Disclaimer: I own neither Bleach nor Kyou Kara Maou, I'm just having fun here. No harm or profit intended.
Credit: Much thanks go to Amarielah for taking on this huge fic for two fandoms I haven't got any experience writing in and making sure my characterisations stayed on track and my dialogue read naturally. It wouldn't be as good without her. If there's anything weird still in there, I clearly didn't listen to her well enough. (And if so, tell me about it!)
XWA
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A Royal Mess"I thought the one advantage to letting you drag me along on this shopping trip would be that we wouldn't have to go after Hollows," Ichigo grumbled. He was in shinigami form and moving as fast as he could without going into flash-step.
"Shows how wrong you were," Rukia answered, following close behind. Her eyes were still locked on her Hollow radar. "Just because we're not in Karakura Town doesn't mean a Hollow can't show up here."
"Yeah, but this place has a shinigami assigned to it as well, right? Can't he take care of it?"
"He's probably busy. There's a bounty on this one." Rukia was looking around. "This way."
"I know that." Ichigo changed direction at the same time Rukia did. "You know, I wonder what you do with all that bounty money. I haven't seen any of it, and you keep making me pay for stuff all the time."
"School fees. And there's a lot more that I need that I don't make you pay for, either. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean that I haven't got it."
Ichigo turned his head to frown at Rukia. "Getting close to too much information, there." She smiled at him, deceptively sweetly. He shook his head and focused his attention back on the Hollow. They were getting close enough now that they should be able to see it. "What the hell?"
Something that resembled a giant hand shaped out of water rose up, slapped the Hollow that was raring up for an attack, then grabbed it with crushing force and dragged it down among the buildings.
Ichigo halted, trying to puzzle out the storm of spirit energy coming from that direction. The Hollow was still there, but there was something else, too. Probably whatever had caused the watery hand to appear. "That doesn't feel like a shinigami."
"No, it doesn't." Rukia had stopped beside him. She sounded just as confused as he was. "But that Hollow is still there. We haven't got time to stand here marveling. Let's go!"
It didn't take the two of them long to close the remaining distance. When they arrived at the scene of the Hollow attack – a small park – the Hollow was still there, and still being held down. Save for three people, the park was deserted.
One was a woman fiercely kicking the Hollow. By the way some of her kicks missed, however, Ichigo could tell she couldn't actually see what she was kicking at. It was probably for the best that a flustered-looking man was trying to hold her back, using his arms to secure her from behind. That way, whenever she lost her balance, he caught her. Both of them were soaking wet.
The third was a man in his mid-twenties. He was dressed like an average university student, though his clothing had lost most of its neatness by being soaked through. He was staring intently at the Hollow, one hand stretched out toward it, the other balled tightly into a fist at his side. When Ichigo moved into this man's view, he twisted around to face the intruder, simultaneously releasing his hold on whatever held the Hollow down. The shape of the watery hand broke down and the water it contained cascaded down, drenching Ichigo in the process.
"Watch it!" Rukia shouted as the Hollow took flight again. Then she dodged out of the way of the Hollow's whipping tail. Her sword was already in her hand. Ichigo jumped away as well, cursing his sopping clothes, and had to watch as Rukia dispatched the Hollow with a quick strike.
"That went easily enough," he said when she landed on her feet next to him. Then he tried to wring some of the water out of his clothes, with little success. "Crap. I'd better not catch a cold because of this."
Rukia glared at him. "You can't catch a cold as a soul. Even an idiot like you should know that by now." She shook her head, then inclined it in the direction of the stranger. "And things wouldn't have been as easy if he hadn't exhausted it."
Ichigo's reply to her rebuke was forestalled by the stranger. "Who the hell are you people?" He asked. He had positioned himself between them and the other two people in the park. From his posture it was clear he was still on full alert. The two people he was protecting were looking curiously at their protector. "Shou-chan, who are you talking to?" the woman asked. She was ignored. The man kept his attention on Ichigo and Rukia.
"We could ask the same thing," Ichigo answered him, then shrugged. "But it's not that big of a secret. If you're fighting Hollows, you should know, anyway. I'm Kurosaki Ichigo." He pointed at Rukia. "She's Kuchiki Rukia. We're shinigami." He turned to face 'Shou-chan' fully, folding his arms. "Now you want to return the courtesy?"
The stranger relaxed his posture slightly. "My name is Shibuya Shouri." He pushed his glasses back up his nose, and then inclined his head. "I wasn't aware of the existence of shinigami, or these 'Hollows'. Obviously my education is still lacking."
"Shou-chan!" the woman Shouri had been shielding stepped out in front of him, hands on her hips. "Don't ignore me. Who are you talking to? And what are you talking about? Is the attacker gone?"
Shouri looked at her, then at Ichigo and Rukia, and frowned.
Rukia took pity on him and stepped forward. "She can't see us," she explained. "It takes certain abilities to see spirits, and she doesn't have them." She looked around the park, and Ichigo did the same. People were coming back into it. "Perhaps we had better continue this conversation somewhere you wouldn't stand out so much."
"Will they be safe if I leave them?"
Ichigo nodded. "That Hollow was probably after you, not them. They're attracted by strong spirits."
Shouri considered this, then returned the nod. He turned his attention to the woman, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Mother, it's fine. The attacker's gone." He looked up to address the other man, who had so far remained silent. "Why don't you take father and go ahead? I'll explain later." He gently handed her over to the man. She looked ready to protest, but Shouri was already walking away, and Ichigo and Rukia followed him. Ichigo could hear her sputtering for a little while yet, but Shouri ignored her, so he did the same.
At the edge of the park, Shouri sat down on a bench, offering the other place to Rukia. "This is awkward," he said.
"Can't be helped." Ichigo leaned on the back of the bench, only to be shooed away by Rukia because he was dripping water in her neck. "Oh yeah, thanks for this by the way," he said to Shouri accusingly, wringing some more water out of a still dripping sleeve.
Shouri looked at him impassively through his glasses and shook a little water off one equally drenched arm. "My control isn't perfect yet. I apologize."
"Control of what, exactly?" Ichigo pressed on, taking the opening Shouri had given him. "It's not something we've come across before." He turned to Rukia for confirmation. "Right?"
Rukia shook her head. "I haven't, at least."
"I see." Shouri paused and looked away for a few moments. "I'm a Mazoku," he said, then shrugged. "Well, half; but that seems to be enough."
"Mazoku?" Rukia frowned. She looked as if the word sounded vaguely familiar. After a few moments silence, the fished her mobile out of her sleeve and started typing furiously.
Ichigo gestured at Shouri to go on. He sighed, and then shrugged. "I'm not exactly sure how to describe that further. The term 'demon' has on occasion been used, probably because of what you witnessed before." He nodded in the general direction of the park. "Some of us can call on the elements to aid us. The ability is rare, however. Especially here."
"Yes?"
Shouri leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees. "I've only recently learned how to access these abilities, and I can only really do it if I'm protecting someone. I'm getting better at it, though." He used one hand to sweep his wet hair out of his face, then rubbed both hands over it. "But I'm not sure how well I'll be able to hold up if attacks like today's are a regular occurrence."
Rukia looked up from her information gathering. "You'll do fine. You had bad luck because you didn't know how to fight one, not because you couldn't handle it."
Ichigo nodded in agreement. "You saw how Rukia got rid of it; destroy the mask and it's done for," he added.
Rukia had returned her attention to her phone, but gave an affirming grunt anyway. After a few more key presses, she replaced her phone in her sleeve and continued. "And they really shouldn't show up all that often. Mostly, the shinigami should be able to deal with them before they attack anyone."
Shouri's shoulders relaxed. "That's good to hear. The world is dangerous enough."
"So?" Ichigo asked, then hit Shouri on the shoulder with his fist; something between a punch and a push. "Don't just worry about it. Get stronger until you're the most dangerous thing in it."
Shouri raised an eyebrow at him. "Now there's an idea," he said dryly.
Rukia cleared her throat. "I think it's time we got back, Ichigo." She looked at Shouri. "And I think your parents will also want to talk to you, Shibuya-san."
"Yes." Shouri got up. "Thank you, Kuchiki-san, Kurosaki-kun."
Rukia bowed slightly, Ichigo threw him a brief salute. "See you around, Shouri."
Rukia straightened up as Shouri walked away, a slight frown on her face again. "Mazoku are known to Soul Society," she said, still following Shouri with her eyes. "They came to Earth from another world, just like shinigami do. But their ways of travelling between worlds are far more limited than ours. They're rare on Earth, and ones that can use their abilities even more so." She looked up at Ichigo. "As far as Twelfth Squad knows, there's only one that can: their Maou, the current Mazoku king." At Ichigo's look of surprise, she explained further. "To the best of our knowledge, it's a ceremonial position more than anything. Mazoku are scattered across the human population, so it's not like they have any real influence on human affairs."
"Okay, but still…" Ichigo looked in the direction where Shouri had now finally disappeared, then back at Rukia. "It's not him, is it?"
Rukia shook her head. "Seems unlikely. He said he was just learning." She considered it for a moment. "But he could be the designated successor."
"More strange worlds and weird people. Just what we need." Ichigo scratched his head and shrugged. "Hey, at least he's not trying to kill me."