Bleach: Shihai no Tsumi: Vengeance Unattained

Raising the Curtain
"Now it's time to raise the curtain on Act One." Takahashi said, as they exited the Garganta. All but the Shriekers. As the Garganta closed, they vanished into black smoke. "Angelika, I'd like you and your troops to head into the street and simply kill." He put ice-cold emphasis on the last word. "Man, woman, child, I'd like it dead. I do not care where you kill either. Be it in the Seireitei or in Rukongai, I want blood of the innocents as a message saying "We're here"."

"Of course...." Angelika's smooth and German-accented voice answered back to him, before she turned her head towards her two subordinates on either side of her. "Oliver!" She barked out. "Anton! Show our clients here how a sportsman hunts their ducks!"

This brought about a malicious smile above Oliver's face. He and Anton raised what appeared to be scoped rifles to aim down the sight, several targets of opportunity waiting down below. Just to add insult to injury, Oliver set his sights on the head of what looked like a young child running and skipping along the street. Despite being without her parents, she was looking quite happy to be outside for the moment. "At the ready, kraut." He said gruffly.

"Fire at will!"

''BANG! BANG! BANG!''

The girl's happy face immediately contorted to one of shock as the bullet tore through her chest. She fell to the ground, eyes losing their color and her expression becoming blank. Her head sank to its side, a trickle of blood flowing from her mouth. All around her, blood stained the ground.

The two troops continued to fire, killing any targets that they set their eyes on. Women, men, children, even animals... it didn't matter. They were all lambs to the slaughter, pigs shredded and eaten by the ruthless mercenaries. Oliver was laughing, clearly having a good time as he shot down civilian after civilian. "Eat this, you fucking monkeys!!!"

"Will this draw them out?" Nabiki asked, surveying the mass murder with a look of distaste on her face. She didn't approve of her Captain's order, but she wasn't going to question it.

"I'm counting on it." Takahashi replied. "I could find them myself if I wanted. But I'd prefer they come to me."

Over by the Red Hollow Gate, inside the Seireitei, the sounds caught the ears of Miharu, who was quick to point it out to the others. "Can you guys hear that?" She asked. "It sounds like gunshots."

"And screams...."

Megami's ears could pick up the sound of civilians screaming in terror, her heart quickening and her eyes narrowing. "It's happening again...." She whispered. "Those mercenaries have started their attack again!"

"Which means Takahashi's here!" Rukia realized suddenly. "I can feel his energy, How could I have missed it before this?"

"I think we need to get moving." Miharu said, though it sounded like an uncertain question.

"I know we have to get moving." Megami added, a rather stern tone in her voice. She stood up, looking over at Rukia. "Rukia! This is your ground now, I'm afraid I'm not a navigator when it comes to situations like this."

"Of course." Rukia nodded, and she took off, motioning for them to follow her. "I can't help but think they're doing this to send of a signal saying "We're here"." She said as she ran. "The falling spiritual signals, no matter how small, will be noticed by those with astute senses. Top it off with Takahashi's own large spiritual energy, and the entire Seireitei should be on alert soon."

"By this point, I think they already are...."

"We're getting closer." Rukia called back. "In a few minutes, we may be charging right into a hail of bullets!"

"W-what?" Miharu sounded shocked. "I don't wanna be shot full of holes!"

Megami clapped her hands together, focusing spiritual energy within them. She knew exactly what she had to do: a protective Kidō spell once they came within the range of the bullets. "What's your suggestion?!" She called out to Rukia, her eyes drifting up towards the sky.

"A protective Kidō barrier to start." She said, turning a corner as quickly as possible, the sound of bullets and screaming becoming more audible. "After that, we turn our sights on the ones doing the shooting. There are four of us, so we'll split. If we're lucky, it will only be one or two out there doing the shooting. That should make it slightly easier. I will deal with the snipers, Megami, you and your daughter head to Takahashi."

"U-us?" Miharu asked, sounding nervous and excited.

"Yes, you." Rukia nodded. "I can feel Midoriko and Kibō on their way back, and they seem to be accompanied by powerful Shinigami."

Megami nodded grimly. "All right...." She relented, bracing herself. "Here goes nothing.... Sotokonsekisho!" Using a great deal of her energy, she summoned a protective barrier as they charged headlong into death. When the gunners stopped firing, she would take her daughter and confront Takahashi.... and hopefully not die. She gritted her teeth as she kept the barrier up, hoping that they would not die in the initial onslaught.

As the barrier was formed, Angelika was the first one to notice. "Oh, look!" She remarked, smiling as she watched the defense take place. "It seems that the barely alert presences have taken to bringing themselves out in the open."

"Split now!" Rukia called out, and she launched herself with Shunpo in the direction of Oliver and Anton. Against firearms, she was at a bit of a disadvantage, so binding them seemed to be the most logical course of action. Going up into the air with a Shunpo, becoming a near blur with her speed, her fingertips on both hands began to glow with yellow energy.

"Bakudō, number 63! Sajo Sabaku!" She called out the Kidō name, and let strong ropes of energy fling from her fingertips, flying down towards Anton and Oliver, and, as they closed in, began to quickly snake around their bodies in an attempt to bind their arms.

Oliver's eyes widened in shock. "Oh, shit--"

"You really need to learn how to think reflexively, American."

The Russian smiled slyly, raising one hand up in front of him and towards the ropes. "Danku." He stated. Within seconds, a shield appeared in front of both him and the ropes that threatened to imprison him and his partner. He timed it perfectly; once the ropes collided, they disintegrated immediately. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Megami charge in with her daughter past them and towards Takahashi. But he paid no mind to it; what they were doing was suicide. Takahashi would slay them quickly and proceed on with the plan.

For now....

"A Kidō?" Rukia's expression was one of surprise as she descended to the ground. And a Danku no less. All low-level binding spells she could conserve energy with were useless if he could use that.

As Miharu and Megami charged in towards Takahashi, Miharu raised her hand, forming a blob of water. It began to lengthen, becoming spear-like, and then it froze. An ice spear.

"Take this!" Miharu threw the ice spear at Takahashi, and it spiraled, increasing in power as it sped towards him.

Takahashi stood there calmly, not fazed by the weapon coming his way. When the spear was no more than four inches away from him, it shattered, forming into several small, sharp shards. He smiled and the shards turned, launching themselves back at Miharu and Megami.

Immediately, Megami extended a hand out. This was her field, and she assumed as such. When the shards neared her, they liquified instantly. They floated towards her hand, taking on the form of her Zanpakutō. A grim smile came across her face as she lowered it, mentally cheering at her first step in the battle. But she knew that she was a far cry from Takahashi's abilites. Hopefully, with Kyumu, they both could stand a chance....

Silently, Anton lowered himself to the ground, tossing his gun away as he did so. His feet landed, and he was now standing a distance away from Rukia. Oliver, seeing as there was no more restraint, raised his rifle and continued to fire at the civilians left. By then, most had taken to their homes as protection, so there were only a few stragglers along with the corpses that scattered the ground.

Even after seeing Megami draw her sword, Takahashi made no move to draw his own. He pointed his hand down at the young girl, the first victim of the shooting. There was the sound of cracking, and flesh being ripped open. A bone, the femur, was floating up into his palm. While it moved, bone began to chip away, and it sharpened into a blade, which Takahashi grasped.

"W-what was that?" Miharu choked the words out, rather shocked to see bones of a dead body used like that.

"Telekinesis." Takahashi replied simply. "I need only think, and I have a new arsenal."

"I think I'm going to be sick...."

Megami grasped her stomach, looking on in horror at the newfound weapon. "That....was a child, you monster....!!!" She managed to gasp out, unable to believe her eyes. Her knuckles grew white, her squeeze on the hilt of her sword the cause of it.

"Child or not, once their dead, they're bodies are free to be used for anything." Takahashi replied. "A warrior makes use of everything he can, surroundings, even deceased individuals." He chuckled dryly. "Let me show you something fun." He twitched his fingers, and more bones, from various bodies, began to rip form their respective carcasses, and fly towards one point in the air where they began to assemble. Bone piling upon bone, connecting to various joints and such as removed, formed a skeleton. However, more bones began to crush on top of it, forming into a suit of armor. How many people had died for this? The flying bones stopped, and finished product was a large, white samurai, roughly human sized. Takahashi threw it the bone-sword.

"How do you like it?" Takahashi asked, amusement in his voice.

Megami couldn't even begin to describe the anger that was boiling within her.

She didn't grace him with a response.

Instead, she thrust her sword out at him, the tip pointed straight for him. That very blade separated into four pillars of crushing water, heading towards Takahashi at a breakneck speed.

"Tsk tsk." Takahashi swept his hand to the side, and the bone golem moved surprising fast, using it's large, durable body to block the water blade. "He is your opponent now."

Miharu had vanished from her spot, and she was behind Takahashi. "Forgot about me, didn'tcha?" She said smugly, raising Kyūmu. "Improvise!" She called out, and Kyūmu took the form of a giant, gleaming axe. She swung the axe down, only for Takahashi to raise his hand up, the aze (and Miharu) getting sent back without even touching him.

She skidded back. "What the heck?"

Down on the ground, Rukia has just drawn her blade. Due to Danku, low level Kidō spells were useless now, and she wanted to conserve as much energy as possible.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki." She held her Zanpakutō out in front of her and turned it in a circle counter-clockwise. As she turned it, the blade, hilt and tsuba turned completely white. She vanished, appearing back behind Oliver, seemingly turning her attention from Anton. She had to stop Oliver first. She forced her blade into the ground.

"Daiyon no Mai, Juhaku." She murmured. A trail of ice formed from where she stabbed the ground, and began to snake it's way towards Oliver. All the while, she was murmuring under her breath.

"....damn it."

Immediately, Oliver, clearly not happy about having to switch targets, shifted his fire towards the ice. First, he fired continuously, the bullets shattering through the ice and dismantling the structure of the attack. To whatever he missed, he leaped out of the way, performing an acrobatic roll before rising up in a crouch position. "Hey, Anton!" He called out. "I'm joining in on this fight. This bitch seems like she just ain't going to leave me be...."

Giving a curt nod to Oliver, Anton directed his gaze to Rukia for a moment, studying her over. "The noble Rukia Kuchiki...." He remarked slowly, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. "An honor meeting you.... if we weren't in this situation, I would gladly bow to you." The words he spoke had a genuine flow from them, even as he stood ready to fight the girl to the death.

Rukia turned to look over at Anton. "A polite killer. I can't say I've met someone like you before." She vanished with Shunpo, appearing at Anton's side, her white blade glowing.

"Some no Mai, Tsukishiro!" She made a slashing motion to her side, in Anton's direction. A large ice circle formed under his feet and quickly began to rise up, aiming to freeze anything everything within the circle's influence.

At first, it seemed to work.

The first thing Anton did was extend his hands towards Rukia before the ice arose underneath him. It enveloped him completely, freezing him in the pillar that was rising rapidly towards the sky. Wherever it went, only the owners of the attack would know. However, the only thing that was of concern was the man now frozen within its center. In a few moments, the ice would break, and he would shatter along with it. Gritting his teeth, Oliver aimed his weapon at Rukia and was ready to pull the trigger to end her life.

However, the girl's victory was short-lived.

SMASH!

From Anton's frozen body, a brief light of red was generated. Then, a bright red mass of flames burst forth from the ice, heating and liquifying it instantly. Oliver's eyes widened, but he kept the rifle trained on Rukia as the fire threatened to consume her. If Anton managed to kill her off with the move, well and good. But if not... he would catch her right where she stopped, pull the trigger, and finish her off right then and there. For her, it would be a lose-lose situation. But for them, it would be one step closer to victory and reward.

"G'night, Kuchiki...."

The moment Rukia saw the flames, she sped up, taking to the sky as quickly as possible in an effort to avoid them. As she moved, there was a flash of red, and Bala slammed right into Oliver's weapon.

"Gah!! What the--"

To his chagrin, the gun was knocked from his hands and slid a few feet away from him. His eyes narrowed, and he turned to glare at his assailant. It was a girl, the energy dissipating from her hands as the Bala subsided. Angelika blinked a little, staring in surprise at the newcomer that had approached. However, it faded away immediately. Of course there would be more to help the Kurosaki. They were in enemy territory after all!

Meanwhile, Megami focused her attention onto the golem. Hopefully, Takahashi wouldn't kill Miharu outright.... she decided to launch a second attack identical to the first, but this time at the golem that was apparently challenging her.

Nabiki was merely watching. She hadn't gone to draw her sword or join the battle in any way yet.

Miharu appeared in front of Takahashi, swinging the large axe down, only for it to be deflected once again without him so much as twitching a muscle. Miharu was grinding her teeth in frustration.

"Takahashi, tell me something." Miharu said, looking straight at him. "Why are you attacking the Seireitei?"

"Why?" Takahashi repeated. "To put it simply, I enjoy watching moving objects. A motionless pinwheel isn't worth watching. Then again, when it's stopped it can sometimes be sentimental too." He took a breath, and continued speaking as if he and Miharu were discussing this over drinks. "Either way, I am going to make the pinwheel spin with the destruction of the Gotei 13 right now." Eying Megami, he waved his hand, and the golem moved to the side, and swung it's armored arm up at her face.

BOOSH!

Bone collided with pressurized water, and the more continuous force dominated the latter. The giant was knocked back. Megami allowed a slight smirk to cross her face before swinging her hilt, the pillars swinging sideways along with it to cut into the monster's side.

As Rukia was coming up--

WOOSH!

--Anton was on her in an instant, his figure shadowing hers from behind. Two blades had merged onto his hand, both of them made out of spiritual energy. It was a dual Kirimi spell. "I'm Anton Semenov." He introduced himself. "Just in case both of us happen to survive this fight...!" With that, he swung one of the blades towards Rukia's side in an attempt to cut her in half.

Rukia dodged with Shunpo, and her timing was excellent, for the energy blade barely managed to singe her outfit. "Hadō number 9, Hakurai." She extended her palm, firing a powerful blast of lightning towards Anton.

Aoi was standing motionless for a moment, looking at Oliver. Then she vanished quietly, appearing in front of him without so much as a sound. Her hand immediately shot towards his chest, right where his heart would be located.

"From what you said, it sounded like you're attacking the Seireitei because you're bored." Miharu said quietly.

"You can think of it that way." Takahashi said, smiling.

"You killed people because you were bored?" Miharu's Zanpakutō began to morph, losing it's axe shape, and turning into a saw-toothed ice blade. Without a word, though her eyes were full of anger, she swung it, sending massive ice crystals shards at Takahashi. This time, he moved, though only slightly, blurring and reappearing slightly to the left.

Megami's attack hit home, cutting the bone golem in half easily. It began to crumble, and it appeared to be raining bones from it's spot.

Oliver's feelings compared to Aoi's were mutual.

With one hand of his own, the blond caught Aoi's hand at the wrist and raised her hand over her head. He balled his free hand into a fist, delivering three ferocious rights to the spot where the girl's ribs should've been. On the third punch, he forced her back from him. His teeth were gritted, and his eyes were widened in battle-driven rage. Reaching into his coat, he yanked out what looked like a high-caliber pistol. He aimed, unleashing several shots at the girl in order to finish her off quickly.

Aoi's Hierro did a good job of protecting her, the damaged the impact of those punches would have had was halved. She shrugged off the rest of the damage, and the moment she saw him pull the trigger, she jumped, dodging the bullets that flew under her. She breathed in through her nose and frowned.

"Your power..." She murmured, though loud enough for him to hear. "It smells weak..."