Both of us settle into a ready stance.
"Begin!"
With that I explode forward, apparently shocking Ichigo with the speed I closed the distance between us. Though he is quick enough to block the heavy overhead strike, he fails to react to the following kick which sends him crashing into a nearby boulder.
"Lesson number one" I said gravely, as a walked towards Ichigo. "Never focus completely on one part of your opponent."
Ichigo jumps at me in an attempt of an attack, but is forced to defend when I use a sideways slash that looks like it would cut him in half. Despite the successful block, he is still launched backwards and tumbles across the ground. I don't know what Urahara's plan was, but I'm going to beat Ichigo unconscious then go sleep. I don't even care about final spell tests right now, it can wait till tomorrow.
Unconsciously I start radiating a killing intent at Kisuke, it's his fault that I'm wasting time right now. I decided right then he was going to be compensating me with some special alloys for my test devices for springing this on me.
Charging again I'm actually surprised when Ichigo turns tail and starts running away from me. Despite that, he is actually managing to dodge the occasional attack from behind. Guess he has really good instincts to do that while running away.
Well I say that but Ichigo seems to have had a brainwave that gave him an overinflated sense of security since he has a stupid smirk on his face. Though just to be certain I stop pursuing him.
"And what are you smirking about?"
"I just want to confirm something," Ichigo says, smile growing a little bigger. "You aren't a Soul Reaper, are you?"
Confused but still willing to humor him I shake my head no.
"And that sword of yours. It isn't a zanpakuto." Again I shake my head no. "In that case your sword can't hurt me!" Wait he can't be saying… "Only a zanpakuto can hurt a Hollow or a Soul Reaper. Which means even if you land a hit it won't cut me, and I only need to hit you once to win!" He finishes with a self satisfied smile.
...apparently he is saying he can't be hurt by my weapon.
Well there went any reason to hold back as far as I'm concerned. If he wants to make stupid statements without considering the danger if he is wrong, then he can face the consequences.
"That is an interesting theory Ichigo. Especially since just earlier this month you saw that medium hurt a soul with a basically ordinary stick." The bravado started to die on Ichigo's face, "But even if that wasn't the case…" I hurled my sword through the air, nicking the side of his cheek before dismissing the sword. His hand reflexively checking on the small cut and the last of his bravado leaving with the sight of blood on his hand. "...let's move on to lesson number two. Never believe an opponent cannot hurt you."
With that I trace two longswords, both with a cutting enchantment rather than the basic one I was using earlier. This time when my one-handed overhead attack was blocked, my sword went halfway through the un-reinforced zanpakuto. I met Ichigo's eyes as he struggled under the continuing pressure of my attack. "Also you failed lesson one" With that I wrench his sword off to one side, shearing off the end of his blade, while using the turning motion to send my heel into Ichigo's jaw. Luckily for him, another bolder caught him before he flew to far, and just to make sure he stays in place I throw the second sword at his shoulder, only nicking him when he reacts fast enough to duck down.
Tearing his shihakusho free, Ichigo starts fleeing as I pursue him. A sword thrown directly in his path forces him to halt, allowing me to catch up and launch another attack. This time seeking to cut him from shoulder to hip. Ichigo manages to bring his sword into some semblance of a guard position… before the tsuba is sliced in half and falls away from the handle.
"And now you have nothing left of your sword" I state coldly. "Face it Ichigo, you lose. Now just accept it and DIE!"
Shouting out, I continue my assault on Ichigo. Small cuts and nicks appearing on him as he dodges and runs away. What is left of my patience is quickly running out, if Ichigo doesn't at least fight back I'm bringing out the bow.
As though responding to my inner complaints, Ichigo stops running and takes a stance like he is going to pull a sword off a hip sheath. An interesting choice considering the only sheath I think he has ever used is his over-the-shoulder one, but if it means this we can end this then he can take whatever stance he wants. One thought goes through my tired mind. Ichigo did something after getting his shikai. Something that forced Urahara to actually defend…
Ichigo spins dramatically, making a drawing motion with the handle of his sword while crying out "ZANGETSU!"
A blinding flash of reiatsu engulfs Ichigo, forcing me to close my eyes. When it dissipates, Ichigo is left crouching next to a large knife-like blade with a long white bandage around the handle.
"Well you got your sword back. You gonna actually fight back now?"
Ichigo doesn't actually react to my jab. Instead he straightens up and looks into my eyes.
"Hey lady."
Great, the protagonist is about to pull a powerup out of his ass. Sighing as my brain finally recognizes what Ichigo is about to do, I dismiss my sword and pull out one of the one-shot devices I wanted to test out before this whole situation started. Overall it looks like a simple silver pistol, though the barrel lacks any opening where a shot might come from.
"I really hope you dodge this," Ichigo starts, raising his arm and reiryoku at the same time. Causing the tattered remains of the sealing cloth Tessai created to explode off of him.
"Lesson number three…" I mutter, while pointing the device at him.
"CAUSE I CAN'T CONTROL IT YET!" Ichigo roars, swinging his blade down. A massive rush of reiatsu surging towards me.
I channel some mana into the device causing a golden yellow spell circle to manifest at the end of the barrel. I don't actually want to kill Ichigo so I take care to limit the amount of mana going into this shot while pulling the trigger, "Accel Shot, fire!"
Both attacks meet in a blinding flash of light. Cancelling out each other, while kicking up even more dust and sending bits of rock shrapnel flying through the air.
When the light dies down I look across the deep gouges in the floor from both our attacks. Ichigo is braced up against is sword, completely asleep from the looks of it. "...don't use an all out attack if you are going to collapse before you confirm your opponent is down." I sighed "But then I guess you technically win since the ref is biased towards Soul Reapers." I give Urahara a half-hearted glare as I run my thumb over a small cut on my sleeve from where some shrapnel cut me.
"Not like you cared about winning in the first place Alex-chan." Urahara states as he comes over to inspect the damage. "Have to say, Ichigo Kurosaki is one scary kid. Doing this kinda damage without a proper technique. How did your device hold up? Did low power help its reusability?" He asks, looking at the now glowing red gun in my hand.
"Poorly," I state bluntly, "It doesn't really matter what power the shot is. As soon as I use it it's going to need repairs. Although the low power shot looks like it won't take too much effort to fix. It will be good for clearing out the rank and file if they group up, but anyone 4th seat and up should be able to tank a shot if needed from what you were telling me about the squad ranks."
"So back to the lab to try an recalibrate it?"
My glare intensifies a little, "No, thanks to someone dragging me into a training exercise I'm exhausted. Congratulations, your plan worked. I'm going to bed."
Urahara hides his face behind his fan, with a fake innocent sounding tone exclaims, "I'm hurt Alex-chan! You think I did this on purpose just to force you to take a break?"
Heading towards the ladder leading back to the shop I call out over my shoulder, "Yes! Now stop being smug and go train the rookie!"
-----------------------------------------------
-3 Days until Invasion-
Groaning I let my head collapse onto my workbench.
I finally came to the conclusion that there is no more preparation I can do. It would take too long to attempt making another device, one-shot or otherwise, and messing with the devices I already made was pointless at the moment. They simply were the best I could make with my current skill and understanding.
It wasn't all bad though. I managed to get eight one-shot pistols made up and finished debugging the other main prototype device. I would only be able to use that one twice or so, but in reality it only needed to work once. I had some other random utility objects, such as my initial ventures into jewelcraft, but those were more like overpowered flashbangs. Useful certainly, but not exactly a trump card.
Enough of this. I'm not going to get anything else done so no point hanging around the lab. I spent way more time in here over the past few days as it is. Heading out the door, I locked the lab for the night. Might as well go enjoy myself for a bit since I can't help with the gateway anyway.
On the way out I saw both Tessai and Urahara hard at work writing down Kido inscriptions. In some ways I was disappointed that I would never be able to do much, if anything at all, with Kido. Then I remembered much of Kido revolved around poetry and naming and was immensely glad my abilities weren't based on words.
Humming tunelessly, I made my way out of the shop and started heading into town. Maybe try out that restaurant I saw a while back.
-----------------------------------------
-Day of Invasion-
"Wow, this is amazing! Who would have guessed there was an amazing room under the ground, it's like a secret base or something!"
It's finally time to head off into the Soul Society. You would think that getting ready to cross into what is essentially the afterlife would have a bunch of teenagers on edge. Instead Orihime looks to be enjoying the scenery, much to Tessai's delight. Though considering he is responsible for helping create the space, I guess he has the right to enjoy people complimenting his work.
The boys just seem fine with there being a massive cavern underneath a random candy store. I'm not sure whether to praise their adaptability, or be concerned by the lack of reaction. They could be trying to avoid showing an embarrassing side of themselves, I suppose. The picture of Ichigo seeing Yoruichi talk I managed to grab is one of the funniest things I have ever seen.
Though when they notice me standing in my combat outfit near Urahara they seem more curious. Uryu in particular seemed surprised by my presence, though since Chad seemed unaffected it might have just been more noticable.
"Excuse me, who exactly are you?"
Giving the two of them a slight smile I replied, "I'm Alexandria Cross. I'm currently employed by Urahara-san and will be joining you all in the Soul Society."
"All right everybody, gather around! We are about to get started." Urahara exclaims, snapping his fingers. In response four pillars materialize in the air to form a square, settling into the shape of the finished Senkaimon.
"Just one more thing before I explain" Urahara states, before slamming his cane through the back of Ichigo's head. The sight of Ichigo being forced out of his body and the surprise interrupt of Kon 'When did he get here?' was enough to distract any further conversation.
When the explanations finally finished, the gate opened and everyone resolved, the only thing left to do was head through the gate. After almost a year of research, training, and preparation it was finally time to step out of the shadows and start shaking things up.
The last thought in my mind as I passed the threshold was simply, 'This is going to be exciting!'
Spirit 2.1
The Dangai was definitely not the kind of place you want to spend a lot of time in. Even if we weren't trying to outrun the collapsing path behind us, the oozing purple walls, bone strewn floor, and chaotic sky were all enough for me to try getting through as fast as possible.
Yoruichi was doing her best to encourage everyone to move as fast as they could through the narrow corridor, and I, I was trying not to be sick from the nausea that kicked in the second I was through the senkaimon. It wasn't something to do with the surroundings. It actually felt similar to when I first showed up in this universe. Well maybe toned back to like one percent of that.
Still, does that mean that going through the gate is affecting my soul? Cause if so, this could be really bad. I really hope that my soul is not going to come apart at the seams cause I don't have any idea how I would go about fixing something like that.
All of us are trying to move faster to keep ahead of the collapse, but just because things weren't dangerous enough, the Cleaner decides to show up now of all times! A huge mass of whatever exactly this dimension is made up of that reduces anything it caches into dust before merging it into the walls.
Right as we get closer to the exit of the Dangai I feel something shift inside me. The nausea kicking into high gear and paralyzing me, forcing me to stop running or risk falling over. Luckily for me though, Orihime in a move that was either genius or moronic manages to cast one of her shields. When the Cleaner rams into the glowing wall, the resulting force was enough to eject all of us out of the Dangai. Even as we crash into the Soul Society, I feel whatever shifted snap back into place. But it's different. Like some small ache that was constantly out of my perception just went away, and something vast had just made itself known at the edge of my mind.
Ignoring recent developments until I had a safe spot to actually think about what just happened, I brushed myself off and looked around our crash site. Unfortunately our entrance kicked up a bunch of smoke, so getting a look at the surroundings was impossible for now. Looking at the others confirms that everyone made it out of the crash just fine. Well, Yoruichi is tearing into Orihime about what could of happened if the Cleaner actually touched her power directly instead of the shield.
"Relax Yoruichi. She couldn't have known the dangers we might have faced in the Dangai without us telling her. If anything it's our fault for not considering the possibility of running into the Cleaner on our way here."
Yoruichi turned on me, "We would spend hours on the dangers they might encounter if we tried to tell them beforehand! And I know you all heard me tell Ichigo not to use his Zanpakuto lest he never be able to escape the Dangai. That should have been everyone's first clue to not come in contact with that thing." She walked closer to me and continued in a whisper, "And do not think I missed what happened to you, Alexandria. We will be talking about that later."
"She kept her head in a stressful situation and acted to defend her teammates. Remember they might be pretty powerful, but they don't have too much real world experience. I think she did well even if it wasn't the best move." I replied, ignoring the last bit.
"Yeah! We are all fine cause of Inoue. You don't have to get so mad about it." Jumped in Ichigo, apparently having his friend being told off for protecting us all rubbing him the wrong way.
"I feel as if the both of you don't quite understand our current situation!" growled Yoruichi.
Before our argument could get much further we were distracted by Uryu calling out that the smoke was clearing, letting us get our first look at the Soul Society. In a word, the surroundings were… simple. It looked more like we ended up in a historical reenactment village than what most people would consider the afterlife.
"This… this is the Soul Society?" questions Ichigo, sounding shocked by the surroundings. Not surprising considering I'm sure Rukia talked up the Soul Society as a much better place than what we see here.
"That's right." confirmed Yoruichi. "We are currently near the outskirts, otherwise known as the Rukon District. This is where the majority of souls come to live when they first enter the Soul Society. In the center of the Rukongai is the Seireitei where Soul Reapers and the nobility live. Though the Rukongai is the poorest area in the Soul Society it is also has the most freedom."
"Mostly cause anything of value has already been sent somewhere else," I interjected, earning a glare from Yoruichi. Though the lack of argument on her part was damning in its own way.
We wander through the empty streets for a bit before coming to a wide open area. A literal dividing line between the Rukon District and the Seireitei as the buildings in the distance are all in much better repair than the ones surrounding us.
Naturally this means Ichigo feels the need to rush off ahead of the rest of us. "Hey, those buildings all look different! I bet that's the Seirei-whatever where all the Soul Reapers live! Let's check it out!"
With that Ichigo charges across the gap, nearly ignoring Yoruichi's warning and just barely avoiding getting crushed by the descending walls. I looked up towards the sky. Where the hell was the wall suspended from anyway? Seems like a waste to have a wall move like that, especially if you have it set to descend the moment someone tries to cross into the Seireitei. It seems in character though, Soul Reapers were a dramatic bunch if nothing else.
Speaking of dramatic, "Well now. It's been quite some time since someone tried to enter the Seireitei without a travel permit. Come at me however you want, kid!" boomed the giant Soul Reaper.
Looking at the gatekeeper in front of us it was easy to see why people wouldn't try to approach. Hell, I knew I could take him pretty easily and yet the sheer size of him was making me a little nervous. The giant was crouched on the ground but even with that he was over 15 feet tall. The shihakusho marked him as a Soul Reaper even with the left half missing, instead it was replaced by a full arm guard of metal plates. I was a little interested in why he carried an axe instead of a Zanpakuto but might not be the best time to ask since we seem to be invading at the moment.
"He's huge!" exclaimed Uryu, unknowingly echoing my thoughts. "There's no way someone that big is human, right? Who even is he?"
"That would be Jidanbo, one of the elite guards of the Soul Society and the gatekeeper of the western district." explained Yoruichi.
"A guard, huh? Guess that means we need to beat him if we want to get through that gate."
"Well if you wanted to attract the attention of every Soul Reaper here then yeah probably." I said. "Luckily for us we don't really need to pass through this gate."
"True, it's a good thing too. Jidanbo hasn't been defeated once in the 300 years he's been guarding the gate. Hey Ichigo come on back so we can mo- Wait Chad, Orihime, what are you doing!?"
Ignoring Yoruichi, both teenagers rush to meet up with Ichigo. Only to draw the attention of Jidanbo. Luckily, instead of attacking the two of them he slams his axe into the ground causing it to shift and form a rough wall between us and Ichigo.
While I wasn't really worried about Ichigo fighting Jidanbo, I was kinda hoping we could move on to the actual plan without drawing more attention. But the more I thought about it the better this was for us as a group. Ichigo needed actual combat experience, human opponents (or whatever Jidabo actually was) fought very differently than Hollows. In addition to that he needs to get used to attacking people to not freeze up when someone actually got hurt. Urahara put him through a crash try-not-to-die training course, but wouldn't actually condition Ichigo to hurt his opponent since I doubt Ichigo got a single hit in. Uryu needed to see Soul Reapers as something other than enemy soldiers that needed to be taken down or he might just start killing every Soul Reaper he runs across drawing more hostile forces than necessary, and Jidanbo was a known quantity as one of the better personalities in the Soul Reapers.
Chad and Orihime needed an introduction to the kind of opponents they would be facing. Their limited exposure to the spiritual side of things meant that they would need to learn quickly and seeing it first hand would drive that point home better than a lecture from either me or Yoruichi.
So rather than step in, I just watched as Ichigo reduced an over 300 year old giant into a crying mess with one sword swing.
Which was all kinds of awkward.
Luckily Ichigo was the one dealing with that mess. Though the final result got… weird.
"I've been utterly defeated!" bawled Jidanbo. "Not only did you defeat me as a fighter, you have also beaten me as a man!"
He stopped to wipe his eyes, looking over to Ichigo. "I have been the guardian of this gate for the last 300 years. I have never been defeated before now. You are the first."
Giving us all a bright smile, he continued, "You can pass. I, Jidanbo as the Keeper of the Western Gate grant you passage."
Watching the scene before me was kinda heartwarming, as Ichigo and Uryu bickered over the need for a group leader and Jidanbo prepared to open the gate. It felt like one of those tales where the heroes manage to befriend everyone they come across and things just work out.
That feeling went away when Jidanbo's arm was nearly sliced in half after he opened the gate. On the other side of the wall Gin Ichimaru slowly approached the now open gate, a snake-like smile on his face. True to pattern Ichigo rushed ahead of everyone else, this time I was expecting it and made to follow… only for Yoruichi to sink her claws into the back of my skirt-cape.
"Alexandria, we can't fight a captain here. We need to pull back before more Soul Reapers show up. Grab the others before this gets even worse." Yoruichi hissed.
I wanted to argue that Ichigo needed my help more, but Yoruichi had way more experience and this wasn't the time to try and challenge her on that.
While I went to corral the other three Yoruichi tried to get Ichigo to pull back. I doubted that she would have much success considering how stubborn he tended to be. A feeling that was proven accurate when Ichigo was slammed into Jidanbo, causing both of them to fly out of the gate.
Unlike in my memories, the gate did not immediately close when Jidanbo was forced away. The long years without proper maintenance meant the gate door was temporarily stuck open allowing Gin to get a second attack in if he felt like it. And from where he was looking… shit, Orihime.
In an instant I projected a bow and arrow and unleashed a grazing attack. Nothing that would seriously harm a captain, but it was enough to distract him from Orihime.
"A bow? Is she a Quincy?!" I heard Uryu ask in shock behind me.
"Well now, that was pretty dangerous wouldn't ya say miss?" Gin asked.
"Not really, but I don't have time to play with you right now."
The gate was almost closed. Unless Gin wanted to pursue us outside the Seireitei, we should be in the clear.
"That is unfortunate" Gin replied smoothly. Ugh, this guy really nailed the creepy vibe. "Hopefully we can play some other time. Bye-bye!"
He gave all of us a small wave as the gate slammed back closed.
"Well that could have gone better." I commented idly. "Orihime and Chad please go make sure Jidanbo doesn't bleed out on us. Uryu keep an eye on them.
"O-of course, leave it to me!"
"Hmm"
"Wait, you can't just walk away like this!"
Can, and currently am. Not the time for a breakdown of my abilities Uryu. Making my way over to Ichigo and Yoruichi I noticed the locals had finally decided to show themselves. They seemed pretty calm despite facing a group of people that defeated an elite Soul Reaper and stood against a captain. Then again I do remember most Soul Reapers aren't really liked outside the Seireitei.
Hello everyone!" I said brightly. "How has your morning been?"
-0-A few hours later we found ourselves in the home of one of the elders of the area. Well at least Uryu, Yoruichi, and myself. Chad had gone off with one of the souls earlier and hadn't returned.
Orihime was still treating Jidanbo's arm and Ichigo had gone to collect her a little while ago.
Uryu for his part refused to let me out of his sight, even when the others had scattered to explore the area a little. Even when I said that I wasn't a Quincy he refused to leave it at that and followed me around.
"Alexandria, you should get set up before the others get back. We will likely need to leave in the morning so you don't have long." Yoruichi said.
I nodded to her and stood up to leave. Uryu again went to follow me, no doubt to pester me about the bow again.
"Ishida just so you know, I need you back here when the others arrive."
Nodding Uryu continued to follow me until we were back in front of the western gate to the Seireitei. Once there, I got to work. Pulling several small tools out of a pouch I kept on hand for this reason.
"What are you doing?"
Looking over to Uryu I saw him looking at my instruments with curiosity. "Well I suppose the best way to put it is I'm marking an area for a spell."
"Marking an area? I see, then I suppose you have another way for us to open the gate then?"
"Nope." I began writing out the spell formula being careful to avoid any mistakes. Good news was, if I did make a mistake I likely wouldn't live long enough to feel it.
Uryu waited for me to explain, but when it became clear that I was content to let the silence stretch out he resumed asking me about what exactly my powers were.
"Why do you reject being a Quincy so much? The others might not know the specifics, but the way you formed that bow was extremely similar to the spirit weapon created by the Sanrei Glove. If you want to reject your heritage so much at least tell me why!"
Finishing the line I was working on, I stopped drawing the spell circle and turned to Uryu. He looked remarkably upset that I continued to deny being a Quincy, and in some respects I could understand why. From what I remember his father also rejected being a Quincy but avoided dealing with anything spiritual, to see another person use an ability with even a small resemblance to Quincy techniques also rejecting being called a Quincy was probably a blow to his ego.
"Uryu care to tell me exactly what a Quincy is? Not a philosophy but the ability that makes a person a Quincy."
He looked confused as to why I was asking this but explained all the same. "A Quincy is a human that can control the Reishi in the air to create spirit weapons to fight with."
"Exactly. And that is why I'm saying I'm not a Quincy." I held up a hand to stop him from interrupting. "There are a couple points I could make to say why I don't fit the definition of a Quincy, but the biggest one is that I don't use Reishi at all. I don't use Reiryoku for that matter either."
"That's impossible! You wouldn't be able to see a spiritual being without Reiryoku let alone fight without it!" Uryu exclaimed.
"Well I don't. I use an energy called Mana. It's similar enough that the two share some traits, but they aren't exactly the same. For instance that bow you saw earlier? It wasn't a spirit weapon. I used Mana to create a physical manifestation of a mental image and used that to attack." An oversimplification of projection maybe, but it should be enough to prove my point.
"Now I know this is going to take some time to complete. You probably should head back to the other unless you want to watch me draw for a few hours. I'll meet up with you all when I'm done."
Uryu nodded hesitantly before walking off in the direction of the Elder's house.
Looking back at the beginnings of the circle I picked up my tools and continued writing.
This was going to take a while.
Spirit 2.2
By the time I had finished with the spell circle the sun had gone down. Since I was sure Yoruichi had finished explaining what our next steps were to the others and we were only going to head out in the morning I took my time returning to the Elder's house.
Which might have been a good thing since as I turned the corner I was forced to jump back to avoid getting trampled by a group of delinquent looking people riding… boars?
Oh right, I guess that means everyone got to meet Ganju. Honestly I kinda forgot about him. Still that reunion should be entertaining, so now I'm looking forward to it. When I made it back to the house Ichigo was raging about some jackass leaving in the middle of a fight while the other either ignored him or tried to calm him down.
I made my way past that mess and headed to the guest room we had been loaned for the night. With any luck Yoruichi would be too preoccupied with Ichigo to remember what had happened in the Dangai.
"Alexandria."
Or she could just be waiting for me to be alone so I don't have an excuse to avoid her.
"What's new pussycat?" Just because I wasn't likely to get out of this talk didn't mean I had to be serious about it.
"We need to talk."
"Well as much as I enjoy your company, I tend to like my girls a little taller and much less fuzzy. Hope this doesn't change what we have between us, I do like you as a friend."
"Would you be serious!" Yoruichi snapped, apparently not appreciating my sense of humor.
"Not if I can help it."
The two of us stare at each other, each waiting for the other to break the silence. Since I didn't really want to talk about what happened, I was fine with not saying anything. Unfortunately Yoruichi is perfectly aware of this and continues probing.
"Is it such a big deal that you really won't talk about it even if it clearly affects you that much?"
I mulled her words over a bit. "It has some implications I really don't want to think about, so I'm using the classic coping method of repression."
"Is it linked to how you were experimented on?"
My head snapped over to Yoruichi. How the hell did she come to that conclusion? I had been very reluctant to discuss my past due to how outrageous it was, but I was confident I had never said anything that would lead someone to think I had a history as a science experiment.
"How…"
"You get really cagey about where you came from, were very focused on Kisuke's background as a scientist when we first met, freaked out about the gegai development lab and never went near it again, and need to be either surprised into medical checkups or physically delivered to them. Kisuke also thinks he saw a few signs of soul modification but they are so slight it's more of a hunch than solid evidence."
I mean, she wasn't wrong about everything she said but all of that could be easily explained away as unrelated behavior. Most people didn't like medical checkups after all, and the gegai lab is literally just covered in dismembered body parts. That Urahara had apparently noticed the soul modifications was new though
"You figured it out with only that?" I said a little weakly.
"Well, no. There are a bunch of smaller details but those were the highlights. So? What happened in the Dangai?"
"Alright, fine." I sighed heavily. "Let me give you some background before we get to that. You're right, I was made as some kinda soul experiment. I was told I was a test to integrate several skills directly into the soul of a single personality to be used as a mass producible soldier. Unfortunately for me, it didn't go very well. So rather than a supersoldier my creator ended up with a barely stable mess. I didn't have the innate understanding of my abilities I was supposed to, and even the knowledge of what some of those abilities might be would have been enough to destabilize me. Rather than be disposed I made my way to Karakura, and ran into Urahara shortly afterwards."
Hopefully that is informative enough that is enough that Urahara and Yoruichi won't try to figure out more about my past. Really not sure how I could give them the whole story without sounding crazy.
"Who exactly was your creator? And could you take us back to where you escaped from after this?" Asked Yoruichi.
Bleh, guess she would want to check up on a scientist hacking souls together to create a mass produced army. Hmm, how to spin this…
"I never actually found out his name. We only talked once. And once I made sure he would never be able to follow me I cleared out the area I was in when I left. As for going back, sorry but I have no idea how I would do that."
All technically true statements. I never found out ROB's name, he flat out told me coming to any one dimension would pop the thing so he can't follow me, I think, and the soul jar I was in would be empty when I was tossed out. With a little luck Yoruichi might think that I killed my creator and burned the lab down before making my escape, but I'm not going to volunteer anything else about that if I can help it.
"So after all that, I figured I that was the end of it and I could just move on with my life. But when we entered the Dangai, I felt my soul shift around a bit. Just enough that when we entered the Soul Society it actually repaired some of the damage I didn't even know was there."
"Damage?" Yoruichi asked leadingly.
"Yep, you know how I do this?" I asked, projecting a simple katana in my hand. "It's actually not the full extent of what I should be able to do. While I was off making the spell circle, I started trying to figure out if anything changed. Turns out, our little trip fixed my ability. Now I can do this."
'I am the bone of my sword
Steel is my body and fire is my blood
I have created over a thousand blades'
[TRACE ON]
In my other hand a new sword formed. The hilt was covered in a simple black wrapping and had a sharp bend where a red tassel hung from the golden endcap. Instead of a more traditional tsuba, there was a golden u-shaped metal piece that extended up a few inches on the perfectly straight blade. Despite the elegant look of the sword, there was a distinct aura of bloodlust coming off the blade making it seem like the sword itself was eager to cut everything around it.
"Alexandria what exactly have you done." Yoruichi hissed dangerously. Her tone alone made it clear it was not a question, and if she didn't like the answer she would make me regret it. Still she was taking this better than Urahara did, it was one of the only times he fought me seriously. Though seeing someone manhandle the manifestation of your soul would rub most Soul Reapers the wrong way, even if the copy I made then lacked the presence of this one.
"I created a copy." I said simply. "A perfect copy nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. Although I haven't really mastered it yet."
Yoruichi settled back on her haunches, at least calm enough to hear me out. "And how deep does this copy go? If you managed to get the feeling the blade gives off did you copy the Zanpakuto's spirit as well? Is it as powerful as the real thing?" She pauses for a second, "Did you doing this affect Kisuke at all?"
"Like I said, it's a perfect copy. Well, at least of the sword. Since I only have Urahara's, Gin's, and Ichigo's to go by I'm guessing for some of it."
Yoruichi nodded in acceptance.
"The copy I make seems to have the full abilities at the moment I see it. I don't know if that means all the abilities of the Zanpakuto or just the ones it can perform at that moment."
"Wait, does that mean you can copy the Bankai as well?!" Yoruichi cuts in.
"Doesn't seem like it. I can't use either Gin or Urahara's Bankai, probably due to the nature of Bankai in general. I don't copy the Zanpakuto spirit as it turns out. No idea if that means I can copy a Bankai if I see one though…" I trailed off, distracted by the thought until I was pulled back to the conversation by an impatient cough. "Right, no, me creating a copy won't affect the user at all. The entire thing is sustained through my powers. No input from the original at all."
After my explanation she finally relaxes enough that I don't feel like I'm going to be attacked if I say the wrong thing.
"You never said if they are as strong as the original"
I let out a frustrated snort, "Yeah, well currently they aren't, even if they should be. Annoyingly thats just cause I haven't mastered the ability, not because of an actual restriction."
"That's how most abilities work Alexandria. Why does that bother you?" Yoruichi comments dryly.
"It bugs me cause practice won't help me here. I need to form a deeper connection to the mental plane I have. And its linked to a chant based on me understanding who I am as a person and my soul."
"That actually sounds pretty close to how most Soul Reapers train for Shikai. Though from the sound of it the connection you need is much deeper."
I wasn't exactly looking for sympathy regarding the new troubles I had run into trying to get the full abilities of the Unlimited Blade Works to well...work for me. Still the now unconcerned tone of Yoruichi was getting on my nerves a bit. Now that I explained that I didn't affect her friend with the ability, then everything else was just dependent on training in her mind. But my soul was damaged. Would that mean it was impossible for me to master the UBW until I found a way to fix it? Could I even fix it? I didn't know, and just that alone was frightening. Of course we were also on a schedule so I couldn't even take the time to really adjust to the new changes, I would just have to put my worries aside until our mission here was over.
"Was there anything else you wanted?" I asked somewhat irritatedly.
Yoruichi quirked an eyebrow at my tone, "Not really. Just wanted to make sure you were alright after what happened. Though it seems we got sidetracked a bit.
Will you be ready for tomorrow? The kids and I won't be following you for at least a full day so you could wait a bit if you aren't prepared."
"I'll be fine." I snapped.
Clearly recognizing my worsening temper Yoruichi got up and started towards the door.
"In that case you should get some rest. Goodnight Alexandria."
-o-
The next morning was a little tense as half of our group were not in good moods at all. I was still a little pissed at Yoruichi for practically accusing me of messing with Urahara's soul at first then dismissing my issues as unimportant. Yoruichi was pissed at Ichigo for wasting time wanting to wait for a full day just to have a rematch with someone he fought last night, partly out of a desire to keep on schedule and at least a little due to realising how she acted last night. She probably realised what she did to piss me off, but was a little too proud to actually apologize about it. Ichigo was in a bad mood for having his fight interrupted but he's getting over it and is currently more concerned about the blood pouring down his face from Yoruichi scratching him.
So basically, now it's down to me and Yoruichi being in bad moods and the other not being sure what to do about it.
While the others finished saying their farewells to the Elder, Orihime made her way over to me, "Um,Miss Alexandria?"
"You can call me Alex, Orihime. I'm not big on formalities."
"Oh okay! So, um, I was just wondering, did something happen last night? Both you and Yoruichi-san seem upset with each other."
Say what you want about her, Orihime was certainly observant of the people around her when she wanted to be.
"It's fine. We had a conversation last night that got a bit out of hand. Nothing to worry about, now you better get ready to leave with the others. Don't want to get left behind do you?"
Orihime gets a confused look on her face, "Leave with the others? Are you not coming with us Alex-san?"
"No, the method Yoruichi wants to use to get inside the walls won't work for me, so I'm going to use a different method and meet all of you inside." I say with a reassuring smile.
With that I push Orihime back towards the rest of the group.
"Now go on! Looks like they are getting ready to head out."
Finally she listens and heads over to the three boys, Ichigo and Uryru arguing about something unimportant while Chad stands impassively nearby. Leaving the perfect chance for Yoruichi to intercept me alone.
"Are you sure you're comfortable heading in there by yourself? It wouldn't be an issue if you waited to catch up with us."
Yoruichi might be awkward about apologising but she does care.
"Yeah, I'm already going to be playing catch-up trying to get to the middle of the Seireitei. If I don't get a head start you guys might be finished before I even get there."
She nods.
"Very well, in that case be careful. We should get a move on as well."
-o-
Soon after that we all set out for the main road. I would head back towards my spell circle while the rest of the group would head off into the countryside. But for now we were just enjoying a stroll through the streets.
As we walked the town started to wake up around us. People starting their early morning routines or just chatting with neighbors. It was a nice dose of, well not normalcy since it still looked like something out of a historical drama, but it did help improve my mood seeing a bunch of people moving about so relaxed.
Eventually though we reached a crossroad where we would need to head in different directions, so I guess it was time to say goodbye.
"Alright guys, I'm this way" I pointed off towards one of the paths "I'll try to join up with you in the Seireitei, but until then listen to Yoruichi, watch each other's backs and don't let Ichigo do something stupid."
"Hey why am I getting singled out here!?"
"Cause you're the idiot that ran off and fought a gatekeeper when we didn't even need to go that way, then tried to fight a captain, and then apparently got into a fight with a local. All within a day of being here." I mercilessly retorted.
The orange-haired soul reaper looked like he wanted to argue the point but couldn't discount the facts against him. Eventually just grumbling something while everyone else seemed amused.
We said our goodbyes and split off. I finally got back to the spell circle I set up last night and gave it a quick checkover for any errors I might have missed.
Naturally I found nothing considering how many times I checked yesterday. But I was still a bit nervous about actually using the thing. Unfortunately I had a schedule to keep if I wanted to reach the same area as everyone else on time. So I stepped into the middle of the circle, pulled out the proto-device I had created and paused. This was it, no turning back after this.
I sent a wave of mana into the circle around me and connected it to the device in my hand.
The circle lit up in golden light, quickly rising from the ground to above my head. It felt like electricity was dancing over my skin, and then there was a flash and the world vanished into white light.