God Yet Lives

OOC: If you're going to post once every 3 days, at least read the shit you missed. It's only a few pages & it's counter-productive to re-cover shit I already established when I couldn't afford to wait for you to get on & post in the first place. Everyone else, disregard that post.

Noct, seeing the image in Euryale's eye, turns and takes a step back to inspect what was going on, and who was invading their house.

--

Mortal looks at the Garganta, "Well, that isn't any good."

--

Atae widens her eyes and tries to make a break for it.

Atsuko narrowed her eyes, "Since when have Lieutenants had days off?"

Kira took a few steps back and grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakuto with one hand and pointing the other at the vines/branches.
"Bakudo 9, Geki" He muttered, hoping to put a stop to anything it might be about to do.

*The thing grabs her by the throat & lifts her into the air. Euryale appears next to it, breathing on the arm, which then falls apart. She then kicks it in the face, knocking it out the window. The glass stops in midair & reassembles itself.*

"Is that what was bothering you last night?"
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<Is...is someone going to attack us?>

S"It doesn't look like it...which means that Hueco Mundo was probably a decoy."

L"Then what are they after?"

S"Probably...the destruction of the Soul Society."
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*Outside, Atae quickly finds herself lost in a forest of white.*
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<...Always? Huh. I didn't know this was the season for cherry blossoms.>

*Looking out the window, there's a branch full of white flowers.*
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*More flowers grow.*

"This seems a lot like Lilith's ability. But I don't think her Bankai can get this big. And it's the wrong color."

"Do we know what they're after?"

Atsuko stepped back, "Those are white, you idiot... what the hell..?"
She ran over to the window and leaned out, taking a look around.

"Could it possibly be her mother?" Kira asked, drawing his Zanpakuto, "But then, why would she be doing this?"

<Cherry Blossoms are white.>

*He produces this page & hands it to her.*
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Netzach<If I had to guess, Keter probably threatened her precious widdle baby girl. She never was very happy that Binah fought against her.>

*Netzach is sitting in the Captain's chair.*

N"What kind of assassin reveals himself to his enemies?"

Netzach<The kind who doesn't think his foes have the slimmest hope of fighting back, 'magine.>
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S"Not a clue."

*He looks sideways at Lilith & Taiyo.*

S"Though it's interesting that they sealed the Garganta only after you 2 arrived."

L"Are you suggesting we're involved? Ha, maybe a better question is what could you do about it if I am? As I recall, we fought once, & it didn't end so well for you."

"Ouch... burn" Yue says in an utter deadpan voice.

Kira looked at Noah and back at Netzach, not sure of what to do.

"Whatever" Atsuko sighed dismissively, "...What the hell is going on?"

Mortal looked at Senthose, then at Lilith, "I'd really rather not have us fight amongst ourselves." She said, slightly annoyed.

--

Noctis nods, still a bit freaked out, "Yes, it... can do things. I'm not entirely sure how."

--

Atae tries to navigate the maze.

<Iunno.>
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L"There is no 'us.' We aren't friends."

S"I'm going to be blunt: I am a genius. You would be stupid to deny my help."

L"You also have no morals. The last group you worked with, you sent almost every single member to their deaths to get rid of them as potential rivals, steal their stuff, or make us stronger so that you could get more power when you eat us. There's another thing. You tried to eat us. And, after all of that, your plan didn't even WORK."

<Did you really do all of that?>

S"Yes, but this time it's DIFFERENT. You'd know that if you were geniuses."
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"What kinds of things?"

*The thing stands up, "staring" into the window. It then walks in the direction of the front door.*

"Whatever that thing is, it's easily 8, 9 feet tall."
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*As she's walking, the ground falls away underneath her, revealing a pit of bamboo spikes.*

Sab furrowed her eyebrows, "So he isn't the most well adjusted man out there, point is, if we don't work together you're denying yourself a valuable asset. Put another way, working with him, it is a 50/50 split that he will try to stab you in the back, or, piss him off now, he USES you to his own ends from behind the scenes, then stabs you in the back anyway." She said, "We're not looking to be friends, we're looking to stay alive, and working together keeps everyone's odds higher."

--

"When I choked you, I was actually trying to choke it, then it was you. Sometimes it can just... be places." Noct tried to scan the area using shadows to see where it was, "And I realize how tall it is, sadly I don't think that is its most frightening aspect..."

--

Atae lets out a startled yell before shouting, "Bakudo #37, Tsuriboshi!" With that, a net forms underneath Atae to save her from the spike pit. "What kind of place is this? Why is Captain Binah doing this?"

S"You still seem skeptical. Have you ever considered that's what the enemy WANTS you to think? After all, if I was more of a threat to you, then why would they attack me? Even if they couldn't get me on their side, they should be able to rely on me to 'backstab' you. Unless they can't."

L"That is distressingly logical."

S"As I stated: Genius."
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Malkuth<This is Binah Psyche's Bankai, Kabbala Yggminsul. Releasing it involves creating a jungle to the user's whims. And I see that she designed her release to my specifications.>

*Malkuth is standing outside the pit.*
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*Euryale shudders.*

E"If it replaced me while I was asleep...no, I don't even want to think of that."

*It's just standing at the front door.*

E"...I wonder if it even knows what a door is?"

"Lets just... hope it doesn't." Noct said, creating a shadow clone and having it try to punch the Slenderrancar with a katar in the back.

--

Atae looks up at Malkuth, "Aren't you the man from before?! What do you want, why is Binah involved?"

--

Mortal had taken to sitting down, since everyone else had taken to talking nonstop. Sab noticed and sat down next to her, both waiting for someone to make up their minds on what to do.

Kira decided what to do for himself and took a half step towards Netzach, "What is going on out there and how are you involved?"

Atsuko climbed out of the window and tried to hack through a branch/vine with her Zanpakuto.

*All that happens is that it grows some pretty flowers.*
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Malkuth<Not your concern. Ah, I was hoping you'd arrive soon.>

*Captain Kyoraku pushes aside some bushes & steps onto the scene from the opposite direction.*

Kyoraku<Hey, there. Are you the gardner?>
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*Without turning at all, it whips an arm out, grabbing the clone by the neck. It quickly lifts it into the air & smashes it down on the pavement several times before snapping its neck.*

E"What's going on? I can't see."

*The suited Arrancar tosses the clone through the window so it lands at Euryale's feet. As it's still very much solid & looks like a battered & pulverized Noctis, Euryale screams. Outside, the suited Arrancar seems to have disappeared.*
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*He grins.*

<Isn't it obvious? I'm here to kill ya.>
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L"Alright. I can't say anything for Soul Society authority, but I'm sold. In that case, what do we do now?"

S"If the enemy controls Gargantas, we should attempt to enter through a Senkaimon."

*Lilith unsheathes her Zanpakuto & thrusts it into the air. Nothing happens.*

L"...That's odd."

"What about the other Captains?" Kira asked, struggling to hold back his zanpakuto, "Are they to be similarly attacked?"

Atsuko climbed briskly back through the window and found the closest Division member, "Is the third seat present?"

Atae doesn't want to get out of the hole, considering Malkuth is more powerful than her.

--

Noctis rights the clone so that it looks normal, "Its okay Euryale, it is only a shadow clone." She said, though she was a bit freaked out herself. "I can't see it anymore, be on the lookout."

--

Mortal let out a long sigh, "Great... anymore ideas?"

*Senthose cuts open a Garganta.*

S"We plow through & try to find the shortest possible route to the Soul Society. Actually...I think we should split up. As I recall, the humans were already attacked once before. Someone should probably go check on them."
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"It still very clearly & deliberately threatened us! I was hoping it was stupid!"

*She whirls around to see it walk into the bedroom & disappear around a corner.*

"Urgh, this is so frustrating! With my power, it could be standing on the bed & I wouldn't know it was here! Wait...it had 6 arms just then."
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Netzach<Do you REALLY wanna know? In that case...I'm not tellin'! Come on, lighten up. Life's too short. 'Specially for you.>
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<I'm sure he's around here somewhere.>
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*Malkuth quickly slices the supports for the Kido net. Atae is caught by Kyoraku, who is cut before he can exit the pit. He jumps out, sporting a bleeding shoulder & now being minus his hat & cloak, both of which Malkuth sets on fire with a small Cero.*

Kyoraku<I'm guessing that was a "no." So, are you actually that fast, or only when using Gargantas?>

*In lieu of answering, Malkuth charges a Cero.*

Atae goes into shikai, and heals up Kyoraku.

--

Noctis raised an eyebrow, "Wait, how many does it usually have?" Noct asked, trying to remember if she had seen it with more, or fewer arms.

--

Mortal looked at Senthose, "I don't think they like me very much..."

"If you wind up saving their lives I'm sure they'll appreciate it."

"Mortal, Sab, do you want to handle the humans?"

"He should have issued some kind of command by now" Atsuko sighed, "With both the captain and the lieutenant away from the barracks, we need someone to take over. Find him."

"Rikijokoro" Kira muttered, raising a finger to Netzach.

<Oh no! I have become horribly trapped! Trapped forever! So trapped am I that I am hopeless to possibly fight back! For I am trapped! And the trappiness prevents me from taking actions. Were I NOT trapped, I could attack much like this.>

*Netzach palm strikes at Kira's back, also firing a Shakaho from the same hand. Shortly afterwards, the Shunpo Clone sitting on the throne dissolves.*
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*Kyoraku shifts Atae's weight into one arm so that he can block Malkuth's Cero with a Severing Void. Malkuth appears in front of him & slashes down at Atae's neck.*
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"I doubt it. I don't think they really have a problem with you. It may be for the best if I go with the Soul Reapers.".
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"I think it only had 4 before. But either way, I distinctly remember destroying one of its arms with one of my new moves."
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*A woman shows up a few minutes later with a clip board.*

<It seems like there was a scheduling blunder. The 3rd seat was given a holiday on the lieutenant's off day. And besides that, we're understaffed right now because we just finished the Seireitei Bulletin, & there's not much work to do.>

Kira took a quick step forward before swinging on the spot with his index finger pointing out from under his armpit, "Enkosen!"

"This makes me the ranking officer here, doesn't it?" Atsuko asked, sounding slightly apprehensive, "So.. I want all 9th Division members present to report to this room now, please."

Atae shouts, "Bakudo #8, Seki." And puts a hand over her neck. Where her hand is, in the path of the strike, is a small white ball of energy. Should the ball be struck it will repel the attack, hopefully giving Kyoraku a chance to attack.

--

Noctis let out a sigh, "So it either has high speed regeneration, or the ability to make new arms as it sees fit."

--

Mortal let out a sigh, "Fine," She said standing, and opening a garganta. She then noted Aroma, "Are you taking Aroma with you?"