Shinigami
Administrator
Nothing was amiss, the ritual was proceeding as planned and even the anxiety-filled Tenzen was able to perform his duties without missing a beat. The fifth seal was lifting and in that moment the Kuchiki hollows were let loose for disposing of, these Hollow's were no threat to the Captain, he could have ended their lives with his Reiryoku alone and he probably should have. The Captain looks back, he asks if everyone is ready when a single sakura petal catches his eye. Reflected in that very same eye are the unconscious bodies of his Kido Corps, the petals fall endlessly in the room all while the Captain's anxiety and paranoia begin to peak. Hakufuku (白伏, White Crawl) a spell that disorients the target, blurs their vision and muddles the mind before causing them to blackout. When the target awakes they will have no recollection of what happened, for Tenzen this is a simple spell to resist as for his Corps and the others maybe not so simple. His mind races, his heart rate spikes up all culminating to... A sense of calm. Doubts, suspicions and even fears are confirmed from this treacherous sight and it brings the Oda back, back to his usual calm unflinching demeanor, but it may be too late.
“C-...Captain Oda... Please wait...”
A small voice beckons but falls on deaf ears as the Captain's eyes shift, their attention being drawn to the man he had been wary of this entire time, a man who seemed to have a doppelganger appear out of thin air and next to the pot no less. A gaze as empty as the limitless blue sky of Soul Society peers at, into, and through Shirogane. The dark brown eyes of the Oda follow the Kuchiki's outstretched arm, his hand was reaching for the lid of the Pot. Little time to think, even less time to act, this new Captain is thrust into a terrible situation. Shirogane's hand centimeters away from the pot, the Oda's own hands in no position to move to cast a spell and there is no gesture he could make in time to stop this... This... Traitor. If Tenzen could not stop him now he will at least buy himself some time to stop the traitor and protect those that are still on their feet behind him.
"Dankū."
A translucent rectangular wall forms, horizontally, separating Tenzen from Shirogane and the Pot. The moment the words left Tenzen's lips and that wall was formed the lid erupts, a pillar of raw violent purple energy tears its way into the sky, enveloping Shirogane and cracking the barrier, buying Tenzen time to leap away from the volatile pot as his Kido buckles and shatters from the raw energy of the pot. The pillar of energy collides with the barrier, the casters below feel the reverberation of the collision and double down on the strength of the barrier. The Corps members inside the barrier begin to assist with the efforts to strengthen the barrier while a few others rush to figure out what was going on with the pot. Their rush and aid for the barrier are in vain as they each are dropped by the Reiatsu filling the enclosed Kuchiki Manor from the pot's vile energy. They grasp at their throats and claw at their chests as the air is crushed from their lungs and smothered out by the pot's residual energy. Blinded by an evil light and hearing stripped away by a deafening evil howl the members of the Kido Corps within the barrier are drowned out.
Inside the place once thought to be a shrine Tenzen exerts his own Reiatsu against that of the Pot's. Taking shape of an Avalokiteśvara it's hundred arms seem to hold the weight of the Reiatsu at bay, reaching far enough to keep everyone in the crumbling building safe from its ill effects along with providing breathable air. Even with his vast pool of Reiryoku the strain and weight of holding back such a thick Reiatsu are taxing even to the Oda. His eyes fixed on the pot, devising a method to seal it, temporarily at least. As he plots the vessel makes a startling change, inhaling its surroundings. Hollows, Kuchiki guards and Kido Corps troops alike are all inhaled by the ghastly vessel, save for those who managed to find some sort of object to anchor themselves to. His Reiatsu wavers, the Avalokiteśvara buckling and almost dropping the weight of the Pot's Reiatsu upon them as he struggles to adjust his footing. His hands clasp together forming a Kido barrier around himself, Arashi and Yasu, the only ones who still seem to be conscious at this moment. His quick thinking allows him to anchor himself and hold back Lieutenant Yugure and Third Seat Suta from being devoured.
The Vessel ends its feast upon devouring the last of the Hollows, settling down as anyone would after a large filling meal. Good, now is the time to seal the Pot tend to those afflicted and... No, something is still there, next to the pot. Oh if he wasn't fighting it back Tenzen would have a malicious grin that would stretch from ear to ear with utter joy. The duty-bound side of Captain Oda wished that blast had killed Shirogane so that he didn't have to worry about him, but his Oda side... His Oda blood wanted nothing more than to inflict complete and utter violence upon the one who would dare betray the Gotei 13 and Soul Society itself. He has had centuries to learn how to control such urges and a quick compromise is found, he will kill Shirogane and therefore he won't have to worry about him any longer. As long as the innocent survive and the guilty are punished the Captain would be able to rest easy this coming night, provided he can survive this encounter. The thought of survival digs up an old memory from his youth, a lesson he learned about fighting and survival.
The memory flashes before Tenzen, he recounts it all within a moment but it feels as if it plays out over the course of a few minutes. It starts with Tenzen skidding across a tiled floor and letting out a heavy gasp to follow, desperately trying to fill his lungs with air. He is much younger than he is now, perhaps a preteen even. The sound of heavy footsteps approach, he sits up to see the foot slam down on the tile followed by a booming and coarse voice to follow it.
"On your feet boy! There is no rest on the battlefield!"
The young Tenzen stands to his feet with all haste, the man before him is a giant. Seven feet? Eight feet tall perhaps? His muscular body is covered in scars, his upper body fully exposed as he had tossed away the top of his Shihakushō long ago. His face is hidden in shadow, perhaps Tenzen cannot recollect what the man looked like at the time but defining features shine through, short black hair and a malicious grin that stretches from ear to ear.
"Why do we fight!?
The man shouts, demanding an answer from the young Oda who responds with a light prepubescent voice.
"F-for honor and glory!"
The boy declares his answer with confidence and pride only to have them trampled upon with a solid front kick to his chest, sending him skidding across the ground once more. He goes into a coughing fit, dry heaving from a blow that rattled his insides putting him on the verge of expelling his lunch. The giant approaches him once again.
"Wrong! We fight to survive. There is no honor or glory for the dead. When you fight and survive trivial things such as honor, glory, and pride come after that. Even victory comes after survival. Now! Why do we fight for the Gotei 13!?"
The giant throws a vicious left sidekick that connects to the right side of the boy who puts up a haphazard guard. It sends him sliding to the left but his feet remain planted firmly on the ground. Pain ripples through his body as it takes every fiber of his being to remain standing. His arms that were placed up to guard himself fall lifelessly to his sides, his face showing signs of the pain that ran through him at this very moment. He regains control over his breathing and inhales deeply before giving a calm response to the question posed to him before the kick.
"We fight for the Gotei 13 for the survival of Soul Society..."
Satisfied with the answer the giant crosses his arms and nods, that grin never once leaving his face.
"Correct. Now, sleep boy you've earned your rest."
A young Tenzen falls on his back and passes out cold, this is where the memory ends. A lesson was literally beat into him that day and the reason it presents itself now is because of this current situation. He must fight for his survival, the survival of the Shinigami who cling to life around him and the survival of the Soul Society. This means sealing that pot and focusing on Shirogane second. Why would he focus on the Pot and not Shirogane? Why would he have such a backward train of thought!? Surely he should defeat this... Hollowfied Kuchiki first, right!? If someone were to shout such questions at Tenzen right now they would be met with a single response, "Everything I do has a purpose."
"Prologue - Halting Wraps!"
He drops to a knee, slamming the index and middle fingers on both hands into the ground. A white glow forms around the silhouette of Tenzen whose eyes remain empty, he is focused and his goal is clear nothing stands in his way to make a clear judgment of the situation. White spirit energy erupts from the location of his fingers, spiraling up into the air and shooting towards the pot. The energy condenses into a white fabric that wraps itself around the entirety of the pot, covering the opening that the lid once hid from view. No matter how dire, rough, or intense the situation may get he will remain level headed and calm. Hundreds of bolts fly towards the Pot from all angles, pinning down the fabric and tightening its hold on the pot.
"Refrain - Serial Hundred Bolts!"
If this were done for mere novelty Tenzen would have made an improvised drum with the fabric encasing the pot so tightly, a very vile and evil drum at that. Finally, white spiritual energy forms over the pot and not long after a large metal cube would begin to form right on top of the pot serving as its new makeshift lid. A simple modification was made to the cube, first, it's size was reduced while also having it form on top of the pot instead of falling from the sky. Tenzen made use of his casting speed, forming the spells before he even recited the incantation to them and what may seem like an eternity due to heightened awareness and the sheer severity of the situation happens in a matter of moments.
"Finale - Fully Prohibited Great Seal! Bakudō #99, Part 2. Bankin!" (卍禁, Full Prohibition; Viz "Constriction Ban")
This temporary seal is placed on the Pot in hopes to stop it from activating again or at least muffle any activity that may try to arise from it. Tenzen rises to his feet, that white glow still hugging his body while his Reiryoku continues to churn within him. He doesn't speak, he only watches the Kuchiki and in turn, the Kuchiki watches him. What is this new form he has acquired? How much stronger has it made him? Will he attack or will he run? A moot thought as Tenzen raises his left hand in a motion that could be used as a perfect example of the hand moving faster than the eye. By the time the hand has raised the spell was formed and aimed at Shirogane.
"Hadō #54. Haien." (廃炎, Abolishing Flames; Viz "Abolition Flame")
A purple, oblong, orb fires from Tenzen's palm, taking with it a portion of that white glow that hugs his body. Being cautious of the vicinity of the pot to Shirogane he chose a smaller that would only focus on the destruction of the target it hits and in this case, it is Shirogane. The spell hits with a sparkling crack, engulfing the Kuchiki in flames that quickly grow in size swallowing his form searing his flesh and Shihakushō alike. The Captain doesn't drop his guard just yet, his feet shifting ready to distribute his weight in any direction that is needed, his Reiryoku still boiling within him and that ever-persistent white glow still clinging to his body.
Outside, the very few Kido Corps members that managed to survive used what little strength they had to cast Tenteikūra, contacting the Kido Corps Base requesting help. If their plea for help was for themselves or for the situation would remain unknown as soon the Division 6 grounds were invaded by Kido Corps and its Priestesses.
Tenteikūra is used once again, by a Priestess, to broadcast to all those within Southwest Seireitei a message, a stern message, to all those within it's reach.
"To those within the confines of the Southwest quadrant of the Seireitei, listen closely. Division 6, in its entirety, is on lockdown. This is your only warning, those found wandering into Division 6 after this message will be captured and await sentencing to Maggots Nest."
The voice of this woman was calm as a sunny day and clear as spring water, there would be no way anyone could misinterpret the words she spoke. Kido Corps has its own contingency for such situations when an artifact goes out of control and that is to immediately quarantine the surrounding area and pacify any threats or delinquents that feel bold enough to enter said quarantine zone. Such contingency will be acted without the need of the Chief's orders as containing the artifact takes priority over all else. The Priestesses would start to encompass the whole of the barrier, appearing in the air and on the ground, chanting to themselves to reinforce the barrier even further. The Kido Corps members who were placed on the outside to form this barrier felt a sense of selfish relief, relief that they did not have to suffer the same fate as their comrades on the inside.
