Central Seireitei

[Adonai]

---

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.
​

”BANKAI…”​

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.
​

”Yes, the buildings…”​

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.
​

”Kill him, that's all you had to do. Instead you were trying to appeal to senses that have long left this freak.” He looks back in the direction of where he attacked Itaku. Even when he turned his head away for that brief moment he was still very much on guard. ”You should have used your Bankai and crushed him with it. Instead buildings are being destroyed and lives being lost. Worry not about the few I’ve drowned, had I let you continue without stepping in even more would have been lost.”​

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.

---

​

 

[Hyoroshi Iwamura]

​

---

Fur strands on the neck stood rigid; a brisk breeze tinged with foul Reiatsu rustled the rest. A mass of white and black and two dots of orange, Iwamura stood several rooftops from the blackened battlefield alone, though not unaccompanied. Reikaku and nostrils alike discerned the members of the Kido Corps through Taro Date's totalitarian spirit energy, preparing containment efforts around the epicenter--"three hundred ri on each axis", Iwamura had directed to the Corps group leader. Now, standing at the abyss's edge and peering down, watching the backs of a couple black-coated bodies bob and drift this way and that, a little limb of concern grasped at his coattails.

Concern for the practicality of the barrier and for who was present in the first place.

"There's blood in the water, Iwamura. Watch how it billows. Take in the smell."

He glanced down; Kibakigane, both scorching blades of its Shikai suspended in either palm, had donned a grin inside of his temple hall--a grin nonchalant though utterly betrayed by its gleaming eyes. Iwamura's eyes narrowed. Never before had his blade acknowledged him by name.

"Perhaps this Captain's Bankai will be us, one day..."

With another Shunpo Iwamura flitted to a rooftop overlooking the fight, his hands already starting to rotate his blades again, and began jogging from rooftop to rooftop. He scanned the vantablack ink, the Shinigami keeping themselves afloat, the Kido Corps members out of sight nearing a ready-state, Captain Senko, then Captain Date for an extended moment, and then searching for Itaku's Hollowfied Reiatsu.

"Perhaps it will. As woeful as that thought is."

Each landing onto the next rooftop brought additional chanking of metal against shingle at multiple points; from each rooftop dangled multiple sizzling black chains, and throughout it all, Iwamura's swinging persisted.

"Need to be of some use for if--"

Captain Date's swing sliced the thought in twain. The ink below sloshed and lazed as it had been. Iwamura gazed at Taro, then returned to his search of Itaku without missing a beat in his movement or his swinging of swords against rooftops.

"He probably can attack anything the ink touches, similar to my chains. Perhaps he's trying to find Itaku, too?"​

 

[Amaya Munetoshi]

Was he really so weak of allowing that thing to control him? was a thought in fuyuko's head as she stood on a near by rooftop, staying out of the fray. Her eyes watched every movement, every breath in, every breath out. every muscle movement that came to her senses. Yet those thoughts still came.

Itaku was never a captain that seemed troubled or struggling from what she remembered. maybe it was just how well he was at hiding behind the bright facade he carried.

"Captain Itaku..Keep fighting it.. get out of your own head and fight it."

She spoke under her breath. Even she had doubts he could resurface. maybe she was foolish but just like her, he survived the civil war ages ago, this surely cant be his fate, or maybe it was. To allow the inner monster out and allow it to die. to giving an image of him other then what they knew. Surely this was not what he wanted.

She watched as Taro decided to join the fray. The date was definately someone she would not stand a chance infront of. Nor would she get in the way. She has heard the stories from her siblings and those who has dealt with the dates. they are monsters in their own rights so it seemed only fitting for a monster to take out another monster.

Her hand instinctly went to her blade as she flicked it open slightly in silence prepation. She had no worry of kagi being in the way of the ink flooded streets of that bankai. No it was instinct of preparing for the Hollowfied captain that even Captain Taro was looking for from where he stood on the ink flooded enviroment. Her eyes darted around from where she was. There was no way she was going to enter and not be in the way. She felt a tug to her left side as she turned catching the sense of others joining, one being the well known rising star of a wolf man. one she wasnt too familiar with.

" Iwamura..."

She spoke to herself keeping note of all the players coming into the fray.

Their new commander was vastly different from the ones she had known and followed. it was time to see how he took control of the venomous parasite that had infected one of their own. the game was set the pieces were aligning, now was the show to see what was to come about at a end result. she free hand moved subtly at her side as she took in the sight before her.

Don't divert your gaze. watch out of respect, learn and survive.

She heard in the back of her mind in many voices one only her own, one of her zanpackuto and of those who have spoken such from her family.​

 

[Nobody]

"Ohh the big fish coming to-"

​

”BANKAI…”​

Seeing the spectating Captain descend the Hollowfied Itaku initially appears elated, eager for more games and amusement. That is, until things change with the utterance of a single word. Reiatsu rocks the foundations and announces the Captain's power, zanpakuto stabbed into the ground the area is soon swept up in a flood of black. It is not water that sweeps through the area but rather...ink? There were some, those afar off victims in their own rights from the chaos of the hollowfied Captain and Kagi's battle, become victims to the Bankai of Captain Date, at the very least to its initial release. While others panic, some attempting to free themselves, others lost to their fates the thing they all have in common is the struggle to rise above the darkness. Captain Date suffers from no such issue, standing afloat on the dark inky surface.

Those of the First Division remain spectators still to all that transpires. The man with the visage of the beast coordinate to have the area isolated via barrier, entrusting this task to those more versed in the Demon Arts than he. Another stares from a distance, watching all that transpires best she can, yet all that she perceives is not all that has happened, nor is everything as it appears to be. While distance grants a certain perspective and vantage point, it also denies her and the others of the hidden truths that Kagi faces, things his perspective of being up close provides him.

What of Kagi? Had he too been swept up in the darkness of the Captain's bankai? But, more importantly, what of Itaku?

"YOU BASTARD! HAHA! FINE, LETS PLAY!"

With a swing of the blade, beyond his visual scope Itaku is revealed, airborne having propelled himself into the air, the thin black length of ink slicing at him, the thin red wisp aiding to whip him through the air. At the same time the blade of the hollow swings towards the Date. Where before he had been toying with Kagi, playing with Cero here and there along with his Shikai, the creature now changes tactics.

There is no red glow from a cero being launched as it had been before, instead it is a glow of blue followed almost immediately by a frigid wave of energy. Black ink had swept through the area from the Captain's Bankai release, and now a massive wave of ice sweeps through attempting to overwhelm and freeze all within its path and those caught within it. This is no Hollow technique, rather a Kidō spell from the hosts repertoire of spells. It is a spell capable of destroying a group of Menos Grande and even eventually overwhelming and breaking through Dankū, a powerful bakudo capable of defending against any destructive spell comparable to level 89 on down, a testament to its defensive capabilities.

It is an act that reveals that the Hollow not only possessed access to Itaku's shikai, but also all spells and techniques that are at his disposal. This further implied that there was a strong likelihood that he also could perform Bankai. The only questions were, why hadn't he done so yet, would he use it and if so...when? The wave of ice as it crashes through like a tsunami serves to also obstruct the view of Itaku from not only Captain Date, but even those distant spectators as well. One had to wonder, should the spell crash against the barrier being erected around the area...how long could it hold out for?

 

[Adonai]

​

---

"YOU BASTARD! HAHA! FINE, LET'S PLAY!"​

Taro is unamused watching the Vizard reveal himself, usually he is all threats and taunting but for some reason the Captain of the Eleventh Division is silent. Is he perhaps scared or fearful now that someone is calling his bluff? Is Taro Date truly all bark and no bite? No, not in the slightest. Moments of silence like this from Taro should signify true horror. As the Gihō-ki (技法 器; Technique Vessel) of the Date Clan he has a multitude of ways to kill an individual and right now he is running through the rolodex of techniques in his mind, trying to hone in on a way to kill this foul abomination. He first must defend himself as he stabs his eight branch blade into the surface of the ink before Itaku even revealed his hand the Captain decided that Kido would be the best course of action, even though Kido is not something he uses often. He clasps his hands together as the Vizard begins to swing his sword.

The Date Clan's Greatest Insult
​

“The world is seen with eyes. The world is perceived with the mind. Understand the world with the heart and pierce the world with your fist. Date Bakudo #1. Teiden.”​

(停電; Blackout)

He opens his hands, a black ring appears between them, then expands wide enough to engulf the torrential flood of ice rushing his way. Kido experts in the area are baffled by multiple things, the first being this is not a Bakudo many have heard of before, the second being the fact that Taro said Bakudo Number One, implying that its strength is entry level at best and finally the color, Kido spells do not start turning darker colors until later on in their number sequence. Then to top it all off was the name, Date Bakudo, why was the clan name spoken when activating this spell? None of their questions are answered as the flood of ice connects with the opening in the ring and vanishes, the space around it rippling like a rock had been dropped gently into a pond. The masses are ignorant to the ways of the Date, their methods, their purpose, their goals.

The Date Clan are born with a talent for Kido as a result they decided to spit in the face of those who must train to acquire what they are born able to do. That insult was creating a list of spells that only those of their bloodline can perform. Another user of Kido can recite all the correct words and incantations but will only ever be able to create the shape of the spell with none of its effects. Furthermore, to add injury to insult, their spells are numbered based on when they are created, not their tier of strength. Everything about their branch of Kido is blasphemous and offensive, it exists only to insult, nothing more, though it does have its occasional uses like right now.

The ink ripples beneath Taro’s feet as he is locked in place letting the Bakudo inhale the Hyōga Seiran. Taro did not cast this spell to save any lives or protect any structures or even the barrier that had been formed. He cast this spell to protect his ink from being frozen. Surprisingly enough Ink can be frozen, he is well aware of that. It is not something he has personally encountered but he is knowledgeable about his own Zanpakuto and has dragged many secrets out about her strengths and weaknesses over the centuries. Itaku may have obstructed himself, visually, from Taro but the longer a battle draws out the more Spiritually Powered individuals begin relying more on Reikaku than their own eyes. The reek of Itaku’s active Shikai, the Reiatsu it gives off, the foul odor of his Vizard Reiatsu permeating the area like a foul miasma, these do not escape Captain Date, in terms of his own Reikaku ability, there is little that escapes his notice.

Once the spell had inhaled all of the tsunami of ice Taro clasps his hands together, sealing the ring into an orb before it dissipates on its own. As it is dissipating, a sign that the seal is long complete, the Captain casually grabs his Zanpakuto out of the ink he had stabbed it into like it was solid ground. Wherever Itaku appears next is where Taro turns his attention with his blade arm doing something strange, for a brief moment everyone could swear they are seeing double. It looked as if Taro had two right arms for the briefest of moments only for it to return to normal.
​

”This is the Captain exam all over again. You are trying to hide like a rat. But you cannot control this environment like you could in the old Simulation Room. Fight or be fought, Vizard maggot!”​

​

---

 

[Jushiro Izanagi]

The trip from the southwest to their current destination seemed almost hurried. The Jubantai Taicho was on a mission, excited to debrief the commander. As he drew closer to where he wanted to be, his inability to pinpoint the Sotaicho, more or less informed him of the man’s absence. A little disappointed but not to be deterred from reaching the first division barracks. Travelling to the central region, Jushiro could sense that the clash was intensifying. It wasn’t just the likes of Captain Kagi, Taro and Itaku present. The masked one sensed other individuals converging on the other. One in particular he was familiar with, the others remained unknown. He may come to meet these individuals at some point in the future.

Jushiro mixed things up as he moved throughout the Seireitei. Zig zagging through the streets, scaling walls and gliding over roof tops. Everything was effortless to him, easy as breathing. The speed at which he moved was far from his top speed and yet it was impressive. Frightening to think he could actually increase his speed if he wanted to. Despite being comfortable with his mode of transport, Jushiro took to higher ground as it seemed that some ink managed to push the boundaries. The Captain was in no mood to soil his garments with the wayward liquid. It was observed and noted its origin as he kept on moving. The battle wasn’t his concern and hoped that it remained that way.

Moving swiftly, the masked one finally arrived at the 1st division barracks. His form seemingly materialized out of thin air. A smile adorned the surface of the mask. The smile drawn across its surface was one of mischief and opportunity. In most instances, the commander preferred that the Captain remove his mask during the meetings. At this moment in time, Jushiro had no intention of doing so. Why? Two reasons.

He didn’t want to and it wasn’t his style. As usual, a pair of attendants was on hand to greet the Captain. “The Commander is not”. The remaining words collided with the absence of the masked one. He was gone, appearing and disappearing like a magician. The Captain did not intend on listening to anything they had to say. Jushiro had other plans and so he set about enacting those plans. ​

The man immediately made his way through the division as they reached the outside balcony. It was an open space but high up overlooking the Seireitei. This is where Jushiro would wait for Yuichiro to return from wherever he was.

“The Sotaicho aint here, I’m gonna find some refreshments while we watch everything unfold. It’s also a good time to go over what happened in Naruki City”.

He said aloud before disappearing into the barracks. Some time after, the Captain emerged with a tray carrying cups filled with tea brewed by the Captain himself. It is one of his specialities. The tray was set upon the desk, a cup was hoisted up from the tray. The chair behind the desk was commandeered by Captain. Moving it closer to the edge of the balcony before taking a seat followed by a sip. ​

“Feel like betting on this?”.
His words no doubt aimed at Seimei while appearing to make light of the situation. The blonde haired man was more than welcome to help himself to a cup of tea if he wanted some. ​

 

[IshikawaInuzuri]

Seimei Ukitake (浮竹 清明)​

---

---

Seimei moved subtly and promptly in the footsteps of his liege, and while the captain moved at quite an impressive pace—Seimei was quick to match his speed. He was indeed a former Runner, and Hohō was something he’d honed much through the years. At the same time, he used his spiritual perception to reach out to monitor the situation between the mighty Kagi Senkō, Itaku Ōhei and Taro Date himself. And he, much like his captain, did sense that there was a perimeter being formed surrounding the area of battle. And it was in place indeed. Any casualties, any damage, any unwanted results required the immediate presence of Shinigami that were quick to act. However, the thought of the battle taking place did cast a larger shadow over Seimei’s mind. It bothered him far more than it had before.

It was the Quincy that truly bothered him. He did hope that they would become allies to Gotei 13, and considering that they already led military operations in Hueco Mundo they certainly shared an enemy. And perhaps the old saying of common enemies makes allies holds some truth to it, but who was the enemy of whom? It was Antonio who reached out to the Shinigami, not the Quincy. However the latter anticipated them. And as it just so happened, it was Captain Izanagi and himself that ended up meeting with them. But every bit of knowledge he got from them made him beg for more questions instead of feeling like he had definitive information and coherent answers. But, perhaps that was simply his hunch.

What bothered him however was that Gotei 13 risked losing a captain or more today. Their military has been in a perpetually wounded state for a long time. They didn’t even have captains seated at every division. All the while they’ve discovered a civilization that is immensely knowledgeable on them and a wide range of other rather delicate topics, all the while possessing likely a greater number of captain-level combatants than Gotei 13 did at the moment. Perhaps that’s why the Bankai Aptitude Program was of essence. Perhaps a new generation had to be brought up.

Regardless, he followed Captain Izanagi right into the supposed quarters of the Captain-Commander—similarly outright ignoring the words of the First Division Shinigami that tried to inform them of the rather clear absence of the latter. He made himself comfortable at the quarters, leaning his back against the wall next to the balcony as he turned his head slightly to look outside as he looked over the many buildings across Seireitei. In a moment, his captain brought the tea and Seimei certainly didn’t refrain from drinking some, picking up a filled cup to enjoy a moment of harmony as he took his moment to reply to his liege.

”Depends.” Seimei would take a short sip of the tea with his eyes closed—both tasting and smelling the aroma of the well-seasoned jasmine leaves. ”Are we betting on who wins the fight over there…” Seimei said calmly, as his eyes turned towards the direction of the battle. And while he couldn’t truly see it, he could visualize almost everything that occurred. ”…Or are we gonna bet on whether Sōtaichō-sama will believe a single word we’re gonna tell him about what we’ve experienced in Naruki today?”

He said with a slight smile escaping the right edge of his lips, with his emerald eyes still gazing towards the direction of the mighty battle of three captains. His smile waned quickly however as his gaze seemed to sharpen. His mind wandered back and returned to the Quincy, and perhaps going over the events that happened would allow some peace as well.
​

”Taichō, we can only speculate what their numbers are, their true intentions and… Well, all the other stuff like Antonio and the Soul King Fragments, but…”​

Seimei spoke with uncertainty beneath his breath, painted by the many missing pieces of this rather new Quincy puzzle. He took a brief breath before resuming the dialogue.

”…The thing they showed us last made me think quite a bit. The shadows they disappeared into. It’s no wonder we haven’t detected them thus far. Considering they’ve been around for two thousand years, Gotei shoulda noticed something.” He spoke with some silent uncertainty beneath his breath, with the matter clearly being a delicate one in nature. It missed many pieces, and no matter how well the Rangers explained things, they even admitted to leaving out some details. ”They don’t use doors like we do. Whatever they do, and wherever they go, is fundamentally different. Something bound to their being, their shadows.”

He spoke with some certainty to his tone, because he believed he understood what he saw before him. But at the same time, he felt like he understood absolutely nothing about them.​

 

[Jushiro Izanagi]

The Captain smiled as Seimei replied to his proposed wager. The mask which normally covered his whole face had adjusted. Layers peeled away from around the mouth, turning it into a modified balaclava of sorts. This minor adjustment allowed him to enjoy the hot beverage as intended. The silver haired man seemed relaxed, an odd thing to see considering the current events unfolding not too far away. Jushiro sat listening without interrupting Seimei, only releasing a chuckle at the mention of the Sotaicho. That was certainly something to consider and was perhaps worth betting on.

Seimei continued to voice what Izanagi took as concerns. This wasn’t merely just about the three Captains battling each other. The blonde-haired man was right to feel concern about the Quincies'. And in some regards, the Captain also had his concerns. Much of which were very similar to Seimei’s own. As the fourth seat finished speaking, the Captain took another sip, savouring the taste and the tea’s sweet aroma. A soft sigh followed as Jushiro began to address Seimei in almost chronological order.

“I say we bet on how many Captains will die today. I wager that two may end up dead, what do you think?”. Jushiro spoke casually and yet there was a very serious undertone to what was stated. His right index finger tapped against the cup as he continued. ​

“The Gotei forces annoys me sometimes. We’re often so dysfunctional, almost like siblings raised without parents. If that turned out to be our reality, I suppose I would be the older sibling. The one who has to be responsible for everyone. Clean up the mess, fix things and all bothersome inconveniences that come along. Captain Kagi would no doubt be the middle child. The silent one with bags of potential but doesn’t really engage with anyone. Ya know the type that seemingly doesn’t help but somehow keeps the house from collapsing”. ​

The Captain chuckled and took another sip before resuming from where he left off.

“And then there is Captain Itaku, he’s definitely the last born son. The one who gets away with everything. Even if you caught him stealing your noodles, he’d say you only have circumstantial evidence. The type that doesn’t help but will no doubt convince everyone that he helped out somehow. And then there is that man”.

Jushiro paused for a moment and shook his head. “That man, Captain Taro. Well he’s the cousin that shows up to the house uninvited and immediately makes everyone feel uncomfortable. Probably sees everyone as vermin. Well more accurately, he refers to everyone as cogs. We all tolerate it but really though we all want to just throw him into deep dark waters. Knowing him though, he would probably enjoy it. I say all that to say, we should absolutely be worried”​

Izanagi used a few analogies to give Seimei some insight into the Captain population from his own point of view. However, it didn't even begin to scratch the surface as to the depths of the Captains. He didn’t place the Commander among them, that too was done on purpose.

“Concerning the Sotaicho, if I’m involved he won’t believe a damn word”. Jushiro giggled at the thought of Yuichiro’s response. “Did you know he doesn’t want Captains travelling to the world of the living? I mean I’m responsible for protecting Naruki City but restricted from breathing the air of the City. What the Sotaicho thinks or how he feels is his own issue”.​

Just another way for the Captain to inform Seimei that Izanagi will always do what he feels is right regardless. Now that he arrived at the Quincy portion of things and events which took place. He moved on to addressing Seimei and his concerns surrounding it.

“Speculating about these Quincies is absolutely what you should be doing. I want you to imagine the absolute worst case scenario and the best case scenario. Disappearing into the shadows is a neat trick, far more efficient than our means of travel. Here is something to consider. The Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and the World of the Living are closely tied to each other. This makes moving between each realm far easier. I have no idea if they’re connected to any of the traditional three. My intention is for us to lay everything out to the Commander. That way we can deliberate on it and come up with a plan. We have ten days to figure out how to proceed. I think as Shinigami we need to be careful and not agitate the Quincies. The meeting should be used as a means to learn more about them. Who is to say we can’t be allies or at the very least cordial? But before we begin to worry about our neighbours, we need to get our own house in order”.​

Jushiro agreed with Seimei’s assessment of the situation. However, he didn’t think it was the most pressing issue, it was almost secondary to the current affairs of the Gotei.

"So which two Captains are likely to die today?"​

 

[IshikawaInuzuri]

Seimei Ukitake (浮竹 清明)​

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---

Seimei exhaled slowly, letting out a near silent breath out of his nostrils as he held the tea cup with his right hand, taking a small sip before his gaze shifted to watch the billowing steam rise from the surface of the tea. A faint smile tugged at the right edge of his lips as he listened to his liege, and he more or less agreed with every analogue, statement and sentiment he said and spoke of. He didn’t interrupt him, out of respect and out of entertainment value. From the state of Gotei 13, to his analogy regarding his peers and finally to the matter of Quincy. His emerald gaze once more shifted, staring back at the direction of the fateful duel of three captains. He tried his best in picturing the bout as it happened, but he somewhat hated the wager—not because he didn’t like to lose, but rather because he wished that any of his predictions would fail. Gotei 13 couldn’t afford losing more than it already has. Their ranks hadn’t recovered well over the years, and much like Jushiro himself just stated—the organization was dysfunctional and lacked altogether. Every division served the same institution, but each of them felt like a wholly separate organization. And as it stood, they lacked Captains.

”Well Taichō, I hate this wager. I’d rather have all of my predictions fail if that means that Captain Ōhei, Kagi and Date get to walk away alive from this. But…” He spoke with a certain humor but also concern beneath his breath, hiding his worry with a mask of carelessness—something he often did. ”But if I gotta place a bet, one of them will die today. I don’t want two of them to be gone because that’ll outright debilitate Gotei, if I’m honest.” He uttered with a tone of ease, but the undertone was certainly far from it. However, Seimei felt at ease in the presence of his own liege. He felt like they’d found a common wavelength, a language. Perhaps it was the trust built over the many things they’d experienced in just a day’s time. But, as of currently it seemed that the two got along quite well. Seimei took a sip from his tea, almost allowing the moment to drag on before continuing.
​

”I’ve met Captain Kagi, so I can definitely see where you’re coming from. And, Captain Date’s got quite a reputation so it sounds like you’re spot on. But yeah… Especially with Quincy around, we need to get this house in order. Because if I’m being honest Taichō, while I’d love our diplomatic relations to be nice and easy and all of us to have a happy ending, this isn’t how it’s gonna be.” ​

Seimei spoke not out of pessimism or pure unreasonable concern, but realism and the recent track record. From the civil war to the invasion—infighting and the Arrancar, surely enhanced by the divine parts of the Soul King has weakened the Gotei 13 by a mile. There has been no peace for them in ages, and the likelihood is that the trend wasn’t going to change. Another faction doesn’t spy on another without ill intent, and the Quincy had already done so.
​

”I see that if things go awry, they’ll rawdog the shit out of us. It seems that they have a higher number of Captain-level fighters than we do. It also seems that they know a whole lot of things about us, and they only revealed limited information about them. Yeah they showed us how their spirit weapons are materialized, but do they have a technique that’s equivalent to our Bankai or the Arrancar Resurreción? And what’s more frightening, they must be in possession of some of the Soul King Fragments since they’re hunting people that have or had them.”​

Seimei spoke with a voice that lacked concern, but surely the content of what he said contained much of it. And he, in his right mind, brought up many points that perhaps made him so uncomfortable back in the Naruki City. But Jushiro also had a point—due to the unknown nature of their strength and its frightening potential, it was best that the Shinigami were in friendly relations with the rather mysterious Quincy.

”But you’re definitely right, Taichō. We probably should stay on good terms with them, because we probably couldn’t handle another battle like the one we had a decade ago.” He spoke with security underneath his breath as his smirk widened slightly, and his gaze shifted towards his leading captain. ”And as for Sōtaichō… Good thing there’s two of us. Maybe he’ll believe.” He said with a humoristic undertone, pausing to take a brief breath. ”I also understand why he doesn’t let you guys out there. It’s an unnecessary risk. But then again… It looks like our own backyard is pretty risky to live in.”​