Drowning.... eyes fluttering as Kazuki sunk deeper in the red sea. The light fading as silhouettes sunk besides him, all around him. Then violent thrashing as eyes snap open, lungs flood with liquid around him. Kazuki begun to claw upwards, legs kicking as fast and as hard as he could to reach the surface. Finally breaching to be relieved with fresh air once more. The blood, reiatsu and water being thrown up from his stomach and lungs. His throat and chest burning with pain as he struggled to his feet once more. Kazuki was heaving as he dropped the seventh fake zanpakuto, the blade completely shattered and the remnants scattering on the surface. Intermingling with ripples stirred by his footsteps as he stopped before the eighth blade. His Shihakushō around the torso, completely tattered and wounds covering his body all over.
The shinigami wearing red Shihakushō waiting patiently as they stared emotionless upon Kazuki. And Kyoki... holding a cold look in her eyes of lament and determination. She was not to help her shinigami, he must overcome this himself, if he is to learn her name, to learn bankai. This test was not like the others, it was not about his martial prowess, Zanjutsu, or his ingenuity, but will power. A test meant to break his spirit, to push it to the upmost limit. No not to slay his comrades, but to slay his guilt, the never-ending regret of not saving more. The ocean of blood beneath his feet being a manifestation of blood spilled by allies and foes alike. He must fully commit to his faith, prove his devotion to his method and philosophy unshakable. This training will hold no quarter, no mercy.
"How many more blades will you shatter, before you find my true name? I thought our bond was stronger than all Shinigami and Zanpakuto? You had me since before the academy as a child. We grew up together, I thought you knew me better."
Wisps of ragged breath left the lips of Kazuki as his reiatsu started to crawl out. There was hesitation as he hand wavered near the handle of the eighth zanpakuto. Before the waver stopped and he grabbed, but not by the handle, instead the blade. The fingers tensing as the blade begun to crack and then shattered into fragments. Shards tightly clasped in his fist as blood trickled from his palm, feeding into the red ocean. Before he flicked it outwards, sending a torrents of water to crash upwards as the shards made impact. Multiple zanpakuto's shattered and a single cut appearing on Kyoki's cheek. She held a hand to wipe the sliver of blood onto her fingers as he stared at Kazuki with a slightly surprised look. Kazuki tilted his head upwards towards the sky and closed his eyes before letting out a deep sigh. Then his head dipped to the side as clusters of his locks covered and cascaded over his face. One eye peering straight at her, seeming to be taking on a shade of red that briefly flicked in his iris. Was it a reflection from the red ocean or something else?
"Sorry... for keeping you waiting, Ohime. [Princess/ Lady of noble birth]. I'm done downing in the past, my punishment is finished. I recieved my lashes and took them with not even a whimper."
"Always the little edge lord, are you telling me that all this time you were purposely picking the wrong blade? Didn't peg you for a masochist, Kazuki-sama."
Tisking Kazuki took a step and vanished with shunpo as he appeared behind a shinigami. He reeled back his arm, fingers straight as he pierced into the body of the shinigami as a gasp left his lips.
"Now I must question our bond as you really should know me better than that. I feel no regret nor remorse, not anymore. My strength and my weakness will always be my care for my allies. My brother and sisters in arms, especially those under my command. A wolf takes care of its own and will mourn the death of it's pack member with the blood of it's foes. Blood for blood, death for death and... loyalty for loyalty. Besides..."
With a grunt, he pulled and the shinigami before him disappated, turning into a zanpakuto. The blade very similar to the shikai, but significantly larger. Going from a dao to a two-handed jiu huan dao with four rings ringing on the back of the blade. The tassel that was on the small hole was relocated to the pommel, a maroon color compared the previous blue. Yet the overall design remained with the blade catchers on the back that got longer the closer it got to the tip. And now a guage sitting in the middle of the blade, the same color as the metal, giving no concept of it's purpose.
"It did take me awhile, so I will give you credit. All the blades were fake, the real blade were hidden within my fallen comrades, only you will make something so... tacky."
A sweat drop went down her forehead, before a small vein slightly budged and twitched.
"Tacky... huh?"
That reaction made a small smirk appear on Kazuki's face. He sometimes loved seeing her so flustered, despite trying to keep her cool. Especially when she was trying in front of him. She then surprised kazuki and dropped the zanpakuto in her hands. Disappeared with a similar shunpo as she appear next to kazuki, her hand punging into another Shinigami. It also turned into a exact copy of the zanpakuto in Kazuki's hand.
"It is symbolic not tacky, we both know what I am capable of. Taking reiatsu from foes, manipulating it, shaping it to our will. Keeping enemies wounds open, being able to disguise ourselfs and send out slashes flying off the blade. I remember all reiatsu that we clashed with, we slain and those that parished by us."
She stabbed the zanpakuto into the ocean and in a instant giant blades roared upwards. First one, then two and more kept crashing out of the sea, causing massive waves to soar outwards. Ripples at mass colliding with one another as Kazuki stared in awe.
"You only begun to discover the depths of my abilities and what I can do. It's true that we have a strong synergy, but you still have have much to learn. I offer all this to you without question, but you must make yourself a strong enough vessal to wield me proper. Otherwise it either all go to waste or overwhelm you, destroy you if you are not prepared for it. Now enough talking, you as a vessal are incomplete. The real fight for bankai begins now."
Kazuki clenched his grip on the handle as it shifted to his hip, taking the Waki no kamae stance. His eyes color slowly changing to red and glowing as he breathed the reiatsu heavy atmosphere. Then with a push of his foot, he was gone, appearing out of nowhere in a low lunge. Doing a upward slash at the torso. The blade slashed through before it turned out to be her afterimage. Her body sidestepped and head tilted back to avoid the attack, Countering with a downward thrust as the shoulder. Kazuki responded with a rapid pivot and parry, deflecting the attack upwards over the shoulder. Before responding with a pommel strike. Kyoki knowing Kazuki's moveset, stepped in and caught the pommel strike in her palm. killing the momentum completely with minimal injury. They glared into each others eyes, grinning ear to ear. Before both entering a shunpo competition. Flicking all over the battlefield, engaging in exchanges of three to four attacks.
Downward slash feint countered by a side step and side swipe. He would duck under and attempt to do a spinning foot sweep. She would hop back and then return with a combo of thrust, downward diagonal and upward diagonal. Head tilt to dodge the thrust and then counter with a upward diagonal and downward diagonal. The blades clashing, sparks flying, the rings ringing. The final exchange of blades ending in a bind as they attempted to manipulate the bind back and forth. Before they broke contact and they both simultaneously whipped the sword around their heads. Clashing once more, sending them sliding back in opposite directions. Before vanishing once more to engage in similar small bouts all over. Then another change occurred as his wounds started to close and his shihakushō started to turn red. Skipping back he would do a wide upward slash, half of the blade entering the red sea. As three giant blades roared out in a diagonal angle. Chuckling Kyoki hopped up and rode the tip of one of the blades to the sky. While Kazuki's eyes were wide with adrenaline, a wild smile creeping onto his face. Never has thought Kyoki Chizuki can be used like this. In his daze, Kyoki jumped off, plummeting downwards as she crashed with the ocean, the full blade entering the waters to the hilt. Hundreds of blades in the same size cascaded outwards with the wave in all directions.
Chimamire Hansha!!!
[血塗れ反射- Bloodstained Reflection]
Kazuki swung his blade as a wide arc of red reiatsu and blood soared and collided with the blades. Shards flying everywhere as the other blades rippled around him. The attack being stronger than it's ever been before, even having some kickback. As he slightly stumbled a few steps back from the technique he unleashed.
"SAY MY NAME!!! SAY IT!"
Screamed Kyoki Chizuki at the of her lungs, the adrenaline overtaking her also. Her breath ragged from excitement and red locks plastered to her face with sweat. In that moment immense reiatsu roared out of Kazuki, shattering all other blades in the vicinity as his shihakushō turned fully red. He clenched the blade hard until he noticed that it was no longer in his grasp. He gasped as he felt something stab him in the chest and holding the handle was Kyoki herself. Leaning in to whisper in his ear.
"It has been 140 years overdo, say my name. You earned it, you fought for it, now haressness it as I am yours and you are mine, say it."
The last two words falling sharply on his ears like a hiss. Before she stepped back and crossed her arms with a look of admiration and expectation. With one glace, he grasped the handle in his chest and violently hissed the one word.
"Ban-kai!"
Instantly the zanpakuto erupted a torrent of blood-like reiatsu in all directions. It formed into a hard shell in the form of a sphere around his body, before cracking and falling apart to reveal his new form. His hair turned red and glowing, pulsating with Reiatsu as it flickers back as if there is constantly wind blowing. His dull gray eyes, now burning with energy and ambition. His Shihakusho turned red as well with the torso part regenerated, left sleeve grew longer concealing his left hand. While the right side of his shihakusho completely shrugged off, revealing his chest and arm and a new shoulder guard manifested on the right shoulder. It was similar to a samurai sode with small ridges on the top, shingles sticking out to protect the neck from potential deflects in that direction. The shihakusho now seemed to be alive, with the occasional blood mist wisping off the uniform. With one flick, he pulled the blade from his chest with no reaction of pain or discomfort. Whispering the name, the true name that he finally earned.
"Kyoki Chizuki: Otome no Benikusari"
[歔欷血月 少女 の 紅 鎖- Weeping blood moon: Maiden of crimson chains]
Kyoki appeared besides him, embracing as her massive sleeves enveloped him. She rested her head on his shoulder, eyes shut closed in contempt.
"Well done, Kazuki-sama. Yet we only begun, you still need more training. You only achieved bankai, the next step for us is for you to master it. Yet for now rest, you earned it."
Slowly the form dissipated and the all blades disappeared from the battlefield. The red ocean grew smaller into that familiar red lake. Land manifested from the ground along with the little familiar gazebo with the white wolves. Quietly she lead him along as the ash and sakura petals begun to cascade once more. They sat in the gazebo on a bench as he laid his head on her lap. Her stroking his hair as they remained in peace and rest for a least a while.
