"Alright… Kiyoshi will lead Squad Alpha. Keisuke…" Matsumura threw his empty teacup at the sleeping 5th Seat, cracking him on the head and bringing him back to consciousness, looking around in surprise. "Keisuke, you'll be taking Squad Beta and serve as rear guard in the event we need to pull back at all. Rei-chan…you and Yu-chan will be standing by back at headquarters and so it'll be your responsibility to keep the Division running in my absence and protecting the younger ones in the event of an attack."
"I'm counting on you to guard those who can't do it for themselves yet." His lieutenant nodded, the firelight illuminating her thoughtful features as she gazed into the burning logs in the centre of the meeting room. Next to her, Kosaka waved her acknowledgement as well. They had always been a pair. While Rei was the quiet and composed, the other was a raging storm of emotion, expressing what the former usually kept to herself. And of course, in battle, they made a ferocious duo, steadfast loyal to each other and vicious with their zanpakuto.
"All of you start preparing immediately and be ready to go at a moment's notice. These Hollows could appear at any time so switch to hourly sleeping shifts until I say otherwise. Now move it. You're dismissed." The four of his inner circle rose and hurried off, hastening to carry out their orders. When they were gone, Matsumura stood alone, staring blankly out of the open door.
It was coming to dusk now, the orange sun setting slowly over Soul Society. Hikifune had returned to her own division headquarters to prepare her own people for the mission ahead. She and Matsumura had parted ways with a quick embrace before she'd hurried off in pursuit of her sulking lieutenant. He'd watched her do, disappearing into the darkness, silently kicking himself for his earlier hesitation when they'd kissed. After a hundred or more years and he was still a child when it came to females.
When this mission was over, he'd sort it all out. He knew how she felt about him, the same feelings he felt for her for so many years. But he couldn't think of that now. He had his assignment and it had come from the old man himself. Yeah…he'd save it for after the mission was done. Whenever that was…
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A week later...
Blood splattered the streets of the district 18 in North Rukongai. The decapitated bodies of two shinigami collapsed to the earth as the Hollow that had killed them licked its claws before stamping down and crushing their remains into the mud. Running footsteps came from behind as two more lunged at it, swinging their zanpakuto at its exposed back. Metal rang as their blades rebounded off its skin, not even leaving an impression where they'd struck. A backhand shattered their bones, broken bags of flesh and organs falling hard on the ground. The bipedal almost human-shaped Hollows advanced into the shinigami, bloodlust far from sated.
Screams and cries filled the night air as the four night patrolling squads of the 5th Division were assaulted on all sides by Hollows that seemed to materialise out of the night. A score or more were already dead, killed before they could even react to the new threat, many others attempting to fight back but finding their zanpakuto unable to even cut the flesh of the Hollows. One by one, they were slaughtered as they fell back in a tight ring, attempting to protect each other's backs as they retreated. The messenger worked furiously, trying to rely as much information to the hell butterfly in her hands and throwing it into the air just as a scything claw lashed out and ripping out a large part of her abdomen. Carried off into the night winds, the hell butterfly disappeared, heading for the headquarters of the 10th Division. As she died, the messenger found a figure standing before her, not another Hollow but a man. "You? Why…?" Then she died.
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Cold wind rippled around him as Matsumura ran across the rooftops of North Rukongai, Maeda and Nakamura with their chosen squads in hot pursuit. The moment word had arrived from the devastated 5th Division troops, he had gathered his team and headed out without delay. He had a feeling that it was a long time too late for the ones who'd sent the message but he might still be in time to catch the Hollows responsible. Another few shadowy figures came bounding across the adjacent buildings to them, the lead figure's long hair fluttering out behind her like a banner, flashing silver in the moonlight.
"You got the message too then?" Hikifune nodded, drawing level with him. "We have to hurry. A 4th Division medical squad was dispatched at news of the first casualties and they might be caught up by the Hollows without realising they're walking into a trap."
"There…" Matsumura's enhanced sight picked out the dots of reiatsu of the medical team below. They seemed to be fine…until one's presence suddenly winked out so fast he had to confirm it had been there in the first place. 'Hollows…' They had been laying a trap after all. The disgust at their deceptive tactics lent speed to his charge as Shiroiken burned white in his hands. The air grew cold around him as he descended on the Hollows, zanpakuto slicing down in a two-handed grip.
The first Hollow, bearing down on a 4th Division medic, looked around just in time to raise its hand to ward off Shiroiken. The blade stopped but even as it made contact, ice began to surge over its arm. With a back swing, Matsumura shattered its arm to pieces and chopped down, at first meeting resistance and then cleaving right through and bisecting the Hollow, its body falling apart. Another Hollow loomed behind him, claws slashing down at him. A swing removed its hands before he lunged forward, palm lashing out to strike it in the face. It had a moment to look surprised before its mask cracked and its body collapsed as the force of his strike channelled through its outer flesh to crush the internal organs.
Overhead, Hikifune swept through the air, zanpakuto clearing the sheath, her perfected battojutsu technique allowing her silver blade to cleave through the air like white lightning. Two hollows in front of her rose their heavily armoured forearms to block, their carapace barely scratched by the blades of the 5th Division. The fastest zanpakuto in Soul Society whistled it death scream. Two heads, their faces obscured by hollow masks flew into the air, parted from their bodies and crunching to the ground, severed arms falling a few seconds later in a pile. She landed next to him, holding her zanpakuto in both hands before her.
"Purge all evil, Tentsuki no Tsuin!" White light flared around the blade, blinding all but Matsumura. The tachi blade lengthened even further and it split down the centre and parted to reveal twin blades side by side stemming from the hilt. In a smooth motion, she stabbed forward, the twin blades shooting forward and spearing through each eye socket of another Hollow's mask, avoiding the resistance of its armoured shell to punch out the back of its head.
The two captains fought back to back, released zanpakuto slashing in glittering webs of light as they carved their way through the Hollows. Matsumura buried his blade in a Hollow's head, using his foot to wrench it free as it became lodged in its skull. He ducked a slash of claws and backslashed their owner as he finally managed to free his weapon. The Hollow continued to thrash around despite the massive cut into its side. With an upward stroke, he used both hands to cleave its skull in half, finally dropping it.
The two squads from the 10th Division hurried to regroup around the two leaders, closing ranks to form a wall of blades. Several troops had been injured, their comrades carrying them back, calling the remaining 4th Division medics to try and keep them alive. Keisuke Nakamura and Kiyoshi Maeda pushed through to Matsumura's side, their released zanpakuto coated in gore and breathing heavily.
The latter seemed to have added to his collection of scars, blood running down his face and torso. Matsumura's 3rd Seat glanced over at him, giving him a weary thumbs up. Well for Kiyoshi, that just meant he wasn't dead yet and his arm was still attached. Keisuke had managed to remove his default look of boredom and replace it with one of slight interest in the battle. It seemed the only time he got more than a little excited was when spying on the lieutenant and Yugito Kosaka in the bathing house.
The small ring of Hollows were holding back for the moment, pacing around in a circle, snarling and making violent gestures towards the shinigami but not approaching. What the hell were they waiting for…? Sure they had suffered greater losses than they had against the 5th Division squads but their enhanced defences and other physical attributes were still something to be very weary of, even for the captains. Then, from deep within the shadows, there came a howl, the roar of a Hollow that made a collective shiver run throughout the majority of the group. At Matsumura's side, he felt Hikifune recoil slightly. Unconsciously, he moved to stand in front of her, his grip on Shiroiken tightening in his gauntlets.
"That's one big Hollow..." Kiyoshi smacked Keisuke over the back of the head for his candid comment as the creature revealed itself, a towering giant, almost a replica of the ones that had given them such trouble...only several times the size. Greater intelligence shone in its yellow eyes as it stared down on the shinigami party. It's footfalls shook the ground beneath them and its crushing spiritual pressure bore the same unusual distortion surrounding the Hollows of the recent attacks. Some of the troops under Matsumura's command collapsed, dropping to their knees or passing out completely. A flash of movement and Hikifune bounded over him, using his shoulder as a springboard to propel herself straight at the giant Hollow, her zanpakuto slashing for its face. 'Damn woman...'
Smaller Hollows lunged forward to intervene, trying to stop her from reaching their leader. Razor-sharp claws reached for her the tails of her haori and a wall of hardened armour blocking her way. She ignored them as they closed in, her eyes focussed on nothing but the Adjuchas class Hollow. Then a hail of ice blades ripped through them, piercing through their flesh and rending them apart. Shiroiken blazed with cold fury in Matsumura's hands as he strode in her wake, slaying any smaller Hollows that dared to approach her. Ice roared all around him in a controlled whirlwind, blasting them away as Hikifune finally reached the leader. The night skies lit up with a flare of white as Tentsuki no Tsuin cleaved through the air.
The Adjuchas roared with pair as a deep gash appeared in its arm, its other fist pistoning forward for her. She caught it on her blade and stopping it dead before flipping in the air to avoid another punch and landing on its outstretched arm. Running down its own limb, she unleashed a stream of attacks, raining blows down on its skull faster than any eyes but his could follow. A dent then a gash, blood running from a crack in its mask. She drove forward, blade stabbing for the gap. Then a fist of armour rose and her strike came short, a forceful punch crashing into her and sending her tumbling from the sky. Hikifune hit the ground, her white hair and captain's haori becoming streaked in dirt and blood. The Hollow raised a massive foot to stamp down on her and grind her into the dirt.
Diving forward, Matsumura rolled and rose to a crouch, his zanpakuto holding up its weight with both hands. Muscles strained in his arms, sweat instantly running down his face as he continued to push down. Keisuke and Kiyoshi suddenly appeared at his side, supporting him as they held up the Adjuchas. Seizing the opportunity, Hikifune rolled to her feet, seizing her zanpakuto and attacking, a flurry of slashes shredding the underside of the Hollow's foot apart and causing it to recoil in pain. Drawing back her fist, she punched upwards with her free hand, her reiatsu surging.
"Hado 73! Sōren Sōkatsui!" Twin tongues of blue flames leapt from her hand, engulfing the Hollow's leg and blasting it backwards away from the shinigami group. With a roar, it fell, attempting to stand on its wounded foot, only for it to collapse beneath it. A ragged cheer rose from the shinigami troops, a rumbling of what could be fear rippling among the Hollows. With twin battle cries, Hikifune and Matsumura bounded high into the air, both zanpakuto stabbing down to finish the Adjuchas off. Razor blades of ice surged through a beam divine white light, bearing down on the Hollow lying immobilised on the ground.
Before the strikes could land, the giant Hollow's armoured shell cracked. From within, a smaller, dark writhing mass of scales and sinew burst out of its host, its greater agility allowing it to leap aside before the force of their zanpakuto annihilated the body completely. Hikifune landed with a curse, slashing at the creature but it slid aside vaulted backwards. Matsumura lunged for the Hollow but one of the minions dived in the way, being bisected but slowing his blade enough for the true Adjuchas to spring away again effortlessly. It flew back and up onto the rooftops. Those same intelligent eyes that had gleamed in the skull of the giant Hollow met the gaze of the two captains. As it turned to flee, Hikifune threw a knife after it, just catching it in the back. Then it was gone.
The remaining Hollows fled, leaving the beaten shinigami to regroup. Kiyoshi began ordering the remaining 10th Division members to begin checking the bodies as more black robed figures dropped in, members of the 12th Division moving in to try and secure the bodies of the Hollows. Hikifune sheathed her zanpakuto, walking over to Matsumura. She tossed a device to him, which he caught in a gloved fist; a scanner, a radar with a dot slowly moving away in the direction of the Hollow's flight. "Alright...I'm heading back to HQ, Shiro-kun. You can handle catching up with that creature and bring it back for me?"
"I'll have it wrapped and packaged for you when I get back, Kirio-chan. Trust me." He indicated the tracking device in his hand, sheathing Shiroiken across his back. Kiyoshi and Keisuke finished up their duties and stood waiting for the orders to move out. Matsumura made to leave, hesitated and looked back over at Hikifune. "Kirio...I have a feeling this is just the tip of something a whole lot bigger. If I don't come back from this..."
"Shiro-kun. What are you...?"
He pulled her close and kissed her firmly on the lips before turning on his heel and marching off, his two officers falling into step behind him. Within moments, the three disappeared into the dark, leaving Captain Hikifune and her team to deal with the bodies. She gazed after him, fingers running across her lips, still feeling the warmth from Matsumura's touch. Footsteps behind her made her snap out of her thoughts. She looked around to find her 3rd Seated officer waiting for her orders, the Hollows' bodies prepared for transport. "Alright people, get these back to the HQ. Move out."
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"What'd you think's...going on...?"
"Shouldn't you focus on running your feet rather than your mouth, Rangiku-chan?" Mikihara looked over at her, wearing that same grin she had on her face when she'd woken the young recruit up in the middle of the night with a bucket of water. Her wet shihakusho still clung to her body as she worked her muscles furiously to try and keep up with the lieutenant, who was cruising along without any effort.
As part of her training, the older woman would grab her at completely random points and drag her on a run around the Seireitei, moving from the 11th, 12th to 13th, Division compounds and so on until they got back to the 10th. So far, she'd never been pulled from the comfort of her bed in the middle of the night before. As they were leaving, they had caught the brief glimpse of Captain Matsumura heading out with teams of heavily armed shinigami in tow. They had yet to reappear as far as she was aware.
The two of them normally ran alone but this night, the third figure of 4th Seated officer, Yugito Kosaka, accompanied them, mentioning something vaguely about being unable to sleep. The two older women had exchanged a swift glance before heading out. Both carried their zanpakuto and Mikihara had insisted Rangiku carry her own too, even though it made her running just a bit harder. She got the feeling the two women knew something, using their special senior officer senses, though not telling her about it. Well whatever it was, being with the two strongest women in the 10th Division should be more than enough protection from anything that would attack right in the middle of the Seireitei.
They were just rounding the corner near the 12th Division compound when Mikihara suddenly slowed to a jog and then stopping completely. She started glancing around, back and forth with a troubled expression on her face. Her hand rested on the zanpakuto at her side, thumb sliding the blade from its sheath. Her easy attitude was suddenly replaced by an air of tension. Rangiku looked up at her, confused. At her side, 4th Seat Kosaka had drawn her zanpakuto too. "Lieutenant, what...?"
Mikihara suddenly tackled her aside as a blaze of fire engulfed the spot where they had been standing. Rangiku felt the lieutenant lying on top of her, shielding her from the sudden attacks. Then Mikihara bounded up as a Hollow appeared on skeletal wings, its mask shaped in the form of a bird's skull. It opened its mouth and another gout of red flames descended on the two. 'Was that...kidou they were using?' The older woman raised her hands, her own spell forming on her lips. "Hado 31! Shakkahō!"
Red flames met red flames in the air, Rangiku covering her head with her hands to stop being scorched by the sudden intense build up of heat. When she looked up, Lieutenant Mikihara was standing tall over her, zanpakuto drawn and the Hollow cleaved in half at her feet. She reached down to pull Rangiku back to her feet, eyes roving the night skies for further attacks. When the lieutenant turned to face her, there was a fire burning in her eyes that she'd never seen before, a hard battle fury that seemed completely alien on her normally cheerful face. Flames seemed to dance along the length of her zanpakuto blade, a reflection of those starting to rise from behind them.
As if on queue, more Hollows appeared, dropping out of the night skies to unleash a storm of blue and red flames into the courtyard of the 12th Division. The guards on duty came rushing out only to be engulfed in the fire and drop screaming from their posts. An alarm began to sound, rousing the troops. The longer the alarm rang, the more Hollow began dropping down and assaulting the shinigami as they emerged from their barracks.
"Shit... Let's get out of here, Rangiku. I have to get you to safety." Mikihara seized the recruit's hand and began to run back to the 10th Division compound, Kosaka still guarding their rear. They'd taken a few paces when suddenly more Hollows materialised from beyond the gateway, blocking their escape. The lieutenant pushed Rangiku behind her again as they began to back up into the slightly more safe territory of the 12th Division courtyard and the support of the other shinigami. Mikihara's zanpakuto flashed, slaying two Hollows as they approached and pushing onwards into the rapidly escalating conflict. She kept Rangiku held close to her as the girl clung to her shihakusho. "Stick close to me. Yu...keep them off our backs."
"They're heading for the vaults! Stop them, you lazy morons!" The small form of Lieutenant Sarugaki burst from fray, kicking a Hollow aside and stabbing it with her zanpakuto. Having caught sight of the three, she ran over and coming up short, pointing an accusing finger at her opposite number. "What the hell are you doing here, hussy girl? We have bigger problems here than entertaining members of the 10th Division. Either get out of base or help us clear out these Hollow bastards already. You and that brat you brought along."
"You're more of a brat than her, rodent squirt. Alright...let's do this. Yu...look after Rangiku." Rangiku drew her zanpakuto and the four females closed up in a ring facing outwards, blades raised. At her side, the recruit felt the reiatsu building up within her lieutenant and instructor. Kosaka seized her by the front of her robes and forcibly pulled Rangiku behind her. Curiosity getting the better of her, the recruit peered out from behind the 4th Seat to watch Mikihara release her zanpakuto.
Silhouetted against the burning division buildings, Rangiku saw Mikihara with her back to them, facing off against a ring of Hollows, towering over and surrounding her on all sides. Flames seemed to roll off the Lieutenant, intense enough to match the flames issuing from the mouths of the Hollows approaching them. The ground began to shake and the pavements cracked underfoot. Lieutenant Mikihara raised her zanpakuto to her forehead, eyes closing to focus her spiritual energy into her zanpakuto release. When the older woman looked back momentarily at them, Rangiku had to suppress her recoil at the sight; the image of her pupils turning blood red and an inferno reaching its peak behind them. "Reduce the world to ashes... Akaitenshi!"
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"They managed to attack here at the same time while we were out? How did this happen...?"
Dawn mist was still handing over the 12th Division HQ as Captain Hikifune returned to the HQ with her retinue and captured Hollow remains. To the young recruit, squatting outside the main headquarters next to Kosaka, the 12th Division captain looked very weary, her pure white hair and haori dirtied. The bad news that had greeted her when she got back hadn't improved her look. She had nodded briefly to the two before entering the main facility where the new Hollow investigations were meant to take place. There wasn't much left of it now. The midnight Hollow infiltration and ambush had seen to that. It had been a number of hours before the Hollows had finally been driven off.
Rangiku followed in her wake, Kosaka sticking close by per Mikihara's orders. They passed through devastated laboratories, what looked like very important equipment completely destroyed. Past several rooms, they came to a vast pair of armoured doors standing wide open. Several thick bolts were drawn back rather than forced open. Lieutenants Mikihara and Sarugaki were waiting for them there, arms folded and refusing to either look up at the approaching captain or into the darkness of the vault.
The 10th Division lieutenant hadn't spoken to Rangiku since the Hollow attack and managed to brush her off into the other 10th officer's care, under the pretence of helping out the clean up and reorganisation of the 12th Division. Thinking back to the battle several hours before still made the recruit shiver. The transformation that had come over the gentle and caring lieutenant, the blur of burning destruction that had she had wrought, eyes afire and blood red were still imprinted freshly in her mind. Even when the flames had died down and the fighting had ended, the killing aura that had surrounded Rei Mikihara had been intense enough to almost physically stop Rangiku from approaching her.
"So…the vault was opened, Hiyori? The locks weren't broken apart?" Her lieutenant nodded, her usual sulky mood replaced by one of seriousness. Hikifune walked inside, the dim light filtering inside revealing an empty room. Whatever had been in there was now gone. When the captain emerged, she looked far more troubled than Rangiku had seen her up to that point. She turned to Mikihara, the latter still avoiding the eyes of those around her. "Only me…and Shiro-kun knew how to open that vault. It was a secret devised between the two of us. We didn't share with anyone, assembling it without anyone's assistance. What does this…mean? He couldn't have…"
"Captain." A runner came in, hurrying over to the group and snapping a salute. "The 10th Division teams have just returned with the 4th Division members they rescued. Their captain isn't with them, nor are their 3rd and 5th Seated officers. According to their reports, they kept going northwards in pursuit of the Adjuchas. No contact has been heard from them since."
"Thank you… You can go." Hikifune's voice was small as she turned her back on the departing messenger. She looked from Hiyori to Mikihara, then Kosaka before finally coming to rest on Rangiku herself. The recruit resisted the urge to shrink back under the distant stare. At least, the captain spoke, struggling to keep her voice steady. "Alright. Hiyori…carry on with cleaning up this place. Rei…come with me. We have to go report to Yamamoto. About this attack…and that the prototype has been stolen."