[BSD-RP] Soul Society: Central Seireitei

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By the time he finished his bow and turned upon the heel of his foot after taking his leave in the presence of his peers and the Lead Vice Lieutenant taking her own to carry out her own orders from her superior. Her shifting winds were so quick that he wasn’t even able to lift his head from his previous courtesies without her taking her own leave. He chuckled in the moment and took it as no disrespect, as they all had their orders. Shusuke found himself to be fairly more active than in more recent months. A fine example of a dutiful shinigami, he is also an act to not exactly follow with his general eccentric behaviour. Nonetheless, he didn't allow his quirks to besmudge his bound pact with his Barracks. Or at least not today. Taking off in a sharp footed dash blinding to any who were unsure of its true name, untraceable.
Fleet footed, he sped back to the entrance of the Captain’s meeting hall but taking a different route as when they had arrived at the Central Forty-Six grounds, bounding the side of tall First Division buildings, he’d find himself a small rooftop looking over the hall and those around the doors. Taking this alternate route allowed him to have a natural view of his surroundings, including some other barracks. Naturally the First Division Lieutenant beat him here, surely to carry out her new commands. He Observed the scene and saw multiple large plant-like creatures sprout and take form the earth itself and his face spoke nothing but obscene horror. ”...What else is Lieutenant Oki capable of? You mean to tell me...she knows about the naps?” the very thought of it, he couldn’t help but sear into the potential uses that these ravenous looking vines could be capable of. But this was a thought for another time, it seemed as though disregarding the loud noise emanating from the area, and the…grim scene that laid before the two women in front of the building spoke all the details he needed.
But something had been troubling him for some time, a growing reiatsu pressure in the northeast quadrant has been lingering for quite some time with a very sinister feel to it. He wasn’t particularly high up from the hall, maybe some odd fifteen or higher up but it was clear enough for him to have a view of the Seventh Division which oddly enough was where the energy was coming from.
”I’ve never known anyone from that Division to be fairly violent. It feels…dark Shusuke.”
He rolled his eyes at her comments, she was a very chatty cathy as of late. He found that in times of his greatest depressions, she becomes more talkative. But this was on him, how he felt inside affected them both. He needed to balance his heart behind his blade. She was correct however. Strage dark reitsu is filling the atmosphere of the barracks, it was definitely worth a look close up. He quickly left this rooftop perch and darted off once more.
He slowly released his own reiryoku out to shield him, and also conceal his own oncoming spiritual presence. Dense ash like fog soon befell before him but it did not hinder his vision no matter how thick the smoke got. His sense of direction did not waver no matter how bleak it grew before him, this was when he could see clearly. Shortly, he would be the black fog, a floating cloud to those as his body would be near impossible to see without entering the thick yourself. He would float his way over to the Seventh Division in search of what the source of this sinister energy was, he hoped this day wouldn’t turn its course.
”This day is turning out to be a lot more running around than intended…”
His feet would keep a pace that allowed the illusion of a black fog rolling into the Seventh’s area, large and thick filling a wide area while also staying quick footed and in a timely fashion. The fog seemingly eats anything as it comes in contact with solids. Gorging the walls into a large cloud of black then falling out of the darkness again untouched, what would this mean for any perpetrator to find themselves within the ash?
Central Seireitei———————————— traveling to ———————————— Northeast Seireitei

 

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The cane echoes as Shobatsu steps deeper and further into the darkness. For any other soul, the journey was a heavy one; surrounded by darkness while walking towards the trial to decide their very fate...it was often a terrifying experience. Shobatsu however..is no stranger to the dark. With every step the Judicator draws closer towards the very ones who judged him in the past, the same court that condemned him to his prison in the Muken. Again, he comes before them to be judged...it is proof that history repeats itself.
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He continues to walk, drawing further away from the surface, away from the Gotei 13, and perhaps...away from his position as Captain Commander...forever. It is impossible to know what the great Commander is thinking in these moments, what thoughts stream through his mind.
Halt
”SHOBATSU MURASAKI”
A voice, rough and seasoned by time and hardship calls out to the Commander who stands, surrounded by forty wise men joined by six judges, their faces all hidden behind wooden plaques.

”Shobatsu Murasaki...current Commander of the Gotei 13—you..are blind.”
The same voice, perhaps the one chosen to speak on behalf of the others reverberates through the grand hall once more. On the surface it seemed a ridiculous statement to make, for who did not know the Commander was blind, even when he didn’t seem like it. Perhaps it was an intentional jab meant to both mock and humiliate him. No, certainly not. Those gathered were all keepers of the laws that govern the Seireitei, agents of justice. There couldn’t be one within their ranks that would stoop to such juvenile taunting during so serious an occasion as this. Even if, by some impossible chance that was the case—it was a wasted effort. The Commander was not one to be easily riled, he was not a man so easily humiliated. If a response was what this faceless spokesman sought from the great Judicator with that opening statement, he’d find none.
”I speak not of the state of your natural eyes of course-”
He wasted little time before proceeding onward, the focus of everyone present in the room intensely honed in on Shobatsu; a tyrant turned prisoner...a prisoner turned Commander...a Commander now turned defendant.
”Next to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, you reign and are praised as the Gotei 13’s greatest Captain Commander—but before us now, I can see only the Central 46’s greatest mistake…OUR greatest mistake.”
As he speaks the other bodies present remain silent, unmoving. They sit comfortably in tacit agreement. Shobatsu’s power as a man, as a shinigami is indisputable, there were none who would dare to openly challenge him—and if this was the Shobatsu from before...a younger and wilder man, the truth is even Genkoku and his peers would not do so either. Prior to his imprisonment, Shobatsu had no true definable weakness...he was a beast, a war lord who answered only with power and only to power. Time and solitude however tempered the man, while taking on the position and responsibility of commander bound him. Now a man of balance, order and justice these very ideals that define him have become chains, chains that would perhaps become the very noose used to hang him.
Honor and justice have become the Commander’s weakness.
”In your tenure as Commander, the Seireitei has been dealt with travesty after travesty. You sit in your hall, inactive as destruction repeatedly bashes at our gates! For all that you perceive, you remain ignorant...blind to your failures and shortcomings, blind to your mistakes and the gravity of your errors...blind to justice, TRUE justice.”
His voice reaches the ears of every soul present, despite both his age and the grand size of the assembly hall.
”But we, of the Central 46 do not share in your ailment. We are NOT blind to your failures, nor are we blind to your mishaps. We are not blind to your schemes...and we are not blind to you, Shobatsu Murasaki.”
His words grow rougher, heavier with each one spoken. There is an intensity in his tone, in the very atmosphere within the hall as he speaks unrestrained. True, there have been a number of unusual incidents within the Soul Society as of recently, but what Commander was not faced with travesty and adversity? And more importantly, what did he mean by schemes?
”You have come to be judged for your sins and crimes against the Soul Society. In these proceedings, all your secrets, your lies and schemes will be exposed...laid bare for all within this hall. Perhaps, only after being exposed, you will come to know and understand that we are not so easily fooled.”
As this faceless voice speaks to the tyrant, outside of Shobatsu the defendant, outside of the presence of the forty wise men and six judges—another figure lurks within the shadows of the dimly lit hall.
’It’s time for you to pay for your crimes Murasaki. Atone for the death of my son with your life.’
A venomous voice, filled with spite, boiling with malice echoes soundlessly within their own mind. It is the voice of a woman, it is the voice of Misaki Kuchiki...mother of the fallen Shirogane Kuchiki. She stands amongst the Central 46, hidden well out of view. Though cloaked in showl meant to conceal her reiatsu, her anger gave away her very presence. Even if that was not the case, there was yet to be a soul that could hide from the perception of the great Commander.

With her clan, for all intents and purposes destroyed, her son cut down by the Commander’s blade her heart was broken..in shambles..her pride, the illustrious pride of the Kuchiki Clan sullied, Misaki couldn’t sit idly by.
She wouldn’t sit idly by.
The Matriarch of the now, fallen Kuchiki was not ignorant of the fears and apprehensions the other Noble families held towards the Commander. Who alive was not aware of how Shobatsu had come into power? A man with such power that held no true regard for either the Central 46 or the status of the Noble Clans. A man restrained only by his own whims and sense of justice. How could any of them comfortably abide with a tyrant on the throne?
Having lost her husband, her son, her clan all she could rely on was her status as a noble. What remained of it at least. Her loss garnered the sympathies of the other nobles, her tale of loss, betrayal and corruption a rallying cry to those who suffered in silence. If a clan as great and powerful as the Kuchiki could suffer such a loss, then who among them was safe? Misaki demanded justice, demanded the execution of Shobatsu Murasaki, Captain Commander of the Gotei 13.
While she was powerless alone, backed by the other prestigious noble families, she petitioned her case to the Central 46, speaking to their voiceless fears of the Commander, to desires that went unspoken. While she could not deal with Shobatsu directly herself, with her current backing aligned with her own status built over the centuries she was afforded the privilege to sit in on the hearing. They could afford her the right to witness the end of the very man who victimized her, the perpetrator of evil that led to her great loss. Perhaps in this manner, she could find some semblance of closure.
”Is the defendant ready?”
Those charged with a crime to be judged by the Central 46, remain ignorant of their charges until confronted with them by the very ones acting as both judge and jury. Being allowed to only speak and answer accordingly in response to the questions posed to them, the Commander is presented with his first, and perhaps his last question during the duration of this one sided trial.
Misaki glares down with raging vehemency. She would linger on every word spoken by the Central 46. If Shobatsu willingly relented to their judgement, the one she knew to come—that would be his end. Her son’s killer would be dealt with and she could begin restoring the noble house back to its proper place of glory. If he defied them, fought and struggled against those charged with acting as the voice and will of the Soul King himself, he would be marking himself the enemy of the entire Gotei 13. Regardless, this would be the end of him. The Kuchiki matriarch waits silently impatiently, preparing to ‘kill with a borrowed knife’.

 

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The inquisitive expressions of Kiku, half hidden by a mask, do not go unnoticed by Nibui. The short Shinigami begins to question just what people have been saying and at that, who has been spreading the rumor so fervently? Shaking his head momentarily, as if to shake the thoughts from his head, Nibui brushes this intrigue aside. If it is of any real importance, eventually Nibui will have to deal with it, today however is not that day.
"You know, i'm really bad at this sort of thing. Why don't we just go for a walk and see what happens. Maybe we'll run into someone that knows what's going on around here." To the short Shinigami who previously took care of the Eleventh Division goons, a walk seems so bizarre and rare. As he contemplates the idea very briefly, Kiku soon takes off into the air landing with a soft thud along a nearby rooftop. With a dull gaze, Nibui watches this kindred soul curiously before commenting, sounding as curious as he was but not yet questioning. ”Tha’s a strange place to go for a walk… So be it.” As he speaks the last few words of his sentence, he neglects to lower his posture at all, instead simply kicking off the ground with his feet only, meeting Kiku up atop the roof with that same soft thud. As he lands however, Kiku speaks once more, this time with what seemed to be excitement, which left Nibui slightly disconcerted, perhaps his understanding of the recently introduced Shinigami was a little wrong.
And just like that, Kiku took a similar position as he had before, launching himself off in a seemingly uncharacteristic haste. Perhaps Kiku was just excited, otherwise he seemed entirely relaxed. As the taller of the two Shinigami takes off with a respectable speed, Nibui exhales with a soft sigh, a knowing sigh, so the goal was to find someone to alleviate their boredom essentially?
”I can only hope this goes well.”
Following suit, Nibui took his first strike, transitioning into a burst of forward momentum, launching the third seat Shinigami with considerable momentum. It had been quite a while since he had felt the rust of wind against him in such a way and to an extent, the sensation of the cold wind washing over him is calming. In that moment, he simply relishes in the unique and previously distantly familiar feeling. To him, this would not be a race anymore. Lost in the refreshing experience he maintains his pace, having even matched Kiku for a majority of the beginning of this so-called race. As the two continue on deeper into their now one-sided race, the former First Division member accelerates, and as he does, so does Nibui, step for step, Nibui matches the other ivory haired Shinigami. Where Kiku’s attention is on Nibui, Nibui’s attention was divided between keeping at an equal with Kiku and simply reminiscing. To Nibui the intensity that might be present to others, does not exist. While he is not perfect, using his Shunpo, Nibui is capable of matching some masters of the craft in terms of speed, for short durations and with very limited fine control over the motion in that time.
Along for the ride and mostly clueless to anything going on, Nibui has been brought along for a ride with a kindred soul who is simply in search of entertainment himself.

 

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In a flash, the young Captain materializes before the massive gate, his stride now uninterrupted towards the men that guard it. He hadn't been here in what felt like forever yet a comforting, familiar sensation washed over him at the sight of the Senkaimon; The aura of the Fifth Division was nostalgic to him, as it was the only other place in the Soul Society where he once called his home. He had only wished that he could be visiting his old division on another day… under better circumstances. At once, he approaches the shrouded Shinigami by the gate.
"Captain Yū Nakamoto, requesting access to the Senkaimon. I’m heading to Naruki City…”
It was known throughout the Soul Society that Fourth Division Shinigami typically weren’t allowed into the Human World, with the single exception being the division’s lieutenant. Even its Captain hadn’t stepped foot out of the Seireitei since his simultaneous transfer from Fifth Division and promotion as the division’s caretaker. No doubt he would be met by some sort of tense reaction. With the realization that the Commander’s decree hadn’t been officially relayed yet dawning on Yū, he further adds on to his appeal.
“...on the Captain Commander’s orders.”
... he says sternly, his face tightening up to exude strictness. The Captain also elongates his neck in an attempt to add more to his height and stand tall– this action only radiating more undeniable insecurity from his frame.

 

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The Captain’s onslaught was.. relentless. Admittedly so, there was flaw in the aspects of his plan. Blinded by rage, blinded by the wedge between him and his peers, he acted out of character—out of his wisdom. The Knight—turned Ogre—attempts to bully the otherwise contempt Buddha. His trickery frowned upon by the old-timer yet welcomed when used to his benefit. Meanwhile in his haste, the serpent has vanished into the tall grass. The unmoving eerie mist crept along the hall without disruption, the phantom’s presence sinking into its depths, dispersed around the room until gone completely. Higen’s fists reel back, the crystal formulating and shaping into massive fists meet with the blast, but instead of fighting back against the beam’s power, they shatter at the wake of its destructive properties. Grossly misreading the spell, and its power, Higen fights only now to continue to create his fists as they are destroyed. The destructive spell once again floods the room with flame, the overwhelming shock of its impact creating a vacuum at the epicenter, before the cataclysm branches out to the remainder of the hall. Flames seer and graze by him, his reiatsu rising to combat the weight, the senren valiantly coating his polished skin like metallic wax, manifesting an armor from such a devastating attack.
In the midst of it all, the fog remains unscathed. The brightness of the flames is immediately quelled by the thick overcast, the streaks of luminescent orange being swallowed by jaws of grey and black. In its aftermath, there was no way to see Tenzen—either Tenzen. Higen, like an apex animal, utilized every one of his senses. His ears flickered at the lobe, his eyes combing through the dense mist in search of a silhouette. His nostrils flare, hoping to pick up the luster of Kyomu’s blade, the Hollow stench of Tenzen’s Haori. His hands, no longer in rhythmic punching movement, wave around in front of him; As in Kyomu’s bankai, someone could be directly in front of you, yet absent to your view. All of which fails, and there is silence. The silence could not have been more loud, the ringing of his ears emulating the echoing droplet of water that he heard endlessly in his months of purgatory. There is nothing, only an abyss of mist and fog, until—
VRRIPPP
The sound of flesh peeling against itself—the sound of skin opening like a zipper. The quickest of incisions, the most silent of attacks. Higen is hardly reactionary, at first. The trickling of red down the middle of his back into his obi sash causes discomfort. He slightly squirms at the feel of it, his right hand reaching back in disbelief to trace the wound with his fingers. Bringing said fingers back to his face confirms his suspicions. Had he been able to see his back he’d notice Kyomu’s branding; a somewhat diagonal slice leaked from shoulder to waist, deep enough to hurt. What was concerning was—had it been anyone besides Higen, it was probably a killing blow. Did he know this? Was Kyomu finally off of his leash, with the intent to kill?
“Gaahmmm!”
The old man grunts in pain, a feeling he often avoids. His shoulders and arms flex as he tightens his figure, the blood leaking profusely at the increase in heart rate. He exhales deeply after, coming back down from an obvious high. Higen turns around in response, hoping to see his assailant, but can only make out the slightly disrupted pocket of mist from which he emerged. There is an absence of both enemies, and there is silence again.
“'In order to match your enemy's dominance on the battlefield, you must emulate them.' I believe a human said that centuries ago. Wise words from a race of conquerors."
In the seemingly infinite space, a voice reaches out, only the monk would preach at a time such as this. Yet, the voice did not come from where Higen had presumably perceived him to be, from where the spell was cast’. But instead, some distance beyond that, far and away.
“"No tricks this time! Come cut me Kyomu so that my flesh may remember your venomous bite! There are still the orders from the Commander we must carry out so... Try not to cut too deep?"
The 10th Division captain lets out an unruly sigh. His pupils return from dilation and no longer find themselves consumed in a veil of luminous green. It appeared the bout was over, at least in the elusive monk’s mind. Even though Higen looked for the opportunity to make revelations with his peers, nearly everything he’d done in the hall was an act of self defense. He had no true intent of hurting his fellow Captains as.. he believed that was not the very purpose of the Commander’s order. He takes this brief lapse as an opportunity to speak. His eyes wandering to the blood on his fingers.
“Gah… You got me good.. Kyomu-san. – You heard the man. Strike him true, though forego his warnings.. cut deep. Let’s end what was not intended to be in the first place. If Tenzen, or I elevated to the level of Bankai with you.. The entirety of first division and perhaps the Seireitei, would be in dire sights.”
He pauses, his words with no aim, still lost among the fog, his voice traveling through the empty space with hopes to find the duo. The metal along his hands unclasps, vanishing into a shining dust.
“We have only proved the Commander’s point.. Been at each other’s throats, while enemies watch in waiting from the outside. The very weakness he speaks of.. is the disdain we share for one another.. as opposed to unity, despite our differences. I.. most of all, as your elder.. take responsibility for being victim to these anguishes.”
In a spiel of honesty, Higen appeals to his fellow Captains, the trio had become Shinigami, and Captains all for different reasons. Their backgrounds were like night and day, their personalities even more so, yet they all wore the same coat. There was a brotherhood, a fraternity, as leaders of the greatest military to ever exist—they had to become strong, and remain strong.