"This is what the subject looks like according to Lt. Kurotsuchi's descriptions!"
"Make sure you guys search every nook and cranny of the sector!"
"Do not let up for a moment! The captain was taken out by this guy so we need to bring him to justice! For the captain!"
"For the captain!"
'Huh, guess the guy was still well-loved by his subordinates, though this is now a big problem.' I thought with a frown as I kept my Kyokko up, watching how numerous Shinigami ran to and fro in search of me.
It's been about an hour more or less since I took the life of Mayuri in our fight and since that time, I've had to run and hide in every hole I can because the entirety of Division 12 were now on high alert.
It doesn't help that I am forced to use the bit of energy that I have every now and again to create a hiding spot with Kyokko when I couldn't find one, which just led to me getting more and more exhausted.
'And I can't feel Uryu or Orihime nearby. Shit.' Sliding down against the wall, I took a deep breath and decided to just rest here, watching the Shinigami running past me.
If I tried to move now in the state I was in, the entirety of Division 12 would descent upon me like a disturbed hive and I was fairly sure I would not see the light of day again.
"Keep searching! He's still gotta be here!"
"Make sure he's alive when you get him and make sure he stays alive!" I heard one of the Shinigami shout and the passionate shouts from the others made me groan as I saw the frantic look in some of their eyes.
Most of Division 12 most likely did have a fear for Mayuri, but he was also possibly the reason why they were able to do the vicious experiments they did. Wth him gone, that meant they were going to be restricted by the Gotei13 to operate within a certain boundary and would most likely have to only do experiments approved by Yamamoto or Central 46.
'To them, Mayuri was more than a captain. He was like their god of science…and I killed him. Yeah, I need to make sure I get out of here alive.' I didn't regret killing him in the slightest, but now I had to struggle with his zealots trying to hunt me down.
"Gods, this is about to be a tiring night." I muttered as I recast Bakudo #20:Kyokko to keep up the invisibility, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly as I looked at the night sky.
Yeah, this is about to be a long night.
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The first rays of sunlight illuminated the rooftops of the Seireitei as I tiredly ducked between alleyways, operating on a few five minute power naps, irritation at not getting to sleep and pure adrenaline.
It's been a few hours since I finally made my way out of Division 12 by using the secret tunnels of the Kido Corps, which I would have used had Division 12 also not been using them to find me within their sector.
You would think that the tunnels of one of the Seireitei's most exclusive groups would be better hidden, but I'm guessing Mayuri was the one who found out about them and Nemu probably showed the Division where they were.
In the distance, I could hear battles raging on, but right now, I just wanted to make sure Orihime and Uryu were okay and if possible, get healed by her before I could go find Rukia.
'The Uryu vs Mayuri fight is supposed to happen on the same night that Ichigo defeats Kenpachi which means I got at most another day left. Later today, Rukia is going to be escorted to the execution sight by the Kido Corps. I need to wait for that moment and grab her.'
"That plan, however, is going to require me to do some thinking on the fly. Should I try to get her after Gin talks to her or before? I think I'd be able to stall him long enough to get her, but then again, the fucker almost killed me without trying." I muttered with a sigh as I looked to the prison where I could still feel Rukia's energy.
Although it was but a mere fragment of what it was when I first met her, it was still enough to let me know that she was alive and I took a deep breath as I turned and walked into the closest building that had somewhat collapsed on itself.
Thankful for my luck as I stared at the numerous crates, I hopped over to where a few broken beams and crates laid on the floor before climbing in between them with a grunt.
"One more chance. I've got one more." I whispered to myself as I laid down and took a deep breath before letting my tiredness take me away.
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I don't even remember how I woke up.
I just felt the rays of the sunlight shining upon my face and the faint feeling of fatigue still in my limbs.
Sitting up with a shake of my head, I ignored the steel beams around me and blinked to adjust my vision, standing up and calling my sceptre to my hand before stretching with a pleased groan.
'Arghhh~ That hit the spot. Hollow Reiryoku is still half-full, but I'm fully rested and Rukia is…closer?' I thought with a furrowed brow before my eyes widened as I crouched down in the rubble, feeling the numerous spiritual energies around her.
Each of them felt controlled, the spiritual energy leakage brought to a near minimum and I frowned as I felt them slowly walking from the prison to the execution sight before the realization hit me like a bucket of cold water.
"They're escorting her."
'This is it. All systems are a go!' My brain was now wide awake as I rushed out of the building, flinching slightly as an explosion erupted in the distance before my eyes widened at the large being in samurai armour slowly rising up in the distance.
'Kenpachi vs Tosen and Komamura! Fuck, this is really it!' I thought before taking a deep breath, exhaling slowly as I looked to the mountain before activating the sceptre in my grasp.
The next moment, I cast Kyokko and activated the Reiskukaku barrier at the same time, my body fading from sight and being enveloped by an invisible barrier that picked me up and levitated me up to the pathway at a rapid pace.
It didn't take me long before I landed on the rocky pathway that connected the prison to the Sokyoku hill right as I caught sight of my targets.
Four members of the Kido Corps, dressed in their uniform with their faces covered were slowly walking towards the hill and in the centre of them with her arms bound, head bowed and a collar around her neck stood she.
'Damn, this really messed with her.' The confident Shinigami I knew before looked nothing like the fragile and tired girl slowly being lead to her death.
She didn't look broken as I could see the quiet resolve in her eyes, but she wasn't resisting it and I frowned as I saw the Kido Corps stoically making their way towards the hill.
'They're walking her to her death like it's nothing to them. I know Shinigami are supposed to be long-lived emotionless bastards…but this cannot stand.'
"Alright, then. Time to improvise." I muttered with a frown and suppressed my Reiatsu as much as I could slowly began walking towards them, knowing that I needed this to be quick and decisive.
I also could not kill them because killing one captain was more than enough to have my death warrant signed but killing four more members of the Kido Corps?
The Gotei13 would hunt me until they were sure my soul was rotting away in hell.
'Come on, just over there…'I thought as I watched them walk over the last bridge before grinning as Rukia made it over.
Perfect.
"Bakudo #21: Sekienton!" With a flick of my fingers, a thick cloud of red smoke erupted, surprised shouts coming from the Kido Corps members as the smoke quickly covered the entire bridge area.
"Hado #23: Senbaku!" I was not done as I stomped the butt of my sceptre onto the ground, unleashing a bright flash and a high-pitched whistle that disoriented the Kido Corps members.
Quickly rushing in before they could recover, Rukia gave a surprised squeak as I wrapped my arm around her before hopping off, activating the Reishukaku aspect of the sceptre to create a barrier around us to help float us down.
However, I was surprised when I felt us being forced to the ground, looking back only to frown as I caught sight of the familiar white-haired serpent known as Gin Ichimaru standing on the bridge.
"Oh my~ someone snatched my little prisoner." Even from this far below me, I could hear his whispered words, but unlike before, he stayed still and did not attack as I landed while looking at him.
"W-Wait, Don Kanonji?"
"Yep, still alive." I spoke with a grin after Gin walked away, surprising me but not putting me at ease as I looked to Rukia to see her looking surprised at seeing me.
"Before you start shouting about not needing to be rescued, I will knock you out so stay quiet and let's go. Bakudo# 20: Kyokko!" Surprising her as I ripped off the collar around her neck, Rukia looked surprised as I cast the spell and turned us invisible.
"Y-You learned more Kido spells?" She asked and I nodded with a smile while looking up at the bridge.
"After I robbed the Kido Corps' archives for their spells."
"…Why am I not surprised?" She muttered and I chuckled before my gaze snapped upwards as I felt Ichigo's spiritual energy, Rukia looking just as surprised before I frowned as Byakuya's became visible to my senses as well.
I could run with Rukia right now…but that would mean Ichigo's death and with his death is a shit ton of problems along with a monster that we're going to struggle with.
'And I did promise his sisters that he'd come back…Fuck!'
"Come on!" I grunted as I wrapped an arm around Rukia before creating another barrier around us, floating back up onto the bridge within mere seconds.
Ignoring the Kido Corps members struggling to find us, Rukia looked surprised as I floated us towards the hill itself, but I sighed as I saw the captains of Divisions 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 along with their lieutenants standing on one side and Ichigo standing on the other.
"Ichi-!"
"Rukia, I'm about to do something and I need you to be quiet, okay?" I spoke and she blinked as we landed besides Ichigo.
I was not surprised to see Yamamoto, Sasakibe, Unohana, Shunsui and Gin already focused on us before I could deactivate the spells, the other captains and Lieutenants swiftly looking at me as Ichigo looked surprised.
"Don?"
"Hey. You really thought you could take them all on?" I asked before shaking my head as Ichigo snorted.
"I think I can."
"You are one insane kid." I spoke with a shake of my head before tossing a glance to the assembled captains. I was unable to hide the nervousness coursing through my body as their Reiatsu began to exude and Yamamoto looked directly at me before speaking.
"Ryoka, you stand here not only alive after murdering a captain, but now also obstructing a lawful execution and aiding fugitives."
"We're playing the lawful game? Remind me, then. Which law allows a man to abuse and experiment on his own flesh and blood? Or do those laws only apply to those of us not of the Seireitei?"
"You dare speak so casually after such a grievous offense?" Sasakibe asked with a cold tone, his grip tightening on his Zanpakuto and I smirked before nodding.
"I dare because the truth does not care for your laws or traditions. Mayuri was a monster your people allowed to move about freely and as a man of the people, I kill monsters."
"If you wanna punish someone, punish me. I came here to take Rukia back and Don's just helping. That's it." Ichigo cut in and I rolled my eyes as Rukia spoke up.
"Ichigo-!"
"Rukia, like I said, I need you to trust me here." I cut her off and she looked at me with a glare, which I met with my own stare before she sighed and nodded.
"I promise. We'll all get out of here alive." I whispered before turning my focus back to the captains while raising a hand to stop Ichigo from speaking.
"Look, you want a scapegoat? Fine, I'll be the scapegoat. You can chase me across the Seireitei and Human Realm for killing your precious captain, but right now, at this moment…we're walking off this hill with Rukia."
"Presumptuous fool." Soi Fon snared and I rolled my eyes before surprising them as I dropped my sceptre and met Yamamoto's gaze with one of my own.
"You as well as I know that there is something amiss here, Yamamoto. Rukia Kuchiki, a seated Shinigami officer of the Thirteenth Division and younger sister to the Kuchiki Clan Head. I have read up on your laws and I admit she did a crime when she gave Ichigo her powers, but according to your laws, she is to be given five years in a maximum security prison or since she's a noble, one month of house arrest."
"Your point being?" He asked, ignoring Gin chuckling behind his sleeve and I didn't care for Byakuya's narrowed eyes as I continued.
"Then why is she about to be executed by a literal death cannon for a minor crime? A crime many others have committed in the past, some of which had gotten off scotch-free because they were minor nobles and not members of the Four Great Clans. I know you all think of me as just some ryoka from the Human World, but you can't expect me to believe that I, a human, understand the laws of beings centuries old better than said beings can, do you?"
"Captain Yamamoto, perhaps we should not escalate this." I was surprised and pleased when Ukitake spoke up, Yamamoto glancing at him before he turned his gaze forward and back at me with a scoff.
"I do understand and I agree that the punishment does not fit the crime, but the Gotei13 do not disagree with the orders assigned to them."
"And who assigned this order?" I asked, Yamamoto narrowing his eyes before he continued.
"Central 46."
"Did you receive this order in person? Or was it delivered?"
"No, it was delivered with a Central 46 Hell Butterfly."
"Well, you're breaking a law yourself, then. All executions committed with the Sokyoku must be approved in person by no less than 40 members of Central 46 and signed by the Captain Commander himself. The fact that you didn't makes this execution null and void. Again, your own laws." I answered and smirked as Yamamoto just continued to stared at me.
"Yamamoto, with all due respect, you're being played right now. If you want to keep going with the execution and ignore the warning signs, I'm going to do my best to protect the woman besides me. However, if you are actually going to start thinking instead of following orders like a good little soldier, I want you to think about everything that's been happening since we arrived and use that brain of yours."
"…Damn." I heard Shunsui whisper in the background, but I ignored him as I watched the wheels spinning in Yamamoto's head before I smiled as he looked at me.
"Captain Unohana, while I was on the run, I heard of the death of a Captain Aizen, yes?"
"That did happen, yes."
"Well, I am here to tell you that none of us committed that. At the time of the murder, Chad was in a warehouse in Division 8. Ichigo and Ganju were in the sewers, I was in the Kido Corps' archives and the last two, Orihime and Uryu were hiding out in Division 11. That meant that Captain Aizen was killed, but I want to ask one thing."
"Let's say I do believe your words. What do you wish to ask?" I was so grateful for the fact that Unohana was the only one who was actually trying to listen and I smiled before continuing.
"When you examined Aizen's body, did you note anything…different about it compared to the body of the average Shinigami?"
"The cause of murder. The attacks to his Saketsu and Hakusui were far too precise, as if someone knew just how to strike it while hitting his heart at the same time to make sure he died on the spot."
"And do you believe the ryoka you see in front of you are capable of such a feat?" I asked and she looked at both Ichigo and I before shaking her head.
"I do not."
"Are you saying there is another force hiding in the shadows?" Yamamoto asked and I nodded with a smile.
"Let's look at it this way. Aizen dies the night of the day that us ryoka invade the Seireitei and all of a sudden, Rukia is sentenced by the 'Central 46' to execution with the Sokyoku. Now let's look at Rukia herself. I know that you, Yamamoto, can sense that Rukia's spiritual energy has been dwindling over the past few days, yes?"
"I have taken note of I-!" Yamamoto stopped talking and I gave a relieved smile as I watched everything connect.
"We've been dancing to a dead man's tune."
"You have indeed."
"Are we truly to believe the word of this ryoka, sir?" Soi Fon demanded, but even she didn't sound too sure and I smiled before shrugging.
"Not at all. I expect you guys to look into it. Send one or ten or even a hundred people to Central 46's compound to see if they're still there."
"That would not excuse you for Captain Kurotsuchi's murder." Sasakibe spoke up and I rolled my eyes with a snort.
"If I had to, I'd kill him again. I admit the man is a genius, but he is also a monster that cannot be allowed to live.
"Well, old man, it would be a bitembarrassing if we executed Rukia Kuchiki because of forged orders, wouldn't it?" Shunsui said with a relaxed smile, the old man still staring at me even as the doubt shone in his eyes.
"I will verify this. If you are lying…"
"Like I said, I will take my punishment." I answered and he stared at me before raising his cane slightly and tapped it once on the ground.
"Captain Unohana, Captain Kuchiki and Lieutenant Sasakibe will accompany me to Central 46. The rest of you are to keep Don Kanonji here until we return." Yamamoto spoke before the four of them vanished with Shunpo.
Exhaling softly, I sat down besides my sceptre with a smile before looking up as Rukia and Ichigo gave me awed smiles.
"You are insane." Ichigo spoke and I chuckled as I nodded.
"Don Kanonji never backs down when justice needs to be served!…However, I am very tired right now." I answered, making him smirk while Rukia rolled her eyes, but there was no hiding her lips twitching at the corners.
Looking back forward, I hid my frown at Gin's amused smile despite what was happening before shaking my head as I looked to where I could faintly make out the compound.
'The seeds have been planted. Now, I just hope this works out.'
A/N: Was going to make the final scene of the arc a big fight when I thought about it.
The Don has only been fighting constantly so let's show some of that charisma that he boasts about.
Also, Hogyoku plans are out the window since the Don isn't sure he can perform the whole 'Soul Ripping' plan and he doesn't want kill Rukia by accident, so we're keeping it in her…for now.
Next Chapter: Revelations and Illusions?!
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