"Howl Zabimaru!" Renji bellowed as he swung his Zanpakuto at an oncoming fiend. The Seireitei was in chaos, hundreds of Hollow like fiends had appeared within the barrier of Soul Society and had viciously been killing innocent civilians, the Shinigami had instantly stepped in to kill the fiends but it seemed that for every one they killed, another would take its place.
The demons gained on Renji as he bounded from rooftop to rooftop, cutting them down.
"They're weak by themselves but there's just too many" he thought as another four lunged at him. More lightning fast strikes and Renji bounded up another level leaving the monsters without a target.
"I've never seen such hollows" he thought as he looked down at an approaching monster. It was short with scythes as hands and was a bloody colour red. Its eyes were black and seemed bottomless; Renji had never seen such an adversary. As the Hollow lunged, Renji back flipped, Zabimaru whipping around in time to cut the fiend to shreds.
"I have to get to the Captain, I have to find out what's going on" Renji muttered as he flash stepped out of the way of yet another Hollow attack.
As Renji tore across the rooftops, down below he saw bodies of Shinigami, Shinigami killed by the invading Hollows. He wanted to stop and help but he already knew it was too late, their souls were since destroyed and Renji vowed to make them pay for what they had done. More Hollows were appearing; from his viewpoint Renji saw the portals opening in the sky.
"What the hell could have done this?" he wondered.
"Renji!" a voice called, mid-step Renji paused and looked across. Immediately the form of Soi Fong appeared not six feet from him, her soldiers appearing almost immediately after.
"Captain, what is going on?" Renji asked, bowing slightly
"I have no idea, my soldiers can barely hold them back, and already I have been told they have swarmed through Seireitei and Rukongai" she told him "The Captains have been called back, you had better come too"
Renji nodded and the group of soldiers vanished, heading off towards the other Captains.
Zaraki, although already haven been given the order to return to Seireitei was not letting such an order get in his way. With Yachiru on his back and his nameless Zanpakuto in hand, he was in his element. Hollows launched themselves at him from all sides, not a single one getting a chance to strike and Kenpachi easily cut them from the air.
"These Hollows, a strange breed" Kenpachi chuckled as he caught one by the head and cut it in half.
"They don't have any chest holes" Yachiru pointed out as the Hollow collapsed into dust.
"Then maybe they're not real hollows" Kenpachi mused as he struck another down with ease
"We'd better be going, old man Shigekuni will be real angry if we're not there" Yachiru warned him playfully.
"Hmph, and I was having such fun" Kenpachi smiled as he turned and walked away, despite Hollows closing in on him. With a wave of his sword, a shot of energy, the hollows exploded on the spot.
Up in Seireitei, with all captains and their lieutenants present, the meeting began.
"Shinigami have secured this building against these new adversaries" the First Division Captain informed the ranks.
"From what we know, they have merely stepped through a portal, we don't know where from" Kurotsuchi, Captain of the 12th Division, explained "They are completely new to us"
"They are weak adversaries, we should have them cleared out by the end of the day" Byakuya Kuchiki explained solemnly.
"It's not a question of their lack of strength, they are almost infinite in number, portals keep opening every few seconds" Kurotsuchi informed them "The longer we stand here the more time passes, the more of these beings appear"
"Can you close the portals?" Shigekuni questioned
"As of yet we've found no way" Kurotsuchi told him.
"That is to be your first priority, as for the rest of you, secure Seireitei then Rukongai" Shigekuni ordered. Byakuya bowed and was the first to leave the room.
"Kuchiki, you seem to be in a hurry" Kyouraku called after Byakuya as they stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the lower branches of Seireitei.
"Nonsense, I just want this chapter over" Byakuya assured him
"Well you were one of the last to arrive and the first to leave, am I mistaken in thinking that you're taking this personally for some reason?" the laid back captain smiled
"They are attacking Seireitei, they must be dealt with, that is all there is to it" Byakuya told him, his voice cold and strong "Scatter, Senbonzakura"
In the pink flash, his blade vanished and the particles shot through the air towards the oncoming hollows beneath them. Kyouraku smiled as Byakuya vanished along with his scattered blade. Below them he could hear the shrieking of Hollows as Senbonzakura made quick work of them.
"What was that about?" Ise Nanao asked as she came out of the meeting hall
"Just a bit of friendly banter between Captains Nanao, its ok" he assured her as he watched Byakuya head towards the edge of the city, sword flashing menacingly.
"You should be doing the same" Nanao told him "Not standing here winding him up"
"There are more than enough Captains and Lieutenants out there fighting as well as normal Shinigami, I won't be missed, I think I'll sit this out until it gets worse" he sighed "Why get my hands dirty when I don't need to?" with no other word he walked away. Nanao was aghast
"You're just going to sit it out?" she said, running after him
"Well I was planning on lying it out, a good nap" he told her over his shoulder "You shouldn't worry"
"I can't believed you're so relaxed when it comes to just dismissing orders!" Nanao snapped
"Oh relax" he smirked as he waved her away "They won't notice"
Out in the field, Hitsugaya made his way to the side of an injured shinigami from the 11th division. The shinigami gasped as the captain roared up to the attacking hollow and cut it neatly in two before it's ashes scattered to the wind.
"Are you ok?" Hitsugaya asked as the shinigami soldier got to his feet
"Yes, Captain, Thank you for saving me" the shinigami thanked him. All of a sudden more hollows came hurtling over a nearby wall, heading straight for Hitsugaya and ignoring the shinigami soldier completely. Hitsugaya vaulted, rolled and twirled avoiding attacks and striking back but the hollows were learning and adapting. The shinigami stepped in but instantly found his path cut by two of the hollows. Seconds later nothing remained of the attacking demon souls as Hyourinmaru, his powerful Zanpakuto, cut through them.
"They seem to be learning who's the stronger" Hitsugaya told the shinigami "They too are getting stronger" Hitsugaya waved his hand and a Hell Butterfly appeared immediately.
"To all Captains and Lieutenants, it is not advisable for soldiers to operate alone, it would seem that the enemy is quickly adapting to our strengths. Soldiers must travel in large groups or smaller groups with either a Lieutenant or if possible a Captain" he spoke. Almost immediately the message was passed around Seireitei.
In the South of Seireitei, almost immediately after receiving the message, a small group of 5th division soldiers encountered a strange black mist. After hearing the message from 10th division Captain Hitsugaya they were on their guard and approached the mist was caution.
"I think we should back off and inform one of the captains" a cautious male advised his comrade.
"I agree with him, it could be dangerous" a female shinigami agreed, her sword pointed at the mist which hung ahead of them.
"Don't worry so much, it's just a mist" the soldier laughed as he walked up to it and tried waving the mist away with his Zanpakuto. The instant his Zanpakuto touched the dark substance the sword exploded, it screamed in agony as its metal blade transformed into red sparks of light. The black mist suddenly became liquid rather than gas and began to revolve and thrash around. All shinigami in a fifty meter radius were driven to their knees by an incredibly overwhelming spiritual pressure. The spiritual pressure roared across Seireitei taking shinigami by surprise at its appearance.
Byakuya stopped in his tracks as he sensed the powerful pressure from the South.
"Another enemy?" he wondered aloud, instantly setting off towards the point of contact. All across Seireitei the other Captains were doing the same.
Byakuya was second to arrive, Captain Ukitake of the 13th division was the first, he stood several feet away from the powerful liquid substance which had become disk shaped and was revolving rapidly. All around them the other Captains were appearing.
"What on earth is that?" Kenpachi asked over the roar of wind
"It's a portal of some kind" Kurotsuchi informed them "Something's coming"
As though his words held power the portal threw out a kimono clad teenage male with short, spiky dark hair. He looked and dressed identically to a shinigami; his eyes were blue and his skin pale. He wore his sword across his back like Hitsugaya only the blade of his was completely black. His spiritual pressure vanished as he got to his feet, gasping for breath and shuddering slightly.
Immediately Byakuya stepped forward, sword drawn
"Who are you?" Byakuya asked harshly.
"I…I come in peace" the male told him softly as he looked around at the Captains and Lieutenants "And my name…is Vincent Kuchiki"