In a desolate area of Karakura City, a magical circle drawn on the ground glowed intensely, casting a mystical blue light over the surroundings. Slowly, from the center of the circle, a slender, elegant figure began to materialize. She had long, black hair flowing down to her knees, standing out against the gloomy atmosphere. Her eyes were particularly striking: the left a deep violet, and the right a light brown, glinting behind semi-rimmed blue glasses.
Tsubaki looked around, adjusting her glasses, and then focused on the building she had come to find: the old Kuoh Academy building. Standing three stories tall, with the top serving as a clock tower, the structure no longer held the brilliance of its prime. The white paint was worn, and vines climbed up to the second floor, giving the place an even more abandoned air.
As she approached the entrance, the wooden door creaked open, revealing a young woman with long black hair tied in a ponytail that reached down to her legs. She smiled warmly, yet with an intriguing air.
"Welcome to the Occult Research Club, Tsubaki," the young woman said elegantly.
"Thank you, Akeno. So, the club is now in the old building?" Tsubaki responded, glancing at the building one last time before stepping inside.
Akeno nodded briefly, and Tsubaki followed her. As they entered, Tsubaki was surprised by the contrast between the aged exterior and the refined interior. The club room was lined with dark wood paneling, and Victorian furniture, with velvet-upholstered sofas and intricately carved chairs, evoked a bygone era of grandeur.
Further back, Rias, a young woman with long red hair cascading down to her thighs, was seated behind a desk. She looked up and waved at Tsubaki, while another figure with white hair and golden eyes savored a treat in silence, seemingly oblivious to everything around her.
Sona, who had been waiting with a slightly anxious expression, wasted no time in asking:
"Tsubaki, did something happen? And where is Kai?"
"He's out on a contract," Tsubaki replied, trying to understand the tension spreading in the room. "Did something happen?"
Rias gestured for Tsubaki to sit down.
"A group calling themselves Onmyoudou recently entered the city. We think they're after something important, but we're not sure what. There's a suspicious connection with our school," Rias explained, her gaze fixed on Tsubaki's.
Sona appeared even more uneasy. After hearing this, she picked up her phone, her face worried.
"They haven't caused any problems yet, but it's best to warn Kai. He might be in danger," she said, trying to disguise the anxiety in her voice.
Meanwhile, in an isolated dojo surrounded by an open, desolate field, Kai waited in the silence. The old, worn building was encircled by an empty landscape, with no sign of human life nearby. Only the tall, dust-covered windows allowed light to filter through. At the center of the dojo, a black, ornately decorated door drew Kai's attention, while a wolf statue guarded the entrance, holding a dagger in its stone jaws.
Seated on the floor, he waited, mentally reviewing some details from his diary and contemplating what awaited him. At that moment, a loud noise drew his attention. Looking out the window, he saw several dog-sized rats surrounding the dojo. Each had two spiral horns and an ominous aura. Without a second thought, Kai gripped his Zanpakutōs tightly and prepared for battle.
The rats charged at him, and Kai swiftly cut down those in front of him. But with each rat defeated, more seemed to appear, as if endless. Kai glanced behind him and saw one of the rats swelling, about to explode. Acting quickly, he threw the rat out the window, where it exploded, destroying part of the roof and wall. He moved swiftly, trying to fend off the rats while thinking of a strategy to escape this situation.
Just then, the wolf statue seemed to awaken. It sprang from its position, leaping at the horde of rats that had suddenly begun to surround the dojo as if they knew exactly what they were after. Kai watched in fascination as the statue, animated by some kind of magic, attacked the rats with precision, slicing off their horns.
Relieved to see the statue aiding him, Kai fought alongside the wolf, noticing that the rats didn't explode when their horns were cut off. With a glance at the wolf, he understood the strategy: destroy the horns to neutralize the rats.
As he and the wolf were gaining control, a bipedal rat with three horns and a menacing appearance entered the dojo and stopped before Kai. This one was different, and Kai sensed that the battle was about to reach a new level.
"Oh, and who are you? Master Splinter? I thought you'd come with your four sons. I'm a big fan of them," Kai said sarcastically.
The giant rat stared at him, its red eyes flashing.
Kai felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, and when he saw that it was Sona, he raised his hand toward the giant rat—Splinter—indicating for it to wait a moment.
"Just a minute," Kai said, as if he wasn't in the middle of a fight with a monstrous creature.
The giant rat paused, looking at the human with confusion as Kai answered the phone with a grin.
"Sona already missing me?" Kai joked. "I think I've got a little problem here."
On the other end, Sona sighed, and her voice held a slight note of concern.
"Kai, where are you?" She tried to sound calm, but he could hear the tension in her voice. "We have information about…"
Before Kai could respond, he saw the giant rat charging toward him, its sharp claws slicing through the air with deadly precision. Kai blocked the attack with his Zanpakutōs, pushing it back with considerable effort.
"Hey, I was on a call! Didn't your parents teach you to wait while others are talking?" he shouted, half-joking, half-annoyed.
The giant rat only growled in response, intensifying its attacks. Now fully engrossed in the battle, Kai dodged and countered with each movement, forcing Splinter to keep his distance. But deep down, he knew he couldn't keep the phone connection for long. The line soon cut out, and he only heard the tone signaling the call's end before he plunged back into the fight.
Back at the Occult Research Club, Sona hung up the phone, but she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had taken hold of her. The call had been abruptly cut off, and she knew something was wrong. She tried to keep a neutral expression, but her heart was racing.
"Do you think Kai is okay?" Sona asked, looking at Tsubaki, who stood beside her, watching with a similarly worried expression.
Tsubaki, always calm and focused, nodded slowly, but the concern was evident in her eyes.
"He was in a strange dojo..." Sona continued, looking at the floor as if trying to understand what "little problem" Kai had mentioned. "And the call was cut off before he could explain what was going on."
The room was silent, and Sona's anxiety grew. She trusted Kai's abilities, but something about this situation felt different, more threatening. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was in danger.
"Should we send someone to find him?" Tsubaki suggested, breaking the silence.
Sona hesitated, weighing her options. She knew Kai was strong, but she also knew that he, as skilled as he was, couldn't face everything without consequences.
"That might be best," Sona murmured, making a decision. "I'll ask the search team to go to the area around that dojo. We can't risk leaving him alone, especially with that organization in town."
Tsubaki nodded and prepared for the mission.
Back at the dojo, the giant rat struck at Kai with a precise, rapid series of brutal blows. Kai raised his Zanpakutō to defend himself but felt the force of the attack. In a moment of distraction, he was hit by the rat's tail, which pierced his thigh, and he crashed heavily against the wall.
Kai felt pain radiate from his ribs and injured leg, but he kept his humor intact.
"Hey, Splinter, are you trying to make me a ping-pong ball?" he muttered, attempting to hide his discomfort.
The giant rat responded with an even more brutal attack, moving toward him with astonishing speed. Kai barely had time to stand when he saw Splinter with daggers at the ready, preparing for another assault. Determined to give it his all, Kai tried to concentrate his spiritual power.
"Hadō #4, Byakurai!" he shouted, firing a concentrated energy beam toward the rat.
Splinter tried to dodge, but the blast hit him partially, causing his left shoulder and arm to vanish in an explosion of light that illuminated the night sky beyond the destroyed dojo. He howled in pain but soon let out a crazed laugh, showing he wasn't yet defeated.
"Not bad, kid." the rat continued laughing, his voice echoing with manic laughter that filled the dojo. "You've surprised me… It's rare to find a human with so much energy."
Pausing briefly, he looked straight into Kai's eyes, a malevolent glint in his gaze.
"Do you really think you can face me without even knowing the true power I carry?" he growled, his voice rough and deep. "My name isn't Splinter, foolish boy. Remember it well… I am Baren, the one who will bring your end."
With an unexpected gesture, Baren grabbed his remaining two horns and tore them off.
The horns transformed into sharp daggers, gleaming with a sinister aura. As he held the new blades, his body began to grow and change.
Splinter's form expanded, muscles becoming more defined and bulky, his stance now upright and slender, and his red eyes gleamed with a mad intensity. Long, spiky white hair began to grow, cascading down to his waist and accentuating his monstrous presence.
Kai watched, struggling to contain his panic, but couldn't avoid a mocking remark.
"The transformation is impressive, but honestly, you're still as ugly as before, Splinter. Maybe that'll change next time."
Baren growled, baring sharp teeth in a demonic grin. In an instant, he disappeared and reappeared in front of Kai, striking with one of the daggers. Kai raised his Zanpakutōs in a cross to protect himself, but the force of the blow pushed him back, stopping him only ten meters away.
Kai took a deep breath, surprised by the opponent's new strength and speed. Before he could process it, Splinter lunged again, attacking him with a barrage of brutal dagger strikes. Kai could barely parry, and each impact threw him off balance. In a brief lapse, he felt Splinter's tail hit him in the ribs again, sending him flying once more, this time crashing hard onto the floor.
He cursed under his breath, realizing how much the rat was overpowering him.
Panting and still stunned by the opponent's power boost, Kai knew he'd need something more. He closed his eyes, trying to focus, and slowly, the sounds of battle faded away.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in his inner world, where a massive tree raised its vibrant leaves. There, among the roots, a colossal wolf with black fur and azure-blue markings gazed at him with piercing eyes. A white disc floated on its back, surrounded by eight small, black fire rings that spun slowly around it. Further ahead, on the horizon, Kai heard a roar and saw a serpentine dragon rising from the ocean depths. Its blue scales glistened in the water's reflection, and the dragon's slender body wound through the air, exuding a majestic and electrifying aura. The creature's head resembled that of a crocodile, with golden horns that seemed to contain tiny bolts of lightning.
Kai took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the two guardians' presences. The black wolf looked at him with an ancient wisdom in its gaze, and the dragon hovered above, imposing and powerful. He knew he was standing before the spiritual forms of his own Zanpakutōs: Ookami and Ryu. Without hesitation, he accepted the strength they offered him, feeling their energy flow through his body.
Back in the dojo, everything seemed different. The air was thick with energy, and the space around Kai seemed to vibrate in sync with him. In his hands, the Zanpakutōs were transformed: Ookami released eight rings of black fire that floated around the blade, spinning in a sinister dance and forming a barrier around Kai. Each ring shone with a menacing intensity, ready to strike at any moment. Meanwhile, Ryu, the scaled sword, was more alive than ever. It could break apart into thousands of scales that floated in the air at Kai's command, charged with electricity. He felt the energy flow between each scale, like tiny bolts of lightning ready to discharge.
With renewed power coursing through his veins, Kai advanced toward Baren. Ookami's rings of black fire moved around him, forming both a defensive and threatening shield. Baren observed the transformation with a look of surprise and disdain.
"So, the boy decided to get serious," he said with a sinister smile.
Kai gave a faint smile, his face sweaty and marked by the battles thus far, but his eyes shone with determination.
"Just thought it was time to even the playing field, Baren," he replied, emphasizing the enemy's true name.
Baren let out a laugh that echoed throughout the dojo, his long white hair waving like living serpents under his command. With a swift movement, he transformed several strands of his hair into sharp spikes and launched them in a barrage toward Kai.
Kai instinctively commanded Ookami's rings of fire to intercept the spikes. The rings spun at high speed, burning each spike that approached. Baren, seeing his attacks were ineffective, increased the intensity, launching wave after wave of spikes. Without hesitation, Kai used Ryu's electric scales, dispersing them into the air like a swarm of glittering fragments. Each scale carried electricity, creating a web of energy that surrounded him, blocking the spikes' advance.
Kai then directed the scales forward, aiming them at Baren, who quickly dodged with supernatural agility. But the scales seemed to move on their own, each connected to the next, as if they were threads in a web, ready to entrap him. Baren dodged with rapid, calculated movements, but a flash of electricity surged between the scales, grazing his face and leaving a scorch mark on his skin.
Kai stood firm, Ookami's rings of fire and Ryu's electric scales whirling around him in a dangerous symphony. He felt the weight of the power but also knew that Baren was far from giving up. With a smile, Baren pulled more strands of his hair, now transforming them into claw-like blades extending from his hands.
"Let's see if these new abilities of yours can withstand a real challenge," Baren snarled.
He charged at Kai, his hair-claws glistening with a dark energy. Kai used Ookami's rings to form a shield, but Baren struck with such speed that the rings struggled to keep up. Each impact sent vibrations through the shield, and sparks flew in the air. Kai stepped back slightly, dodging the relentless attacks, but was struck on the shoulder, a deep cut causing blood to trickle down his skin. Baren grinned as he saw Kai's blood.
In response, Kai dispersed Ryu's scales around him, creating a defensive net. With a swift motion, he directed part of the scales to form a barrier between him and Baren, while using others to surround the enemy, closing off his space with electricity. In a burst of energy, he activated the power of the scales, releasing an electric charge that filled the area, striking Baren and causing burns that made the enemy scream in pain.
The battle continued with increasing intensity. Kai and Baren were visibly injured. Their blood stained the dojo floor, now nearly in ruins, with broken walls and soot scattered in the corners. Kai was panting, his wounds burning, but he knew Baren was also weakened, his heavy breaths revealing his exhaustion.
Finally, the two paused momentarily, locking eyes with pure determination. Kai held his Zanpakutōs firmly, feeling the toll of the battle, but a spark of resilience still shone in his gaze. Baren, on the other hand, smiled, even with his face marked by burns and injuries.
"You've truly surprised me, kid," Baren murmured, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "But know this isn't over yet."
Kai took a deep breath, ignoring the throbbing pain in his body. He knew he didn't have the strength for a decisive victory at this moment, but he was also aware that he had made a considerable impact on Baren. Both were on the brink of exhaustion, but neither was willing to back down.
"Let's see how far you can go, Baren," Kai replied, keeping his gaze fixed on his enemy.
The battle was still open, each holding their breath, ready for the next clash.