CHAPTER 12: A DIFFICULT SHINIGAMI

"INCORRECT!"

The booming voice shook the walls and students of the large, auditorium-style classroom of Seireitei of Soul Society like vases in an earthquake. Several of the more timid students cowered in fear over the massive voice of their teacher Uri, a large, dark, bald, and utterly intense Shinigami dressed in a black instructor's uniform, while the rest of the young men and women sat in silence, wide-eyed at their teacher's outburst.

"You could not be more wrong!" continued Uri-sensei, who, at one time, was known as Toriko. His comments, directed towards a blond-haired teenage boy sitting in the third row. "Total sensory focus is not a talent you are born with, nor is it something our zanpakuto gives us! It is something that anyone and everyone can attain – through hard work, determination, and guts! Seriously, what are the other teachers telling you?"

"Uh…" stammered the blond student in his blue and white school uniform-kimono. "I was just trying to say that, you know, some people have it easier with being able to use their senses, while others have to find other ways of making up the difference, you know? I mean, for example, I'm no good with kido, but I'm really great with a sword so I don't think I'll need kido…"

"And I'm saying that YOU'RE WRONG!" crowed Uri-sensei, putting the fear of god into the young student. "That mindset will only get you killed in the battlefield! If you at any moment consider any skill out of reach, then you have failed not as a Shinigami, but as an individual spirit! True, some have natural leanings and aptitudes, but these do not lead one to skill mastery, nor are they required."

"Then sensei, how does one master the senses like you are saying?" asked another student, this a tall, pretty black-haired girl in a red and white kimono. "How can we see better than our eyes already can see? How can we hear better than our ears can already hear?"

"Yeah," seconded another student, this a brown haired boy with a sharp chin and nose. "Growing muscles is one thing, but how do we grow senses? That doesn't make sense to me." These two questions brought a wry smile to Uri-sensei's face as he began to pace slowly back and forth in front of the large class of trainees.

"To answer your question, let's take an example from our own world," replied Uri softly and excitedly, the large man clearly enjoying his role as teacher despite his energetic earlier responses. "Do you think the Captains of Soul Society were blessed with natural talent to become captains, or do you think they worked to reach that position? In other words, what makes Captain Kuchiki a captain and not a Vice-Captain?"

"Well obviously they've had to work to become captains," answered the girl. "No one becomes a captain overnight, but not everyone has a Bankai or can even reach it…"

"That is a sad misconception, sad inasmuch as it is so widely believed among Shinigami," said Uri-sensei, now turning to face the pretty girl in the fifth row center. "While it certainly seems like Bankai can only be achieved by a select few, it is not due to any form of fate; rather, Bankai is only achieved by those who put in the most amount of effort. You think young Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya was simply born with Bankai? Of course not! However, with that work and perseverance anyone – and I mean anyone, even all of you – can achieve Bankai during your lives."

"The confusion is inherent in your question, young lady," continued Uri-sensei, his whole body getting into the lecture. "You presume that at our current state our eyes, ears, nose, and skin is at the height of development. But even as spirits, most of having already gone through multiple lives in both the Real World and Afterlife, our senses are like those of a newborn. Your eyes have barely begun to see, and your ears have barely begun to hear – and the purpose of this course is to help you unlock the barriers inside your own spirits that hinder your senses."

"Sensei…?"

Uri-sensei's lecture came to a halt as the tall, dark, and soft-spoken Chad sat with his hand raised high above the student body.

"Yes, Yasutora?" replied Uri. "Is there something you still don't understand?"

"Does this teaching apply to a zanpakuto?" posed Chad.

"Of course," answered Uri, straightening his back and squaring his shoulders as he spoke. "The zanpakuto within our souls grows in a very similar way to our senses…"

"What if you don't have a zanpakuto?"

"Ah, I see," mused Uri after pausing a moment to internalize Chad's questioning. "It isn't unheard of for a student to not have a zanpakuto already present, but despite the vacancy of the companion spirit, the bond between you and your zanpakuto exists and transcends space. In other words, your zanpakuto may not be with you now, but you still have a bond with it."

"But how do I know if…" started Chad, but Uri-sensei cut him off.

"My colleague Shigeryu-sensei can better answer that question for you," declared Uri, now stepping over towards the podium and picking up several oversized books. "And since my class time is over and his is beginning, you should ask him yourself." With the last syllable the door to the classroom slid open, after which a shorter, wildly dark-haired and wolf-like man entered in, dressed in the same manner as Uri. This entrance was met with gasps and sighs from the female students coupled with gulps of intimidation from many of the young men infatuated with said women; indeed, Shigeryu-sensei was a favorite among the students of the Academy, some for his humor, but many for his rugged, handsome, and untethered appearance.

"A question regarding the lack of a zanpakuto?" asked Shigeryu happily, his ruddy smile sending at least one of the young girls into a flushed state. "I am Shigeryu, your instructor on Shinigami-Zanpakuto relationship. I currently do not have any other name, so please call me Shigeryu. I don't care for being called 'professor' or 'sensei', but if you must use honorifics, I suggest using sama or dono. Regardless of the name, however, I can definitely answer your question, whatever it may be."

"Thank you, Shigeryu-sama," replied Chad as Uri left the room and closed the door. "Uri-sensei said that even if I don't have a zanpakuto inside me, I have a bond with a zanpakuto somewhere in the world. Is this true?"

"Of course it's true," replied Shigeryu, taking a seat in a tall chair on the podium. "It is very difficult for the bond between a person and their zanpakuto to be sheared away, regardless of the physical distance of separation."

"So how do I find this zanpakuto? How do I know if it is the right one for me?"

"Well, that is the rub, isn't it?" chuckled Shigeryu, taking a deep breath and leaning back in his chair while folding his arms relaxingly behind his head and he expounded. "Part of learning to become a Shinigami is to recognize the resonance between your soul and the soul of another. Since you and your zanpakuto are created of the same spirit matter, emotional outbursts or even being close to your zanpakuto will elicit a feeling upon you that only you can feel. Furthermore…"

Shigeryu stopped speaking for a moment, his eyes having wandered down to take a closer look at Chad. A scowl erupted within the teacher's eyes for a moment, pondering and studying the tall, well-built young man in his classroom.

"Sensei?" asked Chad timidly after several seconds of silence while Shigeryu stared at him with concerned curiosity. "What is it?"

"What is your name, my young pupil?"

"Yasutora Sado," replied Chad. "But everyone calls me Chad."

"And how long have you been in Soul Society?"

"This is my second day," answered Chad. "Aiseki Kennomichi of Squad Thirteen brought me into this world after my funeral on Earth."

"The Vice-Captain, huh?" mused Shigeryu, his voice becoming soft. "Man, they didn't want to waste any time at all…"

"Aiseki is the Vice-Captain?" gasped Chad. "But…he didn't say anything like that to me, and nobody said anything to him about it the entire way here..."

"That's how Vice-Captain Kennomichi is," said Shigeryu. "He's not big on titles, just like me; it might have something to do with keeping a low profile behind his wife. But that is neither here nor there; I would like to continue answering your questions for the class, but unfortunately I cannot."

"Sensei?" asked Chad to this peculiar statement, but Shigeryu went on without addressing him.

"Before entering class today I was given an order direct from the Captain-Commander himself," declared Shigeryu loudly so that all the students could hear him clearly. "Class is to be cut early, and all students with Squad positions already determined are to report immediately to their squads for intense training." A rush of murmuring enveloped the class, all the students wary and confused about Shigeryu's declaration.

"Shigeryu-sama, what's going on?" asked one of the male students in the front row. "I've never had class cut before…"

"I'm not supposed to give details, but…" replied Shigeryu, drawing an immediate hush to the class as he spoke. "Something terrible happened in the Real World last night, and Soul Society wants to make sure they have all the warriors they can get – just in case. Now then, all those of you without squads should go home immediately; your homework due after we are given the all clear is to write a report on the normal development of a zanpakuto spirit, and how we can help this development along. Five pages, no less. Those of you with squads will please remain here in the classroom with me for a few moments before departing for your squads. Class dismissed!"

Shigeryu turned around as the class began to vacate the room, all the while with his back turned to them he began erasing the many figures jotted on the chalkboard (Uri-sensei had a bad habit of not cleaning up after himself). Little by little the sounds of bustling, vocal students faded as they departed the school, until at last the room was left in silence. At the head of the auditorium Shigeryu finished cleaning the chalkboard, upon which he took a breath and turned to speak – though as he did so the words failed to come as he grew a look of thorough disappointment.

"What, you're the only one?"

"I guess I am," replied Chad, his deep voice echoing throughout the chamber. "I'm sorry to say this, but…I am really, really confused."

"As am I," replied Shigeryu. "But probably about a completely different topic. Please, come with me." Shigeryu beckoned for Chad to follow him, and he did as requested. The two then left the classroom through the same door that Shigeryu entered, introducing Chad to a long, silent hallway marked with interspersed windows, wood slatted flooring, and significantly warmer temperatures.

"This hallway faces the sun in the mornings, and the ventilation is terrible," observed Shigeryu as the two walked. "So it tends to get hot."

"I see," responded Chad tentatively. In his mind Chad was confused and weary; he had been in Soul Society for about twenty-four hours now, and it had been nothing like he would have expected – even having spent so much time here in the past. Classes were far more difficult and intense than anything he had experienced growing up in Karakura Town (most particularly the Reiatsu Control course taught by Kiria-sensei – several students were left unconscious in just the first lesson alone), and with all that had happened to him recently it seemed almost cruel. After all, wasn't part of the Afterlife supposed to be a period of rest?

"Once I learned your name I knew exactly who you were," began Shigeryu, their footsteps echoing loudly in the tall, slender corridor. "It is a wonder that your classmates treat you as normally as they do, considering who you are to them."

"And who am I to them?" asked Chad, to which his sensei smiled.

"Yasutora Sado, one of the famed ryoka," replied Shigeryu in an official tone. "A rescuer of his new comrade Rukia Kuchiki, a legend in Soul Society lore, and a stalwart of decency and charity. While I wasn't in Seireitei at the time, I've learned a great deal about you since your passing in the Real World."

"My passing…" muttered Chad, his mind drifting back several days earlier when it all happened.

"Many cultures in the Real World and even here in Soul Society believe that the greatest men are those who give their lives to protect others."

"I don't consider myself to be great," said Chad quickly to Shigeryu's statement. "Charity is the pure love of God; that is how I decided to live my life ten years ago."

"A fantastic philosophy," observed Shigeryu. "Those words are present in some of Earth's religious cultures, but you never had any contact with them that I know of."

"To be honest, I don't remember where I learned that phrase," continued Chad plainly. "I do know that someone very important taught it to me, but who, when, and where I do not know. Regardless of the source, however, I have been happier since following that principle."

"Yet here you are in the Afterlife because of it," quipped Shigeryu, looking at Chad with a slight turn of his head. "Is it your belief in this principle that led you to enter that burning building in Karakura?"

"People were in trouble, and I was the only one who could have helped them," answered Chad. "It's what anyone would have done."

"That's not true," replied Shigeryu rapidly. "Only the most noble among us has the resolve to abandon our own self-interest for others. It is a behavior that acts counter to instinct and the basic human condition. Needless to say, you were able to save all thirty-seven people trapped in the fire with no fatalities except…"

"Except my own," declared Chad, finishing Shigeryu's statement for him.

"Such is life," mused Shigeryu after a moment. "We never know the results of our decisions until they are upon us."

"But we can change our reactions to those results," added Chad, prompting an enlightened smile from Shigeryu. "I am happy with my decision, and I will never regret it. So what that I died because of it; I am sure that good will come of all of this."

"That is good," agreed Shigeryu. "You have a very sound mind; it will serve you very well with your zanpakuto relationship."

"But I don't have a zanpakuto."

"Nonsense," countered Shigeryu happily, the two now at the end of the hallway. Ahead of them was a door leading to the outside, and Shigeryu firmly pushed against it, opening it and flooding the two of them with gentle, warm sunlight.

"We just need to find it."

Outside the summer day was beautiful, and the warmth and beauty did well to ease Chad's heart and mind, both troubled with the weariness his spirit felt. This warmth filled him and relaxed him, so much so that for a moment he failed to notice the person standing in front of the dressed in a fine black kimono with a bright white sash around his waist firmly supporting his katana.

"Thank you, Shigeryu-sama," declared Vice-Captain of Squad Thirteen Aiseki Kennomichi beneath a mop of spiky brown hair. "I can take it from here."

"Actually, would it be a problem if I accompanied you?" asked Shigeryu to the vice-captain. "I think I can be of service, particularly since Chad here is still learning about zanpakuto relationships."

"I wouldn't want to trouble you…" countered Aiseki, but Shigeryu raised his hand and shook his head.

"Class has already been dismissed, and I have no other plans for the day."

"Very well," accepted Aiseki, straightening his shoulders as he spoke. "Chad, is this all right with you?"

"Huh…oh, yeah," stuttered Chad, the question from Aiseki having jarred him back to reality. "That would be fine."

"Then let's get a move on," said Aiseki, turning around and walking away from the school grounds. "We have a lot of work ahead of us; finding a zanpakuto can be difficult, but I think I've been able to locate several good candidates."

"Candidates?" asked Chad.

"Zanpakuto that Rukia and I thought would be a good match for you," answered Aiseki as the three quickly walked. "There are many zanpakuto here in Soul Society; some are abandoned through death or other means, others are passed down from older Shinigami, while others just seem to show up from time to time. Since you are most definitely a Shinigami with great spiritual strength, your zanpakuto will most definitely be here…somewhere."

"Are you sure?" asked Chad, the trio now outside of the school ground and heading towards the barracks of the Thirteenth Squad still quite a distance away. "Sensei mentioned that I would have been able to feel a bond with the zanpakuto even if it weren't in my body, but…I've never felt anything like that before except with my Abuelo."

"I understand you possess a curious power within your body," answered Shigeryu. "It was evident in the past when you invaded Soul Society, its manifestation being that of armor covering your arms. Perhaps this power has been distracting you from your zanpakuto?"

"My Abuelo's spirit was with me," responded Chad slowly. "Though…since I died things have felt very different. Furthermore, I don't really have an explanation for my other arm…at least not one that I find acceptable or believable*. To be honest, I always thought it was more like a Hollow based on my experience in Hueco Mundo."

"Who knows," stated Aiseki. "But I'm sure we'll find your zanpakuto soon."

"On a different topic, how has your wife been?" asked Shigeryu to Aiseki, derailing the previous conversation in a manner that Chad found to be a little odd. "I haven't seen Captain Anders in quite some time."

"Alicia was…I mean, Captain Anders was sent to the Real World on a mission surrounding the Hackney Incident," said Aiseki promptly, though as he did so his face became shocked, then disappointed – all in the matter of a second.

"Aiseki?" asked Shigeryu. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I shouldn't really be talking about that," answered Aiseki quickly. "Not with Chad being so new here. I'm sure Captain Ukitake would be very upset should rumors begin to spread."

"Vice-Captain, what are you talking about?" pressed Chad. Ahead, Aiseki's head slumped for a moment, after which he looked left to right. His eyes landed upon a darker alleyway off to the right of the main thoroughfare and deftly he moved towards it, beckoning Shigeryu and Chad to follow. Once all three had entered the shadows of the alley, Aiseki again addressed them, though now his voice was no louder than a whisper.

"It is imperative that you keep this completely secret," implored Aiseki as softly as he could. "Only a few outside of the thirteen captains and the Squad Twelve officers know about this, and I don't want to be punished – but to be honest, I think that it would be good for both of you to know." Aiseki then raised his head and looked around once more before continuing.

"Hackney, a borough of London, was completely wiped out last night."

"A city in the Real World was destroyed?" asked Shigeryu. "By what? A Hollow?"

"It wasn't a Hollow, that much we know for certain," continued Aiseki. "As far as who the real culprit is, I've only heard bits and pieces – but they are saying it was a human boy that did it."

"So a bomb then?" asked Chad. "What's so secret about that?"

"It wasn't a bomb," replied Aiseki. "It was definitely a spiritual effect, whatever it was. Anyway, someone else was there with the boy after the city was destroyed, and this person wiped out an entire travelling squad in a matter of minutes."

"What squad was it?" asked Shigeryu.

"The squad of the Dual Bankai users, Reiji and Kunei Asubaku."

"That...that's impossible!" gasped Shigeryu. "I trained them both! They were captain-class Shinigami!"

"What about this other person?" asked Chad. "Who was it?"

"Nobody knows," answered Aiseki. "My wife thinks his name is Noble or something, but Squad Twelve couldn't get any type of reading on him. All we know is that before he attacked his eyes glowed purple, like they were on fire." Something in these words pricked Chad's soul, and for a moment he sat dumbfounded at the sensation.

What was that? thought Chad in this moment of stupor. It felt so cold and dark, so heavy…yet so nostalgic.

"You're right, that doesn't sound like a Hollow," pondered Shigeryu.

"Anyway, the reason we have to train Chad now is that the higher-ups are worried that whatever did this will come to Soul Society," continued Aiseki. "They want all the help they can get – just in case things go badly. And since Chad is a legend, they feel he can be of great value to the protection of the Seireitei."

"But I just can't believe it…" said Shigeryu softly in disbelief. "Reiji and Kunei…they were both ready to become captains once a vacancy appeared. Personally I thought they both exceeded Captain Abarai…"

"Exceeded me in what?"

Shigeryu, Aiseki, and Chad all froze in place, their spirits hard as stone as this fourth voice joined them. Dulcet and deep, this voice exuded strength and power, all while drawing out terror from the three hideaways. Beneath its intimidating force Shigeryu slowly turned his head to address the source of the voice standing out in the street near them.

"Oh, hey…" stammered Shigeryu. "How are you, Captain Abarai?"

"Renji?" gasped Chad, seeing his old friend for the first time in years, standing up in surprise at the sight.

"It's been a while, Chad," said Renji with a smile upon his tattooed face, his blood-red hair much longer than before and dropping to his lower back while the top rested in elegant ties and weaves. Truly Renji looked the part of a Captain, complete with the white haori emblazed with the kanji for "nine" upon his back. Chad stepped out from the alley and stood before Renji, looking him up and down for a moment before speaking.

"Captain, huh?" observed Chad, feeling as happy as he did when he saw Rukia earlier. "Very nice."

"Yeah," agreed Renji. "But seriously, what are you guys talking about that you have to hide in an alley? Oh, don't tell me – Aiseki was telling you about the creature in England?"

"F-Forgive me, Captain Abarai!" exclaimed Aiseki, standing abruptly and bowing in penitence. "I felt I could trust the information with Shigeryu-sensei and Chad; they are both powerful spirits, and…"

"You don't have to apologize," interrupted Renji, looking up and away while rubbing the back of his head. "They would've found soon enough. I mean, its not every day you lose an entire squad – save one member of course."

"One member?" asked Shigeryu. "Who survived?"

"Hanataro Yamada."

"Hanataro?" asked Chad. "From the Fourth Squad?"

"Yeah," answered Renji. "He hasn't been with Captain Unohana for years, though. He went and made a name for himself as the second-most talented healer in Soul Society and was joined to a traveling squad. Word is that Captain Alicia Anders rescued him."

"Then he should be plenty safe," declared Aiseki, the fear in his voice now gone. "By the way Captain, what are you doing out here? Isn't your squad in training today?"

"Yeah, but I was given another assignment while our third seat took over," started Renji, his eyes back down towards the Shinigami in the alley. "Hisagi is on Earth with Captain Anders and Captain Hitokage, and apparently Captain Ukitake is out on assignment."

"Wait, the Captain isn't waiting for us?" asked Aiseki stepping out of the alley.

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto thought that I, having fought alongside Chad so many times, would be a better choice," continued Renji, his tone starting to sound annoyed. "I've been put in charge of overseeing Chad's zanpakuto selection."

"Ah, I imagine this will be entertaining for you then," quipped Shigeryu. "Seeing your history together…"

"Excuse me…" interrupted Chad, drawing the attention of the three Shinigami to himself. "I don't get it; why are so many people interested in my zanpakuto? And why does a captain have to be there?" The group was silent for a moment, each person looking away nervously while trying to formulate the most delicate way to answer.

"There is potential danger involved…" started Aiseki slowly, his words treading carefully as he spoke. "As a human you had unique properties, and we aren't sure what will happen with the zanpakuto discovery in light of these."

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm just curious," interjected Shigeryu. "You are Chad, the legendary ryoka. In my opinion, whatever zanpakuto you have must be something incredible to behold."

"Again, I don't have a zanpakuto," declared Chad stubbornly. "I know you keep saying that I just have to find it, but I'm telling you – I don't have one. I've never felt any type of bond you were discussing earlier, and I've never felt any part of me was somewhere else in the universe."

"Just as I expected," sighed Renji, looking down at the ground for a moment before lifting his head with a smile. "You are a difficult Shinigami, Yasutora Sado."

Next: CHAPTER 13 – ELIMINATION

BONUS!

Remember: important.

*The asterisk refers to an earlier statement which represents my personal view on the whole stupid "Fullbring" thing. Bleach totally sucks now, so I am supplanting Tite's absurd new ideas with my own reality. Thank you for listening to my rant, and look forward to the next chapter! And now, the continuation of Kenpachi's adventure!

Hundreds of the residents of the Kurosaki's neighborhood fled wildly and screaming for safety as the world around them seemed to be exploding. None of these panicked citizens could se what was really happening, however, for they were too clouded with fear and shock to notice the snobbish young man seemingly fighting with himself on the neighborhood streets.

"HA!" chortled the Sorrow called Rupert, also known as The Infatigable, as he stood in the base of a crater recently formed in the middle of a block of ruined houses. "You're seriously a captain of Soul Society? They seriously sent a sissy like you to protect the children of the Archangel?" Some distance away Captain Kenpachi Zaraki fell down from high in the air, crashing hard amid the brand-new rubble of the Karakura neighborhood. Several moments passed before he stood up, however, and this caused some visible frustration with Rupert.

"Hey, hey, hey! What the hell is this?" shouted out Rupert to Kenpachi as the massive captain slowly stood, his perfectly spiked hair becoming a bit frazzled with the loss of a few of the trademark bells attached to the ends. "We've barely been at this for three minutes, and you're already too weak to stand up?"

"Normally…" began Kenpachi from the rubble as he gradually got to his feet, his haori and body covered in gashes and streaks of blood. "Normally I would be overjoyed to fight someone who could kick the shit out of me like this. As it is though, I can't really give you any credit…" Kenpachi could not finish his words as Rupert's blindingly fast fist collided with his stomach, knocking blood and saliva from Kenpachi's mouth as he smashed through house after house, not coming to a stop for nearly five blocks.

"Don't insult me, Shinigami!" growled Rupert, having already traversed the distance from the attack and now standing above Kenpachi with burning violet eyes, the latter on his back but looking away morosely despite the force of the Sorrow's spirit. "Like I said earlier, you ain't got nothing on me – so why do keep acting all cool like you're better than me? Huh?"

"This really sucks," grumbled Kenpachi in a tone that exuded an ignorance of Rupert – which only enraged him further. "There's no fun in this at all."

"What, normally it's fun when you get beaten up like a punching bag?" chided Rupert, his anger manifesting itself into a fiendish grin, made all the more devilish with the violet emission of wisping energy. "Or is it that you've never faced an enemy as powerful as me? Is that what's got you down, Mistuh Shee-nee-gah-mee?"

"You?" quipped Kenpachi quickly, turning his unpatched eye upwards towards Rupert, after which he grunted out a short laugh. "Please, you aren't even on the level of an Espada."

"What, you can tell how strong I am?" asked Rupert mockingly. "Don't make me laugh! You know as well as I do that you can't sense any spiritual aura from this glorious body of mine!"

"Don't have to," continued Kenpachi, reverting his gaze to some distance location away from Rupert the Sorrow. "I can tell by your kicks and punches, from the way you move, from the way you breathe while fighting – you're barely on the level of that Yammy guy before he went all huge on me."

"There you go again!" cried out the enraged Rupert, his eyes burning brighter at the accent of each syllable. "You are beyond belief, Shinigami! Here you are getting plastered onto the street, and you keep insulting me like you're something special!"

"Hey, its not my fault," retorted Kenpachi drearily. "I don't get sent to the Real World much, and Yachiru is the one who gets the messages."

"Messages?" asked Rupert, his tone switching to curiosity. "What messages?"

"KEN-CHAAAAAAAAN!"

Rupert spun around instantly as little Vice-Captain Yachiru's high-pitched voice rang out across the entire neighborhood, playful and bubbly despite the devastation surrounding from Rupert's crushing blows.

"What the…?" wondered Rupert aloud, his attention turned away, thus preventing him from noticing the smile developing on Kenpachi's face.

"Ken-chan!" continued Yachiru, appearing from behind a collapsed roof a block away. "I called Akon-san for you! He says since everyone is already running away Soul Society is okay with you releasing your seal!"

"Seal?" repeated Rupert, but by then his question was already answered. From beneath him Kenpachi's body began to radiate like then sun with energy, the Captain immediately rising to his feet with a monstrous grin.

"Now that I'm able to actually do something…" growled Kenpachi, and with another word he sliced his chipped katana down upon Rupert, the latter not ready for the attack. Steel collided with palpable force, and Rupert was sent sliding backwards a great distance, leaning forward and digging in his feet to prevent collapsing beneath Kenpachi's sudden, completely unexpected strike. For several moments Rupert stood silent, his forearms still covering his face with a large, bloody gash crossing the exposed sides of his forearms, his chest heaving in deep breaths.

"What in God's name did you just do?" asked the Sorrow between breaths. "You're like…you're like a different person now."

"Soul Society thinks us Captains have too much spiritual power," answered Kenpachi, raising and setting the blunt edge of his katana against his shoulder. "Every time we come to the Real World, they seal away about eighty percent of our power. With me, however, I am already sealing a lot of my strength, so it ends up being closer to ninety percent of my power."

"You're saying…" gasped Rupert, his violet eyes now wide in shock. "That you're ten times as powerful as you were just moments ago?"

"Nothing of the sort!" laughed Kenpachi, then lowering his face and glaring an evil eye at the bleeding Sorrow.

"With the seal removed, I'm only at fifty percent."

Rupert suddenly lost sight of Kenpachi, but his powers as a Sorrow would not fail him this time. A quick hop into the air protected the Sorrow from the devastation the tip of Zaraki's zanpakuto as it cut horizontally through the air. With cleverness Rupert then arched his body around while the momentum of Kenpachi's swing carried him, and gathering energy upon his fist Rupert lunged his arm forward towards the Captain's head. This attack contained the full force that the Sorrow could create on such short notice; while weaker than his full potential, such a strike would most certainly leave a terrible wound – even for a fully-powered captain of Soul Society.

"Heh…"

A loud clap sounded out amongst the debris, and Rupert could only stare onward in horror as his fist collided not with Kenpachi's head, but with his open palm. The energy fluttered away, and Rupert found himself defenseless in this split instant. He could try to build up energy and release it from his body all at once, but it would take too long; after all, Kenpachi's blade was mere milliseconds away from slicing him in half as he hovered helplessly in the slow-motion universe of the battle.

"See ya," grunted Kenpachi with a cruel smile, and his sword neared its mark – only to be thrust to the ground beneath a shadow. The ground rumbled and shook with this deflection, Kenpachi's blade trapped beneath the foot of the newcomer. With a quick blow to the chest this newcomer knocked Rupert away like a ragdoll, simultaneously dealing a successful kick to Kenpachi's chest, knocking him too away several yards. Pain reeled through Kenpachi's body with this strike; while the distance thrown back was short, his body had been forced to accept the power of the kick. Several ribs were broken like twigs, and his left lung was surely pierced.

"Rupert, you fail your Master," declared the newcomer in a deep, feminine alto, the figure's back turned to Kenpachi. This newcomer was dressed in a similar, country club-esque fashion as Rupert – a denim skirt set several inches above the knee, and a flowery, tight-fitted shirt emblazoned with Hibiscus flowers, though it boasted a long spray of glimmering blonde hair from the top of its head all the way to the small of the back.

"Rachel, I'm sorry…" pleaded Rupert, immediately getting to his feet. "I'll finish it right now…"

"Just kneel and repent to your Master," growled Rachel, turning to Kenpachi and revealing her extraordinarily beautiful, long, pointed face and radiant purple eyes. "I, the Deathstalker, will deal with this trash while you think about your sinfulness."