In a cavern littered by shattered, there was very little to be heard anymore, the silence overtaking the room completely around Captain Nakamoto and Lieutenant Ueki. For a moment, it was serene, the relief displayed by Yū was shared by Nibui, his smile was genuine and a rare sight, but there was no helping in this moment, he was happy to have been given his body and life back. Similarly to the strong impression Kyomu had left on Nibui, Yū would leave such an impression as well, but on the opposite end of the spectrum. Where he believed Kyomu to be generally irksome character, being unreasonably harsh in his words and possessing an attitude that could essentially be considered venomous. He saw Yū in a completely different light, the boy was kind, perhaps too kind for his own good, in this short interaction, he remained a beacon of warmth.
”Ooooh! Y’alls made a mess down hereee', huh?” And with that, a boisterous voice rung through the mostly empty interior of the training area, reverberating along the walls and in turn, shattering the illusion of comfort, a pane of glass being smashed in by a rock. At the very least, it wasn’t someone who carried malicious intent toward either of the two shorter Shinigami. Nibui’s eyes had reallocated their focus onto the new visitor of his, Maho Kojima. The same man he had attempted to assist during the Kōtotsu incident. His presence was as potent then as it was now, albeit in a different manner. Despite Nibui’s current state, he attempted to remain respectful to those around him, listening well to their words.
”I'm sure... YuuuUU CHa-' was at the Fourth when I was. So, that leaves little UeKI Cha-' as the cause of today's disturbance. Heh..." As Maho spoke, it became vibrantly clear that his tone was not the only thing that changed depending on the situation, the man’s very dialect was extremely casual in his normal days, in comparison to his clear and direct commands given in the heat of action. Not only that, but he had proven to be rather astute in his observations, matching points here and there to paint a clear image of the events for himself. And then all of a sudden, a shift in tone and style of speaking,
“Let me get to the point…”
Following his words, a cloud of very distinctly scented smoke escapes Maho’s Lips, filling the immediate area around them, the smile that once adorned Nibui’s face dissipating with the appearance of a smoke as a light cough instead left him, he was clearly not used to the smoke whatsoever, but there was something about the scented that reminded him of another herb. Something he had taken to growing for Omoni, perhaps it was a similar product? Maybe one day he would inquire about Maho’s specific herb, but today was not that day.
“Captain Kojima, could you not…” The voice of Yū spoke just a bit against the smoke filling the space as his hand waved a portion from his own vicinity. To Nibui, Yū was an interesting person for sure.
“Before one of you asks me some shit I don't have time for– I heard Higen-senpai woke up today AND saw the emergence of a NEW captain. Where is he?” To Nibui, this was all new, he had no clue about anything happening on the outside, even in his time spent outside of this previously, secret training ground, he had been buried in thought and preoccupations of his own, not a drop of news reaching him effectively. Today was the first day in which he thought clearly once more. However, he soon became lost in thought once more, but it was not of the same nature, no, he was trying to recall anything that he may have heard and dismissed within the past few months. Something to help Maho out and give him some answer. However, as his mind drifted from the people in front of him, Yū’s words became lost to him until his name was uttered.
“I’ll be taking Lieutenant Ueki back to the relief station, but, if you do reach him, tell him to come find me... and that I’ll be waiting to see him, We should go. Ready?”
As Nibui’s lips parted to respond, he was cut short by yet another brash and intrusive voice that filled the cavern. This one, more familiar to the Lieutenant than the previous visitor, Maho. Jinnosuke, one of his own division and someone who had accompanied him for a respectable portion of the day in which the Kōtotsu attacked and the Second Division set their assassination plot into motion. It had been a while now since the two had had any real interaction, since Nibui’s foul obsession with controlling Jubokko had spawned.
“Captain Kojima, Captain Nakamoto. We always seem to be entangled in each other’s drama, don't we?” Was this really a true statement? There were doubts in Nibui’s mind about this, but again, he wasn’t all that aware of the past three months, maybe they were all intertwined by fate somehow, Nibui would be none the wiser. And then, a silly question directed toward the snowy haired Shinigami.
”Are you conscious, Nibui?” He was stood straight, Zanpakuto in hand and his charcoal like eyes directed straight at Jinnosuke, how could he not be? Perhaps it was his silence that brought on the question? He wasn’t truly sure, but it mattered not and this became abundantly clear as Jinnosuke brought forth his crude Zanpakuto and with it’s earth shattering mass, dropped it into the ground beneath. The impact alone seeming to rock the immediate vicinity around the Shinigami. The
”blade” seemingly trying to bury itself into the stoney floor beneath that cracked and chipped away underneath the abnormal weight of the weapon.
At this point, the protective nature of Captain Nakamoto had kicked into gear once more. The captain placing himself between the two Eleventh division members as a barrier. Even now, with his intentions made clear, Jinnosuke continued to speak and even making a request of the Captain who had caught onto the same idea running through the pompadour sporting man’s head. Nibui too was no fool, he knew the reason for his third seat’s appearance.
“Captain Nakamoto, heal Lieutenant Ueki to fighting shape, please. For the strength of the Eleventh Division I need to see who is stronger. This isn't an apology.” So it had come to this in the end?
“Captains, after he is healed, please do not get involved… Except to take one or both of us to the medical center after this. This is an Eleventh Division affair, afterall.”
"I, Jinnosuke Ueku, Challenge Nibui Ueki for the right to call themself Lieutenant of the Eleventh Division of the Gotei 13 Division Imperial Guard Squads!”
And there it was, the official challenge. It was true that Jinnosuke’s timing couldn’t have been worse, but, if the brutish man was so determined to submit the challenge even under such circumstances, there had to be a heartfelt reason behind it, if nothing else. Nibui’s eyes had not left the man, his challenge was heard loud and clear but for a solid minute or so, he remained silent, contemplating.
“Unfortunately, your challenge is going to have to wait for a bit longer, Jinnosuke. Lieutenant Ueki is in no condition to fight and even if he was, you come alone… with no witnesses, when his recovery is complete, and you arrange at least 200 other shinigami to testify your declaration of a challenge, I’ll be able to fulfill your request,” Throughout this time, Captain Nakamoto had for the third time placed Nibui’s recovery as a top priority, it was heartwarming to say the least. With a final statement that would in most cases leave such a challenge on ice,
“And if you ignore these terms, it’ll be classified as murder… and especially as he’s your lieutenant, your substitute captain… it’ll be treason,”
With a slightly prolonged sigh escaping the Lieutenant’s lips, his free hand slipping his fingers underneath those of Captain Nakamoto that held onto Nibui’s waist. Slowly prying the Captain’s hand from him, he’d take a couple of steps forward before turning to face Yū and finally speaking once more. The same tone from before and countless times before this day.
”Captain Nakamoto, forgive me for wasting your efforts, but if Jinnosuke believes so firmly that he has to challenge me even at this very moment, then I can’t leave this idle for long, for the sake of the Eleventh at the very least. I’m in your debt.”
Having uttered the last word, he pivoted his body toward Jinnosuke, and at that very moment in which his eyes glanced upward toward the much taller Shinigami, his Zanpakuto once again took the form of a wooden bokken. Coming forth in a flourish of crimson leaves that obscured the blade momentarily. The spine of the weapon far more jagged than before with more twigs and leaves stemming from the spine than previously too. The Shikai state of Jubokko had been reshaped, a more aggressive, but healthy nature to the weapon. Those who took the time to make the observation could make what they wanted of this, at that moment, Nibui had yet to notice the change. The weapon feeling oddly natural to him, more than ever before. Where once the weapon felt like an extension of the body, it now felt as though it was always a part of his form. With another detail to take note of as the Shikai came to form, but what?
Stood before his ally turned opponent, Nibui did not give any words of acknowledgement, he did not state any point as to when to begin, his actions were what held and delivered his words on this stage. As it should be between combatants. What was to follow would be as torturous as what he had previously suffered, if not a greater toll on his current state. Having to push beyond his limits to keep it all going, regardless of consequence.
Between the two combatants, there was perhaps ten feet between them. A single step forward, and then another, and another, and a final one until there was approximately 5 feet between the two. As that final step was completed and his foot had made proper solid contact with the ground, everything
seemed eerily still, unnaturally so. Except for a flash of a motion that could be mistaken for a trick of the eye. Where previously Nibui’s right hand and arm remained to his side, holding his Zanpakuto in a grip with perfect tension, loose enough to maneuver diligently, but also with enough force to keep it within grasp during such motions. The arm had been brought diagonally across, from just below the right side of his tip, to just next to his very bottom rip on his right side. The wrist twisting to angle the perfected edge of the blade toward his opponent.
The target of this minute and blindingly was Jinnosuke’s left thigh, extremely close to the groin, along the inside of it, the first few inches of the blade would effortlessly glide through skin, flesh and sinew alike, it’s main targets, the femoral artery and femoral nerve. Where the blade crossed there would be quite literally zero resistance, regardless of how dense one’s body was, where blood would spray, there would oddly be none. To those on the outside, they could assume that perhaps the blade had failed to cut, due to bad edge alignment or perhaps some other fault? No. The one who suffers the wound would feel the effects immediately. The good portion of the lower leg becoming numb and in general, a great difficulty of moving that leg would be felt, as well as the hip, if he were capable of moving the limb at all at that point. With muscle and nerve severed, there was little left to allow proper motion. A nasty little spot but terrifyingly effective.
Once the blade had made it’s path upward to it’s resting place, near Nibui’s abdomen to the left side of it, his left hand had made it’s way to the handle of Jubokko, finding purchase and for the briefest of moments, there was a pause, or had he simply stopped? His hands simply clasping the blade as the tip now remained pointed toward Jinnosuke, the edge of the blade still angled upward. His feet remained firmly planted to the ground, his hands clasping the hilt of Jubokko and his eyes heavily focused on the one before him.
A bead of sweat having already formed along the side of his face, now running down along his face. The strain on an already battered body was hard to ignore, despite the simplistic methods of motion he had opted for.
