Vesper
Member
Arriving from Central Seireitei.
Naruki. A town that was completely turned on its head within a single moment. Chaos floods the streets and Reiatsu fills the air. Hiroka’s exit from the Senkaimon gave him an immediate taste of the dismay that weighed heavy over the city. His gaze narrowed in the direction of the most prominent source. A being that was locked in battle with but one soul clothed in Shinigami attire. If this was Lieutenant Hyouzoku that his comrades were sent to meet, then he was truly the last to be standing. There was a faint spark that allowed him to know where Shoumetsu was but nothing but an echo existed of his Lieutenant. Had he been dispatched by the Hollow threat? If so, where did his body go?
Hiroka could not hang on any observations given the state that his Third Seat was in. For now, he simply had to get the teammate he could save out of the battle zone. If he joined the confrontation at this moment, it would be unlikely that Shoumetsu would make it out alive. He choked back any desire to provide aid in the battle and rushed for his fallen teammate. Upon arrival he immediately noted the severity of his friend’s wounds. Rather than having a look of concern or sorrow at the state he was in, his expression became something akin to irritation.
"You idiot…"
What Hiroka felt was not pity but instead a sense of agitated sympathy. Shoumetsu had clearly took on more than he could chew in this battle, which left him in shambles. This condition was something he himself was familiar with from a hundred years prior.
"Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Just try not to die."
And with that added remark, he scooped up the fragmented pieces of the Third Seat’s Zanpakuto and bound their open wounds with the remaining strands of his Reiryoku soaked bindings. He then took hold of the newly forged container of the broken spirit weapon and lifted the other male onto his shoulder. It was then that another surge of power ruptured the skies above and brought with it a flash of blue light. The ground beneath the pair shook violently from the blast, wreaking further havoc upon the surrounding buildings. Where they may have been outside the blast radius, such pressure spared no mercy on the structures even where they stood.
Hiroka noticed that the source of that power was similar to the Shinigami he had felt upon arrival, but it had become twisted even more akin to that of a Hollow’s. This was evident of a more potent stage of hollowfication. So now there was not only chaos occurring around the city and a high-level Arrancar at the epicenter but also a rampaging Vasto Lorde? This situation was becoming more and more apocalyptic by nature. At this rate, Naruki would be reduced to nothing more than a memory.
The Burst Prince swore beneath his breath, looking to the body that rested on his shoulder. He could only think of but one thing.
"Not yet."
He thought to himself before turning his attention to the open street behind him. Raising his Zanpakuto towards the open air, he twisted the blade like it was a key rotating a lock. The action sparked the formation of a Senkaimon gateway spawning in and opening promptly after its complete formation.
As the ingress opened entirely, he gave one last look towards the direction of the primary conflict prior to passing through the threshold. Hiroka fished out his Denreishinki from the confines of his damaged attire and prepared a set of messages he wished to send on his return to the Seireitei.
The first was aimed towards the Fourth Division:
"This is Fourth Seat Hiroka Ikari of Eleventh Division. I require immediate medical assistance near the Central Senkaimon. I have with me Third Seat Shoumetsu Takahiro who is in critical condition after a confrontation with an Arrancar in Naruki. I have bound his wounds to reduce the bleeding but I’m incapable of administering any further aid myself."
The second was for his Lieutenant, Nibui Ueki:
"Lieutenant Ueki. I have just retrieved Third Seat Takahiro from Naruki. He is in critical condition. I have reached out to Fourth to administer healing as soon as possible. I could not locate Lieutenant Ueku. I only found traces of his spiritual energy when recovering Shoumetsu but he was nowhere to be seen. I’m unsure if he has returned to the Soul Society or not. I’m going to wait for medics to arrive and then head back to the barracks. Shiro Kashitoji reported to me the situation in the World of the Living and I intend to see if there’s anything else he knows prior to my arrival."
Then there was the last. This was for the aforementioned Shiro Kashitoji:
"Shiro Kashitoji. Disregard the order to inform Captain Hageshi. I’d like to speak to you more on the situation in Naruki. Please meet me at the barracks as soon as you can."
He maintained his grasp on Shoumetsu as he stepped into the courtyard of Central’s gateway. Unsure if continuing to move him in this condition would amount to the worsening of his injuries. At the very least, the most important response he could receive from those three independent messages was from the Fourth. Considering the severity of the conflict in Naruki, it was likely they were already attending to injuries from Shinigami that patrolled the zone, as well as those from the Games. It was in this moment that he wished he had taken more of an interest in Kidō, to maybe be able to aid in at the very least stabilizing his peer. Time would tell if the Third Seat could hold on long enough to receive the aid that he needed.
Naruki ———————————— traveling to ———————————— Central Senkaimon