Connections

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The southern-east Asian country of India has been referred to many times throughout history as a place of advancement. A foundation of what modern Human society was eventually capable of becoming across the world, it is a place synonymous with remembrance and evolution. By itself, its people has brought throughout the ages many things which allowed all to move forward. It has brought many mathematical revolutions, such as the concept of infinity, and it has birthed a revolution in a culture of peace that is steadily becoming more and more extinct in a realm which constantly remains on the brink of destruction. Its many past thinkers have also created and even institutionalized many concepts that would today be recognized as pillars of spirituality and religious eternity, among others. For these advances, many admire it, and many others cherish it. Or perhaps many admired it, and many others cherished it, for these advances are now often considered to be in the past.

Today, the country is often considered to be yet another victim of the industrial age. Left behind by the powers of the West, its people found themselves quickly at the mercy of those who possessed greater technologies. Slowly, but surely, they fell into a stagnant economy that became increasingly dependent of these other powers, and so, throughout its most recent history, it degraded, becoming a lesser version of itself that only became lesser with the passing of time until the beginning of the twenty-first century. By then, its achievements and its grand reputation had practically disappeared, turned instead into an image of nostalgia marred by hideous inequality, extreme poverty, and a culture which refuses to evolve. In other words, to the eyes of many who remain away from it, the country has become nothing more than yet another third-world country, another remnant of the past which does not possess the necessary means to reach the present.

With that being said, the country's status has not been left unknown to those who occupied its positions of power. For many years, each member of the Indian government have attempted to solve this crisis set upon their country in their own way. Some believed it best to maintain the dependence on first-world support, for doing so would allow for a constant stream of profits within the country which would allow for a slow, yet steady evolution into the modern era. Others, however, instead suggested that alternatives be adopted, such as the creation of new technologies and industries. That way, they could create competition on the international market, and thus create not only employment for their people, but also interest in their country. Each and every one of these suggestions - from the most impactful to the least significant - were considered, studied, and then either approved or refused by the highest branches of the government. The most of them were unfortunately refused, as they would simply be too difficult to adopt. Yet, there was one suggestion that was almost unanimously approved. That suggestion was the creation of a city.

They called it Jodanapur, the city of links. Built in the middle of the state of Odisha within one of its greatest forests, the settlement was meant to serve as an embassy for all from across the world who wished to bolster the progress of the Indian country. It spanned an impressive amount of miles, enough to easily surpass the typical sizes associated with common Indian towns, and it held a growing population of roughly ten thousand, one which was composed of many different groups of separate ethnics. By the time its inception had been fully completed, it was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as one of the greatest societal endeavors of the most recent decade, and three years following that recognition, it was set to become India's new embassy for education and manufacturing. Unfortunately, it was also shortly after these three years had passed... that the area suddenly went completely quiet.

It happened during the first few months of the monsoon season. Without any warning or any form of foreshadowing, all contact with Jodanapur was lost. No phone calls were taken, no emails were responded, and none of the usual deliveries were reported as being received by the people of the city. In other words, it was as if the entirety of the city's population had suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth. At first, those who were responsible for the maintenance of Odisha assumed this to be nothing more than some kind of power failure, or worse, some kind of unprecedented flood that caused the entire city to disappear. However, satellite data reported the city to be left relatively unharmed by the many rains of the monsoon, much like the years before. Investigators were sent after the fact alongside a number of police officers, if only to verify that the satellite data was valid. Unfortunately, somehow, they did not return from the area.

From that point onward, the Indian government believed this to be the work of some kind of military operation. While such an attack did not make sense in the eyes of India's top brass, they have had recent disputes with their neighbor, China, over the subject of the territorial borders they shared. For all they knew, an attack against Jodanapur was some kind of distraction or perhaps even a veiled threat. However, many believed Chinese forces to be unable to do such a thing. Jodanapur was in the middle of a forest that was surrounded by a myriad of other towns, all of which had somehow also been unable to contact the city. For them to be able to reach the city and suddenly completely take control of it in such a drastic fashion, they would have required a substantial military force capable of hiding from sight at all cost. In so doing, they were left stumped and unable to properly understand what could have happened to the city. All they could do for now is wait for the end of the monsoon season, and hope that this does not lead somehow lead to a greater conflict.

Fortunately for them, there were beings that were capable of perhaps gaining a proper understanding of what happened to the city. One of these beings was the Captain of the Eleventh Division of the Gotei 13, Nakajima Kimiko, who currently remained just at the outskirts of the city, over its many trees. From above, her scarlet eyes watched the buildings of Jodanapur in the distance. Even from here, she could feel the immense amount of spiritual energy that was emanated from the entire area. It was a disgusting amount, the kind that could only be created by a powerful spiritual being. "They're going after students now... Tch..." she couldn't help but comment as she watched the city, her eyes eventually covered by a deep frown as she did so. Now that she was here, it really was no wonder that she had been tasked to take care of this. With that kind of energy, it was most definitely the work of a strong spiritual being, one that could most likely eventually wreck havoc to the entirety of India if they were left alone.

Curiously, for this particular mission, she was not actually told to take care of this matter on her own. No, surprisingly, she was meant to be accompanied by a member of the Fourth Division. She was not quite sure of why that was; after all, Shizukakane's ability allowed her to heal her own wounds, and she wasn't often terribly wounded to begin with anyway due to her prowess in Hohō. Even so, she couldn't deny that the help was appreciated. If there was any survivor out there in that city, then an officer of the Fourth would most definitely be able to tend to them as quickly as possible with their healing magic. With that said, she would have liked to know who the Fourth Division had decided to send for this mission. It would have been nice for her to know a little bit more about her partner. It would have also been nice for them to have been able to come along with her through the Senkaimon... though admittedly, that was on her. She had gone early this time.

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko saw the assignment come down the line. Apparently there was some disruption in India. Some sort of newly created city had gone dark and while the human world did not know what happened, it seemed like Soul Society had an idea at the very least. The threat was great enough to send a single captain to deal with it. That was the way of things in Soul Society. Threats were stamped out with a bit of overkill. This time, however, there was the possibility of civilians still being in the line of fire. Not to mention, if there were casualties on a mass scale, then the amount of souls in the area might only compound things. Worse than some powerful spiritual being would be the place turning into a vacuum that attracted Hollows. 

As a precaution, it was advised that at least one member of the Yonbantai help the captain in question. Normally Fuuko might let something like that pass, but the advisement specified someone who could at least keep up with the Captain. As far as Fuuko was concerned, she was more or less Vice Captain material. She  was already close to learning Bankai, and she was growing stronger every day. Was her healing  the best? Not really. Was it existent? Barely... She could fill up a pack with medical supplies, though. That was beside the point. Kimiko Nakajima was the captain they were sending. She had been trying to teach Fuuko swordsmanship in her school, so Fuuko had wanted to see Kimiko in real  action and help out if she could. 

She gathered her things and headed through the Senkaimon. She had never been to India, so she was a little excited. She also knew that with herself and Kimiko out in the human world alone, away from prying eyes, Fuuko might get to ask one of the few people she could trust some questions. She had a lot  on her mind. Kimiko seemed wise enough to maybe help guide her hand. In the end, it couldn't hurt, right? She hoped, at the very least, Kimiko could keep a secret if she couldn't provide answers. 

As Fuuko stepped through the gate, she held up a hand to cover her face from the sun. It was easy to spot Kimiko and she quickly made her way to the captain. "Oi! Sensei" Fuuko called out with a bright smile and a big wave. "It's been a while!" Fuuko chirped. "How ya been?" She then glanced down. She was hit by Kimiko's body language and immediately pursed her lips. "What's the situation?" She asked, ready to go in there and get to work. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko waited for the arrival of her medic partner as patiently as she possibly could, with her scarlet eyes fixated onto the distant Jodanapur. Her stance was immobile over the trees, perfectly still under the sun, as her haori was quietly pushed about by the nearby winds that blew around her vicinity. At first, perhaps a few minutes at best after her arrival, this stillness remained. All things considered, it was rather impressive that she could remain as such, given that she wasn't really the kind of warrior who preferred to wait before acting. However, as time continued to go on, it would be clear that her patience was being slowly put to the test by her partner's lateness. It was her fault, of course; after all, again, she was the one who came early, and thus she was the only person who could shoulder the blame for that. Even so, there she would find herself, with her right foot lightly tapping the air underneath her every once in a while, and her fingers fiddling with the sleeves of her haori.

At this point, a part of her believed that she should have gone to the city right away. She wasn't sure of what awaited her over there. Judging by the immense amount of spiritual energy that kept rising from the many buildings and maybe even some of the roads beneath them, it was becoming increasingly clear that the city was either about to be destroyed by whatever entity found itself in it, or that the city was already doomed right then and there. Yet, if she had perhaps gone right now, she could have maybe mitigated whatever damage was being caused to it at this point in time. The longer she waited for her partner to arrive, the more damage was being caused to the city. Worse, if this was a Hollow's work, this could lead to them becoming even more powerful than they already appear to be, which could then allow them to head towards other cities and make another, perhaps bigger mess in their wake. If that happens... Well, let's just say that it would be another field day for the entirety of the Soul Society.

The Captain waited for just a little bit longer. At a certain point, her rising impatience was such that she unconsciously began to expel spiritual energy from her body, causing some of the trees beneath her to be slowly pressed down. Fortunately for them, their imminent destruction was abruptly ended by the opening of the Senkaimon not too far away from Kimiko's position. Blinking, the higher officer would find herself turning her head towards the heavenly portal, and with a sigh, she would begin to calm down as she realized that this period of inaction was finally concluded. Finally, she could learn her lesson of never being so early again, and finally, they could both move on towards the city in order to take care of whatever thread remained within its sea of glass, steel and concrete. However, just as she felt the relief wash over her mind, it would quickly be replaced by surprise as her eyes laid upon her aforementioned partner. 

It was... Fuuko. Indeed, apparently, it would seem that she had been paired with one of her closest students! Perhaps this was to be expected; after all, the rather-loud woman of the Fourth Division was its Fourth Seat, and so she was more than capable of tending to those who required medical attention, even Captains. Still, Kimiko didn't think she would have seen her here, especially after... well, all that's happened with her brother. Maybe Kazuhiko had not told her about his new position just yet. Well, in any case, the swordswoman would attempt to flash a smile at the medic and raise an arm to wave at her from afar, if only to hide her previous expression that betrayed the displeasure that she had for the current situation at hand. "Hey, Fuuko! Yeah, it's definitely been a while!" She agreed with that positive side of hers that she always showed to the people of her dojo. "I'm doing okay. Lots of work as usual, but I can take it! What about you? Are you still following the training regimen I gave you?"

The pleasantries would hopefully last for a little while, enough to at least somewhat distract Kimiko from the matter at hand. However, soon enough, Fuuko would be the one to break the ice. Once she did so, Kimiko would remain quiet for a moment, taking in the fact that her student was able to spot the fact that she had appeared so serious only moments before. Then, slowly but surely, her signature smile would leave her face and she would look back towards the city with a frown. "The good news is that the threat is definitely in that city. It's also generating enough energy for the both of us to find it fast, so we won't need to ask someone to scout the area for us," she would start with what she believed to be the better outcome of this entire thing, although it didn't seem like much. Once she was done, however, her frown would then deepen. "The bad news is that it's doing just that. I don't know how strong that thing is, but judging by all that energy, I'm pretty sure we won't find any Humans there." 

As she revealed her brief analysis to Fuuko, Kimiko would find herself glancing towards the rest of the forest which surrounded Jodanapur. While it was true that she believed that there were no Humans in the city, that was mainly an assumption, since most Humans cannot survive near that amount of spiritual energy. For the most part, whenever such power is released near them, they simply get crushed to death. What was truer than that statement, in comparison, was the fact that there were also no Pluses or even Hollows in the vicinity. The lack of Pluses makes sense; after all, if the threat is a Hollow, then they most likely consumed the Pluses. With that said, the lack of Hollows was concerning. The spiritual situation in India could not be compared at all with the situation in Karakura Town, but no matter where spiritual energy may be located in the Living World, Hollows are always to be expected near them, as they are naturally attracted to the stuff. If they are not here, then either they were all killed by the threat in question... or they refused to approach it.

Either way, none of that really mattered in the end of it all. They needed to take down the threat, and in the end, that was the only thing that was important here. So, with a stretch, Kimiko would find take a breath before she would then brandish a smile to Fuuko. "Well, anyway! It doesn't matter how much energy that thing is releasing! We'll always have plenty of ours to give to it in kind," she would tell her student once her analysis was complete. While she was still concerned by the earlier information, the way she radiated with confidence before the medic was enough to easily make her appear as someone who was not at all afraid of what was to come. Hell, in truth, she was excited. She wanted to see what was releasing that amount of energy and what was keeping those Hollows from it. It must be a pretty powerful opponent. "Come on, Fuuko! Let's go take that thing down! I'll bring you to one of my favorite ramen shops once we're done!"

And with that, the Captain would suddenly disappear with a single Shunpo away from her initial position at a speed of 7000. For a moment, it would almost seem as though she had outright completely disappeared from Fuuko's sight altogether, but after a time, the blonde would be able to spot her haori above the main road that led towards the city. It would seem that the teacher wanted to see how far her student had gone in her training with Shunpo. With a grin, the swordswoman would stare at Fuuko for a moment to make sure that she understood what she wanted her to do, then would proceed towards the city with a few more Shunpo. This time, however, she would go at a pace of 2500 Speed, enough for her student to catch her, after which she would go at a speed of 3100 to somewhat equalize their velocity. This might be a dangerous mission for them both, but that didn't mean she was going to let Fuuko come out of this without showcasing the results of her training. 

[Satoshi Fuuko]

 Fuuko nodded eagerly at the warm reception. She was glad to see her sensei was in good spirits. "I train every day!" Fuuko said, puffing out her chest. "I've definitely gotten stronger since the last time we sparred in earnest. Fuuko said, thinking back to the time she barged into Kimikos barracks and demanded a fight. A fight so she could be strong enough to save her brother. So much had happened since then. She wasn't the same person she had been. She wasn't not  the same, brash, fiery blonde, though. Fuuko was happy that Kimiko got down to business, though. They could catch up after the fighting was done. 

Fuuko glanced towards the city and nodded. She could feel the energy even with her pretty pedestrian senses. Fuuko grimaced at the assessment. "So... everyone's dead? A whole city of people?" Fuuko asked. "Shit...." Fuuko didn't like that. "But we'll be enough to take care of it, right?" Fuuko asked. "You'll be enough?" That was really what it came down to. It was probably much  stronger than Fuuko, whatever it was. She knew she was just here to make sure Kimiko wasn't completely  over her head and provide whatever assistance she could while Kimiko fought. 

It seemed as if Kimiko wasn't too worried as she more or less answered Fuuko's words with her own. Fuuko gave a relieved shrug. Then, Kimiko took off and Fuuko flailed a bit. "Oi! Wait!"" Fuuko barked. In a second Kimiko was gone and Fuuko was left looking around until she saw the fluttering of the Haori. She let the reiatsu wrap around her foot before she took off. Her top speed was only about 2400 at max Shunpo, but she did her best as she hopped after the Captain with as big of leaps as she could. 

"Hey! Hey! Don't go too fast! I wanna fight it too!" Fuuko barked as she tried her best to keep up with her speedy sensei. Fuuko was fast enough but that's not  where she put all of her effort into when training. She could run through a wall no matter how thick it was, but she could only go around it so fast. Still, even as she started panting, she focused on trying to keep Kimiko in her sights. She wasn't too  worried, though. Once they actually started fighting, Fuuko would be able to find the battle no matter how far off Kimiko ran. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

When Fuuko told Kimiko that she trained everyday, the Captain could only find herself giving her a proud smirk. Some may believe such a proclamation to be an overzealous assessment of ridiculous proportions, especially given they came from someone as rowdy as Fuuko, but the dojo master knew that they were true without a shadow of a doubt. Amongst every one of her students, the Fourth Seat of the Medical Corps was perhaps the one who worked the hardest. As far as she could remember, Kimiko could see her around one of the Nijūkan schools whenever she had the time to be present in it, and whenever the blonde wasn't at the schools, she was always training somewhere else. The musculature that the medic now sported was proof of that motivation of hers. Taking a glance at them was just about enough to convince Kimiko that her student could most definitely punch entire buildings into submission if she wanted to.

If she would have been her subordinate, Kimiko would have definitely considered her as one of her squad's greatest assets. Hell, even now, she could not at all be disappointed in the progress Fuuko has shown in regards to bettering her physical performance. With that said, Fuuko was a member of the Medical Corps, the Fourth Division. She was not meant to be a fighter, but rather someone who could tend to the wounded as fast as possible so that they can hopefully get back on their feat. Considering this, the Captain of the Eleventh Division still couldn't help but wonder if Fuuko was a right fit for that squad. Back then, just after she had graduated from the Academy, she had chosen the squad solely for the sake of joining her brother's side. It was a sisterly instinct more than anything, a wish to monitor and protect. However, now that her brother is not in the Fourth anymore, it was needless to say that that reason has become somewhat voided.

Quite frankly, the Captain had been hoping that the Fourth Seat would've brought that subject up by now. She didn't really want to bring it up herself. After all that's happened to Kazuhiko, from his kidnapping all the way down to the loss of his healing ability, it was doubtful that Fuuko's need to protect her brother wouldn't be at their highest. Thus, Kimiko had a hunch that merely mentioning Kazuhiko's transfer would be enough to send her into a full-blown rant, something which she didn't think she really wanted to happen right now. The fact that they were on a mission together aside, she didn't want this decision to tarnish Fuuko's view of her or her brother, and more importantly, she didn't want her to find out the true reason behind the decision. So far, Kimiko felt she could simply chalk it up to Kazuhiko no longer feeling right for the Fourth anymore, or at least she felt she could do it for a time. Yet she knew that Fuuko wasn't that naive. It will take some time, but one day, she will find out about her brother's true nature, and once she does... Well, she'll find out about Kimiko's true nature too. It will be par for the course.

In any case, fortunately enough, both women would eventually find themselves strictly focusing on the mission for the time being. It didn't take much, all things considered: the only thing Kimiko needed to get them back on track was the assumed body count. As to be expected, Fuuko wasn't particularly pleased by her mentor's assessment. Just like how Kimiko's expression soured in the matter of a few seconds, so did the medic's as she found herself grimacing at the thought. The Captain couldn't blame her. She wasn't quite sure of how many scenarios her student went through, but she mustn't have witnessed many dead cities throughout her career. Cities under attack? Sure, she must have seen plenty; in fact, Seireitei itself has been under attack so many times, she probably has gotten used to the idea of a city under assault at this point. But dead cities? Cities whose populations have been so decimated that they could barely be described as being cities any longer? Probably not many. 

Kimiko herself has not seen many of them either. Actually, come to think of it, she hadn't seen any throughout her career, and that thought alone was enough to make her skin crawl just a fair bit. But of course, against the fear, her will persevered. She wasn't going to let it persecute her into submission, not after having faced the beast that resides in her heart so many times over. As such, when Fuuko asked her if they were going to be enough to take care of whatever had brought Jodanapur to a standstill, she made sure to speak her words of encouragement to the blonde officer. This was most likely going to be a tough battle, but in the end, they were both going to be able to get out of this quite safely. The Captain knew they could, because the both of them had not only the skills to do so, but also the will to execute the solution to it all. So long as they have one of those things, they will be able to do it, no matter the enemy and the threat it presents.

So, they moved. The superior officer had gone faster than Fuuko had presumably expected her to, but in the end, they were both able to move nonetheless. Together, they were able to proceed relatively quickly towards the city of Jodanapur, passing by several trees and streams in the process. As they would do so, Kimiko would attempt to grant their surroundings her attention once again, if only to try to spot Pluses and Hollows throughout the many ample fauna of the forest. Unfortunately, just like her initial observations, she came out with nothing. There were no spirits in the vicinity aside from them and the one that lied ahead within Jodanapur... Absolutely none. The more she came to that conclusion, the more it caused Kimiko to frown deeply in thought.  Tch... I don't like this. It's too quiet,  her thoughts huffed in discontent as her eyes turned back towards the city.  Spirits don't just disappear like that. There's always a reason for a place to not have any spirits around it. There has to.

Eventually, the two Shinigami officers would begin to pass the brunt of the forest surrounding the city, and eventually, they would reach what appeared to be the main entrance of the city: a large four-lane bridge constructed over a river. Kimiko was no architectural expert, but even she could tell that the bridge's style differed greatly from the rest of the infrastructure to expect from these parts of India. It appeared well-built and modern, designed to remain sturdy for generations. It was also completely empty. The lanes were each devoid of any cars, and the guard station that appeared to had been set in its middle was also empty, devoid of any apparent body or blood. It was as though nobody had come onto the bridge in a very long time. That wasn't a good sign, especially given the lack of spiritual life outside of the city and the spiritual energy that they were just beginning to intensely feel now that they were close to the city. A brief grunt of curiosity came out of Kimiko then, as though she was trying to find answers to what was happening. In the end, she gave a quick glance towards Fuuko before nodding and then proceeding onward into the city.

With Fuuko hopefully still in tow, the Captain moved onto the city's first rooftops, this time at a pace of 250 to make sure the blonde would be able to catch up to her. She wanted her student to stay close, after all. She would cross one block of buildings. Then, she would cross another, and then another.. Again, by that point, there didn't seem to be anyone on the city at all. The only thing that Kimiko could feel in her vicinity was still that enormous amount of spiritual energy which came from the heart of the city, near its center. The buildings - each of them as modern as the bridge which connected the city to the world outside of its territory - all appeared empty at a glance, if the windows were meant to show anything in particular, and no one appeared to be occupying the streets. But then, at a certain point, Kimiko heard something coming from below, and in so doing, she would stop to investigate. The sight would cause her to blink in surprise and pause for a moment.

It was a car. Just a normal car. It appeared to be from an old yet reliable brand, the kind you would often see wandering about Delhi, and it was parked near one of the aforementioned empty buildings. By its side was a single man wearing what appeared to be a white kurta tunic alongside beige pants and shoes. At a glance, there didn't seem to be anything abnormal about him either, as soon, he found himself simply entering his car... and then driving off. The sight had been so utterly typical of inhabitants of the Living World that Kimiko almost just stood there, stunned. "... Huh..."  She eventually let out, taken aback by what she had just seen before her eyes followed the car. The amount of spiritual energy that covered their surroundings was stupendously high. Even she could slightly feel its pressure against her skin, and Fuuko most likely felt it to an extent too. And yet, this normal Human just... went on by as though nothing was happening? What? 

No. This was impossible. Either that man was not normal or there was something more at play here. "Let's follow him. I don't know where he's heading, but... we're probably gonna get more answers that way," she told Fuuko then before quickly looking back towards her student. "Keep an eye out for anything. This might be an ambush."  

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko picked up the pattern pretty quickly. Once Kiminko settled into a reasonable rhythm, Fuuko was able to keep pace and concentrate ont he surroundings. It was a lot less like the city, or citizenry, had been destroyed or killed  and more like everyone simply vanished. There was  desctruction, but it seemed to come more with the ravages of innocupancy rather than any kind of disaster. Fuuko pursed her lips as she glanced around. Her spiritual senses weren't great, but even she  could feel the mass of spiritual energy pervasing in the atmosphre. Fuuko closed her eyes, as she drafted Kimiko's spiritual energy and used it to be able to step where she needed to step while keeping pace. 

Instead, Fuuko focused on trying to find anything from her other  acute sense. Thanks to her own Zanpakutou's ability, Fuuko was intimately familiar with the nature of blood. She had preternatural senses when it came to the substance and could pick it out of the air and hunt it like a shark. She could sense it better than a lot od shinigami, including herself, could sense reiatsu. In this kind of situation, where it seemed like no one  was around, even being able to sniff out a drop or two of blood might be able to lead them a clue that could help put the pieces of this puzzle together. 

When she felt Kimiko slow to a halt, Fuuko opened her eyes and dropped to a spot next to her teacher. She could feel something against her, like someone trying to press plastic wrap against her skin with two hands. A tightness that wasn't painful, but hard to ignore. Her eyes focused on the car and the unusual man. She glanced at Kimiko and then watched him drive off. When Kimiko said to follow, she did as she was asked, but as they gave chase, she wondered. 

"I get it. Maybe he's gonna lead us to somewhere, but what if he  is the somewhere? Why not just confront  him and ask  the questions we wanna know instead of all this fuckin around?" Fuuko asked in her usual gruff manner. She didn't like having to wait around. Who knew how long this guy was going to take to get to where he was going? It would be way easier to just pull him out, then "ask" him where he was going and what he was doing. Still, if Kimiko thought that hanging back and trailing him was the best way to go, she wasn't going to argue about it if her idea was denied by her superior.  

[Nakajima Kimiko]

As she proceeded onward into the city in hopes of properly trailing the man who had just driven off, Kimiko couldn't help but feel as though something terrible had happened to the city. The lack of life both within and outside of the city, whether that life be of the organic or spiritual kind, was just too bothersome for her to ignore, and the lack of proper destruction made it all even worse. If there had actually been a proper massacre of the place, the majority of the edifices which together formed Jodanapur would've most likely been transformed into many ruins by now. There would have also been the usual amounts of blood and mangled corpses tied to that kind of destruction too, given that most of the beings that wished death upon Humanity for their own twisted gains typically enjoyed extreme violence. But there was none of that here. None. Not even a single drop of blood or shattered window to be found across miles, and miles, and miles of steel and concrete. It was as if every inhabitant had simply vanished in an event that could only be described as being rapture-like in nature.

And yet, there was this spiritual presence. Yet, there was this anomaly, this evident stranger to this city, that kept releasing that sheer amount of energy in the air. Even though she was resistant to it to a certain extent, Kimiko could still somewhat feel it attempt to push against her own energy, try to bring her on her knees. This was the kind of energy that should kill a normal Human, no, completely destroy them altogether in a terrifying event. She knew this, because she had once released such power onto the Living World, and had thus unconsciously brought an end to many Human lives without even noticing it all thanks to the gravitational pressure that came alongside that power. In spite of this, all those buildings still stood. In spite of this, that man could simply drive his car like there was nothing that was currently threatening his life. Frankly, it was somewhat surreal, and it put into question the nature of this spiritual energy.

Fuuko eventually asked two questions to the Captain about the man while the both of them continued moving from building to building, closer and closer to the center of Jodanapur. The first question was a theory about the man's nature, while the second was instead a product of her impatience produced by the first question. Kimiko could not blame her for formulating the both of them. Even she was starting to think that the man had something to do with all of this, despite the fact that he was not the source of the spiritual energy that plagued this town. Yet, though her body did want to interrogate the man right then and there, her mind thought better than to do that. Thus, she attempted to deal with Fuuko with the best way she could: with brutal honesty. "Because that man could be bait." Her statement was a theory too, yet the way she told it was inherently convincing, wise. "Whatever did this probably knows how weird this place would be to those who aren't from here. For all we know, they're already taking a good look at us right as we speak. So what do you think something like that would wanna do to keep people like us away from here?" 

For a moment, Kimiko would allow her question to linger in the air, almost as if she wanted Fuuko to actually answer it. This allowed the driver to continue unimpeded for just a bit longer, going from empty street to empty street, passing by many lights seemingly without any wish to go against those who somehow were still working in spite of the visible lack of nearby maintenance crews. The teacher's scarlet eyes remained stuck onto him in the meanwhile, hoping to further understand where he was going and why. Meanwhile, she maintained part of her attention on her student, awaiting what she was going to say. Eventually, whether the blonde officer actually did say something or not, the Captain would add a comment that could hopefully shed light on what she thought about this situation. "There are battles worth fighting, and there are battles that are a waste of time. Don't bother going for the last ones. They're not worth it. Instead, focus on the first ones."

The strange Human continued to drive across the city for a few more miles, further passing what appeared to be completely-abandoned areas. Then, after one final empty street, he reached what appeared to be a sort of clearing away from the others. The clearing in question, or rather a smaller assortments of larger buildings, was composed of a singular assortment of buildings that stretched across what appeared to be a district of sorts. At a glance, it appeared to be a campus. Either that, or some kind of advanced industrial plant composed of several different buildings. He continued onward, right up until he reached a large open parking lot. In the circumstances which surrounded it, one would expect the parking lot in question to be as empty as the rest of Jodanapur. Yet, somehow, it wasn't. Far from it. It was like staring at a sea of cars, one that was absolutely filled to the brim, with each and every parking space occupied. It wasn't just the parking spaces that were filled, either: even the roads in-between them were filled. It was enough to cause Kimiko to stare at it all with a perplexed expression on her face.

Normally, such a sight would have been to completely discourage anyone who wanted to park in the lot. However, the Human the two officers trailed seemingly wasn't discouraged. In fact, he appeared to be oddly determined to park his car away from the street right outside of it. At first, he had stopped the vehicle in front of the entrance, which was blocked by a lowered barrier. The barrier appeared to be connected to a machine which required a ticket in order to open. Yet, as the man attempted to get a ticket, none would be spit out from the machine, and the barrier would remain close. He repeated the process several times, doing so in an uncanny, almost-robotic fashion, before he then slowly retreated his arm away from his window. This should have been the end of this process, or at least it should have been in Kimiko's mind. But then, right as she thought the man was going to give up... he simply moved his car onward into the barrier.

The barrier was instantly dislodged from its socket, and the car's windshield was unsurprisingly damaged in the process. However, that was enough to bring the man into the parking lot, where he would then simply stop his vehicle right behind another, the one which was situated nearest to the entrance. Then, he got out of his car as though nothing happened, and proceeded towards the main entrance of the building. Kimiko, meanwhile, had remained silent, frowning deeply as her analysis of the situation slowly came to an end. By this point, what was happening here was progressively starting to become more and more obvious by the second, and she hated every single part of it. "So, something's controlling him. I guess that explains why he can even survive out here," she would note with a huff as she then looked at the building the man was heading into. "A coward who controls people with their minds... Tch. Disappointing. I expected a better opponent for us." 

Kimiko's tone in that instance was one of frustration and annoyance. That much, Fuuko would most likely be able to deduce fairly well. With that said, what the blonde would most likely have a harder time understanding was the reason why the Captain was frustrated to begin with. It wasn't the fact that the people of the city had most likely been transformed into something otherworldly that bothered her so. She did not really care about that, much like she has not cared at all about the many deaths she has seen throughout her career. instead, it was the fact that they were going to do battle with a being which most likely had put all of its focus into this ability, and had therefore lost many physical abilities in the process. For all she knew, they were going to face some kind of useless meat ball whose sole purpose was to invoke an army of Humans under its control. That cannot make for an interesting opponent. It's just about as fun to fight as a Quincy.

Oh well. Even if this wasn't going to be pleasant, they needed to take care of it anyway. In so doing, once the Human entered the building, Kimiko would stretch herself before turning her head towards Fuuko with a smile. "Alright, well, I'll at least be able to get a good look at how far you've come," she would say then, trying to make the best out of this situation. Then, with a swift "Come on!", she would jump down onto the streets below. With the expert use of the Air Ground technique, she was able to do so safely without much trouble, namely by hopping onto the air and impressive rapidity. Once this was done, she would then head the entrance of the building. As she would do so, she would take her time to make sure Fuuko would be able to follow her appropriately, passing by a decorative fountain along the way as well as what appeared to be the remnants of a sign post. This would give plenty of time for the blonde Shinigami to join her onto the steps leading into the building.

While they would be heading towards the building, all would seem relatively normal at first. It was quiet, unassuming. Yet, as they further approached the door, Kimiko felt as though something was off. That familiar feeling... It was back. The hair raising itself on her body, the tingling going down her spine, the beating of her heart suddenly going just a bit faster. Together, they brought her to a standstill, and in so doing, she found herself focusing onto her surroundings with widened eyes and hands nearing her blades. Said eyes would quickly scout the perimeter, looking for anything that could be possibly suspect at a glance, all the while she would remain alert. It did not take long for her to find the source of this terrible feeling, probably only but a couple of seconds at best. In fact, it wouldn't take long for Fuuko to be able to do the same, as both women would be granted the sight of something that was crawling onto the right over the entrance.

It was coming from above, presumably the roof. Sticking to the wall, it descended slowly on all four, breathing in and out. Its body was of a deep midnight black, somewhat small and skinny as it sported large claws on both its front and hind legs, and its mask was lizard-like with bulbous shapes where the eyes were meant to be. It was a Hollow. Not just any Hollow either: it was very clearly an Arrancar, as made evident by the amount of spiritual energy that it was releasing. However, it wasn't quite as powerful as the other source of energy in this city. Moreover, it appeared to be... rather strange. Its bulging eyes were both staring intensely at the two Shinigami, as though it was asking the women to do something. The sight of such a strange non-verbal request was enough to make Kimiko pause. Something about this was familiar. In fact, it felt horribly familiar, a grim reminder of something that she had just discussed not that long ago.

Unfortunately, the Captain did not have the time to do anything of note, as suddenly, the Hollow would then begin to shake uncontrollably onto the wall. It appeared to be in deep, deep pain, as though something was dragging a red hot knife onto its skin. The mouth of its mask opened in the process, letting out something similar to a mix between a horrid gurgle and a scream. Then, finally, its body froze, its mask turned straight towards Kimiko, and without any hesitation, it jumped off the wall, lunging straight towards her at a speed of 400. It was a direct attack, a wish to eliminate the Captain as quickly as possible. In response, a metallic noise suddenly rang out in front of the higher officer, and right as the beast was about to reach her, it suddenly was cut into many pieces that flew right past her. No blood was spilled from the chunks of flesh that flew off into the streets behind them. It was as though only air remained within the creature's body.

Still frowning seriously, Kimiko would quickly jump down the stairs she and Fuuko had just crossed before she began analyzing the area again. As she would do so, she would huff before calling loudly: "Fine! If death is what you want, then we'll give it to you!" The Captain would then quickly glance over her shoulder towards the blonde. "Fuuko, keep an eye out for them! That thing was a damn clone!"

Hopefully, this was going to be quick.

[Satoshi Fuuko]

"Yeah?" Fuuko asked. "Lookin at us?" She said when Kimiko replied to her question. She grinned, turned her backside to wheever she thought a camera might be, hoisted up her alreadyshort skirt with one hand and slapped her ass with the other. "Get a good fuckin look, ya perverts!" She hissed and then crossed her arms with a huff. "They can look all they want, but I say if we start gettin rowdy enough, someone will come say somethin." Fuuko insisted. She shook her head. 

"Bait  means there's somethin hungry  out there. Somethin that wants to be found if the right worm is dangled in front of it. As far as the rest of it goes, I think we fundamentally disagree, senseu. There ain't no such thing in my  book as a fight worth fightin because the fight is the reason  I like it. For ity's own sake. If there's mroe to it than that, then sure, but... I just like throwin my body against someone and seein what happens." She laughed, inappropriately. "I guess that applies ta more than just fightin, for me, though. Heh." Fuuko pursed her lips and cleared her throat. "I know what yer sayin, though. If things are serious, we ain't got time ta fuck around with small fries, especially if they lead us to the big ones." In spite of her words, she understood the message Kimiko was trying to convey. She shut her mouth and paid more attention to the driver and watched him pull up to the immense  parking lot. 

"The fuck?" Fuuko muttered at the bizarre scene. She'd never seen anything like it, and it was weird that the driver seemed to be almost compelled to do what he was doing. She narrowed her eyes and focused on what would come next. "Tch. it feels more like compulsion than direct control." Fuuko said. "Like a magnet or some shit, rather than some kind of command. Unless there's a lot  of people bein controlled, so their movements are, uh, suboptimal... maybe it's an attractive force?" Fuuko posited. 

Fuuko followed Kimiko as best as she could. Her Shunpo ability was not as refined as Kimiko's was, so she had to use the surroundings to help taper her fall rather than just making steps for herself. She didn't seem to mind, though. She followed Kimiko with the same building tension and looked around herself. The building was unassuming but the energy in the air seemed palpable. That's when the foul creature came from above. Fuuko wrinkled her nose at the sight. some horrible hollow abomination. She reached for her zanpakutou, but before she could do anything, it seemed to leap at Kimiko. The captain handled it with the speed and precision that was to be expected from the Juuichibantai taichou, but as it fell into a hissing pile, Fuuko looked at the beast. "The fuck?" It seemed to lack any kind of the usual things associated with the recently slaughtered. 

Fuuko went over to see if she could gleam any clues from the corpse when Kimiko made her declaration. "A clone!?" Fuuko barked back. "A clone of what?" She asked she used her zanpalutou to try and poke at the chunks of body to see if she could get some useful information. In hindsight, Kimiko should have requested someone from Squad Twelve. It seemed like they might be a tad more useful than Fuuko  would be. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko couldn't help but stare at Fuuko with an unsurprised look after the medic went on to quite literally expose her backside to the world. Long ago, back before her time in the Eleventh and her initial meeting with the elder Kazuhiko, she would have been completely taken by surprise by such a terribly-rude gesture. In fact, she would have probably told her student to immediately cover herself, and probably try to shame her in the process. Nowadays, however, she considered this to just be normal behavior to expect from some of the people she spoke to, and Fuuko was definitely one of those people indeed. "Careful, Fuuko! If that pervert ends up not being a Hollow, they'll probably put your pictures somewhere for the hell of it," she would comment about the fact in jest with a smirk, if only to at least damper the rising tension provided to them by their strange environment. Sometimes, laughter is required in order to push away the fear.

Nevertheless, after the fact, her expression would grow more serious as she considered her subordinate's opinion of the matter. It appeared as though Fuuko completely disagreed with Kimiko's opinion on fighting, which was something else that the Captain had been expecting; after all, the medic was brasher and simply more hot-blooded than Kimiko was. With that said, she knew where she was coming. Once, before her time as a Captain, the swordswoman was exactly like her: a bloodthirsty fiend who wanted to do battle at every opportunity. All things considered, she was still like that to an extent nowadays. However, over the course of time, she saw certain things that challenged her philosophy. She saw war, its victims, and then the weak who were forced to participate in it, like those who were part of the Vandenreich, like the Hollow who had been objected to horrible scientific experiments... and Ruhe, the little Quincy girl forced into a war that was beyond her control.

Maybe Fuuko had already seen those things while Kimiko wasn't looking. A lot of conflicts have occurred between the Soul Society and its enemies ever since their first meeting between one another. Regardless, she would make sure to voice that opinion of hers as they proceeded onward towards the center of the city. "Those are good words! If you ask me, we need more people who think like you, especially after all those damn attacks we've had to deal with lately. Still, there will come a point where something will make you hesitate. It's happened to me at least a dozen times now," she found herself briefly agreeing with Fuuko then, right before her retort, with a hum of consideration. Then, she let out a sigh that trailed into the wind that blew past them as they followed the Human driver below. "Your body is gonna be good enough for a while, but eventually, you're gonna have to use your brain, too. Doesn't matter if it's for fighting or for fucking. So long as you understand that, you'll always have fun with the the targets that matter the most to you."

The Captain wasn't exactly used to employing the use of such specific vocabulary. While she had gotten used to the antics of her division - most especially Binita, the crudest of them all - she still preferred to remain at an approachable level of familiarity. That way, she could speak to others within Seireitei and Rukongai alike without the risk of pushing people away. Still, she felt that using such a cruder tone was necessary here in order to properly reach Fuuko. The matter of battle as a whole was an important one for Kimiko. In her eyes, each and every one who possess the capabilities required in order to fight need to choose their battles appropriately, to understand which fights will grant them the greatest pleasure. If they cannot do so, they are condemned to the eventual commitment of a terrible mistake that will leave them in a state of regret for the rest of the miserable life that will follow it all. Such a fate should not be bestowed onto anyone, not even the greatest of sinners.

Whatever Fuuko's answer would be in regards to Kimiko's words, their conversation would be halted by the time they reached the parking lot. The medic's observation about the driver were legitimate to Kimiko; at a glance, it did seem as though this wasn't quite mind control, but rather something that was a tad more complex. If that was the case... then it would definitely explain the amount of people that appeared to be in the facility the man was heading towards. However, that begged a single question: What was the goal of the entity or event that was responsible of these people's attraction to this building? Was it attracting the populace of Jodanapur in order to consume their souls? In a way, that would make sense, if the lack of spirits surrounding the city was anything to go by... yet, Kimiko couldn't help but feel as though this wasn't the case here. So, was it instead using them for another purpose altogether? If so, what was that purpose?

Further investigation was required, and in so doing, the Captain would decide to go onward into the building. That was, until she and Fuuko were interrupted by this new Hollow. While the former appeared to have been able to slay the beast almost instantly, she would make sure to tell the latter that this was not the real creature. This would be made more apparent by the medic's observation of the copy's remains. There, as she poked the pieces scattered by Kimiko's blades, she would realize that the body wasn't entirely solid. It appeared to be some kind of sticky material akin to silk, with its composition being similar to yarn. It also appeared to be slowly fading away, melting into an odorless liquid pile which slowly left this plane of existence. The point of the matter is that this was clearly not the creature's real body. No wonder Kimiko immediately believed it to be fake. It wasn't the first time she had dealt with fake bodies, and evidently, it wasn't going to be her last. 

Shortly after the medic's observation would be complete, a liquid rumbling would be heard across the area as multiple bodies suddenly began to appear, as though they did so solely to answer Fuuko's question. They would manifest onto the nearby buildings and streetlights, and a few would even find themselves looming over the fountain in the air. It was akin to a reptilian invasion, one which was staring right at the two Shinigami. The sight of them was enough to make Kimiko openly clench her teeth. Usually, she would have enjoyed this; in fact, she has grown accustomed to the enjoyment brought about the act of battling an army of weaklings. However, she knew that these weaklings - or rather, their creator - were not fighting out of their own accord. Their silent plea for help and the painful struggle that they had showcased not even a minute ago was a testament to that. Thus, the experience that was about to take place was completely spoiled. She was not going to enjoy this. Not one bit.

For a moment, the creatures would simply stare at the two officers in complete silence. They remained immobile, with their bulging eyes focused right onto them as the tension steadily rise between them all. Kimiko, at first, remained quiet, as though ready to eliminate them as quickly as possible. With that said, eventually, she would realize that eliminating the clones would only be a waste of time, as evidently, their creator was not hurt by their death. Thus, as the creatures continued to remain still, the Captain's scarlet eyes turned towards her student. "Fuuko... I've heard from a few people that your Zanpakuto can manipulate blood," she would bring up then, trying her best to recall the fine details of the paperwork that she had read in regards to Fuuko's efforts in a few of her latest battles. The memories of the papers were rather hazy, as to be expected, but it was the best she could do for the time being. "Do you think you could use it here?"

Kimiko had never really brought Fuuko's Zanpakuto prior to this moment, not even while they were training with one another at the dojo. The reason why that was the case was mainly because she was aware of the tension between the medic and the spirit within her blade. However, right about now, this was most likely the best shot they had in order to move on from this as quickly as possible. They had no time to waste, and it was clear that this Hollow was deliberately placed here to make them do just that.

[Satoshi Fuuko]

"Oh yeah? Is that gonna get me more  or less  action?" Fuuko snickered. In spite of her cheekiness, she knew it was time to get serious as things started to unfold. 

When the dust was cleared, Fuuko was left poking at some chunks with her zanpakutou and waiting for Kimiko to make her assessment. Instead, she asked about Fuuko's zanpakutou. The blonde raised an eyebrow and turned her head. "Tch. I was hopin to actually show  ya when the time came. In a spar  or somethin. Not just against some chumps." Fuuko said with a sigh. "But, I guess I should feel a little proud yer keepin tabs on me. Although..." Fuuko lifted up her sealed sword. It was like any katana, except the tsuba was a read teardrop. The grip around the handle was also blood red. 

"Shukketsubuki doesn't so much manipulate  blood as drink it down like a thirsty, fuckin bitch. She just gorges herself on it until she can't hold it in anymore and then, well, keeps on goin." Fuuko explained. "And in return, she turns into some shitty weapon I have to figure out how ta use on the fly. Which would be fine if I actually got to keep usin it for any length of time but I don't cause she's as fuckle as she is thirsty..." There was still annoyance in Fuuko's tone. Unlike before, when it seemed like her zan spirit had been taunting her about not being released, now that Fuuko had learned how to unseal Shukketsubuki, she almost seemed like her zanpakutou was a burden  more than a weapon. They had come to terms, but Fuuko hardly had anything flattering to say about what she thought was a particularly whiny zanpakutou and one that worked in spite  of itself, not because  of it. 

"Anegooo! Why do ya gotta say things like that in front a Big Sis!? She'll think I'm uuuuseless!" 

"Ya are, ya thirsty bitch!" Fuuko muttered and then looked back up at Kimiko. "Obviously I'll do what I can, but what do ya think I'll need my zanpakutou for?" She asked, tilting her head. She then nodded to the chunks that had started to dissipate and then the gathering legion. "The first one was just chunks. Not a drop of blood. Do you think..." Fuuko closed her eyes and started sniffing like a dog. Well, if Kimiko's hunch was that they were formed from blood, then Fuuko would be able to tell with just a little sniff. If if they  weren't, she would be able to smell fresh  blood within nearly a mile vicinity. That alone could  prove useful. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Shortly after the Captain of the Eleventh made her observations of Fuuko's weapon clear, she couldn't but feel her heart sink just a little bit after she heard Fuuko's disappointed reply. Not because she feared that her disciple's blade was going to be insufficient for the task that she hoped it would be able to accomplish. In fact, if the reports Kimiko had read about the blade were accurate, then her faith in the blade's abilities was rather prominent. No, rather, it was because her disciple had been planning to actually show it to her when she believed the right time would come, and she didn't think that using it against a lowly Hollow was the right time to do so. Admittedly, Kimiko couldn't help but hold a similar sentiment to this situation. Should the circumstances have been less pressing, she could have maybe gotten to know a bit more about the bloody Zanpakuto and its characteristics. It could have also been a way for them to bond a little bit further; after all, she had gone as far as to even learn a specific technique solely to better understand the spirits of her students' blades.

With all of that being said, she was at least glad that Fuuko was patient enough about this entire situation to better explain her weapon's abilities. It wasn't a particularly-flowery description, mind you, but it was something that Kimiko could work with to an extent. Ignoring her disciple's impatience with the Zanpakuto's spirit aside, it appeared as though the blade's main power was to absorb blood and then transform into a more powerful weapon in return. An interesting ability for an interesting pair, to say the least. "Hmph, so she's thirsty, huh? Sounds like someone I know," the Captain would jest in the moment with a smirk once again, if only to put a damper onto the tension in the air. Then, after giving some thought to it all, she would find herself frowning seriously as she turned her gaze towards the replicas of the reptilian Hollow. The way her eyes stared deep into one of the immobile replicas' empty soul was almost enough to get it to appear even more frozen than usual. "Well... if I got her ability right, she'll be perfect for this."

A quick gesture of the head would then follow the Captain's words. It was directed towards where the first clone' chunks previously were before they melted into nothingness. "Hollows tend to bleed like us. It doesn't matter if they're some kind of snail, a dragon, or whatever else Hollows can be... and yet those things don't bleed. It's like what I said earlier: they're clones. Either that, or puppets," she would go on to explain with the tone to expect from a teacher. It was clear that she wanted Fuuko to learn about this moment. However, as she spoke a little bit more, there would be another tone to her words. It was darker, more frustrated, as though everything about this of a terrible past experience. "There's a chance that the one who controls them may be in that building alongside the rest of the people of this city. If that's the case, then this fight is gonna be even worse than I thought. Still... if it actually is inside that building, I don't think it would've tried to get our attention the way it did." 

Her gaze would then turn towards Fuuko. Although it was very brief, the blonde would be able to see for a moment something within the scarlet of Kimiko's eyes alongside her fighting spirit. At a glance, it almost seemed like... disbelief. It was clear that she couldn't believe that she was facing something so familiar and so utterly despicable. It was also clear that she appeared to hate how powerless she seemed to be about this whole situation, like she wanted to spare a fate that had been forcefully bestowed onto that Hollow against its will. But no sooner than about a second or so after the fact, the gaze was gone, instead replaced with the serious confidence to expect from the master of Nijūkan. "Anyway, my point is that the real one is probably around here. I imagine that, once it gets taken of, all those clones will disappear along with it," she would tell Fuuko right then and there. There was nothing that really suggested that she was right on this case, aside from the Hollow's behavior. Regardless, she hoped that this would be enough to answer Fuuko's questions.

Eventually, the medic would attempt to try something out. She would begin to sniff the air like a wild animal, attempting to smell blood in the vicinity. Needless to say, the sight was enough to surprise Kimiko. Previously, she believed that Shukketsubuki would have been the one able to bring them to their target, but it seemed as though the Zanpakuto would actually not even be necessary. Well, it at least appeared to be this way, judging by how much effort the medic appeared to be putting into this.  I guess that's... something she can do. Huh...  The Captain's thoughts would comment in astonishment as Fuuko smelled the air, all the while her body remained immobile, staring back at the clones in anticipation of their next move. For a moment, she would begin to have doubts for her student's strategy and start thinking that using Shukketsubuki would have simply been faster. However, right as she was about to simply tell Fuuko to release her blade from its spiritual confines, it would be at that moment that the blonde would be able to smell something.

It was not too far off in the vicinity, near what appeared to be some kind of bank. There, lying down on the boardwalk right in front of its doors, was what appeared to be a trail of blood. Judging by the fact that Fuuko had not sensed it before, it was safe to say that it had only formed very recently, perhaps not even a few minutes ago. Appearing to be a stark red color, it would trail away into the city, more specifically towards what appeared to be another district. Since the bank was right then and there, it was most likely easy to think that the district in question was of a commercial nature. The fact that so much blood had suddenly been spilled was rather concerning, as it could mean that a number of the city's populace had suddenly been slaughtered while the Shinigami were not paying attention. Yet, from a single whiff alone, Fuuko would be able to tell that the blood wasn't exactly Human in nature. Was this... the Hollow's blood?

Kimiko remained immobile, continuing to wait for what Fuuko would do next now that her strategy was unfolding. She wasn't quite sure of what her student's capabilities in regards to detecting blood in such a way, but regardless, whether any positive results would be gained from such a process, she would suddenly feel something lunging towards them at a Speed of 400. No, not one thing: multiple things. The replicas... They had all moved at once towards the officers, seemingly without a shred of care for each other's position in the act. In response, the Captain would frown before another metallic sound would explode in front of them. What followed was another pile of bloodless chunks which flew around Kimiko and Fuuko. Surprisingly, some of the creatures survived, most notably the ones which still had their head and their arms. However, shortly before they could do anything else, Kimiko would then unsheathe her blades and rapidly cleave their heads in half.

The other replicas were now starting to move around the area. Whatever had happened, it was clear that what Fuuko was doing had been enough to inform the Hollow that something was going to happen to it if it did not start its offensive now. Thus, after Kimiko would conclude that this was most likely the creature's new initiative, she would return her blades to her sheaths before turning her head towards the blonde. "Go! Kill it, then come back here as soon as possible! I'll take care of the clones!" She would quickly order with clenched teeth, right before another of the replica would attempt to lunge towards the medic and be swiftly cut down in response. The Captain didn't really care about where the creature was hiding in the city and how Fuuko was going to take care of it: all they needed to do was eliminate it and move on towards the real threat that is endangering Jodanapur before it is somehow allowed to become even more powerful. 

They had no time to waste.

[Satoshi Fuuko]

"Yep. A thirst that can't be quenched." Fuuko said with her eyes closed. Her ear twitched like a dog's, the only response that Fuuko was paying attention to Kimiko aside from the actual response. Her nose continued to wriggle, as she started to pick up that familiar iron-scent. Blood was spilled, she just needed a moment to figure out where it was. "That's right. even spiritual beings bleed. Despite being made of reishi, they still have blood and guts and a circulatory system. Good thing, I guess. Heh. I'd be shit out of luck with a for real useless zanpakutou if we didn't." Fuuko mused.

"Yeah, maybe." Fuuko said. "But, I smell somthin. Somethin's bleedin, and it ain't comin from inside. It's..." Fuuko opened her eyes and looked over to where the bank was. "It's over there. Oh, yeah, seems like we got a gusher and it ain't a human." She said and watched as the realization seemed to hit the clones just as it hit Fuuko. She watched one jump, only to be cut down by the Captain. She winced, as if expecting to get splashed with something, but the thing just chunked. Fuuko shook her head and then turned to the direction the blood was coming from. "Right!" She said and leaped off and made her way towards it. 

"Just don't... watch!" Fuuko said as she pased by Kimiko and then disappeared into a blur, using Shunpo to get to the area quicker and without being harrassed by clones. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the scent, letting it guide her forward after taking a mental note of hoe much clearance she had to push forward without running into a building or a street lamp or anything of the sort. She hit the ground, ran a few paces and then leaped again, using the speed to carry her a great distance untill she arrived where the blood was supposed to be. She unsheathed her zanpakutou when she saw the trail and then held it out in front of her. 

"Nomibanji, Shukketsubuki!" 

Fuuko fucused on the trail of blood and hopped after it as her zanpakutou started glowing and the trail was sucked up into the red, pulsating zanpakutou. "So, is it hollow's blood?" Fuuko asked Shukketsubuki while she continued to follow the trail. Her zanpakutou slurped up the blood like Pac-Man while Fuuko moved. Whatever it was, Fuuko was ready. She looked back, wondering how Kimiko was fairing with the chunky clone-y things. They didn't seem too tough, but maybe the numbers would overwhelm Kimiko. Fuuko rolled her eyes at the thought. Of course  they wouldn't. She was a captain after all. 


_______________________________

Reiatsu: 3125/3400 - Blood Bank: 025 - | Changing | Changing (1 Posts)

-25 (Shunpo)
-230 (Shikai Release)

Blood Collection - [25] Passive (W/concentration) |

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}Stats:

Reiatsu: 3400

[[Strength - 400 Points (600) +50%
Speed - 300 Points
Spiritual Pressure - 272 Points (340) +25%
Reiatsu Strength - 45 Points (31) -30%
Light Aura - 95 Points
Dark Aura - 05 Points
Instinct- 75 Points
Senses- 68 Points (51) -25%
Energy sensory - 40 Points
Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total: 1200/1200 SP]

Current Skills 15/15
• [Battle Focus] {1}
• [Pain Tolerance] {2}
• [Lack of Fear] {2}
• [Zanjutsu] {1}
• [Strength of Will] {2}
• [Damage Recovery] {2}
• [Bleeding Tolerance] {2}
• [Anti-Stealth] {1}
• Blood Scent {2}

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Just about as soon as Fuuko confirmed that she was able to track down their opponent, Kimiko's focus quickly shifted from her student back to the replicas in front of them. Before they had even attacked them, she could tell that they were starting to become a little bit antsy. They remained majoritarily immobile, yes, but some parts of their bodies were twitching, as though they were becoming either anxious or somewhat excited. In so doing, it was truly only a matter of time before at least one of them would attempt to lunge forward and put an end to the medic's life. If the Captain wouldn't have been there at her side, it was doubtful that Fuuko wouldn't have been completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of creatures roaming about the area... but fortunately, she was. In so doing, she would be spared her own massacre and consumption, and she would be allowed to carry out her mentor's orders as soon as she possibly could.

With the aid of the Shunpo technique, the blood expert would quickly be able to reach the crimson liquid which had been spilled in front of the bank. By then, it would not take long for her to be able to get a good look at the rest of the trail, and so, she would soon be allowed to follow it into what was most definitely a commercial district filled with a notable amount of shops. The amount of the nectar that had been spilled was nothing short of astounding. For miles and miles, it went on, spilled onto practically anything that its source appeared to have come into contact with: the streets, nearby cars, the walls of buildings. Somehow, there were even traces of the stuff splattered onto the insides of various booths that had been installed onto the boardwalks. To say that it caused the district to appear like something that came straight out of a horror movie was nothing short of an understatement, and if it weren't for Shukketsubuki's ability to take it all in, those would have found themselves capable of witnessing it with the divine sight would have most likely branded it all as an accursed place. Not that the entire city had already been cursed to begin with, at this point.

In the meantime, back near the facility within which the population of Jodanapur had apparently all gone to, Kimiko would be locked in battle with the replicas, albeit at a slightly-slower pace than before. While she was still capable of exterminating the creatures without any notable effort, there was something about their numbers that made her enjoy the moment to an extent. Swing after swing, she rendered the copies asunder, reducing them to nothingness. At times, she finished them quickly with a simple stab in the head, and at other times, she instead used their bodies as makeshift projectiles to use against their brethren. It was a brutal battle, one that she should theoretically not quite enjoy... but with Fuuko out of the picture, it just felt... refreshing. Here, against this makeshift army, she could let loose without bothering to care about others. Here, against this infinite amount of clones, she could kill, and kill, and kill again without any consequences. 

The feeling was familiar. She knew where it came from, and how dark its source was. However, as the killing continued, she couldn't find herself caring. At this moment, these creatures were not her enemies. What they were was nothing more than a stress reliever, something to keep her mind off of everything. As they died, there was no Lucien, no Ruhe, no Vandenreich. As they were slaughtered, there were no attacks on Seireitei, no immediate need to defend Rukongai, and no paperwork to fill. All that stood before her and her very mind were them... nothing more... nothing less... and that... Well, it made her happy. Unbelievably so, in fact. It made her wish for it to last forever, to never leave her senses ever again. Thus, as she slaughtered the replicas, she eventually found herself grinning in utter enjoyment until, eventually, she felt her emotions begin to rise in her throat. Like the monsters themselves only moments prior, it was only a matter of time before those emotions would finally be able to come out.

"COME, HOLLOW!"

She shouted with a voice that echoed throughout the entire of the Indian city. It was akin to a war cry of relief, a burst of innate joy as many more replicas were reduced to ribbons. An unstoppable force twice as fast as the creature's endless creations, ready to deliver onto it endless deaths without any hesitation. Fuuko might be able to hear the words that came out of her teacher's mouth, but at this point, the Captain didn't care... or rather, she couldn't. She was too blinded by the happiness, by the relief of not having to think about anything else but the battle before. For a split-second, she found herself thinking about Fuuko and what she would think about her. Just for a split-second. But then, when she plunged that black sword straight into another replica's throat, she lost all care for what her student thought of her. Whatever. Let her heart it all. That way, she can get a glimpse of her mentor's true self, of the bloodthirsty warrior that she was deep inside.

 "SEND ME YOUR ARMY! SEND THEM ALL TO ME!! I'LL GIVE THEM WHAT YOU WANT! EVERY SINGLE ONE!!" 

"I'LL GIVE THEM ALL A WARRIOR'S DEATH!" 

Her voice had become so loud that, at a certain point, Fuuko would be able to hear it without any effort even though she was further away from the Captain's position. If she could not hear it, then at the very least, she could feel the energy that came with it as well as the empowerment which followed it. As usual, this energy would be intoxicating. It was truly no wonder that the woman had become as influential as she was now outside of the holy city of Seireitei: she simply caught everyone's attention by force whenever she demanded it. On one hand, it could be said that such an ability was rather daunting. However, on the other, it was an ability that was necessary for her position. She was the leader of an unit designed for warfare. If such an unit does not possess an adequate leader capable of bringing men and women both to face their potential doom head-on, then that unit would have been doomed to an immediate ruin come the next invasion of the Soul Society.

And such a powerful sense of charisma was useful in this situation too. Surprisingly, as Fuuko proceeded onward, she would not actually face any apparent opposition. There would be no replica chasing after her, for they would all be completely dedicated to the impossible task which was Kimiko's elimination. In fact, so many replicas were being created out there near the facility that Fuuko would be able to see them appear on the rooftops, dashing forward towards where the Captain stood in order to further wage war against her. Wave after wave, they came, covering the city in a dark blanket of reptilian foes which ignored the blonde. It was intimidating, to say the least, but it was nevertheless comforting, as it was now clear that she would have free access to the blood trail. Thus, she would be allowed to move further and further onward past many more buildings of the commercial district, until she would finally reach what appeared to be the nearest position to her destination.

The trail had suddenly gone downward back into the streets for a time. It had remained as such, going from streetlight to streetlight, before it then seemingly stopped into a bigger puddle of blood in front of another building, a certain "Playtime Emporium". At a glance, if the products that were showcased behind the display window were anything to go by, it appeared to be some kind of toy shop. The blood trail had gone past the front door which was fortunately unlocked, and so Fuuko could head inside. The moment she would do so, a small bell would resonate from the door, then followed by light shuffling coming from deep inside of the shop. A shame. It appeared as though she would not have the element of surprise against the enemy ahead. Not that it mattered, anyway: the clones most likely have already noticed her and properly notified their master of her position as she was heading onward towards the shop.

With the trail still fresh, the medic would be able to go even further into the shop - passing by many aisles of teddy bears, dolls and remotely-controlled vehicles in the process - until she would finally be able to notice that the blood trail had gone behind a counter in the back of the shop, and then through another door. It appeared as though the Hollow had decided to hide in the warehouse of shop.

She needed to proceed quickly. Who knows how long Kimiko will be able to hold on against the replicas outside.

SPOILER: Click to show

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

Technique Type: Other | Strength of Will Buff

Technique Element: None

Usable by: All races

Class: 3

Technique Reiatsu Cost: N/A

Technique Description and Effects

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


Drawbacks & Weaknesses

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


Made by: Nakajima Kimiko

Reserved? : No

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko could feel the overwhelming stench as she continued to follow the trail, but she was not  prepared for what she saw. It was overwhelming and even as she held Shukketsubuki aloft, she had to pull her hand over her nose. It was too much and she needed a moment. The iron-scented dizziness passed after a moment. She took a second to hear Kimiko's battle cry and felt the captain's reiatsu even as far away as she was. The blood never seemed to end and, for most, it would be hard to distinguish just where it went. Fuuko, however, had a plan and leaped into the air when it seemed to stop moving through the city. 

Shukketsubuki was still glowing and Fuuko could hear it guzzling down all the blood like a drunkard. "Sensei doesn't think you can handle it all..." Fuuko said and then smirked. "I don't think you can handle it all..." The blonde chastised. 

"Oh yeah!? Watch me! Just give me the word!" Shukketsubuki barked back. 

Fuuko bent her knees and then used Shunpo to shoot straight into the air. She could feel Kimiko's reiatsu hit her and coat her with a boost of confidence. It was warm, but hungry. "Heh. suck it all  in!" Fuuko began to glow as she shot into the air and then, suddenly, all of the blood shot into the weapon that Fuuko was holding. More and more like a vortex was sucked in until there was nothing. The streets seemed absolutely clean. Like nothing had ever dropped blood here. "Can ya handle it?" Fuuko barked as the glowing weapon grew and grew and grew. Even Fuuko was surprised, yet the more it grew, it still seemed to weigh as light as a pocket knife. 

*Buuuuuurp!* Yep!' Shukketsubuki hummed. 

Even though Fuuko was several miles away from Kiniko now, the captain would be able to see what looked like a building sized glowing weapon in the distance. It was, in fact, about fourty foot long lance., that was so massive there was a small handle etched into the actual handle of the thing. The tip came to a surprisingly sharpe needle point, but the weapon was incredibly absurd in size. It was a deep red, like it was made out of blood. "Fuckin sweet." Fuuko barked. "But not particularly practical..." 

'Hey... that's not my problem!'

"Anyway, if this fucker's in here, well, he's fucked." Fuulo pulled back her arm and then thrust the massive lance forward into the building, crushing whatever might be holding it up, crushing whatever might be in there. She could sift through the wreckage in a second. This might be the element of surprise. I tmight be the complete opposite, but as Fuuko thrust, her lance suddenly became coated with her own golden Reiatsu. 

"Sakugen!" out from the lance shot a golden wave of Reiatsi to further demolish the building, clear the rubble and expose whatever might be beneath- if that wasn't also destroyed  by the attack. She glanced up to see if she could feel Kimiko's reiatsu and then closed her eyes and gave a sniff, looking for more blood. 

_______________________________

Reiatsu: 2975/3400 - Blood Bank: 528,300 - | Greatswords/Polearms | OMEGA Lance (2 Posts)

-25 (Shunpo)
-100 Blood Collection [All in sight]
-25 Sakugen

Blood Collection - [25] Passive (W/concentration) | All in sight [525,250]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Sakugen}
Technique Name: Sakugen (Cut)

Technique Class: 7 - 10 TTP

Technique Type: General Shinigami.

Usable By: Shinigami, Vizard, Rogues.

Technique Element: N/A

Technique Cost: 25 Reiatsu.

Description: The user pours Reiatsu into their body, and their sword, and releases it in a mighty slash attack. A small slash of Reiatsu shoots outwards, and can cut with the same force as the user, if it hits. It also bypasses the cutback effect, as well as comes with the user's weight. It feels like it hits the enemy with the user's body weight, on top of cutting into them or their tools.

How to Use: Charge and slash in an instant.

Incantation: N/A.

Drawbacks: It drains some Reiatsu and some stamina, but also comes with a requirement. One must have a minimum of 200 in strength to be able to use this technique, or it cannot be used.

Made By: Ozuru Ren.
Reserved?: No.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}Stats:

Reiatsu: 3400

[[Strength - 400 Points (600) +50%
Speed - 300 Points
Spiritual Pressure - 272 Points (340) +25%
Reiatsu Strength - 45 Points (31) -30%
Light Aura - 95 Points
Dark Aura - 05 Points
Instinct- 75 Points
Senses- 68 Points (51) -25%
Energy sensory - 40 Points
Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total: 1200/1200 SP]

Current Skills 15/15
• [Battle Focus] {1}
• [Pain Tolerance] {2}
• [Lack of Fear] {2}
• [Zanjutsu] {1}
• [Strength of Will] {2}
• [Damage Recovery] {2}
• [Bleeding Tolerance] {2}
• [Anti-Stealth] {1}
• Blood Scent {2}

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The replicates kept coming. One after the other, they would appear, swarming every bit of scenery the commercial and industrial districts of Jodanapur could offer only so they could reach the Captain of the Eleventh Division. They were fearless, as made apparent by the sheer confidence behind their numbers, but they were also resolute, evidently ready to do battle with a most-formidable foe. In normal circumstances, this would have called for the appearance of a small Shinigami battalion or at least another Captain; after all, it was not often that an opponent - regardless of their profile and affiliations - could quite literally create a whole army all by themselves, and judging by how many clones this Hollow could generate, an entire city would have most likely been completely taken over in the matter of a few minutes should it have even so much as granted the same kind of energy for that purpose. However, in this particular case, none of the reconnoiters within the Gotei 13 decided to do as such... for they simply didn't need to.

Kimiko didn't call for anyone. She did not request assistance from Fuuko or from anyone within the Soul Society in this moment, nor did she attempt to flee. Instead, she stood her ground, and fought. With her blades swinging endlessly, she slew and slew and slew, cutting down one copy after the other with an expert hand that could only be owned by a Captain. Since the creatures were composed of nothing more than air, no blood was shed. There was also no one who would be able to witness the consequences of this scene in the near future, given that the bodies of the fallen would disappear soon after their slaying. Nevertheless, arms, legs, heads, and entire torsos flew about the place, leaving behind a scene that would have been most gruesome should the creature had been properly organic. It was a true battlefield in every sense of the word, the domain of an army fighting against another. The only difference was that one of these armies was only composed of a single soldier.

It was unclear how long this battle lasted. For all the superior officer knew, it could have gone for a single minute as much as it could have gone on for fifteen. The only thing that she really knew was that, at a certain point, she had achieved the same state of euphoria that the demonic invasion had granted to her back then, and she could only know this because she couldn't rid herself of the grin that had now been perpetually fixated onto her face. The adrenaline of battle, the ecstasy of the bloodshed, and the magnificence of her complete domination of the enemy all blended into one singular feeling that left her... happy. Again, she could forget everything. Lucien, Ruhe, Kazuhiko and Fuuko, Celes, her dojos... All could be forgotten, all could be simply left to think about later when the time would be right for her to do so. Oh, did it feel so good. Oh, did it feel so amazing to not have to feel that permanent tightness in her chest, that invisible hand around her throat.

Of course, she knew why she was feeling this way. Once again, her Inner Hollow had attempted to take control of her spirits. Well, at least she thought that it was her doing. The adrenaline that was currently flowing through her veins was just about as overwhelming as ever, and even though her enemies did not have a single drop of red in their bodies, all she could see was crimson. Sometimes, she could even swear that the creature was watching her from afar with that signature grin of hers, looming in the distance to admire her handiwork. Even so, Kimiko didn't care, and the reason why was rather simple. For once, she was not bothered by the fact that she was actually feeling such an emotion. Oh no. Instead, she was thankful. For the first time in years, she could appreciate her Inner Hollow's work. She could see the meaning behind it all, and she could see that it was working. To lose one's self in such a way, to let go of her duties, of her honor... It was so utterly freeing, so magnificently liberating.

A few more seconds passed. Her blades were silent during the slaughter, one of them unable to say a thing and the other unwilling to bring an end to the massacre. Kimiko, meanwhile, simply continued, all the while her spiritual pressure laid waste to just about everything that surrounded her. As the world around her cried in agony during its destruction - with the entire area in front of the facility being transformed into what might as well be a crater, ruined fountain and all - her own screams could be heard from a mile away. Each one of them felt more empowering than the last. She could swear that, at a certain point, her throat even began to hurt from the screaming. In comparison, the copies hissed and roared in unison. The noise that they created could not rival the ones which came from the Captain's throat, but they still attempted their best to do so. It was almost as if they were deliberately trying to make a war cry of their own, one that could provide the superior officer with perhaps a better image of the army she was currently battling. Together, it all made for a cacophony that even a few passerby just outside of the city - mere Humans left curious by the previous silence of Jodanapur who did not possess the spiritual sight - could hear in horror. Then, just as suddenly as this entire battle began, it all came to an abrupt end.

As Kimiko cut down the replicates, she would eventually find herself stopping once she realized that they had completely stopped moving. Without any warning, they had simply stopped with their bulging eyes almost literally coming out of their sockets, and had each abruptly decided to stand on their hind legs in silence. The Captain, still feeling the effects of her extreme happiness, would be first ecstatic as she anticipated the release of a powerful attack that they would each release onto her in one fell swoop. But then, just as she was expecting from the creature, a massive hole then appeared on their body. It tore through their abdomen, their chest, and the both of their arms, and soon they were each left a body that was a skin to a mangled corpse merely held by flimsy links of skin. The appearance of the terrible crater in their selves caused Kimiko's eyes to widen in shock, as though she didn't think something like that was going to happen. Then, slowly, she turned her head where Fuuko had gone and saw the dust which was rising from a fallen building in the distance.

The creature... had been slain. Or at least, it appeared to be the case.

From the blood-bender's side, it would be difficult to tell what exactly had happened in the minute following the release of her Sakugen. The thrust of her ridiculous weapon as well as the energy which had been released shortly after were both so powerful that it had effectively completely reduced the toy store to rubble. Every doll, every video game, and everything that was once sold in the shop were destroyed in an instant alongside even a few smaller buildings which were behind the shop. In other words, Fuuko had put an end to the Hollow's hideout. More importantly, however, she was able to hit something with her weapon, or rather its very tip. It had plunged into something that was most definitely akin to flesh, and then blasted it to kingdom come with hideous amounts of golden light that could only be generated by a warrior such as the Third Seat of the Fourth Division. How lucky. She had not aimed for anything in particular, and yet she had hit the nail right on the head with a single attack.

After the dust finally settled, Fuuko would be able to see the result of her attack. There, at the end of her blade was what appeared to be where the warehouse once stood. Even through the rubble, it had been left a deep scarlet, drenched in horrifying amounts of blood, all the while what appeared to be many fleshy appendages akin to lizard tails were lying on the floor. Meanwhile, a monster was skewered by the tip of her weapon. It was larger than the clones which she had seen back at the fountain alongside Kimiko, or at least it was meant to be if it were not for the great weapon and its surrounding energy which had left it a shredded, bloodied mess. With much of the nectar spilling out of its wounds and orifices, it gurgled, seemingly shivering from the shock that the terrible pain had brought onto its body. There was no doubt: its life slowly coming to an end and there was nothing that was going to stop that, even with advanced healing techniques.

Coughing, the beast expelled blood through its mask and onto the destroyed bricks below. Its eyes were shaking in their orbits, and its breathing had become labored from the pain. However, somehow, it remained conscious. It did not struggle, but it remained awake, enough to at least raise its head towards Fuuko. Then, suddenly, words began to come out of its mouth. "I... I know you... You're... o-one of the nurses... A-Argh..." it said, panting through the blood in its throat as it held onto Shukketsubuki for support. Its voice, though left slightly modified by the creature's nature, would be somewhat familiar to Fuuko. Before she could try to remember that voice, however, or attempt to put an end to the Hollow's charade, it would look up towards the medic and cough up a last trail of blood. "Tell Nakajima-sensei that I... I hope... I gave her a good fight... " 

And with that last declaration, the monster's body would fall limp, and its body would slowly disappear in a trail of reishi. The corrupted soul was returned to the cycle, and with it, its pain came to an end. Time for Fuuko to go back to Kimiko and report what happened.