SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 12 out, this is Chapter 13 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.

Pairings: Ishida/Hasu, minor pairing Hitsugaya/Karin

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.

Chapter 13: Ishida, Exceeding the Limits to Attack!

"You should have been a good boy and died." the female portion of Nieder remarked.

"I've already told you." Ishida reminded. "I'm going to stop this pointless battle."

"He's being cheeky." the shield half of Nieder noted. "Do you think you can defeat us with that a shabby bow like that?"

I'm kind of getting the hang of controlling my power. Ishida mused. All that's left is correcting my aim. "My aim is still shaky." he noted, his next arrow missing Yoshi.

"You said that this battle is pointless, but I have never sought meaning in this battle." Yoshi chuckled, disengaging Nieder.

"What did you say?" Ishida readied another arrow. "Then why are you fighting? What are you after?"

"I think Kariya said he was going to exterminate all the Shinigami in Seireitei." Yoshi stated. "But you know, I don't care about that. At any rate, I just wanted to bust things up. It was great back in the old days. I was able to risk my life fighting as I liked in order to get whatever I wanted. I was satisfied. But the world's changed. What's wrong with a strong person killing a weakling? I've been thirsting after it for so long. I've been so desperately thirsty." she charged forward, slashing the sword part of Nieder across Ishida's shoulder. "But here I don't have to hold back for anyone." she kicked the archer away. "I can hold up the heads of those I defeat. You got right back up." she praised. "That's great. I'm excited. It's about time I give the finishing blow." and activated the attacking part of Nieder.

Meanwhile in the Captain-Commander's office...

"The damage that all of the Squads have been taking is getting worse." Yamamoto addressed the gathered Captains. "How did the 4th Squad Captain say the guards are holding out?"

"They are in the Recovery Center." Unohana reported. "But the majority of them are so fatigued that they should not be moving around."

"It's unavoidable, but," Yamamoto admitted. "8th Squad Captain, Kyoraku Shunsui. What are the ramifications of the 12th Squad's report?"

"This could mean trouble." Kyoraku noted. "I've confirmed that there's a giant room that was locked and hidden deep in the basement of the Bureau of Technological Development."

"This cannot be overlooked." Yamamoto declared. "To think that a Jōkaishō, a sealed power that even we didn't know about, has fallen into ryoka hands."

"According to Kurosaki Ichigo, the Shinigami Daiko who was at the scene of the crime, Jōkaishō was the power source for the Mod Soul experiments that were conducted a long time ago." Kyoraku related. "Should this thing accidentally discharge, then Seireitei could be reduced to ashes instantly. Or so it goes."

"But this vastly predates the records we have in the Bureau of Technological Development." Komamura pointed out. "Given that the source of information is known criminal, Ran'Tao, we cannot tell how much is true based on current reports."

"That's for certain." Yamamoto agreed. "Whatever the reason, the fact is that even though Central 46 was completely sealed, he managed to completely annihilate it. We also cannot say for sure that the incredible power of which the ryoka spoke is spurious. Whichever the case may be, I would like everyone to put their full effort into pursuing the ryoka and reporting any information you come across."

Elsewhere in a back alley of Seireitei...

"Jōkaishō?" Koga echoed after Kariya informed him of the power crest he had obtained. "To think that it really existed."

"With this, I can destroy Seireitei." Kariya declared. "In one more day, everything will be brought to an end. I feel great."

"Kariya, there is no need to go to such an extreme." Koga pointed out. "You are out of control. Several of our comrades' Reiatsu have already vanished. That's enough. Our goal is revenge, but what's the point if everyone's going to die? What's the point?"

"That's fine." Kariya replied.

"Kariya, you can't be..." Koga realized what Kariya's true aim was. "I've thought of this since the first time I met you. I thought that you were an uncontrollable sword. Those Bount who had been beaten down were drawn towards your vigor. That's why I've stood by your side up until today. But it's a different story if you insist on using that Jōkaishō. If it's the source of our power as you claim, then it isn't something that should be used as a weapon."

"I like how serious you are, Koga." Kariya admitted.

"Kariya, stop it." Koga heaved the Bount leader against a wall. "I have already heard the rumors from the Shinigami: that the benevolent Winter Goddess has returned to govern over Seireitei; you're spitting at Heaven. We can still make this right."

"You're taken care of me for a long time." Kariya remorseless stabbed Koga in the stomach with a wind-covered hand. "I'm truly grateful to you." leaving his second-in-command on the ground, he walked off.

Back in the Ishida-Yoshi fight...

I have to end this quick. Ishida decided, charging up another energy arrow when he sensed Tula's Reiatsu waver.

"I thought that he was just a brat." the sword part of Nieder noted. "But he looks pretty determined."

Yoshi swung the trail of energy swords, deflecting the shot arrow.

"That was impressive." the male portion of Nieder praised. "To think that he was able to increase his power after we've been at it for so long. But it seems that he's just about reached his limit."

"It's my turn this time." the shield part of Nieder squealed, switching out as Ishida fired a diminishing arrow.

"What's wrong?" Yoshi mocked, disengaging her shield when the Quincy Bangle exploded, sending off an unexpected shot that missed her. "What the hell are you doing?" she scolded Nieder's fan.

"It's because you had me go back to normal when I didn't need to." the female half of Nieder reminded. "It wasn't my fault."

"What was that just now?" Yoshi turned to her opponent. "Looks like you didn't do it intentionally. An accidental discharge? You're already reached your limit." she declared when Ishida charged up another arrow and swapped to her shield.

"Can't you tell that my defense is perfect?" the fan shield mocked, easily fending off the arrow.

"You're finished, girlie!" Yoshi jumped up from the smoke, directly her aim at Tula, whose Reiatsu was emitting weakly around her.

Using Hirenkyaku, Ishida moved in between the two females and fired off his charged arrow at Yoshi at point-blank range.

"Why?" Yoshi choked, crashing back to the ground.

"When you fuse together with your Dolls, they make the decisions on their own and react accordingly." Ishida explained. "That's why they had the ability to speak. But it's different when you transform. When you're in defensive form, you can't attack. And when you're in the offensive form, you can't defend. That's why you have to go back to your normal form whenever you want to change forms. When my Kojaku arrow went off accidentally just now, you went back to your normal form because you felt confident that you were winning. And then you were completely incapable of reacting against the second arrow that I shot. In other words, there is a small time lag. That's your one big weak point."

"But how are you able to fire off that second shot just now?" Yoshi inquired.

"My master told me I'm not firing an arrow, but letting it go." Ishida answered. "And a Quincy's arrow is shot from the heart."

"I lost this one, didn't I?" Yoshi conceded defeat. "It was fun." she fell over and melted into dust.

Elsewhere in the Seireitei Library...

"It's a good thing I'm here to help if you're coughing like that." Kyoraku noted, seeing Ukitake hunched over a book he had discovered on one of the bookshelves. "Were you able to figure anything out?"

"A little bit." Ukitake dusted the pages. "But there's just so many document to go through. So, what about the enemy?"

"He's given us one day of leeway." Kyoraku replied. "Tomorrow, we're all gonna go boom."

"I see." Ukitake nodded. "Please take a look at this. It's Jōkaishō's guidebook. It's author is Ran'Tao."

"Why is something like that here?" Kyoraku wondered.

"Ran'Tao is a rather intelligent person." Ukitake noted. "People who want to know what the secret is are going to search in the most ideal place for finding it. In such a situation, the easiest location to target would be the Century Information Room. But, it becomes amazingly difficult to find the document if you break the information up into segments and mix them together with other documents. Captain Hitsugaya and I have already checked to see if the data on the Bount has gone missing here as well. I can't help but wonder if there is something important hidden in these books. It seems that the person who erased the data didn't notice any of the books on Jōkaishō. It was just coincidence that I was to find the book on Jōkaishō. But, I think there may be something else. None of the important things are written down. This author broke the information into several books and then mixed them together with this vast array of novels."

With Koga...

Due to Tula's weakening Reiatsu, Koga was able to heal himself sufficiently by absorbing the Reishi nearby.

"Kariya," Koga heaved himself back up. "Don't be reckless. There's no need to destroy Seireitei when it's real owner has returned. Don't do something that will hurt future generations, Kariya." he walked off the chase after his leader.

In the streets...

"There's one." one of the Squad 10 patrol groups spotted Koga. "Surround him."

"Move." Koga warned. "There's somewhere I must go."

"The back group has spotted a ryoka." one of the Squad 10's unranked Shinigami reported to the Squad's top officers.

"Tell them to withhold from attacking and wait for backup." Hitsugaya instructed.

"Zeige Dich, Dalk." Koga released his Doll, after disarming the Shinigami group that was attacking him.

Omake: Kon-sama's Ultimate Shinigami Illustrated Guide

At the Women Shinigami's Association's meeting

Nanao: The Women Shinigami Association's meeting will... are you the only one attending, 3rd Seat Kotetsu?

Kiyone: Yeah. Captain Suì-Fēng and Lieutenant Kurotsuchi aren't here because they're injured. Nee-san seems to be acting as nurse. I received word that Lieutenant Matsumoto is in the middle of work.

Nanao: (Taking attendee) That's rare. (About Yachiru)Whereabouts unknown.

Kiyone: Speaking of unknown whereabouts, Captain Ukitake has vanished.

Nanao: Now that you mention it, so has my Captain.

In the Seireitei Library...

Ukitake and Kyoraku look up from the bookshelves.

SailorStar9: In the next chapter, after defeating several Shinigami from Squad 10, Koga meets Hitsugaya. Koga summons his doll Dalk, who is quickly frozen and shattered by the Shikai of Hitsugaya's Zanpakutō. Koga fuses the remains of Dalk into an ax, and Hitsugaya uses his Bankai in response. Hitsugaya injures Koga repeatedly, forcing him to make a final attack on Hitsugaya, who slashes him, and Koga admits that they should have waited for Tula's return before collapsing Now that's done, read and review.