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Children of Izanami: Assimilation is an article created by Achrones150. Use is allowed with the permission of the owner, with the exception of collaboration-created articles. |
Prologue: Odyssey End[]
There was a minor sploshing sound as a young man with long, purple hair, a loose bodysuit with a sleeveless top. A long cape was billowing out behind him with his hair, and he had his hand on his belt, near the handle of his Zanpakutō. He stepped onto the shore of his homeland, and took in the sight with only a minor shocked looked on his face.
Yūrei Ōkoku was in a state of semi-destruction. The force-field that was generally placed around the city to keep offensive or harmful things out was halfway shattered, the man could clearly see the places it had been breached. Though he was on the shore, he could see far into the city, and got a decent view of the carnage. Buildings were destroyed and smoking. Cars were overturned, the concrete in sidewalks was shattered and broken.
Ahatake Noriko Kurosaki let out a sigh.
"Megami..." He murmured. "Midoriko...everyone...I hope you're alright." He vanished, heading straight into the lion's den that was his home region.
Frozen Shadows[]
The white light enveloped them all, and they felt the familiar transporting sensation, however, it was short-lived. As soon as they started to move, they felt themselves cease, the light ceased. Suddenly, there was darkness all around, and they were standing in what could only be described as a shadowy-misty void.
"Where...are we?" Miharu's voice was slow and curious. This couldn't be on of the four corners. Her reasoning? She wanted them all to split up. They were still here. Kyūmu never made mistakes.
"...please tell me that this is some sort of phase that your Zanpakutō isn't going through."
Ryūka couldn't have felt more at unease in his life than at that moment.
Slowly, he allowed himself to stand up, pensive eyes looking around him. It was clear that from Miharu's question that she hadn't meant to bring them here or that it was something that was a usual part of the transportation. He gritted his teeth slightly, naturally going on his guard in the event of potential enemies. Despite his age, the natural instinct from the 11th Division never left him.
Disregarding his first statement to Miharu out of the fact that it was a rhetorical statement, he called out to everyone else. "Oi, everyone's still here, aren't they?" He called out.
"Ryūka? Where are you?" Kyashi's tense and slightly anxious voice came from within the darkness around them. He spun his head around in the direction of her voice, but scowled when he realized that even though he was facing her, he could literally see nothing.
"The hell if I know!" The man shouted back. "I can't see anything an inch in front of me!"
"I'm fine." Midoriko confirmed.
"Accounted for." Daiyaku called out.
"Hey, Daiyaku, we need light." Miharu had a sudden epiphany. "Can't you, well, go all flashy for us?"
Daiyaku sweatdropped, though no one could see. "What a mundane use for my abilities."
"I'm afraid that just won't do."
A new voice spoke out, echoing from the very darkness itself and registering to all of their ears. The tone was calm, dry, and almost dreary. However, there was a certain way it was presented that sent a vicious chill down Ryūka's spine. It was clear that whatever trap they had fallen into, the person speaking to them was the one that set it. He gritted his teeth, his body on full alert.
"Sorry for the inconvenience..." The voice continued on. "But I felt as if I should place my two bits in, after seeing what the whole society has become as of late..."
"What the..!?" Daiyaku looked around, trying to find the source of that voice. It was like that woman from an online story he'd read, only the insanity was not apparent.
"Who are you?" Miharu called out, keeping bit of a better calm than Daiyaku and not allowing her mind to go off on wild tangents.
Midoriko sighed. Whatever had happened, they were right where this person wanted them.
"Who am I...?" The voice let out a hearty chuckle - something that did not steady the nerves of the ones who were within its grasp. "That's a good question. I have been referred to by many names, courtesy of the skills and work I've been doing, so I can't really say. I suppose I'll go with the name that I was given by my beloved parents. You may call me..."
He paused, and when he spoke again, he added a bit of a dramatic flair to his tone.
"...the Nihilist!"
No one reacted. Miharu looked up into the dark sky with a look of apathy on her face. "Alright, Nihilist. Would you like pineapple with that ham?"
Midoriko chuckled from somewhere in the darkness.
It was fortunate that this "Nihilist" had a sense of humor, as the response was another chuckle. "Ah, at least I found someone who can appreciate a good laugh or two. But that face is just far too ugly for the likes of you. At least look a little bit cheery."
"We'll be cheery once you let us out of here, however the hell you got us into this..." Kyashi growled, the nervousness suppressed and annoyance showing. She already had her wooden bokken out and ready to swing against the possible attack of the stranger that had trapped them.
"Maybe if you let us out quickly enough..." Ryūka added in dryly and sarcastically. "We'll be kind enough not to go stabbity-stab-stab with our swords."
"I could do that..." The voice answered casually, not phased by the not-so-subtle threat the Injiki made. "But where would the fun be in it? After all, what reason would I have if I trapped you only to set you free afterwards? There would be no enjoyment."
"Well, you certainly couldn't have trapped us in here because you wanted company." Daiyaku said dryly.
"I suppose if he won't let us out, we could try and bust our way out." Miharu suggested, feeling around her waist for her Zanpakutō. "We do have business to take care of, and can't sit around talking with voices over a cup of tea."
"You could try... but I hope you realize that being split up into particles doesn't exactly help your cause."
It was as if the very statement froze Ryūka inside out. His eyes dilated, and he let out a huffing growl as he reflexively unsheathed his blade out of reflex. However, the voice continued on. "Yes. As of now, thanks to my little intervention, all of you are nothing more than spiritrons hanging in the air, frozen in place. It was difficult having to catch you with the distance I am away from you, but at least I know it works now. But, don't mind me. I'm only making a point here. You're free to attempt "busting out" if you wish..."
Midoriko hissed in anger. She wanted to attempt it anyway, but she knew her mother would probably attempt to stop her.
"How long do you intend to keep us here?" Daiyaku asked, irritated with this by now. The Nihilist was beginning to seem to be just as bad as that woman.
"Oh, don't enjoy my company?" The calm voice seemed to have a bit of pouting within it. "You're no fun... but, of course, I was planning to let you out eventually. The truth of the matter is, you all have been... unconscious... for a long period of time. I had to wait until miss Senkuko and her siblings finished up on their end to make it so that you actually wake up... but, at least they've done their job now."
"What do you mean...?" Ryūka muttered pensively.
"Oh, right, you were the ones attempting to stop it, weren't you? This so-called Plinian Eruption as you know it..."
"...!" This clicked with Miharu. "Wait. You've kept us out cold until the Eruption could happen!? We're too late!?"
"Eeyup. Sad, isn't it? All this effort and all I had to do was trap you within a self-made prison. Rome wasn't built in a day, but it certainly was destroyed within the hour..."
"Funny." Midoriko looked for something to throw, hoping to hit him, but found nothing. "So let us the Hell out of here then."
"...you must be the most emotionally dead people I have had to deal with..."
Ryūka could practically hear the Nihilist roll his eyes at Midoriko's bland statement. But he was still concentrated on the fact that the Plinian Eruption - the very movement to end the world as they knew it - happened. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and trying to stead him. The only thing he could hope now was that this entity, if he could call it that, was merely lying through his teeth.
"Very well. But of course, you may not like what you see..."
Then, for a brief moment, his vision was engulfed in a bunch of white. He shut his eyes, raising his free arm out of instinct. Even then, his very vision seemed to blind him, his eyes burning with the intense light...
Then, it stopped.
Once Ryūka opened his eyes...
"....oh, god...."
From a skimming point of view, it looked as if the part of the city they were in had gone a color scheme change. The buildings were colored an ashy black, all of the ground was plantless with nothing but dirt underneath their feet. The sky was a blood-red color, and the clouds were black as smoke. Upon closer inspection, however, the buildings were nothing more than frozen piles of ash themselves, somehow standing up straight as if held up by an invisible force. The male Injiki could only stare upon the scene with dilated, wavering eyes. The smell of death and destruction was all too apparent, and the sickening aura could be felt everywhere.
Ezra didn't seem too phased on the inside. The only sign of shock, horror, or despair he felt was expressed with the slight shaking of one of his hands. But other than that, he remained stone-faced to the environment around him. Inwardly, however, he was reacting just as shakily as Ryūka was; his heart was beating at a rate so viciously, he feared that it would burst from his chest. He remained silent, refusing to speak a word.
Kyashi, however...
Her body was shaking slightly upon the horrifying change of scenery. But what she was looking at was not at the city, but at the ocean they were beside. Massive crucifix-like structures were uprooted, with one of them almost point-blank in their faces. Every component seemed to be pulled right out of a horror movie. Human bodies, stretched out and mangled beyond repair, made up the entirety and foundation of the obelisk. She could smell the flesh decaying from here, and it was churning her stomach viciously. Right now, her bokken was the only thing keeping her from falling to the ground out of sheer shock.
"I...I think..."
But before she could finish her sentence, her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she fell backwards...
"Kyashi!!"
Instantly, Ryūka was there to catch her with one arm, having to crouch to the ground in order to keep him from falling underneath her. Scowling, he jerked his head around, an expression of anger, pensiveness, and anxiety clear on his face.
Midoriko looked around at her home, her home that was now destroyed. While she couldn't say she had seen worse, she wasn't going to mentally vomit and collapse in horror like Kyashi. She couldn't believe it. They'd been too late to stop anything.
Daiyaku's expression was hardened anger. The Nihilist, this was his fault.
Miharu's eyes had widened at first to take in the horrific sight. "We...really we too late..." She murmured, her voice not loud enough to make it heard over a long distance. "I'm beginning to regret asking to be let out..."
"And now we see some emotion..." The Nihilist's voice continued to drawl. "Look at it... drink it in... this is what the world has become... what existence has now become. This is what humanity managed to summon on itself after so many centuries. Words weren't enough for you, but now that you're seeing and tasting it for yourselves, your mood on the matter has changed. It's quite sad, really... you mortals have a tendency not to care unless you're personally involved. It almost makes me want to cry..."
He chuckled, and this one seemed more mocking than anything.
"Almost."
In terms of weather, it had been a pretty rough ride. The patterns were seemingly random at best, switching from sunny to stormy in several intervals of the day. Thankfully, the boat was a tough one, not one to be taken down so easily by raging waters. After the last ferocious natural attack on its person, it had fought its way through to where the harbor of its destination could finally be seen.
And, of course, the passengers were very pleased to see it.
A shirtless man with lightly tanned skin and long dark hair looked intently at land they were headed to. "I can't believe we moved just because Midori asked."
A pale skinned woman with black hair at shoulder length smiled. "Tou-chan you always give me what I ask for."Midoriko was surprised at the memory that flooded into her head. Moving here with her family centuries ago. It had been such a beautiful place then, even when ruled by the King. She felt a small wetness on her face and was surprised to see a tear forming. She felt sadness for the state of the Yūrei Ōkoku. The atrocities she committed to people were like smacks in the face compared to this. Her sclera began to blacken and her irises turned golden as she looked up at the sky, speaking directly to the Nihilist.
"You want emotion?" She asked, glaring, not knowing if he could see or not. "Then appear before us now, you fucking bastard, and taste my anger." She was letting her violent personality, oh so similar to her mother's slip into view. "I'll rip your fucking tongue out."
"...I see... this surprises me..."
Now the voice was taking on more of a curious and intriqued tone, though maintaining its calm and dry manner. "Unlike the others... you, girl, have a particularly nasty side, don't you? You smell of blood... not just from your enemies, but also from innocents. Funny... you call me a bastard, when you clearly aren't any different. It's the way of a hypocrite, little Mido-chan..."
Voom!
And that was when he appeared a fighter's distance away.
Short, black hair. Caucasian skin. A rather lean and slim figure. Eyes with small pupils leering like a snake glaring down at its prey, with one of them covered up by a bandage. A purple yukata with yellow butterflies. This made up the figure of the one who had essentially trapped them until the end of the world had arrived. The serene look he was giving them was enough to put Ryūka and even Erza on edge immediately, with the latter immediately gripping his sword.
This was the Nihilist, standing before them without hesitation and remorse.
"And here I was expecting something spectacular." She said, her blackened eyes glaring at him. "And true, I have gone around killing alot of people. But I came around. And even my recent kills were never on a scale as large as this." She placed a hand to her face, drawing on her Hollow mask.
"Now, let's see you bleed!" Her hand crackled with energy, and she released a massive, golden Cero from her hand at shocking speeds, the blast tearing up the already ruined ground as it moved towards the Nihilist.
"...oh, please..."
Shifting his eye to the side, the Nihilist slowly extended one hand and positioned it in the universal signal to stop, waiting ever so patiently.
BOOSH!
The powerful Cero collided with the skin of his palm and instantly dissipated, leaving him unscathed. His palm, aside from a bit of smoke blowing off it, didn't even have a bruise on it. "If you're really going to kill me..." He said lazily, lowering his hand. "Then at least put a little bit more effort into your attacks."
"What the...!?" Midoriko looked shocked, her eyes widening under her mask. She gripped her Zanpakutō. "Bankai." Red and gold spiritual energy erupted around her, obscuring her from view only shortly. She quickly cut through it with her new, spear-like weapon. Midoriko's appearance had changed decently. Her hair itself was shortened, Midoriko's attire could now be considered similar to that of a seductress, being made up of a fine silk, black-skirt which goes down to her thighs and having various devil-tail patterns on it. Along with this, she gained two similar concepted stockings, high-heeled shoes and arm bands. As mentioned before, her weapon itself took on the form of an unusual, scythe and devil-tail protrusions were coming out of her back, the left having blue devil tails, the right, red scythes, which both seem to function as additional weapons.
"Hanshakō Yaburetayume." She gripped her blade, her spiritual pressure flowing out of the area. "Let's see if I can alter his emotions." Seen by now one, a small pulse was emitted from her blade in all areas, releasing fear and hesitancy into the hears of anyone near. If she could manipulate his emotions, she may have a chance.
"Fear...?" Miharu shuddered. "Am I feeling fear from my own sister's release? How?"
Miharu wasn't the only one who was feeling the effects.
When Ryūka lowered his wife, the feeling washed over him immediately. His pupils dilated, and he was forced to keep himself on his knees. "W...what in the hell is she doing...?!" He thought to himself, fear instantly seeping into him. His heart started beating at a rapid and steadily increasing pace, and he found his body shaking more and more as time progressed. "Risking us just to get him?! Knock it off, already!!"
"....oh, now look what you've done."
Despite the affect it had on her allies, it was doing nothing to her enemy - other than make him roll his eyes again. "I thought the goal was to make your opponent fear you... not your own pals." He folded his arms across his chest, tilting his head to the side. "You need to get your Zanpakutō checked out, my dear."
Midoriko's eyes narrowed and she retracted the emotion she'd sent out. "Figures you'd be immune to my abilities." She vanished, appearing behind him in one swift movement, and swung her weapon at the back of his neck in the other. "Then let's dance."
It was at that very second that time itself stopped.
The Nihilist's eye shifted as Midoriko moved behind him, catching each and every movement that she made. A move of a lone arm was all it took to allow him to catch her sword hand by the wrist, his own arm not moving from the force that she put into the attack. All in all, it seemed as if he had not been bothered at all... as he was merely brushing off a fly.
Then, he tightened his grip and pulled her wrist down.
A horrible crunching sound could be heard when the woman's arm snapped in two, the broken bone jolting up through the skin. Throughout this, he had an amused smile on his face, his eyes simply continuing to watch her.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Midoriko's cry of pain resounded quite quickly after the crunch.
It was clear to Ryūka now that this individual was far too dangerous to contend with individually. "Midoriko!!!" He shouted. "Get back here with us, right now!!" His voice was sharp, commanding, and desperate. Normally, he would've gladly let the Kurosaki did as she please. But this just wasn't the time...
Midoriko, with all her might, pulled her arm out of the man's grasp and jumped back, skidding back to where her family was.
"Dammit..." She muttered, on her knees at the moment checking her arm. "When..." She was breathing only a bit heavy and let her mask fade. "When did I get so weak...?"
Daiyaku was shocked. He had never seen Midoriko fight, and therefore hadn't expected it to end so fast.
"Midoriko..." Ezra was quick to re-appear beside Midoriko and kneel right beside her, his eyes focused on the wounded arm. "Can't you heal that with your Hollow's powers?" He was certain - or at least hoping - that the Hollow's regenerative abilities would work in this situation. He had to keep a cautious eye on the Nihilist as he worked out the hand that had easily snapped the woman's arm like a twig.
Midoriko frowned. She hadn't thought of that. Focusing her Hollow powers onto her arm, her eyes blackened over as a sickening crunch alerted them that her arm was back in working order. "Not that it does much." She muttered dejectedly.
"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself, dear..."
The Nihilist lowered his hand back down, his teeth showing with the mocking grin that he was showing them. "You just happened to attack an opponent who's clearly better than you, despite his looks. At least you had the courage to do it, while your so-called friends didn't even lift a finger to help you. But, then again... I don't think I would be so eager as to help a killer, either..."
A vein throbbed in Miharu's head. "Be quiet!" She hissed, her hand on her own blade. "I don't know what killing my sister has done, but look around you! How can you criticize her for being a killer, when you are partially responsible for this!" She drew her blade. "Why don't you take me on? You'll find me at a different level than my sister!"
At this, the Nihilist tilted his head to the side in a slow, deliberate manner. "Is that so...?" He asked, the smile fading away from his face once he saw Ryūka and Ezra step forward to flank both sides of Midoriko.
"She may be a sociopathic moron with no social skills..." Ryūka said bluntly, grasping the hilt of his Zanpakutō and drawing it slowly. The sword itself scraped against the scabbard in an ominous manner, and once it was fully drawn, he grasped it in both of his hands with a foreboding click. "But Midoriko's someone I consider to be one of the family, and I'll be damned if I stand here and let an injury like that go by me so easily. You hurt her, you're asking to be dealt with by all of us!"
Ezra said nothing. But the fact that he had one of his hands resting on the hilt of his Zanpakutō indicated that he felt exactly like Ryūka and possibly Miharu at that moment. His eyes were narrowed at his enemy, ready to strike him down when given the order to.
Midoriko was very surprised by this. Everyone was lashing out in her defence. She smiled for a moment. Perhaps these guys were why she wasn't as "sociopathic" as she used to be.
Daiyaku gripped Miharu's shoulder. "Steady yourself." He muttered. "I don't need you getting cut in half."
"I know what I'm doing." Miharu replied carefully. "Isn't it usually the woman's job to nag the man?"
Daiyaku let out a low chuckle, before being covered in a burst of electrical energy, his hair spiking out and lengthening well past his waist.
Midoriko stood up, readying her weapon. If everyone was going to fight, she wouldn't be left out. She drew on her Hollow mask once more.
Daiyaku vanished, launching himself forward, visible not as a moving human, but as a blur. He made it quickly to the front of the Nihilist, swinging his fist forward. His actions were followed up by Miharu, who had moved herself quickly behind the man, swinging, upward, and overly large hammer.
Midoriko was only a fraction slower and her attack was distant oriented, appearing above the man, Cero in her hand. She thrust her arm forward, launching the golden beam downward.
Ryūka and Ezra were not too far behind.
Woosh!
In an instant, they were both at the man's sides, effectively cutting him off from escape. Their blades swung when everyone else's did. It was an omni-directional attack, all of them carrying immense speed and power behind their attacks. The Nihilist could not make any move to counter any of these attacks.
Or rather, he didn't.
At least... not immediately.
But when he did, he grabbed the hilt of his sword, unsheathed it, and vanished from his spot.
The next moments had shattered time once again, slowing it down to a crawl for the attackers. Their target appeared in five consecutive bursts. Each and every time that he did, he could be seen in a different pose either behind or beside his respective targets. Each and every one of them got this treatment one time.
He re-appeared a distance away from them with his back facing them, flinging the blood off of his blade before sheathing it.
SPLURCH!
At the very instant his hilt connected with the scabbard opening, the gash wounds made by his blade finally opened up on each and every one of them, their blood spilling onto the cold and hard ground underneath them. "And here, one of you had the audacity to say that they were on a different level than me..." He said mockingly, turning his head to look over his shoulder. "Well, obviously, you're not on my level, kid..."
Daiyaku and Midoriko were easily crumpled, their wounds taking more of a toll on them than the others. Ryūka and Ezra were quick to fall as well.
Miharu coughed up blood, keeping herself standing on pure willpower, her hammer reverted back to a sword, and it was also helping her stand up.
"N...no!" She muttered, her legs wobblings. In fact, her body was beginning to shake from blood loss. "I...will..." She coughed again, blood spattering. "...fall here!" Before she could make another move, she felt yet another hand on her shoulder. She looked behind her to see her father standing there, looking absolutely livid.
"T...Tō-san!" She spluttered. "Y...you're here! You're gonna save us."
Ahatake looked around at the state of his fallen family. "Saved is rather subjective here..." He murmured. "Don't worry. You can fall back now."
Miharu sighed with relief, and she quite literally fell, out cold.
Ahatake walked slowly closer to the Nihilist, his eyes locked on him. "Tell me...what do they call you?"
This time, the Nihilist had to pause in order to take a look at the newcomer that arrived. Reaching out with his senses, he could feel that this time, the strength and power was obvious. This one was enough to perk his interest, and he had to turn completely to face the individual. A smile crawled onto his face, and he folded his arms across his chest once more.
"They call me--"
"--DEAD!!"
He was promptly interrupted by the sound of a new voice.
WHAM!
Followed by the subsequent fist to the side of his face.
CRASH!
Followed by him being sent flying into a row of buildings, each of them collapsing under the force the living construction ball had used to get through them.
"MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!!!"
Followed by the comical, yet maniacal laughter of the one who had brutally attacked the Nihilist.
It was none other than Kibō Injiki, with a face that just exuded one message: Problem?
Ahatake was slightly surprised by this and his eyes widened only slightly to take in the sight of the younger Injiki child. "I'll give you credit for an entrance kid." Ahatake said, repressing a chuckle. "I am going to assume, since you're here, you got stronger as well?"
At this, Kibō lowered his fist and blinked owlishly, easily diverting his attention from the destruction that he had created to the older man. "Blame your kid for it." He said, a calm but innocent tone lacing his voice. He turned his head back towards the wreckage, his body tensing up slightly. "If I hadn't nearly gotten my jaw knocked off my face just for making a point, I wouldn't have bothered."
"I'm not complainin'." Ahatake replied, his hand on his sword. "I wouldn't be so high and mighty as to say I could beat this guy on my own. I got a feel for his reiatsu before I even made my way here. Your help would be very much appreciated."
They weren't the only ones to be within the area.
At a distance, and sitting Indian-style on top of a miraculously intact building...
"Falcon punch, dynamic entry, maniacal yet fitting laugh... why couldn't my student do that?"
...were none other than Hanzei Kurosaki and Seireitou Kawahiru, and the latter of which had spoken in an exasperated and tired manner. The former of which turned his eyes to give his associate an annoyed glare.
"You're honestly focused on such trivial aspects of your students?" He said sternly, regarding him for a second more before turning back to the cloud that had been kicked up in the Nihilist's wake. He closed his eyes for a moment. "Then again, I wouldn't be surprised. You are the very same man who holds "SHONEN JUMP" as highly as Shin Tzu's "The Art of War".
This rendered Seireitou silent, his eyes darkening and a tick mark on his cheek.
"As well as the same man who is convinced that drawings of women with bosoms the size of truck tires are real."
Another tick mark.
"So it would be natural for a moron to pass his knowledge on and make another moron out of his very student. Maybe in time, he'll learn to post a SHONEN JUMP magazine on his wall and offer burnt sacrifices in its holy name."
"SHUT UP SOSHITE DIE!!!"
When the cloud start clearing up, the Nihilist calmly strode out of it. The back of his hand was rubbing the slight scratch on his cheek, and he was regarding the two with what seemed like boredom once again.
"So it seems that you've got a partner... and at the very least, one who knows how to throw a punch." He commented, tilting his neck from side to side. A slow grin came across his face. "It seems like I won't have to go as easy as I thought I would...."
He gripped the hilt of his blade and unsheathed it, readying it in one hand. "Come at me... Shinigami."
"Already done." Ahatake replied, not having moved an inch. However, under the ground, the white flames, a specialty of Seireitou Kawahiru, erupted. Ahatake manipulated them to surround the man, covering all but one spot, and then crash like a wave.
Kibō himself was preparing to move.
His eyes narrowed, and he spread his legs apart in a stable stance. He had not drawn his sword yet, but his hand was perilously close to his hilt - a sign of an iaido strike. His body was concentrated, waiting until the best possible moment to strike. He waited, watching as the flames seemed to close in on the unmoving Nihilist. He waited, reaching out with his senses.
He saw it!
When the Nihilist swung his sword up in order to blow away the flames, his lone eye widened when he saw the young boy - without the use of Flash Step - appear behind him in the blink of an eye. He twisted himself around, raising his blade in order to counter the swift uppercut that would've hit him otherwise.
CLANG!
When their blades were forced to their sides, the resulting shockwave decimated several buildings unfortunate enough to remain standing and be near them at that moment. All of this had been done with pure physical power. The Nihilist was surprised as he looked at the smirking face of Kibō. "Impossible...! All of that speed was his own physical movements! Never before have I seen a Shinigami, of all the species, attack with such speed and power before!"
Then, he remembered the flames... and his smile returned full-force.
"I see... so you aren't just some challengers out of the blue. You're students of him, aren't you?"
"I don't know who the hell you're referring to as "him"..." Kibō commented, lowering his blade but still keeping it ready. "But my teacher was Hanzei... and by god, he was one mean son of a bitch, I'll tell you that much."
"I can only guess you are referring to Seireitou Kawahiru." Ahatake's voice was behind the Nihilist, but not close enough to be physically within reach.. "And as much as it pains me to admit it, yes, he was my master." He swung his arm, mixing his own demonic black flames with the holy white flames of his teacher, manipulating them to form a large spear above the Nihilist. He swung his arm down, and the spear descended, crashing down and releasing flames in waves.
BOOSH!
Once again, the flames enveloped the Nihilist from view. From what Kibō could sense, his enemy hadn't moved at all. It was a clear indication that he wasn't being moved by the attacks directed towards him. That made him scowl a little, knowing that his opponent was going to be a tough one. He would have to play it serious, knowing that anything less would've been fatal.
WOOSH!
The Nihilist swung his sword again, the flames blowing away and dissipating completely. "You may be his student..." He said, his tone directed towards Ahatake but his gaze on Kibō. "But you attack in such a simple-minded and direct fashion. You may have his flames... but you certainly don't have the methods he used when he fought me."
Even Ahatake had to admit he had a point. He wasn't the most open-minded to new types of attack patterns, he worked best in a situation where he could fight violently. Howevever, the last thing the man said had not escaped his notice. He had fought Seireitou? That didn't bode well, but he wasn't going to let it discourage him yet. He had his family to protect. With these thoughts, he drew his sword. His new sword was a standard katana with a pink guard that is reminiscent of a mobius strip shape, and had on it black inscriptions which read out "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him." Certainly a frightening scripture to behold for the average man, but the Nihilist wasn't average. The handle and inscriptions began to glow gold.
"Fall...Harukīro." Spiritual energy erupted into a column around him, but it quickly dissipated. Ahatake wasn't for show right now. His blade hadn't altered itself much at all, however, its blade becomes jet-black while the handle became into a greyish silver color, the golden inscriptions on it beforehand disappear. The mobius strip-like guard retains its shape, but its color is a form of grey now.
Ahatake raised his blade to his side, releasing a massive wave of red spiritual energy around it. The force of the energy was generating whirlwinds around them all. Ahatake's eyes hardened as he glared at his target.
"Getsuga Tenshō." He swung his blade down with force, releasing from it a mighty blast of pure red spiritual energy that covered all as it passed over, heading directly to the Nihilist.
That was when the Nihilist moved, and when he did...
"GEEZER!! BEHIND YOU!!"
Kibō's shout came in alarm upon realization that their target disappeared. It wasn't the immense speed that had shocked him... but rather the fact that he had did it without being picked up by his or Ahatake's senses. His eyes dilated, and it was only out of instinct and reflex that he managed to pick up the figure of the target right behind his other ally.
But it was too late.
With a swift kick, the Nihilist treated Ahatake to the same punishment that Kibō had treated him with - a force to send his opponent flying through several buildings in a row. The resulting shockwaves given off caused other buildings to go down via collateral damage. As a cloud of dust and smoke once again enveloped the area, the Nihilist lowered his foot and turned to the anxious, brown-haired boy.
"He may have been Kawahiru's student..." He said dryly, the smirk never leaving his face. "But such power is worthless without a mind to guide it, and I prefer to test my mind as much as much as my physical form. Now..." He leveled the sword towards Kibō with one hand. "I'd like to see what the skill of Hanzei Kurosaki is all about."
The rubble that covered Ahatake with began to move, and Ahatake's arm came up first, pressing onto the rubble and pushing the rest of his body up. He didn't look too damage, perhaps scratched from his collision. He rubbed the back of his head, which was where the kick had been delivered.
"I should have been focusing." He muttered, his eyes on the Nihilist. "I won't give you another hit like that." He raised his blade, which began to become covered in black spiritual energy.
"Onogoro." He swung his blade down, directly at the ground before jumping back. The energy blast that hit began to split, forming waves of spiritual energy that moved much like snakes.
"Go." Ahatake ordered mentally, and the waves of energy charged down at the Nihilist, having "eyes" only for him.
"Come at me with yet another long-range attack. Oh, how very smart of you." The Nihilist rolled his lone eye and brought his sword back, swinging in the direction of the blasts once they were close enough.
Woosh...
With that single slice, the attack immediately dissipated into the wind within seconds. "I sure feel as if I'm being underestimated here, and that's somewhat of an insult considering that I'm facing the student of Seireitou..." He commented, though the amused smile was still on his face. "I'm beginning to wonder whether or not what you said was nothing more than a bluff to get me shaking in my sandals. If it is, then I feel very sorry for you... perhaps it would be better if you just dropped your sword and ran?"
The very slice that had seemed to destroy the Onogoro technique had only strengthened it. The moment the attack was hit, the energy wave multiple once again into more.
"I've never yet run from a fight, Nihilist." Ahatake replied, watching as his attack moved. "Not when I was fighting for the thrill of it, and certainly not know, when I have a reason to fight." He moved in. "Whirlwind." he ordered, and the energy waves began to amass and spiral in a tornado like fashion around the Nihilist, which Ahatake quickly rose over and then dove right into.
"I can't help it if long-range suits me best, but if you insist." He was heading straight down towards the man as they were covered by the tornado of Onogoro energy. Any contact would only increase the amount of the technique provided. Ahatake would not seal the entrance above unless he needed to. This would ensure Kibō could lend aid. Ahatake swing his sword down upon the man's head, putting great force behind his blow, intending to slice him in half like a common Hollow.
And at this, the Nihilist flashed a smile...
CLASP!
With his free hand, the Hankami caught the sharp blade in the same manner one would a blunt object. He was unmoved by the strike. However, the ground underneath and behind him exploded into chunks of rock, ash, and dust. The distance of the damage extended, with the very earth tearing apart under the power Ahatake brought behind his attack.
"Long range suits you best, hm...?" He questioned. "Well, that's too bad, isn't it?" He pushed the blade to the ground with a calm and natural motion, with only enough strength to simply lower the sword without offensive action. "Because it's perfect for my special ability. You see, I run on a different type of energy than you Shinigami. What you sense from me isn't reiatsu... but rather, it's shinsei, the unique type of energy that the Hankami species use. On it's own, it is neutral and can adapt with any given surroundings as well as other energies. But, in the hands of a dark user like myself, it can virtually destroy anything within its path."
He raised his hand up.
"So with a simple wave of my hand..."
Woosh...
The attack dissipated completely when he swung his hand back like a conductor's, and his next words rendered Kibō completely with horror.
"I can make all of your attacks disappear within the blink of an eye. And while I'm at it... even the two of you."
His Onogoro was completely destroyed. This was enough to cause even Ahatake to feel fear flicker in. However, he didn't falter and ripped his sword out of the man's hand. "Just because you claim to have the power to wipe us out, doesn't mean I'm going to believe it." Without moving back, he clenched his blade and covered in it black energy.
"Cero!" He swung his blade upward, releasing a massive wave of black energy. At this, point-blank range, the Cero and the slash of the blade were bound to hit.
The next move that the Nihilist would make would be an attempt to support his earlier boast.
With the extension of his free hand, he allowed the Cero to collide with his hand. The provision of an obstacle caused the massive flow of energy to shoot upwards. The light from the power generated illuminated the entire area. The winds caused Kibō to raise his arm to his face in order to shield himself. However, the Nihilist continued to stare in defiance, his lone eye narrowed.
Within an instant, the Cero vanished.
But this time, Kibō could pick up the pattern in the dissipation...
Within an instant, he was right in front of Ahatake with his back turned to him, his blade raised in the air and his mouth shouting out his release command.
"BEAR HIS BURDEN, MOKUROKU!!!"
Then, the reiatsu around them that had been forcibly dissipated before re-appeared... and sank inwards around both Kurosaki and Injiki.
BOOM!
The result was a massive explosion with enough power to blow back the unconscious fighters away and into the water.
The Nihilist did not pay any attention to it, for his eye was focused on what he had caused. Instead of the mangled bodies of his opponents, he could see a white barrier surrounding them. Kibō had acted in time, saving both himself and Ahatake before they could get consumed by the Hankami's attack.
"Now this is new..." The Nihilist commented, cocking an eyebrow as the barrier dissipated. "I didn't sense any reiatsu from that little defense of yours."
"That wasn't my reiatsu..." Kibō said grimly, readying his sword in a defensive stance once again. "That was the very essence of my soul, manifested in how I chose." His eyes narrowed into concentrated slits. "But then again, I suppose that was why you were expecting that reversal to work, isn't it?"
At this, the Nihilist tilted his head to the side.
"Everyone of Geezer's attacks were composed of reiatsu - the very reason you were able to dispel them. You're using your Shinsei energy to split apart and individually take control of each spiritron that made up the attacks. When your opponent's at least expecting it, you reconstruct the reiatsu of the dispelled attack and send it back. I saw that much just now..."
"A child genius I have on my hands, hm?" The Nihilist drawled, grinning. "Well, at the very least, I'm glad someone picked up the basis before it was too late..."
Ahatake took all of this into account. By what he had heard, reiatsu-based attacks were pretty much useless now. Unfortunately, his families bodies being thrown into the water where they could probably drown had not escaped his notice either. However, he did have to continue fighting, though he had the sneaking suspicion the boy could continue this on his own. Ahatake turned for a moment, muttering to Kibō. "I'll be right back." He vanished, landing directly next to the water where his families bodies were sinking steadily. It was time to put his Zanpakutō ability to a non-offensive use.
His statement was all that was needed in order to send Kibō into action.
With a grunt, he threw himself at his opponent, who raised his blade up in order to meet the boy's own.
CLANG!
From there on out, it was a vicious clash of blades. Kibō was quick to push the Nihilist on the defensive with aggressive, wide, and powerful strikes. With each and every attack, sparks flew in a violent and yet beautiful manner. The Nihilist's lone eye was widened, and the smile was clear on his face as he defended himself. Although he was sent skidding back with the occasional two-handed attack, he could easily block and parry all of the boy's strikes.
Ahatake had descended under the water, looking around for the bodies. He breathed in as he moved, descending lower. Were bleeding bodies supposed to sink this fast? He didn't know, but wasn't curious. He turned his head, and spotted their falling figures.
"Excellent."
He created a swirling effect, like a whirlpool, but gentler, and used it to trap their bodies in, and caused it to rise to the surface. He then created one around himself, rising directly out of the water and moved forward. The whirlpool carrying his family descended to the land while Ahatake continued to move forward onto the battlefield on his. It was time to get serious.
"I'm going to drown you now. I don't know when I'll stop." Ahatake raised jumped off his whirlpool and caused it to move forward towards the Nihilist, easing easily in between him and Kibō, forming a sphere of water around the man. Ahatake had long since deprived it of it's breathable properties.
"Woah!!"
Kibō immediately jumped back when the Nihilist was enveloped into the sphere, a look of surprise crossing over both of their faces. "Well... that was certainly unexpected." He muttered to himself, standing up straight and watching the entire scenario take place. He hadn't expected Ahatake to come back into the fray so soon. But if it was placed into an attack such as this, he didn't think he had the right to interfere.
Ahatake titled his sword, and the water sphere began to froth and bubble. Quickly, the Nihilist was soon on fire. Underwater.
This was Ahatake's fourth Zanpakutō attack, Uminenshō.
It was a burning sensation that swept across his entire body, his lone eye widening as he was consumed by the flames. He hadn't allowed himself to move immediately, out of curiosity of where the attack would lead to. But the fact that he had been instantly set on fire was the eye-opener for him. He gritted his teeth, the flames searing into his skin and sending intense waves of pain and agony through his body. But he didn't not allow himself to scream...
...for the elation was much too great.
BOOSH!
Kibō had to shield his eyes when the Nihilist released a powerful burst of his unique energy to blow away the attack before it consumed him completely. Now, his clothes and skin was charred a mild black, and it looked as if he had been covered in soot. But surprisingly, damage was minor. The Hankami chuckled in amusement, turning nonchalantly to face Ahatake.
"Ah, finally, I see some progress within Seireitou's student, as well." He said mockingly, keeping his sword lowered to his side. "Maybe this time I'll be able to keep my eye open..."
Surprisingly, Ahatake had been active during all of this, his sword was firmly thrust into the ground, and he had an iron grip on it, looking in the Nihilist's direction.
"Now."
The ground under the Nihilist began to crack, and then exploded, releasing a large geyser of strange energy, purple in colour, that completely enveloped him the moment it was release. The ground the geyser had shot out of, which had appeared unmarred at first.
It was a question Kibō would ask later.
WOOSH!
But for now, he had to move, as the Nihilist moved just before the energy could consume him.
With the ghost-like VOOM of his traditional speed technique, the Nihilist was behind Ahatake and his blade was thrust towards his spinal chord. But it was just seconds afterwards that Kibō appeared in front of it, swinging his own blade upwards and parrying the attack. If Ahatake was better at long-range fighting, then he would have to simply try and be the filler for his weak spot as best as possible. After all, he had been engaging the man directly for most of the fight.
Ahatake had been surprised by this. He hadn't expected the Nihilist to actual get out of that. He frowned. "That was certainly unexpected, but thank you nonetheless kid. You didn't need to however. I am capable of close-combat, I just prefer long-range." He was racking his brain now for ideas on what to do next. He had to do something to literally break this...this "man" for lack of a better word. Taking him by surprise was the best option. He placed his Zanpakutō over his mouth and then swallowed it. His mouth then opened wide and, to the surprise of everyone, hands emerged from inside, one holding Ahatake's Zanpakutō. It stretched Ahatake's mouth wide open, farther than it should go, and leapt forward towards the Nihilist, drenched in liquid. It was Ahatake. With a cold glare on his face, Ahatake swung his blade down upon the shoulder of the man.
Needless to say, Kibō was completely disgusted.
"Good god, man!" He yelled, immediately jumping back when Ahatake lunged out of what was presumed to be "shed skin". Not only was it a rather unnecessary move as far as he was concerned, but it was also one of the most horrendous techniques he had ever seen. Had he been a lesser man, he would've puked his lunch right then and there. Even so, he held his stomach with his free hand, feeling at least a little queasy as he watched his partner attack their enemy.
WOOSH!
Despite his own surprise at the attack, the Nihilist moved accordingly when he saw Ahatake lunge at him. With a simple side-step, he avoided the strike made by his opponent, the smirk still on his face. "Wow..." He commented coolly. "That would've been considered kinky by the Punisher's standards...tell me, did you happen to have a run-in with her?" By the tone of his voice, it was clear that he was simply joking around with his opponent, despite the fact that he wanted to kill him.
Ahatake slid back, vanished, and appeared next to the Nihilist, a little too close than one would assume was necessary. His fist was not even an inch away from the man's stomach. His let off a faint flow, and he merely bumped it into the man.
"OOF--!!!"
With a grunt, the Nihilist was sent flying several meters back with immense force, his body thrown a large distance away from the starting point. This caught Kibō by surprise, and even a little bit of annoyance as he watched his enemy fly away like a pinwheel.
"...wow... at this point, I'm starting to wonder if both of us would still be necessary." He muttered under his breath.
"Don't just stand there amazed, Boy Wonder!" Ahatake shouted back. "You should be at least half as aggressive as me, Midoriko lying unconcious over there you know!" Ahatake launched himself forward, appearing easily before the Nihilist, his blade glowing with immensely powerful energy. But it was reiatsu. It was Reason.
"Getsuga. Tenshō!" Ahatake swung his blade, swinging it at the man's form and releasing the purplish energy in a large blast. Reason. Obeying him no matter how temporarily. This blade could accomplish even that.
"Midoriko!"
In all the commotion, Kibō had completely forgotten about the one he was supposed to be protecting.
Immediately, he turned his attention away from the fight and towards his unconscious loved ones. He turned on his heel and sprinted towards their location, kneeling over Midoriko once he got close enough. His eyes were filled with nervousness and worry as he looked them over. From the looks of things, it seemed as if they had sustained heavy slash wounds courtesy of the Nihilist. If he wanted to make sure their lives were preserved, he would have to act.
He closed his eyes and drew a breath, swiping his sword off to the side and focusing his soul.
The white, fire-like energy seeped from the metal and expanded itself, swarming over the bodies of his family and friends. Healing energy seeped through their orifices, enveloping them fully within its gentle glaze. He was using a part of his soul in order to heal them and hopefully stir them into consciousness.
Meanwhile, the Nihilist simply raised his sword up in order to intercept the blast.
It connected, and the energy blazed wildly as it was stopped by the metal of his blade. "And you wield the power of reason..." He commented. "I never thought that there would be someone other than Seireitou on a higher plane such as what I'm seeing now... I guess the concept of "There'll always be someone stronger than the strongest" comes into play here."
Ahatake didn't speak. He focused on the energy that was blade in every direction between then swords. The fact that it hadn't dispersed meant the Nihilist's powers were indeed limited to affecting reiryoku, as Kibō had so effectively surmised. Even with his Zanpakutō power however, reason would not obey him forever. It wasn't meant to be tamed by others.
"Onogoro." Ahatake released the black energy into the mass of reason, and it was assimilated, creating a reason that was just as flexible as his Onogoro technique. "Spear him." The energy between their swords shot out, rearranging itself, and then rapidly shot back in towards the Nihilist on all sides barring the front of him, where he and Ahatake stood, swords clashed.
"But not strong enough!!"
Keeping his sword locked onto Ahatake's, the Nihilist raised his free hand off of the hilt of his sword and out towards the oncoming attack. A pulse could be felt, and the disruption of the air could be seen when he unleashed a burst of his own invisible energy in order to force back the attack. Of course, he couldn't assert his control over it. But the two energies did cancel out as a result.
Then, the Nihilist began his attack.
With a vicious parry of his sword, he struck at Ahatake with a series of thrusts, swipes, and movements in order to keep his opponent on his toes. He kept one of his hands behind his back, each and every speed-enhanced swipe was a big blur.
Ahatake began to notice his movements were beginning to speed up. His eyes were having trouble keeping up with the man's movements, Ahatake's parries only just made it. He felt pricks and noticed he was getting cut. This man was slipping past his guard. "Shit." He swung his blade hard, landing a blow that resounded, forcing himself and the Nihilist back.
"I can't use reason again. Not yet, my control over it is fragile at best..." He frowned and clenched his sword. He launched forward, leaving a crater in his wake as he appeared next to the Nihilist, his eyes level with the man's waist. He swung his sword up, aiming to slice him in half.
CLASP!
The Nihilist's free hand promptly clasped onto his face before he could finish his swing. Within that very instant, he smiled, his teeth flashing as he said the next mocking statement.
"Eyes up here, sailor."
Then, with a forceful toss...
WOOSH!
...he sent his opponent flying with immense force - the very same force that Ahatake had treated him to.
Ahatake collided with a surprisingly durable rock, and could have sworn the crack he heard was his body, not the rock. He coughed, and was surprised to see blood come up. "Dammit..." He fell on one knee for, breathing heavily. He hadn't anticipated that kind of force. But, he wasn't going to lose here. All the damage this person and his group had caused, the damage he had done to his family, Ahatake needed to repay that to him in kind.
"This is going to end now, Nihilist..." Ahatake murmured, beginning to stand. His spirit energy was rising high, and his sword's guard changed, becoming a light purple orb. The Saikōkyu? His hair began to whiten, becoming a pure, snow white. Purple stripes marked his face, chest, arms and back, and his skin darkened, appearing tanned. His spirit pressure was only continuing to rise, becoming a dark crimson as it took energy form. Even Kibō, who was nearby, shouldn't be able to completely withstand his energy as it spread. He breathed. And then vanished, slamming his hand into the Nihilist's face, carrying him off into the air and then slamming him down into the ocean. Ahatake made the water breathable, so they could fight down here, away from Kibō at least. It also would not impede movement.
"I'm going to end this as quickly as possible." Ahatake stated to the Nihilist as he swam back. "I won't even give you time to regret. It'll be too quick for that."
To say that Nihilist was surprised was an understatement.
It wasn't that he didn't catch the movements made.
But the sudden increase in speed as well as strength had jarred him to the point where he couldn't react in time.
WHAM!
His eye widened in shock when Ahatake's palm slammed into his face, his body lifted into the air before being hurled into the water with immense force. This was enough to cause a geyser to erupt high into the sky before crashing down, the waters spreading out to envelop the shores of Yūrei completely. Somehow, the source of the crash had maintained a grip on his sword with one hand, while the other was grasping his own face.
Then, he saw his opponent drifting down into the water.
His eye narrowed once more.
"You can try, child..."
Then, he raised his sword up and swung.
BOOSH!
Within seconds, the water around them began to focus completely on Ahatake, increasing the overall pressure in an attempt to crush him to pieces.
"HAH!" With a roar, Ahatake disperse the water from around them, very nearly splitting the sea like Moses of Biblical lore. "From what Kibō said, he can use his Shinsei energy to split apart and individually take control of each spiritron. That gives me almost no way to use reishi..." He knew he couldn't stand there and think for long, the sea was falling back, and the Nihilist wouldn't wait for him to formulate a plan. "Wait...there has to be a limit to how much he can break down, or a limit to the pace he can break it down...if I can overpower him with enough reishi in one attack, I think I can do this..."
He let out a low hiss, releasing a massive blast of reishi over his sword. The energy shot up into the air, towering over both combatants and the general Yurei itself. It could have dwarfed most mountains in height. He vanished, appearing in front of the Nihilist, the energy trailing behind him like a comet, the crimson glow almost signalling the end. "This...is....IT!" He cried, releasing an even greater burst of energy as he swung his blade at the man, aiming directly for his torso so as to cut him in half.
Time slowed down.
"How predictable."
An amused smile graced the Nihilist's face as he watched Ahatake rush towards him. The massive energy output was incredible and certainly enough to deliver tremendous damage to the environment as well as himself. However, the massive wave of energy was virtually impossible to accelerate and move quickly with. It would've been a different matter if he struck from the back, but now that he had attacked the front, it was impossible not to be able to counter. A simple matter of speed would deliver the fatal blow and end the battle quickly.
He would strike first.
He pulled back his sword in order to attack.
Then, a flash came into his eye.
"What the--?!"
For that brief second, he saw the sky light up with a bright blue color, and within that instant, he took his eye off of his opponent in order to look. Within that very instant, the realization of what was happening dawned upon him. His shock faded into resolution, and he lowered his head just in time to see the sword coming for him.
"Guess that playtime's over and done with. I'll let you have the feeling of victory this time, child of this generation..."
The sword collided with him.
VOOM!
On the surface, Kibō had to shield his face when he saw the very ocean split apart, consumed by the powerful energy that Ahatake exhibited. "Fuck, what's going on?!" He thought to himself in surprise.
Ahatake ripped his sword out of the man's body, and immediately jumped up and ascended into the air, watching as the water began to crash down over the Nihilist's falling body. As the sea fully crashed down, his body began to return to normal, and the crushing spiritual energy that would have been felt also faded. Ahatake breathed deeply. That form was easier to maintain than he had expected. He sheathed his sword and made his way back over to Kibō, landing down next to the child and the unconscious bodies of his family.
"How are they doing?"
"....they're fine..."
Shaking himself out of his surprise, Kibō directed his attention to the wounded. "I used my Zanpakutō in order to pour a bit of my own soul into them..." He explained, straightening himself and drawing in a breath. His hand was a bit shaky, and so was the rest of this body. "But they're fine. All of them."
"That's great." His eyes lingered on his daughters, who were the main source of his concern. "You look beat kid. Although, I'm not sure how much time can be allotted to resting. I managed to kill the Nihilist but..." He looked around mournfully at the Yūrei Ōkoku. "Our home is still like this...and I also cannot feel Megami's spiritual pressure anywhere around."
"You may not have to worry about that for too long. Look!"
In the sky, the flashes of blue that had turned the Nihilist's attention away from his opponent for that fatal moment began to appear in the sky. A positive energy began to sweep away the sickening energy that had been felt before. It was a relieving feeling for Kibō, and he drew in another breath, this one being out of relaxation rather than exhaustion.
"This feeling..." Ahatake couldn't help but let a flicker of a smile cross his face. The energy now covering the area almost made his anger and frustration at the situation evaporate. He felt lighter.
"Guess that something was done somewhere else in order to turn everything back..." Kibō commented, re-sealing his blade before sheathing it within its holster. "I saw the change in the sky right before the waves parted in that massive energy attack. So killing the Nihilist didn't do it..."
"I'm not complaining about how it came about." Ahatake replied, deciding it was indeed not something to be too concerned about. "I didn't expect killing him would undo everything anyway, since Seireitou had mentioned several others that I assumed were affiliated with that guy. Someone else must have taken care of them."
"Let's hope..."
Upon that very statement, Kibō closed his eyes and lowered his head once he felt another pulse of powerful energy. Then, his closed-eye vision was enveloped in white, and he lost feeling within his body for a moment. At the same time, he felt as if he was being cleansed of a sickness that had plagued him the moment that the creation of this environment took place. It was a good feeling, one that would spread throughout all of existence.
Things would change, most definitely.
The Aftermath of the Apocalypse[]
The sky was an afternoon orange, the sun setting behind the horizon. In the streets, people were heading into their homes in order to finish their daily duties and turn in for the oncoming night. The memories of their assimilation would stick with them for the rest of their days. However, it was not a negative effect, but rather a positive addition to their minds. They understood, and would try to make drastic changes within themselves for the lives that they had ahead of them.
There was one lone person who was sitting on the beach, her legs tucked up to her chest and her arms and head resting on her knees. Her long hair covered any signs of an expression. Her shoulders were heaving slightly and occasionally. Other than the body expressions of her breathing, she was unmovable even as the blue ocean waters licked at her feet. She seemed to stick out in what would've been an otherwise bland environment.
A flash of warmth appeared at her side before instantly vanishing, and, if she had even the slightest bit of awareness, she would have felt a familiar presence. A hand, warm, touched her shoulder, the it's owner bent down next to her. "With your head in your knees, you can't see the ocean you know."
"NNN~!!"
Immediately, she jolted her head upwards, an alarmed expression on her face. Her eyes dilated, and her hands shook violently. For a brief moment, she seemed genuinely scared of whoever had approached her.
However, once she saw who it was, she immediately relaxed. Her eyes returned to normal size, and she brought a weary smile to her face. "O-oh, Ahatake..." She said shakily, placing a hand to her heart and laughing uneasily. "You startled me..."
Ahatake's eyes narrowed. She had practically shot into the sky when he had spoken. That wasn't like her at all. "Yeah, it's me." He looked at her curiously, his eyes were full of concern however. "Are you alright? You look exhausted, and...well, paranoid."
"...no..."
The smile faded away immediately, and she pulled her legs back up to her chest. This time, however, she wrapped her arms around her legs in order to hold them in place. "N-no, I'm not... in fact, I don't think I ever will be..." She said bitterly, shutting both of her eyes. She was doing everything in her power not to look him in the eye, as if she was ashamed to be near him.
Ahatake frowned. He didn't like seeing her like this. "I'm sorry I wasn't around..." He felt extremely guilty about leaving her here when he had gone off to train, no matter how effective his training bad been. "I won't pry for information if it's an uncomfortable subject...I've never been good at helping people through their problems. Just look at Taiki. However, I am happy to see you again--"
WHUMPF!
At the end of his sentence, Megami abruptly turned her body and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face within her shoulder. He would feel her tears as she started sobbing heavily, shoulders heaving up and down. "Y-you have no idea...!!" She said hoarsely, unable to contain herself. "How much I've missed you... how much I needed you to be there...!!"
Ahatake responded in kind, wrapping his arms around her as gently as was allowable. "I know, and I can't even begin to say 'everything will be fine'. However, I'm here now. You'll recover from this, bit by bit, and, as long as I am here, I will keep you safe Megami, so long as I can raise my sword."
"I...I wish it were that simple..."
Megami shook her head, subconsciously nuzzling the man's neck. "Sector 3... had gone corrupt and turned against the rest... they framed Aoi... and had her killed... they were planning to use millions of the innocent lives they took as sacrifices for their so-called Paradise... I was one of the few captured..."
She gritted her teeth, her fingers gripping the back of his shirt tightly.
"They stripped me of my powers... they made me listen to every last scream of every other innocent life down there... and they... they placed their hands on me, ripped every last shred of my dignity and womanhood away from me for their own sick pleasure... Ahatake... never before in my life have I felt so dirty and disgusting...!! I just want the feeling to stop...!!!"
The news was, needless to say, shocking to Ahatake. His face contorted in rage, but his hands and hold on Megami managed to remain surprisingly gentle and steady, much to his credit. "I...see..." Ahatake's ability to deal with both people's emotions and his own was severely limited. When enraged, his first option was "Kill What Angers Me", but, Megami being here made that impossible. He also didn't know how to properly console Megami, because it just wasn't something he was skilled in, and his anger was making it more difficult.
"Hearing this...makes it difficult to really process anything. At the moment, I simply want to find these people and give them a punishment lasting eternity..." He breathed, trying to compose himself. "...I really am sorry I was gone Megami, and knowing this only makes it worse...I just wish I could help..."
Megami could bring herself nothing else, continuing to sob into his shoulder and holding him as tightly as she could. But if she could, she would say that his company was helping... at least, a little. She would say that she was glad that he was finally here with her. She would beg him never to leave her again, to stay by her side forever. She needed him, for the scars that had been inflicted on her would not heal for a long time.
As a matter of fact.
"Don't you ever leave me again..." Megami said brokenly, her face still buried in his shoulder. "Don't ever leave me like that...!!"
Megami's grief did not melt Ahatake's rage, which was still stuck in him like ice. However, seeing her in this state allowed him to focus the concern he had for her into his mind, and put his anger in the back of his head. "I know..." He replied, his hold on her tightening slightly. "I promise, I won't leave you like that again..."
They merely sat there like that for a few hours, as Megami let her grief out.