Central Seireitei

[KagiSenkō]

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The Second Division had been riddled with bankai after bankai; each passing moment had shown the seriousness of the situation. Kagi had figured that if he couldn't kill the target with simple, powerful attacks and with his zanpakutō broken. He was left with no choice but to use his Bankai to overpower him and create a different opening in case everyone else took advantage of the opportunity. The moment Kagi went Bankai, a handful of leaves was almost within reach. Until, one by one, they began to vanish as if they never existed, to begin with mysteriously. In the same fashion as his zanpakutō, he did not move, yet he cannot be touched. The question was, why?

The Espada, before everyone, took a slow stride toward the tree—Kagi's tree, which sprouted as a reaction to activating his Bankai. And it wasn't long before the opposing side decided to up the ante and released another form.

"Spread, Infección."

A form that Kagi was aware all espadas could do but had yet to see happen, adding another dimension of flared power. This form changes the appearance of his clothing and his size. He became a different being; his newly formed body became a creature with rust-colored flames. Kagi wonders if he had transformed because he felt threatened by everyone else's Bankai or for a different reason entirely. He can tell that his "gentleman" is very calculated and strategic in every action he makes. He wasn't just a simple-minded creature who took action without thinking. But so far, everything he has done was a counter to everything else. Covering all of his openings, which he had not made easy, but deep down, Kagi found it fascinating that he had been put in a spot where he had felt stuck.

At first

The more Kagi has observed Cazador's actions, the more he is starting to put two and two together. It became even more evident when both Kinko and Nairaishi attempted to take what they believed was another opening, only to fail. Although it couldn't be ruled out, Cazazor had set up another defense to counter their attacks. Nairaishi suffered the same fate as Yurei and Kagi.

"Among the Arrancar and Espada, I alone have taken to studying and incorporating Negación into my arsenal."

The first thing that came to Kagi's mind at that moment was a word he had never heard of called negacion. However, he did not have the space to ponder what negacion was because his tree was being attacked, with one rod multiplying into many aimed in its direction. Kagi's eyes widened; he was uncertain how to stop it, how to protect it from something he had no proper understanding of.

"I'm sorry."

He said that subconsciously, he apologized to Chiba for allowing a moment of hesitation to be in harm's way; regardless of whether the rods pierced through the tree or not, it would not be enough to destroyed giving its size; it would stand true and still produce as many leaves as need it while moving and jumping to dodge the random birds attacking the ground and committing what appeared to be killing themselves. Although this was an opportunity, despite some of his leaves vanishing, there were more he could utilize. And with that, Kagi's hand raised upwards, changing the formation of the leaves that originally formed a dome-like structure around the battlefield. But now, a heavy flow of leaves made their way toward Cazador's direction the moment his rods were launched. It did not just attack from one direction, but each row of leaves was like a stream of water headed in all directions toward Cazador's new form.

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[Elk]

With the Seireitei under attack, some of the members of the Kidō Corps had managed to escape the carnage of the Arrancar attack. Many of the members of the Kidō Corps had died due to the onslaught of a Cero and the monster that was the Espada.

Yet a fairly midsize group had survived the onslaught. This group of Shinigami had sat upon the Sōkyoku Hill, their breathing heavy as they could see the onslaught from above. In the northwest, they could see flashing lights of Kidō and Ceros, pillars of flames, moons rising up, ice fields forming, and acid rain dropping upon an area of the Seireitei. One area seemed to be flooding.

“The Arrancar did all that?!?! We lost the main building of our barracks!”

“That doesn’t exactly matter now. We have our orders from our fearless leader.”

His cheeks sucked in before a vile sound could be heard building up in his mouth. Then his face turned as he spat out what came from his throat.

“Last I saw, he was making a run for it before he got crushed by the building above him.”

“I don’t understand how he got in charge! He was always lazy!”

“Regardless of his bravery, he did give us papers for his final orders. He was at least somewhat organized. Speaking of which…”

The woman slid her hand down into her pockets, her fingers could be seen wiggling in the black uniform before she fished out the paper. In there, she looked at every bit of instructions on what to do. Each one would be crossed off as they looked up at the Sōkyoku.

“… We have our orders to wait here until Captain Date gets here and we unlock it… Though I wish that man wouldn’t have put panic.”

“Well… I’ll still maintain Kyokkō until he arrives. Though I heard he’s a very… vicious captain…”

The rest of the members lowered their heads as they looked around, then at each other. A grating sound could be heard from one, while several others remained quiet. One had their eyes down, while others clenched their fists, as all they could do was watch what was happening.
​

 

[Takamura Raizen]

The air itself pulsed under pressure, the cumulus of Bankai after Bankai having compressed the battlefield into a focus of condensed power. And for Nairaishi, it wasn't the noise or the pageant that ingrained itself into his mind—it was the failure. He had attacked with silence, with seamlessness, without blemish. A precise strike amidst the shadow of turmoil.
Yet it meant nothing.
His attack passed into absence—into nothingness. No sensation of steel parting flesh, no tension in the chain, not even a whisper of resistance. The sections of his Shikai that had made contact were simply gone, as if excised from existence. Not broken. Not blocked. Just. Gone.
He had not missed. He never missed.

“Tch.”

The word was not spoken. It remained sealed up under his teeth's clamped immobility.
The faceless echo of Shishin no Koe loomed in his mind, an eternal presence behind the shoulder. Watching. Judging. Not with malice—but with finality.

“Doubt is death" it whispered in his mind

He’d moved the moment Captain Kagi’s tree had erupted, threading between the rising leaves and smoke-veiled chaos, striking when Cazador’s focus had drifted. The timing had been perfect. But his kusarigama passed through nothing—no contact, no weight. It was as if the segment of the chain and Blade had been erased?
Then the glow vanished. The silence lifted.

“Spread, Infección"

The Arrancar's voice cut through the battle like a bone saw.
In the matter of seconds, the air twisted. Cazador's shape was no longer elegant—it had become grotesque. Towering. Flame-encircled and stinking of corruption. Even where he stood, Nairaishi could feel the heatless scorch of the Espada's Reiatsu push into his flesh like jagged needles.
And then the rods. A flash—then dozens launched outward.
And they multiplied.
He could hear it. Feel it. The noise the air whizzed past at impossible velocities. He wouldn't be weaving through it. Not this time.
His instinct screamed—he followed.
In a blink, Nairaishi used Shunpo, body vanishing in a streak of blur as he tried to create distance looking for a way out of the many rods path, but even as he moved, he couldn't help but think is it enough?


Posting Order: Cazador → Kagi → Nairaishi → Yūrei → Kinko.​

 

[Nobody]

"Hmm, where did he run off to?"

The Espada's head turns about, searching carefully for the one who called himself Yurei, eager to have a dialogue of the strange space he seemed to control; the distance between him and the massive tree closed even further as he moved. Frustratingly though the man seemed nowhere in sight or, in any form of perception..for now at least. As he searched and fumed the many glowing yellow rods touch down. The massive tree conjured by the rude Captain finds itself riddled with hexagon shaped holes along its massive trunk, the properties of Negación shaving through everything that came into physical contact with the rods. His hand reached out towards the hole riddled tree-

"Go."

From the flame cloak a massive flock of bird shaped constructs, the same birds that had been crashing into various structures, now peeled from the Arrancar's cloak. Squawking, they blindly soared outwards, the leaves being enclosed around Cazador being met with these strange flame-like birds, the outstretched hand softly touching the damaged tree trunk.

"You poor thing."

He spoke solemnly, his birds continuing fluttering and crashing, the leaves certain to absorb these strange creatures that so willingly dove into the embrace of the leaves.​

---

The Kuchiki boy is freed from the strange barrier, yet that freedom comes with a cost. No longer separated from the realm of his attacker, the area he stands on and the surrounding area finds itself buried under the many rods. Negación's properties ignoring the effects of his twilight Bankai, ill suited to defend against such an assault, and too immature to truly matter. How many rods had passed through him? With so many it was difficult to say, perhaps nothing remained of him by now, one having at the very least passed through his left and right side of his torso and the section of his legs. Like with their soul cutters, everything that Negación made contact with was removed as if they simply vanished.

The other Shinigami perceives his failure and then, perceives his danger. He moves to flee, to distance himself from the danger, placing his hope and faith in his skill in Shunpo — and for a moment he seemed to be succeeding. It is perhaps only when he seeks to push his shunpo further that he realizes he is unable. Legs that had carried him for a distance no longer present to aid him any further, the bottom half of his Shihakushō also missing, indicating that at least some of the rods had made contact. The propulsion from his shunpo would be short lived, the shinigami inevitably being brought to the ground, no longer able to hold himself up.​

---

So much had happened, many sacrifices made. Where Cazador had wanted discussion, the Shinigami desired violence, a desire fueled by their belief in their superiority, their arrogance — arrogance that had cost them. The wafting fumes rather growing feinter were growing larger, the sizzling louder, the temperature in the area hotter, all along with a strange burning sensation in the air, a sensation felt on the face, the throat, one's lungs. Hand still on the tree, the flame cloak seemed to flare up, cackling and sizzling as the fumes from his body snaked through the air. Leaves that were not being met by kamikaze birds soared towards the man, yet where they would have covered him, they strangely began to pass by.

GLuuug GlUuuG

A strange gurgling noise, like flowing liquid could faintly be made out as the Espada remained in place, no further words to be said..for now at least. If he couldn't find that interesting fellow, what then was he to do, especially with such ruffians around him?

 

[Elk]

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The Shinigami that sat atop the Sōkyoku Hill looked toward a strange shift in the light. Their heads tilted as they pushed themselves up and walked forward a few steps, stopping to watch the spectacle that was unfolding—a large blue beam had descended from the sky.

“What in the hell is…”

“Is that a Cero?!?!”

“No… It’s Kidō!”

Their eyes widened. As it came closer and closer, they were all unsure of what it was capable of—or who it came from. All they knew was that it was moving toward the cocoon. Hundreds of smaller beams broke off from the larger one, each one homing in on a target—striking any Shinigami unfortunate enough to be outside—before several dozen began to travel in an unknown direction, at least to the onlookers.

To the Arrancar known as Antonio, these beams had made their way toward him. Whatever movement he made caused the beams to adjust their course—chasing him, dogging his steps. Their only goal was to pierce through him and pin him down.

Meanwhile, the large beam continued its course, soaring through the air. As it neared the cocoon, it began to brighten—until it smashed into it. Upon impact, the tail end of the beam surged forward, and a brilliant blue light illuminated outward—growing larger and larger by the second until it reached a mile-wide diameter of destruction, leveling a large portion of First Division’s buildings as the explosive force rocked its very foundations.

Due to the proximity of Second Division, the ground began to shake. Some buildings rumbled, then cracked—several breaking apart and collapsing. Those within the division felt it rumbling beneath their feet before it all finally came to a halt.
​

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[Adonai]

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A creature, dull of mind, sits atop a pile of rubble, around him are dead Shinigami, Shinigami who never stood a chance against him as they had no clue what they were running into. He stares at the Cocoon, a hint of worry in his eyes along with a strong desire to protect it no matter what. He can sense what is going on around him, some Espada have died and he hasn’t bat an eye at it, they served their purpose in keeping the Shinigami at bay so that Valiosa can do what she needs to do, a plan that even Antonio is clueless of. Luckily this time it is not a sense of cluelessness due to his ineptitude but because he literally does not know her plan. His head perks up a bit when he senses The Heart activating for the first time since its discovery, it's enough for him to turn his head in the direction of Ninth Division.

”S-so th-that’s what it does…”

Valiosa was the only one who knew what the Heart did since she had been the only one to use both eyes at the same time. She said it performed miracles but to Antonio that meant nothing. Then when Gallieno started spouting stuff about Miracles it made him curious but that word still meant nothing to him. It seems like the Heart is capable of reviving someone if they die, he couldn’t understand why Valiosa didn’t just explain it that way to him. His interest dipped back down once their secret weapon, as Valiosa calls him, went back on the attack. He stares at the Cocoon but that is when something enters the range of his Pesquisa. Bolts of light flying towards him but with just a look, not a single ounce of muscle movement, those bolts of light shiver like static and vanish from his sight. It was a Kido spell but he had no idea which one it was, not that it would matter. With the Left Eye activated he stands to his feet, sighing and wondering who could be attacking him now and that is when he spots the massive beam of light headed for the Cocoon.

Redirection

A waft of dust is all that remains in the spot of where Antonio once stood. His new position is now atop the Cocoon, staring down the beam of light as it was closing in on him. He didn’t move in a panic, no, he moved as if he had all the time in the universe to respond to this impending beam of destruction. He extends his right hand, waiting for the beam of light to collide with it and when it does the beam is warped by static and instantly shifted towards the Southeast Seireitei, specifically aimed at Estarossa and the two Shinigami he is with. Whoever shot this level 94 Hado spell at Antonio gave him the means to cause massive devastation. He not only redirected it but accelerated it as well because he knows about Estarossa’s abilities and he knows with it now moving at this accelerated speed he will have no time to consume it.

Smaller beams of light split off of the main beam once again, moving ahead of the main beam itself acting like a vanguard for the full impending doom. The smaller beams aim to impale and pin down Shizukana, Estarossa and Yūichirō to lock them in place for the death Antonio has sent their way. Should they fail to escape the main beam they will be faced with the full might and explosive power a a Level 94 spell that will consume everything within a mile radius of its detonation. Even clones of Kuvello would be caught in this explosion and vaporized but Antonio cares very little about that. After protecting Valiosa he hops off the Cocoon and returns to his pile of rubble to stare at it once more. This time he could swear he saw something moving inside of it briefly…

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[KagiSenkō]

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Things have not improved, despite Kagi's efforts; there was no luck in finding an opening. No matter how many distractions there were, or how fast he moved, this espada was prepared even before his arrival. He had all his weaknesses covered, but if the effort from the rest had been more presentable, they might have had a chance. As the espada, Cazador continues his fascination with Chiba, his hand pressed against the bark, while it stands tall with its hexagonal-shaped holes. Massive in not only height and width, how much more could it withstand?

The feeling of despair was slowly creeping into the mind of the Captain, as if something eerie had been standing behind him. It thoroughly washed over him, and the feeling wasn't spiritual pressure or fear. It was a matter of feeling defeated based on a choice he made when he suddenly realized all of this took place because he chose violence. Being overconfident in handling the situation his way led to everyone who followed him being harmed or worse. The Captain fell to his knees while all of his determination and thirst for a fight had been sapped out of him—a broken tree. A broken zanpakuto. Yurei missing? He had nothing left in him, nothing left to keep fighting for. His leaves have done nothing but absorb the birds that willingly flew straight into them, but what does it mean for other birds? Kagi thought of every strategy mentally, yet it seemed there was no way he would survive this battle. His kido isn't well enough to work on someone of Cazador's caliber. His will to fight has left him diminished.

"Is this it? Is this where I failed again? I failed Otokogi. Now I am failing here," he spoke, but it would come off as a mutter to Cazador.


"It is not over, Kagi-sama."


The voice was a whisper from a gentle soul. It seemed like it came from behind him, although he did not look, but continued to stare at the Espada. A hand softly grasped his shoulders as he looked up into the sky. The ground began to shake, and multiple yellow lights pierced through the sky. What could it be? What is it for? What does it do? Whoever was responsible caused a disturbance among the second division; the buildings of what was left of them began to shake violently to the point that the walls crumbled and broke down further.

Then, suddenly, he noticed his tree was beginning to heal; the hexagon holes were closing up, and a hand that once grasped his shoulders was that of his spirit. It started to become clear that Chiba's tree was becoming more powerful, taking on a new form. This whole growth of the tree had to be Michiya's doing. He felt the connection, his spiritual power at work.

"The Espada have been cut off from their access to the Soul King parts, but this is only temporary, and the enemy lost use of Garganta as long as the 12th division stands, so please make this count for all we have lost!"


"It's time to stand, Kagi." She said before disappearing once again, as her physical appearance was no longer needed.


Using the weight of the broken sword, he stood up one leg at a time, yet he had not shown any violence towards Cazador. Kagi appears calmer than before, even level-headed. Not because it seems there is a change in tide, but he began to realize some things from the very beginning.

"Cazador." The Captain called out to him.


"What was your purpose of coming here? Why did you not attack my division before I arrived?"

Kagi asked, but it was a simple, genuine question, while for once his guard, the wall he constantly had up, was let down. Will this question determine the next move, or has he accepted death, despite all assistance and efforts? Was he still going to make one last stand to end everything?

He felt a wave of burning sensations along his frame and lungs. It was comparable to having a fever or something. What exactly was happening to him? Is this Cazador's doing?​

---

 

[Takamura Raizen]

He had felt the wind at his back—fleeting, sharp, and cruel.
The world had blurred with motion, Shunpo propelling him backward as instinct screamed in his veins.

But instinct wasn’t enough.

The warning came too late.

There was no impact. No sound. No pain. Only the sudden absence—like falling into a hole that hadn't been there a moment before.

His feet did not land.
His knees did not bend.
There was no ground beneath him.

Only the harsh slam of reality as his body crumpled into the dust, the lower half of his Shihakushō fluttering in the breeze—untouched, untouched because nothing was there anymore.

His legs were gone.

The realization came not as a scream, but as silence. Cold. Crawling.
And then the heat caught up—the burn of searing air, of rising flame, of blood spilling freely from the severed point of his body.

His breath hitched.

Not from the pain—though it was agony—but from something worse.

Recognition.

He tried to move. One arm braced against the rubble. The other clawed at the dirt. The world spun as the scent of rust filled his lungs.

“Damn it...”
His pride tried to smother it. To make it small.
But it wasn’t small.

The fear had bloomed.

Not panic. Not desperation.

But fear. Real and raw.

“I was ready to die.”
That’s what he’d told himself.
A weapon doesn’t flinch. A shadow doesn’t scream.

He had served without question, fought without name, moved in silence at the will of his Captain—gladly. Proudly. Willingly.

But now, the silence in him cracked.

His vision pulsed in and out, his heartbeat thrumming in his ears like a war drum.

“I don’t want to die.”

The thought rose, wild and unbidden. It should have felt shameful.

It didn’t.

It felt human.

And in that moment—dragging himself just an inch, fingers scraping the stone—he was human.
Not a ghost. Not a blade. Not a whisper in the dark.

Just a man. Broken. Bleeding. Still alive.

But fading.

The sky spun above him. The shriek of birds blurred into static. His grip slackened.

He wanted to reach for something—anything.

A voice. A light. A name.

But all that came was darkness.

Not final.
Not forgiving.
Just… waiting.

And whether he would wake again... was not his to decide.​

 

[HankMoody]

Traveling from Southeast Seireitei...​

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He braced himself for the blazing impact of the incoming Hadō spell. Having erected multiple barriers via his mastery and control over his inner energies with fine tuned harmony and in an impressive display of geometric patterns and shapes, he hoped that it could be enough to not just preserve their bodies but their lives. In the same moment after completing its construction, the Captain of the Fifth Division made very little haste in not only securing the hollow that was with them, but also creating her own safeguards for survival by forming an enlarged platform made from the feathered plume of her zanpakuto, with the gales of wind accompanying them as it was constructed, raising them from the ground with rapid speed and velocity. The storming winds of Yuruzarezaru carried them high into the atmosphere, ferrying those who dwelled within the enlarged diamond into the sky, visible for anyone who had taken any small time to look upward.

The dean did not let up in his upholding of the Bakudō spell(s) and combined effort of his bankai’s abilities. Despite having seemingly dodged the incoming spell, he knew that the show was not over, recognizing the form and functionality of it almost immediately before taking to the air and getting a proper visual of the attack. Hadō number Ninety-Four, Michibiki no Hoshi was a deadly spell indeed, a blast capable of great destruction, and combined with its homing abilities, it makes its success rate of fire historically even among the lesser talented masters not only high but fired with little error made. The ferociousness of the Kidō was certainly formidable, and was fired from an exceptional shinigami talented with spiritual energy. Having taught many students and current seated officers, he felt that he could pinpoint who this emanated from, but the time for that would have to wait. For now they still needed to survive.

Chased by the blast, Yūichirō still held together the integrity as the Hadō hunted them down midair. Just as he would grit his teeth to prepare for the clashing impact of the destructive spell, he feels the spiritual lattice be sucked up within a familiar black expanse. The golden diamond lit the way inside the bleak escape as the trio were seemingly saved by an unknown source—a source unbeknownst to them at the very least. The one called Estarossa seemed to have tried to also prepare a maneuver that would help secure the ragtag team's survival during this tumultuous time, however appeared to decide against once he realized what was taking place and where they truly were. Within moments, they were well inside of the maw of the Garganta and the veteran Shinigami, quickly erected reishi platforms underneath his feet while also dispelling the tandem Bakudō that was meant to preserve them. The golden diamond soon faded from around them, he however felt rather far away from the sea.

This would be his first time being within the folds of darkness. It was a weatherless kind of place but still had an air of coldness to it. He looked around and saw that the dark just kept expanding into a never-ending story of blackness. A mighty wonder how the Hollows managed to navigate these spiritual passageways, regardless of the aid of their pesquisa. Estarossa would then be greeted by a magenta haired woman. He knew better however that this was no woman*. Far from relaxed, he looked around and confirmed that it was just the four of them dwelling within this current space. His eyes narrowed when it opened its gape, revealing its ugly, mutated and seemingly endless amount of teeth emerging from the large Glasgow smile that it called its ‘mouth’. The dean's face couldn’t be helped, whether it saw how disgusted he was by its appearance was of no consequence to him as this was by far the ugliest hollow he had never seen within his eight hundred years.

It began speaking, mostly towards Estarossa, its contemporary. Based on the brief dialog, it would appear this was one of the Arrancar that were a part of the opposing faction of the civil war that had long since passed within Hueco Mundo. As one of the beings helping it stay its current course rather than rock the boat as their race currently were. The mismatched hollow then finally answered his prior question, turning to him and introducing Emilia as an ally and providing him with the information that she was one who possessed one as part of an anti-Espada/Las Noches faction. His thumb and index finger would find itself underneath his chin once more as he studied the female hollows' outer biology. A stare that took the form of a judging look, he cared little of how it would be perceived even by the Captain present and more amiable to work with their natural adversaries. Whether he liked it or not, she wasn’t all the way wrong on that front.

Instantly, he hears a voice within his head, young, sullen, yet steeled evidently in the face of great danger. He recognized this young, one of whom he knew rather fondly as a former student of his Kidō classes. The strength of this Tenteikūra, reaching him in the endless depths of the garganta. The message that reached him, informed him of the significant loss of abilities at the hands of the Twelfth Division’ technological efforts. They have effectively eliminated the use of the Soul King parts granted to some few Arrancar, and have also sealed off access to their garganta pathways. Certainly a tide turning move in the heat of war, however this now begged the question: how would they escape from their current setting of darkness?

The dean gave the Captain a knowing look, trying to confirm if she had gotten the same mental message as he did moments ago. He then looked to Estarossa, who appeared to be far ahead of Yūichirō in terms of discovering his inability to create new pathways within the folds. Visibly annoyed, this didn’t seem to set him back any as he opened a Descorrer to their left, revealing a litter of Gillian-class hollows almost pouring out of the open seam. He simply instructed them of a specified location within the Soul Society and soon, a familiar golden light surrounded them and began to transport them up and out of the dark corridor. He knew this ability as Negación, one of the many methods of transport for the soul terrorists to invade various areas, for this specifically, this was to save their comrades from harm and take them from one area to the next. Estarossa warned him not to touch the light, but the teacher obviously wasn’t that ill informed.

Yūichirō then closed his eyes and focused his reiatsu, and then, the waters of his floating Bankai above the Seireitei began to churn more violently and also began to float closer towards the eventual exit point that the hollows method of travel would bring them, drawing it closer towards the location that they would potentially end up exiting out of. Even in a space where up and down were mere suggestions, and the air itself felt as empty as those who dwelled within the dark, the tether between he and his Bankai remained unfettered—unbroken like a lifeline of water and will that ignored the voids rules. While he did this, he bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood, he then created specific markings along his arms and hands, and began to wave his hands in patterns reminiscent of wushu practitioners. the markings on his arms would begin glowing to match his familiar peach colored reiryoku. During this, he asked both of the hollows one final question.
​

“This Antonio…..is he the strongest of your kind?” he asked bluntly.​

The shinigami would rather know exactly what he was getting into. Especially if his life had a high chance of being ended today. He would await both of their individual answers, regardless of what they would be. He knew this was an enemy far beyond the scope of his imagination, he didn't need confirmation of that. What he needed to see was how they reacted to the question, to ensure that he wasn’t entering battle with fools who believed their deaths couldn’t come as easy as drawing the breaths they currently took.

He then stopped moving his arms, and created three delivery package sized cubes of sunset colored reiatsu, the teacher then created three bolts of lightning, all of varying colors representing three separate destruction spells; Hadō numbers Seventy-three, Sixty-three, and Fifty-four were created and transmutated from their original forms and then confined within the boxes. The dean would repeat this process by creating an army of smaller cubes of similar look and feel behind the group, following along as they traveled through the black expanse. There was no telling how many were actively being created nor was there any knowing what exactly what he was doing, but he had to make sure he did everything he could in his power to ensure his own survival, and the survival of the rest of the Soul Society.

​

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...Traveling to Central Seireitei

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[StephDLegend]

Kinkō let out a soft sigh when he was granted freedom. The fight was taking longer than he had hope. He had to give credit to the arrancar; Cazador wasn’t only holding his own against a lieutenant, but a captain as well as other seated officers too. If he wasn’t repulsed by the bird man, he’d give outward praise.

The number of rods raining down may have been plentiful but they didn’t mean that all hope was lost. With the freedom Kinkō was given, he could act.

To everyone, it would seem like Kinkō looked stunned and unable to move and would get impaled but that was just an afterimage. Being as skilled as he was in shunpo, the afterimage flash step was one of his specialties. The real him had vanished from where he was and appeared away from the epicenter of the hail of rods.

Even so, he didn’t want to chance his life. While his twilight Bankai may not be perfect, it still enhanced all of his Shikai abilities. “Kuroi Kabe.” A black blaze surrounded the Shinigami whose resolve was stronger than ever. The thing about the black fire was how it burned through everything. It didn’t matter if it was Reishi or physical, the flames would eradicate it. The only ones safe from this were Kinkō, Yami and now Hikari. He made sure the flames were not near any of his allies.​