Hollow Moon: A Lost Shadow

Chapter 4: Anatomy of a Target

Silas and Kisuke had once trained together. Although he held his own, the shopkeeper wasn't going all-out.

Kisuke was written to have been the former captain of squad twelve. His brilliant mind allowed him to invent various devices even after being banished to the world of the living. Not only was he the founder of the research institute in the Soul Society, he had also created one of the Hōgyoku.

Silas knew only a little information on what sort of equipment the shopkeeper held.

There was his portable Gigai, an inflatable version of regular Gigai to be used as a decoy in combat. With an adequate level of skill and the right timing, he could fool even the strongest captains in the thirteen court guard squads. Then there was his special cloak, an outfit that could hide his spiritual pressure and allow him to safely move in the precipice world.

But fancy gadgets weren't what made him deadly. Kisuke was a highly skilled swordsman, able to keep up with the likes of Yoruichi, who was once regarded as the fastest flash step user. The most dangerous thing about him was his use of kidō. He could break barriers that other captains couldn't, use low-level spells with great effect, and rapidly use high-level spells repeatedly or multiple ones in quick succession without an incantation.

This was the main reason Silas sought to get rid of him: he could seal away those fused with the Hōgyoku. Once he acquired the Hōgyoku, only a select few would match his prowess. Kisuke had to be dealt with at all costs beforehand.

Being an intelligent enough character made the shopkeeper worthy of death anyway. Written to have been the most intelligent being both within and outside of the Soul Society, he is very insightful of other people, able to see through a person's demeanor and determine what they are thinking. Had it not been for Silas understanding that, he would have never been able to have fooled the former captain.

Kisuke is also great at combat, being able to seemingly predict anything well in advance. Just like he knew what to do with Ichigo in the story, he had likely already made contact with Uryū, wondering why Silas had gone into hiding with Rukia. Only Kisuke's vast knowledge could decipher the nuances of others' powers and predict the outcomes of external influences on his own calculations. It was for this reason that the Wandenreich feared him during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.

What about his Zanpakutō, Benihime's Bankai?

Apart from producing crimson-coloured energy waves, Benihime's second release, "Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame", took the form of a giant woman that could restructure anything it touches for both offensive and supportive purposes. Offensively, it can split open whatever is within its area of effect, as if cutting with a knife. This "splitting" is similar to the act of dissecting something by cutting it open.

Supportively, it can restructure something by stitching it back together. This was seen during his battle against a member of the Wandenreich named Askin Nakk Le Var, to which Kisuke restored his own eyes upon using this power. It can also be used as a way to bring something to an optimal working state by enhancing it (i.e., enhancing one's arms to have greater strength).

All uses of this are manifested in the form of cutting said objects into parts and then using stitches to sew the pieces back together.

Yet it had its weaknesses, which Silas was more than aware of. For instance, Kisuke's Bankai had a limited range. If anyone were to move outside of the ability's radius, any changes made to their body would revert back to normal. Also, the changes made by his Bankai only last as long as it remains active. If the Bankai is deactivated by any means, all the changes it has made will revert.

There are a number of ways to defeat the likes of Kisuke. But out of all of them, Silas chose assassination. It was a reasonable decision, considering his adversary was intelligent.

But that didn't mean he was all-knowing. Even characters like Kisuke had their flaws. Whether it was their self-righteous tendencies or a miscalculation, Silas would be aware of it and exploit them.

Assassination was merely the best way to deal with characters like him. If the two were to engage in a fight, it would cause too much commotion. One that he knew would attract unnecessary attention. He wasn't going to be able to conceal his spiritual pressure against someone who also had exceptional senses.

Once the fight commenced, citizens like Uryū and perhaps even the Visoreds could get involved. Assuming this wasn't the case, Silas also had to deal with the shop's associates, like Tessai and Jinta.

Although they weren't nearly as strong as Kisuke, they were still able to fight on levels that could raise an eyebrow. Tessai Tsukabishi was once a part of the Kidō Corps. That alone was enough to describe his primary method of fighting. He grew up in Yoruichi's mansion, where he became childhood friends with Kisuke and Yoruichi. Though he was rarely seen in public, he eventually became a captain and was also stated to be at least two hundred years old.

As the former "Grand Kidō Chief" of the Soul Society's Kidō Corps, he has demonstrated the ability to use various high-level Kidō at full power with complete control, including a level ninety-nine bakudō without incantation. He can also use forbidden kidō that could freeze time and teleport others to various locations. To say that Tessai wasn't worth being cautious of was an understatement.

Regarding Jinta Hanakari and Ururu Tsumugiya, they were no more than artificial souls, hardly worth mentioning. Perhaps they equally had high levels of spiritual powers for fake souls; it was only due to Kisuke's influence. Apart from that, both were exceptionally strong and able to use weapons such as giant clubs and boxing gloves.

Dealing with them would be mere child's play. But that didn't mean that Silas would go easy. They were, in fact, still crafty when it came to fighting. Especially if Kisuke were to pair with them.

All these things were taken into account as he continued flying. There were some people he first had to check on before heading to the shop.