Bleach: Jigoku Files

by Bloody Simpson Chibi

The Shinigami of Soul Society are tasked with keeping the balance of souls in check. But what happens when outside forces work against this balance? Forces that are evil and violent by nature? Forces that push the Shinigami to question everything they've been taught? Forces that feed off horror and fear? Rated M. Alternate continuity from after the Lost Agent Arc

25. Blood Sport (Side 2)

It was a quiet night in Karakura Public Library which was unsurprising considering there were only two souls there and one of them was unconscious. Sprawled near the Science Fiction section was the night guard, a lanky old man with tufts of white hair on either side of his otherwise bald head. When he eventually awoke, he would only remember having an uneventful shift at the library. The man responsible for that memory altercation sat on a computer, his Gigai dressed in punkish clothes that, along with his hair and face tattoo, made him look like a delinquent. No wonder the old man was trying to give him trouble.

As far as Shuhei Hisagi was concerned, what with sneaking off to the World of the Living during his post at Sh'o Academy, he was already in enough trouble as it was.

"Come on, come on. It has to be around here somewhere." He said to himself as he browsed the numerous news articles displayed on the screen before him. Shuhei hadn't gone to the World of the Living all that much and had even less experience with their technology but he was a fast learner. It didn't take him too long to find an American news website that trailed back to the 20's. He was currently shifting through the 70's news, his eyes peeled for anything pertaining to a high school prom ending in a firey disaster.

Then, at last, he found it.

High School Disaster Leaves Dozens Dead, Chamberlain in Total Chaos! read the title. Shuhei scooted his seat up a little and began reading. "At around 11:00 PM on Friday night, May 27, the Chamberlain High School Gymnasium, where the Senior Prom was being held, went up in flames. The cause is still under investigation but reports from the survivors point the finger at local teenager Carrietta White who has since been confirmed as among the deceased. It is estimated that over 60 young people have lost their lives due to this tragedy and there is no doubt that this night's events will forever stain the heart of the once quiet town of Chamberlain."

There was more but Shuhei stopped reading. Instead, he sank into his chair and sighed. "It really did happen." He thought. "The Black Prom." He recalled Carrie's tearful confession just the other night, the fear in her eyes as she was already condemning herself to Hell for what she had done. Shuhei trusted her of course. No one would lie about committing such a horrid atrocity for no good reason. But still, part of him wanted to believe that Carrie was just mistaken, that she was just a victim in this whole mess and nothing more. But now, the proof of her guilt was right in front of him and he found himself at a very uncomfortable crossroads.

"My duty was to sniff out any Hellbound that made it to the academy and bring them in." He thought. "And as sad as Carrie's story is, the fact is her soul should still have gone to Hell for destroying all those lives. But..." Her crying face appeared again. "There's...There's just no way that poor young girl can be a Surrassha like Freddy and Jason. It just can't be! I've gotten to know Carrie these past few weeks and she's a good kid. She doesn't deserve this." He placed both his hands behind his back and sighed. "But if I don't report this and someone else finds out, we could both get in a lot of trouble. I could get exiled! And Carrie..." Shuhei shuddered to think what would happen to her if the Captains found out about her. He could practically hear Soifon bray for her blood or Mayuri cackling as he prepped experiments in an effort to restore her lost telekinesis.

"Telekinesis."

"That's right! Carrie had telekinesis. It's a little hard to believe but in this world, anything is possible I suppose. Plus, it would explain how she was able to cause so much destruction in a single night." Shuhei sat back up. "But she said it was gone now and it doesn't look like she's been trying to get it back. After all, what good would a power like that be for someone who wants to live a peaceful life?" Shuhei sighed again as he remembered all the moments he spent with the young girl. The gentle warmth of her rare smile, the deep haunted look in her eyes when she daydreamed as if fighting a secret battle in her mind, the slight Southern accent of her voice that reminded Shuhei that she was from a completely different world than the one he was used to, one where fighting monsters like Hollows happened only in stories.

But now, this was Carrie's reality and whether it stayed that way, depended on Shuhei.

"There's still a week or two before I have to head back to the Captain for my final report," Shuhei said as he logged off. "That's still enough time to think this through." But as he walked out of the library and headed for Urahara Shop, deep in the recesses of his soul, he already knew what he had decided.

"Carrie may have ended those lives that day but she's nothing like those monsters we faced before. She's just a girl who was pushed beyond her limits. I may regret this later on but for now, I'm going to take a page from Kurosaki's book and say screw the rules!" As he stepped out into the night, he recalled how the night guard berated him for looking like a hoodlum before Shuhei knocked him out. Realizing that he was technically filling in the image of a rule-breaker with his mere thoughts alone, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"I guess I am a delinquent after all."

---

Bleach: Jigoku Files: BLOOD SPORT SIDE 2

---

Through the eyes of someone with low Spiritual energy, there wouldn't have been anything particularly exciting about the old radio broadcasting station at the edge of town. It used to be quite active in the early 80's but began to falter during the 90's. Around the turn of the millennium, it was abandoned and now only served as a landmark indicating the edge of the prefecture. Against the starry night sky and the last light of the Sun's rays, it gave out quite a beautiful aesthetic of ages gone by.

But on this fateful night, there was no one to appreciate this beauty, and the Shinigami-in-Training hovering over the radio tower were too focused on their teacher's words to stop and smell the roses.

"Listen up!" Kenzo barked. "For many of you, this is your first time in the World of the Living so I can understand if you feel a little underwhelmed. However, you will find yourself here many times in your career as a Shinigami so you best get used to it now!"

"Hell yeah! The World of the Living, baby!" One of the male students called out.

"Dude, chill."

"So this is the World of the Living huh? How lame!"

"You said it. There's nothing around for miles."

As the class talked amongst themselves, one girl remained silent, rubbing her arm nervously as she stared at the neon city ahead. "I'm actually back." She thought. "I'm back home." Then a pang of guilt washed over her as she realized how foolish her words were. "What am I thinking? This isn't my home. This is an entirely different country." Deep inside, Carrie knew she felt even stronger than that. It wasn't just her home because of the geological difference. It wasn't her home because she was no longer alive. She was a soul now, training to be a Shinigami so she could guide others like her to Soul Society. Her time here ended long ago and she had already accepted that.

It didn't make her heart ache any less.

"Now just in case any of you get overzealous, I'd like to take this moment to remind you that this is simply a training exercise and nothing more. Normally, you'd have to wait another full year for a chance like this but as Central 46 commands, we must start pushing you harder for the sake of Soul Society!"

"No doubt because of those damned Surrassha!" One of the students whispered.

"Those old coots must be scared out of their minds!"

"Who cares? I'll kill all the Surrassha myself! Turn their fucking heads into trophies!"

Carrie whimpered and no one heard.

"We will be splitting into groups of three. Three teams will be led by me and the other six will be led by my volunteers." Kenzo gestures to the bespeckled woman floating to his right. She bore a striking resemblance to Nanao Ise of Squad 8 but her clothing was mostly white and her ponytail was maintained by a single hard cylinder "Fellow Kendo instructor Akame Wolock and," He turned to his right where an all-too-familiar face was standing. "And Lieutenant of Squad 9, Shuhei Hisagi!"

"Right!" The students shouted in unison, Carrie a few seconds after everyone else.

"Alright. Divide your groups and then we'll head out to the practice grounds." Kendo explained.

Carrie sighed and allowed herself to float down to the roof of the radio station as the other students teamed up. The class was composed of an even number of students so she figured she wait for two unlucky ones to find themselves without a partner. That's how it usually worked in situations such as these. No one wanted to pair up with the spaz. She sat down against the rumbling antenna and hugged her knees against herself.

"Hey, what are you doing out here alone?" Carrie looked up to see a friendly face floating down toward her.

"Shuhei!"

"Everyone else is pairing up for the training exercises," Shuhei said as his feet touched the roof. "Why aren't you joining them?"

"Oh no one ever pairs up with me of their own free will," Carrie offered a dry chuckle. "It's better I wait until everyone's all paired up and then be a third wheel for the ones unlucky enough to get stuck with me."

"Well, whoever they are, I'll be leading your team, ok?"

"Ok," Carrie tried to hide it but her voice (and face) brightened up at that moment. Shuhei nodded and leaned against the antenna, his hands resting behind him. The two unlikely friends remained silent for a moment as they watched the other students argue about who joins what team.

"Sure is a beautiful night, isn't it?" Shuhei asked.

"Y-Yeah." Carrie looked up at the stars above. "It sure is."

Another moment of silence.

"Shuhei?"

"Yeah?"

"I-I heard you were leaving after this week," Carrie looked down again. "Is that...true?"

Shuhei's smile faded as he recognized the saddened tone in Carrie's voice. "Yeah. It is. After this weekend, I'm to head back to Squad 9 for an official report. They'll be sending another lieutenant here in my place."

"I see," Carrie uttered.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you earlier."

Carrie shook her head. "It's alright, Shuhei! I get it. You're a big important lieutenant. You have a lot of responsibilities and I shouldn't interfere. It's just...I..." Carrie felt her face warming up again. With abstract horror, she realized she was blushing and turned away before Shuhei could notice. "I-I'll just miss you." Her blush deepened even further.

"Oh," Shuhei wasn't entirely sure how to respond to this. He racked his brain for a way to change the subject so things could be less awkward and found it as his eyes fell on the sword attached to Carrie's waist. "Oh, is that your Zanpakuto?"

"Huh?" Carrie realized he was staring at her sword and grabbed a hold of it. "Oh yeah. This is my Asauchi." She unsheathed it and held it out in front of her. "I've tried to perform Jinzen a couple of times but I don't think I've had any luck imprinting my soul on it yet."

"Don't beat yourself up over it," Shuhei said. "After all, it usually takes years for a Shinigami to learn the name of their Zanpakuto, even after joining the Gotei 13."

"So I've heard," Carrie said as she recalled the first time Shuhei had told her that. It was hard for her to believe that was over four weeks ago. It felt like it all happened just last night. The training. The comfort. The confession...

Carrie gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. "Shuhei...?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"About that report, will you...you know...talk about me?" Her lips trembled as she asked this and Shuhei's heart sank as he realized what was going on.

"Oh...I...Listen, Carrie..." But before Shuhei could figure out what sentence he was trying to say, Kenzo's voice rang throughout the night.

"All right. The teams have been decided and now we will lead you to the training grounds!" Kenzo nodded to a group of eight students who floated down toward Carrie and Shuhei. Two of them, Ibara and the girl who teased Carrie about her apparent crush, (whom she later discovered was named Mari) landed before her.

"Great! Just great!" Ibara huffed, her voice filled with complete and utter disgust. "Of course, she'd end up being our third!"

"Hey there, Care-Bear!" Mari greeted. "How's it shaking?"

"C-Care-Bear?" Carrie sweatdropped, unsure of how to respond to the new nickname

"Kenzo-Sensei said we're to follow you to the training grounds, Lieutenant Hisagi!" One of the boys shouted while saluting Shuhei. Not sure how to respond to that, Shuhei uneasily saluted the boy back and said, "R-Right! Thank you." He let his hand fall to the side. "Good evening students. I am grateful for the opportunity to be your instructor tonight. Before we head to the designated training grounds, does anyone have any questions?"

"Um yeah...are we actually going to...you know...be fighting Hollows?" One of the girls asked.

Shuhei shook his head. "The Hollows you'll be fighting tonight are nothing more than dummies created by the Department of Research and Development. While they are meant to simulate the full sensation of battle, they aren't nearly as dangerous as the real deal. And besides, I'll be supervising the whole thing so if one of you gets in trouble, just shout and I'll lend a hand."

"Just fake Hollows? Bummer."

"Dude, you need some serious help."

"Oh Thank God! I thought we were already being sent on the frontlines."

"They literally told us it was training from the beginning, dumbass."

"Still..."

As the students talked among themselves, Carrie couldn't help but admire Shuhei as he stood so boldly before them. It felt as if she was watching a general lead his soldiers into battle, their strength and vigor renewed after hearing his words. She could feel herself getting pumped up for the upcoming training, wanting to do her best. All thoughts of her past sins and recurring nightmares, for the time being at least, faded into the black of her mind. "Shuhei, you're so amazing!" She thought.

She was so caught up in her newfound resolve that she didn't notice Mari sneak up behind her, a cat-like smile on her face. "So, it was the Squad 9 Lieutenant after all, huh?"

Carrie froze up, caught in the icy grip of utter shock. "W-W-Wha!?"

"Don't try to deny it!" Mari teased. "I totally saw the way you were checking him out just now. To be honest, I don't blame you."

"H-H-Hold on a minute!" Carrie's blubbered as her face burned hotter by the second. "Y-You have the wrong idea!"

"Aww! Don't get embarrassed, Care-Bear!" Mari whispered in a cooing tone one would normally reserve for a baby or pet. "I won't tell. But," She slightly tapped Carrie on the shoulder and whispered in her ear. "If you don't ask him out soon, someone's gonna beat you to the punch!"

"MARI!" Carrie shouted in embarrassment. It would seem this was to be a long night for Carrietta White after all.

Overhead, a satellite floated by, just as oblivious as everyone else as to what was to unfold that night.

---

Once all the teams were set, the three instructors took their share of students to three different areas around the radio tower. Kenzo took his group deep into the forest. Akame took her students to the beachside and Shuhei took his to the outskirts of Karakura Town. It wasn't a very populated place, mostly full of empty lots and old buildings. As the students followed the lieutenant there, a lot of them noticed a slight shift in spiritual pressure. Before any of them could ask what it was, Shuhei beat him to the punch.

"Don't be alarmed. That spiritual pressure you're noticing just now is just from the dummy Hollows. In real combat, you're more likely to sense a Hollow presence before actually seeing it. And if it's a really crafty Hollow and you're not careful enough, you just might not notice it until it's too late. So always keep your wits about you!"

"Scary," One of the more nerdy males in Carrie's class whimpered.

"Oh man up!" The boy next to him punched him on the shoulder.

"Hey! No infighting!" Shuhei scolded. "More than anything else, the key to succeeding in these missions as well as surviving is teamwork. You have to depend and look out for each other when facing Hollows or else you'll be picked off one by one. So get along, alright!"

"Fine!" Both boys said in bored, drawn-out unison. The nerdy one quickly pointed to the mean jock. "But he started it!"

"Why you!" The other boy decked him in the jaw. Shuhei sighed and pinched his nose as the two continued to fight. Then he turned to Carrie, his smile returning ever slightly. "You hear that, Carrie? Teamwork's the best weapon you got against the Hollows so trust in your teammates."

"R-Right!" Carrie nodded, even as a low groan formed in her throat. Nervously, she looked back toward the two girls in her group. Ibara was shooting her a death glare while Mari was making a peace sign with her tongue out. Carrie felt herself sweatdrop again. "I'm so glad these are fake Hollows we have to fight or we might actually be in danger." She thought with a fake smile plastered on her face.

Shuhei was the first to land on one of the old buildings. He waited patiently for the others to follow suit and once he was certain everyone was there, he continued his lesson. "Alright! Here's the deal. The three teams will head in the direction I point and slay any Hollows they come across. If two or more teams find themselves hunting the same Hollow, they are not to compete with each other but work together to bring the monster down. Any questions?"

The students remained silent.

"Alright! Let's begin!" He pointed to the first team, comprising of the nerd and jock "Team 1, you take the left side of this block!"

"Yes sir!" The three boys shouted in unison as they flash-stepped toward their destination. Next, Shuhei pointed toward a trio comprising two girls and a boy, the one who had saluted him earlier. "Team 2, you head for the right side of the block."

"Yes, sir!" The team moved ahead, leaving Carrie and her newfound companions behind. "Team 3, you're to move ahead to the center of the block. I'll be keeping an eye out from up here. Remember, if anything goes wrong, just call for help."

"Yeah, yeah." Ibara spat. She was still angry about her humiliation on the day Shuhei rescued Carrie from her hazing. Of course, she was not dumb enough to think she could ever take on a lieutenant but the subject of her past torments, Carrie, was a different matter. She smiled darkly as she turned toward Carrie. Oh yes. One way or another, she was going to make her pay.

Without another word, the three girls flash-stepped to the center of the block.

"Good luck Carrie," Shuhei thought. "And be safe."

---

"Hado #1: Sho!" Mari shouted as she pointed her finger at the dummy Hollow and pushed it back. The creature roared in annoyance as its feet dragged along the asphalt. Once friction had stopped its movement, the Hollow rose its skull-like head up and fired a dark-red cero. Mari jumped up several feet in the air to dodge the attack and still felt the heat of the blast on her leg. "Damn!" She whined as she landed on a nearby building. "I thought these fake Hollows were supposed to be easier to fight!"

"Just stop complaining and keep fighting!" Ibara shouted as she took a swipe at the Hollow's side. She smiled with glee as a slash formed on the Hollow's side. The monster roared in pain and backhanded Ibara, sending her flying through the air. It was Carrie of all people who caught her but as she wasn't strong enough to withstand the momentum of the Hollow's throw, both girls were sent screaming into a brick wall.

"Guys!" Mari jumped down and stopped right before the newly created hole. She waited for the dust to settle and found herself standing before a hill of rubble behind the hole. "Are you alive?"

"Ugh! This sucks!" Ibara's leg shot up from the rubble, kicking up quite a bit of debris. Mari yelped as she moved about to dodge the falling debris in a rather cartoony fashion, all while Ibara began her rant. "This isn't fair!" I'm the best student in Mr. Agashi's class! I should have been partnered with people who are actually competent! And what do I get!" Ibara snarled as her gaze fell upon the panicking Mari. "I get Little Miss Sho-Spammer!" She then reached into the rubble and pulled out a barely conscience Carrie by the scruff of her shirt. "And little miss Daydreamer!" Carrie's lack of a response only served to further anger Ibara and she violently shook the poor girl. "Wake up, Goldilocks!"

"Uh..Wha!" Carrie grunted as Ibara dropped her on her head. Rubbing her scalp, she looked up at her tormented with tired eyes. "Ibara, please! Shu-Mr. Hisagai said we need to work together."

"Work together?" Ibara scoffed. Without warning, she suddenly shoved a finger against Carrie's nose. "All you're doing is holding me back! So unless you and the other dumb blonde over there can make yourselves useful, I suggest staying out of my way!"

"Hey! Chill out, will ya!" Mari butted in. "We're trying our best here. Kido class isn't exactly my strong suit, you know?"

"Well in that case, stick with cutting the damn thing and call it a day!" Ibara snapped.

"Easy for you to say, Miss Top of the Kendo class!" Mari said in a mocking voice.

"Uh dumbass, you realize that you're only supposed to say Little Miss when you intend to follow it up with an insult, right?"

"That was an insult!"

"How the hell is that an insult!?"

As the two girls argued over what counted as an insult, Carrie noticed the ground rumbling slightly and as she turned, found the Hollow slowly creeping up on them The wound Ibara had inflicted on its side had already ceased it's bleeding.

"Um, guys?" Carrie whimpered Her voice was drowned out by her teammates as they continued to bicker and the Hollow grew closer. On shaky legs, she got to her feet and reached for her sword. Then, for some unknown reason, Carrie felt tempted to try and mentally push the creature back. She wasn't sure where it came from and knew deep down, even as she reached her hand out to it, that it simply wouldn't work. But there was a familiar presence in the air, one that made her nostalgic and for the briefest of moments, made Carrie feel like she still had the power.

flex

Nothing. Not even a nudge.

Carrie exhaled in disappointment, mentally kicking herself for wasting time on the effort. She unsheathed her Zanpakuto and adopted an offensive stance. Her body was shaking now and sweat practically rained down from her brow but she wiped it off and stood her ground. "My power is gone and so is my earthly life," She thought. "I have to become a Shinigami so I can redeem myself. I must learn to fight." She felt herself gulp as the creature grew closer, its skull-like mask appearing to grimace in the moonlight. Carrie steadied herself and prepared to dig her blade into that grimacing face...

..only to watch it suddenly fall on its stomach and get dragged away into the darkness.

Only then did Ibara and Mari cease their bickering, their attention captured by the pained cry of the monster as it vanished from sight. All three girls found themselves staring into the darkness ahead, waiting for either the creature to return or whatever dragged it off to reveal itself.

"What the hell just happened?" Mari asked in a hushed voice. "Where'd the Hollow go?"

"I don't know but whatever happened, it can't be good news."

"Shh! Do you hear that?" Carrie asked.

The other two girls silenced themselves and listened closely. They could hear what sounded like quiet yet manic giggling all around them. Instinctively, they pushed their backs against Carrie's and unsheathed their swords. "All right, no more fooling around! We demand you show yourself!" Ibara shouted, doing her best to mask the fright in her voice.

"Oh. You demand I show myself? Quite ballsy for a little pissant." A gruff, masculine voice spoke back. "But since I want to see the terrified look on your faces before I rip you to shreds, I'll happily oblige!"

There was a thunderous footstep and then another one. One by one, these footsteps grew closer as they caused the young women to wobble. Finally, a single white paw stepped out from the shadows in front of them, followed by another one. Before long, the owner of that wretched voice finally revealed himself; A lion-like Hollow with a black mane and giant strips of drool dangling from its bloody fangs.

"It...It's..." Carrie stuttered.

"Its a Hollow!" Mari finished. "A real one!"

"You bet I am. And I have to say, I'm disappointed in you." He turned his head toward the inky blackness behind from which a trail of blood followed him. "Using dummies when the real deal is up and about. Now is that any way to train?" He turned back to the girls and Carrie could swear there was somehow a smirk on the feline mask making up his face. "I'd say it's time to take it up to the next level, don't you think girls?"

"Run!" Mari shouted. She, Ibara, and Carrie bolted the other way, only for the Hollow to reappear right in front of them. "Heh! Nice try girls! But you'll have to do better than that!" As he shouted this, the Hollow swung his tail at the three girls, sending them flying backward. They hit the ground hard, Ibara losing her grip on her sword. It didn't take her long to realize she lost it and her panic only increased as she desperately looked around for it. "Where is it? Where is it?"

She spotted it next to a pole and rushed to reclaim it. As soon as she was within grabbing distance of the lost weapon, however, the Hollow's mighty paw suddenly slammed down on her arm. Ibara screamed in pain and tried to pull herself free to no avail. The Hollow chuckled in amusement as the haughty Shin'o Academy student was brought to tears. "Aww, I do love a good cryer. Makes the souls taste that much sweeter." He purred as he licked his lips. "Perhaps it's time to take a bite?"

Just then, Mari appeared behind Ibara, her finger pointed directly at the Hollow. "Bite this, you lousy furball! Hado #1: Sho!"

The Hollow found himself pushed away from his prey and toward the empty building behind him. Her arm injured but now free, Ibara reclaimed her weapon and stood alongside Mari, trying her best to avoid eye contact. It was clear she wasn't too thrilled about having to be rescued.

"Gah! Little bitch!" The Hollow cursed. "Do you really think that little magic trick will be enough to defeat me?"

"Nope, but cutting you up a bunch of times might do the trick!"

"Huh!? Gah!" The Hollow suddenly felt a sharp pain on its back, feeling the warmth of its own blood running off of it. Turning around quickly with a snarl, he saw that the culprit was none other than Carrie, her Zanpakuto still dripping with his blood. "Come on, you coward! W-We're not scared of you!"

"Is that so?" The Hollow chuckled again. "Then tell me why your legs are shaking so bad?"

Carrie gasped and looked down to see that her lower body was indeed still trembling. "Dammit!" She squeaked to herself. "Stop it! Stop being so afraid!"

"Ha! What a joke!" The Hollow stepped forward, licking its teeth as it took a step toward the shaking Carrie. "Seraphim said you guys would be easy pickings but I never imagined that you would be this pathetic! It almost ruins my appetite! Well...almost."

"G-Get back!" Carrie cried. "I'm warning you!"

"Hehehe! Come to Pa-GAH!" Before the Hollow could pounce, both Ibara and Mari slammed their blades into his thick mane. "You...little harlots!"

"You're the one who should watch what he says!" Ibara shouted. "After all, it's still three against one!"

"Now it's time to turn you into a bad decor rug!" Mari added with a smile.

"Grrr." The Hollow suddenly roared, the soundwaves blasting Carrie and the others back. The nearby buildings were knocked back and reduced to rubble, leaving him surrounded by nothing but debris by the time he finished roaring. "Where are you?" He growled as the dust around him settled. "I know you're still alive! I can feel your spiritual pressure! Come on out already and I'll consider killing you in one bite!"

Suddenly, Carrie flash-stepped in front of him, her sword poised to strike. "Here I am! Come and get me!"

The Hollow prepared to pounce on Carrie once again but before he could leave the ground, he felt another wave of pain engulf his side. Glaring behind him, he saw the other blonde girl, Mari, vanish back into the darkness, her blade dripping with his blood. "Gah! Urr!" He took a few seconds to examine the fresh wound on his side and uttered a low growl. "You annoying little tramps!" He turned back to where Carrie was standing not but a moment ago. "Just wait until I-

But no one was there anymore. The Hollow was by himself once again.

"Shit! Where's they go?" He looked around for them again, sniffing the air but only smelling his own drawn blood. After a few seconds, Mari reappeared and, much to the surprise of the Hollow, started shaking her rear end at him. "Here kitty kitty! Come and get it!"

"You little bitch!" He prepared to pounce and actually succeeded in becoming airborne, only for another wave of pain to stun him from behind, this one much greater than before. Ibara had flash-stepped behind him and sliced off his tail while he was distracted. "This is payback for breaking my arm, you insect!" She snarled.

"Gooowwh! My tail! You fucking-" As the Hollow turned to attack Ibara only for Carrie to reappear and slash his other side. He took a swipe at her, only for her to vanish back into the darkness and for Ibara to take another swipe, cutting his cheek. Again and again, the Hollow would try to attack one of the girls, only for the others to cut him when he wasn't looking. In his frustration and humiliation, he increased the aggressiveness of his attacks which only served to exhaust him faster. His wounds continued to pile up as his blood stained the ground beneath his feet. After a few minutes of this torment, the lion-like Hollow could take no more and collapsed to the ground. After a few more moments, his body dissipating as the three girls gathered around where it once lay.

"I...I can't believe it," Carrie said. "We won! We actually won!"

"Just for the record, I was the one who got the most hits in!" Ibara added

"No way!" Mari interrupted. "I was keeping count! I totally got more hits than you!"

"Oh yeah? How many did you get?" Ibara challenged.

"Uhh...I don't know." Mari pressed her knuckles against her head as she stuck out her tongue, trying to appear as cute as possible. This, of course, only served to infuriate Ibara as she grabbed Mari's throat and began to strangle her. "What do you mean you don't know? How are you going to sit there and tell me that you got more hits in than me when you don't even know how many you made? You honestly expect me to take your word for it!?"

"W-Well," Mari choked out. "H-How many cuts did you get in?"

Ibara suddenly stopped throttling Mari, her face turning bright red. She dropped Mari to the ground and turned away while coughing in her hand. "I..I'm not at liberty to say!"

"Ha!" Mari pointed at her. "You don't know either! Guess you're not as perfect as you thought huh?" She burst into laughter as Ibara's blush deepened.

"Shut up or I swear I'll kill you!"

Carrie had remained silent since Ibara's and Mari's argument started. There was something...comforting about seeing them fight about such petty things after such a close encounter with death. It put her at ease. "I wonder...is this what it feels like after a real battle?" She pondered. "A real battle...with friends?" Carrie's musings were interrupted by the sudden arrival of several foul spiritual pressures above her. She opened her mouth to warn her friends but stopped. She could tell from their horrified faces that they were well aware of the danger already. Looking up slowly, Carrie trembled at the sight of dozens of real Hollows floating down toward her and her teammates, all cackling and speaking to themselves of their desire to destroy the young trainees

"How sweet! Fresh meat!"

"Nice! I love them young and tender!"

"This is going to be fun!"

Carrie felt her heart race again. She tried to move but discovered to her shock and horror that she was frozen in place. She couldn't even lift up her sword to take a defensive pose.

"Holy shit!" Mari cried. "There's like, a billion of them!"

"Of course," Ibara growled. "We were foolish to think only one Hollow would have targeted us." She brought her sword closer to her face. "And what's worse, it's a known fact that Hollows in large groups will send the weakest of them out first to scope the enemy's abilities.

"So you're saying that guy we took out earlier was a weakling?" Mari gulped. "That...really sucks!"

"We can't fight them all off. We need to find Lieutenant Hisagi!" Ibara shouted.

"I call dibs on the freckled one!" One of the Hollows, a stag beetle-looking creature, charged at Carrie, its razor-sharp claws aimed at her abdomen.

"Carrietta look out!" Mari screamed. Carrie didn't hear her, however. All she could hear while trapped in the frozen throes of fear was the sound of her own heart pounding and the insidious laughter of the monster rushing to take her life. "It's all over," She thought. "All that training, all that pain, just for it to end like this."

The shadow of the Hollow engulfed Carrie and she further darkened her vision by closing her eyes tightly and praying to whatever god might be listening that her death was quick and painless.

"Heh heh heh, I have you now, my pre-GAAAAHH!"

Then she heard the sound of flesh being sliced and realized she felt no pain. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by the awesome sight of Shuhei Hisagi slicing the Hollow in half with his unreleased sword. "Girls!" He shouted as the two halves of the vicious monster fell below him. "Are you alright!?"

"Mr. Hisagi!" Ibara and Mari cried in unison.

"Shuhei!" Carrie beamed, tears of relief flowing from her eyes.

"What the hell took you so long?" Mari followed up with.

"Sorry. A couple of these Hollows ambushed me just as I felt their spiritual pressure." Shuhei explained. "I wasn't able to come here until backup arrived."

"Backup?"

Just then, there was an explosion in the middle of the Hollows, several of them were wiped out in the process while the others scattered. As the smoke settled, Carrie and the others could make out the visage of one Akame Wolock, the tip of her Zanpakuto still smoking.

"That lousy bitch!" One Hollow cried. "How did she get so close to us without us noticing?"

"Who cares! Let's just kill her!" A second one suggested. The two Hollows rushed toward Akame, only to lose their heads in one clean slice. Kenzo Agashi appeared in a blur as their bodies fell to the ground. "The number one rule of battle, never take your eyes off your blind spot!" He bellowed.

The other Hollows flew towards the three instructors, intending to overwhelm them with their diminished but still great numbers. Just as one of them was about to take a slash at Shuhei, however, a Kido blast created a gaping hole in its side. Another one, this one with a surer aim, blasted away a chunk of its head. Gathered on the roof of the buildings were the rest of Carrie's class, either blasting Kido spells or launching themselves into battle with swords poised to strike.

"No one messes with our classmates and gets away with it! Ha!" The jock from earlier cried as he smashed his sword into a Hollow's skull.

"Hado #31: Shakkaho!" The nerdy boy shouted as he blasted another Hollow with his Kido.

"Begone with you!" The boy who had saluted Shuhei earlier kicked the lower jaw of yet another Hollow clean off. The teachers let the students have their fun for a few moments, keeping an eye out for any Hollows that got too close and started picking them off one by one.

"Amazing!" Ibara whispered. "This is what real battle looks like!"

"Ha! I almost feel sorry for those Hollow jerks!" She turned to Carrie. "What about you...Carrie?"

But Carrie once again was too lost in thought to hear Mari. All she could focus on was Shuhei as he effortlessly cut through Hollow after Hollow. He was like something out of the fairy tales she would read in the school library against her mother's wishes, a knight slaying dragons and other monsters. "Shuhei.." She whispered, her eyes sparkling, face flushed and heart pounding for a different reason.

But then, a single word was uttered. Not by any of the Hollows, the teachers or the students but from even higher in the sky. It was a single word not shouted or screamed but simply said. Yet, the sheer weight and power behind was enough to ensnare the attention of every single conscious being in the area.

"Enough."

And then Carrie felt it. An immensely strong spiritual pressure dwarfing that of the other Hollows and even some of the instructors. It felt...warm. It was as if the Sun was somehow returning to the sky and bathing her in its light but she could only see the crescent moon. It was such a strange sensation. Strange and disturbingly familiar.

"What's going on?" Ibara asked. "Where's this spiritual pressure coming from?"

"I don't know but whatever it is, it's even making the Hollows freak out." Mari pointed up to the sky where, much to Carrie and Ibara's surprise, the remaining Hollows were retreating in a panic. Once again, Carrie could hear them speak as they vanished into their Gargantas but this time, their words were filled with fear and anguish.

"It's Seraphim!"

"Shit! I thought we had more time!"

"She's making her move! Get out of here! Let her take care of these bastards!"

"Seraphim?" Carrie repeated. "That's what the Hollow that first attacked us said."

"Could they be their leader?" Ibara asked as Mari looked back and forth between her two friends. "Um guys, I don't mean to derail the situation but what the heck does Seraphim mean?"

"It's a type of angel," Carrie explained. "My Mama told me about them when I was a little girl. They're supposed to have six wings to cover themselves because they're so bright, they'd incinerate any other angel that looked directly at them."

"What kind of twisted story is that!?" Mari shouted.

"Sounds like someone had a good childhood," Ibara muttered sarcastically.

Carrie sighed as she understood the sarcasm. "You don't even know the half of it." She thought. She suddenly felt Shuhei appear behind them and spun around to see him take a defensive stance with his back to her. "S-Shuhei?"

"Something's coming," Shuhei said. "And it's far stronger than any of those Hollows. Stay behind me!"

"Shuhei?" Carrie whispered. From the corner of her eye, she could see Kenzo and Akame take similar stances before their charges. The other six students under Shuhei's care flash-stepped behind Ibara and Mari. One of them, a female student, was bleeding from her side and had to lean on her friend in order to stand. It would seem some of the Hollows got a hit in after all.

"You might as well come on out, whoever you are!" Kenzo shouted. "Or do you intend to remain hidden in the clouds like a coward!?"

All was quiet for the next few seconds, then, the voice returned with a scoff.

"Calling me a coward while making demands of me? Such hubris." From the dusky clouds, a ball of light gently floated down toward the teachers and students. It was like a miniature Sun, blocking out the moon and stars with its light. "But then again, what can one expect from such lowly sinners as the Shinigami?" The ball of light continued to float down until it was hovering directly over the Shinigami. By this point, no one, not even Shuhei could stand to look directly at it. He shielded his eyes the best he could but could still feel the intense light burning into them from even under his eyelids. His heart was pounding and sweat began to coat his body. "What is this?" He thought

"You Shinigami are an affront to the Almighty!" The voice shouted. "Stepping into his domain and taking the judgment of souls into your own hands! But tonight, it is you who will be judged!" The ball of light suddenly opened up, revealing itself to be composed of two giant wings attached to a humanoid Hollow. Her feminine body was sleek and pale, her hole directly above her featureless breast. Her hair was red like blood and flowed above her in wisp as if caught in a breeze blowing from beneath her. The red jewel above the eye slits of her mask glowed as well but its light was eclipsed by the sheer brightness of her wings as they spread. What little vision the students and teachers still had vanished into a pure white void. "Let His Light shine upon you and rejoice in His Presence!"

And then the screaming started.

Carrie had never felt anything like this before. It was as if she was standing before the very Sun itself, all its heat and light racing through her body and soul. She felt naked, not just in the sense that she could no longer feel her uniform or her sword on her body but in that she could feel her very soul being bared against her will. Her very mind was being broken into, and the memories of her final night of life took control. She tried to push them away but to no effect. This light, this horrid invasive light, was forcing her to think these thoughts, to relive her sins over and over again. With them came the memories of her mother and her preaching of hellfire and brimstone, of demons and gnashing of teeth. And at that moment, Carrie finally realized.

She was being burned by the light of God.

With no other recourse, she screamed in anguish. Pain engulfed both her body and mind and she felt herself slipping away. It wouldn't be long before she was destroyed, cast out into the infernal ocean of flame her mother warned her about. "I deserve this." She thought. "It was foolish to think I could escape my final judgment." With her final fragment of remaining willpower, she thought of Shuhei. "Goodbye Shuhei. Thank you for everything. Oh Lord, if you consider showing even a little bit of mercy here tonight, please show it to Shuhei. Ame-

And then the light faded. It gave Carrie visual whiplash from how suddenly it was gone. What followed was a few minutes of Carrie rubbing her eyes, checking to see if she could use them to see again, finding her vision a little less blurry than before, and rubbing them again. For the most part, there was nothing to see but darkness and Carrie came to the conclusion that she was in Hell. It made perfect sense to her. God/Heaven equals too much light. Hell equals not enough. As her vision cleared, however, she did become aware of a strange shape sitting before her, huge and red.

Terror gripped her heart as she realized she had been here before. "No...it can't be...can it?" In haste, she rubbed her eyes one final time, mentally willing her vision to be clear enough to make out the thing sitting in front of her. This was an action she regretted as she found herself once again face to face with the Devil she knew all too well.

"Welcome back," It whispered. "Are you ready to talk now?"

---

"My eyes! My body! It burns! It burns!" Shuhei screamed as all vision was lost to him. Visions of Kaname tormented him, reminding him of the dear Captain he could not save from himself. Shuhei would never know just how long this torment went on before a familiar voice suddenly shouted at him.

"Snap out of it, you idiot!"

"Gah!" Shuhei suddenly found himself back on the rooftop. The winged Hollow was still floating before him, laughing to herself as her wings shone brightly. Shuhei shielded his eyes with his arm and a grunt. "Dammit! So bright! I can hardly see."

"See? You could hardly think with that light breaking into your mind! You're lucky I was here to drag you back out!"

Shuhei gulped as he recognized the voice all too well. "K-Kazeshini?"

"Who else?" The voice sneered. "I have to say, I'm quite disappointed in you, Shuhei. I know you're pathetic but this is a new low, even for you! Being caught up in a mind attack by a low-level Hollow."

"I'm not so sure she's low-level," Shuhei responded, his gaze still fixed on the angelic figure hovering above him. Gradually, he lowered his gaze toward the students and instructors also caught in her light. They were all screaming in agony, some of them weeping and others gnashing their teeth. It was a sight that chilled Shuhei to the core. "I don't know exactly what kind of attack she's using but it's affected everyone here."

Suddenly, a particularly shrill shriek caught Shuhei's attention. He spun around just in time to see one of the female students under his care, the one that was injured from before, disintegrate into nothingness under the harshness of the light. Even her ashes burned up.

"No!" Shuhei shouted.

"Heh! I guess you're right. Maybe this winged headache will bring more of a challenge than I thought." Kazeshini laughed.

Shuhei hardly hear him. He was too transfixed on the blackened spot where the girl once stood as well as the rest of the students.

Especially Carrie.

She was on her knees now, her head bowed as if praying for forgiveness. Although he could not see her face, Shuhei could tell she was crying, her tears drying up in the light only a mere moment after they first fell. There was a sickening sizzling sound coming from her as well and Shuhei knew it wouldn't be long before she was destroyed like the other girl.

He needed to end this now.

Turning back around to face the enemy, he held out his sword with both hands and cried out, "Reap, Kazeshini!" At once, the sword transformed into two scythe-like blades tethered together with a long chain. Each hand now armed with a weapon, he moved the blades away from each other and flash-stepped away from the roof. He reappeared on top of the building on the opposite side of the Hollow that called itself Seraphim just in time to see another student, a young boy, burn up into nothingness. His heart filled with rage, Shuhei threw the right end of Kazeshini over toward Seraphim. She was only just noticing the whistling sound of the blade flying through the air before the chain wrapped around her neck. Caught off guard, she flapped her wings in panic, the harsh light of her wings dimming as her concentration broke.

"What is this!?" She screeched. "You dare raise your weapons against an angel of God!?"

"You've already taken two lives tonight," Shuhei answered as he gripped the chain. "I don't care what you are! You're not taking anymore!" With a hard yank, Shuhei pulled Serphim down from the sky. The angelic Hollow screamed as she descended faster and faster toward the Squad 9 Lieutenant. Just as her head was about to make impact with the rooftop he was standing on, Shuhei flash-stepped out of the way, reappearing in the sky above. He watched as Seraphim smashed into the building with enough force to knock it down, the resulting cloud of dust and debris climbing to the soles of Shuhei's feet. With a final grunt, he pulled the other end of his weapon back up.

"Hahahaha! This is great! I don't know what's gotten into you Shuhei but this is the most fun you've ever been!"

Shuhei, of course, ignored his Zanpakuto's comment. What he was focused on now more than anything was the students and instructors. They were still shaken but starting to come out of Seraphim's spell one by one. The only exception was Carrie who remained kneeling on the floor, even as Mari and Ibara recovered.

"Carrie," Shuhei whispered. He prepared to rush to her when a voice called out from underneath him.

"What hubris! What utter insolent hubris!"

Shuhei looked down to see a shape slowly emerge from the dust cloud beneath him. It was Seraphim, her mask cracked and her wings dirty but otherwise completely unharmed. "You really think you can fight back against the will of God?" She growled. "Who are you to defy Him?"

"I don't know anything about this God of yours," Shuhei responded as he readied his blades. "But you're attacking my comrades and that makes you my enemy. If harming these students is your God's will, then of course I'm going to defy it!"

Seraphim stood silent for a moment. Then, much to Shuhei's surprise, she chuckled. "Is that so? My what pride you have, Shinigami." She spread out her arms and wings which continued to glow beneath the muck and scum that blanketed them. She lifted her head as if in a trance and as Shuhei watched, the light from her wings darkened as the jewel upon her head began to glow.

"She's transferring the light to that jewel." He realized.

"But pride goeth before destruction," Seraphim said as she blasted a beam of energy at Shuhei, laughing as it made contact with his blades and blew up like a firecracker in the sky. "So sayeth the Lord!"

---

"I..It's you..." Carrie stammered. "It's really you."

"It is, that much I know for myself." The Devil said. "The question is, do you know who I am?"

Carrie nodded. "Of course I do. Mama taught me about you all my life and all my life I lived to keep away from you. To stay off your path." She sniffled. "For all the good that did me."

Carrie started to tear up as the devil before her suddenly laughed out loud. "Hahaha! What a stupid child! You still don't get it, do you?"

"I do get it!" Carrie snapped. "You're the Devil and you've been following me since the night of the prom, waiting for the chance to snatch my soul and drag it to Hell where it belongs." Carrie fell to her knees and sobbed quietly, her teardrops falling onto her fingers. The thought that she would never see a friendly human face again, let alone Shuhei's, plagued her mind but she did not fight those thoughts. They might as well be a part of her punishment "I won't fight it anymore. Just get on with it already." She whispered. "Just bring on the Hellfire."

She waited, for anything really. For the everlasting flame to engulf her and burn her hair and clothes to cinders. For the demon to produce a bloodied pitchfork and ram it into her abdomen. For the faces of all those she killed to surround her with blazing eyes and mournful wails. But all she got was the devil laughing even harder. Not even a deep evil laugh as one would expect for him in this situation but a simple, almost drunken chuckle. Carrie felt a burning sensation alright, but it was only the burning of her cheeks as her face began to pout in annoyance.

To think simple embarrassment would be her eternal punishment.

"H-Hey! Stop that!"

"Hahha! I-I'm sorry, child. It's just, you really don't get it at all."

"What do you mean!? If you're not the Devil, then who are you?

"I believe I already told you. You and I are the same."

"What does that mean?" Carrie's sorrow and fear were starting to become an enraged annoyance. "Enough with these mind games already! Just tell me who you are!"

The devil looked up at Carrie, his two beady eyes almost looking...wounded. Then he shook his head. "It is quite sad, isn't it?" He said in his normal, foreboding tone of voice, all trace of amusement gone. "After all the times you've called out to me, only to reject me when I show myself."

"I've never called upon you!" Carrie challenged. "Even at my lowest points, even when he didn't help me, it was always God I called upon. That's what Mama taught me."

"Really?" The devil scoffed. "Then I suppose it's this same God you've been calling out to when practicing your Jinzen."

Carrie was taken aback. "What does my Jinzen have to do with this? All I was trying to do was call...out..." Her eyes widened. Her mouth fell agape. The truth, the plain naked truth, slammed into Carrie like one of the prom-goers against the wall on that awful night. Relief that she wasn't in Hell after all might have lifted her spirits if the sheer horror of the revelation didn't weigh them down. "N-No...you...you can't be..."

"But I am, child." The devil said. "I am not your Devil or your God but a being born out of your soul. The part of your soul you've imprinted onto your blade."

"You're lying!" Carrie cried. "The devil is a liar. I could never have something like...like.."

"Like me? Is it so shocking that something born from your tormented, regretful soul has taken the form you've seen before you? Especially after you spilled innocent blood on that night?"

Carrie whimpered and cried into her hands. As much as she didn't want to admit it was true, as much as she wished she could explain away this being as simply being a demonic tempter, deep down inside, she knew he spoke the truth. There was too much familiarity surrounding this being, and with it, contempt for what it represented within herself. Of course, it would look like the Devil. It was a personification of the evil she committed that night, her own sins made flesh and given voice. "What...What do you want from me?"

"I've already told you that as well, child. I want you to accept your sins. Accept what you've done!"

"What do you mean?" Carrie asked through her tears. "I know I killed all those people and I know it was wrong! I've already-

"No you have not!" The devil roared, startling Carrie and knocking her on her back. "You may acknowledge that you killed that night but there's a difference between knowing and accepting. When someone gets sick, do they accept that they will die bed-stricken and weakened? No, they go to the doctor to try and cure themselves. When a criminal has committed a crime, do they lay down and accept the punishment they've earned? No, they go into hiding. There are times when it is okay to fight back against what you do not accept but this is not one of those times. Child, if you wish to truly atone for your sins, you must first accept that you committed them in the first place."

"Atone?" Carrie picked herself up and dusted herself off.

"Yes. I know you crave salvation but you will never achieve it until you accept what you've done to be in need of it in the first place. How can you possibly help others if you cannot help yourself?"

Carrie gently grabbed her arm and rubbed it uncomfortably., averting her gaze from the devil she now knew to be born from her soul. "B-But why now? Shuhei said that it could take years for a Zanpakuto to speak to its master. So why are you speaking to me now?"

"Because you will never be able to reach your full potential if the shame of your sins holds you back." The devil explained. "But also because, as of right this moment, there is simply no more time for waiting."

"What are you talking about?" Carrie asked, only to be startled by a loud scream, one in an all-too-familiar voice. "S-Shuhei!?"

"He's fighting Seraphim as we speak. Like you, he had his Zanpakuto spirit to break her spell over him but that will not be enough to defeat her." The devil uttered a low growl. "I can sense her power even from within here. She's consumed many souls through that damned light of hers. She's well on her way to reaching the next stage of her evolution and with the lieutenant's soul, she just might achieve it!"

"No!" Carrie shouted. "I won't let that happen!" Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to step closer to the devil. "You say you're my Zanpakuto right? You can make me stronger?"

"I can lend you some of my strength, yes." The devil confirmed. "But first you must accept what you did in the past and what you might have to do in the future."

Carrie hesitated but only for a moment. "O-Ok! Just show me what to do!"

With a bit of effort and the audible cracking of his bones, the devil got to its left foot and while still kneeling on his right knee, reached out his hand to Carrie. "Take my hand and I will pour my power into you and your sword. You will hear my name as it flows through you but you will also be confronted with a taste of your own personal Hell. You must not falter or your own sins will tear you apart! Do you understand?"

"I...I do." Carrie gulped as she reached out her own hand, shaky and covered in sweat, toward the devil. "I can't believe I'm doing this!" She thought. "I'm actually reaching to this...this devil...willingly! Just what has my life turned into?" But as Carrie thought this, she heard another one of Shuhei's pained screams from outside her Inner World. She remembered all the time they spent training together and his reassurance that she would find salvation even as she confessed her sins to him. For the first time in her existence, Carrie White had a true bona fide friend and she was not about to let him die. Her resolve renewed she inhaled sharply and took the devil's hand.

At once, Carrie felt a surge of intense heat blast through her. It hurt but it didn't seem to burn as she couldn't smell the stench of any charred flesh or clothes. What she could smell was the rustic, pungent scent of pig's blood before feeling the horrid sensation of it running over her body like rain. She could hear the shocked gasps and cries of the crowd before they exploded into cruel mocking laughter and upon forcing her eyes open, Carrie could see the sneering faces those voices belonged to, right before they contorted into expressions of fear and pain.

"I'm reliving the past!" Carrie realized as the vision before began to change again. This time, she was kneeling in the kitchen, slowly dying from the knife wound on her shoulder. Before her, crucified by almost every kitchen tinsel in the house, was her mother, Margeret. The one behind most of the misery she had endured as a child but also the biggest regret she had in killing.

A regret she knew she could no longer run from.

"I'm sorry Mama," Carrie whispered. "I'm sorry everyone. Some of y'all brought it on yourselves but most of you were only caught in the crossfire. I'm sorry."

And then, within the heat and flames of her personal Hell, Carrie heard the devil speak his real name.

---

"Flex, Reddosuta" Carrie shouted. She felt the Asauchi change shape in her hands and as she looked down, she was nearly blinded by the bright light her sword was now engulfed in. This light only lasted for a few seconds and when it at last faded, Carrie found herself holding an impressive new sword. The cross guard, grip, and pommel were combined into a single three-point shape vaguely resembling the top half of a cross, its design a beautiful white with gold markings. The pommel had a blue jewel embedded within the top of it. There was a deep line making up the fuller and the blade shone a brilliant sliver in the moonlight. All in all, it was a remarkable sword that Carrie felt instant pride in. "It's so...heavenly." She thought. "To think that it was made by that...devil...no...not a devil...my Zanpakuto."

Carrie was so enthralled in the appearance of her new sword that she almost failed to notice the equally impressed muttering and whispers around her. When she finally looked up, she was somewhat taken aback by the sight of her fellow students surrounding her. Among them were Ibara and Mari, both of whom were transfixed by her sword.

"Nice sword, Care-Bear!" Mari smiled. "Looks like you're the first student in Mr. Agashi's class to achieve your Shikai! Way to go, girl!"

"This...This...This is impossible!" Ibara shouted. "How the hell does a failure like you get your Shikai before I do!?" She grabbed her black hair tightly and screamed. "This is bullshit, I tell you! Complete and utter bullshit!"

"Someone's a sore loser," Mari whispered, albeit loud enough for Ibara to hear. The black-haired girl responded with a roar and an attempted strangling as a confused and somewhat embarrassed Carrie watched on.

"W-What's going on?" She asked as she looked around. "What are all of you doing here..." As Carrie looked around, she realized something else. She was no longer on the rooftop she and her friends were standing on before Seraphin attacked but were now inside a multistory car park, the moon and stars visible from the spaces between the stories. "Wait a minute! This isn't the rooftop! Where am I?"

"We gathered all of the surviving students here for safety," Kenzo's voice explained from behind. Carrie turned to see her kendo instructor walking toward her with Akame leaning on him, one of her arms missing and the resulting stump still smoking. "Lieutenant Hisagi's orders."

"Shuhei...wait! Did you say surviving students?" It was then that Carrie noticed two of the students who had come to the training grounds were not in the lot. The best friend of one of them was crying into the shoulder of one of her male classmates. Carrie looked down at herself and realized her clothes were singed and patches of her skin darkened. "If I had been in that light any longer..."

"..You would be dead as well." Kenzo finished. "Thankfully, Lieutenant Hisagi was able to distract the Hollow long enough the break the spell and allow us to save the rest of you."

"I tried to help him in battle," Akame added. "But that Hollow was too fast for me."

"Where is he?" Carrie asked. "Where is Shu-Lieutenant Hisagi!?"

"He's out there fighting the Hollow," Kenzo explained. "I've already sent the word for backup but it might take a-

Kenzo was interrupted by a loud crash from outside. Behind him, Carrie could see falling debris from where the impact occurred. Frightened for her friend's life, she rushed up to the space between the stories and watched in horror as a bruised and singed Shuhei fell from the now broken building. "Shuhei!"

Insidious laughter filled the air and Carrie watched as Seraphim flew closer to her prey. "Repent, dog of the Shinigami. Repent so that you might be bathed in the blood of our Lord!"

"No!" Carrie stepped onto the edge and prepared to flash-step, only for Kenzo to grab her by the arm. "Let go!"

"Are you crazy!?" Kenzo barked. "That Hollow is far too dangerous! Do you think just because you've awakened your Zanpakuto, you're invincible? What do you hope to prove by getting yourself killed out there!?"

Carrie struggled to break free but it was no use. Kenzo's clasp was iron-tight. With a sigh, she stepped down from the edge and turned toward him, prompting him to let her go. "Mr. Agashi...I'm sorry!" Suddenly she pushed Kenzo back, causing the kendo instructor to nearly lose his footing. While he tried to rebalance himself, Carrie flash-stepped away.

"Carrietta!" Kenzo shouted as his other students helped him stand back up. "That dammed fool!"

"Should we go after her?" Akame asked as she gripped her stump.

Kenzo shook his head. "That brat made up her mind, it would seem. All we can do now is wait." Kenzo stiffened as he watched his pupil fly toward what he was certain was her doom. "Wait and pray."

---

"Gah!" Shuhei grunted as his head hit the edge of the exposed pipe. With his head throbbing, he launched one-half of Kazeshini over another broken pipe and halted his plummet. Both his head and right shoulder were bleeding, both wounds created from his efforts to escape Seraphim's intense energy beam. While not as strong as a true Arrancar's Cero, it was fast and it burned brightly. One blast was enough to take out Akame's arm when she tried to intervene. Shuhei himself wasn't sure what to do as after his initial attack, Seraphim was on her guard at all times. All he could think to do was try to lure her away from the students and teachers until backup arrived, hopefully with another lieutenant or even a captain leading the charge.

Little did Shuhei know that help was coming for him in a much smaller package.

As he hung from the broken pipe, Seraphim emerged from the cloud of debris that used to be part of the building. "My my, look at you know, poor sinner. Are you ready to give in?"

"I...I'll never give in until I'm dead!" Shuhei fixed his stance and brought the other half of Kazeshini back to his side. Some of the blood from his head wound dripped into his left eye, blurring his vision with the sweat his body was peppered with threatening to do the same to the right. He was the one at a disadvantage here and they both knew it.

"Prideful until the very end, aren't you?" Seraphim said with disdain as the jewel on her head began to glow. "Very well, then let the Lord judge you as He sees fit!"

"Hey! Leave him alone!" A shrill yet defiant voice called out from behind. Seraphim ceased her attack and turned to the next building over where a lone girl in a Shin'O academy uniform stood, her newly-born Shikai by her side. "If you wanna punish a sinner, then come after me!"

"C-Carrie?" Shuhei gasped. "What are you doing here? Run away!"

"Ohh, how sweet. The little harlot wishes to protect her fellow heathen, is that it?" Seraphim touched her fingers to her chin as she looked Carrie over. "Strange, I feel like I should know you from somewhere." She said this in a almost mocking tone.

"The feeling's mutual," Carrie muttered as she too felt an uncomfortable sense of nostalgia coming from this Hollow. Not wanting to dwell on this horrid sensation, Carrie took an offensive stance she learned in Kendo class. "Come at me, you...you...overgrown pigeon!"

For the first time that whole night, Seraphim lost her cool exterior. "Pigeon!?"

"Pigeon!?" Shuhei repeated, equally dumbfounded by Carrie's attempt at insult.

"What an idiot." Ibara said to herself as she and the rest of the students watched the scene unfold.

"You little tramp!" Seraphim roared as her jewel lit up again. "I'll teach you to disrespect a messenger of the Lord!" She fired her beam at Carrie who held her sword up to deflect it. "I hope this works." She whispered to herself.

But Carrie would not get the chance to test this out as at the final moment, right when the beam was about to make impact, one of Kazeshini's blades wrapped itself around her and pulled the surprised girl out of harm's way. She shrieked as the blast destroyed the roof behind her and crashed into Shuhei, the both of them flying through what was left of the mostly destroyed building. Once back out into the night air, Shuhei fixed himself while wrapping his arms around Carrie and planted both feet firmly on the ground. Once he had come to a halt, he found himself standing before a large cloud of debris with Carrie in his arms like a princess.

"S-Shuhei?" Carrie stammered, all too aware of her position and quietly hoping that the debris would keep anyone back at the lot from seeing it.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Shuhei barked. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Carrie was taken aback by the way Shuhei had shouted at her but stood her ground. "I was trying to keep you from getting killed! This isn't an enemy you should be fighting alone Shuhei! She's too powerful!"

"I know that and I'm trying to keep her busy until backup arrives. So why don't you head back to the lot and-

"No!" Carrie interrupted. "I'm staying with you!"

"Carrie-

"I know I'm just a novice, ok? Hell, until just a few weeks ago, I couldn't even hold my sword properly. But then someone came along and gave me the words of a wise man. Telling me it's only because I fear my blade that I can call myself worthy of wielding it." Carrie looked up at Shuhei, her eyes seeming to gleam in the moonlight. "Well Mr, I'm more afraid than I've ever been in my entire life, not just for myself but for those that matter to me." Carefully, she squirmed out of Shuhei's grasp and faced him once she got to her feet, the resolve in her eyes burning like the blood under her cheeks. It was then that Shuhei realized that her sword had changed.

"Carrie! Y-Your Zanpakuto!"

"I don't know about you but I'd rather use my fear to fight alongside my friends than run away like a coward." She brandished her sword as she said this. "How about you?"

Shuhei couldn't believe what he was seeing. This Carrie, scared but determined to see this fight through, was such a far cry from the shy clumsy girl he had met just a few weeks ago and nothing at all like the vicious Surrassha that she claimed herself to be. She may have taken life in the past but it was clear now that Carrie truly wanted to atone for her sins through the path of a Shinigami. Shuhei couldn't but smile at how far she's come. "Alright, but stay close to me as much as possible!"

"Right!"

Just then, what was left of the cloud of debris scattered in the wind as Seraphim flapped her wings. "Ah! Hiding like mice now, are we?"

Shuhei stepped in front of Carrie and displayed his Kazeshini. "We're not hiding. We're going to stand and avenge those you've killed!"

"Yeah!" Carrie shouted while showing off Reddosuta. As she stood behind Shuhei, she finally stopped to study the form of his Shikai. "So that's what Kazeshini looks like, huh?" She thought. "I heard of Zanpakuto with two blades but I never thought I would see one up close. It looks almost like a pinwheel." Carrie turned to her own sword and noticed a tiny bit of red liquid at the bottom of the fuller. 'Huh? When did that happen? Did I hurt myself without realizing it?" Before Carrie could check herself for injuries, she felt a red light shine on her and recognized it immediately as Seraphim's red beam. "Shit!"

"Jump!" Shuhei shouted. Both he and Carrie leaped just as the beam hit the ground. They both landed on buildings opposite each other with the laughing Seraphim flying in the middle. "Avenge those I've killed? Please, I've never killed anyone. I've simply sent them to the Lord for final judgment. It's simply the assignment he gave me and when the Lord assigns you a mission, you simply take it upon yourself like Jesus took upon the cross!"

"Jesus...cross?" Shuhei asked. "Must be more of that Western religion Carrie was talking about." Shuhei

"It's so odd..." Carrie thought. "Why would a Hollow be concerned with following the cross? Who is she?"

"Yes, the Lord has looked upon the unworthy vessel that is me and granted me the task of bringing down His judgment upon you wicked Shinigami!" Seraphim declared her her wings began to glow. "Now face thy damnation!"

"Not a chance!" Shuhei jumped up into the air and launched one of Kazeshini's blades at Seraphim. Having learned her lesson from last time, she deflected the blow with her wings and shot another blast from her head jewel.

"Bakudo #62: Hyapporankan!" Shuhei shouted as he launched a rod of blue light toward the blast. Right as the two were about to collide, the rod split into several more copies of itself, a lot of which were destroyed by contact with Seraphim's attack. Those that were left rained down on Seaphim and pinned her to the ground below. She screamed in rage as she was brought down and struggled to get free.

"Now's my chance!" Carrie thought as she jumped down toward the trapped Hollow, looking to remove one of its wings. "Alright Reddosuta! Show me what you can do!" Before Carrie could make the cut, however, Seraphim finally managed to rip her left arm away from one of the rods and backhanded Carrie, sending her flying into yet another building.

"Shit!" Shuhei thought. "There weren't enough rods to hold her down!"

Seraphim groaned in agony as she tried to pull herself away from the rods. She noticed one of them had impaled her right hand and without even the slightest bit of hesitation, ripped her arm away in one violent jerk, completely destroying the hand in the process. "If your right hand offend thee, cut it off and throw it away." She said as she started to get up.

"Bakudo #62: Hyapporankan!" Shuhei sent another round of rods towards Seraphim. She folded her wings and flapped them violently against the rods, sending them flying in all directions. "Dammit! She's learning to counter everything we throw at her!"

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twic-

"Hado #31: Shakkaho!" A beam of red light suddenly hit Seraphim in the face. With the giant wound that used to be her right eye hole still smoking, she turned toward the direction the blast came from and saw Carrie approaching her, gripping her injured arm tightly and bleeding from her bottom lip. One of her eyelids wouldn't close right. "Ugh! Getting thrown through a building hurts a lot worse when you're by yourself." She mumbled. Fighting through her pain, she once again brandished her sword."Now come at me!"

"If your right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it aside." Seraphim dug two of her elongated fingers into the damaged eye slit and, with a sickening crack, removed the damaged eye from within her mask. She crushed what was left of the useless organ in her hand and held it out toward Carrie. "Sinful little wrench, why do you resist the Will of the Lord?"

Carrie wasn't sure how to respond to such a question. Although she was shown time and time again reasons to believe that her faith was wrong, part of her still felt like a Christian and that part didn't want to admit that maybe, just maybe, she was sinning by joining the Shinigami. "Then again, what has God ever done for me besides sit back and let everyone else hurt me?" She found herself thinking. She almost gasped at the fact that such a blasphemous thought would enter her head but was it really blasphemous? Was it really bad to insult the kind of God this being, this monster before her, considered herself an instrument of? Finding the question far too complicated for now, Carrie simply pushed it to the side and said, "Because I am a Shinigami and it is my duty to protect the balance of this world!"

"Ha!" Seraphim scoffed. "You think too highly of yourself, little wrench. I'm sure your parents would be quite disappointed in what you've allowed yourself to become."

"My parents...Mama..." Carrie shook her head and pointed her sword at Seraphim. "That's enough out of you!" Before she could make her next move, however, she noticed the fuller of her blade was now halfway filled with the red liquid from before. It was splashing around in the fuller yet not a single drop spilled from the blade. "This red stuff...is it part of my Zanpakuto's power? What happens when it fills up completely?" Carrie shook her head for the final time. There was no time to worry about the red liquid. She needed to take Seraphim down now. With a vicious battle cry, she launched herself at the angelic Hollow.

Seraphim dodged blow after blow with hardly any movement, taking full advantage of Carrie's amateur swinging. She giggled to herself as the girl grew more frustrated with each missed strike. "What pathetic movements!" Seraphim mocked. "Is this really the best you can do!"

"Shut up!" Carrie roared as she took another swing, neither her nor Seraphim noticing the red liquid inside Reddosuta's fuller increasing still. "Just die!"

"What a stupid child," Seraphim grabbed the blade just as it was aiming for her shoulder and knocked Carrie back again. "Do you really think you could defeat me, a messenger of Almighty God!"

Carrie landed on her backside and glared at Seraphim, her wounds bleeding and cheek burning with both rage and shame. This Hollow was making an absolute fool of her and she was hating every minute of it. "It's just like prom all over again." She thought. "If only I still had my powers."

Seraphim laughed as her head jewel glowed again. "Playtime is over, child! Now it's time to repent!" Just as Seraphim was about to shoot the beam once again, Kazeshini's chain suddenly wrapped around her neck and yanked her upward. "What!?"

"Looks like I fooled you twice!" Shuhei shouted as he held the other half of Kazeshini over his head. Once Seraphim was within range, he dug the blade into her mask with as much force as he could muster. Seraphim screeched in pain as blood trickled to the bottom of her mask and dripped onto her breast. She writhed in agony, her wings thrashing about yet Shuhei held on, his face fixed in an expression of quiet condemnation. "I told you we'd make you pay for killing our allies."

"Shuhei!" Carrie smiled.

"Aggh...Argh!...E...Enough!" Seraphim folded her wings in front of her, hardening the feathers. Then she extended them backward, knocking Shuhei off her back and into a nearby wall, shards of broken glass and building pieces falling from where he was embedded.

"No! Shuhei!"

"Shit!" Kenzo shouted as he and the others watched from the lot. Although Carrie and Shuhei were far away, they were still able to make out the events of the battle. "Lieutenant Hisagai's been knocked out of the sky!"

"When is that damned backup gonna get here?" Akame cursed. "At this rate, we'll all be dead by the time they arrive."

"This is insane!" Mari cried. "That dammed Hollow just keeps getting back up! It's like she's really immortal or something!"

Ibara stiffened as Mari continued to panic. She didn't say anything, couldn't say anything. All she could do was watch and wait with the others.

"I've had it with you filthy heathens!" Seraphim shouted as she gently flapped her wings free of debris. Her head was still bleeding, the trail that formed beneath her mask now flowing down to her legs, yet she paid it no mind. "She lowered her gaze toward Carrie, her one good eye glaring at her from beneath the mask. "First, you invade God's dominion and pass on judgment to souls in His place. And then, when I arrive to punish you for your hubris and set things right, you have the audacity to defy me! To defy God!"

"Shut up!' Carrie shouted back. "I don't wanna hear anymore about God!" She stopped herself for a moment, in complete disbelief that such words were coming out of her mouth. Out of the mouth of Carrie White. But at the same time, they felt good, as if they had been bottled up within her all this time, her true feelings towards being beaten with the Bible and locked in a dark closet to pray with only an agonized Nazarene nailed to a stick to keep her company. She felt free, liberated even, and allowed herself to keep talking. "I've been a part of this world for decades now. And it's no Heaven. That's for sure. But every time I saw kindness, love, or hope," She sniffled as she recalled her past few weeks with Shuhei. "During the few times I got to see those things, it was from other people, not God!" She pointed a finger at the bleeding Hollow. "You keep chastising us for meddling in God's domain but He's the one who's never here in the first place!"

"You dare deny His glory?" Seraphim growled.

"What glory could there be in a God that sits back and lets monsters like you hunt the souls of the innocent!? Who allows killers like Freddy and Jason to rise to power so they can destroy even more lives? W-Who stuck me with such a shitty mother!? Carrie screeched that last sentence as hard and as loud as she could and had to fall to her knees from the effort. She panted heavily, her sword with its fuller almost filled completely laying flat underneath her palm

Seraphim scoffed. "You really are a dirty little heathen to speak of your own mother like that. Does not the Bible say honor your father and your mother?" Then she sighed. "Of course, It can't be helped if your children are born sinful disappointments."

Carrie looked up with weary eyes.

"I was a mother once, you know. Had a daughter sent from on high. Oh I tried to raise her right, keep her on the path of the Lord and away from earthly temptations and yet," She paused, her voice carrying overtones of genuine pain. "The Curse of Blood still came upon her."

"The Curse of Blood?" Carrie's spine chilled.

"And if that wasn't bad enough, she somehow obtained a witch's power! The Devil's power! She used it against me! Against her own mother!"

"No...It can't be..."Carrie whimpered.

"I tried to save her soul. Tried to free her from the Devil's grasp but I failed." Then Seraphim stopped and looked back toward Carrie. "And now you've fallen into an even deeper pit of sin, haven't you Carrie?"

"M-Mama?" Carrie trembled, all confidence she felt just a moment ago forgotten entirely. Tears welled up in her eyes and her cheeks burned in shame. Her mind dragged her back to that awful night, the image of her mother pinned against the kitchen wall trapped over her sight like a blindfold. "N-No!"

"Ah but it is true, Carrie." Seraphim, the Hollow once known as Margeret White, cooed. "After you so wickedly destroyed me, the Lord lifted my spirit on high and gave me a new purpose. Of course, I had to atone for my own sins first and so he delivered onto the gaping maws of these masked demons you call Hollows." She shuddered. "I'll never forget the gnashing of their teeth as they tore through my very soul."

"No.." Carrie squeaked.

"But once it was finished, I found I was given a new form. Masked like these Hollows but beautiful! An angel of the Lord. And I knew, from that moment on, I was to find and send wayward souls, both humans and Hollows, back to His Grace. I started with the souls of Chamberlain. Ah, so many young sinners saved that night."

"No! Stop it!" Carrie screamed as she covered her ears.

"I knew I would come across your soul one day. Your power, your sin, it would be too strong to go to Hell straight away. I knew I would have to send you theremyself, the ultimate act of atonement for both you and I and now it would see that time as come!" Seraphim flew closer to Carrie, the flapping of her wings knocking the poor upset girl off her feet. "Come now, child! Where's that moxie you showed but a moment ago? No, better yet, where's that witch's power you used to kill me? Maybe it can save you!"

"S-Stop..." Carrie, gently weeping to herself, forced her feet back on the ground and brandished her sword, the fuller now filled to the brim with a blood-like substance. "Please...Mama...

"Or...could it be that the Devil's taken your power back and left you with nothing!?" Seraphim laughed. "Yes, that's it, isn't it! You've lost that horrible power and have been humbled. Now you're nothing but a scared little girl trying to act tough!"

"I'm...I'm not afraid of you..." Carrie summoned what little bit of courage she still held in her heart and prepared to strike at Seraphim. "I'm not-

But as Carrie swung her sword, something completely unexpected happened. The blade shattered and the red liquid held inside splattered all over Carrie. The droplets that fell over the red parts of her outfit seemed to vanish from sight while the droplets that fell over the white areas formed huge red splotches. A few of the droplets covered her face and hair as well, one big splotch forming a ring around her right eye.

All was quiet for a few seconds. Carrie couldn't speak nor stop her hands from relaxing their grip on the now useless hilt which fell to the ground with a thud. Seraphim didn't speak as well, the blood from her own wound having already dried. Shuhei, who was just returning to the land of the conscious, was unsure of what to make of the sight before him. Back in the lot, Kenzo and the others were just as speechless. The only one making any noise was Ibara who, with her hand held firmly over her mouth, fought not to laugh.

When the silence was finally broken, it was by Seraphim who burst into mocking laughter. "You see!? You, my forsaken daughter, have become so renounced to God that not even the sinful weapon you forged with Shinigami magic will obey you! You defied me and God, chose to walk your own path and what has it brought you? Nothing but shame and misery, just as a useless whelp like you deserves!"

"Knock it off!" Shuhei shouted, catching both the attention of the wounded Seraphim and the flabbergasted Carrie.

"S-Shuhei?"

"I've had it with your words of condemnation towards your own daughter!" Shuhei growled. "What kind of mother would say such awful things to her own flesh and blood!?"

"She was never truly my daughter!" Seraphim snapped and she spun toward Shuhei. "She was forced onto me by her father in a drunken mania! She was never anything more than a trial for me by the Lord, a wicked little good-for-nothing witch!"

"That's not true!" Shuhei shouted back as he struggled to pull himself out of the wall. "I've only spent a few weeks with your daughter but that...that was enough time to know that she's a good person! All she wants is to atone for her sins in the World of the Living and to protect life instead of destroy it." He groaned as he pulled an arm free. "You say that you're a messenger of God but Carrie...even after all she did...she's more righteous than you'll ever be!"

"Shuhei!"

"Is that a fact?" Seraphim scoffed. "Don't make me laugh! Do you not see the blood adorning her body? The stain of sin covering her head to toe? And I am supposed to believe there's anything righteous about a wrench like her?"

Slowly, Carrie lifted her messy hands back up to her face, studying the liquid as it trickled down her fingers. It didn't smell like blood but with the look and texture of it, it might as well have been drained from a pig, just like last time. "Yes, just like last time." Carrie closed her eyes and allowed her mind to take her back to 1976, back to the fire and screaming faces, to the electrified water and the cold night air as she walked back toward home, to the pain of the knife cutting into her shoulder and the weight of the house itself as it collapsed in onto her by her own will. She didn't fight it this time, she let her guilt play through as she recalled Reddosuta's words.

"Accept your sins, Child!"

"Yes, I must accept my sins and the path to salvation that comes with them." She whispered as she closed her eyes. "No matter what form it takes." Carrie felt herself float up upward but didn't open her eyes. She was overcome by a strange feeling, one that seemed rather nostalgic to her even as she struggled to remember where she had first felt it. The hilt of her Zanpakuto floated with her as well, slowly rising up to her forehead as she herself rose up to the sky. It stabbed itself into her forehead, causing her to grunt in pain. There was no blood or even tearing of the skin as it vanished into her head, leaving only the blue jewel above her eyes as any indicator it was there at all. The pain subsided and Carrie felt herself growing...stronger.

No, that wasn't right. It was more as if she was recalling something from the past. A sensation she had long since forgotten about.

"Huh?" Seraphim noticed her daughter's presence grow closer to her and turned away from Shuhei to face her. She appeared to be in some sort of trance, her eyes barely open and a strange jewel not unlike her own glowing from her head. "What's this?" She asked. "What are you up to now? Don't tell me you intend to fight without a weapon?"

"Carrie!" Shuhei shouted. "Don't be stupid! Without your Zanpakuto, you're helpless! Run away!"

"As if I'd ever let you do that!" Seraphim spread her wings, blocking Shuhei's view of his friend. The wings began to glow brightly again. "Without that troublesome weapon to help you, this time you'll have no choice but to accept the wrath of God. You've run away from your sins for far too long child. Now stand and face your final judgment!"

"Noooo!" Shuhei cried.

Slowly, Carrie fully opened her eyes, hardly noticing the brilliant light shining before them. She picked up her right hand and held it in front of herself. There was no thought in Carrie's head, no words. Just a single long-forgotten instinct:

f l e x

"Gagh!" Seraphim cried as she felt her body suddenly seize up as if a giant hand had just wrapped its fingers around her. The light shining from her wings dimmed as they were forcibly folded against her body. She struggled to break free from her invisible prison but could barely so much as move her head. "W-What is this? I-I can't move! I can't move! What have you done to me!?"

Carrie did not respond. She did not even seem to hear her mother's cries of protest. She simply lifted her hand higher, (pulling her mother upwards as well) pulled it back, and closed her eyes again, her blank expression twisting into one of resolve and anger. The splotch of blood decorating her right eye dripped down to her chin as she opened them, screamed violently, and thrust her hand forward.

Seraphim was suddenly sent flying back into the building, just above where Shuhei was stuck. She was forced through the various walls of plaster, wood and metal, crashing through room after room. "This power...I see...just like before..."Seraphim thought as she reemerged from the other side of the building and smashed against the one before her. Her wings were splayed out behind her as blood leaked all around her. A tiny crack had formed on her mask. "That...devil child!"

The force of Seraphim smashing through the building caused it to vibrate violently, knocking Shuhei loose. He was too dazed to stop himself from falling and nearly hit the ground. He stopped a few seconds before impact could be made and found himself slowly gliding toward Carrie. As he looked up, he could see her struggling to bring him closer, groaning as if suffering from a splitting headache. Once he was close enough, Carrie lifted him to her side and put her arm down, allowing Shuhei the freedom to move of his own accord again "S-Shuhei," She breathed. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I-I'm fine." Shuhei moved closer and placed his hands on Carrie's shoulders. "The real question is, are you alright? You look like you're about to fall over."

"It's alright." Carrie chuckled through her ragged breaths. "I'm just a little rusty is all. It has been decades."

"Decades?" Shuhei asked in surprise. "Carrie, this power you used just now...it's not..."

Carrie smiled and nodded. "My telekinesis It's back!" Despite the weary look in her eyes, it was clear that Carrie was delighted. "It's come back to me as my Shikai!"

Shuhei was dumbstruck, to say the least, but nevertheless returned Carrie's smile. "Well, that's good. I'm glad you have your power back. Just don't use to burn down the school, OK?"

Carrie's expression went from elated to wounded in a fraction of a second and at once, Shuhei cursed himself for attempting gallows humor at this point in time. "Crap! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that!"

"Shuhei..." Carrie whispered before suddenly smiling and punching him in the arm as hard as she could. "You jerk!"

"Gah!" Shuhei rubbed his arm. "That actually hurt a little." He turned to Carrie, somewhat heartened by her good mood. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine," Carrie assured him. "I just decided to stop running from my past."

Shuhei smiled. He wasn't entirely sure what Carrie had just been through but it was clear from the look in her eyes that she had just gone through a spiritual milestone of some kind.

Back at the lot, the students were in an uproar about what they had just witnessed.

"Did you see that!?"

"Yeah! That girl just knocked the Hollow back with a single push!"

"No. Not even that. She didn't even touch it. It was as if she pushed her back just by holding her hand out.

"Kinda freaky if you ask me!"

"Alright Care-Bear!" Mari cheered. "Way to beat that monster!" She noticed Ibara standing next to her, her jaw practically on the floor. "Hey Ibara, you ok?"

"W-W-Who is this girl?" Ibara asked.

Carrie suddenly felt herself shudder and fell forward, only for Shuhei to catch her. She didn't resist the sudden embrace but did lower her face which burned upon contact with Shuhei's chest. "Carrie!"

"I'm fine, really. I guess I just overexerted myself." She whispered.

"Well come on, let's get you back to the lot." Shuhei suggested.

"Not so fast!" Both Carrie and Shuhei froze up as Seraphim's enraged voice rang out through the night. Looking ahead, they saw her gliding toward them on broken bloodied wings. Her single human eye glared at the two with a hatred rivaling that of Satan himself. "You think you've won just because the Devil's reinstated your powers? Don't be foolish! It will take a lot more than a simple witch's trick to defeat a messenger of God!"

"Dammit! She's still alive!" Shuhei brought both blades of Kazeshini up to his face. "Carrie, stay behind me!"

"No." Carrie protested sharply. "I'm not some helpless little girl in need of saving. Not anymore." She stepped in between Shuhei and the monster she once called Mother. "And besides, she's my mother. It's only right that I deal with her."

"Carrie wait!"

But wait Carrie did not. As her mother prepared to bathe them in the Lord's light once again, she looked up to the sky. Racing overhead, only visible by the flickering red light it produced was a satellite, the same Carrie noticed earlier. She recalled an incident long since buried in her childhood memories, of a time she conversed with a neighbor girl about "dirty-pillows" and her mother once again pulled her into the closet to pray. She remembered the countless stones that fell upon the house that day, nearly destroying it in the process. She never realized until this moment that it was an early warning sign of her powers and their full potential and she reached for the sky, toward that satellite. "My powers haven't just returned," She thought. "They've grown. They're so much stronger than they used to be. I can feel it. I just hope this works."

F L E X

Carrie strained as she pushed all of her focus onto the satellite above, even as the light of her former God started to burn before her.

"Carrie!" Shuhei shouted.

She grunted with effort, fighting through both the pain of the light and the toll on her own body. A trickle of blood leaked from her nose and into her mouth but she took no notice. Nothing existed to take notice of at that moment. Just her and the satellite.

And then, it came down.

The students and the teachers in the lot were the first to realize it.

"Holy crap!" Is that...a satellite!?"

"What's she doing now!? She's gonna get us all killed!"

"Carrietta!" Kenzo shouted.

Shuhei noticed it next, only tearing his eyes away from the struggling Carrie when he noticed the shadow looming over the three of them. As he looked up and saw the satellite plummeting toward them, he only had one thought in his mind, one that upon looking back on this night he would feel was quite inappropriate for the situation at hand.

"Oh, I'm not looking forward to the paperwork for this"

Seraphim was so caught up in the torment of her daughter that she only noticed the satellite when it smashed over her head, trapping her in a fiery explosion. The blast would have surely engulfed Carrie and Shuhei as well had the former not summoned every bit of her mental strength to keep it condensed into a fireball surrounding her mother. Seraphim screamed in agony as she was burned inside out, her wings being reduced to two giant bones jutting out of her back. Once her screams faded, Carrie finally let go, allowing the fireball and the dying Hollow trapped within to fall to the Earth below. She nearly fell along with them, only for Shuhei to catch her.

"Carrie, speak to me!"

Carrie looked up at him with world-weary eyes and despite her clear exhaustion, smiled. "To the Devil with false modesty." Then she coughed violently, spraying droplets of blood onto Shuhei's clothes. "S-Sorry."

Shuhei shook his head, relieved that Carrie was still conscious. "Come on, let's get you some rest." Scooping up Carrie in her arms, he flash-stepped back to the lot. As they made their way there, Carrie used what little strength she had to look back where the inferno still burned. Back to the remains of the monster that once raised her under the cross. The monster that, despite everything, she still felt a sense of daughterly love for.

"I'm sorry, Mama."

Once Shuhei made it to the lot, he was beseeched by an army of curious students and their invasive questions.

"What the hell happened back there?"

"How did you bring that satellite down!?"

"What kind of power was that?'

"Everyone make some room!" Kenzo barked, silencing the questions in their tracks. "Can't you see your fellow student need some rest!? Save your questions for after we've returned home!"

There were murmurs of disappointment among the crowd of students but they complied and cleared a space for Shuhei to place Carrie. Her ragged breathing was beginning to return to normal and despite bleeding from her nose and eyes, it was clear her sleep, if uninterrupted, would be peaceful. Shuhei breathed a sigh of relief as he laid her down, even as the other students gathered around her. "It's finally over." He said.

"Finally over? What the hell even happened?" Kenzo whispered loudly. "What are we gonna tell the backup when they arrive?"

"Just leave the explanations to me," Shuhei said. "I'll handle it." Part of Shuhei regretted saying that. It was certain to be a difficult story to convey to the higher-ups and he would have to leave out a few details in order to protect Carrie. Nevertheless, it was his responsibility as a lieutenant of the Gotei 13 and so he found no reason to complain. But still, how to handle the report...

Before Shuhei could truly get to pondering about the report, however, a shrill scream stole his attention. He turned toward the direction of the sound and found an ever-growing group of students screaming and shouting as they looked out through the space before them. As his own gaze shifted toward it, he saw at once what they were screaming about.

And felt like screaming himself.

Floating in front of the lot, smoldering like a blown-out candle, was Seraphim. Her mask was blackened, the bones of her wings charred and the flesh of her once lovely figure now bumpy and scarred. Her hair was all but gone and the jewel that decorated her mask was cracked. And yet, despite these horrific injuries, Seraphim was alive. Alive and very, very angry.

"You bastards!" She screamed. "You dirty little bastards and whores!"

"Everyone get behind me!" Shuhei shouted as he brandished his weapon.

"Dammit!" Kenzo growled. "What's it gonna take to kill this fucking thing?"

"Hell! Hell! I'll send each and every one of you to Hell myself!" Seraphim continued to scream at the top of her lungs, causing the entire lot to shake. Shuhei had to fight the urge to cover his ears against the banshee-like cry, even as his ears started to bleed. The wounds on Seraphim's body started to glow, tracing up from her womb onto the bones of her ruined wings. The light grew stronger and stronger with each passing second, forcing Shuhei to look away. Even through his closed eyelids, however, he could not only see the horrible light but feel its heat burning away at his clothes and skin. Through his damaged eardrums, he could hear the screams of the students as they once again became entrapped in Seraphim's spell.

"I have...to fight her...off somehow..." Shuhei strained as he turned to face her. He opened his eyes for the briefest moment, as it was all he could manage, and caught a glimpse of Seraphim's new form. Somehow, her ruined pair of wings had increased twofold, producing six giant beacons of light that covered Seraphim's face, chest, and legs. From behind her new wings, Seraphim's own body shone even brighter still, bright enough even to eliminate the night sky into an orange-red blanket. "I will show you what happens to those who dare to trespass into God's domain!" She shouted as her wings unfurled, revealing her shining body and newly fixed mask to Shuhei. "Bathe in the light of the Lord and tremble before his divine judgment!"

Shuhei shielded his eyes again for what little good it did him. It was as if he was standing right before the Sun itself. He could feel his blood boiling, his bones turning into ash, and his brain forcing itself to relieve memories of his past, memories of Tousen and Aizen. "D-Dammit!" He turned back to where he had set Carrie down and forced himself to open his eyes again. "C-Carrie...huh?"

But she was not there.

Turning back toward Seraphim and her blinding light, Shuhei was able to make out a shape standing between the two of them. The shadow cast by this shape offered Shuhei a little relief from the intensity of the light as it fell over him and he gasped, never before so glad to be surrounded by darkness. Within the relief of this shadow, his vision recovered and he was able to make out the shape casting it as none other than Carrie. She was inching toward her mother, both hands outstretched like a young child requesting a hug from a parent.

"Carrie! Carrie!"

"Burn! Burn every single one of you sinners! Burn!" Seraphim screamed, far too lost in her hysteria to even notice her daughter approaching.

Carrie hardly heard her mother either nor Shuhei's cries. She was still exhausted from her previous extortion and it required every bit of willpower she had not to fall back down, especially in the presence of this awful light. Unlike Shuhei, there was no one standing before Carrie to offer her their shadow for relief, only an imperfection of the light, a single spot of darkness within the monster once called Margret White.

Her Hollow hole.

"Mr. Agashi once said the Hollow's hole is where their heart used to be. They have it because there's an emptiness that needs to be filled. That's why they're always hunting for souls." Carrie trembled as she held out her hands. "Maybe...just maybe...I can save Mama after all. Maybe I can save her...if I just...plug it up..." Carrie took a deep breath aligned both of her outstretched hands, and focused. Her head was splitting and she could feel blood leaking from her nose again. It was clear her body was not yet used to this new improved form of her telekinesis and that she had already used it far too much tonight. Nevertheless, she pressed forward and pooled all her willpower, all her hopes and dreams of the future on the gaping hole above Seraphim's chest. "Come on...come on..." Blood started leaking out of her ears and she could feel it pool into her mouth as well. Her legs trembled beneath her, threatening to bring her down to the ground. This was all nothing compared to the sheer intensity of the light as it stole Carrie's vision and flooded her head with images of the Black Prom she had fought so hard to leave behind. And yet, Carrie pressed on.

"Come on...come on..."

F L E X

Seraphim screamed in agony as she felt her chest tighten. The light from her wings and body dimmed as she convulsed. "W-What's happening? Gaih!" Agony spasmed through her body again and this time, she realized that the pain was not coming from her chest but from the area above it. Looking down at herself, she saw her Hollow hole trying to close in on itself. "W-What is this?" She reached for the fluctuating hole only for another wave of pain to grip her. She threw her head back and howled and only then did she notice her daughter standing before her, hands outstretched and face fixed in concentration. "You! You devil child!"

"Carrie!" Shuhei called. "What are you doing!? Get out of there!"

"No! I can save Mama!" Carrie cried. "I just need to close the hole! I know it!"

"Carrie." Shuhei whispered helplessly.

"Let me go, you devil child! Let me go!" Seraphim screamed as yet another wave of agony consumed her, this time with her abdomen shrinking as Carrie directed her focus on the Hollow hole.

"Come on! Just...a little...more...just...close..." Carrie's vision blurred as her eyes began to bleed. She gritted her teeth through the pain, feeling the blood seeping through them and down her chin. "Just...close..."

"You witch! You whore! You dirty little fuck!" Seraphim screamed as her body was condensed toward her hole. Bones cracked from within her body as the flesh around her hole began to bleed. Her mask cracked again and she trashed all six of her wings about violently for all the good it would do. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!"

"Plug it up...plug it...up!"

Finally, with a sickening crunch, Seraphim's body folded into itself. Blood splattered in all directions with some of it landing on Carrie and Shuhei. Her mask cracked completely. The burning light from her body and wings went out for the final time, leaving only a darkened body with red hair and a broken spine. Seraphim fought to remain afloat, not wanting to show any weakness to the heathens she had tried so desperately to destroy but not even a messenger of God could withstand the pain she was in. She fell to the ground, leaving a trail of feathers and mask shards behind.

"Mama!" Carrie jumped down after her mother, ignoring the world of pain her body was in. It took a stunned Shuhei a few seconds to process what had just happened before he snapped back to reality and gave chase after Carrie. "Carrie wait!"

Seraphim hit the ground with a thud, creating a crack in the road and reducing what was left of her spine to dust. Carrie and Shuhei landed in front of her, the former nearly slipping on the blood now pooling from Seraphim's sprawled body. He regained her footing fast, steadied herself, and slowly approached her downed mother with Shuhei right behind her. "M-Mama?"

"Urr..." Despite her hideous injuries, Seraphim managed to look up at Carrie. Her mask was all but gone now, revealing the tired, almost regretful face of Margret White behind. The red hair above her forehead even curled a little to resemble her look from the World of the Living. The sight was enough to make Carrie blubber like a child, tears of joy and relief flowing from her eyes.

"It...worked...Thank God it worked!" She cried.

"Worked...What worked?" Shuhei asked as he reached for Carrie. "Carrie, you need to step back. She could still be dangerous."

"No!" Carrie shook her head. "No she's not!" She turned to Shuhei with those teary eyes and hopeful smile. "Don't you see? I did it! I closed up her Hollow hole! I filled up her emptiness so there's no need to worry! She's not a Hollow anymore! She's cured!"

"Carrie," Shuheu whispered sadly, unsure of how he was to break it to her that her theory simply wasn't true. He would not have to wait long for it to be disproven.

Carrie sobbed and turned back to her mother. "It's over, Mama! You're finally free! You're free!"

Margeret struggled to pick herself up. With a shattered spine, the most she could do was pick her head off the ground. Her wings lay uselessly upon her back, one of them sliding off as she struggled to get up. "Carrie...I..."

"It's ok, Mama!" Carrie wiped her tears with her sleeve. "You did some bad stuff and you'll have to make up for it. But you're cured now! We'll take you back to Soul Society and fix you up and then...and then...Oh I have so much to tell you!" She reached out her hand to her mother. "And so much to show you too!"

Margeret looked dumbly at her daughter as if pondering whether to accept her forgiveness. Then, with a weak smile, she slowly raised her blackened, gnarled hand and reached for her daughter's.

And that's when the Gates of Hell appeared behind her.

Carrie gasped and backed away into Shuhei, who caught her even as his own sight was trained on the door. Margret grew confused as to why the both of them were panicking, only to turn her head and see the reason for their despair. Despite never seeing this door before, she knew exactly what it was. "Damnation. The eternal flame."

"Mama!" Carrie struggled in Shuhei's grasp as she tried to get to her mother. "Let me go!"

"It's no use, Carrie!" Shuhei shouted as he restrained her. "Once the Gates of Hell open for a soul, there's no saving it!" Carrie kicked and punched at Shuhei but nevertheless, he remained as firm as a rock. "If you get too close, you might just get dragged in along with her!"

"But Mama...Mama!"

The Gates opened and a giant hand shot out from the inside, impaling Margret's ruined body with its equally giant blade. Margret coughed up blood as two more of her wings fell off her body.

"Mama! No, please! Don't take her!" Carrie cried, her tears of joy replaced with tears of other agony. "I'll do anything! Just don't take her!"

Margret looked down at Carrie from the blade, blood trickling from her mouth...and smiled. Not an evil, vindictive smile either but a kind motherly smile. One Carrie could not ever recall being on her face before. "Stop crying, Carrietta." She said. "The Lord had forsaken me and that is all there is to it. Don't make the same mistakes I did."

"Mama please!"

"So long, Carrietta. I pray you find salvation." And with those final words, Margret White was dragged through Hell's Gates.

"No! No!" Carrie ripped an arm free from Shuhei and reached for the closing gates, determined to keep them open, to pull her mother out. But she was exhausted in body and in mind and all she accomplished in trying to flex was to increase her headache as she watched the Gates of Hell close and vanish back into the ground. "No! No! Mama! Mama!" Carrie screamed into the sky as she fell from Shuhei's grasp and onto the ground.

"Carrie!" Shuhei kneeled down on the ground beside Carrie with his hands dumbly in a reaching position, unsure as to whether to try and comfort the devastated girl or give her space. Carrie, fully caught in the throes of grief and sorrow, made the decision for him and buried her face into his chest. He remained still and confused for a few seconds more before finally wrapping his arms around her.

When the backup finally arrived early that morning, they would find nothing but ruined buildings, a crashed satellite, and the Lieutenant of Squad 9 comforting a crying Shin-o academy student.

---

"Damn Carrie! You're the best!"

"Do you think you could give me some Kendo lessons?"

"Are you free next Friday?"

"Um...T-Thanks...but I umm...I have to study..." The flustered Carrie squeaked back. It had been four days since the disastrous training mission. Carrie had spent the first of them recovering in the infirmary and even when she found the strength to walk around again, her head was still seized by a slitting ache that still had yet to subside even as it dimmed a little every day. It was painfully clear to Carrie that she was not strong enough, in body or in mind, to make full use of her restored telekinesis. She would have to train religiously if she wanted to use the full potential of her Shikai and had vowed to do just that.

Now if only the other students would stop fawning over her.

"Are you sure? I know this great coffee house."

"Give it up, loser! Why would Carrie want to hang out with a dork like you?"

"Seriously Carrie, when you smashed that Hollow into the building, I swear my heart stopped! You're so badass!"

Carrie's blush somehow burned even hotter. "T-Thank you." Part of her was still convinced she was dreaming. Word had spread fast about her strange power and how instrumental it was in defeating the Hollow and by the time Carrie got up, she found herself an instant celebrity. She couldn't walk down the halls without being thanked, congratulated or asked out. It was nice but also rather embarrassing for the mousy teen who once blended into the walls like an unseen phantom that was only noticed when people needed a verbal punching bag.

Those days were really behind her now and the thought made her smile.

As she turned the corner to her dorm room, she spotted Shuhei at once. He was waiting by it, his bag packed and Zanpakuto on his hip. His mere presence was enough to scare off Carrie's suitors, allowing Carrie to break off from the rest who were quick to realize she wanted to speak to the lieutenant alone. As they departed, Carrie practically skipped to the Shinigami. "Hey Shuhei! How are you?

"I'm fine." He smiled. "Looks like you made a full recovery as well."

"Not entirely." Carrie rubbed her forehead. "I still got a nasty headache. Nurse says it won't leave for at least a few more days."

"You might get rid of it faster if you take a few days off from school and rest," Shuhei suggested. "Mr. Agashi already said you had permission."

Carrie shook her head. "You know I can't do that, especially now that I have my Shikai. They bumped me all the way to the top ten because of that so I owe it to the school to see the rest of my education through." As she spoke, however, Shuhei could detect a trace of sadness within her voice and see it in her eyes as well. It was clear there was something else bothering Carrie, perhaps a reason she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts.

"Carrie," Shuhei said as he grabbed her shoulders gently. "What's really wrong?"

"Nothing!" Carrie lied. "It's just...just..." Her eyes watered but no tears escaped. "I...I..."

"It's your mother, isn't it?"

"..." Carrie sadly nodded. "I should have known better than to think closing up the hole would save her. But I...for...I just had to try...Maybe...if I had done it differently." Carrie allowed the tears to escape her eyes and Shuhei pulled her close.

"There's nothing you could have done," Shuhei said. "Once a soul becomes a Hollow, it can never go back to being human. I know it's hard, especially with what happened afterward but you owe it to your mother and yourself to keep moving forward. And think even she would have agreed to that." Shuhei thought back to that single calm look on Margret White's face as she was pulled through the Gates.

"Do...Do you think there's any hope for her?" Carrie sniffled. "Do you think there might be...salvation in Hell?"

"Well, no one has ever actually seen what Hell's like except for those already there. For all we know, your mother could be setting along on her own path of atonement as we speak." Shuhei smiled as he realized part of him actually believed what he was saying or at least, wanted it to be true. He took his hand to Carrie's cheek and wiped her tears away. "But right now, you just need to focus on yours, ok?"

Carrie looked up at the Shinigami who changed her life and nodded. "Ok."

Shuhei nodded as well and fixed his bag.

"So I guess you're really leaving today huh?" Carrie said sadly.

"Yeah. Duty calls as they say but they'll be sending another lieutenant in my place. Matsumoto's her name. I think you'll like her."

"Maybe," Carrie said as she gripped her arm. Now would be her last chance to say what she really wanted to say, to make Shuhei understand her feelings. Fear far more intense than when she was fighting Seraphim closed her throat, however, and her face felt as if it was on fire. It took all of her mental will to finally open her mouth and when she did, all that came out was, "Good-bye, Shuhei. Thank you for everything."

"So long, Carrie." Shuhei responded, completely oblivious to her mental turmoil as he gave her one final head pat. "Take care of yourself, ok?"

"I will." Carrie whispered, shame weighing her face downward. She listened as Shuhei's footsteps grew fainter and fainter, only looked up in time to see a small shadow vanish through the hallway doors. She sighed heavily, kicking herself for not taking the chance when she had it and turned around...

...right into the waiting bosom of Mari.

"Aww! What the heck is wrong with you, Care-Bear?" She scolded. "You missed your shot!"

"Wha!? But! Wha...How long were you standing there!?" A mortified Carrie cried out.

"Long enough to see you crash and burn." Ibara chided as she slipped out from behind Mari. "You might as well forget it, Carrie. That man might have been close to you for the weeks he was here but he's still a lieutenant. Way out of your league doesn't even begin to describe it."

"Out of my- W-Wait! You guys've got it all wrong!" Carrie stammered, wanting nothing more at that moment than to crawl under a giant rock and hide for 1,000,000 years.

"Oh don't listen to her, Care-Bear!" Mari beamed as she wrapped an arm around Carrie and brought her close. "You're already halfway there! I can feel it!"

"M-Mari please!" Carrie tearfully pleaded.

Ibara huffed, completely indifferent to Carrie's flustered suffering. "And another thing, don't think just because you're the talk of the school that you've beaten me!" She pointed her finger at Carrie as hard as she could, almost pushing it into the blonde's nose. "I'll get my Shikai soon enough and it'll be infinitely more impressive than yours! Just wait and see!"

"I don't know," Mari said thoughtfully with her gaze upward. "It's gonna be pretty hard to beat moving things with your freaking mind."

"Well...Well...At least I won't have to be covered in blood first!" Ibara shouted.

"Guys," Carrie whispered, knowing it was no use to try and break these two up once they got going. At least, she could have a little reprieve from her embarrassment now that they were arguing with each other. This was another change to the status quo Carrie had had to get used to, watching the people she supposed she could call friends fight.

"Look, we don't have time for this!" Ibara barked. "We're gonna be late for class so let's go!"

"Oh!" Realizing she was right, Carrie and Mari followed the senior down the hall. They turned the corner again and as they continued walking, Carrie found herself thinking back to Shuhei's final words to herself.

"Take care of yourself, okay?"

Carrie smiled as she looked toward her new companions. "I think I'm already halfway there, Shuhei."

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a large thud up ahead. Looking forward, Carrie as well as the others, bore witness to a fellow student on the floor, three girls from Ibara's former entourage looming over her. She had wild black hair and looked up at her tormentors with a look of sheer hatred in her eyes.

"What the hell are you looking at, creep!?" One of the girls shouted as she kicked her in the head.

"Yeah! Where do you get off mouthing off to us like that?"

"Know your place, trash!"

"Hey! What are you doing?" Mari and Ibara rushed over at once. "Leave her alone!"

"Don't you have anything better to do than bully other people?" Ibara added.

"What's your deal, Ibara?" One of the girls asked. "You used to be cool. Now you're sympathizing with trash like this?" As she spoke, her eyes darted toward the down girl who stared at the newcomers with browless, glaring eyes.

"I'm warning you," Ibara growled. "Back off!"

"Or what?" The girl challenged with a sadistic smile, one shared by her two friends. Those smiles faded as soon as Carrie emerged from behind her friends. No longer was she the scared, mousy girl trying to remain unseen. Now she was one of the top ten students of the entire academy with the power to proof it. Even without her Zanpakuto, Carrie's glare was enough to strike fear into the hearts of the three bullies. "She said, back off." Carrie stated in a calm yet firm voice.

The leader of the terrible trio groaned, wanting to say something, anything that would help her save face against the new Carrie. But try as she might, she knew the best course of action would be to leave while she still had some dignity intact. "F...Fine! Whatever! Come on, girls!" She stomped away and her friends followed, doing their best not to act like their tails were between their legs.

"Whoa! Way to go, Care-Bear!" Mari shouted. "You sure showed those losers what for!"

"Why'd you have to butt in!?" Ibara snapped. "I could have taken care of those guys myself!"

"Oh sure!" Mari said sacastically. "You could have knocked them all to the ground with your brand-spanking new Shikai!"

"That's it!" Ibara pounced on the laughing Mari as Carrie approached the new girl and held out her hand. "I'm sorry about that." She said. "I promise, we're not all like that here."

The girl stared as Carrie for a few moments more and the blonde teenager who a literal lifetime ago had caused the Black Prom, recognized the hurt and fear in this girl's eyes. "She was clearly hurt badly in life." She thought. "Maybe even like me." She smiled. "And that just means it's all the more important that I reach out to her." Her mind shifted from the firey end of her prom to the night that a certain lieutenant offered a wooden sword to her and with it, his friendship. "Like Shuhei did for me."

She leaned in closer and met the girl's fierce gaze. "It's ok. I get it. You don't trust me and I can understand that. But if you'd let me, I'd like to at least walk you back to your class so those girls won't bother you again. What do you say?"

The girl's gaze shifted as if she was considering Carrie's words. With a sigh, she grabbed Carrie's hand and allowed herself to be lifted to her feet.

"There! Now that's better!" Carrie said as she dusted the girl off. "By the way, my name is Carrietta White but most folks just call me Carrie. What's your name?"

The girl hesitated, unsure as if she could really trust such a direct girl. And yet, there was something strangely... familiar about her. It was in her eyes mostly. As if she could understand more than she was letting on. And she did offer to keep those bitches at bay. She could use that, at least, until her powers returned. With another sigh, the girl answered.

"Rachel. Rachel Lang."

(And with that, the Blood Sport mini-arc comes to a close. I just hope you folks actually get notified since FF's been glitching lately. Anyway, hopefully I'll have the first chapter for the Shape of Evil arc out by Halloween but until then, I'm BSC and I'll catch you on the flip-side!)