Pale Fire: A Bleach Fanfiction

Chapter fifteen: An inevitable challenge

Chapter 15:

 “You all right?” Byakuya asked. I’d dozed off and started day-dreaming. We were at riverbed, underneath the purple-blossomed tree. I was leaning against Byakuya’s shoulders and we were having an evening to ourselves.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said.

Byakuya wrapped one arm around my shoulder. I leaned in and had no idea that I fell asleep, two seconds later.

I woke up to find myself back in my room. I yawned and got out. I was surprised to see my hair still neat. My haori was neatly folded on a chair and my zanpakuto was leaning against the wall next to it. I walked to my haori, and got it on. I then tied my zanpakuto around my waist.

I walked out side the Shihoin manor and decided to take a walk in a huge clearing. Yoruichi had been gone for days now. So I was the next in line to be the head of the Shihoin clan. I flash-stepped and jumped on the roof of a building. The sun was out now and it was morning. I ran on top of the roof and jumped every now and then if there was gap in between roofs. I then flash-stepped and landed in a clearing.

The land was flat and luscious. The hills were slightly visible upon the vast horizon. I had no idea such a place existed in Sereitei. A figure was looming in the distant. I realized as it got closer and closer to me, it was Soijun.

I felt my expression harden. His face was straight and not even a muscle twitched, as his eyes were set upon me.

“Reina, tell me how long did you think it would be before I found out that you were with my son?” he asked with a grimace.

My expression didn’t change. I realized that my face was actually quite calm. I didn’t say anything. I wanted to leave, but that would show that I was a coward. “Not long,” I replied.

“Hmm. You didn’t answer my question the other day when I asked you if you loved my son. Do you?” he asked me, looking straight through my eye.

“I love him more than I love anything else. And no one is going to stop me from being with him,” I replied firmly.

“No one that is but me,” he said taking one step toward me. “I demand you to fight me.”

“No,” I said coldly. As I turned to leave he said something that provoked me slightly.

“If only my son knew he was a lover of a coward.” I turned around.

“Nothing is ever solved with fights,” I told him, calmly.

“You love my son, than you fight me,” he replied, coolly. “If you want to be with him, then you fight me.”

“No,” I snarled. “That is just stupid.”

“I thought you said, you’d fight for him,” he retorted. My temper was slowly reducing.

“This isn’t fighting for him. This is fighting to be with him.” I was struggling to keep my tone calm and cool.

“Reina, I’m challenging you to a duel. A duel to the death,” he added.

“I refuse,” I shot back.

“You don’t have a choice.”

“No.”

“Fight me,” Soijun demanded, his normally calm blue eyes now burning with anger.

“Never!” I bellowed back. “I will never fight you.”

“You want to stay with my son?! Then you fight me. I know you have tremendous power. You might even kill me. I don’t care. I will never let you touch my son. Unless you fight me,” he told me, shaking with rage.

My eyes widened in anger. You really want to die? Fine. My fists clenched up. I flash-stepped behind him and kicked him in the rear. He unsheathed his sword.

So begins the duel between Soijun and Reina. A duel that will change everthing.

To be continued.