[10th/11th] Week 287: Purpose From Within

[Wayne]

3,510
Purpose From Within
Bish | Wayne​

There it was.

In front of the Fourth Seat stood the imposing gates of the Eleventh Division. This particular division, in all its incarnations, was reputed to be the antithesis to all things arcane or ethereal. This was the home ground of many of the most fearsome combatants known to the Gotei.

It was also the home of Alexia, the woman who had given him quite a bit of grief in recent days. The afrogami scoffed to no one in particular, reflecting on their last encounter.

Mr. I Have a Decent Rank, indeed.

Naturally, she was also the reason he was here at this most unexpected of places. Recently, she took one of his officers, Adele, to Earth without even bothering to check in with the proper authorities. He knew that the woman had been spending more and more time at the Tenth, but this was too far.

Before he allowed his emotions to weigh in, Satoru’s more logical mind began to ask questions. Why was she so eager to escape? What, or who, was here that would cause her to develop herself somewhere other than her official home?

These were questions that he couldn’t really ask her. As an Inquisitive, it was his job to find the answers. With this goal in mind, he made his way to the main offices of the Duelists. Encountering a woman behind the front desk, he spoke with a pleasant and official tone.

“Good afternoon! I am Fourth Seat Toride Satoru of the Tenth. You may have heard complaints about me from a green-haired friend of ours. Is there any way I could speak with either her or the Captain?”

“I’m sorry, green what?” Inoue asked, at a loss to the situation. She immediately corrected herself, however, when she finally realized what the officer meant. “Oh. Oh! Yes, of course. Forgive me. Unfortunately Fourth Seat Toride, I’m not aware of the current whereabouts of Nineteenth Seat Felone. If you want though, the captain is available right now. It’s probably a lot easier to address your issue directly to him.”

Figures that she’s out. She’s likely to be... well, frankly, I don’t know what she does all day.

The secretary stood up from her desk, pacing quickly to the giant wooden doors leading up to the captain’s quarters. She knocked twice, opening the entrance just enough so that she could peek inside. A few inaudible words were exchanged between the woman and her superior before Inoue finally pulled back out and returned her attention to the Mystic. Gesturing a hand inside, she proceeded, “You’re in luck. Please, come in.”

The Mystic entered the office almost warily, reminding himself that this wasn’t the Fifth Division. There were no traps here unless you rubbed someone the wrong way. And there in front of him sat the biggest potential trap of all. Reijuu Kyuketsu, one of the most proficient swordsmen in the history of the Gotei.

The Fourth Seat took a chair in front of the man’s desk and found himself oddly unafraid. It wasn’t as if he was staring this man down at sword point, so what had he to fear? Nevertheless, Satoru looked directly at the man and spoke calmly.

“So you are the man responsible for our mutual friend, Ms. Felone. I am Toride Satoru, an officer of the Tenth. It’s nice to meet you.”

The captain’s natural antiphon came instinctively passive, as if the sharpness of his presence emanated starkly to whomever his eyes fell upon. Though despite the unmitigated ubiquity behind his form, there was little to no intensity that carried his movements. Sitting straight against his chair, he locked sights with the Mystic, giving no initial or automatic response. Kyuketsu made quick work to read Satoru’s own presence, deducing and invading every minutiae of detail which defined the officer.

“I’m responsible for a lot of things, I’m afraid. Although I can’t exactly vouch for one of my officers,” the Duelist captain replied after a brief silence, nodding once at his visitor. “As for the formalities, Reijuu Kyuketsu, Captain of Squad Eleven.”

He leaned back his skull against his chair’s headrest, eyes still secured nonetheless on the Mystic. “So... come to tattletale, are we? Please, do carry on. What about my nineteenth seat...?”

The Mystic suddenly had the realization that his apprentice, Adele, and Alexia were of the same rank. If things kept progressing as they were, Adele would soon be allowed to give Alexia orders. This revelation drew a quick chuckle from him, sending his bass tone rolling across the table.

“Forgive me,” he asked of the head Duelist. “Just now beginning to understand a joke. Anywho, I thought you would have received the alert by now. You are her superior, after all. Despite my irritation with her irresponsibility, however, I’m not here to serve as an informant.”

“I came here to ask you something,” Satoru stated. After taking a deep breath, he continued.

“I came to ask you not to send Alexia to court.”

The captain gave out a halfhearted chuckle, the meaning behind such action indistinguishable in nature. It was vague whether it stemmed from derisiveness, dismissal, or just flat out amusement.

“Just because I’m her superior doesn’t mean I know every single one of her actions...” He tilted his head slightly sideways, emphasizing his point. “...Outside of missions, at least. However, I’ve read through the reports already and as far as I’m aware, Felone hasn’t done anything too noteworthy in any recent missions.”

A certain document was mailed to his office a few days prior, noting of a certain stunt pulled by one of his officers. While nothing of immediate and dire concern, Kyuketsu was nevertheless interested in what Satoru had to say. He seemed thoroughly troubled by the situation, so much so that he would gasp for breath just to testify for the girl’s well-being.

“But you seem to speak otherwise. Enlighten me then as to exactly why Felone would be tried and sent to court. She’s been there before for more grievous offenses, so... what could it be this time?”

“Nothing terribly dangerous, but it was a disregard of protocol,” Satoru sighed. “She took my officer to the Living World without proper authorization. They left without notifying an officer of appropriate rank for a shopping trip. Not necessarily noteworthy, but it could result in punishment if neither of their higher-ups clear them.”

At this, Satoru clasped his hands together and looked Kyuketsu in the eye with the storm of his troubled gaze. He thought about the mental state that Adele was in and tried to imagine what would happen if one of her comrades were to face legal action. In such a delicate state, she could completely snap.

“Frankly, I am not concerned with Alexia’s foolishness. She’s a big girl and can handle herself. I am concerned with the effect her trial might have on my subordinate. She had to listen to the dying screams of her first kill, which sorely damaged her state of mind. If she had to hear about one of her friends going to jail, I am frankly not sure how she would react.

“Selfish, maybe,” he acknowledged, “but I would rather not see my Nineteenth Seat broken like this, let alone the one I’ve been made doubly responsible for.”

Even the densest individual could notice the unhinged apathy that decorated the captain’s countenance. He cared to ‘some’ degree, but viewed the matter as a more trivial, mundane problem than anything else. Of course, as a the squad’s head, it warranted some of his attention, although the incident was a far cry compared to Alexia’s initial scrape on the grounds of killing spiritually-unaware humans. The girl was no stranger to the scrutinous chastising of the Seireitei’s governing body, but the same couldn’t be said of Satoru’s subordinate.

“It‘s really more exaggerated than it is selfish.” Kyuketsu scoffed, cracking half a smirk. “I highly doubt there will be any trial. The Forty-Six can be brutal, but like any other tired old system, they don’t want to waste their time on petty little issues. Now, if your subordinate and mine went and slaughtered a bunch of civilians for shits and giggles, then it’s a different story.”

He motioned forward a waving hand, lightheartedly reassuring the Mystic. “You can file an appeal saying that you gave prior authorization for your nineteenth seat to leave so long as she was on her day off. Either that or you can just not do anything and get her sent off to the Seventh. Who knows, it could be a great way to toughen her up a bit.”

“Thank you for the advice, sir,” he said with a smile, now beginning to lighten up. “Though, I think we can toughen her up without feeding her to the criminals.”

Though he had heard rumor and tale of this man’s deadly prowess, the Mystic found himself at ease. This man was not a vengeful or overly aggressive one, which gave him a bit more confidence in the leadership of the Gotei. It was always good to have a Captain who could switch between the mindsets civilization and chaos as needed.

It made him wonder why Alexia spent so much time away from her division especially if she had a position of authority here. The Duelists’ Captain seemed nice enough, so why did she roam as she did?

“I don’t intend to waste much more of your time, but I do have a question.”

Satoru expression turned serious again, but not quite as intense as it was just a moment ago. He scratched his chin as the question began to form on his lips.

“Why did you promote Alexia? I see her floating around Seireitei quite frequently and rarely have I known her to be here. What is it that you saw in her?”

“Right now, nothing really.” Kyuketsu’s response was cold and unhesitant. “She lets her emotions get the better of her, she channels her pride in all the wrong places, and she tackles things without ever considering whether her actions are smart or downright brainless.”

He allowed the words to sink in for a moment, fully aware of his less-than-thrilling deduction of Alexia. Professionally, he was obliged to commit to all the ideal traits of a leader, guiding and commanding those under him with zeal. However, beneath his masks and underneath his facades, Kyuketsu was far detached from the nuisances brought on by those before him. It was an interesting take to see how far he could play his role, keeping together a false sense of paternal concern despite the internal untruths which constantly batter at his being.

“She is, however, headstrong and resolute,” he continued, the tone of his voice never changing by the slightest. “Her adamant nature is her strongest weapon, and should she remain as she is, it’ll also kill her one day. Whatever it is she’s fighting for, I couldn’t care less so long as her loyalty remains intact for this squad.”

Crossing his legs, Kyuketsu veered his attention away from his subordinate and locked himself more towards Satoru himself. “On a separate note, why not beguile me, Fourth Seat Toride, and answer this: what do you fight for?”

Satoru took the apparent apathy with a grain of salt. His assessment of Alexia proved that the man was familiar with the Nineteenth Seat’s nature, despite the distant inflection in his tone. His further questioning of the Mystic also spoke volumes, telling the Inquisitive that he cared a bit more than he let on.

This paradox intrigued him quite a bit, and it reflected in the flash of energy that flared within the storm that was his gaze.

“Personally, the act of fighting holds no zeal for me.”

The Fourth Seat shrugged indifferently before continuing.

“It is not the sensation of knocking someone’s lights out that fills me with any sense of joy. No, the enjoyment I get from a fight is the same feeling I get after a victory in a game of shogi or go. For me, combat is a test of wits with our own bodies as the pieces we use. The skills of a fighter and how they use those skills tell me what kind of ‘player’ they are. In short, I fight to test my wits and learn about my opponents.

“And what of you, Kyuketsu?” inquired Satoru without hesitation. He leaned forward a little bit, vaguely aware of the moment but not really finding it in him to care.

“What brought you to lead the Duelists? What intent guides your sword?”

“Ah yes, there it is again. Pragmatism.” Kyuketsu snorted. “Spoken like a true Mystic.”

The captain settled his hands over his chair’s thick, wooden arms, eyes directly poised on Satoru. His gaze alone carried a raptorial, volatile presence, intruding and barging callously into what could be defined as the nineteenth seat’s psyche. For a brief, ever-fleeting moment, there was a certain look that washed over the Duelist Captain’s amber stare. Whether or not the young Mystic was able to notice it come and go was irrelevant. That guise, that ‘aspect’ which Kyuketsu bore was unsurprising to those who knew him well. It was dark, malicious hunger, synthesized by a wanton fury that drove only the most efficient and voracious of killers.

“Oh, if you wish to know what makes me tick, you’re going have to first toss aside that mask of yours,” he replied ambiguously. “Are you telling me then, that should a loved one of yours ever be put in harm’s way, you would simply call your inevitable struggle a ‘test of wits’? That your sword is driven solely by a farcical, aimless curiosity? What would Maikeru or Pierce say, I wonder?”

“A loved one...” Satoru muttered under his breath.

For a brief moment, the Mystic’s eyes darkened as he went over his list of people that he gave a shit about beyond his responsibilities as a seated officer. He then cross-referenced it with a list of people that he could feasibly be able to protect if something could trouble them in combat.

It was a short list.

Adelaide could defend herself rather adequately, as could Maikeru. Alexia was Alexia. The only other people that came to his mind were Adele and Bethany. Bethany was busy in the Ninth doing whatever it is she did all day and Adele... at the rate she was growing, they might very well be sparring as equals soon.

“I am not an emotional person. For me, emotion has no place in strategy or in battle unless it is supporting the powers of logic and reason. You see, there is a simple question that must be asked concerning combat.”

He returned the Duelist’s gaze, finding himself still more intrigued. With a tone that denoted his growing interest in the man’s psyche, Satoru rhetorically posed, “If you can’t outwit your opponent, then can you honestly hope to hold your own in combat? In fact, all combat is simply a clash of two ideologies, strengths, and weaknesses. If you can’t play those to your advantage, then you lose to your opponent.”

With that being said, he concluded his proposition by saying, “Of course I would describe combat as a test of wits. Why? Because that is what it is.”

An unemotional Mystic? That in itself was a rarity, and the man was indeed beginning to pique Kyuketsu’s curiosity. Satoru’s words were delivered with a decent semblance of verity, if not contradictory and fallible to the captain’s eyes.

“But you seem to be forgetting one thing, Toride.” The swordmaster lifted a single digit. “Like with everything else in life, there is no one way to tackle the very notion of conflict, of combat. Yes, obviously wit and stratagem play some part in a duel... if you’re a fighter. A good majority of the Gotei Thirteen are fighters, brawlers whose primary obstacles are Hollows. Mindless, senseless beasts. It might as well be comparable to a huntsman stalking a deer.

There is, however, another variation that is completely, inexorably different from a fighter. Those people are just straight up killers. Murderers. Executioners. To them, the separation of Hollows, humans, and souls have long been blurred. Their ‘ideology,’ as you put it, is something that treads well beyond the realm of reason. It tramples on tactics and sanity, ignoring whatever pointers or drills the Academy could’ve ever thought of teaching. Sure enough, you seem capable enough to handle a fighter... but could you take on a killer? Could you best someone or something that shrugs off logic, to the point that they have no sense of self-preservation whatsoever?”

Kyuketsu lowered the tilt of his head, briefly glancing at the fourth seat’s weapon.

For the first time during the whole encounter, Satoru began to feel uncomfortable. Unfortunately for Kyuketsu’s ego, it was not due to the intimacy with which he spoke of killers. The Duelist’s glance towards Diapasão reminded him of the troubled relationship that he now shared with his sword. The last time he had spoken with the sword spirit, it had ended with him being blasted by his own attack and the spirit flying away as retribution.

Shrugging that off, he refocused his attention on the man in front of him. The question he posed was one that he had not quite considered. Nevertheless, it did not take him long to find the answer.

“Captain, the why someone enters combat has no bearing on the effectiveness of their tactics. If their tactics are as tunnel-minded as ‘Kill, murder, destroy!’ then it makes the conflict easier.”

Satoru smiled, recalling the Hollow that he and Alexia had both fought together. Its reckless charge was thwarting by the Mystic simply removing the ground from underneath him.

“The simpler a mindset, the easier it can be understood and thus countered.”

“Are you speaking out of textbooks... or experience?” Kyuketsu replied automatically, his repartee unhinged by the Mystic’s argument. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re entitled to whatever philosophy you choose to follow. That’s what defines the Gotei, after all. It would behoove you, however, to formulate an outlook based on what you’ve already experienced, on what you’ve faced, and on what you’ve conquered. Not from some manual or a day strolling out in the field.”

Trailing his sights away from Satoru, the Duelist captain motioned to Tenzansatsu propped over by his table’s side. “How many enemies have you engaged in your lifetime? A hundred, a thousand? Once you’ve passed well beyond the threshold of numbers, you’ll come to realize that not everything is rudimentary, and that not everything is ‘simple.’ You can go ahead all you want and rationalize life itself... but really, how far do you think that’s gonna get you?

Our enemies both past and present aren’t bound by the same rules you learn from a simple fight with an everyday Hollow. Only recall what happened in Mt. Fuji all those weeks ago, and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“In combat, I primarily serve in a support role. As a Mystic and a strategist, it has been my job to figure out how other combatants work and use that knowledge to bring about their demise,” he explained. “I suppose that has had something to do with my outlook. However, you are the expert in one-on-one combat. Your opinion does hold quite a bit of weight in this area.”

Satoru let out a quick sigh before a grin overtook his face.

“Thank you, Kyuketsu-taichou. I haven’t been forced to think like this in a long while!”

He recalled the delicate situation between himself and his soul slayer with a flash of insight lighting up his gaze. If the sword wouldn’t talk to him, then he had to confront the spirit himself and stop blaming his situation. The Fourth Seat smiled again before addressing Kyuketsu once more.

“Perhaps it is time I balance rationalization with action. I believe I should take my leave!”

“Fair enough,” said the captain, giving off a shrug. “But don’t take my word for it. All the explaining in the world, even from me, won’t do any good unless you see it for yourself.”

Kyuketsu leaned back against his seat, watching as the Mystic gave a departing bow before eventually heading off completely. Attempting to recall Satoru’s initial reason for stopping by, it seemed that his purpose for doing so branched off to an entirely separate topic. With all their talk of ideologies and mindsets, the captain completely forgot what it was that the young Tenth came for. As far as Kyuketsu knew, it was something about Alexia, but that by itself wasn’t quite enough to aid his memory. Whatever the case, it was likely something unimportant and worth little concern.

Pulling himself up, the captain got up to his feet, advancing ever so casually for the open window by the far end of his room. Eyes slightly blinded by the outside sun’s bright glare, he took notice of the continuing life cycling amidst his division’s grounds.