Where Dead Dreams Sleep

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The scarlet-eyed woman would find herself simply staring at the older man while he introduced himself, remaining quiet as Celes seemingly was going to do the talking for the both of them. Even though she had already analyzed him to a point and made her conclusions as to what he was, she could not help but feel that he was something more. The residents of Rukongai are, more often than not, souls who merely resemble Humans. They are of average strength and constitution, are not particularly impressive when it comes to speed, and typically do not possess any form of spiritual ability. This man, however... He seemed to be strangely different in comparison. Obviously, he appeared to be quite powerful when it comes to physical strength, but he also had this aura around him that she could not quite explain. In a way, he felt like a Shinigami in his own right, which shouldn't be possible. Perhaps he was concealing his spiritual energy from them.

In any case, while the Third Seat would analyze the man, the Captain would go on to introduce herself to him. This would prompt this aforementioned Third Seat to do the same. "And I'm Nakajima Kimiko, Third Seat of the Eleventh Division. It's nice to meet you." Her introduction was somewhat swifter than she had wished it to be due to her having quite simply been taken out of her analysis of Emile, though it didn't seem to bother the man. In fact, he did not appeared to be fazed by anything that was told to him. After the introductions were made, he simply remained on the steps of his home and continued to stare at them, almost as if he was beckoning them to continue talking. He did not go on to shake the hand of the higher officer nor did he appear to become any more welcoming. If anything, much like Celes had gathered, he appeared to be either uninterested by their ranks or quite simply disrespectful; after all, he did appear as such to a degree. Kimiko nevertheless believed the first of these two conclusions was the most credible.

Regardless, the man would eventually get what he supposedly wished for, as Celes would then go on to speak a little bit further about she and Kimiko's presence here. Again, he remained quiet while she spoke, almost as if he did not want to interrupt her speech. Yet as her words reached him, his iron gaze appeared to slightly soften. It was unclear as to what made him appear this way, but Kimiko wagered that it was because her friend was speaking without authority. Turns out, she had hit the nail right on the head. "I personally consider ranks to be just words. Nothing more. You'll find that a lot of people around here have a similar opinion," he first said, apparently feeling lightly unrestrained from actually speaking his and the villagers' opinion about such a subject after Celes spoke of it. "What we value here is respect. So far, you both have achieved that better than the last group of Soul Reapers who came here all those years ago, and I appreciate it."

This phrase would cause the Third Seat to frown a bit. She wasn't surprised that she hadn't actually heard of any Shinigami group actually coming here to this village; after all, the Gotei 13 was a massive organization that was composed of many different squads. It was obviously impossible for her to track them all at once. However, to hear that some officers actually came here and supposedly showed disrespect to the villagers displeased her quite a fair bit. Defending the people of Rukongai was among the top responsibilities of the Shinigami. If you show disrespect to them in one way or another, it is inadvertently going to create a sense of distrust between them and the Gotei 13, which in turn will cause unrest. She is most likely never going to learn who was responsible for acting badly in front of the citizens of the 40th western district, but if she ever does, she will make sure to make them know how to behave, be they from the common or the privileged folk.

Fortunately, they would not dawdle on the subject for too long, as Celes would then go on to speak of the one true thing that has been bothering the villagers for so long: the dojo. Emile would grunt quietly as they returned to the main matter at hand, finding himself slowly turning his gaze towards the accursed monument. Even from where they stood, the building's great tower shadowed over the rest of the village, somehow hiding the sun above more efficiently than the mountains which surrounding the settlement. His gaze would eventually turn into a deep, hateful glare before he would eventually turn it towards the two officers. His eyes had softened once they rested upon the two women again, but the Third Seat could tell that he was still deeply frustrated by the dojo's existence. "The rumors you've heard about the dojo are true, so I might as well keep this short," he would say before he crossed his arms. "Ever since two years ago, we've all started seeing ghosts appear around the place. You could just find them in the dojo at first, but then they started appearing around the courtyard walls. Now, we've been seeing them even appear down the steps. Some people went to check the dojo out after this. I told them not to. Didn't matter. They thought they had seen their wives or their children just standing right there... I've never seen them again ever since."

As he spoke, he would take a pause and look towards the dojo again. It did not take long for Kimiko to start seeing a pattern in Emile's behavior. He was not really afraid of the building per say or necessarily worried, but he was definitely wary. Maybe he had personally stationed himself here in front of his home to personally keep an eye on the dojo? Either way, the man would then continue. "It could be a Hollow for all I know. Some of those beasts have some weird powers I could never understand... but I know this one can't be a Hollow. It don't feel like one to me one bit. If it was a Hollow, it would've already tried to eat us all. Personally, I would've preferred it did that. Could've given me the chance to kill it right then and there," he said in an almost dismissive tone, almost like he was attempting to shut down Kimiko's presumption even further. "No, it's not a Hollow. Whatever's in there doesn't want to eat us. It feels like it's having fun tormenting us."

The Third Seat listened to him with a more serious look the further he went on. It was becoming increasingly clearer to her that they were indeed not dealing with a Hollow. Hollows do like tormenting their victims at times, but they always do so with the end goal of eventually consuming their victims' souls. This often causes their plans to ultimately be quite rushed at times, which is a result of their ultimate impatience. No, to her, this was actually starting to become the work of a Hellion. It seemed as though this place hadn't actually been affected by the demonic invasion from two years ago all that much, which is quite the surprise, but the fact that this haunting of the dojo only started occurring two years ago made this assumption line up just too well. She hasn't fought many Hellions since the invasion, but as far as she's aware, those creatures don't actually need to consume anything. Rather, they only exist to spread evil, nothing more, nothing less.

Once all was said and done, Emile would quieten down, which would cause the area to become almost eerily silent. Noticing this, Kimiko would blink quietly before she then took on an iron gaze as well. For a moment there, she appeared to be legitimately just as angry as the man. If this was the work of a Hollow, she could have almost excused it as it was entirely possible its actions could have simply been premeditated by its hunger. However, this was different. "Yeah... You're right. It's definitely not a Hollow," she would say with a serious tone before she frowned deeply at the dojo. The spiritual pressure that lightly came out of her body as she spoke would wash over her surroundings, brushing them with its electric touch, making them share her emotions. "It's a piece of shit who ran away." During that brief moment, Celes could see it. She could see Kimiko's hatred for cowardice as clear as day, burning ever-so-brightly and ever-so-intimidatingly. It was such that even Emile appeared to be impressed as he stared at her.

She would continue staring at the tower for a moment before she took a deep breath and started climbing the road again towards the steps. "Thanks, Emile. Celes and I will take care of this," she said with newfound confidence in her surging anger, heading forward towards the steps. It was a very short sentence, but even the man could tell that seeing the woman like this was a bit shocking. For someone so quiet, the energy that was slightly released from her in the moment sure was inspiring. "That demon better not flee this time around."

[Celes Castellanos]

It was certainly an interesting change of pace, hearing Emile's explanation of how little rank meant in the outer districts of the Rukongai. A fancy title didn't do much out here. Instead, the people of the Rukongai valued respect. It was something that Celes understood very well. For much of her career as a Vice Captain and beyond, Celes hated the formality of her rank. Everyone would change their attitude around her. It seemed as though she made everyone tense simply by her being a Captain. Even being addressed as Captain Shindazu did much to get under her skin. She preferred Celes though if standing on ceremony was required, Captain Celes would also do. 

While she was glad to hear that they had done more to show respect than other Shinigami in recent times, the thought saddened Celes somewhat. She always believed that her oath to Soul Society was not simply restricted to the Seireitei. She had an entire realm to defend as the Captain of the Defense Division. The citizens of the Rukongai were under her protection. To properly do that though, Celes believed that strain between what were essentially the civilians, and the Armed Forces of Soul Society would make that job much harder. After they returned to the Seireitei, Celes would be sure to promote trainings to stress positivity and respect of even the lowest of Rukongai civilians.

That aside, they had a more immediate concern and it seemed that Celes' plea for aid from Emile would be heard. "The rumors you've heard about the dojo is true, so I might as well keep this short," As he crossed his arms about to reveal what he knew, Celes dropped down to the floor. Almost as if she were a child, she crossed her legs and took mental notes of what Emile and the rest of the Rukongai folk had been experiencing "Ever since two years ago, we've all started seeing ghosts appear around the place. You could just find them in the dojo at first, but then they started appearing around the courtyard walls. Now, we've been seeing them even appear down the steps. Some people went to check the dojo out after this. I told them not to. Didn't matter. They thought they had seen their wives or their child just standing right there... I've never seen them again ever since." 

Celes simply nodded, processing everything. These strange events had been occurring since the last great demonic invasion. Curiosity or merely desperation gripped them to investigate the sighting of a loved one. The Captain narrowed her eyes as she took note of the occasional glance towards the Dojo. His overall disposition remained unchanged. Is as if he was merely wary of the Dojo itself. As if he was cautious of whatever dark force apparently haunted its walls. At the moment, Celes was not entirely sure what it could be. Though the mention of these sightings occurring right after the invasion by Hell made her frown. It seemed that the Outer Districts had their own fair share of hardship.

"It could be a Hollow for all I know. Some of those beasts have some weird powers I could never understand... but I know this one can't be a Hollow. It don't feel like one to me one bit. If it was a Hollow, it would've already tried to eat us all. Personally, I would've liked if it did that. Could've given me the chance to kill it right then and there," The Captain's eyes narrowed for a moment. This man seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary citizen of the Rukongai. No incredible spiritual ability to be seen and yet he had such insight into the behaviors of Hollows that it finally clicked. The demon invasion. Disappearing citizens. The fact that it seemed that the force was more playing with its food rather than actually going for the kill. In a moment of shock, Celes rose to her feet, gripping the hilt of her Zanpakutō as she peered at the Dojo. Thankfully, it seemed that it had clicked in Kimiko as well. 

"Yeah... You're right. It's definitely not a Hollow," Suddenly, Celes felt Kimiko's spiritual pressure wash over the surroundings, rising ever so steadily. Having spent enough time around Kimiko, the Captain knew how she felt. However, her own empathy combined with the surge of spiritual pressure gave Celes an extremely vivid and clear picture of her mental state. It was boiling hot. This had certainly incensed her. "It's a piece of shit who ran away." Her anger and hatred burned like a flame, roaring to become an inferno with each passing second. This is a trait that admittedly always worried Celes. The Third Seat allowed her emotions to get to her often. Granted, Celes had little patience for such things, but it always seemed as though it would overwhelm Kimiko. 

Finally, Kimiko would begin to proceed up the steps. "Thanks, Emile. Celes and I will take care of this," Celes looked at the man who had helped them thus far, giving him a reassuring nod. This demon who was left over, haunting the 40th District had assaulted those who Celes had sworn to protect. While Emile would be able to see her care from her mannerisms, there was also some level of regret. She should have caught this earlier. She should have sent her Division out to help with restoration and other problems sooner. Innocent civilians lost because she did not act sooner. Well, now Celes was resolved to do right by those lost souls.

She'd follow alongside Kimiko, her hand still resting upon her Zanpakutō. She would not let her guard down for even an instant. Suddenly, another surge of pressure emerged from Kimiko. "That demon better not flee this time around." Celes nodded, speaking with her own resolve. "This demon has feasted upon this town's hope. No more. Now, we put an end to this. Ready Kimiko?" She already knew that the Third Seat was ready to go. Regardless she thought that she'd check in with her anyway. Assuming that she got the okay, Celes would begin treading forward, up the steps and closer to the Dojo. She would keep a sharp eye on anything that moved. Past the walls and around the perimeter of the building. If they got close without any sign of danger, Celes would gently place her hand upon the weathered doors of the Dojo, gently sliding them open, prepared to face whatever waited inside.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The people of the village felt a change in the air as they quietly tended to their duties. What was once dark, dull and disheveled, something that made it all appear so terribly afflicted by the shadow of the accursed dojo, was now suddenly becoming something else. It now felt emotional, energized, alive. Having long since gotten used to the feeling left by what appeared to be the inevitable fate that was about to befell the village, the townsfolk were unsurprisingly taken aback by this change. They could not quite understand at it at first, causing many to simply stand there in their home without moving at all, but eventually, their curiosity would bring them to look towards the windows. Even the farmers who were previously attending to their rice fields have done a similar thing, letting go of their duties and turning their gaze towards the village's main road. There, they would see the one who was responsible for this energy, its very source, heading straight for the one thing which has been haunting them for the last two miserable years of their lives.

Kimiko was aware that she had some difficulties when it came to containing her energy. For as long as she could remember, the people around her have always told her that she had a shocking amount of it stored within her body, and that it could be dangerous to those around her if she didn't learn to control it and use it efficiently. Her teacher at the Academy were of course the ones who warned her the most often, as terribly annoying as he may have been. Today, she was able to control it rather efficiently, enough so that she didn't break absolutely everything around her when she put her mind into it. However, there have been many times in which she downright ignored the existence of her own energy. It was what led to such great collateral damages during her many battles, namely the latest one she's personally had with the Adjuchas known as Teresa during which she was partially responsible for the destruction of Human infrastructure and the crushing of a few Humans.

These was one of those times. Once again, she could not quite control her spiritual energy, and it naturally expanded itself from her body into her surroundings. However, there was a key difference between then and now. Whereas her energy previously destroyed everything it touched with great force, it instead now washed over what it reached. It was like a wave of power brushed over whatever she passed by. The buildings themselves would not actually be affected by this wave. None of the wooden edifices would creak underneath its weight, and the glass which formed their windows would not crack from the pressure. Yet even the villagers who remained within these buildings would feel this wave. They would be able to sense where it came from, how powerful the scarlet-eyed woman's resolve was, and what her intentions were. It was such an intense feeling that even the children who had previously passed by the two Shinigami, those who had made sure to go as far away from the dojo as they could, would find themselves simply stopping and looking back at the road they have just crossed.

The assumptions these people would make in regards to Kimiko's intentions would all be right. Now that she had realized what the true threat behind the dojo was and what it represented, there was nothing else that she wanted to do at this very moment than reach the damned building and destroy the one responsible for its haunting. Back then, during that horrible invasion, it had been her duty to confront the invading demons and send them back to the Hell they should have been forever confined to. She had murdered hundreds, if not thousands of the creatures that had been heading towards Seireitei... and yet it seemed as though she and the others who participated in that particular battle - even that abhorrent Captain who so wished to turn Rukongai into a frozen wasteland - had missed one demon. It was only one creature, one of more than a million who had attempted to attack that gate, and yet it had already caused more damage than anyone could have possibly imagined.

This was not going to continue. As the Third Seat of the Eleventh Division, she was going to make sure it did not. She was going to reach that dojo, eliminate the ghosts within it, find the demon, and forever damn it to the pits below with such strength that it will never once escape them again. "Yeah. Let's go," she would thus reply to Celes with great determination as she made her conclusion, her resolve having supposedly already reached its peak. It was admittedly a rather simple reply, and quite the short one at that, but paired with the spiritual energy that was being released from her, it would definitely be enough for her friend to fully understand her investment in this matter. If she didn't understand it by then, then the astonished staring of the villagers that they would pass would definitely be enough for her to do so proper. Even Emile seemed to be impressed by the released energy, simply watching the two women go forward without wishing them any luck.

And so, the two headed up the stone steps that would lead them towards the dojo. The climb was as arduous as the traveling they have accomplished thus far on the slanted road, if not more so. There were many factors that made this task more difficult than it needed to be, namely the moderate height of the steps themselves and the sheer amount of them as they proceeded ever-upward towards the great dojo, but the most important of them was most definitely the tension released by the building itself. Though it was already menacing at a distance back when the Shinigami were at the very bottom of the village, it now felt more oppressive than ever. In fact, it had become so oppressive that it would almost cause the Shinigami's step to become less assured. Kimiko herself would clench her teeth upon confronting this aura, groaning quietly under her breath. Fortunately, it would seem that the sheer strength of the flame inside of her was enough to push her forward, as with a fearsome expression, she pressed on.

The officers would be able to reach the top of the stone steps shortly after. By then, they stood in front of a great wooden gate. It was old, enough so that it appeared to have been used many times throughout its lifetime, and though it was nothing more than it was, seeing it having apparently surpassed the test of time was enough to make Kimiko's frown deepen even further. This place was not just a dojo: it was something that stood there for generations. It was something that must have once meant a lot for the villagers, something that represented their strength... and yet this demon had perverted it. In its quest to siphon the hope that these townsfolk once held, it transformed a place of learning and empowerment into something akin to nothing more than a graveyard. Whatever its sin must have been in its life as a normal soul, it could not have been more egregious than the one it has committed over the last two years. At the very least, that was what Kimiko believed.

Without further ado, Celes would move forward to reach the gate, and open the path forward into the courtyard.

The gate would open onto the courtyard of the dojo. It was large, impressively so even for an edifice of such a stature. At a first glance, it was probably as big as a football field, maybe even somewhat larger still. Part of its grounds were covered in sizable slabs of stone to form both a center from which students could once train on and paths towards the buildings the courtyard's walls contained, making it appear quite similar to the courtyard of Shin'ō Academy. To the north was located the great tower that shadowed over all that stood beneath it, to the east what appeared to be a sort of smaller-scaled training area, and to the west a sort of quarters from which could be seen a few doors opened onto rooms. People from afar must have once lived here. Despite the prevalence of rock and stone, there were a few areas of the courtyard that were left uncovered for nature to prosper within. This allowed for the growth of grass and trees into these areas, which gave them the signature natural look the rest of the village showcased to its visitors.

Long ago, Kimiko would have perhaps been enamored by the look of the courtyard. It was a place of majesty that she could have only conjured from her novels and other pieces of art she had once access to. However, the malevolent energy that remained in the area was so obnoxiously thick that it turned the entire place into something the Third Seat almost wanted to avoid. The sun above appeared almost darker behind the shadow of the tower, causing its rays to appear smaller, and the aforementioned greenery meant to bring life to the courtyard was weak and almost dead. There was also something else that Kimiko could feel. It felt like an overwhelming presence, as though there was someone in the courtyard right before them. Yet there was nothing, not even a glimpse of a living being. It unsurprisingly bothered Kimiko quite a fair bit. "I'm gonna guess it's in the tower... Either that, or a basement of sorts," she would tell Celes as she analyzed the area. "If its whole ability revolves around creating ghosts, it's not gonna want to personally show itself to us."

[Celes Castellanos]

"Yeah. Let's go," This was all Celes needed to hear. With a caution in her step, she'd push forward. Walking across the idle stone blocks, Celes began to feel something. The aura of fear washed her once more. The shadow that loomed from the tower past the courtyard seemed more oppressive than ever. She went silent, calming her breathing. "Calm down Celes... this is no way for a Captain to act. You've faced hollows, Arrancar. Hell, even demons before. This is no different." She continued to step forward, a bit of apprehensiveness in her steps. Finally, they'd reach the gate that led to the courtyard. Celes looked at Kimiko and nodded, pushing the gate to the courtyard open.

It creaked and squeaked, gently pushing itself open thanks to Celes' light push. Finally, they'd have access to the courtyard. Passing the gates, Celes had a look around for a moment. The Dojo had an eerie familiarity. Taking another peek around, she'd be able to liken it to something. Shin'ō Academy. The Shinigami training academy. Celes had visited it many times as a Vice Captain. In fact, that's how she had the pleasure of meeting Kimiko. Unlike the Academy which bustled with activity, this courtyard was silent as a grave by comparison. Some doors were left open to various quarters. Nature was allowed to overtake the land with moss forming on the rough stone. The courtyard alone would be rather soothing if not for the shadow cast by the tower up ahead.

Celes gave another sigh, pushing forward even more. Kimiko had made her analysis, sharing it with the Captain. "I'm gonna guess it's in the tower... Either that, or a basement of sorts," Celes listened, approaching the tower. It was Kimiko's first suspicion and Celes found it an incredibly likely one. After all, it was what had formed the most dread in her soul. Calmly, Celes placed her hand upon the stone of the tower. Rubbing her hand against it, she sighed. It was cool to the touch. The slight chill that ran through her arm soothed her once more. "If its whole ability revolves around creating ghosts, he's not gonna want to personally show itself to us."

Celes nodded briefly, looking back at Kimiko "Well... I'd certainly be inclined to agree with you one that one. Well, if he won't show himself to us, I say propose that we draw him out. If all we have to worry about is a few apparitions, then I am not too worried unless we come face to face with the devil himself." With a calm motion, Celes placed her hand atop one of her Zanpakutō. She'd breath softly, allowing her own spiritual pressure to bleed out. "Walk the Earth, Yunorashi." Her blades glowed a brilliant red, shining from within the sheath. Suddenly they'd disappear. Her own spiritual pressure then rose, radiating from her with a scarlet red. Suddenly, the familiar ribcage that Kimiko had previously seen formed around Celes.

Twisting into life around around the Captain, shrouding her with its defense. Suddenly, the Captain continued to shape it according to her will. Two arms, one on each side, 15 ft in length proceed to sprout from the side of the ribcage. Finally, a top of the ribcage began to twist, and the skeletal head formed to complete the projection. Its hollow orbits would light up with a wispy yellow glow. It gave the whole projection and aura of menace, compounded by the chill of the shadows' tower. Finishing shaping it, Celes now strived to maintain it for a moment. Doing so would fortify it, allowing her to call upon the skeletal projection if needed.

Suddenly the entire projection would twitch for a moment. As if giving a ghostly wail, the skeletal form simply vanished, nowhere to be seen. Celes had not relaxed her spiritual pressure. It could easily be felt. Holding her hand to the side, her reiatsu collected there. Suddenly a broadword, much thicker than her Zanpakutō, came into existence. Clasping her hand around it, a spectral red sheath form at her hip allowing her to sheathe the blade. Upon her back Celes formed a shield, covering most of her entire backside. She'd sigh for a moment, looking at Kimiko. "Well, we might as well have our look. Show this demon that we don't fear it." With this she'd give Kimiko a smile before drawing closer to the door that led into the tower. She'd push it open ever so slightly, treading with caution. As she opened more and more of it, it seemed that Kimiko was right. There was a long twisting staircase that led up the dark tower. Alternatively, there was a winding staircase that led down into some kind of cellar. She hummed softly, walking in and moving up the staircase to investigate what she could. She wouldn't let herself be scared by demon nor ghost. She'd remain as cautious as she could, ready to draw her weapons at a moment's notice. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Celes did not seem to show any worry as she spoke of the demon to Kimiko. All in all, she agreed with the Third Seat's assessment about how the creature was going to fight them, and proposed that they should draw the beast out of hiding in order to hunt it down. The scarlet-eyed warrior, being the warrior that she was, wholeheartedly agreed with this notion. Throughout her career as a Shinigami, she has fought many Hollows who preferred to fight from a distance or with the aid of the shadows. No matter the strategies they have thrown at her, the strategy to use against them would always boil down to two options. The first of these strategies was to reach them and finish them off before they can do anything in return, something which Kimiko has long since gotten used to. The second was Celes' current plan. Since this was a demon, it was ultimately going to be prideful in one way or another, so that second plan is definitely the way to go.

The question now was how they were going to do this. As prideful as this demon may supposedly be, it must probably be fairly cautious; after all, if it wasn't, it wouldn't have stayed in this place for two whole years. They won't just be able to drag it out of hiding by breaching its territory. The dual swordswoman would think about this for a moment, briefly taking a look at the tower as she did so. However, upon noticing that Celes would go on to release her weapon, she would find herself smirking as she fully began to understood the Captain's plan. If this Hellion is so adamant in hiding its presence from them out of cowardice, then they were going to put its pride to the test and see if it has any escape plans. For all they know, it may be so prideful that it may have not even conceived one. "Alright," she would let out before she would somewhat distance herself from her friend, then take on a more serious look as the energy around her grew heavier. "Quieten, Shizukakane! Cleanse, Taishokukane!"

With a flick of her thumbs, the Third Seat would then slightly push the blades out of their scabbards. Instantly, the "ink"-like energy would surge out of her blades and surround the scarlet-eyed woman in a radius of light and dark. This release of spiritual energy was so large that it spanned around much of the great courtyard, causing some of its shadowed elements to become even darker. It could even slightly be seen above its walls by the residents of the village, who could only watch from afar, dumbfounded. It was unsurprisingly not as outwardly intimidating as Celes' Shikai; after all, it is hard to be more intimidating than the literal summoning of a skeletal suit of spiritual armor, even if it was then turned into something else entirely. Nevertheless, it made Kimiko appear just as frightening as the times in which she braved the poor souls who had become infected monstrosities hellbent on destroying the Soul Society, and then the time in which she slew the demons that were attacking the eastern gate of Seireitei.

As to be expected, such an influx of spiritual energy would cause a changed in the darkened air. Whereas it was once primarily dark and intimidating, it now instead appeared challenged by the release of the Shinigami's weapons. Kimiko could only partially feel this challenge occur around her, but it would cause her to smile in satisfaction. The malevolent aura emitted by the demon could still be felt, and it was just as oppressive as when they had just entered the courtyard, but the fact that there was such a change in the air was most likely enough for it to understand that they were not just people of the village who happened to check the place out like those children from earlier. No, they were not just random citizens that it could exploit for its personal, selfish gains. The both of them were Shinigami, high officers of the Gotei 13 at that, and this surge of energy was most definitely going to inform it that they were coming for its position any time soon.  

Once the two women were finished preparing themselves, they would both head onward towards the tower. It seemed to be the most obvious spot for them to first check out, as the edifice was downright the darkest of them all. With a push, the Captain would open the main doors that led inside the pagoda, revealing what was inside. At a first glance, if one were to ignore the darkness in the air, the interior would appear to be relatively simple in appearance. It appeared as though it once was meant to act as another extension of the training grounds, with various weapons on the wall supposedly displaying the achievements of long past teachers and students that attended the dojo. In the area was also installed several pieces of cloth displaying various idioms from various languages, with the grand majority of them being Chinese and Japanese in nature. In its prime, it would have been a lovely area. Now, it instead only appeared abandoned and dilapidated.

Kimiko would quietly analyze the area as she stepped forward into the pagoda. Aside from the overwhelming darkness, she could not detect anything in the near vicinity. There was no presence for the time being, or even any sign that this place was once used. "For something that's meant to be haunted... it doesn't feel like there's a lot of ghosts wandering around here," she would comment as they proceeded onward towards two staircases that were located at the far northern end of the room they were currently in, one that led upward and another downward. What she said appeared to be nothing more than words at first, but Celes would most likely be able to detect the purpose underneath. It was subtle taunting, something meant to spur some kind of supernatural reaction from this place that would immediately signal the position of the enemy. The Third Seat did feel that this move of hers was somewhat dirty, but considering what they were facing, she was going to allow herself to stoop low for this one. If this thing wants to ambush them, then she's going to let it understand that she's expecting it to do so.

Her little stratagem would at first have no effect at all on their surroundings. The darkness would remain as such and so would the quietness associated with it. However, just as they would reach the staircases, the scarlet-eyed woman would find herself stopping and immediately turning her head towards a nearby door leading into one of the rooms. Due to the darkness, she was not quite sure of what she was seeing in the first few seconds, though as her eyes progressively got accustomed to the darkness, she saw what appeared to be something walking out of the room. It appeared to be a fair-skinned, brown-haired Caucasian woman of relative age. She was smaller than the two officers, roughly 5'5, and was wearing what appeared a standard white gi that shone in the darkness. The black belt around her waist was the most noteworthy element of her apparel. "Hm...? New students?" She said quietly as she approached the two women with a friendly smile and a joyful gaze. "Bonjour, bonjour!"

The Third Seat would just stare at the woman for a moment. Initially simply confused, her look would progressively darken once she saw her figure more clearly within the darkness. Despite being visible, it was obvious that there was something wrong with her. Her gaze, though happy, was empty and devoid of any light, causing her expression to appear wrong and fabricated, and the lower half of her body was somewhat blurry, as though it was fading into the ground. It also simply didn't help that she just appeared from the darkness the way she did only to act so casually. Long ago, she would have been absolutely terrified by what she was seeing right now. Nowadays, however... she was less terrified of it and instead outright insulted. "Hey," she simply replied to the apparition as she readied herself for combat, taking note of the black belt with a deep gaze. "We're here to check the place... There's been rumors about it being haunted." 

The apparition would continue to stare at the two women with that joyful attitude of hers, approaching them still. She was slow, but the fact that she hadn't stopped or even so much as acknowledged what Kimiko said made her instantly suspicious. Eventually, however, she would find herself letting out an energized hum as she neared the two women. "If you want to become my students, you will have to beat me in battle!" She would say with that empty gaze of hers, her voice appearing distant. It seemed as though her words were not said in the moment, but rather much earlier in the past, as though this was the speech of a memory. It did not seem to matter, however, as no sooner than a few minutes later, the apparition would suddenly speed up towards Celes at breakneck speed as though she had used Shunpo and stare right into her eyes as she stood right in front of her. It happened so quickly that Kimiko barely had the time to react to what happened next. "KIAI!"

Instantly, the woman would throw a vicious punch straight towards the Captain's chest. It was an exceptionally-quick attack with such shocking strength that it loudly resonated throughout the area, one that would definitely test the guardian's physical defenses. Even if it did not hit the Captain, the sound of the air being punched would still be heard. Taken aback by this, the Third Seat's eyes would widen before clenching her teeth. "Shit! Celes!" She shouted before she dashed onward and immediately attempted to deliver two Iaijutsu strike onto the woman. Surprisingly, however, she would dash again at superhuman speeds towards the room she has just left, then suddenly dash forward towards Kimiko before attempting to deliver the same attack. Naturally, having just seen what had occurred to the Captain, the Third Seat would respond in kind. She would bend her back, fuel spiritual energy within Shizukakane, then unsheathe the white blade. "Tsukanoma Kanmeki !" The words would leave her before the sheer amount of energy stored within her blade suddenly shot out of the blade.

What could only be described as a great beam of red instantly shot out of the Zanpakuto. It tore through the room the apparition was about to burst from with great speeds, tearing apart everything in its path like a freight train. After it vanished, all that could be seen was a massive hole where the room once was that opened onto the rocky woods located behind the dojo, causing the sun to pierce through the darkness of the pagoda. Kimiko would stare at the hole with an attentive gaze before growling: "So that's how it fights... Tch." That was not a compliment. Not in the slightest. It was very clear that she did not enjoy whatever the demon had conjured. "She's probably gonna come back. If she can punch like that... she can probably take more than just a hit."

[Celes Castellanos]

With Kimiko behind her, Celes felt far more at ease. The oppressive aura had grown to the point where could actually feel its malevolence. This truly was a hellion that took pride in the suffering of others. She was not quite sure if it was on par with Orobas or hell... even Alastor, but it felt pretty damn close. They were truly dealing with a despicable condemned soul, but this would not deter her. In fact, it would only encourage Celes to press forward. She could feel her heartbeat faster, her breath quicken. All the classic signs of stress and anxiety. Yet she had to push forward. They had to deal with this hellion who was, without a hint if shame or remorse, assaulting those of the Rukongai.

Entering the tower, the Captain immediately began darting her eyes across the room. She'd try to make a clean sweep, taking note of anything that she could. She was not the most analytical, but she'd do her best to take note of any immediate threat. The lack of proper lighting made it a little difficult to see but otherwise, Celes took a moment to admire potential history of this tower. Numerous weapons clung to the wall; idioms written on cloth hung side by side; even the occasional picture decorated it. Had it not been for the wear and tear of the ages, Celes believed that this could have been a rather charming and warm place to train. 

Two staircases led to different levels of the structure and doors seemingly led to other rooms though the pitch-black darkness seemed almost impossible to pierce at a glance. Finally, after seemingly investigating what they could, Kimiko shot out a remark. "For something that's meant to be haunted... it doesn't feel like there's a lot of ghosts wandering around here," The Captain couldn't help, but smirk for a moment. She knew her disciple well. This was not an idle remark. No. It had purpose. Taunting. She was hoping to incense this Hellion. Despite being potentially more dangerous, the hellion may make a blunder. It was a clever idea.

As they approached one of the stairways, Celes would waste little time. Before she had a chance to climb up more than two, however, it seemed that the two Shinigami would have company. She could hear subtle movements in the dark as someone seemed to emerge from one of the darkened doorways. A woman, somewhat shorter than Celes, with brown hair and fair skin stepped out of the darkness. Celes tilted her head as the woman spoke in a warm tone, approaching the two women. "Hm...? New students?" As she approached closer, Celes looked at her expression. She could not explain why, but something felt... unnatural about this woman. Her body seemed unstable, almost as if it were ready to sink into the floor at any moment. "Bonjour, bonjour!" She continued to approach, her calm pace and friendly demeanor despite her sudden appearance from the darkness setting Celes on edge.

Her white gi and black belt became instantly noticeable to Celes. Her eyes narrowed for a moment. "Hey," Kimiko tried to strike up conversation though Celes could tell that she did not have faith in the nature of this apparition. Celes prepared herself for a potential fight as well as Kimiko continued to speak. "We're here to check the place... There's been rumors about it being haunted." The words did seemingly nothing to deter this woman. Her slow and calm pace continued towards the two Shinigami. "If you want to become my students, you will have to beat me in battle!" Her response did little to match the nature of the conversation and suddenly the woman disappeared. 

Suddenly, within what felt like a second, Celes would find herself face to face with the empty gaze of the woman. Her anxiety spiked as she blinked. "A Shunpo?!" She was in no condition to appropriately fight. At least not on these stairs. It would take too long to draw her weapons at this distance. Celes only had one feasible option in the moment, and she'd only have less than a second. She tensed her entire body. Suddenly, the woman screamed out. "KIAI!" Her strike would be quick and fierce, barreling into Celes' chest with incredible speed and strength. Thanks to her incredible physical prowess, Celes could tense her muscles, hardening them till they were as durable as steel. As soon as she was struck, Celes felt the overwhelming force, however.

With strength that rivaled her own, the blow to her chest hurt. It hurt like hell! While her tension would help mitigate the force, it certainly could not disperse all of it as a jet of air rushed past Celes. Her unstable footing did not help either as she crashed into the wall behind her, coughing as she had the wind knocked out of her. The wound to her chest immediately bruised and Celes felt herself gasping for air as she lost her foot amid the stairs. She'd tumble down the two steps she had risen, falling to the floor. Witnessing this, Kimiko sprang into action, attempting to deliver her Iaijutsu strikes, but she'd find herself hitting nothing but air.

As Celes tried to regain her breath, she saw the woman in the shadows briefly before she dashed at Kimiko much like how she did to Celes. The Captain knew that she escaped crippling injuries due to her own supernatural durability. She could be stabbed repeatedly, have every bone broken and perhaps still find herself among the living. Kimiko did not have this same durability, but fortunately, she was perceptive. She had just seen the attack that landed against Celes and decided to respond in kind. Celes' vision was a slight blur, but she could hear Kimiko roar the name of her technique clearly. "Tsukanoma Kanmeki!" Suddenly a stream of energy shot out from her blade, tearing through anything in its path. As the apparition disappeared, Celes could see light shine through the hole that was left as the wave of energy tore a hole into the wall. 

With the moment of respite, Celes did her best to try and breath naturally as she leaned against the cold wall. "So that's how it fights... Tch." Celes could hear the vitriol in her voice. She was not pleased at all. "She's probably gonna come back. If she can punch like that... she can probably take more than just a hit." Celes nodded as she felt herself ready to rise. Rising to her feet, Celes huffed somewhat, spitting up a little bit of blood. She gripped her chest. Her Shihakusho had been torn by the torrent of wind, revealing her bruised chest. "Damn... I was careless. I barely had a chance to defend myself..." She sighed, wiping the trail of blood which dripped from her lip. "Definitely gonna need Squad Four to take care of this." She chuckled briefly, trying to take the edge off her injury. "Well. After that shock to my system, what do you propose we investigate first?" The Captain drew the broadsword into one hand while equipping the shield to her arm with impressive efficiency. She realized that she had to be ready at a moment's notice.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

When she first arrived into the courtyard of the dojo, Kimiko had been slightly hoping that taking care of the ghosts would not lead to a confrontation. For as much as she enjoyed doing battle with others, she was very aware of how destructive for her surroundings she can be. What had happened in Rome while she fought against Teresa was a testament to that alongside, well, pretty much any building that unfortunately had the misfortune to bear the weight of her highly-potent spiritual pressure. Since their goal here was to ultimately acquire the dojo for herself, the last thing she wanted from this was to fight the spirits summoned by the demon hiding within it with such strength that it would reduce it to pieces, which was already a challenge in of itself considering that Celes was accompanying her. Unfortunately, given how powerful those spirits could apparently be, it would seem that she would have to accept an amount of destruction, whether she really wanted it or not.

Fortunately, she at least had created a technique prior to her search for a place of teaching that allowed her to keep opponents at bay. It took a fair bit of stamina out of her to execute it due to how much spiritual power is required in order to launch such a strong streak of energy -  and it was also a terrible, horrible, awful, no good, very bad ranged attack that she would prefer to use minimally - but it nevertheless at least appeared to be effective against what the demon had just conjured. Unfortunately, that spirit was also able to reach Celes, and now the Captain was left with quite the bruise on her chest. The sight of the wound was enough to cause Kimiko to wince a bit. Even if her friend was trying her best to remain positive despite the wound, it really looked like she had taken noticeable damage from the spirit, which said a lot. Out of all the people the Third Seat was acquainted with, Celes was most definitely one of the sturdiest, if not the sturdiest of them all. "It's... It's fine. At least she didn't hit anything vital," she'd tell her friend as she took note of the wound, trying her best not to appear too worried. "You can handle it."

As much as she tried to put their minds to ease, she had to admit that she hadn't been expecting the spirit to be so powerful. She had been expecting the ghosts in this place to be nothing more than weak apparitions at the very least, something that was maybe as powerful as a minor Hollow. That particular ghost, however, not only proved to be faster than the both of them, but also powerful enough to challenge a Captain's physical defense. That was not something anyone could do, much less so what was once a normal resident of Rukongai. It is theoretically possible for a resident to become this powerful, but without the guidance of the Academy and a Zanpakuto spirit thereafter, the possibility of this particular past resident being capable of dishing out such damage was nothing short of astonishing. In a way, this opened two possibilities: either this master was actually quite literally as strong as she was now before she was then returned here, or the demon somehow had the ability to empower the ghosts with their spiritual energy.

Either way, the spirit's strength was ultimately not what mattered in this instance; rather, it was the fact that she had been summoned in the first place. Maybe she could actually be totally defeated to the point that it would force the demon to make her disappear, but given that she was an apparition, it was most likely hardly worth the risk. For all they know, the demon could just conjure yet another instance of her to make this fight last even longer, or worse yet, it could simply create other ghosts for them to be distracted by while they do battle with her. Should such a thing occur, this hunt will become nothing more than a test of endurance, and it is doubtful that they will be able to come out of it victorious. In so doing, Kimiko would swiftly assess what they needed to do as she looked over the stairs for a brief moment, then turned her head towards Celes. "Let's go to the basement first. If we reach it fast enough, it'll take a while for that French girl to get back to us... At least, I think." 

It was a bit of an awkward guess, but it was better to think of it all this way than expecting the worse. Since this demon was one that specialized in summoning things, it was only natural for it to have a limit as to how many things it could summon. Kimiko was not really sure of what that limit could be, but in her eyes, it was possible that this limit revolved around the power of the ghosts they conjure, and then what they do with those ghosts. That martial artist was very powerful, enough so that she was able to move extremely quickly while also being simultaneously able to deliver powerful attacks. Considering this, conjuring her must have taken a fair of spiritual energy out of the demon. It probably won't mean much for the time being, but depending on how this hunt is going to go and how the creature is going to react to their presence from that point onward, it may become a decisive factor that the two officers will need to take into account.

It was with this in mind that Kimiko would thus step forward and head towards the winding staircase. She made sure to head onward at a pace that was slightly faster than her friend's, just to make sure that she wasn't in the radius of her blades' "ink". Better to not have her be affected by the lacking sound and color, especially given that she was the one who had so far received the greatest amount of damage and therefore needed to prevent any more from being received. Given the size of the steps which formed the staircase, this rapid pacing she adopted was at the very least hardly difficult for her to maintain. If anything, considering the general disrepair of much of the pagoda's main rooms and installations, these steps were in great condition, enough so that they were easily able to withstand the weight of the two women without any difficulties. Perhaps it was because, like the steps outside, they were also made of stone. The people of this district really have formed quite the rocky community.

Upon reaching the end of the steps, the two officers would find themselves facing another door, a smaller one meant to lead towards the basement proper. In normal circumstances, the Third Seat would have had no issue with this particular door, but considering that they have just been attacked by something that came out of the shadows of what should have been an empty room, she couldn't help but frown a bit as she considered the possibility of a trap. Unfortunately, it did not seem as though there were really any way for them to avoid this door, unless they quite literally wanted to blow out a hole into the wall next to it, which was most likely a terrible idea. Who knows what would happen if they somehow damage the structure and have it fall right on top of them. "I'll go first," she would tell her friend then before moving onward towards the door. She was not going to have her friend suffer another unexpected attack, especially not a powerful one like the last one she received.

The Third Seat's approach towards the door would at first be slow and methodical, almost as though she was deliberately being cautious. However, she would near the door at a distance that was close enough for her blades to reach, she would suddenly crouch down and a swift dual Iaijutsu strike at the door. The strike was done at the absolute maximum speed she could reach at an upward horizontal angle, allowing her extended blades' spiritually-enhanced tips to cut through the wooden target like butter and leave an X pattern onto its surface. For a moment, the door would remain standing in what could only be described as an intrinsically-dramatic fashion, but it would eventually fall down; after all, there was no way such a simple wooden construct could be able to remain as it was forever after receiving such an impressive attack. As it thus fell down into pieces, what would be revealed on the other side waaaas...

... absolutely nothing. From the looks, there has been nothing waiting for them on the other side of the door, only further darkness. Upon noticing this, Kimiko would find a bit of relief that they would not have to deal with anything substantial waiting for them, though she had to admit that the scene most definitely left her a bit embarrassed. All that power she showcased, all that effort she put into her strike in an attempt to strike whatever was behind the door was for nothing more than just air. "O... Okay, uh... cool," she would just say in the moment as she desperately attempted to not outright appear too ridiculous in front of her friend before slowly pushing herself up, making sure to not look at Celes in the moment to avoid any potential ridiculousness or further embarrassment. Maybe this means it is time for her to train her ability to sense spirits. That will most likely help her avoid having to deal with such situations again.

In any case, as the moment would pass, the Third Seat would eventually move onward with the Captain hopefully in tow to step into the basement. From the looks of it, it seemed as though the underground floor was very similar to the buildings outside. It was a collection of abandoned rooms, all of which have once had the task to act as one's quarters, so to speak. Out of curiosity, the scarlet-eyed officer would take a peek at what was inside a few of them. Aside from what was to be expected from such rooms like beds and dressers, there were a few items that stood out from the rest. There were books, clothes, jewelry. Some of these rooms even had what could be considered as more antique items, such as weaponry. Unfortunately, much of all of those things have been broken in one way or another. There was also stains of blood, all of which appeared dry and dark. "I guess they were trying to defend themselves against it and the ghosts," Kimiko would remark with a frustrated sigh. "Dishonorable asshole."

[Celes Castellanos]

Recovering from her injury would not be too big of a deal. She had been to the Fourth Division plenty of times. She had taken worse. She'd live. At least that's what Celes believed. Regardless of her own abilities, she had to admit that it was a fairly strong and focused hit. Excellent form and speed. If the woman who attacked her was real in any capacity, Celes would have certainly liked to talk shop at some point. Unfortunately, that would likely not be possible. She appeared to be an apparition of sorts. A true ghost, but still having the ability to interact with the physical world. Was this the demon's doing? It had to be. Regardless, she'd keep that mental note.

It seemed that Kimiko shared in the Captain's thoughts on her injuries, but she seemed much less joking. "It's... It's fine. At least she didn't hit anything vital," Her attempts to not look worried made Celes raise an eyebrow. "You can handle it." The Captain narrowed her eyes and couldn't help, but chuckle. It seemed dispassionate. As if she were trying not to faint. At least that's how Celes perceived it. Whether that was true or not had yet to be seen. Regardless, Celes knew that they had to determine a plan of attack. How they'd proceed with this mission from here on out. After all, there were only so many places that this demon could hide. The Third Seat seemed to give it some thought before offering her idea. 

"Let's go to the basement first. If we reach it fast enough, it'll take a while for that French girl to get back to us... At least, I think." Celes nodded, chuckling softly. "Sounds good to me. To be perfectly honest, the less time we spend time on the stairs, the better." Celes gave a big grin, clearly trying to take the pressure off of the situation. Stress would do neither of them any good after all. Taking a step towards the winding staircase, Kimiko pulled ahead of Celes, always staying a step or two ahead. In the meantime, the Captain rounded out the back, patiently waiting for anything that could give her a sign of an approaching threat. Thankfully, their trek to the bottom of the steps would go off without much of a hitch. Finally, the two women would be in front of... a wooden door.

Celes blinked for a moment, peering at the door. So inconspicuous, it seemed to lead into the basement. Before she had a chance to proceed, Kimiko would pipe up immediately. "I'll go first," Celes was almost taken aback by this showing of initiative. At the same time though, she couldn't help but give a small pout. She began piece some of the signs together. First the way she looked at Celes' wound... then the leading of the pack down the steps... then her suddenly volunteering for this. "Is.. is she worried about me?" Upon the realization of this, Celes chuckled softly though she pouted as she gave it a little more thought. After all, did Kimiko think that she would be done in so easily? She wasn't sure but being treated like a fragile child isn't something that she particularly welcomed.

Regardless of her feelings on the matter, Celes decided to let her proceed anyway. It was Celes' hope that Kimiko would one day become Captain. Most likely of the Eleventh Division. Not only would it be proof of her growth, but it would give Celes an opportunity to collaborate with the sister squad of the Tenth in much more notable ways. This showing of leadership would be a good sign of her eventual readiness. Due to this, the pout suddenly became a warm smile. Celes would focus on the door as Kimiko approached it cautiously. Suddenly, the Third Seat let loose a set of two impressive cuts. Creating a X, the doors merely stood there dramatically before comically falling over. As they fell, Celes and Kimiko would stand witness to nothing.

No body hit the floor, nothing jumped out at them. It was only darkness. Kimiko's reaction was beyond amusing. "O... Okay, uh... cool," Celes shook her head and chuckled, approaching Kimiko and gently placing her hand on the shoulder of the Third Seat. "Well... on the bright side, at least it was an impressive show of swordsmanship. I'm sure it's bound to strike fear into the demon." Once more she giggled. More teasing again which was clearly trying to take more stress off of what Celes thought was a moment of slight embarrassment. Regardless, the way was open, and it gave both of them an opportunity to see what was here.

Within the basement were a set of empty abandoned rooms. Items like furniture, valuables like jewelry and the presence of weapons gave the rooms a residential appearance. It was as if people had once lived here. Now dilapidated the unorderly, it seemed as though nobody had been down here in years. Upon closer inspection, Celes saw dark red stains cover furniture or the wall. Weapons were broken. This could only mean one thing. "I guess they were trying to defend themselves against it and the ghosts," Celes nodded and sighed. "Guess so. Cornered. What a terrible way to go..." Kimiko seemed to agree though her response was filled with far more vitriol. "Dishonorable asshole."

The Captain narrowed her eyes. They needed a way to flush out this bastard. The basement, a place that seemed riddled with death and despair would be the perfect place. Would this be where he was hidden though? That was yet to be seen. Regardless, Celes was willing to test her suspicion. She breathed calmly. Sudden her body glowed for a moment. The red haze overtook the Captain's form and her skeletal form would soon be created once more. This time, however, it would not be a large avatar. In fact, the ribcage formed around Celes' chest. Her face became shrouded by a skeletal visage. Her arms covered by bone. Similar to her Bankai, Celes had allowed the skeletal form to take on a much smaller form. Even this would change soon, however.

Focusing, Celes shaped the bone as she wished and suddenly, tendrils shot out from the base of the form. They'd creep across the arms, filling them in. The tendrils also crept along the head, filling the hollow orbits, creating crown like extensions that rose up the forehead and slightly further up. The facial features become more chiseled. These tendrils would weave together and solidify creating what looked like muscular connective tissue. It would fill all the gaps in between the natural anatomy of the skeleton, giving it a far less spectral look. In fact, the red haze soothed itself for a moment. The same connective tissue then overtook the skeletal ribcage that surrounded Celes' own torso, filling it in with musculature. Upon completion, the skeletal form now appeared far more humanoid as it shrouded Celes' upper body.

Suddenly, the red haze grew in strength, shooting outward without any real physical force. Her spiritual pressure would be rising even higher, however. At the same time, Celes took her blade and began to gently move her arm. It would grow in speed over time before her arm began vibrating softly at about 300 speed. Her blade would vibrate at the same speed. It would be such an effortless thing that allowed her blade to resonate. It would be far more elegant than when she used shockwaves. As she did this, Celes allowed the soft vibrations to extend into the air around her. These vibrations would be unique, able to bounce back from anything that it touched. Celes would then be able to read these vibrations and gauge distance on an extremely fine level. Everything within 4 meters of her became known to her as if she were touched it physically. She slowly began to move through the room, trying to keep herself as centered as possible, as her spiritual pressure continued to flare. The soulless look of her visage helped sell the intimidation just a bit. To anyone without a keen eye and knowledge in swordsmanship, the vibrating of her arm may even seem dangerous.

As she did this, she roared at the top of her lungs. "Stray Demon. I'm sure you know why we are here. Now I don't know about you, but I hate hide-and-seek. Now then, if you don't show yourself, I can promise you that I'm willing to tear down this whole fucking tower with you inside of it. I don't know if you've ever been buried alive, but it's not a nice way to go! Now if you think that I'm not willing to sacrifice myself and Kimiko to take out your pathetic soul then I'd suggest you think again!" As she walked, she even utilized some of her strength to crack the stone beneath her. Her plan was simple. The threat, the spiritual pressure, the movement of her arm. The first two were a facade. An effort to make herself seem far more intimidating and threatening than she actually was. The vibrations on the other hand served two purposes. For one, perhaps the appearance of her about to unleash an attack to take the whole place down would seem more believable. More than that though, it would offer her a layer of protection and detection. If anything came within her 4-meter range, she would become instantly aware of it, ready to strike out anything that moved with some sense of urgency. Whether her bit would fool the demon or not was debatable, but it was worth a shot. Hopefully Kimiko would not take her too seriously...

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko felt her own soul tear itself apart into a thousand pieces as Celes teased her about her destruction of the door. It was clear that the Captain was trying to console her for her moment of embarrassment by making her simply laugh it off, something which was rather reasonable considering the threat they were currently facing. Unfortunately, and somewhat unsurprisingly, all that attempt did was make the Third Seat even more embarrassed. It caused her to simply look towards the darkness ahead with a comical look of despairing embarrassment. "The laser beam I shot out of my sword earlier was scarier..." she would simply reply to her friend with a soft mutter as they both then headed onward into the basement, with the scarlet-eyed officer looking somewhat sheepish as she did so. At the very least, the mockery was kept to a minimum. That was perhaps the only thing that she could consider as a plus from this whole thing.

Well, no. That wasn't true. In a way, this allowed for a brief moment of levity, which was something that they perhaps needed in a place like this; after all, they were standing in what appeared to have become a graveyard. This would only become more apparent as they headed onward into the basement and found themselves observing the carnage that has been left behind by the demon and its phantoms. What was meant to be a place of rest for the people of the dojo, somewhere each student could go in order to simply rest and await the beginning of a new day, had been turned into something that could only be described as a reminder of what Hellions have to offer to humanity. Each of the rooms and quarters within the underground floor had been destroyed in one way or another, with some having received greater damage than others, and though there were signs of struggle, it was clear that the students of the dojo and their masters had not come out of this fight victorious.

The Third Seat, having by then recovered from her previous moment of embarrassment, looked at it all with a frustrated gaze. Every time they would pass by a room, her blood would boil further and further, and so would the spiritual energy that revolved around her. As she previously commented, this was not the work of a warrior. It was a slaughter committed by a pig, a filthy thing who did not hesitate to stoop low in order to achieve its goals, whatever they may be. Should this demon have been nothing more than a mindless beast, she would have perhaps excused it for acting this way; after all, much like Hollows, demons can also end up becoming simple mindless beasts. However, so far, the target of this hunt has proven that it was at the very least receptive to taunting, which was a sign of intelligence. Limited intelligence, perhaps, but intelligence nonetheless, which meant he decided to achieve these despicable acts consciously. She could not ever excuse that. Not by a long shot.

Unfortunately, for as boiling as her blood as become, there still were no signs of the demon in this area. Though its spiritual presence was very easy to note even by officers like Kimiko and Celes who only had a limited affinity for energy sensory, it had covered its physical tracks exceptionally well. Even though there was a copious amount of dry blood in the area, there were no footprints to speak of that could have been created by the creature, and there was also nothing apparent that could lead them towards it like sound. Hell, the only reason why the officers were in the basement right now was not because there was something pointing them towards the basement: it was really just because they guessed that it could be there. A member of Squad 2 would have perhaps congratulated the Hellion for having covered its tracks so impeccably, but the Third Seat of the Eleventh only had contempt for such behavior. It only accentuated her belief that it was a coward who preferred to fight from a distance with tricks and other means of subterfuge.

The scarlet-eyed warrior would stand there for a moment as she thought about what to do next. A part of her wanted to do something drastic to truly force the demon out of hiding. She wasn't quite sure of what she could do per say, but she felt as though doing such a thing would be the only way to find the beast without having to rely on vague guesses. The taunting from before had caused a reaction from the demon by having it summon that powerful martial artist, which was specifically a challenge to its pride. Considering the nature of its ability, challenging its pride won't really be of any good for now as it'll keep summoning those spirits, unless they deliberately anger it to purposefully force it to spend too much spiritual energy. What ultimately remained, then, was its cowardice. If they can scare it somehow, it'll most likely attempt to do something drastic in order to protect itself. But how were they going to scare it? With further spiritual pressure? It didn't seem to be too intimidated by their releases, so that probably was not what they should do here.

But then, suddenly, Celes decided to do exactly something drastic. In what appeared to be the blink of an eye, the Captain would use her Shikai to create a sort of construct around herself, causing Kimiko to observe quietly in brief confusion as the skeletal form would then become something that appeared fleshier.  Those are... muscles...  she would find herself mentally out as she attempted to further understand her friend's ability. She had never actually seen the form develop to that extent, or at least not to that point, and so she was quite surprised by how it looked. However, what was more surprising was what would come next, as the higher officer then proceeded to begin vibrating her blade. This process was accomplished at such great speeds that it caused the air around them to vibrate in turn. The wooden construct around them would wine quietly from the sudden force penetrating them, and the rock would shake. It was quite the scary sight, especially given the Captain's new looks and what she then declared.

Obviously, like any reasonable person in this universe, Kimiko was at first intimidated by what she was seeing. She honestly believed, at first, that Celes legitimately wanted to crash the pagoda right on top of their heads solely to eliminate the demon. However, after a brief moment of thought, the Third Seat would force herself to calm down and simply prepare herself for what was to come. If there is one thing she has learned throughout her apprenticeship under the Captain of the Tenth, it was that the aforementioned Captain was extremely caring. She would not allow Kimiko to die, much less so by her own hand. Thus, this was most definitely a bluff. Well, at least she hoped it was, since she was not going to allow herself to be crushed to death. In so doing, she would begin to observe the area for any changes. If this doesn't somehow put the demon on edge, then it either has nerves of steel or it outright became so shocked, it fell unconscious.

Though Kimiko would be personally unaware of this, Celes' ability would allow her to detect something underneath their feet as the vibrations penetrated the floor and headed further below the earth. It was somewhat faint, but it would feel as though there were several people running below them, or seemingly positioning themselves. Meanwhile, from the Third Seat's point of view, several deformations in the air could be seen in the rooms. These deformations mainly appeared as blurry shapes that were slowly becoming more and more detailed. Upon noticing these shapes, Kimiko would feel her eyes widen before they would frown deeply as her own spiritual pressure rose in excitement. "There you go," she would comment lowly as a grin formed onto her face. The Captain would most likely be able to sense her excitement from where she stood. That, and the sheer rise in dark spiritual energy in the area. It had almost become suffocating even for the Third Seat. However, she did not cower before it. Instead, she stood there as she awaited their new opponents.

Eventually, the blurry figures in the room would begin to take full shape and develop into a multitude of phantoms. There were at least twenty, if not even thirty of them, and they all appeared to be the ghosts of the students who once resided in the area. There were male and female poltergeists, each with variable types of sorts. Some were big, some were small, and there were also a few who wielded weaponry. Naturally, upon looking at this right after encountering that martial arts master only a few minutes ago, Kimiko should be intimidated by this sight, and yet she wasn't. Why? Well, in this case, it was simple: it was because none of them were masters. None of them wore the black belt, instead merely wearing lower colors, and their incomplete forms betrayed their inexperience. In other words, the demon had frantically decided to summon not one powerful phantom, but rather a multitude of weaker phantoms. It could be a distraction... but this didn't feel like it. It felt like a move fueled by panic and distress.

The ghosts would position themselves around the officers, preparing themselves to fight them with peaceful expressions and empty gazes. To this, the Third Seat would take a deep breath and allow the "ink" surrounding her to briefly pulse with power. "Let's go, Celes!" She called then before rushing onward towards the ghosts. "Let's put these spirits to rest!"

[Celes Castellanos]

Moving her blade at high speeds... purposefully flexing her spiritual pressure... yelling at the top of her lungs. All these factors combined appeared to make Celes scarier than what she actually. Of course, it was merely a bluff, but it was a good bluff. Even in the moment, as she made her threat, Celes was fearful of her own display. She knew that she wasn't going to commit to it. That she wasn't ready to bury both Kimiko and her under tons of rubble and stone. She did have to make it believable though. It was for this reason that she raised her voice. Her blade was still vibrating and her spiritual pressure was rising as her released Zanpakutō took on a Humanoid form.

Eventually, she began to grow impatient, and she slowly raised her blade as if prepared to strike. It was then, in that moment, that Celes felt movement. It was faint, but she would feel it without a shadow of a doubt. She'd immediately look down as the air continued the resonate from her blade with incredible finesse. There was something beneath them, moving around. Scurrying about as if whatever it was wanted to find a position to stand in. Focusing on this, Celes wouldn't immediately sense the deformation in the air. As she did, the Captain looked up. Soon, she'd feel Kimiko's spiritual pressure rise. "There you go," There was clear excitement in her voice.

Behind the visage, Celes would not help, but smile. She shook her head and began slowing her movements down. The vibrations that filled the air would grow smaller and smaller until there was nothing left. After all, the once blurry deformations became clearer and clearer. She could begin to make them out. A crowd of spirits formed around them, the same lifeless and empty gaze present on their faces as with the French martial artist from earlier. There must have been twenty... no. Thirty even. They were surrounded. As she scanned her eyes across all of them or at least as many as she could. Immediately, she'd size them up as best as she could.

Despite the threat they posed, Celes had to admit that this was a fairly well-rounded group. Potential students of the dojo at one time. Some were short. Others were tall. Few of them wielded weaponry from maces to swords. Hell. She even saw a Bo staff among one of them. For a minute, she could not help, but smile. After all, there was one other obvious characteristic that stood out. The French woman that had been conjured by the demon earlier, the martial arts master, was a black belt. These students were nowhere at that level. Some blues. Others green. She narrowed her eyes, her lips contorting to a slight smirk. She had an idea of what was going on here. 

This crowed was big in number and yet each was of a lesser quality. It was as if the demon had mustered all strength it had left in a fit of panic to answer Celes' threat. This was a good sign. It felt threatened by her. It felt as though it needed to overwhelm them. Without more than a mere thought, Celes dismissed the shield that clung to her arm along with the broadsword that rested within her hand. Both evaporated in sparkles of red reiatsu. Instead, Celes formed a set of twin katana. Coming into life within sheaths that rested along her hip, the blade gleamed radiantly, Celes was ready. Her Astral Soul had evolved to its Humanoid state. It would not be long till she felt she could push it even further. As such, its defenses were already formidable. A shield was no longer necessary.

Suddenly, Celes felt Kimiko's own spiritual pressure rise to surpass even hers. The Captain chuckled for a moment as Kimiko roared, "Let's go, Celes!" With little else in her way, Kimiko ran towards the crowd of ghosts, yelling out. "Let's put these spirits to rest!" The Captain smirked, nodding and beginning her charge as well. "Don't have to tell me twice!" With that, Celes rushed towards the first ghost. A short, young man. The hilt of one of her spectral katana in hand, Celes swiftly drew her blade, executing an Iaijutsu strike. From their encounter with the French woman, Celes knew that they had to exist on a physical level to be able to harm anyone who came into the tower. With this in mind, she wouldn't have to worry about her blade phasing through any of them.

Throwing her full force into it, the cut came out at an incredible speed of 1600, slashing deep into the man's chest. She nearly cut him in two. Thankfully there was no spray of blood. No visceral display that would otherwise sour her cut. Deep down, Celes felt bad. These souls had been deprived of an honorable death, instead doomed to be manipulated and puppeteered by this Hellion. Kimiko was right though. There was something that she could offer those forlorn souls. Peace. At this point, it seemed that nothing could be done. As the man was nearly bisected, he did not react to the wound. Instead, he merely fell over, disappearing into a burst of reiatsu. Celes could feel the touch of hell upon the reiatsu, causing her to grit her teeth.

Suddenly, Celes' instincts kicked in. She could feel someone dashing at her. She focused her reiatsu and leapt forth, leaving behind an afterimage. The hazy image of where she once stood flickered as it was punched by the ghost. This time, Celes would demonstrate her true prowess with Hakuda. Utilizing Shukuchi-Ho, Celes delivered a fearsome strike to the ribs, seemingly cracking them if they were there with her immense strength. Once more, the woman fell over, dissipating into a stream of reiatsu. Utilizing the other step as part of the Shukuchi-Ho, Celes approached one of the larger students. A blue belt. As Celes appeared before him, the ghost tried to bring his Bo staff down upon Celes' head. He would be successful and there would even be impressive force behind it. The form wasn't all too bad. Yet Celes wouldn't budge. The head of the projection wouldn't even crack. Bringing her hand up, she'd swiftly break the staff with her bare hand before delivering a palm strike to the chest. Once more, the Captain would hold nothing back in her effort to take out these apparitions. They were easy marks. Inexperienced and comparatively weak even to the French martial artist. As Celes proceeded with her systematic elimination of each of the ghosts, she wondered something... Was this all that the Hellion could muster? Would he finally reveal himself after they were done? She certainly hoped so.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Celes' analysis was right. No matter how one may analyze this crowd which had formed around the officers, it was very clear that none of the phantoms that have been conjured were really all that powerful. Though they were most  certainly more powerful than a normal soul or Human in their own right due to their experience as martial artists, they were all nothing more than students. If anything, Kimiko herself could not really quantify any of them as being stronger than perhaps a minor Lieutenant of the Gotei 13, or worse, a graduate of Shin'ō Academy in the case of some of the weaker apparitions in the crowd. Of course, if these ghosts faced the people of the village, they may have been dangerous... but in front of these two particular Shinigami officers, there was simply no way they were going to stand even an inkling of a chance. The Third Seat understood that completely, and it was why, with an excited grin and a powerful war cry, she rushed onward towards the ghosts.

Kimiko appeared as a deadly blur as she battled the fallen students. She would battle them just like she has battled any other living being that has dared to attempt ending her life: without limits and without mercy. Her blades expanded with the "ink" surrounding their blades would swiftly cut through many of the phantoms at once, slicing them up to pieces in a savage pattern as she held them with a tight grip. Every time she would cleave one of the phantoms in two, she would head onto the next to deliver the Iaijutsu strike that would put an end to its existence. It was a mad, yet serene dash, a chaotic dance of death marked by the hand of a celestial artist beginning to have its art seen by both its target and, inadvertently, the Captain of the Tenth who stood just nearby. In a way, despite the merciless nature of its context, it was all quite beautiful, even if the one thing created by this artist did not give much attention to its brushwork.

Yet, though she appeared as a demon who only cared for the death of her enemies, the Third Seat was glad that these students were not quite what they once were. It was clear, as she fought them and released them from whatever hold the demon had onto them, that every single one of these people were gone, and that they no longer were in control. They were all just like the martial artist master from before. Blood did not fuel these summoned veins, and light did not shine in their eyes. All they were now was nothing more than a bunch of automatons designed to deliver the creature's will, nothing more, nothing less. No... Even that description was quite generous in this concept. These things, in a way, were so much less than that. If she could compare them to anything else, they would be akin to the many pieces on a shogi board: playthings to be used in order to serve a purpose for the demon until they are no longer useful for its cause.

It was entirely possible that these people were not really ghosts or the essence of the fallen, but instead merely reflections that the demon is somehow capable of creating. Demons can possess many different abilities, but they have never really been recognized as being capable of trapping souls and converting into such weaponry. Nevertheless, to see these students - these brave men and women who have decided long ago to become proud warriors - reduced to something akin to a puppet was an affront to their identity in Kimiko's eyes. This was why she rushed forward with such fervor and tenacity. This was why, without mercy, she challenged them head-on and put an end to this state. She wanted to give them a death that could only be bestowed by someone who hoped to be a warrior, to see them be befitted of something truer than this cruel punishment. No more shall their image be tarnished, and no more shall their imprint remain here in a life that is now behind them.

The extended Zanpakuto continued their swift dance, sending jets of white and dashes of black all across the room as the Iaijutsu strikes finished off the ghosts. Unsurprisingly, due to the spiritual nature of the extended blades, it was difficult for much of the ghosts to actually fight back against Kimiko. Much like the ones fighting Celes, they would find themselves easily beaten, the difference being that one seemingly preferred crushing while this one instead vastly preferred slicing. This was truly a one-sided battle. All the ghosts could achieve in their pathetic attempts to fight the officers is the complete and utter destruction of their selves to such a degree that the spiritual energy that allowed them to exist would be forced to exit them, thus causing their disappearance. The Third Seat, of course, would notice this, and as she cut down the very last the spirits at the center of the basement, she would find herself standing there and letting out a sharp yell: "COME ON! SHOW YOURSELF!"

Her voice was loud. Supremely so. It would echo throughout the basement almost as powerfully as the vibrations Celes created earlier, and the rise of spiritual pressure that then followed would cause the building around her to wince even louder than before. It almost sounded as though the whole place was about to collapse for a moment, which - combined with Kimiko's passionately mercilessly expression and the sheer aggressiveness of the spiritual energy that surrounded her - made for an image that was downright more frightening than what Celes had put up before. Thankfully, Kimiko was very much keeping track of how much energy she was releasing this time around to make sure she doesn't accidentally causes the tower to crash on their heads, so this was very much a bluff. A very dangerous bluff that almost didn't look like one at a first glance, especially given what Celes knew of Kimiko's temper and overabundant spiritual energy, but a bluff nonetheless.

By that point, however, the poor beast that remained below their feet couldn't take these as bluffs anymore. This was too much pressure, too much intimidation. The fear of death was too powerful. As such, in what could only be considered as a tragically-terrible decision fueled by fear and cowardice, it would begin summoning more lower spirits and have them directly come towards the officers. These phantoms would not actually come from the nearby rooms; instead, they would suddenly burst from a wooden latched door which lied on the floor away from their position. The bursting was so powerful due to the sheer number of lower apparitions that the floor door was downright completely destroyed, revealing behind it stone stairs that led further down into some kind of open space. Not that the officers could even see these stairs, as they were completely blocked by what could only be described as a great mass of ghosts rushing towards their position.

Upon seeing the mass, Kimiko's spiritual pressure would slightly falter as her eyes widened in shock. She had not at all expected such an immense, almost uncountable amount of opponents suddenly appearing in such a spectacular fashion. However, as the moment would pass, the energy around her would eventually become heavier and heavier until the floor beneath her floor cracked loudly. "You really were just a stupid coward after all," she would say with a bit of a grin at first before her face then turned into a visage of pure fury. This was the face of a warrior who sought retributions for other warriors, one who wished for no more of this defacing of the dead. She wanted them to forever be at peace, at all cost. "HAGESHI !" She placed her foot onward, crouching down as she held the hilts of her sheathed blades. Then, with one final burst of spiritual pressure that caused a crater to appear beneath her feet, she let out a powerful cry: "HITONAMI !"

It all happened in the span of maybe a second at best. In this instant, Kimiko's body disappeared with a Shunpo which launched her straight at the mass of enemies at a ridiculous speed of 6000, and then appeared down the stairs onto a platform located above the open space below. The same process could be heard occurring downstairs two more times, with each causing a strident metallic noise to boom within the area. In Celes' eyes, it would almost seem as though nothing had actually happened to the phantoms. However, soon, she would be able to notice that many cuts had been done to them. It was to the point that each of them had been cleaved right through. They would remain in the air for a moment before their bodies would barrel forward towards the Captain's position, sprawling on the floor into pieces. It was a good thing that these bodies disappeared soon after their owners were eliminated, else she may have witnessed a most gruesome scene.

Should she decide to head downstairs to follow Kimiko's wake, she would be able to witness the room the Third Seat had ended up in, which appeared as a large room most likely meant to once act as a storage area. It was big, with many crates and vases being displayed here and there on various shelves, and was also seemingly only accessible via a wooden platform heading onward. This particular platform was somewhat small, causing it to act as a sort of makeshift hallway heading downward through a series of stairs. Naturally, this most likely caused the apparitions which were once below to be squeezed against one another as they headed onward... which led Kimiko to cut an immense amount of them in this instant. Even if Celes' step was somewhat slow, she would be able to notice the many cut bodies that had been left behind the Third Seat's wake which were now beginning to disappear. It was an utter massacre.

At the end of the platform stood Kimiko who was taking a breather. She was panting quietly, alone, with her arms appearing somewhat stiff. The spiritual energy around her was still quite potent, causing the wood and the stone to wince. Now that her attack was completed, she would find herself looking up towards where Celes was, then call with a bit of a smirk: "I think that's all of them!" The pride in her voice was admittedly palpable. She knew she had accomplished something that was quite impressive from a martial artist's perspective, and that her friend would most likely be quite happy to have seen it. Even so, there was also a bit of fatigue. The technique that she had just used was a powerful one, but also a costly one. She had developed it only recently and had never used it in combat just yet. To see it being so effective was something that she was very happy about... but the pain in her arm was noticeable. Hopefully, that didn't mean anything bad had happened to them.

Recovering quietly from her own technique execution, the Third Seat would observe the room again. The sheer amount of hellish spiritual energy in this room was massive. It was obvious that the demon was in this room, and so she found herself briefly looking around. Eventually, her eyes would lay upon a single door at the northern end of the room. It seemed to be a small room either meant for cleaning apparatus or something that was extremely valuable to the people that once owned the dojo. Kimiko would stare at this door quietly before she huffed. "It's in there. The coward is still hiding from us even though we're right here," she spat as she awaited Celes to join her before they attack the demon together.

[Celes Castellanos]

So, it had begun. Both women charged their respective sides as they found themselves surrounded. Showing off both of their individual skills, the two Shinigami fought in their own respective ways, dazzling the eye. Celes utilized her skills as a swordswoman combined with her impressive durability to power through any attack delivered to her. For those that found the chance to hit her despite her overwhelming speed, they'd find the weapon did not leave more than a tiny dent in the armor that the Captain had shrouded herself in. Celes also showed her mastery of Hakuda, fighting in hand-to-hand combat. While Celes appeared much like a skilled and ferocious brawler, Kimiko's would be totally different.

Despite not being afforded the same incredible durability, the Third Seat was an undeniable master of the way of the sword. Using her speed and skill to her advantage, the Third Seat's style could be described as elegant. Cleaving and cutting through foe after foe while splashing the room with the ink that her Zanpakutō created, her style was no less ferocious than that of her mentor. Both of their spiritual pressures were positively flaring. This overwhelming force would be far too much for the hellion to handle as any spectator could tell that these apparitions were positively outmatched. The stress was getting to the hellion. It became desperate. Suddenly, the walls buckled, creaking due to the combined spiritual pressure of the two women. 

Suddenly the trap door on the floor, not more than a few paces away from the two officers busted open. More phantoms poured out, their bodies nearly stumbling over one another. Perhaps it was fear? Maybe desperation? Celes was not sure, but she knew that the sight upset her. They were almost done dispatching of most of the spirits and now he dared to call more of the dead to his aid. It disgusted the Captain of the Tenth. To her this had grown personal. Before she had a chance to step in, Kimiko seemed to once more take the initiative. "You really were just a stupid coward after all," Suddenly, she roared, placing her foot down with a sudden stomp. "HAGESHI!" Her spiritual pressure could be felt clearly by Celes as it cracked the flooring beneath her. "HITONAMI!" 

This cry of what sounded like pure anger jolted even the Captain as Kimiko disappeared in an instant. In the meantime, Celes dispatched of the last of the spirits with her own sword work, using the hilt of her twin katana to great effect. Despite being spectral versions of her weapons, they cut with the same ferocity and felt just as sharp as any regular weapon. As the last of the phantoms dropped dead, dissipating shortly after, Celes had a look towards the phantoms that idly stood still. At least seemingly so at first. Suddenly, they'd drop to the ground like flies. Under the visage of her Astral Soul, Celes couldn't help but blink for a moment. She muttered softly. "W.. what the hell.." 

Celes approached the latch, looking down. There was a platform, but each step of the stairs was absolutely riddled with bodies. Each one of them had suffered an almost indescribable number of cuts, some mutilated beyond recognition. She heard the voice of her disciple call out to her from the bottom of the steps. "I think that's all of them!" The Captain had no words. Suddenly, each of the phantoms slowly vanished, dead without a doubt. Walking down the steps, Celes tried to avoid looking down at the massacre that was left by the Third Seat. In some ways, Celes was both relieved it was over and disturbed at what it took. She knew she'd get over it, but... wow. Upon seeing Kimiko, the Captain chuckled, trying taking note of something. "You know... you always yell what I assume to be the name of the techniques you are using..." She'd giggle, clearly teasing Kimiko, but little did the Captain know that her mood would sour soon.

Approaching the bottom, Celes saw numerous vases and baskets fill the room. Perhaps a place where valuables were kept? The Captain would have little time to think about it because she suddenly felt a pressure. The stench of hell filled the air, it's reiatsu repugnant. Immediately she was reminded of Orobas and Alastor. For a moment, her rage would be tempered as Kimiko spoke. "It's in there. The coward is still hiding from us even though we're right here," Celes sighed, looking upon the door that radiated with hellish reiatsu at the northern end of the room. Once more, Celes anger blazed. She truly despised Hellions. The grief they caused with no respect for the life around them...

Her reiatsu would leap from her once more. The form of the humanoid projection that surrounded her upper body suddenly began to change once more. The musculature that surrounded the skeleton was a bright orange, but soon a bright red akin to the original haze began to surround her. It soon shrank, molding to the size of the humanoid form. Suddenly the reiatsu bubbled, erupted out from within her. A blood red form overtook the muscles, covering her arms, rising to the head before closing shut around it. If Kimiko saw the visage of her Shikai before then she would be met with darkness until two bright yellow pupils that suddenly came to light. The bright red reiatsu shrouded her torso, covering upper body in a sash-like robe harder than steel. 

What was once musculature had now become surrounded in armor. If Kimiko looked closely, her face seemed to almost be surrounded by a mask that resembled a second visage. The face would be slightly tilted with a long nose rising up from it that more resembled a horn. Rising from the top of this mask would be hair that resembled flames. The only traces that were borderline recognizable to anyone who knew Celes would be that the bottom half of her Shihakusho would be visible as would the geta that the Shinigami traditionally wore. Her spiritual pressure could also be felt, radiating outward violently as her Shikai had finally reached its final stage.

Celes slowly turned her head, looking at Kimiko with those yellow eyes. If she didn't look imposing before than she certainly did now; more than ever. She tilted her head, holding her twin katana tightly. Her voice would be ever so slightly distorted. "Let's go and finish this bastard. I'm sick and tired of these denizens of Hell.." There was clear malice and anger in her voice. She'd suddenly approach the door that innocently rested on its hinges. Her spiritual pressure would be positively glowing at this point, able to be felt even by those who possessed next to no ability to sense her reiatsu. She'd place her hand on the door and breathe in calmly. As she breathed out, she struck her palm against the door with a loud yell. "KIAI!" Not unlike the French woman they met initially. She'd place all of her force into the door, instantly breaking it off its hinges and sending it forward into the room. For a moment, the door remained whole, but shortly after it broke into numerous splinters. If anything was just behind the door upon her doing so was going to have a very bad day. Equally so if hit by the shrapnel of wood, racing forward as if catapulted at a speed of 800. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

What the Third Seat had committed against the many ghosts that were rushing towards them was a massacre. In the blink of an eye, she had completely invalided the demon's attack, and had probably taken out maybe more than a couple of dozens of the phantoms. Sure, the phantoms were weak. They were not as powerful as the French woman they encountered when they were in the pagoda's main floor, and she really could have just continued fighting them head on the way she had been only a few minutes ago to conserve her stamina. Nevertheless, she had downright wiped out the equivalent of a medium-sized squadron all by her lonesome, and that was no small feat for someone of her caliber. If anything, the fact that she was even capable of even executing such a fearsome technique in the first place meant that, despite not quite having shown any will to become a Captain just yet, she easily had the strength of one. At this point, it is only a matter of time before the Gotei 13 acknowledges her strength and perhaps forces her to become a higher officer.

Kimiko, though, didn't care about any of that at the moment. All she cared about was the fact she was even able to execute this technique she had never used before in a real fight without any accidents, all the while arriving to a most definite result. Now that all of these ghosts have been taken care of, not only was she able to showcase to Celes that she was a most esteemed swordswoman and almost downright brag about it, but she had delivered a huge blow to the demon. Unleashing so many ghosts at once must have definitely caused the demon to spend an unearthly amount of spiritual energy, and he must now be more than just a little bit exhausted. Her self-esteem would have been at her highest, theoretically... if it was not for Celes then teasing her in the moment. "Ah? U-Uh... Y... Yeah...?" She would stammer for a moment as the feeling of achievement and pride was soon replaced with complete and utter embarrassment. "Yeah, I just, uh... A lot of people do that around here, so I thought... yeah."

She would feel a red blush appear on her face as she looked away from her friend in the moment. The Captain wasn't wrong: she has actually been crying out the names of her techniques every time she executed them. She could not quite remember the first time she has actually been doing so, but if she remembered correctly, she began doing that when she heard a few of her comrades of the Eleventh do the same and has been rolling with it ever since. On one hand, it could be said that her excuse was valid and that she was simply following a popular trend of sorts; after all, she was hardly the first person who has cried out the names of their techniques. On the other hand, however, she had to admit that she had always found the concept to be pretty cool. It reminded her of the time when she played her first fighting game and executed a special move that launched a fireball across the screen towards her opponent, and of other times when she saw animated characters cry out their attacks on television.

Obviously, the Third Seat won't tell that reason to the Captain. There was no way she was going to tell it to her now, in what was more or less a sort of miniature warzone. It was way too embarrassing, way too frighteningly mortifying! It would be like outright telling her that she was mimicking a fighting game character, or worse, animated characters from shows that are ultimately meant for children! She couldn't say something like that to her, not after having accomplished such a ridiculous feat of physical strength and certainly not in front of a demonic creature who was most likely waiting for them to make their next move. That would be a serious mood killer. No. No, she really wasn't going to tell her all about it now. She'll tell her later once they get all of this sorted out... or hopefully never, if she was lucky enough to not have to tackle the subject again. Yeah, that would actually be pretty great, now that she was thinking about it.

In any case, the officer would eventually point out the demon's position, and the aforementioned mood would revert to what it previously was. Kimiko, by then, had completely ridden herself of her embarrassment and instead was now focusing on taking down the cowardly creature. Even now, as she stood there by Celes' side as the Captain changed her form yet again, she would feel her blood boil anew. How could this creature find the cowardice to just hide in there after having defaced so many people? How could it not want to show itself to them now that they had found it? Had fear really taken such a powerful hold over it? Regardless of what the reason was, it made her clench her teeth and unconsciously raise her spiritual pressure. "You and me both," she would simply tell Celes as they approached the storage room, speaking with a tone of clear anger and contempt as she did so. The fact that this demon had lived after the assault against the Soul Society was, in of itself, a mistake on the Shinigami's part. They were going to fix that mistake.

Once they were close to the door, the scarlet-eyed woman prepared herself for what was to come. The demon was cowardly, that was for sure, but it had also proven that it was a very reactionary being. If it really was in there, which seemed like it was the case, it was most likely not going to just give up and let itself be sent back to Hell without fighting back in one way or another. If it had the gall to summon so many ghosts in such little time all because it wasn't capable of handling the pressure of intimidation, then it was most definitely going to do something else now it was cornered. The question here was more so how it was going to defend itself. Was it going to summon another powerful ghost? Was he going to summon army of them without even bothering to take into account its remaining spiritual pressure? Was it going to attempt to flee? Either way, all bets were off, and so, as Celes would go forward to break the door, she would wait for the demon to appear, ready to strike it down as soon as its face would pop out within the darkness.

The door of the smaller room would unsurprisingly be incapable of resisting Celes' attack. In an instant, it was catapulted off of its hinges and sent straight into the smaller room on the other side, even going as far as to break into many pieces as it did so. However, as the door's splinters was sent forward, a figure would suddenly jolt forward. Due to the way it was positioned, it was hard to exactly tell what the figure was at a first glance, but after a brief moment of identification, the two officers would be able to identify it as a large muscled man with his right shoulder placed forward as though it was executing a shoulder bash of sorts. He would rush onward with loud steps that smashed loudly against the floor, letting the splinters of the door pierce his arm without any hesitation. Upon seeing it come forward, Kimiko would clench her teeth and force herself to dodge in order to not get caught by the shoulder bash; after all, it was quite fast. Unfortunately, by doing so, she would not notice that the large man had something in his arm that he would then throw towards the entrance to the main storage room right after he left the smaller space.

Quickly following what was thrown with her eyes, the Third Seat would frown at what had just happened, especially once she saw what was thrown let out a cry of pain as it crashed into the railing of the wooden platform and lied there, hurt. She wasn't able to recognize it at first, but as she took a bit longer to observe, she would take into account its appearance. The black and yellow fur, the strange tapir nose, the high-pitched voice... It was taller than the last time she saw something similar and its nose was smaller, but she could recognize it. "You... You're that..." she found herself muttering before shouting angrily as her surprise dissipated. "You're that thing who was working under that skeleton guy!"

The demon would immediately look up towards Kimiko as he heard the Third Seat's voice - for he was now most definitely a he - and freeze momentarily. Despite the darkness, the both of the officers would be able to realize that the creature was absolutely mortified by the presence of the scarlet-eyed warrior. "O-O-O-Oh no. You're that ink psycho! Oh no, oh no, oh no!" It would rapidly mutter as it then tried to sprint out of the room. "N-NO! G-Get away! Get away from me! I'M NOT GOING BACK!" 

The pressure around the Third Seat would instantly go through the roof once she saw the creature outright attempt to flee the scene in such a cowardly fashion. It was an extremely bold move, and she absolutely did not appreciate it. "YOU COWARD! GET BACK HERE!" Her voice boomed across the room, and shortly after, without consideration for the fact the large man was still standing and ready to fight the two officers, she would immediately attempt to Shunpo towards the top of the platform in order to give chase to the creature. Considering the "ink" that still followed her closely, in an almost ironic fashion, it almost made the officer appear more demonic in comparison to the one that they were supposed to chase here. Unfortunately, as she appeared onto the railing and attempted to rush out of the room, shock would instantly fill her to the core as she saw a familiar figure suddenly appear from out of the darkness. "Oh shi-!"

In the moment, Celes would see Kimiko's body crash through the cracked railing of the wooden platform before colliding straight against the wall opposite to it. The impact against the wall was such that it left a small crater before her body then fell straight against a few crates down below, instantly breaking them in the process. For a few seconds, the Third Seat would not move under the rubble of the crates and vases, though soon, she would find herself shivering as she tried to push herself back up. It took a considerable amount of effort, and once she was standing, she would find herself stunned with a huge bruise located right on her stomach. The hit she had received was such that her Shihakusho had been completely torn where she had been hit. She would just stand there at first as though she was registering what just happened, panting quietly before she then unsheathed Shizukakane, planted its tip into the floor, and using the weapon as support before throwing up. Meanwhile, the white "ink" would surround her body and begin entering it, causing a few cracks to be heard from it as she let out sharp whimpers of pain.

Eventually, the process would be complete and she would appear fully recovered. The bruise was gone and so were the rest of her injuries from the looks of it, but her legs still appeared to be wobbly from the pain she just experienced. After a few seconds, she would look up towards the one responsible for delivering what she had just received who stood on the wooden platform. It was the French woman from before, the one who still sported that same bright smile and empty gaze. ".. Ow..." she would let out as her spiritual pressure began to grow again, this time doing so at such a rate that it spread towards Celes and the muscled man. This time, she did not bother to keep it under wraps. It would immediately begin to press down on her surroundings, causing the muscled man to first appear frozen, then forced to crash down onto the floor as his legs immediately broke from the pressure. Meanwhile, she'd look towards her friend and huff. "Celes... Can you take care of her...?"

 

For as polite as she appeared to be in her request, it was clear that she now held great contempt for the demon. She wanted Celes to take care of the master's ghost, all so that she could hunt down the demon and kill it, and from the looks of it... it looks like she wanted to do it slow.

[Celes Castellanos]

The Captain could not help but tease her disciple a little bit. After all, she had noticed the prior few times that the Third Seat had been calling out her attack names. It was as if she was doing it to look cooler. It seemed that she had struck gold as she saw the blush touch Kimiko. She was clearly embarrassed by Celes' teasing. The Captain couldn't really blame her, but at the same time it was no less funny as she tried to meekly defend herself. Unfortunately, tensions would be high as Celes realized where there little trip was leading to. The climax of this little adventure. Taking out a stray Hellion that has been terrorizing the members of the 40th. 

She had dealt with two Hellions in the past. Both Akki. Both had orchestrated the attack on Soul Society. Suffice to say, Celes had no love for hell. Just thinking about the denizens of that place enraged her more than any Hollow could. As such, Celes decided to go all out. Manifesting the armor, Celes shrouded her upper body in the durable projection, giving her already durable form, some added projection. Part of her was excited. She could finally test out these new powers of hers. Had it not been for the Hellion spoiling her mood, the Captain would have been jumping for joy. The circumstances didn't allow for it, however, and it would be shown with the door.

With impressive force, the Captain broken the door in one swift motion. It did not require someone of her ability to do so, but it certainly added to the impact as the door turned to wooden shrapnel. Suddenly though, Celes heard and saw something move in the shadows. It was approaching... with a certain heft to his step. Beneath the visage, Celes' eyes widened as the figure was fast approaching. She wouldn't take any chances and once more, she moved her body faster than the eye could see, swiftly moving to the side as a man emerged from the shadows. Splinters had dug into his arm as his form resembled that of a shoulder bash. He was positively massive though, seemingly towering over Celes. 

As he ran past, Celes took note of him seemingly throwing something towards the main entrance of the room. It was not a motion that would normally be seen with a shoulder bash, making the Captain suspicious. Was the man another apparition? Celes couldn't tell. Fow now, she focused on him... until Kimiko seemed to exclaim something. "You... You're that..." Celes tilted her head, staring at Kimiko with confusion. "You're that thing who was working under that skeleton guy!" Celes finally focused her vision past the hulk and saw a creature. Its yellow and black fur were visible, it had a small nose and an annoying high-pitched voice.

Celes blinked for a moment. It certainly wasn't human, and Celes felt the slightest hint of hellish reiatsu upon it. Her eyes widened upon realization, yelling loudly. "This?! This is what we've been hunting the entire time?! And you know it...?" At a glance it looked so weak and meager physically. In fact, Celes felt that she could snap the hellion in half. As both Shinigami flew into a fit of shock, it seemed that the Hellion recognized Kimiko. Celes saw it freeze in an instant. "O-O-O-Oh no. You're that ink psycho! Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Celes tilted her head. "N-NO! G-Get away! Get away from me! I'M NOT GOING BACK!" Celes tilted her head again. "Ink Psycho? Does he mean..." She looked at Kimiko's aura briefly, nodding her head. "Oh..." 

Suddenly though, Celes saw the Hellion attempt to flee. It would be a such a pathetic sight in mere moments... Celes had lost that killers edge. That drive. It just didn't feel the same anymore. She still wanted it to pay, but she wasn't as hell bent on doing it herself anymore. She was expecting something grand! But this was... lame. Kimiko on the other hand was clearly incensed. "YOU COWARD! GET BACK HERE!" In an instant, Kimiko disappeared in a flash. Celes blinked as the Third Seat's spiritual pressure suddenly exploded. Sighing, she sheathed both of her blades and was prepared to follow. She just had to take out this big guy before he caused trouble.

Unfortunately, Kimiko would not make it very far as the Captain watched her come back, barreling down the steps as though she just got hit badly. Vases and other rubble fell on her, covering her as crates broke instantly. Celes wasted little time, dashing over to Kimiko in a flash, helping to shove off all the debris. "What the hell?!" Her voice would be filled with surprise as she easily lifted larger pieces of rubble off of the Third Seat. As she tried to bring herself to stand, she certainly found herself in pain. A big bruise lay imprinted on her stomach not unlike what happened to Celes originally. ".. Ow..." Suddenly the white ink that surrounded Kimiko drew to the Third Seat. It soothed her body, healing her wound, causing Celes to simply look at her disciple an incredulous look. She simply shook her head for a moment. "So, they can just heal themselves now... Alright..." 

Finally, the culprit would reveal herself. As Celes looked up, the Captain felt her own spiritual pressure rise and flare like earlier again. It was the french martial artist again! The woman who had caught her off guard earlier. Celes stood up, looking upon her as the woman merely kept that same wide smile. Just as chilling as her, Celes listened to her disciple. "Celes... Can you take care of her...?" The Captain nodded, curling one of her hands into a fist, cracking it with her other. "Oh... with pleasure." She said with a hint of joy in her voice. She'd place her hand upon her chest and speak softly. "Unfurl your Wings and Fly as a Tengu, Kishin Yunorashi." Once more, her spiritual pressure rose higher than ever. A final layer of red surrounded her entire body this time, filling the room with a blazing red light. As it died down, Celes stood in her Tengu armor which surely needed no introduction to Kimiko. Despite the flaring and pressure she let out, Celes felt her reiatsu drain from her swifty. She'd have a few more tricks in her, but she needed to be careful lest she allow her herself to pass out from reiatsu depletion. She knew the feeling well, having a far small pool than the average Shinigami. It'd knock her on her ass if she wasn't careful.

Thankfully, Celes was looking to end this sooner rather than later. She looked upon the woman, placing her hand upon the hilt one of her spectral Zanpakutō. Once more she'd speak, her voice still slightly distorted. "So. Let's see how you do when I'm not at a disadvantage, shall we?" With that, Celes quickly disappeared from sight. Utilizing a Shunpo, she'd try to close the distance between herself and the woman, moving at 12000, a speed that most could only dream of. As soon as she came within range, Celes focused reiatsu into her arm. She'd release it, drawing her blade for a slash, widening the arc in an attempt to only strike the woman, but also the man. This was no ordinary Iaijutsu slash, however.

Her sword flew from its sheath at a speed of 2400, packing an incredible force of 1600, far surpassing any slash that Celes had demonstrated thus far. In fact, to the casual observer and often even the victim, it would appear that Celes never even drew her blade. It would appear as though she popped it slightly from its sheath for a moment and then slid it back in. Kimiko would likely know better though as nearby boxes and vases suddenly split in half with a horizontal cut. A deep split would suddenly form in the wall, widening in an instant as if a sword had violently slashed through it. Whether the French woman or even the giant man could dodge or even react to this attack was yet to be seen, but it was an impressive display of swordsmanship. The name of this attack? "Hitosume: Nadegiri." A slash so fast & powerful that it need not be used more than once for it was intended to kill its victim before they even know that they had departed from this life.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko could fully understand the disappointment that fueled Celes after they both witnessed the pathetic appearance of the demon they have been hunting throughout all this time. This was not a being who demanded respect and authority, nor one who clearly showcased the power of the condemned in a spectacular fashion: it was instead nothing more than the equivalent of a house fly or, worse, an infested mosquito. Its physical form had changed to a degree, most likely because he was able to find growth within the torment of the people of the 40th western district, but he himself has not changed as a person. Even though he had obviously grown somewhat more powerful with his spiritual abilities, he was still just a cowardly servant, someone who was - perhaps even during his own Human life - a worthless follower who always had to be reigned in by a more worthy leader. The only difference now was that he had no leader to speak of.

But it was within that notion that the scarlet-eyed warrior found the greatest frustration towards its regard. Back then, during the demonic invasion of the Soul Society, she had battled against a knight of Lucifer. The knight, despite being a Hellion in nature, was one of honor and virtue. It respected her, commanded her for her swordsmanship, and was a great commander in spite of it all. When she and the Captain of the Sixth were able to send him back to hell, however, he lost control of his troops, resulting in a lot of them beginning to flee. Instead of fighting for their commander, they abandoned their posts and became great cowards. This particular being was no exception to that. In the chaos, she had massacred hundreds more who were attempting to run away, but she had missed this one. How it was able to survive its travels from the eastern districts to the western districts was beyond her, but either way, she hated him for having survived for so long. Now, she just wanted to reduce him to an even greater state of nothingness, and cast him back into Hell by the side of the lord he abandoned.

Unfortunately, she would not be able to reach him. Not yet, that is, for the very first phantom the demon had conjured had returned. It was in moments like these that Kimiko was glad that Shizukakane offered her the ability to heal herself. For as much as Celes wouldn't agree with the notion, the Third Seat had always favored offense over defense. She never really had bothered putting much thought in bulking up in order to develop a sort of natural resilience to things, and had instead mainly relied on defending herself by dodging attacks or simply relying on the sheer potency of her spiritual energy reserve to push away other physical fighters who are unworthy of her attention. She was capable of generating armor around herself with another ability Shizukakane had granted to her, but she had always considered it as being only for emergencies. Now that she had been hit so powerfully, she was starting to think that she should perhaps use it more often.

This worry, however, was vastly superseded by something else as she stood back up from the floor. This thing, this emotion, was animosity. Sheer, unadulterated hatred for the fearful demon. Recently, she and Taishokukane have been having discussed over how she felt during battles, and how they could prevent her from becoming too detrimentally angry. So far, they easily understood that she became angry whenever she faced a dishonorable or a cowardly opponent, and so the spirit has been attempting to teach her how to control her emotions. In a way, they worked. She has been getting better lately over how she behave during battles and has also been progressively been more accepting of a few fighting styles. It was something that she was accomplishing in a very begrudging fashion, but it was something, at the very least. With that said, there was only so much she could handle before she would simply revert to her old emotional ways. What occurred at that moment was a prime example of that.

As Celes prepared herself to fight the French martial artist by executing her Bankai, Kimiko would stand there, waiting for an opportunity to simply go right past the master's phantom and chase after the demon. While she would stand there, her spiritual pressure would rise even further, causing the floor to crack into a crater beneath her foot and the walls to shake ever-so-slightly. Being an individual with greater spiritual potency, the Captain would be somewhat unaffected by this rise of power even if she could feel it, and so would the spirit of the French woman. However, the large phantom that threw the demon moments prior would see his body crumble as he found himself smashed against the floor. His fake bones would collapse, his skin would cave in, and eventually, what he once was would be completely crushed until the demonic energy which formed him would be forced to vanish. Again, it would have been quite the gruesome sight should it have been a real person.

Eventually, the preparations would end, and the Captain would rush onward towards the martial artist to execute a powerful technique. Should she have been in a better mood, Kimiko would have found her friend to be rather hypocritical on the subject of crying out technique names, but she was simply too angry and focused on what she wanted to do to even mutter another word at the time being. Instead, she would stand there as everything around her was cut to pieces, including whatever energy remained of the larger phantom she just crushed to death. The eerily-cheerful master would also be among the ones that would be hit by this "Hitosume: Nadegiri"; however, unlike the others, she would not break. Hell, she had not even attempted to dodge the attack. Instead, she had herself straight and kept her fists near her thighs, letting out a loud "OSU!" as she took the hit and remained. The Third Seat was somewhat able to recognize this stance. She had seen in movies or in a few competitions, but it wasn't really a fighting stance per say. Rather, it was an introductory stance. It seemed the woman had weaponized it somehow.

With that said, it did seem as though the phantom had taken considerable damage from this hit, which was quite unsurprising given the nature of the technique Celes used; after all, a normal individual would have simply died right then and there. Though her expression had not changed, her legs appeared to be somewhat weaker, almost as if she had difficulty even standing, and the more common combat stance she then adopted was shaky at best. She may be quite powerful for the ghost of a resident of Rukongai, but she too had her limits, and it seemed she was nearing them already. Nevertheless, her puppet body remained strong and still ready to fight the Captain with the strength that remained. For how long she could do this, however... That could not be said. Not now, at least. "Très bien, très bien! You are good at this!" Her distant voice would speak again, speaking words once said long ago in a moment that has long since passed.

Once this was accomplished, she would zoom towards Celes again, then deliver the same hit she had delivered from before. It was just as sudden as the previous hit, and just as quick. Moreover, it was also not just a single attack. As her first would near the Captain's chest, the Shinigami would be able to almost see the woman's fist appear in many places at once. Her left shoulder, her right hip, her forehead. It was as though, somehow, she had reached such high velocities that she could multiply her attack. Should any of these fists hit her, they would each be as powerful as the last, with each of them containing such power that they would echo across the storage room. It was still unclear if the resident had been capable of actually executing such an attack while she was alive or if this was the work of a demon, but at this point, that did not matter. All that mattered instead was the woman's dead gaze and the familiar cry that then followed: "KIAI!"

Despite its fearsome nature, the attack would cause the woman to be left wide open once she would finish executing it. The amount of effort that was required of her to launch it towards the Captain was visibly greater when compared to a single fist, and so, it would leave her briefly stunned. Kimiko would unsurprisingly sense this as an opportunity to move. Using Shunpo, she would blitz past the French woman, rushing towards the entrance of the room that was behind her, then look back towards her friend. "Keep her busy. I'm gonna take care of that piece of shit myself," she would growl before using Shunpo once again to rush up the stairs and into the basement. This would cause the ghost of the martial artist to look back towards where Kimiko once was with that same eerie smile, almost as though she was hesitating to actually pursue the Third Seat. This would leave her wide open again, giving Celes ample time to hit her.

Meanwhile, in the basement, the demon had been running towards the stairs as fast as he could. Being wounded, his step was at first slower. However, once he saw Kimiko appear from the steps towards the storage area, his fear would spike up tenfold. "H-How...? How did you get out of there?!" His shrill voice would ask in fearful disbelief. It was as though he could not believe someone had bested his most powerful summon. Eventually, his disbelief would vanish, replaced once again with a great fear that filled his very being to the core. "GO AWAY!" He would cry out powerfully, causing an almost painful echo to ring out throughout the room before he would raise a hand towards the Third Seat. This would cause a swarm of phantoms to suddenly appear from the ruined quarters, giving him some time to then begin running up the steps into the pagoda's main floor. Each of the phantoms were like the ones she and Celes had eliminated: weak and frail. Noticing this, the officer could only bare her teeth.

"I'M GONNA SEND YOU BACK TO YOUR LORD IN PIECES!" She would scream, her voice being so loud it could reach the storage room below. Of course, this order would unsurprisingly not be followed by the demon as he continued to run up the steps into the main floor. Unfortunately for him, his spirits would have no effect on Kimiko's advance. For as many he summoned, she would pass by them with almost-reckless speed, cutting them all as she passed with vicious violence that far surpassed their capabilities. It was not as quick as Hageshi Hitonami, but it was nevertheless an absolute vortex of slashes, wrath, and dismemberment. The demon, noticing this, could only run faster up the steps, and in his great fit of cowardice, he would run up the steps that led upward into the higher floors of the pagoda, summoning more and more ghosts. He did not have any care for his own reserve of spiritual energy anymore: he just wanted her to disappear at all costs!