right arm and charged a deadly crimson sphere, the most powerful technique in her arsenal, the Kyūketsuki Ga Satsuei. Capitalizing on Kei revealing where he was, she aimed the destructive blast in his direction before letting it loose, a torrent of energy and blood.

Seeing the oncoming attack, Kei decided to embrace the attack head on, possibly as means to show Myst the immense power he apparently possessed and dominate whatever resolve she believed the Reikon Kyuuban had. He charged forward with a smile on his face, unaware of what was to come after his unsightly decision. He didn't care about the damage he would procure on himself. He didn't care for the tactical fallacy he just performed. He didn't even care that he had no defensive measure set up to save him from his potential mistake. He just moved like a raging bull, something that was unlike the Captain he made himself out to be. "I am Kei Yume! Captain of the Third Division and a Rival to your Master, Katsumi Scarlet! Face me!" He yelled without hesitation, the tone filled with an air of challenge and seriousness.

Myst his her confusion behind a well deserved mask of utter amusement. A typical KGS instilled a instinct to dodge in the recipient's psyche. No, the man who opposed her took it head on. Besides the fact she was experienced enough with the attack itself, having used it numerous times in the past, Kei offered no resistance at all. "You know full well what your facing and yet you taunt me? I'm...Well, it's not offical yet, but I'm the Queen of all Vampires. You want a fight?! Don't blame me when you're in a grave!" she yelled back, lifting Gesshoku back up before switching the blade to her left hand, which finally stopped bleeding and was well on it's way to being perfectly useful in no time at all.

Seeing the man move like a wild beast aiming for her was another surprise. Not every day could one see a refined leader of a thousand trained warriors charge about like a common animal. This threw off Myst's plan greatly, and sure enough, like a monster devoid of reason, the Captain of the Third Division slamed into her, sending her staggering back. Just before she was forced backward, she slammed the hilt of her Zanpakto onto the man's head in a rather comical looking manner, but the intent was far from horseplay.

Myst's move made a resounding thunk as it collided with the Captain's head. It stopped him momentarily and he rubbed his head earnestly as if to soothe the pain. A pained expression was etched on Kei's face but it was unknown if it was exaggerated or serious.

He looked up at her. "So. Queen of the Vampires? So what?! What if I was the King of the Shinigami? I have no care for the titles you had assumed or will assume." Kei stated mockingly as he watched Myst stagger back into an upright position. "Grave? I already died! The only thing you can do is have me reincarnate! And that's a blessing!" He continued with in a justified manner. It was both serious and mocking at the same time.

"Not when that makes you powerless, makes you forget who you are. How is it a blessing? Simple, the pain of your past is gone. You're free. But what of those you loved? Why can't you simply remember them?" Myst asked, a note of sadness in her voice. "The only difference between us, I can only decide to die. As long as I drink blood and souls, I'm immortal. You'll never know when you go, unless you die in battle."

"No. I will always remember. My past and present life. Unlike other souls, I can recall everything that occurred to me. The pain and suffering. The joyous happiness and excitement. Endless disappoints. Conniving achievements. I can tell you everything about me. But it'll probably be a bore, hearing my senseless and unworthy history. It's funny; my best friend tried to kill me you know. That sort thing could never actually leave the memories in your brain, even if you tried to remove it, just like phantom pain. Decisions? The bonds of fates decides our lives. For all you know, there could be three ugly and moldy women on a mountaintop who decides when we die with a pair of scissors!" He said. "But enough with philosophy. If you want continue, just continue speaking. Otherwise..." He didn't finish the sentence.

Instead, Kei decided to raise his Zanpakuto. "Remember Me. Wasurete."

" Oh Kei-sama~!" Kain decided to intervene yet again. Adopting the "guise" of "Wasurete", Kei Yume's Zanpakutō. His wings flew out from behind Kei and he began to embrace him." Ohh, I haven't seen you in oh so long! Why haven't you been going to the inner world for training~? Naughty, naughty boy~" Clutching onto his mid-rift, Kain hadn't been able to be rid of so easily. Winking to Myst, he telepathically told her." Use Jiman to rid of his illusion's influence upon you...otherwise you'll be succumbed to horrendous mental torture!" Compassion could be heard in the voice he spoke with...he had found a friend after so many years after all!

"Three powers, seven sins, seven virtues. Tormented soul, fragile soul. Look upon yourself in horror, through arrogance let the sin of Pride remove your soul." Myst recited, shelving part of her effective Reiyoku to gain a massive boost to her Reiatsu, increasing the pressure that she exerted down on her opponent. A feeling that the entire room became a mausoleum pervaded her senses, amplified from her aura's naturally macabre feel.

"Thinking that I would be foolish enough to fall for your antics is quite stupid Kain." Kei said, casually brushing off the Reikon Kyuuban Noble away. "The portrayal of Wasurete was far from accurate; both he and I are quite on good terms and I had already complete the godforsaken training, thank you very much." He continued to explain, a small hint of venomous annoyance flaked his words.

Kei turned his attention towards the Reikon Kyuuban before him, pointing a glowing blood red Rapier at her chest. "You think that has any effect over me?" He asked plaintively. Kei took a step forward and jet black wing suddenly appeared from his back. He casually let his Zanpakuto drop earnestly to the ground, letting the blade rip the wooden floorboards. Unknowingly, his right hand started to glow a dangerous red color as Kei neared Myst with a smile.

" Oh really? Well, originality comes at a price mind you." Kain realized Kei was far stronger from the bout he had with the Queen Mother so many years ago. He had no real effect on this battle, and told Kei." Before you barbarians continue, Kei, may I ask you a few questions?" Kain inquisitively kept his eyes on Kei's figure, hoping he would listen.

"Excuse me? Who are you calling a Barbarian? Do I like a stupid cave-man? OR do you see everyone as that?" Kei immediately refuted, apparently offended. His body language was somewhat menacing, already riled up from the Elder's poor choice of words. "But if gets you to shut up and stop being annoying, ask away." He finished with a sigh.

"Kei, you know me enough to know I tend to be very...blunt with my wording. Moving on, my question is...what made you turn out like this? You weren't like this so many years ago when we first met. Have you been..." Kain stopped his questioning right there. Though it may not look it, Kain and Kei weren't actually the worst of enemies, though not necessarily the best of friends either.

"Could you be more specific if you will. You could mean how handsome I got for all I know. Or how sexy I am. How strong I am. How smart I am. How badass I am." He said with a snicker, poking fun at Kain's obvious vagueness to the question.

" You and your conceited nature, my, my, won't you ever get a grip on yourself?" Kain berated him before saying." I think you know exactly what I mean. But, you two carry on with your antics. I'll simply intervene when necessary, alright~?" And he flew off once again, dispersing into a number of sleek, black, bats as his cries resounded in the air.

"Me conceited? Look how pompous and ridiculous your allegations sound Kain!" Kei yelled out into the sky, aware of Kain's leave. "For your information, I'm still the same as I ever was. I just wanted to do a change of pace today, especially when I get annoyed..." He finished, knowing that somewhere out there, Kain was listening intently to his words.

Kei looked at Myst and smiled. "Now, shall we resume?" He said, dangerously inching closer to his assailant.

Myst readied her blade in response, as well as ending her spell, which had no effect on the aproaching Kei. "Where were we? I'm sure it was the point I was kicking your butt. I haven't even transformed and you had to release your Zanpakto. Am I that much of a threat?"

He couldn't help but chuckle at her accusation, his laugh was made of a mix of seriousness and joviality. "Don't kid yourself young lady. I hear it isn't good for your health." Kei remarked, his tone laced with venom. "Release? It was getting quite boring and I deduced that if I activated Shikai, I could get more out of you and this minor incursion. But we shall.." He stopped in mid-sentence and nonchalantly raised his sword tip at her. It glowed momentarily before he yelled, "Yume No Piasu Nami (夢のピアス波, Piercing Waves of Dreams)! He made a sweeping motion and unleashed a devastating discharge of red cackling energy at Myst.

The red energy exploded on contact, forcing Myst to double over as the wind was taken out of her, along with a few painful cuts from debries being accelerated around her. "Light the Sky Gesshoku!" she yelled, revealing her Zanpakto's true form, a relatively minor change from it's sealed state, only adding a gauge held to the sword by a chain, one that registered one-fourth full. "Hoshi." With a swing of the newly released weapon, she sent a fireball, one composed of white and bright orange flames, back at her target, an attack which drained her guage to zero.

Hoshi came in full force, smashing into Kei's side, singing parts of his clothing. But it seemed to not affect the Shinigami Captain; he didn't flinch or scowl in pain. Enjoying the change of pace and progression, Kei grinned and jumped back a step or two. He swung his blade three times, firing three more Yume No Piasu Nami at Myst, all converging on him in separate directions.

Myst almost swore she landed a direct hit with Hoshi, which was admitedly her weakest skill on it's own. The three blasts were inching closer by the second. putting her in jeprody. "''Three powers, seven sins, seven virtues. Fear and anxiety cement, frail heart, cold as stone. With Sloth, fall into the abyss and lie in darkness!" ''she chanted, creating a fixed membrane around herself that served as a barrier to defend her form from the assult that would soon collide with the newly erected defense.

The three blasts connected, exploding in dramatic fashion. However, their target was vurtually unharmed, thanks to the barrier spell. As the smoke cleared, it became perfectly clear Myst's Reiatsu was going wild, so thick that it could be clearly seen, a rose colored confulgration that swirled about her body. The beautiful display of power took a darker turn as the reishi became crimson, like blood. Almost as soon as the wild blaze begain, it ended, leaving Myst standing in the epicenter of the event, her eyes a dark red, her hair whiter than snow. "My turn, Captain."

With that, she used Ketsueki Butoukai, the Reikon Kyuuban equal to the Flash-step. Within moments, she was right in front of Kei and aimed a kick at his side, her intent to knock the wind out of him.

Because Kain couldn't stand the boredom of staying in his bat form, he returned to his humanoid figure. Immediately he engulfed himself in spiritual energy before the power began to...sparkle? Chuckling, Kain let out a cry," Let the Twilight Vampires Return!" With that, the world had ended for Kain. An extremely bright light engulfed the entire area, causing further misdirection between the two combatants. While Kain remained at the center of things, laughing his guts off while spreading his arms out wide.

As soon as Kain engulfed himself an a sparkling torrent of energy, everything around Kei seemed to stop in motion. The bright light overwhelmed his senses, essentially blinding him for the time being. To make matters worse, Myst's kick connected to Kei's side with an excessive amount of force yet again, and he heard a large crack take place. Immense pain shot up his spine and gasped in a mixture of pain and shock, coughing up spittle. The kick also knocked him off balance and it sent him spiraling into a building, leaving a huge indent on the wall.

He laid on the spot he landed, sprawled on the floor, heavily breathing with exasperation.

Myst's sight had faltered under Kain's latest trick, the light was excessively blinding to her empowered eyes. One of these days, she'd have to remind him not to shine a bright light around her in her transformation. "Kain, do me a favor. Go find Kei and make sure I didn't kill him. I'd rather avoid more innocent blood on my hands. I've already killed too many times for my own liking."

Kain retreated his bright light and told his new master," Do not worry, My Queen. If Lord Scarlet could not kill this man, I doubt a blow like that would do too much to him." Kain still looked around regardless, and he found Kei on the floor. Kain chuckled, he found it amusing that the man who had fought his previous queen was in this state, albeit less shambled, once again." Here he is, my queen."

"Oh? What are you laughing at Kain?" A now completely fine Kei asked as he slapped him on the shoulder. His face was etched with a smile, enjoying the confusion that was probably going to take place. "Is it about that poor fellow sprawled on the floor over there?" He asked, pointing to the figure on the ground. Suddenly, it glowed a bright white and started to disappear into spirit articles until there was no more.

"Never mind. He seemed to have gone up and left without a goodbye!" He said with a snicker.

Myst blinked a few times as her sight once again kicked in. "You mean to tell me that I just kicked the snot out of a copy? Well, I should be thankful for that. But when did you pull off the switch? I didn't even sense it happen, but in my defense, I was blinded when I lashed out. Actually, don't tell me. I'd rather get back to the ass kicking I was about to hand you, what do you think?" she asked, her tone sounding like she was trying to convince herself more than anything. Kain was right, she utterly failed to deal significant damage, but not from a lack of trying. The man she faced was comparable to the monster that still haunted her dreams, and that would happen to be her most mild comparison.

"Myst, you only beat the copy because I let you do that, so in a way, you should be thankful for what I did. And as for the switch, that is a mere trade secret better left unsaid but all of your assumptions are dead wrong." He blatantly said, crossing his arms. Kei waved his finger at Myst, denying her of any confirmation about his abilities. "Better luck next time dear!: He said with a laugh.

Kei pointed his Zanpkauto towards Myst and a figure appeared at her side, already poised to attack the Reikon Kyuuban Queen."Given enough time, Myst should be able to analyze the majority of my abilities but in the mean time, I might as much as possible."

Myst couldn't even see the second copy until the attack connected. The impact snapped a few bones in her chest and shoulder as well as knocking her flat on her back. Maybe...maybe taunting him to fight harder wasn't my best idea. she lamented. She was used to being beaten and broken endlessly in the midst of a battle like this, but the suddenness of the pain never ceased to be a surprise. After a moment, she forced herself to stand again.

A theory entered the vampiress's mind. To test the idea, she pointed her finger and gathered her spiritual energy in a manner akin to her KGS but fired what appeared to be an arrow of energy at the clone. The arrow had something like a poision inside, capable of breaking down non-living spiritual substances.

The arrow had struck the clone, who only ignored the gash, thinking of it as a flesh wound of some sort. Both it and Kei smirked at the attack and it consequently made another effort to attack the hurt Myst. Aiming at her neck, it swung the blade. But before it struck Myst in the neck, the clone dropped its Zanpakuto in mid-swing and lurched on the ground in pain, grasping its stomach. The clone coughed up specks of blood and if one were to look at Kei, everytime that happened, he flinched in what seemed to be invisible pain.

The clone coughed one more time before falling over, unmoving. In a sudden burst of energy, it disintegrated into pufts of spiritual energy.

Kei looked up at Myst and smiled. Instead of fear, he applauded the woman for her innovation. "Very nice Princess. But can you keep up?" He asked as he raised his Zanpakuto at her. It glowed an ominous red. Besides him were two more clones, who each reflected the same action. And in a short amount of seconds, three waves of energy would be fired at the mere Reikon Kyuuban.

Myst knew that taking out both clones was impossible in such a short time, but even if she could, it was more profitable to leave them be for a moment or two. She opened her mouth and began sucking in the beams of death, swallowing them whole, as if it were an all you can eat buffet. To her, it was more than that, it was a way to restore her energy without having to cast another spell. The beams faded out after a few moments, giving her plenty of energy to continue the match.

"I'm sorry. Was that supposed to beat me? Getting a little ahead of yourself aren't you Captain?" she taunted before raising her sword to prepare one of her most dangerous abilities. "Uchuu." With a whisper of the name, one of the clones was encased in a block of energy. "Take a look, Kei Yumi, at the instrument of your defeat. Two minutes, starting now, your clone will die from a lack of air."

"My instrument to my defeat? Ha! You're sorely mistaken Princess. It would definitely be trouble if that Energy Block was placed around me. But I have no amount of concern." The Captain instantly rebuked with a smile on his face. "If you must know, the Clones are completely under my control and while I'm still active, I can do whatever I want with them. As you can see now."

And with a short snap of his fingers, Kei II disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the block of energy empty without its supposed occupant. "And now for an act that will definitely bring surprise to your cute little face." Kei said as he clapped his gloved fingers, causing to glow scarlet red. "Arise, Kuroten!" The ground beneath the two of them started to tremble with an unforeseen fervor unlike any before, just enough to make Myst take to the skies to avoid falling on her behind. A blackish red aura started to manifest around the fabled Shinigami and in mere moments, a large centaur-like humanoid adorned with fiery wings materialized behind him. It had the face of a Lion adorned with curved horns and the beast wielded a huge Zweihänder-like sword encased entirely in flames.

"What do you need of me Kei to foolishly awake me from the slumber you promised?" Kuroten said, its voice heavy and deep. Tendrils of smoke escaped from its nostrils and partially opened mouth.

"Attack."

"Thy bidding is granted young one." It acknowledged. Kuroten turned to face Myst, barely giving her enough to respond as it swung Zweihänder-like sword at the Reikon Kyuuban with such ferocity that if it connected, she would surely be cut in two.

Myst slammed Gesshoku into the large flaming weapon, the point facing down. The golden blade began to break under the strain of holding back the forces exerted by the giant and its sword. Frangments stripped away as the sparks continued to fly. The Reikon Kyuuban knew that if she wanted to survive, she would have to sacrifice her sword, at least for the time being. Hoisting herself up by the handle of Gesshoku, she flipped over the vast weapon and desended to the ground. Without her support, the Zanpakto fell to the ground like a stone. A single use of the Ketsueki Butōkai and Myst was outside of the monster's line of sight, unless it turned to strike again.

Whatever this thing is, I'll have to take it down somehow. Myst was sure it had a weakness, even if it was hard to find.

The Manifestation snarled in annoyance as it turned to face the Reikon Kyuuban Monarch once again. But rather than attack with the Zweihänder, yellowish-orange energy started to form at the tip of Kuroten's horns. And in mere moments, the Beast will have enough energy to unleash wide scale destruction on the landscape before them.

"Blaze." Kei said, pointing at the woman before him. Roaring with anticipation, Kuroten readied himself in firing position. And fired.

Myst's eyes widened as she saw the energy sphere growing. If the blast connected, her body would be little more than ashes, and her life snuffed out in the inferno. The attack was too massive to dodge and she failed to discern a way to slow the charging process, or even end it completely. She decided to try her personal take on the sixth Natsumi Engi.

Waiting for the confulgration to come near her, Myst prepared the incantation. "Three Powers, Seven Sins. Gaze and Envy at my power. Let nothing escape, and feed on your foolishness." A burst of rose colored light flashed around her as the attack nearly connected. The light functioned as a mirror, repelling the attack right back at it's maker.

"Pitiful."" The Beast merely said as it started to gather energy around the bull horns once again. But rather charge the full sequence, it fired what little energy it happened to have, firing multiple blasts into the oncoming inferno in hopes of quelling the raging fire. The two counter attacks did little to impede the movement but it managed to reduce the oncoming impact as it crashed into the towering behemoth. However, Kuroten appeared to take a surprising amount of damage, momentarily staggering a few steps before it remained its regal composure once again.

"Oh dear, you shouldn't anger Kuroten like that Myst. You don't like him when he's angry." Kei said with a delighted smile as he appeared before her. But before Myst could say anything, he jumped away, laughing erratically.

Kuroten continued the attack, gathering fire element within its body until the monster started to glow yellow, especially its wing. The energy welled up at the base of the mouth and it roared, releasing the accumulated power as a powerful yet steady stream of flames towards Myst's path.

Myst stared at the oncoming torrent of fire. The glowing embers that flickered off them gave the attack an intrinsic beauty, a deadly one at that. She broke out into a sweat as the heat neared her body. I can't use the Engi again, not for something this abstract. She had little time to ponder her escape before the impact. Concealed by the smoke, she had used Butokai again to appear right below the creature.

She charged another KGS and held her hand up, firing the deadly wave at the behemoth's underside.

Kuroten had little time to react, partially due to his tremendous frame and arrogant and prideful demeanor. He roared in disjointed pain when the attack connected. The ensuing blast produced was immense, covering both Myst and Kuroten in a plume of smoke. A victorious attack to be sure, the battle was not won, giving very little time to celebrate. The large Zweihänder-like sword swung about in a wild manner, causing the smoke to dissipate around them, revealing a glowing Kuroten towering over Myst. "Human. I must commend you for your valiant efforts as you are one of the lucky few to come so close and injure me. But this is the end..." He said, rough and hoarse, as if its mouth were dry. But could Creatures like that even produce saliva? Kuroten then raised its Zweihänder-like sword above its head and prepared to strike.

But before it could strike the finishing blow, Kuroten suddenly dropped the Zweihänder and started to cough and tremble. "W-what is this meaning of this? I can still fight!" It uttered, the coughing becoming more violent and harsh. The body of the creature started to glow an intense red, sparks and embers flying all over the body. Kuroten's muzzle lost all of its color and became black and slowly, it started to creep through its body.

"Oi Kuroten!" Kei said, appearing beside the towering behemoth's face, consciously flapping his wing to keep himself afloat. He caught the beast's attention, who slowly turned its head to face the handler. But the reception was more than a happy one; it growled menacingly, a puff of smoke escaped from its nostrils. "Seems like you used up all your allotted energy this time. You should've realized I didn't you give that much energy this time around. But even then, you used it all up in quick succession." He chastised Kuroten as if it were a disobedient child. "Also, Princess over there happened to do quite a number on you,"

"SILENCE!" It bellowed. But before a response could be uttered at the exuberant Kei, Kuroten started to writhe in pain and roared in agony as it started to lose all of its color. The flames that surrounded Kuroten started to die down as well, becoming a twisted beacon of life, indicating its fading life force. All Myst could do was watch in awe as she watched the terrifying behemoth die right before her eyes. "I...will....not...be...defeated...." It managed to say before it fell to the ground. However, it swung its fist towards the Reikon Kyuuban, intended on grabbing her and crushing the lithe body within immense force. But before Myst could be grabbed, Kuroten disappeared in a flourish of spiritual energy.

It was silent. The thunderous battle that presided them had stopped for the time being, allowing for a brief respite between the two opponents. Kei then appeared beside Myst, his back behind hers. "Well, that was exciting, don't you think? Wait.. Don't answer that." He said teasingly. "Truth be told, I didn't expect him to lose. But you just proved that wrong, correct? Alas, he wasn't fighting at full strength, but a feat in its own right." He disappeared once again.

"But we're not done yet Princess." He said cheerfully, appearing several meters away from the woman. He walked casually, with what seemed to be orbs of red energy forming in the palms of his hand. As he walked back and forth, Kei placed each of them in the air, kept aloft by an unknown energy. It wasn't until he reached a number of ten orbs that Kei stopped. "This is going to be fun." He continued, a devilish grin formed on his face.

Myst's knees were shaking. At every turn, her actions were slowly eating at her remaining energy. Even though she just overcame the giant fire monster, there was no telling with any certainty how much more she could do. "Ten orbs? What could ten measly spheres to to me? I just bested your overgrown flamethrower." Even as she spoke, the vampiress could see the irony in her words. she doubted even enough energy for another KGS existed in her body. ''Ryuichi would be laughing right now. I used up all my best tricks just to defend myself.''

"Ah but you're wrong there Hime-sama. Although I provided the spiritual energy for the attack, the overgrown flamethrower you speak of doesn't belong to me but to Kuroten alone. My own techniques are limited but with beasts like him under my disposal, the possibilities are endless." He replied with a chuckle. Tightly gripping his Zanpakuto, Kei moved to each of the orbs and lightly touched them with the tip. This action unknowingly caused it to glow a deeper red. One could only look at awe to the spectacle about to take place.

Watch the fireworks. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

This is all for you. She needed to understand that. Whatever she wanted was a folly.

Fire. Can you understand?

Each of the orbs started to spark with torrential energy and after several seconds a wave emanated from each of them. Each dispelled a sequence of eight orbs in two waves. They moved at a tremendous speed but Kei was unsure whether Myst could dodge them. But he hoped.

Quick Escalation
Somewhere in this area, Katsumi Scarlet and Hitotoki Itoshii observed the battle taking place before them. The Queen Mother was rather nonchalant about the turn of events, her eyes being focused on Kei and observing his movements. On the otherhand, Hitotoki observed the exact opposite, silently rooting for the other mistress and her victory. Each of their intentions were rather dubious but none of them betrayed their thoughts or emotions, even though Katsumi could easily read the minds of her servants, she merely chose not to.

"Hitotiki." Katsumi said.

"Yes Mistress?"

"Look at Kei. What do you notice?"

"I don't understand Mistress. I see nothing out of the ordinary." She replied.

"He's smiling. He never smiled when I fought our small engagement with the Shinigami." Katsumi said, her face breaking out into a disappointed pout.

Hitotoki couldn't help but giggle at her Mistress's eccentrics. "You shouldn't worry over trivial things like this Mistress."

"Shut up."

"As you wish Mistress." Hitotoki complied with a bow.

"Sometimes, I wish you would like lighten up Hitotoki." Katsumi stated whilst she looked at her nails and played with her hair. She turned her attention at the two opponents once again and continued to observe, wary of the end results.

Myst could barely see the spheres bearing down around her. Eighty in total, or maybe more or less. She couldn't tell for certain. Their speed was incredible, and it was hard to distinguish one from another. She focused her mind and chanted the incantation to another Engi spell. "Three powers, seven sins, seven virtues. Abandonment and denial, grant thy wish, steal with blood-stained hands, with naught but Greed in mind."

As soon as she spoke, the orbs had closed in and she had vanished. Moving faster than the human eye could comprehend, she was behind Kei. She lightly tapped his shoulder.

"Oh how wonderful, you dodged them." Kei said. However, he didn't turn around to acknowledge her presence besides him. "But Hime-sama, can you still dodge them as they converge on us?" He ask, with a beaming smile. He flicked his wrist and the majority of the orbs changed direction and subsequently converged on them.

Myst put Kei in a chokehold to restrain him. "My question to you is, are you willing to hurt yourself to beat me? If you try to run, I will snuff your life out like a candle, and if you stand here, we will both be injured by those spheres."

"To simply put it in the easiest way possible Hime-sama. Yes." Kei replied bluntly. He teasingly smiled at Myst yet made no effort to escape the hold she had over his neck, the lifeline to life or death. "It doesn't matter for me if I happened to get injured. But the question is, can you?" He asked fervently, raising an eyebrow.

A period of silence took place as Kei regarded Myst passionately, staring deeply into her eyes as though he was attempting to read her very soul and thoughts. For many, it was incredibly hard for anyone to discern Kei's own motives, let alone his face for that matter. Always throwing jokes and teasing, he tread on short waters with each passing moment. And as the orbs towards both of them. All he could do was continue his smile. "Show time," Kei whispered. And then he closed his eyes to await their allotted fate. Or will they?

Even though Kei's gaze could read her so easily, Myst was unable to discern if he was actually serious about taking so many blows to earn victory. The moment of truth came upon them and, unable to accept winning through a trap, she tossed Kei to the side and rolled out of the danger zone. ''There's no way either of us could have survived that many hits and he knew it. Yet...he's barely done anything this entire fight. Just how far does his power truely go?'' All she could do was wonder as she again eluded the blitz of spheres.

She telepathecally summoned Gesshoku to her side in a flash of light and waited to see what her opponent's next move would be.

"Ara Ara Hime-sama. It seems like you took my words to heart! But even after that, you still seem uncertain of my actions. More or less, my words as well. Haha." He laughed aloud while he made an exaggerated attempt to stand up. Kei fluffed out his coat, dusting the dirt off of his precious apparel, the Shinigami's face breaking out into angst or what seemed to be worry but it was definitely hard to tell from his emotions.

Subconsciously, Kei raised a hand to his neck and gently rubbed it to soothe the burning sensation. However, a small pain shot up through to his brain, causing him to grind his teeth and momentarily close his eyes. He grunted in response and stole a glance at Myst. "I do have to admit Hime-sama, your grip was pretty strong for someone of your stature. Seems like you have some things up your sleeve that I could not forsee." He said happily, actually complementing the woman rather than throw insults at her.

Noticing Myst poised for action, Kei could not resist the challenge she supposedly presented to him. He materialized his Shikai and froze for a moment, digging his boots deep into the ground. And in that instant, Kei disappeared so to speak. All that remained was a small rip in the air where Kei formerly stood, as if someone had literally cut the area he was in. What Myst didn't know was that Kei had slashed a cut in the dimensional rift and had hidden himself. But where he hid himself was unknown. Coincidentally, the technique could be compared to an Arrancar's Garganta albeit on a more practical scale. It was merely a game of chance for Myst to determine Kei's whereabouts but there could be several surprises in store for the woman.

A small tear appeared close to Myst's ears and a voice echoed out. "Try to find me Princess! If you have some difficulty in finding me, here's a hint! The Dimension I'm currently in is exactly like the area we're in right now. All you have to do is focus and you'll find me! If you fail, I have a big surprise!" Before Myst could reply back, the tear suddenly closed. In the mean time, Kei was laughing to himself as stood behind Myst, his back turned towards her. A mischievous look was etched on his face but something in his eyes told otherwise.

Find me. It should be easy enough. Right?

"Kei is being rather mean don't you think Mistress?" Hitotoki asked in her usual monotone voice. Her pale gray hair fluttered with the wind and her cold eyes stared intently at the young woman beside her. While Hitotoki waited for a response, she casually played with one of her numerous knives, quickly moving it from finger to finger.

"Hmmm?" Katsumi murmured, apparently bored from the thing taking place before the two of them. After some seconds, the question finally hit her and she nodded in confused agreement. "Ahh. Yes. Seems like Kei continues to observe Myst, even though she clearly made her intention to hurt him known many times. All he does is stare. But what could that Shinigami bastard be thinking of?" She asked, looking up to Hitotoki.

"I'm not quite sure Mistress. It might be possible that Kei wants to draw this out as long as possible. Do you think he wants to face Myst-sama's true potential?"

"That may be true. That man is extremely skilled, in many fields and arts. What is his true purpose?" She asked, letting the question hang in the air, well aware that there was no immediate answer.

Suddenly, a thought crossed the Queen Mother's mind as she gasped in realization. Or what seemed to be a twisted form of motherly worry. Hitotoki noticed and slowly turned her head to face Katsumi, raising a questioning eyebrow. "Is something the matter Mistress? Are you tired? Hungry? Annoyed?" She asked, somewhat preparing herself to leave given the correct order.

"No, nothing like that. Just a thought. Where the bloody hell did Kain go off to?" Hitotoki shrugged her shoulders in response and returned to her former position, choosing not to answer. However, in all honesty, she didn't know the answer either.

Katsumi then smacked her hand. "I got it! You think Kain stopped appearing because he couldn't find a correct answer to Kei's monologue about his sexiness? Hehe." She said aloud, giggling in the process.

Flying around like an idiot. Kain had seemingly trailed off for a bit. He was a busy man himself as well, you know? After all, he was a bat, a sexy one at that. But you know. Things happen. " It's also known as F.I.S.H right?"

His thoughts returned to where they needed to be. He saw a few drops of blood on the battle. Seemed that Myst was going swimmingly...not well, of course. "My Queen, you seem to be in trouble?"

Kain bowed as he made his presence known to the world once more." I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack~" His high-pitched voice created a shockwave that was able to cause quite the impact. Everyone was astonished, but Kain simply grinned with glee." Haha, sorry about that Kei-san, I was thinking up of a reply to your monologue of sexiness."

He paused, breathed in, and expelled." Welp, to be frank. Firstly, you're not sexy, nor handsome, your sense of fashion is ridiculous actually. I mean, look at those clothes. Sometimes I think you need a change of style. And, anyone who plays so dirty isn't badass, they're just little scared cats. Wouldn't you agree with me my lady?" Kain decided to take a quick bow, knowing his monologue was worth quite a bit of time." So, should I continue with a soliloquy? Or should I simply take over the battle for you my Queen? There's some blood-wine over there, and a nice leather seat, laced with golden edges of course. Please take a seat. While I take care of this young man." Drawing his shikomizue as he spoke, he flipped its hilt to allow both his blade and hilt to surround him in a "X" shape.

"Shall we continue from where we left off a few hundred years ago? After all, you decided to ditch me didn't you? You know how much of a meanie you are!?" Kain's childish voice conflicted with his serious and grim expressions. Frankly, not even Katsumi fully comprehended the man at times." So, who's attacking first?"

"Hmmm?" Kei questioned, tilting his head like a confused puppy inside the dimension. He blew his hair away in and annoyance and sighed. A small tear casually appeared near Kain's ear and Kei's voice appeared, clear as rain and regal. "It seemed like I offended you Kain, enough for you throw a temper tantrum like a child. But no matter, your words won't have a say against me. I could easily change my appearance to whatever I desire if the circumstances permit. And me play dirty? How ridiculous to name strategy and tactics as everything should be permitted. I believe you should take a respite as interfering with Myst's battle will make the entire ordeal null and void for me and her. However, if you so desire, I will not let the request go unheeded."

Just then, multiple tears of the dimensional fabric appeared besides the Elder Reikon Kyuuban known as Kai Daisuke. Kei himself appeared in front of Kain in a slow descending manner, as if he were one of those mythological deities coming down from heaven to visit man. "Well, here I am. Do you want to come and play with me?" He said with a smile, before furrowing his brow to display an aura of seriousness. He licked his lips and continued to give Kain a beaming smile.

He snapped his fingers.

The multiple tears that surrounded Kain glowed a bright white and in an instant, it discharged multiple attacks directed at the man, ranging from Yume no Piasu to those red energy orbs of cascading fire.

Cascading fire and sword beams? No problem for Kain. In his "X" formation, he simply increased his output of reiatsu to the point where a visible crimson aura was emanating from the crosses, as if his blood was boiling at the excitement of this battle. He countered Kei's own optimism with his own, and simply spun both of his swords away from one another with an extreme amount of force, causing a potent red shockwave to create a devastating rippling effect that caused most of the attacks to be deflected. However some burnt him slightly, though Kain could take many more hits easily.

Before retaliatng, Kain merely commented." Heh, strategy and tactics that mess with the mind are not exactly fair, are they? But moving along, I was not offended in the slightest. Have you ever heard of the term sarcasm? Well, I have heard that if it is misinterpreted, then the person who did so, must be insane. Is that the case with you? I hope not, my friend. Oh! And about interfering with my Queen's ordeal, queens should not have to face such trouble, after all, how exactly is she nobility if such things occur so frequently?"

His tone gradually returned to its light-hearted state, and he then used a single step of Ketsueki Butoukai to traverse the distance between himself and Kei. Almost instantly the scabbard of his blade had been hooked around Kei's back, and his blade, coated with spiritual energy threatened to blast Kei into a pile of ashes!

"Have you ever heard the term that the Humans use to say? Something along the lines of Idgaf?" Kei murmured into Kain's ear as leaned forward. He broke into a fit of snickering afterwards, clapping the unamused Reikon Kyuuban on the shoulder. "Do what you will but whatever it is will hardly have an effect on me." Kei leaned forward, absorbing the coated spiritual energy with a halfhearted grin. With another snap of his fingers, the Kei everyone had previously seen disappeared in a small exaggerated poof, one of the noticeable traits for a Portable Gigai.

To further add insult to injury, Kei flickered besides Kain, his Zanpakuto hoisted at his hips. His arms were crossed and Kei was breathing calmly. "And as I was saying, or shall we say, adding to the conversation. Myst needs to be stronger and how do you expect such type of nobility to get stronger if they're constantly sheltered? Many Human Civilizations had fallen due to that and you want your Fushi Coven to crumble even more? Katsumi wasn't sheltered her entire life Kain, she fought every step of the way. And in Myst's case, it demanded Trial by Fire. Trial by Blood! But I assure you, if you want to continue her the rest of her life, please, be my guest." He finished, opening the way to Myst, who had surprisingly been at the same spot the entire time.

Katsumi heard Kei's entire speech and couldn't help but smile. She leaned forward earnestly, hoping to catch more of the duo's senseless bickering and idiocy. "Kei does have a point there." She whispered to herself.

Myst turned to face her father figure and their shared opponent. "Kain-san, get the hell away from him. I'm done playing games. I want to finish this on my own terms. I have to get stronger, not for my sake alone, but for anyone willing to follow me. A kingdom is only as strong as it's ruler, the chain as weak as it's links. I have to get stronger. I understand that you want to protect me and I thank you for that, but please, I ask of you this. To let me finish the fight. Don't worry, I'll leave you something to beat on after the fact." A deadly calm crept into her voice, almost like she was sure she'd come out on top.

"Tsk. You people have no sense of humor anymore. Guess I have no importance in the world anymore. Ta ta~" Kain, actually feeling dejected decided to move away from the scenery and speculate at the battle that was about to incur. His thoughts raced in mind, as he appeared at a different location to Hitotoki and Lord Scarlet." Damn...I've become attached once more...you looking at this, my friend? You happy, or you sad? Tsk, I know I am going to be irritated..." He looked on with concern in his eyes. This side of Kain was rarely seen, but he showed it to nobody at all." Well, let's see how you survive this battle..."

''I'll apologize later. I've got to win first.'' Myst thought to her self as Kain disappeared. It didn't sit right with her that she actually forced him to get away, but there was no more time for holding back. "Kei, I'm going to break you. I did promise Kain-san that I'd leave something behind, but I want to watch you shatter and burn before I'm done."

The gauge on her sword was full at last. "Inseki." At her command a large disk of spiritual energy hovered above the pair. She turned the sword to the right and the disk broke down into smaller spheres, something like her Hoshi ability. The spheres rained down, each aiming to destroy Kei.

His eyes widened in apparent surprise but down underneath, he made a smile. He bent down and propelled himself away from his position, intent on escaping the small spheres of destructive energy. However, Kei made a critical error and did not calculate the speed of the attack itself. The spheres converged on Kei's figure and almost all of them detonated on impact, enveloping him in smoke and throwing the man onto the ground with a savage thud. "Oooof!" He managed to breathe out. Kei struggled to stand up, stabbing his Zanpakuto into the ground in an attempt to get leverage.

"Well, that wasn't expected. But good show." He yelled out. Although his clothing was ripped and tattered to shreds, his body seriously injured with a myriad of cuts and bruises placed sparingly out, Kei still managed to break out into a smile, albeit a weary one to be exact. "Pretty stupid of me to not use a Thought Projection eh? But that would take the fun out of everything correct?" He snickered quietly to himself.

"But the pleasantries must end once again." Kei raised his Zanpakuto towards and he glowed bright blue as he uttered, "Hunt, Hanta." Dozens of bestial shadow creatures appeared around Kei and Myst, surrounding her while acting as a rudimentary guard for him. They angrily roared and breathed loudly and heavily. "Hantā No Hōkō" He whispered. The creatures focused their attention on Myst and opened their mouths in a roaring motion. But instead of an ominous war cry, a gray mass started to gather and in swift concession, they simultaneously fired while at the same time, they converged on her with swift grace and uniformity.

"Mistress, Kain seemed rather disappointed." Hitotoki uttered quietly, showing off a faint sense of concern for the Reikon Kyuuban.

"Woh ho ho ho!" Katsumi blubbered with a large laugh. "Let him be Hitotoki. Unless...you want to console the dejected "child"." She teased.

".....I will not." Hitotoki adamantly refused, a noticeable blush of red appearing on her cheeks. She turned her head with a haughty motion and crossed her arms with pursed lips.

"Hehehe." Katsumi broke into another smile and turned her head to pay attention to the spectacle before them once again.

Myst tried to gather enough energy for a KGS, but it failed, producing little more than a small spark of crimson energy. The grey blasts were nearing by the moment and so were the dog-like creatures that fired them, leaving nowhere to go but up. She jumped back into the air, waitng for the inevitable collision of attacks below.

But as the grey blasts of energy were about to collide with Myst's weakened body, they surprisingly dissipated right before her eyes. The snarling lunging beastial creatures stopped their attack in mid-sequence and in a flash of spiritual energy, were gone.

But what would cause such a thing?

However, the answer would soon reveal itself. Kei appeared before the stunned and surprised Myst as they both hung in the air. The Captain was had a somewhat disturbing grin etched on his face as he gave her a wink. "Got ya." He whispered to her, teasingly poking Myst in the head. But he used this moment as an opportunity as well, grabbing the woman's head and threw her into the ground with an excessive amount of force.

The Closing Curtain
Myst slammed into the ground, unable to so much as slow down before impact. Dirt and debris scattered in all directions around her prone form. A moment passed while she regained her bearings. Once she was able to, she pushed up off the ground. "Enjoy looking down on me while it lasts Kei. I'll tear you down and wipe that humorous look on your face clear to the next life of yours. You're the better fighter, that is true. I don't have the ages of skill that you posess. But, I've still got a reason to win. I WILL win. Do you understand that? You have all the power to end it when you get bored. Hell, I don't even know how I'm standing again. All I know is that I can't let you go without a scratch. I have one more trick up my sleeves, one that I really shouldn't be using."

"Three powers, seven sins, seven virtues. Deny and perish, tormented soul, broken heart. With Hell's witness, the flames of Wrath's pyre, ignite once more!" At her command, an orb of energy appeared. The orb began absorbing blood from Myst's body at a feverous pace. Once it was saturated, the sphere burst, flames fueled by the blood raged onward, directly to Kei.

"...Burn baby burn..." He said aloud as Kei watched the blood fueled flames rush towards him. He didn't move. Nor did he show any amount of emotion. No fear. No surprise. Nothing. What could Kei Yume, the Captain of the Third Division be getting at?

The swirling mass of fire struck his body, unmercilessly coiling around Kei's entire being as it transformed itself into a large explosion. The fiery energy soon started to wrap itself against his body. There was no room him to move but why he should he do that; there was no point afterall. Kei's clothing started to smoke and he could feel his skin starting to boil. He gritted his teeth but no sound escaped his mouth yet. The flames continued to rage on and it eventually transformed into a torrential firestorm. "This really hurts; it's scorching hot around here." He said bluntly, although it was fairly obvious it wouldn't be a walk in the park either.

It was starting to get hard to breathe. The ash furiously entered his lungs, causing him to enter a fit of coughing. But Kei still made no effort to resist the fire. Despite the coughing and scorching heat, he managed to remain calm. "...I guess...*COUGH*.time..*COUGH*..for that.*COUGH*..." He said, just before the spell flames engulfed his body.

"..Bankai..."

The flames that engulfed him collapsed in on itself while brilliant swirl of purplish black energy erupted from the very core. An aged and wizened voice followed soon afterwards. "There is no hate, only joy, For you are beloved by all, Hero of the dawn, Healer of Worlds, Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul. Pride is lost, wings stripped away, the end is nigh, for we are released." What sounded like a flap of wings was soon heard and any semblance of the fire Myst had previously cast immediately disappeared. A streak of black zoomed past Myst and Kei appeared before her, lips pursed and arms crossed. His eyes were now a golden red color and crimson-black sparks surrounded his body. Two large midnight black wings stemmed from his back, and when coupled with the Captain's torn clothing, it made him look an Angel of War and Death.

"I have no reason to look down on you Hime-sama. Nor do I possess the desire to kill you Hime-sama. You have not done me no wrong but I allowed you to punish this body of mine. I could had escaped it..really..but I wanted to test your strength and resolve. To see if you have the power. The power to rule. That's what amused and interested me. Am I the victim? Or are you?" He finished with indifference. But the glint in his eyes told otherwise.

"There are just some things you don't understand. But someday, you will see the meaning." He then abruptly pointed his finger at the mystified woman and said. "#40."

A green flash of light, that's all it seemed like at first. Then blasts of energy impacted against Myst as if she were paper against a mace. Streams of green slammed again and again against her, the force sending her skidding back with each hit. Bruises and open gashes from the fight littered her body as the attack ceased, some wounds were fresh, some were reletively old and slowly healing on their own.

Her power was waning rapidly, most of what remained was diverted to the healing process, the only think keeping Myst aware of the battle was the soreness in her muscles, the broken feeling from her bones, the all around exhaustion that only battle could bring. Out of desperation, she forced the deactivation of her transformed state. "This whole fight was a game to you? I understand now, that there was no chance of me bridging the gap between us at all. Even if I aimed to kill you, I could never have even scratched you had not held back."

"A game? If this was a game, I would have said "Game Over" ages ago. This "game" you speak of was a Contest. A contest of wills between two individuals. I admit, I overestimated you several times but that doesn't matter. What matters right now is the present. Do you plan to give up? Even with this knowledge?" He said, walking towards her as sparks flew around him.

"HAHAHA." Katsumi blurted out as she laughed in her makeshift throne. Hitotoki turned her head and gave the Queen Mother a confused look. "That Kei Yume is such a humble and wonderful man! Choosing to make her fight to the best of her abilities without killing her! Why couldn't he give me that treatment?" She asked aloud, pouting at the lost prospect.

"....." Hitotoki listened diligently to her Mistress's words.

"Poor Myst, she must think she didn't do anything to that man. But she's definitely wrong. Actually, Myst did a number on Kei that he's unwilling to admit. You can tell through the glint in his eyes." Katsumi muttered with a sagely expression. "But this engagement should have opened my successor's eyes in their differences of power. She has a long ways to go and she must strive for it. Or face the ashes of defeat."

"And will that happen Mistress?" Hitotoki faintly asked, her gaze unmoving at the scene before them.

"In due time." She answered wistfully, her face etched with a deep in though expression. "But for now, let's enjoy the mischief I'm about to do." She finished, a snicker escaping her lips. "Hehe."

Katsumi raised her index finger and licked her lips as it started to grow an ominous scarlet color. It started to grow an abnormal rate and with a trigger-like motion, she released the accumulated energy. "Kyūketsuki Ga Satsuei: Taihou!"

Unaware of the energy coming towards him, Kei continued to nonchalantly walk towards Myst, an air of calm and peace permeated around him. He noticed a red light growing closer and closer with each passing second but was too late to react in time. A flash of light of occurred as the ground started to dangerously tremble. When the smoke cleared, a huge crater had apparently replaced Kei.

"THAT WASN'T FUNNY KATSUMI!" A somewhat annoyed voice rang. Kei appeared besides Myst, panting from what seemed to be exhaustion. His clothing were ripped once again and his right wing seemed to had mottled from the blast. "I may be strong. But everyone has their weakness Myst." He abruptly whispered into her ear. "It's your job to find it. Not mine.." He roughly grasped her should as he spoke, tightening his grip with each passing word. "I really mean well"

Myst watched the explosion with wonder and aggravation."I refuse to give up. No matter how great the gap between you and I really is, I've killed worse." Because he fought beside me. I couldn't have done it alone.

"Yes...I've heard of that battle before. Such a shame I didn't get to witness it. But all you had to do is make the effort to close the gap. And I anxiously wait for that moment." He continued to whisper, his voice seemingly calm and accepting.

"I didn't expect you to want me to get stronger. I will though, just so I can spar on the same level as you, even for a moment." Myst said, adamant in her belief that such a feat might have been possible.

"I am a teacher in my spare time, so its natural for me to want people to get stronger. Even if you are currently antagonistic towards me. Katsumi sent you here for a reason. It'll only be a matter of time before you realize it. And if you wish to get stronger, go fight the blasted Queen Mother or train with that devil of a Reikon Kyuuban, Kain." Kei replied back, casually letting go of her shoulder.

"That Katsumi Scarlet has something planned. And I'm sure I'll be in the receiving end. You know, she has had an infatuation with me for the longest while?" He asked nonchalant, oblivious to the fact that they were probably still in battle.

"She made a passing mention of the fact, yes. By the way, you probably shouldn't be so relaxed. Not around me anyway. I could sink my teeth into your neck and by the time you realized it, I'd be back at full power. You're too complacent." Myst smiled as she spoke. Even though she was running low, she was still playing mind games.

"Yes, I know you could. Yet you haven't. Even if you did. Are you talking to the real Kei Yume? Or just a carbon copy?" Kei replied back earnestly, turning his head to her. The man was always with a smile, no matter how dire the situation was. He remained oblivious to the fact, and instead, chose to take everything in a lighthearted but serious manner.

"I didn't intend to come here for a meal. For once, I let my fighting instinct take over rather than my hunger. But even if I'm talking to a fake, I'd still get something out of the feeding, just not as much compared to the real you. Simple logic really."

Kei clicked his tongue. "You won't know till we find out." He muttered back. "But, quite perceptive of you. I have to ask one thing though. What is the next course of action?" He moved to stand in front of Myst, and teasingly poked her in the head, silently awaiting a response from the Reikon Kyuuban.

Myst couldn't take it any more. Kei was only an arm's length away, not even that. Just imagining his blood restoring her power as she had threatened before was driving the young ruler insane. "You ask what I'll do next? How about..." she started, closing the minuscule distance between her and the man she now saw as a quick meal. She was behind him before anyone could see her move. Indeed, the hunger had driven her mad, and that madness is what drove her forward, uncaring of any potential risks.

Once she was behind Kei, Myst latched her fangs into his neck, drawing the blood in his body into her own, refueling her. In the back of her mind, she knew that it was wrong to drain him after saying she wouldn't, but he had indirectly goaded her into doing so regardless of her own intent. After a minute or two of feeding, she let go of Kei's neck. Already she started feeling the effects of the blood, empowering her once more. Some of her wounds from the battle healed up as if nothing had happened, and her spiritual energy was restored with the sudden influx of blood.

Kei jumped back from Myst, his face etched in slight annoyance and anger. "Ouch!" He exclaimed, furiously rubbing at Myst's bite mark to his neck. "That was very unladylike of you Hime-sama. At least give me a warning before you lovingly take a bite out of my neck." Kei said to Myst, scolding her if she were a child and he was the parent.

Myst glared at her enemy, wiping the blood off her chin as she frowned, annoying at being chided so. "I'm not one for being ladylike. I'll do whatever I must to stay alive. I can't afford to lose a single fight, not anymore. No longer is it just my family that I need to defend, but an entire race. If that means I need to stop being a 'lady', so be it. I never held much stock in being a proper lady anyway."

"Oh, Hime-sama. To be able to protect a scattered race with your current abilities would be incredibly hard. Even more when so many possibly doubt your right to rule." Kei replied, crouching nonchalantly despite the danger before him. "You may wonder how could I possibly know of this information, but I was an Information Broker during my exile so many years ago. And word travels fast, even to Soul Society."

At that, Myst couldn't stop a low growl emanating from her throat. It irritated her, to be looked down on. Part of her doubted that's what Kei was trying to do, but her ego felt suitably wounded all the same.

"The duty of a queen is not to herself, but her people. And I plan on growing stronger and stronger until I can fulfill my duty to them. And for those who doubt me. let them. I have a lot to prove, of that I am sure. After all, I'm not an Elder, I'm not Lord Scarlet. I'm...a child, honestly. I can see why there are doubts among the people. I would be worried if they blindly accepted me. But I can't let that bother me. My actions will speak for me in the end."

Kei appeared in front of her. No longer was his face jovial and lighthearted. His face expression was something else. He was straight-faced and serious. There was a glint in his eyes as he spoke the next few sentences. "You are nothing. Your actions are worthless. Do you really think you can lead? Or are you just spouting what you want to believe?"

"My oh my. Kei sure has gotten serious, don't you think Hitotoki?" Katsumi said, watching the events folding out with eager glee.

"He was only serious with you Mistress." Hitotoki replied in her monotone voice.

"I reckon this meeting will soon come to a close. But oh boy. I can fall in love with Kei Yume. Hehehe."

Myst bit her lip, trying to come up with the answer. All her life, she was nothing but a scared child trying to amass power, both political and literal. Thanks to Kain and Katsumi, she had that chance. They had given her the means to make her dreams reality. She owed them more than she could put into words. To be reminded of her own powerlessness now tore at her. It took every ounce of her bull-headed ego to remain calm despite the fact Kei’s words stung her more than before. She would not break down in front of him, no matter how he twisted her own words to break her.

After what felt like an eternity, she replied. “You’re right. I’m not sure I can lead. But there are people who believe in me, and it’s their opinions that matter to me, not yours. Kain-sensei and Lord Scarlet gave me their powers for a reason. They have faith. Faith that someone as pathetic as myself can myself can make an impossible dream come true. Let me set the facts straight for you. I’m not worthless, not so long as their are people who believe that somehow, I have value to them. I’m not powerless. I’m just not where I need to be quite yet. So, maybe I was just spouting my own bullshit before. What of it? My resolve has not changed. I WILL lead the Reikon Kyuuban. And I don’t care if you get in my way a thousand times, I won’t stop until I’ve seen my kingdom in full glory.” As she spoke, she glared at Kei, anger clear in her eyes despite the calmness she displayed.

Kei stared intently into Myst's eyes, watching the moonlight glint off her red irises. The stare down continued for what felt like minutes, even thought only seconds had passed.

He opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something. But all that came out was a hearty, jovial laugh. "HAHAHA."

"Well said Hime-sama. But you're not strong enough yet to play with me on even terms. That is a fact, unfortunately." Kei said with a wide smile. As he said that, Kei started to move a few feet away from her, intent on keeping their distance from each other. He pointed his gloved finger at Myst, "Regretfully, I must bring this curtain to a close. But this won't be the last time we will meet."

He bowed respectfully to Myst and turned his back to her. As he started to walk away from the scene, Kei clapped his hands together. A pulse reverberated from Kei's body, and the destroyed landscape around them was immediately replaced with a pristine landscape, as if the confrontation never happened. Kei, on the other hand, glowed white and started to fade away with each passing step until he was no more.

As Myst stared into the distance, a faint voice was heard. "Before I forget Myst..I'll leave you a gift. What the gift is? It's up to you to find out."

Kain, after his lengthy disappearance, reappeared as a multitude of dark bats scattered throughout a small area, quickly coalescing to take his real shape. "What an interesting speech, my Queen." Kain clapped his hands once to recognize Myst's ambitions. "I have no reason to hold back the true extent of my abilities when dealing with you next." Kain chuckled, before listening to the reverberations that Kei had magnified his voice through. "But, it seems as if your sparring partner still wishes to converse with you." He paused his speech, awaiting for Kei to present his so-called gift.

Myst stood there for a moment, confused. No longer could she even sense Kei's spiritual energy, and yet she could have sworn she heard his voice.

Against her will, she de-activated her transformation, returning to her base form, no longer able to maintain it in her current condition. The damage she incurred in the fight had already begun to mend, although not at a pace the vampiress would have enjoyed. She made a mental note to go feeding before the day's end, or more likely after a good nap. But first, she had to find a way home. As  she was now, she knew there was no way she could get through the Seireitei to the gate without being caught.

When Kain appeared, she reflexively jumped, her adrenaline-fueled, exhausted senses believing another enemy was present. After a moment, she realized who was around and sighed, releasing all the pent-up fear she felt. “How many times have I told you, don’t sneak up on me like that...” she said, turning to face her loyal right hand. “Though, I do think the gift he’s talking about isn’t a physical one, but one I’ll figure out later. It’s probably right there, I just don’t know it.” she said, yawning as she finished her sentence.

"I suppose so." Kain muttered, "The man always had a way to be surprisingly abstract, even with Lord Scarlet..." He stated, sighing at his performance and clingy nature today. "I apologize, Queen." Kain turned around, not willing to face her given the current circumstances. "I have been unwillingly very lenient with you under the belief that you had the ability to rule given your charisma. But I had momentarily forgotten, in my years of absence from the Reikon Kyuuban society, regarding our mannerisms." Kain turned around again, once again returning to his original, red-haired self. "From now on, my Queen..." Taking his katana and slamming it to the ground, "You will be served with all of my sincerity...I cannot vouch for your safety any longer."

“Kain...Serve me to the best of your ability. Make me strong enough to be a perfect ruler. Be my right hand. And fear not for my safety, for you’re my teacher. To show me my mistakes, you must be willing to correct me.” Myst said, her voice reflecting her resolve to become the kind of ruler she aspired to be.

As she continued however, the resolve faded and her voice wavered. “But while we’re apologizing to each other, I wanted to apologize for my outburst. You didn’t deserve it, not after all you do for me. I was just angry at myself. I felt like you only needed to join the fight because I wasn’t strong enough. And so, I lashed out, trying to fix my own pride. I’m so sorry...”

"You have such strange humility for a Queen, don't you think?" Kain chuckled as he stood up, winking momentarily. "Ah, but on the note of apologies and all. There's one more thing I need to say before we return to our own world and get you some food..." Kain paused momentarily, awaiting Myst's response before he would continue with this so-called announcement.

Myst wiped her eyes and chuckled. If she was weird for being humble despite her status, then she would be the most abnormal of royalty, at least in private. “What’s on your mind?” she asked, curious.

"You understand Lord Scarlet's position as a Moon Goddess, do you not?" Kain clarified, before continued. "Then you must understand..." He turned around again, "I am not a simple Reikon Kyuuban. Although you might have guessed that by this point." He paused, releasing an almost ethereal aura of white spiritual energy from his being. "I'm a Pure citizen of the night. I am a God of the Moon and my name is...Chandra." Given their position, Kain's announcement was rather odd. However, what went on his mind was something not many could predict at all.

As the man she knew as Kain revealed his true name and nature to her, Myst couldn’t hide her surprise. She had always known there was more to her teacher than she understood, but to see, feel and hear the truth of the matter all at once was rather shocking to the young ruler-in-training.

She reigned in her expression of shock only to smile as he realized the implications of her favorite troll’s status. “So, basically, you’re Loki, but with fangs? That is so cool! But, in all seriousness, you’re always going to be Kain-sensei to me, no matter what else you may be. I’m not going to treat you any differently, my dear goofball. And I don’t want you to be anything but you.” She said, a soft seriousness to her voice, one rarely heard from the woman.

"Thanks for trusting me with the truth by the way."

"Hahaha, well said." Kain laughed as he looked towards the sky. "Trusting you with the truth? If I couldn't do that much, you wouldn't be a very good Queen now would you?" Kain sarcastically remarked. "Well, let's get ourselves out of here." Kain said, making use of his mystical powers to open a gateway away from the dimension that the previous conflict with Kei had occurred in. "Sleep well when we get home, you have quite a distance to travel before you can attain the power of a God~" He sarcastically remarked, addressing his Queen to go through first.

Myst walked through the manifested gateway without another word, only able to move with the repeated thought of food and sleep awaiting her on the other side, so great was her exhaustion. She could feel everything in her body revolt as sore, dull aches danced through her system with every step, but she knew from that pain, she would grow stronger still, and silently, she vowed to one day face Kei Yume in battle again, with a different outcome if she had her way.

Fin