"Gaishō... I think I know what you meant by 'from the inside in'" Fumio stood looking out through a window from the inside the corridor that was his inner world, staring out into the rain-heavy clouds. Gaishō was beside him, also looking out but leaning on the window seal. Looking up at Fumio, the spirit stood up straight and turned to him, a blank expression on his face.
"Is that so?" As Gaishō spoke, a small smirk grew across Fumio's lips. The latter then drew his sword, standing back as it released without the need for a command. Fumio then pulled his right arm back before thrusting the blade towards the window.
Fumio's smirk was then suddenly wiped off of his face as instead of hearing glass shatter, he heard absolutely.... nothing at all. Looking toward the tip of his blade, he noticed that the sword seemed to of been swallowed by the window... It was odd since the blade wasn't seen sticking out the other side of the window, almost as if the window was some sort of liquid and not the material it appeared. Fumio raised an eyebrow before trying to yank his Zanpakuto back but there was one problem... It was stuck.
"... What?" Still trying to pull his blade back, Fumio placed both hands on the hilt, yanking it back as hard as he could but it wouldn't budge an inch. Gaishō watched Fumio struggle before he started to smirk.
"I see. By that action it seems you do in fact understand what I meant... But there is a lot more to this than you think Kazuhiko~" As Fumio turned his head to look at the spirit, Gaishō simply continued to smirk while walking backwards towards the wall opposite Fumio. As he did, Fumio's eyes soon widened as Gaishō walked straight into the wall and it... consumed him.... The wall around the spirit stretched out to wrap around the spirit's body, causing Gaishō's smirk to drop as the wall covered him entirely, incorporating him before flattening and returning to normal.
"Gaishō!!" Fumio yelled as he watched, pulling on his blade one last time in which it slid out of the window, which the latter found rather strange... Fumio then stepped back, looking cautiously at the walls on either side of him while stepping back a few more steps.
"Gaishō!" He yelled one last time, calling for his Zanapkuto spirit.
"Kazuhiko" Gaishō's voice echoed throughout the hallway, starling Fumio a little as he looked around frantically.
"Where are you Gaishō?!" Fumio asked, walking forward through the hallway while still looking around. Gaishō's voice couldn't be pinpointed to just one area, it came from everywhere.
"Kazuhiko... The rest is up to you now" Fumio heard his voice one last time before standing still. His attention was soon drawn to the widows, they turned black, pitch black.
'What is going on?' The hallway had definitely darkened now, but that wasn't what confused Fumio, it was his feelings... He felt cut off, but from what?
Closing his eyes for a moment, Fumio took a breath before hurriedly opening them, raising his blade to block an incoming sword.
"H-Huh? Souta?" Looking at the wielder of a plain Katana, Fumio could just about make out Souta's body and face, but it blurred every now and then, making him almost unrecognisable. Souta drew his blade back, sliding it off of Fumio's before swinging again, which Fumio blocked.
"What is going o-" He was cut off by another blade swinging towards his hip, in which he had to jump towards the right wall to dodge but once he got close to the wall, he could feel it slowly trying to suck his body towards it to consume him. Jumping to the left, Fumio stood in the middle of both walls in the never-ending hallway, looking forward to see that it was Rio who tried to cut him this time, her face blank just like Souta's as her body blurred every now and then also.
"Huerona?... " Fumio held his blade out but shook a little... Why was he shaking? More figures stepped out of the walls, standing beside both Rio and Souta.... They were all members of the Hari Clan... The members he killed.
"Who the hell are you lot?! Figures of my imagination or something?!" There were more than he even bothered to remember since killing them off, well most of them, were so easy and therefore boring. Taking his stand, the mass of Hari members stepped forward as Souta and Rio hung back, standing still while Rio crossed her arms. The many members then took a stance, however they were all without weapons. Launching for Fumio, the latter raised his sword, chopping each and every body that flung towards him with no mercy. He didn't grin this time, instead he felt scared, overwhelmed by the power of another despite there being no other larger power... was this what they felt towards him? Why was he even feeling this way? They were easy to defeat, taking only one slice each... Why the hell should he care about how they felt anyway? They tried to kill him also!
Fumio was having no difficulties putting these weakling down, slicing through their stomachs, cutting off their arms, legs, whichever body part was nearest to his blade. Once they were all down, despite having fatal wounds, their bodies were still twitching...
'Why are they still alive?!' The floor was soon soaked in the deep crimson colour of blood, however it seemed that the blood only flowed towards Fumio's feet... Looking down, Fumio glanced over the twitching bodies before looking up to the two figures still standing; Rio and Souta. Clenching his left hand, Fumio pointed the tip of his blade towards the floor as the two loosened their arms, standing next to each-other, looking ready to launch. Now this was different for Fumio... He really didn't want to fight them but these two were clearly intent on attacking.... However he reminded himself that they weren't who they appeared... Just imposters...
As expected, the two launched. "DIE!!" "MURDERER!!" "KILLER!!" "ASSHOLE!!" What Fumio didn't expect were to hear them talk... Immediately his eyes widened when he heard the very words he wished he'd never hear from the two of them.... Lifting his sword up, he quickly blocked their first swings, however the next few caused him to start stepping backwards as both attacked erratically with different styles of fighting, making it difficult to merely concentrate on just one.... Since Fumio was trying his best not to attack them, he left himself open for many slices across his clothes and face. Jumping back to create distance, Fumio felt a cut across his cheek, that was in the same place Ursula had cut him during their fight a while ago, begin to bleed.
'Shit... I can't keep defending...' Gritting his teeth, he looked back at the two and noticed something... Rio's right eye began pouring blood as the eye was missing... Souta looked at him with nothing but anger, much like he did when the two were training and he purposely made Souta angry by threatening to kill more of their friends....
Fumio looked at this, shocked at first but then tilted his head forward, hair falling in front of his eyes...
"Imposters..." He muttered.
"You two are not Souta and Huerona..." Rio and Souta were ready to attack, showing no reaction to what Fumio was saying. The latter soon smirked before lifting his head up, his crystal eyes gleaming despite how dark it was.
"You two are not lying, I should die, I am a killer, I am an asshole~ But there is only one person that I will allow to kill me, and it's neither of you imposters~ Therefore, I will kill you both~" Fumio spoke with an eerie calmness as he began walking forward, dragging his blade across the floor. He wasn't stupid, of course these two weren't the real Souta and Huerona... He may of not been the sanest person in the world, but a little illusion wasn't going to effect him. Continuing to walk forward, Fumio's eyes were set on both slightly blurred figures as they charged for Fumio.
The three of them collided. Fumio stood in the same position while the other two had travelled passed him. A moment of silence passed by before blood shot out of both of Souta's and Rio's chests as Fumio had cut across both of them in an 'X' motion.... The next sound that was heard were two thuds. Fumio then stood up straight, looking down with a frown... They were fake, he knew that, it was obvious, what would they be doing inside his inner world anyway?.... Despite knowing this, Fumio still couldn't stop himself from feeling a little saddened... Their faces were the only things that got through to him, this caused him to sigh when-
"Heheheheh~"
Hearing a chuckle emit from behind him, Fumio froze abruptly, his breath slowly turning to pants.
"... Y-you're d-dead.... What are you doing... here?" Fumio spoke, a cold chill shooting down his spine as he refused to look back. The one who chuckled audibly stepped forward, this made Fumio force himself to turn around... and face the woman he never wanted to see ever again. "Hehehahahaa~" Urusla stepped forward once more as Fumio stepped back into the puddle of blood from the Hari members, both Rio's and Souta's lifeless bodies noticeable behind Ursula but Fumio tried his best not to look at them. His eyes were on Ursula as the woman continued to close in. "Kazuhiko~" She chimed in a teasing voice, one Fumio recognised.
He didn't speak, simply stepping back when something seemed to of caught his foot. Daring to look down, Fumio noticed that it was a hand that surfaced out of the floor, a woman's hand.
"HU!" He sharply gasped at this, trying to pull his foot out of it's grip when a hand was placed on his left cheek, causing his eyes to widen and look up. Ursula was right in front of him, her body close to his. "As long as you're still alive, I will never die~" She leaned closer towards his right ear, her hand sliding down his face to his shoulder as she did. "You're scared, aren't you
Prince?" Fumio shivered a little under her touch, his eyes wide as her voice continued to strike cold chills down his spine. Snapping himself out of his fear once she asked if he was scared, Fumio looked at her, watching her lift her face back....
"Chie?" What was once Urulsa's face had became Chie's, along with her hair... "You're scared and confused right now aren't you? You won't hurt me, will you pervert?" The woman who looked to be Chie, even sounded like her, began stroking her fingers up and down his arm. Another grin soon found it's way across Fumio's face.
"And what makes you say that Gemstone? You think because you look like Chie that I won't hurt you?~ Heh, well you're wrong sweetie~" Fumio plunged his blade through her stomach, causing the fake Chie to hunch forward and grab the blade with both hands, coughing up some blood. Fumio continued to grin at this sight, grinning further as the fake Chie turned back into Ursula. Oh how seeing Ursula like this, seeing her
bleed, caused such pleasurable tingles run along his spine.
"No, I'm not scared, I'm delighted in fact~ Especially since I get to be the one to kill you this time~ " He was still grinning as he spoke... but then Ursula did also. "You shouldn't be...
Prince~... Nothing is
this simple~" Ursula then began turning into a silvery colour before starting to melt onto Fumio's blade, her chuckles echoing throughout the area. Noticing his foot was free, Fumio swung the blade of his sword to throw the substance off of it before it could reach his hand, throwing it onto one of the, still twitching, Hari Clan body's. Turning around, his eyebrows gradually began raising.
"What now?!" The sight that met him was the bodies of both Souta and Rio, along with the others scattered around him including Ursula, turning into a silvery colour before beginning to mold together into one. Taking step back, Fumio hurriedly turned and began running.
He ran through the corridor, narrowly avoiding the walls of silvery hands that had reached out to try and grab him. Fumio continued to run but felt as though he was going nowhere... but that thing... it gave off a bad feeling... He just had to get away. After a while, Fumio stopped and turned around to find... himself. "Heh, finished running coward?~" Fumio couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he looked back at his crystallised self...
"... Who are you?" Fumio recognised this feel of spiritual energy because it was his own.... The body-double lifted a crystal blade, identical to Fumio's, and pointed it to the floor much like Fumio would. "Why ask me a question that you already know the answer to?~ Honestly, you've grown soft, what happened Kazuhiko? This is much unlike you..." Fumio looked back at the crystal man, crossing his arms before smirking.
"Ridiculous. I'm much stronger now than I was. And if you are me... What is it do you want?" Fumio asked as the other chuckled. "Hehe, Oh so that's how I look to you? So I see, your greatest trauma was loosing control of yourself to yourself~ This must mean you were right, you're not scared of Ursula, you're scared of what you believe she turned you into~" The guy chuckled as Fumio continued to look at him, narrowing his eyes before slowly lifting his sword, pointing it at his crystal self.
"Shut up." Fumio simply stated as he tilted his head downwards before shunpo'ing and appearing behind his crystal self, his sword swinging downwards only to clash with the other's blade as the crystal man elegantly lifted his blade up without needing to look at Fumio. The latter's eyes widened a little as his crystal self turned his head with a large smirk. Fumio brought his blade back and swung it three more times, his crystal self effortlessly blocking each and every strike. Fumio then jumped back as his crystal double turned to face him, the only time his crystal self actually moved his body. "You really don't understand my nature. Heh, there's a secret in my name~ You've strayed off my course and I feel that you are not worthy to use my power~ During those moments, where you killed your friends for me to absorb them, you abandoned your feelings and fought with no thoughts or care, you only wanted blood~ That fuelled me, but now as you've grown into...
this... you've let others influence you, change you. Ursula didn't turn you, you didn't change, that was just who you are~ Ursula only bound you, trapped you within this hallway with no end or escape without actually doing anything to your inner world. You created this place, leaving yourself only able to watch what happens to you instead of control it... That is what this is... Your inner prison, not inner world." Fumio listened his double talk and waited for a moment before smirking.
"I am already aware of that. Heh, all Ursula did was abuse me, torture me, rape me and use the people I cared about against me, just so I would do her dirty work. She didn't turn me into a murderer, she just gave me an excuse. But, there is something you seem to be forgetting~" Fumio looked at the crystal man, walking towards him. As he did, he began raising his spiritual energy but it was different this time. Black energy burst out of him, the ends faded into a crystal-silver colour as his aura flickered violently. This caused his crystal self to step back... clearly wasn't expecting this.
"What you seem to be forgetting is that you are a part of [/i]me[/i]." Once Fumio was close enough, he stopped, staring into the crystal eyes of his double.
"But... You are right. I have been growing soft... I intend to stop that. My trauma, I accept you, you thrive on fear and blood, giving and taking pain, growing stronger and more ruthless. But, that's is you, I will still be the one in control. Thus I am ready to take you on, to join with you. You are an extension of me that I've recently pushed aside due to the influence of others, but don't worry, I won't ever neglect you again, but I'm not going to be over-powered by you either. We will become one~" Fumio dropped his blade at that moment, his energy calming as his crystal double smirked before shattering and turning into a silvery substance, sinking into the ground.
"Kazuhiko" Came Gaishō's disembodied voice as the entire corridor faded into a silvery liquid, sliding up Fumio's legs and dripping onto Fumio's head from the ceiling. Fumio welcomed the liquid this time, realising that his issue was that he continuously fought with his inner-world and Zanpakuto spirit, loosing himself through the influences of others, Ursula being the largest influence, along with Souta, Huerona, and even Aya, Chie and Rinkei. He knew just who he was, but even then, he had already created this prison, stopping himself from truly being free from his confinements. He had to accept what happened, accept his murderous side, but also accept himself...
He allowed himself to drown in the substance as the liquidated hallway began caving in.
"Kazuhiko!" Gaishō grabbed onto Fumio's arm seconds before the liquid turned into crystal, encapsulating both of them before shattering. The two of them then began falling, Gaishō glad to of grabbed Fumio in time. If he hadn't, he would of most likely shattered along with the inner world.
Opening his eyes, Fumio made a little grunting noise but instantly became confused... He wasn't falling anymore, but he didn't feel as though he had hit the ground... Maybe because he never did hit the
ground. Sitting up, Fumio looked around, feeling as though his eyes were deceiving him... After a few blinks and lifting himself up to a stand, Fumio just couldn't believe what his actual inner world looked like...
He took in a view that he had never had the chance to witness so closely before... being literally on top of the clouds. It was breathtaking to say the least, however it did expose the question of how in the hell was he able to stand and not be fall straight through?
"Beautiful, isn't it? Or should I say, it's a huge improvement compared to that inner prison?" Came Gaishō's voice. Fumio turned around, immediately hugging the guy.
"Heheh, indeed it is an improvement" Pulling back, Fumio smiled at his spirit, which actually smiled back quite brightly, before turning around and taking a deep breath.
"Kazuhiko, look at your right hand" Fumio looked back at Gaishō before doing as the man said, finding a blade.
Both of Fumio's eyebrows raised in shock, he couldn't feel it in his hand, as if it was as light as a cloud-
'Smart~' Lifting his hand, Fumio examined the blade.
"Am I safe to assume that this is a new Shikai form or something?" Fumio looked back at his spirit as the latter chuckled.
"Heheh, that's your Bankai form Kazuhiko" Fumio couldn't help his eyes from widening and looking back at his new sword, noticing that the blade was actually a refined and compact black crystal, there was also a black crystal ball at the bottom of the clear-ish refined crystal hilt.
"Oh my~ Now this is unexpected~ I had no idea that I was able to achieve a Bankai~ Thank you, Gaishō~" Fumio continued to familiarise himself with his new sword, smiling as he did while admiring it, already feeling a dramatic increase of power. He just couldn't wait to start learning just what this sword could do. Seeing Fumio do this pleased his spirit since he always liked being admired by his wielder, something Fumio knew and tended to do often until recently, but Gaishō knew that after what had just happened, Fumio would do it more often from now on, which pleased him further.
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