Dark Under Brightest Nights

[Nakajima Kimiko]

After she told Ailene what she believed was happening to both them and Walker, and then laid out the best course of action they would need to take from that point on, Kimiko would stare at the tall creature with a mixture of pity and contempt. In the matter of not even a few seconds at best, Walker had turned her swordsmanship into something that was almost unequivocally mundane. The physical attribute that she believed herself to be most proficient in - her speed - had been reduced to something benign, and in so doing, much of her capabilities had been drastically reduced. She still had Shizukakane, of course. The blade's power alone could most likely allow her to cleave the Hollow in two if she wished to do so. The first problem related to this fact was that much of the abilities the Zanpakuto provides to her are supportive in essence, and therefore requires her to formulate a plan that could allow her to beat the Hollow fair and square. The second was somewhat more complicated.

While the swordswoman does battle with Hollows, corrupt Shinigami and other hostile entities, she tends to use a mixture of emotions to push herself forward. Her excitement to even accomplish the act is the main driving force, yes, but alongside it are a plethora of other elements such as simple anger, joy, or plainly, the will to complete her work as effectively as possible. She was not feeling any of those things here. What she instead felt was a great sense of pity. Ever since this battle has began, Walker's suffering has not ceased. Even after his ability was unleashed, all that he has shown was agony. He winced, stuttered, shivered and screamed, and though it was very clear that order that awful bluehead had given to him was still firmly stuck in his mind, following it was not quite appeasing the pain. In a way, it was like watching an animal desperate to end the pain as quickly as possible without really knowing how to make it end.

She had wanted a battle here. That was why she had accepted this mission with such optimism in her step. In her mind, the very moment she would have found him, they would have fought to their best of their abilities, and during that fight, she would have felt the need to put her abilities to the test. It was how she treated every mission of hers, and she had not planned to treat this one in any other way, especially not with the level of difficulty that was apparently tied to it. However, what she instead got was something that could not at all be considered a battle, as that would require two willing participants in good form. This was more akin to an halfhearted execution in which the one meant to be executed had become so sick that they have completely lost their mind. Her prideful self couldn't quite admit it then, but perhaps that was why she had ultimately told Ailene that the plan would now revolve around ranged combat. It felt too wrong for her to finish off this beast, too sickening.

Unfortunately, there was a moment there in which her wishes did not appear to be granted. Indeed, it almost appeared as though Ailene had suddenly locked herself up, or appeared to be emotionally distressed. This would cause the Shinigami to stare at her with a bit of a worried look, seeing as she wasn't quite sure why her partner became so tense all of a sudden. A tinge of regret then sprouted within her mind as she realized what she had just told to the Arrancar and remembered her reaction to the camera feed. Although she had of course not meant to do so in the moment, her new plan indirectly pushed Ailene to finish off Walker with her magical abilities, or at least damage him enough so that he would be incapacitated to the point that he would need medical attention. Walker was, of course, hostile and definitely wanted to do them harm so as to end his pain, but Kimiko felt as though her decision made her appear rather inconsiderate. Damn it... I should have worded it better, she thought then with a light frown. If she can't do it, I'll have to kill him fast before she gets mad at me.

Thankfully, it would seem that her plan did not actually bother Ailene to that point, as the Arrancar then gave Kimiko a proper response. Her first sentence somewhat reassured the Shinigami as it did seem as though she was actually going to take care of things the way it should be done, even if it appeared to be reluctant. The scarlet-eyed woman was not going to blame her for feeling hesitant at this point. However, what came after her response was... strange? It was very faint, though Kimiko was somewhat able to hear her words thanks to Shizukakane's ability reducing the noise around her. Not doing it my way...? What is she talking about?  The questions came inside her head rather rapidly, causing her to stare at Ailene with a bit of a puzzled look. That really didn't seem right. At a first glance, it sounded not like she was talking to her specifically, but rather to someone else in the room... and there is absolutely nobody in this room but the duo and Walker.

Amidst Kimiko's confusion, Ailene would then go on to draw her Zanpakuto for the first time since they have met. This caused Kimiko's confusion to instantly dissipate to make way for curiosity and a need to observe. Though she stood at a fair distance away from the Arrancar, she could appreciate the sight of a sword. A classic Japanese blade, with a black hilt and a white blade. It reminded her of a more traditional version of Shizukakane. Then, suddenly, she cut her hand, which caused the scarlet-eyed warrior to frown. Self-harm...? No, that's not right, she wondered as she attempted to understand what was happening, admittedly taken aback by the process. The sight of Ailene cutting herself shockingly did not really bother her. Hell, she did not even find the need to look away. It must be because of all the violence she has seen throughout her Shinigami career thus far. It must be some kind of blood-based ability... I guess.

Then, the Arrancar went on to execute her attack, the powerful Grand Ray Cero. Kimiko barely saw it coming, and with clenched teeth, she kept herself from being taken aback by the sight as she watched the equivalent of a large laser disk spring from her partner's hand and head straight for Walker. The Hollow made no attempt to dodge the attack, instead remaining still as the disk hit him head-on and then exploded. A sickening mixture of screaming and gurgling would then be heard from him as the disk burst into a powerful electric explosion whose shockwave caused even Kimiko to take a few steps back, morbidly allowed to do so thanks to Walker's jittering as he was being electrocuted. Much of his body would then start cracking and take on a pitch black color as he was fried from both the outside and the inside. This would go on for some time until the effects of the explosion finally subsided, leaving behind a fuming carcass who somehow still stood straight.

Though the caster of the spell had been left exhausted by this point due to the amount of reiatsu that was used the act, it at first appeared as though they had done it. Despite being terribly wounded, Walker had not died and; in fact, he was still somehow conscious. His body jittered from time to time due to the electrical current that remained through him, and it was fuming quite extensively from the heat alone, but otherwise, he was fine. Hopefully. Of course, the terrible sight was not pleasant to witness, though it was enough for Kimiko to believe in the moment that they had done it. She would remain still, waiting to see if the beast was going to do anything now that he had been burned to such a degree. After the fact, she would take a glance towards Ailene. "Well, you got him. That should keep him there, at least," she would reassure, then attempt to move towards the Arrancar while maintaining an eye on the monster.

After a few slow steps taken, she heard a noise, and found herself looking towards the Hollow with widened eyes.

The beast was still moving. Although his body fumed and jittered, his voice croaking through the burns: "P-Painful... So... painful..." He felt weak, hurt to a point that he could almost not bother registering his own agony any longer. Even though his body had been mercilessly electrocuted by Ailene to the point that he had received very severe burns that could potentially remain onto him for a very long time, he was still being pushed forward by this pain of his. Its arm, charred black, was raised yet again towards the weakened magician, all the while his mask contorted painfully like its structure was made of pure white flesh. "The pain... doesn't stop..." As he continued to mutter, he advanced slowly, painfully so, with his mind reduced to rubble. "Kill all witnesses... Kill all witnesses... Ah... K-Kill all... witnesses..." It was a miracle that he could still speak through the pain, and in a way, it was what Kimiko honestly believed to be the most shocking thing about it all.

The Shinigami would just stand there for a moment as she simply stared at Walker. At this point, her pity was starting to turn into anger. She could not believe this, that the yakuza had gone this far to experiment on these beings. Hollows - especially those who have not become Gillian - may be terrible creatures, but deep down, they are just like everybody else: Human. Even though they were corrupted by hunger and not found in time for the Konso ritual, they were all still somewhat Human, just driven by the natural order of this world to do terrible things. In so doing, seeing this creature be enslaved to such an extent that he had no free will of his own was just the worst thing she had seen in a long time. She had hoped that Ailene's spellwork would have been enough to force the Hollow to stand down, but now that that she could see that it had not worked and there definitely was no spell at all coming their way... she had no choice.  

Using Walker's pace, Kimiko would walk towards Ailene's direction before she would end up in front of her. Her left hand held onto the scabbard of her weapon, while her right hand held onto its hilt. By the time she reached her destination, the beast had now stood fairly close to both herself and Ailene, enough so that one more step would allow his outreaching arm to be able to touch the Shinigami. The stench of burned skin and muscle tissue was awful, though the scarlet-eyed warrior held on, prepared to strike. She was not going to allow this poor beast to suffer any longer. Surprisingly, however, the beast did not attempt to reach her beyond. Rather, he just stood in front of them, shivering incessantly as he suffered further. "Kill... all... witnesses..." he muttered with his croaked, charred voice, though through it was heard a dissonance. This dissonance then turned into increased shivering, and behind his mask could be seen something falling from his eyes. "Kill... me..."

The ringing in the women's ears then ceased in that moment, and Kimiko, clenching her teeth, did not hesitate. At a speed faster than both Walker and Ailene could have possibly reacted to, Shizukakane was unleashed from its scabbard. To the two, it would almost seem as though only a metallic noise was heard, though it would become increasingly clear to them that she had made her move, as she was holding onto her sword with her right hand. Soon after, a vertical cut would form on the Hollow's mask, causing blood to filter through and fall on the rocky ground below. He breathed heavily at first, taken aback by the violence set upon its visage, then appeared to let out a final sigh of relief. "Thank you... Shinigami..." he muttered before his body then slowly crashed onto the ground. The women did not have the time to see his head be cleaved in two properly, for upon his impact with the ground, he started to dissipate, cleansed by the power of the soul cutter. Walker, the creature this Soul had become, was no more.

The Shinigami stood there quietly for a moment, staring in silence as his body disappeared like the rest of the Hollows she has hunted before. Once his body was fully gone, she would slowly return her sword to its scabbard, allowing the ink to vanish as she returned her weapon to its sealed state. It took a few more seconds then for her to eventually say something. "I'm sorry... I just... couldn't do it anymore," she admitted before she turned towards Ailene. The adrenaline had visibly left her, and so did the excitement. If anything, she looked much more tired than ever before. "Are you alright...?"

[Ailene Haschiro]

Kneeling upon the floor, her eyes fixated upon Walker, Ailene's vision would soon be consumed by the blue hue of the intense blast that radiated out from the moment of impact. The Cero utterly consumed Walker as a mixture of shrieks, roars of anger, the intense hum of the Cero and powerful shockwaves began to push against her weakened and crumbling form. The Arrancar quickly covered her ears to the best of her abilities. Her movements would appear almost robotic as Walker let out twitches as the overwhelming blast of electricity simply assaulted his body. Covering her ears, Ailene tried her best to tune out the agony that Walker must have experienced in that moment.

After a few moments, once the Cero had diminished, Ailene and Kimiko could both look upon the charred and battered body of the Hollow. At first there would be the occasional twitch. Ailene expected this. It was much in the same way how salt could cause frog legs to move. This would be no different. As no more movements arose initially, Kimiko offered some form of assurance to the Espada. "Well, you got him. That should keep him there, at least," Ailene solemnly nodded. A slight frown had touched her face. "Oh no...is he dead? Did my Gran Rey kill him?!" Ailene's hands bloodied hands dug into the dirt underneath as she gritted her teeth.

Then...there would be a sound. As Kimiko and Ailene both turned their attention towards the chittering Hollow, Ailene's eyes widened. Unlike Kimiko, she'd not be filled with shock. No. Instead, it was joy. He was still alive! Ailene looked at the Shinigami next to her and then back at the Hollow as he spoke in desperate agony. "P-Painful... So... painful..." Ailene's heart hurt. She frowned as he desperately brought his body closer. Despite his injuries, he could still move. This alone was beyond impressive to Ailene. The Arrancar narrowed her eyes as she peered at the Hollow once more as he continued to speak. "The pain... doesn't stop..."

Ailene simply blinked as she gritted her teeth again. He continued his approach. "Kill all witnesses... Kill all witnesses... Ah... K-Kill all... witnesses..." In response to this, Ailene slammed her hand into the ground beneath her. She growled. She was upset. "Move...move Ailene..." The Espada tried to will her muscles to move, but there was nothing. She felt exhausted. Weakened. As he continued his approach, drawing nearer and nearer, almost to the point where he could touch both the Arrancar and the Shinigami, he continued mumbling the same phrase. "Kill... all... witnesses..." Then finally it came. A variation to the tone of Walker. Ailene's eyes widened at that moment. "Kill... me..."

All this time, Ailene had cursed herself for her inability to provide peace to the Hollow. She was not a Soul Reaper. Her blade could not purify the souls of Hollows. Her Zanpakutou, by comparison, was a tool of destruction. This depressed Ailene further as she looked at Kimiko. The Shinigami's eyes would be glued upon the Hollow. Ailene wanted to speak up. She wanted to beg Kimiko to purify Walker. To cleanse him and offe- In the blink of an eye Kimiko had made her move. Her blade remained unsheathed as she had already made her cut. A few moments after, a vertical cut appeared on the mask as blood gushed from the wound. The body of Walker began to waver as parts of it slowly dissipated into mist. Much of his body follow, but before the process was complete, he'd offer his thanks. "Thank you... Shinigami..."

As the rest of his body followed, the twisted mask cracked. It fell to the floor, severed and crumbling into countless pieces. These pieces would soon follow, crubling into dust and being carried away by a light breeze to be scattered throughout the air. Ailene's eyes suddenly focused on Kimiko as she began to change. Her blade reverted and the ink would soon vanish with it. As the Shinigami spoke, Ailene merely listened. "I'm sorry... I just... couldn't do it anymore," It did not take much thinking for Ailene to understand her meaning. As she turned towards Ailene, the Arrancar could tell that she was exhausted. This had clearly taken a toll on her...more than just physically. Though among all of this, Ailene did not quite expect the Shinigami's next question. "Are you alright...?"

Ailene blinked for a moment as she peered inquisitively at Kimiko. Her expression would soon become a smile as she chuckled very softly. "This girl certainly is something else..." Ailene leaned back, sitting down as she audibly groaned from the pain. Using the last bit of reiatsu she had, the Arrancar stopped channeling the potent reiatsu that flowed across her skin. Her Hierro would dissipate as Ailene closed her eyes once more. With a calm breath, parts of the Arrancars' body would sizzle. Cuts mended. Bruises heals. Scars faded. The cut on her hand had closed within a few seconds. Among the current set of Espada, she alone possessed High-Speed Regeneration.

While her physical wounds healed and she looked good as new besides the occasional blackened patch of skin, she felt exhausted. Her reiatsu was beginning to dwindle. Regardless, she'd open up her eyes again, staring at Kimiko. "Congratulations Kimiko. I suppose we can call this a success despite the loose ends..." She smiled, drawing her legs close as her voice became somewhat more serious. "Now that you've purified Walker, there is the small matter of us to deal with..." Ailene paused as she sighed. "Is this the part where you capture me and take me with you to Soul Society? I'm clearly at your mercy due to my own exhaustion. I won't resist. I can't resist." Ailene sighed once more. She wished that their alliance was not built upon deceit and that they'd be able to go their own separate ways. This is something she hoped more than anything...

[Nakajima Kimiko]

It would seem that this terrible night had finally come to an end. Walker has been eliminated as planned, a supernatural sector of the Japanese black market has been uncovered, and an extensive piece of technology belonging to what appears to be a major contributor of this sector has been retrieved. Realistically, any Shinigami who would have uncovered so many things at once should have been pretty satisfied of the results that came of them; after all, it will allow the Gotei 13 to move forward and properly clean up the mess that the criminals of the Living World have made out of their horrible ambitions. Kimiko, however, wasn't quite as satisfied. If anything, the only emotion she was currently feeling at this point in time was disappointment. Not only has she not gotten the fight that she had believed she would have gotten by coming here, but she had also been robbed of the successful takedown of this aforementioned sector that she had believed had occurred years ago. Worse... she saw something that she would have preferred to live without: the face of a being in such pain that it begged for death.

Shizukakane has taught her to never be weak. Whenever they spoke to one another in those plains, he would remind her that to be weak is to hesitate in the face of adversity, to be ridden of options when faced with a dilemma. Of course, she understood those words to an extent. She believed that it was about standing her ground, about not being intimidated by others, no matter what. She also believed that those others could not necessarily be people. They could be groups, concepts, moral dilemmas. Though it was but an unconscious thing that remained at the back of her mind when she liberated Walker from his pain, it was what pushed her to do it the moment the beast removed the effects of his roar from her and Ailene's body. Even so, she did not feel strong for finishing him off. It felt as though, if they have had more time preparing themselves to face him, they could have potentially given him the aid he needed. They could have found a way to heal him and remove the serum from his body. However, none of that came true. Instead, the beast was driven to such pain that he purposefully sought his own demise by her blade.

At the very least, though Walker was now gone, he was freed from his pain. He would now remain within the Soul Society as a simple resident with no memories of what's happened here. It was one of the only solaces Kimiko could find in this moment. The other would be the fact that Ailene was actually safe from harm, even if she did not actually confirm this to Kimiko. Despite the exhaustion that she is now going through due to the powerful spells she has cast, her freakish regeneration was tending to her wounds well-enough to the point that she will most likely be returned to form in about an hour at least, maybe less. The Shinigami still was somewhat taken aback by the fact that that was even a thing, as she had never actually seen such rapid regeneration before. At this point, however, she was not going to bother asking questions about it. Better to not have to worry about others with such an ability than fearing for their lives.

After she finished asserting the Arrancar's wounds, Kimiko would then stare at her temporary partner as the latter spoke while sitting on the ground. The first words that came out of her mouth already somewhat bothered her. Beyond the fact that she generally was still not used to being congratulated by others, she didn't really feel as though there was anything here that needed congratulations. "I guess..." she reluctantly agreed as she looked back to the patch of ground which Walker's body had fallen onto before vanishing. "My boss is probably going to be happy about this." The magician's observation wasn't wrong: they had indeed accomplished what they had come here to do, or at least Kimiko had done so. The creature's eventual elimination had always been on the forefront of this hunt ever since they have left that rooftop outside, even if it was hidden behind a mere simple search for him. Kimiko may not have liked how it sounded, but at the end of it all, that was how things were.

It was what then followed these congratulations that caught the Shinigami's attention proper. The woman outright told her that she was at her mercy and that she could simply bring her to the Soul Society. It was unknown whether the Arrancar was being truthful in her words, as after all, she did possess formidable strength, but it was hard to deny that she did look vulnerable. A normal officer of the Gotei 13 would have by now definitely decided to put her in their custody and bring them back for execution. Hell, a bolder officer would have outright decided to execute her on the spot now that they were sure she would be unable to respond in kind. However, although she did remain quiet for a moment after she heard her friend speak of her current physical condition, Kimiko had already proven that she was far from a normal officer. As such, considering all that's happened between them so far and how far their partnership has gone, her response could not have been any more fitting as she stretched her hand towards Ailene, hoping she would take it so that she could raise her from the ground.

"I never planned to hurt you or bring you back with me after we were done," she responded bluntly with a calm gaze that had outgrown the mental tiredness that it was previously showcasing. "All I wanted from you was your help, and I got it... I honestly don't see the point in going back on my word now after what we've accomplished here. It would just... suck, really." Her eyes would then look back towards the computer that had left behind once the owner of that cube had attacked them. It fortunately appeared to be still intact. "When I wasn't a proper Shinigami yet, a bunch of people kept telling me that Hollows were evil and that their entire purpose in life is to just eat. I never thought that was true. Maybe you were like that before you became an Arrancar... but what you are now proved to me that there are Hollows out there that are better worth talking to than slaying." She would then become quiet for a moment before then letting out a sigh. "At least, that's what I like to believe."

Eventually, she would push herself towards the computer once again, doing so at a moderate pace. By the time she reached it, she would then briefly look around. "In fact, now that we found this... what I'm planning to bring back..." Her eyes would trail from one broken screen to the other before, eventually, they would stop at the sight of what appeared to be a plastic box that was about the size of a small drawer standing behind one of the larger screens, almost completely away from view. It was black in color with a few lights protruding from holes positioned onto its side. It didn't look very important, but to Kimiko, it certainly did as she would close the computer, head towards the box, and then unplug every cable that was located behind it. "... is this!" She would finally finish her sentence by pulling the computer up and holding it close to her chest. Its weight visibly surprised her, but the physical strength she has acquired over the years at least allowed her to then place the box under her left arm somewhat comfortably. At the very least, she looked rather optimistic. "Those in Squad 12 should be able to figure out what to do with this thing...!"

[Ailene Haschiro]

The Espada looked up at the Shinigami with a cautious glare. Her mind had gone still for a moment as she only focused on Kimiko's movements. What she said was far from a lie. She was exhausted. Her reiatsu stores nearly depleted. Sure, she could likely execute some last impressive technique, but she felt that she would undoubtedly pass out if she did. Her Resurrecciòn could potentially give her the edge that she needed, but it would likely be a futile effort. Despite all that they had done up to this point, Ailene knew the way that she was viewed by Soul Society. She knew that she was hated. Despised. Targeted only because she was unlucky. Because she was a Hollow. Could Kimiko truly let such a lucrative oppurtunity go?

As Kimiko began to approach Ailene, who at this point recovered from her major injuries, the Arrancar was still going to keep a cautious eye upon Kimiko. She had been assaulted by Shinigami for less in the past...could she truly trust her word? Could she-, Ailene's thoughts were interrupted as Kimiko offered the Arrancar a hand. Ailene looked up, dumbfounded. As Kimiko spoke, Ailene merely listened. "I never planned to hurt you or bring you back with me after we were done," The Arrancar blinked for a moment, astounded. "She's...actually being serious. I sense no deceit...no malevolence...She's not gonna take advantage of the situation..." Ailene couldn't believe it. 

Staring at Kimiko again for a few moments, Ailene would gingerly reach out and let herself be aided to her feet by Kimiko. As she let, she let out some audible groans. High-Speed Regeneration allowed her to easily recover from her injuries, but she had to admit that it felt weird every time. There would be no soothing reiatsu to wash over her. No feeling of gradual elation. No. Instead, the pain remained for a few moments. The remnants of a phantom pain that once assaulted her body. She sighed with a deep breath as she attempted to calm her mind. She'd still listen intently to Kimiko. "All I wanted from you was your help, and I got it... I honestly don't see the point in going back on my word now after what we've accomplished here. It would just... suck, really."

As the Shinigami paused for a moment, peering at the monitors which were strangely intact, Ailene chuckled briefly. Kimiko's choice of words did show her age a little. In some ways, Ailene felt she could thank naivety for her safety. Kimiko was young. She clearly had skill, but she felt sympathy for Ailene. If she were like any other Espada...this would have been the perfect time to turn on the Shinigami. It saddened Ailene. Kimiko had shown herself to possess an integrity that surpassed her peers and yet she could be punished for it in the future. Ailene would continue to listen as this weighed heavily on her mind. "When I wasn't a proper Shinigami yet, a bunch of people kept telling me that Hollows were evil and that their entire purpose in life is to just eat. I never thought that was true. Maybe you were like that before you became an Arrancar... but what you are now proved to me that there are Hollows out there that are better worth talking to than slaying. At least, that's what I like to believe."

As Kimiko made her way to the monitors, Ailene would follow to the best of her abilities. As both of their eyes descended upon a plastic box, Ailene would be surprised with Kimiko's brazenness. The Shinigami simply ripped out the box as she inferred it to be of value. Once again, Ailene's understanding of technology was limited. Its purpose largely unknown to her. She could simply nod as she took Kimiko's word for it. "Those in Squad 12 should be able to figure out what to do with this thing...!" She chuckled briefly in response. In some ways, Ailene hoped that the Third Seat was right. This market that thrived on the torture of Hollows was cruel. It made Ailene sick. She would be happy to see it be ended. Hopefully Kimiko would make further strides in that.

That all being said, however, it seemed that their little fellowship had come to an end. They had completed what they had set out to do. Ailene would waste little time. She focused some reiatsu into her hand as she gingerly waved it in the air before her. The reiatsu dispersed and would cause the air to grow dense. It'd draw a horizontal line before and suddenly cave in. As it erupted with some force, Ailene and likely Kimiko would see a dark void form before them. The Arrancar sighed. Before deciding to walk in, she'd look back at Kimiko with a smile. As she spoke, there was a certain warmth to her voice. It would be much like how they first met.

"For all its worth, I did enjoy our little partnership. While I cannot guarantee that future circumstances will allow us to partner again, I wouldn't be opposed to it if it the need arose. For now though, I wish you safe travels back to Soul Society. I must return to Hueco Mundo." She'd step into the black void before her as it slowly began to close. As it was nearing halfway, Ailene piped up one more time as she stood upon a platform of her own reiatsu. "Oh! Before I forget, I'm opening up a Tea Shop in Karakura soon. You are welcome there anytime you wish. Look for the name, Rēgīna." With that, Ailene's form would vanish from sight as the Garganta closed with a loud thud.

After a few minutes of travel, Ailene found herself coming upon a bright light that filled her vision. She'd soon be welcomed by the familiar sight of her innermost sanctum. Scrolls were scattered all over the desk. The fireplace flickered with a dying flame. Shelves had been left open. The Arrancar's eyes widened as she gave her a visibly sigh. She was already exhausted. She did not need more. Instead of tending to her mess, the Arrancar walked forward, throwing her satchel own the desk. Taking a few more steps, she'd fall onto her bed with a soft thud. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she'd fall asleep within moments as she muttered. "There's almost time later...always...time...later..." 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko was aware that what she was doing here was rather foolish. In normal circumstances, Hollows tend to be naturally despicable to anyone, even their own, and so they never would have found themselves in such a situation. The trickiest of them would have potentially deliberately made sure to come to this moment unharmed, but even then, they would have not actually accepted the Shinigami's help. Their hunger must be satiated from time to time, after all, and there is no greater prey out there than Shinigami, or so it was told back at the Academy. However, the scarlet-eyed warrior was confident in the fact that Ailene was not one of these Hollows. Her confidence in properly taking her out if needed aside, she was certain that the Arrancar would actually grab her hand and let herself be pulled up without actively trying to attack her in any way, solely due to the simple fact that she never appeared to wish to attack her any moment prior.

Yes, it was foolish. Of course it was. Deep down, the swordswoman knew that this line of thought was not really what one would believe to be completely sane and that proclaiming it to the masses would get her killed, if not ostracized from the Soul Society. Hollows, no matter if they appear to resemble a Human or some nightmarish creature, have always been dangerous in nature. There are some exceptions here and there as showcased by the existence of Ailene, but ultimately, there is a reason why some groups - namely the traumatized Quincy and a good number of Shinigami that have somewhat forgotten their main duty - have branded them as despicable abominations to be eliminated at all cost: the grand majority of them have been responsible for countless acts of murder and destruction. It is as simple as that. Even the most intelligent and benevolent members of Hollowkind that attempt to distance themselves from conflict as much as possible are not exempt from this fact.

Despite this, she could not help it. It was why, instead of executing Ailene on the spot now that she was at her weakest, she instead said what she had to say and headed towards the computer to pull it off its setup. In her eyes, what was more important at the moment was not the elimination of a being who she felt had absolutely no hostile intentions towards her and the rest of the Soul Society, but rather the destruction of the Hollow market that the yakuza have been building before their eyes for all this time. On their own, the motivation of Hollows can be somewhat unclear depending on both their physical strength and mental faculties, though the same cannot be said for those who are programmed to actually commit the deeds by others. If more beasts of Hueco Mundo are kidnapped by criminals and turned into weapons like Walker with even more suffering, that distinction will be lost and it will lead to more putrid battles like this. 

After she picked the computer, Kimiko would then stare at the Arrancar as the latter prepared herself to leave. The creation of the portal did not surprise her; at this point, she was somewhat used to seeing Shinigami and Hollows manifest these things while in the Living World. "Alright... Well, I guess we'll see each other later at some point. Have a good day," she would respond with a light nod, seemingly not realizing that it was still night time and not day time as their surroundings currently had led her to believe. Their partnership had indeed been enjoyable, to say the least. She had learned many things from it, and though it is unclear whether or not they will be able to recreate this partnership later, the look of things seemed to not point towards them being unable to do so. The invitation towards this aforementioned "Rēgīna" tea shop was a testament to that. "O-Oh, Karakura? Wait, shit, can you tell me the... address..." she would try to ask, but by the time the portal closed, she was too late to get a response from Ailene, leaving her standing rather sheepishly. "Well... okay... I guess I'll find it on my own..."

Her awkward self would then leave her as she looked around the area once again with a frown. This place... She will definitely remember it from now on. Although she herself cannot do anything more than what she has done so far, seeing as her investigate skills are not quite up to par with the abilities of some of the other members of the Gotei 13, she was certain that the combined efforts of a few of the other divisions will be able to put this matter into the spotlight. As stated earlier, the Twelfth will be most likely able to find out information about everything that was stored in the computer that she was currently holding, which will inadvertently lead them to the ones responsible for this whole mess. The Plus she has sent to the Soul Society earlier mentioned the Hirawa-gumi, though she had a hunch that they were not the only yakuza clan in Japan who are part of this trade, let alone the only criminal group. The sooner they find out about their entire network, the better.

Regardless, her day was pretty much over now. She could return to the Soul Society. With that in mind, Kimiko would let out a quiet sigh before she unsheathed her Zanpakuto with her free hand. "It was pretty noisy, huh?" She asked to her weapon as she held onto it. In response, a sound akin to the ringing of a light bell could be heard in the distance, which caused her to smile softly. "I'm fine. We've seen worse than this. I just need some sleep." With that said, she would then raise her sword in front of her, then point it towards her front. She pushed the sword forward, causing the top section of its blade to disappear into nothingness, before she then turned the sword onto its left side. "Kaijō." Her declaration would cause a distortion within the air before doors would then materialize from it. They resembled an ancient Japanese folding door, a shōji which then opened onto the waiting room of the Senkaimon. "Let's go home."

And with that, the Shinigami and the Arrancar were gone both, returned to their usual occupation.

---

Meanwhile, at the top floor of the building which had so cleverly hidden the horrors beneath its doors, the bluehead rested his body on a large amount of cubes supporting his body near a single desk. He had made sure to pick a room which harbored a computer and no windows, and he had also made sure to lock said door, as though that was going to grant him any protection. "Argh, for fuck's sake! Connect, you piece of shit! I literally set up a SSH tunnel to this damned thing! How the fuck is it not picking anything up?!" He swore, naturally, as he interacted with the computer. Despite the pain in his leg, he was tapping as frantically as he possibly could, clenching his teeth in the times he would move his leg in the process. The pain which the broken bone within his lower limb inflicted upon him was very clearly affecting his judgemental capabilities... and his patience. "Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck! You piece of fucking SHIT!"

With one last word, the computer he was interacted with was blasted to kingdom come by one of the cubes supporting his body, which sent its monitor flying across the room to crash into the walls. The violence of the act at first shocked the young man, as though he hadn't actually meant to do something so drastic, but eventually, the shock subsided to instead turn into utter frustration. "God fucking damn it...!" He growled, then laid back onto the cubes with clenched teeth before looking at the ceiling. That's it. His computer was taken. There was absolutely no way that Shinigami, at least, was not going to find out about what's going on here. His backup plan, which was to release Walker, had failed pathetically, and though he himself was safe from these women, he was not safe from the people of the Hirawa-gumi. There was no way they were going to pay him for his services now, and there was even less way they were going to let him leave Japan without a fight.

He nevertheless had hope that he could leave unscathed. There was still time. Although he had fully believed this job would have been exceptionally easy, especially since the Shinigami have always been a hit-or-miss deal with the Hirawa-gumi, he had not come here without a plan of escape. So, he would put his hand in his right pocket, grab onto a cellphone, then pull it out. Quickly, his fingers tapped onto the electronic device to unlock it, then tapped some more to call a specific individual. It took a few seconds for the phone to answer, or rather to simply pick up the phone, as no sooner after they did, the owner of the cubes immediately made his request. "Bro, I need you to get me out of Japan. Like, right fucking now. I fucked up," he spoke quickly, frantically, not even giving the person on the other line a chance to speak. "I'm in the Kabukichō hideout with a broken leg, so we're gonna have to do this quick. Call Mason and tell him to prep the plane. If everything goes well, those yakuza fucks won't be going after us."

The phone did not respond to his words. In fact, after he had finished speaking, no sound came from it. At first, the young man would actually show patience, awaiting any sort of response from the other end. However, after a few seconds passed, his eyes would twist into a terrible frown before he'd huff. "John! Hey! Dude, I'm fucking serious! You there?" He would ask. Unfortunately, no response would come again, and in that moment, his eyes would widen. Why was no one answering? More importantly, why had the phone been...

Upon realizing what was potentially happening, the man immediately threw the phone away from him before destroying it with another one of his cubes, making sure to obliterate its main chip in the process. He had been found. He wasn't sure if this was the work of the Hirawa-gumi, but whoever it was that was on the line of that phone, it wasn't John, and this only meant that they were after him. This realization would cause the man to use his cubes to direct himself towards the door. He needed to get out. Now! There was absolutely no time to waste! Now that he had no plan, he needed to improvise, and he needed to do so fast before whoever catches him leaves him for dead! Fortunately, his power was still active. He had lost plenty of spiritual energy while fighting these women, but he could use them to reach either the nearest shipyard or the airport, and then scout himself out of Japan. The sooner he reaches the United States, the better.

With this in mind, the young man would eventually unlock the door and push himself outside of the room he was currently in. However, before he could bring himself to the nearest windows, he would find himself stopping in front of a tall individual, which caused him to freeze. It was a blonde man, a tall and bulky one. He stood in black clothes with a large hat, wearing what appeared to be sunglasses over his eyes and a sword scabbard near his hip. He also wore an optimistic smile, one that, given the context, could not have been more haunting. "Ah, there is the man I was looking for!" He spoke in a thick accent that the younger man could not quite identify. "Very nice to meet you! I am André Belair, officer of the Twelfth Division!" 

"What? Another Shinigami...?" The blue-haired boy first muttered. He seemed to be in shock, simply astounded by what was happening. It was astounding to him that he did not even take the time to analyze his opponent's power. Instead, he would clench his teeth as hard as he could against each other, then raise his hand. "GET. THE FUCK. AWAY FROM ME!" He screamed before several cubes then materialized in front of him. They did so rapidly, with each of them preparing themselves to rush straight towards the man's chest just like the blast he had shot towards the Arrancar. The cubes were then all shot straight towards the man, aiming to completely annihilate him from top to bottom.

In the instant that followed, the cubes were all cut down, and the had raised his Zanpakuto from its scabbard. With frantic terror in his eyes, the young man tried to move away, or at least form the cubes supporting his body around himself to protect his life, during which he saw the incoming blade twist itself into something that could not be described as a blade. All he then heard was the man's voice chanting in his ears. "Bring me the divine nectar, Seimeihochu."

The weapon then penetrated his chest, and from that point on onward then came darkness.

[ E N D ]

[Kitai Yoru]

344 paragraphs, my goodness, 1,720 TP awarded