Let Chirr the Cicadas of War [Tsubine/SOLO]

Chirr. Chirr.
The ever-present piercing drone of cicadas was the most relaxing sound to Tsubine at this moment. Most people hated it. Most people thought that sound was an annoyance at best. Tsubine, however, had always found it to be a relaxing sound. It was the sound of summer—the sound of being outside, reclined on the grass of a forest clearing. To him, it was a sound heralding action. Fall was soon to come with winter on its heels. Work and preparation would be needed. Especially this year. This winter would be harsh—he could feel it.

Tsubine sat cross-legged in the middle of a stone circle. The only sound aside from the cicadas was rustling in the trees—and, of course, the occasional birdsong. However, Tsubine had this section of the manor's garden designed specifically to attract cicadas. He had trained long and hard to let their cry slide around him like a stream around a rock. It was his most peaceful moment.

Tsubine had realized something fairly recently. It was eating at him. He knew that if that Captain were to appear with the intent to follow through with her threats, he would likely lose. He would be dead, and Mayumi would be an orphan. A well taken care of orphan, but an orphan nonetheless. Tsubine would need something else to try to combat the Captain if it ever came to that.

The first place to look was to the sword he trusted like no other, the third most important woman in his life—his Zanpakutō, Kōgin Reimei. The two had always had a close relationship, and as such, it wasn't as if she was ignoring him. She was still as communicative as ever—and just as willing to let him use her power. And yet, there were still countless things Tsubine didn't know about his Zanpakutō.

As his breathing lined with the cicadas, Tsubine felt the familiar shift. It wasn't like he moved, nor did anything around him feel particularly different. He just knew when it had happened. Tsubine opened his eyes to reveal the empty streets of his Inner World. Despite his bad sense of direction, he knew "where" he was. He was on Shōko Street near the intersection with Edibaya Street. Not the first time that Kōgin Reimei was here, but it was far from their normal meeting places.

"You took your time," the familiar voice of Kōgin Reimei rang out from a stack of barrels. She sat atop them, one leg dangling, the other propped high. With her short skirt, it might have been a scandalous pose. However, Tsubine did not see his Zanpakutō that way. This had been made clear many a time, but it did not deter her from trying. If there was one thing these two did outwardly share, it was being stubborn.

"Out of everyone, you should know how busy I have been."

"Of course I do." She scoffed and hopped down. Her long, purple-black hair settled wildly. "Which is exactly why I'm not mad. I know that unfortunately I'm not the highest priority to you. So, let me guess, it's about that Captain, right? Kanae Nagoshi?"

Right. That was her name. Tsubine nodded. "You sure cut to the chase."

"She's dangerous."

"More than either of us know, I imagine." The two nodded in unison, then chuckled at being in sync. "Honest thoughts?"

Kōgin Reimei made a thinking noise, then shook her head. "You might have won. I wouldn't say it's out of the realm of possibilities, but the odds would be stacked against you. At least as you are now, of course." Kōgin Reimei began circling him like a buzzard.

Tsubine shook his head and let out a one-breath chuckle. "So you know why I'm actually here." The spirit smugly smiled and nodded. "And you know that I don't think you've taught me everything about your power?" Again, a smile and a nod. "...and you won't elaborate on what I don't know?" A smile and a shake of the head.

"Answer me, Tsubine. Who am I?" Kōgin Reimei began a response-chain the two had memorized from the day he learned her name.
"A weapon with that puts all others to shame." Tsubine responded without much thinking.
"And why is that?"
"Because your form is always the perfect one."
"Exactly." Kōgin Reimei broke the tradition.

Tsubine blinked. What did she mean? She sat on the same stack of debris, crossing her legs once more. She was waiting on him to figure it out. Her response was normally "As I am any weapon you so desire." This was clearly aimed at her duplication abilities. She sat, waiting impatiently. To her, it was obvious what she was saying. To him, it was odd enough that he took off his sunglasses to think. There was a long moment as he mused over her words.

All she said was "Exactly." What she didn't say was... Tsubine's eyes widened. The spirit perked up a little. "What you're saying is that your form, this", he manifested the sealed state of his Zanpakutō albeit without a scabbard, "is what I need to beat her?"

"Close enough. I knew you weren't an idiot." She switched which leg was crossed over which and leaned back. Her ankles tapped against the boxes. "My ability is taxing on both of us. I have to retain a lot of information about the weapons I come into contact with. Recalling that is... time-consuming and somewhat difficult. That goes doubly so for you, who has a lot of other things on his mind already. I can just sit down and meditate to get the information I need. But you... You're actually out there, fighting. You have far more information to process at once than I do."

Tired of sitting, Kōgin Reimei stood once more. This time she walked right up to Tsubine. "If we both only had to focus on one shape—and duplicating that shape... It would save us both time and energy. And what form do both of us know the best?" In yet another awkwardly-forward move, she pressed against him. Tsubine found a non-existent bird to focus on. It didn't matter how many times he would reject her, his Zanpakutō Spirit wouldn't give up. "M-i-n-e."

Sensing her try this time wasn't going to work, she pulled away with a defeated sigh. He stopped focusing on that very interesting bird. "Of course, Konkankyō might would work, as it's the only other weapon you know even half as well as me. However..." The spirit glanced down the street. Tsubine knew what she was focusing on. There was a part of the Inner World that neither of them interacted with. A nameless, boarded-up building that put both on edge. Neither could get inside no matter what they tried. "It simply wouldn't be as efficient. I know what I am at a fundamental level. Even with Konkankyō, it's still recalling information."

Tsubine thought for a moment. "In other words, by not having to focus on making other weapons... you'd be able to focus on giving me more duplicates?"

She nodded in response. "Something like that. Although I really wish you'd stop using the word 'duplicates.' It's insulting."

"Until you come up with a better name for them, I'll still call them duplicates." Tsubine shot back. To which her response was a stuck out tongue and "hmph." He looked at the sword in his hand. "Wanna test it out?"

"No." Kōgin Reimei shook her head. "You'll only be able to test this out properly on someone equally as dangerous. Not even your friend with the thousand-dollar hair would be enough to really test it. Going up against me with it... well, it wouldn't quite go right. The key is going to be our connection and working in tandem."

Tsubine sighed and shrugged. Her logic was sound. "Not that many I can just go up and spar full-power with, you know. And I don't think it'll be wise to try a new technique like this in a life-or-death situation."

"There are a few I can imagine. But knowing you, you'd want people not currently affiliated with the major groups."

"Exactly." Tsubine nodded. He was about to say something witty before a lightbulb flashed bright. His eyes darted wildly from side to side as he thought rapidly.

Kōgin Reimei blinked. She then saw the spark in his eye and smiled as she leaned in. "You've got someone in mind. Someone that will be a challenge."

"I have two in mind. And for both of them, I have simultaneously greater and lower chances of dying. It's going to be the biggest gamble of my life if I go through with it. I have no idea where either of them are..." Tsubine began pacing. His spirit's smile widened. He was showing his old self—a man who enjoyed the exhiliration of fighting, of pushing himself to his limits, and then, at the last moment, pushing beyond and forging a new path forward. "I'll have to ask around, but that might take too long. Right! J might know. Well, maybe not know immediately, but I highly doubt the Gotei doesn't know. If he's not available for it, then maybe that Vice Captain I met."

"Rio Shihōin."

"Thank you. She might be able to get me that information. I don't know what it'd cost, but... No matter what, I've got to..." Tsubine's ramble continued for some time as he began plotting something many might see as suicidal. And yet, he thought this would, in fact, be the best choice in the end. As he finished, Tsubine looked to his Zanpakutō spirit. "We're going to have to train to make sure we're up for this. I can experiment with the theory we came up with. But not here. I'll have to go to the training grounds."

Tsubine hugged his Zanpakutō. She blinked in surprise. "Thank you, you've given me the advice I needed and a new path to pursue." Before she could say thanks, Tsubine's eyes opened. He was once again in the garden in the manor. His Zanpakutō was warm to the touch, and he kept his smile. He wasn't ready for what was coming, but he would be. As he left the garden, the only thing that could be heard was his bare feet slapping against the stone and the ever-present cicadas.

Chirr. Chirr.