Bleach: Shihai no Tsumi: Countdown to the End

Starter
The sun was rising over the Yūrei Ōkoku, which was a signal for the energetic Miharu to wake up. Her eyes shot open, and she sat bolt upright. It was time to face the day again. She slid her feet into her slippers and went into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Since her father had been "abducted" by Kisuke, it had been quiet around her. Her mother was still herself, but without Ahatake around, she seemed slightly quieter. Aoi was like a ghost, appearing and disappearing at random, with no explanation was to where she was. While Miharu had Daiyaku around to keep her company, it was definitely different from having the whole family around.

She gargled, and spit out the toothpaste, and ran to the stairs, sliding down the railing once again, only this time, she slid right into Daiyaku, who, evidently, was waiting there for her, and they collapsed onto the ground.

"Owww..." He rubbed his hand as he tried to sit up, Miharu sprawled over him. She noticed he had shrunk. He'd reverted to child form.

"Daiyaku?" She was wide-eyed. "How'd you get on the ground?"

"I was waiting for you." He said, groaning. "Your mother asked me to make sure you didn't get hurt sliding down the railing, since she figured you wouldn't listen to her again." She got up and helped him up.

"Where is she anyway?" Miharu asked curiously.

"In the kitchen, where else?"

Miharu ran into the kitchen to see her mother busy at the stove. She looked at the wall. The message Kisuke had left had since been cleaned, but there was still red "steak" marks Megami hadn't been able to remove.

"Good morning, Kā-chan." Miharu said, brightly.

"Good morning, dear...."

Megami was a bit too focused on what she was doing in order to give a whole-hearted greeting right back to her daughter. She continued to monitor the progress of the breakfast, giving a rather whistling tune as she did so.

Miharu was about to ask something, but Aoi entered the room, and on the tip of her finger was a Jigokuchō, slowly flapping it's wings. Miharu looked at it curiously.

"What's that?" Miharu asked. Aoi silently shrugged.

"Kā-chan, Aoi has something weird." Miharu said, almost in a childish, tattletale tone. "A black butterfly."

That stopped Megami immediately.

For a brief moment, she turned off the oven as well as other kitchen technology for the moment so that she could turn around. Her eyes stared with a slightly dumbfounded curiosity at the butterfly. Steadily, she walked towards it, continuing to give it an even stare. "A Hell Butterfly...." She whispered, slowly nodding her head in realization. "Where exactly did you find this, Aoi?"

Aoi pointed out the window, to the tree that Daiyaku had fallen from. "There..." She said simply. She handed it to Megami.

"What's it do?" Miharu asked, staring at it. She soon found out though. From the butterfly, Rukia's voice poured out of it, loud, and it sounded similar to a tape recorder.

"Megami Kurosaki, and everyone currently present. After a certain event, the Soul Society is now under watch. A Hollow, one I know to be dead, attacked a Gate Guardian. Before and after this, the Head Captain will not heed our warnings, so we must wait for Takahashi's arrival before anything can happen. We think he is behind the attack on the Gate Guardian, and due to this, I expect he will be making his assault. I ask that you all prepare and make the journey here as soon as possible."

Miharu, Aoi and Daiyaku didn't parts of it, mainly the mention of a "Gate Guardian" and "Head Captain", but Megami, who was from the Seireitei, understood it.

What a great time for Ahatake to not be here.

Megami's eyes narrowed in a steely manner, and she lowered her finger with the butterfly perched on it. Then, she thrust it out a little, forcing it to go back into the air. "We don't have time to wait for Ahatake to come back. Rukia's at the Seireitei and she needs our help." She explained, taking in a deep breath. "Does anyone of you happen to know if any one else can come?"

"What about Onē-chan and Kibō?" Miharu suggested. "They're strong, aren't they?"

"I hope they aren't busy...." Megami added, placing her hands onto her hips and walking away towards the door. "By the way Rukia spoke... the situation seems really bad. I don't want to take any chances on this, so we'll need every person that's able and willing to help us out." She grasped the doorknob. "All that's left is for the method of transportation...."

"I can do that." Miharu said excitedly. She put a hand on her Zanpakutō. "Or rather, Kyūmu can take care of it."

"Thank you, Mi-cha--"

Anything that she was about to say was stopped short the moment she opened the door.

WHAM!

Before she even realized it, a blur of fur and muscle slammed into her body. It felt like a sledgehammer had connected with every inner organ in her torso. The pain was so immense, she couldn't even bring herself to scream. She was knocked down onto her back, her jolting eyes meeting those of what looked like a dog-like creature. It bared its teeth at her, a fearsome growl erupting at the back of its throat. Her heart beat frantically within her chest, and she attempted to throw the thing off of her. But due to the tackle, she found her body unable to move itself. It opened its mouth, lunging straight for the woman's throat.

In a flash of purple, the beasts' head was blasted off, and the body slumped down off Megami to the side. Miharu and Daiyaku turned to see Aoi's hand smoking. She'd killed it.

"Um..." Miharu was nervous for a second. "What was that?"

Weakly, Megami jerked her head upwards, using her elbows to prop herself up. Then, her eyes widened at what she saw outside. "I don't care what that was...." She managed to say, blood trickling down her chin. "What I want to know is...."

What she was staring at was the page right out of some sort of survival horror movie.

"....what happened here?"

Several of the creatures were prowling the street, running around and standing over several mutilated corpses. Blood stained the street and sidewalk, and there seemed to be no end to the creatures' numbers. The sky was cloudy, and rain was pouring on the dead bodies. In the distance, the sound of screams could be heard as the continuation of a massacre proceeded out of their view. Weakly, Megami pulled herself into a sitting position, gritting her teeth and wincing at the considerable damage dealt to her. She held her side with one hand, letting out shuddering breaths. "Nnngh....!"

Miharu walked over to the door, to look at what her mother was talking about. She immediately jumped back, hiding behind her mother.

"W-what's going on!?" She all but shrieked. "They're everywhere!" Daiyaku looked out the door as well, and his eyes widened.

"That does not look good." He murmured. Aoi looked upon the seen quietly, though her hand twitched as if she itched to fire more Bala.

"What do we do?" Miharu's voice came from behind Megami.

At the moment, Megami wouldn't be a very good hiding place due to the half-sitting, half-lying position she was in. However, she did manage to answer. "Th...they don't notice us yet... and we're obviously in their view." She wheezed, slowly standing up. "We.... we try to head towards Midoriko and Kibou without attracting their attention. Just stay calm, and do anything stupid...." She forced herself to stand, although having to put her hands onto her knees. Her head hung, her breath heavy.

Aoi grabbed what looked like a white fur coat, and put it on, as well as a fur hat.

"What do we do if they notice us?" Miharu asks.

"Then we'll have to fight them off.... c'mon.... let's go...."

That being said, Megami was the first one to take the first wary steps out the door, still clutching her side. Under her feet, she felt the stains of blood touch their tops due to the blood being so deep. That was when she stopped immediately, disgust running through her. "Watch your steps.... the blood's about foot-deep, and there's bodies everywhere....."

Miharu stood close to Daiyaku as they walked out of the house, Aoi coming in last, closing the door. Her eyes kept looking over the area, her hand crackling quietly with energy. One wrong move from these creatures and heads would be rolling.

For the most part, the dogs seemed to ignore them, more interested in carving out pieces of their meal with their teeth and claws. However, some of them seemed to react to Aoi's energy. The ones that did turned to face them, growling menacingly, barking, and standing defensively to protect their kills from being stolen. However, they did not attack - something which greatly relieved Megami. She pressed a hand to her side, willingly summoning the Kidō necessary in healing herself. She would need everything to be optimal in the event that the dogs decided to become aggressive....

Miharu, while staying as close to Daiyaku as she could, tried to inch themselves closer to Megami. She wanted to feel as protected as possible. Aoi kept her silence, keeping herself on alert towards these animals? Why did her aunt and "uncle-in-law", at least, that's what Kibō was for all intents and purposes, have to live so far from them. She'd never complained when Kyui's was around, but the walk seemed less enjoyable without her, especially with these dogs lurking around.

"I'm sensing two clashing presences to the left of us.... right where we need to go." Megami reported lowly, stopping at a corner of the street. "Stay here, I'm going to check it out..." She immediately jerked herself close to the wall, keeping herself hidden from what was on their left. "There's one passive.... and it's slightly weakened....."

"Clashing presences?" Aoi thought to herself. "What is going on around here?"

"Do they feel like Onē-chan and Kibō?" Miharu asked worriedly in a carrying voice.

"Far from it...."

Megami peered out the side.

In the road which was clear of wolves, there were two presences engaged in a close-quarters battle. One figure was leaping away, while the other was in pursuit. They were racing across the rooftops, continuing to fiercely engage each other in what looked like a deadly game of fisticuffs. As they moved, they could see their features: one of them was that of the King's assistant, a determined look crossing her features. The second was that of what only Daiyaku would've recognized, his red and long hair flowing as he defended himself against the woman's attacks. The third presence, however, was still yet to be seen.

Daiyaku moved next to Megami, curious as to what she was seeing. His eyes widened at what he saw. "That's Shou." He hissed, almost angrily. "I could have sworn Rukia took him in for interrogation a few days ago!" Maybe Shou's escape was responsible for these wolves.

"You're goin' down!"

The next moment, Chidori launched a ferocious kick to the side of Shou. However, her eyes widened as she found her leg caught between Shou's arms in a form of interception. With a grit of his teeth and a grunt, he yanked her towards him in order to catch her off-balance. Grasping her within his arms, he pulled her over her shoulders and begin spinning, much to her angered chagrin. However, she could do nothing but yell out of surprise as he spun her around and around.

Then, he ducked, releasing his hold for a split second.... only to move out of the way and grab her leg. From then on, he continued the ferocious spinning, both of their long hair whipping around in their faces. Once he gained momentum, he released his hold, sending her flying towards the building just above them....

WHAM!!

She collided through the building, slamming brutally onto the other side on her back. The result was smoke and debris covering that building, slight dust falling on the group. Megami's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the towering form of Shou, who stood so confidently on the rooftop above.

Miharu, much like her mother, was wide-eyed. Daiyaku's face was a mix of shock and, surprisingly, anger. Aoi's was completely blank.

"What do we do now?" Miharu asked, putting emphasis on the now.

The snarls of several wolves sounded around them.

"Oh, no...." Megami whispered, looking around. To her horror, there were several of the wolves now surrounding them, all glaring at them with murderous and hungry-looking eyes. One tackle had been enough to severely damage her, and it had nearly been able to kill her within seconds. Now, a whole pack was surrounding them, ready to tear them to shreds. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shou jump down from the building and land on his feet, fists clenched at his sides as he stared at the group.

Aoi raised her hand, energy crackling around it. Without warning she fired multiple Bala blasts, one for as many wolves as she could see. Daiyaku turned his attention to Shou, returning Shou's stares with something more like a glare.

"Shou, wasn't it?" He asked, his tone far from polite. "Why are you here? Didn't we take you in already? And are you responsible for these...dogs?"

The Bala didn't connect.

For a brief second, the wolves vanished from their view, only to re-appear once the Bala had hit in the same spot. A ghost of a smile came across Shou's face, his person undaunted by the harsh stare his enemy was giving him. "Ah, yes.... the fragile boy." He remarked, his tone mostly dry. "I'm surprised you're still standing after I nearly blew a hole through your body. I suppose you're not as weak as I thought you were, hm?"

Aoi's eyes widened. They'd dodged her Bala?!?

A vein throbbed in Daiyaku's head. He was aching to rip this guy to shreds. "That doesn't answer my question Shou. Why are you here?"

"To seal the fate of Yūrei...." Shou answered simply, placing one of his hands to his forehead. "I'm sure you've realized at least a part of that by now. You must be quite eager to know that I was brutally interrogated by military forces.... and then cruelly executed." He lifted the hair covering his forehead, revealing something that would've never been shown by a living person with the same affliction.

A bullet hole, straight through the forehead. Upon the touch, a trickle of blood flowed down his forehead. "Death came for me, and what a cold mistress it was..." He remarked, the smile fading away to a more serene look.

Miharu nearly vomitted at the sight of this, and she tore her eyes away to look at the wolves.

"Oh my God he's a zombie." Daiyaku's jaw nearly dropped. "How in the name of Hell are you walking, talking, and, well, killing?"

"It was a failsafe implanted by my boss.... effectively saving my life." Shou said, lowering his hand and hiding the bullet hole. "To ensure that I would serve as the agent that would infiltrate and destroy this city from the inside out.... now, here I stand before you, having nearly completed that goal. It was quite easy killing the Yūrei soldiers that attempted to cross me. They tried.... some even escaped.... but nonetheless, they proved to be no match for the hunger of my wolves. Now... you will suffer their fate."

"Megami!"

Immediately, the said woman's eyes snapped up. Chidori had leaped to stand in the hole that was created in the building, panting heavily with her fists clenched. A relieved smile came across Megami's face. "Chidori!" She shouted back. "Good to see you're OK!" In response, the assistant smirked and jerked her gaze towards Shou, who was staring with a mixture of cold calculation and curiosity.

"It's going to take more than a little human toss to kill me...."

Daiyaku cracked his knuckles, and tilted his neck to the side. The horror they had passed along the streets. Shou was responsible for it all.

"Shou, I'm going to make sure you don't leave here in one piece." Daiyaku said angrily. "I'm not sure if killing you is a possibility since you seem to be some sort of undead, but ripping you limb from limb will be good enough."

"Let me in on this!" Chidori called down, balling her fists and glaring down at the red-haired man. "This guy hurt Jūshin, and I don't let something like that get by me so easily!" For emphasis, she jumped down and landed right beside Daiyaku, settling into a bare-handed stance once more. This caused Shou's smile to widen, and he held his hands out to his sides in a motion signaling them to attack.

"Then, by all means, come." He challenged confidently, standing tall. "Your deaths will bring this city one step closer to its demise."



"Shindō #2, Raikiri!" Daiyaku formed a large spear of light in his hands, and move quickly towards Shou, a look of determination in his eyes. When he was inches from him, he let the powerful light spear fly towards it's intended target.

A long-range attack.... at close range.

Shou raised a slight eyebrow, but he simply allowed himself to tilt his body. The spear barely missed him, continuing on to collide straight into a building. He couldn't see, but the sounds of the building collapsing behind him signaled the extent of the damage. The radiating energy was a sign, too - the power was blowing his hair in front of him, obscuring his vision. It didn't matter - he could still sense their presences! Acting on that instinct, he raised his right fist forward and swung it for the boy's face--

However, his eyes widened when he sensed the second presence.

Grasping his shoulder and using it as a crutch, Chidori supported herself on him and spun around as if she was on a pole (in a sense). Before his fist struck, her leg caught him in the face. The strength forced him to the side, his feet skidding in the ground as he struggled to keep himself from flying away. As she landed onto her feet, she turned towards Daiyaku with a grin.

"Let me give you a boost, kid."

With that, she grabbed his wrists and purposefully threw herself on her back, taking Daiyaku with her. However, her legs once again lifted, using themselves as a boost to launch the boy like a missile towards the recovering Shou.

Megami and the group would not get the chance to relax.

As the fight progressed, the wolves decided it was time to stop staring at their quarry. With vicious snarls, they attacked, lunging at their targets quickly.

As Daiyaku neared Shou, his right hand and arm became enveloped in dark red fire. "Shindō #17, Kagehaken." He thrust his fist out, attacking Shou with a punch as powerful as an impact from a tank.

The moment Aoi saw the wolves move, she jumped into action, firing a Cero from her palm, seemingly aimed at one wolf, but then she used it as a sweeping beam, aiming to take out as many wolves as she could.

Miharu decided to use this as a chance to test the Kidō she'd been learning from her mother. She levitated her Zanpakutō, and lightly hit the hilt, causing it to spin like a fan. She stopped it, and called out the name of the spell. "Hadō #58, Tenran!" She fired a widening tornado-like blast at the nearest oncoming wolf.

Another Shunpo, and the wolves vanished. Their speed was incredible; one moment, they were moving. The next, they were back and snarling defensively. Megami silently took note of this, even as she summoned her Zanpakutō to her side. It seemed that they were acting intelligently, tactically even.... but.... how? She didn't have time to think about it. Instead, she started running away from the fight, looking over her shoulder. "Don't worry about taking them out head-on!" She shouted. "Just fight our way through! I sense Midoriko and Kibō nearby!"

Even as the attack came towards him, Shou didn't waver.

SMACK!

With his palm and a stable stance, he intercepted the attack with only the skin of his palm defending against the fire. However, it proved to be more than effective. The ferocious attack was dispelled once the contact had been established... and not a scratch was left on the red-haired man.

"I-impossible!" Daiyaku was shocked. His attack had been rendered useless. He jumped back, in an effort to gain some distance.

"How about givin' me a shot?" A voice rang inside Daiyaku's head, causing it to throb slightly.

"Back off." Daiyaku hissed angrily, clutching at his head for a second. "You managing to block that punch was surprising. I think it's time to make good on my statement of ripping you limb from limb."

"Alright!" Miharu called out in answer to her mother. Still, fighting her way through a pack of snarling mongrels wasn't easiest task in the world. "Improvise, Kyūmu." She released her Zanpakutō, allowing it to take the form of a massive, golden mallet. This should work in case they got to close. She thought to herself as she took off after her mother, Aoi following quickly.

As Chidori landed right beside him, Shou stood tall and stared at his two enemies. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the other group running away, the wolves charging in to attack. Then, he turned his eyes back to his two enemies, raising his hands up in the same "come on" motion that he had taunted Daiyaku with earlier.

"Kā-chan, the wolves are following us!" Miharu called out. "What should we do about them?"

Daiyaku sighed. "I've got to keep my cool." He held out his hand in a manner such as a General giving orders to a subordinate. "Reveal thy Shadows before my eyes of Truth, Ōkuninushi." As he spoke these words, a nōdachi hilt appeared in his hand, but no blade formed.

"So you've finally revealed your Shikai...." Shou asked quietly, nodding in acknowledgement. "I suppose it's to even the odds...." He looked over at Chidori, who was now looking a bit hesitant. "What's the matter? Why don't you release yours? I'm sure it would make it easier, knowing that you'd have a chance of overpowering me in combat...."

Chidori narrowed her eyes, keeping her stance. "You're bare-handed. I find it a bit foul to attack an unarmed opponent with my sword, don't you?" She retorted firmly.

Shou smiled slyly. "Oh.... so you thought I was unarmed this whole time?"

The girl's eyes widened in surprise, and she almost broke her stance. "What do you mean....?" She was almost afraid to find out the answer.... for it would obviously mean something bad....

Shou moved his arms to motion the remaining dogs around him, who had their heads perked up to stare at the three combatants. "Look around you...." He spoke, his voice echoing throughout the city streets. "Give me one guess as to why all of these wolves are here."

It hit Daiyaku like a ton of bricks. "These wolves..." He said slowly. "They're your Zanpakutō's power, aren't they?"

"Of course." Shou nodded. "These aren't just any wolves. They are the manifestation of Kanki no Oto, my personal Zanpakutō's spirit. They are natural under sentient influence.... but under mine, they follow my mind, will, and orders to the letter. Though they'll follow any order possible, killing is what they do the best." As he spoke, the wolves slowly started to circle both Daiyaku and Chidori, making the girl a bit nervous. "It's such a shame that there's not going to be enough meat for all of them to feast on.... but either way, my aches will be satisfied."

Ending up as a meal for wolves? Not exactly a way Daiyaku wanted to go out. He lifted his Zanpakutō, waiting for the wolves to make their move.

It was a mistake.

One of the wolves, at the close proximity between it and its prey, chose to attack. Within an instant, it lunged, its teeth tearing into Daiyaku's arm. Even for someone as strong as the white-haired boy, its jaws would act like a crusher on the muscle and bone of its target. Instantly, three wolves joined in order to pin the child down and tear him apart. Chidori's eyes widened in horror, and she turned towards the boy in order give a helping hand.

"Hey!"

However, she too was greeted by a vicious tackle attack courtesy of yet another wolf, causing her to land onto her stomach. Two more wolves joined in the fray, hungrily feasting their jaws onto her unguarded legs. A pained gasp arose out from her mouth, and she gritted her teeth as the jaws sank into the flesh of her calves. Violently, she struggled against the weight, but it seemed so hopeless. How did wolves like these get so strong?! They were only apart of his Shikai, wasn't it?!

Daiyaku let out a sharp gasp as the wolves teeth pierced his body and they began to hack at him. He had three options, none of which he could think about for too long. So he went with the first option that came to his head. Anti-regression. From his body, bursts of power exploded as his spiritual energy level began to rise. His body began to age, and he let out a massive burst of electrical energy, blowing three of the wolves off him, and he knocked the third one away with relative ease and dusted himself off. He picked up his sword, which he had dropped after getting attacked.

"Ugh..." He frowned. "That was not what I wanted."

"....then again....I suppose I will have to endure the pain a bit more...."

Shou frowned in disdain, even as the newly released spiritual energy hit him in the face. His long, red hair was blowing back against the immensely powerful winds. It revealed a studying, calculating, but resenting expression. He was not surprised by the increase of power; of course, most enemies would not reveal their full strength right off the bat. However, he wasn't expecting the shift of the person, instead of the shift in his weapon. He lowered his folded arms, balling them into fists.

The wolves that had attacked Chidori had now stopped. Unfortunately, unlike he had done, she couldn't force the wolves off with her spiritual energy. They simply were just holding too strong a grip on her and causing significant pain to jolt her mind. She was still onto the ground, one of the wolves having the nape of her neck in its teeth. But it hadn't bit down just yet, studying the man with predatory eyes. The other two wolves raised their heads up, releasing the woman's bloodied legs.

Daiyaku turned his attention to the wolves. He vanished with a Shindo, appearing behind the wolf closest to Chidori's neck. With great force, he pushed the wolf away using the hilt.

The effect was immediate.

The wolf let out a yelp as it was pushed away, but let out pained barks as smoke began to arise from it. It rolled over and writhed violently in pain, more smoke flowing out of its body. However, as the smoke increased, less and less of the wolf could be seen. In a matter of seconds, it had completely disappeared. However, the wolves (much to Chidori's surprise) was doing the same thing before vanishing in a thick mist of smoke. Weakly, she rolled over on her back, ignoring the sting of the bite wounds as she did so.

Now Shou's expression was turning stressed.

But it wasn't out of fear.

He fell to his knees, one of his hands clutching at his heart. "Y...you...." He managed to gasp out, shock expressed onto his features. Once that hilt had made contact, it was as if all of his spiritual energy had been stripped away from his body! Sweat began falling down his face at a very alarming rate, and he had his head lowered, gasping for breath.

Energy began to gather around the hilt, forming a blade of pure, concentrated energy. Daiyaku smiled.

"You must be feeling tired, aren't you?" He asked, his voice deeper due to his new form. He slung his blade over his shoulder. He looked over at Chidori. "Feelin' alright?"

"I....I don't think I can walk right...." Chidori muttered, sitting on the side of one leg for support. She had one eye closed, one eye open, but was smiling nonetheless in an effort to re-assure Daiyaku that she would live. "But I'll live...."

Daiyaku grinned. "Excellent. We'll get you patched up after we take care of this guy." He jerked his head in Shou's direction. He frowned and walked slowly in Shou's direction. "Is killing you even possible?" He asked, not expecting an answer.

Even through his exhausted state, Shou managed to force his head up to look Daiyaku in the eye and smile mockingly. "I am already dead...." He breathed. "You'll never kill me...."

"I figured." Daiyaku frowned. He raised his blade and made several well aimed slashes, cutting off Shou's arms and legs. "But I do have an idea that I'm hoping will work."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!"

Shou fell to the ground, his composure broken by his enemy's blade slicing through his very nerves. He shut his eyes tight, his red hair falling over his face. He let out pained breaths, feeling his own blood trickle out of him. He knew it now.... he was going to die like an animal, at the hands of this man. He barely managed to open his eyes enough to blink them, a few tears mixing in with the blood. He had failed Angelika by dying like this.... and there would be no chance to redeem himself this time.

"Oh, God...."

Daiyaku took a stance, his sword-less hand at his side.

"Fire and Brimstone, surge forth and heed the contract, burning my foes into the dust of death. Shindō #18, Hirashi!" Swirling red flames formed in his hand, and began crackling. "Shou, if it will give you some piece of mind in Hell, I enjoyed this fight." He said, before letting the flames fire at Shou.

There was nothing to say.

The flames enveloped Shou completely, pain and fire consuming his entire body. There was no more movement coming from the man now, his skin and clothing curling and turning an ashy black. Chidori herself could only look on, considerably horror-stricken at the display of brutality that Daiyaku had given to his opponent. "Did...." She whispered hoarsely. "Did you really have to....?"

Daiyaku frowned, and slipped his Zanpakutō, still glowing with Shou's stolen energy, into a belt-loop on his pants. He began to shrink, regressing back to the age of a child. He took one look at Shou's ashes, before turning away. "It was the first method I could think of." He said quietly. "I've read books that the only way to kill an un-dead being is to cut them into pieces and burn them." He frowned. "If he thought those flames were hot, it's nothing compared to where he's going."

It was a rather frightening fate to go to.

But.... Chidori supposed it was better him than her.

However, her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp sting of pain in her legs. Her eyes drifted downwards to find that they, as well as part of her clothing, was stained a dark red. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She could feel her vision getting a bit hazy, unconsciousness attempting to settle in. "Damn it...." She groaned, falling onto her back. "Should've released my Zanpakutō when I had the chance....so stupid....."

Daiayku walked over to her. "Should I take you back to the palace?" He asked. "Megami and the others can go without me. You'd be able to be treated at the palace, yes?"

However, Chidori shook her head. "No...." She protested, a bit frantic as she looked around. "Jūshin.... he was with me when we got attacked by those wolves. He got wounded, and I told him to stay in one of the buildings.... we've got to go get him first!"

In one of the buildings? Oh boy...this was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack. Well, no, more like finding a specific piece of hay in a haystack. This was going to be hell. Daiyaku sighed. "Is he suppressing his spiritual energy?"

"Not at all.... he's on the far right of where we're facing. Once you get close to it, it'll be obvious where he is."

"Alright. Want me to carry you there, or do you intend to limp there?" He asked, chuckling only slightly.

Chidori pursed her lips, fixing a glare at him. However, it was out of good humor. "If it fits you, I'd rather not let myself look stupid getting there." She responded hotly. "Now, could you hurry up and get me off of this ground already? It's freezing...."

Daiyaku chuckled and walked over to her, lifted her up bridal style. "You're much lighter than I expected." He said, sounding surprised.

A slight hiss came from Chidori as his arm touched the bite wounds on her legs. Silently, she prayed that he wouldn't open them up more than they already were. At what he said, she gave a rather annoyed look. "Are you trying to tell me I'm fat?" She quipped, fixing him with yet another glare and folding her arms across her chest as best as she could. "You've really got a lot of nerve, man...."

Daiayku chuckled. He began to float up, ignoring the smell of the blood that was coming from the bite wounds. He'd go hunting later on, somewhere outside Yūrei. He took off, flying as fast as he could without agitating her wounds more. "Building to the far right of us?" He asked, making sure he remembered.

"Mhm."

Daiyaku continued his paced flight, passing over several buildings before he reached one that looked slightly secluded, away from the others. He stopped, hovering over it.

"Is this the place?" He asked

Chidori raised an eyebrow, looking downward. She focused her senses. Sure enough, she could sense his spiritual presence within the building. "Yeah, he's still alive down there...." She answered calmly. "Let's hope that lasts...."

Daiyaku descended, and landed on a fallen tree branch as he did so, causing a loud noise that rang throughout the silence.

"....well, what're you waiting for? Don't wait for me, let's go inside!"

Daiyaku, still carrying Chidori, walked to the door and opened it. It was silent. He walked in.

"Jūshin!" He called out. "Are you in here?"

In response, a couple of coughs ran out through the darkness of the rather ruined building. He was leaning against one of the side walls, hand clutching a bloodied and gashed shoulder. "Y...yeah.... I'm in here!" He called out, wincing in pain. "Damn wolf...."

Daiyaku made his way over to Jūshin, his eyes starting to adjust to the darkness. While he couldn't see the wound entirely due to the limited light, he could smell the blood. "That must be one nasty wound." He murmured, stating the obvious. "Jūshin, you both can get treaTed back at the palace, yes?"

Despite his grin, the king managed to smile. "Yes. I believe my soldiers have routed those nasty creatures by now...." He affirmed, slowly pushing himself off of the wall.

"Are you able to walk?" Daiyaku asked. "If you, I can carry you as well as Chidori and have you at the palace in no time. Your wound will hurt like hell afterwards but..." He trailed off.

"I'll be fine walking there--" However, Jūshin opened his eyes wider at the sight of Chidori's bloodied legs. "Oh, God!" He immediately rushed over, temporarily pushing his own wounds aside and staring at the gashes. "Chidori, you look awful...." The concern and alarm was clear in his voice, but all the woman did was smile in amusement at him.

"Oh, please.... you ever take a look in the mirror lately?"

"Should I continue to accompany you two?" Daiyaku asked. "Chidori can't walk and I'm not sure you can carry her Jūshin, even if you can walk on your own."

"We're not overly prideful...." Jūshin assured him. "It would be best if you continued to assist us."

"Alright." Daiyaku nodded, smiling.

Meanwhile, Megami, Aoi, and Miharu were nearing Midoriko and Kibō's house when Miharu noticed something.

"Kā-chan, Shou's spiritual pressure, it's gone! And I can feel Daiyaku's moving, but he's with two others. Feels like Chidori and...I think that's the King, I can't tell for sure."

"The wolves...."

Megami slowly looked behind her to see the wolf pack having dissipated long ago. Relief swelled within her. "They disappeared... I believe Daiyaku managed to get rid of that ruthless murderer." She said, a bit happy to hear what was welcoming news in the abysmal environment. "He'll regroup with us soon, hopefully...."

"He seems to he heading away from our direction." Miharu said, focusing her senses on Daiyaku. "Where could he be going?"

"Their presences were a bit weaker than normal...." Megami answered, turning her eyes back to the front. "Chidori and Jūshin-sama may have been wounded beforehand, and Daiyaku's escorting them to somewhere safe."

"Oh. That's just like him." Miharu said, a hint of pride in her voice. Soon they reached the Injiki's older styled house. As usual, it stood out among the more modern dwellings in the Yūrei Ōkoku. Aoi knocked the door, having arrived slightly ahead of Megami.

Slowly, it opened.

At first, the brown-haired boy who was at the door had a sword pointing in their faces first, before he realized who it was. "Oh... it's you, guys...." He muttered, opening the door completely. He had a rather nasty-looking wound on his head, but he was otherwise looking well from the attack. "I thought the owner of those mutts had decided to pay us a visit...."

"The owner is dead." Aoi said quietly, walking into the house without so much as an hello. Miharu walked over to Kibō. "Hey Kibō-kun." She said cheerfully, before looking at his head. "You should have Kā-chan treat that."

"Here, dear...."

Not hesitating, Kibō leaned over and hissed slightly as Megami pressed a hand to his wound. "I'm glad you're still alive.... where's Midoriko?" She asked politely.

"Upstairs, though I think she's coming down...."

They could hear footsteps, and Midoriko was walking down the stairs, wearing a black and red jumpsuit and had some bandages on her hands. It was obvious she had just changed. "Oh, Stepmother, Aoi, Miharu." She smiled. "It's good to see you guys." She waved at them with a bandaged hand.

"Yes...." Megami only took a brief second to look over at Midoriko before returning over to her work. "Although you still look worse for the wear...."

"It's nothing bandages and a little disinfectant won't fix." Midoriko smiled, though her tone quickly became semi-serious. "So, why are you guys here? From the mongrels that were in the street, I bet something's up."

"...." Megami hung her head a little at the question, almost afraid to speak the words. "....we got attacked by those wolves that slaughtered everyone else.... we were afraid they had gotten you, too, so we came here to see if we were right.... I'm glad that we're wrong." She managed a weak smile at the pair.

Midoriko chuckled. "It's going to take more than a pack of dogs to take Kibō or myself out."

Miharu looked at Megami. "Kā-chan, didn't we come to tell them about the Jigokuchō?"

"Jigokuchō?" Midoriko repeated.

"Ah!" Megami exclaimed. "I almost forgot about that in all of that chaos out there!" She removed her hand from Kibō's head, the majority of the wounds healed. "Rukia, along with a small force of Yūrei elite soldiers, had left a message stating there be an attack on the Seireitei. She's decided to ask us for help in getting there and supporting her. I wanted to get everyone that was ready to go together before we went anywhere, but.... I see that the two of you are in really no condition to...."

"Hey...!" Kibō protested indignantly, fixing an irritated glare at Megami. "You just healed the majority of this gash in my head! I think I'm more than capable of going with you!"

"We're in perfect shape to go into battle." Midoriko said with certainty. "But.." She looked around. "Where's Tō-san?"

"Hold on a minute, both of you!"

Not willing to accept Midoriko's bold statement so easily, Megami folded her arms across her chest and gave them a chastising look. "I haven't even touched you yet, Midoriko, and you just came out from encountering those beasts! If Daiyaku hadn't released his Zanpakutō in time, we would've all been killed... for safety reasons, I'm asking you to stay here--"

"Wait a minute, woah, woah, woah!"

However, Kibō was not one to give in so easily. "I do not care how wounded I am!" He snapped. "I already got my own parents killed by standing by and watching it all, whether it was against my will or not. I broke down last time, and it got my fucking Dad murdered by that son of a bitch! You're not going to keep me here!!" In fact, he seemed ready to use force to get that fact across.

"Stepmother, we're coming with you whether you like it or not." Midoriko said matter of factly. "Stop being overly concerned, we'll be fine. And you avoided my question. Where's Tō-san?"

"...." Megami remained silent for a moment, before closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. There was just no convincing the two. "Your father's been taken away by Kisuke in order for some training to prepare for the fight against Takahashi. I'm afraid I'm not sure when he'll return...."

"If it's Kisuke, then we have nothing to worry about. Tō-san will definitely come back stronger than before." Midoriko said, sounding sure. "But, why don't we make it so he doesn't need to fight at all? Since you came to get us, are we going immediately?"

"I planned on doing that." Megami answered calmly. "However, a Hell Butterfly can't go from one place in Soul Society to another, sadly.... so...." She gave an earnest smile towards her daughter. "Mi-chan is going to help us out with that."

"Oh yeah, yeah!" Miharu grinned. "Let's go outside, it'll be easier out there." She led them outside and raised up Kyūmu. "Improvise." She said, grinning. The mallet form it was in began to glow and she released it, allowing it to levitate. It moved forward slowly, and took the form of a gargantuan bird, easily large enough for all five of them to ride and then some.

"You like?" She asked, obviously pleased with herself.

"Whoo...." Kibō muttered, rolling his eyes. "We get to ride a giant chicken. Can we eat it afterwards?"

The bird turned and let out a roar in Kibō's direction.

"I was originally gonna go with a magic cloud." Miharu said, chuckling weakly. "I think this giant bird is good enough."

"It's fine Miharu." Midoriko said, looking up at the bird in amazement. "What can't that blade of yours do?" She asked rhetorically.

"We should go now." Everyone heard Aoi's carrying voice, looking to see that she was already on the bird's back.

Snickering at the bird's reaction, Kibō was immediate to hop on after her. Megami quickly followed suit, carefully suiting herself so that she wouldn't fall off. "If nothing's changed in the Seireitei concerning location...." She spoke out. "I should be able to pinpoint their location exactly."

Megami boarded the bird next to Kibō, and Miharu hopped into the bird's head. "Alright, Kyūmu. Go!" She seemed to be excited as the bird reared up and began flapping it's large wings. In an instant it took off, and they were flying. The bird began to straighten out and achieve level flight, soaring through the sky at speeds greater than the shuttle Rukia and company had used.

"Kā-chan, how long should it take to get to the Soul Society?" Miharu called to the middle of the bird, where Megami sat, gripping feathers.

Kibō interrupted immediately, giving the little girl a rather incredulous glance. "You know full well that no one would bother keeping distance!" He answered haughtily. "We'll get there when we get there!"

Miharu frowned. She hadn't been asking him, yet he went ahead and answered anyway. She tapped the bird, who began to cause motion where Kibō was sitting as if in attempt to throw him off.

"Woah, we're receiving some turbulence, Captain!" Kibō yelled, laughing afterwards. Immediately, this caused Megami's solemn mood to lighten a bit, and she put a hand to her mouth to giggle. It wasn't a very good joke, but hey. They needed something to keep a light attitude, right?

As they continued to fly, Miharu noticed storm clouds. "Um...I think we're about to have a problem." She said, pointing at the ominous black clouds that loomed ahead.

Miharu frowned. "This place was stormy when we first came to the Yūrei Ōkoku too." She said, remembering that boat and the strange man who owned it. "Let's hope this doesn't wind up being too serious a problem."

"I'm sure the bird can handle it.... can't it?" Megami questioned, a bit apprehensive upon visual of the black clouds that they were approaching.

"Hmm.." Miharu thought for a second. "Well, this bird could wind up as Christmas Dinner if it gets hit by lightning or anything. But this wouldn't be an Imagination-type Zanpakutō if I couldn't prevent a simple thing like that. Kyūmu, down!"

The bird took a dive, flying down under the storm cloud, towards the churning ocean. The bird straightened out again, achieving level flight and speeding across the sea.

BANG!

Just in time, too.

As it neared the water, bolts of lightning erupted from the clouds in the sky to signal the start of the storm. White flashes danced across the environment in a mixture of brilliance and unbearable power. The crackles of thunder were so loud, Megami even covered up her ears for fear of becoming death. Kibō looked above it all and whistled. "Whoo! That's some lightning storm, eh?"

Miharu grinned. "I'm rather enjoying this." She said as water sprayed up from the ocean. "Kyūmu, up a little!" The bird rose a little higher to keep the ocean spray away from it's passengers. "Kā-chan, after we get to the Seireitei, are they just gonna let us waltz on in, even if we say "we're here to help"?"

"I doubt it...." Megami lamented. "We're not personel of Gotei 13 status. They'll probably declare us as Ryoka right away."

"Weren't you a former Gotei 13 member?" Midoriko asked from the side, clutching onto feathers herself. "Wouldn't that count for something?"

"That's just it. I'm a former Gotei 13 member. They're not going to take my past status into account...."

Midoriko frowned. "I hope we're not going to have to fight members of the Gotei 13 just to get in..."

"Yeah... me too...."

They continued flying for some time, before Miharu started to speak. She saw land, and began to point down at it almost frantically. "Kā-chan, is that the Seireitei?"

Megami looked downwards, peering for a moment. Then, her eyes widened in recognition. "Ah! That's it!" She exclaimed. However, her expression took on a more solemn approach quickly. "Careful, though. There's a Sekiseki barrier that's protecting the entire area, so heading down casually won't be an option...."

"What the hell?!" Kibō said indignantly. "Then how are we supposed to get in?!"

"I'm sure we can land on the shore, can't we?" Miharu asked, stopping the bird, which hovered over the area, flapping occasionally to stay aloft.

"Hmm.... Rukia and her group may have done the same thing, so...." Megami immediately pointed the bird to what looked like the shores of Soul Society. "Take us down, Miharu. It may not be much, but it'll be a start to getting to where Rukia is."

"Kyūmu, descend!" Miharu ordered and the bird took a dive, tucking it's wings in at it's side. Right before it collided with the ground, it pulled up slightly, straightening out and making a near perfect landing. Miharu jumped off it's hand, landing on her feet. Midoriko and Aoi slid off, Midoriko looking slightly dizzy.

"All right...." As Kibō and Megami hopped off, the red-haired woman took in a deep breath and looked in the direction of the Seireitei. She lifted her finger to point in the direction of where they would've been going. "All right... once we move deeper into the Rukongai, we should be able to get to one of the gates. Unfortunately.... there's going to be a guard we have to convince to let us in. Otherwise... it's going to cause quite an alarm if we start fighting."

The bird began to glow, turning into energy and rushing into Miharu's hand, becoming it's normal sealed state. She sheathed her blade. "I guess all we can do is hope that we don't have to resort to fighting." Miharu said simply.

"Megami, can you lead?" Midoriko asked. "I've only been to the Seireitei once or twice, so I'm sure you know the area better than the rest of us."

"Of course." On cue, Megami stepped forward in front of the group, looking back to see if the rest of them were following. "Stick with me, and we can make it through without any troubles. Let's go." That being said, she began walking towards the outskirts of the Rukognai district.

They followed, Midoriko and Kibō following immediately after Megami, then Miharu, and Aoi took up the rear. "If we do have to fight, is it going to be like one guardian, or a small squad?" Midoriko asked curiously.

"One guardian. One guarding each gate." Megami explained. "But they are supposedly very strong."

"Not sure if that gets my blood boiling or makes me nervous." Midoriko replied. "I'm hoping we can talk him or her into letting us in."

"Same here...."

As they kept moving, it wasn't long before they reached the Rukongai inner city. They pressed on further, ignoring the stares of the residents, who mere most likely curious about their odd clothing. The circular gate of the Seireitei was looming over them, and as they kept moving, the group reached the Red Hollow Gate, guarded by a large, plump giant.

As Megami stepped forward, she was instantly greeted with its voice.

"Those that are not of the Seireitei....cannot.... enter so freely." It spoke so serenely, its eyes opening half-way to look down upon the group. Unlike Danzōmaru, this one seemed willing to listen to reason even moreso. "Have you come.... in an effort to intrude on sacred ground....?"

Miharu spoke first. "Um... we received a Jigokuchō from Rukia Kuchiki, a Shinigami here in the Seireitei. She said a Gate Guardian was attacked, ans she believed that someone else, a rogue Shinigami, was coming to attack as well. She said she wanted us here ASAP."