[The Demon's Proposition]
[Nighty Solar Cycles Later…]
The suffocating air of the First Circle crackled with tension as Aarowan and Kokutō turned to face the spiritual pressure closing in on them. The Reishi around them pulsed, a rhythm that seemed to resonate with the very essence of Hell itself. Aarowan's lips curled into a smirk as he glanced at Kokutō, whose gaze remained wary, his chains rattling faintly against the uneven ground.
"Kokutō," Aarowan began, his voice smooth yet edged with sharpness, "there is no greater weapon than educatio. As your magister, I shall teach you until the lesson takes root. You are my discipulus, after all."
Before Kokutō could respond, Aarowan raised his hand, the air around him shimmering with a surge of immense spiritual pressure. His voice, steady and commanding, echoed through the cavernous expanse of Hell.
"Ban... kai Han'ei no Jigoku."
The blade Aarowan wielded seemed to inhale the surrounding Reishi, its surface darkening as if consuming the essence of Hell itself. In a matter of seconds, the sword cracked, its metallic form splintering apart and revealing a core of shimmering glass. The reflection in the blade was unnerving—it didn't mirror reality but seemed to display a chaotic, ever-shifting landscape.
"Now, my discipulus," Aarowan said, his tone deceptively calm as he tossed an ordinary blade toward Kokutō, "the best way to teach is through demonstration. You have strength, yes, but will your mind rise to the occasion?" He gestured toward the simple sword in Kokutō's hand. "Nihil like a practical example."
Kokutō caught the blade but hesitated, his chains twisting and swaying as if responding to his unease.
[The Reapers Converge]
"Hold!" Suì-Fēng's sharp command cut through the heavy air as the Soul Reapers arrived on the scene, weapons drawn and senses heightened. The moment Ichigo's eyes fell upon Kokutō, his grip on Zangetsu tightened.
"Kokutō…" Ichigo's voice trembled with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "What are you doing here? Speak to me! What are you planning? Who is that person beside you? Why are you following him?"
Kokutō turned his gaze away, his expression shadowed by indecision. His eyes carried no defiance, only a deep conflict that seemed to eat away at him. "He, hee…" Kokutō hesitated before continuing, his voice low and strained. "He is a demon… and he freed me from the binds of Hell."
Ichigo's shock turned to confusion, but before he could respond, Aarowan stepped forward, his movements fluid and almost theatrical. "Quaestiones, quaestiones!" he mocked, his smirk widening. "Do you not realize that for every question you ask, you risk your understanding? With each answer, you must decide: is the next sentence a question or a statement?"
Aarowan's tone was playful, but his words carried an unsettling weight. He inclined his head slightly, his expression a parody of politeness. "As stated by my discipulus, I am a demon. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance."
[The Interrogation]
"Wait," Akon interjected, his analytical mind already piecing together the anomalies. "What are you? There's no record of any race called demons. Your Reishi—your very existence—defies all known classifications."
"And that Zanpakutō," Rukia added, her eyes narrowing. "What are you hiding?"
"Ah, this?" Aarowan lifted his glass blade, tilting it so its fractured reflection caught the dim light. "This is nothing more than a hobby."
The casual dismissal sent a ripple of unease through the Reapers. Renji, his voice brimming with frustration, stepped forward. "Why did you attack the World of the Living? That sinner—his torment, his words. What were you doing? Is there no trace of emotions within you?"
Aarowan tilted his head, pretending to consider the question. "Attack, you say? Trouble, perhaps. I often cause trouble, but I wouldn't call it an attack. After all, up until recently, everyone has chosen silence over words." His smirk deepened, a predator's grin. "Oh, Damer? Yes, I silenced him. His end, you can blame on me. But why he targeted the World of the Living? Ignosce mihi, I wouldn't know. I am not his master."
Ichigo clenched his fists, anger boiling beneath his skin. "Then why did you kill him?"
Aarowan shrugged, his demeanor as light as the tension around them was heavy. "Because I am… what you see. I am an infans among my kind, a mere beginner. Kokutō here is my first discipulus, my first pupil. And to teach him properly, I would not hesitate to separate a few heads. If you want direction, though," Aarowan paused, his smirk softening into something almost genuine, "perhaps you should consider becoming his friend."
"Friend?" Ichigo echoed, disbelief etched across his face.
"Yes," Aarowan replied. "You see, I'm about to teach Kokutō something very important. Would you help me teach him? If you start attacking him, he might just awaken his auctoritas. Slim chance, hypothetica, but worth trying."
[The Challenge]
Kokutō looked at Aarowan, his expression a mixture of anger and betrayal. "What are you talking about?"
Aarowan's gaze shifted to Kokutō, his voice taking on a sharper edge. "What I mean, my discipulus, is that you still cling to the chains that once bound you. Until you face the pain they represent—face it fully—you'll remain nothing more than a shadow."
The Reapers exchanged glances, their unease growing as Aarowan's words took on a darker tone. Suì-Fēng tightened her grip on her blade, stepping forward with purpose. "Enough games. If you intend to harm the World of the Living, we will stop you here and now."
Aarowan turned his attention back to the Reapers, his smirk returning. "Temptare me, Captain Suì-Fēng. I welcome it. But remember: the choice to attack me means you'll also attack my discipulus. Are you ready to bear that burden?"
The Reapers braced themselves, tension thick in the air. Kokutō stood motionless, the blade Aarowan had tossed to him trembling in his hand. His chains rattled softly, the sound lost in the rising tide of spiritual pressure that surrounded them.
Aarowan raised his glass blade, the reflection within shifting to show the faces of the Reapers. "Let us begin."