Lex Talionis
Chapter 13
As Ichigo walked through the entrance of the 2nd Division and Lisa bid him goodbye, he couldn't help but ponder over the day and how relieved he was to finally get some peace and a little rest.
Fate would not smile upon him this evening however, as a man stood in his way of the barracks.
Ichigo paused in his steps and considered the person in front of him, "What do you want?" he asked, his patience already thin from his interaction with Lisa.
The man merely smiled and unsheathed his Zanpakuto, "Kibune Makoto," he replied before slowly approaching Ichigo with a drawn blade.
Ichigo's eyes narrowed, "Do not make me repeat myself."
Kibune simply chuckled with mirth, "Is it not obvious, Lieutenant Fushou? I've come to challenge you for your position!" he replied before flash-stepping in front of him with a downward slash coming along with him.
Ichigo turned sideways and avoided the strike altogether before he brought up his back leg and struck Kibune in the face with a strong kick, vaulting the challenger off his feet and onto his back.
"I do not have the patience to deal with you right now. I suggest you cease this fruitless venture and leave me alone," Ichigo said and began walking away from Kibune.
Kibune clenched his hands and jaw in anger before leaping back to his feet with sword reeled back, "Don't ignore me, trash!" he bellowed before rushing towards Ichigo once more.
Ichigo turned the left side of his body and partly faced the oncoming attacker with an outstretched palm, "Bakudō # 4. Hainawa," he said softly and a yellow rope sprung forth towards Kibune and bound his arms and body, immobilizing him at once.
"This is your last warning," Ichigo stated plainly before walking away for a second time.
Kibune tried with all his strength to break free of the low level binding spell, but despite his efforts the rope remained unwavering.
"I told you..." he said in a deadly whisper, "don't ignore me, trash!"
"Rage Violently, Reppū!" he shouted and a large amount of reiatsu was released as his Zanpakuto transformed into a three-bladed weapon connected to a large pole.
Ichigo didn't even spare a glance, he didn't want to talk with the man let alone fight him, and sleep was all that pervaded his mind.
Kibune manipulated his Zanpakuto, seemingly controlling its movements with a mere wave of his hand, and the first thing he did was cut the binding spell with his sword.
Ichigo sighed, it seems that he wasn't going to find rest as soon as he had hoped, much to his annoyance. He flash-stepped behind Kibune and swung his leg out to clip the back of his head, but Kibune simply bent forward and avoided the strike.
"Do you think I'd be caught off guard a second time?" he said with a mocking tone.
However, Ichigo didn't spare a moment to follow his first attack with a second, and much to Kibune's shock it landed. A side kick landed directly on Kibune's face, breaking his glasses and knocking him to the ground once more.
Kibune cried in rage and threw his hand forward, which thereby caused his Zanpakuto to dart at Ichigo, who deftly avoided the blade. Kibune continued launching his sword at Ichigo, who avoided every attempt, which only infuriated Kibune more in the process.
"How depressing," Ichigo mused aloud.
"Be silent, trash! In a few moments you will be dead and your words will have as much worth as your life!" Kibune yelled, his control having all but evaporated.
"There is an order of actions that all Shinigami follow, whether they realize it or not, and to see you skip so many steps and still come up short is as I've said, depressing," Ichigo continued while dodging Kibune's attacks.
"When confronted with battle, if one does not feel confident in their hands, they will consider their sword. If one does not feel confident in their sword, they will consider its first release. If one does not feel confident in its first release, they will consider its second release. You ignored your hands. You considered your sword for but a moment and almost immediately considered its first release. Do you understand now?" Ichigo asked before kicking Kibune's blade into the ground and holding it there with his feet.
Kibune struggled to raise his Zanpakuto from the ground with Ichigo forcing it down, "Don't lecture me!" he shouted in frustration.
"If your opponent is still confident in their hands, and you have lost confidence in your own, the gap in power between you both becomes evident. If you have a second release I suggest you use it, otherwise this battle is over," Ichigo said before letting up on Kibune's Zanpakuto, allowing it to break free from the ground.
A green glow began emanating from Kibune's left arm that was still concealed within his sleeve while he spoke, "I was a top student at the Shinigami Academy, much like you were, Lieutenant Fushou."
"I focused on becoming the most powerful Shinigami beyond anything else," he continued while his reiatsu steadily rose.
"Upon graduating I wasn't offered a position within the Gotei 13, and yet the fools beneath me were recruited despite the fact that they were weaker and their grades weren't as good as mine!" he recalled with venom.
"I eventually did join a division, but because I injured a member while killing a hollow I was put on trial in front of the Central 46. Why not use your strength to protect those weaker than you, they said. I couldn't believe their audacity, I was so disgusted with my division I left and joined an expedition squad," he ranted.
He finally took his left hand out from his pocket, revealing some kind of creature attached to his arm. It had a large yellow eye and several tendrils wrapped around and into his skin.
"This is my..." Kibune said but not before Ichigo interrupted him, "Bakkōtō."
Kibune was surprised to hear Ichigo say those words, evident by his widened eyes.
"How is it someone like you would know about this?" he asked, nodding his head at the Bakkōtō on his left arm.
Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed, "They're not as big a secret as you think," he replied simply.
Kibune only chuckled in amusement, "I suppose he was right in his choice to enact this plan now rather than wait, he didn't overestimate your intelligence at all. However, your strength will only delay me for so long, Lieutenant. It's common knowledge that you're still recovering from battling the traitors," he finished with a broad grin.
"This challenge did seem a bit too suspicious. It seems it's merely a ploy to kill me," Ichigo thought.
"Tell me, what exactly does Kumoi Gyōkaku accomplish in this attempt on my life?" Ichigo questioned, surprising Kibune again with details he presumed weren't common knowledge.
"What makes you think I answer to that relic?" Kibune boasted, feeling a sense of achievement for knowing something that Ichigo did not.
"Idiot. You just told me that there is someone else besides Kumoi involved," Ichigo mused.
"I only agreed to this little plot so I could kill you, I could care less about the others," Kibune bragged, his arrogance clouding his judgment.
"What makes me so...special?" Ichigo asked, choosing his words carefully in an attempt to rile Kibune even further in hopes that he might let something else slip, it worked.
"Special? Special! There is nothing about you that is special! Why is it that you, who acquired top grades like myself was showered with such fortune as to join a division of your choosing and become the Lieutenant on the first day! Then, to add insult to injury, you fell in the good graces of the Central 46 and became their puppet, even assigned to an investigation by them personally!" Kibune said, nearly raving at this point.
"You, who has just as much disregard for life as I do, gained the respect that I've worked years to earn. The reason I'm killing you is quite simple, to prove to everyone that I deserve the respect they gave you so freely," he explained before flash-stepping forward with Zanpakuto at the ready.
Ichigo, however, had used the time Kibune spent talking to use some healing Kidō on the wounds that had opened up during their previous scuffle. While his proficiency in healing spells were not as adept as his skill in Bakudō or Hadō, he hoped it might buy him enough time to defeat Kibune.
Ichigo deftly avoided a strike from Kibune, flipping backwards and landing gracefully on his feet, not revealing the discomfort his wounds caused him in performing the strenuous movements.
Kibune followed up with numerous vertical strikes, all of which Ichigo side-stepped, and quickly retaliated by bring up his foot and kicking Kibune underneath the chin, causing him to stumble backwards.
In Kibune's moment of daze, Ichigo pointed his index finger directly at the eye of the Bakkōtō and said, "Hadō #4. Byakurai," causing a concentrated bolt of lightning to shoot out and impale the eye and Kibune's elbow.
Kibune screamed in pain. He instinctively grabbed at his elbow, while his Zanpakuto fell to the ground immobile; the Bakkōtō had been disabled.
"You bastard, I'll..." Kibune began, but Ichigo wasted no time and took advantage of the opening by kneeing Kibune hard in the gut, causing him to wheeze in pain and fall to the ground next to his Zanpakuto.
Ichigo kicked the Zanpakuto several feet away from Kibune's grasp before he began drawing symbols in the air and his body glowed red, "Bakudō # 9. Geki," he said calmly and Kibune was immediately put in paralysis.
"Now," Ichigo began as he stood next to the still form of Kibune, "You will tell me who it is you're working for."
Despite the pain Kibune was in, he chuckled at the statement, "Do you honestly think I'll tell you anything Lieutenant? You might as well kill me now, I'm not going to say anything!"
Ichigo quirked an eyebrow, "What makes you think I am going to kill you?" he said before ripping the Bakkōtō off his harm, which caused Kibune great pain if the screams of agony were anything to go by, but he ignored them.
Kibune laughed after he recovered from the pain, "We both know the kind of man you are, don't try to play coy it doesn't suit you."
"Don't presume to think you know me at all, Kibune. Killing you is what you want. I feel more inclined to...detain you," he said thoughtfully.
Kibune remained silent, not responding at all.
"Yes, detaining you sounds like a much better idea. I wonder if spending the rest of your days in the Special Underground Detention Facility will change your mind about what you will and won't tell me," Ichigo said as he called for a Hell Butterfly.
This got Kibune's attention, "Special Underground Detention Facility?" he asked in curiosity.
"Yes, it is where we send Shinigami deemed too dangerous. I've heard some members refer to it as the Maggot's Nest because there seems to be nothing but trash in there," Ichigo said offhandedly as a Hell Butterfly landed gracefully on his outstretched finger.
Kibune considered his words, "Wait!" he yelled in an outburst of fear.
Ichigo smiled inwardly.
"What is it?" Ichigo asked calmly.
"What would you do if I...told you what you want to know?" Kibune asked hopefully.
Ichigo considered his words for a moment, "I'd kill you."
Kibune looked at nothing as he considered his options, "How can I trust you will do what you say?"
"You don't have a choice," Ichigo replied.
Kibune laid there, mulling over what to do, the gears in his brain working as he came to a decision, "Amagai Shūsuke."
Ichigo was a bit surprised at his declaration, "The 5th Seat?"
Kibune nodded in the affirmative.
"What is his goal in all of this?" Ichigo questioned.
"He wants revenge against Captain-Commander Yamamoto for killing his father, and death to the Kasumiōji Clan heir because of their development of the Bakkōtō," Kibune said.
Ichigo rubbed his chin in thought at the revelation, "Care to be a little more specific, I can't read your mind Kibune."
Kibune exhaled, "Amagai's father discovered that Captain-Commander Yamamoto and the Kasumiōji Clan were conspiring together in the creation of Bakkōtō. When Amagai's father was discovered, Yamamoto killed him so no one would find out."
Ichigo couldn't help but be a little skeptical at the truth of Kibune's statement. He doubted Kibune was lying, it seemed to elaborate to be a lie, and Kibune was hardly intelligent enough to be so dubious, despite his so called top grades at the academy.
"What is his name, Amagai's father?" Ichigo asked.
"Kisaragi Shin'etsu, he was a member of the 1st Division," Kibune replied.
Ichigo closed his eyes in thought before deciding upon a plan of action. Not a moment after and two members of the division arrived, "We are here as ordered, Lieutenant Fushou," one said respectfully as they were both kneeling.
"Ah yes, take this man to the Special Underground Detention Facility, make sure you replace his glasses and uniform with standard issue," Ichigo ordered, much to the shock of Kibune who still lay in paralysis on the ground.
"We had an agreement you lying piece of..." he yelled, but was soon cut off as Ichigo placed his hand over Kibune's face and simply said, "Inemuri," causing Kibune to fall unconscious.
"Yes sir," the two men said before lifting up Kibune and leaving the area immediately.
Ichigo summoned another Hell Butterfly and quickly made a message for Yoruichi, "Our 5th Seat, Amagai Shūsuke, plans to kill Captain-Commander Yamamoto for the murder of his father, Kisaragi Shin'etsu. He also plans on killing the Kasumiōji Clan heir because of their creation of a weapon called Bakkōtō. One of Amagai's accomplices, Kibune Makoto, tried to kill me with his Zanpakuto and Bakkōtō, he is now detained and both of weapons are lying in the training grounds. I will head to the Kasumiōji Clan manor to intercept any assassination attempts and hopefully gather more information surrounding this conspiracy. I recommend presenting the Captain-Commander with the information I have relayed thus far along with the Bakkōtō, I'm sure he has more information regarding this matter."
Ichigo then departed for the Kasumiōji Clan manor, trying to close his reopened wounds once more with healing Kidō, which was surprisingly difficult to execute while flash-stepping. However, a memory of Amagai entering the residential area of the Seireitei made him cease his healing spell and put forth more effort in his flash-steps, hoping to reach the manor in time.
* Kasumiōji Clan Grounds *
Soifon was walking through the grounds checking in with two of her subordinates, Kenryū and Enryū, who were assigned to protecting Kasumiōji Rurichiyo, the next clan head to the Kasumiōji Noble Family. She had a bad feeling about tonight, which was why she thought it wise to check in with the members assigned to active security detail, such was one of her responsibilities as the Corps Commander of the Noble Security Unit after all.
Kenryū and Enryū weren't very far away as she could sense both of their reiatsu signatures, however much to her shock one of those signatures soon vanished, quickly followed by another, which caused her to quickly flash-step towards their location and forgo the casual walk.
She rounded a corner and was soon met with the sight of two dead bodies sprawled out on the ground, it was Kenryū and Enryū. The sight of a man with light purple hair and sword stalking towards a young girl brought her out of her stupor and she acted instantaneously.
"Time to die girl!" the man said as he brought down his sword, but was surprised to see a woman parry his strike and kick him back several yards, creating distance between him and the child.
"Perhaps you'll put up a better fight than those two did," the man said.
"My name is Soifon, 4th Seat of the 2nd Division, and Corps Commander of the Noble Security Unit," she said, not intimidated by the man in front of her.
He didn't think very much of her though, "Ha, that's quite a mouthful. You seem rather proud of such an empty title, but I'm sure actions speak louder than words for someone like you, so let me demonstrate how meaningless that titles is," he said before rotating his weapon, revealing a circular mirror attached on the hilt of his blade.
The mirror reflected light from the moon and shone brightly into Soifon's eyes, rendering her paralyzed and unaware despite the blade that etched closer to her face, "Nukui Hanza, your killer," he said softly.
As the blade was but a millimeter away from puncturing her eye, she managed to regain her wits and barely managed to avoid losing an eye, but not without suffering a deep gash along her temple.
"What's this? So you can back up that title with a little bit of meaning huh? Well then Soifon, show me what else you can do," Nukui said with excitement.
Soifon grunted, wiping the blood off the side of her face.
She quickly flash-stepped forward and engaged in battle with Nukui, incorporating kicks and punches along with her sword in hopes of defeating him, but he was holding his own against her assault, much to her frustration.
Not long after they began fighting, however, the arrival of the 2nd Division's 5th Seat, Amagai Shūsuke, brought her some hope, "Amagai, take Kasumiōji Rurichiyo-sama somewhere safe and inform Yoruichi-sama that I will defeat her would-be killer in a moment," she proclaimed.
Amagai merely nodded his head in acknowledgment before grabbing the child and flash-stepping away from the vicinity.
Nukui laughed loudly, but for what reason Soifon couldn't discern, so she chalked it up to mere confidence and continued in her struggle to defeat this man.
"I'll show Yoruichi-sama. She'll have to recognize my talents after I defeat this assassin, then she won't be so enamored with our Lieutenant," she thought with distaste.
However, her musings over her Captain and Lieutenant was a large enough lapse in focus for Nukui to capitalize on an opening and landed and strike on her right leg, causing her to scream in pain and lose her footing.
Now kneeling on her right knee, the pain in her leg making it difficult to stand, Nukui once more reflected light into Soifon's eyes and didn't waste any time by lashing out with his sword to slit her throat; but he was once again surprised.
A blade had parried his attack. A man with long black hair, Shinigami robes, and a badge wrapped around his arm were all the clues Nukui needed to realize that the man was a Lieutenant.
Ichigo was relieved to have arrived on time, however he was surprised that it was Soifon needing saved and not the Kasumiōji Clan heir, which made him wonder where the heir was exactly.
As he held back Nukui's blade with his own, he stole a glance at Soifon's eyes. The wide and fearful look in her orbs threw Ichigo for a loop as a memory came flooding back into his mind as he recalled the last job he was hired to do by the Taniguchi Noble Family, killing someone by the name of Shaolin Fēng. Realization had to wait as Nukui brought his sword downwards to cut off Ichigo's arm, but the 2nd Division Lieutenant had all but lost his patience after his encounter with Kibune.
Nukui paused abruptly after he lost feeling in his left arm, and after sparing a glance he noticed it was gone. Then the pain came, and he screamed in agony.
"Soifon," Ichigo said loudly.
After blinking several times and shaking her head to regain focus, she looked up to see Ichigo standing over her, with a screaming Nukui behind him grabbing at a newly made stump on his left arm.
Soifon was relieved to be unharmed, save for the gash on her temple, but anger and jealousy soon overwhelmed any feeling of relief when she realized Ichigo had stolen her chance at gaining Yoruichi's attention.
"What?" she replied with her usual disdain.
Ichigo inwardly sighed at her continuous behavior, "I almost wish I didn't spare your life all those years ago, stupid woman," he thought as his temper was becoming all the more difficult to control given his exhausting day.
"Where is the Kasumiōji Clan heir? Her life is in danger," Ichigo questioned.
Soifon stood up, trying to ignore the pain in her leg, "She is safe, I ordered Amagai to take her away from here while I dealt with Nukui," she replied as she motioned at the man in the heap of pain behind Ichigo.
"She is far from safe. Amagai plans to kill her and Captain-Commander Yamamoto," Ichigo informed her before incapacitating Nukui and sending a Hell Butterfly to members of the Detention Unit to imprison him.
"What!" Soifon yelled in outrage.
Ichigo closed his eyes as wariness seemed to be catching up with him, "Calm down. I have informed Yoruichi of the situation and she should be with the Captain-Commander at this very moment explaining everything. You must pursue Amagai and ensure that the Kasumiōji Clan heir is not harmed," Ichigo ordered as he began walking up the steps towards the manor.
"Why should I do that?" she questioned, her stubborn disobedience grating his last nerve.
"You are the Corps Commander of the Noble Security Unit, she is your responsibility, and it is you who has answer to Yoruichi for her safe return or unfortunate death," Ichigo replied.
That statement caused Soifon to pause in consideration and decided to relent, however begrudgingly, but not before she asked, "What about you, where are you going?"
Ichigo simply glanced back down at Soifon and replied, "To search through the Kasumiōji Clan records."