[BSD-RP] Soul Society: Rukongai

Shinigami

Administrator
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Their journey through the districts was anything but short. He led his female captures from one district, to the next. They take the off beaten paths, those less populated and the further they travel, the darker and more grisly their surroundings seem to become. Those that did see the trio, the direction which they’re heading begin to whisper and mutter to one another. Surely they couldn’t be heading to that place?
”We’ll be there soon...”
His steps have slowly become sluggish, there is hesitation in his voice. He glances around, there is an eerie chill as they cross the threshold into the Seventy Seventh District of the Rukongai. It remains uncertain if this was natural, or merely his own fears and apprehensions of this place made manifest.
The ground is rough, dead, barren of life, their surroundings seemingly absent of color. From afar a settlement comes into view — no...not a settlement...a camp, walled and barred off from the world around it. There is a single road that leads up to the entrance of this macabre camp, it is a path not taken by the three.
Maneuvering through the terrain, closing the distance the bodies, impaled on spikes, flesh and bone born ornaments decorate the jagged wall of splintered and sharpened wood. Blood long since coagulated further the decoration like graffiti.
The bodies belong to those of men and women, the tattered clothing of many tells tale of their respective origins. Bandits, thieves...criminals of the Rukongai. Then there were the others...even from the tattered, torn and ragged cloth that covered their mutilated bodies, one could tell it was the signature uniform and apparel of the shinigami.
”Friends of yours?”
He asks the women while gazing at the scene, the question rhetorical in nature...if only he knew.
”Just..who could combat trained shinigami like that?”
A question that was perhaps asked by others as well. Who or what could have done this..and how?
”What’s this?”
His eyes peel away, taking note of a larger party than their own approach that lone road leading up to the entrance of the camp. He squints his eyes, straining them to confirm what he was sure he saw. More shinigami. He watches them approach the wall spearheaded by a man with long hair, followed closely by a blue headed women and strangely garbed individuals. He glances back towards the women , his eyes barely hidden by his hat says it all. He doesn’t dare draw any closer, dares not expose himself more than he already has by coming here.
”I’ve brought you here as agreed. Though it perhaps would have been better if I didn’t…”
He glances over towards the pink haired woman. She spoke of how he wasn’t the worst thing to roam the districts, of how there were others far more terrible and dangerous than him. She didn’t know how right she was. There were far more dangerous elements than this simple bandit, those more dangerous than perhaps even those prisoners of hers.
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Shinigami

Administrator
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Even from where they stood, the distant clanking of metal against stone rang loud in the lieutenant’s ears. The closer that they drew to this place, Yasu could feel the uneasiness exuding off of the bandit that led her there. The tread in deep, past the border of the 76th District and into the 77th, Sōshō (創傷, lit. Wound). Recalling a bit, Yasu could barely escape the memory of her time here when things weren’t as horrid. It was true that the closer that one got to reaching the 80th District was one step closer into No-Man’s Land. Compared to what she ran through in her younger years, this once flourishing grove was nothing but waste that scattered for miles on end. Disaster in the form of souls, tainted and filled with evil ran this once beautiful District into the ground due to their own greed…
“What a tragedy.”
The lieutenant muttered under her breath. Her purple orbs peered into the distance, watching as the smoke rose from a centered space just above the horizon, hidden away behind a wall of blackened stone and drenched in the scent of those whose blood once existed to make it. It was disgusting, the sight and smell, but nothing could compare to the sight of what lies along the entrance, paving a path and message to all who dare enter.
“Friends of yours?”
She hears him call out, and despite her silent exterior, Yasu was fuming with a rage unlike no other at the sight of this many fallen Onmitsukido and 7th Division patrol units. Missing… so many were missing, and she had spent over five months in absence, thinking that nothing in her world of shinigami could go wrong. Recalling the code, she recited it back, hearing her captain’s voice, screaming it into existence.
Quote: “If your comrade is being defeated, you should see it as an opportunity. Rather than standing in the way, you should stab the enemy in the back. And if the enemy is so far above your level that you cannot even manage that... then you should let your comrade die. That is the way of the Onmitsukidō.”
All before her, former peers and subordinates were used as an example. Clenching her fits so tightly, Yasu’s nails dug so deeply into the flesh of her palm that it broke the skin, and blood began to trickle down her fist and onto the floor, adding yet another sample to the barren grounds of Sōshō.
”Just..who could combat trained shinigami like that?”
“Monsters.”
It was a simple reply. Those that escaped the confines of their cells were monsters who knew nothing other than to wreak havoc and destroy anything and everything that they could get their hands on. Whoever was hurt in the process didn’t matter a single bit. They were selfish, unnerving, skilled, ruthless criminals of district wars and poverty. She wanted to sympathize, but Yasu, born from the dirt that most of these criminals sprouted from, had bettered herself and entered the academy instead of succumbing to the pressures of robbing and pillaging the lesser districts just to get some scraps and managed the night until their next raid.
And just before them, a group of shinigami was standing just before the entrance, gathering a pair of shinigami down from the pikes that just so happened to be alive. She recognized one of them immediately, however, the bandit’s next words stopped her from advancing.
"I’ve brought you here as agreed. Though it perhaps would have been better if I didn’t…”
“I never said I was letting you go. Do you fear for your life?”
She knew well enough of the answer, but he wouldn’t get the chance to give her one before she continued, venom laced in her words. “So did those who fell victim to you. Now move, or I’ll break your legs and move you myself.”
He would live in fear, never knowing just when the end of his days was coming. For now, they would group up with the others, and Yasu was the first to make contact with Arashi Suta since their release. Getting a good look, she managed to catch sight of the lieutenant’s badge that sat on his left bicep under the Fifth Division’s insignia. With him, a woman with hair just a lighter shade of blue than Kazumi’s. She could only assume that the entire entourage of his consisted of the Fifth Division. And down went her gaze, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of the one that had been labeled as a fugitive since they’d first touched the barracks two months ago.
Xiaolin was alive, just barely.
There was another body, and Yasu quickly recognized the infamous rags of the King of Thieves, kneeling down beside his unmoving body and revealing his sunken face. A gentle, blood-soaked hand rested against his chest, and she felt no sort of movement or vibration, nothing that would indicate any sort of life left in him…There was no redemption for whatever lies beyond these haunted gates. Yasu Yūgure was livid at the injustices that these members of the Second Division had experienced. She feels as though she may not return with those prisoners, and instead, eradicate their entire existence.
Her inner hollow clawed its way up, feeding off the intensity of the lieutenant’s rage and reveled in it. She was ecstatic. The itch to don the mask despite having no experience. Meanwhile, Odei was desperately screaming for Yasu to keep her emotions in check, the depths of her inner world becoming chaotic as it rocked, bubbled, and darkened. Her emotions clouded her judgment, she knew this, but there was little that could help her get under control of this feeling that ravaged her blood.
Blood.
She wanted blood for blood.
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Shinigami

Administrator
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The walk seemed endless. So many questions filled her mind though she dared not to ask a single one in front of their recently acquired prisoner. Areas they found themselves in became as bad as what she had wandered into earlier that day. And then became worse. Then worse than that. It was difficult to keep the surprise from her face. How had this area deteriorated so severely without any notice? Gritting her teeth she wondered about the patrol for areas such as these. There were two possibilities as to why and neither were good.
Fear from the man became evident, putting Kazumi on even higher alert to her surroundings. This man was obviously a low level criminal, but for him to be so afraid of this place was nothing to ignore. It took little time for her to almost completely ignore his existence as the world became surreal. Approached by members of what appeared to be Fifth Division. Never one to be rude, Kazumi could not help but ignore the man with his badge, eyes drawn only to the multiple bodies that stretched out before them.
Teeth clenched she looked to the face of each soul that had been put on display. They deserved a proper burial... Of course. But first... Attention finally pulled back to the present she gave a bow to the members of the other squad; without Yasu having said anything to them though she kept silent as well. Perhaps they would now consider them allies, but they did not arrive with the same mission. The man Yasu had in custody was still under her responsibility as well. As did the captive she had easily identified: Xiaolin.
There was no luxury for her mind to wander or be curious. It did not matter at this moment what she thought. There was a clear objective and it needed to be seen through. The rage welling up inside Yasu could be felt easily, her reaction understandable. Kazumi had numbed herself to the sight before her though harbored no doubts she would feel the pain of it once the mission had finished. But it was more than that. More than her resentment. The hollow climbing upwards? There was potential for the use of a Vizard to be an enormous help. However, she refused to allow Yasu fall to such a state out of emotion rather than choosing such a change logically.
Almost without thinking she approached the woman, touching her shoulder for just a moment as she reached her side. Glancing to her she gave a smile. A grin tainted and dripping with venom.
"We don't need it. "
Surely the inner hollow would take some offense to such a statement but Kazumi cared little. The woman needed to remain level headed.
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"Let us return the favor now, Fukutaichō."
Her words were filled with confidence despite the uncertain situation before her. She could not allow herself to be unsure or to falter. Look and focus only forward now at the nearest obstacle then move forward. Looking before her she allowed the woman to proceed however she wished with the knowledge Kazumi would follow without question. Reaching beneath the rags of her borrowed clothing, the fingers of her right hand fit themselves snugly into the metal pieces prodding at her beneath her obi. Slowly taking her hand back out she let it dangle tensely at her side; fingers clenched with the sharp metal picks. Hand like a claw as she prepared herself for what was next.
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Shinigami

Administrator
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Hnngg
A feeble exhale rattled in the monk’s chest. Weakened in both mind and body, the Shinigami had exhausted his strength to continue resistance, only to reserve the bit of energy he had left. It was barely much of that; he could only keep conscious for so long before passing out. He was held against his will, binded by the durable fabric that restricted much movement of his person. In his gaze was nothing but a blur―however from a distance, he could hear that very sound of clanking metal that echoed throughout his ears. It was this very sound that was recurrent for as long as he could remember.
Though unaware of his current location, the monk tried his best to scout out anything he could see, anything recognizable that could make him identify his current location. It proved to be useless, sighting nothing but numerous corpses of his fallen comrades and of some bandits. This had to be hell, if not an imitation of it. Various slits printed on his forearms with his face bruised as if marked upon. His black hair that rested down his neck, hanging over his face had concealed most of these bruises. Turning his head, his gaze shifted onto the man beside him that too was restrained. Unlike the surviving monk, the man beside him drew breath no more.
He was a comrade, or rather an associate to say the least. Battered in blood, cuts disconnecting the material of most of his attire in various places throughout his person. The King of Thieves, Kagewaki had met his end recently. His body had been viewed as nothing but a dead corpse, soulless and left to rot. Reflecting from the eyes of the monk was of a man who did not deserve this kind of fate.
Gritting his teeth, the monk was disgusted. This was a heinous assault to damn him.. No, to damn all Shinigami. For as long as he had been here, showing nothing but strong resilience that prompted the enemies to leave him be left for dead. If he couldn’t be freed, the infuriated monk would rather die instead of witnessing this gruesome scene until his end. His eyes closed, lowering his head, he hoped to not see this sight forever.
Desiring to reach stable-enough recovery to confront those responsible, Xiaolin had many scenarios playing in his mind of their defeat. However, these scenarios were often blocked by the memory of Xiaolin facing off against these beings in the first place.
If this was hell, then those responsible for these were indeed demons.
Xiaolin had remembered the night clearly before his capture, where he was lurking about in Fugai (郛外, “Outside the Earthwork”) until he got a lead. He was dubbed a fugitive for his departure months ago, albeit his reasons ought to be accounted for should he ever have the chance to voice them. Only a few were told; the men that accompanied him after leaving the Nest of Maggots all those months ago, and Kagewaki. It was because of being discovered by Kagewaki, who prompted to detain Xiaolin on his own is how the monk is aware of his status to begin with.
The monk had a personal mission to carry out, and he would see it through, no matter the cost. This had eventually led to combat between him and The King of Thieves. After a few exchanges of blows through unarmed combat, the latter was persuaded to allow Xiaolin to continue on with his mission, for the sake of something of value in return. Unfortunately, the monk was already closing in on the location according to his lead.
Clink!
Clank!
Claaaaang!
The sharp ringing sound of clashing metallic alloy grew louder the more Xiaolin tread towards it. His presence was masked, soundless compared to the loud noise that drew him in to begin with. He had caught a group in the middle of nowhere, being exactly the ones who he was looking for. They were easily dispatched after refusing to come along.. However they kept coming back. Even with brute force, they kept coming back like cockroaches, and multiplying at that. Xiaolin faced off against a weak horde, though their continuous efforts made his attacks all more futile, and his stamina eventually depleted.
Tch. Damn it all...
That’s all he could remember. Here he was, for days- no, months in this hell hole without his Zanpakutō, Sennichi. With no remembrance as to what occurred after, he cannot even recall how Kagewaki ended up beside him, and the other men at that. Perhaps this was the rescue party.
He does, however, recall the brief interaction between him and his comrade while being held captive.
Just a few hours before he had breathed his last..
Who knew that this is where we’d end up after letting you come this far,” Kagewaki spoke softly.
Be quiet, save your energy. You need not to bring this up everytime.
I know when I am at the end of my ropes-- but to think it would be like this. I am The King of Thieves..! I swore to myself that I would never be owned or seen as a prize! There is one thing that I wanted to make sure of, and that’s being the King who obtains all of the finer things in this land.
Amid the recollection of his memory, Xiaolin was finally brought back to reality. The sounds of footsteps grew louder from a distance. This caused the monk to glare in that direction, forming a fist as his will to fight came down to a boil. Finally in his sights, the restrained monk tilted his head, squinting after noting the Shihakushō on one’s person. The lieutenant’s badge strapped to their left arm. Followed behind him were more that were also donned in the Shihakushō without the lieutenant’s badge.
Was he delusional? He had to be, but how could this moment, here and now seem so real? The monk recalled one of their voices, however. The face barely matched the man he was thinking of; a comrade of the former Thirteenth Division Xiaolin was a part of.
No.
He was awake, fully conscious .
So, you’ve come… at last,” he murmured
He heard an order clearly, directing one of the subordinates to free him from his restraints. He scuffled just slightly, releasing his fist as the knots loosened. Aided with care, he was then brought to the attention of the one who ordered his release. The monk was now freed, but what was to be gained now? His stance was weak, weak enough that he immediately stumbled to kneel on one knee, glancing at the green-haired shinigami.
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How did you find us..? Is that you, Arashi?” He spoke with a mugged face
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That’s all Xiaolin was curious about at this moment. Despite the abrupt question, he was eternally grateful on the inside. He had just wished that they had arrived sooner. Right after, more footsteps crept up gradually, but from a fair distance. Upon their arrival, Xiaolin had immediately recognized two of them; the pinked haired woman and the dark blue haired woman.
...Lieutenant Yugure, Kazumi,” he thought.
Surely their appearances had changed, but their faces were something he still had clear memory of. He was..saved, something that he didn’t think would ever happen. Not because of how long it’s been, but because of not seeing himself as the one that needed to be saved to begin with. There was one more who crept from the shadows, a man whose attire was rugged, just like the two Second Division members that had arrived, a straw hat illuminating the upper part of the face made him all more mysterious.
And who was this man that they’ve dragged along? If suspicion was a person, it took the form of one well within this man that stood out from the fellow Shinigami.
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Shinigami

Administrator
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Has it truly been that long… Since he felt the singe of anger? With carelessness, that small flame will become a vast inferno. His inner Hollow feeds into, speaking through sinister whispers that only he can hear, that only his soul can feel.
Kill. Them. All.
Kill. Them. All.
KiIl. Them. All.
Bolder and bolder. Louder and louder. His voice drowns out the sound of machines and construction at work. Arashi struggles within to quell the Hollow, to dismiss his attempts at provoking him. His heart rises before descending and finally, the whispers become silent, inaudible to him. He continues kneeling before his beaten and battered comrade, a former member of squad 13, an old friend who sought the path of stealth, hiding within the shadows. Yet holds the power to bring forth light, just as he himself does. The sight of him now only fueled the internal inferno, but what some will call a bright side, Xaolin could still speak. For the first time, he did not see such.
“How did you find us..? Is that you, Arashi?”
Through hours, upon weeks, upon months, Xaolin still managed the energy to speak. His mugged expression, could not hide the gratefulness he felt inside. Internally, he is happy to see that someone has finally come. In these situations, there is always a but. In favor of Xaolin, or so it may seem, another group shows. Lieutenant Yugure, and a blue-haired woman named Kazumi. Current comrades of his, to Arashi’s understanding and his perception.
Why are they here? What reasons did they have? Did they know about these bodies, including Xaolin and the other who is pronounced dead at this time? It didn’t seem like it… Arashi’s head turned around, looking over his shoulder, his midnight-blue irises catching sight of the third individual. Someone he did not recognize, someone that coats himself in mystery… A prisoner? A guide? Right now, it did not matter. Right now, it is not of his concern. He’d address them momentarily…
Hidden behind his eyes a flowing stream of anger. How long before that stream becomes a raging river? His attention returns to Xaolin, and finally responds…
”It's me, Xaolin. Had I known of your condition I would have rushed to your aid.”
His voice laced with pity but also understanding his position. Numerous times, having felt unimaginable pain at the hands of others. Unlike Xaolin, he held a smile then…
But not today…
”Tell me as much as you can about what happened. Who or what was capable of this?”
Both men that were sent to release Kagewaki and Xaolin from their unfortunate predicament, one helped Xaolin to stand on his feet and so Arashi did the same. The other lift the corpse from the ground, carrying the weight of Kagewaki upon his back. Despite the answers he wanted, Arashi had a general idea, but Xaolin had experienced things first hand. He wanted his observation, his point of view so that he may proceed accordingly and carefully.
Still, the question remains… What are the reasons for Squad Two venturing out this far, with an unknown companion for that matter? It has been so long since he has seen Lieutenant Yugure, ever since the release from squad 12. Their connection is unfortunate, suffering from the same affliction, just as much as Captain Oda. Surely she could feel the swelling of his emotions bleeding through his exterior, showing in his posture.
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