The Schoolgirl's Favor

Prologue
Lightning tore across the Rukongai sky as a shadow stole through the night. While his movements were tense and furtive, he moved with a calculated grace that suggested he carried with him a certain purpose. He was headed directly for a point some distance outside of Chirijūjiro, the 72nd district of the south Rukongai, and did not hesitate as he flashed over streets that had been reduced to muddy rivers in the frigid downpour. As thunder roared through the heavens, the shadow shimmered into existence before a small, dilapidated shack that huddled against a jagged rock outcropping. The bramble that surrounded him shuddered as cutting wind lashed through its thorny branches, but the shadow seemed to completely ignore the storm around him as he focused on the dense point of spiritual pressure that lay somewhere within the ramshackle building. The energy was so palpable he could sense it drawing him in towards itself, an instinctive feeling in the pit of his stomach. For a moment he hesitated, pulling the dark hood of his Reiatsu-concealing cloak tighter around him as he checked over his shoulder to ensure he had not been followed. Then, reaching out delicately as if any sudden movement would cause a bomb to detonate, he undid the latch on the door and pulled it open to reveal a bright crack that hovered in the darkness. Light and energy poured from the opening, and it seemed to split open the very air itself.

It was a Senkaimon. One of the few naturally occurring gateways that had been coaxed into existence through an unknown, arcane ritual. And what it provided was a way to access the World of the Living without alerting the Seireitei. A smirk spread across the shadow’s face. No one would know he was here, and none could suspect where he would emerge next. Just as he had been instructed, he had operated with the upmost secrecy and had managed to slip through detection entirely. The skills he had honed over the course of a decade demanded no less. His standard was that of perfection. After all, he knew it was the only thing that would please her.

The shadow weaved an esoteric symbol through the air, unlocking the Senkaimon. White light flooded the small room, chasing away the darkness and revealing his wide grin. He chuckled, his excitement palpable as though he were about to pull off the heist of the century. In the next moment he plunged into the blinding abyss, and the Senkaimon snapped shut behind him.

The storm continued to rage across the Rukongai, but its herald had vanished.