Turn forward the pendulum arc!

Keitaro Suzuhashi sighed as he contemplated his fate. He had just been reassignd to this position, 3rd seat of the 2nd Division of the 13 Protection Squads, the other day. His reassignment was done by Matsuura Ryou from his position as 3rd seat of the Kidou Corps, under the noses of his former Captain and Lieutenant.
He wondered how they would react when they found out he had been reassigned without their consent. At first he thought somehow he had offended his mentor, somehow gotten Matsuura-sensei mad at him.
Then he found out Matsuura-sensei had used his position and his Captain's Igarashi Sakimoto to get him transfered because Matsuura-sensei wanted someone he could trust to be in charge of the Maggot's Nest. He wanted someone he could trust to watch over her, unlike the former 3rd seat. This of course caused a long series of comedy of errors with his new Captain Soifon whom greatly disliked Keitaro so far. He made a mental note to try and get on her good side.

He had sent Matsuura-sensei a hell butterfly telling him he would be allowed to enter the Maggot's Nest, something he had been denied constantly for several years.

"I hope you're worth it." He whispered softly, as he looked into the only cage in the Maggot's Nest, one that had previously held former Captain of the 12th and now held the former Captain of the 10th, Rumiko Adachi. "I really do."

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Momo Hinamori stood at the door to Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's office. The intensity of the moment had her tensed up and nervous. One was not summoned here for nothing. The doors slowly creaked open before her, she stepped back to give them clearance.

"Enter." A single word, but it sent shivers down her spine. The power, the authority behind the voice was immense. You did not question, you did not protest, you simply obeyed. That was the greatness of the Captain-Commander. That was the power he wielded and commanded over all those under him.

She quickly shuffled inside, seeing the General seated at his table, a bowl of black paint sitting upon it. She approached apprehensively, bowing deeply in respect and fear. She had seen first hand the might of the wisened, old man.

"You requested my presence Captain-Commander?" Momo asked tentatively.

"I called you here to do the duties of your Division, Momo Hinamori." The General grunted, indicating to the bowl. Momo flinched slightly at the general harshness of his voice, taking a moment to realize what it was he wanted before taking the bowl carefully and striding over to the open balcony of the office, the General getting up and following her. She knelt down slowly, placing the bowl gently down beside her and starting to mark her arms with intricate symbols as she recited the incantation required.

"Black and white net. Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowns and belts. Footprints, distant thunder, sharp peak, engulfing land, hidden in the night, sea of clouds, blue line. Form a circle and fly though the heavens." She held her arms out in-front of her, "Way of Binding 77- Heavenly Rickshaws in Silken Air!" An intricate web of kidou burst forth in front of her. She looked back at the General, giving a silent nod. Every Captain and Lieutenant in the 13 Protection Squads were suddenly able to hear the General as if he was beside them.

"This is the Captain-Commander of the 13 Protection Squads, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. All Captains and Lieutenants not currently on assignment are to report to the 1st division headquarters immediately, including those of the Kidou Corps. That is all." He barked the orders, slamming his cane down onto the ground as he finished for emphasis.

Momo Hinamori quickly ended the kidou spell, and started to clean up, getting up and bowing to the General.

"Please follow me to the meeting room Momo Hinamori, we will await the arrival of the other Captains and the Lieutenants." Yamamoto stated, as he turned to leave the office, Momo following close behind.

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Shikufu Isrical Borehl watched on as his test army rushed through the Garganta. He rubbed his hands together in glee as he watched his experiment unfold before him.
"The data I will gather from this will be marvelous. Truely marvelous." He stated, a sinister grin on his face. He hoped his master would be pleased, afterall this was the first big step in their plans. And he, Shikufu Isrical Borehl, had been entrusted with it, he would not fail.

"Go my minions, reap their souls, we have much to do!" He commanded gleefully.

Spoiler:

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Matsuura let a soft smile escape his normally stern expression as he looked back at his office and the paperwork he knew he was leaving behind, he had recieved news from Keitaro via hell butterfly in the middle of preparing to leave for the 12th Division headquarters.

He knew he was doing the wrong thing, choosing his personal agenda over his duties, but he didn't care. Junshirou Tenkawa could wait or deal with Igarashi's account instead of his. He strolled through the 9th Division headquarters, making his way to the exit and then to his destination deep within the 2nd Division's headquarters.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto wrote:

"This is the Captain-Commander of the 13 Protection Squads, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. All Captains and Lieutenants not currently on assignment are to report to the 1st division headquarters immediately, including those of the Kidou Corps. That is all."

Matsuura froze in place at the words. He let out a long sigh. It seems he wouldn't escape his duties after all.

"I'm sorry... you'll have to wait a bit longer." He murmured before using Shunpo to head towards the 1st Division.

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The letter seemingly popped into existence between Kyouraku and Urahara causing Kyouraku to step back in surprise.

"Oh my, that was new. I guess they can't risk coming through with whats going on." Kisuke stated, a coy smile on his face.

"Ah yes... and you're sure the hollow can't sense us?" Kyouraku asked, smiling gently as he picked up the letter and broke the seal.

"Yes Kyouraku-sama. There's nothing to fear in the least, we're perfectly safe inside here." Kisuke reassured him as he stepped over, peering over his shoulder to read the letter.

"It seems this has begun to reach its climax." Kyouraku murmured sadly.

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Retsu Unohana smiled softly as she poured the cups full of fresh tea.

"May I inquire as to why you have chosen to visit my home on such short notice?" She asked politely as she placed the teapot down and picked up her own cup to take a sip, the garden she and her guests sat in alive with vibrant displays of flowers, a pond and various song birds singing to each other.

"Yes, Unohana-sama. May I first state that we greatly appreciate your hospitality and generosity for seeing us on such short notice. This is my latest and possibly last student. I would appreciate if you allowed her to stay with you for a few days while I attend to some matters. No where in Soul Society is safer than your home, after all."

"Of course, Kurosaki-san, I would be honored to house a student of yours as my guest, I and the rest of Soul Society am indebted to you and your wife for your efforts." Retsu stated smiling at Ichigo Kurosaki before turning to the woman with him. "Its a pleasure to meet you..."

"Oh, ah... my name is Naomi Oxen, it's a pleasure to meet you ma'am." The woman stated sheepishly.


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(So yeah, this is what I said I'd have up yesterday. Don't expect it to be amazing or anything. I'm terrible at writing actual drama.)


Houren Hizawa woke up that morning feeling every one of his 800 or so years, each like a great weight hung around his neck, each year of constant disappointment and regret another reason to go back to sleep and never get up again. It was at about this time that he began to remember that things had begun to look up as of late, starting with...

But no, that train of thought would only lead him back to where he began, and he viciously pushed it away as he finally began to get up, doing what he could to ignore the arthritis and the burning feeling in his chest, and go through his daily routines, which thankfully did not yet mean he required the assistance of any of his various staff.

Finally clean and dressed in his customary gray suit, he gripped his trusty old cane and headed for the dining room to have a quick bite to eat before he left for the Central 46 Chambers. He may have had hundreds of reasons to give up, but the toil and stress that Houren went through daily were not something he thought of as a matter of choice. They were an obligation. His sacred obligation to the people of Rukongai, and to-

"What the! A thief!"

Hm. That would be Miyuki-chan, wouldn't it? Indeed, it seemed that his youngest maid had stumbled across an intruder. She was a sweet, endearing young girl, despite the fact that she often made use of obscenities (though never in his presence), and Houren had half a mind to call security out of concern for her safety.

That was, until he heard the slightly satisfying crunch of the would-be thief's hand being broken. Houren chuckled a bit. Who was he kidding? Miyuki was a tough young woman, despite all outward appearances. Of course she would find a way to incapacitate this trespasser. After a little while, however, he began to grow concerned.

It just so happened that he was passing through that hallway on his way to breakfast, and rather than kicking the man out immediately, it seemed she was getting increasingly worked up at something he was saying. His aged ears didn't allow him to make out much of the substance of the conversation from afar. When he was finally within earshot, he was greeted with an exceptionally loud "Shut up!" It seemed that poor Miyuki had finally reached her limit. Houren could empathize with her, really. He had always hated dealing with rude guests. Still, he supposed he should still play the part of crotchety old man, if only for the sake of his reputation in the eyes of this stranger.

"Excuse me, Miyuki-san. What is going on here?"

"Eep! H-h-hizawa-sama! What are you doing up at this time in the morning?" Houren wanted to smile as she flushed in embarrassment, but he settled for allowing his lips to twitch slightly. That was Miyuki for you. Blunt and honest to a fault, but always trying to keep up the appearance of a maid in front of her master. He should tell her one of these days that all the formality really wasn't necessary, he mused. But now there was another matter at hand. "I was merely on my way to breakfast, Miyuki-san," the old man answered, never losing his strict expression, "What exactly seems to be the problem?"

The maid twitched, obviously thinking fast, "I-it's nothing, Hizawa-sama. I, uh, please enjoy breakfast, Sir. I shall see you in the dining hall shortly, as soon as I escort this one," she said, eying the man in the detective getup with disdain, "off of the premises."

"Hn." Houren grunted, nodding "Very well then. Thank you, Miyuki-san." He was curious about the bizarrely dressed man, of course, but if the young maid said she could handle it, he trusted her judgment.

But before he could get moving again, the maybe-detective spoke up, "Oho, 'Hizawa-sama'?" he was grinning from ear to ear, "Would that make you the infamous Hizawa Houren-sama, then Sir?"

Houren thought that to be an odd question. Who did he think he was speaking to? Apparently this 'detective' wasn't very bright after all. "Of course I am," he grumbled, leaning a bit more on his cane. His accursed left knee was acting up again.

"Wonderful!" the man exclaimed, extending a hand to shake, "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions then, Sir? I promise it will only take a little while." "Hm?" Houren cocked his head to the side. Questions? Ah, he must be here to inquire about the state of the Rukongai Improvement project, he thought, grasping the man's hand and giving it a firm shake. "Certainly." It was always a pleasure to see young people so interested in government. It hadn't always been that way, of course, it was only when- but no, he wouldn't go there.

It was at about that point that the elderly Hizawa noticed that Miyuki was pale and shaking like a leaf. "I, uh, w-why don't you just hurry on to breakfast, Hizawa-sama?" she did her best to smile, though it was obviously fake, "You're a very busy man, after all. I shall convey his questions to you afterward, sir."

Now Houren really did break character and chuckle. He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "There is nothing to worry about, Miyuki, san," he smiled genially, "Old as I may be, I can handle a few questions." He turned back to the detective (what was his name again?), "Now what did you want to ask about, Mr...?"

The younger man beamed, "Sato, sir, Sato Hikaru-san. And I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about that vile offspring of yours."

Suddenly Houren felt very confused, the room seemed to be swaying a bit. Surely he wasn't about to tip over? "I'm sorry?" he asked, voice strained. Hoping for some sort of guidance, he turned to the young maid beside him.

Miyuki paled even further, if it were possible, looking down at her feet and muttering almost inaudibly, something like "...disrespecting..." and "...late master..."

Hikaru had apparently caught on the maid's mumblings, because his eyes lit up excitedly and he began to talk again, ignoring all rules of decorum, "Yeah, that's the guy! What can you tell me about his more sinister acquaintances? How about that deal of his with the slavers, huh? Or are you and your cronies in the Central 46 gonna cover that up, too?"

Houren's hands were solidly white, gripping his cane as tightly as he was. He could feel it as his heart began to beat faster. "Get. Out." he rasped.

"Sorry, what was that?" the tactless detective replied, heedlessly cheerful.

This only made the old Hizawa patriarch even more furious. "What I said was," he began quietly, building to an angry roar, "Get out of my house!" Houren began to swing his cane wildly at the errant intruder. "I-," He was panting, winded, "You-," Suddenly he descended into a coughing fit. "Hizawa-sama!" Miyuki's eyes shone with worry. Although she would never tell him so, she thought of the old man as her own grandfather. "Are you okay, Hizawa-sama?"

The burning in Houren's chest had returned. And then the pain spread to his neck. He couldn't make out Miyuki's words, but her expression made her question obvious, and he responded as best he could. "I'm fine," he repeated over and over, "I'm fine, Miyuki-chan." But he wasn't fine. In a few moments, the room began to swirl again, and the pain intensified. No loner able to hide it, he slumped down onto his knees, forsaking his cane in favor of clutching his chest. "I-I," he struggled for breath, taking in air in great gasps, "M-my h-heart..." Groaning, he collapsed face first onto the porch.

"Hizawa-sama!" Miyuki screamed, "No! Hizawa-sama!"

Hikaru stared at the fallen old man in horror. Suddenly, Miyuki's gaze turned to him, "You!" she spat through the tears running down her cheeks, "You did this!"

"N-no!" Hikaru exclaimed, shaking hysterically, "No! It wasn't me! I'm no murderer!" He fled, running as fast as he could and leaving the Hizawa compound behind.

Miyuki simply sat there, cradling her master's head. His eyes were hazy. "Help!" she sobbed, "Someone! Anyone! Please, help!"

“Am I late?”

Rumiko stood in the doorway, her eyes darting from either side of the room. Eleven captains formed a pathway through to the leader of the Gotei 13, the General Yamamoto, who looked at her calmly. He seemed not a day older than he had been back at her graduation from the Academy. “You are not,” the General replied in his quiet, authoritative voice. “But now that everyone appears to be present, we may begin.”

Tenth Division Captain. To Rumiko’s knowledge, she would be the first who had been trained in the regular class at the Academy who would be promoted to Captain. It was an honor, to be sure. Hitsugaya had been promoted into the Zero Division and had suggested Rumiko, his Lieutenant, to succeed him. The General and three other captains, Soifon, Sakimoto, and Kurosaki, had tested her abilities and she had been deemed an acceptable successor. It was an honor, and an opportunity.

“And now,” the General continued, “The former Lieutenant of the Tenth Division, Rumiko Adachi, who stands before us - you are now the newly appointed Captain of the Tenth Division.” As was tradition, Rumiko bowed to the General, a low bow with her hands on the hilt of Koudorihoshiken, and straightened herself. With a small grin, she watched as the eleven who lined the walls bowed after. She was a Captain.

After the ceremony, she sent out one Hell Butterfly before going to meet with her new Lieutenant. Previously the fourth seat of the Tenth Division, Jiro Arakaki had graduated from the Academy within the past few years. He held a naïve hope that he could bring positive changes to the Gotei if only he tried hard enough. She liked that in him. His optimism reminded her of someone, though she could never put her finger on who it was exactly.

“Arakaki!” she called, waiting for the young, bright-eyes Lieutenant to catch up to her. He had a smile on his face and innocence in his demeanor. He was open and willing to do whatever task she might assign.

With a start, she watched as his face began to contort. One of his eyes deflated as the other bulged grotesquely. The corners of his mouth sagged, elongating his lips into a downward crescent. A streak of blood slashed across his face, another hacked off his ear, one of his eyes fell from the socket and dangled by a nerve, his hands reached out to grab at her robes and a strangled gargling sound came from his throat as though he wanted help and knew she could give it if only she

Rumiko’s eyes flashed open. They darted to her left and to her right. Her head moved only slightly to the side. A dream. Nothing more than a memory faded into a nightmare. Memories made her feel no more than life had. The emotions she felt in memories were ghosts - dead and not coming back.

She couldn’t tell when she had fallen asleep. Maybe it had been another day gone by. Maybe another week. Maybe only half a minute. She couldn’t tell. There were no clocks in purgatory.

A whisper. She blinked. It had come from somewhere close. She let her cheek touch the wall as she turned her head and looked through the bars of her prison. A figure stood a few yards outside the bars, looking in at her. He looked familiar. In the haze of memory, one finds that faces blend and blur and fade. Rumiko could not put a name to his face. Instead she stared as openly as he. It felt no longer than a few minutes before he turned and walked away.

After failing to catch any sight of Matsuura as he left the headquarters. Igarashi wondered briefly if his Lieutenant was actually inside the premises, but immediately shaked his head, he surely was, he just missed him. It wasn't like the Red haired man had made an intensive search of the building anyway. As he began to make his way towards the 12th division Headquarters. Igarashi suddenly heard a very familiar voice right beside him:

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto wrote:

"This is the Captain-Commander of the 13 Protection Squads, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. All Captains and Lieutenants not currently on assignment are to report to the 1st division headquarters immediately, including those of the Kidou Corps. That is all."

Igarashi cringed a little at the sound of the cane slamming down. He had never really liked that habit from the old man, Igarashi felt it a little unnecessary, after all, who wouldn't understand orders coming from a voice like that? "Ah well... I guess it makes sense the old man would like to hear more about those hollows... It's gonna be like killing two birds with one stone for me, at any rate." Igarashi murmured as he suddenly shifted the direction of his shunpo. Captain Tenkawa and the rest would be in that meeting anyway, certainly, it would save Igarashi the trouble of repeating himself this way.

"Heh," the older man smirked, "you're pretty good at this game, kid." This is the most fun I've had in a long while.

Across form him, his opponent was barely managing to fight back a grin. "Trying to make me overconfident, are you? Well it won't work!"

"Oh?" A chuckle. "I suppose you have the perfect move, then?"

The other's eyes narrowed as he stared at the board in intense thought for a few moments. Then he too began to smirk. "Indeed. Indeed I do. And that move is..." he paused dramatically, "Right here!" He slapped a previously captured pawn directly down onto an empty space with a theatrical flourish.

"Hmmm." the first player considered the possible implications of that action for a moment. Then his eyes widened. And with every subsequent realization, they widened even more. "By Jove," he breathed, "You've... I- this completely changes the balance of play, you know!" For a few seconds he regarded the younger man across from him with a keen eye. "And to think, just a moment ago, you were about to lose."

The grin overcame its resistance this time. "Of course, sir. I'm all about turning the situation to my advantage," he preened for a moment, before putting on another smirk, "And now you're the one losing."

"Hah!" the older one snorted, moving another piece forward. Normally, he wouldn't be this friendly, but it really had been a long time since he had played a game this good, and he was warming to the boy. "You really do talk too much, especially for a game of Shogi." His eyes glinted with the thrill of challenge. "We'll see how long your lead lasts, young one."

They continued like this for a long while, incredible reversals, strategies, and counter-strategies, all peppered with light conversation and banter. At last, they ended up at a position similar to before, at least in that the younger man was completely outnumbered by the elder's pieces, and looked to be on the precipice of defeat. "You've lost boy." He smirked, his faith in his victory absolute, "Give it up now, and I'll spare you the humiliation of complete and utter defeat."

To his surprise, he was met with an equally confident expression. "We shall see, my friend, we shall see." As before, the other spent several long moments studying the board, and then, with surprisingly no flourish at all, he moved one simple piece from one side of the board to the other. "Checkmate."

"What?" He glanced up at his opponent, shock evident. So, for his benefit, the man repeated that single word. "Checkmate." The older man moved his eyes back down to the board, an expression of concentration on his face. After a moment, however, it broke out into a full-blown grin. "Well done, my boy! Well done!" he exclaimed, grabbing the younger man's right hand with both of his and shaking it enthusiastically. "It's been a very long time since anyone has been able to best me in Shogi. Well done, indeed."

"So...," the younger probed, "This means you'll take me as your heir, right?"

The smile melted immediately. "No."

This time it was his opponent's turn to be shocked. "What? Why? You did say-"

"Yes, yes," the old man grumbled, "I admit, I did promise to adopt you as my heir if you won. But I wasn't serious. I didn't think you could actually win."

"Well," the young man protested, an unyielding determination present in his voice, "I'd still like you to at least think about it, sir. You do need to take an heir eventually, don't you? You won't have anyone to entrust your legacy to if you don't, will you?"

"Oh?" the heirless one raised an eyebrow, "Finally cutting to the chase, are we?" He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. "Tell me then. Why exactly is it that you wish to accomplish in becoming my heir? What purpose other than feeding your own greed or power-lust could it possibly serve?"

"I want to help them," the boy said quietly, eyes intense, "The people of Rukongai. They suffer, but for no reason." His hands balled into tightly clenched fists, "The current balance of power favors only the wealthy nobles, rather than those who have nothing. That is what I want to change."

"Ha!" the old man snorted, "Yes, of course! And you know what? There's something you should learn. This world of ours isn't fair. Get used to it!"

The resounding impact of palms slamming into the board and sending pieces flying reminded the elder quite suddenly that the man across from him had just recently been acquitted of attempted murder. "Then I'll make it fair!" the other growled, now standing, "I don't care if you help me or not, you selfish old bastard! I will do it, and I'm not going to let anyone or anything stop me. Not you, and not anybody else!"

He struggled for a moment to control himself, looking downward and drawing a deep breath. When he looked up again, all traces of his anger were gone, his face expressionless. The only sign that there had been any tension was the fact that his fists were again clenched at his side. "I apologize for wasting your time tonight, sir." he whispered, "I hope you have a good evening." Having said his piece, he turned and walked quietly towards the door. It was only until he was almost out of the room that the elder closed his eyes and began to speak. "Once," he began,

"Once, I knew a man very much like you. He too, believed in the most lofty of ideals. He was going to change the world! And he would start by fixing the most disgraceful and abhorrent flaw in what should have been a perfect world. He would start by lifting up the people of Rukongai from their poverty and hopelessness, where they had been left in neglect by those who were unwilling to accept the noblesse oblige that should have been ingrained into their very being.

"On his two-hundredth birthday, he ran for office in the 7th district. He was from a family of nobles, though everyone else in that clan had since died, and so he nominated himself. The people were wary of him at first, but his message resonated with the secret hopes they held in their hearts, and he won in a stunning victory.

"The nobles in Central 46 weren't too happy with the subjects of his agenda and did everything they could to try to block any legislation he attempted to pass, but occasionally he was able to gather a coalition large enough to get something through, and even more occasionally his measures got past the Chancellor. Change was slow, but it was happening.

"Things seemed to be going well, for a while. After many more terms, the man even married. She was a radiant, cheery woman whom he loved with all his heart. The only memory he had of being happier than he was on their wedding day was the day when his two beautiful children were born, a few years later. But then, things began to go wrong.

"His youngest child, who had always been sickly, as was his father, succumbed to illness. His eldest was assassinated by representatives of organized crime who were upset by his efforts to uproot them. At each of their funerals, he thought he saw his wife die a little bit. She didn't last long. By the end of the year, she too had died, throwing herself off of a cliff, leaving him alone in the world once again. Throughout all of this, the man pushed on. Though his grief was immense, he still had a noble obligation to the people to fulfill as the only voice in the government that would represent their needs.

"Eventually, the old Chancellor died, and one of the Judges was selected to take his place. Miraculously the man then found himself voted into the seat that had been vacated by the new Chancellor. But in time he learned. His political opponents had pushed for him to be appointed to a Judgeship to strip him of his power. No longer part of the legislature, there was nothing he could do as he watched all of his reforms rolled back, one by one, by his smug enemies. Bitter and defeated, he retreated from public life, and the people who had elected him, the ones who had given him the power to make changes in the first place, forgot his work, forgot even his very existence."

"If you go down that path, boy," he rasped, throat suddenly dry, "then I know you will end up the same as that man. That is why I do not adopt you as my heir."

The other had turned back towards him, taken a few steps back to the elder's chair as he spoke. Now, after a pause, he found use of his voice once more. "That man," he began, voice truly calm now, "may not realize it, but it was a testament to his will that he was able to get so far by himself. There is no way, however, for one man alone to change the course of history." The man fell silent. After a few moments, he extended a hand.

"There is still a way to fulfill your noblesse oblige, Hizawa Houren-sama. Will you take that chance?"

The nameless light that danced in the boy's eyes ignited something deep within Houren Hizawa. That was the night he began to hope again.

Matsuura Ryou wrote:

"This is the Captain-Commander of the 13 Protection Squads, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. All Captains and Lieutenants not currently on assignment are to report to the 1st division headquarters immediately, including those of the Kidou Corps. That is all."

Lieutenant Kuroda cringed, and her ears twitched a little. One of her first actions after becoming Lieutenant had been to have the library where her office now was soundproofed, mostly to prevent distractions such as this. Luckily, 12th Division had been developing a new form of reiatsu-charged soundproofing form that worked perfectly to block out almost any and all noise from outside the dark and musty room. Almost.

It took an awfully powerful kidou spell to break the silence from outside. Byouko sighed again, closing her book and setting it back down on her desk. That she'd heard the General's announcement meant that either Captain Hinamori or Captain Kazenosei were probably already there. Captain Hinamori, most likely. Although Byouko had indeed been among the witnesses who watched Chiken cast every single kidou spell in existence as part of his induction as captain of the Kidou corps, she was never quite sure that he cast them... intentionally.

She made her way to the back of the library, where a long, metal ladder hung down from the ceiling. In centuries past, it had been a fire escape. Now, it served as Byouko's personal entrance to and exit from 12th Division headquarters. She glanced upwards, bent her knees and took a mighty leap that cleared her about halfway up the fifteen-metre ladder, then she grabbed one rung, spun around and pushed off so that her feet were pointing to the ceiling. With the momentum of her swing, she kicked off the ceiling hatch, touched one hand and both feet to the roof of the building, and in a flash step, she disappeared.

Matsuura Ryou wrote:

"This is the Captain-Commander of the 13 Protection Squads, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. All Captains and Lieutenants not currently on assignment are to report to the 1st division headquarters immediately, including those of the Kidou Corps. That is all."

Chiken could feel the spell working before the General started speaking, but that didn't stop him from flinching in surprise. For the first second, Chiken wondered if he just used golden bridge, but the next second he dismissed as the voice in his head identified it as Binding number 77, then reminded Chiken what the purpose of the spell was and how to cast it.

Without even a glance at Rikiki, Chiken started a spell of his own. "Way of Binding 94: Golden Bridge!" And with that, he was gone.

Takeshi swore as the General's voice boomed through his mind, knowing he himself was not exempt from the calling. Takeshi was only a few seconds of travel away from his initial destination when he paused, landing gently on a rooftop, his impact causing only the slightest of disturbances as a miniature cloud of dust spiraled up from where his feet had touched down. Takeshi watched, for a moment, the small cloud plume out and shade the air it came in contact with, twisting around until it settle down again amongst its fellows. Takeshi watched that yes, but it was truly lost on him, his mind had better things to do then distract itself with dust.

The Captain of the 13th Division stood in silence, pondering his next course of action. He had people on Earth, he couldn't afford to wait, but he couldn't afford to send those who weren't there in without knowing anything about what they were up against. And not without him, not when there was a chance that his prey was there. Every second that passed increased the likelihood of the death of his people, and the chance of him again losing his prey. But regardless, he needed information, and Tenkawa would surely be present at this calling.

And so, with a sigh, Takeshi disappeared again in Shunpo, steadily making his way to the 1st Division's headquarters.

Izuru Kira had a look of mild disdain on his face as he looked about at those gathered before him. Never before during his tenure as Captain of the 3rd Division had there been a gathering of all the Captains of the Gotei 13, and yet here before him stood not only all 13 Captains but all 13 Lieutenants of the Protection Squads, it was quite an awe inspiring site. To his right stood Captain-Commander General Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and his Lieutenant Anshou Kijou, to his left stood the captains and lieutenants of the 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th divisions. Across from him stood the captains and lieutenants of the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th divisions. At the end of the room stood two people Kira himself had never met before and did not recognize.

The 2nd division Captain Soifon, the oldest and most experienced captain behind General Yamamoto himself, her Lieutenant Maka Kasahara stood directly across from himself and his Lieutenant Fujiwara Koike, an obnoxious brat that annoyed Kira to no end. 4th division Captain Tsubasa Kurosaki, the prodigal son and first human to be a Captain and Lieutenant Hanatarō Yamada stood between Soifon and 6th division Captain Ishimaru Ryouji a tall, white-haired, solemn man with a prominent scar running horizontally across his face and his captain’s haori fashioned as a cape. His Lieutenant Nanaho Kuchiki, seemed dwarfed in comparison, but still commanded a demanding presence as the first female head of a major noble family since Yoruichi Shihōin. 8th division Captain Nanao Ise and her near identical looking Lieutenant Sarah Yadoumaru seemed to be doing the same thing as him, studying the faces of the crowd. The 10th division Captain was the surprise of the crowd, Kira was sure that Tōshirō Hitsugaya had been promoted to the 0 division, and yet here he stood, along with Lieutenant Kōkishirō Takezoe, both amusingly white headed people. 12th division Captain Junshirō Tenkawa seemed greatly intrigued by the turn of events before him whereas his Lieutenant Byouko Kuroda looked entirely disinterested, barely glancing up from a book in her hands. As his gaze circled around the room, Kira’s attention was snapped back to the front of the room by a rough grunt emanating from General Yamamoto, a silence falling upon the group as they all turned to attention.

“Igarashi Sakimoto.” The words were barely audible to Kira, a sort of hushed whisper that only seemed to extenuate the age of their wizened leader. “Matsuura Ryou.” Another name uttered, this time causing Kira to glance back over at the two representatives and leaders of division 9. Just what had they done to warrant a full meeting of all the Captains and Lieutenants? Could it be something to do with that spike of reiastu he felt earlier?

A sharp rap of the Captain-Commanders cane sent Kira’s attention back to the front of the meeting room, as a sharp stare from him was sent past Kira and fell upon the two men. “Explain yourselves.”
All heads in the room turned to look upon the two, what had they done that could anger the General and call for such an important and demanding meeting?


“Ah…well you see…” Igarashi started, laughing a bit as he rubbed the back of his head.
“It all started when-“

“-You failed to complete your duties. But luckily for you both, we’ve gathered enough intel-“

“-To complete this experiment…I’m going to need more-“

“-Time is of the essence! We cannot sit here chiding like children over frivolities! We must make him -“

“-Realize this, you cannot simply hope to get the Gotei 13 to accept you. You must prove that you are worthy to-“

“-Be careful please Kyouraku-sama! It is most dangerous to be wandering about right now, what with all that -“

“-Shouting! I MEAN IT! CEASE THAT INFERNAL RACKET NOW! There will be order or-“

“-I understand that a Captain getting involved in such trivial things is disrespectful towards the title but you have to understand-“

“-The vote must be made now! We cannot tarry on this all important task! Who knows what else-“

“-Might occur today, tommorrow, maybe it will take a hundred years. What is important is you must never-“

“-Give it up! This experiment is a joke! You’re wasting all of our –“

“-Patience! I swear if the gods above hadn’t graced me with such, you would all be-“


“-Dead, is what we would be brother… we were lucky this time, but next time-“

“-It will not happen again, but you must realize we had no choice, it was that or suffer more causalities.” Igarashi stated, rubbing the back of his head nervously, avoiding the General’s gaze.


“You may think this is pointless, but rest assured Michiko, this experiment will provide us with valuable information and resources” Shikufu Isrical Borehl explained, almost condescendingly,
“These souls will benefit us greatly!” He cackled with glee, while Michiko looked on in disdain.

Spoiler:

“But do not worry, Naomi-san. I do believe you will be able to accomplish that which you’re setting out to do.” Retsu reassured, smiling pleasantly, Naomi blushed in response, bowing her head slightly.

“Gods above! You people are annoying!” Keitaro stormed out of the Maggot’s Nest, leaving a trail of unconscious bodies behind him. He looked around briefly before sighing, “Where is Matsuura-sama? He should be here by now…”

“I have heard enough!” A quick rap of his cane punctuated the sentence, quickly bringing everyone’s attention back to the front of the room. “Given the….circumstances, you both will be forgiven…this time. I expect a full and detailed report of the incident immediately!”
Murmurs broke out among the gathered group of Lieutenants and Captains, some disagreeing with the choice, others clamoring in favor.

Izuru Kira remained neutral, his mind was focused on wondering how two powerful Hollow had managed to sneak so far into Soul Society without notice. He turned to address Igarashi Sakimoto on the issue before his thoughts were yet again interrupted by an intrusion at the door.

“Sir! There’s been a massive outbreak of hollows into Karakura Town! All shinigami that have been sent by division 13 have been wiped out!” The messenger cried out. The group erupted into an uproar.

“What?!”

“Karakura Town is under attack? Again? Could it be…?”

“How is that possible?!”

“I’ve got to go help them! Let’s go Anzai!” Satoko Takeshi exclaimed, starting to make for the doorway the messenger stood in, his Lieutenant close behind.

“Halt!” A sharp rap of the cane caused Satoko to freeze midstride, turning around to protest.“This is a grave situation indeed, but I do not believe this is something that requires several Captains or even one Captain to travel to the Human World.” Yamamoto stated slowly, cutting Satoko off. “Matsuura Ryou, Fujiwara Koike, Kōkishirō Takezoe, Anzai Taiki, Anzai Heikichi. I want the five of you to head to the Karakura town. You all have permission to release your limiters. Chiken Kazenosei, if your Kidou Corps could open the Senkaimon for them.”

“!!” Izuru Kira spun to face the back of the room. The Kidou Corps?! Here?! He looked on in amazement at the two representatives of the Kidou Corps. Amazing, they rarely show themselves to the rest of Gotei 13, I’ve never actually seen either of them before…This must truly be a serious matter…Just what is Yamamoto-sensei keeping from us? He looked back to the front of the room, his brow furrowed in worry.

“But the Human World is my responsibility!” Satoko began to protest. General Yamamoto practically slammed his cane in response.

“Enough! The Human World is also your Lieutenants responsibility and he is going. Such trivial matters are not the duty of Captains of the Gotei 13, do not disrespect your title again Satoko Takeshi.”
=====================================================================================

“Grigio and Giallo Volpe have discovered something very important for us, despite their failings...”

“Indeed they have Avorio. Maybe we should reward them for their efforts.”

“Would that be wise? Is it within our limitations to do so Giada?”

“Kekehahahaha, they should be killed. Despite what information they may have gathered, they failed! We should tear them apart! Kekehahahahaha!”

“I do not believe that would be a wise idea Triste.”

“…”

“Hmph, it’s not worth the effort. Let them live, they may be of some use later.”

“Unfortunately time is short; we must relay this information to Dio-sama.”

“I agree with Giada. We need to inform Dio-sama of what Grigio and Giallo have learned.”

“…”

“Kekehahahahaha! Bruno you always know just what to say! Doesn’t he Vampa?! Kekehahahahaha!”

“Hmph, whatever. If you two wish to inform Dio-sama, then I suggest the two of you go and tell him. I’m staying out of this mess.”

“You all are pathetic! I will go tell him, you blithering fools. Maybe then he’ll send me and I can crush some more shinigami!”

“…”

“Very well Sigil, you may relay the information to Dio-sama, I have other business to attend to anyways.”

Sigil glared at the five others bathed in shadow before spinning around and leaving the room. He stalked through the corridors, the claws on one of his hand, etching deep grooves into the wall as he moved forward. The fools are biding their time uselessly. Well all but Triste, but he always ends up listening to Avorio anyways. They have forgotten what it means to kill, to hunt your prey and cut it down. They’ve forgotten the thrill of the hunt. But I have not…it’s still fresh in my mind. His thoughts drifted to the past, years before when he had been a mere hollow, hunting and devouring souls.
Before he realized it, he was in front of the throne room of their leader. He stepped inside and quickly dropped to one knee, bowing slightly. He did this not because he respected their leader, but because he knew if he did not, he could easily be torn apart. He did not even come close to the power of the hollow before him.

“Nero-heika, I bring news from Soul Society.”

“Oh? What is it Sigil-dono?” Nero Dio asked calmly, but the amount of reiatsu he released just speaking caused Sigil to involuntarily shiver in fright. He sat on a throne of cold, hard stone one leg crossed over the other, propping his chin up on one hand, his tail waving slightly to some unknown beat, wings folded up between him and the back of his throne.

“We have found a way into Seireitei undetected.” Sigil stated, glancing up at their leader. A dark grin spread across Nero’s face.
=====================================================================================

Matsuura glanced at Igarashi Sakimoto after he was ordered by the General to head to the Human World. Igarashi gave him a curt nod of approval, a whole conversation occurring between them just in the nod. Matsuura gathered with the other four Lieutenants, largely ignoring them as he followed Chiken and Rikiki out to the courtyard of the First Division.

Damn it all, not a moment of rest. Why was I chosen to go? Why couldn’t one of the others have gone instead, I need to meet with Rumiko damnit!

“Peh, why us? Chya, this is so lame. I wish I could go back to sleep.” Fujiwara complained, hands resting behind his head. Matsuura glanced over at him, giving him a bland stare.

“Oh come on Fujiwara, it can’t be that bad! It’ll be good practice! Keep you from getting rusty on your swordsmanship!” Anzai Taiki responded a broad, empathetic smile on his face. Fujiwara gave him a very bored stare.

“You may be out of shape Anzai, but I’m not. I don’t need practice.” Fujiwara answered, stifling a yawn.

“Cheeky little child aren’t you? Don’t get overly cocky.” Kōkishirō stated calmly.

“Hey! Don’t call me a child you oversized loafer!” Fujiwara cried out, turning to face Kōkishirō and half drawing one of his Zanpakutou.

“Cut it out you two, we’ve got more important things to worry about, like what happened to the Shinigami of my division…” Anzai Heikichi trailed off at the end, a forlorn look on his face. Matsuura felt slightly bad for him, he knew what it meant to lose subordinates and what it felt like. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling to know you sent some people to their death unknowingly. Fujiwara seemed annoyed but stayed quiet, as did the rest of the group as they arrived at the courtyard.

Chiken Kazenosei seemed to be instantly distracted by the hell butterflies gathered about, causing Rikiki to sigh as she set about ordering several Kidou Corps members on the process of opening the Senkaimon.

“This will only take a…ah moment. Just….ignore Captain Chiken, he gets like that.” Rikiki explained quickly to the other Lieutenants before getting to work.

“Who is this idiot? He’s a Captain? Man, standards must be low.” Fujiwara whispered to Anzai Taiki as he watched Chiken run around, chasing the hell butterflies.

“Watch it Fujiwara, he could easily destroy you. He’s the most proficient user of Kidou in Soul Society today.” Matsuura stated warningly, locking eyes briefly with him.

“So…he’s some sort of savant then?” Anzai Taiki asked to no one in particular.

“Chya…this is so lame.” Fujiwara stated, resting his head against his hands again. Matsuura rolled his eyes at the statement.
=====================================================================================
Michishige Taiki wiped the sweat from his brow. He did not expect for things to get this far and yet here he was, sitting among the other members of the Central 46 Chambers. They were currently deliberating the vote that he had proposed to remove General Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto from his position as leader of the Gotei 13. Personally he had nothing against the man, in fact he respected him greatly. But he had to do this, he had to get him removed, and hopefully the weight he carried here thanks to his charisma and oratory skills would cause it to happen. The man had stated if he did, his son would be spared when the Gotei 13 would be brought down around itself.

The man had an overwhelming presence, Michishige had felt compelled to do as he had said, and he greatly believed the man when he warned him that the Arrancar were returning. He glanced around nervously. He was told he would be observed and any attempt to warn others would result in not only his death, but the death of his whole family. He couldn’t risk it, he could not allow such a thing to happen, but he had to! He had to warn someone, anyone. Somehow, he had to warn them before it was too late. But first and foremost, this vote had to pass. He tuned back into the proceedings, listening in as the group deliberated and argued.

Gods above forgive me, I had no choice…

He rose up from his seat for the third time. “Fellow members of the Central 46 Chambers, please we need to stop bickering like children! We all know very well that there are many better choices to lead our armed forces than a withering old man who can barely remember what day it is! I urge you; vote now to remove him, we can argue later on who should replace him.”
=====================================================================================
Hanatarō Yamada’s expression changed suddenly as the hell butterfly drifted away from him. He quickly leaned forward and started to erratically whisper into Tsubasa’s ear. Tsubasa’s eyes widened in surprise, he quickly turned to look at Hanatarō for confirmation. He got a quick nod in response. Tsubasa stepped forward, addressing General Yamamoto.

“Ah…if there is nothing else for the moment, I’m afraid I will have to excuse myself and my Lieutenant, there are pressing matters that I must attend to. My apologies for this Yamamoto-sama.” He gave a quick bow and left the room, Hanatarō in close pursuit. General Yamamoto gave a simple nod in response to the statement. Tsubasa quickly made his way to the 4th Division headquarters, Hanatarō trailing behind a substantial amount, unable to keep up with the speed of Tsubasa’s shunpo.

“Status report. Now!” Tsubasa ordered, the shinigami quickly shuffling around as his third seat stepped forward.

“Sir, two of the shinigami you wanted us to monitor have passed away.” He handed the chart over to Tsubasa, who scanned through the pages.

“This is not good…. have the bodies taken to the autopsy room immediately, keep a staff constantly monitoring the remaining two shinigami and inform Hanatarō when he arrives to meet me at the autopsy room.”

Tsubasa shuffled his way through the infirmary section of the 4th division headquarters, reading over the charts, quickly making his way to his office. He slid open the door and glanced up, staring at the box of files on his desk. “Oh my…that’s more than I expected…” He murmured quietly, slowly approaching his desk. He peered into the box, flipping through several of the folders within briefly before hefting the box up and carrying it with him out of the office. He made his way to one of the few modernized rooms in all of Soul Society, something he had done himself, much to the annoyance of many shinigami. There upon two of the tables in the room lay the deceased shinigami Tsubasa had requested. He set his things down on a nearly empty table and walked over to one of the bodies.

“I am sorry I could not save you my friend…but hopefully through your death you can help me understand how to save others.”
=====================================================================================

“I can’t believe that they were the only interference. That was like swatting flies.”Michiko complained, tapping her Zanpakutou over her shoulder. She threw a wayward glance over to Shikufu who seemed distracted observing the “harvest” as he called it.

“They were not. More will be arriving shortly. I need you to stall them; this will all be for naught if I cannot finish this.” He responded without even turning to look at her. A Senkaimon opened up some distance away from them. “Ah. There they are now. Please dispose of them.” He stated before vanishing.

“Ooooh, goody more playthings.” Michiko purred as she watched the five Lieutenants step out of the Senkaimon, it promptly closing and disappearing behind them.

Matsuura glanced around as they stepped out of the Senkaimon. It was eerily quiet.

“Where are the hollow…?” Matsuura questioned silently before releasing his limiter, the others following suit. He suddenly felt a powerful pulse of reiatsu coming from above them.

“Oh, hello~ boys!” What appeared to be an arrancar female called to them, waving happily.

“Who in the hell is that?” Fujiwara asked as they all looked up at her.

“The enemy. I’ll handle this.” Kōkishirō answered, drawing his zanpakutou and rushing her. Their zanpakutous met in a flash of sparks and a clang of steel on steel. Michiko smiled happily at Kōkishirō, an unnerving smile that sent a shiver down his spine.

“Ooooh~ how fun. I do hope I’ll enjoy playing with you.” She chirped whimsically.

“This doesn’t feel right…” Matsuura murmured.

“Chya, sending five of us to take on one of them. Such a waste.” Fujiwara complained as the four of them watched the fight before them.

“Harrumph. Only one of you wants to play?” Michiko complained as she parried one of Kōkishirō’s stabs.

“Only one of us is needed to defeat someone like you.” Kōkishirō responded, turning his blade and swinging diagonally towards Michiko’s head. She swatted his blade away with her bare hand. “!?” He leapt back quickly, assuming a defensive stance. “You…you….impossible!”

“Impossible?” Michiko purred, “No dear, you expect a normal unreleased zanpakutou to cut me? That would be impossible. Why don’t you try your shikai.” She smiled mischievously at Kōkishirō. He quickly wiped some sweat from his brow.

“Very well, if you wish to die so painfully, so be it!” Kōkishirō responded, holding his blade up to his lips like a flute. “Bellow Horagaikeiteki!” He swung the sword forward as it transformed, the blade elongating and then twisting into a spiral as it turned into a pearly white conch shell as large as Kōkishirō himself, the hilt enlarging as well to accompany the new weight. A blue rope extended from the hilt to a red and white loop of twisted cloth forming a ring around the conch shell, several charms hanging from it. The swing completed its arc with the now transformed zanpakutou landing on Kōkishirō’s shoulder.

“My oh my, what a pretty shikai~” Michiko giggled. Kōkishirō glared at her before swinging it downward in a forceful arc, a blast of wind rushing forward and slamming into Michiko. She brought her zanpakutou up to defend, the blast striking it and pushing her backwards after a brief struggle. “Was that it? Is that all your zanpakutou can do?” She complained, stepping forwards, a visible frown on her face.

“Hmph. That was just from the force of my swing. Rei ō no setsuri!” Kōkishirō started to swing his zanpakutou again, stopping the swing as his zanpakutou pointed directly at her, a cone of focused sound reverberated through the conch and shot forward at Michiko, leaving a noticeable distortion in the air as the force rushed forward and slammed into her sending her flying into a building nearby.

“Well that seemed simple enough.” Anzai Taiki murmured looking on.

“It’s not over…” Matsuura answered, drawing his zanpakutou slightly. This definitely doesn’t feel right…

“Is that all? I’m growing tired of this already~” Michiko stepped out of the hole in the building, looking on with disappointment at Kōkishirō. He grunted in annoyance at her statement, hefting his zanpakutou over his shoulder again.

“You will not survive another! Rei ō no setsuri” He started to swing his zanpakutou.

“You bore me…” In an instant Michiko was beside him, her zanpakutou wedged firmly into his chest. He was frozen mid swing, his zanpakutou falling into two pieces as he gave her a look of abject fear and surprise. She glared at him darkly before twisting the blade sideways and yanking it out, slicing him partly open.

“Wh-what?!” He coughed out before stumbling backwards and falling. She gave a flick of her blade, removing his blood from it, turning to address the four remaining Lieutenants.

“Why don’t you all play with me at once~” She called out cheerfully, “I don’t want the fun to end so quickly like it did last time.” She pouted, point her zanpakutou at them. “Okay? I think that’ll be lots of fun~” She gave them a playful wink.

“Sh-she defeated Kōkishirō in one blow!”

“Who the hell is she?!”

“Damn it all, I knew this didn’t feel right…”Matsuura murmured drawing his zanpakutou fully, the others following suit. “Be careful, she’s much more powerful than she looks.”

“Chya, we gathered Matsu, we saw her defeat Kōkishirō too.” Fujiwara spat at him, starting a small argument between the two, with the two Anzai’s struggling to break it up.

“I’ve had enough of your mouth you stupid little brat!”

“Pansy ass, sunglasses wearing fruitcake!”

“Well at least I can get some!”

“You wouldn’t know what some was even if it was handed to you on a silver platter!”

“Oh yea?! Well yo momma’s so fat-“

“Oh that’s original a yo momma joke, what are you 5 years old?!”

“No, but you certainly look it!”

Michiko watched on in annoyance and disgust, her left eye twitching as Matsuura and Fujiwara bickered and shouted at each other, the two Anzai’s struggling to hold them back from each other.

“Harrumph, you’re supposed to play with me.” Michiko pouted, “I’m the one that’s supposed to be played with and loved!” She released a massive pulse of reaitsu, bowling the four Lieutenants over in surprise.

“Ungh, she’s powerful…” Anzai Heikichi commented, righting himself as the four turned to face her.

“I will make you all my playthings.” Michiko snarled, “Charm, Eros!” The blade of her zanpakutou disintegrated into the air as she became enveloped in a massive fount of pink reiatsu. As it slowly faded, a now much different looking Michiko appeared. Her tiara had become larger, more elegant, her hair no longer stylized but now down and flowing behind her shoulders. She was now clad in stunning and quite revealing, strapless dress. Her hands were covered in gloves that stopped just shy of her elbows. Her earrings were long, large, elaborate and appeared to be made of gold. Her zanpakutou remained largely unchanged, still lacking a blade; it was just the pink woven hilt with the heart shaped guard.

“Urgh….careful guys, this is about to get a lot nastier…don’t let her appearance fool you.” Matsuura cautioned, receiving a look of great surprise from Michiko.

“W-what? You…you can still talk?” Michiko stammered.

“I…er….yes….?” Matsuura responded, giving her an odd look.

“Impossible!” She screamed, “You should be enamored! You should be in my control! My stunning radiance should have captivated you!”

“What are you talking about…?” Matsuura asked, “This bitch is psycho guys...” He turned to look at the others, “…Guys?” The three were all motionless, their eyes glazed over. Matsuura quickly took a small leap backwards, putting distance between him and all of them. “What’d you do to them?!”

“They are all my playthings now. I don’t know why you were able to resist Eros’s effect, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll just have them tear you limb from limb first, then I’ll have my way with them~” She responded smiling distantly, her mind clearly having wandered to whatever thoughts detailed her plans for the future. “Crush him~” She waved her zanpakutou commandingly like a scepter. The three turned to face Matsuura before charging at him, zanpakutous at the ready.

“Damn it all, this is not good!” Matsuura moved to defend the attacks, Anzai Taiki slamming into his zanpakutou with his own, Fujiwara leaping over Anzai and slashing at Matsuura with both of his zanpakutou. Matsuura flash stepped backwards to dodge the attack, turning mid step and clashing with Anzai Heikichi. He forced him back, spinning again and meeting Fujiwara’s blades with his own, struggling slightly before being sent flying into a building by a spin kick from Anzai Taiki. He slowly stumbled out of the wreckage, dusting off his shoulder with his free hand.

“Is that all? You three suck.” Matsuura chided, cracking his neck, before throwing a dark glare at Michiko. You won’t get away with this…. But first I need to find a way to incapacitate them. He turned his attention back to his opposition.

“Come on, let’s play. Blitz Ikiwazura!” He slammed his free hand into the blade of his zanpakutou, it vanishing until he reached the guard. He quickly extended it again, a blade of blood red reiatsu following his hand back to the original blade length. He winked at them before vanishing, appearing behind Fujiwara and kicked him into Anzai Heikichi before either could react. He rushed Anzai Taiki, delivering a wide, sweeping slash, his blade meeting with Anzai’s briefly. “Heh…you can’t stop my blade…” Matsuura stated, his blade passing though and slashing Anzai across his chest.

“NO! NO! NO! You’re not supposed to beat them! You stupid fools! Use your shikai!” Michiko screamed, stamping her foot angrily. Matsuura threw her a fleeting glance before vanishing.

“You know…you’re really ugly when you’re mad…” Matsuura whispered to her ear as he stood next to her. Michiko froze in terror, turning her head slowly to look at him.

“Wh-what?!”

“Happa!” A huge ball of concentrated reaistu slammed into Matsuura’s back, sending him crashing down into the ground below. Anzai Heikichi stared down at where Matsuura had landed blankly, his left hand holding onto his zanpakutou which had turned into a cannon like attachment covering much of his right arm. He aimed at the crater, a ball of reiatsu forming on the tip of the cannon. “Happa!” The ball shot forth, crashing into the crater before being rebounded back outwards.

“Damn, he hits hard…” Matsuura stepped out of the crater panting slightly, part of his robes torn. “!!” He spun around, bringing his zanpakutou, now a large sai, up to defend. Fujiwara slammed into him, wielding two large khopesh, one dark blue and the other pure white. Ice started to slowly creep across Matsuura’s sai from the points of contact. “Shit!” He struggled under the force of the attack, “This would be easier if I could just cut you fools down!” He took one hand off his hilt and slammed it again Fujiwara’s chest. “Way of Destruction #1: Thrust!” The kidou spell pushed his hand back briefly before surging forward and sending Fujiwara backwards.

“Happa!”

“!!” Matsuura dove to the side, stumbling a bit before being knocked aside by what felt like a freight train, crashing through the wall of a building. Anzai Taiki hefted his over sized war hammer back up into swinging position.

“Hehehe.” Michiko giggled gleefully, covering her mouth slightly with one hand. “That’s what you get for insulting me.”

“Damn, I forgot how hard he can hit…” Matsuura coughed up some blood, “Yea…definitely a cracked rib…” He got up gingerly, walking slowly out of the hole he had entered from. Looks like I have no choice….I’ll just have to use it. Damn, I wish there was some other way. “Sorry, but this can’t go on any longer.”


“What?”

“I’m going to have to end this now.” Matsuura flicked his wrist, his zanpakutou shifting back into reiatsu blade form, his reiatsu quickly gathering. “Ban…kai.” He slowly sheathed his zanpakutou, reiatsu gushing forth from his scabbard in tremendous amounts, pushing Anzai and Fujiwara back.

“What’s going on?!” Michiko covered her face as violent amounts of wind roared past her. Slowly it start to subsist, and she looked down only to see her “playthings” laying on the ground defeated.

“Simple, I’ve won.” Matsuura stated calmly, looking up at her.

“!!” Michiko took a step back in surprise. “Ho-how?!”

“It doesn’t matter; I’ve got all that I need, let’s go.” Shikufu appeared next to her, opening up a Garganta behind them. “Seal your zanpakutou, there’s no need to continue wasting your efforts.” He stepped into the Garganta.

“Bah! I’ll remember this! You’ll pay next time for ruining my fun!” Michiko called to Matsuura, sealing her zanpakutou and returning to her original form before stepping into the Garganta, it quickly closing.

Matsuura breathed a sigh of relief, letting the curtain illusion fade away, “I didn’t think that would work…thank god they fled.” He slowly let his zanpakutou down, Fujiwara doing the same as he returned to his senses.

“Wh-what happened?” Anzai asked, looking around extremely confused. Matsuura looked up at him, sheathing his zanpakutou.

“You three almost killed me. Doesn’t matter though as it seems the hollow fled. We should probably find the fallen shinigami and tend to Kōkishirō…if he’s still alive.”

“But the Human World is my responsibility!” Satoko began to protest. General Yamamoto practically slammed his cane in response.

“Enough! The Human World is also your Lieutenants responsibility and he is going. Such trivial matters are not the duty of Captains of the Gotei 13, do not disrespect your title again Satoko Takeshi.”

Takeshi hesitated for a moment, his eyes staring across the room into the commanding gaze of the man who had presided over the Gotei 13 for far longer than Takeshi had been a Captain in its ranks; to most this man's position would have commanded respect from them. Alas, Takeshi was not most people, and if there was one thing he had never did, it was translate rank to mean one deserved respect, in this he found humility in his rank, but it was in this he committed an act of great subordination.

"Be quiet." Takeshi snapped at the General, picking up again before he could be interrupted. "It is an insult to all members of Division Thirteen to refer to this massacre as a trivial matter, and it offends me deeply that you would insult the lives of the fallen in such a way, Yamamoto". Takeshi had learned over time to refer to his superiors by their titles in order to avoid conflict, and intentionally disregarded rank to provoke the Captain Commander.

"You may say it is not the duties of a Captain to take care of this, but I've seldom felt more obliged to partake in an act than I do when the lives of my mine lay on the line; these are men who I oversee, every single one of them serves under me, I command their victories and losses. Blood is on my hands for each man and woman fallen, for each family left without a member, for each seat now empty. I consider this as much my duty as I do the understanding and avenging of their deaths." Takeshi paused momentarily, to allow consideration of what he had said when the voice of the General cut off any attempts at continuing he might have made.

An insurmountable blast of reiastu slammed into Satoko, dropping him to one knee as Yamamoto locked eyes with him, the entire room falling silent at Satoko's outburst.

"Clearly it seems making you a Captain may not have been a wise decision. All members of the Gotei 13 have joined knowing that they very well might die to protect Soul Society from evil. It is a risk we all take. Your duty as Captain is to show restraint and control so that order may rule and all those under you will not fall into chaos in dire times. Apparently you have forgotten this Satoko Takeshi. There is reason for why I called all the Lieutenants and Captains forth, a matter far more important than what is occurring in Karakura Town."

Takeshi shuddered as he dropped to his knees, he felt powerless and weak in front of the General's power, embarrassed as the General pointed out his flaw in action. He hated to concede, but as the General reminded him of the meeting's purpose, Takeshi bitterly accepted defeat. Rising to his feet, Takeshi's resentful eyes never left Yamamoto's, and Takeshi resumed his place in the line.

"I am aware that they knew of the risk when they joined; that does not demean their loss. Regardless, you mention a greater purpose to this meeting, Yamamoto, one you've yet to share it with us: and so I bequest of you to tell us of your reasons if you intend to keep us much longer.

The Captain of the 13th Division locked eyes with a man who was his superior in most every way, and refused to back down. This man would listen to the Captain Commander only because he gave him reason to do so, and not out of a traditional demand for respect: of this Takeshi would be adamant.


(Thanks to Matsuura for writing the General's bit and the beginning part, obviously.)

Matsuura Ryou wrote:

“I have heard enough!” A quick rap of his cane punctuated the sentence, quickly bringing everyone’s attention back to the front of the room. “Given the….circumstances, you both will be forgiven…this time. I expect a full and detailed report of the incident immediately!”
Murmurs broke out among the gathered group of Lieutenants and Captains, some disagreeing with the choice, others clamoring in favor.

Captain Sakimoto left out a sigh of both relief and a bit of exasperation as he glanced at the general and the other captain's mixed reactions. Of course, he was relieved that no punishment would come to them for what happened... But thinking it better, why should he feel glad about something that shouldn't be considered in the first place? Would Yamamoto rather have him dispatch dozen of his lesser ranked subordinates to have them possibly killed for fighting a threat that had yet to be determined? That meant not only sacrificing people unnecessarily, but it also made things far more boring... As it was, it had been years since Igarashi had participated in a real fight... that, and what better way of assessing a new enemy than by fighting directly against it? Crap... that reminds me that I wasn't able to elaborate on how strange and different those hollows were... So much for killing two birds with one stone....

His musing got cut short when a messenger burst out at the door. The news he brought surprised Igarashi, and immediately made him wonder if that hollow invasion was in any way connected with those strange hollows... Alas, it seemed that he wouldn't be able to see for himself, as The general made it pretty clear as to who should go and who shouldn't. At least Matsuura would be going, Igarashi still warned him to be cautious with his nod, even though he knew that matsu was more than capable of taking care of himself.

Despite that fact that Iga wouldn't be able to go, things in the Hall turned tense as his old Friend Satoko started an argument against the general. Igarashi cringed as the progression of the exchange pretty much answered Igarashi's previous inner question regarding sacrificing subordinates. He also shook his head a little, expecting Satoko to have known better at this point. While Igarashi understood and mostly agreed with Satoko's stance, his friend forgot that there was a reason old man Yamamoto had been the leader for thousands and thousands of years.

Quote :

"There is reason for why I called all the Lieutenants and Captains forth, a matter far more important than what is occurring in Karakura Town."

This statement made Igarashi pay even more close attention to what the general had to say, and it surely had the same effect with the rest of the Shinigami in the room. Tentatively, Igarashi spoke out again once Satoko finished talking. "And may that be related to any of the events that have occurred today?" Igarashi was aware that he was not in the best position to ask questions, but he had to know, surely all the crap that had happened recently HAD to be connected...

A tale like a memory or a dream written behind wide violet eyes…

Happiness. Love. Warm like the springtime and golden as the sun. Colors were bright back then, bright and full of meaning she could no longer comprehend. It wasn’t a feeling so much as a remembrance of feeling, a recognition of what once was.

Sudden horror. Destruction. Tears, liquid salt running down the side of her face and slipping off the precipice of her jaw. Heart falling, down through muscles and tendons and bones and ribs, cracking and bleeding until it is shredded on the ground.

Blood. Red like anger, flowing from…no…no…

A light. Hot and searing. Exposing the shadows and burning them all away.

Power. Terrible power. And a…

Blink.

Blink.

Violet eyes blink away the memories, long-forgotten and best forgotten.

Intrepid detective Hikaru Sato pulled the brim of his trademarked Detective Hat lower as he strolled through a small town in Rukongai, keeping his head down and trying in vain to look casual. Well, maybe "town" was the wrong word. It was just another part of the very, very large slum known as outer Rukongai. Hikaru preferred to think of it as a town, though, because that was what he had written in his notebook:

"Entered town at high noon. Small town, but a more wretched hive of scum and villainy you will never find. It's the kind of town with baddies so big and mean that you want to go running back to your mother sobbing and burying your face in her bosom, crying wet, wet, salty tears. The kind of town that makes your skin crawl with a thousand goosebumps, who each have a thousand more goosebumps. The kind of town so hideously evil that it makes a man want to wet his pants and run away screaming like a little girl. But not this man, dear reader. A legendary detective's keen mind has no room for things like fear or sudden, ravenous cravings for his mother's homemade muffins and their sweet, delicious muffin taste. No, dear reader, not this man."

It took a while of wandering around in circles, doubling back, and passing through identically run-down streets until the detective was forced to admit to himself that he was hopelessly lost. Every once in a while, people he passed in the street would stop and stare, whispering to each other in low tones. Hikaru didn't blame them, though. It isn't often that you see a Legendary Great Detective strolling through your hometown, after all. After a while of wandering aimlessly, he finally managed to suck up his pride and ask a passerby for directions, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, sir," he whispered loudly, not noticing how painfully audible he sounded in an otherwise silent and dead street, "I'm sure an upstanding gentleman such as yourself wouldn't be involved in such dealings, but do you think you could point me in the directions of this...," he fished around in his coat pocket for a moment before drawing out a photo, "Suirino Nue-san?"

The unassuming man, who sported a scraggly beard and several prominent scars, froze and stared up at him in shock for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and began discreetly looking about. Hikaru thought perhaps he was hard of hearing. "Sir?" he asked, getting progressively louder, "Sir, I am asking you if you have heard of- Mmmmmmph!" The Legendary Detective's queries were cut off as the man slapped a hand over his mouth, cursing silently.

Before Hikaru knew what was happening, he was being dragged through a myriad of maze-like streets, finally stopping at one particular house. Casting his eyes about again as if to ward off pursuers, the man kidnapping him quickly thrust open the sliding door, throwing Hikaru inside by his coat. As the detective righted himself, the unnamed man quickly stepped in and shut the door, locking it behind him.

Hikaru, outraged at being manhandled, started to speak again, but he had scarcely gotten out a, "What-," before the man, surprisingly strong for his build, lifted the detective up by his collar and slammed him into the building's wall. "What do you know about Suirino Nue?" the bearded man growled harshly, every part of his body language promising pain if the brown-coated detective failed to comply."Who do you-," Hikaru began. He was cut off as the gruff man immediately punched him across the face, hard. "You're not the one asking questions here, Mr. Detective," his attacker snarled, pressing him harder against the wall and leaning in until they were almost nose to nose, "I suggest you start talking. Where did you hear about Suirino Nue?"

"Well, you see, I should actually apologize...," Hikaru muttered quietly, locking eyes with the other man.

"For what?" his assailant spat.

"For this!" Hikaru bellowed, slamming his skull into the bearded man's, "Iron-willed Investigator Headbutt!" The kidnapper instantly dropped his captive, howling in pain.

Meanwhile, the brown-coated man had dropped into a martial-arts combat stance. "Special Move!" he exclaimed, whipping his leg around to preform a roundhouse, "Super-Legendary Detective... KICK!" The attack collided with the other man's torso, breaking a few ribs with an audible CRACK as he flew across the room.

As the enemy picked himself off of the floor, Hikaru slowly exhaled, fluidly moving to a different form before calmly beckoning to his opponent with an upturned hand. The other charged, roaring a battle cry.

For several minutes, the traded heavy blows, and although Hikaru's attacks were fluid and powerful, the bearded man seemed never to tire. Finally, the opponent managed to find an opportunity to get past Hikaru's defenses, grabbing his arm and throwing him bodily to the ground. Quickly, he straddled the detective's back, twisting his arms around and gripping his wrists tightly together with a hand. "So you won't talk then, Mr. Detective?" he asked rhetorically.

"Never!" Hikaru hissed painfully.

"Fine then!" the scarred man snarled, "If you won't answer, you'll just have to die!" Drawing out a knife, he slashed it downwards towards Hikaru's exposed neck. Hikaru flinched, tensed for the death he knew was coming.

Suddenly, there was a clap of skin on skin. Hikaru remained still. Still no dying. Cautiously, he opened his eyes.

A more slender hand was gripping the arm of the hand that had been moving downward to kill him, the knife's blade stopped only millimeters from his neck. "Really now, Joufu-kun," a genial voice chided, "must you solve everything with violence?" The man on Hikaru's back was tense, clearly surprised. "Sir," he uttered respectfully, stowing away his blade and saluting, "I was unaware you would be back so soon. I attempted to subdue this interloper," he spat, gesturing at the detective, "but he resisted, and I was left with no choice but to take him down by force."

"Hmm," the out-of-sight man hummed, "I see. However, that's no excuse for trying to kill him. After all, there's no point in having found him if he's dead."

"Oh!" the burly 'Joufu-kun's eyes widened in understanding, "I'm so sorry, Sir- I didn't realize-"

"No, no you obviously didn't realize," the newcomer sighed tolerantly, "But that's alright."

Pressed to the floor and unable to move his head much, Hikaru was only alerted to a presence by his head through light footfalls. Seamlessly moving around the larger man to kneel in front of the captive, the man "Hmm"'d again, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Let him face me," Hikaru heard him say, and after a second he felt the pressure on his back ease up slightly, allowing him to shift his head to finally see the face of the man his attacker called 'Sir'.

The face was youngish, bespectacled, and framed with strangely gray hair. "Greetings, O Legendary Detective," the man said, "It's a pleasure to finally meet the man I've heard so much about. My name is Suirino Nue."

But to Hikaru's shocked brain, the words barely registered. This man is-!

"Oho?" Nue's surprised voice cut across his thoughts like a knife, "It looks like someone recognizes me." Immediately, Hikaru's face shut down, the moment of realization swept hurriedly behind a mask of idiocy. "I don't know what you mean, sir," he babbled, "but could you please tell ol' stinky-breath back there to let me up? I'd be ever so grate- ugh!"

The detective grunted as a fist from the man on his back cut him off. "Enough crap!" the bearded fighter roared.

"That's quite enough, Joufu-kun," Nue's now cold voice interrupted, "Leave him for now." Out of the corner of his blurry vision, the detective could see the other man withdraw something from within his robes. "Goodnight, 'Sato Hikaru'," he heard as a sharp pain stabbed his neck, "Rest well. When you wake, I'm going to have a lot of questions for you..."

Then the dark nothing of unconsciousness enveloped him, and Hikaru knew no more.