Days past quickly before Keichi was to enter the Shinigami Academy. He had been nervous about the entrance exam. When he asked what it was like, Renji would only glower while Rukia grinned mischievously.
"It's different for everyone," she had said.
Keichi wondered what that meant. Soon, he stood before the examiner, a shinigami by the name of Chojiro Sasakibe. Some of the older people taking the exam had been intimidated by his presence. He was, one had explained to Keichi in hushed tones, the former lieutenant of squad 1 and a personal friend of the strongest shinigami. He retired with his captain a few hundred years ago and became a mentor to the Academy. Keichi was about to ask the man where the former Captain was, but an Amber-eyed glance from the Sasakibe silenced them.
The exam began with a test of spiritual power. One could not become a shinigami without having some level of reiryoku. They needed to demonstrate this ability by forming some kind of visible spirit ball. Keichi remembered what Rukiya had said about shinigami being capable of using the spirit particles around them to perform various feats. Curious, he had practiced some days before the exam. Surprisingly, it came quite easily for him. However, the energy was unstable and would occasionally disappear before he wished.
Keichi formed a red ball of energy between his hands. He tried to clear his mind and focus solely on the ball of reiryoku. It took a moment for him to realize the person next to him had accidentally exploded their reiryoku.
"Huh?" Keichi glanced up, the energy still stable between his hands, to see a few others lose control of their own.
Sasakibe called an end to the test. "This was not so much a test of your reiryoku, but a test of your concentration," he announced. "Those of you who maintained concentration after the blast have passed."
He turned to the man who had exploded the spirit ball. "Allow me to introduce your next examiner, Machizo Muramaki."
The man winked at Keichi. He had been the same one who explained Sasakibe's status. Keichi and the others looked in surprise. He had been planted there to try to distract the examinees.
"You can stop emitting your reiryoku kid," he said to Keichi.
"Eh?" Keichi looked down to see his spirit ball still stable between his hands. The others laughed as while Keichi sheepishly dispersed it.
The next test was that of physical strength and agility. Test takers were given shinai bamboo swords and told they must gain one strike against Machizo. It looked just like a kendo match to Keichi, but without the armor.
Machizo stood with his shinai over his shoulder. "Just to warn you kids, I'm a member of the 11th squad. We are the strongest shinigami. If you leave an opening, be sure I'll take advantage of it. Volunteers?"
Some of the younger students gulped. He began to pick them. One after another, the students failed to land an attack. They were allowed to try as many times as they liked, but without much knowledge on how to keep their guard up, many were too bruised to continue.
Keichi stepped forward. This guy's arrogance was beginning to annoy him. Did he think he was so great because he could pick on the weak?
"Eh? What's this ball-boy? I didn't call you yet," he said with a half smile.
Keichi stood in a fighting stance. He had only done a little kendo in junior high. His step-mother urged him to find an after school hobby, perhaps so she could have more alone time at home. Either way, he was kicked out of the club when he beat up on one of the senior members for picking on a younger member. It wasn't so much that he had been stronger than that guy, but that he used less than orthodox methods to get the upper hand. A shinai in the rear end was definitely a foul.
"I'm ready," Keichi said more to himself than to Machizo. Without warning he ran toward the examiner with the shinai low to his said, prepared for an upward slash.
Machizo readied a defensive stance with a cocky smile. Just as he was about to reach out and strike at Keichi's opening, the boy dropped into a slide.
His momentum carried him between Machizo's legs, and the shinai right into a sensitive area. Machizo stood, surprised for an instant when his target was no longer visible, then doubled over in pain.
"What the? You punk kid!" he shouted through grit teeth. The other prospective students burst out laughing. Keichi stood, surprised his plan had worked. He figured the only place a person wasn't thinking about guarding in a traditional fight, was an untraditional area.
Sasakibe stepped in. Keichi was certain he'd be removed from the exam. However, the older man smiled. "In all my years, I've only seen one other swordsman do something like that," he said nostalgically. "Pass."
Sasakibe turned to the others, "Your tests are not over. While examiner Muramaki recovers, I shall fill in. As you may have just realized, we did not specify the method of how to land a hit on your opponent. A shinigami must use every available move to overcome an opponent. Not all your opponents will fight according to the rules."
He glanced at Keichi, "Take your shinai and move on to your final exam."
Keichi, still wide-eyed at this outcome, bowed a thank you. Before he left, he saw Machizo being carried away, still holding his groin.
Keichi followed the arrows that pointed to final exam. There was a large courtyard with several examinees and some academy students. They were grouped in teams. An older student saw him enter and said in a bored tone, "Sign up in a team of four and grab a number. The rules are simple. Work as a team to get through the obstacle course. You may use shinai and reiryoku, but you must all reach the finish line."
A group of girls chattered excitedly nearby. One had said this was her second time taking the exam, and that this was the definitely the hardest test.
Keichi looked over the sign up sheets. Most teams looked full. Team 4 had one opening, so he signed without a second thought and grabbed the number. The student glanced at him. "Team 4 huh? You must be new."
"Don't tell me shinigami are superstitious?" Keichi muttered.
The student merely chuckled and said, "You're not a shinigami yet." The he called for the next person to sign up.
Keichi grumbled and looked around for his team. He found them standing off to the side. They were a depressed looking group. It consisted of two boys and one girl. The boys looked haggard and gaunt. The girl looked haunted. When Keichi approached, they barely acknowledged him.
"Um…hi," he said trying to be friendly.
"Don't make nice kid," one boy with dark purple hair snapped. "No point anyway."
The girl whimpered. Her hair was a pale white which added to her ghostly appearance. "Jiro, don't make the girl cry," the second boy with raven hair said in a soft voice. "Besides, I'm not ready to give up just yet."
"What's going on here?" Keichi asked.
The second boy who spoke turned and smiled. "I'm sorry. My name is Daichi. The girl is Sakaki, and that grumpy guy is Jiro. What's your name?"
"Keichi," he replied simply.
Daichi raised his eyes. "Well, I certainly hope so. See Sakaki? All hope is not lost."
Keichi forced himself not to roll his eyes. The number of times he heard that joke had long passed what he could stand. Keichi's name was spelled to read "seemingly the best". His enemies and friends alike loved to make puns with it.
Jiro glared at him. "Sure. We'll see. No one in team four has ever passed the exam. It's cursed. You think just because you got through the other tests that it's ok to fail one? No. The others don't matter. If you can't pass the third exam, you fail and have to wait a year to try again."
Keichi stared back at Jiro. "We're not going to fail," he said in an even tone. "I'm not going to wait a year to get stronger."
"Tch. Let's see if you still talk big when the exam begins."
Sakaki made a sound and the two boys that had been trading challenges broke eye contact to look at her. "Um…please…don't fight," she said in a barely audible voice.
Daichi nodded, "Yeah we're a team so, let's do our best."
Keichi agreed, but he still turned to Jiro. "One question, if you're so worried about the number team you're on, why did you sign up for four?"
"Did you see any other openings?"
Keichi shook his head. He hadn't really looked, but most spaces seemed full.
"That's because the nobles sign up ahead of time. The list was full before I even got here."
"Isn't that, I don't know, illegal?"
Jiro laughed suddenly. "You must have not been in Soul Society very long. The nobles run this place. Even if you join the Gotei 13, the nobles are still the cream of the crop. They influence everything."
Keichi thought back. Didn't Rukia say she was a member of one of the four noble houses? Keichi hadn't really considered what that meant. Afterall, she didn't seem very noble. However, her speech was much more refined than Renji's.
Daichi nodded solemnly. "Unfortunately it's true. We come from the poorer districts of Rukongai. That makes us last priority."
"So this is heaven?" Keichi muttered.
"What was that?" Daichi asked.
"Oh. Nothing. How about we show the nobles they're wrong? After all, it doesn't seem like we have much to lose."
Jiro sighed, "Fine. But don't slow me down new-blood."
The exam director appeared overhead. A large man with a bald head floated above. Keichi stared in amazement. How was he doing that? No one else looked very surprised.
"My name is Gengoro Onabara. You have already been told the rules of the exam. Begin."
After his short introduction, the ground began to shake. Walls of stone rose around them. Keichi leaped to the side to avoid a wall. He looked around wildly for his team. They were being separated already!
"Eyaaa!" Sakaki screamed.
"Look out!" Keichi ran to Sakaki and pushed her away from another rising wall.
They lay there for a moment and waited for the ground to stop shaking. Keichi could hear other teams calling for their members. He looked around. Jiro and Daichi couldn't be too far away.
He called to them. No answer.
Sakaki made a noise beneath him. "Oh. Sorry. Are you alright?" Keichi said finally getting off of her.
Her pale face had some color in it. "Y-yes."
He helped her up. "We need to find the others before we move on. Looks like the created a maze."
Sakaki pointed toward a wall. "Daichi," she said. Then, she pointed further down, "Jiro."
Keichi stared in the directions she pointed. "Are you sure? How do you know?"
"I can feel them. Can't you?"
Keichi paused for a moment. No. He couldn't sense a thing. "Sakaki, can you navigate me?"
She nodded, but when she moved to walk, she slumped to the ground. Keichi caught her mid-fall. "Let me see your ankle."
He pressed it gently, and Sakaki let out a small whimper. "It might be sprained," he said. He didn't know much about injuries, but he was sure she wouldn't be able to walk on it.
Keichi hoisted her on his back without a word. She was surprisingly light. He wondered if that had anything to do with poverty. "Just tell me where to go."
Sakaki blushed furiously. "Uh…up."
"Up? How?" Keichi looked up. The walls were probably 3 stories high and with a smooth surface. No way could he climb it.
"Gather spirit particles under your feet. You can walk on air then," she tried to explain.
Keichi remembered how Onabara stood on air just moments ago. Was that how he was doing it? Now that he thought about it, the man's feet were flat as if he were standing on a platform. If it was anything like making a spirit ball, Keichi figured he'd give it a try.
He jumped and concentrated on gathering particles beneath his feet each time he felt gravity beginning to pull him down. The first try caused him to lose his footing and he fell backward. Had he slower reflexes, he would have squished Sakaki.
"Sorry about that," he said. But she simply shook her head and smiled.
Keichi tried once more. He got it. It took several short leaps, but he made it to the wall's ledge.
There was indeed an expansive maze stretched before them. He could not see how this was ever a courtyard. A few other teams were running across the wall. Then, a flame shot out at them. Keichi looked around just in time to see a flame rise up to him. He jumped down to the other side where Daichi lay unconscious.
It seemed they'd have to navigate through the maze after all.
"Daichi. Dachi! Wake up!" Keichi knelt beside the boy and shook him.
"Uhn…wha? What happened?"
Keichi sighed in relief. "Can you walk?"
Daichi looked from Keichi to Sakaki. "How long have I been out?"
"Just a few minutes. Come on. We have to find Jiro," Keichi said as he helped Daichi up. "Sakaki, where do you sense him?"
"He's moving forward," pointed in front of them. "But there is trouble."
The ground began to shake again. The walls were shifting. Keichi grabbed Daichi's arm and ran forward. They reached a small clearing seconds before the path was blocked. Keichi heard a growling noise behind him.
The three turned to see a large boar lower its head in a challenge. "Daichi, take Sakaki and find Jiro. He may be in trouble. I'll meet up with you guys as soon as I can," he said.
Daichi didn't argue. He took Sakaki and, as he sped off, he shouted back, "Be careful Keichi."
Keichi stared into the animal's eyes. One time, a rapid dog had attacked him when he was little. Its eyes looked similar to the boar. Keichi readied his weapon. He doubted it'd be of much use against the creature, but he had a plan.
The boar began to charge. Keichi didn't move. He braced himself for the impact and put the shinai in front of him to act as barrier. Just as he expected, the boar jumped at him and bit down on the stick. Keichi pushed against the force of the creature with all his might. The creature kept pushing him backward until Keichi was almost against a wall.
Its eyes glowed with a primordial fire and it let out an unearthly growl. Flames began to smolder from its nostrils like a dragon. This gave Keichi an idea. He focused between the animal's eyes and gathered spirit particles to for a ball of red energy.
The creature grew wilder. It shook and twisted at the shinai still in its mouth, still held by Keichi. Keichi took the opportunity of distraction to mount the creature's back. He moved the red ball forward and the boar chased. Keichi held onto his shinai like a brace and crouched low against the animal's fur.
"Now let's see what you can do," he said. He moved the light upward along the wall. The boar chased it, scaling the smooth surface with ease. Keichi tried not to be amazed at this feat.
Wind ripped around him as they ran along the path of the wall. The flames that had sprouted to discourage teams from using the easy way shot forth from unseen holes. Keichi felt them singe him, but the animal's fire resistant fur staved off most of the damage. Also, they were moving so quickly, there was little time to burn.
Keichi looked around below. He saw teams fighting other teams, some were caught in traps, and others were lost. Then he spotted Daichi and Sakaki. The weren't moving. He followed the direction they were staring to see Jiro caught between two spiked walls.
"Jiro!" Keichi called out. He turned the boar around.
Daichi stared at Keichi with amazement then laughed. "Wow, you really are something," he said. "Perhaps you can figure this out."
Jiro looked scared. "Keichi…don't let him move."
Keichi looked between the two. "What's going on?" Something didn't feel right.
Jiro pleaded, "If they move from that platform they're pressing, I'll be killed!"
Daichi didn't look concerned at all. "Sakaki says that isn't Jiro. She says he's further ahead. But, we can't get pass to see if she's right unless we move from this spot."
Sakaki nodded. "Is there any chance you could be wrong Sakaki?" Keichi asked. He didn't want to risk losing a team member.
Sakaki looked at him. "I'm…not sure," she admitted.
Keichi thought for a moment. The boar grew restless. "I can check up ahead. I'll be right back."
Just as he began to make the boar climb, spikes shot from the wall. It slashed at the animal and sent it sprawling on the ground. Keichi jumped from its back in time to avoid being caught underneath. The animal passed out from its injury.
Keichi picked up his shinai from its mouth. "Ok…new plan."
Jiro called out, "Hurry…these things are getting closer."
Keichi looked closely at Jiro. Something didn't feel right, but he couldn't quite place it. "Daichi. Don't move from that spot until I say so."
"What? What are you going to do?" Jiro panicked.
"Trust me, Jiro. You won't get hurt. I promise," Keichi said as he walked toward Jiro slowly. With each step, Keichi tested the ground with his shinai. When he was within 10 feet, another wall of spikes lurched from either side of him. Keichi moved back just in time to save his hand. His shinai, however, was splintered.
Keichi closed his eyes and stepped forward.
"What are you doing?!" he heard Daichi call out.
Keichi continued forward until he reached Jiro. With is eyes still closed and using only his senses, he stood on the same platform as his teammate, then pushed him out of the way and on the other side of the spike wall. "Daichi now!"
Daichi hesitated. Did his teammate have a death wish? He stepped off the platform slowly.
The spikes around Keichi closed and evaporated.
Daichi sighed.
Jiro stared and blinked. "What just happened?"
Keichi opened his eyes and looked around. He slumped to the ground in relief. "It was an illusion."
"What do you mean illusion?" Jiro said still panicked. "That boar of yours just got spiked. So did your shinai."
Keichi looked over his shoulder at the boar. There was no blood. It was most likely unconscious from the fall. As for his shinai, "That was likely to keep me from moving forward."
Keichi stood. "You can show yourself now, whoever you are," he said out loud.
An afroed shinigami with a chakram came forth and clapped. "Good good. Did you sense my presence? I worked hard to keep my reiatsu sealed."
"Who are you?" Daichi asked coming forward.
The afro-man introduced himself heartily, "Zennosuke Kurumadani. You're doing very good team four. Though, I almost had you."
Keichi walked up to the man and punched him in the face. "What the hell is wrong with you guys? Someone could have really gotten hurt."
Kurumadani flew backward from the punch. "Geez…you hit hard kid." He rubbed his jaw sensitively.
Then he grew serious. "That's kind of the point though. Some people get hurt. Some people die. You can't save everyone."
"But if everyone doesn't make it to the finish line, we lose," Daichi said calmly.
"Whenever you lose a team member, even if you win the battle, you still lose," Kurumadami. "That's the lesson this test teaches."
"So…what the hell did you expect us to do?" Jiro jumped in. "You trick people with illusions and spikes, and then tell them to leave their teammates behind and go fail the test?"
Kurumadami shook his head. "That wasn't the case at all. You were suppose to have faith in your teammates, like orangey did here, and try."
He looked at Sakaki who still clung to Daichi's back. "After all, there were three people here at first. Either one of you could have done the same thing he did if you weren't so worried about yourselves."
Sakaki looked downcast.
"Don't worry about it though. It's a six year program. You kids have plenty of time to figure these things out. Now go finish the course."
Jiro rubbed his head. "I still don't get what just happened."
Keichi finally said something. "You were throwing off Sakaki's sense with your spirit energy, weren't you Kurumadami? To make them move forward?"
"Oh right again, orangey," the shinigami gave Keichi a thumbs up.
"If they had moved forward, Jiro wouldn't have been harmed?"
The shinigami smiled, "That would have depended on they would have moved forward."
Keichi set his jaw. "You guys are really messed up, you know that?"
He turned to his teammates. "Let's get out of here."
As they ran forward Kurumadami crossed his arms and nodded sagely. "You're going to do something great Kurosaki. But before you do, you'll experience a lot of horrible things. One day you'll understand."
Keichi and the rest of team four weren't the first to finish the maze. However, the way in which they did made them a topic among the teachers. Keichi was sent to Class 1, the advanced course for students found to be extremely gifted in the arts. It was taught be Gengoro Onabara himself. Onabara welcomed his students with a stern wisdom reminiscent of a principal.
His final words addressed everyone, but his eyes fell upon Keichi, "There will be great expectations you must fulfill."
The day after being accepted into the Academy, Keichi began a routine that was both new and familiar. It was as if he were back at school on earth. The classes were different, and more interesting, and the uniform was more comfortable. However, the work load was heavier and the teachers more strict. He had been so busy that he no longer heard the voice in his head.
Keichi had been given a dorm room with another 1st year Class 1 student by the name of Taro Noburo. He wasn't very talkative and mostly kept to his studies, but Keichi had no problem with that.
The classes consisted of six masteries. Zanjustu taught students how to use their swords in combat. It explained the nature of Zanpakuto and students were challenged to learn how to communicate with their inner world. Keichi absorbed information like a sponge. Growing with one's Zanpakuto was the key to being a strong shinigami. None of the students had materialized their Zanpakuto, nor were they expected to. Instead, they used temporary katana to practice melee fighting. Keichi found that, if he really tried, he could fight fair quite well for a beginner.
Hakuda was hand to hand combat. It was not seen as vital a training as Zanjutsu, but it's similarities to martial arts attracted Keichi. If he was not practicing his swordsmanship, he practiced hakuda. He enjoyed sparing with his old teammate Jiro, though the boy was in a lower class. Jiro was better at Hakuda because of his experience on the street. Keichi learned to combine some Hoho and Kido maneuvers with Hakuda to gain the upper hand. After that, even Jiro had trouble beating him.
Hoho emphasized agility and using spirit particles to move about. Shunpo was the most prominent of these abilities. Only high level shinigami excelled at shunpo. Even so, Keichi learned from his time in the maze, that a shinigami can manipulate the air around him and even rocket the energy forward quickly like kido. He became fond of using it jump higher, farther, and faster than his classmates. Even Onabara was impressed by his student's grasp of how to manipulate his surroundings to his advantage. Soon, Keichi rose to the top of his class.
Kido was much more difficult. Though Keichi had no trouble maintaining the power, it was remembering the incantations which gave him trouble. It reminded him too much of trying to remember poetry. On occasion, he'd stumble and the kido would back-fire. However, when he did succeed, the power behind his attacks was almost perfect. This motivated Keichi to study Kido in depth during his free time. His roommate was most proficient in the art and so, after a bit of begging, Taro agreed to help Keichi improve his Kido if he would help Taro with Zanjutsu.
"Also, you have to stop talking in your sleep," Taro said.
"What? I talk in my sleep?"
The pasty boy nodded. "You keep mumbling something. I think one time you said 'who are you?'"
Keichi thought for a moment. He didn't remember his dreams. Usually he did, but as of late, he'd been too exhausted. He may not hear the voice clearly anymore, but it encouraged him that he still communicated with it in his sleep.
"So do you promise?"
Keichi nodded. "I'll try to keep it down. Sorry."
One day, while training together, Keichi ran into Sakaki who also was very proficient in Kido. With two substitute instructors, Keichi began to excel in this art as well. Little did he know, his progress was being closely monitored by the Academy and the Gotei 13.
"He's moving through the courses very quickly," Onabara sat in a luxurious lounge with Sasakibe. "I've only seen 3 others learn at his pace."
Sasakibe smoked a European-like pipe that he found on a trip to the human world. "I know of more than that. Though, I won't deny the boy is special. Perhaps it has something to do with..."
Onabara knew of Ichigo Kurosaki. He never personally met the substitute shinigami, but he had heard stories of him. He had also learned from Sasakibe that Keichi resembles that lost soul in many ways.
"Perhaps. But I wouldn't hold him back. Even if this strength is not his own, he utilizes it with amazing proficiency and tact."
Sasakibe mused. "Onabara. How long do you think it would take him to complete the six year course?"
Onabara shook his head. "At this rate, he may even beat the record."
"Gin Ichimaru…" Sasakibe said the name slowly. Gin had been a genius in many ways. But he had also been extremely dangerous. His loss was, unfortunate, for the Gotei 13. Gin had completed the course in a year, breaking Kaien Shiba's record of two years.
"But Ichigo Kurosaki, though he never attended this school, learned faster than any of them," Sasakibe finished. "Genryusai-san never told anyone but me this. That Ichigo had the potential to become stronger than even he. If Keichi has that same potential, what do you think would happen if we allow him to advance too quickly?"
Onabara understood. It wasn't just knowledge and mastery of the arts that the Academy offered, it was experience. Keichi had only been in Soul Society for several months. He was still, in a way, attached to the human world. He often told stories to his friends about what it was like.
No shinigami had memories of their living world. This made Keichi dangerous. Central 46 watched him closely. They had no control of him while he was inside the Academy, but once he joined the Gotei 13, they could do whatever they wanted with the inexperienced boy.
In order to protect Keichi from having his power misused, or destroyed, by Central 46, he needed to stop considering himself human and start thinking of himself as a shinigami. Otherwise, the higher powers will only see him as a threat.
Onabara bowed and thanked Sasakibe, "I see what you mean. Still, I have little control on when he graduates. If other parties make a move, I will not be able to stop them."
(A few days after this conversation)
Students of the advanced class had the privilege of participating in a real-life hollow hunt. They were organized into teams of three and monitored by several six-year students and shinigami. Sometimes, accidents occurred, but those were rare and far between.
Keichi teamed with his roommate Taro and a full-figured girl with almond skin by the name of Anora. Anora was also one of the top students. Her specialty was Hakuda and Hoho. She was one of the fastest students in the academy. Anora was certain that, when she graduated, she'd join the Onmitsukido, the special covert ops division of Soul Society. It was led by the captain of the 2nd Squad SoiFon. Anora had admired the captain since she was a child and worked hard to one day be like her.
Keichi was nervous; this would be the first time he'd return to the human world. Onabara had explained that it was only a small section of the human world, just outside of Karakura City. It was chosen due to its high levels of spirit particles that would make things easier on the 1st years. There were isolated by barriers that would prevent any harm to come to the landscape or humans. No one would be able to see them. The hollow they'd be hunting was of Gillian level and engineered by the 12th division. Still, they were cautioned to not take unnecessary risks.
Keichi only wondered if he'd recognize where they would be, or if he'd see anyone he knew. He almost wished he could go to his school and show those who laughed at him what he was made of. There was also Kami. Keichi had found that he was still worried about her well being. The last he remembered, she was unconscious and there was a hollow trying to kill them. He had been told that the shinigami that saved him killed the hollow, but he had no idea what happened to Ishida.
"Keichi, pay attention," Taro's nasal voice broke through his thoughts. The Senkaimon gates had opened and the groups were heading forward.
Keichi ran to catch up, his heart raced in his chest. It felt as if, whatever was beyond those doors held the key to his future.
Kami Ishida spent the past few months in a blur. Things had gone back to normal. The bridge that had fallen was almost rebuilt and no one seemed to remember Keichi Kurosaki. Even she was having difficulty remembering every once in awhile. This realization disturbed her. When she asked Takashi why people forget those that passed away, her brother looked at her curiously.
"What do you mean? Are you talking about mom?"
Kami simply stared. She didn't want him to worry.
"You never really knew her to remember her. So, don't worry about it. I haven't forgotten her one bit," he said. His eyes grew distant. "You know, she really liked flowers. Father's office use to be full of the flowers she'd pick. She was very good at arranging them too."
He chuckled. "One time, she arranged a necklace of flowers and put them around my neck. But then, a bee came and stung me."
Kami's face grew sad. "I-I'm sorry."
Takashi looked down at his sister. "What? No. It's not your fault. Why are you apologizing?"
Kami shook her head. "If it weren't for me…mom would still be around."
Takashi's face softened. "Kami-chan. No matter what you think, even if I'm hard on you sometimes, I'm glad you're my little sister."
Kami sighed at the memory of her talk with her brother. She wished he was here now. Kami along with several other Quincy stood on the outskirts of Karakura City. They got an anonymous report that several hollow would show up in the area. Though she was wary of following up on anonymous calls, there was little she could do to ignore the possibility of a hollow invasion.
Takashi couldn't come on this mission due to a private matter. When she pressed him for information, he grew serious. It worried her. He could never keep a secret. If he was able to keep this one, it must be something very important. She sent a short prayer for her brother's safety.
Just as she finished, the ground began to quiver. Her squad looked around. An unnatural amount of energy was being erected somewhere. It didn't feel like a hollow.
"Hold your positions," Kami instructed. The core of the energy was coming from further up ahead.
Kami took a group of 3 other Quincy with her to investigate. They looked down over a ravine to see an abandoned railroad. A light began to glow. Kami let down her visor to shield her eyes. A gate appeared.
Kami gestured for her team to take cover and hide their spirit energy. As they watched, several shinigami came forward. Even more in white outfits followed. They were looking around interestedly. Kami couldn't make out what they said. She looked back over to her team. Their eyes were wide.
Kami signaled for them to tell the others what was going on. They were going to need back up.
((Next Time: The Quincy may not have found a Hollow invasion, but they did find something just as bad, if not worse; a Shinigami invasion. But what will Kami do when she sees someone she never thought she'd see again? And who was the anonymous caller that led them to this place?))