Chapter 19

Fight Your Way

After minutes of fruitless inspection, a platoon of Shinigami happened upon a giant, smoking crater. Elation painted their faces. This was going to be the catch of a lifetime. However, they became depressed once more when they found it devoid of life. Whatever had been there was long gone now.

"D-Dammit! Not again!" one of them voiced.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" uttered another, palming his hand over his wrinkled features. "Just how fast are these Ryoka?!"

The leader of the group, just as perturbed, cried,"S-Something big enough to make this couldn't have gotten that far! Split up and search the area!"

Heeding his command, everyone scattered. Things became still once more.

"Heh. Can't believe that actually worked," said a smirking Konoka Mitsumi, sitting in a tree high above. "It was a good idea, Sado. You've got those idiots runnin' everywhere but the right way. Still, don't you think it would've been easier to just pound their faces in? I hate havin' to hide like this. It ain't my style."

Chad blew some smoke off his gauntlet-covered fist. "...There's no need for us to start a pointless battle. Having strength doesn't mean we should throw it around whenever possible. Yoruichi said we should stay out of trouble if possible too."

The Red-Haired Beast frowned. "Y-Yeah, but..."

She gave up, seeing no point in arguing with the like of Chad. He was either saying nothing at all or scolding her for her brashness. She had assumed that because of his size, he was itching to fight like she was, but instead, he had played the role of a passivist.

"Well, what should we do now?" she inquired.

"Good question," replied Chad.

"Tsk. You would have the answer to everything but that."

"...I'm sorry."

"Huh? N-No, that's okay." Konoka stroked the back of her crimson hair and abruptly felt guilty. "It's not like you'd know this place any better than me. Uh...h-how about we just scout the area? Maybe we can figure out how the hell to navigate this maze of a city."

A nodding Chad thought that a fine idea.

#

"Oh no, Kurosaki, you're too close!"

Orihime's gleeful declaration came moments prior to her awaking. She sat up, but what really dragged her back into reality was a stinging pain that shot through one of her shoulders. She instinctively grabbed the spot and then noted it was neatly bandaged.

"A-Are you alright, Inoue-san?!" asked a nearby Uryuu Ishida.

"O-Oh. It's only you, Ishida."

"...Sorry. I'm not Kurosaki."

In the background, Sasune Ishida laughed and said, "There isn't a woman alive that would be happy to see you, little bro!"

"Says the guy who's likely set a world record for being slapped!" snapped Uryuu.

The mention of this made Sasune's cheeks throb. "Heh! Well, I can't deny that! It's a badge I wear with honor! Anyway, how is that shoulder doing, Miss Inoue? I hope you aren't in too much discomfort."

"A-About that, what happened?" she asked. "Wait, where are we?"

"The Seireitei. I don't know where exactly though. We were fortunate to have landed in this empty alleyway. You...fell on your shoulder during the impact."

"Only because Uryuu here was being careless!" blurted Sasune.

Uryuu held his head down. "...It's true, as much as agreeing with him pains me. I only know basic first aid, so I tried to dress your wound as best I could. Unfortunately, I didn't bring any painkillers along."

"T-That's okay! Thanks anyway, Ishida!" said Orihime. Her tender smiled cheered him up some. "Say, do you always bring first aid stuff with you?"

"He gets his ass kicked so much, so he probably does!" said Sasune, smirking wickedly. "Got any ice on you to cool that burn, Uryuu?"

"...You know, I could easily put an arrow between your eyes and then blame your death on a Shinigami," said Uryuu in a calm yet calculated manner. "I'm sure Inoue here wouldn't mind vouching for me."

On the contrary, Orihime really didn't want to get in the middle of this sibling rivalry.

"This idiot aside, I'm sorry, Inoue. You only got hurt because you were trying to protect me. If you were alone, you likely wouldn't have been harmed," added Uryuu.

"Really now?" Orihime got to her feet and dusted herself off. "I'm so clumsy, I probably would've been hurt anyway."

"T-That isn't true!" said Sasune hurriedly. "Y-You saved us from dying in that fall, Miss Inoue! Plus, it's...not all Uryuu's fault. I probably endangered your safety as well with my presence."

"Wow! The two of you are so alike! You even say the same sorts of stuff! You're brothers for sure!"

Uryuu and Sasune, piercingly glaring at one another, regarded the 'compliment' anything but that.

"Plus, if you both weren't here, there would have been no one to bandage up my shoulder! I would've gotten amnesia from the blood loss and been unable to move!"

Her overeager attempts to brighten the mood evoked the two Quincy to smile thinly.

"Hmm. I think we should leave as soon as possible. The people who heard us land should be here quickly, right?"

"You're right, Inoue," retorted Uryuu.

"Y-You needn't fear a thing, Miss Inoue!" exclaimed Sasune. "I'll make sure no further harm befalls you! If you need me to take a sword or two to the heart, I will gladly sacrifice myself!"

"Y-You don't have to do all that," she informed him.

"Honestly, I'm more worried now that you say that, Sasune. As if she needs an imbecile like you watching her back," said Uryuu without remorse.

"…I'll remember that when you have a group of Shinigami stabbing you to death," retorted Sasune in the same tone.

"C-Can't you two get along for a little while?"

Orihime yelped when Uryuu and Sasune glowered a hole into her for requesting something so asinine. She saw this as good a time as any to move forward. Though craving to rip one another apart, the Quincies held their emotions in check and hastened after her. Neither would be able to protect her if they killed each other, after all.

Although they hadn't picked up on it, a Shinigami had been cautiously observing them the entire time. The individual stepped out of the shadows once they deduced the coast was clear.

#

Wrestling with his shaky nerves, Aaron Higuchi prolonged his stare down with Shuuhei Hisagi to focus himself. He hadn't the slightest clue what his opponent was capable of, so he wasn't taking any chances.

"Fighting with this guy might be a…"

His sentence trailed off. It then occurred to him that fighting wasn't his only option. Without warning, he snatched up Mayu and made a break for it.

"Huh?! P-Put me down, stupid Shinigami! Just what do you think you're doing?!"

Aaron was too busy running at full steam to clarify. He could do it, he thought. He could leave Hisagi in the dust and avoid a needless conflict.

"Sorry, but I can't let you two go."

The Vice-Captain shattered any perception of this by Flash Stepping in front of him and opening hostilities using a swift sword strike. Aaron blocked it with his own Zanpakutou by the skin on his teeth. Gripping Mayu forcefully, he was launched back by the force of the blow. He dug his feet into the concrete, slowing himself to a halt.

"Tsk! I just had to run into this kind of persistent guy!"

"You can't escape," said Hisagi repeated. "Even if you got past me, where were you planning to go? You're in a place full of Shinigami such as myself."

"Don't worry. I'm well aware of that. Didn't hurt to try though."

"You're nothing but a big coward, aren't ya, stupid Shinigami?!" cried Mayu.

Aaron's eyelid lurched. "I-It's nothing like that! I just recalled that Yoruichi told us not to get sidetracked like this! We still have to rescue my friend, remember?!"

"Yeah, yeah! You're still a chicken!"

Aaron neither had the time nor the patience to debate with her. He instead placed her on the ground and knelt down to her.

"Listen. It looks like this guy isn't gonna back off no matter what we say, so I'm gonna have to fight after all. Go hide somewhere safe for the time being. I'll come find you after I win. If it seems like I'm taking awhile, just assume I'm dead and make a run for it. Understand?"

Thrown off by the confidence swelling in his voice, Mayu took a few moments to nod.

"L-Like I care about a stupid Shinigami like you! Do whatever you want!" she blared ahead of dashing away. "Don't forget! We still have a score to settle! You'd better not die before then!"

"R-Right." Aaron frowned. "Well, at least she's out of my hair now."

He caught wind of Hisagi leering at the departing Mayu.

"...You're not gonna go after her, are you?"

"...For now, no. I'll deal with you first."

"Heh. I'm lucky."

"'Lucky?'"

"That's right! I'm lucky I ran into such a nice guy!"

Hisagi was taken by surprise once Aaron vanished into thin air. Seconds later, he parried an attack to his right. This did nothing to deter Aaron, who began slashing at the air from every direction. Sparks flew as Hisagi kept up the pace with his blocking. An confounded Aaron felt like his opponent knew what was coming before he did. In order to open Hisagi up, he faked his wakizashi left before getting behind his foe with Shunpo.

"Gotcha!"

However, Hisagai employed a burst of Flash Step of his own, making Aaron's wild swing impact nothing but the empty space his foe once stood. His instincts then told him to get out of the way. He heeded them, narrowly dodging Hisagi's Zanpakutou with a sideways roll. In the wake of this, Aaron pointed his index finger at his enemy.

"Way of Destruction Number 4: Pale Lightning!"

The Kidou induced a grunt out of Hisagi, but he was able to dodge the concentrated bolt of electricity at the last second. It left a gash on his right cheek though, and blood seeped out of it.

"...Kidou? I didn't think a Ryoka like you could use such a thing."

Aaron, using the break in the action to catch his breath, asked, "I-If you don't mind telling me, what in the world is a Ryoka?"

"You are a Ryoka, an intruder here in Soul Society."

"I see. For some reason, I really don't like the sound of that. Makes me sound like some kind of criminal."

Aaron supposed that in Soul Society terms, he was. He got a chuckle out of this, thinking his mother wouldn't approve him breaking laws, even if they were laws of another realm.

"You aren't half bad, Ryoka," said Hisagi. "I thought because you had that short sword there wouldn't be much strength behind your blows, but I was wrong. You can use Kidou as well."

"You aren't half bad either. I can't find any openings in your stance. Man, I just knew this was gonna be a pain in the ass."

He exhaled and tightened his grip on his Zanpakutou. Hisagi mirrored him, and the fight resumed when Aaron charged straight. His quickness came as a shock to Hisagi, but the latter was able to recover in time to avoid an attack that might have chopped his head off. At last, Aaron sensed an opening. Hisagi's haste to clear out of the way made him lose his footing, and his opponent was quick to take advantage. However, the only person hit was Aaron, who took a diagonal slash across his torso. As crimson liquid rained to the ground, he backpedaled to gain some distance and a proper understanding of what had just unfolded.

"Your skills are better than I expected, but it seems you're still a rookie," said Hisagi. "You thought you had me, so you lowered your guard. You shouldn't be so hasty to attack. You never even considered I only pretended to be open to make my own attack. On top of that your stance is full of holes. It wasn't that difficult for me to find a weak point and exploit it."

Aaron could hardly hear his opponent over the agonizing pain of his wound. He didn't even want to take a guess at how deep it was. His breathing became strained, and he contemplated his next move, realizing he could no longer take Shuuhei Hisagi lightly.

"I-It's kinda ironic you're making fun of me because I jumped on an assumption when here you are talking like you know every little detail about me! Tell me, did you see that coming?!"

He was referring to the blood leaking out of a cut on Hisagi's forehead. The Vice-Captain hadn't even known it was there. He touched it, staining his fingertips red.

"...What is your name, Ryoka?"

"Aaron Higuchi."

"I see. My name is Shuuhei Hisagi. I am the Vice-Captain of the Ninth Division headed by Captain Tousen."

"A Vice-Captain? Oh boy." Aaron couldn't help but groan. "I said I was lucky bumping into you, but now I'm thinking my luck is still rotten."

Whether he was up against a Vice-Captain or not, only one option remained for Aaron: victory. With that in mind, he saw no point in holding back. He held his Zanpakutou close as it proceeded to glow.

"Glimmer, Seigetsu!"

His wakizashi transformed, becoming a curved and blue tachi that was as tall as he was. He firmly held the clothed handle with both hands.

"Shikai? You can even do something like that?" remarked Hisagi.

"I didn't think I'd have to use my trump card so soon. Oh well!"

Aaron Flashed Stepped himself in front of Hisagi and then swung his Seigetsu downward with everything he had. His adversary chose to block at first, but mulling the decision over, Hisagi instead dived out of the way. He was glad he did once Aaron cut a huge building in half like it were as easy as breathing. The two sides caved in, reducing the structure to rubble. Evidently, Seigetsu's size wasn't for show, the Vice-Captain thought.

Aaron boasted, "Still wanna fight?"

Ignoring this, Hisagi came in and aimed his sword straight for Aaron's heart. The dark-skinned Shinigami utilized Seigetsu as a shield, placing in directly before himself. In the meantime, he gathered energy into his free hand.

"Way of Destruction Number 11: Bound Lighting!"

He tapped his Zanpakutou and sent a current of electricity through it. Hisagi picked up on this and managed to take to the skies before he could be harmed. Then, he countered with Kidou of his own.

"Way of Destruction Number 31: Red Fire Cannon!"

Fortunately for Aaron, he had seen the crimson fireball storming toward him more times than he could count. He smoothly dodged it, afterward jumping up to Hisagi to cut him down. The Vice-Captain didn't panic. He ripped away the metal bands around his neck, tossing them at Aaron before creating some distance with Shunpo.

"H-He's fast!" said Aaron. He then heeded Hisagi's necklace, which began to illuminate. "Eh?! What in the…?!"

The metal bands detonated, producing a wave of black smoke that wafted across the battleground.

"Did that get him?" conjectured Hisagi, constricting his eyelids.

He got an answer when Aaron burst from the cloud of debris and brandished his Seigetsu. This frontal attack proved to be a mistake; Hisagi not only sidestepped him but cut him across the shoulder as he fell. The attack didn't deter Aaron, who tried again. Hisagi kicked his arm, throwing off his offensive, and gave the teen another gash on the arm. Even then, Aaron seemed immune to pain as he brought his weapon down on his opponent.

"Gotcha!"

Or so he thought. He solely hit an afterimage. The real Shuuhei Hisagi was a few inches to the right.

"I see," said the Vice-Captain. "That sword has definitely has power behind it, but you don't seem all that adept at using such a giant Zanpakutou. As powerful as it might be, it doesn't mean a thing if you can't actually hit anything with it."

Aaron, straining to lift Seigetsu out of the ground, let his gloomy visage do the talking. He had noticed this issue during his training yet hoped he could end any fight he got into swift enough for it not to matter. Now that Hisagi knew his weakness, he wasn't quite sure what to do.

The Vice-Captain did all the work for him. "Way of Binding Number 62: Hundred Steps Fence."

With the flick of his wrist, he lobbed a semitransparent rod of energy. Unlike Hisagi's previous Kidou, this one didn't ring a bell to Aaron. This likely told why instead of getting out of the way, he tried chopping it down. Right as his sword would have, the rod split into a hundred or so others, pinning him against a wall.

"Oh great. Just what I needed..."

Hisagi came over to him. "There. That should keep you still."

"I really wish Urahara would've told me about that kind of Kidou. The only thing he taught me was destructive spells."

Hisagi's eyes widened. "...Did you just say 'Urahara?' As in Kisuke Urahara?"

"Hmm? You actually know that lunatic? He's the one that taught me how to fight."

This jarring development prompted Hisagi to step back and contemplate.

"So, you were trained by him. No wonder your skills are nothing to laugh at. Regardless, I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me, Aaron Higuchi."

"You aren't going to kill me then?"

"I have no interest in taking your life. It's better to bring you back alive anyway. You can tell me where the rest of the Ryoka you came with are." Hisagi sheathed his sword to prove his point. "If you try to resist though, I'll be forced to cut off one or two of your limbs."

"Yeah, that...doesn't sound like any fun. Just relax there. There's no need to..."

"Stone Wave!"

Out of nowhere, a pit of quicksand replaced the ground under Hisagi. He fell into it like a rock, leaving him waist deep.

"W-What in the world?!"

"Ha! Take that, stupid Shinigami!" blared Mayu Shiba, sticking out her tongue. "That's my big bro's patented earth magic! You like?!"

"Mayu?! D-Didn't I tell you to run?!" squawked Aaron.

"Shut up, dumb Shinigami!" she shot back. "I was gonna go, but then I remembered you can't do anything without me, so I came back to help! Looks like I was right!"

Aaron seriously didn't want to concede that point. "Well, g-get this Kidou off me since you're here anyway!"

She did so, albeit reluctantly.

"Thanks!" he said, reclaiming Seigetsu. "Okay, now we'll run for real this time!"

"Y-Yeah!"

Aaron gawked at Hisagi ahead of saying, "Uh...s-sorry! As much as I'd like to finish our fight, I really have somewhere else to be!"

Fighting against the quicksand, Hisagi shouted, "H-Hold on a second, Ryoka!"

He was too late. Aaron and Mayu were long gone. Hisagi, coiling his lips, felt they could have at least had the decency to free him.

"...Dammit. Those Ryoka are rather crafty. ...I'm going to have a hard time explaining this to Captain Tousen."

#

Behind a flicker of light, Aaron's Seigetsu went back to its normal size. He put it away while he and Mayu advanced into an empty alley. He inferred it a good a place as any to rest for the time being, so he slumped against a wall and shut his taxed eyes.

"I-I think we weren't followed. Good. I...can't run anymore."

He wondered if his friends were having as much trouble as him. Locating them through their spiritual pressure was impossible; there were too many people in the Seireitei to pinpoint them. All he could do way pray they were in one piece.

"H-Hey, are you okay over there, dumb Shinigami?" asked Mayu, distressed. Blood from Aaron's various injuries was pooling underneath him.

"Y-Yeah. I'm...just a little dizzy. Looks like I got my ass kicked. Tsk. Guess I should've left the fighting to a guy like Kurosaki. Still, I didn't think someone from Soul Society would be so strong. If you don't mind, Mayu, I'm...just gonna sit here for a bit."

"Huh?! No way! C-Come on! Get up! We can't stay here! The Shinigami will find us if we do!"

Aaron was fully aware. He just wasn't sure he could stand even if he desired to. There was absolutely no strength left in his limbs.

"Heh. Man, this is kinda funny..."

"W-What the heck are you talking about?! There's nothing funny at all!"

"I was just thinking that you had a point when you said there isn't anything I can do on my own. Maybe I forgot that when I told you to run. Thanks, Mayu. Seriously. I would've been captured by that Hisagi guy if you hadn't shown up when you did."

Mayu, caught off guard, became rosy. "D-Don't just thank me all of a sudden! Besides, I only helped you because I need you to take down any stupid Shinigami we bump into while we're here! I'm...not strong enough to do it on my own, and you're no use to me dead! Just remember that!"

Aaron chuckled again.

"S-Stop laughing already, you big dummy! You're really getting on my nerves!"

"You might wanna be more quiet. We really will get caught if someone hears your voice."

"Aha! There you are, Ryoka! Hold it right there!"

Aaron sighed at prophetic statement. Standing atop a building was Momo Hinamori. The Fifth Division member, skittish to some extent at actually running into the intruders, hid this with courageous smile.

"See?! I told you this would happen if we didn't run!" affirmed Mayu.

"...But it was your shouting that even led her here," murmured Aaron. He noted the badge tied to Momo's shoulder, having seen Hisagi with a similar one. "That must mean she's a Vice-Captain. ...Fantastic."

He powered himself to an upright position, readying himself for another fight.

"H-Hey! Didn't I say not to move?!" cried Momo. "Are you even taking me seriously?!"

"She seems kinda worked up already," said Aaron. "Maybe something you said, Mayu?"

"N-No way! It's probably your fault! Anyway, think you can still fight?"

"Do I really have a choice?"

"Huh? O-One of the Ryoka is a little girl?" Momo scratched her head. "W-What should I do? I wasn't expecting this."

Her indecisiveness was Mayu's gain. The girl sensed a chance to go on the attack and rested her palms on the ground.

"Giant Stone Wave!"

The structure Momo was on became sand, and with nothing holding her up any longer, the laws of physics came into effect. She wailed, plunging headfirst into the massive mound of rock particles.

"...That'll work!" voice Aaron. "Let's move!"

He pulled Mayu along with him down a seemingly endless corridor.

"Hey, I thought you said you couldn't run anymore, stupid Shinigami!"

"Yeah, that was before another Vice-Captain tried to kill me! Besides, running is the only thing I'm good at apparently! You know, I promised someone I wouldn't do this anymore."

"Huh? W-Who are you talking about?"

Aaron shook his head. "...It doesn't matter. Anyway, that's the second time you saved my ass! Thanks!"

"Ha! You're so pathetic needing help from a kid like me! ...Still, don't forget that you can't die! You don't seem all that good at keeping promises, but you better keep mine!"

"Yeah!"

She wasn't the sole one counting on him to survive. Kana was too, and so were his friends.

"A-Agh! T-That really hurts!" he said as blood spurted from his torso wound just then.

"W-What did I just say?! Ugh! We better stop and let you rest again! You're just gonna make your injuries even worse if you keep moving!"

"R-Right..."

Being bossed around like this reminded Aaron of Kana. He found her smart mouth irritating in the past, but now, he would give anything just to hear her voice again.

"Stop spacing out, dumb Shinigami! Ugh! You really are hopeless, aren't you?!"

Then again, he could never recall Kana being this mean. He sighed.

#

Shuuhei Hisagi moved at a breakneck pace to catch up to the Ryoka but instead happened upon the still buried Momo Hinamori. Her muffled shouting spurred him to tug on her legs. It took more than a bit of effort, but he was able to free her in due time. Choking, she spat out a large quantity of sand.

"Whew! Thanks, Hisagi! I thought I was a goner!"

"I take it you ran into those intruders," he replied. Sand was pouring out of his black robes.

Embarrassed, Momo meekly nodded. "...Captain Aizen's gonna be upset once he finds out how badly I screwed up!"

She was seconds away from erupting into tears.

Hisagi quickly said, "D-Don't worry, Hinamori. We'll find those Ryoka. They couldn't have gotten too far."

Sniffling, she nodded.

The two picked up on a spiritual pressure closing in on them. Under the impression it was trouble, they primed themselves for combat. However, they stayed their hands upon seeing it was none other than Akira Akiyama.

"Dammit! They're gone, aren't they?!" she yelled.

"Oh! It her! The new Vice-Captain!" said Momo.

Hisagi scowled. "...What are you doing here, Akiyama?"

"That's what I wanna ask you idiots! You were fighting those Ryoka, weren't you?! Where did they go?! How could you fools let them get away?! Answer me, dammit!"

She snagged Hisagi by his collar and pulled him closed, yet he slapped her hand away.

"Calm yourself," he said. "Remember, we're all on the same side here."

Ready to blow her top, Akira grit her teeth. Nevertheless, she heeded his words, thinking she had bigger fish to fry than him.

"...What did they look like?" she asked.

"T-The Ryoka?" said Momo timidly. "Well, the ones we bumped into were a little girl and a dark-skinned Shinigami!"

"He wasn't a part of the Gotei 13. I can say that much with confidence," added Hisagi.

"...A dark-skinned Shinigami?" Akira gulped out of excitement, not fear. Her then lips contorted into a strange smile. "Then he really is here! That punk!"

Without an explanation, she ran off, leaving her fellow Vice-Captains in the dark.

"H-Hold on, Akiyama! You shouldn't go alone!" Momo's warning fell on deaf ears, and she exhaled somberly. "Shouldn't we go after her, Hisagi?"

"We should. She's up to something, and I want to know what it is. We need to find those Ryoka while we're at it."

"Oh! R-Right!"

The two left the scene as well, having no idea things in the Soul Society were about to become even more hectic.

#

Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of the Eleventh Division, stood stone-faced in front of a wall that didn't stand out from any other in the Seireitei. His bewilderment converted itself into blind rage.

"What the hell?! It's another dead end!" he roared.

Yachiru Kusajishi, laying on his back, giggled. "It's because you have no sense of direction, Kenny!"

"You idiot! We're only lost because I went with your intuition! Tsk! Forget it! We'll try another way!"

"Ookie-dokie!"

The two continued their search for the Ryoka. Meanwhile, Uryuu, Sasune, and Orihime peered out from the roof of a close-by building.

"T-They're gone," said Orihime. "Their spiritual pressure was really strong. It's a good thing we weren't discovered!"

Uryuu nodded. "That big guy seemed a lot like Ichigo. Strong, but not all that bright. Anyway, which way should we go now? This whole place is rather confusing to navigate."

"Don't you think you're being kinda cowardly, Uryuu?" asked Sasune out of the blue.

The younger Quincy froze in place. "...Come again?"

"I'm just surprised is all! You were talking all that crap about how you were gonna smoke every Shinigami we ran across once we got to Soul Society, but here you are hiding up here like a chicken!"

"Don't be a fool, Sasune. Picking a fight with a strong opponent is simply asking for trouble. Besides, it wasn't like you jumped out and fought either."

The older Quincy lifted his finger to counter, but realized he didn't have a leg to stand on. "W-Whatever! I could've totally kicked that guy's ass! I just didn't feel like it! On top of that, I had no desire to place Miss Inoue here in harm's way! Y-Yeah, that's it!"

"...Your legs are shaking."

Sasune glanced down. "T-That's out of anticipation! I'm just excited is all!"

He chuckled tepidly, whereas Uryuu wished to be as far away from him as possible.

"...How could I be related to such a moron?"

Orihime pointed off at something in the distance and asked, "How about there? I think I see a tower that way."

"Where?" replied Uryuu and Sasune. They glared at each other, annoyed they had the same thing to say.

"Over there! The white tower! Don't you see it?"

The only thing the two Quincy were paying any attention to was the humongous Shinigami towering over Orihime. He drew his Zanpakutou, intending to carve the unsuspecting woman right down the middle. He rended nothing asunder but the rooftop however.

"I missed…?" he commented. He lifted his large head, and the oversized prayer beads around his neck rattled. He then got a glimpse of Uryuu and Sasune holding Orihime. The hatred in their eyes was somewhat unsettling to the giant, but he smirked nonetheless. "To be able to dodge my attack so quickly! Not bad!"

Orihime blinked and wasn't certain of what had just occurred.

"Still, I must bid you three farewell!" the giant Shinigami added. "Feel remorseful! If you hadn't appeared before me, you might have lived longer!"

Uryuu and Sasune remained tightlipped, and Orihime couldn't help but note how much their temperaments had changed. They were like totally different people. She guessed their opponent being a Shinigami had something to do with it.

Suddenly, the Shinigami began to count up from one. Still, neither Quincy moved or said a word.

"Uh...I-I'm fine now, so you two can put me down," said Orihime. They did so without taking their focus off the giant. "T-Thank you."

"...Not a problem, Miss Inoue," said Sasune.

"We're glad you're alright," added Uryuu.

"Uh...y-yeah! Thanks again!"

The siblings were starting to unsettle Orihime. She had no clue what they were thinking or planning to do.

"Ten!" proclaimed the Shinigami. "Your allotted time for regret has now come and gone!"

"...Looks like he's coming," said Uryuu.

Sasune replied, "...About damn time."

"Have you all regretted enough? If not, that's fine! You'll be more than enough sorry in due time!" said the Shinigami. He closed the gap between himself and the others in the blink of an eye, threatening them once more with his blade. He carved a massive crevice in the building they were standing on but otherwise failed to hit anyone again. "Hmm?"

Orihime dashed to his side before touching her blue hairpins. "Tsubaki! Koten Zanshun! I reject!"

Her technique was easily sliced down by the Shinigami, stunning her greatly. She dived to catch the injured Tsubaki, who intently stared her down within her bloodied hands.

"Y-You dumb girl! W-Why'd you use such a kind and weak attack?!"

"Tsubaki..."

"Even though it was my first time witnessing that technique, I can tell there's no killing intent behind it." The Shinigami eased his way behind Orihime. "Even if that attack can kill something like a Hollow, it's no match for a Shinigami like me. ...Did you think coming here was some kind of game?"

An empty-faced Orihime swiveled her head to him.

"This is a battlefield!" he decried, raising his Zanpakutou. "Attacks without the intent to murder aren't good for anything here!"

He might have finished his prey if it weren't for two arrows, a blue and a red one, hitting him in the arm. Blood trickled out of the wounds, though he was far more concerned with his assailants.

"...You want to face an attack with the desire to kill?" Uryuu, armed with a metallic glove stemming from his Sanrei Glove, added, "Come and face me then, Shinigami. My bow is full of it."

Stepping forward, Sasune wielded a similar weapon, albeit one that was red and black instead of white and blue. He slipped on a pair of glasses, glaring as hard as he could at the Shinigami through the thick lenses.

"I must look rather uncool with these on. Please bare with me and my brother for the time being, Miss Inoue. We'll have this wrapped up before you can say dead fucking Shinigami."

The 'dead fucking Shinigami' in question was fascinated. "Oh? Are you both Quincy?"

"That's right," replied Uryuu.

"To think a lowlife like you would even know what one is," said Sasune.

"Ha! This is fascinating indeed! While this woman here uses a technique I've never seen before, the other two so happen to be Quincy! That means the two of you of are projectile users, just like me!"

The Ishida brothers raised an eyebrow.

The Shinigami went on with, "On top of that, both of you want to defeat me! There's no way this encounter was coincidence! It was fate! I can't pass up this momentous occasion! I'll let you see it! The true power of my Zanpakutou!"

Sasune shook his head. "...He's finally flipped his top."

The Shinigami pressed down on his sword and declared, "Flap Away, Tsunzakigarasu!"

The others were aroused by his weapon transforming into countless, flying, and curved blades that 'flapped' around him.

"...Shikai," muttered Sasune. "Didn't think this fool could do something like that."

"...If you want to run, I won't make fun of you, Sasune," said Uryuu.

"Tsk. Who the hell do you think you're talking to? Like I'd run from something like this."

"Oh? Is that the sound of you two repenting? So, how do you like this?! That's right! Feel free to regret all you want! I am Jiroubou Ikkazana, the Fourth Seat of the Seventh Division!" said the Shinigami, his tone becoming more disturbed with each passing moment. "My nickname is 'Kamatachi' because of my skill in using projectiles! That's right! My Tsunzakigarasu is the strongest airborne weapon in Soul Society! Countless knives dancing in the sky! All who see my Zanpakutou's release never live to tell the tale! Tell me now, how do you two feel?"

Jiroubou's blades sped up, becoming blurs.

"They're too fasts for your eyes, aren't they? How unfortunate you both are to have to face a master of airborne weapons such as myself! You guys will forever regret the day you..."

The precious blades of his Shikai were all shot to pieces without warning. The sight of them raining down paralyzed him.

"Interesting. It seems things work differently here in Soul Society than they do in my world," said Uryuu. "People who claim to be experts here are really nothing but amateurs in actuality."

Sasune cleaned out his ear using his pinky. "Yeah, your shitty sword sounds nice and all, but we seriously don't care about weapons Shinigami use, so save your breath."

Their comments struck one of Jiroubou's nerves. "Y-You two shouldn't get so arrogant! Whatever you just did was nothing more than luck!"

He put away his sword and redrew it, fashioning more floating blades.

"See?! I can..."

"...You still don't understand?" said Uryuu. He planted two more arrows into Jiroubou's hand, destroying a finger in the process. The Shinigami hollered in pure agony. "I'm very sorry, but if you're truly the strongest man in Soul Society with it comes to projectiles, I'm afraid I'm going to have to take that title."

"'Kamatachi Uryuu' doesn't sound all that great though, little bro," remarked Sasune.

"...I agree. Maybe I won't keep it after all."

"M-My hand! W-What have you done to my left hand?!"

"Shut up." Sasune fired a pair of arrows into Jiroubou's knees. "Oops. Would you look at that? I guess my hand just slipped or something."

The giant Shinigami screamed even louder.

Sasune, feeling no remorse, added, "...Didn't I tell you to be quiet? I hate grown men who cry like helpless infants."

Orihime's couldn't believe it. "S-So strong! Both of them must've have trained themselves to the limit to get this powerful! They...really are like different people!"

The fight was becoming so one sided, she was tempted to tell her friends to ease up on Jiroubou. Of course, they would never agree to such a request, even if she were the one asking. This battle was personal to them. They needed to fight. They needed to win.

"By the way, Uryuu, what did you mean when you said you were now the strongest user of ranged weapons?" asked Sasune testily.

"You heard me," Uryuu replied with conviction.

"Wow. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to fib? Your statement would be true if I weren't standing right here!"

"Are you actually suggesting you're stronger than me? Now that's a laugh, even more of one than this Shinigami here saying that!"

"To think you would be bold enough to say such a thing, and to your older brother no less! 'Kamatachi Sasune' sounds just as lame as 'Kamatachi Uryuu', but I'm still far more fitting of that name than you, punk!"

"That's it! You've finally lost what was left of your mind, Sasune!"

The two stuck their noses together and were moments away from going at it.

"T-They might dislike each other more than they do Shinigami!" said Orihime.

"Y-You damn brats!" Jiroubou, panting for air, got up and looked inconsolable. "You'll pay for this! Do you hear me?! You'll pay!"

"Oh. Him. I kinda forgot he was there," admitted Sasune.

"W-What did you say, foolish human? How dare you speak to…!"

"What about 'shut up' don't you understand, you goddamn neanderthal?" Sasune shot the Shinigami in the shoulder this time. "And stop crying already! You're liable to wake the dead at this rate!"

"Isn't this something? It sounds like he's the one regretting now," said a beaming Uryuu. "As a user of projectiles, it's rather unfortunate you had to run into the likes of us. ...You might have lived longer if you hadn't."

That was the last straw. Any shred of composure Jiroubou might have possessed was evaporated.

"Y-You're asking me if I'm regretful?!" he exclaimed, violently shaking in ire. "You stupid brats! As I've told you before, you all will be the ones regretting in the afterlife!"

He extended his big arm toward Orihime in order to crush her like a grape. Uryuu and Sasune hurried in front of her, directing their bows threateningly at her aggressor.

"Did you attack Inoue out of the blue because you came to realize you have no hope of defeating my brother and I?" queried Uryuu. "Perhaps you were even plotting to use her as your hostage."

"Wow. Those are comic book level stunts," stated Sasune. He tugged back on his quiver, forming another arrow. "I seriously hate guys who'll use any trick in the book to win."

"Indeed. He's been picking on Inoue from the beginning. My brother and I might not see eye-to-eye for the most part, but I'm confident in saying that neither one of us can forgive scum that do nothing but pick on innocent women so thoughtlessly."

"I bet you thought it made you look cool, huh? Like a bigshot? Here's a reality check, dumbass. If you're going to act and fight like a coward, we'll make sure you die like a coward."

"...We've given him enough time to regret, Sasune. Let's end this."

"Sounds good to me. I'm disappointed though. I was thinking a Shinigami born and raised in Soul Society would be more of a challenge."

A shuttering Jiroubou made an attempt to flee, but the Quincies were too quick and methodical. They bombarded him with enough arrows to take down three or four men. It was enough to make Orihime want to obscure her vision. She compelled herself to look on, feeling it wrong to do otherwise.

The conflict was over as abruptly as it began. Motionless, a bloodied and defeated Jiroubou lied on the ground as a strong gust of air swept through the area. Uryuu and Sasune gave him one last glance over before sheathing their bows within the Sanrei Gloves. They then exhaled as if a heavy weight had been removed from their shoulders. Orihime faintly smiled.

"Thank you, Ishida! Oh, and you too, Ishida! Er...I-I mean you, Ishida! N-No, wait, I meant the other Ishida too! Um...hold on! What I'm trying to say is…!"

"It's okay, Inoue. We get it," said Uryuu, smiling back.

"There's no need to thank us though," said Sasune bashfully. "We...didn't really do anything at all."

"That's not true!" Orihime asserted. "I think what you both did was great!"

Neither Uryuu or Sasune saw any point in arguing with her, so they simply accepted her gratitude.

"Um...y-you aren't harmed in any way are you, Miss Inoue?" asked a bright red Sasune while he took Orihime's hand. His heart was beating like a drum. "I-If you were, I think Uryuu has some more bandages!"

"Nope! I'm perfectly fine thanks to you two!"

Her kindness was overwhelming; Sasune practically melted into a puddle of love.

"...Idiot," was all Uryuu had to say.

Taking a gander at Jiroubou, Orihime asked, "...Is he dead?"

"...No, he isn't," replied Uryuu.

"Like we'd waste our time killing a lowlife like him," said Sasune.

"We simply struck the pressure points on his body that allow him to control his spirit energy. He won't die, but he'll lose his powers."

"...You and any other innocent girls won't have to worry about being attacked by that lowlife, Miss Inoue. He'll never be a Shinigami again."

"We both decided it was better that way. He won't be able to come after us either."

"Yeah, he was a real pain in the ass. I thought he'd never shut up."

"That's funny. If this guy gave you so much grief, how do you deal with your own mouth, Sasune?"

"...You've got a lot of nerve talking smack about a guy who just half near ruthlessly executed a Shinigami. You might be 'Kamatachi Sasune's' next victim, little bro! Hey, did you hear me?! Hey, Uryuu!"

Uryuu no longer had an interest in the discussion, walking away and toward the group's next destination, wherever it may be. Sasune snarled under his breath at this and hurried after his sibling. If anyone was going to get the last laugh in an argument between them, it was going to be him.

"Oh, Miss Inoue! You're being left behind. Is something the matter?"

"Hmm? Oh, no! Nothing at all! Let's go! We still have to save Miss Kuchiki!"

"And Miss Mitarashi. Indeed, we still have a lot of work ahead of us."

Orihime nodded. If that was the case, then there was no point in standing around.

#

Much later in the day, Akira Akiyama stumbled upon Jiroubou Ikkazana's unconscious form during her hunt for the Ryoka. Crouching down to it, she poked him in the check, garnering no response.

"Hey, I know this big asshole. He's from the Seventh Division. ...What the hell happened to him though?"

It didn't take her long to deduce this was the work of the very same people she was struggling to track down.

"Dammit! I'm always a step behind! Was it Aaron Higuchi who did this though?"

She doubted it. Jiroubou's wounds didn't appear like they were inflicted by a sword. Growling, she spat on the man and kicked him in the side, using him as a punching bag for her frustrations. When that got old, she stepped away, pouted her lips, and crossed her arms.

"...Shit. I'm not even supposed to be out here anymore. They called all the Vice-Captains back to the meeting room a little while ago. Ugh! If they guy weren't such a weakling, he could've held those Ryoka bastards here a little longer! This is so aggravating!"

Whining about things wasn't going to solve anything, so she opted to move forward with her search. Someone else would likely come along and see that Jiroubou got some medical care. Then again, his well being was the last thing on her mind as she vanished.

#

As engrossing as fighting was for the Red-Haired Beast, even she was growing tired of kicking random Shinigami around. She punched another one through a wall ahead of climbing through the newly formed opening and into yet another corridor.

"W-What the…?! What the hell is up with this place?! Everywhere just leads to a dead end!"

"...Do you even know where you're going?" Chad, holding a feisty Shinigami in a headlock, knocked the guy out and then threw him away. "You said you had an idea, but so far, we haven't gotten very far."

"S-Shut up! My intuition is spot on! Er...we just gotta keep going...thataway! Yeah, I'm sure of it!"

"...We just came from that way, Mitsumi."

Konoka blushed. "Er...I-I meant the other way! Anyway, I could've sworn I heard that Kurosaki guy's voice coming from over here. I think that Ganju idiot was with him. If we hurry, we can probably catch them!"

"That's all well and good, Mitsumi, but there's one problem."

The vicinity she was referring to was jampacked with bloodthirsty Shinigami eager to rip she and Chad apart. Suddenly, Chad wasn't all that confident in her so-called 'woman's intuition.'

"Uh...I-I knew they were there!" she assured him. He still wasn't convinced.

"There they are!" screamed a member of the Eleventh Divsion. "Rat bastards!"

"Kill those dirty Ryoka in Captain Zaraki's honor!" cried another.

"Tsk! Here we go again!" said Konoka. Before she knew it, she and Chad were surrounded for what must have been the millionth time. "Just how many of these freaks does this place have?!"

Chad moved in front of her and clenched his fists. "...I'll handle this."

"The hell you will! Move aside, big guy!"

Konoka rushed ahead, completely disregarding the fact she was outnumbered by a significant margin.

"Heh! We've got a brave one here!" said another Shinigami, cracking his knuckles. "Everyone you see here is a member of the Eleventh Division, woman!"

"That's right! We eat Ryoka and weaklings like you, girly, alive!" said another.

A heavily scarred man licked his sword and added, "This oughta be fun!"

He and the two beside him found nothing entertaining about the Red-Haired Beast launching them to the moon with an uppercut. Their comrades gasped and took a cautious step back.

"I don't know or really even give a shit what this Eleventh Division is!" Konoka thumbed at herself with pride. "I'm the Red-Haired Beast of Hino! That means that if all of you know what's good for you, you'd get the hell outta here before I really get mad!"

Though rattled, the men of the Eleventh Division didn't budge an inch.

"Heh! Alright! That works too!" Konoka licked her lips, looking more sadistic than the opposition in Chad's opinion. "I don't know if you guys are brave or stupid for stickin' around, but I'll make sure to give you an asswhoopin' all the way from Hino since you're here!"

"...She's kind of scary," Chad admitted.

"Move aside! Move aside, idiots! I'm coming through!"

Those in the Eleventh Division weren't really given the chance to 'move aside.' Rather, the individual who had spoken chucked them aside like rag dolls to make their way to the head of the crowd. Resting their eyes on this very same person who certainly knew how to make an entrance, she wasn't exactly what Konoka and Chad were anticipating. She was big bosomed, so much so that it seemed her chest would pop out of her sleeveless, black robes at a moment's notice. Meanwhile, her green hair was tied into a wild and messy ponytail. A wide bang of it hung over her right eye, blocking it from plain view. Her other eye locked in on Konoka and Chad, and she acknowledged their sullen faces with a frown that displayed the golden ring on her lip.

"So, you two are the intruders?" Disappointment tinged her tone. "You've gotta be kidding me! Looks like I came all the way over here for nothing!"

"...Who the hell is this bitch?" murmured Konoka.

"She looks like trouble," replied Chad.

"Hey, get outta here, lady! You tryin' to take our kill?!" roared an Eleventh Division member. His brash talk was rewarded by the woman slugging him right between the eyes and sending him soaring across the air like a shooting star.

"...You wanna repeat that?" She cleaned out her ears and saw that he couldn't. "Oh. That's right. Well, no matter! You Ryoka don't look all that tough, but fighting you is better than doing nothing, I guess."

"Yeah, whatever, lady. Don't you think you've got 'bigger' things to worry about?" Konoka, forcing herself not to snicker, pointed at the Shinigami's ample cleavage. "You ever think about cuttin' back on the meat? You're practically carryin' around an extra thirty pounds."

"H-Huh?! Hey, s-shut up!" The woman blushed profusely and covered herself up. "I didn't ask for these things to get so big! I-It just runs in the family is all! They get in the way of my fighting, so I don't like 'em either!"

Konoka blinked. "O-Oh. Uh...s-sorry then?"

"Heh. The only ones who're gonna be 'sorry' are you two! My name is Emi Otomi! I'm the Fourth Seat of the Eleventh Division! Please to meet you!"

Emi twirled her long sword as she spoke, inadvertently cutting someone. She only noticed when blood splattered against her cheek.

"Eh?" She spotted her victim shrieking and rolling on the ground in anguish. "Hey! Didn't I tell you get outta the way?! It's not my fault if you end up losing a leg next time! That goes for this rest of you! Don't you dare interfere! I'll kill you on the spot if you do!"

While the Eleventh Division kept on cowering thanks to Emi's razor sharp tongue, Konoka and Chad glanced at one another.

"...S-She's kind of a freak, isn't she?" the Red-Haired Beast muttered.

Chad nodded. "I say we just ignore her and keep going."

"Alright! I'm gonna attack now, so you two better get ready!" proclaimed Emi.

Konoka took a fighting pose. "Tsk! You better make this worth my time, you…!"

She forgot the rest of her statement, mostly because a torrential amount of blood spewed out of a heavy laceration on her left shoulder. Bewildered, she told herself it had to be some type of illusion. It was solely when the pain set it did she register it was real.

"M-Mitsumi!" cried Chad as she dropped to her knees.

Standing opposite them, Emi whisked her tall Zanpakutou through the air, slinging Konoka's blood off it.

"I overheard you, little girl, saying something about being a 'Red-Haired Beast.' That's kinda funny! Around here, I'm known as the Green-Haired Devil of the Eleventh Division." Emi tongued the remaining blood off her blade. "This oughta be fun! A devil versus a beast!"

Chad started to say, "Mitsumi, are you…?"

"...Fun?" Konoka not only got to her feet but began jerking about bizarrely, leading Chad to believe she was anything but 'alright.' "Yeah, I think you might be on to somethin'! This might be the first time I've run into someone as crazy as I am! There's so much adrenaline pumpin' through my veins, I can't even feel my shoulder anymore!"

She took hold of her emerald necklace. Alongside a brilliant flash of green light, her golden glaive spawned.

"Oh? That's probably not a Zanpakutou, is it?" remarked Emi.

"You wanna find out what it is? How 'bout I stab you with it a couple times?! You should be able to get a really good look at it then!" replied the Red-Haired Beast.

The Green-Haired Devil grinned. "...Maybe this won't be a waste of time after all!"

Chad's head shot from Konoka and then Emi before going back to Konoka.

"...The two of them really are similar. I don't know if that's a good thing or not though."

END