"I don't feel good looking at this," Ichigo murmured with a frown, to which Shinji snorted as he stabbed his Zanpakuto through the necks of both Grimmjow and Nnoitra.
"You might not like it, but this is a war, kid. You gotta do what you gotta do to make sure you survive to the next day."
"I know. That doesn't mean I have to like it," Ichigo replied, to which Shinji simply shrugged while the others observed the hole in the sky. "Also, shouldn't we go help my dad? Numbers would help."
"It would, but given that Isshin knew that he and Macy can win against their opponents, it just means that we have to stop the ones left," Kensei replied, Ichigo nodding with a sigh as they looked to the building that was their target.
"Okay. Kurosaki, myself and Ginjo are the leaders for three respective teams. Kurosaki, you and your friends will go through the central path. Ginjo, you and I will split the Fullbringers and Xcution amongst two teams and then flank in from the sides."
"Sounds like a good plan to me. Any enemies are to be taken out with extreme prejudice?"
"Naturally," Shinji nodded and Ginjo nodded as Ichigo crossed his arms and nodded.
"Great. Then, let's get this over with and save Kanonji."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"So, you like your own face that much that you would make perfect copies of yourself huh?" Kanonji spoke, twirling his sceptre with a smirk as the Szayelaporro army narrowed their eyes.
He knew that they were at the far back of Las Noches' castle, but he could not feel any spiritual energy outside of the room they were in.
Kanonji clicked his tongue at that, tapping his sceptre against the white floor as the army of Szayelaporro clones spread out to block the exits.
"To think that a human entertainer such as yourself would stand before perfection and respond with such mockery. I pity the imbecilic fans who adore you."
"Entertainer? Buddy, I am a connoisseur of the arts, a man that enjoys bringing smiles to all and a beloved idol. If you're gonna try and mock me, at least get the titles right," Kanonji replied, noting how some of the clones frowned while one had an irritated look on his face.
'Hmm, interesting. So, they react independently,' He thought, glancing at the ground and noticing the irregular shifting of the flooring under their feet.
Okay, so they weren't actual corporeal clones, but most likely Gigai infused with his spiritual energy that are being controlled by some sort of device.
The real one was hidden amongst them, but he was also sure that he was hidden under some kind of cloaking device, meaning that he just needed to find the real one.
"Of course that is your response. Why am I not surprised to see an ant clinging to what little power they have?"
"Of course that is your response," Kanonji spoke with a snort as he twirled his staff, the Reishukaku in it activating and forming a compacted barrier layered a few inches off of his body.
Then, even more layers stacked on top of it, Kanonji lifting his left arm as the shadowy energy around it began to billow outwards.
"Stop," Kanonji turned as the world around him paused, aiming his sceptre while tracing a wide circle of energy around him.
"Kanonflare!" Spiritual energy in the form of a spiralling saw erupted from his body, spreading out and cutting through the clones.
At the same time, it shattered the moment it touched one of the clones near the front. Kanonji smirked as time resumed, staring directly at Szayelaporro who narrowed his eyes when the clones around them faded away.
"I see. Quite the impressive little trick," Szayelaporro murmured, Kanonji twirling his staff as numerous Kanonballs formed around him. "I can only assume that you finding me was thanks to your arm, yes?"
"Who knows?" Kanonji replied, smirking as the Arrancar's eyebrow twitched at his words before he scoffed.
"Secrets will be meaningless once our experiments begin, but I'll allow it. After all, you shall be singing once we begin."
"Funny, I know a scientist that used to say the same thing."
"And why should I be concerned for another scientist?"
"Because that scientist died thinking that I will be his test subject. Would you like to join him?" Kanonji asked, the Kanonballs around him doubling in size as Szayelaporro narrowed his eyes.
"By all means, then. Show me what you showed this 'scientist'."
"Kanonball," the air distorted as the Kanonballs shot forward, curving through the air and flying towards Szayelaporro. The Arrancar simply scoffed as a barrier formed around his body, deflecting the blasts and allowing him to move forward in the blink of an eye.
His fist blurred and shattered the first layer of the barriers, Kanonji leaping back with Szayelaporro following closely after.
"Kanoncape!" Kanonji chanted, swinging his sceptre low and creating a fluttering energy barrier in his path. The Arrancar narrowed his eyes as he vanished with Sonido, appearing behind Kanonji while unsheathing his Zanpakuto.
However, he raised an eyebrow when Kanonji had already fired a Bala at him, cutting through it as the human leapt away.
"Bakudo #20: Kyokko," the world around him distorted as Kanonji vanished into thin air, Szayelaporro narrowing his eyes as the room turned an eerie red-orange.
He then smirked as he saw the outline of Kanonji running for the exit, vanishing and appearing in his path. The camouflaged figure paused before he fired at the ground, creating a dust cloud that obscured him from view.
That just made Szayelaporro roll his eyes as he snapped his fingers, a strong suction force coming from the ceiling and pulling the dust up.
He then raised an eyebrow as Kanonji's camouflaged form rushed at him, immediately parrying the first strike and sliding his katana along the length of the sceptre.
His first strike was a swing for his neck, Kanonji ducking under it and moving back. His Zanpakuto swung as it cut through the air, Kanonji deflecting the slash at his neck.
He twirled his sceptre and swung at his leg, but Szayelaporro stepped back while aiming a thrust at his chest. The blow was deflected by the barrier around Kanonji, but Szayelaporro smirked as the force of the blow still pushed him back.
"Come now, Kanonji. If this is all you have to offer, then I am afraid to say that this scientist you killed might not have been a scientist after all."
"It's only the opening act and you're already acting like you won," Kanonji spoke with a sigh, pulling himself free from the wall he was thrown into. His form became visible as he dusted himself off, but Szayelaporro narrowed his eyes when he noticed the Reishukaku barriers missing.
'A foolish idea,' he thought, subtly signalling for his Rokureichu to move to Kanonji. However, his eyes widened as the Rokureichu insects were paused almost a meter away from Kanonji's body and watched as the man smirked.
"Oh, you thought that I didn't have the barrier up? Oh, that's adorable."
"What did you do?"
"You'd like to know, wouldn't you?" Kanonji spoke with a smirk, spinning his sceptre. "You know, I always thought that I needed to learn the best and strongest forms of Kido in order to truly understand the flow of spiritual energy in the air."
"What are you on about?"
"However, as I continued to learn, grow and adapt, I figured out the solution to create a true one-shot soul erasing spell. It doesn't exist or to be more specific, it can't exist."
"That is common sense to any soul. Such a spell would destabilize the very fabric of reality as we know it. I have tried for centuries to try and get such a spell."
"Exactly!" Kanonji exclaimed, making Szayelaporro narrow his eyes in irritation at the spellcaster. "The moment you try to force all that power into a single instant, the flow of spiritual energy collapses under its own weight."
"You are beginning to irritate me, Kanonji," Szayelaporro muttered, raising a hand and opening more doors on the walls. Kanonji didn't pause even as more Arrancars began to walk out of the new exits towards him.
"That was until I came here and saw the Picaro. Instead of one entity with all of that power, it was two hundred different Arrancars, each with a fragment of the true power.
So what if I did the same with a spell?" Kanonji murmured and Szayelaporro paused as his Arrancars touched the invisible barrier around the man.
It shattered with ease as one of his larger Arrancars punched through it, but he couldn't help but feel dread as Kanonji's spiritual energy drizzled onto them all.
"What if, instead of forcing every single effect onto one spell, I break it apart and layer it? Add in one layer at a time and then..." he trailed off as he raised a hand and his Reiatsu surged outwards. "...let the world do half of the world for me? Kanon'Goodbye."
The world around them flared gold before the Arrancar paused, Szayelaporro's eyes widening as he watched his Fraccion fall to the ground while fading to dust.
He then turned his gaze to Kanonji, who stood with a pained smile as he held his left arm.
"I see. You are a fragment of the Left Arm and you hate what I am doing. However, it is thanks to observing the irregularities in Jushiro's soul that I am able to do this."
"That...that was a cancerous effect," Szayelaporro's voice drew Kanonji's attention, the man smirking as he saw his wide eyes that shone with greed. "You dismantled their souls and then forced the reishi of Hueco Mundo and your own to reform those bonds.
However, since both your energy and Hueco Mundo's energies were forcefully placed into their bodies, their body rejected it, resulting in a hostile reaction between the soul shards keeping themselves together."
"Huh, that's a lot more...technical than I thought it to be," Kanonji murmured, exhaling slowly as the burning sensation of his arm flickered away.
Still, he stayed standing with a smirk, rolling his shoulder as Szayelaporro burst out with a high-pitched laughter.
"Hahahahahaha! Wondrous, Kanonji! Marvelous! To think that a human of all things would come up with a way to eradicate a soul! Oh, how incredible!"
"Of course you would like the soul-erasing spell."
"Like it?! Ha! I adore it! Let me study your constitution and mind to see if I cannot replicate it for myself."
"Lovely, but I'll have to say no. I quite like my free will."
"Good thing that I wasn't offering you a chance to deny, then," Szayelaporro replied as he spun his Zanpakuto in a reverse grip, Kanonji immediately firing a barrage of Bala and Kanonballs at the Arrancar.
It was not enough as Szayelaporro vanished, reappearing further away while swallowing his Zanpakuto whole.
"Sip, Fornicaras (Consort of Lewdness)," A burst of pink spiritual energy erupted from his body, bringing the roof above their heads crumbling down.
Kanonji narrowed his eyes as he leapt up and easily navigated through the falling rubble, looking down to see pieces being disintegrated the moment they touched Szayelaporro.
"Now then, Kanonji, let us begin," The Arrancar spoke, walking out with a fine mist that cleared with every step. His lower body was obscured by a multitude of purple tentacles, his upper body covered in a segmented grey garment with four large grey branch-like structures growing from his back like the wings of a butterfly.
"Huh, you don't look that good," Kanonji murmured as he landed on the sand outside, staring down at Szayelaporro. The Arrancar just chuckled as he vanished, reappearing a few paces off to the side with a smile and his hands behind his back.
"I admit that I did not think my Ressureccion would be needed for a foe such as you, but given what you have just shown me, there is no better way to take you out than with this," A black sludge-like liquid began to drip from his back and Kanonji's eyes widened as a wave of said liquid erupted upwards.
The Reishukaku was activated immediately as the barriers formed around his body, blocking off the rain of sludge as he looked to Szayelaporro.
However, he was met by empty air, turning his head just in time to see one of Szayelaporro's branch-like wings coming down onto him.
The Reishukaku was still around his body as the wing clamped down, Kanonji narrowing his eyes when he saw the barrier around him cracking with the force of the clamp.
"Just let it happen, Kanonji. There's nothing wrong with it," Kanonji ignored Szayelaporro's words as he focused on the barrier and the effect from earlier, recalling the Arrancar's explanation.
'That was just a fluke...unless I can repeat it. Like he said, reach into its body, pause it in place and then destabilize it,' Kanonji thought, the dark smoke-like aura of his left arm billowing outwards and around his barrier once more.
"Stop," he intoned and went to work as everything around him stopped. The smoke aura of his left arm wrapped around the branch-like wing around his barrier, pouring into its deepest parts as he closed his eyes.
'Pause, examine and destabilise,' Kanonji thought, ignoring the pain in his chest The miasma slithered through the cracks of its cells, reaching deeper as Kanonji stitched them into its form.
He could feel how Szayelaporro's spiritual energy pumped through the object enveloping him and could feel how its form used up the spiritual energy it was given.
Quite honestly, he felt nothing but a headache in the back of his skull as he began to pour in the spiritual energies of the Left Arm and Hueco Mundo into the structure.
What happened next fascinated him as the branch-like wing curled outwards, cracking and fragmenting at the edges before it shattered.
As soon as it did, the world resumed and Szayelaporro collapsed with blood pouring from his nose as he stared wide-eyed at the human.
Kanonji himself stood tall despite the agonizing pain in his head and heart, his breathing slow and laboured as he used his sceptre to steady himself.
Szayelaporro rose with a stagger, one hand clutching his face while he stared at Kanonji with an unhinged sneer.
"I...was going to give you the opportunity for a better life under me, but now I see that you do not listen to your betters!"
"Hehehe~Oh, I could have told you that for free," Kanonji replied, cracking his neck to ease off some of the pain as Szayelaporro let out a hoarse laughter.
"Oh, I know. However, I have come to learn that your little trick is not without cost, is it? While you use it, you must open your own soul to the ravenous power of that arm of yours. How many years of your lifespan did your tricks cost?"
"No need to worry about that," Kanonji replied, twirling his sceptre with a smirk. "All you need to fear is whether or not you will live to see tomorrow."
"I know I will," With that response, Szayelaporro vanished, reappearing high above before a storm of the same black sludge from before erupted from his back.
Immediately, Kanonji activated the Reishukaku and pulled it tight, lifting himself up and out of the way. He narrowed his eyes as Szayelaporro appeared in his path, his tentacles snaking forward and snapping against the shield.
It cracked as the blow sent him rocketing back to the ground, but Kanonji caught himself and curved against the ground, narrowing his eyes when Szayelaporro fired a barrage of Bala at him.
The Bala impacted the barrier in rapid succession, each impact sending cracks spiderwebbing across its surface. Kanonji steadied himself as a Reishukaku barrier under his feet helped him hover, but he frowned when he noticed Szayelaporro vanish.
"You are quite perceptive in keeping up with my speed, Kanonji," the Arrancar whispered, appearing behind him with his index finger pointed at his head.
"Cero," A pink Cero erupted from his finger and obscured Kanonji from view, the Arrancar cackling as the blast continued onwards and carved a deep trench into Las Noches' sand.
However, his eyes widened as the Cero died down, revealing a heavily breathing Kanonji floating in the air with fragments of the Reishukaku barrier falling to the ground.
"Colour me impressed. That is very well done, Kanonji," Szayelaporro complimented, noticing the prismatic shape that the fragments of the barrier was in. "You focused the defensive power of the barrier to a point and then abandoned any defence behind you, hoping that I wouldn't come around and attack from the back."
"H-Hey, it worked," Kanonji replied with a shrug, but his vision was blurry and every breath felt agonizing as his sceptre floated beside him.
Then, he fell out of the air and towards the ground, catching himself with a stumble before falling to his knees as the pain in his arm became blinding.
"Fuck."
"You are a human. It doesn't surprise me that a fragment of the Soul King is too much for you," Szayelaporro spoke with a smirk, landing beside the man as his Rokureichi finally crawled onto his skin.
"Gotcha," Kanonji whispered as he looked up with a grin and Szayelaporro's eyes widened as spiritual energy in the form of purple electricity sparked around his body.
The sceptre flared with the activation of the Reishukaku as an azure blue barrier formed around them, another barrier forming around Kanonji to protect him.
"The fate...of three sparrows, the fate of four dragons, enclosed on five sides, unable to return six ri!"
"No!" Szayelaporro exclaimed, charging another Cero that exploded against the barrier. He hissed as the resulting explosion blasted against himself as well, gritting his teeth when he saw Kanonji still enveloped by a fractured barrier.
"A thousand ashes and a thousand wisdoms, the plan of the white clouds. Vengeance hungers, close to the moon yet not stepping on the shadow of scarlet."
"CERO!" Szayelaporro snarled and the violent pink beam of corrosive energy tore through the shield, the Arrancar immediately lunging forward towards the human.
His hand wrapped around Kanonji's neck as he grinned, but his eyes widened when another four layers of barriers stacked atop the one around them.
"Winds gather, yet do not touch the cane of elm."
"KANONJI!" Szayelaporro roared as he swung his fist, but Kanonji just smiled and closed his eyes.
"Flower Crane Launch: Golden Kan'onball."
A/N: And we return to Spiritual Don with a vengeance!
Kanonji is fighting, but he learns his limitations and decides to end it all with a bang.
What will happen next time? Find out.
Anyway, check out my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read ahead on this as well as many other stories that may peak your interest. If you want to, you are free to, but if you don't want, all's good as I will still be uploading here. This is just me trying to get some extra cash.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!