Chapter 9

An Expedient Xcution

The street corner Kuugo Ginjou and Akira Akiyama were employing as their battlefield hardly resembled the tranquil, tree-laden boulevard it once had. Instead, giant craters, fallen oak trees, and destroyed houses and cars laid in the combatant's wakes.

Battered, bloodied, and exhausted, both Ginjou and Akira put their fighting on hold to catch their breaths. Though the two appeared ready to collapse at a moment's notice, neither one of them desired to admit it to the other.

"...Dammit. We should've taken this somewhere else," groaned Ginjou. "I would've liked to avoid causing all this chaos."

Akira, sour-faced, smacked her lips. "Cut the act. I can easily tell you don't give a damn if anything, or anyone for that matter, got caught up in our little duel."

"Heh. Maybe you have a point." Ginjou spat out a glob of blood and then pointed his Cross of Scaffold at his foe. "So, you ready to go some more?"

Akira retook a fighting pose. "I love nothing more than a good fight! Bring it!"

Preventing the two from crossing swords once more was Akira's Denreishinki ringing. She was tempted to ignore it considering how much fun she was having but opted not to brush her employer off at the risk of incurring his ire.

"Y-Yeah? What is it?" she said, doing a poor job of masking the frustration in her voice. "M-Me? No, I'm...erm...not doing anything in particular, boss. Why do you ask?"

As Ginjou raised an eyebrow at her choosing now of all times to strike up a conversation with someone else, Akira became as quiet as a mouse to hear the person on the other end of the call.

"Mitarashi? Yeah, I know where she is. Sorry. I just...got a little sidetracked aiss all."

She paused again, this time gasping at what her employer had to say.

"You did what?! A-Are you outta your mind?! I know you guys think you're invincible or somethin', but the rest of us aren't! I-If that thing goes on a rampage…!"

"Uh...excuse me, but what exactly are you talking about?" asked Ginjou.

Akira scowled at him. "Be quiet! Don't you know it's rude to interrupt people who are on the phone?!"

Humored by the response, Ginjou smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"W-We don't have to do things so rashly!" continued Akira, shaking in her boots now. "I understand you guys wanna test that Kurosaki kid, but this is just freakin' stupid!"

"'Kurosaki?'" repeated Ginjou. Now Akira's little chat had his full and undivided attention. "Alright, Shinigami. It's about time you spilled the beans on whatever it is you and that guy you're talking to are planning."

Akira ignored him. "...Y-Yes. I understand, boss. What happens in Karakura Town is none of my business, after all. ...R-Right. I'll...just keep eyes on Mitarashi for the time being until my next orders."

She ended the call and immediately chucked her Denreishinki across the sky in a fit of rage.

"That stupid, son of a bitch!" she proclaimed through clamped teeth. "Why does he insist on making my job a living hell?! What am I supposed to do about a god damned Menos Grande walking around?!"

"'M-Menos Grande?' You serious?" asked Ginjou. He scratched his head, utterly dumbfounded at this point.

"Quit talking to me already, creep! I've already got enough shit to worry about without you constantly bothering me! Speaking of which, I guess we'll just have to finish this some other time!"

On that note, she fled the scene with a sudden burst of Flash Step. Ginjou made no attempt to follow, instead changing his claymore back into an X-shaped pendant.

"I guess things in Soul Society are a little more hectic than I figured. Oh well. Guess it's got nothing to do with a guy like me. Not anymore anyway. Still, I got a hunch something big is about to go down there."

#

It wasn't often Konoka Mitsumi walked to school. Because of her status as the heiress of the Mitsumi coffee fortune, Jives wasn't a big fan of her going off and doing whatever without her personal security team three steps behind. He often reminded her that there were no doubt hundreds, if not thousands, of ill-intentioned characters ready to snatch her up and use to acquire their own riches.

Nevertheless, she declined his suggestion she take her limousine as usual. For once, she wished to distance herself from her wealthy lifestyle, a way of living she was slowly but surely growing tired of.

Besides, Hino was mostly a crime free town. It merely had five active policemen on duty at a time, and the last significant thing that even warranted them being pressed into service was a cat getting stuck up a tree. Konoka was certain that even without having to resort to using her Fullbring, she would be perfectly capable of handling herself if something did come up.

The matter of Fullbring dragged her back to the issue of Kuugo Ginjou and the business card he had left her the previous day. Juggling it between her fingertips, she paid minor focus on the path ahead of her.

"...Why do I even have this thing still? I should've thrown it in the trash this mornin' with the rest of the junk in my room..."

Like before, she just felt weirdly obligated to hold on to it. Her scarlet eyes focused themselves on the phone number on the back, a number that would more than likely get her in contact with this 'Xcution' Ginjou spoke of. Calling it would probably be a waste of time, but there was always the chance this Xcution, assuming it even existed in the first place, could answer the questions burning in her mind. Although she staunchly informed Urahara she had no intention of using her newly acquired abilities, she found herself having second thoughts.

"...This is so stupid," she breathed. The emerald attached to her golden necklace shimmered in the morning sun, and she held it up, seeking answers from the jewel. "I was hallucinatin'. That's it. I just...imagined yesterday."

She genuinely wished the Hollow, her powers, and her employing them to take care of the demented creature were nothing more than a silly dream. If only it were that simple. She wasn't that naive though. Everything that transpired was reality, a daunting one she was simply going to have to accept.

"...All of this really shouldn't be my problem," she said, echoing the words she said to Urahara. "Maybe..."

Her head shot up. It was too late however. She had been so busy worrying herself to death, she hadn't paid any mind to someone standing at the corner she turned down. She and her unaware victim slammed into one another, flooring them and sending the contents of her backpack everywhere.

"...Great. Just freakin' great," she moaned, blowing a red bang out of her vision. "Could this day get any worse?"

"Hello, beautiful!" said the alluring, albeit perverse, voice of one Sasune Ishida. The mere sight of him induced growling out of the Red-Haired Beast. She supposed his presence answered her query. "Sorry about that. I was too busy staring at myself in the mirror just now! Aren't I something?"

"...You're something alright."

Because flirting with any remotely attractive female tended to be his first, and sometimes only, priority, Sasune hadn't even noticed the one he was putting his charms on was the girl he and so many others at Hino High had nightmares about while resting uncomfortably in their beds at night. The instant he did, he became pale and tightlipped.

"L-Look, don't worry about it, kid," Konoka told him, believing the prior incident was the source of his abrupt fear. "I-It was mostly my fault anyway. I wasn't payin' attention to where I was goin'."

"N-Not a problem, my dear!" the Quincy replied. It took everything in his power for him to keep his bowels in check. Fighting Hollows was one thing. There wasn't a chance in hell he was going to mess with the Red-Haired Beast. With that in mind, his eyes shot all over for an escape route. He found none, causing him to curse under his breath. "Uh...l-lemme give you a hand with that!"

He collected what he presumed was some math homework into a neat stack prior to handing the papers over to Konoka.

"Thanks," she said. "Wait, I remember you."

Sasune gulped. "Y-You do, huh?"

"Yeah. You're that archer guy, right? The one who hangs out with Higuchi."

"'Archer guy?' Uh...yeah, I guess so. You must've seen me at the festival then taking care of all those Hollows. So, how was I? Magnificent, I assume? Haha! You needn't say a word, my dear! I know adoration on the faces of my loyal fans when I see it!"

He loosed a triumphant series of chuckles, much to Konoka's bafflement. He certainly wasn't afraid of her anymore, she thought.

"Say, what's this?" Sasune found her Xcution card on the ground amongst the rest of her belongings. "Hmm? I've...never seen a business card like this before."

"Don't ask me," Konoka said. "Some weirdo gave it to me yesterday."

"Please be careful, Miss Mitsumi! There are a lot of sickos in the world, so you shouldn't just accept strange things from them all willy nilly!"

Frowning, Konoka snatched the card back. "...Yeah, thanks."

"How rude of me. You may know who I am, but I don't believe I've formally introduced myself!" Sasune flashed her a grin she figured was supposed to sweep her off her feet. The most it did was prompt her to curl her lips even harder. "I am Sasune Ishida. Quincy. Problem solver. Daredevil. Also, I am know as the most interesting man in the world amongst certain circles."

"...Are you like...always hopped up on sugar or something?" asked Konoka. She could practically hear Jives scolding her about being rude in her head, so she cleared her throat and said, "I-I mean, I'm..."

Sasune held his hand up, silencing her. "You needn't say a thing, Konoka Mitsumi, the heiress of Mitsumi Coffee and one of the fifteen most powerful people on the planet. Your measurements are 88/55/85, your favorite color is pink, and you like your coffee straight black despite people thinking drinking it that way, myself included, is totally insane."

Konoka's eyelids enlarged. "...You know what? I don't even wanna know how you found out all that crap. Just make sure you keep it to yourself or else."

"R-Right! Of course! I value a woman's confidentiality! Anyway, what is someone like you doing walking the streets of Hino on your lonesome amongst commoners such as myself?"

"...I was tryin' to get some peace and quiet so I could think. Obviously, that isn't gonna happen. Besides, just because I'm rich doesn't mean I'm above basic things like gettin' around on my own, two feet."

"Hmm. Fair enough! Nevertheless, I would be a complete failure of a man if I allowed a lovely lady such as yourself to go to school unattended! Please, allow me to escort you the rest of the way! I promise a hair on your beautiful head won't be scratched! If there are bullets, I will take all of them in your stead! If a miscreant so much as thinks about messing with you, I'll stomp their face black and blue! If…!"

He was cut off by Konoka walking away. Unable to tolerate him any longer, she hoped he would get the message that she had no desire to be bothered. Evidently, this wasn't the case; he made haste to catch up to her.

"W-Wait up! You need my protection! You just don't know it yet!" the Quincy hollered.

"Go away, dammit!" she screamed back. "I've got enough idiots stalkin' me already!"

"Y-Your words hurt me, fair maiden! I am no stalker! Well, not this morning anyway!"

"I said go away! Do you want me to break your teeth in or somethin'?!"

"The only thing you are breaking is my heart!"

Konoka palmed her hand over her exasperated countenance. "Ugh! T-There's just no reasonin' with this idiot!"

The two ceased their game of cat and mouse, both becoming strangely alarmed at the sight of a handsome, well-dressed young man sitting on a bench in the distance. He was reading a book, though he looked up from it and smiled invitingly upon taking notice of the two teenagers. The reason for Konoka's and Sasune's apprehension likely stemmed from the fact the man hadn't been there just moments before. Both of them were certain of that.

"Ah. There you are. I have been waiting for you, Konoka Mitsumi," he said as he placed a white bookmark on the page he was on. Closing his thick literature, he added, "Yes, Ginjou wasn't kidding when he said I'd recognize you on the spot."

Konoka put her hands on her hips. "...Seriously? Isn't there another rich girl around her you losers could hit up for cash instead of me?"

"Uh...y-you weren't referring to me just now, were you?" Sasune sheepishly asked. He then shook his head, thinking the issue could wait. He jumped in front of the Red-Haired Beast and used his body as a shield. Konoka wasn't exactly impressed by this. "H-Hold it right there, pal! What exactly do you want with Miss Mitsumi here?"

The way the pale-skinned man continued to smile made the Quincy perspire some. There was something hidden beneath the gesture, something sinister.

"...Excuse me, but I believe I was speaking to Miss Mitsumi," the attractive man answered.

"Heh. Alright. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, buddy! You must not know who I am!"

"...I'm afraid I don't. Sorry."

Sasune became livid at the man's casual yet snooty attitude, and he began poking his newly christened adversary in the chest. Although Konoka anticipated otherwise, the man did nothing other than keep on smirking.

"You shouldn't mess with me, dawg!" Sasune exclaimed. "I'm a fifth degree black belt! I'll kick your ass up and down this block!"

"I'm close that level myself actually," chimed Konoka. "Maybe we should go at it sometime."

Sasune began sweating harder all of a sudden. "Uh...okay, I might have been exaggerating, a little, but my point still stands, pal! If you wanna mess with the lady over here, you mess with me!"

This time, the handsome man laughed. He then politely said, "As I said before, my business is with Miss Mitsumi over there, not you. Please, stand aside."

The statement wasn't enough to deter the Quincy. He went back to jabbing his index finger into the man's ribs, whereas Konoka couldn't help but note the air grow colder. She knew at once the well-dressed individual before her had something to do with it, yet she hadn't the slightest clue how or why. He had been nothing but cordial since his arrival, something she couldn't at all say about Sasune.

"As much as I didn't want to resort to violence, I really don't have time for this."

The handsome man grabbed Sasune's wrist just then. The Quincy found the seemingly harmless action hilarious, but there was nothing funny about him being unable to break free. With one, effortless motion, he was tossed aside with a surprising amount of force. Observing him roll across the concrete, Konoka got on guard and faced his attacker.

"Alright, who are you?!" she exclaimed. "Not just some librarian from the looks of it!"

"I apologize for that unsightly display, Miss Mitsumi. My name is Shuukurou Tsukishima." Acting as if he had just done nothing, Tsukishima held his hand out toward her. "I believe you met my associate, Kuugo Ginjou, yesterday."

"...You're from Xcution too then."

"Indeed. The reason I'm here today is to cordially invite you to our organization. You see, we are seeking out Fullbringers such as yourself and think you would make a wonderful addition to Xcution."

Konoka sighed. "Yeah, I figured that was the case. Sorry, but I'm not interested in joinin' your freak show, especially when you and all your buddies apparently stalk people to recruit them."

"Interesting. You say all that, yet you're still holding on to the card Ginjou gave you."

Konoka was unable to respond to this at first. "S-So what?! It's my choice if I wanna throw somethin' out or not! I already told you I ain't joinin' your group, so get the hell outta my way! That chump you just knocked out might be a creampuff, but I'm not! Unless you want that pretty face of yours rearranged, I suggest you keep movin'!

"My, my. Ginjou wasn't kidding either when he said you were a hothead." Tsukishima, paying the Red-Haired Beast's ultimatum next to no mind, juggled his book up and down in his hand. He then pulled out his white bookmark. "Look at that. You've made me lose my place. I really hate it when that happens."

On spur of the moment, his bookmark transformed into a solid white katana. He aimed the bizarre weapon at her, prompting her to reach for her mother's necklace.

"Does my Book of the End look familiar to you?" he asked, remaining as amiable as before.

"Huh? Why the hell would it? I've never seen that thing before in my life."

"Is that so? Don't worry. You'll remember everything in a moment."

He brought his blade down, intending to slice her right down the middle by the looks of it. A red arrow hit his Book of the End at the last minute, making his arm lurch backward. Armed with his spirit bow, Sasune fashioned another arrow, intending to put this one between Tsukishima's eyes.

"Well, now I'm glad I didn't forget my glasses for once!" he roared while pushing them closer to his eyes. "Alright, I hate having to repeat myself, but ignorant guys like you leave me no choice. Step away from Miss Mitsumi unless you want me to shoot you in the nuts. You think I'm bluffing? I've done it before, pal!"

Konoka cringed at the thought. "You okay over there, pretty boy?"

"Ha! Like this pansy could defeat the great Sasune Ishida! He's just lucky I wasn't paying much attention beforehand! My gut was telling me this guy wasn't what he appeared to be!"

"I could say the same for you," said Tsukishima. "I suppose that unlike my weapon, that isn't Fullbring you're using."

"Come again? Never heard of it!"

"I see. Allow me to educate you then."

Sasune didn't want to take anymore chances. He fired a volley of arrows, but none of them came close to hitting their mark. That was because Tsukishima had vanished behind a green flicker of illumination.

"W-What the…?! That wasn't Shunpo! It wasn't Hirenkyaku either!"

"That's right. It's Bringer Light," Tsukishima clarified. He was standing behind Sasune now, though he gave the Quincy no time to realize this. He again swung his Book of the End, leaving a huge gash on his opponent's back. As blood gushed out of it and stained the ground, Tsukishima cordially added, "Of course, just because you know that now doesn't mean you can do anything to stop me."

"S-Son of a…!" Sasune lurched forward but remained on his feet through sheer willpower. Nevertheless, his backside was on fire, and he debated on how long he could grit his teeth and bear through his anguish without passing out. "L-Lucky shot! I-I always let everyone get a free one against me!"

"H-How can he still act like such a dumbass right now?!" said Konoka, mortified.

"W-What the hell is that blade anyway? A Zanpakutou?"

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. "Like I said, my Book of the End is Fullbring."

"Yeah, I still don't know what the hell that is! Shit, I guess it doesn't matter!"

Tsukishima chuckled. "Yes, you have a point. Once you're erased from this world, you won't need to worry about a thing."

Konoka had seen enough. She stepped in between the ongoing conflict, confusing Sasune greatly.

"Y-You know, I can't really shoot him in the nads if you're standing there..."

"You want me to come along with you, Tsukishima? Fine! I'll do it!" the Red-Haired Beast proclaimed. "Just promise me you won't bother with this guy anymore! He's really, really aggrivatin', but I'm not havin' anyone die on my account!"

Tsukishima lowered his sword. "I'm pleased to hear that. Xcution is the only place for someone of your abilities. You'll come to see you made the right choice, Miss Mitsumi."

"A-Are you outta your mind?! Well, you're the Red-Haired Beast, so I guess being a psychopath is kinda in your job description, but you can't go off with this guy!" warned Sasune.

"Shut up!" Konoka shot back. "I'm tryin' to save your pathetic life here!"

Sniffling, Sasune muttered, "I-I'm not pathetic..."

"Ignore him!" said Konoka to Tsukishima. "Like I said, I'll go with you, but leave him outta this!"

"As I stated previously, I didn't want to have to resort to violence, so I have no problem complying with your terms." His Book of the End returned to being a mere bookmark, and Tsukishima slipped it back into his reading material. "Now then, we should get going, Miss Mitsumi. Ginjou and the others are waiting."

"R-Right. Lead the..."

"H-Hold on a minute, dammit! You...can't just cut me outta this dance!" said Sasune. "I don't give a damn what Xcution or Fullbringers are! If you so much as lay a hand on Miss Mitsumi, I promise you, Tsukishima, that I'm gonna kill you! I don't care what it takes! I'll have your fucking head!"

Konoka didn't understand. Why was Sasune, a total stranger for the most part, going so far out of his way to help her, putting his life on the line even? She got that he was eccentric—in fact, he was without a doubt the most surreal person she had ever encountered—but this was going too far in her opinion. She got she needed to do something and fast.

"Y-You idiot!" she told him before slugging him across the jaw and knocking him over. She then stood over his groaning, broken form, somberly saying, "...Mind your own business. I...don't need your help. I don't need anyone's help! Come on, Tsukishima!"

"As you wish, Miss Mitsumi."

Konoka trailed her fellow Fullbringer reluctantly, whereas Sasune could hardly see straight. His glasses, now broken, clattered beside him. His violently shaking hand picked them up, while his other scraped up a mountain of dirt. He was pissed, more ticked off that he could recall being in his entire life.

"...It's bad enough that son of a bitch got away with Miss Mitsumi, but it's another thing for him to embarrass me in front of a pretty lady!"

He relaxed some. Things could have turned out much worse. His injury might have been grievous, yet he was still alive. Because of this, he could make Tsukishima pay for his costly mistake, but first, he had to track the man and Konoka down.

"Xcution, huh? Just what in the hell is that? And what do they want with Miss Mitsumi?"

Struggling to regain his footing, Sasune had already forgotten about the Red-Haired Beast's warning to stay away. No, this whole thing went beyond her now. The Quincy's pride had been stomped to pieces.

#

Aaron stopped eating his bowl of cereal suddenly. His instincts were letting him know something was wrong this morning, yet exactly what, they weren't as sure. Considering he had a big math test coming up today that counted for a large portion of his grade, he wondered if his nerves were merely playing tricks on him. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before thinking about, although Kana once again finding refuge in his bed hadn't helped either.

Izumi, reading a book at the kitchen table, saw her brother acting weird out of the corner of her eye. Most of the stuff he did was quite peculiar to her as a matter of fact, but he was behaving even stranger than usual.

"Everything okay over there, little bro?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah. It's probably nothing." Aaron yawned and then rubbed his teary eyelids. "Maybe I'm just a little tired after all."

"Maybe you could get a good night's rest if you'd stop messing around with your girlfriend so much..."

Izumi flipped another page of her book as Aaron choked on the apple juice he was partaking. His then cheeks flushed with blood, and his head shot over to Kana, who was happily making breakfast in front of the stove. The fact she hadn't said anything to deny Izumi's accusation made him even more upset.

"This'll make you feel better, CT!" she chimed, laying down a plate of blueberry pancakes. "Lemme know how they taste!"

Aaron highly doubted any amount of food could turn his frown upside down. That was before he slipped a piece of Kana's food into his mouth. Afterward, he had to fight back a surge of warm, sugary tears at how marvelous the cuisine was.

"H-How…?!" he uttered. "T-They're just blueberry pancakes, but I can't stop eating!"

Izumi and Kana were certain he would devour the plate too at this rate.

"Good, that shut him up," said a relieved Izumi.

"Say, what's that you're reading there?" asked Kana.

"It's called The Return of Aion by George Kiriran. It's pretty darn fascinating. I haven't been able to put it down for days!"

"A book, huh? Those things always put me to sleep! I need something with pictures to keep my attention!"

"Sounds about right," whispered Aaron.

Izumi decided she had enough of reading for one day and saved her place with a bookmark. For some reason, Aaron became wary while observing her. There was nothing significant or alarming about a simple bookmark, yet his intuition was again screaming at him, communicating that something was amiss.

"Hello?! Wake up already!" Izumi flicked him on the forehead, scaring the living daylight out of him. "You sure you're feeling alright, little bro?"

"Yeah, I'm sure!"

"Nah uh! Remember, I can tell when you're lying! You're as easy to read as this book!"

"The hell you can! I'm fine! Can you please leave me alone?!"

She did the total opposite by placing him in a headlock. He might have been bigger than her, but Aaron wasn't stronger. He looked helpless as she proceeded to mess up his hair affectionately.

"K-Knock it off already!" he hollered in embarrassment.

"Aw! That's so sweet!" said Kana. Aaron questioned if she was viewing the same thing as him. "I wish me and my brother were as close as you two!"

"Huh? You guys aren't?" asked Izumi.

"If Kana is anything like you, I don't blame her brother for not wanting anything to do with his older sister!" Aaron blurted.

"What was that?! I'll give you a wedgie too if you keep flapping those gums!"

Aaron's pupils dilated. In order to avoid one of his sister's legendary atomic wedgies, he did the only thing he could: he chomped his teeth down on her arm. She released him at once, seeming ready to rip his head off. She got over it quickly though upon noting how immature she and her brother were acting in front of company.

"Uh...y-you haven't really said much about your brother," she said to Kana.

"Hmm? Well, there isn't much to tell!" Kana laughed. "He's a pretty low ranking guy where he works, and he really doesn't stand out from a crowd or anything. You know, I actually haven't seen him in a couple of years!"

"S-Seriously?! That's not good! Siblings should try to keep in contact with each other as much as possible! Me and Aaron here are practically conjoined at the hip!"

She hugged Aaron to prove her point, but she half near suffocated him with her above average bust. Fearing death, he broke free, making a mad dash for the door.

"S-School!" he shouted. "I'm gonna be late for school!"

"Have a good day!" Kana began to say. She then remembered something of the utmost importance. "W-Wait a sec, CT! I forgot to tell you that your mother said she won't be able to make it for your parent-teacher conference thingy after school! She's gotta work some crazy hours tonight at the hospital."

"Ugh! Just great!" Aaron banged his forehead against the door. "What am I supposed to do now?! My teacher has been on my ass all semester about making sure Mom shows up for this thing!"

"Don't you worry about that, CT! I've already taken care of that!"

She went back to washing the dishes and humming a swell tune. Since he was already running late as it was, Aaron had no choice but to leave on those cryptic words.

#

Aaron at first sprinted in the direction of the monorail station yet soon slowed to a walk. He saw no point in wearing himself out when he was going to be late for first period regardless. Besides, he could always catch the next monorail that would get him to school before the start of second period.

"This is what I get for screwing around and eating everything Kana makes. Man, I'm so full, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna explode."

Smiling contently, it was a problem he was more than happy to have.

"Man, I can't wait until the semester is over."

He yawned and the stretched, his body feeling like it had gotten no rest whatsoever. He supposed this was the consequences of him attempting to juggle life as a high school student and one as a Shinigami. There just wasn't time for rest in his line of work.

"Speaking of which, I wonder how that Rukia Kuchiki is doing?"

Like Kana, Rukia was a Shinigami from Soul Society that ended up transferring her powers to a human. Unlike Kana however, Rukia had done so intentionally. Nevertheless, both she and Kana were in the same situation: stuck in the Human World until their Shinigami abilities returned. At the very least, Aaron was glad to see the two were seemingly enjoying their time in his realm.

"It's a small world alright," he remarked. "How does something crazy like that happen in two completely different places?"

That meant he wasn't the only one saddled with the responsibilities of a Shinigami. He began to think about his counterpart, the human who had Rukia's powers. He wondered if they too found their situation awkward.

"Ha. Who wouldn't find this whole thing strange? It's like something out of a comic book. Well, my friend, whoever you are, good luck! We're gonna need it..."

Talking to himself wasn't going to get him anywhere, so he inspected his watch for the time. If he was going to miss first period anyway, he figured he might as well kill some time at the local arcade. He had just gotten his allowance, meaning he had more than a few dollars to blow.

"Maybe I can try out that new..."

His sentence trailed off. The bad feeling he had experienced twice before was back again and with a vengeance. There was no denying it now; something was definitely wrong.

"...Maybe Sasune knows if something is up."

He whipped out his cellphone and dialed his friend's number but was surprised when the call went straight to voicemail. He hung up and tried again, garnering the same result. Giving up, he became even more puzzled. Sasune usually answered after the first ring, being eager to inform Aaron of some silly thing that happened to him. The Quincy not responding likely meant nothing, yet Aaron wasn't willing to take anything for granted anymore.

"I better go check on him at his apartment."

Sasune lived alone. With his mother long gone, his estranged father paid his rent, groceries, and any other expenses his son required. Sasune grudgingly accepted these terms so long as it meant him and Ryuken Ishida had as little contact as possible.

Almost tripping over his foot, Aaron caught wind of a girl barring the path ahead. He had been the only person around for miles in his estimation, so where she had come from, he hadn't the wildest idea.

"Are you Aaron Higuchi?" she asked. Even though hadn't done anything to deserve it, the girl was scowling at him like he were the scum of the Earth. Not even Konoka Mitsumi looked down upon him with such hatred. "Come on! Answer me!"

"...Who wants to know?" replied Aaron cautiously.

The girl, possessing magenta-colored hair shaped like floppy rabbit ears, wore a gothic lolita-inspired attire. It made her stick out like a sore thumb in a quiet town like Hino, and Aaron got the feeling she wasn't from these parts.

"None of your beeswax!" she snapped back. "Now then, if you really are Aaron Higuchi, come along quietly or else!"

"Huh? W-Wait a sec. You're losing me here. W-Who are you, and why should I do anything you have to say?"

The girl didn't hear him. Rather, she began to mutter to herself, further giving Aaron the hunch she wasn't the most stable individual.

"Man, why does Ginjou have such a hard time tracking people down? Look at me! I found who I was supposed to in no time at all!"

"W-Who are you talking to?"

"Shut up!" she replied. Aaron bit his tongue. "Are you really a Shinigami? You sure don't look it to me!"

"...Alright. Now you really have me interested. That isn't exactly common knowledge. You know who I am, but I don't know who you are. That ain't really fair."

"Hmph! I'm Riruka Dokugamine!" the girl proudly informed him. "I'm a member of Xcution!"

"'Xcution?' Sorry. Doesn't ring a bell."

Riruka pouted her lips. "Well, duh! That's the point It's a secret organization! It wouldn't be much of a secret if we just went around telling people who we are, now would it?!"

"B-But you're telling me right now..."

"P-Pipe down already!" she quickly hollered, seeing he had a point. Again, he heeded her shrill tone. "...Aren't you kinda short to be a Shinigami? Skinny too."

Aaron growled. "Look, what do you and this Xcution want from me?!"

"Stop asking so many questions! Just come along quietly already! If you don't, I'm gonna have to rough you up good! Don't think just because you're a Shinigami that you can take me on either!"

Unable to tell if this woman was serious or not, Aaron concluded fighting her would be a waste of time. No, he would have to pull something else from out of his sleeve.

"L-Look! There's a giant, pink elephant right behind you!"

Things grew quiet while Riruka glanced at Aaron like he were a jackass. He without a doubt felt like one.

"...Really?" she then stated. "Like I'd fall for something like that! Ginjou never said you were such an idiot! This is ridiculous! He should make it up to me for having me waste my time with something like!"

Because she was so busy conversing with herself, Aaron was given the opportunity to run for the hills.

"H-Huh?! G-Get back here, you punk!" she said. This time, Aaron ignored her and kept on fleeing for his life. Blushing, Riruka stomped her feet and cried, "Ugh! Ginjou and the others are never gonna let me hear the end of this one!"

#

Naruki City. Konoka knew the metropolis by name and the fact it bordered Karakura Town from the west, but that was all. She never had any interest in it since it was so far from Hino. Her curiosity wasn't peaked either thanks to the shady characters and dilapidated buildings permeating the town. Tsukishima had brought her this far out, leading her through district after district, assuring her they would reach their destination in due time. His claims did nothing to ease her anxiety. The farther they went, the less likely it was for someone to come to her aid or even realize she was missing in the first place. While she was never one who enjoyed depending on others, she was becoming desperate. She no longer had any interest in learning where Tsukishima was taking her. No, she simply wished to get as far away from the man and this city as possible.

"What's the matter?" he asked her just then. "You've become tense. I thought I had already made it clear that you are in no danger, Miss Mitsumi."

"...I'll believe that when I see it," she informed him.

"Heh. If it makes you feel better, we're here."

She had a hard time believing this as well. Tsukishima pointed to the first apartment building on the seventh block of the Choubara District: a rundown structure that appeared ready to fall apart at a moment's notice. It made every other edifice in the darkened city look like a luxurious mansion in comparison. Nevertheless, a certain aspect of it told Konoka they were indeed in the right place.

"So, this is Xcution's headquarters..."

"You're rather fortunate, Miss Mitsumi" said Tsukishima. "Whenever we screen potential members to join our group, we usually have them go through a rather arduous process to find this place. You see, we don't want just anyone stumbling upon our base of operations. Still, I felt it important to bring you here as soon as possible."

"...Are you expectin' me to thank you or somethin'?"

"...Nothing of the sort. Come along now. The others are waiting."

Konoka nodded and accompanied Tsukishima inside the building and then up an elevator. The two soon reached a nondescript doorway, and Tsukishima pointed to a card reader at the side of it.

"Do you still have that black card Ginjou gave you?" he asked as he punched a combination into the keypad. "Slide it there."

"If you say so..."

She did as instructed, hearing the door's lock click in response.

Tsukishima, reaching for the doorknob, stated, "I apologize for the mess ahead of time. You see, we're still moving in."

Konoka understood the meaning of his statement once he opened the door. Cardboard boxes were scattered all over a huge room whose exquisite décor betrayed everything on the outside. Stepping inside at Tsukishima's request, she even noted a bar to the right of her, complete with stools, glasses, and an assortment of beverages.

"...Okay, what in the hell is this place?"

"L-Lay it down over here already!" said a straining Kuugo Ginjou. Konoka watched him and a dark-skinned woman she didn't know carrying a heavy box.

The woman smirked. "You seem to be having a rather hard time over there, Ginjou."

"C-Can it already, Jackie! I'm still awful sore from having my ass handed to me by that damn Shinigami, so cut me some slack!"

"Fine. Just try to keep your back in one piece."

The two settled on dropping the box in a corner of the room, and Ginjou put his hands on his knees and labored to fill his lungs with the oxygen they craved. Konoka then noticed he was covered in bandages, a sign his claim of having been in a fight recently wasn't an exaggeration.

Jackie, using a towel to wipe her sweaty face, said, "You were the one who started that fight in the first place, Ginjou, so don't expect me to have any sympathy for you."

"...H-Hey, nothing of the sort happened!"

"I don't mean to interrupt you two, but you have a guest," said a blonde-haired kid Konoka hadn't even realized was sitting on a couch in the back of the room until he spoke. Tapping his fingers furiously against a handheld video game console, he chose not to glance up from it as he spoke. "And could you keep it down? I'm trying to concentrate over here."

"Yeah, yeah." Ginjou waved the boy off before facing Konoka. "Yo! There you are! I had a feeling you'd show up here sooner or later, Konoka Mitsumi!"

"It wasn't like I had much of a choice in the matter," replied the Red-Haired Beast. "Your buddy here basically threatened to butcher an acquaintance of mine if I didn't."

Ginjou shot Tsukishima a reprimanding stare. "Hey, didn't I tell you not to do anything rash?"

"My apologizes, Ginjou," said a smiling Tsukishima. "I could think of no other way to convince Miss Mitsumi to come with me than putting on a little show. I had no intention of actually killing her friend."

Konoka took his claim with a grain of salt.

Jackie sighed. "Let's just hope your shenanigans haven't exposed us to the world at large. Ginjou nearly did a good job of that yesterday by tearing up that street in Hino."

"H-Hey now! I thought I already made it clear I was left with no choice but to fight!" Ginjou argued.

The blonde-haired boy, still gazing intently at his game, said, "Yeah, right. We all know how much you like to fight, Ginjou. Jackie's right; you probably started it."

"Indeed," added Tsukishima with a chortle.

Ginjou shrugged. He saw little point in dwelling on the issue when he was so plainly on the losing side.

"Welcome to Xcution, Miss Mitsumi," he said. The silence he received from her wasn't exactly the elated 'thank you' he foresaw, inducing a groan out of him. "Er...I guess I'd better just get the introductions out of the way before we do anything else. You already know Tsukishima, so that takes care of him."

Ginjou scanned the room, seemingly unsure who to tell Konoka about first.

"That's Jackie Tristan," he said, settling on the person in question. He then lifted up another hefty box, grunting. "She's a lot stronger than me, though you've probably already figured that out."

"Yo," Jackie said to Konoka, resting a lamp on a freshly constructed table. "Sorry for the mess. Looks like it's gonna take us a little longer to get this place set up."

"And the guy behind the bar there is Giriko Kutsuzawa," Ginjou said.

"A pleasure," stated Giriko softly, polishing some drink glasses. The tall, middle-aged gentleman wore a bartender's outfit, but his most prominent feature was the dark, leather strap he wore over his right eye. "If you require anything to drink, Miss Mitsumi, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Heh. He won't say you have to pay until you're done drinkin' though," joked Ginjou.

"No thanks," Konoka said to the gracious offer. "You guys might slip somethin' in it while I'm not lookin'."

"Haha! Relax already! If we wanted to hurt you, don't you think we would've done so already?"

Konoka, thinking back to what Tsukishima did to Sasune, saw Ginjou had a point. Nevertheless, she refused to calm the tension throughout her whole body.

Ginjou next thumbed at the quiet, blonde boy in black clothing. "And that's Yukio Hans Vorarlberna. He's kind of a weird kid, but he ain't bad. Not much for conversation though. He's a rich kid like you!"

"I heard that," Moderately annoyed, Yukio switched off his game. "Don't forget whose money is being used to remodel this place. I can have it torn down just as easily."

"H-Hey now, you don't have to go that far..."

Yukio grinned to show he was merely kidding. "So, are we just kidnapping people to get them to join our group? I know our ranks are thin presently, Ginjou, but don't you think you're overdoing it a bit?"

"Don't look at me! I didn't tell Tsukishima to fly off the handle like that..."

"Heh. You might've done something similar eventually if he hadn't," said Jackie.

"Jeez. You guys sure are picking on me today, in front of company no less..."

"Would you assholes stop screwing around already?!"

All eyes in the room fell upon Konoka because of her abrupt and irate outburst. Her left eyelid twitched rapidly, and her fists were shaking with force.

"What the hell do you want with me?! Why did you bring me here?! Just what the hell is Xcution?!"

"...Calm down, Konoka," said Ginjou calmly.

"Don't use my name so casually, jerk!"

"...I'm not going to say it again. Calm down. There's plenty of time for you to get the answers you want. I just wanted you to feel comfortable here. After all, you might be seeing this place on a regular basis from now on."

The Red-Haired Beast snapped after hearing this. She lunged at Ginjou and grabbed him by his shirt, dragging him closer to her with ease in spite of the fact he towered over her. Neither her victim nor anyone else in the room had attempted to stop her. Seething like a rabid dog, Konoka wasn't sure what she planned to do, deciding rearranging Ginjou's face could work for the time being. However, she relented, even releasing her captive after he began to stare into her fiery eyes.

"Good. You get it now." Ginjou fixed his ruffled jacket "We are not your enemy, Konoka Mitsumi. We're..."

Suddenly, the front door was kicked open. The members of Xcution, becoming jittery, readied themselves for anything. They calmed though when a steaming mad Riruka Dokugamine thumped her way into plain view.

"I'm back!" she howled. "Thanks for having me waste my time, by the way, Ginjou! You think going all the way to Hino and then back here to Naruki City empty handed is fun?!"

Feeling as blind as a bat, she squinched all around, barely able to make out the faces of her fellow Fullbringers.

"Why in the hell is it so dark in here?!" she then bellowed.

"That's the same shit I was wonderin'," said Konoka. "You guys vampires too or somethin'?"

"Blame Ginjou," said Jackie. "He hasn't installed any lighting yet."

"Tsk. I can see just fine. Put on your glasses, Riruka," advised Ginjou.

The magenta-haired girl grit her teeth. "You cheap bastard! You know I hate wearing those things! Contacts too! They dry out my eyes and…!"

Jackie shot her hand up. "T-That's okay, Riruka. We've heard that story like a million times. J-Just try to bear with the darkness for the time being, okay?"

Konoka shook her head. "You guys are a bunch of idiots..."

"W-Wait! Who is that?! Is someone there?!" asked Riruka.

"You'd be able to see we have a guest just fine if you just put on your damn glasses," repeated Ginjou, exhaling tiredly. "Sorry about her, Konoka."

"...Would you stop using my name like that already?" snarled Konoka.

"Quit ignoring me already!" cried Riruka. Ginjou was starting to get a headache from all this yelling. "W-Wait, is that the new member you were talking about before?! She's here already?! If you're really here, newbie, identify yourself now!"

Yukio, switching a different game into his handheld and flipping it back on, said, "It's rude to ask for a person's name without introducing yourself first."

Riruka grumbled but saw he had a point. "F-Fine! I'm Riruka Dokugamine, and don't you forget it!"

"...Konoka Mitsumi," said the Red-Haired Beast reluctantly.

"Eh?! You're the coffee lady, right? Giriko's got some of your stuff at the bar! Tsk! Like we needed another person with a silver spoon stuck up their butt like Yukio here!"

"...I can put something up your ass if you'd like, bitch."

Jackie had to restrain Riruka, who was ready to pounce on Konoka like a tiger.

"Good. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, did you manage to find Aaron Higuchi, Riruka?" asked Ginjou.

"'H-Higuchi?'" echoed Konoka. "...What do you guys want with him?"

Her query went unanswered, whereas Riruka began to twiddle her thumbs.

"A-About that…!" she started. "I totally had the guy, but he ran away before I could drag his sorry butt back here! You should've just gone to get him if you're gonna complain, Ginjou!"

"Don't worry about it. I'm not complaining either. Now that I think about it, we probably don't need a Shinigami for what we've got cooked up." Ginjou took a seat on a leather couch that was still wrapped in plastic. "Giriko, can you whip me up something to drink? Get Konoka here something while you're at it. She's gotta be thirsty."

"Certainly," replied Giriko.

"I thought I told you I didn't want anything to drink!" said Konoka. Again, she was ignored. Giriko sat a glass of ice cold milk for her at the counter.

"Don't sweat it. You have all that money at your disposal, so you should be able to afford a simple cup of milk, right?" chided Ginjou. He ingested his own drink, a concoction of rum and soda, in one gulp. "Now then, I guess it's about time we told you who we were. It's the least we could do after Tsukishima did what he did."

Tsukishima broke himself away from his reading to mirthfully remark, "You make me sound like some sort of villain, Ginjou."

"Though you've probably figured it out by now, Konoka, everyone here in Xcution is a Fullbringer like you."

"Duh. That's the reason you want me here, right?" said Konoka.

Ginjou verified this with a nod. "I've been gathering Fullbringers such as yourself over the years, people who don't exactly 'fit in' with the rest of society. You see, we aren't normal human beings, but we aren't Shinigami or Hollows either. We exist in our own world, and I believe important people like us look out for one another. After all, who else is going to?"

"...So, is Xcution some kind of daycare then for freaks like us?" Konoka, wholly unimpressed with his speech, took a seat at the bar. In light of her earlier objections, she polished off the glass of milk Giriko prepared for her. "Sorry, but it's gonna take more than that to convince me to join you guys. I don't care if we're all Fullbringers. I don't even want these stupid powers I have in the first place. I never asked for them!"

Giriko took her empty glass and replaced it with a full one. Ginjou, meanwhile, got a good laugh out of her postering.

"...Neither did we," he then stated. Sitting forward, he clasped his hands together and added, "However, you can either cry about them and pretend you're 'normal' or whatever like the rest of the slugs out there, or you can fully embrace who and what you are. You talk like being a Fullbringer is some kind of curse, something to be ashamed of. It isn't. You're strong. There's no reason to curse having strength. The powerless are the only ones who should complain about their lot in life. Rather than fearing them or enabling them to ridicule your strength, why not rise above them? Why not show them that it is they who should fear you? Here, we can teach you to use your power to the fullest. There won't be any need to restrict yourself any longer."

It didn't seem to matter who was lecturing Konoka. Everyone seemed to have the same thing to say to her. Whether it be Ginjou or Urahara, none of them desired to see her waste her powers, even though simply having them made her feel even more ostracized from her peers than she already was as the Red-Haired Beast of Hino Municipal High School. She didn't want another label, another reason for people to be irrationally afraid of her.

Perhaps that was why Ginjou's talk resounded within her so well. All she had done for as long as she could remember was fight. She had fought to defend the honor of her parents, fought to protect herself again criticisms she would never live up to their reputation, and even battled the notion she was nothing more than a spoiled brat born into luxury. Yes, she was a fighter alright, and so were Ginjou and the rest of Xcution by the sound of it. For someone seeking a home, a place to reside without scorn, such as herself, she would be hard pressed to find a better place than here.

Leering down at her drink, she no longer had any clue what to do.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!"

Besides the declaration being utterly random, it also came from someone outside Xcution's base of operations. It took no time at all for Konoka to comprehend what was going on.

"N-No! He couldn't have…!"

The door to the room was blown to bits soon after, diffusing thick smoke all over.

"What the hell is going on?!" hollered Ginjou.

Yukio's game cut off without warning. "...Dammit. I was just about to finish it."

"So was I." Tsukishima closed his novel before reaching down to retrieve his fallen, white bookmark. "Well, this day just continues to get more interesting, doesn't it?"

Jackie said, "Looks like you should've gotten that security system install too, Ginjou."

"U-Ugh! I could hardly see as it was!" cried a coughing Riruka as she fanned her hand all around her. "W-What's going on?! Seriously!"

Since the others weren't sure, no one bothered to say anything to her. They didn't have to. The cause of everything waltzed out of the settling smoke.

"Then again, I had to take an elevator to get up here, so it would've been pretty awkward trying to get anyone's hair through something like that," muttered Sasune Ishida. He cast his bizarre observation aside and formed his red spirit bow, unsure of who he should target out of the many individuals staring back at him. "Uh...why the hell is it so dark in here? Are you guys vampires or something? Because I kinda have this super serious fear of vampires! I usually carry around a stalk of garlic, but..."

"W-Why did you come after me anyway, Ishida?!" exclaimed Konoka, seconds away from kicking the Quincy in the sack for his stupidity. "Do you even have a brain between that thick skull of yours?!"

"Haha! I always go after my princess, even if it turns out she's in another castle! Fortunately for me, you were here, the first place I checked. I must say, Miss Mitsumi, tracking you down was a complete pain in the ass."

Sasune began to glow a deep white, and particles of dense spirit energy enveloped him. Konoka at first presumed this was some sort of attack, but when white ribbons fluttered all around the Quincy, she wasn't sure so sure.

"Then again, for someone as badass as me, it wasn't that hard," bragged Sasune, grabbing a ribbon that seemed to derive from the Red-Haired Beast.

"W-What in the…?"

"Spirit Coils," Ginjou told Konoka. "Forgot all about those. Still, for this guy to have found you all the way here in Naruki City from Hino using those things..."

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?! What was that light?! Who is that guy that was just talking?!" Riruka flailed her arms around like a child throwing a fit. "Ugh! Where did I leave my spotlight?!"

Tsukishima got Sasune's attention when he took a position in front of Konoka.

"My, my. I really should've taken care of you when I had the chance."

He transformed his bookmark into Book of the End, the sight of it garnering a moan out of Sasune. On the other hand, the Quincy was hoping it would come to this. He still had to pay the Fullbringer back for shaming him.

"Hmm. There's a lot more of you here than I figured," he said to Xcution. "Uh...would you all mind just standing still so I can shoot each of you in the kneecap one-by-one?"

"Y-You're meanin' to tell me you came here without a plan on how you were gonna bust me out?!" yelled Konoka, mystified.

Sasune's eyeballs looked all around. "N-No! Of course not! I totally had something in mind!"

He totally didn't. He was never one for winging it, but having no clue what Tsukishima and Xcution planned on doing to Konoka, Sasune felt he hadn't the spare time to come up with a strategy beforehand.

"Alright! Which one of you punks wants to get beat by the greatest Quincy in the world first?!"

Tsukishima accepted Sasune challenge, vanishing with a glimmer of green light. Sasune recalled this very same technique from this morning, enabling him to backflip at the same time Tsukishima reappeared and swung his Book of the End downward. Tsukishima attacked again, slashing his sword every which way. Sasune dodged some and parried others with his bow.

"...What?"

He felt something, something he couldn't describe while he blocked another of his attacker's sword strikes. Shrugging it off, he discovered an opening and shot an arrow at his foe's head. Tsukishima again faded from sight with an emerald flash. Rather than using his speed to launch another surprise attack, the Fullbringer retreated to a safe distance.

"You're an interesting character," he informed Sasune. "I can't think of many fools who would carelessly walk into the enemy's base of operations without any backup."

"Well, what can I say?" replied Sasune. "I guess I'm one of a kind!"

He launched a barrage of arrows at Tsukishima, intending to shut the cocky Fullbringer up once and for all. Employing Bringer Light for a third time, his target was able to dodge these and come face to face with Sasune again. Cursing, the Quincy darted to the side, letting Tsukishima's sword slice open the ground instead of him.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to charge you to have that fixed, Mister Tsukishima," said Giriko politely.

"Fair enough," Tsukishima answered.

"...This ain't gonna work," said Sasune, gasping for air. "There's not enough space in here for me to be shootin' like a gunslinger and dodging that guy's sword."

"What's the matter? Giving up? That might actually be for the best. My Book of the End can cut through absolutely anything, human flesh included. Unless you believe you can outrun me forever..."

"Yeah, yeah! I get the point! Jeez! And people say I talk too much!"

Grabbing a Gintou and twirling it between his fingertips, Sasune then aimed it at a wall in the hallway behind him.

"Tilt the goblet to the west! Wolke!"

There was another explosion, and Sasune leaped out of a freshly created hole and into the outside world. He stood on thin air, with Tsukishima joining him moments later.

"You said that was called Bringer Light, right?" asked the Quincy. "As much as I can't stand your guts, I have to admit, it's rather impressive."

"Your Hirenkyaku isn't so bad either," replied Tsukishima. "You've gotten faster by the looks of it. I remember you used to always stumble over yourself trying to pull it off as a kid. Your archery skills have improved too. Still, it seems you can't hit me. I guess certain things never change."

"...What?" Sasune touched his head, sensing something was off again. While he at first assumed his opponent was just messing with him, a part of him felt Tsukishima really did know what he was talking about. "...What did you say your Book of the End could do again?"

Tsukishima's smile expanded. "...You should know well, Sasune. You've seen it enough times, after all. We've been training together ever since we were kids."

Sasune entire body became rigid. He recounted precisely what Tsukishima was claiming. The Fullbringer had always been a step faster than him, even from a young age. No matter how much Sasune improved his skills, Tsukishima was always a step ahead of him. It got on his nerves, but it also pushed him to get stronger, strong enough to one day best his brother in arms.

"N-No! T-That's not right!"

None of this made an ounce of sense to the Quincy. His head and memories were telling him that he and Tsukishima had been long time, albeit friendly, rivals, whereas his heart was screaming otherwise, informing him not to trust what he remembered.

"What the hell is going on?" asked a spectating Konoka. "Does Ishida really know that guy?"

"Tsukishima's Book of the End has two different cuts to it. One is your average, run of the mill kind. The other allows him to insert whatever memories he wants into the person or even object it cuts," explained Ginjou. "Your friend only thinks he knows Tsukishima. Sneaky bastard. He must've inserted himself into your friends memories when that kid blocked his Book of the End with that bow of his."

On the verge of a mental breakdown, Sasune managed to keep it together enough to point his bow and shoot over and over at Tsukishima. The Fullbringer zipped around the sky, making himself an impossible target.

"Ugh! Just sit still already! I can't hit a damn thing without my glasses!"

"I forgot you wore those things. I warned you to bring an extra pair along in the event something like this occurs."

"S-Shut up! You don't know me! Stop acting like you know me, Shuukuro!"

Sasune, dumbfounded, covered his mouth. Him saying Tsukishima's first name felt like habit, something he had been doing for years.

"How long are you going to keep using your right hand?" asked Tsukishima. "We both know you're actually left-handed. You only use your right to show off."

Sasune, giving the remark no response, switched hands, enabling him to fire energy shots at an alarming clip. One grazed Tsukishima's chin, while another impaled him through the left shoulder. Even so, the Fullbringer didn't falter, slashing Sasune on the arm. Making a wry expression, Sasune employed Hirenkyaku to dash to the right. Tsukishima, lying in wait for him, aimed his Book of the End right for the Quincy's heart.

"Looks like I win again," he said casually.

"S-Son of a…!"

Sasune's pupils dilated, and he couldn't help but fear this would be his and Tsukishima's final time squaring off.

END