6 Monkey into the Fire
" All captains present and accounted for!"
*Doom.
After having had such a chaotic event happen in the rukongai districts, the Captain Commander of the thirteen court guard squads, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, called an emergency meeting to discuss with the other captains what exactly had happened.
Assembling in the great hall were the captains of each squad.
Captain of Squad 1- Genryusai Yamamoto.
Captain of Squad 2- Yoruichi Shihouin.
Captain of Squad 3- Makoto Shirahashi.
Captain of Squad 4- Retsu Unohana.
Captain of Squad 5- Shinji Hirako.
Captain of Squad 6- Ginrei Kuchiki.
Captain of Squad 7-Love Aikawa.
Captain of Squad 8- Shunsui Kyoraku.
Captain of Squad 9- Koga Kirigane.
Captain of Squad 10- Goto Shiba.
Captain of Squad 11. Kenpachi Homura.
Captain of Squad 12- Kirio Hikifune.
Captain of Squad 13- Jushiro Ukitake.
" Let's begin!" Yamamoto declared. " As many of you know, there was an attack in the forests of the Northern Rukongai district. Two members of the stealth force were killed in action, and the Lieutenant of Squad 9, Kensei Muguruma was heavily injured in battle against a Hollow of great power." He explained.
" Kensei? Can't say I've ever heard of him losing a fight, before. This must be some Hollow we're talking about." Shinji stated.
" Indeed." Yamamoto stated. " We have reports from the Lieutenant as well as from the third seat Kuna, that depicted the Hollow as looking similar to a monkey and being able to speak clearly. I believe this Hollow was a form of Menos, called an adjuchas. They are what happens when a Hollow evolves beyond being a mere Menos Grande. They are the next stage, and take on smaller forms, they also gain the consciousness of whichever soul overpowers all the others that make up its body, giving it the ability to speak and think like any man." Yamamoto explained. " Adjuchas such as this one are rare indeed. Rare and powerful. Lieutenant Muguruma is to be commended for his ability to face such a foe."
" I'm sure he'll be honored, Head Captain." Koga muttered.
" Hold on a second." Captain Shirahashi spoke. " Head Captain why would a Hollow like that come to the soul society? I can understand a mindless Menos stumbling here looking for a snack, but surely a creature like that would know coming here would be a death sentence." She assumed. Captain Shirahashi was a short woman, with short black hair, and brown eyes, and pale complexion. A beauty almost like a snow fairy.
" Third seat Kuna, stated the Hollow was searching for a Captain and refused to fight anyone weaker than such." Koga explained.
" Really?" Shunsui asked.
" Yes. She stated explicitly that this Hollow refused to fight her and instead insisted she returned with me instead. When it became clear she had no intention of doing such, the Hollow began moving on her, that's when Lieutenant Muguruma got involved." Koga explained.
" Well, would you look at that, A hollow with honor. You don't see that every day." Shunsui joked.
" This isn't the time for jokes, Shunsui." Captain Shiba stated. Captain Shiba was a rather stoic man, with a stern personality and an even sterner expression. He had spiky black hair and blue eyes, with a tan complexion.
" Sorry Captain Shiba. But honestly, how many times can anyone say they've found a Hollow that refused to kill something weaker than it? I can't say I have." Shunsui stated.
" Be that as it may, we should be on the lookout, just in case this Hollow returns. We should eliminate it as swiftly as possible." Ginrei spoke.
" If we can. I heard Koga failed to kill the thing." Love spoke up and said.
" Is that true Captain Kirigane?" Jushiro asked the man. He was bewildered.
Koga was believed to be the fifth fastest soul reaper, only being placed beyond monsters like Yamamoto, Yoruichi, Shunsui and Jushiro himself.
" This Hollow was sturdy. And smart. The moment it saw it was too injured to continue battling, it fired a cero where it stood and used the explosion as cover to retreat." Koga explained. " It was my mistake. I did not think it would risk destroying itself like that to get away. My apologies."
" Nonsense, Koga. We're just glad you and Kensei are both alive and well." Hikifune told the man.
" In any case, I am trusting you all to be vigilant and to ensure that you are ready in case it is bold enough to return. Understood?!"
" SIR!"
" Dismissed!" Yamamoto banged his cane on the floor and declared the meeting officially over.
The captains quickly began pouring out of the great meeting hall, however just before Koga could leave, he was stopped by Squad 3's Captain Makoto Shirahashi.
" Hey, Koga... I didn't get a chance to ask in there... How are you feeling?"
" I'm fine, Makoto. Though I have to admit, I feel pretty pathetic for leaving my squad in such a position. If not for Kensei being there, who knows what would have happened."
" But you made it in time. So, that should account for something, right?"
Makoto's smile eased Koga' tense heart.
" Damn it, Makoto. You make it hard for a guy to sulk, you know that?"
" Yeah. Well, that's my job. Now come on, let's get something to eat."
Makoto grabbed Koga's hand and drug him from the squad 1 barracks, laughing and giggling along the way.
Makoto brought Koga to her favorite Kibi dango restaurant.
" I'm so excited, I've been craving this all day!" Makoto exclaimed.
" Heh, I know. I'm sorry I couldn't bring you sooner." Koga said to the woman. Even sitting down, Koga towered over the woman. Something he was happy for, as he did enjoy watching Makoto eat her lunch with that soft and delightful smile on her face.
For just a moment, Koga was able to feel at peace with his life.
With his family.
..............................
Hueco Mundo
The Home of the Hollows.
" Hiyaaaaaaaa!" Bikou shouted as loud as his lungs would allow him as he drove his red staff straight through a Hollow. " You guys aren't giving me a moment to rest, are you? Hehahahaha!"
The brave monkey had already slain hundreds of his Hollow brethren. and yet, for each that he fell, it seemed as though more would appear. Perhaps sensing his waning spiritual pressure is what keeps summoning them. However, unknown to them, every Hollow slain adds to his already monstruous power.
Bikou charged a cero at the very edge of his staff and swung the stick with great force, launching his cero out of the end of the staff. The cero fired in the shape of a great wave, slicing into the Horde.
[ Stratovarius- We are the future]
" I love it! Bring it on!!!!! Yeaaaaaaaa!"
The Monkey Hollow, Bikou's power became legendary among the Hallowed sands of Hueco Mundo.
It quickly became known to all those that ventured forward that, the Monkey wasn't going to go down. The more they watched him mow down the giants that opposed him, the more his strength truly shined.
As the feeling of death became a potential reality, Bikou's power surged even more. He stared up at the bright moon of Hueco Mundo feeling the purest of ecstasy rushing through his veins.
" I love this. This is what I live for. I'M ABOSLUTELY CRAZY ABOUT IT!!!!"
Bikou jumped into the air, his silhouette enshrined within the moon light, a change was occurring within his body. His body was changing shape, ever so slightly. His smaller, monkey like frame, had grown a little taller, suggesting he was on the verge of something.
Something great.
Bikou bathed in the blood of countless Hollows, eating their flesh and consuming their spiritual pressure, adding it into his own already large pool. Driven by instinct and love for battle, his soul began drumming, storming, pounding as if seeking to explode from his body.
He began to feel a burning sensation.
Insight into his own soul.
It was burning like a raging fire trying to get free.
" HAAAAAAA!"
' This is it!'
' This is fire!'
' This is passion!'
' This is war!'
' This is amazing!'
Bikou slammed his staff on the ground and a haze of fire, as bright and as piercing as a blue sapphire, erupted from the very ground beneath him, shooting straight up into the sky.
" Wha- What is he?!"
" No mere, Hollow can be this powerful?"
" Has he done it?! Has he evolved into the next stage?"
" No, his body... It's still the same. He can't-"
*Splatter!
"Fight! Fight like your lives depend on it!" Bikou told the creatures.
The Hollow's stared at Bikou in amazement. Terror gripped their hearts with icy fingers. Knowing full what merciless horrors awaited them, should they return to their Lord Barragan as failures. And yet now they stared across the plain at monster unlike anything they've seen before.
Trapped, they felt, between a Guillotine and the headman's axe. An execution regardless.
A choice needed to be made.
They chose the swift death.
Headfirst, the Hollows charged Bikou, knowing full well they were rushing to their deaths. But at least, with him, they would live on within his flesh, becoming a part of something greater, or at least... That's how they made peace with it.
Together they would rise to see something amazing.
All at once they came, and all at once Bikou slaughtered them all.
Finally, Bikou stood alone bathing in blood under the great moon of Hueco Mundo. A harrowing sign of things to come.
