The Aftermath [Finished]

[Kouzetsu Gin]

[This post is before both meetings in the Shichisou, and is only extended to Kings and Elders and other Uprights directly effected by the tragedy.]

Gin arrived at the site of the massacre with the sun high in the skies of the second layer. Standing their in presence of the crumbled castle that once housed the former King and her former servants. Unfaded by the gore and destruction, Gin's source of disgust come from his own person feelings of failure. The attack on the second layer happened a short time after his coronation, Gin did well to hide his self disappointment from the eyes of his subjects.

"Einjheriar, report to me if their are any residual traces of magics left inside of this rubble." Gin said as he waited for the arrival of the other Kings and Elders.

[Mikage Tsubasa]

Tsubasa's frown was only an echo of how she felt on the inside about the look of this layer. Everything that was Haruhi's palace had been brought to the ground in heaps of rubble that almost physically pained Tsubasa's heart to see.

And slowly, slowly, she was churning the feelings of sadness on the inside to anger.

She couldn't stand that things were the way they were. Everyone in her being called for immediate action, that someone should have been sent to both Heaven and Hell to inquire on this.

What made her even more upsset was that she didn't know exactly who was responsible for this. Personally, she wanted to use this to fuel anger within the angels so that they could attack Hell effectively, but she knew that Kouzetsu wouldave her wings for it. Not to mention that for all of her anger, she just didn't think that this was something that the Yami-ou would, may the bitch die in Hell. Sanada was more cunning, a bitch of a woman who tended to turn one person to her cause and watch as the dice of that person's associates slowly came to her as well. She was much too stupid to do something like this.

That didn't leave too many other options. The Ishii Shoko, perhaps? Karasu Itsuki? Those were the other names that came to mind, and she eliminated those options as well. Shoko was not the type to destroy things and run. He would be a fool and present his devistation to those that he attacked, and had he done so the building would have been smoking from his offensive bombs.

She knew that there was something else at work here, something so insignificant that it had slipped through the cracks.

"If I find this accursed brute, I will rip his head from his shoulders and break his body to pieces to feed to Devlin."

Hearing his name, the spirit appeared next to her as though he had been there the entire time, and he looked around, whistling, "whoo...someone sure fucked this place up...goddamn it..."

Tsubasa glared at him from the corner of his eye, and he fell silent.

[Shirogane Yamashiro]

Yamashiro had no choice but to agree with the no-so-poignant words of Tsubasa's counterpart. The entire palace was wrecked; there was nothing left but large stones that used to make up the massive, ornate structure.

"The chances of this happening by coincidence are slim. This was an intentional attack. By someone who has a vendetta against us. It is possible that this was the work of someone who decided to betray us...it is the sort of thing that would convince someone that they were very much against us..."

Yamashiro was sure that Kouzetsu had some other details that his own personal team were going to relay when the time came. He was only naming probable conjectures, and he put his finger on anything definite--there were too many possibilities.

[Isurugi Mei]

Mei came onto the scene with eyes wide open in awe. She couldn't believe that something like this could happen, and it happened right under her realm too, it could have been her realm. She was silent as she stood there scanning the entire area. Only one thought came up.

"Hellion beast! Only a Hellion beast could do such a thing! Gin, we need to hurry up and get our armies trained so we can retaliate. I knew those heathens couldn't be trusted!" She shook her fist in anger while her yells pierced through the quiet air full of the stench of those that died.

[Death]

Death had found his most annoying job as of late to be very infuriating. He arrived in the niisou with a wave of furry pulsating about him as he moved through the rubble checking off names. He had passed the sudden appearance of multiple irreversible death's as a mistake in the list. Of course..it had never happened before, he just didn't think such atrocity was possible. He was all the more bothered that he found not a soul capable of telling him what had happened aside from the repeated.

"He came from no where..he attacked us..he killed us. It happened so fast."

He became infuriated when the souls he harvested told nothing of the culprits weapon, looks anything. The most he got was a bunch of stuff about a black cloaked figure with a cloud of haze about him. He was becoming all the more agitated by the souls that refused to accept there death. This one in particular was gazing at the rubble in shock as Death neared him.

"It is time for you to step into the portal boy."

He checked off the name and started to move away, most celestials he'd sent off understood that death was death..no questions..but not this one. He lunged out and grabbed Death's cloak.

"No..I'm not Dead, why are you doing this. You must find the killer, he's slain so many.."

At this Death's agitation was felt as he rounded on the soul, whom was thrown into the portal by Sa-des before Death could do something he wasn't supposed to. He sighed and strolled briskly to the malikite standing near him, he was curious as to his business here. He had arrived and addressed a group of warriors that looked a bit familiar, all looking very capable at that.

"You there, what is your name? Do you know what ghastly event has ravaged this place?"

[Uesugi Lailis]

Lailis had never cared for Haruhi--she was a vampire, and therefore Human--but she didn't deserve this. Lailis could nothing but shake his head as he looked at the debris. Nothing salvageable was left of the castle, and families from the layers were left to dig through the debris to see who had died in the collapsing of the building. He didn't think that they deserved it.

But despite this, there was a portion of him that wondered how Kouzetsu was going to deal with this problem. And so, he waited there for a reply from their King, to see what his next measure was going to be.

[Tsubarisu Hotaka]

Hotaka arrived shortly after the others with Joan at his side. Hotaka kept a very stern expression upon his face as he gave the destruction a once-over. He placed his arm around Joan to comfort her. Then awaited his Commander's first orders.

It was through situations like this that the Commander could really shine. Keeping ones emotions in check even after such a jarring could prove to be quite beneficial.

[Mikage Tsubasa]

"We need to get this investigation started," Tsubasa said. "Gin, what would you have us do? We cannot all stand here and gawk like idiots at the damange. We must take action. That is why we are all here. You are King; give orders," she said in a demanding tone.

Mimiko, she was sure, was still in tears, and she would not have this bunch of fools hesitating before an incident that will effect the entire Realm.

[Einjheriar]

Following Gin's orders the Einjheriar broke into formation, as they began to inspect the rubble for traces of magical residue that my have been left by the assailant. After several minutes of inspection, the gather warriors stood before the leader and Ha-ou, Kouzetsu Gin, prepared to divulge there information.

"I find nothing indicating use of Force sir, the building seems to have crashed in from internal stress, it was not forced into rubble." Kogane answered.

"There is no illumination coming from the place, and the grounds don't have the scent of hearted air that would come from lightning. I'm getting nothing for Light sir." Aoi replied.

"There are no signs of scotching or a leftover heat signature, I'm getting nothing for Fire sir." Akai responded.

"There earth has not been moved or disrupted, the foundation of the castle was affected after the place went to shit, not before, I'm getting no Earth signs." Midoriiro said bluntly.

"The place seems to have been ripped apart sir, Tsubasa-sama was right, the Chaos residues are of the scales here." Murasaki said in amazement.

"There are no signs of precipitation, or erosion that may have been caused by water. Nothing has been warped from rapid swelling, and the area has not been toxified. Water was not the culprit here today." Dou said in a shallow voice.

"No darkness was used sir. when I investigated eariler, nothing indicated Dark." Kuro said.

"I sense another party at work here. The assailant did not act alone. The magics used were another source, their traces are left in the viscous blood that doesn't belong to the victims, alot of it is still corroding the grounds. Still the sprite, if present, was not here it seems, as they left no trace of their presence other than the corrosive liquid that destroyed this place." Shiroi said sighing at the carnage.

"Metal wasn't used." Kaihaku said in a deep, gravely voice.

"Nothing was blown or moved from its places, also there are no signs of a breeze in the surrounding, or even a cloud of dust to signify use of Wind sir"Orenji said.

"I concur with Dou-dono, the ground's temperature remains the same, an their is no excess precipitation, Ice was not used here either." Kiiro

Kasshoku looked at Gin and the other's before he made his report. After the rest of the Einjheriair gave the nod, he entered their minds to see what they knew and hadn't said, to appropriately form an explanation of the catastrophe. "Sir, I have scanned the place and I have come to find that none of the wounds here were self inflected, and no items that were strewn about have any telekinetic traces on them, leaving Mind out of the picture.

"From scanning the rest of our group I've deduced that our culprit is a Chaos practitioner, undoubtedly aided by a sprite, who did not physically manifest as they left no traces outside of whats visible. Sir I suggest we unravel the rubble to look for the survivors as quick as possible. If there are any of them left, they can offer more on the culprit. Kasshoku said apathetically,awaiting further orders.

[Kouzetsu Gin]

"Very well then Kasshoku, all those who possess Ruling Elemental Spiriits call them forth now." Gin said placing his sword firmly into the ground. Walking past his Einjheriar, Gin walked over to personally instruct those gathered in their tasks.

"Mei and Hotaka, use you elements of Mind and Law to find survivors amongst the rubble, focusing on those who are most likely to survive this devastation. Tsubasa, uses your Chaos to nullify the effects of the magic done here so no one will be hurt or hindered by what remains of it here. Einjheriar, formation Theta-187, body removal and inspection, I want this place dissected and inspected further promptly. Exercise caution, do not work too hastily as to impair the Kings fro there assigned tasks." Gin said, walking over to address the elders, outside of Tsubasa to whom he had assigned a task, gathered not to far from the rubble.

"Elders, I will require that you refrain from helping here outside of inspection. I will need your wisdom and insight to see what may be missed or skipped as the Kings, Tsubasa, and my own Guard have been given their orders. I shall remain here next to you as we discuss what unfolds here today. If and when the opportunity presents itself, we may have to enter the foray, but until the remain here alongside me." Gin said firmly as he turned his attention back to the task hand, the excavation of the fallen palace of the Second Layer of Heaven, an the answers that may lie beneath its rubble.

[Isurugi Mei]

Mei sighed and called for her sprite, "Michael!" He appeared out of her hair as a silver light and began circling around her head as she sat down to concentrate on her powers. It would be hard to use Mind on people that she couldn't see but it wasn't going to stop her from trying. Silver light began to pulsate outwards in timed intervals like a sonar to detect any conscious minds.

She furrowed her brow when she detected something. "I feel something. Its faint. It feels like its slipping away." She tried to reach into the person mind then. Hold on. There is help on the way. Just hang on a little longer.

She could hear the person trying to respond back. What?... Is this Death?...I can't...I..feel like...I'm slipping.

Mei clenched her teeth.NO! Just hang on! We have people on there way for you. Could you tell us what happened?

It...all...of...sudden...panic...and chaos...Everyone running. I don't...know.

What? I don't understand, you have to be clear. Come on! Just hang on and tell us what happened.

It was too late, the guy she got in touch with was gone and she hung her head. "No. I lost them. I asked what happened but he couldn't say. He just told me that people were running around panicking. I'm gonna try again to see if I can find some more people." She let out a sigh again and begin concentrating once more.

[Tsubarisu Hotaka]

Hotaka searched even after hearing Mei's discouraged tone. He was determined to get to the bottom of this. Using Frederick's magic, Hotaka stood in the middle of the room.

"Prepare yourself Frederick." Hotaka ordered as Frederick appeared next to him.

Placing one hand behind his back then looking over at Frederick. Hotaka nodded and got himself into a ready position.

"Mirror me." Hotaka commanded.

Hotaka and Frederick stepped forward with their left arms behind their backs and their right hands extended forward but bent at the elbow. They both had their middle and index fingers extended and begin and elegant dance around the center of the room. All the while spelling out the words "Illuminated survivors". The movement served to spread the magic around the area. Suddenly Hotaka stopped and told Frederick to hold his pose. He ran up to a man light was fading fast. He cleared the rubble away and sat the guy in the middle of the floor.

"Joan." Hotaka said raising his hand as she hastily rushed over to him and sat a large bag down beside him.

This man had various shards of shrapnel embedded in his body from the cave in. Hotaka removed the shrapnel from the most vital parts of the body first. He pulled a scalpel from the bag and cut along the piece of shrapnel near the mans left lung. Hotaka then shook his hand and called forth his Healing magic and traced the line of the former injury with his finger. Hotaka then placed two fingers to the mans jugular and felt no heartbeat. The light around the man was especially faint. Hotaka took his glowing hand and gave the man a light thump to the area his heart might be. He checked the pulse again and it had began to beat once more. The light shone a bit brighter.

Hotaka then ordered Joan to remove the shrapnel from his body while he performed his healing. Aside from the man's life the next most important part were his vocal cords. Hotaka pushed one of the mans nerves near his spinal cord and knocked him out. He didnt want the man to experience anymore pain if he didnt have to. Hotaka took the scalpel and cut open the man's combining both the Law and Healing magic to hold back the blood and allow it to flow normally while he repaired the mans vocal cords. Hotaka traced the mans vocal cords with his glowing finger and heard the man let out a very audible groan.

Hotaka used a bit more healing magic to close the man's neck. He then sat him up and used a bit more magic to wake him from his sleep. The man looked shocked. Hotaka smiled and stood the man up pointing him to the direction of Gin.

"You have been saved friend. Please tell us who did this to you." Hotaka said after giving Joan a bit of healing magic to go a heal the other illuminated survivors with Frederick's help.

[Upright Angel NPC]

"Thank Genbu you came. I... I.. dear Gods, I'm alive." The upright stammered as he looked upon his rescuers. "It was horrible, truly horrible. We were inside the castle, tending to the grounds in Morita-sama's absence, and then everything went into disorder. These... These... orbs... red orbs and swords pierced the walls of the castle, tearing everyone to pieces. They attacked wantonly, targeting no one in particular, and soon after the building shook and crumbled, killing those of us who weren't ripped to pieces." The upright sobbed incessantly, visible shaken as he remained on the ground near Gin's feet.

[Mikage Tsubasa]

Tsubasa was glad that there was a survivor that could be saved from this disaster. Having been given her orders by Kouzetsu, she set off immediately. Devlin, who was already standing next to her, did not need the command that the Kings had given to their own unruly spirits; he simply took her look as a sign that he was to begin.

Devlin began to walk quickly around the area of the massacre, the blood looking as though it was giving off steam as he absorb the residual energy. There wasn't much left, so many hours after the incident, but the trails of blood all combined together produced a reasonable signature--it would be impossible to not know that the wielder of this magic had used Chaos.

"Done," was the only word Tsubasa spoke after receiving her orders.

[Hanajima Satori]

"...are you sure that we should do this?" Satori asked himself quietly, but then shook his head. Orders from the King were orders, and he was not going to dispute Kouzetsu's words.

Seeing that there were survivors, but that they were rather disoriented after such a sudden attack, he posed a question to his Ha-ou. "Gin...do you think that we could--that I could--see if there are any spirits around? I mean...if you don't think its a good idea..."

And he waited to see what his King's answer would be.

[Isurugi Mei]

Mei was also relieved that there was someone was alive and ok. "I'll use Mind to contact the survivors and reassure them that help is on the way."

Mei closed her eyes and concentrated on all the survivors that Hotaka illuminated. Hold on, help is on the way. We're coming with some aid. Just sit tight. Mei opened her eyes once more and felt better now that she let them know that help is on the way.

[Kouzetsu Gin]

"Sir, we shall find the man who committed the egregious action, and slaughtered our people." Gin said helping the shaken man to his feet. "Kuro, remove this man, take him to the closest medical facility for further treatment and rendezvous with me later." Gin said.

Gin was perturbed by Satori's sheepish demeanor, feeling his uneasiness was out of place in a situation so dire. "Very well Satori, if you do detect any spirits, bind them to this place if possible. All the evidence we can muster will be needed here, and Satori, try not to stammer whilst you speak, it does not show conviction. I am aware that this is a gruesome scene, but please, stay your feeling and do not let them hinder you here, not when Heaven needs you." Gin said, starring intently into Satori's bespectacled face. "Inform me of the murmurs of the dead if at all possible as well." Gin said turning away to address the others.

"Death, continue to remove the disposed in conjunction with Satori, only remove the spirit who can offer no information vital to this investigation." Gin said firmly as he continued to watch the investigation unfold.

[Death]

Death was glad to see the process of the investigation run so smoothly. He felt a sense of pride to have one of his own in charge finally. He felt honored to be of assistance as well when Kouzetsu made his demands. He naturally would have continued, but it was nice to feel as if he was part of the flow for once. Death saw to his job being fulfilled, he checked off the spirits that could offer no assistance and sent them on their way. He was sure that they would only hinder things by remaining, so he swept them away quickly. As he questioned each soul he began to grow weary of the repetition of responses.

Sa'des spoke out from beside him, appearing in her human form. Her body cloaked completely as she murmured to him. "This is a waste of time. All of these people were slaughtered without a single one getting a good look at the culprit. Not one of them thought to pull away his hood?"

Death felt that she should understand that no one faces the blade as it crashes down on them. These people had been ripped apart by an unknown assailant and the smashed beneath their own building. Death was very much angered by this, he wanted blood. His soul burned with a strong desire to see punishment, but he quelled that flame knowing he could do nothing. It was a painful job to honor a contract with lost Gods.

Thinking of this atrocity though, where was the motive. No angel, fallen or otherwise had attempted such a haphazard attack, and only on a single building at that. There was no reason behind it unless the entire of hell wished to strike a cord of insecurity in the heart of heaven. Though, as Death observed the investigation he came to the conclusion that the Ha-ou had reason to believe hell hadn't done this. If it had been they would care less about the culprit and more about preparation. Death shook his head free of these thoughts however, it did not concern him. He was merely the escort of the dead, no more, no less.

[Hanajima Satori]

"All the evidence we can muster will be needed here, and Satori, try not to stammer whilst you speak, it does not show conviction. I am aware that this is a gruesome scene, but please, stay your feeling and do not let them hinder you here, not when Heaven needs you."

As Gin said those words, Satori almost instinctively jumped. He had heard more hurtful comments about his timid nature, but for some reason Gin's stung a little more than usual. However, the Elder managed to keep his composure, as with a small whisper he summoned his Ruling Spirit, Aura.

"Show me the spirits of the dead..." he said in a firm tone, and she stood there, the transparent outline of a little girl with cute features. Taking a step forward, Satori kept walking until he had passed through his spirit and continued on.

What he saw almost made him drop to his knees. There were dozens of them, perhaps even more than one hundred. The second layer of Heaven looked as though Aura had inverted the colors--everything was dark and things were outlined in a misty aqua and white mix...the color of spirits.



The spirits around swirled about, some caught screaming in the anguish of their death, others knowing that they were dead and huddled and crying over the fact. They were all waiting for Death to collect them--at least the ones who knew nothing about the assailant.

There were other spirits, too, engrossed in a dark color and laughing, talking amongst themselves. Satori knew that these were the spirits of Chaos element, those that were created by the energies released in the attack.

Satori would speak to them as well. He was not worried or timid; the dead couldn't hurt him--he was almost more at peace in this version of Heaven than the one that he lived in. Everything was peaceful...and quiet, outside of the sounds that the spirits themselves made.

"Ugh..." Satori heard, and he whipped around. There was a spirit of a guard fallen on the ground. He looked as though he was weeping as he looked up at the Elder, even though his tears wouldn't show here.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Satori knew that spirits were sensitive about whether or not they were dead, and so he spoke to it as though this were a normal situation, and they were both in the world of the living. "You were the first at the gate. Did you see the one who destroyed the cathedral?"

The spirit looked surprised. "Destroyed the...no! They got to the cathedral?!"

"Yes," Satori said. "But things are okay," he told the guard. "We have thing under control...I just need to know who it was that attacked you."

"Well, my partner and I..." He looked to the side to another spirit lying on the ground, unmoving; Satori supposed that his partner hadn't come to as a spirit yet. "We couldn't do anything. First, we were just standing there, doing our job, and when this guy came...he was cloaked...he started doing something, said that the King was dead, and...and...then I was..." the realization manifested itself as shock on his transparent features. "I was ripped in half...I--I'm dead..." He began to feel upon himself to see if he could tell that he was dead. No visible signs except for the state of color in the world, and that was something that this spirit couldn't see.

He began to weep. "Morita-sama...is dead...!!!"

This fact began to sink into Satori's brain, and out in the world of the living, his body repeated the words he spoke.

"Haruhi...is dead?"

Where he was however, with spirits walking about him, he staggered forward. Who would kill Haruhi and why? Traveling around, he discovered that outside of the guards most of them hadn't stood a chance. And those who had tried to fend him off were too busy trying to protect that ended up being killed anyway. No one saw his face. They just saw blood, and lots of it.

There were quite a few chaos spirits floating around, but after hearing that Haruhi was dead Satori was not in the mood to speak to them. He was not going to. Hastily turning back the way that he came, he all but ran to Aura when he called her. This was important news.

When her body appeared, floating in midair, Satori suddenly remembered that he was to bind all helpful spirits so that they could still speak. When he ran into her body, this time, he fused with her, sending an invisible force to wrap itself around the spirit that he had spoken to first and his companion--if he came to, he might have seen something that the other didn't.

After binding the spirits, Satori disconnected himself from Aura, and walked through her, using her as a portal once again to arrive back in the world of the living.

His corporeal form fell upon the ground, shivering. He was panting heavily. "Haruhi...is dead..." he pointed ahead at the two spirits now visible to those who stood around him. "They...were the first attacked...the killer told them..."

Not forgetting his job, he looked up at Kouzetsu. "Also, sir...there are a number of Chaos sprites that have been created by the residual magic here. No doubt that he was using chaos...."

[Kouzetsu Gin]

"Chaos, I see." Gin said calmly as he helped Satori to his feet. "Everyone continue to to proceed with the excavation of any and all potential survivors. Einjheriar, I want all the intact cadavers you can find, a physical and magical autopsy must be made to further determine the true identity of the culprit." Gin said as he walked over the remaining Elders. "Do either of you have anything to add?" Gin asked the remaining elders who had yet to add anything toward the investigation.