Razor Edge is my Resolve
All Guilty is Absolved
My Body a Shield
My Sword, staining the Field
I am Society's Blade
A Predator Among Us
Falling Stars I
Zer0 Chance For Peace
Soul Society.
A realm that has existed since the dawn of the three realms. The pedestal of the world that has governed the transmigration of souls from the Living World. For over a million years it has stood up to the passage of time, and persevered against conflicts both from within and from the outside.
It's a world five particular entities have never stepped foot in since their birth.
Appearing in a flash of light, the squad of beings wore black cloaks with hoods hiding their heads. Landing with a series of bare feet touching the roof of the center of the Seireitei, at the tallest tower of the Senzaikyū - the Penitent Palace.
They exchange glances around, eyeing their surroundings.
"Whoooooaaaaa!" One of them proclaiming, wide blue eyes shining brightly as she yelled out at the top of her lungs. "The Soul Society is so big! Hello there, world!"
"Oi, Hasuka!" The one at the center growled out - Mera Hiuchigashima - her reddish hair ponytail framing her boyish pale face with dull crimson eyes glaring. "We don't want to cause a scene! Last thing we want is to have Shinigami gutting us for trespassing!"
"We're not trespassing if we're envoys from the Reiōkyū," Hasuka said with a raised finger and a grin. "Besides, we come bearing gifts. Isn't that right?"
She thumbed over to the cloaked figure who was slender as she was tall: Tokie Tonokawa. She had a fair complexion like porcelain with a mature cheekboned face with dark eyes and long lashes to compliment her long black hair tucked behind her head in the hood.
"Why am I carrying all of these?" The tallest asked, holding a large cloth wrapped sack, clinking with the audible sound of something clicking together inside.
"Someone had to," Hasuka said with a shrug.
"Why didn't I get picked?" Asked the shortest one, a pixie faced, pink haired girl with blushes on her cheeks: Nonomi Nomi.
"It's because you're not the one to do heavy lifting this time," Hasuka explained, bending down and grinning at her. "Don't worry, we'll find something for you to do."
"Promise?" Nomi asked.
"Pinky swear," Hasuka affirmed with an outstretched finger.
The smaller girl grinned as she wrapped her digit around Hasuka's.
"We should get moving," Tsumiko Tsuchimiya, a bandaged slender woman declared, her red eyes seen even from the hem of her cowl as she looks to Mera for input. "The Kidō we used won't buy us much time. How long do you think we have until he figures out we're gone."
"Knowing him, he probably knew the moment we disappeared from Hōōden," Mera surmised, looking back to Hasuka with arms crossed. "Nimaiya's got the Chōkaimon, but I'm not sure if he'll use it, especially if he brings anyone else with him. That should buy us time. Probably eight hours if they use the Tenchūren, maybe more or less if they come down themselves."
"Do you think Nimaiya's coming after us?" Hasuka asked, standing upright and placing both hands on her hips. "He knows why we would leave."
"Whatever you think, he is the Royal Guard first. That means whoever sits on the throne is his priority over anything else," Mera stoically spoke, turning to look at the other four women surrounding him. "We may be his bodyguards, but he told us before he got himself killed that we should do whatever we want with our lives should the worst come to pass. And we want to get that thing off the throne and snap Nimaiya back to his senses."
"And, if we can't get through to him?" Hasuka asks.
"We kill him," Mera says, harshly.
The five became quiet at this being said. They all knew what was at stake, especially when they overheard the plans for the six realms. If they can't get word out soon, and come up with a plan, all of reality is in danger of irreversible change.
Yet, Ouetsu Nimaiya is their master. Their creator. Can they really be forced to be his executioner, regardless if he can be brought back or not?
A set of feet tap on the ground in front of them, causing all five to turn on the balls of their feet.
The woman in front of them is a beautiful Shinigami, draped in a tight black form-fitting kosode and hakama with arms and back exposed. With sleeves poised along the arms to the elbow, a pair of tabi slippers, the Shinigami appeared to be a Captain by reiatsu alone.
"Where did you come from?" Suifeng asked, her eyes knitted into a glare with both hands balled up into fists on either side of her. "Identify yourselves."
Looking at each other, they nodded with acknowledgement. Getting on their knees, they placed their hands on the ground while bowing their heads to the floor.
"We're the Sword Five, Royal Guard Ouetsu Nimaiya's bodyguards and assistants," Hasuka spoke aloud, raising her face up as she gestures to the sack and themselves. "We come to deliver gifts and urgent news to the Gotei 13 of the plans the one called Aaroniero Arrurerie has, and of what has transpired since she has taken the throne of the Reiō."
"Taken?" Suifeng gasped, her body shifting back with shock. "What's happened? Tell me the Palace hasn't fallen!"
"Please take us to the Captain Commander!" Hasuka urged with insistence in her voice as much as her face. "We have hours before they come for us! Time is of the essence!"
"Captain Commander…" She paused, as if her mind wandered to someone else. Shaking her head, she gestures for them to follow.
The five lept from the tower, the five gliding across the sky of the Seireitei after the curvaceous form of the mysterious woman.
As they sailed across the massive feudal city, Yoruichi remained very quiet. Even to complete strangers like the Sword Five, it was clear that the atmosphere in the Soul King's Court is quite grin.
Why wouldn't it be, when they suffered their most critical defeat in known history?
The six descended atop the First Division barracks, a number of black uniforms seen assembled around the courtyard. From the sounds and repetitive gestures they seem to be training, with officers overseeing the progress of the unseated members of the Division.
Landing on the balcony, Suifeng walked into a spacious room - barren of furnishings save for a single table where a man is hunched over it.
"Captain Commander," Suifeng addressed him, getting on one knee with a fist planted on the floor, bowing her head. "I bring news from the Reiōkyū. These five are envoys from the Zero Division and wish to share what they have discovered."
Jushirō turned from the table. His gray eyes had a shadow beneath them, a combination of sleep deprivation and dread clung to his pale features. In front of him is a map of the Seireitei, as well as books and papers of history and astrology.
Looking from Suifeng to the Sword Five, he let out a sigh.
"Leave us, Captain," Jushirō said, his gentle voice hollow of emotion.
The Onmitsukidō Chief left without a word, vanishing into thin air.
The man looked over at the five women, his eyes softened and a semblance of a smile - weak, but there - as he gestures to them.
"Forgive me, but had I known we were having guests I would have set up cushions for you," Jushirō said, scratching his chin as he closed his eyes. "How is Ouetsu? It's been some time since I saw him, since Kirio got promoted I believe. I trust he's well."
"Master Nimaiya is fine," Hasuka says with a sad smile. "Though, I'm not sure what qualifies as fine anymore."
"Because the Reiō was eaten?"
All five women blink wide.
"You know?!" Nomi balked out with bright eyes twinkling. "How?!"
"Aaroniero told me what she planned before she left the Living World," Jushirō confirmed calmly. "Most of us could feel the battle from here. The reiatsu of the Zero Division clashing is something else for certain. I could only deduct that when the world didn't collapse, Aaroniero had become the new Reiō."
"Yeah, she's the Reiō," Mera intoned, eyes glowering with fists balled up at her sides. "Oshou got his head removed, and the rest of the Royal Guard is pledged to her. Worse, she just got even more followers ever since she went to war with the Quincies."
"Quincy?" Jushirō asked, his calm breaking at this news. "You mean, there was more?"
The Sword Five went into depth of what they knew.
An army formed from the fragments of an old empire that the Gotei had destroyed a thousand years ago that dwelled in the shadows of the Soul Society. Due to cunning schemes and overwhelming force, Yhwach was defeated and managed to coerce the survivors to swear fealty to her.
"I see," Jushirō furrowed his brow, looking back at the table in front of himself. "I had suspicions from what Genryūsai said. The Quincies from back then were an elusive bunch, with even those that didn't align with each other finding ways to persist. To think they had an army as formidable as the one you described."
"We have bigger problems than just a bunch of cultists becoming her shock troops," Hasuka cut in, pointing to the ceiling as she made eye contact with Jushirō. "The Reiō is planning to alter the realms, destroying three of the six to alter all Hollows so they can break free of the curse of Hollowification. I think she might even fuse Soul Society with Hueco Mundo when she succeeds."
"And to make matters worse," Tsumiko chimed in, raising seven bandage wrapped fingers up for emphasis. "We have about seven hours, give or take, before Nimaiya and whoever else is going with him to get us back."
Knitting his brows together, Jushirō looked at the five women with a cagey expression. Standing upright, he walked to the door of the chamber, opening it with a single harsh clack.
Behind it, Kiyone and Sentarō fall backwards from the removed barrier with comical thuds.
"A-Ah, Captain!" Sentarō stammered out, bowing with Kiyone immediately. "We weren't eavesdropping, we swear!"
"Knowing the situation makes this easier," Jushirō says, looking down at the two seriously. "Go to the Twelth Division barracks and inform them of the situation. They'll know what to do."
"Yessir!" Kiyone said in sync with Sentarō, the pair leaping to their feet and dashing out of sight down the hall of the barracks.
Without turning, Jushirō spoke again but quieter.
"Captain Suifeng."
Appearing in a blur with the sound of air shifting, the lithe woman manifested in a kneeling posture.
"Yes, Captain Commander."
"Use Tenteikūra to convey the situation across the Seireitei to Lieutenants and Captains present," He ordered, eyes turning to look down at her. "We prepare for battle with the Zero Division and take defensive positions around the four gates. I'll send the Kidō Corps to help reinforce those areas."
"Yessir," She intoned gravely, disappearing at once.
Once she left, Mera let out a scoff.
"That's not going to be enough," She clicked her teeth, maroon eyes meeting Jushirō's silvery-gray orbs. "Nimaiya on his own is one of the strongest Shinigami to ever live. If he brings the others with him, not even your combined strength can stop them."
"Compared to Aaroniero, I like our chances of survival better facing the Royal Guard," Jushirō confessed with a mirthful smile. "Plus, I have been planning for such an occasion as this."
"You better be careful with that line of thinking," Tsumiko chided the Captain Commander with a tilt of her head. "Greater people have tried and failed to get better of the Royal Guard. The only reason Aaroniero was able to win is using that Hōgyoku to overpower their lethal abilities."
Jushirō paused, looking at Tsumiko thoughtfully. What she said isn't untrue. The caliber of their reiatsu was in a league of their own, and given what he knew of a colleague of his, their strength isn't to be taken lightly.
Yet, he had his own means of dealing with them.
"Trust me," Jushirō says with a smile of confidence. "We have been busy using our loss at Karakura Town to become our strength. The Royal Guard is but a stepping stone for our return to form. Once we deal with them, the Reiōkyū is next."
"You're going to die," Mera says with a cynical dry stare poised at him.
"I have been dying for centuries," Jushirō confessed, an air of confidence radiating off the man's black tresses and slender yet muscular physique. "For the first time, I am going to live."
Hasuka raised a hand to cut off whatever Mera was about to say. The two Zanpakutō exchanged a pair of hard looks before they turned from each other, with Mera crossing her arms and scowling in the other direction.
"You may be right, there is a chance you can defeat them," Tokie speaks up, surprising the other women as she looks at Jushirō, a stoic expression crossing her usually forlorn features. "The Zero Division is strong but their years in isolation make them arrogant. If you have the means to challenge them, don't hesitate. They are traitors to the Palace for serving a Hollow. The only thing I ask is if you can, spare Nimaiya."
"I make no promises," Jushirō confesses gently. "I would rather I don't have to spill their blood. But if they serve Aaroniero it means there may be no avoiding it."
"We understand," Hasuka says with a sad smile, placing hands on her hips and sticking her chest out. "We won't hold a grudge. We came here to help, after all."
"I was meaning to ask," Jushirō queried with a raised brow at the large cloth sack that is hefted over the tall woman's shoulder. "What did you bring with you?"
"Asauchi," Nomi jumped up, gesturing to the sack with a beaming grin. "We offer our services to forge Zanpakutō for Shinigami that need it."
"There's also some Zanpakutō we smuggled out of the Hōōden," Tsumiko added with a glance at the sack. "We would have brought more, but most of them are too loyal to Master Nimaiya."
"Can they be used for a fight?"
"Yeah, but only if they want to," Hasuka says with a shrug. "A lot of the Zanpakutō Nimaiya creates are fickle. We are already way too independent to be used in a traditional sense, hence why we operate akin to Shinigami."
"Regardless, we're here for our services as smiths first, warriors second," Mera implored with a hard stare. "If it was up to me, I'd love to escape into the wilderness and find a way to hide our reiatsu. It'll drive him away from the Seireitei and make it hard for him to find us."
"In that case," Jushirō says, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "There is one Shinigami that could use your service…"
Department of Research and Development
"Aha, I see," Kisuke Urahara says, after getting the debrief from the pair of 3rd Seats. In conjunction with the state of emergency from Suifeng, he had been given all the information he deemed necessary.
"What do you mean, aha?" Sentarō asked the former Captain. "Why are you acting like you knew this was going to happen?"
"I didn't, but I did calculate the possibility of being paid a visit by the Zero Division," Kisuke says, turning back to a particular space in the department that had been converted into a platform churning with pylons or energy around it.
Mayuri himself is looking through various pieces of the machine while paying attention to various clipboards Akon and other officers showed him of their findings. Nemu is seen taking orbs of light and fastening them into the base of the platform, with Crisol de Razas - the slender androgynous Mod Arrancar created by Szayel - holding an armful of parts and tools for her to reach back without looking his way.
"How did you figure that?" Kiyone asked with a tilt of her head.
"If Aaroniero has indeed become the Reiō, then that means the loyalty of the Zero Division extends to her," He says, folding his arms in his sleeves, observing the platform hum with energy as more orbs are fastened into place. "Sending them down here to get rid of us was something I and everyone else is prepared for, more or less."
"Are we going to have Ichigo stand up to them?" Sentarō asked hopefully.
Kisuke turned to smile at him.
"Right?" He presses nervously.
"Ichigo is out of reach for now," He explains to him and Kiyone. "The Captain Commander is aware of it. Ichigo and a group of select Shinigami are taking advantage of the Dangai Precipice World's current stability, using that place as a training center so they can center themselves in tune with their Zanpakutō."
"That makes sense," Sentarō grumbles, scratching his head thoughtfully as he remembers how easily Aaroniero dismissed the Gotei's combined attacks. If anyone could stand up to a monster like that, it's Ichigo Kurosaki.
"Wait, you said there are others," Kiyone said, looking nervously at Kisuke. "How many of us are there for training?"
"I'd say," Kisuke tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Lieutenant Ise and Hisagi are there, with Abarai leaving there not long ago due to a summons from the Captain Commander. Captains Kuchiki, Hitsugaya, and Komamura are there as well."
"So, who's guarding the Seireitei?" Kiyone asked with increasing worry. "If the Zero Division is coming, we need everyone! Aren't they the guys who regularly hunt Menos Grande for fun?"
"We took down like, six of them not long ago, though," Sentarō reminded her.
"That was something I want to forget," Kiyone says with a visible twitch. "And we barely did anything. It was Lieutenant Isane and Ise that did most of the work."
"'Barely did anything,' says you!" Sentarō snapped, jabbing his finger at Kiyone's forehead. "I kicked ass out there! I almost brought down an Espada myself!"
"First off, she wasn't even a true Espada!" She snapped back. "Secondly, we almost took her down. You had Kidō wrapped around your Zanpakutō, remember?!"
"At least I'll take credit for what I was doing instead of being a constant angsty downer on myself like someone I know!"
"You are a huge jerk-!"
"Can you do this somewhere else?" Kisuke asks quietly with a sigh.
Renji Abarai is furious.
The summons couldn't have come at a worst time. He was in the midst of training with Zabimaru, and apart from his personal strength, he didn't feel any closer to his Zanpakutō. Something is missing and he felt like there was a piece he was about to solve.
Then, he's jostled out of his trance by an Onmitsukidō Officer. Guided away along the path back to the Seireitei's Senkaimon, the Precipice World is completely still along the normally enclosing barriers of reishi dissolving blackness. A glow of emerald stretched down a fifty meter length, maintained by Tessai Tsukabishi; still cross-legged and holding his hands in a prayer stance.
He eyed the others, seeing sweat ebbing off Nanao and Hisagi. Byakuya Kuchiki and Toshirō Hitsugaya were next down the line with serene expressions upon their faces. Lastly, is Ichigo, who had a blank expression below his closed eyes.
It had been a full day since they started, though from the Soul Society's perspective, it's equivalent to nearly a year. His hair grew longer, his height seemed to be a bit taller and a certain sense of enlightenment was there he couldn't fathom.
So in a way, him leaving amidst training with only a marginal increase to his abilities felt frustrating.
Guided to the other side, he was surprised to say the least that a mysterious entourage of figures stood before him.
Five women, wrapped in black cloaks of varying size, stood there accompanied by another woman.
Kidō Corps Lieutenant, Ryūten Kyōkō stood next to them in her purple Shihakushō with a black cloak with gold embroidery.
"Ah, good you made it," Mera says, eyeing Renji skeptically. "So, you got a Bankai problem for us?"
"Huh?!" Renji gawked, jabbing a finger at the small woman. "Bankai problem?! My Bankai is fine! Who the Hell are you?!"
"The one who is starting to regret offering my services to you," Mera sighs as she pinches the bridge of her nose.
"I didn't ask for service-wait," Renji stops, looking at the Kidō Lieutenant. "What's this about?"
"Lieutenant Abarai," Ryūten starts, gesturing to herself as her drill shaped twin tails bob with her half moon hair pins. "I'm here to escort you to a place to have your Zanpakutō reforged in the outskirts of Soul Society. It's a low population territory that has ample source of water, perfect for the task-"
"Reforge…Zabimaru?" Renji scrunched up his brows in confusion.
"Your Captain Commander explained that, upon first using it, it along with your body suffered terrible damage," Hasuka stepped in, pointing to the sword sheathed on his person. "While this service is not ordinarily offered to Shinigami due to the rarity of such damage being capable of fixing, we have a feeling that there's still a chance we can salvage your Zanpakutō in a reforging of it."
"Especially if your Zanpakutō hasn't told you their true name," Tsumiko chimed in with a raised finger.
True Name?
Renji hadn't even considered that. He has battled and trained with Zabimaru for ages. He always assumed he and his Zanpakutō saw eye to eye.
Yet, he assumed that, yet why did he feel so weak?
There had to be more to this. A test he has yet to overcome, or a question he has yet to ask himself.
"Do you think I can see the truth during reforging my Zanpakutō?" Renji asks, his knuckles clenched tightly at his sides.
"We're not Nimaiya, so it really is up to you," Hasuka admitted, though smiled regardless. "Your Asauchi will lay your soul bare, both of your Zanpakutō and yourself. You'll be seeing him as he truly is, not the other way around. I think you got a chance."
"Then I'll take it!" Renji shouted out, his hand raised into a determined fist. "I have to become strong. It's the only way I can get to Aaroniero, so I can avenge Rukia! I have to see this through!"
Ryūten smiled, glad to see such fire exists in such a wounded man. All five Zanpakutō also looked like they were satisfied by his answer, seeing his resolve in person.
"Alright," She turned to them, stretching a hand out to unravel a white band of fabric that revolved up and around the seven of them. Seconds later, a sudden whoosh of air-
-and they appear at a serene lake, surrounded by a circle of trees with a statue of something resembling a man with horns with a sword clenched, stabbing into the ground; overlooking their entire area at a height of thirty meters tall.
"I shall erect a barrier so we aren't disturbed," Ryūten declared, making a series of gestures of her hands while muttering an incantation.
"Flowing scales. Rivers of silk, envelop the firmament and become my sanctuary. Right goes the way of faith, left goes the path of deceit. I stand on the pillar of stillness!"
Swiveling her hands as light ebbed from either hand, ending with both hands resting inverted with palms touching and clenched digits save for outstretched thumbs and forefingers. A pool of water flowed from her feet spreading up and around their environment, swirling a vortex till a singular eye formed - staring from the center of the dome down at the lake.
Twisting them around in a clockwise manner, the eye closed, causing all of the swirling water to be stilled and the dome became a mass of deep blue hue. No sound could be heard beyond, and no sight of what lay outside.
"Arashinome," She exhaled out, turning to the six as she placed her arms within the folds of her kosode.
"We should be undisturbed. No one can sense us from beyond, and even if they do, they can't get through the barrier so long as I remain inside."
Renji wondered why the extra precautions were placed. Did they think this forging was really this dangerous? Why did she place emphasis on being disturbed?
"Okay!" Hasuka yelled out, raising a fist into the air. "Sword Five, let's get to work!"
Turning his head, he saw the five girls made a beeline for the nearby monument. In seconds, they disassembled it in a blur, causing him to grimace at an ancient piece of art coldly converted into what he could describe as a large furnace. Being heated up, with water poured into a basin, they pulled out what he told was a white being with mouths for eyes out from a cloth sack.
As he approached it, the being knelt before him, and raised a hand. Reaching for it, he saw the face twist on it, resembling something akin to a baboon with a snake tail jutting from it.
"Huh, I guess you got the right mindset before you came here," Hasuka noted with pleased surprise. "Alright, now let's get to work."
As they began the arduous process, Ryūten felt a sudden ping in her head. A flood of information surged into her mind, words spoken from afar using Tenteikūra.
The Royal Guard have arrived! Prepare yourselves!
The Tenchūren could be seen for miles. Even before the reiatsu could be felt, the audible sound of shredding air with flames billowing off the enormous pillar came down to the earth at an immense velocity.
When it touched down, the earth cracked and shook for dozens of miles. Like a spear hurled from heaven, the Reiō's Zero Division had arrived.
A slot depressed along the face near the bottom, raising up to reveal the white cloaked figures.
Emerging with stoic determination, the ancient Shinigami started off with Kirinji Tenjiro, the 1st Officer of the Zero Division. His paddle sheathe had been removed in advance, leaving his sealed spear in the open as he held it over one shoulder.
Kirio Hikifune, the 2nd Officer, emerged second. Her sword sheathed at her waist from her light colored obi, a smile played at her lips as she stepped onto the cracked ground stemming from the landing site.
Ouetsu Nimaiya, the 3rd Officer, came out next. He had a black sheathed sword with an eight pointed star tsuba of silver, the handle and sheath a stark black, complementing his grim countenance.
Next came Shūtara Senjumaru, the 4th Officer, gliding out with a set of four golden arms creaking behind her ornamental headpiece fixed hair. She had her usual red lips curled into a confident smirk, the air about her assured and composed.
Last came out Gin Ichimaru, his thin lipped mouth smirking and squinted eyes.
"I don't know why she even bothered getting all of us together," Kirinji sighs out, looking over at Nimaiya's sullen face pointedly. "This is your mess. You should have come here alone."
"Believe me, I wanted to be here alone," Nimaiya confessed, bowing his head before jerking his thumb at the two women standing to his left. "But 'Kirio' insisted she come with 'Shūtara'. And we're being watched by the snake, so I don't get much say in this."
"Tch," Kirinji clicked his tongue in annoyance, pulling out a pipe to smoke. As he placed it in his mouth, he lit it up while looking at the others.
"We're here for the Zanpakutō, not the Shinigami," He says with a graveled voice. "Follow my lead so we can get this done, quickly and without distractions. Anyone have a problem with that?"
"None from me," Gin says, pointing out with a raised hand. "I'm here to observe, so you'll get no problems from me."
"Gee, aren't you thoughtful?"
"I am really," Gin says matter-of-fact.
"As long as you don't keep us from fulfilling the mission, you won't have any complaints from me," Shūtara smoothly commented.
"Uh huh, like I'm not just talking to a Reiō puppet right now?" Officer Tenjirō scoffed.
"I am as free willed as the Arrancar and Shinigami she has recreated," Shūtara replied nonplussed, a puppet arm gesturing to herself as another pointed to Kirinji. "You know better than anyone, that death means nothing to us. So long as the Palace stands, the Zero Division will endure, no matter the form."
"If you say so," Kirinji sneered, looking over to Kirio. "Though I don't appreciate my colleague's body being hijacked."
"Trust me, I think I know how to make a better guard than she ever was," the possessed Kirio flaunted with a dramatic wave of her hand. "I live to serve just as you do. I wouldn't dare undermine your authority, First Officer Kirinji Tenjirō."
"You better not, you damned Hollow-!
"Wait," Nimaiya says, catching the two's attention as he stares ahead with confusion. "I can't tell where the Sword Five are."
"That's not possible," Kirinji balked with blinking eyes. "How can that be possible?"
"They would have to use a high level Kidō, most likely a barrier, to conceal their presence," Nimaiya hissed out, clenching his teeth and palming his face with frustration. "Of course they'd say something about that to them! They could be anywhere now!"
"Not to worry," Shūtara says.
Gin looked at her with interest, her puppet arms gesturing in the air with a single red thread connected to an outstretched needle. Ribbons numbering in the tens to hundreds of thousands, with the majority being white and a number of them being red.
"This is a traditional technique I developed for tracking souls that have become lost," Shūtara explains to no one's benefit, as all Shinigami are aware of her contributions to the Soul Society. "This will take some time, but I can find the loose trace of the Zanpakutō left behind."
"Then I guess we wait here until you find us a lead-"
"Oi," A voice called out to them. They looked up, seeing a looming shadow seated upon the Tenchūren. Creeping along their spines came the feeling like a sword held across their necks. "Which of you is the strongest?"
VMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!
Before they could even say a word, the Tenchūren trembled, quaking in place under an enormous pressure of reiatsu.
KOOM!
Slamming into the ground with explosive force, the five leapt away in a scattering motion.
"Who the Hell-?" Kirinji began to say, making out the large hulking figure. Long hair draped over broad shoulders, a ragged Haori slung over a Shihakushō with an eye patch covering one eye.
"I've been waiting for you guys to get moving ever since you dropped down," Zaraki says with a broad grin, raising his sword towards them. "But I got sick of waiting. Come at me, all at once or one at a time. It doesn't matter to me," he finishes with a swipe of his sword, dashing at them with a raking swing at them, "let's have the fight of our lives!"
A/N: Yes, Kenpachi is here and very excited as I am. Whether he can handle the Zero Division on his own will have to wait till next time. As for Renji, he's going through a lot of things but is resolved to push forward regardless. Can't wait to show you all how the next step in the story progresses.
Until then, may the Spirits always be with you!