Hellbound Streets [Kurai, Kaito, Hiroe]

Into the Seireitei and straight to the Rukongai. Kurai had no interest in the goals of the others there, and she was one who enjoyed toying with the weak. Where did you find the weak? Somewhere in that little slum outside of the pretty white-rock city. Utilizing sonido to reach the farther ends of the Rukongai, she stopped in the middle of the dirt roads and took a look around. “Well, time to have a little fun…”

The destruction happened quickly. Shacks fell, wood burned, smoke filled the air, and Kurai was in the middle of it all. Her fingers were firmly gripping the neck of some woman she forgot she was even holding. As she walked out of a crumbling building, smoke and flame billowing around her, she hummed a menacing melodic tone, clearly not a care in the world. Kurai looked down at the corpse she was holding and dropped it in the street no differently than a filthy rag, a dark bruise coloring the hand-shape indent in its neck. “I’m gonna play awhile...” she chuckled, looking around.

Never in his life had Kaito expected everything to go so wrong. He and Hiroe had spent the last few hours or so alternating between using Shunpo to cross a large amount of distance quickly, before walking to rest and talk as they made their way back to his home. But, upon feeling the waves of dozens of spiritual powers suddenly appear as they rippled out to even the furthest reaches of the Rukongai, Kaito felt sick to his stomach.

Upon arriving to the Shuei District, that feeling was only made worse with the sound of screams, the heat of a suffocating blaze, and the smell of smoke and charred flesh. Everything he had known, loved, and treasured was burning in front of his eyes. Kaito's breathing started to hasten, his eyes widening as his body trembled. What should he do? What could he do!? Then, a whisper in his ear, and a hand on his shoulder, cold as ice, yet gentle as the wind.

'Pull yourself together, boy,' Reshiki whispered.

The usual cryptic and playful tone it carried was nowhere to be seen. Bringing his breathing back under control, Kaito tried to run ideas through his head of what to do, only for one to suddenly scream above the rest, pushing itself to the forefront.

"Mom..." He mumbled, his voice quivering. "No...no, no, no!"

With that, he took off, tearing his sword from its sheath, raising it to his head.

"Recount the tales, Reishiki!"

A flurry of talismans and pages scattered to the burning winds, seemingly unaffected as the blade of Kaito's Zanpakuto turned ethereal and glass-like, its tsuba shifting to the shape of an omamori, and an ofuda attached to a ring that had manifested at the end of the pommel. His shadow seemed to come alive at the release, something seeming to writhe and contort as Kaito sprinted toward his home in a panic.

"Mom! Dad!" Kaito shouted. "Where are you!? Are you okay!?"

Eventually, he came to stop at what seemed to be in the center of the carnage, where his home used to be. His eyes widened as he watched someone walk out of the blaze...holding a woman by the throat. Too scared to move, he watched as the woman looked at her, before dropping them as if she were nothing more than a paperweight. He didn't get a good look at the woman, but, from where she had walked out from, he had a sinking feeling...

"Of course, it happens like this! A lady finally achieves her dream after many years and an invasion breaks out!?"

Hiroe didn't even get a boyfriend yet! Life truly was a series of trials and obstacles. She had always prepared herself mentally for missions, but the lockdown prevented her from ever going to the realm of the living to experience battles with hollows. And now, they were bringing the battle to them. It was almost certainly a lot to take in, but if her past experiences told her anything, losing composure was the last thing she needed to do. It would invalidate her training with Byakuya.

Invalidate her training with Yuuto. Invalidate all the torment she endured to get here. Come hell or high water, she wouldn't let that happen. In the distance, she knew they were fighting bravely somewhere to ensure this realm survived past today. Though ill-equipped for the large-scale battles taking place, there was something she could do to make an impact. Handle the small-scale hollow leaking in. Protect any part of the Rukongai she could, and wait for backup. Then, she heard a familiar voice in the distance. Was that Kaito? Without missing a beat in her movement, she employed shunpo to carry her body toward the grisly scene. There, she saw Kaito standing in shock, hesitating as though he had seen a ghost. In comparison, Hiroe silently called out to her zanpakuto.

Denkōsekka, I'm counting on you. We can't let Kaito get hurt.


"That opponent of hers in the distance might prove too troublesome for the two of you, but I will do my best to guide you to the best of your current ability, my little child of the clouds. Now go."

Don't worry about any of that. If she proves too strong, I'll just carry him off and live to see another day. For now...

"Vanish, Denkōsekka."

At once, the silent whisper invoked a quiet phenomenon. The once-visible blade grew transparent, as though it were made of glass. In another burst of shunpo, grinding her blade against the ground, she shot past Kaito to swing her sword upward from the ground, releasing a bolt of electricity directly at Kurai. She would protect him and their home!

"Snap out of it, Kaito! A weird crimson-haired lady is standing right in front of you! Now's not the time to hesitate!"

Most of the fire created here was from a couple cero she had released beforehand. Kurai had not planned on releasing her Res just yet, but when she sensed, not one, but two incoming energies, she figured it was almost time. She looked up at the man who fell to his knees, quickly succumbing to the panic. “Oh… was this one yours?” Kurai gestured carelessly to the dead woman, putting her foot on her face and forcing the head around to face Kaito. “Too bad, I guess. Shoulda been faster.”

Kurai was ready to laugh at the pain in the man’s eyes, but her attention was taken by the approaching woman. Both of them had released their shikais before coming here, she could tell by the shapes of their weapons. Sonido’ing just ten feet to the side, Kurai narrowly avoided the incoming lightning and put a hand on her zanpakuto. “Okay then… What happens next… is on the both of you… I hope you like it.”

“Repent…” Kurai called out for her Resurrección, holding her rather large blade above her head, and a burst of heat scorched the ground in a thirty foot burst around her. Anyone caught within the blast would feel the heat of her flame as her body transformed in a demonic, fiery monster, parts of her covered in volcanic rock while the rest of her took on a molten lava-like form. “Now, why don't we have some fun.”

He didn't know what to do. All he did was hold the released Zanpakuto at his side as he stared at the scene before him. His breathing grew more panicked as he watched the woman step on the corpse's face, turning it toward him. Kaito took a half-step back, now able to fully see their face. No matter how hard he tried to deny it, it was his mother. His hands quivered and his breathing took up all he could hear.

No...No, this was a nightmare. It had to be. There wasn't...no, she...she couldn't be dead. He was...he had just been coming home to see her and check in.

His eyes slowly moved from the body to Kurai. His fingers, previously dangerously close to allowing the blade to slip from his fingers, suddenly gripped the handle with newfound resolve. Kaito Tomoyuki was not a man who was quick to anger. He was quiet, often soft-spoken, yet still able to be brutal to those who deserved it. There were times when he acted on emotion, but, right now, this was different.

Kill her.

His breathing eventually came to a calm. The creature in his shadow writhed and roiled in response to the turbulent rage that boiled in his heart. He had been so in his own head that he didn't hear the brief commotion that had happened. Hiroe's words had fallen on deaf ears, and the words of the temptress didn't even register. Lifting his sword over his head, Kaito launched forward in a burst of speed, a loud scream tearing from his throat as he went to cut at her head.

Only for him to suddenly be forced backward by flames that scorched the ground, forcing his eyes to squeeze shut from the sudden wave of heat crashing into him. Sent flying back and tumbling to the ground, Shinchokage was quick to retreat into his sheath at the sudden bright light, as well as the overwhelming power. Kaito scrambled to sit up, frantically feeling around for his sword and grabbing it the moment he felt it.

He held his sword up and ready as he got to his feet, clenching the weapon tightly to try and keep himself from trembling. That burst of bravado, while still remnant, was dwindling fast as the overwhelming pressure and heat of his parent's killer weighed down on him.

"Dammit...!"

The attempt at a sneak attack failed. That was fine. As her training taught her, when one move failed, adapt to another. Of course, adapting was swiftly made difficult once the crimson-haired arrancar activated her release. Research on the Arrancar told her these forms could be difficult to contend with, and they weren't wrong. Much like Kaito, she, too, experienced that burst of immense heat as it spread outward into their collective surroundings. Since she was closest to her, it only stood to reason that the flames would stun her momentarily, forcing her to stumble back as she coughed. Dammit... what the hell were they supposed to do now?

Don't lose faith. Let resolve be your guide, my little child of the clouds.

Right. Okay. Deep breaths. This wasn't over. But right now, she needed to rethink her game plan. Placing her blade within her sheath, she gritted her teeth as she rushed over to stand beside Kaito. It hurt her to see him like this. It really did. She didn't even know if her parents were alive right now, but she needed to focus. If they could drive her back, that was a start. Defeating her? She felt uncertain, but she resolved to see this battle to its end. Think, think, think...

Kurai didn’t move yet. She watched the two of them with a sadistic smirk on her face. She could blast them both with her cero right now, but what would be the fun in that? There was no way she was releasing her Res here only to stop the battle. Instead, let’s see what they begin to see. What sin will invade these weak little shinigami? Will wrath take him? Will lust take her? Greed? Sloth? Envy? Pride? Gluttony?

“Careful now,” Kurai sonido’d forward, swinging her arm around and sending a strong back hand at Hiroe to get her away from her prey. Though she had no problem having fun with women, a man breaking down just tasted so much better…

A swift turn after striking Hiroe and Kurai pressed her burning foot onto Kaito’s chest, pushing him into the ground. This close, the heat would be pretty intense. “Take a deep breath, Shinigami…” she told him. “And tell me what it is you see.”

As the woman stomped on his chest, the air was pushed from his lungs in a sudden cry of pain, forcing him to take in a deeper breath to try and make up for the sudden eviction. Unbeknownst to him, his usual hazel irises turned a warm, bright orange as he took in the unnatural fumes. The heat and smoke forced him to blink, squeezing tears out from the irritation.

But, when he opened his eyes, he was alone. All he could see was the academy, charred and burnt, with Hiroe sitting down far away, her arms wrapped around her legs. He tried to get up, but couldn't, only feeling an unending sense of pressure against his chest. Hadn't there been someone there...? Why was there this weight? His head was a haze, but, even still, he tried to get up, but no avail.

He could see Hiroe's face, even from this distance. She looked...empty. Drained of motivation, of energy, of life. Her eyes were barely open. Kaito lifted an arm to reach out to her, his eyes widening as whispers echoed all around him.

You left her to suffer alone.

You never did enough for her.

You should have pushed the matter.

With each word, the charred remains of the academy seemed to come to life, creaked and reaching out, blackened makeshift hands forming and reaching for Hiroe. Tears freely streamed down the young man's face as he continued to struggle and reach out to her.

What kind of friend are you?

Not to mention that sad excuse for a date.

"No! Hiroe! Please...talk to me! I'm sorry! I should...I should have..."

Yet, it seemed as if the words didn't reach her. All he could do was watch as Hiroe slowly got up, her body hunched over slightly, arms dangling at her sides like a zombie, before she began to turn around. The charred remains of the academy suddenly surged toward her, the blackened hands forming a pathway, leading to a large, gaping, shadowy maw with dozens of orange eyes opening, glaring at Kaito with otherworldly contempt.

"I should have...done more..."

"Kgh! Dammit!"

Hiroe felt her body fly back several meters as she watched Kurai waste little time in targeting her prey. Quickly stabbing her blade into the ground, Hiroe took a moment to regain her composure, eyes darting up ahead. Why was she so fixated on him? What was going on with him right now? No sooner than she asked that question had she found herself coughing as the unnatural fumes assaulted her senses. There was something decidedly off about this smoke, but she couldn't quite tell what it was until her mind started playing tricks on her, filled with visions that didn't quite match up with reality.

And yet, they felt oh so real. At once, there was a memory of Hiroi. The way she threatened to devour her whole, the shattered sense of pride she felt at being unable to defend herself. At another, there was the inability to relate to Hana when she broke down about her issues in the seventh division. One more had completely neglected Kaito altogether, as if he had been little more than a blip on her radar.

"What is this...?"

At the top of it all, she saw herself sitting atop a throne, indifferent to each memory. Her own sense of self-devotion didn't even acknowledge that Danava as a threat now that she possessed a zanpakuto. And then... she simply shrugged her shoulders at her beloved friend, crying and begging for someone to understand her. The self-appointed queen, the star of the peformance, gazed down at Hiroe as she pointed at everything without paying any heed to anyone else, proud of her growth at the cost of everything else, brushing off the simpleton trying to approach her throne - the simpleton she had been trying to save moments ago... Kaito.

"This is what greatness looks like, Hiroe. It took us a while but look at us now. You have everything you want and more. Isn't it grand?"

"No, I... I..."

'So, he regrets being a bad friend to her… and she regrets being a bad friend period… Interesting,’ Kurai chuckled at the images she was getting from both of them. Now, she just had to figure out how to helped them to temptation…

First, Kaito… She leaned down and whispered into the man’s ear, her words guiding along the visions he was seeing. “It’s not like she would have wanted you in the first place. You’re a weak man, pathetic… You couldn’t protect her.”

Letting that simmer in, Kurai turned her attention to Hiroe. A sonido toward her and Kurai was at Hiroe’s side, whispering to her too, “You can make new friends… What’s the point of letting them hold you back? They’ll drown you… How is their weakness your problem? Aren’t you allowed to live your own life?”

With a menacing smirk, Kurai took a step back and waited…