Central Seireitei

[Hyoroshi Iwamura]

​

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"I'm okay Kana, there's no need for the doting..." Hyoroshi grunted without a drop of disparagement in his voice as Shizukana fretted over him. His good right arm was a fluffy, protective scarf upon Shizukana's neck and shoulders as he leaned upon her. In truth, Hyoroshi felt the same relief she was expressing, though through the pain his focus persisted on their surroundings--the two gargantuan nightmares looming and battling at the center of it all, which he had yet to pull his eyes away from.
​

“Not at all what the reports said about him. You know the one with the blurry photo! Now, hold still. I don’t want you bleeding everywhere.”

Hyoroshi swallowed; he had his thoughts, but as the healing warmth began to ebb into him, he drove them away. "For later." He cocked his gaze down; the sinew and tendon of his trapezius, deep red, coiled and snaked together like a steel cable reconstituting and tauting itself firm once more, in turn returning strength to his left side. The warmth spread throughout his body from that point, marginally easing back and thigh muscles he only now realized had been quiveringly tensed. The damage to his left shoulder was reduced to a nascient, dull ache that itself was rapidly vanishing. He sighed relief and lifted off of Shizukana's weight while rolling the shoulder joint.

"Yes, I still have my sticker," Hyoroshi stated when asked. He pulled open his Shihakushō just a tad, revealing the Chibi puppy sticker that was still attached to his upper left oblique, just below the pectoral. He turned fully to Valiosa and Antonio, his senses confirming Oyuki's presence nearby. Sweeping the area yielded several more compatriots, most waiting on the precipice, though two Reiatsu signatures in particular were both flaring and oscillating in the distance.

"Hideo Shihoin and Dean Yuichiro..." Hyoroshi muttered with concern pulling at his lips.

Iwamura fell quiet as Shizukana's mist surged forth, its particles harmless to the immunized Beastman--and with a blink, its advance froze.

Not consciously stopped; Shizukana was still focusing in the corner of his eye.

Negated, as if space-time itself rejected the possibility of further advance.

Hyoroshi's gaze, just his gaze, slanted to Shizukana for one second. Silent alarm blared on his face--yet in his eyes, full understanding of the scope of the threat held firm. A wordless, ceaseless permission, that which can only be forged from decades upon centuries of the suffering and bonding incurred between two kindred souls, glinted in his orange eyes. In this singular second, one single, timeless message was signaled:

"You've got a blank check from me."

By the next second Hyoroshi had turned forward again, for multiple crushing surges of Reiatsu crackled the very air he breathed. He recognized these surges from many a fight before, yet their sheer scale almost made his eyes bulge from their sockets. There was just enough time to balloon his lungs--

"BALAS!"

Hyoroshi's voice roared out, piercing through the mist and attracting the attention of everyone within the orb's immense range of attack. The air around him howled and whipped around him with the multiple Flash Steps that flitted him away to the right from where he'd stood a couple blinks previously. In the rush out of his Bala's immediate blast radius he tumbled once, twice, then caught his footing and ground his steel boots for a few more feet on a partially-destroyed rooftop.

Once stopped he huffed once, twice, shielding his face with his white-hot Shikai from the Bala's imminent impact, all while sensing for both the enemy and his Captain. Spotting the former was instant, given their sizes and immense spiritual pressures, but the latter his senses couldn't immediately ascertain. Without another word Iwamura dropped from the rooftop, sprinting towards the site of the Bala's assured impact and his Captain's assumed location.

"Jumping in even with Hideo and Dean Yuichiro present would be suicide without a calculated plan. Need to regroup and act, all of us together..."

Iwamura glanced back towards Valiosa and Antonio. Through the dust and debris kicked up from the Bala, the latter seemed somehow afraid of something, and one of his eyes had vanished, if only briefly--the one with multiple pupils, now placed upon the former's palm.

Intuition connected the dots before his conscious mind could process the sight.

"She's going all-in, perhaps in sacrifice for herself...though if we can't figure something out, it won't be a sacrifice. Just domination."​

 

[TherosAestas]

Dread

The smallest inkling of dread wiggled its way into Suzume Feng’s mind as she watched her closest friend rush back into battle without arms. While his bankai remained active, he was at a disadvantage. She maintained a keen awareness of Hideo’s location at all times and yet even still she feared a world without him in it and by her side.

Hope

While fear remained, she didn’t let that deter her for it was only now that she dared to hope as more converged for the fight. Her feet shifted ever so slightly as she followed in Hideo’s wake, moving just as erratically but not striking. She never lingered for long. Not even when Antonio struck Hideo, sending him barreling through the air. Despite this, fifteen needles that had been hidden within Hideo’s clothes now pierced into Antonio’s hand as it made contact with Hideo’s body.

Any damage or pain caused would be small and inconsequential to the massive arrancar, however every small pin prick would embed phantom needles into Antonio’s body. Instantaneously, spiritual threads formed from the needles, worming and coiling their way throughout his entire being, spreading like an infection. As the threads spread and multiplied so too did the needles.

Suzume’s image flickered into existence only briefly as Valiosa raised her hands to fire off Balas. As she crouched over Hideo, her nimble hands made quick work of feeling out the remaining needles tucked within his garments. Throwing him over her shoulder with one hand, she tossed her loose hair over her shoulder with the other and vanished from sight. The needles she’d plucked from his uniform struck the Balas, causing them to sputter then dissipate entirely.

She didn’t have many options for where to take her wounded alley, but one stuck out more than others. The lone member from Fourth Division who had shown up. As she appeared beside the pink haired woman, Suzume deposited the humble Shihoin at her feet. Her eyes momentarily shifted to him, disappointment swimming within her gaze, before focussing back on the arrancar before them.

As the flash of Negacion lit up the field and before it could fully connect, Suzume acted on instinct and pulled at the strings of fate.

Dominus

Suzume! Let’s play! Let’s rid this world of these foul, undeserving beasts!

In that instant, Antonio was reduced to a mere observer trapped in his own body. Her threads had found their mark and now was her time to act. She leaned forward, forcing Antonio’s body to mirror her movement and shifting him just enough that as the pillar of light met the rubble beneath him, his head remained outside of it. As his body slowly ascended, his head tore asunder at a sickeningly slow pace. Suzume’s eyes remained glued to the gory scene she had created. While she seemed small and unassuming to most, now she was the puppeteer, the quiet manipulator pulling the strings.

Valiosa had been so intent on the future she wanted and saw for herself and her companion that she didn’t realize that the eyeball in her hand was her undoing. While she hadn’t socketed the eye yet, the needles and threads harbored within had already penetrated into her own body, disrupting her reiryoku. Suzume lifted her own hand into the air, holding it as if she too held something precious and fragile within it before squeezing her hand closed. Simultaneously, Valiosa would crush and destroy the eye.

The power Valiosa had hoped to wield no longer existed. Suzume would not let these monsters go unpunished for what they had done to the Seireitei.

Suzume’s usually neutral eyes gleamed with an unusual cruelty that had formed within her the moment she’d seen Hideo’s ruined arms. As she puppeted Valiosa toward Shizukana’s mist, she would exude a coldness that she wasn’t even sure Hideo had ever experienced in their centuries together.

”Perish.”

​

 

[Deleted member 65]

​

---

"BALA'S!"

Shizukana vanished in an instant, her form blurring into a thin ribbon of motion as the enormous bala ripped through the battlefield. The attack howled past, obliterating the ground and some slower Shinigami where she’d been standing, but she did not reappear with her usual serene poise. Instead, she flickered into view several yards away. Silent, still, and her expression unreadable. Everything happening at a distance, Suzume's interception of the attempt of Antonio's departure, Hideo being rushed to the aid of a healer, was all taken into account by the Captain.

The soft mist that had shrouded her, a gentle veil of her spiritual presence and Shikai, hung weakly around her for only a moment and had been intended to swarm…Did not. Not dispersed. Not blown away. It's existence of intent and happening was essentially erased. She felt it, an impossible sensation, like a limb being severed without pain.

The red haired, small reaper seemed to have taken the mighty monster's body itself. Moving her toward a lethal and poisonous end. She had also done something extraordinary, destroying what looked to be an eye and something precious to the demon. All in all, exceptionally impressive, but would it be enough? Only time would be able to tell. She'd certainly put a damper on this Valiosa's plans.

The vapor Shizukana commanded had not been cut or overwhelmed; it had almost been reprogrammed, it's function stripped from the flow of time itself by the enemy’s power. The absence left a hollow ache deep in her chest, a dissonant ringing where her calm once lived.

But she did not cry out. She did not falter. Her eyes lowered to her fan, the lacquered ribs trembling faintly between her fingers.

And then, without warning, she turned, not toward the enemy who had undone her mist's advance, but toward her own ally. The mist, did not follow her. It remained in a cloud far behind her now. Waiting for Suzume to find her manipulation's mark.

Her arm swept outward with unnatural sharpness, the fan snapping to rigid life with a brittle crack that echoed across the battlefield. A surge of horrific reiatsu burst from her body, flooding the air with pressure that felt nothing like her gentle nature. This was toxic, violent, agonized. Feathers materialized along the edge of her fan, each one crisp and sickly purple, each one vibrating with lethal density.

Shizukana slashed the fan through the air.

A hailstorm of feathers erupted outward, hundreds, thousands launched with the velocity of arrows. Her spiritual power hardened them into rigid daggers mid-flight, turning the delicate things into weapons sharp enough to split steel and bone. With a second flick of her wrist, she triggered them to detonate in midair, erupting in a circular explosion of cutting force that swallowed everything in its radius. Stone fractured as if carved by invisible blades. Air itself screamed under the pressure.

She did not call out a warning.

She did not name her target.

She did not spare a glance for friend or foe.

Again she moved, raising her fan with mechanical precision, unleashing another cascade of those deadly, glimmering feathers. They spiraled in every direction, indiscriminate, merciless, and guided only by a will that no longer resembled her own.

The Shizukana known for peace, for gentleness, for apologizing to her enemies as she restrained them, was gone.

In her place stood something hollow-eyed and devastating, her shikai turned upon ally and enemy alike as if she recognized neither. The only target her eyes were boring holes into was Hyoroshi. Eyes with no light in them.​

---

POSTING ORDER

Hideo, Yuichiro, Antonio/Valiosa, Suzume, Shizukana, Hyoroshi​

 

[Souris]

🕊️ Fuu Shiratori🌸
🎵 Verdant 🎵

Fuu's arrival on the scene was a choice of her own, one to bring supportive aid to the frontline. The lack of prompt mobilization from their encamped forces allowed for these threats to grow out of hand, drawing a more dire scenario upon the Seireitei. The few souls that did approach the invading beasts swiftly were the thin line keeping the flood back. Under a normal circumstance, Fuu would remain on the side lines, attending directly to the most critically injured - but she felt this was a better service. The flexibility of immediate experienced restorative action and any other aid she could provide may very well be a needed piece.

Upon her initial arrival she had spotted the one likely most needing of her attention - a prospect that would quickly become a reality. Between the raging tides, the ballistic onslaught, and the more direct opposition, the Central district was at the mercy of unrelenting spiritual power. More souls would join the fray, even a Captain among them. Their arrival would also be accompanied by the withdrawal of the most knackered individual on this front by the hand of another ally. His body afflicted with not only injuries but also considerable strain that was etched into his muscles. This was a byproduct of utilizing his Bankai without proper ventilation. A reckless decision, but Fuu would bear no need to make an utterance on it. Afterall, this was an atypical scenario and there were more pressing matters to attention to.

Fortunately for the both of them, their distance from the epicenter of the chaos was as safe as it could be. This made even more true since she would erect a barrier around the pair to attend to him. She rested her drawn weapon down along her shoulder as her spare hand searched for the points of substantial damage upon Hideo's figure.

A verdant light overtook her extended palm, bringing with it the surging command for repair. The interweaving of her own spiritual presence and Hideo's acted quickly to mend torn muscle, close gashes, and patch up what remained of his severed arms. Where her action would not magically restore those lost appendages, it would provide a much more stable patch work than the cauterization that occurred prior.

Her ability to provide on the spot recovery was impressive, but she by no means intended to bestow this man with the means to return to the conflict. His time was done in this bout. She only wanted to ensure that he could safely receive more direct and intensive care from the Fourth's stationary units. What she left Hideo with, was the simply the opportunity and means to carry himself far away from the battle.

"Seeing as you are... disarmed. I'd advise heading to the medics that are on standby for more thorough treatment. You should be patched up enough to get there."

Her voice was soft, kind even, but the smile that came with her words faded as quickly as it came. Her gaze turned back to the bloodied exchange further ahead. Fuu took to her feet once again, dispelling the walls that had temporarily given them shelter while allowing her empty hand to disappear into her sleeve once again. Hideo was advised on what to do, for his own safety - though the choice remained his own. She felt he would take the opportunity to lick his wounds more thoroughly at the Fourth, allowing for her to focus on providing what aid she could to those still caught in the thick of it.

"As for myself... I guess it's time for me to-"

Her sleeve-shrouded hand breaks free from its veil, revealing six shiny steel spheres between each of her fingers, each slot grouped into pairs. Her arm crossed her form for a moment, primed to bestow force to those tools. Yet before she would send those orbs to the wind, crimson light danced between her digits, weaving itself within the steel objects.

Fuu knew that continuing to dilly dally was only going to increase both the casualties and the destruction. Even if she had faith in her comrades to rout the threat. - Time - Time was always an important factor. Every fleeting moment was an opportunity for further tribulations and so she'd make a move of her own. She would function as an added cog turning in the wheels of fate. One far beyond her perceived role.​

"-join the party."
🎵 A Circling Vulture 🎵







Contributing to the battle would prove to be tricky, the allied rhythm was muddied by disconnection. To Fuu's brief observation it looked as if the abled bodied reapers were trying to create their own individualized conclusions rather than a unified front. It is to be said, that the souls present likely did not have core synergies due to differing divisions and internalized processes, but even then - matching pace to cull a common enemy should be a shared principle. If the Shiratori were to make the most of the chaos, her actions had to create synergy between the dissonance.

"Overflow, Hachikazuki." A phrase that came with no weighty transition but its influence would immediately take center stage. A shadowed hand that only had its sights on the Arrancar threat. The Princess had already tipped a scale in Fuu's favor from this awakening... but what was it if not an open wound? That tilted scale was unclear for the moment but Fuu wanted to further deal her cards.

Where she stood in the moment, was not the most optimal positioning for confrontation, even with the size of the threat at hand. So that needed to change. Her arm swiped quickly through the space before her, letting loose one of the crimson enveloped spheres into the air. Fuu's hastened stride kept pace, up until she jumped off from the ground and planted a foot on the speeding projectile. Just as contact was made, it erupted into a brilliant red flash, propelling her even faster and higher, onwards to the fight's epicenter.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation-"

A second sphere was used to gift her flight.

"-flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man-"

A third.

"Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south."

A fourth.

"Hadō #31. Shakkahō"

As the last of her phrase escaped her lips, the fifth of her tools was launched, carrying with it the brightest light of all six. Though this one did not act as a propulsive force for Fuu - instead it was launched with greater strength than the others, aimed directly at the largest target, Valiosa. The speeding scarlet 'bullet' added its explosive impact to the cocktail of attempted actions against the gargantuan creature.

But was the red flame cannon enough to fell such a foe? Or was it that together with the others it would be an extra nail in the coffin? Or was it something else entirely?

 

[Jushiro Izanagi]

The central region of the Seireitei was fast becoming a clusterfuck of mishaps. Even with his own ‘opponent’ standing before him, Izanagi was keeping tabs on the battle happening not too far from them. Sensing the fluctuations in Reiatsu, his Reikaku allowed him to perceive things as if he were actually there. It was concerning and at the same time exciting. However, he couldn’t allow himself to become too distracted despite his curiosity. Dealing with the Quinto Espada may well be the priority at the moment. Izanagi didn’t react to Kuwashii's momentary disapproval towards his commentary. For she soon agreed with his assessment concerning the state of the three Shinigami that was put in a stasis. Perhaps now was a good time to evacuate them and take them to the 4th division. It would be the sensible thing to do, yet such an action seemed hardly appropriate. Still his halos continued to orbit the skies above the second division grounds. Changing directions with no rhyme nor reason, no real pattern forming. The freezing temperatures continued to take hold of the area.

Strangely though, Cazador did not move to prevent Izanagi efforts at saving Captain Kagi and co. The man’s demeanor in addition to his words tells a story. The masked one had many questions and yet not enough time to engage in conversation. The black mask which adorns the Captain’s face painted a picture of a fox grin. He was truly amused by the Arrancar who seemed somewhat spicy. One that is easily offended should things not fall in line with his own expectations. As Cazador spoke, Izanagi ended up with more questions than answers. It would appear that the Shinigami were first to attack. Who could fault them? They only did so trying to protect their home against a perceived threat. To expect the occupants not to react to a home invasion was almost ludicrous. And yet it appears the Cazadors chastised them for doing so. He didn’t have all the facts; it was mere speculation at this point. However, the combination of green germs and the protection afforded by negacion was a formidable combo. Alas, the masked one did not dwell on it for too long, Kuwashii was on the move and Izanagi made sure to observe. Kuwashii’s attempt at a surprise attack had failed, her efforts bore no fruit. However, his observation of Kuwashii’s attack against Cazador confirmed his suspicions. It wasn’t a question anymore, it was certainly Negacion. This explained a lot and also hinted at why the battle between Kagi Senko’s group and Cazador turned out the way it did.

Izanagi fell silent for a moment, not bothering to respond to Cazador’s illinformed assessment. The espada's assumptions were way off and now wasn’t the time to address them. The Captain was far too concerned by the colossal being which towered over everyone and most everything. The serpentine butterfly she-devil commanded the attention of everyone present. Her Reiatsu was unlike anything Izanagi had ever felt. In the midst of this, a rallying cry was sent out by those in close proximity to the 1st division grounds. The rallying cry was currently useless to Izanagi. Unlike earlier when Michiya shared some useful intel about the enemy. They were merely being urged to get up and fight. It was disappointing to say the least. Despite all this, Izanagi took a moment to address Cazador.

His eyes now locked onto the Avian Espada now suspended within that shimmering barrier.

Izanagi exhales once, not in frustration, not in anger but in understanding.

“...So that is the wound you bear”.

His voice is soft, painfully calm for a Captain whose Bankai commands the heavens themselves. A stark contrast to Cazador’s indignation.

“You mistake caution for ignorance, Cazador Aburrimiento”.

A faint breeze circulates around him, tugging at the long strands of his long silver hair, stirring motes of residual frost around his feet in a small spiral. His chin tilts up slightly, regarding the golden sheath surrounding the Espada as though examining a rare artifact.

“Your walls…their Reishi flow, the static equilibrium, the recursive folding patterns, you’ve encased yourself in a dimensional buffer. You’re untouchable yes, but equally unable to touch”.

Then his tone shifts. Not threatening. Not mocking. Sad.

“A fortress of your own making, born not from strength, but fear”.

Izanagi continues.

“You accuse her”. A brief glance given to Kuwashii before returning to the Espada “Of clinging too tightly to the laws of nature. And yet you cling just as fiercely to the laws of your past. To the cruelty you believe inevitable, to the treachery you believe from every uniform. You see enemies where there are only warnings”.

Izanagi’s free hand rose slowly, allowing a thin veil of shimmering particles from his Reiryoku to gather about his palm. A neutral display of spiritual theory, not aggression. The freezing cloak afforded to him by his Bankai immobilised anything which entered his vicinity.

“Flames born of spirit can indeed defy nature But so can hearts! You ask whether I taught her to think as she does. Well good, it means she listens. But do not mistake understanding for acceptance”.

His voice resonates with quiet command, the tone of a warrior who has walked through his share of catastrophes.

“If that creature truly approaches with the intent to destroy all, then I will not stand idle. You prophesied our end, hmph, how quickly you speak of our inevitability, Espada”. A soft hum of spiritual pressure flows through him, neither aggressive or meek. It was simply present.

“But hear me clearly, if you bear witness to our end, then I will bear witness to your error. You call us ignorant. Very well then. But do not confuse ignorance with helplessness”. He was done addressing Cazador for now. The immediate problem was big Bertha which towered over all.

Izanagi was now faced with a dilemma, leaving the second division grounds in hopes that Cazador would stand by and watch as the events unfold. Or hang on just a little longer before stepping in to give a helping hand. Only fools rush in without knowing the true extent of the enemy’s powers. He was almost reliant on information being passed on that could help them to formulate a plan.


​

 

[Adonai]

Kuwashii felt bad for attacking Cazador in the manner she had but she had to attempt something, she isn’t as strong as her captain so she must resort to ambush tactics to bring down a stronger foe. This was a frustrating experience having to watch her gambit not pay off but to be reprimanded for it as well. She recalls her flame back to her blade and leaps back from Cazador, creating space in the event of an instant retaliation. She listens to him speak to her captain and she hears a phrase that makes her eye twitch.

"How pitiful. Souls capable of only seeing what they want to see. You lot know nothing and understand even less. You, the one called Jushiro Izanagi! Are you the one responsible for this little girl's beliefs?!"

Little girl, that phrase repeated in her head over and over almost drowning out everything else the Espada was saying. She did not want to be blinded by anger so as to not miss anything being said, she has to focus, pay attention and not give into her baser instincts to simply burn everything with all her might.

"You both act with the same mindset, the Captain comes in freezing everything while the lass prattled on about heat and life. All scientific responses while forgetting a key element."

Kuwashii lashes out, her calm demeanor slipping away as she speaks with vitriol in her voice. Mostly on accident as she has yet to fully contain her anger.

”Thats not at all what-”

Despite lashing out she is cut off as Cazador speaks again.

"These flames you are so proud of, do not exist..not truly. It is not something born by natural causes but by your spirit. If it is something then manufactured, why then do you cement yourself in believing that it must and will absolutely obey the laws of the natural phenomenon and why everything in this world will react and respond in kind?"

”Don’t talk about my Zanpakuto like you know anything about it! I know what it is! All life adheres to the existence of Stars! If not for the habitable zone of the Sun none of us would exist. The thing called Earth that the three worlds are tied to would not exist if not for the Star you all ignore and take for granted! Zougeiro is the mightiest star, through him I wield the mightiest heat. You will adhere to our laws.”

Her frustration culminates to a crescendo, ready to throw herself at the Arrancar for upsetting her. Her flames rage and roar, ready to cleave through the Negación despite knowing it isn’t possible but her rage is almost as blinding as her white flames. Her foot digs into the ground, it cracks and shatters and before she launches herself at him she hears her Captain speak.

“Your walls…their Reishi flow, the static equilibrium, the recursive folding patterns, you’ve encased yourself in a dimensional buffer. You’re untouchable yes, but equally unable to touch”.

With fury still etched on her face she looks back to Cazador and it only frustrates her even more, so much so that her eye is starting to twitch with further anger and frustration. Her grip on her oversized Shikai tightens as her Captain continues.

“You accuse her of clinging too tightly to the laws of nature. And yet you cling just as fiercely to the laws of your past. To the cruelty you believe inevitable, to the treachery you believe from every uniform. You see enemies where there are only warnings”.

The Limit of Paitence

“Flames born of spirit can indeed defy nature But so can hearts! You ask whether I taught her to think as she does. Well good, it means she listens. But do not mistake understanding for acceptance”.

She exhales, her body going slack bit by bit. She is relaxing as the conversation continues.

““If that creature truly approaches with the intent to destroy all, then I will not stand idle. You prophesied our end, hmph, how quickly you speak of our inevitability, Espada”.

Kuwashii speaks up again, her body seemingly slumped as if she is feeling defeated. Her haughty nature finally extinguished, her attitude reigned in and lost to the flow of this conversation. She holds her head down so that her expression cannot be read by the two stronger individuals.

”It doesn’t matter, not anymore… Since every calculated action I take is met with a wall that I can’t overcome then I’m only left with one choice.”

She lifts her head up, her body is engulfed in white fire and she has the most calming smile on her face. And despite coming across as a smile of an innocent girl the aura of this smile is anything but innocent. There is a deep seeded hostility within it, violence, cruelty. She will no longer be treated like a gnat. She thinks back, she remembers how Kisho altered the battlefield to his liking, to his advantage and she will do the same.

”You are no longer in the habitable zone.”

This is when her slacked body springs to life, she launches herself into the air, engulfed in white flames, appearing to be like nothing more than a raging fire ball in the sky. She rotates her Zanpakuto, aims it downward as she plummets back to the ground. Lingering Shinigami on the side lines watching, be damned. The injured Shinigami being protected by her Captain’s Kido and Zanpakuto, be damned. Her Captain, be damned. And most of all, Cazador, may he be damned to the lowest pits of reincarnation.

She lands, her massive blade impaling into the ground, sinking in deep with all the flames flowing into the crevasse it creates. The ground begins to rumble, Cazador has a golden sheen to his body, more than likely another Negación technique of his. However Shinigami or Arrancar, both know better than to touch the light of Negación, if Cazador was standing on it his feet surely would have been severed by now, this means she has an opening, albeit a small one. Her next action comes as fast as someone initiating a blink of their eyes. The ground bulges, glows bright white and then explodes into a massive pillar of towering white flame.

One could mistake the sight for being Hadō #96. Ittō Kasō, but it is far from that at all. The entire courtyard is engulfed by Kuwashii’s Zanpakuto ability Yūmeijin. Instead of using singular arcs of flame to create individual pillars she pooled them all into the same spot, the end result being a fiery explosion that swallowed up her, Izanagi, Cazador and anyone else in that courtyard. She pulls her blade from the ground, still engulfed in the flames, her eyes opened wide with crazed fury, performing an act that could have killed her and other Shinigami.

”Well, Cazador? Show yourself! If there is anything left! You are the furthest thing from intelligent, you are ignorant, stupid, a complete and utter dunce. Waste of space and ash, unfit to be embers in my flame!”

The girl does not realize it right now, should she survive she will realize that she has developed one step further, a complete immunity to her own flames. A level of acceptance between her and her Zanpakuto being reached within the heat of the moment. Where the line between fear and respect clash and are then destroyed. Because of that pesky barrier she could no longer sense Cazador and she is unsure if this explosion was enough to kill him which could be a reason why she cannot sense him. The courtyard they stood on is nothing more than a crater now and she wades through the destruction, he spiritual and physical senses on high alert as she is not searching for survivors but for a victim. She has made this battlefield her own and if there is anything left in here to survive her flames she will remind them once again that they are not in the habitable zone of this Star.

 

[Nobody]

Cazador hovers there, unmoved as the masked Captain prattles on. He speaks as though he is a man of understanding, one of intellect, but the Espada can see through the mask, one that perhaps not even the Captain is truly aware he is wearing. The Captain accuses Cazador of being equally ignorant as the Shinigami he dismisses as mere brutes. However from Cazador's perspective, his assertion of the situation is one proven by facts rather than bias. His arrival as an Arrancar while unexpected and abrupt was done as politely as possible on his end, only to be met with violence by those who met him. The Captain arrived, only to see the results of the Espada defending himself and moved to dominate, to showcase his power against the Espada, while the young lass who he believed to be an intellectual mind launched a sneak attack against him.

Time and time again, the shinigami have proven themselves to be the barbarians he now believed them to be. He would not be swayed by the Captain's reimagining of the events now. The more the Captain spoke, the less Cazador would hear, as if the membrane surrounding him was also blocking out the foolishness spewed out the ignorant man's mouth. Even the young girl who he had hopes for, her words seemed distant to him, albeit far closer than that of her Captain's.

Intent on ignoring them until they left to die or were killed here by that woman's power, Cazador only actually begins to pay attention when the girl's body is alight with white flame. He huffed, just what was this foolish little girl thinking? Did she not hear? She cannot touch him, her efforts are futile! Was she more ignorant than he perceived?

​

”You are no longer in the habitable zone.”​

The girl launches herself into the air, only to crash down like a meteor, flames bursting up violently with reckless abandon, consuming the entirety of the Second Division court grounds in its pale fury. The scene is blinding, lightning up the area like a hellish sunrise, the roar of the flames and rumbling of the ground heard and felt perhaps well beyond even these demolished grounds. Perhaps with his Bankai, the Captain could protect their allies from the young lady's ire, though even if he could....would he? More importantly though, was Cazador's fate.
​

”Well, Cazador? Show yourself! If there is anything left! You are the furthest thing from intelligent, you are ignorant, stupid, a complete and utter dunce. Waste of space and ash, unfit to be embers in my flame!”​

The lass bellows out loudly, boldly. She roars defiantly as she spews insults to the man who once believed her to be his intellectual equal. She searches for any signs of the Espada, living or preferably rendered to ashes and scattered in the wind. Instead what perhaps draws her attention first, is a green sphere the size of a soft ball lingering in the space immediately behind her. This energy emanating from it, it is undoubtedly a cero. She can perhaps sense and perceive it expanding, and perhaps the young woman would brace herself for what's to come...then again perhaps instincts would warn her against such an act.

Her Captain having been spectating is in a better position to witness what is happening around the young girl. An golden, almost translucent field snaps around the space occupied by Kuwashii like a sprung bear trap in the form of a sphere from above her. Above it lingers Cazador, the noxious flame-like coat covering nearly the entirety of his body, making it impossible to tell just how much of his body beneath these flames is physical. The cero clearly a distraction to deter her focus away from what was happening above her, the size of the sphere meant that, should the fiery lass find herself enclosed within this Negación composed prison she had room to walk around, but only briefly due to the expanding cero that could erupt at any time, and undoubtedly would do so soon.

Regardless, Cazador was no longer enclosed within his special membrane, his unharmed state a clear indicator that he had been otherwise protected by it against the woman's reckless attack. Content on merely waiting and spectating further attacks against him who had given them chance after chance to show civility, etiquette met with violence and insults to boot, even a gentleman had his limits.

"You requested my presence, allow me to oblige."

He calls out only after the deployment of his Cero Negación. With such an action the Captain may very well spring into action, something he not only expects but also accounts for. 'Perhaps I truly am ignorant, for expecting any more from you lot.' He laments to himself.

 

[HankMoody]

While more Shinigami filled the Central Seireitei, numbers alone would not be enough. The towering beasts made that painfully clear. This was not a battle of attrition, but of decisions—and today had been filled with lessons, both earned and costly. The infamous teacher unusually learned a lot today, both good and bad lessons alike. The invisible Shinigami still remained at large, never stopping in place and still taking advantage of his keen usage of kidō while aided by the fluid motions of his bankai.

While realizing his attempt at wounding the behemoth hadn’t gone to plan, he noticed something that he felt was out of place for beings of their caliber and instinct, he also had to contend with the watery walls of his bankai around him which were slowly shrinking despite his massive output of spiritual energy. This did however allow for his vision to be returned to the wider battlefield upon Antonio’s sudden disappearance and reemergence. In the same moment, the excess waters created by the bankai form of Umibozu Hitama were recalled from the outer streets of the Seireitei, returning in narrow streams, leaving the outer streets dry once more..

Looking up, something he took note of and had a plan for while remaining mobile, he once more observed the duo of brother and sister. One showed what appeared to be annoyed concern for the other, while the other's body language was more silenced. Antonio being the more wounded one, along with his lack of regeneration would cause a tactical problem for Valiosa, a fact she was clearly unaware of until just now. Despite the distance, Yūichirō read her lips with practiced ease. Distinctly making out every word the beastly creature said, as she ordered him to return to Hueco Mundo and to hand over control of his eye.

Yūichirō’ own gold hues widened and narrowed, then flashed with a gilded fire as his reiryoku grew and his reiatsu became thick once more. The air itself became heavy, the growing pressure was placed directly on the lungs of the enemies around him, causing a feeling of their chest being compressed and words becoming slower to form as more breaths are required to compensate for the increased weight. As Valiosa would finish her sentence, the pressure rolled outward, heavy enough to turn speech into a laborious effort.

Yūichirō understood his zanpakuto well enough to recognize the change immediately. The scales of falling “dust” did its job, weakening the bankai somewhat. However what she failed to realize is that Yūichirō is a master of his zanpakuto. Before he ever even became a master, he was a student and used considerably less bodies of water to fight even after he learned the final release. After the arisen arrancar seemingly trimmed the fat of his bankai, his control over the water became significantly faster, and allowed it to be controlled at extremely rapid speeds with intricate precision, this would be demonstrated as Yūichirō had already quickly positioned six narrow columns of compressed water in the various directions of the aimed Balas paths and targets. They did not clash with the balas so much as receive them, reforming mid-ascent into articulated hands that closed around the reiatsu spheres with decisive force. The impact dragged the constructs backward only a fraction—controlled, measured—before they reversed direction in unison, releasing the balas directly back to its sender, along with its original vectors.

As the balas sailed back toward their point of origin, the water itself remained trained on Valiosa and Antonio. It was in this moment, Yūichirō pieced together another critical detail—not about the power itself, for he had faced transcendent pressure before, but about its timing. The eye did not act until a choice was made. Not until intent solidified. Not until a future was selected. This, at least, was his running theory. His gaze remained fixed on Valiosa’s hand, on the fractional delay between her movements and the outcomes she appeared so certain of. His breathing slowed as the gears of his mind turned at their familiar, relentless pace.
​

“Its not omnipresent...It's decisive.” he began as he slithered through the battlefield. “You aren’t reacting to motion, you are enforcing its outcome. Ambiguity is the key…The Almighty does not erase possibility—it collapses it.” he said silently.​

It was in this moment of realization, he came to several others as well, such as the spiking change in spiritual tone of his allies and colleagues. Shizukana in particular, had enacted her own plans by distributing the feathers from her zanpakuto throughout the battlefield. The pattern of its falling was neither good nor bad for those working together, it however would not foster the unity needed to stop this particular foe. “So even Captains can fracture under pressure…” he thought.

His eyes flicked briefly from Shizukana towards Suzume’s position, not in approval, not in condemnation—but assessment.

As the feathers fell and the mist subsided, the dean breathed slowly, dodging the onslaught of falling sharp plumage and taking careful note of how much he inhales due to the change in reiatsu composition. Throughout this whirlwind of combined chaos, he began to notice threads—unfamiliar, invasive—brushed against the edge of Yūichirō’s perception. Not command, not control, but disturbance. A foreign pressure tugging at the flow of the battlefield itself. “Reckless,” was all he thought. “Effective, perhaps—but reckless” he finished.

Taking his gaze from the two ladies, then surveyed the rest of the battlefield and all its moving parts. Almost as if hours had gone by, but it was only mere moments, he was now properly visualizing the state of affairs taking place within the First Divisions barracks: the lack of coordination, missing communication, climbing death toll and the squandered strengths of the individual bodies that were present but lacking in action or any meaningful involvement. Anger quickly filled within him. This was not an army, it was a circus of failure. “Enough now,” he said. Still undetectable to the naked eye, the dean wiped his fingers along the ground underneath his feet, and ran them through a puddle of blood and began to raise himself in the air upon his seki-stepstones, quickly beginning into a chant whilst drawing markings along his arm.
​

“Silken net of black and white! Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowning sash; footprints, distant thunder, pointed peaks, revolving grounds, nightly prostrations, sea of clouds, the pale ranks of troops, complete the grand circle and surpass the heavens…Bakudō #77, Tenteikūra!” he said.​

Soon, the maroon markings upon his ebony flesh began to come to life, branching out from his outwardly thrust fingers into a massive red web of reiatsu and sunset-colored light. He made sure his voice was clear for the following as he had no intention of repeating back the message. The spell was directed to all Shinigami, but was focused on those fighting within the central confines of the Seireitei’s walls, and carefully tried to edge out Valiosa from intercepting the correspondence.​

“Attention all Shinigami, this is the third seat of the Third Division, Yūichirō Shihōin. Hear me clearly. This battlefield is no longer uncontrolled. You are not scattered. You are not abandoned. You are not fighting alone. The Central Seireitei is now under coordinated defense. All independent engagements are to cease unless directly engaged. If you are moving without purpose, you are wasting lives—including your own. Fourth Division, establish triage points immediately and do not advance beyond them. Anyone capable of standing but not fighting is to assist evacuation and reinforcement transport. kidō-capable officers and seated Shinigami: form suppression cells in groups of three. You will not engage the primary threat unless ordered. Your priority is interference, obstruction, and civilian extraction from the surrounding Rukongai. Begin at the lowest districts and work your way upwards. Captains and Lieutenants presently active: assume control of your divisions where you stand. If you cannot reach your command, you will report to the nearest senior officer and fall in.” he finished before a weighted pause.​

​

“Those fighting the threat within the Central Seireitei, I will do all I can to keep this communication link active. It is two-way so you can speak back to me as well. I need a roll call of who is present and in this fight, state your name and rank immediately!” he ordered.​

​

“To the rest of you, do not pursue glory. Do not act alone. Do not hesitate. Hold your ground. Protect each other. Trust that this fight has an end. I am aware of the threat before us. I am presently engaged with it. However, if you all follow these directions, there will be a way we all live through this, but not without teamwork. Disregard them and you will be treated as a liability. Act accordingly. That is all.”​

He then promptly, with a clap of his hands, and without delay—the flash flooding waves of Umibozu Hitama came to life once more taking direct aim at Valiosa, the pillars that previously were erected suddenly glowed a familiar sunset color and shot upward like a javelin attached to a rocket, looking to embed the highly-pressurized water into both eyes, torso, both arms and finally the long serpentine tail that endlessly coiled through the rubble it caused. By now, the re-accumulated water from the outer streets had completely been repurposed into this “new” faster version of his bankai, and would rise along the walls and grounds of the First Division, forcing it into heavy perspiration. With the entire battlefield now covered in water, the dean still held great dominion over the environment around him. He awaited the names to be spoken through the kidō link, while he stood mid-air scanning the battlefield preparing his next move.

​

 

[Jushiro Izanagi]

Izanagi had for now said his piece to Cazador, not knowing if his words would have any effect on the Espada. Things were still moving along, both in their immediate vicinity and outside of it. Cazador seemed intent on observing the destruction of the Gotei forces. However, Kuwashii was on a mission, she was intentional. The masked Captain knew that it was almost impossible to reach Cazador, and so he didn’t waste his efforts. Instead, the halos continued patrolling the area above the trio of Izanagi, Kuwashii and Cazador. They changed direction without reason, they had no fixed altitude, dropping low and rising higher, enough to keep the temperatures under Izanagi’s control.

They occupied the space, even if they were currently lazy in their approach. Yet quick to act and decisive should the need arise.

The silver haired Captain remained protected through use of his ceremonial garb, preventing unwanted substances and the like from reaching him. The freezing temperatures around him simply would not allow it.

“One choice?”.
Izanagi pondered Kuwashii’s words, hoping that she wasn’t foolish enough to attempt any futile attacks towards Cazador.

The moment Kuwashii’s body was lit up in white fire, Izanagi knew that she was far too stubborn to let things be. The Captain’s mind and senses remained sharp, keeping tabs on Kuwashii, Cazador and which also included Kagi and co.

“How troublesome”.
He declared in a low tone, almost inaudible.

As Kuwashii launched herself in the air, Izanagi suspected that this time things might be a little different. And he needed to be prepared for it. The ground rumbled as Kuwashii’s blade pierced into it. Without delay, Izanagi sprung into action as Kisshouten went to work. He needed to protect himself and the helpless from harm, all the while accounting for Cazador.

The flames came again. Not just as a returning arc assaulting Cazador but even more grand.
Kuwashii’s assault tore across the court grounds in violent surges, heat rolling outward in choking waves that warped the air and split stone. The devastation was uncontrolled,powerful, but indiscriminate.

Beneath it all lay Kagi and the others. Incapacitated. Unable to move. Izanagi did not rush to them. He didn’t need to. The Captain had simply tilted the balance of the world.
The frost that already claimed the ground thickened, not outward, but downward—a sudden inversion of temperature flow. Kisshouten’s influence deepened beneath the surface, drawing heat away from the sealed area like breath from lungs. The fire rising from below lost cohesion as its energy was leeched before it could ascend, flames thinning into brittle vapour that shattered into ash mid-fall.

The Captain’s own defences pushed against Kuwashii’s flames as they sought to completely engulf him. She was reckless in her reaction and proved herself to be ill tempered. The temperature was already at a level whereby the heat and impact from the flames would struggle to breach his defenses. The incapacitated were untouched. The flames died before reaching them. Izanagi’s gaze, however, was not on Kuwashii.It was on Cazador. Hovering. Observing. Confident. The mask worn by Izanagi helped with dampening the light show display, allowing him to better keep tabs on things.

The Espada watched the chaos unfold unscathed and now found himself above his creation. His Negación membrane withdrawn as he prepared to re-enter the fray. His attention was fixed on Kuwashii, the obvious threat, the obvious opponent. This was understandable considering that Cazador had launched an attack at Kuwashii. One which had placed her in a predicament and by extension Izanagi as well. The green sphere which manifested behind Kuwashii carried only ill-intent. The Espada’s way of attacking and defending wasn’t elaborate and so one had to be careful. Oftentimes no gesture, just the subtle build up of Reiryoku and changes. If one wasn’t observant they could easily fall victim to it.

Izanagi said nothing elegant or profound, all he could do was shout.

“Kuwashii!! Behind you”.

That was his attempt to alert Kuwashii to the immediate danger of the green sphere. In addition to that, his subordinate was fast becoming ensnared in a negotiation between safety and danger. She needed to act fast to find an escape route if at all possible. Izanagi was raging inside, however, he knew he needed to remain focused.

The halos had continued their slow, meaningless-looking orbit. And Cazador had drifted closer to them. They had managed to push against Kuwashii’s fiery eruption, the freezing temperatures stilling the flames. Unknowingly he’d entered an invisible threshold.
The instant the Espada crossed the invisible threshold, the world around him died. He may have had time to cast the Cero and Negacion trap, however it was Izanagi’s turn.

The halos reacted as one.

Their rotation snapped inward, orbit tightening violently as the temperature within their radius collapsed past survivable limits, past freezing, past molecular motion, into absolute thermal silence.

Cazador’s noxious flames faltered. Not extinguished, arrested.
Fire crystallised mid-flicker, frozen into jagged, glass-like structures that fractured under their own inertia. The air around him hardened, pressure locking as heat was stripped away faster than reiatsu could compensate. His Bankai deepened its hold. The halos did not strike. They didn’t need to.

Within their orbit, everything that relied on energy ceased to function properly. Reiatsu circulation slowed. Thermal output collapsed. Movement became resistance itself. Cazador was not frozen solid yet but he was becoming so. Meanwhile, the Espada felt it before he understood it. The halos completed their tightening orbit, their rotation accelerating just enough to turn space into a grinding vice. Within their thirty-meter radius, Kisshouten’s authority was absolute. Reiatsu that once flared violently now sputtered, slowed, and fractured, its flow disrupted as molecular motion collapsed into stillness.

His flames did not go out. They froze mid-birth. The temperatures were at their absolute lowest when it comes to Kisshouten’s capabilities. Izanagi’s eyes flicked once briefly toward Kuwashii, more hopeful than anything. He made a judgment call, realising that even if he moved to save Kuwashii, he may have also put himself in harm's way.

“Kisshouten”.

He uttered as both halos were used as a catalyst to release a cold blast. Cold being a mild terminology to describe the flash freezing effects. One designed to cause devastation at the risk of the environment in which they occupied. An azure blast moving outward in all directions at insane speeds with Cazador at the centre of it all. If it were possible to bring an end to this debacle between the trio, then that's what Izanagi was aiming to do. Izanagi kept a close eye on the situation, monitoring Cazador just in case he needed to react swiftly. As if on queue, another message was relayed by one of the combatants facing off against the mammoth of destruction. Izanagi heard the man loud and clear and could almost agree. However, he was now in direct conflict with the Arrancar, since this was the first time he actually moved to attack Cazador. This came as a result of Kuwashii’s actions and Cazador’s reaction. There is almost no way to avoid it now.

“All of these rallying cries but no useful information. Where is that Michiya fellow when you need him?”. ​

 

[Elk]

His body was smacked back, his head flung backward. Everything seemed to slow down, and his thoughts moved to Suzume’s actions—her going into Bankai, then giving him an adjustment. It was the sneaking way she had been able to hide her needles inside his clothing. That sinking pain of the needles piercing into his body only brought a smile, followed by laughter, his head twisting left then right as he was disoriented for a few seconds.

“Is it her Zanpakutō or his hit?”

All he could hear was his Shihakushō flapping against the wind as he descended toward the ground, his mouth releasing some blood before he looked around, catching the movements of the Arrancar. He watched as it pushed the mist back, then its response to Yūichirō and their attack. He watched closely—until the Bala came. His eyes widened before a needle shot out from him.

That needle pierced into the Bala and saved his life, before a set of hands grabbed onto him and pulled him away from the battle entirely—before being taken by another. One more, in pink.

“Seeing as you are… disarmed, I’d advise heading to the medics that are on standby for more thorough treatment. You should be patched up enough to get there.”

Those words almost caused him to laugh, though as he took a breath the pain surged through him. Still, the medic was doing great at healing his already battered and broken body.

“Normally I would laugh, buuut… well, once this is all over, you’re invited to a drink with 8th Division.”

“Before you enter the fray—they possess… eyes of a god. One can see the future, but from what I just witnessed, it can get tunnel-visioned. At least… that’s what I caught from the left eye.”

“The left eye can move non-living things and Kidō. My Zanpakutō may have been spared had I known what Antonio was capable of… but I cannot fret on what has happened. Not now…”

“The right eye, though… I fear it may be able to change fate itself, with the way Antonio was talking… though that may not be the case entirely. The eyes might be making them lose control…”

“There was a one-sided conversation taking place.”

“But based on that alone, they might tunnel vision into the future enough that they will not see beyond a certain point.”

“I wish you luck!”


Two masked members appeared beside Hideo once he was released from Fuu’s care, both grabbing onto him, with a third member appearing carrying his arms.

“Give ’em hell, Suzume!”

His arm pointed toward Valiosa before he disappeared.

--------------- To northeast ------------->
​