"Hah. Bastards," complains Kenzo, cleaving a Hollow in half with a single stroke. Inky blood splatters across his kosode as the halfs strike the earth behind him. It had happened shortly after dawn when the Captain's had launched their assault on Hueco Mundo properly. Their departure was immediately met with a tide of Hollows all mindlessly throwing themselves at the Seireitei. The Divisions which had been moblized in case of such an event had quickly deployed beyond the walls of the Seireitei to meet this oncoming wave. A rush of wind assaults his ears as numerous glittering obsidian blades race past him, skewering several encroaching Hollows in the process before shattering their masks. "They swarm like locusts."
The baying of the Hollows and the screams of the dying pound against his ear drums as he scans the street. Kenzo recalls that this place had at one time been a rather lively and vibrant place filled with numerous restaurants, but such buildings have since been reduced to little more than heaps of splintered wood and rubble. Turning away and with a flick of his wrist a small spray of inky blood spatters the earth as he cleans his Zanpakuto. His personal cleanliness is an entirely different matter, however, spattered with Hollow's blood and soaked in sweat as he is. A burst of static assaults his ears and Tier strides past him calmly.
"I've cleared the next street," Tier says, gazing down the street. The speed at which she's been moving from street to street block to block has been increasing since the start of this conflict and in spite of all the fighting she doesn't show the slightest bit of fatigue.
"Understood. Let's-" Both move before he finishes his sentence only reappearing several meters away on opposite sides of the street as the earth is pulverized by a blast of Cero.
"Traitor!" hisses a low voice and Kenzo catches the blur of a white uniform sailing in Tier's direction. The ringing of metal upon metal echos through the street as Tier stops the Arrancar with a single arm. With ease she shoves back against the Arrancar and he leaps away, landing several meters from the pair.
"Seems you're a popular woman, Tier-san."
"So it would seem," Tier mutters, staring at the Arrancar. A chorus of thunderous howls echos in the distance, and Kenzo glances beyond the Arrancar towards the distance. The sky itself seems to crack and shatter only moments before a massive white mask presses through the cracks and then another and then another. Based on their size and the Reiatsu they are Gillians. "I will take care of the Arrancar. If those Gillian reach the North Gate then we risk losing control."
"Very well. I'll return after I've taken care of them." His figure flickers as he disappears, sailing past the Arrancar with Shunpo in the direction of the emerging Gillian. The Arrancar turns as he passes as if intending to give chase only for a firm hand to grasp his shoulder and with a single smooth motion turn and throw him into the burning remains of a nearby building. Splintering and cracking wood trails the rumble of the collapse of the building as flames and embers leap skywards. Charred wood settles for a few moments before shifting and rising skyward as the Arrancar pulls himself free to be confronted by a rapidly growing golden light.
"Cero." The beam of energy briefly blots the Arrancar from view, digging a furrow through the earth and finishing the demolishion of the burning building. Charred wood, embers and soot scatter in all directions as the Cero fades and Tier lowers her arm.
"Slither! Nishikihebi!" growls the Arrancar as Tier turns. The ringing of steel against steel echos through the street as Zanpakuto intercepts claws. The Arrancar has returned to his true self now as he confronts her in the form of an armed snake. It's clawed fingers rake against her blade, and it's tail whips around. Raising a forearm quickly to intercept the tail, it instead diverts at the last moment, and she tilts her head back. The rip of cloth accompanies a burst of a static as Sonido carries her several meters away from the Arrancar. Reaching up, Tier discards her now ruined scarf. "Now you see the power granted to me by Aizen-sama! All to destroy the traitor Harribel and her Shinigami masters!"
Tier's brow furrows slightly in response to his words. Truly, his strength does seem odd...he doesn't seem to be an Espada, and she doesn't recognize him by appearance alone. Perhaps this Arrancar was created after she'd fled Los Noches? Disregarding such things for the moment, she instead turns her mind to the unusual strength he seems to possess. Perhaps, as he said, he was created with the sole purpose of wreaking havoc within the Soul Society while the Captain's were otherwise indisposed? Whatever the case may be he does seem to possess strength equal to an Espada-class Arrancar. Since that is the case...it would be dangerous not to respond in kind.
"I see. If that is the case..." Tier hefts her Zanpakuto, pointing the blade directly at the Arrancar. "...Destroy! Tiburón!" Her Reiatsu surges out in all directions, forcing the Arrancar to shield his eyes or risk damage from the brilliant golden glow that surges skyward only to be snuffed out. The hiss of a dying flame and rolling plumes of smoke replace the brilliant glow as the Arrancar quickly finds the source of the noise, and this nearly unbearable Reiatsu weighing down on him. A large heart shaped cocoon of water occupies the street and just as he's finally had a moment to digest this information a large white blade is thrust out before cleaving it in two. Waves of water cascade in all direction as Tier reveals herself. "Now...let us begin in earnest..."
"Hah!" grunts Kenzo, cleaving through the head of a massive Gillian. A spray of blood arcs skyward from the cut as its body trembles and begins to collapse towards the streets below. The boom of it's impact, and the splintering of wood echos as he rounds on a second. A brilliantly glowing crimson light greets him as his form flickers. Shunpo carries him clear of the Gillian's Cero as it pulverizes the earth below. Twisting in air he brings Hoshi Kyo down with a silent snarl, cleaving it in half from the top of it's head to the earth below. It splits with a squelch and he turns once more as a rush of wind fills his ears.
Several Slivers pepper the white mask of the remaining Gillian, serving to crack the mask and finally blind the Menos. It panics in response, charging and firing Cero after Cero blindly as he closes in on it. Once again, he cleaves its mask in half, sending the massive Hollow crashing to the earth below. With a flick of his wrist, he sees the blade of his Zanpakuto cleaned as the bodies of Menos slowly begin to disappear. His victory feels remarkably short lived however as a burst of static echos in his ears and he turns rapidly. The ringing of steel against steel threatens to burst his ear drums, and his arms burn with exertion as a massive weight falls upon him. A giant battle-axe of some sort fills his vision, poised dangerously above his head in the hands of a large Arrancar.
His mind races on his ability to counter as his legs tremble in protest against the weight bearing down on him only for such things to escape him as a foot his driven into his gut. The burn of bile and the iron taste of blood dominates his tastebuds as he's thrown earth bound, crashing through several damaged buildings before finally coming to a rest in a splintered pile of wood. Not given a moment to properly collect himself the young Shinigami violently rolls away as a Cero tears through the building and through a use of 'Scatter' an ability granted to him by Hoshi Kyo, and one he'd used against Tier some days ago, he carries himself to the street.
The whip of cloth and the rush of wind is lost in his ears over the pounding of his heart as his Zanpakuto closes in on the Arrancar's exposed neck. With a quickness quite surprising to Kenzo it turns, interposing it's own Zanpakuto between the two of them for yet another teeth rattling impact. This time, however, it slides backwards several meters before coming to a stop.
"Hoho~! How slippery you are, Shinigami!" laughs the Arrancar, hefting its axe and pointing it directly at him. "Not manly at all attacking from behind like that! I thought a man who'd charge at a pack of Menos like that would have some guts!"
"Hah. My sincerest apologies, Arrancar-san," Kenzo tells him. "I'd intended that as the killing stroke..." A powerful Reiatsu falls upon the two, and both glance in the direction of a golden out pouring reaching skyward. Although he recognizes it as belonging to Tier he none the less feels a brief flush of fear invade his mind before immediately squashing it. What he'd sensed in the World of the Living while she was weak must have been the last guttering remains of her true strength spent in a desperate flight from Hueco Mundo. Kenzo turns his attention back to the Arrancar before him and grasps the saya of his Zanpakuto before flipping it around. The glossy black of the saya darkens as pin pricks of light gather along it's surface and a strange orange glow surrounds it's edges. "Seems we must end this quickly, Arrancar...I'll fight you with everything I can manage short of Bankai..."
"Kotsubaki-san! The Hollow's are going to take main street!" cries a voice from the swarm of Shinigami. Gathered at the North Gate and fighting for their lives against the onslaught of enemies, they're slowly being forced into a corner by the seemingly endless numbers of Hollows. If they're forced to give any more ground they'll be faced with no choice but to retreat beyond the gate. Such a thing would surely doom those residents that haven't had time to flee to certain death. "Has anyone seen Lieutenant Ishioka?! We need his help!"
"Lieutenant Ishioka is fighting further in!" confirms Sentaro, cleaving a half in half with a single stroke. "We'll have to hold until he's back!"
"I'd settle for Harribel-san!" Kiyone shouts. "More importantly...who do you think that Reiatsu belonged to? I felt it all the way over here."
"Hopefully Harribel-san. Otherwise..." His words trail off as he takes stock of his surroundings. Some Shinigami are being carted off towards the rear for treatment while their replacements surge forward towards the street to meet the encroaching Hollows. If the owner of that powerful Reiatsu isn't Tier and decides to come for the North Gate...well, their odds of holding this position are almost entirely nonexistent. Their only course of action at that point would be to struggle with all their might until Tier or Kenzo finally returned. A heavy Reiatsu falls across the gathered Shinigami as a bellow splits the air, and all heads seek out it's source immediately.
"M-Menos!" bellows a voice from the crowd of Shinigami. A Gillian presses through a dark portal in the sky overhead, and then another and another. THREE Gillians strain against the portal for several moments until it finally gives way. Forced to crane their necks to stare at the masks of the massive Hollows a feeling of dread fills the hearts of all present. Without waiting all three Gillian open their mouths, gathering their Reiatsu as a brilliant crimson light begins to flicker to life.
"Take cover!" Kiyone orders.
"Cero," speaks a calm voice moments before a golden wave cleaves through the necks of all three Gillian. Their bodies shudder for only a moment before plummeting to earth, slowly disappearing as a burst of static sounds and a woman appears in their midst. If the oppressive weight of the Gillian's Reiatsu was concerning, then this woman's own is enough to lead a simple Shinigami to despair. The depths of it reach far beyond what any of them had ever experienced in their time in the Gotei 13.
"H-Harribel-san?" questions Sentaro. Tier glances in the direction of the Shinigami his face betraying clearly his disbelief. Truly it would be a shock for any of them to see her in her Resurrección.
"Kotsubaki," Tier says in way of greeting, turning her attention to scanning the crowd. "Has Kenzo not returned?"
"We thought he was still out fighting with you," Kiyone says quickly. "But-" Their thoughts are scattered when a loud boom proceeds the splintering of wood, and an object strikes in the middle of the gathered Shinigami. Even before the dust has settled a massive axe flies out at an arc in the direction this person has come from. A brief spray of sparks sounds as Kenzo appears, deflecting it and closing in on the rising Arrancar. The massive Arrancar manages only a single step in his direction with fist raised before Kenzo's figure flickers and appears behind him. He thrusts the odd weapon in his left hand into the man's shadow, and he locks up immediately.
"A-Aah, I...I can't...move!" growls the Arrancar.
"How unfortunate," Kenzo tells him, hefting his Zanpakuto. The blade changes to an obsidian color Tier recognizes from the 'Slivers' he often creates during battle though it slowly adopts an orange glow around the edge of the blade. "This will hurt the both of us quite a lot, Arrancar-san. My apologies." He brings his Zanpakuto down in the direction of the Arrancar's back. "Flare." A near blinding wave of white and orange energy races skywards, cleaving through earth and building alike as it continues for dozens of meters. There's no noise, no explosion only absolute silence as it appears and slowly fades away.
"Lieutenant Ishioka!" calls Sentaro approaching quickly as the young Shinigami rolls his shoulders. His steps slow as he nears, and his gaze falls upon his exposed arms. The sleeves of his kosode are torn and ragged and the skin of both arms to the elbow is charred and cracked. Blood wells from the damaged skin, slowly dripping to the earth below though he shows no sign of acknowledgement. "Lieutenant! Your arms are-"
"A price for everything, Kotsubaki-san, and everything for a price. Drawing upon the Void is at times..." Kenzo raises a hand, staring at the charred and bleeding skin for a moment before turning his attention back to the streets several dozen meters away. "...double edged." He glances at Tier from the corner of his eye a ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips before once more turning away.
"No witty remark, Kenzo?" Tier questions him.
"I feel that words of adoration are perhaps better left for a more private setting but if you insist, I could be persuaded." Almost in spite of the noise of war raging through the streets their surroundings seem to now be quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Her brow furrows a bit as she glances at him dissecting his words, his body language even the tone of his voice for perhaps some hidden meaning. There, of course, must be something hidden in that statement beyond how they sounded. "If it's left to me to fill the silence then so be it...I'd like to ask you out to dinner, Tier-san."
"...You are a strange Shinigami."
"Hah. Is that a 'yes'?"
"I've told you, I don't need to eat like you Shinigami do, Kenzo."
"I wish I could say I wasn't disappointed."
"I...didn't say no. Once we've-"
"The Hollow's are advancing!" bellows a voice from the streets ahead. "Everyone get ready!"
"Let's go, Tier-san," Kenzo orders. "Thirteenth! Left flank on me! Right flank follow Tier! Push forward!" The two move in unison, their figures disappearing and reappearing at the front of the gathered Shinigami. Rushing head long in the encroaching Hollows with the Division on their heels...
"First and Second Squad, I want you to begin moving the wounded," Kenzo orders. "Third Squad start setting up security. Fourth Squad I want roaming patrols no less than four individuals per patrol. Move block by block and be careful." A chorus of 'Yes, Lieutenant' echos through the gathered Seated Officers. "Kotsubaki-san, take charge of the patrols. I want a by name list of who is leaving and when. Kotetsu-san, make sure you get names of Division members we're sending out to the field hospital. I want one-hundred precent accountability of all Division members, understood? Anyone missing, you forward that name to Kotsubaki-san. We'll have our patrols keep an eye out."
"Yes, Lieutenant," they answer in unison.
"I'll start coordinating with the Second Division. They-"
"Uh, Lieutenant?" ventures Kiyone. "Shouldn't you go with the wounded?" She glances at his hands, and he follows her line of slight before sighing softly. It is the right thing to do given the severity of the wounds but doing as such would only pull him away from the Division for an extended period at a critical juncture, and add to the pressure that the staff are no doubt feeling. There are, without a doubt, those that are in far worse shape than he is and even though these burns are painful they aren't life threatening.
"I'll wrap them for the time being, Kotetsu-san."
"Hmm...very well, Lieutenant. I'll make sure to let Captain Unohana know you were treating your own wounds again." His brow twitches almost imperceptibly while she cranes her neck to stare up at him with a sly grin. He'd at one time considered her to be in the same house as a stray kitten he'd taken in but not...perhaps she might be closer to an actual predator.
"I will make a quick stop for treatment. After I've returned we'll begin widening our search area; street by street and block by block. Let's get to work." The Seated Officers nod in understanding and immediately disperse through the crowd. Commands are shouted, and echoed as the area in front of the North Gate begins to resemble an ant hill. As Kenzo begins to head for the field hospital he suddenly aware of a second set of footsteps gaining on him and turns his head slightly just as Tier appears at his side. After they'd succeeded in suppressing the main assault Tier had...withdrawn or sealed her Resurrección? Regardless of what the accurate term might be in regard to an Arrancar's Zanpakuto she has returned to what he might consider her 'normal' self.
"You fought well, Kenzo," Tier says, breaking the silence between them.
"I'll have to take your word on that. I moved slow, and my strikes were sloppy."
"There is always room for improvement." Tier spares a single glance over her shoulder at the slowly fading members of the Division. "They appear to be in high spirits despite the battle."
"Yes. Luckily it doesn't seem as though we suffered heavy casualties. We'll have the final number before the days end."
"The Captains?"
"No word yet. At least none that I've recieved. We'll maintain twenty-four hour operations until their return. Try to steal sleep when you can."
"And you?"
"I don't sleep much these days, Tier-san." Approaching the field hospital the two are treated to a cacophony of barked commands, harsh groans and cries of pain. They briefly wonder if perhaps this place might in fact be more chaotic than the battlefield they'd found themselves on through-out the day. In fact, Kenzo wonders if perhaps he might just be better off treating his wounds on his own rather than trying to flag down one of the Fourth Division's members. Unfortunately, this decision is made for him as Tier raises a single hand and calls out of a passing member of the Fourth.
"A-Aah, yes, sorry!" calls the woman, approaching quickly. "What can I- whoa!" The woman's eyes turn as wide as saucers as they land on Kenzo's arms. "L-Lieutenant, you need to come with me right away!" Without waiting for him to respond she quickly manuvers around and begins pushing him in the direction of the hospital while Tier trails behind. He quickly finds himself planted on a cot while the woman seats herself on a small stool and begins the treatment. It's a strange process to observe from the outside watching as the damage begins to slowly reverse. She'd been on the receiving end of Kaidō at the hands of Unohana once before already, but she hadn't exactly been in a position to watch the treatment itself.
As the skin begins to slowly return to its normal state Tier's brow furrows slightly as numerous scars begin to become visible; such things normally concealed by the sleeves of his kosode. A light sheen of sweat covers the forehead of the woman by the time she's done, and she heaves a bit of a sigh.
"Whew~, alright, Lieutenant. If you would, please remove your kosode." He reaches up, and hesitates for a moment as his eyes flick in Tier's direction. The woman glances at Tier and then back at Kenzo before offering a smile. "If you'd like I can bring a privacy-"
"It's fine," Kenzo tells her, calmly slipping his kosode from his shoulders. A soft gasp escapes the woman as she takes in the patch work of scars that seem to make up the skin of Kenzo's torso. A strange feeling wells within the Arrancar as sea-green eyes trace scar after scar. The majority of them are obviously slashes from a blade but others appear to be burns or punctures and still others appear to be bites from large creatures, Hollows, perhaps? What sort of fighting had he endured in the past to leave him in such a state? After how many battles had he picked himself up and patched himself back together? To her admittedly limited understanding treatment by Kaidō does not leave a scar behind.
For reasons she doesn't quite understand, such thoughts fill her with a feeling of injustice...no, that's not accurate. What she's feeling is anger on his behalf, and her Reiatsu begins to roil as a result. The woman, perhaps sensing this, begins to sweat a bit more.
"A-Are you in any discomfort anywhere, Lieutenant?"
"No. Just some scrapes."
"Understood. I'll leave you to rest in that case." Quickly standing the woman beats a hasty retreat while Tier steps closer, and then seats herself on the stool across from him.
"Hah. Seems I'm perfectly healthy now," Kenzo while clenching his hands several times. "We should-"
"What happened?" Tier questions him.
"The Onmitsukido."
"All of that happened in the Onmitsukido?"
"The work of the Executive Milita is inherently dangerous." He holds her gaze for a few long moments before actually chuckling a bit. "I apologize for showing you something so unsightly, Tier-san. I'm...well aware of how I look." The Arrancar slowly shakes her head, and surprises him by slowly reaching out. Fingertips hover above skin as she traces a scar along the flat planes of his abdomen before it ends in what might have been a deep gouge of some sort.
"It is not unsightly, Kenzo," Tier assures him, leaning back. "As a rule, Hollows generally don't scar so they're...strangely fascinating."
"I see. Well...whether you mean it or not I thank you. Even in the Onmitsukido it wasn't uncommon for others to feel uncomfortable after seeing them."
"Was that place your first choice when you decided to become a Shinigami?"
"Not initially, no. I decided on it because my family and I have a somewhat..." He trails off, searching for the right word to describe his situation with the Ishioka Clan before eventually sighing and deciding that beating around the bush would serve no purpose. "...tense relationship. See, my path was planned for me before I was even born so when I declared that I would become a Shinigami instead it was seen as a slap in the face to the Ishioka Clan."
"They had already planned your life?"
"It's not uncommon. In fact, my decision to disregard my family's wishes could be considered to be far more uncommon amongst Nobles. In doing so, I knew that I would need to find a place that the Ishioka Clan wouldn't be capable of influencing. I'd heard that Yoruichi Shihoin was the head of the Second Division and the Onmitsukido, and so I decided that that is where I would go." He slowly slips on his tattered kosode and stands with Tier mirroring the movement moments later. "But...that's all in the past now. We should return to the North Gate quickly..."