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."
