Chapter 9 An Opposite Name

[Wilfora]

Time: Unbeknownst
Place: Kyoto

Red glared at the hollow. How dare it try to eat a human! He thought, shoving the spirit back into its body. “Run,” he told the human woman, who couldn’t even see him. After the human woman ran off, Red turned back to the hollow, finding that its arm had regenerated.

In the distance past the great bulk of the hollow before him, Red could see the waves crashing against the ground-up golden rod colored shards of glass that made up the sands there in Kyoto. Mid-tide huh. Looks to me like we are in an ominous situation, he thought to himself. What great fun.

“What is it that they call you Shinigami?” the odd shaped elephant asked. “For I am known as Ckriss.” Indeed Ckriss [Lust] was odd shaped. Where the tusks of the elephant were meant to be was replaced with a lime green pair of pincers, while the trunk still held its own shape.

The body was indeed made of unnecessary bulk though but it carried the pigment of all the hollows at that class; black. The mask he wore was white, with streaks of red that swirled with a rich blue in an intricate design that wound itself along the back to the tail, which was not short but long and had a barbed head of skin on the end of it, instead of just fur or hair.

“You ask of my name hollow,” He asked himself puzzled by this. Never had he met such a hollow that would even treat a fight as a noble. This was the first one that seemed to know that right of fight, as he did. “How kind of you to tell me your name. Yet, you still have asked mine.” Red sighed. “I am Red, 3rd seat of division 3. Satisfied?”

“Indeed so.” Ckriss charged quickly, trying to catch the shinigami off guard. Red was expecting it. They can do the introductions correct, yet why? Why do they never bother with the actual fight and make it fair!? He thought, stepping to the right, just out of reach of the huge hollow.

Ckriss tried to stop, but with his short legs, he only managed to skid to a slow stop into the water of the beach, where Red noticed that the tides had come in more now. He grinned to himself and gripped the hilt of his sword, Blue Demon.

“Hikari no naka de odorhi, ao oni！” {Dance in the light, Blue Demon}. Red drew quickly and carried it through the air, where it changed from the dull black of the compacted form, to the deep teal color of its shikai. The hilt, like normal, had wound itself around his hand, while the guard sheathed most of his hand.

Ckriss turned and looked at the shinigami before him. He was not going to give in so quick to think that he was beaten. He should have thought differently.

He roared, or bellowed in this case, and charged back towards Red. Red was still in a chant for an incantation; his eyes widened in fear causing the light of the inaction’s powers wavered as the demon blade flickered from blue to black and back again for a while.

This stopped when Red managed to retain his fear and finished the incantation. He trust the ball of light into the sword, as he watched the hollow closely. “Henkan, nakaba shio ga yobu!” {Transformation, call the mid-tide}.

From the normally curved up blade of his shikai, the blade separated forming a claw like blade, where the top blade was longer then the bottom. Red cringed as the flattened metal wrapped around his arm tightened. That was normal for the hilt to do such a thing, as it was part of the reason that Red loved the ocean and water in general. He had died by the water.

Use to the pain once again, Red grinned feeling Demon’s power coursing through him. Ckriss continued his stumbling way towards the shinigami, his tail flickered back and forth like that of a cat, but much quicker. Ckriss knew that Red, like most of his kind, was up to no good, now that the sword wrapped around his right arm had morphed to a new form. Let us rumble me. Alternatively, I won’t make it if I don’t try, Ckriss thought to himself, letting spirit particles gather in his mouth.

Red stepped forward once, then took off at the hollow. Blue Demon, before you stands your meal. To take it, you must lend me thine power, Red thought to the inner being he knew was there, ready for any kind of feast that was its to take. Come forth, ocean waves. Hear thy master’s hunger!

Ckriss neared the shinigami enough, and opened his mouth, raising his trunk, as he released the cero. Once the cero had left the hollow’s mouth and was out of range, Ckriss snapped his pincers together and seconds later, sent bala right after the cero.

Red saw the cero coming and jumped to the left continuing his way towards Ckriss. He was then retched off his feet seconds later, and flung against a palm tree, where constant bala held him upright to the tree. Ckriss stalked forward, his strides becoming longer and quicker.

Near Red was the edge of the ocean. Even in pain, he managed a smug grin. This appalled Ckriss. He did not need a shinigami that was going to smile in death. He wanted one that would scream and beg for its life. Is that so hard to ask for?! He thought, debating what to do now.

Not that he had time to think what course of pain to inflict upon the shinigami, before he was hoisted up into the air by something that didn’t seem to have substance, which threw him into the salty waters of the ocean. Ckriss struggled for the surface, and kept being pulled down roughly as the underwater currents were not going to let go of their master’s feast quite yet.

Red stood, and retrieved Blue Demon from the now cool sands that got into his sandals, which he shook out now. The currents will hold him down until I call them to release the hollow or what ever prey that I catch for the master, he thought, sliding the blade over his hand, as he took the last steps to where the ocean met the sands at that time. Let him up. The master is raving again. Indeed Demon was. In Red’s hand, Demon pulsed and wrapped and unwrapped himself around Red’s arm.

The currents heard the command, though to the hollows and other shinigami of the realms, Red had not even spoken. It was the way that the sword communicated to him, and that was the way that Red had chosen to speak to the waves and currents that followed his zanpakuto’s style.

Ckriss felt himself being pushed to the surface of what he now recognized as water and a hell made of salt. He hadn’t held his breath, as he had no lungs in this, lower state of hollow. His tail flickered back and forth quicker, angered by this wasted time underwater. He was hungered beyond reason, and this shinigami was going to be the main course.

Ckriss shot, having no real choice in the matter, into the sky where he balanced on the air. His legs were long now, and he seemed not to care, as he took off at Red, the bulb on his tail growing in mass, as the spikes elongated.

Red was ready, and casually dropped the tip of his sword into the sand. Using the flick of his wrist, the sand followed Demon’s edge, making a circle of sand that floated in the air. Red closed the circle and brought the blade to the middle of the circle.

“Tanin no tamashī o katto shi, ketsueki o toru. Mizu no ha!” {Cut the souls of others and take the blood. Water blades!} Red cried out, pulling the blade back so that the tip was even with his chest then trust forwards through the drifting circle of sand, releasing a column of shattered water blades.

Ckriss on the other hand had his mind set on winning this. He surrounded the spikes coming from the barb at the end of his tail with dark lime colored spirit energy, and swinging his tail around to put more force behind them, fired the now dark lime spikes at Red.

The mini-water droplet blades danced in the remainder of the sunlight, seeming to glimmer a bit, as they headed, gliding with the currents of water that they were meant to be, at Ckriss. While the horde of lime encrusted spikes, flew down with no grace. They only managed to stay on course barely wavering from their target.

Both of the attacks didn't last long in just air; air that pushed in from everywhere, making the area pause in time for a moment. Then the simple small time stop was over; the need was too great. The pulsing need to destroy one another, to seek out a challenge.

Red stayed on the soft sands, watching the hollow come at him, the attacks surging towards one another.

Rather than the attacks hitting full on, only a small amount of the attacks met one another. That part of the shard'ed attack created a cloud of smoke that mixed with the oncoming fog from the ocean concealing Ckriss and Red.

Ckriss licked his lips and walked forward towards the direction that he had last seen the shinigami that went by the name of Red, straight into the fog. Where he was met by the keen-edged water dirks which pierced his hollow skin. His legs were snapped and cut clean off. His body a murky mess of holes.

Red was not left alone either. The hollow's glowing spikes showed through the fog as they approached, and as they drew within a stone's throw, Red began to twist out of their path. Not that it was to have fault. The radioactive shafts hit their targets, some in the ground, trees, and water, while the rest made their way to the intended whereabouts; Red's body.

Red leapt back and took off running, towards the immense spiritual pressures that he felt from the north side of town. Prince must be ready to release, Red thought as he picked up speed. Then he checked the opponent. Red skidded to a stop. You have to be kidding me. That's why... I must hurry! Red shunpo'ed sensing Ckriss beginning to follow behind him. Must hurry. It's imperative that he makes it back to the Seireitei alive!