"You were holding back before?" the Arrancar asked, still scratching his head. "How can someone with no energy hold back?" The Sailor Guardians looked to Minako who just shrugged since she didn't fully understand it either.
"Let me show you." Kenshin focused his reiryoku through his body until a steam-like aura began emitting from his arms and legs. In truth it was a parlor trick he'd learned a long time ago since all he was doing was releasing his reiatsu so he could fight at a higher level. He did focus some of that around his arms and legs since he'd been briefed on an Arrancar's hierro.
"Oh wow," Usagi said, slightly uncomfortable under Kenshin's reiatsu. "I've never felt the air this heavy. It's almost like it's trying to flatten me."
"It's like a shot to the gut," Rei added, remembering what it had felt like when Kenshin had first visited the shrine.
The Arrancar, though a bit taken aback at first, was still unimpressed. "You're strong for a human," he admitted with a sneer. "But you'll need a bit more than fancy parlor tricks." Before he could say anything else Kenshin bolted, slamming both palms into the Arrancar's gut. As he doubled over in pain Kenshin grabbed the back of his head and slammed his knee into the Arrancar's face. "Why you little-" Once more Kenshin cut him off by attacking him head-on, extending his arms and swinging until they were like whips. The Arrancar staggered under each hit though Kenshin suspected he was only playing at being hurt. At one point he locked Kenshin in an embrace and laughed at the boy's misfortune. Kenshin responded by driving one hand into his chin – eliciting a laugh – before bolstering it with his free hand under his elbow, snapping the Arrancar's head back and breaking the hold.
"Man, I'm glad he didn't use that on me," Makoto said quietly as she rubbed her throat.
"He's doing surprisingly well considering what he's up against," Ami said as she scanned the two combatants. The other Guardians looked to her and asked what she meant. "I'm still running a few scans but from what I can tell Kenshin's up against a Hollow."
"But he looks human," Rei said as she looked back to the fight in time to see Kenshin parry a jab and counter with twisting the Arrancar's arm, eliciting a loud groan. "How could he be a Hollow?"
"I'm not sure but the energy I'm seeing from him is similar enough to a Hollow that I'd be willing to bet on it," was the reply. "He's far stronger than any of the others we've come across so far. It might be some kind of mutation or the next step in their evolution. I didn't think to ask Chōjirō about something like this." She scowled for a second before putting her hands together. Energy formed between her palms and she shouted, "Bubble Spray!" Mist filled the street, obscuring the Arrancar's vision but still allowing Kenshin and the Guardians to still see.
"I owe you one for that, Ami," Kenshin thought with a smirk. He moved quickly to get behind the Arrancar and focused his reiryoku into his left fist. "Ikkotsu!" he shouted, slamming his fist into the Arrancar's back. The skin under his jacket cracked and erupted in a spray of blood and the force sent the Arrancar reeling down the street.
"Venus Love-Me Chains!" Minako yelled, having transformed where Kenshin couldn't see her. A set of glowing orange chains wrapped around the Arrancar's torso and another set anchored him to the ground.
"Fire Soul!" and "Super Supreme Thunder!" were the next two attacks, Mars' sending up a pillar of flame that completely engulfed the Arrancar and Jupiter's lightning superheated the flames, transforming some of it into plasma. The Arrancar screamed in feral agony as it broke free of Venus' chains.
"How...How dare you, you miserable little maggots!" he roared, his disintegrated flesh rapidly regenerating. He held his hands together, palms out, in front of him as a sphere of red energy began to form. "Cero!" The sphere blasted out from his palms and the girls just barely dodged as a wave of energy hummed past them and into the night sky. The beam seemed to vanish until a large explosion cast a fiery glow over the Juuban district. "Guess I'll just have to try again," the Arrancar muttered as he formed another sphere. "Say your prayers, girls. I'm not going to miss this-"
His threat was interrupted by a bloody blade erupting from his chest and through his hands. "Like I'd let you fire off another one of those things," Kenshin growled through gritted teeth, his left arm hanging uselessly at his side and the right holding the hilt of the Arrancar's claymore. His gaze focused on Usagi. "This is what they call 'leaving an opening!" he shouted at her, causing the blonde to jump.
After a brief recovery Usagi nodded, holding up the Eternal Tiare and lighting up the entire street. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" she chanted as a wave of light washed over Kenshin and the Arrancar.
"No...this can't be," the Arrancar stuttered as his body began to disintegrate. "How can...something this beautiful...be my end?" With that he and his sword vanished, leaving a very surprised Kenshin looking at his body. All the injuries he'd taken, whether from the Arrancar or self-inflicted, were gone as well.
"Are you okay?" Makoto asked as they surrounded Kenshin, giving Minako a chance to slip away and change back to her civilian identity. "It looked like your arm was busted something fierce."
"Yeah," Kenshin admitted as he flexed his left arm. "I've never been able to get that technique down right; I've got the power figured out but the impact leaves my arm completely useless." He turned to Usagi, feigning amazement and curiosity. "But how am I healed now? And what happened to that guy? Also, what-"
"Let's just say it's our job," she interrupted. "It's like I said: We're the Sailor Guardians and it's our job to protect the innocent and punish the wicked." She looked around to see Minako out of her Guardian transformation. "Well, since our job's done we should be going. Stay safe you two!" The girls ran off along with Tuxedo Mask as Kenshin and Minako watched them.
"So who exactly are these Sailor Guardians?" he asked his date, feigning ignorance and curiosity.
"Hang on, you've been here how long and this is the first you're hearing of them?" she asked him, trying to keep her temper in check. She relaxed after a moment before latching onto Kenshin's chest. "You idiot. That guy could've killed you." She relaxed enough to reach up and repeatedly chop him on the head.
"He didn't want me dead but that wasn't the case with those Sailor girls," he explained, placing his hand on the top of her head and pulling her in close. "Still, someone was pissed off enough to send that guy and I don't think he'll be the last."
"I know," was the blonde's answer as she squeezed him tighter. "Which is why you're not telling me it's better to stay away." Kenshin pulled away, genuinely surprised by her answer. "If they're coming after you then it's my job to protect you too. Besides, what's to say that they won't try to use me against you?"
Kenshin bit his lip but accepted the truth of what she said. Despite that he took a few steps away from her, trying desperately to come up with an exit strategy for the situation he was now in.. "Minako, I don't want you to feel like you have to be beside me like I'm some kind of burden," he told her and she felt her heart sink. "I want you to be with me because it's what you want." He turned to her and for a moment Minako's heart leapt. "Because that's what I want too."
She blinked several times as she tried to process what he was saying. "Wait, did you just clumsily ask me-"
"Yes, I'm asking if you'd like to be my girlfriend," he said, a bit exasperated both by her cluelessness and his inelegance. "It's not like I've done this before." Minako's response was to tackle him with a grin stretched across her face. As they hit the ground Kenshin's face lit up with pain. "Owowowow, the shoulder is still really tender!"
"Any boyfriend of mine has to be tougher than that," Minako told him, still smiling. After a moment she relented and helped him up. "I want to be with you too, Kenshin. Who knows, maybe some of your brand of stupidity-bravery will rub off on me." Kenshin made a comment about being halfway there and Minako responded by poking at his sore shoulder. They made their way home and said goodnight before heading their separate ways.
As Kenshin stepped up to the door to Urahara's shop he noticed a certain black cat lurking in the shadows. He motioned to Luna to follow him and she reluctantly did so. Kenshin set down a bowl of milk that she began lapping at, watching him the entire time. He made some small talk with Urahara and Yoruichi before heading to bed, all three of them fully aware they were being spied on.
At Minako's house she collapsed onto her bed after changing into her pajamas, both exhausted and unbelievably happy. "Are you okay?" Artemis asked as he hopped up next to her. "Luna and I caught a bit of the fight but not much more than that." He looked over at the giant stuffed cat suspiciously. "And just what is that thing?"
"A present from my new boyfriend," Minako said, enjoying how the words rolled out and repeated the last three words a few times just to get used to them. "And before you say it, Artemis, this isn't just some silly crush. Kenshin actually asked me to be his girlfriend!"
"Glad to see your priorities haven't changed," the white cat muttered with a sigh. "Still, you don't find it the least bit odd that he can just fight at that level like it's nothing? No human we've ever met can do the things he can. Don't you remember what Luna and I said about people who are able to control their energy?"
"He said it was a martial arts thing," she explained, still giddy. "It's not a far stretch to think that one of his teachers taught him that trick." Minako sat up, a sly smile on her face as she scratched behind Artemis' ears. "Besides, if we want to gather info on him the easiest way would be to date him. We'll all be spending more time with him without having to offer invitations all the time which, to be honest, was starting to feel a little weird."
Artemis stared at her in mild shock. "That's...surprisingly forward-thinking of you, Minako," he admitted as Minako continued her scratching, causing him to start purring. "But what if he's the shinigami? This could be part of his plan to do the very same thing to you girls."
"Would it really be all that bad if he was?" Artemis' body stiffened at the question. "I mean, you don't just lay your life on the line for someone you see as just an informant, right? And I believe him when he says he wants to be with me." Her hand came to her chest as she gripped her shirt. "When I'm with him my heart starts feeling weird. I can feel it in him too. Whether it's just woman's intuition or because I'm Sailor Venus doesn't really matter. I...I want to keep feeling like this even if he is the shinigami."
Artemis stared at his ward, unsure what he should be thinking. As suspicious as he and Luna were of Kenshin it was amazing to see how happy he made Minako. And seeing what they had tonight it would be hard to convince any of the girls that they needed to be cautious around him. "I can think of at least one of the girls that wouldn't be happy about this little development," he thought as Minako got under the covers and snuggled up to the cat plush. "But if she's this happy with him then maybe it's not so bad. And if he does turn out to be the shinigami then he'll be keeping her safe by being nearby."
A hum of energy and the sound of a door shutting woke Luna up with jolt. "Oh no! I didn't mean to actually fall asleep," she said to herself, cursing her carelessness.
"Well hello again, kitty," Urahara said as he set down a small bow of cat food that Luna immediately went to work on. "What did Usagi call you again? Luna?" Luna meowed out a response that led to Urahara stroking her fur. "I'll have to let her know you stayed here last night otherwise she'll worry herself sick."
A knock on the door interrupted his train of thought. He opened it to see Minako with Artemis on her shoulder. "Hi, Mr. Urahara," she said, surprisingly chipper for it being just after dawn. "I was wondering if Luna's here. Usagi kind of freaked when she couldn't find her."
"Talk about timing," the former shinigami said, inviting her in. "She must have followed Kenshin home last night." Before Minako could ask anything Artemis jumped down and joined Luna in eating the food Urahara had set out. When asked if Kenshin was in Urahara shook his head. "He's running errands for me today," he explained. "It's mostly administrative but the client wants to meet face-to-face rather than over the phone. There's a good chance he won't be back for a while. Sometimes these runs turn into day-long events." Minako's face fell a little but she nodded; she had to remember that Kenshin also had his obligations to the store. When Artemis and Luna finished they both brushed up against Minako, telling her that they were ready to go. The teen said her goodbyes and headed out.
Kenshin stepped through the Senkaimon and onto the platform, breathing in the air of Soul Society. It felt like he hadn't been here in years and he was happy to be home. He took his time walking the streets before eventually coming to his destination: the 10th Division barracks.
"Oh, hello Kenshin," a small white-haired boy wearing a white haori said as Kenshin entered the main building.
"It's good to see you, Captain Hitsugaya," was the reply. "I was actually looking for Lieutenant Matsumoto." Toshiro Hitsugaya pointed back towards the main office and Kenshin thanked him before heading in. Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto was busy trying to catch up on the paperwork that she'd put aside for so long.
"Kenshin!" she exclaimed, happy for a distraction from work. "I haven't seen you in ages. What have you been up to?"
"They've got me assigned to the World of the Living," he explained, trying to fish what was left of the cat pin out of his shihakusho. "Part of that is infiltrating a group called the Sailor Guardians." He held out the cat pin which was surrounded in a bubble of reiryoku. "This was part of a gift I gave to get in their good graces but after a run-in with an Arrancar last night it's basically destroyed. I was hoping you might know how to get another one or something like it."
"Are you trying to enlist the Shinigami Women's Society?" the lieutenant asked coyly. "Why not ask Yachiru since she's your Lieutenant?"
"You know that she'd never let me live this down, right?" Rangiku laughed out loud before agreeing to help. She leapt out the window just as Toshiro burst into the room.
"Don't even think about it, Rangiku!" the young Captain but she was long gone. "Damn it! She's not sticking me with her work again."
"I'll do it, sir," Kenshin offered, eliciting a curious stare from the boy. "She's helping me with something related to my assignment so it's only fair if I fill in for her for the time being."
Toshiro sighed as he headed back to the door. "I should get you to be my Lieutenant," he muttered, thanking Kenshin as he closed the door. Kenshin did what he could of Rangiku's work but much of it pertained directly to the 10th Division so he ended up leaving a good chunk of it for Rangiku to do.
Several hours later Rangiku returned to the squad room where Kenshin was still working. She presented him with two cat hair clips, reasoning it was all they were able to do. One cat was black and the other white and both had a small crescent moon above their eyes. When Kenshin asked Rangiku held up a slip of paper that had Urahara's signature on it. After swearing her to secrecy Kenshin told her what had happened in the last couple weeks.
"So this Minako is the Agent of Love & Beauty, huh?" Rangiku asked, staring at the projection Kenshin had created. "She's definitely worth looking at but are you sure you want to go down this road, Kenshin? I mean, she's a human and you're a shinigami. The age difference alone..."
"If you think about it we're basically teenagers, Rangiku," he pointed out, leaning against the window frame. "I'm only 176 after all and you've got maybe a couple decades on me. Besides, these girls at least keep the assignment interesting."
Rangiku stared at the 11th Division member who was now smiling. "In all the years we've known each other, Kenshin, I don't think I've ever seen you this relaxed," she said after a moment. "Usually you've got a stick up your ass about becoming the strongest, kinda like Ikkaku."
"Can't really argue that point," Kenshin admitted with a chuckle. "Maybe it's the girls, maybe it's just getting to be back home after dealing with all this human crap. As for the other thing you mentioned, about her being human, it's not like she'll remember me when my assignment is finished." His smile faded, replaced by the hardness he usually put forward. "For the sake of gathering the information that Captain Kurotsuchi's little toys can't I can handle being around them." He stood up, patting his shihakusho to make sure that he had the clips. "Thanks again, Rangiku. I owe you another one for this."
"Keep this up and I might have to start collecting on that debt," she said with a sly smile. "It was good seeing you, Kenshin." He echoed the sentiment and left the 10th Division barracks, heading out into the Rukongai.
It didn't take him long to reach the 34th District where he touched down in the street, shocking some of the residents but they went about their day when they realized it was only a shinigami. As he reached the outskirts of the district he came to a hill with a single tree at the peak. Under the tree was a small makeshift grave that Kenshin knelt down in front of, saying a small prayer before examining the single flower laid in front of the marker.
"I don't think I've been here since I got out of the Academy," Kenshin said as he picked up the flower. "A lot more's happened since then that I don't think I could really tell you about it in one sitting. You'll be happy to know I at least graduated, top of my class even." He smiled, a tear forming in the corner of his eye. "I really wish you could've been there." He looked up, able to see all of the 34th District of Rukongai from his perch. There were also a number of young children running up the hill toward him, their faces beaming at seeing Kenshin again. "Looks like they'll be here soon, Saihana. Next time I'll bring the sake you always liked."
The kids shouted Kenshin's name as they tackled him, sending him tumbling across the ground. They bombarded him with questions about where he'd been since the last time he'd visited while sharing their own stories about what had happened in the fifty years it had been since they'd seen him. One of the younger boys looked back from Kenshin to Saihana's grave.
"Did you come to see nii-san, Kenshin?" he asked. The shinigami nodded as the other children let him up. "Do you think she'd be mad that you haven't been back in so long?"
"You guys know her. She'd kick my butt six ways from Sunday for putting it off for so long," Kenshin replied, kneeling down and mussing up the boy's hair. "Besides, she and I have a lot to catch up on. I only have until tomorrow to hang around before I have to get back to my assignment." The kids whined but didn't insist he stay longer. As they all headed down the hill Kenshin stopped to look at Saihana's grave one last time before heeding the children's call.
The Senkaimon opened over the Juuban district and Kenshin stepped out, his face already covered by his scarf. He made his way to Urahara's before swearing under his breath, feeling the girls' reiatsu at the store. He landed on an overlooking roof to see them helping Urahara close up for the day. They all looked tired, Usagi especially, though Minako also seemed worried that she hadn't heard from Kenshin since their date.
"Well, Kenshin's train should be getting in soon," he heard Yoruichi say as she headed out the door with the truck keys in her hand. Minako asked something Kenshin couldn't hear but Yoruichi shook her head, smiling. "As much as I'm sure he'd love to see you, Minako, there's only room for two in the truck and he's not coming back empty-handed."
"Thanks for the warning," he thought as he spun around and made for the nearest station. A presence next to him caught his attention as the two of them stopped mid-air. "Renji? What are you doing here?"
"Urahara asked for my help while you were gone," the 6th Division Lieutenant stated, adjusting the bandana over his forehead. "He also asked me to help you load up the shipment Captain Kurotsuchi is sending him." When asked if it was the same place Yoruichi was supposed to pick him up the red-haired shinigami nodded. "Care to tell me why you decided to pay a visit back to Seireitei?"
"There was something I needed to get," Kenshin told him, knowing he could trust Renji. "Rangiku helped me get it too. It was something that I had originally gotten for one of those girls so she and Lieutenant Kusajishi got a replacement for me."
"You mean like a gift?" Kenshin shrugged, knowing that it was an accurate explanation. "Better you than me, I guess. I don't have a clue what it is you see in those humans."
"I felt the same way at first but there's something about the five of them that sets them apart, aside from their Guardian powers that is," Kenshin explained as they landed near the train station.
They slipped into the back where a pair of gigai were waiting for them. When they transferred inside they went up to the platform where a train was just coming to a stop. There were two large carts of packages that Kenshin signed for, bringing them down the platform steps as Yoruichi pulled up. She was obviously uncomfortable driving the vehicle and made her complaint well-known as the two shinigami started loading up the bed. With that done Kenshin hopped into the cab with Yoruichi while Renji went on his way, most likely ditching the gigai as soon as possible at Urahara's and heading back to continue his training.
"He wants to become strong enough that he can defeat Aizen? Just what have you been smoking, Renji?" Kenshin thought as Yoruichi drove through the city.
He'd witnessed some of the fight between Aizen and the substitute shinigami. Granted, he'd been left behind in Seireitei in the event that Aizen did manage to get that far, not that a lowly fourth seat would have been able to stop someone of Aizen's caliber. Then the fake Karakura had appeared, just like Captain Kurotsuchi had planned on. Before long a massive power entered Soul Society, leaving even those in the Seireitei struggling to stand. While he'd only felt Captain Aizen's reiatsu a handful of times Kenshin knew – as soon as he was able to think after being hit with a wave of power that immense – that Aizen had made his way back. The explosions after that had come out of nowhere but it was the silent wave of black that had washed over the area had been more terrifying than anything Kenshin had seen in his life. After that it was simply over. Aizen was sentenced to Muken, Karakura Town went back to the World of the Living, and life in Seireitei returned to normal. Well, aside from the new Captains that, from what he'd been told, could use Hollow powers in addition to their shinigami ones. He'd believe it when he could see it but he wasn't eager to push the issue.
"Something on your mind?" Yoruichi asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "You look like you didn't really want to come back."
"Not really," he said, noting that it felt more like a half-truth, "but it's not really up to me now, is it?"
"So you coming back had absolutely nothing to do with Minako?" The question hit hard though Kenshin knew Yoruichi meant nothing by it. "The way that girl's been looking for you has been pretty heartbreaking. You took on an Arrancar, knowing that it could have easily killed you in your gigai, in an effort to protect her and the other Sailor Guardians. That's gonna earn you some serious points in her eyes."
"Assuming she and the others don't suspect me of being a shinigami, then yes," he said, leaning his head back. "But if they didn't suspect that then they're dumber than I thought. What I can't figure out is how no one in this city, especially their families, don't already know who they are. It's not like the transformation is all that drastic."
"Kisuke thinks it has something to do with how they manipulate the reishi in the air when they transform," Yoruichi offered. "It's able to affect pretty much anyone, even each other. But since shinigami are constantly exposed to reishi it has no effect on us." Kenshin grunted, accepting the explanation. "Speaking of transforming, you're lucky Kisuke whipped up a combat gigai for you. Otherwise that Arrancar would've turned that body into a stain on the ground."
The two were fairly quiet on the rest of trip with Yoruichi only cursing at the truck three or four times. Minako was sitting on the front step when they pulled up and her face immediately brightened when Kenshin stepped out. Before she could do anything the other girls and Urahara came out to greet them and help bring in the boxes. With that done Urahara paid the girls for their help through the day and all but Minako headed home.
"I missed you," Minako said as Yoruichi closed the door behind her, leaving the couple outside on their own. "I was worried that you might have tried to skip town on me."
"Well, there was that client Urahara sent me to meet," Kenshin explained, recalling what Yoruichi had told him, "and I didn't exactly have a chance to say anything before I had to head out. I also stopped to see a couple old friends, one of whom owed me a favor." He pulled the hair clips out of his pocket and handed them to Minako. "Unfortunately there wasn't much left of the pin after that thing came after us."
"They're beautiful," Minako said, awestruck at the level of detail.
"My guess is she had to have them made rather than just buying them seeing as how she was gone the better part of the day," Kenshin replied with a smirk. Since he knew that Rangiku had run into Urahara he also knew he would have pointed her in the right direction to have them made. When Minako noted the similarity to Artemis and Luna he looked at them, feigning surprise. "I was telling her about Artemis so she must have taken it on herself to make one like him."
"Thank you, Kenshin," Minako said, hugging him as best she could while sitting down. After a moment he offered to put them in her hair to which she quickly agreed. He set them above her left ear with the cats side-by-side. "I'd really like to stay and ask about your trip but it's getting really late."
"Let me walk you home at least," he offered as they both stood, taking her hand in his as they walked down the street.
When Kenshin arrived back at the shop Urahara had dinner ready as he, Yoruichi and Kenshin all dug in. "Were you able to examine the reishi from the park?" Kenshin asked as he sat back in his chair.
Urahara nodded. "You were right about it: It's designed to drain only a small amount of reiryoku at a time from everyone there," he said while scratching his head. "Each ride can only take a person's reiryoku once per day. However, each attraction had slightly different reishi."
"Meaning that there are probably hundreds of youma in the park using it as their feeding ground, each one in charge of a different attraction," Kenshin finished for him and Urahara nodded. "Then I guess the question is where does all that energy go? No way would they gather it just to throw it away."
"Perhaps it's something you need to ask the Sailor Guardians."
Kenshin's eyes narrowed briefly before he gave a sigh of defeat. "As much as I hate to say it you're probably right," he admitted as he started clearing the table. "I'll figure out a way to bring it up to them the next time I run into them."