[BSD-RP] Soul Society: Southwest Seireitei

[Shinigami]

It would seem that the growth of his former partner wasn't just aesthetic, his skills were still sharp and tuned to even the slightest of windows in one's movements. It was a proud moment to be sure. He reacted as best he could under the circumstances, Shusuke's Ho’ho had grown to be formidable underneath the wing of the former Lieutenant of the Phantom himself. In the few bouts they've had in private since her ascension to becoming Captain, he allowed her to deconstruct his understanding of his own footwork and while he has been on a good path, but scope of understanding has grown considerably allowing him to make the most with not only his steps, but his movements in close quarters. While he never boasted to be the greatest hand to hand fighter, often admitting to only rely on reactionary tactics when without the use of his extended arm being his zanpakuto. He always was able to subdue and detain any Maggots Nest fiend, any criminal on the run from the smokescreen badge of justice. His body control and reaction timing was absolute and extraordinary.
Quickly putting a stop to the elbow to his lower face, grabbing hold of it in less than a blink. Sora's first mistake was thinking the properties of this kido was so archaic, as the green lit palms of Ninths Lieutenant caught the exposed appendage of his arm at the elbow, then converting it rapidly behind his back while securing his other arms wrist in the same motion to link together the shackles of justice. While the young Third of Sixth was now a seasoned Bengoshi, the Lieutenant of Ninth never stopped being one from the moment he even left Sixth. Delivering its well distributed weight upon the captive, Sora would ultimately bring himself to a kneeling position and look back at his former superior with an impressed grimace. A sly look could be found along the lips of the Kiyoshi lord, he made sure his gaze could find Sora's and winked for his troubles. Almost out of instinct, he placed a grip similar in strength to the last criminal he carried off to the gallows. Sora was securely in the Lawman’s custody.
"Well played Lieutenant, well played.”
The audience present had no words for the display, just intrigue as to what kind of game was going to be played. He knew he had their attention, he intended on taking advantage of that for a mere moment, after all this still was his home. He raised his hand in the air and they all knew what that meant, without failure or lapse in reaction they assembled into a line up, ten across, and down. Standing at attention awaiting the next order or task. The shinigami who bore Shusuke's gorgeous weaponry stood at the forefront, attentive to any and all of his words and actions. A great deal of trust and admiration could be felt from his individual. Smiling, he lowered his inked arm and looked out toward the masses who stood before the Lieutenant, the Two Seats and returning Sixth Division member.
It was now time to explain the game that they would all participate in. If he were so lucky.
It would appear as though the boys had taken their collective superior quite literally, as they all tossed away their bladed weapons to the wayside and formed a near brilliant encore of a blunt force frontal assault. Jatiri in particular took the immediate initiative of his own superior to surely show him that he isn't some simple pushover, he thought nothing like that of him. To do so would undermine the strength of his division and to do that would undermine the weight of his leadership and potential which cant just simply happen under the watch of Ninth’s Nanny. While he had many years to craft this together he was confident that this would be the best place to display it. While he intended on instructing the others on how to use the Kido prior to the game, he figured that putting it into action would have to do. His young subordinate used his quickness to ruffle the winds, enough to alert the keen senses of the seasoned shinigami. Feeling not only a shift in winds, not just hearing the slight shuffle of his shihakusho brushing against itself but he lacked finesse in his footwork thus being unable to shorten his steps in the frame of time it took Shusuke to analyze his mistakes. Jatiri’s punch would seem to land solid against the black shihakusho of the black haired Bengoshi. Or did it?
Hand still firmly attached to Sora, he wasn’t fearful of the following events, however it would seem that Hideaki also wished to take liberties by launching a Kido towards the midsection of the lieutenant.
”Bakudo #61, Rikujokoro..
It didn’t take anything less than hearing bakudo for the Kiyoshi to react, lifting Sora at his shoulder swiftly before he could finish his sentence, he then made his move. Upon Jatiri’s ‘supposed’ punch landing in the lower area of Shusuke’s body would appear to be nothing but Smoke. His fist falling right through what was Shusuke’s body, into an incorporeal plume of black ash, with the remaining force driving him into the now standing but still restrained Third of Sixth. The now awkward punch would now be targeted at Sora with him taking any residual damage that was remaining. As this would take place, Hideaki’s Bakudo finished firing. Due to the closeness of both Jatiri and Sora who was already binded by one bakudo, and as both were standing in the initial spot that the lieutenant had vanished from would find themselves both caught in the Sixty Third bakudo spell used by Hideaki. Six rods of supposedly impenetrable light are born and shot directly at the two boys, ensnaring them in its goldenrod properties and halting any and all movement. But there was one question that remained, where was Shusuke?
A pillar of smoke began to reform at the far end of the courtyard that was uninhabited by the Sixth’ subordinates, slowly taking on a metamorphosis into a man, then transforming finally into the Kioyshi lord. He could be seen with a snide smile on his face and a sinister look in his purple globes. It would appear as though they were glowing brightly with devilish intent, the sky around the barracks grew darker ever so slightly, though it would be unnoticeable to the others as they still were picking themselves up out of the dogpile they planned on Shusuke. He originally wanted Sora to be the cop but it would seem that the ’not it’ mentality took over this time. ”Very well…” he cracked his neck and soon his instincts took over.
As quickly as he rematerialized elsewhere, he vanished once more and it was no telling where he would end up next. Assuming the boys were caught in the bakudo, they would be standing there, stuck as Hideaki used his own Shunpo in an attempt to free Sora. The atmosphere began to grow hazy, dark and red clouds of ash would begin to swirl. The scenery was set for a battle of uncertainty. Just the way he liked it.
”Here I come, boys…”
An echo of his voice could be heard, booming through the courtyard and could be heard by adjacent shinigami in the area. The sound could be likened to a poltergeist haunting a home. This is certainly the home of this particular Bengoshi.

 

[Shinigami]

He gave a small playful smirk to what Hiroka said before their departure from the 9th division barracks. It was still hard to believe this was the first time they actually really got to explore the Seireitei outside of the confines of the 11th division. The only times he interacted with others outside of his squad is when they were forced to through joint missions. If this man they sought to get information from happened to not know or share any information about the current whereabouts of his Captain, then it meant they could just use this chance to broaden their social circle to people who existed outside of their division. Either way, no matter what the results were Shoumetsu planned to create his own form of entertainment for the unlucky participants just enjoying their day and playing catch up.
Arriving at the 6th division barracks the first thing he took notice of was the vibe of their squad lacking the excitement of 11th division, but instead all boring and peaceful. The second thing that caught his attention was the poor physique of these unseated members, still, nothing compared to the standards their squad upheld. Before he got a chance to do his thing like at fourth Hiroka decided to go ahead taking charge of dealing with the inhabitants here this time around. Although his approach was not thrilling, Shoumetsu hated to admit it but got the same results faster without the commotion. For those who knew him well Shoumetsu is far from some aggressive brute, but just had an entirely different way to express something he became excited or passionate about.

Quote:Hiroka
"It's obvious that each Division has its own responsibilities and thus... their own types of people. But I can see why there has been tension between them for millennia. The differences, even from just standing here, are striking.”

” Ok fine your way worked too, but look how peaceful it is here. They are responsible for keeping us uphold the law of Soul Society right?"
He took in what Hiroka said, scratching the back of his head with a small grumble. He understood what he meant but still some of the vibes that other divisions had given off just didn’t rub him the right way. All he has known involves fighting and constantly training from his time living in the Rukongai up to his current moment now. The only thing outside of drinking that brought him peace came from his cooking, which he often liked to think the food he minced was his enemies and drinking. While listening to what Hiroka had to say next he could easily see why the two of them and Jinnosuke synergized so well. During their little chit-chat amongst themselves, the voices of others were heard nearby along with Shoumetsu immediately detecting the spiritual energy of others that were definitely not of unseated members, and from the sound of things they were being quite active. Immediately his lips curled into a wide eager grin looking forward to going join in their little mock battle or session they were having but kept his calm letting Hiroka continue to take the lead. This mainly came from the logic of wanting to see what Hiroka did on this occasion so he could be the one to scold him for a change despite the fact of planning to join in the fight one way or another, and the second reason was to observe his prey beforehand.
” I can sense them over here, but I don’t know which one is Shusuke's spiritual signature. It’s time for us to say hello.” Both his dropped down to his side with his right calmly resting on the saya of his katana, and tumb pressed gently onto the tsuba. Such a simple motion looked harmless except this was far from the truth to those well versed in Iaido and battojutsu.

 

[Shinigami]

” Ok fine your way worked too, but look how peaceful it is here. They are responsible for keeping us uphold the law of Soul Society right?"
"That they are. The judges and jury... that which may lead to the executioners.”
Hiroka's response came with a subtle shrug and a grin. The direct act of punishment would likely be carried out by the Second, should a ruling call for such action, but all branches extend from the same root. A group of individuals formed directly for the cause of enforcing rules is always needed in a stable society, but the air that clings to some individuals who wear that cloth tends to be a bit spoiled despite their potentially clean hands.
A lull in conversation brought attention to the presence of multiple signatures posed in a situation of casual tension, something that rang differently than any other sensation within these specific barracks. His eyes flicked to the origin point followed by returning to his company, which housed an expression of mutual acknowledgment.
” I can sense them over here, but I don’t know which one is Shusuke's spiritual signature. It’s time for us to say hello.”
Shoumetsu's words came right on queue. Hiroka gave the other male a solitary nod, restoring his gaze towards the distinctive accumulation of Reiryoku. The tanned shinigami took towards the direction, moving with haste but not breaking into a complete sprint. There was not aggression behind the energy on the wind, leading the young shinigami to figure it was some variety of spar. He treaded forth knowing that anything was possible walking into this, especially given the unfamiliar faces. It was possible that the Ninth's Lieutenant had seen Hiroka in passing but their interactions had been absent.
Nearing a wall around the exchange between the Sixth and Ninth shinigami, Hiroka scaled it and perched promptly. His posture resembled that of a frog, honed in a position that was ready to pounce at any moment. The previously perceived spar looked more of a game, one that likely had just begun briefly before their arrival. There were no real stakes behind the actions of those participating, and yet there was the intent behind their choices to succeed nonetheless.
”Here I come, boys…”
A phrase that sailed through the courtyard with a weight that was only describable as eerie. It was unlikely, though not impossible, that his own presence was detected. Between his own self-control and seal that sat upon his breast, he was not an easy read. This game had just begun and curiosity sat within Hiroka's mind. Should they acknowledge him, he would respond, but otherwise, for now... he sat as a spectator.

 

[Shinigami]

Sora knew that Shusuke had more experience and thus was more skilled and fluid with his actions and reactions, easily quickly blocked the elbow jab that Sora had sent towards Shusuke’s chin, catching Sora by the wrists and finishing his Kido, sealing Sora’s arms at his back. Truly Shu had not lost his edge since leaving 6th division, but this was not surprising as the now Lieutenant never seemed to be the kind of person to slack off or let himself get out of shape, and while the quick reversal of Sora’s jab did well enough to show Shu had not lost any of his edge in the last 100 years, it seemed he was not quite done showing just how skilled he was, or perhaps he was just hoping we could show him what we were now capable of? After all, it has been a century since Shu had seen Hideaki or Sora in action, and though he worked more closely with Jatiri these days, it seemed Shu’s subordinate also wanted to prove himself, or was perhaps just wanting to join in on the fun.
Although expecting someone to come in and cover Sora’s back, he knew not who it would be nor where it would come from, being taken by surprise as the physical grip of Shusuke’s hand on his shoulder suddenly vanished as a sudden crack of blunt force hit Sora square in the center of his back. All Sora could do at the time was briefly stumble forward from the impact and look back to meet Jatiri’s gaze. Sora could see in the man's eyes that it was unintentional and coming from where that hit landed, it was clear who his original target had been. The hit was obviously not holding all the man's strength in it, but it still packed quite the punch.
”Bakudo #61, Rikujokoro..”
In such quick succession, it seemed that Shusuke had avoided not just an elbow jab and a solid punch, but had also timed himself to avoid Hideaki’s Kido just as well, and seeing as how Jatiri and Hideaki had targeted where Shusuke HAD been.. ”..Shit” Sora immediately dove straight to the right of Jatiri, doing his best to avoid the Kido being cast in their area, despite Shusuke’s weighing him down. Instinctively attempting to pull his hand in front of him to catch himself before he hit the dirt, Sora’s struggle was in vain, landing on his chest and shoulder before golden lights could intersect almost exactly where he had been standing just a moment prior. And though his efforts to pull his arms free to catch himself were unsuccessful, he did come to a possible realization.
The Kido that Shusuke had entrapped Sora in was, in a sense, weaker than what was initially expected. Not in the sense that it didn’t have the power to properly utilize its effects as Sora’s reiryoku had indeed been halted in its place, being unable to draw basically any of it out. No, instead in the moment that Sora dove from Hideaki’s Kido and tried to pull his hand in front of him, he felt Shusuke’s Kudo give way just a little bit, allowing his wrists to separate by a mere inch or two before being forced back together. Sora couldn’t put his mind on exactly why, but he felt in that moment that he could possibly break free of the bindings that Shusuke had placed on him. Perhaps Shusuke was less skilled in Kido or hadn’t practiced this one in a long time since leaving the division, allowing him to grow rusty with its use. Perhaps Sora grew stronger than he thought and was actually at a level now that could stay on even footing with, or possibly exceed what Shusuke was currently capable of doing. Or perhaps the previous 3rd of 6th was holding back, taking it easy on Sora for the sake of the game. While there were a number of possible reasons, finding those answers would have to come later, as now was the time to act.
Hideaki quickly appeared standing next to Sora, reaching down to touch the green light that was binding his wrists together, sending a small whirlwind of energy into the Kido and destabilizing the flow of reiatsu within it. Though Sora may have been able to, in time, break free of the Kido on his own; Hideaki only made it that much easier, giving an opening and opportunity to get himself back into the game. With his reiryoku halted by the Kido and fully knowing he couldn’t do much of anything with it, Sora still let himself channel his power and pull as much of it forward as possible, becoming easier due to Hideaki’s assistant. In no more than a few seconds, Sora used all his physical and spiritual might to pull his arms free. With that green light ever-so-slightly glowing brighter and brighter as it strained to keep his arms together, shattering in a vibrant display of viridian light as Sora’s arms fell to his sides, now free.
Rising up to his feet, Sora looked towards where Shusuke had begun to rematerialize, locking eyes with him once more before he faded away once more, that constant weak but gentle smile still etched across his face. The training grounds had begun to grow dark and foggy with a deep red hue moving through the air, this wasn’t fog however but smoke and ash that swirled around them, limiting but not outright obscuring their vision, not yet. With the Lt’s use of the smoke and mirrors tactic taken half-literally, not quite sure what Shusuke’s plan was from here on out, Sora knew it was best not to let his guard down and to remain aware of his surroundings. And that’s when he heard the man’s voice echo throughout the area, almost as if incomporareal or if he had been in several places at once, or moving between locations very quickly.
”Here I come, boys...”
Already alert and unwilling to let his old mentor get the best of him so easily again, Sora realized very quickly that his previous thought of Shusuke having lost his touch was going to get proven wrong fairly soon; seeming that more than likely, the Lieutenant of 9th was holding back, or there was another potential factor that Sora had not thought of yet. For now though, the questions and theorizing could wait, all that mattered now was Shusuke’s next move and how the trio were going to handle it. Scanning the surroundings with his eyes, while not seeing a Shusuke quite yet, he had noticed that most of squad 6 had given space to the center of the courtyard, moving themselves closer to the walls, most staring in awe of the display that was going to happen just before them, some in hopes to learn something new from their higher up, others possibly just to watch the show. And some, find space on the wall to get up and perch on, getting a vantage point to see what was going on, but these two.. Were not from 6th.

 

[Shinigami]

Although Jatiri was under the impression that Shusuke's display had marked the start of the game, Shusuke believed the inverse, that Jatiri's reaction to the display had started the game. Nonetheless, with Jatiri's reaction, which hadn't stemmed from a desire to show or prove anything, being that of violence, there was no telling where the game was going.
"Bakudo..."
Jatiri's palm was on the verge of colliding with Shusuke's back when Shusuke made use of Shunpo. A motion in his feet first indicated it and then smoke, which filled the space he had occupied. The first indication was both spotted and felt by Jatiri. He detected vibrations shifting around Shusuke, who had to rotate to begin moving behind him. Therefore, rather than continuing with the mitigated palm strike, Jatiri stopped it dead in its tracks and commenced a movement with a different part of his body. As a result, in his place, an afterimage of himself struck twice by Shusuke remained. There was no chance the image would pose any threat to Sora shackled in front of it.
"Bakudo #61, Rikujokoro.."
Wide beams of light from the Bakudo spell called forth by Hideaki failing to reach it, the image of Jatiri faded. Near where it had been, Sora dropped, avoiding the beams, which would've restricted him further. Hideaki, appearing by him, hustled to break the shackles. His way to do so, unlike Jatiri's, was sound. He sent out a concentrated whirl of reiatsu to disturb and undo the shackles. Before that, Jatiri had counted on a different way to undo them. His way had come from a belief the shackles required contact with the one conjuring them to remain. But there had been no evidence to support the belief, thus no good reason for Jatiri to have acted on the belief.
However, his act was not without gain. The act had influenced Shusuke's decision to release his hold on Sora and move away from the three. Thus, it had a hand in gaining time, time for Hideaki to potentially break Sora free. Freeing Sora meant three robbers would be on the loose, each of them prepared to help each other and keep away from Shusuke.
Shortly after the beams of light from the Bakudo spell had shot forth, Shusuke had re-emerged; Jatiri, too, with his extended arm falling to his side. Jatiri had been close to one end of the courtyard. Shusuke had been at the far end of the opposite side of it. Both of them had thought to acquire distance. Their reason for having done so differed. Whatever Shusuke's had been, Jatiri's had been to move away from Shusuke and get a better view of the surrounding area and the state of those in it, particularly that of the other robbers. As he had got it, he had noticed something was amiss.
The sky above him had suddenly become darker, but why?
Shusuke disappeared from his line of sight. Did his lieutenant have anything to do with the sky having darkened? Jatiri vanished without answers. Before having done so, his eyes had been on Sora and Hideaki.
"Here I come, boys…"
Jatiri made use of the means of tracking that he favored most as red smoke began engulfing. Would he struggle to navigate through the smoke? Would the robbers? Would the two most recent arrivals, one of which atop a wall?