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A few moments after defeating one of her fellow Captains with her Bankai, the Sixth Division Captain, Tamamura Tamao, found herself stopped inside the third district of the Rukongai. 'I know it came here...' she thought as she began to narrow her search for a hollow which could hide its presence inside of other beings. This thing needed to be handled before it further pressed the members of the Gotei Thirteen into the dire straits it had faced this afternoon. As such the Captain began to move slowly among these people, searching for what it was looking for.
The Hollow Tamao sought had long since materialized itself, taking the form of a lamprey with an elongated mask. It stood just outside of civilization on the mountainside, facing the white-haired Vice-Captain recently appointed to the 10th Division. "You... I will start again with you as my vessel. Then, I'll work my way back up to those Captains again!" the Hollow claimed. The Vice-Captain, Kumori Raizen, seemed apathetic to the words of this Hollow. "So, you're the cause of these problems. I was told to report if I found you, but... you seem very killable," Raizen said as his Reiatsu, and the Hollow's, both began to flare against one another.
Tamao took her search in a very urgent but calm pace, so as to avoid frightening any citizens. She thought it was likely very rare for them to see a Shinigami Captain as most of them seemed to flee her presence of their own accord. She however kept her senses on high alert and soon enough found herself atop a roof waiting to feel something which seemed more hollow. She fully intended to kill the creature once she found it, and then... it hit her out of nowhere. 'There!' she turned in the direction that would most quickly lead her towards the outskirts of this mountain and head there to finish the job of dispatching the hollow.
In a matter of moments, the lamprey Hollow was charging toward Raizen, who had yet to even unsheathe his Zanpakutou. In fact, Raizen's right hand was upon his face during the beginning of this assault. "This is a shame for you. I've been looking for this sort of opportunity," Raizen said as his own Reiatsu doubled. When this occurred, half of the power he held was that of a Hollow, and there was a ripple pattern-covered mask upon his face. His left hand reached out to grab this Hollow by its mask. This effort stopped the Hollow in its tracks, much to the Hollow's surprise. "Let me guess... With the power of two Captains backing you, you thought yourself capable of taking on a simple Vice-Captain and surprising whoever made you run out of the Seireitei with the power you still had leftover? That's a shame. You'd have been better off attacking another Captain."
The Hollow, Ghost, darted away from Raizen the moment these words were spoken. Surely this was only a temporary influx in power, and he had only been stopped during a moment of surprise. "Ahh. You're some trickster, Shinigami. It looks like you were able to boost your power enough to stop my attack, but there's no more of that!" True enough, the mask upon Raizen's face was already fading away, and with it, his power boost. Instead of seeming disappointed by this, though, he merely brought his right hand to his face again. "Hmph. I did say I was looking for an opportunity, didn't I? It was an opportunity to test my new abilities," Raizen stated. With that, he summoned his mask once more. The Hollow's eyes widened as Raizen regained his power boost and vanished from sight. When Raizen reappeared, he did so to Ghost's immediate fore, his right hand held out with a small collection of black Reiryoku within. "Killing you, though..." he said as the mask quickly shattered again. "Is easy enough with my own power. Hadou no Kyuujuu... Kurohitsugi." The energy in Raizen's hand erupted, reforming in the shape of a black box around the Hollow's body. Several spear-like protrusions were around this box, and all of them simultaneously shrank inward as the box collapsed. At the end, the Hollow was left with deep lacerations along its body. It began fading away immediately afterward, leaving traces of all the Reiatsu it had taken around the area. "Sou ka. Only one third its full power. Maybe more would have been possible if the mask stayed."
Soon enough this hollow's Reiatsu was disappearing and Tamao arrived on scene in time to see the creation of the high level Kidou spell but not the masked form this young man possessed. She was still quite surprised though, this individual was a recently made Vice-Captain and for him to show power like this was beyond what she'd expect of even a seasoned Vice-Captain. "Well done, Kumori-fukutaichou. And here I was searching to end that Hollow and there was a Vice-Captain capable of the task." Tamao said though she looked at the boy suspiciously. "Though it was agreed among Captains to tell their Vice-Captains to report any sightings of this particular hollow to avoid any potential problems..."
As Raizen's hand lowered, he was met by the Captain who hunted the lamprey Hollow. Immediately upon hearing her words, he turned toward her and bowed. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Tamamura-taichou," he said. When the white-haired male rose from his bow, he was accosted to some extent. He stood akimbo with a raised brow, understanding that he had gone against what was requested of him. "Hai. Himotoya-taichou did tell me that, but the Hollow sought to make me its new vessel. It seemed to have high intelligence though, so I took it upon myself to kill it when it attacked me. It was an easy enough task, and if I hadn't done it, it's possible the Hollow's plan could have gone through when I let my guard down. Isn't that the reason you were coming to kill it?"
Tamamura heard out what the young man had to say after he accepted her praise. she found his attitude and general demeanor to be better than she expected of most, and thus she was willing to make a small allowance since he'd so properly justified his reasoning behind going against the orders given to him. She thought highly of following the rules, but she understood that mid-combat occasionally decisions had to be made which weren't normally done for the sake of all involved. "That reasoning is acceptable, Kumori-fukutaichou. And yes, the reason I was coming here was to finish the job I started in killing it..." she said before turning as if she intended to head back. "Do see that you try and follow your orders a bit more closely when you can. We are an organization of rules, and they must be upheld," said the woman. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go see the Captain-Commander," And soon after this the pink haired woman would disappear from sight. She'd felt the disperse of all taken quantities of Reiryoku and felt that there was no need to tarry here any longer. Though the young Vice-Captain she'd come across was a bit suspicious, he'd done nothing she wouldn't have attempted under similar circumstances.
"Hai. Understood, Tamamura-taichou," Raizen said with another bow. The Captain would then vacate the premises, leaving him virtually alone in the district. Raizen took a moment thereafter to look into his open palm and contemplate these Hollow powers of his. 'Donning the mask a second time works... but not nearly for the same amount of time as the first. This is becoming interesting,' he thought. Soon enough, he moved on toward the Seireitei once more.
In the shadow of a mountain which pretty much contained the entirety of the West Rukongai 3rd District was a building which was built traditionally. There was a sign out front marking it as the 'Kisaragi Dojo' and its master was listed as Kisaragi Saya. The Master of this Dojo was sitting inside, having taken a meditative pose in the floor of the old place she didn't presently have any students and wasn't expecting any visitors. Across her lap a giant walking stick which she used to augment the movements lost by her missing left leg. As she sat the approach of an individual most familiar. "Shishou, Tadaima." said a small redhead with bandages wrapped across her chest, hands and feet. Instead of the normal fire red hakama she'd be used to seeing the girl in, she was wearing the black hakama which belonged to a Shinigami shihakusho. Upon entering the redhead immediately bowed, this would likely be seen as one of the most respectful the girl had been to literally anyone.
The woman's black pigtails moved about her shoulders as she rotated her shoulders and opened her eyes their grayish green color being hidden behind the glint coming in from one of the upper windows. "Jeez, Kiddo. You're in deplorable state. I didn't feel you coming, have you gotten that weak?" the woman asked which only made the redhead smile. "Nothing like that, and totally not what I'm here for... Also you aren't even gonna welcome me home?" as the redhead who seemed to pout just a little which caused the black haired woman to smile as she stood. If one simply looked at her, it was almost impossible to tell, that she was indeed missing a leg, but Benihime knew this to be the case, she'd found it out the hard way once. "Okaerinasai, Hime-chan. Now aside from becoming a piss-poor whiny brat, who've you brought with you?" she asked the girl who looked wide eyed. "Oh, this is the Vice-Captain of the 12th Division, Tatsuya," she said rising from her bow. Saya's left brow rose, she hadn't seen this child since her graduation she didn't even have any idea what Division she'd joined until Baiken had stopped by and they'd had a chat about her new recruit. "Oh, nice to meet you, I'm... Kisaragi Saya." she said to the lad, seeming to have a different attitude for him than the one she displayed for Benihime.
The white-haired boy who'd been named Vice-Captain of the 12th quite recently, followed behind Benihime into the Kisaragi Dojo. He silently stood with his arms tucked into his sleeves, sharing only a single word with Benihime. This word came alongside a grin, both of which followed the insult delivered to Benihime by her apparent former mentor. "Wrecked." After this, the lad was introduced to the master of this dojo. She acknowledged him with respect, so it was only right that he reciprocate as such. "The pleasure is mine, Kisaragi-fukutaichou," he said with a bow, addressing this woman with her proper title, despite her no longer holding it. Of course, there was more. "And... gomennasai," he continued. With that, Tatsuya took off at breakneck speed, as his left hand emerged from his sleeve. Straightened fingers held together revealed long, sharp nails which boasted the strength of a sealed Zanpakutou. He had these nails aimed at Saya's throat, as if he truly intended to pierce her jugular by the end of his dash.
Soon enough Benihime was confronted by the kind of commentary she'd gotten used to in her earlier and more formative years. Even so, Tatsuya felt the need to comment that the girl had apparently gotten wrecked by the commentary she could only smile. "Yeah, yeah, heard it all before. This hag is all talk anyways..." she said at the word 'hag' Saya's eyes narrowed and a glint appeared on her glasses as she pushed them up her face. She looked as if she was going to attack Benihime, but this would wait until a proper greeting had been met between herself and the new Vice-Captain of the 12th Division. The lad seemed content on calling her by her old title which really made her wonder why the pair had appeared before her. Of course, she was soon enough confronted by the lad moving at high speeds towards her, but for some reason she didn't seem concerned, instead the walking stick she used transformed in her hands into a black sheathed blade which gave off a silver glint as she pulled the blade. This blade would make contact with the boy's hand where it aimed to meet her neck. Those greenish grey eyes of hers would look towards the lad the smallest of smiles appearing on her face. "No one calls me that anymore... I haven't been that in over five decades." she said about being called Vice-Captain.
At her words Benihime spoke up again. "Well, I mean you could be. That's actually what I'm here for..." she said which made the woman's brow furrow. "Sorry Kiddo, but that isn't in line for me and judging by the feeling of your Reiatsu it isn't in line for you either. Damn shame, I was better at picking them before..." she said, as she fully drew the blade she'd used to hold off Tatsuya's arm aiming to draw it upward in a deft motion with fairly great force as if she intended to remove his hand. Once upon a time, Saya had been known as the The Maker of Captains. She had a good eye for finding and cultivating the talents of young recruits into strong individuals. She'd been personally responsible for a couple of the Captains, aside from their natural talents as Shinigami, including the present Captain of the 10th Division. "Bullshit, this isn't about me, it's about you... so I'll say again, you could be. If I can do it, do you want it back... your leg I mean?"
Much to Tatsuya's expectation of the former Lieutenant, this strike of his was parried without worry, hesitation, or flaw. His grin widened and softened when this occurred, but it seemed Saya would not stop there. Tatsuya's arm jerked away when her sword moved upward in a slashing movement, and he looked at said arm as his sleeve fell over what appeared to be a nub. "Ano..." he said as his right hand grasped the sleeve, pulling it down to reveal his left hand intact and wiggling. "That's not nice. It was just a reflex check." This woman didn't seem keen on being referred to by her former title, but her words also didn't imply an outright opposition to the idea. Tatsuya figured this meeting would go well by the end, so he tucked his hands back into his sleeves, and fell silent while Benihime spoke to the dojo master.
"So was that... You replaced Baiken, and that freaky robot... I figured it'd be worth looking at," said Saya as the young man revealed his hand was also still in tact after her swipe. Still her sword closed once more and her posture returned to normal. She'd heard what the redhead had to say, but she was keen to speak on something else. "At least you're still keeping good company, and apparently keeping your mind occupied," she said hinting towards what the young woman had so recently said. "What are you on about... and seriously what's with your Reiatsu, it can't simply be control...." said the woman who seemed to be closer to smart than one would guess. But perhaps that was simply experience talking. Benihime smiled then, before looking towards the woman, mentally figuring out about how much of the serum she'd need, figuring this conversation would go her way.
"My Reiatsu is being suppressed outwardly by the bandages, I made them that way. So, that when I visit the Human World, I am not immediately attacked by every Hollow in the area. I've been studying them and staying hidden is necessary," she said rather simply explaining at least one of her experiments. "Uh-huh, so you are strong enough now, that you feel the need to hide it when you visit with the humans?" she said almost sarcastically but that was more in line with what Saya had observed in the girl before sending her to the Academy finally. But that conversation wasn't what Benihime was here for. "Shishou, I've figured out a way to restore tissue quickly, something like High-speed Regeneration, for Shinigami," she explained. "Basically, I developed a serum which will kick start Reiryoku and force the growth of lost tissue. But it requires a certain amount of Reiryoku at base to use it, and it will only work on a fresh wound. I tried it on my own just to test it... and it wouldn't work on tissue that wasn't recently damaged. I healed a cut on my arm, but... it didn't do anything about the scar on my face... I got permission from Tatsuya-fukutaichou to try it out, and I figured you might like to be the first test subject," she said. This made the woman look at the girl strangely. Her explanation of her power level reduction was at least understandable, but this serum she spoke of had to have many more uses than the one she was coming to her with. "So... just so we're clear, you want to further cut my leg off, in the hopes that some freaky science thing will let you make it grow back?" she looked at Tatsuya because she had to be sure this girl's explanation was indeed what she was attempting. She'd known Benihime for a long time and knew the girl didn't say things she didn't mean and she knew for a fact the girl possessed a level of cleverness which she could only compare to one other individual.
"Yare yare," he said. It was apparently bothersome to the lad that he'd been skill checked simply by virtue of the Vice-Captains who came before him, but that didn't matter much for the moment. For now, Benihime had to talk this woman into participating in her experiment. She seemed to be doing an alright job talking her own way through the situation, but the former Vice-Captain also seemed to have some withdrawals, if not confusion about the matter. The older woman looked toward Tatsuya, who only nodded and spoke of the experiment itself. "I've seen the research and blueprints. It seems to have a good grasp on how Hollow regeneration works, and even uses an exceptionally gifted subject as its influence. I endorse it."
Saya heard out what Benihime had said, and her Vice-Captain even went so far as to endorse the idea, claiming that the research behind it was overly sound. Not surprising considering the sort of person Benihime was, regardless of what she choose to show everyone else. "Look, I'd like my leg back, not gonna lie about that. But there is kinda one problem with this, how in creation am I supposed to sit still while you cut off my leg again Kiddo? Reflexes dictate that you come at me with a blade and I have to retaliate," she said to the girl. The redhead seemed to fall into a relaxed posture her left hand going behind her head and she rubbed it while turning her head the opposite direction.
"Well, normally I'd say Tatsu-fukutaichou might be able to sedate you, but I can't have him interfering in such a direct way. I need too much data related directly to how you feel afterwards," she said of the lad. He was a strange case, and considering what he was, she couldn't have him influencing the situation in a direct way. "I can keep you from moving for the duration of the secondary amputation. If you agree, you'll even get to see something no living thing has," she said with a curt smile. Looking back to Tatsuya she added a bit. "Umm, if I do this though, you'll be responsible for removing her leg, it's amputated just below the knee so a clean cut above it should do," mentioned the lass as she lowered that left hand from the back of her head while looking to Saya, allowing it to rest on the hilt of her Zanpakuto. Whatever this woman had to say would determine what happened next.
Tatsuya eventually found himself pacing around the dojo, taking in the minor sights it had to offer. He wondered what he would end up having to do here, and only hoped it would be something worth his time. Eventually, Benihime got around to explaining his would-be purpose. Right away, a snake emerged from his sleeve with a double-edged blade emerging from its mouth. He turned toward Saya with an expression describable as vacant, with an underlying air of sinister motives. "You won't need to hold her down if you want me to cut it."
Benihime looked at Tatsuya and chuckled just a little, as her emerged with a blade and even more snakes not that this was something she didn't expect. Saya had the luxury of watching this occur and recognizing in the young lad strange intentions which she could only vaguely place but not nearly enough for her to do anything but respect him. "Ano, well... I was going to do so to decrease the risk of injury to all parties. But if two would rather go at it... that would also be fine," Benihime said seeming not to care one way or another. "Well, I did lose it in battle... might as well get it back that way," mentioned Saya as she drew her blade once more seeming to hold the sheathe for it in one hand while using the sword in the other. "Fine then, when the time is right, I'll inject the serum..." said the lass her hand lowering from her own blade, she was at least sure this way, it'd be worth it for the Vice-Captain to have come along. Saya pointed her blade toward the lad and stood with extreme conviction. "You're a bit creepy kid, but come on then... let's see if you're all talk,"
If this was going to be a showing between the pair, Benihime would watch it as she watched all matches such as this, she vertically jumped hitting a beam in its center point before landing atop the rafters in this building. Watching from above was a habit first developed in her early years here, as such she tucked herself close by drawing a capsule which she pressed. Doing so transform it into a syringe which she went on to lay at her side while she popped another capsule containing a strange glowing green liquid. She sat quietly and measured while the fight took place below.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Tatsuya said as his grin returned. Once Benihime left the immediate area, the snake in his sleeve rose its head so its blade pointed toward Saya. Tatsuya found it interesting that this woman could stand with only one leg; obviously, she'd not lost much of her edge since being maimed. The boy's eyes widened to their limit, and he seemed a bit crazed as he looked into the face of his opponent. Strangely, eye contact with him in this moment would result in a low-level, invisible electric pulse being sent to the brain through the retinas. The effect would be a simple jarring, and brief loss of equilibrium. Tatsuya intended to produce this effect, then immediately take advantage by sending his serpent's blade toward Saya's thigh to slash through it with haste.
As Benihime prepared the syringe Saya was confronted in a way she didn't expect. A singular moment of eye contact with the white haired boy, brought in her a feeling of unease and caused her balance to shift. She'd adjusted to being down a leg a long time before this moment the sudden sensation that she could fall as she tried to right herself and placed the sheathe of her sword down, there was a blade through her leg, just that simply. As the pain of the feeling registered on her face, Benihime descended. The syringe ready was plunged into her leg, and before Benihime's eyes the tissues of her leg began to bubble and then rather rapid descend down to the length of her other leg. It changed form, growing her toes and creating distinct bits of her leg including foot and toes. The sight alone left Benihime wide eyed, but her volunteer was a bit less stunned or perhaps she was still thinking about the pain. Saya screamed and it was a sound of pain and she started to fall but Benihime was behind her to catch her this time. Laying her down a bit, Saya couldn't say much else. Her entire body rather suddenly felt weak, but then she felt a tingling sensation down to the toes on her left leg. "Kid you're a fucking cheater. Get off me, Kiddo, I'm gonna kick his ass..." She said as Benihime let go of her Saya had yet to notice how she'd gotten up. And it was pushing off her left leg.
In the moments it'd taken for her to fall and recover her equilibrium. Her Reiryoku had been drained a considerable amount but her leg had regrown completely from the place where it was cut. It could be seen by everyone from the thigh down where Tatsuya's blade had severed the leg of the woman's hakama as well as a piece of her thigh and lower leg. She was stunned completely. She screamed again, but this time it was joy. As she hopped around on the leg she was missing almost literally jumping off the walls, fully testing her new found appendages. "Oi, oi, calm down Shishou. Tell me how you feel? How was it, aside from the pain of course, that I already assume..." the girl said. "I can feel my leg again. It's here, and... it works and..." she seemed to be every excited and at a loss for words but then her stomach grumbled audibly and she realized something. "I'm starving." she said. This caused the redhead to nod gently. "I expected that as a possible side effect. Since the serum catalyzes a proportional amount of your Reiryoku to regrow limbs and tissues, it should make you feel as if you've exerted a massive amount of your Reiatsu," she looked to Tatsuya wondering what he'd have to say about the matter.
Tatsuya watched the effect of his skill on this woman with a sly grin. He never would have entered a proper fight with Kisaragi Saya in this situation; it would not have ended well for him, based on the information he had. The growth of Saya's leg which followed was interesting to behold, but her claim of assaulting him due to his rather underhanded tactics was slightly bothersome. This seemed to be mitigated by the realization that her leg had returned, but there was also a note of a hungering sensation. Tatsuya replied to this alleged hunger by producing another snake from his left sleeve. The serpent rose, aiming its head in Saya's direction with its mouth open. "Hold out your finger," he said. If Saya were to acquiesce to this, the snake would bite the woman's finger. Instead of the usual venom which came from such snakes, it would provide a serum which forced the rapid restoration of Reiryoku by using some of Tatsuya's own. "Are we done now?"
Saya was told to hold out her finger as the boy produced yet another serpent from himself. She looked at the boy strangely and then at Benihime who nodded. "Tatsu-fukutaichou is actually quite nice, underhanded was necessary for the same reason I was just going to restrain you. Fighting you won't lead to favorable outcomes... likely," she said. "But he won't do anything bad to you," she said. At this she simply extended her finger and the snake bit it. This would lead to the rapid restoration of her Reiryoku and after this she couldn't say she'd ever felt better. Benihime was soon at the woman's side examining her leg. "Sugei, not even a scar... it worked!~" she said. As Saya felt the increase in her own Reiryoku. "Oh... that's a strange sensation... thank you though... I guess both of you..." she said. Which only made Benihime shake her head. "Don't thank me..." she said looking towards Tatsuya she nodded.
"Hai, I have all the information I need. And I am pretty sure this went over without a hitch. Arigatou Gozaimasu~" she said bowing to the lad who'd helped her out quite a bit this day. "Shishou, I'll need you to come by the lab in a couple of days, so I can double check and make sure you don't like grow any extra limbs or develop tumors. Slight possibility of those so let me know if your leg feels lumpy or anything. Until then though, enjoy your leg and uh... do something interesting, yeah?" she said to the woman and just like that Benihime was willing to leave. A frown crossed the woman's face as she looked to Benihime in these moments as she walked off. She'd known this girl for the last six decades and understood that she didn't simply do nice things. She for a fact the girl wouldn't just accept that she'd been kind and as such didn't accept thanks for literally anything, it was a strange situation and nothing that Saya hadn't gotten used to dealing with. "Oi, Kiddo, you know you can come back here anytime. Don't make me wait so long to see you again." she said and as Benihime walked off she simply raised a hand to the woman. "Hai hai, Shishou~"
Following the snake bite he'd managed to deliver, Tatsuya returned both of his snakes to his sleeves. He seemed to suddenly be operating at half capacity, but this was simply the result of the venom he'd so recently used. Since he would no longer be of use here, Tatsuya bowed to the dojo master and former Vice-Captain. "Sayonara," he said before rising and turning away. He was content to leave right away, and in fact, he did exactly that. His travels would lead him directly back to the SRDI within the 12th Division.