Rukongai

[Hachikō Goseikanjo]

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Staring back deep into the eyes of the motley crew that had discovered it was a foul creature. Rancid reiatsu belonging to the Hollowfied soul permeated the atmosphere exerting an instinctive repulsion that would compel most beings to retreat! Having said this, the doctor was startled to find that a single shinigami leapt out of the fray in an attempt to protect the Rukongai scum that he had tracked to the location. The way that he had yet to actually unsheathe his Zanpakuto spoke volumes as to how his Shikai must have worked. It was not a sense of patience that kept him from breaking out his blade, if he activated it for too long then he risked injury to those around him and he could not use it arbitrarily. Coming to that vauge conclusion came easy to the Vice-Captain considering that she had been dealt a similar fate in that regard. Regardless, If she wanted to be witness to the valiant man’s full potential, she would need to clear the field of collateral damage candidates.
Falling back would not lead the civilians to sanctuary because unbeknownst to them all, although they believed something terrifying was standing right in front of them, what laid in wait at their backs would prove to be something far more frightening.

"R-run..... run!.... RUN!!!"

He exclaimed, but there was a telling waver in his voice relaying to the incognito Lieutenant that he was afraid.

"If you don't want to die here, then get out of here, NOW!"

So, she pondered, why would he, a perceived enemy of the people, put his life in jeopardy for them? Those fools who weren’t keen enough to be able to see what was coming from a mile away. The neglected sheep that had to be tended to and herded? Empathy toward the filth was not a common idealism amongst the circles she traversed so naturally, It made no sense at all and so also naturally, she’d become intrigued! Hachiko needed to know more, more about how this officer ticked so to speak and she would only acquire the kind of data she desired by getting in nice and close and in the field. Leaping through the forest, coming upon the scene and now poised to strike, she had been completely concealed from them. The doctor had been planning on watching the party get torn to bloody pieces and then take out the monstrosity herself only now she had an urge to jump out as well! However, Hachiko determined that she could only reveal herself once certain contingencies were in place.

By the looks of it, no one on the field had detected her nor had they noticed another guest that seemed content to remain in the shadows as she did. Even the faintest of signatures would have nowhere to hide from Hachiko’s exceptional field of vision unless they had a higher caliber of spiritual power than her own. In this unlikely event, there would still be a flutter of activity indicating that someone was still there so long as they were. Going forward, there were moves that she would take while their sight was still cloaked by their sensory ignorance. In a blink, Lieutenant Goseikanjo flashed away and what preceded her were 5 bee stings, a burst of red powder and a gust that carried the scent of blood but she would allow her audience to perceive no more than that until she returned to her previous position. In those fractionated seconds, the surgeon had stabbed all five of the Rukongai men one time with her Zanpakuto that had been released in her silence.

The natural assumption would be that the pain was being caused by the villainous hollow before them even if one of them were able to observe her in the most minute way and if they had it’d have only been a moment before they would have lost consciousness and ended up stashed away in the nearby foliage.

"What a predicament you’ve found yourselves in! Don’t worry, those men have been brought to safety.”

Suddenly, Hachiko appeared to emerge from the brush from behind the six. Her posture was stark and her steps were timid. Her glasses glinted in the little bit of light allowed to pass through the treetops and she offered a gentle expression. Peasants simply looking at her placard would tell them that she was of high rank as far as soulreapers went and just another pain in the ass but to the Shinigami, her presence there had a much more significant meaning. Granted, there were few who did not know who she was. The surgeon with hair that looked and smelled like blood often tended to the wounded of all divisions with many kinds of disturbing rumors floating around her. She was a mysterious woman with mysterious ambitions and an even more mysterious agenda.

"Can I be of assistance?”

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[admins]

Listen While You Read

How lucky for the citizens of the Rukongai, especially the criminal variety, to find themselves amidst a Shinigami fueled by empathy. Shin’eki truly was a rare breed, the valiant Soul Reaper falling back on his instinctual drive to protect those in greatest need. So much so, that he leapt from safety to danger without much thought or care for his own safety, appearing from the emptiness of existence, before the raging shadows.

He shouted for them to run as his subconscious took over, falling back on centuries of training. Spiritual power swelled within him in an automated response to the ever-growing, hollow-like energies engulfing the immediate forest. A mighty and a bold response to an otherwise unknown threat.

A mysterious sequence of occurrences took place within the span of seconds, that would ultimately affect the fates of all involved. At speeds beyond the comprehension save for a few within the Soul Society, five of the six Souls present would find themselves in pain, and consequently nicked, by the Blood-Crazed Doctor’s Shikai, Chishinishi. A formidable Zanpakuto, whose powers were known by few, for those who encounter it do not live to tell the tale. Just like that, five are replaced by two, as the incapacitated thugs were removed from harm's way by the Fourth’s Vice-Captain, who so happened to suddenly appear before Shin’eki and the death that would surely await.

With the source of Shin’eki’s apprehension removed, he too would feel inclined to unleash his lethal Zanpakuto.

However, even before her entrance into the fray, the sound of existence ripping itself apart dominated the world, and immediately, the darkness that once existed, seemed to lessen, as it pulled away inward. It was like a second-layer of blackness that receded, the creature’s shadowed visage no longer visible at the epicenter. The darkness brightened until it was revealed that a garganta had been opened, and the shadows were retreating into the ripped maw of reality. And like that, the garganta closed shut with resonating impact. The mysterious creature had vanished.

With the forest no longer cloaked under the creature’s shadows, that which existed within the center of the large forest clearing was made evident: a sizable hole had been sealed shut by shattered earth, boulders fallen upon boulders. The likely hideout to which these criminals called home, now sunken under the earth.

With hundreds dead around them, and five unconscious thugs left nearby, the two Shinigami found themselves face-to-face. Many questions were surely racing through their minds, yet with so few avenues for answers, what indeed would they do?​

 

[Kuvello]

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The ground beneath the boy would become discolored as the boy’s reiryoku began to boil from his core, the faint aura around him contaminating that which was in direct contact with him. Any iron that was in the soil beneath the boy’s straw geta became oxidized with the all too signature orange-red hues of rust as within a split second the position of the men behind him quickly found themselves transported away behind him, far too quick for a normal soul to move, as the next second the foul scent of blood now filled the air.

Without the time to move his head, Shin’eki’s eyes would widen with an unforeseen rage only for said rage to be quelled with the voice of a female arriving into the fray, as it rang through the boy’s ears.

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"What a predicament you’ve found yourselves in! Don’t worry, those men have been brought to safety.”

"Can I be of assistance?”

His eyes would fall back to their previously fear turned focus gaze as he watched as the very thing they had been investigating, hunting to slip from their, figuratively speaking, fingers as the garganta closed, taking any traces of the eldritch hollow with it. As the fabric of reality restitched itself, Shin’eki would remain within his combative pose, for a moment, as found the need to no longer hold it, quickly bringing his zanpakutou back into the security of his shuhakusho’s obi as he’d turn on his heels toward the new arrival.

To his surprise, he’d find, not only a shinigami, but a member of the fourth division, and a Lieutenant at that. A wave of relief would flow down the back of Shin’eki as his spiritual pressure subsided. A ring of orange remained from the area he was previously standing as he approached the honorable officer.

”Thank goodness, they sent reinforcements… Come let us look for clues as to see if we may find anything else of interest. Perhaps we can bring them back for interrogation?”

The boy would begin to dust off his robes as a symbol of good gesture and modesty as he made his way toward the sanguine haired woman, his hands extended down toward his knees as he bowed slightly, acknowledging her seniority over him.

”Ahem, pardon my rudeness. Shin’eki Uemura, 4th Seat of 5th Division ma’am.”

Questions of what he had just encountered would continue to bubble up in the back of his mind, but now was the time to dwell on what-ifs, the focus of his attention was to get the answers out of the bandits who seemed to know way too much than they were letting on and something seemed off, but for the moment, Shin'eki had to save face with the sudden and unexpected arrival of a senior officer.

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[Hachikō Goseikanjo]

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”Thank goodness, they sent reinforcements… Come let us look for clues as to see if we may find anything else of interest. Perhaps we can bring them back for interrogation?”

Watching his every move were the Lieutenant’s Cat-like orange eyes. From the subtle way his muscles moved against his skin to his earnest approach that left a ring of residue behind him. He subjugated himself to her and she was appreciative of those who showed their respect to the chain of command. With her, flattery would get him everywhere.~ Not stopping her own advance, Hachiko passed by the bowing officer but she was careful to avoid that strange circle. Piercing the darkness with her exemplary leer, the Vice-Captain dejectedly watched on as the dirty creature made its cowardly escape. Pursuing it was going to be the highest priority but to do so completely blind had gotten her to where she was now.

”Ahem, pardon my rudeness. Shin’eki Uemura, 4th Seat of 5th Division ma’am.”

“At ease, Fourth Seat Uemura. Unfortunately, taking them back isn’t going to be possible. We simply don’t have time because the longer it takes to destroy that Hollow, the more lives that will be lost. Captains are demanding answers, they want results.”

The blood thirsty surgeon traveled past Shin’eki once more while making a gesture to tell the young man to follow behind her. Had he chosen to tag along, they’d both come around a patch of foliage where the five bandits were resting after their brief encounter with her. Once she had sat each one of them up against the trees, she circled back to stand side by side with the fifth division shinigami. So far, he’d shown that he possessed a heart of gold ready and willing to throw down his life to protect even the most vile of beings at the drop of a hat. What then, the doctor hypothesized, would he do if he were put into a spicy situation where there was no place for kindness?

"We need to do it here. We’re far enough that we won’t disturb anyone and they should wake up soon. You begin.”

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[admins]

Listen While You Read

“...we need…”

One of the bandits opened his eyes, and yet he could see nothing. Where was that muffled voice coming from?

“...we need to do it…”

There it was again! Barely intelligible, yet where was it coming from? All he saw was the blur of a bright white.

“...we need to do it here…”

Do what here? Who was the voice speaking to? Wait, was that the color green? A leaf? Wait, was he dreaming?

“YOU BEGIN.”

BEGIN? BEGIN WHAT?

“...Ugh…” the once unconscious man finally heard the sound of his own voice as he caught the glimpse of gross red hair. Blood-soaked hair? What in the-

The metaphorical bulb above his head lit up, his memory suddenly returned to him. He’d been staring into the monstrous visage of whatever-the-fuck that had been, and next thing he knew, everything went blank. But now, a devil in Shinigami clothing stood before him, her unsettling golden orbs glaring at him expectantly. Beside her stood another Shinigami, a male, though not as frightening.

In the back of his mind, he knew how this would end, one way or another, by his hand or theirs. He had orders, an oath sworn to ensure that their plans would not be learned by their enemies. And so he bit down on the capsule nestled deep within his mouth, the poisonous substance making its way down into his system. Before the toxin took effect, of which would occur quickly, a shit-eating grin crept upon his face.

“Down with the Seireitei,” were his last words, as his eyes rolled back to show bloodied white, his body going into shock, mouth foaming. Like a switch, three of the other criminals did the same falling ill to the same fate. Of the five, one remained, shaking…although this was not the shock of poison. To high-ranking officers of the Gotei 13, this would be easily recognized as fear.

“I..I..can’t do it! I just…I just…can’t,” he said, before taking the capsule out of his mouth with a click. “This…this…this isn’t real…” with widened, blank eyes the thug continued his stuttering mumble, tossing the capsule to the dirtied ground. He stared beyond both the Shinigami, his pupils dilated. Psychosis.

Upon inspection of the capsule, if one were an expert in poisons, would recognize the substance to be of lethal potency, concocted by the hands of a master rivaled by few. This could surely only be the work of a Shihōin?

Upon further inspection of these dying persons, one would find high-quality coins that would only circulate in circles far beyond the reach of peasants like these.

To complicate matters, it seemed a new player was about to make his entrance…​

 

[Kuvello]

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As the interrogation began, so too would it quickly end. The boy would look upon the group of men as they announced their hatred for the Seireitei. His gaze shifted as their mouths began to foam, and their bodies convulse as the very force that drove them to continue living, had now snuffed any future they may have had. The things people would do in order to protect their ways of life: regardless of side, moral compass, or even sworn oath. The situation as a whole left a bitter taste in Shin’eki’s mouth. Seeing the fifth man begin to lose any concept of logical sense, Shin’eki would begin to step away from the tree they had previously tied them all to as he picked up the very thing that stole the lives of the other four men. A single capsule. The 4th Seat was no pharmaceutical expert, but he knew these “tools” meant nothing good stemmed from their ideology. Senseless murder in order to keep the weak quiet, these were simply collateral damage eliminators for the mastermind. Truly this was far more organized than the reports were made to let on for the officers of Seireitei.

Shin’eki would place the pill inside of his Shuhakusho’s pocket without a word, evidence for the ever mysterious case that was now befalling them, their leads dropping like flies at this point.

”It’d be best if we kept him sedated for now, if even just a little bit, just so he doesn't bring harm onto us or himself.”

This statement would be intended as a suggestion more so than an order, as Shin’eki knew as much as Hachiko did, that she out-ranked him by a long shot. He hoped she’d offer a better alternative as a rebuttal, drawing assumptions from her enlistment and background within the Fourth’s medical expertise. Surely something as this would be a common sight, especially with the current state of affairs at their proverbial front doors. With the events that had transpired today, surely luck would turn around at any moment. Afterall, it couldn’t get much worse for him now, could it? Crossing his arms, trying not to focus too much on Hachiko’s motives, nor stand too close to her, as to give her space to “work her magic”, Shin would look around to the canopy of the trees, the palpable sense of dread and darkness would most likely stain this place, forever. If not for the sense of urgency and reconvening with Seireitei, he’d have begun searching for a shovel to begin digging the graves for these poor “innocent” souls. A sudden realization would hit him, as the voice of his captain rang in his head “You idiot, didn’t you even think to take pictures?!”, Coming out of his daydream, in a jolt of panic, Shin’eki would exert and audible yelp, as he pulled his Denrishiki from his other pocket, as he began to take pictures….only to find the cover of his phone encased in a dense film of rust, and his screen fizzled to darkness.

”OI! Hachiko-dono! We should take pictures of the crime scene, I would, but it seems my phone’s done for!”

Having found himself standing outside of the shrubbery, back in the epicenter of the garganta’s previously occupied space, Shin would yell out toward the woman, forgoing his respectful demeanor out of the sheer obliviousness he had reconciled as he held up his damaged beyond repair phone between his index finger and thumb, his face red from embarrassment as he smiled, his face beaming with innocence. If only he’d have thought of this sooner so he could’ve gotten a snapshot of that eldritch abomination that could only be described as a new form of hollow to prove his case to his superiors. For now, the pill, the pictures, and the mentally deranged “hostage” would have to do. Only issue now is figuring out what to do with him, and hopefully get him back for evaluation and questioning in one piece, if that could even be deemed a viable option at this point.

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[Hachikō Goseikanjo]

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“Down with the Seireitei.”

Choking, spewing and finally resembling a twitching insect in the throws of their last minutes, this was what the lives that the goons had led up until then were worth. ; A miserable, painful and ugly end. You see, when someone was dying in her presence, Hachiko considered witnessing it an exceedingly special occasion. In actuality, the fourth division’s Lieutenant actually reveled in watching the captured men die one by one carefully studying the twisting of their shifting expressions whilst every second that went by dragged them closer and closer to the grave. Four had satiated her curiosity but when it came to the fifth, she was disturbed by an alarming amount of disgust because now she found herself face to face with something worse than suicidal martyrs and that was a rat-faced coward. She considered fear to be inherently useless and therefore absurdly boring as far as she was concerned.

“I..I..can’t do it! I just…I just…can’t.”

Instantaneously, Hachiko detected palpable terror in the man’s voice and knew then that all of the fight had left him. A small capsule was ejected and then thrown to the ground in a show that he no longer wanted to be a part of whatever plans he had previously been going along with. At the very least, the actions of the deserter provided them with the opportunity to preserve ample evidence of the incident. Even so, the bloodhound did not make a move.This left the fourth seat officer to break into action by retrieving the capsule, all of which Hachiko surveyed closely regardless of remaining in place. Coming across a multitude of poisons over the course of her lifetime gave Hachiko valuable experience in how they were created and which ingredients to use in order to be able to ascertain what kind of antidote will alleviate symptoms and detoxify victims. However, this by no means put her on the level of a Master when it came to identifying the intricacies of these toxins such as the location of their creation or who their creator was but what she did know was that the overall design of the casing alone indicated that it was crafted by finely skilled hands using materials unavailable to the run of the mill killer or thug. For now, until they run into someone more suited for such a task.

"This…this…this isn’t real…”

"It’d be best if we kept him sedated for now, if even just a little bit, just so he doesn't bring harm onto us or himself.”

Finally, it appeared the man’s fragile mind had broken and he had lost the ability to maintain any type of communication with them but this is not what stole the surgeon’s attention. The Lieutenant looked on in silence and shared a stern expression that betrayed her true feelings. Catching the hint of inappropriate familiarity, Hachiko was astoundingly delighted. After all, the predictable reaction of a superior under these circumstances was a swift correction or even violence and yet, this was a new and interesting development to Goseikanjo. Was it an unorthodox lack of respect? Perhaps he was too eager to move things along or was he just dimwitted and she couldn’t hope for any better? Her desire for his boldness to persist would not be afforded much to the Vice-Captain’s disappointment as he then went on to hail her attention properly.

”OI! Hachiko-dono! We should take pictures of the crime scene, I would, but it seems my phone’s done for!”

“So it seems. Take a good number of images of the men, close and at a distance. We’ll need to have a record of what happened here and what the creature has left behind so we will be sure to include that as well.”

Suffice to say, the Rukongai prisoner before them did not come close to matching either Shin’eki Uemura or her own spiritual power. At once, he’d find himself a completely paralyzed loopy man under the effects of her overwhelming Reiatsu. Suddenly, the ground was stained by drops of blood but they came from the same man, afflicted by a mysterious and painless nosebleed. Naturally, this would be disquieting but it was another nasty little by-product from being exposed to too much of her potent Reiatsu.

“Hold still. This won’t hurt a bit.”

True to her word, as she frisked, poked and sifted through searching his belongings, he should have felt no pain. Partly because he was disabled and also because looking at the in’s and outs of his pockets was virtually painless. Keeping him perfectly still for that sort of operation served to ensure that he could attempt to do her no harm as she went about this business.

“ We won’t get far having to carry him around and we cannot leave him here. His comrades abandoned him believing that he would follow them in their righteous deaths but he was too afraid to bite the bullet so to speak. Not to mention that more of his like-minded friends could show up at any moment and we don’t have the time to deal with that.”

Moving on, Hachiko searched the bodies of his fallen comrades and was pleased to discover coins of high quality that had no business being in the possession of common folk. They were however, currency that she witnessed regularly exchanged in exclusive circles of which she was well aware. She picked one up in between her sharp red fingernails and stared deeply into its design. Closing her pale fist around the coins and stuffing them into her pocket, The lenses of her glasses lost their transparency momentarily by giving off a telling glint and then after pushing her glasses to her face with a single finger, Hachiko's tone lowered.

“So then, what should be done about him?”
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[Adonai]

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Finally arriving in the 48th District of the Western Rukongai Otokogi takes a moment to observe the area. Nothing out of place when looking at the citizens who are all but oblivious to what is going on in the nearby forest. At the time of his arrival Otokogi had not sensed anything amiss, yet. The old man is given some foul looks at first until the citizens are able to adjust their eyes, noticing his Lieutenant Badge on his shoulder. The foul looks ease up and the people go on about their day, letting the man pace and look around at his own leisure without harassment realizing who he was exactly. It was at that moment his nose would scrunch up as if he smelled something horrid, however it was not his sense of smell that triggered this physical reflex but rather his sense of Reiryoku. Hollow Spiritual Energy has been sensed by the old man as he makes his way into the forest, hands behind his back acting as if he is some slow moving elder. He ventures into the darkness of the forest with said darkness eerily retreating the further he went into it. He casually rested his left hand on the hilt of his Zanpakuto as if it were an arm rest and pressed on.

He moved onward until reaching a clearing and saw something that brought sorrow to his heart, hundreds of dead souls, impaled on trees. The reports said the Fourth Division Lieutenant slaughtered a Village, but who could have reported it and furthermore who would think this is the handiwork of a Shinigami? He looks to his left, then to his right, knowing something here is amiss, and he isn’t referring to the obvious. Who made the report and sent it his way, it had to have been someone who was here to see it. He isn’t liking this one bit as this is starting to feel less like a danger of Hollows and more like a danger from within Soul Society itself. His journalistic instincts were kicking in at this moment, not for the sake of putting together a story but rather putting together a situation. Before he had a chance to offer up a prayer to the souls who had passed on here he sensed a spike of Reiatsu nearby, the Reiatsu of Lieutenant Goseikanjo.

He moves in an instant, leaving only kicked up leaves, dancing in the breeze of his movement before arriving at the Fourth Division Lieutenant’s location. With her was Fifth Division’s Fourth Seat Uemura and the situation did not look good at first glance. He maintained his distance from them, keeping them out of physical striking range of himself. Multiple dead Souls with one unconscious right after sensing her Reiatsu lead him to believe that she killed those other men with said Reiatsu with one barely surviving. This is how the situation looks, but Otokogi is not one to jump to conclusions so quickly and there is one loose end he needed to tie up before proceeding with what is presently before him.

”Well, well, this doesn’t look good for two former students of mine. Bullying Rukongai citizens to death. However, I won’t jump to conclusions just yet, I’ll hear you out, but first…”

His tone was calm and friendly, disarming almost, as he spoke to them. He was not judgemental in what he was looking at and even offered them a chance to explain what was going on. But when he speaks again his tone shifts, though the wording of his sentence would imply kindness the tone would be more demanding. His brow even furrows at them, his left arm still casually resting on the hilt of his blade and it is almost as if the elderly man act had completely faded away.

”Was there any other Shinigami with you, did you send out a report via Hell Butterfly or Denreishinki, or did you send a comrade away to report on what happened here? Recently, did you do any of those things within the past thirty or so minutes, be truthful now you’ll only end up in more trouble if you lie.”

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[Kuvello]

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“So it seems. Take a good number of images of the men, close and at a distance. We’ll need to have a record of what happened here and what the creature has left behind so we will be sure to include that as well.”

Shin’eki would remain frozen as he heard her reply to his suggestion. Was she too busy, or was she simply ignoring him at this point. His fingers remained clasped around the edge of his destroyed denrishiki. If he’d had more familiarity with the vice-captain and she were one of his subordinates, he’d have opted to throw the device at her head at this point, not only as a joke, but to bring her attention back to him.

“ We won’t get far having to carry him around and we cannot leave him here. His comrades abandoned him believing that he would follow them in their righteous deaths but he was too afraid to bite the bullet so to speak. Not to mention that more of his like-minded friends could show up at any moment and we don’t have the time to deal with that.”

“So then, what should be done about him?”

”That’s why I’m asking you as my phone’s kinda broken right now, Goseikanjo-dono. ”

He’d take a slight pause to ruminate her most recent statement, needing only a moment to come up with a rebuttal.

”So wait, you came alone? Is there nobody you could have come from the Medical corps, on the scene to have the bodies taken back for an in-depth autopsy? I know we’re kinda in a pinch at the moment but is field surgery really our best opti-”

Shin’eki’s, for lack of a better term, rant would fall short as the sudden arrival of an all but foreign face would now arrive into the fray, and to his surprise yet another Vice Captain would make themselves known. Did he just get Tsunayashiro-senpai’s unwanted job? Why was he letting the small things aggravate him suddenly? Was it because he was powerless to help anyone today and this sense of weakness and detachment was slowly eating away at his pride?

”Well, well, this doesn’t look good for two former students of mine. Bullying Rukongai citizens to death. However, I won’t jump to conclusions just yet, I’ll hear you out, but first…”

Shin’eki’s eyes would widen at the blatantly false assumption before he quickly snapped back into his senses, and bowed his head toward his former sensei, and superior.

”Was there any other Shinigami with you, did you send out a report via Hell Butterfly or Denreishinki, or did you send a comrade away to report on what happened here? Recently, did you do any of those things within the past thirty or so minutes, be truthful now you’ll only end up in more trouble if you lie.”

”No sir, Otokogi-sensei, far from it sir. I had only come into town this morning, I’ve only just met up with Goseikanjo-dono here within the last half-hour or so sir!”

Shin’eki would motion his arm toward the 3rd Division Elder as he pointed toward his broken soul-pager.

”The thought of sending out word of what just occurred had only just now crossed my mind, and of course I can’t send anything with my phone now since it got rusted when that damn hollow arrived. Which is why I was just asking if she could send out pictures via the denrishiki so we could have a first person glance to provide the higher ups. But we’ve failed to do so at this time sir!”

The irritation in Shin’eki’s voice reared its head as he fought back tears of frustration. Visions of what had occurred at the tavern, of what had occurred just now played on repeat in the back of Shin’s mind. His failure as a Shinigami taunting him. Usually he was able to ignore and/or deal with such insecurities as the rose, however with the arrival of Oto-sensei, Shin’s role model since his earliest days in the academy, the weight of his failures seemed to multiply and crush him from within.

Shin would blink away his tears before they became noticeable, he needn’t not shame himself further by crying openly, especially in the wake of these two officials.

”When I arrived into the forest, I was tracking a group of bandits which led me to this place here. Approximately where I stand now, stood a hollow of which I had never seen before, not even during my deployments to Hueco Mundo. It was then that I jumped into the fray in an attempt to protect these men from said hollow. In my efforts, unbeknownst to me at the time, Gosei-dono leaped in to save them from the hollow while I was prepared to engage with the beast head-on. However, it summoned a garganta and escaped without a trace, and now we have 3 corpses, and a shell of a mad-man tied to a tree, because they seemed to have had connections and knowledge of this hollow, but because we had captured them and began to interrogate them, they bit into, what we can only assume as cyanide tablets, and keeled over as opposed to the mad man, of which broke under the weight of responsibility, and of whom we were just discussing of what we need/should do with him, as Hachiko-dono brought up that other anti-seireitei sympathizers may show up to discard the bodies.”

Shin’eki would walk toward the silver-maned man, as he outstretched his hand to drop the evidence he’d collected earlier into the hands of the elder.

”This is the pill that the survivor spit out, and the pill that supposedly had done the others in. I’m no pharmacist, but this seems a little too suspicious, given the state of the rest of the village. Seems to have been professionally manufactured at least from my basic understanding. Wouldn’t you agree, Hachiko-san?”

With each second of debrief, Shin’s composure and self-confidence would mend itself until it regained stability. His professionalism took the helm once again as he looked toward the 4th Vice Captain for her input on the matter at hand.

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[Hachikō Goseikanjo]

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“That’s why I’m asking you as my phone’s kinda broken right now, Goseikanjo-dono. So wait, you came alone? Is there nobody you could have come from the Medical corps, on the scene to have the bodies taken back for an in-depth autopsy? I know we’re kinda in a pinch at the moment but is field surgery really our best opti-”

“Well, well, this doesn’t look good for two former students of mine. Bullying Rukongai citizens to death. However, I won’t jump to conclusions just yet, I’ll hear you out, but first…”

Leaves on the forest floor gently burst to life once Lieutenant Otokogi Aijo arrived. With no attempt to conceal his landing nor his approach, he had not avoided the surgeon's obsessive perception and so the moment that he opened his eyes and bore witness to the morbid scene, her cold orange orbs were aimed directly at him and threatened to burn through his very soul with their devious fire. During his initial manifestation, Hachiko had begun weighing the options that the predicament that both she and the fourth seated Uemura had found themselves in presented. By all accounts it did not look good for Shin’eki but it was positively damning for the mentally unstable physician.

”Was there any other Shinigami with you, did you send out a report via Hell Butterfly or Denreishinki, or did you send a comrade away to report on what happened here? Recently, did you do any of those things within the past thirty or so minutes, be truthful now you’ll only end up in more trouble if you lie.”

”No sir, Otokogi-sensei, far from it sir. I had only come into town this morning, I’ve only just met up with Goseikanjo-dono here within the last half-hour or so sir! ”The thought of sending out word of what just occurred had only just now crossed my mind, and of course I can’t send anything with my phone now since it got rusted when that damn hollow arrived. Which is why I was just asking if she could send out pictures via the denrishiki so we could have a first person glance to provide the higher ups. But we’ve failed to do so at this time sir!”

Like a soft tiny puppy eager to please his master, Uemura subjugated himself to the shinigami superior to him in both rank and experience.

”When I arrived into the forest, I was tracking a group of bandits which led me to this place here. Approximately where I stand now, stood a hollow of which I had never seen before, not even during my deployments to Hueco Mundo. It was then that I jumped into the fray in an attempt to protect these men from said hollow. In my efforts, unbeknownst to me at the time, Gosei-dono leaped in to save them from the hollow while I was prepared to engage with the beast head-on. However, it summoned a garganta and escaped without a trace, and now we have 3 corpses, and a shell of a mad-man tied to a tree, because they seemed to have had connections and knowledge of this hollow, but because we had captured them and began to interrogate them, they bit into, what we can only assume as cyanide tablets, and keeled over as opposed to the mad man, of which broke under the weight of responsibility, and of whom we were just discussing of what we need/should do with him, as Hachiko-dono brought up that other anti-seireitei sympathizers may show up to discard the bodies.

Lieutenant Goseikanjo waited for the dutiful officer to finish his attempt at an explanation for Aijo’s emergent inquiry that may have determined whether either of them would see actions taken against them for their part in the disastrous treatment of the four Rukongai thieves and their loopy last survivor. In her opinion, the boy did a commendable job trying to provide him with all of the information that they had gathered up until that moment.

”This is the pill that the survivor spit out, and the pill that supposedly had done the others in. I’m no pharmacist, but this seems a little too suspicious, given the state of the rest of the village. Seems to have been professionally manufactured at least from my basic understanding. Wouldn’t you agree, Hachiko-san?”

However, there were a few things that Uemura was not aware of and if she did not clear the air herself, it would sound a hundred times worse coming from someone else. Considering it best to bring everything out into the open, Ko proceeded with her recollection of events. Before it was too late, she needed to offer the teacher and lord of the Rukongai an explanation as to why a chunk of the 48th District’s people had been exterminated.

"Uemura is correct, the plan was to send photographic evidence of these occurrences to the proper authorities but you arrived just before things had slowed down long enough for us to leap into action. As for me, Well, I was instructed by my Captain that I had been given permission to do whatever was necessary to investigate rumors of hollow activity within the forty eighth district of the Rukongai and I came upon a village that insisted on being dishonest with me during my interrogation. They were very persistent liars and their fictional tales did not waver until I confronted the last remaining woman and child. After dispatching their traitorous husband and father in front of them, and threatening the bodily harm of her son, the woman told me what I needed to know and so I let them keep their lives. Liars and cheaters deserve no mercy, surely you agree. Those two were the only honest souls in the bunch, such a pity.”

Speaking of her dark deed caused Hachiko’s golden eyes to flash with anticipation. Perhaps he would be angry, but what reason could he have if she was justified in her actions? He could rightly do nothing and the thought of that inner turmoil was delectable to the bonafide sadist nonchalantly reciting her assault upon the distrusting people. To Hachiko, what had befallen them had been entirely their own fault. As far as she had been concerned it was her Captain, Sachiko Kuchiki, who directed her to look into disturbing rumors of Hollow-like activity in that very place! Not only this, like the two of them standing before her, she had been told that she was permitted to do anything necessary to get to the bottom of the situation. These were dangerous words because they meant something different to everyone and it would be the misfortune of the exsanguinated corpses lying in piles leagues away that those words had been related to her.

The exile’s thoughts briefly returned to the earlier events of that day. When her hands were wet and stained an exquisite red with the blood of the insurgents she had been tasked to investigate. She watched as she moved each finger and with them, the lifeforce cast itself off into many directions.

What luck!
She had thought in that moment as she dug her claws deeply into the tissue and bone of her adversaries.
"What luck that they all lied to me. All except for that last woman and child. She was smarter than all of them combined!”

Detecting the dishonesty of the district she had targeted presented no challenge to the Vice-Captain and her medically elite Reikaku. Much like the function of a world of the living’s curious ‘Lie Detector’, she was in a constant state of analysis in which she was able to instantaneously tell other's physiological arousal factors, including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, perspiration, and even skin conductivity and how they related to the validity of their answers. Well aware of her Reikaku's efficiency since its earliest days of proper development, Sensei Aijo should have been able to easily corroborate Goseikanjo’s capability to accurately deliberate whether the souls were withholding crucial intelligence or not just as she did not doubt his ability to do the same pertaining to herself. Although she warned them beforehand that their evasion of the truth would not end well for them, the prejudiced civilians did not heed the devil at their door. Every lie begot a loss of life and limb and it was a punishment that Hachiko had been more than happy to carry out.

This terribly cruel facet of Goseikanjo could not have left the memory of the elder educator of whom she had spent so many years under tutelage. From animals with broken necks, drained of blood to fellow students complaining about her conduct, the ex-noble was always a problem from day one. With three unpredictable personas and domineering Reiryoku, it was safer for the collective to leave her alone. Having said that, the more level-headed and reserved of the triplets, Ko, managed to maintain friendships with a handful of classmates and so she was never too much of a bad vibe but then again, she was not a good one either. Ko worked alongside her former Sensei to ensure her grades steadily excelled and attributed much of her integration into the Seireitei and the Gotei 13 to him. Per the climate, Shinigami from other divisions were normally met with immediate hostility but Hachiko had never had anything against her instructor of yore and all sides to her were pleasantly surprised about his involvement.

‘Ol’ man Aijo~ It’s been forever since we’ve seen him! I just know he must miss me something AWFUL!’

Ha screeched in the back of the doctor’s head and the familiar sensation of one of the personality’s struggle to seize control commenced. Unfortunately, Doctor Ko had been out for too long and was having trouble maintaining her grasp over Hachiko’s consciousness. Though, as she glanced back up at the trees above her and fixed her golden gaze upon the countless corpses impaled by the pinewood, she pondered whether Vice-Captain Otokoji believed she was the cause of it instead of the Hollowfied soul that had escaped the unlikely duo. Satisfied with herself, Doctor Ko approached him and stopped an arms length away. The vampire extended her small pale white hand and opened her fist to reveal the few coins that she had discovered on the bodies of the deceased prisoners. Knowing him to be quite the gumshoe in his days, she was elated to let him in on their fascinating case.

“ These were also on the dead ones. I know this currency and it doesn’t circulate through these parts of the soul society, In fact, I’d be comfortable saying that they don’t naturally leave the Seireitei. Alas, I cannot take credit for this masterpiece and is Whoever is behind this…”

Hachiko lifted her other hand to beckon their attention to the treetops once more, decorated in cadavers.

"I’m willing to bet that they’re of imperial stature and with the involvement of a hollowfied soul completely on the loose like this, they’re amongst our own using desperate low born goons to attempt to throw us off of their trail. In short, I hypothesize that at least one of the the culprits is a shinigami working in the circles of troublesome noble extremists. Perhaps you can tell who crafted this poison. I wonder, in all of your centuries, if you have ever come across anything like it before?"

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