Central Seireitei

"Eh, what's this?"

The Hollow has access to all the skills and knowledge of its host. Itaku as a master of Kidō is privy and knowledgeable to many spells save for those forbidden and thus outside his reach. This however, was not a forbidden spell being employed and is not one Itaku has ever seen, yet it seems to clearly be a spell all the same.
​

The Captain's words as sharp as ever, having adjusted himself with blade in hand towards the very point of origin for the emerging hollow. There are two spectacles witnessed by any would be observer, those who linger around foolishly believing themselves to be safe, as if watching some sport or game. One is the brief double of the Date's sword wielding arm the other was the excessive amount of energy gathered and trailing the blade of the hollow that seems already mid-swing towards the Date. Large and violent streaks of electricity appearing to lash out from the energy soon arcing out towards the Captain, shimmering thin stripes of red flickering along the hollow's body.

In facing against the Hollow the man known as Captain Date has aided in protecting the barrier and the people as a result of him protecting his bankai, and has protected Captain Senkō by taking up the challenge he has struggled in, directing the hollow's focus on Tarō instead of Kagi. Though the end results are not what the monster of a man has intended, by moving to fulfill his duty it has created long reaching ripples, not unlike the ripples formed within his ink.

"SHUT UP AND DIEEEEEE AHAHAHA!!"

The creature's voice is nearly drowned out completely by the combined energy being expelled. While on the surface it may appear to be some strategem being employed by the hollow the reality is far different. As a hollow it is a creature of instinct, it wears Itaku's skin, it bastardizes Itaku's abilities but while it has access to all that Itaku has, unlike its host he is no master of the Demon Arts. No incantation is used, no proper time and care devoted to the spell's interweaving. No, instead it is a rough mesh being expelled and amplified by the Hollow's reiatsu, perhaps a means of making up for whatever power may be lacking due to the negligence of a chant.

The opponent had quickly made work of his last little attack using some unknown "spell", so if the enemy would spit in his face he would spit back in his!! This Captain was a tougher one to crack than the other but still, he was only a Shinigami. He'd crack him open and spill out everything inside of him and he'd smile all the while doing it. The hollow was squandering their abundance of reiryoku, recklessly expending with nearly every attack. It appeared he intended to overwhelm and overpower the Captain before him, whatever happened afterwards well...that would be for later.

Seimei Ukitake (浮竹 清明)​

Despite all of the funk and very personalized bravado to his personality, Captain Jushiro Izanagi was wise and profound. He gave Seimei certain clarity that he wouldn’t perhaps find so easily on his own, but that is what leaders do. They reassure, clarify, defend, protect, act, among many other things. And it was a shame that Gotei was at risk of possessing only a few of such. As the steam billowed up from the cup that Seimei held, he kept his senses focused in the duel between the three. And perhaps his captain’s assessment was corrent—Itaku would likely die, but he would likely take someone with him as well. That was a possibility. But it was hard to imagine that either Kagi or Date would die. But a Hollowfied beast of a Captain was no ordinary threat.

He listened to his liege without interruption, almost breaking down every word he’d say. His emerald gaze continued staring outside the balcony as the slight smirk that tugged at his lips faded into obscurity. His expression became more focused, thoughtful even. It wasn’t because of the concern he experienced, but because of what his liege asked last—what were his aspirations? It wasn’t an easy question, least to say. There were easy ways to answer, but also ways that could represent what or who he truly was. It felt like his captain had been evaluating him the whole day so far, and answering something like this had to be genuine.

”You know Taichō, believe me or not… It’s not some simple stupid strength or some simple rank I want.” Seimei spoke with a certain contemplation to his tone. He took a sip of his tea, slowly, pausing before continuing. ”After seeing all this and having done what I’ve done, I want to be someone who prevents the kind of disasters we face.” He spoke with a certain purpose to his tone, and honesty. ”A Taichō’s Haōri is nice and all that, but trying to get one without purpose is.. Stupid, I guess. And some absolute strength is great to have, undoubtedly. But what I want to achieve eventually is that people will trust me before things go awry, and not because I am strong enough to win. But because I can stop things from happening altogether.” He continued, with his gaze now shifting towards his liege. And that was what he aspired to do and be—and one of the reasons he chose to move to Gotei 13. He grew up in the wilds of Rukongai, and as a Shinigami he sought to reduce risks as a member of Onmitsukidō. However, after witnessing years of internal strife he chose a different path. One that has led him here. ”I guess that after seeing you in action also inspired me a little!” He poked at his captain’s ego if he had any, but it wasn’t an empty compliment. He was genuine, and spoke the truth.
​

Seimei spoke, reflecting on his own failure and perhaps fear that he experienced during their meeting with the Rangers—and his behavior was certainly something he’d look to avoid going forward. ”Us being there would be almost a necessity since we’re the only Shinigami to contact them thus far. And that’d be my opportunity to do better than the last time, too. Make some amends I guess.” Then, the matter of their connection to the Soul King and their Reishi manipulation was similarly troublesome. And he was glad that him and his liege shared the same wavelength on the matter. ”Their connection to the Soul King is something that I feel is shrouded by some veil. And not only, when you said earlier that our world, Hueco Mundo and the World of the Living are more or less interconnected, I came to think that our three worlds can be accessed by certain pathways that we can survey. Their realm is relatively young, too, if we take them by their word. It’s clearly something separate from everything we know, but still interconnected because they can access the same places as we do. But we can’t access theirs, at least with known methods.” He spoke further, sharing his bit of analysis as he took a sip to anchor himself in the moment, to think, before responding.

”The fact that these spiritually aware humans are even AWARE of the Soul King, is worrisome. They’re humans. Not Hollows, not Shinigami, humans. With the ability to manipulate Reishi on top of that, like you just said. We have to tread very carefully on these waters, Taichō. I’d normally be capable of calculating and simulating various scenarios in the back of my head in case something goes wrong, but they leave dangerous question marks behind them.” He said with a concerned undertone, but also one of reinforced will to handle diplomacy with care undoubtedly.
​

---

Itaku’s idle nature all these years honestly made Taro forget he was a master of the Kido Arts, so seeing two upper echelon spells launched at him was a true surprise. Although he did not react the way most would to such a thing. His eyes did not widen, he did not gasp dramatically or take a step back in shock. No, he commented on it as if he were commenting on the weather.
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Monsters Collide

No incantation for either spell simply bolstered through raw power alone, something almost commendable since Taro achieves a similar feat when casting spells. He takes his Zanpakuto in two hands, readying himself to use A downward slash technique to counter the Zangerin that is to come his way, however what of Hado 88? He has prepared no other defenses for it nor an offense to counter it in time. Unlucky for Itaku, Taro never fights alone. A singular, massive, head of a serpent raises out of the ink, one of the eight circular discs on Taro’s Zanpakuto goes dark and the serpent fires a beam of white concentrated Reiryoku at the incoming Hado and in the same breath Taro swings downward releasing a wave of Reiatsu that extends the cutting force of his blade.

A massive explosion quakes the area, making everyone stumble if their footing wasn’t secure and startling others at the violent crack of energy that erupted between the two combatants. No time is spared to gaze at the aftermath as something tears through the smoke and fire towards Itaku. Taro’s Ryodan did not stop at the Zangerin he launched. Zangerin is a made up of Kido energy whose power is nothing to scoff at, especially in the hands of a master who bolstered said spell with their own energy. But there are other things to consider here as well for the one it was targeted at. The first is the sheer physical strength of Taro Date. A spell that can cut through and crumble buildings is impressive but what happens when it collides with a force greater than itself? With his physical might Taro can achieve the same feat if not more. Then comes the technique Ryodan, grasping the blade with both hands for a downward strike delivered from a Master Swordsman who spared no ounce of strength swinging that blade. The Reiatsu released from it, condensed and extended the cutting range of his blade, Reiatsu that is a reflection of the strength held within him, strength that is above Itaku’s.

With the mask on Itaku, or rather this Hollow, may be on equal terms with him but the Hollow is still playing, thinking this is a game. This is no game for Taro as killing intent is applied to every strike and this Ryodan is no exception. What of Kurogane Seijin and the blast of Spiritual Energy she released? That would no doubt drain Taro, right? Wrong, the energy she is using is not her own nor Taro's, it is the ambient Reiatsu that was gathered during Shikai. In Shikai the fish constantly dance and swim through the Reiatsu of other combatants, consuming it, storing it specifically for the Bankai. The amount consumed determines how vast the Ink spreads, from lake, to sea, to ocean. Itaku and Kagi gave Kurogane a very lovely meal, fully charging her. Taro’s observation was more than just information gathering for himself, it was him allowing Kurogane to power up as well.

All this culminates into being one singular attack that breaches through the collisions and washes over Itaku’s left side. Taro would have loved to perfectly bifurcate him right down the middle but as a result he would only be able to take his left arm at the shoulder and his left leg at the hip. Taro follows through with his swing stopping just above the ink causing no ripples to form on its surface but the forward force of the attack causes the smoke and fire to clear out instantly so the two can lock eyes once again. The Hollow should be close to understanding that he is not facing just some Shinigami, he is fighting a monster who has the aid of another monster beneath the waves of Ink. Taro’s arm visually doubles again as if repriming something he had disengaged earlier. The large serpent head coils around Taro to add another layer of defense around him.
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A new idea sparks in the monster's head although he is not too sure of it himself. Drawing this fight out until Itaku is tired and haggard may not be wise due to the fact more damage could spread and he has to worry about the damn thing evolving if he takes too much time. He rubs his chin, thinking of a way to kill this freak without further delay nor hesitation.

---

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---

Once more Iwamura brought himself to a stop, this time as a steadying measure against the Date's latest onslaught. His feet remained firm atop one rooftop, the two orange sensors in his skull measuring each hairline fracture in the balance of the fight with a befittingly inhuman precision as wind whipped through his coat. Captain Senko seemed to have disappeared--potentially using Captain Date's commanding ruthlessness to land a surprise attack, which, based on the Hollow's natural single-mindedness, might very well work. Behind Iwamura and around the epicenter the Kido barrier had been erecting as sleek, translucent panes merging to form a box; thick, glass-like, with a sturdiness rivaling Danku thanks to the Corps members' combined efforts. Each pane walled off the Date's ink and ascended multiple stories until, with the roof now materializing into place, the battlefield found itself isolated from the rest of the Seireitei. Captain Date, Captain Senko and Fourth Seat Iwamura were now confined--but free to enact their will with little fear of wider destruction.

'Seamless.'

Iwamura pivoted and continued his roof-crossing. His wrists had not ceased their swirling; three fingers each gripping the connection between his Ram-Dao swords, thumbs pinching the chain against the sides of their indexes close to each pommel. Both swords radiated conspicuously bright-white that distorted the air like jet turbines. Along the numerous surrounding rooftops several glints of simmering orange and white shimmered back, writhing and contorting. He watched the site of Taro's attack while ears and nose twitched on silent investigative patrols--his near-automatic instincts from the Fifth Division kicking back into gear.

The left side of his mouth parted into something between a grimace and a sneer.

"Deja vu, Iwamura?"

In the past Hyoroshi would have shut Kibakigane down, but the Zanpakuto now only received silence. The Hollow ahead was no worse than him. It had yet to enact any meaningful damage; Taro had committed worse a moment ago. The irony was tantalizing--murderers passing judgement on the beast for deigning to kill.

He closed his mouth, finding his opportunity. The Date stood still in his periphery, no doubt scheming something, while Captain Senko was yet indiscernible. Iwamura refocused on the Hollow's location, stopped spinning the arm facing the battle and thrust it out in one abrupt motion, legs still running. Multiple simmering white lights pulled taut against their anchor points and careened, rapidly extending, each each seeking their mark--one for the spine; one for the gut; and a third delayed by a second curving up from below, entering the Hollow's vision without a warning and punching into the mask.

The result was immediate. Blinding white heat bulleted into Itaku's body from the first two chains, setting off two searing explosions and spontaneously combusting his body while roasting the very air surrounding him. Yet the delayed chain was the real capstone, for should it connect, it would deliver the same explosion and combustion directly to the Hollow's mask--pulverizing it and, hopefully, incapacitating the Captain at best.

'If we must kill you too...then forgive us monsters, Captain Itaku.'

---

​

“Inspired by me? Hah! You would make a great politician like those old bastards at C-46”.​

​

“I’m glad you were there, just means next time we can take a different approach. We painted a picture for the Quincies as to how we are. At least how they believe us to be. Imagine next time we meet and it’s a little different? I think I gotta be extra careful not to intentionally start trouble. Also, do not be naive enough to think others will look to you for solutions all Willy nilly. First ya gotta show em that you deserve that grace. And as you may have noticed, only a select few are ever put in that position”. ​

“Ding ding ding, my thoughts exactly. The whole mystery behind it is what excites me the most. I’m pretty sure it would excite my friend Michiya, his input may serve to give a bit more clarity. Too bad he’s off galavanting elsewhere”.
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The Captain said as if expecting Seimei to know who this Michiya person was. Jushiro knew that he could at least have the 12th division do some further investigation, hopefully prior to them going to the meeting. Then again they could just wait and see if this emperor would tell them more about his home?
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“Humans they may be but they’re far from regular. As you know, there are known knowns and known unknowns. The Quincies are known unknowns. We know they exist but not why they exist or their true purpose. It’s the not knowing that’s the issue we’re facing. If we were two species discovering the latter at the same time, we perhaps wouldn’t care as much. Means we would be starting off on equal footing so to speak. Unfortunately, they seem to know about us before we found out about them. And when Reio himself is involved well damn, we’re left pondering the unknown. As for protecting the Soul Society, that is such a text book response. What I would say is, you won’t be able to protect shit without strength”.

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Jushiro paused for a moment as the clash seems to be heating up. Sensing that Taro was being his no nonsense self, a strict commitment to seeing the end of a fellow Captain. The situation couldn’t be helped. Protecting the Seireitei was the priority, though Jushiro doubted Taro’s intentions. It was more about putting down a perceived blemish on the Gotei forces. Furthermore, someone else has also joined the battle too. It was someone Jushiro was familiar with, the wolf man of the fifth division. Its been years so Jushiro wasn’t sure of his current status and division. ​

“See all that mayhem? You and Yuto will need to be capable of the same or far worse. When dealing with monsters you need to be one as well. Monstrous in strength, skill, thinking and knowledge at times. I hope this battle comes to a close very soon”. ​

Seimei Ukitake (浮竹 清明)​

Seimei finding himself in agreement with Captain Izanagi had almost become a recurring theme. He allowed his liege to speak uninterrupted as the tea cup rested in his right hand, with steam billowing upwards. His gaze was still fixed on the clash, as it seemed to progress violently as more souls seemed to join the frey—a familiar spiritual signature. ”Iwamura”, the name crossed his mind in a flash as soon as he sensed him. The beast joining the fray wasn’t something he had expected, but then again he wasn’t an ordinary Shinigami and he certainly possessed exceptional skill and ability. He was a ranked officer that served the First Division, that alone made him stand out. He undoubtedly was someone who had the potential for greater things, in due time. Seimei admired his bravery, choosing to dance with demons. But that was what their field of work was about, and ultimately if Seimei was in his place—he would do the same.

He allowed a brief silence to anchor the moment before responding to his liege, as his smile expanded to rise across the both edges of his lips as some sort of a mark of agreement. ”Ah, you’re right again Taichō. More often than I’d like. And hell no, I’d never be any good at Central 46!” The admission came rather easily, something that would’ve been far more difficult to do just a few hours earlier when him and Yuto entered his chambers. ”You’re right about almost everything this time, but not everything. I think I didn’t speak my mind clearly enough.” Seimei announced as his gaze turned towards his liege, as he looked at him with intent.

”I know damn well I have to be stronger, smarter and more ruthless. I know strength is the price I have to pay to get where I want. I don’t care about ranks, or all that. I am content with where I am. But do I think this is the best I can offer Gotei 13? No, I think I can do more.” He lamented with determination beneath his breath as he paused briefly before continuing. ”The monsters we have in our court, and possibly outside. I want to be one so I can prevent at least some incidents as a mere deterrent. In Onmitskidō, I learned that this place needs more strength. More people like yourself and Captain Date, perhaps. And we do need more wits with that strength as well. A whole lot of it.” Seimei then paused as he took a silent sip from his cup of tea as his gaze then shifted towards the many sprawling rooftops of Seireitei—his eyes becoming filled with thought.
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He announced with intent, and even some sort of concern underneath his tone. He was fully aware of his shortcomings, and fully aware of what was required of him in the long run. He didn’t expect anyone to rely on him, not yet. And he didn’t expect everyone to stand behind him when the push came to shove. He lifted his shoulders briefly, shrugging them to shake off the tension as he continued.

”Nothing comes for granted here. If I want people to trust me, I’ll need to earn that right. I’ll need to earn every bit of strength, knowledge, what not. That’s what this shit is about, isn’t it?” He lamented with a tone that almost sounded like he was depreciating himself, but that wasn’t the case however. His earlier smile was replaced by something far more firm, intentful. Something strong. ”Everytime I see this place lose a leader, fall into a crisis, with hundreds of Shinigami in the gutter, I've had only one thing on my mind.” He said firmly, once more shifting his gaze upon his liege as his eyes were filled with a fiery sense of purpose. ”That someone should’ve been there to stop that from happening. Not all can be stopped, and sometimes things just go to shit whether we want it or not. Those struggles force us to evolve, to grow. But it’d be nice if I was able to at least minimize that struggle.” He spoke with conviction and a will like fire, for a brief moment. However he eased off, once more gazing off into the distance as the more pressing topic—the topic of the Quincy came on board. And their previous meeting with them.

”Yeah I’m glad I got to accompany you, Taichō. It feels pretty surreal to discover a whole new civilization. So yeah, I’m on board with you about the excitement, mystery and the chance of doing better the next time at least hopefully. But…” He took a deep breath before finishing what he had to say. ”…I think we’re both excited because they’re dangerous, aren’t we? They know a whole lot of things they shouldn’t, they possess rather impressive military discipline, and they have an emperor that seems to command quite a lot of loyalty.” He asserted things like they were a matter of fact as his eyes narrowed slightly, looking further into the distance.

”They’ve looked to contact us for a good bit. They’ve had eyes on us to evaluate whether we’re worth diplomacy or not, and they chose the latter. No one would do that if they were weak. It’s best to assume that they’re every bit as dangerous as we can possibly imagine and get pleasantly surprised. Besides, I’d rather not get rawdogged by some random civilization I’ve no clue about.” He uttered the last sentence with witful humor to it, making it sound like something he’d almost learned from Jushiro himself.

”Did you sense Iwamura joining the fight too? And wanna tell me about this Michiya, Taichō?”​

The light from the released swing is as magnificent as it is blinding. The crescent shaped cutting flower typically a sun-like gold, instead cackles as it glows an electric blue. The ugly merger of the level 78 destructive spell with that of the level 88, further amplified by the hollow's corrupted reiatsu. The Captain in the face of this shows his preparation, or perhaps his wisdom or skill; maybe it was all of the above.

A serpent headed creature emerges from the murky mire of ink, its massive maw open as spiritual energy is fired from its mouth like a cannon. The blast intercepts the combined spell causing an explosion of pressure that travels in the form of a violent shockwave. This singular blast from the Captain serves to stave off the spell combination...though was it enough?

For the Captain, it was perhaps more than enough.

As his serpent's blast collides against the two spells bled into one his arms swing down, having lifted his blade in the air. This swing brings with it an addition of power, supporting the blast he had released by way of his bankai. The Captain shows that he too is no stranger in merging techniques or abilities. With such power colliding together the barrier buckles beneath the weight, the ground quakes mercilessly, toppling buildings and people alike, or rather those who's foundation and footing was unable to endure such a force. On one side there is a spell capable of leveling a building, combined with a spell who's destructive might near's the the nineties, the two not only combined into one but greatly augmented by the reiatsu of a hollowfied Captain. On the other side there is the Captain in bankai, releasing stolen energy combined with a powerful zanjutsu amplified further still by the Captain's own reiatsu.

The swift footed Kagi would certainly need to exercise the mastery he so claims to avoid being caught up in not only the collision but the aftermath of it as well. The beast that has thrown himself into the cage, one undoubtedly shattered by now, would find himself perhaps in worst standing. He had always been proud of the sturdiness of his body, he now had the chance to test its might as he hopped about.

Smoke, debris and steam mix together, accomplices in obscuring visibility in the destruction created by these two individuals. The red headed Captain focused on his enemy can sense it, and if he had not been toppled by the destruction they wrought, Captain Kagi would be able to do so as well. The beast, should his body had been capable of enduring this, would be able to hear and smell it, the shift in the air around where the Hollow was meant to be.

As Taro stares into the smokey debris, as he prepares himself and waits, as the beast musters up his strength in a vain attempt at glory masked as aid a single word can be briefly heard before the storm of reiatsu.

"BAN - KAI!"

The ink that had not been disturbed by the lowering of Taro's blade in his strike, is now riddled with countless ripples. Thick ropes of braided red thread pushes outward, starting around both Itaku's area and that of Taro's. As it pushes out the approaching Iwamura finds himself and that of his launched Zanpakuto on a trajectory towards one of the larger gaps and openings of the net-like cage. Kagi, who's state and whereabouts were unknown also risked being either swept up in the bankai, or pushed between the opening of the massive net.

The smokescreen born of their previous collision is blown away. In doing so it unveils a strange spear shaped weapon that looked to be made up of the same rope, and the left half of Itaku's body, arm and leg pale white, hollowfied, his Captain's coat and shihakusho torn away to unveil the monstrous form.

"You're in my world now losers!"

He proclaimed as he twirled his new oddly shaped and composed weapon in front of the Captain. Taro wanted the games to end, and now they had; or...perhaps they were just beginning.

---

From Bad to Worse

In his mind Taro hears the sound of a single chain link weakening then snapping. His face twitches. He watches this abomination perform Bankai and he begins to realize that this will not be a simple execution as he had once hoped. No this is becoming something else, something he hasn’t done in quite some time and that is a fight. As silly or odd as it may seem Taro Date has not been in an actual fight in quite some time, everyone he has encountered has been weaker than him, dismembered within a moment's notice only to flee or to be let go by him. His face twitches again and Kurogane senses it, the head of the serpent turning to look at him as something writhes beneath the surface of his demeanor.

The straining and snapping of another chain link in his mind echoes within him as the threaded cage is forming around him and Itaku, this time his eyes open fully, adjust and remain open. Kurogane looks away from him and towards Itaku as the smoke is blown away to reveal his changed Zanpakuto. Taro pays no heed or mind to anyone else who may be caught up in this mess, he doesn’t care about them in the slightest as he looks over his shoulder at the Central Forty-six chambers, thankfully undamaged aside from the ink washing around it. With its doors closed no ink is getting inside of it. His only concern right now is protecting C46 as much as he loathes them. They are a needed machine in the Soul Society.

Furthermore Taro has taken note of two members of First Division but not the most important one, the one that should be on the front lines as well since C46 is in the direct line of danger, the Captain Commander. The Gotei 13 is a rotting husk, life support barely keeping it alive at this point. Vizards allowed to walk freely, ineptitude running rampant, swift action not being had when needed. Intervention from on high may be sooner than anyone thinks. Their job is to just watch, but what happens when the first line of defense, the Gotei 13, barely qualifies as a defense anymore? A new weight is present on the wrist of Taro which snaps him out of his thoughts, he looks at the braided cord of Itaku’s Zanpakuto linking him to the Vizard scum.
​

The cage, the rope, Taro comes to a quick conclusion that they are both there to prevent escape and maybe to even reduce range of movement as well. Taro Date hates fighting with limited information on an opponent, not because he is weak or cowardly but because he simply does not fight fair. Kill or be killed, that's all there is, he cares not about the honor of battle, the silly notions of defeating a powerful opponent without tricks. So long as he makes them dead, how he does it does not matter. This moment right now is filled with so many unknowns, unknown on Itaku’s Shunpo, Zanjutsu, Hakuda and Zanpakuto abilities. Further unknowns on what powers he is being granted by the Hollow as well. All he can do is smack his teeth and curse Kagi for not pressing him further. A third chainlink snaps in his mind and a smile forms on his face, not twisted but a calm smile of enjoyment instead.

The Joy of Battle
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The memory of Fuu crosses his mind as he was able to recognize the well of Reiryoku she held which is greater than his own.
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From beneath the ink the remaining seven heads of Kurogane raise up from the ink, and they roar in unison, the horrid screech echoing across the Seireitei as they howl into the sky. Taro flourishes his blade and swings it down, stopping just above the surface of the ink calming all of it, the waves caused by Itaku’s Bankai release and the rising of the serpent heads, the ink is calm and steady once more. He takes a deep breath and exhales, a wide grin of joy now on his face as he launches himself towards Itaku, the Eight headed serpent following close behind him, revealing more of its large kaiju-esque body, serpentining out of the ink like a massive snake. As he nears Itaku, who may be positioning himself for a clash of blades Taro holds out his left hand, his Zanpakuto glowing yellow for a brief moment before he speaks his next words.
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(赤煙遁, Red Smoke Escape)

Given Taro’s skill in Kido and his Reiryoku level it is more than just a puff of smoke it is instead released in a massive plume, as if it were smoke spewing from the mouth of a volcano. The thick red smoke blots out Itaku’s Vision and engulfs Taro and Kurogane’s advance. In the next moment Itaku should be able to perceive a white glint, the shimmering of light that could be associated with the edge of a blade. His senses would not lie to him as Taro is indeed still in front of him, approaching rapidly, all things should add up to the distance of the glint and Taro’s Reiatsu being the same exact distance. A clash was inevitable at this point and the Hollow has no one but himself to blame. Had he just simply died he would avoid the pain he is about to endure now. The Gotei 13 is about to witness that Taro’s bite is magnitudes worse than his bark.​

​

Conscious consideration erupting and fragmenting with the quaking earth and caving buildings, the crescendo between two monsters had realized; the belly of the beast surrounded Iwamura right then. Indeed, as he stepped onto one rooftop in particular, the rubble-remnants of its half-pulverized ground floor gave out with a final, agonal groan.

Feet once planted firm now, other than a slab of shingles against one side of a foot, found only loose air rushing past as the weightlessness of freefall took hold. Soot and dust and smoke ambushed his airways and coated a sandy film on Iwamura's tongue. Something in the back of his head, not Boukuno Kibakigane, reminded him how blessed and lucky he was to inhabit a body as constitutionally gifted as his.

Beyond the smoke as he rolled in midair, just beyond the Hollow's acrid location, Iwamura thought he discerned the silhouette of an older, grizzled humanoid not unlike himself. Into the darkness of blinking eyelids, it disappeared.

'Monsters among men. The final destination...'

The voice was unprompted, subconscious, foreign yet familiar--lost in the frenzy of the Hollow's bastardizing repossession of Itaku's Bankai. Iwamura, still descending with the building's crumbling remnants, pushed through the caressing fingers of billowing smoke particles and into some semblance of visible space.

Glass-like shards were all that remained of the Kido barrier, unable to contain the calamity. A cage, thread-like in nature, exploded outward--potentially including Captain Senko as well, wherever he was, clearly lurking or injured or dead but Iwamura hadn't time to properly think about this thought. Taro Date rocketed towards the Hollow on a quest of evisceration through the cage's cracks. One conspicuous opening of this cage was barreling towards Iwamura, inviting entrance--a front door to the home he knew he belonged in. Yet the Hollow's jagged, feral spirit energy filled the open gap, all but smiling at him with taunting glee; as if the smile held a knife behind its teeth. To trust a Hollow, even the nature of its abilities, would be to trust in his own demise.

All of this he processed inside of a second. Within the next he was gone, the white-hot chains once attached to buildings now submerged in Taro's light-gorging ink.

Shunpo carried Iwamura to a different, closed portion of the cage; a heave of Kibakigane through the thread split open a hole that simultaneously simmered and scorched the edges in white flames and allowed a second Shunpo to close in on the two titans. Two titans that could never resemble humans, as much as their silhouettes so desperately wanted to try. Two twisted, kindred spirits--and with the Hollow in particular, it seems to have gone to its ravenous mind. For in all its self-gratuitous ecstasy, the Hollow had acted upon an assumption or conception that may very well alter the tide of this conflict for good:

Iwamura had never thrown either of his swords.

Indeed--both still held firm in either beastly hand. What the Hollow had thought was a sword had been Iwamura's Shikai's chains, spawned by the striking of sword against rooftop shingle as he had been hopping around. The chains that attacked the moment prior had been destroyed in the ensuing chaos--yet, as Iwamura reappeared in view directly behind the Hollow mid-swing into the ground, with Taro Date still charging closer, those remaining chains that had fallen into the ink were now sharks.

They, and Iwamura, had found their prey.

For a fleeting moment his orange eyes, two beacons of cruel, violent, silent bloodthirst, bore into the Hollow. Then he executed.

Iwamura's multi-factor maneuver was simultaneous; the white-hot chains launched out of the ink and coiled around Itaku's limbs at random, some on the legs and others on the arms and even one around the throat. In the same moment, with a throaty snarl his blades sliced through the ink below and found solid ground, connecting and materializing one blindingly hot chain each that sunk their maws in deep with small squelches.

Both found the critical support beams that were Itaku's Achilles' tendons.

The Hollow may have had a choice to remain tethered and face Taro's inevitable onslaught or pull away and risk losing the ability to stand, if at least temporarily; yet even the freedom to choose was robbed from it. In a flash of white-lighted currents, the combined heat between each chain cascaded into Itaku's body at once, superheating until a bedazzling explosion of white and blue flames seemed to rupture from his very pores. As Iwamura flitted away from Taro's path with a second burst of Shunpo, the Hollow would find its body inside and out cooking and bubbling towards liquification its feet concurrently tethered in place.

In the next moment Iwamura reappeared with a grunt in a lowered stance, roughly halfway between the Hollow and one side of the cage; attentive to the clash between the former and Taro while remaining wary of the surrounding cage's Reiryoku.

'End this, Date.'

The rumble of his thought-voice was barely discernible beneath the growl.​

The two face off against one another, Captain and Faux-Captain, Bankai vs Bankai, each one seeking the other's death and reveling in the thought of succeeding in such a goal. The sound of whirling and flapping can be heard as the Hollowfied Captain continues twirling the strange staff that had appeared in his hand after activating Bankai, the chord connecting his wrist to Captain Date's hanging loosely from the slack.

As they stand opposed from one another serpentine heads rise from the dark murky depths of Captain Date's Bankai revealing a total of eight towering monstrosities. Their heads writhe and stretch out as each head releases a unified roar howling throughout the Seireitei, perhaps a battle cry..perhaps announcing their readiness for battle. Their master wields his blade, a downward swing stops it just before any contact with the ink can be made.

"FINALLY READY?!! KAHAHAHA!"

The hollow excitedly exclaims as Taro lunges towards him. Feet spread the hollow does not move, continuing to twirl the staff. While the bone mask prevents much in terms of facial expressions, the excitement and glee in his eyes was unmistakable.
​

"HADŌ #58. TENRAN!"

Two spells are set off in almost perfect unison. While Taro's spiritual power and skill in the demon arts causes a heavier plume of red smoke than what would otherwise be produced, appearing like an erupting volcano, the Hollow's spell cast using its host's Kido prowess and its abundant spiritual power to conjure a tornado-like blast that seems more like a violent hurricane given the scope and force of the whirling wind being expelled outward in front of the still whirling staff. Both the Hollow and Taro are dwarfed many times over as the whirlwind seems to almost fill the entirety of the cage from top to bottom as it tears its way forward. Still, given its force the hollow rather being blown back remains anchored in place.

The hollow had not anticipated his prey to throw up a smokescreen, in truth the destructive spell cast wasn't even done with any thought of it being used to harm but rather to blast the Captain further away from him, placing distance between them. Now it would serve to blow back the smoke and hopefully, its caster as well. Despite all this the staff has not once ceased its rotation, the ruckus caused by both combatants drowning out that incessant noise, even if only temporarily.​

Outside the cage, despite having seen an opening inside, Hyoroshi's senses warn him against such a path, a warning that he adheres to, diverting his path. Still, he refused to be a mere bystander. Be it a sense of duty or simple pride he seeks an alternate route. His blade strikes against one of many chords that make up the cage in an effort to create a backdoor, yet to his surprise he finds his shikai repelled effortlessly away. It is in this moment that he realizes the weight of his powerlessness and perhaps the desire for that Bankai program is increased further within his heart. Confident in the abilities of his shikai and his own skill in wielding it he is forced to acknowledge that despite these things, his shikai would not be able to contest with the power of not only a bankai, but a seasoned bankai further amplified by the power of the hollow wielding it.

He is forced to watch on as a witness to the battle being waged inside. The multiple human sized openings within the cage ever present, ever inviting.