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Beast Among Warriors[]
The wind howled in a manner similar to how a predator or of the sort roared out in anger. The silent yet stressful night has yet to reveal the climax of its conflicts, but there were already too many powerful beings that came into play: many captains of each Division had moved out and mobilized their troops alongside their lieutenants, some were angered to the point they decided to exert their prowess outwards, a couple of them even decided to pit against each other in the midst of the chaotic and confusing night. Some decided to stay calm and simply wait for orders. One particular captain however, whether he was consumed by his chaotic self or not is unbeknownst to himself, decided to deduce something out in favor of having one of his trusted subordinates follow him in his footsteps.
War. That was what the captain had in his tactical mind all along. War had always make its way through, consuming dozens of innocent lives and typically ending in the tyrant ruling supreme or one of the good guys becoming the one true tyrant, or at least that is what he believed in. And now, a war has begun, although this time, it was different. There were too many factors for him to estimate who would become the one true tyrant ruling supreme above all. Finally he stopped giving random thoughts about it. He decided that thinking about it any further would aggravate his mind, although what he didn't know is that his mind was already aggravated, and that chaos would soon lurk around him.
Kaisei Ryūren. That was his name; the captain, the leading figure of the Division known as the Fifth, the one that was left without guidance as its former leader became the tyrant that nearly brought the Soul Society to its knees, only to be succeeded by yet another tyrant that nearly brought the extinction of everything in existence, which included Soul Society itself. Captain Ryūren was there, expressed disbelief as both tyrants nearly ended everything in existence in favor of re-creating everything in accordance to their liking, yet expressed disbelief once more as both tyrants were defeated. But that was not the point. He was there, his gaze narrowed down toward the innocent lives that were consumed, similar to how his innocent siblings and parents were consumed. And there he was, being a leading figure accompanied by his belief that playing such an important role among the Gotei would allow him to protect the innocents of the worlds, only to be wronged by the same belief.
His gaze was set blindly onto the plains of fresh green grass that swarmed the lands. Then he snapped back into reality as a yell reached out to him. "Captain! Where are we going?"
He peered over his shoulders, his gaze met with the shining eyes of another Shinigami; his subordinate, the Third Seat of Fifth Division. Tyler Ryūdō has been captain Ryūren's right-hand-man since the latter's inauguration as a captain. Tyler was such a diligent subordinate. What's more is that he was still young and energetic, that he still has potential. Kaisei needed to know whether Tyler would follow him in his footsteps...or rebel against him. Of course, Kaisei wouldn't expect his subordinates to follow him; what he was planning to do would have end up in wanted posters for his head being put up around Soul Society, after all.
"Ryūdō-kun," the captain spoke. "What do you think of what the man said earlier?" From what is expressed all over Tyler's face, Kaisei could tell that Tyler didn't know what his captain was talking about. "About the errors that Soul Society has made over the years."
A tingling sense of enmity conquered Tyler's heart. It is as if his heart just skipped a beat. His instincts told him to reach for his Zanpakutō, yet his mind and heart told him to stop and hear what his captain would say. "What about it, captain?" Tyler did his best to not sound so hostile. He couldn't piece it together, but something was obviously off about his captain. Sure, captain Ryūren was the type of person to hide his true feelings and intentions, but something--something very ominous--had changed all that. Something ominous enough to change the attitude of someone such as captain Ryūren.
The captain finally turned around to face his subordinate. "I've been thinking," he said. "Gotei 13's duty. It's to protect the lives of the innocent, is it not?" To his satisfaction, Tyler nodded in agreement. "You know, I joined the Gotei 13 for a sole reason."
"And what kind of reason is that, captain?" Tyler could no longer hide the hostility in his voice.
"To protect the innocent, that's what keeping me here," the captain replied, his eyes began to darken. He then closed his eyes to recall the things he has done ever since he joined the Gotei 13, or, more specifically, since he became one of Soul Society's leading members. Images of what he has done recently flooded his mind, but then all clear up. There was one thing that still hung within his lost thoughts before he continued, "But all I have done up to this point, up to this very moment, was watching helplessly as the innocent gets wiped out."
Before his captain could finish, Tyler knew where this is going. After hearing what that man had said, Tyler's instincts triggered and has become very cautious of his surroundings. Of course he recognized the errors in Soul Society's ways as of recent, but he stood among the souls that have sworn to protect it. In the case of his captain, however, he wasn't sure. Tyler knew the man for quite some time, and truth be told he is quite fond of the captain's way of doing things, as well as his personality. But this...he just wasn't sure. What could his captain be planning?
"No more," Kaisei continued as Tyler paused his thoughts. "This time, I'll be the shield itself."
There was a sudden pause before Tyler's instincts urged him to unsheathe his Zanpakutō, then his heart began to beat rapidly. Faster. Faster than ever. It wasn't long before a glimmer of light shone brightly, forming a solid object. Tyler's sight blurred. What was he afraid of? Why did his actions suddenly came to a stop? It was then that he realized the object formed took the shape of a blade. A thin, short, silver curved blade...and it was aimed toward his face. Tyler was right to trust his instincts; if his reaction time had been slower, he would've been dead by now.
As if his hand had a mind of its own, his right hand clung to the hilt of his Zanpakutō so hard and, before he knew it, the long blade of his Zanpakutō shot out and thrust forward from the corner of his blurred sight with immeasurable speed. A swift and loud clang! broke the immediate silence that followed, and as his sight cleared up, Tyler's eyes widened in disbelief and began to question whether or not it was real. What he saw was...the blade of a wakizashi, and the one holding it against him was none other than captain Ryūren.
"I see now," said Kaisei. He needed to ask no longer. His analytical mind began to piece together the facts. "So you won't follow me."
Kaisei backed down and held his weapon behind him. Before him, Tyler eyed his captain furiously, seemingly unwilling to take his eyes off of his captain. His hands were trembling, his legs were shaking. A chill ran down his spine. He was furious, and yet, he was scared. Afraid. No matter how much he rejected it, his suspicions were confirmed at last. Truth be told, Tyler didn't know what to say. Some part of him was angry, so furious at the fact that his captain attacked him. Some part of him was...unwilling to accept that his captain just attacked him. He didn't want his captain to go away.
Tyler's eyes began to fill with anger. Hatred. And before he knew it, his furious gaze met with his captain's darkened eyes. They were...hollow. Soulless. As if the captain just saw something so horrible that it drained the color from his eyes. Of course, it wasn't the case. "I am going to the Human World," he said. His voice was proud and confident. He was ready to leave all of his friends and work behind. If his heart desired to do so, he will do it. "And since you are standing against me, I cannot allow you to stop me."
With all his might, his emotions mixed, his anger and fear taking control, Tyler replied. "That's the part where you're wrong."
The Herd[]
"How is this my life?" Shiemi Makinami mused as she moved through the dark terrain with practiced ease, using the handle of her Zanpakuto to move branches or twigs out of her way.
She had been more than just slightly surprised to see the Third Seat from the Fifth dash through Seireitei like a bat out of Hell a few hours earlier and, given her knack for poking her nose into affairs concerning those she considered friends, it had been an easy choice to leave what she had been collecting in a store and instead head straight after the man.
"Are you sure that this is wise? The boy's reiatsu wasn't exactly calm when you saw him. He might not want you poking your nose in where it doesn't belong," her Zanpakuto voiced with uncertainty but Shiemi's eyes gained a determined gleam.
"Of course it's wise!" she growled, "Tyler-kun is a good friend, and colleague, of mine so of course I can be worried about him!"
...
"And I don't poke my nose in where it doesn't belong!" she snapped at her sword as she increased her speed, burying the unwanted uncertainty and fear that her Zanpakuto had planted in her mind.
Just what would she find at the end of the road?
A Roar and a Howl[]
The night just grew intense. Mixed emotions and feelings were brought into battle, even though they were not needed as much. After a few moments of silence, Kaisei began to move through the woods. No longer in the clear meadow of plentiful fresh grass, both persons, who were once comrades, allies in battles, chose the woods where branches are thick and trees are abundant as the proper location for their fight. Who wouldn't? It would make the fight a little more interesting.
As much as Kaisei loved to fulfill his resolve to protect the innocent, he also loved playing as an antagonist...especially a former protagonist whom had turned to the evil side. Nevertheless, his role as an antagonist right now only served to fulfill his resolve, after all. If being hunted by the Shinigami of Soul Society with wanted posters of himself hung upon each wall he encountered is what it took to fulfill his resolve, then he will do it. With all his heart and might.
He bounced and flashed from one branch to another with extreme swiftness. From the corner of his eyes, he could see his subordinate flashing, hoping to reach his captain. It was a lost cause, Kaisei concluded. A Shinigami at Tyler's level could never keep up with him. And Kaisei wasn't being haughty or arrogant; it was a fact. He glanced behind him and saw Tyler bouncing over another thick branch. Then he chuckled before disappearing into the blackness.
As long as Tyler could remember, the night was as dark as it can get, and coupled with the tons of leaves and branches blocking the moon's glorious beam of light from entering the battlefield, it was almost pitch-black in here. Anything could move and struck him from behind right now. That was before a light bulb flashed above him and gave him a great idea.
"Storm the world," he muttered in total silence, unable to hear anything other than his own voice and the slight sound of shaking branches that surrounded him. "Sakushū!" His voice was now audible as his left hand ran along the long blade of the nodachi held by his other hand. It was then that a light emerged and conquered the darkness that surrounded Tyler. A beam of glimmering light and glittering sparkles that turned the blade of Tyler's Zanpakutō into the very definition of light...and there it was: Tyler's passionate behavior and strong trust in justice, manifested into his very own power. And Tyler knew that if he was unable to fight against his captain, at least wielding his most-trusted companion in battle would give him a better chance of holding out against someone at his captain's level.
"Show yourself!" Tyler yelled, his voice was proud and strong now as his body took a defensive stance, ready to defend against whatever is headed his way. In all honesty, Tyler couldn't still figure out what he was feeling about. His passion had longed for a fight like this, even against someone as strong as his captain. Part of him was still scared; was he really going against his captain? Would he hold out against his captain? Then there was his strong trust and belief in justice, where his anger came from. If someone would ever betray Soul Society, then he was there to stop them, even if it means arresting the very man who worked under.
Then Tyler spotted a figure just below him; he couldn't place it, but somehow the figure was small and...definitely not his captain. Was someone else in this forest? If there was someone there, how come Tyler didn't detect whoever was that person's reiatsu? As his heart began to beat rapidly, Tyler decided to find out once and for all.
Squeaking in surprise when the sudden beam of light shot up in the middle of the forest, Shiemi came to an abrupt halt. She shielded her eyes to the best of her abilities before lowering the appendage and looking for whoever had initiated the ability, but what she found shocked her to her core.
Despite the stark darkness around them, Shiemi was easily able to distinguish just who had created that light; the ability was one she knew well from the war against the Quincys, and its owner was one she knew even better.
"Tyler-kun..." she muttered in surprise as she stared up at her friend, taking in his somewhat disheveled appearance.
He looked... different, if that was the correct word for it in Shiemi's mind.
His eyes were dilated, his hair was mussed—probably from the fast speeds he had traveled by—and his breathing seemed, from where she stood, to be more than just slightly erratic.
Shiemi knew Tyler, and he wouldn't be in a state like this unless something was wrong; Hell, whatever it was that had caused him to be like this was probably going to reduce her to a stuttering mess, should she encounter it as well.
"Tyler-kun, just what is going on here?" she called out to her friend, clutching Shirokage's handle even tighter as she stared up at the heavily breathing Shinigami.
Staring down at his friend, Tyler sighed to express relief. He was lucky: he didn't know what could happen if he ran into his captain like this. "Makinami-san...," his voice trailed off. His left hand reached for his chest as he began to pant wildly, partly because of the chase a little while ago.
He took a closer look at his friend; Shiemi Makinami. Memories of their past meetings abruptly flooded his clouded mind. In all honesty, Tyler regarded her as more than a friend. She was more like a caring sister to him and she was, in fact, the one whom had given him hope to live and it was thanks to her that to this day Tyler became a Shinigami. After he caught his breath, he was ready to answer her question, remembering every single moment of the event he just went through. It was then that Tyler realized something.
"Makinami-san?" he said with a puzzled expression, then he blinked twice to make sure whether or not he was seeing reality. It was a rough night, the roughest Tyler has ever been through, and who knows; it may as well be a trick that his captain pulled off. "You're...aren't you...," said Tyler, having trouble to piece his own words together. "Aren't you supposed to be in the Human World?"
Shiemi froze at Tyler's words and looked down at her feet, embarrassment making the tips of her ears burn a bright red.
"I... I received a Hell Butterfly about..." she trailed off, a burst of pain flaring within her chest as she was forced to once more realize what she had been informed about.
Should she tell him?
Tyler wasn't a healer; sure he was a kind man, but he wasn't a healer and that was exactly what Shiemi needed at the moment.
"Naomi's sickness took a turn for the worse," she finally said, still keeping her eyes plastered to the ground instead of looking straight up at her friend, "My sister's life is on the line, and I received a Butterfly about it but... I didn't even think about it when I rushed back here."
Blinking rapidly to try to contain the few tears that threatened to spill from her eyes Shiemi instead rose her head to look up at Tyler, "The better question here is what you're doing out here, Tyler-kun! You look as if you're being chased by a demon!"
Tyler reassured himself that it was no trick and, with a burdened heart, felt bad for Shiemi. Tyler wanted to express sympathy for her and make her feel better; for all she has done for him, he could never repay her. It was never the time to do such things, however. By standing around and talking, they have left themselves open and vulnerable. Too vulnerable.
"Makinami-san," said Tyler, his voice was definitely trembling. His emotions screamed out to him; stress, fear, and the sympathy he felt for her. "I'm very sorry to hear that," he said quick and fast. "But you're not safe here. We're not safe here."
Tyler took a quick glance around them both as his left hand clenched down Shiemi's shoulder to make sure she wasn't out of his range. Somehow he got the strange feeling that he was being watched. But from which direction? His left? His right? Above? Front? Back? Tyler was pretty sure that the glare he felt came from all the direction he could think of.
"Makinami-san," he spoke. "MOVE!"
With such swift motion a rigid beam of light cut through the woods with speed unlike anything both officers have ever seen before, blasting through the branches and leaves that hid them from their threat with sheer force and power. With all his might, Tyler pushed himself and Shiemi away from the beam that managed to obliterate almost anything in sight that he could see.
"What the He—?!" Shiemi screeched when her friend had pushed her out of the way, only to immediately quiet down when she saw the sheer destruction before her. She immediately tensed, her hands sneaking down towards her Zanpakuto's handle, causing one of the small bells she had stitched into her sash to jingle softly.
She winced shortly at the quiet sound, knowing that whatever was attacking them possibly could have heard the sound as well.
"Just what is going on here?!" she snapped at Tyler, sending his a scalding look for a few seconds before her eyes darted around in an attempt to locate the threat in the area, "Tyler-kun, what did you do?!"
Tyler didn't respond immediately. The sudden attack had taken a lot out of him, and who knows when the next one would come. He was unwilling to let go of reality. This wasn't some random games he would play on a daily basis; it was a life-and-death situation!
With extreme swiftness Tyler held out his Zanpakutō toward the direction from which the beam of light had came from. "Neon Beam!" He shouted.
A ball of light that comprised all the color of the world was concentrated on the tip of his silvery blade, its glittering beauty lighting up the area around them. From the tip, the ball then burst forward, becoming an array of light beams of every color. Tyler didn't have time to make sure that his attack got through the one whom had attacked them. But he was sure of one thing: it would at least occupy their attacker for a moment.
"Makinami-san," Tyler said as he gazed upon the opposite direction. "Please follow me. I'll explain along the way." Then he began to disappear into the darkness, only to appear again a few feet away. The light of his Zanpakutō blinked every time he flashed forward; it was never a good sign, the enemy could spot him very easily. But nevertheless it was also a good sign for Shiemi to follow through the woods.
Shiemi immediately took after her friend, easily keeping up with him while keeping her senses on high alert, but the only sounds she could hear were the soft whispers every time that a new flash of light appeared where Tyler's blade was positioned.
"Tyler-kun, just... please, tell me what's going on here?"
"It's captain Ryūren!" Tyler finally snapped. "He...he...," his voice began to trail off. He glanced back at Shiemi, who seemed concerned. Very concerned. "There was a guy, I don't know who, but we all know he was very powerful. At par with the head-captain himself, I think," he explained. "Then the captain began to act strangely, and before I knew it, he suddenly attacked me and now this," he said, not realizing that he had skipped some parts.
Tyler could feel every single branch brushing against his face, chest and arms. The burning pain in his chest and the throbbing in his head ripped him apart. But he kept moving forward, flashing from one branch on to another, hoping they would be out of this mess very soon. The idea of having a chase around the woods in the middle of the night didn't sound so pleasing anymore. In fact, it sounded ridiculous, pointless.
There was no way out. They could run and run and run but who knows they could still be running in circles. They could jump high in the air but the enemy would just hunt them down easier. They were trapped. And before he knew it, there was another assault.
It was a projectile; a ball of surging energy that had came from the seemingly abyssal darkness that surrounded them. Tyler was lucky that his shining blade was powerful enough to counteract the energy projectile that had bounced its way onto Tyler. The ball deformed into a shape he couldn't figure out before dissipating in an instant after clashing against Sakushū.
There was another one, however. And it was directed toward Shiemi.
Having seen the stray projectile as well, Shiemi whipped out Shirokage from its sheath immediately and winced at the horrible screech of metal scraping against something. She was forced back in midair by the shock of impact and hurled towards the ground as she felt twigs and branches snap under the pressure of her body obeying gravity.
"Ow!" Shiemi groaned as she slowly sat up from the small dent in the ground her impact had made. She rubbed the back of her hand against her temple, wincing when she felt something wet and sticky on her skin, before taking a look at the smeared blood spread across her hand.
She located Shirokage just out of reach to her right and leaned over to snatch up her sword before she shakily got on her feet once more with the helping support of a nearby tree.
"Alright, if that's how it's going to be," she grumbled softly as she held out her Zanpakuto in front of her, her mouth reduced to a thin line and her eyes gleaming with concentration.
This was Alvin-taicho they were up against, and Shiemi wasn't stupid enough to believe that something like this could be solved if the three of them simply sat down tea to discuss the matter. No, this would require some brute force, and she had just the skill for that particular requirement.
"Bend, Shirokage!"
Shiemi was enveloped by a soft lilac glow as her Zanpakuto stretched in her hands, the soft fabric that was tucked around the handle slowly wrapping itself around Shiemi's wrists as the many marbles and sequins hanging from the tsuba grew in size.
"I am not going down without a fight, Alvin-taicho!" Shiemi snapped at the eerily silent air around her as she glanced at the dark treetops above her.
But what came down from above was something else...or rather, someone else. The sound of tree branches clashing against each other broke the silence, followed by a loud thud. Tyler had fallen down from the branches above him; his stature suggested that he didn't fall because of the same force that pulled Shiemi down. Then the light from his Zanpakutō flickered.
There was a long pause before Tyler got up and released himself from the awkward position he had fallen into. His sword began to stop flickering and glowed brightly, piercing into the dead of night once more.
Tyler exchanged a glance with Shiemi, still figuring out what they should do next. Should they continue? Or should they just wait until the next attack? He concluded that the latter option was better than running around searching for a way out that didn't exist.
But there was little time for them to wait for the next attack. This one came like a flash, and for the worse, it was beams of light. Beams of light, shooting from every direction Tyler could think of.
"MOVE!" He yelled as he dodged another beam. Up, down, left, right, front, back. From everywhere. The beams pierced through the branches easily and they were relentless. Tyler didn't need to be hit by them to make sure they were painful.
Then it happened: Tyler was struck by two beams, one of which dug into his left shoulder. The other was critical. It had struck him in the leg. Even so, the beams kept firing. It was overwhelming...and overpowering. He dropped down, consumed by the throbbing of his head, burning in his chest, and the hollow hole of his right calf. His sight began to blur once more, followed by the repetitive flickering of his Zanpakutō. It was already hard for him to spot anything other than pillars of light that erupted every two seconds from every direction...where was Shiemi?
Shiemi had immediately reacted when Tyler had yelled his command, rapidly evading the beams as they cut through everything around her, but not even her shunpo was able to completely evade the attacks that flew through the air around her.
She gasped in a mixture of surprise and pain when her lower left arm was hit by one of the beams before she immediately vanished in a blur of shunpo right beside where Tyler had fallen.
"Tyler-kun, we have to move!" she cried out as she reached down with her right hand and grabbed onto Tyler's right shoulder, only to freeze for an instant when she saw her friend's condition.
His left shoulder was a mess of blood, the same with his one of his legs, and he was entirely covered in various scrapes and rapidly-forming bruises.
Shit! Shiemi inwardly cursed as she spotted another of the beams coming straight at their current position before she tightened the grip on Tyler and threw the two of them to the side, narrowly avoiding being hit by the beam.
Tyler tried not to flinch after Shiemi had pushed him out of the way. Or flinch too hard for that matter. He rolled over next to Shiemi as he shook his head around, hoping that his vision would return. And then it did. In the midst of killer laser beams erupting everywhere, lying down on the ground wasn't exactly the best choice.
He glanced over his shoulder to see Shiemi still evading the laser beams. They were still there. They were still everywhere. At this rate we'll be crushed down for sure, Tyler concluded. Striking the blade of Sakushū down to the ground, he helped himself stand up. By all accounts, this was one of the worst injuries Tyler had ever experienced. And things didn't seem to look up, even for a bit.
But he was proved wrong. There, at the corner of his eye, something shone brightly. Something other than the shape of laser beam pillars, of course. Was it? Could it be?
Apparently it was. A way out. A dark shadowy tree was towering over the others, and next to it was a moonlit meadow. An open meadow.
Tyler didn't have to think twice over it. "Makinami-san," he yelled, then pointed his finger at the open meadow. "Over there!"
Shiemi's head snapped up to attention the very second her ears registered Tyler's voice, and she dodged yet another beam before looking in the direction that her friend had pointed in.
The moonlit meadow—the open meadow, she mentally cried out—was as if sent by a merciful God.
Disappearing in a desperate move of shunpo, Shiemi appeared beside Tyler and got a tight grip on both him and his Zanpakuto before she ran like the wind towards the meadow.
"Faster!" she hissed at herself as she frantically pushed her legs to run faster and faster despite the strain they were already beginning to succumb to.
Tyler's blood was already beginning to soak into her material, making both her shihakusho and the white cloth beneath stick uncomfortably to her skin, but Shiemi shook off the feeling and just focused on forcing her legs to move faster.
Then—finally—they moved past the large, dark tree and into a huge field of grass bathed in silver moonlight.
Shiemi collapsed on the spot, her breathing ragged and heaving as she struggled to get enough precious air down in her lungs, before she as gently as possible lowered Tyler towards the ground. Her attention was so firmly kept on minimizing the amount of pain he might experience that she didn't even notice Shirokage revert back to its usual form.
"We... w-we made it, Tyler-kun..." she wheezed as the smallest of smiles appeared on her lips.
Tyler's response wasn't immediate as he collapsed down to the ground also. His rapid panting was, in fact, out of severe pain and exhaustion. From his position, he was barely able to take a glance upon the woods they had just escaped from. Funny, the beams weren't there anymore. Then he collapsed into his resting position once more. It wasn't a surprise; both he and Shiemi were in a state far beyond their regular limits, after all.
He sighed as he peered down to his injuries, then he took a look at Shiemi's. He wasn't complaining. In fact, he was grateful. He was able to made it out of that living hell alive, and truth be told, he initially didn't want to drag Shiemi along in this business. What turned out was nothing like what he expected; Shiemi had managed to save his life twice. Three times, counting their first meeting. He wondered if he could ever repay her for whatever she did for him.
"Yeah," he replied, finally catching his breath. "Thanks. A lot," he said as his lips formed a smile.
As his body steadily stirred, he got up then stared into the woods. His eyes seemed hollow and soulless, succumbing to his pain and exhaustion, but more importantly...fear. The beams weren't there anymore, sure. But there were something else. Something that made chills run down his spine...something more sinister than the simple, typically cold captain Ryūren.
"Makinami-san...," he called out.
Shiemi turned her head in question to Tyler's ragged voice before a shiver ran down her spine as well.
'Something's still out there...' she groaned mentally as she slowly used her Zanpakuto to get up on her feet despite her entire body shaking from overexertion.
"It's not over yet, Tyler-kun," Shiemi groaned out loud as she kept her eyes trained on the point where the creeping feeling came from.
Tyler's eyes focused down the narrow path where they came out of and stared into the deep blankness. He had been grateful for surviving the living hell they went through, but deep down within the woods, something told him that...the real living hell was about to begin.
There, at the heart of the forest, a pair of red lights shone brilliantly in the midst of darkness. As tree branches shook, wind howled, and leaves fell by, two pitch black pupils formed within the redness and stared into the souls of both Shinigami. Then came an ominous screech - a howl of sorts - so loud that it spread throughout the forest and pierced the ears of Tyler and Shiemi. Whatever it was or whoever it was, it wasn't the captain Ryūren they knew.
Kaisei's Revelation! The Beast Strikes[]
Nighttime in the woods never seemed so settling. For as long as he could remember, Kaisei always hated the place. He hated how every leaf and branch were always trembling, as if they fear something was coming. He hated how the thick trees always cast monstrous shadows that loom over those who walk within the place. He hated how the forest always managed to somehow block each and every light that comes; turn away for a second and there may be Hollows waiting for you in the dark. He hated how the paths were never still. Kaisei watched every detail he could spot as he traced his footsteps into the dark and gloomy forest, steadily winning against the harsh winds that blew against him. It was true that he hated every thing that existed in this forest. Nevertheless, no matter how much he hated the place, he was in his element. Something out of nowhere told him that. And he has his reasons for coming here in the first place.
He continued on, with a sinister smirk formed around his lips; Kaisei truly loved playing as an antagonist.
'We need healing,' was the first thought that ran through Shiemi's mind after that horrible howl had pierced the night, 'That and somewhere safe...'
She couldn't see anything.
All she had heard was a howl, a sound that had torn through her eardrums before fading into nothing, but there had been no sounds since. No shuffling of bushes, no sounds from insects or nocturnal animals.
Nothing.
Slowly hauling herself over towards Tyler, Shiemi gently placed one of her hands just above his rapidly expanding and deflating chest before letting the old, familiar, sense of reiatsu stream through her hands and wash over the man lying in front of her.
She let her remaining hand rest a hair's width away from the handle of Shirokage while quietly scanning her surroundings, straining her senses to the best of her capabilities to see what could possibly be out there in the wilderness.
Tyler's eyes also wandered around. His senses were on full alert ever since his eardrums were crushed by the aforementioned howl. Or whatever it may be. Still, he tried his best not to move too much. No matter how much he wanted to repay his debts to Shiemi, in the end, she was the one who was always there for him. And he was always the one needing aid from her.
His grip over the hilt of his Zanpakutō tightened. It was no longer shining. Nor it was in its Shikai state. They were safe. But they were vulnerable. And somehow Tyler couldn't place the feeling that they were being watched. He ignored his feeling. He decided that whatever of whoever may be watching, they wouldn't be so undignified that they would attack an unarmed girl healing a heavily injured man. Not even the captain Ryūren he knew would do such a thing. But nevertheless, he could be wronged by his beliefs of justice.
Instead, he was focused on Shiemi. He was grateful that she had came in the first place. Very grateful. But something hung in his mind. Whatever could happen if Shiemi never came? Whatever could happen if Tyler was defeated before she even came? Tsk, tsk. His eyes closed. It wasn't the time to think about random things.
Then he opened his eyes. His gaze was now focused on Shiemi. But then he looked away. His expression suggested as if he felt guilty. Then his lips moved, "I'm very sorry, Makinami-san."
Shiemi looked down at her patient in surprise, "There's nothing for you to be sorry about, Tyler-kun," she said with a thinly stretched smile, "Someone has to be there whenever you get in trouble, even when it's with your Captain. Now, be still so I won't mess up the healing! If you get scars from this it's not my fault."
She once more concentrated on trying to heal the gashes and scratches that covered Tyler from head to toe, sighing softly when a wave of exhaustion rolled over her.
"I have to admit, though, that getting chased through a forest by Alvin-taicho was not really what I had expected," she muttered before looking into Tyler's eyes, "Did... did Kazuryū-san ever say anything to you about this? Alvin-taicho was... he was fine the last time I spoke with him."
Tyler paused for a moment, still feeling guilty for what he has done. Worrying Shiemi was the last thing he wanted to do, but if being still would stop her from worrying, that will do. Then his eyes widened for a moment, his expression was somewhat dumbfounded. He had never thought of it. But for as long as he could remember, Cynthia never talked to him ever since she prepared for her trip. Neither did his captain act strangely before that. "No...," he answered, his voice began to trail off once more. "I never expected captain Ryūren to turn against us, too. But what's done is done, I guess. In any case, we better hurry up, I bet he's waiting for us."
"Wait just a minute there, young man," Shiemi snapped, her eyes narrowing as she pressed a hand against his chest, "You're not going anywhere near Alvin-taicho if I have anything to say about it, not when both of us are just about ready to drop from exhaustion. He practically mauled your body from top to toe, and now you want to go straight to him? Did you hit your head harder than I thought you did?"
Tyler sighed in response to what Shiemi just said. Shiemi was right: even if they were in perfect condition they stood no chance against captain Ryūren; how would they fare against him in this kind of condition? Still, it didn't change the fact that he was also right: that they have left themselves too open for the captain to strike. They needed to move, try and get away from this horrible nightmare as fast as possible.
"I think so," he replied with a smile on his face, staring down at Shiemi. Then his smile turned into a horrible frown, and he said, "But even so, Makinami-san, we need to move. We're not safe here." He took a quick glance around him, his bones itched and snapped at every possible angle, loud enough for Shiemi to hear it.
"I know," Shiemi grumbled in irritation as she sent him a glare, "Still, you're not fully healed, and I don't like doing a half-assed job. You should know that well from all the times I've patched you up before," she said flatly before focusing all of her concentration on Tyler's half-healed wounds.
It wouldn't be perfect, but if she could just get his wounds a little more healed then it should be enough to get them to relative safety.
"Do you know a place nearby, Tyler-kun? Somewhere that whatever's chasing us won't find?" she muttered in concern, looking at her friend with pleading eyes.
Tyler turned to Shiemi, his glowing eyes met hers. His response was a simple, worried expression as he shot her with a serious look. "No one in the Gotei 13 knew these woods better than captain Ryūren. He didn't want anyone to visit the place, and even warned other captains about it,..." he explained. "And...and I think there's a reason why he brought me here. I've been thinking about it whole time, and there should also be a reason why I couldn't detect your reiatsu earlier," he finally spilled it out.
Shiemi paled at Tyler's words.
Her hands slowly retracting from Tyler's chest and instead falling into her lap. She began breathing in deeply, desperately attempting to calm the swirling pit of unease that had appeared in her stomach.
"You... couldn't sense me?" she whispered, somewhat surprised and rather anxious as her eyes began darting around from one place around them to the next, "Did Alvin-taicho use some form of Kido on this place?"
Her friend didn't respond immediately. The same feeling had struck him yet again...the feeling that they were being watched by someone or something. Only that this time he couldn't shake the feeling. It was too strong. His eyes also began to dart around, searching for whatever that might be watching them. Every single muscle in his body tensed, every single hair on his body stood. His heart began to beat rapidly as his gaze narrowed down to the edge of the woods.
Then, at long last, he has found the "thing" that has been watching them.
To Shiemi's surprise, Tyler began to move. He began to stand up, slowly and steadily, as if desperately trying not to attract attention to himself. His limbs were trembling; well, sort of. His right arm raised itself; his eyes widened in fear, surprise...and his finger slowly rose to point at the "thing" among the woods.
There they were, two furiously glowing red eyes, staring down at the two Shinigami among the depths of abyssal blackness and gargantuan tree branches.
"Tyler-kun?" Shiemi questioned before looking in the same direction as her friend pointed in, immediately freezing up when she saw the two red orbs glowing within the forest.
We are so screwed if whatever that is attacks us now, Shiemi panicked inwardly as she began shifting between watching Tyler and the pair of eyes that were keenly focused on the two Shinigami in the middle of the meadow.
"Tyler-kun, what should we do?" she muttered softly as she wrapped a hand securely around Shirokage's handle, biting her lower lip in concern.
Meanwhile, it was surprising to see that Tyler was like a statue frozen in time: every little bit of his muscle was molded into place, his eyes were fixed onto the glowing red orbs. Fear had grasped him.
But it was more surprising when his expression shifted, little by little, until he finally sported a puzzled expression. He saw an opening, somehow, and was released from the fear that had imprisoned him. Through quick maneuvers he grabbed the handle of his Zanpakutō before he looked at Shiemi, signaling her to get ready.
The orbs of light were...shrinking. There was no doubt. They were shrinking...until they finally fit the size of normal human pupils. Then they hovered forward, heading toward them both through the dark depths of the woods.
Danger is imminent, Tyler thought as his heart skipped a beat for the twentieth time today. Whatever or whoever that thing is, it's better than fighting a captain gone rogue or running from a wild creature. But what Tyler had been missing was the possibility of them both being the exact same individual.
Finally the figure stepped into the light, where he could be seen at last. It was, indeed, no other than the captain Ryūren they had been running away from.
"A-Alvin-taicho...?" Shiemi whispered in shock as she stared at the approaching Shinigami Captain, her brown eyes widening almost abnormally, "W-what the Hell is going on here?!" she cried out, "Why would you attack one of your own Division-members like that?!"
The captain simply frowned at them as he grew closer to them, his features were as gnarly as ever as his gaze pierced into the souls of the two Shinigami. Throughout the course of his life as a Shinigami, he always had the thought that showing his true powers in battle would have him kicked out of the Gotei 13. His true powers became nothing less but a secret kept within the chambered depths of his heart. But this night was different: he was actually eager to demonstrate his powers to their fullest. It has been so long since he showed others his true form. And this was a perfect opportunity to do so. Then a thought made its way to his mind and managed to shift his frown into a sinister smirk.
Tyler then received much of his focus. He didn't even gave a thought about how Shiemi got there considering that he was the one who sent her to the Human World in the first place. Nevertheless, Tyler has spoiled a crucial secret of his, and he didn't plan on helping him realize what he was going to do in a place like this. He must be swift and tactical.
"I have done enough chit-chat with Ryūdō-kun over there," he replied with a cold tone. "Let's just say I'm leaving Soul Society and the Gotei 13. Also, since I am going to leave this place, I think I'll give you a spectacular show before leaving."
Without hesitating, Tyler's other hand instinctively held his Zanpakutō out against his captain. "Storm the World, Sakushū!" He yelled as his immediate vicinity was consumed in a sudden burst of light before the blade of Sakushū absorbed all the light. "You won't get away," he muttered to himself closely before continuing his assault. "Neon Beam!"
The same array of light burst forward in extreme speed, this time faster than the last one, diminishing all the sounds within the area as the bolts of light seemingly hit his target.
"Tyler-kun, you idiot, don't do it!" Shiemi cried out as she grabbed onto her friend's shoulders, desperately trying to drag him backwards, "We'll get killed if you continue this!"
Tyler's body was strong, of that there was no doubt in Shiemi's mind, but not even he would be able to withstand more attacks from Kaisei if he decided to retaliate as strongly as when they had encountered him the first time.
"Your body can't handle this strain!" she snapped at him while continuing to try dragging him backwards, "And I won't be the one to drag your sorry, dead ass all the way back to Seireitei!"
But Tyler knew it was ultimately too late as his instincts yet again kicked in.
His attack exploded and piled up into a heap of smoke that towered up high above them as the grass around it faded into little more than ash, and with it came the same glowing orbs of red light shining from beyond the unseen portions of the smoke. Tyler realized he had make it to safety with Shiemi as he felt one of his wounds' aching dug deep into his skin, but things took a turn for the worst.
A sinister glow shone ominously following the dispersal of the smoke revealing a pair of demonic wings which grew within each second before they strike forward, throwing both Tyler and Shiemi out in the open.
"You fucking idiot!" Shiemi screeched at Tyler as she clung to her friend's shoulders, her eyes running from the smoke that covered everything around them and her throat dry as a bone from the panic that raged inside her mind.
Groaning when her back collided with the ground, Shiemi slowly sat up from where she had landed and rubbed the small of her back, her other hand desperately grasping to draw her Zanpakuto against her enemy. As she made her way onto her feet once more, Shiemi cast a fleeting glance at Tyler before returning all of her attention to the man not far from her.
"Bend, Shirokage!" Shiemi cried out for the second time, never taking her eyes off Kaisei as her Zanpakuto revealed it's Shikai.
"There will be no need for that," a heavy sounding voice echoed.
The voice came from within the heap of smoke, shielding the one who voiced the words from sight, but something was familiar about it. Indeed, the voice had the captain-Ryūren-vibe coming from it...
From within the confusion, Kaisei had succeeded in luring Tyler through the latter's pre-mature instincts, and now it was Shiemi's turn. A dark, whip-like entity emerged from the towering smoke and lashed out to her with extreme swiftness as its bladed tip was aimed toward her face.
Shiemi let out a loud wail when the whip lashed at her face, leaving behind a long gash stretching from her left cheek to the right corner of her mouth.
“Fuck!” Shiemi hissed as she drew back immediately, one hand desperately clutching at Shirokage while the other was pressed against the steadily bleeding gash on her face. She blinked away the tears that welled up behind her eyes as the pain intensified, the shock of being hit slowly disappearing, before directing a seething glare at Kaisei.
“You… you’re a monster, Alvin-taicho!” Shiemi yelled at him, her lips twisted in a grimace as she slowly made her way onto her feet, “How could you betray everyone like that?! How could you just play everyone along?! We trusted you!”
She didn't even wait for Kaisei to say another word before she continued on, "Tyler-kun trusted you! How could you let one of your own subordinates down like this?! Give me one good reason why!"
No response came. Instead, Kaisei decided to show his true self as the smoke dissipated into nothingness. A fur-covered foreleg emerged out of the piling smoke, followed by another one. The fur was white and soft-looking, but every moment Kaisei made was filled with the intention to strike fear into the woman before him. Finally the smoke dissipated fully; there he was standing, as a four-legged beast instead of a bipedal soul. Just now he has shown his true self, a wolf among the Shinigami.
His form was gigantic...monstrous. A quadruple, monstrous-looking wolf with glowing eyes that stared deeply into the female Shinigami, burning her within their redness. His white fur covered the entirety of his body, up from his pointy, canine ears, into his back where four demonic wings overshadowed most part of his body, and down to his rear where twelve crystal-like extensions spread into all directions. Behind them were ten tails, each tipped with a sharp blade, and one of them had blood spread across it.
Indeed, he had no need for a response. Each and every inch of his true self were able to carve fear deep into the heart of anyone.
Shiemi stilled immediately, not daring to move a single muscle as she stared up at the towering beast in front of her.
"Oh dear Kami-sama..." she breathed, her eyes widening abnormally, as fear slowly sat its icy claws in her mind.
I can't fight this, she thought as her legs began moving backwards at their own, her flee-or-fight-instinct screaming at her to get away from this place as fast as possible.
There was no way that either of them could fight that...
"Why, you ask?" Kaisei spoke eventually, his wolf-like head rose higher than before. "The things people do tend to have a deeper meaning behind them. Deeper than you thought they can be."
The crystals on his rear then began to glow as his tails pointed at Shiemi. "It was never my intention to kill you. Crippling you, however, is a different story."
"Oh, no, you don't!"
Beams of light flashed before Shiemi, passing before her eyes and directed right into the giant beast. "Makinami-san, get up! What are you standing there for?!"
Shiemi's head snapped around immediately, her eyes full of surprise as she watched Tyler stand a few paces behind her with his sword raised.
"T-Tyler-kun..." she muttered before she immediately turned her back on Kaisei and instead ran towards her friend, "We need to run! We can't do this, not as we are right now!"
She hated having to run away, despised it, but none of them were able to tackle a foe like Alvin-taicho at this moment. None of them were strong enough to do this.
Tyler looked at her. His expression was somehow stern. His eyebrows were raised, his eyes were burning. Fierce. Filled with determination. It was as if he had fought his captain in this kind of state before.
"And you thought quitting was the answer?" His warm voice poured down to her heart.
His expression changed yet again. This time he displayed a warm smile while his stare softened down. He knew this was all hard to understand for her, especially if she didn't know the reason behind his captain's actions. "Makinami-san, we can do this."
"Look at the situation, Tyler!" Shiemi snapped back at him, forgetting the honorific she always called him by as the stress went to her head, "Tell me how! Tell me how you plan on defeating Alvin-taicho in that state! Have you even felt the reiatsu levels he's emanating?!"
Breathing heavily from her small tirade, Shiemi bit her lower lip as she stared right into Tyler's eyes.
No, he had to be wrong... there was just no way that any of them could defeat Kaisei in that state of his—!
"Are you daft, girl?!" a voice thundered inside Shiemi's mind, snapping the young woman out of the fear-induced stupor she had locked herself in, before it continued, "I thought you had someone to protect back home, did you not? Or does your sister's recovery not matter to you any more?"
Shiemi froze at the voice's harsh words, tears appearing in the corners of her eyes as her gaze fell to the ground.
"Naomi..." she whispered and clutched the handle of her Zanpakuto tighter in her hand, "I—I'm so sorry!" she croaked, using her worn sleeve to wipe away the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks, ignoring the bloody streaks it left all over her face. She couldn't just start crying, not out of the blue like this.
"Don't worry, Naomi!" Shiemi whispered heatedly as she grabbed onto Shirokage's handle with her free hand, "I won't give up! Not yet!"
"Idiot girl," Shirokage's voice chided with a growl, "Get yourself together and kick that mutt's ass!"
Tyler was first surprised at his friend's surprised. Then he was surprised even more by the fact that his friend suddenly smiled brightly and began to act like nothing happened. But she was right; the reiatsu his captain has been exerting went unnoticed, and now that he had noticed it, he simply could not deny the fact that they would be no match for him. At all.
Glancing back at Shiemi, Tyler was somehow struck by the desire to battle. Even though they probably won't stand a chance, they could at least try. A smile brightened up his expression as he pitied himself; how ironic it was that moments ago he cheered up his friend and just now faced despair as well. As he wiped his thoughts away, his concentration was now focused upon his captain, his gaze fixated upon his beastly form before he readied himself.
"Oh, please," said Kaisei. "Spare me the--"
His words were cut short as a small blast exploded on his furry head.
The blast came from the palm of none other than Tyler. He was one of the quickest Shinigami when it comes to finding an opening, and in the moment that his captain began talking he prepared himself a little spell called Shakkahō. Tyler's leg was ready to move whenever necessary, too.
"You little--you want magic? I'll show magic!" The beast's head hovered far above both Shinigami as he opened his gaping maw, each had fangs that filled the entirety of their structure. Tyler's eyes widened as the smoke dispersed, revealing not a single scratch on the beast's head. Not even a black eye or any sign of damage. His tongue was then raised, energy gathering around it. From this moment Tyler knew they had to be on the defensive. The captain unleashed a growl or of the sort before a wide beam of pure energy was projected behind Shiemi, eradicating anything within its reach to little more than simple dust. Then the beast dragged the beam toward their direction.
"Bakudo 39! Enkosen!"
Immediately a shield of pure, condensed reiatsu appeared around Tyler and Shiemi, just in time to take the brunt of the force that the beam held within itself, before the two of them were flung backwards through the air.
Not daring to let Kaisei have another moment to attack them, Shiemi quickly got onto her feet once again before pointing both hands at Kaisei, "Bakudo 61! Rikujōkōrō!" she yelled out, watching with a slightly feral grin as the six rods of light slammed into Kaisei and held him in place, if only for a short while.
"Now, Tyler-kun!" she cried out, "Strike him!"
"Right!"
Here we go, Sakushū, Tyler whispered deep beneath his breath. And I'm very sorry for this,...captain.
Without hesitating, Tyler adopted a stance where his left leg was way in front of his right one, his right hand holding Sakushū as hard as he could. "Storm the world, Sakushū: Sujidassui!" He yelled as loud as he could, every single muscle around his throat vibrated as he roared out, hoping to end this once and for all.
A glimmer of light glittered around the three of them before a pillar of Tyler's auburn reiatsu also roared and surged upward. Tyler was ready; he was prepared, and he hoped that this trump card of his he had been hiding was powerful enough to at least incapacitate his most fearsome captain.
Following the surge of his reiatsu thunderous sparks of light formed together into the shikai form Sakushū into the clenched fist of Tyler's right hand. Surprisingly, there was more; there was another claymore-like sword which was similar to Sakushū's original form occupying the clenched fist of Tyler's other hand.
His blazing eyes were set upon his beastly captain, who was bound by Shiemi's chains. He was trembling, he was troubled by the thoughts that this attack would fail, and his captain would finish both him and Shiemi once and for all. But it was not the time for fear to overshadow his prowess. He was ready, and it was proven true as he leaped forward. Both of his arms were raised, the glittering light of both blades he held shone brightly among the darkness, accompanying the beam of the moon.
In an instant he struck down his beastly captain. The sparking blades of light blazing through the binding spell and crushing the chains. Looking at this, Tyler was horrified. His will burned down as fear controlled him yet again. There was no sign of his captain.
A large shadow crept behind the two Shinigami and, before he even knew it, Tyler was kicked and thrown away by a ginormous white paw, its facets covered with numerous icy dread claws that managed to rip the back portion of his uniform.
"TYLER-KUN!" Shiemi wailed, her eyes immediately drawn to her friend's steadily bleeding back, before she turned her head over her shoulder to see Kaisei's monstrous form once more appear not far from her. Spinning around on the spot, Shiemi then held up her flat palms towards Kaisei and narrowed her eyes as a scowl appeared on her face.
"Hado 33! Sokatsui!" Shiemi roared, her eyes gleaming with anger as she watched the blue ball of fire soar through the air and clash into Kaisei's side, a feral grin appearing on her face at the sight.
But she wasn't finished yet, oh no, and she wouldn't stop until she had exhausted every bit of her Kido-spells on Tyler's and hers foe.
"Bakudo 61!" Shiemi hissed once more, taking advantage of the dust that had appeared after the collision with her Sokatsui, "Rikujōkōrō!"
Half a second after the Bakudo-spell had been sent off Shiemi dashed forward as well, her Zanpakuto singing for blood as the memory of seeing Tyler being hit by the claws of Kaisei flashed behind her eyes.
"You bastard!" Shiemi screeched as she jumped into the air, her grip around Shirokage's handle tightening, "Kirabiyakana Ken!"
Shirokage's blade slowly began gleaming a sinister red before turning into yellow and then blue as the temperature of the blade grew higher and higher. Shiemi's brows met over the bridge of her nose before she let loose a barrage of cuts and slashes with her sword.
"Is that all you can do?" Kaisei replied grimly. His body was cut down, his snowy white fur was torn apart, his head was filled with gashes from Shiemi's attack, and his limbs were still immobile. Despite so, Kaisei seemed...unfazed, uninjured. "Weakling."
The following instant, Kaisei's beastly body began to move; his limbs began to straighten, his wings desperately trying to open wide, his tails spinning in a repeating, hypnotic motion as the redness in his eyes grew. Worst of all...his reiatsu was slowly but steadily increasing.
Far from the fight was, Tyler was lying on the ground, his back bare with long streaks of blood present on them. Fortunately he wasn't fully incapacitated, but the wounds on his back were deep as the pain carved deep into him. Was he too teak to face his own captain? Was he too weak to at least stop his captain and his crimes?
No, he didn't dare to accept the fact. Burrowing one of his swords deep into the ground, he stood up at the sight of his beastly captain that was beginning to break free from his friend's spell. He was too weak, too scared, but determined. He had been struck by both his captain and fear numerous time, but they weren't strong enough to crush his will. He must stop Kaisei.
"Hyapporankan!" He yelled as he concentrated whatever that remains from his drained reiryoku, forming several bars of light that charged forward, making their way through and impaled various body parts of the beast. He was glad to see that the beast's movement has halted, but it wasn't enough to suppress the beast's increasing reiatsu. It has become...monstrous...devil-like. He knew what he had to do.
The beast's wolf-like head turned to Tyler, the redness in his eyes and the scratches from Shiemi's attack made him look like some sort of a horror movie antagonist. "What's this?" He said grimly.
"Light Prison!" Again he had concentrated the remains of his reiryoku with the hope of immobilizing his captain. His reiryoku surged into bursts of light that managed to entrap the beast. He knew it wasn't much, but with its effect, Tyler expected the beast to be at least blinded for several moments for him and Shiemi to attack. "Makinami-san! Let's strike together! With everything we've got!"
"Right!" Shiemi nodded and disappeared in a flash of Shunpo, appearing beside Tyler with Shirokage held out in front of her as the many marbles that hung from her tsuba and sash began to grow in size.
"Dairiseki no Satsuei!" Shiemi cried out, the tip of her Zanpakuto trained upon Kaisei's body, and slowly the marbles began to float in the air around her.
The marbles began rotating around Shiemi's head in a circle, each of them about the size of a grown man's head and their surface sizzling with barely restrained energy. Shiemi's eyes narrowed as she continued following their prowling foe with her eyes, biting her lower lip as she silently let the power inside the marbles build up to almost insane amounts.
"Head!" she suddenly snapped out, Shirokage's tip still trained on Kaisei's body, before one of the enlarged marbles shot off in the burst of a second and collided with the space between his eyes, exploding the second that the marble touched his fur.
Not letting Kaisei get even a moment to prepare once more she pointed her sword's tip on another part of Kaisei's body, viciously yelling out commands as the marbles flew around the clearing and collided with Kaisei.
"Tyler-kun, now!"
He didn't need to be told twice. In a moment he flashed in front of his captain. The otherworldly wolf, scarred by numerous slashes and bound by chains and bars of light, his head tilted to see the sight of his subordinate readying his swords.
The blazing surface of the swords began to touch the whiteness of Kaisei's fur, before digging deep underneath the latter's skin. It was brutal, but Tyler had the idea. And he knew that if this didn't end now, Kaisei would be a major threat to Soul Society. "Neon Beam!"
The light beams formed from the swords, exploding deep beneath the surface of Kaisei's skin, fire erupted from the blaze of the light swords. He let out a growl of sorts, hopefully out of pain, as Tyler and Shiemi watched closely. In a moment, Kaisei fell to the ground, his limbs were limp and his wings fully closed.
That was it? Shiemi blinked as she continued to eye the limp body of their enemy, not daring to lower the tip of Shirokage lower even an inch.
"Stay back, Tyler-kun," the young woman murmured as she clenched the handle of her Zanpakuto, "There's no way that it could be so easy to do him in."