Southeast Seireitei
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In the wake of tumultuous times, there's always a lull. A stagnant peace that lingers, giving time for recovery but never fully healing anything on its own. Restoring beyond the patchwork requires dedication and hard work from those experiencing that calm. Complacency would amount to no new progress.
In the instance of the Gotei 13, they spent years rebuilding structures, repopulating ranks, retraining their soldiers, and reanalyzing their approaches. What befell the Seireitei nearly a decade ago was a culmination of a lack of preparation and a lack of forward action. That schism came with a lasting scar upon the souls that occupy the organization. And although the siege has long since been concluded and a decade has passed, there were still threads that needed to be either woven or discarded.
The Sixth Division, a section of the Shinigami's forces that are dedicated to the investigation of crime and the enforcement of the internal law, needed to close a few doors themselves. Leading the helm in the moment was a reaper by the name of Kyōraku Rokka. He remained stationed in his office with his optics locked upon a large wall coated in papers affixed together by varying colored threads. To an external party he may look detached from the collage of evidence but that wasn't the case. His mind was away from where he stood, sure, but he was fully immersed in the information that made up the arrangement before him. Every connection and opportunity culminating together into a visualization of potential outcomes.
The woman spoke inquisitively but with a subtle undertone of annoyance. Rokka slowly turned to face her, displaying an expression that almost looked as if he was staring directly through her. His eyes underlined with darkened and tired skin.
Her words were prefaced with a sigh and followed with the crossing of her arms.
Rokka paused for a moment looking back at the document laced wall.
As she spoke, she presented a medical report, extending it out towards Rokka. An action that drew his attention and subsequent acquisition of the document. He unfurled it, scanning the ink that etched the record.
Mina moved closer to her sibling, her gaze honing in on where his fingers rested and then spanning broadly throughout the connected pieces of information. The web was well researched, detailed, and organized - an effort that was conducted in just a few passing suns. Though what was peculiar about all the components was that they didn't really seem all that complex. The case itself was rather concrete and yet it was only now being put together.
Rokka humored the request for clarity from Mina, seeing it as an opportunity to not only share his findings with a trusted individual but also to actualize his theories. The details that he encapsulated in his canvasing was thorough, it served to add more layers of cement to the foundation. Details such as inconsistencies in the culprits' plans. Efforts were made to try and conceal actions but they only served as a temporary obstruction. Those very acts were nothing more than a smokescreen in an enclosed but well ventilated room, managing to obscure in a flash but ultimately succumbing to the airflow.
His recounting of the scenario led with a breach within the Daireishokairō, one of the most secure facilities in the Seireitei. There was an attempt at the disruption of localized defenses but that in its own right was a red flag, that interference and inconsistency in their function was an anomaly that bore a unique footprint. That coupled with the presence of remnant spirit particles from high level Kidō usage, an unauthorized query, and even more sloppy actions - all having left a discernable and traceable route. Along with that beat, the repositories interface pinged a search for the name 'Hoshi', another link to it all. The icing on the cake, the usage of the Senkaimon to make their escape.
In reality - that just made things a hell of a lot easier. It was certainly a choice to take the front door.
It was truly a wonder how any of the apparent plan went uncontested with such huge holes in it all.
The depiction of the events that transpired, the flaws, and the supplementary information were all intriguing to Mina. Yet there was only one real question that came to her mind.
A subtle smile spread across Rokka's face at the question.
Present Day
It seemed a special occasion was on the horizon. The opportunity to parlay with another noble family member and also a chance to discuss the present matters with someone who has the resources he needs. Needless to say...
🠖 Heading to Party 🠔
Bane
New member
It was a beautiful day, like most in the afterlife. Weather phenomena was rare in the Soul Society without the flaring of spiritual pressure and zanpakuto abilities messing with the local atmosphere. With barely a cloud in the sky, only a gentle breeze blew at higher altitudes. There was stillness to the scene, picturesque, beautiful. A warmth came from the shining sun, which reflected off the pristine white buildings that composed the endless landscape of the Gotei Thirteen.
Atop one of these structures, a skyscraper of ivory, featureless but for the black rectangular windows that dotted its frame, sat a small patch of bright red, which stood out even as a dot across this massive white landscape. This small patch of red, but a blur in comparison to the scope of the structure it sat on, would be immediately recognizable as the wild mane of hair that belonged to one Danjūrō Ichikawa. He sat cross-legged across the roof of the building, his large seven foot frame folded neatly as though in mediation. Across his lap lay his zanpakuto, a massive Ōdachi with an unremarkable brown sheath, its handle wrapped in white cloth, its tsuba a faded gold. His eyes remained closed, and though his features were calm, sweat dripped from his brow.
Danjūrō by all accounts appeared to be engaged in the act of Jinzen (刃禅, Blade Zen; Viz "Sword Zen"). A form of meditation that allowed one to interact with their Zanpakuto spirit within the confines of their inner world. This was a laborious process of self reflection and discovery that any shinigami serious about their zanpakuto must endure, more often than not involving combat over conversation. To remain in this state took intense concentration, mental focus, and physical endurance. A feat made more impressive by the action that Danjūrō’s right hand took. Holding within it not his zanpakuto, but another tool reflecting the man’s mentality, a wooden paintbrush.
Though he sat, eyes closed, Danjūrō’s right arm moved on its own. The brush it held dipped into paints of white, blue and gold, to dabble across the canvas of a small painting, propped up by an easel on the roof in front of him. Though entranced in Jinzen, Danjūrō’s mind was split in two, subconsciously multitasking so as to create a vivid scene of the surrounding landscape. The time he had spent in this state, engaged in reflection with his relationship towards his inner world as well as the world around him, was measured not just by the sweat that soaked his Shihakushō, but by the two completed paintings that laid strewn about the ground, and the one work in progress resting upon the easel.
The first was a scene set at night, a war torn battlefield of utter destruction. The moon shone across a black sky, complimented by white rubble, the same material of the building Danjūrō sat on. Rising above this rubble was a dark and jagged landscape, the ominous loom of Sōkyoku Hill (双殛の丘, Sōkyoku no oka). Those that had lived through this time would recognize this as the aftermath of the Hollow Invasion, ten years ago. Not the act of the battle itself, but the grim work that followed, shifting through debris to find survivors, working through the night in hopes of saving even one additional life.
The second painting was at dawn, vibrant oranges, reds, and purples cascading across the canvas as a backdrop to a large multi-structured building, its roof tiles golden and shiny. Any shinigami would recognize this establishment as the Shinōreijutsuin (真央霊術院, Spiritual Arts Academy). Except, within this painting the building looked only slightly different than what stood on the horizon today. The great regality of the building was somewhat diminished, beams of exposed wood painted across its surface, while black dots of shinigami had been painted casting their kido and doing construction. With the theme of dawn, the painting pictured here represented rebirth, the repairing of an institution shaken.
The art that Danjūrō now worked on in his trance-like state reflected clearly the conditions of the current moment. Bright vibrant blue skies shown above a pristine landscape, depicting the newly rebuilt headquarters of the Kidō Corps (鬼道衆, Kidōshū). Both the picture painted and its reference, the building that stood proudly in the distance, were a far cry from the decimation experienced ten years ago. One would be hard pressed to know that this landscape was ever reduced to a lot of dirt. Standing tall now was a multistoried complex dotted with an entire compound of similar structures, the headquarters of one of the three branches of the Gotei Thirteen’s military. This painting represented a new era, that of a healed wound, one which has moved on from the trauma of the past.
With a final delicate touch, the brush placed the smallest of white dots upon the side of the building, capturing the reflection of sunlight off the building’s edge. With that, one of Danjūrō’s crystalline blue eyes cracks open, his brow furled, as he measures the worth of his work against the view before him.
“Hm.” He says with a grunt, sliding his left hand beneath his Shihakushō to inquisitively stroke the red hair of his beard. Dropping the paintbrush, he grabs the canvas crudely with his right hand and rises to his feet for the first time since the night before. His Zanpakuto clatters to the ground, falling into a pool of sweat that stains the white stone of the rooftop. Holding the painting out, he turns it side to side, following it by turning his head as his one eye focuses on it in the foreground then the Kidō Corps in the background.
“Perfect!” He shouts, his voice echoing through the sky, eyes closed, a smile on his face, as he throws his arms back triumphantly, hands balled into fists, chest bursting into the air. A cry of victory like one after a hard fought battle, the painting in his hand a trophy of war. Yet he does not have time to bask in the warmth of the moment nor the warmth of the sun. A shadow forms over him, causing him to open both eyes once more in curiosity.
“Eh? A cloud?” He ponders, squinting into the sky. To Danjūrō’s surprise, what eclipsed the sun was nothing natural at all, but rather a fluttering flock of paper pamphlets, seemingly coming from nowhere. The Shinigami’s smile completely inverts, a frown so drastic it nearly falls from his face. The picturesque scene of stillness, purity, and prosperity that he had just spent so many hours painting had completely been obscured by this clutter, this paper litter that scattered itself across the scenery!
One such pamphlet risked falling directly onto the wet canvas in Danjūrō’s hand. He let out a gasp of surprise and worry, before hopping from one foot to the other, swinging the canvas like a fan while blowing air from his mouth repeatedly to shoo the pamphlet away. It continued to flutter around him threateningly, like a bird swooping at its target, until Danjūrō finally had enough and swiped it from the air with his free hand.
Curious, he looked down at its contents with a cocked red eyebrow.
“A party huh? Today of all days? And to deliver it in such a manner…”
Danjūrō could not help but scoff. Celebrations and festivities were literally part of his job description. In fact, there might be no other Shinigami in the Gotei Thirteen so well equipped to call themselves a party specialist. He had considered, for a time, hosting a festival today at the Kidō Corps compound. However, ultimately, Danjūrō had to decide today was one meant for quiet contemplation and gratitude. It had been ten years since tragedy had struck the Soul Society, since the foundation of the Gotei Thirteen had been completely rocked. Ten years of recovery, of peace, and now was the time to reflect on what was, what is, and what could be.
Still, everyone celebrates in their own way. It wasn’t the dinner itself that was disrespectful, coming together for a meal on the anniversary of tragedy was a fantastic way to bond as a community. To scatter the pamphlets in this way though, like dispersing war time propaganda, as though reenacting an attack, was only a reminder that the uncertain could happen at any moment. Then there was the subject matter itself, a clear second intention, as though daring recipients to come rather than welcoming them. Danjūrō always loved good theatrics, but this whole thing was but thinly veiled threat.
Done with his activity, Danjūrō reached down to grab his Zanpakuto and tuck it into his belt. Taking his painting, he placed them in a compartment in his easel, then folded the easel and slung it over his shoulder. With a sigh, he then began to bend down and pick up each pamphlet off the roof of the building, tucking them under his arm. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and Danjūrō was gone, the aftermath of a flash step. From the ground, the red dot of his hair could now be seen on an adjacent building, before disappearing and reforming on the roof of another. After a few moments of this, the form of the large Shinigami manifested from thin air not on the roof, but on the level of the street. Under his arm the pamphlets had multiplied, forming quite the bundle. Still, his unpleasant expression did not change, and despite the different elevation, he continued his work. Walking down the massive streets, he moved from pamphlet to pamphlet, meticulously picking up the litter off the ground. His work it seemed, was now cut out for him for the day. As just this small section of skyscrapers composed the length of an entire human city, such was the size of the Seireitei. As the Eighth Division’s Festivities Coordinator, Danjūrō knew better than most, that where there is a party, there is also the act of cleaning up.
Aqua
New member
- Arriving From Kuchiki Manor/Northeast -
The meeting within the Kuchiki hall concluded with a finality that crackled in the air like the snap of a judge’s gavel. Kouei’s voice—measured, incisive—wove through the chamber, each syllable a clue, each pause a trap for the unwary. Gyoja and Danjuro lent their voices, but the tension remained, a coiling mist that promised revelations and danger in equal measure. Urgency prowled the edges of the room, restless and hungry, stoking the flames beneath their feet. Yet it was Danjuro whose resolve burned with a feverish intensity. He had been enlisted for this very threat, but fate, ever the cunning adversary, demanded his talents elsewhere. The Seireitei twisted under siege from shadows on every front; Danjuro’s absence was a wound, but the investigation pressed onward. Kouei and Gyoja—each bound by secrets and haunted by personal stakes—shouldered the burden, undeterred by their thinning ranks. Muscles may have departed, but the mind remained sharp, and the Kido Corps’ veil of secrecy was an enigma Kouei could not ignore. Their reputation for discretion rivaled even the Onmitsukidō; but beneath that shroud, Kouei sensed the weight of truths they needed—truths only the bold could pry free.
The city sprawled beneath them, rooftops jagged and cold against the air, while chaos gnawed at the edges of order. Kouei and Gyoja moved in tandem—silhouettes flickering through the haze, eyes sharp, minds sharper. Danjuro’s parting words haunted Kouei’s steps: "Fate has both placed us on this path and dared us to stray." A challenge, or perhaps a warning, echoing down the labyrinthine alleys of his mind. Kouei, ever the spiritual detective, weighed destiny’s hand. He recalled the old women in Rukongai, their prayers for him as a boy—a litany dismissed as senile ramblings by others, but now, in this crucible, whispered as prophecy. The stage was set; the performance demanded both courage and cunning. Kouei glanced back at Gyoja, searching for cracks in his friend’s mask. He remembered vividly the broken state in which he’d found him. The mystery threatened to unearth more than secrets—it might awaken something feral inside Gyoja. Yet, Kouei pressed forward, as much the hunter as the hunted, hoping his own composure wouldn’t falter.
But if that beast stirred, Kouei alone possessed the insight—and perhaps the audacity—to keep it leashed. Few alive had witnessed the true depths of Gyoja’s tempest, and fewer still had survived to speak of it. Theirs was a bond forged on the edge of shadow, where trust was the only true weapon.
Their path carried them toward the southern reaches, but the center of the Seireitei roared in turmoil. Kouei felt, even at a distance, the malignant tide of the 4th Division Captain’s hollowfied reiatsu—a dark, suffocating undertow that threatened to pull the unwary into oblivion. Across this abyss, Captain Date’s Bankai surged, a relentless torrent on the verge of drowning the city in obsidian. The air was thick, oppressive. Sweat slid down Kouei’s brow, his senses reeling at the monstrous power unleashed mere districts away. Shadows of old doubts crept in—Gyoja’s recounting of Captain Date’s scorn, the branding of weakness that gnawed at Kouei’s pride. Years of training, of relentless pursuit, and still, to the giants of this world, he was but an insect. He clenched his jaw, channeling frustration into a steely resolve. The detective’s eyes narrowed, and his stride quickened, as if racing the shadows themselves.
“Let’s go!”
He yelled to Gyoja behind him, his zanpakuto firmly tucked into his golden rope belt, singing a hymn of judgment.
“Guilt.”
The voice perturbed him, ringing loudly like that of an adjudicator rendering a sentence or settling a dispute. It was ignored, initially.
“Guilt.”
Wind howled past, turning the world into a blur of motion and muted sound. His geta struck the rooftops in a staccato rhythm, each footfall an alibi against the encroaching voice. Still, he pressed on, resolute in his denial.
“Can the guilty prosecute the guilty?”
The question slashed through air and haze, striking at the core of his resolve. His solitary eye widened, caught in the harsh glare of self-inquiry. Was he fit to judge others, or merely another actor in this masquerade of sin? The detective, so accustomed to certainty, now teetered at the edge of doubt—a sensation as alien as it was unwelcome.
“Hold your tongue.”
His reply was a hiss, venom lacing each word, as if the serpent of truth had coiled itself around his heart, ready to strike at the unseen accuser.
The Kido Corps compound, once a citadel of composure, seethed with rare disorder. Members darted through the courtyard, faces obscured, voices sharp with urgency. Squad leaders barked orders, corralling specialists to raise barriers and relay desperate messages through the chaos. Kouei and Gyoja were phantoms in this storm, jostled and ignored, invisible to those swept up in their own frantic purposes. It was as though they stood in the middle of a flood, battered by current after current. Impatience clawed at Kouei’s composure. He reached for passing shikashuhou, seeking an anchor in the tumult, but his grip was shrugged off—eyes behind white veils flashing annoyance, not recognition. Amid the surge, a woman of measured steps and intent gaze approached, eyes fixed on the device in her hand. Unlike the others, she was calculating, not merely reacting. She was no mere pawn in this elaborate game; she was a player.
“Excuse me can you-”
The city sprawled beneath them, rooftops jagged and cold against the air, while chaos gnawed at the edges of order. Kouei and Gyoja moved in tandem—silhouettes flickering through the haze, eyes sharp, minds sharper. Danjuro’s parting words haunted Kouei’s steps: "Fate has both placed us on this path and dared us to stray." A challenge, or perhaps a warning, echoing down the labyrinthine alleys of his mind. Kouei, ever the spiritual detective, weighed destiny’s hand. He recalled the old women in Rukongai, their prayers for him as a boy—a litany dismissed as senile ramblings by others, but now, in this crucible, whispered as prophecy. The stage was set; the performance demanded both courage and cunning. Kouei glanced back at Gyoja, searching for cracks in his friend’s mask. He remembered vividly the broken state in which he’d found him. The mystery threatened to unearth more than secrets—it might awaken something feral inside Gyoja. Yet, Kouei pressed forward, as much the hunter as the hunted, hoping his own composure wouldn’t falter.
But if that beast stirred, Kouei alone possessed the insight—and perhaps the audacity—to keep it leashed. Few alive had witnessed the true depths of Gyoja’s tempest, and fewer still had survived to speak of it. Theirs was a bond forged on the edge of shadow, where trust was the only true weapon.
Their path carried them toward the southern reaches, but the center of the Seireitei roared in turmoil. Kouei felt, even at a distance, the malignant tide of the 4th Division Captain’s hollowfied reiatsu—a dark, suffocating undertow that threatened to pull the unwary into oblivion. Across this abyss, Captain Date’s Bankai surged, a relentless torrent on the verge of drowning the city in obsidian. The air was thick, oppressive. Sweat slid down Kouei’s brow, his senses reeling at the monstrous power unleashed mere districts away. Shadows of old doubts crept in—Gyoja’s recounting of Captain Date’s scorn, the branding of weakness that gnawed at Kouei’s pride. Years of training, of relentless pursuit, and still, to the giants of this world, he was but an insect. He clenched his jaw, channeling frustration into a steely resolve. The detective’s eyes narrowed, and his stride quickened, as if racing the shadows themselves.
“Let’s go!”
He yelled to Gyoja behind him, his zanpakuto firmly tucked into his golden rope belt, singing a hymn of judgment.
“Guilt.”
The voice perturbed him, ringing loudly like that of an adjudicator rendering a sentence or settling a dispute. It was ignored, initially.
“Guilt.”
Wind howled past, turning the world into a blur of motion and muted sound. His geta struck the rooftops in a staccato rhythm, each footfall an alibi against the encroaching voice. Still, he pressed on, resolute in his denial.
“Can the guilty prosecute the guilty?”
The question slashed through air and haze, striking at the core of his resolve. His solitary eye widened, caught in the harsh glare of self-inquiry. Was he fit to judge others, or merely another actor in this masquerade of sin? The detective, so accustomed to certainty, now teetered at the edge of doubt—a sensation as alien as it was unwelcome.
“Hold your tongue.”
His reply was a hiss, venom lacing each word, as if the serpent of truth had coiled itself around his heart, ready to strike at the unseen accuser.
The Kido Corps compound, once a citadel of composure, seethed with rare disorder. Members darted through the courtyard, faces obscured, voices sharp with urgency. Squad leaders barked orders, corralling specialists to raise barriers and relay desperate messages through the chaos. Kouei and Gyoja were phantoms in this storm, jostled and ignored, invisible to those swept up in their own frantic purposes. It was as though they stood in the middle of a flood, battered by current after current. Impatience clawed at Kouei’s composure. He reached for passing shikashuhou, seeking an anchor in the tumult, but his grip was shrugged off—eyes behind white veils flashing annoyance, not recognition. Amid the surge, a woman of measured steps and intent gaze approached, eyes fixed on the device in her hand. Unlike the others, she was calculating, not merely reacting. She was no mere pawn in this elaborate game; she was a player.
“Excuse me can you-”
She didn’t spare them a glance, her attention captive to the flickering glow of her device. To her, Kouei and Gyoja were little more than background noise—ghosts haunting the periphery of her task.
Kouei caught Gyoja’s eye, a wry smile threatening to break through the tension. The absurdity of their predicament was not lost on him. At least, for a fleeting moment, the Kido Corps had noticed them—if only as shadows passing through a larger mystery.
Nobody
Member
They had a plan, they had a goal, they knew what they needed to do...yet things rarely always went the way one wanted. In their departure the trio had become a duo, Danjūrō's unexpected absence placing a kink in their plans. Neither he or Kouei had any sort of pull or connections with those in the Kidō Corps. As they traveled, Gyōja couldn't help but grow frustrated, wondering what they would do without Danjūrō. He had wondered if they should instead reroute and go somewhere else, but ultimately they stayed their course. If there was anything to be thankful for, it was that they were able to have their meeting and all leave without running into the clan head.
They were swift in their movements, perhaps far swifter than he cared to be at the moment. He understood the sooner they arrived, the sooner they'd have to resolve the issue of actually getting inside. As they moved the torrent of hollow reiatsu could be felt from the Central Seireitei region, the glow from what was likely cero lighting up the distances. Chaos had once more closed its clawed hand around the Seireitei, yet even in its grasp they maneuvered. While the hollow energy, the cero or anything resulting in the fight transpiring in the Central didn't pull his focus away, what would come next did.
Gyōja came to a halt when he felt it, the reiatsu of Captain Date skyrocketing, its weight felt from even this distance. Those who felt it even if they weren't there to see or hear it, they knew what this was; Bankai. The feeling he got from it from afar, how much greater would it be up close? Yet again, the Captain's words echoed in his ear, mocking him for his weakness. For a moment, his resolve wavered as his anger rose
Kouei's voice seizes him, forcing him to refocus and continue the course. In their travel plagued with his own issues, Gyōja was ignorant of Kouei's inner conflict transpiring. Conflict surrounding them from outside, and conflict from within, the pair found themselves in a situation most precarious. It is perhaps a relief to be met by those perhaps more troubled than them at the moment. The Kidō Corps compound and those that dwell within it, faces hidden just as their many secrets were moving around as if the compound was on fire, or worst...as if something dangerous and important was lost.
Kouei's attempts at getting someone's attention were met with repeated failure.
"Kouei I don't think-"
Just as he was preparing to deter his friend from trying again a breakthrough is made. Gyōja glanced at Kouei who he found looking at him with hints of a smile seeking escape. It seemed that even without Danjūrō they had found a way in, yet the fallout should this misunderstanding come to light...is it something either of them could handle? In the midst of all this a sound could be heard in his ear, one that only he could hear it seemed. It was a sound most familiar, but only as of recent times. He held his breath and tried his best to ignore it, focusing on the sounds of everything else around him.
The situation in Central Seireitei was certainly cause for concern but quickly became a headache for the Kido Corps as they were told to assist via direct command of the Captain Commander. They had deployed multiple teams to create a barrier around the area and had to constantly monitor its integrity, mostly from a distance. Multiple teams were on standby with more being created just in case. Because of this chaos uprooting their daily routine everyone was rather displaced and stressed in their own way. Security was also a bit relaxed as two Shinigami, unaffiliated with Kido Corps, managed to stroll into their compound without resistance or questioning. One of the members tasked with leading this operation quickly misidentified the two, assuming they are there to relay more orders or assist them in some way.
Hearing those words a few heads popped up to look at the supposed escorts before returning to their tasks. However, one individual quickly clocked Gyoja and Kouei, they were not the Shinigami they were expecting. He drops his task, which was nothing more than filing the constant stream of reports on the barrier, a task that can easily be finished upon his return.
He says with a dutiful tone in his voice. Assuming the two followed him they would be led to a more quiet part of the Kido Corps compound where the male’s tone and facial features change to one more of annoyance and suspicion. He looks both of them up and down, quickly noting who Gyoja is given his status as Co-Lieutenant of Thirteenth Division, although he is without his badge which raises more suspicion. News of him stepping down hadn’t fully gone throughout the Seireitei just yet, but his identity wouldn’t be a secret regardless. Kouei is the strange variable here, unknown, at least to those in Kido Corps.
As he speaks his eyes continue to move between both of them, there is no hostility in his posture nor in his Reiatsu. Nervousness and anxiety lay beneath the surface of his body language and Reiatsu. Already having a traitor defect from their ranks ten years ago cast a bad light on Kido Corps as a whole and with these two being here it doesn’t inspire much confidence. He thinks about the situation a bit longer, sweat forming on his forehead and trickling down to his brow.
Aqua
New member
Gyoja’s initial interjection goes on deaf ears, even before a somewhat rude but dutiful Kido Corps member interrupts him without lifting her glance from her tablet-like device. Kouei, familiar enough with responsibility, does not take it personally and instead gives the overwhelmed officer some grace. He quickly shifts to a backup plan, assessing the situation and scanning the area for anyone else who might help. They had only been there brief moments, yet he already perceived the weight of time; every moment wasted gave chaos room to win and justice room to fail. He had taken on that burden by choice, determined to act as savior and mediator for all that is right and balanced. Some would say this obligatory ego will be his downfall, and while he is inclined to agree, he lacks the strength to escape from the tethers of his ambition.
A voice breaks through the chaos, its enthusiasm catching Kouei’s attention as he shifts his singular gaze to discover a slender, sleepy-eyed male forcing himself into the conversation.
Per this Kido Corps member’s knowledge, there was nowhere they actually needed to go, but Kouei’s instincts led him to play along. The male led the duo down a path or two into a quiet corridor of the Kido Corps compound, where their hush tones were almost brought to an echo. Its quietness felt strange in contrast to the chaos outside. When they stopped, the stranger’s demeanor moved from eager help to open irritation. It became clear almost immediately that Gyoja and Kouei were a thorn in his side, and he intended to handle the “intruders” himself.
The proper lieutenant remark was a bit of a low blow, but for the sake of the investigation, Kouei was willing to turn a deaf ear. The young Kido Corps member’s emotions were all over his face. The stress of what was happening weighed on them all, and Kouei felt slightly bad that he was about to add to it.
"Well, I can assure you we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.”
Kouei pauses to gather the most concise way to proceed for the sake of time.
“We believe there is imminent danger approaching, far more dangerous than what’s occurring now, and evidence suggests one of your missing Kido Corps members could be responsible.”
Kouei’s gaze narrows in a way most would find intimidating. His amber eye holding a determination seldom seen, fierce and unrelenting.
“At the time of the Vizard event, a massive spiritual signature was detected, and it is believed to be the device or artifact that caused it. Ten years ago, a signature of equal magnitude was detected during an invasion. After the Vizard event, Kido Corps member Kasuka Rikai vanished. Ten years ago, after the invasion, Kido Corps members disappeared and were also confirmed dead by means seemingly different from the invasion itself.”
Kouei stops to give Gyoja room to chime in if he so pleases, and to give the stranger time to digest the facts.
“You can tell me if that seems coincidental, but I don’t believe so. We need senkaimon records from around that time, and any supplementary information you on the deaths and disappearances of your members that you’ve been keeping secret. This is beyond exposing cracks in your organization’s foundation; it’s about preventing those cracks from creating a fissure that consumes us all. Your choice.”
Nobody
Member
Gyōja is no sleuth, that much is certain. Unlike Kouei, delving in mysteries and perceiving underneath the underneath were not his specialty per say. However what he did specialize in, is doubt, more often than not it was self doubt. Doubt in his own strength, his ability. Coincidentally it is what has aided him in battle, doubting that he had slayed the enemy until it became an irrefutable fact. It is this same doubt that now rings as an alert within his mind as both he and Kouei follow their volunteer guide.
Arriving here and being let in, and now being escorted through. Everything was going smoothly; too smoothly...too convenient. Perhaps he was being overly sensitive, perhaps this was but another case of the man's lacking confidence.
Then again, perhaps not. Having been led away from the noise and the chaos, afforded a room of privacy their tour guide reveals his true thoughts and feelings. Gyōja does not react to the remark about a 'proper Lieutenant'. While his friend felt a surge of vindication on his behalf, unbeknownst to him of course, Gyōja could only regard the man's words as reasonable. It was a fact that as it stood, he as of now was no longer a proper Lieutenant. With his weakness, could he even be counted as a proper shinigami? Kouei takes the opportunity to divulge the truth behind their visit. As he speaks, both of them gauge the reaction of the man to these truths, Gyōja's eyes at times venturing away to scan the area around them.
'There was one turncoat amongst their number...perhaps there are others still to be discovered.'
There it goes again, suspicion born of the doubt he perpetually clings to. Though, not an unreasonable one.
"We were vulnerable ten years ago and thus susceptible to attack from both without and within. Again we find ourselves under attack from within right now. We cannot afford to continue to be unprepared. We don't have the luxury of complacency, not with lives at risk. The very balance at risk.
Kouei continues further pressing the severity of the situation they all find themselves in, knowingly or not, willingly or not. These things did not matter, what mattered now was only to act, and fast before they were once again caught unawares.
Yes, it was his choice for good or bad, better or worst. Now, what would this man do with that choice?
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His brows furrow, he doesn’t know how much of that he can truly believe especially. They’ve arrived at a rather convenient time where things are chaotic enough for them to slip in mostly unnoticed.
More issues, more blame to be placed upon them, more burdens, more woe. The past ten years has seen a sharp decline in new recruitment into Kido Corps and for good reason. Hearing this news makes things feel even worse since more trouble is on the horizon.
This is an overwhelming amount of information for a mere grunt to be processing right now and he knows it. His eyes shift to Gyoja as he begins speaking next.
He parts his mouth to speak but his nerves get the better of him and halt his speech, giving room for Kouei to speak up again.
He looks around making sure no other members of his division are around before grabbing his own head and pacing back and forth in a panic.
He stops pacing and lowers his arms but begins fidgeting with his hands.
He reaches into the chest area of his Shihakusho and pulls out a rather plain key, it is plain because what it guards is painfully ordinary. He holds it out to them, hoping one of them would take it.
If they take the key he would step back to give them some space and wait to see if they had anything more to say. All he is thinking about right now are the consequences of anyone finding out about this. If these two are up to no good he could be executed for helping them, but he isn’t in a position to exactly stop them either. Both are armed with their Zanpakuto and at the very least the Kuchiki can outclass him in combat due to him being a Lieutenant or former Lieutenant. Kouei is the odd one out but something about his presence gives him the same sense of danger.