The End of the Beginning; Kaoseu Shikai 3 ((Finished))

A sigh parted the pale lips of the white haired individual that sat at the large desk towards the back of the otherwise large office. It was silent in the room, save for the sound of scribbling and the shuffle of papers as the 7th Squad, 3rd seat official wrapped up his work, signing off on the last piece of paper in his elegant script and setting it atop the tower of other completed work. Kaoseu's relief was evident on his face as he carefully moved the stacks of paper over to the corner, from which he would move them again, after he had a sufficient break. He sat back in the chair and leaned back, kicking his feet up.

"What the hell're you doin', dumbass?!" said the gruff voice of Kuromeru.

The sudden outburst from nowhere caused Kaoseu to jump, his arms and legs flailing as he fell back in his chair, hitting the ground face first. He came up furiously, and at first glance, would seem to be pointing at nothing. However, his Zanpakutou rested against the side of the desk, and it was these he leveled his finger at as he yelled in pain and embarrassment most of all, but anger as well.

"What the hell?! What gives?! You can't just wait to catch someone off guard like that!" he yelled accusingly.

"Just get off yer lazy ass and get down here! We've got somethin' for ya!" replied the voice of Shiroi.

The tired-looking Shinigami sighed, but had no reason to deny his curiosity. He rubbed his temples as he stood up and strapped on his blades. From there he proceeded to the small closet located in the office, which he opened and removed one of the 3 travel packs he always kept handy and prepared now, due to his frequent excursions. Each one contained clothing, a canteen, dehydrated and powdered foods, as well as dry beans, noodles, and vegetables. There was a small tent and a shovel as well. All of this fit in a bag that fit squarely in the small of his back, thanks to the talents and many trials of the 12th squad. Kaoseu owned 1 of a small number, estimated about 100, of such bags. The others were owned by various others throughout Soul Society. After taking inventory, the learned Shinigami strapped his bag and set out for his training spot.

After 30 minutes of nothing but wind rushing past his ears and hair jetting back from continuous Flash Stepping, Kaoseu arrived at his location. He smiled, realizing that it usually took him an hour to get here. It meant he was getting faster, an important fact he took mental note of. However, the thoughts vanished as he stepped through the hidden opening in the wall and was assaulted by the horror before him. The diffused light of the crystal that always hung from the ceiling wasn't present. The entire central chamber was a pitch black. Kaoseu drew his blades and closed his eyes, helping them adjust faster, and opened them a few seconds later. In the dim light given from the tinier jewels farther out, he could just make out the massive shape of the crystal standing on end in the now cracked ground. For some reason, deep inside, this scared him. He shook the feeling of fear and instead took refuge atop the massive crystal to start his Jinzen. The crystal had an odd structure at the top, sort of an encompassing dome of slanted points that shielded him from the outside world. It was quite comforting, though he had the disconcerting feeling he was trespassing where he shouldn't be and that he was being watched. Again shaking off his paranoia, he set his blades across his lap and closed his eyes, clearing all thoughts from his mind. As soon as the sounds of the cave disappeared, he was up and his eyes open, facing the direction of a boulder flying at him. He uttered quietly the incantation for Byakurai as he pointed his finger and the lightning burst the rock into pieces. All of his instincts had kicked in and he was ready to fight for whatever it was Kuromeru and Shiroi had to show him.

Kuromeru appeared out of nowhere above and behind him, blade swinging down in a reverse grip. Kaoseu felt his Reiatsu behind him as the gruffer of his Zanpakutou spirits descended and turned, catching the wrist of the would-be assailant and twisting back, hard. Kuromeru laughed as his wrist broke and kicked Kaoseu in the chest, hard, sending him flying in the direction Shiroi's Reiatsu was flaring and getting closer. Kaoseu cursed silently to himself as he felt the force of a blade upon his, which forced him downwards toward the ground. The impact sent a plume of dirt and small rock fragments 30 feet into the air. Kaoseu coughed up bitter blood as he pulled himself up slowly. He looked between the two beings that were his Zanpakutou and grinned. Quietly and slowly, so slowly, his lips hardly even twitched, he muttered,

"Shine in the shadows and hide in the light... SHIROKURO!"

As the last syllable escaped his lips, the last thing he saw were the wide-eyed looks of satisfaction on his Zanpakutou's faces as a pillar of black and white light erupted around Kaoseu. With a deft flick of his wrists, the pure Reiatsu scattered as the white-haired Shinigami suppressed it to where it needed to be. He stood before the two beings and grinned back, which they mirrored. Without drawing too much attention, he pulsed Reiatsu through his hands and into the blades, causing the bandages to wrap around his fingers, wrists, and forearms in the normal way, so that the simplest deft flick of a finger could drastically alter the blade's course midair when thrown.

"Well, come and get it, pretty boy." taunted Shiroi.

Without a word or second of hesitation, Kaoseu Flash Stepped just in front of both of them, blades crossed and sweeping forward. Both Kuromeru and Shiroi fell for the ruse and Flash stepped directly to the sides and a few feet away from him, just as he was letting his blades go to sail out towards them. Both were caught off guard by the sudden attack, and Kaoseu grinned as he felt each blade pierce its target. As each blade pierced, Kaoseu felt a rush of information pass through him, as he recalled memories long forgotten and found out things about both the two, in this, their true form, as well as their blade form that he carried, that he never would have figured out. Suddenly, the connection was cut off as each blade completely pierced through their torsos. As he looked between the two again, Kaoseu realized their faces were seething with anger. Each of them disappeared and he felt the bandages grow taut, which meant the two were approaching. Quickly, he flicked the pinkie and middle finger of each hand inward, causing the blades to alter direction, aiming back towards him, still traveling at the speed they had been thrown. Just in the nick of time, Kuromeru and Shiroi reappeared, blades raised overhead and swinging down. As their wrists lowered, Kaoseu's blades pierced each, through to the other side, then into the wrist of the other, so that both blades were through both spirit's sword wrist.

Kaoseu then yanked on both hands, causing the hands of the two beings two swing faster and at each other. The resulting force of the added yank caused a massive explosion as both Kuromeru and Shiroi cut each other simultaneously. As if he were in a movie, the world seemed to fade until all was black. As usual, it came back and Kaoseu, Kuromeru, and Shiroi were all sitting in close proximity to each other. Despite his underhanded methods of defeating them, both of them looked happy.

" 'S about time. Now ya fine'ly get ta learn yer final technique 'fore we show ya what we can really do. All ya had to do was master yer aggression and use yer defense to defeat us. The technique ya already know, now anyways, but we'll show ya the basics of it. just so yer well aware." said Kuromeru. Kaoseu nodded and stood as the other two did. Their respective blades appeared in their hands. Kaoseu immediately reached for his out of instinct, but Shiroi held up a hand and shook his head. Kaoseu stopped, bewildered, as Shiroi raised his white blade, point up, in the air. He then looked to Kuromeru who pointed his black blade at Kaoseu. "Now, fire off another one of them Byakurai, directly at the blade tip." Instructed Kuromeru. Kaoseu nodded and pointed a finger at the blade tip and muttered,

"Hado Number 4, Byakurai."

The lightning shot forth from his fingertip and hit it's target on the dot. Kaoseu expected the blade to fly up or for Kuromeru to be blasted, but the only thing that happened was that Kuromeru grimaced and clutched his side as an electrical burn mark appeared across his face and hands, and probably the entire side of his body that wasn't holding the blade. What perturbed him more was the fact that his Byakurai seemed to get completely absorbed. Kaoseu was speechless and Kuromeru grinned and nodded his head towards Shiroi. Kaoseu looked in that direction and his jaw dropped as he saw electricity sparking from the blade. Shiroi grinned and at the same time, the Byakurai shot forth from the tip of his blade, into the air, though it looked smaller and a bit dimmer than Kaoseu had shot it.


"It's called Hangen-ki Kakuhenkan, or Halflife Transmutation. Any elemental energy attack, Kidou and Cero included, can be absorbed using Kuromeru's blade, at the cost of you taking half the damage. That half of the element or Cero that was absorbed is then transmuted to my blade, which is capable of holding up to 3 full attacks, or 6 half power attacks, should you survive that long. At the maximum hold, if you try to absorb another attack, the attacks are forcefully expelled from the blade in one blast, combining each of these attacks perfectly. However, you will take the same amount of damage as your opponent due to kickback. So, you should use this technique carefully. You also need to know that when you haven't used an attack, you can imbue your blade with it and cause more damage. But, when you hit flesh, Hierro, or skin of any kind, even the slightest brush, that attack is expelled from your blade regardless of whether you will it or not. Other than that, the technique is now yours to use at your disposal." Shiroi explained. Kaoseu was open mouthed at the whole explanation, as well as Shiroi's sudden development of proper speech.

Kuromeru laughed as he explained just what Kaoseu was about to ask.

"You're a fool if you believe any Zanpakutou would speak in such a fashion. We're a projection of your inner soul, so what would make you think we truly spoke in such a gross, mutilated manner?"

Kaoseu couldn't help but laugh as Shiroi and Kuromeru stepped next to each other, their blades disappearing. The world was starting to fade again, and Kaoseu was almost sad to go. with a wave, the world went black and Kaoseu felt his senses switch back to his true body. He was put off, however, by the light that was bright enough it was illuminating through his closed eyes. With a shock, his eyes snapped open. Black dots swam before his eyes, but in the brief second before he slammed his eyes shut again, he could swear he saw an exact mirror of himself standing in front of him, his gaze bearing down upon him, dressed completely in white with pale, ashen skin. As Kaoseu opened his eyes again, this time slower, he saw nothing in front of him. He was surprised to find out that the crystal that had previously been dark was now relighted. As he stood up and looked down, he saw that he was wrong, to a degree. The crystal looked as if it was split down the middle. However, upon closer inspection, Kaoseu realized the darkened half was moving, as if it were dark liquid or shadow. Kaoseu hopped off the structure and looked around it, taking it all in. After he was satisfied he wasn't seeing things, he shook his head and opened his pack, taking out and eating what food he had. He was exhausted for some reason, and usually it was food he needed. After he was done eating every bit of his food, he still felt weary.

He stood and stretched, packing his things and heading out from the cave. Looking behind him one last time at the large crystal, he turned back around and left, Flash Stepping all the way back to Seireitei where he ate until the weariness had subsided. However, he realized he was tired in general. As he walked back into the 7th squad barracks, he was assaulted by Dai Yon Shīto, the 4th seat, and the person in charge when he was gone. Questions were thrown at him, fast and furious. The one that caught his attention was the question of where he had been. When he asked what he meant, Dai Yon Shīto explained that he had been gone for 3 days. Without a word, Kaoseu turned around and left the barracks, heading straight to the Archives located by the 12th Division's barracks. It was here that he'd finally get to the bottom of whatever it was that was happening, and for some reason, he knew it had to do with that crystal in the cavern. His mind flashed to the figure he knew he had seen and the corners of his lips turned down. Without a doubt, he knew; this was the beginning of the end and the End of the Beginning...

Ability 3: Hangen-ki Kakuhenkan (Halflife Transmutation)


Any elemental energy attack, Kidou and Cero included**, can be absorbed using the black blade, at the cost of Kaoseu taking half the damage. That half of the element or Cero that was absorbed is then transmuted to the white blade, which is capable of holding up to 3 full attacks, or 6 half power attacks from an opponent of equal or lesser rank. These attacks are able to be fired back, combined perfectly with one and other. At the maximum hold, if he tried to absorb another attack, the attacks are forcefully expelled from the blade in one blast, combining each of these attacks perfectly. However, Kaoseu will take the same amount of damage as his opponent due to kickback. When he hasn't used an attack, Kaoseu can imbue the white blade with any single of the elments and cause more damage, but, when he hits flesh, Hierro, or skin of any kind, even the slightest brush, that attack is expelled from the blade regardless of whether he wills it or not.


**This applies strictly to only fire, lightning, water, ice, earth, and wind based energy attacks. Physical attacks, such as flaming projectiles or icicles are not able to be absorbed.



Word Count Requirement: 600
Application Word Count: 2362