End of the Beginning(Part 1)

Junko Tenshi

The name of a outcast. But what is a name? Does it define us? Does it hem us into a single goal?

What if a name is flexible, what if a name is what you make it. What will the girl, the warrior, the victim, Junko, make of this name.

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A mob of people, just under a hundred in number, gathered outside of the gates of the Omeada estate. The ornate gates, a blackened steel, flawless and eternal, stood closed. The reason for this gathering was simple, they were invited. One person from each district, a fighter, to fight for a handsome purse.

One fighter from each district, all Junko had to do was release her spiritual pressure in order to get her district's invitation. Everyone but 99 was invited, as they would probably kill any envoys that arrived to their 'district'. Some of the poor sods from lower districts didn't even have real clothes, just rags, so they would be supplied a weapon. In fact, it seemed rare that anyone had swords... or much spiritual pressure at all. It wasn't until people from district 40 or above, who were wealthy enough to afford food, that any shinigami presences started showing up.

Maybe they were rogues? Maybe they were just Noble Family, looking to prove their honor, or maybe, they were lucky. But Junko had been living with Cass in 72, she was an exception, that here shoeless, tattered clothes may make it past the elimination stages of this tournament.

The gates, black and solemn, finally took swung open, and the masses marched in. Junko was one of the last to walk in, and the sight was astounding. What had been a courtyard had been transformed into a coliseum, hundreds of nobles sat in bleachers, very cushy ones, with attendants on every hand and foot. The Coliseum was astoundingly large, it stretched at least a hundred yards square, if not more.

Men spread quickly across the plain, royals from the native districts, 1-10, marked with pride with symbols upon their clothes. Each had zanpaktou, and these were dressed as shinigami. They radiated with power, these were spoilers, ready to ruin the fun of the tournament.

Men. Junko was the only woman here. What a shame...

A man stood in the balcony, his adornments clearly showed rank, the ten who had descended from the stands knelt, and the rest of the fighters followed.

Junko did not, although she did bow slightly, for respect, not kneeling in fealty like the rest.

Junko didn't see this face, but he was likely displeased... And she felt it from the shinigami near the front.

"Welcome, to my home, and welcome, to this tournament!" his voice was loud, amplified by kido, echoed around the coliseum .

"The Omeada family has gathered these brave fighers in the hope that ten will survive, and these ten, will be given their weight in gold, and one request, provided it is deemed reasonable."

"Oh yes, remember, this is too the death, so good luck."

A gong sounded, and the Arena exploded in violence. People from the lower districts weren't even given weapons! This wasn't fair at all!

Junko's sword was drawn in an instant, in another, it was plunged in one man, in the next, it was slicing another's throat. She fell into the dull roar of battle, retreating inside her mind, letting her body going

Five men fell to her sword in the opening seconds, all of them simply trying to tackle her, or take her sword, but soon their blood made the ground slick about her feet. It was, easy. Disturbingly easy, these men were not warriors, but bar brawlers and farmers, drawn for the chance for a fortune.

Another three fell, her own actions creating a tornado of death around her. And then her tornado of death met the spark of metal.

Junko was jarred out of her mind, drawing attention to the opponent at hand. He was a poorer boy, with a unremarkable katana. Junko took a step forward, bracing to lunge, but it was a feint, as she was ready to jump back if he was to bite. He did, slashing downward, trying to split her like a log. Junko reacted, jumping back as planned, and then lunging forward, her sword splitting his neck, and the light left his eyes.

The crowd gasped, and an empty silence came from the crowd, and the sound of battle slowed, and the n stopped...

The unarmed combatants were dead now... All that were left were fledgling shinigami.

Then they proved that some were more than fledglings, shunpo from the 10 top districts combatants, and 20 men fell, Junko and the last 10 remained.

Shunpo... These guys really were spoilers, wonder if these guys would use their shikai on these poor sods.

They let traversed the distance between us with another flash step, but they weren't too quick about their movements. Junko easily parried the strike that came from the shinigami. She didn't want to kill them though, she needed for them to see what was happening. So instead of killing him outright, she kicked her leg out, tripping him during his flash step. He, expectedly, fell spectacularly, his zanpaktou skittering away from him.

Junko saw a blur, and the rest of the shinigami didn't waste time, closing to her. Junko replied with their own distinictive sound of shunpo with her own, landing next to the poor sod who had attacked her. Her sword stopped at his neck.

"CEASE THIS CONTEST, YOU THERE, WHO DARE DISRESPECT ME, I DEMMAND YOU UNHAND MY SO-... THAT MAN, AND-"

"I WILL NOT BE SCOLDED LIKE SOME CHILD, NOR ORDERED AROUND LIKE SOME SERVANT!"

The shinigami looked nervous, looking between the woman in rags, speaking up to the leader of one of the richest noble families.

Junko put force into her voice, not shouting, but more loud talking, "I suggest that we get closer if you wish to have a conversation"

"THERE CAN ONLY BE 10 VICTORS, IF SHE ISN'T AMONG THEM, I'LL DOUBLE THE GOLD"

The remaining shiniigami's eyes widened. Double their weight in gold? That's incredible value, for one upstart bitch's life.

"AND WOMAN! IF YOU AND MY SON STAYS ALIVE, ILL PAY YOU THEIR SHARES OF GOLD."

Oh... I suppose that was incentive too...

The sound of flash steps preceded their attacks, and Junko evaded them, a flurry of attacks hit nothing but air as their best efforts were turned aside like flies to fire, vaporized.

Junko was under constant assault, and losing ground. But her shikai was too recognizable, so she couldn't rely on it. Ideally she would just wait for a mistake, and then go to work.

Another sword clashed against hers, and she forced the man back, but before she could lunge back and hurt him, another had jumped in, but there was a mistake, his hands above his head in an overhead strike. Junko impaled him on her sword, his recklessness ending his days.

Her attackers froze, a gasp coming from their mouths, echoing with the crowd.

She pulled her sword out, this nobleman's blood spilling over the stone tiles.

"What... What have you done!" The family head said, his voice amplified with kido, but not shouting.

"I survived, and so did your son", Junko replied, her voice echoing throughout the coliseum.

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