Disclaimer: Bleach does not belong to me, but Nakita, Seiko, Saiu, Shoku, and Aranami do.
DEVIL'S SMILE
Chapter 21
"What's taking so damned long?" Seiko demanded.
Ichigo ignored the enormous Hunter's growling complaints, scowling as he rubbed at the ache in his shoulder.
He was less than happy about Saiu's little 'visit' using his body. All his muscles burned with a residual pain from the demon magic that has seared through him, and he still felt weak and feverish. Not to mention he didn't remember anything from the moment Kita had discovered the spell up to regaining consciousness an hour ago. Damn demon.
If he was honest with himself, he should be grateful to Saiu; the demon prince had provided them with invaluable information and a way to save Seireitei—even if it was a long shot. But being grumpy about Saiu's rude magical invasion was better than acknowledging his bone-deep fear of the effortless way the demon had taken control of him—and could do so again at any time. He needed to get rid of that cursed demon mark before Saiu did him permanent harm, intentional or not. Kita said Saiu hadn't wanted to hurt him, but Ichigo knew Saiu's reluctance to damage Ichigo stemmed solely from Ichigo's usefulness as a tool, and not any heartfelt concern for his wellbeing.
Damn demon.
Sighing, he gave up on trying to soothe the persistent muscle aches and dropped his hand from his shoulder. He turned to Kita to check her progress.
The petite Diviner was sitting cross-legged in the center of the large basement room, surrounded by the glowing symbols of a spell so complex he had no idea how she could remember it, let alone construct it properly. Seiko stood several paces away from the edge of the spell, his face dark with irritated impatience, arms crossed as he hovered and complained. Ichigo could sympathize; he wasn't good at waiting either.
The quiet hum of conversation behind him drew his attention away from Kita, and he surveyed the surprisingly crowded room.
While he'd been unconscious from Saiu's possession, Kita and Tōshirō had moved quickly, setting their preparations into motion with a smooth expedience that came from years of experience in command, organization, and too many emergency situations to count. In just under two hours, they'd alerted the Captain-Commander of the situation, set up and held a secret Captain's Meeting that the demons wouldn't notice, formulated a plan of attack, found a large, hidden room that could hold a hundred people, and arranged for the necessary people to make their way to that location in a slow trickle that, again, wouldn't be too noticeable to any watching demons.
The dusty, gymnasium-sized room in the basement of one of 10th Division Captain Kurotsuchi's many research facilities was now feeling a bit crowded with 70 people waiting in it with varying degrees of impatience and edginess. The Captains, Vice-Captains, and 3rd, 4th, and 5th Seats of each squad made up the majority of the room's populace, with Ichigo, Orihime, Rukia, Seiko, and Kita rounding it off. Orihime stood out the most, being the only attendee who wasn't wearing Shinigami garments. Ichigo thought the shihakushō suited Kita, but on Seiko, it just looked strange.
A few paces behind Ichigo, Ukitake and Kyōraku spoke together in soft undertones, standing to one side of the Captain-Commander. The Old Man watched Kita work her spell with half-closed eyes, by all appearances bored out of his mind. But Ichigo had come to respect Yamamoto's keen tactical mind like never before in the last hour; if not for the Old Man's quick, decisive action, they wouldn't even be half this close to pulling off their plan—or even having a workable plan at that.
Byakuya stood silently, Renji behind and to the side of his Captain. Soifon waited with her arms folded across her chest and a severe look on her young face. Komamura's huge form hulked in a corner with his Vice-Captain in his shadow. Kenpachi, unlike the Old Man, didn't just look bored—he was bored. But there was a glitter of vicious anticipation in his eye at the coming battle. Uohana looked out of place among all the hardened warriors, her expression both wise and serene. Kurotsuchi stood alone with a wide empty space around him, his bad temper at this invasion of his facility keeping anyone from approaching him. The Vice-Captains stood by their Captains with the exception of Kira, Hisagi, and Hinamori, who didn't have Captains, while the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Seats were grouped at the back of the room.
Tōshirō stood on Ichigo's right, with Rukia and Orihime on his left. The young Captain's face was grave as he watched Kita work her spell, and the weight of his worry cut faint lines into his face.
A bright flash of red light jerked Ichigo's wandering gaze back to Kita.
An enormous bubble of red light had come into existence, twelve feet in diameter and brushing both the ceiling and the floor. The red sphere pulsed, and a dark strip of blackness spread horizontally to cut the bubble in half. The black then spread up and down to form a dark square of nothingness in the center of the red bubble.
Ichigo recognized it from the very first time he'd seen Kita and Seiko. It was a doorway from one dimension to another, the Demon Hunter equivalent of a Senkaimon.
Seiko grinned. "Here they come."
Another pulse of light, and a human shape appeared in the shadowy opening. With a light hop, a woman dropped gracefully to the stone floor. As she straightened, she flipped her waist-length golden-blonde hair over one shoulder and turned startlingly blue eyes on the watching Shinigami. A devilishly wicked sparkle came into those eyes as she surveyed the nearest Shinigami, her gaze lingering quite obviously on the younger males. Ichigo shifted uncomfortably as her stare ran over him before shifting to Tōshirō.
"Mmm," she breathed, running her hands down the front of her sleeveless kimono to smooth the dark material. A wide red obi accentuated her narrow waist and the swell of her chest, while the slit on the left side of the long kimono showed off one lean leg and its thigh-high red tabi.
Ichigo swallowed hard when the tip of the young woman's tongue poked out of her full lips as she combed her fingers through her long hair. Her eyes were moving back and forth between Ichigo and Tōshirō as though sizing them up.
"Mmm," she murmured again, glancing briefly at Kita. "I can't decide." She lowered her eyelashes and smiled up at Ichigo and Tōshirō. "Can I have them both?"
Ichigo's face blanked. Suddenly Rukia was on one side of him and Orihime on the other. Both women had the same cold, territorial gleam in her eyes as she stared down the newcomer. Ichigo swallowed again. Tōshirō just stared.
"Nozomi," Kita growled. "Behave yourself or go home."
Nozomi finally turned her attention fully to Kita. "Hullo, Captain," she said brightly, cocking one hip and crossing her arms as her eyebrows shot up. "What in the four worlds are you wearing?"
"I'm in disguise," Kita answered shortly. "Where's Hayate?"
"Here," called a light male voice. With another pulse, the red portal disgorged a second Diviner, this one a man about Ichigo's height and build, with tousled, coppery-brown hair and a mischievous smile already in place.
"Should I tie down Nozomi, or just knock her unconscious right now?" he asked lightly, glancing over the assorted audience as he stepped to Nozomi's side.
"Hmph," Nozomi sniffed. "As if you could."
"I should give you a smack just for coming first," he told her, pulling a mock angry face. "Vice-Captains come before 3rd Seats."
Nozomi stuck out her tongue. "Well, you're just too slow then, aren't you?"
Hayate's retort was cut off by the arrival of the next Diviner, followed by another, and another, until twenty-four Diviners were clustered in front of the portal. With a bright flash, the dimensional doorway dissolved—and the tension in the large room skyrocketed.
With quick efficiency, Hayate organized the small group in a double-line by order of rank. Nozomi winked and smiled sultrily at Ichigo as she passed him to her spot beside the Vice-Captain. He fought back a blush, avoiding her inviting stare.
With the group of Diviners lined up and easy to study as a whole, Ichigo felt a nervous prickle start in his stomach. Hayate was all smiles and good cheer—but as the Vice-Captain of Kita's Company, he had to be deadly. Nozomi hardly seemed dangerous—at least not in the sense that she could kill anyone—but she had to be almost as powerful as Hayate likely was. She didn't look it anymore than her Vice-Captain.
Most of the Diviners lined up before them didn't look nearly so innocent. The fact that Demon Hunters—including Kita and Seiko—came from Hell was finally starting to sink in for Ichigo. The general mood of the Diviners was ugly, and some of them looked really nasty—and definitely unhappy about being in a grimy basement in the middle of the Shinigami's powerbase. There was about an equal number of men and women, all of varying ages—though Kita and Nozomi looked the youngest with the exception of a solemn-faced, auburn-haired boy of about twelve. Crap, how did a twelve-year-old end up in Hell to be recruited as a Demon Hunter?
The rest of Shinigami seemed to be picking up on the dangerous mood of the Diviners. The Vice-Captains were at full attention, and the varying Seats were following their lead. Ichigo glanced worriedly at Yamamoto, Kyōraku, and Ukitake, but they, at least looked calm.
"Diviners," Kita said in a ringing voice, drawing herself up to her full height. "I imagine you're wondering why you're here."
"And why we had to leave our Hunters behind," Nozomi added, lifting her eyebrows.
"I asked you to leave your partners in Hell because I do not have direct authority over them, and I have called you without the knowledge of our Captain—or the Diviner-Commander, or the Warlord."
Astonishment and curiosity flickered across the faces of most of the Diviners.
"Yesterday morning," Kita continued, "Diviner-Commander Ito Shoku came to Soul Society where I was stationed on the Warlord's orders. In a well-planned ambush, he attacked me with lethal intent. If not for the healing abilities of this human girl"—she gestured to Orihime—"I would be dead now."
Hayate's face hardened, while Nozomi's eyes blazed with outrage.
"Then Commander Ito," said the twelve-year-old Diviner in a high, clear voice, "is our enemy."
"He is my enemy," Kita corrected. "Whether you choose to make him your enemy as well is your decision. I do not know if Ito was acting on his own. By following me, you could be betraying the Yokujin."
"Our enemy," the boy repeated with a nod as though Kita hadn't spoken.
"Yep," agreed Nozomi.
"Whether he was acting alone or not doesn't matter. If the Diviner-Commander is killing his Captains, then I'm taking whatever side he isn't on," Hayate said coldly.
The other Diviners spoke up with their agreement, and Ichigo was pleasantly surprised by their loyalty. There were a few in the group who, going by appearance alone, he wouldn't trust for half a second with his back turned.
"So are we defecting then?" Nozomi asked eagerly. "Are we going to hide out in Soul Society as renegade deserters and plot our revenge on Hell?"
Seiko snorted.
"No," Kita said. "We're here to do our jobs." Begging the patience of the Shinigami, she briefly outlined the events that had brought them to this moment. Ichigo tried not to squirm at the stunned, thoughtful looks he got when she told the Diviners about his visit to Hell.
"So," she concluded, "we have just over fifty minutes to prevent Seireitei's destruction and save the eldest demon prince, the ruler of Hell, from assassination."
There was a long moment of silence.
"Why?" asked a tall, gaunt woman at the back of the line of Diviners. "Who cares about Seireitei and the Shinigami? I don't. Let the demon princes have their little war."
Ichigo's hands clenched into fists as a subtle wave of restless, angry movement swept through the gathered Shinigami.
"Because," Kita said loudly in a voice like ice, "it's what we do. We keep demon influence in Hell and out of the other worlds. If that's not why you're here, then you can get your cowardly, selfish face out of my sight and out of my squad!"
The woman hunched her shoulders and muttered an apology. Kita gave her one more glacial stare before continuing.
"The plan is thus. The Shinigami will break down into small groups and one of you are going to lead each team—in stealth—to the most powerful demons and aid them in killing those demons. We must take out as many of the most powerful demons as possible before they realize they're being hunted and go on the attack.
"You will move in a circle formation with the destruction spell at the center, spreading outwards without weakening the defensive line. You're to keep any demons from getting behind your lines to interfere with me while I dissolve the spell. Once the demons realize they're being attacked, they will come to you. The circle must be held because I will have minimal defences while I work the counterspell.
"The demons hiding in the city don't know you're here. To keep it that way, you'll all dress as Shinigami. Our plan hangs on the success of this subterfuge."
The Diviners nodded their understanding. Kita turned to Yamamoto. "There are three Class 2 demons guarding the courtyard with the spell. They need to be taken out first, so we'll need three teams with your best fighters."
The Old Man nodded, pausing for a moment to consider. "Shunsui and Jūshirō. Captain Zaraki and Captain Soifon. Captain Kuchiki and Captain Hitsugaya. The other Captains and the Vice-Captains will lead the remaining teams."
Tōshirō cleared his throat. "Captain-Commander, with all due respect, I believe I would serve better as Captain Matsuo's guard." When Yamamoto looked at him, he went on quickly. "Her role is crucial, and of all the Captains, I have the most experience fighting demons so far."
"True," Yamamoto agreed.
Ichigo folded his arms across his chest. "I'll take Tōshirō's place with Byakuya," he offered.
"Done," Yamamoto said.
"Hayate," Kita said, waving her Vice-Captain forward. "You'll go with Ichigo."
The young man grinned roguishly, offering his hand to Ichigo to shake. Ichigo returned the grin.
"Nozomi, I'd like you to go with Captain Soifon."
Nozomi looked at Ichigo, then at Soifon. "But why?" the young woman whined, her lower lip thrust out in a pout.
"Because I don't like Captain Soifon," Kita muttered so only Ichigo and Tōshirō could hear. Ichigo choked on a laugh.
"I'll take Miss Nozomi for my team," Kyōraku offered guilelessly, beaming at the luscious Diviner. Nozomi's eyes snapped to him and she immediately perked up.
"No, I don't think so," Kita said flatly. "I'd like you to take . . ." She surveyed the waiting line of Diviners. "Suisei, come here."
With a soft sort of smile, the small boy-Diviner detached himself from the line and tread over to stand beside his Captain. He smiled sweetly at Kyōraku and Ukitake, who both looked back at him blankly.
"Suisei, you can Divine for these two Shinigami Captains. Try not to shock them too much."
"Yes, Captain."
Seiko snickered, amusement written all over his face. Ukitake frowned unhappily, while Kyōraku looked uncertain.
"Captain Matsuo, are you sure—"
"Yes," she interrupted, her voice hard. "I'm very sure. You'll be very sorry if you underestimate him, so don't."
Suisei smiled.
Ichigo shivered at the sight of that smile for no reason he could determine. To distract himself, he stepped over to Seiko. "Are you going to be guarding Kita along with Tōshirō?"
"Damn right I am," he said gruffly. "The little twerp of a Captain is a tough and all, but I'm not trusting the job to anyone but me."
Together they looked over at Kita, where she was directing Diviners towards different groups of Shinigami as the remaining unassigned Captains and Vice-Captains selected team members.
"Do you really think this is going to work?" Seiko asked in an undertone. "Most of these kids don't know the first thing about fighting demons."
Ichigo was silent, his stomach tightening as his eyes swept over the familiar faces of his friends mixed in with the multitude of Shinigami. Anticipation, anxiety, and concealed fear shone in their eyes, but most of all, determination burned in every gaze.
"It has to work," he said finally. "It has to . . . because failure isn't an option," he finished, borrowing Saiu's phrasing.
They couldn't fail. It wasn't even a possibility, because they—he—wouldn't allow it. Because if they failed, it would be the end of everything. They would save Seireitei or die trying—because until the spell was stopped, they were all the walking dead anyway.
. x : X : x .
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
So late! My apologies for the long, long wait for this chapter. My holidays were very busy—I had a great Christmas though! My brother gave me a teddy-bear-sized Ichigo plushie. It now scowls at me from the corner of my desk while I type on my laptop. Hehe.
GLOSSARY:
Nozomi - "Hope".
Hayate - "Smooth".
Suisei - Literally, "strength of a river's current".