7.
SOMEWHERE IN SOUL SOCIETY:
Soul Society was nearing the verge of chaos. Blades were being drawn across Seretei - only this time, everyone knew they wanted to kill their foe.
One woman tried to hide from the chaos and found solitude in a dark laboratory with one glowing jar. Blue liquid bubbled throughout the jar as the embryonic being was slowly coming to life.
Nemu rubbed her hands against the glass cylinder. She felt safer when she was near here. She rested her head against the jar and whispered to her creation.
"Not much longer...Soon you will be ready...father."
-----
"Here's your coffee sir – whoa!"
"Are you okay?"
"Oh no! I'm so sorry Kurama-san, please let me get you a new coffee and I'll clean that up for you."
"Please, it's alright. You stress too much."
"Okay. Thank you Kurama-san."
Perhaps she was not ready for a world of experimentation and corruption. She wanted to be a vet, not a secretary in an underground laboratory.
"Why...Kisaragi...?"
"Oh the drama! I love plays! Please continue."
"Nousou what did you do to her?" Kurama coughed blood as he spoke.
"Nothing, she was totally aware of the procedure at the time."
"What procedure?" Kurama looked back and noticed two small protrusions in her skull.
"Her vectors haven't quite developed yet, but she is very obedient to her master."
"Nousou I WILL KILL YOU!!!"
-----
MEANWHILE:
Hinamori was searching all of the squad's barracks in search of her Diclonii assistants. She was up to the Thirteenth squad's barracks and was beginning to think they may have completely disappeared.
"What are you doing in my barracks?" A voice came from behind.
"Oh I'm sorry um...oh you never told me your name-"
"It doesn't matter what my name is just answer the question." It was the captain of thirteenth squad. Her hand was gripping the handle of her unsheathed sword.
"Please, I was only looking for my Diclonii assistants."
"To trespass on another squad's barracks is most unforgivable. You will now die." She unsheathed her sword and was ready to pounce on Momo.
"KYAH!"
-----
MEANWHILE...
"Dammit what's going on?" Hisagi cursed as he faced a group of Diclonii-Shinigami.
"I'm not sure but we have to get out of here." Vice-captain Mika responded.
"Back off you freaks!" Tatsufosa parried a group of them away.
"I'll take care of this." Yuhi unleashed his ice zanpakuto, freezing the hybrid horde.
"This is really bad." Hisagi spoke softly in the eerie darkness. "Our doubts have finally been cast. This is war!"
"Enough Hisagi." A flurry of cherry blossoms stunned the ninth squad captain.
"What Byakuya? This is not the time."
"You must end the fighting. Our captain commander needs us to work together."
"No he just wants to kill us. Please don't do this we don't want to fight."
Tatsufosa interjected. "Yeah Kuchiki-sama let us go."
"I'm afraid I can't allow dissident to get away. You will all be punished...BANKAI."
A corridor of swords rose from the ground and shattered onto a million shining pieces, resembling cherry blossoms.
Tatsufosa rushed through the group to face Byakuya "GNAH! You guys head on without me."
Yuhi pleaded with the captain. "But Tatsufosa Byakuya's Bankai is very strong."
"Well let's see how it fare's with mine then. BANKAI."
"Come on let's go." Hisagi ushered the remaining Shinigami to retreat.
"KAOSU HOZAN...With one swing of my sword I can send a typhoon strength gust of wind towards my opponent, sending them hurtling in the air and knocking them out." Tatsufosa described his powerful Bankai while Byakuya lay on the ground – appearing unconscious.
Tatsufosa stood over his defeated foe. "It seems you have fallen to your own pride."
Byakuya opened one eye. "And it seems you've fallen to your overconfidence."
"Huh?" Before Tatsufosa could grasp what he said a glowing sword penetrated his Saketsu chain and another Hakusui soul sleep before one more reached his heart. Tatsufosa fell to the ground and would never get back up again.
"I didn't wish to kill you but you traitors leave me with no choice. Now to catch the rest of the conspirers."
-----
"Don't you see Dr. Kurama, she is my loyal servant, and will protect me at all costs." Nousou enjoyed another confection as he sat and watched Kisaragi hurt his former boss.
"Dammit Kisaragi, I know you're still in their somewhere. Nousou has just manipulated you like he does with all his subjects."
"Now that's not true. Those spinal chords were vital to my research.
Kurama whispered in the depraved girl's ear. "I'm sorry about all the stress you went through, I'm sorry I was not more considerate of your needs..." He tried to hold back tears as he finished. "And I'm sorry I let Lucy kill you in such a horrible way." He gave her one final kiss before he pierced his sword through both her and himself, attempting a double suicide.
Nousou dropped his confections when he saw what Kurama did. Even he did not expect it, and his expression showed it.
Kurama wept over his former secretary's back as she dissolved into reishi. The only strange thing was that he had not yet dissolved.
"Wait a minute? What did you do?" Nousou rose from his chair to see a bloodied warrior stagger towards him.
"It was a gamble and although I regret killing her, I'm glad it paid off. Now that I know the name of my zanpakuto, you're dead Dr. Nousou."
"AHHH!!! NOOOOO!!!!"
Kurama smashed his sword to the ground, shattering it as he incanted his zanpakuto BREATHE...AISHISHI..."
Blue gas engulfed the lab as Nousou tried desperately to flee the room.
"It is already too late Dr. Nousou." Kurama spoke cold – much like his zanpakuto. Nousou fell to his knees choking on the gas he had inhaled.
"What is this poison?" He spoke with a raspy voice.
"It is not poison, it is simply a cold gaseous substance which freezes your body from within. Essentially you will die an icy death." Nousou's veins began to turn purple and burst with crystal blood. "Such a cruel zanpakuto but not as cruel as you Dr. Nousou. I believe this will be a fitting way for you to go out in the afterlife."
"Y-o-ou...Bahhhstarr..." His voice was choked mid-sentence as his jaw locked shut and his body completely froze. His skin was a bluish-purple and his fingers were black.
Kurama used the hilt of his sword to smash the mad scientist's body into a million pieces. The gas materialised back into its katana form. Kurama was now alone in the lab. He noticed the Diclonii clones in different chambers. Some had partial masks resembling a hollow. Some appeared as mutants, looking completely unrecognisable – like monsters. Some had ruptures and organs spilling out as a result of the transfusion of Hollow DNA.
So this must be their true ambition, to create a Diclonii-Hollow it seems most of the Silpelits have rejected the mixture of DNA and suffered terrible deaths. I will see to it that Kakuzawa pays for this before he decides to hurt one more companion in my life.
"I won't let them get to you...Nana." Kurama vowed to himself before he collapsed in a pool of blood.
-----
RUINS OF THE FOREMER DICLONII RESEAERCH FACILITY
Nana was lost without her friends at the Maple Inn. They were essentially her family. As much as she hated to do this, she just had to make sure they were okay.
She looked at the strange watch on her wrist. It had two little extensions coming out making it look like a Mickey Mouse shape – or to symbolise a Diclonius perhaps?
"I'm sorry I took so long to decide...Mayu, Yuka, and Kouta." Closing her eyes she pressed hard on the small button on her watch. This was to indicate she was ready to meet the person who took her friends.
Nothing happened. She waited for a few minutes in eerie silence until a portal opened from thin air. It resembled a typical Japanese sliding door. A strange man in a leather clad jacket leapt out of the portal. He held his hat with one arm and stretched forward his other arm, offering to escort Nana.
"So you've finally decided?" He spoke monotonously.
"Yes I have..." Nana sobbed. "To see my friends again, I will come with you."
"You've made the right decision. Let's go now." He placed his arm around Nana's back, ushering her into the Senkaimon.
Nana stopped for one moment and turned back to see the world she knew for far too long in her short life.
Goodbye to this world I know, I will see Papa and the others very soon. Please don't be upset about this Papa, I was just lonely. I hope to eat soumen with everyone again as soon as possible.
Nana seems destined for a horrible life. What does fate lie in store for her now? Soul Society's Shinigami are now fighting against each other at the worst possible time. Next chapter will focus more on Ichigo's story as we see how he copes when his daughtr faces an even greater challenge: pre-school!!!
