CHAPTER TWELVE
THE NAMELESS ONE
He was furious. His prey had escaped, leaving his need to kill and absorb her life force unfulfilled. He'd been hunting for hours, but he hadn't found a new target.

He paused when he spotted the girl in the park. She was admiring some flowers when she suddenly tensed, sensing his presence. She looked around in confusion as if she knew something wasn't quite right, but seeing nothing, she shrugged and went back to studying the flowers.

He was about to grab her when a boy approached her. "Get out of here, Goddess," he said.

Goddess? The Nameless One thought. The girl is certainly special, but she is no deity.

"Hi, Jinta!" She greeted the boy with a warm smile.

"It's not safe here, Goddess. I feel something dangerous in the air. Come on... I'll walk you home," Jinta insisted.

"I don't understand. What's going on, Jinta?"

"Jinta... Yuzu... It's close," another girl said as she arrived. She was soft-spoken and timid, but the Nameless One sensed great power within her. "We have to go."

"Hello, Ururu... You know, you guys are kind of scaring me," Yuzu said nervously.

"It's okay, Goddess," Jinta said quickly. "We'll protect you."

The Nameless One could not resist his hunger. He approached the children. Yuzu's eyes widened in surprise as he showed himself. She immediately began struggling to breathe. Jinta moved protectively in front of her and Ururu. Even he seemed to be having difficulty breathing.

"His spiritual pressure is crushing us!" Jinta shouted in alarm. He lifted up a bat, but he dropped to his knees before he could use it.

"Jinta!" Ururu cried. She stared at the Nameless One with unexpected courage in her eyes and said, "You are a bad man!"

"I am no mere man, Child," he replied. He moved to grab her.

Ururu stunned him as she hit him extremely hard. He stumbled backward, his body aching where her fist had connected to it. He stared at her in disbelief.

Infuriated, the Nameless One flung Ururu into a tree with massive force. The tree snapped in half at the impact.

"Ururu!" Jinta screamed. He crawled toward Yuzu, determined to keep her safe despite his clear concern for Ururu.

The Nameless One grabbed Jinta and smashed his head against the ground. Jinta clutched his head in pain, still conscious but unable to keep moving.

Yuzu looked at him with terror in her eyes. He smiled. "You will make an interesting pet while you live," he decided. He scooped her up in his arms and vanished into the shadows as Jinta screamed incoherently after them.

Once they were in the house, his spiritual pressure lessened a bit. Yuzu was able to breathe. He tied her down, but she didn't try to fight him.

"Who are you?" She asked softly.

"I am the Nameless One," he replied.

"You don't have a name? Everyone does," she replied in confusion.

"My name can never be spoken. Names have power, and I grant that power to no one."

"What about your parents? What do they call you?"

"I do not have a family, foolish child. I am a deity!"

Her eyes widened a bit in surprise. "A deity? Wow! But what should I call you?"

"Nothing. You are my pet. You sit here and behave while I feed on your life force and power, and you do not complain."

"You must get lonely without a family. I miss my mom every day, but at least I still have my dad, my sister, and my brother."

"You talk a lot."

"I figured you might like a friend."

He shook his head. "You are an odd, naive child."

"Why don't you tell me about yourself?"

He shrugged. What was the harm? Maybe if she knew who she was dealing with she'd shut up.

"I was once part of a very powerful being known as the Soul King. We were worshipped and revered, but then the Nobles decided they knew best and they were going to lock us up to keep the three worlds separate. I refused to allow it. The rest of my soul was willingly imprisoned, but I split myself off before that happened and escaped into the shadows. No one knew I existed... Not even the rest of my soul. For a long time, I walked the world of the living alone, feeding on the life force of special humans to sustain myself. Then, I met Syouma Kuchiki."

Yuzu watched him intently, eating up every word as if it were a bedtime story. The Nameless One realized he kind of liked the attention, so he continued.

"He was stripped of his name by his Noble family. They erased all record of him. He was full of rage and wanted revenge against the Nobles as much as I did. And so, we hatched a plan... We formed the New Power and he began recruiting others to our cause."

"It's good you found each other. At least you aren't alone anymore."

"We will destroy the Nobles and the Royal Family. In the end, only I shall rule, with Syouma and the New Power serving as my greatest and most loyal allies."

"What will you do when you take over?"

"Reunite the worlds and enjoy the chaos that follows."

"Mr. Nameless, what will happen if you do that?"

"The worlds may destroy themselves, but that's of no concern to me."

"But if the worlds are destroyed, what will you rule over?" She seemed genuinely curious. The innocent girl was actually trying to get to know him, and that baffled him.

He paused instead of trying to answer her annoyingly valid question.

Sensing his hesitation, she asked, "Are you hungry? I could cook something for us."

He was stunned by the sudden change of subject. "I do not often eat traditional food. I sustain myself on life force."

"If you get the ingredients, I can make sashimi," she offered.

"You would really cook for me? I kidnapped you."

"Because you're lonely."

"No. Because I am hungry."

"See? Feeding you is the answer!" She smiled at him brightly. This child was pure light.

No wonder Jinta calls her a Goddess, the Nameless One thought. She is no ordinary girl.

"What ingredients do you require?" He found himself asking.

Yuzu eagerly began ticking off ingredients as the Nameless One tried to keep up with her.

KISUKE
He knew something was wrong. He could feel it in his gut. Kisuke headed to the park and immediately knew what he'd sensed.

He knelt beside Ururu. She was severely injured, her little body broken in several spots, but as she groaned, he knew she would survive.

"Mr. Kisuke..." She whimpered weakly.

"It's alright now, Ururu," Kisuke said soothingly. "What happened?"

"Jinta's hurt..." She motioned toward Jinta with her chin because she couldn't move anything else. Jinta's head was bleeding as he clutched it in his hands.

"Stay right here, Ururu," Kisuke said firmly, not that she could move anywhere else considering her spine had partially snapped. "I'm going to check on Jinta, and then I'll get you both out of here."

"He took her!" Jinta said as soon as Kisuke reached him.

"Slow down, Jinta," Kisuke said. "What happened?"

"My Goddess... He took her! His spiritual pressure was too strong... I couldn't stop him. I couldn't save her."

Kisuke's eyes widened slightly. He knew Jinta had a powerful crush on Yuzu Kurosaki. He'd nicknamed her Goddess because of it.

"Who took Yuzu, Jinta?" Kisuke asked urgently.

"Don't know... Too powerful... Not a normal guy... Head hurts..."

"Let's get you and Ururu to Tessai. I'm sure he can help you."

"No... Gotta save her..."

"It's alright, Jinta. I'll tell Ichigo. We'll get her back."

Jinta collapsed into Kisuke's arms. "You were holding on so you could make sure someone rescued her," he realized. "Brave kid. Rest now, Jinta." He carried him to Ururu.

"Is he okay?" She asked with tears in her eyes.

"He will be. Just stay with me, Ururu," Kisuke asked. He hesitated before dialing a number.

"Kisuke? What's wrong?" Yoruichi asked.

"Ururu and Jinta are badly injured," he replied. "I can't move them both safely. I'm not even sure if we should move Ururu, but she needs Tessai.  Can you meet me in the park?"

"I'm on my way." She hung up.

It didn't take long for her to arrive. Yoruichi looked at the kids and shook her head. "What monster did this?"

"I'm not sure yet, but judging from the spirit pressure, it's someone extremely powerful."

Yoruichi carefully picked Ururu up. Ururu whimpered in pain and bit back tears. "It's okay now, Ururu," Yoruichi said. "Tessai will fix you right up."

Kisuke carried Jinta back to his shop while Yoruichi followed with Ururu. Tessai immediately set to work on healing them, not saying a word. His horror at their condition was clear in his eyes.

"They'll be alright, Kisuke," Yoruichi said soothingly.

"Whoever attacked them took Yuzu," Kisuke replied. "I'm pretty sure it's the same entity that had Tatsuki."

"We need to call Ichigo."

"He's going to snap."

"This is his little sister, Kisuke. We have to tell him."

"I know. That doesn't mean I have to like it." He sighed. This was not going to be a fun conversation.

SHUHEI
With the news of a potentially unbeatable threat being involved with the New Power, Jushiro had ordered that no one actively seek them out. Shuhei was furious because that meant there would be no rescue mission for Sakura until further notice.

He went to the world of the living in the hopes that he might find a hollow to take his frustration out on. What he found instead was far more alarming.

Three young souls were huddled together in terror. The children probably hadn't been dead for long. They stared at Shuhei with eyes pleading for help.

He looked around for a threat and found it quickly. A woman who radiated with the power of a hollow stood a few feet away. She did not have a hole where her soul chain should be, but Shuhei was stunned as she pulled something from that spot... A bow made of Reishi.

"You're a Quincy," he said softly.

"I was a Quincy," she corrected him. "Now, I am so much more." She aimed her bow at the children.

Shuhei immediately attacked her. She fought back with the intensity of both a hollow and a Quincy. Her skill was undeniable, but Shuhei was no easy opponent either. He fought back ferociously.

"Run!" He told the children. He'd find them later and perform a Konso, but for now, it was safer for them if they fled.

As the woman attempted to attack him again, Shuhei cried, "Reap, Kazeshini!" His Zanpakuto released into its Shikai form. He expertly swung both blades through the air by the chain which connected them. He might not love his Shikai's form, but he definitely knew how to use it.

The woman was injured, but she kept fighting. Still, Shuhei had the upper hand now. He continued to fight against her, determined to protect the children.

"Excellent work, Nariko," someone said as he approached. "You stumbled across exactly the person I was seeking."

"And who the hell are you?" Shuhei demanded. He turned his weapon on the man, but he dodged the attack and countered it with one of his own.

Shuhei was stunned by how much the attack hurt, but he continued to fight. No matter what, he knew he couldn't give up.

"Who is he, Sir?" Nariko asked.

"His name is Shuhei Hisagi. He is the Lieutenant of Squad Nine," the man replied.

"A Lieutenant? May I play with him?"

The tone in which she asked that was terrifying, but Shuhei refused to panic. "I don't think so!" He snapped before attacking her again. As he did this, the man took a cheap shot, hitting Shuhei with what was definitely some sort of Bankai.

Shuhei was knocked onto his knees. Determined, he continued to try to fight, but he was rapidly losing blood now. He wouldn't last long.

"This one's not for you, Nariko," the man said. "I have something special in mind for him." He unleashed another attack. This one hit Shuhei so hard that everything instantly went black.

TATSUKI
She woke up from a pretty amazing dream where she and Stevie were snuggling on the beach together. It felt like paradise. She opened her eyes and found Orihime curled up in her arms. That wasn't so bad either. Tatsuki would do anything for Orihime, and sometimes, all her best friend needed was for someone to hold her so she didn't feel lonely.

"Are you okay, Orihime?" Tatsuki asked softly.

"Tatsuki! You're awake!" Orihime cried in apparent relief.

"What's got you so freaked out?" Tatsuki asked in concern.

"Oh! Um... Nothing!" Orihime replied with a nervous giggle. "Just a bad dream!"

"Well, it's over now, so don't let it bother you." Tatsuki realized it was almost noon. "Whoa... I never sleep this late!"

"I guess you were pretty tired," Orihime said quickly. "Why don't we get some lunch?"

Tatsuki nodded. "Just let me shower and change." She hurried to the bathroom, completely baffled as to how she'd managed to stay in bed for so long.

Once she was ready, she found Orihime pacing nervously in the living room. "Do you want to shower quick?" Tatsuki asked.

"Honestly, I'm eager to get out of here... I mean, I'm hungry!" Orihime replied, seeming to catch herself.

Orihime often acted weird, but this was worse than usual. "Do you want to talk about your nightmare?" Tatsuki asked gently.

"No! No, not really. It's over now, so let's move on!" She giggled nervously again.

Tatsuki decided not to argue with her. They headed to their favorite spot and grabbed a quick meal. Everything went as expected, and Orihime calmed down by the end of it. Tatsuki walked her home before heading back to her house.

She didn't make it there before things got complicated. One minute, she was fine, but the next, she felt threatened. Instinct kicked in, and Tatsuki put her hands up in a defensive stance.

A bench rose into the air and flung itself at someone. He cried out in surprise before staring at her.

"Did you just do that?" He asked.

"Of course not," Tatsuki replied. "I never even touched the bench!"

"I'm not sure you have to... Don't be scared. You have a gift. My name is Masashi. I can help you."

"Whatever you're selling, I ain't buying, Pal!" Tatsuki said firmly. "Get lost!" As she said that, she waved her hands at him. Tatsuki was stunned when the man flew backwards into a fence.

He took a moment to recover. Tatsuki took the opportunity to run. Whatever was going on, she wanted no part of it.

She kept running until she nearly slammed into someone. "Stevie!" Tatsuki cried in surprise, barely stopping herself before she hit her.

Stevie looked terrified. "Are you okay, Tatsuki?" She asked.

"I... Yeah. I just freaked myself out. I think I hallucinated," Tatsuki replied.

Stevie hesitated before pulling out her sketchbook. "Is this what you saw?" She asked softly.

Tatsuki stared at the drawing. She saw herself, and Masashi flying through the air at a flick of her wrist.

"You were there?" Tatsuki asked.

"No, Tatsuki... I drew this about an hour ago," Stevie replied.

"But... This just happened, Stevie!"

"I'm going to tell you something, Tatsuki... And I hope it doesn't make you run away from me."

"Nothing would make me do that."

"I've been having visions... I usually draw them, just so I can remember the details. They all seem to come true... That's what happened the day we met. I had a vision while I was crossing the street. It's why I didn't see the car."

"Wait... You're psychic?"

"It seems that way... I only started having visions recently. Are you weirded out?"

"No. Besides, I seem to be moving things and even people without touching them today, and that's way weirder than having visions."

Stevie looked relieved. "I guess we can be weirdos together," she said shyly.

Tatsuki smiled at her. "That sounds like a great plan," she replied.

It had been one hell of a day already. Tatsuki decided to take a chance. She leaned in and kissed Stevie.

Stevie tensed in surprise for a moment before relaxing into the kiss. When their lips broke apart, Tatsuki said, "I guess you like girls, too." She grinned.

"Yes," Stevie replied. Shyly, she added, "Especially you."

"Good answer," Tatsuki said with a laugh. "Can I walk you home, Stevie?"

"Definitely... You can stay for a bit if you want to. My parents won't mind."

"And am I staying as your friend, or...?"

"My parents know," Stevie replied. "So you can be whatever you want to be around them. They won't be confused if I suddenly have a..." She hesitated.

"Girlfriend?" Tatsuki asked in a gentle teasing tone.

"Girlfriend," Stevie agreed.

"Good. Because I like the idea of calling you my girlfriend."

"I like it, too."

Tatsuki took her hand and they began to walk toward Stevie's house. Something weird was definitely going on, but at least one good thing had come out of the day.

ICHIGO
He was about to lose his mind. First, Sakura and Byakuya had been kidnapped, then Tatsuki had almost been killed, and now the lunatic who had attacked her had kidnapped Yuzu. Karin would have been bad enough, but at least she was tough and would try to defend herself. There was no way Yuzu would survive around this maniac for long.

"Ichigo, you're going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing like that," Yoruichi pointed out.

"Why are we still here, damnit?!" Ichigo demanded.

"Because the house where you found Tatsuki vanished and we don't know where this guy is. You need to be patient."

"Patient?! He nearly killed Jinta and Ururu! What the hell do you think he'll do to Yuzu?! She's my sister, Yoruichi, and she's defenseless!"

"Standing here yelling about it won't fix anything. We're working on a plan. We'll find her, Ichigo. Just try to breathe, alright?"

He wanted to scream. Instead, he checked on the kids. Jinta was sleeping but had started healing and was going to be fine. Ururu looked at him with sad, terrified eyes as Tessai continued healing her.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo," she said softly. "We tried, but..." She sniffled.

Ichigo's big brother instincts kicked in at the sight of the crying girl. "It's okay, Ururu," he said soothingly. "I know you tried to help her. You just focus on getting better, alright?"

She nodded, sniffling again as Ichigo gently pet her head. She'd regained some motion as her spine mended, but Tessai didn't want her moving much yet.

Ichigo sighed. "I have to check on Karin," he told Yoruichi. "She's probably freaking out. She can sense when Yuzu is in danger. Call me as soon as you guys figure out where this bastard took Yuzu."

"We will," Yoruichi replied. "I promise."

Ichigo nodded and left Urahara Shop. He headed home and hoped that Karin, at least, was still safe.

URYU
It had taken him hours to fall asleep. When he had, his dreams had been full of nightmares. First, he dreamed of the carnage the Nameless One had caused to the Soul Reapers and to Tatsuki. Then, it had shifted to memories of his childhood.

He watched in horror as his father cut into his mother's lifeless body.

"Stop it!" Uryu shouted. "You're hurting her!"

"She is dead, Uryu," Ryuken replied. "She can't feel it, and I must know what happened."

Ryuken forced Uryu to watch as he performed the autopsy, ignoring his son's desperate pleas for him to stop and to leave his beloved mother alone. There was so much blood. He saw her insides as his father cut them out of her. He started screaming for her as Ryuken continued his work.

"Uryu, wake up!" Kyori called to him frantically.

He jumped awake, his panic severe as his mind was still half asleep. He was hyperventilating. Kyori gently passed him his eyeglasses before stroking his back in circles, trying to soothe him.

"Are you alright?" She finally asked.

"No," he admitted, surprising himself.

"You were screaming in your sleep," Kyori informed him. Cautiously, she added, "For your mother."

He felt ashamed and embarrassed. He wasn't a child anymore, but this was one nightmare that never went away.

"What happened to her, Uryu?" Kyori asked gently.

"She died," he replied. "When I was nine."

"I'm so sorry. That must have been so hard on you. Did you see it happen?"

"She'd been in a coma for three months, but yes, I was with her." He shook his head. "My mother's death is a big part of why I despise my father."

"What happened?"

"He refused to let her have her dignity in death. He performed an autopsy, but not a normal autopsy. It lasted longer than a traditional autopsy, and he forced me to watch as he..." Uryu shook his head. He felt tears in his eyes. He refused to cry.

Kyori wrapped her arms around him tightly. "That's horrible, Uryu. I'm so sorry," she said.

"I was nine... I begged him to stop. I did everything I could, but I couldn't stop him. After that day, things were never the same between us."

Kyori shook her head. "Ryuken is a monster," she said. "I can't believe he made you watch something like that."

He wanted to lose himself in her embrace. Uryu forced himself to move out of her arms, but he couldn't ignore what he was feeling.

Am I falling for her? He wondered. That's impossible. She's a Soul Reaper. I can't fall in love with a Soul Reaper. It goes against everything the Quincies stand for.

"Uryu... What's going through your head?" Kyori asked.

"Nothing," he lied. "I'm still trying to shake off the flashback."

She nodded. "Why don't I make us something to eat while you get yourself ready?"

She politely left him to gather his thoughts. Uryu headed to the bathroom and immediately got into the shower. Even the scalding hot water couldn't wash away the memories of his helpless mother lying open, exposed, and violated because Ryuken could not simply accept her death and let her rest in peace.

SAKURA
She wasn't sure what to expect when Syouma called her and Byakuya down to level E. She thought she was prepared for anything, but then she saw the bloody figure on the floor. He was barely recognizable beneath the blood, but then she caught sight of his tattoos.

Shuhei, she realized in horror.

She wanted to kill Syouma for daring to touch her Lieutenant. Unfortunately, that wouldn't help any of them. Sakura kept her expression neutral as Syouma watched her.

"I came across your Lieutenant out alone in the world of the living and thought you might be missing him," Syouma explained.

"He's not easy to capture," Sakura replied. "I'm impressed."

"Byakuya... Destroy him."

Byakuya hesitated. "Byakuya! Hail the New Power! Flurry, drone, octave, release!" Syouma said sharply.

At the programmed command, Sakura saw Byakuya lose control. He immediately turned on Shuhei. To his credit, as Shuhei regained consciousness, he looked ready to fight despite his weakened condition. Sakura knew he stood no chance against Byakuya in his current state.

I can't let him kill Shuhei, she thought. I need a plan...

As it turned out, there was no time for a plan. "Scatter, Senbonzakura!" Byakuya said.

What looked like cherry blossom petals filled the air and began inflicting hundreds of cuts on Shuhei.

"I didn't say to play with him, Byakuya," Syouma said. "Destroy him!"

"Senbonzakura Kageyoshi," Byakuya said. His Bankai was unleashed.

Left with no choice, Sakura jumped in front of Shuhei, deflecting the attack. Her many sparring sessions with Byakuya had clearly paid off, as pretty much no one else was capable of doing that.

"Sakura..." Shuhei said weakly.

"Hold on, Shuhei," she said soothingly. "I'm going to get us out of here."

He smiled as he replied, "I'll follow your lead."

Sakura attacked Syouma first, slashing at him with her Zanpakuto and setting his chest on fire. While he put himself out, she turned her attention to Byakuya.

"Byakuya, I know you're in there," she said. "This isn't you. Don't let the programming control you."

"Senbonzakura-" Byakuya began.

"Seriously?" Sakura groaned. "Bankai!" She cried, hoping her fire dragon wouldn't kill Byakuya on the spot.

As the two exes dueled, Shuhei managed to get back on his feet. Suddenly, he shouted, "Sakura, look out!"

Sakura turned around just in time to see Syouma coming for her. She dodged his attack.

Just as she got the upper hand against Syouma, Byakuya tried to decapitate her. She was too stunned to react, but Shuhei shouted, "Reap, Kazeshini!"

The chain connecting his blades wrapped around Byakuya, momentarily incapacitating him. As Syouma shoved his Zanpakuto through Shuihei, however, he was forced to release his hold on his weapon. He looked at Sakura with pain in his eyes.

"Run," he said as blood began dripping from his mouth.

Sakura felt rage and grief overwhelming her. She released an attack of her Shaman magic, something Syouma would not understand enough to deflect. It knocked him and Byakuya through the floor into whatever lay below level E.

She knew she had precious little time to waste. Sakura pulled Shuhei into her arms. "Run, Captain..." He said weakly.

She focused all of her rage into magic and prayed she had enough power to save his life.

"Sakura... Go. Please. Don't get killed because of me," Shuhei begged. He started coughing up more blood.

"No one's dying today," Sakura said firmly. "It's going to be okay, Shuhei. Just stay with me." She healed him enough that he stopped coughing up blood. He looked a little stronger.

Sakura wanted to go after Byakuya and save him, but she knew Shuhei would die if she did. She had no choice.

She made Shuhei put most of his weight on her as they began walking through the base. Sakura had figured out the best exit in case of an emergency, although she'd intended to flee with Byakuya and Sota at the time.

I'll go back for them, she promised herself. Right now, saving Shuhei was more important.

They escaped into the night unseen. Sakura used flash step to get out of there quicker. She entered the Soul Society. Shuhei stumbled as the blood loss overwhelmed him.

"We need help!" Sakura shouted.

Jushiro and Shunsui raced to her aid. "Shunsui, get Shuhei to Captain Unohana," Jushiro said. "Sakura and I will follow."

"Be careful," Sakura said.

"I've got him, Sakura," Shunsui promised. "He's safe now."

She nodded and let him take Shuhei. "Sakura, are you injured?" Jushiro asked.

"Not seriously," she replied.

"Tell me what happened."

"Soon," she promised. "Once I know Shuhei is alright."

Jushiro nodded. "Alright," he agreed. "Come on. Let's go tend to your Lieutenant."