World Spirit Map (Akira and Scarlet JT)

[Akira Hinosai]

"No! I haven't seen anything like that! Please just let me go! I don't wanna go to the afterlife!" Akira truly came to hate plusses. Once, he found it so cool that he could talk to the dead. As he grew older, he realized most dead people were boring as shit. They were full of tedious complaints about not wanting to be konso'd, how much they wanted to be alive again, and other annoying complaints that grated upon Akira. "Shut up! You want me to leave you for the hollows?" Akira may not have been an intimidating figure, but he did have a sword, which helped. "No? Ok, then. Now spare me your whining." Akira's cold command went unheeded as he slammed the pommel of his zanpakuto into the man's face.

The ghost truly seemed to think he was being destroyed from how he was screaming. By the time it was fully pulled into the soul society portal thing, Akira was relieved. Purifying lost souls was sort of his job now, or rather, it was an aspect of it. Still, he had hoped he could get useful information out of these wretched spirits. Unfortunately, most of the dearly departed hadn't seen or heard anything relating to a "small friendly white masked creature" Akira had hoped he could find Cabalerro again, but in a city this big, it wasn't looking too likely. He hoped the little idiot was ok, wherever they where.

Akira took a breath to refocus himself. He wasn't here for hollows. He was supposed to take reiatsu readings at numerous places around town. Apparently, in the time since Hell rose up to invade soul society, remnants of that army had begun making incursions to the human world. Unfortunate for the citizens of Karakura, but an opportunity for the young squad 12 researcher. Akira was contributing to a scientific study into Hell Reiatsu in the human world and its effects on the populace. His job was simple enough, but the connotations were fascinating. There were rumors of nakabaki being born from other races being infected with hell reiatsu. Akira wondered if this could happen to humans, creating beings like fullbringers but for hell.

Either way, his job was just data acquisition. All further inquiries would depend on if the results showed any promise of further gains. Worse case scenario, the data was only useful for showing trends in Karakura spiritual activity and Akira got a good workout in for the day. He was hoping he wouldn't have to be here long. There were worse things than hellions lurking in Karakura. The vandenreich's long shadow fell over the town as well. Akira had a healthy fear of them. He would still do his duty, but for some reason the fear lingered in the back of his mind.

Akira emerged from the alley where he'd cornered the plus and examined his surroundings. That plus was a screamer, which could have drawn unwanted attention. Not from the general populace, but from the spiritually aware. Karakura was crawling with those types, as per usual. Akira even found himself able to sense the spiritual signatures again. Still, his combat reflexes demanded he check anyway. He wasn't about to be caught unawares. Besides, considering how that whole thing with the plus may have looked, it wasn't unreasonable to think someone could grossly misunderstand his actions.

[Scarlet]

Today was the start of the next week! It’d been a week since the bad decision to go back to Kyoto. A week since she’d fought that Hollow in the temple and nearly gotten herself killed. The last week had been filled with pretty much nothing other than strange occurrences one after another that in the span of just a single week threw Hikari’s knowledge and perception of reality right out the window. How in a single week everything could be completely different just didn’t seem logical, but it was truth.

Although she had learned so much in just a week it had replaced a large majority of things she just believed in the back of her mind like any normal human. For the last week every night she found herself waking up in the middle of darkness either out of breath or screaming in terror. Fighting tk the death against what she had believed to be a monster was one thing that had already given her nightmares. Learning that Hell was real and fending off demons that could come back potentially was something else entirely.

Today didn’t really feel any different than the last few even knowing that it was some kind of point in time she was recognizing. The pin in her right shoulder and the left side of her torso still hasn't faded completely. The holes from that Hollow’s fingers she knew were going to take a bit of time, but if only the bruising would vanish then things would be easier for sure. She’d completed her morning run although it’d taken a bit more time than usual. The sling on her right side was frustrating enough that Hikari half the time wasn’t even wearing it.

Today or at least for the moment she was with her white top, pale blue coat, long red track pants with the black lines down the sides and the large pockets at her knees. Since she had already been out for her morning run earlier in the day she didn’t have her running shoes on, instead choosing to wear the tall black boots that extend upwards halfway to her knees. What no one would see was the same thing she’d been keeping with her for the last week, the ax kept beneath her coat on her back.

Walking along the street in order to ease her boredom and keep her grandfather from poking and prodding at her emotions. The last thing she was expecting was to come across something spiritual once again. It just didn’t seem logical that nearly everyday something that she never experienced before would happen yet when she heard the scream of someone close by Hikari’s mind stopped thinking and started sending her towards the scream. It’d only take a couple seconds for her to close in on the spot and find a man taller than her with green hair dressed in black. Although she said nothing it’d be obvious she could see him her eyes matched up with his own and her body language giving off the impression she wasn’t certain whether this was a friend or foe.

[Akira Hinosai]

Most people were as deaf to the screams as they were to Akira's presence. Still he watched the crowd as they walked by, more out of instinct than anything. It was hard to get used to being totally invisible to people. However, his anxious eyes seemed to lock with some girl looking into the alleyway. A hopeful part of Akira's mind wanted to believe it was a coincidence. Stuff like that happened. Deep down, though, he knew. She sees me, alright. If she could see him, she could hear the screams too. Akira didn't know how much she saw of what happened. So without even thinking. "Hey, there! Not too many of your kind can see me. Color me impressed!"

Akira rested his arm on his pommel, ready to draw it if this girl got any ideas. "I must be getting sloppy though if a human could sense me." He raised the back of his hand to his forehead in an exaggerated "woe is me" gesture.  Akira decided it was best to feign ignorance of the screaming this girl definitely heard. Still, it wasn't an outright lie either. "That...is how you found me, isn't it?" Akira did his best to sound genuine. Though his first instinct may have been to cover himself, part of him started questioning if it was even worth it. This girl was spiritually aware. She had to have seen a shinigami before, and she had to know what they did to lost souls. If not, she would have to know what a hollow was.That meant Akira probably had a leg to stand on if he was going to convince her that he was doing the right thing, and was not, in fact, a psychotic murderer.

If the girl asked him about the screaming coming from this alley, Akira would pause for a moment before answering. "Ok, um. You have to promise not to get mad." Akira would smile innocently, or at least as innocently as someone like him was capable of being. "Ok so there was this wayward spirit in danger of becoming a hollow or getting eaten by one. So I, despite it not being my mission, decided to help him cross over into the next life." Akira didn't know how much this girl knew. From experience he understood humans either knew nothing or too much for their own good. "So here I was doing him a favor and the guy goes into hysterics. Sheesh, some people are never greatful." Akira was mostly telling the truth.

He decided it was best to leave out the part where he interrogated the soul as to the whereabouts of a certain child-like hollow and proceeded to brutalize him before sending him to rot in the Soul Society. If this girl fell into the "know nothing" category of human world dwellers, she would no doubt appreciate the crash course on the soul cycle. "So, uh, we cool?" Akira smiled nervously. This girl was reminding him of a certain vandenreich quincy, and he was beginning to wonder if he should have lied about not hearing anything. If they were, in fact, cool, Akira would try and extend an olive branch of mutual friendship and cooperation "Hey are you doing anything today? I could kinda use a guide and you're the only one I've met who can see me..."

[Scarlet]

Hikari didn’t have to wait more than a handful of seconds to get confirmation that whoever this moss haired guy was, he knew he could be seen. Although the way he played it off was something that irritated her, Hikari in all honesty wasn’t sure why it irritated her so much. What she was able to catch right away though was the posture of his body, the way he moved out of the alleyway and the beneficial position of his hand on the top of his sword. Although she wasn’t someone particularly good at reading people, this guy was coming off as someone ready to fight.

What he said next just solidified how Hikari felt even more. The manner by which he placed his hand up towards his head just made her remember so many of the popular stuck up girls from high school that would lie about situations. She had to remember she’d only found him because she’d heard screaming from someone. She couldn’t see into the alleyway which meant there was a possibility this one in black had just harmed someone. Although that didn’t make much sense, the only other one she’d seen was a large man that fought off and killed a insect Hollow that looked like a centipede.

One thing that she did pick up on right away though was how he spoke. He asked a question after a statement and Hikari had to pick up on a little thing she didn’t know was possible until now. This guy thought she sensed him, that sounded like something out of a movie. Although she was by no means good at all the new stuff she did have decent understanding. Thanks to different movies and books Hikari had a concept about what he meant by sensing. Could someone actually feel the presence of another though?

“No, it was the screaming. Something tells me it wasn’t you.”

Just like that Hikari watched as the man in black with the moss green hair changed up his story or well started to give more of the details. “What’s with this guy? Shouldn’t a soldier be honest.” Her own personal belief dictating what she believed others to be was quite naive although pure. Hikari immediately gave the man a stern look of disdain similar to a judgment partner. Hikari had been told that Shinigami were the ones that decided whether or not a soul went to the next world or down to Hell.

“Maybe with the fear of the unknown he was better off right now. You can’t blame him for not wanting to spend eternity in Hell because you seem to be in a bad mood.” Hikari knew that she was taking a chance when this guy had his hand so close to his sword. She knew it was probably better to just step aside and let things go, but that’s not how she had been raised. That’s not what she believed in and not who she wanted to be, she was meant to help people so backing down wasn’t an option.

[Akira Hinosai]

Akira's lip twitched in disgust. What right does she have to judge me? He hadn't lied, not once. Even if he had, it didn't fucking matter, anyway. The idea that soldiers were supposed to have ethics like honestly was honestly laughable. "I guess it could be a matter of opinion." And yet the judgy redhead continued, critiquing everything he'd done, like she was some moral authority. "If he went to hell, which, might I add, he didn't, it would be his own damn fault! I don't decide who goes to hell. It just sort of happens sometimes if their actions were bad enough." Akira couldn't believe he was even arguing with her. This was such an asinine subject.

"He was a danger to himself and others. An aberration, a stain on the cycle of reincarnation. Excuse me for trying to prevent him from getting eaten by a monster or turning into one, which, might I add would have happened. One or the other, that's the fate of every lost soul who we don't purify." What, was Akira supposed to care about every little lost soul he came across now? Every meaningless civilian without magic powers? Maybe he should care about the flies he swatted too, while he was at it. "Like, I honestly cannot bring myself to care. He was here and now he's gone. Shit happens. Life goes on."

There was no undoing what had been done. The tomato-haired bitch could hate Akira, she could resent him, but nothing she did would bring that soul back. It was best for everyone involved to  just move on with their lives. But no. This girl was incapable of that, so she had to keep pressing Akira about such trivial bullshit, like what she wanted meant anything. Why should he care about that ghost in particular anyway?  Nothing that spirit did would ever matter unless it happened to have powers, which was unlikely. It would go through a series of distractions and then its existence would end, and it would fuel the circle of life. Blah blah.

Akira ran his lacquered nails through his hair. This whole thing was a huge waste of his time and energy. He had better things to do than argue about the morality of his actions with some bitchy fullbringer who didn't know dick about the spirit world. "If you wanna fucking start shit, be my guest. Otherwise, I suggest you learn the score around here and keep your fucking mouth shut until you do." Akira spat. Part of him hoped she'd try and come at him. He wasn't going to land the first blow, but if the girl decided to attack him, he would defend himself. From how she was talking, she was pretty new, and her youthful naiveté hadn't been forcefully beaten out of her yet. Lack of experience meant Akira could take her with one arm tied behind his back.

[Scarlet]

The situation was really off to a bad start as Hikari’s comments and demeanor did nothing to quell the nervousness of the Shinigami. What was just a point where an individual didn’t want to make things escalate into something bad, well Hikari as the other individual in the situation seemed to do just that. Being told that he couldn’t decide whether someone went to Hell or not didn’t sound right. Shimada-sama had said something along the lines of Shinigami being the individuals that did just that acting like Angels.

“Who’s telling me the truth?”

A mental question Hikari asked herself in a brief moment while the Shinigami in front of her became more and more aggravated. It didn’t take more than a full minute for both individuals to be looking each other directly in the face with expressions of irritation. A scene that would make most question whether or not a physical fight between the two of them was going to start at any second. That’s when he opened his mouth again and Hikari acted without thinking. Her right hand moved up and forward, grabbing the Shinigami by the collar of his uniform.

“If that’s how you really feel, then you're no different. Just someone that doesn’t like their situation. Someone that would like to move on, but you’re stuck and don’t know how to get out. Just like whoever you just looked down on!” Hikari shoving the Shinigami back made sure even in her anger to keep her eye on his hand. The moment he began to pull his sword she’d be ready. That didn’t mean she stopped though. “You act like your life is a hard one, yet do you realize everyone suffers. No one feels enough of anything. If you don’t get that and you’ve let the negative overwhelm you then, then you’re no hero. Just a broken man that doesn’t deserve to carry on.”

Although her rage was already boiling over the edge, the cocky manner in which the Shinigami brushed his moss hair and the remark afterwards sent her into a cold anger. It wasn’t fiery hot like an explosion, no what she felt now was cold like a poison. Turning and beginning to walk away even after he seemingly spat in her direction. All Hikari could do to control her emotions was picture her father and what he’d taught her about being a protector, being someone worthy of the gaze she gave him. “I’d heard you Shinigami were vile, believing you alone have the right to decide fate. I met another who made me believe differently. One that didn't let the dread bring him down. You though, nothing more than mold. You’re past the expiration date, you’ve become nothing better emotionally than the Hollows.”

[Akira Hinosai]

Akira let the words wash over him. Every syllable gave him another reason to end this girl's life. This bitch thought he was scum, a psychopath who succumbed to despair and was "past his expiration date" She didn't know how close she came to death when she said that line. He wanted to slice her open and leave her for dead. However, those were base instincts, ones he could suppress. Still, an insult of this caliber demanded correction. It would be a cold day in hell before he let anyone get away with talking to him like that, not when he had the power to stop it. She spoke of him like he was a low-life, a monster. Maybe I should show her what a monster really is...

There were multiple faces Akira put on depending on the situation. This time however, he could be his true self. His lips curled into a crooked smile. This was going to be so much fun. With a flash step, he positioned himself behind her. He reached out and grabbed the back of her head. "Sai" Not willing to gamble on her spiritual power, he prepped another spell. "Horin!" With any luck, this would shoot a crackling energy rope from his hand, and binding the girl's arms and  legs together. With any luck, combined with Sai, the combined might of kido would prove difficult to break. Trying to keep up his momentum. Akira would shove the girl to the ground.

After stomping his foot on her back, Akira would kneel down and unsheathe his blade, using one hand to pull her head by the hair, and another to hold the blade to her throat. The unspoken implication being that she shouldn't try to escape. "You don't know who the fuck you're dealing with! You don't know ANYTHING!" Akira would press his blade harder against her throat to try and drive that point home. Not enough to break the skin, that would require him to actually saw at her neck. "There is only one truth to this world. Might makes right. It doesn't matter all that much what you think if you don't have the skills to back it up. You can hate me forever, you can think whatever you want about me, but I still won here. Remember that."

Even in his rage, the troubling implications of this weren't lost on Akira. Getting overpowered by a stranger in an alleyway, and all. As much as he didn't like to think about it, he figured he should at least mention it. "Now look. I don't know what ideas you're getting about this, circumstances being what they are, but I can tell you I'm not that kind of guy. Besides, you aren't my type anyway." It was important to at least reassure her of that. He may have hated her, but everyone had to draw the line somewhere. "Now. I think we got off on the wrong foot, and...I still need a guide for this city...I don't think I ever caught your name?"

Reiatsu: 520/620

-50 flash step
-25 sai
-25 horin

[Scarlet]

Already she had been walking away from the vile Shinigami when she began the final remark towards him. Just like that though she heard a noise, some sort of noise that caught her attention. That noise was a major key component to combat that Hikari would have to learn yet at the moment knew nothing about and thus the first real moment of knowledge came with the placement of the shinigami’s hand on her head. A situation she’d been trained to defend against as her left foot moved backwards in a downwards strike with the ball of her foot meant to crush the front toes of the Shinigami.

What she didn’t know or expect were both her arms moving seemingly on their own behind her back like handcuffs. All she heard was the word Sai and her arms moved by themselves. Perhaps if she had a bit more time Hikari would have been able to turn in her heels in order to retaliate against whatever this Shinigami was doing at the moment. Her knowledge of what Shinigami could do though was just as limited as her knowledge on everything else spiritual. To her the fact her arms were now bound by a spell made no sense.

Physical aggression was the only manner in which she could make her stand against a Shinigami that in her eyes had allowed the dread of his position and the sorrow of his life to corrupt him. Alias her own abilities had yet to manifest completely so in the coming moments all Hikari could feel was uncharted anger. The Shinigami did everything she’d expect from a criminal, everything she could detest in a way that made her believe he saw himself as someone on the side of good. Nothing more than pathetic, a statement her eyes would give him even with the blade to her neck.

"You don't know who the fuck you're dealing with! You don't know ANYTHING! There is only one truth to this world. Might makes right. It doesn't matter all that much what you think if you don't have the skills to back it up. You can hate me forever, you can think whatever you want about me, but I still won here. Remember that."

She could feel the steel touching her throat, something that she hadn’t experienced before, yet her arms and legs were bound, unable to be used, while she was treated with nothing but disrespect. “You managed to capture a human with no weapon. Wow you’re about as strong as a grown man beating up a kindergartener. I bet all the other Shinigami look up to you. All you managed to do was confirm what I said, just like a Hollow you attacked a human.” Hikari had learned enough about the spiritual manner of things to know that even I this Shinigami killed her right here she’d move on, maybe find her father. So although it would suck it wasn’t the end. That made the fear of the blade much less potent against her stubbornness.

“Awe you’re not going to assault me anymore then you just did? Well aren’t you commendable. Wait I’m not your type BUT you’re not that kind of guy? Which is it? If I was a bit younger would I be your type huh? Really buying that all bad people go to Hell if you managed to stay out of it.” Hikari at this point really was just doing her best to keep pissing the Shinigami off. In her experience when something spiritual happened normally there was something else nearby. That didn’t mean something else would show up although she could hope if another Shinigami found the scene this one would get some sort of repercussion. “What makes you think I’d show you around now? You’ve got me on the ground cause you got angry.”

[Akira Hinosai]

"You talk too much." Akira held her head in place with one hand and held his blade with the other. "Tsuzuri Raiden." With those words, his blade became a live wire, sending bolts of electricity through the girl's body like a max voltage stungun. Akira didn't laugh. He didn't have some taunt prepared. It was just business. It was something he could do as thoughtlessly as purifying a lost soul. He offered her an out, and she spat in his face. Whatever happened to her now was her own damn fault. What exactly had this girl hoped to accomplish? Was she hoping that if he got angry enough he'd carelessly leave some opening for her to exploit?

Maybe she wanted to die. Still, in the end, she was no better than that ghost Akira had purified. Boring. Not worth contemplating. Akira would hold her as long as electricity flowed from his blade and into her body, or until someone interrupted them. That, however would prove unlikely. As something this girl failed to realize was that no one was coming to save her. When the chips were down, there was no one you could trust but yourself. Maybe this girl would learn that. Maybe she wouldn't. Akira didn't care. Once he was done with her, he'd complete his mission without distraction. When the spell finally ended, Akira finally got off of her.

If she was hoping for another shinigami to come pull Akira off of her, she'd probably be disappointed. Even if one found them, they would surely take Akira's word over her's. All it would take is for Akira to say "She attacked me. She's insane." and it would be over. Akira was a better liar than this girl could hope to be. There was no HR department for Akira to be reported to. This world was his playground and he could do whatever the fuck he wanted. Even if it somehow went so far that he would get in trouble, one talk with Ken'ichi or Aramis and he'd be out scot free.

Either way, Akira would get up, leaving the girl in the alley behind him. He said no words to her as he kept walking. You don't reprimand garbage, you dispose of it and move on with your day. Akira had every intention of doing just that.

If she had any fight left in her, it wouldn't matter. Akira was far superior to her when she was uninjured. Now that she'd been stomped and fried, she had even less of a chance. One flash step later and he was already more than a running start ahead of her if she wanted to chase him. It wasn't fleeing, he just had more important things to do than play with trash. It wasn't as though he needed a guide anyway. That was just part of his cover. He was always going to use her. The only thing that changed was that he found out the sheer scope of how useless this girl was. Good riddance Akira thought, and he faded into the urban sprawl of Karakura.

445/620 reiatsu

-25 tsuzuri raiden
-50 shunpo

[Scarlet]

Forced into the cement ground of the sidewalk was one thing, having the edge of a sharp blade pressed against her throat was something else entirely. This wasn’t something she’d exprjenevcwd before although lately she’d been put in quite a few situations that were life and death. One of which had her actually dealing with an entity that was swinging around a blade much bigger than the one this Shinigami was using. She’d stood her ground against that demon and come to her own conclusion, she wasn’t going to back down.

That didn’t mean she could ignore the basic instincts and rules of being a human though as the cold chill ran up her spine when the metal of the sword caressed her throat. The screaming though was the major thing Hikari wanted more than anything to stop. This Shinigami really was crossing a line in her eyes and one that she for sure wouldn’t forget now as her entire body received the surge of electricity from the sword throughout her nerves. This pain was beyond anything she’d felt up to now.

A couple of puncture wounds along with perhaps a fractured rib and some bruising. Wounds that had been hurting her for more than a week now and wounds that certainly most people wouldn’t ever choose. By comparison though the feeling of lightning coursing throughout her body, pulling, pinching and burning her nerves. Hikari couldn’t contain the scream of pain that emerged from her core. At the same time though pain wasn’t the only thing building up inside of her. Hate was now being born from the experience and this Shinigami had turned a potential ally into a certain enemy.

Hikari, having no manner to break the kido convulsed on the ground until the kido was finished, at which point the Shinigami had vanished from view. Citizens in the area had their attention pulled to Hikari from her scream now finding her on the ground covered in dirt while in obvious pain. Although she’d got back up to her feet after little more than a minute the sway of the people resulted in her spending the later part of the day in a hospital room due to the belief that she’d had a seizure on the street. “It seems Shimada-sama was correct.”

[Chika Hirabayashi]

Counted 46 paragraphs, so that’ll be 230 TP!