Blood, Sweat And More Blood [Aiko/Gaoh]

BLOOD AND PASSION WOVEN TOGETHER

GOTHIC DREAMS AND CRIMSON POWER

The rural forest outside Tokyo offered the perfect sanctuary for Aiko to train in solitude. As the late afternoon sun blazed down on the forestlands, she welcomed the heat, letting it mix with the steady rhythm of her training. High above her, chunks of rock—each as large as a building—were suspended in the air by her energy. With swift precision, Aiko unleashed spears of blood that sliced through the rocks, her focus fixed on sharpening her long-range abilities.

It worked up a sweat, but she still felt lingering anxiety beating in her chest. Memories of that day with Sigurd burned in her mind and she pondered what might have happened if he didn't show up. Of course she was able to overpower some of the thugs that tried to drag her off into the underworld of crime, but she had a feeling there was a target on her back now and she had to keep training.

With a sharp exhale, Aiko stomped the earth again, sending more rocks hurtling into the air. She repeated the drill, again and again, channeling her anxious energy into each powerful strike. The repetition gave her a sense of control—every hit a way to sweat out the lingering fear and sharpen her resolve.

A crack in the sky, hissing with static. Twisting into teeth, hands reached out and pulled the jaws open, and Gaoh fell to the earth. Where there were tumbling limbs for the less capable, the arrancar arrived with a tumble, brushing dirt off bare shoulders. From the waist up, he was naked; evidence of a brutal fight covering his frame. Bruises and welts of varying purples and yellows. Scraped skin beginning to scab over, cut lips and bloodshot eyes. Discolored fists, and it hurt to breathe. Sometimes he missed having regeneration.

Sore, Gaoh moved towards a nearby forest, looking for a good tree to rest against. Slumping down, he'd close his eyes, and drift away into sleep.

He was awoken sometime later by a rhythmic thumping, rattling the branches of several nearby trees. Eventually hard enough to send a branch towards the arrancar's head, vague annoyance crossing Gaoh's expression as he stood. Stiff in his step, the karateka made his way to the reverberations, fists clenched.

It didn't take long for him to find the source; a woman, throwing shit around - that was it? "The hell are you doing out here?" Gaoh thought aloud, arms moving to cross his chest.

BLOOD AND PASSION WOVEN TOGETHER

GOTHIC DREAMS AND CRIMSON POWER

Aiko's body tensed; her scarlet eyes locked on Gaoh as he appeared in her vision. It was hard to tell if he was friend or foe, so she reactively guarded herself and had a pool of blood begin to swirl around her body as she held her hand out.

"Sorry, I was training."

Her voice was firm, though edged with nervousness, as adrenaline surged through her veins. This was an isolated area, and she hadn’t expected anyone else to be around. Her eyes flickered over her surroundings, her mind plotting escape routes should things worsen.

"What about you? Didn't mean to disturb you since I didn't think anyone would be out here."