THE SEVENTH MASQUERADE CHAP. 3 [FEAT. ALEXENDRE]

In a few simplistic seconds, the already monstrous spiritual pressure of the Bount peaked, and crept a palpable vengeance into the atmosphere of the entirety of Sereitei. The massive unleashing of power surrounded the Bount in a huge encircling of dust, dirt, and debris. Ashton stood stoic with his grin as his clothes and hair poured into the immense blast of wind, his golden eyes surveying the scene to find the plenitude of the accompanying forces succumbing to the weight of the dispensed energy.

With the roar of a dual-toned demon, every particle of dust dissolved with a mere sweep of the sound waves, leaving the eye of the previous tornado; Alexendre, exposed in all of his glory. Optics widened to see the Bount’s black suit augmented in onyx draconic armoring that grew to mask up to his nose, the pure power emanating off of his person causing beads of sweat to manifest upon Ashton’s forehead. The eye that was settled on the base of his doll’s handle forging into his chest, the slit pupil radiating of a green hue.

And by the next second, his form was nothing but a blur on the dirt. Ashton’s jaw swiftly tilted downward to see a merged Bount crouched and shooting his fist upward to uppercut his opponent’s head right off his shoulders. Slow-motion grasped the lieutenant’s soul, and he braced his legs not a millisecond before the armored fist contacted, and disappeared in a skidding high-speed step backwards. I wouldn’t have been able to dodge that a few days ago. The grin plastered onto the redhead’s face gradually began to dissipate under the heat of the battle, his blade-wielding hand structured upward, while the left rested in the pocket.

“Well that’s just dramatic.” He taunted, golden eyes examining the glowing eye upon the artificial spirit’s chest. Orbs lifted upward to visualize Alexendre punching the air and discharged a wide beam of green reiryoku towards him. Ashton jolted his ankles, evading the blast with a masterful shunpo to the right, his clothes dancing in an upward wind as he glided into the air. Why did I sense Yamoto’s spiritual power in his last attack?

Thoughts raced while his opponent materialized in a fit of swift rage behind him, smashing his left leg into Ashton’s side, knocking him with a crater to bed his body with a soft groan from cracked ribs. He’s gotten faster too. Ashton hastily rose to his feet, back-flipping to avoid a jet impaling from his opponent’s follow-up stomp. He skidded backward against the dirt with ruined clothing and unsettled eyes. While his opponent slowly strode the moderate distance in fury, the lieutenant rifted his left hand from his pocket, the fingers of the tight black gauntlet grasping at the last hilt protruding from his side.

I sense it again.

Alexendre punched the air again, sending another beam of green reiryoku towards the preparing soul reaper. Ashton gripped his left blade with a reverse grip, leaping forward and clashing his vibrating blades against the spiritual blast. His right armament met the beam two o’clock, while the other met at eight o’clock. Air blew his ruffled red strands and black furs backward, and pushed against the attack with all of his might! Through his empowered perception, he noticed Yamato’s spiritual essence radiating off the blast, and no longer dusting off the artificial soul, yet sensed the enemy’s pressure charging towards him.

His eyes jolted to the left to see a howling merged Bount running to his side with an open palm extended to rip Ashton’s heart out with his long, draconic fingernails. The eye on his chest isn’t glowing green anymore with this beam discharged, and he’s slower now. The Shinigami activated both of his sword stances, imbuing his right weapon with the kanji of Boueikisei, and the other with Binkatsu. With a moment left before his life ended, he drifted his strength off his weapons and let the green beam of energy hit him, and the arm his opponent outstretched.

Ashton rocketed backwards to the furthest edges of the iconic hill, a smirk curling upon his lips as his tattered and steaming clothing collected dirt—his opponent reversely veered on his feet with a vengeful, animalistic growl. It’s glowing again, the lieutenant thought, maneuvering onto his feet with a crack of the neck. If he can use Yamato’s power, he can probably use the other Zanpakutō he stole. With no time to lose, he let his red hairs and burnt clothing whisk in the wind with a flash step, appearing in the air before his opponent, his right hand swinging his blade down vertically towards his head.

Alexendre caught the blade with both of his armored hands, laughing sadistically as the green aura about his eye steadily faded. Ashton took no time to rest, releasing his grip upon the dextral armament while his performed another artful flash step behind his, the reverse-grip on his left katana swinging horizontally towards the opponent’s waist—through the opponents waist. His widened in fear and realization as the Bount’s body automatically transformed into blood and allowed his blade to phase right through this enemy.

A hole of blood expanded through Alexendre’s back, his right fist parted from his body and curved through the hole, piercing Ashton right in his stomach and sending him flying backwards! Blood and agony coughed onto the fading grin on his lips, the Bount’s body returning to the norm by the time he turned around, heaving the vibrating blade to the dirt beside the lieutenant.

“Do you recognize it?” Alexendre jokingly asked.

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GS

It was the endgame to the endgame. Ashton and Alexendre stared each other in the eye with stilled bodies, anticipation, excitement, rage, and purpose surging through the anatomies of both of them; drops of sadism in the former. It was simple; the lieutenant’s newly mastered skill and mind versus the overwhelming power and talent of the Bount. Both combatants found themselves inhaling a gulp before exploding in motion!

Alexendre transformed the lower half of his body into blood, raging forth like an unbound jet all too suddenly. Ashton, on the other hand, merely cocked back his right hand and heaved his vibrating katana like a dart at his opponent, the blade headed straight towards the Bount’s forehead. Despite the fact that the lieutenant threw his weapon at the speed of a distorted blur, he felt as if time itself were slowing down while his thoughts raced. Ashton crouched ever so slightly, watching as Alexendre flew right past the blank Zanpakutō plunged into the ground. Milliseconds turned into an hour as the thrown blade gradually harmlessly phased through his opponent’s forehead.

You’re too arrogant and angry.

The second the guard of the katana prepared to fly through the Bount’s forehead, Ashton abused the mere heartbeat it took for the guard to obscure the enemy’s unflinching vision. His form left an afterimage for the opponent to perceive as an unwise fighter, while the real lieutenant appeared at full-speed to the side of the flying artificial spirit with a crouch, his body twirling counter-clockwise with the energy blade of his Bakkōtō outstretched to slice into the crimson red glowing eye on his chest! “What!?” Alexendre gasped out, noticing his enemy’s form much too slowly. The red reiryoku swirling about the Bount’s opponent swiftly swept into the eye.

A crackle came, a complete shatter next—then a cratering explosion to gather the sights of every being in the Sereitei!

The grinning god of death flew backward in the blast, skidding against the dirt as a swirling rainbow encapsulated the debris. A painful howl composed of a multitude of different voices plundered the sound waves; Ashton found his head hanging off the edge of the hill, his eyes watching as a detonating death crept upon his opponent. Each and every sound of war that erupted was absolutely majestic; the cries of triumph.

The smoke settled after a mere few seconds, Alexendre the eye of it all, hanging in the air like a lynched spirit as the onyx draconic armor encasing his form adopted a domino effect of the crackling and shattering. He screamed in terror and failure as the rainbow flowing from his chest parted into individual colors, each departing in different directions with their own spiritual texture; a crimson red that he recognized all too well. The crimson red and ghostly green of the colors departed in similar angles, while the other five separated and slowly dissipated into the ether.

Ashton found himself at a loss for words as he watched the dancing beam of red reiryoku shoot straight into his own Zanpakutō plunged into the ground, seeping into the blade and handle like cleansing water to pores. He came to sit on his bottom, pure exhilaration widening his lips as the newfound rust and worn-out chipping on the steel restored to the beautiful norm; his eyes nearly tearing as the familiar essence of Kenketsusha returned to his spiritual peripherals of his mind.

While the green flew off into the distance of the entrance, the Alexendre’s merged armor dissolved off his skin, leaving him nearly naked as his body gradually began to mimic the motion in dust. The last thing his violet eyes saw was Ashton in the far distance, fear and regret soiling his soul. And as his body steadily crumbled into the bowels of hell, the smirk about the lieutenant’s lips amplified with sadism and pride, an unhealthy cackle pounding into the sound waves as he peered into his opponent’s eyes—watching the dust fade away in the wind.

The survivor rose to his feet as he trembled with a cruel hilarity, his strolling towards the center of the hill with a limp. He felt her again; Kenketsusha in all of her glory—their glory. Ashton stopped, placing his palm atop the bud of his Zanpakutō. An indescribable pang of ecstasy shot through his body, and even after he sheathed the blade, he found himself smiling beyond control.

“Congratulations, Vice-Captain.” A familiar voice said.

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GS