Not a Mob: Psycho

Unamused by Uryu's relaxed response, Ohta replied, "Then you should be expecting this," before disappearing in a flash. Uryu's eyes widened as he attempted to take evasive actions, but an invisible force restrained him like being trapped in a vacuum bag, preventing his escape as Ohta landed a devastating blow to his left cheek, sending him flying.
"Whatever you did, undo it right this instant," said Ohta, making his way toward the downed Uryu while rolling his right shoulder and preparing to give the Quincy's white, priest-like attire a paint job.
"I can't...!" barked Uryu, holding his rapidly swelling cheek and glaring at Ohta as he explained, "The bait has already dispersed to the wind! At this point, all we can do is eliminate the Hollows as they appear!"
Adopting a vicious smile, Ohta asked, "So, you lured hundreds of Hollows to a town filled with innocent people? Give me one reason why I shouldn't skewer your ass on a telephone pole."
Opening his mouth, Uryu tried to make his case but was precluded by Ohta's fist smashing into his face a second time, sending him reeling as the incensed Shinigami stated, "And you should probably make it quick. I'm not very patient when it comes to dealing with villains."
Holding his broken nose, Uryu was slightly teary-eyed as he shouted, "It's you, Shinigami, who are the villains! You hunt-"
Interrupting Uryu's senseless diatribe, Ohta tried to punch him a third time, but the former managed to dodge, vanishing in a manner similar to Shunpo.
Following Uryu with his spiritual sense, Ohta plainly stated, "I don't give a fuck what your beef is with Shinigami. I was in your class until just a few months ago. What does your vendetta have to do with me or anyone else in this town?"
Gritting his bloodied teeth, Uryu asserted, "No innocent lives would be in danger if you didn't interrupt me!"
"Are you seriously this fucking daft?" asked Ohta, a genuinely incredulous look appearing on his face. "I just had to rescue Ichigo's little sister from being shishkebabbed by one of the Hollows 'you' summoned. Do you not consider an eleven-year-old girl that has never done jack shit to you as an 'innocent' bystander?"
Unable to contend Ohta's words, Uryu exclaimed, "We don't have time for this! More and more Hollows are appearing as you stand here distracting me...!"
"Wrong response," replied Ohta, moving much faster than the last few times he had attacked. By the time Uryu actually heard his words, Ohta had the raven-haired youth's face in his hand, slamming him to the ground with enough force to produce a sizeable crater. The whites of Uryu's eyes showed, but thanks to some hidden force protecting him, he managed to survive having his head smashed into concrete.
"Fucking cockroach..." muttered Ohta, raising his foot to finish what he had started when a sensation similar to vertigo overtook him, his vision spinning for a moment before the image of Uryu decorating the pavement was replaced by a grass field.
"It's good to have conviction, but you shouldn't get carried away..." said Yoruichi, having thwarted Ohta's attempt to terminate Uryu by 'tackling' him with a variant of Shunpo.
Furrowing his brows, Ohta asserted, "He deserves to die. What he's done is no different from a terrorist holding thousands of people hostage with a bomb."
"Let's not get into this right now," said Yoruichi. "As we speak, hundreds of Hollow are emerging throughout Karakura Town. Leave the Quincy brat to me and focus on saving lives, not taking them."
"Whatever..." huffed Ohta, taking to the sky to continue hunting Hollow. He still believed Uryu deserved to die, but Yoruichi's intervention made it clear the raven-haired shitstain was part of their 'plans,' presumably one to deal with Yhwach. The latter was a much greater threat than a fifteen-year-old with a vendetta, so Ohta was willing to forestall Uryu's execution, at least for the time being...
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After scurrying around desperately in search of his sister, Ichigo finally tracked down Karin in the same lot Ohta had left her, the latter currently in the process of moving her schoolmates to safety.
"Karin...!" shouted Ichigo, racing over to his little sister after seeing the bloodstain covering her right side.
Before Ichigo could grab her, Karin caught him off guard with a shoot kick to the groin, surprising even herself. She was used to kicking their dad when he acted like a fool, so her muscle memory kicked in, quite literally, when Ichigo came charging at her.
Though he didn't fall, Ichigo's body shook as he struggled to stay upright, forcing a smile as he asked, "Why did you kick me...?"
"Force of habit..." replied Karin, adopting her characteristic scowl as she asked, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be hunting those freaks with masks...?"
"I was worried about you, obviously," replied Ichigo, forcing himself to stand straighter as he asked, "Tell me what happened to your side. Are you injured...?"
"No," replied Karin, telling the truth but neglecting to mention she was on the verge of death just a few minutes prior.
"Then what's with all the blood?" asked Ichigo, staring at his sister as if she had lost her mind.
"That's not important right now," asserted Karin. "What I want to know is what's going on with you and those monsters. Why are you a spirit, and what's the deal with that oversized sword and strange outfit?"
Furrowing his brows, Ichigo hesitated before asserting, "I can't explain things right now. We need to get you home and make sure Yuzu is safe."
"Wouldn't we be safer if you killed all those monsters?" asked Karin. "Just leave Yuzu to me and go take care of them."
"I can't just leave you...!" exclaimed Ichigo. Before he could say anything else, however, Karin sent him sliding backward with a superhuman kick to his guard, shouting, "Just go already!"
Staring at his sister in stupefaction, Ichigo muttered, "Karin...when did you get this strong...?"
Aware that Ohta didn't have the best relationship with her brother, Karin threw Ichigo's words back at him, flatly retorting, "I can't explain things right now. I need to get home and make sure Yuzu's safe."
"..."
Though he had numerous questions, Ichigo paused for a moment before nodding his head, his expression and tone serious as he said, "Fine...just be careful..."
"Worry about yourself..." muttered Karin, crossing her arms and looking away in a pouty huff. At least when Ohta saw her off, he wished her luck. Instead, he vested her with a strange power and trusted that she could take care of herself and her friends...
Scratching the back of his head, Ichigo wanted to say more, but he had never been good at dealing with Karin's rebelliousness. She was just as cute and affectionate as Yuzu when she was younger, but after the death of their mother, she became standoffish and often got into fights...
Shaking his head, Ichigo muttered, "Whatever...just get home..." before taking off to continue killing Hollow. Unlike Ohta, however, he had to run around like a jackass, making his exit significantly more awkward...
Seeing her brother run off, Karin exhaled a tired sigh and muttered, "Be safe..." with a conflicted, clearly worried look. She didn't know what her brother had gotten involved in, but it was clearly something dangerous. They weren't as close as they used to be, but she cared about him more than she was willing to admit. She wouldn't have based her personality on him otherwise...
Staring down at her right hand, Karin balled it into a fist, squeezing it as tightly as she could. As she did so, a notable distortion appeared around her fist. She had held back when she kicked Ichigo, so she couldn't help wondering just how strong the power Ohta vested her was...
Turning her gaze to a tree more than ten meters away, Karin got into a sloppy karate pose and shouted, "Ya...!" as she punched forward with all her might. She wasn't sure what she expected, but it definitely wasn't the ground between her and the tree being upheaved, forming a long ditch as the unfortunate tree twisted and splintered into thousands of pieces...
"Holy shit..."
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After eradicating his seventy-third Hollow, Ohta found himself beneath the strange phenomenon in the sky, wondering whether or not he should try and 'attack' it.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," remarked a familiar, annoying voice.
"What are you doing here, old man?" asked Ohta, turning to find Kisuke standing on the streets below.
Adopting a smile, Kisuke explained, "That right there is what's known as an unstable Garganta, a crack connecting to the void between worlds. If you attack it carelessly, you could cause a lot of destruction. It's best to wait for whatever's trying to break through and attack once it emerges..."
"That being said..." muttered Kisuke, placing his hand on his hat as he asked, "Any chance I can convince you to sit the rest of this battle out? It's no longer 'private,' if you catch my meaning..."
Understanding that Kisuke was alluding to the fact that Soul Society had sent someone to investigate, likely a member of the Stealth Corps, a deep frown marred Ohta's face. He wasn't the heroic type, but he also wasn't the type to sit around as his hometown was besieged by monsters only he and a few others could see.
"There were some mishaps at the start, but everything's under control now," assured Kisuke. "We moved everyone at risk of being targeted to safety. Without any targets to pursue, the Hollows will begin to converge on this point. Once they do, my pupils and I will take care of the fodder while Kurosaki Ichigo deals with the monster bound to emerge from that Garganta. Sound good?"
Landing next to Kisuke, nearly knocking the man's hat due to the air pressure, Ohta remarked, "Sure, why not? Just know that if shit hits the fan, Aizen and Yhwach will be the least of your concerns..."
"I'll keep that in mind," replied Kisuku, his eyes concealed by the shadow of his hat as he kept it in place with his hand, smiling creepily underneath. He knew Ohta's words weren't complete bluster, but he also knew that if shit truly did hit the fan, they would all be dead. Then it wouldn't matter if Ohta wanted to kill him...
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"I'm surprised you pulled out. I honestly didn't think you were capable of it..." mused Yoruichi, appearing next to Ohta as he stood atop the roof of a stumpy, thirteen-floor skyscraper to observe things from afar.
"I can see what you would think that..." replied Ohta, his expression and tone flat despite alluding to the many times he had cum inside Yoruichi. Her body broke down and converted everything to Reishi(spirit particles), so her greedy pussy had never spilled a drop, no matter how many times he painted her insides.
Making her way over to Ohta's side, Yoruichi moved to sit on the parapet in front of him, a position that put her breasts around level with his eyes as she stared down at him and stated, "Everything's going to be okay..." in an uncharacteristically soft tone.
Meeting Yoruichi's gaze, Ohta's eyes exuded a near-crimson glow as he asked, "And if things don't go according to plan...?"
"Well, I can't let you destroy Soul Society..." muttered Yoruichi. "But, once Aizen, Yhwach, and the other major threats have been dealt with, I'll take responsibility however you want me to..."
Narrowing his eyes, Ohta remained silent for several seconds, holding the golden-eyed woman's gaze and noting the 'seriousness' contained within. She had no intention of letting Rukia die, but if the rescue attempt failed, she was willing to accept 'responsibility' to avoid the scenario where Ohta went full-nuclear on the Soul Society. That included relinquishing her life, but if she were being completely honest, she would prefer it if Ohta held her accountable in other ways...
Seeing through Yoruichi's thoughts, Ohta exhaled a scoffing chuckle and said, "Fine. I'll continue playing along. But, if Rukia loses her life, I'll have you become mine...not my woman, but my cat. I will never view you as a replacement..."
Though Ohta's words made her feel a type of frustration she couldn't put into words, Yoruichi didn't attempt to argue with him. Instead, she turned into her cat form, making a cat loaf atop the parapet before narrowing her eyes and responding with a curt, "Fine..."
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"That's one big bastard..." remarked Ohta, referring to the giant Hollow that had plunged from the crack in the sky. It was easily between twenty and thirty meters tall, wore a white mask with beady eyes and a pointed nose, and its massive frame garbed in a black robe from head to pointed toe, giving it an appearance reminiscent of a demonic Nun.
"It's called a Menos," revealed Yoruichi, perched upon Ohta's shoulder. "More accurately, it's a Gillian-Class Menos. Their power allows them to go head to head with weaker Lieutenants, but their intelligence is low, and they're easy to avoid so long as you have a decent mastery of Hoho."
"Then, how's Ichigo supposed to defeat one?" asked Ohta. "From what I've seen, he can barely airwalk, much less execute a proper movement technique..."
"We've been over this before..." muttered Yoruichi. "Similar to you, Ichigo also possesses monstrous reserves of energy. Unlike you, however, his is spirit energy. If he could tap into and utilize it as he pleases, he'd surpass most Captains..."
Snorting through his nose, Ohta sardonically remarked, "Then let's hope he doesn't die..."
"He'll be fine," assured Yoruichi. "Just wa-oh, it's already over? That was much faster than expected..."
As Yoruichi noted, the defeat of the Gillian-Class Menos didn't even take twenty seconds from its emergence to its departure. All it managed was to fire off an energy blast eerily similar to the lasers Ohta unleashed in his Kusho state. Ichigo managed to tank the shot with his sword, and before the Gillian could fire a second one, he sent it fleeing with a slash from his blade that caused a penetrative energy wave to run up the Hollow's entire body, chipping its mask.
"How is this over?" asked Ohta, promptly pointing out. "The damned thing is getting away..."
"Just let it," said Yoruichi. "There is a functionally infinite number of Menos inhabiting Hueco Mundo. If you chased after it and somehow ended up on the other side, even you would be fucked."
"Whatever..." replied Ohta, adding, "I'm going to go find Rukia. If this ends up being our last night together, I'm putting it to use..."
"How enviable..." muttered Yoruichi, primarily as a joke, but there was a tell-tale glimmer in her golden eyes. It had been a few weeks since she and Ohta had 'resonated,' and it was starting to bother her...
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*pa* *pa* *pa* *pa* *pa* *pa* *pa* *pa* *pa* *pa*
"You're...being...too...rough...!" moaned Rukia, her brows furrowed and face contorted in vexation and pleasure as Ohta railed her from behind. She also knew their time was limited, but Ohta's passion left her feeling like her brain was going to melt, expelling her Soul from her body...
Pulling out of Rukia's tight snatch, Ohta turned her around, picking her up and slipping his cock inside her as she clung to him like a koala, trembling violently. He had told her they were fucking until the sun came up, so that was precisely what they did...
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"Haaaa....haaaaa...haaaaaaaa..."
Lying against Ohta with a completely blank expression, his hand, as usual, holding her ass, Rukia found it difficult to focus her gaze or form coherent thoughts. She felt like she was going to 'break' numerous times during the passionate intercourse, so the fact she hadn't scared her a little...
Alleviating Rukia's muddleheadedness in an instant, Ohta whispered, "I love you..." in a faint but deep tone that caused the diminutive Shinigami to tremble from her core. He often remarked that he loved specific parts of her, but this was the first time Ohta had affirmed his love directly.
Tearing up, Rukia buried her face into Ohta's chest, meekly whimpering, "You idiot..." in a sobbing tone. She was still hoping that Ohta wouldn't follow her into the Soul Society, but if her execution was announced, she knew he would find a way to reach her...
Cradling the crying Shinigami in his arms, Ohta found the idea of whisking Rukia away to safety increasingly difficult to suppress. Over the past few weeks, he had even started to suspect they were soul mates. However, as the person who most frequently appeared in his mind when it roamed was Yoruichi, it was difficult to be certain...
After deliberating for five minutes, Ohta attempted to lighten the mood by asking, "Want to go another round...?"
Hearing Ohta's question, Rukia slowly raised her face from Ohta's chest, revealing tear-stained cheeks, a lonesome expression, and watery eyes. She wanted to chastise him for making light of the situation, but after a moment of silence, she gave a slight nod, replying, "I want to feel closer to you..."
"There's no one else even half as close..." assured Ohta, adopting a faint smile as he teased, "But I'm certain we can become even closer if we put in the effort..." Then, even though they had already been going at it from around 8:18 PM to 5:49 AM, they made slow and gentle love until hunger compelled them to get up and eat...
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"Good, you're both here," said Yoruichi, phasing through the front door of Ohta's apartment in her cat form. Rukia covered her body with a sheet as she did so, but Ohta immediately got up, grabbed his boxers, and started to get dressed, asking, "Is it time...?" with a solemn look.
Nodding her head, Yoruichi directed her gaze at Rukia, revealing, "The Soul Society dispatched your brother, Kuchiki Byakuya, and his recently appointed Lieutenant, Abarai Renji. It won't be long before they discover this location."
Hearing that her brother, of all people, had come to retrieve her, Rukia's body started to tremble. She knew Ohta was powerful, but if he were to cross paths with Byakuya, he might not even be able to react before he received a fatal blow. Inversely, if Ohta turned out to be a match for her brother, seriously injuring or killing him, the Soul Society and the Kuchiki Clan would hunt him to the ends of the Earth...
Noticing Rukia on the verge of a panic attack, Ohta's expression softened as he said, "Relax...I promised I wouldn't intervene unless they attempted to harm you, remember? If their only objective is to arrest you, I'll stay out of it..."
As Ohta was 'usually' pretty good about keeping his word, Rukia exhaled a sigh of relief. She liked, even loved, Ohta, but she also felt an irremediable debt of gratitude toward Byakuya and the Kuchiki Clan. Renji was also a 'colleague' from her days as an impoverished youth stealing to survive in the Rukon District. They hadn't talked for more than forty years, but Rukia didn't want him to die at the hands of Ohta. As for the opposite occurring, she couldn't really imagine Renji harming Ohta in the slightest...
"Once you're ready, we'll set out and wait for them at a local shrine," said Yoruichi. "It's best if the Soul Society doesn't know the exact location of Ohta's apartment."
Directing her gaze to Ohta, Yoruichi narrowed her eyes and added, "As for you...I suggest you wait here. They definitely won't attempt to kill her, but there's a chance they will rough her up a bit. If you leap out to try and put a stop to things, everything comes crashing down..."
"..."
Glaring at Yoruichi with a fierce expression, Ohta was about to ask if she had gone senile in her old age when Rukia placed her hand on his arm, her expression soft and loving as she whispered, "I'll be fine..." in a faint, soothing tone. Soul Society wouldn't have dispatched her brother and someone she knew from her childhood if they intended to kill her. Rather, as Byakuya was the one coming to pick her up, Rukia believed the odds of her being placed under house arrest weren't zero...
("This shit better work out...") thought Ohta, responding to Rukia's words with a chaste but lingering kiss before whispering, "Then I'll see you on the other side..."
Though she returned a loving smile, Rukia caused Ohta's smile to cramp as she replied, "Just remember what I told you before..."
Understanding that Rukia was referring to 'permitting' him to see and sleep with other women if she was placed on house arrest, Ohta's smile faded as he asserted, "If you can wait, so can I..."
Standing on the tips of her toes, Rukia gave Ohta a quick peck on the lips before musing, "Then I'll see you around, dog boy..."
"Take care of yourself, spider-bunny..." replied Ohta, releasing his hold on Rukia and allowing her to depart alongside Yoruichi. Her departure made his small apartment seem much larger, like a barren and lifeless void, but Ohta did his best not to let his feelings show, stripping out of his clothes to take a long, scaldingly hot shower...
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Arriving a few hours after her departure with Rukia, Yoruichi found Ohta at his desk, his expression completely lifeless as he sketched the image of a familiar Shinigami in his sketchbook.
Exhaling a faint sigh, Yoruichi furrowed her feline brows and remarked, "You look like shit..."
"And your breath smells like rotten tuna..." retorted Ohta, adding a bit of detail to the sketch's eyes. One of the mistakes he had made in his past life was failing to keep a record of what little happiness he had been able to find. Thus, while the memory was fresh in his mind, he was attempting to preserve the image of Rukia's potentially final smile...
Realizing that Ohta didn't want to be disturbed, Yoruichi made her way over to his bed, leaping onto it before curling up near where he usually placed his head. The entire bed smelled of sex, but the scent of Ohta's pheromones served to both calm and excite her...
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"So, what did you come here for?" asked Ohta, interrupting Yoruichi's catnap.
Stretching her body like an actual cat, Yoruichi replied, "I figured you'd be relieved to learn that Rukia returned to Soul Society without sustaining so much as a single injury."
Though he was genuinely relieved, causing him to fall silent for several seconds, Ohta eventually questioned, "Is that all? I'm certain Ichigo got dragged into things somehow..."
"You're right," replied Yoruichi. "Since Rukia didn't attend school today, your favorite strawberry intended to come looking for her. Along the way, he happened to encounter Rukia being 'accosted' by two Shinigami, so he reacted exactly how you might imagine."
"He got his ass kicked...?" asked Ohta.
"Indeed," replied Yoruichi, adopting a catty smile as she added, "Not only that, but his Hakusui(Soul Sleep) was destroyed, and his Saketsu(Binding Chain) was severely completely. In other words, he no longer possesses the power of a Shinigami."
"..."
Before Ohta could ask what the point of having Ichigo lose his powers was, Yoruichi teased, "You should be pleased. I can't imagine you were particularly enthused, knowing a boy your age was running around with your girlfriend's spirit essence empowering his body..."
Though he had never thought about it before, Ohta did not attempt to refute Yoruichi's words. Instead, he asked, "So, what now? Kisuke makes Ichigo his pawn by offering him power and goading him into launching an attack on Soul Society...?"
"Something like that," replied Yoruichi. "However, Ichigo isn't the only one who will be participating in Rukia's recovery. During yesterday's incident, several of your former classmates awakened unique spiritual powers. One of the reasons I came over was to ask if you'd like to help me train them?"
Furrowing his brows, Ohta remarked, "If you tell me that Tatsuki's going to be there, I'm going to punt you..."
Exhaling a scoffing chuckle, Yoruichi flatly retorted, "You can try," before promptly evading Ohta's foot, landing atop his left shoulder as she added, "But no, Arisawa Tatsuki is not among those who awakened powers. She did receive a considerable boost to her spirit energy, but her 'rationale' is too grounded in reality. The duo who awakened abilities, becoming High-Spec Humans, are Inoue Orihime and Sado Yasutora."
"Hard pass," replied Ohta, not wanting anything to do with training the bubbly ginger. His limited interactions with Chad made the inordinately tall and taciturn Japanese-Mexican seem like a bro, but they had never been friends.
Shrugging her feline shoulders, Yoruichi remarked, "I thought you would say that." before leaping off his shoulder. "Anyways, I'm going to be out for a few days. You should use the time between now and our departure to center yourself. You have more than enough power to go toe-to-toe with most Lieutenants, and if you got serious, even Captains would have difficulty defeating you. If you can learn your Zanpakuto's name, you'll be a force to be reckoned with..."
Staring at the weapon resting on Ohta's desk, resembling a fairly modern bayonet, Yoruichi prompted the former to do the same.
"Right..." replied Ohta, his brows creasing to their limits. Alongside the cat he accompanied whenever he slept, an abyssal black shadow resembling a jackal had appeared in his soul space. The terrain outside the Japanese palace had also become a wasteland, bearing traces of ancient and modern battles. Unfortunately, no matter how he tried to coax the jackal into speaking to him, it immediately ran away...
Before turning to leave, Yoruichi narrowed her eyes and said, "If you need me, call Rukia's phone. She entrusted it to me before leaving, requesting that I look after you in her stead..."
"Just leave..." growled Ohta, not in the mood to deal with Yoruichi's antics. Fortunately, she did exactly that, disappearing through his front door and leaving him to his thoughts...
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(A/N: Poor Ohta (U ^ U)...)

[July 18th, 2001]
"These kinds of undergarments don't really suit me..." said Rukia, staring at her reflection with furrowed brows. Since her arrival in the world of the living, she typically wore simple panties and a plain sports bra. When the two of them went shopping, however, Ohta had her purchase some more 'adult' underwear. Now, her ears burned as she stared at her body garbed in a black lace thong, matching bra, stockings, and a garter belt.
"If my opinion matters, it suits you just fine," said Ohta, observing Rukia try on various outfits while lying sideways on his bed.
"So you say..." muttered Rukia, turning to face Ohta as she added, "But you always say that..."
"Yeah, and?" asked Ohta. "Do you doubt my words? Or are you just fishing for compliments before we fuck?"
Furrowing her brows slightly, Rukia remarked, "You know I don't like you using language like that. Once we...once we return to Soul Society, you'll need to exhibit at least a basic sense of decorum."
"I can do that for you," replied Ohta, adopting a teasing smile as he said, "At least in public. When we're alone like this, I like talking dirty. You know you love it."
Adopting a faint smile, Rukia admitted, "I don't hate it..." before returning her attention to the standing mirror she was using to check her reflection. Such 'tasteless' garments would never be permitted back in Soul Society, but so long as she was in the world of the living, she didn't mind dressing to impress a certain someone...
*beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep* *beep*
Ruining the pleasantly tense atmosphere that had been building, the alarms of both Ohta's and Rukia's phones started going crazy. Generally speaking, they only beeped three times to inform of the appearance of a new Hollow. This time, however, they were beeping non-stop.
"Well, that can't be good..." remarked Ohta, using telekinesis to draw his phone to him since he didn't feel like getting up. When he activated the phone's radar function, however, he immediately rose to his feet, startling Rukia and compelling her to ask, "What's going on?" with a serious look on her face.
"Hollows are appearing across the city," explained Ohta, quickly donning a t-shirt, a pair of pants, and a jacket comprised of spirit particles. Putting on a Shihakusho was a pain in the ass, not to mention it wasn't the least inconspicuous, so before their little tiff, he convinced Youruichi to set him up with more modern threads.
Following Ohta's example, Rukia also started to get dressed. She would have preferred to change into some more 'practical' underwear, but since it was an emergency, she had to work with what she had on.
Though he was prompted to ask Rukia what she thought she was doing, Ohta resisted the urge. As adorable as she was at times, Rukia was also a very prideful woman. She had also been a Shinigami for decades, so if he instructed her to stay put, she would undoubtedly get upset.
"You ready...?" asked Ohta, waiting until Rukia had finished changing into a beige camisole top, blue jean short-shorts that conformed to her small yet perky butt, and a stylish, red, letterman-like jacket.
Nodding in affirmation, prompting Ohta to place his hand on her head and vest her with some of his power, Rukia asked, "Are we going to split up, or should we stay together?"
"It would be more efficient to split up, but I'll leave the decision to you," replied Ohta. "Either way, we need to hurry. Several of the signals have vanished, but the total number of Hollows has only increased since the start of whatever this is."
"Then let's split up," said Rukia. "Even without your power, I can make use of several Kido spells. With it, even a large group of Hollows won't be able to lay a finger on me."
"I don't doubt that," replied Ohta, adopting a cheeky smile as he added, "But, first things first. Bring me that ass..."
Though she furrowed her brows and stared at Ohta with upturned eyes, Rukia obediently nestled into his embrace, allowing him to lift her by her butt so they could kiss. It would have been more responsible of them to head out immediately, but an intense, parting kiss was good for the body, mind, and spirit...
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Before splitting up, Ohta and Rukia turned their gaze to the sky, noticing a distinct 'distortion' within the clouds.
"Well, that's ominous..." remarked Ohta, turning to Rukia as he said, "I'll take that area. You start from the perimeter and work your way closer. If you figure out what's causing this, call me."
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Rukia remarked, "You know, once we get to the Soul Society, you'll be the one following my orders..."
"Do I not already?" asked Ohta. However, instead of waiting for Rukia's response, he said, "Stay safe." before flying off at supersonic speeds. It was faster to travel using Shunpo, but by flying, he could locate and take care of any Hollows he encountered along the way to his destination.
Seeing Ohta fly off, Rukia stared listlessly in the direction of his departure before shaking her head, giving herself a few light smacks, and muttering, "Stay focused, Rukia...!". She was the one to suggest splitting up, so if she suddenly gave chase, concerned for Ohta's safety, she risked looking like an overly concerned fool...
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"Man, this just isn't my week..." groaned Karin, forcing a smile despite her eyes watering from the pain in her ribs. A few meters away, standing 4.5m tall and possessing a body looking like the pear-shaped sarcophagus of an ancient pharaoh, was a Hollow. It wasn't very mobile, but when it opened the front of its body, it had rows of sharp teeth and tendrils resembling an iron maiden.
With her friends all unconscious from the monster's sudden attack, Karin was doing her best to draw it away from them. Unfortunately, though she managed to dodge most of the Hollow's attacks, she took a grazing blow on her right side, leaving a gash deep enough to expose two of her ribs...
Issuing a low, soul-chilling growl, the Hollow opened the front of its body and shot out more than a dozen spear-like tendrils. Karin closed her eyes in preparation for the blow, but it never came. Instead, she heard a loud 'thump,' followed by a gust of wind and a powerful vibration through her feet.
"You still alive, bokukko(tomboy)...?" asked a somewhat familiar voice, compelling Karin to open her eyes, finding Ohta staring at her with raised brows, standing atop the slowly dissolving corpse of the Hollow. He had dropped down on it like a meteor from above, literally crushing it into the shape of a crater using his psychic energy.
"You're that boy that tried to convince my dad not to call the cops when you showed up with a bullet wound..." muttered Karin. "Yamada Ohta..."
"Hey, I didn't make that guy shoot me any more than you asked this guy try and fillet you," said Ohta. "Speaking of which, how's your wound? I'm not exactly friends with your brother, but he'd probably nag me to death if I let his baby sister die."
"I don't know..." admitted Karin, forcing a smile despite feeling as though she was about to pass out at any moment.
"Then, don't mind me..." muttered Ohta, raising his hand toward Karin and pulling her closer to him using his psychic power. A wave of panic rushed over her as he did, but that didn't stop Ohta from lifting her shit halfway to reveal a rather nasty gash.
"You're probably gonna have a scar," remarked Ohta, extending his hand over Karin's wound without touching it directly. A faint, bluish-green glow appeared from his palm as he did, quickly transitioning to bright gold as he used a mid-tier Kaidō to close up the wound within seconds. He tried to leave her without a scar, but Kaidō was made to treat spiritual entities, not living people.
"That should do it," said Ohta, subsequently lowering Karin to her feet as she had been hovering before him. He planned to leave immediately after, but Karin stopped him, calling out, "H-Hey, hold up...!" while quickly fixing her shirt. She had on a sports bra underneath, matching her spats, but while Ohta didn't see it, Karin looked somewhat aggrieved as she stared at him with a frown.
"What's up...?" asked Ohta. "There are a ton of other monsters like this, so I don't have time to sit here and chat."
"Just explain to me what's going on," said Karin. "Does this have anything to do with Ichi-nii? I've seen him, you know, running around in the strange black getup..."
"He's your brother, and you live under the same roof," replied Ohta. "If you want answers, ask him. If he refuses, he's an idiot, but he probably thinks keeping you in the dark will protect you."
Frowning deeply, Karin asserted, "I'd rather be able to protect myself..."
Adopting a smile, Ohta teased, "That's what makes tomboys one of the best kinds of girls. But, without the power to back up your bravado, pluck isn't much different from asking to be bullied."
"Then tell me how to get stronger...!" exclaimed Karin, earning a curious raise of the brows from Ohta.
"Shouldn't you be more worried about those brats lying on the ground?" asked Ohta, reminding Karin that she wasn't the only one who had been attacked. The others had simply fainted due to the Hollow's Reiatsu, but they were still lying on the ground in the middle of an empty lot on a hot day.
Countering Ohta's argument, Karin forced a smile and said, "I'm a little kid, right? Shouldn't you be the one doing something to help them...?"
"I never called you a little kid," affirmed Ohta. "At the very least, you took a pretty serious blow attack like a champ. Most girls your age would have passed out or started calling for their parents."
"..."
Realizing that Ohta had never specifically drawn attention to her age, a faintly embarrassed blush colored Karin's cheeks. Fortunately, as she had lost a decent amount of blood, it was nearly invisible.
"But, seriously," said Ohta. "I don't have time to stand around talking like this. Here, I'll lend you some of my power to make moving those brats a little easier for you. Get them into the shade, call an ambulance, and then get your ass home."
Placing his hand on Karin's head, Ohta explained, "My power functions on thought. It's not omnipotent, but if you concentrate, it will respond to your needs. Good luck, bokukko..."
Retracting his hand from Karin's head, Ohta intended to take to the sky, but he was momentarily delayed by the black-haired Kurosaki exclaiming, "My name is Karin...!" with a firm expression and tone.
"Congratulations," quipped Ohta, taking off before Karin could delay him further...
Seeing Ohta take off, Karin muttered, "That jerk..." with a look that would have stunned her predominately male friends. She usually had a perpetual scowl and was known for being short-tempered, so they would have been slack-jawed to see her staring listlessly at the sky as she muttered, "He's kind of cool, though..."
...
..
.
Slaying every Hollow he came across, Ohta eventually found himself under the exacerbating tear in the sky. More importantly, he found a familiar boy with angular glasses, black hair that framed his face, and an expression that seemed to show contempt for everyone and everything as he knocked and unleashed arrows of light that tracked Hollows like homing missiles.
"I figured this was your doing," remarked Ohta, crashing near Uryu with a notably peeved expression. After all, with an incident this major, it would be a matter of days, if not hours, before a hunter squad from Soul Society showed up. In other words, Uryu was the reason he would be blue-balled for the next month or so...
While continuing to target and eliminate Hollows, Uryu's perpetual frown deepened as he responded, "Yamada Ohta...I was wondering when you would show up..."
...
..
.

Chapter 30: Escalating Tensions