Damn, 30 chapters and almost breaking 50k words. I'm honored that there are those who still read this, even after the removal of the Gamer ability from the story, wrote it out, it's done. Sorry if you hated that but it was a tough and difficult decision to make but it hindered more than helped in more than a few ways and I have no regerts. Thank you all for those who have stuck around and I hope you continue to enjoy BotS as much as I enjoy writing it. Onto some comments!
Guest Ch29: No, Mayuri is not dead. He used his sealed blade to cut himself and turned into a liquid to survive.
ssj3gohan007: I did the math and have to rework how fast Keigo is in this story. It'll be done before I go to bed tonight.
Now onto our feature presentation!
The sun was setting in the Seireitei and where was a certain ice captain going? To visit an old friend. Momo Hinamori was sitting alone in the squad 10 detention cell. Temporary confinement till they could deal with the Ryoka and move to investigate her captain's death but he still felt bad for her.
Slowly opening the door to the call hall Toshiro walked in and headed to the cell. It was dimly lit and the dull orange glow of a kido surrounded the chamber. They said it was for her protection. He shook his head with a knowing smile. He nodded to the shinigami on duty and relieved him for the time being. She looked terrible.
"Shiro? Is that you?" She walked up to him as he closed the barrier behind him, her hair was a mess but he understood. This was a very stressful time and he felt for her division the most. They had lost not only their Captain but had lost their Lieutenant as well. It was a trying time for them if anybody and he was glad the Ryoka hadn't attacked them as of yet.
"You know it's Hitsugaya-taichou?" She giggled, something she hadn't done since Aizen-taichou's untimely death. He had no malice or anger behind his words, even if he did get upset at others he couldn't get upset at Momo. She was his friend through and through and he would kill the man who had upset her so badly.
"Ichimaru-taichou." It was low and Toshiro almost missed it but the hate and intent behind the words were all Toshiro needed to know what she was talking about. He rested a comforting hand on her back as he wrapped her in his arms. His reiatsu hugged her in a protective blanket. Toshiro's eyes narrowed in anger as he bore holes into the wall behind Momo.
"Don't worry Momo, he will pay." She didn't respond, the tightening of her arms around him and the hum of her own warm reiatsu was enough of a response for him. He would have Rangiku take the night off. She might actually do her work tomorrow and he gets to kill the snake in the grass.
A cool breeze flowed over the Seireitei as night fell upon the city. It was quiet, for now. Toshiro Hitsugaya had been tracking his fellow Captain for quite some time now and the man just stopped. He grit his teeth as a chill ran up his spine. This was a trap and he was about to run right into it. He didn't care though, he had to do it. He had to do it for Momo. This man hurt Momo.
Stepping out of the shadows, Toshiro walked up behind his target. Ichimaru Gin. Standing with him was his Lieutenant, Izuru Kira. One of the weaker Lieutenants in Toshiro's opinion but he didn't get to decide the 3rd's Lieutenant. The frost captain scowled at the snake. Locking eyes and neither willing to break the stalemate.
"Gin." The venom dripping from his words was only matched by the level of restraint it took to not attack the man in front of him right now. Gin studied the boy captain, Izuru already having a hand on the handle of his blade.
"So you've figured it out eh?" Toshiro looked shocked, Aizen had always been a Saint. "Then yes I killed him. That was what you were going to ask next right?" Toshiro flared his reiatsu as the surrounding area got noticeably colder. Grinding his teeth together, the ice captain started to lose himself to his hatred.
"No, but that solidifies my plans for this evening!" He lunged at Gin and started a vicious onslaught that would have killed a lesser shinigami, Izuru attempting and failing to keep up with the two combatants.
Gin hummed as he lazily dodged Toshiro's wrath filled strikes. They were sloppy and uncoordinated. It was too easy to fool the captain. His blind loyalty was his weakness and Toshiro knew it, only feeding his anger and by proxy, making Gin's life easier. He could kill Toshiro but that would cause problems for later that he didn't want himself or Aizen to deal with.
Toshiro wallowed in his anger as he attempted to land a hit on Gin. Every strike he missed angering him little by little and causing him to miss more often, the vicious cycle of hate never ending for the vertically challenged captain. Having finally gotten fed up, Toshiro jumped back and held his blade to the side at the ready.
"I'm done with this!" Gin's fox like smile never dimmed as he saw the blade glow an icy blue. "Sit upon the frozen heavens! Hyourinmaru!" His Shikai took form as a dragon of flowing ice formed behind him. Bellowing out a thunderous roar it charged Gin with gusto. Standing ready for the attack, at its relatively slow speed. The dragon charged Gin and attacked only to be blown away by Gin as he filled his blade with spiritual energy that the attack from Toshiro could not break through. Toshiro was astounded but didn't quit and continued the assault with Izuru getting caught up in the encounter and being thrown away on a pillar of ice as he screamed for his captain to help him.
Giving up on subtleties, Toshiro boxed Gin in on all sides with five pillars of ice and they trapped the captain. The wind blew softly as Toshiro watched the frozen Gin shift slowly. It wouldn't hold for long but it was enough for the captain to catch his breath. As much as he was to say it, Gin outclassed him. It hurt but it also made sense to the young prodigy as Gin was a genius in his own right and the only other to complete the Shino Academy in only one year. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't afraid of the man. His off putting smile that he always wore. It was as if he was always thinking of ways to kill those around him and how much fun he would have doing it. Always instigating chaos and watching it unfold.
True to the thoughts of the young captain, Gin broke out of the ice coffin but just continued to smile at Toshiro. It was unnerving as all hell.
Gin took a careful look at his arm, he couldn't feel the skin but the muscle still worked, he would have to leave and heal his wounds. As much as he was loath to say it he had needed to bring out his Shikai and that on his own made him worry about what Toshiro could do later on. Lord Aizen needed to move quickly to avoid the kids learning curve. It was dangerously sloping upwards and he wasn't sure if he could keep up with it.
"I'm going to be leaving now." Turning to leave he stopped when Toshiro forced all of the boy's reiatsu onto Gin. It was almost comparable to his own. This boy was full of surprises and to have that level of control. He would be dangerous.
"Why should I let you go, we both know you killed Aizen, I even have a witness in-" He was cut off when he couldn't find Izuru. Gin's Cheshire smile widened impossibly.
"You have what? My Lieutenant? You have nothing Toshiro, Momo is a muttering mess," Toshiro saw red but deep down he knew that Gin was right. If Momo got out then she would be here too and possibly had gotten herself killed trying to fight a Captain. "You have no evidence to support your claim and you have no witnesses. It would seem you have nothing to hold against me." Gin turned back around and walked towards the edge of the platform they had been fighting on. Waving a hand he took a sideways glance back. "Ciao Bella."
Vanishing into a Shunpo Gin had gone. Slumping to his knees as he allowed his Shikai to dissipate, Toshiro glared at the ground before slamming his fist into the platform causing it to crack as his reiatsu fluctuated wildly around him. He had failed, he lost his evidence and his only witness. Gin was right. He had nothing and that fact pissed him off more. He couldn't prove it now but Gin would pay, he would pay dearly for hurting Momo and humiliating him. He may have been the ice captain but he had a burning passion that would put Engetsu's flames to shame.