The wanton destruction caused by Itaku could no longer be overlooked, especially not while Taro was making preparations to mitigate the damage he was going to do soon. The leaves of the Captain did nothing to stop the Cero’s from burning through them and destroying what is behind them. Taro thought to himself that it would just be easier if Kagi just let the Cero rip through his body instead, unfortunately those who are fleet of foot are harder to hit as they are equally incapable of protecting what is behind them. Taro senses approaching signatures, none of which would be particularly helpful for him, each one weaker than the last, each one to be more dust to scatter to the wind. Hinderence’s, the lot of them and they will all hold Kagi back as he will more than likely seek to protect them. Such a kind soul. Unfortunately for them Taro has no such kindness in his heart. If they cannot swim, they shall drown.
An opening presents itself, one for Kagi to exploit if he takes advantage of it or not matters little to Taro as he takes a single step off of the Koi fish he is riding upon and plummets to the ground below. He draws his blade and all eight fish dive towards the ground, meeting him at the exact spot where he lands in front of Kagi. The fish crash into the spot where the blade impaled the ground and whatever Kagi may shout at Taro is lost to the wind as the Captain of Eleventh Division talks over him.
Taro’s Bankai Theme
The ground rumbles, Taro’s Reiatsu spikes and then, from the crack in the ground where the blade is still impaled a geyser of black ink erupts, rapidly flooding First Division Barracks and the Central Forty-Six compound area. The waves of ink knock Shinigami down beneath the darkness, some swim to the surface in time to catch their breath, some struggle but make their way and others just outright drown. Swimming isn’t a skill normally taught in the Academy so it won’t be too strange to see some Shinigami drown, further more Taro is hoping Itaku drowns, just to give him a terrible and painful death. The massive gates that connect to the other Divisions in the Central Seireitei creak and groan as the ink pushes against it. Only time will tell if they hold.
Once the release of the Bankai is finished the Ink doesn’t appear to be no higher than three feet and yet it felt like an ocean had been released. There are also Shinigami swimming in said ink as well despite what can physically be seen. As he rises to his feet he withdraws his blade from the ink, its shape having changed to that of a Shichishitō (Eight-Branched Sword). A second odd thing can be witnessed, despite everyone else having to swim, Taro is the only one who can stand atop the ink. He looks at the surface of it, wondering if Itaku had been swept underneath or if he is clinging to a building somewhere.
Taro thinks to himself, remembering the nature of Itaku’s Zanpakuto. No doubt he has spun string like a spider to hoist himself over the flowing ink, if not that he is using string to anchor himself and not get swept away. But why leave any of this to guess work when he can just look for the Abomination’s Reiatsu signature? And with one particularly unique ability of his Bankai he doesn’t have to move from the spot he is standing to strike at the Vizard freak. He points his blade in the direction of Itaku and swings in that direction. From those observing Taro, nothing seems to happen, but for Itaku panic should set in as a thin sliver of ink, no bigger than a blade, rises up in front of him seeking to strike him across his torso. This is Taro poking the bear with a stick to see how it will react and to flush the rat out of hiding as well. Taro looks behind him, assuming Kagi had fled to a rooftop during the release of his Bankai.
Something stirs beneath the ink, something that makes a subtle ripple across the surface of it and enough to make those swimming in it shiver with the fear of the unknown. As he awaits Itaku’s return to center stage he casually glances out to the horizon of the Seireitei. He thinks about how freeing it is to be able to release his full power like this. This has truly been a wonderful day.
