The ones forgotten [Victoria, Kyojin / closed]

It wasn't Victoria the shinigami known as Kyojin felt. It was her assistant for the week, Satsumi, approaching with measured careful steps while a badly wounded but healing arm was strapped across her midriff. She was of a slim build with sharp eyes and a fair complexion. Her features were finer and less worn for wear than the division third seat. Jet black hair was pulled back in a tight shoulder reaching pony tail. Satsumi was a swordsmen that much could be told by her developed forearm and slightly wider shoulders, a bit like a swimmers shoulders, as compared to the slighter females of the research divisions and the mage corp. 

Satsumi had found herself in Victoria's assistance after having her left arm shattered so thoroughly she had been certain an amputation would follow. Thankfully the medical corp was well versed in fixing broken bones despite how badly mangled they may be. Time, despite their skill and magics, was still required to heal. Things were desperate in terms of shifting man power about on the front lines and hot zones but not so desperate as to be sending wounded men and women who were barely able to still use their weapons back to the front. Whoever was unable to be sent to the front lines for a time was given other tasks in the division. For many it came in the form of being an aid to a seated officer. For others it was kitchen duty or communications work. Some were "runners" to other divisions when a message was needed to be sent. Some, the more fit and nearly ready to be sent back to the front, were used as patrol men for the more hostile areas of the Rukongai. Satsumi's arm left her unable to swing her sword and while she could kill many a lesser hollow with but a single hand and her blade it was far too dangerous to be risking an experienced soldier in front line combat when they couldn't adequately defend themselves. So, until her arm was knitted back together and the muscles regrown a bit more she was Victoria's assistant. A position she and many others had filled since the outbreak of the sickness.

"Trooper Brandt," she called her voice clear as day, "On your feet. Third Seat Aeserninus isn't going to make her way to you to tell you what your job is. She's far too busy keeping the right people heading to the right combat zones on Earth to come looking for one misplaced soldier. Report to the senkaimon in the fifth grounds." The eagle eyed woman watched the less experienced shinigami for a minute. She could understand why he'd come here. This was the gate that they'd be leaving through but the order, a copy of which she had, hadn't specified a rally point. That had been a mistake on the part of the division scribe. Nothing any had done wrong just a mistake one that luckily had been caught before someone had gotten hurt. 

Turning on her heal she took one step before calling back over her soldier, "Come along trooper Brandt. Lets not keep our divisions wolf waiting too long."

WC- 531

Well, it hasn't been Victoria. The Shinigami that, obviously, came to pick him up, was a stranger to him, but, also obviously, a member of the Fifth with enough respect to be a direct assistant to the Third Seat and acting Lieutenant.

Had he been wrong about the mission he was given? No, he was absolutely sure that it was what the Butterfly had told him. Maybe the information had been incomplete. He heard Rukongai and assumed that the meeting point would be one of the gates leading to the Rukongai, specifically the one closest to the district where the mission should lead them. When he really thought about it, there hadn't been any point specified...

He hurried to close the gap between him and the girl whose name he didn't know. He shot a glance at her from the side but decided that it wasn't worth any effort to try and learn her name. He propably wouldn't have too much business with her in general and his thoughts were in the mission now anyway. So he just walked in silence at her side. He noticed that her arm was in a sling, recovering from a wound. But her arms and shoulders spoke of strength and her movements also had that confidence that came with it.

When they arrived at the Senkaimon he recognized Victoria at once. She wasn't that tall, but her bright hair and green eyes stood out. And she had the aura of power Kyojin had already noticed back then, when she broke up the fighting at the exercises.

"Third Seat Aeserninus." Kyojin greeted, along with a little sloppy salute. The Wolf. He didn't say that. But he liked the thought. In a sense this was a meeting of two wolves, although Kyojin considered the aspect of the wolf be only a part of him and had never called himself one.
"I am a bit confused, I thought there was a mission to the Rukongai. Is my information wrong?"

When he saw the bandages on Victoria's shoulder and knees he realised that she too must have been injured recently. He himself had healed up quite good, but he had been lucky. But such a seemingly heavy injury on a warrior on the level of a Third Seat, that must have been some power. Kyojin felt a certain agitation inside him. Or was it Gekido? Maybe both of them. Again and again it showed how bad the general situation was. But there were many that still fought against it. It touched something inside his soul.

---

427

She didn't stop to address him immediately as she gave orders to various squads waiting for deployment. Their missions were of greater importance in her mind than some mission in the Rukongai. Further still, she had zero interest in this mission herself but the very sparse information they had on the matter indicated that sending a single unranked trooper wasn't going to be enough. And sometimes when you wanted rukongai citizens to talk someone they knew was in order. Or someone who had the means of leveling a few blocks could get tight lips loosened up some. Finishing the delivery of orders to the few squad leaders that were nearby she turned and set down her reading glasses with the folder containing status reports of the fifth divisions people. Someone else would have to take over the handling of the troops till this "mission" was completed but before that there was something else that needed correcting.

"Straighten up trooper Brandt," she commanded. Low and flat voiced she turned her eyes to him, "I don't know where you think you are and who you think you're talking to but you're not in that shit show we call an academy anymore and will show the respect my position grants me am I clear? Crisp and clean on the salute. Punctual on the arrival. Next time you're late or I have to send a runner to find you you'll be put in a penance squad and I'll see you shipped to the shittiest deployment we have. Don't make me wait for you again."

She walked past him and towards the division gate. These new recruits, save for Machie, were all disappointing. Machie had tried her damnedest in that emergency hop to Rome and that was all Victoria could ask for. That her new bloods tried. Machie had sustained some pretty nasty injuries in that fight and so had she. Her right arm was still sore and bandaged. The third medical corp had done their best to patch her up but there was just nothing for some of these injuries but to give them time. Slowly she opened and closed her right hand feeling the tendons and muscles creak past each other caused her to wince some. More than likely she wouldn't have to do anything to physical this patrol, rarely did she, so she wasn't too worried about needing to loosen up the tight muscles of her wounded shoulder.

wc-406

Just for a second hee stood there, teeth clenched, and forced himself not to give an answer that was definitely called for and definitely stupid. So this was what it would be? Another Ruby but with more power? Another one that cared more about looks, protocol and the precious respect their position granted them, than what was really important? Just great!

Almost immediately he turned and followed Victoria. They left the premises of the Fifth and headed back to the Seireitei gate where he had been waiting earlier, or at least it looked that way.

"You know, there was no meeting point specified. The orders said 'mission in the Rukongai', so I went to a gate to meet up. Closest exit point out of the Seireitei and fastest route to the mission area. Was obvious to me at that time. Sir."

Okay, he couldn't let it go. Let her kill him, if she wanted. If she punished him for doing what he thought was asked for, then let her. It would only show how much he had be wrong about Victoria and about the Gotei in general. Why in all worlds had everyone such short fuses, was everyone offended by such nonsense. Many yearsnago Kyojin was like an animal, alway on the edge. And now he considered himself calm. More so than some others that rather should have been.

Well, one thing he had ro admit was that he indeed may have been sloppy on protocol questions. Salute for example. Though Kyojin never understood why in such cases 'straighten up' was the first thing to be shot at him. He always held himself straight and tall.

They walked in silence for almost the entire distance to the walls. When they were finally nearing the gate, Kyojin looked at his superior.

"You have more intel on what awaits us, Sir? My information said less more than 'vanished villagers' and 'maybe Hollows'."

He didn't mention that to him it sounded like a good possibility of fighting. He was prepared for that. But of cause, all members of the Fifth were. Or should be at least. And he also didn't mention, that is somewhat displeasing going into a mission with such little intel. Sure, then it was their job to find out what happened and Kyojin at least would never back out, even if he had to go blind. He would rather not, but if duty called...
Question was what would be more straining: Possible Hollows or the Third Seat in a bad mood?

---

421

She had ignored his rebuttal. It wasn't worth taking him to task over it just yet. Reaching the gate she turned on her heal and faced him.

"A few things. Number one, I am female. The proper address when speaking to me is 'Ma'am'. Second thing, How long have I been giving orders from our divisions senkaimon? At least one year if not longer. How many times have you deployed from that gate in that time in a squad whom I've handed orders to? Plenty of times. Why wasn't your first thought to check our senkaimon gate? Perhaps I'd have had more information to give you? Perhaps I'd have found a squad to send with you instead of having to accompany you personally? And finally, this division, MY fifth division, isn't some pleasure cruise. We are a military unit the handles the bulk of the gotei's combat operations. Our job requires extreme amounts of discipline and order. Your sloppy salute gives me reason to believe you don't take this job seriously and if thats the case I'll gladly help you transfer to another division. I don't have any room for people who don't follow the rules in place for their safety," she said calmly. Almost eerily calm as she looked back at him, "Those are your options. Start following the rules and regulations we've put forth for your safety and maybe start using your head or get out."

Turning she nodded to the gate guards. Slowly they heaved the door open. The door creaked from lack of use as thy were shifted aside to allow them to pass. Making her way out the gate she took a deep breath. 

"I have no more data than people are going missing so we're going to be doing what should be the second divisions job and investigating. Whenever we get a clear target we're going to seek them out and destroy them," she said before heading off in the direction they needed to go.

WC-331

When Victoria gave another lecture Kyojin startet to feel a geat rising in his gut. But almost at the same moment he sensed a calming vibration from his sword. It was Gekidos way of communicating with him in the real world. It was like a whisper. A warning. Stay calm...

So he took a breath and when Victoria was standing before him, looking at him with a calm that spelled danger, he held her gaze and looked back straight into her eyes. On the outside he appeared calm but in his eyes a cold fire was burning. But there was no fear.

"You will never have to doubt my resolve or if I'm right here." He said slowly, emphasizing every word. "I won't run. I will fight for the balance and protect it with my life, if necessary, Ma'am."

When she turned away to pass the gate and leave the Seireitei he followed her. He left unspoken, that a sloply salute wouldn't change a bit that he would do his duty and give it his everything. And that he was right where he was. He would prove it when the time was right.

Still, there was hope that she only had tried to provoke him earlier. But he didn't care. Victoria wouldn't get him to resign or put in for transfer. She would probably also bite on those last words, but she probably wasn't called a wolf for nothing.

After a while they reached their destination. It was a rather small village outside of the heavy populated areas of Rukongai and a good distance away from Seireitei. It was surrounded by forrest on two sides and some grassy hills with rock-crowns on the third. The fourth side was the side where Victoria and Kyojin approached: a small cut in the woods and an old, beaten path.

They must have been expected: as soon as the two Shinigami entered the village, the people came pouring out of their homes and gathered in loose groups on what could be called a 'town square'. One elderly man approached the pair, wringing his handy the whole time. Kyojin noticed a particularly worried expression on this man's face.

"Ye all 's been send? O'boy." He bursted out. "Tissn't enuff."

Kyojin shit a glance at Victoria then turned to the man.

"How about you first tell us what's been happening? Then we decide if two of us are enough."

For a moment there the man didn't knoe what to say. Then he visibly straightened himself up and waved Victoria and Kyojin to follow him.

"Tiss been in the shed, up 'ere, on the hill. Been goin on fer some weeks no'. Once a week at nite we 'ear someone screamin'. No one dares goin' out, everyone's afeared."

He shuddered.

"When screamin' stopps we go to see. Tiss terrible, a'ways one o' us, displayed, fer everyone ta see. No one dares touch it. And then, comes mourn: gone. Jus' vanished. Everythin' up in the shed."

He pointed to the small building, a little away from the village on a slope leading towards the hill.

"We so glad you came, m'lady, m'lord. Jus' help us, please."

There was genuine fear in his voice and as Kyojin looked at all the other faces he saw it there, too. If the old man had been giving an accurate account of what was going on or not, it had frightened everyone hear out of their skulls. Again Kyojin looked at Victoria and waited if she wanted to say something. Then he turned to the shed. The only point where their investigation could start...

---

602

As the old man spoke Victoria assessed the situation they were in. An unknown assailant of some variety. Locals were going missing only to be found later after being butchered and set out like a warning to disappear by daylight. In all likelihood, it was some deranged district dweller gone rogue in the absence of pre-infection patrol rates. Something that was better suited to a small squad a low ranked members of any division than to a third seat who had bigger fish to fry.

"No," she said, "We sent too many."

She was certain that even if it was a hollow of some description it was of the weaker variety. Anything of any serious concern would have picked off shinigami not villagers. Villagers were not much beyond regular human souls on Earth. Satisfying if consumed in number and often and if this thing was killing once a week at most then it was no concern for her. Killing wouldn't be an issue of that she was convinced it was just getting the timing down. 

"In all likelihood this is a deranged villager gone on a rampage but on the off chance it's something bigger its best I handle it," annoyance crept into her voice. So many things far more important than this she could have been doing. But seeing as there wasn't a clear target and its strength was unmeasured it was better to send in someone who was capable of handling some of the strongest hollows than to risk sending an under powered squad to its death. As a commander she understood this well. Several times she'd been the sole survivor from such operations and they'd been enough to make her want to be as sure as she could to deploy the right people to any operation. And if it was just this, something that could be sorted out by breaking in the shed and beating to death whatever was in there then Brandt wasn't needed.

Exhaling out her nose she began to head for the shed. "Brandt, stay here with the villagers. I doubt I'll need any back up for this even with my right arm injured as it is," Victoria said as she made her way through the encircling crowd of people, "If it can sustain itself on a weekly kill from these rather mundane souls than it's nothing special. Should I drive it out of that shed and it makes a run for this village I'd rather there be a soldier of even your quality be here to keep it busy till I can get here it break it. Even you can handle such a basic task I'm sure."

Slowly she began to rotate her right shoulder trying to loosen it up in case she needed to use it. She wasn't much for having just one strong punching arm that was her main gun, she could hit just as hard with either hand, she'd made sure to be able to many times over her career. It was important injuries like this one would do nothing to hamper her combat ability. If she had to, she'd switch so her injured right was her lead arm and a shield setting her left arm up for the leverage afforded the trailing hand in most fighting stances. Brandt would do as he wanted. If he followed he followed but she'd urge him to stay out of her way. If he stayed that meant she didn't need to worry about protecting him when she was locked in combat with whatever this thing was.

Wc- 593

"...Ma'am." he said simply, to confirm Victoria's order. It sounded like at least a few minutes away from her which, in turn, sounded like a good idea. Kyojin still respected her power, but he was almost as disappointed in her personally as he was in Ruby. Protocoll and strokes for their ego seemed of more importance than doing the job. And now this derogatory order for Kyojin to stay behind. If she didn't want to go on a mission with some lowly trooper she could have changed that herself. She was the acting lieutenant after all. So what was her motive? Just blowing of steam by picking on subordinates?

Okay, he had to admit that he was sloppy with salutes and all the rest of the protocol. But judging someones ability to serve in a division just by his salute was just plain stupid to him.

When Victoria had left for the shed Kyojin turned to the villagers.

"All of you, back into your houses!" He said, calmly, but with a tone in his voice that left no room for discussion. Still, most of the people hesitated.
"That wasn't a suggestion!"

Finaly they began to move and went back to their houses and soon Kyojin was alone. He looked around. Even their windows were closed, not a single eye peeked around. First they hesitated to leave and then they seemingly hid under their beds.

A shrieking scream pulled his thoughts away from the villagers. He spun around his sword in his hands almost immediately. Victoria was stopped only a few steps before she had reached the shed. A hollow, shaped like something close to a flying dinosaur, had broken through the roof of the shed and begun to attack.

Kyojin began running. He didn't care that he violated an order or that Victoria was far stronger thab him and would probably have no problem with a weak hollow like tbis. But he just wouldn't let a comrade stand alone.

---

329

A slight momentary raising of her eyebrow. Less from the surprise but more so the shape of the beast. Then again, twisted souls rarely looked anything close to similar save for the Gillian class hollows. Even then, there were subtle differences between each individual. So this beast being of the airborne variety wasn't too surprising. Perhaps the explosion from the shed was a bit surprising but not as much as one would expect to someone so seasoned in their field. The beast let out a shriek and lets it barbed tail fly only to strike at dirt as Victoria twisted just out of the way. Lifting her left foot she slammed it down on the beasts tail disturbing its flight just long enough for her to act further. 

Her action was as fluidly beautiful from a martial standpoint as it was efficient in its application. Through she dared not through a strike with her right shoulder she could safely grab and pull with it. Her right hands fingers sunk into the pliable flesh of the tail and pulled it around behind her back. The creatures wings failing under her strength allowed it to be tugged towards her. In the same motion as the yank of beasts tail Victoria's left hand shot around in a compact rising hook as her right shoulder dropped. The rock like fist of her left arm slammed into the space where its arm met its body and split the abomination in two.

A spray of blood, a gargled cry, a wet thud and the the monsters life as a hollow came to a close. Two singular actions and the wolf of the fifth had laid another hated enemy low. Purified and sent off to another part of the rukongai to be reborn. Another notch to be carved onto her tally stick. A fight hardly worth noting down in all honesty. Perhaps Kyojin would have sufficed here. Better to certain the beast was dead by her perhaps overkilling hands than risk him getting killed trying to slay this beast.

Wc- 342

He came to a stop next to Victoria is the same moment as the Hollow disintegrated. It had taken only a moment, the blink of an eye. Kyojin had to admit to himself that he was yet again deeply impressed by the power and grace of Victoria's movements. Although against an opponent even Kyojin would have disposed of without even releasing Gekido she had left nothing to chance, killed it eith a clean and mighty strike. May it seem that he had met yet another superior he didn't get along with in her, skills that refined wrought his respect from him in any case.

He slid his Zanpakuto back into it's sheath on his back. His eyes were already fixed on sonething on the ground. He took a few steps forward and kneeled down, looking at something.

"I don't think this was what killed the villagers..Ma'am." he said.
"The soil is downright torn here. Like a hunter dragging large game...or a bear dragging large prey "

He couldn't say how he knew that. It was like a memory forgotten for centuries resurfacing just now.

"The Hollow you just killed was airborne. Why would he drag something as light as a single soul on the ground? And didn't the old man say there where corpses displayed here. That beast seemed hardly intelligent enough to know his tail from his head and stupid enough to attack you. I certainly doubt it was capable of such things. I think there's more where this bugger came from..."

He stood again and followed an imaginary line from these tracks into the woods. Then he turned and looked to Victoria. He couldn't say what she was thinking. But he would go on aline if he had to. He didn't have much experience as a Shinigami. But he was old and did pick up a few things along the way. One was to teust his gut when it told him that something was all too easy. And he had just this feeling right now.

Victoria would propably belittle him again. What for...he didn't care much. She didn't like him. That was fine with him. It would have been easier, if they did get along, but it wasn't necessary. He wasn't very fond of her, too, after the few first hand impressions he had now. But he hoped she would continue on this mission, see it through. Kyojin wasn't afraid to go alone. Although far weaker than Victoria he still was quite able to defend himself. But it would certainly be more efficient if they went on together. Contrary to what she seemed to think of him, Kyojin only had in mind to do his job.

---

447

She clasped a hand on his shoulder and smiled, "Good job trooper. While I can say I'm not too thrilled you didn't follow a superiors order you did so when a comrade was ambushed by an enemy of unknown strength. You reacted swiftly and came in ready to lend your assistance. This is to be praised. Further more -" She paused as she listened for a moment, "your assessment is much in the same line as my own. I would like to add a little to your own assessment." She removed her hand from his shoulder and knelt down to point at some marks that were slightly different than the rest of the drag marks. 

"Soul's when killed in this realm, disappear rather quickly. So whatever it is is dragging itself or part of itself away and eating its kills here. On another note," she said beginning to stretch her right shoulder some more, "I'm currently limiting my ambient power output to roughly in line with yours. At my seating and strength I can't simply go full power in front of people without proper clearances or the area being cleared of those under a certain level. If I were to go full power everyone in that village would be dead and you most likely would be unconscious. As an officer and shinigami of my strength there are a whole new layer of rules to remember and as such we rarely get to stretch our true power. That being said young Brandt, to that hollow I just killed I was likely looking like another meal. No doubt you are a skilled shinigami but that hollow was plenty strong. Plenty capable with its superior movement abilities granted to it by its natural flight characteristics of getting the better of even a squad of lesser experienced shinigami. Never belittle the enemy Brandt. While the majority we fight are but mere beasts and nearly mindless ones at that, some, and as you grow stronger and are sent on more and more dangerous missions this will become more and more apparent, are capable complex problem solving and advanced strategies. No doubt you've heard of the creatures known as arrancar."

She made eye contact and held it as she spoke the following words, "If you write them off as mere beasts then you will surely be killed by one. They are our equivalents and in some cases our betters."

Breaking eye contact she looked in the direction the drag marks went, "When this is over I'm going to explain to you why I am so hard on you troopers. Why I demand you be proper in appearance and decorum. Everything I have done to this point in your presence will be made clear once I explain it all. I hope that once it has been laid out plainly for you that you will take the steps necessary to meet the expectations I place upon you and everyone else in the division. For now though, lead the way forward."

Kyojin couldn't say what surprised him most. The hand in his shoulder, the sudden change in tone or that Victoria called him 'yound Brandt'. He didn't know how old Victoria really was, but in his experience so far there were not many souls that had passed the thousand...

With the weight of a building of considerable size the big man realized that he might have judged the acting lieutenant completely wrong. Sure, he still couldn't understand the fixation on non-relevant things like a salute. But when she commented on and complimented him leaving his post and rushing to her aid, though unnecessary, there was something. A concern for the people under her command...something he didn't see at first. He thought there was another self-centered woman with too much power in the wrong position. But like back then when she broke up the fight between Ruby and that other guy, he suddenly felt a connection. It made sense again.

"Yes, of course." He finally said after a long moment where he simply couldn't find words. "Arrancar, I know of them. What they teach at the academy, that is. Hollows that rip of a part of their mask and become almost human in shape. Gain incredible powers. But they are said to be very rare. Up until now I never met any other type than the near-mindless ones."

He didn't know what to say when Victoria promised to explain to him why she was how she was towards him and everyone else. Again something he hadn't expected. As with the sudden compliment on his action he just wasn't good in these types of conversations. He could say many things, that his comrades and the mission alway came first, that a warrior just couldn't let a comrade stand alone. Or that he alway had problems with superiors, stemming from a time so long past he didn't remember evereything. That hebhimself never had been a leader. Only a brute, a weapon, a slave. And now a trooper in the ranks of the shinigami.

He felt how his thoughts and emotions where reflected on his face an quickly turned in the direction where the drag marks went.

"Okay, should be fairly easy to follow..." He mumbled almost under his breath, his deep voice creaking like an old door. Right this moment his throat was a little dry. Not because he was afraid or couldn't handle the mission. Because he wasn't sure if he could handle his own misjudgement. Well, he didn't have much of a choice. What kind of warrior would he be if he fled from that?

The tracks led straight into the woods. Just before they entered into the thick undergrowth Kyojin gazed back to where the Seireitei should be. It was quite a distance away. Should they need reinforcements...no, they wouldn't need it. He knew that Victoria was among the strongest fighters there were but he had never felt her unleashed. If she really was limiting her output that drastically...

Still, as they went on and the trees seemed to come closer and closer, Kyojin couldn't shake a bad feeling. Like a tingling on the back of his neck.
Suddenly he stopped and drew Gekido.

"Something feels wrong. It is too quiet here. There should be more sounds. I don't like it."

He was absolutely certain that a forrest should feel different. Less...hostile. he lived in or near forrests his whole life as a mortal. And now even his inner world was mostly forrest.
He went on, a few steps ahead an through a thick bush that rustled loud.

"Hm...strange. The track splits up. Into seven new tracks. But this is definitely where it went to, not where it came from."

He turned back to look at Victoria but as he did sonething catched his eye. Something on the ground, under that bush...
He speared it with his sword and lifted it to look at it. Is was nothing more than a rag, but a long time ago it might have been part of a violet silk dress.
It touched something in Kyojin's soul and he felt his heart skip a beat but couldn't tell what it was.

That was when the scream cut through the stillness of the air. A brutal, menacing Hollow-scream. No, more than one. Several. But so synchronous that it could have been one. Leaves rustled, wood creaked. All around them was movement. There were many bug-like Hollows coming slowly at them. All looking the same...

---

748

Well. This was an unexpected turn. Still, these hollows were not very strong by her cursory glances assessment. The only thing they had going for them was the shear number of them. Not something she'd worry about too much if she was alone but she had Kyojin with her. She was unsure how capable of a fighter he was against odds like this. True, he likely had some sort of combat experience but that may not be enough to save his life in the present situation. She stepped towards him moved past him slightly. One ot the creatures lunged at her and she kicked it squarely under the jaw sending it flipping back over the rest of the swarm. From the back she could just hear the screeches as those in the back tore into the one she'd just kicked back to them. 

Hollows were cannibalistic. The devouring of one of them was unavoidable though she'd not expected it to happen in the midst of combat like this. Though combat hand't started quite yet. A shriek from her right and she wheeled in time to catch on the insects by its mask.Throwing it back against a nearby tree its mask shattered under the force of the hit with the tree. "Stay close Kyojin, While I'm not too worried about myself these are plenty capable of killing you," she warned.

Kyojin didn't take the time to answer. At least not with words. Instantly he raised the sword that lay already in his hands and flicked the piece of cloth away.

One of the Hollows was already down, literally smashed to pieces by Victoria's throw. The others kept the two Shinigami surrounded. Although Kyojin concur with the assessment of his superior according to the strength of the individual enemy -as far as he could sense it these hollows were not too strong for him- she was propably right when he took the numbers into account. Maybe even Victoria could be overwhelmed by too many of these bugs.

Mere seconds had passed since the first Hollow crashed into a tree and Kyojin thought about releasing Gekido when he heard rustling, a crack and a shriek to his right. One of the bugs jumped at him as if he had heard his thoughts. With a quick step to his side he evaded the Hollow, it flew through empty air where a Shinigami had been, and slid on a good three meters after it landed again. So a lot of force but little control, it seemed.
More Hollows made themselves ready to attack. Damn it! It took only a moment, a heartbeat, to release his Zanpakuto, but this one moment he needed. No time!

Two more jumped. Kyojin ducked and slashed downwards, missing the mask of the first one entirely, but giving him a nasty cut on his belly as he flew over his head. Then he rolled to the side, out of reach of the second one that clumsyly tried to follow his movement. From this position he could only stab, hit the corner of the mask and pulled the sword to the side and out of it, ripping a piece of the mask out with it.
Then something strange happened. Without so much as a shriek the Hollow vanished in a puff of smoke. It didn't disintegrate like it did when a Zanpakuto slashed his mask. It just...vanished. A quick look to his side showed Kyojin that where the first attacker had been, only a little smoke was left, dissipating fast.

That was strange.

"Did you see that?" He asked Victoria, standing beside her again, Gekido in a defensive position.
"Something's strange here."

---

381

"Indeed," she responded not removing her eyes from their surrounding enemies. "It appears to be some sort of illusion. But..." She trailed off as she lifted her left foot free of the ground to roughly the height of her other legs knee and slammed it home on the ground. The ground buckled in places sending the hollows scattering and sending some airborne. "We still cannea write off the lot of them. Some of them may be real so we best deal with the lot." Two hollows, one from either side, threw themselves at her and she with all the deft skill that came from years of soldiering, caught them both and smashed their heads together crushing them between her hands. Dropping the twitching corpses she scanned the chattering crowd of hollows looking for an opening.

WC- 135