Where the fuck were the strong souls?! Trapped within the Dangai, Kassius came to learn a lot about the outside world. The walking meat of his victims tasted different depending on when or where they were from, and especially on
what they are. He understood that Shinigami, Hollows, and Humans all existed on different planes, but that the one they all shared was the World of the Living. Coming here, he was lured by the idea of brutalizing all three races, expecting a buffet of new victims. While this realm was indeed the most populated he had ever seen so far, quantity did not equal quality.
To Kassius, brutalizing the average humans of this city provided as much satisfaction as destroying a hill of ants. Like Hollows, specifically Arrancar, the Cero Espada assumed that there would be a hierarchy of power. There would be weaklings of course, but only to pick at while the main course arrived. Yet, nobody has come. The Cowgirl had piqued his interest, wanting to savor the sensation of brutalizing a new type of victim. Yet she and the shinigami had proven no greater to ants than flies. They buzzed around enough to catch his attention, but flew away from the fight, each being swatted down. It wasn’t enough. It isn’t enough.
Propelled beyond jet-engines, not through sonido, but the raw power of his musculature, Kassius soars above the skies of Karakura. His trajectory at take off had launched him through buildings initially, his Jetstream rupturing city blocks. Now however, he is high enough in the air that the City starts looking like the ant-hill it is. The Cero Espada flies towards the location of the blue comet he had witnessed, hoping that its glowing light was the reiatsu of an interesting quarry. However that fucking fly had buzzed just enough to prevent the Espada from seeing where the comet had landed. Instead he hurls towards the comet’s former spot in the sky.
Upon approach, he suddenly forms a Reishi platform, rolling his feet in front of him in a summersault formation. His black combat boots crash against the platform and send it shattering from impact, the shockwave of the collision clearing the skies in his immediate area, revealing the stars of the clear night sky. Silhouetted in the darkness, Kassius now stands in the air a mile above the city, his single eye the only thing illuminated in the night sky.
The black bead of his iris casts itself downwards, looking upon Karakura in disgust.
The solution to an infestation of insects is…
Extermination
Clusters of blue light wisp upwards from the city, as Kassius throws his head back, fists clenched. Unlike the Vagido that he initially used to terrorize the Human World, there would be no exhale of sound, but rather, an inhale of air. Utilizing the powerful Arrancar technique known as
Gonzui (魂吸,
Soul Inhalation; Viz "
Soul Suck"), Kassius’ vacuum literally rips souls from their bodies, tearing the Human’s life from them as the citizens of Karakura start dropping like flies.
The silent night sky is rendered deafening with the screams of the city, which ring out in unison with such volume and terror that they reach the Cero Espada above. A smile creeps upon his face, as he continues his consumption with seemingly no end to his appetite.
Within the Diamante manor, Blume and Dominic would sense first, as the servants of the household seem to disappear, the light of their life snuffed out in an instant. Butlers fall lifeless down the stairs, Maids drop dead where they are standing, while concoctions of cooks now boil over and spill, lighting fires in their kitchens.
The same can be said for DieTECH Industries, with the massive glass spire of their headquarters now converted into a mausoleum. The building's alarms are triggered, causing the entire structure to enter lockdown mode. This would be useless in protecting the deceased employees, but would serve well to entomb their corpses.
At the
Karakura General Hospital, Doctors scramble to figure out why their patients are flatlining. Watching their nurses then drop dead as well, the best they can come up with is an airborne virus, before they too are robbed of their life.
Students of
Karakura High hear an announcement over the intercoms warning of a gas leak, and trample over one another to get to the door, while others open windows hoping to breath fresh air, yet even still, none make it.
The screams, though a delightful orchestra, ring out only briefly, before silence returns once more to the city.
The once crowded shopping district, is crowded no more, once bustling with commerce, now no vendor shouts for attention, denied any foot traffic, the entire district lay barren with the corpses of consumers.
The same goes for Hirohyaku Supermarket, where products have been knocked off of shelves, crashing against the cold tile, staining the bodies of the shoppers while pleasant music continues to play over the intercom.
With not even a squirrel’s movement about, the Community Park and Tsubakidai Park are barren and lifeless.
What’s worse, the Yumisawa Children's Park is too.
Genocide
The monitors of the Twelfth Division would all turn red, signifying a massive upset to the Balance of Souls. Their screens show a sudden flux of passing souls, as the entire Human District 3600 hits the negatives. Not one for sentimentality, the loss of life in itself was not a tragedy for the Shinigami, rather what is concerning is that a
Jūreichi (重霊地,
Important Spirit Ground; Viz "
Concentrated Spirit Zone"), has been compromised to such an extent. Karakura Town is the single most important point in the Human World, which possesses the greatest concentration of spiritual beings. Utilizing Gonzui, the Cero Espada had succeeded in exposing these spiritual beings like nerve endings, both to himself, and each other.
With his feast coming to an end, the glistening streaks of light stop illuminating the skies above the city. Everything becomes still, and silent. Not a soul was spared, as Karakura town was entirely robbed of its life in a single moment. Unsatisfied with his paltry feast, Kassius’ black beady eye expands like a shark on the trail of blood. His smile is twisted and wide, showing both rows of his teeth like a true predator. This genocidal action of his, while impulsive, did serve a purpose. By consuming the souls of every weakling in the city, the Cero Espada ensured that the only ones left standing would be those with enough spiritual power to resist the pull of Gonzui. This means that any noise he hears, any person he comes across, will now possess at least a modicum of strength.
While he may have just substituted a swarm of ants for a few flies, or even perhaps a roach or two, at least now they would have nowhere to scurry and hide, nothing left to protect. Even sacrificing the population of the city might not be enough to draw out the stronger insects, the scorpions and wasps. The Brute was growing bored, tired of running around chasing his own tail. Where was the bountiful diversity of powerful victims? This place was meant to be
his playground…
Well now it is time to play.
