Flickering from building to building, two silhouettes remained at each other's tails. However, while one of them flickered nimbly, the other produced a shocking haze in its wake with every step.
Ryoma landed, and the moment he opened his eyes Kurayami was already there, stretching her hand forward.
"Woman you are too wild!~"
*WHOOSH!*
Kurayami would try to grasp his robes, but would only get air as Ryoma was already heading towards the next building. In a blur of hazy steps, they had already traversed a quarter of the region.
Ryoma stopped and looked across to the next building where Kurayami was standing, glaring at him. He poked something out of his pocket, it was something wrapped in bandages.
"You want this back?" He teased.
"..." More than a slight frown, there was no reaction from her.
"Or you want this instead?~".
Ryōma pulled out Shitsutora from the back and pointed it at Kurayami, "The least you can do if you want it back is to catch me".
This time her reaction was stronger but she reluctantly bit her lips and sighed a long breath.
"I wanted to apologise first, Ryōma... why are you running?".
While holding Shitsutora in a challenging stance, the young man tilted his head in confusion, "Apology...?"
"During the duel, I shouldn't have made it into something personal. I had an investigation, if I had asked you politely after a good match, perhaps you would have answered my questions without much of an issue, or maybe not... but it would have been a better approach. I severely underestimated you and wished to trample over the 'new legend' to big myself up... that was my mistake and I apologise".
"..."
"Do you accept my apology?".
"I-I guess?–" He said, still confused.
"Good, now I am the better person. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to smash your fucking face!"
*BAANGG!*
Before the sentence she said was even finished, Ryoma felt an energy-flaring fist crush his right cheek almost in slow motion. The Kurayami who was finishing the sentence disappeared like a haze, it was an after-image.
'She distracted me talking nonsense...?'
He spat crimson blood and one tooth or two on the ground and she followed up with a pirouette that had her leg wrapped around Ryoma's neck like a vicious snake crushing its prey. He immediately sensed danger, followed the momentum of her move and managed to undo her lock, both of them fell harshly on the rooftop.
Ryoma staggered up and flickered away, she chased like a ghost.
"If you're not cheating you're not trying~" He hissed.
"That apology was genuine but I will still crush that smile off!" Kurayami growled and chased.
"So violent, I like that!".
The cat-and-mouse chase resumed, two ghosts hopping from building to building, but Ryoma noticed with each step Kurayami's pace started to falter. Eventually, she came to a stop and fell on her knees panting, just as Ryoma expected.
She was still bandaged and not exactly in top condition as he wanted her to be for their rematch.
"You're too weak to fight me as you are... I thought you'd have realised that by now".
Kurayami felt her body tingling as the flashback sensations of that pain returned to her, she stared at Ryoma walk to her with that dubious expression on his face, she reached for her sword but it wasn't there. However, he stretched his hand nonchalantly towards her.
She growled at him like an aggrieved cat, but he didn't hesitate and stood firm.
"I respect anyone who proudly wields a sword and lives by it. You are the strongest woman I have seen, Kurayami. I couldn't stop thinking about you".
!!!
The dark-skinned woman faltered and blushed, "W-What?!"
"All your movements are so refined, I can tell you have spent a long time perfecting your skills. It doesn't matter if you kill me or I kill you one day. The effort we both have put in this path won't change".
Kurayami gasped, she twitched her tongue and reluctantly took his hand to stand up; when she released it, she noticed his hand had something in it that he passed over. It was her bandaged finger.
"That's for the apology. I took your finger just so you would return to me. It worked, didn't it?~".
She huffed and yanked the finger away, stretched her back, tidied herself back up, and sent a sidelong glance his way
"Hmph, give back the Zampakutō too–"
"Hell no, I'm not giving that back for free. You still have to give me a good fight" He complained.
"Tch, very well, once I have recovered we can fight again".
"Besides, this sword wants to be with that Yoruichi, not with you" Ryoma mumbled.
"H-Huh? What do you mean?"
'W-wait Ryōma!' Shitsutora shouted.
"I said this sword's spirit, which is a quite vickery bitch by the way, has told me she wants to be with Yoruichi and not with you. So I'm not giving it back to you".
'You fool! Kurayami is a special agent of Onmitsukidō. She must provide any relevant information back to the Gotei13. If your special characteristics are known, it won't be long before your nature as a hollow is exposed–'.
'You mean they may want to experiment with me and things like that'.
'... of course! What else-'.
'Are those people strong?~'
'...' Shitsutora gave up and accepted her current 'owner' was a hopeless battle maniac without rescue, 'Wait, Ryōma... you have to be careful, even if it is okay for you that this information is revealed, you shouldn't do so yet'.
'Why?'.
'If your existence is revealed all ways to exit the soul society will be closed and you will be actively hunted for the anomaly that you are. You won't be able to enter Hueco Mundo so easily either. So if you want to keep fighting stronger opponents at your leisure, this information is better to remain confidential.
'... I guess you're right'
Shitsutora sighed a breath of relief, 'He's strong but dumb, thankfully',
'I can hear you...'
She then blushed in an awkward realisation, 'Why? Why am I even protecting that damn brat? It is not like I liked the polishing or anything... he's just a helpless soul so I have to help him, that's all... besides he will take me to Yoruichi too. Yes, that's it'.
'I can hear you–'
'I don't care!'.
...
"... y-you can hear Shitsutora? But that doesn't make sense, you already have a Zampakutō" Kurayami divagated just as the Zampakutō spirit had guessed, Ryoma put his hand around her shoulder and shook his head.
"You're going to keep that a secret, won't you?"
"Why the hell would I–? Wait, why are you fondling my breast?" She frowned and stared at the sinning hand that had mysteriously bypassed all boundaries and even entered her robes to settle comfortably on one of her moderate-sized globes.
"You want some answers to your investigation, don't you? I have no obligation to answer those questions. However if you promise to keep this a secret I may even help you in this little investigation".
"Your hand–"
"And I may even help you even further by assisting you in any fight. Your commitment is revenge, isn't it? We are friends now, aren't we?".
"When did we become friends? also your hand–"
"I know you may have an inferiority complex regarding this Yoruichi, but I can tell this investigation of yours is somehow tied to her, if we do this together you may–"
*BAANG!*
"Stop playing with my nipple!".
Ryōma fixed his jaw back in place and dusted himself off, "So? What say you?".
"I will think about it... let's go back, I need Captain Unohana to help me re-attach this finger. We will have tea, we will talk... and I will see if you're someone worth trusting, Kamishiro Ryōma"
****
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