Thank you for the warm reception to the first chapter! I hope you continue to enjoy it!

Chapter 2: The Veil of Peace

The next day came all too soon for Kirara, who had hidden herself away in her office away from anyone who would think to bother her. She had remained on the roof watching the stars until the sun rose, and returned home to sleep for only a few hours before she'd gotten up for work.

And by work, what she really meant was more sleep on the couch in the centre of the room. It was only a small office, humble in design with very little decoration, as Kirara was very rarely there. Usually the Lieutenant worked in the main hall with Yoruichi, but considering her role as the head of the Patrol Corps, she was away a lot, meaning she had no use for an office filled with any kind of luxuries.

However, she had just finished a mission and had plenty of subordinates and contacts who would alert her the moment anything unusual was detected, and she'd cleared all her paperwork for the time being, meaning that Kirara was free to sleep off the alcohol from the previous night.

Yawning widely, Kirara rolled onto her side, curled up slightly with a pillow under her head and her black hair splayed around her as she drifted off again.

The roar of a Hollow echoed through the darkened town, instilling fear in most who heard it.

"What do we do?!"

"Who the hell is in charge?" the terrified shouts only encouraged more panic and fear. Kirara cursed, trying to fight her own fear as she hauled the injured young woman in her arms away. The low, heavy breathing grew louder as it got closer to her, and tears stung the corners of her eyes as she willed for someone to help.

Kirara jolted awake, sitting up quickly as her hand slapped the edge of the sofa cushions in her attempt to find her Zanpakuto. As the haze of sleep faded and Kirara remembered where she was, she gave a heavy sigh and sank down into the sofa cushions again, letting her heart settle.

"Trust that bloody nightmare to happen again," Kirara complained to herself, rolling onto her back to stare at the ceiling. She then slung her arm over her face, and took in a ragged breath. "Shit," she cursed, feeling her body trembling as the adrenaline faded.

Kirara's eyes opened as something soft brushed against her fingers, and she lifted her arm, looking at the black and purple butterfly that rested on her finger. A Jigokucho, carrying a message for her. It was almost completely still, save for twitching antennae, before it flapped its wings and took off, flying out the open window and disappearing. As it did, Kirara sighed and got to her feet, brushing off her skirt.

Grumbling to herself, Kirara left her office, and as soon as she was back out in the humid open air, she started to move with Shunpo, flickering in and out of sight quickly as she made her way quickly towards the Squad 1 barracks.

"You're late," as soon as she stepped into a side room, Kirara was greeted by an irritated voice.

"But I showed up. Be grateful, dear brother," Kirara flashed a smile at the Squad 4 Lieutenant. Seinosuke Yamada stood a full head taller than his elder sister, with black hair kept out of his face, and glared at her through eyes as blue as hers.

"Unlike some," Lisa murmured, and Kirara realised that Natsuki was missing as she walked over to take a seat beside the Squad 8 Lieutenant.

"She made it to the demonstration and then went back home," Lieutenant Kotsubaki whispered to the pair from Lisa's other side.

"I'm amazed she made it that far," Kirara confessed, a small grin on her face.

"You idiots always have to get hammered when you're supposed to do shit," they looked at the shortest in the room. If it wasn't for the glare that seemed permanently on her face, others might have taken one look at Lieutenant Sarugaki's short stature and stubby blonde pigtails, and thought that she wasn't much of a threat.

They would have been very wrong.

Everyone immediately turned serious, dropping the conversation as Chojiro Sasakibe cleared his throat. One look from the Lieutenant of Squad 1 was all that was needed to have them behave.

"Urgh, maybe I should have just skipped," Kirara muttered, as Sasakibe started to talk about the summary of what had taken place over the last month. "My head feels like it's stuffed with cotton wool," she complained, barely listening to what the man had to say.

"Trust me, Hamasaki will pay for not suffering with us," Lisa muttered, not looking much better than Kirara. "Didn't you go home after leaving her home?" she asked quietly as Sasakibe barely looked up from his papers.

"Watched the sun rise," Kirara replied with a slight shrug.

"You're insane," Jinemon shook his head. Seinosuke shot them glares, as if this would encourage them to behave themselves, but was ignored.

"No duh," Kirara rolled her eyes, before an elbow gently poked into her arm. She looked around at the tall man who sat on her other side, whose pleasant smile rarely left his face.

"I believe Lieutenant Sasakibe is almost finished," Lieutenant Aizen murmured to her, his lips barely moving as he whispered. Kirara whispered her thanks back, knowing that she was next to speak.

"Lieutenant Yamada? How does Squad 2 fare?" only moments later, the silver-haired Lieutenant looked her way, not entirely expecting an answer from her. He wasn't stupid, or deaf. Kirara smiled back at him innocently.

"We have two officers due back tomorrow from a month of patrols in the World of the Living," she shuffled the papers she'd grabbed on her way out of her office. She took another deep breath, pushing thoughts of her nightmare aside. "No reports of anything out of the ordinary. An average level of Hollow activity in both sectors," she explained, and swapped to another page filled with her scribbles that were almost illegible to the others. "Our 7th Seat has been patrolling the first ten districts of South Rukon, where there have been a rise in reports about Hollows hiding in the forests and a few missing souls, and I'll be joining him myself from tonight," Kirara explained, leaving aside her reports from the Patrol Corps, which only needed reporting to Yoruichi.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Yamada," Sasakibe bowed his head in thanks to her, and she bowed back. "Lieutenant Iba, how about Squad 3?" he asked, and the stern woman whose dark hair was streaked with grey began to speak.

"Tonight?" Lisa whispered, eyebrows raised. "For someone who is always getting caught sleeping, you really don't sleep a lot when you're supposed to, do you?" she asked, and Kirara shrugged, eyes on Lieutenant Iba. While Sasakibe ignored them when they spoke up during his own reports, Iba didn't tolerate it.

"I'm a disaster, you know this," Kirara replied, resting her head in her hand as her eyes fluttered closed. It didn't take long for her to doze off, and Lisa rolled her eyes while others exchanged exasperated and amused looks.

Sipping the hot tea from the cup she held in both hands, Kirara gave a soft sigh of delight at the delicious tastes of citrus. Despite the warmth of the day and her own lingering hangover, it was exactly what she needed.

"Honestly Rose, where do you get this stuff?" she asked, looking up at the man who sat at his desk. Surrounded by paperwork, he joined her in having a cup of tea, but with his own Lieutenant keeping a sharp eye on him to ensure that he was working, Rose had to keep up some form of appearance.

"That would be telling," he only gave a mysterious smile and took a drink of his own before continuing to scribble down notes. Kirara sighed, and took another drink. She'd never gotten an answer out of him, and she doubted she ever would. Not that she minded. It just meant more visits to his office.

"Oh, Captain Shihoin said that the violin you sent for repairs should be ready by the end of the week," Kirara remembered, and his smile widened.

"Excellent. I can't wait to try it out," he leaned back in his seat. "You just have to hear the music I came up with for it," Rose told her, before glancing at the door cracked open as they heard footsteps. "Um, perhaps later," he said, and Kirara giggled as he made a show of writing. "I heard you're intending on joining a patrol in the Rukongai tonight?" Rose asked, not looking up.

"Yeah," Kirara nodded as she finished her tea and set the cup down. "There's been too many Hollow sightings there and I want to know why," she then yawned widely. Before long, she was sprawled across the couch, fast asleep. Rose left her to it, continuing to work on his paperwork.

Only about half an hour later, Rose was pulled from his focus by humming that filled the air, off-key but a tune that Rose felt he might have enjoyed under different circumstances.

"Hey Rose," the door slid open and he looked up as Shinji leaned against the doorframe.

"I hope you're not here to try and persuade me to take that mission that was sent your way," Rose gave him a warning look, leaning back in his chair.

"What?" Shinji looked aghast at the suggestion. "I would never do that. I take my work seriously, I would never try fobbing it off - okay, yes," he gave in as Rose lifted one eyebrow in a droll stare. "Please? Your Squad is way better at this stuff, and I have my hands full since Yoruichi dumped…" Shinji trailed off, his eyes on Kirara as she slept, now curled up on her side with her hair having fallen from its tie. Immediately he levelled a glare at Rose.

"Don't look at me like that. I will not have any part in this ridiculous feud between you two," Rose told him, meeting the glare with his hooded purple gaze easily.

"Does she have to sleep here? She has her own barracks," Shinji complained.

"So do you," Rose replied with a pleasant smile. Shinji rolled his eyes in response. "And no, I am not taking that mission," he added, and leaned forwards. "But can I interest you in some tea?" he offered.

"And risk the Princess waking up? Hard pass," Shinji snorted as his eyes darted to Kirara again. Rose shook his head with a sigh. "Maybe I can convince Kensei to take it," he wondered, still leaning against the doorframe. Rose resisted making a derisive noise at the idea of Shinji convincing the stubborn, ill-tempered Squad 9 Captain of anything.

"In the time it takes you to find someone to do the work for you, you could have done it yourself," he pointed out. Shinji shrugged, sticking out his tongue in response. "Mature," Rose muttered.

"Any word on those records?" Shinji changed the subject, ignoring the comment. Rose perked up, always happy to discuss anything related to music.

"Ikeda will be back from his mission in the World of the Living in just over a week from now. Assuming he can carry your records and the flute I requested, you'll get your music to harass your Lieutenant with," Rose said, and Shinji rolled his eyes again.

"I don't harass Sosuke," he shrugged, and the corner of Rose's mouth tugged up. Maybe he didn't realise just how much he bothered his Lieutenant with his laid-back behaviour. Not that Rose had any room to talk.

"Oh…" they glanced around as Kirara suddenly moved, sitting up slowly. "Sorry Rose, I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said, voice thick from sleep. "I…" Kirara stopped as she looked up and her eyes landed on Shinji. They both saw the instant change in her, as her eyes narrowed and a more guarded look crossed her face. Immediately she stood, lifting her hair-tie. "Thanks for the tea, Rose," Kirara said as she tied up her hair back into its long ponytail.

"Any time, Kirara," Rose smiled at her. "Perhaps you should get a proper rest before tonight?" he suggested, and she waved it off.

"Nah, I'll be fine," she said confidently, before finally looking at Shinji and narrowing her eyes. "You going to move or what?" Kirara asked, aware that he was blocking the exit.

"No manners at all. You going to show any respect?" Shinji retorted. Rose sighed, lifting his pen and getting back to work in an attempt to ignore them.

"Earn it, and I'll show it," Kirara flashed a smile that was all teeth and no warmth. "Out of my way, asshole," she warned as he raised an eyebrow.

"So you can go sleep off that nasty hangover in time for another night out?" Shinji asked innocently. Kirara's face flushed red.

"Don't pretend like you know me," she hissed at him.

"I don't have to, Princess, when you're so obvious," Shinji lifted a shoulder in a shrug, and watched as Kirara's fists clenched.

"Don't call me that!" she shouted, furious and ready to throw a punch.

"Honestly," Rose muttered, frequently finding himself in the middle of their clashes. He finally set down his pen, and turned to them. "If you upset my Lieutenant, I will happily direct her to the pair of you," he warned the two.

"He started it!"

"She started it!" the pair chorused together, and glared at each other.

"Behave, or no more tea," Rose warned Kirara, whose jaw dropped. "And you, I will tell Ikeda to forget the records," he said to Shinji, and the two started complaining loudly. "Enough, I have paperwork to do. Shinji, I believe you have a mission to organise. And Kirara, you have your patrol in the Rukongai tonight. Please go," Rose requested politely.

"Geez, who knew you could actually be strict?" Shinji shrugged, finally straightening up. "Fine, fine. I'll go ask Love," Rose rolled his eyes at his decision, but didn't say anything. "See you later," with a casual wave over his shoulder, Shinji walked off, and Kirara stuck her tongue out at his back. When Rose cleared his throat, she straightened up.

"Thanks for the tea again," she turned an innocent smile on him that the Captain didn't trust for a second.

"Any time Kirara," despite that, he smiled warmly back at her, returning to his work as she left him to it, letting her anger fizzle out now that Shinji was no longer in sight.

Night in the Rukongai was much different to the Seireitei, with the sounds of nature from the trees and grasslands on the outskirts. Crickets were chirping loudly as the songs from the cicada quietened down, and Kirara let out a quiet breath as her feet sank into the damp grass.

"Lieutenant Yamada," the 7th Seat of Squad 2 appeared nearby and bowed respectfully to her. "Thank you for joining me out here," he said as he straightened up.

"Hey, you've noticed something out of the ordinary," Kirara shrugged. "I'm not about to miss that. Do you have any idea where these Hollows are coming from?" she asked him, looking around. So far, the only people they'd witnessed had been regular civilians who shot them wary looks before disappearing inside. Not that she blamed them, it wasn't a good thing to see two Shinigami investigating.

"Nothing yet, they seem to be coming from different directions. I've taken out the ones I've noticed, but…" Tanaka trailed off, and Kirara tilted her head. "They keep going in the same direction," he finished, a little hesitant to say what was on his mind. Kirara folded her arms, thinking about what he'd said.

"Going in the same direction huh? Like they're being lured in?" she considered, and he nodded. "Great, then let's find out what's drawing in Hollows," Kirara told him.

"Right," the short man nodded, and though he gave a smile, Kirara could see his nerves. Patting his shoulder, Kirara took another look around, scanning their surroundings while feeling for any Hollow presence.

"You take the first five districts. I'll take the rest. If you find anything, send me a signal and wait for me to get there," she told him. The man nodded, and flickered out of view. Kirara cracked her neck, and vanished as well, jumping from place to place using Shunpo.

Soon she arrived at the 6th District to the South, taking a quick look around. It wasn't much different to the others that were scattered around closest to the Seireitei, not that she was too surprised. Close to where Shinigami would patrol, they were the most lawful and rarely had any issues as the most well-off spirits, as well as some low-ranking nobles, lived in peace.

There was barely anyone left on the streets by the time Kirara arrived, and much like with the first District she'd arrived in, she received little more greeting than a wary look before the last of the people who wandered the streets vanished into their houses.

"Such warm people," Kirara muttered to herself as she kept to the outskirts of the district and focused on the forest nearby. Some Hollows were stupid enough to rampage through the busier parts, but this one had evaded notice. Not lingering for too long just in case someone grew concerned by her presence, Kirara kept moving, keeping the forest in her sights as she hummed a tune that had been in her head for the last few hours.

Finally her efforts were rewarded by the flicker of Reiatsu that made Kirara stop instantly. Her brow furrowed as she focused, searching for the Reiatsu that didn't belong. The dark, eerie feeling that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

With a quick pulse of her own Reiatsu, only noticeable to those who were paying attention, Kirara took off in the direction she'd sensed it in. She knew that she had told Tanaka to wait for her if he found it first, but something about its presence was tugging at her, making her suspicious.

Hearing footsteps, Kirara immediately reacted, leaping into one of the trees to hide amongst the foliage. Peeking out, she frowned, seeing a young man walking, looking curious. Completely unaware that he was being watched, he was walking directly towards the signature that Kirara had been tracking. 'What the hell is this guy at?' she wondered to herself, jumping from tree to tree and hardly making a sound.

"Lieutenant," she glanced around as Tanaka appeared on the branch beside her, crouched low. "What's going on?" he whispered to her, hardly daring to raise his voice to a level she could hear.

"Follow me and stay quiet," Kirara replied, jumping to another tree. He followed, and before long Kirara felt a shiver down her spine. A moment later, there was a low growl, and the young man seemed to snap to attention.

"What?" he gasped, finding himself staring at a massive black and white monster. It towered over him, with massive jaws. "No!" he cried out as the Hollow lunged at him, only for Kirara's leg to slam into its side. It slammed into a tree, causing it to collapse on top of the monster, and Kirara landed in front of the young man. Tanaka landed beside her, drawing his Zanpakuto. "You're-" the man stared at them, before there were more low growls. Looking around, Kirara cursed as several Hollows emerged from the dark.

"Get him to safety," she told Tanaka, who hesitated.

"But-"

"Go! I can handle these small-fry," Kirara told him as she drew her Zanpakuto. He nodded, grabbing the man's arm and pulling him away. Not looking back, Kirara did a quick sweep of the Hollows around her. She could still feel the tug, and her eyes narrowed as she saw the other Hollows moving to stand in front of the larger one, as if protecting it.

'No, not as if protecting it, they are protecting it,' Kirara realised. They were all small fry, barely worth the effort of fighting, but Kirara had no doubt that they were drawn to the unusual sensation, much like the young man before. They roared at her as their own Reiatsu grew to try and threaten her, and with a roll of her eyes, Kirara moved.

The first Hollow shrieked and roared as her Zanpakuto pierced its mask. It thrashed, already starting to disappear as Kirara yanked her sword free and leapt at another. The rest immediately launched into action as they processed the attack, but she dodged their attacks, kicking one backwards before stabbing another, cutting through its Mask to purify it.

As she went for a third, Kirara's eyes widened. The big one was missing. "Shit!" she cursed, instead kicking the Hollow away before a massive hand wrapped around her slight frame. It began to squeeze as she struggled, and a groan slipped free from her lips. She'd been careless, thinking it out of action. As it loomed over her, Kirara's eyes narrowed. "You should have just run off, asshole!" she then stabbed her Zanpakuto through its finger, and it roared in pain.

Kirara landed unsteadily on the ground as her entire body smarted. Any tighter and the Hollow might have caused some real damage. Looking up, she watched as the Hollow staggered backwards, clutching its hand as blood poured from what Kirara had left a stump, and the other Hollows swarmed in again.

Not leaving it to chance again, Kirara used Shunpo to dodge the claws lashing out at her, following the Hollow now cowering at the back. It lashed out, but she swung her sword and cut through its hand, frowning. It was weak, but somehow got the other Hollows to defend it. She'd never heard of such a thing before.

Shrieking in pain, the Hollow tried to shrink back further and let the other Hollows attack, forcing Kirara to move around them. She cursed again, irritated by the bombarding attacks on all sides, and when another Hollow lashed out, she swung her sword, cutting through its arm. Her annoyance growing, she then kicked it aside, and moved, reappearing in front of the leader.

It reared back from her, snarling at her, and Kirara rolled her eyes. "Too late," she said quietly, stabbing through its Mask. The other Hollows then jerked and roared, as if released from its hold as the Hollow vanished, but after a moment of disorientation, they turned on Kirara. "What, you're still mad?" she smirked, and threw herself at the three remaining Hollows. They towered over her, but she was far faster and stronger than them, dodging them as they lashed out, crashing into each other.

"Lieutenant Yamada!" as she cut through one Hollow and let it vanish, she heard Tanaka return. Looking around, she saw him use his own Zanpakuto to purify another Hollow, leaving just one left. Undeterred by the bloodshed around it, the monster roared even louder, trying to use its Reiatsu to push them back. However, neither flinched, and a moment later Kirara was underneath it, kicking it into the air with a powerful swing of her leg. Tanaka jumped in to destroy it, and the two stopped to catch their breaths.

"Damn, that was a workout," Kirara laughed, head back as she sucked air into her lungs. She'd not fought so many Hollows in a while. "Did you get that guy back okay?" she asked, turning to Tanaka as he breathed heavily.

"He's fine. Said that there was this odd feeling that made it seem like he had to go into the forest," he said what the man had explained when they'd been running. Kirara hummed, folding her arms.

"That Hollow lured him in, just like it did the weaker Hollows," she considered.

"But how?" Tanaka asked, looking baffled. Kirara didn't look up, knowing that he was as lost as she was.

"I have no idea," she murmured. All she knew, was that the lingering feeling that something was wrong was still there, and showed no signs of going away.

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