The Suicidal And The Sacrificial

S2: Chains and Death

Shrine

All the captains are gathered in front of the funeral shrine. "You just arrived on time", Kyoraku turned to Byakuya who was fetched by the Toshiro and the vice-captains who were sent into the human world. "About No-", Byakuya didn't finish his words since he saw the captain commander slightly nod his head. After some time, black spirit particles floated in the air. "I never thought a day would come that my hunches might be true", Kyoraku sliced the particle but it just clumped together. After explaining something he read in the past, Rukia clung to his haori. "Is that true?", she said with such worried eyes. 

Human World

Nozomi jumped out of the portal that Kazui opened. She knelt on the ground and threw up blood. "Eeek! A dead shinigami", the soul panicked. The lady grabbed the man's jeans and threw him inside the portal. She looked up and saw a huge hollow. Its whole is outside its body. "Ichigo's child. I'm not in a good shape now. I need you to use that huge goldfish to escape. I can't make a good excuse if I allow Ichigo's child to be wounded", Nozomi used her sword to take a stand. "You're bleeding a lot, Miss Shinigami", the orange head tried to touch her but she retracted. 

"Chisuke, freeze", she used her ability to freeze her blood. She cannot waste using her reiatsu to heal herself at the sight of the three irregular hollows approaching her. "Will you be fine?", the child pressed his lips hoping he could do something. "I'd be lying if I said I will be. Here's the deal, Kazui. Go home and tell your mother my location. By the time she's here, these beasts will be gone and she could start stitching my wounds", Nozomi patted the child's head and looked at Kon who dragged the child away. 

Now that she's the only focus of the hollows, she raised her sword. "I recognize your reiatsu. You were in the 11th squad way back then. I don't want to raise my sword to my former comrades but I hope this will bring you salvation", the lady closed her eyes and activated her bankai. Her sword turned crimson with black lining. "You're as flashy as me, Chisuke", the lady gave a short laugh and started jumping from one hollow to the other. 

At last, she was able to clear the area. The lady performed a ceremonial funeral but the spirit particles were still dark ashes disintegrating in the air. Nozomi lied down and stared at the vast sky. "I had to give Kazui a lot of scolding so I was a little late", Orihime's head popped in the view. "Thank goodness. I thought I was going to turned into black particles as well", the lady chuckled and just allowed the orange head to cure her. She sat down and looked into a certain direction. It is where the group had their concentrated amount of reiatsu. "Orihime, try to keep Sumire away from that place as much as possible", Nozomi said with a serious tone. 

"Please tell me that the peace you all had fought for 5 years ago is not yet to be disturbed", Orihime held on Nozomi's hand. The white head clasped on it and gave a reassuring smile. "I don't have enough strength but I'd work twice as before", the lady stood and looked at the direction of a high concentration of reiatsu. 

Middle of Karakura Town

Ichigo furrowed his brow after performing the gruesome ritual. After some bickering, hollows without presence appeared and surprised the vice-captains. Many unexpected things happened such as Ichika being dragged by a chain. Renji was fast to protect his daughter. Nozomi just appeared in time when a former arancar number went out from the abyss' gate and started telling them about the imbalance. 

"With the death of the court's guard, Genryusai, Unohana , and Jushi-", a sword pierced through Syazel. Nozomi's eyes widened. The other vice-captains along with Ichigo haven't seen that bankai but Nozomi knows perfectly who it belongs to. "Jushiro-san", she reached out to the open air and pressed her lips. "You just murdered his comrades in front of his eyes", Syazel laughed sinisterly. As the door closes, an explosion was about to engulf all the vice-captains but a wall of ice enveloped them all. 

After the mist subsided, the group were able to see hollows hovering around them. The vice-captains continued doing their purification ritual. "Nozomi-san, that's too much blood", Kira went on her side seeing that the wound re-opened and she threw up blood once more. Orihime apologized that she cannot reverse the effect of the wound but can only stop it from bleeding. Protecting the group from a powerful explosion created a huge impact on her body. Urahara and Yoruichi appeared in the scene. 

Urahara's Underground Training Area

Nozomi dove on the hotspring with her clothes on. "I recognized that this was the same hot spring from the Division 0's palace", Ichigo looked around. "It's a cheap replica", Urahara chuckled. "Quit being too humble. It's not easy to replicate on since the spirit particle in the human world is thin", the lady sat on the rock and started removing her robe. The two men turned to the other side. 

"You seem to know a lot about what happened just a while ago", Urahara raised his hat. "Few hours ago, I visited the ruins of Tsunayoshiro's former manor. I was surrounded by death butterflies and heard a voice I nearly forgot due to the long absence of it. "Do you think your family is the root of this chaos?", the man asked without hesitation. "If all I know, they're enjoying their time in the abyss so I don't think so", Nozomi shrugged. "That arancar was saying something about the imbalance? Also, the dumping of three powerful reishi holder", Ichigo recalled. 

"When I was still in the manor, I would often hear the head of the house telling the stories to my brothers. It was something that was never taught in the academy. Spirit particles are being recycled by the soul society. Due to the number of souls and the density of citizens, higher spirit particles shouldn't be used for it will crush souls in the rukongai who have lesser spirit particles. Spirit particles cannot be sent back to earth for it will destroy the stability and eventually will kill humans. Not in Hueco Mundo, hollows and shinigami soul will never be compatible. Spirit particles that stays long in Hueco Mundo will eventually be corrupted. Thus, if there's on place to store them, it will be in the abyss", Nozomi said with a serious tone.  

"So, you're telling me that Soul Society had been throwing those who died in the battle in hell?!", Ichigo turned to Nozomi with a frustrated face. He was met with the Captain of Division 6 covering the view. "Byakuya!?", the man was startled with his presence. "Nozomi. You are being summoned the Soul King's palace",  the captain informed. "Are they not scared of me?", she sighed and wore her robe back. She was able to dry it using her spell. 

"Why would they be worried about her?", Ichigo looked at Urahara. "If there's one person who can erase the existence of the soul king. It would be her or should I say, her sword", Urahara answered

Chapter end.