Ryoka-Chapter II
I don't believe in doing disclaimers each chapter. If that's a problem, "kiss my naked axe."
The "Ryoka Squad" members, species, and power type, are as follows: Ichigo (Visored-Arrancar hybrid), Uryu (Shinigami-Quincy hybrid, aka 'Quincigami'), Orihime (Unclassified/Human), Chad (Unclassified/Human, powers expanded and full-power form inspired by sentai/tokusatsu type heroes, primarily the MegaMan ZX games), Tatsuki (Unclassified/Human, abilities inspired by the Marvel Symbiotes and Jugo from Naruto, since I like his body-morphing abilities), Kiego (Unclassified/Human, powers inspired by the fic 'Weapons'), Mizuiro (Unclassified/Human, same), Senna (Shinenju/Shinigami), Kudo Fujimaru and Kudo Matsuri from the game "The 3rd Phantom", just 'cuz I like them (Shinigami).
The Senkaimon opened to deposit ten teenagers and one cat in West Rukon.
Two f them, male and female blonde fraternal twins in shihakusho and wearing hair decorations, looked around and inhaled deeply.
"So good to be back," the male twin said happily.
"Focus, Fujimaru," his sister admonished. "Remember why we're here."
"Maa maa, Matsuri. I know, I know," Fujimaru said, holding his hands up in a placating manner.
"Ne, Yoru-sensei?"
"Hm?" the cat replied.
"I'm guessing that would be Seireitei," Mizuiro finished, pointing.
"Good," Ichigo stated, striding towards the gates.
"Ichigo, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Yoruichi demanded.
Ichigo gave a grin that would look more at home on the face of his albino counterpart.
"Are you a 'gambling man', sensei? I'm sending a message."
"Oh," Yoruichi replied, nonplussed. Realization dawned. "Oh shit."
Ichigo stopped in front of the gate to give the others a chance to catch up.
"You aren't going to try to enter?" a deep voice asked.
"Typically," Chad replied, "to enter a gate one must first defeat the gatekeeper."
Jidanbo stepped into view, threw his head back, and laughed in approval.
"Bwa ha ha! Well said, pal!"
He hefted his axes.
"Get ready, now! I'm not gonna take it easy on ya-aaaagh!"
He was cut off by Ichigo…who did so by cutting a large gash in the giant's chest.
"You're wasting our time," he said flatly.
One back handed blow to the skull from Ichigo and it was over.
"All right," Jidanbo said, woozy. "You win. I'll open the gate. Only…weren't there only ten of you? Where did the other thirty come from?"
Ichigo felt Yoruichi glaring at him.
"Oops," he said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
As the gate began to lift, Yoruichi tensed.
"Everybody back!" the masculine-sounding queen ('queen' being the technical term for a female cat) shouted.
"Ohayo!" the silver-haired, fox-faced man in a captain's haori said in greeting, giving a small wave. "Jidanbo, why are ya openin' th' gate?"
"They won. If you defeat the gatekeeper, he opens the gate. It's the rules."
Gin shook his head as if in disbelief.
"What idiotic rules are you talking about? You misunderstood. Even when the guardian loses, the guardian may still not open the door. If the guardian lost, then that would mean... he must be executed."
"That's not what the rulebook says."
"Rule…book?"
Jidanbo pulled out a massive manual as large as Chad was tall and about half as thick and plopped it down in front of Ichimaru.
"Page sixty-four, Article 1, sub-section B-2."
Gin flipped to the page, reading briefly.
"Well, I'll be damned," he said in surprise. "You're right."
Jidanbo picked up his manual and tucked it back into his robes.
"Still, I can't just let them waltz in, ya know?" Gin continued. "Sorry, Jidanbo. Shoot to Kill…Shinso."
"Bai bai!"
Gin turned around as the gate slammed closed and began walking away.
Things are goin' right on plan, he mused to himself.
His "snake senses" began tingling as an odd sound made him pause.
His eyes went wide as the twin doors of the gate went flying past him, missing him by inches. He turned around slowly.
Chad and Tatsuki had their fists extended. They slowly lowered them as Ichigo turned and began walking away.
"Sensei. Let's go find those friends of yours. It's the Seireitei's move. We'll have to wait and see what it is."
"You shouldn't have done that, Ichigo. Now they'll expect us to try something."
Kukaku cocked an eyebrow.
"Now what-exactly-did berry-boy do, Yoruichi?"
"Blasted Jidanbo's gate off its hinges."
Kukaku's mouth dropped open.
Ganju swore and dove to catch her lit pipe.
"Dammit sis, you gotta be more careful! D'you want the house to burn down, again?"
"Again? How many times has it happened before?" Uryu asked.
"5,478."
Orihime blinked.
"Oh yeah, 'cuz using a frikkin' cannon to shoot us through the barrier is so much stealthier," Ichigo shot back sarcastically. "This way they get the message, and have a chance to end this peacefully."
"Captain Ichimaru," the Soutaicho intoned, "Why did you not try to kill or apprehend these Ryoka?"
"Wit' all due respect, sir," Gin replied, "There was no way in hell I wuz gonna take on them Ryoka if they were capable of ripping the gate off its hinges and throwing it at me."
"I agree with Ichimaru," Aizen said. "Committing suicide for no reason is not in a captains' job description. And by the time help would have arrived, we'd be short one taicho."
"But why destroy the gate, then leave?" Komamura spoke up.
"Simple. They are sending a message," Byakuya replied.
"Yes. They're saying they can enter any time they want, and no defenses we have are capable of stopping them," Hitsugaya put in. "They're giving us a chance to hand over Kuchiki Rukia without a fight. If we do, they leave. If not, we can probably expect an all-out attack."
Yamamoto turned to the resident scientist.
"Kurotsuchi-taicho, what did the Spirit Wave Measurement Lab register their power level as?"
"It really is fascinating. Each one measured at captain's level at the least, if not Vasto Lorde level. But the apparent leader, that Kurosaki boy Kuchiki fought…"
"Yes?"
"He caused the measurement device to self-destruct when it attempted to gauge his reiatsu level."
"How much power would that require normally?"
"The Soutaicho in Bankai or all thirteen of us combined."
Kyoraku whistled.
"Damn…"
"Mind you, the device only measures the full power of a subject. What he is capable of drawing on at any given point in time is likely far, far less, probably around the same level as the others."
"The difference between pool capacity and bucket capacity," Unohana said. The others gave her an odd look.
"Between what and what?"
"On one of her missions to the real world, Kiyone brought Isane a human manga about sorcerers and such that explains a similar concept like this: Bucket capacity represents the amount of magical energy a mage can gather at once. Pool capacity represents the sum of magic energy a user can channel through them before wearing himself out. The names come from the analogy of taking a bucket of water from a pool. I view Reiryoku the same way. A person's pool of spiritual energy is the total amount they possess, the 'bucket' is the amount they can draw and use at any given point. The 'pool' can be increased through training and the like, while the 'bucket' generally can't."
"A rather apt description," Ukitake mused.
"So what now?" Tousen asked.
The Soutaicho banged his cane on the floor.
"We will not give in to the demands of Ryoka terrorists! All squads to battle stations! Prepare for combat! Use of Zanpakutō and all associated abilities within Seireitei is fully authorized!"
Kyoraku tipped his hat down over his eyes.
"Well, shit. This ain't gonna end well."
Ukitake only nodded.
"Kukaku-sama! Ganju-sama!" Koganehiko shouted, bursting into the room. "The Thirteen Court Guard Squads have issued an edict! Hell Butterflies are spreading the message: they will not negotiate with the 'terrorist Ryoka'."
Ichigo sighed.
"They're idiots."
"No," Yoruichi replied, "they believe they're undefeatable, that you ten are nothing more than minor threats."
"I say we prove them wrong!" Tatsuki shouted.
"Ichigo…what do we do?" Kiego asked.
"We knew it would likely come to this," he replied. "We've been pushing ourselves non-stop for the last ten days, training and preparing for this. We rest up for one day, and then go with Yoruichi's plan of having Kukaku shoot us through the barrier."
"I'll help you, on one condition," Kukaku said at length. "You take my brother Ganju with you so he can monitor you on my behalf."
"No."
Ichigo's flat refusal startled her.
"Say what?" she growled, glaring.
"He'd only be in the way."
"Are you calling me weak, punk?" Ganju shouted.
"We're saying no such thing," Uryu interrupted smoothly. "We're merely saying you're not strong enough to keep up with us."
"We'll be facing captains and lieutenants," Chad added. "Can you fight on that level? We can. We've raised ourselves to that level. However, we don't have the time to do the same with you."
"Once we start fighting, we won't be able to keep an eye on you. If you get in the way, you die. Understand?"
Ganju nodded soberly.
"Still…there must be some way I can help," he said glumly.
Ichigo sighed.
"Fine. I just don't want your psycho pyromaniac of a sister to make my house explode because you die from getting in over your head," he stated.
"Um, she's sitting right there."
"What's your point?"
"Her prosthesis contains a reishi cannon."
"Oh. Oh crap."
"Intruders in the Seireitei! The barrier has been breached! All squads prepare for battle!"
Deep in the Central 46 chambers, a shadowed figure raised its head, a shaft of light glinting off a pair of glasses.
"And so it begins…"
AN: I forgot: you get a cyber No-Prize if you can guess which female Shinigami Uryu's mom is. I'll give you a hint: the hint is in the summary.