Bleach: Dawn of Souls

Ch 1: We are TERMINAR!

Months have past since the Espada had reestablished their rankings and Utsuro and his friends seemed to be taking life in the living world a lot sweeter than he had originally expected, but is still no cake-walk. The group of six, having recently added Akumu as a member, have been going out on their weekly missions of finding food, new clothing, and other necessities that they’d need as living beings again.

Even though these tasks seemed easy, they can’t get jobs because of not having any records of birth and thus no identification cards. They must either steal or trade to complete their missions, and on top of all this, they’re also being targeted by both Hollows and Shinigami. And although Utsuro and the others have been out of Hueco Mundo for months, they are still unfamiliar with their new surroundings, almost as if they were visiting a new world every time they left their home.

Utsuro, the leader of their group but only the second oldest, red spiky hair, blue eyes, and a fit build for his age group, was the last to leave for his mission which was the same as Akumu’s, finding food. He walked through the gate that separated their estate from the outside world, and took a quick look around, “Alright. If I were food, where would I be?” He lets out a short grunt and heads to the main street.

As he walked along he looked in the windows of the local shops, all of them filled with expensive treats, and various other trinkets only the wealthiest of people would be able to buy. “Why would someone spend this much on such nasty stuff? I‘m sure I never touched this stuff when I was alive…” A few people looked at him when he said this, making him feel a bit embarrassed, “Uh… Practicing for a play?” He chuckled and shrugged before going back to his business ever so slightly embarrassed.

As he continued on his way he ended up on a deserted street, boarded up buildings to one side, broken playground to the other. Utsuro knew no one was around, but he still felt a growing source of Reiatsu. Soon enough, a Shinigami appeared partway down the street from him.

“At last I found ya! You’re quite the hard one to follow y’know?” The Shinigami smirked as his pulled his Zanpakutou from its sheath. Utsuro scratched his head and slowly made his way towards the Shinigami, his closes changing from his casual getup to his black soul uniform, mostly resembling an Arrancar’s uniform consisting of his black low-cut, long-sleeved jacket held partially closed by three straps, his hakama, and his boots.

The Shinigami became instantly frightened, but he did not back away. “S-so… You’re going to resist are you? Then die!” The Shinigami jumped at Utsuro and slashed downwards with his blade. Utsuro pulled out his Zanpakutou and parried the strike. “Care to try again?” Utsuro smirked.

Zanpakutous clashed countless times again and again between the nameless Shinigami and Utsuro. "Hey, shouldn't you be spending more time worrying about the Arrancar and Hollows rather than me? I‘m sure they‘re causing a lot more trouble than I." Utsuro asked calmly and pushed on his Zanpakutou throwing the Shinigami backwards who slid to a stop. "I am. You are an Arrancar!" The Shinigami lunged at Utsuro once again with his Zanpakutou outstretched in front of him.

"Really now? Do I have a mask fragment? Do I have a Hollow‘s hole? If I don‘t have either of those, how does that still make me an Arrancar?!" Utsuro stopped the Shinigami's blade with his bare hand and pierced the Shinigami through the shoulder with his blade. “You have a similar Reiatsu reading to the Arrancar, and that’s all the evidence I need to believe that you are one. I don’t know what you’ve done to hide you mask and hole, but that changes nothing.”

Utsuro kicked he Shinigami in the chest, let go of their blade, and pulled his own from their shoulder. “We have more in common than you might believe for now Shinigami… But, I am no Arrancar…” The Shinigami tumbled backwards a few times before he came to a stop, panting for breathe, and barely able to lift himself back up.

Utsuro sheathed his Zanpakutou and began to walk away. "Wait!” The Shinigami used his Zanpakutou as a crutch to support him as he stood. “Then just what are you? I can't go back saying I got beat by… A-a thing!" Utsuro glared at the Shinigami, "WE are the end of the fighting amongst souls..." Utsuro then disappeared quickly in a static cloud. The Shinigami stood there momentarily before falling over again, “The… End?…” His eyes fell closed and then goes unconscious.

Utsuro reappeared in front of the estate he and his friends technically owned and simply walked through the gate, his clothes changing from his black Terminar uniform to his daily getup of black baggy pants, red tank top and black short-cut jacket. Utsuro no longer had to worry about suppressing his Reiatsu as the barriers placed on the property did so for him, the only thing that keeps them from the ever vigilant eyes that seek him out.

He walked up to the closest building to his left and stood at the door, hand on the slider, and eyes closed. "No one seems to be home. Shame. They're probably having a hell of a better time than I am..." He opens his eyes as his stomach growls. “Someone‘s a bit hungry from today‘s little skirmish. And it would be pretty bad leadership if I was the only one not to complete their mission.” He let go of the slider and walked back towards the gate gripping his stomach.

He took a step forward outside the gate just as someone walked by and accidentally bumped into them, "Sorry..." It was a teenaged girl, who did not respond to him besides taking a short look back at him after she made some distance from him.

From the brief moment of contact they had, Utsuro instantly knew he had done something very wrong. The few seconds he was outside the gate wasn’t long enough for him to suppress his Reiatsu completely and now the girl probably knew he wasn’t normal, even if she was only human.

Utsuro knew that she wasn’t human though, something was different about her. She seemed similar to himself, but still far different. He watched her as she walked away and not until she was out of his sight did he continue walking onward towards his destination.

He returned to the main street and headed out towards the food court in search of Akumu. “If me and Akumu have the same mission, I’ll make him work with me… Two heads are better than one… Or whatever that bullcrap is.” Utsuro looked around but Akumu wasn’t anywhere in sight.

Akumu was known for taking his time, and picking fights with people even while knowing he could easily overpower them. Nothing but food was running through his mind at the moment as he approached a Ramen shop at the very edge of the district.

Ch 2: Dine at your own risk

Akumu sat down on the over cushioned chair of the Ramen shop, careful as ever to be sure to suppress his spiritual power. It wasn't long before a server walked up to him, and he took all his restraint not to shake his head at the sight of her. She was young and relatively naive looking, her nametag read ‘Urami‘. For all he knew she was probably just another random ditz.

Urami was visibly disappointed in the customer sitting in front of her. It seemed to be just another emo child to her. His face was infinitely desolate "Hey." She said over-casually for her job. "How may I he-he-he-" Akumu had just enough time to quickly glance at her and wonder if she had some sort of speech impediment before she sneezed.

That's when it happened. For a split second, Urami's spiritual suppression wavered, and Akumu was engulfed in her spiritual pressure. From that point on out, he looked over at her with an almost resentful expression. "One beef ramen” He said rather flatly before she walked away.

Urami was no fool; she clued in the man's change in disposition. Even an amateur like her knew that sneezing would distort her suppression levels, and basically flag her for all Shinigami, or Hollows in the area. And just that happened, Utsuro had felt the sudden burst in Reiatsu.

Utsuro wove his way between the streets of the city trying to work his way towards source of the Reiatsu believing Akumu was the cause, "He better not do anything stupid, even though he's not the one that is likely too." Utsuro was halfway between speed walking and run trying to get there before anything bad happened.

Urami instantly assumed Akumu knew that she knew he knew and began a conversation as she dropped off his meal. "Seems that my Zanpakutou hungers to make yours' acquaintance” Urami said as she set and scooted his bowl towards him.

Akumu was crazy, not stupid. He looked at her for a moment curiously before casually starting into his soup. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Urami apparently wasn't satisfied with this answer, as she swiped her arm across the table, launching his ramen off into the street. He sat in shock for a moment before glaring at her, "I'm not paying for that now." "Meet me behind the store, now!” She snapped back and with that she stomped off, waiting for Akumu to follow with her.

After a few moments of deliberation, Akumu found himself walking behind the shop. He barely had time to glance at Urami before she struck. As soon as she saw the boy she released her spirit form, letting her body fall to the dust. Akumu changed himself to his soul form as fast as he could, her blades just barely stopped by his as it materialized. With a satisfied huff, Urami leapt back as Akumu did, smirking at the boy. "So, I was right. The question now is what sort of warrior are you? Shinigami, Vizard or Arrancar?"

Utsuro slowed down as he felt an another equal force of Reiatsu appear this one he for sure knew was Akumu‘s, "Stupid is as stupid does... Hope he has fun before I break up his little play-date..." Utsuro turned down an alley to change into his soul form to not freak out anyone out on the street, a guy just disappearing would cause some mayhem.
Akumu didn't answer her question; he just held his sword out before her. "Ask not what I am." His voice was cold, distant.... Hollow. "You wanted a fight, and you found one. Now don't disappoint me."

Urami just smirked at his answer. "Have it your way." She flipped her Zanpakutou, so the blades of each knife were facing as a normal sword would. "Scream forth, Hiraishin! (Lightning Rod)" She called before her trench knives grew into sabres with spiked handguards, which went flying off at Akumu like oversized bullets.

Akumu barely had time to react; managing to stop four of the six projectiles shot at him and watching them fly back to their point of origin as the other two hit him. They weren't necessarily devastating, which meant it was time for Akumu to counter.

Then it hit him, unmeasured amount of electricity flowed from point to point within his flesh caused his legs to give out, and he landed on his knees, using his Zanpakutou for support. He felt the spikes that he'd failed to block wrench themselves back out from their entry wounds, and a small spray of blood followed each.

"You cheap little..." Akumu growled as he got to his feet, knocking Urami’s next charge aside with quick swing from his sword. "You'll pay for that… Down falls the rain, Kurai Kumo! (Dark Cloud)" He bellowed, releasing his Shikai. The blade of his sword grew three hooks on the back side as he jumped into the air, bringing down a fierce vertical strike over his foe, but not one fast enough to hit her. "Ha!" Urami cried in response gloatingly. "Your attack missed completely?"

"Oh?" Akumu was rather smug now, leaving the tip of his blade in the earth as it had been when he swung it. "Did it now?" "Wha-" Before Urami could even finish the first word of her question, a beam of pure Reiatsu shot down upon her, and she screamed out in agony.

About halfway through the attack's normal duration, Akumu snapped his fingers, and the beam disappeared. He casually strolled over to Urami, being sure to kick her once-again-unreleased Zanpakutou far beyond her reach before firming his grip on his own and kneeling beside the smoldering wreck that was Urami. "Now, little Vizard." He practically hissed down at her. "Have you gotten your fill, or do I have to kill you where you are?"

Utsuro quickly slowed down to a stop, not far from Akumu, "That was a quick battle... Too quick..." He quickly went back out to the street in a mad dash towards Akumu not knowing who‘s Reiatsu disappeared.

"Akumu!" Utsuro yelled as he looked around after making his way down another nearby alley and seen Akumu hunched over Urami, "Let her be... She's not the enemy we're after, remember?" Akumu turned to face his partner, blade still held at the ready towards Urami.

"Aw..." Akumu whined, knowing where he stood in the ranking system here. "But she started it! She even jumped me when I thought we were coming out here for a discussion! She brought it on herself Utsuro… What's a little Shinigami blood to us?"

"We're not like THEM, Akumu... They would do what you were about to, but since we broke away from them, we broke from their ideals... You should know that!" Utsuro looks at Urami, "Watch yourself and never go easy on an opponent you know nothing about. Sheath your swords, both of you..." Utsuro quickly looks at Akumu.

Urami coughed a few times and winced and Akumu sighed himself back into his senses. "Alright, alright, the stupid Shinigami lives. But I can't promise the same for the next warrior to blindly attack me. I understand that we don't live by the same blood-thirsty creed that they do, but you cannot deny me the right to kill. It's not like I'm running rampant slaughtering right and left, I just wish to reserve the right to slay those who wish the same of me."

"Well maybe if she was a fair match for you I'd have let you... But slaying those who are this far below your combat level proves nothing to your strength... Head back to the HQ..." Utsuro points towards the way to the street from the alley.

Akumu started walking, changing back to his living form and passed Utsuro out to the street. Utsuro looked at Urami then followed after Akumu also changing. “Did you even manage to get anything for your mission Akumu?” Utsuro called out. Akumu was a few feet further up the street, “I got food alright… For myself that is. A warrior like me can‘t be running around on an empty stomach.”

Utsuro scratched his head, “Well that’s helpful for the entire group.” He let out a sigh, “I haven’t been able to get anything since I had to save that Shinigami from you, and I had to fight off a Shinigami myself earlier.”

“Shinigami, eh? Did you kill‘em?” Akumu stopped walking for Utsuro to catch up who replied, “No.” Akumu looked at him with a look crossed between surprise and disappointment, “Did you rough him up at least?” Akumu was now walking backwards in front of Utsuro egging him on for details.

“I gave him enough to make up for the trouble he caused me… At the very least he passed out from the trauma and wounds he suffered.” Utsuro looked down an alley that lead to the street his fight had taken place on, no traces of the Shinigami were there.

Akumu shakes his head and turns away from Utsuro, “Ah, your lame. Leaving someone like that alive is a mistake. It would have been nicer if you had just killed of that poor excuse for a fighter. You‘re too soft hearted.” Akumu began to increase his pace again and was again making distance between the two.

After a whiles more worth of walking they were getting close to home, “We can’t show up empty handed or Kazu with throw a fit. We should at least find some Bananas somewhere for him.” Utsuro says as he looked around the store where they were.

“What do you care if he gets mad or not? You‘re the leader right? He doesn‘t deserve to eat if he has to depend on others for it.” Akumu waved his hand and turned a corner, taking a shortcut to get back to HQ.

“If that‘s how you‘re going to act…” Utsuro stops in front of a bakery he visits often, “Then a lock is going on the cabinets and fridge then…” He smirked as he opened the door to the bakery and walked in waving to the baker.

Ch 9: Calm before Storm

Akumu wasted no time and rushed through the gate closest to him, the Northeast yellow gate, before anyone else could say anything to stop him. He emerged into a giant field with heavily clouded skies that rained and shot down thunderbolts.

Urami was standing a football field’s length away from Akumu and begins the battle without saying a word. With her Shikai out, she charges at Akumu. He quickly drew his Zanpakutou, “Down comes the rain, Kurai Kumo!” He released and parried Urami’s first attack, “I told you that we‘d meet again Shinigami!”

Urami laughed in his face, “You‘re dumber than I thought.” She spun around and backhands Akumu with the bottom of her Zanpakutou’s hilt. “You‘ve yet to realize that I‘m a Vizard! Not worthless Shinigami trash!”

Akumu picks himself up from the ground after being knocked down by her attack and then wiped the blood trickling down from his lip onto his sleeve, “I‘m still missing the point where that makes you a better fighter than me.” He jumped towards her and started swinging at her.

She parried his attacks, but none with ease. After a few attacks they jump apart, and Urami shoots the spikes off her handguards. “That trick won‘t work twice girl.” Akumu swung his Zanpakutou in a ‘U’ motion and caught all of the spikes with the hook on his blade.

Urami tried channeling electricity through the cords and into his sword, but the electricity died the moment it touched his blade, “Did you forget that I‘m also electric based?” Akumu laughed and pulled her forward by her cords.

“Did you forget I just told you that I‘m a Vizard?” Urami asked as her mask materialized over her face. As she got closer to Akumu, she leaned back and kicked him the stomach making him stumble back, releasing her cords from his blade which she retracted back to her handguards.

Akumu growls at her, “You‘re pissing me off girl. There‘s no way I‘m going to let you defeat me. Crashing Lightning!” He swung his blade down crashing it into the ground causing the already heavy lightning storm to focus down towards Urami.

She jumped, dived, and rolled trying to dodge the massive amounts of lightning bolts raining down upon her. “This has gone on long enough you filthy Hollow. BANKAI!” A large lightning bolt shot down at her, this time she didn’t dodge it.

After the smoke cleared from the impact, Urami stood there now with armored punching daggers with ribbons attached that wrapped around her arms and the same spike from her Shikai covering the armor, “Megami no Raiden. (Thunder and Lightning of the Goddess)”

Urami ceased to dodge the lightning because her daggers absorbed the electricity and stored it within itself. “Ready for round two?” She smirked before crouching down and jumping from the ground straight up into the sky.

Akumu stood there angered, but flustered at the same time, “Jumping isn‘t going to save you. Get down here!” Just as he finished talking, Urami shot down from the clouds being followed by a large stream of electricity. Akumu’s eyes widened.

“Crap… There‘s no way I‘ll be able to take that straight on… Utsuro is going to chew me out once this is over for doing this…” Akumu placed his hand over his heart and a seal appeared then broke. He removed his hand and a Hollow hole opens up where the seal was, and his ear encase in bone forming into his mask fragments. “Let‘s do this…”

Akumu’s Reiatsu instantly burst until the aura around him was nearly as big as the lightning Urami is carrying behind her. Urami noticed the sudden change in his Reiatsu and began to fall faster for a better impact.

“No use girl… Bankai or not, you are no match for a Terminar!” Akumu held his Zanpakutou with both hands and made an uppercut motion with his blade. The lightning struck the ground, Akumu and Urami fighting in it as the last of it’s charge dissipated.

Urami managed to stab Akumu in the shoulder with her dagger and released a bolt of electricity into the cut. Akumu winced and swung his Zanpakutou to knock her dagger out of her hand.

With only one dagger, Urami knew she was done for. “Storm Calming…” Akumu calls out partially under his breath. Suddenly the cloud in the sky start swarming towards the center causing them to become more aggressive.

Akumu Sonidos closer towards Urami who held up her only dagger outwards to lessen the force of his strike. Akumu didn’t let up and continued at full force. He swung horizontally instead of vertically as Urami was expecting throwing her off guard.

She tries to turn to block his attack, but she was already too late. His blade hit her in the shoulder and sent her flying to the ground. Akumu walked over and stood over her body, “This is the end Vizard… This is what you brought upon yourself for picking a fight with a warrior of my status.”

Urami tried to stand up, but Akumu kicked her back down. “You think too highly of yourself… Arrancar… Discharge Circuit!” The spikes from her daggers shoot off without the cords, all charged with a high amount of electricity. Akumu dodged some of them, but the other hit him in his left arm.

He pulled the spikes out, not feeling the electricity flow into him which paralyzed most of his left side along with burning his hand. “Cheap trick… Now for mine…” He smiled and held his Zanpakutou in the air, the cloud swarmed down into the tip of his sword.

Urami took the time she was given to get herself up, holding her shoulder to lessen the blood loss. Akumu swung his blade down sending a large burst of electricity towards Urami, who couldn’t dodge due to the size of the burst. The moment it hit her, all of the clouds discharged, sending lightning across the entire field, blowing up trees and making huge crater in the ground.

After the clouds cleared up and the smoke and dirt settled, Akumu stood there with his mask fragment gone and his Hollow hole resealed. Urami was laying on the ground heavily burnt, her Zanpakutou back in its Shikai form. “You aren‘t dead yet Vizard? Lucky you… But this fight is over…” Akumu said as the gate opened behind him.

He limped through the gate, sealing and sheathing his Zanpakutou. As the gate started to close, Akumu smiled at the others that were waiting for him outside. His expression went blank after a few second before he fell to the ground with a sparking needle sticking out of his back, a last second parting gift Urami had left him as the gate finished closing.

Ch 10: Termites that eat anything

“I‘ll take the next one Utsuro.” Soko spoke up feeling the urge to fight. Utsuro agreed with a nod, and Soko took the North gate. He was sent to a city filled with nothing but white buildings, the gate falling dormant after he past the threshold.

“Come out, come out where ever you are…” Soko called out for his opponent as he pulled out his Zanpakutou. A mellow but harsh voice boomed through the sky, “Welcome to the light domain. I am Koppatsu Souzou and we’re going to play a game, care for a little cat and mouse?”

“I don't like furred creatures very much… I like bugs more, like this one.” Soko held his Zanpakutou out in front of himself, “Leech, Kiseichuu (Parasite).” Soko released his Shikai changing his Zanpakutou into a two-pronged blade, sharpened on both sides.

The voice boomed again, “A bug like you will never make it out of here. You must find me and defeat me in battle if you wish to leave. But I know for sure that won‘t be possible” Soko laughed as the space between his Zanpakutou’s blades filled with five purple masses.

“This is going to be a piece of cake. You can‘t hide if there‘s nothing to hide in. A homeowner‘s worst dream is having their home overrun by termites…” Soko swung his Zanpakutou and the purple masses shot out, changing into long skinny bugs with sharp teeth. The bugs each flew off in the directions of the tallest buildings and started to eat through them with ease.

Koppatsu’s voiced boomed out with a slight worry now, “I know enough about you now to be able to fight without worry. You‘re too quick with showing of your abilities.” Koppatsu meld out of the side of a building slightly behind Soko.

Koppatsu was taller than Soko, silver haired, purple eyes, was wearing a Shinigami uniform with a sleeveless haori, and a Hollow mask on the right side of his head. “Ever meet a Vizard before boy?” He smiled.

Soko swung around, Zanpakutou up ready to fight, and his bugs still making easy work of the buildings, “There you are, so happy to finally meet you in person. Kind of weird talking to someone who isn‘t really there anyways. And actually, no. This would be the first one I‘ve slain.” He smirked and shifted his stance slightly.

Koppatsu charged at Soko with his Claymore styled Zanpakutou, obviously in its Shikai, and the two meet blades. Koppatsu furiously swung his blade, each swing quickly parried by Soko. “Your first mistake was releasing your Shikai and showing off its ability. And it seems to be a one time effect, once the bugs start on something they won't stop or switch to another object until they've finished the one they're on currently.” Koppatsu exclaimed.

As Koppatsu finished the last words of his sentence, the bugs stopped and turn towards him. He looked at them briefly, “Or so I had though.” Soko took the brief distraction as a chance to jump into the offensive and began pushing Koppatsu back.

After a set time, and a few cuts on both Koppatsu’s and Soko’s part, the bugs went flying towards Koppatsu. He pushed himself away from Soko and slipped his mask over his face and lands a few feet back holding his hands out, fingers making L-shapes and holding his Zanpakutou by the hilt with his thumbs.

“Hadou #33: Soukatsui.” Koppatsu’s Zanpakutou glows blue then spits out five fireballs that strike each of the bugs destroying them. “My Zanpakutou is, as you can tell, Kidou-based. It allows me to meld with my surroundings, and amplifies the use of my spells.”

Soko's expression didn't change as he held his zanpakutou to the side. "You're nothing without your bugs..." Koppatsu stood there for a while smirking from underneath his mask. "Your first mistake was claiming you knew my abilities, Vizard. Unfortunately for you, I‘m the sin of Greed within my group… And I don‘t share well with others. Your second mistake… Was releasing your Shikai and showing off its abilities. And by it being Kidou-based, it must suck up your Reiatsu quickly.”

Five purple masses form between the blades of Soko's zanpakutou again; Koppatsu lowers his hands and takes proper grip of his own Zanpakutou and taking his stance, which Soko did also.

Soko made the first move sending his bugs out straight for Koppatsu who jumped into a building to the side of him and back out between the bugs and Soko ready to strike. Koppatsu charges forward again holding his Zanpakutou over his head.

As Koppatsu's blade fell, Soko swung his up to parry, releasing the fifth bug which he held back in the previous attack. Koppatsu's Zanpakutou flies out of his hands, his mask crumbles, and he falls to the ground with the bug embedded halfway into his chest.

“You‘re truly remarkable. Maybe I should show a little greed in the future too…” Koppatsu said to Soko in praise as he lain there. An identical person to Koppatsu appears and stabs Koppatsu in the chest, cutting the bug in half in the process. The blade of the new man's Zanpakutou began sucking Koppatsu inside of it.

The man grinned as the door opened back up behind Soko, “I‘ve opened the gate for you to leave. I expect to see you fairly soon through the South gate.” he said as he started fading away, then disappearing completely.

Soko sheathed his zanpakutou and walks out through the door, immediately wanting to go through the gate man had mentioned. After Soko had emerged, another gate opened, West, but the South remained closed.

“Soko, take a break. We‘ll handle these two.” Seikatsu says referring to himself and Mikazuki. “Help Shizuki with Akumu's treatment. It’s seems to be pretty bad, but the kid should live.” Soko looks down to the side and complies knowing that the gate he wanted wasn’t even open anyways.

Ch 11: Reaper of the Woods

After Akumu came out from his gate heavily injured, Utsuro started issuing commands, “Shizuki, tend to Akumu‘s wounds… Mikazuki and Seikatsu help her as best as you can, and once Soko gets out, I want you two to each make entrance into a gate… I‘ll head through one now…” Utsuro looked around and headed for the Northwestern green gate leaving the others to take care of Akumu.

Upon entering the gate he emerged at the edge of a dense forest, which he slowly walked into unsure of who his opponent was. “Assuming that each gate‘s element corresponds to its protectors element… Whoever it is in here must be nature based…”

As Utsuro walked closer to the middle of the forest a rough female called out, “I see that a man has walked into my domain. The leader of the enemy tribe as it seems too. Kouhei said you had the strongest Reiatsu and seeing it for myself, I can tell his judgment was correct. My name is Meiryousa Nozomi, and this is no place men can enter and live.” Meiryousa was standing on a branch high up in a tree barely ahead of Utsuro.

Meiryousa was taller than the average girl, chin length green hair, and amethyst eyes. She wore a modified Shinigami uniform consisting of a sleeveless and backless top, and had her hakama wrapped from below her knee down to her ankles, and has a Haori that has been modified into a shirt.

Utsuro looked up at her as she began to release her Shikai. “Spin, Mori Shokkou! (Forest Weaver)” Meiryousa called out changing her Zanpakutou into a spear equally as tall as she was.

Utsuro unsheathed his Zanpakutou and sighed, “You‘re not going to make this easy are you?” Meiryousa just glared at him, “Nothing is ever easy.” She threw her spear down at him which he easily dodges. He then Sonidos to a branch across from Meiryousa’s as she summons her spear back to her hands. “Fast little bugger… No matter though.”

They lunged towards each other swinging and thrusting their weapons until Utsuro caught the handle of her Zanpakutou and kicked her in the stomach sending her flying into the trunk of a tree.

She shook herself off and smirked, “You‘ve got some good moves. But I‘ve got better!” The trees came to life and started swatting at Utsuro whenever he stepped onto a branch. He dropped down to the ground where he seemed safer. “So you can control the nature…”

Meiryousa jumped back into the treetops, “” She slid her hand across her face making a Hollow mask materialize on her face, then she starts throwing spear after spear in rapid succession at Utsuro. “Do not pardon, Kenrou Fuzen! (Solid Sins)” He grabs his sheath as it and his Zanpakutou change into a pair of Kama connected by a long chain.

Utsuro threw both Kama into different directions trying to find out where she was hiding, the chain attached to his Kama seemed to endlessly grow as they made further distance from him.

She appeared behind Utsuro and caused a root from a tree to move under him, pulling his attention away from his Kama. His Kama began to break through the trunks of many of the trees and ricocheting off of others making a giant web-like structure from the chain.

Utsuro’s Kama had bounced around the forest while he was actively trying to dodge Meiryousa’s barrage of attacks. Soon enough she had Utsuro cornered against a tree and as she was about to stab him with the end of her spear. Midway threw Meiryousa’s thrust, Utsuro’s Kama broke through the tree just above his head and flew straight towards Meiryousa.

She quickly jumped back and spun her spear deflecting the Kama to the branches above her, tangling them even further. “Seems like I‘ve gotten you still, petty man. You no longer have a weapon to fight with, it‘s to much of a mess for you to use any further.”

Utsuro grabbed a section of the chain above his head and teleported to an end of the chain that was hanging behind Meiryousa and uses it to tie her up. “What?!” Meiryousa yelled in shock, “You were holding back this entire time. Weren‘t you?”

“Holding back was not my intention… You‘re a skilled fighter… The terrain gave you a huge advantage, and I was too cautious about using all of my abilities here… I could have easily uprooted this entire forest, but doing so would be such a waste of such beauty…” Utsuro took hold of the other Kama hanging from the branch. “I will not kill you just as long as you claim defeat and open the gate for me to leave… Understood?”

She gulped, “You are different from the other men I’ve crossed. Much like Kouhei…” Meiryousa looked down at the ground “Fine… I‘ll open the gate.” She snapped her fingers causing the gate to open so Utsuro could leave to leave.

After he sealed and sheathed his Zanpakutou, Meiryousa dropped to her knees and her mask crumbled away. Utsuro walked towards the gate and took a look back at her before he stepped through the gate which closed behind him.

Meiryousa sat at the base of a tree furious with her loss and punched the tree trunk next to her making it explode into small chips. “I’ve failed you… Kouhei…” She mumbled to herself as the rest of the forest started to fall around her.

Utsuro had emerged right as Seikatsu and Mikazuki were about to head through the gates they chose, Seikatsu at the West red gate, and Mikazuki at the East blue gate. “Seikatsu, stay behind a second… Mikazuki you may continue, and good luck…” They both nodded and did as told.