I purposefully covered the distance of the intricately decorated hall quickly in large strides which was complete with gold lintels and polished marble floors probably older than the Grigori itself.
I allowed a smirk to form on my face before I let it fade, nearly as soon as it came. Now was not the time for fooling about. I had an appointment with the Grigori that I had to keep, above all else. This was, needless to say, crucially important.
…
About 5 years prior, people all around the world started to report cases of reiatsu. However, as feared by Sereitei, dozens of Substitute Shinigami started to appear. In Australia, there resides the most powerful of the newly minted Substitute Shinigami. From the ragtags and assortment of shinigami worldwide, a new Gotei 13 was established: the Gense Gotei 13, with 18 year-old Kurien Rikuto at the helm as Captain-Commander.
...
A veiled member of the Grigori, the Supreme Advisors of the Order of the True Cross, leaned forward and made a show of inspecting me.
I suppose I looked very out of place, standing before them in full Shinigami uniform, complete with my black Shikakushō, tabi, sandals and my Zanpakutō secured to my right hip with my white waist sash. But one must not forget the white, sleeveless haori that I wore, with the symbol for the World of the Living's very own Gotei 13 on the back.
"Welcome to the Vatican, Kurien-sōtaichō, of the Gense Gotei 13. I trust your reception was well?"
I bowed formally. "Thankyou very much for the gracious welcome, Grigori. My reception was most welcoming. However, I humbly request that we forego the traditional, however annoying, pleasantries. I'm sure that we all know of the current situation, and any methods of improving this would be most... important." I rose, and smiled slightly, however fake it felt, I knew it would provide that last tipping edge.
Another member leaned back in her chair slightly, and appraised me through her impenetrable veil.
"You're just how Fujimoto described you to be several years ago; I see you haven't changed in the slightest, Rikuto-kun."
Now it was my turn to lean back slightly. "And I see that the Grigori has lived up to Fujimoto-sensei's rather frank representation as well... May I request again that we move on with business?" I said, now letting some venom into my voice on the last sentence, stepping forward and crossing my arms.
A third Grigori member put his hands together and spoke for the first time. He sounded much older than the others, if it were possible.
"As I understand it, Kurien-sōtaichō, you are requesting membership of the True Cross Order, yes?"
I nodded, meeting his eyes, or where I assumed they would be. Those veils sure are annoying. I grumbed to myself, before snapping out of my reverie.
"That is correct, Grigori-san. However that is just the basis of my proposal-"
"Proposal? Is there more to your original request?"
I sighed. "Affirmative. Not only am I requesting membership of the True Cross Order, but also establishing a division of exorcist-trained Shinigami."
I paused for a moment to survey the varied gasps and stares I received.
"What you're asking is very difficult, let alone completely unheard of! It was only in the past few weeks that we've even made contact with Shinigami! For millennia, you lot have sat in Soul Society, leaving us to deal with demons! So what has changed, Kurien-sōtaichō?" The first Grigori member retorted hotly.
I sighed again. "Let me remind you," I said, turning my back to them so they could see that while my haori marked me as the Captain of the 1st Division, it had some kanji written underneath it, which read "Gense", "The World of the Living". I turned back around, and met their untraceable gazes.
"I am not an officer of Sereitei. I do have permission from them to pursue this venture, however this is largely of my own decision. The Gense Gotei 13 has only been stable for the past 6 months. Prior to that, not only did we have very little numbers, but fewer people qualified for Captain and Vice-Captain positions, let alone the seated positions that are required for a division to function. However now we have both; and I'm ready to align my power with that of the Vatican, and do what we both strive for – a world that is safe for humanity to live in. Sure, your opposition is demons, and ours may be Hollows, but in essence, they are similar enemies, and thus we can be similar allies."
I stepped back, and spread my arms wide. "Now is the time for us to assess our strengths, recognise our weaknesses and support what we swore to protect. That much is the same." I quietly added.
The Grigori was thoughtfully silent for a time, until one went to speak but the older man overrode her.
"Kurien-sōtaichō, you have presented a very strong argument and thus I am calling a vote to carry out the proposal that you have presented to us. Grigori, present your votes for."
The members remained silent, but eventually 4 members raised their hands.
"And now present your votes against."
A longer pause this time, dreadfully weighted with cold suspense, which coiled inside my gut. This could be something remarkable. I'm hoping my all for this.
Only 2 members raised their hands, including the woman that snapped earlier. I grunted in distaste.
"And those abstained?" The man looked around, and only seeing 1 hand, clapped his gavel.
"Grigori, 4 members for, 2 against, 1 abstained. Motion carried."
I sighed in relief, but was soon back to alert.
"Kurien-sōtaichō, I have here the report that Kirigakure Shura has presented on you; having assessed your performance in the Shinigami arts and aligned them with those of the True Cross Order specified Exorcist skill-areas. I have, knowing your reqest ahead of time, had the Grigori read this report and we have found that while you far exceed the requirements for Knight, and your proficiency with firearms is quite acceptable, we have found confusion with the reported skills that relate to Aria. It is noted that Shinigami use a discipline called 'Kidō', yes?"
I nodded. "Kidō can, at a basic level of inspection, be split into two areas: Hadō and Bakudō, which are Destruction and Sealing, respectively. The spells in each area range from #1 to #99, in ascending order of difficulty and power, however to maximise a spell's effect, one must recite the incantation for that spell, and they can be quite lengthly." I replied, hoping that the detail would be sufficient.
The Grigori member nodded in comprehension. "I see, thankyou for the clarification. Kirigakure-san has noted here that you are incredibly proficient in Kidō, with most cases producing very powerful spells without the need for the respective incantations."
Another member spoke, this time the older man. "It is from this information that we are now awarding you Meister in Knight, Dragoon and Aria. Your final rank is Upper 1st Class."
I bowed, and said, "I thank you very much for the high esteem, and for the chance to carry out my vision. Is there anything else that the Grigori requires of me at this stage?" I asked, now returning to formality.
"Not quite yet, Rikuto-san. Now that you are effectively an Exorcist, while on the grounds of the True Cross Order, you are under our jurisdiction, however, your new division will only answer to you. While you are undertaking your own Shinigami business, you are no longer under our jurisdiction. Is this clear?"
I bowed. "Affirmative."
The older man clapped his gavel again. "You are dismissed."
I sighed, and bowed again, and left, disappearing in a blur of shunpo.
…
As I strolled out of the Grigori chambers, Shura was leaning against the wall, inspecting her nails.
"So how'd it go?" She non-chalantly asked, finding something to pick at.
"Just as I hoped. I'll be sending some requests to a few squads from the 2nd Division, I think they'll be most suited to the task, given their Hakuda, Hōhō and stealth proficiencies." I closed my eyes.
"D'ya really think it'll work though?"
The question made me snap my eyes open again and glare at Shura, who was serious for once, staring at me intently.
"We don't have a choice, do we? However I want to meet this Okumura kid, he sounds entertaining."
Shura laughed loudly, and I smiled at the harsh echoes that bounced off into the dark reaches of the Headquarters.
"So?" I asked, putting my hands behind my head.
"Well, they're probably finished for the day, and I did say I'd help the kid for some trainin' this arvo... Come along, now that you're an Exorcist, I can swing my sword at you and not get in trouble." She winked deviously, and took off at a run. "Come on baldy!" She called, rounding a corner.
I slapped my forehead, sighing deeply. "This is going to be tiresome..." I then took off after her, flickering in between Shunpo leaps.
…
"WHAAA?! THIS WEIRDO'S AN UPPER FIRST CLASS?!" Rin shouted, pointing at me, and glaring at Shura, who was busy chuckling and scratching the back of her head innocently. "What the hell is he even wearing?"
I pulled out my newly printed ID card, and showed him.
"Kurien Rikuto, Upper 1st Class Exorcist/Shinigami, pleasure to meet you." I smiled, and stuck out my hand. "But just call me Rikuto, I fucking hate pleasantries when I can avoid them."
Rin stared at me for a second, and then grinned, turning back to Shura. "I like this guy already! I'm Okumura Rin, Esquire!" he said, shaking my hand enthusiastically, his earler aversion gone.
I was right, he certainly IS entertaining after all... I chuckled inwardly.
"So, we gunna fight? I wanna see watcha got in'ya." Shura goaded, already unsealing her Demon Sword. I eyed it warily, knowing full well the damage she was capable of dealing with it.
Rin looked from Shura to me, an then back again, but then noticing my Zanpakutō on my hip.
He stared for a minute, and pointing at it, he asked, "Hey, Rikuto, is that a Demon Sword too?"
I thought for a minute, trying to think of a way to explain it in an Exorcist point of view.
"Well, sort of, what you Exorcists would classify it as. It's actually a Zanpakutō, a special sword that Shinigami have. They're literally a part of our souls."
Rin stared in confusion for a second, looking in between me and my sword for a few moments. "Oh ok, I get it. Does it change form like Shura-sensei's does?"
I grinned wickedly. "Oh fuck yeah, but Shura hasn't seen that yet..." I gave her a look that promised pain. She grinned as well, returning it two-fold. My grin faltered, and I whispered to Rin, "Is she always like this?"
Rin nodded sagely, before doding a punch from Shura. "I heard that, baldies!" She stuck her finger at me. "You. There. Fight me. Now." She said, in gritted teeth staccato, pointing at an interrogation room down the hall.
Rin followed her stuck out thumb, and his eyes widened. "You mean that room that only Upper Class Exorcists can open? The one you beat me up in?" He growled out the last part, and I laughed at him, before Shura dragged me away.
"Can I watch?" Rin asked eagerly, joined by a black cat with two tails.
I pointed at it, and exclaimed, "Hey, that's a nekomata, right? Hellooooo!" I called, before Shura threw me into the waiting room, and the slammed the door, just seconds after Rin dashed into the room.
I turned and faced him, seriously considering him. "I will have to warn you, once I start fighting I do let off a lot of reiatsu, which you may not be able to stand. But, given your... heritage, I'm sure you'll be fine." I grinned, turning to face Shura, whom already had drawn her sword.
I raised an eyebrow at that. "You're regarding me a bit high, aren't you?"
Shura snorted. "If those Grigori hags made you an' Upper 1st Class straight off the bat, I'm not fuckin' around wit' ya!"
I shrugged, and fell into a simple fighting stance. "Bring it. I'm not going to hit a woman first."
Shura laughed derisively. "There's no such thing as chivalry here, baldy. But, if you insist-" She suddenly appeared beside me, having shot forward with a speed I wouldn't have predicted she'd be capable of.
Avoiding her swinging blade aimed at my head wasn't hard, though. I suddenly dropped my weight into a crouch, swinging my right leg in a vicious hook to knock her feet out from underneath her, but she noticed this, jumped, landed on her left leg and shot a powerful kick with her right, which I dodged, but grabbed her leg and swung her into the wall on the other side of the large room.
Rin watched in awe, barely able to keep up with the combat.
Do you think that he'd be able to beat her, Rin? Kuro asked, eyeing the fight from Rin's shoulder.
I dunno, Kuro. I get the feeling that he's only toying with her, but she's probably doing it with him, too. If they let loose, I dunno what'd happen. Rin answered, now turning to watch me in particular.
While Shura got up, I unsheathed my own sword, and to Rin's surprise, held it backhanded. "It's why it's on my right hip, you see." I said, grinning at him.
"I'm your opponent, baldy!" Shura shouted, swinging a vicious slash at my midsection, which I easily blocked, flicked her blade, and returned another slash at her throat, which she had to step back from, unable to bring her blade back in time. I pressed on with my advantage, and delivered a kick to her sternum, knocking the wind out of her and sending her back several metres.
"I underestimated you, Rikuto-chan." She said, poking out her tongue at me. "So how about'cha show me your Shikai?"
Rin snapped up, glancing at Shura. "Hey, what's Shikai?"
"You know how I said earlier that my sword could change forms? Well, with a Zanpakutō, the form you see now, is referred to as the sealed form. From there, once you know the release command and name of your Zanpakutō spirit, you can release it. However there is one more stage after that, known as Bankai. But hopefully you won't have to see mine."
Rin narrowed his brow in confusion. "Why's that? It sounds so cool!"
"Because," I said, dodging a swipe from Shura and following with several in return, "if I release my Bankai it's because I have to, and if I have to, we're in deep fucking shit, Rin."
He chuckled at my casually coarse language and sat against the wall.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I'm about to release my Shikai, and you'd want to be able to dodge at a moment's notice. It has a large area of effect!" I warned, dancing around in stances to avoid Shura's flying blade.
"You're good, Shura. But can you match this?" I grinned wickedly, flicking my sword forehanded, and she jumped back several paces, unsure of what was about to happen.
I brought my sword in front of me, and put my left hand on the flat of the blade. "Fly like lighning, dance, Kaminari!" I intoned, and as I uttered the release command, Kaminari glowed a emerald green, and then shot outwards, becoming a beautiful halberd, with a wickedly curving blade, which looked as it it was made of emerald scales, but became black on the blade edges. The halberd also had a glittering emerald gem that had a tapered point on the other end, which also provided that extra cutting edge. Literally.
But that's not the only thing it's for... I murmured inwardly.
"Behold my Shikai." I smiled, before spinning on the spot, and slashing upwards, hissing, "Mae!"
And suddenly a huge succession of lightning bolts, forming a crescent shape, issued from the blade, shooting towards Shura, who grunted, biting her thumb, and wiped it down her own blade.
She then grinned at me, hissing, "Kirigakure Ryū-Makengi – Hebiransu!" Which resulted in her blade transforming into a longer form with a wavy edge, much like the curves of a snake and the area near the tip of the blade gained an eye-looking mark.
I eyed the newly-transformed sword warily. "Gee, that looks dangerous."
"I could say the same for your sword. So it's a Lightning-type, hey? I like lightning."
I smiled innocently. "You won't after this-" I said, using Shunpo to appear on the wall above her, spinning and on each revolution, loosed a shot of crescent-shaped lightning charges, which smashed into the floor where she was a split second ago, leaving gaping holes in the floor.
I then appeared on the other side of the room, surveying Shura as she slashed at the air, shouting, "Kirigakure Ryū-Makengi – Dabō!" and loosing air slice projectiles in my direction, which I decided to avoid, using Shunpo to appear beside her, but then reverted to Hōhō, flicking in between her attacks with ease. Noticing an opening, I swung Kaminari, loosing a stream of crackling lightning, and upon seeing Shura jump, I grinned and flicked Kaminari in her direction, leaving a stunned Shura to watch as the 'stream' I'd conjured moments ago cracked like a whip and slammed into her, causing her to hit the ground hard and roll for several metres, still sporting little shocks of electrical charges at some spots on her body.
Shura coughed several times, wiped some blood from her chin, but reverted her sword back to normal, and sealed it away again.
I also reverted Kaminari back to sealed form, and sheathed it, using Shunpo to kneel beside her and help her up.
"You really pulled the cat out of the bag, huh? I really wasn't expecting that." She said, coughing.
"Shutup, so I can get you to the medic bay without you coughing blood all over my shikakushō." I grumbled, heading for the door, which I opened by pressing my foot against it in the same motion as a side kick.
"Rin, Kuro, are you coming, or what?" I said over my shoulder to a surprised boy and cat.
Rin started to run after us, but asked, "Hey, how did you know Kuro's name, anyways?" Kuro chimed in, letting off a meow.
I grinned. "I read your file, but I wanted to meet you in person, but ended up beating Shura instead." I jibed, sticking my tongue out at her, who just flipped me off in response.
"So where are you headed now? Could you stick around for a bit and give me some pointers? That was awesome!" Rin jumped up and down, causing Kuro to dig his claws into Rin's shoulder lest he fall off.
Rin winced, but looked at me hopefully.
I sighed, resigning myself. "How troublesome... Alright kid, let's see what you've got."
"Rikuto. A word." Shura's serious tone seized my attention completely. I nodded.
"Rin, I left the interrogation chamber open; go inside and get ready. You may fight with Kuro as well if you want." Rin fistpumped, and began to run off back to the chamber, Kuro in tow.
At Shura's raised eyebrow, I shrugged. "Whaaat? I'm the Captain-Commander of the Gense Gotei 13. I can hold my own against a 17-year old and a nekomata."
Shura shrugged in return, then turned away, motioning for her to follow me. We rounded a corner, and she leant up against a wall.
"Ya' know 'bout the pending execution over his head, right?" Shura murmured, subdued for once.
Taken aback by her seriousness, I couldn't help but adopt a similar tone.
"I'm aware of it, yes."
Shura looked me dead in the eye. "If he loses control one more time, Arthur ain't gunna to hesitate in bein' ordered ta' kill him immediately. That fight that Rin and I had; he showed me the hard way that he's willin' ta' go the hard yards ta' get to his goals. I dun' want him ta' fall short, ya' hear?"
I nodded, closing my eyes. "He's fine. I can restrain him and separate him from his sword, that's easy enough. But keeping him from being killed, not so easy. If I can, I'll make up some excuse for him falling under my jurisdiction. But I'm hoping it won't come to that." As I finished, I caught a flicker of a shadow, but said nothing to Shura, who hadn't seemed to notice.
"Make sure yer' do, 'cos I'll be on yer' ass if ya' don't, ya' hear me?" Shura said, walking away. "I'll be seein' ya' back at the Academy, 'kay?" And with that, she walked into an enshrined door, transporting herself back to the Japanese Branch.
I huffed, walking outside of the hallway, and back to the interrogation room, to find Rin sitting on the floor, cross-legged, boring holes into the floor with a despressed glare.
"You really should work on your stealth, idiot." I grinned, sitting in front of him.
"I... You really have no faith in me either?" Rin spat, looking aside.
"You really are dense, aren't you?" I muttered. "Look at me."
Rin just snorted, and crossed his arms.
"Rin." I dropped my voice even lower, and something in there made him look up.
"Since you were eavesdropping, did you hear the first two words I said?" I held his azure gaze steadily.
"Yeah. You said 'He's fine.'"
"Of course I did. If you didn't have guts, you'd be long gone by now. You made Shura believe in you. That's something to be proud of, you know. I've known her for only a few months now, but she's as headstrong and irritable as they come. Now, show me that me beginning to believe in you is worth my time." I said, rising to my feet.
"But... What if I lose it? I don't want to hurt you at all!" Rin said, looking down again.
"And let me tell you now, I don't give a shit who or what you are, I can handle you. If not, then that's another matter." I said, poking my tongue out at him. "Now are you going to get up and show me what you're made of, or am I going to have to beat some sense into you for sitting on the ground like a fucking pansy?"
Rin looked up suddenly, confused. He gradually started to smile. I like this guy. He's caring like nii-san, but got the no-nonsense attitude like Shura. He thought, getting up.
"Before you draw your sword, may I look at it?" I asked, carefully eyeing his reaction.
Clearly having learnt from last time, he hesitated and withrew the sword from my reach.
"Good, you've learnt. Now, may I look at it?"
Rin nodded, and passed me the sword, which I rotated in my hands, examining the pommel, hilt, guard and sheath. Applying some reiryōku, I mapped out the basics of the seals in play within it.
Whoever crafted these seals is definitely a master of the arts. There's not a single weakness in it. Only sheer, unimaginable power could break these. I marveled at the sword.
"If I draw this, your demon powers accentuate, yes?" To this, Rin nodded again. "I see, here. It would be rude of me to draw it."
He startled momentarily, and then drew it himself. His ears extended 4 times, and blue flames lashed and whipped around him, accentuating the harsh blue slits that his eyes became, which led my gaze to the long canine teeth that he gritted, in addition to his ever-present tail.
Having assessed his form, I clapped my hands together, and then with my left hand, placed my index and middle fingers together onto the blade, and my palm onto Rin's chest.
"Hakkefuuin!" I hissed, and as Rin gasped in shock, his demonic powers withdrew to leave him in his normal form, but when I withdrew my left hand, there was the mark of the Eight Trigrams seal on the blade.
"W- Wh- What did you just do to me?" Rin hesitantly asked after a few moments of staring at the sword.
"I sealed the channel that the sword opens when drawn, allowing your demonic powers to flow to you. Essentially, the sword will now act as if it's sheathed, allowing you to use it in battle. However," I said, holding up a hand to quell his next question, "it is just a normal sword if used that way. Once you learn to control your power on your own, I'll then undo the seal."
Rin blanched. "But what if I need the flames?"
"What use will your flames be if they hurt the very people you're trying to protect, huh? I've got a few weeks before I can start my own business, so I'll help Shura teach you. But first you've got to show me why I should bother." I glared back, using my height to my advantage.
Rin, getting visibly angrier, clutched his sword so tight that his knuckles went white. Suddenly he took a swing at my head, but I stopped it with the back of my index and middle fingers, to his surprise.
"So you really did seal it, huh?" He said to himself, lowering and examining the Koumaken, now sporting a seal on the blade, just below the hilt.
"Thankyou. This means I can get better, stronger, and able to protect my friends, and you, too! Sheesh, who knows when I'll have to save your ass!" Rin smiled, and laughed nervously.
I couldn't help but laugh at him, and swing an arm around his shoulders and steer him out of the chamber, clicking my fingers as we walked out to the boom of the door closing and sealing.
"So, Rin. How old exactly are you?" I asked, my hands behind my head, strolling to the nearest portal.
"Uhh, 17. Why? How old are you, anyways?" Rin shrugged, now looking at me expectantly.
My shoulders slumped. "Aw man, I can't take you out drinking! This is going to be boring as fuck! Oh, right, I'm 26." I added, laughing.
"Why would you want to do that anyway?" Rin asked, confused.
"Oh man, I gotta get Shura drunk in front of you, then you'll know why." I said, smiling innocently. "Ah here we are." I muttered, rummaging for the keys that I didn't have... yet. "Fuck." I cursed, looking around for any other highly enough ranked Exorcists.
Rin's right eye twitched. "You... YOU DON'T HAVE ANY KEYS, DO YOU?! YOU IDIOT!" He shouted, stomping his foot in frustration. Kuro just closed his eyes incredulously.
Suddenly, I had an idea. "Hey, Rin, how do you feel about being a test subject? I've been working on a technique that instead of opening a Senkaimon to Soul Society, it instead re-routes to another location." I said, hopping from one foot to another.
Rin just stared at me blankly. "Wha-?"
"Oh nevermind, you'll be fine." I dismissed my earlier concern, drawing my Zanpakutō. Stabbing it into the air beside me, and twisting it, I hissed, "Gense Senkaimon: Kai!"
As I sheathed my sword, a traditional Japanese waiting room appeared, as entered through a Shōji, which opened, revealing the hallway of the Order of the True Cross; Japanese Branch.
Rin pointed, short of speech. "Tha- That's amazing! You Shinigami sure are cool!" He yelled in glee, jumping through the portal, with me in tow. Once we were through, the Shōji closed behind us and the Senkaimon disappeared.
What was waiting for us, however, wasn't what I had expected. I bowed, and regained my aplomb.
"Kyōraku-taichō, Hitsugaya-taichō, Kuchiki-taichō. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"
Hitsugaya spoke up first. "In accordance to your report submitted to Soul Society 30 minutes ago, you've cleared the creation of a Shinigami Exorcist squad, Captain-Commander?"
I nodded. "That is correct, Captain. However at this stage I'm predicting a delay period of up to two months before they are ready to deploy. I will observe and assist with their training as well. I trust this is acceptable?" I intoned, already growing bored of formalities. It must've shown on my face, for Kyōraku grinned.
"Well yeah, that's what we were sent to find out. But not only that, we were sent for your... 're-evaluation'."
At this, I blanched. "Oh, fuck. I completely forgot!" I turned to Byakuya. "Captain Kuchiki, if we were to hold this re-evaluation somewhere, say, Urahara's training cavern, could I bring along this kid if I completely immobilised his reiatsu?"
Byakuya's gaze assessed me for a few moments before he ran Rin up and down. "I don't see any problem with that. Even if I did, as he is in your company, I have no power to refuse you. Only to ensure that his reiatsu is completely immobilised, Captain-Commander." Byakuya was clear that Rin's energy had to be useless for him to be able to enter Soul Society.
I turned to Rin, grinning wickedly while I pulled on a red glove with a skull on it. "Come here, will ya'?" I advanced on Rin, who glanced at the glove nervously.
"Hold still." I muttered, slapping my palm on his chest. "Bakudō #63: Sajō Sabaku." Suddenly, white glowing chains spewed from my hand, however when one looked closely, they were strung through with black, spidery seals which had an eerie green glow to them. Just as fast, the chains clamped around Rin's body, and 5 individual ones wrapped themselves around his wrists, ankles and neck, soon after fading, leaving the seal marks intact. I took my hands away, and studied my handiwork.
Rin rubbed his wrists, and studied the seals. "What did you do to me? What is it with you and seals-" but was cut short by Hitsugaya slapping him over the back of the head.
"Hey, brat. I don't care who you are, but the moment you were in Rikuto-san's company to Soul Society, he's your Captain-Commander, and you'll treat him with respect. If you're going to enter Soul Society, you show respect, or else. We don't care who's company you're in, if that's the case." Hitsugaya glared at Rin, who was shocked to be glared at from a child-like Shinigami, at least a foot shorter than he was.
Rin went to make a fist, but I sighed. "Bakudō #30: Shitotsu Sansen."
Three yellow charges of energy shot forward from the inverted triangle I'd drawn with energy, and pinned Rin to the opposite wall. I Shunpo'ed in front of him, and fixed him with a withering glare.
"Either shape the fuck up or I'll leave you the fuck behind, got that? These guys," I said, pointing at the three Captains, of which only Kyōraku was surprised at the display, "are the equivalent of a Paladin. Treat them with respect, not only because of that, but because they are incredibly loyal, strong, and trustworthy. I won't stand for this. Not for a second." I hissed, releasing the Kidō with a snap of my fingers. Rin dropped to the ground, rubbing his shoulders.
"Got it." He said, now walking over to Hitsugaya. "I apologise for my disrespect, Captain."
Hitsugaya sighed. "Whatever. Rikuto-san getting pissed at you was enough."
Kyōraku chuckled. "You don't want to get on his bad side, let me tell you."
Rin spun to the Captain. "Why, what happened...?"
Byakuya snorted. "A useless argument-" "Another Captain, a rather... temperamental one, managed to piss him off enough that Rikuto-san, using Hakuda, oh, sorry, hand-to-hand combat alone, beat the shit out of him and knocked him out cold. It was rather frightening; I haven't been that scared since Unohana-" I clapped a hand over his mouth, smiling at Rin. "That's enough, Shunsui-san. Such history isn't... polite." I floundered for a word, waving my other hand about.
"Well, as comedic as this may seem, we have to get moving. Yamamoto-sōtaichō is waiting, gentlemen." Byakuya cleared his throat impatiently.
I quickly drew my Zanpakutō, keyed it in the space beside me and muttered, "Senkaimon: Kai."
Rin gasped as a similar one to the Senkaimon Rikuto had used earlier, materialised. However, four black butterflies emerged from the glowing white void beyond the opening Shōji, landing on each Shinigami's shoulder.
"Why don't I get one?" Rin pouted slightly, miffed.
I shrugged, and I swear I heard a squeak of protest from my Jigokuchō. "Only Shinigami are permitted to wear them. Just grab onto my sleeve, you'll be fine. So, gentlemen," I turned to the other captains. "Shall we leave?"
