Tsukimiya, Kyousuke - Vaizard

Note: Kyousuke Tsukimiya has since Transcended and become Knowledge.

Vaizard?



Ask no Questions, Hear no Lies
Name: Kyousuke Tsukimiya, 月宮 京助
Age: 98, appears 30
Gender: Male
Titles & Duties
Former Captain of the First Division and Captain-Commander of the Gotei 6
Former Captain of the Second Division of the Gotei 6, Occupation Commander of Hueco Mundo
Former Lieutenant of the Fourth Division
Known informally as the Swordbreaker, Kinslayer


dig up her bones but leave the soul alone
The Ego
I had all the characteristics of a human being—flesh, blood, skin, hair—but my depersonalization was so intense, had gone so deep, that my normal ability to feel compassion had been eradicated, the victim of a slow, purposeful erasure. I was simply imitating reality, a rough resemblance of a human being, with only a dim corner of my mind functioning.
— Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho

Height & Weight: 180 cm, 75 kg
Hair & Eye Colour: Flat, sullen, slate-grey eyes wholly lacking depth or discernible emotion and short, coal-black hair in a practical, nondescript haircut that keeps it out of the way and inconspicuous.

Reiatsu
Kyousuke’s reiatsu signature is somewhat irregular, though not enough to be particularly noteworthy: while most people have their spiritual signature manifest in the form of some totem animal or a primal element, Kyousuke’s is colorless and shapeless, projecting instead a feeling of complete emptiness—of standing on the edge of a vast abyss and peering out into it. It seems almost to stare back in a way that feels as though it is looking through the surface, looking straight into the heart of what it surrounds. Accompanying it comes the sensation of sound seeming distant, muffled, almost silent, which all in all creates a very oppressive environment whenever Kyousuke opts to let his spiritual pressure flow unhindered.

General Appearance
At first glance, Kyousuke is average in both height and weight—measuring 180 cm and weighing around 75 kg—and is, generally speaking, quite good at blending into crowds. To the untrained eye, there is very little that sets Kyousuke apart from those around him, and perhaps the best word to describe him under such circumstances is ordinary. This is mirrored in his features: they are generically North Pacific Asian, making it impossible to distinguish whether he is of Chinese, Japanese, or even Korean descent. Though some would consider him handsome, most find his face easy to forget, granting him a form of anonymity that is difficult to achieve via other means. He bears no visible facial scarring and takes special care to remain clean-shaven, preferring the smoothness of his skin to the scratchy alternative.

Upon closer inspection, however, what sets Kyousuke apart from the those around him slowly begins to become apparent. He is built much like a predatory feline, graceful and lithe with a well-hidden strength and capacity for brutality. His shoulders, chest and arms and legs are toned but not overly bulky, giving him the physique of a soldier—his muscles are there to be used, not to be displayed. His build, much like the deep and jagged scars that crisscross his upper body, remains concealed by his Shinigami uniform, and his posture is straight-backed yet unassuming, the product of a good upbringing rather than excessive pride. Together with his calm demeanor, this somewhat counteracts his otherwise anonymous features by providing him with an inexplicable air of nobility, confidence, and charm which takes shape as an indescribable charisma that ultimately serves as a tool to hide Kyousuke’s true nature. At times, this true nature peeks out in discreet ways—momentary lapses in the veneer of geniality that Kyousuke almost effortlessly maintains or subtle movements that betray a studied and highly practiced lethality. While most remain oblivious to these displays, some feel—almost on an instinctual level—that there is something very amiss about Kyousuke, something deeply sinister.

During the first half of Kyousuke’s self-imposed exile following his feigned death, he continued to wear the Shinigami uniform as he had always done: unmodified and in pristine condition, with special attention paid to keeping it in immaculate shape. The moment he shed his label as a Shinigami, however, he also shed the uniform, opting instead to wear a slim, tailored, charcoal-grey suit over a white dress shirt with the top button always unbuttoned. His sandals and tabi socks were replaced by a pair of highly polished black leather brogues, and his obi similarly replaced with a black leather belt. He wore those clothes until the day of his incarceration, at which point he became intimately familiar with the Special Detention Facility inmate’s uniform: the white, roughspun yukata.

Long ago, Kyousuke was known to wear glasses, their frames slim and modern, masculine but unobtrusive. As with so many things about Kyousuke, they were totally fake, a disguise worn in plain sight day in and day out to further enhance the idea of Kyousuke being a man who didn’t warrant a second glance. Once Kyousuke went into exile, however, he discarded the glasses, opting instead to wear a mask created at his behest by a fellow Fourth Division researcher before he defected. The mask, a subconscious imitation of the embodiment of the darker aspects of his psyche, was created of synthetic Hollow-mask material, capable of being quickly and easily reconstituted by applying reiatsu to any one of the pieces in the event of it breaking. In time, as the necessity for disguise became less pressing, the mask fell into disuse, but Kyousuke always kept it close by in case the need for it was ever to arise again.

When he returned to active service with the Gotei 6 as Captain of the Second Division, Kyousuke once again donned his Shinigami uniform, this time with the sleeveless haori denoting his captaincy reluctantly draped across his shoulders. Though the shihakusho itself remained in pristine condition through Kyousuke’s painstaking efforts, he spent no time keeping the haori in similar shape—he wore it with a well-hidden form of disdain. In a display of delicious irony, however, Kyousuke took up wearing his faux-Hollow mask once again—delighting in the fact that his secret was as well-kept as ever.

As a result of the Seireitei Massacre and Kyousuke’s inadvertent shift to an alternate reality, however, the tattered, burned, and bloodstained haori of the Second Division was passed on to Kyousuke’s lieutenant, Kiriko Chinda. In the course of his almost dreamlike struggle to return home to familiar surroundings, Kyousuke’s blade was broken and his mask shattered, but he managed to acquire an uncannily similar blade and a sterling silver wedding band which he now wears on his left ring finger as a wistful reminder of the price he paid for his life.

Now, following his formal resignation from the post of Captain-Commander and indeed the Gotei at large, Kyousuke has discarded his faux-Hollow mask once and for all and reverted back to his western style of dress, this time donning a pale grey tailored pick-and-pick suit with a white shirt. His shoes are the same black leather brogues as before, but more often than not Kyousuke chooses to forgo the suit jacket entirely. He always keeps his stolen blade close at hand in one way or another, but like a tie, never wears it.

Kyousuke speaks a fairly melodic Osaka-ben Japanese, but his English seems to have suddenly and inexplicably switched from a light Japanese accent to British Received Pronunciation.

Positive Traits
The list of Kyousuke’s positive traits has been shrinking ever since he first donned the Shinigami uniform, and while he was once a man that displayed an almost frightening drive, tenacity, fortitude and what some would perhaps go so far as to call loyalty to those he considered important, these words no longer apply to him. Though never quite an honest individual, there was a time when he could at least be trusted with accomplishing what he set out to do, but his experiences since have left him a hollow, bitter shell of the man he once was—or at least pretended to be.

• Confident - Arrogant is a poor word to describe Kyousuke, given that his confidence in his own skills and abilities are well-founded and most definitely rooted in a realistic view of himself and his surroundings: while very comfortable with his abilities, this confidence never stretches into overconfidence, and nobody is more aware of what his limitations are than Kyousuke himself. The intimate knowledge of his own shortcomings is exactly what this confidence stems from, because he can only act on what he knows, after all.
• Well-mannered - Old habits die hard, but none quite so hard as proper etiquette. Despite his many shortcomings, Kyousuke behaves in a manner well suited to his rank and station. Barring very special circumstances, it is rare for him to act in a way that could be interpreted as impolite or rude. Whether his politeness is a sign of sincere respect or simply a way of blending in depends entirely on who he’s dealing with, but he certainly tries to encourage it in others—and not always very gently.
• Quick-thinking - When a man’s profession constantly puts him in danger, the dull-witted perish and the quick-witted flourish. Kyousuke has, time and time again, displayed his proficiency in thinking on his feet and improvising when the situation calls for it. Though not necessarily what most would call creative, the speed at which he is able to get himself out of a potentially unpleasant situation in a wide variety of methods is impressive, and has saved his life more times than he can count.
• Composed - Though a great deal less so than he once was given recent events, Kyousuke still displays great patience and calm. His decision-making under duress is second to none and it is extremely rare to see him lose his temper or his head—the situation he finds himself in must be quite far gone indeed in order for Kyousuke to lose his level-headedness, and even then he isn’t particularly prone to worrying about factors which are outside of his control. That which happens, happens.
• Objective-oriented - Some would perhaps call it single-minded behavior, but Kyousuke has an almost uncanny ability to quickly identify what must be done in almost any given situation and then go about doing it not only with a high level of efficiency efficiency but with great attention paid to making sure that he achieves the best possible outcome. He lives very much in the here and now, and chooses to focus on his immediate surroundings more so than theoretical what-if scenarios. If anything, it makes him an excellent soldier, the evidence of which is plainly visible to anyone.

Negative Traits
Quite contrary to his positive traits, Kyousuke’s negative traits have been steadily increasing since he became a Shinigami, and his subsequent evolution into a Vaizard has done little else but add to the already quite considerable list. His inquisitiveness has boiled over into a bizarre compulsion to know everything, and when coupled with his other traits, the methods he will employ in order to sate his curiosity will often cross over into the deeply unsound.

• Sociopathic - Not so much a singular trait, Kyousuke displays all the hallmarks of a sociopath—in themselves negative traits—and as of late they have become a great deal more prevalent. His almost complete disregard for rules, regulations, and the safety of others, his increased impulsivity and prevalence of aggressive outbursts despite his otherwise relaxed attitude, and deeply distrustful and deceptive nature all indicate a case of severe antisocial personality disorder, aggravated by his former lack of any emotional capacity.
• Detached - It is difficult for Kyousuke to form emotional bonds with those around him, and he feels that there is an ever-widening gap between himself and the Shinigami population at large. He is unsure whether this is a result of his difficulty with interpersonal relationships in general or because he feels he is a lone civilized man among savages, but he is certain of two things: one, the distance between himself and the world is growing; and two, he doesn’t care.
• Deceptive - Lies are second nature to Kyousuke, a useful tool with a myriad of applications. Never quite comfortable with others knowing the truth—or indeed, with honesty at all—Kyousuke tries to monopolize knowledge to the very best of his rather considerable ability. Like his desire for information, lying has become a compulsion, almost pathological, and his skill with it is such that he could tell someone the truth, fooling them into thinking it was a lie. Only when others are uncertain and doubtful is Kyousuke truly satisfied, and he most definitely possesses the means to achieve that end.
• Manipulative - A subtrait of his deceptive nature, Kyousuke’s manipulative tendencies run deep. Never hesitating to use underhanded or subversive means to achieve some obscure goal of his, he quite deliberately pits friends and foes alike against one another, playing on their fears and insecurities. It has almost become a pastime for Kyousuke, a twisted game—and the better he gets at it, the more fun he has.
• Brutal - Contrary, perhaps, to his calm, polite, and generally civilized manner, Kyousuke harbors no trace of any aversion toward violence or any of the various forms it takes, and although he uses it sparingly—and almost always as a last resort—the ramifications of inflicting excruciating pain on someone do not concern him in the slightest. As such, mercy is a concept almost entirely unfamiliar to him, and if suffering and savagery is what it will take to get someone to comply with his wishes, then suffering and savagery is what they will experience in abundance.

Psychological Profile
As a Vaizard, Kyousuke’s psyche has existed in three parts: himself, his Zanpakutō spirit, and his inner Hollow. Together, these three parts formed a whole, but Kyousuke remained the dominant facet of this psychological triumvirate, and as such, it was his personality that was dominant at all times.

Painting a picture of Kyousuke’s mental state before the events that led to and resulted from Kyousuke’s near death is fairly simple: Kyousuke’s facet has always been defined by his antisocial tendencies. Contrary to popular but erroneous belief, this meant that rather than a social recluse, Kyousuke was exceedingly sociable, but always had an ulterior motive in mind. His superficial charm and amiability combined with what seemed to most as a wide streak of brilliance hid an extremely high capacity and readiness for manipulation and deception. Though outwardly pleasant, he remained detached and unemotional in most situations, going to great lengths to get his way with little to no regard for other people or their interests. Though there were some—namely the members of his family and closest friends—who were exceptions to this, most people were reduced to objects in Kyousuke’s amoral world view.

Because of his almost complete lack of emotion, Kyousuke typically remained calm under duress—particularly when coupled with his methodical, objective-oriented approach to problems. He was efficient, almost brutally so, and this was only accentuated by his analytical capacity and calculating nature. His observational skills were perhaps his greatest asset, and he often extrapolated and deduced from small details. Further, he was no stranger to lying or falsifying information, and he frequently employed the use of aliases.

While little of this has changed in any significant way, the manner in which Kyousuke presents himself and relates to the world around him has seen drastic change. Previously, he was always seen as pleasant, urbane, polite and relaxed, brusque only in situations that he felt warranted it and only after his considerable patience had been tried to its very limits. Now, however, he sees little point in maintaining an image of geniality because of the mounting feeling of distance between himself and others. Because he feels so detached, he is no longer of the opinion that their opinion of him needs be a positive one in order for him to get the most out of the situation. In a sense, Kyousuke has become even more selfish than before, and lost the desire to pretend to be anything but.

In addition, defining traits of both his Zanpakutō spirit and inner Hollow seem to have leaked into his own, and he often finds himself responding in ways that until recently only Kannaduki or Hazuki would. Spasms of anger, of cruelty, of grief and of arrogance seem almost commonplace in Kyousuke now, though they don’t appear to be the result of lack of control so much as a further blurring—almost a complete removal, in fact—of the lines that previously kept his facets separate.

Coupled with this, his pathological drive to acquire as much information as possible exists now in direct conflict with an overpowering desire to forget many of his past actions—while Kyousuke has no difficulties accepting who he is or what he stands for, he has developed a strong aversion to the memories of what he has done. Well aware of the fact that he cannot undo his actions, he finds himself wishing he can forget ever having committed them, as if it would give him respite from the suffering they cause him.

Morally, Kyousuke has been and remains a highly selective utilitarian. He believes strongly in the idea that the ends justify the means, but while typical utilitarianism is based on the idea of the greatest benefit for the greatest amount of people, Kyousuke bases his twisted morality on what will benefit himself and those close to him the most. As such, Kyousuke does not believe in the concepts of right and wrong—only practical and impractical.


boy with a broken soul
The Superego
It is only shallow people who require years to get rid of an emotion. A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.
— Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Zanpakutō Spirit
神無月 Kannaduki (Godless Moon)
Kyousuke’s Zanpakutō spirit, Kannaduki, manifests as a fair-skinned adolescent girl with lustrous dark, shoulder-length hair, beautiful and deceptively fragile-looking. Though unmistakably feminine, her figure is not overly curvaceous, instead giving the impression that it is mid-development and halfway there. Her eyes are deep and ember-colored, like hot coals. Her features lend themselves well to varying emotional states, and she shifts easily between a wide range, one moment letting bliss shine out like a sun, the other letting anger darken her expression like a storm cloud.

Her manifestation in Bankai form brings her closer to Kyousuke’s apparent age, with her figure having blossomed into that of a grown woman’s. Her hair lengthens, reaching halfway down her back, and she becomes almost as tall as Kyousuke.

Kannaduki wears a traditional shrine maiden’s garb: a white kosode and red hakama, and her hair is unadorned.

Kannaduki is the second facet of the psychological triumvirate, the second part of Kyousuke’s psyche. As the embodiment of all the emotions Kyousuke lacks, she is highly temperamental. While Kyousuke is detached and impassive, Kannaduki is socially apt, being able to offer insight into Kyousuke’s relationships with other people, to discern their feelings and emotions and take them into consideration. In contrast to Kyousuke’s deceptive nature, Kannaduki is typically quite honest, and is more often than not in a pleasant mood, providing helpful guidance and constructive advice.

Kyousuke’s bond of trust with Kannaduki is considerable, and despite his reluctance to admit it, he is grateful for Kannaduki and the insight she often provides. In many ways, the two of them are polar opposites, and because of this Kyousuke values their relationship. For Kyousuke, Kannaduki is part of what lets him continue existing, and he is grateful for her efforts to keep him safe.

Lately, Kannaduki has remained curiously absent. Last he saw her, she was wearing a mid-length black dress, though this was long before her blade was destroyed.

Inner World
Kyousuke’s inner world is the manifestation of his mental state—a kind of representation of his own facet of the psychological triumvirate. He is the dominant part, therefore the internal dilemmas he faces take place on his terms. Because he has never once lost complete control to either Kannaduki or Hazuki, he is unaware of what shape his inner world might take if he were to lose his position as the dominant entity.

Not long ago, Kyousuke’s inner world was a simple reflection of his world view and the manner in which he was so firmly rooted in the present: a copy of the real world stripped of all color, lush greenery and blue skies giving way to innumerable shades of grey, light and dark becoming sharp whites and deep blacks. Just as Kyousuke removed emotion or morality from his decisions, his inner world removed color, and the only splash of vibrancy in that world was the presence of his two psychological companions.

Now, however, Kyousuke’s inner world has changed into something that strikes him as hauntingly familiar but nothing he can quite seem to place: a dark, dilapidated room containing a single high-backed armchair facing away from a door that leads into complete blackness. The room has no ceiling, giving a plain view of a starless sky, and in front of the armchair there is an old cathode ray tube television from the fifties or sixties that is constantly on and usually tuned to a dead channel, providing the only source of light. Unlike in the past, colors are now visible in Kyousuke’s inner world, though heavily desaturated.

Despite the state of disrepair, the room is clean, containing neither dust nor dirt, and Kyousuke is quite comfortable remanining barefoot. The armchair in the center is usually unoccupied.

Though Kyousuke’s inner world was once somewhere he could feel at ease, this is no longer the case due to mounting frustration and inability to understand why it has changed and to what end.

Sealed Zanpakutō
Kannaduki’s sealed state takes the form of a wakizashi, and indeed Kyousuke wields her more like a dagger than a sword. Her blade is very short: a mere 30 cm, which technically classifies her as a ko-wakizashi, but by looking at the tsuka, tsuba, or saya, however, it is impossible to guess that Kannaduki has such a short blade—all her fittings and features are sized appropriately for a full-length katana. When sheathed, Kannaduki is indistinguishable from a regular sword and as a result of this, Kyousuke draws deceptively fast and is able to engage at shorter distances and in much closer confines than a standard-length katana would allow—a feature which complements his proficiency with hand-to-hand combat very well.

Kannaduki’s tsuba and saya are not particularly ornate—where other Zanpakutō are sometimes decorated with intricate designs, Kannaduki’s tsuba is a simple, matte black disc in the shape of a plum flower and the saya is similarly nondescript—but the tsuka-ito is bright, sky-blue silk wrapped over white shark skin, and the menuki and kashira both resemble stylized clouds.

Shikai Appearance
怒り出せ、神無月 Okoridase, Kannaduki (Fly into a rage, Kannaduki)
In her now-constant released state, Kannaduki remains visually unchanged from her sealed state in every way but the appearance of the blade itself. It gains an ethereal quality, as if vibrating at a high frequency: it seems to blur, making it seem like the edges were running or slipping out of focus. When swung, Kannaduki produces a faint sound of static rather than the typical whistling swish of a blade through air, though the effect is very subtle provided Kannaduki’s Shikai abilities are not being used.

Shikai Abilities
When released, Kannaduki gains the ability to warp dimensional space by creating openings to parallel dimensions and worlds, which can then be manipulated in a variety of ways. Kyousuke’s preferred use of Kannaduki’s ability is also her simplest: by pulling out duplicates of the sword from the openings, Kyousuke is able to strike with greater power and in different directions simultaneously. The open-endedness of Kannaduki’s ability, however, allows a great deal more—over the years, Kyousuke has developed a wide variety of alternate uses for his blade, ranging from instantaneous travel to invisibility. Not even Kyousuke is fully aware of where Kannaduki’s limitations lie, though recent events have thrown the risk of using such a power without considering the consequences into harsh focus.

Bankai Appearance
神無月の槍 Kannaduki no Yari (Spear of the Godless Moon)
Kyousuke’s Bankai takes the form of an ornate spear, approximately two meters long. It resembles Kannaduki’s eyes in color: a core of hazy, undulating ruddy oranges and reds which fades out to a dull grey at the edges. It gives the impression of Kannaduki being made of hot coals, despite not giving off any heat whatsoever. When her abilities are used, the entire spear glows brightly, as if air is being fanned at the coal.

Kyousuke himself does not change appearance when using Bankai, though his immediate surroundings seem to have their color drained: the closer to Kyousuke they are, the closer to pure black and white they become. This effect seems to stretch quite a distance, and whenever he moves, Kyousuke leaves a short trail of afterimages, each one fading rapidly out of sight.


heart with a gaping hole
The Id
War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.
— Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian

Inner Hollow
葉月 Hazuki (Fragment Moon)
Kyousuke’s inner Hollow, Hazuki, manifests as an impossibly pale woman with long, silvery hair, similar in looks to Kannaduki but lacking the frailty that defines her Zanpakutō counterpart. Hazuki, too, is extremely feminine, but unlike Kannaduki, Hazuki’s figure is well-suited to violence. Her build is similar to Kyousuke’s own in that sense: she is predatory, and it shows. Hazuki’s eyes are a bright, vivid blue, like shards of ice. Her features typically display expressions of haughty arrogance or menacing pride, and if Kannaduki can be likened to a kind princess, then Hazuki can undoubtedly be likened to a cruel empress. Just like Kannaduki in Bankai form, Hazuki is almost as tall as Kyousuke, but she lacks a particularly prominent bust.

Hazuki wears similar attire to Kannaduki, though her kosode is sleeveless and tight-fitting, and her hakama is a pale powder blue. Her hair is held up in a loose ponytail by a thin blue ribbon in the same shade.

Hazuki is the third facet of the psychological triumvirate, the final part of Kyousuke’s psyche. As the embodiment of the extremes in both Kyousuke and Kannaduki, she is vain and cruel, believing herself above every other creature in existence. She takes Kyousuke’s detachment to the very limit, possessing an absolute disregard for anyone but herself, reaching new levels of egocentricity, and similarly takes Kannaduki’s emotional instability to the extremes, readily displaying a wide variety of negative emotions such as rage, hatred and loss. Hazuki is arrogant, sadistic, aggressive, vindictive and impulsive, her speech typically marked by irritation, anger, spiteful irony and heavy sarcasm.

Kyousuke’s bond with Hazuki was until recently heavily strained, seeing her as a curse moreso than anything else, but recent events have led to an understanding between the two of them, a form of mutual acceptance. While Hazuki will easily find fault with almost anything Kyousuke does, he realizes it is simply her way of encouraging him to live up to her twisted expectations. Like with Kannaduki, Hazuki is part of what lets Kyousuke continue existing, and he is grateful for her efforts even if they are dangerous and, at times, completely unhinged. Hazuki’s relationship with Kannaduki is one of openly hostile competition: they frequently vie for the role of Kyousuke’s dominant influence, constantly bickering and outright arguing.

Lately, Hazuki has remained curiously absent. Last he saw her, she was wearing a short-ish white dress, though this was long before her mask was shattered.

Mask Appearance
Kyousuke’s Hollow mask bears a striking resemblance to his faux-Hollow mask, as the design of the faux-Hollow mask was a subconscious imitation. It is vaguely human-shaped, and lacks a mouth. The only prominent feature of the mask besides the almost stylized skull shape is the large pair of eyes, which are utterly impassive, showing no emotion whatsoever. Faint blue markings, similar in color to Hazuki’s eyes, cover the surface of the mask, differentiating it from its copy, which is unmarked.

Symbolically, the mask represents Kyousuke himself more than either Hazuki or Kannaduki; ever vigilant, ever uncaring. Always watching, never speaking, and not once betraying any emotion.

Mask Abilities
Kyousuke’s Hollow mask grants him an ability that stems from Hazuki’s personality—she bestows upon Kyousuke near-indestructibility, representative of her view that she, and by extension Kyousuke, is infallible and eternal. The Hollow mask also allows Kyousuke to use Kannaduki’s abilities while unarmed, accentuating Hazuki’s desire to render Kannaduki obsolete.

Donning the Hollow mask does not grant Kyousuke the ability to perform Cero, despite the fact that he is capable of it in full Hollow form.


dark, twisted fantasy turned to reality
Documented Reactions
No human being, when you understand his desires, is worthless. No one’s life is nothing. Even the most evil of men and women, if you understand their hearts, had some generous act that redeems them, at least a little, from their sins.
— Orson Scott Card, Speaker for the Dead

Catalysts

• Kannaduki; Zanpakutō spirit, embodiment of the superego
  You haven’t gone anywhere—
• Hazuki; inner Hollow, embodiment of the id
  —but I still miss you.
• Satine Purpureo; former lieutenant, later captain, object of desire
  How lucky you are to have had something that made saying goodbye so difficult.
• Tova Diabló; closest friend
  The moment is approaching.
• Kasumi Suzumei; former divisionmate, younger sister of sorts
  I miss you. I miss you so much.
• Mitsutaka Karahashi; former subordinate divisionmate, successor, younger brother of sorts
  The gap is closing.
• Kiriko Chinda; capable and trusted lieutenant, protégé
  Maybe one day I’ll be able to explain.
• Jasper Aizawa; prisoner, source of constant irritation
  It’s easier knowing it was nothing personal, isn’t it?
• Lessa Kachekiwa; younger sister of sorts
  You’ll be fine.
• Kyousuke Tsukimiya; captor, victim
  I want to say you brought this upon yourself. That this is your fault. That you caused this.
  
  But I would be lying to myself if I did.

Background
Born in Osaka in 1917, Kyousuke grew up as an only child in the modest Tsukimiya household, inheriting very little besides his father’s quick reflexes and physical fitness and his mother’s considerable intellect. Kensuke, his father, a soldier and veteran of the Russo-Japanese war, urged Kyousuke to join the military, whereas Aya, his mother, wanted him to take advantage of his intelligence and study at higher institutions of learning. Though initially at odds with one another, Kyousuke’s parents finally agreed to send him to university, which he attended until the outbreak of the second Sino-Japanese war in 1937. Fueled by nationalistic pride and influenced by the redoubled efforts by both his father and mother to persuade Kyousuke into joining the military, Kyousuke enlisted in the Navy, attending Officer’s School and graduating as a junior naval officer.

During the following years, Kyousuke saw his fair share of combat and soon caught the attention of his superior officers, who noted that Kyousuke displayed the potential for higher command. Unwilling to let such a promising asset go to waste, he was stationed on the aircraft carrier Soryu in the beginning of 1942, where he participated in a number of successful operations. During the Soryu’s final battle at Midway in 1942, Kyousuke suffered major injuries, and was thrown overboard as explosions rocked the carrier from within. In the azure waters of the Pacific Ocean, Kyousuke Tsukimiya drowned.

---

As Kyousuke’s soul transcended the physical world and began to manifest itself in Soul Society, his memories from life sloughed off him like the skin of a snake. He awoke in the eighth district of Rukongai, where he stayed for several years passing the days by performing odd jobs, playing the part of a drifter in a loose sense of the word. He was by no means unhappy, but he was bored. Nothing kept his attention for long, he would learn how to do something new and then grow tired of doing it. He did everything from plowing fields and building houses to calligraphy and acting as a bodyguard, but nothing could keep him interested once the initial thrill of learning it faded. The Shinigami, uncommon as they were, at first seemed mysterious, and the first time he laid eyes on Seireitei he was awestruck by the grandeur of it. Kyousuke started asking around after that: what were the Shinigami? Why did they exist? Who became Shinigami? How did they become Shinigami? His questions were met with a mix of derision and adoration, it became pretty clear that the opinion of the black-clad enigmas varied hugely. The decision for Kyousuke was not difficult; it seemed an inevitability that he would don the black kosode and hakama. The alternative, to remain in Rukongai, was not something he felt particularly interested in doing. He sought out the Academy, and just as he did when he was alive, he enlisted.

The Academy welcomed him with open arms, and just as in life, he showed promise. Though the strength of his soul was far from remarkable, he did indeed possess a higher than average spiritual pressure making him an excellent candidate for becoming a Shinigami. His training proceeded without a hitch, and his studious nature helped him quickly advance through the programme. His skill with a sword was lackluster at first, but during his second year, when his true Zanpakutō manifested itself, he quickly developed a rough foundation of what would become a custom fighting style to suit the considerably shorter blade. A brutal mix of hand-to-hand combat, deception and swordplay, Kyousuke finally began to win his sparring matches, often resulting in heavy bruising on both sides and plenty of cuts to go around. Kyousuke’s mobility was exceptional, and he would use this to his advantage to close the distance, putting himself as close to his opponent as possible, where he would unleash a barrage of slashes, stabs, punches and kicks.

Although Kyousuke was apt at combat, his kidō skills were found to be severely lacking. Only the simplest of spells were available to him, and he became prone to forgetting the incantations of the kidō numbered past the early twenties. This seemed to be contrary to his otherwise bookish attitude. Perhaps the problem was that he had not quite adjusted to the idea of “magic”, and his practical mind preferred the intrinsic values of hard science to fantasy mumbo-jumbo. Whatever the case, his interest in kidō plummeted as his interest in the goings-on within the Shinigami Research and Development Institute skyrocketed. This, however, did not sit well with the Academy staff. Urged on by his instructors to redouble his efforts in kidō, he applied himself once more pushed the R&D Institute to the back of his mind. To his own surprise he found that, with work, he was able to perform the binding arts at an acceptable level, vastly preferring them to their destructive counterparts.

It wasn’t until after his graduation and subsequent placement in the Second Division that Kyousuke perfected his rather unique fighting style with the aid of several of his seniors over the course of several decades. He retained the three core ideas of mobility, brutal efficiency and trickery, but shifted the focus from being heavily offensive to maintaining a much more balanced harmony between offense and defense. He had realized that a using a such a short blade combined with an array of hand-to-hand techniques wasn’t quite suited for overly offensive engagements, and in truth left him at something of a disadvantage unless he was able to stay close enough to his opponent. Because of this, he decided to forfeit some of his offense in favor of more defense, balancing the style. The primary strength of the style shifted from exerting a large amount of immediate force to the fact that it was unfamiliar, unpredictable, and adaptive. Naturally, it was weak at everything from middle to long range, but coupled with clever uses of deception and flash stepping, Kyousuke found that he could cover his weaknesses sufficiently.

Kyousuke learned much from his time in the Second Division—including the name of his Zanpakutō—but his rekindled interest in the goings-on within the Fourth Division eventually won out against the espionage, contra-espionage and assassinations of the Second. Even Kyousuke’s own combat style made him question the prospect of continuing a career in the Second Division, leaving him with the feeling that it didn’t quite suit the duties he performed anymore. The Second Division’s mantra of finishing it quickly and quietly wasn’t something Kyousuke felt he could adhere to anymore with his new style, even factoring in Kannaduki’s released abilities. While still an able fighter, the stealth and speed that he required wasn’t quite suited for assassinations of high-level targets. Unwilling to transfer to the Fifth Division, Kyousuke applied for a transfer to the Fourth.

The skills he had acquired as a member of the Second Division served Kyousuke well in the Fourth Division, and he found that his style no longer posed an inconvenience. Often deployed as a field agent for observational or intelligence gathering purposes, Kyousuke took to the Fourth Division like a fish to water. Behind the walls of the Research and Development compound, he could drop his facade and his behavior wouldn’t garner a second glance—it seemed as though every single member of his new division shared a certain sociopathic element. His detachment was nothing special, certainly nothing out of the ordinary amongst his new comrades. He couldn’t have been more happy with the arrangement: he was offered the opportunity to keep his swordsmanship keen while performing field work, he often met with members of various other divisions, accompanying them on missions where he would deploy or observe the deployment of experimental technologies, and he was given a safe haven where he could be himself.

---

Kyousuke first learned the name of his Zanpakutō during his service in the Second Division. After barely completing the operation and losing everyone in his team to enemy forces, Kyousuke was attempting escape from the pursuers hot on his trail. Unable to open a Senkaimon for safe passage back to Seireitei for fear of discovery, Kyousuke spent roughly two weeks on the run in the jungles of South America, evading capture. His sleep was growing uncharacteristically fitful, exacerbated in part by his exhaustion and because of the fact that his demise was a very real possibility—though he was not prone to panic or give way under pressure, he was, for all intents and purposes, completely alone. Progress through the underbrush was difficult and excruciatingly slow, made worse by the hostile environment and lack of proper supplies.

His dreams troubled him as much as his situation did; Kyousuke typically never dreamt at all, and to suddenly find himself submerged in a dreamscape that so closely mirrored the real world unsettled him. The abundant lack of color in his dreams save for a mess of reddish-orange glowing orbs slipping in and out of focus put him on edge, and the barely audible whispered warnings confused him. As the dreams began spilling over into the days, the whispers and the coal-like embers haunting him even in his waking moments, Kyousuke began to wonder if he was losing his mind.

His hallucinations began manifesting themselves as a blurry human shape in the distance, always on the edge of his vision; beckoning for him to come closer. With no other option, Kyousuke followed, somehow instinctively knowing that the figure meant no harm. The whispers grew louder, clearer, and her form—it was a girl, Kyousuke soon realized—became less hazy, more pronounced. No matter how hard Kyousuke chased her, he could never quite catch up, and it seemed almost as though this was intentional on the girl’s part.

Kyousuke was led deeper and deeper into the jungle by his mysterious apparition, and soon enough he became entirely convinced he was going insane. Refusing to give up, however, he pressed on, determined to make it out of his predicament alive. The foliage became thicker, the canopy almost completely blocking out view of the sky, and soon the days were only barely brighter than the nights. With the limited visibility, Kyousuke’s progress slowed to a crawl.

It was inevitable, perhaps, but eventually Kyousuke was discovered by a lone scout whose power easily surpassed his own. Not really in any condition to put up a fight, Kyousuke did his best considering the state he was in, but it was a short, brutal affair that ended with Kyousuke at the mercy of his assailant. As the final blow fell, Kyousuke was shocked to see the world grind to a halt as the color drained out of his surroundings. Through the canopy, he could make out an enormous ember-colored moon floating lazily in the sky above. He heard a voice behind him and there she was, the girl from his hallucinations. “Simply guiding you will no longer suffice,” she said, hands on her hips. “We’ll have to work together to get you out of this one. You know what you need to do.”

Kyousuke knew. From deep within himself he summoned knowledge he never knew he had, as if recalling some long-lost memory. Revitalized, he muttered a name under his breath as color seeped back into the jungle, and he raised his blade to meet the oncoming attack head-on.

---

The years following Kyousuke’s transfer to the Fourth Division saw a lot of change. He rose through the ranks, serving as a seated officer and finally as the lieutenant of the division. Increased dissatisfaction with the way Soul Society was being run by the powers in Seireitei and the subtle awakening of an internal struggle in Kyousuke’s mind, however, led Kyousuke to question his superiors and their methods, and self-destructive tendencies fueled by his detachment and apathy led to him finally leaving Soul Society altogether, leaving behind him his division, his comrades, and his allegiances.

Faking his death and destroying an entire city block in the process, Kyousuke felt inexplicably drawn to Hueco Mundo, and Kyousuke ended up forging new alliances and making plans for the fall of Seireitei at the hands of the Hollows and Arrancar. It was during this time that something stirred deep within Kyousuke’s psyche, a personification of his deepest, most repressed feelings that neither he nor Kannaduki wanted anything to do with even on a subconscious level. For the first time in decades, Kyousuke was dreaming again. For the first time in decades, Kyousuke was having nightmares.

While in Hueco Mundo, Kyousuke met and befriended Tova Diabló, who he regarded as not only a powerful ally but an intellectual equal. Together, they unravelled the mystery of transcendence and came to the conclusion that if Arrancar were Menos that had torn off their masks, surely an opposite and equivalent action existed for Shinigami. In order to find out what this equivalent was, Kyousuke offered himself as a test subject, and Tova initiated a process that forced Kyousuke’s inner Hollow to grow from a tiny presence in the recesses of his mind into a complete being, letting it take temporary control of Kyousuke’s body. While Tova battled the outer Hollow in an attempt to keep it in check, Kyousuke battled the inner Hollow, fighting desperately to stay in control. Succeeding at last, Kyousuke managed to subdue his inner Hollow and gained control of his Hollow mask, becoming the first of what Tova would eventually call a Vaizard.

Weeks passed and Kyousuke encountered Kasumi Suzumei—at the time still captain of the Second Division—who was carrying the same seed of corruption within her own mind as a result of Tova’s earlier actions. Recognizing it almost instantly, Kyousuke warned Kasumi of what was in store for her and instructed her to break her ties with Soul Society and the Gotei 6, helping her fake her death as he had done months before. For the briefest of moments, Kyousuke felt a kinship with the girl, and it was an entirely new sensation for him.

Following his encounter with the soon-to-be Vaizard, Kyousuke began experimenting more with the dimensional rifts Kannaduki could produce, discovering alternate universes where the laws of time and space did not apply in the same way he was used to. Seconds would become hours, hours become days, days become weeks, and soon enough Kyousuke lost himself in the enormity of it all. The greater part of a year passed and those he had known eventually gave up the search for him, assuming he was dead or captured. When Kyousuke finally breached the edges of his home dimension, he had spent a mere few weeks away—but to his companions, he had been gone for almost nine months. Kasumi had already become a fully-fledged Vaizard, completely severing her ties with Seireitei. Tova had become something more than just an Arrancar. The goals Kyousuke had been pursuing before his departure were no longer realistically possible—he was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger in a strange land.

Though Kyousuke did spend some time together with Kasumi, her sudden and unexpected death shook him to the point where he was apprehended by a small force Second Division Shinigami who promptly brought him to Seireitei for questioning. Following a lengthy interrogation, Kyousuke was sent to the deepest levels of the Maggot’s Nest, his very existence disavowed. As he was led away, a cryptic grin spread across Kyousuke’s face—had this been his goal all along?

Time passed, and days of solitary confinement deep within the Maggot’s Nest turned into months, and with nobody but Hazuki to speak to, Kyousuke began to explore the darker side of his persona. Though Kyousuke remained very much in charge, his sympathies and bonds with his inner Hollow strengthened, reaching a point where he began to value Hazuki as much as he valued Kannaduki. Realizing that the three of them together easily exceeded the sum of their parts and that neither Kannaduki nor Hazuki bestowed any gifts greater than the other, Kyousuke gained a newfound understanding of the inner workings of his fractured soul. United, they stood, true—but remaining divided was far from falling.

After more than a year of languishing in his dark cell, oblivious to the events transpiring outside the Maggot’s Nest, Kyousuke finally had a visitor—but it was not the one he was expecting. Gilgamesh, the Golden King, had conquered Seireitei during Kyousuke’s incarceration, and he came to Kyousuke bearing an offer: Kyousuke would be free if he agreed to take command of the Second Division. The catch, however, was that Kyousuke would also be given another, more sinister duty—to eliminate the Golden Court’s enemies through any means necessary.

Kyousuke accepted the offer, fully intending to abscond as soon as he was able, but his first night in the Second Division’s Command Annex was interrupted by a surprise visit from the man he had initially been expecting in the Nest. Tova, having filled Kyousuke in on the goings-on of the world, proposed that he remain in Seireitei and pose as a captain in order to gain Gilgamesh’s trust and act as a double agent. Concerned that his history would pose a problem, Kyousuke suggested Tova give up someone in the resistance movement against the Golden King’s rule in order to solidify his position as a trusted subordinate. After making Kyousuke promise he wouldn’t kill him, Tova handed him Jasper Aizawa, giving him details on a meeting that would transpire later in the week. While he waited for the opportune moment to strike, Kyousuke appointed a promising young Shinigami, Kiriko Chinda, as his lieutenant, and started to take steps to repair the damage that the previous captain’s negligence had done to the division.

Kyousuke showed up at the meeting, dragged the traitor back to the subterranean chambers of the Second Division and began a lengthy interrogation which would eventually result in a leaderless and crippled resistance movement. Having gained Gilgamesh’s trust in accordance with their plan, Kyousuke was given free reign to act outside the constraints of Seireitei law in order to ensure the destruction of all threats to Gilgamesh’s golden reign—both within Seireitei, and without.

A free man once more, Kyousuke was able to begin his pursuit of knowledge again, and he soon found out that there were more like Kasumi among his fellow Shinigami. Mitsutaka Karahashi and Lessa Kachekiwa had been turned into Vaizards by Tova, and largely due to the efforts of Lessa, the three of them came to realize that they were practically family. This was an unfamiliar situation for Kyousuke, but as his thoughts fell back to Kasumi and sibling-like relationship they shared, he was able to accept it, for better or for worse.

When the Golden King’s gaze then fell on the realm of Hollows, Kyousuke was among those who stormed the dunes of Hueco Mundo. Together with the rest of the Seireitei forces, they lay waste to the defending Hollows and Arrancar, defeating and ultimately conquering Hueco Mundo in the name of the Golden Court. For the exemplary service since his promotion, Kyousuke was promoted to Occupation Commander of Hueco Mundo and Las Noches, given full military control of the Seireitei forces holding the castle and surrounding desert, and instructed to hold it while Gilgamesh consolidated his power before his next conquest.

The price they paid for the victory in the desert didn’t become fully apparent to Kyousuke until later, however. Though Mitsutaka had lost his eyes and his confidence to the three Espada that Kyousuke had saved him from, Kyousuke initially thought that he had survived more or less intact due to Arianna de Luca’s intervention, but his malady ran deeper. Having fractured his mind during his fight with the Espada, his grip on his powers and sanity became increasingly tenuous, and reached a breaking point when he heard that Tova had been executed. In a frantic fit of desperation and refusal to believe what he had heard, he inadvertently summoned an impostor to Hueco Mundo: an alternate Tova Diabló, more sinister and more powerful than the man Kyousuke thought dead.

Relieved at first that his friend was alive, the Impostor’s motives eventually became clear as he launched a campaign against Seireitei, attempting to kill Kyousuke beforehand. Kyousuke, barely surviving, was catapulted away to a parallel world in an attempt by Hazuki to save him. His memory of the Impostor’s attack gone, he was found by Allessandra Ametiel and nursed back to health over the course of several weeks. He found himself disoriented by his surroundings—familiar and yet so very alien—and this was compounded by the fact that both his Zanpakutō spirit and inner Hollow remained utterly silent. Eager to return to where he belonged, his first attempt to return home resulted in him being taken captive by an alternate version of himself.

The two men discussed their situation at length, and it was revealed that this was not the first time the alternate Kyousuke had encountered someone who shared his identity. He claimed to have killed all the others, however, and as he attempted to do the same to Kyousuke, he was beaten back and choked to death. Escaping, Kyousuke was assailed by the memories of the other man, somehow having absorbed them in the course of their encounter. Overwhelmed by the sensation of reliving another man’s life, he fled the dimension, eventually arriving in the world from which the Impostor Tova originated, where his memory returned to him and he was able to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together.

Having figured it all out and come to terms with his situation, he returned to his own world, where he found both Tova—the real Tova—and Mitsutaka waiting for him. His family’s safety assured, Kyousuke made haste to the Second Division, intent on making sure Kiriko was alive and unharmed and intent to save her from herself. For the first and last time in his life, Kyousuke attempted Hollowification in an attempt to purge the Impostor’s influence from her mind. Immediately afterwards, he attended a Captaincy Challenge, but interrupted it with the audacious claim that without a proper captain in the position, the challenge didn’t amount to much. Kyousuke initiated a vote between himself, Kenshou Ine and Junko Aizawa in order to determine the next Captain-Commander of the Gotei 6, and his two colleagues voted him into office. He immediately appointed Kenshou his successor, promoted Kiriko to full captain, granted the captaincy of the Sixth Division to Umi Jomyaku—the former Espada known as Garra Desalmados—and saw to it that the Fourth Division was given an Acting Captain. His work finished, Kyousuke dropped the haori he had taken from his counterpart’s corpse and resigned, walking away from Seireitei forever.


kissing death and losing my breath
Hollowification
Your strength is just an accident owed to the weakness of others.
— Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

Kyousuke blinked, his vision flickering momentarily. What was happening? He had been fighting the Espada a moment ago, but now he was gone. Kyousuke was still atop the massive dome of Las Noches, and could see the crater the Cero Oscura had left in it in the distance, but the Arrancar was nowhere to be seen. Something was different—there was something nagging at him in the back of his mind, something vitally important. They had been fighting for a reason, what had it been? He strained to remember, but found that he could not.

His body felt oddly light, and he looked down at his hands to find that they were bleached of color. He hadn’t noticed that the world had shifted into grayscale earlier; the white dome and black sky hadn’t undergone any significant changes and the shift had been subtle, almost invisible. It explained the situation adequately enough, though: this was Kyousuke’s subconscious. He looked up, and sure enough, there was the moon, enormous and glowing a bright—icy blue? That was wrong. It was supposed to be ember-colored. What did that mean? As if breaking his train of thought on purpose, a silky-smooth voice rang out from behind him.

‘Hello, Kyousuke,’ it said, the sultry feminine tones raising the hairs on the back of Kyousuke’s neck. There was an undertone there that he couldn’t quite place; beneath the honey there was cyanide, sweetness laced with poison. He turned slowly, almost reluctantly, to see who the voice belonged to.

She was tall—almost as tall as Kyousuke—and even though she was standing a good ten meters away, he could see that she was built like him, too. Slim, lithe, streamlined. Built for speed, for grace. All of this registered as secondary information, though, because her defining feature was the tone of her skin. Pale didn’t even begin to describe it, her skin was for all intents and purposes a pure white, the color of newly fallen snow. The apparent lack of pigmentation was only accentuated by the pale blue hakama she wore, and the sleeveless white kosode. Her hair was pale and silvery, held up in a loose ponytail, and it fell in a rich cascade, slightly curled and yet strangely straight.

It was all Kyousuke needed to remember what was happening. His Saketsu had been pierced, and he was undergoing Hollowification. That could only mean one thing.

‘I’ve been expecting you,’ she continued, a grin spreading slowly across her face. It was difficult to tell at this distance, but it didn’t seem like a kind expression. It was predatory, malicious. A hungry grin. It made Kyousuke reach for his sword, which he was somewhat shocked to find was not tucked into his belt. ‘Oh, Kannaduki won’t be joining us today, Kyousuke,’ she said, the smile widening.
‘What have you done to her?’ asked Kyousuke, his eyes boring holes in the figure in front of him.
‘She was deemed unnecessary for this, and thus was not invited.’ Kyousuke noticed that there was no sword on her hip either. ‘We’ll be fine with just you and I.’
‘Who are you?’ he asked, already knowing the answer. He needed to keep her talking—this was wildly unfamiliar territory, an invasion of his subconscious. He had to buy time to assess the situation. A spasm of what looked like anger crossed the woman’s face, and she snarled in contempt.
‘You know very well what I am, Kyousuke. I am your deepest, darkest desires, your hunger, your bloodlust. I’m all the emotions you don’t have and Kannaduki refuses to partake in. Your hatred, your anger. Your sadism. Everything negative, everything free, that’s what I am.’ She had begun to advance on him now, her hips swaying seductively, dangerously, as she walked slowly toward him.

This is what losing your mind is like, thought Kyousuke as she drew nearer. This is insanity. He could feel it, every step she took that brought her closer to him affected his mind, it was tearing down everything he stood for. Rage was building up, rage and fear and hatred.

‘Do you know why I’m here?’ she asked, stopping a few meters away. She was close enough now to get a good look at her face, and Kyousuke could see that her skin was as flawless as polished stone, her features beautiful but arrogant. Her eyes, however, they were what drew his attention the most. They were vividly blue, and they were staring at him with a look that made his blood run cold. To say they were filled with malice would be an understatement, the hatred in those eyes made Kyousuke feel indescribably numb, and the urge to turn and run was almost overpowering.

‘You’re taking control, aren’t you? If this is my mind, then my body must be turning into a Hollow. You’re what Kannaduki’s been trying to warn me about for the past few months.’ He was speaking slowly, deliberately. As if he was trying to convince himself of what he was saying.

The smile widened even further, the eyes flashing with more hatred. ‘That’s absolutely correct. I’m taking over. I’m going to unlock your full potential, something you’ve been squandering until now. You could be so much more, Kyousuke, but you choose to bury me deep down, to pretend I don’t exist. You and that damn sword of yours try to keep me locked away, but now the tables have turned, and I’m the one on the surface. You will henceforth be submitting to my will, and be all the better off for it.’
‘And if I refuse?’
‘We’re already past that point, Kyousuke. There’s no hope for you, not anymore.’

She’s lying, there’s always hope. If there wasn’t any chance of resisting this, you wouldn’t be here. You know that. Resist it!

‘I don’t believe you. As long as I continue to exist as a separate entity, your rule is not absolute.’ What was he saying? This was unlike him, to place faith in something as flimsy as hope. He didn’t believe in hope, he believed in absolutes, in logic and reason. Hope was painfully subjective. Kyousuke could see her bite down angrily and narrow her eyes at him, but he continued. ‘If you want to rule, you will have to fully subjugate me first.’
That, it seemed, was all she was waiting for. ‘With pleasure!’ she shouted, and lunged at Kyousuke, reaching for his neck with her hands outstretched, her nails filed to elegant and cruel barbs. Kyousuke, however, was ready, and stepped to his right. His left hand shot out and grabbed hers by the wrist and he pulled her towards his other hand, which was already launching itself toward her face. The punch connected, and he followed up with a knee to her ribcage, bringing it up swiftly and planting it solidly in her torso. She caught the blow well, barely flinching, and then she retaliated. Breaking free of Kyousuke’s grasp, she punched him in the neck, and he could feel the impact, his neck muscles doing very little to soften the blow. As she recovered from Kyousuke’s knee, she grabbed his leg and swiped at his supporting leg. They went into a tumble, and the Hollow landed on top of him, forcing her elbow into his chest as they fell. Kyousuke winced in pain, but managed to throw her off him, getting up swiftly to deliver a kick aimed at her head as she struggled to get to her feet. She deflected the blow easily with her forearm, but Kyousuke followed up with another, swifter kick with the other foot, and she wasn’t quick enough. His foot slammed into the side of her face, and she went down laughing hysterically.

‘You’re awful at this, Kyousuke,’ she laughed, rubbing her cheek as she got up. ‘No wonder Kannaduki’s abandoned you to your fate.’

That’s not true, she’s always with you. She’s a part of your soul. You know that, but you need to show it. Show her that you are one and the same.

‘She can’t abandon me. She’s part of my soul,’ he echoed, his voice defiant.
The Hollow laughed at that, long and loud, clutching her sides. Her malevolence shone through, though―it was a joyless, mocking laugh. She wiped a nonexistent tear from her eye, flicking it away and checking her nails disinterestedly as the laughter turned into muted giggles.
‘Good one. You always did have a magnificent sense of humor, even though you’re worthless. Is this the part where I play the straight man? You’ve got no sword, you insignificant little speck. She is gone. You want to know why? Because you don’t trust her. You view her as a tool and very little more. No wonder she’s gone. If I were in her place, I’d be furious.’

Uncertainty clouded Kyousuke’s mind as he pondered that for a moment, thinking back on his life. That wasn’t true, was it? Was Kannaduki just a tool? He couldn’t say for sure, his―

‘Hey! Wake up,’ said the Hollow sharply, snapping her fingers impatiently at Kyousuke. ‘You haven’t got time to daydream, you have more pressing matters to attend to. I have things to do on the surface, Shinigami. People to kill. Let’s get on with it.’ She beckoned, signaling that this time it was Kyousuke’s turn to initiate.

He set his jaw and took a step forward, throwing a probing punch a her, but she deflected it with a smug smirk and countered. Kyousuke managed to block, but was surprised at her strength―she was stronger than she had been before, easily over double. It dawned on him that she had been toying with him before, and the realization must have shown on his face, because the pale woman cackled with glee, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks, and Kyousuke was hard pressed to respond in time for each one. As the blows rained down on him from seemingly all angles, the Hollow began speaking, seemingly unaffected by the strain of her movement.
‘I’ve been waiting a long time for this, Kyousuke. You can’t even begin to imagine. I’ve been waiting for this since before I had a consciousness of my own. When I was just a collection of unwanted emotions pushed deep into your subconscious, I wanted you destroyed, Kyousuke. I waited patiently, growing as more and more things were shoved away, hidden beneath the surface.’ Kyousuke was having trouble keeping up with her assault, how she managed to keep it up while talking was a mystery―it was as if her hatred and anger fueled her, made her strong, kept her going. ‘Then you granted me what I wanted the most: acknowledgment. You acknowledged my existence by creating that infernal mask of yours. You let me out of my prison, and then you flaunted me to the world, wearing that damn thing everywhere you went. I stood by, powerless, watching as the unworthy were allowed to look freely upon my face, and I decided that I would bide my time and eventually bring all of this crashing down around you.’

A fist slipped past Kyousuke’s defense and slammed into his cheek, and it felt like his face shattered. He went spinning, toppling to the ground, clutching at where he had been struck. The Hollow advanced on him, not even looking at him as she continued to speak, stretching her shoulders absentmindedly.

‘And then, I couldn’t believe my luck. You give me the strength I needed, and land yourself in this mess a hundred years earlier than I expected it would take to grow on my own. All to satisfy your curiosity about what happens to Shinigami when they fuse with the murderous hunger of the Hollows.’
She stooped to pick up Kyousuke by the front of his black uniform, and he struggled to no avail as she lifted him high at arm’s length in front of her. She forced him to look at her, and he could see triumph in her eyes behind the madness, behind the insanity, behind the hunger.
‘And so, here we are. On the one hand, me.’ She punched him in the face, and he felt his nose break. ‘I’m strong, gifted, beautiful. I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you.’ She punched him again. The pain was excruciating, and blood was flowing freely now, drenching the lower half of his face. ‘On the other hand, there’s you. A weak, insignificant facet of what will soon be my consciousness.’ A third punch, and her fist came back stained red with Kyousuke’s blood. His vision was blurring, but he could still see that she was enjoying this immensely. ‘A Shinigami who can’t even trust himself. A Shinigami without a Zanpakutō. Pathetic.’

It’s not true, you trust her. She’s more than a tool to you, she’s what makes you whole. Her existence is one of the few you cherish. Despite your coldness, you do appreciate her. She has always been there for you, and always will be. You trust her. In your own way, you always have.

Kyousuke’s arms hung limp at his sides as he mumbled something inaudible, his lips and teeth stained a deep red. The Hollow drew him closer, trying to hear. ‘What was that? Didn’t quite catch what you said through all that blood.’
‘I said,’ muttered Kyousuke, ‘I do trust Kannaduki.’
‘You’re lying. You always lie.’
‘That’s true, I do lie. I lie a lot. Right now, though, there’s never been a truth more absolute. I trust Kannaduki with every bit of my soul. Denying that fact would be a lie.’
‘You are lyi–’ she started, but her voice faltered and her eyes went wide with shock as she felt a sudden weight on her hip. Kyousuke felt it too, the familiarity of it more intimate than anything else in the world. His hand went almost automatically to it, and he managed to utter two words as he drew his sword.
‘Okoridase, Kannaduki.’
Releasing his Zanpakutō had never felt as satisfying—or indeed, as necessary—as it did in that moment. In one smooth movement, Kannaduki left her sheath and replicated, an innumerable number of cuts directed at Kyousuke’s antagonist. She jumped back, but some of the cuts hit their mark, leaving gashes in the front of her kosode, exposing the bare white skin underneath. Kyousuke felt like a fog had lifted. The bleeding had suddenly stopped, and his nose wasn’t throbbing in pain anymore. ‘Well,’ he said, eyeing the short blade thoughtfully, twirling it in his fingers. ‘This certainly changes things.’

‘This changes nothing!’ His opponent was livid, and she practically screamed at him before drawing her sword angrily and charging at him. They exchanged blows, but a deadly calm had settled over Kyousuke. It manifested itself as his usual ease of movement, the usual sureness and certainty in his actions. It was confidence, confidence in himself and in Kannaduki, confidence in the whole the two halves formed. Somehow he knew: despite the fact that Kannaduki was just as much a part of the Hollow as she was a part of Kyousuke, the Hollow fought against the blade as much as she was fighting against its wielder. Kyousuke, on the other hand, stood alongside Kannaduki against the Hollow’s onslaught. She was an extension of his arm, an extension of his soul. Kyousuke realized that the only reason he had been at such a disadvantage before was because he had been missing something. It wasn’t that he excelled at swordplay, it was simply the fact that without Kannaduki, he was worth very little. Now, with her at his side, he was whole. He was equal to the Hollow.

No, not equal. He had the edge.

The frustration was beginning to show on the Hollow’s face, contorting her beautiful features into a twisted mask of rage. She lashed out, hard, and Kyousuke leapt back out of range. This was going nowhere, fast. He had the edge, yes, but it wasn’t enough.

Play on her rage and jealousy. Make her make a mistake. Draw her attention away from the details. Catch her off-guard and end it. Distract her with conversation, she loves the sound of her own voice.

‘Not too good with a sword, are you?’ he said, his tone neutral, knowing that he didn’t have to sound mocking to get a rise out of her. She pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes angrily, her eyes boring into his.
‘Don’t start acting smug just yet, Kyousuke. You haven’t won, so don’t get any funny ideas. Just moments ago I was giving you the beating of your lifetime, don’t tell me you want a reprise already?’
‘No, I just can’t help but notice that you aren’t making any particular headway now that we’ve resorted to using swords.’ It wasn’t working, she knew what he was trying to do.
‘Neither are you, which is odd, seeing as you’re the one acting all confident now. Sure seems pretty baseless to me.’

She disappeared from view for a split second, reappearing in front of Kyousuke, her sword bearing down on him menacingly. He raised his own sword in an effort to block it, and her fist came flying out of nowhere, smashing into his side underneath his raised arm. He coughed, his block faltering, and he could practically feel the satisfaction emanating from her. He responded with a punch of his own, delivered straight and hard into her stomach, and then spun low, trying to cut her legs. The blade glanced ineffectually off her skin, leaving a deep horizontal tear in her hakama just above her knees, and she laughed, delivering a knee to his face, making him stagger back.

‘It’s like you’re not even trying to kill me, Kyousuke. Don’t you realize that this is a fight to the death? You’re still as calm as ever, don’t you think you should be giving this a little more energy?’ The lower halves of her hakama were hanging loosely, impairing her movement, and she tore them off at the tear, leaving her bare legs exposed. The pale blue fabric looked more like a skirt now, and she looked down momentarily, apparently quite pleased with the effect. The smooth white skin was flawless; Kyousuke’s cut had achieved nothing. Despair was beginning to sink in yet again, the feeling that he was fighting an invincible enemy too strong to overcome. He could taunt and tease her all he liked, but when it came down to it, she matched him in every aspect, and was seemingly impervious to damage. Was she right? Was he being too calm about this? Was he not acting properly?

Stop that at once. You function best as you are now. Keep your cool, remain calm. Stay detached. Don’t feign your emotions, not here, not now. If you base your entire argument on a false assumption, the entire argument will be invalidated. If you lie to yourself you’re falling into her trap. That’s what she—

‘SHUT UP,’ she screamed, clutching at her head, her eyes closed tight, as if in pain. ‘SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! You’re not supposed to be interfering, stay out of this!’

This is as much about me as the two of you. You can’t keep me out, the three of us are parts of the same whole. Together, we form a complete being.

‘No! I am supreme, I will rule! The two of you are unnecessary, you are the remains of a bygone era! You had your chance and you wasted it!’
It dawned on Kyousuke in that moment that what the voice inside his mind was saying was true. They were three parts of the same whole. They were all facets of the same being, different sides of the same three-sided coin. That would mean that he was fighting for all the wrong reasons. He was fighting to purge himself of the Hollow, he was fighting to rid himself of her. That was wrong. That would get him nowhere. That would be like trying to fight Kannaduki to purge himself of her. This woman—this Hollow—was a part of him, whether he liked it or not. This was about accepting her, and keeping his sense of self intact. She had her place in his soul just like Kannaduki did. He simply had to prove to her that he remained in control.

Yes.

‘No!’
He steeled himself, gripping the sword in his hand tightly. The world slowed around him as he saw the Hollow break into a run toward him with a snarl, but she was moving so slowly, as if she was running through molasses. He saw her raise the sword in both hands, waiting to bring it down in an arcing motion at his head, but it was still so slow. He had all the time in the world. The distance between them was closing, but he had his answer.

He knew what he had to do.

‘Bankai,’ he said, softly. The sword in his hand glowed briefly, and lengthened into a spear, and he leveled it at the approaching figure’s chest. The look of shock spread slowly across her face, but she couldn’t stop herself. She tried to turn away, but wherever she went, the spear followed, until with a sickening crunch she ran into it. As she stood there, speed leaked back into the world, and she coughed weakly, her hands gripping the spear jutting out of her ribcage. On the other end, Kyousuke stood firmly, looking her deep in the eyes. Grey met ice-blue, and for the briefest of moments, there was understanding.
‘You are a part of me, and you always will be. I can’t deny that. I have to accept it. I choose to do so gladly. I won’t let you take control, because that’s my responsibility, but I acknowledge your existence, Hazuki.’
‘Hazuki... How delightfully fitting.’ Her features had softened, perhaps from the pain, but Kyousuke preferred to imagine it was because she had come to accept the outcome. She was extremely alluring when her face wasn’t contorted by her hatred. ‘Don’t think this squares us, Kyousuke. You win this time, but I’ll always be here, waiting for you to make a mistake, to lose control. I will watch, and wait. Sooner or later you will take one step too far, and I will be there when you do.’
‘I can accept those terms.’
Hazuki began to dissipate, her feet vanishing first. As her body disappeared in a swirl of particles, she managed to speak one last time. ‘I hope you learned something today, Kyousuke. About yourself.’ Then she was gone, not even leaving a stain of blood on the spear.

Kyousuke stood staring at where she had been until moments ago, and dropped the spear. It clattered to the ground as a wakizashi once more, and the sound was swallowed by the emptiness of the air around him. The moon above had shifted back to the usual ember-colored glow, and his posture slumped in exhaustion.
‘Have you learned something, Kyousuke?’ Kannaduki’s voice, the same voice he had been hearing in his mind throughout the encounter with Hazuki. This time, it wasn’t in his mind. She was standing behind him, but he didn’t bother turning to face her.
‘Yes, I have. Thank you, Kannaduki. For everything. For always being at my side.’
‘You’re welcome.’

A moment of silence passed between them, before Kyousuke broke it again.
‘How long have you known?’
‘Since you first got that mask. It’s been a downward spiral ever since, but she already told you that. You have to be strong, Kyousuke. You can’t let her take over. If you falter for even a second, she’ll try to devour you whole. She will forever be a part of you, of us, and the ill will she harbors is not going to be pacified by simple acknowledgment. Will you be able to stay in control?’
‘Will you help?’
‘You already know the answer to that.’

‘Yes, I suppose I do,’ he said with a relieved sigh.