Revisiting the Past to Witness the Future

Hageshii was having trouble getting acquainted to life back in Seireitei. He walked aimlessly for hours trying to remember what it was he once enjoyed about this place. He at first thought the pursuit of knowledge would have been of some use, but the more he tried to study the more he was met with frustration and walls of barriers unbeknownst to him. He tried to understand at first why this had become so difficult for him. He considered everything and listened closely to his thoughts as if they weren't his own. He began treating his thoughts like code that needed a cipher to fully understand. After so much time in Hueco Mundo something about his thoughts became tainted. His body twitched without his constant fear eating away at his sanity he felt empty. Something though, had taken its place. Something Hageshii grew to fear more than fear itself. He couldn't put a name to his fears replacement but somewhere he remembered it as complacency. It gnawed away at his very being like a parasite. He felt like he was losing some kind of edge.

His mind had once been a blade in its own right that was able to pinpoint even the smallest needle in his haystack of cognition, but now he was definitely dealing with damaged goods. His body had become a skill now. He never really had the ability to fight, but he had become great at survival. Evasion and deception tactics that allowed him to lengthen his life if only for moments had become his most viable source of income. That is, if one considers time living income. Hageshii felt like he was losing more than he was gaining by coming back to Seireitei. Logically he understood that more time here would allow him to further his training. He had even figured that when he was strong enough to survive a life or death no escape combat situation he would return to what he grew so fond of, but staying in this place... it felt wrong; extremely wrong.

Hageshii had decided to do what he had done so long ago when he was still an academy student and his oldest friend was just beginning his accent to the great seat of power he now held. Hageshii remembered the times he and Kaoseu met on the training ground to release their own frustrations and gain experience. He thought back to his arrival back into Soul Society when Kao had told him something had gone wrong. He never found out what it was that had caused his friend to be so cautious or why he had left so frantically and never heard from him after. Hageshiii walked through the training grounds and found the ancient tree that held such soothing scents within its branches and climbed upon its age old limbs. He let the soft breeze catch his lengthy hair and lead along with gentle remarks of sweet nothings. His eyes lost sight of the world as he closed his eyelids so that he could listen to the flow of the world around him. Birds off in the distance charmed their way into his ears with songs of frivolity and joy. While rays of sunlight etched his skin with color much needed.

He inhaled slowly, as he had so many times before when he was lost in the endless sands of what he thought was his final resting place. In Hueco Mundo he would remember this tree. When he needed solace from the constant terror he would remember the wonders this tree did for his nerves. It was better than any book ever could have been. The Sakura flowers were in bloom and the insects were incessantly chattering to one another about things Hageshii didn’t bother attempting to comprehend. So instead Hageshii filled their language with conversations he had less trouble deciphering. All this relaxation felt good to Hageshii until suddenly his mind lashed out. Fear streaked its way across his thoughts and reminded him that he wasn’t to get complacent. He slid off of a branch and landed heavily on the ground below. He traced his path to a training dummy with his sheathed sword. He hadn’t heard a word from it since his arrival in Heuco Mundo, but he couldn’t really blame it. If what he had learned in school were true it was an extension of him. His feelings and his thoughts were all bottled into one blade. It must have been cramped. Hageshii grinned at the grimly childish notion.

He drew his sword upward and while it remained sheathed he swung down hard from his chest with a dual hand grip. He slammed his zanpaukto down on the right shoulder of the hard wood dummy. The sheath connected with a hard thud and as it did so Hageshii drew his zanpakuto and stabbed twice into his would be combatant’s belly. His stance was off set and he was pushed back by the stabs. He hadn’t really been able to practice his sword skills but they weren’t as rusty as he would have had expected. He shifted his stance and sheathed his sword. His legs were square and shoulder width. His left foot pointed forward and has right point was facing his right side. His body was somewhat sideways allowing his body to become a smaller but still substantial target. He tried the slam stab combo he had just attempted and was more successful in holding his ground this time. After his fourth attempt he decided to add a few more things to the mix. Upon the second stab his sword logged in the dummy and using its tassel he withdrew it from the dummy and with a rotation of his wrist the blade began to spin. With each new rotation Hageshii took a step around the dummy and came down hard with his sword. He was relaxing somewhat and beginning to enjoy this practice. He did look somewhat foolish but at this point he couldn’t have really cared for his surroundings unless his surroundings interrupted him.

Akki, worn out from practice, rested his mind in the branches of great Sakura tree that stood silent guard over the equally quiet sparring grounds. For an Academy that trained their students heavily in the art of swordplay, Akki noted that there was a lax in the amount of people that spent their time here. It was like a paradise to Akki, the loose, reddish dirt, the numerous amount of practice dummies, some new, some ruined, and some naught but broken poles stuck in the ground. When there were people, it was Akki's personal favorite time, seeing so many people, with such different styles of fighting. His kata he had mastered, with Hibiki's help as well, and he now was bored, his only solace in trying to decide a way to learn to fight, not that they had a blade of their own yet.

Deep in thought, Akki didn't even notice the addition to the limb directly on the other side of the tree from him. However, Hibiki, who was floating just under the surface of consciousness, took dull note. Akki mentally noted the newcomer, but ignored him, lost in thought. It wasn't long before whoever it was jumped down, obviously not having noticed them. Hibiki's interest piqued, and he nudged Akki's consciousness over to make room for both of them when the sound of a blunt object striking faux flesh.

Akki's reverie was put on pause as they leaned right and grabbed onto the branch slightly below them. They let their weight carry them around and forwards, so that they now rested on the same branch the stranger had previously rested on. Like a bird of prey, they squatted, watching intently as the person battered the dummy with abandon. Concentration took over after a moment as the person backed up after a decisively impressive maneuver, slicing down with a sheathed blade and then drawing the blade from the force.

After several more maneuvers, the individual did something that struck a chord within the twin consciousness of the boys. Mid-swing, he let his blade slip, and grabbed hold of the tassel that hung from the hilt, and began to whirl the blade end over end. Something about this tactic stuck with them, and both agreed it was odd that such a basic style could have such an impact on them, but they made a silent connection that it felt as if it were somehow an integral part of them, just that it was somewhat... Lacking.

Jumping down from their perch, the two of them came within talking distance, but no closer, as they awaited for the man to finish. When that point arose, both spoke simultaneously, the same thought, something they normally didn't do. The effect was a truly sincere voice with a rough undertone that bespoke honesty and aggression, while also conveying peace and just enough of an edge to not make words believable.

"That reminds me of my father..." they announced, shocked that the words came out. For a moment, they had a sudden understanding of their attachment to the style. They said nothing else, as the thought over what had just transpired. This man, they figured, would somehow understand, or so they hoped. They backed up, their training blade bumping against their hip as they did so. "Can you show it again? Or better, teach me."

Hageshii picked up on a presence that struck a cord in him somewhere. He turned on a dime as he heard a voice and the beginnings of perspiration flung themselves from his forehead. The boy's eyes caught Hageshii's attention immediately and he almost lost his composure. Eyes that saw you but also saw through you; taking in more than they dared revealed, not in fear but in cautious reproach. Hageshii had seen into eyes like these before. "Kao-" Hageshii trailed off when he paid closer attention the the boys voice. It wasn't singular, but multiple if that makes any sense. There wasn't just one person in that voice and Hageshii instantly caught it. The aggressive honesty that collided with the peaceful sincerity. Hageshii couldn't help but give this newcomer the once over. His massive mess of super saiyan three length hair was brilliant white the like snows of Mount Fuji in the sunlight. This boys skin was tan and taut like leather over his gymnast like musculature. This boy was the spitting image of Kaoseu and Hageshii was in total disbelief, but he knew better then to doubt something so prominent.

The boy had said that Hageshii's use of weaponry reminded him of his father and Hageshii had gotten the idea to use the tassel from the fluidity with which Kaoseu had used his set of dual blades. Although he had trouble wrapping his head around it Hageshii was sure this boy was his friend's legacy. The boy had asked to be taught without even giving so much as his name. Hageshii would have to scold Kaoseu about teaching his son manners the next time he saw him. "That's just like your father to not teach his son manners, but I'm sure you know how to use that sword you've got there. You're Kao's kid, right? You look just like Enjel. Your father's friends are in scarce supply here in Seireitei. What was he doing sending you to Soul Society?" Hageshii almost forgot his own manners for a second and instantly caught himself. "Ch- look at me naggin' you like some old woman and you have no idea who I am. My name is Hageshii Yasuragi. I would say it's a pleasure to meet you but after my time on the other side nothin' is very pleasing anymore." Hageshii remembered the boy had wanted to be taught how to use the tassel and said, "Ah you wanted to learn this sword style! Well, how about you tell me your name and how to get a hold of ever present father and I'll teach you how to use your sword this way." Hageshii's use of sarcasm made him smile inwardly to himself as he gave the kid the once over again still in disbelief that he was seeing Kaoseu's child.

The conversation started off bad when the first word out of the Hageshii's mouth was his father's name. Each use of it thereafter was like a stinging slap that waited until just after the tingle started to recede, and then slapped you again. Keeping themselves composed, they used their combined effort to analyze the man before them, an obvious acquaintance of his father's.

Violet hair that matched violet irises, and a complexion that hinted at either an inability to darken, or wove a tale of very little sunlight, he latter seeming the most likely of the two, considering the darting eyes that told of a habit of running- the same eyes Hibiki and Akki had both maintained for the longest time once they'd made it out of Hueco Mundo.

"You can call me Hibiki... or Akki." said the boys, this time separately, so that Hibiki's honest voice rang through when he spoke, and Akki's rough tone carved out his own. "My father... Kaoseu... He... He died getting me here... You knew him...?" Hibiki asked. There was so much that he could ask this man about his father, because there was still so much left unanswered. However, right now was not the time, he had come down for a reason, as Akki reminded them.

"You can tell us- me- later. The only way to reach our father is through the one's he's influenced. And we- I- think you can help with that." Akki was blunt, for the most part, and drew the poorly balanced training blade from the sheath at the end, to emphasize the fact that he was ready to begin the lesson.

Hageshii wasn't very surprised to hear the different personalities talk at separate times but for them both to share the same perceptive conscious was astonishing in and of itself. Hibaki suddenly came to mind as the personalities stated their names. Hageshii made a note to try the name and see if it went over well. If not he'd probably use it anyway because it was easier to remember then two respective names. Although Hageshii had already committed both names to memory he was relatively lazy. Then Hibaki dropped news that hit Hageshii harder than a ton of bricks. The news of Kaoseu's death washed over him bringing with it an ocean of sorrow the likes of which he barely understood. Tears seeped through and streamed down his face as he stood there in silence. The air began to claw its way from his lungs like it couldn't stand being caged in by the force of this emotional blow. Though he was saddened by this news, Hageshii knew that the dead were dead and should have been left as such. Mourning now would be useless but swinging his sword would work just fine as a solute to his friend.

Hageshii took a deep breath and regained his outward composure as best he could before turning to face the dummy he had been training with. "Yes, I knew your father." Hageshii said as he put his sword into motion. He brought it once again to his chest and slammed upon the dummy's shoulder with renewed force. As the sheath collided he used it's rebound to draw his sword and stabbed twice into the damned objects abdomen. With the second stab he slid the blade a bit to the left so as to somewhat ease into the swing to follow. As he slid the blade he slid his hand down the hilt of his weapon and gripped the center of his long lavender tassel and flung his wrist hard to produce a dangerous rotation. He poured his feelings into these next few motions and if he hadn't been more careful he was sure he would have injured himself. As the blade rotated he slammed and hacked at the dummy making his way in a smooth circle around it. He spun the blade and himself somewhat like a dance. As he rotated to bring more strength and momentum to his arm he spun the blade faster to bring more power into its slicing capabilities.

After three full 360 degree turns and one full circle around the dummy he let out the rest of his anger in a single toss of his sword at the dummy's neck. As it launched forward he loosed his grip on the tassel and extended his arm to allow the tassel to wrap further around the neck. The blade finally lodged itself into the neck after six full rotations. As it stopped Hageshii's grip tightened and wrapped the tassel around his clenched fist. Hageshii planted his feet and yanked back on the tassel and as the blade began to slide its way through the the dummy's neck the tassel began to slacken. Using his free hand, Hageshii chopped in the cloth and lifted the tassel to tighten again with his occupied hand. In doing so he added a second point of contact and then used it like a pulley system. He lifted the half of the tassel that was in his closed fist over his open hand and yanked forward while bringing his open hand down. Hageshii let out a scream of emotion and within it one could hear a deep sorrow that revealed his anguish and agony at the loss of his friend. To the general public though it would have just sounded angry. The blade in the dummy's neck was able to pick up speed and quickly spun it's way around the dummy. After the fifth time around the dummy's head was clean off of it's shoulders and what was left of it's neck resembled a slinky. He turned to Hibaki and smiled like everything was okay and tried his best to be convincing with his words that he'd be alright. "Now you try, Hibaki."

The vibrant display wove it's way into Hibiki's core and struck the chords of Akki's admiration. Such passion is what was lacking in the everyday hubbub of the training grounds. Every stroke of Hageshii's blade painted a portrait of every emotion that whirled within him. It was like watching a ballet unfold in fast-forward, a dance that put many to shame. The end result was a mass of what used to be a training dummy, elegant curves and stripes now adorning the simulated flesh.

Both boys took a moment before they said anything, even after Hageshii was finished. They stood there, watching the man with the tear-stained face and heaving chest, and met his unwavering gaze with his own.

"Thank you..." Once again, both boys spoke, this time, however, to convey much more than words could, just as Hageshii's display had. Looking down at the katana in his hands, both boys felt that it wouldn't be right to try and honor their father with such a thing. They made their way to the next dummy regardless, but their resolve faltered, and they stopped, about fifty yards away.

From deep within, the boys felt something, a spark, like another consciousness, a goading entity. They let themselves take on whatever it was, and led themselves based on instinct. For the fraction of a second they felt something like pride, but it was quickly dissipated. Once more, they looked down at their pitiful blade, and then at Hageshii. A wash of gratitude, much deeper than they themselves understood, washed over them. They turned to the dummy once more, and tossed the blade lazily to the ground, and started forward at a light jog.

"Kaoseu..."

The thought came flooding back, almost a forgotten memory, a wordless still-frame. Reiatsu began channeling into their hands as they moved forward.


"My name is Kaoseu..."

Tears streamed down their face now, freely. The Reiatsu gathered in their hands began to burn, but they paid it no heed.


"And you are..."

They were at a dead sprint now, 20 yards and closing on the dummy, their very core seemingly ready to melt, the new consciousness within them seeming to swell in the background, filling them.


"My Legacy."

A cry, something of savage nature, unbridled and full of every emotion that whirled through the shared body, let loose as, with a forceful step, 5 yards out from the dummy, the boys left the ground. Airborne, their Reiatsu filled hands came together, for a moment forgetting that they could no longer use their human ability, Impact. That moment quickly passed, when, in a flash of silver, an exquisite blade, wakizashi, they noted, appeared in each of his hands. Each blade was approximately 2 and a half feet in length, total, with six inches being the hilt. They were full-tang, by the weight of them, and honed on a single edge. There was no guard on either, and the hilt of each was wrapped in scarlet cord, dark enough to match the color of blood. From the bottom, and woven into the cord, a long red strip of cloth, with intermittent black close to the top, wrapped around part of the hilt. The rest, they held in their hands. However, despite it all, the most exquisite feature was the shape of each blade. It looked as if a tuning fork had been flattened, and sharpened into a lethal weapon, then divided in half.

From the top of he hilt, each blade jutted of at a 45 degree angle from the flattened top of the hilt. After about two inches following the angle, the blade rose straight up to its two feet in length. All this was noted in the sheer moment it appeared, and Hibiki and Akki reacted immediately, not wasting a moment. Akki rotated their left arm forward in a high arc, like a baseball player winding up, emphasizing the thrust downwards, whilst Hibiki directed the left backwards to create drag, and then shot it forward with a flourish, a viper's strike. The blades befell the dummy, Akki's direction coming from the top and scoring a hit into the skull, while Hibiki's embedded itself deeply into the chest. They then yanked, pulling themselves forwards, and increasing their falling speed. They repeated the maneuver, except this time, Akki lessened his force and raised the left shoulder, and Hibiki added more force, pulling directly forward. The offset of strength pulled both wakizashi from the dummy, which they were now directly over, and sent them into a flipping corkscrew, their blades lashing out from sheer g-force. When they landed, they were huffing, and sweat drenched their body. The third consciousness began to recede to the background, but now had a noticeable presence. The boys turned to survey their work, and almost snickered. They looked past the dummy to see Hageshii's reaction to the mess now between them- a severed arm lay on the ground, the head lolled to one side, hanging by only a few thin strands of skin, and scores of gouge marks riddled the poor thing, as if it had just been tossed into a pit of angry lions.

"Well... How's that?" they asked, grinning and letting the tears flow freely, but without a waver in his voice.

Hageshii heard the emotion in their thank you and responded with a slow nod. A smile etched its way onto his face afterward and he left it there so that it could also relish in Kaoseu's memory. Hageshii watched the boy begin his approach but became concerned when he stopped walking. Something somewhere told him to simply watch as the boy looked back to him, and just as he was about to speak words of encouragement the boy began again. As Hibiki tossed his blade to the side he started to gain speed. As the boy ran Hageshii could feel the Reiatsu rush to his hands but the signature wasn't just Hibaki's. There was something else there and Hageshii pinpointed it instantly. Kaoseu, you son of a bitch. Hageshii thought as the boys continued to gain speed.

Hageshii wasn't sure what exactly Kaoseu had done to Hibiki and Akki until he heard the boys' scream. It was pure emotion, but it was primal. Akki wasn't even close to the kind of animal it took to produce something of this nature, and Hibiki was far too kind to be so savage. Hageshii was a skilled analyst but he was absolutely positive that this wasn't possible. It couldn't have been. To do something like that would require incalculable amounts of study and reiatsu. Hageshii stood in total disbelief of both what he was hearing and what he began to witness. From within the boys' hands sprang forth Zanpakuto. Wakizashi length blades that resembled two halves of a tuning fork. They were a pair like Kaoseu's, but from what Hageshii could see they may have had some kind of combination capabilities. One gaining their zanpukto was something everyone in the academy did eventually, but what they did with them was astonishing.

The way they handled the twin blades was only capable with extreme practice or their particular predisposition and some usefulness with a blade. Everything about their movements resembled Kaoseu, but they had their own flare that added a bit more caution to the recklessness. Unlike Kaoseu's controlled insanity with weaponry that Hageshii had only ever really seen during Kao's fight against the also deceased Kaiyo. When Hibaki was done with the dummy it was a mess. The only notable difference between the two dummies he and Hibaki were using was that Hageshii's no longer had a head. Otherwise they both were a mess of destruction, riddled with hacks and slashes. The boys asked Hageshii how he thought they had done and his response was simplistic enough. "Well done, and congratulations on receiving your Zanpakuto." Hageshii said as his smile begin to fan out over his face. He did however want to test his hypothesis about what it was Kaoseu had done to this child. "Hibaki," He began. "Your father has done something. Something I thought otherwise impossible. In all my years of research, what I believe your father has done is something no one I know has ever seen before. If it's alright with you I would like to test the my hypotheses, but I must also pose the disclaimer that it will hurt. I don't plan to cut you open with a scalpel or anything. My sword will suffice, but I would appreciate your consent before I attempt to hurt you. So what do you say to a not so friendly spar, hmmm?"

Hibiki was on the surface right now, while Akki probed their inner depths, eager to try and coax the foreign entity forward. The boy couldn't stop admiring the blades, and puzzling over the feeling that he should know that feeling that had just enveloped him, that there was more to it. The answer struck him when Hageshii spoke a second time, after congratulating them.

"You said my father's done something... I think I know what. It's possible for a Shinigami to transfer their powers to a human, correct...?" Hibiki knew the answer, he'd studied over it for one of his classes, he was just trying to take this step by step, to be sure. He inhaled deeply and looked at the sky, the lazily drifting clouds that hovered before the wide expanse of inimitable blue.

"When this transfer is done, it's by the focus of a certain amount of Reiatsu through the Zanpakutou, which has pierced the human's heart. This amount is carefully regulated by the Shinigami. But what if they just stabbed the individual first, and then used another blade to transfer all of their Reiatsu...? When a Shinigami runs out of Reiatsu, it's the same as dying, right,since they lose their Spiritual Pressure and Power, right?"

At the summation of this conclusion, Akki, who hadn't been listening, had perked up at the word "spar". He now slipped in close to Hibiki, content with letting him handle this, but ready to step in if need be. Hibiki let all of his study of Akki come through now, surprising himself, his brother, and more likely than not, Hageshii, as he spoke.

"You can test what you will... If your sword can touch me." The voice was animal, far more than Akki's ever was, and a lopsided smirk that showed off his incisors slid across his face. He felt pumped, energized, and above all, like this was going to be far more eye opening than any training he had done.

Hageshii was surprised by the things they still taught in school, but what Hibiki concluded was not exactly what he was getting at. Somehow Kaoseu had found a way to preserve his life by sealing his essence in this very boy. At least that's what Hageshii had hypothesized. When Hibiki summarized the use of spirit transfer and then questioned something that wasn't normally explained in class Hageshii assumed that's what Kaoseu had done to preserve himself. Why didn't I account for the fact that he uses two swords? Hageshii thought as his portrayed a proud surprise at Hibiki's knowledgeable output. "When a shinigami runs out of reiatsu it is not quite the same as dying. When a shinigami runs out of reiatsu they can do one of two things: revert to a less powerful state equivalent to that of normal souls or humans, or they can die. The latter tends to only apply on the battle field. I still can't believe they don't say that during lectures."

The words Hibiki spoke next were with his voice, but the way they were uttered reminded Hageshii of the overzealous battle nut this boys father had been. This taunt like goading was a lot more like a bit of payback for a few choice words he had left Kaoseu with the last time they fought. Hageshii was positive though this fight would be different and he was sure he would have difficulty winning if he won at all. This boy was skilled in combat something Hageshii never quite mastered. If he was anything like his father was this was going to be a challenge in and of itself but Hageshii was game. With everything going on he felt this was one of the better ways to clear his head. "Don't be arrogant, boy. I beat your old man a few times in my day." Hageshii said through his ecstatic grin.

Hageshii went to the dummy to retrieve his sheath from the ground, and as he did so he slid it across the ground as if fumbling to pick it up but was instead collecting dirt within it. He sheathed his blade as far as he could but held it at his waist as if ready to draw at a moments notice. He was able to lodge the tip of the blade in the dirt and if he could draw fast enough he was positive he would be able to use it to his advantage. He spread his feet shoulder width apart and shifted his left leg forward by four inches. He stood now in a battle ready teaching stance that he was taught in the very place he was now sparring in. Grateful he had created a gap of about 30 feet, Hageshii goaded Hibiki. "Well then, boy I don't have all day." He said as his heart rate increased in anticipation of the first strike Hibiki would make.

Hibiki was no longer interested in explanations. He could feel something inside him that he hadn't felt before- anticipation of battle. He felt like a wire, stripped of its rubber, with his volatile copper coils charged with electricity. Akki grinned within their consciousness, and goaded him on. Hageshii's stance was well on one, but he seemed to be affected by battle jitters, just as he himself was, the way he fumbled his sheathe. When he was pressed for a move, he nodded.

The rush was planned out as if he were running a race. His first steps kept his body angled at the ground, with long steps that surged him forward. This lasted the first half of the push, and then he began to straighten his body. While he was running, he was using his moving arms to his advantage, winding the red cloth between the fingers of his left hand. His right kept a grip on the hilt of the wakizashi as Akki prodded quizzically at his plan. Hibiki only grinned wider as he concluded his rush five feet away from Hageshii, with an elongated step forward with his right leg, and a sharp, forward thrust of his left hand, sending the wakizashi forward.

However, this was a ruse. The cloth only had about two feet of distance, not quite enough to breach the five foot gap, but close enough to cause a reaction. Whilst his left arm shot forward, he twisted his right foot inwards, hoping Hageshii had reacted to the wakizashi flying at his face, and then let his hips follow, forcing his right forward and his left around, so that he pivoted. This brought him closer and slightly to the right of his opponent, where he used the torque from his spin to aim a stab at his torso. To complete the maneuver, he snaked his left arm like a whip, causing the wakizashi attached to the cloth to alter it's course downwards, and back towards him, like snapping a blanket you're trying to fold. He was in the hands of battle now, and was prepared for whatever may come.

Hageshii had hopped for the rush and was about to draw his booby trapped sword when Hibiki lunged his blade forward Hageshii instinctively took a step back with his left foot. He soon realized that the blade fell somewhat shy of the gap Hibki still had to cover. With his eyes he followed the extension back to Hibiki and saw his hips rotate which would have caused a pivot motion resulting in the current predicament Hageshii found himself in. Having not seen completely through the ruse Hageshii wasn't fast enough to escape unscathed from the stab of Hibiki's second sword. Hageshii shifted his left foot to a right angle with his right and then spun on his left heel bringing his right foot around. As he did so Hibiki's blade cut through his robes and scored a blow on his flesh. As it slid over his skin and cut into his side he hissed his disapproval.

The wound wasn't deep enough to be serious but it was very annoying to have in combat especially where he had it. The wound started just before his belly and ended just after his side. His spin had made it longer than he would have wanted but it was either that or a sword in chest and he was grateful to have the former. As he spun he brought his right foot around so that he could gain some kind of solid footing after his approximate 340 degree turn. As his body made its way around his hands had begun to draw his sword. Just before completing the rotation he drew his sword and out with it came the dirt he had collected in the sheath. It created a small cloud of dirt and dust which would temporarily blind or distract his opponent long enough for him to counter.

After drawing forth the cloud of distraction Hageshii began his counter strike. Drawing his sword the way he had to in order to create such a diversion left him voluntarily wide open. He swung his four foot blade toward the ground and back up to his left side allowing him to drop his right shoulder and jump creating a sort of flip. Since he wasn't exactly going forward he rotated his waist as he dropped his shoulder and became level in the air. He twisted further and brought his right foot to the ground. His left foot followed quick behind his right but as he landed this foot he bent his left knee and sprang backward with his left. He had landed to the left of Hibiki and was hastening backward when he brought his sword up so that its tip was pointing at Hibiki. Pressing his index finger against the guard of his blade he whispered, "Hado number four, White Lightning."

He channeled the kido through Sairento, his blade, and launched it at where Hibiki had been when he had sliced into Hageshii. In doing so it took longer to fire but it was slightly more accurate because it was closer to the target than Hageshii was. Channeling the hado through his sword gave Hibiki five total seconds to respond. From the two seconds it took to initiate the hado, the two it took to get down the four feet of sword and the final second grace period it took to close the gap Hibiki had about 15 seconds total to recover from the attempted blinding and avoid any serious danger as a result of White Lightning. Hageshii calculated that 15 seconds was more than enough if not too much time to spend freely in this combat situation. After launching the hado, Hageshii was propelled back further than his originally intended distance putting his blade end about seven feet from Hibiki from its intended three feet or so. With his free hand he placed his sheath on his hip during his brief moment air born. He landed on his heels and slid an inch or so because of his momentum. He withdrew his blade into the kendo kamae Chudan no Kamae, and waited eagerly for Hibiki's next move. His heart was blasting away in his chest and his breathing was measured but it was somewhat excited with the physical labor of motion.

Hibiki's blades closed mostly on nothing but thin air, save the small bit of friction he felt as his stab tore through Hageshii's clothes. He was about to survey the possibility of damage when Hageshii was suddenly on his left, having performed a tight maneuver with effortless grace. However, this wasn't the real reason Hibiki couldn't see. The cloud of dirt that erupted from Hageshii's blade as he drew it obscured his vision for a moment, and he lost sight of his target. He cursed lightly, trying to see through the haze, and was then struck with his own tactic of trickery.

Squinting his eyes to avoid getting anything in them, he dug his heels into the ground and let both his blades drag on the ground, and spun as rapidly as possible, kicking up even more dirt, dust, and debris. From the outside, the cloud obscured a good 12 feet in each direction from Hibiki, and almost 10 upwards. He'd turn Hageshii's own ploy against him. Now, Hibiki was obscured, rather than blinded. After a moment to let the cloud build, he stopped, and began the second phase of his plan, as he started to chant a Kidou,

"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini... Look upon yourself in horror and claw out your own throat-" He was cut short when he heard Hageshii's Hado being cast, and mentally cursed, and took off to the side, keeping his wits so as not to lose the Kidou he was still putting power into. When the White Lightning pierced the veil, Hibiki pinpointed his attacker's location,, and doubled back, then launched himself, with a heavy amount of Reiatsu added to his legs for height and distance, at vicinity of where the blast should have come from, and finished the Kidou, palms facing Hageshii's now revealed form as he burst through the cloud, "Bakudo 9! Geki!"

He came down fast, gravity taking hold of him. Hopefully, his Kidou struck and stuck as he bore down on his opponent, switching the blade in his right hand to a reverse grip and slashing down, almost like a punch, while he stabbed with the other in a traditional grip. He was angled down, like some comic book superhero aiming a fierce punch into a grounded opponent from above. He kept his equilibrium centered, ready to shift any way he needed if he somehow didn't connect.

Hageshii was astounded by the fighting skill of Hibiki when he saw the boy think on his feet and use an amplified version of the same trick he had when he drew his sword. Hageshii knew he had given the boy too much time by casting the Kido through his sword but didn't regret not trying to kill him. He soon began to realize though that if he didn't straighten up and fight seriously with this kid he himself could very well lose more than any pride he had left. It was a good thing he had very little left and understood that sacrifices had to be made in order to live longer. Sure this wasn't really a life or death situation but it could be treated as such. With Hibiki out of Hageshii's sight he began to worry but as he heard the boy shout his bakudo he looked up to see him falling through the dust toward him.

As gravity did the majority of Hibiki's work Hageshii broke the bakudo with relative ease and smiled up at Hibiki after he had done so. The dust cloud was thin enough to make out his target but not quite thin enough to see more than muddled silhouettes. Hageshii could see the sword in the boys right hand somewhat because of the faint glimmer of sun through the dust and debris. That left him without a location of the second sword and above other things that was dangerous but Hageshii reacted quietly to the oncoming threat. "Seki" he whispered as he raised his sword to defend against Hibiki's slash. He approximated the slash would be somewhere level with his own face and placed the kido at eye level on the blade of his sword. He shifted his legs so that he could take the weight of the slash and hold his ground. He also reinforced his feet and knees with reiatsu just as an extra measure in case the Seki was ineffective.

He was afraid of the second sword but held his ground. Every fiber of his being was telling him that this was stupid to try and fight in these conditions especially since he couldn't see the other sword Hibiki wielded. He also realized that in a one on one sword fight he was screwing himself over having challenged this boy, but he was able to think clearly for the first time in a long time. It wasn't like he wasn’t enjoying this fight but he sure as hell had to find a way to win or he would end up like Kao had the second time they faced off. Getting beaten by an academy student was nothing short of embarrassing, but all in all Hageshii was no fighter. He knew that but he couldn't give that as an excuse to anyone who asked him what it felt like to get whooped on by some fledgling in the academy. Hageshii wasn't a veteran but he had graduated from the academy and began to feel like he may need to go back if he lost this.

The block, Hibiki had been expecting. The Bakudo equipped to it threw off his previous plan, but he remembered the purpose of it a split second later, and stayed course, though he knew there wasn't any other option. He hit the upraised sword full force with his lead arm. The distance was too great for his left handed stab to reach, but there was no need. The moment before impact, Hibiki was shifting his weight, throwing his legs hard towards his head and arching his back the same direction. his momentum immediately changed, and the jarring impact stung as Seki paralyzed his movement for a moment.

Now, with the physics in play, the Kidou sent the young student off with equal force as he had applied, in the direction he was now traveling. Thus, the maneuver worked just as he'd intended. Hibiki's body was sent in a tight arc, directly overhead his opponent. His body now free to move, he released his grip on his right blade, and twisted his hips, performing an aerial somersault, so that he was now facing Hageshii's back. Midair and righted, he grabbed hold of the hilt with his left hand and the red cloth that hung off the end with his right hand, discarding the blade in it to tighten his grip.

As his feet struck the ground, Hibiki reacted by letting the momentum carry him further, and jumped back, holding onto the cloth that now formed a virtually inescapable pin around Hageshii's tall form. He'd have a long way to duck to avoid getting snared and dragged backwards to the ground, which is what Hibiki aimed for. As soon as Hageshii touched the ground or made a move, Hibiki would make his own, prepping for a mad dash forwards. He didn't intend to lose this battle, and let all this effort be for naught, and was prepared to escape with life and limb at any cost, the only way he knew how to treat battle, due to his days trapped in Hueco Mundo.

Hageshii was proud of his calculations until they backfired and he was surrounded by sword tassel which yanked back on his torso. He reacted foolishly and began to raise his arms until they collided with his chest, and his own sword smacked him in his face as he fell backward. However, he kept his mental composure and was able to point out that Hibiki had ended up behind him. Upon coming to this realization he looked up as he fell which ended up as him looking backwards. "White Lightning" He casted as he pointed his left index finger at Hibiki's form and released the kido. The fall gave the kido a downward slice motion that if put in slow-motion looked like a piece of a pie chart. A slim piece, but still.

Hageshii came to the conclusion that if this didn't hit his chances of winning this fight on his ass were relatively impossible. He was beginning to feel signs of general fatigue and he wasn't going to be able to cast more than three kido. Anything higher than Seki or Blade of Flames would be cumbersome to cast and anything stronger than Blood Arrow or Hanzennaseigen would drain him completely with a single shot. Anything higher than Ukagau or Arashi-Tomoshibi was already impossible since he didn't know them, but even if he did he didn't have enough energy left to cast anything of that caliber. He cursed himself inwardly for not taking better measures against Hibiki but then an idea came to him. He cursed himself again because it wouldn't work without Hibiki completely unaware or far to close to dodge. What good was brilliance if it only arose in the most idiotic of situations. Hageshii thought as he hoped White Lightning did some kind of physical damage to his opponent.

The world slipped into slow motion as Hageshii was felled. In a comical sense, it reminded Hibiki of a tree that had just been cut down, taking its sweet time falling to the forest floor below. He was snapped from his reverie suddenly when he noticed Hageshii's lips moving. He cursed out loud as the syllables left his lips. There was little he could think to do in this situation, and his mind whirled a mile a minute, trying to figure a solution to his predicament, and then-

The blast came just a second after the white haired boy made a decision. In most cases, a White Lightning would have been cast in a straight line, but Hibiki had enough of a knowledge base of general physics to know that with Hageshii's fall, it would cover more area, since it curved a slight bit from his movement, making more of an area needed to dodge. Thus, Hibiki's only logical option was- to let go. He let the friction caused by tugging on Hageshii and his backwards momentum work for him, and only enhanced it slightly.

As his feet touched down, he threw himself directly onto his back, letting go of the cloth in his right hand, but holding onto the blade in his left, he rolled slightly further backwards. However, and this he expected, there was no way to escape unscathed from such a close range, only minimize the damage. A long scald was now burned into his flesh, from the top of his naval to the top of his pectoral muscles in his chest. It seared with pain as his body contorted, and his knees drew to his chest.

Placing his arms behind his head, he pushed both his legs and arms up now, launching himself back up and forwards, towards Hageshii's downed body, a slightly Reiatsu- reinforced kip-up, to make up for the distance. He came down hard, the blade in his left hand held in a reverse grip, the plan being to stop it directly against Hageshii's throat, as a nonverbal summation. He could tell Hageshii was tired, for his own body felt the same from use of Reiatsu, as Hageshii's was more than likely from his Kidou. His breathing labored, he only hoped this would be the end as he watched his blade strike down, a moment that seemed to take forever as beads of sweat dripped into his already searing wound, his teeth gritted.

----------------
He basically does a souped-up version of this:

Spoiler:

Hageshii heard Hibiki hit the ground and assumed he'd hit his mark when he heard Hibiki pick himself up. Without really needing to put two and two together Hageshii knew what came next. Being unable to really pick himself up he could only lie there and defend or so one would think. Hageshii lifted his right index finger and cast, "Shō." just as Hibiki appeared above him aiming for what looked like a killing blow. Hibiki struck with painful force as he brought down his sword and Hageshii's once again smacked him in the face. That was really starting to piss him off. If his kido hit his mark he would roll out of Hibiki's landing zone and scope himself up as quickly as possible. He was already aggravated that his hypothesis was proven false and that all Hibiki had received from his father was reiatsu, so getting beaten and knocked on his ass were definitely not helping him calm down.

The angrier he got the more he began to really think of ways to catch Hibiki in vicious snares to do some damage. After all he had declared this to be a not so friendly spar and he needed to repay him for the wound he received early on. Its incessant sting also contributed to pissing him off. Upon standing Hageshii would spin his sword by its tassel effectively freeing up one of his hands and giving him a shield of sorts that his opponent would have to get passed to strike him again. As his blade spun menacingly Hageshii would sporadically move it about his person bouncing or ricocheting it from his left, right, front, or rear to any of the aforementioned sides. In doing so he could entice another aerial assault or prevent Hibiki from getting to close again. He had a plan but decided to use it instead as a counter of sorts. One, that if used correctly could win him his match.

Hibiki had taken hits before. Many a fight had left him with broken bones, or worse. But this was like no hit he'd ever had. As his blade came down on Hageshii's, his angle having been off, the older Shinigami gave him a face-full of the Kidou Sho. The blow felt as if he'd just run full force into a wall, being the close proximity and general force of the Kidou. Blood spurted from his obviously broken nose, and he could feel the acrid substance fill his mouth as he bit down on his tongue with none-too-gentle force.

His mind addled, he took little notice as the blast took him off the ground, as if he'd just been hit by an invisible combo move in a video game, unintentional backflip and all. He landed hard, and made to stand back up, dazed, when Akki mentally tugged him down, a growl tearing from his throat. It had been a while since Akki was fully in control, as when that happened, it was usually in the most extreme cases. Now, apparently was one of those.

Slowly and carefully, the human-animal stood. With his right hand, he reached up and set his nose back in place with the sickening pop of cartilage, without even a wince. Somehow, he'd managed to keep hold of the blade in his left hand, which he now flipped easily around his fingers several times, and then caught in a traditional grip, the meeting point of the "L"shaped wakizashi facing up. As Hageshii began to stand again, Akki walked forward, watching him the entire time as he set up his defense. Cocking his head to the side and grinning manically, he knelt down and scooped up the loosed blade he had let go, holding it in his right hand in an identical manner as its twin.

"From here on out... I'll be your opponent." Akki said. His voice, the full bearing of it unleashed, was cold and sharp, like shards of ice; smooth flowing and cutting all at the same time. It was carefully measured, and lacked any feeling, save savage depravity and a hunger un-sated. Slowly, he rotated his neck further to the same side he had cocked it, and it caught several times, and with each catch, a sickening, sucking, popping noise of joints echoed across the sparring grounds. Righting his, neck, he sunk low into a crouching position, arms held back.

Like a bullet from a gun, he was off, a mad rush of pure speed and hostility. With each step, he closed ground, and drew ever closer to the glinting whirlwind of cold steel that enveloped his prey. Narrowing his eyes, Akki timed himself, and then launched the blade in his left hand with as much force as possible as Hageshii's blade came up for a swing. Still keeping hold of the cloth, this created the desired effect- Both cloths bent around each other, several times, stopping one and other. here, Akki made his move, closing the short distance with a deep, low lunge, and brought his right arm across to the left side of his body, then back, aiming a vicious slash at Hageshii's abdomen.

Hibiki crashed hard on the ground and Hageshii winced when he heard the boy's body smack the dirt. As Hageshii picked himself he looked to see the Hibiki lifting himself off of the ground. As he stood Hageshii was able to see the demeanor of the boy had changed. Perhaps it was Akki gaining control, or maybe Hibiki was taking things seriously. If so Hageshii would really be screwed if he was having this much trouble and the boy was only fighting halfhearted. Hageshii took in a sharp breath as Akki righted his nose. Hibiki's face never flinched. His eyes were like daggers, sharp and somewhat angry. This wasn't Hibiki and Hageshii realized that as he began righting his neck. The fuck is this kid? Hageshii thought with a painful look on his face. Then it hit him, This is Akki. He was a cross of some part animal, angry predator mostly and some part human.

Akki spoke and he instantly knew he was in for some trouble. Akki's voice was a reflection of his personality and it reflected danger. The one thing Hageshii spent a majority of his current life avoiding. As Hageshii was spinning his sword around his body in it's defensive manor Akki somehow managed to time the rotation and the rapid change in location of the sword. He rushed forward and with his own sword's tassel he rendered his own sword as well as Hageshii's ineffective. Luckily for Akki he had a second sword, however Hageshii wasn't quite as lucky in this predicament. Akki slashed at Hageshii's mid section and he definitely didn't see this coming but it wasn't shown by his facial expression. When Akki rushed forward Hageshii displayed a grim smile and that smile did not fade as Hageshii cast "Geki" using his free hand to aim at where Akki was. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini... Look upon yourself in horror and claw out your own throat" is what he would chant if his Kido hit. In doing so he would power up the geki and use the rest of his reiatsu to increase the strength of the kido with the after incantation. This technique is known as Kōjutsu Eishō or Spoken-After Incantation, and was a little something he picked up in a book during his own academy years.

Everything was going according to plan. The whirling vortex of silver had been silenced, Hageshii's abdomen had been exposed, and a rush of this sort had been completely unexpected. As soon as he connected, he intended to follow through with a-

Everything stopped. Akki's muscles just froze, his blade just mere centimeters from Hageshii's side. A growl welled up from deep inside him at his frustration. He was just about to flare his Reiatsu to break the relatively weak Kidou when his opponent began using the Spoken-After Incantation technique, the grip of his Kidou strengthening to almost vice-like. Akki just had to wait until he was finished, then he would loose himself from the hold. Hibiki nudged him feebly, just as the incantation was finished, and Akki flared his Reiatsu, with enough force to shatter the Kidou, and send his tensed leg muscles bursting forward with enough strength he felt the muscles tear.

With a roar, he crashed into his opponent, the distance between them being far too close for either to do anything about it. Rolling through the dirt from the sheer force of impact, Akki made every attempt to come out on top. If he succeeded, his blade would rest on the neck of his opponent, and he would utter his ultimatum.

"Yield."

He was tired. Hibiki had worn at their body, and used their reserves with abandon, much like Akki would have done, but with less aggressiveness which had resulted in little for the other to work with. Heavy breathing was just one of the many signs of the weariness. If this battle dragged on, he wasn't sure how injured himself or Hageshii would become, and did not intend to find out. He only hoped the other party was not so ignorant and arrogant to not see his intentions.

Hageshii felt accomplished having scored his final kido before he was literally stumbled upon. Unfortunately he was in the beginnings of a sentence and wasn't exactly prepared for what came next and bit his lip when Akki collided with him. Blood trickled down onto his tongue as he vocalized his discomfort. The rusted taste of blood wasn't quite something he was used to but it wasn't something that was unpleasant in the least. It was there and that's all there was to it for Hageshii. Why he took so much time to think about this as he fell and was held at sword point by his new found combatant was beyond him but he thought about it anyway.

"Yield." said Akki in a painful grunt. Hageshii thought about pain and remembered the annoying sting in his side gained during the beginning of the fight after an unanticipated rush by Hibiki. Hageshii replayed the fight over in his head and although he had to admit he lost it was a well fought match considering his limited swordsmanship. After a few more moments of useless travel on his train of thought he remembered the feeling of the sword pressed to his throat. "You gonna get off o' me or what, kid?" Hageshii spoke with a somewhat annoyed undertone to his bored, monotonous sentence. Waiting for a response, his stare aimless and slightly twitching bore up at Akki like an awkward encounter with a member of the opposite sex. Slightly misleading and intended to make people turn away in retaliation to their inability to respond with some sort of witty retort that may spark conversation or nasty rumors.

Hageshii's form relaxed. Akki waited a few more seconds, his demeanor unchanging, even with Hageshii's twitching agitation. Once he was sure of the yield, he pushed himself up slowly. He didn't scream when the searing pain in his legs hit as he balanced precariously on the balls of his feet. He could literally feel through the sensitive skin where the muscles had torn in his calves and thighs. With all reason, he shouldn't have been standing. However, he refused to let himself fall.

By now, they were battered and bruised, the three individuals. Several swathes of the dirt-covered training grounds were now a gritty mix of blood and sweat, some spaces larger than others. Akki was weary from battle, and the cool breeze that carried the too sweet scent of sakura made him feel slightly nauseous while it simultaneously aided in both burning his open wounds and soothing his heated flesh.

He inhaled deeply, Hibiki stirring in the back of their consciousness. Silently, and with a quick mental sweep, he surveyed the damage done to their person. The intense burn to their chest that now screamed at him. Then there was a cut across his shoulder that he couldn't exactly tell when he had received, thou it looked fresher than the others, so it was probably during his mad rush. He chuckled inwardly, continuing down to the severed muscle tissue in his legs from the intense use of Reiatsu in his attacks. All in all, he had been worked over pretty well, and had done his best to bust up Hageshii as well. He grinned as his thoughts refocused, a rare occurrence for the bestial natured spirit. He held out an arm for Hageshii as Hibiki resurfaced, bolstering him mentally and trying to help block the pain.

"It was a good fight... One I probably wouldn't have won, if it wasn't for the ultimatum. So, was your hypothesis correct...?" They asked.

After Akki picked himself up and gained an unstable balance on the balls of his feet Hageshii lifted himself into a sitting position. Crossing his legs as he did so allowed Hageshii to continue his motion upright and in one more smooth movement Hageshii was standing his full height which was almost a full foot over Akki. Taking notice in the significant height difference Hageshii grinned while using his left foot to toss his sword skyward. As Sairento gained air it began to rotate and it's counter-clockwise rotation only gained speed as it fell. Hageshii saw a grimace etch its way onto Akki's face as he stood and looked to his sword. Taking a single, large step back Hageshii was able to avoid Sairento's blade and narrowly caught its handle as he swiped his hand horizontally out in front of himself. The sword was caught at the 5 o'clock position and as Hageshii ended his arms arc the sword found itself just after 3. Hageshii released a sigh of relief having actually caught the sword and then sheathed it hastily.

Akki commented on how he may have lost the fight but Hageshii knew that the child's skills well surpassed his own and had the fight been simple swordplay Hageshii stood little chance of victory. Hageshii would have simply nodded his response had it not been for the question the children posed. Hageshii had tried to figure out what Kaoseu had done exactly and ended up over thinking the obvious fact of a basic reiatsu exchange. After feeling Akki release himself from his final kido Hageshii was devastated to have to come to the conclusion that his old friend had passed and swore to himself that he would over these two children in their father's stead. The way they fought obviously proved that they were capable of watching out for themselves but that was of little concern to Hageshii at this point.

"I'm sad to say that my hypothesis was incorrect, but glad to have been able to actually find out for myself." Hageshii clutched at his side as the breeze burned through his exposed wound. "You are indeed your father's son, that much I can guarantee. I'm proud to say though, that you've done something your father wasn't quite capable of accomplishing while I knew him. This match was your victory and a well earned victory at that. Considering the damage you sustained after breaking that kido you might want to get your legs checked out." Hageshii smiled after commenting on the obvious pain Akki was in. He couldn't really do much else. He was proud to have lost against Akki, but this experience was bitter sweet for him. Having vented a majority of his frustrations upon comprehending his friend had passed left him missing something. Although he now had something to focus on and divert his pent up feelings to a positive outlet he wasn't sure if he would be the same old Hageshii he had once been. His time in Hueco Mundo had changed him almost drastically, but the news he had learned after his short time back in Seireitei had pushed him to an edge that was never safe for people with weapons. Life will continue without him and so shall you. A voice echoed through Hageshii's head and without realizing it a tear slipped down his cheek as he understood its meaning.