"Who told you to slow down?!", I gritted my teeth as Yamamto swung his staff down, blocking it while raising my leg to block his stomp as it sent me skidding backwards.
Steadying myself as he rushed back in, I quickly parried his thrust to the side while spinning on my heel, smacking his back before hopping back as he turned and swung his 'sceptre' at me.
Landing before rushing in, I thrust the sceptre at his head and he blocked it, pulling me in for a knee to my chest that I blocked with a growl while kicking at his shin.
However, he stood as still as a boulder before pushing me back, a grumble escaping my lips as I stood still before shifting back into the stance that he had drilled into me for the past two days.
"You know, the longer we continue with this, the more I realize that I'm never going to be good enough with a staff."
"You don't need to be good enough. You just need to be able to create some distance and use your Kido."
"Yeah, about that…I think I'm going to hold off on using Kido for a bit," I answered with a smile before reeling back as Yamamoto's Reiatsu flared slightly and he looked at me with a glare.
"You broke into our secret archives for those spells and now that you have them, they are not worth your time?"
"No, no! Not in the slightest! It's just that I've decided to look into the concept of the spells I have instead of just learning the spells."
"You wish to see how each spell reacts to your Reiatsu, the reishi in the air and in the ground? Why wou- You are trying to further your understanding of how spiritual energy works because you have something in mind. However, you can't use it yet so you still rely on the spells because you feel that with each spell you use, your understanding grows."
"…I guess he really did master everything in the Seireitei, huh?", I spoke as I looked to Chojiro, who nodded with a proud smile. Turning back to Yamamoto, I was not surprised to see the man already dressed and standing with his cane while his 'sceptre' burned to ash.
"Hmm, that is quite the thing to do…and also nearly impossible. There is much about spiritual energy that even I do not understand and you wish to understand it in its entirety."
"Not everything. Just enough."
'After all, like Bruce Lee said, do not fear the one who has done ten thousand actions once but fear the man who has done one action ten thousand times. At least, that's how I think the saying goes.'
"I see. So, you do have a specific ability in mind, then? What is the effect you are imagining?", Yamamoto asked with a raised eyebrow and I smirked as I looked out to the Seireitei before answering.
"One that pierces through everything. The spell to end it all."
"I do not believe such a spell would be possible."
"Would you have said the same a few centuries ago about Aizen and his fellow traitors?", I asked, not surprised when the man narrowed his eyes before shaking his head.
"I suppose I would not have."
"Well, that's strange because I swore I spoke to another traitor a couple of weeks ago."
"Your Visored subordinates do not count."
"No, not the Visored," I answered, scratching my chin as the man looked at me while wondering whether or not I should.
On the one hand, it would show that I'm not a traitor if I reveal that he is around, but on the other hand, Azashiro might decide to kill you instead of just watching or Yamamoto might decide to kill me since I am interesting to a former captain.
'…Eh, I'll just say and get it over with.'
"You will not for if you do, nothing is stopping me from simply going away and siding with this Aizen fellow. At least, I shall find more amusement with him than with this lot," Azashiro's voice echoed in my mouth and I caught Yamamoto's narrowed gaze as I flinched and looked to the side.
"Do not try to look for me. You will never find m-"
"Stop," I whispered, watching as everything around me froze before catching sight of the shadowy figure standing in the corner. As the world resumed, I narrowed my eyes as the figure vanished, feeling the Reimyaku under my feet as well as the slight amusement flowing through it.
"Oh? That's a new trick you've learned."
"Who is this traitor you spoke of?"
"Well, what is your answer, Don Kanonji?", Azashiro asked and I narrowed my eyes before smirking and looking at the man.
"Kenpachi Azashiro. Stop," I answered while stopping the world, immediately grasping onto the reishi in the air and the Reimyaku under us before snapping my fingers.
The second the world resumed, the spectral form of Azashiro looked all but pleased as Yamamoto's eyes flickered to the man and I caught the brief flash of surprise before anger took its place as Azashiro vanished.
'Hmm, I had more control over it this time. I guess Mimihagi's boost helped a lot.'
"It appears that traitors are now popping out of the woodworks," I heard Yamamoto mutter and I looked to him before immediately walking over and hiding behind a nervous Chojiro. The reason for that was none other than the immense Reiatsu cracking the room and making both of us still our breathing as Yamamoto looked absolutely livid.
'What do we do now?'
'We? This is on you, my good sir. I had nothing to do with this.'
'I thought you liked Western stuff. Aren't knights supposed to be noble and all that sacrificial stuff?'
'No, knights protect those who cannot protect themselves and you can protect yourself. You're on your own.'
'Traitor,' I thought with a grumble as Chojiro finished our mental eye conversation, but that was the wrong thing to do as the sound drew Yamamoto's attention.
Chojiro immediately sacrificed me by stepping to the side, making me glare at him before I froze as Yamamoto appeared in front of me with a step and a low growl.
"Why is a prisoner of Muken interested in you?"
"N-No clue, to be honest. He just showed up one day, talked to me and then said that he's going to keep a close eye on my journey. Well, not anymore considering I just told you about him."
"Oh, do not worry, Don Kanonji. I will still keep a close eye on you for they will search for me, but they will never catch me."
'Because you can fuse with the Reishi in the air as well as the Reimyaku of the dimension. Well, that's just bullshit.'
"Wait, Muken? Isn't that the name of that prison you guys have that's near-infinite in size? I like to read your classified files," I answered as Yamamoto looked at me and the man narrowed his eyes before I exhaled in relief as the man sighed.
"For your information, yes, it is, but you shall not know more of it."
"Oh, please, don't tell me more. I'm more than happy with what I know. Now, wanna get back to training?"
"No, I have some things to attend to," The man murmured and I shrugged before bowing to him, nodding to Chojiro with a smug smile while he narrowed his eyes at me as I left.
After all, I just made his life a lot more difficult for him for the next couple of days.
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"So, now the Captain Commander is mad at you?"
"Yep, and that's why I'm hiding out here until I need to leave. By the way, how have you been, Akon?", I asked with a smile as I sipped my tea, to which the man just rolled his eyes while Nemu sipped at her tea as well.
"Quite well, thank you. Well, as well as I can be now that I've been made acting captain."
"Acting captain or captain-captain?"
"No one in the 12th Division other than Master Mayuri knows how to use Bankai, but since I've worked under him for the longest time, I also know everything that he does."
"You sure it's everything? From what I've heard, the man was quite secretive in his life."
"Yes, but thankfully, I had the foresight to upload my memories every minute while I was still alive," I went still at the familiar psychopathic tone, slowly looking to the monitor to see the smiling face of Mayuri on the screen.
"…Is that a rec-"
"Recording? No, I am not. I am the pre-programmed mind of Mayuri Kurotsuchi that he had uploaded during his final moments to his main computer."
"How do I wipe it?"
"Don't bother. He hasn't even told me because he's making a new body for him."
"Nemuri No.7 was an experiment of mine and she was quite the success. Alas, I will not be uploaded into the glorious form that I had possessed as I cannot make my new body into an adult form, but it will feel nice to relive the beauty of childhood again. Perhaps, I will be different this time or perhaps I will not."
"Well, fucking lov- Wait, you won't be the same person?", I asked, watching as Mayuri scoffed while Nemu and Akon nodded.
"Are you hard of hearing? I just said that it will be a new body and while my mind will be uploaded, the child brain can't survive the mind of a genius such as I being placed into it."
"Hehehehe~ So what you're saying is that I can also be there to manipulate you into becoming something else?", I asked with a wide grin, Akon looking amused at my words while Mayuri just hummed with a thoughtful look.
"Hmm, it would be a good experiment to see what the life of a simpleton is like. Yes, that would be a fun experiment indeed," I just rolled my eyes at his words before glancing at Nemu who was sipping her tea.
"You don't look as excited about this as I was expecting you to be."
"Because Master Mayuri has passed on. What is left is merely a fragment of his brilliance that I will raise as his mother."
"M-My mother?! How dare you, Nemuri No.7?! I am your c-"
"Quiet, Mayuri Junior. Mother is having a discussion," Nemu answered with a cold gaze and I was surprised as the machine actually froze for a moment before the screen flickered and Mayuri grumbled something under his breath.
"Yep, that was a surprise for us to see the first time too. Sweet Nemuri who loved to follow Master Mayuri's command is now commanding him to do her bidding."
"…I honestly can't wait to see how this ends. Anyway, I suppose it's a good thing I killed your physical form, then. Perhaps you may turn out to be a good person in your next life."
"That would require me to stop being the curious being that I am…I'll have to pass. Being a person with no morals is who I am and will be."
"I suppose only time will tel-Actually, Mr. No Morals, I have a question for you."
"Ask away. I will not answer."
"Cute. What would you say is the thing that tethers the soul to the physical form? Other than one's Chain of Fate, of course," I said, watching as Mayuri raised an eyebrow while both Akon and Nemu looked intrigued at my question.
"What makes you think I know the answer to that question?"
"Mayuri, you've done extensive research and experimentation on Quincies, which means that you've also done experimentation on how different their souls are from the souls of the average human, Shinigami and Hollow, right?"
"And what, pray tell, do you want to do with this information?"
"I want to create a spell that severs the mind, body and soul from each other and turns whatever it hits into pure reishi," I answered, my answer making Akon's eyes widen while Nemu narrowed her eyes.
"…Hahahaha~Ahahahahaha~! And you called me the monster?! Hahahaha! Oh, that is quite the devious spell! Anyone hit by it would be erased from existence, never to return back to the cycle of souls."
"Yes, and I wish to make sure that it pierces through whatever defence someone may throw up against it."
"Because those stronger than you have defences that can resist the spell even if you shoot it at them. Therefore, you want an instant-kill spell that can level the playing field. Oh, how I do love the plan that you are concocting."
"So, you do know the information, then?", I asked, watching as Mayuri looked at me before smirking and nodding.
"I have the files you need, but in exchange, I want something from you."
"You want to die again? I can find the device with your consciousness and do that for you."
"No, I want to be the first to witness it in action. I want to see what it does to the mind, body and soul of someone struck by it."
"…That's it?"
" 'That's it?' Oh, you are a simpleton indeed. You understand that when you succeed in creating such a spell, no one will underestimate you ever again. Your spell would be powerful enough to disturb the natural order of the cycle of souls and last I checked, only Kido spells of the level 90 and higher are capable of doing that."
"And? I want something that I can be sure will help me live to the next day and this is it."
"Hehehehe~ I like that thought. Very well, let us get started on this research."
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"It is a shame that Rukia couldn't wait for us, huh sensei?"
"Well, I think it's more of a situation where she doesn't want to walk with me. You know, after the question and all."
"R-Right, the question," Orihime muttered and I smiled as I caught the hint of jealousy in her voice as well as the slight blush on her cheeks.
"T-There is that too."
"You know, I forgot to ask. Do you think it was too far if she likes Ichigo considering…well, that you like Ichigo?"
"N-N-No! No, no, it was okay," She spoke with a shaky smile, to which I nodded with a soft chuckle before looking forward at the Dangai we were walking through.
"So, the girl and the 4th Seat of the 13th Division are both in love with the Kurosaki guy?"
"Kind of, I think. The one likes him a lot and the other wants to kill me if I even suggest that she likes him."
"Huh, sounds like a handf-", I quickly formed a barrier to block the Bala aimed at his head, the man jumping at the loud explosion while Orihime quickly looked at where I was looking.
"Why did you block it? It would have been a painless death," The pale-skinned man with tear markings on his face spoke with a stoic look as he walked out of the shadows, my eyes narrowed as I stared at the Espada who stared back.
"Sensei-"
"Orihime, you going to turn and go back or are you going to be able to help?", I asked, the girl sensing the seriousness in my tone as she looked at Ulquiorra's empty stare before nodding.
"I can help."
"Good. You two, go back."
"Apologies, but I'm afraid w-"
"I'm afraid that if you two don't move now, you two will die before the fight could even truly begin," I answered right as two Bala flew through the air, but smirked as a pixie appeared in front of both men, blocking the attacks.
"Go, please," Orihime spoke as Tsubaki floated beside her, the other three floating all around her while the other two dismissed their barrier.
"Hmm, it appears the girl has grown in the time that she's been gone," I heard Ulquiorra murmur, not letting my guard down as the Espada lowered his fist the second the Shinigami ran away.
"Now, then. Think you could do offence or defence?"
"I'm better at defence," Orihime spoke and I nodded as my sceptre glowed, watching Ulquiorra raise an eyebrow before I smiled and spoke.
"Good. I trust you with my life then. Stop," With a thought, a Kan'onball formed at the tip of the sceptre as everything in the Dangai ceased, quickly firing it at Ulquiorra.
A second later, time resumed right as the Kan'onball exploded, Orihime already forming a three-layered barrier as the explosion slammed into it.
Yet, as the smoke settled, I was not surprised to see the Arrancar standing with no change in his facial expression, simply staring at us with the same bored like usual.
'Well, it was to be expected that he would take more than a Kan'onball.'
"Am I to assume that you will resist capture?"
"What do you think?", I asked as I lowered my sceptre, Orihime dismissing her barriers as the Arrancar nodded.
"Very well. Then, force shall be needed to bring you with me."
"You're going to have a hard time getting her away from here."
"…It appears you are mistaken, Don Kanonji. It is not her that I seek to capture. It's you," The Arrancar spoke and I blinked before glancing at Orihime who looked surprised.
'Well, isn't that a twist?'
A/N: Sorry for the late upload. I'm busy rewatching House of the Dragon to get the timelines right and I forgot about the time.
Anyway, a subtle change in the canon as Ulquiorra is here for the Don and the orange-haired girl. What will that change? Find out next time~!
Next chapter: Truth.
Like always, you can go to my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read ahead on this as well as many other stories & even some that haven't been released out to this site yet. If you want to, you are free to, but if you don't want, all's good as I will still be uploading here. This is just me trying to get some extra cash.
Anyway, as always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!