Chapter 34
Title: Her Origin
Quick Announcement, IMPORTANT: I've worked my ass off and was able to stock up some chapters, so here it finally is, this story's first official PS goal!
100 PS by the end of this week. From sunday night, which is tomorrow 'til Saturday at 07:00 pm GMT, and I'll be posting an extra chapter the following day along with the second scheduled chapter of the week!
Alright! The goal is set, so let's break it and see just how much popular my story is!
ANYWAYS!
You guys can support me by donating powerstones on this book
Let's begin
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Third Person POV. -- Unknown Time
[ Unknown Place ]
Her vision started in a familiar place. Just moments before, she was about to finish a fight that she orchestrated. But now she is here, in this familiar barren land, standing before the mountain of corpses with the sky being the same blood red hue as always.
"Here again, " Retsu says.
"Well, aside from the strange way my voice travels, it seems this time I'm able to speak. " She says loudly, before bringing up her hand and moving it around. "Agency over my own body, this is nice too. "
"It is isn't it, to be able to move freely without any restraint. "
A voice, one familiar comes from beside the tall, standing girl.
Retsu turns her head, her gaze falling on someone else, someone known, someone she expected.
"Finally decided on having a conversation with me, huh. " Retsu says to her replica from her first life, except of course, the still bloody red irises.
"It's not that I didn't want to speak. It's that I couldn't. " She replies, her eyes to the mountain, gazing at it's expance and the many many lives she's taken, both in her first, and this one too.
"What do you mean you couldn't speak? " Retsu questions, confused about the ordeal.
Her replica doesn't change her gaze, nor her solemn and emotionless expression. Her eyes are to the mountain of corpses, while her mouth opens to speak,
"#! £? &!? @?! &!? " She says,
"Hm? " And Retsu tilts her head in confusion, making her replica close her eyes in quiet resignation.
"Not allowed to speak, am I?
Sigh, anyways. " Her replica turns her head towards Retsu, before suddenly and out of nowhere, a very familiar curved Katana appears in her hand.
'That's! ' Retsu's eyes widen slightly, for before her is her former companion, someone she hasn't seen or felt for a long time,
"Minazuki? " She questions, 'that's definitely them! I would never forget the feeling they would give off. '
"What is Minazuki doing in your hands? " Retsu questions,
"... " But the Zanpakuto holding woman before her doesn't respond.
"... Tch. Not talking again, " Retsu's tone of voice has changed subtly, becoming more aggressive and intense.
"You know, I've grown tired of our exchanges these past few years.
Since I'm free this time, am I to assume this is where we'll be fighting for who gets my real body?
Yes, you couldn't influence me in the past except for that one time where you took over my body, and took me back to Hinode from the city outskirts after my fight with Gigantomachia.
That time I had fallen unconscious, but this time I'm assuming you somehow made me lose consciousness. How that's possible? I don't know, but know this,
I'm intending on extracting the knowledge out of your defeated corpse! " The now thoroughly pissed girl, no, the now over a millennium old soul voices out, as she gets ready for the fight over her body.
"... "
In response though, her opponent's expression doesn't change at all, not even a single twitch. But her crimson and bloody red irises loses some of its light.
Perhaps in sadness? Or in pity? Or maybe another reason. It is unknown.
'I still have my connection over my quirk factor, which is strange but not something I can affort to not have in this battle.
From our past encounters, I know she's someone fast and strong, fast enough that my gaze can't follow her when she would strike me, and her strikes, I'm able to briefly feel them, though only after she's ended her attack, which suggests her finesse over the sword is exceptional too.
But I didn't have agency over my body back then, nor access to my quirk or any of my capabilities. This time it's going to be different.' The tall girl steels her expression, before she taps into her reservoir of power that her quirk grants.
For the second time today, she taps into her augmentation, but this time nothing out of the ordinary happens.
Retsu first augments her core, before moving to her limbs and joints. She even sends blood to her brain, slightly augmenting its capabilities in order to better strengthen her cognitive functions, while also controlled enough to not get airheaded or lose sight of her opponent.
This in turn boosts her already insane battle IQ even further. But once again, it's a strenuous process which could blow back on her face if she isn't careful.
"Done with your preparations?" Her opponent suddenly asks, leading to Retsu's gaze falling on her,
'A familiar sensation. ' Retsu thinks, while outwardly she gets into her fighting stance, conjuring and bringing her blood sword before her, while holding onto it's handle with both hands and in front of herself.
"... "
In response, her opponent goes into the same stance, replicating Retsu to a perfect T, with no visible differences whatsoever.
"... What is this? " Retsu questions, "you don't have a fighting style of your own? "
"I prefer to use my opponent's styles and defeat them with it. " Her replica replies, her tone and facial features not changing at all.
"... " Retsu doesn't reply, she simply stands still while tightening her grip over her sword handle.
There is no signal, no indicator of the presumed battle over Retsu's body being started.
When you are at the pinnacle of swordmanship, and meet someone just as skilled in the way of the sword as yourself, someone who will think and act in the same way and instinct that you do, there is only one way you can win.
Shunpo!
–It's a battle between seeing which one makes the first move.
Both participants dissapear from their spots, before they appear in the other's earlier standing point, though facing away from each other, their backs to one another.
Shing!
Retsu's, –the real one's head, is severed from her shoulders. Her beautiful black as the night, silky and long raven hair falls to the floor, and she begins to dissapear into red, threads of energy.
Her form begins to dissapear as her head is falling, though her eyes don't leave her opponent, looking at her back,
Looking at that oh so familiar white captain's coat as she slowly disappears.
'Ah... What a familiar feeling this is... I can't quite remember where I've felt this sensation before...
It's such a faint memory... Ne, Minazuki... '
Ba-dump!
A pulse, –no matter how faint, as if a response, comes from the sword in the hands of her beheader.
Retsu feels it. She feels the response.
And she is happy.
'Ah... What is this nostalgic feeling I'm getting...
It is so reminiscent... of back then...'
Fwoooooosh~
Retsu's form has dissapeared at this point, though only one single eye of hers is yet to go.
But even that one eye, is able to see.
It is able to see the last expression her beheader has, before it dissapears too...
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..
...
"... "
Left alone, the woman makes the Zanpakuto in her hand dissapear, and brings that hand to her cheek.
"Such... A familiar... Feeling... "
She utters, a single tear drop falling from her crimson eye, down her cheek, and on the grayed out soil...
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...
[Retsu's POV]
'It happened way back then...
My starting point. '
My vision started from on top of a hill. In it, I'm standing by myself over a low, grassy field, gazing at a magnificent tree that's before me.
The sky is a clear blue, with occasional clouds drifting by, a very common sight in soul society, especially in the current spring season.
'This was a memory from my first life as a shinigami... ' My surprisingly clear mind thinks, it seems I'm hyperaware even inside a memory I'm experiencing in a sort of dream like state.
'This memory is something that's engraved within my soul, it's signifigance notable enough that it had been a pivotal moment in marking my origin as the first kenpachi, and as Unohana Yachiru.'
It was before the Gotei 13 system was established by Yamamoto-san, right before Nimaiya-san ascended into the soul king's palace.
"Ne~ Hana-chan, you still have the option of coming up to the royal palace if ya want~
Yama-san is also invited along if he wants~" A playful voice says from behind me, making me turn around to gaze at a man of darker skin tone, his clothes being all flowery and patterned, but lacking sleeves up to his shoulders.
He's wearing big, squared sunglasses that hide his eyes, his white teeth clearly visible from the way he's smirking at me.
Nimaiya Oetsu, the man who just created his first two Zanpakuto's, and officially became a zero division member who will be ascending to the soul king's palace today.
Hearing his question, I shook my head in denial, the same gesture I had done back then too.
"No thank you. I am quite content in where I am, Nimaiya-san.
Though before your departure, I wish we had another little spar between each other. Care to fulfill my final wish?" I asked playfully, leading to the darker skinned man shivering on his spot.
"Ugh~ ya know Hana-chan, I am a man who follows his craft, so I'm afraid I'd have to refuse ya. We both know how this battle is going to end, you and I~" He replied, leaving me unsatisfied with his answer, which must have shown on my face because he quickly scrambled with something from behind him, and handed me a cloth wrapped, rectangular wooden box.
"But not to worry, I'm not a man who forgets his friends so easily just because I'm movin' to a higher state of accommodations~" He says, his playful tone of voice being something natural for his unique way of speaking.
"I already gave Yama-san his, so this one is for you, my dear Hana-chan~"
"What is it? " I ask despite already having taken it in hand. Taking hold of the string that's holding the cloth over it, I pull and let it fall on the floor, the black cloth following right after, leaving me with a wooden box and it's sliding hatch.
I give Nimaiya-san an inquisitive look, which he picks up on and smirks toward me.
"It's a parting gift from yours truly~ something I thought you and that grumpy dude -Yamamoto- would like, something that'd help ya in your pursuit of happiness,
A companion. " He finishes, leading to me opening the box's wooden sliding hatch, and peer inside it which left me with curiosity.
"A Katana? " I ask, seeing a plain black and white themed Katana, with a normal pummel and sword, nothing major or significant about it.
"Oh it ain't just any normal Katana my dear Hana-chan~
It's an asauchi, one that will absorb the essence of your soul, it's wielder. It will forge a spiritual companion within the blade, eventually becoming your friend and accompanying ya throughout your lifetime. " Nimaiya-san explains,
"Me and Yama-san talked about him establishing some kind of order in the soul society, one that would better the current status quo and make soul society a more orderly place.
He'd do the heavy work by establishing the order, and I'd arm him with these magnificent honey's of mine~
My creations, the Zanpakuto. " Nimaiya-san finishes.
"Zanpakuto? " I ask,
"It's gonna be what that Asauchi will become once it's matured and gained enough sentience from your essence~" He points to me with both his hands, leading to me tilting my head to the side.
"So all I need to do is pour my life essence, my Reiryoku into the blade and it will eventually gain sentience?
And what would be the point of that exactly? " I ask him, which he smirks at before pointing at me with both his hands in a gun like gesture.
"That's what you're gonna have to find out on yar own, my dear Hana-chan~" He smirks, before abruptly turning around and walking down the hill.
"I've said my piece, now it's time for muah to ascend! know what I mean~" He walks a few steps, before pausing,
"Hana-chan... " He says, getting me to look at him again.
He abruptly turns around,
"Almost forgot! Since I'm gonna become a member of the royal guards who protects the soul king, I'm gonna need a catchphrase! " He suddenly yells out, gesturing up with his hands in an unusual way, leading to me tilting my head in confusion.
"A... Catchphrase? " I question,
"That's right! A catchphrase! It'll have to be Unforgettable, Magnificent, Sexy~, and all around cooooooooll!!! "
He yells out, before taking on a thinking pose, his fingers to his chin as he rubs it.
'He was always different from those around him. His Reiryoku --spiritual energy- and Reishi --spiritual pressure-- have always been exceptional, to the point that he could rival my own or Yamamoto-san's.
But he always leaned towards craftsmanship rather than the blade, dedicating his life to creation, rather than destruction. ' as I finish with my thoughts, Nimaiya-san straightens too, as if he's had an epiphany moment.
"Oh I know! I got it I got it! " He brings up his hands in celebration, before turning his gaze towards me,
"So, Hana-chan. Want to be the first person who will hear my catchphrase? " He suggestingly says, making me close my eyes in mock exasperation before giving him a nod, telling him to go ahead.
"Ahem! " He clears his throat dramatically, before taking on a familiar pose, his two hands pointing at me in a gun like gesture.
"I am the number one Zanpakuto creator! Nimaya O-et-su!!! " He yells out, leading to me tilting my head, waiting for the rest but not getting anything more.
"Well, it's a great start I guess. " I give him my unbiased opinion.
"Ah mooo~ Hana-chan, you're so hard to please ain't ya! " He points at me again, his smile big and showing his teeth.
"Anyways! I'm off my dear! " He turns around and starts walking down the low hill again, before once more pausing.
'Sigh... Here it is again. ' I amusedly think,
"Hana-chan, take care of that sentimental fool for me too, will ya... " He calmly says, before continuing on his journey.
'And so, later that day Nimaiya-san left for the royal palace, leaving me with one less person whom I could share my passion for battle with.
Shortly after his departure, Yamamoto-san came and recruited me to his cause, making me the first member of what would later become known as the gotei 13. '
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[Third Person POV. ]
Standing amidst a battlefield of corpses, criminals and lawbreakers alike, all dead and rotting away was a single, lonely figure.
She was wearing a black kimono under a white haori, no symbol at the back of her white haori yet, her breathing was ragged, slightly winded and uneven, the reason? Simple.
Bankai!
She had just performed it for the first time.
"So, your name is Minazuki,"Unohana Retsu says to the manifested Zanpakuto spirit.
Minazuki's physical manifestation takes the form of a slim humanoid figure covered in bandages and wearing a very long light green hood.
They are standing before the slightly winded Unohana Retsu, their gaze from under the hood being felt, but not visible to the eyes.
"... "
They don't speak, but their intentions are conveyed through their spiritual pressure, letting Retsu know of what they are thinking about.
It only took 3 years, 3 years of her pouring her essense within her blade for her spiritual companion to manifest.
Unohana Retsu did not unlock her shikai first, being the first ever person to do such an absurd thing.
No, she unlocked her Bankai first.
Perhaps it was her mentality from back then? Perhaps another reason, it is entirely unclear.
Minazuki is truly a unique Zanpakuto. Having its single, –but with two completely different meanings, name etched on both her shikai and bankai.
Maybe it truly was her mentality back then that allowed her the release of her Zanpakuto's second and final form instead of its first.
After all, it happened during one of her episodes where she was out for blood. Not the blood of someone specific, but just to satiate her hunger for battle and or find someone worthy of her blade.
She never did.
And to top it off, she instead got even stronger amidst the battle, and accidentally released her Bankai for the first time, depleting her spiritual energy reserves duo to not having been familiar with the sensation, and wiping everyone in her vicinity from the face of soul society.
She was strong, terrifyingly so, but her strength soared to heights never before seen or felt, making her one of the strongest of her era.
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[ Near Mt. Fuji's Foothill -- Approximately 5 Minutes After Retsu's Unconsciousness ]
Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!
Sounds of strong feet hitting the earth is heard, a slightly out of rhythm breathing pattern is left from the mouth of one Benihana Tetsuya as he runs through the foliage.
While his feet is taking him through the forest, his mind can only think of one thought, and one thought only.
'Please be safe, Retsu! '
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Near Mt. Fuji's foothill, inside a forest clearing, a serene girl is seen sleeping on the grassy soil.
If one were to ignore her blood drenched body, the red liquid clinging to her form as if she's taken a bloodbath, then her unconscious expression could be called a serene one.
It's as if she's living through a very pleasant memory.
A few feet to her right and inside a nearby blood drenched bush though, the person who dragged her all the way out here couldn't be called the same.
His already red, mutated skin being drenched in his own blood, every bone in his body having been crushed as if by blunt force, his face unrecognizable and with an unaccountable amount of slashes marking his form.
A member of the spy group who's task was to seperate Retsu from the rest, and bring her to the second group who would then be able to defeat and take her away.
Sadly for them, their plan got foiled because, no matter what, they couldn't account for Benihana Retsu's capabilities.
A rustle of wind, a kilometer from where she is resting and unconscious, a set of heavy feet trampling the earth and moving towards her.
Benihana Tetsuya, Redvein, is on his way.
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Author's note/ wow! Retsu's origin and her memory of when she got Minazuki in her first life? Plus a battle with one of the occupants inside her to fight and figure out which one of them would get her body, or maybe it had another reason? Who knows!
You know the best thing about vaguely portrayed knowledge concerning anime for us authors?
It's that we have free reign to say whatever the hell we want to fill up those gaps, and it couldn't be true, yes, but it would also not be false either. Meaning we can say whatever the hell we want so long as it's within that frame, and get away with it! Hah!
Anyways! A question to you guys!
Well more than one actually...
Firstly, who do you think these figures inside Retsu's mind are?
The female one who looks like her but has red eyes, who could she be? Would she be Minazuki? But how? Wasn't Minazuki a genderless, green robed spirit?
Secondly, how is Minazuki, –as Retsu referred to the Katana in the hands of her replica, here and in this world?
And third but last question, where was the second figure, the male one under the robes, when Retsu confronted her replica and fought her in her mindscape?
These questions will be answered in future chapters so don't worry, but I just wanted to ask for your theories as well.
Next episode we'll be finding out what happened in the span of the 5 minutes that Retsu was unconscious.
Thank you for reading my story, have a great day/night and I'll see ya guys in the next one, peace!