Chapter Text
Keiko was running with Rose, Love, Shinji, Lisa, and Hacchi towards where Kensei and his squad were last known to be. Anxiety had been chewing away at her as soon as she'd heard that they'd lost track of his spiritual pressure. This anxiety pushed her to be the first to arrive, and she saw that someone or something was attacking Hiyori, who had yet to draw her Zanpakutō.
"Why the hell haven't you drawn your sword, Hiyori?" Keiko nearly scolded as she blocked a blow that almost hit the Lieutenant.
"How could I possibly do that?" Hiyori asked in an almost worried voice.
The area had been dark because the moon was behind a cloud. When the cloud moved, Keiko could more clearly see the attacker, and the "69" tattoo on their chest.
"Kensei?" Keiko asked in complete and utter shock.
"Keiko!" Lisa yelled as she arrived with the other Captains.
"Hiyori, you alright?" Love asked.
However, all gathered were standing in a stunned silence.
"Kensei?" Love asked, "Just what the hell is goin' on here?"
The man before them certainly didn't seem like a Soul Reaper. While yes, he was wearing a shihakushō and a Captain's haori, he also had several white, pillar-like protrusions from his shoulders and back, as well as a white mask over his face with six openings on the front of it.
"You think that thing's really Kensei? With that mask, that spiritual pressure, it's almost like he's become a hollow," Rose remarked.
"I'm not sure what to think either," Shinji remarked, "There's a chance it's Kensei, but maybe not."
"I would know Kensei anywhere! I don't know what's happened to him, but I'm going to do whatever in my power to help him," Keiko yelled, clenching her fists.
"Anyway, there's one thing I'm sure of. If we don't draw our swords right now, we'll be dead."
The hollow-like Kensei that stood before them let out a roar, his spiritual pressure spiking as he let out an energy attack. The seven of them all leapt back and separated slightly.
First, he went after Love, punching him midair from behind.
"Love, no!" Rose called.
As the dust cloud that had been formed in the air started to settle, Kensei could be seen sliding back in the air while Love had his blade bared, the entire right sleeve and part of the chest of his uniform were destroyed.
"Whoa! I really felt that one," Love remarked, "That's just what I'd expect of you, Kensei."
"Stop it! Don't you get it? You're fighting against Kensei. This is-," Hiyori started to protest before coughing while still in Shinji's hold.
"Be quiet, Hiyori," Shinji said calmly, "Our mission here is to stop him. If he is Kensei, our mission is even more vital."
"Shinji is right, Hiyori," Rose confirmed, "Kensei is very important to us. Perhaps none more so than to Keiko."
It wasn't exactly a secret among the Captains that Keiko and Kensei were seeing each other. After all, gossip about the next head of the noble Fukihara clan courting anyone would've spread quickly throughout the Seireitei.
"We have to subdue him. So that we can try and figure out a way to help him," Keiko said firmly, her hold on her Zanpakutō tightening.
"There's no need to worry about this," Lisa said as she drew her Zanpakutō, "We know a mountain of ways we can stop this guy without having to kill him. We'll cut all his tendons. How 'bout you take his left side?"
"Alright," Rose agreed.
"Then I'll try and keep his attention on me to give you an opening," Keiko asserted.
The three of them moved quickly, joining Love in the air to face Kensei. Rose and Lisa tried to get in close from the sides while Keiko faced Kensei straight on. For a moment it seemed they were going to be able to do what they'd just planned, but Kensei continued to almost effortlessly bat them away.
Keiko then heard a clicking sound from above, looking up to see another body coming down towards them.
"Hey, Rose, behind you!" Lisa tried to warn.
The new figure came down, landing a solid kick to the top of Rose's head.
"Rose!" Keiko and Lisa both called.
Looking up again, Keiko was able to get a clearer look at the figure. If who they'd just been fighting was really Kensei, then it would unfortunately make sense that the new figure was-.
"Mashiro," Shinji said aloud.
Mashiro also had a white mask, one that seemingly resembled an insect, and her legs she seemed to be covered in bone from the waist down.
Mashiro moved quickly, darting down from in the sky to attack Shinji. She initially made contact with his Zanpakutō when she did an areal axe kick. After the initial block, she shifted into a revolving spin kick and for a moment, it seemed she was going to have the upper hand.
"Gochutekkan!" Hacchi cried.
Five pillars linked together by chain fell from the sky, pinning Mashiro to the ground.
"Boy, I have to say, you guys really run quickly," Hacchi said in a pant, his hands held flush together in front of him.
During that spat, Keiko and Love had both been dealing with Kensei, trying to get a chance to subdue him.
"I never would've thought I'd hate his stamina," Keiko huffed.
"Bakudo Number 63, Sajo Sabaku!" Hacchi called.
A winding rope of yellow light formed, wrapping itself around Kensei, binding his arms to his torso. He tried to fight out of the bindings for a moment before falling from the air to the ground.
"Lady Keiko! Shinji! I'm quite confused about this situation. What's going on here?" Hacchi asked, "Kensei and Mashiro. What has happened to them?"
Keiko had started to lower herself to the ground, her Zanpakutō relaxed at her side, but as she drew closer to the ground, she bared her blade again.
"Look out, Hacchi!" Keiko called as Kensei broke through the Bakudo with brute force.
"Dammit, Kensei! Stay down so we can help you!" Keiko yelled as her balde back into contact with his hardened forearm once more.
Kensei struck down Lisa, catapulting her into the ground. He moved to try and strike further, but was hit by a blast of kidō.
"Stop this Kensei," Rose said in a tired voice, "What's happened, my friend? This is completely out of character for you. You've never been the kind of weakling who would strike a girl."
Keiko, despite being a bit battered, moved to try and stop Kensei once more.
"You have to stop this, Kensei!" Keiko asserted as her blade fought against the bone on his fists, "Look at what you're doing to our friends; to me."
"On your right, Keiko!" Love yelled as a blast of Kidō sailed past her to hit Kensei.
Love jumped and tried to land a slice between Kensei's neck and shoulder, but his blade was stopped like it had struck stone. Kensei then countered this by punching Love in the stomach, launching him upward.
"Keep him distracted so Hacchi can restrain him!" Lisa called to Keiko as she tried to land a blow on Kensei from above.
Kensei tried to strike at Lisa as she dodged out of the way, and then shifted to trying to strike Keiko. Keiko had to bounce backwards as well in order to just dodge the blow of his fist.
"Hacchi!" Lisa called.
"Bakudo Number 99; Restrict!" Hacchi declared.
Two solid ribbons formed near Kensei, binding his hands behind his back before binding his arms to his torso and forcing him to the ground, pinning him in place.
"Okay then. Now, how are we supposed to reverse his condition?" Shinji asked before looking to Hacchi, "Are you able to do something using Kidō?"
"Even if I could, I'm not sure what got him this way," Hacchi pointed out, "I might damage him even more before I can get him back to normal."
Keiko had to stop herself from approaching Kensei too closely. She wanted to lay a reassuring hand on him, but had to hold back.
"Kisuke or Mayuri may have an idea," Keiko postulated.
Hiyori, still being held under one of Shinji's arms, started to cough rather violently.
"What's wrong, Hiyori?" Keiko asked, taking a step closer to the Captain and Lieutenant.
"You feeling alright?" Shinji asked before letting out the slightest of sighs, "Hacchi, forget about Kensei for now. We'd better start with healing our friend here."
"Shin-, Shinji, let go of me," Hiyori weakly protested.
It was quick, but Shinji's shoulder was cut and Hiyori was letting out a distorted yell, a white mask covering her face like Kensei and Mashiro.
"Hiyori!" Lisa cried, jumping closer.
"What's happening to her?" Love asked.
Keiko was about to move closer when she spotted someone coming quickly from the shadows of the treeline. And in a flash, Love, Lisa, Rose, Hiyori, and Hacchi were all struck down.
Keiko was then shrouded in complete darkness. She couldn't sense anything. She was in this state for only a few moments before she felt the barest pressure against her arm. Keiko moved as quickly as she could manage, getting slashed along her ribcage, the cut reaching from slightly onto her stomach to barely reaching her back. Her senses returned as she was knelt on the ground, her left hand clutching her right side while her right was braced against the ground, still clutching her Zanpakutō.
And standing slightly over her, was Kaname Tōsen, Kensei's Fifth Seated Officer.
"Hold on a minute," Shinji muttered.
"Kaname," Keiko said almost dumbfounded, before throwing him a glare, "Tell me, why did you do this to Kensei? You betrayed him. Your own Captain!"
"He didn't betray him," Another voice piped up, "He's actually quite loyal."
Shinji and Keiko both turned to see someone else emerging from the shadow of the treeline; Squad Five's Lieutenant, Sōsuke Aizen. And behind him was Shinji's Third Seat, the most recent child prodigy, Gin Ichimaru.
"As a matter of fact, Kaname was just loyally following my orders," Sōsuke continued, "You of all people can understand that, so please don't hold it against him Captain Hirako, Captain Fukihara."