Small Trouble in Big Rukongai [Private | Saori]

After having established herself as a member of the Stealth Force, there was a little down time before she had to show up for any meetings, or do any work. So she was basically on her off day from the Squad, but then there was never really an off day. With her hands over her head, the blonde female walked slowly with no destination in mind. She was within the Seireitei walls and just minding her own business as the others walked by her. She would smile and wave every now and then, because she was just a goofy woman to begin with.

She arched her dark brows as she came up to a rather tall building.Along the floors she could see a woman shuffling back and forth cleaning and waxing them with the most extreme of care. Dhalia tilted her head and moved towards the building. It looked like one of the barracks from Squad Three. When she took a closer look, Dhalia snapped her fingers. Of course, it was Saori, that woman was one hard worker. "Hey~~! Saori~~!" Dhalia's voice was loud, and booming as she waved her hand.

The blonde Shinigami smiled brightly, red lips curving into her signature smile while the piercings on her face sparkled from the sunlight over head. She had caught the attention of the other and stood at the base of the barracks with her hands over her hips and leaning casually to one side. "You look like you are having lots and lots of fun there. Oh!" Dhalia pointed, "I think you missed a spot!"

The woman chuckled, they didn't know each other too well, but Dhalia had seen here a few times here and there cleaning the walls, structures or whatever she was told to do. The ditzy blonde stood in the way of her working and looked down at her. "Oh come on! This is boring! Every time I see you, you are doing some menial job. Let's go to the Rukongai and have a little fun!" Dhalia was all about having fun and it spoke volumes about her ditching paperwork at her current squad.

Gosh, if she had to do anymore paperwork she would probably die from the boredom of it all. The blonde female looked at Saori and shook her head, "You know, you could just ask one of the Captain's to join their squad. You don't need to be doing all this work. Besides, you need to be doing something more productive. They have trainees and whatnot for this kind of stuff. So! You and I, Rukongai! Get up, get up, get up!" Taking a step behind Saori, the female swung her arms around the woman's waist and brought her up to her feet, patted down her clothes and nodded, "If you really wanna clean afterwards, I know a really stubborn toilet that doesn't wanna flush properly that you can fix!"

Saori was done with being a trainee, sure, but these types of chores were still a bit therapeutic for the woman. She was clearly still a little unused to being a professional at this point. Such tedious and monotonous work made it easy for her to narrow her vision and turn her head off, letting her relax even if the work was exhausting, working her body was a nice feeling a least.

Glancing back to Dhalia, for a moment, Saori's tired gaze livened up, but only a flicker. Her eternally fatigued appearance made her seem as if she'd just gotten out of bed despite waking up early for this kind of silliness. "Dhalia. Tired of paperwork already? Usually you give up a lot sooner." She spoke, a faint smile on her face was refreshing and subtle. Saori had never been the excitable type in her normal day to day life. Trying to stay very mellow and calm so that nothing out of the ordinary happened to her, she typically maintained a very docile disposition where she could.

Though when being encouraged to do something fun, Saori visibly hesitated, shying briefly as she rubbed a hand through her white hair that hung over her face and down her back. She did endeavor to keep things mellow in her life, but she could never say no to these types of invitations. Yes, whenever these types of situations came up, there would always be 'something' calling out from deep within urging her to enjoy herself and embrace the change. Her hesitation lasted only a few moments before she finally nodded back. "Okay... Let's go then." She agreed when Dhalia hugged her, a little sheepish from the close contact. After all, even if things did go south, it wasn't like Saori ever really lost her sense of self in the cross fire, she was just easily excited.

"Ah, hold on though, before we go." She spoke, reaching down through those few cleaning things she had brought with her. One was a sign to let people know of the dangers of tripping over stuff, she just simply posted it among her few bits of supplies and bags to make sure no one got hurt.

The second was a bit more unique, as she reached down, pulling up a strap for her Zanpakuto. Kamikorosu, that intimidating Zanpakuto was the same as always. When she pulled it up, the sound of it digging into the soil beneath her was noticeable, god forbid it ever slipped free from her back it'd likely crack the tiles of the Seireitei with it's abnormal weight. Fortunately, since it was her Zanpakuto, Saori didn't feel much of the weight or burden from it's unwieldy size and shape. The blade practically wide enough to serve as a shield covered her back almost completely when she pulled it over her shoulder and buckled it down with a latch and a tug to keep it tight enough for the strap to disappear in the soft hills of her chest region that bounced relentlessly with every shake and movement of the blade.

Though once she settled up to get going, she couldn't help tilting her head, her tired eyes listing from Dhalia to the horizon where Rukongai would lie. What kind of fun had Dhalia had in mind? Saori couldn't imagine what one did for fun normally, she'd always been consumed with trying to stay safe and sound, she didn't really know what the attractions might be. "What kind of fun did you want to do? Fishing? Fruit picking?" She asked innocently. Clearly her own ideas of fun were a bit tame and far too tranquil in her current state. No doubt when things got a bit more heated, though her mood and flavors would change a bit more.

The bubbling laughter left from her moist, red lips as she shook her head quickly. "Fruit picking? Fishing? That is fun for you, is it?" Wide eyes tried to absorb Saori and her adorable, cute nature but it was quickly becoming a fact that the girl just did not get out often enough. But if she had spent less time on her hands and knees cleaning floors and more time looking around and being social, she would not have such ideas of fun. Dhalia gestured the woman, her hand up and tethered her along. That massive blade on her back seemed like it would simply fall at a moments notice. The Shinigami looked down at her own Zanpakuto, a hand on the hilt and sighed. Whenever she tried to speak with the Spirit, all she heard were the faintest of mumbling laughter as if mocking her, but would never say a word back to her.

That was neither here nor there though, Dhalia was out to have fun with one of her new friends. Along the way through the Seireitei they would have snippets of a conversation, mostly Dhalia attempting to dig into the other's past, "Have you decided on what Squad you wanted to join yet? I could talk with Captain Henrex if you are interested in Stealth Missions? Although with a sword that massive on your back, I think you are more suitable to the front lines. Damn, don't they say that the size of the Zanpakuto is usually a measure of spiritual pressure a person has? I'd hate to piss you off...like...ever."

Dhalia flaunted her body, a quick smile here, and flirty wink there. People were quickly becoming of knowledge of who Dhalia was and her endless supply of flirting. It never got too far though, it was just that in itself. But there were times when the woman was so pent up about certain things, she just needed to get away for that certain release. With her hand stayed on the hilt of her sword, the woman swayed casually towards Saori and bumped her hip.

"I figured we could do something a little more fun than fishing and fruit picking. There is a gang in the Rukongai that has been giving District 64 a little trouble. I figured we check out what was going on and see if we can help some of the families there, maybe even rough up some bad guys." she said throwing some mock punches in the air. But then she laughed, her idea of fun was not exactly looking for bad guys to punch, but more so going somewhere to get drunk on her day off!

BUT, she had her other reasons for doing this as well. Dhalia was not a manipulative woman, nor was she smart enough to out think someone. But she used her body in ways others would find questionable and she was in the Stealth Force, she she had some uses. She had noticed Saori several times starring at her in either adoration or awe, maybe she just enjoyed her company? In either case, Dhalia was goign to use that to her advantage. It was simple; test Saori and see what she possessed as a fighter. Someone had to do something about this girl, she was no use to anyone as a maid.

As they stopped at the gate, Dhalia let her hand wave to the Guardian who separated the wall of the Seireitei to the rest of the Rukongai. A red, flirty smile accompanied her wave as she took the lead, "Hey big guy. We got some business in the Rukongai. Mind opening up for us? We won't be too long, just some patrols."

The male couldn't resist her charms, even if it was just that, her mention that she was out on patrol made things much easier for him to clear her activity. With a hefty push, the gate opened and thus they were allowed entrance to the Rukongai. Giving a passing wink and blowing kiss, the blonde and her friend moved passed the gate and into the Rukongai.

"Boy, this place brings back a lot of memories. Did you grow up in any of these areas?" Dhalia shot her friend a look as they walked side by side, might as well have a little chat as the District 64 was pretty far walk for the time being by normal means.

Saori couldn't help flashing a vaguely bitter smile. Certainly those things were fun if someone wanted to pass a day in tranquility and peace. A lazy afternoon of fishing or foraging was a nice way to pass the time for Saori who was exhausted from keeping herself in check. She didn't mind if her hobbies were similar to those who were elderly or old, instead she just accepted herself for who she was with a simple and faint smile.

"I think so at least, it's nice when you don't feel like tiring yourself out." She admitted with a simple nod. Naturally, Saori was someone who didn't want to make waves or cause problems. Because of this she hadn't really put much thought into what kind of squad she would join, instead, she tried to take things peacefully a day at a time and see where she might be needed. She just didn't want to make a bad impression in truth, she felt her talent was lacking, she knew she couldn't perform well with Kidou techniques or Hoho techniques, it left her with little to advertise.

Naturally Saori had an interest in Dhalia and her body, the free spirit who liked to cause trouble appealed to that viciousness inside of her. And her flirtatious nature naturally appealed to the beast. While Saori herself didn't know Kamikorosu's name, she hadn't put in much effort to communicate, instead deciding to take it one step at a time, as if feeling it would happen when she was ready. All in all, she seemed like an underachiever but those few who knew her from the academy would clam up if people asked about her. Those memories of a gaze lit with madness and a furious energy that pressed down on them from above, few wanted to connect the docile Saori with that monster they knew from the training sessions.

If Dhalia was paying attention she would notice the glint in Saori's gaze shift vaguely though. From tired to a bit more alert, there was an ember of life that suddenly lit with the mention of starting trouble or fighting. While Saori herself wasn't necessarily a war monger, she felt excitement from pandemonium, the chaos was like a tonic that shot adrenaline straight into her spirit. It perked her up enough to smile a bit wider as she advanced with a faintly quickened pace to keep up with Dhalia. "I'm not sure what squad I want to join... But I know that it's not always good to have such a large Zanpakuto. Sometimes, having too much makes it harder too." She explained with a sheepish chuckle. After all, for Saori moving such a power was still too difficult, unless she planned on breaking her hands and feet, she was still not qualified for suck a task.

Following Dhalia out of the Seireitei, Saori glanced around, when asked about the areas themselves she frowned faintly. Those flashes from her childhood, injuring herself and being attacked, every day was filled with it's own uniqueness. Even if she couldn't call it good, it was 'hers' and that thought made her faint smile contort a little more into a grin. If there was any indicator that she was beginning to form some expectations from this little adventure it would be this slowly developing change as she felt more and more hype for what was to come. "I did... Though it wasn't quite as bad as this, it was a similar, a bit nicer and... how to say-- More friendly? Everyone knew everyone, it was pleasant" She admitted with a tone that reflected in her nostalgia.

"Ahh, so you lived in a pretty nice area, huh? I was beat to an inch of my life and left for dead. If it wasn't for Captain Henrex, I would probably be reincarnated somewhere else by now." While the memory was bittersweet, she didn't dwell on it too much. Dhalia offered a soft smile to her friend and gave her a pat on her shoulder, "At least we are here now doing this thang." The blonde Shinigami girl allowed her arms to swing at her side lightly, brushing her bare arms against the sleeves of Saori's garment. There was a small, flirty smile there as she examined Saori's chest and then looked away just as quickly as she gazed at it.

Dhalia was a minx when it came to her lust and mixed with the right dose of a certain individual, things got out of hand very quickly for those who found themselves mixed with her. The two females who were on a patrol now ventured deeper into the Rukongai meaning the slums were starting to show itself more and more. People and children were leaning against broken down shambled buildings, laying in the streets either passing away or just gave up on all hope. It was difficult to take in the sight, and while Dhalia had something of a hardened heart, these images were difficult to shake.

"I lived in these areas when I was a kid. I have no idea how I survived any of it, but this reminds me so much of my own home. You didn't know if you were gonna be alive the next day, when you would get your next meal or anything. And then there were the punks that ran the districts stripping everything you had and leaving you with nothing."

The soft icy blue eyes now crystallized into something more of a glint of dislike for those memories she had. There were very few 'happy times' in her past and coming back here sent a shiver of cold down her spine. Not from fear, but from the fact that she had no idea what would happen if she lost control of herself to those punks. To say she had some kind of vendetta would be an understatement.

As they drew close to their destination, Dhalia stopped abruptly and pulled Saori into an alleyway and held her up close to the wall. "I think one of them almost spotted us. I've been keeping tabs on the people as we were walking by, Shinigami are not exactly welcomed here." Her breath was laced with a fruit scent, her skin and flesh giving off a wave of warm scented roses as she leaned her head out to see what was going on.

There was a merchant have a few words with a seedy looking individual. Of course this would have been a good time to strike, but of course, she had to stay her hand. The small fish would lead them to the bigger fishy. "We'll have to wait for a moment before they leave. Maybe we can get some information from the merchant." Dhalia leaned back from the moment, she didn't realize the two had their chest rubbing up against each other in the tight spot in the crack of space that Dhalia put them in. She gave an apologetic smile and tapped her friend on the shoulder to let her know things were in the clear.

When that was such a case, Dhalia waved to the merchant as they stepped out from the shadowy corner. "Hey there~? I saw you talking to those goons. I used to live around this area a long time ago. I'm guessing the Asumadaito are still running things here?"

"Listen, Shinigami. I don't want anymore trouble than I got. Just leave now, the longer you stay, the worse it is for us around here." The merchant didn't say much else. It was clear the residents were always living in a fear, but that was the norm for this district. Dhalia sighed and shook her head, "What do you think, Saori? Should we just walk away from this like the guy says? Or maybe..." she looked back to him, "We can settle this and get this district cleaned up again."

"Hahaha! Like hell! You think Soul Reapers come out this far day to day? We might as well be damned by them. When was the last time you guys actually did anything for us?"

Dhalia turned to Saori and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't blame them. I had the same sediments when I lived here. This place is rotten to the core and you don't see Soul Reapers protecting these places that much. The people here need a morale boost and need to stand up for themselves."

Saori nodded her head, thinking back to her home. It was alright certainly, there weren't many tragedies, but no one was terribly wealthy either. It was simple and peaceful as she'd describe it, aside from perhaps that one brief rebellion from the local thugs against the village authorities. It was a nice quiet place to settle down, one she remembered fondly despite that brief hiccup. "It was quiet. There weren't a lot of rich people, but we all had plenty to eat." Saori explained with a faint smile, a little proud of her home, but at the same time sympathetic for the sites she was taking in around her.

She understood life well she thought after all, life was about struggle, effort, trial and error. There needed to be struggle for people to evolve, there needed to be competition for people to advance down their road. Leaning down to a few of the children, she tried to offer them some berries and fruits from her large sleeves. Things she kept tidied away as little rewards for cleaning such and such or dusting so and so. It wouldn't do much to help, surely it wasn't even a full meal... but why not give what she could? Saori's tired expression formed a gentle smile as she passed them to the few kids who seemed dazed and exhausted by the roadside. "Here... It's tasty." She spoke, trying to show them.

Whether the children tried to accept it or not, she would make an effort to leave it with them. Whatever they tried to do with it... Well, Saori only hoped they wouldn't go to waste. She didn't like things going to waste. Instead, when she was pulled into the alley with Dhalia, Saori cocked her head perplexed. Unlike the other woman, Saori hadn't been paying attention to any subtle tricks or sneaks, she'd been idly taking in the sites and observing the scenes. Saori wasn't one who used a lot of tricks or needed a keen eye. Instead, usually, her best role was to stand in the center of the chaos with a big bulls-eye on her body.

For a moment her gaze slid down to Dhalia's chest for a closer look, pushed so close together, it was easy enough to enjoy a brief glance or stare. In the end though, there proved to be more pressing matters. "It's so strange though, you'd think everyone would benefit more from supporting one another." She commented as if it were bizarre, unaware of the political problems and differences in hierarchy that made such a thing difficult. Despite her status as a Shinigami, Saori didn't see herself as much different from those hungry children at least. "You seem really used to this sort of stuff though. It must be exhausting to be looking over your shoulder all the time." Saori tried to sympathize.

Though when she was pulled back out, she didn't hesitate to let Dhalia do the talking, the girl seemed to know her way around this sort of place. Saori hung back, curious about the interaction going on, wondering if she could learn from the outgoing girl a little. The more confrontational the man seemed to become though the more Saori's gaze sharpened and the more her brow furrowed. A bit more of the exhaustion faded from her expression as she glared daggers into the merchant man from behind Dhalia.

Within Saori's core, deep deep within the soul, in that dark abandoned factory, the dust was stirred by a soft breath. The quiet sounds of clink and clacking chains grew more noticeable as the long length of chains in the ceiling began to be hoisted upwards. Kamikorosu who laid sprawled out on the factory floor, blanketed in chains stirred briefly as the chains began to hoist her up from the ground until she was a few feet from the floor. Awake, alert, the withered spirit who's body was tightly restrained turned it's head letting the hair fall from it's face just enough to reveal an intensely shining eye as if looking through the horizon to the outside world

It was that eye that matched the sharpness in Saori's gaze as that intimidating glare bore holes into the merchant as if trying to cut into him to see what he was truly thinking. "Please don't hold it against us, we do endeavor to try to do much." Saori retorted, her words polite but that cutting stare was a little odd.

The merchant felt like he was staring into the eyes of a devil as he looked to Saori. Her words cut deep lacerations into his steadfast nature until he could not bare to look at her anymore, "Fine! Fine! Yes, the Asumadaito is still around, prospering over our lowly lives. They hang around collecting whatever it is they feel like collecting from us." The merchant ran a hand through this grey beard and looked to the two females. His soft green eyes looking more to Dhalia than the disturbing irises that the other Shinigami was displaying.

"Err, you can find some of them hanging around at some of the joints north of here. Try the Hanging Dog, I heard that one of the higher ups like to frequent there often to 'wet his whistle' if ya know what I mean."

Dhalia smiled briefly and turned to Saori, "Well, we have a destination and unfortunately, I know all too well what he means. The Hanging Dog District is pretty grim place, it makes this area look peaceful. But I guess we got to go deeper." Dhalia bowed her head to the merchant, she offered him a quick sincere smile, shifted her weight and then they continued deeper into the Rukongai.

Much of what they had seen already was becoming scenic only a lot more decrepit. Buildings had been dry to the bone, people either stayed inside or peeked out the windows as the district was becoming more and more like a ghost town. As the two Soul Reapers moved through the abandoned street, Dhalia was picking up movement from her left. Her icy blue eyes traced over the shadows that were being stirred as she placed a hand on her Zanpakuto.

"Get ready, Saori. I think we got a few fans following us." As soon as the words escaped her lips, a chakra whized by her face nearly lopping off her head in the process. The chakra spun and returned to its owner's hand as he spun the disk around his finger. A long trench coat covered most of his body, he had a lean and slender face with two dark brown eyes peering at the two women with a lick of his lips.

He wore ragged pants that were tied up with a rope, looking just as poor as the residents they had seen earlier. His hands were encrusted with dirt and when he smiled, he had a few missing teeth to show off the tint of green layering what teeth he had left. "Well, I don't believe it. Looks like we got a few Soul Reapers here lookin' for trouble! Now you pretty Misses might wanna mosey on back to where'vr it was you came from. We don't like you folk poking around in our business."

"Ugh! You are so gross looking! Anyways, you might wanna step aside. Soul Reapers are here for a reason. Tell your boss that he needs to disband his gang or we are gonna do something about!" Dhalia tried to put on a show of muscle, but the blonde ditz was just going on by instinct alone. She was not one for crude violence but what she had seen here this day and what was happening to the people; it all had to stop.

"Hahahaha! I don't think so Pretty Girl. But if you insist in making trouble, then I am gonna have to put you both down. And when I do, I'll make you both suck me off! Alright! Let's get this shit started then!" With a build of spiritual pressure, the gang member started to send off waves of his power to interact with the two Shinigami. The ground began to warp around him as he spun his chakram sending off a high pitched vibration that was kicking dust and dirt every where. Then it stopped and he threw that gold plated projectile at Saori.

Saori settled down when the merchant seemed to become understanding. After all, to Saori, friends were precious existences, ones that needed to be supported and protected. Kindness was worth protecting at least. Noticing the hostility in her gaze, Saori tried to swallow back some of that fury as the faint smile returned to her face.

Deeper within, that Zanpakuto spirit grew deflated. As another layer of dust settled on the factory floor, that withered woman exhaled a silent sigh of disappointment. There were clearly expectations, but seeing that nothing would come from it, the hair slid back over her face as she returned to simply hanging among the clink clack of steel chains.

Snapped back to reality by Dhalia's words, Saori nodded along, a little anxious clearly. She was nervous, Saori didn't seem like the type who liked to fight after all. She had a quiet demeanor, a helpful and sweet outlook on the world. She enjoyed peaceful things like fishing or foraging for berries, even the arts though she felt she lacked talent to perform in such a thing. The concern and uncertainty reflected on her face was natural as she followed along with Dhalia.

It was the sudden intrusion of an unwanted guest that made Saori hesitate though. She wasn't particularly observant, not exactly brimming with intelligence either. Alarmed when Dhalia was almost hurt, she reacted with concern initially. "Dhalia, are you okay?" She asked, leaning in towards the girl to make certain there was no blood. Those fires were stoked once more, abruptly as Saori became flustered.

The back and forth between the strange man and Dhalia only served to make things worse. The concern in her gaze deepened as the man prepared another attack. Thoughts ran through Saori's head, how to protect Dhalia, how to protect herself, how to disable the man before them, how to help these people in the neighborhood. There were a lot of things she wanted to do, a lot of things she felt were important, that they had to be done. With her gaze falling on Dhalia, particularly as the man made lewd demands, Saori's hand drifted to her own chest, and with a soft click, she tugged at the latch that kept her Zanpakuto tied to her back causing it to slip free from her shoulders.

The Spirit in her inner world who had just experienced disappointment simultaneously perked up. The moment those fires were stoked once more, light began to return to the factory around that spirit. Lamp lights and warning lights began to slowly flicker on. The furnaces began to light slowly, dimly at first, but soon the fires roared to life bringing a red hot glow to the factory floors. The belts of the facilities that were in disrepair began to thrum to life with the sounds of tools and arms suddenly coming back online. Inside that infinitely expanding factory, the equipment was beginning to come back on and those that were too damaged to function shot colorful blasts of sparks and electrical surges into the air.

Elation shined in the Zanpakuto spirit's gaze as it's moved with windless waves. The rhythms of the facilities grew louder as tools and items were forged, arranged and pieced together before getting taken apart, broken down and melted down into basic parts once more. The chaotic facility seemed to have no purpose, anything that was made would simply be set on another line to be disassembled only to be remade without rhyme or reason. Blind to it's surroundings though, the Zanpakuto spirit struggled, the excitement in it's gaze clear as those lush vibrant red lips began to move.

"Come my love."
"I'm right here for you my dear."
"Please, you just have to reach me darling."
"Is it power you desire-- Is it my precious?"
"Perhaps companionship? Love my sweet?"

The spirit grew more frantic, struggling got more intense as the factory came to life. As the roar of the furnace flames and the buzz of machines operating at high speeds, rollers and compressors filling the endless area with the sounds of heavy industry. The more those chains that restrained the spirit shook, the more desperate she became.

"I'll offer you the world my Rose."
"Anything-- Anything my Muse... Please!"

Despite the spirit's efforts though, Saori's hostile gaze peaked, by the time those blades were flying towards her, the fatigue had largely drained from her expression. That unlatched Zanpakuto fell to the ground behind her crashing into the earth heavily before leaning to one side. With an outstretched hand, she grasped the hilt, and with a violent swing and kick discarded the large sheath letting it clatter heavily to the floor behind her before swinging that large Zweihander forward.

Saori's style of combat was odd, rather then sweep to strike the objects down, she swung to bring the flat end forward like a shield aiming it down for those Chakram to grind against it. Without much care, Saori tilted her zanpakuto into the chakram to alter their course as she glared volatile daggers at her foe. It was only a defensive action, but despite that, Saori's expression was alive, manic and finally alert. Her energy flared to match their foe, but unlike their opponent's, Saori's carried with it an incredible pressure and thickness that made the air seem like thick mud or paste making it harder to move through, harder to breath in. Saori was still that same delicate young woman from before, but once her blade was drawn, she always seemed like a stalwart titan.

When the Chakram swung back around, Saori only advanced behind her thick blade, holding it forward like a wall as she advanced. She had a delicate body and a gentle appearance normally, but each step seemed unnaturally heavy, each time the chakram struck the blade she'd tilt the blade's edge to parry with the least amount of effort she could manage. She didn't want to waste energy, didn't want to tax herself, her strategy was almost non-existent, her style direct and unthought one might say. Dhalia might have even been disappointed seeing Saori simply trying to approach without any tricks up her sleeve.

That was however, Saori's style and biggest advantage. Without any schemes or tricks really, she would advance directly using the shortest route. Crashing through traps, through obstacles, anything she lacked the strength to destroy she'd receive with her body before continuing onward. Though when Dhalia seemed to leap at the man and take him out quickly with a knee strike, she flashed a lively smile as she loosed her grip on her Zanpakuto to nod towards Dhalia in appreciation.

"There will still be more. These ones are never really willing to step out alone after all." She spoke, a flash and flicker of cheer and vibrancy in her expression even with the hostility in her gaze peaking. It was that strange combination of cheer and happiness combined with the hate and fury of her sharp eyes that made her seem more crazed then angry. "Though I'm afraid I'll have to keep counting on you. I'm not very good at this sort of thing." She admitted a bit sheepishly, brushing her fingers through her hair a bit ashamed as she explained. Despite saying so though, the truth of it was a bit more embaressing, Saori just didn't do well chasing or hunting her opponents down. She wasn't exceptionally quick, and her talent at Hoho was non-existant. She could only rely on Dhalia to strike while the others were distracted.

"I'll open these ones up a little. Just be careful and patient." She offered kindly even as the sounds of footsteps and angry words grew clearer and louder. Turning her attention towards those thugs rushing towards them, Saori would stay true to her word. She didn't need to kill them, didn't need to be fast. She just needed to keep making chances for Dhalia. With a spirited stomp, Saori lifted her sword that had once been used as a shield up high before suddenly swinging it down in an arch. Anyone watching might be confused, she hadn't waited for them to get close enough to cause them harm, but her target wasn't those thugs.

Instead, her blade cleaved down into the earth, twisting as it tilled the soil turning up stones, dirt and dust. Like a wave of debris she pelted the front line of thugs with pebbles and soil to try and throw their advance off or halt them. Hopefully Dhalia would have enough time to take one or two out as Saori prepared for her second attempt at exposing more. As the thugs neared, Saori would parry as many blows as she could with her blade, but receiving a few wounds was natural, each cut would carve a slit in her skin as if cutting into tough leather. Every fist or blunt weapon would strike like striking a tree that would make her recoil a step, but only ever a step before that foot stomped back down to steady herself once more.