Not a Mob: Psycho

In the wake of his triumph over Renji, Ohta noticed a distinct decrease in the number of Shinigami actively searching for him. Those that remained were all Seated members, denoting their status as one of the twenty most powerful or 'influential' Shinigami in their Squad.
"This is boring..." muttered Ohta, sitting atop the roof of a predominately white, Japanese-style house as he stared up at the Senzaikyū(Palace of Penitence) imprisoning Rukia.
Though he still had some expectations for the Captains, the Shinigami of Soul Society were considerably weaker than Ohta expected. His training with Yoruichi had shaped his notion of what 'power' was, so he felt like a fully-trained adult being pitted against kindergarteners...
Feeling an electrical sensation across his body, Ohta tensed, his eyes widening as he felt something 'prick' his psychic barrier, accompanied by a metallic ringing sound.
Rising to his feet, Ohta used Shunpo to create some distance between himself and whatever attacked him, inverting the direction he was facing to find a lithe and petite woman with grey eyes and short black hair tied into two, much longer braids that extended to her ass cheeks, wrapped in white cloth and ending in golden rings. More significantly, over the usual uniform of a Shinigami, she wore a sleeveless white haori with an orange interior, fastened at her waist by a bright yellow cloth.
"You've gotta be fucking kidding me..." groaned Ohta, recognizing his would-be assassin as none other than Yoruichi's 'kitten,' the Captain of Squad 2, Soifon.
Staring between her wakizashi-style Zanpakuto and Ohta, Soifon coldly asserted, "You have a barrier protecting your body..."
While Soifon was 'distracting' Ohta, a much larger man, exceeding 2m, appeared behind him in the traditional Shihakusho but with an oversized purple collar and several pieces of ornate jewelry adorning his body. He was faster than his size would suggest, but Ohta was much, much faster,
appearing behind the stout, balding man as he said, "Nice try, Bunta(Pig)." before kicking him with meteoric force toward the ground.
At the exact moment Ohta sent the man flying, Soifon materialized like a phantom next to him, her wakizashi leaving behind a visible arc of light as she attempted to slice off his right hand.
As she had empowered her blow with concentrated spirit energy, Soifon's eyes widened when the light enveloping her Zanpakuto 'shattered' as she struck Ohta's wrist. More disturbingly, she felt pain in her hand, like all the force from her blow had rebounded back into her.
"Look, can we not do this?" asked Ohta, shaking his right hand to try and alleviate the pins and needles he was experiencing. Soifon's blow lacked the force needed to overwhelm his empowered psychic barrier, but he felt a strong vibration spread through his arm when her blade made contact, a sensation similar to what one might experience when hitting a metal plate with a sledgehammer.
Furrowing her brows, Soifon abruptly pulled off her Captain's haori, letting it be carried away by the wind as she said, "You face Su&igrave;-Fēng, Captain of the Second Squad and Commander of the Onmitsukidō. Surrender now or suffer the consequences of your indiscretion."
Instead of responding to Soifon, Ohta eyed her new outfit with a mixture of intrigue and confusion. It was similar to the standard Shihakusho, but there were no sleeves or back, and the outer thighs were left completely exposed. She also wore black sleeves resembling arm warmers, running from the middle of her bicep and extending to her hand, but the most notable feature of her outfit was the visible black strings of her panties, visible due to her exposed outer thighs.
With the intention of annoying the serious-looking woman and satisfying his curiosity, Ohta asked, "Are you wearing a thong...?" with raised brows.
Raising her Zanpakuto at an angle before her perennially pissed-off face, Soifon shouted, "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi...!"
Responding to its Master's command, Soifon's Zanpakuto transformed from a fairly ordinary-looking wakizashi to a form-fitting gauntlet with an appearance reminiscent of a killer bee. Reinforcing this sentiment, a long, golden, stinger-like needle covered her middle finger, a fearsome weapon known to kill with two precise strikes.
"Hey, I'm not the one who made you put them on, much less take off your clothes..." remarked Ohta, drastically fortifying the barrier around his body until the tri-colored, kaleidoscopic aura enveloping him became visible to the naked eye, causing his spiky hair to begin fluttering.
Narrowing her eyes, Soifon moved nearly as fast as Yoruichi, momentarily vanishing from Ohta's perception before appearing a few meters behind him. In the very brief interval between, he felt an impact against his right shoulder. Fortunately, while the blow caused him to stagger a bit, Soifon's blow failed to penetrate his barrier.
Frowning deeply, Soifon's voice, clearly crafted to sound like Yoruichi's, carried an especially vitriolic hiss as she stated, "You're starting to annoy me..."
"Says the woman whose Zanpakuto is themed off a buzzing insect..." countered Ohta, mind racing to consider how best to deal with Soifon's speed. It had only been a few hours since the 'raid' began, so he didn't want to reveal all his cards. Yoruichi had also requested that he not be 'too rough' with her former kitten, albeit while also suggesting he try to awaken Soifon's 'femininity.'
Fortunately for Ohta, Soifon was too proud to resort to her Bankai against a foe she believed 'beneath' her. She also hated the form her Bankai took, so she would only utilize it willfully if the situation became dire.
Intent on finding a weakness in Ohta's defenses, Soifon executed a nearly flawless Shunpo. This time, however, Ohta also used Shunpo, effectively trading places with her as she turned to stare at him with a hint of shock in her piercing grey eyes.
Though he initially believed she was simply shocked by his speed, it was Ohta's turn to be surprised when Soifon confidently asserted, "That's La&ndash;that traitor Yoruichi's technique..."
Recovering nigh-instantaneously, Ohta adopted a smile and replied, "She says hi, by the way."
"..."
Holding up her right hand, displaying the stinger-like tip of her Zanpakuto, Soifon abruptly revealed, "My Zanpakuto, Suzumebachi, has the ability to extinguish any target it has struck in the same place twice. Your defense is admittedly impressive, but it's only a matter of time before I discover a vulnerability and pierce them. Surrender and tell me everything you know of Shihouin Yoruichi, and I swear upon my honor as Captain of the Second Squad, you will not be harmed..."
("Wow, this woman is down bad...") thought Ohta, externally responding, "I can't surrender, but I don't mind chatting for a bit. Your former Mistress asked me not to hurt you, so if we could go our separate ways once we're done, that'd be great."
Instead of responding to Ohta's proposal, Soifon looked to where he had sent her Lieutenant crashing earlier. Seeing that he was half-embedded in the ground, Soifon returned her fierce gaze to Ohta, frowning as she said, "We should change locations..." in a faint tone.
"Lead the way, t-back," replied Ohta, causing Soifon's brow to twitch in a manner remarkably similar to Yoruichi. Even the way she styled her hair was similar to her former Mistress, bangs framing her face and two tufts flaring outward like furry ears. It was almost pitiable...
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After recovering her Captain's haori and reverting her Zanpakuto to its base state, Soifon led Ohta to an abandoned building a few kilometers away from their battle site, taking it upon herself to explain, "This is a safe house the Onmitsukidō use to recuperate and conduct surveillance in the western district. The walls are soundproofed, and there are fragments of Sekkiseki infused within, so our Reiyroku won't leak outside..."
"Then consider yourself lucky I'm not an enemy," remarked Ohta, earning a disgusted frown for his trouble. Immediately afterward, however, Soifon approached him, making no effort to disguise the fact she was sniffing his body.
"I knew it..." growled Soifon, barring her teeth as she accused, "You have La&ndash;Shihouin Yoruichi's scent on you..."
Since it had been at least a century since Soifon served under Yoruichi, Ohta couldn't help raising his brows as he asked, "You can recognize her scent after all this time...?"
As there was no way she could reveal she had several of Yoruichi's used and discarded clothes sealed away to preserve their scent, Soifon didn't answer Ohta's query, reacting by narrowing her eyes and asking, "What is your relationship with Shihouin Yoruichi...?"
Recognizing the challenging glimmer in Soifon's eyes, Ohta decided to tell the truth, admitting, "She was my first woman and the person who turned me into a Shinigami..."
Looking like she had sustained a serious injury, Soifon clutched her chest and uttered a pained "K-Kuh...". She could smell the scent of sex on Ohta's body, but having her suspicions confirmed gave her cold chills and made her want to slam her forehead against the nearest wall...
Leaving Ohta completely speechless, Soifon approached the nearby wall, put her hands on it, and promptly banged her forehead against it several times, causing tiny particulates of dust and stone to fall from the ceiling. When she was done, she turned around, blood trickling from her forehead and parting at the bridge of her nose.
"What makes you special?" questioned Soifon, her eyes making it clear she expected a serious answer.
Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta revealed, "I was born with an outrageous amount of mental energy and can grasp most techniques after witnessing them just a few times. I'm also only fifteen, but according to your former Mistress, I should be able to defend myself against most acting Captains at least. That's why I'm here, alone, and she's babysitting the others who came with us."
"Yoruichi-sama is here..." muttered Soifon, temporarily losing focus and nearly collapsing due to a sudden influx of emotions and her self-inflicted head trauma. She honestly would have preferred that, an offended glower marring her face when Ohta prevented her collapse by grabbing her right arm and supporting her with his other hand on her waist.
Pushing against Ohta, Soifon intended to force him away but propelled herself backward. His immovability annoyed her even more, but she did her best to suppress her fury, asking, "Does that mean you are a consort of the Shihouin Clan...?"
Without waiting for Ohta's response, Soifon's expression became outright murderous as she affirmed, "No...if that were true, you wouldn't be here to rescue that Kuchiki woman..."
"A century has passed since you last met your Mistress," countered Ohta. "The idea to rescue Rukia was hers, predating our relationship. But you're not wrong. I'm 'not' a consort of the Shihouin Clan. How could I be when your Mistress is currently in exile...?"
Interpreting Ohta's words to indicate he 'would' become a consort, Soifon exhaled a sigh of relief. She still felt an almost overwhelming urge to stab him over, and over, and over again, but while she outwardly expressed her 'hatred' for Yoruichi, she was still a faithful servant of the Shihouin Clan...
Recalling something Yoruichi had told him when they were discussing Soifon, Ohta said, "Oh, yeah. Other than referring to her as your former Mistress, Yoruichi also asked me to say this..."
With Soifon staring at him with slightly raised brows, Ohta regained his cheeky smile and added, "She told me to tell you I hate Urahara with a passion and that if you were being particularly difficult, I should refer to you as Little Fēng."
For the second time since the start of their conversation, Soifon looked like she had taken critical damage. Ohta had anticipated this to an extent. What he didn't expect was for Soifon to growl, "You bastard..." with tears building in the corners of her eyes. More surprisingly, she began to pull at the fabric around her waist, seemingly intending to strip...
("That fucking cat...")
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(A/N: Ohta tried to sidestep but stepped directly on the landmine xD...)

"I think I'm missing some context here..." said Ohta, watching as Soifon shed her hakama-style pants to reveal she was, in fact, wearing a black thong. Not just any old thong, though, but one with tiny pieces of fabric resembling a cat's ears.
Furrowing her brows to their limit, Soifon stared at Ohta with suspicion as she begrudgingly divulged, "Yoruichi-sama said I am to present myself to the man who speaks my true name in confidence..."
"Yeah, that's not happening," affirmed Ohta. "As enticing as the prospect of railing a Captain is, I'm currently trying to save my woman, not pick up stray kittens."
Though she wasn't particularly enthused by the prospect of presenting herself to a man, much less one she had just recently met, Soifon's gaze exuded severity as she said, "I swore an oath..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta asserted, "That's between you and your former Mistress. Talk to her and get permission from Rukia, and I might consider it. Though, fair warning, the odds of me going along with it are pretty slim."
"..."
Staring up at Ohta with a mixture of fury, conflict, and moderate relief, Soifon remained silent for several seconds before asking, "What do you need me to do? No, more importantly, where can I find Yoruichi-sama?"
"I already told you," noted Ohta, clarifying, "She's currently looking after the others who invaded the Seireitei with me. You going to her would just cause problems, so be a good little kitten and wait until the day of Rukia's execution. When we interfere to rescue her, you can sneak off somewhere to chat, caress each other's kitties, or do whatever else the two of you get up to in private."
Though Ohta's manner of speaking was 'abhorrent,' Soifon's ears became red at the mention of 'caressing kitties' with her former Mistress. She had never heard the phrase before but immediately understood what it meant based on the circumstances.
"Then there's one last thing I need from you before I permit you to injure me..." said Soifon, earning a slight frown from Ohta as she petitioned, "I want you to pat my head or hold me while I drink in my former Mistress's scent..."
"Man, you're hopeless..." remarked Ohta. However, while Soifon's words didn't exactly enthuse him, he spread his arms and added, "Consider this a favor..."
While the notion of being indebted to Ohta vexed her considerably, Soifon didn't hesitate for too long before burying her face into his chest, sniffing him like a bloodhound rather than the kitten she was often compared. Her body tensed when he subsequently wrapped his arms around her, but she resisted the urge to extricate herself from his embrace by picturing him as her beloved Yoruichi-sama...
"You're getting a little low there..." remarked Ohta, referring to the fact that Soifon was gradually working down his body, likely searching for the location Yoruichi's scent was most concentrated. And since he didn't stop her, it wasn't long before she found it...
"Yoruichi-sama..." moaned Soifon, burying her nose into Ohta's crotch as if it weren't the object she most despised. Unfortunately, the moment she tried fingering herself, Ohta ended the creepy interaction before it could get further out of hand...
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After leaving Soifon's unconscious, moderately injured body embedded in a wall crater, at her behest, Ohta decided to lie low and wait for the news that he had defeated a Captain to circulate. He honestly felt cheated, but the alternative was exposing himself to one of the most lethal Zanpakuto in Soul Society's history.
Fortunately, as Ohta and Soifon had created a rather large disturbance when he 'defeated' her, it wasn't long before she was discovered by an investigative member of her very Squad. Shortly after that, a brand new alarm began to sound throughout the Seireitei, announcing the shift from a Red Alert state to Black, a sound code typically reserved for full-scale invasions...
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"Here you are..." said Yoruichi, appearing before Ohta in her cat form as he rested beneath the city streets of the Seireitei.
Opening his eyes, Ohta wore a deadpan expression as he stated, "Little Fēng sends her regards..."
Unable to hide her smile, Yoruichi displayed it proudly as she asked, "How far did the two of you go? I can't imagine you had sex but did you at least get her to strip...?"
"You're kind of fucked in the head, aren't you?" contended Ohta. "That girl is clearly a man-hater. Putting her in that kind of situation..."
Shaking his head, Ohta preempted Yoruichi's response, stating, "No, just forget it. I won't waste my time lecturing someone who's lived hundreds of years..."
"That's probably for the best," said Yoruichi. "The Soul Society's culture and 'logic' differs considerably from the human world. For a young man with modern sensibilities, our society must seem very 'backward' to you. However, there is a reason for that..."
"Let's hear it..." replied Ohta, believing Yoruichi was talking out of her ass but willing to hear what she had to say.
"Stagnation is a key element to maintaining the cycle of souls," attested Yoruichi. "If the Soul Society were progressive and made a conscientious effort to improve the conditions of those living within it, the afterlife would become even more crowded than it already is..."
Moving over and making herself comfortable in Ohta's lap, Yoruichi curled up in his lap as she added, "Unlike the human world, where there are six-billion people spread out across the globe, the Soul Society houses more than seventeen billion, split between East and West. Inversely, less than a million native souls dwell within the Seireitei. As for the Gotei 13, the main policing force for the entire Soul Society, there are only 3000-4000 active members and 2000 reserve members..."
"In other words, you're short-staffed..." muttered Ohta.
"That is a gross understatement..." replied Yoruichi, shrugging as she added, "But it's the truth. We simply lack the personnel and resources to improve conditions qualitatively, and even if we could, it would invariably disrupt the balance between the three worlds. The afterlife isn't meant to be a place you can tarry, accumulate wealth, and live as you please for an eternity. Its purpose is to offer a brief respite from the troubles you faced in life before allowing you to transition to the next..."
"So, you keep things 'boring' to ensure people don't get too comfortable?" asked Ohta.
"That's a bit of an oversimplification, but yes," replied Yoruichi, closing her eyes as she revealed, "The Shihouin Clan plays a vital role in that respect. We are known as the 'Guardians of the Heavenly-Vested Armaments' and the 'Defenders of the Realm.' We have safeguarded heavenly artifacts that could alter the very structure of reality. As a result...well, let's just say that my family is very 'conservative.' Humans might see value in progress, but we have watched countless civilizations rise and fall in the quest for ever-greater wealth and prosperity..."
Rolling onto her back so Ohta could have access to her belly, Yourichi parted her eyes just enough to reveal a faint golden glimmer as she softly appended, "You're free to live however you please, Yamada Ohta...but do not try to conform the Soul Society to your ideals. We have preserved the balance between the three realms for 1,008,496 years. Create a society that can endure more than ten thousand, and you might have a platform to stand on..."
As he couldn't imagine modern society enduring an additional hundred, Ohta found himself unable to respond to Yoruichi's words. In his previous life, the Third World War had devastated the planet, leaving much of the East and West Coasts of the United States in ruin, sinking most of Europe, turning all of Russia into an uninhabitable tundra, and effectively 'erasing' China as a country in less than three years. At the time of his death, more than seventeen years after the war had ended, most countries still hadn't restored power to their grids. Those that had power collapsed under the strain of a never-ending tide of refugees, some even being taken over by various religious or cult leaders inciting the masses to violence...
Noticing the sudden change in Ohta's 'aura,' Yoruichi raised her feline brows and questioned, "Did my words upset you? If so, that wasn't my intention. I was merely stating facts..."
Shaking his head, Ohta replied, "Just forget about it...so long as the Soul Society doesn't go out of its way to meddle in my affairs, I don't care how it's structured..."
"Yes, I am aware of that..." mused Yoruichi. "I just noticed you had been acting particularly 'vengeful' as of late. Like you're looking for any reason to destroy something. If it comes to that, feel free to destroy me in place of Soul Society. As the former and future leader of the Shihouin Clan, it's my duty to preserve the balance..."
To emphasize how she wanted Ohta to 'destroy' her, Yoruichi reverted to her human form, staring up at him with narrowed eyes as she lay atop his lap. She knew this would push his buttons, but with how often he pushed hers, Yoruichi considered this as getting even, a sentiment she knew Ohta was well-acquainted...
"You don't know when to give up, do you...?" asked Ohta, his expression morphing into a deadpan.
"It's more like I 'refuse' to give up..." countered Yoruichi. "You're the first man who has actively pushed away and tried to 'tame' me. I can't let that go without getting in a few parting shots..."
"But you 'will' move on, right...?" asked Ohta. He couldn't imagine a woman like Yoruichi settling down with a single partner unless they succeeded in 'taming' her. Native souls, assuming they weren't killed or suffered a soul-borne illness, had an average lifespan exceeding 3000 years. Members of the Five-turned-Four Great Clans could survive much, much longer due to their distinctive Reiryoku. Thus, even though Yourichi was well over two hundred years old, she still had a lot of life ahead of her. Literal millennia.
"Eventually..." admitted Yoruichi. "But, considering I made my trainwreck of a relationship with Kisuke work for sixty years, don't expect to get rid of me any time soon. You could kill me, of course, but then you'd have to live with the guilt of murdering a woman who was fascinated, if not slowly falling in love with you..."
"Don't say that..." said Ohta, frowning deeply. Unfortunately, as the words had already left Yoruichi's mouth, they were fated to fester in his mind like maggots in an overripe fruit. For women as beautiful as Yoruichi, the word love was a cheat-like weapon. Even if they were insincere, the notion that it might be true would forever haunt the people they said it to...
Closing her eyes, Yoruichi snuggled up to Ohta as she whispered, "Since you've absorbed the traits of my family, you will also live a very long time, Ohta. Even if I have to wait a hundred, a thousand, or even ten-thousand years, you 'will' be mine...eventually..."
"..."
Sneaking a peek at Ohta out of the corner of her eye, Yoruichi's teasing smile now seemed to exude a certain degree of 'sincerity' alongside the usual expectation. Seeing it caused Ohta to frown and clench his jaw, but his mind failed to stitch together more than three words. He hadn't even factored in the possibility of living more than a few decades, so now that Yoruichi had implanted it in his mind, his thoughts invariably strayed in a direction that heavily favored her. He might be able to remain faithful to Rukia for ten, twenty, maybe even a few hundred years, but he couldn't imagine any relationship enduring thousands. And now that Yoruichi had instilled in him the notion she would be waiting to 'collect' him, it would forever linger in the back of his mind...
"You're a fucking demon..." asserted Ohta.
Exhaling a scoffing chuckle, Yoruichi adopted a toothy, naturally alluring grin as she rebutted, "You know you love the attention..." before promptly turning into a cat to avoid Ohta's telegraphed but genuine attempt to stab her in the face...
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(A/N: More like a Succubus...)

With Ohta making no effort to conceal himself, the number of assailing Shinigami, primarily from Squads 6, 7, and 8, steadily increased as they tried to surround him. Unfortunately, while Ohta had some interest in the Captain of Squad 6, Rukia's brother, Kuchiki Byakuya, his current location was probably the 'worst' place he could have ended up.
Based on the information provided by Yoruichi, the Captains of Squads 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 13 were the least likely to have any direct connection with Aizen's schemes. Furthermore, the Captain of Squad 8, Kyōraku no Jirō Sakuranosuke Shunsui, was in the category of people Yoruichi urged him 'not' to fuck with. The man was the person most likely to succeed the current Captain-Commander, denoting him as especially powerful among the Gotei 13. More importantly, he was one of the three Captains virtually guaranteed to take their side when it came time to rescue Rukia.
If Ohta were to kill any members of the Gotei, specifically Captains, the 'safest' options were Ichimaru Gin of Squad 3, Tosen Kaname of Squad 6, Kenpachi Zaraki of Squad 11, and Kurotsuchi Mayuri of Squad 12. Only the first two were considered candidates to be Aizen's collaborators, but the latter two were dangerous elements that might imperil his life even if they managed to succeed in Rukia's rescue. Zaraki was described as a monster who perpetually thirsted for battle, and Mayuri was a crazed scientist who reveled in dissection and human/spirit experimentation.&nbsp;
Curiously enough, at least according to Yoruichi, Ohta could be made the next Kenpachi if he killed the current one. Said title could only be passed from one person to another in combat to the death, so whoever killed the acting Kenpachi became the next. This made Zaraki a 'safe' option, but, as the acting Kenpachi, it also meant he was the 'strongest' Captain in terms of pure fighting prowess. Yoruichi also told him it would upset the Captain of Squad 4 if he actually slew the man, so he should only do so if left with no other choice.
"Let's just hope I don't run into Yoruichi's 'kitten' as my first opponent..." muttered Ohta, referring to the Captain of Squad 2, Su&igrave;-Fēng, aka Soifon. She was said to be the weakest of the current Captains, but her stealth capabilities and speed shouldn't be underestimated. Her Zanpakuto could also kill any target it struck in the same place twice, so even if she lacked raw power and Reiryoku, Soifon was among the most deadly of the Gotei. She was also, according to the cat herself, batshit crazy and more than a little obsessive over the exiled Shihouin heiress...
As Ohta was wondering who his first 'true' opponent would be, a figure plunged from the sky, landing a few tens of meters away from him along the corridor-like path he was walking. Ohta had been doing his best to maintain a relaxed, ostensibly apathetic expression, but he couldn't help smiling the moment he saw the figure.
Standing approximately 188cm tall, possessing distinctive crimson hair done up in a spiky ponytail and tattoos covering much of his face and body, the person who arrived before Ohta was none other than one of Rukia's captors, the recently-appointed Lieutenant of Squad 6, Abarai Renji.
Rising to his full height, Renji stared at Ohta with his sanpaku-like eyes, an intense look on his face as he asked, "Are you Yamada Ohta, the rumored 'lover' of the criminal, Kuchiki Rukia...?"
"Depending on 'your' answers, I'm the guy that's about to give you PTSD," replied Ohta. "Now, tell me, did you come here to stop me from reclaiming what's mine?"
Frowning even more so than he already was, Renji drew his sword and practically growled, "Rukia does not belong to you..."
"That was her decision to make, and she already made it," said Ohta, also drawing his Zanpakuto. Depending on the Spirit Class of his opponent, his 'base' psychic powers had limited effectiveness. One of the requirements for promotion to Lieutenant was a Reiryoku grade of Class 6 or higher, so he would need to touch Renji to effectuate his telekinesis against him.
"That's a lie, and you know it!" roared Renji, scowling as he accused, "You took advantage of her vulnerability and tricked her with your human wiles. Now, you've come here to give her false hope! Can you imagine how much it will torment her to learn of your death or imprisonment...!?"
"Guess I'll just have to survive," replied Ohta, smiling as he vanished from Renji's view.
Opening his eyes to their limits, Renji internally exclaimed ("He's fast...!") while leaping backward.
"Boo..." muttered Ohta, appearing behind the stunned Lieutenant as he slipped the tip of his Zanpakuto between Renji's ribs, just under his liver. At the same time, he placed his hand on Renji's left shoulder, placing a psychic imprint on him before vanishing as the crimson-haired Shinigami spun to try and bifurcate him at the waist.
"Shit..." grunted Renji, feeling his strength beginning to leave his body. Such wounds weren't especially effective against individuals with high Reiryoku density, but he would need to continuously channel his spirit energy to the area to prevent it from bleeding excessively.
Observing Renji from a distance, Ohta remained silent for several seconds before remarking, "You're weaker than I expected. Even without releasing your Zanpakuto, you should be stronger than this."
Understanding the reason for Renji's apparent weakness, Ohta narrowed his eyes and questioned, "Are you looking down on me?"
"Not anymore..." replied Renji, holding his Zanpakuto in front of him with his right hand, tracing his left across the flat of his blade as he shouted, "How, Zabimaru...!"
In response to Renji's shout, his Zanpakuto transitioned from a typical katana with a rectangular tsuba and a crimson handle to a six-segmented blade, each section getting wider from the hilt. Each segment had a pick-like protrusion at the front and back, giving it the appearance of a saw or the toothy maw of a beast.
"Neat," remarked Ohta, finding the design of Renji's Zanpakut impractical but fairly cool-looking. At the very least, it was a perfect fit for his rugged, tattooed, borderline-delinquent appearance.
"Take this!" shouted Renji, swinging his Zanpakuto despite a considerable between him and Ohta. As he did so, the six-segmented blade split apart, held together by a tendon-like material that allowed it to stretch and slice through the wall lining the street, sweeping at Ohta more than seventeen meters away.
Though he could have easily evaded the attack, Ohta intercepted the tip section of Renji's with his own, holding his Zanpakuto in a relaxed reverse grip as he stopped the fang-like blade in its tracks.
Seeing Ohta stand completely still, causing the remaining section of his Zanpakuto to tense and buckle as they tried to push him back, Renji asked, "What the hell is this? Even if you're somehow stronger than me, the momentum of my attack should have pushed you back..."
"It might have," responded Ohta, adopting a teasing smile as he added, "If I had allowed it to."
Deflecting the tip of Renji's Zanpakuto downward, Ohta backstepped to create a bit of distance between himself and his opponent. There was no need for this, but caution was better than overconfidence. He didn't know Renji's full capabilities, so he decided to play it safe, even though he was fairly certain he had already won.
Clenching his teeth and frowning, Renji tried to retract his Zanpakuto but ended up pulling himself forward abruptly as the end Ohta had embedded into the ground remained fixed like an anchor.
"What the hell...!?" exclaimed Renji, fixing his posture at the last moment to avoid being catapulted over the end of his now-immovable Zanpakuto. That wasn't an exaggeration either, as the moment the segments came together, Ohta promptly fixed them in place, turning the jagged-toothed blade into an edgier version of the fabled Excalibur. And, unfortunately for Renji, he wasn't worthy enough to draw it.
Exerting himself to the point his face turned purple, Renji tried and failed to extract his Zanpakuto while Ohta observed him with a faint smile from a few meters away. As Renji's blade impacted his own, Ohta channeled a shit ton of psychic energy into the fanged tip. When the other segments came into contact with it, the psychic energy spread through them like a virus, effectively granting him control over the crimson-haired Shinigami's prized weapon as he simply lacked the strength to counteract it.
"You about finished...?" asked Ohta, having stood idly by for nearly a full minute.
Raising his withering gaze to meet Ohta's, beads of sweat condensed beneath the visor covering Renji's brow, cascading down his nose and the sides of his face due to his strenuous exertions.
"What did you do?" asked Renji, shifting his gaze to the Ohta's Zanpakuto as he inquired, "Is this the ability of that little toy? What a cheap ability..."
"Not everyone needs to compensate for their inadequacies with size, flair, and facial tattoos," retorted Ohta, sheathing his Zanpakuto into the hilt at his hip as he asked, "Now, are you going to surrender obediently, or do I need to beat some sense into you...?"
Realizing that Ohta was suing for a scrap, Renji ceased trying to extract his Zanpakuto from the ground, veins bulging at his temples as he replied, "Bring it on, Ryoku(Traveling Evil)..."
Getting into a boxing pose, Ohta made a come-hither gesture with his left hand, smiling viciously as he said, "Come, let's see if you're even worthy of my time..."
Launching himself toward Ohta with a loud "Raaaaaaaaaaaaaagh...!" Renji intended to beat the former to within an inch of his life. Unfortunately for him, he abruptly froze halfway through his leap, his body trembling as he struggled to even breathe.
"I'm waiting..." said Ohta, his smile gradually easing into a deadpan at the realization Renji might genuinely be unable to free himself. Yoruichi could have broken free within milliseconds. Comparing Renji to her wasn't fair to either of them, but Ohta expected someone at the level of a Lieutenant to have more...gumption.
Easing out of his combat posture, Ohta asked, "Seriously, man? You really 'are' compensating with that appearance of yours..."
Unable to speak, all Renji could do was glare at Ohta as he slowly started to black out. Shinigami, strictly speaking, didn't need to breathe, but they could still be asphyxiated if the blood flowing to their brain was throttled or cut off.
After several tense moments, Ohta surprised Renji by firmly stating, "I'm going to save Rukia." before spontaneously releasing the crimson-haired man from his psychic hold. Then, while Renji gasped for air after plopping to the ground, Ohta added, "Rukia told me you were a colleague from the Rukon District. Out of consideration for her, I will spare you this one time. The next time our paths cross, expect no mercy..."
Punctuating his words, Ohta punted Renji's face, caving in the crimson-haired Shinigami's nose and sending him flipping backward through the air for several tens of meters. He wanted to send a message to the Gotei that a singular Lieutenant was no match for him, but more than that, he simply didn't like the 'indignant fury' in Renji's expression when he looked at him...
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Shortly after Ohta's defeat of Renji, word quickly spread through the Gotei 13. Most lower-ranking Shinigami were horrified to learn that a Ryoka had fought and defeated a Lieutenant. Other Lieutenants, Captains, and those who knew Renji personally, however, didn't take the news too seriously. It was no great secret that Renji had feelings for Rukia, so they assumed he either held back or let his sentimentality cloud his judgment.
Among those who believed Renji hadn't been bested in terms of pure skill with an inordinately handsome, almost beautiful man with slate-grey eyes and long black hair kept in place by an intricate headpiece, forming three thick strands of pointy bangs over his face. If Ohta saw him, he would be unnerved by how similar the man, Kuchiki Byakuya, was to his girlfriend, as despite being unrelated, the man looked like an older, male version of Rukia.
Upon hearing the news of Renji's defeat, Byakuya muttered, "So, this is the path you have chosen, Renji..." in his deep, characteristically apathetic monotone. He was the 'most' aware of Renji's feelings for Rukia, but while both Shinigami had risen from the Rukon District, Byakuya didn't consider the redhead worthy of his adopted sister. As for Ohta...the usually taciturn Byakuya had 'many' things he wanted to say to the formerly human youth before invariably killing him...
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(A/N: If Ohta had wanted, he could have totally been like, "Stop hitting yourself..." Renji's fortunate that, deep down, Ohta is a very 'considerate' person xD...)

Chapter 44: Minefield