Soul Societies, part 2.
Disclaimer: Skymaster23 does not condone violence against women.
Notice: i think i have the word "heard" misspelled somewhere in this story or the prequel. Can you help me find it, please?
Five days after Ichigo left, Pendleton is with the others exiting the assembly hall. "I understand you're also replacing one of the traitors." Ichimaru's replacement says to him, then asks how he should greet his subordinates. "Actually, should i shave before that?"
"Neither of the run-aways had facial hair, so I'd pass on that." Buford assures him.
"They didn't?" Amagai-Taichō replies. "Well, alright... it's bad enough that both my first name and initials are similar to your predecessor, after all."
"Only when spoken." Buford says before looking at the newcomer's waist. "Putting that aside, what's that other weapon you have?"
Amagai's expression changed for a moment before answering that it was made from the mask of the first hollow he defeated. "The yonseki of my command used to do that." Zaraki stated and said that Yumichika busted him to nijuyonseki, but shrugged when Amagai asked when those positions were added before Pendleton replied that they haven't.
Eventually, Buford returns to his office. "Taichō, did what I hear turn out to be real?" Thao asks him as he shuts the door, although her tone indicates that she doesn't want to know. "Is Kibune Makoto really replacing Togakushi-sanseki?"
"That fellow with the glasses... do you know him?" He asks her. He is aware that Kira already has a sanseki, but he ignores it. She then informs him that because that person nearly killed a classmate of hers when he served under Shiba-Taichō, he was almost sent to The Nest before Amagai-Taichō recruited him. Buford glances at his desk absentmindedly for a moment before dismissing that, as well. "Amagai's kept him under control for this long; i see no reason to worry." He tells her just as a Jigokuchō arrives warning of an incursion in the Dangai.
"Thirty Menos? Could it be?" Thao asked herself, and was about to head for her quarters to arm herself when Yamamoto was heard assigning the Sanban-tai to deal with it alone.
Following an announcement from the Sōtaichō concerning the safety of a lesser noble, Dang-Fukutaichō asks whom she is to be guarded by, but Pendleton tells her none of the Goteijūsantai are. "Just about everybody in the Seireitei's asking that... but with what's happened to that midget already, not to mention that the Amagake clan was almost drawn into it, the Kuchiki and Shihōin clans think it best to keep only the most trusted retainers with Kasumiōji-sama at all times." He explains, before scowling about how that parasite from the third clan offered her asylum, which was not accepted, while the fourth was staying out of it.
At which point, he looks her in the eye. "But that's not what you wanted to know." He guesses, which Thao flinches at, and is about to reply before he continues. "After what happened at one of the garbage pits, Kyōraku and Kurotsuchi both pointed out how this mess started at the same time that Amagai and Kibune arrived."
"Amagai-Taichō naturally denied the accusation against Kibune-sanseki." Thao guesses, knowing why her Taichō is bringing this up.
Buford nodded, thinking about Amagai's reaction when asked about that knick-knack of his, and continued. "He then requested that the Goteijūsantai needs to fix it's interservice relations."
"And how the hell is barging in on me gonna help with that?" Ichigo asks after having seen Thao enter the astronomy club before Kenryu admonishes him.
"As much as i am loath to admit it, Kurosaki Ichigo has a point." He says aloud, ignoring Ichigo's reaction. "I'm not unaware that you're only of the rukongai." She stops looking at a poster and gives off an anger-vein before he resumes speaking. "However, i presume your being here is so you can get the field experience necessary for when the time comes to defeat the betrayers."
"Yes, Hinamori Momo is scheduled to be discharged by Unohana-Taichō and be reinstated before this month is over. " She replied, then looked to the poster again. "Until then, Kurosaki-san, why does this box have paddles on it?"
Hours after informing Thao and Kenryu what satellites and a solar system are, Ichigo is facing a scarred man with armor. "-uch skill a shinigami daikō has." The latter says just before he suddenly turns and blocks a thrust from somebody who shunpo'd to the scene.
"I'm not too l..." Thao says aloud as she lands next to Ichigo and takes another look at the attacker. "The leader, obviously. Is that going into his arm, or around it?"
"No idea." Ichigo says. "All i know is some other guy i killed was using that same zanpakutō."
"Correction, I'll find out after i kill the spare." Hanza says absently. "Before Kumoi-sama discovers that the Goteijūsantai are already onto him." He thinks to himself.
"It's not impossible... but we can talk about that after i kick his ass." Thao replies as she draws her own Zanpakutō. "Goban-tai Fukutaichō, Dang Thao. Whom do i place under arrest?" She asks aloud, but gets no response, so she sheathes it. "No choice then... Mukaiawaseru, Kōkyū Uppen(1)." She says next, causing the sheath to turn into a small hovering mirror before taking an iaido stance and drawing again, only for zangetsu's blade to replace the default one.
However, this seems not to be intended when she curses at the sight of it. Hanza raises a brow at this before charging, only to narrowly miss a swing from Ichigo. "Why'd you copy me?"
"It's not working." She tells herself.
"I can see that!"
"Not what i meant; just as aggression harms the experiencer more, Kōkyū Uppen co..." She explains as the attacker lunges at them, then fires off a 31st Hadō. "...copies what my opponent uses, be it another zanpakutō, or even a hollow's appendage."
"In other words, whatever this bastard has is neither." He realizes, since this is the first time she encountered this person, her shikai instead reacted to the traces of Zangetsu that were on Hanza's weapon.
As he's thinking this, Hanza shunpo's next to Thao and grabs her sidelock. "Aw, shi-" She starts saying as he partly stabs her in the thigh, only stopped from damaging the bone by Ichigo's ranged attack.
He asks how bad the wound is, but she dismisses it, so he reluctantly focuses on their enemy. "What's wrong? That all you got? They guy who had it last time was a lot tougher than you!" Ichigo said smugly, but it has a different effect.
"You sought to defeat me with a reflection, woman? Two can play at that game." Hanza says, then repositions his weapon and says something to it(2). Once she can see again, Thao finds that she and the assassin are in a dark place with a mosaic disk surrounded by three-no, four rings above them. She can't even glance around, but can sense that they're no longer a trio. Not seeing reason to be concerned about the daikō, she asks about her predicament. "It's the same as the shinigami daikō. Your consciousness is here, yet not." He tells her.
"Meaning you got exhausted from fighting both of us." She tells him, which he seemingly ignores. "You called to it when it is already shaped, meaning that's not a shikai. What is it then?" She went on, and is answered.
"You didn't encounter the previous bearer of Saiga, so I'll explain... this katana devours its user's spirit energy and uses it to evolve. In other words, the more spirit energy the user has, the stronger the sword becomes. Only those who can survive their spirit energy being devoured are able to draw out it's full power... like me!" He informs Thao as she struggles to move, then he speaks again. "I'm afraid i can't waste time tearing you apart; I'll kill you in one strike." He raises the monstrosity vertically, but the formation above them starts to break.
"Least i know he's still alive." She told herself as Hanza charged at her. "Forgive me, Hinam-" She thought before the zone burst apart, revealing a fourth combatant.
"Yoruichi-san!"
(1) Confront, Constant Ire.
(2) Bleach wiki doesn't say what the Japanese word for Saiga's incantation is. Does it even have one?