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The Mirrors Of My Soul	By : JohnFreechman Category: Bleach > General Views: 964 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any characters and make no moneyz off of this fic. I also do not own the song quotes...that's why they're called quotes.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter IV
Convergence
Oh Child, deceive me.

Enter the same, the same as I...

Moments pass as desperate contortions unfold.

Seeking placid sanity, a moment of calm.

Cancerous anxiety and thieving doubt rain.

Sheltering indifference to dignify rage.

Begging for a line drawn in the sand to separate the prophets from the men,
bittersweet the wicked so the guise of harmony can breathe again delighted.

Hear me son the rivers dry again
Foretell the fate and lead us to the edge, let the prideful sinners bear the gold and buy acceptance... ~Rishloo, 'Eidolon Alpha'
The first thing Almer noticed as he started to wake up was a lack of blaring agony in his entire body; odd. Was he or was he not hit with a Cero recently? He lifted his arms to rub his eyes, then he stretched with a loud yawn, not yet feeling any sort of pain. Odd indeed.
Did I dream it all? I felt like I just woke up from a night of peaceful sleep. No, something's slightly amiss. He was on a sleeping pad, not the bed of the Kagome's guest bedroom. He opened his eyes at last and looked around the room. Situated beside him was his completely whole jacket, shoes, Syndara and switchblade. Well, at least he was in the care of an ally. Was this Ichigo's home? No, this place was a little too rustic to be the modern house/clinic that Kurosaki lived in. He had never been inside it but he could tell from passing it on a few occasions that this interior was not that of the Kurosaki Clinic.
Almer turned his head again and laid eyes upon a black cat that sat by his head, watching him with dry golden eyes.
“Hey kitty...” he sighed, reaching over and scratching it between its ears. It didn't purr and didn't even react to his touch, it just continued to stare at him drily. “Mind telling me where I am?” he asked it, of course not expecting an answer from an animal.
“Urahara's Shop,” it replied in a clear male voice. Almer stared at it for a long time, not sure what to make of this. Finally, he uttered; “God I hope I'm hallucinating.”
“Hm!” was the cat's close-mouthed laugh as it stood and padded away from him a few paces. It turned to face him again, its dry expression now amused. Almer felt a bit of reiatsu go up just before blue light blossomed around the feline in a whirlwind, making Almer squint and raise his arm over his eyes. The light completely consumed the animal and remained billowing for a moment before it faded, revealing the naked frame of a dark-skinned woman in her twenties or thereabouts. She had her arms crossed over her stomach, revealing to him ample breasts, and her womanhood was completely exposed. She smirked down at him, her golden eyes laughing; dark violet hair long and shining, very clean looking.
Almer was silent for another long moment as he stared, completely baffled. And once more, he managed to utter, “God I hope I'm not hallucinating.” The woman threw her head back and barked laughter for a short moment before leveling her gaze with him again.
“Can you believe that throughout the centuries that I've been pulling this prank on men, you're the first one who has reacted...positively to my form?”
“No, I can't actually,” he chuckled without humor, without smiling, still taken off guard by all of this. He cleared his throat and finally turned his head away from her. “Not that I don't have a sense of ethics, so I suggest you grab at least a towel. And you said centuries...who and what are you?”
The woman gave a light sigh as she busied herself for a moment.
“You can look now,” her voice said and Almer turned to see she had simply put on a bathrobe. “Former Captain of the Second Division of the Gotei Thirteen, Shihōin Yoruichi.”
“Former Captain? Jesus, where did Ichigo and Disco Stu bring me?”
“Disco Stu?” asked a new voice. Almer and Yoruichi glanced up to see Kurumadani Zennosuke was standing in the doorway, scowling at Almer. “Well that's some way to regard a comrade of battle, calling them names.”
“Chill out, it was a joke, a reference. You probably don't know anything about the musical genre or the character anyway.”
“Pfft, as if 'Afusan' isn't enough.”
“Oh, Afusan, I like that,” Almer teased lightly, making Zennosuke grunt in agitation.
“And to think I waited here all night to see if you were alright when you woke up; I could've been out patrolling instead of wasting my time here.”
“That is no one's fault save for your own.”
Zennosuke smiled playfully. “Typical Hreinsa smart-ass,” said he. “I'll be off then, lots of kills to steal and all.”
“You just call me the next time a Menos pops up, I'll be sure to take care of it for you if you can't handle it,” Almer called as Zennosuke disappeared out the door, the only reply being his fading footsteps.
“You know what time it is?” Almer asked Yoruichi as he attempted to stand, surprised slightly at his own strength. Who the hell had healed him like this? There seemed to be absolutely no evidence of any sort of attack from the Hollow.
“Morning, eight-thirty,” Yoruichi replied. And as if she was reading his thoughts, “Orihime Inoue healed you.”
“Inoue?” asked Almer, surprised once more. “It's like Afusan said when I first met him: does everyone in this town have some sort of Spiritual ability?”
Yoruichi smirked again. “What more can you expect from the most Spiritually active area on the planet?” said she.
“Guess so,” Almer murmured as he examined his effects. He ran his fingers along the leather jacket, worn and tattered but in the way it had been before the battle with the Adjuchas. “Inoue can heal objects too?”
“Her power...powers are mysterious; no one fully understands them,” Yoruichi told him.
“What are her powers exactly?”
“The blue hairpins she always wears, they're similar to a Zanpakutō or Varðmann in some respects. These fairy-like beings exist in them, shards of her soul. Some have the ability of creating a force shield for protection, two can heal, and one is meant for attacking.”
“How'd she get her powers?” Almer looked to Yoruichi, and she leaned on the wall, crossing one leg over the other and folding her arms over her chest.
“When Kurosaki gained his Shinigami powers, his reiatsu was great, but he was never good at concealing it. Thus, his Zanpakutō is in a constant Shikai state. And because of his inability to properly control his reiatsu, those closest to him—namely Inoue and Sado—developed odd powers.”
“Sado too, huh?” Almer murmured, taking a similar position on the wall adjacent to Yoruichi, rubbing his chin in thought.
“Sado was already abnormally strong and durable before Kurosaki even got his powers; he even managed to fight a Hollow in his 'normal' state before the manifestation of his powers. I speculate many others will be spiritually aware sooner or later; his sisters probably and maybe other friends.”
“Guess I'll be asking him his life story soon. You know people like us: we're eventually drawn together.”
Yoruichi nodded at this. “That's true,” she said lowly.
“Stavenes...”
Almer looked up at the mention of his name by a new voice, seeing Kurosaki Ichigo was standing in the doorway, now back in his own body wearing a t-shirt and jeans, his grim face even grimmer than usual.
“Kurosaki,” Almer greeted with a nod and casual two-fingered salute. “Thanks for last night, I think both Kurumadani and I would've been killed if you hadn't shown up.” Ichigo didn't reply to that, he only stared for a short moment before asking, “I know you've known I'm a Shinigami. I'm just wondering why you feigned ignorance. You must've known since I killed that Hollow outside school after the day we met, it was right up at the window.”
“Yeah, I knew.”
Kurosaki spread his arms expectantly, slightly irritated now.
“That it?” he asked. “ Just, 'Yeah, I knew?' Why didn't you just come out and tell me you're a Hreinsa?”
“It was fun playing around you lot. I didn't wanna spoil it by revealing my status too soon.”
“That's it?” Ichigo asked, now looking fully irritated. “You were just having fun jerking us around? I've been suspicious all week, you know.”
“No harm came from it, and I would have revealed myself sooner or later, especially if there was something really dangerous...like that Adjuchas from last night, I would've broken the ice to you.” Kurosaki studied him with a stony gaze for a while, looking unsure if he was convinced or not of Almer's words.
“At any rate,” Yoruichi interrupted before more could be said between the two teenagers, “I suppose I should report the appearance of an Adjuchas to Soul Society. And if either of you happen to stumble upon more, tell either me or Urahara immediately. Understand?” The two of them nodded.
“Good; now don't get at each other's throats, I have a feeling Stavenes will be joining your little circle, Ichigo,” Yoruichi said as she walked by them and into the hall, no more words to hear from her as she took her leave.
“And does she usually flash everyone she meets?” Almer asked when he was sure she was out of earshot. Ichigo blushed slightly at that.
“It would seem so,” he grunted.
“Heh, nice...”
Ichigo gave him a sharp glance.
“You some sort of pervert?” he asked, scowling at the Hreinsa.
“It isn't perverted to admire her body since she seems to enjoy showing it off,” Almer retorted. “It's not like I'll be sitting outside her place with a telescope and a box of doughnuts waiting for her to get out of the shower. Jeez.”
“That was a specific scenario,” Ichigo said pointedly.
“Get off my ass already, just because you're insecure about the feminine form doesn't mean everyone else has to be.”
“I'm not uncomfortable about women, I just have morals!” Ichigo shouted, clenching his fist and shaking it at Almer.
“Who the fuck said admiring a woman's body is immoral!?” Almer shouted back, the two of them butting foreheads as they glared into each other's eyes, bearing their teeth.
“At least be a little discreet about it!”
“I don't have to be discreet about anything! And trust me, Ichigo, there's worse people out there then me!”
“Yare yare,” drifted Urahara Kisuke's voice over from the doorway, the two of them turning their heads to look at the shop owner as he watched them from the doorway, swinging his closed fan at his side in a casual manner, leaning against the door frame with a leg crossed over the other. “I was going to suggest you rest a little more, Stavenes, but it seems you're up to strength already. That Inoue is something else, hm?”
“Y...yeah,” Almer said awkwardly, he and Ichigo stepping back from each other. “Shihōin explained her powers...Sado's too. Anyone else I should know about?” He looked to Ichigo for an answer.
“Well, Ishida is a Quincy,” he told Almer.
“No shit?” Almer asked, impressed. “I guess that makes sense; Afusan mentioned a Quincy the first time I met him. He described your group a little.”
“Also, Renji is a Shinigami Lieutenant, come to keep an eye on the town,” Ichigo added.
“Yup, yup...” Almer murmured, nodding to himself. “You, Inoue, Sado and Ishida...heh, the Fantastic Four of Karakura Town.” Ichigo smirked slightly.
“Yeah, I guess that's the best way to describe us.”
“Make that the Fantastic Five, Stavenes,” Urahara said. “As Yoruichi said, it would be beneficial if you collaborated with each other.”
Almer shrugged. “I heard about Aizen, all of the Hreinsa Clan did. I'd be glad to help the infamous Ryoka,” Almer said.
“Well, no offense,” Ichigo began earnestly, “But Yoruichi said you were a trainee, that's why you really came to town in the guise of an exchange student.”
“Technically my basic training is complete. I proved myself by killing an Adjuchas. Hreinsa are pretty Old School in how things work, despite how we keep up with the times. We're all warriors; men, women; and children strive to be like their elders. Think the 11^th Division in Soul Society; we all like to fight and love to die while fighting. 'Go out on our feet,' as we say.”
“Mmm...” was Ichigo's unconvinced murmur as he looked outside through the wood-paneled window that let shafts of morning light filter inside. “I only fight to protect my friends, that's all I wanted the powers for; I was trying to protect my family.”
“Oh trust me, Ichigo, most Hreinsa are like you. We enjoy fighting for the sake of fighting and all, but we're never short on the nobility of protecting those that can't protect themselves.” Ichigo nodded, understanding completely.
The next person who came into the room was Tsukabishi Tessai, and when his spectacle-hidden eyes fell on Ichigo and Almer, the two couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Urahara flipped his fan open and covered his face with it, watching with eyes that sparkled with amusement.
“Stavenes, I suggest you continue resting, you suffered many grave injuries last night,” Tsukabishi stated in a firm tone, looking down on Almer with an intense stare. He resisted the urge to swallow under the tall man's gaze.
“Thank you for the concern, sir, but I feel fine-”
“Patients needs to rest for a total of two days after such extensive injuries, despite Inoue's healing abilities,” Tsukabishi said strongly, Almer unable to keep himself from swallowing this time.
“O-okay, I guess I could get a little more shut eye for now,” he said nervously, quickly going back to the pad again. Meanwhile, Ichigo coughed with his hand covering his mouth, an obvious disguise for held-back snickering, and Almer gave him a dirty look for it. But it was at that moment that Tsukabishi turned to stare down at Ichigo, who immediately lowered his hands to his sides and kept his face straight, if still somewhat timid.
“You are stressing out the patient. Leave.” At first Almer thought he had flash-stepped away, but Ichigo was in his human form, so he couldn't...which meant he had left the room damn fast for a non-Hreinsa/Quincy human.
“Did you say I'm gonna be here for two days?” Almer finally asked. Tsukabishi turned to him.
“I did.”
“Honestly, I feel fine, I think I could leave now-” Almer was cut off as Tsukabishi stood over him, stared down for a moment—making Almer feel even more intimidated—before the muscular man placed a tray of food on his lap.
“Your breakfast, Stavenes,” he announced.
“...th...thanks...” Almer murmured, wondering in the back of his mind where the tray had come from in the first place. He was sure the man hadn't brought it in with him.
* * *
Yoruichi knew instantly something was horribly wrong when she set foot in the Seireitei. The atmosphere, the moods of everyone in Seireitei were a mixture of fear, astonishment, rage and grief; and the slowly floating spire of smoke rising in the distance didn't reassure her.
“Shihōin,” a cold voice said from behind her. The former-Captain turned to see Captain Kuchiki had appeared behind her, his usually empty expression now featured a hint of anger as he stared at her.
“Kuchiki,” she replied, matching his gaze. “What happened?” Kuchiku was silent for a short moment before he answered, “The Seventh Division was attacked by one of the Traitors Four, Barrett Leo, and the personnel suffered eighty-percent causalities.” Yoruichi's eyes widened, her mouth agape slightly.
“Eighty percent!?” she breathed. An entire Division nearly wiped out by one man...she had heard they were strong...but she had never known the exact extent of their strength. She never imagined they...one would be strong enough to enter Seireitei and wreak havoc on an entire division.
“And Captain Komamura is wounded in the Fourth Division medical wards,” Kuchiki added. Was that last sentence slightly forced? Yoruichi shook her head.
“How could this happen?” she whispered.
“Even I could not anticipate this...Barrett Leo has indeed become stronger since the last time we met.” Byakuya looked up to Yoruichi. “I assume you came here to give us a report. You may tell it to me and return to the World of the Living, and I will pass it on to the Captain-Commander.” Yoruichi gave him a cold look for a moment. Forward and seemingly thoughtless as usual, but she figured she should have gotten used to the way he is by now. She gave a sigh and told him of the Adjuchas Hollow appearing in town. If he was surprised at the news he didn't show it. He nodded and made to turn away, but Yoruichi called, “Byakuya...” He paused.
“What is it, Shihōin?” She remained silent for a moment before answering, as he usually did. He turned his head to glance at her over his shoulder; his indication of impatience. “A Hreinsa killed the Adjuchas.”
“...so?”
“A Hreinsa named Almer Stavenes.” She couldn't help but feel a small amount of self-satisfaction as Byakuya's eyes widened ever so slightly.
“Stavenes...” he murmured. “So her child survived...”
“I'm a little surprised you weren't notified,” Yoruichi remarked. “I know you and Komamura became close friends with Lovise Stavenes, even if you never showed it. And when you heard she was dead, you assumed her child had died with her. He survived. An emergency c-section, and he was adopted by another Hreinsa family.”
“That is interesting,” Byakuya replied softly, turning his head away from her again. “But I am not friends with this Almer. I was only acquainted with his mother. I know nothing about the boy nor do I have any desire to meet him.”
“Be that as it may, I still felt it was only fair you knew of his existence. Like you said, while the boy may not be your friend, his mother was with you. One would think that a mother would want her friends to regard the existence of her child.”
“He is the son of Barrett Leo, the same man who nearly killed Captain Komamura.”
“Well this is new, Byakuya,” Yoruichi remarked harshly. “Judging someone you know nothing about only because of his parentage. He doesn't even know what happened here. Children should not be condemned for the sins of the parents...what prompts this behavior, Byakuya?”
He didn't reply for a long moment, but Yoruichi waited for one. She'd wait for hours, just standing there and glaring at his turned back. But he eventually said, “Perhaps you're right, I should not have been so presumptuous, but the matter of Almer Stavenes does not concern me. Lovise Stavenes is long dead, so I have no business with anyone from that time save for the Traitors Four, whom I shall kill for they are enemies of Soul Society, and they have murdered fellow Shinigami.” With that, Byakuya disappeared in a blur of movement. Yoruichi sighed and turned to stare at the pillar of smoke. She wanted to go and see this for herself, and to see Komamura, but she needed to return to the World of the Living as soon as possible. Her friends had a right to know what happened here as soon as possible.
Swallowing the negative feelings brewing inside her, she flash-stepped away to return to the Human World.
* * *
He realized now as he awoke he could breathe regularly again...and next he realized he was no longer sheltering the young man from the rubble of the destroyed building.
Sajin Komamura opened his eyes, trying to focus and see clearly through his groggy haze. After a moment of clearing his vision, he saw he was in a private room of the Fourth Division's medical ward. He turned his head to see if anyone was here, and indeed one young woman was present, seeming to prepare some sort of tray of food from across the room. As he continued to become more aware of the events of last night...all those men and women under him, and all he did was blunder about his base like a fool. He only met and spoke to the enemy for a short moment, and that man nearly killed him with little effort. His life was saved by a young Shinigami at that. He was eternally grateful to him, and he felt no shame in being aided by one of his underlings...but still...he felt some form of shame despite it. Shame for his inaction, the inability to safeguard his men as they were willing to safeguard him in return.
“Captain Komamura,” the woman said. He looked at her with his yellow eyes, and she was stricken by the pain and futility in them. She was a standard healer, and she had only seen him briefly during a few times when she was assisting the Seventh Division, but this side of him was so unlike his usual self. So...pathetic, for lack of a more graceful and less demeaning word. But she could see why...the Seventh Division headquarters was destroyed beyond repair; they would need to clear out the rubble completely and start a new headquarters from scratch; God knows how many uncounted bodies, dead or still clinging to life; all of the squads were volunteering in rescue efforts for those still alive but trapped beneath the debris.
She cleared her throat and set the tray on a table beside his bed. “You should eat, Captain...when you get the chance...don't push yourself.” She tried to act professional, even though she was greatly unnerved by the entire ordeal and the way Komamura was. “Your worst wound was the hole in your lung; you suffered some broken bones and lacerations when the building fell on you-”
“The Shinigami,” he said. “I had sheltered one of my men...he...saved me...”
“Him...yes, he is alive and well. His wounds were minor...because of you, Captain,” she told him softly, trying to give him some comfort.
“And the rest of it was because of me...” She was silent while he looked away, sorrowful eyes staring at the wall. “I watched like an imbecile as the men and women that trusted and depended on me were slaughtered...and I did nothing to the man responsible...even at an opportune moment.”
“Captain...your men still believe in you. Some are here, and some went back to the rubble to try and find their comrades. But they all still trust you, and they want to see you well. Don't give up yet, Captain...you still have work to do.” Komamura, amazed at the seemingly young woman's decent wisdom, went to look to her, but her back was turned as she padded out of the room, not looking back. He stared after the door after she had closed it behind herself, his feelings mixed. He rested his head once more on the pillow and closed his eyes, images of the Seventh Division's barracks and those who once dwelt in it flashing through his mind. Memories of better days, male comrades joking and jostling each other playfully and loudly, and the female comrades all laughing lightly as they joked within their own groups; friendly spars, the older Shinigami giving the younger new recruits tips.
“Lieutenant Iba...” he murmured. Is he alright? He wanted to call for a nurse and inquire about him, but he didn't need to.
“...I don't care, let me through!” Komamura heard his Lieutenant’s voice through the wall, the man shouted at nurses that protested his approach to the room. The nurse that had been in the room previously was saying back, “But he is still recovering, Lieutenant Iba!” He obviously ignored her pleas as the Lieutenant pulled the door open roughly and burst into the room.
“Captain!” he exclaimed, coming to the bed and falling to his knees, bowing deeply. “It's good to know you are still in good health!”
“That's the point, you dunce, he isn't!” the nurse hissed at Iba as she followed him into the room. He lifted his head with a tight jaw and a vein bulging in his neck. He stood and whirled on the nurse.
“Who are you to call a superior officer a dunce!?” he bellowed.
“Iba,” Sajin said softly, causing the man to turn to him instead. “Please calm down. And nurse, it is quite alright. I am more strong than many seem to believe.” He sat up in the bed. The nurse looked like she was about to protest, but she held back.
“Captain...we could not catch the culprit. He escaped somehow, we are investigating with the help of the Hreinsa,” Iba informed his superior.
“I and the Hreinsa know who he is,” Sajin murmured. Iba locked up, startled, and the nurse gasped softly. Iba stared at him for a while before asking, “Captain...who is he?”
“His name is Barrett Leo...” Iba gasped this time.
“One of the Traitors Four...if he knew you...”
“He probably targeted our division specifically. No, not probably, I know for certain.”
“Why would one just come in and attack us like this?” Iba asked.
“To show how much they have gained in power...and they have by a great deal. To enter and escape the Seireitei so easily.” There was a long silence; Sajin looked down at his lap, Iba down at the floor, and the nurse at Sajin. The three of them were removed from their thoughts when a new arrival came through the door; First Lieutenant Amadi Madaki. They looked to the African man, clad in his window-pane overcoat, his expression grim.
“Captain Komamura, I've come here to tell you all we know about what happened last night.”
“You've figured it out so quickly!?” the nurse asked in surprise.
“Not quite, some key questions such as how he bypassed the barrier around the Seireitei still remain unanswered,” he told her. “However, we know how he escaped so quickly and without detection. A special Hreinsa invention; a short range reishi transportation device. What it does is it temporarily converts a being or object into reishi and transports them rapidly to a set location where a beacon has previously been placed. The concentrated reishi travels to said beacon, and when it comes in contact with it, it re-converts the reishi into a solid form once more. In this instant: Barrett Leo. The particles can easily pass through the barrier, being so small and insignificant to its sensors.”
“But you still don't know how he passed through the barrier,” Iba stated. Madaki shook his head. “Well they won't get away with this!” Iba yelled angrily, the vein bulging in his neck again as he bared his teeth.
“I can assure you they won't. We have a feeling in some degree this was an attack meant to shake up the alliance between Hreinsa and Shinigami, as the Traitors Four were once Hreinsa. But we doubt that; they're smart enough to know we're smart enough to not mistake each other for enemies, and thus loosen trust and make our pursuit for them less effective.”
“Leo would have said it was worth a shot,” Sajin growled.
“I know how you feel, Captain Komamura, but you mustn't let thoughts of vengeance cloud your judgment...along with the rest of your Division,” Madaki said firmly.
“I know, I know,” Sajin sighed, removing the blanket off of himself and swinging his feet over the side of the bed.
“Captain...” the nurse said, unsure.
“It is alright, nurse,” he assured her, giving her a weak smile. “What is your name?”
“Oh...” she seemed surprised he had asked for her name. “Mizushima Izumi, Captain.”
“I make quick recoveries, Mizushima, no need to worry over me. If it puts you at ease,” he stood, “I will try not to exert myself too much.” She cracked her own weak smile.
“Well...if you're fine, I think it's better you see the rest of your remaining squad. They're waiting for you.”
“I shall take you to them, Captain, after you dress yourself,” Iba said to him strongly, turning and striding off with an official air. Mizushima and Madaki left the Captain to dress back into a fresh uniform before he followed Iba down the halls. They shortly came to a room where the remaining Seventh Division Shinigami sat down and waited sullenly. They were haggard looking; despite most of their injuries treated, many of them were still wrapped in bandages, had their arms in slings, and were coated in scabs or minor cuts and bruises. They all almost immediately noticed Komamura's arrival and turned to face him, on their knees. He raised his hand before they had a chance to bow.
“Please, many of you are still injured, you do not need to bow to me.” I do not deserve it, he almost uttered, but held his tongue. Wallowing in this self-pity was just as pathetic as his inaction of last night. Mizushima was correct: these men and women needed him...just as much as he needed them. What is a leader without his followers? And what are the followers without a leader?
“How many have we lost?” he asked. Iba cleared his throat.
“We suffered eighty percent causalities, Captain.” A wave of grief so strong it was painful clutched his heart, making him cringe and shut his eyes tight for a moment. He quickly recomposed himself and gave a firm look to his men, whom were all staring at him, concerned.
“I appreciate you waiting for me here, but those of you who are able bodied should be helping the other squads in searching for the missing.” Those who had only earned minor injuries all bowed their heads and chanted together, “Hai!”
“Captain,” Iba said, and Komamura turned to him. Iba bowed his head as he presented a somewhat surprised Sajin his sword. “I kept your Zanpakutō for you until you recovered, sir!” Sajin took his Zanpakutō and looked over its sheath.
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” he said, and placed it on his hip once more. “Let's go.”
* * *
“Blimey...” Sebastian breathed as he and his brothers overlooked the wreckage of the Seventh Division's barracks. A great many Shinigami were carefully removing the debris and answering the calls for help from those buried. Most of the captains were present, staring on in either rage or sadness; and some, specifically Kuchiki, Hitsugaya, and of course Soifon and her entire Division were looking allover Seireitei for any sort of clue; any type of clue. Gottschalk had said that there was a very small chance that Leo had left behind something he didn't want them to know, but they should check anyway; even the best of the best of the best make mistakes.
The twins glanced at Old Man Yamamoto and his Lieutenant when they appeared beside them; Yamamoto's usual grim expression was even darker this day, along with Sasakibe's. The Director, oddly, was not present; the triplets had been Second Lieutenants and her escorts for a long time, and it was rare that she went off on her own during moments such as these. They couldn't tell if the Old Man had any thoughts on this, so they let it be.
“Captain-Commander,” a voice called. Yamamoto was not surprised as he turned at the sound of the familiar voice, and many approaching footsteps from behind. Sasakibe and the triplets turned to see Captain Komamura Sajin and a small company of his men and women approach, along with First Hreinsa Lieutenant Madaki. Komamura, of course, was grim and did his best to hide his emotions; especially as he was now at the foot of the rubble of his old headquarters, still hearing the cries and moans of the wounded as the Fourth Division healers rushed to and fro, trying to give their best care to the injured.
“Captain Komamura,” Yamamoto greeted the wolf-man captain. “I am glad to see already you have recovered to decent health.”
“Captain, we shall assist the others,” one of the Shinigami behind him murmured. Komamura nodded and the company of Shinigami ran off to the rubble; only Iba remained at his captain's side, and Madaki stood with the triplets.
“Captain-Commander...what shall we do about this?” Komamura asked the ancient Shinigami leader. Yamamoto was silent for a moment before he answered, “What we can do, for now, is raise the guard of Seireitei to prevent further attacks. As for Leo and the Traitors Four as a whole...we still have yet to discover their location and to lay bare their plans. I am sorry, but for now we can do nothing about Barrett Leo.” Komamura's poker face never wavered; Yamamoto imagined he must be raging silently, and he understood that, but he especially appreciated his discretion as opposed to his emotional turmoil. It must be difficult; Yamamoto, along with all the other Captains and Shinigami of Seireitei shared Komamura's anger.
Komamura finally turned to the triplets.
“I understand you must still be investigating...but what do you know so far?” he asked.
Sebastian was the first to speak, “Only what Leo wanted us to know: which is very little, other than him gloating. He was exhibiting his...abilities, taunting us to put it simply.”
“The cunt...” muttered Martin without thinking.
“Yes, his abilities have only gotten better since I last witnessed them...” Komamura murmured.
“We don't know how he bypassed the barrier around Seireitei, but he left via a reishi transporter,” Sebastian continued.
“Yes, Lieutenant Madaki explained to me that device's working.”
“Hopefully the Second Division or the others can find anything that'll lead us to how Leo cleared the barrier. We'll need everything around Seireitei to settle down for a bit before we begin to make a solid plan.” There was a long silence, the group turning to the demolished barracks again to watch.
Damn you, Leo... Komamura growled within himself. And to think I once considered you an ally and friend.
* * *
Ichigo poked his head around the corner, looking into the front room of Urahara's Shop. The only person present was Abarai Renji in his gigai, laying back on the floor and reading a manga, his expression scrutinized as he read the comic book with great intent.
“This is amazingly complex,” he murmured to himself as he rubbed his chin, his eyes dark with focus and critical thought. Little did he know the target audience of that particular manga started in the pre-teen age-group demographic. Ichigo suppressed a laugh and leaned back to look at Almer down the hall.
“It's all clear, Stavenes.” Almer followed Ichigo out into the lobby, Renji turning to look at them.
“Well well well,” he said as he stood and glowered at Almer. “The secret's out – why didn't you say you were a Hreinsa?” Just as Almer opened his mouth to answer, Ichigo cut in with an indignant tone and scowl, “He thought jerking us around was fun, that's why he didn't admit it.”
“You know, Ichigo, I'd normally say you could've described that with a slightly more graceful vocabulary, but in the end it comes down to this: your description of my actions is one hundred percent true.”
“Humph,” Ichigo grunted as he turned to glare at Almer. “I'd like to jump out of my body and duel you right now, Stavenes. We'll see how smug you are then.”
“Who's being smug? I don't have a tone or anything,” Almer responded. Ichigo gritted his teeth and leaned in one Almer.
“You don't have to have a tone to tell you're being smug!”
“That's subject to debate, Kurosaki-san.”
“Tch. I'm really close to calling for Tsukabishi and telling him you're trying to escape.”
“Alright alright, no need to get hasty,” Almer said with a sheepish grin while Ichigo returned a smirk, folding his arms over his chest. The three of them started when they heard a door slide open and close in the back area of the shop.
“Shit, that might be him, let's go,” Ichigo whispered. He made to run, but Almer flash-stepped right by him, leaving him in the dust.
“Hey, that's not fair, I can't flash-step in my human body!” Ichigo yelled after him while he pursued.
“What is going on!?” a voice bellowed suddenly, making Ichigo's heart skip a beat. Suddenly Renji was running with him.
“He's pissed, Ichigo, hurry it up!” Renji cried before sprinting by. Ichigo didn't need any further explanation; Tsukabishi was unhappy that his patient had prematurely checked out. Ichigo instantly sprinted after Renji, calling, “Wait!!”
* * *
They had ran a good deal, but had managed to escape from Tsukabishi. Renji and Ichigo caught their breath in a back-alley between two tall office buildings, Renji leaned over a trash can while Ichigo was propped up on the concrete wall.
“Where the...hell did Almer...get to anyway...” Renji asked between pants as he straightened up. To answer his question, the teenager himself suddenly appeared next to them in the alleyway, his jacket fluttering down in the wake of an apparent flash-step from the roof of one of the buildings.
“What's with ditching us like that!?” Ichigo snapped.
“Sorry. Hollows are one thing...but that guy...he brings freaky to a whole new level,” Almer remarked and shuddered involuntarily. “I mean...I guess he means good and all...but still. Phew.”
“Well...I'm probably taboo from the shop for a while...” Renji grunted and glared at Almer and Ichigo. “You two had to drag me into this.”
“What!?” Ichigo shouted, his temper flaring. “Oh don't give me any of that! We had nothing to do with you, and you to us likewise! It's not our fault if Tsukabishi is pissed at you too, take it up with him!”
“No way, Almer's right, that guy can get under your skin so fast it's not even funny,” Renji countered. The two of them paused when their pagers rang suddenly. Renji flipped open his phone while Ichigo looked at his Substitute Shinigami Pass.
“Wow, fifteen seconds,” Almer commented suddenly. Ichigo and Renji glanced at him.
“Fifteens seconds?” Ichigo asked.
“It took fifteen seconds for both of those things to notice the Hollow after I first noticed it.”
“And you've been standing there like a dolt-!?” Renji began angrily, but Almer immediately flash-stepped away, leaving Renji and Ichigo seething.
“Dammit,” Ichigo growled as he applied the Shinigami talisman to his chest, releasing his spirit form and Zanpakutō. Renji did the same with his soul candy, the mod soul taking control of the gigai.
“This way, let's go,” Renji said to Ichigo, leading him to the Hollow and where Almer was.
It took them a moment, but they arrived in a park where people had scattered from, back into their homes and looking confused and frightened. Renji and Ichigo saw that Almer had already confronted the Hollow due to some battle marks in the field...however, neither were to be seen now, and their reiatsu was dampened for some reason. They were most likely hidden in the small forest of trees in some sort of stand-off. Renji and Ichigo landed at the foot of the forest, drawing their swords and scanning the innards of the woods. Everything was still, only the breeze causing the leaves and underbrush to sway and rustle. Suddenly there was a blue flash and two dark blurs streaked across the landscape, tensing Renji and Ichigo. And it was still again.
“We can't wait here, he might need help,” Ichigo said lowly and set off into the woods at a jog.
“Don't rush ahead yourself!” Renji called and caught up with him. Just as he came beside Ichigo, a Hollow—rather small—sprung out of the brush. Renji gave a startled cry and brought his Zanpakutō up just in time to keep the Hollow from biting his head off; instead it bit onto the blade. When it realized it had not met its mark, it let go of the sword and sprung back, snarling at them in challenge. It was an odd one. Its body was short and lanky; anorexic almost. The claws on its hands were about two-and-a-half inches long, and looked fragile to be honest, but they were probably stronger than they appeared.
Renji, however, unwisely underestimated the beast when he took it in.
“Little runt, come here!” Renji shouted and ran forward, brandishing Zabimaru and giving a battle cry. As he closed in on the Hollow, it suddenly disappeared from view in a blur. Renji made a choking gasp as his eyes widened, but he felt its presence behind him just in time to whirl and jump back; however, its extra long claws managed to graze his leg, creating shallow scratches through his uniform. He bared his teeth as the Hollow snarled at him once more and began to swing its claws at him with vigor. He jumped back again and again, but this thing was going berserk; but unlike most berserk attacks, this one was skilled and not a fit of blind rage. In moments he lost Ichigo due to his falling back.
Is this an Adjuchas? Renji thought to himself with a grimace. It's small but really quick...it's definitely not your run-of-the-mill Hollow at the very least. Renji finally managed to flash-step away, putting a decent distance between himself and the Hollow. It halted, glaring at Renji through the trees that made up their battlefield. He caught his breath for a moment as the Hollow sized him up. It wasn't an arrogant little bastard either; he could tell it was smart and calculative. It left him no choice then.
Renji spread his legs and placed his fingers over the base of Zabimaru's blade, above the hilt. He released the reiatsu necessary to unleash Zabimaru's Shikai form. The Hollow tensed as the red, wispy light flared around Renji and his Zanpakutō.
“Hoero, Zabimaru!” Renji bellowed, sliding his hand over the blade, where it promptly morphed into its deadly First Release. With another shout he swung it over his back; Zabimaru stretched into its whip-like state, and he whipped it forward. It whistled through the trees, the sound of its threaded segments stretching as it rushed to meet its target. The Hollow flash-stepped once more, flanking Renji's left, but Zabimaru turned promptly top follow the Hollow. It hissed in aggravation when it was forced to evade the sword again as it crashed through trees, causing them to fall around them and fill the air with fluttering leaves.
Renji allowed himself a grin as Zabimaru reconnected itself, rigid in his grip, an extension of his strength. The Hollow circled him slowly, easily flexing its claws, crimson eyes glowing like neon lights behind its mask, which seemed to resemble that of a Tiki mask, oddly enough. It was brown and ridged, appearing to be wooden as opposed to the typical white porcelain that most Hollows sported. The mask spread out atop to the likeness of a crown, in the shape of a fan somewhat, featuring slight chipped and cracked red paint, with a third-eye in the forehead. Was it some sort of symbolism to its status in the Hollow hierarchy? As far as Renji knew, the only type of mask a Hollow wore was the white one, which had no real significance in its appearance.
Eh. Who cares? He could just mention it to his superiors later, after he killed the midget. Renji flash-stepped once more, covering the Hollow's blindside. He swung, and it narrowly avoided his attack as it hopped away, but he grinned toothily as he let Zabimaru whip out; this time he managed to slice its leg. It gave a cry of pain as it fell to one knee.
“It's over,” he said to it as Zabimaru shrunk back, and he stepped over to deliver the killing blow. He paused when it suddenly raised its hand, pointing its claws at him. The claws disappeared for some rea-
He choked when he felt four spikes of pain in his abdomen. He staggered back and looked down at his belly. The very ends of disconnected claws jutted from his uniform, where blood was slowly spreading.
“Shit!” he croaked, looking up at the Hollow. It was gone now, though; it had fled. “Fuck!” he hissed, his fingers hovering over the claws lodged in his belly. These wouldn't be life threatening if treated rightly and in a fair amount of time, but they hindered him and had caused that thing to escape. Now that his own battle was over (an unsatisfactory end at that; he had had more satisfying losses), he could tell both Ichigo and Almer were having their own challenges. Almer was fighting one Hollow, however he only detected the third Hollow's and Ichigo's reiatsu not in any battle level, strangely.
How many are there? And why is Ichigo so still?
* * *
The Hollow – the Adjuchas to be exact – that Ichigo studied during the calm before the battle seemed to be similar to the one Renji had run off to battle. It was nearly the same, only its feet...well, it didn't even really have feet. The thighs of its legs began normally, but they seemed to just shrink down to where the feet would be, to become odd sharp stilts; they looked sharp enough to puncture flesh and bone though, and it still seemed to have good balance on them. Its claws were as long as the last one's, and it had the same worn and old looking Tiki mask; however, the crown was painted a dark turquoise and had eight round spikes arranged in a circle around the head, instead of the fan-shape of the red-crowned Hollow...and its eyes were the same color as the paint, glowing dangerously as it watched him.
“You're small for an Adjuchas,” Ichigo finally remarked. Although it had no apparent facial features, the level of brightness exhibited by the eyes, which had intensified slightly, gave off the vibe of amusement.
“That's what they said about Grimmjow,” he replied, his voice amused to confirm Ichigo's feeling.
“Hm. I guess I'll be meeting him sometime soon if he's popular enough for you to mention him.”
“I wouldn't say he's popular, necessarily,” the Adjuchas replied with a bark of laughter.
“Huh. Well either way, I suppose we should begin,” Ichigo said back, bringing Zangetsu up to bear. The Adjuchas didn't make any combat stance however. “Come on, get ready or I'll attack anyway,” Ichigo demanded of him.
“I'm in no mood to fight,” the Hollow replied. Ichigo blinked.
“What?” he asked, not expecting that reply in a million years.
“Katastreptikós Aeon.”
Ichigo blinked once more.
“Katastreptikós Aeon?” he repeated.
“That is what I am called. And you?” Aeon asked expectantly. Ichigo hesitated, taken off guard by this strange, un-Hollow-like behavior.
“Kurosaki Ichigo,” he finally answered.

“Ahhh, interesting,” Aeon replied, crossing his arms over his chest and pacing slowly in thought, looking up at the blue sky through the tree canopy. “I've heard things about you, Kurosaki-sama. You defeated Shinigami Captains Zaraki and Kuchiki, and out of all of that, you became an ally of the Shinigami and Soul Society.”
“What's the catch? Why are you making chit-chat?” Ichigo snapped. Aeon stopped pacing and turned his head to look at Ichigo, the glow of his eyes mild and patient.
“I told you, I am in no mood to fight.”
“Then why are you here?” Ichigo asked dangerously.
“I was given orders by my superior to come here, along with my brother and sister; however, she never said anything about attacking. We've only taken part in combat because you Shinigami and the Hreinsa attacked when you detected us.”
“This is making no sense,” Ichigo sighed wearily, rolling his eyes up to the sky as he lazily hung Zangetsu over his shoulder.
“Haven't you felt lethargic enough to just not feel like fighting?” Aeon inquired.
“Yeah, but I usually do it anyway.”
“Yes. But that implies that you have a good reason to fight. Some sort of mission, or a bid to protect someone or something. My siblings and I have no real reason to fight you or anyone else beyond self defense. Which is why my brother is in battle with the other Shinigami, and my sister with the Hreinsa. We actually mean no harm to this world.”
Ichigo didn't look convinced and said so, “Sounds like a poor lie to try and get out of a losing fight.”
“I feared you would believe so, Kurosaki-sama,” Aeon sighed, letting his arms hang to his side again as he faced Ichigo.
“And what's with 'sama'? I'm not your superior or anything,” Ichigo demanded.
“I regard those with a stronger fighting prowess than I with the proper honorific. You are stronger than I, and the Japanese honorific term is 'sama,' and you are Japanese; therefore I use it on you.”
“You're the weirdest Hollow I've ever met.”
“That's what they all said.”
“And that implies what? You killed 'them' for it?”
“I have never killed a human or otherwise in my life. Only other Hollows. Kurosaki-sama, I wish for you to stay your blade and let me speak; not only to you but your two companions. My siblings should be drawing them here. Please bear with me.”
It appeared Ichigo was obliging, but he was just too taken aback by this whole situation. So taken aback that he had waited just enough for the rest of the forest's occupants to all arrive together in his and Aeon's location.
* * *
Renji resisted the last urge to grunt in pain as he pulled the final claw from his abdomen with one quick jerk. However, the blood flowed from his wounds more freely with no stoppage, so he quickly removed all clothing from his torso and wrapped a bandage around his torso; it would be good enough for now. He'd gotten allot worse wounds and still was able to soldier on. He finished tightening the bandage around his person and put his uniform back on, and sheathed Zabimaru. That Hollow hadn't come back-
“Whoa, fuck!” Renji cried in surprise when the Hollow flash-stepped before him. He placed his hand on the hilt of Zabimaru, but was stalled the moment his palm touched the handle, and his fingers wrapped around it. Eyes wide and body quaking ever so slightly, he felt the grip on his wrist. He looked down to see the Hollow's hand locked around the wrist of his right hand, which was still on Zabimaru's hilt. He followed the arm to the body and masked face of the Hollow, staring at him with its red eyes. However, there was a cold mildness in those eyes, as opposed to murderous intent. Before Renji could make another reaction, it gently released his wrist and stepped back calmly, no sign of any hostile intent in its body language or eyes. Its reiatsu was even suppressed to a non-threatening level. Against his better judgment, Renji still did not unsheathe Zabimaru and continued to stare at the Hollow.
“Why?” was the first word he uttered to the Hollow. “You could have killed me easily.” He also noticed, in the back of his mind, his claws had regrown as if they had never been fired, although the wound in him and the bloody detached claws on the forest floor were proof that he had fired those previous to his new ones.
“I chose not to, for you are not my enemy; and whether you believe it or not, I am not yours,” it replied, the cold crimson eyes boring into Renji's. “I am called Melancholikí̱ Alí̱theia, and I know you are Abarai Renji.” Renji released a breath of astonishment at Alí̱theia's knowledge.
“How did you know?”
“My being stands for Truth, and Truth stands for my being. I am a seer, translator of the language known as Lying, a looker into depths, a sage of purity and impurity; I am you, and you are me. And Truth can be painful.” He raised his hands into the air, and looked straight up in the sky. Melancholikí̱ Alí̱theia, Melancholic Truth!”
* * *
Almer panted as he hunched forward slightly, staring daggers at the small Adjuchas that crouched in the underbrush, one long-clawed hand on the ground, the other stretched backwards behind itself. It was fast, and he couldn't manage to hit it as it flash-stepped from tree to tree; on the ground, in the branches. But it hadn't managed to hit him either, so that was a plus to a seemingly grim situation. They were evenly matched. However, that would soon change; the situation would no longer be grim for Almer. It was about time Almer released Syndara into his Fyrstu form. He would get a power boost enough to overwhelm the Adjuchas and defeat it.
Almer stood straight, ignoring the sweat that trickled from his brow, bowing his head slightly so it did not stream into his eyes, but instead dripped from his eyebrows onto the ground below. His grip on Syndara tightened, and he began to let his reiatsu flow more freely. It connected to the power within Syndara, and his being became an extension of Almer; power and instinct increased, his senses sharpened, his body stronger, his mind clearer. It was time.
Almer raised Syndara into the air.
“Brenna og Frysta, Syndara!”
Red light billowed around Almer, blowing underbrush and long dead leaves on the ground and the branches above roughly. The Adjuchas straightened its posture, and no longer held a hostile demeanor. Almer thought this odd for a moment before finalizing the release of Syndara. When the light faded, Almer was holding the already familiar Spas-12 shotgun in the air, and he leveled it to aim at the Adjuchas.
“Burn and Freeze, Sinner,” it...she said, making Almer hesitate. “Sinner,” the female Adjuchas repeated, her cool violet eyes studying him thoughtfully. She had no crown, though her entire head was still covered by the mask, technically making it a helmet; although the top was painted violet like her eyes. “Quite the name for a Varðmann, an extension of a Hreinsa. Executor of the Purifier. A Sin for the Saint. Or maybe your labels are of an ironic, backward implication; though you must pardon me, I mean no offense with my statements, Hreinsa.”
“Are you gonna slash those claws or whistle Dixie?” Almer growled impatiently, tensing to attack the Adjuchas, regardless of her choice to fight or talk.
“The time for fighting is over, Hreinsa. Now is the time for speaking and learning.” This made Almer hesitate a little more, although his instincts urged him to acknowledge the fact that she was probably trying to distract him enough to get the jump on him; he wouldn't let the happen though. He was as ready to hear her words as he was to kill her if she crossed him.
“Gennaiodori Dolofónos, I am called,” said she. “Silent and deadly as a shadow of night, by day fast as a ray of light. Furious battle, silent death; bringer of the final breath. Unrelenting and merciful!” She spread her arms and fingers, and her claws extended by a foot while she placed one foot in front of herself in a stance: “Gennaiodori Dolofónos, Benevolent Assassin!” She stood straight from her pose once more, and Almer watched her carefully. Finally, he lowered his reiatsu and let Syndara return to his Null form, then holstered the Desert Eagle. Within this woman Hollow, he sensed he could trust her. Warrior to warrior. Kin. Her violet eyes were cold and kind; she had killed her enemies without sparing a single one and yet had been merciful to them all. All of her enemies she had killed. The only reason she was not threatening Almer's life was for the fact that he was not her enemy.
He stepped towards her, and she stepped forward to him. She was about four-and-a-half feet tall, and her claws had reverted to their original length.
“Almer Stavenes,” he said to her, and she nodded.
“Come with me, Stavenes. We are allies.” He agreed and followed her.
* * *
Ichigo looked to his right to see Renji and the other Adjuchas enter the clearing he and Aeon stood in, and to his left Almer arrived with the final Adjuchas. Both were unarmed and looked like that they had battled, but had stopped obviously. Renji was tense and distrustful; however Almer was walking at a comfortable gait with casual body language, as if he was amongst a friend instead of an Adjuchas Hollow. Ichigo's companions stood on either side of him, and likewise to Aeon and his siblings. They all watched each other for a long moment, but try as Ichigo did, he could not read the Hollows with their ever unchanging masks. However, he got a feeling that Adjuchas with its third-eye could see right through him for some reason.
Finally, Aeon gestured to his brother with the red crown and eyes, “Melancholikí̱ Alí̱theia.” And he gestured to his violet-eyed and crowned sister. “Gennaiodori Dolofónos.” And he directed to Almer and Renji, “And I...” he trailed off, silent for uncounted seconds before he spoke once more, “Millennia of cataclysms, ages of wars. Fire devouring world and life, loss freezing hearts and souls; traumatized and unaffected, faithful and faithless. I am the cause of it all, and the finishing of it all.” He bowed his head and his eyes 'closed', the sockets of the mask losing their turquoise glow. “Katastreptikós Aeon, Destructive Being.” His eyes glowed once more and he raised his head.
“We siblings are no mere Hollows...in fact, we are not Hollows at all, although we still appear it,” Aeon continued. Ichigo, Renji and Almer all glanced at each other, then looked to the Adjuchas once more. In unison, the three of them let their hands hover over the holes in their chests, their fingers clawed, but their actual claws were retracted now. They slowly began to drag their fingers over the holes, and to the three's shock, mass began to shimmer over the holes. The process took about five seconds, and when they lowered their hands, there was no sign of the holes that were supposed to make them Hollows...so...it was true. They are not actual Hollows. But what did this make them?
“What are you!?” Renji demanded, asking the question that was on Ichigo's and Almer's minds.
“We call ourselves Convex,” Dolofónos told them, and they noticed that indeed their missing hollows actually bulged a little, like domes in their chests.
“We are the only Convex in existence,” Alí̱theia explained. “Although we can still evolve into Vasto Lorde if given enough time. We can still devour other Hollows to achieve this goal, but for now we are Adjuchas Convex. And we do not abide to the rule of Aizen Sosuke.”
“Well who do you work for?” Ichigo queried. “You said you had a superior.”
“We will keep her identity secret on her behest,” Dolofónos responded. And for some reason, Ichigo and Renji felt they could trust her, as Almer had. They did not fathom why they could, but they felt deep in their hearts she could be trusted to the ends of the universe, someone to rely on, someone who was loyal in return. They were all odd in their own ways, but she was the most comfortable to be with. Alí̱theia was someone that seemed to stare into the darkest pits of your soul that even you didn't know about, and Aeon just seemed plain dangerous beneath his mild demeanor. As if the proclaimed alliance hung by a thread to him; a thread that was stretched and taut too much for comfort.
“What is your purpose?” Almer asked.
“Karakura Town is a viable target for both Aizen and the Traitors Four – yes, we know of the Traitors Four,” Alí̱theia added at the mildly surprised looks of the opposing trio. “Like the group of high-ranking Hreinsa are collaborating with the Gotei Thirteen within Soul Society and the Seireitei, we also know of Ishida Uryu, Inoue Orihime, and Sado Yasutora. Although we prefer not to be in contact often with your group, we still wish to be close allies that will assist you whenever danger arises in Karakura.”
They all watched each other; and yet again Alí̱theia with his strange ability of limitless perception was the only one to truly see through the two Shinigami and Hreinsa.
After the fruitless examination of the Convex, Ichigo finally said, “Okay...” He looked to Renji, and he nodded. He looked to Almer, and he nodded as well. Ichigo looked back to Aeon right in the eyes, his own steely and cold. “We trust you.” That was only one-third true. He trusted Dolofónos for that unsung reason, but the brothers he was not sure of. But it seemed to satisfy all three Convex.
“Very well,” Aeon said to them. “We take our leave. We will know when you need us, and we will seek you out if we need you. Farewell for now.” And with that, the three disappeared in flash-steps, leaving the three warriors to think deeply of what they had just encountered. First thing was first though: they needed to gather everyone immediately and tell them of what transpired.
* * *
In one of the backrooms of Urahara's shop everyone was gathered around the low table that was usually used for dining. Urahara Kisuke, Tsukabishi Tessai, Hanakari Jinta, Tsumugiya Ururu, Abarai Renji, Kurosaki Ichigo, Almer Stavenes and Ishida Uryu were all present. They all sat in silence as they awaited Chad's and Orihime's arrival. It should be any second now they would hear their footsteps from the hall outside. Their wait lasted only for an extra thirty seconds before they faintly heard the front door open and the footsteps approach...although there were three pairs present instead of two. They all wondered who the third person was. They found out anyway as first Orihime and Chad entered, Orihime brightly greeting them with a “Hello!” smile and slight bow; Chad with a low grunt and nod; and the final addition to the meeting, who made no form of greeting, was a grave-faced Shihōin Yoruichi.
“Yoruichi-san,” Urahara regarded the woman, but not in his typical cheerful manner. His face was blank, and his tone low and strangely ominous for that reason. He knew that Yoruichi was bringing grave news.
“We met Yoruichi as we were arriving and told her you all had an announcement,” Orihime mentioned to the gathered friends, but she had detected Urahara's atypical behavior and had become quietly apprehensive, frowning as she looked at Urahara then Yoruichi.
“I also have an important announcement,” the dark-skinned woman stated. Everyone was silent and gave their undivided attention to her. She continued, “Last night, Seireitei was infiltrated by Barrett Leo of the Traitors Four.” A heavy silence fell about, more quiet than the silence from beforehand, thick with conflicting emotions; sudden anger, fear, most of all bewilderment.
“Did he hurt anyone?” Renji asked, disturbed by the notion he had brought up himself.
“Yes, he did. He attacked the Seventh Division barracks...they suffered eighty-percent casualties.” Orihime and Ichigo gasped, and everyone else started and made small noises conveying their feelings of shock and despair; but Renji was the most violent of all as he stood and screamed, “WHAT!? EIGHTY-PERCENT!? THAT CAN'T BE...YOU'RE...YOU'RE LYING!”
“Renji...” Ichigo murmured, stunned, looking up at his friendly rival, not expecting this sort of reaction. Yoruichi patiently glared him into submission. His expression resigned from furious to sorrowful as he sank back down to sit on the floor, his head bowed. “I apologize...I shouldn't have said that.” Yoruichi only gave a nod of acceptance of the apology, though Renji did not see it for he still stared at the floor.
“Captain Komamura Sajin had also been seriously wounded, but I don't doubt he will recover; he is very strong and has amazing physiology compared to most,” Yoruichi stated.
“What are the Gotei Thirteen and Hreinsa going to do about it?” Urahara asked, covering his face with his fan as he stared up at Yoruichi. She sank down to sit with the group and said back, “I don't know yet, I didn't stay long enough to listen in on anything. As far as I know, they still think they're in the United States...although it is possible they managed to migrate to Japan...possibly to Karakura Town itself; it would explain how easily they got into Soul Society. But,” she said to astonished looks directed at her, “it's only speculation. They could be masquerading as ranchers in Oklahoma for all I know.” A silence hung over them again, but this time it was a breather from the startling and terrible news...because there was potentially more disconcerting news to come from Ichigo, Almer and Renji.
The silence lasted for a minute before Urahara looked to the two Shinigami and Hreinsa, “Kurosaki, Stavenes, Abarai...I would much like to hear your news now, if you please.” Still behind his fan. Ichigo hesitated for a moment, seeing if the others would begin, until he decided to get the ball rolling himself.
“After we left the shop...we detected some Hollows nearby. When we got there, we encountered them...but...they weren't Hollows...technically.” Urahara had a perplexed look behind his fan, his eyebrows raised and eyes inquisitive.
“'Technically'?” he repeated.
“They were Adjuchas, just not Hollows,” Almer picked up, eyes turning from Ichigo to him.
“How is that possible? Adjuchas is a Hollow-exclusive class,” Yoruichi stated matter-of-factly, though when she looked into Almer's eyes...it made her doubt by a fraction. Wow. When was the last time she had felt doubt by her own facts when looking into someone else's eyes?
“They were once Hollows...but somehow they made themselves into...something else entirely. They had the bodies, the reiatsu and the odd powers of Hollows, but they lacked the actual hollows in their hearts,” Almer elaborated. “Instead, they called themselves Convex, due to the convex where their hollow should be.” More silence ensued; thoughtful, scared, confused, or a combination.
“And they said they're allies of ours,” Renji finally started up. “One of them has this keen sense of perception. He knew my name without me telling him, and they said they would be dwelling in Karakura in secret. The one knew of you three, Ishida, Inoue, Sado,” Renji said to his three friends, taking them aback greatly. “And I know he knows about the rest of you,” he added to the remaining occupants of the room.
“This...I need to be honest, but this is hard to take in,” Yoruichi interrupted, shaking her head. Ichigo and Renji looked baffled.
“Yoruichi...you don't believe us?” Ichigo asked, stung, and his tone made Yoruichi look at the ground in shame, unable to meet his gaze. “I do believe you, Ichigo. But this is still difficult to comprehend...these Convex. Adjuchas and yet non-Hollow.”
“They also said that they could still evolve into Vasto Lorde...” Almer murmured to himself, but everyone caught it in the absolute quiet of the room.
“Yare yare...” Urahara whispered, the fan not yet down from his face, his eyes distant and thoughtful. “This news is quite perturbing.”
“We can prove it!” Renji suddenly proclaimed, all eyes on him as he stood abruptly. “They said they would know when we need-” he was cut short when three very Hollow-like reiatsu appeared outside the shop. Everyone jumped to their feet then, tense and anxious, but Almer quickly said, “Wait, they're the Convex. We can trust them.” Yoruichi cast him a doubtful look, but Ichigo met her eyes next.
“We can,” he said to her, his thousand-yard stare enough to move Yoruichi...for the moment. She would have to size these Hollows up herself.
All eyes were on the door to their room now as they listened to three pairs of footsteps approach; one of the pairs more of a tip-tap, as if someone was tapping two thin sticks on the ground. They came to the door, and everyone's breath stalled for a moment when they saw them. Three Adjuchas Hollows...but...
By God... Yoruichi breathed inwardly, eyes wide and mouth agape slightly as she gazed at the creatures. The Convex.
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The Mirrors Of My Soul