Shun
New Member
Continuation from On the White Sands of Hueco Mundo
The words reverberated in his mind as he painstakingly searched around for the next portal.
The trio of shinigami trudged on, looking for the exit that would carry them to yet another room and yet another enemy that lie in wait. And this time, it could have been anyone, ranging from a Vizored, a Quincy, a Human, a Hollow, or even another Shinigami. In the span of one battle, he had already learned that this game had brought together all the races to have ever existed. If it hadn't already come to it, this could easily turn into another Age of Turmoil. In order to prevent something like that from erupting, he had to survive - which was becoming quite a task indeed.
Reiki, while certainly an appreciated incentive, was not exactly healing up the wounds that he had already sustained although it did help close them up somewhat. In the wake of the grand battle that had just taken place earlier, the skies, despite having cleared up, still held traces of the storm that had brewed. Anything that was within a pretty reasonable distance would have surely been attracted to the reiatsu signatures that had been spiking - meaning that was more of a reason why they had to find the next door soon or else.
Before he could turn towards the other two to formulate some sort of plan, Ryoujin seemed to freeze in place. The endless desert that was Hueco Mundo was quickly replaced by a wasteland with thousands upon thousands of weapons embedded into the ground. Above the ruins, there was a large cityscape sitting on a rocky formation upon a cliff. Both Setsuna and Lucas vanished as his auburn orbs looked on with familiarity at the spectacle that was taking place in his inner world.
"What do ya need?" Ryoujin asked, as he waited for the phantom to reveal itself.
"You were lucky," the wind demon stated curtly, appearing a few yards away from the pink-haired youth. "That could have been it for you. And what then? All you worked for would be for nothing."
Ryoujin scoffed. "I know you didn't bring me here to just lecture me about luck. You know as well as I do that I don't have that sort of reprieve."
Kazeoni sighed. "Look at the situation you're in right now. Actually use that peanut-sized brain of yours."
"Hah, you are one to talk. You're an empty shell of armor," Ryoujin countered, tapping the side of his head.
Ignoring the boy's banter, the spirit continued, "There have already been numerous deaths in this game. I can't pinpoint where and who exactly it was, but for sure, both friends and foes have been eliminated already. If you don't watch yourself, you might find yourself in that same boat." There was a pause here as the zanpakutou spirit contemplated something. There was hesitation written all over it, but it nonetheless proceeded. "...Listen, there's a reason you don't have a BanKai release yet. Why do you think that is? I mean you do have an insane amount of spiritual pressure."
"Beats me, guess I'm just not meant to have it," he replied nonchalantly. "What if I said I didn't even want one?"
Right now, he didn't need this admonishing. Before the Blood Templar could so much as return back to his mission, blistering winds whipped up.
"That's bullshit, and we both know that. It's your fault. You could be so much more. Why are you so unmotivated!?"
For a split second, the Storm Hunter's eyes sharpened at the comment, but without replying, Ryoujin turned around, prepared to leave. With his back turned to Kazeoni, he waved as if that would serve as a proper answer to the question that was posed. As he noticed an object scintillate through the corner of his eyes, he held out an outstretched hand, grabbing hold of the spear that was meant to skewer him. With finesse, he quickly made use of the spear in order to parry the other weapons that were launched towards him in quick succession. In moments, hundreds of blades were thrown this way and that, clanging as each one of them hit the floor. Before long, Kazeoni seemed to have stopped, realizing that it was ultimately futile.
"The Gotei needs shinigami like you now more than ever. Tsubaki was a third seater back when you joined up, look at her now. Her strength rivals and even surpasses that of a Kenpachi's. Look at Kaede. She died, but in her time, she went from being an unseated officer to Captain of the Ninth. Emaru became vice-captain of the Fourth. Izuka was the Thirteenth's vice-captain. Kyuketsu is now the Acting Captain and has fit the role splendidly. And now the gap between you two is growing larger with each passing second. You could be up there. Are you just going to allow yourself to be another faceless shinigami who couldn't live up to his potential!?" Kazeoni asked incredulously. Its words fell on deaf ears however.
"Things sure haven't changed around here," Ryoujin remarked, averting the matter. As he opened his mouth to make another comment, an indistinguishable dart struck him on his shoulder, pain swelling up from the wound.
Weird, there's no blood, he thought, pulling the projectile out. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that it was a broken shard or perhaps a piece of a katana. Back then, he had not even been able to notice it - almost as if it the strike itself were coated with wind, reducing its visibility altogether.
"You're just running away. It's in your nature - dodging your responsibilities and what's important. How much longer do you expect to get away with it?"
In that moment, both zanpakutou and wielder mutually understood where the two stood at in this argument. Prolonging this any further would just jeapordize any chance that the pink-haired youth had in Anshinkan Raifuku's maze which currently wasn't much considering he hadn't even gotten another kanji piece even after struggling through that fray earlier.
"Continue like you are, and it'll all be over," Kazeoni added.
Yawning as if he had already forgotten that any of this had transpired, Ryoujin stared idly at Kazeoni, wondering if the spirit had anything further to say. When he was clear that the conversation had reached an uneventful closure, the pink-haired youth burst into a shunpo.
"How boring," he said as he returned back to reality.
"Surely there is jealousy. They are jealous, but not just that... they resent you"
"All they can do is wonder what you did, what deal with the devil you made."
The words reverberated in his mind as he painstakingly searched around for the next portal.
The trio of shinigami trudged on, looking for the exit that would carry them to yet another room and yet another enemy that lie in wait. And this time, it could have been anyone, ranging from a Vizored, a Quincy, a Human, a Hollow, or even another Shinigami. In the span of one battle, he had already learned that this game had brought together all the races to have ever existed. If it hadn't already come to it, this could easily turn into another Age of Turmoil. In order to prevent something like that from erupting, he had to survive - which was becoming quite a task indeed.
Reiki, while certainly an appreciated incentive, was not exactly healing up the wounds that he had already sustained although it did help close them up somewhat. In the wake of the grand battle that had just taken place earlier, the skies, despite having cleared up, still held traces of the storm that had brewed. Anything that was within a pretty reasonable distance would have surely been attracted to the reiatsu signatures that had been spiking - meaning that was more of a reason why they had to find the next door soon or else.
Before he could turn towards the other two to formulate some sort of plan, Ryoujin seemed to freeze in place. The endless desert that was Hueco Mundo was quickly replaced by a wasteland with thousands upon thousands of weapons embedded into the ground. Above the ruins, there was a large cityscape sitting on a rocky formation upon a cliff. Both Setsuna and Lucas vanished as his auburn orbs looked on with familiarity at the spectacle that was taking place in his inner world.
"What do ya need?" Ryoujin asked, as he waited for the phantom to reveal itself.
"You were lucky," the wind demon stated curtly, appearing a few yards away from the pink-haired youth. "That could have been it for you. And what then? All you worked for would be for nothing."
Ryoujin scoffed. "I know you didn't bring me here to just lecture me about luck. You know as well as I do that I don't have that sort of reprieve."
Kazeoni sighed. "Look at the situation you're in right now. Actually use that peanut-sized brain of yours."
"Hah, you are one to talk. You're an empty shell of armor," Ryoujin countered, tapping the side of his head.
Ignoring the boy's banter, the spirit continued, "There have already been numerous deaths in this game. I can't pinpoint where and who exactly it was, but for sure, both friends and foes have been eliminated already. If you don't watch yourself, you might find yourself in that same boat." There was a pause here as the zanpakutou spirit contemplated something. There was hesitation written all over it, but it nonetheless proceeded. "...Listen, there's a reason you don't have a BanKai release yet. Why do you think that is? I mean you do have an insane amount of spiritual pressure."
"Beats me, guess I'm just not meant to have it," he replied nonchalantly. "What if I said I didn't even want one?"
Right now, he didn't need this admonishing. Before the Blood Templar could so much as return back to his mission, blistering winds whipped up.
"That's bullshit, and we both know that. It's your fault. You could be so much more. Why are you so unmotivated!?"
For a split second, the Storm Hunter's eyes sharpened at the comment, but without replying, Ryoujin turned around, prepared to leave. With his back turned to Kazeoni, he waved as if that would serve as a proper answer to the question that was posed. As he noticed an object scintillate through the corner of his eyes, he held out an outstretched hand, grabbing hold of the spear that was meant to skewer him. With finesse, he quickly made use of the spear in order to parry the other weapons that were launched towards him in quick succession. In moments, hundreds of blades were thrown this way and that, clanging as each one of them hit the floor. Before long, Kazeoni seemed to have stopped, realizing that it was ultimately futile.
"The Gotei needs shinigami like you now more than ever. Tsubaki was a third seater back when you joined up, look at her now. Her strength rivals and even surpasses that of a Kenpachi's. Look at Kaede. She died, but in her time, she went from being an unseated officer to Captain of the Ninth. Emaru became vice-captain of the Fourth. Izuka was the Thirteenth's vice-captain. Kyuketsu is now the Acting Captain and has fit the role splendidly. And now the gap between you two is growing larger with each passing second. You could be up there. Are you just going to allow yourself to be another faceless shinigami who couldn't live up to his potential!?" Kazeoni asked incredulously. Its words fell on deaf ears however.
"Things sure haven't changed around here," Ryoujin remarked, averting the matter. As he opened his mouth to make another comment, an indistinguishable dart struck him on his shoulder, pain swelling up from the wound.
Weird, there's no blood, he thought, pulling the projectile out. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that it was a broken shard or perhaps a piece of a katana. Back then, he had not even been able to notice it - almost as if it the strike itself were coated with wind, reducing its visibility altogether.
"You're just running away. It's in your nature - dodging your responsibilities and what's important. How much longer do you expect to get away with it?"
In that moment, both zanpakutou and wielder mutually understood where the two stood at in this argument. Prolonging this any further would just jeapordize any chance that the pink-haired youth had in Anshinkan Raifuku's maze which currently wasn't much considering he hadn't even gotten another kanji piece even after struggling through that fray earlier.
"Continue like you are, and it'll all be over," Kazeoni added.
Yawning as if he had already forgotten that any of this had transpired, Ryoujin stared idly at Kazeoni, wondering if the spirit had anything further to say. When he was clear that the conversation had reached an uneventful closure, the pink-haired youth burst into a shunpo.
"How boring," he said as he returned back to reality.
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