[Spiritual Cases Arc] Part 125: The Rain of Betrayal

The group rushed through the sterile, brightly lit hallways of the hospital, their footsteps echoing against the tiled floor. The sense of urgency propelled them forward, Ichigo at the lead, his face set with determination. Reaching Ishida's room, Ichigo didn't hesitate and threw the door open with a force that sent it slamming against the wall.

Inside, the room was still, the soft beeping of medical equipment the only sound until the door's loud bang woke Uryū Ishida. The Quincy sat up abruptly, his sharp eyes blinking in confusion as he took in the sight of his friends frantically scanning the room.

"What's happening?" Ishida asked, his voice a mix of concern and irritation at being abruptly woken.

"A Bount has appeared," Ichigo responded quickly, his eyes never stopping their search for any sign of the intruder. The tension in the room was palpable, every shadow seemed suspicious, every corner a potential hiding place.

Rukia moved to the window, peering out into the dark, rain-soaked night. Tatsuki checked behind the privacy curtain and under the beds while Chad stood guard near the doorway, his imposing figure a reassuring presence. Orihime moved to Ishida's side, her eyes wide with worry, her hands fluttering nervously as if unsure whether to comfort her friend or join the search.

In the midst of this frenetic activity, Yato's gaze was drawn to a seemingly innocuous detail, the sink in the corner of the room. It wasn't fully turned off, and water droplets fell at irregular intervals, each one resonating in the otherwise quiet room. He found himself fixated on the tiny, reflective beads forming and falling, an odd sense of foreboding washing over him. 

The drip... drip... drip... of the water seemed to grow louder, more pronounced, as if amplifying the tension in the room. Yato stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. Something about it felt off, an inexplicable sense that this was more than just a leaky faucet.

"Yato, what are you doing?" Rukia asked, noticing his distraction. 

Yato didn't respond immediately. He reached out, his fingers brushing against the cool metal of the sink's handle, and turned it tightly shut. The dripping ceased, leaving an unsettling silence in its wake.

Seconds after Yato had tightened the faucet, the dripping returned, more intense than before. The water now streamed steadily, as if the faucet were broken. The sink rapidly filled, and the water began to spill over, cascading onto the floor.

'So it's those twins with the water Bount...' Yato thought, watching the deluge. 'Given how things are different, a Bount who can manipulate water appearing during this rainy weather could be disastrous…'

The mod-souls, Kon, Ririn, Kurōdo, and Noba, looked around frantically. They could sense the Bount's presence but couldn't pinpoint its exact location.

As the water began to flood the room, soaking into the sterile white tiles and creeping towards the furniture, Chad moved with his characteristic calm efficiency. He went to Ishida's bedside, scooped the Quincy onto his broad back, and carried him effortlessly, his muscles tensing under the weight but his expression remaining stoic.

"Are there any towels or a bucket around here!?" Ichigo asked, scanning the room quickly.

"Forget it," Yato replied, red threads materializing around him in a protective aura. "The Bount is controlling the water. Grabbing those things won't help."

Ichigo, heeding Yato's words, grabbed Kon and forced the Gikongan from the stuffed animal's mouth, swallowing it to shift into his Shinigami form. Kon, now in control of Ichigo's human body, looked around bewildered.

"At least warn me before doing that!!!" Kon, now in Ichigo's body, yelled, glaring at the orange-haired Shinigami.

Yato still felt uneasy about the recent events, but the brief respite provided by the simple card game had calmed him somewhat. The camaraderie and light-hearted banter had given him a moment of peace. However, the situation had quickly turned dire once more, and his mind raced with strategies and concerns.

Yato's mind raced. He couldn't recall exactly what the Bount twins used to manipulate the water, but he knew it involved an object marked with the Bount crest. His eyes darted around, seeking any clue or sign. 'Things could really turn disastrous…' he thought again, his gaze drifting to Rukia, who had just retrieved her toy dispenser with the cartoonish rabbit face. 'But this time, Rukia already has her powers…' He began to form a plan, already envisioning how they might deal with the Bounts.

Rukia ejected the Gikongan from the toy dispenser, and as she swallowed it, her shinigami form was ejected from the Gigai, leaving the artificial soul to take her place. Her transformation was swift, a practiced motion that left no room for hesitation.

The water that had entered the room started to move unnaturally, forming tendrils and whorls that hinted at an unseen manipulation. As everyone prepared for the imminent confrontation with the Bount, Yato moved swiftly to Chad's side.

"Chad, let me take care of Ishida. I have an idea," Yato said, his voice firm yet urgent.

"Are you sure?" Chad asked again, his deep voice filled with concern.

"Yes, it's going to be fine," Yato assured, his eyes reflecting determination. He turned his attention to the rest of the group. "Tatsuki, open the window," he instructed, adjusting his grip as Chad carefully transferred Ishida to him.

"Have you lost your mind?! It's pouring outside! If that Bount controls the water, he'll have even more weapons to use against us!" Tatsuki protested, her eyes wide with alarm.

"And if we stay here, this room is going to turn into a giant aquarium," Yato countered, his tone urgent as the water level continued to rise. "You all need to go outside and make sure the other patients are safe."

"What do you plan to do, Yasakani?" Ishida asked, struggling to maintain his balance on Yato's back.

"It's going to be fine. Rukia and I can handle this Bount," Yato replied with a confident smirk.

Rukia gave Yato a quick nod, affirming his plan, before turning her attention to the artificial soul inhabiting her Gigai. "Go with them, Chappy." she instructed.

Chappy, now controlling Rukia's Gigai, made an exaggerated salute and flashed a wide grin. "Leave it to me-pyon!"

Tatsuki, though reluctant, quickly opened the window as the others bolted through the door. "Don't screw this up!" she shouted back at Yato, her voice tinged with worry, before hurrying to join the others, leaving Yato, Rukia, and Ishida alone in the room.

"What now?" Ishida asked, trying to steady himself.

Yato and Rukia exchanged determined glances and, with synchronized movements, leapt through the open window. Rukia utilized her Shunpō, moving with incredible speed, while Yato employed Bringer Light, a rapid step technique, carrying Ishida securely on his back.

As the trio plunged from the hospital window, the water from the room surged after them, forming into a menacing, twisting water spout. The world seemed to blur into a swirling vortex of rain and chaos. Yato tightened his grip on Ishida, his feet glowing with the green energy of Bringer Light, allowing him to control his descent. Rukia, with her Shunpō, moved with supernatural speed, her form a blur against the dark, rain-soaked night.

Ishida, clutching tightly to Yato, tried to keep his breathing steady despite the perilous situation. His mind raced, calculating their next moves. "We need to find a way to disrupt the Bount's control over the water!"

Rukia, keeping pace with Yato, glanced at the tumultuous water. "The Bount must be nearby, controlling this. If we can locate them, we can cut off their power!"

As they descended, the torrential rain began to transform, twisting into a menacing waterspout that pursued them aggressively.

The trio landed on the wet ground below with precision, the rain hammering down around them. The water that had filled the room above crashed to the ground, splashing violently, and then began to rise, coalescing into a serpentine form under the Bount's control. The hospital's courtyard, now a battleground, was illuminated by intermittent flashes of lightning, casting eerie shadows on the drenched landscape.

Yato set Ishida down carefully, the Quincy's eyes narrowing as he observed the water manipulation. "This Bount is controlling the rain itself," Ishida noted, his voice grim.

"That's right..." a voice spoke behind the trio, its tone deceptively jovial yet carrying an unmistakable undercurrent of menace.

The trio quickly turned to see two young men standing there. Both had raven-black hair, fair skin, and narrow maroon eyes. They wore matching outfits: orange shirts beneath mostly-zipped-up brown sweaters adorned with a distinctive design, and baggy dark gray shorts with rolled-up legs. However, their hairstyles and hats set them apart. One had short hair under a red baseball cap styled like a skull, while the other wore a white beanie over chin-length hair that framed his face.

"Hey there," the twins greeted in unison, their voices dripping with mockery.

The rain intensified around them, but the water attacks had momentarily ceased.

"I'm kind of tired," said the twin in the red cap, smiling as he pulled a small water bottle from his pocket. He unscrewed the cap and took a sip.

"I agree," added the other twin with a similar smile, also taking out a water bottle. "So, I get that it's natural to run, but don't you think standing in the rain was a bad idea?"

Rukia drew her zanpakutō, her eyes narrowing with resolve as she faced the two Bounts. Yato stayed close to Ishida, ready to protect him.

The twins casually dropped the caps from their bottles onto the wet ground. Yato's sharp eyes caught the Bount crest etched on each cap.

"Zeig Dich..." the twins chanted in unison.

"Guhl," declared the twin in the red cap.

"Günther," the other echoed, and immediately the water around them began to swirl and reshape itself around the bottle caps, forming into two massive spheres of water with stalk-like tendrils rising ominously from the floor.

The Dolls of the twins didn't possess a physical form but instead manipulated the water around them, which meant that attacking the Bounts' bodies was out of the question. The situation worsened as the heavy rain caused the two water creatures to triple in size.

Ishida stood, apprehensive, his eyes darting between the twins and their looming constructs. Without his powers, he felt helpless, a liability rather than an asset in the battle. However, despite the tense atmosphere, Yato seemed to be struggling to suppress a laugh.

"These Bounts with their water Dolls would be really terrifying…" Yato remarked, his voice tinged with mockery. The twins laughed, mistaking his reaction for fear-induced confusion.

Before they could retort, they felt Rukia's reiatsu surge, the air around them growing noticeably colder.

"Too bad it's irrelevant to Rukia's zanpakutō," Yato added with a smirk.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki…" Rukia intoned softly, releasing her shikai. "Some no Mai, Tsukishiro!" •First Dance, White Moon•

Her blade began to glow with a cold, ethereal light. With a graceful sweep, she drew a large circle on the ground beneath the Bounts and their watery constructs. Instinctively, the twins leaped to opposite sides, but the sharp drop in temperature slowed the movements of the water creatures. A pillar of ice erupted from the circle, freezing the Dolls completely.

"Ban!!!" yelled the twin in the red cap. "We can't stay apart!!" His voice was frantic as he realized the ice column was wide, separating them significantly.

"Hō!!" cried the other twin, sensing that the distance was making their Dolls unstable.

They scrambled to reunite, hoping to regain control once the ice melted, but the pillar shattered, revealing nothing inside. Panic seized them as they realized their crests had been destroyed. Clutching their chests, they struggled to breathe, and in a horrifying transformation, they began to age rapidly, spiritual particles streaming from their bodies.

"What's happening?" Ishida asked, his voice laced with unease at the unsettling sight.

The twins collapsed, their bodies disintegrating into ashes, leaving behind only their clothes.

"Their Doll was destroyed…" Yato muttered, his expression betraying his discomfort at the gruesome spectacle.

"So if the Doll dies, the Bount dies as well…" Rukia concluded, her voice solemn.

The courtyard fell eerily silent, the relentless patter of rain the only sound. The air, still charged with residual energy, gradually began to settle. Rukia sheathed her zanpakutō, her breath visible in the cold air, her eyes reflecting a mix of relief and sorrow.

Rukia glanced at the rain-soaked ground, her thoughts clearly heavy. "We must report this to Soul Society. They need to know about the Bounts' vulnerabilities."

Around them, the hospital grounds were soaked, puddles reflecting the dim light of the overcast sky. Yato stood still, his usually confident demeanor shaken by the brutal reality of their victory. He glanced at Ishida, who looked equally disturbed, and then at Rukia, who seemed lost in thought.

"We should get back inside," Yato suggested, his voice a bit hoarse. "This rain isn't letting up."

Rukia nodded, her gaze lingering on the ashes of the twins. "We need to make sure there are no more Bounts nearby," she said, her tone resolute despite the sorrow in her eyes.

Ishida, still processing what had happened, followed them silently. As they made their way back to the hospital, they couldn't shake off the grim realization of what their battles would entail. The Bounts were a deadly enemy, and every encounter would be a matter of life and death.

As they strolled down the dimly lit path, Yato couldn't shake the peculiar sensation of being watched. Despite the persistent feeling, there was no sense of malevolence accompanying it.

Yato's pace slowed intentionally, causing Rukia and Uryū to advance ahead of him. He cast furtive glances around, scrutinizing the bleak surroundings and the looming façade of the hospital. The night was oppressive, a thick veil of darkness exacerbated by the relentless downpour that drummed against the pavement and windows.

His eyes roved upwards to the upper floors of the hospital. Through the shimmering veil of rain, he noticed a vague silhouette at one of the windows. The indistinct figure stood motionless, peering out into the murkiness. The obscured details due to the dim lighting and the cascading rain made identification impossible.

Yato continued to observe, his gaze unwavering despite the rainwater trickling down his face. Abruptly, a flash of lightning split the sky, casting a fleeting luminescence across the scene. The brief illumination was insufficient to reveal the person's features, but the glint off a pair of glasses was unmistakable.

'Ah… I guess I didn't need to bother coming out here to fight the Bounts,' Yato mused, his thoughts laden with fatigue. 'Even if we did nothing, he wouldn't just stand by while Ishida was targeted.'

"Yato?" Rukia's voice broke through his reverie, grounding him in the present.

"Huh?" Yato turned his attention to Rukia, realizing that she and Uryū had halted and were watching him with concern. "Sorry, it's nothing."

He hurried to catch up, casting one last glance at the window. The figure was gone, leaving only the rain-soaked glass and the whisper of a presence that had felt more curious than threatening.

Inside the hospital, the rest of their friends were waiting, their faces etched with concern. Ichigo, Tatsuki, Orihime, and Chad looked relieved as they saw the trio return, but the mood remained somber.

"We took care of them," Yato reported, his voice steadying as he addressed the group.

"What happened out there?" Tatsuki asked, her eyes wide with worry.

Uryū adjusted his glasses. "We discovered that the crests the Bounts possess are not only the source of their ability to control the Dolls but also their Achilles' heel. Destroying these crests or the Dolls themselves results in the death of the Bounts."

Ichigo furrowed his brow, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't remember that snake guy mentioning anything about that."

Yato chuckled, a hint of sarcasm lacing his words. "I wouldn't exactly go around telling people how to kill me, either."

Kurōdo nodded in agreement. "As of now, we haven't sensed any Bounts nearby."

"That means we're safe for the moment," Ririn added, her small frame almost blending into the shadows. Beside her, Noba nodded silently.

Kon, currently inhabiting Ichigo's body, sighed in frustration. "Does this mean I can finally get out of here?" His face twisted into an exaggerated pout, a stark contrast to Ichigo's usual stoicism. Suddenly, a blur of motion barreled into him.

"Pyooooooooooon~~!!!"

The shout reverberated through the k, causing Yato, Ichigo, and Tatsuki to turn simultaneously. Before them was the artificial soul Chappy, still inhabiting Rukia's gigai, grappling Kon with surprising ferocity.

"What the…" the trio murmured in unison, their voices blending into a chorus of confusion.

Chappy had Kon in a tight arm lock, her cheerful demeanor contrasting sharply with the aggressive hold. "Aaaaaaaaahhh!!! What the hell is this?!?!" Kon's shout echoed through the space, his limbs flailing.

"You shouldn't be so ungrateful for the chance to help the substitute shinigami-pyon!!" Chappy chided, her tone a mix of reprimand and cheer.

Ichigo's eyebrows shot up as he turned to Rukia, seeking an explanation. "Rukia… what is this?"

Rukia beamed with pride. "This is Chappy, the most popular artificial soul among the Shinigami Women's Association." She glanced at Chappy with admiration. "I intended to buy this soul from Urahara, but we ended up with Kon by mistake."

Ichigo's expression shifted from confusion to disbelief. "You're telling me you were going to put that in my body?" He shook his head, incredulous. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm grateful it was Kon."

Yato, watching Chappy's adept maneuvers as she put Kon through a series of immobilizations, couldn't help but grin. "Artificial soul, huh?" He quipped, a playful tone in his voice. "Are you sure she's not a mod-soul?"

# Meanwhile #

Outside the mansion where the Bounts had gathered, Jin Kariya walked alone through the torrential downpour. The rain was relentless, drenching his long, dark overcoat and turning the ground beneath his feet into a muddy mess. The sky above was a tumultuous swirl of gray clouds, occasionally illuminated by flashes of lightning that cast eerie shadows on the mansion's ancient facade.

Earlier, Kariya had been inside his room, staring out a grand window at the silhouette of a distant figure. The room was dimly lit, the furniture ornate but draped in a layer of neglect. He seemed lost in contemplation, his piercing eyes narrowing suddenly as he sensed the deaths of Hō and Ban at the hands of a shinigami. This realization seemed to crystallize his resolve, and he rose with a newfound determination, his movements deliberate and purposeful.

The mansion was nestled in a remote location, surrounded by a dense forest that added to its isolation. Kariya stepped out into the rain, each drop a cold reminder of the urgency of his mission. He moved through the trees, their branches swaying ominously in the storm, until he came face to face with Yoshino Sōma.

Yoshino stood at the edge of the forest, her figure partially obscured by the shadows of the trees. The rain slicked her hair to her face, her eyes reflecting a mixture of sorrow and determination as she looked at Kariya.

"Jin…" Her voice was soft, laden with an unspoken plea.

Kariya tried to muster a smile, though it came out more as a grimace. "I'm glad you've returned, Yoshino."

She squared her shoulders, her voice gaining strength even as her eyes betrayed her uncertainty. "I came to stop you, Jin."

Kariya's expression shifted to one of contemplation, his gaze drifting to a nearby tree as if seeking answers in its gnarled bark. "Utagawa questioned me... why I treated you so leniently despite your constant defiance."

Yoshino's face twisted with frustration, her hands clenching at her sides. "Do you enjoy toying with others, giving them false hopes just for your amusement?"

Kariya's eyes flicked back to her, the usual cold calculation replaced by a flicker of something almost human. "It's not amusement, Yoshino. It's… something else." He hesitated, the rain running down his face like tears he could not shed.

Yoshino stepped closer, her sadness giving way to anger. "Then what is it, Jin? What drives you to manipulate and deceive? Why do you insist on this path?"

Kariya sighed, the weight of his years and the countless lives affected by his actions pressing down on him. "Because hope, even false hope, is a powerful thing. It can drive people to achieve the impossible. It can create miracles... or disasters."

For a moment, silence fell between them, filled only by the sound of the rain and the distant rumble of thunder. Yoshino's resolve seemed to waver, her anger ebbing away to reveal the pain beneath.

"You could have chosen a different way, Jin," she whispered, her voice breaking. "We all could have."

Kariya took a step forward, his hand reaching out as if to touch her, but then he stopped, his fingers curling back into a fist. "Perhaps. But this is the path I've chosen, Yoshino. And it's too late to turn back now."

Yoshino shook her head, tears mingling with the rain on her cheeks. "It's never too late, Jin. Not if you truly want to change."

Yoshino shook her head, tears mingling with the rain on her cheeks. "It's never too late, Jin. Not if you truly want to change."

Kariya's expression hardened, the moment of vulnerability passing as quickly as it had come. "You know that's not true, Yoshino. We are bound by our choices. And now, we must see them through to the end."

Yoshino stood rooted in place, the weight of her emotions rendering her momentarily speechless. She was on the brink of speaking, of making one last desperate plea to Kariya, when he abruptly cut her off with a stark revelation.

"Hō and Ban are dead…" His voice was calm, yet the words carried a chilling finality. "And very soon, this mansion... our hideout, will become a battleground."

Yoshino's eyes widened, her confusion evident. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, her voice trembling.

Kariya's gaze remained steady, almost indifferent despite the gravity of his words. "Utagawa betrayed us. He revealed our location to the shinigamis," he said evenly. "He was careless, believing we had no means of keeping an eye on him as well…"

Shock washed over Yoshino's face. The realization dawned on her that the other Bounts had likely already dealt with Utagawa the moment Jin had left the mansion. But before she could fully process this, another piece of information struck her, deepening her sense of dread.

Kariya, noticing her bewilderment, slipped his hands into his coat pockets and turned slightly, his eyes locking onto hers with an unsettling intensity. "Just as we've been watching you all along, Yoshino…"

A wave of apprehension coursed through her, and she narrowed her eyes at him. The rain continued to pour, the cold drops running down her face indistinguishable from her tears.

"The only reason I haven't come after you before…" Kariya continued, his voice softening slightly, "was because I was still conflicted."

The admission hung in the air between them, laden with unspoken history and emotion. Yoshino's heart pounded, the implications of his words sinking in. She had known Kariya for so long, had seen the ruthless side of him, but this moment of candor was unexpected.

"Conflicted?" she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. "About what, Jin? About destroying everything we once believed in?"

Kariya's eyes flickered with a rare hint of vulnerability, quickly masked by his usual steely resolve. "About what you represented, Yoshino. A possibility… a path I chose to forsake."

Yoshino took a tentative step forward, her desperation breaking through her fear. "Jin, it's not too late. We can still change this. We don't have to be enemies."

Kariya shook his head slowly, a sad smile playing on his lips. "You always were the idealist, Yoshino. But I've walked too far down this path to turn back now."

Silence fell between them once more, the rain a relentless backdrop to their confrontation. Yoshino felt a surge of hopelessness, the man she had once known now a distant memory, replaced by this enigmatic figure driven by a dark resolve.

"You know why consuming the souls of living people was considered a taboo for us, Bounts, Yoshino?" Kariya's voice cut through the relentless rain, carrying an almost eerie calmness.

Yoshino's brows furrowed in confusion, not understanding why Kariya had suddenly brought up this subject. The rain continued to fall, each drop a cold needle on their skin.

"By absorbing the souls of the living, we Bounts could attain immense power," Kariya continued, his tone matter-of-fact. "Our spiritual pressure could even affect the fabric of space itself... but that doesn't mean portals would start appearing around us. So why do you think it was forbidden?"

Turning his back to her, Kariya looked up at the stormy sky, letting the rain wash over his face. Yoshino remained silent, struggling to grasp the point of his question.

"The reason it's forbidden," Kariya pressed on, "is because our Reiatsu, our bodies, our very existence... becomes anomalous."

"What do you mean by that, Jin?" Yoshino's voice was a fragile thread in the downpour.

"Our Dolls, although summoned by us, are theoretically 'born' from us. They aren't mere representations of our souls but are part of us. When our Reiatsu reaches this anomalous state, we Bounts become, in a sense, infertile—incapable of procreating or even generating new Dolls."

Yoshino's eyes widened in shock, the gravity of Kariya's words sinking in. "We've all crossed that line, Yoshino… except you." He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "You always refused to fully absorb the souls of living beings. You're the only one who can still procreate… but now we're in a critical situation. Only six Bounts remain in the world, and they're all gathered in that mansion. If I don't take action, our race will be wiped out."

Yoshino stared at Kariya with a mixture of disbelief and sorrow. His words struck her deeply. According to Kariya, there were six Bounts left, but Yoshino had only counted three dead from his earlier recounting. It dawned on her that he didn't include her among the living.

Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes. She tried to summon her Doll, but an excruciating pain shot through her chest. A strange gust of wind blew, and suddenly, Kariya was right in front of her, his arm piercing through her chest.

She coughed up blood, her vision blurring as she looked at Kariya, unable to decipher his expression. "Ji… Jin…" she murmured weakly.

Despite the violent act, Kariya embraced her with his free hand, his other hand still embedded in her chest. "Yoshino... I once told you that the love of a Bount is deep… limitless… lasting for all eternity…" His words were heavy with emotion. "And as long as I live... I will carry these feelings for you in my heart for all eternity…"

Yoshino's strength faded, her body growing limp in Kariya's grasp. Her mind swam with a flood of memories and unspoken words. She felt an overwhelming sadness for what could have been, mingled with a fleeting sense of peace knowing that, in his own twisted way, Kariya had always cared for her.

Kariya held her close, feeling the life drain from her. His eyes reflected a deep sorrow, knowing that this was the only way to ensure the survival of their kind. As Yoshino's breathing slowed, he whispered one last time, his voice breaking, "Forgive me, Yoshino. This is the only path left for us."

The rain continued to fall, washing away the blood and tears, leaving only the echo of their tragic history in the storm's relentless cadence.