Bleach Hereafter RPG

Soul Society, Second Division Territory, Maggot's Nest.


"What the hell do you mean he's gone?!" Yoshinori inquired in a sharp tone, immediately straightening up at his desk. The life of a Corps Commander in charge of Soul Society's most dangerous individuals was a huge task, and one that, despite his demeanor and appearance, Yoshinori did not take lightly. So far his track record had been flawless, spending the first month or so revising guard patrols in order to maximize efficiency of coverage throughout the various cell blocks. So far the change, after the initial grumbling of his subordinates who resented the additional hours devoted to guard duty, had been rather positive, reflecting a rather significant increase in inmate monitoring and ensuring everyone was accounted for.

Technically, it was due to such protocols that Yoshinori had even found out about the missing inmate so quickly. Yet, it was the failure of the patrol protocols that allowed the man to escape in the first place. And that was something that the silver haired Shinigami refused to accept.



"I'm sorry, sir. Block 8E was unmanned for a period of close to seven minutes. The inmate escaped in that time." The Onmitsukidō messenger reported, her head bowed as she spoke from a kneeling position before the man. With a soft grunt, Yoshinori rose from his desk, jewelry clinking ever so softly against each other as he walked closer to the woman. Yet, his eyes were not on her, instead he was already moving towards the door.

"The escapee. Who was it?" Yoshinori inquired, the question accentuated with a loud hiss from Yoshinori's pet snake, Hanzō, which was coiled loosely around Yoshinori's neck and shoulders, like some form of strange scarf.

"Akira Koyashi. Former Sixth Seat of the Twelfth Division." The messenger spoke, which elicited a groan from Yoshinori.

Of all people...he would be the one to take advantage of some shit like a seven minute lapse in guard rotations...

This was not shaping to be the way that the silver haired Shinigami wanted to spend his Friday evening, but it was quickly turning into a wild goose chase across...where the hell this Akira person ventured off to. But he was aware of one thing. He knew the inmate in question, not personally but by reputation, and he was aware that he would need a bit more than a few guards to apprehend him...wherever he was.

"Shida is on assignment last time I checked, and I am not going to be the one to tell the Captains about this. Get me info from Inmate Tracking, and send a message out to all able bodied Shinigami of note within their divisions of a priority alert from Detention Unit Corps Commander Yoshinori Okamoto, involving a mission of great importance. Rendezvous is by the Senkaimon Gate. Every second we waste is a second to which Akira Koyashi can do harm to someone. Go!" Yoshinori commanded, opening the door as he stepped out into the dark hallway leading out to Cell Block 1A, the Onmitsukidō messenger shuffling out after him to go about the task. Sprinting full force down the hallway, she only just made it to Cell Block A before Yoshinori called out to her

"Sakurai!"

The Onmitsukidō female stopped in her tracks, turning around wordlessly to face him.

"By the time my team and I return with the prisoner, I expect the individual responsible for this lapse in my office."

Not even waiting to hear a response, Yoshinori made his way down the hallway, before making a sudden left, heading up a series of stairs towards the entrance to the Maggot's Nest. All the while he couldn't help but have one thing on his mind.

If we can't secure this man...I'm in so much fucking trouble.

Post Count: 1 | Asuka Kanemi | Muimina Hyakuji

Asuka Kanemi waited beside the Senkaimon. The great gate that bridged the Soul Society and the Mortal World. the third seat had passed through that gate on more than one occasion. She had at one point been quite interested in its workings, but currently, her priorities were more aligned to other mystical concerns. Again, however, she felt she was chasing shadow and rumor. This time, however, at least it was on her own initiative.

Asuka had seized upon this mission when she heard about the prisoner who escaped. Asuka knew it was Koyashi. She had her eye on meeting with Akira Koyashi while he was in captivity, but getting approval for such a thing was nearly impossible. She had sent letters to the Detention Unit and the unit had bluntly declined and she was warned not to continue down this line of inquiry. Asuka suspects that if she were of a lower rank she might have dealt with more in the way of punishment. 

However, now with the man free, Asuka would be able to question him. Of course, she would need to find a way to do it in such a way that other Shinigami could not overhear. To say that her planned topic of discussion with this man was sensitive would be an understatement. The Detention Unit was more concerned with security than what Koyashi knows and what Asuka wanted to discover. If she told them what she wanted to find out, she might get some strange looks, or they might simply laugh in her face.

That assumes they even remember the shame of the Kanemi. She thought. I suppose if I have to choose between discresion and what Koyashi might know, then I'll have to go with the latter. Embarrassment or not. 

Of course, it could all be a waste of time. Koyashi might know nothing of value to Asuka. If that were the case, she supposed she could at least cross off one possibility in the mystery that had been overtaking her mind. 

(338 words)

The tranquility in Soul Society was immediately broken by the report that a prisoner from Maggot’s Nest had just escaped. It was like a blissful dream suddenly turned into a nightmare. Most shinigamis were on patrol or were on different missions scattered not only within the Rukongai and Seireitei but also in the Mortal World, leaving the Gotei13 short-handed with staff that could handle such an emergency. Dealing with dangerous prisoners would require high ranked officials to get on the mission after all. It was quite a handful such that the second division needed to inform the 1st Division for immediate action. While it was the second division who had full responsibility on the matter, as the leading institution of Gotei13, the latter also had to take command and lend a hand as well.

As such, a shinigami patrol from the second division arrived in Captain Katsumoto’s office to send the message. As soon as he was given permission to enter, he knelt down with his left knee pointing towards the ground, his face looking down.

“First Division Captain, Sir. It is with deep regret we had to inform you that Akira Koyashi, the former Sixth Seat from the 12th Division had escaped the Maggot’s Nest. Our officials, 4th seat Yoshinori-----”

Akira Koyashi. Hearing that name, the captain frowned, his anger welling up to his throat. Then, suddenly, he slammed his hands on the table. He knew the trouble the said convict had caused to the whole Soul Society. The escape would definitely mean a greater one. The messenger got frightened at the response of the captain; he could barely move, unable to finish what he was saying. Captain Katsumoto rose to his feet and quickly ordered for any available higher ranked official shinigamis within his division to report to him so he could hand this new assignment to them. The secretary noted that there were none available except for the Third Seat.

The Captain gave a long sigh, “The stubborn one again,” he commented. With a stern look, he continued and gave a command, “Very well, call for the Senior Officer Muimina Hyakuji and tell him to go directly to Seikaimon Gate. No questions asked.” At that, the shinigami patrol standing by the door left their presence.

The messenger shinigami, on the other hand, did not move an inch, he was still bowing down, waiting for another response from the 1st Division Captain.

“I don’t have any more orders for you except that you warn your division to take responsibility for this. Make sure whoever let that prisoner escape pay for his recklessness." At this, the shinigami nodded and immediately left the office.

-----------------------------------


Hyakuji, as usual, was resting under his favorite tree; this time, he was eating his lunch. His bento was full of sushi, takoyaki, and some crispy Ebi tempura. He was obviously having a good mood that day, not only because of his sumptuous lunch but also because he was not disturbed during his morning coffee ritual, let alone the whole time he was resting.

Then, the shinigami patrol from their division came running towards him.

“Sir, the Captain asked for you but this time, he wants you to go directly to Seikaimon Gate.”

At first, he gave the newly arrived soldier an irritable look, but he quickly changed his expression as soon as he heard the word “Seikaimon Gate.”

“The Seikaimon Gate.” He felt thrilled at the thought of it. The Seikaimon Gate was the bridge connecting the World of the Living to Soul Society. “Going to the mortal world?” Hyakuji could not help but exude a wide smile. The 1st Division would seldomly go out of Soul Society; they were pretty much busy governing the whole city, making sure that the nobles were comfortable in living luxurious lives. As for Hyakuji, the last time he went out was when he was searching for someone important to him. Such an act was even unknown to his captain.

Without questions asked, Hyakuji rushed finishing his lunch and went straight to Seikaimon Gate. The messenger was shocked at the response of his senior. Rarely did the third seat enjoy going on missions. This was probably the first time he did not whine being assigned to one, especially that this was an emergency.

-------------------------------

He was running fast, unfinished chewing his food when he saw the younger Kanemi already waiting by the gate. He slowed down his pace, until he was already walking, hoping to hide his excitement from Asuka. He also made sure there was no more food left in his mouth before getting closer to his partner.

When he got closer, he did not hesitate to greet her, “ I assume you are joining this mission too? Enjoyed going to the material world?” Hyakuji teased.

There, they waited for the last person, the officer from the Second Division who would brief them on the situation and lead their hunt for the former Sixth Seat.


[829] Yoshinori Okamoto Asuka Kanemi

By the time he had reached the Senkaimon Gate, Yoshinori had calmed down.


Perhaps it could be seen as peculiar how lax the man had become by the time he set out to meet his new comrades. After all, a Maggot's Nest prisoner had just escaped to the World of the Living, his superiors were all aware of that fact, and he was missing his favorite human TV show. So why wasn't he angry? Frustrated? Scared? Surely, such a situation would call for any of those emotions?

Chances are, Yoshinori didn't know why he didn't feel any of that either.

Perhaps it was because he found solace in the swift response to his alert. Within half an hour of the initial call, he had already received confirmation of a strike team to assist him in apprehending the escapee; the Third Seat of the First Division and the Third Seat of the Fifth Seat having volunteered themselves (the term 'volunteer' being used loosely, of course) to assist in returning Akira Koyashi to a nice cushy cell.

And they had decided to be nice and prompt as well!

As Muimina and Asuka conversed amongst themselves, the Senkaimon Gate slowly began to open, as several members of the Kido Corps kneeled before the gate, hands clasped together as they worked to undo the seals keeping the gate closed, creating a pathway straight to the World of the Living. It was as the door opened that Yoshinori finally arrived. Dressed in his usual black Shinigami Shihakushō, Yoshinori sported his usual accessories, including but not limited to his golden earrings, golden armbands and of course his trademark golden snake, Hanzō, draped loosely across his neck and shoulders like some form of live scarf. Eyes lazily cast about, Yoshinori took note of both his comrades, offering a small smile and a wave as he crossed the distance, placing himself in front of the Senkaimon Gate.

Turning around, Yoshinori came face to his face with the other members of the strike team, green eyes flitting between the two routinely, his Japanese Kiseru (smoking pipe) hanging out of the side of his mouth, which Yoshinori swiftly readjusted a moment later, taking a deep inhale, before expelling a plume of smoke from his puckered lips.

"Hello, friends. As you all know, the Detention Unit fucked up royally, including yours truly. In order to avoid what could be a massive catastrophe in such trying times, we must recover Akira Koyashi, Former Sixth Seat of the Twelfth Division, imprisoned for posing a serious danger to other Shinigami, and the unlawful experimentation on several of his co-workers within the Twelfth Division, resulting in the deaths of four." Withdrawing the golden pipe from his mouth, he turned around and gestured to the Senkaimon Gate

"Luckily, we're not all failures in the Second Division, and I won't lose my job on sight. Koyashi has successfully escaped to the Phillipines, which is where we'll be heading. He has been unable thus far to remove a tracker placed on all prisoners upon entry into the Maggot's Nest, and his signature within our databanks gives us minute to minute updates on his position. I am willing to bet we have about ten more minutes before he removes it, so we best get going. Koyashi is unarmed, for he was unable to reclaim his Zanpakuto in his escape...but Kido exists, so be careful all the same. Questions? No questions. Come now!"

Without even the slightest bit of hesitation in the aftermath of his very fast briefing, Yoshinori turned around without a second glance and walked towards the Senkaimon Gate, inserting his smoking pipe back into his mouth. However, before crossing the threshold that marked the boundary between Soul Society and the World of the Living, he offered one more piece of guidance:

"If you need more information, I'll give it to you once we're in the Realm of the Living. Otherwise, stick with me. I promise this'll be quick."

---

Realm of the Living. Manila, Phillipines.



”It's been so long....since the last time...“ A voice spoke from the creeping shadows of a random alley, as a stitched up, mess of a man stumbled out of the street corner, head bowed as he staggered onto the sidewalk. Slowly, the man raised his head and directed his attention to the humans around him; men, women and children going along their day with no idea of what had just entered their lives. No idea of the damage that he could cause. No idea that they were nothing but game pieces, to be cast aside when no longer useful.

For too long, he was imprisoned...his work halted. Betrayed by the very organization he wished to uplift. His work was for them. It had always been for them.

But now?

Now it was for himself.

Still having not manifested himself in a form capable of interaction with humans, Akira approached a random passerby, and slipped his hand into the man's pocket, withdrawing the fellow's phone without even a stir from the helpless victim, who wasn't even aware of the fact that he was just robbed. Retreating down another alleyway, the stitched up Scientist placed his finger over the phone, and a moment later was dialing a phone number, a phone number that he had confidence still rang to the same person it did all those years ago.

And sure enough, it did.

"Who is this and how did you get this number?" The voice from the other side of the line demanded

"It's Akira. We have work to do, Tenzo. Work that's been long overdue. I'll be at your place within the hour...You best be there." Without a second thought, Akira hung up the phone, and tossed it back onto the street.



"I'm going to enjoy this."

Post Count: 2 | Asuka Kanemi | Muimina Hyakuji

Asuka gives a slight shrug to her fellow Third Seat. "There are some decent books I can pick up in the land of the living. I have been meaning to give "War and Peace" a go, or perhaps learn a new language. That is, of course, assuming I have time to read anything I can take with me." Asuka remarks. It was good to see Hyakuji, Asuka realized, as he might be able to aid her in her other objective here. She was reluctant to trust someone with information so sensitive, but she supposed Hyakuji was the one person she could reasonably trust to help her once she interogates Akira. "Of course, that's not the only reason I'm coming on this mission. This might have something to do with..."

She noticed the doors opening before she could finish. Yoshinori gave his brief explanation of what had happened. Asuka frowned slightly. There was a new troublesome element of this whole mission. Yoshinori seemed quite upset about the whole escape, so it would be unlikely to let Akira out of his sight nor tarry long enough in the mortal world to give her the chance to ask some questions. She might be forced to choose between discretion and the mission she had set for herself. 

Asuka didn't know much about the pipe smoking Shinigami. They had likely crossed paths a couple times, perhaps even been introduced at some point, but that was almost certainly a long time ago. Social gatherings between divisions weren't unheard of, but they weren't commonplace. She didn't know enough about him to guess how well he could keep a secret or how inclined he might be to do so. 

We may have to see later how much we can trust him. 

Asuka follows Yoshinori through the gate. When shes through she asks. "Do you have any other information on Akira's Kido capabilities? Or why he escaped? It might be useful to forming a strategy."

(326 Words)

The relationship between the two Shinigami had somehow changed into a more friendly one since their search for clues about Yuna’s mysterious disappearance. During Hyakuji’s time under the Kanemi mansion, he barely talked to the girl and vice versa. Today was another opportunity for teamwork and probably to get to know one another better. While it wasn't new to him that she had an affinity with books, he was surprised that she also had an interest in learning new languages. Hyakuji himself was an avid reader back in his days as a human, but since he became shinigami, he preferred to rest and sleep under his favorite tree whenever he was on break. For one reason or another, it seemed that he was thorough in conserving his energy like this, he was very different from other shinigami who can stay awake and skip meals for days without affecting their performance or ability to fight.

“I see… learning a new language sounds fun.”

Asuka mentioned another reason why she joined the mission, and Hyakuji was perceptive of what she was talking about. Perhaps this would have something to do about the older Kanemi. It was quite a surprise to him for the lady shinigami to trust him, but he was glad nonetheless and would be more than willing to help should she ask him.

“Hmmmm…but we have to be extra careful if you’re serious about that…” Hyakuji said in a lower, almost whispering voice.

“By the way, do you know who the escapee was? The Captain did not give me a briefing. I was just commanded to go here," said the reaper, scratching his head.

He wanted to hide the fact that he was excited about this mission because they would visit the realm of the living again, which he could explore in the search for his master. He planned to keep it a secret to Asuka save her from trouble. For sure, he would be punished by Captain Katsumoto once he knew he was sneaking out from time to time and had different agenda whenever he was tasked to do missions outside Soul Society.

After a while, they were joined by the Fourth Seat from the Second Division, who also had the directive over the prisoners in the Maggot’s Nest.

Yoshinori gave his instructions briefly, which answered Hyakuji's question earlier. Akira Koyashi. The name didn't ring a bell, but he had a feeling that he would be a dangerous and difficult opponent despite having a party of three. Regardless, he had to make sure he would do all he can to help his comrades and bring back the prisoner without causing too much damage to the site.

Yoshinori led the entrance to the gate, and the two would follow through. One moment and they were being slowly engulfed in the blinding light until they reach their destination.

---

The portal opened to what seemed to be an artificial beach. The sands looked white but coarse, while the water appeared to be murky and littered. The beach was surrounded by slums and they were a few kilometers away from the concrete jungle. The atmosphere looked clouded due to the smoke coming from the factories nearby.

"Where should we start? If Koyashi is in the city, we need to lure him somewhere so we could avoid too much damage. It seems that the city is too crowded. We don't want a high number of casualties."

Hyakuji looked around the area.

"This place looks perfect for a battleground. We just have to prevent him from drawing close to that slum area," he further suggested, pointing to the small poor community near the beach.




[614] Yoshinori Okamoto| Asuka Kanemi

Finally, the Senkaimon Gate opened, granting the trio entry into the Philippines.

In all Yoshinori's years as a Shinigami for the Goteijūsantai, he had to admit that he had never ventured to the Philippines before. Of course, being the Detention Unit Commander, Yoshinori wasn't technically allowed to go anywhere except walking from one end of the Maggot's Nest to another, unless specifically ordered to by the Shimizu Captains. However, the few times he had permitted himself to venture to the World of the Living (AKA He snuck out), along with the few times he had been assigned to special missions within the realm, he had mainly stuck to Japan.

"I need to get out more..." Yoshinori muttered under his breath as he stepped out onto the coarse sand that made up the artificial beach that the group had spawned out onto. Green eyes slowly moving from left to right, Yoshinori took in his surroundings with a bit of a grimace. It wasn't that he found the surroundings uncomfortable, or repulsive. He found them familiar. And to Yoshinori, that feeling of familiarity was worse than if he was simply disgusted by the squalor of the surrounding area.

Nevertheless, the Second Division Fourth Seat masked his grimace by closing his eyes and taking a deep inhale, expelling a wave of tobacco smoke a moment later, the man's golden smoking pipe gleaming as it reflected the small rays of light that managed to peak through the clouds of smog that blanketed the sky. Opening his eyes after a few seconds silent contemplation, Yoshinori took one more look around, as if ensuring the human beach attendants indeed couldn't see them before turning to face Muimina and Asuka.



"If I'm going to be completely honest, I would much prefer a scenario in which a potential battlefield does not have to be chosen. However, given that I doubt our lovely rogue Scientist will return peacefully simply because we asked, we might as well discuss it. This area is good, but of course our ability to bring him here will depend on where he is to begin with." He instinctively checked his Denreishinki, turning on the digital phone and checking the tracking device.

"Moving towards a residential area....gotcha..." He muttered, his gaze then shifting back to Asuka," "Akira Koyashi got into this position in the first place for testing out his theory of meshing Zanpakuto spirits...picking and choosing desirable Zanpakuto abilities from different individuals, and attempting to form some hybrid spirit. Very out there, non-ethical mystical science at best. At worst, a fantasy. Or rather a nightmare. Koyashi's insane, and experimented on his fellows without concern, simply because their abilities interested him. As I said, his own Zanpakuto remains locked away in the Maggot's Nest, however he is a skilled Kido user, albeit lacking in Hakuda capabilities. However, his biggest asset is probably his mind. Insane people can get real imaginative, and are volatile. It's not exactly easy to leave Maggot's Nest, and even more so to do so then escape Soul Society altogether for the World of the Living. Finding him will be the priority first, and perhaps tailing him. He'll be expecting a search party...so we must work against that knowledge, and keep from being too predictable. But of course, first we need to actually find him." With that, Yoshinori turned away from the party once more, intent to walk in the direction of the bustling city.

"If you got further questions, we can walk and talk. Keep your Reiatsu to a minimum to avoid detection risks."

---

"Hm...so you came to intercept me..huh?"

A small smile piercing his ghastly features, Akira Koyashi stared directly ahead of him, eyes locked on a rather unassuming older gentlemen standing in front of him, a black overcoat pulled over his body, with a sheathed Katana resting upon his shoulder.




"You think I was gonna let you lead the entire Goteijūsantai to my doorstep? I didn't abandon your ass right before shit blew up in your face all the way back then for you to ruin my life now." The older gentlemen in the black overcoat grunted out, approaching Akira nonetheless, to which the escaped scientist did not move or respond to the man's advance. Laying his right hand upon Akira's shoulder, the old gentlemen suddenly dug his nails into Akira's flesh, running down the back, before extracting a rather thin, long chip.

"They've gotten creative with the hiding places..." The old gentlemen mused as he withdrew his now bloodstained hand, a blue flame erupting from his fingertips as he unhesitatingly incinerated the tracking chip. Turning his gaze back to Akira, the older gentlemen raised a single eyebrow, as if in expectation.

"Tsk...that hurt." Akira observed, his tone of voice doing the scientist no favors in regards to indicating that it actually did hurt.

"A thank you would be appreciated." The older gentlemen grunted.

"...Thank you, Tenzo. Now...what will you do?" Akira inquired in a soft tone, his eyes turning a brilliant shade of golden as he turned his attention to the old gentlemen, now identified as Tenzo, as if genuinely curious for the man's answer.



Letting out a derisive grunt, Tenzo withdrew a cigarette from his coat pocket, and promptly lit it before sticking it in his mouth. Then, he simply turned, as if intending to walk further down the street where he had first intercepted the escaped Scientist.

"There's a part of the slums where even the grimiest of human slime does not dare venture. I live there."

"So you'll assist me, hmm...?" Akira trudged behind him, his body slumped over, as if a walking zombie.

"Hmph, the Goteijūsantai ain't what it used to be, if you managed to get out. You weren't ready then...you lacked the grit and conviction back then...all those years ago. Now? You're ready. Of course I'll help you."

The news brought a wider (and creepier) smile to Akira's lips.

"Good."

Post Count: 3 | Asuka Kanemi | Muimina Hyakuji