Shinigami Savant Quest #70

“Any ideas, Shunsui?” you ask, drawing a stare from the reigai.

Your fellow Captain nods, a grim smile tugging at his lips. “I do believe I'll be needed here, Lady Riku. I'll find out what this one knows.”

The reigai's eyes widen, darting back to Shunsui as he continues. “If my little Nanao is in danger, then it's become my responsibility. Ukitake usually rests in his quarters, the Ugendō, when he's taken ill. They are protected by a barrier that shields the surroundings from his reiatsu, which means you'll have to dispel that barrier. Lady Yoruichi, I believe that sort of thing is one of your specialties?”

Yoruichi nods, withdrawing her fingers from reigai-Nanao's mouth. “I can take care of it, assuming the reigai Captains let us get there.”

“Good,” Shunsui nods. “I can feel that most of them are dividing off to find their mirrors, probably to try and confuse us. Can't engage as easily if you can't tell at a glance who the impostor is.”

“Yours and Ukitake's aren't,” you observe, extending your senses towards the two reigai as they dash through the Seireitei's alleys. “Get the information you need quick, Shunsui. Those two are heading straight for the First Division.”

“Then you'd better get going,” Shunsui insists, glaring down at the reigai of his Lieutennt. “We'll be just fine here, won't we?”

After exchanging a glance with Yoruichi to confirm that it's really okay to leave Shunsui like this, you leave him to it. Yoruichi shuts the door to his office behind you.

“I've never seen the man that serious,” she admits, sparing a glance over her shoulder. “And I didn't expect the reigai to be that committed to keeping secrets from him. That... isn't going to be easy.”

>Head straight for the 13th Division Headquarters, try and rescue Ukitake?
>Try and call in reinforcements at your own Division along the way?
>As much as it makes sense to get Ukitake, the Old Man may be in trouble.
>Other?

>>Finish her off, collect her pill, and get Shunsui wherever he needs to go, then face the new reigai-Captains directly.

Also, roll me 3d10. Taking the best of three, basically for "situational awareness".

Rolled 3, 6, 2 = 11 (3d10)

Rolled 6, 5, 6 = 17 (3d10)

>>Head straight for the 13th Division Headquarters, try and rescue Ukitake?

Rolled 10, 5, 4 = 19 (3d10)

>>Head straight for the 13th Division Headquarters, try and rescue Ukitake?

Rolled 1, 7, 2 = 10 (3d10)

>Head straight for the 13th Division Headquarters, try and rescue Ukitake?
>Other?
If there's a method to give the old man at least a heads up with a message, do it.

such shitty situational awareness

>>Head straight for the 13th Division Headquarters, try and rescue Ukitake?

>Try and call in reinforcements at your own Division along the way?

Eh, slightly above average

That'll do, actually.

>writing

On your way to the 13th Division barracks, you keep your senses attuned to your surroundings. It's obvious that several sets of Captains have begun fighting already: Komamura, Byakuya, and Hitsugaya most noticeable among them. It's impossible to tell them apart from their copies at this distance though, so you have no idea how their battles are going. Interestingly, there are two spiritual powers that are absent from the brawls erupting all across the Seireitei: the reigai for Gin and Kaoru. There must be some plan to that, you figure... something else to deal with later.

You're so focused on those fights however that you miss the one heading your way until it's nearly too late.

“Riku! Don't zone out!” Yoruichi snaps, jinking to the left with a shunpo as you sense a massive reiatsu surging towards you. For your part you manage to evade just in time to watch Kenpachi's nameless sword slice through the afterimage you left for him. For a moment it seems he seems convinced he hit you, until he frowns when the image disappears.

“So close,” he scoffs, glaring at you over his shoulder with his uncovered eye. “Still, lucky me... I get to carve up two of the people I've wanted to fight for ages!”

Kenpachi lets loose a vicious laugh as he charges you with a flat thrust you dodge easily to his blind side, only to be forced to parry as he reaches forward with his left hand and bends the thrust into a slash with a massive second effort. The force of the strike knocks you back, and you only just manage to keep your footing by sliding across a cushion of reiatsu.

“Seems like he's not gonna let us by without a fight,” Yoruichi observes, drawing her pair of butterflies from the sheath across her back.

>Hold back for a moment, observe any differences from the original before committing.
>Use a binding spell to give Yoruichi an opening?
>Flank him, use your superior speed and two-sword styles to overwhelm him?
>Other?

>Use a binding spell to give Yoruichi an opening.
>Fuck that question mark.

>>Use a binding spell to give Yoruichi an opening

>Hold back for a moment, observe any differences from the original before committing.

>Hold back for a moment, observe any differences from the original before committing.

Dammit Kenny! You do realize there's a copy of yourself running about? Go and fight him instead!

>First check his wrist. You wouldn't put it past the real Kenpachi not to care if there's a way to distinguish a fake and just start swinging at whoever's closest instead.
>Spell-combo him. Bind and shoot like a cheap scrub.

>First check his wrist. You wouldn't put it past the real Kenpachi not to care if there's a way to distinguish a fake and just start swinging at whoever's closest instead.
>Use a binding spell to give Yoruichi an opening?

Spot check. 3d10, DC 5.

Rolled 3, 6, 1 = 10 (3d10)

Rolled 2, 6, 1 = 9 (3d10)

Rolled 4, 3, 7 = 14 (3d10)

Rolled 7, 4, 3 = 14 (3d10)

...

Ha-ha! Time for failing!

Rolled 9, 3, 1 = 13 (3d10)

shit

Dat time when Kenpachi' attacked us thinking we were Reigai, and we attacked him straight back thinking he was Reigai...

Eh, we'll figure it out when he takes off his eye patch or uses two hands or something. Regai-pachi won't hold back, and even this quests Kenny likes playing around in a fight

true. Kenny always likes to hold back and get the most "fight time" out of any fight.

Kenpachi takes a low stance with his right shoulder towards you and Yoruichi and his blade held parallel to the ground... from this position you not only can't see his sword clearly but his left wrist is obscured as well. You wouldn't put it past the real Kenpachi to come after the strongest Captains he could find without even having a clear idea of how to distinguish them from the real deal, and to attack them without hesitation anyway, so you can't say for sure that this isn't him.

“Keep your eyes on his left wrist,” you mutter to Yoruichi. “Let's try and confirm who we're dealing with.”

“Got it,” Yoruichi nods, understanding your concerns about this Kenpachi's identity. “You don't mind if I have to get a little rough with him, right?”

“He's a big guy,” you shrug. “He can probably take it.”

With a powerful bellow Kenpachi charges again, and Yoruichi meets him halfway with a shunpo of her own as you move right to flank them. Kenpachi sees what you're doing and is careful to defend that side more heavily, which at first makes it hard to catch a clear glimpse of his wrist, and it's obvious that Yoruichi is too focused on his attacks to really notice what he's wearing.
>1/2

Kenpachi's blows are merciless, his powerful muscles lending each swing a speed you wouldn't have thought possible based on your previous matches against him. And more surprising still is the fact that his technique is actually recognizable as kenjutsu. Unrefined of course, and rather simplistic, but there's nothing technically wrong with it.

Next to Yoruichi however it's like a child playing with a stick, as she holds little back against Kenpachi. She keeps to an even lower stance than his, employing the powerful footwork and sweeping kicks of Heihuquan kung fu with the intricate, flowing bladework of Wing Chun. A powerful overhand swing of Kenpachi's sword is deftly deflected by one of Yoruichis stout swords, then smacked aside in a sharp parry from the other that allows the first to lash out towards her foe's chest, only to be parried by Kenpachi's hilt. Even as she withdraws her blades Yoruichi's left leg slams into Kenpachi's ribs, sending him crashing to a nearby rooftop where he lands on his feet.

A series of stabs and short slashes either miss as Kenpachi dodges them, or else connect with his arms and shoulders as he struggles to land a decisive blow. But Yoruichi's footwork keeps her one step ahead of Kenpachi's attempts, all the while punishing his slow footwork with low kicks to the knees and ankles that land with audible thumps.

“I can't tell!” you shout to Yoruichi, the speed of the exchanges and the debris in the air making it extremely difficult to catch a glimpse of Kenpachi's wrist.

>You'll have to bind him in place yourself if you want to figure out who he is, this is going nowhere.
>Try and get in closer, maybe use kido to hide your presence and keep him from turning his left side away from you?
>Just demand that he go find the other Kenpachi, that should excite him regardless of which he happens to be.
>Other?

>He's a big guy
4u

>Just demand that he go find the other Kenpachi, that should excite him regardless of which he happens to be.

>>>Just demand that he go find the other Kenpachi, that should excite him regardless of which he happens to be.

>Just demand that he go find the other Kenpachi, that should excite him regardless of which he happens to be.

>Just demand that he go find the other Kenpachi, that should excite him regardless of which he happens to be.

>Just demand that he go find the other Kenpachi, that should excite him regardless of which he happens to be.

>>Just demand that he go find the other Kenpachi, that should excite him regardless of which he happens to be.

“This is going nowhere,” you growl as Yoruichi fends off another attack from Kenpachi, leaving behind a series of shallow slashes across his right arm and chest in exchange.

“Hey, Zaraki!” you bellow, catching the attention of both fighters. When Zaraki stops you glance down at his left wrist to find it unadorned... that moron! It really was the real one! “Go fight the other Kenpachi already, we don't have time for your shit right now!”

“And how am I supposed to do that!?” he bellows back, resting his sword across one shoulder.

Your eye twitches involuntarily at the realization that he still can't sense reiatsu for shit after all these years. “He'll be the other moron who's separated from the rest,” you grumble, “because he'll have gotten just as lost as you, idiot!”

The corners of Zaraki's mouth turn upwards into a predatory grin. “Hey, that's not half bad! Alright, you clone piece of shit, let's see how you fight!”

With a long, drawn-out cry of “fight me!”, the real Zaraki charges off into the Seireitei... in the complete wrong direction.

“He does realize that he won't be able to find his copy without sensing for him, right?” Yoruichi wonders as she rejoins you at your side, sheathing her swords in a single fluid movement.

You shake your head. “I give it about ten minutes before he figures it out. By then we'll be long gone.”

“You little devil!” Yoruichi smirks.
>dice+3d10 for situational awareness

Rolled 5, 2, 5 = 12 (3d10)

Rolled 5, 7, 3 = 15 (3d10)

Rolled 1, 10, 8 = 19 (3d10)

Rolled 7, 6, 10 = 23 (3d10)

That is quite fortuitous.
>writing

naisu

>The corners of Zaraki's mouth turn upwards into a predatory grin. “Hey, that's not half bad! Alright, you clone piece of shit, let's see how you fight!”
>With a long, drawn-out cry of “fight me!”, the real Zaraki charges off into the Seireitei... in the complete wrong direction.
Never Change Kenny. Never change.

“You feel that, right?” Yoruichi asks, waving you to a halt atop a tiled roof very close by to your own Division's grounds. “Can you sense where they're fighting?”

You nod sternly. “The reigai are pushing them closer in towards the execution ground. Why would they be doing that when they have the advantage in single combat? Unless...”

“Unless they mean to tag out,” Yoruichi surmises. “If we're packed in tight they can take advantage of any openings, and most shinigami are too absorbed in a single-combat mentality to counter it. If they manage it we're in trouble.”

“Most shinigami won't cooperate willingly,” you think aloud, “and they don't train for it. Exception being Captains and their Lieutenants, and certain pairings of Captains with especially close ties.”

“Right,” Yoruichi agrees. “It's those natural groupings we need to take advantage of.”

>Use Tenteikura to maintain some level of battlefield coordination, suggest the best pairings you can think of so that the Lieutenant and Captain class shinigami can watch each others' backs.
>Swing in to the Ninth Division, get your Lieutenant and Commandos into the mix.
>Use Tenteikura, but since that may paint you as a target you'll need backup of some sort. Someone without a duplicate OR a natural partner... someone you have locked up at the moment, maybe?
>Other?

And to be clear, the third option means using Bambietta to give you and Yoruichi's team extra backup against attacks directed at them.

>Use Tenteikura, but since that may paint you as a target you'll need backup of some sort. Someone without a duplicate OR a natural partner... someone you have locked up at the moment, maybe?
Sounds fun!

>Use Tenteikura, but since that may paint you as a target you'll need backup of some sort. Someone without a duplicate OR a natural partner... someone you have locked up at the moment, maybe?

>>Swing in to the Ninth Division, get your Lieutenant and Commandos into the mix.
Good thing most of the 9th are trained not to get too absorbed in single combat. And we're close by anyway.

>>>Swing in to the Ninth Division, get your Lieutenant and Commandos into the mix.

Valley is still locked down since last thread.

>>Swing in to the Ninth Division, get your Lieutenant and Commandos into the mix.
>>Use Tenteikura, but since that may paint you as a target you'll need backup of some sort. Someone without a duplicate OR a natural partner... someone you have locked up at the moment, maybe?
We very specifically cannot get to the Valley of Screams

derp.

>Use Tenteikura, but since that may paint you as a target you'll need backup of some sort. Someone without a duplicate OR a natural partner... someone you have locked up at the moment, maybe?
>Manifest Rosa as backup. She is a sniper after all.

>>Use Tenteikura to maintain some level of battlefield coordination, suggest the best pairings you can think of so that the Lieutenant and Captain class shinigami can watch each others' backs.

>Use Tenteikura, but since that may paint you as a target you'll need backup of some sort. Someone without a duplicate OR a natural partner... someone you have locked up at the moment, maybe?

Rosa is currently allowing Riku's left arm to keep up its usual function with her abilities. Manifesting her would cause her left arm to weaken and lose most of its "muscle memory".

>writing

I forgot about that part. Its a shame though. Bambi would be thrilled to see and fight side-by-side with a fragment of a fellow Sternritter.
What's the Panic level for the C-46 at? Some variation of "IT'S HAPPENING"?

Good thing Tenteikura doesn't require much muscle memory.

What if C-46 were cloned too?

Too much incompetence for one afterlife to handle, SS falls apart at the seams.

Arn't all of the C-46 still dead... since Aizen killed them... and they haven't yet been replaced?

Nah, they got replacements. A few of them are ok with Riku too.

They got replacements. With a "slightly" more competent jury.
Check the social stats on King's twitter page for more details, under the C-46 section.
pastebin.com/2ynG7g25

,,,Apparently every time I have read the Social states I have mental replaced the heading C-46 with Noble families.

“Prohibit, Tenkotsuki,” you breathe, feeling your reiatsu swell as your zanpakuto releases.

Tenkotsuki's voice greets you in your mind. “What is it you require of me, my dear Riku?”

“Please help me contact a few people and remain in contact with them,” you request politely, flicking the scribes of Tenteikura downward and allowing them to etch the familiar, patternless lines up the length of your arm. “Gin. Rangiku. Kai. Mirai. Rukia.”

“Done,” Tenkotsuki informs you. “You may address them when ready.”

“We're under attack,” you tell them simply. “Our enemy means to corral us into a smaller area, where they can tag out against our Captains and overwhelm us while we're too focused on our own clones to notice anything else. Gin, you use Shinsō the same way: attack any reigai who try and jump one of our allies. Rangiku, I want you to use Haineko to cover for Gin while he's doing that. Make sure to cover both your openings.”

“Got it, Captain!” Rangiku replies breathlessly. You can tell from here she's been fighting a gaggle of Lieutenant-class reigai, including her own.

“I feel like you're a little quick ta make me out as the sneaky bastard,” Gin observes playfully. “But I suppose I have no one ta blame but myself in the end. It is after all the role I seem ta choose for myself.”

“Mirai, Kai,” you continue, addressing your Commandos. “You two serve a similar role. Play at sniping while Rukia covers you with her zanpakuto's ice attacks.”

“Yes, ma'am!” three replies come back immediately as your commandos move to carry out your orders.
>1/?

Well the idea is that each member of the C-46 is represented by a member of a noble family, hence why you have the noble family standings under the C-46.

“I've got an idea,” Yoruichi adds, grabbing your shoulder. “Tenkotsuki, get me Little Bee.”

“One moment, Lady Yoruichi,” your zanpakuto replies as she tracks down the Captain's reiatsu. “Go ahead.”

“Hey, Suì Fēng!” she greets her former Lieutenant loudly. “You busy?”

“Not at all, Lady Yoruichi!” Suì Fēng lies with a grunt of effort, clearly straining against her own opponent. “I take it you have an order?”

“Get over towards the Ninth's Commandos, I want you to counterattack any reigai who tries to leave their own fight to attack a vulnerable Captain. Keep hidden, and have your new Lieutenant watch your back. Got it?”

“Right away, ma'am!” Little Bee replies enthusiastically. You can feel her disengage from her opponent and make a break for where the other Captains are slowly being pressed. Speaking of which, several of what you presume to be your "real" peers seem to be in rather ragged condition already after having been taken off-guard by the differences between their own abilities and demeanor and those of their clones.
>2/3

I forget. Three Lts are trapped in the dangai, two of which are Renji and Kira. Who's the 3rd again? Was it Momo?

Si.

>Still writing the third update

yes. It's momo. Their clones came out of the dangai to "replace" them.

Well shit. Zero hesitation evil Momo running around. I imagine Ice Boy's taking care of that. Probably rather badly judging by this line.

>several of what you presume to be your "real" peers seem to be in rather ragged condition already after having been taken off-guard by the differences between their own abilities and demeanor and those of their clones.

When you reach the Ninth Division's barracks, you find a massive number of bodies lying strewn all about the grounds. Some of them sadly wear the sleeveless uniform of your own Division, while a disturbing number wear plain shihakusho with no obvious markings aside from yellow ribbons tied to their wrists.

“The hell are these?” Yoruichi asks, flipping over one of the face-down bodies to find plain, almost doll-like facial features. “Riku, I think these might not be real spiritual bodies!”

“They came in a wave,” one of your fireteam leaders explains, overhearing your wife's discovery. “Some of 'em could jump higher than any of us, and kicked like mules on steroids. Others could breathe fire, or punch a man in half at the waist with one hand. They went down under sustained fire, but not before we suffered casualties of our own.”

“These are mod-souls in generic gigai,” Yoruichi concludes grimly, as you hear Tenkotsuki using Tenteikura to spread the news, “part of the same invasion I'd bet. Who the hell has that level of resources?”

“I don't know,” you admit, “but we're definitely killing them after this. Is the detention center clear?”

Your subordinate nods once. “Yes, ma'am. None of the invaders got that far.”

“Good.”

With Yoruichi following close behind, you kick down the door to the Ninth Division's jail block and step across it as it crashes to the floor. You pass by Menoly's cell, where the blonde arrancar sits in quiet thought as if trying her hardest to ignore your entrance, and soon reach Bambietta's cell.

The one-armed Sternritter glances up at you. “I take it this isn't a social call?”

“I'll be honest with you, we're in some serious shit,” you admit to her. “My zanpakuto's helping me coordinate a response to these impostor officers, but it's a narrow thing so far. We need all the help we can get, especially in case the reigai figure out I'm helping call the shots.”
>3/4

"And why should I help you, a shinigami?"

>Because if the Gotei 13 can't do their jobs humans suffer.
>Because I'm giving you a chance to earn my trust.
>Because I'm the one in charge here, and I need you to do as I say.
>Other?

>>Because I'm giving you a chance to earn my trust.

>Because I'm giving you a chance to earn my trust.

>Because I'm the one in charge here, and I need you to do as I say.
>Besides this lets you get a chance to kill a bunch of Shinigami lookalikes.

>Because I'm giving you a chance to earn my trust.

>Because if the Gotei 13 can't do their jobs humans suffer.

she responds much better to orders guys. Or did you forget?

Hmm... To be reasonable, or carry it through with force of personality?

>Because I'm giving you a chance to earn my trust.
>Other?
I suppose a "You owe me" for the regen serum wouldn't sit very well. However...

"It's a chance for a semblance of redemption too. Prove that your mind is no longer twisted after these centuries."

Nothing else comes to mind that can be brought to the table here.

Sort of like that time they wanted to re-label Rosa because calling her rage was mean.

That was also back before we found out that the Sternritters were literally going insane from old age. After "fixing" her, who knows what she'll respond to.

>Because I'm the one in charge here, and I need you to do as I say.