SALVATION in WAR

**Date Started:** 3 December 2021
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Users Involved:** User:DazzlingEmerald, User:TheGoldenBuddha
**Setting:** Tekken
**Characters Involved**: Aya Tachibana, Kiokushi Hotsuka, Nakamoto Rakkī Shin Takara

## RUTH1

After the great incident the world had become a britteled, dark prison. This was not like in all those times before, where the truth could simply be hidden --locked behind doors of concrete steel, one chain leading into another. No, this was the very collapse of the Gotei 13 as it was known. The very medium that held the spirit world in place had crumbled without proper explanation. And not a soul knew why.

Perhaps there was a single man that knew the truth. He had been situated into the rank of Commander-in-Chief, after all. And while his name was scarcely known in the past since climbing the ranks he had become the 'face of the franchise', so to speak. With little if any Shinigami remaining in their places from the old era he was in most cases the only face the public could coin; red streaking hair, that visage of strict boredom constantly worn on him. When people in the outside borders of Seireitei thought of and referred back to the soul reapers, he was always the image that came to mind.

While for many, the absence of a formal military that would carry out the instructions of the government was a cause for concern, there were whole districts in Rukongai that celebrated aloud. And they did not shy away from this in the least. No, they wanted their celebrations to be heard by neighboring districts so that they may join in on their own. For them the fall of the Gotei 13 was something they had been plotting for a great deal of time themselves. They'd been hoping and praying, praying and hoping for this very outcome all along. And now to see that it had finally come to fruition? It was a dream come true.

There were many poisons to be picked against the Gotei 13. Their laws were questionable. Of course the bulk majority of Rukongai loyal adhered to the world the Central 46 induced upon them, but there were also large sums of rebels. Rebellions were not uncommon even in the heydey of the Gotei 13. But the proper standing of Shinigami sent to dispose of their growing forces dispelled them quickly, preventing them from growing any farther. But with them gone, who could possibly stand against them now?

There was a district on the east side of Rukongai, specifically the 46th district, that was known as Tekken. Tekken had always been a lawless environment which was why Shinigami frequented visits to it so often. Perhaps this was understating its workings. It was not so much that Tekken had no laws as much as it was that it had its own laws --it simply did not follow through with what the Central 46 had in mind, instead the district was ruled by its own principles, forged thousands upon thousands of years ago.

This district was as old school as it could get. This was a place that had survived the so-called 'tests of time'. Not in the sense that it survived into the modern day, but more so that it outright did not develop in the ways the others did. Evolution was strongly apparent in other districts. As the times changed, so did each district. Material composing the structures of homes was changed. Material composing the walkways was changed. Even the materials in clothes were changed. That was what it meant to evolve, to change with time. Leave behind the past and adopt what the future had in store.

But not Tekken. Its name, meaning 'Iron Fist', was an embodiment of the sheer stubbornness that it withheld. It was said that the district was once referred to by a different name, but as the centuries went along by and the state of its upheaval was better described, the district's name changed by itself, whether due to rumors circulating outside of its borders or just to better describe its nature. Tekken was an underdeveloped district where the masses survived in huts and caves. Most took shelter behind rocks and trees, even, because they knew hiding was futile to begin with.

Tekken was a place of constant war. A world of warring states where only the strong would thrive and the rest would be taken prisoner as their servants. Interesting enough, death was not all that common despite all the war. This was due to a bargain that was struck up between the superiors of Tekken thousands of years ago with the ruling parties of the Shinigami, who agreed that so long as they did not trifle with the balance of the world as far as the deposition of souls was concerned, that they would enable them to exist as an entity of their own separate from the rest. It was custom of warriors from Tekken not to finish their defeated opponents for this reason, but over the years it had been adopted into their code of honor as well wherein it was considered dishonorable to kill someone after they had been obviously defeated.

Tekken was a place where everyone wanted and dreamed to become a warrior simply to climb the ranks of the district itself. They did not think far enough to what their lives could be like outside of the district; there were rarely any aspirations to join the Shinigami academy or make anything else of themselves.

Among the most well known clans of the district was the Tachibana Clan, who ruled over Tekken due to its power for the last several centuries. Outside of their incredible swordsmanship, the Tachibana Clan was known for two other things; the second was their orange hair color. The third was their virtually all male populace, as far as their combatants went. The head of the clan had always remained a male since its inception and that had not changed since, with Sagara Tachibana holding firmly to his position. As he grew in age, Sagara had come under the protection of his five children; four of them proper sons, the other claiming to be the fifth.

Enter Aya Tachibana. The middle child, third in order. She had, on either side of her, two elder brothers and two younger brothers. Growing up beside brothers she had learned to become just like them, rarely expressing attributes of a stereotypical female. What was most ironic about Aya was the fact that she seemed to possess fighting ability on par with that of her elder brothers, so much so that it nearly embarrassed them. She took a great deal of pride in her strength nonetheless and saw no reason to think anything less of herself when compared to them. "I am no different from you," she would often tell her brothers before they unsheathed their weapons to spar, "I too, am a man!"

Men made true warriors. Or so Aya had come to learn. Thus, she had resolved that she too would be a man. So that she too, could be a proper warrior; so that she too could someday inherit the position of the clan's head from her father and make him proud.

Perhaps it was incorrect to say that all establishments in Tekken were confined to huts and caves and trees and rocks. There was a single grown construct in the middle of the district, which all clans were required to chip into. It was the Zankai Tenkaichi. The arena itself seemed oddly placed due to its large size and immaculate shape; it could hold several thousands of fans in attendance. In the center was a round arena where swordsmen from the district could come and engage one another in organized battles. The Zankai Tenkaichi was so well known that swordsmen from other neighboring districts visited often; even swordsmen from incredibly far off districts, from the tens to the twenties, would also come to attend these bouts. The gatherings took place once every month, officially, so there were always exhibitions to attend.

Shinigami also attended this tournament, as participants or as spectators. In the past it was common for even seated Shinigami to take part in the tournament. However, more recently, due to their dwindling numbers, those that had managed to become Shinigami attended the tournament as a means to scout out potential talent that they could then recruit into the ranks of the Gotei 13.

Overall, Tekken was not as lawless as it seemed to be on a surface. It was simply a district with a love for fighting; where those who were strong prevailed and those who were weak did not outright die after defeat. There were many dojos in the area as well, due to the district's obsession with growing stronger. It would be odd for someone to grow up here and not want to fight.

One of the more famed dojos was the one that was run by the Tachibana Clan, known as Shukaku. Its headmaster was of course the clan's head, Sagara, though in recent years it was mostly run by his two eldest sons and the third who claimed to be one.

Class was in session. The hundred students of the Sagara Dojo had all woken up early that morning eager to hone their skills. They'd all shown up an hour ahead of time to prepare for class, their spirits high and their morales equal in elevation. However, what occurred to them in that moment was far from what they had anticipated. Hell, it was far from what anyone, even the teachers of the dojo themselves, had anticipated. But such was the ravish nature of the only female member of the Tachibana Clan.

The hunderd students lay in a heap of a mess. Bruises, wounds, scars, tattering their aching bodies. They limped across the wooden flooring of the dojo, desperate in their attempts to draw breath. Some tried to rise back up to their feet but to no avail. They had been steadily beaten down, every single last one of them. And for what proper reason? There was none. At least not to them. But the one that had done this to them had a means to justify it to herself, though her logic was far from sane.

Aya Tachibana stood over the hundred defeated students, a proud grin on her face. She rested her Zanpakuto over her shoulder. "Is that it? Is that the best you guys could do? I told you all to come at me at once, didn't I? And you did! But even then you still had no chance."

"B-But m-master... why..." one of the students groaned. For the life of him he could not begin to understand what he had done to deserve this. The moment he and the other students had arrived, Aya assaulted them without remorse. She gave no indication of her attack, no prior warning to signal them of the oncoming fight. No, she simply gripped her blade and cut them all down.

"What's that? Have you fools forgotten already where you live?!" She unsheathed her blade and pointed it out in the air. "To carry a blade on your person is an attempt to identify as a warrior. As a warrior you must *always* be ready for war. War does not wait; war does not ask permission. If you carry a weapon then it is my right to attack you. Your duty... is to use it to defend yourself."

"Kenpachi-san" A certain female voice said as she was speaking into what looked like a **Denreishinki**, she looked around remaining on her pivot as she walked into the Dojo. "Oi, Kiokushi?" A manly voice through the device responded back showing little care and greets her in a improper manner. "I'm on my way to the Dojo right now, aite?" The blue haired woman responds back with a voice that sounds infuriated by the casual demeanor of Zaraki, she then hangs up deeming that she doesn't need to keep engaging in conversation with a man like him.

Kiokushi then kicks open the door with her feet as her hands are too busy being placed inside of her pockets of the shihakusho. "Waddup bitches." she says carelessly that the majority of the practitioners present are both in fact male and young impressionable souls. She seemed like a bad influence to them already "I came right here not because I wanted to.. but because Mr. Zaraki is a fucking la-." Before she could finish her sentence she got caught off guard from looking across the room and seeing hundreds of students defeated by only one young girl. "Hmmm? Who is that shorty over there??" Kiokushi exclaims pointing to Aya Tachibana.

"A shinigami?" Aya's eyes narrowed at the sight of her. It was obvious taht Kiokushi was one of the Gotei 13 the moment she walked through the door of the dojo, rather, kicked through it with her feet, telling of her Shihakusho. "What the hell do you think you're doing kicking open our doors like that?! Are you trying to pick a fight, eh, Shinigami?!"

At once, Aya stormed towards the other woman. However rather than annoyance, she had a sinister grin on her face; her expression told a different story entirely. She seemed to almost jump with joy at the opportunity to fight her. As if the criminal conduct was the moment she'd been waiting for all day. Her Zanpakuto unsheathed so that the scabbard hid the blade, Aya went to whack Kiokushi with it as if it were a baseball bat.

"The fuh-" Kiokushi said, and without a second thought she also unveiled her Zanpakuto to the mere child not thinking about the consequences that could come with this act. She then swings it towards Aya with such tremendous force that it contracted all of the wind in the vicinity and gathered all the pressure up. Until another person presumeably a Shinigami walked up into the scene.

"Oi. Oi. Oi. Oi." The man with minted blonde hair said with his baritone voice reverberating throughout the space. "Kiokushi don't get too heated with a kid." He says with his hands in his pocket and he reveals his tall and dominating stature compared to everyone else that looked tiny to him in the room. Nakamoto was a higher seated officer in the Gotei 13 than Kiokushi at the time as she was only a Fifth Seat and he was ranked as Lieutenant. "I have authority over you as of now, being sent to spearhead this team and observe the tournament. Hopefully this all goes well though." Nakamoto finishes off with a sigh.

Aya recalled her actions midway as the onset of two forces from the two ladies would only lead to equalibrium. Not damage was dealt either way --not that Aya intended to do much in that regard to begin with. She stood to her full height, amused at the intervention of the Shinigami; their presence at her family dojo was not a rare occurence. Aya trained Shinigami all the time, though she could not claim to be an actual Shinigami herself. She did possess a Zanpakuto without having gone to the Shino'o Academy which was already quite a testament of her skill but the Shinigami she'd trained in the past were largely unseated officers. None were so prestigious as the 5th seat and certainly not as well equiped as a Lieutenant.

Nakamoto's presence was the most *alluring*. Aya felt attracted to him in more ways than one. The aura that he gave off was simply incredible. She could tell immediately that he was not the same as Kiokushi; not in rank, not in power, and certainly not in attitude. Aya gripped her sheathed weapon and slung it over her shoulder. "I see. So you Shinigami have come all this way for the tournament, huh? Interesting. Either of you gonna take part in it?"

The two seasoned Shinigami then stood peacefully in front of the girl as she asked them her question. They both simultaneously replied until they stopped eachother to let only one speak at a time. "Yeah you puny fucking brat!" Said Kiokushi brashly as she turned her head to the left trying to not look at the little girl in the eye showing just how petty she was.

"I'm not going to attempt in challenging any opponents myself, as that'd just put everyone in the tournament at a disadvantage and jeopardize their opportunities of victory with a vastly superior opponent such as me." The more well-spoken Nakamoto responded to Aya's question. He then continues on talking with Aya "Do you guys might perhaps want to go out for a treat on me?" He said in a charming manner that could sway even the most skeptical of people. "By the way nice to meet you, uhh what's your name little lad?" He asked in confusion, almost forgetting that he didn't let Aya properly introduce herself to them.

"Little lad?" Aya quirked a brow. She didn't seem to be any different in age from the other two, at least not by a large margin or anything. "What's this about being too strong to compete? You Shinigami are far too cocky. You should know that there are plenty of fighters in Rukongai who can hold their own against the likes of you if not beat you outright. One of them happens to be right here in front of you right now: *me*."

Aya glared back at Kiokushi. "You're the only brat around here. You're lucky this guy came to save you or you'd already be laying with your face in the dirt. I am Aya Tachibana," she said introducing herself at last. "Introduce yourselves, Shinigami. And enter those names into the tournament. Unless you're chicken?"

"You? Tryna call ME pussy?" Kiokushi exclaimed gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. "I'll have yo' dusty ahh kno' that I've been doing this Shinigami shit for a while now, ain't no fucking with me!!!" She continued rambling to Aya, completely infuriated that she'd even think of them being too scared to participate. But Kiokushi knew the same could've probably not been held true to the more experienced Nakamoto who knows the ins and outs of combat from all the training and experiences he's been through within the First District.

Nakamoto was flustered by her pointing out that she wasn't a teenage lady considering the difference of height between him her and Kiokushi. "I-I apologize" He said stuttering showing that he clearly was caught off watch and was baffled by the revelation something not usually seen by Nakamoto usually. "Like I said before though." Nakamoto pauses readjusting his voice back to normal. "I do not have any intentions of fighting any of these hoodlums, and believe me when I say I'm of a higher caliber than them." Nakamoto finishes off staring at Kiokushi and Aya revealing his Reiatsu a little bit, already strong enough to overwhelm them and instill a sense of fear within them. "Anyways, I'll just head off now, I don't think I have anything else to do with you guys, ciao!" He says as he turns the other cheek waving farewell to them with one hand and holding a bag of chips in the other.

"And here I began to think differently of the Gotei 13. I should have known that Lieutenants are nothing more than pushovers." Aya's voice stained the air as Nakamoto turned his back to depart. Her words would, without a doubt, reach him. She turned her attention to Kiokushi. "Hmm. I suppose you'll do for the time being, but I cannot say that I am eager to fight you. Matter of fact, whether you join in on the tournament or not --I couldn't care less. *He's* the one I want to fight. You're just an afterthought. *Bitch*."

Aya held her pose for a moment, daring Kiokushi to do something about it. Or would she be motivated to enter into the tournament after an insult like that? This was akin to two boxers at a press conference taking verbal jabs at one another in anticipation of the fight to come. Aya wasn't going to hold back against either one of them.

"Tch. Typical virgin Nakamoto." Said Kiokushi as Nakamoto went off and she threw up a middle finger at him. After hearing Aya insulting her and calling her a *bitch* though she completely disregarded the existence of Nakamoto and immediately went into a temper of heated anger. She has just been ticked off with her spiritual energy emitting out of her body and causing dents to form around her surroundings. "**Shorty**." Kiokushi said in a deeply tone that didn't resemble her voice just a few seconds ago and sounds more akin to a demonic hollow. She then stared down on Aya with her arms crossed and her eyes nothing more than a purple blur. "I swear on my momma and sis, I WILL MURK YOU." She yells out to her as she holds herself back from swinging a punch forwards Aya. She then stopped the sudden release of her Reiatsu. *Calm down Kiokushi, no need to go off right now* a voice could be heard in Kiokushi's head with multiple varying sounds. "Aight." she said as she reverts back into her normal self and just looks at Aya in her eyes with spite.

"Put your money where your mouth is then. I want to see you in that ring. You'll have your shot at me there." Aya grinned. She eyed the fleeting figure of Nakamoto as she spoke to Kiokushi. "And get that damn Lieutenant of yours, too. It'll make things a whole lot more interesting. Now if you're done with whatever *this* is, I have a class to teach. So get lost."

"Hmph. Is you dumb or sumn?" Kiokushi blurted out replying to Aya. "That nīgga said he wasn't going to get in the ring. Anyways I think I should dip too ain't no use talkin to a ho like you." She ended their talk with that. As Kiokushi walks away with her Geta clanking on the ground she spat on the very ground that Aya was on.

## RUTH2

Over the next several hours, a crowd had gathered around the dome that was the Zankai Tenkaichi. This was Tekken's most prized landmark and just about the only reason outsiders ever gave a damn to make the long trip out to the district. Little by little they were allowed entry inside, and the bleachers of the arena filled just as quick until there was a loud and blaring audience primed for a good show.

"Welcome, welcome all! Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the Zankai Tenkaichi Battle Royale!!" the announcer took center stage, talking into a mic that projected his voice over the length and size of the massive arena. At his advent the crowd broke out into a frenzy of cheers. "I hope you guys are ready to watch some awesome fights because we have 16 fantastic fighters ready to take part in today's tournament!"

Sitting among the rest of the crowd, yet hardly cheering in the same manner as they were, was Yamada Nakatoki, 10th Seat of the Third Division. It was the duty of this to send out shinigami to gather information, and sometimes work in cooperation with 2nd Division agents on more serious missions. They are also the ones that sort all outgoing and incoming information before sending them to the 12th Division for storage. On a smaller scale, they are in charge of the jigokuchou monitoring and message system.

Yamada was present for that exact purpose: to scout for potential talent that he may be able to refer back to the Seireitei. These fighters were no joke after all, and he himself did not think he would be able to enter. Still, he was a highly analytical mind, perfect for conducting this nature of work. *What sort of show do you have in store for us today, warriors of Tekken? I can hardly contain my excitement.*

It was then that from above he spotted the back of Nakamoto's head. His eyes widened at once. *The Lieutenant?! What's he doing here of all places? I see... so he's here to scout as well. That's quite telling.* A nervous trickle of sweat ran down the side of Yamada's face. *There must be a fighter taking part in this tournament who has even caught the Lieutenant's eye. I think we're in for quite the treat today.*

Nakamoto lounges on his chair in the back of the huge audience preferring not to sit down on the first seats because he deems the view in the back is better, plus he won't get caught up in a crossfire in case a match goes unexpected. As he continues to stuff his mouth with snacks like usually he takes a big gulp and notices Yamda taking notice of him, and he waved back at him with a smile.

"L-Lieutenant," Yamada stuttered, though his voice was but a faint mutter to himself. He was caught off guard to see Lieutenant Nakamoto take any notice of him.

"Our first battle is about to begin!" announced the man standing at center stage with the mic in his hand, "let's get it under way! The first match will be between Nasu Yoshitane and Aya Tachibana! Both fighters please make your way to the stage!"

The crowd erupted into a roar of cheers. So her time had come already. So soon had they summoned one of *them*; one of the infamous members of the Tachibana Clan. Known and feared for their brutish nature, the name of the clan was known all throughout Tekken. They were undoubtedly the most powerful clan in the entire district which was quite telling in actuality, seeing as how this was a district committed solely to warfare. To be at the top of all that was no fair statement.

Tachibana, meaning "Wild Orange", was a name coined to the members of the clan due to their battle loving nature and orange hair color, both principles which Aya embodied perfectly. As she set foot onto the stage, she eyed this Nasu Yoshitane with a wide grin, taking in his spiritual pressure at once. She noticed that the man did not possess any sort of weapon and so she hesitated to take the first move.

"What's the matter?" Nasu smiled. "Are you afraid to attack me? If I recall, you monsters from the Tachibana Clan are monsters that fight first and speak second." Cold eyes found his opponent once more. "I'll ask you once more. Why do you hesitate to attack me?"

"Baaaaka," Aya laid her sheathed Zanpakuto to rest on her shoulder. "You're not carrying a weapon. I can't attack anyone who hasn't shown me the intention to fight."

Nasu's eyes widened. "I-I see. That is… a fair assessment." He then dawned his stance, lowering his legs and moving one hand in front of the other. Nasu's preferred fighting style was hand-to-hand combat.

"There you go. Now I have seen it." Aya vanished in a blur.

Nasu's eyes widened once more.

"Your intention… to fight!" In an instant Nasu was cut down, without Aya having even drawn her sword from its sheath. Blood stained the air, a cut appearing on Nasu's shoulder which did him in immediately. His eyes rolled back and he fell to his knees before dropping forward to lay eternally on his face.

"N-Nani?!" Yamada was at a loss for words. Nervous beads of sweat trickled down both sides of his face. *J-Just now… was that Shunpo?* He paused a minute to examine Aya greater. Somehow this girl, who had never attended the Shino'o Academy, possessed a Zanpakuto of her own. Could she be charged for a crime? *No… that was not Shunpo… but just her raw speed alone?*

Nakamoto was spectating the battle from a third person perspective after witnessing the speed that Aya just showcased, he was caught off guard "Damn. Is she really that quick? I think I might be sensing something special here!" he says as he giggles out loud comically like a fool. He then reverts back into a more focused and calm expression "But honestly this fight isn't that bad."

In a similar manner, every round went on just like the last. The name Aya Tachibana echoed throughout the dome with each victorious run; and what a run it was. Foe after foe defeated. Beaten down in convincing fashion. Orange hair flowing under the rays of the sun. Blood splattering through the air. It all felt so… native to her. She was born to wield the blade, born to be a reaper of souls.

The next two rounds went just as smoothly as the first. The Shinigami that’d come to spectate Arya’s matches were left in awe. Yamada himself did not know what to make of it. Aya had never been inducted into any formal institution of the seireitei. The records of the Shino’o Academy did not know her name. And yet this girl handled her Zanpakuto with such grace that she could put seated members of the Gotei 13 to shame.

After the completion of third round, another round which Aya utterly dominated, Yamada paid a visit to the inner dormitories where the fighters that still remained had all gathered. Aya was isolated. Or more accurately she was being avoided. It was blatantly obvious through the actions of the other fighters that they did not want anything to do with her. The fact that the girl had one side of the room completely to herself solidified this notion in Yamada’s mind.

He passed over her peripherals and gave the girl a friendly wave. She merely gave him a stern look and questioned him when he came closer to her. “Yes? Can I help you?”

“Hi, Aya. You don’t know me. I’ve come a long way here to see you fight. Actually I’m from the Gotei 13, if you couldn’t already tell by what I’m wearing.” There was an awkward silence. Aya didn’t respond to his introductory statement. She left him completely on edge. Yamada had to find ways to fill in the blanks to keep the conversation going. “Is… is that a Zanpakuto?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.” Aya sat back and crossed her arms across her chest. “Is it? You’re a Shinigami, right? Do you use a Zanpakuto?”

“Er, well…”

“It’s not a complex question. Just answer it.”

“Yes.”

“Okay so you use a Zanpakuto. So you should know what another Zanpakuto looks like, right?” Aya’s tone was most unforgiving. She didn’t care to make a good first impression with this man.

“Yes, you have a good point. But I was speaking more on the context of… how? How do you have a Zanpakuto? You’re not a Shinigami, are you? I don’t believe your name is anywhere in the record books at the academy.”

“Why are you interrogating me like this when I’m waiting for my next match to begin? Do you think this is an appropriate time to be doing this?” Aya grew agitated. This is exactly what annoyed her about the members of the Gotei 13. They all, for the most part, seemed to have some sort of stick up their ass. They felt obligated to showcase their authority as if they were better than the rest of the masses. “I don’t have to be a Shinigami to wield and practice with a sword, do I? Gosh, you Shinigami really don’t know anything after all.”

Aya shook her head then closed her eyes. Her attitude had come alive. “If you really must know; since you’re so curious, my great grandfather was once a Shinigami. When he graduated from the academy he went through a total of six Asauchi. For some reason he was unable to imprint his own soul on any of them. So the instructors at the academy kept loaning him a new one thinking it would stir something up or change something. But he never managed to do so. He ultimately failed out of the academy and decided that it was not for him. Those six Asauchi have been passed down through generations of the Tachibana Clan. Over the many decades, I am one of the very few who has managed to have any sort of success with them. Forging my very own Zanpakuto.”

Yamada’a eyes widened. He could not fathom the thought that she was claiming. “So wait a minute… are you telling me that you have successfully bonded with one of those Asauchi? Just know you referred to your blade not as an Asauchi… but as a Zanpakuto… is it possible…? Are you telling me that you have achieved Shikai?”

“Shikai? Never heard of such a thing.” Aya dismissed Yamada’s remarks. “In either case, you’re wasting my time. I have a match to prepare for and I would rather not spend this precious time speaking with you. Nor am I interested in anything else that the Gotei 13 has to offer. It’s none of my concern. I am here to be a fighter. To wield the blade better than anyone ever has. Your duties, your goals… they mean nothing to me. Stand aside, Shinigami.”

Aya probed her sheathed blade at the chest of the Shinigami. He accepted her feelings and took a step backwards, allowing her a means to escape his presence. She carried along through the rest of the room, inciting fear with every step. Defiant eyes pierced every opponent. Then finally, an announcement blared through the surrounding speakers, summoning her to battle once more.

The arrival of Aya was met by a triumphant roar. The bleachers were even more full, the audience increasing with each passing round. As the stakes of the fights increased, so to did the interest of the others. But Aya was far from a showman. It was not in her interests to put on any kind of show. She battled strictly for the purpose of doing battle. For her own sense of enjoyment and more importantly as a means to gauge the strength of those whom she came across as well as her own.

This world was unforgiving, ruled by the strong. She wanted to ensure a proper footing in its hierarchy. She wanted to live a life of her choosing as opposed to resorting to the best she could opt for. As Aya Tom center stage, she matched up against her fourth opponent; a man who’d come all the way from the Gotei 13 to participate in the battle. Eighteenth Seat of the Eleventh Division, a man by the name of Fukushima Yasukazu.

“So you are the famed daughter of the Tachibana Clan.” Fukushima took in the woman’s appearance. He was a tall man, rather well built, with a deep black beard and a turban wrapped around his head. He gripped his Zanpakuto in his hand and unsheathed it at once. “Let’s cut to the chase. I’m not interested in a regular fight.”

Yamada returned to the dome, this time taking a seat closer to the stage itself. “This time your opponent is a true Shinigami,” Yamada muttered quietly to himself. “Your earlier tactics won’t work as easily. I wonder… just what will you do against a skilled opponent?” It intrigued Yamada to no other end to find out.

Aya outstretched her arm, pointing the sheathed blade at the turban wearing shinigami. “Good. Then we’re both in agreement. But know this. The only reason you have not fallen yet to my blade is because this match was not cued to begin.”

Fukushima smiled. “Oh?” He lifted his arm ahead. “Rip, Houfuku.” At his command, the zanpakuto of the shinigami entered its Shikai state, transforming into a thick block blade.

“Let the match begin!” The announcer cued the start of the match.

At once, Aya unsheathed her weapon and using her speed blitzed the seated Shinigami with ease. He was cut marginally across his shoulder, blood splattering to stain the air.

“Not bad,” he confessed. “But you missed a vital point. It’s obvious your aim is still not so great.”

Aya did not even face him. She had sheathed her blade already. The power of her Zanpakuto was not something just any Shinigami could comprehend. “Journey to Your Content, Koyake.”

“What…!?” Yamada was at a loss for words. Though Aya’s sword did not change in shape, a keen sensor such as him would not fail to recognize the obvious release of her Zanpakuto. “To see a Shinigami who has come to possess a Zanpakuto without attending the academy is truly rare… but to see a Shinigami who has attained Shikai without ever attending so much as a single class is unheard of. Just what is this woman?”

The cut on Fukushima’s shoulder suddenly began to move. It slid down to his chest, then up to his throat. His eyes widened. Not only did the wound travel across his body but it suddenly grew in size. More literally the wound widened, parting in such a way that it translated the cut on Fukushima’s shoulder into him having his throat slit. He fell down to his knees, hands clutching at his neck.

“Any hit from Koyake is a fatal hit. That is because the power of my Zanpakuto allows me to alter the state of the wounds that it inflicts. You had lost the moment you failed to defend against my first strike.” Aya remained with her back to her opponent. He fell thereafter to the ground and the audience roared at the realization of her swift victory.

Kiokushi was watching the matches Aya has been fighting through the screen broadcasting from the waiting rooms. She remained quiet though, seemingly not impressed or fazed by her victories in the slightest even against another Shinigami of the Eleventh Division. "Fukushima was just weak." She said sighing. The rest of the combatants present in the waiting room were all estatic. placing bets on eachother, yelling about Aya, and causing havoc all over the place. But Kiokushi remained the same, something rarely seen by her.

The speakers than boom across the room once more. notifiying the fighters of the next round. "First Division Twelfth Seat, Kyoraku Shinji." the announcer said, followed by the man by the name walking towards the arena. "And, Eleventh Division Third Seat Kiokushi Hotsuka!". The gap of difference between their seated numbers was clearly noticeable by the audience, with everyone already placing bets on the most obvious option of the two. Kiokushi, she stood on the battle ring with the crowd cheering her on with posters and shirts she was kind of flattered by some of them but didn't let them get to her head.

"Sate. Sate. Sate. Shall we get going? Make sure to go all out though so I can reciprocate the same energy!" She yelled towards Shinji a nobleman of the clan Kyoraku. "Man, what a drag, I didn't want to go up against a opponnet this OP my first round." He said replying back to her.

As soon as the bell rang, the fight insinuated without a moments break with Kiokushi immediately lunging forward Shinji with her Zanpakuto with the intention to end him with one strike. Shinji was no untrained fool though, he anticipated her attack knowing the ballsy yet brutal nature of the Eleventh Division. "You're so predictable." he said chuckling a little bit. "Now, shall I go ahead?" The child says in his monotone voice. "Desert all around us, Sunakuni!" He released his zanpakuto something that was a little shocking considering how young he appeared. He then waved it up in the air and swung down producing a huge slash made out of sand towards Kiokushi.

"Already using your Zanpakutō, and you think you hard?" Kiokushi said looking dead at Shinji's eyes. "Never mind, you are a lil kid." She said as she was able to effortlessly dodge his attack, and lands an upper kick on Shinji's neck. "Yo, I'm sorry but I didn't want to lose till I face someobe." Kiokushi looked down on the defeated figure of Shinji laying on the concrete of the ground.

Many rounds have went on with Kiokushi securing a victory one after another. until there was only one other contestant still left to fight. "And if it ain't the orange bitch huh?" Kiokushi said smiling to Aya in the waiting room. "No kizzy I wanted to fight you since I saw you. Now we finally got the chance to." As the announcers called them out, this fight had way more attention put to it than the others preeceding it with billboards all over multiple districts playing it for everyone at large to see. "For this final showdown....... we have the two undefeated champions. Aya Tachibana! and Kiokushi Hotsuka!!!!" The announcer yelled out getting the crowd pumped up and excited.

Finally, the main event had arrived. The very moment that everyone in this side of Rukongai was waiting for. A meeting of two forces. A clash of Titans.

When Kiokushi confronted Aya, Aya disrespected her by looking off to the crowd. She was staring dead eyed at Nakamoto, who was still in the bleachers spectating her match. "If you wanted to fight me when we first met..." Aya turned to Kiokushi. "Then you should have done it right then and there. Why did you hesitate? So you could watch how I move and better your chances?" Aya laughed. "I'm going to make quick work of you. Like I said before, you're not the one I'm interested in fighting."

The crowd was ready. They grew silent in anticipation of the announcer's summon. And then came the final call. "Let the battle begin?"

Aya didn't waste anytime. She unsheathed her sword and sped off towards Kiokushi. Gripping the handle of her Zanpakuto, she swept the blade horizontally to rip Kiokushi across the stomach.

Kiokushi skid off to the side to avoid the attack of Aya's using her blade. "Already unsheathing, pathetic." She said as she ran towards Aya more like a demon than a composed soul with her Zanpakuto still sealed in her scabbard. She opted to use her Hakuda opposed to Zanjutsu, deeming it that if she unveiled her Shikai right here it'd cause too much of a scene. Kiokushi then tried to grab Aya and perform a suplex on her.

Aya's blade was evaded for the first time that entire day. No. Even longer than that. Come to think of it, Aya could not remember the last instance in which she had failed to land an attack against her opponent. Rather than be perplexed by the phenomenon, however, somehow Aya was strangely amused. To fight an opponent who could, at the very least, properly avoid one of her attacks was a challenge she could come to appreciate.

"Oh?" mused Aya in response to Kiokushi's taunts, "do you not think you're worth me unsheathing my sword? You should have more confidence in yourself." Kiokushi's actions were unbecoming of what Aya had come to expect of Shinigami. Even in this tournament alone, fighters had scarcely employed any other means of combat aside from swordsmanship. Yet Kiokushi seemed poised to utilize her hands and feet, virtually her entire body; everything but her sword. To Aya who was born and bred as a warrior, it almost felt insulting. Not only did Kiokushi refuse to draw her sword, but she refused to even make any use of it at all? That was not something that would bode well with Aya.

Suplex. A type of wrestling hold in which the user grasps their opponent around the waist from behind and carries them into a backwards slam. Kiokushi not only succeeded to get behind Aya without her noticing but furthermore managed to wrap her arms tightly around her waist. So firm was Kiokushi's hold that Aya was not certain that she could break away using her own personal strength; she was locked, she was trapped.

However, there was one obvious weakness that the suplex possessed. In wrapping around the opponent's waist, it still left their arms completely exposed. Aya was still able to wield her weapon effectively as a result. Not only this, but because Kiokushi had gone out of her way to wrap her arms around Aya's waist line, this gaze Aya a perfect opportunity to cut her along her arms, however at the obvious cost of being slammed backwards as a result of the suplex.

With Kiokushi midway through her suplex, Aya would stab her Zanpakuto right through Kiokushi's arms. If they overlapped, then the blade would sink through one arm and down into the other, causing incredible pain and leaving a gaping wound that would fountain with blood. Upon stabbing her opponent, Aya would then be lifted over Kiokushi's head and slammed down against the hard pavement of the arena floor. Aya gritted her teeth and grunted in audible pain as she felt a bruise form along her upper back and neck. Fortunately, however, she managed to avoid damage to her head.

As she lay there still in Kiokushi's arms, Aya would try to slice her sword downwards to chop off Kiokushi's arms, but in reality she was just trying to free up her sword so she could use it again.

"Ah!" Kiokushi screamed out writhing on agony from the slash Aya landed on her. "You're really persistent yeah?" She says letting go of Aya and unsheathing her own blade, which was in the shape of a Kabutowari. "I didn't want to use this, but I think it's good to match the energy of your opponent." Kiokushi exclaims ad her and Aya stand in front of eachother face to face with their swords. Kiokushi then runs toward Aya and swings her blade down upon her figure.

Pure adrenaline coursed Aya's veins as she and Kiokushi squared off in the finals rounds of Zankai Tenkaichi with hundreds to bare witness to a battle that would someday go up in legend. Yamada was among those who would be responsible for documenting this for the generations of swordsman to come. The day two Shinigami who climbed the ranks met as mere commoners to take part in an epic clash of titans.

Aya summersaulted out from Kiokushi's suplex hold and quickly returned to her feet. She eyed her opponent with a menacing grin on her face. Was it the thrill of battle that unleashed such a demonic energy from her? Or was it the splattering of blood in the air that did the trick? Some who did not know her well would have attributed Aya's glea to the agony that sat momentarily on Kiokushi's face at the moment of her being struck. Whatever the case, this is what Aya had hoped for upon entering into this tournament. This was the sort of battle she had hoped Nakamoto, seated in the crowd as well, could have provided her with.

"You're smarter than you look. If you didn't take out your sword, I'd have killed you in the very next move." Aya grinned madly then took a small step forward in anticipation of the Shinigami. Kiokushi's attack was a simple downwards swing of her sword, which Aya matched with a singular stroke of her own Zanpakuto. The two blades clashed. Aya pulled her weapon from underneath Kiokushi's and moved her momentum to her heels then rocked forward once more. She ducked underneath Kiokushi's arms and went to cut her up along her ribs.

It was as though every move Aya made was planned from before. Every move was so perfectly orchestrated. By cutting up Kiokushi's arms earlier, she had made it so that it would be painful to move her arms while swinging her sword. This would give Aya the edge over her opponent as they clashed blades; at the moment of the collision Aya had moved her sword with the intention of sending a shockwave down the length of Kiokushi's arm, which would ring into her wounds and make her jolt and grimace with pain. Enough so that she would be perfectly able to lead up into her next attack and succeed in slicing Kiokushi once again.

"The fuck?" Kiokushi said as the wound moved around her body causing it to inflict more pain onto her. "Don't get so cocky! Did you forget that I too have a Shikai?" Said Kiokushi towards Aya, as she grabs her blade slowly barely able to make her arms accomplish such a mundane task. **"Fight to Death,** **Myōjū!"** She screamed out with a sudden burst of Reiatsu emitting from the zanpakuto, being forceful enough to make rumbles to the very ground beaneath them. The blade transformed into a gigantic Kabutowari with a hammer at the end and a chain, it was a very heavy weapon in fact that it put Kiokushi almost at a bigger disadvantage with how much it's weighing her down. *Damn I can barely move from the fatigue* Kiokushi thinks to herself *Wish I knew how to perform Kaido at times like this.* But without further ado, Kiokushi transformed her Zanpakuto into a centaur. A creature half beast, half man, and had amazing precision with a bow and arrow. "With this I can attack you at a farther range, how'd you like that?" Kiokushi says chuckling as she shoots towards Aya.

Attack after attack. Aya succeeded in landign consecutive slashes against her opponent in a scene that greatly perplexed Yamada. Kiokushi was without a doubt one of the Gotei 13's most bright prospects. Many anticipated that in the coming years she could warrant a position of authority on equal footing as Nakamoto; some even imagined that she could outdo the Lieutenant and attain even greater heights than him. So how was it possible that this warrior from Tekken, this Aya, with no formal practice as a Shinigami, was capable of not only going toe-to-toe against her, but in this moment, even outdoing her?

The fruits of Aya's labor had bloomed into fruititon before her very eyes. Blood. Lots of it. Blood trickeled down from the wounds of Kiokushi. Gashes left across both her arms and a gaping hole shot into the side of her gut. Her response was to release the powers of her Zanpakuto, the result of which was a massive centaur-like construct which manned a bow. The arrow was fierce, much faster than Aya had aniticpated. She mistimed her leap and was struck across her shoulder by it, staining the air in her blood.

Grimacing but slightly, Aya reeled backwards but quickly caught herself with her feet. "Shikai? There's that term again. I don't know what you're talking about." She truly did not. Yamada had mentioned it to her moments before the battle. Though she did not know the release by the term she did know it by heart. "Journey to your content, Koyake."

A battle between two Shikai. The wound on Aya's shoulder shrank, becoming so small that it was virtually insignificant. It became no larger than an ordinary papercut, demeaning the power and brutal might of what Kiokushi had mananged to do. However, the exact opposite was applied to Kiokushi's wounds. The wounds on her arms would travel across her body, sloping down her curves until one arrived at her throat and the other went onto her forehead. In that same instance the wounds increased in size, to such a scale that Aya would be able to fit her entire body through them should she try to jump through them like manhole.

The increased volume of the wounds would undoubtedly result in Kiokushi's demise. She would be fortunate to survive by some form of miracle. Losing the battle was the last of her concern.

Kiokushi screamed as she was writhing in pain from the attack. "Dang it. You really got me." She said with her vision completely blurred and red from the intense pain. Kiokushi then shows Aya one last final stand before she completely passed out with her sending a slash composed out of bird feathers to her similar to Byakuya's Senbonzakura. "Good..... game." she says as she falls flat to the ground bleak.

By the time Aya's Shikai took effect, Kiokushi was already greviously wounded. When she fell towards the ground, her sense of direction was so disoriented that Aya was able to evade the flying slash attack with a simple side step, doing so while sheathing her Zanpakuto at her side. "You were strong. I was wrong about you," Aya admitted.

The audience erupted into cheers. "KIOKUSHI DOES DOWN COLD!!! THE WINNER IS AYA TACHIBANA!!!!"

"I... I don't believe it." Yamada leaned back and sighed. He smiled. "Or maybe I should have expected as much after all that."

Aya walked towards the fallen Kiokushi, hovering over her as she took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Are there more powerful fighters where you come from? Hmm. Maybe there is more to being a Shinigami than I thought. Yeah... if there's Shinigami out there that are as strong as you are, then being around them is going to only make me stronger."

It was at the moment that Aya defeated the future Kenpachi that she resolved to enter into the Gotei 13. After only four years at Shino'o Academy she would graduate and earn herself a position among the 7th Division.