rawr
Anontbhfam: Yeah, thanks for telling me that. I know the difference between Piety and Pity but for somereason I somehow skip it. Not to mention when I write sentences I somehow manage to actually skip entire words sometimes. Either way, thanks I already fixed that. And for sure I'll ask for help with German usually I'm just being lazy and use a translator :p
It was a beautiful sunny afternoon in Karakura Town. Despite the year coming to an end, the Japanese cold weather had decided to hold back its painful wrath. Whether it was global warming or luck, the citizens were able to enjoy a peaceful day. Birds chirped, dogs barked, and the students from all schools were getting ready to enjoy a welcomed winter break. The high school kids had just suffered through a tough time from there midterms but majority of them made it out alive. For the final year students, this time was strongly needed. They were all soon to graduate and eventually move on with their lives. People were busy, people were stressed out, and it was rare for them to even socialize with one another.
"C'mon, all I'm saying is that you take her Ishida."
"I'm not really a dancer, Arisawa-san."
A group of teenagers make their way out of the large schools doors. To them it felt like getting released from life in prison. They had spent years together at this school and it was sad to know that most of them would not see each other for a while. But of course none of them thought of that right now. Right now everyone was worried about not being able to enjoy themselves during their final days.
"...I agree..." spoke a low voice.
"Sado-san... you're going."
Ishida sighed and plucked his glasses, "I am extremely busy, and I don't think Inoue-"
"I would like to go!"
Her yelling startled the boy. Uryuu shunned his head down and took a deep breathe.
"This is the first year our school will get a festival, and it's our last year!"
While Karakura Town was a fairly moderate and well-funded school, it did not have many cultural activities. The only thing merely known was its advancements in sports teams. Of course majority of the students were very excited. Not only would this be the first time in perhaps decades since the last festival, but it gave people a reason to dress up and have a good time with their classmate. And for the seniors, it would be on last memory to hold on to as they venture off into the real world.
"It's not anything special. Besides we can do something else later..."
Tatsuki smirked, "You guys will be fine. Plus you can finally be alone with Orihime."
The teenagers blushed and looked away. "I-I wouldn't think of such a scenario." There was something on between the two. Even though there personalities weren't quite intertwined. While Inoue was more outgoing and social, Uryuu often kept to himself and his close friends. He never volunteered for many events and was often seen working by himself or at his father's hospital. But with recent events passing by the group for the past two years it was only natural that the two had become quite close. Much closer than anyone had initially expected.
"Speaking of which... I don't think I can make it. My father has been gone for the past few days."
The three stopped from his words. "And while normally he often does leave, he usually tells me." Uryuu actually seemed concerned for the wellbeing of his father. Although he rarely spoke to Ryuken about anything, he still did care for him in his own way. The two had never had a normal father soon relationship. They always felt each other's company was unwanted and just plain unnecessary. Whether it was because of Ryuken's natural cold attitude, or Uryuu's stubbornness, the two had often faced off.
"I'm sure he's fine, just hunting Hollows or something." Tatsuki's persistence was not amusing. She had always been promoting unconformable situations for the two. Ever since around 2 years ago when Ishida had been introduced to the group along with Sado he had somehow managed to fit in. He played the cautious and the setback role of the group.
The four begin to walk down the city just as they have always had in the past. There had been so many memories of them all going through this area. Whether it was to fight cavernous beasts from the spirit world, or vicious Shinigami who often appeared to harass the group of humans for their work against Hollows. Things surely were never normal for the humans.
"All right, c'mon Sado. Let's leave these two."
Sado smiled, "Right...good luck Uryuu..." he spoke. Ishida watched with an annoyed expression as the two being to walk off in their own direction. Tatsuki would try and look over her shoulder but was disappointed to just see her two idle companion's just stare. It took a while until they had actually passed a corner. Inoue gave a light chuckle while Uryuu had his eyes lowered.
Rubbing his temples, Ishida had to mentally fixate himself from the situation. "Tatsuki-chan means well," Orihime's tone was relaxing. It was soft, compelling, and well-spoken. Unlike most females he knew who spoke in a brash and aggressive tone, Inoue was able to assure Uryuu that he was just overthinking everything. But that is just how he was. "I hope you find your dad. Ishida-san is pretty strong."
He shrugged, "Yeah, I don't really care about that. I just said it so Arisawa-san would stop." Strange as it sounded, he would always come up with an excuse to dodge the intense stress Tatsuki would place on him. She was just an expert on making him fluster. It could be the simplest thing, either a double date, hanging out after school, and now this new festival is just another event which he had to be concerned about.
"You... don't actually want to go, right?"
She played her thumbs and avoided eye contact. Her face became light pink from the thought of an old traditional Japanese night. The dim lit walking, the dress up, the hair done, everything sounded so... romantic. "Not if you don't want to." Through any relationship, the language spoken by the female did not always translate to what she was actually saying. While Uryuu had never had any prior experiences with a girl, he has been able to strongly catch on to this.
"If you really want to... then you can take Asano-san."
Keigo!? Of course he was a friend but he never had the most respect when it came to women.
"I..." Inoue slowly trailed, "Guess so-"
"All right, all right... I'll go."
Her hug was unexpected. He panicked and stretched his arms outwards, not knowing what to do with them. She then pressed herself even further. Uryuu tried grabbing on to a nearby pole but was ultimately thrown to the ground. Inoue sat up and began to laugh, "Are you okay Ishida-kun?" For a brief moment he did look up, but his head quickly shifts towards the side as he blushes from two large sights.
"...Inoue-san..."
"Hmm?"
A slow smile forms on his face, but as his eyes closely observe her own, something catches his attention.
"GET DOWN!"
Grabbing her by the shoulder, Uryuu quickly curves his body around and pushes Inoue to the ground. Rolling over, the Quincy grips the girl and lures her into a small crevice from a wall. He places his head against the wall and cautiously peaks out. Just as nose passed the pavement, a blue arrow skidded across the concrete panel. 'That arrow!' The teenager yelled to himself. His eyes go wide with fury. "Inoue-san, stay here. And promise me you won't leave." Uryuu waited until she gave a somber nod.
Gripping his Quincy cross, the boy leaped from the crevice and jumped out into the street. Of course it was a coincidence that no other regular humans were wandering. Using Hirenkyaku, Ishida quickly begins vanishing to where the direction of the arrow was shot. As if on cue, more and more blue arrows begin to come from straight ahead. Not feeling amused, he easily dodges them and continues pursuing the attack.
"RYUKEN!"
Noticing a large presented shadow, Ishida pulls his string back and begins firing off multiple arrows.
"What!?" he yells in shock.
As the arrows fired, his eyes go wide as the blue projectiles froze in midair before falling to the ground. "Ryuken you idiot! You could have hit Inoue-san!" It was bad enough that the father and son didn't really tolerate each other. But as Uryuu avoided his father's path, it became easier to dislike one another. Fury and rage built up inside of him, 'Another one of these stupid god damn tests!' It was extremely rare for him to show emotions like this. But only someone so close and personal could ever come to bring out the human side of Uryuu.
Again he fired arrows, "Licht Regen." He uttered tonelessly. Without having a regard to his father's well-being, a shower of blue arrows rained down onto the shadow's position. But his eyes widen as the entire set of the attack was suddenly struck on to a mysterious white object.
"Licht Regen," spoke a voice from within the shadow. The arrows which Uryuu had fired suddenly have been repulsed backwards. The redirection of the attack was so sudden and shocking that there was no time to even use Hirenkyaku. Flipping a strap from his belt, the teen quickly improvises and tightly grips a Seel Schneider. As the arrows began to rain back at him, Ishida begins to slash at them like target practice. For once he was glad one of his attacks was not as intimidating as it sounded.
'I've never seen Ryuken use that before.' He said to himself.
Stepping from the shadow were white shoes. Uryuu tried keeping his composure but was shocked to see a man with long blond hair wearing a white uniform emerge from the darkness. He had a blank expression on his face but gave a very calm and collective aura.
"Uryuu Ishida," spoke the man, "It is about time we finally meet."
The younger Quincy merely kept caution. There was no way he was going to lower his guard around a man who just redirected one of his strongest techniques. 'This guy's reiatsu... I didn't even sense it. It's as if he appeared from thin air! And there is no doubt, he's the one who fired the arrow at Inoue-san.'Of course this all trickled to one thing, the person before him had to have been a Quincy in order to have used either of those techniques.
"Who are you?" Ishida asks sharply. "And why did you try to kill me?"
Haschwalth spat, "I did not try to kill you. I was merely testing your reactions during situations where they mattered most." Uryuu remained silent as he began to walk up to the teen. The first thing up close he could see from the older man was his strange European styled sword and shield.
"A sword like that... are you a Shinigami?"
Never in his wildest dreams did Uryuu believe a Quincy could ever have soul reaper powers. However, the blade which Jugram was wielding looked so unique and powerful, the only thing he could compare it to was a Zanpakuto. The only melee weapon he had ever come to known was the one he was wielding. The Seel Schneider.
"This will no doubt be a long conversation. Perhaps it was right coming here before your father spilled the news."
Shunsui Kyouraku took a deep sigh before facing forward. He stood in the Captains assembly hall and stared at his comrades. The Gotei 13 were certainly down a few crucial members. Despite the war being practically predicted ahead of time, the divisions had all but felt surprised once the Quincy made their arrival. The Shinigami for over hundreds of years have been used to conventional warfare. Most of the time they had been fighting on foreign soil. However, the soul reapers were absolutely in disbelief as the fighting had come to their turf. The style in which the battles commenced were far from ordinary. While they trained to quickly adapt, mass confusion and hysteria ventured off into everyone. Including the Captains.
First Captain-Commander Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryuusai had died.
Former Eight Division Captain Shunsui Kyouraku was immediately replaced as leader of the Gotei 13.
This had been agreed upon by the four noble houses. Normally under these circumstances it would have been Central 46 calling the shots. However, they had all been killed. And considering how dangerous the situation was becoming, no one was going to volunteer to become part of the governing body of the Gotei 13. No one really complained about it. Majority of the Shinigami had gotten there asses handed to them with the exception of one who managed to kill two of the enemy forces.
"All right... I'm not really sure how to start this thing so let's just go." The now 1st Division Captain spoke aloud. It was weird standing. For nearly 200 years Kyouraku had remained in the same position. But now, after just one random day, he had that change.
Sui-Feng lowered her yes, "You have been coming here..." she trailed on, "For over two centuries. And you can't even remember how to being the ceremony?" Her tone was sarcastic and full of irritation. It was true Shunsui had been one of the oldest Captains, and it was also known he often dazed off during these meetings as 99% of the time they were practically nothing.
"Relax, relax... we're one the same side..." Shinji spoke softly. "Either way, we shouldn't even be arguing. There aren't even half of us still standing."
Kyouraku and Sui-Feng had been able to make it to the assembly of course. Rose had sadly died. Unohana was in the emergency medical ward assisting direr Shinigami. Hirako Shinji and his division had avoided majority of the damage. Kuchiki Byakuya was in surgery, while Sajin Komamura had died with valor. The 8th Division had no Captain since he was promoted to the 1st Division. Kensei had sought out enemies but could not find anything. Hitsugaya Toshiro was injured, but would make a fast recovery. Zaraki Kenpachi was also being healed. And Mayuri with majority of the 12th Division had been obliterated.
"There are only five of us left. And we got lucky that the enemy had for whatever reason stopped there advance." Spoke the Ninth Division leader. "But of course that leaves... you two."
Kyouraku smirked, "Well, what do you two say? You mind lending old Soul Society a hand even if we exiled you?"
Urahara Kisuke blushed, "Oh-Ho? You want little old me back in my old position? I don't know if Central 46 would-"
"There all dead."
"Hoooo! Well that solves everything now doesn't it?" The man squirmed in pain as a familiar slap caused him to fall back.
"This isn't a joke!" yelled Sui-Feng. "For once, do not be such an idiot. We're losing precious time because of all of this!"
Shunsui shrugged, "Now, now... not need to yell at him. I understand we all are a bit hasty from the surrounding events but let's become optimistic about this." The Captains could only wonder how such an attitude could be formed. "I'm just going to assume you accept. And I know you'll want full control over everything."
"Mmh, yes indeed I do. From what I know about Mayuri, he must have hidden a backup source for the data the Quincy have destroyed. I will also need to interview all of you on your battles." Urahara was a valuable asset to the Gotei 13. With his superior mindset and intellectual superiority, the Shinigami might actually have a chance despite the initial setback. "Also, would you mind sharing on what happened with your eye?"
The eye patch had been a new type of fashion design, "... We'll talk about that later..." Shunsui answered. The new Captain-Commander looked across from Urahara and smiled, "What about you, Isshin-san?"
Shiba Isshin had his head hung long as all the eyes drift towards him.
"...zzzz..."
Shinji walked up and poked the man on the head.
"Who, huh, what? Yeah I'll stick around I guess. But I ain't coming back after. I actually have a life." Isshin's words were a bit disappointing to here. As the new Captain-Commander, Shunsui felt it was top priority to restructured and reorganize the military. And with capable figures being very limited, things were become more and more desperate. However, he knew he could not challenge the man's words. He had been exiled from Soul Society and told that he was no longer wanted nor needed. Right now, he was doing everything he could based off of his own moral duties.
"Very well," Kyouraku responded, "I guess we'll just hang around until theyarrive."
Kensei raised an eyebrow, "Who's they?" he questioned.
As if on cue, a massive thud shook the ground. Staring off in the distance a massive white pillared structure slammed into the flooring of the Soul Society. The Captains panicked in surprise but were soon ordered to relax. "I wouldn't really call them enemies... but they aren't really allies either." The group could now realize from the insignia that the Royal Guard have finally made their appearance.
"Knock knock."
"How about you actually knock instead of just saying knock knock?"
"How about you shut the hell up?"
"Move!"
Ichigo pushed Askin to the side and pressed his hand against the door. The two stood in front of Shaz Domino's quarters and waited. Surely the "Sigma" wouldn't have backed out on their little deal. The three had al made a commitment and it was only because Shaz had the most time to pursue the common goal which allowed him to come up quickly. While Askin and Ichigo were preoccupied with the whole fighting a war situation.
"Get Meni." The "Death-dealing" suggested.
Ichigo shrugged, "Nah. She'd wonder why we're even down here."
"What's so bad about that?"
"She would worry and would never leave us alone."
"Aww, isn't that cute."
The two simultaneously begin banging the door once more. If it hadn't been for the special seals placed all over the Sternritter rooms Ichigo would have just merely slipped inside without trouble. They weren't going to go anywhere from this.
"I'll get Gremmy."
The door immediately following the words was wide open. Shaz leaned against the entrance and had a blank expression on his face. He looked to the two, "Hello gentlemen," The Quincy spoke, "What can I do for you today?" The two pushed the man aside and entered his room. "Well then!" he yelled before slamming the door. Ichigo and Askin sit on the sofa and watched as there friend approaches from the back. Shaz sits across and clears the table which separates all of them.
"So where is it? Quit messing around bring it out!" The "Shadow" yelled in frustration.
"Where is what? I have no idea why you two are here."
Askin lowered his eyes, "We already know how you got the Hogyoku. You and Royd Llyod somehow beat Zaraki Kenpachi and took it from his body. Now bring it out before I inform his Majesty." The "Sigma" cursed his misfortune. Sure he had made the deal but he fit since he had it first it should be no surprise that the power would go to him.
The blue orb was pulled from his jacket and placed in the center of the small table. The three all had a flood of memories fill their mind as they remember the first time they made contact with the device. They all knew what the Hogyoku was capable of. The power it granted people was too good of an offer to pass up. Ichigo eyed the device intently before taking a strong grip on to it. The two watched curiously as the boy tried to squeeze the orb. Its blue radiant colors remain idle as the power tried being extracted. After more failed attempts, the teen places it back in the center of the table and cursed in frustration.
"... How the hell does it work!?"
It was the big question of the night. There was no special calling, or a button which enabled it to give the Quincy what they wanted.
"Baaaambii-chan!"
Giselle Gewelle jumped on top of the large white bed and began to crawl toward her friend. Bambietta laid on the bed while the rest of the female group scattered across the room. Of course it was normal that they all come here during their moments of free time. It was the only place where they couldn't be harassed or tempted into fighting against other Sternritter.
The "Explode" rested her body while the "Zombie" watched from her close position. She never minded the constant attention just as long as Giselle kept her distance.
"Why are you so tired Bambi-chan?"
The leader merely ignored her words. The female Quincy instead just closed her eyes and attempted to gain some rest. Candice looked over and shrugged, "You didn't see it? She was using her Völlstandig. To be honest it was a pretty stupid decision." The "Thunderbolt" explained while fixing loose strands of her hair, "We didn't even get to fight anyone except for that big ass Shinigami."
Giselle sighed and slowly attempted to come closer and closer to her beloved friend, "Well, why did you use that? You know it makes you tired." she asked.
Bambietta groaned and seemed to not mind as Gigi then gained a hold of her left hand. "The Shinigami had a lame ass Bankai, with some lame ass Hollow powers and some lame ass abilities. So I had to use it." her words were unconvincing. The group merely stared at her with confusion. Surely there was no doubt Bambi was the strongest one among them. But for her to go all out on one Shinigami Captain is almost worrying.
Liltotto pulled a lollipop from her mouth, "What could he do?" she asked lazily.
"Nothing." she immediately replied. "All he did was bind me and I couldn't move. He also burned my skin, the prick."
Giselle gasped and quickly took the shot. The Sternritter caressed the areas of Bambietta's body which were severely darkened from the intense flames. "OW! Stop Gigi!" If the injured female hadn't been so exhausted, she would have done much more than just yell at her friend. "It'll heal anyways."
"You should have waited for us," Meninas suggested. "We would have just killed them all together."
"Hmm, I don't think so. You were all at the gate where I had to go deep into their territory to steal a Bankai. But then the asshole had fucking Hollow powers, you should have seen it."
"He actually had... Hollow powers?" Liltotto asked with surprise.
Bambietta spat, "Yeah, some weird mask shit. Call himself a Visored or whatever. It affected his Bankai and broke the medallion. I couldn't use it anymore so it returned back to him." The "Glutton" pondered the words with confusion. Of course she had read the daten and was aware of certain groups of Shinigami which had unique attributes. However, she did not expect it to be such a big deal considering 98% of the enemy forces were just standard soul reapers. "We'll go together next time. I don't want to have to deal with shit like that again."
"I can make Ichi go if you want. I'm sure he'd want to." Ichigo has always been considered to be close with the female clique. Mainly due to his closeness with Meninas and Giselle, who often wished he'd join them on certain assignments. Luckily his strength and status gave him great prestige and legitimacy.
Bambietta smirked, "I already got him." She proudly admitted. "Watch with him we're going to show that idiot Gremmy and Bazz." The Sternritter were often separated into groups. Everyone affiliated themselves with people they could somewhat trust. The girls of course formed their own, while the other Quincy had been divided. It was like an internal rivalry which every now and then often resulted in skirmishes. This was obviously forbidden but battle thirsty Quincy would always find a way.
Ichigo had his own group but they never really thought of themselves as such. It only consisted of himself, Shaz, and Askin who played it safe and never attributed to admitting he hung out with the Schuzstaffel member. The "D" tried befriending everyone just so he could obtain knowledge for his own goals.
"Damn," Candice spoke, "How'd you pull that off? Did Gigi do it?"
The "Zombie" tilted her head, "Hmmmm?" she replied.
"Don't give us that, we know how fake you two are."
Giselle has had a very long interest in Ichigo. Ever since the two had first met years ago back when he was only nine. She had her reasons for being attentive to him during his time with the Wandenreich. It was only natural that the two had... grown up together. Although the "Zombie" was already a fully-fledged Sternritter the moment Ichigo was in the Lichtreicht.
"Oh my," she replied, "I wonder how you know... but it wasn't me! It had to have been Bambi-chan or Candi-chan. But Ichi-chan isn't a subordinate of Candi-chan anymore so he wouldn't waste his time." A little passive aggressiveness was sharp within this one.
Candice grew a vein, "What the hell does that mean!?"
"Stop yelling." Bambietta demanded. The "T" cursed once more before focusing back on to her mirror. "Gigi, give me a massage." The girl's eyes lit up.
"REALLY!?"
The "Explode" nearly punched her in the gut but was in no mood for physical attacks. Instead she merely nodded and began undressing. Throwing her jacket and shirt off, the half-naked Sternritter fell on her stomach. "Shoulders." she stated. A great pain had been built up inside her body ever since the fight against Rose. Some aching memories which had been discarded were brought back at flashback level. The thought of that day was hard to merely stop thinking about. Bambietta wondered if Quilge had not been there, what would have happened to her? It was a troubling thought. She was grateful no doubt, but she had wished it was not the "Jail" who would have died first in the war.
"Do you want me to get a doctor? He can make sure your skin is fine."
It bothered Giselle her friend was so injured. She had thought of Bambietta as one of the most beautiful and fascinating people she has ever come to known. Giselle would do anything for her beloved friend, no matter how obscure or arbitrary it seemed. The "Zombie" loved to help her friends. Even if at times… they didn't want it.
"Yeah," her friend replied, "I'll go after this. I want to head down to the lower areas anyways."
Meninas sipped some of her tea, "Why is that?" It wasn't often the Sternritter went into the lower areas. It was mainly filled with the Soldat and the rest of the lower class. Silbern had always been a more desired and looked upon place.
"I need to check on something real quick. It won't take long." The massage was doing work. She didn't know how but Giselle had magic hands. "Mmm… lower…" Her friend did not mind exploring her body. She always considered it more of a blessing.
"I can't believe you killed the only guy who had some knowledge on this thing."
Ichigo eyed Askin with irritation.
The "D" raised his hands in defense, "I didn't know he was the only intellectual in Soul Society. Plus, I had no choice. The guy was pretty much aware of me from the beginning."
Shaz sighed, "Well did you get anything out of it? What the hell could he do?"
"Pssh, you don't want to know man."
The "Shadow" rubbed his head in frustration. He leaned back and lowered his eyes, "All right... I'll take the Hogyoku. When we go back to Soul Society we're going to head back to the twelfth division and look for someone to tell us how the hell it works." Ichigo wanted this device for obvious reasons. He wanted to be stronger, just like anyone else during war time. The stronger he was the fewer casualties would be inflicted on his side.
Shaz's eyes widen, "Wait! It says here that the Hogyoku was used by Sosuke Aizen... but was originally created by someone else." The two turn to the "Sigma" curiously. "Apparently from what the daten says, it is just a device created from the souls of fallen Shinigami. Weird as hell, but somehow gives off immense spiritual pressure and breaks the barrier between soul reapers and Hollow."
"So what?" Ichigo asked, "You want to be a Shinigami or something?"
The man spat, "Like hell I do! For all we know you're the one who really wants to be a soul reaper."
Askin coughed, "Yeah and for all we know you're not even a real person."
"Not funny!"
The three began to bicker once more for a few moments until they ran out of breathe. It wasn't often they ever worked this hard together and of course it was only natural as boys for them to basically come to odds at every turn. Ichigo didn't really want to be here in the first place since he felt Shaz was a wild card while Askin only shows up to piss everyone else off.
"Anyways... tell us about the 12th Division." Shaz spoke while eyeing Askin. "I didn't get much out of interrogating one of the seats other than the location of the Hogyoku."
The "Death-dealing" felt some chills run up his spine.
"Well," he replied, "It wasn't really a pretty story."
Sternritter "D" felt sweat flow down his face as his eye began to twitch. Slowly rising from the ground was the Twelfth Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi. The Shinigami had just previously succumbed to the sudden weakness from his own blood but had somehow been able to overcome the fluid. The soul reaper had voluntarily slashed an artery in his forearm, causing blood to eject from his body. This is was a surprising tactic, but not one Askin was too shocked to see.
Whenever a living organism absorbs a substance, if the amount absorbed exceeds a defined limit, the result will be certain death. It did not matter which substance, as everything in the universe is harmful to an individual. Regardless of how important and essential it may seem at first.
The utmost limited amount a body can handle will eventually turn and become fatal. This is known as, the "lethal dose" amount. Due to the natural uniqueness of everyone and every living thing in the known world, it is impossible to calculate a universal known amount of lethal dose for everyone. Different people will react differently to certain levels of certain substances. For example, so people may survive poisonous snake bites for days, while some may die within the following hour. The only widely used method is around a median or average of tolerance. This is commonly used since it works for around majority of people.
"Is that how you would describe a lethal dose, Quincy?"
Never before has an opponent come this far into describing the powers carried by Sternritter "D". Not many people knew too much about how the body consumes and how it reacts. Such knowledge is mainly used in certain professions such as doctors or physicians. 'I guess I got unlucky.' The man said to himself as he carefully eyes the Shinigami. Mayuri stands with a grin on his face. As if his own blood becoming a weakness was somehow not an issue.
"Cutting parts of your body to release only extends your life for about a few more seconds..." Askin replied. "It isn't that easily to simply drain the blood below your lethal dose. You're around 174 centimeters and weigh around 54 kgs. Which means you have around 4.3 liters of blood." He explained. "The body is amazing, but it can only survive with around half of its normal accumulated amount. If you lower it below half, you will die of blood loss rather than the poison of having too much blood!"
Mayuri grinned even further.
"You don't think...I know that?"
The black haired man lowered his eyes, "What the hell are you talking about?"
"You fool! You couldn't possibly believe I am like those other barbarians whom I call "comrades"? I know the extents and limits of my own body far more than you can possibly dream!"
"For once... I'm a bit excited someone knows what they're talking about." It was rare, but Askin felt this was more of a challenge to him. It would be a battle between the knowledge of one another. The Sternritter would have to outperform himself on this one. And considering this Shinigami would have the nerve to test on Quincy, perhaps this would be revenge for all the poor souls which have fallen to this reaper of death. "That doesn't change the situation."
"Oh, but it does." Mayuri replied. "My organs are not ordinary. The heart which produces blood cells do not produce the same ones!"
Askin's eyes widen, "You...you're a monster..."
"You catch on fast, experiment number #404!"
The heart which produces blood pumps out the same blood which is eventually lost. Mayuri was lucky to have been born with an O type negative. Meaning he was a universal donor and a universal producer. "Majority of my O blood is stored within my arms. Although there is no real proof to say that certain types are superior, I do believe O is by far the best and therefor placed in the more essential areas."
"Not only does my heart naturally produce O negative, it also produces A and B types!"
Such a ludicrous thing to say! The heart can only produce one type of substance, and that was decided during the time he was within his mother's womb. 'This guy... he still feeling the lethal dose. But he's living through it. Was he really able to allow his heart to produce multiple types' blood!? But why...'
"Why!? Why not!? You inflicted your lethal dose on my blood type O, which was no doubt the worst one to hit, but was not the dominant type. A, B, and O are equally distributed."
Askin threw the words away and began pulling the string from his bow back. He began to fire off multiple arrows but was stunned to see the Shinigami extend his palm outwards. Mayuri released a button on his left hand which soon ejected the limb. A manufactured hand shot out with a long string attached and was easily able to crush the dead on arrows. Following suit, the Captain leaped towards the Quincy and began slashing toward the Sternritter.
For a brief moment, he was paralyzed. Mayuri tried slashing away at his head but was surprised to see the Quincy roll around him. "I see. For a moment you were frozen from my Shikai, but you were able within mere seconds to develop quite an immunity!" Now the Shinigami was interested. The powers revealed by the Quincy were impressive. He was curious, and when Mayuri was curious there would be no stop until it was fulfilled.
The soul reaper pressed more buttons on his Zanpakuto and watched as a purple mist began emitting from the blade. Askin realized that this was obviously some sort of hazardous material and began to avoid its path. 'So not only does have multiple blood types, but he is also immune to the effects of his own Zanpakuto. And his left hand isn't organic. This is... annoying.'
The mist spread across the room. The two were unable to even sense each other through the ability. The oozing thick sensation was so strong it was able to block out the sense in both combatants. Eventually it cleared through a nearby vent, and Askin stood dead in the center. 'The poison is the same as when I was cut. I'm already immune.' he said to himself.
As his eyes scatter across the room he is surprised as the Shinigami was not in clear sight. The Sternritter began walking around the room and couldn't believe if his enemy had ran away. Askin clearly remembered the look Mayuri had in his eyes. That look of hunger and desire. It made the Quincy feel weird and uncomfortable. Surely his enemy was not going to give up a catch like himself.
'Nishehada...'
Appearing from behind, a clear textured skin began rising from the wall behind the Quincy. His eyes nearly shoot out from his socket as a claw-like Zanpakuto is seen rupturing through his abdomen. Askin slowly turned his head over and cursed as the Shinigami had somehow hidden within the wall.
"...You underestimated me, Quincy."
Askin falls to his knees as blood spews from his mouth. He smirks, "What?" he asks, "This isn't anything. I'm already immu-"
"HMM, yes? Care to finish that sentence?" Mayuri asks with a grin. The Captain leaps from his position and stands above the Sternritter. The "Death-dealing" is shocked to see that his body continues to become more and more weakened to the attack, despite supposedly being already immune to the poison. "This is something I created just now. It is more of an evolving virus, than a poison!"
An evolving virus?
'So, he's saying the poison will become more and more different. So that I'll be immune one second, but then later it will be an entirely different attack.' Despite the scarce situation, Askin was able to formulate what have occurred. "Better watch your footing, Captain." Mayuri widened his eyes as the flooring around him had become seemingly darker. Perhaps the two of them were plotting traps during the interval of combat.
"Gift Bad." The "Death-dealing" uttered tonelessly. "You're weakness have been lowered, and I have already chosen what substance to end this with." The Captain fell to his knees and struggled to breathe. Askin lifted his body up and began to limp away. His wound was soon able to close but the poison was still affecting him. "It's going to be annoying fixing this." he replied.
"I've already figured it out." spoke the soul reaper. The man revealed a large syringe from his coat and rammed the needle into his leg. Slowly but surely, he was able to slowly rise from the attack. "You use the same poison for all of your attacks. All it takes is one cure."
The Sternritter frowned and revealed an orb from his pocket. The orb was in the form of a small ball which was coated in a black liquid. Mayuri had not gained most of his footing, but was able to merely take the attack head on. "More poison." The Shinigami spoke. "This is the same attack you used-"
Whoa
His vision began to fade as his blade was released from his group. The 12th Division Captain began to stumble around the room. His sense of sight and balance began to fail.
"Interesting isn't it?" Askin spoke as he begins to walk over. "You would have never thought of this because you never believed it would be sent into your body. You Shinigami after all never use reishi from the outside."
Reishi?
"Poisonous...reishi..." The thought was impressive. Soul reapers use the reiatsu from within their bodies to expel exceptional power. However, Mayuri often uses reishi in his experiments. That is how he is able to manipulate his body and valuable organs. The techniques which reishi offers are the main reason why the Shinigami is so fascinated with Quincy. The evolved humans had power to create such a variety and diverse set of creations the possibility was endless. While the Shinigami were only limited to their Zanpakuto and Kido, Mayuri has taken the information Quincy used to create weapons and tools and used it on himself.
His left hand, his heart, and his brain began to pulsate in pain.
"Pain... I can feel this pain..."
"Yeah... because I turned all that reishi you use in your body against you. Gift Bad allowed me to create a pool which weakened your resistance to reishi to almost zero. Then with Gift Ball, I was able to create a new type of poison. It molded with your reishi and quickly spread throughout your body."
It did not take long before the body of the Captain to shut down. Everything was collapsing before his eyes. His legs fell, and then the feeling in his arms vanished. Followed by his heart which began to beat at a dangerous rate. The man's head hit the floor for the final time. Following the light he came, his mind shut down into the dark forever. The Sternritter could hear the Shinigami uttering some name. He couldn't tell the full extent of it, but it started with the letter N. He didn't feel pity for the Shinigami. Rather a powerful sense of vengeance and accomplishment ran through his body.
"Whoo." Askin spoke as he slicks his hair back. He feels a new presence and turns his head over. Standing at the door was a busty female with long purple hair and a short skirt. She had a shocked expression on her face as she observes her fellow fallen Shinigmami.
"Hey there, cutie." he spoke.
"Ah, does this place bring back memories."
Isshin walked through the captain's room of the 10th Division Barracks and smiled as he observes the room with a nostalgic feeling. Not much has changed since the man was last here. Perhaps Toshiro wanted it to remain that way. The young Shinigami never had an interest in changing how his predecessor handled the division. Despite Isshin being lazy when it came to paperwork, Toshiro admired and often looked up to how he would help the members of the division with advice and there techniques.
"Hoh, who's this handsome man!"
Isshin smiled and picked up an old division photo. The noble figure had looked so much younger back when he was a captain. 'Still have those side burns...' He said to himself with a small chuckle. The picture was very sentimental. Rangiku had not aged a day, while Toshiro seemed to have matured quite exceptionally. It was almost surreal to see a picture of young Isshin. Skinnier, shaved face, no bags under his eyes. The look brought him joy.
"Huh..." The Shinigami said aloud. As strange as it was, he feels as if he had just recently seen this photo before. There was something off with how he looked.
'Kurosaki-san, you're next.'
Isshin groaned, 'Huh!? What do you mean you were there when we fought in Hueco Mundo.'
'You didn't fight anyone when you came into Soul Society?' Asked Urahara. The man intently observed with a notepad. He had been asking pretty much every Shinigami that was still alive about their encounters with the Quincy. It was of course to gain information on their abilities and the best way to counter them. He was always planning ahead, and this is where it would all begin.
'There was this one guy... he was screaming at me. I felt his reiatsu stretch and it almost paralyzed me. But I quickly killed him.' Isshin answered.
Urahara gave a "hmm", 'You encountered the enemy leader as I recall?'
'I mean I guess I did. The guy had long black hair and a pretty big mustache.' The answer wasn't too helpful, 'But I swore it was changing sizes... weird as hell.' The former 12th Division Captain mumbled some words to himself as he continued writing down. 'Wait there was one another guy. I could tell he was strong. He was able to block my fired up Getsuga Tenshou as if it was nothing.'
'Description?'
'Pretty tall, a bit muscular but nothing special. Peach skin, brown eyes, pretty good looking guy to be honest.'
'We're here for a war Kurosaki-san, not a relationship. Is there anything else like his powers?'
Isshin sighed and rubbed his head. Short term memory had been a bit of a weak point in him, 'Nah not really. I guess if there was one thing about him is that he had orange hair. Can you believe that!? Orange hair! You know his dad must have been pissed!'
'That is a quite a unique color, yes...'
The Shinigami walked over to the bathroom and pulled the mirror back. Isshin smiled at the clear sight of adult utensils. 'Toshiro... you'll be a kid forever.' A shaver, shaving cream, gel, hair spray, pretty much everything a guy would need for grooming. Isshin took the cream and shaver and began to clean up his face. He had grown quite a considerable amount of facial hair over the years. But now it was time to break up the old lady killer look.
"Damn..." he spoke. It was as if he was still the captain. Isshin took a long look at himself before fading back into the conversation he had with Urahara.
'If he was able to stop your Getsuga Tenshou then he must be something. A bodyguard perhaps? Did you catch a name?'
Isshin stopped and hesitated for a moment. He could recall a large black shadow overlooking the area which soon engulfed the two Quincy. The leader known as Yhwach, for whatever reason had called out his comrade.
'...Ichigo...'
Not a rare name. But still one that had some troubling background to it. It was often given to people with good fortune and a neck for being strong. No doubt intimidating, the only thing Isshin wishes is that he could have gotten more time with the Sternritter.
Out of randomness, Isshin reached around his pockets to search for a particular small photo of his own. One that he always kept around to remind himself what he is actually fighting for. He would keep an extra with him, just when times were down.
"Taichou!"
Isshin panics and throws his arms in the air as he is grappled soft sensation from behind. "It's been two years taichou where have you been!" His old vice-captain Rangiku Matsumoto clings on to the man while he tries to break from her grip. Eventually she lets him go but is surprised to see the man had completely removed all the hair from his face. "Did we go back in time!? Are you still the captain!?" Her excitement was a bit alarming. She looked in the mirror, "That's why I wanted to cut my hair!"
"Rangiku..." he softly replied. "It's good to see you." Isshin had been worried that she did not make it. After all, Toshiro had been swiftly defeated along with the rest of the 10th Division. And since he could observe that no other division troops made it to support, they were most likely left all on their own. The Shinigami opens his arms and en wraps quick hug with his former vice-captain.
"Heh? What was that for?" she asked.
"Nothing..." he replied, "I was just feeling a bit out of it." Isshin smiled and nudged her shoulder, "Let's go to the infirmary. I'm sure Toshiro is awake."
"Can you... explain that again?"
Askin sighed and placed his face into his palms.
Shaz spat, "Not our fault you explain shit in the most confusing way possible."
The "Death-dealing" had been proud of his fight against Mayuri. He felt it really did put him to the test. For a brief moment in that time the Quincy felt there was a chance that he could actually die. The Shinigami captain had not only been able outwit and figure out his powers, he almost came close to developing substance that was capable of countering the "lethal dose". Either way, as he explained the story, his two companions often were lost. Every now and then Ichigo or Shaz would stop him mid-sentence just to confirm some questions.
"Not my fault you guys aren't the most attentive."
Ichigo lowered his eyes, "Your story gave me a headache. Don't tell them anymore..." The Quincy stood up and began to rub his temples. "I've stayed here way too long."
"The hell does that mean? We're like your only friends."
"I'm taking the Hogyoku." Ichigo stated. His right hand was pressed on top of the orb. But tension soon arose when he felt a palming pressure enclose on his hand. "Relax, I'm the only one here who knows how to handle responsibility." There was some legitimacy to his claim. The other two weren't exactly known to be the most careful when it came to delicate situations.
The two Shinigami laughed, "Right, right..." Askin spoke, "Little Ichi-chan is a big boy with his little girl group."
A swift kick sent the older Sternritter flying back.
Ichigo eyed Shaz who tried ripping the Hogyoku from his grip. "I'm just holding on to it. You two wouldn't know what the hell to do with it anyways." The "Sigma" sighed and released his grip. If there was one person who could gain access to information on how to use it, it was the "Shadow". His status as a member of the Schuzstaffel gave him important credentials and status among many.
"I'll see you two later."
He walked down the empty halls of Silbern and searched for the closest exist. As convenient as his powers may be, he cannot just go around using them. Yhwach had become quite irritated with Sternritter flying through walls, melting them, blowing them up, it was just an overall mess. Ichigo would often become lost in these areas of the ice castle. Normally he would be walking with someone who did know the way but right now he had gone off on his own. Shaz and Askin were most likely still bickering about the fact that he took the Hogyoku but it didn't matter. The orange haired Quincy knew he could fight both of them before having to give up the device.
Eventually he made it out. The white light was not a foreign site. Every day he used to rush out of the fortress when he was first promoted to Sternritter.
Ichigo noticed that the roads ahead of him were practically empty. The Soldat had all been in the barracks celebrating the first success of the invasion. It was well deserved, he thought. Their appearance had been a surprise to the Shinigami and was far more successful at fighting against the low-class soul reapers than initially intended.
He had actually been invited to go off and party with his subordinates. But he politely declined. Not many of the Sternritter were liked by the Soldat. It was mainly because they treated them like cannon fodder and mere ants. While since Ichigo had been considered a Soldat in his own right at one point, he had much more sympathy and compassion for his fellow Quincy.
After walking some distance away, he was seen now in the more rural area of Silbern. The air had become cold and quiet. Much more than usual. Passing by a metal sign post, Ichigo reached into his pocket and pulled two flowers from his jacket.
Jerome Guizbatt Second Generation Sternritter "R"
There were memorials dedicated to all the Sternritter who fought for the Wandenreich. It was a way for Yhwach to appear as if he cared for the dead. And it often worked. Ichigo felt sympathy for his comrade. Even if Jerome was not a man of words, he was still someone who never caused him strife. The ape-like man was often harassed for his appearance and obscure power. The fact that he was the first to die was almost unsettling. Regardless of how little contact the two had, the "S" paid his respects just as Yhwach wanted all Quincy to do. Losing comrades was just part of war. Ichigo thought he knew that, he thought he could so far handle that.
Flowers do not grow in Silbern. The ice and soil was too cold for life to boom. Ichigo had taken this from the outskirts of Soul Society. He didn't consider rukongai to be a true part of the Gotei 13. Rukongai was just an area of space where souls of the dead resided. It was often poor and shadowed by the wealthy and prestigious Soul Society. He wondered what they thought of the invasion. If they would support the Shinigami despite there being a track record of crimes committed against the defenseless populous.
Ichigo kept walking and turned down a lane. His head was hung low as he prepared for his next area. It was hard to imagine someone you knew for such a long time dying in a battle. Especially if that person was known to be an excelled warrior in his own right.
Suddenly, a sight catches his attention. He flinches in surprise but his eyes go a bit wide as he is not the only one visiting another grave. Staring up, his eyes light up at the sight of a new appearance. The wind had caused her black hair to swing far into the air. It waved like a proud flag on pole. Signifying the presence and power which coated her body. Bambietta stood with a blank expression as she stares into the ground. Her deep thought had been so intimidating that she didn't even notice someone was observing her.
Ichigo slowly walked up, making sure not to alarm her, "Hey..." he spoke softly.
Most people flinch when they are rudely brought out of there deep thought. Instead, Bambietta placed her head up and looked over with the same expression.
Damn, she was good.
"Yes?" she asked.
He cringed from her tone. The way she said that brought back some unpleasant memories. This type of sarcasm was deadly. Ichigo could recall events of her talking like that for days on end. Such a brutal time to be alive. Clearly coming up to her in this type of situation only strained the relationship he enjoyed having. "I was just… looking around. Didn't expect you to see you here." Normally Ichigo didn't really care how he interacted with others. But he had to be very cautious when the female Quincy was annoyed.
"Why wouldn't I be here?"
He already messed up.
Ichigo shrugged, "I don't know. No one else cam I just sort of expected to be here alone. No one really cared about Quilge that much." The "Jail" wasn't as bad as most people believed. Although he was not very social, Ichigo did learn a lot from training under him. He has a lot to thank the older Sternritter for and to him it would be wrong to not visit his grave at least once.
"I have my own reasons." She replied tonelessly. Of course those reasons were very private and she would like to keep it that way.
"Calm down. I didn't come here to annoy you." He walked over and stood beside her. Ichigo sighed and placed the second flower on to the ground. There was no body resting, as in reality it was seen as a waste of time to go and retrieve a corpse. But these were mainly seen as monuments dedicated to those who have fought.
"So..." he spoke slowly, making sure to use the correct words. Ichigo placed his hand behind his head and looked away, "Were you two like...dat-"
"Who killed him?" she asked.
Ichigo flinched in surprise, "I know you know." Bambietta persisted, "You promised me." That he did. He didn't know why but he had promised her to share whatever information she requested. Was it against his role as a Schuzstaffel member? Ichigo didn't think so. The elite Quincy were just as trusted as the Imperial Guards. Or at least so he had initially believed. And depending on the subject matter, this was not trivial.
"Witnesses from Jagdarmee say it was Shiba Isshin..." he cautiously answer.
Her eyes narrows, "At least he was killed by a special war potential and not just some random Shinigami."
His name was infamous among the Wandenreich. Second war potential Shiba Isshin had been placed as a serious contender for deciding the outcome the moment he had battled Aizen. The former 10th Division Captain was responsible for the deaths of the current deceased Sternritter who had failed to even critically injure the man. He was already living up to his title.
He sighed and nudged her shoulder, "Was he like your boyfriend or something?" Luckily for him, he was used to people trying to slap him, "Relax, it's just a question." It was almost amusing to get her riled up sometimes. Just as long as he doesn't overdo it.
The "Explode" flared, "No!" she answered quickly. After pulling her hand back, a smirk appears on her face. "Why? You disappointed?"
"Nope."
"Happy?"
"I'm whatever."
The female Sternritter gave a "hmm", "Sure you are, little Ichi-chan."
"All right, enough of that let's go right now." Ichigo raised his fists as if he was seriously about to fight over a simple taunt. Bambietta was eager and already poised her reiatsu into Blut Arterie. It was always fun beating on Ichigo since he always seemed to try and get back up just to get his ass handed to him again and again.
"You're still the same boring ass kid!" she taunted. Oh man, how he hated being called boring. Whether it was insecurity or low self-esteem, being noted as something not worth even dealing with got to him. Perhaps it was because he was expected to be the opposite, and that he is failing to show.
The two engaged in a friendly scuffle. Unfortunately for Bambietta, Ichigo was not the weak kid he used to be. He formed on smile his face as he was able to easily catch her punches. The female Sternritter cursed and tried kicking him in the face. Throwing his head back, he was able to dodge the attack. Ichigo gripped her ankle and lift her body in the air.
"Haha," the tall Sternritter laughed as he had her completely upside down.
"Let me down you asshole! And you better not drop me!"
Choices.
Ichigo could drop her, but then her hair would get ruined from the damp snow. That would be funny. But she would be pissed. No doubt there would be a noticeable ruckus if she began to blow up things up. Feeling a bit courageous, the Sternritter lifted his female companion in the air and picked her up just before she would hit the ground. Bambietta lowered her eyes. Her position now being cradled like a child. "Down." She demanded.
"Did Quilge ever do this?" he teased.
"No, but if you want I can make you go see him."
Ichigo smirked and let her down. She tried one last time to hit him but was disappointed to see how prepared he was. Over the years Ichigo had become quite numb and knowledgeable on her hand to hand combat style. Sadly, it was mainly caused from the years of abuse which he had faced.
"I'm going to kill this Shiba Isshin." She declared. 'Just a way for me to return the debt.' She was sad to see how he had died. After all, Quilge had saved her from an encounter which could have possibly either ended her life or would have caused a serious traumatizing experience. Killing the man who ended the "Jail" would have been what he wanted.
Ichigo shrugged, "Yeah, right." He replied, "We had a brief encounter but even I would be worried to fight him alone. We'll just tag team him."
She raised an eyebrow, "The hell does that even man?"
"I don't really know. Something Mask told me."
"So it was you!" she yelled, "You were the one that told Mask to follow me!" Bambietta clearly remembers the "Superstar" engaging an enemy which initially was supposed to be her right. That was annoying and she had still yet to confront him about it.
Ichigo panicked and stepped back, "What? What the hell are you talking about?"
This chapter took so long to write for some reason. I don't know why, not my favorite kind of boring.
I feel next one will be a lot better because I'm actually prepared with the scenes. I will also show the Quilge fight I know I forgot it on this one because it didn't feel all that right. Either way see you later.
And right now Orihime does not have her powers. She is just a regular human who can see spirits.
review plox