Chapter 74: Man to Man

*krrt* *krrt*

Sparse snow crunched beneath the heavy steps of two men. They walked at a snail's pace, gazing at the hordes of laboring citizens. Their eyes drifted, almost detached from the reality they had wandered into. While their respective appearances were eccentric, an aura of superiority oozed off their strides. Both men had exceptionally conspicuous hair, which grabbed the workers' attention. 

Ordinarily, nods and bows would be exchanged. But none were given nor received.

Dull black eyes scanned the crowds. Aloof and afar, Kenji's air was withdrawn. His companion, Kirinji Tenjirō, tidied his hair, straightening the distinctive pompadour thoroughly. The Shinigami preserved the soundless peace. Neither spoke as they roamed with no real direction. 

Marching ahead, streets passed in a blur. Falling snow gracefully adorned their heads and stout shoulders. 

After minutes of mundane travel, the two men arrived at a scenic venue. 

A dilapidated, one-story pagoda was nestled in the center of a small, frozen lake. Half of its supports were broken, allowing the arched roof to fall askew. Remnants of red paint chipped off its wooden beams, fading with time's inevitable grasp. Overgrowth threatened to devour the derelict setting, but Winter's onset halted nature's advance. 

Stood at the edge of the icy lake, Kenji peered up, taking in the sea of gray clouds and white snowflakes. Unfastening his white hachimaki, the red-haired revenant rubbed its fabric against his fingers. Fraying white threads had already begun to unweave. He heaved a foggy breath, melting the fragile snowflakes. 

Raspy and rough, his ceaseless aging surfaced through the cracks. 

"What's wrong with her?"

Chewing on his toothpick, Kirinji huffed through his nostrils. The unruly healer quietly stared at the snow-covered ruins. His stoic, steady voice brought a fair bit of comfort. 

"Like I said, she's a tough brat. The shock… her eye is bonding right now. But she ain't the one that needs real treatment…"

Kirinji crossed his arms, resisting the climate's trials. Repressing his emotion, the boy-turned-man avoided looking at Kenji. But his low, livid words confronted his former mentor. 

"Aniki, this isn't where you should be. Forget all the bullshit down here and come back upstairs. You don't needa wait a thousand years. Ichibei'll take care of all that horseshit. I know he will. Just take back the Seals. Giving shit out like that… it's gonna end badly, Aniki. They're all too young to know what the fuck they've been given. They might misuse it. There's no telling what might happen. Come back up, we'll do a Blood Oath's Seal. Listen, you don't needa be anywhere near the Royal Family or the Palace. We'll get you a nice place, away from this shithole. All the old bastards in the Central 46 are dead. No one'll care. You've done your time. Leave it all behind."

Kirinji was unsure if Kenji had absorbed his advice. His beady eyes locked onto the teahouse owner who strode onto the lake's frozen shell.

With each step, the old warrior's inching feet turned heavy. Sections of ice cracked under the mounting stress. Between the lake shore and the neglected pagoda, the aged soul paused in place. His cloudy breaths slowed. 

Kirinji heard a soft murmur sail along the chilling winds. 

'Leave it all behind? It doesn't matter if it's a thousand years or a thousand seconds, kid. I can't turn back now. If I did, how would I be any better than before?'

An ugly frown hung on Kirinji's lips. His buried knuckles whitened. He glared into Kenji's back, smothering the sensitive cinders. 

Trailing whispers dissolved into the hazy steam. 

'It's okay, kid. Haah~. I have something. A real dream. Something I'm staying for.'

*FWHISH* *fwip*

Flashing onto the lake, Kirinji snatched Kenji by the collar, wrenching the happi in his fists. The snarling Shinigami towered over Kenji, baring his teeth in disdain. Pointed eyes pierced through dull black. He spat the toothpick out of his mouth. 

His tone is even, but gravity sank into his voice. 

'You may've convinced Niimaiya with your drunken, shitty sob story. You might've convinced everyone else in the world. But I know. I know that Memory Seal ain't the real thing. You're lyin'. Lemme guess? All of 'em have it? You're a heartless fuckin' bastard, you know that, Aniki? Nah~… you're worse than that. You let them get to their lowest and now you wanna save 'em? Even if the balance said you couldn't touch 'em, you still watched. Didn't you? You selfish, gutless, phony piece of shit. I looked up to you. When the dice hit the table, you were the first one there. Now…'

*Yrrk* Kriit*

A soul-cutting glare came from Kinrinji's eyes. His firm fists tore into Kenji's collar, ripping up the frustration he held. 

The Shinigami's undertone exposed the truth. 

'You can't feel anything, can you Aniki?'

After a couple of seconds, Kenji's dull black eyes widened in shock. Shallow breaths escaped from his gaping mouth. Sputtering words betrayed his true reaction. 

"H-how… how did you kn-"

Kirinji sharply shook his head, interfering with greater insight.

"You can't fool me, Aniki. Did you really think I was too stupid to know why you'd use Memory Seals? It was a dead giveaway. What're you gonna do next? Write a eulogy? They won't know who it's for. You gonna tell 'em what flowers you want when they come visit you? They won't even know where your fuckin' grave is. There ain't gonna be any incense or tears. Ohh~, believe me, I know what they're gonna do. You taught 'em about following their feelings? Every, single, fuckin' day, they're gonna wonder who taught 'em that shit. Their tongues'll be tasteless. Their eyes will bleed. Their hearts'll stay broken, and they won't even know why. You'll make them suffer. You'll make them suffer through every breath. Is that something you want?"

"I-I…"

For the first time in his life, Kirinji saw hesitation plague his hero's face. The star he idolized had lost its luster. 

Biting the inside of his cheeks till he drew blood, Kenji's mind raced. Black mold crept over his heart, drowning his being in self-loathing. Silence blanketed the two struggling men. 

The Revenant shut his eyes tight, remembering the precious moments leading up to now. 

Indecision submerged Kenji's core. 

*VIIRUUN* *THOOM* 

*SHUN~*

The sound of a rocket blasted throughout the grey skies. Muhō plunged into the shore with a powerful impact. Kenji's Zanpakutō had been left behind, but now, in its master's time of need, the blade rang out.

Both men wore expressions of surprise when they glanced back. Muhō's abrupt arrival startled them. Kirinji found himself especially baffled. But for Kenji…

For Kenji, the answer became clear when his long-time partner called out.

*Shk~*

But it didn't have the intended effect.

"Leave now while I still can? Hehe. Both of you worry too much. That was pretty good. Almost had me. It's nice of you to think of me, kid. But you're wrong about something."

*SHK~*

Kenji ignored Muhō's persistent, furious ring. A grimace plastered Kirinji's face. He knew he'd failed to persuade Kenji. His head turned to the chuckling man. 

Kenji's knowing smirk spread into a broad grin. His dull black eyes glimmered in zealous faith. 

"Those three, they'll be stronger than me. They won't break…"

A strong hand clasped onto Kirinji's shoulder, squeezing it in comfort. As a healer, Kirinji understood Kenji's gaze. The Revenant was unshackled by his wounds. 

"They'll have each other. They won't need me."

"Kyaaa~. That's awfully arrogant, don't you think Aniki? You'll be destroying everything when you're gone."

Staring at the exasperated Shinigami, Kenji rejected the idea. 

"Everyone forgets things kid. In a thousand years, they'll be living their lives like nothing ever happened. Hah! I can't even remember what happened last year. It'll just be one more thing they'll scratch their heads over. More importantly, they'll have each other as support. Speaking of support…"

*Kkk*

Kirinji's shoulder was slowly crushed by the comforting hand. Leaning down to Kenji's height, Kirinji scrunched his face in pain. His cries pleaded for mercy."

"Ah! Ti-ti-ti! Aniki! Relax!"

A soothing whisper crawled into Kirinji's ears. 

'Hey kid, if you care so much about me, why don't you tutor my disciple in that fancy Kaidō stuff.'

*KRK*

The pressure increased. Hairline fractures split along the Royal Guard's clavicle. 

"AH! SHIT! I'll do it! I'll do it, you old bastard! Can you please let off now!? I'll do it…"

Kenji released the poor sod. But his eyes quickly narrowed when a sudden stipulation was tagged at the end. 

"I'll do it if you come upstairs. I can't do it down here."

"You think Ichibei or Ouetsu can change my mind? I won't."

Feeling the irritation saturate the cool air, Kirinji vigorously shook his head. His pompadour swayed as he vehemently opposed the opinion. 

"Nah, I wouldn't even think of something like that."

He lied as easily as he breathed. 

*crack* *crack~*

Shivers ran down Kirinji's spine as he watched Kenji crack his knuckles. An evil grin was glued on the demon's face.

"Oh? Really? I'd love to hear what you have to say, Kirinji-kun. It must be… riveting."