The news dropped on Tuesday.
Kawakami announced that an impromptu whole school assembly had been organised for that morning. The teacher was oddly subdued, but Akira didn't pay her too much heed – Kawakami wasn't the perkiest person at the best of times. It didn't take long to spot Ryuji's blond mop in the crowd as they walked to the gymnasium. Alas, Akira couldn't see hide or hair of Makoto, but he supposed that wasn't too surprising – she was likely helping the staff. Instead, the class 2-D trio joined Ryuji's side and took their seats as the thrum of chatter filled the hall.
"Looks like nobody knows what this is about." Ann mused, scanning the hall. Her expression then grew downcast. "You don't think something happened like… like with Shiho, yeah?"
Akira's heart skipped a beat as his eyes widened in alarm.
"I dunno." Ryuji scratched the back of his head. "If it was somethin' like that, wouldn't everyone would already be gossiping about it?"
A trickle of relief ran through him. "Ryuji's right." Akira shoved up his glasses. "If any of the students were hurt, I'm sure we'd all know already."
"Looks like we're about to get our answers." Rukia mused as a figure came out from behind the red curtains framing the stage.
Oddly enough, it was not Kobayakawa who walked over to the podium, but the vice principal. The unassuming man cleared his throat. "We will now begin the emergency morning assembly. As some of you may already know… Principal Kobayakawa passed away this weekend."
The words pierced him like a bullet. If Akira wasn't sitting down, the boy would have staggered back. Kobayakawa had what?! The vice principal droned on, reminiscing about the late principal's administration of the school, but his words were drowned out by the frenzied whispering of the students.
"… Dude, what the hell?!" Ryuji's jaw dropped wide open.
Rukia gulped, equally as startled. "That was… certainly not what I was expecting."
"Is this why Makoto's not here?!" Ann hissed.
Akira bit his lip. That seemed likely – as the student council president, she'd likely have been told about the incident before this assembly. As the vice principal continued his speech, the teen was lost in his own thoughts. As despicable as he'd found Kobayakawa, he hadn't wished the man dead. He'd been a typical everyday slimeball, not an unfathomably evil monster who delighted in torturing innocents or anything. Something panged in his chest. It was not grief by any means, more the haze one felt when discovering an acquaintance had lost someone dear – a lingering sympathy that plagued one's mind but wasn't nearly so strong as to consume it.
… Hmm. I should probably make sure Makoto's okay. If the news had left Akira rattled, she'd be reeling.
A girl in front of him then whispered just a little bit too loudly. "Hey, you don't think the Phantoms had anything to do with this, do you?"
If the announcement of Kobayakawa's death had felt like a gunshot, her words were a bludgeon. Eyes widening, every hair on the back of Akira's neck rose. Oh, shit. The principal had kept his visit from the Phantoms to himself – he'd even abandoned his office, opting to take over the vice principal's instead. The second someone took a good look at it… bile rose to the back of Akira's throat.
Ann gasped, clasping her mouth in horror as she came to the same conclusion. "Oh, god. They're going to think it was us."
"Patience – you might be jumping to conclusions." Rukia interrupted, but while her words were firm, Akira could easily see the worry in her eyes. "We don't know how he died – it could have been from a heart attack, a random mugging… this is possibly nothing more than an unfortunate coincidence."
"Y-yeah." Ryuji murmured, worry creasing his brow. "For all we know, we – I mean, the Phantoms, have nothing to do with this. Let's just keep listenin' and see what else he says."
The vice principal continued prattling platitudes, having moved on from honouring Kobayakawa's tenure to discussing the resulting staff changes (not that they had anything much to do with the students), but eventually, he did say something of note. "… I would like to inform you all that the corridor near the principal's office will be sealed off in the meantime while the police complete their routine investigation…"
The Phantoms exchanged a glance, and apprehension filled Akira's stomach.
They really needed to talk to Makoto.
…..
When the students were finally dismissed, it was clear nobody in the school was in the mood for learning. While a few reluctantly trundled to their classes, many more loitered in the halls, gossiping.
"Come on – let's find Makoto." Akira ordered. "No one's going to notice we're gone with this many people skipping class."
The girls nodded in agreement, and Ryuji gave him a lackadaisical salute. In the end, they decided to start their search in the student council room and back-track from there. It was a good guess – the second he stepped onto the third floor, he caught sight of the student council president. She wasn't alone, however – Niijima Sae and Akechi Goro were both at her side. A slight frown donned the Detective Prince's face as Sae talked to her sister. Akira's stomach flipped – Akechi's presence as good as confirmed the police had found the Phantoms' message.
The second-years approached, and the trio's attention quickly turned their way. A flicker of recognition crossed Sae's face as she saw Akira, followed by something that almost looked like relief. Placing a hand on Makoto's shoulders, she whispered something in her ear and gently directed her their way.
"… You might as well go off with your friends. I'll let you know if I need any more information from you, but I doubt it'll be necessary."
One polite nod to Akira later, Sae turned on her heel and left, Akechi following suit after shooting them a reproachful glance. The nervous itch to demand answers from Makoto faded away the second he got a good look at her. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were rimmed with red. It was little wonder Sae had been oddly receptive to their presence – Akira doubted she'd want to leave her sister alone looking like that. As Makoto met their eyes, the third-year crumbled. Her lips wobbled, tears filling her eyes. Without further prompting, Ann ran forward and enveloped her in a hug. Akira glanced around and while he hadn't been in there before, it looked like the student council room was blessedly unoccupied.
"Come on." He ushered the Phantoms into the small room. "Let's get out of the hallway."
It wasn't nearly as fancy as Akira expected – merely an average clubroom with a dinky table and chairs pushed to the side. If it wasn't for the trophy cabinet, he wouldn't have thought it was the student council room at all. Ann guided Makoto into a spare chair, as Rukia and Akira grabbed seats for themselves and Ryuji plonked himself down on the table. The room was quiet for a while, filled with nothing but the sound of Makoto's sobs and Ann's soothing reassurances. Glancing over at the brunette, Akira shuffled uncomfortably. Makoto had been many things in the time he'd known her, but never vulnerable – not like this. Akira could tell he wasn't the only one feeling unsettled – Ryuji was fiddling nervously, and Rukia was eerily still, eyes closed in some meditative trace. Eventually, Makoto's tears began to fade, and Akira moved to her side, resting a hand on her shoulder.
"What happened?" He asked.
Makoto swallowed. "The principal, he… Akechi said something about a vehicular accident. T-they haven't determined the cause of death, but… h-he…" She took in a deep breath, eyes shining with devastation. "He said they suspected it was suicide."
Her words sliced into Akira like a blade. Blood rushed to his ears. In the background, Ann paled, Ryuji almost fell off the table, and Rukia averted her gaze, a storm raging in her violet eyes. They looked distorted, however, as if he was viewing them through a sheet of glass. No, this can't be possible. His heart pounded, a fortississimo beat that drowned out the world. This wasn't their fault. It couldn't be.
Ryuji croaked, eyes brimming with the same horror that held Akira in its grip. "N-no way – this has to be some sort of joke!"
"… What if it isn't though?" Ann clenched her arm tightly. "Akechi even said it in his interview – if we chose a target that was too fragile…"
"Fuck!" Ryuji yelled, punching the side of the trophy cabinet. "We barely even did anything to him! We just messed with some papers and wrote a bloody note!"
Akira caught sight of Makoto's queasy complexion, and he rose to his feet. "Enough!" The room fell silent at his cry. Brushing a hand through his hair, he desperately tried to control his trembling voice. "Cool it, all of you. None of us know what was happening in Kobayakawa's private life – hell, we don't even know if it was a suicide. We're jumping to conclusions."
(Despite his words, however, Akira's stomach twisted. He'd the barely concealed admonishment held within Akechi's gaze. It was almost a surprise Akira hadn't received a polite-but-snide 'told you so'.)
"But, what if… what if this is our fault, though?" Ann's voice was a plaintive whisper.
"Then… we be better." Akira shoved up his glasses, desperately scrambling for answers. "We act more thoroughly with our targets, if there even is any more. We investigate them more before we strike. We never make a mistake like this again."
"No." Rukia's words were cold, calm, and decisive. As the Phantoms turned to face her, the Shinigami's eyes were like steel. While logically, Akira knew Rukia was a warrior who had lived for over a century, normally, beneath her weird posturing and goofy quirks, it was easy to forget that. Now though, they were not speaking to Kuchiki Rukia, friend and Phantom, but Kuchiki Rukia, reaper of souls. "I owe you all an apology. I should have put a stop to this before it ever escalated to this point."
Akira's eyes widened. "Rukia-"
"Akira." She cut him off. "There is a reason the worlds of the living and the dead don't interact, and now, you are the ones paying the price for my foolishness." A sigh escaped her throat. "My detachment finishes soon. Akira and I will handle Hollow-hunting duties for the rest of the month - a new Shinigami will then be rostered to Shibuya, and you can all return to your normal human lives."
He took a sharp breath in. While Rukia had made it no secret that she wouldn't be in the World of the Living forever, Akira had settled into a comfortable routine with her. Fighting Hollows with his friends, saving the souls of the innocent, and ridding the world of corruption… for the first time in his life, he'd been genuinely happy. A deep, aching void inside him he hadn't even realised was there had been filled, but now, it was going to be emptied yet again. The end of the month… that was barely three weeks away. Three weeks, and this would all come to an end.
I should have been better. The thoughts were a distant, subconscious whisper. If I'd been cleverer, kinder… if I hadn't stolen all of Rukia's powers, but only some of them…
He wouldn't be losing everything now.
(Because without the Phantoms, Akira is nothing.)
Almost as if she could read his thoughts, Rukia cast one last pitying look in Akira's direction, before striding out of the room. The tense silence left by her departure prickled at his skin like claws running down his back.
Ann's shoulders drooped. "I'll go make sure she's alright. See you later…" Without further ado, she fled, taking another chunk of Akira's heart with her.
Next, it was Makoto who rose to her feet, brow pinched. "… I suppose there's no point lingering here. We'll just have to wait and see what happens, then regroup." After giving a polite nod to Akira, she left, casting one last hesitant look behind her before turning back away.
By now, it was just him and Ryuji left. Hesitantly, the blond gave Akira's shoulder a pat. "Hey. This isn't… this isn't the end of us, y'know?" He swallowed. "I'm sure things will be fine. Just… give the girls some time to cool down."
"… Yeah, sure." Akira muttered automatically.
Finally, Ryuji closed the door behind him, leaving Akira alone in the shattered remains of his justice.
…..
While the Phantoms' group chat buzzed for days following Kobayakawa's death, Makoto didn't have the heart to check it. Even then, each ignored message made her squirm with guilt – Akira's heartbroken expression as Rukia left haunted her mind. Still, Makoto knew she didn't deserve their reassurance. After all, it was her fault they were in this mess. By the time Wednesday drew to an end, the news that the Phantoms had targeted Kobayakawa had spread around Shujin like wildfire, and still filled the halls days later.
"Did you hear? The Phantoms left him a message, and boom, splat!"
"Nah – that can't be real. The Phantoms don't do shit like that, right?"
"… the other targets 'fessed up though. What if Kobayakawa just… didn't?"
The words echoed around the hall, and Makoto held her schoolbag to her side, each whisper digging into her like shrapnel. Unfortunately, even though the only thing she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and beg for forgiveness, life didn't stop simply because she might have driven a man to suicide. End-of-term exams were next week, after all, and she needed to study. As she walked towards the library though, Makoto could almost feel the students' eyes raking over her like coals.
"… I bet Niijima-senpai knew about all this."
"No way – you think she tried to cover it up?"
"Hehe – I wonder if she'll be next?"
Gripping the straps on her satchel in a vice grip, Makoto turned tail and fled. The trip from Shujin to her home was a blur. All she remembered was slamming the door shut behind her and collapsing into a miserable, sobbing heap on the floor. While Akira's plea for no one to jump to conclusions was perfectly logical, she could almost feel the principal's blood staining her hands. When she'd arrived at school that dreadful Tuesday morning only to be greeted by a solemn-faced Sae and an eerily downcast Akechi, Makoto had almost broken down into her sister's arms and come clean the second Sae had revealed the principal's fate. The only reason she hadn't turned herself in was that she'd drag everyone else down with her, and they didn't deserve that. Maybe I could find a way to hide their involvement… I could always say I just did it as a prank? But no – if they performed a handwriting analysis, they'd realise I was lying…
Sae's keys suddenly rattled in the door, and her sister announced her presence. "Makoto, I'm home!"
The third-year's eyes widened – it was almost nine o'clock and she hadn't even started preparing dinner. She'd gotten so wrapped up in her fear, she'd completely lost track of the time. Makoto watched her sister like a deer in the headlights as Sae walked in, before looking between her shocked, puffy-eyed sister, and the alarmingly empty kitchen.
The prosecutor sighed. "… I'll order some takeout."
"S-sorry…" Makoto squirmed.
While Sae made a half-hearted attempt at small talk, it was clear neither Niijima sister was truly in the mood, and soon enough, an uncomfortable quiet settled over the apartment. Placing herself down on the couch, Sae idly switched on the TV.
"… The real question is, what is the Phantoms' next move?" The news reporter wondered. "Was Kobayakawa's death merely a tragic accident, or was it something far more sinister-"
"Ugh." Sae scowled and pressed the off-button with vehemence. "More of this ridiculous garbage…"
Makoto idly raised a brow. "…Isn't this exactly what you thought the Phantoms would eventually do?" They'd unintentionally vindicated her sister, after all.
Sae winced, clearly unhappy about a reminder of that night, before shaking her head. "They're idiots, not murderers."
It took a second for her to process Sae's words, but when she did, Makoto jolted upright, the cloud of malaise lingering over her blasted away in a clap of lightning. "Wait, murderers? You think the principal was murdered?!"
"I think the case is still under investigation, and all we have at this stage is speculation." Sae's voice was carefully neutral. "Still, considering he was en route to a police station miles away from his home, I don't think this situation is as open-and-shut as everyone has deluded themselves into thinking it is."
Makoto's heart raced as she mulled over her sister's words. In the end, Kobayakawa had taken the Phantoms' words to heart. At the same time though, he was hardly a criminal, so why go all the way to the police? Why not just report the vandalism and be done with it? Unless… unless Kobayakawa was involved in something, and realising what he was about to do, someone had decided to shut him up.
"W-who do you think was responsible then, if it wasn't the Phantoms?" Makoto asked, eyes wide.
"That's absolutely none of your business." Sae warned, something dangerous creeping into her voice. "The only reason I've told you what I have is because you need to understand this isn't your fault - there weren't any warning signs you could have spotted. You need to stop dwelling on this and focus on things that are actually important. Your end-of-term exams are next week, after all."
"R-right." Makoto stammered, though her studies were the furthest thing from her mind right now.
She had to tell the others about this.
…..
Makoto wasn't the only Phantom who'd had an awful week. A dark, persistent fog had clouded Akira's mood ever since the announcement of Kobayakawa's death. Sojiro had clearly noticed something was wrong and had been abnormally nice to him over the last few days, but it had done nothing to help. Futaba had also tried lifting his spirits, asking Akira if he wanted to play some video games with her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't snap him out of his funk. Even if their kindness had lifted his mood, however, it would have just come crashing down again the second he stepped into Shujin. Rumours of the Phantoms echoed in the halls, the prior admiration twisting into a combination of fear and morbid fascination. Ushimaru had clipped him in the head with a piece of chalk when Akira drifted off in his social studies class, and the rest of the teachers seemed as happy to disparage the vigilantes as the students were. His sparse conversations with Ryuji and Ann had been clipped, and his Hollow hunts were silent, Rukia a mere spectre at his side. Akira hadn't even seen Makoto over the last few days – all their messages were either being ignored or left on read.
As he began to tuck himself into bed for that night, his phone pinged. He idly opened it, not expecting it to be anything important, but bolted upright when he saw Makoto had finally responded to them.
Queen: Everybody, I've got news.
Queen: Sae thinks Principal Kobayakawa was murdered.
Eyes widening, he let her words sink in for a moment, before a hysterical laugh bubbled out of his throat. A wave of relief crashed into him like a tsunami. Kobayakawa hadn't killed himself. They weren't responsible for his death.
Panther: oh thank god!
Panther: wait that sounds really terrible – it sucks that he's dead, but i'm happy we didn't cause it?
Snow: ….
Alibaba: damn lol youre really channelling your inner skull, huh?
Skull: hey! there's nothing wrong about being happy kobayakawa got murdered!
Queen: …
Alibaba: lmao im just happy you lot are gonna stop sulking. i mean yeesh! akiras been insufferable lately!
Joker: Sorry, Futaba :)
Joker: It's awful what happened to Kobayakawa, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't relieved.
Queen: Yes – it looks like you were right about us jumping to conclusions. I'm sorry for panicking.
Panther: nah – that's fine. i think we were all a bit freaked out!
Alibaba: the real question is who did it? i mean i guess it could be a coincidence, but i kinda feel like we just got played
Snow: Yes – between this and the false Medjed, it's clear there's some force trying to manipulate the Phantoms for their own gain.
Queen: Medjed threw us into the spotlight, only for this latest incident to turn us into reviled villains. If someone is aiming to ruin our reputation, it was a masterful move.
Alibaba: it's akechi lol – suss boy is stitching us up so he can give the haters an epic told-you-so
Queen: It is NOT Akechi, my goodness.
He couldn't help but bark out a wheezing laugh at Futaba's joke - trust her to add a little bit of levity into a grim conversation. A thought then occurred to him, and Akira quickly typed in a message.
Joker: Would Sae-san know more? She was the one who told you it was a murder, after all…
Skull: yeah, that's a great idea!
Queen: I tried asking, but all she did was get angry at me for prying.
Joker: Damn, that's a pity.
Alibaba: lmaoooooo, scrubs!
Alibaba: why do we need to ask her when im right here?
Skull: ooh, are you gonna do some computer stuff again?
Alibaba: hell yeah! im guessing she's got a laptop or something – just stick one of my precious babies into it, and i can copy her hard drive in a snap!
Queen: I can't just hack into Sae's laptop!
Alibaba: no, but i can!
Snow: I understand your reservations, but it does seem the best way to get to the bottom of this.
Joker: If we want the public to stop thinking we're murderers…
Queen: Oh, fine. I'll do it. It mighttake a few days though – Sae's hours are pretty unpredictable.
As Akira put down his phone and settled into his bed, for the first time in days, the heavy weight pressing down on him was gone.
The Phantoms were whole again, and as he drifted to sleep, he made a promise that he would do anything to keep them that way.
…..
As Sae sat in the SIU's foyer, she bit her lip as she watched the footage again and again. She'd received one too many congratulations about the so-called latest breakthrough in the Phantoms case, and was just about ready to tear her hair out. The air-conditioning in the foyer was dreadful, but at least no one would pester her here. She was mid-way through replaying one of the clips she was analysing, desperately hoping she'd find some vital clue that would allow her to avoid using her last resort, when a voice called out her name.
"Ah, Sae-san, what are you looking at?" Akechi strolled to her side, blissfully oblivious, and it took all of Sae's effort to bite back her mounting anger.
His ridiculous theory that the Phantoms and the perpetrator of the Vanishing Incidents were one and the same had spread around the office like a disease after the Kobayakawa murder (not that anyone else agreed with her that it was a murder at this point). Begrudgingly, she admitted she shouldn't hold it against him - while Akechi had more Reiatsu than most, she'd never seen him notice a Hollow before, and he only reacted occasionally to Wholes. Still, unwittingly or not, he'd just derailed months of her investigation and quite possibly cost her the opportunity to take down the actual culprit in a conventional way. It was hard not to be furious at him for that.
The teenager eyed her screen, smile dropping off his face. "… Ah. I'd heard gossip that you were unhappy with the Kobayakawa verdict."
In a desperate attempt to salvage at least some of the situation, she replayed the security camera footage taken from the police station where the principal had lost his life. "It's not just the location I'm bothered by. Look at the way he falls, at his expression." She gestured. "He looks surprised, stumbles, then…!"
Akechi raised his hands placatingly. "At ease, Sae-san! I'm not disagreeing with you."
She paused, blinking. "… Really?"
"You're right – it does look like he was pushed, as opposed to falling deliberately." A wave of relief crashed over her, but it was short-lived. "Still, I'm failing to see how that matters."
"Of course it matters!" She threw her hands up into the air. "It removes the Phantoms' culpability entirely – they have no reason to murder him if he was about to confess to the very crimes they were targeting him for!"
"Hmm." The Detective Prince tilted his head. "Are you sure about that? Remember, like you said, the Phantoms are impulsive and immature. For all we know Kobayakawa's actions were too little, too late. Either way, with their defeat of Medjed and now this, the public isn't paying any attention to the Vanishing Incidents. If the Phantoms are a diversion, they're doing their job spectacularly."
Sae gritted her teeth but had no response. As much as it galled her, he had a point – in another lifetime, she could have seen herself jumping to the same conclusion.
Akechi could clearly sense her dissatisfaction and gave her a sympathetic smile. "… Still, I'm sure if there's some evidence to the contrary, you'll eventually find it."
As he left, she glared daggers into his back. You don't believe that at all, do you?
Alone again, Sae ran a hand through her hair and sighed. On auto-pilot, she replayed each of the three clips she was looking at.
Firstly, there was the footage recovered from the inside of the train cab earlier this year. As the driver sat in his seat, blissfully unaware, the air cracked open and a figure materialised behind him. It was hard to make out the details through the grainy footage, but the Hollow was roughly human-sized with a vicious, avian mask and a deep black body. Almost as soon as the monster had arrived, it dragged the hapless engineer into the Garganta, before vanishing into the darkness.
Next was the CCTV of the Madarame exhibit. In sharp contrast to the swift, brutal efficiency shown in her first clip, it was quite frankly farcical. A group of gangly teenagers perched precariously on each other's shoulders like children in a trench coat and clumsily lowered the Sayuri to the ground, while a girl in a hoodie hurriedly painted the wall behind them. How the hell these fools pulled off their Kaneshiro stunt, Sae would never know. A part of her wasn't sure if she even wanted to – she was relatively positive whatever tomfoolery they'd engaged in would drive her nuts.
Finally, there was the video she'd shown Akechi – there wasn't even a trace of comedy in this one. As Kobayakawa stalled on the sidewalk, expression troubled, the Hollow from the first clip emerged from the shadows of the underpass. The second the truck rounded the bend, it pushed. What followed was fairly self-explanatory.
"Dammit." She muttered, rubbing her temples.
The irony certainly wasn't lost on her – after a decade spent avoiding anything to do with the spiritual world, she had been put in charge of prosecuting a Hollow. If Sae was the sort of person to let her emotions show in public, she wasn't sure if she'd laugh or cry. Sighing, she leant back into her seat, and for the first time in years, entered her inner world.
She was no Shinigami – she'd been told that their inner worlds were entire landscapes, home to the souls of their Zanpakutōs. Hers was merely a black void that stretched into infinity, dotted intermittently by brilliant blue spirit ribbons. As she rose to her feet and proceeded into the darkness, Sae ignored the way the hairs on the back of her neck prickled.
There was no sword-spirit waiting for her here either - only something so much worse.
It didn't take long to find her. The ribbons that drifted like algae in a dark sea parted, revealing a solid white throne. It was not that she came to see, however, but the creature sitting on top of it. Despite its humanoid shape, it was impossible to mistake it for one, courtesy of it being ten-foot tall. A rusted carapace covered its feminine figure - it almost could have resembled a knight in scrap metal armour, if it wasn't for the large hole in its chest that revealed its true nature. Dirty silver hair spooled down the back of the Hollow's neck, but its head remained bowed, the slits where its eyes should be were pitch-black. While it was strapped to its throne with a dozen spirit ribbons, Sae knew they were symbolic at best. If it wanted to harm Sae, it very much could. It wouldn't though, despite Sae's wishes - because no matter how much it resembled that woman in this state, the Hollow was nothing but Sae herself. What would harm one of them would simply hurt them both.
Sensing her approach, the monster's yellow eyes flickered open. It raised its head, revealing the damned mask that would always be imprinted in Sae's memories. Twin horn poked out of its forehead and a visor covered the lower half of its face, decorated in what looked like jagged teeth.
"You know, you don't have to take that form." Sae shook her head, unable to even look at the damn thing.
Its eyes glittered in amusement before a cloud of darkness enveloped it. When the smoke cleared, the figure strapped to the throne was an eerie mirror of Sae herself, except for its black sclera and yellow pupils. "But why not?" The Hollow pushed. "It's nostalgic, isn't it? After all, it's been so long since we've seen each other."
Sae rolled her eyes, but then again, as reluctant as she was to admit it, the Hollow wasn't being a pain in the ass purely for the sake of it. Its little power play was a deliberately grim reminder about the line Sae was about to cross. The prosecutor's stomach churned – as much as she hated it though, she didn't have a choice. If the Phantoms were arrested for the Vanishing Incidents the latter would never end, and as much as she loathed everything to do with spirits, she wasn't going to turn a blind eye to a mass murderer. If that meant reneging on her vow, so be it.
"This is just a temporary arrangement." Sae swore, but her protest sounded weak, even to her. "I'll do what I must to win this case, but after that, this is over. If you think I'm going back into that world, you're sorely mistaken."
"Your powers are yours to do what you see fit with, darling." The Hollow drawled, eyes shining. "As long as you strive for success, what's mine is yours, regardless of whether you use it."
Biting back a wave of fury and revulsion, Sae glowered at the beast. "Don't call me that. You're not my fucking mother – you're just the part of me that's a monster."
Without another word, she turned away. There was no point staying here. Sae had no intention of dwelling over the past – all it brought was pain.
…..
"Seems you're back to your usual self." Sojiro arched a brow, something akin to amusement in his eyes.
"You know me – nothing can keep me down for long." Akira gave him a lackadaisical wink, as a genuine wave of affection ran through him. "Sorry for being so gloomy – bad news at school."
The barista shook his head. "The principal, I take it? I heard it on the news. Two suicides in one year… it's not a good look, that's for sure."
Akira stayed quiet as he finished his morning coffee – if only Sojiro knew the real reason why his mood had improved. Makoto's news a couple of days ago had set the Phantoms' hearts ablaze. Rukia still seemed a bit on edge, but the rest of them were gripped in righteous fury. Somebody had tried to frame them for Kobayakawa's death, and today, Akira was going to find out who - the student council president had finally gotten access to her sister's laptop last night. He wasn't the only one who was feeling antsy – Ann couldn't stop fidgeting through class that day, and even Rukia seemed utterly enthralled by Makoto's reluctant ventures into cybercrime. After school ended, they met up with the student council president at the train station – the Phantoms were going to Futaba's home so she could analyse the data Makoto copied.
Ryuji opened his mouth, excited, and Makoto immediately raised her hand. "I'll save the story for when we've arrived at the Sakuras' – there's no point repeating it twice." The brunette sighed. "Not that it was particularly exciting – I plugged in the USB, and, well… it downloaded things."
As soon as they entered Futaba's home, she snapped the USB right out of Makoto's hands before running off. The rest of them followed her far more sedately, as Makoto finally described the full story of her heist. It turned out it was remarkably similar to the short version.
"Sae was out doing errands all evening." Makoto shrugged. "She just… left her laptop there, and I plugged in the USB. That was it, really."
Ann groaned, slumping down on the floor. "Aw, lame! You didn't even have a tense moment where she almost walked in on you, only for her to be distracted by a last-second diversion!"
Rukia wrinkled her nose. "That's not like the spy movies at all. I must say, I'm disappointed in you, Makoto."
"I'm not trying to be a spy!" The brunette shook her head in exasperation, before muttering. "… Gangster movies are better anyway."
Before Akira had the chance to grill Makoto on her interesting cinematography takes, Futaba chimed in. "Eheheh, got something!"
The Phantoms immediately clustered around the hacker's desk.
"Your sister either has the world's shittiest taste in home entertainment, or there's something up with these three clips here – she's been replaying them for like, hours." Futaba explained, popping up several windows on her monitors. "The last one's the interesting one. Don't look if you're squeamish – it's CCTV footage of Kobayakawa getting squished."
A shudder ran down Akira's spine. He wouldn't say he had any particular aversion to blood, but that didn't mean he was thrilled at the idea of watching an acquaintance of his getting crushed by a truck.
"Do we… have to watch it?" Ann cringed, thoughts clearly going in the same direction.
Makoto sighed. "I'm not exactly keen on the idea, but if we want answers…" She furrowed her brows. "Did Sae make any notes on it?"
"Oh yeah." Futaba nodded, opening up a Word document. "She's 100% positive he was pushed – wrote an essay about the way he stumbled, the wrinkling of his clothes, you name it. I've given the video a squiz, and there's something iffy about it alright."
Futaba pressed play, and heart beating in his ears, Akira watched the screen like he was in a trace. Kobayakawa stood still, dabbing his brow nervously. Glancing up, the man's expression grew sour as he realised he'd missed the lights. A dark blur moved behind him, and when the figure walked out into the light, Akira's jaw dropped to the ground. While he had only seen the Hollow from a distance, he'd recognise that beak-like mask anywhere. The White-Masked Killer darted forward, shoved his hands into Kobayakawa's back, and Futaba paused the video a microsecond before the principal was crushed.
"Dude, what the fuck was that black blur?!" Ryuji hissed, jabbing a finger at the screen.
Futaba's eyes snapped to him. "What black blur?"
"Akira – that's…!" Rukia hissed, eyes wide in horror.
Ice ran through his veins. "It's the Hollow responsible for the Vanishing Incidents. The one we saw in Shibuya." He responded dully, still attempting to process what he just saw.
"It's what?!" Makoto whirled around, blood draining from her face. "That's… oh god." Her expression turned deadly serious. "Futaba, play the other clips."
Akira wasn't exactly sure what the first one was – it looked like the cockpit of some sort of vehicle – but realised why Sae was interested in it when the air split open behind the driver, and the very same Hollow tore him out of his seat. The second clip, however, he recognised instantly – it was their strike at the Madarame exhibit. As Rukia explained to Ryuji and Futaba exactly what they were seeing, Makoto's expression turned fundamentally unimpressed as she viewed their second Phantoms strike.
"… Well, you've certainly improved at hiding yourselves since then." She sighed, shaking her head.
Akira's grin grew sheepish. "Let's just say Akechi's interview was a bit of a wake-up call."
"Honestly…" The brunette muttered, before turning back to the youngest member of the Phantoms. "Futaba, have you gone through Sae's emails? Do you know how the SIU is responding to the incidents?"
Biting her lip, Futaba skimmed over some files at a pace that made Akira's head spin. Eventually, she let out a low whistle, before grimacing. "… Oh, that is not good."
"What is it?" Akira leant forward, attempting to peer over her shoulder.
Futaba squirmed, not quite able to look him in the eyes. "… I'll need to give it a closer look to be sure, but it from what I can tell the SIU is treating the Vanishing Incidents and the Phantoms case as one and the same."
Ryuji, Ann, and Rukia all reeled backwards, and Akira staggered, shocked. While the White-Masked Killer being Kobayakawa's murderer was surprising, it didn't seem all that farfetched. This, however… how the hell had the SIU come to that conclusion?!
"They think we did what?!" Ann shrieked, blue eyes bulging.
"But… our actions are nothing like the Vanishing Incidents!" Rukia gaped.
"Aren't they?" Makoto's voice cut through the air like a knife, and the third-year crossed her arms. "In both cases, a mysterious, invisible force is causing havoc, harming people and destroying property. What's the difference between a Shinigami and a Hollow in the eye of the spiritually blind?"
A grim silence settled upon Futaba's bedroom as they processed her words. While Akira thought there was plenty of difference – such as the MO, for one – he could see Makoto's point.
Rukia examined the student council president. "… You don't seem all that surprised by this latest revelation."
Sighing, Makoto sat down, averting her gaze. "Truthfully, I suspected the perpetrator of the Vanishing Incidents might be the one framing us. When we took down Medjed, the Phantoms gained national fame. Now, with this, it's changed to notoriety. It won't take much now to convince the public that we're the ones behind their crimes too – it's already working on Sae's colleagues. This way, the mastermind behind the Vanishing Incidents can remove a potential obstruction to their plans, while gaining a convenient scapegoat to boot."
As Akira mulled over Makoto's words, a flicker of anger ignited in his belly. The teen pushed up his glasses. "They played us for fools." The Phantoms weren't out for the count yet, though. Now that Akira knew the stakes, things were only just getting started. His thoughts began to race. "They might have won this battle, but they haven't won the war. Assuming they've seen the Madarame footage, it's likely that Ann, Ryuji, Rukia and myself have been compromised, but Futaba and potentially Makoto should be unknown factors."
Ann nodded hesitantly. "Y-yeah! Plus, they probably still think we're freaking out about causing Kobayakawa's suicide. They don't know we know he was murdered, and that they were behind it to boot!"
Ryuji pumped a fist in the air. "Alright! Let's take that stupid fucking Hollow down, and get to the bottom of this!"
Ann and Futaba cheered at his words, but Rukia merely groaned, cradling her head in her palms. "Fool… you might have grown stronger, but a Hollow of that calibre could take down even the most experienced of Shinigami. It'd massacre us before we could make a single move."
The memories of the Hollow's Reiatsu re-entered his mind, and Akira resisted a shudder. "Rukia's right – we're a long way off from being able to beat something like that in direct combat. Maybe if we took it by surprise with Makoto's Gintō…?"
"It's a moot point." The brunette raised a finger. "The Hollow is merely a tool – if we want to stop this conspiracy, we need to find out who's controlling it."
"Maybe we could track it the old-fashioned way, and see where it goes." Akira ventured. "We managed to avoid detection last time…"
Something on Futaba's desktop pinged, interrupting his train of thought. Cursing, the girl swivelled back to face her monitor. "Damn – we're gonna have to cut this one short. We've got a Hollow on the approach – not a mad-strong one or anything, but…" She widened her eyes, then gulped. "I-it's going to emerge where Kobayakawa was killed."
The Phantoms exchanged a shocked glance, all thoughts of conspiracy fleeing their minds.
"Come on." Akira ordered. "Let's go!"
…..
A Hollow's howl echoed through the streets as the Phantoms darted towards the police station. Akira leapt over the roof of a car, quickly followed by Makoto, earning an envious cry from Ryuji.
"H-hey! Why can't we do that?"
"Uh, because neither of us have super strength or speed? Duh?" Ann snarked, as they wove between the maze of vehicles.
Luckily, the roads directly before the police station were nowhere near as crowded as the proceeding streets – people must have been giving the area a wide berth considering what had happened. As Akira rounded the corner, his friends on his heels, he was greeted by the sight of the Hollow. It was a blob of disgusting yellow flesh that glistened with a slimy mucous overcoat. Large, fin-like protrusions poked out from its side, and a bony dorsal fin jutted out of its back, On the whole, it looked like some creepy fusion of a slug and a fish. The Hollow's mask resembled a goldfish's head, with a small, gaping mouth, and large, bulbous eyes that swivelled around without rhyme or reason. Sensing the Phantoms' approach, its eyes locked onto him, and a gurgle bubbled out of the Hollow's mouth as it slowly swivelled in their direction.
"Joker, Panther – go on the offensive." Rukia ordered, eyes narrow. "Try not to touch it – I don't like the look of that slime."
Exchanging a nod, the two teens darted forward, Akira unsheathing his blade in a sharp swish, and Ann igniting her whip with a crack. While Akira was the faster runner, Ann had more reach – by the time he'd reached the Hollow's side, she'd scoured its sides several times. The Hollow's flesh bubbled under the intense flames, but that barely seemed to faze the beast. Akira contemplated slicing at its head, but pivoted at the last second to strike the spot Ann had burned. The Hollow didn't have enough of a neck for him to feel comfortable trying to decapitate it, and he had no intention of repeating the same mistake he'd made with Kitagawa Senior. Akira's blow struck true, but the Hollow's thick mucus hide slowed his blade, and as he stepped away, he saw the wound was far shallower than he liked. Before he could attack again, golden light formed in the Hollow's mouth, and both teenagers darted away as a beam of light flew over their heads.
"Dammit, that did nothing." Ann hissed, transforming her whip back into its hair-tie state, and jutting out a finger. "Hadō #4. Byakurai!"
A bolt of lightning burst from Ann's hand, but alas, whatever the Hollow was made of, it wasn't particularly conducive – the spell scorched its impact site, but that was about it.
"I'm going in." Makoto announced, withdrawing half a dozen vials of Gintō. "We'll be here forever at this rate, and it's slow enough for me to feel comfortable hitting it with a Heizen."
Akira nodded. Even if Makoto's attack didn't kill it, as long as she managed to penetrate its skin, he and Ann could always whale on the injury until the Hollow dropped.
"Be careful." Futaba chimed in over her coms. "You've only a couple of those, so make sure they count!"
"I intend too." Makoto announced, before running forward as Ann and Akira parted to the side.
The Hollow clearly identified the newcomer as the biggest threat and fired another laser beam from its mouth, but Makoto dodged it with ease.
Throwing her Gintō into the air, she moved her arms into a cross and shouted. "Heizen!"
The pillar of light shot towards the Hollow, but before it could hit, the creature glowed, before promptly melting into a large puddle. Makoto's attack sailed overhead, cracking the concrete of a nearby overpass and disintegrating into motes of Reishi.
"… Well, that didn't work." Ryuji chimed, scratching the back of his head, as Makoto's expression turned ridiculously forlorn.
"Ooooh, this is gonna be one of those damage sponge bosses, isn't it?"
A groan escaped Akira's mouth at Futaba's commentary. Thankfully, instead of doing anything weird, the Hollow simply reformed into a solid state, and shot out another clearly telegraphed laser blast. Fantastic. This was going to be a long, boring slog against a Hollow that wasn't even dangerous. Of course, the second he brought those thoughts into the world, he jinxed things.
"Hey, I'm detecting a weird spike in Reiatsu!" Futaba's voice snapped into his ear.
The Phantoms exchanged a glance, and fully alert, Akira tapped his earpiece. "Is the Hollow up to something?"
It didn't look like that was the case – at the moment, it was doing nothing but growling pathetically at them.
"No, no – there's something a few metres away-"
Whatever else Futaba had to say, Akira would never know – a piercing ring echoed through the air, and he staggered, clutching his head, as his vision turned to static. The attack – whatever it was – didn't last long. Barely half a second later his head cleared, and he whirled back into a fighting stance. He caught Makoto and Ann correcting their postures, too – whatever that noise was, it seemed they were all similarly affected. Thankfully, it seemed that brief wave of disorientation was it - unpleasant, but it wasn't too bad compared to some of the tricks a Hollow could have up its sleeve. It was then though that the Hollow's Reiatsu suddenly spiked, and Akira's attention snapped back to the beast. A bolt of shock ran through him at what he saw. With a mounting sense of apprehension, Akira had the grim realisation whatever that noise was, they were not the intended target.
"Is it just me, or is that Hollow looking freaky?" Ryuji's voice trembled.
A horrific roar punctured the air, and black waves of darkness coated the Hollow's once-yellow skin. As the tainted miasma wafted off its form, a series of jagged spikes burst out of the Hollow's body. Its mask cracked around the mouth, before splitting right open, revealing rows upon rows of serrated teeth. A murky liquid began to seep from its belly, and rapidly, the street began to flood – Akira had an awful hunch the Hollow's slow gait wouldn't last for long.
"Yeah, Skull – it's looking really, really freaky." Ann gulped.
As liquid sloshed at Akira's heels, he readied his blade. "Be on your guard – this is about to get bumpy!"
On cue, the Hollow leapt up into the air, and melted into the water with a splash. As Akira eyed the liquid below him with trepidation, he had an awful hunch where this was about to go – he'd never seen Jaws, but he imagined it was somewhat like this. As the street continued to flood, the Phantoms' looked around, but not a trace of the Hollow could be seen.
"… Everyone, come here." Ann ordered. "I know a barrier spell that should be able to shield us when fish-face decides to rejoin the party."
"Hold it." Makoto interrupted, as she slowly began to back away from the others. "We should split up and keep moving. That way, when the Hollow resurfaces, it might strike the spot we once were, or worst-case scenario, it'll give everyone else besides the target a chance to attack."
Ann didn't look at all happy, but Akira nodded and moved into a jog. "Snow, get out of the water. Everyone else, on your feet!"
With a scowl Rukia obeyed, shimmying up a street light, while the rest of the Phantoms began to circle the makeshift arena. The first warning Akira received of the Hollow's reappearance was Makoto's shriek. It suddenly burst out from underneath her, grabbing the brunette's leg in its jaw and leaping into the air like a dolphin. Makoto flailed about, clearly startled, but at the other Phantoms' yells, her red eyes narrowed, and she kicked the Hollow's head with an almighty crack. Roaring, the beast let Makoto go, and she fell to the ground with a splash. She attempted to rise to her feet, but cursed, falling to her knees – her left leg had been shredded, staining the dark waters with rivulets of blood.
Akira was at her side in a flash, hands already glowing green with Kaidō. Ignoring her pained thanks, he turned to the others. "Skull, Panther – strike!"
He barely needed to give the order – Ryuji ran at the Hollow with a roar, bat at the ready, while Ann finished off the tail end of an incantation. The fireball she conjured flew into the Hollow's open maw before detonating in a blast, while Ryuji smashed his bat into the Hollow's belly, making it wobble like an overfull water balloon.
"Careful, everyone – it's down, but not out!" Futaba warned as the Hollow teetered precariously.
Cursing, Akira glanced between Makoto's leg and the Hollow, whose face was still covered in smoke from Ann's attack. He'd stemmed some of the bleeding, but all that was doing was making it abundantly clear how many jagged wounds there were dotting her leg.
"Joker, go. I'll be fine." Makoto urged, forcing a trembling smile. Shakily, she withdrew several vials of Gintō, clearly about to cast a Gewinde.
He clamped her hands shut. "No. Save those for later."
While the spell would keep her leg in one piece, it wouldn't restore the blood she'd already lost, nor make up for the dip in Reiryoku serious injuries always caused. Makoto looked like she was about to argue, when Ann's voice pierced the air.
"Wait, that's-!"
Glancing upwards, Akira's eyes widened as he saw what had spooked the girl. The blonde's blow had disintegrated half of the Hollow's jaw, blowing away the left side of its mask. While the white porcelain substance was already reforming, Akira would recognise those thick brows and flabby cheeks anywhere.
"Principal Kobayakawa?!" Makoto gasped, voice brimming with horror.
Rukia's gasp echoed across the street, and Akira could vividly imagine the shock in her violet eyes. "That's not possible. Hollowfication takes months at minimum – he hasn't even been dead for two weeks!"
"Yeah, well, he's here, and lookin' pretty pissed off!" Ryuji snarled, ready to strike.
The blond was right. When they'd damaged Kitagawa's mask, her eyes had been dead and unseeing, tainted a Hollow yellow. Meanwhile, Kobayakawa's visible eye had rolled back into its socket, and bugled unnaturally, riddled with red veins - there was something very wrong here. Acting on instinct, Akira lifted Makoto onto his back.
"Hey, what are you-"
He quickly interrupted her. "Hollows target those they knew in life, which means it's after you. With your leg in that state, you can't run, but I can."
One ineffectual blow from Ryuji later, and Kobayakawa melted back into the water below them, which was now beginning to lap at their knees.
"Ann, get another one of those fireballs ready, and Ryuji, try to aim for its head – hopefully, I'll be fast enough to disorientate it!"
Akira dashed willy-nilly around the street, using the same technique he'd discovered when dodging the bullets at Kaneshiro's club. His feet touched the surface of the water for barely a fraction of a second before he was off again, Makoto's grip tightening with every step. As his foot skimmed over the water, Akira had but a moment's notice as the liquid wobbled unnaturally beneath him. Quickly pivoting, he dodged Kobayakawa's snapping jaws, stumbling as his feet sunk into the mucous membrane covering the nape of the Hollow's neck. Rukia was right to be suspicious of the slime, as while he tried to wrench himself away, his feet were firmly glued in place.
"Hurry up and fire, Panther!" Ryuji hissed, dashing forward.
"Are you mad?!" The blonde retorted. "I'll just hit Queen and Joker!"
Makoto suddenly squirmed on his back. "Sorry about this!" She apologised, and swung herself around to Akira's front. He barely had the chance to process what was happening as Makoto's stomach pressed right up against his face, and she chanted. "Heizen!"
There was a whoosh, before the sludge around his feet suddenly vanished, Kobayakawa's Reiatsu disappearing. Akira was then falling, and crashed onto the now-dry tarmac with an oof, Makoto landing directly on top of him. Blinking the stars out of his eyes, he wheezed and found himself face-to-face with the student council president.
Makoto's cheeks turned bright red, and letting out a meep, she quickly scrambled off him. "Oh, god, I-I'm so sorry…"
Akira rolled over, rubbing his aching back. "That's fine – you got the Hollow, and that's what matters."
"Are you okay?" Rukia slid down from the street light and marched to their side, brow knotted in concern.
"I'm fine." Akira flashed her a thumbs up, staggering to his knees. "My feet are soaked and my back is a bit sore, but I'll be right as rain in the morning." It wasn't even a lie – he was already feeling the bruises beginning to fade.
As Ann and Ryuji reached their sides, the blonde shuddered as she got a good look at Makoto's leg. "Ouch, that looks nasty."
"Here, I'll finish healing it." Akira offered, activating his healing magic.
Makoto sighed. "Can you make sure it doesn't leave any marks? If it was winter I wouldn't mind, but Sae's going to ask questions if I come home covered in cuts."
He was about to make a joke about how Makoto's sister was more terrifying than any Hollow (which wasn't as much of a hyperbole as it probably should be), when an unfamiliar voice echoed through the air.
"How pathetic. But then again, I shouldn't be surprised – of course the Shinigami fails at his task, and the Quincy is the one who gets hurt saving the day."
Akira's Reiatsu spiked, and the Phantoms slid back into their fighting stances as they glanced in the direction of the voice. Slowly, a boy walked out from the shadows under the overpass, almost in the exact same way the Hollow who assassinated Kobayakawa had a week before. That was where the similarities ended, however – in fact, he was almost the antithesis of the beast that had killed the principal. He was slender and of average height, but while the dark blue eyes behind his glasses were steely, his face was otherwise youthful. He was clearly their age at most - in fact, Akira wouldn't be too surprised if he was slightly younger. In sharp contrast to the Hollow's dark suit, he donned a blindingly white coat, with a blue line intersecting it. To finish the look, a small cape covered his shoulders, which fluttered slightly in the afternoon breeze.
"Who the hell are you?" Ryuji snarled, grip on his weapon tightening.
The boy ignored him, however, and glanced down at Makoto, something unreadable in his eyes. "Lay six Gintō around your leg, three at each side, and use the incantation 'Schleife'. That should be enough to heal the worst of it."
Makoto froze, glancing at the newcomer in shock. "H-how do you know that?" She asked, voice trembling. "That word you used, Quincy… are you referring to me?"
The boy adjusted his glasses, sunlight obscuring his expression. "Isn't that obvious? I thought you were the smartest of this lot."
Ryuji stomped his foot. "Hey, we're all smart!"
"Shut up, Skull." Ann groaned.
"Well, Akira and Rukia and Ann are sorta smart!" Ryuji corrected himself, making up for the middling nature of his compliment with a ridiculous amount of enthusiasm. "And Futaba's super smart!"
"Idiot." Rukia cradled her forehead. "You just revealed all our identities to this stranger!"
"… Oh."
"If it's any consolation, I know who you are already, Phantoms." The newcomer drawled. At that, they stiffened, and Akira felt Ann's Reiatsu spike. A look of irritation flashed in the boy's eyes. "If I held you any ill will – for that at the very least – I wouldn't be telling you how to heal yourself, would I?"
Hesitantly, Makoto followed the boy's instructions, and chanted. "Schleife."
Light poured out of the canisters, forming ribbons of blue that wrapped around Makoto's leg before vanishing, leaving behind nothing but smooth skin. Eyes widening, she touched her leg, flinching slightly as her fingers brushed over where the cuts were.
"Rest for a couple of days, and the pain should fade." The boy instructed blandly, as if repeating something from rote.
"… Thank you." Makoto muttered, eyes narrowing.
Good – she's still suspicious of him. While he didn't seem overtly hostile, he certainly wasn't friendly, and then there was what happened with that Hollow…
"Ishida Uryū. I'm a Quincy, just like you." He finally introduced himself, seemingly unfazed by the Phantoms' wariness, and adjusted his glasses. "And I have a proposition for you."
"We're listening." Akira mirrored his motion, pushing up his glasses in turn.
A look of disgust flashed across Ishida's face. "I'm not talking to you, Shinigami." His lip curled. "… Or fake Shinigami, I should say."
Akira's eyes widened in surprise. How on earth did he know that?!
"Enough." Makoto chided, pulling herself to her feet. "I thank you for your advice, but if you're just here to antagonise my friends, you can leave."
Much to Akira's surprise Ishida actually flinched at that. "… My apologies. I have no qualms with your human companions."
Maybe not, but you DO have a problem with her Shinigami ones.
Ann scoffed. "You say that like you're not a human too…"
Ishida shrugged. "That's simple – I'm not. Here, let me show you."
The boy closed his eyes, concentrating, and as the world around them seemed to darken, Akira jumped back as what looked like ribbons suddenly started to drift out of the ground.
"Uh, dude, what the fuck?" Ryuji yelped, stumbling into some flowing white ribbons that tangled around his legs.
Rukia, meanwhile, gasped. "Reiraku – spirit ribbons. Only a powerful Shinigami could manifest them so easily…!"
"Hey – why are they all different colours?" Ann asked, and Akira quickly saw what she was talking about.
The scattered strands near Ryuji were white, while the ribbons around Ann had a pink hue. Rukia's were clearly red, or at least, they had been at some point – now, the colour was washed out, leaving them almost grey. Akira's meanwhile were white like Ryuji's at the base, but the top halves of them looked like they'd been dipped in scarlet ink. Ann wasn't entirely right however when she said they were all different colours – both Makoto's and Ishida's ribbons were a brilliant blue.
"It's simple." Ishida answered. "Humans have white spirit ribbons, Shinigami red, and Quincies blue. Yours are pink, as you've unlocked spiritual powers while still being mortal."
"Quincy… you mentioned that word earlier." Makoto muttered. "Is that what you're saying I am? Is that what my father's powers were?"
Ishida nodded. "While I can't say for sure given I don't know the man, it's quite likely. They are passed down through the blood, after all."
Despite himself, Akira found himself intrigued. Makoto's powers had been a mystery to them all – were they finally going to get their answers?
The student council president's eyes were wide, and Akira could see the hunger in them. "So, what is it you want from us – want from me?"
Ishida wetted his lips, but the nervousness disappeared off his face almost as soon as it had arrived. "There's not many Quincy left – I'm sure your Shinigami friend would have more details." A bitter laugh escaped the boy's throat. "Did you know I thought I was the last of our kind until I saw that stunt you pulled with Kaneshiro?"
Akira furrowed his brow. … The last Quincy? What does he mean by that?
"My proposition is simple. We have a culture, we have a history, and powers well beyond mere Gintō. I want to teach you everything about our kind - it's clear no one else has." There was a fire in Ishida's voice, and Akira could sense the desperation behind his words.
"R-really?" Makoto took a hesitant step forward. "You… would do that?"
Ishida nodded, but there was something in his eyes that made the hairs on the back of Akira's neck prickle. "I have one condition, however."
Makoto paused. "… And what would that be?"
"You never fight alongside Shinigami again."