[IC] Bleach: BANKAI!

Squad 1 Barracks, Captains Meeting

Ryoga stood before the Captains of the Gotei 13, or at least the majority of them. Some had business elsewhere but were already fully aware of the situation. He stood with his sword in front of him, his hands resting on the pommel of his sword as the tip of the sword gently pierced the wood. Ryoga took a deep breath then spoke with a deep voice "Captains...I've called you here for this meeting to make you aware of the state of our world and the balance between all. The Soul Society is suffering attacks from abnormal amounts of hollow along with some higher class of hollow...it's been reported that there are even menos grande slipping into the Soul Society. I don't think I need to tell you what we have to do about that problem...but to make our matters worse we have a few rogue Shinigami running around creating havoc which is the last thing we need right now with the current hollow crises. Then to top that off we have increased numbers of hollow in the human world, so our forces are going to be hard worked and spread thin...Captains...your Squads will be tested, we should fully expect to lose Shinigami during our efforts to regain balance and to stop the worlds bleeding into each other. The Squad 12 Captain, Juki Kakashi will be monitoring things and aiding in where our forces should be mainly focused as well as developing some new technology to aid in our combat of the hollows. This fight will not be easy, nor will it be quick."

Ryoga closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them again and continued to speak "Now go...prepare your Squads. I will issue the orders on where to dispatch your Squad members to as and when I receive information, it is up to you who you send to deal with these tasks...however be prepared to fight yourselves. There is no knowing what level of enemies may appear...You're all dismissed!" With that Ryoga dismissed the Captains, standing still and strong as he waited for the Captains to leave the Meeting hall

[Infinite Cosmos]

At the end of the meeting, Jōichirō stands from the room and makes his exit. Smiling all along the way out at anyone that would make eye contact with him. His haori, always in pristine condition of course, flaps lightly in the wind. Underneath the pure white exterior that is emblazoned with the icon kanji of the number Five symbolizing his status as the captain of that squad, sits plenty of secrets. First and foremost, a colorful lining that is obviously custom-sewn. In the pockets of his haori held a couple of flasks of unknown liquids, and a notepad with random bits and bobs scribbled down.

Walking briskly, he made his trek back to the barrack of his squad. The trees in the courtyard have lost all their leaves in anticipation of the coming winter. Snow that have drifted down and gathered itself on the branches line the edges like white shadows. Balling his left fist up, he blows a sharp breath of hot air through it in some feeble attempt to heat them up. A few lower ranked members of his squad are scattered about, sweeping the snow off from the elevated pathways that line the rooms of the barracks. Giving a polite nod to them, he proceeded into the great hall in the barrack, happy to see that there are several pots of tea being kept warm on hearths.

Taking out a medium sized flask from his left sleeve pocket, he unceremoniously emptied the content of the flask into the small crackling fire, causing a small sizzle and a puff of smoke from the liquid. Taking a cup from nearby, he takes a taste of the tea from that specific fire. A mellow black tea, with a golden yellow tea liquor."Mm. Someone took out the good stuff today... Interesting." His voice was always soft when he spoke in his barrack, and this time was no exception. "A floral body, smooth, slight bit of astringent aftertaste. A bit of honey can do this tea a world of good. Zealong, I think. The Zealong Black, possibly... I'll have to check our tea reserves... Hmm.." With a small smile, he savored the last sips of the tea that was in his cup, rinsed it out with some hot water that was boiling near by. He then poured some of the tea from the kettle into his flask, filling it about three quarters of the way up. He has a small jar of rare orange blossom honey that one of this squad members brought back from the Human world tucked away in his office. Walking briskly once more, he made his way into his office, body now sufficiently warmed. By the lack of general interaction, he would think his squad members are just out and about, training and what not. It is the middle of the day after all. Speaking of which, where is his food...

Sitting in his office, he added a few drops of honey into the flask that is now holding the tea from the great hall. Giving the flask a gentle shake, he made sure the honey was sufficiently melted and distributed through the tea. Taking a sip and being satisfied with the mix, he takes out his notepad and starts going over all the notes he managed to take down during the meeting...

"Vasto Lordes. Multiple at that. Thats going to take a few captains to handle. Can get messy. Not getting my hands dirty for that. I guess we'll just be ready to get deployed... As usual." A small smirk as he made preliminary plans in regards to one of the threats discussed during the meeting. "But now, more pressing concerns..." He flips a few pages in the notepad to a blank page. Small mumbles can be very faintly heard from his lips and he would snap his right fingers and the notepad would temporarily glow a faint blue before revealing the contents he wished to hide.

[Axel]

Special ops division.

Ever since my eyes opened, I've been here. The cold, liquid mush enveloping my body reaked with a vile stench in the air. The endless screams that reverberated throughout the night had long since calmed itself. My body was as stiff as ice, my lungs were at its limit and once these eyes closed...they would never open again.

"Bastards!!! Out of my way!!!!" Takeda yelled as his Zanpakuto clashed with the hollow's sharp talons. Blood was streaming down from the right side of his face and his Kuteimurai formed cracks on it with every exchange. The Shinigami put some distance between him and the wild beast before instantly appearing up over it, bringing down Kuteimurai in the form of a downward slash. The hollow put up their talons in response but the force of the blow sent a powerful shock wave throughout the tower of Syiene, causing the entire floor to give in and collapse.

Kareta's tongue slithered down the hollow's mask while wearing a devious but seductive grin. "It's funny...it really is. For a hollow, you taste more like a human than I ever was...so delectable!! Can I eat you? Why am I asking you, the loser of this bout? I am the victor..right? The spoils are forever mine. As such...as gratitude for being such a nice Gazelle...I'll show you what a true lion looks like!!!!" Kareta shouted as she wasted no time ripping apart the downed hollow before ingesting each piece one by one. Her hands, face and uniform were heavily soaked in the beast's bloody entrails as she looked up, watching the ceiling curiously as small amounts of debris fell on the ground. "What the he-!!!" Kareta shunpoed back instinctively as the ceiling instantly along with the floor below it exploded from the force of Takeda's downward strike.

All of the consecutive floors collapsed as well until the sharp taloned hollow met its end after kissing the ground. "The pen is stronger than the sword my ass!!!" Takeda laughed casually as he forced his Zanpakuto through its gut right afterward. "Hehe, making flashy entrances as always, Takeda...Sumiyari." Kareta's voice traveled through the air softly. The male Shinigami turned to her with an annoyed look. "I'd think that was a compliment if it wasn't coming from you. And your clothes...typical." Takeda responded, smiling happily as he did.

"My clothes...why are you happy because of them?"

"Can you shut up for a second? I'm trying to figure out where to go."

"Do you think that the blood of my enemies is unsightly? Is that why you bear no blood on your clothes yourself? And you smile sarcastically to mask your fear? Or is it to mask your urge to kill me?"

"Hmmm...hmmm....hmmmm."

"It seems you're at a lost for words...I figured as much. Let me guess, trying to find the rig-Ok!!! I think it's this way!!!" Takeda casually jogged toward the nearest wall before placing his hand on it. Kareta stared at the male Shinigami for a few moments, sighing as she did. "Were you even listening?"
"Not really to be honest, I've learned a long time ago that once I go down that rabbit hole, there's no coming out."

"Rabbit...hole...what? I don't get you..."

"Sounds like we finally have something in common." He replied, applying a bit of force to the wall causing the wall to collapse afterwards. Behind it were tens of dozens of light blue eggs that glowed brightly in the darkness. "Damn it...it's already started..." Takeda's voice darkened as she turned to him cluelessly."What has?"
"The beginning of the end....yarghhh!!!!" Kareta shunpoed back quickly, falling to her knees afterwards. Blood pouring out from her stomach and pooling out onto the floor as she tried her best to keep her insides from falling out. "You sly bastard...couldn't take me down in a fair fight...even after you things managed to kill all of my squadron. But only a hollow would assume they've won with the first blow." Kareta's voice became softer and softer as she spoke, while Takeda's form began to twist and change. "For several millennia, I've watched over you Shinigami...in preparation for this moment...the moment where I could talk to one of you. Greetings lost one, I am the appriser of the end."

"Talk with me!? Appriser of the end!?" Her reishi spiked as she stood back on her two feet, wounds healed, Zanpakuto unsheathe. "You're a fool if you think you can convince me not to kill you. I mean...after all, the only reason I am able to stand is because Rinkei shielded me from your attack...not because you wanted to talk." "You stand because of natural selection, not because of the extension that is yourself. That is also the reason why your body was compelled to eat the hollow rather than to just cleanse its soul."

[Infinite Cosmos]

With a small snap of his fingers, he locked the door to his office. His squad members knows not to disturb him when they find his office door to be locked without a sign out front saying anything. If the door was just locked, it most likely meant that he was in there, on some official business that he cannot share with the rest of the squad...

Drawing in a deep breath, he leans back in his chair and mumbled yet again to his notepad. The content that he was reading before faded from the pages into nothingness. Standing and walking over to a seemingly empty wall, he raised his right hand and placed it about half an inch from the wall itself. With a soundless mumble, the palm of his hand glowed a faint blueish white. The light would soon fade and he would drop his hand to his side. Adjusting his zanpakuto, he shrugs his shoulders to shift his haori back into place. A door would then appear where his palm previously pointed. Stepping through the door, he walked down a spiral staircase into the darkness below.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, with his right index and middle finger, he drew a circle in the air and the torches in the room lit up accordingly. If one was lucky enough to see this room, they would be able to tell that the torches are lit with numerous Hado #31, each all finely controlled to provide optimal lighting but minimal destructive power. Such is the grace and prowess of Kuroda Jōichirō. In the great room stood two pillars. Standing in front of the pillars, he began chanting and reciting the words to a very specific spell...

When the spell was complete, he would quickly step through the portal it created and the portal would just as quickly close behind him. Within a few moments, his feet would touchdown on white sand, over looking a bleak and grey landscape.

"Haaaaa~ The dry ass air of Hueco Mundo..." Now being in a different dimension, he reached into his left sleeve and promptly removed a bracelet he was wearing. To most, the bracelet would just seem like a common piece of personal accessory. To him, it kept his reiatsu in check. To that of a normal, even possibly weaker, captain level. Within moments of his removal of the bracelet, his hair would flair slightly and the sand beneath his feet would give way to a small rumble.

Being from an ancient and proud house of Shinigami, his reiatsu was pure, and often, seemingly untamed. With all of his reiatsu at his disposal, leaking out or otherwise, creatures in Hueco Mundo often steered clear of him as he traversed the dreary land. Matter of fact, beings below the level of Adjuchas stayed away from him completely based on their primal emotion of fear alone.

Walking at a rather leisurely pace, he seemingly wandered about aimlessly. However, he was looking for someone to discuss something with...