His True Colors?

He loved the smell of blood in the afternoon. Nothing quickened the heartbeat like it! He loved it like a junkie would his next fix.

In the skies above the Seireitei stood a man who was the spitting image of Kenji Hiroshi, draped in the staple black of so-called Gods of Death. His gray-streaked black hair moved gently in the high breeze and the smile he wore was almost predatory. But was the man himself gentle or predatory? The glint is those red eyes was clearly a sign of madness. But this was Kenji! A kinder hearted soul you'd never find. Despite his massive power he wouldn't harm a fly unless he really had to. Yet the blood covering this mans uniform hinted at darker intentions.

"Such a pity," he mused.

One of his main threads to this life was going to be severed within the hour. The pity was that he had another matter to attend to before he could devote all his time to that one end: the Gotei 13. He needed them off balance and indecisive. The Ryū Order had already been dealt a staggering blow. Now it was another's turn. It didn't matter which one of the Captains he struck down. Even one or two would make them cautious. Yes. That was what he needed.

"All that is needed is the invitations...!"

His spiritual power surged briefly: like a quick burning flair. It would appear like a beacon to anyone who noticed it one second and then the next there wouldn't be anything at all. Now... now he played the waiting game, and the smile he wore showed well the delight he took in what was about to happen...

Two figures quickly materialized in a walking pace, seemingly talking to each other in a rather nonchalant manner. They both look similar in weight and height but the clothing they wore spoke otherwise. One was bestacled and seemed to wear a Priest's Habit while the other wore a strange red and black outfit. However, the two individuals bore the standard markings of their rank, Captains.

"I'm telling you Nobu, the spiritual pressure here feels an awful like Kenji Hiroshi's. No doubt about it. But why would he be here in this neck of the woods?" The one in the strange outfit said to his companion.

"Agreed, it is strange to see him here. But Kei, shouldn't we have brought over the others? Or at least notified them? Especially Tadashi-san and Shin-san?" Nobu asked with a questioning look, the light glinting off his glasses.

"Why? Kenji doesn't really deserve a delegation to meet him. And it doesn't really matter right now; they should sense that we're already here." Kei replied briskly as they made their way to the strange presence. "Oi Kenji! Why don't you say hi will ya?" He hailed with a smile. Nobu merely greeted the man with a nod of acknowledgement, having been a blunt man of few words, especially to those he did not personally know.

The man's smile only deepened though it was visible for only the briefest of seconds before he was outwardly the kind, happy-go-lucky and somewhat lazy Head-Captain of the Ryū Order. His features became softer and the look in those eyes became less dark.

"Afternoon, Kei. And... Yes it is! Nobu, Captain of the 12th Division!" Did he sound a little too pleased about that? He'd done his research. "It's nice to finally meet you." He even imitated Kenji's prevalent quirks expertly.

'Kenji' descended with all indications of friendly greeting and touched down only a handful of feet from where the two Captains stood. The blood that soaked his uniform had yet to fully dry into the material so small droplets fell to the ground around him, but Kenji never seemed to notice them. Or maybe he did. It was hard to tell. He certainly never batted an eyelid despite the quantity of the stuff covering him. The uniform could hardly be called black anymore!

"I'm sorry for arriving unannounced and all, but I needed to clarify something personally." Just a little longer. Then he could strike! "There was an incident in Horiwari," he began to explain as he paced. "I was hoping I may find some leads here. Maybe a record of some kind?" It didn't matter what he talked to them about. The moment they dropped their guards was the moment he sought.

Something felt off in the air. The tension around them was quite unusual, feeling that it could break any minute now. "Oh? An incident in Horiwari? Alas, Kenji, you should know by now that I don't have the jurisdiction to allow you to come and go as you please here. Or do I? I don't really remember." Kei chuckled back, shrugging his shoulders as gazed at his friend. Next to him, Nobu started to fidget subconsciously, seemingly uncomfortable of the situation with them. In turn, he took the silver cross around his neck and kissed it, all the while saying some incomprehensible word under his breath.

"But nonetheless, this is my World of Serenity, not yours." He continued, slightly kicking the dirt off the ground. And for some reason, there was faint surge of spiritual power yet it had disappeared as fast as it appeared. "And by the look of it, the situation must be pretty dire to make you bleed those little droplets. You don't feel the pain?" He finished questioningly, eyeing Kenji's bloodied uniform and pointing at the spilled droplets.

Oh? This was an interesting little twist! Well, well, he might not need to wait at all. That little surge could easily be seen as a threat... and one thing he hated were threats. "How far is he willing to take it?"

All semblance of his Kenji persona dropped right off his face then. A sadistic full grin, wide eyes with a murderous intent gleaming in their red depths and an expression shouting rapture arose in their place. It was altogether a very different Kenji than the one Kei knew. It was almost like someone else had stepped into Kenji's skin and taken over.

"Me? Bleed these little droplets?" Kenji merely laughed. "What makes you think this blood is mine, Kei? The 'incident' I referred to was the defeat of two members of the Ryū Guard, as well as a certain Captain who was formerly my wife." The flash of a deeper grin only served to prove his words correct: Kenji had struck his own wife down! "Nobu has the right of it, Kei... Start praying!"

His zanpakutō flashed free of its sheath in one swift motion, its goal the head of Kei Yume!

His assailant's zanpakutō whipped towards the Captain's head at a resounding speed but all it managed to do was cut empty space. However, a millisecond earlier and the Captain would've been done for, if it were not for his latent suspicion and quick reaction. Kei appeared besides Nobu with a sigh, slightly sweating at the brow.

"I didn't figure you would be so quick to action Kenji, especially around me." He quickly said, while he dusted the accumulated dust off his clothing. He was apparently oblivious to the fact that Kenji had just tried to decapitate him, or was he merely feigning ignorance? "But you did manage to graze the shoulder here." Kei acknowledged, pointing at his somewhat damaged shoulder guard.

"But moving on, I guess you finally snapped right? Hmmm...nah, that can't be it; you can't really strike down your wife can you? Afterall, Kiyoko was just getting used to her, especially after Anna introduced them." He said while he pursed his lip and arched a brow. "There is something more to it isn't it? Or is my intuition off?" He said, in a way that he was talking to himself and to the man before him.

Kei turned his head to his silent companion, the man Kenji thought was merely saying a prayer. He slightly nodded to him, as if they mentally spoke to each other. "Nobu here wasn't praying pal. Since he's naturally uncomfortable around people and a penchant to notice a bad feeling, he just released his Zanpakuto with that kiss of his." He said as a matter of factly. "I assume you don't know that special ability of his. BUT, you'll find out soon enough." Kei finished cheerfully, while he gave Kenji a big wink.

As if on command, Nobu swept the hair out of his eyes and raised one of his hands. Suddenly, several ethereal blades of air and spiritual energy appeared right before Kenji's very eyes.

Kenji performed a quick twist while pivoting on the balls of his bare feet, followed by a circular slashing motion from his zanpakutō and a leap into the air. The blades thus missed his eyes though three slammed into his mid-section! His own blood trickled forth to mix with that already on his uniform, soaking it through once more as the Kenji-look-alike grinned in the air.

"There's always more to everything than what we expect. But have your reflexes dulled in this time of peace, Kei?" Kenji asked as he nonchalantly pulled the embedded blades free of his body, where he promptly smashed them with his left hand. "I remember a time when such low-level techniques caused you no second thought."

He then flash stepped behind them some distance away. "But it wasn't only my wife. I remember three headache-inducing crybabies being there as well. What where their names again? You met them didn't you? The crybabies? I probably suffocated them now that I think about it a little more." The casual way he spoke of the possible deaths of his children was just that: casual. There wasn't a shred of love nor regret in his tone. "But don't you worry about Anna, Kei. She'll come to me soon enough as well, just as soon as Van shares your fate."

Kenji then dropped into a martial stance favoring defense. "Try to keep this interesting, Kei, Nobu. At least give me one last challenge before you die."

"Ara ara Kenji. Are you a masochist now? No flinch but a smile?" Kei asked with a simple tone, him and Nobu turning to look at Kenji once again. "Actually, my reflexes are still in peak at the moment. It was my fault really, since I wasn't honestly paying attention. You know me afterall, don't you?" He questioned.

The tone in Kenji's voice was simply menacing, and something to be wary of one might say. To have no care for family and only criticizing them with sadistic enjoyment meant something else...something despicable.

"Such a shame actually. And here I was hoping to relax and enjoy myself with Nobu and you." Kei said with a disappointed look. "Nobu doesn't really get out much and I thought it would be great for him to do so. Right Mr. Nobu?" He asked, smacking him on the back.

Nobu arched back in slight pain and only managed to cough in response. "Yes." He bluntly replied. "But Captain Kei, shouldn't we get back on topic and deal with the aggressor?" Nobu asked while he fixed the position of his glasses.

"Now now Nobu, don't be a spoil sport. I like to talk while we fight. Isn't that too much to ask?" He replied back.

"I suppose..but if we're not careful, he'll get the better of us." Nobu simply said as he fidgeted with his fingers.

"It depends. But I guess you're right for now." Kei sighed in response. He then stuck out his hand and a Zanpakuto immediately materialized in his hand, it glowing a mysterious pale blue color. The Captain known as Kei Yume finally chose to ready himself and in a matter of moments, appeared besides Kenji, already poised to strike. "In order to give a challenge, you must be a challenge yourself Kenji." He callously whispered to Kenji as he attacked with an overhead sweep.

Meanwhile, Nobu stayed in his position and merely pointed his hands at Kenji once again. But this time, the two sword-like crosses on his stole momentarily glowed before appearing over his head. Flicking his hand, the crosses flew at Kenji at a dangerous speed.

"Since when have I been anything but a challenge?" Kenji said in reply. "Two on one doesn't necessarily give you any advantages." He mocked internally. "It means I can do this."

The man known as the Archon of Storms twisted quickly with a combination of coordinated movement and simple shunpo skill, taking him around Kei's overhead strike, whose momentum took him to stand where Kenji had just been. Nobu's speedy ranged assault became a very real danger but to a very different target. Kenji was now in a prime position to force Kei to make a choice: take the blade whizzing towards his flank or the ethereal blades descending towards his skull?

But had Kenji been so fast before? Certainly not without his lightning enhancement, and Kei had saw the limits of his friends standard shunpo. Not only was this Kenji faster, but he was altogether more ruthless as well. "Think quickly, Kei." It quickly became apparent that Kenji wasn't pulling his punches. Just like his initial attack his current slash was filled with very real killing intent. He wasn't here to mince words or catch up with his friends. He was here to kill!

"I will."

In what seemed to be a heartbeat and the sound of fluttering wings, two separate noises were heard. A definite clash of metal against metal and a visceral impact of ethereal blades against flesh. But whose flesh?

Looking at the two individuals against each other, one could see that it was no one's flesh, to say the least. As Kei and Kenji collided their blades with one another, something that seemed to bear the appearance of a large cape hung from his side, and it seemed to be bleeding a small amount of blood. But upon closer inspection, it was a wing!

Kei looked directly at Kenji as they vied for dominance in their short but intense clash, his face breaking out into a wide grin. "I chose both Kenji. But you made me reveal the wing earlier than expected. You see, both Nobu and I knew something was wrong and we each took our precautions as we spoke to you. Didn't you notice that slight fluctuation of spiritual energy before? That was me." He said as he removed one hand from his Zanpakuto. Kei ran his palm over it, seemingly changing its appearance to a strange blood red blade, his Shikai.

"I enjoy the fact that you're somehow off your rocker right now. But I'm more inclined to think otherwise. Your eyes are a bit different once I got a good look at it. Wearing contacts?" Kei teased as he jumped back. "Form VII." He said under his breath, taking up a short and open position, his blade held out away from the body in a somewhat loose grip.

Kenji disengaged of his own accord and slid along the ground on a cloud of reishi, similar to the Quincy Hirenkyaku technique in basic principle before coming to a controlled stop. Dust clung to the drying blood of his uniform and he narrowed those intense red eyes on his opposition.

"Suffer, Rīchimei." He whispered so softly none around him heard. "Do you want to see my latest discovery?" Kenji asked of the Captain. "Look closely, search carefully and above all: don't drop your guard. It would be a shame if this ended too quickly." A sickly miasma of dark energy began to rise from Kenji's zanpakutō. To anyone in the know such as Kei was they'd think it was an attachment of Kagenokami Shikai skills. "Care to test it... Weaver of Dreams?"

He put an unnecessary twist on the title that made it sound more mocking than respectful. He even waved his fingers at the Captain in an attempt to goad him. "How about you, Nobu? Can someone of your intellect work out what's going on?"

"I don't just weave dreams, I also destroy them!" Kei rebuked back with a smile, noticing the slight change to his Zanpakuto. While Kenji had a dramatic change in personality, Kei now had to be wary with just about everything whenever it concerned the man. He could have something terrible up his sleeves. The atmosphere told him so but what could it be?

Nobu slightly jumped and immediately appeared besides Kei, hands behind his back, and his face etched with a small smirk. He started out slowly, "Yes...I believe could." Nobu replied, taking off his glasses. He swept up his hair once again, revealing a golden eye in his right socket. "Upon closer inspection of your body and the researching Kenji's personality profile in the Shinigami Database, it would clearly make him a traitor. However, Kenji as we all know, wouldn't be able to do such a thing; there is no purpose to this senseless violence you are propagating. You are Kenji. But then you are not. So, who are you?" He asked rhetorically.

Kenji was seemingly content to momentarily stall events by talking with his opposition. "I just need to keep a close eye on the clock and on my surroundings." It would be a shame if more Captains arrived. So he relaxed his posture but the miasma that clung to his blade remained unchanged. The wispy swirls of its blackened depths seemed to corrupt and sever, though to what extreme was unknown. One thing was clear though: the longer it remained the more dangerous it became. His plan was to let it disperse into the air and from there take its final form, and when it did... well, it was already too late to stop when it reached that stage. So yes, he was very content.

"I'm not capable of the violence I'm propagating?" Kenji scoffed at the very notion. "You obviously never saw any of my battles against Averian, Nobu. I was no different then than I am now." It was true in every sense. His final gambit had been a desperate one. Had it not succeeded he would have ended up causing the death of everyone within Horiwari. He then looked at Kei. "On another note you have never seen me fight seriously against a Visored. I could die happy if I managed to wipe out all of them, even my dear brother, Rosuto, from the face of this Earth. It's all they deserve... they are simply Hybrid-scum after all." The last was an insult directed solely at Kei himself and the Tenshi heritage that flowed through his veins. "But lets move on, shall we? I have a question I'd like to pose to you both. Can any of you honestly claim that you really knew me? You certainly know what I'm capable of, this much is true. But you," and he looked at Nobu, "base your analysis on records. I'm a master of mis-direction! Making you think one thing about me while hiding another is what I excel at."

Kenji could say what he wanted though. Not once did he actually claim the name of the man he looked like.

"Oh yes. How ignorant I am. Let me reiterate. You are capable of propagating that amount of violence but to do so against your allies is simply preposterous." Nobu replied dryly. "However, if you were ever so capable, I see no reason in why you chose not to simply eradicate Horiwari off the face of the Earth rather than senselessly boast about it."

Kei clicked in his tongue in mock annoyance. "Tchhh. Doesn't matter if I'm Hybrid-scum or not, I still have a duty to uphold. The mere threat of extermination you present only serves to rile me up more. Even if I were to die, I would die a Shinigami; for I am a Shinigami at heart, no matter what my heritage seems to be." He said while he impatiently tapped his foot on the ground, cancelling his Form VII posture.

"Kei, Kenji's behavior is becoming more erratic by the second. As such, I am unable to answer the question, because he's not the Kenji Hiroshi we used to know." Nobu quietly said to himself, walking back and forth restlessly. Kei slightly nodded in agreement.

"So what are we going to do? Declare Kenji insane and detain him for further questioning?" Kei asked Nobu.

"I suppose. But it won't be easy. Projected Injuries number at 90%." Nobu replied.

Kei broke out in a small chuckle. "Don't worry, I have us covered. You have a back-up plan as well." He said, giving his bewildered companion a mischievous wink. "Give us your best shot Crazy Head." Kei told Kenji, his face seemingly beckoning to him.

There was little they could do now. The next time both men tried to use their zanpakutō they would find that the use of its abilities came with greater hardship than before. And it would only get worse as time progressed. The miasma was already all around them and in the very air they where breathing. Soon they wouldn't even be able to call upon their reiryoku reserves for the mist had a profound effect on spiritual beings. It broke apart the bonds of reishi holding a being together, interferred with their reiryoku pool and ultimately prevented them releasing that reiryoku as reiatsu or powering their Shinigami abilities. Even the bond with a zanpakutō was eroded and eventually severed. Kenji grinned as his strategy finally came full-circle.

"I'm delighted to inform you that you failed to work out what was going on, Nobu." Kenji said. "I wasn't talking about what was going on with me when I asked you if you could figure it out. I was talking about this," and he raised his zanpakutō so it was level with both Captains, "my zanpakutō. Try all you wish it's already too late. I'll let you discover for yourselves what it does."

Kenji then released his reiatsu! Electricity surged around his being and began leaving him in discharged arcs that danced across the ground. Even the very air seemed to be electrically charged. "Not many can stand against the Archon of Storms when he gets serious, you know. Can you?" It seemed he was daring his enemies to try.

"You are no longer the Archons of Storms in our eyes." Nobu quietly said while he played with his glasses. "We'll take great care to not destroy your body; I wish to dissect you and your abilities."

Nobu looked at Kei and nodded to him. "Based through the Kinme's initial analysis and Kenji's spiritual wavelength, Kenji spiritual power is the same, but not this Zanpakuto. In conclusion, we must remain more wary than we already were."

"Understood." His companion complied with a cheery tone. "This is something new, it'll seem like I'll be trespassing on the lines of death once again!" Kei then returned to his former posture once again, looking intently at Kenji. "Something dangerous is in the air. It's you isn't it? Or it could be me, doesn't really matter." He finished with an abrupt chuckle. Even after all this talk, Kei showed no hint of fear or apprehension, as it hard to completely discern his true intentions under that cheery and carefree exterior. But by the look of his eyes, something has been apparently planned from the start.

"Can you hear it? The sound... of the wind." Kenji whispered before wind swirls awoke on the edge of his zanpakutō in addition to the sickly miasma. "Stay like that. Do not lose your shape, do not become distracted. To do so means death before my Niten: Fūdō style."

He disappeared and reappeared to Kei's side where he immediately lashed out with a vicious wind-enforced cut! But the moment he saw Kei move to intercept the attack Kenji disappeared again, this time moving almost instantly to Nobu's exposed side. The Captain was an intelligent man. Best to put him out of commission before he figured things out. The same wind-aided cut moved towards Nobu's ribs!

The Captain let out an exaggerated gasp before he started to smile. Something was afoot. As he wind-aided cut that Kenji aimed at Nobu's ribs neared his body to make contact, it was somehow deflected away from the man, sending the attack towards the ground beside him, as if an invisible barrier took the blade and just threw it aside. But Nobu's face instantly grimaced after that happened, as if it somehow pained him to do so.

"It takes more than just simple mis-direction to get to me Kenji-san." Nobu said, crossing his arms and letting out a tired sigh. "It would've been better if you aimed for Kei; you have a better chance of injuring him than I."

"Kei, something is wrong. I have a harder time using my abilities right now. I think Kenji did something, so don't let your guard down." Nobu telepathically communicated to Kei, using his Communication Amulet the two wore.

Kei nodded his head in acknowledgment and simply tightened his grip on the Zanpakuto. He prepared himself and immediately disappeared and reappeared in a careful sequence besides Kenji, using a ferocious sword stroke towards the man. But when Kenji similarly blocked it, Kei did not relent and instead, continued his assault on the man, wailing away at his defenses in the hopes that it would break in no time.

They didn't. Kenji was a well known Zanjutsu master and knew how to both defend and attack in an exchange of steel. Kei kept attacking and Kenji merely kept his cool, using extreme speed and his intimate knowledge and experience to block, divert, attack, side-step, strike, duck and then repeat in a never-ending cycle. He and Kei seemed to be dancing along to a tune only they knew or heard and the scrapping and slapping together of steel rung as their exchanged continued to grow in intensity.

"Tell me, Kei, can you keep this up?" Kenji wore an expression of complete rapture. Nothing got the blood flowing quite like an exchange of steel. "I hope so, for your sake."

The wind swirls intensified as Kenji's spiritual energy soared! His blocks, strikes and movements became faster and more precise, his zanpakutō seemed heavier as he upped his strength. He then began flash stepping small distances to test Kei's defenses, hoping to chip away until an opening presented itself to him. And all the while he never once lost his cool or composure. He was the face of utter calm and, for the first time since he arrived, Kenji began to look like the Kenji of old.

"Form II." Kei quietly replied, as if he spoke to himself, suddenly changed his Form VII posture to that of a single handed low guard, held at his side and his feet shoulder width apart. The man was focused, intensely concentrating on the calculated battle between them. Strike after strike, parry after parry, there seemed to be no end. To those venerable Zanjutsu Masters, like Kenji and Kei, this was no longer a duel of the sword. It was something greater, a battle between one's pride and will. It was an elegant duel to be exact, a dance of blades that only a select few could really enjoy, filled with exasperated grunts hurling back and forth. Nobu could only stare at them in awe while stayed at the sidelines.

Like Kenji, Kei had made a name for himself as a Zanjutsu Master, eventually becoming known as the Kensei No Yume. Time and effort, and countless battles had forged a lackluster man into a cheery and professional killing machine. Unwilling to relent to those before him, choosing a draw over a defeat.

He continually looked for an opening, but against an individual with so much experience like him, that would not happen soon. Or ever. He could only look for a contentious opportunity, looking for any recognizable weak points and subsequently exploiting the said opening to his benefit. The energy Kei expelled started to increase with each passing moment, using the Wisdom energy to fuel his muscles, mirroring that of Kenji's continual rise in energy as well.

Kenji gave ground momentarily as he felt out Kei's change in form, altering his own offense into a tight but speedy defense. He kept his parries quick and precise however to prevent his opponents probing while seeking to exploit an opening himself. It led to a classic stalemate rarely seen. Two men in the prime of their lives, who stood at the pinnacle of zanjutsu mastery, locked in deadly and vicious combat. The battle was as much a mental one as a physical one. Kenji was running through scenarios in his head almost instinctively, and no doubt Kei was doing the same, while their bodies moved through instinctual movements long ago perfected.

"The fabled Seven Faces of Kei," Kenji remarked. "It's been a while since I last seen you use them." For the second time he sounded like the Kenji of old for his tone was strangely respectful.

Kenji twisted around one of Kei's probing strikes and proceeded to adopt a low guard with a balanced stance, while the wind danced along his zanpakutō's edge. He then went on the offensive with balanced one-handed blade work and his signature composure, combining sudden and unexpected surges of speed with precision parries complemented with lacerating winds and quick counters. The two blades at work blurred quicker than before as both continued to up their game. His style then abruptly altered again as he momentarily changed to a two-handed form, where he executed a delicate side-step followed by a low spinning strike intended to cut into Kei's ribs!

Kei did not expect the sudden change in composure as he awkwardly attempted to jump backwards while he tried deflected the carefully directed strike away from hims body, making a large clanging noise in the process whilst sending sparks into the air. But Kenji's attack had more strength than he calculated and Kei did not provide the necessary amount of counter strength, causing his attacker's blade to nick on him on the side. He grunted in response and merely gritted his teeth, somewhat angry at his simple miscalculation.

"Damn, I should've seen that coming." Kei remarked as he let out a large disappointed sigh. He looked up at Kenji and gave him a hearty smile. "You told me before that you liked the Seven Forms, so I thought I should use it against you. Seems like a pretty idea I did. Haha!"

Kei's eyes suddenly became morose and thoughtful as he clenched his Zanpakuto. "Tell me Kenji, is there a point to all this?" He received no answer, just exonerated silence. "Go figure." He remarked with a slight chuckle.

For a brief moment, the battle between the two men had somehow stop. The atmosphere around them was deep and tense, filled to the brim with a dangerous and dark miasma.

Nobu noticed the sudden change and slightly moved away from Kei and Kenji's battle. Instead, he took the time to activate the Kinme located in his right eye, observing the spiritual signatures each of them exhibited. Kei's was usual as normal but it was relatively hard to discern anything, mainly because of his companion's alien physiology. But when he paid close attention to their former comrade, Nobu gasped. Kenji's spiritual signature was quite different from before. It was not the calm and serene type he was known. Instead, it was chaotic sea of dark energy, rampantly fluctuating higher and higher with each passing minute. And they were unfortunately caught in the middle of it.

"Something is definitely wrong," Nobu whispered to himself, pursing his lips. Sighing as his mind made every attempt to create a plan, he could only think one up for the time being. And it was pretty stupid, even for his standards, due to the fact that it was probably bothersome to begin with. Taking the hair away from his right eye, Nobu activated the Kinme once again, charging the energy within the construct. Within moments, he fired a condensed beam of yellow energy directed at Kenji, hoping that it would at least injure him.

Kenji side-stepped enough to take him out of harms way... or so he thought. He was so focused on his exchange with Kei that, in truth, he'd forgotten about Nobu almost completely. Instead of evading completely Kenji's right arm was struck close to the elbow, where a sizable hole now existed. Approximately half of his right elbow had been blown away!

Kenji tutted in response. "Look what you've done, Nobu. You've destroyed my right arm." He then funneled electrical Kidō through his zanpakutō via. The lightning mixed with the wind currents already present. "But you should really know something about me," he whispered. He then teleported to Nobu's back. "I'm not right-handed!" He wondered how well the defense he used earlier would serve him now? The miasma was active a long time and Kenji was aiming to take Nobu out of the contest as Kei nursed his injury.

Nobu's normally blank face broke out in surprise but after a second or two, he immediately regathered himself. The Captain attempted to jump back while he turned to face the assailant. Unlike Kei, Nobu was practically defenseless, armed with no Zanpakuto. He had to rely on other means of attack and defense to make things work. "Too bad for you, I'm faster than I look." He simply stated. "Vectors are a great thing to manipulate, don't you think?" Suddenly appearing somewhere adjacent to Kenji.

"That's all I can tell you though. But I'm pretty sure you can figure it out." Nobu continued to say. He then pointed his hands towards Kenji and smacked them together. "Houkouseigufuu." The air around Kenji started to violently turn around him, eventually becoming something akin to a vortex. What Kenji didn't know was that it was packed full of brute force and was entirely capable of inflicting massive damage. But to the likes of Kenji, he'll probably devise a way against it.

"Don't worry Kenji. When this is all over, I'll give you an injection of the magical green serum." Nobu declared with a halfhearted smile.

There was really only one option open to him now, what with his arm in the condition it was in. As he was spun around by this vortex Kenji flicked the air thrice as he spun. The moment another revolution was made and completed he simply ceased to be where he was. Descorrer allowed him to open Garganta rather easily and he now stood safely within the Dangai Precipice World. He hadn't wanted to use any of his Hollow powers so soon, but he might have need to.

"I underestimated Nobu," Kenji thought angrily. "I knew Kei was strong. But I never expected Nobu to be as calm as he is." He would need to fall. Opening another pathway to return him to the battlefield, Kenji silently stepped out quite the distance away from both his competitors. "I didn't actually want to have to do this," he said rather sardonically, "but you have forced my hand. Perhaps, Kei, this will serve as a demonstration to just how far... how would you say it? Oh, yes! 'How far I have fallen?'"

Kenji took his zanpakutō holding right hand, brought it towards his face, smiled maliciously, and began gathering spiritual matter in the form of purplish specks with a distinct blackened outline. The oppressive feel of Hollow reiatsu swept through the area like a fierce gale! He finally made the ripping motion, obscuring himself in a column of violet spiritual energy that shot into the sky like a beacon, accompanied with flashes of black at regular intervals. When the light vanished Kenji's Hollowfication could only be compared to the traitorous Kaname Tōsen in advancement. It wasn't just a mask. He now wore a pair of black pants and gloves, with a white, form-fitting shirt underneath. Over that was a purple, high-collared, long sleeve mantle that split down the lower half. The mask itself was white with a purple tint that covered the entire upper-half of his skull, complete with a swirl pattern and three tomoe-shaped holes. Two of these served as the eye slits, which showed shining yellow eyes staring out with murderous intentions.

"Shall we continue?" He asked in a distinct dual tone.

Both Kei and Nobu took a step back as they felt the dark and oppressive miasma that flowed outside of Kenji's body. If it were not for their Captain-level spiritual pressure, they would've been completely overwhelmed in an instant. They simply stared at Kenji with an astonished expression as the two Shinigami attempted to comprehend the form before them.

Kei moved his head in disappointment, clicking his tongue reflexively. "Fu fu fu. You somehow hollowfied yourself once again I see. Such a shame, really. You indeed, let yourself go, to go to that extent to separate yourself from the rest. It definitely won't sit well with the others, especially after this." His tone sounded quite blunt but had an air of enforced sadness around it. Nobu appeared besides his companion and although he did not speak, his eyes were rather downcast and he clenched his fists upon seeing Kenji's Hollow Mask.

"If you wish to continue Kenji Hiroshi, so be it." The two Shinigami Captains said in unison, immediately taking battle-ready stances. Nobu was the first to initiate, manifesting the sword-like crosses over his head and sending them towards their enemy.

"Oh, I'll continue," he retorted with a sharp tone of voice, "of that you have no worry."

He then began walking towards them in a wide circle as he casually sliced through Nobu's ranged assault. He was using an annoyingly slow pace, almost like he was deliberately letting their minds wonder as to what his capabilities now where. His eyes gleamed with that light of madness and even though his mask obscured his features, the arrogant swagger he had adopted shouted the fact that he was likely smiling as well. What made matters worse was the fact the sickly miasma earlier released by his zanpakutō had turned into a lingering fog that, despite Nobu's hurricane-like technique, remained active within the air.

"Tell me, Kei, Nobu; have either of you ever felt true despair? If not... you are about too. Go on. Release your zanpakutō: I dare you."

The fog was his greatest weapon. Yes, he was a master of both Zanjutsu and Hohō. Yes he had incredible strength. All his abilities paled in light of that one ability. It caused disharmony between a Shinigami and their greatest partner: their zanpakutō. The act of releasing a zanpakutō into either Shikai or Bankai while the fog remained would be next to impossible, which was why Kenji was grinning from ear-to-ear, even if the mask hid that little fact. Even abilities granted by an already released zanpakutō would be excessively difficult to access and use effectively, as the disharmony effected their strength.

Nobu started to cough in an erratic fashion, apparently being affected by the atmosphere and surrounding fog around them. He attempted to wipe the spittle running down his mouth but to no avail. He started to sweat profusely and he could hardly stay on his feet, letting himself rely on Kei for momentary support. "You did something, didn't you Kenji? It can't be poison, I can easily fix, so it has to be something else..." Nobu let the sentence run off, mainly because he started to cough more and more.

"Fool, that thing you did that's affecting Nobu won't work on me. I'm more Tenshi than Shinigami now, how can you have easily forgotten?" Kei casually replied, his full of indignation and annoyance. He held up his Zanpakuto once again to show Kenji his blood red blade. But with a simple flick of his wrist, it instantly changed appearance and color to that of a gold broadsword. "Something is definitely wrong with your head." He muttered to himself. "Having missed one crucial fact about me."

"I didn't forget," Kenji replied with his classic grin. "It just means your spiritual makeup is a lot more complicated, and thus harder to target, than Nobu's is." He then began a low chuckle that was both mocking and irritating. "This particular power of Sanmiittai targets the soul, Kei. We are all spiritual beings; whether you are a Shinigami, a Visored or a Tenshi. But don't expect me to succumb to this any time soon, old friend. Sanmiittai would never turn on me."

With his explanation over Kenji finally assumed what could be called an offensive stance. He begun his attack with a surge of reiatsu mixed with pure killing intent! The result was similar to the tricks Zaraki Kenpachi once performed, with his aura being mistaken for illusions. Right now Kei and Nobu couldn't help but feel phantom blades prickle their skin. Kenji then literally vanished! One moment he was standing before them; the next he was gone!

"Boo," he exclaimed as he appeared behind the two Captains. The two where quite close to another so Kenji utilized a low, wind-coated slash aiming to bisect both from behind!

Kei reacted in time, managing to jump a few feet back, narrowly avoiding the blade that could've bisected him in two. He breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the few drops of sweat from his brow.

However, his companion wasn't so lucky. Nobu was caught by surprise by Kenji's attack as he appeared and wasn't able to activate his power in time. He felt a hot searing sensation fell in his waistline as Kenji made a clean slice through his body. Nobu managed to gasp a breathe of surprise before falling to the ground as his top half and bottom half flew in separate directions, his body reflexively twitching in response. "Nobu!" Kei cried out in horror, seeing his companion mercilessly cut down right before his eyes.

The pain wasn't so bad, but it did hurt like hell to say the least. But all Nobu could think off was how Kenji managed to get past his defenses, lest his absolute defense his Zanpakuto provided. Could it be that it was merely unable to respond in time? Or Kenji had done something with that miasma of his to counteract Nobu's own abilities? He shook his head in disbelief, unwilling to let that fact unsettle him, even though he was cut in half.

"No matter, I'll just use the green seru-" Nobu didn't complete the sentence. He just remembered something. His lower half had the serum. Had it been another body part or limb, it could've been fixed as expected but with him in this state, it would be of no use. He breathed a large sigh as Nobu let his head lay on the ground. His body was already starting to feel the after effects and Nobu was unable to stay conscious. "I actually might die," He said to himself, smirking in the process. "Damn."

"It's up to you pal." Nobu telepathically relayed to Kei, as he faded out of consciousness.

After seeing his friend lay in that sorry state, Kei gritted his teeth and changed his nonchalant gaze into a serious one, filled with what seemed to be killing intent. "RAHHHH! He yelled as Kei made a dash forward to Kenji, making seemingly wild swings at the man, using his controlled passion the best way he could.

Kenji grinned at one half of his tasks completion. "Whether I can kill Kei or not, it doesn't mater anymore." The fall of Nobu would unsettle the Gotei 13. What made matters worse for them was that he was their best scientist and researcher. It would be harder to research anything about him with Nobu in this state.

"Come, Kei, is anger the right path?"

Kenji dropped into a tight defense. Kei's wild swings where powerful, true, but they where just that: wild. Parries sufficed to divert his blade, yet Kei wasn't fully given over to his anger. The smile dropped right off Kenji's face as the tip of Kei's zanpakutō bit into his right-hand side near the ribs. Tutting he put more strength behind his next parry and then vaulted over his enemies head and vanished via Shunpo. With sufficient space opened up between them Kenji loosened his right sleeve so that the arm Nobu had ruined earlier was jammed between his body and the cloth. It was beginning to become a liability.

"You are usually so calm, so composed. So annoyingly enthusiastic." Kenji's smile returned fully. "What happened to unsettle you so much, old friend? Perhaps I can ease your pain?"

"It's fine, Form VII partially relies on this emotion and I need to fuel the flame at least. Seeing what happened to Nobu served a purpose, albeit an unfortunate one. And now that I've caught your attention, I can the wildness into something more refined and civilized." He asked, still bearing his serious expression. Kei reacted instinctively, appearing Kenji's front and continued the offensive. His attacks did change in composition, gradually going from wild to finely controlled passion to say the least. While he wasn't wildly flailing like before, each strike still bore the justified anger.

Kei took a side glanced at Nobu, who still remained unmoving but was still breathing. With that in mind, he continued on, slowly seeing the flaws in his opponent's blade work and the liability his injured arm provided.

Resulting in Kenji being steadily and surely pushed onto his back foot! Kei wielded righteous fury, albeit it controlled, and Kenji was missing the benefit of his right arm for swordsmanship. He could move the fingers and palm, but against Kei, it'd be the same as using one arm. One arm against two -- it wasn't difficult to determine who would come out the worst. Even with his Hollow mask aiding him, Kenji could do little but defend. His tight defenses where quickly being undermined by Kei's blade work, and little sprays of blood flew from Kenji's body as Kei's blade again bit skin. Skidding back, only to be intercepted again, Kenji's smile was replaced by a serious expression. There was no jibe. There was to enjoyment. Kenji simply looked... like someone else. None of those expressions where his own anymore.

"Tut," he sounded exasperated.

He wasn't going to win this engagement. Not through swordsmanship at any rate. His right arm may still prove some usefulness however... He painfully moved the hand into position and flexed those fingers. With those thoughts driving him Kenji threw everything into a parry and allowed his body to be carried by the force of his own strike. But was he wide open? Not in the slightest. Red light began to seep through his clothing and in that instant a red Cero burst from the cloth at near-point-blank range!

"Tch." Kei cried out as he attempted to dodge the the red Cero, awkwardly moving his body in response. However, he wasn't able to move in time, the red Cero being able to strike part of his back, singeing the flesh and leaving it blackened. He gritted his teeth in pain but in response, Kei retaliated with his own attack, "Yume No Piasu!" He abruptly said, swinging his blade to release a charge of Wisdom energy at Kenji.

At such close range as well as the pain from his arm, Kenjiro just couldn't react more than twisting to the side -- which resulted in the wave brushing past his right side and reducing what remained of his mangled right arm to a smoldering stump near his shoulder! A feral Hollow-mixed scream echoed from Kenji's parted lips and he instinctively flash stepped away a good distance to nurse his wounded body.

"This is going to ruin my whole day." He said with a hint of his usual comedic style, amidst snarls and growls, voice tinged with pain. "Time to cut my loses I think," Kenji said finally. "I know when to make a tactical retreat."

He continued to back away before finally flicking the air with his forefinger. The distinctive gateway formed, though Kenji remained stationary for a moment longer. Turning he looked at Kei's stunned expression and grinned even as blood oozed from the stump that was all that remained of his arm. It was ironic somewhat. He deprived Kaimen Kazuki of his arm and now Kei Yume deprived him of his? The devil had a sense of humor!

"Tell me something, Kei. Can you fathom why I would do this?"

"Actually, I cannot fathom why you, the great Kenji Hiroshi, would do this out of all people, to the ones who trusted and bled beside you. It seems like you're throwing everything that you had worked so hard to achieve away just for some callous amusement." Kei blatantly said, his face showing obvious hints of spite and disapproval. He then stole a glance at Nobu, who still remained on the ground. It was actually a wonder that Nobu was able to hold his own against Kenji for that long, given the differences both of them had. It was only the use of his Vector Manipulation that made him quite the formidable opponent. But Kei now feared that Kenji had possibly figured out a means to overcome that great obstacle.

"So, are you going to answer your own question or are you going to leave that for another day, if there will be any for that matter."

"No." Kenji said with a wide grin. "I just wanted to mess with your head a little more before I left." As he stepped into the Garganta Kenji looked over his shoulder towards Nobu. "He's still alive, correct? You'd best get him treatment quickly then. Farewell... old friend. Remember that the path you walk is most dangerous when you walk it with your eyes shut."

With his cryptic warnings echoing in Kei's ears Kenji stepped through and the Garganta winked from existence...

The Shinigami Captain blinked his eyes in surprise several times before Kenji's exit via Garganta registered within his mind. Pain shot up throughout his body as the wound on his scorched back started to come at him with full force. Kei gritted his teeth and cursed himself for underestimating the apparently antagonistic Kenji. "Since when did Kenji become a Vizard?" He casually said to himself, clicking his tongue.

The Shinigami threw his Zanpakuto into the air and it suddenly disappeared in a flash of spiritual particles. He walked over to the unconscious Nobu and knelt beside his fallen comrade, holding up his torso. Due to the injuries sustained by Kei's battle with Kenji, the Captain was unable to sustain his illusion no longer. With a sigh and snap of his fingers, the environment and Nobu immediately converged into Kei, revealing undamaged surroundings and an apparently uninjured Nobu Sadao.

"So, how was it?" Kei asked seriously. "Were you were able to monitor Kenji and analyze him?"

Nobu nodded in response but he grasped his stomach in pain. "What's the matter?" Kei asked.

"Even though Kenji sliced through the illusion, he still managed to injure me." Nobu replied with a cough. "It was a nice call that you activated Serenity World before the engagement. But I have to say, you portrayed my Vector Manipulation quite wrongly, I wouldn't fall to a simple attack like that." He continued, surprisingly chiding Kei.

Kei smirked in response and broke into a smile. "Sorry about that Nobu, I wasn't able to react accordingly and create a reasonable defeat for you." He snickered at the last bit of the sentence but then he suddenly became serious. "But a Man able to temporarily bypass my illusions and injure the target is a dangerous opponent indeed. This development does not bode well..."

He turned his head to Nobu and spoke. "We need to report this to the Captain-Commander immediately. I'm sure she already got word but we have valuable information." Nobu nodded in agreement and disappeared. Kei soon followed afterwards.

"Remember that the path you walk is most dangerous when you walk it with your eyes shut." Kenji's words still rang itself inside Kei's ears. Just what did his friend, Kenji, mean with his cryptic warnings?

But that was a question for another day.

Meanwhile... Erika Fujibayashi, Captain of the 8th Division in the Gotei 13, watched on as her enemy slipped away. She was a young woman of average height sporting blond hair and the staple Shinigami garb, with striking yellow eyes, much like that of a cat. Her features, however, were twisted in annoyance. How infuriating! He was within her grasp and she let- Ragh!

"Come on, Haruka!" She said to her Lieutenant.

Whoever it was Kei Yume was fighting the spiritual power of their battle was resonating throughout the Seireitei! He was in trouble. The sooner they got there- what!? "The person Kei was fighting..." She noticed suddenly. Had he vanished too!? Or was Kei victorious? With uncertainty in her heart Erika flash stepped away.

Before Vice-Captain Haruka Inori could reply to Captain Fujibayashi, her superior had already left the premise. She surmised that the situation must have been dire enough to cause the Captain to leave in a hurry, and with a worried expression. The young petite woman nodded absently, her pink hair swaying with the motion, even though there was no one around. Using Erika's spiritual signature as a trace, Haruka soon followed, wondering what made her Captain act so hastily.

The wind hit her so hard that it hurt yet Erika still didn't slow. About a minute passed before she caught glimpse of Captains Yume and Sadao, where she promptly skidded to a halt; kicking up a dust cloud in her wake.

"Kei!" She called worriedly. "What happened here!?"

Kei had just arrived within the confines of the First Division Headquarters & Barracks when he heard a voice echo behind him, causing the Shinigami to turn around. His face showed slight surprise as he stared at Erika for several seconds before the man even replied. "...Uhhh...Erika! It's so nice to see you here!" The Captain managed to say with a wide smile as he rubbed the back of his head, as if it were meant to hide his surprise and embarrassment.

Haruka soon arrived in due time, only to find Erika facing Kei while Nobu was at the side, standing uncomfortably as the exchange between the Captains unfolded. She scratched her head in confusion, unable to discern the situation between them.

"Nice to see you too." Erika then took in the state of their dress and of course saw their injuries. "You lot yourself get banged up this much?" It was just in her nature to be overly critical. There was nothing malicious in it -- she'd just been raised to know no better. "But you didn't answer my question, Kei. I sensed a powerful reiatsu and you where obviously fighting."

Kei looked at himself and Nobu and realized the current state the two were in. And it wasn't pretty. Even though Nobu did not really partake in the fighting, he managed to sustain mild-serious injuries from Kenji's attack that somehow bypassed the illusion and hurt him instead. Kei on the other hand, had torn clothing, a scorched back, and dried blood all over his body. Surprised at the severity of the situation, Kei couldn't help but laugh at their predicament. "Oh that...." He slowly started to say, averting his eyes as he let his words trail. "That "powerful" reiatsu unfortunately belonged Kenji Hiroshi's, even though it differed greatly from his known spiritual composition. We did fight him, albeit momentarily...and it was a draw I would say."

Erika recoiled as though Kei had suddenly become a serpent! "Kenji!?" She asked, utterly dumbfounded. "But thats- Why would- He wouldn't!" She knew him. She'd once fought beside him back when the Ryū Order was still known as Kenji's Hollow Hunting Agency. "It doesn't make any sense."

She began pacing if only to stop herself falling over.

"We need to report this to the Captain-Commander." Erika said at last. "If Kenji's gone rogue, then we're all in a world of shit. He knows our defenses like the back of his own hand, our abilities to boot, and he's powerful enough to pull the Seireitei down atop our ears."

"Did our injuries scare you that much Erika? Or are you just scared of my face?" Kei joked, slowly edging closer to her side, until he was only a few inches away from her face. His face was marked with seriousness, as if Erika's words had simply offended the Captain. But no, it was something else.. He suddenly grinned at her and started to pull at Erika's cheeks as if she was a young child.

"Awww, you look so cute with that worried face of yours." He chuckled before continuing. "But back on topic. Erika, that was what we were doing before you arrived. As you can see, we're outside the First Division Barracks right now. I'm sure Captain-Commander Madoka is waiting for our report as we speak." He remarked, raising his hand to show the building behind them. "And for your information, it was quite even. Although, I did go all out. And neither did he. It's too soon to place the blame on anyone."

Kei turned to face Nobu, who simply stood besides him in silence and held his wounded body with care. "Nobu, go ahead and proceed to the Fourth Division Barracks and request healing and-" He stopped in mid-sentence and pursed his lips. "..Wait, nevermind that. Go take one of Manami's pills in your pouch. Can't believe we forgot about that in the confusion." Kei finished with a laugh.

Erika recoiled from him, face beat-red! You'd have thought someone had ran a paintbrush over her face. She stuttered and stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. It was a known fact that Erika was an odd woman. She never used honorifics unless she was speaking to the Captain-Commander or Captain Tadashi, for she simply refused to put on airs, and her sister, Miria Fujibayashi, had recently learned one of her secrets: she had a crush on the very Captain who was now treating her like a child!

"Uh, I didn't-" she began only to stop short of what she was going to say.

That's when the anger set in. Another known fact was that Erika quickly resorted to violence to solve her problems, and if violence wasn't a surefire method then seething anger would have to do for now until she found something she could knock seven shades out of. Tadashi's wife, Yukimura Kori, had even admitted to being intimidated by her on one occasion.

"Come on!" She said, embarrassment giving way to righteous fury. "Or I'll leave you all behind." She even flash stepped ahead just to be out of sight, where she promptly smacked the wall with barely restrained strength, sinking her fist into the wall!

Unknown to Erika's, Kei, Nobu, and Erika appeared behind the angered Captain. Kei scratched his head, wondering why Erika was so angry. However, it was a perfect time to ask, as she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. "Hey Eri, what's the matter?" Kei asked, overlooking the woman's shoulder. Everyone knew that even though Kei was a Captain and was considered to be one of the strongest individuals in Soul Society, he constantly projected a calm and jovial aura around him. He was said to be an odd character, how he was able to keep his cool and constantly joke around despite his injuries remained a mystery.

"Eri!?" She screamed inside! "If he's going to call me anything, he could at least call me Rika!" She stomped ahead of them with a face that could sour milk. Any Shinigami between her and her destination gave her a wide berth, simply because she looked like she was a hairsbreadth away from committing bloody and highly gruesome murder. Then she finally worked up the courage.

"The name 'Erika' makes my skin crawl." She told her fellow Captains. It was the name her father, whom she hated royally, had given her. "Call me Rika." Amazing how she didn't answer Kei's question though. He'd have to put it down to one universal truth: man would never understand woman.

"If you're going to be angry, be angry at me Rika." Kei said with a smile, placing an added emphasis on Erika's name. "I don't want you to go ahead and destroy the building. Destroy me if you like. Hahaha." He finished with a laugh, patting her head comfortably. Nobu and Haruka stared at the two with blank looks, wondering if the exchange was either between an old married couple or a pair of friends.

"Count to ten, Rika, count to ten."

She did so with difficulty. She even played a merry tune in her head with a happy beat, a habit she combined with a steady stream of controlled breathing. The anger and embarrassment dropped from her features, leaving behind a slight smile. She then rapped Kei lightly on the chest.

"Destroy you? I think the girls would grieve if I smashed your teeth in." With the tone she used it wasn't clear if she was joking or not. "Shall we?"

"Aww, that's such a nice complement from you. But Kiyoko and Manami wouldn't be happy about that at all." Kei replied back earnestly. "However, smashing my teeth could easily be arranged though. You want one of my Gigais? And once you answer my question, we'll go."

"I'd happily thump your Gigai! But this question: me being angry, you mean?" Erika caught Kei's cheek and gave a few good jerks whilst nipping him! By the time she lot him go the skin was beat red. "Was that annoying by any chance?"

"Oh ho ho ho, making me a plaything now are yah?" He joked, rubbing his red cheek. "Nope, not at all. Women just love me like that. They would absolutely love to get a piece of me, or just touch me for that matter." Kei finished with a wink. "Nevermind that, we should get going and not tarry any longer. Or you'll get more impatient by the second. Hahah."

"To my eyes it is you whose impatient, Kei. Why would you be walking ahead otherwise?" Erika wore a brief smile, mostly self-satisfactory. "But I digress. We really need to report."

What would the Captain-Commander make of this situation? She undoubtedly knew that something was going on, though the decisions she would soon make held the lives of thousands in the balance. If Kenji had attacked them did he do so alone? Or did he do so with the entire military strength of the Ryū Order behind him? Did he do it with his friends' blessing, or did he merely do it for his own selfish gains? But then Erika couldn't put Kenji and the word selfish together in the one thought. It just wasn't like him at all.

"Hopefully," she began, "we won't have to fight them." She liked the idea of seeing Kensei again, but she'd prefer to do it off the field of battle.

Kei answered with a half hearted smile, "Hehehe, whatever you say Rika. I'll have no objections to what you say." He motioned for them to move forward while the Captain decided to hum a soft tune to speed up the process.

Something was definitely wrong. Dozens of questions were raised from the attack and Kei was not even sure if any of the Captains, even Madoka, could make out the situation. There were so many variables it was outstanding. Who else did Kenji attack? Van? The Ryu Order? His Family? The Rogues? The possibilities were endless. But one thing was for sure. Kenji was different...

Rika completed the remainder of the walk in silence, even when the doors of Madoka's office loomed ahead of them. She was suddenly apprehensive. She took several deep breathes to compose herself before knocking.

The doors of the Captain Commander's office swung open as though they did so on their own, revealing Madoka to be stiiting on her desk seemingly awaiting their arrival. "Oh hey there. Nice of you to drop by so suddenly, although I wish you wouldn't look so down Captain Fujibayashi." Madoka winked at the young lady as she walked toward her seat near her window.

"So, what brings you all here?" Madoka said as she gazed out at the passing clouds, without a care in world based on the expression on her face.

Erika was polite with only a select few people. One was Tadashi Kori. The other was Captain-Commander Madoka Mizuki. "I'm sorry for not having sent word, Captain-Commander, but this matter couldn't wait. Though, in truth, I only know what Captain Yume told me. If you would, Kei?" All this polite speech was making her eye twitch!

Kei bowed formally in front of the Captain-Commander and with a breathe, he said, "Thank you Ma'am. I am not happy to say this but it seems like famous Kenji Hiroshi had turned on his family, friends, and his closest associates. However, the reason for this is left unexplained and are under mysterious circumstances at the moment. Just a while ago, Captain Nobu and I engaged Kenji after he proved to be hostile. We largely escaped unharmed, sans a few injuries here and there." Kei nonchalantly pointed his charred back and bruised body as well as Nobu's chest injury. "After I managed to injured him, he fled, leaving a cryptic message for us to ponder. Remember that the path you walk is most dangerous when you walk it with your eyes shut."

"He also seems to be a Visored as well." Nobu interjected. "Through a diagnosis of Kenji's Spiritual Power during Kei's short skirmish with him, I managed to deduce that the man did indeed possessed Hollow-like tendencies. There was also an unknown variable. Unfortunately, I was unable to determine its origins. It also seemed like Kenji had gotten even stronger than we previously believed; he managed to break through Kei's illusion and injure me through the wound he inflicted on the Clone. In my opinion, that is definitely something to be wary of."

Erika remained quiet throughout though her thoughts where plainly written on her face. She did not like the sound of what Kei and Nobu had reported. Not one bit.

Raising an eyebrow, Madoka sighed before turning to the three Captains. "So. First and foremost, you let a dangerous predator such as this escape? I see. While, I am thankful that none of you were hurt, I can not help but to think that there could have been something you could have done to at least restrain him." Crossing her arms in front of her chest, the Captain Commander shook her head low. "Secondly, why was no one else contacted before you set off to begin engaging with Mr. Hiroshi? I should have received some sort of notification so that back-up could have been sent to your location."

It was obvious that Madoka was torn betwen anger at the Captains for letting a dangerous individual get away and relief that no more of her Captains have been killed. Despite the mixed feelings, Madoka held back her impulse to jump up and hug everyone in order to maintain a sense of professionalism, but flashed a quick smile of gratitude as she went to sit at her desk. "I suppose you will be looking further into this matter, correct? I doubt a smart group like you all failed to realize that finding out what his message could mean."

"I apologize for my lack of initiative Ma'am!" Kei answered with a furious bow of regret. "I was taken aback by Kenji's abrupt appearance and apparent betrayal. And I merely believed that I could reason with the man before any amount of violence could occur. Of course, that proved to be wrong in the long run." Given a second of thought Kei than raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by contact? I thought everyone was alerted by the mysterious spiritual signature that appeared. I assumed several others would come down and investigate as well; we were only there mainly because it was within the vicinity."

"Of course Captain-Commander. We would not have it any other way. For we must further investigate this random act of violence. Especially if it is Kenji Hiroshi, for this is never his cup of tea." Kei continued on.

Erika interjected herself just as Kei finished. "I don't think the Ryū Order had anything to do with this." She said, with a look at Madoka. "Aside from Captains Yume and Sadao, I sensed only Kenji at the scene. If he was attacking," Erika went on to say, "then he wouldn't have come alone. It just isn't Kenji's style."

Tilting her head slightly as a puzzled look came over her face, Madoka sighed. "Oh? That is odd. The oddity being that no one aside from you three could even sense him. Could it be that he planned on drawing out only those that were familiar with him or were close enough to get real read on it? From here I felt nothing out of the norm, although the chaos that randomly ensues around here from time to time could have masked this Kenji's energy as well. Regardless, next time something like this happens, please make sure that there is sufficient notification on this end as well instead of assuming what you considered the best course of action to be and running off of your emotion alone. Ok, Captain Yume?"

Madoka smiled as she finished her words and looked over the three Captains in front of her. " If there is no tracking going on, then how can we be sure he is alone? For all we now, this could be the start of something far worse. So...please tell me that you're able to track this man at least, right? Please tell me I'm right. If not, then I may have to develop some new punishments for you all. Don't you think that's fair Captain Fujibayashi?"

Erika averted her gaze and gulped, hoping very much that either of her fellow Captains would say something to draw the Captain-Commanders gaze away from her. "Any day now!" She cried mentally.

Kei looked at Erika with a smile and gave her a wink of "comfort". He drew a quick breathe. "Ma'am, I assure you I do not "act" on my emotion alone, but on intuition and initiative. I was confident enough to believe that Kenji and I are equals nonetheless, as he had never officially defeated me in a fight. I do admit, it was strange of him to only notify us, but I well aware that the majority of the Captaincy had made his acquaintance, one way or the other."

He continued on, hiding his temperament as Kei continued his response. He was costantly unsure of what to say to his Superior, as he could slip up and make a smartass remark to Madoka and subsequently face her severe wrath. "Ah, I see why you would discount the mysterious energy, since it was usually from our doing correct?" He questioned, remembering the time when Kai Yume took on his persona and wreaked have in Soul Society, which evidently cultimated in a destructive battle between two Behemoths. Even though Kei was the victor on that one, the afteraffects weren't pretty, mainly because of the destruction Kei ultimately caused.

"However, in light of this, I offer my sincerest apologies for this incident and my inherent failure to notify the surrounding authorities, especially you, Captain-Commander." Kei finished, bowing to Madoka several times in deep respect.

Nobu raised his hand, breaking the silence he usually partook in. "Captain-Commander, if I may, I have something to say." Before Madoka could respond, however, Nobu decided to continue on. "During our brief lull in battle, I managed to place a Tracking Device on Kenji. However, the effectiveness of it is entirely dependent on him. And if the traitorous Kenji Hiroshi is working with someone, they might eventually discover it. All I can say right now, is that he's in the Human World. Unfortunately, that's all the information I can relay at the moment; there is some form of interference hindering my device."

A bright smile came over Madoka's face as she resisted, yet again, the urge to jump up and hug one of the three in front of her. Instead, she simply placed her hands in front of her, forming a heart shape as she blew a kiss towards Nobu. "There we go! That's thinking with the right head...er....did I use that right? No matter. In any case....Captain Kei. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt this time, but know this strike two for you. On strike three, me and you get to go have a little bit of fun together. I'm sure everyone would enjoy those games, right? HA! Of course I'm right." Madoka's loving smile towards Nobu had turned to a sadistic grin as she addressed Kei.

"Now, now. Back to the battle, I recommend that you all get some rest for now....if you want to of course. I know how stubborn certain people like to be, so I will not force you to go the Fourth Division. Although, if any of you pull a stunt like this again and get killed, please do expect to be pulled back from the brink of death by the power of my love, just so that I may torture you myself for causing me any sadness. OK?" Despite her words, Madoka's expression was that of a concerned mother looking ater her children.

Erika ceased staring at the floor like an admonished child long enough to get her next sentence out. "We should inform our fellow Captains about this." It wouldn't do for Kenji to appear again, under the guise of friendship, and then strike whilst their defenses where down. "If we are forewarned then we are forearmed, Ma'am."

Kei crossed his arms and smirked in response to the Captain-Commander's words. "Believe me Ma'am. When I die, I'll be sure to be dead. But we all know that it takes a significant amount to outright kill me." He remarked with a chuckle, albeit a nervous one to boot.

Erika's Vice-Captain stood listlessly in the Captain-Commander's Main Office, obviously uncomfortable to be in the same room with some of the strongest individuals in Soul Society. She played with her fingers and silently hummed a tune in her head, hoping to pass the time. Haruka hoped that no one of them would take notice and converse with her, mainly because the Shinigami would remained silent. "Why am I here? I don't know why Rika would make me accompany her." Haruka pondered in a pouty demeanor.

Nobu nodded his head in agreement with Erika's words. "I agree with her. Our best course of action is to call for a meeting, so we can ultimately make a decision. We just can't continue on with a blind eye. We better be aware instead of being ignorant." He finished, already making his way to the door.

Erika then noticed her Lieutenant fidgeting in the background. "Oops." Why hadn't she gone back to the barracks? Oh right. "I didn't tell here to." She turned an apologetic look towards Haruka. "Haruka, could you return to the barracks ahead of me and prepare the squad for any emergency, please?" Erika then looked at the Captain-Commander. "Perhaps Captains Kori or Nagakura will have something to add?"

Nodding in agreement, Madoka went to set at her desk as she watched her fellow Captains leave. "Well then, notify all of the Captains and Lieutenants in each division. We will be having an emergency meeting in order to decide the next move. We will not be taken by surprise again, this time we will be making the first move. That being said, make sure that everyone attends and those that decide to skip out, well....they will get a little personal time with yours truly." Finishing with a chuckle and waiting for everyone to leave, Madoka looked over to her own new lieutenant who had been silently listening in a dark corner. "You can come out now. I think this will be a good chance for everyone to get to meet you, well aside from Captains Hitsugaya and Amagai that is."

Next Story > Noble Matters.