Simultaneous strikes from the Smoking Ghost of the Seireitei appeared to give a certain allure to the tenured member from the Eleventh Division. The everlasting darkness still shrouded all from outside it from view, while also emboldening those who dwelled within it. Forcing them to act with something more primal than just mere thought, a state of mind that would only be accessible through the means of life, and death. It seemed that the blonde Warrior possessed it, unfearful of the black mass of soot around his body, obscuring his eyes and immediate vision. All this power paired with the newfound speed and agility of the Lieutenant seemed to serve him rather well in this bout with many opponents of varying skill levels. His abilities rising with every step he has taken, he not only found that
instinct within Shoumetsu Takahiro but he felt it grow within him too as well. Two warriors, swordsmen soldiers of the finest class, the former Adjudicator could see the thirst of battle being born within his eyes. They were savage and devoid of feeling, nothing but focused violence consumes the aura of this man. He didn't flinch at the sign of multiple men of shadowy origin, nor panic and only attack or defend what he could. No, in fact, he pulled out all the stops opting to cleave through all Visages of Shusuke. An impressive maneuver no doubt, one belonging to a slave to an edged weapon with swift rotative movements of minimal gesture with effortless timing and execution. Although, having extra arms certainly helped.
Takahiro was meticulous in his counterattacks, unfortunately, he had failed to see through the combination of strikes used by the dark haired swordsman, what he perceived to be a single rapid movements broken up into three separate attacks, was in actuality a combination of the same maneuver utilizing
multiple separate strikes. Originally avoiding all original contact with the blade of the blonde brute, Shusuke had increased the speed of the number of steps taken, moving so rapidly Shoumetsu would only be able to perceive three individual attacks! In between those strikes perceived, while Shoumetsu displayed amazing reaction time and skill with multiple weapons, breaking and prying his blade from the rubble before him to clash first with the left sided Visage, but in the increment of a second after that, Shusuke with his second blade, the wakizashi would have cleaved through the upper rib cage, causing a deep, quick unexpected laceration and allowing the crimson essence to leak from the pale skin of his adversary. Putting a halt to any certain rapid movements, then utilizing his Iaido training, the Eleventh member unsheathed and attempted to halt the attack from behind, looking to separate his cranium from his body. He did however mistime the counter as it was in front of him he should have been watching. The pattern of attack followed from the left, Shusuke then pivoted in between the opening after his second attack upon the ribs. He then rapidly appeared in front of Shoumetsu to cave his chest in with his blade, impaling him closer through the shoulder and putting a final halt in any of his movements. The move was so swift, the shinigami would have a lack of sense of where Shusuke would end up. Vanishing once more with frightful speed, Shusuke would
then now be behind him. This was when he heard a familiar chime of bells, but this was no proper distraction. He sailed down from the blackened escape looking to finish his work. As the other blade within the same fraction of a second brought down a wrought of force overhead aided by an accumulation of reiatsu, pushing down onto the shinigami with such uncanny strength from the Kiyoshi Lord. His skill with his sword was evident, his will in battle was persistent. The force alone from the second blade would not only bring Shoumetsu down to a knee, but would break the kodachi he used to defend with from the lack of reinforcement in his defense. Now having two broken weapons, it would be interesting to see how he intended to continue, as the blade continued to sail down in the same swoop to sever one of the mechanical arms he bore upon his body and also cut through the flesh of his right shoulder. Detached, the fake arm would be useless and his real one soon following. The flow of smoke surrounding Takahiro now, surely he had no idea that the Shikai of the Lieutenant was still a mystery. When in actuality, it had already been active for some time.
Through the thick pitch black scape, an unsettling and alarming amount of kinetic buildup occurred, feeling the smoke shift as he sifted through it during his Assault upon Shoumetsu, he perceived a small flash of light from just beyond multiple layers of the black fog. Rumbling could be felt overhead, and a dread of reiatsu filled the upper atmosphere above where he had just swiftly struck down Takahiro. At the same instance, heat was generated all throughout the yard where they fought, quickly adding to the already immense pressure that existed within the barracks. Wasting little effort and time, using his great step mastery once more, he would have been in-between Shoumetsu and the undying blasts. After slamming all his weight down onto the blonde Shinigami, using that momentum to bring himself closer towards the ground and ever so slightly away from the blasts behind him. Taking his wakizashi now, with the already accumulated reiatsu available to him from his prior attack, took his opposite arm and used his katana to parry away and lunge over the downed Takahiro. With Shusuke now behind Shoumetsu, he avoided any and all brunt of the explosions, as they ensued en masse. He hoped he wouldn't have to utilize this technique so soon, yet another technique to unveil. He purportedly can only use it once as it depletes great amounts of his stamina due to his inexperience but still is a maneuver that is greatly improved upon due to his newfound speed and agility. The chain reaction from the explosion seemed to have been never ending, which left him no choice but to
remove himself from the smoke altogether. Leaving only behind the Lieutenants Badge of the Ninth Division. The barrage would only find Shoumetsu himself caught in the wake of its near soundless destruction. The heat-waves acting as a precursor to an already devastatingly brutal attack. Shusuke kept hearing the chime of wings from a certain black entity. Not only did he have to halt all flow of his reiatsu but he began to showcase the true ability of his shikai.
Having such synergy with his Zanpakuto, Shusuke’s own reiatsu and his zanpakuto's act as one, often feeding off of each other's own movements to better assist the other in battle. It was difficult to see where his weapon began and where he ended. With every slash in between his movements and parry’s, It was surely getting close to the end of the battle, the persistence of bells chiming still rung through the Kiyoshi’s ears, upon delivering his final attack and evasion in the combination, the smoke lifted throughout the division, being sucked into his blade. Taking all who had been unfortunate enough to breath in his zanpakuto's reiatsu within it, not killing them but housing them within it until he sees fit to release them. Takahiro, Shinomourin, Yoshima and Ikari in particular would be consumed and taken in by the black vapors. The imagery and light would soon return to the area, sight and sound would return to the space as well. The ground was transformed from freshly tended to grass to multiple burns and craters across the yard. It was a disaster zone.He wondered who had been injured and who had succeeded in survival within the smoking steel cage, Shusuke would rematerialize closer to where he had originally entered the barracks, reasonably far from his prior adversaries. Looking to catch his breath for but a single moment, he would soon be greeted by the black butterfly floating toward him, resting upon the crossguard of his sword, he would bring it up to his face closer to hear the message relayed.
Quote:”Former member of the Ninth Division, Jiroshizo Raikyu, is currently being held in our Special Confinement Gaol (特別拘禁牢, Tokubetsu Kōkinrō; Viz "Special Detention Cell"). He was apprehended after crossing through the Senkaimon for vanishing almost one hundred years ago in the Human World. We can not currently contact your Captain so as Vice-Captain this message falls to you. As we await the return of our Captain the prisoner is to remain in our care until we are told otherwise. That is all.”
The black entity then flitters off to parts unknown after completing its objective. Shusuke sighed as he was disappointed that he would have to carry on his work day, He then thought back to wondering who the Shinigami was that was currently being held by Fifth Division. Assuming it might’ve been a Shinigami who was under the old Ninth regime under the previous Captain, Maho Kojima. Not long after, Shusuke would have been approached by another member from the Ninth Division, Uzu Ogawa. Approaching the Lieutenant rather obnoxiously, pushing himself past bodies and knocking others out of the way for a simple word with his superior. It was a sight Shusuke would probably never get used to. As he reached him, hands on his knees gasping for an ounce of air, he finally managed to get out what he had been dying to say.
”Lieutenant! Lieutenant, there’s a lot going on right now, but you need to get to the Western Gate. Check your phone for more details. Captain Yugure is still indisposed, so you’ll have to receive and oversee the incoming parties."
The sudden appearance of Uzu was surely surprising, the young Shinigami had just been enrolled into the Ninth's Barracks recently but the importance of the matter was riddled across his face. His gaze looks out towards the battlefield, the vapors still receding into his zanpakuto, he catches a glimpse of the down Hideaki, the possibly kneeling Shoumetsu and the injured Sora. Including the airborne Ikari, all were being swept into the mysterious abilities of his Shikai. His gaze however focused on Hideaki as they're bodies were broken down into the smoke and finally were retracted and trapped within Shusuke's Zanpakuto. He of course had questions for the Lieutenant, seeing as how Hideaki currently stood as a deserter and thus deemed a fugitive of the Seireitei.
”Th… that guy is a deserter. I thought the other shinigami of Ninth escorted him here to be imprisoned. What’s he doing out? Was he freed?"
Wondering what could have taken place since his escort here, Shusuke looked to the young shinigami blandly as he sheathed his sword. Fully aware of the implications against Hideaki, he arrived at the Sixth Division at the same time as the deserter. Originally visiting the barracks, and no longer an Adjudicator, he had originally left Sora to detain and arrest Hideaki. The battle however shortly thereafter ensued, leaving little time for his detainment. That was however mitigated by the capture of Shinomourin within the very confines of his zanpakuto. He had no intention of leaving the Sixth Division before Hideaki was arrested in proper fashion. He did however find that he himself should have detained him from the beginning, as opposed to starting the game that had finished.
"The situation is under control Uzu. I originally had arrived to teach a class to the Sixth Division when Hideaki arrived, I left it to the 3rd of Sixth, Sora Yoshima to detain him. Though, I admittedly should have detained him myself...he's currently confined within my sword. Along with Yoshima and another individual who had arrived at the battle after the fact.
He's received various injuries so he won't be moving to escape under my watch. I'm going to release them within the holding cells within Sixth and then the other Adjudicators can figure out what his sentence will be. After that, I'll make my way to the West Gate to meet those who are outside it. Jatiri!"
He spoke calmly and slowly so as to properly give an explanation as to what went on before he had arrived. Calling Jatiri who also had seemed to manage to survive the steel cage match, would have surely been around here somewhere. Calling him loud enough to hear from wherever he was in the courtyard. The Kiyoshi would begin making his way to the Detention area, he had expected Jatiri to have followed him after being called, walking alongside him awaiting to also be given orders.
"I have received word that one of our own is in holding at the Fifth Division Barracks. Jiroshizo Raikyu, do you know of him? Doesn't matter, I need you to fetch him from Fifth and bring him back to our barracks and hold him in the Detention cells until the Captain arrives back at the barracks. She'll decide what to do with im'. After which, I need you to meet me at the gate to receive some Shinigami. Do not make me repeat myself. Go. Uzu, you're with me until we arrive at the gate. Stay close, I won't be slowing down."
Their orders were given and the table was set. Slowly unsheathing his zanpakuto as he continued walking, a black mist was released from the small revelation of the blade, soon taking on the form of two men and then finally reaching its final evolutions as Shoumetsu Takahiro and Hiroka Ikari. After being trapped within that space, they’re perception of time would have been warped, feeling as though he spent entire days within his sword; when it was merely only a few minutes. Feeling dehydrated and exhausted from swimming in a black pool of mist altering their perception of reality. They weren't the first to be confined within his sword and would certainly not be the last. Nodding to the two shinigami then finally retreating into the inner cells of the Sixth Division with Uzu Ogawa in tow.
Finally reaching the inner depths of the cells, Shusuke had the guard standing on duty to open one, receiving no denial as his respect still was carried throughout the division with loving admiration. Standing in the middle of the cell, he releases Hideaki in a similar fashion as to how Shoumetsu and Hiroka were freed. Only he would be unconscious from his injuries and from the sensory overload from the confines of his shikai. Re-sheathing his blade and exiting the cells he would once again find himself outside within Sixth, but in a separate Courtyard from where he originally was. Empty, he kept Sora within his blade to deliver him to Fourth to see about his injuries, hoping he would be alright within the black expanse. Looking to Uzu, and the young shinigami meeting his gaze, they both nodded to one another and utilized their flash step to begin their travel to the Western Gate,
White Road Gate (
白道門, Hakutōmon).
Southwest Seireitei ———————————— traveling to ———————————— Northwest Seireitei