15 Chapter 15: Sosuke Aizen
A black box that rose high above the forest canopy instantly formed, with Kizuru in the center. However, less than a second later, explosions started sounding out all across the forest.
99.9% of the damage Kizuru was taking was being transported to the surrounding land. Even the tree Aizen was perched upon collapsed to the ground. It was like an earthquake was shaking the world, the first earthquake in Soul Society history.
But Aizen did not seem perturbed in the least, just moving to another tree and continuing to look toward the black coffin. After a few seconds, the explosions stopped, and immediately after the black coffin shattered.
A large portion of the forest was destroyed, and at the center of the clearing was a small child lying face-first on the ground. The entire lower half of his body was also completely charred black, and his right leg missing from the knee down. His upper back was red and covered in lacerations, and the hair on his head was still smoldering. Both of his hands were completely mangled - his fingers completely missing and his metacarpal bones exposed and charred black.
His body was not the only part of him that had sustained severe damage. His Zanpakuto, Jingubang, had been split completely in half! It was still in Shikai form but had reverted to its bamboo appearance as Saruken's power had dispersed. One half was right in front of his mangled right hand, and the other in front of his mangled left hand. The section where it was split apart was charred black, as if Kizuru had used the middle section to block a strong attack. The areas on the staff that Kizuru used to hold were dyed red with blood - the only remnant of his destroyed hands.
Within the Kurohitsugi, if Kizuru sustained any more damage he would surely die. Jingubang had already transported the maximum amount of damage to his skin, muscles & tendons, and bones - the only area left was his vital organs. So, Jingubang had made the autonomous decision to take the damage unto itself - saving Kizuru's life but destroying itself in the process.
Despite the damage that destroyed his body, Kuizuru held onto a sliver of consciousness. Hearing a footstep above him, he looked up and saw a pair of feet standing in front of his face. When his face lifted up, Aizen could see that Kizuru had lost both of his eyes - they had been scorched out of his skull.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Aizen was not in the mood to say more than this. He had not intended to kill Kizuru with his Kurohitsugi, planning to stop it immediately when Jingubang stopped absorbing damage, but he had no need to. Because Kizuru had withstood the Hado's full duration!
"I really wanted to keep you for later and let you grow, but I am not skilled in healing techniques. If I don't do this now, you will surely succumb to your injuries. I hope you live up to my expectations."
Saying this, Aizen pulled a small vial out from his kimono. This vial contained a white liquid that thrashed and squirmed like it was trying to consume Kizuru through the glass.
*FLICKER*
*BOOM*
Before Aizen could do whatever he was trying to do, he flash-stepped and a large white spoon appeared where he was just standing - like it had dropped from the sky.
Sensing the reiatsu of this spoon, which was like a flare in a dark cave, Kizuru sighed in relief and fell deeply unconscious. He was relieved because this spoon was the unique Zanpakuto of his Captain - Kirio Hikifune, the 'Grain King'.
After Kiuru dropped his head and passed out, Kirio Hikifune flickered and appeared in front of him, picking up her spoon. In her opposite hand, she was holding a small figure - it was the unconscious Hiyori Saraguki. Hiyori also had injuries, but they were nowhere near as severe as Kizuru's.
Kirio then rolled Kizuru over and placed a small green pill in his mouth. She put her Zanpakuto in her kimono and picked Kizuru up with her free hand before flickering and disappearing.
If Kizuru was awake he would be shocked to see her face, because while she was always known to have a smile even during life-and-death battles, her expression right now was dead serious.
"Which of the Captains could that have been? It seems we have a serious problem."
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Back in the Seireitei, Kirio appeared in the 4th Division barracks. There were typically no patients occupying emergency room beds in times of peace, but right now there were several. Most of them were unranked shinigami, but there were some seated officers as well - all with somewhat serious injuries. It was obvious Kizuru and Hiyori were not the only squad that ran into hollowfied shinigami while investigating disappearances. Kirio noticed that the entire Seireitei was up and running, squad members moving about everywhere.
"Yamada-chan, take good care of my Hiyori!" Kirio shouted at a shinigami currently giving medical care to an injured patient. By now she had once again put on a bubbly facade.
"Ah, Captain Hikifune…" Seinosuke seemed less than pleased to hear Kirio's command, but he assented anyway - unable to ignore a Captain's orders.
"Show respect, Seinosuke." A calm voice came from behind Kirio.
"Y-yes, Captain Unohana!" Hearing the voice of his Captain, Seinosuke stiffened up and readily complied. Seinosuke did not fear Kirio, nor the savage Captain Kenpachi, headstrong Captain Kuchiki, or the eerie Captain Oko, but he greatly feared the outwardly kindhearted and soft-spoked Captain Unohana.
"Good." Unohana softly said with a smile on her face.
"I will leave her in your care." Kirio said to Seinosuke and Unohana, before turning to leave with Kizuru still on her shoulder - who was obviously much more seriously injured than Hiyori and only kept alive by the medical pill pumping nourishing reiatsu throughout his body.
Unohana and Seinosuke saw this but did not say anything. Patients who were missing limbs were always sent to the 12th Division for limb restructuring after being healed at Squad 4, so they thought Kirio would do both at Squad 12.
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In the large lab that resided beneath the 12th Division barracks, Kizuru was floating in a large tank of green liquid. His right leg, hands, and eyes had all been destroyed, and his body had sustained serious burns, but as the green fluid flowed around his body he seemed to regain his complexion.
On a table in the center of the room was his broken Zanpakuto. A rectangular orange barrier covered the table, seeming to stabilize the Zanpakuto's reiatsu.
However, other than Kizuru, nobody else was in the room. Kirio had already left to visit the 5th Division.
"A Captain is involved, but you have no clues other than that?"
A man with long blonde hair questioned Kirio, who stood before him and shrugged.
"I don't know, Shinji. A Vice-Captain-level reiatsu was there as well. Did any Captains or Vice-Captains leave the Seireitei within the past few hours?"
"No. None… besides my Vice-Captain." Shinji Hirako replied admittedly.
"Sosuke Aizen, huh? I knew he was suspicious. You thought so too, right Shinji?"
"What? How did you know?"
"I've seen how you talk to him. You talk much more formally with him than any other Captain does with their Vice-Captain." Kirio pointed at Shinji and revealed.
"Hai…" Shinji sighed.
"Since when did you suspect him?" Kirio asked.
"Since he was my 3rd Seat. I made him my Vice-Captain to keep him in line. He has Captain-level reiatsu but tries to hide it. He was probably the Captain you felt. As for the Vice-Captain, it was likely my 3rd Seat, Gin Ichimaru. Sosuke heavily petitioned to accept Gin into Squad 5, and my 3rd Seat went missing quickly after."
"What do you think Aizen is trying to do? He is hollowfying dozens of unranked shinigami and attempted to hollowfy a Vice-Captain tonight. Compared to that, the 200,000 missing souls are nothing."
"I have no idea." Shinji grumbled.
"Should we tell the Head Captain? He will surely take this seriously."
Kirio was one of the most senior Captains in the Gotei 13, and one of the captains Head Captain Yamamoto trusted most deeply. If she expressed her concerns, even without any evidence for her claims, he would likely take her seriously.
"No. I'm sure Aizen has made many preparations in case of such an event - he is more cunning than you can believe." Shinji had a serious expression.
"Then what should we do?"
"I will suss him out, just trust me and give me some time. I know him better than anyone else."
"Alright, I will trust you for now. But you should know what implications Aizen's experiments have. If you do not solve this problem soon, then I will solve it for you."
"Fine."
Shinji and Kirio have been friends for centuries. Kirio urged Yamamoto to launch an investigation into the disappearance of souls several years ago at the behest of Shinji, which led to Yume being sent out to West Rukon. To make Shinji this cautious, she knew there must be much more to Aizen than it seemed.
