Tsukiro was falling, falling, falling… and then…
Tsukiro landed face first onto the ground, which was covered with pure, white, freshly fallen snow. It was cold yet at the same time it was refreshing. The white fluff stirred around him. His mind still foggy, he pushed himself to his hands and knees. He looked around at the scene before him. He was no longer surrounded by darkness.
He was in Kotaishi’s inner realm.
“‘Bout time you got here,” Kotaishi’s voice rang out behind him.
Tsukiro whipped around in the snow to look at him. He was in his human form, standing in all his icy, prince-like glory. But his eyes… his ice blue eyes held not the playful aura they usually did. Today they were serious. Today they were commanding. Today they were angry--filled with rage.
“Kotaishi,” Tsukiro scrambled up to his feet. “What is going on? Why am I here? What’s happening to me?”
“Why are you asking so many questions you already know the answer to?”
Tsukiro opened his mouth to ask yet another question, but he knew it would only be answered with another riddle. Instead, he phrased his words into a statement. “I’m… here to learn a new technique…”
Kotaishi nodded, his robes, jewelry and hair whipping around in the wind. “Do you remember me telling you that there was another ability to your Bankai?”
Tsukiro’s eyes widened. “Y-you… you want to teach it to me now?!”
He shook his head. “Not teach… reveal. You have always known how to use this ability. You knew how deep within your subconscious. After all, how do you think you’ve been able to suppress your negative emotions so well up till now?”
“What do you mean?”
Kotaishi walked towards him. “I mean that this ability--I was the one who helped you suppress your anger, your depression… your rage.”
“Rage…”
“That’s right,” Kotaishi lifted his hand up in front of him, palm upwards. “Rage. That is what makes you strong. Your negative emotions drive you. However, they also have the power to consume you. So I sealed them within you until the time was right. When you were mentally capable of mastering this technique. You are strong all on your own, but this ability”--Kotaishi closed his raised hand into a fist--“will make you nearly unstoppable.”
“...What is it? What does this ability do?”
“You will not like it.”
“I already don’t like the feeling of what you’re telling me now. I don’t think I can get much more put off by this.”
Kotaishi was silent for a long moment before speaking again. “... It has two names: Hyorikka Gyokusho no Ikari and Yukihyo no Ikari*. It unleashed all of your negative, dark emotions and thoughts and controls them--converts them--into power and strength. It enhances all of your previous abilities up to ten times. You will not only be stronger, but you will be faster and more agile than ever before.”
Tsukiro thought over Kotaishi’s words. “And if I refuse to fight using my thoughts and emotions as a catalyst?”
“Don’t misunderstand me, Master,” Kotaishi’s words were low and dangerous. His reiatsu began to radiate, pulse and swirl around him. “I’m not giving you a choice.”
Tsukiro took a giant step back and covered his face with his arms. “Kotaishi! What are you doing?!”
Kotaishi raised his arms out as he spoke. “In order to gain control over Yukihyo no Ikari…”
Kotaishi transformed, his hair whipping around him. His clothes transformed into pure white robes and pelts of snow leopard fur. Ice covered him like armor as well as covered his arms and hand like claws. His hair was freed from its hair string and ornaments, lashing out around him like waves of blizzard snow. His skin glistened a pale color. And his cat like eyes turned from bright blue to glowing white with no irises or pupils.
The wind and reiatsu calmed some, but not by much. Ice and snow flurries continued to blow around the two of them.
“In order to gain mastery over your Bankai… your true Bankai…”
Kotaishi lowered himself to the snow covered ground, crouching like a leopard in the snow--like his true form. He bared his fanged teeth at Tsukiro. A cat like growl rose up from his chest.
“In order to gain this power, you have to defeat me like your life depends on it!”
*Hyorikka Gyokusho no Ikari -> "Rage of the Snow Leopard Emperor"
Yukihyo no Ikari -> "Snow Leopard's Rage"
