What's up ladies and gentlemen? Sorry this chapter took so long to come out but I've been busy with a lot of other stuff. Still, I should be good to keep writing for a bit again now! Thank you to the reviewers, it's very much appreciated. Please, continue to support the story. Thank you!

Chapter Seven

Residual Time Residents

Shigekuni Genryuusai Yamamoto stood with his back to his fellow captains, the billowing sleeves of his white haori blowing gently as he surveyed the blood stained wreckage of the recent chaos. There was a pained look in his old, watery eye and his back heaved as he sighed greatly, turning on the spot to face them at last. His sole arm clasped the gnarled, wooden staff that concealed his weapon and he narrowed his eyes. Standing before him was Jushiro Ukitake, the wise captain of the 13th Division, whose face was stretched thin over bone, sagging purple bags beneath his eyes. The man was a withered tree, a flower buckling beneath immense pressure. The recent deaths in his squad had taken a toll on him.

Beside him was the rather foppish Shunsui Kyoraku, though his usual flamboyant demeanour was replaced with a stern and unyielding gaze. As always, his hat was tipped over his eyes, darkening his brow to those around him. The final member of the gathering was the lovely Retsu Unohana, Captain of the 4th Division. Her black hair was pulled about her, framing her face before hanging in front of her, tied together in a large braid. Although she usually appeared motherly and caring, with a warm smile and bright eyes, her face was cold and grave. They stood in silence for a moment, Yamamoto's face creasing as he opened his mouth to speak before rethinking and turning away again, staring out over the Seireitei from his grand personal chamber.

"You say you successfully analysed the reiatsu of the corpses?" Yamamoto said gruffly at last.

"I did," Unohana said. "It was difficult. After all, whosoever wielded the weapon that murdered those poor Shinigami went to great lengths to conceal their power but yes, it was not the reiatsu of a Shinigami, nor that of a Hollow," Retsu lifted her eyes to those around her. "Their attacker was definitely Quincy."

"Didn't we already get a confession?" Kyoraku muttered, lifting his head a little to survey the expressions of his peers. "Ryuken Ishida, the man was a Quincy before disappearing from circulation altogether...," however, Kyoraku knew the answer before he had finished speaking. In his mind, he understood what was bothering the rest of the senior captains, as it was gnawing away at his own conscious. "Or do you really think it is them, after all?"

Yamamoto remained silent.

"The Vandenreich," Unohana breathed, shaking her head. "The rest of the captains of course have no idea of the magnitude of this statement." Yamamoto nodded in solemn agreement.

"That is why they must be told. That is why we must take the responsibility and warn them, before it is too late," Ukitake whispered, his voice hoarse. "My subordinates...their fates may have been sealed, but if we act now, we can stop this resurgence in its tracks." However, as he spoke, a voice boomed from the far end of the room, capturing all their attention in a stroke.

"You will tell no one!" The sound of footsteps on the wooden floorboards thudded ever nearer to them as a man appeared in sight. He was rather unsightly, short and fat and hunched over, his face wrinkled with age and experience. He had, concealing his face, a wooden mask that had the number '46' etched onto it. Rather than the typical Shinigami attire, he was draped in a flowing gown of beauty that cupped his neck and enveloped his arms and legs.

"An envoy of the Central 46?" Yamamoto boomed, opening one of his eyes at the arrival. "What do you wish to convey?"

"Exactly what I said," the little man sneered. "You will tell no one what occurred. Doing so would only cause panic and that is something we do not need right now. I was instructed to inform you that this is an official order from the Central 46 to the captains of the Soul Society."

"You don't want us to explain the matter? You want to keep the citizens of Rukongai and the other Shinigami in the dark?" Ukitake scowled at the messenger. "I don't quite follow. Surely it would be beneficial to ensure that we are readily prepared for another assault by The V-," however he was cut off by the man almost instantly.

"There won't be another assault, Captain. Not if you tell the people it was just a Shinigami gone rogue that killed those people in the Dangai and outside the barracks of the 1st Division," the envoy said.

"I can't do that. It would be disrespectful to the memories of those who bravely gave their lives. It would dishonour the names of those in my division. How can the Central 46 want to do this? The evidence gained by Lady Unohana's report clearly points to a Quincy enemy," Ukitake said proudly, his tired eyes never leaving the mysterious, masked individual who stood at about half their height.

"I have to agree," Shunsui mumbled, sauntering over to them, his beautifully detailed pink haori dancing in the wind, the setting sunlight filtering in through the open wall of Yamamoto's personal office, creating a gilded room of stunning golden rays. "Regardless of whether Ryuken Ishida truly is a part of The Vandenreich or not, the fact of the matter is we were attacked by a Quincy. This is a serious, scary matter, friend," Shunsui said calmly. "The fact that he mentioned The Vandenreich at all is potential evidence of a possible resurgence. Don't you think it would be in the Soul Society's best interests to stop it?"

"I think it would be in the Soul Society's best interests to keep this quiet. For now, a rogue Shinigami went wild in the Dangai and then escaped. I also think it would be in your best interests if you followed the orders set by your higher ups...don't you agree?" The messenger said with an obvious amusement.

"Are the Central 46...threatening us?" Ukitake said, taking a defiant step forwards. With that, the little man turned and strode away down the office, his shadow spreading across the floor as he dipped in front of the sunlight. "Hey!" Ukitake barked only to splutter and cough, clutching his chest.

"Jushiro," Yamamoto's deep voice resonated through the air. Ukitake looked up, his mess of white hair clinging to his sickly face as Shunsui rested a hand on the ill man's back. "Soon, Sasakibe will return with Urahara Kisuke by his side. I am hoping then we can get some answers, or at least, that man's ideas on our present situation," Yamamoto said quietly as the messenger vanished into thin air. Ukitake stood to his full height and walked away, Shunsui and Unohana watching uneasily, concern on their faces as the white haired captain rested his hands on the woodwork, his weary gaze scanning the otherwise peaceful Seireitei. It was a jungle of pillars and great towers that split the sky.

"Jushiro," Unohana whispered gently.

"I don't like this," the man replied. "I withheld information from Ichigo-kun...I can't do it from my own subordinates now as well, the men and women who trust me. Am I supposed to lie to Rukia too?" Ukitake clenched his jaw as he stared out over the Soul Society. "The Central 46...they know it's coming, the Quincy. It's only a matter of time, it was only ever a matter of time. And now this? There's got to be something we can do," the man sighed heavily, Kyoraku and Unohana watching from the shadowy backdrop.

"There has to be," Ukitake said breathlessly, the sun dropping behind some wispy clouds.

Urahara was led through the Dangai cautiously. Clearly something was wrong, but he had not heard anything about it. Sasakibe led the men, the ninjas clad in black dipping in and out of the shadows as they went, four of them boxing Urahara in, clasping poles to his neck.

"What's going on here? First this mess with Ginjou and now I'm being arrested?" Kisuke eyed the lieutenant at the front of the pack. Chojiro was darting his head about, his ears perked like a dog for anything suspicious. "They are all very clearly on edge. Are they afraid of me, perhaps? Do they think I will try and break free? Or, is there something else I should fear?" Finally, they came to a stop. The doorway to the Soul Society was just ahead, but something was definitely wrong. The Koryu current had stopped. Urahara looked around, his eyes wide in shock.

"You!" Chojiro barked, whipping his zanpakuto from his sheathe and transforming it into shikai, pointing his rapier at Kisuke's throat. "What have you done? Why has the Koryu stopped moving?" He snapped, beads of sweat running down his forehead. Kisuke began to rapidly shake his head.

"I-I didn't do anything! I-," he stopped when the men clad in black turned their heads. Urahara craned his neck, looking slowly over his shoulder as their pole arms were removed from his throat. Through the darkness he observed a ghostly white figure emerge, striding towards them. He was hooded, a buttoned coat billowing open about him, revealing a simple, white military uniform beneath it and formal trousers resting atop similarly white shoes. As the man appeared before them, Urahara noticed he had strikingly blonde hair that fell about his smooth face, his eyes glistening in the faint light of the Dangai.

"You there, Ryoka! Did you stop the Koryu?" Chojiro snapped. Casually, the figure reached into his uniform and held something up in the air above them. It was a Quincy pendant, dangling from a chain. Urahara gasped.

"So it's true!" He choked, his eyes bulging. Sasakibe must have sensed the reiatsu as he whipped his sword up, though it rattled nervously in his hand.

"I-It can't be! Quincy! Quincy!" Sasakibe cried, alerting the shadowy members of the 2nd Division. "Run! Return to the captains!" However, in a flurry of blood they were all of them struck down individually, splatters of blood caking the tunnel that was the Dangai. Chojiro span round but immediately the blonde haired man was behind him, catching the lieutenant's wrist in his hand. The Quincy lifted his cross and a blue light began to emanate from it, shrouding the entire area in an aquatic glow.

"Seele...Erfassen," the Quincy whispered coldly. Chojiro's eyes widened as he darted backwards, skidding across the floor.

"What have you done, Quincy?" he spat. The figure lowered his pendant, the metal chiming on the links of the chain. Looking about him, the attacker viewed the death and the multiple bodies that lay on the floor around them. Then, the floor lit up, a circle of light surrounding them. Chojiro cursed, Kisuke outside the ring of light. It was a seething reiatsu of immeasurable force and Urahara watched in awe.

"Could this be what happened to Ginjou? Though this certainly isn't Erwecken...that Quincy called it 'Seele Erfassen'," Urahara thought to himself, his hair blowing about his face in the breeze created from the force of the rippling reiatsu.

"I have initiated Seele Erfassen, weren't you listening?" The blonde haired man directed the lieutenant to the extremely wide circle of light that encompassed them both. "It's just a game really, you should be honoured. This is ancient, Quincy, magic that only Magic Hunters of old once used. Now you, a disgusting Shinigami, may experience it first hand for yourself," the blonde haired man said, smirking nastily as Chojiro fumbled with his weapon. Then, the white haired lieutenant breathed out heavily, collecting himself.

"I see," Sasakibe said, straightening up and twirling his sword. "Are you the one who murdered the members of the 13th Division?"

"Murdered?" Urahara thought, horror flashing across his face. The blonde haired villain rubbed the back of his neck.

"Not I. Instead, it was someone you know quite well. Ryuken Ishida," the Quincy said, this time his grin falling on Urahara. Kisuke shook his head, his hands curling into fists. That could not be true. It was not true. At least he knew now why the Soul Society was suddenly so interested in the man. "However, we are getting rather off topic. This is a game yes, but no ordinary game. This is a soul game. Here, the stakes are much higher than you could ever comprehend. We Quincy have complete and utter reishi control, so great in fact that we can offer our spiritual bodies as wager. Defeat me and you're free to pass," the blonde haired Quincy remarked. The villain narrowed his eyes.

"Lose though and, well, you'll lose more than you know," the man hissed. Chojiro attempted to escape backwards, only to come into contact with the ring itself. He screamed as it burned him and he jumped away from it, some of his arm vanished completely, singed, burnt away. "Trying to escape is the same as losing...," the blonde haired man opened his arms. However, Chojiro was already prepared. The lieutenant darted forwards with his shikai and stabbed, lunging for the Quincy. The blonde haired man disappeared, Chojiro slamming his foot into the ground before looking behind him, the cloaked figure standing lazily on the other side of their ethereal arena.

"I see. Your malevolence knows no bounds, Quincy. If that is the case then I have no qualms using this to finish you off," Chojiro brought his rapier towards him, holding it in front of his face as the reiatsu picked up around them. Urahara watched from the sidelines in awe as the combatants stared one another down. Finally, power and energy pulsed explosively from around Sasakibe as the man thrust his sword forwards. "Ban-," he began. Suddenly, the blonde haired man had pulled something from within his cloak and Chojiro realised but it was too late. In an instant, the reiatsu around Chojiro crumbled and the light ebbed from his rapier, almost like being sucked by a vacuum.

"What's happening to my Bankai?" Chojiro thought, looking about in horror as the reiatsu disappeared, shooting towards the blonde haired man. Urahara started forwards, a ring of crackling black reiatsu spurting out from the device in the Quincy's hand, seemingly capturing Chojiro's Bankai. Was such a thing really possible? Urahara watched with a sense of growing disbelief. Finally, something clicked within the man as he watched the ring of reiatsu capture and suppress the energy of the lieutenant's Bankai.

"I know that reiatsu from somewhere!" Urahara exclaimed as the light died down and the Quincy stood clutching a gold medallion that fit the palm of his hand, a great five pointed star on it. Chojiro stood quivering, his rapier dangling by his side.

"My...my Bankai...what have you done with my Bankai?" He cried, urgency in his throat. Before he received an answer however, a bolt of blue light had tore off his arm in a flash, the man gargling, spitting blood down his chin. A second bolt, his other arm was removed. Sinking to his knees, Chojiro collapsed. The blonde haired Quincy chuckled, walking gradually up to him.

"You don't need to know," he muttered, Chojiro's breathing faint. "All you can understand is that it is no longer your Bankai, Chojiro Sasakibe. And now...," Urahara watched as a bright star appeared on Chojiro's chest, his eyes glowing a brilliant, crystal blue. Kisuke tried to intervene but the ring of reiatsu lay in wait for him in the floor, he knew it. The blonde haired man knelt down in front of the lieutenant, Chojiro stammering, rivers of blood escaping his lips. His entire body was encased now in a casket of blue light.

"What's...happening...to me?" Chojiro mumbled.

"I forgot to mention...since you already are a soul, there's only one thing to take from you. Everything." With that, Chojiro shrieked a bloodcurdling cry as the light swallowed him up. His body began to tear away, leaving behind nothing but a skeleton but that too pulsed with an icy blue light that reflected greedily in the Quincy's eyes. Finally, there was nothing left at all of Chojiro Sasakibe and the Quincy cross lit up for a moment. The blonde haired man eyed it with satisfaction, the blue light slowly disappearing from within the cavernous tunnel.

"Hmm...not too many more now, just a few," the Quincy said, now looking over to Urahara, the man's eyes wide in terror. "It's a good thing you're here...," the villain smiled, "...I need someone to blame this on." With that, the man turned and began to walk back into the darkness of the Dangai. Kisuke scrabbled into action, spinning around and charging towards the Quincy.

"Wait!" He cried, only for the blonde haired man to lift his hand and click his fingers. Urahara slowed as a brilliant orb of light appeared in the tunnel's dank depths. Then, he realised what it was. The Kototsu came charging into view, thrashing through the precipice of darkness. It came crashing like a freight train through the swirling mire and Kisuke turned, disappearing and flash stepping away, cold sweat streaking down his back as he charged towards the light, the Koryu current beginning to start up again.

"Did he...call the Kototsu? I thought the Kototsu was still destroyed? None of this makes any sense!" Urahara ran as fast as he could, taking a quick glimpse over his shoulder, but the Quincy was gone. Had he been hit by the cleaner? There was nowhere else he could have escaped to. Whatever the case, Kisuke knew he had to run. The sound was overpowering, the crushing reiatsu that thundered towards him was immense and engulfing. The light, the door, it was just in front of him but he could feel the roar of the Kototsu, he could feel the swipe of its claw on his foot. If he could just reach the door he would be free. With a final cry, he jumped.

"Is that so, Inoue?" Ichigo muttered, the gang of friends gathered in Ichigo's room once again. Night had fallen over Karakura and Orihime opened his window, the cool air sweeping in like a wave. With that, Ichigo grabbed his badge and his spirit exploded from his body, his human self landing nicely on his bed. Chad stood to his feet, Uryu's eyes shut tight, his arms folded across his chest. "Well I don't believe it. Neither Urahara-san," Ichigo shot a look at Uryu, the boy opening his eyes, "nor Ishida's dad are criminals. They certainly aren't affiliated with this Vandenreich gang. It's time to set the record straight and tell Soul Society what we know," Ichigo said, the others nodding. With that, they leapt into action, Ichigo pouncing out of his window and into the night, Zangetsu in hand.