Chapter 12
What should I do? I asked myself as I brushed my hair over my shoulder. People are getting hurt because of me and I only know two ways of stopping it.
Dinner was quiet because my brothers didn't know what to say and I was glad; I didn't feel like talking. Afterwards, they got their futons ready in the living room and didn't object when I went back to my room.
I got dressed into the clothes Daijiro and Kyouhei got for me and hooked my daggers through the belt before tying my light blue hair up into a ponytail with the fringe falling into my face.
"Drastic measures calls for drastic actions." I sighed before grabbing the photo of my family and then one of Ichigo and I and tucked them into the pocket of my jacket before pulling my window open. "Thank you, my brothers."
I leapt out of the window and turned into my soul form before I touched the ground and began walking, my thick heels clicking on the pavement as a car drove past. Everything grew quiet after that. So quiet that I could hear my calm heartbeat in my chest.
The pendant on my neck was as cold as ice when I decided to walk on the rooftops and realised just how far I had gone from my house.
"What are you doing?" A guy asked and I screamed and turned around to see Rukia and Ichigo.
"Hey, where's Renji?" I asked.
"He went back to the Soul Society. Now answer my question."
"I'm taking a walk."
"It looks like you're going somewhere." Rukia stated and I tensed.
"I'm hunting Hollows. I need to do something." I explained.
"You're looking for Kane, aren't you?" Ichigo asked and my shoulders slumped.
"Even though it might be the wrong choice at the moment, it'll become the right choice in the future. Isn't that what you said, Ichigo?"
"I guess it is."
"He's taken all of my human friends and you think that I'll just stand here and do nothing? I'm not that kind of person."
"I know that, it's just–"
An immense amount of spiritual energy exploded towards us and I turned back to the direction of my house in time to see the barrier shatter and explode.
"That's impossible!" I screamed and launched off the roof at lightning speed towards the house.
"Hey, wait!" Rukia yelled but I ignored her.
"That's impossible. It can't break unless..."
I slid across the last rooftop before lunging back through my window and bashed open my door to see the kitchen a mess downstairs and the living room demolished; there was no sign of my brothers.
"No. No, no, no, no, no!" I screamed and ran down to the basement, knowing that He had taken them. "That bastard, I'll kill him!"
Ichigo and Rukia had just arrived when I walked back up the basement stairs. I gave one look at them before standing in front of the gaping hole in my living room wall where the backyard was haunting in the moonlight.
"Seika, what's wrong?" Rukia asked as Ichigo slid his hand behind my neck and pulled me to his chest.
"That's impossible. It couldn't have," I repeated as I buried my face into Ichigo's chest and grabbed his Shihakusho.
"What's impossible?"
I looked over Ichigo's shoulder to look at her.
"The barrier can only be broken by one of the people who made it. I can feel my brothers spiritual energies but Kyouhei's is the oldest, like he disappeared just before the attack. It's all falling into place." I cried and Ichigo sat me down.
"What did you figure out?" Ichigo asked.
"My father would die before he told anything about his family which means that Kyouhei told Kane and then when he went to leave from putting the tattoo on me, my dad turned up and confronted him but lost. Kyouhei's been playing us the whole time."
"How can you be sure?" Rukia said and I picked up Haruka's favourite necklace from under the rubble; a long silver chain with a pendant of a silver snake coiled around a white pearl. It was a gift from me when he Altered.
"Haruka never took this off. No matter what. And his leftover spiritual energy is so scared, just like Takashi's and Daijiro's," I growled and stood up before clasping the necklace around my neck, the pendant dangling near my cleavage under my other necklace.
"What do we do?" Ichigo declared.
"I can't design another barrier. Not without my brothers. I guess all I can do is undo what's been done and wait."
"Undo what's been done?"
"Another spell. Nothing for you to worry about." I said quickly as I pressed my thumb to the blade of my dagger with a grimace at the sting and smeared a line of blood above the hole with the help of Ichigo.
I kicked rubble away from the middle of the room and crossed my arms in front of me as blood dripped from my finger.
"Don't fail me now," I breathed. "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. Use my blood to replace the eye and undo destruction."
I thrusted my hands forward as bits of rubble began to glow a soft blue and lift from the ground before they arranged themselves and slowly formed back into the wall, sealing any cracks as if nothing had happened. Ichigo and Rukia had to back out into a corner as things in the kitchen began to right itself as well.
Everything was fixed by the time I had exhausted myself and collapsed into the new couch as the others slowly advanced from the corner and crept up to me.
"I... didn't think I could fix so much." I panted and sucked on my bleeding thumb.
"That was amazing, Seika. It's like nothing happened." Rukia informed and I smiled up at her.
"Thanks but now is not the time for compliments. I have to find Kane."
"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked as I stood.
"Leaving." I explained. "Well, hurry up."
"How are we going to find Kane?" Ichigo asked and I glanced over my shoulder to look at him as we leapt over rooftops.
"We're not. We're going to find Kasai. She can't contain her spiritual energy very well or pick up others. She'll never know what hit her."
"She reminds me of Ichigo," Rukia snickered and I heard Ichigo's teeth grind together.
"Kasai feels like she's near the river somewhere. Let's move before she decides to leave."
"What about her brother?"
"He doesn't seem to be in the area. All we need is to know where they are."
"And what do we use to get Kasai?" Ichigo asked and Rukia waved her hand.
"I can use my Zanpakuto. It's a ice type." Rukia informed and I nodded.
"That'll give us an advantage but it won't hold her for long. Our best bet is my Altered form if my Kido doesn't work." I explained and stopped at the last roof near the river and scanned the area. "There. By the tree. We have to get closer so I can hit her with a clear shot."
We dropped to the ground and quickly snuck through yards until I realised she was sleeping. I stood up from my crouch and walked out casually.
"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked as I walked closer to her.
"Shhh, she's asleep. All the more better." I said and put my hands in front of me as they glowed blue. "Hyoga Seiran."
Kasai didn't have enough time to wake up and move as a massive wave of ice erupted from my hands and enveloped her, freezing her over.
"That wasn't so hard," Ichigo said and I walked around the wave of ice to see it quickly melting.
"Get back!" I yelled and tackled Ichigo to the ground as the ice exploded into water.
I got to my feet to see Kasai pissed off greatly. Her long white hair flared around her like a great mane and her cute long sleeved dress fluttered around her as the ground under her feet erupted into fire.
"Who do you think you're dealing with?!" She snarled and I wiped the water from my eyes.
"A spoilt hot head with a quick temper, that's what I think." I replied coolly and a whip made out of fire formed in her hand. "Hey! I haven't drawn my weapons so keep yours away."
"Nice try, Darksider." She snickered and she twirled the whip around her body before cracking it towards us, a wave of fire erupting from the tip. We managed to dodge the first attack but I couldn't dodge so I protected myself with my spiritual energy, creating a blue shield around myself. "Wait, you're the Kimura girl Kane's so fond of. He won't mind if you lose a few fingers."
"But I'm sure he won't want me harmed in any way. Come on, Kasai. Use your fists. I'm not using weapons, am I?"
"Well, no."
"Then get rid of the whip and fight me bare handed," I snapped and charged at her. Her whip disappeared as she let go of it before my fist connected with her face and she flew backwards before I was at her again.
She grabbed a handful of sand and flung it at me before she kicked my gut and kicked my legs from underneath me. I coughed sand out of my mouth and dodged her foot from stomping on my head before my legs snaked out and grabbed either side of her head as I pulled her over me and then rolled over on top, holding her arms with my knees and pressing a dagger to her throat.
"Move and die." I said calmly as Rukia ran up to us.
"I guess I shouldn't misjudge someone as strong as Kane no matter how young," Kasai grunted.
"Where's your brother?"
"Why should I tell–" she stopped when I pressed my blade further to her skin. "With Kane and your brothers. Preparing."
"Preparing what?" Rukia asked and Kasai snorted.
"I don't know. Preparing the ritual, I guess. My brother wouldn't tell me."
"Where are my friends and brothers?" I growled.
"They'll be spared if you come quietly, just like your brothers. If you don't come by the end of the week, Kane starts killing them one by one. Call it leverage, if you will."
"Where. Are. They."
"Your friends are still here but I don't know where and your brothers are in the Soul Society. In a forbidden area."
"What's your role in this?"
"I haven't got the slightest clue."
The blade got deeper. "You're lying."
"I swear, I don't know!" She gagged and I could see her blood beginning to seep onto the dagger.
"Calm down, Seika. It's not going to help if you kill her." Ichigo said softly and I pulled back.
"When you wake up, you tell Kane that I'll see him before the end of the week. Inemuri," I whispered and Kasai's eyes went dull before they closed and a soft snore came from her throat.
"You used a Kido spell." Rukia stated as Ichigo helped me to my feet.
"I had to get off of her some way without getting hurt."
"So they're in the Soul Society?" Ichigo asked and I nodded.
"That's where we're going."
"But school doesn't finish until next week!"
"I haven't got until next week, Ichigo. I have several lives in my hands. It's either you come with me or I go alone." I snapped and pressed myself up to Ichigo. "Are you in?"
"You can count on it." He smirked and Rukia nodded.
