Cinematic: Fateful Night

The rope tightened, and suddenly the world was tinged with red and black haze. There was pain, constriction… a laugh echoed in the background, and then words came from even closer. “Bargain struck…” There was a face before him, wolfish and inhuman, white skin coating it… no, a mask! Yellow eyes glowed with evil intent as they met Zeich’s. A wicked grin spread across the demonic muzzle, a sense of pleasure and satisfaction rolling off of the beast like waves of oily liquid. The boy felt fear; fear of dying, fear of this monster. Yet for some reason he accepted the monster’s presence, and a bargain had been accepted. What was this bargain? He couldn’t remember…

Time shifted. Suddenly the constriction was gone, just leaving a burning pain around Zeich’s throat. His hands felt warm, wet; looking down, he stared in horror at the blood coating them. What had happened? A glance around showed over a dozen bodies, their throats ripped out, chunks of flesh simply torn away from the rest of their bodies and creating a scene of carnage around him. Zeich’s eyes darted to the bodies, and then back to his hands, and they widened in horror as he realized what had happened. He… he had killed all of these people. He didn’t remember doing it, but at the same time he felt… a horrible joy, a bloodlust, a desire for more that felt alien and wrong. He quickly forced it down, even as he fell to his knees, the last of his life spent…

As he fell, Zeich felt dark claws latching onto his body, onto his soul, and he felt something… something consuming him, something taking him away. It was alien, horrible, evil; those words barely touched on the surface of the sensation. But most of all, it promised darkness. Zeich closed his eyes, welcoming that darkness, that eternal sleep that would free him from the constant horrors of his daily life. So what if he had made the deal? He was dead now. Whatever that beast wanted, it could have it. Zeich had no need for this world; he would fall beneath the depths of death and be freed from his pain…

(OOC: Stop the music.)



With a gasp, Zeich woke in his head, bolting upright. The Seventh Seat’s body was slicked with sweat, his sheets twisted around him, and his Zanpaktou knocked over from his thrashing about. He panted heavily, trying to slow his panicked heartbeat, looking around the room. That sequence again… Zeich thought to himself as he closed his eyes, willing his body to calm, pressing his fingers to his temples. It’s even coming into my dreams now… He was clearly shaken, doing his best to compose himself, when it was obvious that he wasn’t going to calm so easily. It only seems to be getting worse, too.

With a sigh, Zeich pushed himself out of bed, grabbing his Shihakushō and throwing it around his shoulders. He dressed quickly, donning his usual garb; his short jacket hung loosely on his frame, the ends of it just above his waist, while his black undershirt wrapped around beneath it like the night’s shadows. His gloves and belts were strapped on quickly, and Zeich’s Zanpaktou were hung at his sides; lately, the Seventh Seat didn’t go anywhere without them. Finally, he reached for the ash-colored scarf that he normally wore to hide the scars around his neck, the scars that marked his death by hanging. The Shinigami hesitated; did he really need to keep wearing it? Was he hiding anything from anyone but himself? Everyone had scars, injuries they had gotten as Shinigami, and wore them as badges of honor. Why did he hide his? They meant nothing to anyone else, and said nothing of his horrors, the nightmares that lurked in his memories. Hiding them was only hiding from himself. He didn’t need it.

With a sigh, Zeich grabbed the scarf and threw it around his neck before heading out into the night. He had some thinking to do.





“Chug, chug, chug, chug!”

The roar of the crowd was only encouragement to Raion as he lifted up a large keg, one whose girth was matched only by the lion’s own tank as it jutted out beneath the barrel he was holding. It wasn’t a full container, by all means; even the drunk Captain’s voracity had its limits, and there was no way he could finish off a keg by himself. He certainly was making an effort to look as if he had though; after a few cups of sake, the lion had grabbed the half-empty barrel and had lifted it up, putting his muzzle to the spigot and draining as much of the container as he could. Already he had drained half of what remained, a quarter of a barrel on his own, and still the crowd only cheered him on as the residents of District 14 watched one of their favorite Captains show them how to really party.

It was not to be, unfortunately; Raion’s lungs were large, but so was his body, and as a result he couldn’t hold his breath nearly as long as other people. With a gasp he lowered the keg, panting and coughing as he had inadvertently taken a partial breath while drinking, but it didn’t take more than a moment to clear his chest. Laughing uproariously and rubbing a paw through his mane sheepishly, Raion accepted the good-natured pats of consolation from those who had lost their bets on him. District 14 was one of the lion’s familiar haunts, and this particular bar, the Drunken Lion, had actually been named after him thanks to his efforts to get a tavern of sorts established in nearly every district. Everyone knew Raion in District 14, and aside from the few prudes who turned their nose up at alcohol, everyone there seemed to love him.

Sitting heavily for a moment as the fog of alcohol caught up with him, especially after the amount he had just consumed, the lion let out a happy groan of contentment, his vision swimming. Life was good, Raion decided, with booze in his belly and a group of friends to enjoy the good times with. There was a lot going on lately, what with invasions and various attacks in the human and spiritual worlds, but here those troubles could be forgotten for a time. Here, Raion didn’t have any responsibilities, any worries or duties as a Captain; here, despite being a lion anthromorph, he was just another person, a resident of Soul Society who could enjoy what little peacetime he got with his friends.

Unfortunately, it was getting particularly late, and Raion had to get back to Squad 9’s Barracks while everyone was still asleep. Though it was well-known that the lion went out on these late-night celebrations, Tomoe had issued a curfew so that he could get back without having to skulk in drunk off his ass; it was supposed to be a matter of reputation, even if Raion’s was that of a lazy and chaotic drunk. Still, knowing that he’d get a tongue-lashing and maybe a few blows from Bachi should he choose to ignore the woman’s request, the lion pushed himself away from the table and staggered towards the door, declining any offers to help him back to Seireitei and waving goodnight to everyone gathered, promising to be around later in the week.

“Man, why do I let Tomoe push me around…” Raion mumbled to himself as he staggered his way through the Rukongai, arriving at the gates to Seireitei quite quickly. “Then again, she does hit me with Bachi if I don’t listen… and admittedly, she has quite the body…” Drunk as he was, Raion made no note of the fact that he was caressing the air in front of him, almost like he would a woman’s chest, and he gave a drunken laugh at the mental image he was getting. Tomoe was certainly a well-built woman, if a little scrawny, and while her face was at best a B-, her body was pushing an A for sure…





This isn’t helping at all… A stone was sent flying across the cobblestones of Seireitei’s paved roadways, sent flying by a well-aimed kick from a disgruntled Shinigami. Zeich had been walking through the streets for a good hour or so, trying to clear his mind, but the dream had been particularly vivid, and stuck with him even on waking. It was so familiar too; the Seventh Seat had been experiencing similar flashbacks for a little while now, and they were becoming uncomfortably common. What was it about those images that seemed so familiar? It was like looking back at memories, but Zeich didn’t remember doing any of it. Yet they continued to grow, becoming longer and more detailed.

The first part, that much he did remember; it was how he had died. Zeich had been hung for disobeying someone, though he couldn’t remember who, and he distinctly remembered the man’s words. “You left me hanging on the delivery, and so I’m going to have to leave you hanging.” The words meant nothing to Zeich, but he remembered being led up to the platform, the rope fastened around his neck. He remembered falling, the snap of his neck breaking as the rope caused his weight to tug on the fragile vertebrae, and then falling into darkness. After that, his memories had nothing, and yet, those words were still there, hanging in the depths of his thoughts. It was where the vision first became disconnected from his memories, yet still familiar.

Bargain struck…

What bargain? What did that voice mean? Zeich had heard it speak to him several times now, yet he couldn’t figure out where it had come from. Ventus and Polaris had both confirmed that they had not heard it, yet Zeich knew that he hadn’t been imagining things. The voice had been very real, talking about a debt, talking about a bargain… what deal had been made, and why did he not remember it? The Seventh Seat was only finding more questions in his introspection, rather than answers, and it was becoming frustrating, yet what could he do? He didn’t want to go to his Captain about it, lest he be considered insane and sent to Squad 9 for treatment for an indefinite period of time. Or worse, he could be sent to Squad 12 to be examined as a guinea pig for research into mental insanity.

Damnit, what does it all mean…



Zeich continued his walk down the street, a stroll without any direction as he tried to sort his thoughts. A sound drew his attention, however, and immediately the Seventh Seat’s head came up, his worries scattered for a moment as he warily sought out the source of the noise. His amber eyes caught sight of a figure moving in the darkness, a rather large one at that, and one he didn’t recognize; Zeich didn’t think he knew of anyone among the Shinigami who was that large, though he admittedly did not know a great many. Still, the silhouette towered far higher than the average human did, and was much more massive too. Odds were, it wasn’t human, and those thoughts were confirmed as a beast stepped into the light.

The monster was massive, easily seven or more feet tall, and excessively large in bulk too. It was in the shape of a lion, and though it didn’t possess the same skeletal-white appearance as the standard Hollow, Zeich’s first bet would be that it was one. The Shihakushō on its frame was offsetting, but the Seventh Seat had run into a number of intelligent Hollows before, and it wasn’t implausible that they couldn’t disguise themselves. But such a blatant disguise, that of an animal; did Hueco Mundo really think that Shinigami were so stupid? No one would believe that a walking animal could be anything but a Hollow! Quickly the Shinigami drew Ventus from the sheath at his side, the thin blade whipping out towards the creature even as Zeich stepped forward in a Shunpo.

“Die, Hollow!”

(Reiatsu Counts: 1950 (Zeich) / 4000 (Raion))





Hollow…?

Raion heard the attack before he felt it, and suddenly a sword blade came whistling through the night air at him. The lion was too drunk to react fast enough, and even as he attempted to jump back out of the way, instincts screaming at him, the Captain felt metal slam into his side. The sword’s wielder thankfully lacked the spiritual power to cut through Raion’s flesh, but he had enough strength that the blow hurt, a rib creaking from the impact. The external force may not have been enough to cut the flesh, but the impact from the actual hit was something else! The Captain staggered back, rubbing at the injured spot, and noticing an enormous hole in his Shihakushō with a gasp; Tomoe would kill him! It was a pain to get new clothes tailored, and expensive, and as a result she scolded him every time he damaged them!

“Aw man, she’s going to give me the rough side of her temper for this…” Raion mumbled to himself, but there was no time for complaint; already the unknown assailant was striking again, moving quickly among the shadows. A blur of black and gray among the darkness, The figure was hard to see, and Raion’s intoxication wasn’t helping at all. Quickly the lion pulled out his sake jug, taking a deep draw from it and holding it in his muzzle at ready even as he attempted to track his opponent’s movements. The assailant darted forward again, attempting to step in with another powerful swing, as if he hadn’t registered that the first attack had been ineffective. This one would be worse, as Raion was now prepared, and he released a spray of golden mist from between his lips, using the sake he had held in his mouth for his powerful Mist technique. (Reiatsu: 3900)

The cloud of vaporized sake wasn’t the entirety of the attack, though; even as the assailant was enveloped in its intoxicating mists, Raion had summoned a Sōkatsui into his hand through a mental cast, forming it into an orb. (Reiatsu: 3800) This orb was pressed into the cloud of sake, and as one of the main components of alcohol was highly flammable ethanol, the entire wave of alcoholic vapors simply burst into flames. An explosion rocketed forward, filling the area with light, and shattered a wall directly opposite Raion as the force of the attack simply tore through it, lighting a line of cobblestone on fire and leaving the smell of smoke and sake heavy in the air.



(OOC: Keep it coming! Same song.)



Such power!

Zeich found himself moving quickly even as he was caught in the burst of golden fog, a Shunpo allowing him to move out of its reach even as it was set ablaze behind him. (Reiatsu: 1900) The improvised flamethrower smashed through a wall behind him, tearing apart the stone barrier and continuing on for a short way afterwards. Zeich knew that if he had remained within its path, the combination of techniques would have finished him off in a heartbeat. Whatever this Hollow was, it was deadly; even after dodging the flamethrower, the Seventh Seat was feeling dizzy and nauseous. He had recognized the mist’s makeup from its smell even as he had escaped it, and knew what he was feeling were the first signs of intoxication; that cloud had been made of non-distilled sake! The alcoholic mist had already taken hold, beginning its inebriation, and Zeich’s vision was starting to swim; it had been some potent stuff!

Knowing that standing still wasn’t an option, however, Zeich retreated a short distance away to analyze his opponent. Whatever this lion-beast was, it was powerful and able to unleash powerful bursts of flame, as well as intoxicating liquids in what were likely a large number of forms. It meant that the monster was at very least skilled at long-ranged combat, and its powerful spiritual presence only further confirmed that. When Zeich had slashed the Hollow with his sword, he had been unprepared for the cutback that had rattled his arm, causing blood to spurt out in small wounds along the entirety of his hand and partway up his forearm, pain searing through the injured limb. If he had known he was going up against such a potent spiritual presence, then he would have released his Zanpaktou immediately. However, knowing his opponent was as spiritually powerful as this one was, he was also wary; such strength could easily shatter Ventus or Polaris, meaning that he had to be careful in his choice of attack.

That was no matter; the Shinigami was confident that he could deal with the Hollow if he remained cautious. “Let your howl echo to the four corners of the world, Ventus.” He raised his hand, letting the weapon fall from his grasp, yet the blade remained floating in midair. The weapon began to spin, whirling faster and faster, a circle of steel that flashed in the limited light of the street. As it spun, the glistening metal began to reform itself, taking on a circular shape that was hollowed out in the middle, until the end result was a chakram that floated in midair. Each of the chakram’s sides had a pointed blade that stood out from it, and had a letter inscribed at its base, one for each polar direction. Once the weapon was formed, it hooked itself to a gauntlet that was part of Zeich’s Shikai, covering his left arm like a small buckler. And then, once it was there, the weapon turned so that the “North” direction was facing forwards. (Reiatsu: 1650)



Darting forward again, Zeich drew Polaris and struck at the lion-like Hollow, the long, heavy blade slashing across at its chest. The creature was slow to respond, showing the same slow intellect that most Hollows had, and as a result the Seventh Seat’s blade slammed directly into the monster’s side. Its golden eyes opened with pain, and blood spurted out as Zeich’s larger weapon cut deep, digging half its width into the Hollow’s body. The weapon was caught at that point by a large paw that was also cut thanks to the Shinigami’s increased Spiritual pressure, but despite the blood flowing from the injury, Zeich was not able to cut any further. This creature had an impressively high strength to simply hold his sword like that!

Attempting to twist the blade further did no good, and Zeich couldn’t afford to swap Ventus over to its Eastern mode unless he wanted to release Polaris. He didn’t feel it was necessary, however; a quick gauge of his combat abilities compared to the Hollows suggested that the Shinigami was far faster, and had the ability to cut into his opponent. The big lion was powerful, both in strength and spiritual power, yet he wouldn’t be able to keep up; Zeich didn’t need to release Polaris, or switch Ventus’s form, as long as he could cut into the enemy. All he had to do was keep at a distance, attack carefully, and the Hollow would go down in no time. That last strike had been crippling, after all; with the deep wound in its body, the monster would run out of stamina much faster.





“Let your howl echo to the four corners of the world, Ventus.”

Was that… a Shinigami? Alert now despite his drunkenness, especially after being attacked in the night, Raion’s mind struggled to think through its fog of inebriation. That’s an actual Zanpaktou, so he’s not a Rogue… ah, damnit, not this again… When he had first arrived in the Rukongai, or even when he had first awakened as a spirit in the World of the Living, Raion had been attacked several times by Shinigami, mistaken as a Hollow. Just because he possessed an animal form rather than being purely human, he was still treated as a monster! This had become more and more uncommon as the lion had progressed to Vice Captaincy, and then to actual Captaincy, his reputation growing along with the knowledge of his appearance, and as a result, few people saw him as a Hollow anymore. Clearly, this Shinigami was either new, or was unsociable and hadn’t heard the rumors or stories.

Either way, that changed the battle quite a bit; Raion had to hold back, lest he harm a misinformed Shinigami. It also meant he as at a disadvantage, as this unknown attacker had no such qualms, and would attack freely. Thankfully, Raion’s abilities gave him some chance at simply subduing the man, because he could inebriate him to the point of unconsciousness rather than hurting him. The lion had drunk many a man under the table in the past, after all, so what was the difference between doing it with actual drinks and doing it with his Reiatsu? Tomoe might have made a comment at this point about the voluntary nature of the inebriation, but Raion’s mental image of her was even easier to ignore than the real thing, and thus he pushed the argument aside. Drawing his sword, he prepared for battle.

“Alright, let’s do this! Drink from the fountain of raptur—ggrkk!” Raion let out a gasp as he was interrupted in his Shikai’s release by a sharp, piercing pain through his side. The lion’s paw instantly reached to grab at the injury, and instead he found a sword blade attempting to cleave through his ribs. The Captain quickly grabbed it, eyes narrowing as he felt the weapon bite into his paw as well, but his strength allowed him to hold it back. Still, it didn’t stop his body from shaking as he felt weakness surge through his body to go with the loss of blood. The lion’s muzzle curled into a grimace as he tugged at the weapon, attempting to pull it free, though in a moment his assailant removed it anyway, leaping back.

Where had this ability to cut come from? Before, the attacker hadn’t been able to pierce Raion’s body, suggesting that he had a weak spiritual presence and thus couldn’t break through the lion’s. However, he had the ability to now, and the Captain hadn’t sensed any surge of Reiatsu that normally came with a boost to one’s Spiritual Pressure, only the wave of spiritual energy accompanying the other’s Shikai. The ability to use Shikai alone suggested that the attacker was a seated officer at least; most standard Shinigami did not have the ability to access their Zanpaktou’s first released form. Of course, any form of release negated the cutback that came with superior Spiritual Pressure, but Raion had noticed immediately that the blade which had struck him was a normal one; either it was a basic weapon, or an unreleased Zanpaktou. The latter was unlikely, as few Shinigami were so advanced as to develop a second Zanpaktou, and it was hardly the first weapon’s released form in such simplicity. Something had been done to alter his attacker’s spiritual presence.

Thankfully, there was a momentary reprieve, and Raion’s ability to tolerate pain allowed him to remove his paw from the wound, instead letting the injured palm rest on the side of his sake jug. A trail of crimson streaked down the side as the wound in his paw still bled profusely, but the lion had no skill in healing; the best he could do was bandage the wounds when there was a lull in combat until he was able to stop by Squad Four to get proper stitching and healing Kido for his injuries. Until then, Raion would have to hope his alcoholism would numb the wounds enough for him to fight until he managed to subdue his opponent. It was the only chance he had, and Raion wasn’t going to die in the middle of nowhere because of a mistake in identification; Tomoe would never forgive him.

“Drink from the fountain of rapture, lose yourself in the blissful haze: Man’etsu no Otaki!” The sake jug was brought up and tilted over the edge of Raion’s sword as it was drawn, the liquid within turning golden and sparkling as it poured out over the weapon. The Captain’s Zanpaktou, which was already as large as a human broadsword, extended in length and grew until it was even more massive, yet the lion held it easily in one hand. The blade became curved in a wicked wave-like edge, and the weapon began to drip with its own liquid as it finished shifting. In an instant, Raion held his released Zanpaktou at ready, determined to deal with the stranger as soon as quickly as possible, before his wounds caught up with him. (Reiatsu: 3600)



“Hado 40: Gouzen Demizu!” Raion lowered a paw towards the ground, and a wall of water started to form, shooting up into the air to create a liquid barrier between the Captain and his attacker. (Reiatsu: 3500) The Kido had been spoken without incantation, but Raion’s immense spiritual strength, especially while his Zanpaktou was released, was enough to make it a lethal attack anyway. There was more to it than that, however, as Raion’s paw shot forward, piercing through the wave and releasing Reiatsu into it. Immediately the Water to Wine technique started converting the water into sake, creating a flood of alcohol that swept across the street towards his attacker. (Reiatsu: 3400) The attack would be difficult to dodge, given the narrow nature of the streets, and if it hit, the man who was attacking would become further inebriated, slowing down physically and mentally, enabling Raion to subdue him.



Play This!

What the…?

Zeich felt the surge of spiritual strength even as he stepped back, wondering what was going on. Hollows had no form of release to his knowledge, unable to unleash powers beyond their normal, yet this one had just surged in power. He could almost feel himself bending beneath the released strength, and realized that the creature’s spiritual pressure was starting to crush him, indicating the Hollow’s power. The Shinigami was forced to one knee, grimacing as he tried to push himself up, and it took a heavy concentration of his Reiatsu to allow him to get back up. (Reiatsu: 1350) Even so, Zeich could still feel the creature’s spiritual presence, and knew that he couldn’t keep up this resistance for long; he would have to act quickly if he wanted to live.

Master! Zeich froze for a moment as he felt the yell from Ventus echoing in his mind. The battle was forgotten momentarily at the sensations that came with the wolf’s voice. Confusion, pain, and panic all came mixed into the cry, which came as a request for aid, and Zeich almost felt himself being drawn into his Inner World. He struggled against it, gasping for breath as he felt the urge almost overwhelm him. It felt as if the ground had gone out beneath him, and that he was swimming against a current that threatened to drag him in. Even as Zeich began to fight against it, it seemed as though hands were starting to clutch at him, to drag him into his own soul.

The forest was burning. Zeich stood atop the plateau that filled the interior of his Inner World, rising as an island above a sea of trees. The lush green forests were now burning, however, and in the distance all that remained was ash and skeletal husks. The flames kept moving forward, and at their head, heralding in the death and destruction, was a dark figure. He seemed almost humanoid, with long black hair cascading down his back and dark skin, though his face was covered in a mask and the man almost seemed to have fur across his body. Zeich knew the figure somehow, yet he had never once seen it within his Inner World; what was it?

Below, Ventus and Polaris both rose to meet the figure in challenge, hackles bared. Polaris struck first, lunging at the man’s throat with her teeth, but the shadow simply waved an imperious hand, and flames exploded outwards, catching the female wolf and sending her flying backwards, her ebony fur graying as it turned to ash. She recovered quickly, catching her feet and circling around to the shadow’s left, while Ventus took her cue and moved to the right. They lunged from opposing sides, but another sweep of the figures arms had walls of flame blocking both wolves in their attack, forcing them to leap back lest they be scorched. Zeich, atop the plateau and far away from the battle, could do little but watch the fight as it raged…

What the…? The sensations left Zeich dizzied and confused as he finally broke free of the image, trying to make sense of everything. The Seventh Seat quickly fought the weakness off, however, just in time to see an enormous wave of water rushing against him. Talk about a metaphor made literal! Shifting Ventus to its Western form, he leapt back, attempting to move out of the wave’s path, yet he was surprised when his speed remained unchanged. Startled, the Shinigami checked, and to be sure, Ventus had shifted forms, yet its powers remained locked within the Zanpaktou. Surprised as he was, there was no chance to dodge the water as it slammed into him.

The world turned into a swirling morass of golden liquid as Zeich found himself slammed against a wall, his back and neck aching from the impact. Atop that, the wave was made up of the same alcoholic substance as the mist before, judging by the smell and taste, and the inebriation kicked in a moment later. Zeich’s head began to spin worse, his vision dimming and blurring unless he focused to concentrate it, and his mind began to feel foggy, his thoughts slow. The one benefit was that it numbed the physical pain he was feeling, allowing him to ignore that much of his body’s aches and bruises, but losing his cognitive abilities was hardly an enjoyable alternative.



Why didn’t you help me, Ventus? Zeich demanded of his Zanpaktou angrily, wondering why the wolf chose now to withhold his powers. However, there was no response; did it relate to the vision he had suffered only a moment ago? The only way to verify that would be to go back to the Inner World, but Zeich couldn’t do that right now; he still had a Hollow to defeat, and it seemed he would have to do it without the use of his Zanpaktou’s abilities now. That made this all the more difficult, as he was starting to slow down both physically and mentally as the numbing alcohol started to weigh him down, and without Ventus, he would only get worse as more hits came through. I’ve got to end this soon…!

And that was when the liquid about him took on another form, a sentient being about him, and dragged him further under.

(OOC: Stop Song)



I’ve got him now! Raion’s paw raised up as the enormous tidal wave of sake took on a new form, the Serpent of Rapture technique turning the entire mass into a serpentine figure that erupted upwards, renewing its inebriating effects and dragging the attacker upwards with it thanks to the force of the moving currents within. (Reiatsu: 3250) The serpent twisted about, throwing its captive about with its undulations, before rising once more and arcing about to slam into the streets below, throwing the attacker down with it to slam against the streets. Raion had been careful about how hard he had thrown the man down, though it was difficult as his Shikai increased his inebriation tenfold, making it harder to concentrate. The fall shouldn’t have broken any bones, at least, though it would leave the man battered as hell afterwards.

As the water flowed away, the figure was left lying on the cobblestones, breathing but unmoving. Raion moved in close, wondering if he could identify the Shinigami in any way; since the figure was unconscious, he was unlikely to offer any retaliation during a brief check of his body. The lion drew close and rolled the young man that was revealed onto his back, looking him over quickly. Long black hair that had been tied back now lay in tangled strands about his neck and shoulders, and a scarf that had been around his neck now lay in a sodden heap to the side. It revealed a long, bright scar around the Shinigami’s neck, likely a rope mark, though Raion couldn’t imagine how it got there; no one had performed a hanging in Soul Society in… well, ever. Maybe it was the result of a previous fight?

Either way, there seemed to be no form of identification on the young man, so Raion couldn’t identify him, and thus didn’t know what Squad’s barracks to take him to. The lion couldn’t bring him to his quarters either, as Tomoe would throw a fit about bringing home a guy that reeked of alcohol for some reason. That left one destination, though Raion dreaded it; he would have to head over to Squad Four’s barracks to have the young man treated, his wounds seen to and his inebriation slept off. The lion would probably get his own injuries looked at as well; his uniform was sticking to the wound in his side, stemming the blood loss somewhat, while the injury to his paw still throbbed painfully.

Stooping down with some difficulty, as his balance was questionable, Raion made to scoop up the young man’s inert body and toss it over one shoulder. As he knelt down, however, the lion paused at a surge of spiritual energy that suddenly rushed off of the Shinigami’s form, blasting the Captain’s fur back. Raion frowned, as something about the energy felt foreign; mostly, it was composed of the boy’s natural Reiatsu, as it had been blasting about their entire battle, but there was something unusual laced within it, something heavy and powerful. Raion wasn’t sure where the energy was coming from, yet the young man practically radiated it, and it felt almost like it was becoming more powerful.

What is this…!?



Play This!

He was back in his Inner World, but this time Zeich was at the base of the plateau, standing beside Ventus and Polaris before the shadow. Both wolves were exhausted, having battled the figure and slowly losing ground. Burns coated both of them, though Polaris was worse off, her fur burned away in patches, while an eye was seared shut and she walked with a limp. Ventus, on the other hand, had his fur singed and was panting heavily. The shadow, on the other hand, seemed undisturbed as it continued to stride forward, flames licking around it. The fires had caught the innermost circle of trees now, and though they were more resistant, the last line of defense before Zeich’s soul, they were starting to burn as well.

The shadow was much clearer at eye level, and Zeich was shocked to discover how similar it looked to him. They were the same height, bore the same hair, though it was let free rather than the Shinigami’s own tied-back ponytail, and wore the same outfit. However, the shadow lacked Zeich’s scarf, and the boy’s fears were confirmed as he noticed the rope scar around the figure’s neck, a mirror of the one that was on his. “Who the hell are you…?” Panic tinged Zeich’s voice, an unusual emotion in his words. “Why do you look like me? What are you doing? Answer me!”

A deep laugh boomed out from beneath the demonic mask that coated the shadow’s face, and when it spoke, its voice was distorted, twisted. “You don’t remember yet, Zeich? I’ve only been reminding you daily now, and even in your dreams. You owe me your portion of our bargain, and I’m here to collect.” Zeich’s eyes widened as he heard those words. The bargain…? Here, he could find some answers! This being was determined to claim its part in it, however, as if it had not collected previously. The Shinigami was not going to get off without a fight, and he prepared himself in case the being came after him, though he wasn’t sure how he was going to react to the fire.

“What is this bargain? What are you talking about?”

“You don’t remember? How… quaint.” The figure laughed again, before it reached into its robes and removed a large object, revealed to be a human head. Zeich’s stomach lurched, even though he had seen and dealt death before; something about the casual way in which the shadow carried about that head was revolting. The worst part was that the face was familiar, and the Seventh Seat recognized it from the dream that had woken him earlier. It was one of the figures who had been killed, the bodies lying around Zeich as he stood there with blood on his hands, trembling and unsure what had happened. The Shinigami felt himself begin to shake; he had thought that part was only his imagination changing his fears into nightmares; they couldn’t be real!

“All those years ago… you were to be killed. The Black Dragons had sentenced you to death for your failure and the loss they had suffered as a result, and thus they had put you in a cell to rot until they had come for you.” The shadow seemed happy to narrate, his tone mocking and eager. “It was then that we first met, little boy. You were scared, on the verge of death, and that proximity to your own end let you see me. You and I spoke, and I made an offer: I could not save you from death, but I could assure that, in your dying, you would in turn take those who would condemn you unfairly down into the abyss with you. All I asked for was your body.”

The shadow grinned, or so it felt; Zeich couldn’t see anything beneath the mask, but here was a smug satisfaction as the being continued to speak. “At the time, you declined. You were scared of me, then, and who wouldn’t be? We are far superior to humans, after all, and it is only natural that they tremble in awe. When you were being led to the scaffold, you saw your death waiting for you. You saw that you had no chance, no hope, and no future; anger filled you, and as they put the rope around your neck, you accepted the offer. Our bargain was struck, and I took your form to give you the revenge I promised.”

“No…”

“Yes. You remember those bodies, those dead figures? It was me, and at the same time it was you; you gave me permission to slaughter indiscriminately and in turn stained your soul red with blood. It was a wonderful bloodletting, and I thoroughly enjoyed their screams of terror as what they thought was a dead corpse rose up to tear them apart. The fear was… delicious.” The shadow let out another laugh, the octaves rising as it twisted into a shrieking cackle. It ended quickly, however, and the being stood tall once more, its stance confident as it stepped forward. With each step it made, Zeich backed away, fear suddenly filling his veins with ice.

“And now, boy, I’ve come to collect my end of the bargain… I want your body, and I will take it by force if I have to…”



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A hand reached up, grabbing Raion’s, as the boy looked up. His face suddenly curled into a grimace of pain and anger mixed together, and his eyes seemed unfocused, as if he were seeing something beyond the lion’s own vision. His lips were drawn into an almost feral snarl, but when the boy went to speak, it was mostly unintelligible. What was wrong with him? Was he sick? Did he have rabies? Oh god, Raion hoped the guy didn’t have rabies. There was no time to ponder that, however, as the Shinigami suddenly jumped up and lunged at Raion, his sword extended. The lion leapt back out of range of the attack, but suddenly the boy rocketed forward in a Shunpo, closing the gap and catching the lion with a powerful uppercut to the chin. (Reiatsu: 1300) The Captain’s head snapped back from the blow, and he stumbled, trying to regain his balance. Where had this sudden surge of strength come from?

“Graaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” Raion dodged again as the Shinigami swung at him once more, his sword whistling through the area that the lion had been in only a second before. The attack was poorly aimed, as if the boy were slashing at phantoms, but it was still a deadly threat. Whatever madness had taken hold of him, the young man was far more vicious than before, attacking quickly and brutally, as if to tear his opponent apart. Raion was forced to keep stepping back, unable to find an opening in the rapid flurry of strikes. His own sword could easily slap away the Shinigami’s, yet if he did so, there was a chance he could severely injure the young man. The Captain wanted to avoid lethal force as much as he could, but he knew that sooner or later, it would come down to self-defense.

And then an opening showed itself as the young man stabbed his sword forward, the weapon darting outwards. Raion sidestepped and grabbed the Shinigami’s arm, pulling him forward even as he spun, pulling the young man’s feet off of the ground before releasing him in a powerful throw across the cobblestone streets. The boy caught himself by twisting in midair, landing roughly but still ending up on his feet as he hit the ground, sliding backwards. It was enough for Raion, however, who was only attempting to put some distance between the two of them as he prepared another spell. The lion was hard-pressed with his arsenal, however, as many of his abilities had the risk of fatal damage with his self-restraint weakened. Still, he had to try!

“Hado 58: Tenran!” (Reiatsu: 3100) An enormous burst of wind blasted forward from Raion’s outstretched paw as the spell was released, rocketing across the battlefield. The young man was caught in the gust, blown backwards to slam against a wall once more. A gasp of pain escaped his lips, and Raion winced; it was becoming more and more difficult to restrain himself as the intoxicating effects of his own Shikai continued to override his cognitive abilities. The fight had to end soon, or he would end up killing the boy as a fully-powered spell or attack simply annihilated him. Raion hated to admit it to himself, but there was only one way he could incapacitate the boy for sure, without killing him; he would have to make use of his most powerful ability.

While the Shinigami was still recovering, Raion drew the sake jug off of his belt again, holding it before him. His spiritual presence surged, enough to be felt all across Seireitei, and likely enough to cause many to wonder what was going on. The Captain wasn’t concerned with reputation right now, though; he had more important things to worry about. Tossing the jug up into the air, Raion closed his eyes, concentrating, and then brought his sword down in a powerful slash, cleaving the container in two. The jug easily split beneath the mighty stroke, and its contents were released as an enormous cloud of golden mist filled the area, spreading out into a sphere around them. The smell of alcohol became stronger, and the sounds of sloshing liquid began to appear.

“Eternal bliss, pure rapture, perfect joy; flow out! Bankai, Kagirinai Man’etsu no Otaki!” (Reiatsu: 2700)



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Zeich lunged forward with his sword outstretched, Polaris leaping forward next to him as the manifestation of that weapon. The blade stabbed forwards towards the shadow’s heart, yet the being simply swatted the weapon away, and in turn sent the female wolf to crash to the ground as another gout of flame nearly consumed her. A clawed hand came towards Zeich, yet the Shinigami ducked beneath its grasp and slashed upwards, attempting to cut into the being’s chest. The shadow simply sidestepped and grabbed the Shinigami by the throat before hurling him backwards with immense strength, leaving the Seventh Seat to slam into the plateau behind him, rocks cutting into his back.

A bestial, lion-like creature filled Zeich’s vision, standing across the walkway from him, interposed with the shadow. Were they one and the same…?

Blinking and shaking his head to clear the vision, Zeich lunged forward, releasing Ventus in a powerful swing of his arm, the chakram’s blades whistling through the air even as the Shinigami came behind it, Polaris extended. The shadow knocked the male wolf away, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him into the ground before tossing him to lie prone a short distance away, but it left a moment of vulnerability that Zeich quickly exploited, leaping forward with a Shunpo as he stabbed Polaris forward to thrust it into the being’s chest. (Reiatsu: 1250) There was something wrong, though; the Shinigami’s vision blurred as he struck, and everything seemed to slow down, as if he weren’t operating at full speed. The shadow simply smiled and countered the attack with a powerful backhand that sent Zeich sprawling and further clouded his mind, making him feel as though he were floating.

The scene changed again, and Zeich found himself floating in a golden sphere, his body suspended in something that seemed like liquid. He gasped for air instinctively, and realized the foolishness, expecting to drown. However, the sphere was like air, and he could breathe easily. The lion-figure floated opposite him, wielding a bladeless sword, its golden eyes intense, just like—

Golden eyes flashed beneath the mask as the shadow leapt forward on its own this time, a fist catching Zeich in the stomach and sending the young man flying. The Seventh Seat quickly caught himself, landing easily on his feet, though the floating sensation was still there, further throwing off his balance as his mind became more clouded. That wouldn’t stop him, though; quickly he called Ventus back to his side, the chakram reattaching itself to the gauntlet on left hand once more. Lunging again with Polaris, Zeich performed a one-handed slash upwards, one that would cleave through the shadow’s arm should it strike. Naturally it didn’t, as the being slipped just to the side, but Zeich had anticipated that, and brought his free arm off, releasing Ventus at point-blank range. The attack struck, the first hit that the Shinigami had landed the entire time, and the chakram’s blade slashed into the mask that covered the being’s face. Cracks spread across the surface, and portions of the mask fell away, showing ivory-white skin beneath the mask. And then, as it fell away, the face was revealed.

“No…”





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When the mists cleared, Raion’s Bankai was revealed in the form of an enormous golden sphere that contained both combatants. The sphere was made of liquid sake, but its composition was such that the two could breathe freely despite their environment. However, doing so came with its own drawbacks; every breath only furthered the intoxication that the two suffered, so strong that even Raion’s natural resistance to alcohol wasn’t enough to block its effects, and he too drifted towards senselessness, albeit at a slower rate than anyone else. The sake was potent enough to work even if the victim held their breath, though, absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream to intoxicate anyone within the sphere.

The lion himself now held a bladeless weapon where his sword had once been; the weapon had taken on the shape of a scepter with a hollowed tube where the blade should be, roughly the size of a candlestick. The handguard had shifted into a sphere with numerous runes across it, mostly nonsensical gibberish, symbolic of the drunkenness inflicted by the Bankai. Raion held it as confidently as he did any sword, and for good reason; one of the Captain’s Bankai abilities allowed him to form the sword’s blade anywhere within the sake sphere, forming it out of the liquid itself; with a blade as big as a broadsword’s, the lion could easily cut an opponent apart despite any distance between them.

Suddenly the Shinigami lunged forward, raising his left arm, and a chakram shot forth towards Raion. The lion evaded it with ease, as there was plenty of telegraphing to the action, and the bladed disc went hurtling past, hitting the edge of the sphere and rebounding despite its liquid form. In truth, the sphere’s edge was bound by Raion’s spiritual strength, using it to enhance the water tension and create a barrier that prevented foes from escaping as they fell into thoughtless sleep, where they were either left alone or killed, depending on the circumstance. Few could match Raion’s Reiatsu Strength, and as a result, the sphere quickly became a debilitating prison, one that became harder and harder to escape from.

The young man continued his attack, lunging forward with his other sword, but Raion was able to deflect it with his own weapon before sending the Shinigami flying to the side by gripping his Shihakushō and hurling him away with a powerful throw. The young man quickly recovered, though he was becoming more and more dazed, judging by how unsteady he looked; Raion’s Bankai was slowly overtaking the boy, and in no time he would be out cold, knocked unconscious by the alcohol, and hopefully the lion would be able to take the Shinigami over to Squad Four in order to get him checked out. Something very wrong was happening here, and Raion was becoming more and more uncomfortable with the whole situation.

The Shinigami lunged again, his weapon coming up in a slash, and Raion was hard-pressed to dodge it. The blade missed by inches as the lion pushed himself to the side, but he hadn’t expected the counterattack right after it as the boy’s arm came up again, revealing that the chakram had returned to him at some point. The disc was fired nearly point-blank, and if Raion hadn’t already been moving, it would have hit him in the chest. As it was, the blade tore across the top of his shoulder, leaving a deep gash that begin to bleed almost immediately on impact. The lion let out a roar of pain at the injury, which made it through even his clouded thoughts; the multiple wounds were starting to get to him more and more by the moment.

Raion couldn’t afford to let this drag on, and so he drew upon one of his Bankai’s abilities to concentrate the sphere of sake. All around the young Shinigami, the alcohol began to thicken, becoming stronger and more potent as the boy stopped, a look of terror on his face. Raion couldn’t tell if it was at the same phantoms the young man had been attacking up until this point or the increasing intoxication, but he couldn’t afford to show much mercy; once the boy was restrained and recovered, the lion could clear up all issues and the two of them could get on with their lives, maybe even be friends. But that was in the future; right now, Raion had to focus on surviving the present. The Shinigami wouldn’t be lasting much longer, though; already it was evident that he was starting to be lulled into unconsciousness.







Play This.

Zeich stared at himself, as though through a clouded mirror. Golden eyes met his own amber ones as the two met face-to-face, and the shadow’s grin grew, eyes widening with joy at the horror on his double’s face. For a moment, it was disorienting; Zeich almost felt for a moment like he was the imposter, the look-alike. The feeling was shaken off a moment later, and he backed away, bringing Polaris up to defend himself, to slash at what had to be nothing more than a mocking illusion from whatever being was causing the destruction of his Inner World. The blade descended rapidly towards the figure’s face, aimed to cleave through it and shatter the mirror of flesh that stood before Zeich, and the being didn’t even bother to dodge it this time, taking the blow directly.

Suddenly, the metal in Zeich’s hands heated up to temperatures far beyond those he could easily handle, and the Shinigami let the weapon fall with a hiss of pain as the weapon began to glow with a red-hot intensity. Simultaneously, Polaris let out a howl of agony, and Zeich turned to see that a powerful blast of fire had shot from the treeline and consumed the wolf, burning her alive. The Shinigami pushed himself to his feet and ran to the wolf, tugging his jacket off of his body and covering her body with it before pressing down, attempting to smother the flames. The heat licked up and scorched his bare arms, but Zeich continued to try and put out the fire anyway. Polaris’s howls continued to grow more agonized despite his efforts, slowly drowning down into gasping whimpers as her body burned.

Suddenly the jacket itself began to burn, and the flames leaped up, more powerful than ever, consuming everything within them. Polaris let out one more shriek of agony before the wolf simply collapsed. As she did, Zeich felt something ripped from him, leaving a gaping emptiness within his chest, and he let out a scream of unbridled suffering that was echoed by a forlorn howl from Ventus. Without even knowing what he was doing, the Shinigami pushed himself to his feet even as his eyes filled with tears, his vision blurring and his whole body trembling. He didn’t know how to put his loss and the hurt that came with it into words, other than to simply scream out his horror and pain as he darted forward, Ventus at his side as the two attacked recklessly, losing themselves in rage.

The shadow’s expression changed to an even cockier grin as the two darted at him, and immediately he raised a hand to let loose another burst of flames towards the two. Zeich leapt in front of the blast, shielding Ventus from the attack, and was surprised when the flames blasted around him, curving away before making impact. There was no time to consider why, though; the Shinigami was determined to rip the shadow’s throat out with his bare hands, with his teeth. Shinigami and Zanpaktou were one in the same in their desire to destroy the being that had killed their comrade, no matter what it took, and together the two of them lunged forward and dove at the shadow with the intent to kill.

The being sidestepped as Zeich’s hand came out, grasping for his throat, and he gripped the young man’s left wrist at the base of the gauntlet that housed Ventus’s weapon form with a hold like steel. The Shinigami let out a howl of agony as the metal started to heat up around his hand and wrist, feeling the pain start to lance through his body. He couldn’t free his hand from the shadow’s grip despite his every effort, showing that the being was far stronger than he was, no matter his efforts. The searing became stronger as the boy’s gauntlet began to glow white instead of red, and over to the side, Ventus was consumed with flames just as Polaris had been only moments before. Zeich’s eyes widened as he smelled burning hair, roasting flesh; smoke filled his senses, and the world seemed to spin.

“Nooooooooooooo!”

A snarl came, and suddenly Zeich was freed as Ventus leapt atop the shadow, regardless of his injuries. The flames died at the sudden attack, and the Shinigami fell to the ground as he was released. The gauntlet was torn off of his hand, revealing that the skin beneath was blistered and cracked from the extreme heat, burns coating a large majority of it. Once the near-molten metal was removed from his hand, Zeich leapt up and charged at the shadow, who threw Ventus aside, the wolf’s fur scorched and his body riddled with injuries. The Shinigami let out a yell of rage as his fist came out, catching the being in the stomach with a powerful blow. It was as effective as punching steel, however, and the shadow hardly flinched at the impact.

A hand shot out, catching Zeich by the throat, and the Shinigami felt himself suspended, staring into glowing yellow eyes that shone with an intensity matched only by the flames. “This just will not do, boy.” The words had a hint of irritation behind them, and the shadow’s eyes flashed again. “I had hoped you’d be stronger by now, at least enough to give me a real struggle. But as it is, both of your Zanpaktou have failed you, and you have only barely managed to land a single blow on me. Your body is far too weak to be my vessel.” With that, Zeich was simply thrown to the ground, and the shadow turned to walk away. “You can keep the cub over there for now; devouring the first was enough to satiate me. But know this, boy; I will return, and when I do, I expect you to be stronger. I want a body worthy of my possession.”

The being began to walk away, and Zeich could do nothing but watch; the last impact left him nauseous, his vision blurring and shifting to the point that nothing would remain steady. He couldn’t even push himself to his feet without nearly falling over, and as such he was left weakened and battered as the shadow walked away. “The hell… are you…?”

The shadow turned to look over his shoulder, golden eyes glittering as his lips twisted into a sardonic grin. “Just think of me as your Shadow… Always present, always watching. I expect you to be stronger next time, boy.” And with that, he vanished into the smoldering, skeletal forest. Zeich’s vision began to spin again, and then slowly faded into darkness as the Shinigami lost consciousness, laying on the broken, scorched field of his Inner World.