Chapter 63: Chapter 62: The Burden of Responsibility
[Before Kenji's Disappearance]
"Is it true Tenchō?! Is it true?!"
"Hmm~? Uh-huh, sure."
"Wow! Wow, wow, wow~!"
Batsu'unsai hopped around Kenji. Her high ponytail jumped as she skipped in celebration. Flushed and full of liveliness, Batsu peered over at the bench where Furoufushi and Yachiru were chatting. Identical to herself, Furoufushi's slavering lips slurred her words. Yachiru's graciousness wasn't lost on Batsu. A gladdened smile spread below the lenses of her glasses.
Yet she was torn from her trance as Kenji inquired about her frame of mind.
"Do you want to protect it?"
Batsu whirled on her feet and nodded profusely. She eyed Kenji, noticing his vision fixated on an alleyway behind the Kushiyaki food stand. Batsu traced his line of sight, squinting as she watched the unlit corridor.
Stalking in the deepest shadow was a foul spirit with a taste for corrupting the sanctity of life. Nestled in this darkness, two pits of imprisoned light lingered. The revolting monster stared on, feasting on her turmoil and unrest.
*Bwuuu~*
A biting chill blew past the Kushiyaki stand and its owner, specifically targeting Batsu. She froze where she stood, fear gnawing at her ankles. Her heart pumped and pumped, priming her body for the eventual escape.
Before she could take flight, an interruption in the foreground sheltered Batsu from the hair-raising symptoms. She raised her head, spotting Kenji's firm black pupils gazing down at her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Kenji lifted a single finger, effectively halting her faltering tongue.
Faith flashed within Kenji's piercing eyes. Placing a hand on her left shoulder, he squeezed in reassurance. Kenji then placed his other hand on her free shoulder, trapping her in place. He questioned her once more, testing the self-doubt she harbored.
"Tengoku… Batsu'unsai, are you ready to protect it?"
Batsu's mouth gaped as she failed to formulate a response. With a solemn nod, Kenji glanced toward the two oblivious women on the bench. He forcefully turned Batsu by the shoulders, facing her in the same direction.
Batsu's eyes instantly landed on Furoufushi and Yachiru. Her one-eyed sister was playfully pinching the youngest's puffy cheeks.
Kenji's prophetic whispers stimulated Batsu's imagination, drawing out a jarring prospect.
'I'll ask you something different. Look. Look at them… is it fine if you lose them too? Can you see yourself without them? Imagine it… a bird with no nest to return to. Will it fly forever? Or will it take to a warm nest with different birds?'
Batsu blankly stared at the affectionate scene, her thoughts unknown to Kenji. But he didn't let go. Kenji urgently spun her back to face him. Her lifeless eyes glazed over until an open palm stroked her hair.
Tilting her head up, illuminated lenses hid Batsu's eyes from Kenji. Detecting her awareness, he gently unfastened her restraints.
'Batsu'unsai. There's a nest for you. But right now, everyone else is too weak to defend it. You have a place to return to. That means you have something to do. Fu-chan will try to protect you. Yachiru will try to fend them off. If you need them, be there. Worry about everything later. We'll be there when it's your turn. It's as simple as that, understand?'
"…"
'I have to go. Take care of them for me. Okay?'
"…"
*Shuuu~*
Seconds elapsed as Batsu registered the responsibility she had been imparted with. She quickly shook her head, eluding the effects of intoxication. Batsu craved to say something, but Kenji had already strayed from her sight. She looked around the food cart, scanning the alley's shadows.
Kenji's figure was nowhere to be seen. The burden heightened the stress she held. Batsu's hands clenched tightly.
*Krrk~*
Confusion diverted her thoughts as she lowered her gaze. In her hand were three skewers of meat. Thousands of thoughts cluttered her toppling consciousness. Though there wasn't enough time to think…
"…Batsu!"
She faced them, recording Furoufushi's silly smile and Yachiru's dull, dead eyes.
The beginnings of an oath took shape. Dormant sentiments were set ablaze. Tools for resolution were tempered within this newly-forged fiery devotion.
With violence or virtue, Batsu resolved to dig her hands amidst the filth.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Three young women neared the Kokuryōmon, Seireitei's Northern gate. At the forefront was a pair with petite statures. The eldest woman edged slightly ahead. Her potent pink hair weakly swayed whilst her single violet eye darted in sweeping arcs. Her underlying caginess achieved its purpose as she soon spotted a shifting shadow near the looming gate.
Similarly, the youngest woman, seated in the center of the line also noticed the suspicious movement. Her grimy right hand stiffened over her hip-bound armament. Snarled black hair veiled her glowing blue eyes. Breath hitched in perception; she cautiously observed the multitude of amassing shadows.
Ten silhouettes lined along the gate. Shimmering moonlit swords cued in the silhouettes' hands.
*Shiin~* *Shiin~*
Responding to the blatant hostility, the two women drew their swords. However, the eldest's hands trembled from sluggishness. Her teeth wrenched, begging for an ounce of strength.
At her rear, the youngest was rapidly studying the ten foes. Suppressed concern furrowed her brows. She briefly discerned the state of her pink-haired companion. Her taut fingers strained with tension.
Without warning, a flickering outline stormed past the two stiff women. The eldest screamed in a panic, hoping to stop the inexperienced fighter.
"BATSU! COME BACK!"
Her shriek fell on deaf ears.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Batsu POV]
I charged in with the intent of destroying the monster's puppets. Blood rushed to my head, triggering a splitting headache to throb, over and over. Every fiber of my brain struggled to make sense of what I saw.
I bolted past Nee-san and Yacchan. For a split second, I saw Nee-san's worried face. Just another reason to finish this quickly. A high-pitched ringing absorbed my hearing. Eyes beset by filth; a thorough cleansing was in order.
Ten pairs of puppets' eyes landed on me. Their thin bodies and emaciated faces portrayed the grim reality they survived in. But I held no merciful intent. Would it not be better to die than serve such a monster?
I could sense their nihilism, their inability to care. It resonated with me. Just last year I had been the same way. Dragging my feet in sludge. Unbothered by the freezing cold. Staring at the stars when I should've been asleep. Wondering why I breathed.
Maybe I'm doing them a favor.
I think my mind is a mess.
I can't understand it...
Am I fine with killing?
Aren't I keeping them safe?
My Zanpakutō was right. I've been hiding from it.
The distance between me and the puppets was cut in half. Seireiheki's [Pure Soul Wall] granular surface swallowed the scenery. Its hanging height of 70 meters [~230 ft. / ~75 yd.] is set as the backdrop. The puppets began to sally out, sprinting toward me. Their mouths were wide from shouting, but I couldn't hear them.
I unsheathed my Zanpakutō; the unresponsive partner whom I could feel watching.
The textured wood strengthened my grip which would soon become wet. Its jarring curvature lent credence to the sympathetic strokes I would draw. These ten empty men have the misfortune of experiencing their end tonight, for this, I will pity them.
Opposite me were two loose columns of five men. They stampeded, untrained in balance and agility. Their collective skill likely rivaled or surpassed my own. Conversely, they never had the opportunity to fight against Nee-san…
Fifteen meters.
Ten meters.
Five meters.
Two meters.
Flaring my Reiatsu dulled their movements.
I lunged forth, seeing their widened eyes. Loosing my longer blade in a broad arc, I ripped across the stomachs of the first two. Sections of entrails and smatterings of muck slowly leaked from their gutted bellies. Their hands abandoned their weapons to plug their excreting organs.
I swiftly advanced past the living dead, scouring over the next two men. They had preemptively slashed in an organized assault. Threatened on both sides, I usurped Nee-san's ability and ducked low. Imitating Yacchan's discretion, I cut at their ankles. Their torn tendons caused them to buckle and fall. Whipping my arm out, I carved out their exposed, pale necks. Blood seeped from their juddering throats.
Looming shadows brandished under the moonlight alerted me to an inbound attack. I hastily threw my Zanpakutō above my head to intercept the cleaves. A rattling collision rolled through my right hand into my arm. With a moment to recover, I caught a glimpse of the two assailants.
The pause spawned by the deflection didn't last long. Another shining glint seized my attention. Susceptible to my left side, I rose and twirled, lashing out to defend myself. The ensuing parry left my fifth puppet vulnerable. I stabbed into his chest, twisting my blade for good measure.
Recalling the other assailant, I glanced back. He was already upon me, hacking at my back. I yanked at my Zanpakutō, but it remained entrapped by the puppet's ribcage. Panic spiked my bloodstream.
Left with little option, I kicked back and employed Tenchō's shoulder tackle. It was too weak to send the puppet flying. Given enough time, I was able to extract my Zanpakutō from the ribcage...
But I used too much force…
Retrieving my blade cost me my balance. I was sent backpedaling with sporadic steps. Falling on the ground was a certainty. Two approaching ghouls pounced as I tripped.
The weeks of training assumed its role. As I fell to the pavement, my sword-wielding arm reflexively refused to collapse. My suspended Zanpakutō managed to fend off the ghouls' heavy cleaves.
Not a second later, a tattered blue kimono came into view. Yacchan's composed expression was abruptly painted with blood as she cut down the two ghouls. She spun and whipped her sword, slashing across the puppet I had shoulder-tackled. The puppet's head plummeted to the ground. From there, she immediately advanced toward the last two puppets. Relief flushed through my body.
With a deep breath, I glanced back toward Nee-san. From twenty meters away, she stared at me in irritation.
My heart stopped.
Yacchan's absence left Nee-san unguarded. Nee-san's earlier exhaustion nullified her senses, failing to alert her to the two shadows lurking behind her. The shadows slinked up to her, steel flashing within their sleeves.
They edged closer and lifted their blades.
My throat dried as I screamed.
"NEE-SAN!"
*ZUUU~*
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone