Chapter 10 A Little too Far from Home

[Wilfora]

Time: Unbeknownst
Place: Kyoto

Shoved back by a humanoid hollow before him, Prince skidded on air, halfway kneeling in general direction of it.

What do I do? he asked himself his mind racing. This is the last hollow, yet… why must it be stronger than the others combined? He fretted and complained as he rose to his feet, some distance away. Laughter filled his ears and, looking towards the creature he has no name for, he began to wonder how.

“So ze little shinigami wants to know ze big hollow’s name. Amusing, seeing as I already know your name, Vice-Captain Prince Dante of Division 8.”

Prince’s jaw dropped. He had not said anything since departing from the others at the gate. H-how can this hollow know about me without having to talked to me?!

The hollow listened to the racing beat of the shinigami’s heart, and then sighed deeply. “No I am not reading your mind. It’s the ability to observe ze opponent. You carry ze Vice Captain’s badge, your squad’s insignia and I’ve heard of you before…” He finished quietly, speaking as if something bad were to occur if too much were to be said.

“Fine,” Prince said hesitantly, having found his voice. “That’s me. Now stop playing around and fight me. Friggin’ Hollow!” Prince held his sword up into the air in front of him, placing it horizontally with his left hand resting against the side of the blade. “Rage, Twisting Winds!”

Prince’s sword, having been drawn for a while now, flashed a dull rainy gray, before shattering in his hands. On either side of him the wind twisted creating mini tornados that shot strait out and not down.

“Ze name’s Brigon, you dolt…” he half whispered, as he thrust his hands inside his pockets.

Prince didn’t hear as he reached into the vortexes on either side of him. He grasped the empty air. However, just as quickly as they had come, the tornado-like winds shimmered into wisps of air that trailed along the delicate shafts of Yari (Japanese spears). Clutched in his right hand was a thick yari with a metal blade that was about his arm length, while another was gripped tight in his left being stouter. This one’s edge was blunt but with a rusted tattered edge. Both of them were shafted with bamboo, and light in color.

Prince lifted his head a bit looking at Brigon, having seen his lips move but had not heard him over the intense winds that had subdued once he gripped his weapon. “What was that?”

Brigon was silent, his face bare of emotion. “I said… my name, is Brigon. You inconceivable, mangy, dolt of a shinigami!” He bellowed, raw anger flowing from the hollow. And just as it came, it was gone. Extinguished within seconds. It was replaced with a slow-to-show smirk, as he tilted his head to the side a bit. “So you’re willing to release already. Good, good. Now I don’t have to wait for you to go into bankai.”

“Bankai? Like I’m going to show you that!” Not like I could right now anyway, he thought, as he gripped the yari in his left hand tighter.

Really now, Brigon thought to himself, outwardly sighing. But he said you could and would release for me. His mind wandered a bit trying to pull the pieces together.

“So you won’t show me. That’s too bad. I wasn’t going to give you another chance to,” he said as he surged forward.

Prince held fast to the sky in which he stood upon, closing his eyes for just a smidgen of a second. They snapped open wide, as Prince’s hold on his yari was no more, as they dropped towards the earth.

“Kazegami no yari” he mouthed. As if it were normal, his yari began to rise on their own. Shaped around the shafts were wisps of air curling around lightly. They snapped to a vertical position, coming to stop at Prince’s level -seeming to hover- as the dancing air had become invisible to the hollow’s and shinigami’s eyes.

The gap had been severed. Brigon drew his sword from the crude sheath that hung at his side, drawing his sword Halcon Primaria down in an arch of screaming hot air. Sparks flew when Prince’s yari intercepted the blow. Yari and sword interlocking; each time they grinded and pushed against each other, massive explosions were build up until one released the other.

Brigon lifted up the tip, steered it to the sky and brought it at the shinigami's throat, veering down. Prince saw it, and used the force of the air to push back, while the edge ran down his chest, missing its intended target. He winced, looking down upon the wound. It wasn't deep but still stung, as the tattered robes flapped against its opening.

Brigon didn't stop there, as he knew the shinigami would look at the wound. They always did. The yari was a slight problem; one he could ratify if he managed to predict what would happen next correctly. He kept going, the yari defending and attacking on their own as Prince looked up to watch, stern eyes following the damned hollow's every move.

The hollow smirked, stopping the yari's quick movements before they could reach that of his skin. Brigon watched as Prince's anger grew, but as did he felt the fear that was radiating off of Prince. Brigon drank it, absorbing the fear and anger inside of him, making him stronger, yet his hunger made him desire more.

“Cry merciful wind, not for me but for him, as the blade no longer waits, the winder drives hard, shifting the tides,” Prince muttered, pulling his defensive yari back to him, as it began rotating end over end, speeding up until it was as though there was a disk in front of Prince.

“Twist, I ask, Destructing all, Velocity Storm!” His call increaded in volume and confidence as he felt the power suddenly swell around him.

Brigon stepped back, grinning from ear to ear. So he can release, he mused, rocking back and forth as the Shinigami was encompassed by a deep blue vortex. Maybe I should join him in the fun… he contemplated. Nah, it would take up too much time.

Before Prince the yari swayed, his attacking spear having joined in with the rotation that the defensive one was taking. Then, before his very eyes, the yari merged. From the swirling mess of wind, a double-bladed sword formed with a linen and metal wrap where the two of the swords were bonded together.

Prince couldn’t show it, but this was the first time he had ever seen his bankai. He was about as happy as any captain could ever be. The blades danced a light blue on the edges. The symbols along the tsuba or guard of the sword, were wisps of currents, entangled in and around clouds that rained lightening. It spiraled still, slower now, as Prince took a few hesitant steps towards his bankai.

Brigon knew it was now or never. He sonido’ed forward, extending his hand out for the intricate blade that would have been within his reach. He grabbed thin, empty air. Running up his arm slowly was a red line that sped up and reached the top of his shoulder on the same side. Blood spurted upwards in an arch as the wound that cut deep in Brigon’s upper arm formed.

Prince straightened behind the hollow, watching the blood spurt into the air where it painted the sky with specks of crimson. The wind picked up, bringing the paint to the edge that had cut the hollow to begin with. For a second the blood settled on the blade, then dispersed within the blade itself.

Son of a bitch! Brigon thought having entered his royal craze. He glared the shinigami down. You think you’re going to get away with that? Hah! Good luck with that after I’m done with you! He flittered, seeming like that of a hallucination.

Prince didn’t see it, but Velocity did. The winds picked up, shifting the position of the shinigami completely. Brigon followed, enraged at the amazing speeds that matched that of the wind. Then he sped up more, bringing his sword Halcon Primaria down upon the spot Prince would be just milliseconds later.

Velocity couldn’t keep up with that as it tried to stop. There was an ear-splitting snap, as Prince’s arm broke in four parts starting at the shoulder all the way down to his wrist. Prince shrieked in agony, as he held his wrist before him, not able to hold his sword properly in his right hand now. It now drifted upon the winds around them, as Brigon’s spiritual pressure increased as he began to charge a cero. Prince, held aloft by his neck, pried with his one good hand, wanting air, and he felt the presence of others coming near.

Dasuke took to the sky, bolting towards Red, his eyes following the hollow behind him closely. Red showed no signs of seeing him besides the slight flare of reiatsu, which he gave off. Dasuke kept his mouth shut, and shunpo’ed the rest of the way to the hollow.

Kawaii saw the streak of black robes against the bridled red and soon to be deep purple sky. She knew where it was going. Not on my watch, she thought taking off after the shinigami [Dasuke]. The distance was closed rather rapidly and Kawaii was able to get to above the shinigami, without it recognizing her as a threat.

Dasuke unsheathed his zanpakuto once again as Red passed him at an alarming rate. Please Red, you are a friend. Don’t get into what you can’t handle, he asked his fellow shinigami within his own head.

“Die you hollow!” Dasuke bolted towards Ckriss, who was coming at him trying to stop but couldn’t quite manage to do so.

Kawaii dropped down in front of Ckriss at the last possible moment and was cleaved in two, disintegrating into spirit particles rapidly. Ckriss howled, his cry of pain echoing off of the buildings of the human world, as he was surrounded by a shaft of bright green energy.

Dasuke turned away, shunpo’ing in the way that Red had headed and rather quickly. Whatever was happening to the hollow was serious. And honestly, I don’t want to be around to find out what the hell his problem is.

Brigon was bored of his toy. His cero was ready, and the shinigami wasn’t moving around much anymore, which he frowned at. Why didn’t he last longer? Did I play too much? Hmph, wouldn’t be the first time. He thought looking back. He threw Prince back.

“Buh bai, Princey” Brigon waved mockingly, then fired the cero. Prince was hardly there, but sensed the cero coming and assured himself he was going to die. A blur of blue and red collided. The explosion threw Prince back, and wide awake, where Dasuke steadied him.

With one arm he held onto Prince, while with the other Dasuke used Dark Moon to open the gate back to the Soul Society. The Hell butterflies were waiting for them. Only two of the four were necessary so the other two went on ahead to get squad four. Dasuke managed to half drag the dazed Vice Captain into the Senkaimon.

Brigon saw what had happened, and now looked at the gate that a shinigami was dragging Prince, his prey that was still alive, into. Brigon sonido’ed, only in time to see the gate dissipate before his very eyes.