In Spite of Appearances (Chapter Eight)
*laughs sheepishly* Took me long enough with this one. I guess I just never got around to editing it earlier. Anyhow, we continue with the young lady vice-captains, who manage to scare up one of the Hollows. Cue the fight scene!
Title: In Spite of Appearances
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, and eventually quite a few others in supporting roles.
Genre: Action, Drama, Friendship
Rating: M, for violence
Wordcount: 3,193
Summary: In the early days of Hitsugaya's captaincy, his working relationship with Matsumoto is less than ideal. When one of the Tenth's squads goes down under mysterious circumstances, the two must learn to work together if they hope to discover the truth.
Disclaimer: All characters and settings of Bleach are the property of Kubo Tite.
In Spite of Appearances
CHAPTER EIGHT
The water was cold against Nemu's skin, but she did not shudder or flinch. Her design was far too advanced for her to have that kind of reaction to something so mundane as a sudden change in temperature. Neither heat nor chill bothered her. When she saw others so disturbed by them, it made her glad that Mayuri-sama had chosen to create her this way.
And she was also not bothered by the way that her clothing became soaked and heavy in short order; it would not hinder her ability to swim, and was therefore irrelevant. She had only to keep her mind on the task at hand, and she would not be dissuaded. Mayuri-sama wished for one of these unusual Hollows for study, and she would do everything in her power to ensure that his desire came to fruition. Perhaps he might even allow her to participate in the research, if she performed his orders well enough.
The waters closed over her head, and she took this opportunity to swim rather than walk. Though the sunlight made it easy to see, her eyes could detect nothing abnormal thus far; this lake was very deep. She cast her senses about her, checking for even the most minute ripple in the water that might have been out of place, for any reiatsu that could have been channeled through the water molecules.
Nothing so far. She would have to keep searching.
Nemu's eyes were narrow with scrutiny. Were anyone around to observe her, he might have likened her expression to that of a shark: predatory and deadly. But no such emotions lurked behind her eyes. Emotion rarely did. She was in possession of feelings, but they were a hindrance to what Mayuri-sama needed from her, so she had removed them from herself as best she could. Unfortunately, she was unable to rid herself of them all. Her apologies to Mayuri-sama for her failure had not gone over well. He had been very displeased with her, as was his right.
The water pressure on her back became more and more uncomfortable the deeper she dove. Less than a month ago, she might have been crushed by all of the weight, but Mayuri-sama's upgrades for her had included a reinforced skeletal structure. The timing was most auspicious.
Nemu slowed her pace as her senses lighted upon something. Interesting. The feeling was most certainly that of a Hollow, but there was an oddness to it. If asked to describe this oddness, she would have been unable to. But she had never experienced it before, and she found herself greatly intrigued. The tiniest of smiles graced her face, though only the most thorough scrutiny would have detected it. If she could capture such a specimen as ordered, Mayuri-sama would be very pleased with her.
If she could not, she would willingly suffer the punishment for failure.
She drifted onto the lake's bottom, standing straight and alert. Her senses retained a fix on the Hollow, though she as yet she saw nothing. Doubtless it had noticed her and was trying to escape her attention, more than likely for a surprise assault. That would not do. She needed to draw the subject to the surface so that Hinamori-fukutaichou could assist her with the capture. Thus that dictated that she make the first move.
Remaining still, Nemu tracked the Hollow as it traveled in ever-tightening circles around her, a predator stalking its prey. She patiently waited until it finally shot toward her from behind, abandoning all attempts at cover.
She brought her foot down roughly onto the lakebed, kicking rock up behind her. As she spun, she noticed that her action had achieved its intended result; the Hollow stopped short, snarling in thwarted fury as the rocks pelted its body. Nemu took this opportunity for a barehanded swipe at the Hollow's side.
At the last second, the Hollow jerked away from her hand. But her fingers did manage to lightly bite through flesh, sending a cloud of blood swirling into the water. With the beast clearly enraged, Nemu had accomplished what she set out to do. When she made her break for the surface, the Hollow would follow her in an effort to avenge itself and in doing so charge directly into a trap.
"Vicious little shinigami, aren't you? I don't even get the dignity of your sword pointed at me?"
Nemu raised an eyebrow at the fact that the Hollow could speak - and underwater, at that - but she bent her legs and pushed upward just in time to avoid the answering swipe of the Hollow's hand. She would have to keep a hard pace, now; while she was not uncomfortable underwater, the world beneath the waves was far more this Hollow's domain than hers.
She whirled into an abrupt roundhouse kick when the Hollow caught up with her, striking a solid blow at the wrist to knock its hand away. Nemu frowned; even with her quick reaction, she had barely managed to defend herself in time. Hinamori-fukutaichou's plan had been a wise one, indeed. She would not be able to handle this beast on her own.
Nemu flared her reiatsu in a signal for readiness as she approached the surface. With sufficient warning, her fellow vice-captain might be able to take the Hollow by surprise. Their combined efforts should prove fruitful in the upcoming battle. All Nemu had to do was be mindful of her own position. Hinamori-fukutaichou was a kidou master, and she would need clear shots at the enemy.
Nemu's lips set more firmly as the brightness of the sun glared into her eyes. Without so much as another glance down to check on her pursuer, she burst forth from beneath the surface of the lake.
**
Hinamori's head jerked up when she felt Nemu's reiatsu take a sudden jump. She had no doubt found something below the water and was drawing it upward. Knowing a signal when she felt one, she called a kidou to mind, ready to fire it the instant her target came into view.
Nemu came straight up through the water with scarcely a splash, but she was followed a second later by a long-bodied Hollow, whose sudden appearance brought up a wave so large that Hinamori failed to fully dodge it.
Her own leap was cut short from the force of the wave smashing into her legs. She landed hard on now-muddy ground, the spell almost fizzling in her mind. Hinamori gritted her teeth. No. She would not be stopped so easily. Her eyes snapped to follow the Hollow's movements, and she leveled one hand in its direction.
"Hadou four: byakurai!"
The bolt of lightning hit the Hollow squarely in the side, searing flesh. Growling in pain, the Hollow turned its attention to her, glowing red eyes set deeply within its fishlike head. As far as Hollows went, Hinamori had seen ones far more disgusting-looking than this, but its appearance was still very far from pleasant. But there was something about it that disgusted her far more than the way it looked.
She narrowed her eyes balefully. A Hollow like this might have been what had struck down Hitsugaya-kun. Obviously, that meant that she had to be extremely careful - she truly did recognize his worthiness to be a captain; no one had been more proud than she at his promotion - but she was more determined than ever to put her plan into effect now that she saw the thing. Why was study of it needed, anyway? After what its kind had done, destroying it was the only truly logical thing to do.
The Hollow actually snorted at her. "Such a tiny thing, to be attacking me in such a way. This is nearly as embarrassing as the one of our number who was destroyed by a child."
At that, Hinamori swiftly and decisively climbed her feet, and in the next instant, she had Tobiume in her hand. This beast was going to mock Hitsugaya-kun? It might not have mattered what her orders or plan had been at this point; no Hollow would speak of her friend as though he were some feeble footsoldier. And if he wasn't here to defend his honour, then she would just have to do it for him.
"Your fellow was destroyed by a captain. It doesn't matter that the captain looked like a little boy." She leveled Tobiume in her enemy's direction. "And I am a vice-captain. Not a 'tiny thing.' Your fate won't be any more embarrassing than the other's."
The Hollow looked as though it were about to laugh at her, but it abruptly hopped to the side as Nemu came down from above, fist slamming deeply into the recently-vacated ground. In spite of herself, Hinamori blinked. Wow. That was some impressive physical strength that Nemu had.
She forced those thoughts away from her mind. This was a battle; she had to concentrate. And it was the prime excuse to destroy the Hollow in the middle of combat, while it still counted as a threat.
Especially when it decided to come straight at her.
"Bakudou thirty-nine: enkosen!"
The Hollow bounced off the shield of reiatsu that sprung up in front of her, claws digging deep furrows into the ground as it managed to keep its feet. Hinamori allowed herself a small sigh of relief as the shield dissipated. The spell was only a short-term defense, and she had called upon it purely by instinct, and almost too late, at that. This Hollow was fast.
But not fast enough to avoid a sudden, crushing kick to the leg from Nemu. That's right; she would be aiming for the non-lethal areas so that it could be captured. Exactly how was Hinamori supposed to prevent all that? A hobbled Hollow tended not to be particularly threatening, and this one had thus far demonstrated no ranged abilities.
Her eyes widened and she instinctively hurried into shunpo as she saw the Hollow's tail swing out in Nemu's direction. In the next instant, she was in its path, bringing Tobiume down in a swift chop. The blade bit deeply into flesh, and a spray of blood washed over her. Hinamori gritted her teeth as she applied more pressure, finally managing to slice clear through the tail, which fell heavy and lifeless to the ground.
She spun around in time to see the Hollow leap back, roaring in pain and fury. It landed awkwardly, one of its back legs being injured, blood still pouring from where she had severed its tail. Its eyes fixed on her, paying no attention to Nemu. Which made sense, really; Hinamori was the one who had inflicted the more grievous wound. Steeling herself, she lifted her sword into a defensive position.
"Vicious, the both of you!" the Hollow snarled. "Worse than the child! But you will fall as he and the woman did!"
Hinamori's eyes narrowed as she suddenly realized an oddity. By and large, Hollows were not social creatures; they hunted on their own and even resorted to cannibalism when there was none of their preferred food available. And yet this one knew of Hitsugaya-kun and Rangiku-san, even though all evidence had suggested that they killed the Hollow that they had faced. She didn't understand what that could mean; she would have to bring it up with Aizen-taichou later and see if he had any thoughts as to how that was possible. He should be aware of such important information.
But first things first. The Hollow needed to be destroyed.
As much as she wanted to retaliate to the callous words it had spoken, Hinamori glanced over her shoulder at Nemu. "Are you all right? I can make a distraction to conceal us so it shouldn't be able to evade any more attacks."
Nemu never removed her eyes from the Hollow. She nodded curtly. "I have not been damaged. Create your distraction, and I will take advantage of it."
While Hinamori did not need to chant this spell in order to cast it, she leveled her gaze at the Hollow and began the incantation anyway. It would serve as warning enough for Nemu to prepare her offensive, and though their enemy was approaching now, it did not do so in a full charge. Being wounded must have made it more wary. Whatever the case, it lent her more time to do as needed.
She swept her free hand out in front of her as she finished. "Bakudou twelve: fushibi!"
The sky in front of them sparked, flashed into flame before forming into a thick wall of smoke. Wind rushed over Hinamori's body as Nemu flew into shunpo, speeding past her for her attack. Good. They should both be able to get a hit in now, and Hinamori would aim hers straight at the Hollow's mask. For more reasons than just her plan, she needed to destroy it.
She darted into a shunpo of her own as soon as she heard a pained growl from their target; it would be sufficiently distracted now. Though the smoke stung her eyes, she willed them to remain open; two glowing spots of red gave her all that she would need to see, the only place where she would need to aim. Both hands on Tobiume's hilt, she swung the blade in a wide arc, fully intending to finish this with one strike.
But she grunted in surprise when she did not strike bone and her swing jerked to a stop. Had she not been holding on with both hands, she would very likely have lost her weapon. She could still not see around her, though an ominous pair of thuds told her that Nemu must have gone down. What had happened? Did the Hollow see through the attacks so easily?
As the smoke from her kidou cleared, Hinamori realized her situation. Instead of cleaving through the Hollow's mask, she was dangling a few inches off the ground, her sword held securely in the creature's teeth. How it had managed to defend itself in such a way, Hinamori did not know. But what she did know was that if she didn't do something quickly, she and Nemu would indeed be the next victims.
She glared into those bright red eyes that were so uncomfortably close. "Snap, Tobiume!"
Hinamori could sense her blade changing shape, a prong growing out of either side. And as soon as the sword finished its transformation, she commanded it to fire. There would be no defending against this one.
Kidou exploded within the Hollow's mouth, blowing apart the mask. Hinamori yelped as the force of the explosion flung her backward, her hands tightening around Tobiume's hilt to avoid dropping it. Basic lessons demanded that a shinigami do everything possible to maintain a hold on her weapon, and she would not be separated from it so easily.
"Agh!"
She landed hard on her side, rolled for a few feet before she stopped. For a few moments, she lay there, gathering her breath, lifting one hand to wipe sweat from her brow. Hinamori then dragged herself to her knees, hissing in response to the pain that swept through her body at this action. No doubt she was bruised all over, though at least nothing was broken as far as she could tell. A trip to the Fourth would tell if she was correct about that or not.
"Hinamori-fukutaichou, are you harmed?" Nemu's voice sounded from above, clinical as ever. No concern in it at all. And yet it managed to be comforting, in an eerie sort of way. At least she was all right.
Shaking her head, Hinamori finally pushed herself to her feet. She slid her sword, now back in its sealed state, back into its sheath. Idly, one hand rubbed at the other wrist; she must have smacked it on the ground when she had landed. Overall, she didn't think that the damage was particularly bad.
"Not badly, no," she answered. A quick glance around their surroundings showed that all evidence of the Hollow had disappeared, save for a little blood on the ground. Even the tail that she had severed had dissolved when she'd destroyed the mask. "But thank you for -"
She stopped short as she finally got a good look at Nemu. Though the Hollow's blood had splattered onto her too, that was not what caught Hinamori's attention. One side of her abdomen was significantly crunched inward. Anyone else would have been on the ground from the sheer agony of broken ribs, but though there was pain in Nemu's eyes, she still stood as straight as ever, had probably walked over here as steady as any healthy person. What was she made of, that she could withstand such an injury and scarcely show any sign of distress?
"Oh, my goodness!" Hinamori gasped. "Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou, we should head back immediately and get you into the Fourth. That wound looks dreadful."
Nemu blinked as if in confusion. "My injury is not so dire as to need immediate attention. And going to the Fourth Division is not necessary. Mayuri-sama will repair me should he deem it worth his time."
If he thought it was worth his time? Hinamori frowned, not in anger toward Kurotsuchi-taichou, but in pity toward Nemu; the woman valued herself so little next to her captain. Of course she was worth it; she was his vice-captain. The idea of being cruelly dismissed by one's own captain was something that Hinamori just could not comprehend. Especially after working so hard for him.
"Why wouldn't he think you're worth it?" She couldn't keep the question inside. The concept was so unfathomable that she absolutely had to ask. "It's not like you've done anything wrong!"
Nemu glanced to where the Hollow had been a few moments ago. "He wished for a live specimen. I have failed to bring that to him. I expect that I will be punished first."
Guilt welled up inside of Hinamori, and she looked away. This was a side of her plans that she had not even considered before now. By destroying the Hollow, she was guaranteeing a severe punishment for Nemu. It didn't sit right in her gut, but what else was she supposed to do? Kurotsuchi-taichou was dangerous to Seireitei as a whole, and he could not be allowed to examine these Hollows. She believed that wholeheartedly, but it never occurred to her before that someone perfectly decent might suffer dire consequences as the result of her actions.
Hinamori felt a little sick.
"Hinamori-fukutaichou? Are you certain that you are all right?"
She started at Nemu's voice, and looked back to her. A little sadly, she smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you. And I suppose we should gather everyone together and return to make our report." She glanced over to the lake. "We've found the origin point of these Hollows, it seems."
Nemu nodded. "Understood."
No hesitation, even though she expected punishment. Hinamori might have found that admirable if Nemu's captain wasn't so monstrous. As it was, she had to wonder if the poor woman would see the light of another day.
Chapter Seven Chapter Nine
Title: In Spite of Appearances
Fandom: Bleach
Characters: Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, and eventually quite a few others in supporting roles.
Genre: Action, Drama, Friendship
Rating: M, for violence
Wordcount: 3,193
Summary: In the early days of Hitsugaya's captaincy, his working relationship with Matsumoto is less than ideal. When one of the Tenth's squads goes down under mysterious circumstances, the two must learn to work together if they hope to discover the truth.
Disclaimer: All characters and settings of Bleach are the property of Kubo Tite.
In Spite of Appearances
CHAPTER EIGHT
The water was cold against Nemu's skin, but she did not shudder or flinch. Her design was far too advanced for her to have that kind of reaction to something so mundane as a sudden change in temperature. Neither heat nor chill bothered her. When she saw others so disturbed by them, it made her glad that Mayuri-sama had chosen to create her this way.
And she was also not bothered by the way that her clothing became soaked and heavy in short order; it would not hinder her ability to swim, and was therefore irrelevant. She had only to keep her mind on the task at hand, and she would not be dissuaded. Mayuri-sama wished for one of these unusual Hollows for study, and she would do everything in her power to ensure that his desire came to fruition. Perhaps he might even allow her to participate in the research, if she performed his orders well enough.
The waters closed over her head, and she took this opportunity to swim rather than walk. Though the sunlight made it easy to see, her eyes could detect nothing abnormal thus far; this lake was very deep. She cast her senses about her, checking for even the most minute ripple in the water that might have been out of place, for any reiatsu that could have been channeled through the water molecules.
Nothing so far. She would have to keep searching.
Nemu's eyes were narrow with scrutiny. Were anyone around to observe her, he might have likened her expression to that of a shark: predatory and deadly. But no such emotions lurked behind her eyes. Emotion rarely did. She was in possession of feelings, but they were a hindrance to what Mayuri-sama needed from her, so she had removed them from herself as best she could. Unfortunately, she was unable to rid herself of them all. Her apologies to Mayuri-sama for her failure had not gone over well. He had been very displeased with her, as was his right.
The water pressure on her back became more and more uncomfortable the deeper she dove. Less than a month ago, she might have been crushed by all of the weight, but Mayuri-sama's upgrades for her had included a reinforced skeletal structure. The timing was most auspicious.
Nemu slowed her pace as her senses lighted upon something. Interesting. The feeling was most certainly that of a Hollow, but there was an oddness to it. If asked to describe this oddness, she would have been unable to. But she had never experienced it before, and she found herself greatly intrigued. The tiniest of smiles graced her face, though only the most thorough scrutiny would have detected it. If she could capture such a specimen as ordered, Mayuri-sama would be very pleased with her.
If she could not, she would willingly suffer the punishment for failure.
She drifted onto the lake's bottom, standing straight and alert. Her senses retained a fix on the Hollow, though she as yet she saw nothing. Doubtless it had noticed her and was trying to escape her attention, more than likely for a surprise assault. That would not do. She needed to draw the subject to the surface so that Hinamori-fukutaichou could assist her with the capture. Thus that dictated that she make the first move.
Remaining still, Nemu tracked the Hollow as it traveled in ever-tightening circles around her, a predator stalking its prey. She patiently waited until it finally shot toward her from behind, abandoning all attempts at cover.
She brought her foot down roughly onto the lakebed, kicking rock up behind her. As she spun, she noticed that her action had achieved its intended result; the Hollow stopped short, snarling in thwarted fury as the rocks pelted its body. Nemu took this opportunity for a barehanded swipe at the Hollow's side.
At the last second, the Hollow jerked away from her hand. But her fingers did manage to lightly bite through flesh, sending a cloud of blood swirling into the water. With the beast clearly enraged, Nemu had accomplished what she set out to do. When she made her break for the surface, the Hollow would follow her in an effort to avenge itself and in doing so charge directly into a trap.
"Vicious little shinigami, aren't you? I don't even get the dignity of your sword pointed at me?"
Nemu raised an eyebrow at the fact that the Hollow could speak - and underwater, at that - but she bent her legs and pushed upward just in time to avoid the answering swipe of the Hollow's hand. She would have to keep a hard pace, now; while she was not uncomfortable underwater, the world beneath the waves was far more this Hollow's domain than hers.
She whirled into an abrupt roundhouse kick when the Hollow caught up with her, striking a solid blow at the wrist to knock its hand away. Nemu frowned; even with her quick reaction, she had barely managed to defend herself in time. Hinamori-fukutaichou's plan had been a wise one, indeed. She would not be able to handle this beast on her own.
Nemu flared her reiatsu in a signal for readiness as she approached the surface. With sufficient warning, her fellow vice-captain might be able to take the Hollow by surprise. Their combined efforts should prove fruitful in the upcoming battle. All Nemu had to do was be mindful of her own position. Hinamori-fukutaichou was a kidou master, and she would need clear shots at the enemy.
Nemu's lips set more firmly as the brightness of the sun glared into her eyes. Without so much as another glance down to check on her pursuer, she burst forth from beneath the surface of the lake.
**
Hinamori's head jerked up when she felt Nemu's reiatsu take a sudden jump. She had no doubt found something below the water and was drawing it upward. Knowing a signal when she felt one, she called a kidou to mind, ready to fire it the instant her target came into view.
Nemu came straight up through the water with scarcely a splash, but she was followed a second later by a long-bodied Hollow, whose sudden appearance brought up a wave so large that Hinamori failed to fully dodge it.
Her own leap was cut short from the force of the wave smashing into her legs. She landed hard on now-muddy ground, the spell almost fizzling in her mind. Hinamori gritted her teeth. No. She would not be stopped so easily. Her eyes snapped to follow the Hollow's movements, and she leveled one hand in its direction.
"Hadou four: byakurai!"
The bolt of lightning hit the Hollow squarely in the side, searing flesh. Growling in pain, the Hollow turned its attention to her, glowing red eyes set deeply within its fishlike head. As far as Hollows went, Hinamori had seen ones far more disgusting-looking than this, but its appearance was still very far from pleasant. But there was something about it that disgusted her far more than the way it looked.
She narrowed her eyes balefully. A Hollow like this might have been what had struck down Hitsugaya-kun. Obviously, that meant that she had to be extremely careful - she truly did recognize his worthiness to be a captain; no one had been more proud than she at his promotion - but she was more determined than ever to put her plan into effect now that she saw the thing. Why was study of it needed, anyway? After what its kind had done, destroying it was the only truly logical thing to do.
The Hollow actually snorted at her. "Such a tiny thing, to be attacking me in such a way. This is nearly as embarrassing as the one of our number who was destroyed by a child."
At that, Hinamori swiftly and decisively climbed her feet, and in the next instant, she had Tobiume in her hand. This beast was going to mock Hitsugaya-kun? It might not have mattered what her orders or plan had been at this point; no Hollow would speak of her friend as though he were some feeble footsoldier. And if he wasn't here to defend his honour, then she would just have to do it for him.
"Your fellow was destroyed by a captain. It doesn't matter that the captain looked like a little boy." She leveled Tobiume in her enemy's direction. "And I am a vice-captain. Not a 'tiny thing.' Your fate won't be any more embarrassing than the other's."
The Hollow looked as though it were about to laugh at her, but it abruptly hopped to the side as Nemu came down from above, fist slamming deeply into the recently-vacated ground. In spite of herself, Hinamori blinked. Wow. That was some impressive physical strength that Nemu had.
She forced those thoughts away from her mind. This was a battle; she had to concentrate. And it was the prime excuse to destroy the Hollow in the middle of combat, while it still counted as a threat.
Especially when it decided to come straight at her.
"Bakudou thirty-nine: enkosen!"
The Hollow bounced off the shield of reiatsu that sprung up in front of her, claws digging deep furrows into the ground as it managed to keep its feet. Hinamori allowed herself a small sigh of relief as the shield dissipated. The spell was only a short-term defense, and she had called upon it purely by instinct, and almost too late, at that. This Hollow was fast.
But not fast enough to avoid a sudden, crushing kick to the leg from Nemu. That's right; she would be aiming for the non-lethal areas so that it could be captured. Exactly how was Hinamori supposed to prevent all that? A hobbled Hollow tended not to be particularly threatening, and this one had thus far demonstrated no ranged abilities.
Her eyes widened and she instinctively hurried into shunpo as she saw the Hollow's tail swing out in Nemu's direction. In the next instant, she was in its path, bringing Tobiume down in a swift chop. The blade bit deeply into flesh, and a spray of blood washed over her. Hinamori gritted her teeth as she applied more pressure, finally managing to slice clear through the tail, which fell heavy and lifeless to the ground.
She spun around in time to see the Hollow leap back, roaring in pain and fury. It landed awkwardly, one of its back legs being injured, blood still pouring from where she had severed its tail. Its eyes fixed on her, paying no attention to Nemu. Which made sense, really; Hinamori was the one who had inflicted the more grievous wound. Steeling herself, she lifted her sword into a defensive position.
"Vicious, the both of you!" the Hollow snarled. "Worse than the child! But you will fall as he and the woman did!"
Hinamori's eyes narrowed as she suddenly realized an oddity. By and large, Hollows were not social creatures; they hunted on their own and even resorted to cannibalism when there was none of their preferred food available. And yet this one knew of Hitsugaya-kun and Rangiku-san, even though all evidence had suggested that they killed the Hollow that they had faced. She didn't understand what that could mean; she would have to bring it up with Aizen-taichou later and see if he had any thoughts as to how that was possible. He should be aware of such important information.
But first things first. The Hollow needed to be destroyed.
As much as she wanted to retaliate to the callous words it had spoken, Hinamori glanced over her shoulder at Nemu. "Are you all right? I can make a distraction to conceal us so it shouldn't be able to evade any more attacks."
Nemu never removed her eyes from the Hollow. She nodded curtly. "I have not been damaged. Create your distraction, and I will take advantage of it."
While Hinamori did not need to chant this spell in order to cast it, she leveled her gaze at the Hollow and began the incantation anyway. It would serve as warning enough for Nemu to prepare her offensive, and though their enemy was approaching now, it did not do so in a full charge. Being wounded must have made it more wary. Whatever the case, it lent her more time to do as needed.
She swept her free hand out in front of her as she finished. "Bakudou twelve: fushibi!"
The sky in front of them sparked, flashed into flame before forming into a thick wall of smoke. Wind rushed over Hinamori's body as Nemu flew into shunpo, speeding past her for her attack. Good. They should both be able to get a hit in now, and Hinamori would aim hers straight at the Hollow's mask. For more reasons than just her plan, she needed to destroy it.
She darted into a shunpo of her own as soon as she heard a pained growl from their target; it would be sufficiently distracted now. Though the smoke stung her eyes, she willed them to remain open; two glowing spots of red gave her all that she would need to see, the only place where she would need to aim. Both hands on Tobiume's hilt, she swung the blade in a wide arc, fully intending to finish this with one strike.
But she grunted in surprise when she did not strike bone and her swing jerked to a stop. Had she not been holding on with both hands, she would very likely have lost her weapon. She could still not see around her, though an ominous pair of thuds told her that Nemu must have gone down. What had happened? Did the Hollow see through the attacks so easily?
As the smoke from her kidou cleared, Hinamori realized her situation. Instead of cleaving through the Hollow's mask, she was dangling a few inches off the ground, her sword held securely in the creature's teeth. How it had managed to defend itself in such a way, Hinamori did not know. But what she did know was that if she didn't do something quickly, she and Nemu would indeed be the next victims.
She glared into those bright red eyes that were so uncomfortably close. "Snap, Tobiume!"
Hinamori could sense her blade changing shape, a prong growing out of either side. And as soon as the sword finished its transformation, she commanded it to fire. There would be no defending against this one.
Kidou exploded within the Hollow's mouth, blowing apart the mask. Hinamori yelped as the force of the explosion flung her backward, her hands tightening around Tobiume's hilt to avoid dropping it. Basic lessons demanded that a shinigami do everything possible to maintain a hold on her weapon, and she would not be separated from it so easily.
"Agh!"
She landed hard on her side, rolled for a few feet before she stopped. For a few moments, she lay there, gathering her breath, lifting one hand to wipe sweat from her brow. Hinamori then dragged herself to her knees, hissing in response to the pain that swept through her body at this action. No doubt she was bruised all over, though at least nothing was broken as far as she could tell. A trip to the Fourth would tell if she was correct about that or not.
"Hinamori-fukutaichou, are you harmed?" Nemu's voice sounded from above, clinical as ever. No concern in it at all. And yet it managed to be comforting, in an eerie sort of way. At least she was all right.
Shaking her head, Hinamori finally pushed herself to her feet. She slid her sword, now back in its sealed state, back into its sheath. Idly, one hand rubbed at the other wrist; she must have smacked it on the ground when she had landed. Overall, she didn't think that the damage was particularly bad.
"Not badly, no," she answered. A quick glance around their surroundings showed that all evidence of the Hollow had disappeared, save for a little blood on the ground. Even the tail that she had severed had dissolved when she'd destroyed the mask. "But thank you for -"
She stopped short as she finally got a good look at Nemu. Though the Hollow's blood had splattered onto her too, that was not what caught Hinamori's attention. One side of her abdomen was significantly crunched inward. Anyone else would have been on the ground from the sheer agony of broken ribs, but though there was pain in Nemu's eyes, she still stood as straight as ever, had probably walked over here as steady as any healthy person. What was she made of, that she could withstand such an injury and scarcely show any sign of distress?
"Oh, my goodness!" Hinamori gasped. "Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou, we should head back immediately and get you into the Fourth. That wound looks dreadful."
Nemu blinked as if in confusion. "My injury is not so dire as to need immediate attention. And going to the Fourth Division is not necessary. Mayuri-sama will repair me should he deem it worth his time."
If he thought it was worth his time? Hinamori frowned, not in anger toward Kurotsuchi-taichou, but in pity toward Nemu; the woman valued herself so little next to her captain. Of course she was worth it; she was his vice-captain. The idea of being cruelly dismissed by one's own captain was something that Hinamori just could not comprehend. Especially after working so hard for him.
"Why wouldn't he think you're worth it?" She couldn't keep the question inside. The concept was so unfathomable that she absolutely had to ask. "It's not like you've done anything wrong!"
Nemu glanced to where the Hollow had been a few moments ago. "He wished for a live specimen. I have failed to bring that to him. I expect that I will be punished first."
Guilt welled up inside of Hinamori, and she looked away. This was a side of her plans that she had not even considered before now. By destroying the Hollow, she was guaranteeing a severe punishment for Nemu. It didn't sit right in her gut, but what else was she supposed to do? Kurotsuchi-taichou was dangerous to Seireitei as a whole, and he could not be allowed to examine these Hollows. She believed that wholeheartedly, but it never occurred to her before that someone perfectly decent might suffer dire consequences as the result of her actions.
Hinamori felt a little sick.
"Hinamori-fukutaichou? Are you certain that you are all right?"
She started at Nemu's voice, and looked back to her. A little sadly, she smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you. And I suppose we should gather everyone together and return to make our report." She glanced over to the lake. "We've found the origin point of these Hollows, it seems."
Nemu nodded. "Understood."
No hesitation, even though she expected punishment. Hinamori might have found that admirable if Nemu's captain wasn't so monstrous. As it was, she had to wonder if the poor woman would see the light of another day.
Chapter Seven Chapter Nine