Chapter 61: Dying Star

'Show me how you live, Sakahone Saizō…'

*fwuuu*

Kenji's body dispersed as if it were mist before reappearing in front of Sakahone. His bright black eyes and jagged teeth were borne in a happy gleam. Sakahone's bones groaned when he foresaw Kenji's lifting arm and Muhō's glimmer. 

The fiend quickly pried himself out of the earth and darted away from the incoming attack. 

*Swish* *THOOM~* *quake*

An effortless overhead cleave carved a five-meter fissure into the rock face. Sakahone looked up at the scored earth. He finally understood the dire situation and grabbed his own Zanpakutō. A putrid, brown-handled Katana with a dreary golden handguard fashioned in a smoothed rectangle. Fine engravings marked the handguard. Separating the leaden brown scabbard and the tainted katana, Sakahone spoke words of respect.

"I must apologize for raising my sword against you, Tengoku-sama."

Sakahone kept his sword low, shrinking his silhouette. Eyeing Kenji's motionless figure, Sakahone's body flickered, reminiscent of the Shihōin's Shunpo. In a fraction of a second, Sakahone landed before Kenji and unleashed a swift rising slash. 

*Clang* *Kriii~*

Shrieking steel screamed. Sakahone fought for dominance, pressing his meager weight into the stalemate. His profane pupils met with a pair of dull black pupils. Kenji's impassive tone sent shame spiraling through Sakahone. 

"Why worry about spectators? Do not make me wait. Show me you deserve my attention, boy."

"Hrrr~."

Hissing in humiliation, Sakahone leapt back from Kenji. Wrinkled eyelids sealed sunken eyes from the light. A ghastly, rotten brown Reiatsu oozed from Sakahone. The next second it burst into an earthshattering detonation. Strips of the sinkhole's floor were flayed and flung. Clouds of dust saturated the stagnant air.

*Bwuuu~* *BWOOO~* *BOOM* 

*RUMBLE* *QUAKE* *RUMBLE*

"Impressive, you might've made Marshall. Very impressive …"

Hidden from view, Kenji's pleased voice elicited a warped grin from Sakahone. Despite having alerted every captain in Seireitei of Sakahone's battle with an unknown entity, the wrinkled fiend couldn't help but feel giddy. Yet, Kenji's ensuing words stopped his pride from seizing control. 

"But Reiryoku isn't the sole measure of strength. This time, show me something."

Pruned fingertips gripped its Zanpakutō. Heeding Kenji's challenge, Sakahone lifted his blade to Mid-guard. His cracked lips peeled open, letting his raspy throat play in accordance. 

"Against a grandmaster, using weapon arts would be seen as lunacy. Nonetheless, before I reveal my Shikai, I will prove my greatest enlightenment with the sword…"

*Rhhmm*

Sakahone's Zanpakutō released a shallow hum. His knees bent snugly, stooping his hunched shape low to the floor. The Fiend's three, free limbs dug into the dirt, presenting a disturbing tripedal form.

Eyes fixed on Kenji, Sakahone focused his weapon and forcefully rotated his wrist. Faster, his rolling wrist wound in circles. The Zanpakutō's rapid outline warped and writhed like a spinning screw.

Kenji smiled in delight as he decisively gripped Muhō with both hands. Rear to the scarred wall, Kenji physically braced himself. Sakahone's whipping Reiatsu sharpened, slicing into the stone ceiling. His spiraling sword notched a sizable 3-meter crevice into the grass. 

Sakahone flourished in death and decay. The Fiend liberated his soul from the mortal coil. This coil now served as his toy. His game. An utterance leaked with repulsive pleasure. 

"Twisted Charity."

*Fwom* *Shui~*

Sakahone's Zanpakutō slowed its rotations. Belting currents of air died down. Silence reigned over the sinkhole. The shaft of moonlight dimmed. Less than a second later, Sakahone's blade ceased its motion, pointing directly at Kenji. 

In less than a second…

*FWEEOOO~* *BOOM* 

Sakahone's body flashed forward, lunging at imperceptible speeds. The force with which he moved left massive shockwaves in his wake. Any scenery to his rear was uprooted and blown away in a cataclysmic launch. Half of the 60-meter Sinkhole was ripped up from the earth. Dust and debris flew over the forest, landing and leveling any and all innocent plant life. 

Sakahone zoomed in blurred afterimages. Burdened by the weapon art, his spindly bones lurched within his body. But nothing disturbed his concentration. In the blink of an eye, Sakahone had arrived at Kenji's steady guard, ready to bestow his fatal gift. 

Inch by inch, Sakahone's screaming sword raced to impale Kenji's head. Centimeters separated the tip of the sword and its target…

Having allotted all his attention to his technique, Sakahone withdrew his fleeting vision to peek at the target. A tingle of bliss ran through his soul as he beheld his idol. Sakahone permanently etched the sight into his heart, cherishing the opportunity to witness the sacred manifestation of a forgotten hero. 

Below abyssal black cavities, a distorted grin stretched beyond the limits of man. 

A ravenous growl crawled out, escaping from buried cracks of repression. 

'Let us live a little longer…'

A streak of silver steel soared to receive Sakahone's shrill lunge. Moments of glaring brightness shined prior to the weapons' convergence. At Kenji's rear, microscopic ruptures burst out in all directions, encompassing the entirety of the remaining 60-meter sinkhole. Kenji stood at the epicenter, fording amid the impending disaster. 

Not a second later…

*Shuui~* *tin~*

Steel gently collided. Shockwaves settled with the dust. An eerie hush entombed the mausoleum as the earth's quaking stilled. 

*crack* *Crack* *CRACK* *RUMBLE*

*TSSS~*

But it was quickly overthrown as the minuscule ruptures split apart by the millions. The stone wall at Kenji's rear steadily crumbled into fine granules of sand and clay. Sakahone's lunging art stressed the structure's integrity with tides of revolving, radiating energy.

Now, any evidence of a sinkhole ceased to exist. Two forces of nature nestled in the newly made crater. The moonlight gleamed over the ruinous destruction. Rocks, rubble, plant life, and loose soil mixed in the amalgamation of spiritual combat. 

As for Kenji, he deftly repelled the dynamic attack by shifting the violent energy past his head. Sakahone's Zanpakutō was suspended in the vicinity of his left ear. A dainty cut grazed along his left cheek.

*tp* *tp* *Tp* *Tp~*

Beads of blood and skin flaked off Kenji's face. Sweat curled down his forehead as he nodded in appreciation. His chapped lips parted, acknowledging his opponent. 

"Well done. Had you not chosen such a foolish life goal, you would've attained excellence."

"You jest Tengoku-sama. I'm meant to be exactly where I am. And I will continue to persist until I have it."

"Fool. Speaking the same pointless drivel. Always more. More. More. And when you have it all? You can only lose everything. Things that actually matter…"

*Krrr~* *KLANG* *Shiii~*

Kenji flicked his wrist, sending Sakahone skidding away. A solemn expression adorned his face as he aimed Muhō at the sky. His wistful tune expressed its heartfelt grief. 

"Friends or a lover. Can they see us now? Ahh~. I need a drink… but we don't have any, huh? Haah~. The moon's awfully bright, huh? I'll raise a cup when I get home. I'm sorry Sakahone, things weren't supposed to go this way…"

*shuuu~*

Peril flooded over Sakahone's composure, screaming at him to flee. Yet, he stood and watched, mesmerized by Kenji's sparkling mirage. Soundlessly, the Revenant vanished. Trails of dust floated around his former location. Traces of fractured terrain lay at his sudden departure. 

Stood in the devastated, desolate crater, the Fiend reeled from the disappearance. Sakahone remained puzzled and astounded. The faint remnants of Kenji's presence led to a single conclusion. The man had leaped straight into the night sky. 

*krk* *krrk*

Sakahone lowered his gaze, peering at the cracked dirt. His sunken eyes narrowed as the stiff soil tore at the width of hair follicles. The tiny rifts multiplied to an immeasurable degree. Slight judders trickled up from the earth into his rooted feet. A pin pricked at the top of his head.

A spine-chilling notion roosted in his heart. Sakahone tilted his head up, catching a glimpse of the moonlit sky. Wispy clouds passed by, but their transparency did not bury the night's canvas. 

A starless night.

And yet, a blinking star signaled its colorless light. It raged against the all-consuming darkness of space. Brighter and brighter, it battled for everlasting brilliance. 

Tears slid down Sakahone's cheeks as he strained his arm, wishing to catch the star. Yet the weight abruptly became noticeable. 

*KRK* *KRRK~*

**FLUTTERING** **SQUAWK** **SQUAWK**

*snap* *Snap* *SNAP*

The earth cried in agony. Sleeping birds flapped and flew in mass migration. Tall trees cracked and splintered under the terrifying mass. Sakahone retained his crooked smile as he gripped his Zanpakutō and planted its blade into the ground. Within his view, the swelling star grew larger. 

Willing to stay till the bitter end, Sakahone released his incantation. Satisfaction coursed through his veins, feeling the fulfillment of a dream he held dear. His aged voice lit with an ember of youth. 

"Desecrate the Living! Worship the Dead!"

*BWUUU~*

"Ganroukai! [翫弄骸 / Playing with a Corpse]"

Sakahone's Zanpakutō dissolved after rusting into disrepair. The eroding blade crumbled and scattered into the grass. In its Shikai form, Sakahone wielded Ganrōkai's brown handle. He trained the hollow handle on the flickering starlight. 

"Fuhaisaiten! [腐敗祭典 / Putrescence Festival]"

Throngs of rotten limbs surfaced from the crater's debris-ridden soil. Gnarled arms and legs harkened for their malevolent master, rising from death's repose. All the putrescine appendages clambered over the ground, gathering before Sakahone in a stacking stench. Decomposed fingers and toes clasped onto each other, weaving into a viscous, squelching barricade. Joining to defend its wielder, the mangled limbs merged into a faithful shield of blasphemy. 

*rumble* *shake*

"Krr~…"

Sakahone held his tongue as the pressure amplified. A pinhole parted in the mutilated barrier for a clearer view. Sakahone believed himself fortunate. As a captain, he could properly endure the torrent of energy. As a man, he could gaze upon the ancient Shinigami symbol of Resistance. 

The starlight devoured its captor's vast expanse. 

*RUMBLE* *RUMBLE* *SHAKE*

Sakahone closed his eyes and enjoyed his reward. The air vibrated, rattling the barrier and his body. A 100-meter [~330 ft. / ~110 yd.] depression bored into the surrounding forest, further pressing into the crater. Trees bent unnaturally, pressing atop the forest floor. Patches of torn earth hovered in the air. 

The falling star reentered the atmosphere. 

*SHEEENUU~* *fhooo*

Screaming as it dove, the mesmerizing starlight sailed toward the raft of deformities. Its flashes soon snuffed out. As if it were the scraped wick of a long-used candle, its brilliance had ended.

A void withdrew all interference.

No sounds. No lights. No thoughts. 

With bated breath, Sakahone overheard the melancholic whisper of a dying memoir. A longing to touch the dried ink written within the many pages of history. A yearning to return to what once was…

'Celestial Starfall…'

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"You alive?"

"…"

"I hope you understand what'll happen if you hurt her."

"…"

"I suppose I should thank you for sending so many dolls after them. It'll help her grow. Be a good playmate, okay?"

*Tsp* *tsp*

"*cough* Baaargh~! Kaaaah~! *cough* *cough* *ptui* W-wait!"

"Hmm? Something to say?"

"Th-The… *cough* *cough* They'll find…-out."

"Let them. Everything'll be fine. Believe me."

"Haha…*cough* Haah~. I got to see the Red Star tonight…"

"Dreaming at your age? I'm almost surprised. Heh."

"Hehe. *cough* *cough* I wonder what you see Tengoku-sama. Bloody faces or beautiful dreams…"

"What are you talking about? I don't see any of that. Every day, I face reality."

"Hee- *cough* hehe. Almost sounds as if you're trying to convince yourself."

"Instead of diving into philosophy, how about you treat your wounds? You look pretty bad."

"Your words sting more than your attacks."

"That somehow felt backhanded…"

"*cough* *cough* Must be your insight at such an old age."

"You're really asking for another beating you crazy fucker."

"Ten-goku-sama..."

"Hmm~? What is it this time?"

"D-…do you have it? A dream?"

"What the... what the hell are you talking about now? Who talks like that? Wait, can you see the light?! Are you dying?! Wait! Wait! I can't have you go before Batsu's strong enough! Just hold on!"

"..."

"Ohh~, you've gone senile, huh? I understand. It's okay. I'm old too, Just like you, I'm too old for dreams."

"*cough* *cough*L-liar… Kehe… Hehe… HEHEHAHA~! *Cough* *cough* Haah~! How exciting!"

"Delusional bastard, *sigh* I'm worried your heart will give out before Batsu can grow up. Just hold out for a few decades, okay? Now, seeing as how you're so old, let's chat. How about the old times or maybe the new? Or maybe… we can talk about the friends you've made… whaddya say? Boy…"