Eighth Release- Azure Thunder Knight

Walking through the Forest of Menos, Gai Nagareboshi, Gekkō Utsukushi, and Nika survey the area, wary of any Hollows that could approach and attack them. As the sun shone down through the gaps in the high, towering trees, which gave off an aura of intimidation, several shadows flashed around them, with white masks. The Menos were drawing close.

"Damn Hollows…We need to get out of this wretched hive and get to Seireitei as soon as possible."

Gai uttered these words in contempt. With so many Hollows surrounding them, it looked like traversing this forest would be impossible.

"SKRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

At that moment, several Menos chose to attack. Launching Ceros from their mouths, the Hollows fiercely rushed at them. As Nika released Vectoriales, the blasts of crimson reishi were redirected at incredible speed, destroying the Hollows.

"Spin, Ringetsu!"

Releasing her Zanpakutō, Gekkō raised her gauntlets and leaped at a Menos, tearing its mask off before slamming it to the ground. Grabbing the next Menos, which is close to her, Gekkō clenched its tail and swung it around, immediately throwing it into several other Hollows.

"Yatte yaruze, Kakusei!"

Releasing Kakusei, Gai aims his blade at the Menos. Standing still, white feathers amassed around the blade of Kakusei.

"Shining…"

Light was gathering. Converging around the blade, it began to shine brilliantly.

"ONSLAUGHT!!"

Unleashing a spinning, 'X'-shaped blast of jagged and threatening-looking white feather-like spiritual energy from Kakusei, Gai wiped out several Menos. However, the sheer amount of Hollows quickly overwhelmed him. Attempting to rush to his aid, Gekkō amassed reishi on her right gauntlet, taking the form of a large light-blue ring. Grasping onto the ring with her left gauntlet, Gekkō's discharge of reishi formed several blades around the ring, each shaped like a Getsuga.

"Getsuga Tenshō!!"

Spinning around, Gekkō threw the ring at the Vasto Lorde. Spinning at the speed of sound, the deadly ring sliced through several Hollows like a hot knife through butter. The Menos continued to manifest, until…

"Katsuryoku Shōgeki."

A gigantic bolt of azure lightning shoots down from the sky, eradicating the rest of the Menos in one strike. Such incredible power, one could only imagine the being who unleashed such an attack.

"What the…?!"

Quickly looking up, Gai Nagareboshi spots a shadowy figure staring down at him. All Nagareboshi can make out is that the being has slitted electric green eyes. Eyes so cold that he felt that this person could kill with just a look.

Whoosh.

In an instant, this person disappeared from all sight, transforming into azure thunder.

"W-Who was…?"

"Who was what, Gai?"

Gekkō helped Gai up. While he would normally be excited to feel her soft skin, he was too disturbed by that person's presence to take refuge in the overwhelming emotion.

"I-I don't know…"

Still gazing up at the tree, where the figure once stood, Gai was befuddled by that person's former presence. It was almost as if that person was…

"Alrighty, then~! Let's get this show on the road!"

Nika's booming voice chimed and reverberated in the forest, causing several birds to escape from what they correctly assume is impending danger.

"Tch…"

Forgetting what he was about to monologue about, Nagareboshi quickly regained his composure and began to lead everyone through the Forest of Menos. Briefly staring up at the tree once again, Gai walked off.

"Say, do you two know about the Sōrai no Kishi?"

Nika began to inquire about the two's knowledge.

"No…Can't say I've heard of them."

"Why should I care, anyway?"

"Why so serious, Gai Nagareboshi?"

Nika, once again, jokingly pinched Nagareboshi's face, to which he frowned at the Arrancar.

"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!"

Letting out her shrill and catatonic cackle, Nika then smiled at Gai.

"You're irritating, you devil woman."

"Oh, don't be so, so cold…"

"Tch…Just tell me about this Sōrai no Kishi."

"Well, seven thousand years ago…a serial killer called the Sōrai no Kishi existed. Killing off nearly everyone in Soul Society, he was only stopped by the Soul King, who left him an empty shell and banished him."

"…Where, exactly?"

Gekkō showed her concern. Perhaps the Sōrai no Kishi was here?

"…That, I honestly don't have a clue."

"…Tch. Thanks for wasting my time, you devil woman…"

"Oh, you're so kind, Gai Nagareboshi."

"Grr…"

Growling in irritation, Gai continued to walk.

"Hm? What's wrong, Gai Nagareboshi."

"You. You're so damn annoying."

"Don't be like that."

"…"

Gai's answer was silence. He could not stand Nika's bombastic and bubbly behavior, and would show that at every opportunity.

Zoom.

The sound of azure lightning speeding past.

"…!!"

In a flash of light, Kakusei appears in Gai's hand. Bracing himself, Gai motions to the two to be on their guard.

"Alright…Show yourself."

Gritting his teeth, Gai's grip tightens on his Zanpakutō. His eyes became a brilliant blue within magenta.

Several flashes of blue thunder strike around the trio. After a few seconds, the lightning disappears.

"You know…It could be the Sōrai no Kishi…"

"Don't be an idiot. There's no way that it could be that guy…"

Gekkō grasps onto Gai's arm, slightly fearing for their safety, though still bracing herself for the worst.

"G-Gai…"

"I know. Don't worry."

Suddenly, the light began to shine from their direction. The exit.

"There it is!"

Quickly running towards the exit, Gekkō Utsukushi and Nika escaped the Forest of Menos. However, as Gai almost reached the end, something happened.

Clamp.

At that moment, everything shut. Light could not reach the forest, as the trees curled upwards, forming a barricade that seperated Gai Nagareboshi from his allies.

"GAI!"

"You two go ahead. I'll deal with whatever's keeping me here."

"…Alright…"

Turning around, Gai Nagareboshi glares up at the person leaning against a tree, the person who shut him in the Forest of Menos. This person is a tall and lanky young man, who has a slightly 'zombified' look to him. He has blue hair, sharp canines, and tattoos located on each side of his face. He has slitted electric green eyes. He wears orange clothes, which are accented by patchwork and stitches throughout the design. He has a wide shoulder band across his right shoulder, three belts across his high collar, many belts on the legs of his pants, and torn gloves. He also wears an orange hat with a 'W' symbol in the center.

"You…"

"Well, well…"

This person speaks these words with a sneer.

"Tch…"

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Gai slowly begins to approach this person. Gai could not predict anything that this person did, how he acted, what his motives were, his abilities…

"Who are you…?"

Silently, the young man darted towards him in a flash of blue lightning. Leaping out of the way, Gai prepared to fight his opponent.

"Dark Pulse!!"

With black reishi surrounding Kakusei's blade before forming into an orb of black and dark blue circles at the tip of Gai's Zanpakutō, Gai thrust his sword at the young man, and he fired a beam of black and dark blue feathers of spiritual energy from the orb at his opponent, which was effortlessly blocked and reversed on him, blowing Nagareboshi away.

"G-Gah…!"

Catching himself, Gai plunged Kakusei's blade into the ground, stopping himself from sliding any further.

"Gai Nagareboshi."

The figure uttered these words in a creepy monotone. Slowly walking forward, the being drew his twin Zanpakutō from his sheathes. Two elegant, triple-edged pitch-black blades with red edges. In the middle of the hilts, there are two slitted blue eyes.

"How do you know my name!?"

"I know a lot about you…"

"Tch. Just get out of my way."

"Oh, I'm afraid I can't do that."

Grasping the hilt of Kakusei, Gai uttered,

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Kakusei!"

An all-too-familiar glacial reishi mist surrounded Kakusei. Swinging the blade forward, Gai's slashes create an immense amount of spiritual power which overflows from the tip of the blade, creating a flow of ice shaped like a Chinese dragon.

"Take him down!"

With a single command, the dragon flies towards the person, who stands still.

"Pathetic."

Swinging one of his blades at the glacial construct, the figure shattered the dragon instantly.

"N-No way…"

The next words sent a chill down Nagareboshi's spine.

"My turn."

In a flash of blue lightning, the figure rushed forward as fast as lightning. Striking Nagareboshi six times, in the right pointer finger, right elbow, left arm, left shoulder, right leg, and across the ribs, the being then spun around and knocked him away.

"G-Guh…!"

Continuing his assault, the being amassed azure thunder on each of the blades of his Zanpakutō.

"Kaminari Tenshō."

At the instant of the slash, each blade of his Zanpakutō absorbs his reiatsu and releases highly condensed reishi at the tip of the blade, magnifying the slash attack and then flies forward. This slash takes the form of a blue crescent moons of thunder, three for each blade. The sheer power of this attack is enough to destroy a large portion of the Forest of Menos and blow Nagareboshi away.

"Hōtengeki."

The figure forms blue lightning between his hands, creating a large spear made of lightning. He then hurls the spear at Gai. Surely, this attack would have killed Nagareboshi…

"…Hm?"

Pure white wings of reishi flared out of Gai's back, and neutralized the halbard. It was just like against that devil woman…

"…Shadow Sword!"

Amassing black feathers around his blade, Gai runs up to the being and slashes his blade at them, causing the feathers to expand and extend and strike him from a small distance away, sending the figure crashing through several trees.

"Impressive."

Standing up from his wreckage as if no harm was inflicted upon him, the figure approached Nagareboshi, who was about to faint. Maybe that person had used Gai's last attack as an excuse to move forward. While Nagareboshi had suffered grave injuries, this figure didn't even have a scratch on him. What kind of power was this…?

"I've been looking for you, Gai Nagareboshi."

"…Tch. Whatever."

"Do you mind…If I assist you in your mission?"

"No skin off my back. Just don't screw up."

"Oh-ho…You can trust me."

Every word that came out of this person's mouth seemed like a gigantic lie. But for her…Gai would believe every minute of it.

"…Promise me…You'll help me stop them."

"Oh, yes…I'll stop them alright…"

Smirking, this person offered his hand to Nagareboshi.

"Eienrai. Sōrai no Kishi."

"…!!"

"What, haven't you heard of me?"

"…Tch. No matter. Alright, let's go…Eienrai."

With a wave of his hand, a storm of azure thunder destroyed the Forest of Menos. Eienrai was one of the most powerful beings that Gai had seen, equaling that devil woman in power.

"Well, let's get this show on the road, Gai Nagareboshi…Hmmhmhmhmhm…"