ミケル
New Member
Chapter 1 - Reason to Grow
Diaz = ミケル
Dirge = Lil Tailor
~10,000 words
Diaz was resting in the courtyard of the 5th Division headquarters after practicing in the field that he'd battled Captain Yukiko Murray for entrance into the Kidou users' division. Diaz had been practicing his use of both kidou and sword in battle and was tired from doing so for over four hours.
I wish there was something more productive to be doing. Diaz thought to himself. Getting stronger is nice, but when I'm practicing like this, I don't feel like I'm growing at all. His thoughts were interrupted when a shadow approached him and covered his face from the sun. Opening his eyes, Diaz saw someone he hadn't met personally before, but was quite aware of who it was. Holy...what could this be about?! Diaz thought as he stood up quickly, "Captain Meilan, what do I owe the honor to?"
She smiled at him and bowed her head noticeably but not deeply to the youth. "Kokuei Diaz?" she asked glancing from him to the paper in her hand, though her face was masked by a pair of dark glasses and the shadow of a Chinese hat. Satisfied with her assumption that this was in fact the correct person she began to speak in a rapid, formal fashion, "An arrankar that goes by the name of Akachi has been spotted in a remote area of Northern New Mexico," she thumbed through the file quickly, "it is believed to have been formed through a gang-style murder," she waved her hand dismissively, "that's the boring part, the important part is that you have been assigned to defeat this arrankar. I will follow you on this mission as arrankar are thought to be highly dangerous," she smiled lightly at the boy, "is this alright with you?"
Diaz opened his mouth a few times, no words coming out before he gathered his wits. Standing in front of me is one of the strongest people in Soul Society, and I'm making myself look like an idiot? Wait..arrancar? I wasn't expecting something like that...well, I did ask for something to help me raise my skills... "There is no problem, Captain Meilan." Diaz said respectfully, a bit nervous and afraid of the woman standing in front of him.
"Do we have time to pick up some supplies, Captain Meilan?" Diaz asked the woman. I don't have any energy pills or elixirs of restoration with me right now, so I'd like to be able to pick some up before I go.
She nodded to him appreciatively, "Of course. You are, for the most part, in charge of the mission. If you want to go get supplies, go get supplies. If you want to have a beer, go have a beer. I'm not grading you, " she shrugged good naturedly. "People don't ascend to the rank of vice captain without being at least somewhat capable," she added as an after thought though a dark shadow crossed her face for an instant.
Dirge made a sweeping motion with her hands as though to say "after you," and then took a step back. He seems tense "Oh yeah and you can just call me Dirge or simply Taichou. Even 'Hey you' works in a pinch," her face maintained its sincere smile, "I'm not big on formality."
"I understand, Dirge-san." Diaz smiled to the female captain. I thought she'd be a lot different than this. Must have just been weird rumors. Diaz thought to himself, relaxing a bit. "I have the supplies I need in the 5th Division office, I'll grab them quickly." Diaz led Dirge through the 5th division headquarters to the office, disappearing inside. Diaz looked around the room carefully, papers still strewn everywhere. It's still a mess of paperwork here...Captain Yukiko... Diaz found the packages of energy pills and elixirs of regeneration. Okay, that should be good. Diaz thought to himself as he adjusted the bracers he wore on his wrists. "I'm ready whenever you are, Dirge-san," Diaz nodded to her.
Alright," she said counting on her fingers for a moment, "the 5th is an odd division so that means the nearest Dangai gate is in the 4th division headquarters. So I suppose we should make our way over there and head to New Mexico," she paused in reflection suddenly glad she had her overcoat, "maybe wanna grab a sweater," she added as an after thought.
Diaz nodded to Dirge, deciding not to grab a coat or a sweater or anything. I've never had any issues with the cold before, so I shouldn't have any now. Diaz thought stubbornly. Diaz began walking towards the 4th Division, idly wondering why the kidou division had to be the 5th, and not having their own Dangai gate.
"I think I'll be fine as I am, Dirge-san," Diaz smiled to the captain who was walking next to him as they headed over to the 4th division. Entering the 4th division headquarters, Diaz waved to a few of the people milling through the halls that he knew. "I've never used this gate before, Dirge-san, so I'm not sure where it is exactly. I've always used a different one..." I guess that's because I was in Commander Shinkou Masaru's division before this, which isn't really near the 5th.
"Ah," she poked a slack jawed shinigami lightly on the shoulder, "excuse me?"
He glanced at her, turning another shade of white and bowing his head, "yes Meilan-sama shall I alert Captain Kuragari of your presence?"
She laughed, "No that won't be necessary at all. Can you show us the way to the Dangai gate?"
"Of course Meilan-sama," the man turned on his heel and led them to a large gate. It stood ominously before them, "where will you be going?"
"New Mexico," she glanced at the paper in her hands, and then simply handed it to him, "to that place."
"I know I don't have to inform you Meilan-sama, but you're aware it snows there?" he said after several moments.
She nodded absently and glanced at Diaz, "you see the Dangei gates are all in even numbered divisions with two trifling exceptions that well really is one exception. The first has a Dangai gate and the 2nd does not."
Diaz nodded to the captain he was with. "Yes, I was used to using the gate in the first division headquarters, or the tenth, since most of my missions were given to me by one of those two divisions." Diaz paused, thinking about it. "I went to Earth a few times with Vice Captain Junichi Terada and another younger person, Taiken Yuusuke a few times."
Arriving at the Dangai gate, Diaz continued the thoughts that were on his mind, "I never have been summoned for a hollow of this much power before." Diaz thought to himself again, pausing. "Actually, I'm just assuming this is stronger than the others, as it is an arrancar and, for the first time, I'm on a mission with a captain." Diaz grinned sheepishly. "I must say, I'm quite a bit nervous."
"Oh don't worry," she added with a concerned smile, "You'll do fine. I must admit I'm not up to par on the knowledge concerning which hollows you have faced, but" she glanced at the hollows amongst the stack of papers she had before stuffing them into her pocket, "this isn't a particularly dangerous arrankar I don't think. It's probably just a baby," she nodded to him.
"Though it does surprise me you have been to earth so many times, and with Juni-kun no less," she smiled as she thought of the one-handed shinigami, "I didn't think he got out much."
Diaz smiled, thinking of Vice Captain Junichi. "Well, Junichi taught me most of what I know about missions. I was actually assigned to two missions with him, the second because of a decently strong hollow killing four quincy in the first mission." Diaz paused, still upset that they were unable to save the quincy. "Fortunately, it didn't get their souls, so they were able to be sent peacefully to Soul Society."
Diaz noticed that the hell butterflies that would be escorting them to Earth through the Dangai gate had just arrived. "Well then, shall we be off, Dirge-san?" Diaz asked the captain.
"It would seem so," she glanced at the angry moths and sighed as they were drawn to them like flames. The gate swirled in front of them, "Seisatsu-fuku-erm Seisatsu-taichou probably doesn't want us wasting his valuable manpower anyway," and with that she stepped through the glowing gate, hoping he would follow behind her quickly.
Diaz stepped into the gate immediately after Dirge did, both shinigami appearing in the streets of New Mexico. "This," Diaz began, "Is one place I have never had to visit." Diaz looked around, taking in the surroundings. "Have you ever been here, Dirge-san?" Diaz asked, hoping she had been. If she's been here before, it will definately help us in picking a battlefield and locating the arrancar.
"Sorry," she shook her head sadly and hugged her arms close to her body as a chilly wind blew past them, "I'm from Brazil myself. I mostly go to South America," she glanced around the flat expanse of land, noting that it had a lot of two things, cold and cacti. She kicked at a rock absently and then looked back at him, "but if you're worrying about a place to do battle," she shrugged, "seems pretty desolate anyway. So what did Fuku Juni teach you anyway?" She was interested in the man, she had heard how he had gotten shorted of his captain spot but couldn't help feeling as though his own lack of initiative had caused such a thing.
There had been a time when she and Juni had been fiercely competitive, vying for position in the thirteenth. Ah how the mighty have fallen.
Diaz nodded. "Too bad, I was hoping you'd know about this place. But you're right, we can easily take the fight to the desert area outside of this small town." Diaz closed his eyes slightly, remembering what Junichi had taught him so long ago. "Junichi taught me how to conceal my pressence better than I had. I was a bit younger, and a bit foolish. Hiding my spiritual pressure was easy enough for me, but I was a bit..heavy footed, if you know what I mean." Diaz chuckled to himself, knowing that if he didn't learn from Junichi that he wouldn't be standing here today.
"Also, he taught me a bit about hollow behavior. Unfortunately, I don't know how well that information will apply to arrancar." Diaz began pressing his senses out, looking for the arrancar they'd been assigned to fight, not finding it immediately. "I can't sense it right now, so I assume it can hide its pressence." Diaz said to the captain of the 13th division.
"Could be," her own spiritual pressure rested comfortably around her. She had never been much for controlling her own pressure, nor hiding it. Rei Jiro had told her it was because her own pressure was so massive that it could not be constrained because her development level was always so closely tied to her strength. She sighed, "Or maybe it's a trap," she added casually and focused her energy, spirit threads forming around her at once. She glanced at them casually, then glanced at him, "well, what do you propose Di-kun?"
Diaz closed his eyes, meditating slightly. "I just learned how to do this, so it might take a few moments." Diaz told the woman next to him as he began to perform Atodzukeru. Diaz began to find the familiar tinge of energy from a hollow, also noticing that it had shinigami energy mixed into it. I found the signal, now I just need to trace it.
Diaz felt his eyes twitching slightly as he exerted himself to use the technique properly, following the thin lines of hollow energy out of the town, slightly south. "I feel it, albeit slightly." Diaz said as he turned to Dirge. "I can sense it outside of this town, to the south." Diaz began moving in that direction, sure Dirge was following him. It's not hard to notice where you are, Dirge-san. Your spiritual pressure is almost overwhelming! Diaz thought quietly to himself.
"Okay," she answered and followed behind him. It was amazing to her that he'd found the hollow so quickly, Masaru was right, if only in that the new ones are becoming stronger than we could have hoped. Maybe Sosugu is wrong, maybe we can simply crush the hollows and the vaizards. "This reminds me of the first hollow I fought. Of course it was sunny and warm and there wasn't snow and it wasn't a hybrid.." she trailed off for a moment, "but it was very angry, I think," she shook her head slightly, "So, why are you becoming a shinigami anyway?"
Diaz looked over his shoulder at the female captain, nodding to her. "I became a shinigami because I was able to." Diaz was vague and he knew it, so he continued on. "In life, I was poor. I lived with my father, my mother having passed away during childbirth. I lived a poor life, but my father raised me well." Diaz continued, begining to look ahead and hide his spiritual pressure slightly. "We were constantly harassed by a local gang. It wasn't very pretty, but my father always told me not to hurt people, because it would make my mother sad." Diaz remembered the past well.
I couldn't forget if I tried, I guess. Diaz thought sadly. "Because the gang couldn't get me upset by stealing from me or hurting me, they decided that I was being a 'smartass'. I came home one day from work, to find the gang members grouped around my house. Ignoring them like I always did, I entered my home, only to find my father dead on the floor." Diaz wiped a lone tear from his eye. "The *******s killed my father..." Diaz trailed off. Old memories that just won't die, huh?
She gulped once, then gulped again, "Oh," was all she said for a long time as silence filled the air between them, "I never knew my mother or father," she sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, "sometimes," she trailed off, her thoughts turning inward as she reflected on the situation, drawing it in her mind. If it had been her they would have all died instantly and violently, but that her was a her she tried to stay away from as much as possible, "What'd you wind up doing after that," she asked curiously. In the back of her mind she could see the narrow tail of the ribbon as they followed it and also noticed the boy reduce his spiritual pressure. Hmm, unless he's really good he probably won't be able to tell his pressure from mine.
Diaz's eyes narrowed to slits and his voice grew colder than ice. "I killed them." Diaz paused, remembering the three men he beat up and left to die, sure that nobody in the town would have saved them. They deserved it, Diaz. Fuzenkan, his other personality, whispered in his ear. I know. was the short reply Diaz said mentally back to the other personality.
"I then, foolishly, tried to take down their entire gang." Diaz smirked at that, remembering the pain well. "But, I woke up in Soul Society, in poverty again." Diaz continued his story to the older shinigami. "Once more, I lived in poverty for many years. Sometime during those years in Soul Society, I noticed that it was odd. Why was I the only one in this foster family that got hungry? Why was I the only one who needed food?" Diaz remembered battling for the food that was scarce in Rukongai. "Eventually, I was noticed by a shinigami, who noticed me nearly passing out from exhaustion. He offered me food, and told me I should apply to the Spirit Acadamy. And he told me why I was hungry. So I decided to join, because shinigami wouldn't be so poor, right?" Diaz laughed to himself, "I guess my original reason to join was very selfish, looking back on it now allows me to realize that. But I'm happy now."
She smirked, "you woke up in Rukongai eh?" she stifled a laugh, not meaning to mock the boy, but rather finding his word choice amusing, "I suppose if you followed anyone in the entire Gotei's reasons down far enough it would become selfish in nature. It's the kind of society that breeds selfishness behind the pretense of saving others."
Her eyes faded slightly as she looked into the distance, wrapping her coat around her body, "Is it not odd to you that us shinigami have so much food, while the citizens of rukongai live in abject poverty? All of the wealth is focused in Seireitei, but is there reason for it really? What use is money to the dead, yet we horde it anyway."
Diaz nodded at the philosophical question brought up by Dirge. "You're right, it is quite odd. Even though the people in Rukongai may not need the food to survive, they can still taste. They can still have the pleasure of eating. And I'm sure that in Soul Society, there is plenty of food to go around." Diaz thought sadly, remembering the times that he was starving to death in Rukongai.
His thoughts were interrupted as they neared the edge of the town, the hollow's thread becoming easier and easier to see. Diaz slowed down, looking over his shoulder at the captain who was behind him. "I think we're close to it." Diaz said quietly, afraid that any loud noise would alert the hollow to their pressence. What am I, a fool? The hollow probably already knows we're here... Diaz's eyes snapped open and his head looked around. If it knows we're here, then it had time to plan for us, is this a trap?!
A flock of birds cawed overhead and she watched them fly in the cloudless sky, "I guess they do fly south," she muttered to herself, "okay, so what's your plan then?" She looked at him carefully, judging his tension and apprehensiveness. "Keep in mind the majority of arrankar are quite intelligent. In addition, they tend to be large," she smirked, "though the really strong ones tend to be quite small in size," her mind flashed to a picture of Ordain.
She shook her head, forcing herself back to the battle scene and glanced at the young vice captain, "if you can, try and pump him for information. Sometimes they like to hear themselves talk. If there are others around, he'll probably let us know." The ribbon vibrated slightly in front of her. The bright red veins in the ribbon throbbed.
Diaz was about to reply to the female captain beside him, when he felt a huge surge of energy. Diaz nearly jumped out of his skin when he sensed the arrancar's energy. Holy ****! This arrancar far surpasses me! Diaz looked to the woman next to him, worried. If she didn't tag along, I would for sure be lunch for this hollow!
Diaz tried to not let his nervousness show to the hollow, who was standing on the desert ground by a cactus. He was large, quite so in fact, but not by hollow standards. The manlike beast stood a towering seven feet tall, with massive muscles and a huge hole in his chest. He wore a grey hakuma and a zanpakutou hung loosely at his side. That soul cutter is huge! was what Diaz thought immediately when his eyes laid upon the soul cutter.
The mask was interesting in its own, covering the middle of his face only. His eyes and mouth were completely visable, but the remainder of the mask completely bisected his face, covering his nose and cheeks with the customay white mask of a hollow. So this is an arrancar...how terrifying! Diaz thought as he neared hearing range of the massive arrancar. I hope Dirge will back me up when we fight, but we need to get information on the ******* and his friends, first...
Its terrible visage filled her eyes as she looked at it from head to toe and flopped down on the ground, dismissing it in an instant. Her thoughts turned back to the arrankars she had faced in the past. It was pitifully weak by those standards which must be why a single vice captain was sent after him. She wondered vaguely if the boy had bankai. It was quickly circulating that some of the vice captains were near attaining bankai and that alone scared her a little.
She smiled, revealing her teeth as she did so and pointed at it dully, "alright," she said flatly, "there he is. I wonder if he'll start to brag. Erm, anyway. Okay Di-kun I'm going to supervise from here and will lend you a hand if things get dicey. I'm sure he'll just wanna play with you a bit," she nodded absently and removed a small thermos from the confines of her overcoat. She removed the lid and steam welled up, fogging her glasses. She held the warmth toward her body for a moment before taking a tepid sip and sighing satisfactorily.
Diaz nodded, taking the suggestion as a direct order from a superior. Diaz approached the arrancar, making sure the he had it's complete attention. "Akachi," Diaz began as he drew his sword from it's sheath. "We're here to purify you, are you prepared?" Diaz had summoned all of his courage while glancing over his shoulder. I hope she'll help me when this gets messy... Diaz waited for the reply from the arrancar.
Diaz was also prepared when the ugly arrancar began laughing, his voice booming, something about it seeming familiar to Diaz. Why do I recognize that voice? Diaz wondered to himself while waiting for the laughter to die down and the conversation to begin.
"I'm not even a regular hollow, and all they send for me is one weak shinigami?" Diaz frowned at that insult, raising his voice to match the hollow. "I'm Kokuei Diaz, of the 5th division." Diaz stepped out, his sword reflecting some light around as it swayed slightly with his movement. "I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss me, if I were you, hollow." Diaz spat the word hollow as an insult to the arrancar, almost positive he'd take it as such.
The arrancar, Akachi, stepped forward as well, not bothering to draw his sword. The laughter dying down as soon as he heard the name of the shinigami that stood in front of him. "Kokuei...Diaz?" The hollow asked in a cold voice, different from the booming laughter and arrogant roaring from before. "That's correct, hollow!" Diaz insulted again. Akachi's face tilted forward, his nasty hair covering his eyes as he chuckled. "That's good...that's very good!" Akachi laughed evilly, the malicous voice reaching Diaz's ears. "The one who killed me is here before me again?! This is an amazing development! You could say this is fate! My revenge will be brought upon you today, Kokuei Diaz!" I haven't killed anyone...not any humans...maybe he's confused?
Dirge's eyes widened slowly as she sipped her tea. Well he shows initiative. I like that. There was something odd about the creature's pressure, it was too relaxed on the outside for the rage she felt welling up inside it. It reminded her of a fight Joshua had told her about. "oh no," she said to herself moments before the arrankar revealed its shocking twist. She shook her head, "this will get very bad I fear," she was now very concerned.
"Yo Hollow, you know this boy?" she called, drawing its attention toward her for the first time, "don't worry I won't hurt you. I'm just wondering about the circumstances involved."
Akachi grinned to the Captain of the 13th division when he noticed her for the first time. "So they didn't just sent one measley little boy!" He laughed again, smirking malicously. "No matter, if you're just going to watch, I'll kill you next!" Akachi roared at Dirge. "But I'll humor you, girl." Akachi continued, "Many years ago, I was one of the top members in a gang! We controlled the whole freaking town we lived in! But this stupid brat," Akachi pointed at Diaz with an evil look on his face, "Would just ignore everything we did to him! Even when we're torture him, beat him, steal from him, he just didn't care! Always going on about how fighting is wrong, and his mother wouldn't like it!"
Diaz's eyes were flashing different colors, from blue to orange and back again, Diaz begining to lose control of his own anger. Akachi continued on, "So I killed his father! Beat him to death with a club! And mister good and proper, here. Kokuei, gave up on his precious ideals! He managed to find a way to beat us! Me and my group, were all beaten by this man! And while laying there on the ground, bleeding to death, he left us to die! And nobody would help us! We were the terrifying rules of the town, and we died like dogs on the street!" Akachi roared, his spiritual pressure raging. "I drifted over my body, anger fuling me and not letting me pass on. Chained to his house, chained to the place where I died, I was there for years! Watching everyone being happy that I was dead! The hole in my chest grew and grew until I became a hollow! I ate until my hearts content, growing stronger! I realized that being human was just the begining! I'm now immortal and powerful! You won't win again, Kokuei!"
Diaz's eyes flashed completely orange, his spiritual pressure swirling upwards around him, the blue and gold bracers on his arms shining brightly, his head dipped down slightly so his hair covered his face. "I swear on my life, Akachi." Diaz said in the coldest tone he'd ever made. "I will," Diaz looked upwards, his face contorted in anger, "Kill you dead!" Diaz screamed, using a shyunpo to get into fighting distance of Akachi.
"Woah," she said softly as their emotions swept over her like a dense fog. She sat there as it descended around her, filling her up, she could taste their bitter hatred. She wondered what something like that would be like, to find the killer of you or your loved one again in the after life. To her the idea seemed surreal, though Joshua had told her about such a thing, but made no mention of details. "Well I guess everyone has to face their demons sometime," she glanced at the fuku's rippling spirit pressure, "might as well be now."
A grin crossed her face, How arrogant these arrankar are, surely he can sense my spirit pressure is much higher than his own. She shrugged. That wouldn't matter, hollows never made sense and she watched it appreciatively. "I wonder what its abilities are," she mused aloud.
Diaz slashed wildly at the arrancar, his emotions taking complete control of his body, no longer able to think properly, Diaz just attacked constantly. Akachi was faster than Diaz was though, the attacks being easily blocked or evaded. Diaz slashed downward with a particularly nasty attack, only to have to sidestepped and a punch to the gut winding him, bringing Diaz down to his knees. ****! He's so strong! Diaz thought inwardly, some resemblence of control returning to his still firey eyes.
Diaz stood back up, coughing, not willing to give in yet. Diaz began to regain some control of himself as he slashed at the hollow, the next bunch aimed at him barely missing as Diaz rotated his body to avoid the attack. Stabbing at the chest of the hollow, Diaz sharpened his sword with his energy, only to have the strike knocked down by Akachi. "Draw your sword, Akachi!" Diaz roared, still furious about the past.
"I don't need to draw my sword for a kid like you, Kokuei. I want you to suffer. I want you to know just how mch more powerful than you I am. I want you to die knowing just how weak you really are!" Diaz's anger increased again, but he managed to keep it under control. "You'll die here, Akachi. I will kill you." Diaz said, loudly. "You killed my father, and even in the afterlife, you still torment me?!" Diaz roared again, "Draw your sword, hollow! Draw your sword or I will force you to draw it!"
Akachi just grinned at Diaz, laughing a bit. "I'd like to see you try, Kokuei!" Diaz fumed at the insults of the hollow, normally he couldn't care, but just who this hollow was infuriated Diaz beyond belief. Diaz jumped backwards to gain some distance and was about to start using his fighting style, Like the Wind, when Akachi was on top of him in an instant. Attacks rained down on Diaz, who was barely able to block them, taking a few of them, causing him to bleed from the lip. ****it, he's faster than me, too! Diaz's rational side warned him. I can't beat him like this! Should I call for Dirge's help? Diaz frowned at that thought. I hope you understand, Dirge. I'm fighting for my pride. The pride of my father, and I will not lose!
She watched but she did not move. Her body was perched, her muscles tensed up like a pit fighter but she merely watched with a bemused grin on her face. She would not move an inch unless he called for her. Or he died, one of the two. Casually she wondered how many fights for pride there were as her energy searched outward, flowing from her body. It found the hollow's energy in an instant, begging her to move but she did nothing but watch. A particularly wicked volley of strikes struck the young fuku, "You know if you calmed down and remembered your training you'd do better Kokuei. Is this the power of the 5th division. Is this all Yukiko has taught her vice captain?" she turned toward Akachi, "you, what rank are you?"
Diaz was blown back by the volley of attacks, sent to the ground as the arrancar turned to Dirge. "I'm Akachi, heisotsu of the arrancar!" Diaz stood up, wiping the blood from his face with his left arm. "You should be paying attention to your fight, Akachi!" Diaz gathered energy into his left hand, thrusting it down to the earth while calling out the name of his spell, "Bakudou #59, Trap Floor!" Diaz sent the wave of energy into the ground, watching it spread like a spider's web across the earth for about fifty feet.
Calm down! something inside of Diaz screamed at him. Diaz took a deep breath, using shyunpo to get back into the battle. Diaz slashed downward at Akachi from the upper right, quickly bringing his sword back up and striking again from the upper left after it was deflected. Diaz continued fighting the arrancar, his movements slowing down fromt he choppy fighting he was doing before to the smooth, calm fighting style he usually used.
Diaz avoided a punch from the hollow, using shyunpo to gain some distance again. Akachi began to chase Diaz, just now noticing what the spell Diaz cast was. Looks like Akachi has realized what Trap Floor does! Diaz grinned to himself as he charged back into the battle, the speed difference quite notable to anyone who would be watching. "So, Akachi! Have you decided to become serious now?" Diaz grinned as he drew the first blood he'd gotten all day, slashing a line onto Akachi's shoulder and down his arm a few inches. Diaz flipped back as he avoided another punch by mere inches, awaiting the arrancar's reply.
Akachi slowly unsheathed the soul cutter on his side, grinning at Diaz. "I didn't think you would be able to force me to draw my sword, good job, Kokuei!" Akachi shouted as he slashed downwards at Diaz who raised his sword, letting the blade meet the hollow's blade, dipping the tip as he stepped to the side, letting Akachi's sword harmlessly miss him as he slashed downward at Akachi again, who relied on his endurance to take the blow. I can do this, remain calm, remain calm.
So he calmed down, that's good," she watched the vice captain fight with the common soldier. If this is their weakest level then we may be in trouble. She held out one hand and weighed the amount of vice captains they had. She sighed, "we're gonna need more vice captains. Then all at once he cast a strange spell, one she had heard about but never seen. It was still under development if she recalled correctly. The user of Trap Floor sent a thin sheet of kidou energy pulsing through the ground. The energy snaked out like a giant spider's web for about fifty feet. Unfortunately for those caught in the web their speed was reduced considerably. It was a relatively costly spell as well if she recalled correctly.
"To use such a strong spell so early, he must want to win very badly. The hollow hasn't even shown his ability yet," she glanced around and then lifted her thermos to her lips and took a long gulp. The warm liquid flowed into her and she smiled, "Hey Di-kun, don't throw all your eggs at once."
Sparks flew as the sound of metal on metal happened three times in succession, Diaz using his footwork, currently outmatching the hollow's own, to stay one step ahead of him. Unfortunately for Diaz, the hollow was much more skilled with the sword than he was, which was making this a hard battle. With the spider web on the ground, I have the advantage in speed. I need to use it! Diaz flipped backwards, taking some ground. His sword skill is far better than mine, so I need every little advantage I can get!
Diaz looked over his shoulder at Dirge for a moment. I wonder if this will impress her? Diaz thought quietly as he hefted his sword with his right hand only, putting the left hand on the blade of the sword. "Kaze no koe wa atsui..." Diaz began, the air arround him blowing gently. "Kimi no nozomi wa boku no gechi..." Diaz felt the air begin to speed up, moving from around his body up to his right arm and his sword. "Atemi, Noukonkaze!" Diaz called out, raising his sword above his head as the metal blade vanished into the wind, the wind itself replacing it as a dark blue blade of wind. Using the Kaze no Sodekuchi on his arms, Diaz was compressing the wind more than usual, to make the blade stronger, more powerful.
Diaz held Noukonkaze with one hand as he dashed back into the fray, slashing downward at Akachi and then immediately using a shyunpo to get to his side, slashing downward again. Diaz continued his pattern of moving in for an attack and moving out of range before the counter could be made, the hollow taking a few nicks and cuts from Diaz's blade of wind.
Suddenly, Akachi roared, increasing his spiritual pressure to a dangerous rate, for Diaz anyways. Crap, he's got that much? Diaz worried to himself. "I can still fight!" Diaz raised his sword above his head with his right hand, his energy flowing around him, causing his sleeveless gi to rustle loudly. "Kaze no Tsubasa!" Diaz called out, slashing downwards, sending by far the strongest blade of wind he'd every created soaring at Akachi at incredible speed. Diaz had began moving immediately after he threw the blade, sure that there would be an opening. When you dodge, I will cut you, Akachi. Diaz thought violently, his orange eyes melting into their mixture of orange and blue, their hazel tinted stage, signifying complete union of Fuzenkan and Diaz, for the moment.
The sword flared in front of her and she watched, it reminded her of a lightning zanpaku she had seen once long ago where lightning actually replaced the blade. I wonder if his sword is this strong. Blasts of wind whipped around her and she kind of feared for the hollow, if only for a couple moments. Then it happened, and she cringed in horror.
"Idiot," she cursed. He had been shyunpoing too much for an opponent who didn't rely on speed to win. That arrankar doesn't care how fast you are at all Akachi simply held out his palm, focusing his spirit pressure around him and stepped into the blow, allowing it to cleave a great bloody gash in his chest as he swung his sword down at the shinigami who appeared nearly beneath the sword.
"****!" Diaz called out as he rolled slightly, releasing his sword from his grip to avoid the blow, but not being fast enough, Diaz took a heavy cut across his chest, causing his blood to spray out. ****, I didn't expect him to take a blow like that! Diaz, now swordless, jumped backwards as far as he could without extreme pain. I may be in trouble now! Diaz worried inwardly, before realizing he did have a few things left.
"Bougyoudo #15, Yobiyoseru," Diaz whispered, holding his hand out in the direction of his sword. The sword trembled slightly and then fired like a rocket out of the hollow's chest, flying straight into Diaz's right hand as he caught the sword. "Kimi no kazamuki - Kawari! Kimi no Kurushimi - shuushi! Chiyu, Noukonkaze!" Diaz whispered the second command for his soul cutter, which caused the blade's wind to swirl around Diaz, sealing the wound on his chest, but not completely. ****, my healing ability isn't good enough to heal it all the way?
Diaz stood up, albeit shakily as the arrancar grinned, like he knew something was going to happen and there wasn't a **** thing Diaz would be able to do about it. The hollow was covered in Diaz's blood, and he raised his sword. The blood flowed up his body and around his blade, then sprayed upwards into the air off the tip of the blade. "Knives of Blood!" Akachi called out, Diaz's blood forming into a group of mean looking knives that began to hover around Akachi, as if he was the sun and they were his planets. Is that his ability? Diaz worried, wondering what else it could do.
Dirge began to laugh hysterically. "You've got to be kidding me hollow?" she yelled and shook her fist. Well, I guess that explains the nature of Kento's unique ability "You know I know a vaizard with the exact same ability," she called annoyingly. "The only difference between the two of you is he can probably keep his blades together," she smiled toothily at them. She then took a sip from her thermos and placed the lid back on it.
Inwardly she wondered how much she could help Diaz without him knowing it, yet at the same time she wondered what the extent of the hollow's powers were. She decided to wait a bit longer. "You don't even know what you're up against do you hollow?"
Diaz kept his distance from the hollow, not really feeling comfortable about entering the range of those knives that were floating around him. What can he do with those knives? Diaz's answer was made painfully clear as one of the knives started to vibrate slowly, and then faster. The knife then shot like an arrow at Diaz, who rotated his body at the last second to avoid the knife. "That's it?" Diaz was about to say when he felt a sharp pain in his right side.
Diaz looked downward, noticing the blade of blood stuck into his side. Diaz grabbed the blade and pulled it out, and once it left his body completely, the blood turned back into liquid and splattered to the ground. ****, they can follow my movements? Diaz frowned deeply, this fight getting much messier than he had hoped.
Akachi laughed, his booming laughter drawing Diaz's attention, "You see, Diaz? My power isn't some weak element like your's! I can make knives of your blood! And because they are made from your body, they will automatically follow you until they hit! And then, when they do hit, they cause more blood, allowing me to make more knives!" Akachi laughed even louder as he threw another knife at Diaz.
Diaz saw the knife coming his way and ducked as he ran past it, charging towards Akachi with his side aching from where the first had stabbed him. Diaz jumped over Akachi, barely avoiding the other knives that were circling him as he did so. Landing behind him, Diaz waited for the knife that was chasing him to near Akachi himself, and raised his left hand off of his sword, calling out the name of his next attack, "Hadou #33, Soukatsui!" Diaz fired a flat projectily that struck the man and the knife at the same time, violently exploding, destroying the knife. I hope that did some damage... Diaz thought, but noticed another knife flying at him from through the cloud of smoke and dust caused by the explosion. Diaz struck the knife down with his sword, causing it to return into a puddle of blood. I don't have much left in me...
Diaz was begining to breath heavily, his wound on his chest having reopened, and the puncture on his side made painfully worse. And this is just a common soldier arrancar...what will I be able to do to a fully formed one? Diaz cursed inwardly about his weakness, preparing his final combonation attack mentally.
She sighed, "that is a very good technique. I'ma hafta remember to suggest that to someone sometime," she nodded and then let her aura carry over the hollow, slamming into its pressure like a freight train. She grinned as the hollows knives dulled and at least half of them turned to pools of blood instantly, "what's wrong hollow, can't keep it together. Did that one spell hurt you so badly?" She shook her head, "what would Ordain or Petycon say if they saw your pathetic display?"
Diaz looked hurt but he wasn't beaten, he wasn't communicating yet. A bit more pushing and he's find what he was looking for. She sighed; she knew how hard it was, "Hey Di-kun you gotta let it go. Stop thinking and start feeling. If you use kidou throw yourself into the darkness. If you use your sword let it flow with your body like a river. It's part of you. Always remember that. Nothing is pulling for you so much as your sword is. Now stand up, grip the handle and swing with the sharpened edge hewn from your soul!"
Diaz stood up, Dirge's words helping him remember who he was, and what he knew. This is my final burst of strength, Dirge. Diaz thought quietly to himself, creating the circle of black in his mind that all kidou stems from. "I'll fight you with my very soul, Akachi!" Diaz called out, barely loud enough for everyone to hear him. Concentrating energy into his left hand, Diaz raised his right hand with Noukonkaze above his head, slashing downward and creating a Kaze no Tsubasa, not quite as strong as the previous one, but still powerful.
Diaz then knelt slightly, pressing his left hand to the ground and whispering, "Hadou #33, Altar!" Twenty stone javelins shot up from the ground into the air, each one about four feet long and five inches in diameter. Diaz continued his combonation technique by throwing Noukonkaze at Akachi, and then moving his body sideways so he'd get to Akachi's right side, but well out of fighting range.
Diaz watched as the javelins, blade of wind and the sword all converged on Akachi at once in a cloud of dust. Diaz then called back his sword, whispering, "Bougyoudo #15, Yobiyoseru!" The sword came flying back through the cloud of dust and Diaz caught it easily, but was unprepared to see five blades of blood soaring at him, faster than his tired body could move.
It didn't stop him from trying though. Diaz tried to sidestep, slashing down to take one of them out of the air, but his injured and drained body was too slow, all five blades hitting him, one in each leg and arm, and one in the stomach. The blades melted back into the liquid they came from as Diaz fell to his knees, Noukonkaze's wind blade vanishing and resolidifying into a blade of metal once more. I can't...go on... Diaz thought as the sword fell from his fingers, clattering to the dirt. Diaz looked at Dirge, his eyes converying the words his mouth had refused to say.
"Help me."
She was behind him in an instant, grabbing him from the air and turning her back to the ensuing volley of blades that followed. They struck her and dug into her flesh as the smoke cleared. She shyunpoed back to her perch and placed Diaz carefully on the ground, ignoring the hollow's reiatsu completely.
There was a growl as the creature rushed forward and she turned slamming her knee into its oncoming chest. Its eyes opened wide in pain as blood spurted from its mouth. "Have you ever watched wrestling? I just got tagged in hollow," she glared at the creature as it backed away, its hand curled tightly around the hilt of its sword.
"You did good kid," she said softly, not taking her eyes off the creature as she walked toward it. I can't defeat this hollow. The most I can do is drive it away so that Diaz retains his pride.
She flashed forward in an instant, bearing down on the hollow with much less speed than she possessed and flung her right fist out at the creature.
Diaz felt Dirge grabbing him, and in his dazed state, barely was able to notice the distance that she was able to move with one shyunpo. She..is very fast... Diaz thought to himself as he lay on the ground, bleeding. Is this the power of the captain of the 13th? Fuzenkan's words entered Diaz's mind, watching the fight through Diaz's now completely blue eyes.
Diaz watched as Dirge damaged the hollow with her knee, doing more damage to it with one blow than Diaz had been able to do the entire fight. Dirge's power completely surpassed Diaz's own, and he knew it, no matter much much he wished it wasn't true. I wish to have her power one day... Diaz thought through the haze of his mind, realizing completely what had happened.
He'd lost.
She smiled as the hollow blocked her blow easily and spun around swinging his sword at her. It stopped mere inches from her head as she blocked his arm with her hand and stepped close to it, stomping downward at its knee with her heel.
Crack
The hollow howled in pain and flung her backward. She flew easily landing on the ground in a crouch. "You're lucky woman," the creature spat, "that you are the second fighter. If we were to fight before you would be totally destroyed."
"I know," she replied, "You're very hurt thanks to the vice captain. I'm most fortunate he was able to injure you so greatly."
"I'm not injured woman," the creature bellowed once again and charged her, seeming to ignore its injured ankle. His fist caught her roughly on the jaw and she skidded back.
"If you aren't injured," she said pointing her finger at the creature, "why are you losing? Bakudou #12, Tragic Kingdom." Instantly the laser-like kidou shot out toward the creature, turning it a ghastly shade of white.
Diaz struggled to stay conscious during the fight, its not often one gets to witness the power of a captain. She's pretending that it was I who hurt that arrancar so much...but I know that I didn't do that much damage to it. Diaz thought dejectively, watching the power that he wished he could have, the power of a captain. Why must I be so weak? Why must I feel this way? Diaz cursed himself inwardly, knowing his weakness all to well.
Diaz watched as Dirge fired a kidou that Diaz knew all too well, the tragic kingdom spell. Diaz watched the white chalky substance cover the arrancar, making him look like a true ghost. The red dots appeared all over the body of the beast, oozing their dark goop all over him, binding him in a case of wax. Will Captain Dirge continue that into the Red Kingdom spell? Diaz idly wondered, hoping to pick up something, anything, from watching the captain of the 13th division fight.
The creature wobbled back, slowing down as the ooze quickly congealed around its body. Her elbow slammed into its chin knocking it high into the air and she grabbed its sword with her other hand, twisting violently. As it flew it seemed to stop and charged forward when she disappeared from view and appeared behind it, driving the sword into its own saketsu. It screamed in pain, wobbling forward, its own blade gouged into its skin.
"Bakudou #12 Red Kingdom," she added as an afterthought and the thick substance hardened, cutting into the hollow. Then she felt it all at once. Thick powerful reiatsu and watched as the sky above her tore open to reveal the eyes of hundreds of menos. Gillian she shyunpoed back toward Diaz, grabbing him roughly in her arms, "it's time to go kid," she said as the arrankar writhed, ripping the blade from its body.
Diaz held tightly onto his sword as Dirge picked him up, barely able to move his body to resheath it, using all of his mental control to hold it in his weakened hand. Diaz felt the pressure from the group of menos in the sky, staring down on them from Hueco Mundo as a shining light of energy was shot down, hitting Akachi directly. Ne..ga..tio..n? Diaz wondered as the ground below Akachi's feet crumbled and floated into the air as Akachi rose to the clouds, nursing his wounds. Akachi looked down on Diaz one last time before exiting the realm of Earth, grinning at him, as if to say "you are the loser, I have surpassed you."
Diaz felt his strength leaving his body, disgrace replacing the power that he'd felt that he gained with his hard work and his blood. I am not strong enough...I can't even complete the avenging of my father that I started so many years ago. I'm so worthless. Diaz wanted to cry, something he hadn't done is more years than he could remember when a voice whispered into his ear. A female voice. A very, very familiar voice, a voice that nobody besides him had ever heard. Do you want the power to defeat him, Diaz? Noukonkaze whispered in the deepest part of his mind. "Y...yes..." Diaz spoke aloud.
Dirge was moving as quickly as she could, trying to get away from that spot. If they all blasted at once, even she could not hope to protect the kid for long. Thankfully they seemed intent only on reclaiming their arrankar and she sighed once the rift closed itself.
She felt bad for the boy. He had done exceedingly well, especially against an arrankar. Unfortunately she didn't know how to convey this to him. He seemed, lost and broken. In his own little world and she sighed. "Yukiko is gonna kill me," she mumbled.
"You know kid, you did exceptionally. You might think that you didn't hurt the creature at all, but you're wrong. If you simply think you can't attain the strength of such a creature then you've lost before you started. He is a powerful enemy, that is true and he has weakened you. You let your restraint give way to anger and fury. You let your focus become shattered. In short, no matter how much power you had, you were already beaten," she glanced at him, kneeling upon the soft grass and placing him down gently beside her, "next time you face the enemy. Don't worry about your physical power. That's the weakest kind of power. If you strengthen your will to win. If you don't give up kid, you and your sword's power will mature and then you will be truly unstoppable."
Diaz heard Dirge's words, nodding to himself, but he didn't hear them in Dirge's voice. The voice speaking to him sounded like Noukonkaze...Dirge was similar to his sword, in their ideals, in the sound of their voice. In Diaz's mind, he was speaking to Noukonkaze, in the void that was the center of Diaz's mindscape. The blowing of the warm wind was here once more, and Diaz once again found himself staring at the divine form of Noukonkaze, her blue wings gently flapping, causing the warm wind to be emitted.
If you are in the dark, I will show you to the sun. a variation of an old song was being sung by Noukonkaze. She continued quietly, making her own words to the melody that Diaz knew but couldn't place. If you want the strength to continue, you must grow and take it from me. Noukonkaze wasn't really speaking, but her voice was surrounding Diaz in this dreamworld. Diaz's inner world was covered in a sad overture, as Diaz wallowed in his depression, not even listening to the words that Noukonkaze was saying.
"If you need me, you must summon me, Diaz." Noukonkaze spoke to him sadly, his eyes looking up at her, depressed. "How can I..how can I summon you?" Diaz called out to the fadding figure in his mind. You already know that...the stakes are set, Diaz. Summon me if you dare...if you believe you can...
Diaz opened his eyes, seeing Dirge near him, his back laying on the soft grass. "I..lost..." Diaz croaked out, his voice dry and his body feeling weaker than ever. It wasn't bloodloss that was doing this to him, it was the depression in his soul.
She smacked him, good and hard, right on the side of a head. She had a mind to box his ears good and thoroughly, "So what? I lost lots of fights. The only way you really lose is if you don't get stronger. Each battle is simply a way to get stronger, either by winning or losing. The fight is what's important. Listen to me. My life has witnessed some truly spectacular kickings of my ***. There have been enemies I've fought," she took off her hat and pulled her hair aside, revealing a thick jagged scar, "that have crushed me. But you only truly lose if you give up. If you concede to loss you feed it and it goes stronger. If you grow from your loss you grow stronger," she stood quickly. "which do you want to feed? Yourself or your depression? If it's a hollow you want to beat, grow stronger so you can defeat it. If it's vengeance you want, get up and take it with your own hand!"
Diaz sat up and nodded at the Captain of the 13th division. Shakely making it to his feet and putting Noukonkaze back in her sheath, Diaz bowed deeply to Dirge, fighting back the sadness that was overflowing within him. Her words ring true... a voice drifted through his mind like the wind through a meadow. "Thank you, Captain Meilan. For teaching me so much, and for giving me this chance to gain my honor back." Diaz smiled sadly at her.
"But I guess that I have a lot to do. A ton of work to do, and a ton of skills to train myself in." Diaz knew she could tell that he was unhappy, very depressed. Diaz continued to speak to her, hoping she'd honor his request. "If I may ask one favor of you, Captain." Diaz paused, swallowing the lump that was in his throat. "If you ever find information on Akachi, or plan to send a shinigami out on a mission in regards to him..." Diaz trailed off, sure that Dirge understood what he was asking. I will find a way to become stronger...I will find a way to defeat him...my honor demands it! I'll make a promise to my heart, to my mind and to my body. I will have my vengence upon that hollow! Diaz's face showed a sort of grim determination to get stronger, to become powerful enough to defeat that arrancar.
She nodded ever so slightly at him. "I'll remember that," she said softly, "You'll be the first to know. I'm aware of the pain of living with a defeat," she clenched her fist tightly, the knuckles of her right hand turning viciously white, "I know the pain of being unable to regain your honor no matter how much you struggle to get stronger. Yet for all the time that passes, for all the sadness you endure it will only make your victory that much sweeter. It reminds me of a story I once told one of my division mates about a man with a cherry," she began, "it was an immense thing, round and large and gleaming. People came from various villages just to see such a thing and all the while ignored their crops. As winter came upon them they did not worry because they had the cherry and it was large enough to feed them all, so the weeds came and overtook their gardens. When winter came, they suddenly found their cherry had rotted from the inside," she pointed her finger at him, "It's easy to say what they should or shouldn't have done. But do you hear what I tell you?"
Diaz nodded slightly, realizing at the point, that Dirge knew the pain that he was feeling. Diaz knew she knew perfectly well the exact feelings that he had. The tone of her voice, the clenching of her right hand. Diaz was injured, his pride was damaged, his depression stronger than ever, but his eyesight and hearing and perception were still top notch. She feels it, that pain. Who could she have lost to that she cannot defeat? Diaz wondered to himself.
Diaz felt the pain of his wounds returning once more, and reached into the folds of his shinigami robes and pulled out a vile of the elixir of restoration. Diaz popped the cap off, drinking it and quietly whispering the full chant to his spell, to avoid losing the effeciency that bypassing it would cause. "Imbue the body with the purest of the air, cover its wounds and cool its soul... Chiyudo #50, Seimei Bifuu." Diaz felt the air from his hands surround him, healing the wounds in his side and on his chest, his arms and legs, the wound closing slowly, tingling as the air circulated around Diaz's body.
Diaz looked up to Dirge, almost completely healed. "If I may ask, Dirge-san...who is the person you're trying to defeat? I don't mean to pry or anything, so if you don't wish to tell me...it is perfectly fine." Diaz smiled, the sadness still in his eyes and tone, and even his smile showed a bit of sadness.
She smirked at the boy, amazed at how long it had taken him to finally use the medicine he had been so thoughtful to bring along. "I lost a battle to the Captain of the eleventh division, Diega Torres. It occurred shortly after she became captain and we had a confrontation. This confrontation was over whether or not I would become her fukutaichou. A battle erupted in which the captain revealed her bankai to me," she cringed in memory, "I have not been able to live down that defeat. Even with my bankai, I'm not sure if I could win. I can make excuses about that battle before. About how if I had bankai at that time I might have won. How things might have turned out differently, but I'm not one to hang onto the past and say what if," she paused and decided to wind down her tirade, "You always have to create something new rather than borrow or lean on what you could have changed in the past. Eventually I will face her in battle and at that point I will either win or lose and a new path will emerge."
Diaz nodded to the older, more mature captain before him. "And then, I will hope I will have that same outlook. I want my revenge on that hollow, and the next time we meet, Captain Dirge Meilan...I will have created something new." Diaz smiled, some of his sadness fading with her words. "Let's go home, Dirge-san."