To Be A Man (Kana)

“Ehh, you’ll enjoy it, go down to the academy training grounds and hone your skills, think of it like polishing an already smooth surface. You are the smooth surface, but you lack polish”

“You realise all of your wisdom is garbage and you spit rhetoric?”

“Yes but there was this great actor on Earth - Jackie Chan, I took a lot of inspiration from his movies”

“You’re kidding”

“Nope, now go to the damn training grounds before I beat you black and blue for the fifth time”

Emon had been passing by Titus’s house daily at this point. The kido lessons were proving invaluable but he still had a lot to learn. The old man however had yet to teach him anything new. The younger Shinigami had pestered his mentor about teaching him hado but the old man refused . . . until today.

Instead however, during their training - the older man had started refining Emon’s fighting style. Apparently Emon had made great progress - so much so that the before rough and unrefined block of wood that he apparently was - was ready to be polished. So here he was on the old academy training grounds.

He held up the two scrolls Titus had given him, the parchment was worn and faded but the ink was fresh and danced on the front of the page. The first parchment read as instructions on who to tutor, somebody in the academy “Rasui, Kana” and the second was an incantation “The fires of hell, a scrap of your power, another damned soul” apparently this was some sort of fireball hado and he’d been recommended to attempt to learn it today.

“Ah well” he hummed to himself as he lit a cigarette. He tucked both pieces of parchment away and lent against the wooden zanpakuto he’d be using to train with today. Hopefully his mentee arrived soon otherwise he’d have to break out the sake.

Kana Rasui had received a message that she was to train with a Soul Reaper by the name of Emon Suzumei, the messenger she spoke with had described him as, "A careless man, with a scruff, look to him. Probably carrying some kind of cigarette in his mouth." Kana sighed, she felt nervous that she was working with a Soul Reaper who had graduated the Academy, but then again nearly two Centuries and a half ago she had graduated from the Shin'ō Academy once before. Now she just had to do it all over again. She decided she would wear her academy outfit for today, as she left her private quarters near the Rukongai district. She still had her Shihakusho which was tattered from endless battles with Hollows in the world of the living. She made sure that her Zanpakutō was wrapped around her waist, with her signature silky soft-pink colored ribbon tied around the sheath's upper half. 

She made her ways to the training grounds that she was told to meet Emon at, she went over several scenarios in her head, the perfectionist in her getting the best of her. How was she to address a Soul Reaper? Should she call him Mr. Suzumei? Maybe he'd appreciate a more formal oriental approach like Suzumei-san? She nervously stood hoping that her temporary training partner would show soon. She could smell the scent of tobacco burning in the distance. 

"Hmn?" Kana made a questioning humming noise, just before she mumbled to herself, "Maybe he showed up at one of the other training grounds." 

She started to follow the scent before arriving at the "scene of the crime." Here stood a tall and lanky man that towered over her, and he reeked of that repulsive tobacco smell. She couldn't help but just blankly stare at the man as he had matched the description she was given. Maybe she was expecting too much from a Soul Reaper, but she was certainly unimpressed. However, she quickly hid her cold smug look and bowed before the man.


"I'm Kana Rasui . . ." She introduced herself sheepishly before quickly stating, "You probably know that though, I assume you were given a messenger too?" 

The girl who approached him and identified herself as Kana Rasui was wearing the classic outfit for an academy student - her Zanpakuto had a pink bow tied to the top and Emon would store that in his memory banks in case he needed to find it later. She had chestnut brown hair and seemed happy enough to be here, that made mentoring her easier, he guessed.

“If by messenger you mean jabbed in the ribs with a cane until I agreed, ya sure - messenger” he sighed taking another long drag of the cigarette and dropping it to the dirt ground twisting the butt under his heel. She had brought her zanpakuto so Emon wondered if she intended to use it.

“My name is Emon Suzumei, I’ve been told to instruct you in the way of zankensoki - the four pillars of the Shinigami arts. Tell me - so I know your level of education, what are the four pillars and what do they do” this seemed boring. Surely he could spice it up a tiny bit right? He tilted his head to the side and tossed the wooden zanpakuto to Kana.

“Rasui-san - please show me the four pillars. I will do my best to counter each of your movements” the trainer smiled as he bowed to his student. This was the easiest way to get a glance of her knowledge of combat. Right now Emon’s movements were stiff and robotic - he wouldn’t act on the drunken blade until Kana expected him to fight back. His own zanpakuto was hanging from a post that Shinigami usually used to train Hakuda behind him, by giving Kana the option to use a wooden or metal blade he was also checking what sort of person she was.

“Also please consider - what is your justice?” his speaking was highly formal but that was intentional - it was better to be polite than glaringly rude especially since he knew so many people these day's frowned upon his habits.

Kana kept a smile on her face as he mentioned how he was in a sense forced to come and teach the woman, she didn't want him to know that she felt this was a waste of her own time. However, what did Kana expect she had no recollection of her previous training as a student, although she spent such a long time disconnected from the Seireitei after the incident and fought endlessly it made her muscle memory and her skills with a blade far superior to most students. She noticed yet again she was referred by her last name yet again, with the same title at the end much like the man she met the other day known as Ryu Katsuragi. Maybe this was just a formality thing that most Soul Reapers carried, and she was just out of touch with her memory loss. 

Her focus shifted as he asked what the four pillars of the Shinigami arts were, she smiled, "Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō. Simple enough." She started explaining the basic functions of each technique in a simplified way, "Zanjutsu is your basic knowledge of handling a Zanpakutō, using the blade to your advantage. Hakuda is mostly used for when one has no other tool to fight with, resorting to using the body to fight. Hohō is the use of one's agility and reflexes to surprise the enemy with sheer speed, and finally, we have Kidō is the use of spiritual power, they are demon arts or spells if you wish that we utilize in battle."

Kana smirked as he next asked her to demonstrate the arts, she had used a technique known as Shunpo/Flash-step to shift her position behind Emon, next she raised her Zanpakutō, the metal reflecting the light outside. Kana took her time making sure he had time to reflect on her attack. 

"I've demonstrated two of the arts at their basic forms. Allow me to demonstrate the other two." Kana started with a monotone. "Now."

Kana then made sure he could counter he fast kick towards his chest, before then using his actions to jump back from him and mid-air casting a Kidō technique known as Bakudo No. 1 - Sai. Before landing on her feet to answer his question about what her justice was. 

"My justice?" Kana asked sheepishly. "Well, if you mean my morals or what I intend to do in life." Kana frowned before coldly stating, "I have yet to find one, right now my goal is to regain my memory and find out about myself . . . the make a connection with my Zanpakutō." 

Kana shivered at her choice of words towards the end, she felt like her blade was no longer hers, it was a stranger to her.

She moved with experience as she listed the zankensoki to him, she was skilled with her movements as she effortlessly moved with a flash step and escaped his vision for a moment as he sensed her coming from another direction his wooden zanpakuto snapped upwards parrying the blow and causing slight chipping of the wood. She had chosen to use her real weapon aye? Ignoring the wooden weapon said a lot about her, she wasn’t here to play around - she was here to learn.

He sensed she was testing his limits as he counter her kick with the flat of his blade and then felt the motions of the locking kido - ‘Sai’ attack his limbs and force them to snap backwards momentarily. He focused his spiritual pressure on those interlocking links of kido and they snapped in an instant.

She told him justice was morals or her purpose in life - that she lacked memory - which came to a surprise but he guessed her body must remember what her memory did not and that she wanted to have a bond with her zanpakuto. A bond with her zanpakuto . . .even Emon hadn’t achieved that yet but a lot of that was a lack of trying.

“ . . . “

“By justice I mean why do you fight? Your blade remembers what your mind does not so I guess in a way what I want you to ‘remember’ is - why do you swing your blade?” to fight with ‘purpose’ was to fight with your whole spiritual pressure. Emon understood his purpose, he’d learnt it whilst fighting that brute in the Rukongai. It was to protect the weak in all their forms and it was to strike down monsters.

Emon’s body shuddered out of view from her sight, the sign of a flash step and then he appeared in front of her striking downwards with his wooden blade. His spiritual pressure coiled down it’s length and reinforced the wood - his blade would not break against hers until they were both equal - until she knew what her justice was.

“A connection” he said between strikes blow after blow against hers as she began to match him in the dance across the battlefield “will come, but a connection will not happen until you know why you need it” a hornet whizzed by overhead as his blows continued. Honestly, the constant reminders of this whole shikai thing were really starting to bump his mellow - but he felt that Rasui-san could handle the fervor of his blows.


“We dance Rasui-san, across the morning sky and the training ground down below, because we are Shinigami - we are ‘justice’”

Just as she had predicted her movements were fast but still slow enough for him to counter, that was good it seemed this man combat abilities weren't as slobbish as his smoking habits. The way he physically presented had nothing on his capabilities as a Soul Reaper. He further explained what he meant by justice, she predicted that he was taught this lesson before, and now he was passing it onto Kana. Now it was Emon's turn to showcase his skills, his Shunpo didn't seem any faster than hers, luckily her reaction time was superior to any Academy Student, she easily met his blade with her own. Kana took a mental note that he was embedding the wooden blade with his Reiatsu so it wouldn't break. Smart. This man may just be worth her time after all. 

The pair started dancing each of them meeting the other all over the training grounds. He told her that a connection would come but not until she knew why she needed it, and then as the buzz of a hornet passing by, she noticed Emon's strikes became more ferocious, almost as if something woke him. He seemed to be striking with more force behind each swing. Emon started explaining how they were dancing across the sky and the ground below them, and that is because they're Shinigami, they're justice.


"Suzumei-san, isn't that a foolish thought?" Kana smiled, "To think we're justice is something we've been taught." Kana took this opportunity to showcase her beliefs, "We're only justice due to our beliefs. In a sense yes we are, however, because, we're Shinigami doesn't mean we can't do injustice." 

As Emon and Kana kept parrying each other she could feel a memory coming but yet it was still locked from her, she could see a five-pointed cross but that was all she could remember. 

"You know we read about the war. Between the Soul Reapers and the Quincies. We all think we're justice, yet we couldn't see eye to eye. That is due to morals, our beliefs, and essentially our teachings." Kana took her turn to repeatedly swing her blade downwards, upwards, and sideways at Emon, still holding back her complete strength. "Humans haven't an idea about us, once they're reborn from Souls to Humans, we're nothing but a fable to them. A forgotten memory of a past life. So the justice we wield is from the shadows." She started to lessen the force behind each blow, "Although I say this, I do believe we do good, and we are justice to an extent against the ones who aim to harm others, but I feel it is important to know how small we are in the grand scheme of things, and that although we believe we're justice we can also be the destruction of others." 

Kana would parry Emon once more and then use his blade to launch herself backward and land back onto the ground waiting for his moves, would they continue sparring with their blades or practice some other art.

They danced across the mid morning sky, the sunrays gleaming off her zanpakuto and dying on his wooden blade. Each flash step met by flash step, each strike met by a strike, this wasn’t ‘mentoring’ this was ‘training. They were honing each other, he was forcing her muscles to remember the movement she knew and she was flexing his skill set - each strike and counterstrike, parry and counter parry their swords sung in unison.

He smiled at her response, the war with the quincy, it had been a long time ago now. “That is correct, we Shinigami are bound by laws issued by the central 46, we live wearing a facade that we call duty. We strive to keep the balance. That is my justice, to be the law to the order, to slay the monsters of men whether they be Shinigami or Hollow. It makes no difference” as she launched herself off his wooden blade and he landed to the ground, it let out a long deep wheeze and crumbled in his hand, it’s duty done. It’s ‘justice’ was freedom.

“The fires of hell, a scrap of your power, another damned soul” he said the words holding his hand up and saw the swirling licks of spiritual pressure begin to condense but they faltered and hissed away. The currents of power weren’t fast enough, they would need to generate friction and then the resulting friction would generate the ignition of power. The energy however for now would not obey his commands.

The mentor turned walking towards a locker and extracted a small bottle of sake and took a swig, his hand shifting below the folds of his robe.“Apologies, learning a kido now isn’t the most convenient time Rasui-chan but now if you’d like to fight using Hakuda I am ready”.Emon smiled as he turned his stance immediately becoming limp and the cup of sake tumbling to the ground. The strict movements of zanjutsu were drained as fast as the cup as Emon began to stagger, he readied himself in a sluggish position, raising one arm and tucking the other into his torso.

“Apologies again Rasui-chan, but feeling the warmth of sake through my bones, that is how I fight” then he flickered, shunpo guiding his feet he’d appear at each of her peripherals swaying and then a lunging kick from behind.

" . . . "

Was it just him? Or was the music quiet today.

She analyzed the truth in his voice as he spoke about his justice being the "law," by slaying anyone with ill-intentions. Next, he had recited the incantations of a Kido Spell she knew all to well from her lessons. Kana smirked as the man seemed to think he could pull a fast one on her and attempt to use Hado No. 5 - Fireball. Being the bookworm she was and somewhat of a walking library of knowledge, she knew exactly why he had failed, he wasn't familiar with the spell and wasn't focusing his spiritual energy properly. The spell hadn't enough time to charge due to his lack of power to charge it with the speed he tried, thus causing it to fizzle out.

"Hm?" Kana groaned in question.

Just as she had theorized Emon had used his shunpo to strike from all directions as a façade, she had decided instead of trying to meet his strike with her own she'd take the easiest way out of the situation. Leaping upwards she had watched his movements before she used the help of a nearby tree trunk to propel herself forward a couple of meters. He may have wanted to use Hakuda but she wanted to attempt to show out and one-up her superior.

Turning back while still mid-air she had focused all of her energy on her hands, her left hand behind her right hand, and the fingers were all together with no space. Her left hand overlaying and slightly sticking out by the side of her right fingers from behind. Focusing her spiritual energy from the core and tracing it to her palms, she could feel the energy gathering now all she had to do was visual the spell. She could feel her body remembering the spell from long ago. Her Reiatsu started to become apparent as she gathered all the energy she could muster for the spell without overdoing herself. Sweat started to drip as she looked at Emon, not much time had passed since she took her attempt at the spell.

"The fires of hell, a scrap of your power, another damned soul! Hado No. 5 - Fireball!" Kana yelled, reciting the incantation.

A hissing noise started to emit from her right palm as a lilac sphere of energy started to form and with light pink tips resembling flames. As she released the fireball, just as it seemed it would be a direct hit she lost control and it had slammed into the ground just a few feet from his location, Kana fell from her position panting. Kana smiled faintly, staring at Emon.


"I might need to work on my aim from afar . . . " She chuckled.

It was the first time she had shown a light-hearted side of herself amid a fight. She still felt guilty for popping off at Ryu so hopefully, she could learn how to play nice with others during a fight.

She danced in response, expertly back-kicking and propelling herself towards a tree, but what was she doing? What thoughts were racing through her head? Breathe in, the kido is coming towards you. The energy is gathering in her hands. Palm outward energy gathering. Was she copying him? She was. Clever girl. Cast Kido and remember what you know. Your muscles guide what your spiritual pressure already knows. Imagine the canvas and fill it with life.

The fireball manifested in a spark of ignition and as it came towards him suddenly it veered off course and to the side. Exploding onto the training ground. “Well thank the soul king for that Rasui-chan, you could’ve easily blown me away with that. Remind me later to book you into the ranges so you can train your accuracy with a ranged weapon - may need work” Emon said with a wink as he raised his own hand lazily and let the spiritual pressure begin to coalesce around his fingers. A small spark sprung to life, a spark that was always seen whenever Emon let a cigarette, but this time he whispered to that spark and sang to it. They were old friends, him and fire.

"The fires of hell” the spark erupted into a gout of flame that shot into the sky.

“A scrap of your power” the gout of flame imploded dragging itself around and about shaping itself into a sphere.

“Another damned soul! Hado No. 5 - Fireball!" he launched the spinning blazing ball of flame at the spot that hers had landed sending flecks of scorched dirt drifting around them. During that moment his senses sharpened and he noticed that the both of them were being observed. His eyes narrowed - that was not the old man.

“Your body remembers a lot of things Kana-chan, so listen to your instincts and what do they say?” He smiled again and his slouching fighting style adapted, pulling in his limbs close to his body and unsteadily balancing from side to side. Emon was performing Anxious Ape the first of the drunken stances it traded balance for flexibility.

From the shadows two figures lay cloaked watching the two during their training - they were assassins, hidden out of sight in the trees.

Kana smiled as Emon complimented her power, telling her if she hadn't missed he would've been blown away. She was glad that she got the respect from her superior about her power. Ever so slightly she changed her position similar to that of Baguazhang, her feet firmly planted in the ground and her right arm placed above her hand but slightly in her peripheral eyesight, while her left hand she kept near her chest closer to her body. Just as she readied herself, he had fired the spell successfully this time at the same area hers had landed. The sparks burnt the nearby grass and made a deeper crevice in the ground just slightly away from him by a few feet. He then went on a lecture about how her body remembers more than she may, and that she should listen to her instincts.

As Emon's body loosened and he got into some sort of drunken fighting style, Kana's attention was drawn elsewhere. From the shadows of the trees, she felt something was off, but she couldn't quite pinpoint it, was this her body remembering something, or showing her but somehow there was a disconnect with her mental remembrance. Kana decided she would pay it no mind, even if it felt like they were being watched- now she wishes she had alcohol in her body so she would be less paranoid.

Kana ran forward at Emon, both of her hands behind her back but her palms still ready. Just as she got into range she felt movement off in the distance, she stopped her advancement on Emon, causing herself to skid across the ground before tripping. As she started to trip she used her right hand to catch her body pushing herself back into the air before doing a horizontal leading into a vertical somersault, before landing perfectly on her feet.

"Emon, I don't feel comfortable." Kana mumbled to him, "I feel uneasy." 

She was trying to be quiet about her observations but yet try to get her point across. She made sure her voice was low enough that only Emon could hear her. Was this what Emon meant by listening to her body?


"Don't you feel it too?" Kana asked, her eyes had an obvious uneasiness to them.

There was a moment where goose pimples began to stand up on Emon’s skin. Where the feeling he had turned from enjoyment to warning to ‘you’re in danger’ he couldn’t quite describe it. Maybe it was the spiritual pressure, the way it hummed in those trees filled with murderous intent. Maybe it was the realization that the training ground was empty and the only four people in this vicinity were the two on the grounds and the two in the trees.

It was almost definitely the fact that the intent was directed solely on him.

“Instinct is often associated with Hollows. They call it the ‘Aspect of Death’ which makes them monsters. Instinct is great however Rasui-chan - it tells you when you are in danger” a small smile on his face and then he spun with the flexibility of an anxious ape gathering the flames around his fist and throwing a ball of fire at the tree.

“Hado No.5 Fireball” the flame sizzled in the air as they gobbled Emon’s inputting spiritual pressure and ate away at the leaves. As two figures burst from their hiding places and scattered in opposite directions avoiding the attack. Emon’s stance shifted to the ‘Charging Chimp’ and he hurtled towards the training post acquiring his zanpakuto and spinning to block a zanpakuto swing of the attack.

He wasn’t cut out for this - why were assassins coming after him? More importantly what had he’d done for an assassin to want to come for him.

The other assassin streaked across the sky heading for Kana, most likely they hadn’t accounted for his training session today so they’d decided to deal with her as well.

“Rasui-chan” he said softly so that she could hear him. “Just dance” and he spun out of the charging chimp away from another blow from his attacker. His style shifted to anxious ape as he bobbed and weaved matching zanpakuto strikes with his combatant.

“Why?” he asked through gritted teeth as the heavy weight of the blade collided with his own sending him backwards a distance as the attack leapt forward and began muttering under his breath.

“Bakudo No. 1 Sai” the female voice under the hood hissed with an outstretched hand and Emon felt his arms locking backwards as he front flipped with shunpo over the head of his attack. Fortunately the read on these combatants was they were on par with Kana and himself. He kicked off the ground again as the Shinigami darted for him and swung a kick at the opponent's head as the offenders zanpakuto dashed through empty space.

Emon’s arms were still bound but with zanpakuto in hand he could only spare a glance for Kana as he fought for what felt like his life. His heart was pumping and adrenaline filled his veins. He needed to clear his head - switch stance. To bob and weave was a sign of anxious ape, but to use it offensively

“Ah boy, you have already learnt the Bobbing Baboon” Titus’s voice whispered in his head.

A Hornet whizzed over his head and spun around his locked hands as the kido bonds shattered.

He bobbed to the side and took the lunge from the enemy Shinigami in his side, the blade whizzing through his flesh and causing an intake of breath from Emon. Blood stained the dirt as Emon passed Zanpakuto to his left hand and threw a right sided haymaker into the enemy's shoulder resulting in a sickening crunch.

Both disengaged. Emon with a bleeding side. The enemy Shinigami holding a weapon in hand nursing her now non-functioning arm.

“This was meant to be a bag ‘n tag. The kid wasn’t meant to be here”

“Lovely, can you do me a favor and tell me, why me?”

“Orders, no idea what you did - you were meant to be small fry”

Emon’s stance shifted once more into Anxious Ape the drunken swaying keeping him agile on his feet.

Kana's head was pounding as she tried to focus on her instincts and remembering everything, usually, things came as small as remembering how to cast an art/spell. Or remembering things as small as a symbol, like the five-point cross of a Quincy. She wished she could remember more, like her friends, her time as a Soul Reaper, or better yet, what happened when she lost her memory. Something that always ate away at her serenity was, why did nobody find her? Did the Gotei Squads think so little of her, that she was abandoned? Was she not important enough to be remembered? Was she just a distant memory? Forgotten.

Emon told her that by instinct it meant that it is usually tied with Hollows, that there was danger. The name of this instinct was, "Aspect of Death." Next Emon had fired off a Hado No. 5 - Fireball at the tree, causing two people to jump out of the tree that Kana was weary of. They had assassin like garments on, covering their faces, and dark cloaks that would hide their silhouette to even a trained eye in the shadows. Kana was used to finding Hollows in the shadows, so a few black garments meant for the shadows wouldn't stop her from finding you.

As Emon fought his opponent, the other assassin dashed through the sky charging at her as well. Kana did several flips and acrobatic tricks to evade each attack coming at her. She could feel the heat of the battle consuming her, like when she fought hollows—or that student from earlier. Kana had released her Zanpakutō once more, reflecting the man with her blade. The two would parry for a bit, as Kana was mapping out his reaction time, and his overall skillset. During their parry, Kana was listening to how the Assassins were here solely for Emon. Somehow that provided Kana with relief she was beginning to feel as if they were here for her. That possibly her forgetting her memory wasn't a mistake that it was planned by someone, and they got word of her returning to the Seireitei. 

Kana had mixed Hakuda and Zanjutsu. Striking her opponent's chest with her slight advantage in overall speed & reflexes. Then using her Zanpakutō to deflect his attacks to her sides. When the man had swung her Zanpakutō once more with more force than she knew she could handle, she had jumped up and used the spine of his blade to propel herself backward. 


"The fires of hell," Kana started the incantation as she gathered her energy quickly. "A scrap of your power," she took a deep breath before screaming, "ANOTHER DAMNED SOUL!! HADO NO. 5 - FIREBALL!" 

The fireball seemed to have more power this time from when she had demonstrated it earlier, the flames crackled and popped as it traveled from Kana to the assassin she fought. The Hado's sheer power and flames upon impact exploded causing the location of her enemy to be imperceptible. As the smoke cleared lilac and pink flames could be seen dancing on his body. Kana slowly walked to the man, her eyes had this cold glaze to them. 

"You came to end a life, right?" Kana asked, her voice lacked the softness it once had. "Well, I would say mission accomplished right?" 

Kana held her sword at an angle that the tip of her blade was resting on the assassin's throat. 

"Not yet, kid!" The man had swept his long leg under her feet. 

Kana yelped as she was surprised by the sudden feeling of off balance. Kana used her Zanpakutō to regain her balance as she jabbed the blade forward piercing the ground, and then using the hilt she straightened herself up in the air, once more showing her flexibility and agile reflexes. As she had used the hilt to throw herself in the air, she came crashing down, her arms flailing in the air, and her right leg shifted outwards more than her left as she had come crashing down delivering a powerful kick to the male assassin in the head.

She then grabbed her Zanpakutō once more and held it by her side, that killer look still in her eyes. 

"I'm no child. I have probably served longer than either one of you. I may have forgotten my age, and experience, by like Emon Suzumei said, my body remembers." Kana glared down at the man, who seemed unconscious now.

Blood trickled down Emon’s side, the wound was deeper than he had thought if he didn’t end it quickly he would be dragged down by fatigue alone. His opponent looked worse for wear, but as he stood there in those few brief moments, she had clicked her shoulder back into position with a grisly snap, Emon could still tell from landing the blow that her bones were still at least fractured. The arm was unuseable.

Across the battlefield Kana danced and as her opponent swung his leg under her, Emon began to move but was countered by the enemy dashing across the distance and swinging their zanpakuto at him. As Emon parried his opponents blow, both of them were surprised to see Kana down her opponent. The woman’s body remembered, just what had she experienced in her life?

The conscious assassin clucked under his breath and then pushed away from Emon.

‘Ye fallen miser of Daikokuten” Emon felt her spiritual pressure warp and fray twisting around her, she was casting a Kido? Why? But there was no killing intent in the gathering energy - it didn’t feel like a Hado it felt more like a . . .bakudo? He dashed towards the sky as shadows began to boil to life underneath the assassin’s feet.

“Open the door to Takamagahara” the energy was flowing outwards, not towards him or Kana but rather towards the fallen companion - He suddenly understood. This wasn’t a way to attack or capture them, this was a way to escape! He flipped stances to Charging Chimp and pushed downwards at his attacker Zanpakuto in hand as he soared through the sky.

“Forbidden Kido - Black Walk Mist!”. . . as Emon soared through the air towards her, the attacker looked up and saluted as she dissolved into shadow. She then flowed across the ground to her companion who was also dissolving and then in a moment. . they were gone.

All was quiet.

Emon stared at the space where his attacker had just been and then straightened up.

“Well then, at least we got practical in I guess” then with well practiced movements he extracted a cigarette and began to smoke it.

Why were assassins after him? Where had they gone? And that Kido, that wasn’t even something that was written on any book in Soul Society. It didn’t even have a number - the way it was distorted? If he performed something like that he was convinced it’d cause his blood to boil.

“They weren’t ordinary Shinigami Rasui-chan, I apologise for getting you involved but I admit I wish I had known what I had done - we will need to report this our superiors” he took a long drag and even when he tried to will his spiritual pressure to bend in the way that the kido had it simply wouldn’t move like that. Whatever that kido was, it just simply wasn’t a thing he was capable of. It probably wasn’t even a kido.

“You fought well though, can’t say I did the same but apples and oranges” he said suddenly noticing the sharp pain that was screaming from his side. Remain calm . . . you’ll be fine  ..  Just hold it together for a few more minutes and then you can go get yourself bandaged up. .  .blood now dripped through his fingers as he held his side.

Kana had traced the tip of her blade along her foe's neck and just as she had done so, his partner had used a forbidden Kidō, and then the two were gone. She was unfamiliar with the Kidō, which was unusual cause she spent most of her free time reading all the books on battle styles, Kidō's, and all sorts of other techniques. So it gave her chills that there was such an advanced technique that she hadn't heard about and even the name seemed odd, Forbidden. Maybe she had known about it before her head-trauma but no longer. As the two finished dissolving, Kana took the moment to calm herself and sheath her sword. 

Emon had mentioned that at least they were able to get practice in, and then went on to state they weren't ordinary Shinigami, and he apologized for the extra trouble. Mentioning that they must report this to their superiors.


"No need, I . . ." Kana smiled, "I rather enjoyed it." Kana pondered, "Suzumei-Kun, just who would we report to?" Kana looked up at him with an innocent stare, "Head-Captain?"

Although she was intrigued by the fact that Emon was being hunted, what she didn't quite understand was why were they so weak and slow for Assassins. Emon went on to compliment Kana's skill in battle, which made her blush a light red, for once in the past few days she hadn't felt shitty for showing off her style in battle.


"Thank you, Emon." Kana bowed before him, before standing back up and returning his compliment, "You did fine as well, I promise!"

She made her way out of the Training Grounds, leading the two of them out of their now worn out sparring grounds. Kana smiled to herself, as she walked slightly ahead of Emon. He was an interesting fellow and the messenger from earlier was right on the dot about him being a drunk fool but he was a talented drunken fool.

“Ooh, no not the Head Captain” he said waving his hands and cringing at the pain in his side he retreated to one of the equipment lockers before he followed kana to grab some bandages and wrapped his side as he caught up with her.

“We’ll find some seated officers and report to them, they can handle the rest - for all we know this could be a widespread thing heaps of people could be being targeted” he pulled the bandage tight and winced at the pain, at least the wound wasn’t that deep. It seemed like the blood was slowing too but he did feel slightly light-headed.

“The bag ‘n tag thing threw me for a loop, I could’ve sworn that kido was heading for me but then I guess they thought that regrouping was better?” he clicked his neck from left to right and did a quick inventory check, he still had a small bottle of sake tucked away at his waist hidden under his clothes and at least seven of his ten packets weren't too crunched up after training.

“You’re pretty good with a zanpakuto and your battle sense is pretty keen, how did you lose your memory anyway or rather, what’s the last thing you remember?” he asked, he was curious when they were training there really wasn’t much time for detailed life stories - there was really just them and their blades dancing on the dirt ground.

They passed through the doors of one of the academy complexes and made their way towards one of the various offices where a seated officer was probably on station to process requests and queries that came their way.

He sighed softly, he really needed another cigarette but this place didn’t really appreciate people smoking indoors, some new custom taken from the human world. At least he had Kana, she seemed put-together enough to not give him a headache quickly and she was cute. He physically slapped his cheek with a hand, idiot. He twinged again at the pain from his wound. Double idiot.

Kana looked back at Emon seeing him struggle to walk before ultimately going back to act as his crutch. Being cautious not to get any of his blood on her garments, they'd be a bitch to wash out if she had, so best not too. She let the man talk on about how it was supposed to be a bag 'n tag and how that had surprised him and made him curious as too why. Kana hadn't put much thought into why once the battle started, she did have a sudden fear that they might've been there for her— because, someone might've found out that she was a Soul Reaper before, and that they wanted her out. Was she afraid of that? She hadn't given it much thought that people could essentially be hunting her down, because, they found out who she was before. 

Emon went on to compliment her skills with a Zanpakutō. Saying that she had a pretty keen sense for battle; however, he was curious as to how the woman lost her memory.


"Huh?" Kana, hummed questioning, "Hmm?" She stood there and pondered as the two of them took a break in one of the offices. "Y'know. I, - I don't remember much, other than my name, and that I was so lonely for over a hundred and forty years fighting Hollows in the World of the Living." Kana quickly put her right hand over her eyes as she winced in pain trying to remember, "Ahh- fuck! —" She grew quiet momentarily before continuing, "I remember seeing white, and a blunt hit, but whoever it was, was strong overwhelmingly strong, my body couldn't move." Kana felt an overwhelming cold sensation in her body, as she felt like her body was being weighed down as she spoke, "I — I can't move Emon." 

Her body was going into a state of shock from the scene she still didn't fully remember, but what she did remember was a white light and immense power holding her down. Kana gripped onto Emon's arm tight in a panic. She had taken deep breathes to calm herself, it must've been years before she felt she could stand again, but honestly, it was only a few mere minutes that just seemed to drag on. As she stood, she seemed like she was going to cry, as tears were forming.


"My apologies." Kana sighed.

She felt like Emon got to see her lose her confidence for a second and it really bothered the woman.

Ah.

Terror. Anxiety. Panic. The emotions rushed across Kana’s face as she threatened to remember what she had forgotten. This was more than just memory loss, this was some sort of mental block, whatever Kana didn’t want to remember wasn’t because she’d ‘lost’ the memories, it was simply because her mind wasn’t willing to let those memories sift to the surface.

“Rasui-chan” he whispered softly. Her grip on his arm grew tighter. “Don’t worry, we’ll find out who, and when we do . . .” he grew silent. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind the music stopped. The pianist rose from her piano and crossed the concert hall. She bowed to her audience and smiled. For at last there was no lies, no pretenses of justice, there was just and logical reasoning. That was all she wanted.

“. . . We’ll kill them Kana” he said smiling as he looked at her with a coldness in his eyes that was so juxtaposed by the man who she’d trained with and then they simply continued walking. He began to hum softly to himself the ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ there was a peace in it. For a bit they walked in tandem, him just enjoying the presence of her company. He liked Kana, he really did and he’d fix whatever had been done to her.

“Just get stronger okay? We both need to” and then the stern look on his face changed to one of joviality as he approached the seated officer like an old friend. The two would talk for a time and the seated officer's face grew more and more shocked before running off, meanwhile Emon would rub his head and sigh his lazy manner returning once more.

“Well that was easier than I thought it would be, nice guy. Where shall we head to now or is this where we part ways Rasui-chan? I must admit I should probably get this looked at” he murmured gesturing to his side. He was surprised however, it seemed to hurt less maybe, he was building tolerance to the pain, that’d be nice.

In the orchestra hall, the theatre was silent, the audience quieted. A pianist began to play again as her fingers dripped liquid onto the floorboards below

Kana smiled up at the man as he told her not to worry, and when they had found the one that caused this, they would kill them. That was a bold promise to a woman who had her past stripped from her and was now just a forgotten memory of before trying to make something of herself now. Could he keep such a hefty promise to her? Kana really hoped so, ever since she had re-enrolled into Shin'ō Academy she felt like nobody could care about her. He had told her to get stronger, stating they both had too, Kana nodded in agreement. That much was obvious.

As he reported to the Seated Officer, Kana stood outside nervous to show her face. Now it was sinking in, that she was attacked and that was how she lost her memory; what also sat in was the same thought from her class when she learned Bakudo No. 5 - Sai, the fact that she went a hundred and forty years lost. Nobody came for her, was she just presumed dead? Who was her Captain and why didn't they search for her? She clenched her fists momentarily as she felt the urge to stab everyone who had betrayed her trust. 

As Emon came out from the office and explained it went swimmingly and that the Seated-Officer was a nice man, she smiled, letting her fists unclench. Emon then nonchalantly mentioned getting his wound looked at, and at that moment Kana realized she had completely forgotten the needs of her new friend.

"Ah!" Kana gasped, "Of, course!" 

Kana then ushered him down to the medical unit of the Academy, on the way she spoke to the man and asked him a serious question that had been on her mind.


"I spent so long alone, Emon. I- Truthfully, I don't know how to behave in spars anymore, I'm so used to sizing out my opponents and killing them, to kill was to survive, which might've been why I thought to kill that man from earlier. It felt right, but that was all I knew, it's all I remember. Kill to survive, and KILL ESPECIALLY, if it comes for you." Kana tried explaining herself, before frowning, "Do you think that I'm forgettable? Is that why I was forgotten and left there for so long?" 

There was just something different about Emon in these last few moments. There was just something about Kana Rasui that tapped into something’ within the man. He smiled, he laughed and he acted aloof, but she insisted on dragging it back out. Whatever ‘it’ was, whether ‘it’ was the real Emon that he chose to hide or rather would pretend didn’t exist. The tone and inclination of Kana Rasui’s questions drove that person out of Emon.

“Rasui-chan, you remember back when we first started sparring and I asked you what your ‘justice’ was? I told you that we as Shinigami wear a facade, where even though it's our duty to slay Hollow and keep balance, very few actually do it with purpose” The hall was quiet, nobody stood between these two long walls except them and then he flickered next to her and his blade hugged the edge of her throat. She’d be able to trace the movements sure - but they were on equal footing. The cold steel against hot flesh, he looked into her eyes, his eyes were pebbles on a moonlit pool. Still. Quiet. Terrifying.

“Kana. If you had answered wrong. I would’ve killed you on the spot. In front of me isn’t a monster, it’s a woman. A beautiful woman who was left alone by the corrupt establishment that shunned her” he flickered again, the blade sheathed, the man returned to the lazy fellow who was wondering where his neck drink was. He held Kana Rasui around her shoulders as they walked in what Emon recalled was the direction of the medical bays.

“When you raise your zanpakuto with duty, to me, to soul society, to your opponent and fight with it then you can kill whoever you want. But the moment you drop that duty. You kill for the sake of killing. Not for survival. Just for wanton murder. Then dear Rasui-chan, you are nothing but a monster and much like the Hollow. You will die” he continued humming as they rounded another corner, two student walked passed chatting idly and nodded to Emon and smiled at Kana.

“If you stick by my side Kana Rasui, I will never leave you, I will kill your enemies and befriend your allies. You will never be forgotten, all I ask is you do it for our ‘justice’ ” his arm moved away from behind around her shoulders as a few more students passed and Emon’s thoughts trickled to something else. If Kana wanted she could leave right now, she could move away from his grasp and say no, this wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t want to accompany him anywhere. He was edging on madness, maybe genius, he manipulated what it was fundamentally to be a Shinigami.

But Emon knew.

He was right.

“I will kill for you”

Emon started giving a speech about how some Shinigami only fight Hollows and to maintain the balance or if you rather the justice, because, it is our job. Very few actually have a purpose behind it other than they're told to do so. That much was common sense to someone with Kana or Emon's mindset, they weren't apart of the pack mindlessly, rather they led themselves like leaders. Emon gave Kana this deep stare that you'd picture a serial killer possessing; that cold stare. Emon told Kana if she had answered wrong he would've killed her- that was a huge pill to swallow; could Emon even beat her? — Next, the man decided to compliment the woman and comfort her stating she was no mere monster she was a beautiful woman left alone by the corrupt establishment. She chuckled while wiping away a tear that was forming at the sudden change of his word's tone. 

Then, Emon had given her a speech about how when she fights with duty and her Zanpakutō's loyalty to the Soul Society, to herself, and to Emon, than she may kill whoever. Whenever those morals drop that is when she is killing just to kill and that she's merely a monster. Finally, Emon had promised the woman, using her full name that he would never leave her side, he would take down her enemies and get along with her friends; she . . . — would never be forgotten. 

Kana felt weak in her legs as she grabbed onto Emon's uniform gripping it, her knuckles resting against his chest. She then nestled her head underneath his chin, as she started softly crying into him. Every day here at this damned Academy, Kana has felt nothing but lonely and forgotten. To hear someone acknowledge she had been betrayed but they want to make it right, it was a beautiful melody to Kana, a melody she never wanted to forget herself, nor stop hearing. 

"Thank you, Emon!" Kana's voice suddenly raised as she was quietly crying, the tremble in her voice was obvious. "I, I don't want to be forgotten." She had stuttered as her lips quivered, leaning further into the man softly crying.

She felt like all the pent up emotions of being left behind were finally coming out. Kana felt as if her body couldn't move, and this time it was because she just needed to cry.

Her tears fell onto his shihakusho, he’d broken her and fixed her all at once. The words she had been wanting somebody to say all this time had finally been said to her. In that moment, he didn’t just Kana Rasui, he had her in mind, body and soul. He’d acquired her loyalty, because Emon had no doubt that this Shinigami who at this moment was so small and so frail would become something great. Her skill would surpass that of the current captains.

But that was fine for Emon because without a doubt, she was loyal to him. In fairness however, he guessed he was also loyal to her. She really did need somebody to kill for her, to protect her, to slay her foes and befriend her allies. In that he was telling the complete truth. He’d do that. Really. He’d do anything for her.

“I promise you, you won’t be Rasui-chan” as he let her cry into his chest, his mind turning like a mortal engine. There were many things to do and many things to plan in truth his entire perspective on Soul Society had changed in a few short minutes but that was ok. He was here for the long game and it was a game he would inevitably win.

“Now come, is there somewhere you can cry in peace?” he looked around them, towards a door to probably a miscellaneous class room. He took her by the hand and guided her to the door, his reiatsu perception indicating that there was nobody within. Then as they stood in silence within that empty room, he just let her cry and vent until her loneliness was no more.

---

“And what’s left?”

“I know your name”

“Haha but you can’t yet ‘call me’”

“Suzemebachi”

“The giant hornet, the killer of men”

“Intoxicating”

----

And then he hugged her softly, his arms wrapping around her small form. Kana had helped him understand so much, the haze in his head he self-perpetuated through booze and cigarette smoke had all but vanished. It would come back in time, the addictions would call and tell him to come back to bed.

---

“How many have you killed?”

“Living or dead?”

“I am you, you are me, we both know that’s why you have your vices”

“Because I’m better”

“Because you seek to forget”

---

“Shall we go have a late breakfast? Personally I’m quite a fan, though I do know a great spot where the cherry blossoms bloom beautifully” the pain of his injury had dulled, he was sure it was still there but it was ignorable in comparison to the pain that was in front of him.

She was guided to a classroom to cry, but yet she didn't feel like crying rightfully so, she just couldn't allow it. Or rather she didn't want to allow it, yet her tears flowed like a river down her face. After a good ten, or fifteen minutes of crying into this man's robes he had mentioned that they should go have some late breakfast, and he mentioned a beautiful spot to hang out and have their little arrangement- but Kana couldn't bring herself to do so. She felt odd, she had just broken her own moral of crying and being weak in front of someone, especially a man she met today. She wasn't quite sure if she had trusted him yet, but he definitely was on her list of people she could go to if need be.

"I." Kana started but then stopped, her throat felt like it was closing. She took a few steps back and held her hands cupped together in front of her chest staring at Emon with her gentle and vulnerable eyes, "I, really can't. I need time alone. Thank you for today, Emon, Emon Suzumei."

With that the woman had taken her leave, she ran off down the long hallways of the Academy and eventually out the doors and on her way back to her quarters for the day. She needed time for herself so that she may heal from reopening her wounds. Was Kana even ready to start opening the minds of the ones who forgot her?

-END-

Then she left him.

Alone in that room.

Suzemebachi screaming in his head.

Emon stood there for a long moment and then, with a well practiced action. Removed a bottle of sake from his pocket, took a long drawn out swig and then as his mind began to cloud, extracted a cigarette and took a long drag.

After a moment.

There was silence.

Emon left the room.

“You know, I think it really is time for lunch”

-- END --