[BSD-RP] Soul Society: Rukongai

[Shinigami]

The ground rumbles in blatant rage and agony, debris of varying kinds shot out as the massive creature of tendrils is expelled from the earth’s depths, sweltering heat and flames exhausted from the chasm formed, the ambient reishi within the surrounding area flails about in a turbulent storm from the creature’s presence and passing. Time is thrown into utter disarray. Destruction once wrought becomes undone, cracks splintered along buildings and ground alike become sealed, before fracturing once more. Even the damage brought by the commanders blade becomes for a moment, nothing more than a memory, as all evidence of its existence becomes removed from time...and then like a memory..the scars resurface.
Incandescent spheres hover and glide throughout the various parts of the Ruongai, encapsulating those they found as the Kototsu continues to take to the skies due to Captain Kojima’s efforts. These sun-like traveling orbs undoubtedly the fruits of 3rd seat Arashi Suta’s zanpakuto. The propelled monster of time finally reaches his peak and remains there, suspended in the skies above the Soul Society..a harbinger of destruction. Where gravity would see to its descent, a massive gust of turbulent winds deny the creature’s fall, delaying its inevitable return to the ground. Tenzen Oda of the Kido Corps and Fifth Division stands firm beneath the Seireitei’s threat. The power of his spell pushing against the underbelly of the beast, debris caught in the torrent of spiraling winds.
As Tenzen and his spell wrestle with the weight of the gargantuan slug like monster, his brother Katsuo works swiftly to offer aid and rescue to those still trapped in their homes and beneath debris. A resident of Rukongai he uses his identity and familiarity with its denizens to hasten his ability to save and instruct them.
Lieutenant Nibui stands fixed in place, a hurricane of thoughts, doubts, and emotions storm within his heart, his mind...and his soul. Hindsight begins to strike him fiercely, attacking what little pride he had, and regret settles into the crevices of his heart. Not content with his own perceived failures the Lieutenant moves in hopes of redeeming himself. Various roots, like a nest of snakes work their way through the earth, a barrage of rock and debris launched towards the monster. The Kokotsu, still suspended can do nothing but take the brunt of the assault, its massive body absorbing the rubble as it adhered to its massive frame, cocooning the creature in stone.
As Jinnosuke of the 11th Division finds Captain Kojima secured in his superior’s bankai, the brute once prisoner, moves to retrieve his battered and burnt friend. He recognizes that here and now was no longer the place they were meant to be, and rushes to seek aid for the injured and exhausted Captain.
As all this transpires, Captain Mukuro remains rooted in place, waiting, observing. Information relayed to him as swiftly as they could obtain it. Suddenly, his eyes widen just slightly more than normal, his head turns from one side to the other. Kyomu pivots on his heel, and his form ripples and distorts, as an explosion of wind and dust is kicked up, the Captain’s form no more. At a distance, Lieutenant Yasu begins to collapse, fatigue weighing heavily on the girl, exhaustion winning the contest against her stamina. Her body falls, her shadow growing larger as she draws closer to the ground, surrounded by small children, and then...she stops, her feet dangling in the air.

Yasu now finds herself resting in the arms of her Captain, instead of the cold hard ground. His amber hues, pass over the unconscious girl. He notices no obvious signs of injury or trauma to her, and a hint of relief can be found within those cold impassive eyes. He towers over the young children rescued by his Lieutenant, eyes returning to the girl held in his arms.
”Well done...Yasu.”
His voice, just barely audible as he whispers his satisfaction to her, despite her current state. He gives a final glance to the children, preparing to head off. He takes a step, and hesitates.
”Get as far away from here as possible...its not safe...for any of us right now.”
He speaks with his back to them. Yasu had gone out of her way to ensure she saved and protected them, he’d at least make sure he warned them to grant them a fighting chance. He glances towards the skies, the Kototsu slowly rising into the air, encased in debris and stone like a miniature moon as it rises beyond their field of vision. He can hear the shouts of joy as those present to witness this become relaxed, exploding in a series of joyful cheers and shouts. Smiles found on many faces...but not Kyomu’s. His stare intensifies, his hold on his Lieutenant growing just a bit firmer.
With Yasu in his arms their combined image blends and fades into the air, abandoning the area. ’Hurry up old man..if you hesitate and don’t act now...all of Seireitei will be destroyed.’ He grumbled within his head. His image arrives at the back of Shirogane Kuchiki, a man ruled by hubris...that very same hubris that has turned him into a blacksheep of his family of nobility. He works now, to restore his pride, mirrors working to assist the people of Rukongai elsewhere. He hears the instructions of the Kuchiki, and understands immediately what he aims to do.
”Don’t be a fool, your shikai alone will not be enough for that. You-”
His words are cut short as he notices it. A twinkle in the sky, growing larger..brighter...it was coming towards them. Kyomu grits his teeth..it was just as he had figured, the Kototsu was falling. They had forced the creature underground where it was free to wreak havoc uninterrupted, beyond their reach. Now, they had forced the creature high into the skies, where it was forced to now come down, protected in a cocoon of stone, body caught aflame..beyond their power to stop. Again, they had failed to truly stop or save anything...the situation had grown progressively worst from their efforts.
”Leave. Now. You are powerless to do anything against this. Leave it to Captain Kagayaki.”
He doesn’t spare any more time for the fallen and shamed Kuchiki, as both he and Yasu are spirited away by a single step. Another step finds him near Katsuo Oden of the Thirteenth Division, his words just as brief, and just as sharp to him. Again, he spares no time for conversation, another step finds him absent from Katsuo and now before Arashi Suta. Another step, and he reaches Yamato of squad twelve, then Shizuka of squad ten, and finally both Tenzen and Nibui. Each time he instructs them briefly, doing nothing to mince words.
Captain Mukuro was never one to go out his way to speak or converse with others, so when he did speak, it was wise that those spoken to listened. To call his current image less than reputable was an understatement. He was undoubtedly still viewed as a traitor by members of the Gotei 13, ignorance, prejudice and arrogance could very well keep some from listening to him. Still, they could not deny the sincerity and urgency in his words, no matter how sparse they were.
With Yasu in hand he distances himself from Captain Kagayaki, from the wall separating the Seireitei from the Rukongai. He trusted that Captain Kagayaki would do what was necessary despite his own fears, and those that chose not to heed Captain Mukuro’s words, would perhaps receive similar instructions from the Shining Captain himself.
With the meteor-like Kototsu plummeting towards them, there was no longer room for doubt, pondering, or discussion. Now was the time for action. If not, it would without question, be the time of their destruction.

 

[Shinigami]

One.. One
Two.. Two
Three.. Three
The ruinous nature of the day’s events was the root of reversion at the heart of the veteran. From a seasoned Captain to a learning boy, he was taking mental steps backward. It had been centuries since he was forced to count breaths but was under the impression that these may be his last.
Deep inhales were accompanied by even more forceful exertions of breath, eyes looked onto a distance engulfed in a calamitous pyre of destruction. All he had done was watch, hesitant to divulge the power that quelled within him. Fearful—for the first time in many moons—of the outcome that would follow. Beneath a crumbling earth’s surface, Young Maho was giving his all to stop a threat while Higen stood in a small veil of doubt and reluctance. It was difficult to see, but not to feel. The pressure fulminating from The Dragon was the embodiment of his illustrious moniker; heat and power rose upward, swelling and distorting the terra itself like a dragon’s core. His power—like the flames from his body—erupted with enough force to propel the Monstrous Kototsu upward. Higen’s sapphire iris’ enveloped in a watchful gaze, every detail of the catastrophe being added to his memory bank of death and destruction.
Just as Captain Kojima’s power flared and peaked, it was gone completely, as if someone had licked their thumb and pressed it against the wick of a candle. Alive, yes, but consumed completely; he’d be no more help today. Even so, he’d done more than enough.. more than his elder at the very least. The amount of growth from their time years ago in the Valley of Screams was almost enough to conjure a smile in such a time of turmoil. But it wasn’t just him that was laying everything on the line. Higen was a bystander to a battalion of Shinigami with strength far less than that of his own, still giving every ounce of it to save that of which they’ve learned to call home. This angered and frustrated him, creating a rage that was a beginning to far surpass that of his fears.
As the massive gastropod-like cleaner was uprooted from the ground just outside of the walls, it was formulated even closer to the Captain’s position. The remnants of the walls he stood on trembled, a look of disbelief following what became a temporal conflux of reishi around the Kototsu. It amassed debris while simultaneously reconstructing it, creating an endless loop where everyone’s destruction was mended, and then recreated, a massive crater forming after the pulse of an exuberant light from its figure. A mirror appeared beside The Shining Captain, words following its appearance in the form of loud and demanding orders, orders of which were futile. His observant nature quickly shifted into a concerned one, knowing the Kuchiki would possibly break attempting to perform such a task. He couldn’t let anyone else lay down their life, the last of their power for something he could stop.. something he thought he could stop.
No! You can’t try that, it’s too power-!!!!
His sentence would never find its end, the feeling of heat returning similar to that of the Dragon, only.. above him, above them all, as if the sun was fighting back against them. In the distance of an endless blue sky high above Soul Society was something shrouded in the few stray clouds, hovering only for a miniscule moment before plummeting down toward them like an impending doom. This was a rapture, an end beyond means, the destruction of the world as they knew it. In their efforts, Lieutenant Ueki, Captain Kojima and the Kido Specialist Tenzen had equipped the Kototsu with the tools it needed to bestow a swift end to the Gotei 13 and its inhabitants. His lengthy eyebrows rose with an unmistakable urgency, his gaze traveling downward toward the remnants of those in the rubble below.
Everyone! Get as far away from here as possible, not a single soul needs to be here or you all will die! You WILL die! Allow me to receive this burden.. allow me to show the same knowledge of sacrifice as you have all shown me! Leave, Now!
There was not a moment to spare, there was no time for that former hesitance. There was no time for fear, worry, or doubt. Everything he had needed to come outward. If what he’d worked so hard to hide was revealed today, it wouldn’t have mattered if there was no one left to relish or lament its discovery. He gave the impression that they were meant to flee to escape the kototsu, but in reality there was no where within a hundred miles you could go to avoid the effects of its potential impact. The truth was.. he advised them to flee from him. What he’d have to resort to was not to be seen.. not to be heard or talked about. He needed as little eyes and bodies as possible.
Shimmer, Hitsumishi!
His voice carried an inimitable purpose, as he concurrently drew his blade. Its transformation was subtle and brief, the shiny cobalt gloves coating his hands faster than one could have seen him release the zanpakuto from its scabbard. He watched as some were transported by Shirogane’s mirrors, and others simply fled the field of battle. In a single huff, a bead of a sweat fell from the base of his mane down to the bridge of his nose before falling gently onto his upper lip. Both fists were risen above him, his posture erect, each muscle beneath his coat acting as a cog to what could only be described as a machine of mass destruction. As he brought his arms downward and the metal clashed with the remnants of the tattered wall, emerald crystal formed around and beneath him. His legs bent slightly at the knee, his calves hardening for a single pressing stride, and then he was off, up into the air with fists reared behind him. Spires of crystal rose parallel to him, while a massive tower of the hardened rock was formed beneath his lunge, ascending to unspeakable heights with momentum and trajectory directly opposite that of the Kototsu. Its structure was to be worshipped, mimicking a castle battlement with random extensions and protrusions coming from each and every part of its exterior.
The crystal was polished in a luminous finish and glint, causing it to sparkle as a beacon of hope for those below who had become ants in his field of view. It continued to rise, and the Kototsu continued to plummet. The distance between them dwindling with each passing moment, while thoughts of varying and conflicting connotation invaded the mind of the seasoned warrior. No one would be able to see him in detail at this height, as was intended, despite his need to get closer to the threat to complete his task. Realizing the height was enough, and how little the time was that he had at his disposal, he finished the design of the intricate structure, creating a platform at its peak reminiscent of a watchtower. It was far taller than anything else in Soul Society, and to observers it could be seen as his very own tower of babel. His breath slowed, his vision focused on the meteor spiraling down toward him. Beneath its rock armor he could still faintly see the glow of its “eye”, peering at him, mocking him, reminding him of his possible failure. He couldn’t fail.. there was too much at stake. There were too many people relying on him, there were too many lives in the balance. This was his purpose! This was why he was here! Every single experience before today has led up to this moment! Fear was not an option; it couldn’t be an option! He had to do it!
. . . . .
A long time ago..
A young Higen lay battered, exhausted, devoid of nearly all his energy.. seemingly on the brink of having his existence simply.. slip away. He looks up, a gargantuan figure eclipsing him, sensing every fabric of doubt, shame and fear before the Lieutenant even admitted to his faults. He knew all, and saw all, even without the gift of sight.
I can’t.. I can’t use it. It’s impossible. There’s plenty of strong Shinigami that- that survive without ever having to use it. They’ll condemn me.. everyone will hate me.. Central 46 will investigate and then prosecute me. I don’t want that.. I can’t have that..

The god of a man never had to say much. His words held the weight of the world behind them. They were to be taken and heeded no matter their content, as they were often premonitions or words that you didn’t know the meaning of yet but could have meaning centuries into the future.
”You need only fear what you cannot control.”
Could he control it? Need he fear it? There was no time to even debate over the matter. No matter the outcome, the Head Captain’s words rung loudly in this present moment, compelling Higen to take that final leap and put the entirety of his livelihood on the line to save that of which he held dear. First, he’d do anything in his power to remotely attempt to slow down the Kototsu’s momentum, even the slightest bit, he needed the time. Many of the protrusions from the side of his structure began to expand and manifest as other constructs. Fists, spikes, even platforms and walls would began to extend with the tower as their epicenter, all headed towards the Kototsu, forcing it to smash through what would any other time be an unbreakable mineral.

Soon the sound of said constructs would resound throughout, but he couldn’t sit and wait to see how well they fared in slowing it down even for just a millisecond. His pupils began to dilate, his body trembling and vibrating, the infrastructure of his tower feeling as if it is about to crumble beneath him. His energy would flare only as a spark, and then expand exponentially with each infinitesimal moment between shallow breaths. In a second or two, it had become what could be described as one of the most unendurable pressures Soul Society has felt in recent memory. His Reiatsu coated his body in a thin aura, before thickening into a malleable substance that seeped out his pores. It spewed from his mouth, trickled from his eyes, as if The man himself was overflowing with power, unable to be contained within for a singular moment. From his person came a pillar of light, turning the massive tower into a lighthouse, its rays eclipsing that of the sun itself. Streaks of emerald painted the formerly blue skies, causing the entirety of the biome to wear a coat of green.
Any who remained would fall victim to its undeniably debilitating nature, and even attempting to look directly at it from such a distance could sear the sclera completely. Such power was focused for a single reason, for a single word. A word that hadn’t been said for centuries before this.. the final straw.. the last hope.. all that he had hoped to avoid had come to fruition. The Shining Captain would become the World Breaker One.. last… time.

The already volatile energy was expanded tenfold, and from the release of his bankai, all but his crystal tower began to shatter into pieces. Any houses or buildings still standing within a district’s worth of distance would find themselves dissected into thousands of fragments. The earth itself began to cave and crumble, sending tears and ruptures throughout the terrain. The much smaller gloves he donned before found themselves converting into the much larger, heavier, Worldbreaker Gauntlets. Pockets of ethereal energy could be seen glowing in vent-like sockets throughout their design. Fractures began to develop along Higen’s body, every piece of It, his body growing fickle and weak in response. He resembled a puzzle, hardly put together successfully, waiting to break. Before he did, however, there was something that needed to be done. The light of his reiatsu never once left his person, completely hiding him from any spectators, which was just as he wanted it.
Crash – Crash – Crash !!
This was it, it was through the obstacles, quicker than he had anticipated. He took one final look at the massive rock, gauging its size, preparing for the worst. He immediately created a reishi plate, massive, invisible to the eye, stretching at least four-hundred feet wide and tall, It was already taking everything out of him. Those would assume one would feel their strongest in their final stage of release, but Higen grew weaker by the second; this moment could very well.. be his last.
Maho.. Old Man.. Shizuka.. Honoka.. Goro.. Omoni.. Fuyuko.. Everyone.. Thank you for you faith in me.
His final thought before acting. He cocked his body backward, the worldbreaker gauntlets following, before he brought them forward with the might of all those he held dear. As the gauntlets met with the plate of reishi, angled perfectly for the oncoming Kototsu, there was a moment of silence that couldn’t be explained. Everything stopped, there was nothing that could be heard as if the action broke time itself, just for a second. It was like the world’s heart skipped a beat, and everyone was waiting for it to come back to life. And then…
CRASH

The plate shattered completely, and from the force of its erasure came a vacuum-like distortion. The space around the plate itself began to twist and contort, before finally breaking along with it, opening a one-way exit into the unknown, but away from here. Higen was forced to hold his fist as long as possible, his fingers quickly becoming glass, plagued with the feeling that in a moment sooner they will shatter into pieces, and then his arm, and then his chest, legs, and ultimately his soul. As the Kototsu collided with the rift, pieces of rock fell from it as he awaited the entirety of its length to disappear into the rupture. He begged, he pleaded, he wished for it to be over in a single thought. There was nothing left within him. If this didn’t work.. they were all doomed. He had to let his arm drop, or it’d be gone, and then he would.. was it enough.. The rupture remained open and began to close slowly as the Captain’s arm fell back down to his side, just as the tail end of the Kototsu slid through the remaining crevice. Had they been rid of it? He couldn’t see it, he couldn’t hear it, or anything for that matter. The moment the rift was closed his Bankai subsided, his vision blank and colorless while there was hardly a breath in his lungs. His tower crumbled beneath him, and he descended to the ground with its remnants. His body was lifeless but within.. there was peace. From a distance he could be seen as a singular figure, falling out the sky, his body would cause a cratering in the ground beneath had he not been caught. He was unconscious and unable to save himself.. even after saving them all. The Shining Captain’s light grew dim, his already broken bones unable to survive such a fall had he not been intercepted. No.. no one was close enough.. they couldn’t have been.
In his field of dreams, comforted by the embrace of the sky he fell through, he replayed the thoughts of laughter with his comrades, the heated battles they all endured together, and how he may never get the chance to experience it again.
Maybe this was the price.. maybe the Captain was ready to be remembered.

 

[Shinigami]

Endless blue skies, an eternal symbol of peace and tranquility, now blood red, lit ablaze with heat and death. Destruction incarnate descends upon the Soul Society, a ticking clock towards inevitable doom. The meteor encroaches, a fallen sun come to eradicate all souls of the afterlife. As it tears downwards through the heavens, the time-altering effects of the Kototsu bleed through. The skies above, rapidly, transform from day to night, and back again, faster and faster until day and night eclipse, turning the sky into an abysmal black. The sun and moon turning into a singular black entity, its flaming ring further eclipsed by the massive size of the meteor. With the Kototsu now the only source of light, its flames burn like a searing iron, branding the sky as its own.
As it descends, Captain Mukuro makes his debut. His first action, amidst all this chaos, some of it his own doing, is one not of duty, but of compassion. Throughout all the destruction and carnage, there are many things for the Captain’s attention to cling to, but only one which invokes his action. A life, otherwise inconsequential compared to the threat, is saved. Lieutenant Yugure finds herself safely caught within her Captain’s arms. His guilt, his sense of duty, the imposing threat, all silenced for a moment, as he whispers to her words of encouragement.
This lasts only a moment however, as the Kototsu’s stone form breaches the clouds, bringing its descent dangerously closer to the Rukongai. The straw-thatched roofs of the Rukongai’s buildings catch fire instantly, like a match striking its surface. These buildings, once blackened under the shadow of the meteor, now illuminate its radius with hellish flame. The flames spreading from building to building, they catch easily and rage on like wildfire, burning the Rukongai for hundreds of miles.
One Shinigami stands his ground however.
”Don’t be a fool, your shikai alone will not be enough for that. You-”
”No! You can’t try that, it’s too power-”
A single, silver disk, floating in the air. An inconsequential speck compared to the Kototsu, it remains stagnant, and braces itself against the impact of the Meteor. As the meteor draws closer, the silver mirror illuminates. Seeking to transport the massive object, Shirogane’s shikai takes effect. The very tip of the meteor’s stone, no more than the size of a football field, begins to warp, and stretch, as though being pulled away from the Kototsu. As though being stretched through space. At first it seems to be working. How could this one Shinigami’s Shikai, nearly imperceptible compared to the scope of the threat, stop something so great?
It can’t.
For only a moment, the illusion of victory was within Shirogane’s reach. Now, that illusion fades. As the Meteor draws closer towards the mirror, its heat engulfs the silver shikai. The surface of the mirror, starts to sweat. Droplets of silver start sliding off its smooth frame, raining down a cascade of glimmering metallic rain. Then, a sweat turns into a pour, as the mirror begins to melt, turning into a waterfall of liquid metal, until all that's left is the shimmering molten liquid free falling unto the land below.
As flame and heat rise from the earth and heavens alike, Kyomu Mukuro threads the needle of his life. Using his great speed, now half of what it was, he pushes through his handicap, seeking to save those who would deem him a traitor. Maneuvering around flame, around collapsing rubble, around the pressure of the Meteor itself, he appears before every single soul within proximity of the Rukongai. Relaying the message to flee, the proud Kyomu sacrifices his own time, lowers his own chance of survival, to ensure that the others have time to escape. Those who would ignore his message, who would cast aside any words whispered by the master of lies and deceit, find for themselves a different rallying call.
”Everyone! Get as far away from here as possible, not a single soul needs to be here or you all will die! You WILL die! Allow me to receive this burden.. allow me to show the same knowledge of sacrifice as you have all shown me! Leave, Now!”
Captain Higen Kagayaki’s thunderous voice booms throughout the Rukongai, overcoming even the deafening roar of the falling Meteor. Echoing the sentiment of his fellow Captain, Higen issues one final word of warning. Those reluctant to trust Captain Mukuro, would undoubtedly heed the wisdom of Captain Kagayaki. Most, would fear the Captain’s words meant that the Kototsu, and therefore the destruction of the Soul society, the eradication of every soul in the afterlife, was inevitable. Those with years of wisdom, those that knew the Captain well, and even those who held their suspicions, knew differently.
“Shimmer, Hitsumishi!”
It begins. The final moments of the battle for the Seireitei’s very soul. Where death and darkness smother the world from above, now slowly there is light, there is hope, rising from the world below. The flames of the Rukongai’s buildings, illuminating the darkness in a disastrous orange and red, are snuffed out. For a moment, all is black beneath the meteor’s shadow. Then, suddenly, there is light, sparkling white, and shimmering. A Crystalline substance, harder than diamond, erupts from the walls of the Seireitei, spreading in an explosion as they coat the very ground of the Rukongai in a smoothly polished crystal surface. From this surface, crystal fragments begin to stretch and grow, encasing everything they touch in a magnificent greenish blue. They encase the falling and burning structures of the Rukongai, putting out all flame. For a moment, the entire Rukongai looks like a work of art, a model city carved to stay frozen throughout all of time.
Then, the Crystals truly begin to grow. Branching out, fragments connect with each other forming massive spires. These spires interlock, intertwining with one another, to form an even larger tower. A tower of crystal, a monument of the Captain Kagayaki’s power, rises from the Soul Society. It grows, ever upward, a javelin meant to pierce the heavens themselves. The flaming meteor’s light shines through this crystal, reflecting throughout its thousands of surfaces, causing the entirety of the Soul Society to be encased in blinding light. This luminescent tower of defiance against death dwarfs the Seireitei itself. Then, it begins its counter-assault.
Spires and structures form new constructs. Fists, blades, spikes, hammers, every manner of weapon; walls, shields, barriers, blockades, armor, every form of defense, comes together, molded by unbreakable crystal, to defend against the Kototsu’s approach. In unison, they launch forth, and strike the surface of the meteor. The heat is intense, causing the crystals to sweat and malform, but crystal does not melt so easily as metal, and the power of a Captain is not so easily squandered. They resist the heat, and impact against the burning molten stone of the Kototsu’s body. Given everything they can, they resist, pushing against the surface in an attempt to counteract the momentum of its fall.
For a moment, it works. Certainly, the combined assault of the absolute highest potential of the Captain’s Shikai, works to slow the Meteor’s momentum. Though it does not stop it. The Meteor’s descent, though slowed, still holds too much weight, too much speed, and there is of course the matter of the Kototsu’s very nature, the time and space distorting properties that it possesses.
Crack
While the Crystals try to resist, one fracture forms, a small crack in the flawless surface.
Then another
Craaaack
and another...
CRAAAACK
Until finally, the entire assault, every individual construct is littered with fractures, turning the once near-translucent tower into an opaque mess of faults. Then, it shatters. In one massive explosion, the entirety of each structure fractures and fragments into millions of trillions of pieces. Scattered to the winds around the Crystalline Tower, the only thing of Higen’s Shikai that remains. It begins to snow in the Seireitei. A snow of shining and shimmering light. Unable to be melted, amidst all this flame, perhaps the remnants of the Captain’s Shikai could not be described as snow, perhaps it was ash. The cremated remains of the Shinigami’s hope. Higen’s Shikai had failed. It was time for something else.
There, atop his tower, soon to be himself destroyed by the Kototsu, Higen whispers those words. Words he himself had avoided ever since first uttering them. Bankai. Violent light escapes the Captain’s body, mimicking the blinding light of the Tower itself. Now, a literal beacon of hope for the Shinigami, Higen’s figure shines so brightly that the black of the sky turns once more to day, turns once more to blue. For the first time, things seem like they might turn out ok.
Then, the world breaks.

Crash – Crash – Crash !!
The buildings of the Rukongai, crack like crystal, and shatter. Their jagged pieces falling to the ground below in chunks and fragments. Cracks form across the earth, spreading in a web of destruction. Trees, animals, nothing escapes this curse, as everything within range of the Captain begins to shatter. Any soul who did not heed Kyomu’s warning, who did not adhere to Higen’s plea, now understands. Their very bodies fracture and break, bones splitting into pieces, until their skin represents porcelain, and begins to fall from them. Until they too break into nothing but a pile of pieces discarded upon the ground. How many lives would be lost this way? How many Shinigami? Hundreds? Thousands? It does not matter next to the alternative. What matters is how many lives will be saved.
Finally, after a silent destruction.
CRASH
The world itself shatters. No, not the world, but the dimension. The fabric between realities is smashed through, and in its place now is a jagged hole, a void meant to be filled by the Meteor’s fall.
At first, the fractured lines of reality seem to obey the whims of the Captain. However, as the Kototsu approaches, something happens.
Time and space become distorted.
While Higen has worked for centuries to restrict his Bankai to only a singular plane and moment, he lacks the ability to restrain it against all time and space, every plane, every moment. The distorting abilities of the Kototsu meet the shattering abilities of the Captain.
Then, all of time and space is shattered.

The Captain strains himself, fighting against his own Zanpakuto, he throws everything he has, his body, his mind, his will, his very life force, towards keeping his Bankai contained. Towards saving reality. Even this is only enough to slightly limit the damage. Light, heat, darkness, cold, wind, rain, wet and dry, every sensation erupts at once from the fissures that form. The crumbling reality pushes back against the one who seeks to stop it. The toll it takes on the Captain is far more than most could bare, yet he endures it, his sense of honor too strong to surrender. His body fractures now too, every inch of his being starting to break and shatter. He can feel his grip loosen, his control weaken, as more and more fractures form. Higen’s Bankai spreads, and the fabric of this plane breaks. As each jagged piece crumbles into nothing, they create windows into other planes. Small portals to different dimensions. Brief glimpses into different times. Higen looks into the fractured remains of the broken realities. His eyes squint against the blinding light, a light that outshines him, out shimmers the Shining Knight. Despite it all, he gazes into the void, a broken man, held on only by the power of his soul.
He looks into the Shattered Dimensions…
.
.
.
...and something looks back.

“How very interesting.”
The creature’s mouth makes no intelligent sound, but a guttural, primal, snarl, nearly a laugh. Yet, a voice can be heard in the back of Higen’s mind, nearly tangible, and clearly belonging to the same creature. The voice is intelligent, calm, and seemingly curious. Yet despite this cool demeanor, Higen cannot help but feel uneased. This brief moment, this brief interaction causes Higen to forget about all of the chaos of his Bankai and the confusion of the moment, despite the toll its taking on his body.
With a sinister grin, the creature lifts only a single finger. From it, cracks begin to form and crackle in the air, like black lightning, or the roots of a parasite. These black tendrils twist and spread, not unlike Higen’s own bankai, and begin to stretch outwards from the window he’d created. The shining blue of Higen’s Reiatsu which emanates from the cracks, begins to turn a cold and callous black. Before they can properly imbed themselves, before they can properly spread to Higen, the black tendrils are interrupted, as the Meteor passes through the void-like gateway.
Then just like that. It’s over.
The cracks fade from existence, along with the gauntlets on Higen’s hands. The sky, once bright with disaster, shines clear and sunny, as though no threat had ever existed in its grip. Day has returned, birds once again chirp.
Higen’s tower bursts into a trillion pieces, a glittery cascade of harmless microscopic fragments. They catch the wind, and coat the entirety of the Rukongai in a glorious shining glow, a celebratory dance of light, before they too fade away.
All that is left now is Higen the Hero, the martyr who replaced the crashing Meteor with his own falling and broken form. Light catches off his shining figure, and causes him to illuminate, a shining star falling to the world below. His sacrifice bringing peace to the Seireitei. The power he feared, the power to shatter realities, the only thing that can unite the fractured Shinigami. He had learned to control the World Breaker, and in the process, he fixed a Seireitei Divided.

 

[Shinigami]

For a time...there is nothing but darkness. It sits, muffling the sounds of the outside world. Previously, he found himself engulfed in flame but now his body plummeted, with a splash, below the icy waters of his thought. For a time his eyes rested, closed shut as a voice called out to him, though it too was muffled by the waters that encapsulated him. He slowly sank, darkness brimming just beneath, making him unable to see the bottom.
He looked on with an air of aloofness. His eyes were low, dejected and devoid of light. His eyes struggled to remain open, until something, from above the waves, latched onto him.

When he came too, he was at the surface, still suspended in the endless waters. They had now lost their depth, some sort of stable footing now present beneath. The water had now become cool, rejuvenating even. Standing over him was a large man with reddish metallic flesh and six black metal arms. His eyes gave forth an ominous glow, as his two dominant arms crossed over leaving the others in place.

"This ain't no time to rest Maho. Get yo bitch ass up. You ain't finished yet! What? you going to let the others take all the credit? This is the problem with you, You too damn passive. All you do is...-"
On and on the spirit rambled, tossing about everlasting slurry of insulting and shady remarks at its wielder. Maho gazes upon Ippai Kinzoku prompting a rush of eaze to rush through his body. He was still weak. This was the truth. He could tell immediatly that he had been forced into this place deep within his own soul. He rarely needed to come on his own. When the time did come and the spirit itself sought him, he knew that it must have been important. Typically, he would offer some sort of rebuttal or rise and begin throwing hands with the him. However, this time, all he could do was utter, "You right Ippai...I'm still too weak...heh.."

Ippai suspended his tirade. The spirit continued to stare down upon him, Light bears down upon them, the sky above vibrant and blue. Despite the current events, he was calm. Ippai reaches down scooping him up by his head. Maho could do nothing to stop him. His head cocked to the left mechanically, their eyes met, and again it spoke, his voice carrying with it an entirely different tone than he had portrayed to him before.
"...Knowing is half the battle, Maho. For now...go. Finish that which you have started!"
He cocked his black fists back and then fired, the black that was his arm eclipsed what Maho could see, and with a jolt, his eyes sprang open. He gasped, now in the brawny arm of Jinnosuke. Maho wasn't the smallest, but Jinno's large body could support his weight. The sudden surge in Captain Higens reiatsu acted like a powerful smell awakening him from his involuntary slumber. He awoke just in time to see the old man strut forward, a flaming ball of death cascading from the skies all but ready to eviscerate them all. The fruit of Maho's Labor had given them time but expounded the danger they faced exponentially. His teeth ground together in anticipation. The Elder had previously watched on as Maho did what he could to defend their home. For better or worse, It had inspired the old man to act. With a triumphant leap, he jetted through the expanse of the sky, a tower of crystal raised behind him. Higher and higher the old spirit soared until his image became too far to discern with just one's eyes. However, what he could not see, even at this distance, he could feel. The familiar spiritual energy was gargantuan, flooding the atmosphere. It seemed to expound the entirety of the soul society. He had never seen old Higen like this, there hadn't been a need for such power in centuries. It is as they say...
Nothing good lasts forever.
"...Higen Sama!" He cries. He peers down to the large arm draped over him as he is whisked through the open air in the opposite direction. He tries to free himself but is too weak, then realizes he would be of no help anyway.
Then came the explosion.
Like a supernova, a mint green rush of luminosity expanded through the sky painting it green. He closes his eye in response, the sensation of force causing a wave to hit the ground below. What foliage remained was rocked, all of their clothing fluttered chaotically. Everything was met with unease. The entire area is encased in emerald, then abruptly it is not. The skies flicker between day and night, sky blue and elemental forces flutter before being filled instead with endless darkness. The eruption is unlike anything ever before seen. Space and time rumble and crack, becoming distorted. Reality spikes at a single point then crumbles before their very eyes. Everything becomes normal again after a time, thick with the color blue
Jinnosuke had gotten well enough out of the vicinity to see it all go down. They were long since within the walls of the Seireitei, however, not soon after the events would unfold, a small spec, insignificant to most dropped from the sky. Most others would have little indication of what this object was, however, Maho with his sensory knew it was his fellow captain. His shattered body could do nothing more to save himself, for he had given everything to save them all. With what little strength he has left, his body begins to hum a minor green tint, having absorbed the trace amounts of spirit energy from a distance, his large black hand that remained in the sky behind him had transferred some of this excess power to him.
"Jinno! NO! Wait..! he utters weakly, his right arm clenching then thrusting downward. The pain he experiences is great, so much so that he feels as though his flesh will slide off the bone, yet he did not stop. After what he had just experienced, how could he?

The blackened hand makes haste, following the down captains' trajectory is soars upward to meet him before his velocity is too great, but there distance apart is plentiful. Seconds pass, as Higens' body collapses just beyond it. It loops back around in pursuit, shifting its large fingers around him mid-flight. Slowly these digits encase around his body, slowly coming to a halt, mitigating the G forces baring on the old man's body. "Got em..!" At the very least. he would not e allowed to take any more damage. Even with Maho's pain, this would remain absolute. Slowly but surely the fist lowers itself to the ground just beyond the Seireitei's walls. The fingers open up to reveal his body cracked and broken. Any qualified enough to aid him could now do so.
Maho, too weak to continue quickly loses consciousness, in far too much pain to do anything more. They had done it. Collectively they had managed to stop the overgrown soul train. But what danger lurked beyond their grasp? They hadn't the energy left to ponder that this day. For now, many more were saved than lost.
The knight and the Dragon together, were heroes this day. Maho hadn't seen Kyomu at all today. He had known little of his exploits. Still, with the help of those below acting as a foundation, they had managed to carry the brunt of it all on their backs. This is what it meant to be a Captain. To lay one's very soul down for the soul society. What criticisms would come, and come they would, were best left for another day. For a time they would all need rest. Plenty of it. This day, even in loss, was won.

 

[Shinigami]

Once his Hado had run its course Tenzen stared at the sky, hoping that this would buy time for someone to stop or destroy the Kototsu but he didn't calculate that the thing would return with such fury. It set the limitless blue sky ablaze, returning with a hellish fury most only read about in novels of fiction and fantasy. His heart was racing, his jaw tightened and a cold sweat began to rise from his body as he began to regret pushing the thing into the sky, in his attempt to protect the Soul Society he ended up dooming it instead. This was a failure on his part, a massive failure that will haunt him for years to come, however, with all these negative thoughts rebounding constantly inside his head he remained calm and focused. He wanted to atone for this failure, even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process and so he drew his Zanpakuto, his hands shaking and the cold sweat dampening the grips of his blades. If he could just make contact with it, maybe he could erase it. Maybe by the time it reached the ground most of it will be erased and only part of the Soul Society will be damaged. Maybe enough of its speed would be stalled allowing for another to stop or move it. If he is flung through time and space, it wouldn't matter so long as he could make amends for his failure. Even in this dire situation, Tenzen thinks steps ahead about what can be done rather than falling into despair. He held his Zanpakuto horizontal in front of him and began to speak.
"Ban-"
He is cut off by the sudden appearance of Captain Mukuro, he didn't expect to see him there considering what was happening with Division 2 earlier. But since he was there he came to the conclusion there must have been some misunderstanding that happened, yeah that's it. Tenzen was one who could blindly put faith in his superiors as they have their positions for a reason and he is not one to dispute anything they say. This would be one such example of that faith and respect as Captain Mukuro gave him direct and simple orders that could not be confused in any way, shape, or form.
”Leave. Now. You are powerless to do anything against this. Leave it to Captain Kagayaki.”
He quickly sheathed his Zanpakuto and held his right hand up, the Kido box that held onto Captain Kojima's Haori appeared over his palm. Tenzen bowed to Captain Mukuro and made himself scarce heading towards the walls of the Seireitei, Kido box in hand. The Captains he respected and put his faith in had a plan and this put him at ease, he wasn't about to stress or worry over them, it's not in his nature to do so nor was it his right. While retreating he heard the voice of Captain Kagayaki, if he was lax in his pace before he wouldn't be now.
Everyone! Get as far away from here as possible, not a single soul needs to be here or you all will die! You WILL die! Allow me to receive this burden.. allow me to show the same knowledge of sacrifice as you have all shown me! Leave, Now!
Being threatened with the possibility of an absolute death Tenzen made all haste to the walls of the Seireitei. He didn't stop for rest until he made it to that wall, and when he turned back to check on the situation only to see towering crystals rising into the sky or was it a crystal tower? He wasn't sure but he knew it had to be Captain Kagayaki, Koushou Taichou, the moniker finally made sense to him. A blinding light erupted from the top of the tower, enough to make Tenzen turn and advert his gaze from it and he remained turned away until hearing a loud crashing sound then, after a while, silence fell. He was finally able to turn around and see that the Kototsu was gone along with the crystal tower, Captain Kagayaki stopped it. With the danger gone he sat on the ground, reflecting on the day's events, mostly his amateur mistake that almost destroyed the Soul Society. He had seen a lot though, his ally's abilities, everyone's quick response to danger, and how they were able to resolve the situation albeit in a rather destructive manner. He looked at his left hand for a moment then sat it on his lap. Tenzen's gaze shifts upward to see a giant blackened hand lowering itself just beyond the walls, what was Captain Kojima up to? Using his sense of Reiryoku he was able to hone in on the weakened form of Captain Kagayaki. He turned his senses away from the hand and pushed the thought to the back of his mind, not wanting to think about how badly damaged the Captain must be.
"I have to start doing something. I can't sit idle and maintain barriers forever."
He speaks out loud to himself to help get the gears turning in his brain, help him focus on what he needs to start doing from this point onward. He knew he had to start paying attention more and stop isolating himself, at least from the larger issues of the Seireitei. He had to stop being a custodian to the barriers and the Senkaimon and become a warrior, it is what his family prides themselves on, after all. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly for about thirty seconds before standing to his feet. He looks at the Haori in the Kido box, then to the ground, and then out to the ruined Rukongai.
"Guess I had better return the Captain's Haori now... Hopefully, I can drop it off with minimal interaction from people..."