World Fair Trade

[GoldenKitten]

Kaiba Katayama found himself coming to, yet as he did so it felt like leaving a kind of sleep he had never before experienced. It was as if he had the worst hangover in his life and yet at the same time his mind was strangely clear, despite his senses being muddled. As if perhaps he had received plenty of rest but so much down time had dulled his usually keen attentions. However as he pulled himself up from his long slumber he was able to take note of his surroundings and it was immediately evident he was nowhere familiar, yet it didn't seem to be an enemy holding cell of any sort and no sense of malevolence pervaded.

Quite the opposite in fact as the entire surrounding area, both that which he could see and that which his spiritual powers allowed him to sense seemed to be a peace. The room was illustrious and it's decorations downright decadent. The walls were high with fine oak paneling, both the bottom and top had intricate swirl-pattern carved wooden bordering. On the far side of the room two deep leather sitting chairs were placed before a massive fireplace which was already lit, filling the room with just the right amount of heat. One wall was adorned with high oak shelves that displayed a number of high-end knick-knacks, ship in bottles, an antique globe, and a series of excessively thick books. Kaiba himself was in a massive four banister king-sized bed with privacy curtains and some of the thickest most cotton-full sheets a man could ask for. It all suggested an owner with a taste for the classics, and a rich one at that.

For the moment the air was silent with only the crackle of the fireplace filling the room and the slight smell of cherry tobacco wafting in from an unknown source. Kaiba had hardly the time to gather himself together though when an opening and closing door echoed from somewhere beyond the walls to his room followed by a cacophony of voices. He immediately tried to force himself out of the bed but found the wounds he had suffered while healed on the surface still saw his body feeling incredibly sore. Thus it took him several moments to push himself up into a half sitting position and toss the bed-sheet off of him.

From outside a young boys voice yelled out, “I'm gonna go check on him!”
A young but authoritative female voice called out after him, “Young man, you wait for me, and lower your voice he's resting!”

But the call seemed to be made in vain as the door was thrown open moments later. A boy of no more than eight-years old with dirty-blond hair came bursting through. Like the surroundings had suggested it appeared his hosts must have been affluent as even the young man was clothed in fine evening wear, a mini-tuxedo. He scanned the bed for only a moment before his eyes fell on the awakened Kaiba and his mouth split into a huge toothy grin, exposing that his two upper front-teeth were missing giving him a certain innocent charm. The twinkle in his eye suggested he found Kaiba imminently interesting.

While bringing his arms up in excited fists close to his body he turned his head down the hallway beyond, “Momma! Dad! He's awake!”

A different young female voice called out in surprise as the pitter-patter of small feet drew close. Seconds later a young girl roughly the boys age with perfect blond hair drawn into two large drill pony-tails rounded the door frame, like the boys fancy attire she was in a fine white dress. However she'd only had her eyes on Kaiba for a split-second when her face broke into a look of surprise and horror and she covered her eyes while giving a squeal. It was at this point that two far more imposing individuals appeared in the blink of an eye but after seeming to note there wasn't an issue the offensive aura that had quickly been summoned dropped just as quickly. It was soon realized what had set the young girl off as she pointed at Kaiba, when his sheet had been taken off it had exposed that he was in fact not wearing any clothing and was perfectly naked in front of them all.

It was now evident the group present was a family. The other two that had showed up so quickly included a young girl no more than twelve, yet despite her seeming outer appearance she carried an air of superiority and wisdom. When one had been in the spirit world long enough they learned not to judge by appearances alone as some of the oldest people in existence could appear as children and vice-versa. Though she was wearing her fine blond-hair back in an extravagant bun and sporting an elegant skin-tight black dress she actually seemed to fit in with the image, where the other children seemed like kids playing grown-up, despite her seeming age she just felt like she belonged in them. She covered the younger girls eyes with her hand and pulled her out of sight.

Meanwhile the young boy had approached Kaiba oblivious to these facts, “Wow! Your a shinigami right...well I mean, not like me, your like a real shinigami that fights hollows and stuff right, and badguys, and, and, and...” The fact that he claimed to be a shinigami seemed strange but then Kaiba knew nothing of these people and of course plenty of spirits were known to be hiding in the world through the use of gigai. His eyes were aglimmer as if Kaiba was terribly interesting and it was clear he had a billion questions but the last individuals hand rested on his shoulder.

This man appeared to be in his late twenties and had dirty blond hair, much like the first girls, other features suggested he had to be both the children's father. The man was a good six foot and appeared to be of European heritage as had the rest of those present. He had a fair build with bright blue eyes and like the rest of them was sporting a luxurious suit, Kaiba would certainly not know just how expensive something like that was but even he would have to realize whoever this was he was beyond affluent.

“Sinclair, you can ask your questions later. He has just woken up and certainly just wishes to rest at this time. Please go help your mother for now.” The mans voice was excessively deep and didn't seem to go with his appearance, yet it was not imposing and in fact seemed gentle and jovial.

Sinclair looked ready to argue but then looked to the floor and nodded, he then walked out the door dejectedly. He shot several glances back at Kaiba as if he wasn't quite deterred just yet but then walked off down the hall. The remaining man walked to the door and closed it before turning back to Kaiba. He sized him up with his eyes for a moment before he finally broke into a genuine smile and spoke as he walked to a nearby dresser. There he pulled out a pair of plain khaki shorts.

“Well, before I explain what say I help you put these on before you give my little one a heart attack again-” He paused and said this next part in a slightly frightening way only a father could when talking about protecting his daughter, “Lest I have to remove the offending sight.”

He immediately chuckled about this as if to suggest he had been making a joke, though there was the distinct feeling in the air it was only a half joke. And true to what he had said he then helped Kaiba put them on, how Kaiba felt about this only he could say but given his bodies soreness it was certainly helpful and the man didn't seem to have any further motives. Once done he helped him sit back on the bed and the dragged a wooden chair that had been at a nearby wall over so that he could sit next to the injured shinigami.

“My name is Kitotsan. Or at the very least that was the name I adopted in Soul Society to fit in with the predominately Japanese culture. You may also call me Gerard Le'vier, or just Gerard here as that is what my human acquaintances as well as my family calls me.”

He cocked his head and smiled, “Kaiba Katayama, according to most of the spirit world you're dead, quite a lucky one to make it out of Hueco Mundo alive. When you were found unconscious in a Tokyo alley by some of the less savory members of the rogue spiritual world I thought you might very well be dead by the time I got a hold of you. Was able to locate you quickly though, suspect they'll think twice before trying to abduct a member of the Gotei 13 again.”

He cocked his head and his demeanor changed, he put on the look of a salesmen, “But I'll b-”

Before he could continue however the door opened behind them. The older girl walked in with a tray and two mugs, she handed one to Kitotsan and brought the other over to Kaiba, she set it on the bed stand next to where he sat. Inside was a steaming mildly brown liquid, some kind of tea though it seemed a western variety of some sort.

She gave him a polite smile, “Sorry we tend to be coffee drinkers but didn't think you would want something so strong having just woken up, traditional black was all we had. If you need sugar it's right there.” She motioned to a cup she had also set on the table.

Kitotsan gave a good laugh, “Don't even introduce yourself huh?”, the girl seemed to realize this infringement of etiquette and blushed but Kitotsan finished for her, “This is Marie, Marie Le'vier, my wife. The two little ones are our children, Sinclair the boy and Isabelle the girl. They've been as interested in you as I have, 'Why did daddy bring the shinigami home.' it never stops.” He shook his head.

Marie held the now empty tray up to her chest and looked to their guest, “Kaiba dear, we've fed you best we could but you've not had a proper meal in weeks. I'm sure your starved, is there anything you feel like eating?”

[ZR0 C00L]

Flames

A blazing inferno, engulfing everything in its path, so hot that the air in the dark chamber he was in was very thin and superheated so that for anyone but himself even breathing should have been a feat in of its self. But it wasn’t enough to even slow his opponent down. Nothing did, not for long. This demon who had taken almost everything he could dish out and kept coming. Flesh burned from its body, its black cloak torn to shreds, the tattered ends on fire, it had multiple cuts and puncture wounds riddled its body, being cauterized by the flames of his zanpakuto. Yet his eyes remained staring, unwavering, lusting the kill more than any being he had ever seen.

The beasts murderous intent so heavy that it felt as if it were tangible, weighing his every step as the two locked in combat once more. The demon parried his attack with the massive black blade he carried and hefted around as if it were nothing at all. When it came crashing down in a counter against the swords he carried coupled with the monstrous strength of its wielder sent the him crashing to the floor below with tremendous force. Immediately the demon was on him, the massive swords thick point being shoved into his shoulder as the….thing for it was impossible to consider that it was ever a human being like him by any means,let alone one supposed to be his comrade, looked on in sheer delight as blood flowed out and pooled around his prone body below.

The pain was intense, but he didn’t have time to reflect on it, the black sword had been torn out deliberately rough before being raised again ready to be plunged down for a second time. He willed his body to move with every fiber of his being but could not summon the strength helpless as he watched the demons blade nearing his chest ready to tear through his chest and tear his heart out knowing that when it was plunged into him that it was all over. There was a scream muted by blood coming out as just garbled noise, warm blood splashed against his face and the world of flames consumed him. He was…

Awake

The flames were gone, their searing heat replaced by a soothing warmth. The blinding pain he felt was reduced to a numbing ache yet his head felt as if it were about to split. His mind was fogged and many questions funneled in at once. Taking a breath, he sought to answer them by order of importance.

What happened? Did I die in that place? Am I dead? He questioned himself first but did not know the answer immediately.

Though he discarded that notion quickly, if the pain he felt in his body wasn’t enough to let him know that he was still among the living….technically. The scene he awoke to now was much different than the one in rukongai’s 78th district which awaited him the last time he did.

He opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling and immediately tried to remember how he had got there to no avail. Taking in his surroundings as best he could, Kaiba Katayama Vice captain of the first division looked around the room he was in. It was large and opulent with high ceilings and hardwood paneling with intricate designs upon them covering the walls. The light hurt his eyes as if he hadn’t used them before now forcing him to squint as he looked around, seeing the bookshelf with many thick books and other knick-knacks making the lavishness of the owner of wherever he was, even more apparent. A few seconds more and Kaiba was sure that this wasn’t anywhere in soul society, the reishi in this place was more like the human world than in soul society, though unlike there this place seemed to give off a calming and peaceful vibe. A welcomed feeling, he was thinking clearly but the order of his thoughts seemed sporadic at best and it took a few moments to sort out what happened in that hellish place.

The room had the scent of cherry filling it and it was as soothing as the atmosphere around him at first, though looking towards the source, a small fireplace filled Kaibas mind with more images of bodies burning and the feeling of his attackers’ massive sword being buried into his flesh, and another image of his hands bound in chains above his head as he was repeatedly burned with a red hot blade by a red headed woman who was smiling throughout the entirety of it. He looked away quickly, snapped out of his disturbing memories as he heard a door opening outside the room he was in and voices could be heard heading his way. He immediately tried to get out of the massive four poster bed he laid in, something he immediately regretted as the numb ache of his body changed back into something more like the blinding pain he remembered feeling before the flames took over.

Am I a prisoner? He questioned doubtfully.

The place he was in seemed much too nice to be a holding cell of any kind, though it wasn’t as if he was in any shape to do any escaping at the moment anyhow. As it was, it took much of his effort to force himself into a sitting position against the headboard of the bed tossing the sheet to the side should he need to stand quickly. He waited for whomever it was that was coming towards him, making a quick scan of the room for his zanpakuto but found it nowhere in sight. Though he was in no condition to fight it was slightly unnerving to think that he was in this strange place however calm it may seem without his sword.

From outside a young boys voice yelled out, “I'm gonna go check on him!”

A young but authoritative female voice called out after him, “Young man, you wait for me, and lower your voice he's resting!”

Apparently whoever these people were they didn’t take direction well as seconds later the door to the room was opened and in came a young boy with dirty blonde hair, wearing of all things a tuxedo, though given his surroundings Kaiba guessed it didn’t seem so out of place. The child said nothing and simply stared at him with a toothless grin which the shinigami found endearing though he made no move to show it.

While bringing his arms up in excited fists close to his body the boy turned his head down the hallway beyond, “Momma! Dad! He's awake!”

Kaiba tensed slightly in preparation for any threat that may come now that people were alerted to him being awake. But found instead the boy was answered by a different female voice than the first he had heard followed closely by small footsteps echoing in the hallway coming towards him. A young girl about the same age of the boy, wearing a white dress with her blonde hair drawn back in pig-tails entered the room, though unlike the boy she did not stare interestedly at him, she to his shock turned and let out a high pitched squeal and pointed directly at him. In a flash two new people entered the room and with them came an aura of someone readying for a fight. The young vice captain braced himself though the two after inspecting the scene they relaxed and the atmosphere went back to a calm one for a moment, that is until Kaiba found that he was the cause of the disturbance. More to the point his naked body which was fully visible due to him throwing the sheet off of himself.

“gaaahhh!” he exclaimed. All thoughts of possible dangers or anything other than the fact he had just exposed himself to children leaving his mind for the moment.

The shinigami blanched and grabbed for the sheet quickly in utter embarrassment though due to the pain returning could not make it in a swift grab as planned and instead was forced to cup his privates with one hand and slowly and awkwardly reach for the sheet with the other while uttering a slew of obscenities under his breath. For now, as he looked upon the group Kaiba could see they were a family and taking a closer look at the two new comers he saw first another female, this one wearing her hair back in a bun and wearing an elegant black dress and though young in appearance had the air about her of someone with knowledge or wisdom beyond her age, she had placed her hands from over top of the young girls eyes and removed her from the room as he had attempted to cover up the offensive sight of his man parts. The second was a man whom Kaiba deduced to be the father of the two blonde children due to their close resemblance. He appeared as a man in his mid twenties and like the two children had blonde hair. He was a man of a good height and was exquisitely dressed by modern standards anyhow. But it was clear that this man must have been someone important.

“Wow! Your a shinigami right...well I mean, not like me, your like a real shinigami that fights hollows and stuff right, and badguys, and, and, and...” The boy said approaching him as Kaiba covered up finally.

“Errr………Shinigami?” Was all the confused vice captain could manage given what the child had just said to him and trying to clear the fog from his mind coupled with the flashing of minors he had just done still throwing him off guard.

As the child looked as if he was about to burst forth with all the questions he so obviously had wanted to ask Kaiba, the man Kaiba assumed to be his father laid a hand on the boy whose name he revealed to be Sinclair’s shoulder and told him to save his questions for later and to go see his mother, in an extremely deep voice that didn’t fit his appearance but sounded good natured nonetheless. The boy looked as if he were about to argue but thought better of it and hurried on out of the room his father closing the door behind him before turning back to Kaiba sizing him up.

Where the hell am I and just who is this guy? Where is Kuatura? These questions and several more were prominent in Kaibas mind as the two stared at each other for a moment. In the end he went with the most logical.

“where am I?” He deadpanned.

The man across from him broke into a wide and seemingly genuine smile before walking over to a nearby dresser tossing him a pair of shorts while answering.

“Well, before I explain what say I help you put these on before you give my little one a heart attack again-” He paused and said this next part in a slightly frightening way only a father could when talking about protecting his daughter, “Lest I have to remove the offending sight.”

“Hehe” He chuckled still somewhat embarrassed and nervous due to him probably not being able to defend himself had the man been serious, the chuckle the man made also did little in assuading those fears.

“I….. I’ll do it though, just gotta do it real slow or it hurts like a mother fucker” Though while he did so the man moved in to help him anyway.

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Kaiba started but the man was already in there assisting in pulling the shorts on and as much as it was strange having another man help him pull up his shorts in his condition it was a blessing. Once done he helped him sit back on the bed and the dragged a wooden chair that had been at a nearby wall over so that he could sit next to the injured shinigami.

“My name is Kitotsan. Or at the very least that was the name I adopted in Soul Society to fit in with the predominately Japanese culture. You may also call me Gerard Le'vier, or just Gerard here as that is what my human acquaintances as well as my family calls me.”

Soul society? Did I hear that right? And did his kid really say he was shinigami? Kitosan…kitosan……its not familiar…. Kaiba went on inwardly trying to assess the situation while responding.

“My name is Kaiba and there are some things I’d like to know like…….” He started saying nothing of souls society until he got more info on just what the hell was going on. The man cocked his head and smiled, cutting Kaiba off midsentence.

“Kaiba Katayama, according to most of the spirit world you're dead, quite a lucky one to make it out of Hueco Mundo alive. When you were found unconscious in a Tokyo alley by some of the less savory members of the rogue spiritual world I thought you might very well be dead by the time I got a hold of you. Was able to locate you quickly though, suspect they'll think twice before trying to abduct a member of the Gotei 13 again.”

Suddenly Kaiba was on the alert, this man knew far too much and Kaiba knew too little. And if what this man told him was true then his allies had no idea where he was.

“Ok Just who the hell are Kitosan?” Kaiba spat out attempting to conjure up enough strength to sound intimidating but came up short and just ended up sounding rude which he regretted as that wasn’t his intent.

“I mean thank you for taking care of me but I need answers” he corrected.

Kitosan cocked his head once more and his demeanor changed, he put on the look of a salesmen, “But I'll b-”

he was interrupted by the door opening behind them. As much as Kaiba wanted answers he knew that this was meant to be a more private and said nothing as the older of the two females came into the room with a tray and two mugs, she handed one to Kitotsan and brought the other over to Kaiba, she set it on the bed stand next to where he sat. Inside was a steaming mildly brown liquid, some kind of tea though it seemed a western variety of some sort.

Kaiba and western anything were not a good mix as he held personal and ancient disgust for westerners yet custom dictate that he accept, and accept graciously he did. As expected the taste was terrible, he must have made a face try as he might to act as though it didn’t taste like a moose pissing in his mouth because the young lady commented.

“Sorry we tend to be coffee drinkers but didn't think you would want something so strong having just woken up, traditional black was all we had. If you need sugar it's right there.” She motioned to a cup she had also set on the table. With a polite smile.

“Domo” he replied though not sipping from his cup anymore.

Kitotsan gave a good laugh, “Don't even introduce yourself huh?”, the girl seemed to realize this infringement of etiquette and blushed but Kitotsan finished for her, “This is Marie, Marie Le'vier, my wife. The two little ones are our children, Sinclair the boy and Isabelle the girl. They've been as interested in you as I have, 'Why did daddy bring the shinigami home.' it never stops.” He shook his head.

That’s what I’d like to know! He thought to himself. Marie held the now empty tray up to her chest and looked at him

“Kaiba dear, we've fed you best we could but you've not had a proper meal in weeks. I'm sure you’re starved, is there anything you feel like eating?”

Before she had mentioned it, the thought of food or being hungry hadn’t crossed his mind, now that she had it was all he could do. And barely contained himself and instead of shouting FUCK YEAH I DO!!!! He replied “yes please” and then adding “anything is fine” When she had left again to fix something for him to eat, Kaiba looked back to Kitosan and asked the million dollar question.

“So why did daddy bring the shinigami home?”

[GoldenKitten]

The girl named Marie nodded and left the room closing the door as she did so. Kaiba asked the obvious question and Kitotsan cocked his head to the side as if thinking really hard on the matter. He shifted in his chair and reached into his pocket withdrawing a fine wooden pipe, the kind you rarely if ever saw in this day and age, though Kitotsan wasn't from this day and age. He made a show of drawing a match and lighting the piece before shooting Kaiba a bemused look.

He held the pipe outward, “Well I was just about to get to that” he paused, “But...yah know, if you just want to rush it and all...”

He trailed off as if he wasn't going to tell Kaiba anymore. However he quickly turned his eyes back on him and grinned showing that he was having fun at the shinigamis expense. If this was his personality it was certainly contrary to appearances but at the same time one couldn't forget that he seemed to be excessively knowledgeable. Confidence and nonchalant born of experience and success, it was not an uncommon trait in some of the eldest shinigami like the Commander General, something Kaiba would know first-hand. In fact it was exactly that air which he gave off, the two could be long lost brothers for all it seemed.

However he shifted to a serious face, “To answer I'll need to ask. Katayama-san, do you take Soul Societies politics at face level, or do you concede that like all governments they do not strictly abide by their own rules? As a leader of first division I suspect you know the answer to this quite readily, but I'll ask regardless.”

He heard him out and then continued after taking a draw on the pipe and expelling a plume of smoke that smelled strongly of the cherry that had pervaded the air in less abundance before now, “Well of course the answer is that they do not. I am just one example. I am a Vizard and more-over an information broker of the spiritual world. Many individuals including the leadership of Soul Society come to me when they need to learn something, at times I trade for possessions as you can see but more often than not I trade for more information, a constantly cycle of giving and receiving. I tell you this so you understand where I am coming from and moreover so that you might be more willing to aid me, after all for the right price Irashi Kazuma has done the same in the past.”

He moved to stand up but as he did so he actually stepped out of his body. Or rather one would say his soul left the gigai in which it was residing, as the fake body went limp in the chair it dropped the pipe but his real self quickly scooped it up before it even hit the ground. As he brought it back up Kaiba was left watching a man that looked exactly like his “human” self except that he was wearing a more casual outfit. He also had a zanpakutou on his back though it was clear he had no intention of using it. Despite looking exactly the same he seemed to stand taller and more imposing in this form than he had before, his eyes also seemed deeper and as if power was hiding behind them. This was of course simply the effect of his latent reiatsu, without him fighting it was impossible to say how strong he was exactly but with a base reiatsu at that level it was safe to say he was at least of low captain strength.

“As I am an information broker it should not be so strange that I know of you or in fact that you were thought to have disappeared into Hueco Mundo. In fact THAT is why I saved you. I have many ears and they told me of your reappearance, I thought, if someone could survive Hueco Mundo in it's new state then perhaps they could inform me of things I do not yet know about these ones calling themselves the Horror Vacui in exchange for nursing them back to health.” He winked at Kaiba.

“If you question why I didn't return you to the shinigami, do not concern yourself, I have informed Kazuma of your whereabouts. But even if I do business with the shinigami our alliance is still secretive, even you knew nothing about me so it's not as if I could just walk up to the gates of Seireitei-” he made a motion as if he was carrying a body and then said in a mock voice, “Hello there, outcast shinigami coming through, got something here I want to return to you!” He shot Kaiba a wry grin, “You can return yourself once you are healed.”

He walked over to stand in front of the fireplace his figure hilighted as a shadow by the mild orange and took a long drag on the pipe before turning to the shinigami, “Did you learn anything while in Hueco Mundo that could be of aid Katayama-san? Please keep in mind that even if I administer my aid from the shadows I have no love for the Arrancar and my information more often than not goes to helping the Gotei 13.”

He paused and looked upward with his eyes as if realizing something, “Oh and before you ask Kazuma and Kuatura are fine, as is most of the First Division. Many of the others did not get off so well though, much of Tenths elites were killed in action and Eleventh is all but gone. The leadership is also undergoing a radical overhaul and Central Forty-six is making a move to regain lost power due to the royalties distress at the perceived “failure” of the shinigami operation and the appearance of the the dangerous Horror Vacui.” He seemed genuinely distraught about this fact before his eyes returned to Kaiba as if still expecting an answer to the previous question.

[ZR0 C00L]

The tension in the room was palpable, though it was clearly only Kaiba who was tense as he awaited Kitosans answer as to what exactly he was doing in his home. To make matters worse, though he appeared to be thinking hard on how to answer, Kaiba was sure that his host was taking delight in knowing how anxious he was to hear his reasoning behind taking the wounded shinigami into his home. Kitosan however was in no rush and it took a large portion of Kaibas almost nonexistent self control not to jump out of the bed and club the man over the head as Kitosan withdrew a wooden pipe from his pocket, though that was thanks in large part due to him being physically unable to do so and instead grit his teeth and stared invisible daggers into the man sitting across from him. Ever so slowly he lit the contents inside with a match.

“Well I was just about to get to that” he paused, “But...yah know, if you just want to rush it and all...” He said holding his pipe out bemused.

Kaiba sweat dropped and fell back on to the bed, but returned to his anxious state as Kitosan trailed off seeming as he wasn’t going to tell him after all. And soon after resumed glaring as Kitosan smiled as if he was wholly enjoying toying with him. For someone of such lavish taste his sense of humor seemed to be a bit skewed as the setting they now sat in stood in stark contrast to the actions of its owner, at least to Kaiba anyhow who was taken a back slightly that a man who by the simple fact of knowing who he was and of the mission to Hueco mundo had to be someone of vast resources beyond just momentary which was obvious he had. A contradiction he hadn’t come across outside of the commander general who, now thinking on it was eerily similar in his actions to Kitosan or to a lesser extent his brother Kuatura whom often surprised people with the things he said in comparison to how he acted.

Again just as Kaiba was about to let loose a slew of obscenities at the man smoking his pipe filling the room with the same cherry scent that the fireplace gave off, thinking of which gave the shinigami flashes of memories he'd rather not think on at the moment, or ever again for that matter. Kitosans expression turned serious once more and began speaking again.

“To answer I'll need to ask. Katayama-san, do you take Soul Societies politics at face level, or do you concede that like all governments they do not strictly abide by their own rules? As a leader of first division I suspect you know the answer to this quite readily, but I'll ask regardless.”

“……..? I….I don’t know” Kaiba was again thrown off as he didn’t see how the question related to his. After a second Kaiba irritated, by again having his question avoided though pleased he had been assured an answer in return for one of his own and spat out his reply, “I don’t play politics, I serve, I am a weapon to be used by those whom I serve, that is my duty, though I will concede that I have been around long enough to see that all forms of government in some cases must do things in secret that they condemn publicly. It is the frequency of which these things occur that separates the truly corrupt from the just.”
He knew that probably wasn’t the answer Kitosan was looking for but that was the best he could do as it was true, the mission to hueco mundo was his first as vice captain and as the third seat of 1st division he was never one to involve himself in the command structure and instead in most cases thrust himself into battle where he was told to like a pit-bull let off its leash mauling whatever was put in its path. The first time Kaiba attempted to take on a leadership role had landed him in the predicament he had currently found himself, the how of which made him grimace inwardly at what had occurred in Las Noches.

Kitosan patiently heard him out then exhaled another plume of cherry scented smoke again forcing Kaiba to push thoughts of warm blood spraying on his face as it was connected in his mind to the fireplace, and the fireplace to the thoughts of blood and death that were rampant in his mind.

“Well of course the answer is that they do not. I am just one example. I am a Vizard and more-over an information broker of the spiritual world. Many individuals including the leadership of Soul Society come to me when they need to learn something, at times I trade for possessions as you can see but more often than not I trade for more information, a constantly cycle of giving and receiving. I tell you this so you understand where I am coming from and moreover so that you might be more willing to aid me, after all for the right price Irashi Kazuma has done the same in the past.”

Kaiba did little to hide the fact that he was skeptical that the commander general had traded information with this man but said nothing of it as he was sure that there was still truth in his words about being an information broker of sorts. The revelation that Kitosan was a vizard did little to shock Kaiba as he knew there had to be more to Kitosan than met the eye, though he didn’t exactly see it coming increasing his anxiety as to why he had been saved.

“I am not a possession to be traded vizard” Kaiba spat hastily with as much strength to his voice as he could muster the implied threat of what should happen should he try though again regretted speaking without thinking as he realized that Kitosan had neither said anything to warrant him thinking that nor had he acted as such but the shinigami still felt glad he had made it clear.

Kitosan moved to stand up and discarded the gigai his spirit form inhabited though displayed no threatening actions toward the laid up Kaiba. Kitosan had snatched the wood pipe as it fell to the ground and brought it back to his lips , Kaiba couldn’t help but take note that now unrestrained by the gigai Kitosans reiatsu rivaled Kaibas and possibly more than likely exceeded his own, and that was if Kaiba was healthy. The second thing that Kaiba noticed was that he presented a more imposing figure in this form and was wearing more casual clothes than he had in his false body though other than that looked exactly the same. Kaiba made no move as he did not feel an immediate threat from the man who wore his zanpakuto on his back. But as kitosan began speaking again Kaiba couldn’t help but be painfully aware that his own zanpakuto was nowhere to be seen.

“As I am an information broker it should not be so strange that I know of you or in fact that you were thought to have disappeared into Hueco Mundo. In fact THAT is why I saved you. I have many ears and they told me of your reappearance, I thought, if someone could survive Hueco Mundo in its new state then perhaps they could inform me of things I do not yet know about these ones calling themselves the Horror Vacui in exchange for nursing them back to health.” He said with a wink directed at Kaiba who was not amused.

The mention of the horror vacui and the mission in which he made the acquaintance of one of its members put him on edge once more and Kitosans easy going manner did little to calm him though he tried not to show his discomfort outwardly as Kitosan began speaking again.

“If you question why I didn't return you to the shinigami, do not concern yourself, I have informed Kazuma of your whereabouts. But even if I do business with the shinigami our alliance is still secretive, even you knew nothing about me so it's not as if I could just walk up to the gates of Seireitei-” he made a motion as if he was carrying a body and then said in a mock voice, “Hello there, outcast shinigami coming through, got something here I want to return to you!” He shot Kaiba a wry grin, though Kaiba was unsure of whether to believe that this man had any sort of relationship with /kazuma-sama especially on a level that he would refer to him without the proper honorific given to one of the commander general’s stature.

“You can return yourself once you are healed.” He finished as he began walking to the other side of the room and stood in front of the fireplace.

Looking into the vizards eyes, Kaiba could find no trace of a lie but was still skeptical and voiced it readily. “Kitosan again I am thankful to you for taking me in when I had long gave up on seeing another sunrise, but do you really expect me to believe all this, what would Kazuma-sama need from you that he could not procure himself?” He questioned looking straight into Kitosans eyes. Kaiba then fixed his stare above both the man and the fireplace which cast a shadow which to Kaiba look much too close to the demon that had been plaguing his coma dream and once more ignited the chain of bad memories.

Kitosan took another drag on his pipe and exhaled slowly before coming to the point of all this. “Did you learn anything while in Hueco Mundo that could be of aid Katayama-san? Please keep in mind that even if I administer my aid from the shadows I have no love for the Arrancar and my information more often than not goes to helping the Gotei 13.”

Even with assurance that he was no friend of the arrancar, Kaiba was still unsure of whether or not to trust this man, though he had done nothing to make himself seem as an enemy, Kaiba was studying the man trying to find even the slightest hint of untruthfulness in him which he could not. And his code of bushido dictate that he was in this man’s debt for caring for him but other than the fact that recalling the events that lead to him being here that he did not want to dredge up the details of, he had other questions that needed answering before he would even think of answering this question. As he opened his mouth to voice this fact, he was cut off. Kitosan added nonchalantly.

“Oh and before you ask Kazuma and Kuatura are fine, as is most of the First Division. Many of the others did not get off so well though, much of Tenths elites were killed in action and Eleventh is all but gone. The leadership is also undergoing a radical overhaul and Central Forty-six is making a move to regain lost power due to the royalties distress at the perceived “failure” of the shinigami operation and the appearance of the dangerous Horror Vacui.” Kitosan added nonchalantly. Though when he got to the end of what he was saying, Kaiba thought he could make out the look of a man upset by the facts he stated.

Hearing that the mission was a failure angered Kaiba but hearing that his brother had made it out also was a great relief as that was his only concern outside of what was going on with himself. Having lived through the assault Kaiba was not surprised to hear that the death toll had been high but not for a second did he believe Kazuma-sama would have been in any danger, the fact that Kitosan did meant one of two things to him, either his suspicions that Kitosan didn’t know the commander general as he claimed to or that the leader or leaders of the horror vacui were that much of a threat. Forgetting what that would mean to his own safety, Kaiba hoped that it was the former of those options.

Kitosan looked at him expectantly awaiting an answer as to what he saw while in hueco mundo but Kaiba wasn’t sure what was expected here, he had spent most of his time locked in multiple fights for his life against multiple opponents and barely took notice of anything that wasn’t trying to separate his head from his shoulders.

“I had very little dealing with the people you speak of, I’m afraid you’ve wasted you time by saving me Kitosan I have no information of use to you”

Kaiba said truthfully disappointed for a plethora of reasons at this legitimacy of this statement, he had failed in even gathering anything of use to either the gotei 13 or to the man who had nursed him back to health hoping that he wouldn’t be as useless as he turned out to be. His eyes searched the area again for his zanpakuto, not that he wanted to fight anyone. Kaiba was contemplating seppuku in repentance of his failure.

[GoldenKitten]

He stood before the fireplace for a period of time after listening to Kaibas words. Not long enough to create an awkward silence but certainly long enough to make one wonder if he was reconsidering aiding the broken vice-captain. However when he turned about the wry look on his face said that wasn't in his nature, though one couldn't help but feel there was disappointment there as well. He raised his pipe up but after inhaling the smoke simply exhaled it back out. Then he twirled the pipe through the smoke for a moment as if in thought before sticking his thumb into the tip to extinguish it as he placed it within his pants pocket.

“Kaiba Katayama” he stated cleanly and with a certain meticulousness, “You will come to find something about me, I NEVER, waste my time.”

He walked away from the fire and placed a hand on one of the bedpost while setting his foot on the wooden bed frame. From here Kaiba could once again see his facial features and though they still carried the same good nature they had the whole time there was now a serious set about them. It was as if to say, what I say now is truth, he held his hand out in a grand manner and stated simply, “I, am a man of plans.”

At just that moment there was a knock at the door, Kitotsan stepped back from where he was and beckoned them in. Two attractive woman in full-on French maid outfits walked into the room, it was hard to believe those even existed in real life in a legitimate manner and not some perverts mind. Regardless here they were, it was also clear that they like Kitotsan were spirits and though they weren't of his level there was the distinct feeling of reiatsu that suggested they were capable of combat. It was possible everyone here had at some point been a member of the shinigami forces, perhaps even the Gotei 13.

One held the door open while the other rolled a tray on a cart to the bedside. She withdrew a large metal cover to expose a full meal of traditional Japanese sides surrounding a massive salmon filet, it went unsaid but these were some of Kaibas favorite things. Then the maid carefully took a teapot that was sitting there and poured a cup of a more Asiatic blend. Kitotsan raised a finger to his lip as a silent nod to Kaiba that this time said, “Don't mention this to the wife.” He said nothing else though as long as the girls were tending to Kaiba but they to quickly ascertained the situation and after making sure they had done their duty quickly exited the room.

He waited for several moments and then snapped his attention to Kaiba, “I know what you're thinking. Do not forget I was there once as well, take solace in knowing you CAN go back. You are thinking that the Commander General cannot be defeated...I wish it were true...” he sounded genuine, moreover it seemed he really was reading Kaibas mind, he folded his arms before him.

“As you can see I don't know as much about the Horror Vacui as I would like.” He looked down, “But I know enough, as a group they are not to be underestimated, as there are a few in particular whom...I may be grasping at straws...but I feel we already know. History has shown them to us.” He let that string of thought peter out.

He walked forward past the cart to the dresser next to the bed Kaiba was in and opened one of the drawers. Inside were both Kaibas shinigami robes and Kaen, his Zanpakutou, they had been right next to him the entire time. Kitotsan stepped away and picked his other body up and slung it over his shoulder like a doll, which would have been funny in other circumstances. He turned to look at Kaiba once more and continued with his mind reading (or in reality just having memorized Kaibas profile well enough to know how he thought).

“You think you need to repent for not being there to aid your comrades, but if the Commander General himself is truly at risk what chance would you have had? If you are so pathetic you feel removing yourself is for the best then at least go to Soul Society to do it, I'd rather not have to explain why you died in my care. But, if you want I can teach you to be stronger – to be blunt, I know you seek bankai but your zanpakutou denies you.”

He turned around and walked to the door, opening it and stepping halfway through, “But everything comes with a price in this world Kaiba Katayama. Enjoy your meal and rest, but as you do so ask yourself this. Is your loyalty more important to you or is the strength to protect that loyalty the guiding factor in your life?”

As he closed the door he added, “Sleep well, if you change your mind speak with one of the maids, they'll know where to find me. Otherwise you are free to go when you feel like it.”, then was gone. Leaving Kaiba in the strange room, who knew where, with himself, his zanpakutou, a large meal, and a whole lot of thoughts. He may or may not have noted how easily Kitotsan turned a loss into a potential for victory but even if he faulted him for this way of thinking there were few who could deny his expert pragmatism.

[ZR0 C00L]

The silence in the room hung heavy as Kitosan took in what Kaiba had to say, his blackened silhouette making his expression unreadable not saying anything for a moment. Most likely displeased by his revelation and in Kaiba's mind more than likely regretted saving the shinigami in the first place, not that he could blame him for it at the moment, it was nothing in comparison to the self loathing that he had for himself right then. To Kaiba's surprise, as Kitosan turned about, his face appearing out of the shadow cast from the fireplace, the look on his face displayed no trace of those types of thoughts. He simply raised his pipe back to his mouth and exhaled once more; twirling the pipe in the smoke absentmindedly before extinguishing it and placing it back in his pocket leaving Kaiba to only wonder what could possibly be going on in his mind at the moment.

“Kaiba Katayama” he stated cleanly and with a certain meticulousness to his words, “You will come to find something about me, I NEVER, waste my time.”

The statement only served to indulge his minds curiosity though a small but growing part of him had hoped that Kitosan would finish him off. Kitosan made his way over form in front of the fire and came to Kaiba’s bedside placing a hand on one of the bedposts. As he came into clear view again he wore an expression that seemed to express the genuineness of the words he was about to speak as well as those he just had. “I am a man of plans.” He stated simply.

No duh… Kaiba thought to himself while remaining silent expecting a further explanation as to what those plans where they included Kaiba personally might be. Just then there was a knock at the door and when Kitosan answered and beckoned the persons at the door to enter. Two buxom women in French maid outfits walked into the room, one of them pushing a cart holding a tray with a covered lid, Kaiba barely registered the last few facts as his mind was almost completely fixed on the women before him, their beauty almost enough to completely have him forget the transgressions done to him recently, but not enough for him to not notice the energy coming from them. While not at the level of their master, the two maids had a decent amount of reiatsu making Kaiba wonder if they had also been part of the gotei 13 as Kitosan had claimed he himself had once been and if they also were vizards as he was.

He was no hound, but he was a man and these women were knockouts, seemingly straight out of a fantasy. And as such when they drew closer, Kaiba had to stop himself from staring and watched as they removed the lid from the tray revealing perfectly prepared smoked salmon filets making him completely forget they were there at all and instead was lost to his hunger, this was one of if not the shinigmai's favorite dish. He was brought back to his senses as one of the maids poured him tea that smelled of home and promised to be boundlessly better than the last drink he had been served. He thanked them and looked to Kitosan and bowed his head in respect. Kitosan looked back to him and placed a finger to his lips in a conspiratorial way as if to say he shouldn’t mention any of this to his wife. The two beauties left the room after making sure he had everything he needed, had they met under different circumstances he might’ve been able to think of a few more things that needed taking care of but was equally pleased to eat the scrumptious meal set before him. Kaiba dug into the meal and it was every bit as delicious as it smelled but he couldn’t help but wondered if it were a coincidence that Kitosan knew his favorite meal after all he did deal in information but for such a trivial and personal fact to be of interest to anyone was beyond Kaiba’s comprehension though he was thankful for it if that was the case.

As he ate Kitosan said nothing for a few moments allowing the famished shinigmi to eat before turning his attention to Kaiba once more, “I know what you're thinking. Do not forget I was there once as well; take solace in knowing you CAN go back. You are thinking that the Commander General cannot be defeated...I wish it were true...” he sounded genuine, moreover it seemed he really was reading Kaiba’s mind, he folded his arms before him while Kaiba pondered what he had said, of course everyone was mortal but Kaiba thought it would take something on a wholly different echelon of power to take Kazuma-sama out.

“As you can see I don't know as much about the Horror Vacui as I would like.” He looked down, “But I know enough, as a group they are not to be underestimated, as there are a few in particular whom...I may be grasping at straws...but I feel we already know. History has shown them to us.” He added irritatingly not completing that thought.

Kaiba was searching his mind for any mention of the one member of the horror vacui or the name of the group itself and found nothing though he figured Kitosan knew more about them than he let on and infinitely more than Kaiba himself did, which was almost nothing at all. Kitosan walked forward through the room past and opened the dresser beside the bed Kaiba laid in revealing his clothing and his zanpakuto Kaen, something he had searched for but now slightly regretted as seeing his blade made him thought of its soul spirit which in turn had him thinking of their last meeting together which was not at all pleasant.

“Speak for yourself lover, I have never had so much fun” Kaen cooed almost immediately before breaking into a small fit of laughter, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on edge.

Kaiba said nothing and tried to ignore her but was probably visibly shaken for a second before pushing past these thoughts and her presence focusing back on Kitosan, his face returning to neutral. Kitosan had slung his gigai over his shoulder and was walking towards the door, giving Kaiba the impression that he had politely just been asked to leave which since he had no information of value to Kitosan did not surprise him, but Kitosan stopped and looked back to him continued speaking again surprising him with the insight he seemed to have into what was on his mind.

“You think you need to repent for not being there to aid your comrades, but if the Commander General himself is truly at risk what chance would you have had? “ The question rang true but did little to comfort him of the resentment he felt at his failure.

“Then I should have died for not being strong enough to protect those whom I serve.” Kaiba said aloud without meaning to.

“If you are so pathetic you feel removing yourself is for the best then at least go to Soul Society to do it, I'd rather not have to explain why you died in my care. But, if you want I can teach you to be stronger – to be blunt, I know you seek bankai but your zanpakutou denies you.”

“HAHAHAHA oooh that’s rich, if only he knew it was you who denies me. I would be more than accommodating to you if we could have another play session” Kaens voice taunted before breaking into another cackle as she felt Kaiba become uncomfortable of the mention of it.

He turned around and walked to the door, opening it and stepping halfway through, “But everything comes with a price in this world Kaiba Katayama. Enjoy your meal and rest, but as you do so ask yourself this. Is your loyalty more important to you or is the strength to protect that loyalty the guiding factor in your life?”

Kaiba pondered on this as Kitosan made a move to leave before adding, “Sleep well, if you change your mind speak with one of the maids, they'll know where to find me. Otherwise you are free to go when you feel like it.”, then was gone. Leaving Kaiba in the strange room, who knew where, with himself, his zanpakutou, the remainder of his large meal, and a whole lot of thoughts on which to contemplate.

“Alone again neh Kaiba-chan ahahahahahaa” Kaen broke the silence though this time Kaiba thought her laugh to more comical than anything though he wasn’t in a laughing mood but his zanpakuto saw that he wasn’t as agitated by her as had been moment ago and this displeased her, she wanted him at a constant state of hating and cruelty as she was and until he conformed to her ways she would never willingly give him full access to her abilities, that is unless he paid a steep price, one he didn’t think he would ever want to experience again.

“it wasn’t all bad lover I seem to remember a certain heat between the two of us” Kaen added cruelly alluding to the torturous way she had agreed to couple her powers with his the first time making Kaiba grimace.

Kitosans offer of assistance in the matter was almost too good to be true and the shinigami doubted that even with any tricks Kitosan may have picked up over the years or traded bartered for the information on how to, he just didn’t think that Kaen could be reasoned with or overcome on the matter. He once felt that it could and now felt that even though he survived the ordeal it was to his detriment as he had failed to save anyone but his own sorry self.

“tsk tsk, all that angst is not sexy. Not sexy at all.” Kaen added once more mocking him before seemingly returning to the world that was her domain within his soul.

Kaiba lay in the bed staring upwards through the ceiling of the room and contemplated everything that had been said while reliving particularly painful moments from his pairing with his sword spirit going blind and deaf to the world outside his mind. He did not notice his zanpakutos manifestation appearing in the bed next to him until she laid her hand on his chest just over his heart. Her red hair appearing as if it were flame against the pillow next to his head, Kaiba nearly jumped out of his skin but Kaen gripped her hand over his mouth before he could cry out in surprise with a vice like grip. When she was sure he was over the shock of her being in bed next to him, she released her grip and gave him a playful flick on his nose while curling her leg around his and placing her head on his chest nuzzling him as a lover would. This was disturbing in many ways to the shinigami who tried in his injured state to roll her off of him to no avail.

“GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!” He yelled in defiance summoning the strength to accomplish pushing her off of him out of sheer will.

“Ouch now you’ve gone and hurt my feelings, and here id thought we were getting closer” She said with mock grief at his actions before fading back into nothingness once more. Kaiba hoped it would stay that way at least for awhile he had, had more than his fair share of her for a lifetime, even one as long as a shinigami's tended to be.

Through the night Kaiba was visited by horrifying dreams once more, this time though it was a scene of him chained and being burned over and over as his redheaded antagonist cackled and lusted to hear him scream in agony, a pleasure he sought with all his determination to deprive her of but that fact only caused her to become even more sadistic, He awoke from that nightmare just as the redheaded figure of his zanpakuto brought up the molten hot sword she had been placing against his body and circled behind him. She placed one hand on his shoulder and breathed in deeply inhaling his scent as she reared the weapon back, “this ones gonna be slightly uncomfortable she said before bringing the flat of the blade between his legs laughing manically as she did so. Just before he would go through the pain of that moment again he awoke to a loud scream that as he gathered his senses realized had been coming from him, he was drenched in sweat as were the linen sheets beneath him.

If he had any doubts before he had none now, he would overcome Kaen and in doing so become strong enough to be of use to those he served, if Kitosan could help him with tha he was more than willing to try and if it turned out that he couldn’t than Kaiba decided he would do it on his own or die trying. The taunting laughter he heard in his mind only served to strengthen his resolve. With speed that was against his best interest yet still painfully slow Kaiba dragged himself out of his bed as his body screamed in agonized protest , snatching his zanpakuto from the cabinet, he squeezed its scabbard as tightly as he could manage and slowly put on his robes, making his way to the door, when he got there. Kaiba found one of the maids just on the other side posted outside his room, something he found himself being gracious for when in other cases he might think that he was being kept on too tight a leash. He politely asked the her to see if Kitosan was awake as it was very early now she complied but beckoned him to follow her through the also extravagantly decorated halls, kaiba looked at her quizically as if to say "are you kidding me?" but as she turned and walked away Kaiba steeled himself and sore body or not, followed her with as much speed as he could muster.

I hope you’re not all talk. Kaiba thought to himself of Kitosan as he slowly made his way through the halls though he was almost certain that he wasn't

[GoldenKitten]

The girl eyed Kaibas seeming unwillingness to come along but said nothing, instead heading down the hallway with her hands crossed behind her back. The home was apparently as large as the extravagance suggested with several long hallways branching off the one they followed, spilling into countless rooms unseen. Eventually they walked out into a massive parlor that had to be the entryway, like the rest of the house the interior was all fine wood and brass ornamentation but the ceiling was almost five times higher than the one in the hall and one could see the landing of three different levels of the home. Several large windows around the double entry-way allowed the early morning light to filter in, and from the stone street outside and the buildings on the other side of the road it was immediately evident they were not in Japan.

The girl with blue hair and yellow eyes seemed to be keeping a slower pace, whether she was doing so in respect or in insult to Kaiba was impossible to say. As they crossed the room talking could be heard from one of the halls and soon a group showed up from one of the other halls, two men followed by two little boys. The first man was walking before them and would occasionally turn and make a great gesture before turning and continuing to hurry, as he did so he spoke in a foreign language and though Kaiba might know what was said he could possibly have recognized some of the words for French.

What was more interesting was that the first man walked directly in between the guiding maid and Kaiba as if he were oblivious to their existence like most humans. Yet the second man to whom the two little boys were clinging seemed to stop long enough for Kaiba to pass. As well when the first man wasn't looking the two little boys waved quickly at the maid and she waved back though their father quickly stopped them just in time for the other man to turn around. Soon they were out the front door and Kaibas guide led him into a far room as if they were just performing a large 'U' through the house.

From somewhere above classical music could be heard playing though it was not a familiar theme, it certainly fit the surroundings though. The room they were in was a long stately affair with a massive elongated table that had to be used for dinner parties involving high profile guests, and from the looks of it the room was wide enough to support two more of these tables if the situation called for it.

But the main draw here was a huge bank of windows on the far wall, the wall being entirely made of glass except for it's base allowing a clear view outside. The view was incredibly expansive looking out across a patch of grass and road, onto a river and then across at a long line of ridiculously massive and indulgent European structures. They either had to be government buildings or were the most ridiculously oversized homes in existence. But standing before them was something that finally told Kaiba where he was, disconnected as he might have been Kaiba was still a member of first division and was familiar with certain elements of the real world. Given that the structure he was now looking at, the Eiffel Tower, was one of the structures around which the shinigami used as an identifier for their operations he could now say with certainty that he was in Paris, France.

His guide wasn't waiting for him though and at the far end of the room a pair of electric doors opened into a small confined space, evidently an elevator which she beckoned him into. It was the old kind of elevator you saw in original hotels with a handle-crank, however once he got in and the doors closed she did not pull the handle. Instead she fished inside the lining of her dress and procured a small square card, she manipulated a panel on the side of the elevator which fell away to expose a far more modern looking machine. She inserted the card into the machine, pushed several numbers and then the elevator was filled with reiatsu, however there was the distinct impression it was scanning them, then it started moving only instead of going up it went down and the old antique walls around them slid upward as if not connected to the platform they were standing on.

“My name is Claire Cheval, I am the First Knight of this installation which means I'm also the leader of it's armed forces. I suspect Monsieur Le'Vier doesn't mind you seeing our operation because your Commander General has already been here to look it over.” She raised her hand to her mouth as to suppress a giggle, it was undeniable cute especially in the close quarters they were but one had to remember she had just said she was their “First Knight” this seemed to suggest beneath that appearance she was powerful, she added, “I must say escorting him was a far more intimidating affair than yourself.”

She smiled before looking away just as the last of the old antique elevator disappeared before them. At first it seemed they were in the dark but it soon became evident they were still on a platform descending at an incredibly fast speed as running lights shot past them as it went down the shaft. It appeared the glass walls now surrounding them had in fact been enveloping the old elevator in the first place as a virtually imperceptible trick. Soon doors began to flash before them, some of them were open allowing them to see offices, large white rooms, and the individuals working within them. Others were closed off with huge doors that Kaiba had to note were made of lethality stone, in otherwords this place was built to defend as much against spirits as any real world intruders.

Claire spoke as dozens, maybe a hundred or more floors continued to fly past them. “In the last several hundred years the spirit world has become increasingly unstable, Monsieur Le'Vier predicted it would one day reach a breaking point that the Shinigami could no longer contain. That was when he made himself known to the French authorities and for the last three-hundred years they have worked more or less in tandem. In the past fifty years the connection was cemented as several events made them all-to-aware of the truth in what he said and thus what you see before you.”

They passed several floors, on one there seemed to be an amusing scenario as what appeared to be a cloaked scientist was spinning wildly on his back as if he could not stop. He was shooting back and forth across the room while his colleagues attempted to dodge the wayward human projectile, then like the rest of the floors it disappeared before a conclusion could be reached. However from the look on Claires face she didn't appear concerned, there was perhaps even bemusement there before she continued speaking.

“Here we attempt to make spiritual energy usable for human populations in both practical and weaponized applications. We do this so they may combat spiritual opponents as well as certain human elements that wish to weaponize the energy for their own gain instead of the preservation of humanity.”

She smiled, “Turning it into a weapon has proven difficult, but that is perhaps for the best. Meanwhile more prosaic means have come to us, many thought Président Sarkozy's claim to reduce the countries carbon emissions by fifty-percent in just two years were unrealistic. But they don't yet realize that spiritual energy is the ultimate alternate energy, by the end of the decade the entire country will run on it. We would like to share it with the rest of the world but until we are certain we can control it's expansion and use that simply isn't a option.”

As she spoke the scene in front of them had been shifting, they no longer passed floors where people were present. Instead long expansive rows of large tubes and conduits stretched out before them and looking to either side they went as far as one could see until disappearing into the darkness. Then all at once they broke out into an enormous lighted open area, describing the scale wasn't something that could be done with words, even Twelfth Division would have been impressed. The cavernous opening had to be hundreds of meters below the city and easily more than half it's size in diameter meaning the other side appeared forever away and was only visible due to the clear industrial air. On the ceiling a canister rotated within a protective shell and emanated blue energy which then fed into the tubes above it which went above, Paris itself was powered by a gigantic spirit generator. It was not a thing of immense singular power, instead giving off minor diffused amounts of power in gigantic quantities.

But they were not stopping there, the elevator was set in such a way that it sat as if floating through the air allowing you to look out all sides into the underground megastructure. About halfway between the bottom and top were a set of scaffolds with countless other elevators that apparently directed technicians to particular parts of the generator or to the structure below it. A large white dome that stretched the length of the opening and which caused Claire to speak again.

“A real Terradome, the ability to create life where none should be. There are currently seven in the country, most smaller than this one, ten more under construction. We can already support 1/3 of the population underground for seven years, by the end of the decade that number will jump to include the entire countries population. They are impenetrable by human forces and even the greatest of mankind's weapons such as Nuclear arms, difficult to track by spirit forces, and of course we are far from defenseless.”

She said this as the elevator plummeted into the large white shell and everything went dark. There was the distinct impression that there was again a massive open space between the outside of the shell and the inside perhaps housing whatever made it work, but it could not be seen except for some flickers of light. Then suddenly they were assaulted by a level of brightness that was staggering, though Claire who was used to it made no movements to counter the effect.

But as what she had been talking about spread out before them it was beyond unbelievable. Though obviously within the confines of the dome due to the angle of the sky it still for all it was worth, looked like they were outside with a morning blue sky above them and though there was no single light-source like the sun it was still lit in such a way that it might as well have been. Stretching out below them was a field of green, punctuated by the occasional pocket of deeper green trees. Though it was impossible to tell from this distance it was evident that there were birds in the air and before they descended to far from the ceiling one could see mist being pumped from covert ducts. Perhaps this was to keep the climate controlled if whatever it was that kept this place going shifted to far in one temperature direction.

But the distance from the ceiling to the ground was small at the speed the elevator traveled. Just before they reached the bottom a large manor came into view below them that the elevator would obviously enter, though one could not see it completely from this angle it was clearly larger than the manor which sat on top of this all. Then they were inside and the door opened, Claire ushered him out and pointed down the long and grand hall to which they had entered.

“Perhaps now you have a slightly better of idea of whom you are dealing with, but even then you may not completely understand. But put simply, anything you could possibly need can be given to you by the Monsieur, you simply have to be willing to pay the price.”

The elevator doors closed and Claire was gone as quickly as they had arrived, there was however the feeling that plenty of people were keeping an eye on him regardless. Making his way through the four story entryhall one had to hope that like those other buildings this was intended as a government building for an underground population, it was simply to large for any one family to need. Along the way two maids were sweeping the large open space and when one spotted him she, like Claire, pointed out the front doors, which were propped open into the bright “daylight”. Outside was a series of stone steps, at the bottom was what normally would have been the eve of those steps but with a series of tables in place was clearly being utilized as a patio, beyond that nothing but the green openness that had been seen from above. The temperature was moderate, not to hot, not to cold, perfectly controlled.

What immediately drew attention was the two children in the field, they were the two he had seen last night. However they were in the traditional training gi outfits which was at odds with all these foreign elements, however if many of these individuals were previous members of Soul Society it made sense that some Japanese elements would have made the jump, and some old habits die hard. These weren't gigai either, these were their true soul forms and they were both strong and fast. Perhaps not exactly prodigies and it was nothing compared to what Kaiba was capable of but they would have easily excelled in the academy, and it was doubtful there was any normal human who could have followed the acrobatic performance they were giving. That was when Sinclair seemed to note Kaibas appearance and stopped in mid-air to point at him, this was more than enough time for Isabelle to get a strike in on his shoulder and though it didn't do much it must have hurt because he called out.

That was when something flew across the opening and smacked Sinclair in the forehead sending him spiraling and slamming into the ground. He got up groggily and further inspection showed the projectile to be some form of morning biscuit, to no great surprise the source had been Kitotsan sitting at one of the tables with another man sitting across from him in a fine suit. Kitotsan called out, “Keep your wits about you Sinclair, you think an enemy wouldn't have exploited that opening?”

Sinclair brushed some dirt off his head, “OH COME ON!!! SHE-” he indicated Isabelle, “MADE THE EXACT SAME MISTAKE WHEN SARKOZY-SAN-”

Another projectile flew across the opening and Sinclair just managed to dodge, recoiling in horror at the pothole that now existed where his head had just been, “Dono”, Kitotsan corrected him, “And I didn't hit her because she's a girl, you don't hit girls. But it's the only way to make a thickhead like you learn.”

Sinclair continued to complain but he was ignored as Kitotsan turned to Kaiba as if to say, “oh, there you are” even though they all knew he had been there for a bit. The man sitting across from Kitotsan looked to him and said, “Est-ce la mort du dieu vous m'avez parlé de?”

Kitotsan turned to the man and nodded, he then let off a string of perfect French suggesting he had been speaking it for a long time and given his appearance it might even have been his native language, “Oui, ne vous inquiétez pas. Il est un disciple du général commandant, indépendamment de ce qu'il pense de tout cela il n'y a rien qu'il a vu que leur chef ne connaît pas déjà. Plus ils viendront à être des alliés dans le temps et pour l'instant, nous partageons un ennemi.”

The other man nodded and stood up, Kitotsan added, “Son nom est Kaiba Katayama.”

The human approached him and Kitotsan spoke this time obviously to Kaiba, “Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France.” Even if to Kaiba this man was nothing compared to the Commander General he still had to realize that he dealt with much, and even if it had been with the help of spiritual beings like Kitotsan, it was partly this mans doing that such a place had been able to exist along with his predecessors.

The president spoke very clear Japanese though his accent was strong, it was clear that just as much of the French culture had pervaded here, so too, had much of Soul Societies culture infiltrated those Frenchmen who dealt with them frequently. “Katayama Kaiba” he spoke in a polite way, “I must be going now, many appointments today. But please, do say hello to the Commander General for me, we had a pleasant conversation the last time he was here.”

He reached out as if to shake, hopefully Kaiba took the cue but either way he then waved to the children who were making their way back to the patio and then worked his way up the steps and into the building. It was likely certain individuals such as himself had free clearance to come and go from this place as they pleased. Meanwhile Sinclair was once again looking at Kaiba like he was amazing, even though there were plenty of real spirit beings here capable of fighting it was possible he was the only active member of the Gotei 13 he had met. Meanwhile Isabelle was keeping her distance and shooting him looks like he was a dirty old man, she huddled close to her mother and she almost certainly said something about “the pervert” under her breath.

However Kitotsan was standing at this point and he directed Sinclair to stay on the patio with the other two, then he walked out into the field and made a motion for Kitotsan to follow.

“I thought I might be seeing you today, glad I didn't cancel my appointments for nothing. So let me put it out there for us all to see it as it is. I will teach you to utilize bankai and in exchange once done you will sit with me for...oh I suspect a good long time, and you will answer whatever I ask in sincerity. I will not ask you personal things, but I will ask you things that likely constitute as a breach in Soul Societies security though I think you should have realized by now any such info would not go to harming Soul Society. Those, are the terms.”

He waited and once positively answered he backed away, “There are two reasons a person cannot utilize their bankai. One is because they simply aren't strong enough, the other is because they are not 'syncing' with the emotion their zanpakutou's spirit wants them to. You are clearly not the former so you must be the latter. I could take a wild guess (knowing him it might not be so wild) but instead why don't you tell me exactly what it is you think your zanpakutou wants from you? What emotion does it want you to show?”

[ZR0 C00L]

Kaiba followed the blue haired girl who was walking at a pace he could keep up with easily enough as it seemed she had overestimated his remaining wounds and while true that he was still sore and felt weakened from the indeterminate amount of time he’d spent laying in a bed recovering he was quickly regaining his strength as the two walked down the large hallway looking from right to left and peering down the halls of the adjacent corridors on either side as they passed, he thought this place was going to be big but it seemed he had underestimated just how big, and he had a feeling this was only the beginning. His suspicions were confirmed as they made their way into a massive parlor with extremely high ceilings which was flooded with morning light coming from the large windows above. As with the rest of the manor he’d seen thus far, it also had an impressive décor which Kaiba had come to expect of Kitosan by now. Kaiba took note of at least 3 other levels but of particular note, a growing suspicion had been confirmed and he was now sure from the look of the buildings outside the house, wherever he was, he was not in Japan anymore.

Kaiba continued following the blue haired woman through the room, as they did so conversations could be heard coming from one of the halls. Soon after a group of two men and two boys came out of another hall and their group moved ahead of them the man seemingly oblivious to the pair as he motioned to his group and walked between them as if they weren’t there. This was somewhat surprising since Kaiba had assumed most people in the house would be spiritually aware, as it seemed the rest of the group he lead were since they had stopped to let him pass, the two boys covertly sneaking a wave directed to his guide before being ushered forward, he also took in the fact that the man was speaking French as Kaiba had made many travels through the world and though he could not speak the language he could certainly know it when he heard it.

Out the front door, the woman led him into a far room and down a hall heading back in the direction they had come from just now in a different hall making Kaiba slightly annoyed that they hadn’t used a connecting hall since it seemed as there were plenty in the humongous manor. As they entered the room classical music could be heard from above Kaiba could see this was a dining area as there was a massive table set up and room for more to be brought in if necessary.

Just how many people live here? Kaiba wondered as he pictured how many people this room alone could accommodate let alone the other areas. As he looked about the room more his glance took him to the wall made of glass exposing a beautiful view of the city. Kaiba could make out a few buildings in the distance past the expansive grounds of the property he was in nothing distinct but then smack in the middle was the Eifel tower confirming he was indeed in France. That he wasn’t on Japanese soil concerned him as he was prone to feeling uneasy in western culture but he didn’t dwell on it, or rather didn’t have time to as his guide had no intention of waiting for him.

Kaiba called after the girl and hurried his way over to her as she slid back a pair of electric doors revealing an elevator of dated appearance, the look of which didn’t match the rest of the home he thought, but as the blue haired woman slid back a panel and scanned some type of keycard, he thought that was more like it. When the elevator powered on Kaiba could feel the distinct feeling of reiatsu powering it which baffled him as he didn’t think it was possible to use reiatsu in that way and wondered what they used as a source for it.

She introduced herself as Claire cheval and told Kaiba she was the first knight of the installation they were in and the leader of its armed forces. Kaiba raised his eyebrow at the words armed forces and why someone dealing in information would need with such things but said nothing of it, he figured he’d ask Kitosan and instead introduced himself to her. She mentioned escorting Kazuma-sama in a similar way then suppressed a giggle which Kaiba would have found cute if she hadn’t added “I must say escorting him was a far more intimidating affair than yourself” irritating him. “Likewise” he retorted.

She smiled and looked away before the two were momentarily left in the dark as the elevator began its decent and at great speeds the floors whizzing by though when looking Kaiba could make out large white rooms some with people some not though he couldn’t make out anything more than that, some floors though were sealed in what Kaiba instantly recognized as lethality stone, seems Kitosan was a man who liked to be prepared. Without prompting, Claire began to explain what they saw as floors went past them in a near blur.

“In the last several hundred years the spirit world has become increasingly unstable, Monsieur Le'Vier predicted it would one day reach a breaking point that the Shinigami could no longer contain.”

Kaiba's first reaction was to interrupt with something about the shinigami never being conquered but then thinking of the reiatsu levels he felt while in las noches and what Kitosan had told him about the outcome of the mission and the ones calling themselves the horror vacui silenced him and Claire continued.

“That was when he made himself known to the French authorities and for the last three-hundred years they have worked more or less in tandem. In the past fifty years the connection was cemented as several events made them all-to-aware of the truth in what he said and thus what you see before you.”

As they continued their way down dozens of floors Kaiba took note of more rooms some with what looked to be a failed experiment going on, he and Claire both chuckled at the site of it and she went on to explain that they were still testing ways to make reiatsu useable for the regular human populace as both resources and weaponry, the Latter which Kaiba felt wasn’t a particularly good idea given the human races track record with waging wars, in his mind it wouldn’t be long till some western civilization tried to come to soul society and take it over once they had the means to do so, and on that day Kaiba promised himself that he’d be there to crush them. Luckily Claire had told him that it hadn’t been going well in its weapons development but still Kaiba warned her they were playing with fire.

As they came to the generator, Kaiba let out a long and low whistle stated his astonishment of the immensity of the whole thing, it was massive, seemingly powerful enough for all of Paris. The magnitude of Kitosan's operation was staggering and as they came to the terra-dome Kaiba was beyond being shocked anymore. If on the next floor they were reanimating dinosaurs it’d seem perfectly natural for this place, well to him anyhow he listened as she told him that they intended to make enough of these types of places to support an entire nations populace. “They are impenetrable by human forces and even the greatest of mankind's weapons such as nuclear arms, difficult to track by spirit forces, and of course we are far from defenseless.” She concluded her explanation. “Clearly” he said in reply.

The elevator plummeted into the large white shell and everything went dark. There was the distinct impression that there was again a massive open space between the outside of the shell and the inside perhaps housing whatever made it work, but it could not be seen except for some flickers of light. Then suddenly his eyes were assaulted by a level of brightness that was too much strain for his eyes after the extended period of darkness he’d experienced in the elevator, forcing him to raise a hand to shade his face, though Claire seemed used to it made no movements to counter the effect.

The view of the ground level was astonishing once he adjusted to the light, there were lush fields of green and a bright blue sky and though one could tell there was a ceiling underneath its visage it was nonetheless breathtaking, there was no visible source of light though it appeared as if it was a sunny day and vegetation of all kinds, even animal life could be made out in the distance. “Amazing” Kaiba stated in awe taking in the surroundings. As they neared the bottom a manor not unlike the one he had started in could be seen partially and from what he could tell was actually larger than the first. When the elevator finally came to a halt Claire ushered him out and did not move to leave the elevator and said pointed him down the long hall they entered saying:

“Perhaps now you have a slightly better of idea of whom you are dealing with, but even then you may not completely understand. But put simply, anything you could possibly need can be given to you by the Monsieur, you simply have to be willing to pay the price.”

“What Pr……” He said to no one as Claire had vanished behind the elevator doors and was quickly away.

He took a few seconds looking around at the beauty of such a place, that it was deep underground made it even more spectacular. Not doddling though, he made his way up the path towards the massive manor though the size of the structure defied being referred to as such as it could hold much more than was associated with the word. Along the way Kaiba ran into two maids who were sweeping an open area and when they spotted him one of the maids pointed towards the front doors of the building. “Just how many beautiful maids does he have in this place?”He found himself wondering, he quickly pushed thoughts of opening the doors and finding Kitosan immersed in a sea of beautiful maids in various stages of undress and went about his way towards the doors.

He came across the scene of the two children training in the field and looked on intently, they were of skill, with some more work they could possibly get into an unseated position in one of the thirteen protection squads, and that was saying something since they were both but mere children. As he watched the show, the boy he remembered as Sinclair took note of him while evading and pointed at him looking away from his sister.

“Don’t look at me” He yelled crankily “Behind You Baka!” Breaking any tone of stoicism he might’ve given off up to this point. Though it was far too late as the boy called out as his sister Isabelle delivered her strike.

That was when something flew across the opening and smacked the boy in the forehead sending him spiraling and slamming into the ground. Kaiba jerked up in attention and looked to Sinclair as he got up groggily, further inspection showed the projectile to be some form of morning biscuit, to no great surprise the source had been Kitosan sitting at one of the tables of the patio with another man sitting across from him in a fine suit. Kitotsan called out, “Keep your wits about you Sinclair, you think an enemy wouldn't have exploited that opening?” Kaiba showed his agreement by nodding in the boys direction.

Sinclair brushed some dirt off his head, “OH COME ON!!! SHE-” he indicated Isabelle, “MADE THE EXACT SAME MISTAKE WHEN SARKOZY-SAN-”

Sarkozy-san? He thought.

The boy was cut short as another biscuit whizzed by his head leaving a small crater where the boys head had been. “Dono” corrected Kitosan. “And I didn't hit her because she's a girl, you don't hit girls. But it's the only way to make a thickhead like you learn.” Kaiba was amused by the scene and it made him think back to him and his brothers’ days as children being raised as samurai. Kitosan ignored the boys complaints and turned to Kaiba as if he hadn’t known he was there and the man across from him turned and spoke to Kitosan in French though Kaiba could pick out the words death god to which Kitosan nodded and replied in fluent French most of which he could not pick up except the word enemy which he understood before standing and introducing Kaiba to the man who now approached him.

“Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France.” Announced their host.

The fact that Kitosan would be meeting with a leader of the human world in this place or in any place was beyond impressive since getting any humans to even believe they were real was a task in of itself though it was also taboo to do so, Kaiba wondered if the commander general knew this. “Katayama Kaiba” he spoke in a polite way, in thickly accented Japanese surprising Kaiba before finishing with “I must be going now, many appointments today. But please, do say hello to the Commander General for me, we had a pleasant conversation the last time he was here.” Guess that answers that question he thought to himself before slowly (so he could be understood) replying “I will, nice meeting you.” And shook the outstretched hand etiquette demanded he do at least that but while sarkozy was a leader on earth Kaiba wasn’t exactly from France even when he lived there so was pleased that the French president didn’t try to come off as arrogant to which he wasn’t rude in response. The president then waived to the children and made his way to leave as they approached, Sinclair had immediately resumed looking at Kaiba as if he were in awe, he attributed it to him being a shinigami but couldn’t get the reason when there seemed to be plenty of spiritual beings around. Though the little blonde was keeping her distance and giving him weird looks which he tried to ignore until she leaned into her mother and Kaiba heard her say pervert into her ear.

“Aaaagh! No..n..noo I’m he started but Kitosan waived him over to join him after motioning that the boy the rest of his family. Kaiba followed Kitosan as the man spoke. “I thought I might be seeing you today, glad I didn't cancel my appointments for nothing. So let me put it out there for us all to see it as it is. I will teach you to utilize bankai and in exchange once done you will sit with me for...oh I suspect a good long time, and you will answer whatever I ask in sincerity. I will not ask you personal things, but I will ask you things that likely constitute as a breach in Soul Societies security though I think you should have realized by now any such info would not go to harming Soul Society. Those are the terms.”

Kaiba weighed Kitosan’s words as he thought of what they could mean to his home though he did not see Kitosan as a threat but rather a man with a plan though even with the best of intentions sometimes a plan thought to be for peoples benefits can be turned into a tragedy. Kaiba however was sure he didn’t know many damning facts that could be used to cripple soul society without a mass force of captain class warriors to back you so in the end agreed while thinking in the back of his mind that he may need to kill this man one day though he hoped and didn’t expect it to ever come to that. Kitosan almost immediately started in after he agreed to the terms, saying “There are two reasons a person cannot utilize their bankai. One is because they simply aren't strong enough, the other is because they are not 'syncing' with the emotion their zanpakutou's spirit wants them to. You are clearly not the former (damn right I’m not! He thought to himself) so you must be the latter. I could take a wild guess but instead why don't you tell me exactly what it is you think your zanpakutou wants from you? What emotion does it want you to show?” Kaiba thought on this for a second his face turning grim as he did so before answering.

“Sh…she wants me to crave death, to be incapable of compassion or mercy she wants me to turn the world to ash with my power.”

“I love it when you talk dirty” Came her voice in his head right on cue though he ignored her.

[GoldenKitten]

Kitotsan took a step backward and crossed his arms as he listened to Kaiba. A gust kicked up from seemingly nowhere, it appeared the Terradome also replicated natural weather though it was doubtful Kaiba was focusing on such a thing at that very moment. The Vizard nodded several times as if he understood though he allowed Kaiba to finish, he somewhat resembled an academy teacher in the way he was treating the shinigami. When he finished speaking Kitotsan reached on to his back and drew his zanpakutou though he did it in a slow lackadaisical way that was non-threatening and easy to follow. He moved one of his fingertips to its point and began spinning it with his other hand by grasping the hilt.

“Yes.” He spoke as soon as Kaiba was finished, “That's one of the most common clashes between Shinigami and Zanpakutou. My own blade is similar, it wants me to hate people and wish them dead.” he grasped the blade by it's hilt again and held his free hand up, “Yet that same problem has not stopped plenty of others from both wanting and eventually attaining the power of Bankai. Do you know why?”

He looked at Kaiba for a brief second as if expecting a complicated answer, but in the end he proved it rhetorical. “Power” he replied in a manner that suggested it had been some well-guarded secret, as if every single individual ever to attain it had not done so for exactly that purpose. He did not smile as if it was meant to be a joke though and appeared quite serious, “Attaining a Bankai brings you to an all new level of power, even more so than gaining your Shikai did.”

He swung his blade downward and spoke, “As I said, my own blade wishes for me to indulge in emotions I don't feel for most individuals.” he changed his tone, “Stay still, don't want to hit you by accident. I don't mind showing you because few have been able to figure out what I am doing over several uses, much less one.”

Kitotsan cocked his head and smiled in a genuine way. Then he placed the blade in the palm of his hand, pommel first so that the blade was aimed toward the sky. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes in momentary concentration as black reiatsu visibly gathered around the blade, despite it's appearance it didn't give off any abnormal feelings and felt just like any other reiatsu would.

He spoke in a normal voice as if he was performing an everyday action, “Bankai”. But the next moment reiatsu sprung from the tip of the blade and shot skyward several dozen meters in a split second before spreading out in dozens of limbs, some of which shot straight past Kaiba, from there it expanded even further into more and more offshoots. It very much looked like a dead tree with no leaves except that it was made of pure reiatsu, it reached its current size in a second though if he had continued it would likely have looked more like a web than a tree.

However before that could occur the structure dissipated into billions of spirit particles and so to with it did the reiatsu that had been building. Though it had been somewhat impressive it had not seemed to use much energy and didn't appear to have any real combat applications. Kaibas host was still standing in the same position he had before. Kitotsan then opened his eyes and allowed the blade to fall from its balanced position so that he was once more grasping the hilt. He then looked to Kaiba and smiled before speaking.

“My spirit wants me to hate. So how did I activate the ability? Do you think I hate my children or my wife? Even you are simply an unknown to me, I don't have to love you, but I've no reason to hate you. So without an object to focus my hate on how did I go about appeasing the spirits desires?”

As he waited for Kaibas answer he finally raised his other hand with a grin. Held horizontally on his palm was Kaen, Kaibas zanpakutou. Somehow he had gotten behind Kaiba and removed the blade from its sheath without the shinigami even taking note, presumably this had something to do with activating his Bankai. Kitotsan deftly spun the blade and held it by its point so that the hilt was toward Kaiba allowing the other man to retrieve his blade before he backed up again.

He continued without comment, “Surely you remember some of what the Academy taught you. Your blade may be sentient but it is nothing more than a manifestation of a portion of your soul. It is often an exaggeration of some internal feeling but it's still just a part of you. It would love for you to think differently as that graces it with more power, but in the end the limitations or tasks it places on you to 'share its power' are merely self-imposed.”

Kitotsan re-sheathed his blade before continuing, “In other words you can achieve your Bankai by one of two means. Either giving in and indulging in that emotion, or becoming a master of the internal spirit and learning to appease whatever emotion the zanpakutou spirit is derived from via fake emotions. I don't hate any of you, rather I've learned to tell the area that drives my emotions concerning other individuals that I am indeed hating, even if I'm not.”

He took a few steps back from Kaiba as he spoke, “Your zanpakutou won't like it but if you control it instead of it controlling you there isn't much it can do in its own defense anyway. After all, again, the limitations the spirit is placing on you are in fact of your own making so just as you can make them you can destroy them. Or rather refuse to indulge in them and materialize fake feelings to bring forth the power you want.”

He motioned toward Kaiba, “So go ahead and give it a try, let's see if you've got what it takes to control your own emotions.” He chuckled semi-maliciously, something he hadn't done before, one couldn't help but feel this had something to do with the training though what exactly might take some thought as he added, “If not I have other plans. Oh and by the way, I achieved it on my first try...I wonder if you even have a chance.” The grin on his face was smarmy and completely at odds with the personality he had showcased until now, the switch-over was incredibly strange but all visible cues seemed to suggest he meant it, it might have been his real personality. He continued to stand where he was, watching Kaiba, clearly waiting for him to attempt what Kitotsan had said on the information he had supplied.