| abstract | - Ominous thunder. That was the only thing that could be heard, upon the tall scaling heights of the Seireitei's wall. With all but a necessary company of Shinigami patrolling the outer walls, the Rukonagi Districts were bare in its entirety due to the extreme threat that was imposed from the horizon beyond them. For all the citizens knew, it was a terrible storm, one that hasn't wrought upon the Soul Society for over a thousand years. They'd only be half right. Behind the flashes of lightning, crimson in hue, and the deafening booms of thunderclaps lied a powerful gait of spiritual pressure. Its malicious presence was constant and unwavering. The very fact that the moment the Scouting Parties, accompanied by the Stealth Force Commander, and even Yoruichi Shihōin who was sent but a mere few minutes ago to investigate hadn't been heard from. Their presences were swallowed by the darkness and the ominiscient spiritual pressure that dominated the landscape. "Sure taking their time," Renji muttered aloud, leaning upon his hands as he looked across the ghastly foreboding stretch of dark clouds heading their way. His body tense, with his fur-laced coat flourishing over his being and his goggles receded up upon his forehead. He wished that he could jump down and enter the fray now, rather than wait for an unknowing threat to come their direction. Having dealt with the Stern Ritters of the past, he thought he would be better suited to handle such levels of nervous anxiety. But he couldn't shake off something awful was coming. Like a spider crawling up his spine, he could tell the looming threat was nearly upon them, but not enough to be noticed just yet. "Renji..." Rukia said to him, appearing by his side with a Flash Step. She looked a tad more worried than he did, staring off into the distant, dark horizon with clear concern and anxiety in her expression and stature. Despite this, there was still a steadfast aura about her; she never was one to cower in the face of something dreadful such as this, but at that same time, had Soul Society ever encountered anything of this nature in it's history. "... have we heard anything from Captain Suì-Fēng and her team?" she asked him while keeping her attention diverted towards the looming storm. "Not a peep. Kinda strange, considering our cheery comrade's pedigree for timeliness and keeping everyone appraised of her status," Renji quipped with a bored, yet solemn tone, regarding Rukia with a sideglance and nothing more. The exhale coming out of his mouth signified his own hidden worry, but nothing of the utmost immediate concern as his childhood friend was expressing, "has the Captain Commander decided what we're going to do? Or are we going to keep sitting on our asses until whatever's out there comes to knock on our doors?" "Until further notice." the black haired woman replied, turning her attention towards the several dozen wavering Shinigami on their right and left flanks. "We're to remain here and immediately report any new developments with the storm..." she continued, resting the bottom of her left wrist on the pommel of her katana, before slowly grabbing it in a cautionary pose. "Truth be told... I honestly don't want to see anything new from that storm... something feels terribly wrong here Renji." "Well, if you didn't feel anything wrong about this whole damned thing, I would be the one worrying instead," Renji quipped back. Turning his face towards her to wink at her with confidence, he spoke aloud with mustered courage, "with the way things turned out last time, I'm pretty sure we can handle whatever is thrown our way, right?" His question wouldn't be given the time to be answered. Within the corner of his eyes, and all those with the appropriate view within the Soul Society, a magnanimous eliptical explosion split the darkness within the horizon. Darkness was illuminated, the Stealth Force Commander's spiritual pressure spiking and briefly clashing with that of the omniscient spiritual pressure of the unknown menace. The distance, while it being nearly a dozen kilometers, still generated a fierce shockwave of blistering winds to strike at the Rukonagi Districts facing it. Buildings on the outer proximity crumbled instantaneously, while windows and streets shattered, with only the more prominent area surrounding the Sekkiseki wall being relatively untouched. Many Shinigami, including Renji, lifted up their arms to shield their eyes from the wind and dust-carried debris that flew towards them, barely retaining their calm visages at the sight of the infamously destructive Bankai power. Then, just like that, the spiritual pressure of Sui-Feng had been silenced like a flickering flame on a candle. "Holy Hell, did you see that?!" One Shinigami said aloud. "That was Sui-Feng-sama's Bankai! It had to be!" Another shouted. "Did she kill whatever's out there? Is she still alive?" The third questioned aloud. "CUT THE CHIT-CHAT!" Renji shouted from above, angrily flailing an arm high above from the wall's top, "stay on your guard! Whatever Captain Sui-Feng fired her Bankai at isn't dead yet! Remain vigilant!" Rukia's eyes remained fixed on where the explosion had taken place. It had shaken her to her core, not the explosion, but the speed in which Sui-Feng's energy had risen and then completely vanished. it was merely a couple of seconds, and her presence was gone entirely. She'd felt the death of a Captain before, since the time of Yamamoto's defeat at the hands of Yhwach, but this death was so much... colder. "Captain Sui-Feng..." she said with a slightly tremble in her tone. "...she's dead." "Mourn later, Rukia," Renji spoke in a solemn, stern tone. An outstretched hand rested upon her right shoulder, squeezing it with empathetic emphasis, as well as to alert her to what his eyes were widely staring at, "her murderer is on its way here and fast." What would be seen as the source of the storm, billowed forth towards them in a column of smog and shadow. Crimson tendrils crackled along its path, as it decimated everything it came into contact with, moving at incredible velocity with great momentum. Before it would reach halfway, Renji raised his right hand out with a commanding tone, "Get into positions! Release your Zanpakutō and prime your Kidō for offensive fire!" As the axes burrowed through the surface of the missile, derailing its momentum and velocity downwards, the explosion engulfed him along with the entirety of the Rukonagi district facing the gate. An eliptical explosion ballooned to all directions, billowing upwards like an enormous tsunami of golden-white flames and super-heated destruction. While the Sekkiseki walls deflected the majority of the spirit energy that was thrust in its direction, the gate itself, was annihilated within seconds into brittled wood fragments. As a column of smoke breached into the Seireitei's living area, hundreds of Shinigami braced themselves a good distance away from the destroyed gate that once kept them and the enemy apart. Now, with Renji and Rukia landing among their midst, the first line of defense had all been shattered and the enemy free to enter the divine territory of the Shinigami and purified souls alike. "What the Hell...was that...thing...using Captain Sui-Feng's Bankai?!" Renji snarled out with vindictive rage, as his jaw audibly tightened with the pressure equally his fists tightened with. "It may have redirected it if she had tried to fire it again." Rukia said with an observant tone, having drawn her Zanpakuto and holding it defensively. "But if she had died after the first explosion, how would she have been able to fire it again?" She wouldn't have time for the answer. For at that moment, the shadows which were seen from afar began to pour into the opening within the wall. Shinigami were quickly devoured by it's maw, and the force of it's charge was enough to shatter the buildings around them. It was here, that Renji had enough. "STAY THE HELL BACK, FREAK!" Renji snarled out, taking a large step forward whereas the others fled from the oncoming bog. With a vibrant flash of crimson light, Renji's Spiritual Pressure was let loose, cracking the foundation of the ground in front of Rukia and along the path the living smoke was to take. Unsheathing his blade, he coated his spiritual power along its edge and swung it at a blurring speed, cutting through the animated mass of energy and halting its progress indefinitely. The explosion, compressed energy, and the sword's swing pressure was enough to momentarily buy them a moment's reprieve from the animated mass of death. Rukia's Zanpakutō then shined with a white light, transforming into her signature white katana. She stabbed it's tip into the ground in front of her four times, before pointing the weapon forward at the hindered mass of shadows. "Tsugi no mai..." she started, as white spiritual energy began to mass around her and her glowing weapon. "Hakuren!!" she shouted, thrusting the weapon forward and unleashing a massive blast of solid white energy. All things between her and the impeding darkness were immediately frozen upon making contact, and even the mass of darkness became frozen in it's place, at least, part of it was. It was certainly spreading to other parts of the Seireitei, but at least her attack might have slowed it down. "Dammit, this thing is still spreading!" Renji swore as he saw the outer edges snaking along the Seireitei's buildings and pavement. He was on the verge of heading to one end to halt its advance, while also inquire if Rukia would do the same, when a familiar burst of powerful spiritual pressure filled the air. It felt cold, controlled, and tempered as what would appear to be two dragons of ice flourish towards the two opposing ends of devouring smoke, freezing with absolute power and control. "Looks like I got here just in time," Tōshirō Hitsugaya spoke coolly, as his being flourished down from the air onto the ground between Rukia and Renji. He was followed by a cohort of fellow Shinigami forces, standing a good distance back knowing the gravity of the situation, with only a handful treading behind Tōshirō's rear flank. "Flower Wind Rage and Flower God Roar, Heavenly Wind Rage and Heavenly Demon Sneer..." Instantaneously, a white blur would erupt from the shadows itself in all directions. Every Shinigami, all three Lieutenants, and the Captain alike would see a dance of velvet flower designed kimono and white in front of them. Every tendril that had presented itself as constricting prisons and would-be maws would be severed, dissipating into smoke before disappearing into the air. As all the afterimages of their rescuer disappeared, only one would remain solid. With a pair of silver-edged scimitars in each hand, the eye-patched and straw-hat toting Captain Commander appeared between Rukia and Renji with a nonchalant smile on his face as he finished his release command, "Katen Kyōkotsu." "Shunsui's speed...he moved too fast for me to follow, even while using his Kageoni technique," Captain Hitsugaya thought with revered awe, as he fell to a crouch with a gasp in his breaths. It felt like being thrust into a warm blanket, being released from the shadow's cold and deadly embrace. He could only thank his current superior with a relieved sigh as he stood back straight up, noting that Rangiku was comically kissing the ground with overjoyed thankfulness, "its a good thing we have a competent Commander, even if he's slow to act." "Commander!" Rukia said aloud in response to Shunsui's arrival, thankful that he came when he did. The mass of shadows initially screeched, with most of it's form rearing back and changing into the shape of what appeared to be a massive worm. The consistant wave that had poured into Seireitei was still plowing through the area, but it seemed that the area where Shunsui and the others stood was right at the center of the being's entirety. The worm then pulled it's head back, before thrusting it down just a few feet from the group, unleashing a hellish roar from it's "mouth" of which appeared to be full of fire. "That thing's breath makes me want to retch!" Renji muttered in annoyance, as waves of foul breath billowed the air around them and the Shinigami behind them. "Seems I made someone cranky," Shunsui chuckled with a snarky tone, as his right hand raised up to grasp his straw hat. Turning to face the roaring entity, he looked up at its fire-filled maw with a mocking grin, "did I hurt you, big fella? Wouldn't you say that's fair, when you've already hurt my subordinates, hm?" As he spoke, Captain Hitsugaya's eyes darted left and right, seeing the mass of shadows resume its offensive advance into the Seireitei. Raising his blade back up into the air, he shouted aloud, "You're not going anywhere!" With a violent burst of blue-white spiritual energy around his being, causing his Haori, scarf, and hair to flourish wildly, he discharged two ice dragons up into the air. Arcing over to the mass of shadows, they dove into the mass once again, freezing it solid and making it immobile for whatever time it could. It wouldn't be as simple as the last time it was frozen, however, as the shadows themselves seemed to entirely consume the heads of the ice dragons and began following the frozen trail that they had left in their wake. Within a few seconds, it would be all over Hitsugaya and his surrounding area and consume both him and the others as well. "Now, Rangiku!" Tōshirō shouted aloud, having waited until the shadow tendrils were nearly upon them to command her to strike. "Growl," Rangiku uttered lowly, swinging her blade out to the size, creating a twister of ash to swirl violently around them in the path of the devouring shadows. Before the shadows could touch the grains, Rangiku vibrantly pulsed with an aura of orange spiritual power, as she swiped with blinding speed with her blade-less hilt, "Haineko!" Expanding at an indefinite rate, the twister of ash seemed to explode outwards in an eliptical shockwave, cutting apart the shadows with frightening speed. Flowing past the point of which they originated, the body of Haineko's blade shredded the encroaching mass of darkness, reducing its advance indefinitely, before returning back into its sealed state. "Divide and start erecting sealing barriers!" Tōshirō commanded the Shinigami, whom were standing a good distance away from the chaotic shadowy force threatening them. A series of mixed enraged and horrified reactions were heard. "Bastard!" Renji shouted, barely restraining himself from letting loose every ounce of power boiling within and striking the demonic serpent. To defile her image in such a manner, struck to the core of his being. It was a very clear insult to the Shinigami whom it now faced. Rukia was utterly frozen at what she saw. The formerly valiant and honorable Stealth Force Captain was now nothing more than a puppet to be used by this hell abomination. The visage and the terrible wounds on her person made her want to wretch. Tōshirō himself winced, grimacing at the unkind fate that befell his colleague. Held out as a prisoner and a speaking avarice for this twisted creature, he tried to avert his eyes from her wounded chest and keep a watchful eye for future movements from its writhing mass that currently lied still. Shunsui couldn't respond, holding a tenderly saddened gaze at his dying comrade. Seeing someone with such iron will and nerve reduced to this, truly tore him up inside. "I-It...tore...Y-Yoruichi...s-sama...apart," Sui-Feng's eyes watered with tears, choking on her own blood as she struggled to look up at him with desperate eyes, "d-don't...underestimate it. Make sure...you...destroy it...for...her...sake...if...not for mine!" "That's the plan," Shunsui spoke lowly, his eyes now covered by the shadow of his own straw hat. "End...my...suffering...S-Shunsui...san," Sui-Feng begged, clenching her tear-ridden eyes as blood trickled out of her mouth and over her prostrate chin. Nodding with understanding, Shunsui lifted up his right-handed blade, inverting it just above her head. With a swift impaling motion, Sui-Feng's breath halted and her mutilated body stopped twitching. Releasing the blade from her skull, he watched as her body began to dematerialize, turning to a breath of spirit energy to flow into the wind and be carried away from the battle scarred landscape. "Torn apart is putting it lightly..." the shadow-serpent taunted in a bemused manner. Without warning, the Kido restraints binding it were shattered with a slight hint of exertion. It then began to lower itself back down, but more tendrils were emerging from both of the worm's sides. On it's back, wings began to sprout, and all the while, a glowing red eye was at the front of the beast's body, staring directly into Shunsui's area. "...and a mercy compared to what would have been, had you not killed her. But I wonder if you'll ask yourself: could you have saved her?" Shunsui's blades would be held aloft, slightly shown in a pair of trembling hands. His visage would be obscured by his hat and his downtrodden angle. He remained eerily silent, as a number of individuals would arrive in earnest upon the battlefield a dozen meters behind him. A stern duo, Kensei Muguruma, Shūhei Hisagi, would arrive beside Renji and Rukia with Mashiro Kuna just beside their flank. Rose would stand beside them, with a daunting impassive glare fixated upon the monster standing before their Captain Commander. Battle-hardened Kenpachi Zaraki, with lil Yachiru, on his shoulder would tap gracefully on the farthest angle, staring idly at the beast responsible for the carnage with an excited grin. Ikkaku and Yumichika would stand behind their Captain with mixed feelings about the atmosphere they were plunged into. Mayuri Kurotsuchi and his daughter Lieutenant would appear upon a rooftop not too far away to observe safely. Shinji Hirako also stood a good distance away, with Momo Hinamori hiding behind his Haori with trepidation at the monster they were about to face. The last of which, who appeared closer to Shunsui, would be the familiar brother-in-arms, Jūshirō Ukitake. "So this is the thing responsible for so much havoc," Jūshiro spoke with knowing as he looked up at the being of immense proportions, with caution and revulsion equally. "Are you ready?" Shunsui asked rhetorically up at the beast before him, scraping his Zanpakutō against each other in an audibly grated pitch, producing a shower of sparks to light up his enshrouded face. As the flames geysered towards the group, Tōshirō took initiative with an authoritative shout. His body exploded with a maelstrom of cyan-white spiritual power, before the ice dragonic clad warrior emerged. With a single eye covered by a partial wing-christened ice helm, Tōshirō thrust his blade into the plumes of fire, dispersing it into harmless steam within a single projective blast of flash frozen spirit energy. Shunsui, in the meantime, had moved without the dragon noticing. As his afterimage burned away in the wake of the torrential gale of heated air, Shunsui leapt above the demon's head swinging both blades down in a vicious slash upon its exposed eye. All the while, he whispered aloud the technique to enhance the force of its blow, "Takaoni!" Like steel slamming against solid rock, the two swords Shunsui let loose upon the beast were repelled without a second glance. The dragon like being quickly butted it's head upwards, propelling Shunsui further into the sky, but it didn't stop there. With a single beat from it's mighty wings, the beast flew upwards, directly towards Tōshirō. It's mouth opened once again, unleashing yet another burst of dark and light flame upon the ice Captain. The others on the ground would find themselves occupied with another matter. The shadows that had entered before were still moving, and everywhere they would look, they would only see it grow. Even worse, however, was that within the larger parts of the shadows, spiritual signatures were beginning to emerge, large spiritual signatures... "Hyōryū Senbi!" Tōshirō cried out, discharging a large wave of freezing moisture into the gale of flames, turning it all into icy mist enshrouding the battlefield in a fog of war. During such time, the other Shinigami made their moves against the encroaching shadows that threatened to flow further into the Soul Society. "Y...Yes, Captain Kuchiki," Renji reluctantly admitted, bowing his head and turning his cloaked form on his heels, leaping back a considerable distance from the battlefield to observe from "safety". Within the vicinity of Kensei, he wordlessly unsealed his own Zanpakutō, turning it into a trench knife that began shredding the shadows for a good distance. The waves of compressed air blades slashed swathes into the earth, through the shadows, intent on eviscerating everything in its path. "Yessir!" Shūhei nodded with confirmation, unsheathing his Zanpakutō promptly and waiting for an opening to intervene. "Play, Kinshara!" Rose uttered aloud in a musical tone, as his Zanpakutō transformed into a golden vine whip, slashing through the shadows with an intricate gesture. As he did, he played subtle sonic vibrations within its mass as it tried to reform, causing it to slow its regeneration indefinitely. Then, as he retracted the whip, he slashed the area centered from the manipulations, causing it all to explode with a sonic boom, "such ugliness will fall before my artistic grace!" The white haired comrade, however, would see Shunsui reappear from up high, coming down upon the beast like a cyan colored meteorite. With widened eyes, he then saw that Shunsui used the thrust to his advantage, and the high altitude to build up momentum to increase the force of the Takaoni to astronomical proportions. "Takaoni!" Shunsui shouted aloud, as his being was encased with a virulent maelstrom of spiritual power, further encouraging the double-slash of his twin Zanpakutōs upon the demon's exposed backside. With the clear intent of grounding it and causing lasting damage, he hoped that the force of his Zanpakutō would be enough to instill some actual pain on the durable entity. As soon as Shunsui was thrown off guard, Tōshirō took the initiative to invoke his prieviously concealed trap. With the powerful gust of wind, the icy mist and steam was dispersed, revealing a pentagram of snowflake shapes around its enlarged body. As the symbols glowed a bright white light, Tōshirō raised his blade up at the beast, one red and one azure eye gazing impassively at the beast as he turned it clockwise. "Rokui Hyōketsujin!" Tōshirō muttered as the ice enveloped the entire rock-laden hide of the beast, turning into a tall tower of flash freezing moisture. Suddenly, from directly below Toshiro on the ground where the shadows lay, a massive stream of orange fire was unleashed upon him. It's source would be revealed as a somewhat larger dragonic creature as the stone one itself, taking on a much more wyvern appearance. It's body was covered in red spikes, and it didn't even appear to have eyes, but by the power of it's breath, it was clearly a force to be reckoned with. And it wouldn't be the only one. Across the Seireitei, a few more of these red wyverns would begin to pop up as well. Even as Tōshirō appeared to be enveloped by the uproaring geyser of exploding tongues, all of the affiliated Shinigami would share surprised glances and wide-eyed looks of terror at the sudden sign of dragons sprouting from the shadows. While the wave of darkness had halted in its aggression, the newfound force of aggression and malice took to the skies and flew over all the stout protectors of the Soul Society.
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