Living in Nijukan [Kimiko]

[Ruhe Krieger]

The little girl had found herself as of this moment staring out into the crowd. The apparition of these faces in the crowd. Petals on a wet black bough. Looking at them sweeping through motions with their practice blades, she found herself sweeping with her broom. There was so much foot traffic here, it always seemed as if there was dust and rocks, especially when the training got overzealous and left cracked cobblestone or pieces of brick about. A hard day for a girl named Kin. The little cutie worked diligently, clearing the area of debris or any underlying things such as that.

Her favorite times were meal times. Each and every meal seemed to have a homely feeling to it, and she could seemingly never get enough. All the food seemed so much richer. Spiritually rich that was. At night? She slept with many of her big sisters. Kimiko of course couldn't always be here. Inbetween her duties as captain, as well as her patrols she needed to do in Rukongai, but that was fine. Though she was always a bit happier and more excited when she returned. Perhaps because she seemed kind. 

In truth. The way some of the older girls fawned over how cute she was? It made her feel good. It was a foreign sensation, and on the warm summer days, it felt peaceful and idyllic. She felt like she could have lived here forever. However, she knew that such was impossible. Because the Emperor made it so. She'd hugged her rabbit plush, a somewhat silly little thing known as "Chappy" apparently in Seireitei. It was apparently quite popular amongst women in the Shinigami Woman's Association. It was funny the kinds of things you could learn, just by listening and being in the background.

People talking about things like "Shikai" or other terminologies. It was likely very rare for a Quincy to be able to be so close to people such as this and learn more personally and intimately the way they lived. Even when she realized after her shock she could have left whenever she pleased. The Shadow. It felt strange, being able to slip and vanish out of existence through the passageway that could have taken her to silbern. At this point? Ruhe was here playing pretend and make believe one could say. Allowing herself to delude herself into being the little girl she never got the chance to be. 

Ruhe wanted to be loved. Loved. Adored. Fawned over. When she didn't do her simple duties here? She ight play. Maybe go as far as to go down to the villages of the Rukongai district below her and play with the other children. Though sometimes they were a bit rugged, or mean spirited. Children often could be. Little did she know she'd get to spend more time with her big sister Kimiko today. Though it felt a little bit strange to call her that. Big sister. Especially since she seemed so scary. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Today was one of encompassing sunlight. One of peace. One of joy. Across the entirety of the Soul Society, the people of the heavenly realm enjoyed what appeared to be the very last - or at least one of its last - days of its summer season. The rays of the distant star shining above basked the endless city of souls with a comfortable heat that brought warmth to the hearts of many, allowing them to briefly forget their many tasks and duties as they enjoyed the briefest of vacations, and - perhaps for once in a lifetime - there appeared to be no sign or foreshadowing of any incoming attack towards the realm as a whole, quieting the many worries the people held for the time being. In other words, for the ones who lived within their palaces within the holy city of Seireitei down to even the lowest dredge of the latter districts of Rukongai, this was a glorious day. However, as she looked above towards the radiant blue sky, all Kimiko could see was the color itself and the curse of discretion it brought along with it.

A few weeks ago, the Captain of the Eleventh Division of the Gotei 13, master of the great school of swordsmanship known as Nijūkan, had participated in a counter-offensive operation held within the wilderness spanning across the grounds beyond the Soul Society's grasp. The objective of that operation? Subjugate or kill officers of the Vandenreich who had apparently made it their mission to infiltrate the heavenly realm. The purpose behind such a mission has been left unknown even to this day, but in the end, the Shinigami's operation was a success. Shortly after she and her officers arrived, all of those who dared to wield the bow before her had been eliminated. With that said, that success was only but partial. Subjugation had proven to be impossible due to the officers' faith in their Emperor, which led to their complete massacre, and their commander was swiftly burned to ash by a divine light during the very moment preceding his interrogation. This only left but a single survivor amidst the entire group, a young girl going by the name of Ruhe Krieger who apparently had the ability to turn herself into some kind of blood-like liquid. She was only thirteen.

During the battle, Kimiko had considered the girl to be unsuited for combat. She was not a soldier, but a child, one who had visibly been forced into a bloody conflict that was beyond her understanding. Thus, the Captain had decided to spare her for the sake of her future. The last thing the swordswoman wanted on her conscience was the final death of another young one by her own hand. This decision, however, came at a cost. For one, due to the trauma the girl had suffered, she lost control of her abilities during the battle, and she had thus accidentally almost killed one of Kimiko's subordinates. By now, the subordinate in question has returned to duty, but although he has accepted to move on without it, one of his arms was now forever lost. Then, for two, the trauma had also caused the girl to revert into a broken childish state, leaving her completely defenseless and in need of immediate emotional support. Such was how the little Ruhe eventually found herself behind the walls of Nijūkan North, disguised as a simple apprentice known as "Kin".

Granting shelter to this girl was a foolish plan. Kimiko knew that it was only a matter of time before the Gotei 13 would learn of this matter in one way or another. Even so, she went with it nonetheless, if only to allow Ruhe to recover. Even if it was only but for a month at best, she wanted the girl to have some kind of break from it all, and perhaps experience the chance to separate herself from the fate her sordid Emperor had forced upon her the moment she found herself within the ranks of the Vandenreich. That way, she could have had a glimpse of the life that she could have had away from the Vandenreich's infinite war, and maybe even the possibility of remaining away from it altogether. But unfortunately, it appeared that such a thing was all it was going to be, a possibility, for the primordial worry that Kimiko held for this plan had been made tangent only but a few days ago by none other than the Captain of the Twelfth Division, Aramis Tezuka.

It was supposed to be nothing more than a tactical meeting, one meant to focus onto the future of the Soul Society as a military force. They were merely supposed to evaluate what they would need to do in order to further secure the heavenly realm, and what to do should they face another threat as grand as the one they faced during the latest attacks against the realm's people. Yet, after a time, the scientist had suddenly revealed to Kimiko that his sensors had detected a specific signature near her northern school. It was a very specific mark, the kind that could only be found within a particular type of spiritual energy. That mark, of course, was those of the Quincy. The swordswoman acted accordingly, feigning outrage and shame, and it was all convincing enough to get Aramis off of her case. However, she had only done so temporarily, for he had given her a time limit. She only had a single week to rid her dojo of the Quincy energy, before the Captain Commander would be alerted and thus tasked to deal with it himself.

It has now been about four days since this meeting was held between the two Captains. A lot has happened since then. There was the sudden appearance of a demon within the Eleventh's courtyard, the hunting of yet another one of those horrid scientific experiments within the Living World, and even an accidental invasion which occurred in Kimiko's very barracks. Even so, the Quincy's signature remained, with its source remaining oblivious to what occurred outside of the heavenly realm. Kimiko didn't have the time to deal with her then, but quite frankly, she didn't have the will either. Every day, she had tried to push this as far as she could, if only to grant Ruhe just a little bit more time without the chaos of war plaguing her innocent mind. But the day before, she had been notified by Aramis of the remaining presence. It was a very simple reminder... but it was a harrowing one, especially after all that's happened lately. Unfortunately, she needed to deal with it. It was now or never.

In so doing, the Captain found herself heading towards Nijūkan North at noon, shortly after she was done dealing with the brunt of her usual paperwork alongside her assistant. As usual, she found herself crossing the many streets of Seireitei towards the northern Black Ridge Gate, and as usual, she then began to use Shunpo to bridge the distance between herself and her northern school. The sun's glorious rays from above would not be granted with any of her attention, as she instead simply looked onward towards the mountains that were becoming increasingly more evident. A number of steps later, and she would find herself slipping past the village at the feat of her school, and instead find herself appearing right before the base of its many steps. Her sudden appearance in front of the first step was enough to cause an elderly man who was nearby to jump in surprise. "Oh, Jesus Christ!" The man would exclaim then before he would let out a sigh of relief. "My God, I'm so sorry, master Nakajima! You startled me!"

Upon realizing that she had just surprised one of the citizens of the city, the Captain would blink and quickly force herself out of her serious mood in order to take on the usual energy that she brought to her school. Better to keep a man like him out of her business. "Oh, no, no, it's alright, Donald! This one's on me. Next time, I'll be more careful," she would reassure the man with a friendly smile and a light chuckle. Perhaps saying such a thing made her appear a tad bit ditzy, but frankly, it was better that than outright telling him that she had not noticed him. "But now, I'm curious! Are you going to finally attend my classes?"

"Haha, well... I've been thinking about it!" The man would laugh, rubbing the back of his head as he looked up the stairs. "I've been hearing all sorts of stuff about the people going up there, ya know, about them being able to use spiritual energy and what-not. It could be good for my back!"

"Well, I can't make any promises, but with good training, anyone can develop the ability to use reiatsu," the woman would admit to the man before she then gave him a smirk. "Anyway, come to the classes this evening! Doesn't matter if you can't wield spiritual energy: your back will definitely benefit from the physical activity!" 

"I'll come check it out later, then!"  

With the conversation coming to an end quickly enough, Kimiko would then leave the elderly man and begin to walk up the steps. For the first few, her smile remained. She was pleased to hear that she was about to gain yet another student, after all. However, as she was slowly reminded of her and Ruhe's predicament, her serious expression would swiftly return. She wasn't sure of what what was going to happen up there once she would speak to the little girl. For now, she hoped that the little girl was going to take the plan that she had for her with a calm sense of understanding. However, she had a feeling that she was asking for too much. Children, even those who could not really be entirely described as such, do not act reasonably. Sometimes, they freak out. Sometimes, they make mistakes. The last thing that Kimiko needs at the moment is another freakout like the one that she had felt before, the kind that would accidentally turn her into a threat to her entire dojo.

[Ruhe Krieger]

In truth. Ruhe was more aware than people would let on. When she first appeared in the woods of Cochem, she had been twelve...Maybe a bit younger. She couldn't tell to be honest, as she ran from home. The passage of time was different when you were on the run. The only thing was, for a girl like Ruhe? She never stopped running. It was one fate to be running from your parents. It was another to be running from destiny. She found herself sitting atop the very top stair, looking out towards the distant Rukongai. The view was best from here.

Chappy held in hand. "Ohayo." She looked on, and she saw her face. The serious and stoic kind. She found herself burying her face into the rabbit, as she felt tears well up in her eyes. As of recently, she had been having strange dreams. Horrible ones. While she tried to dismiss them initially, she knew that it was impossible for them to have been mere terrors. Because they were real. She'd lived them. Those thoughts that lingered within her heart were too hurtful to not be. Small rivulets of tears dripped down her face as she recollected those deep memories.

She remembered when she first entered into her father's study. She was a very young child. Perhaps about as old as she looked to be now. Rummaging through his texts to learn about the Quincy. She remembered when she saw him. When she formed the Hohle Schneide as a deformed and misshapen thing. He grabbed her by the pig tails, and he beat her black and blue. Her father hit her hard. Her mother hit harder. There was a greater level of spite in her blows, a maliciousness and coldness that seemed too hard to be real. She had little memory of her brothers, and it seemed as if things were distant.

But the scars were there. She was half tempted to say that she wanted her mother in that moment. However, she knew that wasn't true. She didn't know a mother's love or touch. She didn't know the love of a father or sibling. She didn't know the love of a God. She wasn't sure if she knew love at all, and in a way was afraid to accept and embrace it. Because it felt foreign and strange. Because it felt as if she was undeserving. The little Ruhe looked perhaps like she was sullen or sulking, but in those next moments? The small Quincy girl would stand and slowly walk her way to Kimiko, and would reach out. Hugging her along the waist, and sobbing into her stomach.

Ruhe's cheeks were flushed pink. The reason being because she felt shame. In a way, she wanted to feel small and vulnerable. To be held and loved. To be held dearingly. To see affection in someone's eyes. In those moments, the small Quincy girl wished tht she could get smaller. To disperse into water so that her form could sink into the earth and be absorbed by the soil. "T-Th-ank you f-for being so nice to-hgh. Me." She says, as her chests rises up and down as she sobs uncontrollably. "I-I know I do-don't belong here." She says, and with it, she cried even harder into the older Shinigami.

"I-I d-d-don't want to be a bad girl! I promise." She says the last two words in a quiet whisper, as if she was trying to say that to herself more than Kimiko. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Many believe the steps that lead towards any of the Nijūkan schools to be quite the challenge. From their base, they piled on top of one another seemingly without an end, ordering those who gaze upon them to prepare for a voyage that will be most challenging. In truth, "challenging" was indeed the right word to describe what they offered; after all, they went up high, which was to be expected from a path that led towards the summit of a large cliff. Even so, Kimiko appreciated them. To many, these many steps seemed like nothing more than an inconvenience, but in her eyes, they represented the very first evaluation that she could give to anyone who decided to join one of her schools. If one could cross these steps, they prove to her, to her fellow teachers and to the rest of the students of Nijūkan that their will to engage in hard work is sufficient enough for training. That, and it also provided a very good view too. It was a nice bonus on top of it all, a reward.

But today, the Captain did not feel any reward as she went up the steps. No, in fact, she felt none of the emotions they were meant to bring to her... or rather, she didn't feel them in the way that she had understood them. Instead of a test of determination that would allow her to become a better fighter, she was instead granted what could only be described as a test of a different kind of strength. Each time she raised her foot into a step, she was reminded that what was waiting up there was going to be a child abandoned by the world. With each step she took, with each step she crossed, she was reminded of the sorrow the little girl felt previously within the ranks of the Vandenreich under that terrible commander, of the happiness she was currently experiencing now with Kimiko's students behind the walls of Nijūkan North, and of the current circumstances this aforementioned child that were going to inevitably lead her to further abandonment. It was all nothing short of torturous.

By the time she reached the third quarter of the stairs, the higher officer's heart had already grown heavy. In fact, it was enough for her to briefly stop and contemplate what she was about to do. She understood what the plan was and why it needed to be done. She also understood the consequences of not following the plan. Yet, right then and there, she couldn't help but almost wonder why she was even doing it. For the briefest of moments, she almost wanted to outright give up on the plan, to go back to Aramis and tell him the truth about what she had done. But then, she remembered his terrible warning.  If still detecting Quincy reiatsu in three days, will notify you,  he had told her then with that robotic voice of his.  If still detecting in one week, will notify Captain Commander, place matters in his hands.  The mere thought of the Captain Commander appearing above her dojo and raining fire upon it, all to cleanse a single source of energy... It was quite simply horrifying.

So, following this one last reminder, Kimiko continued up the steps that remained before her. She powered through, letting the chance of something so horrific even occurring push her onward. Eventually, she was able to reach the last number of steps and find the great gates which led inside the dojo. Quietly, she watched the gates as she moved forward, taking in what was going to most likely happen next. She also watched her, the creature who rested on top of them. From above, it looked down below with that Cheshire smile of hers, seemingly satisfied by what she was witnessing. Thankfully, however, she did nothing more. There were no words to share, and there were no intense hallucinations to summon. It would seem that, for once since their last faithful discussion, she would only and merely act as nothing more than an observer of events. Kimiko wanted to think that such inaction was a good thing, as that way, she wouldn't be distracted by the beast's attempts at further gaining her attention. Yet the further she remained there... the further Kimiko began to believe in the contrary.

Eventually, her gaze left her Inner Hollow's form atop the gate. She didn't have time to grant her more of her attention: there was a much-more pressing matter to settle. So, she looked down and began to further proceed onward. However, just as she lowered her gaze towards the top of the steps, her scarlet eyes would suddenly find themselves spotting Ruhe. The sight of the girl surprised the Captain in the moment, especially given that she had not noticed her then, yet she tried to at least give her a smile and a wave. "Oh, Ruhe! Good... morning," her cheerful tone would start to dwindle down as she then noticed the girl's face. It appeared as though the little Quincy had been crying for at least a few minutes before her arrival. Instantly, the merriness the dojo master tried to portray vanished, and instead came worry that pushed her to cross the last few steps which remained in her path as quickly as she could. "Woah, hey! Are you alright? Did something hap-"

Before she could say anything more, the girl would come forward, hug her, and then let it all out. As she spoke, Kimiko would simply stand there in shock, taking her words and the tears that came with them without saying anything. It was all so sudden, so very sudden, and it left the higher officer stunned. At the very least... there was one thing that was clear about this: Ruhe, the girl she fought back then, was back. Her memories had returned, and "Kin" was effectively gone. That should have made things easier. However, as the girl cried against the Captain's stomach, said Captain wasn't quite sure of whether or not that was going to be true. In spite of this, she would take a deep breath and find herself slightly crouching down before bringing the little girl closer to her in a proper hug. "You don't need to promise me anything, Ruhe... I already knew that," she would respond to the child's last words with a sigh, then would bring the girl out of the hug to get a good look at her. Her scarlet eyes, previously so serious, had grown softer. "Let's get inside. I need to talk to you about something."

Kimiko would then let go of Ruhe, straighten herself up, and then proceed towards the gates. She wouldn't mind if Ruhe stood close to her in the meantime; after all, she did seem to require comfort at this time. With that, she would head on past the gates and through the courtyard. As to be expected, there were several students who were already there. Some were following the training regimen that had been given to them by accomplishing various exercises, whether these accomplishments be done on their own or with a partner, while others were following the directives of one of the school's other teachers. The fact that there were already so many students who were eager to follow their schedules created a great upsurge of pride within Kimiko's heart, enough so that she was able to smile at the sight of it all. Even so, she maintained her focus onto Ruhe. As much as she wanted to spend time with everyone here, once again, she had a more important matter to attend to.

She would give a wave to the people that she passed, making sure to grant a few advises to those who were in need, until she would reach the northernmost building of the school. There, they would pass by the temple-like edifice where many cultural effigies had been erected, and proceed towards the hallway by its side. Many people were present in the hallway, young and old alike, and they all made sure to greet Kimiko upon her passing in the hallway. Some even greeted Ruhe as well, or rather "Kin", in this instance. Together, the Captain would proceed with the Quincy hopefully still in tow until they would reach a single door. Due to the simple duties that had been assigned to her, Ruhe would be able to recognize this door. It was the door that led to the underground storage room, the one where all supplies for Nijūkan North's students were stored. Upon seeing it, Kimiko would open the door, and once Ruhe would follow inside, she would make sure to close it behind her.

Behind the door would be a single hallway that headed downward towards what appeared to be some kind of basement. The stairway was fairly large - like the rest of the building and the dojo as a whole, really - and illuminated by small candles on the walls. It also went rather deep. Eventually, at a certain point, they would reach the bottom of the stairs and be led towards a room that was about the size of the entire building. Within it were many shelves and crates, each of which perfectly ordered and maintained. It was also devoid of anyone's presence for the time being, aside from Kimiko's and Ruhe's. Fortunately for them, the room wasn't very dark thanks to the many lanterns and candles that had been set onto the walls. It allowed them to see the entire room from where they stood, atop a wooden platform that led into stairs going forward into the proper floor of the basement. "It's not the best place to talk, I know, but... it'll be better than my room. I don't really have an office here," Kimiko admitted as she headed down the steps. Hopefully, Ruhe wasn't going to be too scared by all of this.

[Ruhe Krieger]

It was hard to fathom at some times that Kimiko was a person capable of such kindness. As they stood together, and as she was allowed to let out her feelings. Her tears? She found herself looking into those eyes, tears dripping from her face as they were eventually told that they'd need to talk. Though for some reason, she felt afraid. Though, what could she do? She didn't really shake or nod her head in either which way. As they made their advance, she found herself wanting to feel small. Smaller and smaller as they made their way through the area. Though she might shyly wave. They eventually found themselves before the final stop. The metaphorical and literal end point.

Until they would enter the underground storage. In truth. Ruhe hated the underground. It was dark, and scary, and it reminded her too much of other horrible things. Slowly looking upon the deep cavern, illuminated by candles? She found herself looking out across the shelves, and the crates. It reminded her of the story of Bluebeard. Though, at the very least, the room was well lit despite the darkness that threatened to consume them and the vast emptiness of space. She found herself slowly shaking, and with it, she slowly realized why she was here. Tears dripping down her little face. Knees shaking as she tried to get a grasp of reality.

"P-Please. D-Don't kill me." She says, in a voice barely higher than a whisper as she squeaks, her voice cracking. Her eyes were as wide as a doe's and they seemed both empty and yet dully shining. "I-I didn't mean to be bad. I-I...P-Please don't h-hurt me." She says, slowly falling onto her knees, and holding her arms instinctively in front of her face and above her head. Her arms erratically shook, and her breathing was unsteady as she seemed to try to curl up defensively like an armadillo. As if she was about to be punished or beaten. She'd remembered those moments. The looks of dissatisfaction. The looks of indifference. The feeling of loneliness. It hurt.

She couldn't think straight. But she remembered now. All the people dying around her. She remembered the pain that was flooding through her system. The sudden panging of her heart that allowed her to survive. She found herself pitifully looking upwards, tears welling so much in her eyes that Kimiko looked like a blurry outline, as she rest her chest and head along the ground. Kimiko brought her underground into this quiet and dark place to get rid of her didn't she? Because it was easier to take care of her where other people weren't. Where she couldn't hurt anybody. Ruhe looked mortified. Who wouldn't? 

Ruhe's like was a short, fickle, and cruel one. Where she'd been subject to neglect, abuse, and feelings of inadequacy. To add on the fear and feelings of death on top of that was something else entirely for her. The little Quincy child found herself slowly looking upwards. "U-Uh-hugh..." She coughs and sputters, whimpering, and hugging herself, like a dog might curl up when kicked. She felt so emotionally and mentally scared and taxed. She feared Kimiko and what she might have to say. What's more, she wondered  what she'd do. Because she wanted to say they were kind. Yet, memories of bloodshed filled her head. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko could feel a sort of tension arise as she led Ruhe towards the storage area. It was faint at first, mere remnants of what had came before by the steps that led into the school, but as they came closer and closer to the door that would grant them passage to the basement, it kept becoming heavier and heavier on her shoulders. Then, that weight proceeded through her body before grasping at her throat, at her heart, at her soul. She knew where this was going to go, and evidently, so did Ruhe... and she could already feel herself sink lower into the depths of guilt. What was down there, or rather what was going to happen shortly after they would reach that place, was not something that the little Quincy girl nor the Shinigami Captain were going to appreciate both now and later, but unfortunately, there was nothing else that could be done in order to prevent it from occurring. This was simply meant to happen regardless of their opinion on the matter. They had no other choice.

By the time they reached the steps that led down into the basement, the swordswoman was still attempting her best to remain focused onto the plan. For it all to succeed, she needed to concentrate and to not hesitate, for any mistake would lead them all to a terrible disaster of extreme proportions. Yet as she descended down these steps, her mind found itself becoming distracted by the contact of her sandals against them, and soon, it began to reminisce in tandem. With each wooden clack, the weight from before grew heavier and heavier still. It caused her body to briefly shake under her haori, and her eyebrows to frown ever-so-slightly downward. Come the final steps, she began to hear Aramis' terrible words on repeat, and to feel the worry that came along with them almost tenfold. For a brief moment, she even imagined the Captain Commander appearing above her northern school and transform it into a fiery wasteland, if only to disintegrate Ruhe as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, before the vision could allow her to contemplate its terrible details, Kimiko and Ruhe both had reached the final step that led them to the basement floor. However, at that point, the Captain needed to say something. She couldn't stay silent, not after she experienced the worry and the fear brought about by her dark imagination for the umpteenth time. So, she said a few words. Their meaning was meant to be casual and the tone that was used in order to speak them was as friendly as what was to be expected from Kimiko by this point, if only to make sure that the little girl would not have a panic attack from the fact that they had to speak in private in the basement. Regardless, she didn't think it was going to be enough to calm down a paranoid and frightened child who had been brought down in a place that was admittedly not very comforting at a glance, even though it was lit well-enough. Turns out, she had been right.

The pleading which came from Ruhe then was enough to cause the grip around Kimiko's heart to tighten even further. She had not even started to explain what was going to happen to the little girl yet, and the poor thing had already begun to assume that the worst was going to happen. It hurt. Tremendously so... and it was enough to cause her to want it all to stop immediately. In so doing, with a deep breath, the Captain would walk forward towards the nearest shelf. She would do so quickly enough, forcing the Quincy girl to watch as the yarrow imprinted upon the back of her haori became smaller and smaller. Then, upon reaching the shelf, she removed her twin Zanpakuto from her obi sash, put them against the shelf, then turned back towards Ruhe before walking towards her. She had removed her weapons from herself, and she had brought the insignia of her squad away from the child. This was not about duty. This was about Ruhe's safety, and Kimiko wanted to make sure she would understand that.

Once she reached the Quincy, the taller woman would find swiftly bring herself down so that the two would be able to properly stare at one another, eye-to-eye. This was accomplished at a slower pace, at a speed that the Captain believed was careful enough to not instill further panic in the child's heart. "Ruhe... I'm gonna have to ask you to listen to me now," she would begin with a softer and more caring tone that nevertheless held more energy than usual, like the one that she typically used whenever she was teaching lessons to her students. It was quite clear that she was trying her best to be as patient as she possibly could with the little girl, and that what she was going to say next was going to be very important for the both of them. After she spoke these words, she would wait for Ruhe to stop crying, or at the very least calm down so that she would be able to properly hear her explanations through her tears. Eventually, she would find herself briefly looking up towards the top of the stairs that led out of the basement, then let out a sigh before she looked back into Ruhe's eyes.

"I was told by the people that I work with that Quincy reiatsu was detected around this school. Basically, that... means that they found out that there's a Quincy around here. I'm guessing it's because you've been having these little outbursts lately," she would start with a stare that was evidently saddened by how things had turned out. Even so, she would eventually calm down and take on a more reassuring look. "I know, I know, it sounds scary, but... let me finish. The good news is that they haven't tried to do anything yet. I was able to convince them that I would take care of this without their help. The bad news is that they only gave me a week to do that before they would send in Ningen-Sōtai-... I mean, the Captain-Commander. I'm sorry. Spirit languages are sometimes hard for me to keep track of." A brief moment of familiarity. It didn't seem like much, but the faintness of Kimiko's smile brought about a bit more warmth to the conversation. Unfortunately, it wouldn't stay for long, as soon, she would become serious again. "Captain Ningen isn't a bad person, but I don't... know what he'll do to you. To be honest, I really don't want to know. So, I was able to figure something out."

Her head was then turned back towards her blades, which were now bending against the shelf where she had left them out. From where they stood, their respective light and dark would beam quietly against the flames of the candles on the wall. It made them appear almost hypnotic. "Do you remember when I told you about that guy who showed up in my squad's barracks a few days ago? How I was able to create a portal to bring him out of there? Well... that was something I've been working on just for this," she would first recount a familiar tale that has now been going about Nijūkan North for some time, then turn her gaze back towards Ruhe's. "There's a place in the Living World called "Karakura Town". I met someone there from the Vandenreich called Lucien. He told me that you guys' people live in a place he called the Silbern, and... I think that, right now, it's the safest place you could go to. So, we'll go to Karakura Town together, and we're going to wait for him to show up."

Now that she thought about it, it was a rather foolish plan. Frankly, she didn't even think it was going to work, for there was nothing that guaranteed that Lucien was going to show up once they would be there. However, it was quite literally the only positive outcome that she had in mind for the time being. For the time being, there really was no other place that Ruhe could go to that she could describe as being safe. As long as she remained within the Soul Society, she was a danger to both herself, the Shinigami that she interacted with, and Kimiko's schools, and in comparison, the Living World was full of Hollows that would most likely not hesitate to attempt to rip her to shreds just to get a chance to eat her soul. The people of the Silbern may try to force her back into the Vandenreich, and if that happens, the Captain will be more than just disappointed. With that said, there was no other way, or at least there weren't any other apparent ways out of this conundrum. Nevertheless... "If my plan doesn't work, I'm gonna bring you back here... and I'll try to talk to the Captain-Commander. Maybe he'll make an exception for your case," she tried to reassure Ruhe with a warm smile.

It was a lie. A most blatant, woeful lie. But it was a lie that was required in this moment. She didn't want to scare Ruhe even further.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Technique Used}
Technique Name: Akuma no Ishi (剃るかんめき, "Demon's Will")

Technique Type: Other | Strength of Will Buff

Technique Element: None

Usable by: All races

Class: 3

Technique Reiatsu Cost: N/A

Technique Description and Effects

The projection of one's own will to empower the hearts of others. The user channels the strength of their very soul within themselves before shouting it out, most typically either in a short inspirational speech or a motivational war cry. By accomplishing this, the user is capable of bringing forth the Strength of Will skill of all of their surrounding allies by one point for the next three posts, inspiring them to go further beyond towards victory even if such a thing may cost their lives. A master of this skill is said to have such a powerful will that they are able to instead bring the aforementioned skill of their allies up by two points.


Drawbacks & Weaknesses

As saddening as this may be to those who may be interested in learning this technique, not everyone is born with a powerful will. That is simply a natural, uncontested fact that cannot be refuted even by the greatest minds there is in this world. In so doing, it is not difficult to imagine that this technique will not always show any kind of positive effect onto the people surrounding them, especially if they are used by naturally-uninspiring individuals. In order to guarantee this technique's proper success, the user must possess a 2 in at least one of the following skills: Acting, Charisma, or Strength of Will. This technique can be executed by those who have a lesser version of these skills if they so will it; however, upon execution, there will be a 50% chance of this skill failing to provide any kind of inspiration to allies altogether.


Made by: Nakajima Kimiko

Reserved? : No

[Ruhe Krieger]

Swords lay deposited. And it was there that she was brought in the silence of this basement. Face to face with a woman who seemed to care so deeply for her, and yet, was on an opposing side. Ruhe looked up at Kimiko as she said her name with a ginger softness that seemed wrong to her. When Kimiko mentioned that thought? About Ruhe having exposed herself with those "little outbursts", she found herself wishing to have something to hug. Like Chappy the rabbit. Instead, she found herself slowly hugging herself, her foot slowly sliding back along the floor as she took it all in. 

She looked upon her, and with it, in this small form. Only around 3'8", it was really hard probably to imagine Ruhe as she was before. Especially after this amount of time. Especially when she looked at the floor, as if she was a little girl that had done something naughty. "T-They're going to kill me." She says softly. "T-They're g-goin' to kill me for r-running away." She says, tears streaming from her eyes as she sniffled. Before she slowly grasps at her hair, shaking her head no. "I-I no wanna be hurt anymore! Eheeeegh!" 

She cries, and then begins to ugly bawl. Before running forward and hugging into Kimiko's leg and stomach, crying into her. "I-I love you forever! Please don' make me go! No! No! No!" She says, seemingly regressing into that child like breakdown. As if she was struggling to digest the truth. "Amalia. S-She's gonna k-i-hill me! Lucien'll tell!" In truth. Amalia would have killed her or at the very least severely hurt her for even showing such level of weakness. For breaking down and hugging someone, a Shinigami no less for comfort. She'd have been crushed to the ground and been broken. If not disposed of, if she could have it her way. Oh, if Amalia could have it her way.

People said that the Emperor loved her. That it was from him her power had advanced. That it was from him she gained her powers, her talents, and his gifts. Until eventually, she looks up deeply into Kimiko's eyes. Her sky blues. Big wet and puppy dog eyes. Her lip trembling. "Please don't let anyone hurt me. P-Pease..." Taking a deep breath, she snorts all of her snot, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She was feeling all kinds of emotions, but in these moments, Kimiko would be able to tell as clearly as day. Fear was the most paramount one. It felt as if the world was falling apart.

It was there that the small Ruhe found herself slowly tugging on Kimiko's waist then. Before slowly looking up at her again. "I-If I have ta go. C-Can I stay with you a lil' longer? I-I want someone t-to hold me a little. Before I die. Because nobody's ever held me like that before." She says, sounding so hopeful. Sounding so soft and adorable in her high pitched tone. Could Kimiko refuse little Ruhe this? Refuse her potential last wish, in her last days? Could she not help the little child at least enjoy what little time she had left with her, under her protection? The last bit here in Nijukan? 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko wasn't really sure this plan was going to work. Even now, as she attempted to form the steps she and Ruhe would take together from now on in her mind, she could understand that they each all had holes many holes that could be exploited either by unprecedented circumstances or plain bad luck. For one, it was possible that someone had followed them out here to listen to their conversation. For all she knew, maybe there was someone from the Second Division that was eavesdropping from the shadows and reporting everything that was being told here to their superiors; after all, they were known to be not only stealthy, but also extremely quick, enough so that they could most likely overwhelm even she in combat. For two, it was also possible that, the moment they appear in Karakura Town, they will eventually be swarmed with Hollows baited by their spiritual energy, or perhaps even just Shinigami or officers of the Vandenreich wishing to find out why the signature of a Captain of the Gotei 13 would be paired with the signature of a powerful Quincy. Then, there was the matter of the portal, Lucien's uncertain presence out there, the consequences of Kin's departure from the school onto the rest of her students...

She knew about all of those things. Obviously, she did. If she didn't, she wouldn't be so worried about this entire operation and so determined to face the potential repercussions of a single failure at once. But even so, she retained her faith in the plan, if only because she knew that not doing so would an unseemly thing for her to do before the little girl that she was trying so hard to protect. Ruhe may be brave enough to at least have tried to escape the clutches of the Vandenreich, but in the end, she remained a child. She did not posses the spirit of a warrior nor even the bravery of a hard-working woman, and because of this, she most likely wouldn't be able to understand the gravity of the current situation. As such, the Captain needed to remain calm and continue to act as the little girl's guide. That was the only way she would be able to convey the information that she needed to give to the little girl without any severe effects onto the rest of the plan.

But as she tried to lay down the steps of the plan to Ruhe, Kimiko would realize that she had forgotten something, and that was ironically a child's ability to understand. They could most definitely understand what was told to them as well as what something would lead them to. Really, the problem wasn't that they couldn't. Rather, the problem was instead that they understood too well. This was made evident to the swordswoman the moment she witnessed Ruhe suddenly explode in tears again, crying with loud protests that echoed throughout the basement before she would rush forward and hug the Captain. The noise alone was enough to make Kimiko skip a beat, as she was now fearing that someone may be able to hear the little girl's cries all the way to the floor above them; after all, this was the northern facility of this dojo, and it was where the least amount of sound due to the presence of the temple. However, what hurt her the most was what she heard from Ruhe in the moment.

Kill. Hurt. Tell. Those three words caused the Captain's eyes to widen slightly as she heard them, and a deep-seethed anger to develop within the back of her throat. It wasn't anger directed at Ruhe's world and the Vandenreich this time around, or rather not completely, but instead anger towards herself. This... all made sense to her now that she was giving it some thought. She should have known that Ruhe was familiar with someone who mistreated her, or rather someone else that wasn't that commander Kimiko had personally left to die by the hands of the Vandenreich's Emperor during that faithful battle. It would explain why the little girl was so afraid of pain, why she never wanted to speak of the past, and why she had so much trouble trusting those who attempted to speak to her. But never once had she considered that possibility. She also never considered the possibility that Ruhe knew Lucien and apparently believed that he was going to betray her.

Already, the plan was in shambles. It had barely begun, and yet Kimiko now believed that it needed to be completely reviewed from top to bottom. Karakura Town was now beginning to not be as much of a suitable destination as she believed it to be, and her trust in Lucien was somewhat damaged. Yet she couldn't review anything at this point in time. It was too late for that. Even if she wanted to reconstruct the plan in its entirety, she would need a few more days in order to properly achieve such a thing, and those few more days were not going to be granted to them, neither by Aramis nor the Captain Commander. This plan that she had constructed - this flawed thing whose certainty of success had now been greatly diminished solely by one little girl's protests - was unfortunately the only thing they had, and there was simply nothing they could do about that. In other words... all they could do was simply continue putting their faith in the plan. Nothing more. Nothing less.

But of course, Ruhe was not going to trust the plan. How could she? During the course of the following days, she will be snatched from what appeared to be the only place she was capable of referring to as one of safety and comfort, and she will be returned to a place that traumatized her. Moreover, she will potentially be subjected to further abuse from a person that was most likely occupying some kind of position of power, all the while the one person that Kimiko believed the little girl could refer to as her guardian would do nothing to stop it all. Yet, it was either that... or death. The first option granted further suffering, but it at least granted a chance for Ruhe to fight back, to eventually be able to strive against what will cause her pain. The second option does not grant her that. It will instead grant her immediate erasure, the complete destruction of her soul with no way to bring it back from the abyss, for such was the inevitable fate of all Quincy.

Kimiko didn't want Ruhe to feel pain, but at the same time, she didn't want her to give up on this fight. It was why she instilled her will upon her then, why she believed it was best to leave an impression now before Ruhe will potentially leave this place forever behind, because then, she could perhaps find the courage to face the potential future abuse head-on. So, when the little girl began to once again express her fear by asking the Captain to hold her, the superior officer would grant her that wish. She would crouch down, bring her closer into a deeper hug, the kind that she could only grant to those she believed to her most trusted ones, and keep her close for at least a couple of seconds of silence However, she would not accomplish this without at least saying a few words shortly after. "No one's going to hurt you, and no one's going to kill you," she would tell the girl with a soft tone as she eventually held her by her shoulders. Her eyes held that same softness, but there was also the sharpness of a warrior, the glint of battle in the distance. "Not without a fight."

As she spoke, Ruhe would be able to feel the signature energy that she would have felt from Kimiko by now during her lessons. She would begin to experience the empowerment again, this impossible feeling of being suddenly capable of facing any threat and any foe, and all it would take was but her ability to listen. "It's okay to expect the worse, Ruhe. However, we must always fight back against it in order to achieve the best." Her tone, this time, was a bit less soft, and instead more commanding. This was the voice of a leader, of a Captain proper. "I don't know who that Amalia is and I don't know if Lucien is going to bring you to her. I don't even know if we'll be able to meet Lucien at all. Still... If you meet her again and she tries to do the same things she has done to you up until now, fight back. Don't let anyone like her or that awful commander mistreat you again.  S t r i v e , Ruhe. Even if you're scared, even if you think you're gonna lose...  s t r i v e  until you can't do so anymore."

She hoped that this would be enough for Ruhe to change, to perhaps become someone that is going to properly defend herself against what awaits her in the near future. Ultimately, however, even if they carried on her will, words will always remain words. It is not up to them to decide whether the little girl will become a stronger being, but rather up to Ruhe and Ruhe alone. Only time will tell if anything good will come out of this. But time was still not what they had for the time being, and it was clear that the longer they are going to stay here in this place together, the more students will become curious about their whereabouts. So, they needed to act quickly. With one last deep breath, she would slowly let go of Ruhe before standing up and turning away from the little girl. Then, after she made sure to position herself away in a spot that was secluded from every shelf there was in the basement, a blurry red aura would suddenly begin to emanate from her body. "Stay back. I'm gonna open the portal," she would warn Ruhe to make sure that she would not come close to her during this process. Then, finally, she would take another deep breath... before, swiftly, she would unsheathe the black blade from its scabbard.

The Quincy was most likely not perceptive enough to notice the blade's properties as it was abruptly moved from its constraints. However, for a brief moment, she would be able to see that it had become akin to a beam of red light, an almost-ethereal compound that seemed impossible to compare to metal. But what she would then be able to see forming before the Captain would be much more impressive than that. Shockingly, without warning, a crack would suddenly form in the air in front of Kimiko, almost as though said air was made of glass. It would leave small shattering noises as it expanded and expanded, taking more and more space within the spot far from the basement's shelves, until eventually, it collapsed, spreading far and wide until it transformed into the entrance to some kind of tunnel composed of red energy. The energy hummed with power at first, a symptom of this reality-cutting process, but eventually, it settled and became quieter.

Needless to say, the sight of the portal was reassuring to the swordswoman. To see it like this meant that this particular process was a success. Now, they could proceed into the Valley of Screams, and then head to Karakura Town. Standing by the portal, Kimiko would turn her head towards Ruhe, then offer her hand to the little girl. "Let's go! This thing won't stay open for very long!" She would call, albeit not too loudly so as to make sure no one would hear any further noises from this point. Hopefully, the little girl will be able to understand that.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Techniques Used}
Technique Name: Akuma no Ishi (剃るかんめき, "Demon's Will")

Technique Type: Other | Strength of Will Buff

Technique Element: None

Usable by: All races

Class: 3

Technique Reiatsu Cost: N/A

Technique Description and Effects

The projection of one's own will to empower the hearts of others. The user channels the strength of their very soul within themselves before shouting it out, most typically either in a short inspirational speech or a motivational war cry. By accomplishing this, the user is capable of bringing forth the Strength of Will skill of all of their surrounding allies by one point for the next three posts, inspiring them to go further beyond towards victory even if such a thing may cost their lives. A master of this skill is said to have such a powerful will that they are able to instead bring the aforementioned skill of their allies up by two points.


Drawbacks & Weaknesses

As saddening as this may be to those who may be interested in learning this technique, not everyone is born with a powerful will. That is simply a natural, uncontested fact that cannot be refuted even by the greatest minds there is in this world. In so doing, it is not difficult to imagine that this technique will not always show any kind of positive effect onto the people surrounding them, especially if they are used by naturally-uninspiring individuals. In order to guarantee this technique's proper success, the user must possess a 2 in at least one of the following skills: Acting, Charisma, or Strength of Will. This technique can be executed by those who have a lesser version of these skills if they so will it; however, upon execution, there will be a 50% chance of this skill failing to provide any kind of inspiration to allies altogether.


Made by: Nakajima Kimiko

Reserved? : No

---

Technique Name: Shibori (絞り, "Aperture")

Technique Type: Zanjutsu - Hohō | Dimensional Breach

Technique Element: None

Usable by: Shinigami, Rogue, Vizard & Beast-Clansmen

Class: 1

Technique Reiatsu Cost: 0 (Cinematic), 750 (Combat)

Technique Description and Effects

A variant of Sukima designed not to transport attacks, but rather proper living beings. The user takes a deep breath before they begin to raise the spiritual energy within their body, bringing about an intense vibrational force that permeates throughout its entirety at a great speed. Once this energy reaches a level that causes it to pour out of the user as a blurry aura that can be seen by all, it is then abruptly moved towards their blade. This abrupt movement causes the creation of an immense cluster of energy to suddenly inhabit their very weapon. As it remains within the weapon, it begins to change it, forcing it to progressively lose its physical form as it enters an ethereal nature which beams brightly with the color of the user's Aura with almost blinding intensity. After this transformation has caused the weapon to become so warped by the energy that it can no longer be affected by the laws of physics attributed to the world which surrounds it, the user then focuses onto a particular point in space which remains in front of them, then brings about a single slash to that point with their weapon.

Due to the sheer amount of energy fueling both the weapon and the power of the strike which it has delivered, this single action causes a great tear to appear between the location the user is currently located in and the Valley of Screams, the world between worlds. This tear first appears as a crack within reality - as though something akin to glass has somehow been broken in front of the user - before it then suddenly expands into what could only be considered as something that is similar to a tunnel which beams with the color of the user's Aura, after which it remains open until the user decides to go inside of it or to close it during the course of the next three posts. Whichever of these options have been chosen, the closure of the portal causes the user's weapon to return back to normal and the tear to disappear completely as the world swiftly reconstructs what was damaged by the great mass of energy which affected it.

After passing through the beginning of the tunnel and closing it behind them, the user can then decide to guide its end throughout the Valley of Screams by simply moving forward. This causes the tunnel to slightly pass by them and to push anything that dares to approach it. Since the Valley is connected to each of the main realms, this characteristic of the tunnel allows the user to choose where they wish to go within the realms, much akin to how a Hollow moves between the realms via the use of Garganta or Descorrer. The destination of the user can be located within any realm, which can allow them to effectively appear within any location at any given time, without warning.

The user of this technique must be proficient with it before being able to execute it properly in combat, as it requires a proper amount of reiatsu in order for it to be executed. However, though this amount is required, no reiatsu is ultimately spent by the user during the technique's use outside of combat, as unlike the energy delivered onto an enemy with Sukima, the energy used to create the tunnel is returned to the user upon its closure. Complete mastery of this technique allows one to use this technique during combat, and thus to quickly bring themselves towards their opponent with a process akin to teleportation. Most opponents with less than 300 Senses will have a difficult time properly ascertaining the location of the tunnel's end as it appears near them, which permits the technique's user to strike them in a more efficient manner.


Drawbacks & Weaknesses

As a variant of Sukima, this techniques shares some of the difficulties related to its use, given that the process required in order to form a tear in reality is similar. It too requires the user to be able to understand how quickly they can vibrate the spiritual energy contained within their body, and to consider how much of this spiritual energy is required in order to properly achieve the technique's main goal. However, there are other factors that one must take into account while executing Shibori, as noted below:

• The user's weapon is completely intangible during the creation of the portal. This means that they cannot use their weapon in any way against an opponent or the environment that surrounds them before the portal has been created, as doing so will merely cause it to pass through them.
  
  
• The user's tunnel can welcome as many visitors within it - whether they be alive or not - before its closure. This can include allies or even troops, which can be quite useful for commanders who wish to use this technique. However, it can also include enemies. In certain cases, such an occurrence can drastically affect the course of a battle and greatly endanger the lives of those within the tunnel, as the user may be distracted and thus be unable to properly guide the tunnel towards its end.
  
  
• The user and the rest of those who are within the tunnel cannot physically get out of it by any other means than through its destination, as its structure is solid. This property also affects each ends of the tunnel, as although they appear to be open, an invisible force blocks the path leading into the Valley of Screams.
  
  
• If the user is not within the portal upon its closure, the tunnel within the Valley of Screams begins to fold into its beginning until it is no more. Upon the end of this shrinking process, anything and anyone that are within the tunnel at this point of time will suddenly be launched throughout the Valley of Screams. While this process is surprisingly harmless, it forces the Valley of Screams to recognize the presence of intruders within itself, and thus to forcefully spit them out into one of the main realms. This imposed destination is dependent of what the Valley of Screams believes to be the most appropriate for the intruder depending on the quality of its spiritual energy. For example, Shinigami are returned to the Soul Society, while Hellions are returned to Hell. Due to the strangeness of their Soul, beings with split souls (namely Vizards) will be chosen a destination at random which fits their own energy.
  
  
• The user's destination must have been witnessed by them at least once before their arrival there. This must have been accomplished in-person or through other means, such as looking at a picture of the destination or by watching a video recording of it. Moreover, if the destination is located in Hell or the Silbern, demonic or Vandenreich reishi must respectively be present within the tunnel in order for the user to access them, either in the form of an object (ex: the horn of an Akki) or a person.
  
  
• While the user can use this technique during battle, doing so causes it to be much more exhausting to use than usual, as the reiatsu spent to properly create the tunnel is not returned to the user. This is due to the fact that the presence of hostile reiatsu disturbs the returning process, preventing it from being successfully completed.

With these factors in mind, it is thus imperative that one must be capable, but also knowledgeable enough in order to execute this technique. Proficiency requires a Martial Art - Hohō skill of 3 as well as any skill related to swordsmanship (ex: Martial Art - Zanjutsu) of 3, while its mastery requires the first skill to be raised to 4. Any attempts to use this technique without properly respecting these criteria may result in severe consequences to the user, such as a blast of energy upon creating the tunnel which may harm or even kill the user... or somehow worse.


Made by: Nakajima Kimiko

Reserved? : No

[Ruhe Krieger]

Ruhe's life was a sad one. She'd not known the love and caress of a family that would take her in and accept her, and so she ventured off to try to make them proud of her. To love her, to acknowledge her. More that than to improve herself as a Quincy. She was only thirteen after all, living the life of a homeless stray who lived in the ruin of a castle. She'd escaped a household of abuse and neglect and instead found herself living in solitude. There; to some degree, she had discovered a semblance of peace that had filled her with comfort and solitude. She was one with nature and lived off the land and its bounties. Though nothing good can last; and peace was an interlude between conflict.

She had been captured, bound, and gagged. Taken to the Vandenreich; and being accused of being a traitor to Quincy kind. Until she was freed, welcomed, and indoctrinated by Priscilla. Someone who at the time seemed to show Ruhe that there was a sense of reason within the Vandenreich. People that she might be able to at least feel a sense of cordiality with. Lucien seemed to be that kind of man too, in his own reasoning, but she'd struggled to feel as if the Emperor. As if God loved her. Mainly because she lacked a direct connection, and she felt as if she was cursed.

Though many would have argued that the powers she possessed was a direct counter to that argument. She found herself unknowing. Her life was in chaos. Her heart was full of conflictions. And if Ruhe was the ocean, then the waves were dark and tumultuous. Treacherous as the waves threatened to wash over and consume all things. She hugged against Kimiko as hard as she could, and in those next moments. She reassured her. Told her that no one was going to hurt her. Harm her. Not if Kimiko had anything to say about it. However, in that moment? Kimiko mentioned something.

That if she was mistreated. To fight back. To strive. "B-But...m-m-miss Kimiko." She says, wiping her eyes and sucking in her snot. "You don't understand. T-They can take away my powers. A-And kill me without a second thought. I-I have to do what they tell me. Or...I..." That might have been a moment of shock. To see the dichotomy that both the Shinigami and the Quincy lived. The ability to have your higher ups strip you of your powers in a single moment. "T-The Emperor can kill me with a ray of light from the sky." She says, tears still streaming from her eyes. Giving Kimiko light an even greater hatred of the Vandenreich and its power.

Yet also setting even more conflicted feelings in her heart. To evoke feelings of pity and concern for Ruhe even farther still. The thought they might very well interrogate and chastise, if not outright torture Ruhe when she got back to Silbern was a thought. Asking her what information she'd disclosed of the Vreich. They might torture her to get a false confession anyways. Or for their amusement. For the Vandenreich; much like Kimiko's thought was a relationship of power. The powerful could do as they wished. The weak could not. Rank was everything in the form of the Sternritter, and their cult of worship to their God. Viewing him to be their lord and source of empowerment. Their reason for being. 

Though...Assuming this little speech didn't shock Kimiko to the point where she wouldn't open the portal? Ruhe would see the uprising portal; being held open through sheer spiritual power, finesse, and determination. Before the little girl looked behind herself, and would run into it. Abandoning the spiritual world behind. As well as that of what was home for a period of time. Goodbye Seireitei. Goodbye Rukongai. Goodbye Nijukan. As she exited, she wasn't sure what was on the other side. However, she could at least feel safe enough to know that Kimiko would be her guardian. Her protector. Up until the bitter end. 

She didn't think that Kimiko outright loved her as a person or anything. They weren't exactly so intimately close that she could call it love, but she felt comfort in knowing someone genuinely cared enough about her and her situation that they'd be willing to do dangerous things. Save her from trouble. Because she wasn't sure if she'd ever felt a care like that. Someone who'd be willing to put even their own reputation and life at stake for her safety. Though perhaps that was why Kimiko Nakajima was the person that she was. Perhaps that was why she was a hero.  

[Col Arana]

66 paragraphs; 330 TPx2 for Christmas bonus;

660 TP awarded to both participants