SOM: Genesis

This is the first chapter of Swing of Memories written by Fenix-Taichō, Feel free to comment on the talk page.

Inside the Dangai
After entering the, a young man with mixed colored hair is seen darting towards a distant light. He holds his single katana as he races towards the. He had just witnessed his mothers death and fought with her killer, only to lose and barely escape with his life.

As he reached the end of the tunnel he exited above Saint City where he was met on the roof of a tall skyscraper by his sister. "Where's mom?" She asked him as he landed, entering his body which she had brought for him as he requested before returning. "She's..... She is dead.... I failed my mission." He said as he started to cry. As he took her home he rested for a few days, silently mourning his mother. On the 7th day of being home he left without notice to end his inner turmoil.

The Shinigami and the Halfling
A week later he was seen on the outskirts of Saint City, tracking an unknown spiritual pressure signature. ""Who is that." He wondered as he raced into the woods.

Yuhei Matashi had decided to take some time off from his friends and family, taking a hike into the woods to practice his Soul Reaper powers in peace. He found the woods quite expansive and filled with tranquility, something that he often lacked in his daily routine of both slaying Hollows and keeping his secret safe outside of his family knowing, and High School drama.

He spoke lowly, releasing his Zanpakuto, then turning around towards a tree striking towards it, cleanly cutting it in half, and continued to swing his sword in practiced moves, pushing himself until he could no longer stand, unawares of the Spiritual Pressure discovering him that came rapidly closer and closer...

Mākasu stopped at the edge of the area and scanned it trying to pin point the spiritual pressure he was tracking. "Rend it Asunder, Saibā Zangetsu." He said quietly, but the simple release gave away his location.

Yuhei stopped in mid-swing, stopping another discharge of Spiritual Energy when he felt a buzzing around his nerves. His vision gave off a bit of TV blurred static for a moment as he adjusted to the subtle Spiritual Pressure emanated from what he could guess was a...Zanpakuto Release!

"Great," Yuhei grumbled as he kept his Zanpakuto in its released form, the chain flew behind it as he suddenly jumped into the air, intiating a Flash Step in the direction of the Soul Reaper Spiritual Pressure.

"If its another Soul Reaper coming to start trouble without letting me know, I swear I'll kick his ass!" He grumbled heatedly, but a bored look was on his face, still not believing this was all worth the trouble. As he shimmered into view, he landed quietly onto a tree branch, seeing in a rather large clearing in between the shrubbery and foilage a individual he didn't know. He definitely knew this was the source of the Spiritual Pressure, so he chose to act casual, but demanding.

"Yo! Whatcha doing near my city, Soul Reaper?!" He asked with a upraised brow and a grimace that resembled his ancestor in a very eery way. He propped his Zanpakuto onto his shoulder, waiting for an answer, showing that he meant buisness.

"Your city?" He asked as he held his cleaver on his shoulder, mimicking Ichigo on a sense. "This is the forst outside my hometown.... What are you doing here?" He asked as he prepared his blade to attack if need be.

Yuhei stared at him blankly, wondering eerily if he somehow visited his cousin from distant reality.

Dismissing that thought, he said in a rather bored tone, "You answered my question with a question. I've lived in Saint City my whole life, and my name is Yuhei Matashi, Substitute Soul Reaper. Now I'm asking you, who you are?"

"Mākasu Nisshōkirite...." He said as he held his Saibā Zangetsu outstretched towards Yuhei. "And this is my Saibā Zangetsu."

Yuhei's eyes widened a bit, as he heard the last part of his Zanpakuto's name, before he spoke in retort, "I didn't ask for you Zanpakuto's name, did I? Now tell me, in all my 13 years of living here, how come I haven't seen you before?" His eyes locked onto the outstretched sword, gripping the long staff handle of his own Zanpakuto, knowing that if things got sour, his Zanpakuto's edge would be meeting that one's, and he didn't like the fact that Zanpakuto had a name similar to Zangetsu.

''Is he really related to the Kurosaki line? Or is he happening to have a Zanpakuto similarly named?'' He questioned inside his mind, not truly convinced one way or the other.

"I've only been a shinigami for a few years now. But I've never heard of you." He said as he used flash steps to appear behind him. "and that look, your trying to figure out why my blade is called Saibā Zangetsu?" He asked as the edge of his blade started to glow.

Yuhei blinked, suddenly he felt his presence behind him the moment he spoke.

He's fast! Yuhei thought in alarm, looking back seeing him questioning as he lined the edge of his Zanpakuto with a glow, knowing it must've been dangerous to be nearby.

"Look pal," now definitely in a less bored tone, and more of alarm, leaping off the branch his sandals skidded across the surface of the air as he lowered his Zanpakuto to the side, but not in a threatening way, "let's talk about this! I've been a Substitute Soul Reaper for a good couple years too, this is a mistake, don't fight me, I don't want to hurt you!"

He scrambled all his words out at once, the prospect of fighting someone potentially from his own kin and also someone as dangerous to wielding a Zanpakuto kin to Zangetsu made himself regret coming out here to begin with.

Mākasu simply swung his blade, viewing any other shinigami as his enemy. "Saibā Getsuga Tenshō!" He said as he released his azure Getsuga from his blade towards him. "Enough of your explanations."

CRAP! He inwardly exclaimed, raising his Zanpakuto horizontally with his own body, proclaiming loudly, "Getsumen Shīrudo," forming a large circular shield of midnight shimmering Spiritual Energy, halting the advance of the powerful technique, causing the soles of his sandals to grind a few inches back by the sheer ferocity of the technique.

"The hell is wrong with you?! Did I piss someone off from the Soul Society?! Slew a 'good' Hollow?! Are you out of your mind?!" He rattled off another series of now pissed off questions, wanting to nothing more than avoid a fight with this guy.

He simply ignored the questions, after watching his mother die, he hated all other soul reapers. "Saibā Getsuga Tenshō" He said again

Yuhei narrowed his eyes at the other man, growling lowly and his Zanpakuto glowed brightly along the edge of the blade, his whole being became inflamed with a bright blazing dark blue Spiritual Aura, his Spiritual Pressure brimming over the top.

"Ten Mūn Senkō," he then swung his long staff handled sword in a arc, launching a large arc of Midnight black Spiritual Energy, condensed at a high enough rate to meet the oncoming Saibā Getsuga Tenshō, causing a large explosion shaking the air around them, buckling the trees all over the area. The light hue cast a eery light over the battleground between the two, Yuhei's eyes darkened and a dim shadow cast over his face in a threatening manner.

"If you don't believe me, Mākasu, if you want to fight, I'll give you one. If that's the only way to gain your trust, fine by me, but be warned," he swung his long Zanpakuto around his head in a dramatic blur, then initiated a Flash Step, rapidly appearing before the blonde-red haired man, swinging down his Zanpakuto in a blinding, long-reaching blur towards his left shoulder aiming to go all the way through, hoping he was skilled enough to repel it, "I won't go easy on you!"

Deadlock
In an instant Mākasu was gone from that spot. "Your flash steps is way too slow." He said as he held his blade to the sky. As he did this black energy spouted forth and took shape around his blade. "Hisakatateiō!" HE said as he swung his blade down, releasing the Yasakani no Magatama shaped attack.

Yuhei's eyes widened, gasping as he saw the triple bladed weapon launching down at him. He instinctively swung his Zanpakuto upwards, carying along his the energy of his technique to launch at the moment of striking the triple blades, a loud screaming blast was heard as his blade met the technique.

"Ten Mūn Senkō!" He roared out, launching the large black arc of condensed Spiritual Energy at the technique bearing down on his sword, his body fell a few meters from the sheer strength in the technique, before shattering it with the point-blank blast of midnight energy. The arc of energy blazed towards Mākasu, hoping to set him off as Yuhei gritted his teeth tightly.

''What the hell is wrong with this guy?! Attacking people who're even slightly named after Soul Reapers...is he a criminal? What happened to him?'' Yuhei's mind raced as he continued to keep himself in battle mode, hoping that he wouldn't die, letting down his family back home, they would be alone and without him. Not to mention his sister would be pissed...

Mākasu intercepted the blast but was overwhelmed as it pushed him into a tree. "Damn." He said as he was tempted to use his bankai despite Saibā Zangetsu's warning. "This brat must die."

"Exactly who you calling a brat, punk?!" Yuhei snarled, appearing before Mākasu 8 meters in front of where he landed, his feet creating 'dust' in the air he stood on.

"Why the hell you attacking me?! I'm not your enemy! I'm Yuhei Matashi, Substitute Soul Reaper, ally of the 13 Court Guard Squads of the Soul Society, and unless you're secretly a Hollow in disguise or a criminal, I don't see how you should consider me an enemy, Mākasu," he narrowed his eyes at him, propping his Zanpakuto onto his shoulder, the chains jingling slightly as he wondered what his opponent's next reaction would be.

"Exactly, your allied with the scum that killed my MOTHER!!!" He said with a release of tremendous spiritual power. "The Gotei killed her in cold blood so all reapers must die.... Saibaa Getsuga TENSHOU!!!!" HE said as he released a massive getsuga tensho.

Yuhei's eyes widened, leaping back a distance as he saw him exhale a great amount of Spiritual Pressure as he gathered more than needed Spiritual Energy for his Getsuga Tensho, but he knew if he took it on, he'd needed his other technique to counter it.

He took the end of his Zanpakuto and began to rapidly swing it above him, a great deal of Spiritual Energy, gathering a large gaping circular midnight colored technique above him as he threw the Getsuga Tensho at him. He only had one shot at this, and he knew this better count or else he'd have to use that other power...one he knew that would unsettle this man more than he was.

"MANGETSU!" He launched it at near point blank with the even larger Saiba Getsuga Tensho, the two energies colliding, a mighty vortex of Spiritual Energy and buckling winds, Yuhei's teeth gritted as he tried to keep himself against the offensive attack.

Once the two energies were at their peak, Mangetsu enveloped the Saiba Getsuga Tensho, before outreaching towards Mākasu's direction, causing a backlash of concussive energy at his own direction, causing him to reel head over toe for a good 20 meters, crashing through a tree before smashing into another wihth a loud crash, a spew of blood ushered from Yuhei's mouth as he gasped out lost wind from his lungs, wheezing.

He struggled to blink, and see through blurry vision at the direction where Mākasu was.

''I-Is he dead? Did I kill him?'' He thought with morbid horror...feeling dread of killing the poor tortured man.

Spinning on the spot he released another Getsuga Tenshou to counter the backlash. "damn"

Yuhei got up, struggling a bit at first but shrugged off the pain that threatened to make him slack as he picked his Zanpakuto back up, propping himself to a standing position, breathing heavily.

"Mākasu! Is your ancestor...Ichigo Kurosaki?!" He called out, trying one last time to reason with the distraught man, hoping there would be a way to reason with him before one of them kills the other.

He replied "No, my zanpakutō is a cyber copy." He said as he used his speed to appear in a tree. "With it i shall kill all shinigami."

He waved his hand out, growling out, "But I'm not a Soul Reaper! Not entirely...I'm human, a Substitute Soul Reaper! My powers...came from my mother," he clenched his Soul Reaper uniform over his chest, the painful memory of her mother, in her dying breath, transferring her powers to him, still as clear as day in his mind's eye.

He looked back up, saying, "I'm not sure what you're saying when you mean that you have to kill all Soul Reapers, but I do know that not all Soul Reapers are bad. Just like not all humans are bad. When the hell did you decide that you're mother WANTED to be avenged and you decided to play judge and executioner?!" He waved out his hand in angered exclamation, wanting him to snap out of it and think for a moment.

"..." He said as he grabbed the cloth around his hilt and swung it around his head. "Saibaa Getsuga Tenshou!" He said as he released a massive spiraling getsuga.

Yuhei predicted this was one outcome that would happen, though he was hoping he would stop his rampage. He closed his eyes, breathing slowly before reopening them, using his Flash Step to disappear from view, the Saiba Getsuga Tensho pulverised the tree he crashed into, and caused a large concussive blast, shaking the forest further and sent a shockwave around a good distance.

Yuhei reappeared in a blur, his sandals landed onto the branch perpindicular from Mākasu, using the long reach of his weapon he swung it outwards in a horizontal swing, cutting the branch of the tree cleanly as it moved to aim for his left arm, hoping to incapacitate him, his eyes narrowed and his body tense. He knew that if he didn't go all out, he'd be dead, and that's what he planned on doing.

A Sons Sorrow
Mākasu was hit by the blade and his arm cut, but he used a burst of spirtitual energy to repel the blade before it cut too deep. "I will destroy all those who oppose me...." He said as he used his cloth to cover his injury. "My mother did not deserve to die in cold blood, those who serve the gotei are all guilty."

"Then we are both sons who've lost our mothers," Yuhei said somberly, retracting the handle of his Zanpakuto, holding it ready for another counter or attack, in case he went violent again, "I don't know who killed my mother either, but I can tell you this much. It wasn't a Hollow...but, even so," he looked up at him gripping his left fist and holding it up to him, saying, "if you kill me, you'll take away a son, and a older brother from a family back at my home. Do you really want to kill me, someone who's not even underneath the juristiction of the Gotei 13?!"

He stopped his attack, sealing his blade. "Your innocent."

Yuhei sighed, coughing slightly before snorted a little in indignance similar to his ancestor, "Took you long enough to hear me, dumb-ass! What are you, hard of hearing and hot-headed?! I swear," he scratches the back of his neck while frowning at him, sealing his own Zanpakuto with a flair of blue energy before sheathing it on the sheathe on his back, a 'click' sound was heard as it was locked into place, the chain on the end of the pommel dangled slightly as he crossed his arms.

"So...you came out here to kill me, but now that we have that out of the way, 'hopefully' can you tell me what's this about the Soul Reapers killing your mom? I think its fair to know considering you went out of your way to beat the crap out of me," He said in a curious, but aggravated tone, clearly not wanting to start something again.

"She was a shinigami of the Seventh Division that ran away to earth. A few years ago we were in an accident that killed my father and two of my brothers., I was in a coma. To wake me up she transferred her power to me, and soon after the gotei took her."

Yuhei mulled over what he said for a bit, biting his lower lip as he shuffled his feet on the opposite branch away from him, before asking, "Who took her away of the Gotei 13? If it was the Punishment Force, then it was a simple catching her with you transferring her powers, and they took her to be executed, not something I'm all for, but that's their rules anyhow. If it was another Division, then there might be more going on than we think," he scratches his neck, sighing out loud as he let down his other arm to his side, balling into a fist as he began to get frustrated.

"It was her own captain!" He said as tears fell from his eyes. "That man killed my mother..... for saving her sons life she was killed.... what kind of organization does that?!" He yelled as his spiritual pressure became unstable once again.

Yuhei's were softened, but slightly alarmed at the young man's unstable Spiritual Pressure. He knew he was on the brink from going totally crazed on vengeance from where he is now, he wasn't far off. Yuhei then decided to walk over the air-space to Mākasu, putting a reassuring grip on his shoulder, saying with a determined tone in his eyes.

"I know what they did was wrong, even if it was their laws, it wasn't right to take a mother away from her family like this, not ever. If its justice you're seeking, you should confront her Captain, and make him confess his mistakes and atone for taking away your mother. That," he gave him a crooked smile and a thumb's up, saying, "I'd help you with 100%. But if you choose vengeance, that means you would target all of the Soul Reapers of the Soul Society, and that I cannot allow, no matter how screwed up their system is, vengeance does not solve people's problems. Never," he said firmly before backing up a step or two, crossing his arms, waiting for the burdened man to mull over what he said.

Mākasu simply stared at the ground. "To use the powers Ive obtained I used to think that I'd have to use it like the young man with black hair that I saw save Saint City so long ago. But ater seeing my mother Die I was bent on a path of pain and sorrow." He said as he looked at his blade. "This sword was created to mimic a great hero, its time to act like one."

Yuhei smirked, nodding to him, saying, "That's a start. What do you intend do now, to act like a hero I mean?"

"First I have to find the one who killed my mother..." He said as he looked towards the horizon, deep in thought. "Sorry but this is where we part ways." He said coldly as he vanished with flash steps.

Yuhei called out after him, "Hey! Wait up!" He called out, using his own Flash Steps to chase after him, silently swearing himself he would regret this as he would be getting himself involved in something that wasn't his to be involved in.

"To think its actually not a Monday," Yuhei grumbled to himself in mid-flash Step, as he continued to catch up with the grieving, hell-bent on revenge man.

Into the Fire and Flames
As Mākasu ran he knew of only one place where he could train and be alone, the underground training grounds under his house. "I need to get to the underground training grounds as soon as possible."

"Underground training grounds? You mean like the one that used to be under the old Urahara Shop?" Yuhei asked aloud, now having caught up with him, his speed matching his for the moment but he knew he had to admit this boy's speed is truly remarkable.

"Yes, my mother had one built to train and used it to train me.... If were going after Sonoma Khushrenada, then we have to be at our best and I know just the teacher to train us." He said as he pulled a cell phone from his pocket, calling Sū Kurosaki to meet him and Yuhei at his home. "It's set."

"Just how powerful is this guy? Shouldn't the two of us be a match for him? I mean sure he's a Captain-class opponent, but I'm sure we could take him," Yuhei said in a indifferent, half-hearted attempt to boost his own morale rather than 'suade Mākasu into thinking they didn't need training.

"This man killed my mother with a single strike, and she was a Vice Captain. He is on a level near that of the member ." He started to say. "And that was while using his shikai."

"THE Byakuya Kuchiki?! Damn," he muttered lowly, now taking in the gravitation of the situation. He swallowed lowly, before asking as they continued their sprint, "so who's this guy who's going to train us to fight on his level?"

"Someone who Ive known for some time." He said as he landed on the roof of his home and was greeted harshly by Midnight Sun. "SUNNY LET GO!" He said as she hit him for leaving. "You know better than to storm off for a week." She said

Yuhei stared at the antics, blankly, before asking, "SO," he pointed at the Mod Soul, "you gonna introduce me or keep being rude?"

"Yuhei, this is Morning Sun, aka Sunny a mod soul that was given to me by my mother close friend." He said as she put him down and looked at Yuhei, bowing.

Yuhei smiled, bowing back to Sunny, saying, "Its nice to meet you, Sunny. My name is Yuhei Matashi, a Substitute Soul Reaper, just like my mother was. Just out of curiosity, what enhancements do you have? All Mod Souls have enhancements, so I was just curious what yours was?" he asked curiously, arching his palms onto his hips.

"Garganta Creation and Hollow Tracking." She said as she sat, transforming to her cat plush form. "Master Kurosaki is in the living room by the way." She said as she ate a piece of chocolate. "Sū's here perfect."

Yuhei looked at Mākasu then Sunny bewildered, saying in a exasperated tone, "D-Did you just say, 'Master Kurosaki'?!"

"Sū Kurosaki." Mākasu said as he walked out his room to get Sū.

Yuhei sat on Mākasu's bed, putting his hands on his lap while laying his sheathed Zanpakuto on the bed behind him, taking up a gread deal of the width as he sat in anticipation of meeting a actual cousing of his.

"Hope he's not entirely lame or anything," he mutterd lowly to himself as he rested his chin on a 'bridge' formation of clasped hands that he formed with elbows resting on his thighs.