Bleach: Advent of Hell's Army

[Sunshine Jesse]

The war between worlds has been going on for a while. Yamamoto has given his life in battle, leaving Jushiro Ukitake the new Captain Commander or Soul Society. Some of the strongest Shinigami, including Ichigo Kurosaki and Zaraki Kenpachi have vanished outright, leaving Soul Society at a large disadvantage at the war. Fortunately for them, the Hollows have remained strong in the war, making the conflict between the Hollow and the Servants of Hell instead of everyone fighting each other. However, things aren't always as they seem. One fateful day, a few particularly strong beings entered the Soul Society.

Sareta Tenshi, one of the top ranking members of Hell. His hair was long, going far down his shoulders, and he wore black knight's armor, with a long red cape. His power was mighty, beyond even Captain level. With him, he brought several hundred Sinners, giving them a chance to redeem themselves. He brought this mighty army with him

The second was Zarkus Syuren. He was one of the most powerful Arrancar in Huedo Mundo, but he came alone for an unknown reason, abandoning the current battle waging in Huedo Mundo in favor of entering Soul Society. He wielded the typical Arrancar garb, going for a design similar to that of Starrk's. He sported long, shoulder length blue hair and had green eyes.

The third was someone who will be revealed in time.

Ukitake, realizing what was happening, took all of his mightiest remaining Shinigami to the battle: Kyoraku Shunsui, Toshiro Hitsugaya, Soi Fon, Shuuhei Hisagi, Renji Abarai, and Retsu Unohana, preparing themselves for what could very well be their final conflict.

"Sareta, what brings you here?" Ukitake said, approaching his opponent, his blade unsheathed.

"I came here to conquer. Now let us fight!" Sareta said, dashing towards Ukitake, a massive blade of energy forming in his hand.

And so the fight to determine the fate of Soul Society began, or at least the initial fight.

[.:Blu:.]

Captain Kenpachi Ryodo, the new captain of the 11th Division of the Gotei 13 and the 12th Kenpachi to hold the 11th Division's captain position, walked quickly through the halls of his division barracks, his mind set on only one thing, to take a battalion of his finest shinigami and head to Hueco Mundo to combat the advancing forces of hollows entering into the human world where they could then advance to Hell. "Is it ready yet?" the captain spoke in a low, masculine, and commanding tone. "Yes Captain, the dimensional rift has been opened to Hueco Mundo." a shinigami subordinate replied. "Good, ready the other shinigami for departure, and you can tell Captain Karasu thank you for his services." Ryodo said before walking to the dimensional rift leading to Hueco Mundo.

"Men, we depart to Hueco Mundo to combat the advancing hollow forces. As the 11th Division, we are bound by our swords to slaughter hollows until we drop dead. And I don't want to see anyone come back alive until those hollows have been rid is that clear?!" Ryodo asked. "Yes Captain!" his shinigami subordinates responded. "Good, then let us depart!" Ryodo and his men then marched into the dimensional rift and soon landed on the sands of Hueco Mundo. As they arrived, thousands of hollows can be spotted advancing to the human world through large gargantas. "Men, attack!!!" Ryodo commanded as his large battalion charged at the hollows and began to kill every hollow in their path.

Ryodo himself did not just stood there barking out orders either, Ryodo shunpo'd straight into the midst of battle and unsheathing his zanpakuto, Ryodo began killing every single hollow in his path.

[Dad]

Chaos, destruction, costs of innocent lives, and tragedy all in one place. A dark setting, for a dark battle. Ryota knew, it was a Captain's [i]duty[/i] to protect and prevail, but these things wouldn't come in easy in Hell's wake. While he understood the contract he had signed with death as a Soul Reaper, it did not mean he would vent his rage towards this battle solely for the purpose in which he was a Captain. No. This would be a battle to restore the peace the reigned on earth, and within the Soul Society, to a stable balance. Besides, everyone knows Ryota hates to fight; that being said, it only gets worse for those who oppose him.

And not too soon did Ryota notice his opposition, after storming out of his quarters and the sound of ruckus. Hundreds upon thousands of hollow, tiny and weak to monstrous and powerful, all surrounded the Soul Society skies. But like a broom, the Sixth Division would be there to sweep up the trash and litter, confining it into a tight space, and obliterating this nuisance with little effort. Drawing his zanpaktou, Ryota pointed a heavily held blade at the mass of hollow in the sky. Carefully considering his words, he called to his division. "Focus your attacks on the Hollow only. Leave the Arrancar to the Captains," he uttered in a deep, heavy hearted voice.

His squadron, absolute in it's loyalty and power, bowed their heads all at once in synchronization. Without a word, they swiftly dashed into the skies above.

[hr]

"[I]Your only focus is not Hollow. While Hell's army is powerful, they are not a lone threat. Arrancar live. They rank in great power, and will be your other danger. Take heed my son. This is not a battle you can win with brute force,[/i]" said a quiet voice in the back of his head. This voice was that of his father's, of whom he'd been to visit just moments after the initial Soul Society riot. The elderly man was not one to raise his child on that of becoming a great warrior, but a great man. Because great ment will not hesitate to fight for what is right. And the time had come to [i]make[/i] things right.

Charging up now alongside his comrades, Ryota soon found himself surrounded on all sides by hollow.

[Mugendramon]

With half a smile showing in his face, Farieggo, 4[sup]th[/sup] Espada, sheepishly walked behind his "replacement" as they emerged from a Garganta, straight at the gate of Seireitei. He and his Fracción were ordered to stay behind at Hueco Mundo and fend off the invaders from hell. But then again, Farieggo wasn't the kind to follow orders.

The small child, his left arm flailing in the wind as, Irghesu, his Fracción leading him, released his Zanpakuto; waved his head in disapproval. Seeing as he was being ignored, even if he was actually not being loud enough, he performed a silent Sonído to appear at said Arrancar's feet, and stretching one of his own, as to have him trip. The Fracción dropping to the floor in pain, with a thump, Farieggo smiled to himself, and then spoke.

The irritation in Irghesu's face could be seen, as the high-pitched, yet insulting [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4Zmmw7TIJ0"]voice[/url] echoed. "It's not time to do that just yet, moron. We're supposed to [i]sneak[/i] in, not bash the door down." He then proceeded to give the Fracción a kick on the ribs, to which the Arrancar groaned in annoyance, only to shake it off after a glare at his Espada.

As the four Arrancar closed up to the door, Farieggo turned around and began walking backwards, and looking up. With a grin, he observed a squad of Shinigami diving into hollows. [i]Not even Adjuchas, [/i]he thought, [i]not worth watching. I hope I can at least get my hands on a captain, I'd like some more red for the blade. [/i]
[i]
[/i]
Irghesu motioned backwards and Farieggo stopped at the sight of his other Fracción stopping, as the four of them came to the gate of Seireitei. Confronted by Jidanbō, Irghesu did but draw his Zanpaktou and slash once to bring him to his feet, and a second one to cut the door to the ground. Contradicting his first words in Soul Society, Farieggo started performing as mocking Sonído, walking at regular speed, yet producing the constant, rather booming, static sound characteristic of this skill.

Soon enough, all four of them were surrounded by Shinigami.

[Dad]

Before Ryota could engage in battle, he felt the sudden disappearance of Jidanbō's reiatsu. "We have guests. With a quick swipe of his blade, the few hundred hollow surrounding Ryota were eviscerated. He quickly flew to the main gate, high over head, as he observed members of the Gotei surrounding two people, one of whom was a young boy, and the other and older man, both who were Arrancar. Judging by Jidanbō's death, it would take more than ordinary Arrancar to take him down. One of them was an Espada. Ryota however, was more than ignorant enough to attack his enemy head on with no knowledge of them. As the Gotei Squadron prepared to engage the two Arrancar, he quietly observed from above. The cold, but familiar chill of blood in the air prepared them, but not for the horror they were about to behold.

[Reaper of Shadows]

Alvaro calmly stepped out of the Garganta he'd created for himself. He was high up; far higher than the bulk of his forces. He didn't like to directly join the battle, but he felt that at the very least he should observe the way it was progressing.
"Terrible," he mused to himself. He'd just witnessed a group of Hollows get obliterated by two Soul Reapers. 'Based on their reckless fightin style, they must be members of the 11th Division. But their spiritual pressure its clear they're not very high up. Not worth my time." His head snapped to the left quickly. He felt and immense spiritual pressure to his left. There lay a sole Shinigami, almost as high up as him. 'So that must be a captain' he thought to himself. 'He's...observing. Interesting, very interesting. And soon if he hasn't already he'll notice my presence.'
"I guess it can't be helped," Alvaro muttered softly a he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. He didn't want to fight, but if he was forced to he would be ready.

[Hydra of Ages]

Hero inhaled the air when he rounded the crest of a hill, looking down into the dingy brown townscapes that were the largely despondent Rukongai sectors. The Seireitei jewel crowned the body of broken and overcrowded buildings, like a crown in the midst of a noble power struggle. Black mites assailed its pristine walls, and Garganta adorned the sides like beads of onyx, dark stones set into a white base.

He paused, admired the sight for a few seconds, then turned around and walked the three steps back to his base camp. The blades of grass beneath his feet turned to the white silt of a perpetually dark world, the fire illuminating the desolation of the wasteland and the outlines of his compatriots. Leynnit had failed to show up at all, the specter instead opting to sit resolutely as a flat shadow, feet attached to the glowing fire like an anchor as his stiff form hung off like an unnatural shadow.

"Good News or Bad News," Hero offered.

Caesar and Sparrow both raised their heads.

"Bad first," Sparrow decided. "Then we can start planning before you tell us the good."

"Well in that case, the answer is 'No'. I don't think now would be a good time to suggest a meeting with some members of Soul Society," Hero said as he adjusted his bowtie. "In fact, I'd go so far as to say that there probably won't be such a time for a couple centuries, if we let this go as it does already."

Caesar buzzed in annoyance. "In zat case, what's the good news?" He asked, his mandibles twitching twice. "Zat was literally the only reason for us [i]being[/i] here. If you're ready to give up on ze zesis statement of your entire plan in ze first place, what was ze point of all zis?"

"You didn't let me finish," Hero added, speaking quickly. He paced a little bit around the firelight. "Now, let me reiterate myself. It might seem, no, [i]appear[/i] that Soul Society finds itself in a teensy-itty bitty bit of a war with Hollows-"

"Zut do you mean by... war?" Caesar asked in a way that could only be accompanied by a raised eyebrow.

"Shinigami have always hunted Hollow..." Sparrow added, somewhat suspiciously watching Hero. Hero just grinned, brushed back his dark brown hair and gave a smile.

"But there's the ticket! You see, while our Shinigami friends may be handling a [i]bit[/i] of a Hollow Invasion on top of our little Demon problem-"

"Invasion?!" Sparrow protested, looking between their leader and Caesar, as if looking for answers. None appeared to be forthcoming, however, and Hero pressed on.

"-HOWEVER a period of war is, of course, where one would look for their most unlikely allies, no? Come now- we, the Free and Liberated Hollow Association-"

Sparrow cut in, "Army."

"We're more of a group of similarly-zinking individuals, I believe", Caesar remarked. Leynnet flickered by the firelight, though if it was in support or defiance, one really couldn't say.

"-The Liberated Hollow Association," Hero continued, "Are in no way affiliated with the Espada of [i]Las Noches[/i], the primary enemy, I'm sure, the Shinigami realize they are fighting. With that in mind, and enemies on two fronts, I'm sure that they could come to a reasonable compromise-"

"-Or, they could try and kill us," Sparrow interceded, wiping a stray blond bang from her eyes while keeping Hero in her hawkish gaze. "Then the Espada -who barely tolerate us as is, if 'tolerate' is the proper term to use- AND the Shinigami of Seireitei, AND the legions of hell will be after us. Breaking our neutrality could earn us nothing but enemies."

"Or-" Hero said quickly, "It could earn us some actual [i]allies[/i] for the first time. Imagine that for a moment."

"With you in charge, I frankly doubt zat," Caesar murmured with a sigh, poking the fire with his red claw. The flame trembled a little before increasing in size. "We almost may as well go crawling to Las Noches. At least we share a basic species wiz zem."

Sparrow resisted a shudder. Her eyes darkened a little bit as she jousted the burning coals of the fire with the but of her Zanpakuto; embers spat high into the air before she desisted. "That is... not an option." She said simply.

Caesar muttered a muffled comment about it being sarcastic, but there was no point. After that, there was no talking between the assorted group, even as the firelight steadily died. Nothing was there to be said, and eventually the group of four assorted Hollow, none similar even in the slightest to the next, descended into uniformly tormented and fitful dreams.

[.:Blu:.]

Slashing away at the hollows, Ryodo looked around to see his troops could take care of things even without him which made Ryodo proud to be their captain. However, the battlefield wasn't the place for such emotions and so Ryodo continued to fight on. However, As Ryodo finish killing the hollows surrounding him, he sensed a powerful- no, a massive reiatsu close by. Looking at the direction the reiatsu was coming from, he saw the source of it which was a hollow, and not just any hollow, from his reiatsu, it is pretty clear that he was the leader of the Espada, Alvaro. "So he has arrived... Very well, as Captain of the 11th Division of the Gotei 13, it is my duty to eliminate this threat." Ryodo said before he disappeared from his position. Suddenly, Ryodo appeared before Alvaro with his blade sheathed. "You must be one of the strongest, if not the strongest, of the Espada, am I correct?" Ryodo questioned, his voice emitting a calm yet stern tone.

"In any case, you know as well as I do that my mission is to eliminate you. Nothing personal, in fact, even if my duty was to not kill hollows, you've committed and evil deed and as such I cannot let injustice live on so freely. Prepare yourself, and remember my name, I am Kenpachi Ryodo, captain of the 11th Division..." Ryodo said before drawing his sword. Currently, Ryodo's swordsmanship skill is comparable to the great Captain Ukitake and Kyoraku themselves. It is a testament to his name as "Kenpachi".

[Dad]

As Ryota continued to observe the forces below him, he felt gaping gust of cold air behind him, and a sudden rise in spiritual pressure. Just barely turning his left eye, he spotted yet another Espada who had entered his vicinity. He was nearly as strong as the Espada below Combined they were an impressive force, one worth dying against in a battle that would write a conclusion in the book of history. But before Ryota had time to think, Captain Kenpachi had already prepared to strike at the most powerful enemy on the front lines, the same Espada who had emerged from the Garganta. Only a great Kenpachi would challenge a foe this powerful, and with the pride they take in their swordsmanship, it would be rude to interrupt. Instead, it was high time for Ryota to get into a little scrape of his own.

Down below, he glared again. It was clear now, the younger of the two Arrancar was a mere Fraccion. The elder was the Espada. His number wasn't quite visible, but judging strength by numbers wasn't something Ryota had learned.

"[i]The enemy is only as powerful as their resolve. . . [/i]" his father once said. The cold wind that had once swept Ryota's body turned into a beating drum amongst a roaring fire. Without hesitation, he used Shunpo to place himself directly in front of the defending gate forces, before the Espada had a chance to strike. And as one of Soul Society's stronger Captains, much like fellow Ryodo, Ryota had a reputation to uphold. His hand on his sheath, and his heart in rhythm, Ryota prepared for one of the fights of his life.

[Reaper of Shadows]

Alvaro stared back at Ryodo impassively. "Kenpachi Ryodo, captain of the 11th Division. You are correct. I am one of the strongest Espada, Espada Numero 0, leader of the Espada, and strongest Arrancar in Hueco Mundo. 'Or one of' he thought to himself. "I have been in a thousand battles and I have never lost for one simple reason, no one was strong enough to push me to my limit. And you want to be the one to do so?"
He didn't wait for an answer, before drawing his sword in a flash and swinging at Ryodo, a move that was easily blocked.

"You won't beat me. I do not wish to fight you, but you've forced my hand. So I'll only say this once: Prepare Yourself!"

[Mugendramon]

Farieggo looked slightly upwards as he noticed a couple of Shinigami, whole with decent reiatsu.[i] [/i]Irghesu, realizing this, shot a little, yet noticeable glance at his Espada behind him. [i]Better put up a proper show, Irghesu. Remember, you are supposed to be the Espada here, not me. Don't disappoint me.[/i]
[i]
[/i]
Then without saying a word, the Fracción and the Espada were back to back. Neither of them had their Zanpaktou in hand, in a symbol of utter despise and superiority. Then they began their assault, and blood started to run.

Bear-handed, the kid using his right arm only even, they continuously dashed and impaled several Shinigami with their very hands only. The kid was apparently having fun, as seen as how most of the killing was being performed by his "substitute".

Irghesu, annoyed by the lack of cooperation from his partner, turned his head slightly as to be able to lock his eyes on the kid, and mustered; "Stop slacking around and get on to business, Farieggo-chan. As soon as we're done here we can go up and kill some bigger fish."

He looked up and back down for a split second, as signalizing they [i]were[/i] aware of the higher-reiatsu Shinigami up there. Farieggo looked at him with killer intend for a little, but then actually played along and obeyed.

He started using Sonído to appear behind the Shinigami and stab them, instead of just making them trip over. "I don't fell like killing them at all, Irghesu-[i]sama[/i]." He felt like spitting after using that word. A word he had always loathed. "You don't mind if I just damage their spines?" "

Irghesu looked at the childish Espada and his malicious idea. "No, that'd be impractical. You know their Kido Corps are fairly good at healing, it [i]is[/i] possible that they could heal a damaged spine."

Farieggo then sighed in disappointment. "Whatever. Might as well use a Cero."

Farieggo jumped high up, deliberately raising to the same height of the Shinigami above them, but at their backs. Then, he pointed his hand at where the Fracción and the lowly Shinigami were, and proceeded to charge a dark crimson Cero. At the sight of this Irghesu calmly drifted away from the scene with a Sonído, and soon enough the blast was ready.

He glared over the corner of his eye, making contact with the Shinigami Captain behind him. Then suddenly, as if he hadn't ever seen them, he jumped back and lost the charging Cero. The Shinigami below sighed in relief. "I-Irghesu-[i]sama[/i] , please help! This is a Captain! There is no way I can beat a Captain with just an arm! [i]Help! [/i]"

[.:Blu:.]

"I am not sure about the fact that I cannot defeat you. We will see whose blade is the strongest." Ryodo said as his reiatsu flooded the area, making things seem heavier. "I will admit, your reiatsu is making it hard for me to move but I have yet to meet a hollow who can defeat me in battle." Ryodo said as he prepared to attack. Staring Alvaro in the eyes, Ryodo could already tell that this battle will be the toughest he has fought yet. "You still haven't told me your name hollow. As combatants, it is respectful to exchange names with your opponent. That is how a warrior should carry out his legacy if he dies." Ryodo explained. Without speaking any further, Ryodo disappeared in a flash and appeared behind Alvaro. Ryodo then readied his zanpakutou and aimed a vertical slash towards Ryodo. The way Ryodo swung his sword shows the strength behind his attacks, and as with all of his attacks, Ryodo wasn't holding his strength back.

[Reaper of Shadows]

Alvaro calmly raised his arm and deflected the blade before pushing away from Ryodo. He hopped back a couple steps before stopping to inspect his arm. 'Hmmm' he thought to himself as a thin red line appeared. It was small, he couldn't even feel it, but it was there.

"So you managed to inflict a wound despite my hierro," he said speaking to Ryodo. "Mildly impressive. You're reiatsu is also much higher than I had originally thought as well. Captian Ryodo huh? I am Alvaro Konotce. I see I'll have to be a bit more serious than normal with you." He grinned in spite of himself. "This might be fun." He then dashed at Ryodo, sword at the ready. He quickly Sonido'ed to the left of Ryodo, aiming his sword in a wide, decapitating arc.

[.:Blu:.]

"Alvaro Konotce... I shall remember your name." As Ryodo finished speaking, Alvaro dashed towards Ryodo with great speed. Ryodo held his sword up, ready to block and perform a counter attack, however, Ryodo was caught off guard by Alvaro's blindingly quick sonido. Alvaro then aimed a wide arc towards Ryodo. With Ryodo's swordsmanship skills he was able to block the attack from doing any major damage. However, the attack's strength was powerful enough to send Ryodo flying back. "(The power behind his strikes are remarkable...)" Ryodo thought to himself as his feet grind against the ground as he slid back. Finally coming to a halt, Ryodo dashed towards Alvaro, his zanpakutou ready to strike. Once he came close enough, Ryodo didn't struck Alvaro, but rather struck the ground they were standing on, kicking up a large dust cloud. In the dust cloud, Ryodo began to rapidly swing his sword at Alvaro with every sword strike aiming for Alvaro's torso or shoulders.

[Dad]

"Either your Espada is a coward, or I've simply caught you off guard. Either way, I refuse to do battle with an individual who is not at his strongest," said Ryota to the scared Fraccion. Without looking, he vibrated quickly so that his back was now to the Espada's face.

"Captain Ryota Satoshi of the Sixth Division of the Gotei Thirteen. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, [i]Espada[/i]," he said softly. Despite hiding his spiritual pressure, Ryota could tell there was power behind the quiet Espada. And no good swordsman was ever shy in a battle. Ryota walked forward, pacing his steps, slowly. And now, finally turning and facing his opponent, Ryota placed a hand on his sheath. "Your Fraccion is more than capable of handling himself for now, Espada. But there is no drawing away from this battle. Our fates have been intertwined, and now, a victor must be chosen by death," he said as the sky grew dark. "Prepare yourself, [i]Espada[/i]. I'm looking forward to an amazing fight."

[Mugendramon]

[font="tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif"][color="#1c2837"]Irghesu, who had been standing at the edge of his Espada's Cero's reach, which he knew very well, found himself faced with the Shinigami Captain. With a soft, both satisfactory and relieved smile, he looked at the one who had completely swallowed his master's ruse.[/color][/font]
[font="tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif"][color="#1c2837"]
[/color][/font]
[font="tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif"][color="#1c2837"]Sighing, the [/color][/font][color=#1C2837][font=tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif]Fracción introduced himself as his master. "Pleased to meet you, Captain Satoshi. My name is Farieggo Gesalda, although I'd rather have you call me [i]Cuarta Espada. [/i]Now, I see you want to pick a fight, so I might as well give you one."[/font][/color]
[color=#1C2837][font=tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif]
[/font][/color]
[font="tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif"][color="#1c2837"]Mimicking the movement of the Shinigami, Irghesu unsheathed his Zanpaktou. Using a Sonído, he drifted behind the Shinigami, and raised his blade as to slash through his opponent's back.[/color][/font]
[font="tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif"][color="#1c2837"]
[/color][/font]
[font="tahoma, arial, verdana, sans-serif"][color="#1c2837"]Meanwhile, from above, Farieggo's horrified face had disappeared, and was replaced with a mischievous smile as he watched down his Fracción pick a fight. [i]I wonder how long will he last against a Captain. Hmmm.[/i][/color][/font]

[Reaper of Shadows]

Alvaro tensed, preparing to block the strike but instead let out a small gasp when Ryodo struck the ground instead. 'interesting,' he though to himself. 'Using the enviornment to his advantage.' Although Alvaro could still easily sense the Captain's reaitsu, the dust severly limited his visibility. He managed to deflect a majority lf the blows that were aimed for his chest, but could not fully deflect one aimed at his shoulder. The force of the blow sent him skidding backward a couple of feet.

Alvaro stared at his shoulder as a thin line of blood slowly appeared. His moment of distraction cost him, and he took two strong blows to the chest that knocked him off his feet and sent him flying. He quickly righted himself and brushed the dirt off his front.

"You're better than I give you credit for," Alvaro said. "But...if this is the power of a captain...you won't defeat me." As he spoke his reiatsu skyrocketed. He held up his hand and pointed a single finger at Ryodo. He spoke only one word. "Cero." A blindlingly white Cero exploded from his finger tip, headed straight for Ryodo.

[.:Blu:.]

"Cero?" Ryodo muttered as Alvaro fired a blindingly white cero from his fingertip. The light of cero was extremely bright, enough so that the beam created an illusion of being in a room of blindingly bright lights causing a person's eyes to fail on them. Reacting with his instincts, Ryodo held up his arms with his zanpakutou, not to block the cero, but to shield his eyes from the intense light. Suddenly, Ryodo was hit by the extremely powerful cero which sent him flying off into the distance. As he landed, Ryodo's lightly burned body skidded across the coarse sand of Hueco Mundo, burying a part of his body into the white sand. Due to the effects of the white cero, Ryodo's eyes were momentarily blinded as they began to adjust to the regular light again. Even though blinded, Ryodo could still sense the reiatsu and even see the reiatsu of Alvaro. "You really are deserving of the your title... Very well, this battle is fit for me to use this technique..." Ryodo said as he held his zanpakutou in a kendo position.

"Sword Art: Asa no Tsuru (朝の鶴 Lit. [i]Morning Crane[/i])!" Ryodo shouted as he performed a horizontal slash onto the ground in front of him. Suddenly, a large amount of yellow-colored reiryoku was blasted from the tip of Ryodo's zanpakutou. With the release of energy, came a massive explosion of sand and dust. As the reiryoku shot outwards, single long strips of the reiryoku were split from the original and soon there were three of them in total. The reiryoku strips formed themselves into flying cranes that soar towards Alvaro. Upon impact with anyone of the cranes would cause a large explosion. Within the dust cloud, Ryodo's eyesight turned clear again. "(That technique was more for distracting my opponent than actually damaging them. However, hopefully the latter is the case...)" Ryodo said as he exhaled slowly to regain his composure.

[Reaper of Shadows]

'Its a ruse' was Alvaro's first thought as Ryodo went rolling across the sand. 'I didn't put enough power into that for it to be too damaging. He's planning something' Alvaro watched with interest as Ryodo called out the name of his technique. He could feel the amount of reiatsu Ryodo began packing into his technique. 'Still though' He watched as the cranes began heading toward him. In a flash he threw his sword at one of them. It immediately exploded upon contact. 'So that's it' Alvaro thought as he quickly Sonido'ed to his fallen sword and grabbed it. He dashed back to where he had been originally and quickly pressed his hand to the ground. He shadow elongated before three black tendrils grew out of it. Two of them quickly shot toward the cranes, exploding on impact. The last rushed toward Ryodo but...he was no longer there.

From behing Alvaro, Ryodo aimed a heavy blow at Alvaro's back. Alvaro was in no position to dodge it and took the blow across the back. Surprisingly he didn't even budge an inch. A black aura flared up around Alvaro before disappearing. In a flash, Alvaro spun around and pushed Ryodo away.

"You dispelled my Shadow Armor with that blow," Alvaro said to Ryodo. The black aura rose up again around Alvaro before settling firmly into place, outlining his body. "That wa a good move. You're blows are pretty heavy, I barely had enough time to put this into place before you're strike. It seems my normal Hierro won't be enough. Though it does prevent the use of my Sonido, I'll have to rely on this armor."

He set off toward Ryodo, aiming a series of slashes and jabs that Ryodo parried easily enough. "I must say," Alvaro began before aiming a downward slash at Ryodo that he blocked, locking their blades together, "I am impressed. But only a little. Show me more."

[.:Blu:.]

"I must say, to force me to use kendo is an extraordinary feat. However, know that I'm using kendo, I won't be holding back." Ryodo spoke as the two held their blades back and swung at each other at the same time. With the blades colliding came an explosion of energy which pushed Ryodo and Alvaro back in their respective directions. "That shadow of yours, it intrigues me. Even though it is a shadow, it is dense and heavy. Quite interesting." Ryodo said before rushing towards Alvaro. The two began to clash swords, each blow being parried one after another. In terms of swordsmanship, they seemed to be equal. Ryodo then aimed a slash upwards to which Alvaro was able to find an opening and kicked Ryodo back. "Ugh... Impressive..." Ryodo spoke. Then, firmly holding his zanpakutou with both hands, Ryodo shunpo'd just above Alvaro and performed a vertical slash down. Alvaro then placed his sword up to block the attack, but this attack wasn't an ordinary attack from Ryodo.

As soon as Ryodo's blade collided with Alvaro's the force of the blow created a giant crater beneath Alvaro and sent him sliding back. Without letting Alvaro have time to regain momentum, Ryodo once again rushed in and began a series of powerful yet quick slashes. Even the ones that missed creating a small crater on the ground beneath.

[Reaper of Shadows]

'He's powerful' Alvaro said noting the craters formed from the impact of Ryodo's blade. 'And faster than I expected. Much faster than what I'd heard of the previous Kenpachi' He just barely duck over an overhead slash, retaliating with one of his own. 'This armor, I don't know if it'll stop one of his blows. I may have to increase the density.' Alvaro dodged a stab aimed at his torso before hopping back to step and quickly slashing upward. The strike was easily avoided, but the sand it brought up was enough to obscure Ryodo's vision for a quick second. Immediately Alvaro clenched his left hand into a fist, gathering energy.

Ryodo burst out of the sand, catching Alvaro with a strong kick that sent him flying. He grimaced in discomfort but righted himself. 'I had to take a blow but it brought me time' He held out his open hand, releasing the energy stored there. A barrage of bala exploded from his open hand, flying toward Ryodo at blinding speeds. Ryodo managed to avoid all of the, save the last one, which he deflected behind him. It exploded in the distance.

Immedaitely Alvaro on Ryodo, hacking and slashing, throwing feign after feign, hoping to catch him off guard to no avail. For a furious minute, he didn't let up, even as blow after blow was deflected. Then Ryodo was on the offense, throwing powerful strikes of his own that Alvaro managed to deflect aside. Both were too good with the blade, there seemed to be no decisive winner in their furious game of swordplay.

[.:Blu:.]

With a final powerful swing of the sword from each of them, they were both sent flying back with both of them stopping at the same moment. "Our swordsmanship skills are of equal power, speed, and ferocity. However, with that being said I can no longer just fight you with my zanpakutou in it's current state." Ryodo said as he held his zanpakutou in front of him in a kendo style. "Crash down, Yamatsuken!" Ryodo shouted. Suddenly, a large amount of reiatsu burst outwards from Ryodo which violently shook the earth for a few seconds. With the violent shaking, sand and dust was kicked up into the air, tampering with the visual aspects of both parties. Then, a final wave of reiatsu burst from Ryodo which cleared the gigantic dust cloud surrounding the battlefield. Ryodo's zanpakutou has entered into its shikai, and though its appearance remain the same as if it were sealed, the power of Yamatsuken has been released, and now Ryodo is aiming to defeat Alvaro.

Suddenly, Ryodo disappeared from his position with shunpo and reappeared dashing across the sand towards Alvaro. With every few steps taken, Ryodo would use shunpo to further his movement towards Ryodo. Once he was close enough, Ryodo performed a wide horizontal sweep with Yamatsuken to which Alvaro attempted to block with his own zanpakutou. However, things were very different this time around. As Yamatsuken clashed with Alvaro's zanpakutou, the force of the blow was so massively increased that it created a small sonic boom and sent Alvaro flying more than a hundred feet back. Ryodo didn't stop there, Ryodo then shunpo'd towards Alvaro while he was flying back. Appearing above him, Ryodo swung his massively powerful sword downwards towards Alvaro's chest region.

[Reaper of Shadows]

'Powerful' was Alvaro's thought as he was sent flying back from the strike. 'So this must be the power of a Captain's initial release' Alvaro thought as he continued to fly through the air. 'His reiatsu is higher than some of my Arrancar.' Above him, Ryodo appeared his sword poised downward. He thrusted at Alvaro torso and pierced right threw Alvaro's shadow armor before impaling Alvaro. Alvaro gasped in surprise for a second...before a loud booming sound was heard and Alvaro's body melted into a black mass that quickly reformed into a shadow tendril that smacked Ryodo away. Alvaro stood on the ground calmly watching, unfazed.

"So this is a Shikai," Alvaro commented as Ryodo landed a couple of yards away from him. "It seems you're speed and physically strength have increased with your physical strength being you're most impressive feature. You have earned your title, of that I am sure." Alvaro held up his sword, pointed at Ryodo and parallel to the ground. His reiatsu spike once, then twice as it flooded the surrounding area. Ryodo tensed, prepared for whatever would happen next when...it suddenly ceased. Cleanly Alvaro slid his sword back into its sheathe.

"We're done here," Alvaro said calmly as he began walking toward Ryodo. "I've gotta all that I need to know. There is no longer a purpose to continuing to fight at this time." Alvaro snapped his fingers and two thing happened at once. A small Garganta opened up directly behind Ryodo and hundreds of Menos level hollows rose from the sand and surrounded the pair. "You have two very obvious options. I suggest you chose the easiest one."

With that Alvaro shunpo'ed away. 'Sorry Ryodo but I can't give you a fight to the death right now. I have other matters to attend to. But if you're foolish enough to try to follow me...you will die' After that last thought, he turned his attention toward the east. 'She should be there by now' he thought. 'Time to see what's happening in hell.'

[Premier Alexander Romanov]

Deep in the compound of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, one Captain, Po Karasu, was not participating in the battle. He wasn't a fighter. Not by a long shot. So instead, he hid safe in the rebuilt SRDI complex, protected by layers and layers of sekki-seki walls and various kido barriers. The most secret lab, miles below the surface of the original complex, held a precious weapon still in development, but just above that was the new Captain's office.
And he was terrified of what might happen.
He huddled underneath his desk, hoping that no one would try and penetrate through the defenses that not even Captain-General Yamamoto had been able to pierce.
Fortunately, no one knew of these defenses...At least, he hoped...

[◊ Hᵃᵏᵃˢᵉ ◊]

Yoku had arrived behind Alvaro when he had first entered the Soul Society, but now he was certain that they may have to retreat, due to increased alarm to the residents. The Soul Reapers were sure to be on to the fact that he was not the only member of the Espada to enter. Sure, the Soul Society saw Alvaro, and by now Farriego was off doing something of little importance, and most likely giving off his position, since he could sense both his and Irghesu's Spirit Pressure off some distance. Yoku, now realizing that he could not stay hidden forever, reached for his cloak, almost ready to remove it, until he had inspected the current situation. Alvaro and Farriego were distracting the Soul Society completely, and with the war going on as well, surely no one would be searching for him. Yoku allowed his hand to drift away from his cloak as he reached into the left pocket of his Espada garment. He pulled out a small paper, illustrating directions to a certain area. Unfortunately for him, the paper had been torn during the switch between the dimensions of the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. He sighed with a slight annoyance, although he truly didn't mind. To Yoku, it just meant less work that he would have to complete.

Yoku decided he'd have to go on his own intuition for this mission. There were documentations that Aizen had left behind, revealing the location of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, although, without the map, Yoku would have no chance of finding it. Yoku was determined to find the Institute because he believed it might contain some papers that would reveal a weakness of the Soul Reapers. Yoku held his cloak closed with one hand, and buttoned it up with the other, hoping that he could keep his Spiritual Pressure from leaking to the Captains of the Society. He knew that normal residence wouldn't locate him, even if his Spiritual Pressure was stronger than that of Farriego and Irghesu's. The cloak was very useful because it used a cloud of Hollow Reiatsu which he had obtained from the blood of the many he killed, although they were his comrades. He wasn't much for comrades unless they were as powerful as him, which is why he was ashamed of any of the Espada beside the Top 5.

After completely concealing his Spiritual Pressure, he began his walk through the Soul Society, looking to make sure none of the fellow residence would notice him. Off within a small distance, about 200 meters, Yoku spotted about 10 Soul Reapers, all searching around for something. He was almost sure it was him, since he knew that the Society would need to inspect the Society and make sure that no one else would invade during their war. By the time the Soul Reapers had moved on, he had already wasted 5 minutes, and he became agitated, considering he had now wasted very precious time, since he could feel Alvaro's Spiritual Pressure lowering during the battle with the Captain. [i]"It seems that Alvaro is going to pull back. I better hurry up so that I can exit here myself."[/i] He thought to himself, making sure no one would hear him. Yoku continued on after the movement of the Soul Reapers, and quickly slipped through over a nearby gate into another area of the Soul Society. He searched around, noticing a loud explosion off in the distance. He had first taken his sights to Alvaro and the Captain, but by then he had realized that the explosion came from inside the compound. [i]"Ugh, it figures it'd be Farriego and that pesky 'substitute' of his."[/i] He once again thought to himself. Yoku wasn't much for talking, especially when it came to a mission, moreover one having to do with stealth.

Yoku continued walking, knowing now that with the explosion that had gone off, alarm of the Soul Reapers was going to increase all the more. Yoku decided it couldn't be risked much longer, and began running, hoping that he would have a lot more time left. Just as he began running, he felt Alvaro's Spiritual Pressure drop, and then another Spiritual Pressure somewhere nearby him. [b]"Shoot, not only is Alvaro getting ready to leave.... It seems I've got company."[/b] He said out loud, knowing that his cover was completely blown. He turned around, facing the Spiritual Pressure which he felt getting closer into his vicinity. He looked up, watching the garganta open up, and Alvaro slowly floating up into the hole full of Menos. [i]"Negacion..."[/i] He thought to himself, before finally meeting eyes with the wielder of the sensed Spiritual Pressure.