NOVEL WEB Chapter 245: Rooster
One day later…
The Emperor woke up from his cultivation…a wide smile on….
'Urahara, Yoruichi and the Quincy all have their own rooster to send in this cute little mess…'
'It would be a shame if I didn't have one of my own…'
Even if Ichigo was now tied down to him…He was still someone else's rooster. That why he didn't want to train him until later.
He opened another portal as he lightly stretched out…
He appeared in the little shop of Urahara… He smiled lightly as he saw the blond man eagerly waiting for him:
"Your Majesty…"
Marek nodded:
"Did it go as planned? Or did the naughty guy make a fuss once again?"
Urahara sighed:
"Well…it's not like we can change his character."
"…But it's going pretty well…He will be ready tomorrow."
Marek nodded, a meaningful smirk on:
"Then it's time for me to get involved as well…"
"Is it ready…"
He turned around and pointed with his cane to the inside of the shop.
"I don't know what interest could your majesty have in my meager creations but…Here it is as requested…"
Marek made his way as the voice of shinigami resounded…
In front of him…was what resembled an inanimate corpse, but was in perfect condition. A little cat was playing around with it…
Marek titled his head:
"Did you do something naughty to it?"
The cat got on his shoulders as she spoke:
"Why would I care about a gigai, when I can have the real thing whenever I want?"
Marek, a little surprised, laughed:
"You do know how weird it sounds with the male voice of your cat form, don't you?"
The cat had a proud look on:
"Hmph! My cat form is part of my charm, It's not my problem if you don't appreciate it."
He ignored the pouting feline and examined Marek Vega's Gigai.
The body was resembling the original in everyway…
Long descending spiky hair, big frame, yet overall lean silhouette, no tail…
And more curiously, he was dressed with a High School Uniform.
He looked at it for a while before entering.
And under the eyes of the both of them…The gigai opened it's eyes…A large smirk on.
The previously lifeless eyes, of the gigain immediately began more profound…Dark and unfathomable.
Marek stood up…as he looked down at his body.
He grumbled…
"I can't get used it…Modern Clothes are really not to my taste."
He walked away letting a message back to them:
"Time to catch my Rooster."
Yoruichi sighed:
"Is it really only because of that…I can lend you one of mine?"
Marek directly rejected:
"You take care of the big brown bear and the little airhead."
"I am doing it because I think 'she' deserves this opportunity."
He had a piercing gaze on:
"Whether she can seize it to became one of the most powerful beings of her world…Is only up to her."
Yoruichi voice seemed to held a trance of anger in it:
"Really? Are you ready to do this much?"
Urahara by the side felt chill down his spine…
"It seems you really took a liking to her…"
"Aren't the women you already have enough for you, you perverted bastard!"
Marek only laughed as he titled his head:
"It's cute that you think that."
"But do you think this Emperor is swayed by anyone? Hmph! Be careful of what you say! You stupid cat!"
He then made another step before disappearing. The cat only screamed:
"How frustrating!!"
Karakura High School.
This was the last day before the beginning of the holidays…Ichigo came here only to find out…That Rukia…became a fragment of the past…
Forever forgotten by the world.
Doomed to an existence of naught in the Human World.
This only made Ichigo in ever gloomier mood. That night he lost, he was overpowered and made in a sloppy mess, by enemies he couldn't even fathom. A doubled voice resounded in his mind:
"Even injured…You aren't his match."
Determination was already brimming within him.
'I will get her back!!'
On the other side, in another place in the High School.
A High School girl was having some difficulties of her own.
'Weird...'
When she woke up this same day…She immediately felt that something was amiss. This sentiment made her uncomfortable and cloudy. She couldn't distinguish her feelings.
Still…
'Let's go to school'
Maybe it was all on her mind…Maybe it was her…
Weirdly…It felt like she told her self this kind of words more and more frequently these days.
She got ready and left to school…Only uncording with her expectation…The cloudy feeling, and the haziness only got more overbearing as the time advanced.
She comprehends it…High School seemed as it always, yet somewhat it felt lacking…Lacking something.
Yet it was only an impression…But it only got real afterwards.
It was when they met up all together for lunch pause like they usually do.
'Yes…There is definitely something wrong.'
She saw it on two people…Ichigo, the guy who she could read like the back of her hand since they were four.
And Orihime…The girl who the more she tried hiding her mood, the more miserable she actually appeared.
Only…The rest of their clique didn't seem to see it.
Ichigo was obviously ashen, but had that 'I will never give up look' every time he was about to do something stupid.
'Ishida isn't here either…'
Tatsuki felt it once again…
'They are doing it again.'
'They are hiding something from me.'
A mix of longing and bitterness took over her heart….
'Why is it like that…?'
'Every time…'
This question…How many times did she ask herself that…?
Only to be met with utter indifference…Maybe she would never know.
But this time…It was different. A voice, no doubled powerful voice resounded in her head like the thunder tearing apart the word!!
'Why?'
'Isn't it obvious?! It's because you are too weak, that's the reason!!"
Tatsuki who was casually speaking, suddenly opened her eyes wide, she spoke to the air:
"Guys…Did you hear that?"
"What?!! Are you talking about this guys shamelessly betraying me again?!!"
The others looked at her weirdly, Tatsuki was then quick to dismiss them:
"Oh…That might only be an earbug…"
Inwardly she was frowing…
'What was that?'
Only…To be responded once again:
'It is the response to your little questions, little girl.'
The voice sounded as ominous, but had a tinge of warmth in it. Tatsuki had dazed face before she heard another sound:
'If you are not afraid of the truth. If being left behind bothers you that much.'
'So much that you are willing to put your life at risk, in the same way as they are about to do…'
'Go to the rooftop.'
'If not…Ignore this and live the rest of your life in blissful and weak ignorance.'
Tatsuki was an absent minded as she stared at her friends who became more and more obscure in her eyes…
She clenched her fists and immediately her eyes filled with determination, she stood up.
"Sorry…I need to go for a while."
"Don't wait for me."
With lightning speed, she climbed the stairs…
Only to find….At the rooftop…A man she never saw before, leaning on a wall looking at the scenery of midday.
The first thing she noticed was the long hair that descended to the middle back. It was thick and black, even somewhat furry. Like a beast in human form.
He looked like a Lion's mane more than hair. The hair was making sway on and about.
He wearing High School Clothes. The Shirt couldn't hide his wide and thick chest, the sleeves also complemented. He had a wide smirk that seemed to be born into his face.
It seemed like he would have the same mocking smirk even if the end of the world would come about!!
His dark eyes, met hers:
"So you came, in the end."
Tatsuki still dazed by the man's appearance. He was fierce and domineering like he looked down on creation and everything in it.
His doubled voice made him more ominous. Like the echoing of an underground voice.
Still she didn't feel any hostility.
"Who are you?"
The smirk on the man's face only grew a little wider.
"It is good to be curious little girl."
"But let's take in one step at a time."
"Didn't you have other questions in mind?"
Tatsuki as if struck, immediately recollected her dazed self:
"What is happening…."
She took a deep breath:
"…To Ichigo and Orihime…"
Marek spoke interested:
"You are resisting their brain washing…And it's making you more and more restless."
"Well they couldn't even be bothered even if you remember anyway."
He sighed…
Tatsuki spoke in a low town:
"Brainwashing…What are you…"
Marek announced:
"Little girl."
Tatsuki raised her hung down head:
"Y..yes?"
"Look into my eyes."
Obeying the orders, she looked into his eyes…Only to find weird tomoe patterns appearing in them.
The tomoes began rotating….and she felt her whole consciousness sucked up.
Immediately, past events began to happen.
Only she was following the perspective of Ichigo.
In her illusions she followed the battles, the win and losses….as she discovered, the same way, Ichigo did…
The reality of this world.
In her illusions days and weeks passed by.
But here not even a fraction had passed.
She put her hand over her hand….Dread in her voice
"Kuchiki…How could I forget?"
She looked up…to see the man still idly standing by.
"What does Ichigo plan on doing?!"
Marek sneered:
"Like you don't know…What will he do?"
Tatsuki sighed…
"And if Ichigo goes you know who will follow?"
The young girl gnashed her teeth in frustration, she looked up:
"Why are you telling me that?"
Marek responded calmly:
"Why do you think I did?"
He sighed:
"You have good combat senses. You also have a good heart…And know as I see it…"
He smirked:
"A deep yearning for strength beyond your reach."
Tatsuki responded, frustrated:
"But I am not a Shinigami nor do I have special powers like Orihime."
The Emperor smirked:
"Who said that was the only way to get stronger?"
"Do you have to be born into strength like Ichigo to be really powerful?"
He smiled:
"It only depends on you…Whether you stay here and continue your life away from everyone and everything."
"…Or if you do something about it."
"I just happen to have some boredom to kill and some things to see through."
He looked deeply into her eyes:
"I can make you powerful enough to go with them."
"In these 20 days…."
"Are you ready…to become a Soul Cultivator?"
The girl had a wary face as she spoke curtly:
"And what are you gaining from this..?"
Hearing that, Marek laughed to the sky:
"How hilarious….Do you really think that there is something I could gain from you?."
"Maybe…Entertainment value…"
Tatsuki smiled bitterly:
"I see…"
She took a deep breath:
"It was fine when I didn't know and I couldn't do anything about it."
She smirked:
"But I can't just do nothing now, can I?"
The Emperor smirked back:
"Good enough response."
He had a sharp glint in his eyes…
"Just to be clear…"
"Being a Soul Cultivator is a million times more difficult than mastering Shinigami or Quincy Powers…"
He opened up a blue portal.
"It normal takes a few thousands years to become a good one at that."
He smiled lightly:
"What we are about to do…"
"…is cramming a thousand years in 20 days…"
He spoke ominously:
"Be ready for hell."
Tatsuki took a deep breath:
"Give me your best…I can take as much as possible!!"
Marek looked over:
"Take as much as possible? What do you think cultivation is? Martial Arts?"
"If you want to make it through.... Ready your mind... Not your flimsy little muscles."
"Follow me."