It had been four hours since the arrival of the new Kuchiki, Renji, with the aid of a small group of shinigami, continued to search through the Rukongai. The district was empty, the people hiding in their houses from the unknown hollows. Shinigami soldiers were scared; they had all heard what had happened to the sixth squad captain. The squadrons were all on their highest alert; soldiers only moved with Captains or Lieutenants hence the reason Renji, although preferring to be alone, was stuck with a group of soldiers.
"Lieutenant Abarai, what brings us to Rukongai? We had been told to stay within the walls of Seireitei" One of the soldiers asked Renji.
"We were advised to stay within Seireitei, not ordered, with Seireitei being the most heavily guarded and monitored place, do you think he would really stay inside the walls?" Renji asked rhetorically as he leant Zabimaru, unreleased, against his shoulder, the soldiers remained quiet.
"Is this a revenge trip, sir?" a soldier asked bluntly. Renji looked over his shoulder at the soldier who had spoken out, then walked away without replying, still trying to sense the new being who had arrived.
The soldiers continued to walk with Renji, walking the desolate streets, streets that should be filled with souls.
"Sir, we don't get told much, what happened to Captain Kuchiki?" a soldier asked.
Several Hours Earlier
Renji and several other Captains gathered at the Kuchiki Residence in Soul Society, one of the largest areas of land in Soul Society. They were sat in one of the lounge-like rooms in the group of buildings, waiting for Captain Unohana Retsu of the Fourth Squadron who was looking over Byakuya's comatose body in a private room.
They did not have to wait long, less than quarter of an hour passed before she entered with her report. Unohana sat down, facing the group of Captains and Lieutenants.
"What has happened?" Renji asked immediately.
"I have read him time and time again, each time I get the same thing and it makes no sense" Unohana explained "We as shinigami are souls that have gone beyond the basic level of soul, we have enhanced Reiatsu but Kuchiki go beyond that. They are more than just shinigami with powerful Reiatsu, it is actually a more refined type of Reiatsu, the problem with Captain Kuchiki is that he has no Reiatsu…not even the basic shinigami type…Captain Kuchiki is no longer a shinigami, he isn't normal soul or hollow…he is nothing, and a being with no Reiatsu cannot exist within soul society, I give him only a few days before his body degrades and vanishes completely" Rukia looked at her in fear
"There must be a way to save him!" she gasped.
"Even the Twelfth division has no way to increase Reiatsu, there is no way that we know of to do it" Unohana explained "I am sorry Miss Kuchiki, there is no way I know of to save your brother"
Back in Rukongai
Renji continued to look at the soldiers after briefly explaining. They looked at him in shock; Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, the head of the Kuchiki family was actually dead.
"So that is why we have to carry on, we have to find this man before those days are up, he must be able to reverse what he has done, reverse what he has done to our Captain" Renji told them. The soldiers nodded in agreement; they had to save Byakuya Kuchiki if it was the last thing they did.
The group with Renji continued through the deserted Rukongai, it was getting stranger and stranger, the lack of the hollows that had been appearing on such a large scale earlier.
"Abarai" someone whispered. Renji looked over to see Zaraki Kenpachi and his Lieutenant stood in a nearby alleyway between two large Rukongai buildings. He waved for them to come over but put his finger to his lips. Renji, bemused and confused, walked over to Kenpachi who guided him and the soldiers through several different alleyways until they reached the exit of another.
"Take a look" Kenpachi whispered with a grin on his menacing face. Renji stuck his head out and there, only hundred feet ahead of him was Vincent Kuchiki, as clear as day.
Quickly Renji pulled his head back in and Kenpachi nodded
"I am going to fight him, I just wanted to show you first, to tell you not to get involved" Kenpachi informed him "I respect him for being able to defeat Byakuya but I don't condone what he did, leave it to me Abarai, you take care of Yachiru"
Kenpachi lifted Yachiru off his shoulders and set her down next to Renji before vanishing from sight.
Vincent Kuchiki was stood looking at the sun when he heard someone appear next to him. He looked over to see a mountain of a man, whose face displayed a history of fighting complete with an eye patch and a large scar down his face.
"Vincent Kuchiki, I have come here to duel you, it is quite clear that you are one of the most powerful warriors in Soul Society this day" Kenpachi smiled, drawing his sword.
"I don't want to fight you" Vincent Kuchiki sighed, turning back to face the warming sun.
"You can either draw your sword now or later, I don't mind, but the later you draw it the more horrific your injuries will be" Kenpachi told him. Vincent did not move, the sun seemed to have entranced him completely.
Kenpachi chuckled; clearly Vincent did not want to fight, so instead he would die.
Zaraki raised his sword above his head as he charged forwards and brought his nameless Zanpakuto down with incredible speed and devastating strength. His sword pinged and Zaraki was surprised to see that Vincent had blocked his sword attack with his own sword. Vincent opened his eyes and looked over at Zaraki.
"That was quite an attack" Vincent commended.
Zaraki stepped back, holding his sword out ahead of him. Vincent stepped away, lowering his sword and taking his stance.
"I saw what you did to Byakuya, I do not understand it but I do respect its power" Kenpachi said. Vincent nodded before vanishing from sight. Kenpachi managed to block but the moment he had prepared to counter attack Vincent was already several feet away, blood dripping down his sword. Kenpachi looked down; Vincent's sword had cut a clean groove through his sword before cutting directly through Kenpachi himself.
Renji was amazed at the speed of Vincent Kuchiki, as well as his skill with a blade. Kenpachi stood by himself, blood pouring down his shinigami robes. Vincent wiped the blood off his blade with a black cloth he had pulled from within his robes. The Captain of Eleventh Division turned slowly to face Vincent Kuchiki as he tore away his eye patch. The spiritual pressure in the area increased with legendary proportion.
"Come on, attack me again" Kenpachi dared "This is my height of spiritual pressure, try and cut me down"
Vincent shook his head as he held out his Zanpakuto
"It doesn't matter how high your spiritual pressure is, or how powerful you are" Vincent informed him over the howl of wind "Seal" he whispered.
Renji gasped as in a second Kenpachi's legendary Reiatsu vanished, bringing with it a lull in everything across Soul Society for a few moments. Yachiru watched in disbelief as Kenpachi fell to his knees before landing flat on his face when Vincent appeared to do nothing except point his sword at the mountainous Captain.
"Ken-Chan?" she called over "Get up!"
Renji stood in silence; Vincent sheathed his sword before turning to face Renji, Yachiru and the other soldiers.
"Ken-Chaaaaaan!" Yachiru called as she jogged over to her Captain. The soldiers backed away from Vincent Kuchiki, where as Renji stayed put, facing him angrily.
"What have you done to Byakuya?" Renji asked "What have you done to Captain Zaraki?"
"Both questions have the same answer" Vincent informed him "And neither question I will answer"
"You will answer them…for me!" Renji roared as he drew his sword and ran at Vincent.
"Howl Zabimaru!" Renji roared, unleashing his Zanpakuto. As the blade tore towards Vincent's head, the unknown warrior whispered something Renji missed and suddenly Zabimaru had returned to being a normal sword. The Lieutenant stood in disbelief, trying to release his Zanpakuto which was non-responsive.
"Don't try and follow me again" Vincent warned, stepping forwards and sweeping Renji to the floor. Vincent knelt, grabbing Renji by the throat and pinning him against the ground.
"If I find you within reach of my attack I will kill you" Vincent warned "You will join your Captain and that Captain over there" then, as though it had never happened; he was gone.