Karin and the other girls had no guide to find their way back to the entrance, and instead found themselves at the foot of the black castle. Being in a smaller group they went unnoticed by the inhabitants and were not sent away, becoming the first to actually breach the fortress.
"I really don't think this is a good idea." Isane hissed in a whisper at her comrades. Yoruichi was still the only healthy, capable fighter present meaning they definitely weren't ready to go fighting the boss.
"I agree; we should wait for the main force." Rangiku nodded her head as the others turned back to them.
"And wait to get spotted? No way." Karin argued, making sure to keep her voice down like the others.
"Let's face it, kid, we're outmatched if a Demon Lord shows up." Yoruichi frowned. "We barely got away from the werewolf."
"Toshiro said it himself that having an army in tight quarters limited our fighting ability." Karin continued to argue stubbornly. "He could barely use Shikai without causing a mess due to the ice."
"That doesn't mean getting cornered in enemy territory is suddenly going to make you invincible." The cat shifter sighed. "Look, I'll scout around in my other form so I'm less noticeable, then we head back and make an attack plan with the main force."
Before anyone could agree or refuse the plan, they heard a tortured yelp echo through the halls.
"That sounded like Captain Thane." Rangiku gasped, shocked. Her Captain had been captured?
"So someone else already made it here." Yoruichi scowled, crouching down and moving forward through the halls with the stealth of a professional assassin. Karin followed a little less gracefully but managed to remain silent all the same, Isane and Rangiku sharing nervous glances before bringing up the rear.
They followed the sounds of voices and cries of pain further into the palace, the walls black as night and making it easy to miss turns in the halls and closed doors if not for the blood red symbols etched into the dark stone. Floating wisps of flame were the only way to see anything inside, and they had a habit of flickering down to a tiny ember at random moments to make it harder for the intruders to see. Yoruichi was able to ignore these flickers easily with her cat-like vision, leading the others forward confidently.
An open door revealed to them what they had been searching for. The room was small with only the one exit, various sigils on the walls that were sucking out Spirit Energy from the one attached to the glowing red chains they emitted. The one trapped in those chains was of course Kadin Thane, his breathing labored and multiple bruises coloring his skin. Standing over him were two figures. Korla stood close to the door, one of the flame wisps floating in her hand giving off the only other light in the room besides the sigils. Standing over Kadin himself was none other than Kamai. Yoruichi quickly ushered the others behind her with signals to remain absolutely silent, hiding their Spirit Energy with Kido so Korla wouldn't notice them.
"I did not think you so easily blinded by love, apprentice." Kamai spoke with clear disappointment. "But at least now it is clear why you refused to join me all those years ago."
Kadin lifted a glare at the demon master, blue eyes full of hatred.
'Apprentice?' Karin wondered, concerned the newer Captain was an ally of the Demon Lords. Reminding herself of Kadin's current condition, however, quickly put that out of her mind. There was still some curiosity around the title, but right now they needed to get him out of this chamber.
"However, the Elementalist is gone now. You have no obstacle stopping you from joining us." Kamai continued.
"She's gone because of you; I'd rather be trapped in Hell." Kadin literally spat in the Dark Master's direction.
The man narrowed amber colored eyes at his prisoner.
"She sacrificed herself for her king, that is no fault of mine." He scoffed. "She wouldn't have needed to if I had what I wanted."
"You're right, because we would all just be replaced anyway when you remake it into your own pretentious image."
Korla's eyes flashed a more sinister gold than usual that quickly went dark again as Kamai held up a hand.
"What is so wrong with letting this corrupt world die?" Kamai asked honestly of the tortured Soul Reaper. "It's history is fraught with horrors and sins, and it reeks of evil far worse than even my demons. Would it not be better to purge it and start over?"
"There can never be a world free of darkness, it's what you do with it that counts." Kadin snapped back. "That's why Hell exists. THEY purge the sins of the corrupt souls, and only those who have the chance to change continue in the cycle. Even the Soul King can't control that."
"But what if they CAN?" Kamai stressed to the man. "What if the cycle could continue endlessly without need for correcting any corruption found within it? What if it was pure forever?"
"That's big talk coming from someone who's power is to manipulate people's fear." The Captain snarled. "You got cursed to only ever tell the truth because with that darkness you had you caused way too much harm to others."
"Because fear is the only way to make people understand their sins and stay in the light." Kamai argued. "Theda understood this as well. If sinners don't understand what they did wrong, they should not be allowed to remain in the cycle of souls. Hell might torture sinners until they have no will to exist, but that doesn't correct their behaviors! It makes them fear death but not the consequences of their life!"
Realizing he was raising his voice, Kamai turned away for a moment and calmed himself.
"Those that preach kindness and love continue to give chances to people that don't deserve it." He stated in a calmer tone. "If you do not make them AFRAID to sin, if you are unwilling to see the evil and use it against them to keep them on the right path, then it will fester within your precious light and destroy it."
"Can you honestly say that what Theda did to all of those souls will make them better people?" Kadin growled.
There was no immediate response, Korla looking to her master curiously.
"No." Kamai replied with a sigh, turning to face Kadin once again. "Theda's methods reflected the same ideology as Hell in terms of punishment. She also does not discriminate against who she tortures or plays with, overcome with a need to make everyone suffer as she had. She succumbed to her own fears and was dangerous. She was promising, but ultimately needed to be removed from play. Now, she and Ruala can continue the balance of life and death in a more passive aspect."
Kadin bristled at his words. Having had his memories returned, Ruala had become a far more important person to him than he had previously thought, realizing why she acted around him as she did. Knowing that her death was just so Kamai could get Theda out of the way – and likely Ruala's powers too – made him furious.
"However, you and I have the ability to truly change a sinner's perspective." Kamai continued, ignoring the hatred in Kadin's glare. "We can change their understanding of the world, make them realize truth through fear. Surely that's what you use it for, don't you? When you fight Hollows, do you not turn their past against them to make them realize the error of their ways?"
"Not for my own gain, that's for sure." Kadin snapped. "If you truly believed all the crap you're saying you wouldn't be trying to steal the Soul King's throne!"
A tendril of darkness snaked out and pierced through Kadin's left arm, eliciting a cry of pain.
"Sometimes sacrifices must be made." Kamai stated coldly.
"Even the innocent you claim to care about so much?" Kadin countered in a panting breath.
"They should be grateful to become a part of my pure world."
"There it is…" Kadin laughed darkly, Kamai looking down at him with an amber glare. "The vain, pretentious bastard you truly are finally comes out. You talk about a utopia, but you're just a selfish murderer with a god complex!"
"How dare you!" Korla snarled, letting the flame float upwards so as to summon her bow.
"Don't." Kamai snapped and the Demon Lord froze in place. "Responding to his taunts will only encourage him. We will take a different approach… show him the truth."
Kadin held his head high but there was a look of fear hidden in his eyes at the anticipation of his next punishment.
Seeing as that was all the information she was going to get for now, Yoruichi decided now was the time to take action. They could discuss how crazy Kamai was at a later date once they got their ally out alive.
Before she could mutter any sort of Kido bind to deal with Korla, a growl by her ear made her freeze. Out of the darkness in the hall beside them came an eerie glow of a creature they had not seen before, a beast with leathery skin of dark blue and eyes an eerie ochre color with lines of red like veins. A massive paw with talons black as night and webbing between the digits that gave off a red glow stepped out of the shadows, a body following. Swirls of poison green glowed along its body and in spots around the joints and mouth, spine of dark purple with glowing violet webbing snaked down its back and on its shoulders and hind legs. Three sets of midnight colored horns had growths glowing scarlet on its head. As the almost dragon-like canine fully stepped from the shadows, a pair of tails curled up around it that ended with more scarlet and fiery orange glowing, spikes colored a poisonous green piercing through the flesh like a mace.
It opened its jaws to reveal an impressive set of ivory teeth that could likely crush steel as if it was wood. The guttural snarl it let out alerted those in the room to the presence of intruders. Was this some kind of shadow creature that Korla created to guard the palace? None of her creatures had bioluminescence, but that didn't mean it was impossible.
"Ah, I see you've found some uninvited guests, Hunter." Kamai's jeering tone made the women tense and shift into a battle-ready stance. He stood casually in the door to the room, a sneer on his face. "Forgive me for not inviting you in, my dears, I was preoccupied and failed to notice your entry."
While Kamai stood in the doorway, Korla approached Kadin with a black dagger she procured from her belt.
'Call my name, I have restored enough energy to help you.' A pleasant voice echoed within Karin's mind, startling her. Her zanpaktou spirit growled at the intruder.
'Sofia?' Karin recognized the feline's faint voice.
'Not anymore, new master. That was my previous name, you must give me a new one. I will become the spirit to protect both you and the Soul King, as was the wish of my last master. But, in order to awaken, I must be given a new name.'
Karin thought it would just be easier to use the same name, but the familiar was suggesting that her power would only work with a new name. That was kind of hard to think of with a giant glowing monster on one side and a deadly villain on the other.
The creature, Hunter, stalked closer to the group with silent steps, an eerie black mist of shadow seeping into the air around it. Whatever powers it was capable of, they didn't want to be the ones on the other end of it.
"I thank you for coming today, ladies." Kamai chuckled as they scowled back at him, knowing they were trapped. "You will be most useful to me."
His gaze settled on Karin in particular with a cruel smirk and she bristled. Like Hell she was about to be used as bait, she was about to prove she wasn't some damsel in distress!
"Hey, remember Ruala's cat?" Karin snapped at the Dark Master.
He lifted a single brow in question, wondering what she was getting at. The familiar had likely vanished with its master, why bring it up?
"Hope you didn't miss her too much." Karin held a hand out towards Hunter, the creature baring his teeth at her. A symbol glowed white on Karin's palm, a symbol shaped into a bird-like design with a dragon tail. For the first time the Soul Reapers saw shock cross Kamai's face just as light enveloped the dark corridor.
Startled, Korla ignored whatever task she had with Kadin and returned to the doorway to help her master as he covered his face from the light. A piercing bird cry echoed within and Hunter gave off a furious snarl as something clawed at his hide. The light faded, replaced with the glow of brilliant scarlet flames. The dragon-phoenix look that the familiar had before was still present, white scales still swirled with gold, but rather than feathers of rainbow with all elements present they were bathed in crimson fire, making her look more like a proper phoenix of myth.
"Seraphina will cover us, let's get Captain Thane and go." Karin turned to her comrades quickly.
"Not sure how you kept this thing but we'll take it." Yoruichi responded shortly, arms raised to fight as she took a swipe at Kamai to get him out of the doorway. He shifted aside and avoided the attack, a deep frown on his face as he unwillingly gave them access to his prisoner. Korla was still in their way, however, and the shadow user was quick to swipe her dagger at Yoruichi.
Kadin looked to the sigils that held him in chains. If he could just get these to let him go, he could save enough of his Spirit Energy to escape with the others. There was no winning this fight, even with Ruala's familiar still helping them, so he had to get free and get them out. What was the familiar's new name?
"Seraphina, the runes!" He called out to the creature. If anything could remove the signs of evil made by Kamai, it was a mage's familiar, even one no longer bound to a mage.
But Seraphina was up against the dark creature Hunter, his poisonous mist weakening the flames on her feathers. An ash began to fill the air and clash against the darkness, Hunter turning an eerie gaze over to Rangiku who had unleashed her Shikai. The beast distracted, Seraphina twisted away through the air and right past Korla into the chamber. There, her cry shattered the symbols and the chains along with them, letting Kadin fall a bit weakly to the ground.
"That's quite enough of this." Kamai scowled. Enough was enough, the spares could be removed and he would keep the young Substitute in his charge for ransom against the Soul King. Shadows lifted off his form as his eyes let off the familiar glow of magic.
Seraphina let out a cry as light erupted from her form and obscured everyone's vision, Kamai scowling as he was forced to wait before attacking. When the light dispersed, the Soul Reapers were all gone.
"He used the shadows to let them all escape, just as you taught me to do." Korla reported with an angry scowl, furious she had let their prey escape. The shadows retreated back to Kamai's figure and Hunter stopped producing his dark mist, stepping over to the Dark Master and letting out an odd purr as he sat beside him, greeting his creator. Kamai absentmindedly ran a hand over his pet.
"It matters not, he proved to be unmoving in his ways." Kamai stated briskly. "I apologize for losing your new pet, my dear."
"Oh, no need to apologize, my lord. It was nothing more than a curiosity. Next I see him I will kill him myself." The archer promised with a bow.
"It would seem I bring bad news to a bad situation."
They turned to Kazara as she approached them, a sour look on her face.
"Our little sister decided to go see her brother without permission, and now she leads him out of the maze." Kazara reported, bowing her head down to her master in shame. She flinched as the air boiled with a fury they rarely felt within their master's Spirit Energy. "It would seem he knew her real name."
"What?" Kamai hissed dangerously, the girls taking a step back with a shudder. "And how would he know it?"
"I did not wait around to ask, master, I'm sorry." Kazara pleaded. "I tried to bring her back, but she struck out at me. She found out that we were going to kill the current Soul King once you claimed his title and did not take kindly to it, as expected."
"She followed orders so well until this point, curse her impatience." Kamai pivoted sharply on his heel and began to walk away, Hunter right behind him. "I knew she would be easily swayed. It will not be easy to get her back after this…"
"Why not just let her go like you did the boy?" Korla wondered.
"Would you like me to abandon you as well if the circumstances were similar?" Kamai stopped to turn a sharp glare on the archer. She shook her head viciously, the idea of being abandoned striking fear in her heart. Not that she would betray him in the first place… "Kadin was a lost cause to begin with and I should have killed him properly the last time he betrayed me, but our snow witch is family. We will get your youngest sister back at all costs."
He continued his brisk walk down the hall and out of their sight.
"He always did treat the girl as more of a daughter than a soldier like us." Korla gave a somewhat jealous pout.
"We are all his daughters, which is why we must return her to our side." Kazara argued. "I acted too rashly in the moment… you may need to be the one to reclaim her."
"He tried to go out of his way for that Greenleaf son, too, until the ungrateful brat proved he would never see the truth." Flipping her lavender hair behind her shoulders, Korla brought up a shadow in the wall, prepared to head off the escapists at the entrance of their Precipice World.
"Our master is merciful and patient, but only to an extent." The lightning mage agreed. "He will defend those he trusts within his family, something those Soul Reapers will never understand about us."
Korla just gave a huff as she nodded her head slightly, the pair stepping through the darkness to go after their sister and the treacherous Soul King's army.