Hello everyone :)
Chapter XIX ready and done. And officially my longest chapter to date :3
Disclaimer, reminder and warnings. Nothing new, but needs to be written.
Friendly reminder: this story will be slightly AU and some characters might be OOC. For anyone who is not into YAOI, please do not read any further, this is not going to be your cup of tea :) Although, by now, I am sure most of you know what you're getting into x3
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, they all belong to Tite Kubo-Sensei etc., etc.
WARNINGS: Spoiler alert for anyone who is not up to date with the manga and only watched the anime! Somewhere along the way might contain but is not limited to include dark themes, suicidal thoughts, heavy sexual contest, yaoi (again xD) and some other themes not suitable for under-age reader. Read at your own risk and discretion! And if you don't like, please don't hate too much :3
Dedicated to all who are continuously fighting. All of you 'warriors' who are not giving up no matter the consequences. That's just the kind of people we are…we move forward toward our destinations… our goals…
Chapter XIX
'How come when someone says something unimaginable, everyone quietens down only to burst in a clamor of noise?'
Those were Shirosaki's thoughts after Ossan's last sentence. 'What was so weird about his statement that has everyone looking at us with those outraged expressions?'
To Shirosaki's dismay, Getabōshi was the first to regain his wits.
"Kurosaki-san are you insinuating that the girl in your custody has a fragment of the Hogyoku? In other words, a certain Soren character, who is the current leader of the Quincy, is searching for one of the orbs which is in the hands of a child? Taking in consideration everything said up to now, it is the last 'missing' gem from this world. Even so, you yourself claim that it has not been seen as of yet. There seems to be much more to this story than meets the eye, or in our case, 'more than we hear'. Not to mention missing details. May I request for a better explanation?"
Ossan had been prepared for the questioning, consequently he had no issues in giving his answers.
"It is true that the last remaining Hogyoku from the Living World has not reappeared. Just as it is true that Masaki had been in possession of the gem at one point in her first lifetime."
Ossan stopped to take a deep breath before continuing.
"You do recall I have an extended data of the Haldister, yes? I am sure you must have been wondering how come I know so much. The reason is simple. I used to be acquainted with its creator. Please do note, as I already did say, I have no idea what the individual was thinking when he created the jewel nor how it got broken. The thing is, one of the fragments ended up in my care and I passed it on to the next generation of Quincy within my own family branch. The love of my life was to inherit the item and pass it onto our children. She died during child birth… We had two daughters… twins… Katagiri and Masaki. Masaki being the younger of the two. For some reason, the orb resonated better at her reiatsu than her sister's. Therefore, I entrusted her with keeping the heirloom safe with the instruction to give it in its sealed state to the next worthy descendant… Masaki married a Shinigami, Soren, and together they had a beautiful baby boy, my grandson… my little Sunshine… I still can't fathom why it took me so long to see beyond Soren's guise… He found out about the fragment and its properties. He tried to get it by any means. The war with the Shinigami started around that time as well, thus, my concerns were diverted from his plans. By the time I realized he was after the gem it was nearly too late. I confronted Masaki and asked her to return it to avoid her getting hurt. She told me the orb was already handed over to another family member. The most intriguing part was the fact that she could not remember to whom she gave it."
A loud sigh came Ossan's tired lips. This was not a conversation he wanted to talk about, but he knew he had to explain the past, if they had any chances of understanding the present. As consolation, he was hoping some clarification would surface, if he spoke about the time gone by.
"Tampering with ones' memory was and continues to be, one of the most difficult techniques a Quincy can attempt to master. It requires a lot of control, dedication and delicacy. Any misstep and both the caster and the recipient could end up dead in an instant. It was one of the few practices of our kind the Quincy King had spoken, but not showed to anyone. Even more, he had strictly prohibited it's use. As per his own words, it was too dangerous and could only result in disaster. To discover that someone from my family not only managed to learn it on their own, but was also capable to apply it safely… It must have been the greatest surprise of my life. Yet, Soren never gave up on the idea of acquiring the stone. He went after each and every one of my relatives… including his own son. Needless to say, with so many distractions and soon after the apprehension of the Quincy King I lost track or Soren's goals… In the meantime, Soren… he caught a lead on the gem and went after his own boy. My grandson… my radiant beam of light… became the target of a power-hungry lunatic…"
Ossan took another pause and a large gulp of tea. His throat was constricting and he was having a hard time going on. Shirosaki at his side raised his hand and placed it on his shoulder, trying to offer comfort. He had never been good at it, but he knew how hard it was for Ossan to reminisce about past. He sure as hell knew… for he too felt that anguish which accompanied Ossan's words in his very blood and bones.
"In the end, the two ended up in a fierce battle… Soren lost, but at a great price… The Hogyoku be damned for all the suffering it caused. In a journal we later found, my grandson confessed the gem was entrusted into his care. The smart kid… He had placed a barrier on the diary, preventing anyone besides either Shirosaki or myself to unlock it… Heh, he did a minor error, for to open the log required Quincy powers which Shirosaki does not have… He admitted to have erased his mothers' memories for her own protection. The 'family heirloom' was hidden for all eternity in such a way that it would be impossible to find… He foresaw his father's ambitions and his motive of going after the gem. Apparently, Soren desired the orb to become the King of all lands. In a last effort to confuse and take Soren off the right path, he stated that should he come to cross swords with the maniac, he would give him false information regarding the Hogyoku. The info would be that the one to have the orb was his mother. Her memory erased by the Emperor, making her believe she gave it to someone else. Should anyone try to hurt her the Hogyoku would be gone until she could be reincarnated again. Basically, should the carrier of the fragment be harmed in any way, the stone would disappear and only return within a new reincarnation."
Ossan took another break to steady himself. Shirosaki's support was unusual, but welcomed. He proceeded as soon as he could.
"My little Sun, who was not even eighteen at the time, died in an effort to prevent that one piece to fall into the wrong hands. Ever since that fateful day, Shirosaki and I have researched thoroughly the Haldister and swore to find them all. Our goal is to make them useless and prevent any new issues from occurring due to the nature of the stones. When they were one jewel, the Haldister was capable of reading ones' heart and could determine whether the person was worthy of its desires or not. I presume that once it god damaged, the gems retained the property of seeing the greatest yearning of its user, but lost that certain touch… the possibility to 'judge' the personality of the individual holding it."
The room fell silent once again. Urahara had not expected such an elaborate confession. He had guessed right that the missing gem had been in the Kurosaki's family. It was a shame it got lost, especially with such a tragic outcome. On another note, the last owner claimed it was well concealed. At least they could get some consolation out of that. Although, he could see in Kurosaki-san's eyes… There could never be comfort to those who outlive a young life. A child stood up against a monster and won, still the price o such victory would truly never be enough for the distraught man sitting in his meeting room.
But at least now they knew for sure. There were only two Hogyoku left to take care of. And those were his and Aizen's. Not the best solution, but better than nothing. He would have to consider recuperating the one he had sealed and left behind.
"I guess the only thing we can do now is keep the little lady safe. Is she even aware of the situation?"
Ossan shook his head in the negative.
"I asked her parents, she does not remember her previous life. Not once in any of her reincarnations had she retained memories from the first lifetime. For this reason, I would like to keep her in the dark. Just imagine the ordeal of finding out that your entire family was murdered for the sake of capturing a single person? On top of that, she is only fourteen."
Silence once again. This time broken by an unruly Shirosaki. His patience nonexistent after having had flashbacks of that period, brought to the surface from Ossan's tale.
"Now that everyone is up to date, can we get a move along and decide what to do next? It's obvious your Aizen and our Soren are not going to work together since they want the same thing. Ok, fine! Maybe not exactly the same, but similar enough. Soken-san will keep Masaki-chan safe, if he thinks it's smart after hearing all this. Gramps, if you feel like it's not a good idea, we won't judge you. There is a crazy ass maniac out there who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Proven when he annihilated Ossan's family. So, reflect carefully about it while you can. We have a problem with Shinigami getting themselves killed by their own. Then, there are Quincy doing the same. Honestly, if this continues any longer, I will have to say Hollows are the calmest and most peaceful race. And let's not forget, 'Hollow' and 'peace' are two words which should never be even spoken in the same phrase unless it's the end of the world!"
Alright, he was ranting and, after his tirade, panting. But he was trying to get everyone to understand that nothing will be solved if they continue sitting on their behinds. Would you look at that. He should have probably just said that. Surprisingly it was the cat who understood his outburst.
"We do have our hands full, hence we should probably formulate a few plans. Ishida-san are you willing to take… Masaki-san was it?... under your protection, even after hearing all this?"
Soken had absolutely no second thoughts. He and Else had already agreed to take Masaki even with the threat of a possible attack. Now fully aware of the whole situation, he was even more determined to offer security to the oblivious child. He turned to face his Majesty with resolve in his eyes.
"I was aware it was not an easy assignment, I know my family may become targeted. Even so, my wife and I have already chosen to take custody over Masaki-san. She is a bright girl who has a marvelous future in front of her. Kurosaki-sama, I still wish to proceed and take care of her as though she was my own. Pardon my audacity, but I do request you do not take that honor and privilege from us."
Ossan nodded once. He did not show it, but he was glad at the prospect of Masaki having a somewhat normal life while Soken turned to look at the Hollow next to his Majesty.
"As for you Shirosaki-san, I would highly appreciate if you would call me Ishida-san or at least Soken-san. The term 'gramps' will be either ignored or tossed back right into your very own face, until I find a more adequate nickname for you."
Shirosaki's grin consumed his face. Oh, he sure liked this hunter. He was not too much of a stick in the mud and he had guts. Urahara looked between the two males and decided to take over the course of the conversation.
"How about we continue? It was mentioned that some Quincy are not entirely happy with the person known as Soren. Kurosaki-san do you think they may be turned against him?"
Ossan thought deeply about it for some time.
"It could be done, but only if we managed to get in touch with Haschwalth Jugram. He was and still is one of the rare members of my kind I entirely trust. If I recall correctly, he should be the second in command."
Soken saw the chance to provide a bit more information to the growing pile.
"Hei… Kurosaki-sama, I can confirm Master Haschwalth is still the second in command. Although, if I may, I have reason to believe Haschwalth-sama is not permitted to go outside the Wandenreich. Not once was he allowed to leave. Every time our kind was sent out, he was stopped by Soren-san's order to stay behind and guard the Wandenreich."
Shirosaki added his two cents. At this point, he could not make matters worse with his acquired intel.
"Yeah, now that I think about it, that 'B–what's his face' guy said something alike."
Ossan was pensive. If only they could reach Haschwalth, they would gain an inside mole which would greatly facilitate any future missions. He could also ask Haschwalth to make sure no direct contact was made with the Shinigami Aizen.
"Hmm. I am even more convinced we should find a way to get in touch with him. Bazzard Black was sent here because they felt my reiatsu this morning. Yes, they may have not recognized it, but I am willing to bet Haschwalth did. We should determine if he is on our side and if he would agree to become our informant. That would give us a direct link to Soren and we could monitor his progress. Not only that, we could prevent any chances of contact between Quincy and the Shinigami."
All in the room thought about it and agreed in their own ways it would be a good option. Urahara had an inkling that Kurosaki-san knew exactly how to step in contact with this new unknown individual.
"Am I right to presume you have already formulated a plan, Kurosaki-san?"
Ossan nodded his head.
"There are several choices available at hand. One of them is to speak with Bazzard Black. Judging from Shirosaki's words, he is one of those who are not fond of Soren. He is also very close to Haschwalth, as they are childhood friends. We can certainly use that to our advantage."
Shirosaki eagerly nodded in agreement.
"Bazz-B! Oh, he is so not Soren's fan! He did say he could care less about the bastard. That, and he also mentioned that if 'Jugo'… Hehe, they have pet names, how cute… Argh! He said that if Haschwalth was to take over the base, everyone would follow him. Looks like his past reputation is more than enough to warrant respect."
A proud smile crept on Ossan's face. To appoint Haschwalth as his right-hand man was the wisest decision he had ever made. The youngster's calm passion complemented his decisive strikes like no other. Among all his children, Haschwalth was the only one who had the power to share his assets with others. He had no trouble in dividing his power with Haschwalth at night. When asleep at night he, the Quincy King, had to take the mantel of the Father of all Quincies to expand his powers among those with enough will to withstand his gifts. Haschwalth took over the other portion of his powers. That way the Emperor could, undisturbed by the hum of his own reiatsu, distribute or take the core of Quincy powers without using Auswählen.
Haschwalth had taken that duty remarkably well. Never had he abused this peculiar skill for his own benefits. Those were all qualities he greatly rewarded. Haschwalth became his second in command as well as the Adviser and Grandmaster. His joy was tarnished by the storekeeper.
"I am not so sure it would be wise to contact someone we are not certain would be on our side. Not to mention we do not know where to find either of the two men you spoke of, unless we were to use the teleportation device you showed us. That on itself is an enormous risk as I am sure it has a system of alerting the Quincy of who comes and goes. In other words, it would alert them of our arrival."
Shirosaki snickered lightly.
"Really? First of all, if there is one thing I know about hunters, it is that Haschwalth is a trustworthy man. And what do you mean with 'alert of our arrival'? You sound like you're under the delusion you would be going as well. Hah! Get real! Your duty is Aizen, just as Soren is ours. Anyway, I already called dibs on Soren's head. Besides, who said we don't know where to find one of the guys? I know for sure Bazz-B is in Yokohama guiding a troupe of Quincy in search for Masaki-chan."
Everyone in the room shot him with dirty looks.
"What?! I was going to say that before, but we kind of changed subject."
Ossan sighed. He had hopped Shirosaki would have learnt how to divulge information properly by now. Another trait the Hollow had which he had to accept and live with. Urahara took out the fan and started pointing it around as he went on with preliminary plans.
"I believe we have found a solution to one of the issues. For this mission, if I may, I would appoint Kurosaki-san and Ishida-san to approach the Quincy and see if an alliance can be formed. Yoruichi-san, if we could kindly ask you to monitor Soul Society and to let us know any news. Care to also check on Aizen and his minions while at it? Shirosaki-san should stay here and take care of any Hollows coming to Karakura. I would also recommend for him to be around Masaki-san as a bodyguard. Since Ishida-san cannot be seen befriending a Hollow, I can try to create a gigai for Shirosaki-san which would make him seem more human-like. Tessai-san and I will work on gathering all data from each side and keep you all in touch with new developments while working on a way to assure miss Masaki is not found by either side. Of course, we will do our best to apprehend any experiments Aizen sets loose in either Karakura or Narukishi. Shirosaki-san, I am counting on your help should we face such a specimen."
None had any issues with their appointed projects. That is to say, none but Shirosaki who abruptly stood up in agitation.
"Wait a moment! Are you telling me I have to stick around here? Hell no! I refuse to be anywhere near you, any of your bloody false corpses, or gigai or whatever you wanna call it! Who is to say you won't be experimenting on me, if I was to drop my guard? Or even that this gigai thing will work considering what I am. I don't trust crazy scientists."
A hand was placed on his shoulder and when he turned he was met by reddish-brown eyes.
'When did Ossan get behind me? Wait, when did he stand up?'
"Take it easy Shirosaki. You don't have to do anything you don't like."
Ossan then shot Urahara a deathly glare.
"I will give you a piece of advice Urahara-san. Do not try to conduct trials on Shirosaki. He tends to overreact and for the sake of your own health and shop, I would strongly suggest not to get him riled-up."
Urahara noticeably paled. To deal with an agitated Hollow was disturbing enough, but to have on top of that an angry Quincy who was ready to obliterate him at a moments notice must be even worse. His intellectual mind, however was not resting and caught a microscopic detail. During the entire conversation related to the past, Shirosaki was not mentioned. Yet, he had reacted as though he had seen the events with his own eyes. What kind of connection was hidden behind this case? How did a Quincy and Hollow come to a mutual agreement? What was he missing? He was driving himself insane with all the unanswered questions. Nonetheless, he used his fan to cover his face, only to start waving it around once more.
"Ma, ma. I would never do something like that to an unwilling victim… I mean participant, of course. How are we going to deal with Shirosaki-san's tasks then?"
Ossan looked back and forth between Shirosaki and the Shinigami disguised as a regular human.
"I would like to keep Shirosaki with me at least for this first job. His talents and expertise will be very useful. Especially when traveling."
Soken additionally added on a whim.
"In regards to the little Lady, you should not worry. Our household is aware of at least part of the situation and we have already initiated a way to prevent her detection. There will be no need for Shirosaki-san to watch over her."
Shirosaki was relieved. He was saved, for now. Urahara graciously conceded defeat. He would find another opportunity to work on the unusual hybrid.
Yoruichi stretched her cat form, took the beige device before addressing everyone.
"In that case, Kisuke put this thing on me and I will be on my way."
Urahara complied and before long Yoruichi was gone. Ossan took the three pieces for his group and bid his farewells. The still baffled Urahara grabbed his hat while thinking.
'Things are about to get exciting. I should call the others and let them know of a new 'friend' they could meet. I am simply dying to see their reactions.'
With those thoughts still in mind, the wicked mastermind gave a meaningful look to his friend and assistant. Tessai-san stood up to clear the table and grab a phone for his Tenchou which Urahara gladly accepted.
"A very good morning Shinji-san. It has been a while. I have some interesting news."
Jugram Haschwalth dressed in his white Sternritter uniform was walking among the endless corridors which made the icy fortress Silbern. He was on his way to the throne room with the latest updates. Robert Accutrone was still in Yokohama along with Bazz-B. There were no traces of the girl or any indications that she was among the living. Once at the double door, he politely knocked alerting the person inside of his arrival.
"Come in." came the usual muffled voice.
He opened the doors with a small amount of reiatsu and greeted the man who was pacing around the room.
"Soren-sama."
He was interrupted by the masked man.
"I hope you bring good news."
Haschwalth merely continued looking at the other without any hints of emotion.
"I regret to inform that the search so far has yielded no new clues. We are about to resume the pursuit by sending all available parties to all residences belonging to the Kurosaki household. As for the unexpected reiatsu felt this morning, it has been established it was caused due to a fight between a Shinigami and Hollow. The result was the demise of both sides."
Soren was not pleased, not at all. His plan to obtain the girl and the gem was not moving smoothly. On top of that, now Shinigami were getting killed by Hollows. He would have to expedite creating spies within Shinigami officers. The few he had at hand, needed more time to finish the Academy. He could use one of them and send the victim to a bar in Seireitei. Those guys liked their Sake, if he was to force his infected subject in one of the locals' the higher ranked Shinigami frequented, he could easily gain at least one seated officer. He nearly forgot all about Haschwalth. Looking in his general direction he spoke with a calm and collected tone.
"I see. We must avoid any contact with the Shinigami. We wouldn't want them to find out we are here attempting to free our King. Make sure all those in the World of the Living are informed accordingly. Alert me as soon as Lady Masaki is found. In the meantime, I will try to infiltrate Seireitei. I will try once again to attain more data on the location of the seal, in case the little lady has memory loss."
Haschwalth continued to blankly stare at the other man. No matter how much time passed and how convincing Soren's words were, Haschwalth had never liked the guy. He wished they had at least the Denka. It would be so much more pleasant and easier had they not lost the boy. Not for the first time, he had to repress the urge to slaughter the man hiding behind that material. The only reason he did not, was his memory of Lady Masaki. Her devotion and love had been Soren's only saving grace.
Haschwalth took a deep inaudible breath, bowed and was about to leave.
"A moment of your time Haschwalth. How is it going with the recruitment?"
Haschwalth turned around to face the Regent.
"Nothing new since the last report Mr. Accutrone gave you, Sir. We have suspended the quest of Ishida Soken for the benefit of appointing more men toward the search for Lady Masaki."
Soren could hide his features all he wanted, but the surprise in his voice was unmistakable.
"Ishida? What about him? Did we not already enlist his service half a year ago?"
Haschwalth would have wanted nothing more than to laugh at the incompetence of the so-called Regent. His Majesty would have known even without being informed. That's the kind of man Heika was, he had everything under control. To see such poor skills, brought a rather large amount of satisfaction to the Quincy.
"Actually Sir, the Head of the Ishida household, Ishida Soken, is missing for the past two months. We were all under the impression he was merely around Wandenreich. However, after analyzing the circumstances, we have come to the conclusion that the man has either been killed within our own ranks or simply disappeared. Any info we had on the Ishida's is missing as well. Therefore, we now have absolutely no material regarding the family members past or present. We also lack any information related to the properties which may have belonged to the mentioned household."
Soren was about to explode. Cursed Quincies! That was exactly why he needed his own scouts. He had the feeling the Quincies in Wandenreich did not approve of him, a Shinigami, to be their leader. Well, a Shinigami-Hollow hybrid, but no one knew that little secret. The only one who found out was, thankfully, dead. Stupid kid and his idiotic orange mane. Should not have poked his nose where it did not belong. Oh, wait. Nope, that was totally Soren's own fault. He had hated the child from the moment it was born. By marring Masaki, he was supposed to be the next in line for the crown and not that scrawny little thing. Heh, good riddance. The Quincy in the room was looking at him with a funny expression. Oh, yeah! He had to get someone in trouble.
"How come I was not notified of this change before?"
Haschwalth had to fight real hard to prevent a smile from spreading all over his face. This was the second time that day the mighty Soren-sama had lost track of time due to his failures.
"Lord Soren, Mr. Accutrone was the one to inform you on the day we have received the report from the unit sent to apprehend Lady Masaki. Until that moment we were collecting evidence assuring the accuracy of the report. You do know we are extremely meticulous with the information we provide you with."
Soren did not need to know that Haschwalth himself had deliberately slowed down the research squadron. He had been very fond of Soken-san in both his past and current lifetime. A brilliant man with vast capabilities. A shame he did not appreciate the new methods and systems developed by the Quincy. Of course, Haschwalth had been aware the very moment Soken-san left Wandenreich. If he was correct, Soken-san took with him one of the portal devices. He took it as his personal duty to make sure no one found that little detail out. It was also thanks to his 'logic' that many believed the man was lying dead somewhere within the Wandenreich. For some unknown reason, Haschwalth was positive his Majesty would have approved of his actions. Thus, he kept quiet and did everything he could to subtly hinder Soren's operations.
Soren on the other side of the room was trying to remember the conversation with Robert. There were many things said on that day, but he could not remember for the love of him anything about the Ishida. He knew he could not show any weakness in front of the Grandmaster or lack of proper knowledge. He decided to simply put the matter aside and do his private investigation with his future mini-spies.
"Right. With all of the ongoing errands, it must have slipped my mind. Yes, that is right, Robert did notify me. The data was probably attached to the Family Head. In cases where there are no heirs left behind, the intel disappears with the death of the last living member. It is only reasonable to conclude Ishida-san has unfortunately departed. There will be no need to waste our resources on a deceased associate. Please proceed with the previous assignments, those being: Lady Masaki to be brought here, the Shinigami to be avoided at all costs and please have as many troops start looking through all the abodes which belonged to the Kurosaki's."
Haschwalth nodded and lightly bowed. Once outside the throne room he huffed a quick breath. That had gone much smoothly than he had anticipated. He knew Accutrone did not inform the Regent about the Ishida case. He was able to cover Soken-san's departure. With the privileges granted as the Grandmaster, he had been able to access and erase all intelligence on the household. Naturally, he did retain a personal copy in case that Soken-san resulted to be a traitor. But he doubted that very much. In case that he had been wrong, he would personally take care of the issue.
Pulling out of his jacket's right inner pocket the regular communicator, he passed the new orders around to all units. Once he felt Soren had left Wandenreich, he went to his private room where he promptly locked himself in. There was something bothering him. The picked-up reiatsu from that morning had felt familiar. Too familiar. Not many would know or remember, but he did. After all, who best judge than himself? He, who had felt that power with his own body. That tinge of power, the thrilling sensation, that succulent caress it emitted. He was certain it belonged to their lost King.
The room was pretty plain. A bed with a white velvet cover decorated with a large golden star in its middle was located at the left corner, along with a powder white colored double-sided closet. The usually large and long Gothic style window was covered by thick cotton frost colored curtains. The walls and floors were all painted in a dusty pearly white shade.
The most prominent piece of furniture was the hand carved white wooden office desk with gold plated designs which took the middle of the room. Along with a matching chair. The desk was made of birch wood with enough drawers to satisfy a bigger office. Each drawer contained files on the activities related to Silbern and the Wandenreich.
He gently placed his left hand underneath the table top while the right was on the rightmost corner. A small dose of his reiatsu was all it took to open a secret compartment at the location of his left hand. He pulled out a personally developed transmitter. There were very few people he trusted. Due to inexpiable reasons, his long-time impulsive and reckless friend Bazzard was one of those rare individuals. Must be because they have known each other since they were infants. Robert Accutrone and handful of others were reliable, but that none were on the same as Bazz-B.
He tapped the device three times on the front part and once to the side. It did not take long for his friends' obnoxious voice to come from the machinery.
"Yo Jugo. News travels fast or have you forgotten I also have the regular receiver?"
Typical Bazz-B.
"It is nice to hear you too Bazzard. And yes, I am aware you have the other communicator as well. Am I right to say you lowered its recording volume to the minimum, subsequently preventing our conversation from being overheard?"
"Yeah, yeah mister smarty pants. I did and I even made sure I was not followed. So? What do you want?"
Haschwalth became slightly more serious, if the frown on his face was an indicator of his mood.
"Earlier, I was interrupted by one of the lesser soldiers, which in turn prevented me from asking you more direct questions. This morning… What are your thoughts on that reiatsu?"
On the other line it was obvious the other member was thinking hard if the humming noises heard over were used in consideration.
"You know I was never really good at distinguishing different reiatsu inputs. They all feel the same to me. But this one was a bit different. I can't put my finger on it, but there was something really weird. Why? Don't tell me you want me to go all the way back there?"
Haschwalth was more than satisfied. He was on the right track, if Bazzard, of all people, sensed an oddity. The problem would be to separate Bazz-B from the party involved in looking for Lady Masaki. He could always claim, he needed Bazzard to investigate a smaller house. Yes, there was the summer cottage. He concentrated on its location. Nothing. Perfect. He could already make the report that naught was found in that place, while giving Bazz free reign to wonder around in a supposedly solo mission. They were just ordered to allocate their men efficiently and for a small cottage a single Quincy was more than enough.
"I have a hunch which I would like to confirm. Can you make sure you are untraceable for some time? I will give you a faux mission to inspect a remote cottage, due to it's size it will be a one-man task. When you leave in the direction of the coordinates I will provide via the receiver, you will make sure to be undetected and instead go to a different place. I need you to go to the old castle."
He stopped to double check Bazzard was following his instructions.
"Are you thinking about the Royal Palace? Ok, how the hell do you intend to make that happen? Last time I checked, it's location was unknown. Heck, one of the first orders Soren had make was to find the castle. Only we couldn't do it remember? You said it was gone the moment the Shinigami captured his… Majesty…"
Haschwalth chuckled a bit.
"True, that is what I had said."
No sound was made by either male, until a snort followed by insane laughter erupted from an amused hot-headed world away.
"Jugo, you, sly fox. Don't tell me… That was… what do you call it? A 'misinformation' you gave to the high Lord Regent Soren-sama. Hah! Is it? HAHAHAHA! Jeez, I can't wait for the day you show him just how much you've been messing around with him."
"I have no clue as to what you are insinuating Bazzard." Was Haschwalth's stoic response, though on the inside he was smiling along with his friend.
"Yeah, yeah. You keep telling yourself that. Then? How do you want me to pass through whichever demonic craft you placed on the castle?"
Haschwalth hummed as though contemplating the idea.
"Hmm, I wonder. It was not my doing the palace became untouchable. I will give you the coordinates, once you get there let me know and we'll see."
Even more amusement could be heard coming from Bazz-B.
"Yeah, roger that. Just announce this new 'task' you want me to partake. By the way, what the hell am I looking for? You do remember the thing was huge. Should still be. Any idea as to what I've got to do there?"
Haschwalth was serious once again. He himself did not know what to expect. He just had this feeling in the pit of his stomach. If he could, he would leave and investigate himself, but he did not want to raise any suspicions. He would follow Soren because he was the reincarnation of the Denka's father. That did not mean he was trusted by default. On the contrary, that gave him even more of a reason not to fall for deceptions.
There was also the fact that in his previous life, Soren did not wear a mask. He had no need for it even when he first came to the Wandenreich and claimed the right to be Regent. Only the last few decades he started to put the cover. They were told he got injured during a mission and his face got disfigured so horribly he did not want anyone to have nightmares from seeing his face. The reiatsu was the same, so he had no doubts it was the same individual.
Heika's words during his studies echoed in his head: 'Never trust a man who wears a mask, for it only means the individual has learnt how to guise its true intentions from those around. Masks are worn by either manipulators or Hollows, neither proved to be good as of yet.'
That was a lesson he had taken to heart before Shirosaki-san was enlisted as a bodyguard to the Denka. How the Hollow managed to gain his Majesty's favor, remained a secret to this day. Not only that, Shirosaki-san was presented to all servants and Quincy as a mere human with unusual powers. Heika and Denka had worked extremely hard to conceal the Hollow's reiatsu which any Quincy worth its title could perceive. It had been yet another mystery he still had to crack. His reminiscence of the past was broken from Bazz-B. Who was relentlessly calling his name.
"Sorry Bazz. I got lost in thoughts. To be frank, I am not sure what to expect or what to find. I just have this urge to be there. Unfortunately, since I am supposed to keep the façade of the loyal dog in front of Soren, I can't go there myself. That's why I want you to go in my place. I can hope that whatever is plaguing my mind, will become clear once we get there. And by that, I mean you. Keep me posted. I will make the announcement shortly along with the details of where each group will be sent."
Bazzard grunted, but agreed and turned the transmitter off, while Haschwalth hid his in the imperceptible inner left pocket of the jacket. He had personalized the coat, so if he was spotted placing an object in his inner pocket it would be mistaken for the regular communicator.
"It's about time I make the needed arrangements."
He opened one of the drawers to his right side and pulled out a laptop. He quickly searched through all the intel related to the Kurosaki's and prepared a plan of action, assuring Bazzard would be undisturbed. Once all was prepared, he took out the regular receiver and passed the orders around. He had a long day ahead of him and it was not even noon.
Having left the shop and its occupants behind, Ossan was deep in thoughts. They were supposed to get near Bazzard Black without raising suspicions from other Quincies. The task would certainly not be an easy one, especially if they did travel in a group. Although, something told him it would be better to try something else.
He was brought back to the present only when they reached the town's park. Shirosaki had taken the lead ad brought them to the same place he had opened his Garganta the day before. Had they had the time, Ossan would have gladly spent more time. It was such a lovely day. Shirosaki sent him a questioning look. Had he been unsure the Hollow had read him like a book, Shirosaki's words confirmed his speculation.
"So, where to Ossan? Call me crazy, but I have the feeling we won't be going to Yokohama. Have you had enough time to work out what you want to do?"
Ossan lowered his head in a half nod.
"We are yet to pay that place a visit. Would you agree it was about time we change it?"
Shirosaki chuckled, displaying confidence. He too was itching to go there again.
"Sure! It's been…what? About nine hundred years? Give or take a few decades… Meh, more or less. Who counts?"
With a flick of his wrist a Garganta opened beside him. He got in and gestured for Ossan to enter along with a stunned Soken. Their quiet companion had never, not in his wildest dreams, thought he would be so lucky to see a Garganta up close. Traveling or using one had never crossed his mind. Begin the ever-perceptive Hollow of their group, Shirosaki easily guessed Soken's train of thoughts.
"Come on Soken-san. There is a first time for everything. At the very least I can assure you my way of traveling is much nicer compared to the freakish shadows you hunters use."
At those spoken words Ossan barely suppressed the snicker that wanted to escape his lips.
"I hate to say this, especially since shadow traveling is my invention. However, this time Shirosaki is undeniably right. When we enter this remarkable black void, which connects parts of Hueco Mundo with the World of the Living, we are to do but one thing. Gather reishi and create a walking path. Shirosaki will take care of the direction and we follow."
Soken was once again left astounded. For Heika to willingly give such reassurance… These were, indeed, strange times. Change was prominent on the horizon. All things considered, it appeared to be for the better. He joined his companions and was surprised to see a long stable and solid platform. Shirosaki in the lead and guiding them to their next journey. Soken realized he had been so surprised that he forgot to ask where they were going.
Hehe. I too wonder, where the hell am I sending those three?
^ . ^
Thank you for reading. I hope I managed to put a smile on your faces and, if just for a moment, made you forget about any chores, duties or troubles which are the most common parts of our lives :3
Looking forward to any and all criticism.
Reminders: English is still not my mother language. So, if I made any mistakes or any errors, please let me know. I am the writer and the spellcheck person all in one, not an easy job. I know this is getting old. But better safe than sorry xD
Wishing everyone an amazing day/night ahead :D