Elk
Member
The sound of sirens screamed and wailed throughout the city. Crackling flames spread across Naruki City, shattering glass before the groaning of metal echoed through the streets, twisting and bending until a loud and powerful thud shook the ground. In that instant, a building was destroyed, a green light from a cero illuminating both the night sky and the city itself.
“If I had to make an educated guess, command would deem that Arrancar a special threat. Though I will not make that call, it’s only our duty to record the data here. This ‘war’ is useful.”
Four figures stood hidden within the shadows, their bodies concealed and protected by its ability to render them intangible and undetectable to those below—be they Arrancar, hollows, or Shinigami. Each Quincy wore the Reishi Heisō Armor MKIII, though their helmets had been fitted with the latest technology to record data. Their eye lenses displayed various stats and graphs, tracking the Arrancar’s reiatsu output, fluctuations, and movements from four different angles.
Then, a sudden drop in temperature swept across the city, signaling the approach of a new reiatsu signature. A Shinigami.
As the Senkaimon gate opened, out walked a Shinigami adorned with a lieutenant’s badge, the emblem of the 5th Division displayed upon it.
“It’s about time someone serious arrived. The Arrancar would have crushed this city. One of you, go record th—”
Before the sentence could finish, the Arrancar moved in on the Lieutenant, and within moments, the two clashed. Every movement, every strike was recorded in full detail by the Quincies.
That was until another signature emerged.
No—two signatures.
Both were different from the Shinigami, hollows, and Arrancar that had been tearing through the city. The energy was… off. Partially hollow in nature.
A flicker, then a shadow shifted as one of the Quincies reappeared within their hiding place, now standing near a woman in red. A hollow lunged at her, speaking before its body was sliced clean in two. Another Arrancar arrived soon after, weaving a tale of sweet lies—promising safety, acting as though they were here to protect her. A distraction at best, as it allowed the strange human woman time to ponder. Enough time that the real captain showed up.
His coat signified his rank, his Zanpakutō already active. But his mask? That alone could sow doubt in the woman’s mind.
“Ooooooh! This one has a captain’s coat! I thought we were only going to see a lieutenant and a few seated Shinigami. This will be sooo valuable! Judging by the numbers on his back, he’s the real Captain of the Tenth Division.”
“Just record the data. It’s good that a captain has made it here—it will allow us to determine whether or not he should be considered a special threat or some two bit chomp that should be dealt with by someone else.”
“Oooovvvf course! But I do wish we could fight, it would be so much more fun if we did!”
“You do that, and we’re all dead by the time we get back.”
A sigh could be heard from the one recording the battle, their lenses catching every movement as the fight escalated—Arrancar, Shinigami, and now two humans. Their mind drifted to the idea of joining in, stirring up chaos… but for once, the consequences were too severe to ignore.
Then, something came in over the radio.
A signal.
One that had the Quincy grinning beneath their mask, practically lifting it from their face. But their delight was short-lived. A glance at their side revealed one of the other Quincy was already gone—off in search of a Shinigami or two.
Each area they passed over was the same. A group of Shinigami barely fending off the hollows. A gaggle of hollows overwhelming the Shinigami. Each street was one or the other, with little variation, until…
A lone Shinigami. Kneeling in the blood-soaked street, comforting another who had moments left to live. A heartwarming scene, had it not been for the shadow stretching toward them. A Quincy’s arms extended from the darkness.
One wrapped around the Shinigami’s throat.
The other clamped over their mouth.
The Shinigami thrashed, their body twisting as their fingers clawed at the unseen hands restraining them. They jerked, twisting in an attempt to see their attacker, but every movement hastened their fate. The grip tightened. Their struggling grew weaker.
Their body fell limp.
Their head slumped forward.
Slowly, the shadow consumed them, pulling them into the abyss.
