Chapter 20 - Pain

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God Pov. Approximately a week after "Rematch"

Zaraki Kenpachi slowly stirred awake from his deep slumber savouring the couple of seconds in which he was most comfortable in when waking up. Although not for long as something jumped onto his stomach with a force akin to a small cannonball, he jolted in mild surprise and pain, being used to the act but not used to the no small amount of pain that came after he grunted a little. He may have been resistant to pain, some would even say he was immuned to pain but when you have just woke up, it is pretty surprising.

Zaraki put a hand on his stomach and opened his eyes just to be met by Yachiru's own orbs starring into his own, she quickly jumped up and around the room in happiness. "Yay! Ken Chan's finally awake!" She yelled excitedly.

The injured shinigami sat up with some discomfort in his ċhėst area, he looked down and saw the thick layers of bloody bandages. 'Someone is probably going to come change them soon...' he thought idly, he grabbed the side of the bed and stood up while ripping the binding of his ċhėst in one swift movement but he stopped when he saw his ċhėst.

Zaraki had always been a man looking for a true fight and from his many battles he had seen a lot of, for other people, unsavoury things to put it lightly. He had even gained a few almost unnoticeable scar and one on his left eye against Unohana but when he looked down, he stopped in shock.

Had he really taken that much damage?

He was literally Black and Blue, at least on his ċhėst. He had multiple already sealed wounds and the bruises were ever so slowly disappearing but this was nothing, the worst was the fist sized scar tissue on his solar plexus. The shape was shagged and circular, the worst of the damage could be felt inside as his ribs and lungs strained in effort when he breathed in and out.

The door slid open and in came Unohana, she looked a little tired but still her "usual" caring self.

"Oh, so you've already taken of your bandages, this will make this faster. Please sit down so I can heal you fully." She said gently but Zaraki knew better, she is anything but gentle when in battle, he knew from experience. She inspected his ċhėst for a few seconds before she began healing them.

In less than a minute all the injuries were gone, even the internal ones, though Zaraki did feel pretty stiff. The  most unusual thing the now healed Captain had noticed was the bags under Unohanas eyes and the sweat that formed on her forehead, her breathing was shaky, before he could finish this train of thoughts the Medic Captain spoke in a tired voice.

"You're lucky that you're so resilient, anyone else wouldn't have survived those injuries especially with the power residues in them." She glared at Zaraki, who only tsk'ed and headed outside with Yachiru settling herself on his shoulder, Unohana sighed and also headed back to her quarters for a well earned rest.

The last few days were really intense, mainly because of the fact she had to keep Zaraki alive which was no small task from the injuries he had suffered at the hand of the Ex-rogue shinigami, Wisp Draek as he called himself. It was safe to say she gave him quite the earful when she saw him again and he must have gotten one from Soi Fon and Yamamoto from how he looked next morning, he at least helped clean the wounds and destroying the residue energy his "Primal Energy" left.

He had explained to her how to clear it out and how to fight it but that it would leave a nasty scar, as well as the properties of some of his most dangerous energies he was able to control. The beast like man was surprisingly well versed in the medical department and was of great help in healing Zaraki, he even donates blood being a type O and having blood with regenerative properties also helped.

In contrast to the image most people and himself gave out about him, he was pleasantly calm.

Shaking her head out of a mix of fatigue and as a way to clear her head of anything, she went to much needed sleep.

Wisp pov. Human world.

Well, this was a mistake.

The aftermath of my fight with Zaraki was felt all over the Seireitei, multiple walls and houses crumbled to the ground because of the earthquakes our fight produced. The old man and Soi Fon were pretty mad at me for making such a mess and almost killing a captain in "a friendly spar", it wasn't but that's besides the point, honestly I felt bad about it.

Kenpachi Zaraki's ribcage was caved in by my last hit and I had to help healing him. As a punishment, I was forced to investigate the trail of destruction left by three unknown beings and it was luckily back at my old place of living. So I am currently following a trail of withered vegetation, land and animals.

The trail led me right to my house, the sky was grey, so was the ground.

I went around the house for a clue since the trail ended here, not seeing anything I decided do head up the small road which leads to my wolve's den but what I saw pierced my heart with a cold spear of dread. Blood coming out of the cave, the smell of dead wolves, the smell of fear and helplessness still lingering within the bodies of the dead wolves inside the cave.

I fell on my knees and clawed at my ċhėst as I felt their deaths like my own, my enhanced senses and mind giving a clear picture of how it happened. A ruthless, cold and cruel slaughter.

I didn't notice the fur growing on my skin as the essence that the dead pack carried entered my body, my body shook violently as the grief, sorrow and anguish welled up in my ċhėst. I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out just as my body swayed for side to side.

My body was going through a deep transformation, my bones shifted and shrunk, my muscles rearranged themselves to slowly but surely take the form of a quadrupedal being covered in white fur with red tips.

The transformation complete, I unleashed a howl in the night sky. A howl filled with grief, rage and sadness but also a promise, I will find the ones responsible and they will pay for murdering my pack.

My ears twitched as I heard the sound of armour not far from where I was, I could smell the blood of my brethren on their body. I snarled and picked up the pace just in time to ram into a heavy looking man in black armor, I then turned around to come face to face with a blunderbuss cannon coming out of a portal.

I was shot in the face before I could react and was launched backwards and into a tree, half of my face was missing but thanks to the new density my bones had I was relatively fine.

The portal closed leaving me alone with the heavy armored man, the figure was fairly large covered in heavy armor which leaked purple smoke from its openings. This thing reaked of Corruption yet it wasn't powerful enough to be a threat to me in any way, I got up on all fours and growled at the wraith of war.

I stopped in front of it, looking down on my prey.

Thanks to my instinct, I was able to transform back into my normal self. "See? This is own it feels to be powerless, if you can even feel anything that is..." I shattered the greatsword to pieces when I notice the hand of the wraith inching towards it, I then took a sharp piece of metal and stabbed it through its hand pining it to the ground.

I brought my hand up and charged it with electricity and when I decided it was enough I plunged my hand into the ghosts ċhėst.

My hand passed through the black metal like a hot knife through buŧŧer, the monster screeched in pain but I didn't stop there. No, it would be too merciful so I twisted my hand forcefully and slowly at the same time so as to maximize the pain it felt, the heat from my hand making the metal and flesh around it bubble and melt.

This of course affected my arm... but I didn't care for my burning flesh. I only wanted it to suffer.

Soon enough the convulsing wraith below me ceased to move and died, dissipating into a fine purple dust into the night. I tore off my disfigured arm so it could properly regenerate.

I stumbled around the ashen plain, tracing a dead trunk with my finger when I passed it, this destruction was because of them and now they're gone to who knows where. I stopped in front of the den, I was tempted to run away, to escape reality but it wouldn't do so I entered the cave, I wanted to throw up and to cry but I wouldn't allow any shameful behaviour in their presence so I kept an emotionless face on and ventured down the bloody cave.

I gathered the corpses of my brethren and put them next to each other, thirteen dead wolves laid before me. I kneeled down and promised to myself and them that I will beat the War-Wielder and banish from this world myself. I got up and walked outside, turning one last time towards the den I set it on fire, a beautiful fire of many colours and energies.

I quickly made my way back to the rendez-vous point as the den collapsed in on itself.

In my emotion filled haze, I didn't notice the three shinigamis taking samples of the wraith dust.

Seireitei

I walked out of the portal with my normal clothes covered in blood, I didn't need to use the Senkaimon because I could just teleport from one place to another but they wouldn't let me for "security reasons".

I noticed the people around me stumbling to their knees, I heard their breathing become ragged and rough. Even the captains and Soi Fon in front of me looked to be put off by my presences. That's when I notice the aura of pure Primal Energy around my body but balance was broken as it was overflowing with bloodlust, I breathed in and out quickly putting a seal on my power.

The surroundings became much clearer without a red hue and so did the sky, the shinigamis were able to stand up again.

Soi Fon approached me, my gaze locked itself in her black eyes and that's when I fell to my knees and hugged like I would lose her too, I embraced her with all the love I could muster. She winced from the strenght I put in the hug but didn't say anything, just simply returning the hug.

After a couple of minutes of silence I broke the hug and looked over at Yamamoto, I will destroy these ghost if it's the last thing I do.

Soi Fon Pov.

Today was a peaceful day, the prisoners didn't act up and there wasn't any problems to note.

Still there was this odd feeling of... I couldn't quite put my finger on it but just thinking about it made her hair stand on end and I wasn't the only one, Yoruichi-sama felt it too as well as most of the captains did or so she had heard from her own captain. This was the same feeling she got when Wisp had met those three enhanced hollows, just when he unleashed his rage.

It couldn't be it.

I then received a letter from Yoruichi-sama concerning Wisp's mission, I was glad that it was over and that he was coming back so I made my way to the Senkaimon, the night had already fallen a few hours ago but she didn't care as she had to pull multiple night mission off before.

I stopped next to my captain who accompanied by Yamamoto once again, the gate opened and we were instantly pressured by an outstanding amount of roaring aura.

Wisp appeared through the Senkaimon covered in blood and everybody except for us dropped to the the ground, a new giant red moon had covered the white one, the black sky gained a red hue. This was exactly like when Wisp last snapped.

The worst was his eyes, so incredibly broken, multiple emotion swirled inside, grief, sorrow, anger and many others. He looked like someone had just murdered his family right in front of him, against the orders of Yoruichi-sama I quickly made my way towards Wisp who had already receded his power.

He looked at me and when I was close enough he just dropped and hugged with so much more strenght that used to put in this particular action, it was a little painful but it didn't matter right now.

I just returned the hug with an equal amount of live and comfort.

A few minutes later, he got up with a cold determined fury in his gaze. He took one of my hands in his own callused ones, he was shaking but no didn't if it was from anger or sadness. He looked at Yamamoto, who nodded in understanding, and we were off towards his office for what looked like a very serious conversation.

TO BE CONTINUED