>>44108754
>Carry Ito Satoshi back to the Seireitei.
Might as well.

>>44108754
>Carry Ito Satoshi back to the Seireitei.

>>44108754
>send a hell butterfky
I mean, there is still something more here, since the signal is still being blocked by something. As for this guy, currrnt theory is he was over-reliant on his Zanpakuto's homing abilities it seems, and he was duped by a hollow with the ability to 'throw' its reiatsu and then retreat. That's why he has multiple reports killing the same hollow. It's unclear why the hollow decided to finish the job now instead of continuing the game though.

>>44108923
Or wait, I guess he could have hit multiple hollows, but the main problem is no signals

>>44108754
>Leave him here for now; send a Hell Butterfly requesting help. There might be more to this town that you haven't seen yet.

>>44108754
>>Leave him here for now; send a Hell Butterfly requesting help. There might be more to this town that you haven't seen yet.

He'll probably be fine. Uh. Yeah.

>>44108754
To be honest, I'm not really sure why dragging this guy back would mean that we wouldn't be able to return here later? It kind of seems like a fake choice.

>>44108754
>Carry Ito Satoshi back to the Seireitei.
It's not like we can't come back.

>>44108923
Changing my vote to carrying him back because >>44109055
As long as we're stealthy, it makes no fucking sense whatsoever that the anomalies will resolve themselves the second we turn our backs.

>>44109055
>>44109065
I think the issue is more that if there is indeed something here that it may not be here when we get back. Even if it may be a short trip to literally drop him right when we get back to the SS.

>>44109055
should we really live this place undefended while these strange hollows and spiritual interference are here though?

>>44109081
I'm afraid whatever is causing this issue with our comms is going to pop out when there is no one protecting the place and start raising hell.

>>44109099
>>44109171
But it shouldn't even know we're here now. And time dilation is exclusive to travel through the dangai, specifically with contact from the cleaner. The senkaimon really shouldn't be unreliable with time, that's why they fucking use it.

>>44109171
>>44109203
Furthermore, considering how lazy Satoshi was, and how easily he was dispatched, I don't really believe that anything capable of blocking soul society technology was meaningfully impeded by his presence at all. If anything, it'd wait until a new shinigami showed up to maintain cover.

I'm not saying you couldn't be right, I'm saying it would just be bullshit if you were, which is why whatever dichotomy the QM seems trying to force annoys me.

>>44109203
I'd rather not assume that whatever is causing issues is entirely incapable of detecting us. We aren't exactly the best at hiding our presence. But it isn't that, it's that maybe this thing is just better at finding hidden things.

And being gone for two seconds is enough time to break shit. I wasn't counting on time dilation.

I see where you're coming from, but when dealing with something weird it's better to be paranoid, because it's weird, we can't know what it is capable of or what is causing it. Maybe it fucks with inter-dimensional travel, as well, who knows?

>>44108754
Voting over, writing!

Current character sheet (unchanged from last time): http://pastebin.com/maynXK2P

>>44109286
If it does know we're here, and in the hour or so it takes us to go to the Soul Society and back, it's capable of wreaking havoc, and can even mess with interdimensional travel... Just how the fuck do you think we'd be able to even slow down something that powerful? Like what, it thinks we're a Captain for some reason and it's afraid of us? It's ridiculous, and not even Bleach ridiculous, more "actively antagonistic qm" ridiculous.

>>44109379
Now you're assuming it's powerful. It may just have a gimmick. It may just like eating in peace. It may just like having time to be a sadist without distractions. We're dealing with something we know nothing about, it could be a spiritually aware human who has been trying to trap a shinigami to prove they aren't crazy. It could be a great many things and I'm not discounting any of them.

>>44108754
>>Carry Ito Satoshi back to the Seireitei.

>>44109421
But it would also have to be really dumb, if it runs roughshod over everything and assumes no one will ever come back, instead of attracting reinforcements. If it is weak like you said, the damage it should be able to cause is minimal, and if it is strong enough to rampage, then I doubt our ability to meaningfully impede it.

Which is kind of why I'm really wary of this quest's direction already, because the QM is trying to force a big "moral choice" in a situation where it's completely unwarranted. It reminds me of a fucking Fable game.

>>44109591
It's just a set of options, since you can take him back and can leave him there. It's not necessarily a case of the needs of the many versus the few, but perhaps just a moral choice vs apathy and your job description. Basically being Mayuri. Taking him back won't detract anything, but staying here would, and that's also something.

>>44109591
Humans cannot see or meaningfully interact with hollows.

Even if it were only as physically capable as a normal person, it can still murder people. A rampage does not necessarily mean it's going to knock down entire buildings and blow up half the continent.

You're taking what I am saying and stretching it to the extremes while I'm looking at it from a middling stance. I personally feel Satoshi will survive even if not given immediate medical treatment, but I don't know. However I am more confident he will survive than I am in thinking that whatever is being weird here won't do more weird things, or have something happen while we are gone. Satoshi hasn't been hiding his presence, we have, with his presence fading it might show itself or change tactics, maybe it knows we are here, maybe it doesn't, but it knows Satoshi is.

Or maybe it's just a weird place on Earth with ley lines and magic or some shit, I don't know. That's why I'd rather stay and find out, which was our job in the first place.

>>44109591
This isn't really a huge moral choice like you're making it out to be

>>44109591
>because the QM is trying to force a big "moral choice" in a situation where it's completely unwarranted

This is literally "do you focus more on the job, or saving people?". We're not setting fire to an orphanage to save our dog or some shit.

>>44109748
Then what's with the whole "when should you put others above duty" and why is the name of the thread "morals and responsibility"?

File: 1432429209282.gif (5.02 MB, 320x139)

5.02 MB GIF

>>44109805
>now he's shadowrunning harder than the anon who wanted to stay

>>44109776
I'm saying that by any reasonable standard, this really should not meaningfully interfere with our job at all, which is why I'm a bit riled up by the QM acting like it is.

>>44108803
>>44108838
>>44109081
You unsheathe your sword once more, piercing it through the air and twisting it, like using a key to unlock a door. The gates of the Senkaimon appear and spread apart, allowing entrance into the void between the two parallel worlds. You squat down and pick the wounded Shinigami up in your arms, making sure that his neck is as steady as can be in your grasp, and quickly hop through the double doors, a black butterfly leading the way.

...

It takes a while to arrange everything for Satoshi. Your arrival with him caused a bit of a commotion, mainly due to his gruesome injuries. Ito Satoshi is eventually taken away for treatment, leaving you be. You explain to the medical staff that Satoshi had been attacked by a Hollow, and they seem to be satisfied with that. The medical staff primarily consists of the Fourth Division, who you don't have to answer to in more detail than that.

Before you're allowed to ponder over your next course of action for too long, someone pulls at your sleeve. It's a short young man with shifty, ever-suspicious green eyes and unkempt brown hair streaking down to the shoulders. It's Kagaku Oto, a researcher for the 12th, and actually one of your neighbours at the barracks.

"Hey. Hey... Tsukuda." He calls for attention in a nasal voice. He seems a bit wary. "Are you... going to report to the Captain? I was told to watch out for you, in case you came back. You... you wanna do that, right? Well, I know where he is. Come on, follow me..."

...

>"Tell him I'm not finished with my mission yet. I'm going back to the Human World."
>"Please lead the way, Kagaku. I'll give him a report of what happened."
>Other. (Write-in).

>>44109871
>"Tell him I'm not finished with my mission yet. I'm going back to the Human World."

>>44109871
>>"Tell him I'm not finished with my mission yet. I'm going back to the Human World."

Well, something weird is happening. Or this little dude really needs to work on his public speaking skills. Badly.

>>44109871
>"Tell him I'm not finished with my mission yet. I'm going back to the Human World."
This guy sounds untrustworthy as fuck.

>>44109871
"I wasn't yet finished with my investigation, and was planning on continuing later. ...did he order you to bring me to him, because if not, I'll be going."

Really hope Urahara didn't see this up.

>>44109915
>>44109924
Well...

There's a reason Ryouta doesn't hang out with his neighbours much! And it's a bit different from the usual thing this time.

>>44109871
>"Tell him I'm not finished with my mission yet. I'm going back to the Human World."

>>44109871
Can we check to see if our communication device is working now, and if so, send a brief report to Urahara after bidding this guy adieu but before leaving for the human world?

>>44110042
It's Ryouta's first time using a cellphone. It'll take him a while to put all of that text in. It'd be quicker to just tell everything to Urahara in person and leave!

>>44110085
>literally "Satoshi attacked by hollow, brought him back, going back to human world" while we walk

>>44110085
But it is working properly?

>>44110122
It started working properly as soon as you've arrived in SS!

>>44110117
That could work just fine, you could put that much in on your way back to the Senkaimon! Or even tell it to Oto so that he could deliver it to Urahara. But it's pretty far from a detailed report on what exactly went down back there!

>>44110166
He said brief, not detailed.

>>44109871
>"Please lead the way, Kagaku. I'll give him a report of what happened."

>>44109871
>"Please lead the way, Kagaku. I'll give him a report of what happened."
>>44110117
Well, more "communication device's signal blocked in human world, possible explanation of why Soul Society was unable to account for the hollows Satoshi allegedly killed. Alternative explanation is that Satoshi's been "killing" the same hollow all this time, due to it seeming to have an anomalous ability that counters his zanpakuto. I believe I've slain the hollow and captured its wisps, but since my signal is continuing to be blocked after it was slain, am returning to the town to investigate."

I guess that might be a mouthful, but I thought Seireitei was really REALLY big. Unless Urahara is literally skulking in the nearest alley, I don't get how it would be quicker.

But then again, this is Urahara we're talking about.

>>44109871
>>"Please lead the way, Kagaku. I'll give him a report of what happened."

Give a quick report. Something shifty is happening there.

>>44110217
Like I don't know, ask him how far away Urahara is currently, and if it really would take us longer to type that than walk, then I guesss let's visit him.

>>44109871
Voting over, writing!

>>44110217
I think this is a pretty good summary of what's been happening, all that's missing is specifics of Satoshi's zanpakuto ability and how the hollow seems to have countered it and severely wounded Satoshi.

>>44110217
I guess we could also tell Kagaku that, and it'd be a good way of testing his trustworthiness in the future.

Bump

>>44109899
>>44109915
>>44110217
>>44110117
"Tell him I'm not finished with my mission yet. I'm going back to the Human World." You say. Oto looks even more suspicious than usual after hearing that.

"Follow me to the Senkaimon." He takes a few steps away from you before turning around, and then leads the way, frequently glancing back to make sure that you're following him. You make haste, which forces Kagaku in turn to speed up on his short little legs. He seems to be keeping you at a bit of a distance at all times, even though it seems toiling for him.

As you walk, you tap in a brief report on your communications device explaining what had occurred, mentioning device malfunction, the Hollow, and Satoshi's injury in a humble total of about a dozen words.

"What are you doing?" After watching you struggle with the cellphone for a while, Oto finally speaks up about it. It's not that it's hard to input things, but it takes several button taps for the appropriate symbol to appear and then a slight delay to make it stay on the display.

"A brief report."

"Is it something secret?" You shake your head. He turned away before you started doing that. "No, no! Don't tell me about it! I don't wanna know it if it's secret! It's never worth it. Just forget I asked!" His voice shifts a pitch higher than what is his normal. You try to hand him the phone, but he cringes away from it, defensively covering his face with his hands.

You're not really sure what to do, so you keep the display pointed at him for a while. He finally peeks, and, catching himself on that, gasps in horror.

(1/4)

>>44111376
He then reads it fully. "...Oh. Damn it, why did you try to make such a big deal out of it, Tsukuda?!" He explodes at first, but then grows scared again, as if spooked by the sound of his own raised voice. After a slight pause spent staring at you and making sure that you aren't angry, he continues. "If it's just that much, then I can pass it on to him. I can't answer any of his questions, though. It'll be on you if he gets mad that I can't do that!"

"I'll take full responsibility."

"I was... kind of joking... I'm not going to be mad if he asks me questions. Just tell me what you want him to know, Tsukuda. But nothing that I could be harmed for for knowing, okay? Promise me that."

Seeing as you've already put in a lot of effort into the text-message, you send it and then give Oto a more detailed report. He nods a few times, making an accusatory face here and there during some parts of your retelling, but he doesn't say anything throughout. He then nods again when you're done.

"Okay, I'll pass everything I've remembered from that. You can be really talkative at the weirdest times, Ryouta. Like, what does it matter what brand of beer he was drinking? So what if you noticed, it doesn't really matter... N-no offense, of course." Kagaku grows wary again, gesturing for you to calm down. By this time, you've reached the Senkaimon. Before leaving, Oto eyes you for a bit as he makes several steps backward, and only then turns around to briskly leave.

...

You've returned to Nordlingen. Checking the SRDI issued cellphone, it's quite unexpected to find it functioning properly. It seems too unlikely of a coincidence for this to have been a random malfunction on its part. And, to confirm that, something is different from what the town 'felt' like before. Like a slight, incessant noise had suddenly gone quiet.

This town most certainly warrants further investigation.

(2/4)

>>44111376
...Some things never change when it comes to the 12th division huh?

>>44111398
Humans, although incapable of perceiving the spiritual, can still provide you with hints to unique occurrences. If the mundane norm is ever disturbed in a meaningful enough way, such as a Hollow specifically targeting live humans rather than their souls, it is usually talked about in the relevant newspapers. The aforementioned Hollow's rampages could be attributed to a serial killer or an accident adhering to the realm of plausibility of the location in which it took place, and an overabundance of human souls could result in 'haunted houses' or the like.

Thankfully, you can read German, so it's easy to investigate. The recent local papers talk about the murder of a major stockholder, while the national papers, dating a few weeks back, actually bring this small town up in one of the articles. Apparently, there's been an outbreak of an unknown disease with the initial mental symptoms of schizophrenia, gradually turning to affect the physical body with fatigue and high fevers, and then internal bleeding and eventual failure of organs varying per patient.

Tracing the local news a little while back, you find reports confirming that as true, with the citizens being urged to remain cautious. About a hundred people have died, and about fifty more are in treatment, out of town.

You visit the local hospital next. Conveniently enough, a few doctors are discussing what to do with a patient. They're talking about sending her away, to a city more equipped take care of her, but one of the doctors is apparently family, and is hesitant to do so. You glance at the patient's medical card, and then at the woman in question. Dana Ackermann. She's thirty five years old, an attractive brunette. Her eyes are closed; asleep. Most likely medically induced. Visual and auditory hallucinations, pneumonia, internal bleeding by the lungs. It seems that this person's lungs are affected by the unknown disease. Her x-rays don't show anything of note that you can see.

(3/4)

>>44111398
Just how creepy do we seem?

>>44111451
But, of course, the equipment here can't perceive anything spiritual. The only place where it could do that would be back in Soul Society. But how could you do that? Only the dead may go there. Unfortunately that means there's only one way.

If this disease is actually a spiritual affliction, then it will persist even after death. It might make analysis possible. Of course, you'd need to kill this human.

Well, you think you have a theory, though it would require there being an exception to a common rule. In short, you recall the Hollow you've slain having the ability to spray miniature spikes; most likely, those are made from the Hollow's flesh. If they persist, the natural regeneration of Hollows might have begun to take place, resulting in a disease reminiscent of a very rapid cancer.

The exception here is the Hollow's behaviour. Those without a capacity for thinking don't attack living humans as a general rule, especially on such a mass scale.

And this doesn't explain the hallucinations. If what they were seeing were spirits, it could be explained by bits of spiritual power being accepted by the body, but that doesn't seem likely. If it was just that, then the description of the hallucinations would be common among all of the patients, and it'd be reported on.

Did something else cause the hallucinations? An indepth analysis might be the only way to count out it being caused by that Hollow you've purified.

If your theory is correct, then Satoshi is afflicted by this as well. The medical staff might miss it if they focus entirely on his torn neck.

...

>Continue on with your investigation. See if you can explain the device's malfunction.
>Ask for permission to bring the woman back to Soul Society. Explain your reasoning.
>Jst report this to base. But they might ask you to do the same.
>Other. (Write-in).

>>44111451
>Thankfully, you can read German, so it's easy to investigate. The recent local papers talk about the murder of a major stockholder, while the national papers, dating a few weeks back, actually bring this small town up in one of the articles. Apparently, there's been an outbreak of an unknown disease with the initial mental symptoms of schizophrenia, gradually turning to affect the physical body with fatigue and high fevers, and then internal bleeding and eventual failure of organs varying per patient.
I guess that could be a hollow with poison abilities?

Even if it won't solve the mystery, it's possible that whatever was doing this got spooked by our presence and closed up shop.

>>44111497
>Just report this to base. But they might ask you to do the same.
If they do then we don't really have a choice, but I'm not sure about doing it automatically. Because if it IS the hollow, shouldn't she recover if we killed it?

>>44111497
In my hurry I've probably made a bunch of sloppy mistakes, please feel free to ask questions if you wish to clarify anything!

>Jst report this to base. But they might ask you to do the same.
That should be
>Just report this to base through your cellphone. They might ask you to bring her back, though.

Please keep in mind that Ryouta's theories and conjectures related to investigations are backed up by his Analytical Mind!

>>44111497
>Jst report this to base. But they might ask you to do the same.

>>44111497
Were there reports on what the hallucinations were?

>>44111561
>>44111566
Like the way I remember it going, that if a hollow dies, so does the rest of it. Like in canon that one serial killer hollow that went to hell, it had those tiny minions but I'm pretty sure they died when the main body did as well. So if we really did get the hollow, shouldn't the spikes kind of... fizzle out of existence?

>>44111600
The specifics of the hallucinations weren't reported on, leaving Ryouta to assume that there were no patterns worth mentioning!

>>44111561
>>44111640
This should normally be the case, true! Unfortunately, there's no way to make sure other than waiting or performing a test.

>>44111497
>Other. (Write-in).

Check the hospital morgue

>>44111691
Well, since as you said, if it is the hollow, Satoshi would also be infected, I feel comfortable waiting to see if he shares the same symptoms first.

>>44111457
We probably stare at people really hard. Serial killer type stare.

>>44111696
Unfortunately I'm pretty sure that wouldn't help. Like if they have no souls in their body, then any spiritual maladies wouldn't leave any traces.

Mushroom, I'm assuming that looking at a corpse there's no way to tell whether their soul went to the soul society or was eaten, right?

>>44111497
Could we also send back information on where the patients getting out-of-town treatment have gone and ask if they could be monitored?

Like if they're actually recovering when leaving the town for somewhere else, the disease could be connected to the same anomaly that was blocking our communication earlier.

>>44111497
>Continue on with your investigation. See if you can explain the device's malfunction.

>>44111820
There isn't any way to tell that, unfortunately!

>>44111856
This is possible! It can be included in the report!

I think I'll close voting in about 5 minutes and go with this option unless something else gets more votes in that time!
>Just report this to base through your cellphone. They might ask you to bring her back, though.

>>44111930
Voting over, writing!

>>44111930
Well I mean I figure we could continue with the investigation while we're waiting for their reply?

>>44111561
>>44111584
You sit down on a chair and take out your phone. As always, it takes time to input the text. There's quite a bit, but you make sure to explain the situation properly and in detail. After sending it, you wait. Do these several minutes feel tense? You think so...

The device beeps and its screen flares up. You've received a response.

"Good work! What I think you're suggesting is perfectly plausible and requires further investigation. But I'll try to spare you the moral dilemma, Ryouta-kun. If you had slain the Hollow you suspect to be responsible for this and had taken a sample using the device I lent you, we can probably work with that to confirm or deny your theories.

Otherwise, if you did not secure a sample, you have my permission.

Good luck! Give it your best!

-Urahara Kisuke."

You flip the phone's lid and close it. You still have the sample on you. You won't have to do anything to this woman. There's only one more thing left to investigate, at least as far as you can tell.

There's nothing concrete that you can pursue. The papers don't provide any hints or anomalies that could serve as a link. The local townspeople aren't talking about anything related to it. No complaints, no phone talks questioning any temporary disruptions of televisions or phone lines.

You make patrols around town, hoping to come across something of note. One thing does eventually catch your eye - in one of the dimmer alleyways in town, where a trio of juvenile delinquents squats around to smoke and drink beer, peeking out of the edge of a dumpster, glued to a wall, is a white piece of paper.

There should have been nothing peculiar there, but you've managed to recognize the symbols drawn on it in red as you were passing by. They're not German. They're Japanese, and yet not the sort that humans usually use. This is a formal type of language in which Kido scrolls and incantations are usually written.

(1/2)

>>44112870
You drop down next to the paper and grab it. It was stuck to the wall with a mixture of glue and dried blood. Studying it in more detail, this seems like one small part of a bigger spell. An incomplete incantation, though you can't determine of which spell exactly. Could the communications have been blocked off by a Kido practitioner's barrier? Why?

As you look over it, the trio has approached you. You set a hand on your sword's hilt, but they're staring at the item in your hand, and loudly discussing the levitating piece of paper. You hop away, up to the rooftops. It's easier to focus without a crowd like them.

You take a further look around town. The most you can find are traces of that same mixture of glue and blood; the papers, if they were there, are gone. Did someone clean things up while you were absent?

Only Shinigami can use Kido. Was it just a coincidence that the symbols perfectly resemble a part of a demon magic incantation? Unlikely.

You stalk the place where you've found the paper for a while, but nobody comes to pick it up, not even after several hours pass.

So this is probably all you could hope to find here. Whatever is responsible for this, it's hidden well enough that you can't detect it. It's as likely to show itself to you as it is to show up on the radars of the SRDI. You'll have to investigate the symbols in more detail back in Soul Society, perhaps try to figure out which spell it is, or pass it off to specialists.

If you could piece this together right now, the 12th would at least know what to look out for.

...

>This must be the work of a Shinigami. Alert HQ to the presence of a potential rogue.
>This must be the work of a Hollow. Alert HQ to the presence of a potential anomaly.
>This must be the work of a human. Alert HQ to the presence of a potentially malicious spirit sensitive.
>A wrong choice might throw SRDI off the right trail. Just report things as they are and don't try to speculate.
>Other. (Write-in).

>>44112937
>A wrong choice might throw SRDI off the right trail. Just report things as they are and don't try to speculate.

What we do know, is there is proof of a rouge entity that is working against soul society that is currently active and roaming.

>>44112937
How do hollows work with regards to language? Like would they know how to read and write in Japanese if they didn't live there when they were alive?

>>44112937
>>A wrong choice might throw SRDI off the right trail. Just report things as they are and don't try to speculate.

Easy to say shinigami or something else. I bet something here used those tags as a wide blocker to jam communication and sensors from soul society.

Need more info. If we investigated instead of watching him we might of gotten more.

>>44113069
Hollows can read if they are old enough to have the mental capacities for speech in the first place! Since they read, they could potentially write as well, but most Hollows don't have the right physique for it.

>>44112937
>A wrong choice might throw SRDI off the right trail. Just report things as they are and don't try to speculate.
Time to be boring and responsible!

>>44112937
>This must be the work of a Shinigami. Alert HQ to the presence of a potential rogue.
I don't know, have there been cases of a spiritually sensitive human being able to cast kido after learning the incantations? Maybe ask Urahara that really quick. Because my assumption at least is that only a shinigami soul can use shinigami magic and hollows, quincy, and other forms of spiritually sensitive human are incapable of the demon arts.

>>44113159
Like I guess the way I figure it is, even if they have their own reishi, anyone other than a shinigami can say as many incantations as they want, but it'll never be anything but bad poetry, I assume the same is true for a more complicated ritual.

>>44112937
Can we tell if the blood came from a living human or a ghost/shinigami?

>>44113223
A living human.

>>44112937
>This must be the work of a human. Alert HQ to the presence of a potentially malicious spirit sensitive.

>>44112937
Have we heard of spells being cast through this means before? And in general, are there any rituals like this that can be cast by someone with a low amount of spiritual power?

>>44112937
>A wrong choice might throw SRDI off the right trail. Just report things as they are and don't try to speculate.

>>44113289
Why do you think it's a human?

>>44113434
a hollow would most likely lack the intelligence or motivation to do something this elaborate. and the living human blood means that at least one human is involved somehow, maybe not willingly but still involved nonetheless

>>44113418
Some spells are too taxing to use for one person, such as large, city-spanning barriers or kido-based communication networks, so they are usually used by several practicioners at the same time to share the toll between several people without sacrificing any effectiveness.

Alternative means are available for lone persons wishing to compensate for insufficient spiritual power, but the spell is going to be much weaker and much more unwieldy as a result. This is an example of one of those means.

Closing the voting in 5 more minutes!

>>44113508
But how would a human know to block signals from seireitei? It must be a shinigami

>>44112937
>This must be the work of a Shinigami. Alert HQ to the presence of a potential rogue.

>>44113514
>Some spells are too taxing to use for one person
Or you get a Captain to do it, but I doubt they can usually be bothered. And I also doubt any of them are around.

>>44112937
Voting over, writing!

>>44113514
Insufficient as in by the standards of an average shinigami, or more just insufficient by the standards of several shinigami working together?

I guess I'm more wondering that if blocking communications was the purpose of the spell, would pulling it off successfully require a higher amount of reishi than normal? Or could, say, we do it?

This situation is starting to sound like a science experiment.
Hollow with weird powers (probably artificial), and a barrier set up to prevent SS interfering?

>>44113640
The biggest problem Ryouta would face in trying that is that he does not know the spell, so he can't gauge its difficulty as a result!

>Insufficient as in by the standards of an average shinigami, or more just insufficient by the standards of several shinigami working together?
Spells vary in their demand of spiritual energy depending on their rating. But even with that in mind, large-scale barrier spells, as a rule, are much more taxing than their same-rank, non-barrier equivalents, as they need to be constantly maintained with spiritual power over a (usually) wide area. So it really varies depending on who uses it, what is being used, and how wide they want it to be.

>>44113732
Yeah I'm beginning to wonder if this is an asinine test Urahara set up somehow. But I don't really know what there is to gain?

>>44113774
So have there been cases of non-shinigami using kidou? Or even other working magic traditions that are written in Japanese?

I don't think anyone but a shinigami can know demon magic, so

>>44113946
That's what I'm thinking, but apparently it was still a matter of question. Like if our guy is really smart and his choices are informed by that, the fact that human and hollow were even listed as possibilities seems to indicate that it's not quite a slam-dunk somehow?

>>44113987
Could be quincy Ginto I suppose.

>>44113987
Well even espada didn't know demon magic, and how would humans know it? And as far as we know quincy are extinct.

>>44114174
What's more, I assume japanese is the native language of the spirit world, and knowing foreign human languages is a rare gift from what we learned. And this is japanese demon magic scroll in a german town? Shinigami is the healthiest guess.

>>44114174
>Aizen
>Caring enough to Teach his subordinates anything
Pick one and only one.

>>44114174
The Espada like all Arrancar were part Shinigami, they probably could have learned kido if someone had bothered to teach them.

Arrancar with kido is a terrifying and awesome thought by the way.

>>44113006
>>44113082
>>44113154
There's no reason to make assumptions with as little data as you currently have. Guessing isn't an option; you can't risk throwing the SRDI off the right trail. You think you've seen everything this town has to offer. By now, the sun has set. You've spent some hours on your investigation, and then a few more to stalk the location at which you've discovered your vital clue. You assumed that, since the other papers were picked up, this one would be as well. But nobody came.

It's time for you to leave. The 8th must have been notified about their losses by now, so they're most likely sending someone to look over this town in Satoshi's place, whether he's dead or recovering.

This is a small town, so a high amount of death is unlikely. It should be easy to manage this area, and nothing should go awry without the constant presence of a Shinigami. You wonder if that's why Ito Satoshi grew lazy. Can that really happen to people?

Either way, you've alerted the 12th of your return and you were granted the go-ahead. Urahara Kisuke wishes to debrief you personally.

...

When you arrive on the other end of the Senkaimon, you're greeted by Kagaku Oto, who seems mad that you took so long, and that the Captain had forgotten about him, and that the Lieutenant is a very mean person who doesn't care about her subordinates.

He leads you to Urahara's office, though it takes a few minutes for the man to arrive. The office looks dusty and unused, the desk occupied by large stacks of papers that look like they haven't been touched for a while. Perhaps the Captain doesn't use this place. Oto takes his leave, keeping at a safe distance from everyone else in the room. You're left alone with the blond haired scientist, who still looks like he hasn't properly washed himself. He tells you to begin, smiling a little bit in something resembling anticipation, so you do as he says.

(1/2)

>>44114424
It takes some time, but you tell him everything that's happened in precise detail. He yawns a few times during the report, but he doesn't interrupt.

"I see. I'm very impressed. That's one of the most detailed reports I've ever heard. I think I'll have my Lieutenant make a transcript." He smiles mischievously. His smirk slowly stoops as he thinks it over more than not at all. "...That's probably a bad idea, actually. Nevermind... Is that all, Ryouta-kun?"

...

>"Yes, that's all."
>"I felt something strange when I was about to take a sample."

>>44114446
>"I felt something strange when I was about to take a sample."
Mention everything.

>>44114446
>>"Yes, that's all."

>>44114446
>"I felt something strange when I was about to take a sample."

>>44114446
I think we might need to do some self-reflection to analyze that feeling first. Like could that have been imposed on us by someone else, via kido or zanpakuto ability, even if it's unlikely they knew what specifically we were doing? DO we know something we shouldn't?

>>44114446
>"I felt something strange when I was about to take a sample."

>>44114446
>"Yes, that's all."
Maybe ask if he'd advise we talk to someone to filter our reports a bit better in the future, or if he thinks we'll get the hang of it with time?

>>44114446
>"I felt something strange when I was about to take a sample."

>>44114446
Lost track of time for a bit there, sorry! Voting over, writing!

>>44114473
>>44114567
>>44114741
"I felt something strange when I was about to take a sample." You say. Urahara's eyes widen a bit with interest, and he silently urges you to go on.

...The problem is that you don't know how to describe it, so you're stumped in a silence. You think you've read about this kind of feeling before. Déjà vu. It's oddly dissimilar to just remembering things, like you thought it would be. You've never felt it before, and you never knew it would be that strong. "A sense of Déjà vu. Like I've done something similar before. Like I knew something that I couldn't have."

"When you were taking a sample?" He asks. You nod, and after some thinking, the Captain can't seem to come up with a suitable explanation. "...I'm not sure, Ryouta-kun. I know you're a smart guy and wouldn't bring it up unless you thought it was important. Have you been hit by that Hollow? No hallucinations? Feel fine? Let me take a blood sample later, I'll look into it."

You nod again. Urahara then continues with the subject at hand after a slight pause.

"We'll have to ask if Satoshi fought that Hollow before. When he wakes up, of course. You saw him use his Shikai to fire off a bolt into the air, but what if he was aiming for something that only he could see? A hallucination."

What the Captain is saying could be true. Satoshi's crossbow doesn't 'home in' on targets; it follows a trajectory that his mind draws at the moment of firing. So in that one instance, he did see his target, and towards it was where the bolt flew.

(1/2)

>>44115229
"When you beat the Hollow, we did receive the readings for its purification. Not to mention that before, we've been receiving Satoshi's Hell Butterflies, so communications weren't disabled when he made his claims. It's far more likely that he's been hallucinating ever since his first message to us." He says. You ask if it's possible that the field was meant for the cellphone rather than the butterflies, but Urahara shakes his head. "The Denreishinki is an unreleased, experimental device still in testing and unavailable to the general public. Its less modern alternative is bulky and rarely used. They must have been aiming to get rid of the butterfly messengers, as they are very small and frail spiritual bodies, but their field also managed to bring down your signal as well. But not on our end. Our sensors must have been strong enough to pierce through. I'll need to think this over for a while, Ryouta-kun, look into some other things."

You nod. After a short silence, Kisuke speaks up again.

"Do you have any questions? Either way, you've done a great job, Ryouta-kun. We'll be trying to get Satoshi back in action and see where that leads us. I think you deserve to take a break. You haven't had a vacation in a long time, have you? Perhaps you're tired, and that's why you're feeling strange things. All work, studying, and then more work. I've gotten used to that sort of routine a long time ago, but I know that most people wouldn't wish it upon their enemies. So, take a break, like a month or so, Ryouta-kun. Visit your mother, maybe> I'll contact you if anything important comes up, and, well, I'll keep you up to date on this."

...

>Say your thanks and take your leave.
>Ask Urahara Kisuke a question. (Write-in).

>>44115289
Who do you think was behind this? I'm guessing a shinigami must be involved somehow, due to the fact that the spell was designed specifically to interfere with communications with soul society.

>>44115289
>>Say your thanks and take your leave.

This is the part where we waste 29 days getting the shit beat out of us to up or END, and then on the last we visit our mother, right?

>>44115289
Ask if he knows if there's a reason why the spell would be printed on paper that normal humans can see, as opposed to paper from the soul society?

Also was that one paper left behind due to carelessness, or as a taunt?

>>44115289
>Ask Urahara Kisuke a question. (Write-in).
if he has the same spiritual sickness that the townspeople are coming down with should the 4th be notified of the potential risk?

>>44115357
The latter he probably doesn't know, but I am curious about the former. Like doesn't that run the risk of just some normal human removing the paper, thinking it's graffiti?

>>44115364
The current theory is that the hollow has been causing the disease, so contagion isn't really a factor.

>>44115357
>>44115349
>>44115364
"Should the 4th be notified of Satoshi's potential disease?"

"There is probably no need. The pieces in him aren't going to spread around... most likely. And with the purification of the Hollow, they are probably gone completely. Even if that isn't the case, a strong soul should be able to get rid of any foreign spiritual bodies in it by virtue of spiritual pressure alone. Satoshi is probably capable of that. But, well, I'll run some tests and confirm it. Though, it's not looking very good for the humans, Ryouta-kun. When they die, their souls might recuperate from it, but if their physical bodies were already damaged... there's probably not much else to be done, unless the good German doctors figure out how to treat that kind of internal damage."

It's regretful, but it can't be helped.

"Is there any reason for the spell to have been printed on paper that normal humans can see as opposed to paper from the soul society?"

"That's a very good question, Ryouta-kun! There is no reason. There is actually the risk of someone just removing that tag off a wall." Urahara smiles again. "The only reason I could think of is that he had no alternative. And I suppose that leaves us in a very peculiar position, doesn't it? A human that can use Kido. Sounds like nonsense, doesn't it? We've all heard of human occultists and magicians, but they've never actually used Demon Magic as we know it, not to my knowledge. Just pacts with spirits, Shinigami and sometimes even Hollows. That's how it seemed like magic... But I digress, Ryouta-kun."

He scratches his stubble, the smile disappearing. "I'll have to look into it. Honestly, this is probably the worst scenario out of them all. If you couldn't sense him, that means he knows how to hide. And that means we'll have to somehow look through an entire country with no reliable means of confirming his identity." The Captain sighs. "...I'll figure out how to catch him. You take a break, alright?"

...

File: the realest paper in the world.png (595 KB, 1000x1000)

595 KB PNG

>>44115674
Ending thread for tonight, it's getting really late!

I'm afraid there won't be a thread tomorrow! It's still that time of the year with the exams and all! This week's the last one, and then I can finally cut loose.
But either way, next thread will be announced on twitter:
https://twitter.com/Mushroomgami

If you have any feedback or questions, shoot them my way!

Thanks for reading!

>>44115717
Thanks for running! Yay, I found a clue!

>>44115674
Is there a reason why a shinigami deserter/someone who faked their death isn't being considered as a possibility?

>>44115911
You mean they hang out in a gigai as a permanent way to stay off the radar?

>>44115911
Partly because there's an entire military force dedicated to tracking down and killing/capturing people like that, I think.

There are even times they chase people down for considering treason.