Shinigami Savant Quest #74

You are Kusajishi Riku, Captain of the Seireitei's Ninth Division and the aunt of a certain pain-in-the-ass shinigami substitute. To be perfectly honest you're not sure why Ichigo's never told his friends about the spiritual world, and the danger it presents to them if they're not careful. Maybe he thinks he's protecting them, but after about two centuries you've developed a bit more of a distanced perspective. While it's not always better that way, it does make these sorts of purely rational decisions that much easier for your lack of personal investment.

Instead of remaining in your gigai, you have Tenkotsuki dissolve it into a pile of vibrant, saffron-colored ginkgo leaves that dance away on the light autumn breeze. Ichigo's classmates watch as the Karakura High uniform familiar to them is replaced by your sleeveless white Captain's haori, tucked through a blue silken sash. Aside from Yasutora, who saw this before when he joined Ichigo and Tatsuki in invading the Soul Society, all of the teens present glance nervously at your swords. Tenkotsuki in her hardwood sheath polished with gold dust, and Rosa's blade in its austere black lacquer, must together make a powerful impression on modern Japanese youths who may have never seen someone carry a sword before in their lives.

“The shinigami exist in a world parallel to this one,” you explain quietly, having ensured your audience's attention. “You could call it the afterlife, as living humans' souls end up there when they die. We refer to it as the Soul Society, and to us it's our home. Some of us are even born there, much as you all were born here.”

“Is it even possible for dead people to have babies?” Asano asks, seemingly confused at what to your mind is a simple concept. “And what happens when someone dies over there? Does that make them like... double dead?”
>1/4

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DOUBLE GHOSTS.

You shake your head in disbelief. “It's part of a cycle. Die in one world, and you're reborn in the other. The only variable is how your soul arrives in its new home. It's our duty as shinigami to regulate the cycle of death and rebirth, by helping souls who linger here move to the Soul Society and by sending back souls from our world when there's a disaster in yours.”

“So the World Wars were probably a tough time?” Mizuiro asks curiously. Of Ichigo's classmates it seems to be the normally quiet boy that's followed the conversation most easily.

“Worst time on the job in two centuries,” you agree, “by far. But we found ways to cope.”

Orihime, the orange-haired girl with the scariest powers you've ever seen in a human, steps closer and furrows her brow in thought. “Two centuries... meaning you were around during the Restoration? So that means you've met all sorts of interesting people, right? Ooh, I bet you dated one of those famous swordsmen back when you were younger, didn't you!? And when he died you probably took part of his uniform as a memento, to remember a love that would never last... how tragic...”

She seems to tear up a little as she holds your hands between hers, and you feel your jaw slowly dropping at how close her rant came to actual truth. A bit wild on the whole 'tragic love' angle, but still. “It must have been so hard for you!”

“Come on, Hime!” Chizuru laughs nervously, moving to adjust the red frames of her glasses despite the fact that they're sitting right where they should be. “This whole thing's too crazy, there's no need to make it sound even crazier.”

“Actually,” you muse as your hand finds your sash, “this belonged to Okita Sōji. We weren't lovers or anything, but he taught me Tennen-Rishin Ryu and was surprisingly soft-spoken for such an accomplished killer. Way less strict than everyone said he'd be.”

Chizuru's laughter stops as soon as she realizes you're not joking.
>2/4

Well that's kind of ominous. What happened to Sasakibe?

“Now then, this is the important part,” you continue, sitting in the shade near the building's ventilation fans. “So listen up. Karakura town is what we refer to as a Jūreichi, a place that's enriched with the same particles and energy that make up the Soul Society called reishi. Living in it sometimes affects humans in unexpected ways. This was accelerated in your cases by two additional factors: Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryū.”

“Explain,” Yasutora insists quietly. You can tell you've piqued the stoic young mountain of a man's interests with this. So you do as he asks.

“Humans with natural spiritual powers can use their powers better when the reishi is denser,” you explain carefully, “which is why the Kurosaki and Ishida families are here. Yasutora, you and Arisawa had your own growth essentially jump-started by being around Ichigo more often.”

“What about us?” Chizuru demands. “I don't have any weird powers, like lightning or magical swords. I'm just...”

“A raging lesbian?” Muzuiro asks, albeit somewhat disinterestedly.

Chizuru smacks Asano upside the head for snickering too loudly at the comment. “I mean, the rest of us are normal! So why involve us at all?”

“Inoue developed powers more slowly,” you reply firmly, “and the rest of you can see me. The fact that you can see spirits at all means your own powers are developing as well. It's more a matter of time at this point.”

“If we move out of the city though...”

“You'd be dead within the first six months,” you interrupt Chizuru's line of thought. “Shinigami aren't the only spirits out there, and some of the others actually hunt humans with spiritual power. If you move to an area with less reishi, you may not be able to defend yourselves.”
>3/4

It's a work in progress. You'll notice that Kaoru's also not on there, and Ukitake has Mimihagi crawling out of his face. So it doesn't necessarily indicate anything.

Huh, Mugen actually fits pretty well for Kai actually.

Excellent choice for Mirai though.

Isn't Kira Sandalhat's LT? and the shinigami we rescued from Huehuehueco Ice brats LT?

“That monster she killed just now,” Yasutora explains to his friends. “It was a kind of spirit called a hollow.”

“And the one that attacked us all a while ago, the one Tatsuki beat,” Inoue adds, despite the fact that she shouldn't be able to remember that event. “That was a hollow too?”

“It was,” you confirm. “Part of our duty is to purify the souls of hollows, allowing them to pass on.”

“Purify them?” Asano asks in utter non-comprehension. “If they eat people, why would you want to purify them?”

“That's a deeply human way of looking at it,” you sigh quietly, looking Asano in the eyes. “Which isn't to say wrong, just... understandably shortsighted, and something we as shinigami can't afford. Every hollow was once a human soul, no different from any of you, who couldn't move on for some reason. When we purify a soul not only is the balance maintained, but it serves as our apology for not being there to help them pass on in the first place.”

“Some of them, particularly the old ones, can be disturbingly decent people.”

“What does that actually mean?” Mizuiro asks.

“It's complicated,” you wave your hand dismissively. “I'm here to give you the introduction course, but if you ever want your PhD in ghost pseudoscience I'll try and explain arrancars to you.”

“So what do you intend to do, Miss Kusajishi?” Inoue asks you, uncertainty in her voice.

>I will train you here, off the books.
>The reishi of Soul Society will help you train.
>CHAD, WE HAVE TO GO BACK.
>Other?

Again, some of that is WiP. Some of it will make sense soon enough.

Since when were you under the impression everyone survived the reigai attack?

Didn't Okita end up at the shinigami academy at some point, or am I making shit up?

>I know this group of misfits who need to do something productive with their time.
Personally, I think Chad would do best under Kensei since they have similar fighting styles.

What's that last option mean? I'd rather be informed of a choice instead of "LOL MYSTERY BOX!"

>>The reishi of Soul Society will help you train.
>>CHAD, WE HAVE TO GO BACK.

>>CHAD, WE HAVE TO GO BACK.

I was totally just about to complain about the lack of Kaoru.

>The reishi of Soul Society will help you train.
>Other?
"In fact, you don't have to be in Soul Society the entire time."

Valley is like the DBZ Gravity Room.

Huh, they really don't have anything better to do, do they?

>CHAD, WE HAVE TO GO BACK.

All aboard the Kisajishi train, now pulling into Batshit Insaneville in the county of Fuck-Your-Excuses.

He's currently in First Division, but like most souls remembers nothing of his life. There ARE a few remnants however, strong feelings of duty and propriety that carried over and made him a good fit for First.

It's less of a suggested change of scenery and more dragging them along regardless of whether they want to train or not.

>CHAD, WE HAVE TO GO BACK.
What else could be picked?

Other is for write in.

Sounds good to me.

>The reishi of Soul Society will help you train.
>CHAD, WE HAVE TO GO BACK.

I'm going with for now, since I feel like we should probably wait until we're done with all the reigai stuff?

It's a decent write-in that I'll definitely do something with later, but the reishi-dense environment seems to have won for now.

>writing

“I think you know what this means, Yasutora,” you conclude with a solemn nod. “We have to go back.”

Yasutora looks at you with the eyes of a man who's been handed a death sentence. “Do we?”

“Yup,” you nod. “The reishi there will help you all train, and I'll stand a better chance figuring out all your powers that way. So we have to go back.”

“Is it really that bad?” Asano asks nervously.

Yasutora shakes his head. “It's fine. But the people there...”

“Are what?” Asano interrupts, eager to hear what he's in for. “What are the people like?”

“Strong,” Yasutora tells him. “Frighteningly strong.”

“Well then!” you declare cheerfully, leading them off the roof. “Let's not waste time, then! And don't talk to me from here on. Remember, nobody else can see me when I'm in my spirit body.”

The best place to do this will probably be the Inari shrine, and it'll make a much better impression on the young humans to cross over to the Soul Society in a sacred place. Doing it on the roof of their high school through brute force may actually end with Mizuiro asking too many questions about how you can do such a thing. And with what little they know about hollows, that's not a conversation you want to have just yet.

“Why are we walking out of town?” Mizuiro asks, absolutely on-point.

“I'll open a portal at the shrine,” you explain carefully. “Actually, Yasutora?”

“Captain?”

“I need you to do me a favor,” you tell the large young man. “I want you to buy something for me.”

“You what now?” he asks.

“It's not like the places around here accept gold coins anymore,” you sigh, pointing at a nearby store you spotted as you were walking. “Don't worry, it's just a gift for a fellow Captain.”
>1/2

Oh this is gonna be good....

A few minutes later you walk out of the pet store having forced Yasutora to buy a hairbrush meant for dogs. It's perfect for Komamura, and when Yasutora finally gets to the Soul Society it'll make a great gift.

"I bet this Captain friend of yours has a really bushy beard?" Orihime asks cheerfully. If only she knew...

"I can't get over the fact that we just bought a dog brush for a ghost," Asano mutters, glancing back over his shoulder at the store. "I mean, this is weird, right?"

"Very," you agree, pointing up a narrow path that leads up a grassy hill to the side of the road out of Karakura town. "This way."

The hot, muggy Japanese weather is alleviated somewhat as you walk through the trees, but the aggravating racket of the cicadas crying becomes that much worse as you walk further from the road and the air grows almost stiflingly still. Thankfully it doesn't take long to reach the shrine, and when you do the noise disappears abruptly.

"Hey, listen," Orihime speaks up, noticing the quietness that her friends failed to.

Chizuru looks around nervously. "It's too quiet here, this is creepy. It feels like we shouldn't even be here..."

"It's fine," you reassure her. "I'm friends with the proprietor."

"You mean the head priest?"

"No."

>Use one of the wooden Torii as the frame for a more stable garganta, lead the humans through on the quiet. You'll have to form a pathway for them however.
>Use Tenkotsuki to open the Senkaimon. It'll be easier for them to move through it, but it'll draw attention that you may not want.

>>Use one of the wooden Torii as the frame for a more stable garganta, lead the humans through on the quiet. You'll have to form a pathway for them however.

>Use one of the wooden Torii as the frame for a more stable garganta, lead the humans through on the quiet. You'll have to form a pathway for them however.

Have we actually gotten the okay to bring them with us?

>Use one of the wooden Torii as the frame for a more stable garganta, lead the humans through on the quiet. You'll have to form a pathway for them however.

>>Use one of the wooden Torii as the frame for a more stable garganta, lead the humans through on the quiet. You'll have to form a pathway for them however.
Don't. Stray. From. The. Path.

>>Use one of the wooden Torii as the frame for a more stable garganta, lead the humans through on the quiet. You'll have to form a pathway for them however.

>implying this isn't one of Riku's more or less consistent character flaws

>>Use one of the wooden Torii as the frame for a more stable garganta, lead the humans through on the quiet. You'll have to form a pathway for them however.

>Have we actually gotten the okay to bring them with us?
>asking for permission
>Riku
LOL good one user.

Alrighty then, give me some 3d10 rolls. Bare minimum DC is 5's.

Rolled 9, 4, 9 = 22 (3d10)

Rolled 3, 7, 6 = 16 (3d10)

As one user put it, the fundamental point of disagreement between Riku and the captain commander is that to him undermining the social and political goals of the Central 46 in the process of defeating Aizen is a regrettable necessity. To Riku, its a bonus. She won't ask them for permission because she knows they won't punish her after the fact, but they might tell her not to.

Rolled 4, 5, 5 = 14 (3d10)

no crits, but pass is pass...

couldn't get an exceptional success on a dc5? Not sure that bodes well.

A solid performance.
>writing
>after this update I need to grab breakfast, so the next one may be a little slower

You eye one of the wooden torii carefully, considering your options for getting a bunch of untrained humans through the space between worlds without losing any of them. “Tenkotsuki, what do you think?”

“I believe we can work with this,” your zanpakuto tells you. “Open a garganta within this frame and I can stabilize it for you.”

“Who's Tenkotsuki?” Orihime asks curiously.

“My sword,” you explain calmly, opening a hole between the legs of the torii and expanding it to meet the edges of the frame so that Tenkotsuki can anchor it there. “All shinigami's swords have personalities, and I can talk to mine at will.”

“Weird,” Chizuru comments as she gazes into the inky void within the portal.

“Very. Follow me, everyone, and stay close.”

The void before you is split by a large, oblong platform of milky white energy, solid as bedrock beneath your footfalls. As you walk further into the void the platform expands forward, like a slowly widening series of ink blots forming into a functional bridge. A little more effort and you may have added handrails, but instead you opted for wide and solid.

A verbal warning here should suffice.

“Stay away from the edge,” you insist quietly, leading the small group of humans into the darkness.

There's a noticeable pause before Chizuru speaks up. “What happens if we fall off?”

You stop in place, glancing back over your shoulder rather ominously. “Don't fall off.”

The trip between worlds is uneventful, thanks to your precise control over the mass of reiatsu at your disposal. You forgot how much of a pain in the ass it is to do this sort of thing without resorting to hirenkyaku to cross the distance required near-instantly, but these kids need you to go more slowly for them. And it'd be awkward to have to explain to Ichigo why one of his friends ended up floating in the extradimensional void for all eternity.
>1/?

After what feels like forever, maybe five whole minutes, you reemerge in the middle of the Ninth Division's training grounds. By now nobody around here even bats an eyelid at your abrupt appearance, though a few people notice a bunch of humans in civilian clothes following behind you. In a more private area in the training grounds, you find some familiar faces.

From a hammock suspended between two trees you spot Starrk shooting a plasticky-looking gun, aiming lazily at Lilynette with a wide-brimmed hat tipped low over his eyes and one arm stretched across his body. The suction cup-tipped darts whiz past the little arrancar, who seems smug in her evasive abilities: what she doesn't realize is that her partner's seemingly disjointed shots are sticking to the wall of a gardening shed behind her to spell “MORON” in precisely-formed capitals. You decide not to spoil Starrk's fun, as from your angle you can see him smiling from beneath the brim of his hat.

Halibel is on her own, moving in slow, deliberate circular steps as she carefully shifts the reiatsu concentrations throughout her body. When she notices you she turns and nods silently, revealing that she's unzipped her collar far enough to reveal a rare glimpse of her bone-clad chin. Apacci is nearby, in the middle of defending herself from an onslaught of blows from Mila Rose and Sung-Sun. She's using those cero shields of hers to intercept their swords, improving her speed and control with the technique while forcing her companions to learn how to work together for once.

The nostalgic sounds of a cello recording being played and hard wood being struck greet your ears, and walking a bit further towards your own quarters reveal Yoruichi training against a wooden man. Her fingertips, wrists, and elbows follow the familiar tune of Elgar's last and perhaps greatest concerto.
>youtube.com/watch?v=XwMON0FsAaA
>2/?

She strikes at the wooden man's wrists with her arms and its throat and stomach with vicious clawing blows, moving not quickly but deliberately, letting the cellist's tempo dictate her own. Similar to Halibel she focuses much more heavily on how her own reiatsu shifts and balances within her body as she executes each combination, more than exercise to your eyes... it's poetry in fluid, glorious motion.

A subtle metallic flash draws your attention to her throat, where she's suspended a tiny silver bell from her silken choker. It's almost more than you can handle, so predictably it leaves Chizuru powerless to control herself. She charges forward, a word escaping her lips that must be some weird modern term for lesbianism that you're not familiar with. That won't do.

With no hesitation at all in your mind you reach out with one hand and swipe your fingers to the side, not even bothering to say the name of the first Bakudō. Sheer willpower is more than enough to get the job done, and a visibly shocked Chizuru tumbles to the ground as she suddenly finds her arms wrenched behind her back and pinned in place. As you step over her, you kneel down to whisper a single word in a low, dangerous growl.

“Mine.”

“You know we have the 1965 Du Pre recording, right?” you interrupt Yoruichi's routine, after almost deciding not to do so. “Her interpretation is fairly definitive.”

“I know,” she replies. “This recording speaks to me more.”

Understandable. You were playing it for her after all, on what the audience that evening never knew was your fiftieth wedding anniversary.

"So what do you want us to do?" Yasutora asks, following close behind while his friends inspect Chizuru as she struggles against the spell to little avail.
>3/4

>I want you to observe Yoruichi here for a little while. Try and get a feel for the way she uses her reiatsu.
>See Chizuru there? That's you in a few minutes. I expect you to break free from the Bakudō by dinner.
>Sado, please try and explain reiatsu to your friends. Try using references to things people your age would understand.
>I'd like to see what each of you is capable of, to try and tailor your training to each of your needs.
>Other?

>>Sado, please try and explain reiatsu to your friends. Try using references to things people your age would understand.
>>I'd like to see what each of you is capable of, to try and tailor your training to each of your needs.

>okay, stepping out for a bit. feel free to discuss things in greater detail if need be while I'm out.
>also sorry for the bad link, turns out you have to go to youtube to hear it. but it's worth a listen.

>>Sado, please try and explain reiatsu to your friends. Try using references to things people your age would understand.
>I'd like to see what each of you is capable of, to try and tailor your training to each of your needs.

>I'd like to see what each of you is capable of, to try and tailor your training to each of your needs.

>Sado, please try and explain reiatsu to your friends. Try using references to things people your age would understand.
>I'd like to see what each of you is capable of, to try and tailor your training to each of your needs.

>I'd like to see what each of you is capable of, to try and tailor your training to each of your needs.
>Other?
"You're all gonna sit down and have a snack with Stark and company. And he'll gradually release his reiatsu. Try not to end up on the floor."

First
>>I'd like to see what each of you is capable of, to try and tailor your training to each of your needs.
Then afterwards
>>Sado, please try and explain reiatsu to your friends. Try using references to things people your age would understand.

>>Sado, please try and explain reiatsu to your friends. Try using references to things people your age would understand.
>I'd like to see what each of you is capable of, to try and tailor your training to each of your needs.

How about we NOT kill them?

>I'd like to see what each of you is capable of, to try and tailor your training to each of your needs.

I have finished archive diving this great quest, and now, my first vote!

Fiiine. Just Apacci then since she's got finer control.

Just saying, any skills they pick up isn't worth anything if they're paralyzed with a Captain level reiatsu on the onset.

>back from my breakfast run, good LORD the weather here is shit
>writing

“Sado, please explain reiatsu to your friends here,” you request, adopting an uncharacteristically polite tone. “I'm not sure I'd do a very good job, since I've never actually had to explain the basic concepts before.”

“Then I'm going to want to see what you can all do,” you continue, much louder this time. “Tailor my approach to each of your skillsets.”

As Sado tries to explain using as few words as possible, you wonder quietly whether you may have made a miscalculation here. The boy means well, and it's clear to you that he understands the concepts you've asked him to teach, but this is one case where maybe it'd be better if he were a wordy little bastard like Asano or Mizuiro.

As he teaches, you take a seat next to Yoruichi and watch. Her tone is quieter than you're used to from her, and it's immediately clear why when she begins to explain what's happened in the brief time you were gone.

“We got an official aftermath report,” she tells you solemnly. “It wasn't as bad as it could've been, but there were a few high-profile incidents you should know about.”

“Who bought it?” you ask quietly, steeling yourself for her response.

“Rangiku's reigai took out Shunsui's eye. He'll be fine though, and he and Ukitake managed to get her back, but it took a fair bit out of them. Komamura and the Old Man are also pretty badly drained, and ice-boy isn't conscious yet. Fourth expects him to be fine though. It's our Lieutenants who are in the worst shape.”

“How bad are we talking here?”

“Widespread injuries,” Yoruichi continues. “Mirai's reigai hit Lietuenant Kano in the chest, damaged his soul chain. He's still in critical condition and Retsu doubts he'll ever recover fully.”

“That's a hefty blow,” you mutter. “How is Tenth managing?”
>1/2

>tfw our division regai caused all the problems

Sheeeiiiit. Step up yo game up other niggas.

>> “Mirai's reigai hit-"
Shiiit, I totally forgot how much of a problem her reigai would be.

“Kisuke sent Kira over to fill the gap, but they're reeling,” your wife admits. “It may take a while for the Division to recover. I've also had to suspend my own Lieutenant for now, since he was badly hurt. He'll be fine, but I'm not sure he was up to snuff. I might...”

“Yes?”

“... I might need to resort to Omaeda.”

“Well, at least nobody's dead,” you sigh, “so it could be worse.”

“It's worse,” Yoruichi tells you. “I saved this for last, because I know it won't be easy to hear.”

“Sasakibe... won't be returning to duty.”

Your heart skips a beat. The old man was a permanent fixture in the tight-knit circle of Lieutenants and had been for centuries, back to before your own tenure in the position under Yoruichi. For him to suddenly be gone is a sad reality that has an unexpectedly strong impact.

“How?”

“It was Kai's reigai,” she explains. “He used Kamitinbe's Bankai, managed to mangle Saskibe's right arm. But that's not the worst part... the old-timer released his own Bankai to counter it, and the hilt was destroyed.”

“You know what that means, Riku. He'll probably never wield a zanpakuto again.”

>How did Kai's reigai manage that? You know Kai's above average, but that seems excessive.
>You don't know for sure that there's not a fix.
>Sadly... Yoruichi may be right. Even if there IS a way to fix this, Sasakibe's too old to start fresh.
>You don't know what to think. Get back to overseeing the training.
>Other?

>How did Kai's reigai manage that? You know Kai's above average, but that seems excessive.
>You don't know for sure that there's not a fix.

>How did Kai's reigai manage that? You know Kai's above average, but that seems excessive.
>You don't know what to think. Get back to overseeing the training.

>How did Kai's reigai manage that? You know Kai's above average, but that seems excessive.
>You don't know for sure that there's not a fix.
>Well, we could always see if any of the Vizards want a new job.

>How did Kai's reigai manage that? You know Kai's above average, but that seems excessive.
>Sadly... Yoruichi may be right. Even if there IS a way to fix this, Sasakibe's too old to start fresh.
>You don't know what to think. Get back to overseeing the training.

The real question is, since when is Hanataro relevant to anything?

Ask what they're saying about our division? Even if it is clones, the fact that it was our forces that caused most of the damage might still be seen as pretty bad.

How do you get the hilt destroyed? Was whatever Kai did to Sasakibe's arm so bad it crushed the hilt he was holding as well?

>How did Kai's reigai manage that? You know Kai's above average, but that seems excessive.
>You don't know for sure that there's not a fix.
>Remember Kisuke is bullshit.

>“... I might need to resort to Omaeda.”
Has she considered trying to recruit Lisa? She's probably picked up some stealth chops along the way, and considering who her captain was, she could probably run the division by herself.

Kinda surprised Riku went "Mine" to Chizuru. I thought the name of the game with Riku and Yoruichi's relationship was how low-key it was supposed to be; when Yoruichi punched Kon I figured the "Mine" was for Riku's benefit and Kon never heard.

Ah well; still best couple.

>Sadly... Yoruichi may be right. Even if there IS a way to fix this, Sasakibe's too old to start fresh.

> ....One of the kids has a power that might be able to reverse what happened. If it gets strong enough.

Let's be real here, Chizuru's too crushed to tell anyone about it even if anyone would believe her.
>writing

Another alternative would be to recruit Karou's LT, and have Karou recruit Hachigen Ushōda

Fair enough!

...And I suspect Riku and Yoruichi would get a real laugh over Chizuru trying to tell everyone and nobody believes her, so in a way it's a win-win for them!

“Kisuke's pretty bullshit,” you observe calmly. “So I wouldn't count old mustache out so quick. I'm more confused about where Kai was hiding that kind of power.”

“I asked Rangiku what she knew,” Yoruichi admits, since presumably the report that was issued didn't go into much detail, “but all she could give me was a gibberish name: Kamitinbe nu Yā Ishigaki.”

“The stone walls of Kamitinbe's house,” you translate, to Yoruichi's mind surprise. “It's Yaeyama dialect. I'm from Okinawa, remember?”

“Fair point,” Yoruichi sighs. “Don't know why I was surprised. Anyway, it sounds like he had an elemental advantage, stone would do well against Sasakibe.”

“May be more than that,” you add. “Sounds like it came from the Yaeyama phrase for a gusuku, a fortified sacred site. Kinda like a castle.”

“So he crushed Sasakibe's arm and sword between two walls of stone, or something?”

“Seems that way.”

You stand up and stretch your limbs just as Sado finishes his slow, awkward explanation of reiatsu, glancing down at Yoruichi. “Thanks for the update. I'm going to get back to work.”

“Take good care of the kids,” she replies, standing and pulling on her haori. “I have work to get done myself.”

“I like the bell,” you mention with a smile.

“Not too much?”

“Just right.”

After she leaves, you join the teenagers. Chizuru seems to be making some progress breaking the spell on her own, which is actually kind of impressive.

"So, now we see what you can do so far."

>Sado, I want you to punch me in the face.
>Orihime, I want to talk to your faeries.
>Orihime, try healing this scar for me.
>Other?

>Orihime, try healing this scar for me.

>>Orihime, I want to talk to your faeries.

>>>Sado, I want you to punch me in the face.
fist mage is best mage

>Orihime, I want to talk to your faeries.

>Orihime, try healing this scar for me.

>>Orihime, I want to talk to your faeries

>>Orihime, try healing this scar for me.
I wonder what this will do?

>Sado, I want you to punch me in the face.

Because their reactions will be funniest.

>Sado, I want you to punch me in the face.
I'd rather Orihime not try to remove our emotional scar please, You know the one we got from Yoruichi while alive.

>>Orihime, I want to talk to your faeries.
But I like the scar.

you know which scar she should remove? the one Mirai has.

>Sado, I want you to punch me in the face.
>Orihime, I want to talk to your faeries.

>Sado, I want you to punch me in the face.
Please tell me it's not the one scar Yoruichi gave us while alive, That's fucking important to us.

>>Orihime, try healing this scar for me.

>Sado, I want you to punch me in the face.

>that's fucking important to us
I can say this much, I wouldn't have made that an option unless Riku could conceivably have an IC hunch about it.

>Orihime, try healing this scar for me.