Muffled noise, almost identical to white noise, reached the sensitive ears of the submerged white-haired vice captain of 7th division. Small bubbles of air swirled through the water from around his mouth and nose. Kaoseu was ignoring the irritable buzz of voices and trying to relax when a clear-cut sound reached him, causing his eyes to flash open. Again he heard the noise, only to realize it was from within his mind.
"
Kaoseu!"
It was the unmistakable decibel of Kuromeru, one of his Zanpakutou spirits, that was calling to him. Without even having to be told, he knew it was time to go. This time, he dressed in simple athletic clothes, assassin's garb, in a simple sense, and retrieved his pack from the cupboard after he removed himself from the pool located in the center of his barracks and dried off. His hair still laid pressed against his scalp from being so thoroughly drenched, but he paid it no mind as he sped off towards the cavern he was so fond of practicing at. This time, however, he decided to take things in a different way, preferring to avoid the large, glowing crystal in the main portion of the cavern, since he now knew it's ominous purpose, even though it's influence had already infected him. He sighed as found the crack he had fallen through on his very first trip and hopped through.
After 3 minutes of free-fall, he focused Reiatsu to his feet, making him stand on the air, just above the massive expanse of water that was illuminated by the Soul Crystals all around him. It was here that he spread out the Reiatsu and sat down in the air, just above the water, and drew both his blades, spreading them across his lap and closing his eyes, going into Jinzen. However, he felt something was off. He couldn't enter his Zanpakutou's realm for some reason.
"
Hahaha!"
The mocking laugh of his blades emanated through his skull and made the hardened Shinigami furrow his brow in agitation. Again he tried to press himself into their realm, and again he failed. Trial after trial, he couldn't manage to correctly perform Jinzen. In utter anger, he cast his mind to connect with his blades, achieving his goal of this small endeavor. However, instead of trying to put himself in their place and thinking of himself as a part of them, he grasped their consciousness tightly within his own and began pulling them closer, willing them to become reality. He knew if he succeeded that this would be risky, but he also knew that this is what they wanted. Their collective consciousnesses struggled against his hold, but he fortified his resolve even stronger, and with one final yank of his mind, he felt the tension give, and several things happened at once.
Two separate explosions of black and white were set off just in front of Kaoseu, launching him back 50 feet before he found purchase in the air, blades at the ready. The next thing that happened was Kaoseu was bombarded with two identical, intense signatures of Spiritual Pressure. He recognized the two immediately, just before the white and black Reiatsu was brushed away simultaneously by a black blade and a white blade. The figures of Kuromeru and Shiroi stood in front of him, grinning menacingly.
"Congratulations, Kaoseu.""You've managed to draw us out.""Now""You must face us""In order to obtain""The power" "
you need."
With the last sentence, both individuals raised the arm of their inside shoulder towards one and other. Their palms were straight up and down, not touching one and other, and Kaoseu's eyes widened; he remembered this form they were about to fuse into. Cursing loudly, he shouted,
"Shine in the shadows and hide in the light, SHIROKURO!"
Just as he was done shouting, Kuromeru and Shiroi clasped hands, and from both Kaoseu's and their position, single columns of black and white Reiatsu erupted into the air. Simultaneously, each column of Reiatsu was swiped away. Kaoseu looked to the being he was expecting to be there and started momentarily. Where there should have been a figure holding two blades and with large white wings stood a completely different figure, holding a single blade.
"5 days. You have this long to defeat us. Now... GO!" shouted the being, thus beginning a long, grueling battle to ensue.
(Figure)
- Spoiler:
3 days later...
Obviously, what he had seen the first time was not Shirokuro's true form. With a silent curse, Kaoseu's haggard, injured form stood at the ready, one blade held up, poised to attack, the other held closer in a more defensive position. He was just about to Flash Step to attack when he was blasted forward by a blunt force colliding with his back. As he flew forward, he righted himself in the air, turning behind him just in time to see the real Shirokuro vanish, as well as the afterimage he had left behind when he had apparently moved. Kaoseu's eyes widened and he arched his back as he felt Shirokuro's spiritual pressure behind him. Narrowly missing the blade, he turned his body left, focusing Reiatsu in his shin and foot as he rolled midair and made his foot collide with the side of Shirokuro's skull, sending the being sailing through the air. After 3 seconds of flight, Shirokuro managed to find purchase in the air and stopped himself, standing up straight and pointing his blade down at Kaoseu. Kaoseu took this time to plot and did so quickly. As Shirokuro disappeared again, Kaoseu manipulated all the shadow he could muster into a mass that was spread out just on top of the inky black water.
Without a sound, Shirokuro appeared above and in front of Kaoseu, blade raised behind him, prepared to attack. The world seemed to slow down as Kaoseu reacted. He launched up the mass of shadow around the legs of the approaching Shirokuro, hardening it as soon as it hit waist height, halting the beings acceleration so suddenly that the upper half of the spirit was thrown forward. As this was happening, the white-haired Shinigami Flash Stepped forward, seizing the blade the being held in its hand and Flash Stepping once more 5 feet in front of the figure. Kaoseu sheathed his blades and raised Shirokuro's own blade against him, taking a step closer, and eventually closing the distance. Kaoseu reared back to strike, and as he did so, he saw something in the eyes of the being before him. It wasn't hate, or sadness, but sorrow.
Kaoseu stopped mid-strike, lowering the blade. This is what he was supposed to do, and the words had come from Shirokuro's own mouth. So why did he look so full of sorrow? Kaoseu looked into those eyes, and then looked deeper still, trying to make sense of it. Then, he realized it; Shirokuro had said to defeat him, not to best him in combat. Kaoseu looked at the blade in his hand, then up to the small circle of light that marked the opening of the cave above him. He then looked back down to the still entrapped being and smiled. Now he felt it, the sorrow that was within Shirokuro. In truth, until now, Kaoseu had never really understood and been in sync with his blades. Now, he knew the truth. He released the shadow surrounding Shirokuro, whom merely stood there, unmoving. Without hesitation, the Shinigami then moved behind him, facing the opposite direction. The two beings were now back to back, right against one and other. Kaoseu closed his eyes and used shadow to grip the blade in his hands. He then directed it to the center of his chest and clasped hands, still back to back, with Shirokuro. He felt the beings pulse through his hands and smiled, realizing that their pulses were in perfect sync, as well as their breathing. Each of them took a deep breath, and as they did so, Kaoseu launched the blade forward with all the power he could muster, piercing himself and Shirokuro.
As the blade passed through him and into Shirokuro, just as it was coming out of the other side, there was a massive explosion of black light that emanated from the two, with them as the center. Just as suddenly as it had come, it was dispersed by the swift flick of a blade. Kaoseu now stood in the air facing Shirokuro, a distance of about 10 feet between the two. Kaoseu could feel energy pulsing through him he'd never felt before. He felt stronger and more powerful than he did the first time he had used Shikai. He grinned and went to place both blades on his shoulders, but started when he noticed the absence of his other blade. He also started when he noticed he wasn't wearing the same clothes. He looked down at the water below him and saw his reflection and then he grinned widely.
- Spoiler:
His entire image had changed, and truth be told, he liked it. He looked to Shirokuro and saw that he was smiling as well. He had his own blade back in his hand and motioned for Kaoseu to join him. Kaoseu Flash Stepped next to the individual and awaited for him to start speaking.
"You now possess power you have never wielded before, let alone witnessed. You must be careful when using it. I will show you how, but first, I must explain some things. Before, you possessed two blades, which is no longer the case. The single blade you possess is a compression of both of those blade's previous power. This means you as an individual now possess ability stronger than you ever would have before. You are faster, stronger, and more enduring than you could ever dream. Your abilities, however, are different than others. While most gain a new form of ability, or possess a different kind, yours are still the same as our Shikai selves, for the most part, save for the final ability, which is null. However, due to the way you have progressed, you now understand and are capable of wielding half of our true power. Observe."With the end of the last word, Shirokuro turned the point of his blade upside down towards the water below them and
disappeared. Kaoseu was in the middle of blinking when he saw a flash in the distance. As his eyes reopened upon reflex, he saw the blurred image of a rock flying at the still falling sword. The two collided, the rock slicing in two on the blade and the resulting force causing the blade to pinwheel on it's axis. As it hit an upright position, Kaoseu blinked again, and when he opened his eyes, Shirokuro was there, blade in hand, twirling it around a finger.
"This is the true nature of your power. I used a fraction of the speed and strength you are capable of, but did not know you possessed. Now... the only thing left to do... is train it into you. We have 7 days. Master it by then, or you never will." said Shirokuro. Kaoseu looked intently into his Zanpakutou's eyes and nodded, briefly, once. Without so much as a sound, the Shinigami and his Zanpakutou disappeared.
5 days later...
The echo of blade-on-blade resounded throughout the seemingly empty cavern. Every couple of seconds, if you had good enough vision, and could follow even the fastest of Flash Steppers, you could see two beings, swords locked in battle, stern looks of concentration etched on their faces. In less time than it took to blink, they would be gone again.
Kaoseu was sweating profusely, and every part of his body ached. He had cuts and slices all along his body, yet he still managed to fight on.
"QUICKEN YOUR SPEED! STRONGER BLOWS! STEADY YOUR BREATHING! FOCUS YOUR REIATSU!"These were the things he heard shouted at him as he fought on as hard as he could, hope ever so evading him, nothing but fierce determination reaching his core. In a vain attempt, Kaoseu Flash Stepped at full speed towards Shirokuro. The being just grinned patronizingly and Flash Stepped as well. Kaoseu knew that Shirokuro was moving faster than him, but he was now able to see the movements. With awe, Kaoseu watched exactly what was going on with Shirokuro's body to make him move so fast.
Frustration hit him as he saw that he was moving exactly as Kaoseu did; on the balls of his feet, body leaned forward, neck lowered, head facing forward, hips focused down and forward, his center of balance all located in his lower back, hips, and posterior. Not a single thing was different between the two.
As he slashed down, Shirokuro spoke. Kaoseu whirled and lifted his blade to parry, listening intently.
"Do not try and force the speed. Do not try and fight the air. Let your body do what is natural. This is the basis of your new level of power. Understand that, and you'll understand how to access it."
The Next Day...
A roar of pent up frustration tore itself from Kaoseu's throat. He had but a day remaining to master his ability., and he still had no clue as to what Shirokuro had meant. He had tried everything he normally did; relaxing his entire body, pressing it, focusing to the extremes. Nothing was working. He growled under his breath as he went to Flash Step again. He felt the wind press against him and fought the urge to lean farther forward and flow with it. Suddenly, at the same time Shirokuro's fist did, it hit him.
Kaoseu was thrown back from the intense strength packed into the punch, but he grinned as he processed what he had just figured out. He rotated backwards on his center of gravity and caught himself in the air, sliding backwards. Shirokuro saw his malicious grin and smiled himself as he lowered his thin frame into a readied stance. Kaoseu kept his form lowered and Flash Stepped, but this time letting his body move on its own, letting himself become a being of pure instinct. The sudden surge of speed and power caused both beings to disappear, but leave a still moving after image behind them. Now, things were going Kaoseu's way.
Day 10...
Now energized beyond imagination, Kaoseu was keeping steady pace with Shirokuro. The being even seemed hard-pressed trying to keep him at bay, and at times, even worried, especially when their eyes locked. Kaoseu shook the analysis from his mind and completely calmed himself, planning on ending this now. Shirokuro's features showed a slight bit of surprise, and Kaoseu took this to his advantage, launching in a flurry of quick attacks. Shirokuro's blade was ever so slightly off balance in his own hand and Kaoseu swiped across with his own, knocking it to the side in a Flash Step spin that brought his blade point to Shirokuro's chin. A grin spread across the Shinigami's weary, face as his chest heaved, each breath a heavy one. He then took a step back and sheathed his blade.
He looked up at Shirokuro who grinned, nodded, and sheathed his own blade. The being took a step forward, closing the distance between them in one stride. He carefully put a hand on Kaoseu's shoulder and smiled.
"You have progressed one step closer to mastery and being in sync with us. From now in, you may call us by our true name whenever this form is needed. I am Rusu to Shirokuro. From now on, I will be watching over you, now more than ever." said Rusu to Shirokuro. Kaoseu nodded, a little worried at the seriousness in the tone of his Zanpakutou. Without a word, there was a flash of light and Rusu to Shirokuro vanished. Kaoseu sighed and sealed his power, returning to his normal state. He looked up and began flying up and out of the cavern. It took double the amount of time it had taken to fall, but it was enough time for Kaoseu to think. He decided he didn't want what was coming, no matter how inevitable it was. He'd fight it off as long as he possibly could, or stop it, though he knew the latter choice was now impossible.
Frustration set in his mind until he realized what he had just done; He had successfully achieved Bankai, although it would be a while before he mastered it. Still though, the elation that spread through him now was unable to be capped. Kaoseu let out a whoop as he Flash Stepped back to Seireitei and to his comfortable barracks. Only when he had laid down did he realize how extremely exhausted he was. Quickly, his eyes had fallen shut and his mind had turned off, utterly taxed from 10 non-stop days of battle with an opponent of equal level. Just before he drifted off to sleep, he heard a menacing laugh that sounded like his own, but with a multitude of canned versions. His dreams were plagued that night by the next thing he heard from the same voice that had laughed;
"This... is the Beginning... of the End..."
Subject: The Beginning of the End- Bankai 1 
Sun Oct 03, 2010 4:09 am
