Chapter 55
Xcution At Midnight Part II
With no one else slowing them down, Aaron, Izumi, and Yukio made it to the tenth floor. They stumbled upon a luxurious apartment that was wholly out of place in such a rundown complex.
"Who would go to the trouble of building this place?" questioned Aaron.
"Ginjou probably used my family's money without asking again. Figures," said Yukio with a sigh.
"Oh, you're loaded then?" said Izumi. "I expect a nice reward for having to go out of my way like this."
"If you let me go now, I'll give you as much as you want."
"Nice try."
Yukio chuckled.
Even more puzzling than the fine décor and furniture was the place being empty.
"Looks like we got here too late," said Aaron in frustration.
"No, they're still here. I can feel them," said Izumi. "The question is where they're hiding."
"Why hide in the first place? We're the ones that are outnumbered." Aaron didn't like the dead silence one bit. "Will Sasune be alright on his own? That girl wasn't exactly ugly."
"You seriously think he'd hit on her instead of—no, you're right. Maybe we should go back."
While tempting, Aaron figured their friend could handle himself. Riruka had a loud mouth on her but didn't seem all that strong.
"Let's search the place," he suggested. "Maybe..."
"Look out!"
Izumi pushed him to the ground, sparing his head from being kicked off.
"Oh? You saw me coming? Not bad."
Jackie Tristan, having burst through the wall moments before, smirked at the Higuchi siblings. Izumi Flash Stepped her brother and Yukio to the other side of the room as their attacker took another shot at them.
"I will never get used to you doing that," Aaron admitted. "And who the hell is that?"
"Jackie Tristan. If she's here, she's obviously another Fullbringer," replied Yukio. "Shouldn't you have more intel if you're going to charge into an enemy's base?"
"Shut it, you."
"Hello there, Yukio. So, you're alive after all," said Jackie. "Given how miserable you look, I've got half a mind to rescue you. However, I've got orders to take the intruders down first. Speaking of which, where's the other kid, the Quincy? I owe him a bit of payback."
Aaron drew his Zanpakutou. "Sorry. He's caught up with something at the moment. You'll have to settle with me."
"That's too bad. If you're here for Mitsumi, she just left with Ginjou and Tsukishima."
"Something tells me you aren't going to just let me pass to get to them."
"Sorry, kid, but I'm afraid not."
"Perfect..."
Aaron growled at being slowed down yet again. The longer he wasted dealing with Ginjou's goons, the less time he had to chase after Konoka.
"Wait. I'll take her."
"...What?"
That was the last thing Aaron expected to hear out of his older sister. Izumi nodded as she got to her feet.
"I don't know who's waiting for us ahead of her, but they feel way stronger. You've got to save your strength for them."
"I don't particularly like being called weak," noted a severe-looking Jackie, "especially by a little girl with barely any spiritual pressure."
"Good thing you're fighting me then!" proclaimed Aaron. "Izumi, you should..."
He found himself slugged across the face. Jackie wasn't the culprit but his sister. Holding his bloodied lip in shock, he gawked at her for an explanation. Izumi, gritting her teeth, yanked him by the collar and pulled him close.
"Who the hell do you think you're talking to, you punk?!" she roared.
Bewildered, Aaron couldn't muster a response.
"Don't forget that I'm the older one here! Haven't I already saved your ass before?! You know what I'm capable of!"
"B-But…!"
"Go! And take him with you!"
She threw Yukio at him, sending him to the floor again.
"She's quite the handful," remarked Yukio.
"You have no idea," groaned Aaron, rubbing his head.
"I'd take her offer."
"Too bad nobody asked you."
It was out of the question. Aaron wasn't going to let Izumi sacrifice herself.
Unfortunately, she took the choice away from him.
"Don't you dare die!" she shouted before throwing herself into Jackie. The two dropped out of the hole in the wall.
"Izumi!"
Aaron looked down but couldn't find any trace of them.
"You know..." Yukio started.
"Shut up!" Aaron drove his fist into a wall, nearly splitting it down the middle. "Dammit!"
#
"...So, you wanna fight out here? I don't really care about the location, but something tells me you're getting more than you bargained for."
Standing in midair, Jackie gazed up at the night sky before returning her attention to Izumi. She spotted the latter's legs quivering.
"Are you saying you won't fight then?" asked Izumi.
Jackie smacked her lips. "I don't enjoy beating on weaklings, especially when they're scared out of their mind. You aren't going to run away though, are you?"
"..."
"Fair enough. It would be rude then if I didn't take you seriously. Your stance though...you're a total amateur. Just how many battles have you been in?"
"...One."
Jackie's eyes widened. "...You're telling the truth. Unbelievable. Trying to buy time for that boy is admirable, but this is just suicide."
"..."
"Looks like I can't change your mind." Jackie shrugged. "Actually, I can sympathize. That was your little brother, right? ...I used to have one too."
Her somber tone threw her foe for a loop. It also explained why Izumi didn't notice Jackie streak behind her. She ducked a kick by the skin of her teeth and Flash Stepped to a safe distance. While the act wasn't exhausting, she nonetheless gasped for air.
"Y-You really would've killed me there..." she said in a shaky tone.
"It's nothing personal. You're just in the way. I would tell you to run, but we both know I would just go after your brother. You can't have that, right?"
"..."
Izumi wiped the sweat from her brow. For Aaron's sake, she couldn't afford to die without giving him a proper distraction. Frightened or not, that was her responsibility.
I'm the older one after all...
#
"Hello, idiot? Are you going to attack me or not? Is that stupid bow just for show, or are you just scared that you're speechless? I'm not as nice as Jackie, so don't think for a second I'm gonna let you run!"
"You certainly know how to run your mouth..."
While Sasune had his weapon of choice aimed at Riruka, he didn't fire. The fact annoyed her to no end considering how much of her time he had already wasted.
"So, is that permission to kill you then?" she inquired.
Sasune raised an eyebrow. "I'm not one to shoot a defenseless girl. You're a Fullbringer, right? Bring out your weapon."
"What kind of idiot are you?! You should fire before I can! You aren't taking this seriously!"
"I can assure you I am."
"You aren't!"
Behind a flash of green light, Riruka disappeared.
"Bringer Light."
"Idiot. See where being nice gets you?"
Sasune held his arms up. Riruka pressed an odd-looking gun against the back of his neck. Eyeing it, the Quincy almost mistook it for a toy.
"What is that thing?"
"Love Gun. Trust me. It'll hurt if I pull the trigger."
"I don't doubt it. Relax. You got me."
Riruka's nose wrinkled. "Something about you rubs me the wrong way."
"That's a shame. I don't have any issue with you. In fact, this is stupid. We don't have to fight."
"Of course we do, idiot. We're enemies. Given you're about to die, you shouldn't sound so relaxed."
"But, it's not like we have a personal vendetta against one another."
"...Maybe, but Xcution's very lives are at stake here."
"I don't follow."
Gripping her gun a little tighter, Riruka answered, "In fights like these, there's no time for hesitation. It's kill or be killed. Neither of us are normal by any stretch of the imagination."
"..."
"You of all people should know how the world treats people like us."
"Sure, but I don't make it a habit of telling folks I can sling magic arrows."
"That's the point! We shouldn't have to hide who we really are! This shitty world tricked you into thinking you're the problem when it's the other way around!"
"..."
"You know, it's probably not a coincidence we ended up fighting.People like us are drawn to one another, after all."
"People with strange powers, you mean. Is that how you met the other Fullbringers?"
"That's right. We were like magnets, pulling on each other without realizing. We had to. That was the only way to survive. There's strength in numbers. That's why we made a pact to stay together. With them, it doesn't matter if I'm different."
"Why Mitsumi though?"
"I don't like the girl one bit, but...she doesn't belong with you guys. She doesn't belong anywhere...other than with us. You're not a Fullbringer, so you'd never get it, skinny."
"So, that's why we have to fight. Even if we don't have any beef with each other, the mere fact my friends and I are here is threatening your way of life."
"I guess you aren't as dumb as you look."
"What is it you all are after that would make you do all of this?"
Riruka didn't answer. It hardly mattered. Even without her going into detail, Sasune knew she must have been through a lot to become so desperate.
"My father despises my brother and I because we refuse to be normal, so I really can sympathize with taking pride in being different. You're right—you should be able to walk in broad daylight without any fear or secrets.
"Still, the world isn't so black and white. Xcution, in your eyes anyway, might have a good reason for taking Miss Mitsumi. That makes my friends and I the bad guys. Unfortunately, in order to regain someone important, we'll have to play the part. I'm afraid we're going to have to trample on your dreams."
Riruka felt heard something dripping. Looking down, she gasped at a puddle of silver liquid lying at her feet. Sasune, holding a silver tube, had been carefully spilling its contents from the beginning.
"...I took you as naive, but it looks like you're a jerk after all," said a pouting Riruka.
Smilingly thinly, Sasune replied, "I'm the bad guy here, right?"
A pillar of spirit energy enveloped Riruka, seemingly immolating her.
"Sturm..." muttered Sasune, less than thrilled despite his surprise attack working like a charm. "And that's why you don't get close to a Quincy despite us being long-ranged fighters. I said I was the bad guy, but you can rarely break down a battle in simple terms like 'good versus evil.'"
"I guess I can't argue with that since I'm a bad person too."
Stunned, Sasune whirled around to whoever had spoken. He lifted his hand instinctively to block what he presumed was an attack. Instead, he found a heart-shaped tattoo on his palm. He tried scratching it off to no avail.
"While I'm flattered, this doesn't really suit me."
"I disagree," Riruka, alive and well, told him with a grin. "Besides, it's your lucky day."
She held a full scale model of a medieval castle. Sasune admired its craftsmanship though figured she wasn't just showing it off.
"When I was a little girl, I always imagined being a princess trapped in a castle, waiting for my prince to come and rescue me."
"Is it weird if I say 'me too?'"
"...Shut up. You're ruining this. Like I said, it's your lucky day. I'm going to let you be that prince. That's right. I permit you!"
Sasune scratched his head, still having no clue what Riruka was going on about.
If he was confused then, it was nothing compared to feeling an invisible force tug him. It sucked him into the castle, dumping him into the courtyard. He hit the ground like a rock. Groaning, he rubbed his throbbing behind before getting a proper grasp of his new surroundings.
"I gotta lay off the scotch..."
"I'm afraid this is real, idiot. Welcome to your new home!"
Sasune looked up. Riruka's giant head hovered above him. He blinked.
"...The drugs too."
"I just told you this is real!" Riruka screeched. "You're tiny because that's how my Dollhouse works!"
"Huh?" Sasune inspected himself all over. Pinching his face only caused him pain rather than waking him up from what he hoped was only a disturbing dream. "So, there are Fullbring that work like this? Fascinating."
"You're supposed to be scared not 'fascinated!' I could crush you like a grape right now!"
"Haven't you ever wanted to be small? This is awesome! It's like a movie."
"...What? You are by far the weirdest…!" Something hit Riruka's cheek. "Ow!"
Sasune lowered his bow and saw his arrows had shrunk too. "Not...nearly as fascinating..."
"How dare you!" Riruka brought her hand down to make good on her threat of flattening him. A burst of Hirenkyaku moved him to safety. "Dammit! That hurt!"
"Forgive me. It seems you enjoy hearing yourself talk, so it's hard for me not to take advantage."
Riruka's eyelid jerked. "You're so worried about me. Maybe you should pay more attention to your surroundings!"
A shadow fell over Sasune, and a chill shot down his spine.
"Huh. That's a thing."
A tall, crimson rabbit towered over him. On closer inspection, it was someone wearing a costume. While he wanted to believe they were harmless, Riruka's devilish grin warned him against that.
"Say hello to Deviko. Isn't he cute? I just love cute things. You see, I'm different from the Ginjou and the others. With my Dollhouse Fullbring, I can..."
"Wait, Deviko? But it's a rabbit! It should be called Usako!"
"..."
"It's clearly a rabbit!"
"It isn't! It's supposed to be a devil, so it's Deviko!"
"Oh, I didn't realize you were blind. It's so obviously a rabbit that it's painful!"
"SHUT UP!" Riruka's anger bubbled like tea in a kettle. "Why the hell am I even wasting my breath on you?! Deviko, tear our little prince apart!"
Deviko gave an inhuman roar, shattering Sasune's perception that it was merely some poor soul stuck in a costume. It charged at him like a raging beast.
"...It's still a rabbit though."
#
With no one left to bar his path, Aaron burst onto the roof. As he suspected, Kuugo Ginjou and Shuukurou Tsukishima were lying in wait.
"Why, hello there," said Tsukishima as if greeting an old friend. Lost in a book, he slammed it shut. "Is Sasune not with you this time?"
Dropping Yukio roughly, Aaron leered around.
"If you're looking for Konoka, you're wasting your time," said Ginjou.
"It's that too, but I'm also making sure there aren't anymore of you ready to jump me," Aaron explained. "Where's Mitsumi? If you did anything to her..."
His spiritual pressure flared. Ginjou and Tsukishima stood firm as waves of it rushed past them.
"Looks like someone's been training," remarked Ginjou. "And is that Yukio? Man, you're in a sorry state."
"If you feel that bad, get over here and untie me."
"I would, but how do I know you're still on our side? These guys got here rather quickly. How do we know you didn't lead them here?"
"Believe whatever you want, but I wouldn't sell you guys out. Like I'd be dumb enough to come back here if that was the case. Besides, we all made a promise, didn't we?"
Aaron wasn't sure what this promise entailed, nor did he care. It wasn't the reason he was there.
"Let's quit it with the small talk," he said. "We're obviously going to fight, and you're not going to tell me where Mitsumi is unless I beat it out of you, so let's just get this over with."
"That's enough, Higuchi. I'm right here."
It was voice Aaron hadn't heard for what felt like ages. It came so out left field that he refused to believe it.
"Idiot," said Konoka, shaking her head. "Can't you stay the hell away?"
"Mitsumi..." Relief swelled across Aaron. It really was her. He couldn't mistake that dour face for another. "Thank goodness. Look, Mitsumi, we need to..."
Aaron stopped, watching her untie Yukio with an air of confusion.
"Thanks," Yukio said, stretching his aching wrists. "Your friends suck, by the way."
"What the hell are you doing, Mitsumi?!" shouted Aaron, his voice echoing across the rooftop.
"Go away." Konoka shot him the coldest glare she could muster. She sounded as if she was speaking to a stranger. "I'm only giving you one chance to run. And don't come back. If you do, I'll kill you."
"...What?" Aaron stood in utter disbelief. The Konoka Mitsumi he knew would never say such a thing. "Sasune and Izumi are fighting right now, fighting for you!"
"How sweet. Did it ever occur to you idiots that I never asked to be rescued? I'm with Xcution because this is where I belong. Ginjou and the others are my family now."
She moved herself between Ginjou and Tsukishima to stamp her point. The sight came close to sapping all of Aaron's vigor.
"Bastard!" he roared at Tsukishima. "What did you do to her?!"
Tsukishima turned his head in confusion. "Are you implying my Fullbring is the culprit? I assure you, Miss Mitsumi came to this decision on her own."
"Get it now, kid?" said Ginjou with a gratified smile. "You can't save someone who isn't in trouble in the first place."
"Things are about to get hairy." Yukio retreated to a safe spot. "Shouldn't you be running?"
Aaron did nothing of the sort. He took firm hold of his Zanpakutou. His anger made it hard for him to decide on who to lash out at first.
"Leave this to me."
Konoka stepped forward, much to his shock. She squeezed the green pendant around her neck.
"Last chance, Higuchi," she said in no uncertain terms. "Take your friends and run."
"You're my friend! If I do that, you're coming with me."
"...Dumbass."
Her Fullbring, Maternal Gift, spawned after a flash of green light. She pointed her golden glaive straight at Aaron and made it clear what was about to happen.
"I'm not fighting you, Mitsumi."
"You still don't get it. Everything that's happenin' is outta your control."
"I said I'm not doing it! I came to bring you back, not do this!"
"And you're still talkin' like you have any choice in the matter!"
"Mitsumi!"
Still shaken up, Aaron didn't react to her closing in until the last moment. He deflected her attack and sent them both skidding back. The killing intent behind her opening blow was as clear as day.
"I don't know what these guys did to you, Mitsumi, but maybe beating some sense into you will do the trick!"
"You're welcome to try, Higuchi. ...Just don't regret it in the next life."
#
Izumi grunted and Flash Stepped out of the path of Jackie's leg. It seemed all she could do was run given her opponent's speed.
"Smart," Jackie told her. "Of course, we could do this all night. You'll tire before I do though."
Already out of breath, Izumi saw she had a point. Her mind wasn't fully on the fight.
What is Aaron doing up there? Hurry it up already! And what happened to Sasune's spiritual pressure? It's changed somehow. Does that mean…?
"Spacing out in the middle of a fight is a rookie mistake. Let me show you why."
Jackie, using Bringer Light, appeared in front of Izumi and brought her leg down. Instinctively using her arms to block, Izumi quickly realized this was a mistake. Not only did one of her arms snap, but the fearsome attack sent her sailing like a bullet out of a gun toward a tree. Grimacing, she disregarded her pain and spotted a long branch. Green rings of light spawned under her feet as they touched it. As if it was a trampoline, it bounced her toward an astonished Jackie.
"S-She just used Fullbring to…!"
Izumi used the same technique on her wrist, turning what would have been a mundane blow into a punch that nearly broke Jackie's jaw. Flying back, she managed to halt her momentum.
"What the hell?!" she cried, wiping a trail of blood from her mouth. "You can't possibly be another Fullbringer!"
"Let's just say I know all sorts of tricks."
Izumi showed off another, employing healing Kidou to patch up her right arm. As she stretched it to ensure everything was in working order, Jackie's eyes came close to popping out of their sockets.
Kidou too? Just what in the hell is this girl?!
Though unable to connect the dots, Jackie had enough sense to dodge a red and then blue fireball. They were without a doubt more Kidou. She made a move on Izumi, only for the latter to move to safety.
Flash Step again. Is she a Shinigami then? No, she'd have a Zanpakutou wouldn't she? It wouldn't explain how she used Fullbring either.
"Who are you?!" Jackie demanded to know.
Izumi, crafting another spell, replied, "...Nobody important. Just a concerned older sister."
She unleashed Way of Destruction Number Sixty Three—Thunder Roar Sear. The gigantic ball of electricity moved too fast for Jackie to avoid. She instead held out her hands to fend it off. Much to her shock, she couldn't. It shoved her back before exploding.
"I don't know what the hell you are, but you can't be human."
Jackie's voice issued from the dissipating smoke. Though bleeding from the side of her head, she was more or less unharmed. She smeared some of it onto her white boots. The strange act caught Izumi's attention.
"I won't hold back anymore just because you're an amateur," said Jackie firmly. Seconds later, she was gone. She disappeared so swiftly, Izumi didn't even pick up on it until she was right in front of her. What did register was Jackie's leg being driven into her rib cage. She heard a number of pops, though they were drowned out by her breath being sucked away. The second blow came equally as fast, knocking out a number of her teeth. By the time Izumi grasped she was falling to the ground, she was mere seconds from making impact.
"Way of Binding Number Thirty Seven! Suspending Star!"
The Kidou latched itself onto nearby buildings and acted as a literal safety net. Izumi couldn't celebrate being alive. She was in too much pain. Stifling cries of anguish, she pressed her fingers on her side. Her ribs were cracked alright. She could hardly breathe as a result.
How does Aaron and his friends do this crap all the time?!
Although struggling to remain conscious, she got down to healing herself.
All the while, Jackie crept up on her. "Like I said, we could do this all night, but the result will be the same."
Izumi didn't get it. While only barely, she had been able to keep track of Jackie earlier. Her speed had tripled since then.
Her spiritual pressure too. She's using some trick I can't figure out.
"I broke your ribs, not your vocal chords," said Jackie. "Cat got your tongue?"
Izumi, with great difficulty, climbed to her feet. Only seconds later, Jackie got beside her. A kick nailed her on the side of the head. Sent sailing, a second blow found its way into her stomach. She hacked up a torrent of blood as a sighing Jackie picked her off of the ground.
"Look. Just run away. I'll say I let you slip through my fingertips."
Bloodied laughter wasn't the response Jackie expected.
"N-Nice...try...grandma," Izumi spat out. "My s-stupid kid brother...doesn't know t-the meaning of giving up...a-and I'm...even...d-dumber..."
She suddenly wrapped her arms around Jackie, keeping a firm hold.
"How about...we call it a draw?"
Seeing the huge fireball in Izumi's grasp alerted Jackie she had made a grave mistake in getting so close. An explosion scattered thick, crimson smoke everywhere. Jackie, unharmed, burst out of it.
"Crazy girl! What the hell was she thinking?!"
A panting Izumi wondered that herself. She had been the sole one injured by her would-be suicide attack, fracturing her left arm in the process. She lacked both the spirit energy and the strength to mend it.
"You're...f-fast..." she mumbled, sinking her to her knees. "I...lose..."
As much as it stung to admit that, it was the truth. She doubted she budge an inch. Running was no longer on the table.
"I don't get what strange power you have," said Jackie, "but it seems your body doesn't have enough energy to keep. You're only human, after all."
"Only human, eh? How aboutItake a crack at it?"
Both Jackie's and Izumi's heads shot up at approaching footsteps. A woman came into view Her long, green hair fluttered behind her, and she whistled a cheery tune while twirling her tall Zanpakutou. Stopping, she set her sights on Jackie, her red lips curling into a disappointed frown.
"What a bore," griped Emi Otomi, the Green-Haired Devil. "You aren't the beast I came here to hunt."
"Who…?"
"Move, girl." Emi forced her way past a bewildered Izumi. "Saving people really isn't my thing, so I can't promise you won't be cut down in the crossfire if you keep sitting there."
"A Shinigami?" said Jackie, unsure as to where all these uninvited guests were coming from. "Who are you? What business do you have with me?"
"With you?" Emi bellowed a haughty laugh. "I already said you aren't who I came here to kill, but it would seem you're in my way. As for my name, I am Emi Otomi, the Fourth Seat of the Eleventh Division. To you, however, I'll be the woman that claims your life."
"...Is that so?"
Emi yawned, again wondering why she had to be saddled with such dull work.
"I still don't get what's going on," Izumi admitted. Given the way her 'savior' licked her lips in like a lion on the prowl, she wasn't sure who the bad guy really was.
END
