Post by Nakajima Kimiko on Nov 18, 2024 13:43:03 GMT -5
Shutokendō West, the 40th western district of Rukongai, Soul Society. At a glance, nothing more than yet another of the bigger villages of the land occupied by the Pluses. However, with greater focus, essentially one of the greatest martial arts embassies to have ever existed in the realm's current era. For years on end, the literal "Capital of Swordsmanship" was seen as a place where all who had come to this side of the world - be they mere civilians of the land with no reputation to speak, those of the Beast Clans who erred here and there during their journey, Shinigami officers in search of the betterment of their skills, or perhaps even otherwise - could coexist as the original of the four grand cardinal communities under the banner of Nijūkan, a school dedicated to the teachings of the blade. In other words, it was where scholars of the sword met to better their skills, no matter their allegiances. But today, two weeks into the month of November, it could be said that this very goal had started to falter.
Towards the end of the prior month, the head teacher of Nijūkan and Captain of the Eleventh Division of the Gotei 13, Nakajima Kimiko, was informed by the administration of the First and Seventh divisions that an investigation into her latest activities had begun. The reasoning behind this investigation was a report that had been received from the Twelfth Division regarding the state of one of their cleansing squads following the latest military operations conducted in the Living World, the report in question stating the cleansing squad had been thoroughly eliminated. While it is partly believed that the members of the squad were butchered by local insectoid Beast-Clansmen, mainly due to the gruesome details attached to their corpses as well as the vicinity of a Shinigami officer who had made it her responsibility to take them down, the proximity of the Captain's spiritual signature to the scene of the crime had aroused suspicions. In so doing, Kimiko was to not take a step outside of the Soul Society until the end of the investigation, lest she be immediately declared a fugitive and a traitor to the Soul Society.
While this information was not meant to be seen nor heard nor read by those of lesser significance to the heavenly realm, those who have followed the teachings of Kimiko found themselves learning of the investigation from a single woman going by the name of Ebina Mana, who claimed that she had witnessed the formal declaration of the aforementioned two squads with her own eyes as she spoke with the Captain in her private quarters within the western school. As a result of this development as well as the spreading rumors of the use of cleansing squads against Nijūkan students, tensions have begun to rise within the four Shutokendō to a notable degree. However, it was within its western rendition that these tensions could truly be observed, as it was where this Mana made her voice the most well-known and the most loudly heard, and where Kimiko had decided to reside for the time being so as to attempt to keep the situation under control. Unfortunately, so far, this attempt has been fruitless, and today evening marked a repeat of this failure.
Like during any other evening within one of the Shutokendō, Kimiko would remain before her students alongside her assistant teachers within her school's courtyard. There were a number of lessons that she had planned for this class, all of which were more so reserved for advanced students rather than beginners, and for a time, said class went on quite swimmingly. There were no accidents to speak, no mishandling of the blade, not even a mistake from any of her students. This should have brought the woman a fair bit of pride; after all, it was not often that she or even her assistant teachers would be able to witness such an event occur. But as time proceeded, she would realize that there was a change in tone. Whereas the previous classes were pleasant and joyful in spite of the physical effort of all, this one was quiet. The other teachers paid no mind, but she and her first disciple, Emile, felt the tension in the air as they went on with the lessons.
On one side of the courtyard, there were those who were in plain Rukongai robes, each of them simple denizens of the land. Every time they brought their swords onward, their blades would sing a single inquisitive song to Kimiko's ears. They were asking her why she was doing nothing after she had figuratively done everything to prevent any more operations from the cleansing squads to occur, and why she had decided to chase after possibilities to silence their complaints. And then, on the other side of the courtyard were the Shinigami. Their blades hummed a different song, or rather, a different question. They were asking her why she was continuously refuting the claims towards her person and why, given her presence near the crime scene, she was even there in the first place. These songs would continue time and time again, each of the students' strikes causing them to echo even louder in Kimiko's mind. Then, before she even had the chance to act...
"Master! We wish to stop this class!"
The voice would cause everyone in the courtyard to suddenly stop and turn their heads towards a single man wearing robes branded with the color of chestnut. He was somewhat tall and broad-shouldered with sharp eyes and an overall air of experience. Clearly, he was a born warrior who perfectly followed the teachings brought to him by Nijūkan. Kimiko knew him, of course, much like how she knew how many others across the district to a certain extent, in spite of everything that has been happening as of late. He was a man who hunted the local wildlife so as to bring them to the district's many restaurants on the regular. More importantly, he was among those who went to hunt with Emile. For a moment, her aforementioned disciple's eyes would widen at the sight, clearly both offended and shocked by what was occurring in the very middle of a class, of all places. But what offended him and especially Kimiko most was what came out of the hunter's mouth next:
"We are no longer comfortable with attending this class with Shinigami!"
The hunter would appear shocked for a moment, unsure of what to say. Although, eventually, he would huff, push Emile away with his free hand, then return his blade to his sheath. "Fine. We're leaving. It's not like we wanted to stay, anyway... especially not with them... or you," he groaned before he began to walk towards the great gates of the school. Then, shortly after, another student would follow. Then another. And another still. Emile, astonished, would stand aback as a crowd formed and left en-masse. It was like watching a full-on exodus, a wave slowly pouring out of the school and towards the district below, where the last of the steps leading into the school awaited them. In the meantime, Kimiko continued to watch in silence, unable to speak even but a single word. A part of her truly wanted to stop them from leaving, to let them stay and continue their lesson without fail. But deep down, she knew that at this point, it was only going to make things somehow even worse.
Eventually, by the time the exodus was over, the only students who remained in her courtyard were her Shinigami students and about a quarter of those who came from Rukongai. Emile just stood there, his eyes widened in anger and fear all at once. Meanwhile, Kimiko's expression had steadied. She looked on towards the Shinigami who looked back at her now with a gaze of uncertainty. Then, after noticing where things were going, she just let out a heavy sigh and allowed her voice to spread out towards the rest of the courtyard: "I'm sorry. If you wish to continue these lessons, my assistants will provide you with the necessities." Her voice betrayed her weakness when faced with such a situation as well as what perhaps sounded like the most exhausted tone she could have ever mustered out of her person. Her exhaustion was only strengthened when she turned her back to her students and began to walk away towards her school's northern facility, where the temple remained at the bottom and her quarters at the top. "I will be in my quarters."
And thus, the Captain would leave her teachers and Emile behind, unsure of what to do with the students who now began to disperse. For a time, it would appear as though they were ready to leave; however, eventually, the lessons began anew, albeit with much less enthusiasm. In the meantime, down below, life would return to the district...
... albeit, not exactly in a way that inspired the usual confidence to expect from a Shutokendō.
