Bleach Hereafter RPG

A drop of sweat beaded off Shuhei’s arm, his body was gleaming as he finished out his training regime for the day. Today was sword training, something that he enjoyed among combat types. He was training in a large arena today; he needed a little more space to let loose. Shuhei trained often in an attempt to become a well-rounded fighter. Among his weekly schedule is also relax days and time spent with comrades. He made it his goal to make sure he did not let his physical training separate him from others or himself. His combat was the thing that felt the most natural, however. This was largely due to his upbringing. When you are next in line for the mantel of an assassin’s guild, you can imagine combat was akin to survival on the daily. Shuhei was both thankful for his skills and also resentful for the purpose in which it was taught to him, he was not a killer, at least not in the way he was trained. Shuhei always attempted to try reason when it could be used, though he was not opposed to physical reason when it was called for. He would prefer the world was less violent, but that was not this world. Violence was necessary to stop bad people who chose to harm others for their own gain, and it was these people who was going to stop.


As if on cue, a butterfly came up behind him with a message. It seems as though he was going to have a chance to show exactly what he was here for. His first mission as a 1st division squad member, his chance to follow in his mentor’s footsteps. A group of Shinigami have gone rogue and were spotted on the outskirts of the Rukongai district. He was being asked to follow this lead and eliminate this threat. The group had been terrorizing citizens and harming innocent lives, taking a few, in order to supply and set up their operations. One of them was a single mother leaving behind two kiddos. Mashina Kein. Shuhei let the name play in his head a few times in order to give her memory the respect it deserved. Shuhei’s grip tightened. Shuhei took a deep breath, sheathed his sword and picked up his shirt, moving into the barracks to get cleaned up, eat, and rest before leaving in the morning. He also checked in with his superior to let them know he was going to be heading out.


Shuhei moved from roof to roof as he moved out of the seretei, he was careful to be light with each landing and launch. Shuhei knew the area in question, even knowing where the best place for the Shinigami to be hiding was. This is the area he grew up in, the area he had moved all around in order to stay hidden. If they thought they were safe, they had another thing coming with him being the one sent out. One of a handful of positives to have come out of his early teachings. Shuhei had decided awhile back he would use the skills he learned as an assassin to stop others from being hurt. He would never become the man his father wanted him to be. He often got worked up when he thought about his father, which is why Shuhei did not notice the young woman sitting on the rooftop of the home he was moving to. Shuhei twisted his body and pushed off the rooftop awkwardly, luckily, he got a good push which allowed him time in the air to adjust and land cleanly on the following rooftop. He smoothed out his gi and looked back.


“Are you okay, sir?” said the woman on the rooftop as she met his gaze.


Shuhei went from plain faced to a wide smile that caused his eyes to look closed, “yeah, sorry about that.” Shuhei chuckled while he rubbed his head. “I hope I didn’t harm you in any way.”


“No, I am good. Thank you.” She gave a wry smile which was barely seen from where he stood. The woman looked to be the same age as Shuhei, medium length brown hair, and those deep brown eyes which were warmed ever so by the sun overhead. She was holding her knees in as if in emotional distress.


“Are you sure, ms?”


“Asaneh, Asaneh Kein.”


The name rang in Shuhei’s mind, “my apologies, are you connected to the recently lost Mashina?” Asaneh’s head lifted as she tightened her grip around her knees.


“She was…my…mother.” Shuhei was shocked. The report had said she left behind two children, though he was now realizing it never said their ages. Of course, this did not change his resolve, considering he could still see the pain she wan carrying from her loss. Shuhei lowered his head and placed a hand to his chest.


“I am sad for your loss and,” Shuhei paused for a moment. ^{Should I tell her? It is not commonplace to do so, however she deserves justice from her pain.} “My name is Shuhei Grimmrose, I am a soul reaper for squad 1, and it is my duty to find those that hurt her Ms. Kein.” Asaneh’s grip relaxed, her wry smile showed higher, though just as quickly faded.


“Then I wish you luck soul reaper, and please return here as soon as you have succeeded.” Asaneh arose from her spot on the roof, her stability showing just how familiar she was with the slope beneath her feet. She nodded to Shuhei and went back inside. Shuhei nodded back towards her. He did not expect her to cut the conversation short after stating his intent, however he was not about to disrupt a grieving daughter. Shuhei paused staring at her home, then turned and ran out of the town, towards the forests and hills surrounding the area. The maze of trees and stones were nothing but wallpaper to the home he had within this wilderness, he moved hastily as he checked any area the group could be hiding. He did so all through the night, checking high and low.


^{I know they have to be here somewhere, there is no other area they could be without getting spotted daily. I have checked all possibly places, however, and have found no sign of them. What is the meaning of this? What is—}


*CLANG*


Shuhei shifted his body around just in time to knock away the knife that was twisting towards his head.


*CLANG* *CLANG*


Two more followed. Shuhei shifted around to find where they came from, a man was moving between nearby trees, covered by the encroaching dusk. Shuhei did not realize night was on its way, and that he had been searching for so long. He was so focused on his mission. The night cover was keeping him from getting a full read on the mystery figure, but it didn’t mean that he was at a disadvantage. Shuhei moved and put himself behind a nearby tree, as he did so, he then pressed his feet into the ground and carefully propelled himself upwards onto the branch above. This was his battleground, and he wasn’t about to let some imposter think otherwise.


The man with the knives was covered from head to toe in black, masked to hide the face beneath. He was breathing steadily and quietly, doing so with each step in order to create moments of complete silence between the breaths. A shadow in sight, illuminated by the disappearing sun. The man slipped a blade between his fingers and released it. The sound of his knife thudding against wood was all too familiar for someone with his skill. A lapse in awareness and-


“Do not move,” Shuhei whispered precisely and steadily. His blade was a hair away from the man’s neck. Each swallow, each breath, each blink threatening to cause fatal harm. “Who are you, and where is your base?” The sun had finally given way to the moon, and still darkness surrounded their encounter. A night breeze passed along them as it moved from the side. Shuhei could feel the muscle flex in the man’s body right before he pushed off and out of the tangle of his own sword. No damage was done to the man as he now stood before Shuhei with a look of severity. Shuhei stared back at him in kind, then released the tension in his body before a large smile came over him and he rubbed his head. “Well, I guess you called my bluff then, eh?” The man gave a subtle start barely visible beneath the mask. “I mean I am very serious about you answering those question, but I would much rather avoid any unnecessary bloodshed.” The man’s limited emotions showed a slight lean towards confusion as he let his sword release slightly. Shuhei’s face became plainer, though no malice was within it, “I am not going to forgive anyone for the pain they caused and the lives they took, but I would rather bring you in than have to kill anyone today.” The man stood without motion or change, those four breaths seeming to last hours separated Shuhei’s request and the answer from the man. In a moment the man gripped his sword, pushed off the earth and lunged at Shuhei. Shuhei sighed, “that’s too bad”. The man swung for Shuhei’s head, a killing blow, but rebounded away from his target as Shuhei’s blade met his with force. The masked man followed the blow and flipped over to land on his feet. Shuhei rushed in without hesitation and met the man’s blade again. This time it was Shuhei with the lead attack, and the man was not ready for the intensity that he had. The man pushed back with effort, the force not giving way however caused the ground to break beneath his feet. The masked man’s underestimation gave way and Shuhei sliced through, cutting into the man’s shoulder before he could step back from the skirmish. The man flung another knife out towards Shuhei, his shunpo keeping from him harm. The man then pulled out another knife and just as he was about to throw it, his hand dropped. His body was standing; however, it was slumped slightly, thought Shuhei, just as the body dropped to the ground and all that was left was a dark reddish cloaked figure in a kabuki mask with a knife now covered in blood sticking out. This person had killed the man, their dark hair and curves suggested a woman underneath the mask.


Just as he was about to ask who they were, he noticed the woman’s hand. She had just killed a man and looked as though she was concealing her identity as if she was out here with intent, but her hand was shaking. ^{Is this?} Shuhei quickly moved towards her, she did not move. As he got closer, he could see more details. The moonlight giving him an edge for sight. The woman was wearing a red cloak with a black hem, the cloth was adorned with padding in various places, suggesting the designer was familiar with battle wear. The kabuki mask was mostly red with dark circles around the eyes, a threatening look to say the least, and it did well to hide any features underneath. The knife itself was plain, though the wound left on the man was clean, so it was definitely a weapon on not some utensil.


Shuhei stood now right in front of the masked woman, and yet she still had not moved from her position. Shuhei did notice from the distance she was not just shaking in her hand, but in her shoulders as well. A faint cry concealed behind the mask was leaking out and Shuhei was almost certain he knew who this was. Shuhei reached out and wrapped his hands around her hers, holding the knife. “Are you okay Ms. Kein…Asaneh?” When he said her name she slumped over, though Shuhei was close enough to catch her. She wrapped her hands around his neck and dug her face into his shoulder. Her crying became louder, “I’ve got you; he is gone.”


“How did you know it was me?” She pulled back and released the strings on the back of the mask, letting it move down so her face could be seen. She was way more beautiful than Shuhei remembered, those eyes holding the moonlight much more than the sun ever did, a sheen from the tears only highlighted it.


“First, are you okay?


“No, but I will be. That is when I see all of them dead.” Her sobs were lessened as a presence of hatred arose around her. “This one though, he is the one that killed my mom. He had to go first.” Shuhei followed her gaze, now looking down on the man that was laying at their feet. The blood around him had stopped moving as he lay in the pool.


“Well not alone, please allow me to accompany you,” Shuhei knew it would be best for her to stay behind, he was the trained fighter whose mission this was, not her. That being said, he also knew the value of justice and being the one to deliver it, especially after hearing her statement. There was no point in asking someone with that much hatred to abandon their quest, she would most likely end up going off alone anyways and then possibly getting hurt. Shuhei would rather them go together so he could make sure she stayed safe.


“Okay.” She moved her eyes to meet his and then straightened up. She was about to move the knife into a sheath she had at her waist. Shuhei grabbed her wrist and she gasped. Shuhei put his palm out to show he did not mean to be so aggressive. She allowed him to go about what he was doing, watching him. Shuhei grabbed the man on the ground’s facemask off of him with a tug, he then wiped the blood from the blade on this and then motioned for her to put it away, she nodded when she finished.


“Aright, well now we just need to find the rest,” Shuhei stated as he looked on into the trees.


“No worries, I know exactly where they are.”


“You do?”


“Yes, he was the one they left behind to scout while the rest of them all went to the local inn. They were threatening the owner with their Shikai if they did not get meals and drinks for free in the evenings, also if anyone turned them in, they threatened their families.” Shuhei’s grip went around his Zanpakutou when she finished speaking. ^{How dare they threaten innocent lives with their weapons, the weapons made to protect the soul society.} Then kill. That thought did not feel like his own as it passed, but ^{what else?} Shuhei shook it off and then followed Asaneh, who now had her mask back on, to the inn the group was staying at.


Shuhei and Asaneh looked at one another as they came to the inn, The Red Web Inn stated across the wooden sign outside, with a large red spider drawn beside it. A loud cacophony came from behind the front swinging door. A sound of a typical inn with music, loud yelling that could not be made out, and cooks bantering while they made the meals. “I have an idea,” said Asaneh. She brought him close.

---

A few moments later Asaneh was entering the inn, she was no longer wearing her kabuki mask and cloak, but instead just the clothes she had on underneath. The brown dress was flattering to her curves and her brown hair framed her face delicately, highlighting the brown in her eyes. She moved carefully to the counter and asked for a meal. The inn keeper was looking at her with worried eyes, shifting them between her and the men in the corner. She obviously knew who they were to her, and her being alone like this seemed to bring her concern. Her eyes got wide in unison with the sound of footsteps behind her.


“Well, hey there pretty lady,” said a voice approaching, “you sure look lovely tonight.” She eyed the inn keeper with meeting concern and then gave a thin grin, which barely rested on her face before going to a sweet smile when she started turning around. The man did not know her, something she was hoping for given that when they killed her mother, they did not see her and her sister under the floorboards.


“Hello sir, is there something that I can help you with?”


“How about the pleasure of your company,” the man smiled and reached around to grab her behind. The inn keeper gave a bit of a start.


“Oh, sorry madame, I did not pay you yet.” Asaneh did not want to bring her into this and used her lack of payment as an excuse for the woman’s noticeable worry. She placed two coppers on the counter “Also, if you could get me a little wine that would be lovely.” She noticed there was no drinks on the counter, so she was hoping to get the woman to leave to the cellar for a bit of time. The woman nodded carefully and retreated into a doorway with the sound of step descending echoing comfortably. “Now where were we?” She said as she started turning back to him, she gasped as he yanked her hair back and kissed her neck. “Umm…excuse me I-“


“Shut up woman,” the smell of the drink on his breath was just coming to her attention, she did not expect this kind of treatment. He grabbed her hand and went to move towards the tables his companions were sitting at, only one other table was occupied apart from where they all sat, though they were now leaving for the door Thank goodness she thought. Asaneh pulled him towards her, and he smiled, “well okay then.” He went in for a full-on kiss and before he could Swish a breeze fettered behind him and Asaneh could see the blood begin to slip down his body. His eyed were drooping now from their excited position.

---

Shuhei flicked the blood for his sword with a flourish to get the man’s blood from it. One less criminal was now among the opposing party, and also all innocents were out of the room. He nodded to Asaneh to check she was okay as she let the body fall to the floor, she nodded back without even looking at it fall. They both know looked to the rest of the group. There were three more men at the tables, all of which were now springing to their feet and unsheathing their weapons with no care to the items being knocked about their dining space. One thought occupied Shuhei’s mind, ^{if these men had access to their Shikai, this may be a hard fight.}


“Division scum, we knew you would show up.” This voice was not coming from any of the men in front of him, but rather a large man looking from above on the second-floor landing, he had been in one of the rooms and came out as soon as Shuhei made his move. “Well, looks like this should be a pretty simple disagreement, take care of this boys and please do not allow me to be disturbed any further.” He steps moved into a nearby room out of sight. The men looked towards Shuhei and Asaneh, who now had her knife in her hands.


Shuhei would not wait for them to move, he knew that in this case getting further away from Asaneh and being decisive would be what wins this fight. Speed was a valuable factor in a battle when you were outnumbered, something he remembered from his time in the Se7en Shades. With that Shuhei launched off the floorboards, with enough spring to clear the first row of tables. His blade met with one of the men’s with a loud Clang. Another man moved to the side of him with his weapon out and the third moved towards Asaneh. Shuhei would have to deal with these two men first before- just then a knife struck the one to his right side, he flinched, Shuhei pushed off of his opponent’s blade and let the force swing into the opening Asaneh had created, twisting his blade and tearing through the man’s midsection, he let the blade move through the air before bringing it above him just in time to stop the other man’s blade from coming down on his head. Shuhei swiped at his legs with his, the man maneuvering above to avoid while also blocking any further hit from Shuhei, he was a capable fighter and was showing that. The other man now lied at their feet. Shuhei had a moment of reprieve to look over and see the other man had Asaneh pinned down and they were fighting over the knife in her hand.


“HADŌ #4: BYAKURAI” A pale white light shot from his outstretched fingertips, hitting the man and causing him to lose his advantage in the scuffle, Shuhei was still working on strengthening his Kido, but was hoping even without the incantation it would help buy time. His nearby opponent swung into Shuhei and clipped his left shoulder before Shuhei could drop under the full force. He needed to focus on what was in front of him too. Shuhei swung upwards, knowing the man would dodge his counter blow, and really just trying to create some space for him to get back on his feet. The man jumped back from his sword and then move forward again with another downward swing, Shuhei was able to rise and meet the blade, both of them pushing back against one another. The red sword was steady in hands waiting for an opening, the man pushed back harder as his spiritual pressure increased, ^shoot Shuhei thought, as he was hoping to avoid any sword releases. The man instead gained an advantage on him and began pushing into him more. Shuhei was losing the conflict, Shuhei gripped his Zanpakutou with both hands to fight back the weight. He twisted his body in an instant, kicking the man’s right side with his left foot and pushing off the sword. This gave Shuhei an opening to follow up with a slash upward to the left and bringing his blade through the man’s middle. He fell to the ground Still no releases, ^{that is good}. Shuhei told himself. A loud shriek filled the inn. Shuhei looked over to see the man still had Asaneh pinned down and had driven the knife right below her left shoulder. In that moment it was as if time slowed down, the follow up moans were stifled, and the man’s grunt of success was distant. Shuhei’s face furrowed as rage filled his mind. Kill Them All The voice, which was not his, in his head, said. Shuhei gripped his sword hard, the blood leaving him from his shoulder was not even an afterthought. Time snapped to and the grunts of Asaneh were louder now, the man raised his hand to punch into the blade, he brought it down and then Swoosh Shuhei made his move and sliced clean through the man's neck, the speed so intentional he also cleaved through the man’s arm as it made it’s journey. Asaneh was wide eyed at the look in Shuhei’s face, a look of a killer. Her eyes showed horror, but Shuhei was not done yet, not before he could Kill Them All. Shuhei ran up the stairs and burst into the room the large man had entered before the fight began downstairs.


The large man was sharpening his axe when Shuhei burst into the door, buckling it inwards as the frame cracked. Instead of horror, the man met Shuhei’s murderous intent with a chuckle. “I was a little worried I wouldn’t get to have any fun,” the man said in a deep tone. His dark hair was in a knot on top of his head and his Shinigami robes, which he still wore, were ripped at the sleeves and the neckline to make space for his bulging muscles. He was almost 3 times larger than Shuhei. His face was tan with thick eyebrows sitting above his dark yellow eyes. The large handlebar mustache on his face gave him an aged look, as he was easily twice the age of the man who had just come through the door.


“Well let’s play, shall we?" Said Shuhei with a horrific smile on his face. He shot into the room at the man and hoped to get the jump. He did not see the man’s grin until it was too late, the man didn’t move his axe up, but instead punched Shuhei with his left arm. Shuhei launched into the opposite wall from where the man was, breaking through and rolling into the other room. As he rolled out and onto his feet, he saw the bed he had busted as he went through the wall. The man was not where Shuhei had expected him. ^{Where did he go?} Right! Shuhei swung his sword up to meet the man’s axe just in time as he came in from the side. His force was enough to stop from flying back, though Shuhei slide a foot back.


“Not bad kid, you got some quick reflexes,” The man bellowed as he swung his axe over his shoulder. “You know it’s too ba-“ He was cut off as Shuhei was underneath him and swung up into his chin. The man threw himself back. He was stumbling from the sudden movement and Shuhei followed through with a slash downward from the man's right shoulder to his left hip. He was able to avoid a deep cut, though was stable again now with a gash across his body. “You little!” He swung his axe down at Shuhei trying to crush him, Shuhei saw it coming, the man was a brute and smashing him was what he expected next. Shuhei rolled to the man’s left and then swung at his arm, leaving another gash on the surface as the man pulled away again. He used the back swing to then launch forward at Shuhei sideways, Shuhei jumped up and allowed the axe to his sword, since he could not avoid the blow altogether, and let the pressure propel him backwards. Shuhei slammed his feet into the wall and rebounded like a snake, as he then shot forward at the man, slashing him good this time through the middle. ^{It’s done} he thought. He flipped the blood off his blade but was interrupted by the man laughing behind him. “Is that all you got?” The large man said, Shuhei’s eyes narrowed as he turned around, the man rising while he laughed.


“Now cleave, yama bureka!” Shuhei could feel the pressure gaining in the man and his axe while he spun to meet his gaze. The man was now holding a dark green double-bladed axe, what was once a one-handed weapon was now two. The weapon itself infused into the color of the man’s spiritual pressure with its own. The man swung it upwards and down just as fast, “keikoku!” As the blade came down, Shuhei threw himself into the room he started this fight in, just in time, as there was now a cleave through the entire building where Shuhei was just standing. The moon shone through where the roof was once completed and splashed down into the ground where the earth now split. ^{So, this is the power of his Shikai}. The man then immediately swung sideways at Shuhei; at a speed he was not at all expecting. The wall took the brunt of the damage; however, it hurled him flipping backwards into the wall of the room. Shuhei spit out as his back slammed flat into the structure. ^{How can I fight this?} The man came through the hole in the wall, or what was left of the wall, breaking through with no resistance. “You are done now little man. You will die now at the hands of Bruester Cawn!” He swung his axe overhead.



“Wait!” said a voice coming through the busted-out doorway Shuhei had entered earlier. Asaneh was standing there with that same horrified face she had earlier. Bruester turned towards her and released ever so slightly on his grip. He looked at the woman and then back at Shuhei.


“You know,” he said to Shuhei as he leaned into his face, “you did kill my men before you killed me. I guess I can give the same curtesy.” The man smiled and strengthened his grip yet again. He turned towards the doorway. “Well well, if it isn’t little Asaneh. What, killing your mother wasn’t enough? Now you come to lay your own life down?” Asaneh did not expect he any of them would remember her, so his familiarity caught her off guard and a tear streamed down her face. The man kept insulting her mother’s memory as he slowly inched towards the doorway.


The same rage he had earlier overcame Shuhei, though he did his best this time to hold it back. “Chains of fate crawl out, unifying man and beast!” The man was close enough know and tightened his muscles into action as he began the motion, bringing the axe sideways into the doorway. “BAKUDŌ #52: GENSHITSU!” Shuhei yelled that last part hoping to get the man’s attention. Bruester followed his swing into Asaneh, however he pulled back slightly, creating a shallow slash rather than a fatal one. Asaneh screamed out. Shuhei lunged with all he had into action and slashed through the man’s body. A fatal wound. The man hit the ground and the spiritual pressure of his weapon swirled back into the axe, as it became the weapon it was before.


“You tricky little devil,” the man said spitting up, “you knew that I would recognize that Kido and that if I killed her, it would have meant the end of me right there. I didn’t think you had enough in you to finish me if I held back on her. You are a monster”. The man's head then hit the ground.


“Asaneh!” Shuhei ran to her to help. He picked her up and ran with her as fast as he could to the nearest clinic. He arrived at a small building a few streets over which he knew of. Shuhei came through the door, “somebody please help her.” He said as he carried Asaneh in, her breathing was very shallow now. A woman ran from behind her station and came over with two others behind her ready to help the woman. He and them carried Asaneh into a small room on the side. They asked Shuhei to step out while they helped her. Shuhei spent a few hours in the waiting room, answering questions about his mission, the battle, and how Asaneh was involved. Given his role as a Shinigami, he was of course in no trouble for completing his mission. Shuhei sent a message to his mission commander and let him know the group was taken care of. He found out later one of the men downstairs was holding onto life when the cleanup crew arrived, their leader getting out of him where their main base was. Shuhei accompanied the man, while he awaited Asaneh’s recovery, and helped recover lost items and also to destroy their compound so it could not be used any further.

---

“You know you didn’t have to wait” said Asaneh to Shuhei who was half asleep in his chair. She had been out for around 80 hours, while Shuhei sat next to her as long as they would let him, of course that was after they insisted, they bandage up his shoulder.


“I know,” he said. “I wanted to make sure you wer-“


“I was what?” He now noticed her face was not that of a friend, but instead she looked at him with anger, “you let him slash me, you did something, you used me. I would really like you to leave.”


“Asaneh I can explain, I-“


“Now!” She said. She then rolled over and began sobbing. A nurse came in, as well as a bodyguard, and Shuhei was asked to leave. They walked with Shuhei to the front door.”


“Give her time,” the nurse said. “Whatever happened, she needs to recover first physically and mentally, Asaneh has been through a lot.” Shuhei nodded in agreeance and left the clinic. He went back to his dorms to rest, eat, and recover. He could not stop thinking about what Asaneh said, ^{Did I do the right thing?} Shuhei knew he was not strong enough to take on Bruester on his own, and that in that moment he had to find the best way to protect her life and also take the man down quickly and that was the only way he knew he could win. As Shuhei finished his dinner, he sat down at his table with ink and pen and began writing, planning to explain himself and hopefully build up trust so he could visit her again and let her know he was doing all he could to protect her.


Dear Asaneh…






He just wished he was stronger