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Give Me Four or Give Me Death

Days later, I left the hospital. Fully healed and ready for anything. Kirie had left a couple days before me, but left me with info on where the next challenge would be. The location was a rather odd place, but what the heck a duel is a duel. It don't matter where it takes place.
However she insisted that both should not bring anyone to see the fight this time. Well that was easy to do. As long as the witch, Yuko was not aware. As I was on my way to the secret door that would lead out of the Seireitei, and bring me to the spot, I kept my eyes open but tried to keep a casual look.
Then just as I was turning the corner of one building, I found myself staring at Yuko. "God dammit," I thought to myself. She then said, with her usual mysterious smile, "Where you off to on such short notice?" "Just wondering about, Yuko." I replied, with a calm face.
"Is that so?"
"Yep."
"Going to go fight Kirie, eh?"
"Nah... I'm gonna go find her, and admit defeat."
"...Oh really..."
"Indeed, I gave it a lot of thought, and decided to just bite my pride, and move on." I replied, with a short laugh ending with a sigh. Hoping that she wouldn't catch on to my lie, I continued to act like I was quitting. After we talked for quite a bit, Yuko gave me a long quiet stare, with her smile gone. The look gave a certain chill, as if she was studying me, and those ruby red eyes, they seemed to have been staring into my soul.
Yuko then said, "Your such a bad liar." After that she just gave a smile and added, "I won't tell anyone, but it's gonna cost ya." "Say what!" I replied, with shock. She just walked off, and ended with giggle, "I don't do favors for free. I'll see you again, when it's time for repayment. He he he!"
I just stood there in silence, and briefly shivered. God that girl is weird. After that I swiftly made my way down to a shady area between two buildings and a wall. As I approached it I took a look around to see if anybody was around, or was following me. Seeing that none were there, and sensing no disturbance in the area's spiritual pressure, I searched the small dark ally.
After inspecting every part of the area, I eventually found a hidden trap door near the end of the ally. Lifting the door, I took another look around, and then looked into the squarish hole. It was rather dark, with some old wooden stairs that seemed as though they haven't been touched in awhile. The air was rather cold, and erie. Taking a deep breath I went inside, closed the door and all light vanished.
Walking down the steps I used my hand to find where I was. All I could hear was my breath and my heart beat, in the vast blackness of where I was. There was also a deep hard to hear moan echoing through out the place. Steadily walking forward I managed to find what seemed to be a wall made up of earth. Not knowing what was around me, I just continued forward.
Time passed as I went on and on. I could not tell where I was going, or how far I had gotten. The darkness just never ended. It seemed as though it had been hours since I saw light, or heard a voice other then myself and the moaning echo in the dark. Then out of nowhere, I heard a familiar voice say, "Well isn't this pleasant, my friend."
"Who's that! Show yourself!" I shouted with shock. A chuckle loomed all around me, as the voice replied, "It's me James, your conscious. I can't quite show myself to you right now. Can I?"
"Hames, nows now quite the best time to be talking."
"Ahh, but it's been so long, and this path of darkness is quite nice."
"Shut up... I can barely see, and I don't need you talking to me."
"Why not. What makes you think this is not just a trap set up by that girl?"
"I have given that some thought, but that would just be too weird."
"Seeing how she is around you, I find it very likely."
"I don't see her as that kind of a person."
"What do you mean?"
I then stopped for a moment and gave it some thought. "If she wanted to kill me she would have done it by now." I replied, with a calm tone, "I don't see a killer in her eyes, or sense it in her aura." Hames just laughed and said, "Doesn't mean she can't just hide away her inner killer, alot of people are good at that."
Hames did have a point there. However still, I could not think of Kirie setting me up and killing me off in the shadows. Though the idea of having our fight in a place where no one can see us. That does seem a little too suspicious.
"In other words," chuckled Hames, "she's leading you out of the group to have you where she wants you." With a grin, I just let out a laugh, and said, "The same goes for her, either way one of us isn't heading home." "Ha ha ha ha! That's it James, don't hold back. Show her who the real fighter is." chuckled Hames.
As Hames' voice disappeared, I continued on my way. "I'm on to you now, Kirie. Thinking you can do as you please." I said, in a hiss, "Well then lets see how much you like it when I have you-" I suddenly shut my self up, as I saw a glow in the distance. Twenty feet away I supposed, and coming toward me. Seeing it, it felt as though ages had past since I saw light.
"Is someone there?" asked a familiar female voice. I quickly answered back to the voice. It then asked, "Is that you, James?" "Yeah, but is it you, Kirie or am I loosing it?" I replied, trying to keep my cool.
Next thing I knew I heard a person running and saw the light swiftly coming closer. I could now make up what the light was coming from. It was paper lantern hung to a metal rod, and holding it was a surprised Kirie. "You idiot, what do you think your doing in here without a light?" asked Kirie. I simply replied, with a frown, "Well you never told me that the secret way was underground, nor that it had no lights on the way, and I was in too much of a hurry."
Kirie just sighed as she said, "Your so lucky I happened to be coming this way!" "What you mean by that, were you actually worried?" I asked, curiously. She just snorted, and replied, "No. I just didn't want you to end up like poor Kitsuhara Otoshi."
"Who?" I said, curiously.
"He was a good friend of mine. Sadly he passed away 3 years ago."
"Oh... So what happened to him?"
The two of us started heading down the path as Kirie answered, "Well... Back when I was training with Fenice-sempai, it was Kitsuhara's 5th year of training. At one point he told us that he had to go get something back at his barracks. Taking a lantern he left into this tunnel, but hours passed and something just didn't seem right. So me and Fenice went to go find him only to find him screaming frantically in the dark, with his lantern out, and he tore his throat open with his bare hands."
"Jesus..." I replied, rubbing my neck with that image in my head. Kirie then muttered out loud, "Oh there's been others, but mostly rumors... I think?" I just shook my head, and told her that I didn't want to know the rest. Finally after what felt like a whole day, we finally came out of the tunnel, and I found myself in an open area. Round and wide, and surrounded by forest.
Through the open area I could see, that we were on a mountain's edge. The sun was still up as I could tell, through the rather cloudy sky. In the distant I could see the Seireitei, and it's many surrounding districts. Gotta admit it looked rather small from where we were. Speaking of which, where the hell am I!
I turned to Kirie and asked her about it. She put out the lantern, and then told me the place was called Mt Kuma. "New one on me..." I muttered, while rolling my eyes. Taking out my zanpactou, blade and sheath from my obi I sat down and took a break. Kirie also did the same thing, sitting four feet away and facing me.
It was quiet, too quiet. Two minutes passed and I heard thunder in the distance. "Great, a storms coming. As if couldn't get worse!" I thought to myself, but to my sudden realization, it started to rain. Looking up to the sky, I just growled, "God dammit!"
Kirie then stood up, put her zanpactou through her obi and looked to the sky. With a sigh I got up put on my zanpactou, and waited for Kirie to do something. Then it got weird all of a sudden. I mean i've been through some weird stuff with or without Kirie, but this... This just took the cake.
She looked to me with a smile but it soon faded into the usual scowl, only it seemed even more dreaded. Her eyes also became more serious with a glare that seemed to hold deep hatred in them. They changed color a little. The iris' of gold glowed brighter and the white area's slowly changed into a deep, deep orange, almost black. The air was also getting thicker with reshi, and the lighting of the storm seemed to be drawn to it, as the storm clouds swirled above the area.
She then spoke in a voice that seemed as though two were in unison, "Now, is the time we finished this quarrel. Foolish soul reaper." Still keeping the regular cold tone of Kirie, a deep womanly voice spoke over it. "What's up with you, Kirie? You sound as though your possessed." I replied, with a chuckle. However I kept my distant.
Kirie said, "In a way she has been possessed." "What?" I replied with shock. She put her hand, on the end of her hilt, and continued, "Constantly getting back at her, even if you fail. Has driven her to the point that you are a thorn in her side, and believes if you keep going, you'll destroy her pride. For the lack of it there is."
"What's so bad about that? It's not like I'm forcing her to keep on fighting me." I asked, confusedly. Kirie answered, "True boy, there's nothing wrong with it... But now your time is up. Kirie has admitted her weakness, and now has given me her body, and I shall give you a death worthy of my blade."
Drawing my blade, I took a stance and smiled. As the sound of thunder roared above us, Kirie drew her sword as well took a stance. "Just one thing," I asked curiously, "Who are you, that has control over Kirie?" "Ginchyio, her zanpactou." replied Kirie, under the possession of her zanpactou. My eyes lit up with shock, but I managed to keep my cool.
Kirie charged in and went for a strike. I held my ground, and then ducked under and went in for a counter. However she already saw me coming and blocked with her bare hand. The Reshi around her was so strong that the sword didn't cut her flesh, as she grabbed the blade and swung me into a tree.
I swiftly recovered, as I ducked just barely loosing my head to her sword. I then landed a punch into her chest, but she looked at me with swift smirk, and then punched me in the face, and tossed me back into the center. Kirie then dashed off with her blade dragging across the ground toward my head, but I summersaulted out of the way. Continuing my roll down the way, I caught a glance that she was right on me. Damn what the hell did I get myself into this time, think dammit think!
With a sudden idea, I rolled one last time, got a running start from the momentum and jump kicked off a tree, and went for a kick for Kirie's face. She easily dodged, but I quickly got my footing and began an assault on her. Thirty slashes were given, all were blocked easily by her. Kirie then backflipped a few feet and kicked off a tree, adding a force to her strike. I blocked, but the force left me in a small crater, and my knees felt a bit stiff from the impact.
"Having trouble, or are you just bidding your time for an opening?" she asked, curiously. I just smirked, "Neither I'm just having fun."
"Fun in death, still a fool I see."
"Describe a fool. Do you call me that cause you think your better, or is it because you have a lesser wielder." I stated.
Kirie then clashed with me again and both tried to get the better hand. 27 bouts later we found our self's locked in our blades. As the storm was getting wilder, lighting was striking all around and trees were getting struck down like twigs. The wind was strong and swift as it blew through the trees and whirled up dust in the area. Even little tornados were dancing about the forest around us, but our reshi levels kept them away.
Kirie's eye's were glowing fiercely, as they stared into my cool separate colored eyes. We both then went for a punch and our fist collided with sonic boom that broke the sound barrier for a second, and knocked over the first layer of trees surrounding the area. Both of us went flying and we landed far from each other on opposite sides.
Ah, I haven't felt this much fun since ever! However this zanpactou possessed girl is about to meet her maker. As I staggered up from the bed of fallen trees, I saw Kirie stand back up as if it was nothing and looked to me. I then yelled out my zanpactou's release incantation, and stood there with my shikai on. Kirie didn't even mention hers, and her shikai appeared.
Kirie then slashed the air, and 8 bolts of lighting flew out of her sword, and zigzag toward me. "Luna lupo!" I shouted, as I slashed my sword downward. Out of the blade a wolf of silver energy charged out. The lighting bolts were stabbed into the wolf and slowed it down, but it continued it's charge. Kirie then dashed forward, toward the wolf's open jaw, and swirled her blade into it's mouth and the beast was sliced in two and faded away.
Our battle continued, and neither one of us gained the upper hand. Well for the most part she was definitely the one winning, but the hell with it I'm not giving up even if I die here!
An hour and twenty-three minutes had passed. The storm was beginning to calm, and the rain had stopped. Trees were reduced to splinters, rocks into pebbles, and the air was heavy with the smell of chard earth.
Both of us were breathing heavy, covered in sweat and visibly were bleeding in certain places. My left arm was broken, my right leg was in so much pain that limping on it was just to much. My red eye was busted and was swollen shut, and I had a busted nose. Breathing was also hard from all the strikes I received.
Kirie had a diagonal sword slash starting from her right cheek up to above her left brow. Her breathing was harsh, as her white top was ripped open and only held by her left arm. Exposing her small bosom wrapped in bandages, and noticeable bruises on her torso. Her right hand was broken and was keeping her balance on her sword with her left. However her eyes were still of Ginchyio's possession.
Dammit, this girl is just too much. I know she's being possessed by her sword spirit, and that I may die. But I don't have the urge to kill her. Why, why is it so hard! "I've given her almost every thing I got." I thought to myself.
"Almost everything," hissed, Hames' voice in my head. I replied, in my mind with anger, "No Hames, you'll just kill her!"
"Well what are your chances friend? This is a kill or be killed situation."
"She's only being controlled by her zanpactou."
"From which she gave all her will to destroy you."
"... I know that... But if I break her wave length to her zanpactou, there I can beat her and not kill her."
Hames just laughed, in my mind as I saw Kirie's aura was rising, and knew that it wouldn't be long before she would strike the final blows. "Tick tock, tick tock, time is ticking man." giggled Hames, playfully, "Let me out to play for just a few minutes and I'll have that cutie down and out."
"Damn it... Fine! Just don't kill her." I replied, sharply.
"Deals a deal. Now let's play!"
With a burst of spiritual pressure, I cried out in pain as I felt a burning feeling through out my body. Then suddenly all my pain was gone, and I felt as though I was fully healed, and there seemed to be something partially on my face. I couldn't see it, but it felt cold and like bone.
I then looked to Kirie with that same odd crazed face that I had in our last battle and laughed like a maniac. Kirie eyes sneered, and she asked, "What's so funny?" "Oh nothing cutie," I winked, as I licked my blade, "I'm just ready to taste your blood, and Demonio de la Luna want's to bathe in it. He he he!"
Then the two of us clashed again. Wildly I attacked with no strategy, but in doing so Kirie's guard was wide open and I got her many times till my blade was drenched in red. She however fought back even more harsher then before but it felt like a breeze, and I felt very little of the pain. Then I managed to knock away her sword, but she swiftly got me in the chest and face with four punches and then spin kicked me into a tree.
I quickly got up, and saw her coming in with a flying kick. I countered it, by grabbing it and I swung around to slam Kirie into the tree. With the harsh sound of a "crack" I heard Kirie's leg broke at the knee. However even as her right leg was now un-useable she still tried to fight. However I punched her hard in the face, into another tree, and she fell limp against it.
As I got up to her I picked her up, by the shoulders to see her face. She tried to punch me but I swiftly caught her punch, and stared evilly in her eyes. "Here's a new trick of mine you little bitch." I said, with a chuckle as I raised my arm with a fist, "Sho no yoshiro!" Using all the power Hames gave me it gathered into blue flame of energy around my fist, and I hit her right in the forehead.
The shock wave went through her head, blasted a hole in the tree behind her, and the tree fell over with Kirie. I was sent flying a few feet, and landed on my back. Painfully I got back up, and found that my right hand was busted, and my arm was broken. Damn did that hurt, but thank god it worked.
Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, I saw that Kirie's reishi levels were calming down, and knew that the fight was over. Sheathing my sword, I staggered off to find her sword. "Where are you going... Bowl-cut..." coughed Kirie, as her voice was back to normal. I quickly replied, "Trying to find your sword, the fight is over now." I soon enough found her sword and picked it up.
Returning back to her, I saw painfully crawling across the ground with her left leg dragging behind. "How did I lose to you?" she asked, with a whimper, "How!" I answered, with a little smile, "Well you could say... It was luck. However I simply did as you did, only I didn't give my will to the zanpactou." "Damn Visord." she growled, with blood pouring from her eyes.
"Hey now, you don't look good. Let me help you." I said, worriedly seeing that something was wrong. Kirie however just spatted, blood at me, "Don't come near me! I don't need your help!" "Kirie your bleeding everywhere," I replied, seeing that blood was pouring down from her forehead, ears, eyes, nose, and mouth, "stop moving!"
She however just laughed at me, and sat her self up, "I'd much rather die then listen-" Her voice froze for a moment, and her eyes went all hazed. "What's... Happe.. ning.." she continued, with a whimper and fell onto her side. Frozen in that moment the sky cleared, and the sun lit the area once again. Dropping her sword I ran to her, dropped to my knees and picked her up, and called her name.
However to my shock, her spiritual pressure was gone, and she had no pulse. "No... No... This is not happening!" I thought to myself, with shock and grief. I then heard a clapping sound from behind me, along with foot steps. I swiftly turned around to see a man dressed in standard shinigami robes.
He was 6ft with pale tan skin. Had a shaved bald head with a long silver, sharp sail-like mohawk right down the middle of his head, and going down to where his head met his neck. The face was v-shaped and thin, with a weird smile, and piercing pale blue eyes in a sneer. He had no zanpactou on him, but on both his legs he had a bunch of daggers buckled to him. He also had sharp black boots with silver lining, instead of sandals.
His clapping began to waver, as he spoke with a smooth yet dark tone, "Nicely done, and yet an unfortunate end to this fight." "Who are you, and how long have you been here?" I asked, with a glare. His clapping stopped, and he smiled abit more, revealing his pearly white teeth that were like daggers, "Oh yes, my name. The name is Richard, and only Richard. I've been here for quite awhile and watching you two."
"Never heard of you."
"Oh I'm sure plenty know of me, but most tend to keep quiet about it."
"What?"
"For example me and that girl go along way back."
"Long way back?"
"Oh yes," chuckled Richard, as he slowly came closer, and growled, "Way back." The very look in his eyes gave me chills and he seemed rather threatening now in his walk. Richard then glared at me with a frown, "10 years, I waited for this moment... 10 years and now it was all for nothing." He then drew out big jagged knife from inside his robe, and took a kunai from his leg, and held them together by the ends. "Slice them up, Jemima!" yelled Richard, as the blades glowed brightly and took the shape of twin double-edged swords.
"Die you filthy insect, for killing my prey! The last of the Tachibana!" he growled and then let out a loud maniacal laugh as he swung one of his swords and it flew out like a whip toward me. I quickly dodged the attack of the whip sword but another flew in after me, and sliced into my arm. Screaming in pain, the blade drove out of me like a saw, and returned to Richard as he went for another slash. I closed my eyes, from the attack, but nothing happened.
Richard then said, with surprise, "Well, well, well. If it isn't the man who called me up for the job. Tachibana, Nobuki." Say what! Another one? I opened my eyes to see Richard's attack being held back by a chain, wrapped around his arm, and leading to a man in cloak.
The man named Nobuki, stood 6ft and had sickly pale skin. His hair was black and shoulder length and rather messy. The eyes were deep blue, but rather sunk in. He was gaunt in the face, but didn't seem that old. "10 years Richard, and still your holding that grudge," spoke Nobuki in serious yet surprised tone, "I thought you were dead."
Richard just laughed, as he turned to Nobuki, "You disapoint me, Nobuki. Do you really think that killing me, will make you repent for both our crimes." "Though I schemed the Tachibana's demise for my personal reasons, I now wish to repent for it." replied Nobuki, looking remorseful.
"Well then friend, I see that we must break away."
"Indeed." said Nobuki, as he pulled back the chain with his arm, and let go of Richard. Then the two took their stances, and with the drop of a leaf, they vanished with the sound of clashing metal. What speed! Then suddenly I felt a jab at the back of my head, and I fell over unconscious.
Next thing I knew I woke up and the sun was setting. I then rose to find that all my wounds were healed, but I was still in the forest. I then saw a blue light glowing to my right, and saw Nobuki kneeling at Kirie's side, and performing a strange kido. All her wounds were healed, and her face scar was gone completely. I went to draw my blade, but stopped as Nobuki said, "If you kill me, Kirie will be gone forever. The least I can do is give my niece, my life and reshi to live on."
Letting go of my blade, I stared at the strange man and asked what he was doing. He told me it was a secret healing kido that he made during his service in squad four. I then asked, "Why, why did you do it. Scheme the death of your family to some monster?" "My brother Kuromasi, her father, was the reason." answered Nobuki.
He then told me a short summery of what happened, cause he knew he didn't have much time. The end result was that Nobuki was jealous and later betrayed by his brother and a few others. Seeing that he knew his brother was going to lead the Tachibana to ruin, he decided to work a deal with Richard, and thus the cruel deed was done, and both disappeared and were never heard from again. "Wow... That's pretty harsh." I said, with a grim face. Nobuki replied, just as grim, "If only he had chosen me... If only they would have listened to me... And if only I hadn't made that deal, none of this would have happened."
I then asked him, "So what happened to Richard?" "Hopefully dead, I lopped of his head, and it went with his body of the cliff of the mountain into the forest below." he replied, with a sigh.
"Ouch..."
"Indeed."
"But it seems he got you too."
"I... For this is where I must be going..."
"Wait what!"
"Tell her... Uncle Nobuki gives his regard." he smiled, and he faded away into a blue mist, and was absorbed into Kirie's skull. I just remarked, "Will do, strange man." I then placed my head on her bosom, and silently waited. Suddenly there was a heart beat, and Kirie inhaled new air. Rising up I saw Kirie's gold eye's open and glisten in the sun light.
"Hi again, Kirie." I said, with an awkward smile. She replied, in a daze, "Hi... What the heck happened?"
"Umm, that's a bit hard to ex-"
"Ahhh! What happened to my top, it's ruined!"
"It got torn open our fight."
"Oh I see. Well that sucks... Can't go around like this."
"Right..." I said, looking all round for something to cover her up. Bingo! I found a cloak lying next to me and gave it to her, I also found Kirie's blade with it. She thanked me, taking them both and put on the cloak. I just sighed with relief, "What a long day, first getting lost in the tunnel, having a fight with you being possessed by your zanpactou, then you died from a punch to the head, and last but not least, some guy named Nobuki claimed to be your uncle, and brought you back to life for the cost of his own."
Kirie grabbed onto me and joyfully replied, "Uncle Nobuki was still alive, and he came to see me! I've missed him so much!" "Sadly he's gone now, but he gives you his regards, for disappearing on you years ago. Might as well thank him for bringing you back." I chuckled, seeing Kirie so happy for a change.
We eventually left and took the tunnel home, but as we got back to the soul academy, we were met at the door by Fenice. The look on his face from the lantern light horrified me. "It's late, Ichimaru... What were you two doing?" he asked, sharply. I was about to say something when Kirie jumped in. She said, "We fought up in the mountain to see who would win. I didn't want anyone to see, cause we wouldn't have been aloud to use full power. Surprisingly James finally beat me!"
Hearing that Fenice went silent for a moment, but then he just smiled at patted me on the head, "Congratulations. Good thing you two made it." He then stepped away from the door, and I dusted my hair. No one touches the hair! Kirie then said, with a smile, "Maybe you should join our group since you beaten me." "I'll think about it I chuckled, as we both got out and closed the door.
After that we went our separate ways, and from that day on things went more smoothly. Kirie seemed to have changed since the first time we met, and as time went by, her scowl of death show up lesser and lesser, until finally it was never seen again. Well that's the story of how I met Kirie Tachibana, and the clashes we had as academy students. But who knows what may happen in the future. All I know is I'll be ready for it big or small.

The End