[BitP:R] Soul Society 2

[Kuroimaken]

It's a good thing Soushi set his Reiphone to "vibrate".


Scribble.

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"We better hurry up. Masaru's on your case. Won't be long before he gets to you."

Once they reach the drop-off point, it's time for Soushi to put on his best dutiful officer impression.

"Karashi-san. Wake up."

Officer Karashi would awaken to the groggy feeling of a drug-induced sleep coming to an end. The faintest glow of healing Kidou envelops him, as kneeling over his arrested body is Nagamichi Soushi, Vice-Captain of the 8th division.

"You're safe now. I managed to snatch you away from Kujo when he went on the move. I can't break the Bakudou on you, however, not without losing his trail. I'm sending a distress signal to the troops currently on patrol so they can pick you up and transport you somewhere safe.

Is there anything you can tell me of importance?"

Just as Soushi finishes the sentence, he's already sending Jigokuchou to warn his superior as well as the Commander-General of the current situation.

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This is Nagamichi Soushi, Vice-Captain of the 8th division. Requesting extraction for Officer Ren Karashi of the 10th at coordinates XX, YY, ZZ. Public Enemy no. 1 sighted headed towards Sekkiseki mines, currently in pursuit. Mantaining comm silence until target is known.

[HirokatsuGoto]

He turns to face Vice-Captain Goto, and begins to explain what his plan entails, when Michiko suddenly moved to restrain Vice-Captain Karite. Her exclamation for help was all the reason he needed.

"Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō!"

Even as the yellow light is slamming into Karite's body, Masaru is suddenly right in front of him. Of course, Karite might more immediately notice the sword point sitting in the hollow of his throat, right above his Adam's apple, the tip not quite breaking skin. When Masaru speaks, it is in a tone that implies deadly harm if not obeyed.

"Do not move."

INVASION DAY

Hirokatsu Goto Vice Captain (acting officer in charge) of the 9th Division: (near 8th Cpt Masaru's previous position on Rukongai battleground awaiting coordination instructions for search of "Kujo")


Hirokatsu would have been looking to Cpt Masaru as he was about to begin to speak, then in an instant the 8th Cpt was near Michiko at the neck of Karite. Hirokatsu had heard the call for help as well and instantly his right hand now held the hilt of his umbrella along with his left hand above it as he would have brought it to the side of him from his shoulder holding the umbrella with both hands horizontally so the edge of the open umbrella was near the ground but not touching it. Hirokatsu's right leg was back and he was in a slight crouch, as he looked on to the scene unfolding. His eyes trained on Karite and the 8th Cpt's movements.

Hirokatsu would move slowly around the scene keeping his distance before stopping where he could see Karite, Michiko and Masaru, but also the Cpt General. He would give a short glance to the Cpt General, as if trying to get an order of importance to this situation from him before looking back to the 8th Cpt. Hirokatsu would dare not intrude on the situation unfolding of which a culmination was indeed necessary, but at the same time, an order was issued by the Cpt General, and his indulgence of Gotei officers to these new events was indeed his prerogative.

Hirokatsu looked on to Masaru, Karite and Michiko, at the ready. His black haori over his Shinigami robes flapped slightly in the slight breeze. His long eyebrows and mustache swaying in time with them slightly.

[Moon Wolf]

Yuuki grimaces. Unpleasantly. I knew it. He sends another hell butterfly, again to all the captains.

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I met one of those helpers, myself. She's called Suzume. She's a former member of my division. I assume you all know she killed my former captain. Be on the lookout for her as well, and let me know if you find her.

[riccaru]

[3rd Division]

Nasumi's quite glad to be back on the map again. She nods to Shishmaru, but just before they get inside... she raises her hand and points to the horizon. "Hey! Where do you think that smoke's coming from, Shishimaru-san? Isn't that quite close?"

Almost magically Suzume is beside the two, looking with them toward the explosions. She puts her arm around Nasumi, leaning close to her ear and whispering a few words.

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"It's sixth division, kiddo. Put your hands where i can see them."

Her arm never leaves Nasumi's shoulder and a smile never drops from her face. A slight sneeze issues from her nose but otherwise she is silent.

[Akio - Yama Household]

A sharp inhalation can be heard throughout the empty house as Akio Yama, Former third seat, rolls in bed onto the cracked ribs he sports on his left. His first punishment from the trip out. He sits up quickly as the butterfly enters the open window beside him, eliciting another sigh and a hacking cough.

As he stands his left leg falters slightly, making him reach out to catch himself. His body was a wreck and it showed. Bandages were wrapped around his lower torso and upper right arm, white linen clashing with his Shinigami pants. Slowly he walks to the wall where his sword hangs and grasps his lifeline until his knuckles pale.

Reckoning will be heard. Fight as you may, the end is near.

With his sword in hand he begins his long walk to Thirteenth Division, and his future.

[Wahrheit]

A Hell Butterfly landed on Magatsu's shoulder to relay Masaru's message.

Well, isn't this interesting. An arrancar attack seemed just a bit too obvious... Daisuke-kun needs to get the Division ready for the search.

If you're lucky, you'll get to help kill Kujo.

If I'm lucky, fast, and good. Which I am. Let's get back to killing. And once he's dead too, we're going to talk...

Magatsu launched himself back towards the Seireitei proper, searching for Daisuke.

[Frozen_Feet]

[3rd Division]

Nasumi's jaw drops and her eyes widen in surprise. "Eh?", she yelps as the sudden change in situation slowly crawls its way to her brain. Then, faint recognition glimmers in her mismatched eyes and she turns her head so she can catch a glimpse of Suzume's face.

"H- hey! You're that cool girl from the world of mortals! What are you doing here?", she chirps, sweat flowing down her face. There's obviously something off about the whole event, but she can't really tell what it is. "Um... could you please let go of me? It's really awkward standing like this..."

Indeed, it is; Nasumi's near-exactly a foot taller than Suzume, after all. She has to lean back quite a bit to keep Suzume's toes touching the ground - were she to straighten her back suddenly, she might accidentally lift her from the ground!

---

[13th Division]

As Akio Yama enters the Division grounds, he might notice there are five Shinigami sitting around the Duty Officer's counter - they stand up when he comes to view. Akio might recognize them as being not from the 13th, but 10th.

"Ah, Yama-san. Glad you decided to come by yourself", a familiar voice comes from the corridor. If Akio turns to look, he'll see petite form of Hayashi Ikimi approaching the group. She's always solemn, but now she's downright grave, observing Akio with clear hints of worry and disappointment in her face. But even more than that, she's looking at him like he's a complete stranger - quite unnerving, considering how long they've served alongside each other. "Thank you for not causing any more trouble - the situation is dire enough as is."

One of the 10th Division Officers, a tall, pale man, looks at her, and she nods to him. He proceeds to explain. "Yama Akio, 3rd Seat of the 13th, member of Yama noble family", he says, "You are under arrest for suspected assault against fellow officers, unlawful use of Senkaimon, and letting intruders into Seireitei limits. You will be taken to custody to wait your hearing." He extends his hand towards Akio. "Please give me your sword."

Akio might note another 10th member is holding dark manacles - the sort which completely block outlets for Reiatsu in Shinigami's wrists, rendering them unable to use their powers. Even before he gives his sword, he should know what then next orfer is going to be: "Put hands behind your back."

((OOC: To riccaru: Suzume still has only one arm, correct? Also, I'm taking Akio's injuries as a permission for Elder to beat the snot out of him.))

[Kayne650]

[3rd Division Headquarters]

Shishimaru was just relaxing when he suddenly heard Suzume speak to Nasumi. He wheeled around, looking at the girl who wasn't there a second ago. When had she gotten there? Shishimaru couldn't detect much from her, but that could just as easily be an indicator of skill as a lack thereof. Or it could just be that Shishimaru wasn't great at feeling reiatsu anyway.

And then Nasumi started to talking to her as if she knew this random woman! Cool girl from the Mortal World? This woman had been to the Mortal World and back? Then what was she doing here? She looked like a Shinigami, but not one that he recognized. "Pardon me ma'am, but who are you?" Shishimaru said cautiously. She had snuck up on both of them, and Shishimaru didn't want to take any chances. He placed his hand near his sword, in case she attacked.

[4th Division Headquarters]

"But he might let her go? Is it possible that Kagome-san's okay?" Daisuke said, a note of hope in his voice. He had thought that Kagome had died, but maybe he had been wrong!

"Are you going to leave Kagome-san?" He asked whatever was inhabiting her body. If it was the same thing that had taken the man from earlier, than there was little hope, but maybe it sustained its victims! Maybe Kagome had somehow survived! It was a long shot, even Daisuke knew that; but it was a chance, and he was willing to take it.

[Draken]

4th Division

Naraku grit Kagome's teeth.

"Ah, come on. That is not the answer you should give at all!"

At Daisuke's hopes, Naraku just raised an eyebrow.

"No dice romeo. You see, Kagome's zanpakutou is quite the interesting little thing."

With that, Naraku/Kagome, still bound by the bakudo, starts hovering in the air, and then begins dashing around Natsuko at the speed of shumpo, trying to tie her up with the energy rope of her own kido.

[horngeek]

Natsuko, as she is being wrapped around, casually attempts to dismiss the kido in question.

At the same time, the flame dragon of Karinmaru attempts to block Kagome's path, and chomp down on her.

[Terry576]

"Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō!"

Even as the yellow light is slamming into Karite's body, Masaru is suddenly right in front of him. Of course, Karite might more immediately notice the sword point sitting in the hollow of his throat, right above his Adam's apple, the tip not quite breaking skin. When Masaru speaks, it is in a tone that implies deadly harm if not obeyed.

"Do not move."

Karite raises an eyebrow.

"Do you think I'm an idiot? I have you and a captain both restraining me. It would make far more sense to let you go through with whatever your plan is."

And under his breath, audible only to Karite, a word was whispered.

"Shinigami."

[KnightDisciple]

"Our plan is simple. You will fully stand down. You will allow us to bind you with Kido. And you will be detained until it is assured you are not a threat. Captain Michiko's instincts are never wrong, Vice-Captain Karite. Will you submit to these terms, Officer?"

Masaru's voice is as hard as the steel of his sword, his gaze unflinching, his hand unmoving.

[Terry576]

Karite/The Hollow shrugs.

"I agree," the hollow says, putting emphasis onto agree, not submit, "To said terms. It would be foolish not to, would it not?"

A grin appears on his face. Not his usual grin, this one has a quiet mania to it, a mania undetectable by normal, or spiritual means. It merely emits a sense of... wrongness, but not so much as to set off any alarms. Just a suspicion that all is not as it seems.

[KnightDisciple]

Masaru's eyes narrow slightly.

"Ryouichi. You should bind him with at least 2 Kido; I will then move back, we will bind him further, then move him. Could you please do so?"

The Commander-General can tell from subtle signs in his old friend's voice that there's a certain...urgency...to this request. As if Masaru forgoing his title in this situation wasn't sign enough.

[strawberryman]

Ryouichi eyes Masaru for a moment. He didn't particularly feel like arguing, nor did he feel like being held up, so he immediately turns to a casting position.

"Sōren Bakudo #63: Sajo Sabaku." In short order, twin strands of energy nearly mummify Karite (?) shoulder to toe.

[riccaru]

[3rd Division]

Nasumi's jaw drops and her eyes widen in surprise. "Eh?", she yelps as the sudden change in situation slowly crawls its way to her brain. Then, faint recognition glimmers in her mismatched eyes and she turns her head so she can catch a glimpse of Suzume's face.

"H- hey! You're that cool girl from the world of mortals! What are you doing here?", she chirps, sweat flowing down her face. There's obviously something off about the whole event, but she can't really tell what it is. "Um... could you please let go of me? It's really awkward standing like this..."

Indeed, it is; Nasumi's near-exactly a foot taller than Suzume, after all. She has to lean back quite a bit to keep Suzume's toes touching the ground - were she to straighten her back suddenly, she might accidentally lift her from the ground!

Suzume smiles and pats Nasumis' head softly before letting her stand up.
"Oh, you know. Chillin,'" she says then she looks at both of the young shinigami as she pauses then finishes her saying. "Killin'. Plenty of people around here. Chaos will be wonderful tonight!"

---

[13th Division]

As Akio Yama enters the Division grounds, he might notice there are five Shinigami sitting around the Duty Officer's counter - they stand up when he comes to view. Akio might recognize them as being not from the 13th, but 10th.

"Ah, Yama-san. Glad you decided to come by yourself", a familiar voice comes from the corridor. If Akio turns to look, he'll see petite form of Hayashi Ikimi approaching the group. She's always solemn, but now she's downright grave, observing Akio with clear hints of worry and disappointment in her face. But even more than that, she's looking at him like he's a complete stranger - quite unnerving, considering how long they've served alongside each other. "Thank you for not causing any more trouble - the situation is dire enough as is."

One of the 10th Division Officers, a tall, pale man, looks at her, and she nods to him. He proceeds to explain. "Yama Akio, 3rd Seat of the 13th, member of Yama noble family", he says, "You are under arrest for suspected assault against fellow officers, unlawful use of Senkaimon, and letting intruders into Seireitei limits. You will be taken to custody to wait your hearing." He extends his hand towards Akio. "Please give me your sword."

Akio might note another 10th member is holding dark manacles - the sort which completely block outlets for Reiatsu in Shinigami's wrists, rendering them unable to use their powers. Even before he gives his sword, he should know what then next orfer is going to be: "Put hands behind your back."

((OOC: To riccaru: Suzume still has only one arm, correct? Also, I'm taking Akio's injuries as a permission for Elder to beat the snot out of him.))

Akio already has his sword ready to hand over as he enters the room. "I'm not alone as long as I have my Zanpakuto, Officer Hayashi. How is your brother doing?" He then turns to the tenth division members and sighs "I would never let enemies into the Seretei. I admit readily to the other two charges." He then reaches out and takes hold of the manacles. "I'll lead myself, thank you. The shackles are not necessary. I have no intention of evading my punishment, and as a ranking officer and a noble I suggest we forgo the brouhaha."

[KnightDisciple]

[3rd Division]

Suddenly, there is an odd *zip-click* behind the group.

"You. The one missing an arm. Don't move. You two, step away from her."

It's Yoshi, standing there pointing an odd-looking rifle at Suzume. He seems to be wearing his labcoat over an urban-camo-pattern bodysuit; it looks to be lightly armored, at least. He is also wearing a pair of sleek pistols, and across his back is strapped his zanpakutou, currently a staff. On his head, he wears a large eyepiece, which seems to be merged with a headband that includes an earpiece. Overall, he looks almost nothing like the scientist and Kido-user that he is.

"We're in a state of emergency, with Kujo on the loose. You're talking about chaos and killing. And you don't match any current databases for Soul Society operatives. Stay where you are, and I won't shoot."

[riccaru]

[3rd Division]

Suddenly, there is an odd *zip-click* behind the group.

"You. The one missing an arm. Don't move. You two, step away from her."

It's Yoshi, standing there pointing an odd-looking rifle at Suzume. He seems to be wearing his labcoat over an urban-camo-pattern bodysuit; it looks to be lightly armored, at least. He is also wearing a pair of sleek pistols, and across his back is strapped his zanpakutou, currently a staff. On his head, he wears a large eyepiece, which seems to be merged with a headband that includes an earpiece. Overall, he looks almost nothing like the scientist and Kido-user that he is.

"We're in a state of emergency, with Kujo on the loose. You're talking about chaos and killing. And you don't match any current databases for Soul Society operatives. Stay where you are, and I won't shoot."

Suzume whips around, pulling her own gun from inside her cloak, pointing it at Yoshi. "You think you can outspeed a ninja, kiddo? You feel lucky, punk?" Her wicked grin never leaves her slight face.

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Yup. She's threatening him with a NERF gun.

[KnightDisciple]

"Yes."

As soon as she starts pulling her gun, fake or no, Yoshi pulls the trigger on his very real rifle.

A bolt of energy, an almost exact replica of a Hado 4 in all respects, tears out from the barrel of the gun.

He then pulls the trigger again, and again, tracking her movements as best he can, only checking fire if the others enter the line of fire.

"My gun was already drawn, and lightning is pretty darn fast."

[tgva8889]

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It's a good thing Soushi set his Reiphone to "vibrate".


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"We better hurry up. Masaru's on your case. Won't be long before he gets to you."

Once they reach the drop-off point, it's time for Soushi to put on his best dutiful officer impression.

"Karashi-san. Wake up."

Officer Karashi would awaken to the groggy feeling of a drug-induced sleep coming to an end. The faintest glow of healing Kidou envelops him, as kneeling over his arrested body is Nagamichi Soushi, Vice-Captain of the 8th division.

"You're safe now. I managed to snatch you away from Kujo when he went on the move. I can't break the Bakudou on you, however, not without losing his trail. I'm sending a distress signal to the troops currently on patrol so they can pick you up and transport you somewhere safe.

Is there anything you can tell me of importance?"

Just as Soushi finishes the sentence, he's already sending Jigokuchou to warn his superior as well as the Commander-General of the current situation.

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This is Nagamichi Soushi, Vice-Captain of the 8th division. Requesting extraction for Officer Ren Karashi of the 10th at coordinates XX, YY, ZZ. Public Enemy no. 1 sighted headed towards Sekkiseki mines, currently in pursuit. Mantaining comm silence until target is known.

Ren Karashi

Karashi breathes relief when he realizes just who it is that has found him. His nose twitches uncomfortably. "Not...much. Thanks. Though how much use it's going to be...not much at this point. &#$@#% did a number on me. I'm not gonna...be much help in this whole thing. Better...catch up to him." He tries his bindings, but quickly realizes they are too strong. "As I thought...get outta here, before he decides to come back and question me again."

[Wahrheit]

Oh yeah. Magatsu had a reiphone, and so did Daisuke. Hopefully the kid had it with him, wherever he was... easiest to call him to find out his location.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Battleground in Rukon District 38]

When she sees Karite's not trying to struggle, Michiko has a moment to think. "Kurosaki! Send a word to Heihachi and Yukimura! Tell them to send a squad from 4th and someone from 12th as soon as they get back to Seireitei!" A lanky, red-haired 11th Divisioner nods at the command, and summons a Jigokuchō to send the message. Then she glances at Masaru - she'd hardly expected him to jump to her help.

"Thank you gentlemen", she says to Masaru and Ryouichi, "but I think we can manage from here on. You can go." She nods towards Kurosaki and one other 11th soldier, both waiting behind them with blades drawn. "I hardly need you to hold a blade to his neck. It's my hands wrapped around his body - there's little need for you to waste your time here."

Indeed, Karite, or Hollow, or whatever he happens to be at the moment, might feel several strong arms constricting around his limbs and his torso - he'd be hard-pressed to get away from such a hold. Not that the arms could let go even if Michiko wanted to, since her peers unwittingly trapped them in place with their Bakudo - not without her releasing her Bankai, which would cause the shackles to fall loose as well.

"The area is secure, isn't it?", Michiko continues. "If they are still there, could you ask the 10th Divisioners to cast a barrier around this position as you go? Thank you."

---

[3rd Division]

"Killing? Chaos? What are you talking about?", Nasumi asks, turning to look at Suzume, eyes wide from confusion. "A - Aren't you one of the good guys? Wh- wh- what on earth are you talking about?"

Then Yoshi makes his appearance, and gives his orders. "Eh? Step away?", Nasumi asks, inching away from Suzume, though to speak the truth, Yoshi looks more like the bad guy to her at the moment. "Um, are you sure there hasn't been some terrible misunders-"

And then Yoshi fires his gun. Nasumi grabs Shishimaru and drags him to the ground with her as she ducks. "Aieee! What are you doing, moron?", she cries from the ground, tears of betrayal flowing down her cheeks. She shoots a very angry glare at Yoshi. "Don't you see we're still on the line of fire? You could hit us, you Idiot!"

---

[13th Division]

"My brother is fine, thank you", Ikimi replies mechanically, empty courtesy in response to another. The 10th Divisioners glare at Akio when he grabs the manacles. "Yama-san", the tall one says, "this could be construed as resisting arrest. Please understand that your case is too severe for us to make any special allowances, regardless of your position."

"Please let go of the shackles and proceed to do as ordered", the other one continues.

---

[The Mountain of Maggot's Nest]

Looking around himself, Ren Karashi might notice he's on high ground. Some distance from them, ground dives down into a deep canyon - on its other side, there looms a familiar-looking mountain.

On the side of that mountain, the pale stranger clings to its rocky face, glaring over the nauseating distance at the two other Shinigami talking to each other. Of course, they can neither see or feel him, as both Kyokko and Viatrix's cloak serve to obscure his presence.

Disappointment is gnawing at his innards. He'd been unable to find any of the entrances specified by Soushi - either they are camouflaged so well he couldn't find them if he tried, or the psycho had just plain lied to him.

Of course, it could've been Soushi just didn't know better - the Nest had been in place for centuries. Of course some entrances would've been removed from use or sealed - but such thinking hardly warms him now.

But even worse than his inability to enter the Nest after going such lenghts to reach it, what irks the stranger is that Soushi had jumped at the gun. He'd said it plain and clear he wouldn't mind him stabbing him in the back, as long as he'd get him in the Nest first, but the moron had not been able to hold his horses. After all the effort that had gone to explaining it to him, he'd still not understood what his plan was even about.

Oh well. That's the problem with working with crazies - you can never trust them. "And that's why you lose, bitch", the stranger snarls to thin air, before turning to regard the mountain side again.

Despite Soushi's premature defection, his plan had still gone out well, relatively speaking. By entering Seireitei through a lawful Senkaimon with Viatrix's cloaks, he'd dodged any alarm systems that could've latched onto his signature and immediatly revealed his position; by fooling the Primera to work for him, he'd lured six of the active division heads far into Rukongai, from which it'd take a long time for them to get back; his other distractions had tied up four more Gotei Divisions.

Of course, most of it is outside the strangers scope to know, but still: Seireitei had swallowed his bait, hook, line and sinker. A handful of criminals had gotten the mighty lords of afterlife on their toes! That, alone, would be enough. The stranger might not be able to get the Grand Finale he wanted, but he could still put up a show.

He'd bluffed his way all the way to the top of the world. He could keep bluffing a moment longer.

Finally, he finds what he'd been looking for - a trail. It is such a small thing, if he didn't know to look for it, he would've dismissed as something left by animals or maybe hikers. But descending to it, he sees that it leads to where he'd hoped - a brown, wooden door with a daffodil symbol, almost invisible against the stone next to it.

Quickly, the stranger hurries away from it, climbing up to mountain with rapid hops. Despite his invisibility, despite his cloak, he can't be sure whether the Nest wardens can't see him. Karashi had painted the "Head warden" as quite the loon, there's no saying what measures they might have up behind that door.

Panting, the stranger leans against a rock to rest for a bit, now far above the inconspicuous mountain trail. His purple eyes dart up, to scan the environment for one last tool he'd require.

There! A single, large boulder, teetering on the brink of falling down. Below it, the ground is lose - whether due to natural erosion or Shinigami hands, the stranger may never know. But right now, it doesn't matter.

With five great leaps, he reaches the boulder, then throws his whole weight against it. When one attempt turns out to not be enough, he does it again, and again, until it finally budges. "Heave ho!", he shouts as he feels the block finally loosen.

Back at the other hill, Soushi and Ren are suddenly struck with a loud, rumbling sound - a large boulder rolling down the mountain side has triggered an avalanche, vast amounts of rock rolling over where Karashi might know Maggot's Nest's entrance is. The sound grows in magnitude until its painful to the ears, a cloud of dust billowing up as stone crashes against stone.

Then the avalanche runs its course, rocks settling in their places again, and the dust starts to abate. Ensuing silence is almost as bad as the noise before it.

Back above the Nest entrance, the stranger waits. Sweat flows down his pallid face and his heart is racing - all bets are off now. There's no plan to fall back on now, just a leap to the unkown.

One minute passes... then another... then third...

[Kuroimaken]

Ren Karashi

Karashi breathes relief when he realizes just who it is that has found him. His nose twitches uncomfortably. "Not...much. Thanks. Though how much use it's going to be...not much at this point. &#$@#% did a number on me. I'm not gonna...be much help in this whole thing. Better...catch up to him." He tries his bindings, but quickly realizes they are too strong. "As I thought...get outta here, before he decides to come back and question me again."

"Hang in there, help's on the way. The healing Kidou I cast may be a while to take, but you should be feeling better soon."

Just then, the massive rumbling and tumbling of the earth has Soushi's ears ringing.

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Can't that idiot do anything more quietly? Oh well, in a short while he'll trip my second contingency plan.

[Kayne650]

Oh yeah. Magatsu had a reiphone, and so did Daisuke. Hopefully the kid had it with him, wherever he was... easiest to call him to find out his location.

Daisuke jumped back as Kagome started flying around Natsuko-taichou, about to absorb the Bakudo when Natsuko dismissed it herself. He was going to intervene and try to do something, but with Natsuko's dragons flying around, getting close wasn't the best idea in the world. So Daisuke hung back until...

His reiphone started buzzing. He had completely forgotten that he had picked that up. Had he picked one up? Well, apparently he had. "Hello?" He said cautiously, keeping his eyes on the battle in front of him while holding the phone with a tail.

[Battleground in Rukon District 38]

When she sees Karite's not trying to struggle, Michiko has a moment to think. "Kurosaki! Send a word to Heihachi and Yukimura! Tell them to send a squad from 4th and someone from 12th as soon as they get back to Seireitei!" A lanky, red-haired 11th Divisioner nods at the command, and summons a Jigokuchō to send the message. Then she glances at Masaru - she'd hardly expected him to jump to her help.

"Thank you gentlemen", she says to Masaru and Ryouichi, "but I think we can manage from here on. You can go." She nods towards Kurosaki and one other 11th soldier, both waiting behind them with blades drawn. "I hardly need you to hold a blade to his neck. It's my hands wrapped around his body - there's little need for you to waste your time here."

Indeed, Karite, or Hollow, or whatever he happens to be at the moment, might feel several strong arms constricting around his limbs and his torso - he'd be hard-pressed to get away from such a hold. Not that the arms could let go even if Michiko wanted to, since her peers unwittingly trapped them in place with their Bakudo - not without her releasing her Bankai, which would cause the shackles to fall loose as well.

"The area is secure, isn't it?", Michiko continues. "If they are still there, could you ask the 10th Divisioners to cast a barrier around this position as you go? Thank you."

Seiko and the two division members appeared at the gates to the 4th division headquarters, with the two others half-carrying the rapidly bleeding out Vice-Captain. They hobbled toward the division, hoping to find someone to take care of Seiko when a Jigokucho landed on Seiko's head, transmitting a message.

"Damn," Seiko muttered. "You, get in there ahead of us and find someone who can help Michiko-taichou. She needs a full squad of 4th divisioners, as soon as possible," he said to the one on his left. "What are you waiting for?! GO!" The Shinigami vanished, and Seiko slumped on the remaining one.

"Are you all right, Yukimura-sama?" The other one asked as she continued to carry Seiko towards the division.

"I'll be fine, keep moving."

[3rd Division]

"Killing? Chaos? What are you talking about?", Nasumi asks, turning to look at Suzume, eyes wide from confusion. "A - Aren't you one of the good guys? Wh- wh- what on earth are you talking about?"

Then Yoshi makes his appearance, and gives his orders. "Eh? Step away?", Nasumi asks, inching away from Suzume, though to speak the truth, Yoshi looks more like the bad guy to her at the moment. "Um, are you sure there hasn't been some terrible misunders-"

And then Yoshi fires his gun. Nasumi grabs Shishimaru and drags him to the ground with her as she ducks. "Aieee! What are you doing, moron?", she cries from the ground, tears of betrayal flowing down her cheeks. She shoots a very angry glare at Yoshi. "Don't you see we're still on the line of fire? You could hit us, you Idiot!"

Shishimaru was about to pull out his sword and try to restrain this obviously crazy woman when the 12th divisioner (Yoshi-san?) appeared, pulled out his gun, and fired it point-blank at the woman! Then, to add to that, Nasumi had grabbed him and pulled him off balance and back on the ground before he had had a chance to think! Why couldn't things just keep quiet for a while?!

"Thank you, Nasumi-san," Shishimaru said as he stood back up, his sword unsheathed and at the ready. "I'll stay out of your way, Yoshi-san. Let me know if I can help." He wanted to help, but Yoshi-san was a seated officer, and probably more capable of helping than Shishimaru. And he had mentioned someone named Kujo. Was that the person in charge of the invasion?

"We should stay back, Nasumi-san. I don't think that we can help; we'd just get in the way."

[Wahrheit]

Daisuke jumped back as Kagome started flying around Natsuko-taichou, about to absorb the Bakudo when Natsuko dismissed it herself. He was going to intervene and try to do something, but with Natsuko's dragons flying around, getting close wasn't the best idea in the world. So Daisuke hung back until...

His reiphone started buzzing. He had completely forgotten that he had picked that up. Had he picked one up? Well, apparently he had. "Hello?" He said cautiously, keeping his eyes on the battle in front of him while holding the phone with a tail.

Good, he actually has it on him. Magatsu had gotten Daisuke a permanently-issued reiphone to make pushing his more boring duties off administrating easier. Whether the 3rd Seat actually carried with him, Magatsu didn't know; they didn't exactly do fieldwork often. He catches sight of the plumes of smoke and flames from the hado bombs, nearly running into a wall in surprise. They hit this deep? Sloppy defense.

"Daisuke-kun? It's Magatsu. Where are you and what's going on? I see smoke."

[riccaru]

"Yes."

As soon as she starts pulling her gun, fake or no, Yoshi pulls the trigger on his very real rifle.

A bolt of energy, an almost exact replica of a Hado 4 in all respects, tears out from the barrel of the gun.

He then pulls the trigger again, and again, tracking her movements as best he can, only checking fire if the others enter the line of fire.

"My gun was already drawn, and lightning is pretty darn fast."

"Oh." She flies into action, using shunpo to avoid many of the blasts while firing her own shots at Yoshis' eyepiece! As she goes to fire the sixth shot, a beam of lightning catches her in the left shoulder, sending her reeling back and spraying blood behind her. "You son of a-!" Another flash of shunpo brings her close to the officer, Nerf gun in hand, she tries to uppercut him in the jaw.

[13th Division]

"My brother is fine, thank you", Ikimi replies mechanically, empty courtesy in response to another. The 10th Divisioners glare at Akio when he grabs the manacles. "Yama-san", the tall one says, "this could be construed as resisting arrest. Please understand that your case is too severe for us to make any special allowances, regardless of your position."

"Please let go of the shackles and proceed to do as ordered", the other one continues.

"I said before that I will go where you wish. I'm unarmed and compliant. I don't need the shackles." He turns so only Ikimi can see him and mouths "I'm Sorry" to her before turning back to the tenth division members. "Where are we going, then?"

[Dorizzit]

Spoiler

Show

"Flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man!"
As the red glow takes full effect against Parasito, Goro rushes in, seeking to end the creature before it can recover. He's quite pleased by the fact that the Geki remains intact as he closes. However, this only means that there is no warning as Parasito's tentacles lash out.

"Truuth and temperence!"

However, Goro is a truly experienced hand-to-hand fighter. He dives under the first blow,

"Upon..."

smacks a second out of the way with his Seki shield,

"this sinless..."

and leaps over the third.

"wall of dreams..."

However, this leaves him open to the final blow- a strike at his exposed stomach by the fourth tentacle. Even a last-moment deflection attempt with his shield still permits the vicious appendage to tear a gaping hole in his off-arm. However, as he spins in for the kill, his psychopathic focus remains.

"unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws! Hado 33: Sōkatsui!"
An enormous lance of blue flame is smashed into the one open point in the beast's armor- Parasito's mouth.

Parasito vs. Lots of People

While Goro finishes his point blank assault, the other members of the battle are not idle. Two of the Tenth Division members note the effectiveness of the Hōrin used by the Second Divisioner use Hainawa on Parasito. Instead of targeting its legs, however, they aim for the bestial hollow's bladed limbs, trying to tangle them together and immobilize them. The third squad member tries to assist them with a fully chanted Sai.

Meanwhile, the Second Divisioner who had used the Shakkaho launches a Soren Byakurai at Parasito, aiming carefully to avoid hitting his allies. The combat specialist, however, takes a different approaches and leaps above Parasito from behind, then tries to surprise it and stab it through the eye.

[KnightDisciple]

[Battleground in Rukon District 38]

When she sees Karite's not trying to struggle, Michiko has a moment to think. "Kurosaki! Send a word to Heihachi and Yukimura! Tell them to send a squad from 4th and someone from 12th as soon as they get back to Seireitei!" A lanky, red-haired 11th Divisioner nods at the command, and summons a Jigokuchō to send the message. Then she glances at Masaru - she'd hardly expected him to jump to her help.

"Thank you gentlemen", she says to Masaru and Ryouichi, "but I think we can manage from here on. You can go." She nods towards Kurosaki and one other 11th soldier, both waiting behind them with blades drawn. "I hardly need you to hold a blade to his neck. It's my hands wrapped around his body - there's little need for you to waste your time here."

Indeed, Karite, or Hollow, or whatever he happens to be at the moment, might feel several strong arms constricting around his limbs and his torso - he'd be hard-pressed to get away from such a hold. Not that the arms could let go even if Michiko wanted to, since her peers unwittingly trapped them in place with their Bakudo - not without her releasing her Bankai, which would cause the shackles to fall loose as well.

"The area is secure, isn't it?", Michiko continues. "If they are still there, could you ask the 10th Divisioners to cast a barrier around this position as you go? Thank you."

---

[Battleground in Rukon District 38]
Masaru takes one moment to cast his own high-60s Bakudo, making sure to use the full chant. At this point, Karite was bound for quite a while.

"Indeed. Please be careful, Michiko. We'll communicate as much as we can."

The Captain of the 8th turned, sheathing his katana. He passed the Commander-General, then paused for a moment.

"I'm going to go back to the 8th, and try to help coordinate from there via our map and the communications available to us."

With that, he blurred away, already well on his journey back into the heart of the Seireitei.

[3rd Division]

"Killing? Chaos? What are you talking about?", Nasumi asks, turning to look at Suzume, eyes wide from confusion. "A - Aren't you one of the good guys? Wh- wh- what on earth are you talking about?"

Then Yoshi makes his appearance, and gives his orders. "Eh? Step away?", Nasumi asks, inching away from Suzume, though to speak the truth, Yoshi looks more like the bad guy to her at the moment. "Um, are you sure there hasn't been some terrible misunders-"

And then Yoshi fires his gun. Nasumi grabs Shishimaru and drags him to the ground with her as she ducks. "Aieee! What are you doing, moron?", she cries from the ground, tears of betrayal flowing down her cheeks. She shoots a very angry glare at Yoshi. "Don't you see we're still on the line of fire? You could hit us, you Idiot!"

"Didn't hit you. If you're not going to help, stay out of the way."

He then commences the time-honored tactic of "firing on the move"...

"Oh." She flies into action, using shunpo to avoid many of the blasts while firing her own shots at Yoshis' eyepiece! As she goes to fire the sixth shot, a beam of lightning catches her in the left shoulder, sending her reeling back and spraying blood behind her. "You son of a-!" Another flash of shunpo brings her close to the officer, Nerf gun in hand, she tries to uppercut him in the jaw.

Which is probably what helps him avoid the...Nerf Darts?

"You're not just a crazy bitch, you're a stupid one too. You've just had a couple lucky breaks, Suzume. And considering you're missing an arm, you can't even be that lucky, either."

He needed to keep her off-balance. Of course, that's when she tried to punch him in the mouth with her gun. He used the laser rifle to block her, but of course that threw up sparks. A grimace crossed his face, and his next words were irritated.

"I'm getting tired of people damaging my guns."

He dropped the rifle and took a short Shunpo hop back. When he reappeared, he had his staff in his right hand, and a pistol in his left.

"Tear down their walls, Kaishu!"

A flash of light, and a metal gauntlet replaced the staff. A grin was on his face now. He pointed one finger of his covered hand at Suzume, while his other hand aimed the pistol.

"Dance for me. Hado 4, Byakuri."

Even chantless, the bolt of energy was surprisingly fast and powerful. The barrage of shots that tore chunks out of the ground around her feet were also pretty fast. Clearly, he had practiced fighting like this to at least some extent.

[tgva8889]

Inside the Nest...

The few guards at the entrance idle by, a typical day at the Nest. But they are unprepared for what happens next.

At first, they hear only small sounds. Such things are usually meant to be ignored, but nevertheless one of the guards makes a silent motion to another, who nods and slowly approaches the door.

Then the rumbling. The guards all turn to look at each other, then immediately have drawn swords. One begins chanting Tenteikūra.

The door bursts open, rocks and dust flying everywhere. The guard chanting at the center of the room is knocked unconscious almost immediately by the blow. The other two put up their arms to block the oncoming dust. Once it seems to pass, they return to combat-ready positions. The guard by the door immediately draws his sword and slams it into the switch, shattering it completely. Then he presses an emergency button of some sort.

An alarm blares through the Nest. Guards and prisoners alike turn their heads up at the sound. It has been almost 200 years since anything like it has been heard.

One of the guards shouts. "The Nest is locked down! Whoever you are, whatever you are, you aren't getting in!" Following procedure, they wait for a while, hoping for no response whatsoever.

Taiki Takahashi - Somewhere in the mountains...

Taiki stands as soon as he sees it. A heavy stream of rocks falls down a nearby mountainside, the one he knows is the Maggot's Nest. He watches closely as each rock moves, paying close attention to the movements in the distance. His senses fail to detect anything, but he knows someone or something is there. And he suspects exactly who it is.

Once the rocks have settled, the dust begins to flow. Taiki watches from afar, squinting to notice something, anything in the distance.

Ren Karashi

Ren nods and waits for rescue.

[Kayne650]

[3rd Division HQ]

Shishimaru was initially cowed by the battle going on, but realizes fairly quickly that despite this woman's rather flippant behavior, she was skilled enough to infiltrate the Seireitei itself. That alone meant that her power was obviously significantly above that of any of them, despite Yoshi-san's rank and skill. He had to help somehow. The only question was how...

Then it came to him. "Nasumi-san, how good is your Bakudo? We can't directly interfere, but if we could slow her down somehow, Yoshi-san might be able to take her down! Follow my lead."

He raised his hands in front of his face and began chanting. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Bakudo 9: Geki!"

((OOC))

Spoiler

Show

Feel free to interrupt him during the chant, he can't defend himself while he's concentrating on the Kido.

Good, he actually has it on him. Magatsu had gotten Daisuke a permanently-issued reiphone to make pushing his more boring duties off administrating easier. Whether the 3rd Seat actually carried with him, Magatsu didn't know; they didn't exactly do fieldwork often. He catches sight of the plumes of smoke and flames from the hado bombs, nearly running into a wall in surprise. They hit this deep? Sloppy defense.

"Daisuke-kun? It's Magatsu. Where are you and what's going on? I see smoke."

Daisuke continued staring at the scene before him as he answered. "Um, I'm at the 4th division, and something is here, but Natsuko-taichou is here, and she and I (but mostly her) have it under control. I don't know where the smoke is coming from."

Daisuke looked up to see the cloud rising from the ground. A burning building? Perhaps, but he couldn't very well leave right now. "I think that it's coming from the 6th division HQ, but I can't go and check that. Also, you didn't happen to see Nasumi-san, did you? I haven't seen her since this whole thing started." Daisuke asked, a note of worry in his voice. He also sounded distracted, but that was because he was trying to find a way to help in the battle.

"Ineedtogonowokaybye!" Daisuke said in a rush. He'd completely forgotten that he could use Bakudo to stop the rampaging Kagome. He put the reiphone away and pointed at Kagome. "Bakudo 9: Geki!"

[Frozen_Feet]

[3rd Division]

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one with lightning lying overhead!", Nasumi cries in response to Yoshi. Then she has to press her face down and put hands behind her neck to avoid shrapnel from the explosions. "Stupid, mean, arrogant...", she mutters under her breath, but brightens up when he hears Shishimaru's command.

"O- okay!", she chimes, then grabs the hilt of her large Zanpakuto and pulls it out halfway through. "Help us out, Shin-chan!"

Suzume, Shishmaru and Yoshi might feel a sudden gust of wind disrupting their balance as a sudden surge of Reiatsu makes the air waver. Where Nasumi was but a moment ago is now obscured by a vaguely mushroom-like, multi-coloured cloud.

Before any of them have much time to ponder on this odd event, a brown whisp of smoke detaches from the cloud and shoots towards Suzume. Should she, or anyone else for that matter, find herself subsumed by it, she's likely to slow down as all movements suddenly require thrice the effort...

---

[13th Division]

Just as he turns his back, Akio might hear low muttering coming from the three remaining law enforcers. "... my mind, force the world to its knees. Bakudo 1..."

"Sai!"
"Sai!"
"Sai!"

Akio might distinctly feel like the three officers are right behind his back, grabbing his hands and forcing them together. Of course, in actuality, they haven't twitched a muscle... though they're ready to replicate the mental image in real world as well, judging by their looks.

The pale, tall officer holding Akio's Zanpakuto steps back and points index finger of his free hand at him. "Bakudo 4: Hainawa!" A yellow energy rope flies forth and tries to wrap around Akio's body before he can do anything. The fifth, remaining officer pulls out another set of manacles an hurries to lock Akio's arms in place.

The spells might not be very impressive, true. If Akio was in his full strenght, he could easily resist, but now he is injured - and that's without considering the questionable wisdom of such action.

"Officer Yama!", Ikimi shouts, having sped before Akio - she's standing before the exit, pointing her index finger at his heart. "This is my order as your acting superior! Seize resistance at once!" Her eyes gaze sternly at her haughty underling. "Understand that your crime is too severe for us to take any risks. Submit, and we'll not count this against you in your trial."

---

[Battleground, Rukon 38]

Michiko nods to Masaru just before he speeds away, then turns her attention back at Karite. He's looking rather comical now, a ball of yellow glowing energy. She's not sure the last bindings are meaningful in any way - breaking even one Bakudo over level 60 is an extraordinary feat, five of them seem like waste of effort. They'd have to reduce the bindings anyway if they'd want to examine Karite's condition in detail, or if they'd want to move him, for that matter.

"Can you still breathe?", Michiko asks from hollow/Karite. It feels like a reasonable question, considering all the weighty shackles crushing him underneath. Dark eyes look through the visor into the mismatched eyes of the languishing officer. "You seem like a smart boy, so I trust you understand lying to me is not going achieve anything. Who are you, and who does that body belong to?"

---

[Mountain of Maggot's Nest]

Taiki might not sense a thing, but the pale stranger sure can sense him. Even though Taiki's just a tiny dot in his vision still, his presence can be felt in the air like heaviness preceding a coming rain.

Carefully, the stranger feels his pockets. He'd already abandoned most things in them, but few things might yet come useful. It's hard finding them though, since he can't rely on sight.

Crouching behind a rock, he seeks a rough tube and a glass vial to his hand. Feeling for the cork, he opens the vial - through the shroud of invisibility, a small insectoid head peeks through. Painstakingly, a tattered Jigokuchō opens it wings. The stranger doesn't say anything to it - the message it bears was set well before his journey. Unfortunately, the one person it was supposed to reach had died - died by Soushi's hands. But there's one place the poor insect could still find - home. At least, if it wouldn't die first.

Silently, the butterfly flutters away. Maybe in a few hours, or days, someone in the 5th Division would notice it... but that'd be well after current events. The stranger knows he's pretty darn unlikely to ever get to know what events it will trigger.

That's because he feels for the string attached to one end of the rough tube, aims it high to the air, away from his body - and pulls.

A red flare, like those used as emergency signals in boats, is shot from the side of the mountain. It takes a moment to reach brightness that'd be visible to Taiki over the distance, but it's a pretty clear indicator that yes, someone is there.

During the time it takes for the Captain to cross the distance, the stranger hops around the mountain, away from the place where he set off the rocket, and also further from the place where Soushi and Ren are.