False Utopia: Warning

Family problems
The Kurosaki house. Normally it would be bustling with noise, but this day it seemed quiet. Aoi and Kyūi, who would normally be talking or outside training, were sitting on the sofa, a depressed look on their faces. It was obvious they were still thinking about the events of the other day.

Had she been a younger person, Kyuui would've been in tears a long time ago. She would've gladly started crying because Tou-san was once again angry at Kaa-san. However, her age matched her mentality; instead of doing so, she simply lay against the sofa with her eyes closed, hands folded across her breasts. Though her expression was a bit pained, she otherwise looked quite peaceful. However, she was not asleep. If she was trying to, the constant image of Taiki attacking Adela played again in her mind.

Ugh.... why did her parents have to have such a tense marriage?

Aoi sighed. "This always seems to happen.." She said, straightening the glasses she was wearing. She had a habit of removing her contacts when something was troubling her. "You get a calm period between them, then it spikes right back up again."

Kyuui didn't have anything to say to answer to such, only statements that would confirm. So, for the moment, she said nothing, allowing her grievances to float about in her head. "Maybe.... Kaa-san and Tou-san just aren't right for each other after all...." She muttered softly. It hurt her to speak the words.... but it hurt her even more to be aware of the fact that future fighting between the parents would possibly ensue.

"W-we can't think that." Aoi said quickly. "What if they wind up like Obā-chan and Ojī-chan? I even don't wanna think about that."

"I don't wanna think it, either...." There was a rather saddened tone in Kyuui's voice as she spoke. "But... it seems that's the way it's going to happen. Tou-san hasn't come back for a long time.... and I don't know how long he's been out...."

"Don't let that worry you." Aoi said, trying to sound consoling. "Tō-san's always out for long periods of time, just like Kā-chan."

"....I really hope you're right, Aoi...."

"I hope so too." Aoi sighed, straightening her glasses again.

Trouble of the dead kind
"Once again, we report the death of civilians, this time found by the roadside. The cause of death is the same as previously reported. Puncture wounds in the side of the neck, and the body itself seems to be drained of blood." Ahatake was once again watching the news, and it was loud enough to carry through a few rooms.

"Oh, dear.... again?"

The first one to approach the situation was none other than his wife, as she stepped into the room. A hand was placed over her mouth as she stepped to stand behind him, putting her free hand on his shoulder in order to let him know she was there. "How many more times will this happen, I wonder....?" She muttered in pondering and worry.

"Until we figure out what's happening." Ahatake replied. "I went to the World of the Living to tell Kisuke about this, but he came up blank." He sighed.

"We already know what's happening...." For a moment, Megami frowned skeptically. "There's someone.... something killing off civilians! The question is what's causing it...."

"What do you think I went to ask?" Ahatake said, switching the TV off. "Kisuke has no idea what it is."

"Oh, boy...." Megami pressed a hand to her forehead, turning away for a moment. Her expression was a mixture of exasperation and exaggerated pain. "You sure this isn't the cause of those.... Yōkai.... you were talking about during the whole Hiraishin incident? Y'know... those demons that attacked us?"

"No, this isn't the work of yōkai." Ahatake said with certainty. "Yōkai are like Hollows in their eating habits. They tend to leave blood splattered around their victims. They don't drain blood from them. And they don't leave a body intact either."

"So that eliminates yet another option...." Megami sighed unhappily. "Just great."

"This almost seems like the work of vampires." Ahatake said, placing a hand on his head. "But to my knowledge, vampires don't exist. I've heard of a "vampirist" but that's just another form of cannibalism. Perhaps this could be a human soul who was a vampirist in life...but they'd have gone straight to Hell." He sighed.

"....maybe they found some way of escaping?" Megami suggested, turning back around to face her husband. Her expression looked hopeful. "Vampire-like souls who found a way to escape from Hell? Would that be a plausible reason?"

"Maybe they never went. They could have gotten into the Soul Society somehow, though that would make them a Ryoka, and this regions barrier should have picked them up by now and altered someone." He frowned. "This is sending my mind straight to Hell."

....and there went another theory.

"Ugh!" Frustrated, Megami decided to throw herself onto the couch on front of the TV. "Your brain? Mine's being run on a barrier going the sound of light! This is ridiculous!"

"Perhaps I could be of assistance." A calm voice came from the window in the living room. Husband and wife looked up to see a young man with short silver hair sitting on the windowsill.

There was a moment of silence.

Now, I'm not very sure if the sight of the man sitting on your windowsill is normal to you. I'm not sure whether you'd just sit there, or even wave "Hi!" instead of freaking out and running of and/or throwing the nearest chair at him. I'm not even sure if you'd even walk up to him to give the guy a hug. If you have done one of these.... then, by God, give me some of your patience and level-headedness! Aizen would certainly be proud.

But in the case of Megami....

"AAAAAAAAAAH!"

That was certainly not the case.

Immediately, she rocketed out of the couch, using a Flash Step to re-appear once again behind her husband. Since she was a bit smaller than he was, he proved to be effective cover as she hid behind him, eyes peeking over his shoulder.

Ahatake laughed at this, but the young man jumped off the windowsill and landed lightly on the living room floor.

"Who are you exactly?" Ahatake asked, turning his head to look at the young man.

"I am Seiryoku." He said quietly. "As I said, I may be able to be of some assistance. But first, may I ask why you are hiding ma'am?" He asked to Megami.

"W...what do you think?!" Megami snapped. "You scared the living daylights out of me! Who the hell do you think you are, just hopping through the window like you live here?!" Immediately, she took a position beside Ahatake, folding her arms across her chest and fixing an annoyed glare at the man. You'd think someone would be so nice as to use the front door these days....

Seiryoku had a slightly exasperated look on his face at this. "And she's supposed to be a Shinigami?" He cleared his throat. "Like I said, I may be able to answer your questions. You were wondering what's been out there killing the civilians, yes?"

"Yes..."

"They're called Taishoku Kokumin." Seiryoku began to explain. "You were not wrong when you guessed at calling them "vampires". Taishoku Kokumin feed off the blood of spiritual beings, and absorb all that victims abilities. In a way, they are "Talent Eaters"."

Ah, now they were getting information! Megami's annoyance faded, and she was looking at Seiryoku with more expectancy than anything else. If this was a lead, it was sounding like a pretty good one so far....

"The Taishoku Kokumin, unlike most spiritual beings, are immortal in the sense that they cannot die normally. If left to their own devices, this band of Taishoku Kokumin will continue doing as they please until they get what they want."

"And...." Megami held a hand out in an explaining manner before re-folding it back within her arms. "What would be the ways to kill them?"

"Killing them is quite as easy as killing anyone else. Merely destroy the vitals." Seiryoku replied. "But, as I told you, Taishoku Kokumin kill others and absorb their abilities. And to add to that, they also have a special ability of their own. With an exceptionally large arsenal, they're not the easiest things to kill."

"I have a question for you." Ahatake asked, his voice slightly suspicious. "How do you know so much about these "Talent Eaters"?"

"Because I am one." Seiryoku replied simply.

....Oh. She had overlooked that.

"....and yet you're helping us?" Megami asked, puzzled. "Why?"

"I do not approve of the plan this group of Taishoku Kokumin have set in motion." Seiryoku replied. shrugging. "Their goal is to turn this world into a Utopia. However, the methods they intend to use during it's creation and after are something I find...less than fair for all involved."

"....but....do these killings...." Megami was almost hesitant to say it. "Do they have anything to do with this?"

"Yes. And so did I. I told you, it's how we feed, just like you eat the flesh of once living creatures, we drink the blood of human spirits and Shinigami."

Ahatake's eye twitched. "Bastard.."

In that rude comment, however, what he got in response was a nudge in the elbow from his beloved. "Ahatake!" Megami scolded gently. "Don't be rude. He's trying to help us, after all!"

"The group leader is called Sesshōmaru-"

"The name suits him." Ahatake said, interrupting.

"-and the others are younger individuals called Jōcho, Daiyaku, and Lynterria." He counted them on his fingers. "I also heard they've recruited a Shinigami as well, but I've yet to encounter him." He said the lie easily.

"Younger individuals?" Megami repeated in a questioning manner. "How old would they be?" She couldn't imagine children being in this band of murderers... but, then again, the impossible had happened many times before. If what she was thinking was true, then it shouldn't be much of a surprise.