Just A Soul Chapter 38: Noctter Grandett, a bleach fanfic

They all felt it.

Everyone in Las Noches felt the presence of several spiritual pressures entering their world.

…

"Hahahaha!"

Grimmjow's sharp blue eyes stole a glance at the man laughing on the floor. The Arrancar was currently lying on his bed, facing the wall, trying to sleep when he felt the spiritual pressures and the suddenly laughter echoing on the walls of his room. It was the annoyance. The goddamn bane of his existance right now.

"You're a nutcase." Was all the Arrancar said in response before turning his gaze away from the individual laughing by himself. He wasn't going to bother with him. Soon, his laughter ceased and the sound of rustling clothing was the only thing that sounded in the room. Then footsteps were moving towards the door, causing Grimmjow to turn once more to glance at them. "Where the hell are you going?"

The person he addressed turned towards him and flashed him a closed eyed smile.

This person was a man. He wore a long white coat that closed just above his belly button over a top that opened in a narrow 'V', and he also wore white hakama pants. He had jet black hair that seemed soft to the touch, making his crystal-green eyes striking.

And unlike Grimmjow, he didn't have a Hollow mask.

"Just going to see the little princess." He sing-songed before casually stepping out of the door and closing the door behind him in a swift manner. If he wanted to be even more annoying, he should have slammed it so loudly that it would have shaken the entire room. Maybe then Grimmjow would try and kill him the next time he dropped by? It was fun to imagine!

His steps were light and sometimes with a pep as he travelled down the empty corridors that seem lonely without him. His footsteps dragged as if kicking up dirt to create a rhythm that echoed far down the halls, making him smile with delight. In an empty place like this, his sound was absolute, his presence imposing.

But it was only when he was about to turn and walked down a specific corridor that his fun steps stopped creating sound, cloaking himself in silence while repressing his spiritual pressure.

A tall door stopped him from entering a room that he didn't need to enter for him to know who was inside.

"Ka-tsu-ko~ I think your friends are here for y-ou~!" The man said cheerfully, lifting a hand to poke the door with a nail, creating a clear sound on the other side. "I'm surprised they came. Are you, too?" He placed his hands flat on the surface of the door and rapped his fingers like a bored child. "I'm sure you'd like to get updated on their progress. How about this?" He suddenly made fists and banged them hard against the hard door, a large grin stretched across his face. "I'll come and tell you all the juicy details about their deaths—"

"What are you doing?"

The man paused when the monotone voice cut him off, causing his face to fall flat. For a second, his eyes became eerily half-lidded as he slid them to the right. What a damn buzzkill. His face was wiped clean as he began turning around before a pout decorated his features, using it as a shield against the one who so rudely interrupted his time with Katsuko.

"How can I help you, Ulquiorra?"

He was hoping to hear at least one response from the brat inside. Her reactions were interesting to say the least.

"Aizen-sama has called for a meeting."

Ulquiorra was making sure he was following orders.

Why couldn't he just mind his own goddamn business?

He pouted. "Boo. You're being a wet blanket. There's no harm in telling the princess about the intruders we're having." He obeyed nonetheless. His hands nestled themselves in his coat's pockets, and he continued the same rhythm of his earlier walk. He didn't spare another glance at Ulquiorra, leaving the dull dark green eyed Arrancar to watch his back. Instead of following after him, he turned his head towards the door that the individual knew kept their little captive.

Ulquiorra opened the door and gazed inside the dark room.

…

Contrary to what he was supposed to do, the individual still found a way to lag. He took several detours to the meeting room, uncaring about the Espadas coming to gather together. He took the scenic route by waking near the windows to gaze at what looked like a forsaken land. It was obvious that he didn't care much for Ulquiorra's status as an Espada. He could give all the orders he wanted from Aizen, but he'd probably just flat-out ignore him one day.

The top Arrancars were all their own unique being that he enjoyed watching for the simple pleasure of curiosity. Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez was a perfect example of a subject of curiosity, giving him reason to linger around him like earlier. Number one was also interesting since he seemed to move at his own pace. Number two was just a raggedy old man waiting to fucking croak. He couldn't say much about Three with how she keeps to herself. Five looked like a spoon…

But anyway,

All Espadas were seated in their chairs, waiting for the man who led their banner.

The black haired individual kept his hands in his pockets while he leaned back against the wall. He was not an Arrancar, nor was he an Espada, so he had no seat at that table. Instead, he was watching from the side as Aizen ordered him to. He absentmindedly stared at the others who waited while he just seemed so damn bored of it all. Other lesser Arrancars would cower in fear the moment any of them would flicker their spiritual pressure at them. He found it all amusing. Perhaps it wasn't fair to say that about small fry, after all… they were just weak and insignificant.

A yawn escaped him.

God, it was so early to have a meeting. He just wanted to taunt that girl and go right back to bed. At least that would provide more enjoyment in this ghost-like town of a fortress. Seriously, it was sometimes way too quiet. He contemplated just walking out of the meeting room if it were not for the approaching footsteps followed by a morning greeting from their leader.

"We've been invaded," Aizen spoke, not worried in the slightest about the news, as he shouldn't be. The black haired person didn't bother straightening up for respect. He continued to slouch on the wall. "But first, some tea." Tousen and Gin followed closely behind him before splitting up to stand on the side. Gin was joining the one who seemed so bored and ready to sleep again. He smiled at him and put his hands inside his sleeves as he peered closer to him.

"Noctter-kun, you look tired." Gin whispered, amused.

Noctter pursed his lips and shrugged like a child as the Soul Reaper stood next to him, prompting him to stand up straight now. "This meeting is too damn early."

"I know." Gin replied, his tone almost sounding almost childish as he played along. "I was having one of the nicest dreams."

Noctter smirked and gave Gin a look. "Oh? And what does a snake dream of, pray tell?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Tea was served to everyone at the table by another Arrancar, someone unimportant to everyone in the room. To Aizen, it only seemed appropriate to indulge in something while talking a bit of business. This only further bored Noctter. Upon being ordered to, Tousen made a projection of the intruders appear for everyone to see on the table.

It was a group running across the sands of Hueco Mundo.

"These are the intruders: Ishida Uryuu, Sado Yasutora, Inoue Orihime, Abarai Renji, and Naogoma Chisaki, and Kurosaki Ichigo."

"That's… the enemy?" The ninth Espada, Aaroniero Arruruerie, spoke, unimpressed.

"Psh," The second Espada, former King of Hueco Mundo, scoffed. "You said it was an enemy raid. This is pathetic."

"Yes," The eighth Espada, Szayelaporro Grantz, agreed. "They look… so boring."

"Don't underestimate them." Aizen warned his Espadas. "The four among them were Ryoka that invaded the Soul Society, and they defied the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

"Hold on," The fifth Espada, Nnoitra Gilga, narrowed his eyes at the group. "What's up with this one?" He pointed at the woman with long brown hair. Once he made note of this, everyone's gaze lingered on her face. Naogoma Chisaki. Noctter's eyes also lingered on the woman's face and noted the striking resemblance.

"That is Naogoma Chisaki." Aizen identified.

"She's from a noble clan." Noctter randomly blurted out. His voice made everyone look at him. He found it a little strange that they were staring at him so attentively. He huffed when he figured they were suspicious of something. "What? I don't know the lady." He clarified with a shrug before anyone decided to shoot a question. Was it so wrong for him to have information?

Aizen had turned his head at some point to give Noctter a side stare. He smiled a little. "Noctter is correct. Naogoma Chisaki is a noble. And she looks like Hiragi Katsuko. That's all."

Suddenly, a hand lightly slammed the table with the sound of rustling clothes. All the Espadas turned to look at the one who decided to now dismiss himself from the meeting without permission. It was Grimmjow. Noctter's eyes flickered to the blue haired Arrancar. He walked past Aizen's chair without looking back, taking large strides to the door. He only stopped when questioned by Tousen who asked where he was going.

His answer was simple.

"I'm gonna kill them. They're vermin. The sooner they're exterminated the better."

"Aizen-sama hasn't given your orders yet. Sit down."

"I'm gonna kill them for Aizen-sama."

Oh well, Noctter thought with a quiet laugh. This little show could be actually worth watching instead of sleeping away a few more hours right now. Gin and Noctter stood by each other, silently enjoying the little show that Grimmjow decided to put on this fine morning.

"Grimmjow."

Oho, you're in trouble now. You've upset Father.

Of course, Aizen was the only one who could stop him.

"Yes?"

"Your enthusiasm is appreciated. But I haven't finished talking yet. Please sit down."

Noctter's crystal green eyes watched Grimmjow's stillness. Oh. He didn't want to obey their leader? How thrilling. His disobedience made a smirk appear on the black haired man's face.

"What's that?" Aizen turned his head enough to look at Grimmjow. "I didn't hear you, Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez."

Everyone in the room could feel Aizen's spiritual pressure suddenly focus on Grimmjow who was quick to drop down on his knees, incapable of bearing the weight of it all. Noctter's eyes shifted to look down at Grimmjow who tried catching his breath on the floor. The longer he stared at him the more he felt just a little bad about what transpired. Maybe he didn't deserve all of that? Maybe. Who knows. It was just the way he was panting on the floor…

So, he crouched down to his eye level, propping up his chin with his hands resting on his knee.

"You okay, blue?"

His piercing gaze met his crystal green ones with vexation.

"Shut up." He seethed.

"Oops." A mischievous grin came on his face, so he stood up to avoid upsetting the poor sixth Espada. If he said another word, Grimmjow might just kill him. Might.

"Now then, I wouldn't underestimate them, but there's no need for excessive alarm either. I want all of you to return to your palaces and go about your business as usual. Don't be overconfident… and don't be reckless. Just wait for the enemy. And don't be afraid. No matter what happens, as long as you're with me, no one can defeat us."

With that the meeting was concluded, freeing the Espadas from a rather pointless meeting for the majority of them. Aizen remained in the meeting room with Gin, Noctter, and Tousen, the only parties he was concerned with, while the same Arrancar that served the tea gathered all the cups that were now left behind.

Noctter breathed out a tired sigh and stuffed his hands back in his pockets after ruffling the back of his black hair. "Well, this was boring." He drawled, deciding to take his leave now that all the Espadas were gone. There was nothing else to do after all. If the enemy wasn't a problem to be too concerned about, he might as well go off and do whatever just as Aizen said. If only Aizen gave the order to kill them right away, that might have given him more of a thrill and shaken off the drowsiness swimming in his body.

"Noctter."

The black haired man stopped walking when he heard his name. His eyes curiously looked at Aizen who beckoned him over.

"I have a task for you."

…

Ichigo and the others managed to break into Hueco Mundo.

And they were currently riding on top of some Hollow creature with the help of some Hollows. Those Hollows were like a pack of wolves sticking together out in this bleak world. What was surprising was discovering a child Arrancar named Nel in that group. They were willing to bring them all the way to Las Noches by riding Bawabawa after a little misunderstanding.

This was good. They could save their energy for when they would need it most instead. Seriously, running to Las Noches would take them months with how far it was. The war might as well be over by the time they arrive.

Ishida was sitting in the back with Chad and Inoue, and he was observing the way Chisaki remained silent for the ride. All she was doing was holding her hands, fidgeting her fingers, with her head bowed.

…

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at his friend's lookalike.

"What do you mean by that…?"

Chisaki averted her eyes. "I…uh, owe Katsuko a debt. She gained her powers because of me, so it started with me." The noblewoman looked back at the teen with a determined look. "So, I have to go and save her too. This is my mess."

"She came to us so fast after the news spread in the Soul Society," Renji began explaining. "She's against the Soul Society's decision too."

But most of them knew the truth,

Chisaki was hiding something from them.

…

"Naogoma-san," Ishida addressed, causing her to stiffen for a second before she turned to look at the Quincy situated behind her. He pushed up his glasses and gazed at her suspiciously. "Ever since we left for Hueco Mundo, I've been getting the feeling that you're hiding something from us… about Hiragi-san."

"Yeah. I feel the same way too." Chad added. "Would you mind telling us?"

They weren't going to let her keep whatever secret she had about Katsuko to herself the whole time. Whatever information she had could be vital to find out if she was in real danger or not. Renji and Rukia felt the same way ever since Chisaki came to them in a panic, asking for details about Katsuko's abduction. When they gave her answers that more or less answered her questions, she was quick to ask if they were going back to rescue Katsuko because she wanted to come along. Her reason for coming was more or less the same except that she said she didn't want Aizen messing with her.

Her Lieutenant might not be too happy with her absence though.

"It might tell us why Aizen needed Hiragi-san." Inoue spoke. Like everyone else, she was worried about Katsuko. She wanted to help her any way that she could.

Chisaki's eyebrows knitted when the three humans began coaxing the answer out of her. When she looked towards the Soul Reapers, they were silently looking at her, waiting for an answer, Ichigo, especially. The brown haired Soul Reaper sighed and covered her face. Nel and her brothers were wondering why the air suddenly became so tense.

"I lied to everyone." Chisaki began revealing with a grim expression. "Substitute Soul Reapers gain the power of a Soul Reaper by taking some power from one…" She clenched her hands into fists when she dropped them to her knees. "Katsuko obtained some of my power because I was inside of her. She became a Soul Reaper because of me when I needed respite, it was imposed on her. However, after forcefully extracting myself from her body… I noticed that I still retained all of my powers. None of it remained with her. That day, she should have lost her powers the moment I left her."

Ichigo, Renji and Rukia's minds quickly brought them back to that day at the medical station.

…

"You know," Renji looked at Ichigo with a thoughtful hand on his chin. "That might be why Katsuko has Soul Reapers powers in the first place. Her soul was tied to Naogoma's so her powers might have affected her." he closed his eyes and cocked his head a little. "But that would be the first I heard of it."

"That actually might make more sense." Rukia held her chin thoughtfully. An error in the cycle never happened before so why would it now?

"Would she lose her powers once Chisaki separates from her?" Ichigo wondered.

"I'm not sure," Rukia answered. "But remember when she separated from Katsuko the first time? Katsuko was still wearing her Shihakusho and her Zanapakuto was still there. I can only assume that Chisaki's power that seeped into Katsuko's soul became her own somehow..."

Ichigo stared up at the ceiling as his brain raked out the memory. "Oh, I guess that's true."

…

"This abnormal circumstance was completely unheard of." Chisaki quickly added. "I couldn't tell anyone after the Head Commander spared everyone! I didn't want to risk her dying if they decided they should rid of her powers because of some abnormality… Everyone in her group was so close to dying every single day they were there."

Renji held up a hand to stop Chisaki. "Wait, wait, wait…" he looked away for a second. "Does that mean," he looked at Chisaki after he finally formulated the words in his brain. "she had Soul Reaper powers from the very beginning?"

The brown haired woman shook her head, shutting her eyes. "I don't know. But instead of losing my powers, I lost my Hollow. It nestled into Katsuko's soul. Maybe her powers came from the Hollow…? I just know that something is not right…"

Rukia rested her hand under her chin thoughtfully. This revelation didn't dismiss the possibility of her previous theory. But that only raised more questions and maybe more possible theories. Did Aizen just want the Hollow inside Katsuko? Was there something they weren't seeing?

"But maybe... if I had said something... all of this could have been avoided," Chisaki added. "I feel like... this is all fault."

Inoue frowned at this. "I don't think it's your fault, Naogoma-san."

"You were only trying to protect her." Ichigo cut her off before she tried saying another self-deprecating remark. Chisaki stared back at Ichigo. "No one could blame you for that. Katsuko wouldn't blame you either, I know that for sure."

Chad cocked his head a bit. "Do you think Aizen knows the truth?"

Chisaki scoffed at this and rolled her eyes. "I would not be surprised if he did… that man has an annoying ability for knowing everything."

"When facing something unknown like this…" Ishida trailed off. The time spent unsealing the Garganta and creating it had him concerned for her fate. Just what was Aizen trying to do with her?

"It's best to just rescue her before it's too late." Inoue finished for him with a smile. "Right, Ishida-kun?"

"Yes… that's right."

What mattered the most right now was rescuing Katsuko from Aizen. The rest can be dealt with later. Whatever scheme Aizen cooked up for Katsuko would not come to pass. Because they were determined to save her before the Soul Society came after them.

"Thank you, Bawabawa!" Inoue exclaimed, waving at the big creature. It did a little wriggle and a sound that might have been a sign of happiness perhaps?

Finally, after travelling across the godforsaken sandy route, they made it to the walls of Aizen's stronghold. All of them hopped off the creature and approached the wall. Rukia was the first to come near the wall to carefully set her hand on it, concentrating.

"I don't think it's made of Sekkiseki."

Ichigo and Renji looked at each other with a smirk. That just made things easier. Without giving it much thought, they both grabbed their Zanpakutos and marched over to the wall.

"C'mon, Renji!"

"Don't boss me around!"

Chisaki was startled when she realized what they were trying to do. Wasn't it too risky to just bust their way through? What were these two thinking? She had to stop them before they made things worse!

As Chisaki held up her hand to use a Kido spell, Chad's hand clamped over her small wrist, surprising her. He also told Inoue to step back when she also became concerned about the ruckus.

"Sado-kun…"

"Let them handle it."

"But what about—" Chisaki looked back at the two Soul Reapers.

"If we want to save Katsuko before it's too late, we need to take risks." Chad turned his gaze towards Ichigo and Renji who began assaulting the wall. "For Katsuko, we can't afford to waste any more time."

Chisaki reluctantly lowered her hand.

If they were planning a reckless operation to save their friend, risks were going to have to be taken. The time Katsuko spent in Hueco Mundo was already too much. They couldn't let Aizen keep her there any longer now that they were going to save her.

Time was crucial.

After making a hole in the wall, they all ventured into it. It was like an underground tunnel. And just like a tunnel, it was dark as hell. They were running in pure darkness. Ichigo wasn't going to be surprised if they ran straight into a wall any second now. Renji had the great idea to use Shakkahou to brighten up the place. Most of the humans already knew what Shakkahou looked like after spending their time infiltrating the Soul Society. They expect that big bright ball of flames. To his embarrassment, his Kido ended up looking like a small ball of fire. It looked like those guiding lights you'd put around to help an airplane land, except that it looked like the dots you'd while still high up in the air, very small.

"You fool, that's what you get for trying to do an Eishouhaki you haven't mastered." Rukia said flatly, not impressed by his attempt to show off.

Ichigo snorted. That's right, Rukia did say that Renji's Kido was sloppy. He clapped a hand on his shoulder in mocking comfort. "That's okay. That red hair of yours will light our way. You know, like Rudolph. How does that song go again—"

"SHUT UP!"

Chisaki sighed at the comical display. Her hand went to the hilt of her sword on her side and swiftly pulled it out in front of her. Inoue blinked in surprise when Chisaki's wrist extended towards her when she held her sword horizontally in front of her with her other hand holding the blade at the base of it where the guard was.

Ichigo and Renji whipped their heads around in confusion when the tunnel suddenly became so bright. Ishida and Chad looked at Chisaki and found her holding up her Zanpakuto which was illuminated like a glowstick.

"It's so bright!" Pesche whined as if he were blinded. "Can't you turn that down a little?!" he said while protecting Nel's eyes.

"Nel can't see!"

"Don't worry, Big Brother Pesche is protecting you!"

"Bear with it." Chisaki sighed. To light up her Zanpakuto, it needed some Kido to coat it. It wasn't a common spell among Soul Reapers. After all, her family was adept with Kido. It wouldn't be unexpected for her to know things they did not. But hers was nothing to write about in comparison to other members. She couldn't hold a candle to them even if they were dead. To her family's standards, she was merely better than average. Sometimes, she cared more about her family's expectations rather than her rank in the court.

"Naogoma-san…" Renji mumbled. He couldn't compete with that!

Seeing his little Shakkahou still active in his hands, Chisaki tipped her head. Did she overstep? "Oh. I'm sorry, Lieutenant Abarai. Should I let you light the way instead?

"… It's fine."

Ichigo mockingly patted his shoulder.

"Get away from me, jerk."

After making it through the tunnel, they made it into a room that was lit up by torches on the wall.

They reached a crossroads.

Renji looked around at the paths laid out for them. "Now what?"

Each path laid out before them gave away the presence of different Arrancar spiritual pressures that was just waiting beyond. It was best that the group parted ways with Nel and her group now since there was real danger up ahead.

"There are six paths…" Chad trailed off when he tried measuring the danger with his perception. How would they choose which path to take?

"Then we'll have to try them all." Ishida responded. But that would waste even more of their time.

"No." Rukia shut down his idea. "Each of us… should take a different path."

Ichigo didn't like that idea at all. "Are you crazy?! We're up against Espadas here! We can't divide our force!"

"No, that's a great idea!"

Everyone stilled when a voice echoed in the room.

Who said that?

All of them looked around carefully to try and spot an enemy.

Then, Inoue gasped when Chad suddenly had a sword thrust into him from the back. Chad's eyes were big with shock as he tried to process what just happened to him.

"Sado-kun!"

"Chad!"

Everyone armed themselves immediately while the sword was violently pulled out of him, coating the floor in his blood. Chad stumbled while Inoue quickly put her healing abilities to use.

"Sado-kun, don't move!" She told him when he tried to summon his weapon to defend himself. Ichigo quickly covered the distance with a leap forward, swinging the sword at the enemy who was revealed when Chad moved. It was a man with black hair and crystal green eyes. He swiftly dodged the attack by stepping aside, letting Zangetsu break the floor where he once stood.

Chisaki's blue eyes grew big when she saw the individual.

Who was this man?

"You bastard." Ichigo tried swinging again but he disappeared. Ishida's eyes scanned the room, waiting for the enemy to reappear. The Quincy pulled up his bow and pointed it at the spot on the wall behind Ichigo, and he fired his shot. The enemy reappeared on the wall, crouching on it before launching himself at Ichigo while nimbly avoiding Ishida's attack. Ichigo was quick to turn and block his foot with his blade.

"Who are you?!" Ichigo demanded angrily as the enemy continued pressing down on his blade.

How could they not have sensed his presence closing in on them?

They could feel it now though.

And his spiritual pressure was powerful.

"Yes, who am I~?" He raised his blade to strike Ichigo.

"Roar, Zabimaru!"

Seeing the whip-like Zanpakuto coming for him, the man chuckled and kicked off from Zangetsu to land a few feet away, narrowly avoiding the blades of Zabimaru. He was going to ignore that question for now. When Renji made another move to swing at him, he straightened up and flicked Chad's blood into his direction in an attempt to blind him. His aim was precise. The Squad 6 Lieutenant side stepped, dodging the blood aimed at his eyes.

Rukia observed his appearance. He was wearing the standard clothing of Aizen's faction.

He didn't have a Hollow mask.

And his spiritual pressure...

"You're not an Arrancar." Rukia remarked, confused. "You're a Soul Reaper, too."

But why?

Why was there another Soul Reaper working for Aizen?

"Haha." The man flicked aside his coat to open it and then sheathed his blade. He didn't deny or confirm her statement. "There's no need to get so angry. Your little healing friend could fix him up." He waved his hand dismissively towards the teen who watching him warily after he injured her friend. "Her powers to reject everything she targets is just another way to say healing. If she wanted to, she could reject anyone who stood in your way and they'd go poof." He stuffed his hands in his pockets as everyone looked surprised by this information. "Powerful stuff that chick's got over there. Even Aizen was interested in her powers. Perhaps, if things were different, he would have taken that one instead." He tipped his head and smirked at Ichigo. "But she's worthless to him in comparison to Hiragi Katsuko."

Again with the unknown interest in Katsuko.

"I want her back." Ichigo told him seriously. "Where is Katsuko?" He could use this chance to get the answer out of him now to avoid wasting more time.

"Of course, you want your friend back. Y'know, I actually told her about your arrival but I was—"

"Stop avoiding my questions and answer me, damn it!" Ichigo yelled. This prompted Noctter to sigh in annoyance. Was Ichigo always this hotheaded?

"The clock ticks for your little friend, y'know?" He droned, making ticking sounds with his mouth and moving his index finger akin to a clock hand. "You know what Aizen called her? A mirror. She's a mirror that reflects. But you know what mirrors can also do? Shatter. Your friend carries an invisible thread keeping a fragile mirror together." Ichigo was getting increasingly annoyed with his riddles. Why the hell were people like this? Can't they just flat-out tell him what was going on with her? Why waste your breath like this? "And Aizen plans to shatter her, so I'd hurry up and find her if I were you."

"Shatter…?" Inoue muttered. What did he mean by that?

"What do you mean by shatter?" Rukia asked him. "What's going to happen to Katsuko?"

Noctter grinned. He lifted his hand and dragged his thumb across his throat, sticking out his tongue and rolling his eyes back to feign an exaggerated death.

"If you won't stop talking in riddles then I'll beat the answer out of you!" Ichigo was stopped an angry voice that added to the tension in the air. Everyone directed their attention to the brown haired Naogoma who had a dark furious look on her face.

"Who are you?!"

Dumbly, Noctter pointed at himself. "Me?" Wow. She looked scary. Weren't nobles supposed to remain composed to match their stature? Even with that scary face, Noctter wasn't fazed at all.

Why did she look so positively glacial? Even Rukia was surprised, she did not know Chisaki to be capable of such anger.

"Noctter Grandett. How do you do?"

Why was this happening?

Why?

Chisaki's Zanpakuto shook with how tightly she gripped her Zanpakuto. "My eyes tell me… you are Naogoma Shisugu, but my heart and soul knows that you're a fake! Has Aizen somehow been desecrating the dead as well?!"

Rukia's eyes widened at the name. "Shisugu…?" She carefully looked at the man standing before them. She knew that name…

Noctter swayed where he stood. As if his mood dampened, he frowned and looked completely uninterested. "Hm… you're being so noisy. Why do you care so much about dead people? Once someone's dead, does it even matter anymore?"

"You—!" Rukia quickly grabbed Chisaki's arm to stop her from advancing. It was reckless to attack without calming one's anger. "Naogoma-san, wait!"

"I want you all," Noctter spread his arms to gesture to all the paths. "To take different paths that might lead to Hiragi Katsuko!" He cheerfully swayed again.

"Why are you insistent on this?" Ishida asked warily. Inoue was almost done healing Chad's wounds.

"And what if we don't?" Ichigo glared at Noctter. As if he'd let the enemy play them like this. Ichigo didn't have time to play games or solve riddles. He just wanted to find Katsuko and get her out of here. "We're in a hurry, and we don't have time to play by your rules."

Noctter's crystal green eyes narrowed in displeasure. Noctter could appreciated his 'no bullshit' attitude to saving his friend.

Alright then.

How about a little incentive?

Noctter casually dug into his pocket to take something out. Ishida, Renji, and Rukia got ready to attack in case he tried something. To their surprise, he pulled out his closed fist and held it up, watching Ichigo's reaction. "You want to find out?" He threw something at Ichigo. It was small. The orange haired teen easily caught it in his hand before it made contact with his face. The feeling was a bit odd. He was confused.

What the hell was it?

Renji and Ichigo looked together when he opened his hand.

Ichigo stiffened in shock.

A ring.

Five thin rings attached together in a gold-looking colour to make one ring.

A ring.

That ring that Katsuko wore.

A bloody ring.

The blood wasn't fresh.

"You bastard… what did you do to her?!" Ichigo clenched his fist, roaring at him. The sight of blood was enough for anyone's imagination to run wild. More than a day had passed since her abduction. They had no way of knowing what could have happened to her. And this little ring that belonged to her gave them a morbid hint. The mere thought of it made Ichigo furious. "If you're the one who did this…"

"Who knows?" Noctter replied flatly, his eyes shifting to look at Inoue who tensed under his gaze. "I just found it in my pocket just now."

Do you have any proof that I did it?

But test me, and see what happens.

Ichigo ran towards him and swung his Zanpakuto, making Noctter step back and bend backwards to pull out his sword high enough to meet his blade while still being halfway sheathed.

"Geez, you're so annoying."

"Tell me where she is!" Ichigo shouted angrily. "Now!"

Noctter shifted enough to remove himself from under his blade and proceeded to deliver a swift kick into Ichigo's side, knocking him away.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

"Ichigo!"

This time, it was Renji and Rukia's turn to attack him.

"You can join each other at the end of these hallways. I have no problems with that." He spoke while dodging all of their attacks. It was almost too easy. "You want to save her? Then split up and search for her." He stopped in front of Rukia and grinned eerily. "You've done that before in the Soul Society." He dodged Chisaki's blade by using flash step. He reappeared behind her. "You try and break the rules, I'll feed her to a pack of Hollows or something. Whatever I'm in the mood for, really. You obey the rules, nothing will happen to the princess." He mockingly held out his pinky to Ichigo. "Here, I'll even pinky promise!" He backstepped from his swing. "No? Alright."

Ichigo, Rukia, Chisaki, and Renji came at him from different sides while Ishida shot an arrow from above.

He disappeared.

"Haha!"

Just as Inoue finished healing Chad, Noctter reappeared in the middle of their group next to Inoue. There was no time to verbally respond to his rules. He gazed down at her with a smirk while she gasped and took several steps back when his hand reached for her.

He was going to take her!

"Inoue!" Chad shouted, quickly summoning his arm. Ichigo and the others were also homing in on Noctter.

"Don't forget, I am a man who keeps his word."

Noctter looked up with a crazed look of pleasure and open his palms as blue light emitted from them. He slammed his palms together, creating a pushing force outward from his body, sending everyone down different paths at full speed. Chisaki was quick to grab Inoue before she slammed against a wall, carrying her along with her down the long corridor.

The last thing Ichigo saw of Noctter was an arrogant smirk before he disappeared.

"Wait—! Damn it!" Ichigo shifted around in the air and shoved his Zanpakuto into the wall to stop his momentum, creating a jagged line across it. He landed on the ground and cursed in the empty hallway. He fooled them into thinking he was taking Inoue when he wanted them to surround him so that he can push them into different hallways. And now, they had to obey his rules lest Katsuko potentially suffers from their mistakes.

He tore Zangetsu out of the wall. "Damn him."

The word shatter was seriously worrying him.

With a groan, Ichigo placed his sword on his back and ran off. He was going to press on. He needed to focus back on the rescue. He needed to hurry. Everyone understood the risks of this mission, but they would still find a way to meet back alive. He strongly believed that in his heart.

Ichigo hoped that nothing bad actually happened to her and that Noctter was trying to mess with him.

It was easier to think if he believed that.

His running footsteps echoed as he ran as fast as he could. And in his hand, he could feel her ring, so he slightly opened his hand to look at it.

She was always wearing this ring wherever she went.

She said that her mom gave it to her, so she would feel bad if she lost it.

"She's gonna want this back."

It would be too risky to put the ring in his pocket. Rough movements in a fight could make it fall out of his pocket. He needed to keep it somewhere safe.

And he only knew of one place where he could always keep an eye on it.

He just placed it on his pinky, the only finger it could fit on, and began running down the hall.

The ring was a noticeable pressure on his pinky since her fingers were smaller than his, and it would serve as a constant reminder of his determination to save her.

"Inoue-san, are you okay?"

"Y-Yes… I'm okay."

Inoue looked at how far they moved from their initial position. The entrance of the path looked like nothing more than a dot from where she was. She gazed at it worriedly. "Do you think Kurosaki-kun and the others are okay?"

Inoue was hoping that they could stay together so that she could protect her Ichigo and her allies, especially Ichigo. But Noctter came and made things much more complicated by adding dread and urgency.

He was basically holding Katsuko hostage with his words.

Inoue could still freshly remember the way Ichigo looked so angry when he saw the ring in his hand.

He was really upset about the idea of Katsuko suffering.

There was no way to find out if he was telling the truth or not. They couldn't trust him. But trusting him seemed better than risking Katsuko hurting from their own mistake. This was a risk they were willing to take to protect Katsuko from any more possible harm.

Chisaki dusted herself off and also looked at the entrance from afar. "I'm sure they're fine. This was nothing but a force pushing us." She clicked her tongue and looked at the path they had to go down. "I can't believe this…" she mumbled to herself.

Inoue pushed herself off the floor and turned away from the entrance to look at Chisaki. The way she seemed so angry earlier was a little concerning. It was as if she knew who Noctter was.

"Naogoma-san, what happened back there?" Inoue wondered curiously.

Chisaki stole a glance at Inoue with a forlorn visage. "Ah… sorry about that. I'm sure I confused you." She had every right to be angry at Noctter. But that didn't mean it made her less ashamed of how she lost her composure. She didn't like losing to her emotions.

"That Noctter Grandett… his eyes and attitude are the same as my cousin." Except maybe a little crueler. "The thing he used just now was also the same as one of my cousin's self-invented Kido. But the spiritual pressure was different… it's not him. Because Shisugu is dead."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that…"

"No, it's fine. He died sometime when I was in Katsuko's body. Maybe eighteen years ago? I couldn't grieve about it even after I returned to the Soul Society."

Naogoma Shisugu was a key figure in their family. He surpassed all expectations of him and stood above all. He would have been head of the family if it were not for his passing. His death was caused by someone from their cadet branch, someone who bore ill will towards him and her family.

Did Aizen… recover his body?

How?

This just couldn't be...

But, it actually wouldn't be impossible with his Zanpakuto…

"I find it sick to think about the possibility he might have done something to his corpse…" Chisaki clenched her hands into fists. Her cousin was a proud man. To have his body and abilities do the deeds of Aizen against his will…"If he did… then this is another thing I can't forgive him for… this kind of disrespect towards my cousin is an absolute sin."

Hopefully, this was just some bad illusion.

…

"I'm baaack!"

Grimmjow inwardly groaned at the voice. What was wrong with this idiot?

"Slam my door like that again and I'll kill you."

"Uwaah!" Noctter lifted a foot and held his hands together, acting terrified of the Arrancar. "You can try!"

One thing Grimmjow hated about Noctter was his arrogance. He always looked so arrogant about his strength and his ways to use it. Standing in front of Espadas did not frighten him. Instead, he looked entertained by them all.

He appeared by behind Grimmjow. The Arrancar was currently sitting on a white couch, staring at the wall, thinking about Kurosaki Ichigo. Noctter situated himself behind him by leaning on the backrest with a hum. He whistled a catchy tune while flicking a strand of Grimmjow's hair. That had Grimmjow swinging his arm backwards, wanting nothing more than to knock his skull and slam it against the wall. But Noctter was too quick since he was now leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed.

He smiled with his eyes closed. "Don't be mean."

"Don't be fucking annoying." Grimmjow set his arm on the backrest to twist his body a bit to look at the annoying man. "So, what did he make you do?"

"Nothing much. I was just told to see and do what I wanted while not disobeying Aizen's orders."

As long as he didn't kill anyone in that group, Aizen was content with what he did.

"And?"

"Stabbed a big guy, gave them a little scare, and then I pushed them all in different directions while threatening to hurt their little friend." Nothing worth talking about. "Hey, hey, remember that noble Nnoitra pointed out? I wonder how Luppi is going to react when he sees her face. He's going to get so angry, haha!"

Katsuko's ring. He didn't know why he even gave it to him. His actions might have just given that boy a reason to fight with everything he had to rescue Katsuko. People like him will fight hard to protect something. Ah, that was definitely an oops.

Grimmjow sneered at the name. He didn't like Luppi at all. "I should have killed that arrogant dumbass. He doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut." That former Espada, now a fallen one, he always had something to say unless he was the in the presence of their leader. If Noctter had to describe him, he'd call him nothing more but a dog conditioned to be pathetic in front of Aizen.

Noctter snorted and started making his way back to the couch. "Now, now, don't be shy," He jumped over it and landed with a bounce on the cushions. "Just say that you didn't like that Luppi stole your spot as the sixth Espada. Don't worry, insulting your lower rank at the time is a perfect reason to get angry." He said playfully with a grin.

Grimmjow didn't say anything and just propped his foot up on the couch. He rested his arm on it and quietly stared outside the window. He wasn't going to obey Aizen's orders to just stay put and do nothing. He was never so loyal to Aizen to begin with, so why start now? He had some unfinished business with that orange haired Soul Reaper from that night. If it would help his interests, he'd dangle a bloody Katsuko in front of his face to coax him into a fight. But he couldn't do that, unfortunately. He needed to figure out a scheme.

Noctter saw Grimmjow turn his head to look at him, causing the black haired man to cock his head to the side.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is strong, so I wonder what you're planning to do, Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez."

…

"Your face…"

Chisaki and Inoue arrived in an open space and encountered an Arrancar. He was not much taller than Inoue. His hair was short, uneven, and black, and his eyes were lavender. Above his left eyebrow was a row of three pink stars that added to his effeminate features. But right now, his face expressed pure annoyance towards Naogoma Chisaki.

"You look just like that bitch." Luppi spat. Inoue and Chisaki didn't like the way he referred to Katsuko as such. Luppi grabbed his sword and began pulling it out. "You'll do just fine as her replacement… I wonder how many holes I can puncture into your pretty face."

It sounded like someone didn't have a good experience with Katsuko.

Chisaki stepped forward, unsheathing her blade with a calm expression. "Would you like to try, and see?" She readied her blade. Her head turned to glance at the human behind her. "Inoue-san, please step back and protect yourself if you must." She looked back at the Arrancar with a serious expression. "I will defeat him without mercy."

"Right." Inoue found a spot that she thought was the safest. From there, she could assist Chisaki if she needed it.

"I'd like to see you try." Luppi growled, whipping out his blade.

"Illuminate, Doumyoujo."

…

The room was blanketed in a suffocating silence. The weight of it in addition to the anxiety she felt served only to trouble her mind even further.

"Fuck this."

Katsuko couldn't stay here.

Aizen had plans for her, that much was obvious.

And she didn't want to become part of his schemes.

Especially when the memory of Shinji and the others going through Hollowfication pressed her mind.

If no one was going to come for her, then she needed to rely only on herself this time.

This prison shouldn't keep her from fighting back when she still could.

"They didn't take my Zanpakuto, so that was their mistake."

The distance between her and the door was covered instantly as she ran with large strides, and her right hand was open as she charged a familiar sensation into it. As soon as her hand made contact with the door, it exploded from the force coming from her hand, splinters flying and covering the pristine floor in front of her, and illuminating the dark room she was trapped in.

Quickly, her mind began conjuring up the memory of all the footsteps she made so far, creating a trail of a more or less correct path out of the fortress.

Katsuko flash stepped away.

…

All the pieces have been set.

It was time to wait and watch.

【The Search For H-K I: Noctter Grandett 】

Did I write this chapter in two days?
Yes.

Did I do it because Episode 1 of TYBW came out?
Yes.

And did I want to release this on this special day?
YES.

I also wanted to hurry up and introduce this new character!

Anyway, new information has been revealed! Soul Reaper powers, Naogoma Shisugu, Noctter Grandett, and yee. I'm curious to read any predictions for the upcoming chapters! Oh, those who read the chapters while this story is still ongoing can peek at the story cover changing... Right now, it's Noctter.

Dōmyōjo (道明曙): The Bright Road of Daybreak

Also, we've reached 300+ followers! Thank you so much!

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a nice day/night!