[MillietheWarrior]

“How do you know I don’t understand?”

“Listen,” the other man growled, fixing Kisuke with a glare. “I like you, Kisuke. You’re a good guy, a nice guy. Hell, you’re probably stronger than me. I know I may not always be the best for her, and I may not always be there to protect her, but can you honestly say you can be? Can you honestly say you’d ever be able to be there for her, like I am? Just shut your mouth and forget about her. You’re not right for Haru.”

“Not right for her? How do you even know?”

“I just do!”

“Sora, I don’t think you know anything right now. Look, let’s just focus on the mission. We can hash this out when we get back. Deal?” Kisuke held out his hand, his trademark smile back in place. Sora growled under his breath; he certainly didn’t want to shake Kisuke’s hand, but he really had no choice in the matter. The man was right. They needed to focus on the mission, not on figuring out the details of their own love lives, or lack thereof, in some cases.

[MillietheWarrior]

Reluctantly, Sora shook Kisuke’s hand just as Haru appeared beside them, looking flustered and a bit out of sorts. “Sora, you jerk!” she shouted, smacking him upside the head. “You could’ve at least waited for me!”

Sora just laughed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, while Kisuke looked away in embarrassment. He seemed to be unable to meet Haru’s eyes.

“Listen,” Haru began, forcing Sora and Kisuke both to look at her. “I know Sora is aware of the situation,” she shot a pointed look at him, and he looked away innocently. “But I need to explain it anyway, for Kisuke.”

[MillietheWarrior]

She missed the faint blush that crossed Kisuke’s face as she continued. “There has been a Hollow infestation in the Rukongai. They don’t think it’s a threat, so I’m guessing this will mostly be an easy situation to handle. Probably nothing too dangerous. We just need to check out the Hollow activity in the affected areas; if it’s too abnormal, we’ll report our findings to the head captain and he can decide what to do from there. We shouldn’t engage in any unnecessary fighting, so think before you draw those swords. Regardless, we need to be on our toes. Stay alert, and stay focused. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

She glanced at Kisuke and Sora, nodding her head. “Am I understood?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sora replied, feigning disinterest and scratching his ear. Haru smacked him, and he yelped. “I mean, yes, lieutenant, understood!” he quickly amended, a cheeky smile on his face.

“Understood, lieutenant,” Kisuke replied quietly, keeping his gaze anywhere but on Haru and Sora; it was time to focus solely on the mission.

[MillietheWarrior]

“I don’t like this one bit.”

Haru nodded in Sora‘s direction, her hand clutching her zanpakutō tightly. “It’s quiet,” she murmured softly. The only sound was the wind in the trees, and even that seemed hushed. The cloudy, night sky overhead made it difficult to see, and Haru and her two team-mates squinted in the dark.

“Something is off here,” Kisuke muttered. There was a foul feeling in the air, a strange darkness that was unrelated to the night that seemed to close in around them. It was stifling, choking, ominous. It left a bitter taste on Kisuke‘s tongue. “I don’t like it either.”

[MillietheWarrior]

“What do you think it is?” Haru asked softly, almost afraid to break the silence that had descended on them. Unconsciously, the three were back to back, each with their hands on the sword at their sides. Something was out there, and it was focusing itself on them. Each had a good idea of what it could be, but they’d never felt such a massive cloud of darkness and danger in one place before.

“I don’t know, but it’s not good,” Kisuke replied, before the sound of a Hollow scream forced all three to jerk their heads to the side.

“A Hollow!” Haru shouted, and the three took off through the forest, branches whipping past them as they leapt from tree to tree. A loud explosion rocked the forest and nearly sent them tumbling to the ground. It was unexpected, and Haru grasped a branch above her head, balancing precariously on one below her. “What-what was that?” Haru murmured, resting her hand on Sora’s shoulder to keep her balance.

[MillietheWarrior]

“Whatever it was, it couldn’t have been good,” Kisuke replied grimly, and Haru was somewhat surprised that he wasn’t smiling; Kisuke always smiled, regardless of the situation. At least, that’s what she’d heard.

“Haru, on your left!”

Haru spun on her heel at Sora’s warning to see a large, bone covered arm crashing through the trees and heading straight towards her. She drew her sword, gritting her teeth as the fist slammed into her zanpakutō and sent her careening backwards out of the tree. She leapt down, the arm following her and driving her back and away from her team. Shifting her grip, she pushed the arm away with a grunt of effort, and sliced through it. An unearthly, but very familiar scream cut through the clearing, and the three of them suddenly found themselves surrounded by Hollows.

[MillietheWarrior]

“I thought the head captain said it wasn’t anything to be concerned about!” Sora shouted, drawing his zanpakutō; Kisuke did the same. The three stood back to back, surrounded by a massive hoard of writhing, screaming Hollows. How had they multiplied so fast, so rapidly without anyone noticing? And where did these massive ones come from? There was no way they could have gotten past the notice of the Sereitei.

“Obviously he was wrong, Sora,” Kisuke said calmly, ignoring the sour look Sora flashed his way. “Keep on your guard. Don’t let them take you by sur-”

Kisuke’s warning was cut off as a slew of tentacles flew towards them. His eyes widened, and he lowered his sword, slashing through the tentacles before they could reach him. They fell to the ground, disintegrating into ash. Another flurry of grasping hands shot towards Haru, while a large Hollow went after Sora, serpentine-like teeth gnashing and grasping. Their formation broke as Haru and Sora leapt away from each other.

[MillietheWarrior]

“Move, Kisuke!” Haru shouted, watching as the blonde turned slowly to see the Hollows coming straight at him. “Damn it!” She swung her zanpakutō in front of her, and a green energy began to envelop the blade. “Chime, Omamori!” When her sword disappeared up to the hilt, the green light expanded and shot towards Kisuke, forming a shield in front of him just as the Hollows reached him. They crashed into the shield, and with a sickening crack, it shattered. Haru leapt backwards and landed lightly on a tree branch as the Hollows plowed into the dirt where Kisuke had been standing only a moment before.

“Thanks.”

[MillietheWarrior]

Haru turned to see Kisuke balancing on the branch beside her. She nodded, smiling faintly, before her eyes were forced back to the Hollows below them. “Little help down here!” Sora yelled from his place across the clearing. He was gritting his teeth under the strain of holding back one of the larger Hollows. It’s head looked like a snake, the bones along it’s forehead and back fitting together like puzzle pieces. It seemed intent on going after Sora, gnashing both sets of teeth, Hollow and human, as it tried to reach him.

“Right!” Haru called. She turned to Kisuke. “Kisuke, help Sora. I’m going to take care of the other Hollows.”

“But there’s too many for-”

“Don’t worry,” Haru said hurriedly. “Just help Sora. I’ve got this.”

[MillietheWarrior]

Kisuke nodded almost hesitantly, before he disappeared from sight, reappearing at Sora’s side to help drive back the Hollow. Haru watched them carefully for a brief moment, before she turned to the mass of Hollows still surrounding them. They were closing in, gathering closer now that some of their larger comrades had been disposed of. The way was clear for them to get to the three Soul reapers, but Haru wouldn’t give them that chance.

“Chime,” she whispered softly. She lifted the hilt of her zanpakutō, pressing it flat against her chest. The hilt glowed, seeming to vibrate with a faint chime of bells. An unnatural wind whipped around Haru, stirred up by the gathering of her own spiritual pressure, and she could faintly smell the scent of wheat on the breeze. “Omamori!!”

[MillietheWarrior]

A massive green light erupted from the hilt, pushing out in a pulsating force to coalesce into a shield, much like the one she’d used to protect Kisuke. Instead of forming only one small barrier, however, the shield grew, stretching and contorting until it was as massive as the hoard of Hollows. It surrounded them with a whining scream of bells and ringing, and began to shrink, pressing them closer and closer together; the outer shell of the shield glower a dark, deep green, while the inner was a pale teal. Runes and small symbols danced along the edges of the outer circle, glowing brighter and brighter with each pulsating spin. The Hollows writhed and screamed, making a terrible sound as the smaller, weaker ones began to disintegrate from the pressure and strength shield.

“A little more,” Haru murmured, gritting her teeth with the strain of holding them and the shield together. “Come on, Omamori! We can do this…” A bead of sweat trickled down the side of her head as she bowed it, holding the hilt aloft with shaky, tiring arms.

[MillietheWarrior]

The shield began to close, and more and more Hollows disappeared, crying out in agony as their bodies were crushed and destroyed until none remained. As the Hollows disintegrated, the barrier slowly cracked and broke apart, drawing a pained gasp from the sword wielder. There was another whine of bells, a distant ringing that sounded vaguely like a wind chime, before the shield disintegrated with a mighty cry. Haru let out a long sigh, her body falling forward heavily as she sheathed her suddenly reformed zanpakutō; when the shield cracked and split apart, it had taken a massive chunk of her spiritual energy to keep it from exploding outward and destroying both herself and her comrades.

She leapt down from the tree, her steps slow and painful as she made her way towards Sora and Kisuke, who had been watching with wide-eyed interest. Both had dispatched their own respective Hollows long ago. “Well, now that we’ve got that all cleared up, how about we head back and report our findings to the head captain? I’m sure he’d like to hear about-”

[MillietheWarrior]

“Haru!” Kisuke shouted, his eyes suddenly widening dangerously. “Behind you!”

Haru turned slowly, her own eyes going wide as a massive Hollow with blade-like arms sprang for her from the shadows.

She hadn’t sensed it; she hadn’t even been able to feel it coming. Omamori had taken more of her spiritual energy than she’d been aware of.

Haru gasped, knowing it was too late to draw her weapon to protect herself. She closed her eyes, body tensing for the blow as she sent a silent prayer to whatever God might be watching over her; she could do nothing but wait for the blade to impact. A sudden shadow flitted past her, and when her eyes opened, her vision was obscured by the back of Sora’s robes as he leapt in front of her. “What-?”

Haru screamed as the Hollow’s blade pierced through him, sending blood spattering across her face and her robes. “Sora!” she cried, her heart stuttering in her chest. No, oh Kami, no! Not Sora! Please, not Sora!

[MillietheWarrior]

Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion as her arms shot out of their own accord to wrap around his shoulders, pulling him away from the Hollow as it aimed another strike their way. This time, however, Kisuke blocked the blow with his blade, a fierce expression on his face as he dashed forward and severed it’s head from it’s still swinging body, and the Hollow‘s scream died in it‘s throat. The head disintegrated, and the body followed after as it crashed to the ground in a massive cloud of dust and ash.

Kisuke sheathed his sword, and immediately moved to Sora’s side. Haru had him cradled against her chest, blood staining both of their robes. Kisuke could already see the tears pooling in her eyes as she stared down at a nearly lifeless Sora, and he felt his own throat seize up as the man turned his dark eyes onto Kisuke himself.

[MillietheWarrior]

“Shit…he got me good, didn’t he?” Sora sucked in a sharp breath, and Kisuke heard something wet and sick sounding rattle in his chest. “Don’t think…this m-means I c-concede anything to-to you, K-Kisuke.” Kisuke knew exactly what Sora was talking about: Haru. “I’m…I’m gonna be…keeping an eye on you, ya know.”

Kisuke smiled sadly, gripping Sora’s hand in his own. He wasn’t a healer by any means, but even he knew there was no hope here. “I don’t expect you to concede, Sora. You‘re too stubborn for that,” he replied quietly, closing his eyes against the tears that had suddenly sprang up; they might have had their own disagreement, but he liked to think they weren’t enemies at least. Rival, perhaps, Kisuke decided thoughtfully. But a rivalry that was far too short.