Indelible Stains [Bleach SI/OC]
- Thread starter zarinthel
- Start date
App
Dedicated Spoilsport
- Location
- America
Y'know, whenever I see "villain protagonist" I tend to come into a series expecting to batten down the support of my suspension of disbelief. You, however, have managed to make a character blindingly, obviously, evil, yet set them in a specific place and set of circumstances where everything lines up perfectly without the slightest hint of stress on the struts of believability. Bravo!👏
(Also, I'm always happy to see a new well written bleach fic in the wild. The world is both well developed and completely fucked up, which gives a lot of opportunities for good stories in the margins like this one)
(Also, I'm always happy to see a new well written bleach fic in the wild. The world is both well developed and completely fucked up, which gives a lot of opportunities for good stories in the margins like this one)
I gotta give props for making a unique and not jarringly overpowered or out of place Zanpakuto. Ryuketsu has an interesting ability that really fits Shion's nature, seemingly harmless but dangerously cruel. I wonder what the Bankai will be - my first thought is a massive labyrinth of invisible cuts that forces everyone in the vicinity (including Shion maybe?) to navigate through it, with each cut letting Ryuketsu take a bite and heal/strengthen herself, but maybe that's too obvious. It also seems that he might not actually achieve Bankai, which would also be a refreshing take on an OC Shinigami imo.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
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Straw that Broke the Camel's Back
Seinosuke has never come to visit them before, not in the 60 years they've known each other.
"Kamiya," Seinosuke says, sliding open the door to Shion's personal quarters, mouth twisted into a delicate mue of disgust as their general mess, papers and tools lying on every conceivable surface and some non-conceivable. "You weren't in your lab."
"I do sleep sometimes," Shion observes. "And it is the middle of the night. What an unexpected pleasure, Seinosuke! Come in, come in. You can sit wherever." A barrier shimmers into being in place of a chair being cleared.
"This isn't a personal visit."
Seinosuke crosses his arms, stethoscope that dangles around his neck strangely out of place-- he never forgets to take off his work before leaving the 4th.
"You're usually the first to know when something miserable is happening," Seinosuke says flatly. "Don't play the fool."
"A guessing game, then?" Shion yawns. "Hm... give me a second."
It's been a calm couple of years. Some lab incidents, but that was purely internal 12th business; they'd finished Kenpachi's commission, spent some time avoiding Kaien...so, something more important to Seinosuke as a whole. Oh, wait. They've got it.
"Didn't Lieutenant Kuchiki get married a few years ago," Shion says, lips twitching up. "I heard his wife was quite sickly, the poor thing."
Shion had heard it from Miyako who'd heard it from Kaien who'd heard it from Isshin, but apparently Byuakuya's choice to marry a clearly unwell Ryukongai woman hadn't done much to reassure any part of his clan that he was going to be acting with the dignity and poise of his new station.
"Try to work on sounding more sympathetic," Seinosuke says. "You're coming with me to see her, right now."
Hey, now.
"You'd be the last person I need to inform of this, but I am not a trained medic," Shion says, letting Seinsosuke drag them out through their own Division and towards the 6th. "Am I just there for moral support? I'm honored."
"You're the last person anyone should turn to for moral support," Seinosuke bites out. "You're here for her dying request."
"That really doesn't sound like something that has to do with me," Shion points out. "Granting dying requests is against my personal philosophy."
"And letting people die is against mine."
The Kuchiki clan household is gorgeous, even at night, graceful gardens and carefully manicured lawns giving way to the strong, straight beams that whisper of age and dignity. The room that Hisana Kuchiki is waiting for them is a cold and elegant one, even as Byakuya quietly kneels at his wife's side.
Hisana looks so much like Rukia it's almost disturbing.
"I see you brought a friend," she says, "My deepest pardon, Lieutenant, for our lacking hospitality."
Byakuya glares at both of them, eyes cold.
"I gave you leave only to come back with even more medics," he says, voice flat. "Whoever this is isn't even from your division."
Does he not recognize them? Well, it's not like they've gone out of their way to introduce themself before.
"We are the same rank, Lieutenant," Seinosuke says, his voice dropping to a level more freezing than Byakuya's. "You give me leave to do nothing. I don't even have to attempt to heal any non-shinigami."
"If you fail to save her, you will never work for the Clans."
"Good thing I already threw that useless piece of parchment into the trash. There's no use in taking a dead-end position like that."
Shion whistles. They hadn't known that.
"Is that so, Seinosuke? You're really going to stay in the 4th forever?"
"Stay out of this, Kamiya. This has nothing to do with you."
"But, Seinosuke, you came to visit me so late at night... You begged for my--"
"Kamiya?" Hisana cuts in. "Miyako's Kamiya?"
What a fascinating appellation.
Shion sweeps into a bow.
"Shion Kamiya, at your service," they say. "I didn't know you were acquainted with my lovely Vice-President."
Hisana giggles, one hand coming up to cover her mouth.
"She's been helping me get settled into Clan life," she says. "I don't know what I'd do without her."
Byakuya's hand tightens around her other hand.
"You'd do fine," he says. "I still haven't received an explanation for why you're here, Lieutenant Kamiya."
Such terrible emotions within him. Everything he has, slipping through his fingers, and then all that will be left is his power. And Rukia, of course. But he doesn't have her yet.
"Your wife asked me if anyone in the Seireitei would be capable of finding her sister," Seinsosuke says. "And I have obliged her. If anyone can do it, then Kamiya can. If he can't, then there is no miracle that will let you see her in this lifetime."
What a heavy burden he's dropped into their lap. Was Seinosuke such a softie...?
Oh, wait. He's got a little brother, doesn't he.
How cute.
Byakuya's stare takes on a more calculating glint.
"You were the one who found my father."
"Guilty as charged," Shion says easily. "I must warn you, though. That spell was designed to only work on Shinigami-- and though I have far surpassed its limitations, there are a couple that remain."
Hisana stares at them with desperation.
"Which means..?"
"It needs a reiatsu signature to work, which means it can only find people who have reiatsu. If your sister does not have Shinigami potential, then nothing could be found. Likewise, I've never met your sister, and--"
Shion pauses delicately.
"And you, yourself, do not have a reiatsu signature. So this is going to be..."
Who cares if he is capable of finding Rukia... He doesn't know if he should find Rukia. Wouldn't it be better for Hisana to die in despair, sure that her sister hates her for leaving her behind? Bringing her back early might clarify too much about why Byakuya had adopted Rukia, making her life easier, making her less prone to self destructive behavior. And how boring would that be.
If he doesn't know what to do, he should just ask.
"Lady Hisana? If I manage to find your sister... what will you do?"
Byakuya's entire being is rigid with rage as Hisana sheds her first tear.
"I just want to give her a chance," Hisana whispers. "Even if she hates me forever. Her life doesn't have to be so difficult! You.. I know it's difficult to understand what the Rukongai is like, and I hate painting it with that all consuming brush of dirt and grime, but it's no place for a child. Any child. My sister could be amazing! Will be amazing, even without my help. As long as she's alive."
That's not an exact answer to Shion's question, but he supposes that's his fault. They'd meant 'if you live to see her', but clearly that's only Byakuya's optimism-- Hisana is setting up her final will and testament.
In fact, doing this might kill her faster, as her last desperate need to stay alive fades with the knowledge of her sister's safety.
So, that's the results. Scrying on Rukia will make Hisana happy, will make Byakuya hate them, and will make Seinosuke both like and dislike him for following Hisana's wishes in a way that makes Seinosuke's desire for patients to live at all cost much harder. It might make Rukia's life easier; or it could make her life worse if Byakuya uses his influence to let her skip the Academy entirely. That part is all out of Shion's hands.
All of this hinging on Shion's ability to actually do the scrying, of course. They roll up the sleeves of their lab coat, letting the weight of the moment soak into Hisana and Byakuya's eyes as they begin the same old ritual.
"Heart of the Living World. Eye of the Hungry World. Finger of the Pure World. Foot of the Chained World. Arrive with the Wind and Depart with the Rain."
The circles fill. They may never have met Rukia in this life, but to say they 'have never seen Rukia' would naturally be folly. Fate weighs her down, practically dragging the circles towards her positioning as if they had a full vial of her blood in their hands.
Hisana gasps, eyes watering as young Rukia comes into focus in her rags, scrounging for food in the filthy alleys of the 78th Rukongai. Beside her, a young redhead scowls down the street, muttering something dark before Rukia punches the back of his head.
"She's alive..." Hisana breaths, weak and shaking hand reaching out, only to fall limply back before it can ever touch the illusory circle. "Look at her, Byakuya! She looks just like me."
An insult teeters at the brink of the young lord's lips before he, in a second of wisdom Shion will regret all the days of their life-- refrains from saying something about the dirt on her face.
"She does...share some features," Byakuya allows. "I can send someone to pick her up this instant, if you would like her by your side."
He doesn't offer adoption into the clan. Actually... that's right. He can't do that until he's Clan Head, right. He's not even a captain yet. He can't do anything.
Shion's lip twitches.
"I..."
"Pardon me," Seinosuke interjects. "This discussion is no longer within either me or Lieutenant Kamiya's purview. I can do no more for your health outside of drastic measures you have already declined."
Cutting short their fun.
"I quite agree," Byakuya states. "You may both take your leave of this place."
Shion lets Seinsosuke pulls them away.
"I look forward to seeing you at the next Lieutenant meeting, Lord Byakuya," they say, voice lingering slightly behind them as the tense scene disappears from view.
"You," Seinsosuke says, "Are nothing but trouble."
"I granted her her dying wish, though? Don't be like that, Seinsosuke...."
"I hope you die."
They're sure Seinosuke doesn't mean it.
It seems that the worry they'd had that Hisana would ever reunite with her long lost sister was for nothing: travel through the Rukongai to the highest levels of its districts, and then inch by inch scouring for one particular soul was a process measured in months, not the measly few weeks that she had had left.
That made the fact that their lovely Vice President really had been friends with Hisana a fun look into the clan politics that swirled around the fact that Byakuya had married a sick, poor, non-shinigami girl who had managed to live just a scant few years, and declared after her passing that he would never marry again, nor sire an heir. Perhaps not fun for Miyako, who was once again left bereft of the only other person who shared her social status.
Byakuya's grandfather said that he would grow out of it, and see reason in time. Miyako said that her husband had thought it was a grand romantic gesture, which was a much less impactful statement when the Shiba clan heir has two marriage age siblings, a powerful and also marriage age uncle of Captain rank, and is himself married to a bright and talented shinigami.
The Kuchiki main branch consists solely of Byakuya and his grandfather.
How stable, the Shiba clan. Surely nothing terrible could knock it from its gleaming throne.
But that is that, and this is this. And when Miyako begins to spend more and more time over at her husband's division as young Rukia joins them, lost and confused by the distant young man who grabbed her from the 78th district, and left her with no friends and no anchors in the heart of the Seireitei...
Shion finally has to pick up the slack and go investigate the goings on of their own division. Terrible. If they had a lieutenant, they could force them to do this.
Oh, wait. They are the Lieutenant.
They grab at the young woman who goes to grab them tea for them from time to time. What was her name again... little Niko Kuna. A chain with a dark colored tassel the same color of her hair tangles from around her forehead, contrasting with her large wire framed glasses.
"Miss Kuna," Shion says. "You wouldn't happen to know the way to our 4th seat's personal laboratory, would you? I'm feeling the urge to stretch my legs a little."
The girl shudders a little under their hand, but nods.
"Right this way, President," she says.
There are two people arguing back and forth in the depths of Mayuri's old laboratory, which at least explains why their sword has been constantly picking up on new slashes being walked into around here. Ah, the bright sounds of academic inquiry.
"--And I'm telling you, Oko, that clearly you must have overlooked something important in the research notes you found about Mod Souls. You claim that what you did was add 'physical enhancement' to the artificial souls and ignore the attempts to make artificial shinigami, but look at me! Do I look like I received any of your 'physical enhancements!'"
"Do not refer to me by my first name. I am your creator. You weren't meant to be enhanced, you were meant to be a repository for my research and my intelligence, a task that clearly ended in complete failure. The fact that you somehow managed to bond with a zanpakuto is clearly a mistake, because no true sword would ever accept someone so incomp--"
"Hello, there," Shion says, smiling at them as he approaches. Oko Yushima looks much the same as the last time Shion spoke to him, still with shoulder length green hair, his only addition to the labcoat-over-yukata default being a pair of heavy yellow gloves. Excitingly, the other soul present could very well have been Oko's lost younger sibling, their own green hair held back in a waist length ponytail with one side of it looking to have been amateurly bleached into a much lighter shade.
"You must be the Mod-Soul that Miyako-chan was telling me all about," Shion says, hands casually stuffed in the pockets of their own coat.
"Nozomi Inaba, 4th Seat!" The young soul says, straightening up immediately. "It's an honor to meet you, President."
"Our fourth and fifth seat, working together for the sake of knowledge," Shion says, smiling cheerfully. "How heartwarming."
They slowly raise one eyebrow.
"But what's this about you having a functioning zanpakuto now? I don't think that was in the reports. Even after I mentioned how excited I was about that possibility."
Not that they tend to read reports. If something's that important, it will explode in front of them.
"Ah, that's..." It's Oko who still speaks first, careful to keep the Mod Soul between him and Shion at all times. "We didn't want another Central 46 incident. Even though they actually haven't made a single request of our division in decades..."
"How cautious of you. But that's not the interesting part of my question, was it? The capability of wielding a zanpakuto is seen as the ultimate proof of righteousness within our society. I think Kiriro's theory of artificial souls culminating in such a manner that a soul with no destiny could possess one is such a delightful concept... and to think, what Mayuri died grasping for was so easily achieved by another. I must go visit his grave and tell him about it."
Or they could just whisper it to Ryuketsu.
Nozomi clutches at the hilt of their own sword.
"It's a data point," they say, slowly, "But it's not a research opportunity. I won't let anyone study it."
They eye Shion with the same paranoia that riddles Oko's mind.
Shion holds both hands up, smiling harmlessly. They already have a good idea of what it can do, or could do, given the opportunity. It's convenient that they'll now have two people available to take advantage of.
"It's not my area of interest," they say. "Though I'd be careful around Urahara-senpai! He's quite invested in the things you can do to a soul."
That reminds them, actually...
"You two have fun," they say, waving their fingers. "Oko, be nice to Nozomi, won't you? The 12th Division respects hierarchy."
The process of forcibly instigating hollowification in order to enhance shinigami powers...it's not something they were interested in as more than a useful base for theories on the nature of reiatsu-- however, classifying the Hogyuku itself as an artificial soul is a new angle. It would then be using a shinigami body as its own type of gigai, then? So, would techniques meant to deal with Mod-Souls be applicable?
They have research to do.
Gin Ichimaru and Byakuya Kuchiki make captain the same year, a thrilling turn of events that seems to only cheer up Shion and Rangiku, who forced every lieutenant present to get drunk in Gin's dubious honor. Most lieutenants, having known better to show up to such a meeting, managed to escape, but Shuhei was far too new to his own position to know when everyone else was already ducking and running. Seinosuke had certainly known better than to stay.
So, it's with that slight edge of alcoholic giddiness from the party that they'd just left that Shion beholds Sosuke Aizen coming down the street.
They wave at him.
"Captain Aizen! Congrats on..." Has anything good happened to him lately? "Congrats on Gin's promotion! Oops. Captain Ichimaru's promotion!"
Aizen smiles at them, coming forward with a friendly, if slightly befuddled look on his face.
"Lieutenant Kamiya...? I don't believe we've ever really spoken before."
He's a soft spoken man, sentences often leaving off on a questioning tilt as he waits for the other party to take the lead.
"I don't think we have!" Shion agrees. "I've been in the lab a lot lately. Struck by inspiration, you know."
"I can only wish you well in your endeavors," Aizen says, adjusting his glasses as he falls in to walk beside them as if it were only natural. "Time has slipped away from me as well, but I wanted to thank you for finding the time to welcome Gin into his role as my lieutenant, all those decades ago. He's an intense young man, and I worry about his ability to make new friends and connections."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him," Shion says, waving their hands airily. "Captains attract like to like, and all that. I'm sure he'll manage to find a lieutenant that suits him, and the rest will work itself out from there. Though that reminds me-- do you have any ideas about your new lieutenant, Captain?"
Aizen hums a little, giving the matter some thought.
"I don't think my 3rd seat is ready for the position quite yet," he says. "But I've been spending a lot of time helping out at the Academy, lately. I'm sure that with all the potential that keeps arriving within those gates, I'll find a suitable candidate in no time."
"The Academy..." Shion repeats, surprise flitting across his face. "I forgot that other divisions actually successfully recruited from there. Mine never has any luck."
A delicate cough.
"Perhaps you could try updating your recruitment flier....? Not to intrude, but there's been no change to your division's requirements since I, myself, was a Lieutenant. And that was long before you were in charge of the 12th Division."
Shion is actually pretty certain that Aizen isn't that much older than they are, and possibly a tiny bit younger, but they let it lie.
"Some things are best left to fate," Shion says casually. "I don't mind getting most of my recruits through transfers from other divisions. It's a better way of finding conflicting perspectives."
"Is that important to you? Having conflicting perspectives?"
They'd like to think that they can sense the suffocating arrogance behind the facade, but in the end, the closest they can get to it is the barest hint of clinical indifference. He's not worried, or happy, or suspicious of them. He's just going down the checklist.
It's so... annoying.
"I like conflict," Shion admits cheerily. "So it's good when people are really entrenched in their point of view, you know? It makes them passionate. Do you see that a lot in the Academy?"
"I'm afraid I don't work as closely with the students as you might think," Aizen says, giving a little embarrassed laugh. "They mostly call me when they're giving lessons on how to gain access and manifest one's shikai. It's something I volunteered to help with even when I was just a seated officer, and I'm proud to say I've kept up the habit even in my current position-- Though, speaking of that-- I don't remember ever seeing you there?"
Shion nods casually.
"I was pulled out of the Academy very early. Me and Mayuri got into a little fight, and then, well...Did you teach first years at all?"
"Not often, more's the pity," Aizen says. "I truly think the Academy is the best way to prepare a young shinigami for what the rest of their long life is going to be like."
"Yeah..." Shion says, yawning. "Preparing for it to be boring."
They have long since ceased to be tipsy.
"Some might see it like that. Personally, I think that people who find comfortable familiarity to be 'boring' simply haven't found a world that's right for them. And I hope, through doing my small part, to be able to help them find that world."
"You think there's a world out there that's just right for me, Captain Aizen?"
"I do."
A white room, slowly filling with blood.
"But what if I don't want to live in that world...?" Shion says. "I like being an ill-fitting member of other people's worlds. It suits me to live in chaos."
"Then there's nothing I can do to help you," Aizen says. "Though I'd be glad to offer my help regardless if you ever need something. It was a pleasure speaking with you, Lieutenant Kamiya."
"You're a sweetheart," Shion says, tossing a wave at his back as Aizen walks away. "See you around, Captain! Don't be a stranger."
What an unpleasant guy. No wonder Gin's so happy whenever people react to his insults.
The last member of the Tsunayashiro family is dead in the street, the Seireitei Newspaper boldly declares. Despite appearing to have been stabbed directly in the heart from someone standing directly in front of him, there was an expression of surprise on his face, as if he hadn't seen the blade coming. Shocking! Another of the Great Noble Families, gone just like that!
Kaname's division is in charge of the newspaper, isn't it? Incredible.
"It's making everyone on edge," Miyako says, leaning against one of Shion's lab tables as she gives a general report. "A shinigami! Killed in broad daylight! And his zanpakuto has gone missing as well. I didn't think anything of it, as it's natural for a zanpakuto to disappear with the death of its wielder, right? But apparently that wasn't his own blade, that was... an ancestral heirloom. I didn't know such a thing could exist-- it certainly doesn't in the Shiba family. Do you know anything about them, President?"
"I know of another one," Shion says. "The lieutenant of the 8th Division has it. It's an interesting concept, a sword that outlasts its original soul.. Though perhaps it's simply an occurrence that comes from what 'type' of sword they are: I believe they're both mirror types? An interesting coincidence, in any case. Since I don't have possession of either blade, it would be difficult to study...Actually, since he was the last of his family, perhaps the blade truly did die alongside him. Who's to say."
Miyako stares at them for a little bit.
"President, do you keep files on everyone in the Soul Society?"
"Just in here." Shion taps their head and smiles. "Urahara-senpai kept notes on every zanpakuto blade, though. Safeguarding my forebearers research notes is an important part of my job."
"How responsible of you." She draws in a deep breath and changes the subject. "In other, happier news, the new miss Kuchiki is now a seated officer of Kaien's division! Isn't that grand, President? I knew she could do it! Achieving seated officer after only five years within the Seireitei is an incredible achievement."
Shion lets Miyako put the conversation on theoretically safer ground.
"Adopted without once speaking to her new brother in law," Shion says. "If only all of the Kuchiki clan attendants could be so lucky."
"Hush, you. Lord Byakuya is a fine young man. Not as wonderful as Kaien, is, of course, but--"
"Lady Miyako!" A young voice mumbles a small curse as they stumble into one of Shion's slashes as they yank the door open, revealing a truly terrified looking Rukia Kuchiki. "It's-- there's something wrong with Lord Kaien! You have to come, immediately!"
A small cut on their hand drips blood onto the floorboards as dusk falls in the sky over their heads.
"There's-- Rukia, what are you talking about?" Miyako follows her back out of the lab, Shion close on her heels. "He went on a mission only yesterday!"
So that was why she'd been back in their lab.
Rukia goes back into a dead run.
"He-- there's something wrong, he wouldn't have...but after he came back last night, he killed--" Rukia hiccups a little. "Several members. Officers. And Captain Ukitake went after him, but told me to go and get you, and I did, but I don't understand--"
"Special ability hollow," Shion says offhandedly. "There's been an uptick of them lately. That's how Sojun Kuchiki died."
Rukia stumbles, looking back at him as he name drops a member of her new clan that she's likely never heard of while Miyako goes paper white, carefully coiffed hair falling into disarray as she sees the carnage that paints the ground of the 13th Division and follows it out into the woods.
"President," Miyako says, voice low and controlled with only the fainted tremor to match her shaking hands. "You can-- track them, yes? You can find Kaien?"
Of course they can. Though they don't know whether the scry would count the hollow as 'Kaien', him being already dead and all, and so go for pinpointing Ukitake instead. Shion doesn't bother putting on any of the theatrics, modified kido circles springing into existence to show the clearing that Ukitake has chased 'Kaien' to.
"We can make it," Miyako says, which sounds more like a prayer than anything else. A doomed one, at that.
They hear the fight before they see it. Just, ever so perfectly late.
"If there's nothing left of my lieutenant in there, then so be it. All Waves Rise, and Become My Shield. Lighting-- Strike Now and Become My Sword!"
Shion, Miyako, and Rukia finally make it to the clearing. On one side, the corpse-like visage of Kaien Shiba, skin green with rot and eyes edged with an orange tint of rust, as if slowly falling into his own ravaged skull. His katana is nowhere to be seen, instead fighting with hands that are slowly transforming more and more into monstrous claws. The ripped up remains of Kaien's uniform lie on the ground behind him, trampled into the mud.
Ukitake's shikai flares out, twin swords connected by a red shrine rope that promise inevitable doom from one of the oldest captains of the Soul Society-- only for the rope it self to suddenly begin to rot away from the center, unraveling until the swords themselves spark and fall away from each other.
"What..?" Ukitake says, eyes widening in horror.
The creature laughs, red tentacles erupting out of its back as it writhes into its six armed, horrifying true form.
"I've eaten countless shinigami before you," it says, voice oddly articulate for such a crude assemblage of features. "And I'll eat those three behind you once I'm through. I'm so regretful, though. I wanted to wait until this one's wife came home, so I could kill her with her husband's sword!"
It leers at Miyako.
"Don't worry, darling. You can still see him again-- in my stomach."
Miyako's hand drops down to her sword.
"You won't survive the night," she promises, stepping out. "Rukia, stay back. I'm going to kill this one."
"But--"
"Make sure Captain Ukitake is alright."
Ukitake coughs a little then grits his teeth, pained eyes staring down at the remnants of his own sword.
"Miyako-- be careful," he says. "This thing has dangerous capabilities. It did something to my shikai when I activated it." There's more than a little bit of surprise in his eyes as he sees Shion standing behind the new widow. "Lieutenant Kamiya. Rukia, thank you for acting so quickly."
Miyako heeds Ukitake's warning, striding out to fight the hollow. Without going into shikai, it's pure sword skills against tooth and claw-- but Miyako does have the benefit of not being in a body that is constantly stuttering and failing to follow basic commands. The fact that Ukitake can manage to do anything in his body, let alone sword fight, is incredible.
"I was talking to Miyako when Rukia came calling," Shion says. "There have been a lot of unusual hollow sightings in the past few decades."
A slash of Miyako's sword sends a tentacle flying. The creature hisses in pain.
It's clear that Ukitake hadn't noticed the emerging pattern. His eyes narrow even further as he adds his own observations to the mix.
"I see. It's... it's a tragedy that Kaien fell to such a creature."
"One thing is puzzling me, though," Shion says, watching Rukia watch the fight. "It should be trying to taunt Miyako into using her shikai-- but it hasn't been doing that at all. Perhaps it can only hold one Shikai at a time?"
"It's a possibility," Ukitake admits. "Though, if it is at all capable of using my Shikai, then any sort of direct energy attack is completely off the table. But in any case, I don't think it's a good idea to--"
Shion cups their hands in front of their face.
"Kill him, Vice-President!"
"Yes, President Kamiya," Miyako says, voice rough and uneven. Golden light pours out of her sheathe as she begins to chant.
"Bask in the sunlight."
The light that splashes out from the katana reveals the darkness of another dagger hidden underneath that she grabs with her left hand.
"Retreat to the shade."
Miyako reaches out and gently sweeps out the warm light of her blade to touch against the hollow's mask, all of the light coming together to form the thinnest of lines on the sharp edge of her blade. The sword drops through the entire hollow like a knife through butter, leaving two twitching severed pieces behind it.
"Shizuka Higure," Miyako finishes quietly, her head bowed. It's not exactly the world shattering grief and despair that Shion had hoped to see. But it's close.
"Kamiya," Seinosuke says, sliding open the door to Shion's personal quarters, mouth twisted into a delicate mue of disgust as their general mess, papers and tools lying on every conceivable surface and some non-conceivable. "You weren't in your lab."
"I do sleep sometimes," Shion observes. "And it is the middle of the night. What an unexpected pleasure, Seinosuke! Come in, come in. You can sit wherever." A barrier shimmers into being in place of a chair being cleared.
"This isn't a personal visit."
Seinosuke crosses his arms, stethoscope that dangles around his neck strangely out of place-- he never forgets to take off his work before leaving the 4th.
"You're usually the first to know when something miserable is happening," Seinosuke says flatly. "Don't play the fool."
"A guessing game, then?" Shion yawns. "Hm... give me a second."
It's been a calm couple of years. Some lab incidents, but that was purely internal 12th business; they'd finished Kenpachi's commission, spent some time avoiding Kaien...so, something more important to Seinosuke as a whole. Oh, wait. They've got it.
"Didn't Lieutenant Kuchiki get married a few years ago," Shion says, lips twitching up. "I heard his wife was quite sickly, the poor thing."
Shion had heard it from Miyako who'd heard it from Kaien who'd heard it from Isshin, but apparently Byuakuya's choice to marry a clearly unwell Ryukongai woman hadn't done much to reassure any part of his clan that he was going to be acting with the dignity and poise of his new station.
"Try to work on sounding more sympathetic," Seinosuke says. "You're coming with me to see her, right now."
Hey, now.
"You'd be the last person I need to inform of this, but I am not a trained medic," Shion says, letting Seinsosuke drag them out through their own Division and towards the 6th. "Am I just there for moral support? I'm honored."
"You're the last person anyone should turn to for moral support," Seinosuke bites out. "You're here for her dying request."
"That really doesn't sound like something that has to do with me," Shion points out. "Granting dying requests is against my personal philosophy."
"And letting people die is against mine."
The Kuchiki clan household is gorgeous, even at night, graceful gardens and carefully manicured lawns giving way to the strong, straight beams that whisper of age and dignity. The room that Hisana Kuchiki is waiting for them is a cold and elegant one, even as Byakuya quietly kneels at his wife's side.
Hisana looks so much like Rukia it's almost disturbing.
"I see you brought a friend," she says, "My deepest pardon, Lieutenant, for our lacking hospitality."
Byakuya glares at both of them, eyes cold.
"I gave you leave only to come back with even more medics," he says, voice flat. "Whoever this is isn't even from your division."
Does he not recognize them? Well, it's not like they've gone out of their way to introduce themself before.
"We are the same rank, Lieutenant," Seinosuke says, his voice dropping to a level more freezing than Byakuya's. "You give me leave to do nothing. I don't even have to attempt to heal any non-shinigami."
"If you fail to save her, you will never work for the Clans."
"Good thing I already threw that useless piece of parchment into the trash. There's no use in taking a dead-end position like that."
Shion whistles. They hadn't known that.
"Is that so, Seinosuke? You're really going to stay in the 4th forever?"
"Stay out of this, Kamiya. This has nothing to do with you."
"But, Seinosuke, you came to visit me so late at night... You begged for my--"
"Kamiya?" Hisana cuts in. "Miyako's Kamiya?"
What a fascinating appellation.
Shion sweeps into a bow.
"Shion Kamiya, at your service," they say. "I didn't know you were acquainted with my lovely Vice-President."
Hisana giggles, one hand coming up to cover her mouth.
"She's been helping me get settled into Clan life," she says. "I don't know what I'd do without her."
Byakuya's hand tightens around her other hand.
"You'd do fine," he says. "I still haven't received an explanation for why you're here, Lieutenant Kamiya."
Such terrible emotions within him. Everything he has, slipping through his fingers, and then all that will be left is his power. And Rukia, of course. But he doesn't have her yet.
"Your wife asked me if anyone in the Seireitei would be capable of finding her sister," Seinsosuke says. "And I have obliged her. If anyone can do it, then Kamiya can. If he can't, then there is no miracle that will let you see her in this lifetime."
What a heavy burden he's dropped into their lap. Was Seinosuke such a softie...?
Oh, wait. He's got a little brother, doesn't he.
How cute.
Byakuya's stare takes on a more calculating glint.
"You were the one who found my father."
"Guilty as charged," Shion says easily. "I must warn you, though. That spell was designed to only work on Shinigami-- and though I have far surpassed its limitations, there are a couple that remain."
Hisana stares at them with desperation.
"Which means..?"
"It needs a reiatsu signature to work, which means it can only find people who have reiatsu. If your sister does not have Shinigami potential, then nothing could be found. Likewise, I've never met your sister, and--"
Shion pauses delicately.
"And you, yourself, do not have a reiatsu signature. So this is going to be..."
Who cares if he is capable of finding Rukia... He doesn't know if he should find Rukia. Wouldn't it be better for Hisana to die in despair, sure that her sister hates her for leaving her behind? Bringing her back early might clarify too much about why Byakuya had adopted Rukia, making her life easier, making her less prone to self destructive behavior. And how boring would that be.
If he doesn't know what to do, he should just ask.
"Lady Hisana? If I manage to find your sister... what will you do?"
Byakuya's entire being is rigid with rage as Hisana sheds her first tear.
"I just want to give her a chance," Hisana whispers. "Even if she hates me forever. Her life doesn't have to be so difficult! You.. I know it's difficult to understand what the Rukongai is like, and I hate painting it with that all consuming brush of dirt and grime, but it's no place for a child. Any child. My sister could be amazing! Will be amazing, even without my help. As long as she's alive."
That's not an exact answer to Shion's question, but he supposes that's his fault. They'd meant 'if you live to see her', but clearly that's only Byakuya's optimism-- Hisana is setting up her final will and testament.
In fact, doing this might kill her faster, as her last desperate need to stay alive fades with the knowledge of her sister's safety.
So, that's the results. Scrying on Rukia will make Hisana happy, will make Byakuya hate them, and will make Seinosuke both like and dislike him for following Hisana's wishes in a way that makes Seinosuke's desire for patients to live at all cost much harder. It might make Rukia's life easier; or it could make her life worse if Byakuya uses his influence to let her skip the Academy entirely. That part is all out of Shion's hands.
All of this hinging on Shion's ability to actually do the scrying, of course. They roll up the sleeves of their lab coat, letting the weight of the moment soak into Hisana and Byakuya's eyes as they begin the same old ritual.
"Heart of the Living World. Eye of the Hungry World. Finger of the Pure World. Foot of the Chained World. Arrive with the Wind and Depart with the Rain."
The circles fill. They may never have met Rukia in this life, but to say they 'have never seen Rukia' would naturally be folly. Fate weighs her down, practically dragging the circles towards her positioning as if they had a full vial of her blood in their hands.
Hisana gasps, eyes watering as young Rukia comes into focus in her rags, scrounging for food in the filthy alleys of the 78th Rukongai. Beside her, a young redhead scowls down the street, muttering something dark before Rukia punches the back of his head.
"She's alive..." Hisana breaths, weak and shaking hand reaching out, only to fall limply back before it can ever touch the illusory circle. "Look at her, Byakuya! She looks just like me."
An insult teeters at the brink of the young lord's lips before he, in a second of wisdom Shion will regret all the days of their life-- refrains from saying something about the dirt on her face.
"She does...share some features," Byakuya allows. "I can send someone to pick her up this instant, if you would like her by your side."
He doesn't offer adoption into the clan. Actually... that's right. He can't do that until he's Clan Head, right. He's not even a captain yet. He can't do anything.
Shion's lip twitches.
"I..."
"Pardon me," Seinosuke interjects. "This discussion is no longer within either me or Lieutenant Kamiya's purview. I can do no more for your health outside of drastic measures you have already declined."
Cutting short their fun.
"I quite agree," Byakuya states. "You may both take your leave of this place."
Shion lets Seinsosuke pulls them away.
"I look forward to seeing you at the next Lieutenant meeting, Lord Byakuya," they say, voice lingering slightly behind them as the tense scene disappears from view.
"You," Seinsosuke says, "Are nothing but trouble."
"I granted her her dying wish, though? Don't be like that, Seinsosuke...."
"I hope you die."
They're sure Seinosuke doesn't mean it.
It seems that the worry they'd had that Hisana would ever reunite with her long lost sister was for nothing: travel through the Rukongai to the highest levels of its districts, and then inch by inch scouring for one particular soul was a process measured in months, not the measly few weeks that she had had left.
That made the fact that their lovely Vice President really had been friends with Hisana a fun look into the clan politics that swirled around the fact that Byakuya had married a sick, poor, non-shinigami girl who had managed to live just a scant few years, and declared after her passing that he would never marry again, nor sire an heir. Perhaps not fun for Miyako, who was once again left bereft of the only other person who shared her social status.
Byakuya's grandfather said that he would grow out of it, and see reason in time. Miyako said that her husband had thought it was a grand romantic gesture, which was a much less impactful statement when the Shiba clan heir has two marriage age siblings, a powerful and also marriage age uncle of Captain rank, and is himself married to a bright and talented shinigami.
The Kuchiki main branch consists solely of Byakuya and his grandfather.
How stable, the Shiba clan. Surely nothing terrible could knock it from its gleaming throne.
But that is that, and this is this. And when Miyako begins to spend more and more time over at her husband's division as young Rukia joins them, lost and confused by the distant young man who grabbed her from the 78th district, and left her with no friends and no anchors in the heart of the Seireitei...
Shion finally has to pick up the slack and go investigate the goings on of their own division. Terrible. If they had a lieutenant, they could force them to do this.
Oh, wait. They are the Lieutenant.
They grab at the young woman who goes to grab them tea for them from time to time. What was her name again... little Niko Kuna. A chain with a dark colored tassel the same color of her hair tangles from around her forehead, contrasting with her large wire framed glasses.
"Miss Kuna," Shion says. "You wouldn't happen to know the way to our 4th seat's personal laboratory, would you? I'm feeling the urge to stretch my legs a little."
The girl shudders a little under their hand, but nods.
"Right this way, President," she says.
There are two people arguing back and forth in the depths of Mayuri's old laboratory, which at least explains why their sword has been constantly picking up on new slashes being walked into around here. Ah, the bright sounds of academic inquiry.
"--And I'm telling you, Oko, that clearly you must have overlooked something important in the research notes you found about Mod Souls. You claim that what you did was add 'physical enhancement' to the artificial souls and ignore the attempts to make artificial shinigami, but look at me! Do I look like I received any of your 'physical enhancements!'"
"Do not refer to me by my first name. I am your creator. You weren't meant to be enhanced, you were meant to be a repository for my research and my intelligence, a task that clearly ended in complete failure. The fact that you somehow managed to bond with a zanpakuto is clearly a mistake, because no true sword would ever accept someone so incomp--"
"Hello, there," Shion says, smiling at them as he approaches. Oko Yushima looks much the same as the last time Shion spoke to him, still with shoulder length green hair, his only addition to the labcoat-over-yukata default being a pair of heavy yellow gloves. Excitingly, the other soul present could very well have been Oko's lost younger sibling, their own green hair held back in a waist length ponytail with one side of it looking to have been amateurly bleached into a much lighter shade.
"You must be the Mod-Soul that Miyako-chan was telling me all about," Shion says, hands casually stuffed in the pockets of their own coat.
"Nozomi Inaba, 4th Seat!" The young soul says, straightening up immediately. "It's an honor to meet you, President."
"Our fourth and fifth seat, working together for the sake of knowledge," Shion says, smiling cheerfully. "How heartwarming."
They slowly raise one eyebrow.
"But what's this about you having a functioning zanpakuto now? I don't think that was in the reports. Even after I mentioned how excited I was about that possibility."
Not that they tend to read reports. If something's that important, it will explode in front of them.
"Ah, that's..." It's Oko who still speaks first, careful to keep the Mod Soul between him and Shion at all times. "We didn't want another Central 46 incident. Even though they actually haven't made a single request of our division in decades..."
"How cautious of you. But that's not the interesting part of my question, was it? The capability of wielding a zanpakuto is seen as the ultimate proof of righteousness within our society. I think Kiriro's theory of artificial souls culminating in such a manner that a soul with no destiny could possess one is such a delightful concept... and to think, what Mayuri died grasping for was so easily achieved by another. I must go visit his grave and tell him about it."
Or they could just whisper it to Ryuketsu.
Nozomi clutches at the hilt of their own sword.
"It's a data point," they say, slowly, "But it's not a research opportunity. I won't let anyone study it."
They eye Shion with the same paranoia that riddles Oko's mind.
Shion holds both hands up, smiling harmlessly. They already have a good idea of what it can do, or could do, given the opportunity. It's convenient that they'll now have two people available to take advantage of.
"It's not my area of interest," they say. "Though I'd be careful around Urahara-senpai! He's quite invested in the things you can do to a soul."
That reminds them, actually...
"You two have fun," they say, waving their fingers. "Oko, be nice to Nozomi, won't you? The 12th Division respects hierarchy."
The process of forcibly instigating hollowification in order to enhance shinigami powers...it's not something they were interested in as more than a useful base for theories on the nature of reiatsu-- however, classifying the Hogyuku itself as an artificial soul is a new angle. It would then be using a shinigami body as its own type of gigai, then? So, would techniques meant to deal with Mod-Souls be applicable?
They have research to do.
Gin Ichimaru and Byakuya Kuchiki make captain the same year, a thrilling turn of events that seems to only cheer up Shion and Rangiku, who forced every lieutenant present to get drunk in Gin's dubious honor. Most lieutenants, having known better to show up to such a meeting, managed to escape, but Shuhei was far too new to his own position to know when everyone else was already ducking and running. Seinosuke had certainly known better than to stay.
So, it's with that slight edge of alcoholic giddiness from the party that they'd just left that Shion beholds Sosuke Aizen coming down the street.
They wave at him.
"Captain Aizen! Congrats on..." Has anything good happened to him lately? "Congrats on Gin's promotion! Oops. Captain Ichimaru's promotion!"
Aizen smiles at them, coming forward with a friendly, if slightly befuddled look on his face.
"Lieutenant Kamiya...? I don't believe we've ever really spoken before."
He's a soft spoken man, sentences often leaving off on a questioning tilt as he waits for the other party to take the lead.
"I don't think we have!" Shion agrees. "I've been in the lab a lot lately. Struck by inspiration, you know."
"I can only wish you well in your endeavors," Aizen says, adjusting his glasses as he falls in to walk beside them as if it were only natural. "Time has slipped away from me as well, but I wanted to thank you for finding the time to welcome Gin into his role as my lieutenant, all those decades ago. He's an intense young man, and I worry about his ability to make new friends and connections."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him," Shion says, waving their hands airily. "Captains attract like to like, and all that. I'm sure he'll manage to find a lieutenant that suits him, and the rest will work itself out from there. Though that reminds me-- do you have any ideas about your new lieutenant, Captain?"
Aizen hums a little, giving the matter some thought.
"I don't think my 3rd seat is ready for the position quite yet," he says. "But I've been spending a lot of time helping out at the Academy, lately. I'm sure that with all the potential that keeps arriving within those gates, I'll find a suitable candidate in no time."
"The Academy..." Shion repeats, surprise flitting across his face. "I forgot that other divisions actually successfully recruited from there. Mine never has any luck."
A delicate cough.
"Perhaps you could try updating your recruitment flier....? Not to intrude, but there's been no change to your division's requirements since I, myself, was a Lieutenant. And that was long before you were in charge of the 12th Division."
Shion is actually pretty certain that Aizen isn't that much older than they are, and possibly a tiny bit younger, but they let it lie.
"Some things are best left to fate," Shion says casually. "I don't mind getting most of my recruits through transfers from other divisions. It's a better way of finding conflicting perspectives."
"Is that important to you? Having conflicting perspectives?"
They'd like to think that they can sense the suffocating arrogance behind the facade, but in the end, the closest they can get to it is the barest hint of clinical indifference. He's not worried, or happy, or suspicious of them. He's just going down the checklist.
It's so... annoying.
"I like conflict," Shion admits cheerily. "So it's good when people are really entrenched in their point of view, you know? It makes them passionate. Do you see that a lot in the Academy?"
"I'm afraid I don't work as closely with the students as you might think," Aizen says, giving a little embarrassed laugh. "They mostly call me when they're giving lessons on how to gain access and manifest one's shikai. It's something I volunteered to help with even when I was just a seated officer, and I'm proud to say I've kept up the habit even in my current position-- Though, speaking of that-- I don't remember ever seeing you there?"
Shion nods casually.
"I was pulled out of the Academy very early. Me and Mayuri got into a little fight, and then, well...Did you teach first years at all?"
"Not often, more's the pity," Aizen says. "I truly think the Academy is the best way to prepare a young shinigami for what the rest of their long life is going to be like."
"Yeah..." Shion says, yawning. "Preparing for it to be boring."
They have long since ceased to be tipsy.
"Some might see it like that. Personally, I think that people who find comfortable familiarity to be 'boring' simply haven't found a world that's right for them. And I hope, through doing my small part, to be able to help them find that world."
"You think there's a world out there that's just right for me, Captain Aizen?"
"I do."
A white room, slowly filling with blood.
"But what if I don't want to live in that world...?" Shion says. "I like being an ill-fitting member of other people's worlds. It suits me to live in chaos."
"Then there's nothing I can do to help you," Aizen says. "Though I'd be glad to offer my help regardless if you ever need something. It was a pleasure speaking with you, Lieutenant Kamiya."
"You're a sweetheart," Shion says, tossing a wave at his back as Aizen walks away. "See you around, Captain! Don't be a stranger."
What an unpleasant guy. No wonder Gin's so happy whenever people react to his insults.
The last member of the Tsunayashiro family is dead in the street, the Seireitei Newspaper boldly declares. Despite appearing to have been stabbed directly in the heart from someone standing directly in front of him, there was an expression of surprise on his face, as if he hadn't seen the blade coming. Shocking! Another of the Great Noble Families, gone just like that!
Kaname's division is in charge of the newspaper, isn't it? Incredible.
"It's making everyone on edge," Miyako says, leaning against one of Shion's lab tables as she gives a general report. "A shinigami! Killed in broad daylight! And his zanpakuto has gone missing as well. I didn't think anything of it, as it's natural for a zanpakuto to disappear with the death of its wielder, right? But apparently that wasn't his own blade, that was... an ancestral heirloom. I didn't know such a thing could exist-- it certainly doesn't in the Shiba family. Do you know anything about them, President?"
"I know of another one," Shion says. "The lieutenant of the 8th Division has it. It's an interesting concept, a sword that outlasts its original soul.. Though perhaps it's simply an occurrence that comes from what 'type' of sword they are: I believe they're both mirror types? An interesting coincidence, in any case. Since I don't have possession of either blade, it would be difficult to study...Actually, since he was the last of his family, perhaps the blade truly did die alongside him. Who's to say."
Miyako stares at them for a little bit.
"President, do you keep files on everyone in the Soul Society?"
"Just in here." Shion taps their head and smiles. "Urahara-senpai kept notes on every zanpakuto blade, though. Safeguarding my forebearers research notes is an important part of my job."
"How responsible of you." She draws in a deep breath and changes the subject. "In other, happier news, the new miss Kuchiki is now a seated officer of Kaien's division! Isn't that grand, President? I knew she could do it! Achieving seated officer after only five years within the Seireitei is an incredible achievement."
Shion lets Miyako put the conversation on theoretically safer ground.
"Adopted without once speaking to her new brother in law," Shion says. "If only all of the Kuchiki clan attendants could be so lucky."
"Hush, you. Lord Byakuya is a fine young man. Not as wonderful as Kaien, is, of course, but--"
"Lady Miyako!" A young voice mumbles a small curse as they stumble into one of Shion's slashes as they yank the door open, revealing a truly terrified looking Rukia Kuchiki. "It's-- there's something wrong with Lord Kaien! You have to come, immediately!"
A small cut on their hand drips blood onto the floorboards as dusk falls in the sky over their heads.
"There's-- Rukia, what are you talking about?" Miyako follows her back out of the lab, Shion close on her heels. "He went on a mission only yesterday!"
So that was why she'd been back in their lab.
Rukia goes back into a dead run.
"He-- there's something wrong, he wouldn't have...but after he came back last night, he killed--" Rukia hiccups a little. "Several members. Officers. And Captain Ukitake went after him, but told me to go and get you, and I did, but I don't understand--"
"Special ability hollow," Shion says offhandedly. "There's been an uptick of them lately. That's how Sojun Kuchiki died."
Rukia stumbles, looking back at him as he name drops a member of her new clan that she's likely never heard of while Miyako goes paper white, carefully coiffed hair falling into disarray as she sees the carnage that paints the ground of the 13th Division and follows it out into the woods.
"President," Miyako says, voice low and controlled with only the fainted tremor to match her shaking hands. "You can-- track them, yes? You can find Kaien?"
Of course they can. Though they don't know whether the scry would count the hollow as 'Kaien', him being already dead and all, and so go for pinpointing Ukitake instead. Shion doesn't bother putting on any of the theatrics, modified kido circles springing into existence to show the clearing that Ukitake has chased 'Kaien' to.
"We can make it," Miyako says, which sounds more like a prayer than anything else. A doomed one, at that.
They hear the fight before they see it. Just, ever so perfectly late.
"If there's nothing left of my lieutenant in there, then so be it. All Waves Rise, and Become My Shield. Lighting-- Strike Now and Become My Sword!"
Shion, Miyako, and Rukia finally make it to the clearing. On one side, the corpse-like visage of Kaien Shiba, skin green with rot and eyes edged with an orange tint of rust, as if slowly falling into his own ravaged skull. His katana is nowhere to be seen, instead fighting with hands that are slowly transforming more and more into monstrous claws. The ripped up remains of Kaien's uniform lie on the ground behind him, trampled into the mud.
Ukitake's shikai flares out, twin swords connected by a red shrine rope that promise inevitable doom from one of the oldest captains of the Soul Society-- only for the rope it self to suddenly begin to rot away from the center, unraveling until the swords themselves spark and fall away from each other.
"What..?" Ukitake says, eyes widening in horror.
The creature laughs, red tentacles erupting out of its back as it writhes into its six armed, horrifying true form.
"I've eaten countless shinigami before you," it says, voice oddly articulate for such a crude assemblage of features. "And I'll eat those three behind you once I'm through. I'm so regretful, though. I wanted to wait until this one's wife came home, so I could kill her with her husband's sword!"
It leers at Miyako.
"Don't worry, darling. You can still see him again-- in my stomach."
Miyako's hand drops down to her sword.
"You won't survive the night," she promises, stepping out. "Rukia, stay back. I'm going to kill this one."
"But--"
"Make sure Captain Ukitake is alright."
Ukitake coughs a little then grits his teeth, pained eyes staring down at the remnants of his own sword.
"Miyako-- be careful," he says. "This thing has dangerous capabilities. It did something to my shikai when I activated it." There's more than a little bit of surprise in his eyes as he sees Shion standing behind the new widow. "Lieutenant Kamiya. Rukia, thank you for acting so quickly."
Miyako heeds Ukitake's warning, striding out to fight the hollow. Without going into shikai, it's pure sword skills against tooth and claw-- but Miyako does have the benefit of not being in a body that is constantly stuttering and failing to follow basic commands. The fact that Ukitake can manage to do anything in his body, let alone sword fight, is incredible.
"I was talking to Miyako when Rukia came calling," Shion says. "There have been a lot of unusual hollow sightings in the past few decades."
A slash of Miyako's sword sends a tentacle flying. The creature hisses in pain.
It's clear that Ukitake hadn't noticed the emerging pattern. His eyes narrow even further as he adds his own observations to the mix.
"I see. It's... it's a tragedy that Kaien fell to such a creature."
"One thing is puzzling me, though," Shion says, watching Rukia watch the fight. "It should be trying to taunt Miyako into using her shikai-- but it hasn't been doing that at all. Perhaps it can only hold one Shikai at a time?"
"It's a possibility," Ukitake admits. "Though, if it is at all capable of using my Shikai, then any sort of direct energy attack is completely off the table. But in any case, I don't think it's a good idea to--"
Shion cups their hands in front of their face.
"Kill him, Vice-President!"
"Yes, President Kamiya," Miyako says, voice rough and uneven. Golden light pours out of her sheathe as she begins to chant.
"Bask in the sunlight."
The light that splashes out from the katana reveals the darkness of another dagger hidden underneath that she grabs with her left hand.
"Retreat to the shade."
Miyako reaches out and gently sweeps out the warm light of her blade to touch against the hollow's mask, all of the light coming together to form the thinnest of lines on the sharp edge of her blade. The sword drops through the entire hollow like a knife through butter, leaving two twitching severed pieces behind it.
"Shizuka Higure," Miyako finishes quietly, her head bowed. It's not exactly the world shattering grief and despair that Shion had hoped to see. But it's close.
I really love how the more monstrous characters interact its very interesting.
in many ways aizen and shion are more fundamentally opposed than almost any other character in the setting. 'a world where only i am in control and can remake any issue in the world' compared to 'a world where everything is falling apart and no one is really in control'. but in reality shion's designed to be in a character motivation triangle with aizen and urahara in order to counterbalance the setting properly. life comes at you fast. shion also doesn't have complete control of the setting, you know? people who want the world to be a better place and act in ways to mitigate harm exist and are active in the setting, no matter what.
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Wait, did Shion and Mayuri get arrested and put away because of a school fight? Hilarious if true.
So Miyako did live because she ended up in a different division, though I guess surviving isn't gonna be an enjoyable experience for her in the near future...was Shion hoping for a miserable right hand, when he accepted her transfer?
Pretty interesting that Shion, even though he can't stand aizen, relies pretty heavily on him to provide chaos and misery. Outside of the 12th division, they've been pretty passive, though I guess that's a power and influence issue rather than a lack of will.
I'll confess that some of the specific details for the story are going over my head due to not being too familiar with Bleach, mainly started reading because I liked your last work.
That being said, I do really enjoy this because it's well written. The protagonist is fun in how creepy they act and, honestly, everything related to them feels like a ticking time bomb. I can't quite articulate it right, but every chapter I'm on edge for something that I can't quite figure out. So good job on that.
That being said, I do really enjoy this because it's well written. The protagonist is fun in how creepy they act and, honestly, everything related to them feels like a ticking time bomb. I can't quite articulate it right, but every chapter I'm on edge for something that I can't quite figure out. So good job on that.
Nature of the Beast
It's a solemn procession back into the walls of the Seireitei. Miyako holding the bloody remnants of Kaien's uniform, Ukitake holding his horribly damaged blade and staring at it while Rukia helps him walk along as his illness seems to have worsened even further from the damage that his zanpakuto has suffered.
"Well," Shion says. "My small part in this seems to be over. I'll be heading back to my--"
"Wait," Miyako says. "Please. Lieutenant Kamiya."
"Hm?"
She bows to him from the waist, hair spilling forwards.
"My time within your division has been invaluable. While I initially didn't understand why you requested me, I can say that, after spending 64 years working as your Vice-President, I know that I became a better shinigami and gained a new perspective on how lucky I am-- how lucky I was to be married to Kaien. I also understand that your stance on-- on people leaving the division, is absolute. I doubt you will make an exception for me."
She's managed to draw Ukitake's attention away from his sword, his face pale and drawn as she straightens up and turns to face him.
This is what Ukitake had requested all those years ago, right. That Miyako gain the confidence to take the next step. Hasn't everything worked out for him?
"So-- Captain Ukitake! Please, take me on as your Lieutenant. I will do my best to-- to support you. The way Kaien was so proud of doing."
Ukitake's weapon is based around attacks that should hit him instead rebounding and hitting their sender. It must be unusual to have two different attacks rebound back in his face in such a short time frame. The eyes that stare out at Shion are that of a wounded beast, trapped and angry. Hey. None of this is Shion's doing, in the end.
"I'd be honored to accept you," Ukitake says, smiling weakly while his eyes are still cracked with fury. "Can you... escort me back to our division? I'll go visit Lieutenant Kamiya and sort everything out as soon as possible."
"You're welcome at my division at any time," Shion says warmly. "You too, Lieutenant Shiba. Who knows what my division will get up to without your guidance."
She shudders over the name change, hands clutching even tighter to the bloody cloth in her arms.
"Yes..."
Shion doesn't even make it the rest of the way through the night before Ukitake follows through on his promise. Two captain rank presences set off every single alarm he has around his room as they knock on the door.
"Please, come in," Shion says. "The door isn't locked."
The door opens as the face of Shunsui Kyouraku, captain of the eight and drunkard of the Seireitei stares into it, eyes already creased into a friendly grin as they canvas the place.
"You don't even have a place to sit in there," Shunsui says, hefting the sake bottle he'd brought with him. "Come on out, sit on the porch with me and Junshiro. It's better to drink under the light of the moon."
It's not really a request.
Shion comes out, his lab coat and usual adornments all stripped away in favor of a baseline shinigami uniform with his shikai hanging at his waist.
"Rough night," Shunsui says, after they've all been sitting in silence for long enough. More than bringing his own bottle, he's practically brought a bar along with him. Junshiro remains silent, eyes cold and watchful as Shunsui takes point. A well trod song and dance.
"A tragedy," Shion agrees. "Kaien will be sorely missed."
Shunsui lifts up his cup in a toast to that.
"I'll miss him every time I throw a party!" He says. His eyes watch Shion over the low rim of his sake cup, lion at the watering hole. "But Miyako-chan was always so sad, saying that her boss didn't like him very much."
They think he set everything up so Kaien died. Reasonable.
"People who are happy with their lot in life and like to tell me about it aren't precisely my cup of tea," Shion acknowledges. "You attribute malice where there is only ignorance. How could I have known what was going to happen?"
That's the hole in their theory. Shion has wholesale stopped the division from doing hollow experiments ever since Mayuri died and he was in full control over whose work was being funded. He does have other methods to create monsters, of course, but the modified hollows are purely Aizen's failed experiments. Setting himself up to fall into the same trap Urahara-senpai did would be ludicrous.
"Let's suppose you knew nothing," Jushiro says, voice gentle. He's brought his own set of medicinal tea for his own cup, and the more acrid smell mixes with the sweet scent of the sake. "You made an observation about 'unusual hollow sightings'. Would you care to expand on that? I worry for the safety of the Seireitei if this continues."
Shion smiles affably.
"So, to begin at the beginning, the first 'unusual hollow sightings' were not, in fact, during the past two decades, but in actuality happened around eight decades ago, in the year or two before Urahara-senpai was banished for his crimes."
"Notably, this was around the time when you were welcomed into the 12th Division from the Kido Corps," Shunsui observes.
"What a coincidence," Shion says. "But yes. There were quite a few unusual hollow sightings that were reported to the 12th Division in those few years, culminating in the incident that resulted in Urahara-senpai's banishment."
There's a slight crack in the sake cup where Shunsui has used too much strength to hold it. That's right, he lost his lieutenant to that incident.
"There were no further reports for some time," Shion says cheerily. "And, in fact, until this incident is filed, there are no reports to be found. But as the person responsible for scrying on the ill fated Sojun Kuchiki, I can say with absolute, definitive truth: The hollows that attacked him were not ordinary. While Captain Kuchiki seemed to think that the way the hollows glitched in and out of visibility was a weakness of my spell, this could not be farther from the truth: Sojun was being attacked by enemies capable of a strange form of invisibility."
"So what you are saying is that the culprit of the original hollowification experiments laid low for fifty years, and has now resumed his experiments," Shunsui says, voice flat. "Not only that but he is still continuing his policy of targeting lieutenants."
"That is exactly what I think is happening, yes," Shion says. It's not his fault that this is simply pointing them in Urahara's direction. He could go farther: examine the thought process that led to the specific people that were attacked in the hollowification incident, who was targeted, who was simply unlucky--
But without key information, that still leads nowhere. Kaname and Gin remain suspicious, but Aizen's hands are clean. Perhaps, Urahara is still managing to stay in contact with the Seireitei through an alliance with Captain Tousen and Captain Ichimaru? Who's to say.
"How long have you been a lieutenant, Shion?"
"Miyako-chan said it's been 64 years, and she's been with me since Mayuri died.. So... 69 years? 70?"
"That's a very long time to be without a Captain," Jushiro murmurs. "Time seems to flow so quickly, nowadays."
How ominous.
"Did you have someone in mind for the position?" Shion asks. "I wasn't aware we had any current candidates."
"You, Shion," Shunsui says. "You've always been the current candidate. It's simply strange to see the position left empty, as if waiting for a certain someone to come back..."
Ah.
Shion decisively sets his cup down.
"He can't have it back," Shion says. "I won't give it to him no matter what. It simply sits empty because I'm not qualified for captaincy."
"There is a speech we give to new Captains," Jushiro says. "What is the difference between you, who is now a Captain, and everyone else, who is not. Is it your power? Your responsibility to the Seireitei? Your ability to completely change and reform your division to match your vision?"
Shunsui chuckles at that.
"No," he says. "It is that when you are a Captain, you embody the Seireitei. Whatever you are, that is what this world should be like. Whatever you don't like should be eradicated. Whatever you love should be prominent. It is our principles that define our sword, which defines the world."
"Kaien's funeral is tomorrow," Jushiro says. "Lieutenant Kamiya-- I do expect you to attend."
Shion lifts his own cup to salute.
"How could I refuse?"
Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi looks a little twitchy around the eyes as he stares around Seinosuke's office.
"I'm looking for.. Lieutenant Kamiya?" He says, voice slow and tentative. "I was informed they might be in here."
Seinosuke glowers at him, and then points at a corner of the room where Shion is merrily scribbling away on their own projects.
"Feel free to get rid of them," Seinsosuke says. "Throw them in the trash outside."
Hisagi stiffens up even further.
"Lieutenant Kamiya! My Captain would like to talk to you."
Shion perks their head up immediately.
"Kaname wants to talk? Does he want me to give a new lieutenant party for little Izuru now that I'm not busy? I'll absolutely do that. Sorry I missed yours, there was a funeral."
"I..."
Hisagi flails a bit.
"I don't.. Think so," he manages. "Please. Just come with me."
"Oh, of course," Shion says, popping back up to their feet and leaving their work behind to lie around on Seinosuke's floor. "I always have the time to talk to Kaname!"
What on earth could he want to talk about, though?
The Captain of the 9th Division's office is clean, carefully ordered. Smells of fresh sandalwood incense. It's really making Shion contemplate why their own office is just a lab that they use to store things. Their bedroom is also just a room they use to store things...
"I know what you did for Zaraki Kenpachi."
Shion blinks at Kaname, entire doe eyed act wasted on the one person who can't see it.
"You make it sound so... villainous. All I did was give him what he asked for? I've never had a more satisfied customer."
"You gave him a set of piercings that can steal both reiatsu and his very senses."
It's a very handsome piece, if Shion says so themself. The most difficult part was getting the piercing to actually penetrate Kenpachi's skin. In three different places, no less! They had to use their own shikai to get the job done. One for the right eyebrow, one for the right ear, one for the right nostril, chains that connect the ear to both and set the whole thing off.
"It doesn't steal his senses unless he turns that feature on," Shion says helpfully. "And he can even choose which sense to weaken or lose-- it could be a partial loss of his sight, hearing, or scent! The fact that he uses the ability to go deaf at will during Captain meetings is completely out of my hands."
The fact that this ability renders Kenpachi immune to Kaname's shikai was, actually, just a funny coincidence. They hadn't realized til after.
"You--"
There's something brutally disdainful of his own self brewing underneath Kaname's iron will. Hanging out with Aizen just really hasn't been good for him.
"Me, your friend Shion Kamiya," Shion agrees.
They get a hateful look for that one.
"I know more than anyone that it is much easier to take away the senses than return them," Kaname says, finally. "But..."
There is a terrible hope about him. It's interesting. He's known about Kenpachi's piercings for decades... The only reason to bring it up now would be that circumstances have changed. Aizen has begun creating Arrancar. Fundamentally, the act of granting souls a new method of beholding the world.
If anything will grant him sight, it's the act of becoming a monstrosity... right? And then he'll be a monster with nothing left of himself but the excised longing to see the world the way everybody else does.
"I've certainly never tried to give anyone back anything that they've lost," Shion says.
Kaname reaches a decision.
"What if they've never had it in the first place?"
Shion stares at him. This is...
"What payment," they breath out. "Do you think is going to be asked of you.. For that?"
Kaname grits his teeth.
"You can have anything," he says. "Short of my humanity."
The only requirement is to be a cheaper deal than Aizen, in the end.
"I could ask you to kill a few people for me," Shion says. "Just a couple. We are friends, after all. Nothing too strenuous. Just a little bit of stain on those hands? Once you're able to see the blood, of course."
"After you've fulfilled your side of the bargain," Kaname enunciates. "Shion."
While Shion is no healer, they are a skilled kido user. So, they already know why he hasn't asked the 4th Division to cure him. Shinigami are, by their nature, not alive. Lasting diseases like Junshiro's aren't physical, but metaphorical, a sign that something is wrong with his soul. The opposite issue is present with Kaname-- there is nothing wrong with his soul. As far as his reiatsu is concerned, there is absolutely no problem to fix. He's in perfect health. Perhaps even the act of giving him sight might be seen by his own soul as a wound that it would attempt to heal.
So, to see, he would need to transform his soul. But he desires to cling to humanity-- or, perhaps, Shion can circumvent the very transgression, and try and come up with something artificial. Create a mod-soul gigai with enhanced eyesight and do a surgical transplant?
No, that wouldn't count as a 'soul modification'. It's like Shunsui said. Shinigami change themselves through changing their sword.
"I look forward to working with you," Shion says, eyes bright with ideas. They have so much ground to cover this decade. "Captain Tousen."
"Congratulations, Lieutenant...Momo!" Rangiku cheers. "Toshiro-kun's girlfriend all ready to join the big leagues!"
Momo turns crimson.
"Me and Shir-- Hitsugaya-kun aren't like that, Rangiku-san! I'm just honored that Captain Aizen saw something in me. I think I might be the weakest of all the lieutenants..."
"Don't say that, Momo-chan," Rangiku says, waving her arm that holds the alcohol cup in it so widely that Shion has to conjure a barrier to keep them out of the splash zone. "I know... you're definitely stronger than Seinosuke! That bore."
Seinosuke is noticeably not present to defend himself.
"I'm pretty weak myself," Shion says, lifting their cup in salute. "I'm sure you could take me, Momo."
"Oh, uh, no..."
Rangiku throws an arm over Momo's shoulder, steering her a little bit farther away from them.
"Let's not get so hung up on winners and losers, okay?" She says. "Let's get you... Oh, I see Izuru and Hisagi with Miyako over there in that distant corner. Why don't you go talk to them while I keep Shion company."
Miyako hasn't come back to the 12th once since she returned to the 13th. Guilt at the thought that if she'd just been with Kaien the night he died? Or guilt for leaving Shion's lovely mad scientists to fend for themselves?
Momo lets herself get pushed away towards the trio, giving a puzzled wave to Shion who happily waves back at her.
"Have I done something to make you think I'm dangerous around impressionable young souls?" Shion asks, leaning back in their seat and casually continuing to drink. They love promotion parties.
Rangiku scoffs, one finger twirling around a strand of her hair as she leans forward towards Shion.
"Can't a girl want to talk in... private?"
Mmhm.
"Sorry," Shion whispers, also leaning forward a little. "You aren't my type."
Rangiku huffs.
"Honestly, Shion. You're as boring as Seinosuke. You two deserve each other."
Shion cocks their head.
"We aren't dating, though?"
Rangiku's eyes light up at actual gossip.
"You aren't? Oh my god... some people are about to make so much money when they hear about this. Give me a chance to recoup some of my losses for the next pool, okay? What's your type. In detail."
"Was this what you originally wanted to talk about?"
"No. But that can wait. Give me the goods, Shion!" She slams a hand on the table, knocking over her own drink.
Shion gives the question the level of serious thought it deserves, steadily emptying their own glass as they contemplate the wisdom that can be found at the bottom of an empty cup.
"Hm... I'd have to say a widower, maybe? A single father?"
"Oh, you want kids?"
Shion blinks a little, bemused.
"No...not at all. I was thinking 'the type of guy who has a bad relationship with his family'.. That would be best. Though I'm not truly so picky. I think there's men out there who could be perfect for me."
Rangiku places a hand over Shion's.
"Shion.." She says, voice deathly serious. "I don't think you should date anyone. Ever."
Huh?
"Is that part of your philosophy?" Shion asks, changing the subject. "You dump all your dates after a couple of weeks."
Rangiku sighs deeply.
"They just can't keep up, you know? Men shouldn't be so clingy."
If she's walking around defining anyone who's more affectionate than Gin as clingy, she really has no place to judge their criteria from.
"I like people that cling on to things," Shion says. "It's a charm point."
A little bit more seriousness enters Rangiku's eyes.
"Hey... Shion. What do you think about Captain Gin? I wasn't in the habit of throwing parties for every new lieutenant back when he made it. I missed out."
"He's got a great attitude," Shion says. "I have high hopes for him! Shame that he doesn't like me very much."
"Don't take it personally," Rangiku says, laughing and falling sideways a little in her seat. "He doesn't like anyone! The bastard."
He's chasing an ideal world that excludes people like Aizen, Shion, and even himself from living in it. Naturally he wouldn't like them.. 'The world won't be safe while people like you live!'
It's not like he's wrong to think that.
"I think he might make a bad judgement call, one day," Shion says. "I don't know if he'll have too much faith in his own power, or not enough."
"He's strong," Rangiku says. "You shouldn't cross him, Shion."
"He's my precious kouhai," Shion says. "I'd be heartbroken if he never reached his full potential."
"No widower's ever going to want you if you keep talking like that."
How mean.
Shion has been putting this off for too long already. He tracks down his errant 3rd and 4th seats to wherever their bickering has led them.
"Open a portal to the human realm at these specific coordinates." The kido flares to life in his hands, showing a specific place in Karakura town. "Which one of your shikai is stronger, by the way?"
Both Oko and Nozomi stare at him in dead silence.
"This isn't an opt out interview," Shion says, fingers drumming against the hilt of his sword. "Any day, now."
Oko bites the bullet. Still more ambitious than his own clone. It's a good attribute for a fourth seat to have.
"I'm better at portal opening," he says. "I just have to.... Open it? For you?"
"And come with me, of course. To open a return one."
Nozomi immediately looks relieved they didn't volunteer.
"W- we can't just drop everything and go," Oko mutters. "You need to prepare for the mortal world. We need gigai! Monitoring devices!" He notably doesn't bring up 'clearance from higher up the chain.'
"We don't need gigai, we aren't going to be interacting with humans!" Shion says. "That would be so irresponsible of us, letting down Miyako-chan like that." Talking about Miyako makes both of them look downcast. No one in this place likes Shion, but they'd all loved her. So sad.
They clap their hands together.
"Come on, 4th Seat. Time's a wasting."
Oko reluctantly pulls out his sword.
"Open, Sumitsukigasa," he murmurs, and cuts a whole in reality straight through a bottomless abyss-- to a charming little warehouse a little way outside of downtown Karakura.
Ah, the fresh air of the living world. The lighthearted breeze that stirs their hair. The scream of a blade against Shion's barrier as a brash young lady in a light red tracksuit attempts to skewer Shion through the heart--
"Hiyori-senpai!"
Shion beams.
"It's been so long. And yet you seem like you haven't aged a day!"
Oko shrinks back behind them.
"I can make another portal, President," he mutters. "We can get out of here."
Hiyori's eyes go black.
"President..." she whispers, voice taking on the slightest hint of an echo. "I'm going to--"
The rest of the visored finally zip out of the warehouse, eyes tense as they take in Shion's shinigami uniform, logo of the 12th division firmly tied around their upper arm.
"Stop that, Hiyori," Shinji says. "The Gotei 13 would never send a lone lieutenant as their vanguard. Or even a lone captain masquerading as a lieutenant. Kamiya has come on his own."
"I'm not alone, I brought one of my cute subordinates with me," Shion says, patting Oko on the shoulder. "Hi, Shinji." They take in his late seventies, heavily patterned shirt. "I don't think I've seen that much color since I died."
Shinji crosses his arms, mouth twisted unhappily as he stares at them.
"What do you want, Kamiya. Or is this just a poor attempt at blackmail."
Shion smiles amiably at him.
"This is all a part of my current research, naturally. Into the transformative effects of power."
"I'll show you the effects," Hiyori starts, eyes once again beginning to bleed black, but this time it's Hachigen Ushoda who steps forward. A large, round man with dark skin, an admirably large pink mustache and closely shaved pink hair, he seems like he'd stand out in most any crowd-- except, perhaps, this one, where the overall vibrancy of his companions allows him the leeway to fade a little farther into the back. No, wait. Back when he'd been the second in command of the kido corps, he'd also managed to seem less loud compared to Tessai. Maybe he was more shadowy than Shion had given him credit for.
"Hello, Shion," he says. "I didn't get the chance to congratulate you on leaving the Kido corps. Most people who join never leave for their entire life."
Shion waves at him.
"Then I should congratulate you as well!" He says. "I love your barrier work around this place, by the way. Solid. Straightforward. Great reiatsu concealment."
"And yet you found us anyway," Hachi observes mildly. "A modified #58, I presume? That's a departure from your normal preferences for barrier spells. Though my barrier should have worked against something that low."
"You know how it is," Shion says. "Modify a spell enough and it's just a new uncategorized seal. It's heartening to see that despite your newfound power, you seem to not be interested in exploring it at all."
"Power is power," Hachi says. "It's all the same if you stop someone from using it."
The kido corps motto.
"Don't keep talking to him, Hachi," Hiyori grouches. "That's how they get you."
"You mentioned you were looking into the 'transformative effects of power'," Shinji says. It's fun how even though there are four captain ranked visored, it's clear Shinji runs the show. Or maybe their time in the human world with only their hollowified swords has ground away their sense of responsibility, and it's only Shinji who clings so closely to his former self.
"I've always had thoughts on the methods through which a shinigami unlocks shikai and bankai," Shion says. "A zanpakuto's abilities and powers are based on the shinigami's own soul, correct? And to gain power, a shinigami must first gain knowledge of themselves, reflected in the sword. Asking what type of spirit lies within the blade is no different than asking what type of person you, yourself, are. What would you respect? That is what the blade acknowledges. What would you see as the ultimate expression of your mark on the world..."
Ryuketsu snorts.
"That is what the blade can do," Shion says. "Simple, right? Power locked behind knowledge."
"But," Shinji says, "Zanpakuto have their own reiatsu, closely related and yet separate to their wielder. Meaning it's not one soul split into two, but two different souls. Understanding yourself and understanding your sword are two different things."
It's good that he's well versed in the current shinigami theories.
"The first ever Asauchi that became the first zanpakuto," Shion says, moving on to knowledge hidden from most of Soul Society, "Was made from melding shinigami souls together. Interestingly, this is also how Aizen's Hogyoku was created-- though in his case, I believe he took it a step further, and used fragments of the Soul King, retrieved from the mangled souls of shinigami, to make it. And then he used it to grant hollows shinigami powers."
Dead silence.
"That is conjecture, by the way," Shion says. "It's difficult to find specifics of anything, and working backwards from figuring out which parts of Urahara-senpai's notes he stole is a time consuming and error filled process."
"The Soul K--" Hiyori starts.
"Hush," Shinji says. "It's better not to know those words."
His voice is icy.
"Shion Kamiya. Unless you know how to reverse the effects of Hollowification, I advise you stop talking and leave now. Our vengeance has nothing to do with you."
"I wanted to talk to you guys," Shion says easily, "About how hollowification has changed the way your sword manifests. It's something I don't understand. Why would it change the sword and not the wielder? Wouldn't it make sense for it to be the other way around?"
White bone keeps cracking and reforming at the corners of Shinji's eyes.
"I have a theory about that," Shion says softly. "I think the sword protects the wielder, and takes on the hollowification to spare them. It's a protective mechanism, no different than the refusal to offer bankai unless they believe their wielder will succeed at unlocking it. But, of course, in doing so..."
"Shut up," Hiyori screams, full faced mask concealing everything except the black of her eyes as she once again leaps at Shion with enough force to crack the first layer of their shield. "Where were you 90 years ago, Shion!"
Her sword screams right alongside her.
It hadn't been a relevant theory until Kaname asked them for a favor. Even though they had missed having Hiyori around.. She'd been so fun to mess with. But Aizen was busy in Hueco Mundo, now. He wouldn't care about Shion speaking the Vizored even if he did ever find out.
Another layer of the barrier cracks in front of Shion, and Hiyori's scream becomes much more startled as she crashes into a suspended slash that'd been hidden between two separate kido formations.
"Careful, Hiyori-senpai," Shion says. "I really just came here to talk."
"Well." Another swipe of the sword. "We. " Another crash. "Don't." Crash. "Want..." Hiyori jumps back a little, panting. "To talk to you!"
"You should come back after we've had time to discuss this properly," Shinji says. "But... why is this important to you, Shion Kamiya? You're like Hachi, the type of person who barely even uses the zanpakuto they have. There's no ambition in your blade."
Shion doesn't think that's quite true, but Shinji is correct on the point that matters.
"Aizen is interested in things that make himself more powerful, and you all were failed experiments along that path," Shion says. "Urahara-senpai is interested in things that make Soul Society more powerful, and he still considers you to be shinigami. Me, I'm interested in things that make people dissatisfied with where they are now. I think there's a level out there of power beyond bankai. I think that hollows are capable of achieving a power equivalent to the highest levels of the Gotei 13. There should be no satisfaction at bankai. People should hate that there is more power just out of their comprehension."
And, of course, the reason they came here.
"And I think that you are far weaker than both of those concepts. It's strange. If I'm going to offer someone a better deal than Aizen, there's really only one group of people to whom I can see improvements."
Shion shrugs.
"But I'm not in a rush. I'll drop by in a couple years time, see what you have to say. Oko, we're leaving."
"Yes, President!"
There's really nothing like a lovely day in Karakura town.
"Sorry, Miyako-chan," Shion says, sincere. "I can't find Captain Isshin Shiba anywhere. I looked when Rangiku asked me, and it seems like his reiatsu signature has completely vanished."
While it's a lie in the sense that Shion knows exactly where Miyako's uncle-in-law has gotten to, the reiatsu signature part is true enough. They'd have to recalibrate it to check for 'human' instead of shinigami in order for it to find him, and they simply... haven't done that.
Miyako's face is ashen.
"He was the last of the current generation of Shiba to have a Captain's seat," she whispers. "The fact that he left a note saying he ran off, and not to look for him... does he not realize what this is going to do to the Clan? A voluntary self-exile like what Lady Shihouin did would have been better than this! Instead, the family itself will take the brunt of the disgrace..."
Interclan politics, huh.
"They're going to give the traditional Shiba captain's seat away," Miyako murmurs, spiralling into a disbelieving trance. "There's not a single person capable of keeping it within the clan."
"You could do it," Shion says, chin cupped in his hands as he listens to her. It's interesting that she came back to his office, instead of Junshiro's. Likely didn't want to overly stress him with talk of the dominoing consequences of Kaien's death.
"Kukaku is talking about moving the family home outside of the Seireitei proper! They've lived in the area near the West Gate for over a thousand years, Shion. Kaien was.. So proud of his family..."
"You could do it," Shion repeats, voice casual.
Miyako's face is tear streaked.
"You don't understand," she whispers. "It's being stripped from the Shiba clan as a punishment. Even if-- even if I could break through to bankai, and ascend to the seat... I wouldn't be allowed the 10th."
In that case.
"The issue is that the 'Shiba' clan is being reprimanded, correct?" Shion says. "So, stop using your last name. Go by your maiden one. Give up your connection to the clan."
"I would lose everything," Miyako says, but she's already thinking about it, the determination that had pushed her past her husband's death still going, still telling her that she had more yet to sacrifice.
"But you'd have the seat, right?" Shion says softly. "And whenever the next Shiba talent comes along..."
Miyako laughs wetly.
"Captains pick their own lieutenants. Unless they're you, Shion. Though I think that even for you, time is running out on that one..."
And what was that supposed to mean?
"Well," Shion says. "My small part in this seems to be over. I'll be heading back to my--"
"Wait," Miyako says. "Please. Lieutenant Kamiya."
"Hm?"
She bows to him from the waist, hair spilling forwards.
"My time within your division has been invaluable. While I initially didn't understand why you requested me, I can say that, after spending 64 years working as your Vice-President, I know that I became a better shinigami and gained a new perspective on how lucky I am-- how lucky I was to be married to Kaien. I also understand that your stance on-- on people leaving the division, is absolute. I doubt you will make an exception for me."
She's managed to draw Ukitake's attention away from his sword, his face pale and drawn as she straightens up and turns to face him.
This is what Ukitake had requested all those years ago, right. That Miyako gain the confidence to take the next step. Hasn't everything worked out for him?
"So-- Captain Ukitake! Please, take me on as your Lieutenant. I will do my best to-- to support you. The way Kaien was so proud of doing."
Ukitake's weapon is based around attacks that should hit him instead rebounding and hitting their sender. It must be unusual to have two different attacks rebound back in his face in such a short time frame. The eyes that stare out at Shion are that of a wounded beast, trapped and angry. Hey. None of this is Shion's doing, in the end.
"I'd be honored to accept you," Ukitake says, smiling weakly while his eyes are still cracked with fury. "Can you... escort me back to our division? I'll go visit Lieutenant Kamiya and sort everything out as soon as possible."
"You're welcome at my division at any time," Shion says warmly. "You too, Lieutenant Shiba. Who knows what my division will get up to without your guidance."
She shudders over the name change, hands clutching even tighter to the bloody cloth in her arms.
"Yes..."
Shion doesn't even make it the rest of the way through the night before Ukitake follows through on his promise. Two captain rank presences set off every single alarm he has around his room as they knock on the door.
"Please, come in," Shion says. "The door isn't locked."
The door opens as the face of Shunsui Kyouraku, captain of the eight and drunkard of the Seireitei stares into it, eyes already creased into a friendly grin as they canvas the place.
"You don't even have a place to sit in there," Shunsui says, hefting the sake bottle he'd brought with him. "Come on out, sit on the porch with me and Junshiro. It's better to drink under the light of the moon."
It's not really a request.
Shion comes out, his lab coat and usual adornments all stripped away in favor of a baseline shinigami uniform with his shikai hanging at his waist.
"Rough night," Shunsui says, after they've all been sitting in silence for long enough. More than bringing his own bottle, he's practically brought a bar along with him. Junshiro remains silent, eyes cold and watchful as Shunsui takes point. A well trod song and dance.
"A tragedy," Shion agrees. "Kaien will be sorely missed."
Shunsui lifts up his cup in a toast to that.
"I'll miss him every time I throw a party!" He says. His eyes watch Shion over the low rim of his sake cup, lion at the watering hole. "But Miyako-chan was always so sad, saying that her boss didn't like him very much."
They think he set everything up so Kaien died. Reasonable.
"People who are happy with their lot in life and like to tell me about it aren't precisely my cup of tea," Shion acknowledges. "You attribute malice where there is only ignorance. How could I have known what was going to happen?"
That's the hole in their theory. Shion has wholesale stopped the division from doing hollow experiments ever since Mayuri died and he was in full control over whose work was being funded. He does have other methods to create monsters, of course, but the modified hollows are purely Aizen's failed experiments. Setting himself up to fall into the same trap Urahara-senpai did would be ludicrous.
"Let's suppose you knew nothing," Jushiro says, voice gentle. He's brought his own set of medicinal tea for his own cup, and the more acrid smell mixes with the sweet scent of the sake. "You made an observation about 'unusual hollow sightings'. Would you care to expand on that? I worry for the safety of the Seireitei if this continues."
Shion smiles affably.
"So, to begin at the beginning, the first 'unusual hollow sightings' were not, in fact, during the past two decades, but in actuality happened around eight decades ago, in the year or two before Urahara-senpai was banished for his crimes."
"Notably, this was around the time when you were welcomed into the 12th Division from the Kido Corps," Shunsui observes.
"What a coincidence," Shion says. "But yes. There were quite a few unusual hollow sightings that were reported to the 12th Division in those few years, culminating in the incident that resulted in Urahara-senpai's banishment."
There's a slight crack in the sake cup where Shunsui has used too much strength to hold it. That's right, he lost his lieutenant to that incident.
"There were no further reports for some time," Shion says cheerily. "And, in fact, until this incident is filed, there are no reports to be found. But as the person responsible for scrying on the ill fated Sojun Kuchiki, I can say with absolute, definitive truth: The hollows that attacked him were not ordinary. While Captain Kuchiki seemed to think that the way the hollows glitched in and out of visibility was a weakness of my spell, this could not be farther from the truth: Sojun was being attacked by enemies capable of a strange form of invisibility."
"So what you are saying is that the culprit of the original hollowification experiments laid low for fifty years, and has now resumed his experiments," Shunsui says, voice flat. "Not only that but he is still continuing his policy of targeting lieutenants."
"That is exactly what I think is happening, yes," Shion says. It's not his fault that this is simply pointing them in Urahara's direction. He could go farther: examine the thought process that led to the specific people that were attacked in the hollowification incident, who was targeted, who was simply unlucky--
But without key information, that still leads nowhere. Kaname and Gin remain suspicious, but Aizen's hands are clean. Perhaps, Urahara is still managing to stay in contact with the Seireitei through an alliance with Captain Tousen and Captain Ichimaru? Who's to say.
"How long have you been a lieutenant, Shion?"
"Miyako-chan said it's been 64 years, and she's been with me since Mayuri died.. So... 69 years? 70?"
"That's a very long time to be without a Captain," Jushiro murmurs. "Time seems to flow so quickly, nowadays."
How ominous.
"Did you have someone in mind for the position?" Shion asks. "I wasn't aware we had any current candidates."
"You, Shion," Shunsui says. "You've always been the current candidate. It's simply strange to see the position left empty, as if waiting for a certain someone to come back..."
Ah.
Shion decisively sets his cup down.
"He can't have it back," Shion says. "I won't give it to him no matter what. It simply sits empty because I'm not qualified for captaincy."
"There is a speech we give to new Captains," Jushiro says. "What is the difference between you, who is now a Captain, and everyone else, who is not. Is it your power? Your responsibility to the Seireitei? Your ability to completely change and reform your division to match your vision?"
Shunsui chuckles at that.
"No," he says. "It is that when you are a Captain, you embody the Seireitei. Whatever you are, that is what this world should be like. Whatever you don't like should be eradicated. Whatever you love should be prominent. It is our principles that define our sword, which defines the world."
"Kaien's funeral is tomorrow," Jushiro says. "Lieutenant Kamiya-- I do expect you to attend."
Shion lifts his own cup to salute.
"How could I refuse?"
Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi looks a little twitchy around the eyes as he stares around Seinosuke's office.
"I'm looking for.. Lieutenant Kamiya?" He says, voice slow and tentative. "I was informed they might be in here."
Seinosuke glowers at him, and then points at a corner of the room where Shion is merrily scribbling away on their own projects.
"Feel free to get rid of them," Seinsosuke says. "Throw them in the trash outside."
Hisagi stiffens up even further.
"Lieutenant Kamiya! My Captain would like to talk to you."
Shion perks their head up immediately.
"Kaname wants to talk? Does he want me to give a new lieutenant party for little Izuru now that I'm not busy? I'll absolutely do that. Sorry I missed yours, there was a funeral."
"I..."
Hisagi flails a bit.
"I don't.. Think so," he manages. "Please. Just come with me."
"Oh, of course," Shion says, popping back up to their feet and leaving their work behind to lie around on Seinosuke's floor. "I always have the time to talk to Kaname!"
What on earth could he want to talk about, though?
The Captain of the 9th Division's office is clean, carefully ordered. Smells of fresh sandalwood incense. It's really making Shion contemplate why their own office is just a lab that they use to store things. Their bedroom is also just a room they use to store things...
"I know what you did for Zaraki Kenpachi."
Shion blinks at Kaname, entire doe eyed act wasted on the one person who can't see it.
"You make it sound so... villainous. All I did was give him what he asked for? I've never had a more satisfied customer."
"You gave him a set of piercings that can steal both reiatsu and his very senses."
It's a very handsome piece, if Shion says so themself. The most difficult part was getting the piercing to actually penetrate Kenpachi's skin. In three different places, no less! They had to use their own shikai to get the job done. One for the right eyebrow, one for the right ear, one for the right nostril, chains that connect the ear to both and set the whole thing off.
"It doesn't steal his senses unless he turns that feature on," Shion says helpfully. "And he can even choose which sense to weaken or lose-- it could be a partial loss of his sight, hearing, or scent! The fact that he uses the ability to go deaf at will during Captain meetings is completely out of my hands."
The fact that this ability renders Kenpachi immune to Kaname's shikai was, actually, just a funny coincidence. They hadn't realized til after.
"You--"
There's something brutally disdainful of his own self brewing underneath Kaname's iron will. Hanging out with Aizen just really hasn't been good for him.
"Me, your friend Shion Kamiya," Shion agrees.
They get a hateful look for that one.
"I know more than anyone that it is much easier to take away the senses than return them," Kaname says, finally. "But..."
There is a terrible hope about him. It's interesting. He's known about Kenpachi's piercings for decades... The only reason to bring it up now would be that circumstances have changed. Aizen has begun creating Arrancar. Fundamentally, the act of granting souls a new method of beholding the world.
If anything will grant him sight, it's the act of becoming a monstrosity... right? And then he'll be a monster with nothing left of himself but the excised longing to see the world the way everybody else does.
"I've certainly never tried to give anyone back anything that they've lost," Shion says.
Kaname reaches a decision.
"What if they've never had it in the first place?"
Shion stares at him. This is...
"What payment," they breath out. "Do you think is going to be asked of you.. For that?"
Kaname grits his teeth.
"You can have anything," he says. "Short of my humanity."
The only requirement is to be a cheaper deal than Aizen, in the end.
"I could ask you to kill a few people for me," Shion says. "Just a couple. We are friends, after all. Nothing too strenuous. Just a little bit of stain on those hands? Once you're able to see the blood, of course."
"After you've fulfilled your side of the bargain," Kaname enunciates. "Shion."
While Shion is no healer, they are a skilled kido user. So, they already know why he hasn't asked the 4th Division to cure him. Shinigami are, by their nature, not alive. Lasting diseases like Junshiro's aren't physical, but metaphorical, a sign that something is wrong with his soul. The opposite issue is present with Kaname-- there is nothing wrong with his soul. As far as his reiatsu is concerned, there is absolutely no problem to fix. He's in perfect health. Perhaps even the act of giving him sight might be seen by his own soul as a wound that it would attempt to heal.
So, to see, he would need to transform his soul. But he desires to cling to humanity-- or, perhaps, Shion can circumvent the very transgression, and try and come up with something artificial. Create a mod-soul gigai with enhanced eyesight and do a surgical transplant?
No, that wouldn't count as a 'soul modification'. It's like Shunsui said. Shinigami change themselves through changing their sword.
"I look forward to working with you," Shion says, eyes bright with ideas. They have so much ground to cover this decade. "Captain Tousen."
"Congratulations, Lieutenant...Momo!" Rangiku cheers. "Toshiro-kun's girlfriend all ready to join the big leagues!"
Momo turns crimson.
"Me and Shir-- Hitsugaya-kun aren't like that, Rangiku-san! I'm just honored that Captain Aizen saw something in me. I think I might be the weakest of all the lieutenants..."
"Don't say that, Momo-chan," Rangiku says, waving her arm that holds the alcohol cup in it so widely that Shion has to conjure a barrier to keep them out of the splash zone. "I know... you're definitely stronger than Seinosuke! That bore."
Seinosuke is noticeably not present to defend himself.
"I'm pretty weak myself," Shion says, lifting their cup in salute. "I'm sure you could take me, Momo."
"Oh, uh, no..."
Rangiku throws an arm over Momo's shoulder, steering her a little bit farther away from them.
"Let's not get so hung up on winners and losers, okay?" She says. "Let's get you... Oh, I see Izuru and Hisagi with Miyako over there in that distant corner. Why don't you go talk to them while I keep Shion company."
Miyako hasn't come back to the 12th once since she returned to the 13th. Guilt at the thought that if she'd just been with Kaien the night he died? Or guilt for leaving Shion's lovely mad scientists to fend for themselves?
Momo lets herself get pushed away towards the trio, giving a puzzled wave to Shion who happily waves back at her.
"Have I done something to make you think I'm dangerous around impressionable young souls?" Shion asks, leaning back in their seat and casually continuing to drink. They love promotion parties.
Rangiku scoffs, one finger twirling around a strand of her hair as she leans forward towards Shion.
"Can't a girl want to talk in... private?"
Mmhm.
"Sorry," Shion whispers, also leaning forward a little. "You aren't my type."
Rangiku huffs.
"Honestly, Shion. You're as boring as Seinosuke. You two deserve each other."
Shion cocks their head.
"We aren't dating, though?"
Rangiku's eyes light up at actual gossip.
"You aren't? Oh my god... some people are about to make so much money when they hear about this. Give me a chance to recoup some of my losses for the next pool, okay? What's your type. In detail."
"Was this what you originally wanted to talk about?"
"No. But that can wait. Give me the goods, Shion!" She slams a hand on the table, knocking over her own drink.
Shion gives the question the level of serious thought it deserves, steadily emptying their own glass as they contemplate the wisdom that can be found at the bottom of an empty cup.
"Hm... I'd have to say a widower, maybe? A single father?"
"Oh, you want kids?"
Shion blinks a little, bemused.
"No...not at all. I was thinking 'the type of guy who has a bad relationship with his family'.. That would be best. Though I'm not truly so picky. I think there's men out there who could be perfect for me."
Rangiku places a hand over Shion's.
"Shion.." She says, voice deathly serious. "I don't think you should date anyone. Ever."
Huh?
"Is that part of your philosophy?" Shion asks, changing the subject. "You dump all your dates after a couple of weeks."
Rangiku sighs deeply.
"They just can't keep up, you know? Men shouldn't be so clingy."
If she's walking around defining anyone who's more affectionate than Gin as clingy, she really has no place to judge their criteria from.
"I like people that cling on to things," Shion says. "It's a charm point."
A little bit more seriousness enters Rangiku's eyes.
"Hey... Shion. What do you think about Captain Gin? I wasn't in the habit of throwing parties for every new lieutenant back when he made it. I missed out."
"He's got a great attitude," Shion says. "I have high hopes for him! Shame that he doesn't like me very much."
"Don't take it personally," Rangiku says, laughing and falling sideways a little in her seat. "He doesn't like anyone! The bastard."
He's chasing an ideal world that excludes people like Aizen, Shion, and even himself from living in it. Naturally he wouldn't like them.. 'The world won't be safe while people like you live!'
It's not like he's wrong to think that.
"I think he might make a bad judgement call, one day," Shion says. "I don't know if he'll have too much faith in his own power, or not enough."
"He's strong," Rangiku says. "You shouldn't cross him, Shion."
"He's my precious kouhai," Shion says. "I'd be heartbroken if he never reached his full potential."
"No widower's ever going to want you if you keep talking like that."
How mean.
Shion has been putting this off for too long already. He tracks down his errant 3rd and 4th seats to wherever their bickering has led them.
"Open a portal to the human realm at these specific coordinates." The kido flares to life in his hands, showing a specific place in Karakura town. "Which one of your shikai is stronger, by the way?"
Both Oko and Nozomi stare at him in dead silence.
"This isn't an opt out interview," Shion says, fingers drumming against the hilt of his sword. "Any day, now."
Oko bites the bullet. Still more ambitious than his own clone. It's a good attribute for a fourth seat to have.
"I'm better at portal opening," he says. "I just have to.... Open it? For you?"
"And come with me, of course. To open a return one."
Nozomi immediately looks relieved they didn't volunteer.
"W- we can't just drop everything and go," Oko mutters. "You need to prepare for the mortal world. We need gigai! Monitoring devices!" He notably doesn't bring up 'clearance from higher up the chain.'
"We don't need gigai, we aren't going to be interacting with humans!" Shion says. "That would be so irresponsible of us, letting down Miyako-chan like that." Talking about Miyako makes both of them look downcast. No one in this place likes Shion, but they'd all loved her. So sad.
They clap their hands together.
"Come on, 4th Seat. Time's a wasting."
Oko reluctantly pulls out his sword.
"Open, Sumitsukigasa," he murmurs, and cuts a whole in reality straight through a bottomless abyss-- to a charming little warehouse a little way outside of downtown Karakura.
Ah, the fresh air of the living world. The lighthearted breeze that stirs their hair. The scream of a blade against Shion's barrier as a brash young lady in a light red tracksuit attempts to skewer Shion through the heart--
"Hiyori-senpai!"
Shion beams.
"It's been so long. And yet you seem like you haven't aged a day!"
Oko shrinks back behind them.
"I can make another portal, President," he mutters. "We can get out of here."
Hiyori's eyes go black.
"President..." she whispers, voice taking on the slightest hint of an echo. "I'm going to--"
The rest of the visored finally zip out of the warehouse, eyes tense as they take in Shion's shinigami uniform, logo of the 12th division firmly tied around their upper arm.
"Stop that, Hiyori," Shinji says. "The Gotei 13 would never send a lone lieutenant as their vanguard. Or even a lone captain masquerading as a lieutenant. Kamiya has come on his own."
"I'm not alone, I brought one of my cute subordinates with me," Shion says, patting Oko on the shoulder. "Hi, Shinji." They take in his late seventies, heavily patterned shirt. "I don't think I've seen that much color since I died."
Shinji crosses his arms, mouth twisted unhappily as he stares at them.
"What do you want, Kamiya. Or is this just a poor attempt at blackmail."
Shion smiles amiably at him.
"This is all a part of my current research, naturally. Into the transformative effects of power."
"I'll show you the effects," Hiyori starts, eyes once again beginning to bleed black, but this time it's Hachigen Ushoda who steps forward. A large, round man with dark skin, an admirably large pink mustache and closely shaved pink hair, he seems like he'd stand out in most any crowd-- except, perhaps, this one, where the overall vibrancy of his companions allows him the leeway to fade a little farther into the back. No, wait. Back when he'd been the second in command of the kido corps, he'd also managed to seem less loud compared to Tessai. Maybe he was more shadowy than Shion had given him credit for.
"Hello, Shion," he says. "I didn't get the chance to congratulate you on leaving the Kido corps. Most people who join never leave for their entire life."
Shion waves at him.
"Then I should congratulate you as well!" He says. "I love your barrier work around this place, by the way. Solid. Straightforward. Great reiatsu concealment."
"And yet you found us anyway," Hachi observes mildly. "A modified #58, I presume? That's a departure from your normal preferences for barrier spells. Though my barrier should have worked against something that low."
"You know how it is," Shion says. "Modify a spell enough and it's just a new uncategorized seal. It's heartening to see that despite your newfound power, you seem to not be interested in exploring it at all."
"Power is power," Hachi says. "It's all the same if you stop someone from using it."
The kido corps motto.
"Don't keep talking to him, Hachi," Hiyori grouches. "That's how they get you."
"You mentioned you were looking into the 'transformative effects of power'," Shinji says. It's fun how even though there are four captain ranked visored, it's clear Shinji runs the show. Or maybe their time in the human world with only their hollowified swords has ground away their sense of responsibility, and it's only Shinji who clings so closely to his former self.
"I've always had thoughts on the methods through which a shinigami unlocks shikai and bankai," Shion says. "A zanpakuto's abilities and powers are based on the shinigami's own soul, correct? And to gain power, a shinigami must first gain knowledge of themselves, reflected in the sword. Asking what type of spirit lies within the blade is no different than asking what type of person you, yourself, are. What would you respect? That is what the blade acknowledges. What would you see as the ultimate expression of your mark on the world..."
Ryuketsu snorts.
"That is what the blade can do," Shion says. "Simple, right? Power locked behind knowledge."
"But," Shinji says, "Zanpakuto have their own reiatsu, closely related and yet separate to their wielder. Meaning it's not one soul split into two, but two different souls. Understanding yourself and understanding your sword are two different things."
It's good that he's well versed in the current shinigami theories.
"The first ever Asauchi that became the first zanpakuto," Shion says, moving on to knowledge hidden from most of Soul Society, "Was made from melding shinigami souls together. Interestingly, this is also how Aizen's Hogyoku was created-- though in his case, I believe he took it a step further, and used fragments of the Soul King, retrieved from the mangled souls of shinigami, to make it. And then he used it to grant hollows shinigami powers."
Dead silence.
"That is conjecture, by the way," Shion says. "It's difficult to find specifics of anything, and working backwards from figuring out which parts of Urahara-senpai's notes he stole is a time consuming and error filled process."
"The Soul K--" Hiyori starts.
"Hush," Shinji says. "It's better not to know those words."
His voice is icy.
"Shion Kamiya. Unless you know how to reverse the effects of Hollowification, I advise you stop talking and leave now. Our vengeance has nothing to do with you."
"I wanted to talk to you guys," Shion says easily, "About how hollowification has changed the way your sword manifests. It's something I don't understand. Why would it change the sword and not the wielder? Wouldn't it make sense for it to be the other way around?"
White bone keeps cracking and reforming at the corners of Shinji's eyes.
"I have a theory about that," Shion says softly. "I think the sword protects the wielder, and takes on the hollowification to spare them. It's a protective mechanism, no different than the refusal to offer bankai unless they believe their wielder will succeed at unlocking it. But, of course, in doing so..."
"Shut up," Hiyori screams, full faced mask concealing everything except the black of her eyes as she once again leaps at Shion with enough force to crack the first layer of their shield. "Where were you 90 years ago, Shion!"
Her sword screams right alongside her.
It hadn't been a relevant theory until Kaname asked them for a favor. Even though they had missed having Hiyori around.. She'd been so fun to mess with. But Aizen was busy in Hueco Mundo, now. He wouldn't care about Shion speaking the Vizored even if he did ever find out.
Another layer of the barrier cracks in front of Shion, and Hiyori's scream becomes much more startled as she crashes into a suspended slash that'd been hidden between two separate kido formations.
"Careful, Hiyori-senpai," Shion says. "I really just came here to talk."
"Well." Another swipe of the sword. "We. " Another crash. "Don't." Crash. "Want..." Hiyori jumps back a little, panting. "To talk to you!"
"You should come back after we've had time to discuss this properly," Shinji says. "But... why is this important to you, Shion Kamiya? You're like Hachi, the type of person who barely even uses the zanpakuto they have. There's no ambition in your blade."
Shion doesn't think that's quite true, but Shinji is correct on the point that matters.
"Aizen is interested in things that make himself more powerful, and you all were failed experiments along that path," Shion says. "Urahara-senpai is interested in things that make Soul Society more powerful, and he still considers you to be shinigami. Me, I'm interested in things that make people dissatisfied with where they are now. I think there's a level out there of power beyond bankai. I think that hollows are capable of achieving a power equivalent to the highest levels of the Gotei 13. There should be no satisfaction at bankai. People should hate that there is more power just out of their comprehension."
And, of course, the reason they came here.
"And I think that you are far weaker than both of those concepts. It's strange. If I'm going to offer someone a better deal than Aizen, there's really only one group of people to whom I can see improvements."
Shion shrugs.
"But I'm not in a rush. I'll drop by in a couple years time, see what you have to say. Oko, we're leaving."
"Yes, President!"
There's really nothing like a lovely day in Karakura town.
"Sorry, Miyako-chan," Shion says, sincere. "I can't find Captain Isshin Shiba anywhere. I looked when Rangiku asked me, and it seems like his reiatsu signature has completely vanished."
While it's a lie in the sense that Shion knows exactly where Miyako's uncle-in-law has gotten to, the reiatsu signature part is true enough. They'd have to recalibrate it to check for 'human' instead of shinigami in order for it to find him, and they simply... haven't done that.
Miyako's face is ashen.
"He was the last of the current generation of Shiba to have a Captain's seat," she whispers. "The fact that he left a note saying he ran off, and not to look for him... does he not realize what this is going to do to the Clan? A voluntary self-exile like what Lady Shihouin did would have been better than this! Instead, the family itself will take the brunt of the disgrace..."
Interclan politics, huh.
"They're going to give the traditional Shiba captain's seat away," Miyako murmurs, spiralling into a disbelieving trance. "There's not a single person capable of keeping it within the clan."
"You could do it," Shion says, chin cupped in his hands as he listens to her. It's interesting that she came back to his office, instead of Junshiro's. Likely didn't want to overly stress him with talk of the dominoing consequences of Kaien's death.
"Kukaku is talking about moving the family home outside of the Seireitei proper! They've lived in the area near the West Gate for over a thousand years, Shion. Kaien was.. So proud of his family..."
"You could do it," Shion repeats, voice casual.
Miyako's face is tear streaked.
"You don't understand," she whispers. "It's being stripped from the Shiba clan as a punishment. Even if-- even if I could break through to bankai, and ascend to the seat... I wouldn't be allowed the 10th."
In that case.
"The issue is that the 'Shiba' clan is being reprimanded, correct?" Shion says. "So, stop using your last name. Go by your maiden one. Give up your connection to the clan."
"I would lose everything," Miyako says, but she's already thinking about it, the determination that had pushed her past her husband's death still going, still telling her that she had more yet to sacrifice.
"But you'd have the seat, right?" Shion says softly. "And whenever the next Shiba talent comes along..."
Miyako laughs wetly.
"Captains pick their own lieutenants. Unless they're you, Shion. Though I think that even for you, time is running out on that one..."
And what was that supposed to mean?
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
The way this pokes at the personalities and ideas and characters is fascinating.
Is she implying Shion is already at Captain level and has to pick his lieutenant before the Seireitei does it for him or that his status as eternal lieutenant is about to be challenged?
- Location
- in a box
We don't he/she isn't captain level and is just hiding it they don't want to do the "let everyone know what their sword does or how powerful they are or explain to the enemy what their powers do and let them on secret to beating them" thing that happens in most shounen
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Guile
Having a really great time right now
Wow there's suddenly a lot of irons on the fire
At some point, 'interim' becomes 'de facto.' Or 'de jure.'
Shion's held the 12th for 70 years, longer than half the current Gotei captains have held their office.
At some point, 'interim' becomes 'de facto.' Or 'de jure.'
- Location
- Right next to the butcher's shop.
This story remains amazing in how the protagonist is an awful, evil human being without being a villain. There doesn't seem to be a grand design, a goal being aimed for. Just entertainment through the suffering of others, which will mostly be achieved by doing nothing.
I wonder how he'll act once canon rolls around. Sure, he could cause Ichigo to suffer even more, but letting things happen means Aizen will suffer along with everyone else.
I wonder how he'll act once canon rolls around. Sure, he could cause Ichigo to suffer even more, but letting things happen means Aizen will suffer along with everyone else.
Guile
Having a really great time right now
Right now, with Miyako becoming a captain, Tousen coming over to Team Shion and making overtures to the Vizored, he's suddenly in a spot where he could, conceivably, pivot into becoming the third point on an Aizen-Urahara-Shion triangle of fucked-up super-scientist power blocs.
If he feels like it.
I don't remember what happened to the Tsunayashiro family in canon, they're the ones with the Hollow trapped in a Zanpakuto or something right? The ones with an ancestral sword that can copy Shikai's? It seems that in here Kaname killed the last heir, though I don't really know what butterflies made that happen.
I think the author made a comment about Shion being a foil for both Aizen and Urahara
the Tsunayashiro family were antagonists in the bleach light novels happening after the main story. past the point where shion told kaname the name and how to contact them, he didn't pay attention to whatever choices kaname made. maybe if i ever write an alternate pov interlude we will gain more insight into the time and manner in which he died