Bleach Hereafter RPG

It felt cold - the air, the rubble she was now resting on, staring lifelessly at the ravine left running across the archives by Akira's final slash, wide and powerful to the point where it tore through countless ancient texts and relicts and opened the roof of the Archive, letting sunlight into the vast halls ravaged by the battle between two powerful Shinigami. With each ounce of blood seeping from her massive cleave wound, a portion of her vitality left her as well.

I don't want to die... She still had so much left to do. So many more books to read and synthesize, so many tomes of her encyclopaedia to complete. She still had to find Takano and tell him the truth about the Visored, she still had to find Nezuel and... figure everything out with him.

Yet, death appeared so close and almost certain. How foolish of her... perhaps she should have done differently this morning. Reconsidered that trip to the library...

A faint voice, muddled to Irisa's ears thanks to the slowly losing consciousness, reached her from afar. Soon, a familiar black and white shape appeared before her, yelling at her in desperation. Struggling to remain awake and to focus her vision, Irisa blinked, weakly, and muttered:

"Hyakuji... Captain..."

He was not her Vice-Captain anymore, after all. Still, they knew each other well - and she also knew that what little she heard before her... fate would be crucial to him if he sought to finish this quest. It was not hard to tell that Irisa's shape was completely deplorable - deep, bleeding stab wounds were scattered all throughout her body, and a Reishi glow stitched together her completely bisected torso - temporarily, holding her from collapsing into two halves.

"I am sorry... I saw him, and... I wasn't strong enough..."

She glared at the Captain with eyes filled with pain and fury. "It... It was him, Hyakuji... The same person we felt in... Hawaii..."

No longer here

She was the first thing Hyakuji saw.

The Captain immediately caressed her in his arms, and with the little healing kido he knew, he tried to heal her, patching her wounds up, doing the best he could to somehow extend her life. He noticed the largest cut in her belly, the wound that would’ve sliced her in half if not for her own healing spell. Hyakuji placed his hand on her torso, a glowing light illuminated stitching her injuries together, eventually stopping the blood loss. This was a temporary remedy however, and Irisa would still need medical care as soon as possible.

He looked into her dying eyes, feeling sorry that even with his current strength and position, he could not protect the people important to him. For what purpose this power he possessed served then? He should have been here. He was the 13th Division Captain after all, and it was his duty first and foremost to protect Soul Society at all cost.

Struggling to confess, Irisa managed to tell him who the culprit was. Hyakuji knew for certain, whoever it was, must be a monster.

Yet, the confession exceeded his expectations when Irisa said those last few words.

That person.

That person who was responsible for the massive destruction in Hawaii, the one who killed thousands of innocent people. The beast behind his lover’s death.

His eyes narrowed, brows furrowed in contained anger, betrayed by the calm expression of his face.

Even then, a turmoil of mixed emotions continued to churn deep within. A whirlpool of rage, disappointment and frustration began to grow and eat up his being. Like a dabble of black ink spreading into the pure, blank sheet of paper, darkness began to creep into his heart.

There was nothing on his mind but to exact revenge.

This was just all too much.

He, to the best of his knowledge, tried to fight evil with good. And yet none of his efforts seemed to pay off.

Maybe Valentina was right. The game was rigged from the very beginning, and the only way to win is to turn the table over and draw better rules for the next game.

“Irisa-san…” the Captain whispered, this was the first time he ever called her by her first name, which only meant that she was no longer just a colleague to him.

“You rest first. I will carry you to the medical division so you can heal better. Then, we can talk more about this.”

In tenderness, Hyakuji carried the blonde shinigami like a bride, making sure she was comfortably resting in his arms.

He had to hurry, or she might not make it in time. Thus, he made an exit through the opening on the roof, eventually transporting the both of them to the Intensive Care Unit of the medical division.

There was no explanation needed for now. News spread like wildfire in Soul Society, and the division itself was already attending to a number of wounded death gods caught in the blast. Although the details were still kept in the dark.

No one yet knew what exactly happened, except from the 13th Division Captain and his former colleague.

“We’ll take it from here, Muimina-taichou. Arigatou gozaimasu,” the medic squad informed, permitting the captain to leave.


“Can I stay?” the long-haired shinigami did not hesitate to ask, “I want to watch over her and stay by her side.”

“At least, until she gets healed completely.”

[578]

By the time Hyakuji picked up Irisa and leapt out of the partially destroyed Archives, several members of the Fourth Division, who were in the vicinity of the explosion and were informed of the news, had already set up a makeshift healing outpost besides the Fifth Division Headquarters. More members of the Intensive Care Unit arrived there shortly as well, greeting the Captain and bowing in respect once he arrived, then picked up the injured teacher from his hands and placed her upon one of the beds.

None raised any issue with Hyakuji choosing to stay in the station. Even if they had a policy on not allowing bystanders around them, it wasn't like they were going to offer much protest against a Captain, at least unless their own Captain appeared.

A faintly grizzled Shinigami, the seated officer assigned to oversee the emergency healing outpost, folded his arms and stood besides Hyakuji, looking over the rest of the care unit. "All the wounded we've been receiving so far are those who were hit by the explosion. You brought... the first person who actually fought the attackers and survived, as far as I'm aware."

"Wait, miss Ishiwara?!" one of the nurses suddenly cried out and pushed through the other Shinigami that were assessing her vitals. "Wha-How- I haven't seen you since the Academy!" Irisa was lying helplessly on the bed, and merely shifted her eyes towards the panicking young woman.

"Sayuri Amachi, graduated... five years ago, correct...?" she muttered, weakly. "You once brought a kitten to class and... your classmate, standing next to you... Kakuzo Sugano... turned it ten meters tall..."

"Professor..."

"We won't lose you, Professor!" Kakuzo yelled, pushing past his comrade, and spoke with determination. "You taught us everything we know about Kido, and we'll pay back the debt we owe, I promise you!"

To her former student's claim, all Irisa could offer was a faint, weak smile. Not only were the muscles of her face too pained to smile much more, but she also did not wish to break their hopes. She knew that the situation was far, far more complicated than that.

Her eyes turned towards Captain Hyakuji, staring directly at his pupils. A voice would suddenly ring out - not from her lips, but in his mind.

"He calls himself Akira, Hyakuji... He is a Shinigami, just like you and me, but... he lived thousands of years before either of us... and was sent to Hell before the Gotei 13 was... was even established..." She preferred that only Hyakuji heard what she had to say about the assailant - ideally, she would report to her own Captain, but Hyakuji was trustworthy enough to carry this news as well. "He... he serves the bidding of the Demons, and wishes to... take over Soul Society... he sees it as his birthright."

"I don't understand - why is my healing Kido not working..." one of the nurses called out, in a mix of confusion and frustration.

Hyakuji merely watched as the busybodies of the 4th Squad went round and about, healing a few wounded comrades within the vicinity. He was not surprised that Irisa was the only direct witness to the intruder. The fact that they went straight into the archives meant they only wanted to steal something.

It was quite surprising however, that they were not after the shard just as they feared. Perhaps they intended to, but the blonde shinigami was quick to realise that so she sent it to him directly before they could even get a hold of it.

Whatever the case, he could just ask her when she gets better. Hope she gets better soon.

The Captain looked in her direction. A former student walked to her and showed her concern; after which, the entire medical team attending to her got shocked at the response of Irisa’ body. Quite the contrary to what he wanted to believe, the lady was hanging by a thread, struggling to stay alive.

Startled at the sight of what seemed to be a dying Irisa, Hyakuji stepped closer at a hurried pace.

“Captain please, we are kindly asking you to stay put. We’ll handle this,”

While it was not obvious in the expression on his face, his concern at the state of his comrade was apparent in his abrupt reaction to her suffering. It was only normal for someone to be sympathetic to another person’s ordeal. The deaths of the precious people in his life taught him to become strong just as he was now; however, these deaths also are now cursing him to believe that all his efforts so far had been fruitless and futile.

To what extent does he need to become stronger to end this eternal suffering? How many more deaths does he have to witness?

The brewing darkness inside was somewhat toned down when Irisa entered his mind, sending a message only the two of them could know.

"He calls himself Akira, Hyakuji... He is a Shinigami, just like you and me, but... he lived thousands of years before either of us... and was sent to Hell before the Gotei 13 was... was even established…

He... he serves the bidding of the Demons, and wishes to... take over Soul Society... he sees it as his birthright."


A shinigami who was sent to Hell?

Eyes narrowed, he communicated back to the dying witch,

“I see..”

He wanted to tell her to not strain herself, but it seemed it couldn’t be helped, and he understood how crucial this information must be that she needed to talk about it before it’s too late.

“Why was he in the archives? How did he get there? Did he steal something? What does he look like? If you can, tell me everything you know so far. I will take it from here…”

[478]

"This-this bisection, I can't heal it!" Kakuzo yelled, panicking, while Hyakuji was approaching. More Fourth Division Shinigami were approaching the bed and inspecting the situation. Though Irisa's own magic was keeping the upper and lower sides of her body stitched together, there was something about the wound that easily overpowered any attempts to glue it back together. It was no ordinary slice - it was perfect to the atomic level, and it was being kept that way by an unseen force.

Once Hyakuji pushed himself closer to Irisa and heard her words, he answered her in his own thoughts. Understandably, he had a lot of questions. Many of them. Irisa briefly opened her eyes, gazing towards the Captain, then closed them again and returned to her psionic senses.

"Akira was there for an artifact called the Ken no Kagi... even I had not heard of its existence. Yet... he knew that it is crucial for his plan... and he escaped with it..."

It left a bitter taste in Irisa's mouth, to be suddenly taught that there is so much about the world and its history that she doesn't know - then, be denied the chance to be able to discover it. As if the world itself was hoping for the failure of her dream.

"He's similar to you, Hyakuji... tall, but white haired... when you sense a Reiatsu pressure as powerful as his, you'll know it's him..." It was crushing. She was certain that an ordinary Shinigami wouldn't even be able to touch Akira, much less land a blow on him.

"Oh, no..." the ranked officer that had been talking with Hyakuji mumbled under his breath as he approached the patient's bed and observed the situation. It was turning... critical. Then, suddenly-

"Professor, wait-"

Irisa raised her head off the patient's bed, reaching for Hyakuji with her hand to grab him by the collar and pull him slightly closer, as much as her fading strength allowed her to. The psionic connection was over - now, staring the Captain straight into the eyes, she spoke, slowly, with pauses indispersed and voice failing:

"Listen, Hyakuji... There is... someone you need to find..." She didn't have much time. "Someone... whom you must have on your side... or else... Soul Society will fall..."

It was painful to see someone fighting for their life this close. Hyakuji had not seen this kind of struggle since his best friend’s death while he was still human. Of course, that was just one among many other examples of staring into someone else’s death while he did nothing.

He was a monster 600 years ago, merely watching the tortured victims suffer through his sword. While he did not enjoy it, he was also apathetic at the time. Then, he was only a tool, a shinigami who had been devoid of emotion after putting on a dark mask.

He need not sympathise with the monks’ cry for justice, nor subject himself to pity over their crushing skulls right before his eyes. There was no mercy left for the enemy after all.

It was not until he had woken from such a tainted past that he regretted his involvement in the war. More than the guilt he bore for the death of Ayame… or the remorse he had been carrying for not being able to protect his master, the realisation that he was once a reaper who massacred thousands of innocent people’s lives opened a deep scar in his heart. It felt like a blinding light after removing the veil.

He had not seen Yukari’s death, nor her suffering; but he imagined it would be too much to bear. Just the thought of losing her crushed his spirit, and he would not know what he’d do if he actually bore witness to it.

Today, he was standing in front of a comrade gambling with death. Her sheer will to live was already astounding, and even if he wanted to encourage her to keep fighting, to let her know that she needed to stay alive, no words had yet dared escape his lips.

Time stood still when Irisa pulled him closer than ever before. The scent of her hair overpowered the stench of her bleeding. Her cheeks were becoming pale, almost white as snow.

Her lips were cracked like a dry desert, but in this small tension, he diverted his attention to her honey-coloured irises instead. The same colour as Yukari’s or Maria’s. No matter how tempting, the familiar emotion he felt for the two women was absent in this situation. There was only genuine care and concern for this lady.

The almost lifeless soul continued to stare at him, while trying her best to speak…

The frail voice… didn’t sound like Irisa at all…

“Tell me who it is, Irisa-san… and what do I need them for?” he answered in a cool and calm whisper, masking the anxiety and frustration he was feeling inside, trying to soothe not only the woman before her, but even himself. If he remained calm, he might be able to think rationally and plan the next move.

If all seas must be turned dry to find this person, so be it.

[494]

It was so pathetic, to perish from this world as no more than a bearer of news to someone who will finish the fight. Yet, Irisa made peace with the fact that this was her last battle. In a way, it was a fitting end to someone who sought to become the bringer of knowledge for all of Soul Society - passing on the final, crucial bit of knowledge to someone who was more capable than her. Someone who could finish the job, and do what she herself never could.

"After the... Battle... of Broken Skies... I received a premonition..." Irisa muttered, weakly, staring at Hyakuji's eyes just as he gazed into hers. There was no time to explain what this premonition was, what spell she used to receive it, and how she could trust it - only that she trusted it. "That... that person is the key... to stopping Akira... to saving... Soul Society... or else it all will fall... You must bring that person on your side..."

Before either of them even knew about Akira, or the second Demon Invasion, but after the Battle of Broken Skies, she had gone on her own searches for this person. In one of these journeys, she came across Nezuel, and that fateful meeting led to everything that happened between them. Yet... she did not get any closer to what she was searching for.

Irisa's grasp onto Hyakuji's uniform got weaker and weaker, her fingers slipping off the cloth with each passing second. She no longer had the strength to hold on, and her body was collapsing to the bed.

"Look for... silver eyes..."

Irisa's head laid onto the pillow, her hand dropped down, and her eyes slowly closed. For a few seconds, all of the nurses and healers of the Fourth Division who had surrounded the bed were watching in complete shock and silence. Finally, Sayuri muttered, weakly:

"...Professor?"

She grabbed onto Irisa's wrist, checking for a pulse, then tried to activate her Keikatsu technique one more time, to no avail. Kakuzo, standing next to her, took off his cap and looked down to the floor. His colleague's desperation turned to sorrow, and in between a few sobs, Sayuri muttered:

"I'm sorry..."

The reiatsu which had held together Irisa's two bisected halves let go, no longer supported by any conscious or unconscious effort, rendering to no more than particles scattering across the air.

Far in the distance, beyond the camp set up by the Fourth Division, two Shinigami slowly touched down upon the surroundings of the Fifth Division Barracks. It was the Captain Commander and Toru Hinawa, the Captain of the Fifth Division, both slowly approaching the camp together - though not yet aware of the tragedy which had taken place among the nurses and healers.

The 13th Division Captain listened intently, waiting on every word that would come out from the lady’s lips with anticipation. The thought of Irisa dying was becoming clearer, and he readied himself in case she didn’t make it. It still felt like his insides were burning, but his calm expression again betrayed the rage that was already consuming him.

This Akira, whoever it was, needed to die a thousand times as payment for all the death he caused. If Hyakuji should move heaven and earth to find and defeat him, he would. He had no idea if this person from the witch’s premonition would actually help him, though he understood that he would need more than himself to beat this monster who just unmercifully killed a comrade, a friend.

Much as like the original plan, he needed more allies to wage war against the demons and put an end to their never ending hunger for dominion.

As the blonde shinigami surrendered her last breath, Hyakuji slowly caressed her head to lay her on the pillow. His raven hair, almost interlocking with her golden locks.

“Your sacrifice will not be in vain, Irisa-san. Dream on…”

He said, taking a good look at her face before his lips warmed her forehead. The gesture might be taken differently by those watching, but to the captain, it was a form of respect. Their first few encounters were rough, true; and one could mistake their different ideologies and principles somewhat a hindrance to a blooming friendship, yet they were able to look beyond that and formed trust and bond with each other along the way.

Hyakuji stepped back, and kept to himself what the blonde witch had just told him.

It was at this point that Captain Commander Katsumoto and Captain Hinawa of the 5th Division entered the scene. The raven-haired shinigami bowed slightly as a greeting to both, “Katsumoto-taichou, Hinawa-taichou…”

He assumed that Irisa had not told both of them the details yet, though he figured if she were alive, she wouldn’t keep it a secret. It was an urgent matter needing careful attention after all. Yet the man decided not to spill the beans, just yet…

[367]

When Captain-Commander Katsumoto and Captain Hinawa landed on the ground, they both were beset by an unavoidable perception of a... bad omen. Not just because of the destruction which the Archives suffered in the battle that neither of them, nor all of Soul Society, could perceive until it was too late - though it certainly played a big part of it. The gathering nurses and healers in the camps of the Fourth Division were making it clear that something was taking place among the tents as well.

From among the nurses, Captain Hyakuji emerged, approaching both of the Captains and bowing to them. Though he did not let on to any information he might have had, the young Shinigami captain was clearly distraught and shaken by what had happened - which tipped off the other Captains that something was going on.

Hinawa broke from the group first.

"Irisa?" he called out to his former student by name, advancing to the healing outpost, where the Fourth Division shinigami stepped aside at his approach as soon as they noticed him. The last he recalled, she was in the Archives, right as the attack struck them... "Irisa!!" he yelled as soon as he reached the bed.

The Captain-Commander stared at Hyakuji. For once in a long, long time, his expression was dejected and distressed, though he remained calm even as it became clear that one of the most trustworthy members of his Division was no more. After a weak sigh, he asked:

"Did she manage to tell you anything about who was responsible for the attack?"

Many soldiers risk their lives on the battlefield, probably, without any hope that they would return alive after a day, or weeks, or years of unrelenting wars. It would be a miracle if they end up in a hospital, no matter beaten, at least, they made it out alive.

What happened today was clearly nothing like a war. Yet. Or maybe it was already beginning since the day the demons attacked Soul Society. No-wait… they were slowly making their move from the beginning. And it all began in Osaka, where the sinners first attacked.

And yet, they have been complacent about it.

If this invasion and surprise attacks keep happening,who knows what would happen to Soul Society, let alone to the future of all the realms. Something has to be done. They can’t always be on the defending side waiting for the enemy to attack. Maybe, the first thing to do is to get the help of this person Irisa was talking about. Though– Silver eyes… The only person he knew with such a trait was long gone.

Hyakuji reverted his attention to the two captains, who, were quick to catch up on what just happened. Captain Hinawa broke up from the group and went to see Irisa first. Katsumoto-taichou remained with Hyakuji, inquiring him of the details of the attack.

“She said the man who attacked was a shinigami like us,” the 13th Division Captain began, devoid of any emotion he willingly expressed earlier.

“He goes by the name of Akira. A shinigami who existed for more than a thousand years, and was sent to hell before Gotei 13 was even founded. Irisa-san also mentioned that he now serves the Demon Realm and wanted to take over Soul Society, claiming his birthright.”

“...Do you know who this guy is, Katsumoto-taichou?”

“Perhaps, it is now time to devise a strategy to wage war against them. We can no longer be silent, Taichou.”

Surely, he was a man of peace. However, if this Akira was the same person responsible for the loss of his lover, just as Irisa had told him, there was no longer a reason to turn the other cheek. He needed to fight back. Even if it means, he’s gonna do it alone.

No other Way

At first, the Captain-Commander listened to Hyakuji's report in complete silence and without any emotion - however, when the other Captain suddenly revealed the name of the Shinigami who had, apparently, attacked the Archives and killed Irisa, his eyes suddenly widened. It was a subtle change in his expression, but for the first time in many... many years, perhaps even centuries, the Captain-Commander appeared afraid.

"That... can't be," he muttered after Hyakuji finished his report. All of the information which he told about Akira's past was correct, and the fact that he was able to step into Soul Society and kill a Captain level Shinigami proved that he hasn't lost an ounce of his power.

Briefly, Katsumoto closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then moved his eyes off Hyakuji, staring to the horizon instead. The young Captain wished to know whether Katsumoto knew anything about Akira. He did so, intimately.

"Young Hyakuji... I am sure you know enough of what the days before the foundation of Gotei 13 were like. It was a time when there was no unity across all of Soul Society, and what we now know as the Rukongai was divided between several bloodthirsty clans, constantly fighting for supremacy. Akira was one of the leaders of these clans, and he was the most dangerous of them all."



"He was bloodthirsty, and ambitious, and born with such unbelievable power than his mere presence could make warriors cower and collapse. Because of his power, he believed that he deserved to rule all of Soul Society - and that Soul Society should conquer all of the other realms, even humanity. He came close to achieving this goal. I, the first graduates of Shin'o Academy, and the other clans joined forces to stop him and bring an end to his reign of terror. Those clans became the noble families, and the graduates of Shin'o eventually became the first Shinigami."

Briefly, Katsumoto paused and closed his eyes. "...To this day, he is one of the most powerful opponents I have ever faced."

After opening his eyes again, he turned to face Hyakuji directly, once again. "You are right. If the Demons have joined forces with such a threat, we cannot stay idle, and must figure out a way to stop them. The seal upon Hell must be protected, and Akira must be destroyed again."

Vengeful Resolution

Captain Katsumoto had never shown any fear to this day. At least, none had been obvious so far. Hyakuji realised the threat of this Akira must be so enormous, that the mention of his name got the Captain open his eyes, if ever so briefly.

While the old man relayed his side of the story about Akira calmly, the younger Captain could not help but notice the Commander’s concern about the man’s comeback. It seemed that this shinigami was truly beyond their capabilities, even with someone as strong and powerful as Katsumoto Rengoku- Taichou.

Even then, he could not let the Captain Commander know about Irisa’s prophecy could he? Will he allow someone from outside to meddle in this business? He had yet to probe. The last time Hyakuji dragged someone into this mess was when he gave the Hogyoku to his lover, unaware of the danger that is Akira– the Death God from Hell. Rengoku initially didn’t approve the plan, and he was proven right by the young shinigami’s carelessness.

Now is not the time to spit another nonsense. If he were to carry out and seek this person, he should do it alone.

Regardless, Soul Society must get ready to take action. This might endanger the peace with other races he was seeking, yet he couldn’t also stay idle while his comrades die unawarely. Just thinking about it was leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Yes, Captain.” The long maned shinigami agreed.

“I am ready. Whatever your plan of action is. If we could convene together to devise strategy, I can relay everything that I have gathered about the demons so far…”

Were they ready for an all-out war? Hyakuji was not certain, except for one thing… He had to protect the people who matter to him. At all costs.

[309]

Hearing the Captain-Commander, Hyakuji answered swiftly. Right as he heard his superior's determination to stop Akira, he declared that he is ready, and he already volunteered for planning for the strategy against Akira and the Demon Kingdom. It was to be expected. He was full of energy, and determined to avenge someone who was close to him before her passing. On a base level, Katsumoto could understand him, and he himself felt sorrow for the loss of someone whom he could rely on for many, many years.

"...however," the Captain-Commander suddenly spoke, continuing his thought. "You should temper your expectations, Hyakuji."

The voice was faintly bitter. Briefly, Katsumoto glanced towards the camps of the healers nearby. Captain Hinawa was standing besides Irisa's bed, and it affected him as poorly as he expected.

"Even today, all we can afford is to be reactive. We can be determined to destroy the Demons all we want, but we still must wait for their forces to appear on the ground first, before we can confront them and bring them down. And seeing as Akira... must have managed to bypass all of the defenses of Soul Society today, that is an act easier said than done."

Katsumoto turned to Hyakuji directly. "We will not be able to descend down to the Underworld to put a stop to the machinations of the Trifecta, if they still hold any power over the waging of this war. Much like Demons can only slip through the barrier between our world and Hell in limited numbers, and restrained, the same befells Shinigami if they venture into the Underworld. We can only access it in small numbers, and for a limited time. As you can imagine, sending a party down there, into the natural habitat of the Demons, would mean signing a death sentence for everyone involved and accomplish nothing."

Briefly, the Captain-Commander sighed. "I will summon the Captains, and we can share these findings. Then, we can decide how best to counter Akira's next assault."