Bleach: Cero Devastador

Back in the stadium, everything seemed to have regained normalcy, only in the surface. The matches continued even as an unprecedented tension filled the air. 

There were questions no one could answer. The organisers decided to continue with the evening even in the absence of two of the main contestants; the show had to continue. Clearly, this matter had become a lot more private than a simple sparring match.

'Where did they go?'.

'What happened?'.

Whispers abounded and not many paid attention to the recurring battles.

...

In Ryoma's spot, Murasaki and Sakuya were with their hairs on end, eagerly praying... Sakuya in particular felt like the world was collapsing. What would she do from then on, what would she say to Mikoto... endless scenarios were cruising her mind. At all times, she acknowledged that even if Ryōma didn't return, even if the worst-case scenario were to become the truth, their lives in the Soul Society were pretty much sorted.

But that acknowledgement seemed not to bring any relief at all. 

"You know something, don't you!?" Sakuya asked Kukaku who was much in the same situation, biting her nails. In her case, the distress was very much more apparent. It didn't matter who returned alive and who had perished, in either case, it didn't represent good news for her. 

"I know a thing or two... but it is not enough for me to predict anything, woman! I don't know what enmity those two have for each other for her to do something like this. Don't ask anymore and just wait... I had matters to discuss with Kurayami, she should come here after she's finished–"

"What do you mean after she's finished?! Ryoma won't lose!" Sakuya stated confidently.

"Sakuya, please calm down" Murasaki tried to put her at ease unsuccessfully, he didn't want to believe the worst, but in all the time they had watched Ryoma fight, he never struggled as he did with Kurotora.

Both of them earned a mocking laugh from Kukaku who couldn't help but feel jealous of their confidence. 

"If that's the case, then he will surely come back here for you. Regardless of the outcome, our best option is to just wait here–"

"He's back!"

They heard shouting all of a sudden.

!!!

"Kamishiro is back!"

'I-Impossible...' Kukaku shivered at the possibility. She had put money on the table, she had berated her own instincts but she still couldn't believe this had been the outcome. The trio rushed outside amidst the cheerful shouts of the audience who seemed to forget there was a fight going on in the field.

"Kamishiro! Kamishiro!"

"Kamishiro! Kamishiro!"

"Kamishiro! Kamishiro!"

"I am rich! I told you he would win!".

"M-My savings... all gone..."

Kamishiro Ryōma entered through the main door wearing tattered robes and half of a shattered mask with a broken horn. It was so destroyed that it almost didn't make sense for him to wear it. Aside from that people couldn't help but notice each of his hands held a sword... one was his, everyone knew, as for the other... they could only guess.

And the guess was beyond outrageous!

If not for his destroyed clothes, no one would have thought that he had experienced an earth-shattering battle a few miles away.

The fight that was underway stopped as even the two contestants were eager for his return, wanting to hear the conclusion.

Kamishiro Inuzuri turned to the referee and showed two things, one in each hand. One produced outrage, the other... terror. A bloodied Zampakutō and a bloodied severed dark-skinned index finger. 

!!!

"N-No way..." The crowd gasped and silence reigned. Among those attending there were those who belonged to the higher echelons of the soul society, they couldn't help but stare at Ryoma as if he were a maniac. They knew who Shihoin Kurayami was... and they knew the consequences that his actions would dawn on him. 

'Boy... you won't be able to hide from the Flash Goddess, the Shihōin Clan... you won't be able to hide from the Onmitsukidō and Captain Soifon (Sui-Feng), maybe even Captain Zaraki Kenpachi. With this shameless display of ego, you have brought damnation upon yourself. Now I wonder if there will be such a thing as a legend of Kamishiro Inuzuri in our future textbooks' Those old geezers sighed, but even as they watched the boy lift up that Katana in the air, they had to hope. 

'Is this the next Kenpachi?'.

'He is already dead... he just doesn't know yet' Others didn't hold any hope at all.

"This is Kurotora's finger, this is her Zampakutō... this is the proof of my victory!" Ryoma shouted with glory, it wasn't a Mickey Mouse fight. It was a hard-earned victory like he had never experienced in either life.

It lit up a fire of hope within Ryoma. 'This world still has so much to offer~'

"Impossible... Kurotora was defeated!" Someone shouted.

"GO KAMISHIRO!"

"YOU ARE MY NEW FAVOURITE NOW!".

The clamouring of the stage reached the maximum. A lot of them lost a lot of money; a few of them multiplied their earnings of the night by at least twenty times. But regardless they had all witnessed a fight that would forever be engrained in their memories... all they wished was that they could have witnessed its continuation. 

Ryoma walked back to his place where he received a big hug from both a crying Sakuya and a laughing Murasaki. 

"I knew Big Brother would win! I never doubted it!" Murasaki yelled in happiness and rushed straight into the payment area to cash out their millions of kan. Kukaku stared at him and restrained her desire to do much the same, instead she held the young man's shoulders. 

"Oi brat! D-Don't tell me you killed her..." She asked the question that wouldn't let her sleep.

"I didn't... that would have been a waste–"

"Don't tell me you just left her on the road half-dead!" She followed up.

"... she was not half-dead, just a bit hurt that's all–".

"But you still left her there on the ground, didn't you!? You didn't call for help!?"

"I didn't... why are you so exalted? She's not that weak–".

"Do you even know who you were facing, huh?! Do you think she was a nobody?!"

"Shihōin Kurayami, agent of Onmitsukidō–"

"No, you idiot! You were facing Shihōin Yoruichi's beloved little sister. You slice her finger off and steal the Shihōin Clan's Heirloom, do you want to fucking die?!––"

"You mean Shitsu–?" He said only for Kukaku to put her hand on his mouth.

"Don't fucking say that name out loud! w-wait how do you know? she used it...? No... w-wait, what you did is not okay! If you wish to die then go die on your own, don't be dragging people down!"

"You're the one holding me".

"Give me the sword–" She tried to yank it away, only to fail miserably as he sidestepped and even did a small Shunpo, much to her amazement. 

"I won't... when she wants it, she can come and get it herself" Ryoma licked his lips, a thorough licking.

"Lunatic".

"I want her to come back to me. When she's healed up and maybe even stronger; I want to fight her again. Tell her if she defeats me she can get everything back and the answers she's looking for... she can get it all" 

Kamishiro Ryōma took Sakuya and Murasaki to leave, they carried their bags filled to the brim with money, leaving chaos and madness behind. 

"You're a psychopath, Ryōma. Go... go do your thing, I'll handle things on this end. Just know... you fucked up big time! You won't have an easy life from now on!" Kukaku waved her hand and called his name for the first time. Only to get her body petrified when he turned around with a stare that penetrated her soul. 

"I never wanted easy~"