This is a remade version of Ganta's Kurieitã. I talked with Ryuu for a while and it did turned out to be an extremely OP zanpakuto. Using elements of both my original Kurieitã, and elements from Ryuu version that he posted on the Make your own zanpakuto thread, I remade my zanpakuto.




Zanpakuto name: Souzounushi (Creator)

Appearance: On it’s sealed state it resembles a normal katana. The wrapping on the handle is black and golden with a pure golden frame.

Release command: Tsukuru

When released his blade becomes a parang (an indonesian sword), with a golden blade and handle, and a black ring down on the handle.

Shikai ability: His zanpakuto only displays its effects when its blade is used to hurt someone. If he manages to cut someone, it will open a wound in the person. Only the wound is not normal, but displays spatial distortion. The inside of the wound is pitch black and it has no known dept. However, the wound will grow more and more, slowly overtaking the body of the person slashed, until the person itself simply seizes to exist. If the wound manages to be closed however, the effect will not take place. By using a determined amount of spiritual energy, the wound may be kept from growing, or even heal. A wound caused on an opponent will take 10 minutes to completely overtake an opponent. Its growth can be halted by constantly channeling spiritual energy through the wound; if a victim with reiatsu equal in strength to the wielder constantly channels spiritual energy through the wound the growth of any wound inflicted can be reversed (i.e. the wound gradually shrinks in size until it no longer exists) or if a victim has weaker reiatsu than the wielder they must channel a considerably larger amount of spiritual energy through the wound to reverse the growth of any wound. Victims that have reiatsu stronger than the wielder automatically reverse the growth of any inflicted wound.

Bankai: Sekai no Souzounushi (creator of worlds)

An immense power surge will be noticeable in comparison to his Shikai form, but no changes are apparent, even on the sword shape or length. This is because the energy is used to create a pocket dimension to which only Ganta has access. Ganta can however bring any foreing object inside of it. To do so all that is required is to touch the object in question. No word, or phrase of incantation is required, only his mere intention. When he does so, both Ganta and the object that he touched will be brought inside this pocket dimension called Mirror World (Mirã no Sekai) along with any other object in a 45m radius. The pocket dimension receives this name because it is a perfect copy of the world from which they came. This, along with the inability of anyone noticing any form of change in energy, turns into impossible the task of knowing when being brought into Mirã no Sekai (with Ganta being an exception). While inside this dimension, Ganta can cause the same type of wounds as before. However, it now also constantly saps reyryoku from the one that was cut. Each wound saps approximately 0.5% of ones reyryoku every minute. Of course the number may be bigger or lower, depending on the person that was cut. While inside this dimension, anyone that was brought into it, including Ganta’s allies, will start suffering from spatial disorientation (again Ganta being an exception to this rule). He also gains the ability of creating portals to which he can channel Kido trough. Every portal needs to have a pair from which everything that goes into one, gets out the other. This can turn a Kido route virtually impossible to predict, especially if the person trying to dodge it, or block it, is under the effect of Mirã no Sekai for to long. Ganta can leave this dimension anytime he wants by touching one of the objects that were transported into his dimension and simply having the mere intention of leaving. Again, the transition is impossible to notice by anyone but Ganta himself. The object does not need to be the one that he touched in order to transport there, but merely any object that was brought into the dimension. However, while in order to bring someone inside the dimension, anyone in a determined radius will be compromised, in order to leave no such thing happens, and only Ganta and the one he touched will leave the dimension, leaving the others behind.

A person can also force Ganta and themselves along with any other object brought inside it, by depleting all of Ganta spiritual energy, killing him, or breaking his zanpakuto. Independent of the way Ganta and anyone else leave the pocket dimension and where they were while inside it, they will reappear in the original location from which they departed.

Mirã no Sekai can be only be kept by Ganta 10 minutes and no more. This time only counts when inside the dimension however. Whenever he leaves Mirã no Sekai, he needs to recharge in order to go in again. The time to recharge is equal to the time spent inside it. It is extremely dangerous to be inside Mirã no Sekai, after the time runs out, or coming back to it before recharging, as doing so will result in the dimension starting to crumble. If it crumbles, anyone left inside is destroyed along with Mirã no Sekai being Ganta no exception. The dimension can also be completely destroyed by sealing his zanpakuto or simply reverting it to its Shikai state but it is impossible to do so while inside Mirã no Sekai, as a safeguard to Gata himself, or while anyone else is still inside it, as a safeguard to any Ganta considers allies. This can turn this pocket dimension into an efficient prison as well.

In order to know how much time has passed, while inside Mirã no Sekai, the black ring in Ganta’s handle is filled with a golden energy. This golden energy will deplente counter-clockwise as time passes. When there is no time energy left, it means time has run out. Only Ganta is capable of seeing this energy though, so only him knows how much time there is left. When outside the dimension, the energy will start filling the gap inside the ring again, this time clockwise.

[Midnight Silence: Progenitors]
The crisp midnight air blankets the nation of Ukishima Rakuen, with only the shadows moving about the serene landscape. The wind softly blows through the streets of Mujūryoku Seiiki as it proudly remains perched in the sky, far above San’ni. The clouds sluggishly sweep across the sky, blocking the moons lustrous glow from bathing the service. Without warning the sky is cracked open, without so much as a whisper. The vertical bisection begins to peel away like stray ash from a flame. The cinders flutter in the wind, revealing a void of colossal scope. The gaping chasm housed in the sky remains still, as it grows in silence. The only movement exists in its growth, which continues without end. The sky begins to moan as air quickly gushes and swirls, the pressure changing rapidly. The soft, baritone ushers in a magnificently designed palanquin-like object. It floats effortlessly from the depths of the black void, moving in slowly without disruption. The structure continues to exit the mouth in the sky, blanketing the ground with its pristine grandeur. The gaping maw for which it entered this world begins to vanish, allowing the sky to reassemble and piece itself together. The structure remains stationary far above Mujūryoku Seiiki, housing unknown behind its wooden base and quilted exterior. The fabric comprising its exterior separates, leading to the creation of white marble stairs that glide from above to the soil of Mujūryoku Seiiki. A sole foot breaches the outside world, placing itself firmly on the white marble. With slow, methodical elegance four mysterious characters emerge each having a unique and shapely silhouette. They gradually and leisurely descend upon Mujūryoku Seiiki, each stepping rhythmically along the stairs, as if familiar with such routine. They finally assemble and stand in a solid, horizontal row. Their visual makeup is stark and contrasting, their outline defining them even before the light can reveal their appearance.
“Are we certain this is the correct location?”

“I believe we possess the same level of certainty we possessed during our previous encounters.”

“Indeed. The earlier locations were baron, with a couple exceptions.”

“What had you choose this location for our next venture?”

“It was one of the locations I recovered. That and several others.”

“We aren’t capable to making mistakes, so we shouldn’t worry.”

“Yes, all that we do is deliberate and necessitated by the situation at hand.”

“Agreed…” The shadowy figure turns her head and stares into the distance, the wind catching a swatch of fabric on her side and flailing it about. “We have a curious spectator.” The remaining three remain focused, staring forward in a unified direction.

“We must remain attentive to our task. Let the peasant remain observant.”

“The bystander might possess valuable information and may be able to expedite our results.”

“Alright,” the baritone voice adds with a stiffness to his diction. “We shall question the spectator.”

“I can facilitate the questioning. Let’s hope this one speaks more eloquently.”

“They should speak with purpose, not eloquence.”

“Let’s resume our search then.” The female voice echoes in their direction. “Allowing her to engage this shadowy character will ensure our task.” She remains quiet as they all begin moving forward. She stares curiously at Mujūryoku Seiiki, taking notice of its relative grandeur. “It would appear this nation possesses a great amount of sophistication than the last few. It has aesthetic appeal, instead of being lodged in a damp mountainside.”

“Well…” The voice says as she slowly becomes distant, maintaining the same tone. “We are technically housed on a mountain, it just so happens to be in the sky, untethered by the ground.”

“It does possess a magnificence, doesn’t it? Do the servants live below, I wonder?” The man questioned earnestly.

“It’s a shame that...”

“Enough discussion of our surroundings.” The baritone voice comments matter-of-factly. “We are here to determine the cause of these events and shall do so without limitations.”

“Yes, without limitations. I like that idea” Comments the female who casually struts into the city without worry. “My target has leapt into the shadows, hoping to flee…” She observes dispassionately.

The gruff voiced man scoffs and begins walking forward. “Tch...” He grumbles to himself, disapproving silently.

“As if escape is possible…” Comments the confident female voice. “Let’s go after him or her. It makes the most sense.”

“Indeed. We’ll possibly lessen our burden.” The man’s voice is strong, solid, and convincing. He walks forward and stands beside the female bathed in fabric. “Shall we?” He adds politely. They all flash-step, as if they were mentally linked, appearing and towering over a petite woman.

Her mulberry hair glides in the wind as she peers through her eccentric mask, dazzling in its oddity. “You caught up to me. How worrisome.” Stated with humor and sarcasm. “I suspected I was spotted, which means I’m becoming complacent. I’m generally the sneakiest of all the captains. Oh well.” She adds with a breathy sigh, unsheathing her blade simultaneously. “I’ll have aid soon enough, so it won’t be four against one. Not that it matters much. From what I gather, you’re barely a blip on my radar.”

“Interesting.” The armored female utters, staring indifferently at none other than Sumiko Anenokoji. “You use humor to convey confidence, but I sense nothing but fear resonating from you. You attempt to deceive us, but you fail miserably.”

The towering gentleman leans over, staring down at Sumiko. “Why do you wear that face?” He questions. “Is it true? Do you hide behind that face covered in gold?”

“Not real gold, of course.” The lilting voice comments from behind the tall man. She walks between them, gazing at Sumiko. “You try and boast sophistication. I find that odd.”

Sumiko steps back, off-put by the comments being made. She realizes none have unsheathed their blade, though the women clad in armor carries it so casually in her hand. She begins to panic, having realized that her opponents do not fear her. She thinks to herself. “I sense barely any spiritual energy from these four, and yet, they stand before me without a thread of worry. They behave as though I should be afraid. I feel something, too. What is it about them that has me so implicitly concerned? WHAT IS GOING ON?!”

“You backed up.” The soft voiced woman states. She walks toward Sumiko, but she flash-steps from sight.
Sumiko glides through the city, aiming to find aid. Her heart is pounding. She cannot pinpoint the reason for such fear, but she is experiencing it in droves. She thinks to herself. “There is something unsettling about their attitudes in relation to their spiritual energy. It is so ill-proportioned. As if they are...” She suddenly strikes a hard surface, shattering her mask and ricocheting her body to the ground. She looks up to find the four figures standing before her. She leaps back and abruptly releases her Bankai. “BANKAI!!” She screams loudly. “Seichi Fujunji!” She faces them as they stand before her, neither flinching nor drawing their blades. Her eyes widen in shock before shouting. “Norowa re higo!”
The soft spoken woman steps forward, the wind again catching fabric on her body. Before she can reach Sumiko the stern-voiced man grabs her and walks head of her. He scowls with disapproval as he approaches Sumiko, his aged body still radiating a sinewy build. Suddenly a crystal dome erupts from the ground and entraps him. His gaze is unwavering as the structure manifests around his body, eliciting no further reaction from the others.

Sweat beads on her brow as she inhales deeply. She can hear the beat of her heart, thumping loudly and quickly. She thinks to herself. “I have one trapped within Norowa re higo, but I need to somehow get the others…” Her thoughts are interrupted by a monstrous rumbling from within the dome created by her Bankai. She watches in horror as it shatters, the man completely unscathed and unarmed. “How did you…?” She quickly collects her thoughts in a moment of panic and summons her most powerful technique. “Hitokuijinshu Nisesatsu!” A crystal figure appears before her and her body is simultaneously covered in crystal, completely encasing her in glass-like armor. Her eyes examine the doppelganger, having not taken the shape of her opponent. Her insides cower, but she will be unable to respond in time. The glass golem shatters as her body is breached. In a moment of absolute stillness she feels immense pressure reverberating across her body, as if she were experiencing the aftershock of a comet strike. Her glass armor instantly shatters from her entire body, taking flight as her body bends from the pressure. Her opponent’s brawn propels her across Mujūryoku Seiiki. Her slender body sails across the terrain, the force thrusting her body through any and all structures. Her body leaves buildings to crumble as her flesh strikes the concrete and manages compromise its strength. Her mind is blank as she continues to strike one building after another, ricocheting in the end and landing firmly against a stone pillar, now half a mile from where she once stood. Her clothing is shredded, her body bloody and torn, and face worn and barely recognizable.
The powerfully built man hovers over her, staring down at her with unmistakable disgust. He leans down and clutches her by her tattered hair. He lifts her frail, limp body into the air with a single hand. He stares at her, noticing that she is barely conscious. He manages to lock with her one functional eye. “You were never prepared for this, nor would you have been if you had an additional millennium. It is the law of the universe that destines the weak to die at the hands of the mighty. It is for this very reason that we exist. This same incontrovertible truth grants us immunity and the rest extinction.” With those words he raises her and cleaves through her neck, successfully and cleanly beheading the brilliance of Ukishima Rakuen. Her body drops to the ground as he tosses her head to the side. “Let’s go. She was never going to provide us with anything useful.”

[Paradigm Shift]

The sound of a gong being beaten by a stick echoed through the air of Ukishima Rakuen so loudly, it was doubtful that a single soul on the nation’s soil failed to notice it. Four figures walked together at a casual pace through a quiet road, looking entirely unhurried.

“They are only noticing our presence now? My, my. This is quite the peaceful nation.”

“This laxness of theirs is a nuisance. Every minute we spend here is a wasted one.”

“Patience. Sometimes change needs a moment to gain momentum. We’ll get our answer soon enough.”

“So you’ve said. As you did at our last stop.”

“I don’t claim to know precisely how long we must be patient for, my dear.”

All four figures came to a stop simultaneously. Countless figures dotted the perimeter, having appeared there using flashstep to stand on the roofs of nearby buildings and block the path forward and the way back. Yvon Gerard, captain of the 3rd squad, stood at the head of the group, standing right in the four’s path, arms folded across his chest. His eyes narrowed as he noted their eccentric appearances.

“Stop, intruders. From whence do you hail and for what purpose?”

Yvon spoke in a booming, confident voice that served as a signal to his squad members, telling them to wait before attacking. One of the four intruders took a step forward, placing his arms inside the sleeves of his robe, linking them together as he raised his arms in front of him. He made a short bow toward Yvon in acknowledgement.

“Good day. I assume you are a high ranking official of this nation’s military?”

“Indeed. I am captain of the 3rd squad, Yvon Gerard. Do you come on official business?”

“Very much so. We come to speak to you about the current state of the council members.”

“…Council members? What council members?”

“I’m certain you know who I am referring to.” The stranger continued to speak with a polite smile. “Why, none other than the ones you brutally slaughtered.”

There was a beat of silence. Yvon’s eyes narrowed further.

“…Where did you say you were from?”

“I didn’t. May I take that as a confession?”

“Hardly. I have no idea what you’re talking about. What council members are you speaking of? Why would we have anything to do with them?”

The man arched an eyebrow curiously. The older man beside him shifted as he snorted in derision.

“It seems he tells the truth.”

“Oh?”

“It’s not that I ‘don’t know’, but rather I ‘don’t remember’.” Yvon sighed irritably. “Some time ago, I lost my memories in a war with the Gotei 13. If I knew the answer to what you’re asking at that time, I certainly don’t now.”

“I see.”

All of the Shinigami gave a start as they lost sight of the tall man. Yvon kept his arms folded across his chest as he titled his head up to look at the man who towered over him, having closed the distance between them in a mere instant. The man looked right into Yvon’s eyes, as if seeing right into his soul. The harmless expression on the man’s face was far more foreboding than a look of anger or disappointment.

“So if I tell you that the council is the reason you people of the Juzo Hosho sortied to attack the Gotei 13, you still wouldn’t remember?”

“I was told what happened in the war, but I don’t know the details behind the motive.”

“I see.”

The man sighed miserably in acceptance.

“I suppose your ignorance is not your own fault. I apologize for taking your time. Now—if you’ll excuse us.”

“No can do.”

“Pardon?”

“You are an intruder in a foreign land. You’ll come with me so we can get thing sorted out. I may not have been any help, but some of my colleagues may be of help.”

“And if we refuse?”

“Then we’ll use force.”

Yvon raised one hand overhead to signal to the Shinigami to move in and arrest the strangers. But his hand never reached that point. Yvon blinked in surprise as he watched his hand topple to the floor in front of him, having been lopped off at the elbow.

“…Eh?”

Yvon’s remaining hand shot toward his sheathed blade to release it, but it was too late. The moment his hand touched the pommel of his blade, his head was lopped off his shoulders, sailing in a low arc before landing on the ground nearby.

Another chilling silence hung in the air one of the four strangers shifted with a sigh, the nodachi in her hand having remained sheathed.

“Does this satisfy your curiosity, Daikoku? Even after taking the passive route, as you suggested, the result was no better.”

“I believe it’s more of an issue of who we ask, than how.” The other woman noted bemusedly as she turned her attention to the shocked soul reapers that still surrounded them. More legions of soul reapers quickly joined their ranks, having arrived late, closing off even more paths for escape as their formation tightened. Several notable people wearing robes similar to even stood out as they stood before the many soul reapers, weapons already drawn. “The ones wearing masks are the only ones who are likely to have any information, so what say we thin the herd?”

“It’s understandable that they’ll try to respond to us with numbers.” The oldest man’s eyes locked on to a few of the faces of the captains as the four of them stood back to back, each facing a different cardinal direction. “Defeating the strong with numbers is a basic rule of nature. These people would make fantastic herbivores.”

“Kill them now!” One of the captain’s voices roared an order to all of the soul reapers. “Those four are enemies of our nation that took the lives of two captains! Don’t hesitate to kill them now!”

The soul reapers all obediently charged forward, their nameless zanpakutou brandished overhead. The four strangers didn’t move a step as they each casually raised a single hand in unison and spoke a single word.

“Miwohiku.”

What resulted was a forceful rejection that expanded downward, completely mowing down all the nearby soul reapers. Like an every expanding wall, those nearby were crushed, forcing all the others to retreat at once, trying to take cover behind buildings. This proved fruitless, as the buildings were crushed as well, being toppled over and crushed.

The four strangers stood at the epicenter, putting down their hands after a few moments passed. Their surroundings were completely void of life—everything and everyone within a few kilometers had been completely pushed away. No buildings remained, so it was hard to recognize the surroundings as a once inhabited zone. A fifth of the entire soul reaping nation had been destroyed by the single spell.

A single sigh escaped one of the women.

“Are these people truly the culprits we are searching for?”

“We are here to find that much out. Was this not clear from the beginning?”

“I struggle to believe that these people would possess the mental fortitude or resolve to perpetrator such a heretical act.”

“Strength has nothing to do with it. There is no one in any nation who would be able to stand against us after all. “

The woman simply nodded in agreement with the older man’s statement. The elder man turned calmly as he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. The other three spotted the same irregularity a beat slower. Runes etched into the air were floating around them, maintaining the vague shape of a large circle. One of the strangers reached a hand out, but their hand wouldn’t come within an three inches of the runes.

“…A barrier?”

“A seal, I believe.” The tallest man spoke matter-of-factly as he regarded the runes with a sideways glance. “The Juzo Hosho of this nation are well-known for their sealing techniques—they’ve claimed to be the best for many millennia. There are many secrets that they have kept to themselves, so it’s not difficult to understand that they possess some spells we would be unaware of.”

“Ah.” One of the woman perked up as she recalled something. “So those two who were being considered for joining our ranks were from this nation, then? The wielder of Kiwamete and the descendant of that old kido clan? It doesn't seem like that's them over there.”

The woman pointed a finger in one direction, indicating the only other living beings nearby. Three captains donning masks stood at a relatively safe distance, a large rune floating over them, looking as if they’d drawn it. No doubt, it was connected to the sealing spell that kept the four strangers where they were.

“It seems the others are retreating.” One of the strangers noted while looking absently at the sky. “We may be able to guess their destination if we at least see the type of gate they are using. Shall we pursue?”

“Leave them be. It’s only natural to flee when you realize that not even numbers will allow you to overcome your foe.”

The elderly man stepped as close to the invisible wall created by the runes as he could get, looking right in the direction of the three captains with an intimidating gaze. The three captains all grimaced as they instinctively took a step back. Even now, they could feel nothing coming from this man—no heavy spiritual pressure to represent the scale of his strength. And yet the earlier display of strength was proof enough. They knew better than to approach recklessly, choosing to stall from a distance.

“Heed my words and pay them close mind, greenhorns. Change has come to your nation. You need not be concerned about your lack of preparedness—there is no contingency for sudden change. You need not understand what has come to pass. You need only speculate what the future holds for your fates. We are the Agents of Change, the arms and legs of the Council that supervises the many soul reaping nations scattered across the plane of the afterlife. You, the people of Ukishima Rakuen, are hereby charged with the capital offense of treason and plotting against the established system. As the executive punitive force tasked with delivering justice in the name of the absolute law, we have come with your punishment.”

A heavy silence hung in the air as the man paused to take a breath. His gaze remained hard and indifferent enough to strike fear even at this distance.

“Death.”

[Flight Over Fight]


The three Captains in question were Rikaro Nidalia, Kyobo Sodo and Nobuko Wakahisa. They all maintained their distance from the four mysterious intruders and despite their best efforts to hide their fear, were visibly taken aback by the display of raw power the four seemed to possess. Kyobo was visibly shaking in anger as he looked down on the four while Rikaro maintained a stoic front of calmness and Nobuko was trembling in fear very slightly, her inexperience showing.

"Those bastards....those fucking BASTARDS!" Kyobo screamed at the top of his lungs, garnering much unwanted attention as they maintained their positions behind the rune wall without so much as a faint trace of emotion. "I WILL KILL YOU, YOU HEAR?! JUST YOU FUCKING WAIT!! I'LL HAVE YOUR FUCKING HEADS!!!" His hand shot to his zanpakuto handle but was held firmly in place by Rikaro.

"Don't be a fool, Captain Sodo." He said calmly without a trace of emotion in his voice. "You will end up the same as every other poor fool down there. You have enough years under your belt to know this is one fight you cannot win right now."

"Captain Sodo," Nobuko said laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Our orders were only to stall them while the others retreat to the Gotei 13, not to wage war by ourselves." She flinched as Kyobo's raged eyes turned on her. "We've lost enough already. We can't afford to lose you too. You can have your revenge at a later date."

Kyobo's hand reluctantly released his grip on his zanpakuto and fell to his side as a clenched fist. He turned away and walked towards the escape point, wrenching him arm free from Rikaro's grip angrily. "How long will the seal last?" he asked Rikaro through gritted teeth.

"It will only last for another hour at the most." He answered bluntly. "It will be enough time for a majority of us to escape though some of our squad members will not make it and a large majority of the civilians will not be able to make it out either."

Kyobo sighed as he and the others shunpoed to the Senkaimon. "We all knew this day would be upon us at some point, but I never expected it to be so soon." He thought regretfully. "This is a dark day for our nation and to think we might not have a home to come back to if we even manage to survive this."

_________________________________________­___­_


[Play Music]

Moments later the three arrived at the evacuation point. Countless Juzo Hosho squad members were carrying supplies and equipment with them through the Senkaimon as well as guiding the seething hoard of panicking civilians through to the Soul Society. It was a dreadful sight to behold. The Juzo Hosho were having problems maintaining order throughout the throngs of people of were pushing, scream, clawing their way through to the gate leaving many injured or dead amidst the chaos. All the Captains were trying their best to maintain peace along with their squad members but even their presence could not quell them.

By this point it had started raining but this did nothing to quench the fiery situation. Kyobo and Nobuka immediately went to help try and maintain some form of order while Rikaro found Iyashi who was doing her best to keep up morale as well as heading up the operation. At this moment in time she was giving out orders to the Squad 8, 10 and 12 Lieutenants.

"I want Squad 8 focusing on quelling the disorder amongst the civilians. You will be directly under Squad 9's command, they have much more experience in that area. try to minimise casualties where ever possible but any unacceptable behavior should be met with appropriate force." The Squad Lieutenant saluted and quickly ran back to her troops and gave them Iyashi's orders.

"Squad 10 will be escorting the wounded through the Senkaimon. Make sure none of them overexert themselves. I want Jisano helping with this as well, there are far too many wounded for him to be skiving off." The Sqaud 10 Lieutenant quickly departed and gave out the orders. His troops immediately set to work taking the wounded Juzo Hosh and Ukira through the Senkaimon without delay.

Iyashi turned to the final Lieutenant. "Squad 12 will have two jobs. I need half of them to help with Sumiko's mainframe and medical research. That girl was smart enough to think ahead and tell us to remove it, the least we can do is get it safe. It will be invaluable for us." She took a deep breath and wiped her brow. "The other half will go through the other side of the Senkaimon and relay all current information to the Gotei 13 as well as guard whoever has made it through. I want Captain Galio to be on the other side with that half, she's one of the best fighters we have." Squad 12's Lieutenant saluted and ran to her squad, quickly barking out the orders she was given.

"Elder Healer, we have approximately forty five minutes before the sealing spell fades." Rikaro reported bluntly, bowing his head out of custom. "Is there anything else you require of me?"

Iyashi turned to him with a weak smile on her face. "No, you've done a good job Rikaro." She placed her hands inside her kimono sleeves. "I just wish I could end this panic somehow. I'm not charismatic enough to lead this nation."

"I doubt anyone of us could have filled Umemoto's role." Rikaro answered. "I've been around a long time. And despite the fact you are only a temporary leader, you've done a better job than most."

Iyashi ran her hands through her hair, paying close attention to the noticeable streaks of grey they broke up her amethyst locks. "in all the years I've been alive, I have never seen our nation broken this quickly and easily. Even our records do not show such a travesty happening upon our soil. I'm not sure we could ever recover from this fully. We've lost two irreplaceable Captains and friends to these intruders. Only three Captains remain from the Gotei War. This will hit them the hardest of all."

"Well for now we need to flee and lick out wounds. From what I saw of these intruders, none of us could stand a chance in combat against them." Rikaro spoke flatly and objectively. "We need to gather what information we can and formulate a strategy to beat them."

Iyashi sighed heavily. "I just hope we can come up with something sooner than later."

Their discussion was interrupted by a loud shout as both Kyobo and Naoki Himura were trying their best to end a large fight that had broken out between the lower class civilians and the nobles. They put themselves between the two opposing parties and were dealing out punches and bakudo in order to prevent the two factions from tearing each other limb from limb to get through the Senkaimon. the shout had come from Kyobo as one of the nobles had stabbed him with a knife in his lower torso in order to get at the others. Kyobo responded to this by quickly ramming his fist into the face of the noble, breaking several teeth and breaking the man's nose, alongside knocking him spark out. This provoked the nobles into becoming more aggressive with Kyobo as they angrily clawed at him.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!!!!" Iyashi shouted in a thunderous voice that reverberated around the area, causing everyone to look in her direction. "I don't care who started this, I don't care who you are, your social standing, how powerful you are, if I see anymore violence erupting anywhere I will instruct every Captain and Squad member to take drastic action." She paced towards the group of civilians. "We all know not everyone will make it out of here, but all of this pandemonium is not helping matters. If you want to escape, do as you are told and STAY CALM!"

While no answers were made to Iyashi, it was clear every civilian in the area had gotten the message.

"I'm too old for this," She thought as the squads got everything back under way.

[Escaping Change]

“Are we certain this is the right location?”

Utsunomiya stared fondly at the venerable man standing beside her. She tosses the body of a limp Juzo Hosho soldier only to step over his body, grinding her foot into his fleshy back. “Yes, I am certain. This is what he revealed.”

“There is little room for error.” O-Hitei boldly stepped forward, examining the vast landscape of the Seireitei. “This place doesn’t possess the same majestic aesthetic.”

“It certainly doesn’t.” Daikoku towered over the others. He curiously spins in place, taking in the whole area. “What direction shall we travel, Hatsusebe?” He glanced earnestly at his aged comrade, watching as the breeze catches his greying hair.

“We will separate and converge on the tower in the distance.”

“How long are we granted?” He asks politely while examining the flowers beneath their feet.

“One hour.” The elderly agent declares sternly. He abruptly and swiftly pivots, clutching a single blade tightly in his palm. The lines patterning his face are accentuated as he grimaces angrily, holding the young shinigami’s blade tightly in his hand. His eyes, pale from aging, stare contemptuously at the young Shinigami before he quietly strikes him with his other palm. The force of his palm thrust manages to separate the Shinigami from his blade, sending him rocketing into the Seireitei. “Could you truly not sense the magnitude of difference between us? You do not deserve the title of Shinigami.” Without hesitation he breaks the blade in two, treating this steel symbol as one would a sickly branch. “If you are not deserving of the title, you certainly are not deserving of the weapon.”
“That was my subordinate you just disposed of.” A proud, masculine voice bellows from behind them. There stands Captain Junichi Kuwano, of the fifth division, his nose raised to the enemies. He watches as they slowly pivot their bodies, projecting a unified disinterest. He grunts in defiance, drawing his blade just before dozens of officers encircle the enemy. “I have you surrounded, as you can clearly observe. Place your Zanpakuto on the ground and back away from them. Now!”

Utsunomiya stares incredulously at Junichi, examining both his appearance and words. “I find this request peculiar.” She takes notice of her opponent’s gaze, examining Hatsusebe.

“What is a Zanpakuto?” Hatsusebe questioned tersely.

“He’s referring to our blades…” She slides her fingers down the length of Hatsusebe’s blade, peering back at Junichi. “Am I correct? Do you speak of our blades? Is that what you mean when you say ‘Zanpakuto’?” She waited patiently for his response, equally intrigued by his apparent confusion. “Your tongue is still and yet I have come no closer to answering my question.” She leans forward, staring directly into his eyes. She watches as he is still and motionless, frozen in time. His soldiers continue to spectate, unaware that their captain has been compromised. She blinks before straightening her posture and tilts her head toward the others. “These Zanpakuto are nothing more than a vessel reaper.”

“Hmph.” He releases a deep, breathy grunt, displaying little interest in this knowledge. They watch as Junichi stares blankly in their direction. “This peasant is wasting our time.” His fist tightens as his irritation increases.

“I don’t know what you just did, witch, but you will not have another opportunity.”

“He’s quite confident, this one.” Daikoku leans forward, speaking directly into her ear. “This man has no value, otherwise you would have shown more enthusiasm. In that case, why not entertain your earlier notion?”

“He’s about to make a terrible mistake and Hatsusebe will likely want this to be dealt with swiftly. Perhaps after, yes?” She says with a flare of delight in her tone.

Junichi is astonished. His opponents are completely surrounded, and yet, they exhibit little to no interest in their own safety. His eyes narrow as his head falls to the left. “Kill them. I want their blood soaking the soil beneath their feet.”
“What a terrible misstep.” Daikoku observes seconds before all the officers fall to the ground, their bodies mangled and bloody, pouring their nutrients upon the lush, green soil. “As I stated, what a misstep.” He appeared to smile softly, but was quickly brought to attention.

The others watch as Hatsusebe firmly clutches Junichi Kuwano’s neck, digging his fingers into his soft, fragile flesh. The blood rushes from the location of his hold, turning the skin a pale beige. He stares vehemently at the young captain, tightening his grip and reveling in his anguish. He lifts his body off the ground. “You demanded that I dismiss my blade, believing me to be only that of my katana. You foolishly see this world without dimensions, unable to comprehend the complexities that exist alongside your petty existence. It was inconceivable that my hand alone would possess the might necessary for separating you from this world.” He lowers his head, his monstrous gaze still focusing on Junichi. His words are followed by a sickening snap, as he twists his hand, completely shredding the bones inside his opponent’s neck. He tosses his lifeless body to the side before setting his sights toward the city. He quickly turns and cuffs Utsunomiya’s hand, stopping her from collecting energy. “No.” He says gruffly. “Leave his remains intact. If they are allowed to bear witness to the remains of their comrades, I believe this will help our cause considerably. Let’s diverge from this point. We will reconvene at the large tower in an hour.” He and the others flash-step in their respective directions, with the exception of Utsunomiya.
She watches patiently as the others separate, becoming distant. She reveals a coy grin before sliding the tips of her fingers through the mains of hair neatly styled above her ear. “No, I don’t believe I’ll hurry. I’m going to take my time… and savor this exceptional occasion. This moment was intended for exploration. I want to perceive every ounce of this world” Her honeyed words drip from her lips as she strolls through the Seiretei. There is a strange innocence to her movements, contrasting the subtle wickedness of her tone. As she traverses the city, she stumbles upon an unlucky few. “My presence alone is not a deterrent, you need evidence of my lethality. Interesting.” She tilts her head back and peers over her shoulder, leering mischievously.

The foolishly brave officers stand before her, brandishing their Shikai. They examine her attire, taking note of her lavish clothing, assembled by the most gifted artisans. Her kimono appears to pour from her like magma, folding and rippling over itself. Lacing her neck and shoulders is a pure grey stole, which appears to be made of fur. They watch carefully as she turns her back to them, finding no reason for pause. In this instant they charge her, hoping to settle her arrogance.

“In all the nations I have visited, never have I been witness to such hubris. It is as though you have forgotten us. Are we that distant of a memory that I am required to expose you to my spiritual pressure to convince you of my status?” She swiftly spins around and clutches the blade of an officer. She tears it from his hand while simultaneously striking his throat with her hand. His neck cracks and throat hemorrhages as blood oozes from his mouth. She takes the blade she swiped from him and stabs the second assailant in the chest before shattering his humerus with a quick chop of her hand. She lunges forward slightly as the final assailant prepares to impale her with his blade. Without fear she opens her palm and thrusts it forward, allowing the blade to connect with her flesh. To the assailants surprise it bursts into fragments, leaving her completely unscathed. Her other hand is brought forward quickly and thrusts a shard of his shattered blade into his forehead. She pivots her body and leans forward and joins her hands, palm to palm. Fiery blue energy whips through the street, striking her.

“I got h…” The man gapes in shock as she is able to completely sever the flames, causing them to pour in either direction. He watches as she adjusts her posture, her sapphire eyes burrowing into his. He observes her coy smile as she raises her right hand and taps her chest mockingly. His eyes widen and his body falls limply to the ground, his chest now sporting a gaping hole.

She stands idly in the street during a moment of introspection, contemplating the recent interaction. Amongst the burning wood and bloodied bodies she examines her reaction. “I quite enjoyed that. What a peculiar experience. Something so routine felt new and inviting.” She slides her fingers delicately across her supple, pink lips. Her eyes scan her hands and then her surroundings. She finds herself perplexed, but intrigued by this moment of ecstasy. She quickly flicks a fragment of the blade from breaching her. She remains quiet as she gazes rancorously.

“Well, well, well…” Livius walked toward his opponent. “I was fortunate enough to find myself in the same place you are. You’ve made quite the mess in your travels, so I guess I am here to stop you.” He watches her expression remain stable. He has a difficult time reading her expression, but cannot sense a great deal of power emanating from her. “I came here looking for power, but it doesn’t seem you’re all that unique. I can’t see a reason to spill your blood and absorb your power. It seems like more work than it would be a benefit. These fucking losers. They can’t even handle a low-level intruder. Pathetic. What’d you do, huh? Did you sneak up on them and slit their throat? Did you let them kill one another by accident?” He pauses for her response, but she remains still, examining his every movement. “Are you mute in fear? I heard your delicate little voice a moment ago, uttering some nonsense to yourself about new experiences. And now you’re silent. C’mon, lady, speak-up.”

Utsunomiya simply stares at Livius, for she has no use for words. Her eyes glow and an invisible force takes over Livius. His body stiffens, restricting his movements as he simply stares blankly in her direction. They both remain still for a moment. “Ha.” She scoffs. “You’re no greater than a thief. I can see it all so clearly. Everything that you are is available to me. You’re not a man of substance. No, you’re limited by your insecurities. …And there are so many of them.” She loosens her posture, the glow now faded from her eyes. She observes Livius’ bewildered expression.

Livius flexes the muscles of his body and stretches his limbs, hoping to dismiss this tense feeling throughout his body. His mind feels fuddled. As if it were shaken like a snow globe, his thoughts feel scattered and his overall attention feels fragmented. He raises his head and grimaces angrily in Utsunomiya’s direction.
“Even to the most novice users, this technique would be easily thwarted. But to you, it is as foreign a concept as breathing under water.” Her mocking tone taunts him as the sun glistens on her headdress. “You’re a credulous man, hoping to grow in strength by thieving from those weaker than you. You stand before me because you thought I was weak enough to deal with.

Livius stares angrily in her direction. “You bitch…What did you do? Were you somehow in my head?” He grits his teeth and unsheathes his blade.

“It felt strange, didn’t it, having someone rifle through your past indiscretions. You have a number of dirty secrets. However, you’ll discover that my possessing that knowledge will not affect you.”

“Stupid bitch! BANKAI! Shiga Futari wo Wakatsu!”

She watches placidly, appearing pleased by his audacious posturing. She examines his newly acquired appearance, including his phantom, with its skeletal appendages. She casually watches him wield two blades. The phantom creature stands tall beside his master, cloaked in secrecy. A faint vapor looms around its hood, mimicking the faintly creatures breath.

“You’re going to die.” Livius says under his breath. “You see…I have double the strength I once had, so no low-level bitch like you is going to stop me.”

“You are obviously naïve to my identity. What must one do to be recognized in this time?”

Livius stares at her quizzically. “Time?” He adds humorously. “Lady, you’re bat shit crazy, honest. Just shut up and let me chop you up.” Livius begins noticing her spirit energy rising. “Oh, so you were hiding a little something. How sly of you.” Livius’ body is overcome by an unsettling chill. His target has vanished and appeared behind him.

“Change is a vacillating phenomenon. There are times when change can be unexpected without any participation from the parties subject to its influence. In other cases, change can be subtle and gently caress our egos, convincing us not to recognize the adjustments being made. Sometimes, even, change can be chaotic or swift, happening without the delicate touch of the others. Then again, not all change is said to be fair. Wouldn’t you agree?” She speaks softly and calmly, her back against Livius’.

Livius feels his body panicking, despite his mind insisting for him to cope. He thinks to himself. “How did she manage to find herself behind me without me even noticing her movements? Did she use an illusion-type zanpakuto to distort my senses so she could easily slip beyond my sensors?” His thoughts are quickly piling in his mind, but he cannot allow her to linger. His phantom responds accordingly, swiping at her with its blade. She connects her hand to the blade, cracking it with ease and keeping the phantom at bay. Livius flash-steps a couple yards away, staring his female opponent down.

She merely used the back of her hand to deflect the phantoms attacks, never shifting her gaze from Livius. Her blasé attitude angered Livius. She abruptly broke the phantoms blade and took a piece, slamming it into its head. The creature instantly recovers, leaping up and swinging its blade. “Beasts like you never learn.” With those words its hand erupts into multiple pieces, its blade shattering. Its entire body begins to unravel, shedding into pieces. The bitted remains of the creature fall the ground as she stares ominously at Livius. “You’re a predicable man, Captain Abel Livius. You stride through existence reaping strength from others to prevent yourself from having to face an uncertain future. The uncertainties of life leave your mind tormented. If something is ambiguous, how else are you going to defend with your disingenuous narcissism?” She skillfully uses her words to toy with Livius, implanting doubt in his mind, amongst all the hatred and anger. She steps forward slightly. “I think you’d agree the most horrifying change is the kind you never see approaching. Aspects shift outside of your awareness, leaving you vulnerable and unable to perceive the extent of its influence. It isn’t until you have that epiphanic moment that the exact change has been realized in its entirety, but at that point there is really no reason for further contemplation. It has already imposed itself unto you. It is this change...” She pauses for a brief second, turns her back to Livius. “…that is capable of bleeding you dry without you ever knowing you had been cut.”

Mysterious threads and lines begin appearing all over Livius’ body. They scatter like insects across his body, leaving few locations untouched. His flesh takes on the appearance of an elaborate series of constellations, each a reddish hue. His eyes tremble in their sockets as his pupils dilate. Blood begins to spout from his flesh, seeping into his clothing. The strong, defiant captain of the 11th division is bled dry as his body erupts. His lifeblood pours from his body, escaping from every location. Blood sprays into the air like a fountain as he collapses on the ground, blood rushing down the incline of the soil and reaching Utsunomiya’s feet.

She peers of her shoulder and delivers a satisfying glare. “Trust me, there are no winners when I bring about my change.” With those words she points her finger and energy scorches the location of Livius’ body. “Perhaps this nation isn’t so dull after all. It just possesses its own unique brand of beauty.” She smiles menacingly as she turns and proceeds into the city, bringing with her more sinister curiosities and leaving behind only dust and the faint aroma of death.

[Shallow Principles]

“An hour…”

O-Hitei Nadeshiko murmured aloud as she strode forward with a pensive look on her face. She glanced upward to see her destination, noting the distance.

“Not even ten minutes of walking, if one takes the straightest path. Did we split up just so we could gather information more easily? Or are we expected to make detours…?”

Hitei cut of as she turned to to person she had been speaking to only to see that she was alone. There was no sign of them despite the fact that she had been sure they had been right there until that moment. Hitei didn’t show a disgruntled expression—she simply turned her attention back to her destination with a simple sigh.

“Then I’ll be the first to arrive and clear the area out, it seems.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Stop, intruder!”

Daikoku Shintōgo came to a stop as a voice called out to him. Before him stood half a dozen soul reapers, all with their blades drawn. Daikoku looked them all up and down and cocked his head.

“Again with the frontal confrontation? I understand that you’re trying to stop me, but can’t you be a bit more original?”

“Shut up! We can’t just let you walk around freely! Surrender yourself or we’ll forcefully arrest you!”

“Others have tried and failed, you know? Repeating the same thing over and over again is the definition of insanity. Plus, it’s uninspired. You’ll never get anywhere.”

“We’re seated officers of the Gotei 13! It’s our job to stand in your way! If you want to complain, then—”

“Ah, that’s right. You two—would you happen to know where the Sokyoku Hill is?”

“…what?”

The soul reapers all gave a start at the seemingly random question that Daikoku asked. Daikoku didn’t seem to register their awkward responses, nodding as he placed his hands calmly into his sleeves.

“Sokyoku Hill. I assume it’s a famous landmark here in this nation? I’m rather pressed for a time, so could you tell me where it’s located?”

“Like hell we will!”

One of the soul reapers shot forward and slashed vigorously with his sword. Daikoku evaded easily by bending his body to the side.

“So you do know where it is. Fantastic. This saves me a lot of time.”

“I just told you we’re not going to tell you!”

This time, all of the soul reapers came at once, slashing their sword vigorously through the air. Daikoku continued to evade by pivoting on his geta sandals, effortlessly remaining unharmed.

“Really? I’m just planning on admiring some of your culture. The Sokyoku is a masterpiece, forged by an old expert from my nation. It was gifted to Soul Society as an act of good will, though that’s just a legend. If it’s true, it happened many centuries before the nations were all divided, though that’s difficult to believe. I’m sure that I’d learn something if I gazed upon one of the oldest masterpieces, even for a brief moment.”

“Just how outdated is your information? The Sokyoku was destroyed centuries ago. It doesn’t exist anymore. Sokyoku Hill is just a landmark now—it doesn’t even serve as an execution ground anymore.”

“Really?”

Daikoku blinked in surprise as the soul reapers retreated a few steps, clearly exhausted from their futile attempts to strike the tall, evasive man. Daikoku frowned as he thought for a moment.

“This nation is quite something, to mistreat such an age old artifact so crassly. Though I suppose there’s no changing reality. Nevertheless, it’s better than nothing.”

Daikoku took a single step forward and the soul reapers braced themselves immediately, holding their swords up in front of them.

Daikoku smiled in triumph.

“As I thought. It’s in that direction.”

Shocked expression crossed all of the soul reaper’s faces. He’d figured that out just from their reactions?

“It was already decided that you’d answer my question. It was just a matter of time. Nevertheless, you were all a great help. You have my thanks.”

“It doesn’t matter if you know where it is or not—we won’t let you pass.”

“Hmm…I think not. As I said, I don’t have much time to spare. This detour was enough for now, so I’ll be on my way. I’ll probably stop by the landmark later.”

With that, Daikoku turned his back to the soul reapers, gracefully striding off. It took a moment for the soul reapers to understand what was happening and they immediately made the decision to strike Daikoku from behind, all at once.

But as they prepared to lunge, they realized they were barehanded.

Daikoku held their swords in his hands, casually looking them over before touching one of his hands to their blades and snapping them of. All of the blades he’d confiscated were tossed to the ground, left in two pieces.

The soul reapers were left unsure of what just happened. Daikoku made a curious sound as he glanced absently up at the sky.

“‘Zanpakutou’, eh? I suppose that makes my nation an anomaly. Or perhaps the term is ‘unique’?”

Well I dumped the zanpakuto about auras from Kin entirely. It was OP in my perspective, and also a bit dull. This is his new zanpakuto.

Zanpakuto name: Hogo-sha (Guardian)

Release word: Protect my allies

Sealed state: On it’s sealed state it resembles a common katana with no distinguishing features besides it’s white handle.

Released Shikai state: On shikai, his katana divides into two parts: One becomes a shield and the other one becomes a sword. The shield is similar to a medieval kite shield, and the sword resembles a longsword. There is an emblem on the shield which is exactly the same as in the image I will provide. The longsword possesses a silver blade and a white handle, similar to the style of the previous sealed state.
Shikai abiltities: On Shikai, his fighting style is primarily defensive. He usually stays in the front lines of his group, ready to absorb any blows with his shield and counterattacking with his longsword. His style of fighting remembers those of the medieval chevaliers from france. The released Shikai also grants him a boost to defensive properties of his body, granting him greater pain resistance, and greater stamina to be able to absorb many blows that, somehow, are not blocked by his shield. However, he has very little mobility (as expected from a weapon and shield defensive style) making him very easy to be caught by his enemies. Flash-steps will not work very well, but that all is compensated by incredible defensive capabilities. This zanpakuto is not meant to be fast. It is meant to take hits from the front, similar to how a tank in a RPG would act. He also gains a few abilities.

Shikai Ability 1: (Reinforce - Kyōka suru) He channels reiatsu into his shield, coating it into a white aura. This white aura will accumulate any damage that hits the shield. The more attacks he can block, the more powerful the energy will become, glowing more and more. Then, this shield is used to bash into an opponent. The overall strength from the wielder, plus the weight of the shield, makes for a considerable amount of strength, which is augmented by the white aura around it.The same amount of damage absorbed will be thrown back into the opponent with relentless force. He cannot however, keep this energy active for more than 1 minute. If in an entire minute, he does not manage to absorb any damage with the energy, the energy will dissipate. In case he still uses it to bash against an opponent, it will be nothing more than a simple shield bash. He then needs to wait 30 seconds to reactivate this ability.

Shikai Ability 2: (Exact same name as previous ability) He can channel the same white energy into his blade instead of his shield. When done so, this energy can be manipulated in a way similar to Ziel’s zanpakuto in Shikai mode. It can also be kept around his sword to increase the overall strength of its physical attacks. If he decides to keep the energy around his sword, it will remain there for 3 minutes. If he uses it in any form of special attack, it will leave the sword for a devastating attack. He will then have to wait 30 seconds to re-use the ability.

Shikai Ability 3: ( The ability has the same name of the word he needs to speak in order for it to take effect) He can force an opponent to be brought near him. In order to do so, he need to have at least touched their body once, with either shield or sword, and then say the word Imprison (Tōgoku suru). When done so, a white rope will be appearing out of an opponent’s chest, linking him to Kin. Whenever the opponent tries to attack an ally of his, or escape, he can, trough his mind, force the rope to shrink, bringing his opponent closer to him. This rope will last for 5 minutes, and the only way to forcefully be free of it, is by breaking Kin zanpakuto, killing him, or exhausting him. He can re-use this ability when it expires, but it requires him to touch his opponent once again, with either his weapon or his shield. An opponent cannot try to use this rope to his advantage, as the rope will only work under Kin’s command.

Bankai: Divine Guardian (Kami no Hogo-sha)

Bankai appearance: When Bankai is activated his kite shield becomes a tower shield (both bigger and more durable, making it easier to block opponents, and bash then) and his longsword becomes a claymore. The same emblem from Shikai is visible on his Bankai shield, and his claymore still has a white handle and a silver blade. However, a glowish blue color is visible whenever light reflects onto his shield and sword. He also gains a full plated armor, that is completely silver with the same glowish blue on it. On Bankai he retains all of his previous abilities, and gains new ones.

Shikai abilities augmented in Bankai:

Ability 1: On Bankai the same principle apply, but the ability can be kept for 3 minutes, giving him more time to absorb even more damage to send back at his enemies. The time to re-use the ability is now also increased to 1.5 minutes.

Ability 2: It lasts for 5 minutes, and if he uses the energy around his sword for any special move, it only depletes a bit of the energy (instead of completely cancelling the ability), and thus time, it can be activated. For example: Using the energy to form a slash that can cut trough almost anything, he may need to use 50% percent of the energy around his sword. If done, he will have only 2.5 minutes left, to use the energy around his blade. Of course the amount of energy he pours on the slash will determine how much the strength of the slash will be, and how much of the energy it will deplete. He needs to wait 1.5 minutes to re-use it again, once depleting the energy.

Ability 3: The same principles apply, but now the rope will stick to the enemy for as long as the zanpakuto
is active, or whenever he activates the 3rd ability exclusive to his Bankai. The rope can also be forcefully cut by doing the same things as before.

Bankai exclusive abilities:

Ability 1: (Blessed Blades - Shukufuku sa reta ha) He puts the tip of the sword on the ground and makes a
quick prayer. When he is done, a golden circle will start growing under the ground, and it will grow for up to a 100m. Any allies of Kin inside this radius will have all zanpakuto abilities increased. And, this ability works on Kin as well, as any other ability related to his zanpakuto will work better while inside this circle. The circle lasts for 5 minutes, and then it is required 10 minutes to recharge. Hollows inside the circle will have decreased powers and abilities as well.

Ability 2: (Fist of Heaven - Tengoku no ken) He points the sword at the sky, and a flash of light comes from it, hitting the ground. Anyone looking right at Kin will become blind from the flash of the light. An opponent will only be able to recover their vision 15 seconds after the blinding light struck. Against Hollows, this ability damages and hurts then physicaly as well.

Ability 3: (Protect - Mamoru) He creates a rope similar to the one of his third Shikai ability, but it serves a different purpose. As long as this rope is attached to Kin and an ally, all wounds sustained by an ally, will take an effect on Kin instead of them. This does not mean that Kin will sustain the damage. Kin will merely feel the effect of the damage, wether it be a cut (in which casde he will merely absorb the pain that derives from it), or an illusion. The effect will only remain on Kin for as long as the rope is active. When the rope disappears, all effects will return to the person it originally derived from. Example: Kin uses this ability on an ally. His ally suffers various cuts upon his body, and bleeds profusely. The pain from all cuts, and the overall numbness of the bleeding will be taken to Kin, and Kin will feel its effects for as long as the rope is active. Then the opponent uses a technique that changes a person’s perception. Kin will also feel this effect, and so on. When the rope cancels itself, or is forced to cancel, Kin will stop feeling any effects of the illusion and the cuts, and his ally will feel all the pain and effects of the perception ability that he was supposed to have felt. Both Kin or the ally can cancel the rope by merely cutting it. Any opponent that tries to do so, will fail miserably. This rope stays active for 7 minutes and can be used on a single ally at once. Once cancelled or the timer run out, he needs to wait 3.5 minutes to re-use it.

Ability 4: (Dispell – Harainokeru) He bashes both his shield and his sword together creating a unique sound, similar to that of an explosion. ANY form of zanpakuto and kido abilities that are supposed to have a long-term effect (sealing, illusions, and etc) and abilities that are territorial, similar to Kin 1st ability will be dispelled in a 45m radius. This ability however, is incapable of dispelling damage caused by those abilities upon his allies or enemies. Only Kin abilities are left untouched. He can use this ability every 10 minutes, and it is not capable of reverting a zanpakuto state. Hollows that are under the radius of this ability will suffer damage, and will become deft for a minute.

Ability 5: (This ability has no name) This ability activates itself whenever Kin’s zanpakuto breaks, or Kin is
near death, and unable to fight. His zanpakuto lashes out a beam of light into the air, that then separate into up to 4 beams of energy. These beams will go after the 4 allies that are under most need of assistance, or those who are in the ebst condition to save Kin. This beam will enter their bodies trough their chest, nose and eyes. The person will feel more powerful, as every facet of their physical, spiritual and zanpakuto abilities are increased exponentially. This ability is also momentarily, and it lasts for 7 minutes.

-----------------------------------------­---­---­---­---­---­---­---­---­---­---­

I believe thhis is better. I also felt like giving his Bankai abilities extra effects that takes place only on Hollows, as on his Banai mode he resembles a Paladin, both in appearance as in abilities. And since hollows are the most similar thing to undeads in the Bleach universe, I felt like adding it. Hollows are not present right now, I know, but they could be back in a future arc, and if this character is still alive.. I guess you all already understand. :)

The emblem is like this. Only there is a sword instead of the kanji, and the emblem is blue to contrast against the white shield; The ribbon has the name of his zanpakuto.

So is anyone going to post? I mean I would write something but I'd definitely prefer if someone from the Gotei 13 wrote something. So anyone willing to take up the challenge, if not then I'll get writing.

Name: Utsunomiya Oasatsuma
Sex: Female
Estimated Age: 4300
Height: 5’9’’

Appearance: She wears a pale, purple kimono (704F63 look up for reference) and a vibrant tree poppy orange haori. Her Kimono is layered and trails behind her. The fabric is generous across her body. It is pleated and appears to drip from her arms. She wears a grey, fur stole that is partially woven into her haori. She wears a vibrant and exquisite headdress, suspending her rich, chestnut colored hair. Each, thick gold colored pin is neatly tucked into her hair and in the front is a perfectly rolled segment of hair (see picture). She has summer sky colored eyes that are complimented by her pale complexion. Her katana is not visible.
Personality: Utsunonmiya is the most inquisitive of the agents, finding a certain intrigue in the world around her. Deprived of pleasure and new experiences for over three millennia, she is now developing a taste for something more stimulating. Her ostensibly youthful and innocent appearance conceals an indiscriminate brutality. Unapologetic and unwavering in her directive, she will, without hesitation, annihilate anything in her vicinity. Accompanying her brutality is the compulsion to keep her surroundings unsoiled, and therefore she has adopted a most unsettling way of ending her exchanges.

Zanpakuto name: Mufunbetsuna

The picture below demonstrates what her headdress looks like.

Name: Hatsusebe Iwarebiko
Sex: Male
Estimated Age: 5300
Height: 6’3’’
Appearance: He has thick, snow white hair that is pushed back. He has a full, white beard that descends from his chin. On the side of his temple is a vertical tattoo in kanji. Each side of his head is decorated with two tufts of black hair, which appear to be sewn into his white hair. They are neatly pulled back and appear to bleed into the white. He wears a white kimono and a black hiori, which is clad with armored shoulder plates, write guards, knee guards, and bronze belt around his waist. His blade is strapped to his side.
Personality: Blunt and uncompromising, Hatsusebe leads the Agents of Change without faltering. He has little patience for nonsense and is easily irritated by distractions. Unforgiving of the weak and even further intolerant of insolence, Hatsusebe will not hesitate to smite those blocking his path. He is fearless, stern, unforgiving, and completely merciless.

Zanpakuto name : Uchikudaka

Daikoku Shintōgo

Age: 4,350 years

Appearance: Daikoku is a tall man, naturally standing at about seven feet in height, evenly distributed between his torso and limbs. He wears a kariginu consisting of blue and white cloth that covers him from the neck down, the sleeves long enough to hide his hands from view. He wears geta sandals with short teeth that add a single inch to his overall height. He wears a black kanmuri over his shaved head, giving him a generally noble appearance.

Personality: Daikoku is a composed man with an easy smile that lacks hostility. His manners resemble that of a friendly stranger, which often stands out in contrast to the sometimes heinous things he says and does. He tends to be single-minded and very task oriented, pursing a subject until he's satisfied with the results. But the most notable thing about his is his differing values. He doesn't perceive hostility or kindness in the same way as others. A threat comes across as being no different from a greeting, even though he knows the contextual difference, and he doesn’t seem capable of showing any hostility. In fact, he lacks the ability to feel radical emotions, like anger or sadness, usually only arching his eyebrows in surprise or frowning in thought. Thanks to his flattened personality and upbringing, he is alien to the typical reactions most people show in hostile situations. Instead, he is driven by his intellectual curiosity and his desire to experience new things in hope of finding inspiration.
(for those familiar with voice actors, imagine him speaking with Akira Ishida's voice. The intonation and casual approach fits Daikoku perfectly)

History: [To be inserted at a later date]

Zanpakutou: Tatara

O-Hitei Nadeshiko

Age: 4,744 years

Appearance: Hitei is a dark haired, fair skinned woman who possesses the ideal features of Japanese woman from the Edo period. She let her long hair cascade over her shoulders like a dark waterfall, her bangs cut so they won’t impede her vision. She wears a gorgeous jinbaori with the ends hanging by her ankles, split into half a dozen different flaps from the waist down. She wears five separate segments of body protection in the form of polished steel plates that give the overall sense that she’s wearing armor, both functionally and aesthetically. She wears tabi socks and zori sandals. For her height and warrior-like appearance, she has surprisingly petite hands and feet, which leads one to believe that the rest of her figure hidden beneath her robe and armor is similarly built, resembling a former princess of some sort.

Despite being half hidden by her jinbaori, Hitei’s armor usually draws the eye first, due to the beautiful craftsmanship that may stun even those disinterested in the subject. The arm guards, shoulder guards, torso, skirt-like waist protector, and shin guards are all the essential parts of a suit of samurai armor, yet they all remain separate to minimize extra weight and allow for more freedom of movement by not blocking her joints. They have a slender design that makes it seem as if they were custom made for her body and it’s difficult to ascertain just what color the armor is even when looking right at it.

Personality: O-Hitei speaks with a dialect that makes her sound older than she appears, speaking with seniority and superiority, much like a strict grandparent to their grandchildren. (She uses the term ‘washi’ to refer to herself and often uses the term ‘ja yo’, for those of you who know enough Japanese to understand the difference in dialect. See: Oshino Shinobu for reference) Rather than speaking arrogantly or condescendingly, her every word seems to ring with experience, even though she considers herself to be young, having ‘peaked’ in maturity at an early age. She believes the facts that she understands so intimately to be the natural reality, as she has put them to the test several times during her lifetime. She exudes an unsettling charisma that appears to be stifled and weakened, much like a bright flame swatted out by blanket every time it tried to burn bright again. Had she been raised under different circumstances, she might have been a leading figure among the soul reaping nations. As it is, her personality and emotions are subdued, though she doesn’t seem to be entirely passive.
(Again, for those who care, Maaya Sakamoto's voice would fit her perfectly, especially as Oshino Shinobu, even using the same dialect)

History: [To be inserted at a later date]

Ryūō no Fushi (Dragon King’s Eternal Life)- A unique set of armored plates that make up what is likely the most powerful suit of armor in the any of the soul reaping nations, despite technically being several pieces of polished plates meant to be worn together. Each one is roughly equal in durability to a zanpakutou blade, and can fend off oncoming attacks without a scratch. The armor has no color initially, but gains vibrant hues when put to use, depending on the specific function it is augmenting. The armor is meant to empower her defensive capabilities through different ‘stats’.

Zanpakutou: Hachimon no Jiin





I didn't find a picture that really suits this character, but I did figure it was a good idea to show you what the jinboari looks like. Imagine that the tails are long, reaching the ankles, and you've got the idea.

{Gotei’s Resurgence: Degenerates}

An hour earlier…

Senya sat quietly in her office meditating with her stave sat peacefully on her lap. With her senses finely attuned to the environment around her, she serenely sensed the reiatsu signatures of the numerous Gotei officers as they went about their duties. It was a nice feeling to say the least.
Īkagen suddenly entered her office and Senya slowly opened her left eye in acknowledgement of her presence.

Īkagen Tome: Ma’am, there are two Jūzō Hoshō Captains who say the need to speak with you urgently.

Senya Tatami: Bring them in. (Īkagen nods and then leaves the room; a few seconds later, two masked Captains dressed in the typical Jūzō Hoshō shihakushō enter her room and nod respectfully; Senya opens both eyes to get a better look at them but does not recognise them) You must be the Jūzō Hoshō’s fresh blood?

Emrira Galio: *snappily* We’ve been Captains for quite a while actually.

Naoki Himura: (He nudges Emrira slightly) *quietly* Watch your tone Captain Galio, we’re speaking to the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13. (Emrira huffs in response and folds her arms while he addresses Senya) Captain-Commander Tatami, we come with grave news.

Senya Tatami: (She notes the heterochromatic eyes that peer at her from Naoki’s mask and raises an eyebrow) Grave news?

Naoki Himura: Our–

Emrira Galio: (She casually interrupts Naoki whilst stepping forward) Four intruders infiltrated our nation and effortlessly killed two of our Captains. I doubt any of us would have lasted a even a second against them.

Senya Tatami: Are you asking for assistance?

Naoki Himura: (He steps forward, standing beside Emrira again) We’re–

Emrira Galio: (She casually interrupts Naoki again to his chagrin) No, we’re giving you guys a warning. If they come to your nation, you’ll be slaughtered before you know it. (Naoki shoots her a glare)

Senya Tatami: Did you manage to determine who these intruders were?

Emrira Galio: No, but I think they have something to do with the Gotei War from all those years ago. (Senya narrows her eyes in slight unease)

Naoki Himura: That’s all the information we have to give. We’ve already evacuated our nation and are headed somewhere safe. I’d recommend you do the same. (Senya acknowledges their words with a simple nod) Then we will be off.

The two Jūzō Hoshō Captains quickly turned and left, leaving Senya to her thoughts. Intruders that had something to do with the Gotei War? The intruders couldn’t be possibly have been… putting such ludicrous thoughts to the back of her mind, Senya made a motion causing a jigokuchō to suddenly flutter down and land gently on her outstretched finger.

Senya Tatami: (She speaks a message to the delicate creature) Captain Kiwano, I’d like for you to take a group of your men and go on a surveillance of Seireitei. If you see anyone suspicious suppress them. (The jigokuchō flutters off to deliver the message and Senya resumes her meditation)



Present…

Senya’s eyes opened from her meditative state with a start. The reiatsu of Captain Kiwano and a group of his subordinates had just disappeared. Abruptly. What? That couldn’t be right? Was the sheer distance affecting her ability to discern reiatsu signatures properly? No, even if faint due to distance, she had definitely felt Junichi Kiwano’s reiatsu completely disappear. Surely the intruders the Jūzō Hoshō Captains had spoken of couldn’t have arrived already?

Before she knew it she could feel the noticeable reiatsu of Captain Abel in near enough the same vicinity. His reiatsu rose greatly, causing Senya to assume his bankai had probably been activated. And then, it was gone. The Kenpachi’s reiatsu had disappeared just as suddenly as Junichi Kiwano’s had. Senya immediately stood to her feet and briskly walked over to view the expanse of Seireitei, looking in the direction that she had felt the disappearance of her two Captains’ reiatsu signatures.
Concerned anxiety was now beginning to weigh on Senya’s mind; she had lived long enough to know that something like this was no coincidence. But it couldn’t be them, not yet. Senya instantly came to the conclusion that the most likely reason for the sudden disappearance of reiatsu was that her two Captains had been killed. Then came the next pressing worry: Whoever had killed them had to have been overwhelmingly powerful. It was frightening enough that Captain Kiwano had been eliminated in mere moments but for her most powerful Captain to have gone down in nearly the same amount of time? The offenders could only be described as monsters; even that sounded like an understatement. But what was more worrying was that Senya could feel nothing that implied that anyone else was there; the assailant could also hide their reiatsu well. Another thought immediately presented itself to her: if Captains Kiwano and Abel had been fodderized, what chance would the rest of the Gotei stand? She rubbed her brow in mystification and began thinking. Everything she had been told about them was slowly being confirmed. She’d been complacent and now they were in her nation. But first, she would have to assess the situation.

Senya Tatami: Bakudō #44 Zenchi no Chikaku. (She exhales deeply as the Kidō drastically augments her sensory and spiritual perceptions and, distinctly feeling every reiatsu signature within the reaches of Seireitei, she strainingly homes in on the signature closest to where Livius had fallen and curls her lip in alarm; the assailant’s reiatsu feels faint but Senya has the overtly ominous feeling that the assailant’s true level of power is vast) No… (Her eyes widen in horror when she feels the presences of the other three entities, with reiatsu similar to the first assailant, moving about different areas of Seireitei) *speaking to herself* The Gotei needs to evacuate Seireitei immediately… (She narrows her eyes for a moment) Īkagen! (Her Lieutenant immediately appears at her side) Broadcast. (Īkagen instantly carries out the required preparation for the spell and then performs Bakudō #77 Tenteikūra connecting to all the Captains in Seireitei) *the grave concern in her voice is clear* Captains of the Gotei, we have an emergency. Captains Kiwano and Abel have been killed by an unknown assailant and I greatly fear their killer is far more powerful than is capable of being stopped. In addition there are three other unknown ryoka wandering about Seireitei who I assume to be just as dangerous. I need you all to drop whatever you happen to be currently doing and immediately organise the evacuation of your Divisions. Keep panic to a minimum and escape as fast as you can. Captain Geißt, relay members of the Kidō Corps to each Division, each Noble House and the Central 46 and get them to open Senkaimon to a secure location and then immediately join me outside the Nest of Maggots. Captain Kamima, send two Inner Court Troopers to the Lieutenants of the 5th and 11th Divisions relaying this message. Finally, if any of you encounter anyone that seems foreign or out of place, do not engage. (Īkagen ends the Bakudō spell and turns to her Captain) Īkagen, you lead the evacuation of the 1st Division. I am going to partner up with Captain Geißt to ascertain just who these ryoka are.

At that, Senya flash stepped away.





Kie hastily arrived at the entrance to the Nest of Maggots and was instantly greeted by Senya’s grave expression. What Kie found even more alarming was that Senya already had her bankai activated, with her ornate golden sceptre held firmly in her hand and her royal purple cape lying flatly against her back.

Kie Geißt: Are you planning on fighting them yourself??

Senya Tatami: No. I don’t think it would be wise to challenge them directly.

Kie Geißt: Then… what is your plan of action?

Senya Tatami: I am going to see if I can find out just who these ryoka are using Gōtōishi Ingōbō’s abilities. Then, I am going to attempt to stall them for as long as possible so the inhabitants of Seireitei can escape safely. Because, if these ryoka are who I fear they might be, then the Gotei is in serious trouble.

Kie Geißt: You seem to have this all figured out… so why do you need me?

Senya Tatami: (She looks at Kie expectantly and then stabs the ground with the spike in the base of her sceptre) Gensogun. (The ground instantly begins to shift and twelve golems, almost perfectly resembling Senya, forms from the very ground itself; each golem holds a formulated blade which greatly resembles Gōtōishi’s sealed form) These are sapient golems that Gōtōishi Ingōbō creates from the environment. All created golems possess the exact physical capabilities and traits that I possess and can do almost everything that I can do. The only things they lack are the ability to perform Kidō and the ability to use shikai and bankai. Also they are generally not as durable as I am due to their constituency but make up for it by being able to remotely regenerate infinitely, so long as I still have spiritual energy and their bodies aren’t completely obliterated.

Kie Geißt: So they’re like weakened base forms of yourself with which you can send to engage the ryoka without the risk of being attacked personally.

Senya Tatami: Exactly. The only problem is, whilst I can control the golems, I cannot perceive what they perceive. So even if they were to engage the ryoka and ascertain valuable information, if the golems are destroyed all those efforts come to naught.

Kie Geißt: Which is why you want me to use Kidō so you can perceive everything the golems perceive.

Senya Tatami: (She nods) But not only that. I would like for you to ‘enhance’ them with the Kidō I assume you have been experimenting with.

Kie Geißt: (She smiles coyly) Well, let’s get to it. (Taking black powder from her shihakushō, she begins inscribing a single mark on each of the golems, in inconspicuous places, and then proceeds to draw a series of markings on Senya’s arms) Tenteikūsa! (Senya watches as the various markings glow for a brief second before subsiding again; Kie points her index fingers at the golems) Bakudō #43 Mippū Kōzan Tsudzuru! (She fires multiple beams of light at all twelve golems, causing small glowing discs to appear on the areas of the golems that were struck; she smiles eagerly) I wonder which spells I should treat our guests to?





Senya observed safely from the Nest of Maggots, both her and Kie under the masking effect of Kyokkō. With a Senkaimon ready just in case their locations were compromised, the Captain-Commander seemed to exude an air of relaxed tension. Her twelve golems had split into four groups of three and all were now making their way to engage the four mysterious ryoka. If she could hold them for even half a minute, she’d have fulfilled her self-imposed duties. She refused to let her nation fall again, not this time.

[Intertwinings of Fate]

Yushi, Kyobo and Jisano were among those who had helped to evacuate Ukishima Rakuen and the Muryoku Seiiki. Captains' Himura and Galio had been dispatched straight away and were bringing an imperament message to Captain-Commander Tatami of the Gotei 13. Yushi and the other two were also on their way there, in order to bring further information to Senya Tatami. He'd had a feeling that the information offered by Captain Galio would be lacking in substance. They had to know about their plans and Yushi wanted them to know of Iyashi Kyo's further orders, after rethinking on her part. They were heading to the World of the Living. Iyashi had thought that it would be important for the two nations to collaborate, as they were in this together - it was through sheer fate that the two nations had extended their arms in friendship after the war and the plague of Satomi Umemoto had ended. Because of this, their fates were intertwined and Yushi wanted nothing more than to help them to survive this new threat.

Yushi: You know, Kyobo, was this what Umemoto was talking about before it was over? You may recall she spoke of a great threat to us, when she was raving mad. I think we all simply bypassed it as the ravings of a lunatic... now, I think I understand.

Kyobo: Yeah. You're probably right. What else would she have been talking about?

Jisano: Enough talk! We've got a message to deliver! Let's go.

Yushi: (Frowning at Jisano) You're not our commander. I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell me what to do.

Jisano: Whatever. I just don't want to be too late, is all. We need to arrive before them. Otherwise, the Gotei 13 will be wiped out and our mission will be a failure.

Kyobo: I didn't know you cared, Jisano.

Jisano: Well, I do. I know you two still dislike me - that's fine. I don't care. But, we befriended their nation and someone is attacking us both. 51 years ago, I would've been all for their slaughter. Now, I just don't want to see it all over again.

Yushi: You've changed... either that, or you're putting forth a really good front. Oh well, you're kind of right - now isn't the time. We'd better crack on.

They arrived at the Soul Society, opening the senkaimon, then utilised their incredible speed to pass through its streets with no time wasted. They briefly felt the reiatsu of the two Captains prior sent. As they neared the Seireitei, they finally bumped into them.

Naoki: What're you guys doing here?

Yushi: We came with further information. I fear you were sent hastily, before the Head Captain had completely gathered her thoughts. Plus, we figured that you'd be interrupted and Head Captain Tatami given -ah- 'lacking' information.

Emrira: And that's why you're looking at me, isn't it, Yushi? Whatever. I said what was necessary at the time. I don't regret it.

Kyobo: That's what we feared. That exact phrase you just used described it well. Never mind. What's done is done. We'll go and offer further information. You'd better meet up with the rest of our nation. We're heading to the World of the Living. Head Captain Kyo hadn't thought that far ahead when you were sent, since we were still dealing with the chaos. They need to know this. We won't leave them to fend for themselves.

Naoki: Then-

Emrira: Whatever. Let's go, Naoki.

Naoki: Right... (sighs and follows suit with his fellow Captain)

They continued their mission to reach Head Captain Tatami, before the Agents arrived and ruined their plan. By the time they reached the building she was located in, they had a bad feeling that the Agents couldn't far behind them and flash-stepped directly to Senya's door. Ikagen Tome jumped, as they appeared suddenly, simultaneously.

Ikagen: What?! Where did you guys come from? (notices the masks and recalls who they are)

Yushi: We have further information to offer your Head Captain.

Ikagen: Two Captains just came from the Juzo Hosho...

Kyobo: That's correct. They were dispatched before our Head Captain decided upon further plans. As we were part of the War those years ago, we thought we'd come and explain what our Head Captain directed us to. At least, if we were attacked, we'd stand a better chance with three of us than one.

Iyashi entered Senya's office and told her the same thing that he'd just told her not long ago - that Juzo Hosho Captains were here to see her.

Senya: Send them in. I have to go and see Captain Geißt shortly.

Ikagen: Yes, Ma'am. (He beckoned to Yushi and the others, indicating their presence to be brought in front of Senya)

Senya: Well, what can I do for you three? I just had a visit from a very blunt woman and a submissive man. I hope I can get more answers out of you. It's certainly been a while, Yushi Kenronri, Kyobo Sodo and Jisano Meibatsu.

Yushi: Head Captain Tatami... it is our pleasure. Yes, we have come with that express purpose - we are here to offer you further information. You see, we feared that would happen and our Head Captain sent them off right after the attacks, so that your nation could be warned of the terrors surrounding these 'Agents of Change'. Two of our Captains were killed in moments. Despite their strength, they were cut down as if they were babies in the presence of giants. It was frightening.

Kyobo: Furthermore, we believe that we should stick together. We've already been througfh a lot as nations. As Yushi was fomenting earlier, we've extended our hand of friendship and been that way for 50 years. We don't want to allow them to destroy your nation, when we worked hard to stop it so many years ago... and, especially, because of the friendships we have made in you and your fellow Shinigami.

Jisano: So, we bring you word of what our Head Captains has eluded to us. We are moving to the World of the Living. There, we will hope that you will meet us, you and your nation, so we can begin talking between ourselves and deciding what we should do about these enemies. We know we can't face them head on - for Yvon and Sumiko to be cut down so brutally and so easily, that just points out how vulnerable we are to them and how easy it would be for any of us to also fall victim.

Senya: Where, exactly, in the World of the Living?

Yushi: At a place called Chernobyl. It is a ruinous building, where 'nuclear' research was done some years ago in Real World time. Because of this, when everything went sour there, it was declared unsafe for humans to enter, as it left a residue of radiation. However, being Soul Reapers, that won't affect us. Plus, we can go without limiting our powers, since there are no humans within hundreds of kilometers of the site. As it is now, our nation is likely almost there now. It would be wise if you followed the same idea and leave as soon as you can. We'd better get going now and bring word to our Head Captain that we've given you further information and to expect you very shortly. I shall bid you a farewell, Ma'am. I shall also wish you luck and good fortune. May all your people make it safely!

Senya: Thank you. I, no, we, appreciate your candor. I'm very glad that Head Captain Kyo was so thoughtful and sent people here to tell us and warn us of the terrors to come.

They said their goodbyes and the three Ukira left her office, nodded to Ikagen, then flash-stepped away, back to take a senkaimon to the World of the Living.

[Return to Nature]

Empty are the streets of the Seireitei, having been all but abandoned. The faint cooing of the wind flouts about the city while the Agents of Change leisurely search the city. Utsunomiya inspects the quiet streets, noting the absence of resistance. “Exploring without even the slightest resistance has become boring.” She delicately sits at a nearby bench, appreciating the gardens in the distance. “Perhaps I underestimated this nation once again. How vile for them to leave me looking like such a fool.” The building beside her suddenly crumbles and crashes on top of her as the three golems stand in wait. “Just as I was about to give up and here you appear. The conveniences of this nation are ceaseless wonders.”
The golems turn to see Utsunomiya standing behind them, unscathed, despite their efforts. They pivot and face her direction. “What? No exchange of pleasantries? This nation is lacking in breeding, I can say that confidently.” She stares intently at them and her eyes glow. “Let’s see…Tch.” She scoffs softly. “You’re nothing but mindless drones.” As she says that she raises her hand and catches one of the golem’s blades. She instantly reacts by striking its chest with her palm. It places a massive welt in its chest. Her eyes widen as a gray substance bursts from its chest and creeps up her arm rapidly. She immediately releases its blade and stabs its rocky flesh with her fingers, piercing the right side of its chest. Energy rapidly builds at the location of her hand. The gray substance completely covers her body, immobilizing her as the energy erupts into a vibrant cascade of silver and yellow. The cascade of energy spreads into the city streets, swallowing whole buildings. As the energy dissipates, she stands before the Golems completely untouched. “The lengths your master would go to in order to destroy me are impressive, but sadly, will be ineffective. I’m beyond such disgraceful usages of kido. Allow me to demonstrate, and I hope you sense this and begin fleeing.” Utsunomiya raises her hand and flicks her finger.
The golems scatter, but a bright red bullet pierces the head of a single member. The force causes the earthly creature to ricochet into a nearby structure, leaving a small dent where the body landed. “I assume the one who conjured you knows not of this technique. Ryūketsu no gan'yaku. Normally, it would weaken a soul reaper to the point of exhaustion, but to something composed almost exclusively of life energy, it’s absolutely lethal.” She watches unsympathetically as the golem’s energy is quickly siphoned, absorbed into the now brightly crimson bullet in its head. “Imbuing these creatures with foreign weapons will all but stall me, if only for a brief moment.” As the last sound passes her lips the golem begins crumbling to the ground. The soil that once was the golem begins to rustle before glowing and jumping in the air violently. She narrows her eyes contemptuously before chaos is unleashed upon her. The multitude of kido appear to meld together before discharging in a single, violent surge. She defiantly braves the stampeding energy, its wrath within seconds of breaching her. The energy is just about to crash upon her when she boldly raises her arm with a front facing palm. The conjoined techniques crash into her hand, placing massive pressure against her body. The techniques are seemingly held at bay by strength alone, as she gazes indifferently into the multicolored amalgam. She takes a deep breath and leans her head forward slightly. Softly, before releasing a sharp burst of air from her lips, she says: “Tekide sasayakigoe.” The small, slender stream of air, darts from her mouth and collides with the technique, effortlessly cleaving through. As it cleaves through the technique, each half becomes smaller as it is quickly divided into pieces.
Utsunomiya directs her attention to the two remaining golems as the former’s techniques are all reduced to molecules. “I assume you’re similarly imbued with Kido.” She stares at them apathetically. “Of course, you’re incapable of speech.” She raises her hand and stops one of the Golem’s blades before casually adjusting her posture to avoid the swing of the others’ blade. “You’re nothing but dirt and stone, but you still possess the reiatsu of the one who conjured you.” The golems leap back as a giant, iron cupola falls from the sky and lands on Utsunomiya. The golems both flash-step next to the cupola and stab it with their blades as their backs both glow. Energy is funneled into the cupola. The cupola erupts and the golems are abruptly blown back, landing gracefully in the distance.

Utsunomiya grimaces indifferently in their direction. “While I desire to experience life, you provide me with none of that.” Her eyes widen and she shouts. “Return to nature!” She effortlessly appears behind them and sweeps her hand across the ground, creating a shockwave that carries the other in the distance. “I want this over quickly, but you insist on causing me misfortune with those incessant defenses.” She leaps forward and lops off the golem’s head with her hand as it swipes at her. “The mindless don’t need heads to operate, do they?” As the head falls to the ground it glows before releasing a powerful technique. Blue ribbons swat at her like tentacles, ensnaring her entire body. Various symbols begin to appear across the face of the fabric, each glowing softly. She lets out a breathy sigh. She effortlessly breaks free of the fabric as the other golem brings its blade to her neck. She turns and catches the blade and slices off its hand. Suddenly a pillar of energy bursts from the ground, enveloping her. While the technique continues to rage, she defiantly passes through its wrathful walls, staring down the golems. “Your efforts are embarrassingly ineffective. They are merely fraudulent copies of the true techniques you dare mock. You may have the likeness of your master, but you certainly do not possess the intrigue.” With those words she fires another red bullet into a golem’s head, turning to face the other.

The once headless golem launches at her, but she appears above it and slams it into the ground. “Your master insults me.” She lands on the ground as a surge of energy approaches from behind. “Like clockwork…” The energy consumes the area, creating a devastating explosion.

In the far distance, Senya nervously awaits for any sign of the golems, hoping one could acquire Intel and return to her relatively intact. Kie has become equally anxious, but her disquiet is more pronounced. “What if they discover our location?”
“They can’t.” Senya states plainly. “We are cloaked. And my golems can’t be strong-armed into divulging our location, so, for now, we are secure. I worry more about whether we will gather relevant data.”
“If myself or Matou are expected to run an analysis, we will need more data than we have, which is barely any. The Juzo Hosho simply mentioned the death of Sumiko Anenokoji and Yvan Gerard. They were both killed in the most gruesome fashion, too.”
“Yes, it appears our guests aren’t the honorable type. They will smite all that stand before them, in the most despicable manners. Even for someone of Livius’ nature, a death in such a style is monstrous.”
“Considering all the corpses he had stacked and violated, I’d say it was deserved.”

Kie and Senya’s eyes open widely as they both leap up and turn to face the darkness. “Who said that?!” Senya shouted.

“Those golems are spiritually tethered to that device you call a ‘Zanpakuto.’ I suppose you could say they spoke more freely than you anticipated they would.” Utsunomiya reveals herself from the darkness of the forest, completely bypassing kyokka. She reveals a sweet, devilish smile. “…In fact, they led me right to you.”

[Crashed]

Soul Society was a small nation. O-Hitei could see that now. Starting from the center, which would have been somewhere in Seireitei, any straight line outward would have traced the radius of the nation, reaching the tall walls that surrounded the nation, serving as a physical representation for the permanent boundary that isolated the soul reaping world from the others like it. The space outside of Seireitei was incredibly impoverished and the military served as the ruling class, making for an incredible gap in the standard of living, with essentially no middle class.

It was an incredible waste of space. With its simple topography and discriminatory society, O-Hitei wasn’t the least bit impressed by what she saw. In fact, Soul Society was one of the more pitiful nations she’d visited. It was lacking in both sense and class, neglecting its own culture as if it was the most natural thing.

“This nation needs to change.”

O-Hitei spoke those words aloud without any inflection. She stared straight ahead, her eyes observing the scenery as she made a critical judgment right then and there.

O-Hitei gripped her nodachi laxly with her left hand, letting the end of the sheath rest against the ground where she stood. She reached her right hand over to rest on the hilt and she gently pushed down fractionally.

The sound of rock being forcefully crushed sounded and O-Hitei’s eyes narrowed as she heard this. Just behind her loomed a golem with a blade raised overhead, having prepared to strike down. The butt of O-Hitei’s sheath had been thrust into the golem’s chest, piercing straight through with force that was inconsistent to the amount O-Hitei had apparently touched her sword’s hilt with.

“It seems that it’s not the result of a kido spell…” O-Hitei murmured to herself absently. “But there is spiritual pressure. The spirit of a soul reaper’s partner?”

O-Hitei’s thoughts were interrupted as the golem began moving again, forcing itself further down O-Hitei’s long sheath to try and get close enough to strike with the sword in its hand. O-Hitei glanced back as she reflexively tightened her grip on her nodachi. A heavy shockwave flew out as the nodachi thrust forward a single inch, carrying an immense amount of force, enough to stop the golem in its tracks with ease. O-Hitei swiftly pulled her nodachi out of the hole in its chest and swung the sheath around to smack the golem’s head, knocking it clean off.

“It’s certainly not a normal spirit, else it wouldn’t recover after having its heart crushed and head removed.” O-Hitei watched skeptically as the golem’s head turned to earth and melted into the ground. The hole in the golem’s chest closed shut and the head quickly began to reform again. “And it’s mindless. Quite the ideal soldier, I must say.”

O-Hitei swung her sheathe nodachi out and smashed her sheath into the side of another golem that had been trying to approach from her blind side. Despite the distance that remained between them, the length of O-Hitei’s weapon allowed her to easily reach, slashing the golem’s torso in half. Two of the other golems tried to take advantage by attacking her in that moment, but she smacked their swords away with a brandish of her sword and pivoted on her heel, bringing her sheathed sword around in a wide arc. The two golems, along with the recovering third one, were bisected again, sending their upper bodies crashing to the ground.

A shadow loomed overhead and O-Hitei looked up just in time to see the fourth golem that ambushed her from above, evidently trying to crush her from above with its weight. Dust and debris flew in the air, but O-Hitei remained unharmed, having placed her sword’s hilt against the ground while pointed up. The golem landed right on the sheath, impaling itself a good ways down. O-Hitei shook the golem off, bringing the blunt sheath carving through its body to lop off two limbs.

Fatal wounds on all four targets, end yet they stood up again. O-Hitei wasn’t the least bit abashed as she looked at her zanpakutou, which was now covered in yellow rods, especially around the hilt. They were likely meant to keep her from drawing her sword from its sheath.

“Oh, I see. I understand now. Soldiers with this level of offensive ability stand no chance, so I was wondering what the point of this was. Sending these things with no redeeming qualities aside from their regeneration ability isn’t the worst of tactics. It’s one way to learn about our capabilities before confronting us directly. The targets must have really thought this through after all.”

O-Hitei’s lips curled into the smallest of grins as she eyed the golems without really seeing them. They tried to surround her from her blind spots, but it was clear that they were all well within range of her long weapon. Even after all of their attacks, they still hadn’t managed to make this girl take one step from her original position. In fact, she showed no sign of intending the move from where she was, no matter how much she was attacked.

“I suppose this will serve to kill the rest of the hour that’s left, until the others arrive. Until then, I’ll entertain myself by seeing how many minutes or hours of futile back and forth it takes before the mastermind behind these tools realizes that they're wasting their time. ”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Kido, hm?”

Daikoku Shintōgo made that keen observation while walking straight toward the two golems that stood in his way. His smile remained unchanged as the golems moved forward to intercept him, swords raised. Just as they were close enough to swing down on him, Daikoku instantly vanished from sight with flash step, reappearing behind them with his hands folded together under the sleeves of his robe. He turned on his heel, his geta sandals clacking together.

“Golems as crude as these can only be made from a ‘zanpakutou’, so I suppose I’ll have to skip those details for now. However, the reiryoku on their bodies is a little different. I wonder how they work…perhaps a delayed enchantment?”

Daikoku calmly raised one foot and stomped his foot. The sound of his sandal hitting the floor beneath him echoed through the air and, after a second’s delay, one of the golem’s shattered to pieces, sending rocky shrapnel flying everywhere.

“Oh, now this is new and surprising!” Daikoku shifted his torso to the side to evade the several chains of Sajo Sabaku that came flying out of the golem, attempting to bind him where he was. “Have people in this era found a way to store the complicated pathways of a system in the reiryoku? An inefficient piece of technology, but the ingenuity is worthy of note. Perhaps I’ll get lucky and will get the chance to see it applied in a more avant-garde way?”

Daikoku’s eyes locked onto one of the golems and he instantly vanished from sight, reappearing behind it. He calmly touched one finger to its back and cracks of light instantly opened up on the golem’s body. In the next second, its entire body shattered and exploded outward like a bomb. The shards filled the air as deadly shrapnel and exploded with a variety of offensive hado spells, shaking the air. Daikoku back pedaled swiftly, deliberately moving toward the other golem, which attempted to swing its sword down on Daikoku’s back. Daikoku made an abrupt hard stop, making the golem swing early. The exploding shrapnel instantly crashed into the golem’s body, setting off other hado spells that enveloped its own body. Daikoku swatted them away, his eyes narrowing in on the golem’s body through all the chaos, and he shot forward through an opening that only lasted a second, hand outstretched.

When the chaos died down and the kido spells ceased going off, Daikoku was left standing over a pile of small pebbles left from the destruction. He sighed as he glanced back at the first golem he destroyed with a raised eyebrow.

“They exceeded the maximum damage limit? I suppose I was too impatient with the second one. I should have waited to see if the first would recover after being broken down to such a small level.”

Daikoku’s indifferent expression condradicted his remorseful words as he glanced down at his raised hand. He held a single stone in it, with a rune etched over the surface.

“…I wonder if I can use this?”

[Prelude to Might]

Hatsusebe tosses a lifeless soul reaper into a pile with the others as three Golems fiercely charge him. He turns and violently knocks two of the assailant golems to the side with his arms and takes his palm and firmly clutches the thirds face. He lunges forward and with tremendous force smashes its head and body into the ground. The force crushes its head and shatters the body. The kido stored in its body is instantly released in one mighty release. Hatsusebe turns and glares at the two remaining golems as the energy engulfs him and the area. He casually walks through the energy as if it were a gentle breeze. “I fear nothing in this world, but you insist on sending these playthings to my feet. If you manage to survive long enough, I will personally crush your bones for delaying me.” He angrily stomps forward, as his sinewy body shrugs off the effects of the kido.

Hatsusebe slides his hand through his hair before pummeling one golem to the ground and clutching the other by its neck. “The one who managed to summon you from the soil knows so little of this world.” He places his fingers on the golem and then tosses it off to the side. It stands and attempts to move, but its body falls limp and collapses. He steps on the head of the other golem, holding it in place. A beam of energy erupts from its body, but he simply catches it between his hands and crushes it. “To think you bested our masters. I find that intolerable and want to crush your bones at the thought of such insolence. But here I am, subject to your infantile games while you garrison yourself safely away from harm.” He leans down and touches the golem’s back, leaving it immobilized with the simplest motion.

“You still have me to deal with, asshole.” A voice oozes with hatred.

Hatsusebe looks over his shoulder, a darkness lingering on his face. “Whom have you come to avenge? …No. Do not answer that. It does not matter, for you will be joining them shortly.”

[An Abandoned World]

The emergence of a Senkaimon gate broke the silence that surrounded one of humanity's most tragic disasters. The Juzo Hosho refugees made their way out into the still air, many carrying any wounded that managed to get through the Senkaimon however they all stopped dead in their tracks as their eyes fell to the ruin that lay in front of them. The nuclear power station of Chernobyl or what was left of it. The once functioning power plant was covered in ivy, weeds and other assorted foliage. The stone walls were starting to crumble in places, cracks were a prominent feature across the structure. The metal girders were rusting and collapsed in places, easily visible from the hole in the wall where the blast from the now destroyed main reactor. However the silent horror in front of the group was rather overshadowed by the beauty of the forest surrounding the power plant. Trees and plant were in abundance as were the wildlife. Birds flew in between the abandoned buildings. Foxes and deer bounded through the trees and pathways around them.

Iyashi strode to the head of the group in an almost shocked stupor. She had never been to such a place as this. The devastation that was around them was humbling. She knew none among them could ever hope to understand what such a disaster could have looked like.

"I knew this place was the location of a human disaster but...." She petered off into silence as she slowly made her way through the complex.

Enne Tachimukau strode around the complex herself, not far from Iyashi. Even her typically laid back attitude forgotten as she gazed upon the decaying walls of the nuclear reactor. "This place just feels wrong. It's too quiet." She muttered as she placed a hand on one of the walls, the paint peeling off at the touch of her fingers.

Rikaro and Nobuko were helping the other squads guide the survivors of Ukishima Rakuen through the barren streets of the power plants inner complex, trying to find a suitable place to get their group settled. Both were gazing around at the buildings around them. The silence and emptiness of the place was getting to the civilians and each one of them felt extremely uneasy walking through what was basically a ghost town and when their future home came into view they became even more ill at ease.

"You can't seriously be taking us there?" Piped up a noble civilian. Others soon followed his lead.

"That place is a wreck!" Squealed a woman who was again from a noble household.

"Oh give it rest you noble slimebags!" snapped a particularly unhappy refugee who was of a lower class than the two moaners. "I'm sure you can manage living without your servants doing everything for you!"

"Give it a rest! Just because you're not living the life of luxury anymore doesn't mean you can complain when we're all in the same position." Shouted another refugee.

"Unlike you peasants, our lives have some importance and value. All those Juzo Hosho will have to do is find some better accommodation..." The man stopped talking and dead in his tracks as Rikaro hobbled to his side.

Rikasro tapped the man with his cane and glared at him, his mouth curled in disgust as he looked at the pompous noble who could sense Rikaro's disdain. "Being lead to safety was not enough for you? Are you suggesting that I should bend myself over backwards to cater to the needs of the few over the needs of the many?" Rikaro's voice didn't betray any level of emotion but the aura he gave off terrified everyone in the near vicinity. "Well if you want to be pampered again why not go back? I mean you run the high risk of dying but I'm sure that it is worth the risk."

The man shook his head. He was shaking visibly.

"No? I see you have finally acquired some sense in that thick skull of yours." He said mockingly.

"I think he get's the point Captain Nidalia. I think its best we get the group moving again before you give this man a heart attack." Nobuko said as she stepped between the two, though her aura was less than friendly. "That being said," She turned to the man but projected her voice for all the nobles to hear. "I do not care where you come from, who you are, who your family are or the amount of money you used to possess. Here we are equal, all forced out of our home by an enemy unknown to us. We are going to have to cooperate not only with each other but with those from the Soul Society as well. Anyone who makes harder for the rest of us will suffer the consequences befitting their crime as deemed necessary by our Head Captain. After today none of the Juzo Hosho are going to stand any nonsense from anyone here. So we are going to be holing up in the abandoned flat blocks that Rikaro specifically picked out for us." She pointed to the abandoned flat block which was in slightly less disrepair than the power plant itself.

"And what if we don't want to live there?" Asked another noble indignantly.

"Then you get left behind." Answered Rikaro with hints of malice creeping into his voice as he limped to the front of he group and continued onwards, the rest followed suit soon afterwards.

____________________________________

Kin and Naoki were waiting by the open Senkaimon gate for the three Captains who relayed their information to the Gotei 13. All three emerged from the Senkaimon, nodding to Kin and Naoki.

"All well here?" Jisano asked Naoki.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." He responded bluntly. "There has been some commotion amongst the refugees but Captain Nidalia and Captain Wakahisa quelled it pretty quickly. They are already at the flat blocks as we speak."

"So this is Chernobyl?" Kyobo remarked as he scoured the landscape. "Its definitely got the stench of death about it. I'm just amazed the humans could create such a place."

"Apparently they have many such facilities across their world. They provide electrical power to cities across large areas." Kin explained. "But this place suffered from a huge power surge which threw a large quantity of radioactive material into the atmosphere, killing many humans and animals as well as some plant life to the south of the facility. The radiation made this place inhospitable for humans for up to 20,000 years according to their scientists which is well past any of our life times."

"Destruction seems to be in their nature," Yushi mused aloud. He took a long look at the reactor building. "It's such a shame. So much life gone to waste just like that."

"Well only 31 died but many others suffered horrible deformities due to the radiation." Kin again explained as they closed the Senkaimon, knowing everyone had made it through who had needed to.

They all slowly walked to the flat blocks located just outside of the power plant to make their way to have a quick captains meeting about the recent events before the Gotei 13 captains arrived and all of them had doubt, fear, anger and sadness plaguing their hearts. But each had a burning drive to defeat this new foe that had driven them from their home.

The Lament of the Broken

Kie kept her expression as neutral as her speedily beating heart would let her. She felt it leap into her throat as she turned around and was greeted with the sweetest of smiles. She felt it sink to the bottom of her stomach when she saw that the woman was completely calm. She clenched her jaw ever so slightly as the new enemy approached the two of them, Kie holding her staff calmly at her side with her fingers curled gently around it.

“It seems you two are the only living things remaining within this world, aside from myself and my comrades,” she spoke with a quiet, elegant voice as she stopped a few feet short of the Head Captain and Kido Corps commander. “And yet, it also seems that you happen to be the oldest shinigami remaining in the vicinity. Which means that you should know why we’re here.”

While Kie tensed slightly, she looked over at a frozen Senya. Her commanding officer was stiff, and her knuckles were white with strain as she gripped her scepter. Kie looked back at the woman who stood before them and adjusted her grip on her staff, suddenly finding her palms laden with sweat.

“It was quite a nuisance,” the woman continued. “The other nation we visited seemed wholly ignorant of the situation. Either that, or they’re very good at pretending…” She smiled once again, staring straight at Senya. Kie felt an involuntary shiver run up her spine before she narrowed her eyes at the woman. As she opened her mouth, Senya jerked her head towards Kie. Staring into the Head Captains eyes, she conceded and allowed her to speak.

Senya swallowed and took a breath before replying. “It seems,” she addressed carefully, “that you and your friends are more powerful than initially perceived. Even though the Juzo Hosho captains stood against you…”

“... they were cut down in moments,” Kie finished, returning her level gaze to the woman.

Senya glared. “You are the Agents of Change, are you not?” she asked casually. Kie’s eyes widened visibly, and their assailant laughed quietly.

“So you do know us,” she confirmed. “That is something. I would have thought beings as young as you wouldn’t have known a thing related to our existence.” She paused only to sweep her eyes over the two of them unsettlingly. “Although you do know about the Reiteki Rojin…. Interesting.”

Kie reigned in her surprise after a long moment and stared. “The Agents of Change… how unfortunate,” she muttered.

“Indeed,” the woman agreed, her eyes shining with an eerie glow under the moonlight. Kie found herself unable to move for a brief moment as she simply stared back at her.

“How unfortunate,” she repeated with a small smile. When the woman showed the slightest bit of bewilderment, Kie gestured to the small, flashing red light in the treeline behind her. As she turned and caught sight of it, she grimaced for a fraction of a second.

“I see,” she murmured quietly.

“With that, and many others, hanging in similar places around the Seireitei, we have caught footage of all of you, being processed right now by our best and brightest,” Kie explained.

The woman merely raised a brow.

She made a small noise of laughter, almost a scoff but not quite, before responding. “If that begins to bother me, I will certainly find you and let you know."

Kie narrowed her eyes at the veiled threat.

She continued to watch Utsunomiya, who stood with an expression of cruel mirth plastered across her features. She looked up at the moon and then back to Utsunomiya. Kie hardly flinched as her shoulder erupted with pain and blood washed over the front of her robes. When she cast her eyes back to Utsunomiya, the blade was nowhere to be seen. Kie raised a brow, but didn’t question it as Senya stepped in front of her, slamming the butt of her scepter to the dirt. Several more golems appeared in rows before the Head Captain and began advancing toward the trees. When Senya looked back at Kie, she nodded in understanding.

Flash stepping around the Agent, she fired off low-level hado spells, bakudo and modified kido - all of which she dodged - and allowed a small smile to grace her lips as they managed to push her to the tree line. Kie retreated to Senya’s back and allowed her to take control of the skirmish. Senya swept her scepter in a wide arc, commanding the golems to move in. Utsunomiya clicked her tongue distastefully as she took a couple of steps back to provide ample space. Kie watched from her constantly changing position as the Agent danced gracefully in the center of the ring of golems, cutting through them quickly and effortlessly, and for brief second Kie noticed that she did not actually see a sword. She turned away for a moment to place her hand upon the surface of a tree and whisper a few quick words. When she removed her palm, a rune had appeared, seemingly seared into the bark and Kie quickly moved to her next location.

The golems crumbled to the ground in heaps of steaming dirt, but Senya immediately raised more of them and waved them towards her while she stood silently several meters away.

“You know this won’t hold me back,” Utsunomiya stated casually, her voice as elegant as if she weren’t dancing around enemies and dispatching them with little to no effort.

Senya only kept them coming, and occasionally had to sidestep a random blast of kido from Kie as she circled them methodically. She watched Utsunomiya carefully as she cut down her golems with uncanny precision and speed, paying special attention to her movements. Senya held up her scepter to block an oncoming attack from the woman, who had turned her eyes towards the Head Captain after slaying the final golem. She parried attack after attack, finally feeling the unexpected strength behind Ustunomiya’s graceful appearance as she began to falter beneath the strikes and their consistency. She was completely unprepared when Utsunomiya lashed out with her foot and snapped Senya’s ankle with a loud crack. When she faltered, the Agent whipped around and slammed the back of her hand into the Head Captains face. Before she could topple over, Utsunomiya reached out with her empty hand, slicing cleanly through the upper portion of Senya’s right arm. Her face painted with surprise and agony, Utsunomiya grinned and kicked her in the face, watching in glee as her head snapped to the side and she fell unconscious for a moment. Kie, having witnessed this, fired off several sokatsui before she physically thrust herself between the two of them.

Utsunomiya raised a brow. “Oh? How will you stand against me without a blade, miss Geißt?”

Kie didn’t answer, instead turning to her injured friend and removing her coat, tying it tightly around the stump of an arm that remained. She turned to glare at her opponent, and merely held up her staff. When Utsunomiya moved, she raised it. The ground followed suit, shaking and rising in uniform hexagonal pillars meant to trap her. She promptly destroyed them, sending earthen bits every which way. Kie swung her staff to the side and more pillars followed. The Agent simply leaped gracefully on top of them, shaking her head. Kie continued to direct the ground to her hearts content, continually sending pillars towards her enemy from every direction. Kie directed the ground she stood upon and raced toward her enemy, and as she forced the earth to coil upward as though it were a snake, she fired off several Raikoho and Soren Sokatsui into the center. Kie hovered where she was for a moment before she dismounted, leaping down from her perch and fully intending to crush her opponent beneath her weight and force. Having escaped all of the attacks with nary a scratch, Utsunomiya burst forth, slamming the bottom of her palm into Kie’s neck, throwing her into a spiraling mess as she hit the ground. Kie attempted to gasp for air as her throat was partially crushed from the force, and she felt sick when she realized she was bleeding heavily from the strike. Utsunomiya landed on top of her and pinned her neck to the ground. The pressure continued to grow as she once again looked deep into the shinigami’s eyes with her own glowing pair. Kie closed her own, understanding the ability her eyes held, and slammed her palm into the tree behind her head, searing yet another rune into the bark. As she did this, she brought her foot up to strike Utsunomiya in the stomach and failing. The Agent backed away and released Kie as she simultaneously slit her throat. Kie once again felt her flesh being rent asunder but did not see the blade. Kie held her neck tightly to staunch the flow as she rolled away in time to avoid further assault.

With great effort and several grunts of pain, Senya finally managed to get on one knee and slammed her scepter into the ground, once again summoning golems that wasted no time encircling the Agent. Their opponent sighed in exasperation.

“Do you have any other tricks?” she nearly whined.

“Yes,” Kie replied breathlessly as she appeared by Senya’s side to support her groggy captain. She held up one of her hands, and the runes she had placed upon the trees glowed for only a moment as light spread between them and promptly vanished. “Tōgoku Tozanshō,” she rasped. Finally releasing her neck from her own grasp, the gash was revealed to be sealed, albeit poorly.

Utsunomiya looked around her at the trees that bore the runes, which were conveniently encircling her, and attempted to walk forward with her hand outstretched. When she came to the point where she was between two marked trees, she was stopped by an opposing force. When she struck it, she seemed surprised that it did not break. Looking closer, she noticed the weaving tendrils of seemingly organic kido that Kie had woven into the spell. She glared at Kie and pointed up, as though asking a question. Kie simply shook her head and Utsunomiya sighed.

“How despicable,” she pouted as she ran her fingers along the kido before her. “I was just beginning to have fun.”

Kie raised her staff and tapped the ground three times, continuing to stare at Utsunomiya as the senkaimon opened beneath their feet. “As much fun as this has been, we really must be going,” she said cautiously as they began to sink. “Do have fun in your prison, however impermanent it may be.” She held Utsunomiya’s gaze for as long as the portal would allow, even as it closed above her head.

************************

The journey through the senkaimon had allowed Kie a moment to breathe, albeit very painfully, a luxury she hadn’t had since that woman confronted them. It also allowed her a moment to grieve for her fallen comrades. While she hadn’t known Junichi very well, and had detested Livius, they were valuable Captains that would be missed. She also knew that she probably could have stopped their slaughter.

Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking…

Kie sighed.

That was not to speak of the tragedy that had befallen Yvon Gerard, one of her many new Juzo Hosho friends and acquaintances. He had been slaughtered.

The death that took the greatest toll was Sumiko’s, however. In the fifty years that had spanned the war and current events, the two had grown closer than Kie thought possible. They would often visit each other if afforded the time, and would speak about new devices or inventions - or even sometimes crack a small joke or make a pun. They would go for tea or take walks, or just sit and talk. Kie would honestly miss the walks the most. She couldn’t describe the pain that dwelled in her heart when she did not feel her friends spiritual pressure upon the Senkaimon’s opening into the world of the living. Stepping out into air that was no longer ripe with the stench of blood, Kie took a moment to breathe, painfully again, before she and Senya limped off in the direction of the place called Chernobyl.

The original facility was old and decrepit, and the city around it was overgrown with vines and other plants. There were even some trees growing through the walls and cement. Kie observed many animals, some of which were oddly colored or looked aesthetically awkward, as she led a half conscious Senya towards their destination.

Kie could tell that whatever had happened here had been devastating. No human life for as far as she could see, and everything she laid her eyes on was either broken down or overgrown. She could feel that something had changed in the air. Perhaps it is the radiation, she thought to herself bitterly. She continued to watch as her surroundings shifted; trees and vegetation gave way to cement and rubble, and large, uneven slabs of concrete stretched out before her. As she jumped over one such obstacle, she spotted what must have been an old collection of human homes off in the distance, with collapsing roofs and walls. Abandoned, just like everything else for miles. She hefted Senya over her shoulder as she descended down the slope of her perch, landing on even more crushed stones and rubble.

She sighed lightly and began her process of regeneration, something she hadn’t done in a long time. She winced as the broken vertebra were reformed and her throat was repaired, and took a massive breath as soon as she was able. She grimaced. There were still other broken ribs and a fractured collarbone to fix, but with Senya the way she was Kie could hardly worry about her own injuries.

Kie was relieved to hear the shinigami before she actually saw them. Voices, some loud and others soft, a few of them recognizable. She pushed through the old fences and stepped over the rubble that surrounded their makeshift camp, surprised to find how quickly they had set up. As she looked around, she spotted several Juzo Hosho Captains and officers among them. It brought a smile to her face to see them all working together so well. She could see Kira not far away, and Captain Kirio, too. Captain Kuchimame was standing silently with Yoshiro and Akarui, and the three of them flash stepped away soon after - to do what, Kie did not know. She even managed to spot members of the Kido Corps who were setting up a perimeter around the area and setting traps in the forests.

She could hear the banter of some of the younger soul reapers as she limped past them. Some were in awe of this place and the splendor it once had, but others were still attempting to get over their shock. She could easily sympathize with them. One officer from another squad whispered as she passed by, and Kie sneered at this but ignored it otherwise.

“Captain Geißt!”

She turned her eyes to the approaching Ganta Yamamoto who, despite his normal attitude towards her, appeared exceptionally concerned.

“You’re covered in blood!” he shouted once he had reached her.

“Most of which belongs to her,” Kie replied gruffly, motioning to Senya. “I can recover on my own until she’s stable,” she reassured him. “Just make sure she’s alright.”

“I must ask,” he began. “What happened?”

Kie just shook her head. “Soon, we will need to have a meeting. A meeting that includes the Juzo Hosho Captains. I will give my full report there.”

He nodded and took Senya off of Kie’s shoulders, leading her towards the tent he and his squad had set up in. Even as she sat on the ground against an old cement wall, Kie could hear the groans of those injured, and it pained her. She sighed and let her hands rest in her crossed legs as her grief caught up with her. She rested her head gently against the wall and closed her eyes, lamenting her fallen comrades, but most of all, her fallen friends.

This is all wrong. This shouldn’t have happened, she thought bitterly. I’m sorry, my friends. I failed you.

She took a moment to breathe before she finally opened her eyes again. Looking around the makeshift camp and spotting all of those that were still alive did make her feel a bit better. But how could she ever forget the sting she felt behind her eyes now, or the physical pain that rang with each heartbeat? Her friends and comrades were gone and that was overpowering the sense of joy she should have felt that there weren’t more dead or injured than there already were. She cradled her hands as she thought back to happier days, well aware that there were several pairs of eyes trained on her, each of them sympathizing with her grief while each of them felt their own as well.

Merry Christmas (or equivalent) to my fellow resurgence writers! Hopefully the new year will bring all prosperity, happiness, and success, both to your work with the forum and outside life. :)

[Revenge]

[Before the return of Kie and Senya]

The flat block that lay outside the Chernobyl power plant itself was in a poor state. The walls were cracked, the paint fading and flaking in places. Mold and dirt plagued each wall and floor, creating black patches across the rooms. Belongings that became subject to decay were strewn everywhere, wooden objects rotted where they lay, fabrics were frayed and discoloured, metals became to rust and disintegrate leaving metal flakes lying haphazardly on the floor. Glass shards were lying everywhere from where the windows had been broken and the breeze streamed into the rooms creating whistling sounds.

All of this was lost on the Refugees from both nations. They were doing their best to clear the multiple rooms they were occupying. Soul Reapers and Juzo Hosho came together with the civilians to make their new home habitable. Yet the only people who did not join in on this were the captains. All of whom were deep in thought. The Juzo Hosho captains were in a deep state of shock now that the anxiety of escape had finally worn off. Most of them were facing the very real prospect of losing two very close friends. One harder than most. And then the destruction of their homeland also came into focus, the very real prospect that there might be nothing left for them to return to and the crushingly real prospect that all the men, women and children left behind were now laying lifeless alongside the homes that laid as ruble alongside them.

The Gotei 13 Captains however were more worried about the two Captains who had not made it back yet. Though they had not witnessed the destruction the Agents of Change first hand, they knew from the information their Juzo Hosho colleagues had provided that if Senya and Kie got into a fight with one of the Agents, it would be unlikely they would ever make it back.

None of the Captains present were injured but many were still in states of shock since they settled down. Iyashi had her head in her hands, keeping tears at bay from the thoughts of those lost. The other Captains left her to her grief. The Juzo Hosho knew this would be harder on her than anyone else, being the reclusive healer she was. She was not used to the feeling of loss.

Rikaro was just sitting on one of the decaying chairs in a deep state of contemplation. Silently planning with what information he had available to him. He also was left alone. Not just because no one wanted to interrupt his thoughts in case he lost that thought but also because what would happen if they did.

Yushi and Jisano were both talking to each other rather frantically. They were both trying to recount as much information as they could while both simultaneously thinking about how to defends their current position. They were constantly going between the Gotei 13 captains getting their opinions on the matter and were having lengthy debates with each other and their helpers on the most effective measures to take.

Nobuko, Enne and Kin where all busy ensuring they had sufficient defensive kido around the premise and were doing a thorough check of the perimeter as well.

Kyobo however was in a deep sense of mental anguish. He hid his feelings as well as he could but the constant threat of tears welling up in his eyes alone made him want to sob openly. Sumiko's death had hit him a lot harder than anybody could imagine. His mind was a turmoil of emotion. His sadness gave way to bouts of reminiscent happiness, flurries of guilt at his inability to save his closest friend but the most dominating emotion by far was his seething rage. The only thought present in his mind was finding the person who had killed Sumiko and making him suffer tenfold what she did.

Kyobo departed from the Captains room, unnoticed by all but one captain....

______________________________________

The civilians for the most part were cohabiting peacefully, but tensions were noticeable between the Ukira and the Soul Society denizens. It was obvious that both communities were trying to keep a definitive divide, the Ukira occupying a rough half of the building and those from the Soul Society were occupying a slightly less than equal part of the building.

One particular Rukon Resident was cleaning a particular hall and all the while looked over towards the Ukira's self designated zone, getting more and more annoyed at the amount of space they seem to be dominating. He began muttering to himself darkly.

"Those damn Ukira." He muttered through clenched teeth. "First the war, now they have to dominate all of this space?"

"I can guarantee they think they're better than you." Said a voice behind him. The man turned around to find nothing there.

"It must have been my imagination." He thought, though other thoughts began creeping into his mind and not thoughts of peace.

_______________________________________

Another civilian, a Ukira woman who was busy setting down grounds sheets which all the survivors had managed to bring with them. The floor very quickly became a garish shade of light blue and the civilians who were embarking on this project were finding it increasingly difficult to maneuver around the debris, holes and people that filled the room.

In contrast as many of the Ukira noticed was that the Rukonians were in a higher quality of temporary accommodation. The difference between the nations districts was not all that different but the Ukira were used to better living conditions, even in the rougher parts of Chisai.

This fact alone, as petty as it might have been under the circumstances, had began to dig underneath the skin of the Ukira.

"Why should we have to live in such squalor while those Rukon whelps get to live in relative luxury compared to this." She muttered under her breath, though there were nods from those close to her in silent agreement.

"Well maybe you should do something about it." Said a voice from behind her. She turned to find no one standing there and many puzzled faces surrounded her as they had heard the mysterious stranger that had seemingly heard her complaint. And the thoughts that that voice had imparted began to brew inside her mind.

These string of events continued throughout the day. Many people claiming to have heard this mysterious voice that had begun to plague their thoughts. Jealousy, resentment, arrogance all began to take over what was once a peaceful atmosphere until finally the pent up emotion erupted in the most careless and insignificant manner.

Two men. One Ukira and one Rukonian happened to accidentally bump shoulders. The ensuing confrontation turned into a full scale fist fight and the ensuing fist fight brought with it a full scale brawl between the two nations.

The captains and remains of the squads immediately set to work trying to calm the situation but were soon brought into the brawl and began fighting to quell what had become almost a civil war between the two nations over dominance of the building.

All but one captain at least. His disappearance went all but unnoticed. Only one had any knowledge he had disappeared and she never once thought to stop him. For Kyobo's quest for revenge would be a mission no one could prevent him from accomplishing. No one, not even himself.

_________________________________________­__


“You still have me to deal with, asshole.” Kyobo growled. His voice oozes with hatred.

Hatsusebe looks over his shoulder, a darkness lingering on his face. “Whom have you come to avenge? …No. Do not answer that. It does not matter, for you will be joining them shortly.”

"And I'll be taking you with me, you SON OF A BITCH!" He lunged forward, swinging his katana harder than he had ever swung it before, tears impairing his vision and a rage that no amount of spilt blood would ever be able to quell.

[Prelude to Might: Godly bloodshed]

Hatsusebe watches leisurely as Kyobo swiftly approaches. To the standard observer, Kyobo’s speed would be difficult, if not impossible to follow. To Hatsusebe, his opponent’s speed is all but ordinary, enabling an easy counter. Kyobo is moments from striking Hatsusebe when a third party intervenes, blocking Kyobo’s forward assault.

Utsunomiya examines Kyobo indifferently, casually speaking to Hatsusebe. “I further contemplated our presence in this new world. This world had been untouched by our influence for millennia, allowing it to blossom and produce numerous wonders. For the first time in our history we are unchained by the commands of our masters, leaving us to our own thoughts. Do you not see this as a unique opportunity in which to further explore the world for which we now walk?”

“You suggest that we occupy our time with petty and superficial deeds? I fail to see any joy in the goings on of this new world.”

“You, like I, have forgotten the splendor of a free existence. Can you sense it, Hatsusebe? The hold they had over us is slowly lifting, allowing us to experience life anew. I feel as though I have been reborn!”

“Our purpose…”

“…Will remain the same, but we will now allow ourselves the benefit of enjoying our status. What is the significance of enacting change if we ourselves are unable to feel and revel in it? We are now forging our own destiny, whereby we can distribute change in addition to living life and experiencing the splendor it offers. Cannot you not feel it, the tingling you have throughout your body? It feels as though my body has awoken from a millennia long slumber.”

Hatsusebe quietly considers her words, taking notice of her keen observation. His disgruntled expression hardens as he focuses on this unmistakable sensation, coursing through his body. “You are wise to recognize this, but it changes nothing. Our purpose will not be usurped by petty desires.”

“It doesn’t have to be.” She points his attention to an alert Kyobo. “Observe this man and his blade, both seething and begging for revenge. And yet, you are able to follow through with your responsibility and embrace a nature you were born into, one that emanates from your very bones. I say we do as we normally would, but…” She stares at Kyobo wickedly. “…allow ourselves to enjoy our time spent free. It won’t be long until we are expected to report to someone, why not utilize this time.”

Hatsusebe stares curiously as Kyobo as Utsunomiya slides her hands around his shoulders and whispers into his ear. “Life has again been breathed into bodies, invigorating our spirits, though still weak from solitude. I say we seize this opportunity and consume life as it was intended.” Hatsusebe digests her words, which seem to relax his body and lessen the blackness of his gaze. “Indeed.” Hatsusebe remarks. “This is rare opportunity, one that my ancestors would have reveled in.”

Utsunomiya smiles softly. “Exactly.” She says rosey-cheeked. “I’ll leave you to your adventure then. It might be interesting to sit back and watch while the others converge on our location. They must know by now the feeling I was detailing to you.” She flash-steps to a nearby rooftop, spectating the battle below.

Hatsusebe leers contemptuously as Kyobo, watching as he unleashes his Bankai.

“Bankai…Chō Heishi.” He grips his double bladed axe tightly in his hand, his body now accented by silver armor.

Hatsusebe sweeps his fingers through the black tufts of hair behind his temple as Kyobo recklessly charges, a more potent volatility coursing throughout his body. With all his might he brings his blade hurtling toward Hatsusebe, but without even noticing, his opponent has vanished. “How was I not able to see him moving?” Kyobo asks himself, baffled by his opponent’s speed. His wrist is cupped by Hatsusebe, who is not standing beside him. Hatsusebe forcefully pulls Kyobo’s arm, tensely pinning it toward his back. The tension sends sharp pains into his shoulder as his arm is unnaturally contorted.

Hatsusebe observes Kyobo’s axe, sliding his hand across the face of the weapon. “This weapon is much too heavy to be swinging it so carelessly. You will certainly harm yourself without ever having reached me with its edge.” He releases Kyobo, tossing his arm free.

Kyobo wobbles backwards, cupping his shoulder. He angrily snarls at his opponent, rotating his shoulder to loosen his muscles. “You won’t have another opportunity like that. You should have broken my arm while you had the chance.”

“Oh, we both know that isn’t true.” Hatsusebe declares mockingly. “Normally I would have eviscerated you by now, but there is something vibrating throughout my body. I would be a fool to ignore it, so I shall allow you to help me decipher this mystery.”

“You believe my blade to be a toy and my intentions to be fleeting. You mock me and the death of my comrades by reducing me to a mere play thing. Who the fuck tolerated your arrogance before now?” Kyobo asks defiantly. “I’m not about to solve any of your mysteries. The only thing that will resolve itself is my axes lust for your blood!!!” Kyobo’s voice rises, each word more deafening then the last.

“I witnessed insolence similar to yours very recently. She arrogantly stood before me, calling out the same name you did but a moment ago. You should be fearful, for the power she gained through that name provided her no aid. It wasn’t long after she recited that fateful name that her head lie in the dirt beneath her feet.” Hatsusebe alludes to Sumikos death unapologetically. His cold grimace pierces Kyobo’s awareness just as easily as his words.

Kyobo’s eyes tremor as his body collectively clenches. His tears slowly dissolve as his temperature rises, blood rushing to his skin as his teeth grind repeatedly. He lowers his head for a moment. “I will behead you as you did my friend. I will avenge she who was not nameless. You will know her name as I cleave through your neck! YOU WILL KNOW THE NAME SUMIKO ANENOKOJI!!!” He screams violently as he lunges at Hatsusbe. “Ōbādoraibu!!!”

Hatsusebe observes callously as his opponent is enriched with abilities surpassing that of the average soul reaper. His superhuman speed and strength catapult him before Hatsusebe while he strikes the muscle-bound Agent of Change in the chest. The force of his first sinks itself into Hatsusebe’s flesh. He then begins a volley of punches, each landing successfully. He quickly clutches his blade and slams it into the ground, releasing a powerful surge of energy with the collision. This enveloped Hatsusebe. Kyobo flash-steps backwards and then rockets forward, using his speed to augment his strike. His blade is stopped when it collides with Hatsusebe’s lengthy 26 inch blade. The force of the collision sends shockwaves through the area, managing to damage the surrounding structures.

“You can hardly support the weight of your behemoth blade, let alone strike me down.” He distributes immense weight to his blade and shoves Kyobo back.

“You drew your sword. That is reason enough for me to believe that you feared my axe.”

Hatsusebe grunts obstinately, grimacing at Kyobo’s impudence. Energy begins collecting along the length of his blade. “I don’t fear you. I fear no one.” He swings his blade and release a torrent of energy that swallows the entire area, Kyobo included. Hatsusebe watches as Kyobo unearths himself from the rubble and climbs to the top of the ruin created by a single swing of Hatsusebe’s blade. “The spear that which is fear is unable to harm me.” Hatsusebe appears before Kyobo, glaring down at him ominously. “

“BULLSHIT!” Kyobo shouts defiantly, swinging his axe vertically.

Hatsusebe easily side-steps his blade, blasting him in the chest with his foot. The blow forces Kyobo into the distance, landing on a pile of rubble. “You are no more a threat than the ruin you stand upon.” He casually walks forward, his blade glistening off the sunlight. “Your body quakes with fear, I can feel every vibration. You are no more valiant than your headless mistress. Fear was her prison, and I saw it from the moment she unleashed that inferior blade.” Before he takes another step, a powerful wave of energy rockets toward him. He clasps it with his hand and deflects it to the left. “I have brought ruin to many nations, but never have I allowed it to last this long.”

“Count us lucky, I guess!” Kyobo says mockingly.

“Indeed. I find this particular experience more vexing than all the others. From the moment we stepped foot on their soil, each nation responded similarly. They begged, pleaded, and desperately attempted to find refuge. It wasn’t often that we encountered such dogma and resistance. Certainly they tried, but it was over before it began. This experience is uniquely distinct. Never before have we traveled without the direct advisement of the council. So, while you grovel in your shelters and brandish your blades in defense, know that you and your comrades share one, singular fate: oblivion.”

Everyone, I need to clarify some things.

I was talking with BP not to long ago, and he explained his situation. He hasn't posted up until now becaus he is away for work and he only has phone internet. He's been having some pretty bad writers block as well, which even makes the situation worst.

We both agreed that I am going to write the post he was supposed to, as he will not be able to do it for the time being. The post will be up tomorrow so no worries guys.

:)

[Overpowering the Juggernaut]

Something was happening to Kyobo that he had never experienced when he had released his bankai. He was panting. While he could not feel his rising exhaustion because of the the potent cocktail of chemicals that were circling his body as he stared at his foe, he could read the sign from his own body. Panting was the first sign. Soon afterwards he would be at the mercy of his opponent.

I've got 8 more minutes before I'm dead Kyobo thought bitterly as he gazed down at Hatsusebe from his ruined vigil. The odds of me walking away alive are pretty low. I might as well make him suffer for it. If I'm gonna join Sumiko wherever she is, I'm going to take a piece of this mother-fucker with me.

Kyobo leveled his axe with Hatsusebe, his eyes fierce with determination. "I don't think you seem to understand!" Kyobo shouted in a low, growling voice. "My only goal here is to kill you! Even if my life is forfeit, it makes no difference to me! If I die, I'm going to take something of you with me!" Kyobo shot forward, sweeping his axe upward in an arc, the blade coming within bare millimeters of the ground before it came up a a staggering speed, intending to slice Hatsusebe from below. The Agent merely flicked the blade aside with his own. Kyobo's axe shot past him with the resulting shock-wave of air that followed blew a hole in a wall not too far behind his opponent. Kyobo used the blades momentum to his advantage. His left hand changed grip on the axe moving towards the axehead that missed Hatsusebe and used the new pivot point along with his right hand which moved towards the second axehead to make a second powerful upwards swing which Hatsusebe blocked head on. The impact of both blades rocketed through both fighters but neither showed any sign of it. They locked blades, Kyobo's augmented strength only just allowing him to keep his opponents blade from shooting forward.

"Your weapon lacks the precision of a blade such as my own." Hatsusebe commented with a slight tone of intrigue. "Against one who does not have my power or skill, I could see you being a problem. Of course this observation is meaningless under the current circumstances. You would stand little chance of being able to hit one of us, let alone injure us." He lifted his leg and thrusted another powerful kick forward towards Kyobo who turned away from the kick and lifted the other end of his axe bringing the pole onto his shoulders and stooped enough to bring the axehead that was not in contact with Hatsusebe's blade to shoot up quickly towards the Agent's chest. Unfortunately the blow did not have the speed and by default, the power to prevent Hatsusebe from catching the blade in his left hand. He sharply turned and whipped his left arm away from him, catapulting Kyobo back into the pile of rubble he had already been thrown into.

Kyobo turned int he air and landed on his back, making an indent in the pile as his armored body crushed the stones, brick and mortar making up the pile. Kyobo took another look at his opponent who to his frustration had not moved from his spot. Kyobo placed his left hand down on the pile and pushed himself up. While his hatred of the man in front of him could not be matched by any, Kyobo had a level of respect for him as a fighter. This man was definitely more dangerous than anyone could have imagined. He took a quick glance at Utsunomiya who was watching with equal parts intrigue and enjoyment, almost as if it was a private show just for her.

To think that that woman is similar in strength to this man. Kyobo thought to himself. Saying these people...if I could even call them that, is an understatement. This guy could have killed me multiple times already. An infant could see that. I don't understand what's in it for him to prolong this. Some warped sense of satisfaction? Freedom? Or some form of sadistic pleasure?

Kyobo flashed stepped, pushing his body even further, using his spiritual pressure to increase his abilities even further. He had 6 minutes. In 1 minute he would stop producing the chemicals that allowed him to continue fighting at what he considered a level playing field with the Agent. The five after that would get progressively harder and then he would be having to fight while in withdrawal and with only his sealed blade.

He appeared behind Hatsusebe and swung his axe across his body and turning as he did in an attempt to bring both axe heads across his opponents body. Hatsusebe stepped forward, dodging the first axehead and spun quickly drawing his blade across the pole of the axe, forcing Kyobo to let go with his right hand to avoid losing his fingers. The offending blade struck the underside of Kyobo's axehead, digging into the blade itself and counteracted Kyobo's circular motion completely, forcing him to stagger back in the direction he came from. Hatsusebe then drove his sword handle into Kyobo's chest, buckling his armor and sending him flying backwards in a wall, nearly going through it and lacerating the back of Kyobo's head as well as fracturing his skull. The anesthetic did its job and prevented him from feeling the injury, but blood began to pour from the cut on the back of his head and stained the silver armor red before the platelets clogged the wound preventing more blood from spilling from it. Kyobo was slightly dazed from the impact but still managed to lift his right arm, his index and middle finger raised pointing towards Hatsusebe.

"Byakurai!" The blue beam erupted from Kyobo's finger tips, rocketing towards Hatsusebe who just side stepped and watched the kido fly past harmlessly, hitting the rubble pile with a cloud of smoke.

"That was a weak...kido, is that not what you call it?" Hatsusebe said in disinterested mockery. "It barely dented the rubble."

Kyobo ignored him as he rocketed towards him at full speed. 5 minutes left. Hatsusebe stabbed his blade forward to intercept the strike. However even he did not expect what Kyobo did. Kyobo did not even swing his axe instead he took the blade straight through his left shoulder, feeling the impact crush the armor and the bones around the point where the blade entered him and wrapped his right arm around Hatsusebe's midriff while his left latched on to his sword arm as tightly has he could, the gauntlet digging into Hatsusebe's skin but not deep enough to draw blood. He then lifted, raising the big man off the ground and his momentum carried them both towards the rubble pile, landing at the precise point where the Byakurai had hit the pile. It was there that Hatsusebe's eyes took notice of the glowing blue circle. When they both landed on the pile, the kido mine that Kyobo had placed there minutes ago without either Agents noticing released the Byakurai, which Hatsusebe had no choice but to take head on. A cloud of rubble, dust and smoke erupted from the impact zone, shielding them both from view for a moment before Kyobo came rocketing out of the cloud, his arm spurting blood as the blade had been removed forcibly from his shoulder. Hatsusebe emerged from the cloud a moment later, taking a larger interest in his now damaged clothing than his opponent who slowly got to his feet with a grimace of pain beginning to etch into his features. Kyobo's wound was not clotting at its usual rate and blood was still dripping from his shoulder, his breathing was harder not only from exhaustion but ribs had broken and splintered into his left lung, the organ was slowly filling with blood as was his chest cavity. He would soon suffocate or drown in his own blood, either option being as horrible as the other.

Hatsusebe removed his gaze from his slightly smoldered clothing to Kyobo who switched his axe from his left hand to his right and raised it in a defensive stance. Hatsusebe then looked to his own blade that had a light coating of Kyobo's blood on it. He whipped it to his right, the blood easily coming off the blade before raising it again with a look of determination beginning to seep into his features.

"Very inventive of you. You used two spells together in perfect harmony and injured yourself severely to try and injure me. While your effort was definitely futile, I can say I am both surprised and somewhat impressed with your reckless abandon." Hatsusebe walks slowly towards Kyobo who stands his ground despite the blood dripping from his shoulder, mouth and the back of his head, the wound having reopened as his zanpakuto effects begin to weaken. "But I think your usefulness has run its course would you not agree?"

Kyobo watched as his opponent vanished before his eyes reappearing an instant later his sword drawn back ready to thrust within striking distance of Kyobo. Kyobo desperately swung his axe as the strike rocketed forward, deflecting the blow just millimeters past his left arm. Hatsusebe quickly and expertly brought the blade back to striking position and struck across Kyobo's body. Kyobo placed his axe between him and the oncoming blade, the pole taking the impact but Hatsusebe's blade cut into the pole almost as if he was cutting into butter, the blade emerged from the other side of the pole and cut into Kyobo's armor, slicing into his front though not deep enough to be fatal. Kyobo felt the blade cut into him, though he was still numb to most of the pain. He looked down towards the falling axehead as he fell backwards, kicked the pole, shooting the axehead towards Hatsusebe's face. The axe grazed his right cheek, drawing almost a pinprick of blood as the axe launched into the air. Kyobo forced his left arm down and pushed off with it to his displeasure spinning himself out of the way of an oncoming downward thrust from Hatsusebe. Kyobo span to his right, and used the momentum to rocket the other axehead towards the Agent, allowing it to leave his hand in what was a last ditch effort to put space between the two.

Hatsusebe disappeared from view, appearing behind Kyobo and kicked him almost as if he was a soccer ball, catapulting him forwards and crushing his armored back in the process. Kyobo shot into the building Utsunomiya was currently watching from, leaving a cloud of rubble in his wake as his body went straight through the wall.

Utsunomiya looked over the edge of the roof. "I wonder if that captain survived? That woman could not stand up to a similar sort of beating. If he is still alive, I can at least savour this feeling for a while longer. Hmm?" She took a step to her left as a Shakkaho erupted from the room below her. She heard a fit of coughing, before a weak yet angry shout exited the hole. "I'm still alive you bitch! I'm not going to die to that bastard anytime soon!"

Utsunomiya smiled slightly. "I guess my question was answered."

Kyobo stumbled out of the hole, his face was battered and cut, blood pouring from the multiple wounds on his face. His left arm hung limply at his side. Blood trickled down it, out of the holes the stone had made in his armor. His fingers were at awkward angles, some were broken. A bone stuck out of his left thigh and blooded squirted from the wound in a horrible fashion. His right arm seemed completely fine though in actuality his forearm had near enough shattered from the impact. It was only the presence of the crumpled forearm guard keeping his arm in shape at all.

He hobbled out of the hole slowly. 1 minute. To an ordinary person the sight of Kyobo would be truly unsettling. A man who seemed too injured to even be able to be conscious let alone still alive hobbling towards the man that had caused these injuries who inspected the small cut on his face. The most disturbing part of this picture was Kyobo was smiling. His teeth were red and black from the blood that was in his mouth. He continued to hobble towards Hatsusebe. The eery smile still on his face. It garnered much confusion from both Hatsusebe and Utsunomiya. They both could not understand why he would be smiling. Their confusion increased as a gurgling giggle began to emerge from his throat before it turned into pained laughter.

"This is very curious behaviour." Hatsusebe mused aloud. "Why would such a pitiful excuse for a being be laughing?" His question was only met with more laughter. It was unnerving. Both Agents had not experienced this sort of behaviour before.

"I injured you! Hahahaha" Kyobo coughed violently, blood spilled from his mouth. 20 seconds. "Proof you can be injured. It's enough for me." He was face to face with Hatsusebe by this point. "If you can be injured then you can be killed. HAHAHAHA!" Hatsusebe's hand shot out and grabbed Kyobo's throat but his laughter still continued.

"I cannot remember ever calling myself an immortal, boy. This battle of vengeance is lost. Your life with end right here and now." Hatsusebe raised his blade to the throat of the still laughing Kyobo. 5 seconds.
. Time's up. As Hatsusebe's blade went forward towards Kyobo's heart, Kyobo's zanpakuto resealed itself. The unique quirk of it was it reappeared in his right hand. He swung his blade, deflecting it slightly to his left and Kyobo swung his body to his right, throwing himself out of the blade's path. At that moment Hatsusebe got hit by an unknown explosion forcing him to drop Kyobo who weakly flash stepped to a far wall. At which he collapsed as he went into system withdrawal.

Hatsusebe turned to a new presence as Utsunomiya looked towards the purple hair woman standing behind her fellow agent.

"I think it's best you keep your filthy hands off of my captain!" Iyashi Kyo shouted angrily with two of her daggers drawn.

I am sorry this post came later than what I promissed. But I had problems with my internet, and couldn't do anything about it unfortunately.

Also I need to mention one thing I forgot to in my last post, and another thing I just found out. First, BP says eh is sorry for not being able to do this post, and that he hopes to be back shortly. Second, his computer broke. :(

BP COME BACK FAST BREH!!!




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Chernobyl was a place that depicted very well what such a powerful force could do to the environment. Everything was rubble, shards of glass in the floor were windows used to be, cracked wall from where rays of light passed through during the day. Plants and vines grew around and in the walls of the crumbling building. With the exception of the vegetation, no life was apparent. If not for the Shinigamis from Soul Society and Ukira, the place would be completely filled by silence.

All Shinigamis, both from Gotei 13 and Juzo Hosho, and the respective civilians from both nations worked to make the best of the situation. Although the line between conflict and fraternity was very thin in the moment, the Captains and their respective division had been doing constant patrols, both military forces doing so in conjunction, to make sure such a fight would not occur and divide then even more. It was also a way to show the civilians that they were together in what was about to come. It was certainly, a sight to behold as Captains who fought one against another in the terrible war of 50 years ago were working together, their job seamless and perfect.

Senya entered into a room that seemed to be the old HQ of this facility. Multiple giant machines laid destroyed, their circuits and motherboards splattered everywhere, some even taking very strange shapes due to the melting from the accident. The ceiling of the room had an enormous crack from which a single tree managed to grow. Rays of moonlight were the only thing keeping the room lit enough for her to even be seeing everything. She walked a bit around the room, touching the machines, and the rubble of the place. Her toughs immediately went back to her home. The one they lost so suddenly. Never, in all of Soul Society history, they were defeated whit such immense ease. They were drove from their own territory and had multiple of their fellow soldiers killed in a matter of minutes, maybe an hour. And all of this not against an army, ten times their size. But by a squad of 4 men. That was humiliating to even think. 4 unknown soul reapers managed to drive them out of their home and kill countless of soldiers in the process. Even a Captain was amidst the casualties. That, of everything else was the scariest thing about their enemies. A Captain… No, not just a Captain, their strongest captain, the Kenpachi of the Gotei 13 had been defeated without the opponent even sweating, or struggling for it. He broke as if he was a toy at the hand of a careless child. And before that, Ukira, the home of the Juzo Hosho was destroyed as well, and two Captains fell just like Livius. No matter what Senya did to try and escape her thoughts, she would always ask herself: “What chance do we have?”

After all she faced their power herself, and they were far from what she had ever experienced in the past. If not for Kie, perhaps she would be dead. No. Death would be certain if not for the Kido corps commander. She turned around, staring once more into the giant tree, and all the rubble around it, the cracked ceiling… This is what would become of her home. It was what became of Ukira as well. Both nations graveyards, were only the hush of the dead can be heard.
The veteran Captains from both forces started filling the room bit by bit, centering themselves around the tree that grew from the rubble in the middle of the room. Moonlight shone on their faces, and they all showed grief, anger. A desire for revenge. But the fear of losing their lives in the same manner many did before then. It was hard to even think that such destruction could be made in such a little timespan. It had only been a few days since they moved to the physical world after all. But it felt like days, years, centuries…

Senya walked to the other Captains, and stopped. She stared at her comrades, all staring at the ground. She wanted to let them speak, to hear their opinion in the matter. But the silence continued. For minutes. It was Ganta who broke the silence for the first time.

“I think we should begin with casualty reports. We need to know how many of each division were lost to those… things.”

Things. Yes. That was probably what best described them. As the reports came from each captain in the room, Senya’s face became even more conflicted, and she became even more certain of the classification of the enemies as mere things. Objects destined to war and battle. Thousands were the deceased, but not in the whole. Each division had suffered to many losses to work in their maximum capacity.

“I see…” said Senya, before putting her right hand on her chin. The situation was even more drastic than she measured.

“I believe the best course of action would be to make this place the most impenetrable fortress we can. We need to make sure a catasthropy similar to what happened at Soul Society, and Ukira before, does not occur again.” Said Yoishiro.

“Impenetrable!? Have you even seen what these guys were capable of? I doubt you did! They managed to kill Captains without flinching, and both our nations are rubble because of them. Nothing is impenetrable to them. As soon as they find where we are, they will come and crush our defenses, no matter how good they are.” Said Jisano, clearly angered by Yoishiro’s opinion on the matter.

“You seem like you do not have any faith in our capabilities.” Yoishiro replied, still calm.

“I don’t have any faith in any form of defensive mechanism we can make. They are juggernauts! We can’t stop them by making walls, or putting defensive kidos around. This is all a waste of time!”

“Do not call my efforts a waste. It is better than complaining all day like you do.” Said Kie, her arms crossed.

“Do not talk back to me. I broke your zanpakuto, I can easily break you as well.” He said, walking forward in his anger. Captains from both sides started discussing. Senya simply kept silent, not flinching or anything, her hand still in her chin. Afterwards she moved her eyes to the discussing Captains and shouted.

“Silence!! All of you!!” she screamed using all the breath available in her lungs. “We are comrades now! As much as the war from before still makes some animosities linger, we need to act as one! Otherwise, we already lost.”

Jisano stepped back. Yushi however, raised his head.

“But he is right. Our defenses are not enough to keep then at bay. We will be crushed the moment they set foot here. And unlike before, there is nowhere to go.”

“They aren’t invincible. They can’t be. I am sure if many of us fight only one of them at once, we could at least manage to injure this specific agent enough so it needs to run. If we train harder into fighting as a specific group, with different task forces composed of a determined amount of Captains, with zanpakutos that can combo very well… I believe we could do it.” Said Naoki.

Everyone stopped talking at that moment. For someone whose ability was to copy other’s zanpakutos abilities, it made a lot of sense for him to come with such a comment. Of everyone, he was probably the one Captain that best knew how each zanpakuto could interact well whit each other. That of course, speaking of the Juzo Hosho. He knew nothing about the zanpakuto of the Gotei allies.

“We also have that thing Kira made. Not sure it is safe to use, but if we do use it, it could mean a serious powerup.” Said Tomoe.

“There is a serious problem tough. Zanpakutos have very distinguishing abilities, and many of them would end up not working very well together.” Replied Senato.

“Yes. That is why we need to study which zanpakutos can work well together.” Said Naoki.

“How is this better than building up defenses?” Asked Majo.

“Have you heard of strength in numbers? Animals in the physical world (which is the place we are now) that are weaker than their prey hunt in packs to overwhelm the enemy. Most of the time they are successful despite a loss or two. If we stay here and build defenses, when they come to strike at us, they will do so without a warning, and many of us will end up scattered. But if instead of building up useless defenses, if we build task forces and make it so, all captains that participate in this task force cooperate as one in a battle… We could stand a chance.”

“I see. Each task force would operate as one individual. And when the time for battle comes, each task force could strike one individual Agent. I like this idea. It has a lot of sense.” Kira replied.
In that moment, everybody smply forgot their animosities, and embraced the idea. They didn’t knew how well such an idea would go. But it was definitely a glimmer of hope, in a nightmare full of darkness, with no foreseeable end.

“We should also search for more allies in this battle.” Said Ziel. “Perhaps search for those with a considerable strength to aid us.”

“It wouldn’t be a good idea. We are short in manpower, and the other nations will surely not want to get involved in this.” Replied Yushi.

“Perhaps individuals? Naoki, you are Akihiko’s apprentice. I fought with him once, and he is a formidable fighter. He would strengthen our forces.” Yoishiro said.

“Unfortunately I do not know where my master is. He left, not telling anyone where he would go. Even then, I doubt even him would be enough against those Agents by himself, as strong as he might be.”

“Forget this idea. It is nonsense.” Senya said, after listening to the whole discussion. “The task force could definitely work. I don’t know how well, but it is worth a shot.” She stared at Naoki, pointing a finger at him.

“You seem to have a good knowledge on the zanpakutos of yourJuzo Hosho friends.. I want you to study our zanpakutos, and come up with the best teams we can have. We will have one task force for each Agent.”

Naoki nodded in agreement. Senya, after giving this order, noticed that Kyobo and Iyashi were missing.

“Were are them?” she asked for the Captains in the room.

“We do not know. They simply disappeared out of thin air. I did all I could to find then, but all efforts were In vain.” Nidalia said, with a look of disappointment in his face. All other Captains in the room showed expressions of fear. What could have happened with them? The Agents could nothave learned about their hideout so soon.

“Well, let’s proceed with the meeting.” Said Senya. She didn’t liked the idea of having to proceed with the meeting before Kyobo and Iyashi appeared. But she felt they wouldn’t come back soon. “I have a bad feeling about this…”

[Fall of the Day Star]

Iyashi’s lips tighten, suppressing the fury that sits upon her tongue. Her stony gaze intercepts Hatsusebe’s glower, as he peers over his shoulder. Shadows bathe Hatsusebe’s face, accentuating his lined complexion. He adjusts his neck and quickly predicts Iyashi’s movements. He watches as she appears in front of a weakened Kyobo.
“And the plot thickens!” Utsunomiya jests softly.

“Are you planning to invite your comrade to battle alongside you?” Iyashi inquires sternly. She is unsettled by her opponent’s unexpected silence. She anticipated words of intimidation, but for him not to speak has her on higher alert. “Is he planning something?” She asks herself. “He appears to boast brute strength, but I surmise he is no expert in kido. His size would suggest he is not as nimble as the female most likely is.” Iyashi continues to debate his strengths in her mind, observing his absence of movement or reaction.

Utsunomiya crosses her arms and rests her right elbow atop her left arm. She dangles her fingers playfully across her lips before caressing her cheek. Iyashi shifts her gaze momentarily, catching the smile that sits upon her lips. Iyashi is immediately troubled by this ease of demeanor. She casts her gaze back onto Hatsusebe. His body slowly evaporates into the air, sending shock and upset across Iyashi’s face. In a moment of automaticity she rotates her body, hoping to catch a glimpse of an injured, but secure Kyobo. She is witness to horror as Hatsusebe slices clean through Kyobo’s neck and lightly punts his severed head to her feet. His head rolls onto her feet and wobbles before looking straight at her. The agony of his death empties the air from her lungs and weakens her entire body. She is nearly limp before a surge of tension passes through her. Her eyes pool with tears, but none are shed for she refuses to allow her opponent’s the satisfaction.
Hatsusebe steps over Kyobo’s body as he approaches Iyashi. “Words have never been required for an Agent of Change. Our silence alone can decimate nations.” He continues to approach her, but she quickly fires to spheres of energy in his direction. He stops and observes indignantly before spotting her to his left. “Such predictable insolence…” She suddenly vanishes and appears before him, thrust her hands into the orbs and clutching her blades hidden beneath the technique. She performs a cross slice, landing directly across his chest. Her speed is profound as she drags her knife up his chest and spins her daggers between her fingers delivering deep, wide slices. He turns her body slicing with her left dagger and twirling her right dagger. Energy quickly manifests and churns with his dagger as she releases a condensed steam of energy that spirals from its source. The spiraling onslaught catches him in the gut and sends him sliding across the soil.

Iyashi stands talls and points her daggers to the ground as she witnesses the behemoth shrug off her attack with absolutely no wounds. “It is nearly impossible to assume he dodged my attack. No, I felt each time my blade met his flesh, but he appears to possess no wounds. I managed to slice into clothing, but why did nothing draw blood?” She contemplates silently in her mind, replaying the events and looking for a modicum of fault. “Perhaps this brute will require…” Her mental processing was interrupted by her opponent’s strange and unsettling response to her attack.

Hatsusebe sheathes his blade and begins approaching her once again, remaining silent.

“Alright, well I will perform a number of tests to get a better idea of your strengths and weaknesses.” She thinks to herself before performing a powerful kido. “Hado 67: Surasshu Masuiestu!” The technique sends ripe surges of energy into her daggers before beams of solid energy blast from the tips of the blade. She begins a lethal dance, twirling the blades as the beams extend like lasers, but are wielded like scalpels. She watches as Hatsusebe dodges the first stroke of energy as it slices into the ground. “So this technique has you worried, resulting in your desire to dodge the beams of energy.”

He displays an impressive set of agility, jolting across the landscape as she slices through the buildings. The beam of energy crackles across the sky with the stroke of her hand. The beam is seconds from colliding with Utsunomiya, but she simply raises her hand and moves it along the path of the beam. From the moment it strikes her hand it deflects like light against ice. Hatsusebe abruptly halts and stares coldly at Utsunomiya. “How was I expected to know you were simply misleading her?”

Iyashi’s eyes fly open as Hatsusebe’s motives are revealed. She turns to focus the energy on her opponent, but he slams his shoulder into her chest, using the strength of his body alone to send her catapulting into multiple buildings. He raises his hand and points his finger. “Do not hide. Even you could not be dealt with by a single tackle.” The tip of his long, meaty finger generates a small, red sphere. It launches from his finger and speeds through the air, releasing a discomforting screeching sound. It barrels toward her, resembling a bullet with a tail. It disappears into the city landscape, allowing for chilling silence before an eruption engulfs the area. A plume of vibrant, searing energy rockets into the sky, decimating the landscape. “You reveal yourself from the shadows, I see.” He turns his head and glares at her villainously. “Not without injury, no doubt.”

Iyashi clutches her shoulder, having been injured by Hatsusebe’s surprise attack. “The force of his tackle alone was enough to send my body hurtling over 50 meters. It was that technique however that delivered me this troublesome injury. The shear radius of the blast managed to catch my left side as I was escaping. It almost shredded it, leaving me only a stump. I cannot underestimate his impatience or what he might be capable of using any form of combat.” She digs her fingers into her skin and energy pumps through her fingers and begins to instantly rejuvenate her arm, healing the shredded tissue and exposed bone.

“You shouldn’t take to the shadows so carelessly. You never quite know what is hiding alongside you.” Hatsusebe threatens ominously as he takes notice of her healing prowess. “You must descend from a long line of healers to possess that strong of a gift. I’ve never been fond of healers. They use their power to cheat death, as if that gains them praise.” He steps forward, digging his foot into the ground. “Well, healer, why not release that Bankai your comrades have been so fond of. Let me see if yours is any more challenging than theirs.” His cold, steel blue eyes bore into Iyashi as she flexes her arm, testing her dexterity.
Iyashi scoffs silently, clutching her daggers tightly. “What changed? You were so eager to annihilate us with silence, but now you beg for me to show you my might, which you have already deemed as inferior. I find it peculiar that your philosophy changed.” As she goes silent a shadow is cast over her, as Hatsusebe’s size towers above her. Her body grows cold as the behemoth agent stares at her with contempt.

“Nothing has changed.” Hatsusebe reaches for Iyashi, but she blasts his hand away with kido. He lunges at her, but she flash-steps several feet away. “You witnessed just how simple it was for me to behead your subordinate, what convinces you that your situation will be any different?”

“He’s right. I am not certain whether my situation will be different, but I have to try.” Iyashi thinks to herself cautiously.

“Come at me with that Bankai. In your weakly state, you are no more than a pest. I will use this opportunity to crush your power and demonstrate just how futile your efforts are. And directly after, I will tear the life from your body...

I was suppose to ask if it would be cool if I join. I already have a Zanpaktou made up, but was told to get feedback on joining first.

Hey, guys. I have to make an announcement. I'm no longer able to be a part of this forum. I apologise for that, however it is due to personal matters I'm reluctant to discuss and my inability to write anything. I really enjoyed writing on here. You guys are all excellent writers and I have the utmost respect for you all. Good luck to everyone!

Name: Katsuo (Victory, Hero, Warrior)

Age: 1,000 by Shinigami standards, but looks 17

Appearance: Katsuo looks 17, with light brown hair, and fair skin. He wears a blue robe with gold trim all around it. Katsuo wears a necklace with a moon pendant around his neck, that belonged to his sister. Under his blue robe Katsuo wears the normal Kimono of a Shinigami. He wears his sword on his right side, even though he is primarily right handed, to confuse his enemies. Katsuo also wears a belt (not to hold his pants up) with a sun pendant on one side and a moon pendant on the other. The belt does serve a purpose though in the pouches Katsuo keep bandages and healing balm, along with other medical supplies. Katsuo also has a tattoo of his family crest on the front of his right forearm.

Nature: Katsuo is eerily quiet, and light on his feet. He lives like a Vagabond or sell-sword, and even though he is in the Juzo Hosho, he holds allegiance to no one. Katsuo was so quiet, that his peers in the academy believed him to be mute. Katsuo is driven by honor, and loyalty. Katsuo wants nothing more in life than to be recognized as the strongest or one the best. And to leave a legacy so people will talk about him long after he dies. Katsuo doesn't fight unless it gives him honor, or better standing of some kind. Katsuo doesn't believe in a greater power or fate, because he hates not being in control of his own destiny. Katsuo doesn't know why he has the tattoo, but suspects that it has something to do with why the Captain took such an interest in him, but he has no memories of the tattoo and doesn't know what it means. So he is driven to find out what it means, Katsuo also loathes authority, which is why he wears his blue robe even though it gets him in trouble constantly. Katsuo wants nothing more than be loved and respected by his peers, which is why he pushes himself harder and harder each day, so that one day he might surpass the Captain that saved him from the hollow, and from himself. Katsuo can often be seen training alone in the fields or roaming the forests and districts around Ukishima Rakuen. Katsuo believes that loyalty is the only thing that is stronger than honor, and visits his sister's grave at least once a week, and watches the stars with her, like he use to when they were younger.

Background: Katsuo grew up in a poor district of Ukishima Rakuen with his younger sister. Katsuo started developing his Shinigami powers young. But when his sister didn't develop any he hid his in fear that the Shinigami would come, to take him away from his sister, to the Academy. As Katsuo heard more and more about trouble in Ukishima Rakuen he realized that he couldn't just sit by and do nothing, so he began sneaking out at night to destroy random hollows that made their way into Ukishima Rakuen, without anyone knowing not even his sister. One night he came up against a hollow that held the power to delve into people's memories, and the hollow found out about his sister. Katsuo was outmatched by the hollow and was defeated, to hollow left him for dead. But as Katsuo laid there dying a group from the healing division of the Juzo Hosho found him. And they healed his wounds, but as they were healing him a page came across that a hollow was attacking a nearby village in his district. Katsuo realizing his mistake took off, but not before the young boy that was healing him, gave him his belt full of healing supplies. Katsuo arrived at his village to find the hollow devouring the village citizens, but no matter how many times he got back up the hollow kept defeating him. Eventually a captain of the Jozu Hosho appeared and defeated the hollow in one swing of his sword. Katsuo hated the hollow and hated the Captain for being so strong. Katsuo ran off to the farm house where him and sister were living to find it on fire. He ran head-first into the house to rescue his sister, she was still alive but barely. but she was weak and he used his own spirit energy to keep her alive, but he was told that eventually the spirit energy he gave her would wear off and she would succumb to her wounds. A year later almost to the date she passed away, and Katsuo couldn't save her. He carried her body to a nearby hill, and buried her there building a shrine for her on the hilltop. As he was mourning for his sister's death the Captain that had saved him from the hollow came, and offered to sponsor his studies in the academy. So upon graduation Katsuo requested to be in the Division of the Captain that had saved him, and set him on the right path.

Fight Style: Katsuo is a jack off all traits master of none in every essence, while in the academy all of his peers began to emerge in different areas. Some were proficient in kido and others in hand to hand or sword fighting, but Katsuo realized quickly he was not overly good at all. Katsuo uses his physical strength and speed to his advantage. He is a ferocious fighter and attacks fast and recklessly taking down multiple foes in a single sweep. He utilizes all of his tools including his short-axe which he throws at enemies, then flash-steps to retrieve. He also uses Kido to cause distractions, and when short of a weapon he can hold his own is hand to hand.

position: Captain of 4th Division Juzo Hosho

Release Command: Bring all things to a crawl

Nature: Juryokuen is a Gravity/Magnetic based Zanpaktou. It's also a tactical based Zanpaktou that is all about changing the flow of battle.

Shikai Name: Juryokuen (Gravity Edge)

Shikai Appearance: Katsuo holds his sword across his body and flicks the blade which shatters, and then the pieces are caught and held together as if by some invisible force. The blade then reforms into a longer and slimmer blade with a blueish undertone. It has a chain with a moon pendant hanging off of the hilt.

Shikai Powers:

1. Juryoku Bakudan (Gravity bomb) - The user creates a sphere of energy around himself and the enemy. Inside the sphere Katsuo can change gravity. Increasing gravity nulls flash-step and slows both Katsuo and the enemy. Decreasing it makes the battle faster.

2. Hiyaku-teki Shinpo (Quantum Leap) - Katsuo detaches his soul from body, leaping onto multiple targets and stealing a small portion of Reiatsu as it goes, then launches one final massive strike at the enemy. Grows stronger with each target it jumps too, but leaves Katsuo greatly exposed. Can also be used upon death to transfer Reiatsu to one target, giving them a power up.

3. Hazamu (Bounce) - Katsuo uses his immense spiritual pressure to influence the surrounding objects turning them into a rubbery liquid, allowing Katsuo to move faster, and changing the flow of battle since objects will by bounced off of instead of smashed through.

Bankai Name: Hagane Juryokuen (Steel Gravity Edge)

Bankai Appearance: Katsuo hold his sword upside down and takes the blade in his hand, then crushes the blade. The pieces fall to the ground. then Katsuo sticks his hand out as the pieces levitate back up and begun swirling around him. His blue robe turns into a pure white robe with blue and gold streaks intertwined down it, and a crescent moon on the back. The blade reforms on the hilt, shorter and still slim. the hilt is the same, but has a black grip, and the blade turns icy blue. In his left hand a short-Axe forms that is only two 2 feet long and has a icy blue blade. the shaft is wrapped with a gold gripping the whole way up to the blade.

Bankai Powers:

1. Jika (Magnetic Charge) - Katsuo releases a blast of charged spiritual pressure magnetizing all the objects in the surrounding area. The object attract the enemies blade, slowing the speed of the enemies sword swings.

2. Kyokusei Kohan (Polarity Swap) - Raises or lower both Katsuo spirit energy and the enemies Spirit energy making them exactly the same, and evens the playing field. This move can be used as many time as he wants to destroy any advantage either of them gets over the other.

-This power isn't really gravity based, but I think it fits into my characters personality pretty well.

3. Kari no Suriru (Thrill of the Hunt) - Sensing the enemies pain invigorates Katsuo giving him short bursts of increased physical strength every time he inflicts a new wound to his enemy.

Katsuo looks like this just with light brown hair, and the blue coat is a robe, and disregard the sword. Juryoku Ejji looks something like that, but not exactly. And the sword in his other hand is a short-axe.

Sorry for the update, but I guess I need a mask now that i'm a Captain in the Juzo Hosho. so here it is.

Here is my character.

This is not going to be anything major just introducing my character. So here it goes.

(Dark Horizons: Rise of A New Captain.)

(Flash Back)

Katsuo: Katsuo stood there motionless in a relaxed position. His right hand was resting on the hilt of Juryokuen, while his left hand hung loosely at his side. The sun was high in the sky, and Katsuo stood there taking in the view as the warm wind softly caressed his cheek. There was no sounds other than Katsuo's soft breathes, and the sound of wind whipping through the fields in the distance. The landscape was almost serene, like a little slice of heaven. He finally shifted his gazed to the shrine laid out in front of him. "Guess what? I was finally promoted to Captain, of the 4th Division. That's how strong I've become. I wish you could have been here to see this Yumi. This is what we dreamed about when we were kids." He closed his eyes and hung his head down, desperately trying to gather his emotions. Just then off in the distance, he could hear the alarm being sounded. Moments later he detected four odd presences in the vicinity of the Capitol. "This can't be good Yumi, I have a bad feeling." "What is it?" Katsuo said not turning to look at his officer who appeared behind him.

Officer: The officer kneeled placing his right arm over his chest in recognition of Katsuo's new position. "Please excuse my intrusion Captain, but a mass evacuation has been order, you are to report to the main Senkaimon immediately."

Katsuo: Katsuo looked down at his sister's grave. "Thank you, you are dismissed" The officer vanished a moment later. Katsuo walked closer the shrine, and fell to his knees. He placed his right hand on the shrine, and stroked it softly, as if it were his sister's head. "I have a bad feeling Yumi. Something is wrong with this aura I feel." He was positive, one Captain Reiatsu had already vanished. "Yumi, I promise I will return to see you, if not" Katsuo paused for a long moment, because his emotions were becoming compromised again. "If I were not to return, I will find you in the next life, if there's anything on the other side of death's door." Katsuo kneeled there, for a few moments longer letting his hand caress the shrine softly. Finally he stood, and wiped his Kimono off. He turned to leave, and walked a few paces. Katsuo turned back to take in the serene landscape one last time. He smiled, remembering how happy he was every time he came here, and then he vanished as the wind blows.

Katsuo: Katsuo arrived a little while later in the Capitol to find it in total anarchy. He saw civilians screaming, and pummeling each other to death trying to get through the Senkaimon. He ran through the waves of people going through the Senkaimon searching for the other Captains, till he saw Captain Hyosho coming towards him.

Hyosho: Hyosho stopped next to Katsuo. "Captain Katsuo, where have you been? Never mind that, we need to establish some kind of order, can you help the citizens get out safely." Katsuo's eyes met Hyosho's and there was a quiet understanding between them. "Hyosho sighed, no we don't know what's happening. All we know is four unknown hostiles appeared and cut down a Captain with their bare hands. Now go help the citizens, Captain if you would."

( Present Time)

Katsuo: Katsuo stood there silently as all the Captain debated, what course of action should be taken. Katsuo knew nothing, about these kinds of matters, he was just the sword arm. He had lived, his entire life, as a weapon. Just point him in the right direction and unleash him and he did the rest. Why should that change now that he was a Captain? He didn't want to get involved, he didn't feel it was his place as the youngest and newest appointed Captain of the Juzo Hosho. But it wasn't just the Juzo Hosho anymore, across the room from him stood Captains from the Gotei 13, the Juzo Hosho's new found allies. Katsuo finally lifted his head to gaze about the room. He took in as much as he could about the Captains of the Gotei 13. Truth be told he didn't know much about them, but what he had heard from the war some years ago. His eyes met Head Captain's Senya's eyes for just a brief moment, and it was like a Zanpaktou had been driven through his heart. Something in the back of his head told him to run. He got this feeling just from looking into her eyes, he would hate to see her in battle, if she could evoke fear in you just from a glance. Katsuo smiled at the thought that a healer could be so strong, and yet so wise and compassionate. Katsuo could see now why she was named the new Head Captain. He was abruptly snapped out of his thoughts, by the sound of Head Captain Senya yelling enough. The Captains debated on awhile longer, they all came to the same conclusion. That the only way to win this war against the Agents was to use strength in numbers. When the interesting stuff died out Katsuo hung his head again, and fell back in his thoughts. Until someone pointed out that Captain Iyashi was missing. This discovery evoked a little pang of fear in him.

Katsuo: "This can't be good, I have the same bad feeling as I did back in Ukishima Rakuen." Katsuo thought gazing about the room at the different Captain's worried faces. Katsuo looked at Captain Geißt , who was standing to his right. "Hey Captain Geißt." Kie looked down at him. "Aye what is it Katsuo?" Katsuo looked up at him. "Can we win this fight, Will we survive?"

Kie: Kie scanned his eyes across room. "I don't know Katsuo, but we will try."

[The Skill of the Healer]

Iyashi threw two of her daggers into the air before tossing the other two either side of Hatsusebe who barely moved or even showed a mere sense of discomfort as the blades whizzed past him. Iyashi extends one arm straight up and the other straight down extending her index and middle finger on each hand as she did. A vibrant raven coloured energy surrounded her as she calmly muttered.

"Bankai." Iyashi was overcome by the energy as were her blades, all being hidden from view by a somehow bright black light. After a second a horrific noise rent the air as countless birds began squawking in a raucous fashion. Four flocks of birds appeared out of no where which caused a sudden sense of wonderment in the two Agents who had not laid their eyes on such creatures before. Iyashi herself was now clad in a robe made of black and white feathers and had no weapon in her hands although her body shimmered with an eerie energy. Her spiritual pressure was extraordinarily high. But this did not seem to phase either of the two Agents, despite the fact Utsunomiya's smile had seemed to widen. her show was becoming more interesting.

"These creatures are very interesting." Utsunomiya said in wonderment as one of them, a Raven passed by her in a slow glide as it circled along with its brethren. "They do not seem too threatening though. I am not too sure what you plan on doing with these things..."She reached out at one as it passed by and the tip of the wing grazed passed her right middle finger. she pulled it back in a jolt, taking notice of the blood that began to ooze from the cut on it.

"Pierce." Iyashi muttered as the ravens clustered together and barreled in a group towards Hatsusebe. Hatsusebe refused to move as the birds came down from the sky, almost like an arrow. Utsunomiya watched in a mild sense of trepidation as the birds appeared to strike Hatsusebe and a cloud of smoke rose from the ground on impact, the ground around the impact zone seemed unaffected by the collision to Utsunomiya's mild relief however when the smoke cleared her eyes widened slightly as Hatsusebe had seemed to move out of the impact zone before the birds had hit him but his right arm had a slight gash across it. While not deep, it was definitely a surprising wound. The ground where the birds had hit was littered with holes from where they had dived bombed him, each hole was almost a perfect representation of the bird that had hit the floor, the hole matching each curve and feather on it exactly. Hatsusebe pawed the blood from his arm as he felt a small rumble beneath him and he looked up at Iyashi as her lips moved again with the same mutter issuing from them.

"Pierce." The ravens erupted from the floor forcing Hatsusebe to dodge each one of the miniature missiles, each one speeding past and looping in an almost helix like formation, constantly circling back and attacking Hatsusebe, each one missing him by bare millimeters. Hatsusbebe suddenly rocketed behind Iyahsi who quickly flash stepped to a safe distance and muttered another word. "Impact." Another flock, this time a group of falcons rocketed down towards Hatsusebe at an even greater rate, emitting a horrid squawk before they hit the ground with a multitude of black explosions going off seemingly one after the other.

Hatsusebe had again flash stepped towards Iyashi, this time sporting burnt clothing and very few minor burns here and there from the explosions as he lunged forward, his blade piercing her chest before she could even move. However he looked in surprise as her body seemed to dissolve into birds as it was replaced by the ravens, his blade piercing one through its breast, protruding the other side. the others began squawking angrily at Hatsusebe as they immediately beset him, swirling around his body in a spiral, their wings grazing across his body, drawing droplets of blood from his shallow scratches. He moved to a safe distance before the birds had figured out he had escaped. The birds stopped circling and returned to a placid circling again, though their fierce eyes seemed to be burned onto Hatsusebe who began eying the bomb sight, taking notice of the falcons flying back up to a fair height above the battlefield, floating in place on thermals.

The other two flocks seemed to be idle. The eagles were flying around the same area haphazardly but each one passed by Iyashi at different time intervals. While the doves were perched upon the scattered remains of one of the buildings. Iyashi herself stood firm in a calm demeanor, a placid smile floating on her lips. she did not seem visibly shaken anymore, on the contrary, she seemed very confident and collected seeing the effects of her birds upon Hatsusebe. however minor, she was injuring him.

"You are definitely more skilled than your deceased colleague." Hatsusebe remarked in intrigue, his own wounds were not worthy of his attention. "Do not think you have achieved anything by inflicting these petty injuries on me." He said as he shook the raven that was still on his blade loose. It fell to the ground limply and on contact exploded into razor sharp shrapnel of feathers which Hatsusebe barely avoided. Each feather went through what ever surface it hit without any hint of difficulty.

"It would be wise for you to not underestimate me," Iyashi said in a serenely cold tone, her eyes narrowed at Hatsusebe. "I have not even begun to demonstrate what my bankai can do, and I can promise you that you will regret asking me to reveal it for you." She raised her hand and three of the four flocks surrounded Hatsusebe leaving only the eagles making their disjointed flight path around Iyashi. "Hado 67: Surasshu Masuiestu."

Hatsusebe watched the deadly streams of energy erupt from each one of the birds opened beaks. The kido was stronger than before due to Iyashi focusing more of her spiritual pressure into it. She then made a quick gesture with her right hand and the birds then began a deadly dance of death spinning in haphazard directions making the countless beams sweep the area Hatsusebe was standing in however the kido merely bounced off his skin leaving him untouched however the kido was forcing hi to output more spiritual pressure than he initially had been since he could not predict where the next beam of energy would hit him.

"Rain." Iyashi muttered in the same fashion as before. Hatsusebe watched as the ravens darted above him and their feathers rained down like shrapnel from a grenade, peppering the area he was standing in. Again he managed to escape but he had also sustained more cuts to his body. He then disappeared reappearing behind a prepared Iyashi.

"Defend!" She shouted taking a step away from the man as the eagles soared in front of her and took his blade head on with their bodies, the blade deflected off of them as if they were made of steel. Hatsusebe began disappearing and reappearing in different locations around Iyashi, his blade constantly seeking her but each time his blade was deflected by the eagles that constantly circled her, providing her with an almost 360 degree shield at all times. Hatsusebe took a step back and lunged forward but stopped at the mutter of "Impale." Hatsusebe found himself looking down the wing of one of the raven's who had quickly surrounded their master with their wings and talons outstretched, encircling Iyashi creating a spiked layer to her already strong defense.

Hatsusebe backed off. His sword arm had more cuts upon it, again still shallow. He looked up at Iyashi who stared back at him from the gap in her protective shield of avians. "So your bankai is defensive?" He remarked coldly, the level of disdain in his voice seemed to keep rising every time a word was issued from his mouth. "So you claim that I should not underestimate you and yet all you do is hide behind the safety of those creatures and boast that you are powerful? I think you are underestimating me, Captain. You do not even register on my level."

"I would be careful what I say if I was in your position." Iyashi said in an equally cold and disdained tone.

"And why would that be?" Hatsusebe inquired, raising his sword as he spoke.

"Because my defensive bankai is about to gravely injure you." She answered before muttering "Rend."

Hatsusebe then realised that not all of the ravens were surrounding her at that point, he looked to his feet as he felt the vibrations coming from the floor. Immediately after the ravens surged from from the rocky ground impaling his body and began pecking and clawing at him, his very being seemed to be torn to shreds like fabric by scissors.

And that was when Iyashi found a blade through her stomach for a second time as Hatsusebe drove his blade through her stomach. Iyashi again dissolved leaving behind a flock of doves with one skewered on his sword. Iyashi reappeared a far distance away from him but this time with blood dripping from her abdomen. This did not last long however as the dove on Hatsusebe's sword dissolved into a golden light which cannoned towards Iyashi, filling the reserves of her second energy, allowing her to heal her wound in a matter of seconds.

"I need to finish this and soon. I won't be able to keep this up too much longer. I'll be stuck having to use my mantras after that point and I only have two that could even be of any use on this monster." Iyashi thought to herself. She then placed both her hands over her heart and recited her incantation.

"Ā kami no omo wa, anata jishin ga megumarete iru nōryoku de watashi o shukufuku. Watashi wa anata ga ā seinaru omo yo, anata jishin no yō ni kono ningen no tamashī to shite kyōryoku ni kongan. Man tora 2: Kami no shukufuku."

(Oh divine lord, bless me with the abilities that you yourself are blessed. I beseech you oh holy lord, make this mortal soul as powerful as your own. Mantra Two: Divine Blessing)

Iyahsi's hands and then body became bathed in a bright white glow that seemed to intensify with each passing second. Her body felt lighter, her muscles felt stronger, her eyes were sharper and her mind was clearer than before. She felt more powerful.

So...about that captains meeting...?

[Fall of the Day Star: Indignation


“Heh…” Hatsusebe lets out a croaky scoff. His brittle chuckle quickly fades, but the rumble echoes across Iyashi’s ears.

She stares defiantly at the colossal Agent. “What do you laugh at?”

He stares at her loathingly and answers matter-of-factly. “You.”

His tone is unnerving, but she preserves her resigned demeanor. “Considering your circumstances, what could you possibly find to laugh about?”

His rancorous glare and tone take on a more palpable hostility. “…because you’re completely unaware that you’re about to die.”

Despite all her efforts, Iyashi was unable to shield herself from Hatsusebe’s prophecy. His certainty was resolute, causing her body to quaver and knot. She felt the discomfort spilling out through her eyes as she galvanized all her mental energy to mediate her expression. There was an uneasiness about his claim that struck her in a manner that was unfamiliar and far more terrifying than she had ever thought possible. She allowed his words to reverberate in her mind, leaving her to sink further into the abyss. She tenses her facial muscles causing creases to line her brow and temple. She subdued the unnerving feeling he imposed upon her, allowing her to react. “Even giants can be brought to their knees, it just requires the right finessing.”

“Such strong words make you look weak.” Hatsusebe says boldly from behind an unsuspecting Iyashi.

Iyashi’s eyes fling open as his words pass his lips and enter her awareness, simultaneously feeling the cold steel of his blade pass through her abdomen. Her corporeal body bursts into an ocean of doves.

Hatsusebe looks upon the scene indignantly. “You think you can intimidate me with your adolescent chicanery?!!” His spiritual pressure begins rising rapidly, transcending that for which he privileged Iyashi to experience. “Insolent blasphemer!” His thickly, orotund voice bellowed as his spirit energy emanated from his body, manifesting into a dense, expanding barrier. It instantly incinerated some of the nearby doves, splashing shock across Iyashi’s face. He raises his arm and points his finger, releasing a surge of energy that is almost unavoidable. It cascades across the landscape, incinerating everything in its path.
Iyashi flashes across the buildings, seeking refuge from Hatsusebe’s violent onslaught. She can feel the intensity of the explosion as it radiates heat and energy across the Seireitei. “I can’t remain stationary.” Iyashi contemplates quietly. “He has no reservations about annihilating an entire block or more if it means swallowing me in the radius of his technique. Even the farthest edges of his techniques are lethal.” She leaps through buildings at top speed, attempting to obscure her location through stealth and ingenuity. She lands atop a building and slides across its surface, glaring indifferently at Hatsusebe in the distance. She observes the destruction wrought by her opponent, staring into the flattened city block. The smoky, scorched scene leaves her breathless. She narrows her eyes, scrunching her lips. “It is almost unfathomable the devastation he caused with a single attack. Even more unsettling is the energy he boasted just now. He was not simply releasing his power, he was revealing it. He allowed me access to more of his power, meaning he has been hiding it somehow.” Her eyes quaver upon a frightening epiphany. “Inconceivable…”

Hatsusebe approaches her defiantly, traversing the wasteland created by his technique. He watches as ravens soar through the air, targeting him in distinct formation. The ravens pair together, their talons clutching another as they both spread their wings. They begin to rotate, creating several lethal drills. They rain down on Hatsusebe’s location, but he shows no signs of fear.

“Impossible…what is that monster doing?” She watches as he catches a pair of ravens in his hand, completing halting their movement. She continues to observe as he crushes them with his bare hands, both screeching as his massive hands close in on them. “His strength alone was able to stop them and crush them…! Even their shrapnel proved unimpressive.”

“You think you can defy change? You believe yourself beyond that which alters the trajectory of the future?!” He suddenly appears before a astonished Iyashi, his sheer size towering over her own. “I am the rocks of the eternal shore…” Hatsusebe’s voice builds and takes on a rich, penetrating, and stentorian presence. His voice manages to strongly vibrate the air, his demeanor becoming far more ominous and threatening. “…crash against me and be broken!!” He slams his palm into her chest, shattering the eagle attempting to shield her, creating such an impact that she can feel her ribs cracking and the breath being pulled from her lungs.

“I simply wasn’t quick enough…” She endures the massive force behind his strike, which imbues her body with tremendous kinetic energy. She is propelled across city blocks, unable to halt her flailing body as it topples through stone-faced structures. Her eagles zoom in pursuit, hoping to protect their master. Her momentum diminishes as her back slams forcefully against squad 10 barracks. She is slouched over, having been nestled into the crater that manifested from impact. She peers forward, uprooting herself from the stony barracks wall. She lands on the ground, falling to her knees. The force of his strike was unimaginably strong, surprising even her. She had not anticipated such brute strength, despite what she had seen. “His aged appearance is misleading…” She is encircled by her eagles as she managed to lift her body from the ground. She notes a peculiar damp feeling against her clothing. She peers down to see her chest stained black. She investigates quickly, to see a peculiar black substance on the skin beneath her clothing. “What is this…?” She asks indignantly.

Hatsusebe stands at the end of the long street, gazing at her. He watches as she rubs her hands against her sternum, trying to wipe away the black substance. “Fruitless endeavor, I can assure you.”

She glares at Hatsusebe, her ravens forming a blockade alongside her eagles. “What is it?” She demand, grinding her jaw.

“I see you’ve managed to collect yourself even after such a strike. Have you also managed to heal the internal damage?” He scoffs amusingly. “No, you would need more energy than you wish to expend to heal those wounds. That strike bore deep into your body, causing an assortment of lesions.”

“Answer me!” She demands once more.

He watches as her hands glow, as if she were attempting to heal away the black substance. “Dismissing that will only be possible through death, and even then it will mark your flesh for eternity.”

She examines the black substance carefully as it remains unaffected by her kido. “I can’t determine what this is. I feel no different, yet I am certain this substance holds some lethal qualities. It cannot be a poison, otherwise I would have been able to dispel it. I would have certainly felt it by now.”

“Don’t bother trying to analyze this one, healer. No matter the depth of your knowledge, you will be unable to breach the complexity of this secret art.”
“Secret art, you say? I suppose that disqualifies effects of your Zanpakuto, so it is likely a technique unique to your kind.” Iyashi’s body becomes more relaxed, despite the circumstances. There is an inherent relief felt across her body. Having revealed details, she feels confident she can increase her healing ability to counter its effects.

“I wonder what I should write.” He stares at her before extending his fingers, exposing his palm. He then quickly clenches his fist before his fingers dance quickly across the air.
Iyashi clutches her chest as she feels a peculiar sensation. The black substance which was splattered across her skin shrinks into a circular area before spreading and forming kanji characters. She stares at him venomously before a pulse vibrates through her body like a heartbeat. Her eyes widen as her body becomes leaden. She slumps over slightly, tension building across her body.

He watches her struggle, her breath becoming rapid and laborious. “You feel it don’t you? “

Iyashi’s knees give to the pressure, bringing her body to the ground. Her knees crash into the soil and she leans over, desperately holding up her body with her hands. Spread begins beading on her forehead and falling to the ground, dampening the soil. “What did you do to me?”

“Not so nimble now are we?” He watches as her birds flock and form a barricade.

“Learning is difficult. So, now I am going to lop off a limb for each arrogant sentiment. Let’s see just how successful you are at healing with absolutely no blood in your body.”

Ganta walked around the wretched Chernobyl, staring at the rubble and the people. Chernobyl was a perfect representation of what his people, and those from Ukira, had become. They were both crumbling to a force stronger than their own. Unable to change their fate, they were forgotten and left to rot. But not anymore. Ganta would change this. And so, he left to the Seireitei again.


Utsunomya and Hatsusebe were walking through the deserted streets of Seireitei. They both walked around, picking up the dead bodies and throwing them roughly into piles.

“Such weaklings. Even their blades were unable to do anything to us,” said Utsunomya, with a sly smirk on her face.

“They, just like every other living being, aren’t capable of fighting change. Their efforts and power are nothing. Nothing at all.” Hatsusebe threw the last body over his shoulder and onto the pile. “No matter how strong and determined they might be, change is immutable, infinite. It is always occurring, even if we are not even alive. They are doomed to fade, as it is what change requires.”

As he said so and turned around he noticed Utsunomya staring at something. Hatsusebe followed her gaze, only to see a man standing before them, a few meters separating them. Hatsusebe narrowed his eyes at the mysterious man, but felt no threat. In fact, he noticed the robes, although a bit different from most officers, still resembled a Captain of the Gotei 13.

“Another one of you? I thought, like the rest of the scuttling insects, that you would be intelligent and realise your predicament. Isn’t it funny how a couple of insects die, then the rest decide to flee like the powerless fools they are...” said Hatsusebe, walking straight for him. “Insects running from the inevitable and inextinguishable fire of change, that leads to your death and ultimate demise.”

Hatsusebe stopped in his tracks. He expected for his voice to stir fear in the man in front of him, whom obviously had a blade in hand, however the man did not move. Did not speak. Did not blink. The man simply kept staring at Hatsusebe, quiet, only his breathing capable of being heard from him. Hatsusebe grit his teeth. He tried to say something else, but, before he could, the man disappeared. He suddenly felt a forceful impact to his chest, which sent him flying. Hatsusebe crashed through multiple buildings before coming to a painful stop at a hard wall. Hatsusebe got up angrily from the rubble, staring at the man, who stood exactly where he was before launching himself forward with the force of a missile. However, his rage was suddenly overcome by a coy smirk and a chuckle.

“You are insolent. You think yourself strong enough to battle me? Even though others, just as strong as you, fell with ease?” he said, before a massive surge of power emanated from his body. “I will punish you. And teach you. I will tear your limbs asunder, and make you cry in agony,” He said, before he lunged at the man. The man simply sidestepped, easily dodging an attack that left a massive crater upon impact. Hatsusebe quickly swung his blade with the clear intent of beheading him. However, the man blocked it at the last instant with his sword, and was sent flying. However, unlike Hatsusebe, he simply pivoted and gracefully to the ground, landing with ease and without sustaining any injuries. Hatsusebe pointed his finger at him, launching a beam of red energy. He smiled as he anxiously waited for the man to run. “Run as the little insect you are,” the Agent said.

However the man did not move. He simply held his hand in the path of the projectile and, as soon as it made contact with his body, a massive explosion erupted all around him. Fire and smoke permeated the air as Hatsusebe sheathed his blade. “Another worthless Shinigami has felt the flames of change… as every single one of them shall.”

However, before he could turn his back and walk away, he felt a chill travel up his spine. When he turned around, the man was there. He flash-stepped as soon as he noticed the man was in the middle of his assault. But it was too late. He looked down to his chest, and saw a deep, black wound. He attempted to feel on and around the area for blood, but found none. His hand entered the wound, and he quickly removed it, scared of what the unknown black wound was and what it might possibly do to him. Hatsusebe felt fear for the first time in millennia. What was that? Who is that man?

“You... What have you done?! Who are you?!” Hatsusebe shouted angrily.

“I am Ganta, Captain of the 4th division of the Gotei 13. And I will be the one to kill you,” he said, revealing his identity with a sneer painted across his features.

How could he have taken my power with his bare hands and survived? Not only surviving, but sustaining not a single injury on top of all of that? Impossible. It is simply impossible for someone from this lowly nation to have such power. His weapon must posses a power that I could not yet discern. Yes, that is the only explanation. Hatsusebe pondered the events of this encounter, stunned to learn of someone with such potent skill.

“I do not know the means you used to attempt to stir fear in me, by making yourself seem as strong as me - an Agent of Change - but you can rest assured that I haven’t even begun to release all of my energy, nor utilise even an ounce of my skill!” Hatsusbe spoke with conviction, refusing to allow himself any emotion. “It will not help you any longer. I will sever each of your limbs as punishment, before killing you in the most slow, painful, and cruel manner I can.” He said as he flash-stepped towards Ganta and attempted a thrust at one of his lungs from behind. Ganta quickly pirouetted, stopping the blade easily with his own. Hatsusebe pushed back, his stronger swordplay finally beginning to work as intended and then he struck once more, this time swinging with immense strength, firing Ganta straight at the ground. Ganta struck the dirt hard, no graceful landing this time.

“You see, Shinigami? You can try rationalising every excuse you like, but it won’t work on me. Despite your obvious, futile attacks, which have done little real damage to me and are unlikely to ever do so, this is where it ends and my true power will come to light. Be prepared to enter the depths of Hell, Shinigami.”

“Your superiority complex gets the better of your judgment, Agent of Change,” Ganta said, as Hatsusebe began to channel his energy. “You think yourself superior to others, and embody the disdain of the lives you’ve taken…” he paused, and then added with a scoff, “as if you were superior to them in every aspect. You are deplorable,” Ganta said, before quickly swatting Hatsusebe’s blade towards the ground. Hatsusebe had expected this, possessing excellent tactical and analytical skill and disappeared suddenly, leaving Ganta to try and sense him.

Where did he go? Despite Ganta’s advantage, Hatsusebe was much, much faster than he was, especially in a situation like this. He readied himself for an onslaught, tensing his muscles and carefully positioning his blade to counter any direct attack.

“Behind you!” Hatsusebe announced, as he was already striking Ganta’s back. Ganta turned too late and sustained a cut through the rear of his shihakusho, which left a bleeding mark on his skin. As he was truning, Hatsusebe attacked again, sweeping his blade at Ganta’s face. He ducked beneath the blade and brought his own up, clashing with Hatsusebe’s next attack. A shockwave of spiritual power and physical strength was the result and they both jumped back, partially propelled by the force of their blows..

It was very interesting. Unlike the rest of those Gotei 13 fools and Juzo Hosho insects, this Captain actually had a lot of skill to speak of; enough to be able to counter and even wound Hatsusebe. Never, in his thousands of years, had he seen such a young man with such magnificent skill. That, however, was irrelevant, as he was going to completely crush Ganta and end this fight.

‘Now, Shinigami, shall we kick it up a notch?”

Despite the brave words from Hatsusebe he could not help but feel fatigued. Something was happening in his body. Somethign he coudl not understand. While still smiling to keep his superior behavior still in the air, as he plaed one of his hands in his chest. Ganta noticed it, and quickly let go of his combat stance.

“You seem to be confused if you have any chance of figthing me as an equal and 'kick it up a notch' as you put it, so I’ll explain to you what happened. The force of my kick and of my blow to your chest, broke several ribs, and damaged your left lung. You are severely internally damaged, and you will die quickly if you do nothing about it.”

“It is impossible for a lowly piece of scum such as you to inflict these injuries upon me. Your so-called zanpakuto, it is an illusionary blade, is it not? You can’t fool me.”

“No illusions. Everything that is happening here is real. Although I could see how you do not wish to accept it, as your superiority complex stops you from accepting any reality that does not cater to you or your every whim,” Ganta stated nonchalantly, walking at Hatsusebe, his cold glare sending tremors through his once unshakable resolve.

Hatsusebe stared at the new wound in his left arm. It was the same as his chest. What was it? However, as he moved his eyes to his chest he noticed something quite alarming. The wound had grown.

“What is this wound you gave me?” he asked Ganta coldly. The younger Captain kept walking torwards him, ignoring the question. “What is it?!” he screamed in anger. Ganta kept walking in his direction, but after the question was repeated, he answered.

“It is a wound that only my zanpakuto is capable of giving. It will consume you and your petty corpse, and dissolve you into nothing. You will become a vaccum, and even your soul will cease to exist.” Ganta stopped in his tracks when he was a few meters from Hatsusebe. “I’ll tell you something. I generally would tell no one, but feeling the pity I do towards you and your fate, I will do you this small favor. The wounds can be reversed and completely healed, or one could simply halt its growth. As long as you use your own reiatsu to halt it, channeling it through the wound, it could be closed. If a person is stronger than me, the wound is reversed automatically.”

“Then why do I still have this wound?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Ganta asked. “I am stronger than you.”

Hatsusebe started channeling his energy into the wound. However, all he managed to do was slow it’s growth.

“If a person as strong as me is inflicted with it, using a bit of energy is enough to halt it. A bit more close it. But, in your case, considering how much energy you are spending, it is safe to say, you are not even near my level,” He said as Hatsusebe attempted to strike him with his sword. Ganta swiftly evaded it. “Your attacks are not even worth blocking.”

“A man stronger than me. How is that possible?” Hatsusebe muttered to himself. “How can someone like him exist, let alone in a nation such as his? This man managed to crack my ribs with only two strikes, and this wound, no matter how much reiatsu I pour into it, still grows. This man… is he really a Shinigami? Or something else?” asked Hatsusebe to himself.

“You should also know that this wound absorbs your reiryoku over time, and as it grows over time it absorbs more and more. Put that together with the reiatsu necessary to, in your case, halt it, and we have a perfect reiatsu and reiryoku well. In short, in a few minutes you will be out of reiatsu and die.”

Hatsusebe ground his teeth.

“But that is not enough,” Ganta said before raising his sword to the sky. Hatsusebe felt the wounds disappear, and as he looked at himself once again, they were no longer there.

“Killing you like this simply isn’t enough. You need to suffer for the people you killed without a thought, for the people you treated as animals and slew without a care. You deserve to suffer for every nation you destroyed. And as such, I believe I will toy with you a little longer.”

Utsunomya came lunging at Ganta, who evaded the strike with minimal effort. “Come to aid your companion?” he asked sarcastically as he landed gracefully in front of her. “I’ll tell you now: It is fruitless, no matter form of resistance you pour against me. Can you not see that your efforts are like water trying to move a stone out of its way? No matter your strength, and your desire to aid him, you can’t help him, his fate is already decided. And so is yours if you join the fray.”

She ignored his words and attempted to strike him again, which resulted in him flash-stepping behind her. “I see,” He said, kicking her in the ankle and causing her to stumble. Before she could fall to the ground, he slammed his foot into her back and, with a sickening crack, sent her careening into a nearby building. Hatsusebe quickly came to strike at him, but Ganta simply blocked it. Utsunomya came lunging at him once more, but he evaded her strike. Both of the Agents lunged for him, but their teamwork was laughable.

“You two think yourselves so far above ordinary shinigami that you two never even thought a battle in which both of you would fight against the same opponent was possible, and as such, never tried to train together. This is sad. You make a mockery of your own allies,” Ganta before appearing between them. He rotated 360 degrees and sliced both of their abdomens. They both leaped out of his way and Ganta went at Utsunomya. He grabbed her by her neck and threw her full strength at the ground, opening a crater in the dirt as he did. Hatsusebe launched one more red beam from his finger that Ganta easily evaded, the explosion hitting a far away building. “You didn’t even think of the safety of your ally if caught in this explosion. I could have easily just taken it and came out of it unharmed and let the blast kill her. But neither of you deserve a death as quick and painless as that.”

“How can this be?” Hatsusebe murmured. “His appearance is misleading. He is clearly not as young as he appears. He has so much more experience and power than he leads on... What kind of monster is he?”

“I can see the doubt and fear in your eyes,” Ganta replied, having overheard the older man’s mutterings.

“FEAR!!? DON’T MOCK ME BOY!!” Hatsusebe shouted. “I am an Agent of CHANGE!! AND CHANGE IS IMMUTABLE AND INFINITE!! YOU CAN’T STOP IT, AND YOU CAN’T STOP ME!!!”

“Trying to make yourself sound stronger than you are is unnecessary,” the Gotei Captain reassured. Hatsusebe turned around quickly, as he felt Ganta’s presence behind him. “What makes you think you represent change? Your ego? Your position? The name of your ‘role’?” Ganta asked before grabbing Hatsusebe by his left arm, dislocating it, and throwing him to the ground at his feet.

“You are not change. You are simply a professional killer that uses Change as a representation of your power. You are nothing more than a Shinigami, as strong as you may be. Change is undefinable, and cannot be personified. Everyone lives in a constant state of change, and everyone, as weak as they might be, is a part of this change everyday. You use change as a way to excuse multiple genocides, and to make yourself seem superior to other beings. But what is this that is happening right now? Isn’t it a CHANGE of roles? A mere Captain overpowering you and your ally?” Ganta said as he kicked him. Hatsusebe rolled out of the crater, violently hacking up blood.

“I will tell you what happens next. I will take your precious change, and use it to exterminate your kind from the face of the Earth and all facets of this spiritual realm. After all, wouldn’t this be considered a change as well?”

“Why, yes. I do believe that would qualify as change.” Hatsusebe, Utsunomiya, and Ganta all turned their heads, spotting two figures standing several meters from them. While Ganta was surprised to see Kie there with her staff and wounds still fresh from her scrap with Utsunomiya, it was the hooded figure that had captured his attention.

“It would be a great change as well,” the figure spoke authoritatively. “I believe that we can help you greatly in this endeavor, if you will let us, Captain of the Fourth Squad.”

Ganta stood from his crouching position and turned his body towards these new allies, nodding to them after a moment of hesitance. Kie nodded in return and began to advance. The hooded figure followed closely behind her as they made their way to the two injured Agents. Stopping directly before them, both Kie and the figure looked at one another before bending down and resting on the balls of their feet. Kie glanced at Utsunomiya and sneered.

“Not so fun being on the receiving end of the punishment, is it?” she spat icily. Looking at the both of them, she stood and held her hands out in front of her. “Ganta is right. The both of you need to learn a big lesson. And that lesson,” -- she spoke as her hands began to glow with massive power -- “will come at a hefty price.”

She brought her palms to each of their chests forcefully, sending them rolling several hundred feet away. Both of them came to a halt just in time for Kie and her friend to appear before them and bear down upon them, their blows becoming harder as they continued on. Kie thrashed Utsunomiya down to the ground before she wrapped her fingers tightly around the other woman’s throat. The hooded figure had already proceeded to nearly knock Hatsusebe unconscious, and was standing over his limp form several meters away. Ganta appeared between them and walked slowly over to Hatsusebe, his new ally stepping to the side to let him resume his beatdown of the Agent.

The figure appeared at Kie’s side, merely watching as she drained the life from the woman beneath her. Kie, however, only put forth enough effort to cause internal hemorrhaging. As Utsunomiya began to cough and splutter, Kie released her grip and stood, swiftly bringing a single foot down upon her ribs with a loud crack! The cloaked ally hefted the Agent up by her flamboyant robes and held her steady as Kie began another onslaught. To the untrained eye, it would have appeared as though Kie never moved from her position. But the hooded friend could see it all: A blow to the face, and a second to her stomach. The third and fourth blows landed upon her upper legs, and the fifth blow to her solar plexus sent her flying once again. She did not come to rest for many moments, stopping several hundred feet from them.

“You should at least show them your face before they die,” Kie said to her companion after a short moment of silence. “After all, it wouldn’t do to give them a faceless killer.”

The figure seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding. “I suppose you’re right,” she said as she lowered her hood and removed the tattered, black overcoat that hung at her shoulders. Raven black hair shining in the light of the fires around them, and her crimson eyes flashed with a hint of amusement. “But, although it is just as you say, anyone who sees my face cannot live if I think them to be a threat. Now, they must die.”

The corners of Kie’s mouth bent slightly upward. “That’s always like you; rationalising everything you do before you do it. Do you never just go with the flow, Elliot?”

The woman in question turned her gaze to Kie before smiling. “It’s a habit of mine,” she replied kindly. “Now,” she said, turning her attention back to Utsunomiya. “Let us finish with this woman and proceed with your plan.”

The both of them appeared before Utsunomiya, watching her pathetic form as she attempted to return to her feet and face them. “Don’t bother trying to salvage your dignity,” Kie remarked. “You won’t need it.” She emphasized her words by knocking Utsunomiya to the ground again and pinning her beneath her foot. Elliot approached from the side opposite Kie, and looked down at her.

“How pathetic,” she spoke sadly. It was almost as though she were sorry. “You might have my sympathies, but you have brought this upon yourself, Agent of Change.”

The fires around them seemed to become hotter and more menacing as Utsunomiya gazed up at the Zero Division woman. Her silhouette against the flames as she unsheathed her blade unnerved the Agent to her core.

Elliot’s gaze, while still kind, had hardened. With a piercing glance, she looked into Utsunomiya’s eyes. “You know my name,” she spoke tightly, her mouth a thin line. “...say it.”

“Elli-” Utsunomiya was cut off by a swift kick to her already broken ribs.

“My true name. You know me, and I know you, Utsunomiya.” The Agent’s eyes widened as she heard her say her name. It rolled off her tongue with a familiarity that brought fear to the very front of her mind.

“Ah… I have never met you before,” she replied indignantly. “Perhaps the woman of whom you speak resembled me.”

“You destroyed my nation. I know you have seen me before, and I know that you know my name. Now say it, or your blood will dye the ground as red as the flower whose name my sword bears.” She stood over Utsunomiya, waiting patiently for her to do as asked. She buried her smile in her crimson scarf as she watched the moment of realisation play out upon her features.

“Kurayami Hanguk…” Utsunomiya whispered. “You’re one of the survivors… Seong Chae-won.”

“Correct,” she replied somewhat giddily. “Lead onward, Sangsahwa.”

Utsunomiya was surprised to find that she was no longer in the Seireitei - or at least it didn’t appear that she was. She was surrounded by red flowers, laying on the bank of a river opposite Chae-won and Kie. With a grunt of pain, she managed to get to her feet and survey the area around her to a greater extent. She could not see anything beyond the field of spider lilies, which seemed to extend well beyond the horizon. She looked back to her opponents and scoffed, attempting to flash step over to them.

She was surprised, however, to find herself stopped in midair. She appeared directly over the river that separated them, and was dragged down into it by an absurdly strong unseen force.

Soaked by the thick waters of the river, she got to her feet, careful not to be swept away by the current. Looking up to the shore again, she only spotted Kie.

...eh?

Who is that woman? she thought to herself. I feel like I should know her, but...

Her train of thought was derailed as she felt a sharp, stinging pain in her stomach. As she looked down, she spotted a crimson blade protruding from her body. Nearly screaming in panic, she attempted to retreat from her assailant. She only succeeded in causing herself to slip and fall into the water once again. She was heaved to her feet and almost immediately felt the force of a meteorite collide with her body, and she was sent flying to the other shore, stopped only by a convenient embankment. A woman she did not recognize quickly flash stepped towards her, overshooting her target by a small amount and landing slightly to Ustunomiya’s right.

Getting to her feet rather quickly, Utsunomiya attempted to go after her but was stopped by a wall of red energy. Looking around herself, she immediately recognized the makings of a seal, and turned to glare at the woman. “What is this? What have you done?”

“I’ve restrained you,” Chae-won replied evenly.

Utsunomiya was silent for a moment before she spoke again. “Who are you?”

“Oh? I hadn’t realized it would do so much to your mind in such a short allotment of time… nevertheless, you will not get your answer a second time, Agent.” She stepped inside the circle and Utsunomiya was lifted off her feet, her limbs suddenly restricted by the bright red petals of a massive spider lily. She struggled in vain as Chae-won approached her with her sword raised. “You will simply have to try and remember,” she instructed with a sly grin.

Touching the tip of the sword to Utsunomiya’s neck, Chae-won watched the myriad of expressions that danced across her face. “Sangsahwa ui Ingam.”

Her mind went fuzzy, and she was forced to close her eyes, lest she scream. The confusion that moved through her like a bolt of lightning was overpowering, and her body was tired beyond measure. As the flower released its grip on her, she found herself unwilling to move or even attempt to get up as she fell face first into the sand. Chae-won watched with little sympathy.

The Zero Division officer turned her back on Utsunomiya, sheathing her blade as she did so, and returned to Kie’s side. When she came to a stop, the flowers and river disappeared and they were back in the Seireitei. “Grab her, would you? It’s nearly time.”

As Kie approached the Agent, she could hear her quiet whispers and confused groans.

“Where am I?” she asked as she was thrown roughly over the Kido Corps Commander’s shoulder. “Who are you? Why am I here? Was… was I sent here by the council? No, no… it’s already destroyed… but, did I do that? Could I have done that?”

Kie ignored her and followed after Chae-won wordlessly.

As they made their way back to Ganta, Chae-won noticed that Hatsusebe was still unconscious. She smiled, inwardly commending the boy for keeping him dispatched until their return.

“Good to see that you didn’t let him get up again,” Kie said as she dropped Utsunomiya next to her comrade. “Now, if you don’t mind…” she said, waving him away. Ganta did as he was asked and moved to stand behind Chae-won, looking on wordlessly from his position.

“You remember the incantation, yes?” Chae-won asked, approaching the Gotei officer and placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Yes, of course I do,” Kie replied as she began to move her fingers over some invisible surface, weaving intricate patterns with her spiritual pressure. She moved about, continuing this for several minutes until she and Chae-won both were surrounded by the odd letters.

“Shall we begin, then? Or do you still have your doubts?”

“No. We will succeed.” Kie met her gaze with determination.

They both turned to face one another, their hands joined, and closed their eyes. As they opened their mouths, an eerie light poured from the back of their throats, followed by a mist that tumbled from inside, quickly filling the space with its overwhelming presence. A moment later, they spoke in unison, their separate voices meshing together into one gravelly, distorted sound.

“In the light, you were bound. Under cover of shadow, you became free. What these living beings see before them is not reality, nor is it a lie. Contorting what is perceived by man and spirit alike, you sit in the shadows and twist words and fates. You sit upon your gilded throne, created from the fallen bodies of those who stood in your path, and you guide their unwilling hands. No matter their hope for salvation or freedom, you persist in your efforts to maintain control over their realities. To this end we sing: No more, never again.”

Ganta raised a surprised brow as gale force winds erupted from them, followed by an unimaginable surge of power. Two separate pillars of light surrounded them both, causing massive quaking and an opening of several crevasses. They turned to Utsunomiya and Hatsusebe, approaching them both and each holding up a hand whilst keeping the others joined.

The two Agents, now conscious, got to their feet shakily and glared at the two women before them.

They approached slowly but surely, stepping forward at the same pace. The glares that sat upon the faces of the enemy slowly melted into looks of vicious horror, and the both of them lunged at their respective targets.

They were stopped in their tracks.

It was then that both Kie and Chae-won cracked a smile. “Bakudo ∞: Ketsu no Ana.”

Hatsusebe struggled against his unseen bindings and, while his comrade did the same, attempted to break himself free of them. It was then that he noticed the visual distortions that had appeared around his wrists and ankles. But that isn’t right! he protested inwardly. Once again struggling against the entrapment, a strong pressure built up around each joint, nearly threatening to crush it should he try again. Forcing the yelp of pain back down his throat, he instead settled for an aggravated, “You think you’ve won, then?”

“Oh, we don’t think we’ve won,” Chae-won replied earnestly.

“We know,” Kie finished.

Utsunomiya scoffed despite the pain that lanced through her body at every movement. “I doubt you know just what you’ve wrought, heathens,” she spat fiercely. “This will not be enough to bind us, let alone do what you’ve set out to do.”

“Oh?” Chae-won questioned. “What exactly do you think we’ve set out to do, then?”

“Seal us, of course,” Utsunomiya responded with a sneer. “Why else would you have come here?”

“You came here,” Chae-won corrected her. “And we’re not sealing you. We’re eradicating you.”

Hatsusebe struggled against the spell once again and grunted when his wrists and ankles were broken with a fierce snap. “You’ll do nothing of the sort! You don’t hold that kind of power!”

Snorting once, Kie looked up at the Agent and sighed. “If you would just look closer at the binding force that holds you there, then you would understand.”

Both of them shot her a quizzical glance before doing as instructed.

“Those bindings that keep you suspended there are not invisibile. They are in plain sight. In fact, they are plain sight.”

Hatsusebe’s glare snapped back to her. “What?”

“You heard me,” Chae-won replied flatly. “You are being bound and crushed by reality itself.”

He ground his teeth. “That is impossible!” he barked sharply. “Nobody could have that kind of power! Directly manipulating the fabric of reality itself is beyond even the power of change!”

“Hmm,” Kie hummed lightly, half laughing at them.

The Zero Division officer at her side smiled in determined kindness. “Beyond the power of the Agents of Change, maybe. But not beyond our power.”

“You cannot do this!” Utsunomiya screeched as she was set upon by another force wrapping around her midriff. Reality folded in on itself as a sickening crunch was heard, and the middle of her torso was missing. With a cough and a cry of agony, her legs were swallowed by the spell and another portion of reality had wormed its way around her neck. With a final cry, she was swallowed into nothingness. Hatsusebe, who looked on in disbelief, let out an outraged screech and began to struggle against the kido once again.

“You will not kill me! I am Hatsusebe! I am…” he was stopped mid-sentence by a crushing force upon his leg, ripping it from existence. “...I am THE Agent of Change! My power is beyond that of COMPREHENSION!” His left arm was gone, leaving a bloody stump in its wake. As his midriff, like Utsunomiya’s, was torn from his body, entrails were dragged along, snapping, ripping, and spilling to the earth beneath him. With a strangled cry, he brought his eyes down to meet theirs.

“You will meet your end! I swear upon my life! I will kill you, one way or another! Even if I am ende-”

His rage was cut off as his neck was twisted and brutally snapped, and the rest of his mangled, distorted body swept up into the infinite kido.

Kie and Chae-won lowered their hands, each of them breathing a sigh of fatigue. Ganta approached them quietly, his eyes trained on what little remained of the foul Agent - his entrails. He opened his mouth to say something when the mysterious survivor chimed in.

“Both of you should return to Chernobyl. Let your people, and the Ukira, know what has happened here tonight.”

“And you?” Ganta asked.

She turned to him and smiled reassuringly. “Acting without orders is forbidden, but I am sure I could explain myself in a way that won’t warrant much trouble. ...You must remember that there are still two agents left. But with you and Kie,” she said, gesturing to them both, “I’m more than confident that it can be handled before the turn of the week.”

She turned her back to both of them, beginning to walk slowly in the opposite direction. “I will be in touch, should you need me. Next time, I shall bring others,” she answered, quickly flash stepping out of sight.

Kie and Ganta looked after her for only a moment. It was Kie who spoke first.

“You did exceptionally well, Captain Yamamoto.” She paused, and then added, “You… seem to be much stronger than previously thought. How old are you, exactly?”

He laughed. “Only if you tell me how old you really are, Commander Geißt. A spell like that would have come in handy days ago,” he gently chastised.

“I would have used it, had the both of us not concocted the thing just hours ago,” she replied sassily.

The two of them bantered back and forth as though they had been friends for centuries. They carried on as though they had not just neutralized the threat that had been looming over the heads of the last remaining soul reaping nations, and the walked with a duly earned spring in their step.

At this point, all I care to do is give you the comment equivalent of a shoulder shrug. I genuinely, without question, do not care whether you think poorly of me. At the end of the day, I will never see you, speak to you, or know you as anything more than an obscure avatar on a bleach forum. Your words are unimpressive and futile because they will never reach me the way you intend them to, and the same can be said for Link. The impact will never be anything more than a minor annoyance, and even now I find myself less likely to attribute that as my feeling state and more inclined to endorse indifference. I do not necessarily have strong feelings in either direction, which speaks to the appallingly unremarkable effect of your speeches, e-mails, posts, and comments. When I said Link was a blip on my radar, please consider those words sincerely, because it was the most honest interpretation of my feelings, or lack thereof. Defensive or not, in a day, possibly a week’s time, I will have forgotten about this exchange and will have replaced the experience with something more memorable. You can malign my character and send me e-mails with crude, callous language, but it truly is unimportant. For I am no more of an object for you as you are for me. Perhaps this is why you all view me so callously, for I have never viewed any of you as more than automatons responding to ideas I have placed on paper. While I enjoy engaging in creative writing and expanding the mythology of the Bleach universe, I saw none of you as anything more than your screennames. I believe that is why it was so simple for me to dismiss you and your grievances. It is your prerogative to do as you desire, I do not care to change that, nor do I care to change your opinions. It honestly is unimportant and the magnitude of my reaction was grounded in an issue of logic, which is severely lacking on your side. That is fine, though. We have different ideas for how to make a story cohesive and realistic, and I can accept that. I did, however, mean the majority of what I said to you, Leleu. I find you uninspiring and of all the posters, you possessed the least amount of charisma and talent. I stand by that, and because I don’t know you, or care for you, I can say that earnestly and without hesitation. That is about the extent of my evaluation, for I see you and Link as no more than the potential for a post, so it is easy to critique your written ability and disregard your person. I would likely show more reservation if I had cared to know you better, but I am fortunate I never did. Based on the e-mails you have sent, and your recent post, you spend too much time trying to undermine than cooperate. That, too, is completely fine, if it works for you. Apparently it does because you wrote an impressively lengthy post for the sole purpose of, I believe, humiliating me. I’m not entirely sure, but it was less capable of doing that and more shocking that you would even waste the energy. In mentioning that, I will no longer expend any further energy writing this response, but I felt it necessary to qualify my comment about the radar, as it was genuinely meant. Perhaps Link can create another forum about some fairytale land and you two can frolic among what would undoubtedly be ingenious plotting and character development.

Link you may continue your efforts to castigate me and lay claims regarding the legitimacy of my character and intellect. It is truly unprofitable and, quite frankly, an improper use of your time. My comment was in response to Leleu’s comment. I understand it was a collaborative effort, but knowing that changes absolutely nothing. I’m content with that. It speaks greater volumes for you than it does me. I would never waste my time writing a post whereby I purposely rewrite the story in order to get my point across or degrade another’s character. I can easily vocalize that without spending such precious time drawing in support for a post that I didn’t even read in its entirety. I can admire the voracity of your efforts, though, as a year ago you would be spouting some gibberish about me being a “meanie,” whereas now your words have taken on a more developed, egocentric tone, more akin to a later adolescent. At least you’re progressing, I suppose. With regards to message disclosures. I can only hope that in other parts of your life you behave more consistently. Whereby you posted entire e-mails, I simply outlined the preposterous nature of your grievance. I didn’t copy and paste as you once did. You can solely lay claim to that mantle, my dear. I can proudly say I was never and have never been involved in such silliness. Although, continuing this conversation is relatively silly, so I will end it. Feel free to have the last word, though. Perhaps you can use the same foul language you employed elsewhere. That seems to be a go-to for you.

I believe that is what you're misunderstanding about what has transpired. It wasn't at all humiliating, insulting, or offensive. I was merely annoyed, but was over it very soon after it happened. I don't hold on to things as you do, evidently. And you're certainly correct in assuming it was unsuccessful, but only because the whole charade was immature and puerile. There were certainly more mature ways of airing your grievances, but instead you chose a much less respectable approach. And for that, you only have yourself to blame. In retrospect, the post was actually more humiliating for you and broadcast your imperfections more than mine. While I am vocal about my disdain, I never quite reach the lows that you did in that post. It certainly does speak volumes, in terms of how you react to displeasure and how you resolve your frustration. I’m certain you’ll project all of that on me in your next response.
Honestly, I surround myself with wonderfully creative, intelligent people, so I never experience the degree of displeasure I do with you and the others. So, fortunately, I'm well-liked. Actually, I'm often quite nice, but not to those who don't deserve it. You, of course, being one of them, Link. It is actually quite funny, when I consider it. I’m a relatively honest and vocal person, but I generally consider the feelings of others. I didn’t do that with any of you, and I can only attribute that to my earlier statements about seeing you as no more than your screen names. Sure, I saw some better than others, but there was certainly a quality of detachment for me. Regardless, your comments could not be more ineffective at making me feel terrible or whatever. Whenever I get an update and read what will undoubtedly be a comment from the nitwit twins (you and Leleu, respectively), I read it stone-faced. Why? Oh, it is because I don't find value in the sentiment and because you're insignificant, but I suppose I do find some pleasure in watching you scurry about, hoping to injure me or leave me feeling rejected. It's actually quite funny, if you consider it. All this effort for naught. What a silly way to try and express your point. I truly pity you. At least K0V and the others were able to retain a portion of their dignity, choosing not to e-mail me with the bile you did. I guess that speaks more for your age, whereas the others are either older or more developmentally mature. I can’t fathom why I expected more from, what, a 16-year-old girl? Yeah. It doesn’t matter. While you’re in study hall brooding over this exchange or tapping away at the keys of your keyboard, attempting to one-up me in your next comment, you will continue to become but a distant memory for me. It makes you wonder, however, who has power over whom in this scenario? You were hoping to gain some leverage and make a point with the post, but it ended up collapsing around you. Now you try and wage a verbal war with me. It seems, despite your efforts, you're the loser in this scenario. You're wanting me to have a stronger reaction to your post or own up to something, whereas I want for nothing and don't care all that much. What a fascinating perspective. Well, I hope you have fun munching on those facts.

Can I join??? I would only 3 days to catch up