The Visored.

So, interesting news, apparently Seireitei decided to send some troops while I was busy training. Their Reiatsu was spread all over the city, I recognized most of their spiritual signatures, Ikkaku most of all, but which captain they sent is a mystery to me. Not that it mattered much I wasn’t planning to meet up with them. I wondered what would even happen if we met. Chances are that, as long as I kept wearing the earring nothing would happen but if I took them off your guess is as good as mine. I decided to get rid of the problematic all together.

I choose the next words very carefully. “Until Aizen is defeated it is normal for me to be excused from the official duty and paperwork of Seireitei.” I said to myself as I walked down the streets. That did the trick, I hoped at least, and with the condition of Aizen’s defeat I could return to a nice orderly life afterwards. To be honest these earrings are pure cheating. Of course I could simply say that it was normal for Aizen to commit suicide and be done with all of this, however I grew up in Imperialistic Europe, if the guy won he had the right to claim whatever his goal was. Eliminating conflict is the same as eliminating progress.

‘In that case become stronger and win naturally.’ Merc commented on my philosophical monologue. ‘That is why I agreed in the first place.’ I replied, ‘I still hate every second of this, deserting is dishonourable.’ ‘If this was a fight of armies I would agree, but this is a war of individuals.’ He was not wrong.

I turned a corner and the abandoned warehouse came in sight. Finding it was laughably easy, whoever was inside was constantly seeping spiritual energy, I guess the intent was being found. However, I doubted that this signal was meant for me, after all why would Urahara tell me the address if he could have said ‘Follow that giant WE ARE HERE’ arrow instead.

I stepped through the entrance, a rolling gate that was halfway open, and was greeted by eight people sitting on several levels of collapsed concrete. “Hello, Ichi-“ A blonde guy started and then stopped. He looked just as baffled as I did, although our reasons differed vastly.

I was looking at a bunch of former captains or otherwise high-ranking members of Soul Society that fled over a hundred years ago following treason allegations. They were looking at somebody they didn’t expect. Therefore the next question was a no brainer.

Hirako asked, “Who are you?” With an unhappy expression. “I am Nize.” “Wow, I will not even attempt to pronounce that correctly. You are Nice from now on.” I already hated the guy. I went over the rest of them, I didn’t remember all their names but after Urahara’s and Yoruichi’s apparent innocence I did have the mind to go over some old newspapers again so their faces were not all unknown to me.

There was a freckled little girl. A male with dark blonde wavy hair who looked French and therefore had my immediate disliking. Also this guy with the pink hair and bla bla bla. Look, I will spare you the details. Most of them are irrelevant to this tale anyway.

Although the lady to my left quite interested me. Black hair in a braid, blue eyes, glasses, long revealed legs. If it wouldn’t have been for the belly-button revealing school uniform I would have classified her as a sexy secretary. However the manga with the title ‘Ero-Ero Beam’ she was reading made me guess that she was on the kinky side of the spectrum.

“Oy, Nice, stop starring at Lisa and concentrate on me for a moment.” Hirako said and snapped a few times to get my attention. He had it from the beginning but I had not intent of spreading sass, I was the one with a request here after all.

“What brings you to our little club, the Visored? Are you one of the Soul Societies lapdogs?” I took down the earring responsible for my normality before answering and put it into a secure pocket. “No, I am here in personal interest. Urahara told me you guys would train me. Also I am supposed to greet Hiyori from him.”

“Fucker could come personally.” The freckled girl said. Her squeaky yet arrogant voice drilled into my ears with absolute agony. Okay, this far everything about these people ticked me off. They didn’t have a normalized uniform, spoke with pure condescension and with the exception of that Lisa girl also didn’t possess any eye candy. In short, the only thing missing for my personal hell was an orthodox priest trying to convert me.

“Well, I will have to decline. See we are a very exclusive crew, unless you have a mask you won’t join.” A mask? That was a very specific thing to say. I still didn’t know what exactly Urahara did to me at the beginning of all this but the mask I acquired after escaping that pit was still with me. I pulled it out of the inner layer of my Shinigami uniform and showed it to him. “Would this suffice?”

Stunned silence. “How did you get that?” I told him about the happenings in rough detail. “Mhm, seems like Urahara really had **** in the matter.” Hirako said and reminded me of the fact that the earrings magically made the changes I make common knowledge.

“And now he simply pushes you towards us because he hollowfied you.” Hirako shacked his head with a wide grin, “That guy, so carefree.” This was as good a time to ask as any. “What is this hollowfication?”

“Well, to put it easily it is a procedure to make a Shinigami half hollow in order to increase his powers immensely.” Hirako explained. “I do feel much stronger, but I think that is because I achieved Bankai.” Although I had not used that yet, believe me I was as curious as you are right now.

“It also puts a hollow inside you that eventually takes control.” Now that part seemed very important. “And you know a way to suppress that?” I asked. Hirako shrugged, “Yeah, but I am not sure I want to teach you. What is normal for Urahara isn’t normal for me.” I could change that. I was thinking about the correct sentence when he suddenly appeared directly in front of me. “I will think again after seeing that hollow of yours.”

A kick sent me crashing into a barrier that was hastily erected around us. “Hirako, please warn me next time.” The fat giant with pink hair lamented in a slow manner. “Sorry, Hachi.” Hirako said and drew his sword. “So, Nice, Hollows react to extremes so best for you would be to let go of your emotions right now.”

I was coughing on the ground a few metres away from him. “Let go, huh?” I whispered in a pained, angry tone. If the world wanted to give me a chance to blow of some steam, I was going to take it. “Fine. First off.” I used Shunpo to appear behind him. I don’t know when I released Merc into his Shikai, but there I was: About to punch Hirako in his dumb face as he slowly turned. “My name is not NICE!”

The reflexes of the former captain allowed him to block the punch with his sword, but he still was sent flying. I created a first portal where I stood and charged after him. “It is Nize. NI-ZE. HARD Z. WHY IS THAT SO HARD? DID YOU NEVER HEAR A WORD OF GERMAN?”

I created the musket I preferred to use and took a stab at Hirako with the bayonet. He narrowly dodged, very surprised at how easy it was to trigger me. Now, to be fair true to what he was saying I did feel something encouraging my anger, but I didn’t care.

“Second.” I said, my voice changing from angry screaming to cold rage as I concentrated spiritual energy in the spectral weapon. “I fucking hate this. Deserting, doing things as a vigilante. Justice is only to be served in the name of your superiors.” I shot at Hirako. Again he successfully blocked, the bullet forcing him a few steps back.

However he was now exactly where I wanted him. I opened the second portal in front of me and Hirako suddenly found himself falling through the ground and in front of me. To my surprise however I was the one who found himself upside down. I also hit myself on the shoulder instead of stabbing at him. Somehow everything seemed the wrong way around.

“To think I would have to use my Shikai, not bad Ni…the?” Well, he tried. I was vaguely aware of the changed form of his sword, a ring at the end of the handle, levitating around his hand. But I was currently trying not to fall down from the downright trippy experience of having me whole field of view turned around.

I managed to stay on my feet but this was really just pushing me further down in my anger. If skill was no longer a possible brute **** would have to suffice. “Bankai.” I growled and spiritual energy purred from my gauntlets as the metal grew over my body until I was completely covered by Merc’s armour.

I expected a ‘Let’s do this, partner!’ or something along the lines but instead I got a panicked ‘WHAT ARE YOU?’ and felt control forcefully wrestled from me. The next thing I remembered are all eight members of the Visored nailing me to the ground. “Wow there buddy.” Hirako said. Where did all of those small cuts on him come from? “You have a pretty cheat Bankai. You passed the test, now we’ll pound the hollow suppression technique into you.”

“Okay?” I asked. My anger was mysteriously gone. ‘What the hell happened?’ I thought to myself as the crew got of me and I was allowed to stand again. It was irking me a bit that they now knew more about my Bankai then I did, but that was really a minor issue. ‘Merc?’ I asked. ‘Can’t speak, fighting.’ Merc said. Now that raised more question than I was comfortable with but I had these guys to as Hiyori pointed at a side room. “Go sleep, for the next step you will need to be rested.” She commanded.

I heard that a lot these days.