[CB] I, Spy (Kuro)

The days had not been kind to Captain Akarui. Not too long ago he was brought before the Central 46 and been told of possible disbandment of his squad. All due to the actions of his squad member Tatsuya Okibi. His crime had been murder, but with killing a noble it had gained the attention of all of Soul Society. There was no one that hadn't heard of the man that stood accused of killing the Elder of the Shihōin. As such there were many that distrusted 2nd Division. Even more believed they assisted the killer in escaping Soul Society into the Human world. Tatsuya Okibi remained at large, and with his continued freedom came the endless doubts and speculations. The number of missions assigned to the 2nd squad had dwindled down to only the most important. Those members that had been sent away on scouting and other tasks were recalled or replaced. The ones to replace the 2nd squad personnel in there duties looked to be Onmitsukidō members. Yet there was something different about these soldiers. Instead of the customary black garb they had a bright red sash upon their waists. As well as they wore swords across their backs. More and more of these people were seen around Seireitei as the days went by. They rarely talked around others even when addressed. Men and women of various sizes made up the members of this group.

Among the group there were those that were different from the rest. There were those that didn't wear a bandana and mask upon their faces. Otherwise there were only two things they had in common; they all wore zanpukto at their waist and they all had a red armband with a black mitsudomoe on it. They were more talkative then their Onmitsukidō, but their attitudes varied as greatly as their appearance. Two of such people now found themselves before the 2nd Division. The first stood a inch or less below 6ft tall. He wore the Onmitsukidō uniform with a red sash. The handle to his weapon peeked over his shoulder. His slightly shorter companion didn't wear a mask and had a red armband. The face was that of a young man with blonde hair and a faint goatee.
"We come for Captain Akarui." The blonde man spoke to the guardians standing before him. His voice deeper than one expected from his boyish appearance. The two shinigami looked at each other questioningly. Neither knew what to say. "Fetch him at once, please. His presence is required." The man finished. As he spoke his companion stared blankly forward.

Kuro slightly sensed the arrival of the two. Their reiatsus were not heightened at this time, but they weren't making any effort to suppress their natural signatures. To save his squad members the pointless task of coming to get him, he stood from his desk and made his way out of his office, interested in meeting with these unfamiliar individuals. Emerging from the dimly lit room, he was greeted by the light of the sun and the fresh smell of the outside air as he walked along the walkway past the living quarters of the 2nd division.

Kuro almost walked right into one of his guards as they began to hastily turn and summon him, unsure of what else to do in response to these visitors. Kuro himself scowled at the sight of them. He wasn't happy with the latest developments in Soul Society, especially those surrounding his squad. Tatsuya was still considered a traitor and almost the entirety of his squad was suspected of assisting him or having similar disloyalty (though in Kuro's personal case, the assisting suspicion was right on the nose).

Missions had almost come to a complete halt for the 2nd division members, except for cases where extremely dangerous missions were handed out to those with heavy ties to Kuro and/or Tatsuya. Kuro hadn't heard anything from Mika since the Central 46 had sent her on a mission with an Onmitsukido elite as a way of getting back at him for his loyalty to Tatsuya. He was still holding out hope that she was alright, but it was getting hard to remain optimistic. He even was out of contact with his adoptive daughter Hana these days, having entrusted her care to those he trusted in his squad. Kuro was glad that he had delivered Sumiko to Tatsuya so that she couldn't be used by the corrupt officials to get to either of them.

Kuro didn't know much about the Central or their incentives behind all this, but the fact that these new Onmitsukido patrols were gaining power and influence so fast convinced him that Raiden had a part in everything. For now, with still no solid evidence to blow the two-faced bastard's cover, Kuro had to remain patient and wait for his allies to return to his side. He gave a stiff nod in greeting to the two before speaking. "I wasn't expecting any visitors today. What is it that you two need?"

As the captain emerged both men bowed at the waist. The action was completely synchronized as if they had practiced it many times before. When he came up from the bow the blonde man's hair fell across his face. He took a moment to straighten it before addressing the captain. Once he had finished looked to his companion and nodded.
"Bakudo #45: Shade Tunnel." The other man uttered and the large dome took shape above their heads and around them. The two guards behind Kuro were surprised to say the least. Although shocked they didn't forget themselves. Both had already reached for their weapons. One had managed to pull half of the blade free before the spell's caster shunpo'd forward. With his right hand he flicked the man's forehead and the guard collapsed. It was like he was a puppet and his strings had been cut. The second guard was less calm once he saw this.
"Captain, watch_" His words were cut off as the man with the red sash had appeared before him as well and tapped his temple. He fell to the ground in a heap his eyes staring vacantly at the sky his mouth hanging open.

"Do not worry captain." The blonde man said raising his hand before Kuro as if to calm him. "They are not harmed." He pointed at the chest of the comatose guard. Sure enough his chest continued to rise and fall. If one didn't know better it would appear they were sleeping. "There is need to speak with you privately, but your quarters are not safe. " His hand gestured to the grayish dome around them as his companion returned to his side and resumed his stoic state. "This affords us some privacy." The blonde speaker reached into his shirt and withdrew a envelope. "Special orders, Captain." he stated as he held forth for Kuro to see. It was a simple letter sized envelope. There was a red wax sealing it closed, but there was a symbol pressed into the wax.

Kuro made a start as the spell was cast and his guards deftly silenced. But after confirming that they were still breathing, he kept his cool and tried to maintain a level of civility in the meeting between himself and the two visitors.

"That was rather unnecessary. All you would have needed to do is ask to speak in private. I must say, I disapprove of the spontaneity the onmitsukido's members often demonstrate when dealing even with the tamest of assignments."

Kuro looked around the barrier now surrounding them, but there was not much to see. It was simply a dome separating them from the rest of the 2nd division compound so as to prevent prying ears from listening in. The envelope he was presented was simple in appearance, save for the decorated wax seal bearing a certain crest that Kuro recognized as the emblem of the Kuchiki clan. What could that family want with me? Kuro wondered as he took the envelope and broke the seal, opening it and looking at its contents.

The blonde man quickly retracted his hand as the captain took the letter from him. His eyes stayed on the parchment, but he made no further movement.
"Well our task here is done." he said evenly as he nodded to his companion. The other man broke from this trance like state and clapped his hands together. Instant the large dome began to dissolve. Cracks had appeared in it's smooth surface. Much like glass the cracks grew and then caused the shell to shatter. It took only a few seconds for the light to stream down upon the three men and the unconscious duo. A moment later the field was completely gone. The two men in black bowed once again to the captain
"Goodday to you Captain." the blonde man said before turning around and walking down the path they had just traveled. The two walked in utter silence down road.
At the first crossroad they turned left and were out of sight.

Once they were around the corner the blonde man clicked his tongue.
"There's no way of knowing what was in that letter. We should have just destroyed it." he stated firmly. "Keep an eye on him. Alert me if he makes any moves." The other man nodded his head and then vanished as if he was never there to begin with. "I must make a report. He won't be pleased." With that he too vanished. There was only a small wisp of smoke as proof that someone had occupied the spot only seconds ago.

Kuro's eyes moved back and forth swiftly as he scanned the contents of the letter. Contrary to the blonde man's statement, the letter seemed to be more of an urgent request rather than special orders. And Kuro saw no reason to refuse said request. With everything that had been happening around the Seireitei as well as being cut off from those he trusted, he had been looking for an opportunity to make his next move. The location in the note gave him some direction as to where to make one. He held up the note, casting a small fire kido in his hand to burn the paper and keep the contents secret as he made a spoken vow. "I will protect the honor of the Gotei and the Shihoin family."

Set on his decision, Kuro first had to find a way to get to the living world unnoticed. It was unlikely that the men from before, or at least an accomplice of theirs, would leave him unobserved after delivering a secret note in times like this. So his primary goal right now would be to shake the person tailing him. He sought out two more guards nearby. "See that these men are brought back to their barracks. Also, I'm going out training for a bit. Keep an eye on the grounds while I'm gone."

There was nothing new about Kuro leaving for training. The Rukongai where he had grown up had been the place of his private training his entire career. As soon as he was standing outside the division grounds, Kuro calmly said, "Bankai." A spike of power flashed in the air like a golden pillar of light. Kuro was now dressed in his bankai attire, a black ornate shinobi uniform with gold trimming and a black sash decorated with gold hollow rings. Closing his eyes and concentrating for a few minutes, Kuro focused his energy and lit up three of the sash's rings. With his power at this level, he guided it into two special boots that were now on his feet. This boosted his running speed as he set off through the Seireitei at an unmatched pace. In no time at all, he was tearing out of the west gate and across the wastelands outside the city. He ran with heavy steps, making sure to leave an obvious trail for anyone who tried to follow. He reached a nearby forest and took refuge behind a wide tree, sealing his bankai again and gathering his power for kido casting.

"Bakudo #26: Curving Light, Bakudo #19: Energy Fade."

The two spells worked together to make Kuro completely undetectable visually and spiritually. Moving high through the air with small reishi platforms, he passed back over the trail he had made previously and moved back to the Seireitei. Once inside, he made for the Senkai gate on the opposite side of the city from his division's grounds. Still invisible, he activated the gate, causing quite a confusion for those nearby, and entered it. The gate shut behind him, leaving those confused individuals to try and work out what just happened. By the time it reached the ears of the onmitsukido, there'd be no way to tell where Kuro'd gone.



Sanagu City

Kuro emerged from the gate and found himself in a place that he had never been before. The note had been cryptic about what he should look for here and he had no leads to go on. "Guess I should just start snooping."

Deep within Seireitei

It had only been a matter of moments since the blonde man has left the 2nd division and it's captain. He had reappeared many blocks away only to vanish once more. Shunpo after shunpo took him further and further away from where he had delivered the letter. Moments latter he came to a stop and walked through an arch


Slowly he walked up the path towards the Central 46 Chamber. On either side of the entrance stood two cloaked figures. The figures tensed, but then relaxed as the man made a series of gestures with his hand. He stood at attention like saluting as he performed the special code. When he stopped the two figures had opened the doors allowing him to walk right inside. Once in the blonde man vanished once again. His destination was deep inside the building. At unbelievable speeds he navigated the important structure. He resumed walking once he came to his destination; the Seijōtōkyorin


The series of tall towers loomed before him. His footsteps echoed as he walked through the tranquil forest. He saw the one he was looking for and moved towards it's steps. Rather than ascend he stopped at the foot of them and bowed.
"Master." He said his head still down. "I have news; a letter from the nobles has reached Captain Akarui." There was silence after he spoke and the man didn't move. As the second ticked by he slowly looked up at the entrance afraid that no one was actually inside. Something within the chamber stirred.
"I see." was the long awaited reply. "In contacting him they might have tipped their hand. Still it's all within our calculations." The blonde man nodded at the speaker's words. "We can't afford them knowing too much too soon. Keep track of their movements. The captain might complicate matters slightly." As the man hidden in the room spoke a black butterfly fluttered into the room. It descended from the ceiling like a ebony snowflake. Without wasting a moment it landed on the blonde man's shoulder. As it relayed it message the bowing man jerked.
"We've lost track of the captain." he stammered his eyes still locked on the floor.
"It would seem the captain has upgraded himself from complication to annoyance. I suggest you find him."
"Yessir." the blonde man said and vanished.

Sanagu City

The city was known for little more than commerce. There had been a movie or two had filmed there, which had helped in it's population boom. Before that it was almost normal town. Except for the fact years ago it had been the center of many strange murders and disappearances. Without much evidence the stories were considered rumors. Those missing were only thought to have run away or living a life elsewhere. The very same rumors were starting up again. Things had changed in the city. With every person that entered the town seemed to change. The arrival of the captain would have an effect as well. To what end would be left answered by the man himself. Or perhaps those that sensed his entrance into their territory. The city sprawled before the shinigami. It lived and breathed with people flocking about their day to day lives. Tall buildings spotted across the skyline. The northern section seemed the area with the most of them. Corporations built upon buying and trading the livelihoods of others or just the exchange of ideas. Further east were factories billowing smoke into the air as their activities continued. Around them were warehouses and other industrial buildings. The rest of the city was composed of a hodgepodge of apartments, homes, and other small businesses. It was already well into the day when the captain arrived. There was still sunlight, but the sun was moving closer to the horizon little by little. A strong wind blew through the city. The trees that made up the forest around it waved in unison. There ere occasion gaps in the foliage here and there. There was a large black spot where a huge fire had consumed parts of the wood.

Kuro was amazed by the appearance of this new experience. Never before had he been among such large structures. The bustle of the people's everyday life flowed by regardless of his presence, the large majority of them unable to even see him. Kuro did think it was interesting, but silently was grateful to fate for not having to live in such a restless world himself on a daily basis. He looked in all directions, taking note of the different districts of the city. The note had made mention of shinigami disappearing when infiltrating this place. But at first glance, Kuro had no idea what he should investigate. Where in this city was worthy of infiltration? Did they mean the city itself? If that was the case: mission accomplished, he was here.

As the sun began to sink lower and lower in the sky and the horizon began to glow with the orange light of day's end, Kuro decided to give it time. Maybe something would become more apparent during the dark hours. He made his way up high until he was standing on the roof of one of the highest buildings in the mid city. From this point, he had a fair grasp of his surroundings both by sight and spiritual sense. If anything suspicious happened tonight, he'd be ready for it.

Back in Soul Society

The blonde man appeared outside of the Central 46 compound. The guards mad no motion as he moved past them and back toward the street.
"Shuun." he spoke as he moved through the arch that exited the area. No sooner had he crossed the threshold that a black clad man with a red sash had appeared on his right side. The man appeared in a bowing position as if he was born from the ground.Although he didn't wear a bandana around his head instead his short black hair fell free around his face. As he looked up it was revealed he wore a crimson blindfold the mitsudomoe in the center.
"Yes, Tyrannus?" Said the man called Shuun with a a small grin. "What do you need of me?"
The blonde man grimaced and looked over his shoulder back at the Central 46 entrance. He could only wonder what his master was thinking.
"Gather some men and meet me at the west gate." he said calmly. Shuun vanished as silently as he had appeared. Tyrannus sighed and shunpo'd away towards the west. It felt like he was going to spend the whole day traveling back and forth through Seireitei.

It took him minutes to reach the gate. When he arrived there were several other men in black with red sashes. Shuun and himself were the only ones with a mitsudomoe visible. Eight men total. That would be more than enough. The one he had sent to tail the Captain was there as well.
"This is where you lost him?" Tyrannus asked as he walked up to the group as he looked about the area. It was hard to miss the holes in the street from where the captain had come through. There was also damage to the buildings by the fantastic pace the man had been going. A shockwave of force had been made in his passing. If had actually ran into someone they more than likely not survived such an impact. Tyrannus looked down the road in the directions the footprints led. Slowly he rubbed his chin. Where was he going in such a hurry?
"I overheard people seeing something tear though this area not too long ago." Shuun added "Going that fast he must be head far into Rukongai."
Tyrannus only nodded. The people around them did their best to avoid looking at the group. Shinigami coming from Seireitei did there best not to get close to them. They knew better than to try and eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Move out, but keep a eye out for anything suspicious." he said sharply. Everyone vanished in a flash as they moved out in a spread formation tracking the steps Kuro had taken.

Sanagu City

As the sun fell in the sky the activity on the streets below didn't decrease. If anything it seemed to increase ever so slightly as the night began to take over. Darkness fell, but the city had it's way of brightening things ups. Street lights and neon signs flickered to life. From his perch above Kuro could faintly hear the sound of the populous below. That or it was just he wind whispering as he watched high above. There were so many people below now. There was no lack of spiritual presences. They ran the gambit from miniscule to minor. Simple humans and some with just barely enough to regeister for a hollow worth eating. And yet there was afew minor spiritual signals that were different. Something was off. Not powerful, they were refined. Controlled and contained. They were meant to be low, and yet they stood out by being too perfectly made. There was multiples of these 'sharp' signals gathering near the building that Kuro sat. An office building blocked his view, but it looked to be an loft of some kind. It was to the north a sudden burst of spiritual power appeared. A roar of a beast echoed into the night as a sickening power made itself known. A hollow had entered the city. It screamed again and the very air shook. Shortly after the second scream another spiritual signal sprang up into existence near the hollow's signal. At first one, then it was joined by a second. A moment later another signal joined the first two.

What the...!? Kuro jumped into the air over the building as the hollow presences began to make themselves known. The small signals had been puzzling him previously, but this was starting to get suspicious. The signals were too perfect and constant to be a living genuine reiatsu. And the way they perfectly stood out regardless of their small power level was even weirder. The way they stand out like that is making them act like beacons for hollows! Kuro's mind raced as he sped down towards the street to intercept the hollow signatures and get a closer look at these mysterious unknowns.

The edge of the Rukongai district

The group had come to a stop at the last of Kuro's footprints. Before them the forest loomed menacingly. Tyrannus paced back and forth looking at footsteps closely. It hadn't taken too long to reach this spot, even with taking their time. Moving at a generous pace they followed the path made by the captain's exodus. The others began to spread out and look for further clues to the Captain's whereabouts. So far all their attempts were coming up empty.
"Hmmmmm" Tyrannus said at length as he watched everyone searching. Shuun leaned against a tree only a few feet away.
"Something wrong?" He asked from his shady perch. "It shouldn't take long to find him, just have to tear apart this forest. " saying that he pointed at the large wooded region. "He could be anywhere inside."
Tyrannus nodded, but said nothing. His gaze went skyward and he looked back the way they had come. They could still see Seireitei in the distance.
"That's just it." He finally said his thoughts finally coming out. "We're close, but doesn't it seem odd?" His hands pointed at the footprints left from the captain.
"The only reason we're close is because he left evidence of his escape. Then suddenly there's nothing."
"It's like he wanted us to know he was coming here." Shuun finished already catching on to the other man's thought pattern. "So you think this was just a diversion?"
"It doesn't make much sense otherwise." Tyrannus mused "While we track him he moves toward his real objective." He looked back at the shinigami stronghold. "He's probably still in Seireitei. We've wasted time here." Tyrannus looked towards the woods. He caught glimpses of the black clothed agents as they moved through trees looking any small trace.

"We're heading back." He said after watching them for a moment. "The more I think about it, the more obvious. Captain Kuro bought himself some time, but not by much. Head back to Seireitei and begin a search there. I want everything and anything turned over."
"Are you sure?" His companion asked skeptically. Tyrannus nodded. "As you wish. But Seireitei probably bigger than this forest." Shuun said and gave a whistle. He exited the shade of the tree.
"Yes, but we already have people in Seireitei." Tyrannus said to Shuun's back.
Everyone stopped searching and formed a line before him. The blindfolded man began to relay the orders. Seconds later they all vanished leaving Tyrannus alone with his thoughts.
It had been a simple ploy, but it had been effective. Old tricks work just as well ad new ones. Of course tracking down the captain of the second division wouldn't be easy. Still having him use such a tactic meant he was truly up to something. He thought about shunpoing towards the city, but decided to walk back instead. There was no need for him to rush. Rather he give them time to search. Hopefully by the time he reached the gate they would have something to report.

Almost an hour later he was still making his way back through the district when he felt someone approaching. The fact anyone was coming right at him was not common. During his leisurely walk he had sensed others nearby; bandits probably. They were wise enough to stay off of Tyrannus' path. His uniform looking like the Onmitsukidō and the zanpukto on his waist probably played a part. Otherwise he had kept his spiritual power almost non-existent. He stopped. Something black darted from the trees and landed in his path. It was Shuun.
"Yes?" Tyrannus said slightly annoyed. He was enjoying the peaceful time. The reminder of having a task to do wasn't enjoyable.
"Still no sign of the captain yet." Shuun said and Tyrannus sighed as he continued to walk. "But we found something curious; a gate went active some time ago with no one present."
"A gate opened?" Tyrannus asked his interest returning. "And no one went inside? That's odd."
"When we checked the logs there was no scheduled gate at that time." Shuun replied falling in behind the other man."I thought it best to tell you about it."
"A missing captain and a malfunctioning gate. Very suspicious." Tyrannus pushed his hair out of his face. "Find out where the portal went, but continue the search of Seireitei."
"Yes, sir." Shuun said vanished once again. Tyrannus sighed. He should hurry after all. He flashed stepped as well vanishing from sight.

Sanagu

The city blurred beneath Kuro as he raced toward the hollow. Even as he moved there were screams. In less than a minute there was a large explosion just ahead of him. There were more screams as some people started racing in the opposite direction. Someone was shouting about a fire. People cried out for someone to call an ambulance. The streets became congested as the traffic screeched to a halt. As he moved the signals he had perceived moments before began to fluctuate. Those signals around him almost instantly faded to nothing. It was nearly impossible to detect their presences at all. As he drew closer to the hollow's location the other reiatsus had already began to disappear as well. When Kuro arrived on the scene fire hand engulfed much of the building. It had been a rather plain looking office building only twelve stories high. Nothing compared to the monolithic silver towers that shot skyward. The blaze had only touched the top half of the building the roof was completely covered in flames. As Kuro watched the something leaped from the roof to the other building. It wasn't hard to make out the shape of the 7ft hollow.

A piece building fell down to the street below from the burning roof. People were moving back, the falling debris only gave them further motivation. The Hollow screamed again. It looked down at the crowds of humans watching from what they thought was a safe distance. They didn't know that the fire wasn't the true threat this night. The monstrous creature's bladed arms seemed to glisten in the fading light. As it sat watching the buffet below a fire truck and several police cars pushed their way through the other end of the street. The cops did their best to keep the crowd back as the firemen got their equip ready to battle the blaze.

Kuro was standing in front of the building, frozen by the constant turn of events. First those mysterious signatures had vanished, then the blaze had broken out. And to top it all off, now they had this large hollow overlooking the scene. Kuro wondered if it was annoyed by the disappearance of its prey like he was. But regardless of its feelings toward the matter, it had made the mistake of coming here on this eve. Kuro drew his blade from inside his robes and prepared to make tonight the hollow's last. He hesitated for a second, wondering if he should do something about the flames. But seeing the fire fighters getting set up, he decided he should let them do their job while he did his.

Kuro shot up from the ground, shunpoing towards the roof of the adjacent building and the large abomination perched on it. Its whole body looked like a weapon, complete with bladed arms and spiked armor. Even the long reptilian tail that stretched behind it was tipped with a small thin blade that resembled a knife. He disregarded all of these features, not thinking about long drawn out close combat. Gripping his zanpakuto tightly. he sailed past the hollow. As he went by he held out his blade and slashed deeply across its lower torso where its armor wasn't as bulky and its body not so wide. He turned around after his attack and stood above the building staring down at his foe like a predator stalking injured prey. It wasn't likely to be finished by that first attack, and Kuro was going to wait until it showed a reaction to plan his next move accordingly.

Deep in Seireitei

After his return to Seireitei Tyrannus retired to his office. Actually, the Central 46 allotted them the building. While the main forces housed elsewhere, unit commanders had quarters here. They weren't machines they needed to rest from time to time. The room he currently occupied was a meeting room for him and his companions. A large round table filled much of the room with eight chairs evenly spaced around it's sides. So dark was the table it almost looked like a black pit in the center of the room. Tyrannus took his seat at the head of the table and leaned back in the rather comfortable leather chair. His gaze fell over the seven empty chairs. He knew there were more than seven Vessels. Yet he had only seen the seven he led. He wasn't as stupid as to believe only what he saw. Quietly he adjusted his armband. Something so simple and yet what it stood for. He looked down at his zanpukto still at his hip. The power it gave him earned him dominance over the others despite their own phenomenal abilities. With that power, he was given command. He knew if he faltered or if he made a mistake, he would be replaced. Although the others were no threat to him, he feared the leaders. There were times he wasn't sure what they were thinking. His master included. Still he not as foolish as to be led around by the nose. Things were going to get sticky if he wasn't careful.

As he went deeper into thought the light through the windows faded. Tyrannus closed his eyes and almost felt like sleeping. He could barely see the table before him as it started to blend into the massive shadow that swallowed the room. Tyrannus jerked upright as he opened his eyes. Slowly he scanned the nearly dark room.
"Shuun." the blonde man suddenly spoke. "I've told you many times; use the door."
There was only silence, but then a knock came from the door. "Enter." The door to the chamber opened and light spilled in through the hall. Sure enough, Shuun stood in the doorway. "Hit the light please." he requested of the blindfolded man as he stepped inside. Shuune stopped mid stride to turn and toggle the switch on. The room was flooded with artificial light. Tyrannus blinked back tears in his eyes after having adjusted to near darkness. Shuun now flopped into one of the chairs opposite of him. With the lights on there wasn't much to see. The room was complete bare except for the table and chairs the high windows the only decoration on the plain walls. "Have you found the captain yet?" Tyrannus asked simply.
"Yes and no." was Shuun’s reply. The blond man arched his eyebrow. Did he really have to play this game? He looked as Shuuns half grin. Very well, he might as well bite.
"It's one or the other." Tyrannus spoke evenly. "Did you find him or not?"
"Well." The blindfolded man said while he leaned back "I know where he is, and I know where he's not." he spun in the chair slowly his hands pointing in opposite directions. Tyrannus did his best to mask his emotions. He really disliked talking with the man in such situations. There was little doubt in his mind that the other man was doing it on purpose. Still he wouldn't let the other goad him into violence.
"So where is he?" Again, Tyrannus tried for the direct approach.
"He's on Earth." Came the reply as Shun spun around some more.
"Are you sure?"
"Oh, I’m very sure.” Another simple answer. The way the man was acting his confidence in such words was low.
"And how can you be so sure?" He had to be certain before reporting to his master. It wouldn't look good to feed him false information. Still he could always blame Shuun if such a thing did occur. Infighting was forbidden among them; such an accusation wouldn’t end well.
"The gate." The simple replies were getting annoying. Would he have to keep asking a question rather than the man telling him what he wanted to know?

Without a word he drew his sword from it's sheath and placed it on the table. A silver blade with a white tsuba made up circles linked side by side surrounded by another circle. Tyrannus stared at the other man as his finger tracing the weapon's edge. Shuun sighed loudly and leaned forward in his chair. "I'm certain he used the gate."
"But no one saw him." It was no large feat to become invisible or to go undetected. Still some real proof would be needed to justify Shuun’s claim.
"True, but the ALS activated."
"ALS?" Tyrannus was familiar with that term.
"Automatic Limiter System. It's a unique feature of the Senkai gates. It only activates when a Captain or Lieutenant enter the gate to the Human world. Upon entry into the portal a limiter is placed upon their body restricting their powers greatly." Shunn explained. "If not for that seal their reiryoku could have a negative effect on the Earth and it's populace.”
"Very interesting. But it's possible this ALS, was malfunctioning as well." Tyrannus interjected. Possible, but unlikely. It was all too much of a coincidence at this point.
"True, but only Captains and Vice Captains are registered in the ALS. The only Captain unaccounted for is that of the 2nd squad." The blindfolded man grinned from ear to ear. The blonde man didn't share his mirth.
"So you know he's on Earth, any way to track him via that limiter?"
"Yes and no." Tyrannus tapped his weapon with his right hand as his left cupped his chin. "I mean we can, but it's not wise that we do so." Shuun quickly added. "The system is linked to the communication network. We would have to seize control of the 12 Division or at least take over part of it; not something I'd suggest. The blonde man nodded. They didn't want to take such actions.
"What of the 12th squad; won't they notice it?" It seemed an obvious question.
"It's not something they actively track. So for the most part it will go unnoticed." Well that wasn't much help at all.
"So they only way to find him would be through the limiter, but once he takes it off we've lost him again." Tyrannus sighed.
"Well not exactly." Shuun was smiling again. "You see he can't take off the limiter without permission." The smile got wider.
"Permission from whom exactly?” The blonde man asked frowning, his eyes narrowed. He so wanted to smack the man, but he was curious to say the least.
"From the Central 46 of course.” Tyrannus eyes must have widened quite abit for Shuun to look so pleased with himself. "Until they say so he remains sealed. The surprise faded and the blond man shared a smile with the other. Things weren't so bad after all. He could think of several ways the situation could play out. His master would be most pleased.
"So he can't remove the limiter?" Tyrannus said as he stood from his chair his hand holding the handle of his zanpukto.
"He could, but there are consequences...." Shuun said holding his hands up in front of his face. "Until it's approved he's at a fourth of his power. It's almost perfect; He's so weak we probably won't notice him"
"I see." Tyrannus sheathed his weapon in one motion and walked towards the door. That was probably the captain's intention. Perhaps he was using the limiter as a way of hiding his activities while on Earth. Very clever, as to be expected of such a man. "Try to find out where the portal went." he ordered as he left. He shut the door behind him.
Shuun sat in alone in the room before standing up himself.
"Damn that bastard." he growled. He shook his head and sighed deeply. Giving a small smile, he hit the switch and the room fell into complete darkness.
There came a knock at the door only a few seconds later.
"Lord Tyrannus, Lord Tyrannus, dinner is ready." the voice called out from the other side. The door swung open once again "My Lord sorry for the intrusion_" the light coming from behind figure barely illuminated the room; it was empty.

Sanagu

The creature was so intent on the humans below it didn't notice the shinigami speeding towards it. In most cases, this would spell the monster's doom. He had not registered the other’s presence until it was too late. Kuro was merely a few feet away before it sensed the soul reaper.
"Shit!" the beast hissed. It was too late to dodge as the zanpukto blade arched at his body. Unconsciously the hollow flinched, shutting it's eyes and cursed it's foul luck as the weapon struck it's body. A moment later it's eyes opened and it looked down at it's body. There was not a mark upon the creature's form. It was quite shocked to the least. Shock faded to rage at the feeling of despair it had felt from the surprise attack. Now it locked upon the shinigami. It's burning hatred fueling it's focus on the man standing above it.
"Brat!" he hissed. The strange mask hit it's mouth unless when retracted when eating. Most times it's voice was nearly muffled if it didn't push it's words outward through the small gaps in the sides. Thus it's hissing voice. "A fine greeting that was. I guess you'll have do for an appetizer, but first I'll need to cut you into smaller pieces."
There was another hiss, but not from the hollow speaking, but as it vanished from sight. Sonido. A move to rival a shinigami's shupo. The only telltale sign of it's use the sound it makes as they move. The creature appeared in the air above the captain. In that same instant the hollow swung both of it's arms downward. Almost instantly as arms finished their arcs a yellow "X" cut through the air at the shinigami. While the creature stood at an impressive 7ft the waves it launched were nearly three times as long. Upon closer inspection they looked like two large crescent moons. The light coming from the energy wave seemed to pulsate and swirl within itself.

Kuro was shocked as his attack received no amount of success, his blade noisily scraping over the hollow's body without drawing a minute amount of blood. From his vantage point over top of it, he watched as it reacted in surprise which quickly evolved into rage. He quickly put up his blade as the foe disappeared in a blur while accompanied by the unique static-like sound that was the mark of a sonido. All of a sudden, Kuro's position was robbed of its title of the higher ground. The hollow's movement had carried it up above, where it was now launching an impressive attack down towards Kuro with its two bladed arms. He was surprised that it had managed to overtake him so easily, but as he started to strengthen his reiatsu to resist it, an important factor surfaced in his mind.

The limit! I forgot that the senki gate restricts my powers in the living world! No wonder my blade didn't cut him... The troubles didn't stop there. Besides his reiatsu being dulled and contained, the limit would restrict most aspects of his spiritual abilities that were fueled by his normal power level. His speed would be reduced, his spiritual pressure mediocre, and even strength of his attacks would suffer. But removing the limit wasn't an option right now. To do so, he needed permission from the authorities, which he wasn't available to receive while in the middle of a secret mission.

"Damn it! Concentrate, Seishou-Seijin!" Kuro shouted as he pulled back his blade wielding arm. In a flash of energy, his short blade transformed into his shikai, a black and gold ninja gauntlet with a red jewel resting on Kuro's palm. Gathering spirit power in the gauntlet, Kuro thrust forward with this new weapon to fire a quick blast of power at the incoming crescent cross attack. The two collided in midair and erupted in a bright blast of spiritual power. Kuro used the resulting smoke from the explosion to conceal his movement as he shunpoed toward the hollow while he constructed a blade of golden energy extending from his gauntlet. If my powers aren't high enough to let me cut it with my sealed blade, I just have to forge a sharper one myself! Kuro knew that he wasn't likely to make a deep wound with a blade constructed from his shikai. Though this power was compressed and concentrated by his gauntlet, it would still prove difficult to injure an arrancar's hierro. Kuro aimed for the same spot as before, stabbing at the lesser armored section at the bottom of the hollow's torso.

The sky exploded bright yellow. Some of the sparks showered down upon the already burning building. Those from below weren't able to completely see what was going on due to the angle. The flash of light would only be mistaken for the flames flickering atop the building. But for those further away, they might have witnessed the explosion of the aerial battle and questioned it's origin. There was a small shockwave from the explosion causing some glass windows to shatter instantly. The hollow was a bit surprised that the shinigami had transformed his weapon. Having evolved so far it had encountered many of his kind before. A battle with a shinigami was no new thing. But the level of power this shinigami projected didn't seem right. Such a weak shinigami. It could only figure that the weapon made up for that abysmal spiritual power. The smoke from the clash blocked the soul reaper from view, but he appeared again rather quickly with a blade of energy.

As the yellow blade came at it's midsection it brought both it's arms to bear. Kuro's energy projection came to a stop before it could impale it's target. The cross guard made by the hollow's blades held firm against his shikai's power.
"I guess you're not stupid after all." the hollow hissed felt the heat coming off the strange weapon. "With my hands tied I can't attack." The hollow didn't seem to be struggling, but it had been pushed back from the initial hit of the zanpukto's ability. "Or can I?" As it spoke the monster's tail slithered up and over it's shoulder. While it's arms were still in an "X" a yellow glow started to envelope them. Slowly the yellow glow extended until the arms looked like that of a praying mantis. At this point the beast uncrossed it's arms. Kuro's blade was now being held back by it's newly formed weapons. It was then that the jagged tip of the tail began to glow. It slashed the air and crescent wave fired outward. A point blank attack wasn't something the hollow relished, but it figured he could survive such a tactic better than the shinigami.

Kuro was unfazed by the forming of the mantis claws that the hollow demonstrated. Such a move would prove limiting to the hollow anyway. The way mantis arms were designed, they were only highly skilled at grabbing or trapping things or wide chops or swings. To strike with the blade of such an arm, the whole length of the arm had to be extended to expose the sharp part of the blades, which would slow the speed of the attack down. Such things didn't worry him as long as he could still move at a decent pace. Things were different however when the tail arched and fired a technique identical to the one that the hollow had used with its arm blades earlier. Kuro's eyes widened in shock and surprise as the wave came unexpected and slammed into him at point blank range.

The sky above the burning building was once again lit up by a fantastic explosion that engulfed both Kuro and the hollow. As the smoke began to thin out, Kuro could be seen sailing backward and downward away from the hollow. His blood spurted out of the wound that spread all across his chest, leaving little doubt that he had been taken out by the blast. But even as his body appeared to fall in slow motion, it suddenly vanished. It was nothing more than a clever afterimage left by Kuro's utsusemi technique. The real Kuro was now behind the hollow.

Kuro looked in sorry shape for a captain fighting against an enemy not even of vasto lorde rank. His uniform was scorched and ripped in various places where the blast had reached it and a small stream of blood was trickling down the side of his face, leaving a red line painting his cheek. His technique had saved his life, but with the little time he'd had to set it up and even think to use it in the first place, he had not escaped all injury. But it had made for a convincing distraction to let him get in position for his next attack. Shunpoing at the hollows mid back, Kuro pulled back with his gauntlet arm, gathering spirit power in the shikai which now had no blade extending from it. Kuro had dissolved the weapon and decided to go with his zanpakuto's simpler ability to compress his power and increase the destructive force of his melee combat. Using the shunpo to gain more kinetic force with his momentum, Kuro aimed his palm strike at the middle of the hollow's back where there was less armor. Releasing his power, he increased his strength and aimed to bypass the hierro and cause injury without piercing the skin. It was a brutish type of plan, but such things had to be given a chance when his options were so limited.

The blast of the explosion didn't phase the creature in the slightest. That was to be expected; it could handle far worst than that. Still it's ears rung with the loud noise happening so close to them. Falling from the smoke was the mortally wounded shinigami. The hollow snorted.
"Fall to hell." it hissed dismissing corpse as it dropped. Now he could get back to eating it's fill of the humans below. Just as it turned it's attention to away from the slain foe, it felt the reiryoku of something from behind. Too late to turn it grinned beneath it's mask. "Not bad shinigami." The next second it was the one sent flying earthward as the captain's attack connected. It tumbled end over end through the air til it collided with a building. The momentum from the attack was more than enough to send it crashing through the stone wall and glass windows. Less than a moment later it came crashing out the other side. Rocks showed the street below upon the hollow's exit. With nothing else to stop it, the creature crashed into the hard pavement.

In truth the strike from the shinigami was more painful than the impact with the building. Not to mention the long fall to the ground. The shinigami's strike had carried it quite abit of a distance away from the burning building. Two to three blocks at least. As it rose out of the crater the hollow gave a hiss of displeasure. The little shinigami was a slippery one. It was covered in dirt from it's fall there were long cracks in the armor on it's back. Of course it couldn't see the cracks, but it could feel them all the same. It's eyes wandered down to it's arms. The sickle like bladed that it had formed had dispersed.
"I was sure that I had struck you down, now I'll just have to make sure by eating your heart." Wasting no time it leaped toward the nearest building. The leap carried it to the side of a hotel. It's claws dug into the stone. The monster only stayed there a moment as it then the perch to launch it self up higher to another building. In rapid succession it leaped from building to building until it had once again climbed to the top of the skyline. All the while it ascended it kept it's senses locked on Kuro. This time it wouldn't take blind sided. Finally it came to a stop on the top of a building. It spotted Kuro and cackled. The shingami was strange. He was sure he felt so little power from him at first. But it quickly reminded itself they could be unpredictable. Well so can I the hollow thought as the plates around it's mouth retracted. It's spiritual power flared quickly and a ball of yelloe formed over right above the exposed rows of teeth. CERO Amber energy expanded into a wide cone at the shinigami. The building the creature stood on shook with cannon like force of the ray possessed. Windows shattered and people screamed not sure why their home was suddenly experiencing an earthquake. The hollow's feet dug into the roof to keep from being blow backwards.

Kuro was breathing heavily with exertion after that previous attack. The desperation of the situation had put him on edge, increasing his breathing and heart rate. He took a moment to calm down after successfully landing a decent blow on his enemy. The damage to the buildings that caught up in their fight was regrettable, but Kuro couldn't do much about that while under the limit. In other situations, he would have been able to better take control of the fight and minimize collateral damage. But now, he was fighting to survive. His breathing back under control, Kuro watched as the hollow rose from where he'd crashed and leaped at a building. Kuro didn't want to lose the momentum that his previous attack had given him in this fight, and therefore chose to take things to his next level.

"Bankai!" Kuro's voice rang out in the sky over the city, blanketed in the sounds of vehicles, sirens, and a variety of other sources. Like back in the Seireitei, a pillar of golden light shone into the air above him, fading to reveal him once again clad in his shinobi outfit. Using the time the hollow was using to jump from building to building, Kuro focused his power and lit up the first ring on his sash to further compress his spirit power. He had an idea to help him deal with the limit. If the overall level and power of his abilities was being limited, he'd make up for it by powering up his bankai to concentrate what power he had available. That would offer a chance to reach the level of his unsealed self without tipping others off about his location.

Kuro blanched as the hollow revealed its next move. Cero! Cero was a devastating ability of hollows that Kuro had dealt with many times in the past. His mind raced as the ability was charged, knowing that he didn't have long to come up with a plan. Under normal circumstances, he'd be confident enough in his strength to fire a beam from his gauntlets to oppose the blast. But under the limit, there was no guarantee that he'd have enough power to stop the cero from reaching him. He thought of maybe trying to close the distance between them, but realized that would do nothing. All the hollow would have to do would be to adjust its aim before firing. It was, after all, keeping its gaze locked on him constantly to avoid Kuro's trickery. Kuro felt like his options were dry until he thought of a crazier plan: endure it. Kuro shunpoed backwards away from the hollow to give himself more space. Extending one hand out in front of him, he chanted a kido spell that he hadn't used much. "Constantly falling into disorder, does the universe bleed as we do? What is the effect of restoring it? Bakudo #60: Wall of Entropy!"

A swirling multi-colored wall of reiatsu formed in front of Kuro, shielding him from the hollow's attack. But Kuro wasn't naive enough to think that alone was enough. Holding both bankai clad hands out, he released his spirit energy and molded it into a large golden circular shield with a diameter of Kuro's own full height. He had put a lot of energy into it, giving it a thick surface to help shield whatever force of the cero broke through his kido. The blast was fired in a devastating display that shook and fractured the city buildings beneath them. Kuro braced himself and felt the impact as the cero slammed into his barrier and shield in turn. The kido barrier was annihilated without much resistance. But the energy spent in breaking it made the cero weak enough to be blocked by Kuro's zanpakuto's shield. Still, the impact set up a large explosion which singed and battered Kuro again, sending him flying from the impact point, clouded in another burst of smoke. This was what he'd been waiting for. In the midst of the ringing explosion, Kuro cast another kido, "Bakudo #26: Curving Light!"

Kuro was again rendered invisible like back in the Rukongai. This coupled with the compressing force of his shinobi suit, making it practically impossible to detect him from a distance. By the time the hollow could feel his presence, it'd be too late. Kuro surged power into his boots and shot himself across the sky straight at the hollow with shunpo. Using the distraction the cero's explosion had caused Kuro used his invisible status to launch yet another surprise attack on the hollow. Only this time, it was head on. Filling his gauntlets with spirit power, Kuro released the energy as he came upon his foe and smashed both his palms at its stomach at the same time. His invisibility spell came undone as he reached the hollow, leaving him fully visible to his prey.

The bright yellow burst of spiritual energy filled the sky the hollow saw the shinigami's movements. Something had changed with the shinigami; his clothing had changed. Not only that, but the spiritual power he gave off had also increased. He had thought the man would try to dodge, but instead he stood firm. Was this transformation enough to take on his cero? Without a moment's hesitation the beast released the energy he had stored up. A new light cut through the sky as his attack burned all that lay before it. The savage energy took only seconds to reach the waiting shinigami and his glowing fist. Impact. The explosion sounded like a full nuclear strike and the shockwave was like a typhoon. Everything shook and trembled as the lights burst in the sky like a grand firework display. People through out the city were affected by aftershocks. Car alarms were triggered and glass windows broke as if hit with a sledgehammer. At the same time the grand wind blew all the dirt and loose gravel in every direction. Anyone walking the streets was suddenly bowled over. It was a wonder how much devastation such an attack would have caused if it hadn't detonated in the air.

The dust and smoke had yet to settle when, but the hollow beamed triumphantly at the destruction around him. He could hear the symphony of cries from the people around him. Still he didn't take his eyes off the space in front of him. Did the shinigami really think he could have withstood his mighty attack? The man was dead due to his own foolishness. Still something was bothering him. The increase in power right before the cero launched.
"Rest in peaces shinigami." he hissed just as the oddly dressed soul reaper made an appearance. Once more the shingiami had managed to catch him unaware. But to think he survived the blast was shocking. Already the man was primed to attack. The hollow could feel the built up energy radiate as he thrust his hands forward. It was impossible to try and dodge, but he still had a card to play. The hollow grunted and released his power power in defense. Even as he did the shinigami's fist hit with concussive force. Once more he was knocked from his perch and sent flying. This time it wasn't one building he went through, but several. The first three occurred so quickly it felt like only one structure had been pierced. When he hit the next one his flailing body tore a hole in the side of the building making it quite unstable. The next building was a motel as he flipped end over end he cut through 3 penthouse suites and 11 other rooms. After that he skipped off the tops of a few roofs before careening into the street below and tearing into the sidewalk. There was no crater like before there was now a very pitch black hole in the spot where the beast had fallen. Only the creature's legs were sticking out from the mouth of the dark pit. The street he had landed on was in a frenzy. It's path through the street had hit a car and set it flying towards a store front window. While the care missed it's target it still put a sizable hole in the wall. The other car that swerved to miss it wasn't so lucky. It traveled into the other lane to crash with another vehicle head on. Unfortunately the sudden stop caused a chain reaction in the car behind. Car after car either impacted with each other. They had been lucky it was not a more busy street or more people would have gotten caught up in the chaos.

Kuro stood by in the sky, panting from the exertion he had pushed himself to in order to make such a fast and strong attack. His enemy had been blown away by yet another sneak move by Kuro, and the damage to the city as a result was becoming more and more extensive. Kuro didn't like it due to personal feelings of guilt over the chaos he was inserting into innocent people's lives, but even more so for the fact that all of this spontaneous damage was likely to get the Soul Society's attention and tip the new onmitsukido division off as to where he was.

As for Kuro's opponent, he had not moved from his position in the hole he'd created upon impact with the ground. Kuro didn't know if he was seriously wounded from his earlier attack, but either way it was a good chance to further power himself up. Kuro relaxed as he kept watch on the hole containing his foe and proceeded to focus his power more. As the seconds slipped by, the second ring on his sash filled up with golden color. This added to the degree of concentration in Kuro's spiritual energy resources. His body felt light with the focused energy flowing through it. Light, but powerful. Not wasting any more time, Kuro shot over to stand above the hole in the ground and filled both of his gauntlets with his energy. Stretching his hands down toward the ground, he fired a twin stream of golden energy down at the hole in an attempt to finish this annoying enemy off for good and get back to his task.

The legs twitched as Kuro stood above the hole where his foe had fallen. All around people ran about in a panic in the wake of the creature's crash. People cried out in pain from the chaotic chain reaction the impact had caused. Without hesitation the shinigami prepared to conclude his battle. Before he could deliver the coup de'grace the ground behind him exploded him. Those that had escaped the accident we in peril once again as the pavement suddenly heaved beneath them. The unfortunate few standing in the middle of the street were launched into the air. There was only horror and confusion in their screams over the sudden development. For those not vaulted skyward there was a shower of rocks to rain down upon them. High wind buffeted the entire area. As the massive gust blew people held onto anything to keep from being blown away. The source of this great upheaval was something akin to a hurricane bursting from the stone pavement. Besides the fact that it was coming from the ground was proof enough that the wind funnel wasn't normal. The other discerning fact was that the hurricane was a vibrant yellow color.

As the winded whipped the rocks and dirt about the creatures legs zipped into the hole and vanished. The yellow wind stretched higher and higher until it reached towards the sky. As it rose the winds intensified. Hapless people were tossed about like leaves. Some people were fortunate enough to be plastered against the walls of some of the builds as the rest tumbled down the street due to the gale. The yellow pillar of wind suddenly shifted. The head of the funnel tipped down to 'look' at Kuro. There was a small flash of light and a crescent blade wave of energy flew from the lip of the hurricane. The bolt shot past Kuro and hit the building behind him and exploded. Then another crescent flew out this one landed less than tent feet in front of the shinigami. Smoke and rocks were tossed about by the explosion. It was then that there was a greater flash along the length of the funnel. A stream of crescents flew from the mouth this time, no two blades going in the same direction. A shotgun burst of energy flung at the shinigami.

Before Kuro could fire his blast down on the hole below him, the ground a distance from its location erupted with a devastating force that added to the destruction that Kuro and his opponent had already inflicted upon the city. Bystanders screamed as many were tossed by the exploding and shifting of asphalt and others were left to face injury and death by the raining chunks that fell back to the ground. Kuro began to lower himself down to investigate closer when the winds struck and knocked him back again, forcing him to take position higher in the air again. He watched as a yellow funnel cloud of wind and spiritual energy burst from the street and began to wreak havoc on the city.

Though it was already pretty obvious to Kuro watching the cloud come from his enemy's last postion, this funnel was confirmed to be the hollow beyond a doubt when a familiar attack was fired from its "mouth" and sliced past Kuro, exploding against a tall skyscraper building behind him. The blast shook the building and the ground beneath it while also tossing Kuro from his position through the air. He regained his balance and caught himself as he reached the ground, only to be forced to dodge a following blast that immediately came at him with shunpo. The funnel then changed tactics, performing a followup attack of many random energy crescents that flew in Kuro's direction and didn't allow for any safe retreat. But Kuro didn't feel like retreating this time. Focusing power in both of his gauntlets, Kuro fired a double burst of energy like he'd been aiming at the hole before. The streams from Kuro's attack intercepted the blasts that flew at his foothold and resulted in a massive explosion that caught up other nearby crescents as well. The whole block where Kuro stood shook beneath his feet from the force that the colliding attacks produced. Rock shards of varying sizes flew around the area, breaking windows and striking any bystanders unlucky enough to still be in the vicinity.

"Damn." Kuro spoke aloud to himself trying to come up with a plan of attack. "How am I supposed to get at the hollow if it stays hidden in that wind?" The funnel offered no clear sight of the enemy's whereabouts, so Kuro had to think for this one. He had no wide spread attack like the hollow had just shown, unless he were to fire small bursts from his gauntlets rapidly. But while under the limit, such attacks would be useless. After thinking for a few moments, he decided to go with kido again. "Bakudo #62: Hundred Steps Fence!" A rod of energy formed in Kuro's hand, which he pulled back then flung towards the funnel as hard as he could. The rod flew straight like a lance before shattering into dozens of identical projectiles which sailed at a large majority of the funnel's surface. Kuro watched for movement in the funnel. The best turnout would be if the rods forced the hollow out of the funnel and pinned it to the buildings behind it. But even if it somehow prevented its own immobilization, Kuro listened for the sounds of when the rods impacted the hollow's body to tell him where it was so he could attack.

The explosion of the two energies colliding caused the whole block to shake. Those in the street tried to run to safety, but there wasn't a safe place left. The whole area had become like a war zone. The wind threw people around and the explosions sent debris skyward. Said debris was then hurtled by the winds causing even further damage to the surroundings. As they ran from the explosions, they had to watch out for falling rocks. They beings were invisible to he naked eye and yet their fight spilled out into the material world. To those in the area it was like a several natural disasters had come about in a matter of seconds. An earthquake and now as typhoon was wrecking havoc upon the populace. While those cowering in fear prayed for the storm to stop, they knew not how their lives hung in the balance. Should the shinigami fail their lives were forfeit. And yet to do so he must wage a battle that consume the souls of those which he meant to save.

Kuro kido took form and assailed the rampant tornado. The glowing rods flashed as they pierced the funnel's walls and dove into the heart of the storm. Almost a second latter the passed out the other side to the twister. One by one they peppered the walls of the buildings around and behind the malicious whirlwind. A few of the errant bolts flew back at the caster. The high spinning wind had altered their trajectory enough to make a completely straight flight impossible. The top of the funnel shifted again. Rearing it's head like a wild beast it turned to Kuro yet again. Rather than release another barrage of deadly crescents the body of the storm bend down and then swung horizontally at him. It was attempting to slam him into him directly. It's swing missed and hit the building beside the shinigami. The turning winds tore into the building like it was made of paper mache. Not for a second did the winds slow as they ate at the building like a chainsaw into an oak tree. Large pieces of rubble were tossed about as the winds did their work. It took only seconds for the swing to complete and the one towering building was toppled. The severed half of the structure landed into the street below and shattered like a faberge egg. An explosion came from beneath the building as it landed on several cars and ruptured their fuel tanks. The once purely yellow whirlwind was now clouded by bits of metal, stone, wood, and various other odds and ends. All the particles flying at high speed had probably contributed to it's ability to cut down a building. But probably it could have done the same thing without them. It swung straight downwards at Kuro. The funnel recovered from the missed attack and readied itself for the next one.

Many blocks away

A man in a dark room looking through the window. From high building it was easy to see the destructive tornado in it's entirety. He watched as the building fell and the smoke of the fires rose. His phone started to ring. He sighed and walked away from the view. Even in near darkness he could navigate the room without fail. He reached the desk and pressed the flashing button.
"Yes?" He said calmly without picking up the receiver.
"So, what do you think?" Came the voice from the other end.
"It's perfect." was all he said and moved back to the window. "More than perfect even."
"Do you really think it will work?" The voice asked the man in the shadows.
The man said nothing, but turned his attention back to the fighting taking place far below him. "Of course it will."

Kuro watched with disappointment as his efforts to expose the hollow failed due to the wind's tenacity. The funnel's gales prevented his tactic from producing any positive results and even forced him to evade returning rods from his own spell that were pushed back. The funnel then turned it's top in his direction again and proceeded to swing at him with a force that easily severed a building's upper half from its base. Kuro retreated from both the attack and the falling structure, which crashed to the city floor with a horrendous smash that shook the city again as explosions burst out from beneath it and its frame shattered. Shards of debris flew everywhere, causing Kuro to shield his face as the more minute fragments shot past. His hand received a nasty gash from a window shard that tore through the street, flung away by one of the explosions. To top all of this off, the funnel still wasn't finished. Recovered from its previous attempt, the littered wind tunnel was swinging down at him in an effort to hit him with the same cutting winds that had just wiped out the building.

"Damn it all!" Kuro cursed aloud as he shot himself up into the air again to avoid the attack and try and draw the funnel away from the buildings. In truth, he was extremely bothered by the destruction and injury his fight was causing. If only he had his whole strength, he could finish this quickly. But his mission...if he lifted his limit, the red sashes would no doubt find out his location and make his task harder. "Screw that! They'll find out anyway with how this is progressing!" he shouted aloud again, making up his mind. Plunging his hand into his robes, he grabbed his communicator and immediately contacted the Seireitei. "This is Second Division Captain, Kuro Akarui, calling from the living world to request allowance for lifting the limit! I am currently engaged in a fight with a evasive hollow whose abilities are making it difficult to eliminate with my sealed power. Please hurry with authorizing procedures!" Kuro began his wait by focusing his power in his bankai further, lighting up the third circle on his sash. But even with better compressed power, he had no idea currently of how to deal with the funnel. The position he'd taken over the city had the advantage of keeping the funnel's main attacks focused on him, but left him with limited options to counter attack it in return. Kuro decided to hang back for now and wait for his limit removal to be authorized.

Comms station in Seireitei

One of men manning the terminal pressed the button next to the flashing light of an incoming call. His eyes bulged out of their sockets when he heard the name. The fellow often handled communications from the real world to spirit world so at first he thought the call was a prank. After all it's not often a captain makes a call to their station. He thought it was just one of peers pulling a joke by calling from an outside phone. But the authentication showed the message was coming from Earth. Not only that signal was indeed from the captain's phone. Each phone had a coding similar to an IP a computer uses. It was method used when receiving calls. All communications were recorded and filed. The computer kept track of the numbers and logged them. The operator to answer Kuro was baffled, but rather than hesitate he leaped into action. All the information he needed was transmitted from the Captain's phone.
"Sending request sir!. Awaiting confirmation." His fingers ran across the keyboard as he electronically messaged the second relay located within the Central 46 Compound. The computer of the unit stationed there hummed as the waiting technician received the first man's message. He entered the return code. The man sitting next to him moved to the other small terminal and pressed a red button in the middle.
"A request is to be presented before the council." He said calmly and then vanished. The man reappeared outside the court where the 40 wise-men and 6 judges met. Outside the massive door stood two men clad in black and wearing red sashes. The man kneeled. He was wearing a long white hooded robe. "I have come bearing a message. Permission to address the Central 46." Both men nodded and the pushed open the door. The chamber was quiet was the robed man walked forth. Once he reached the center of the room he dropped to his knee once more.
"Captain Kuro Akarui requesting a release of his limiter in combating a creature in the human world." The chamber went into an uproar.
"What is he doing there?"
"Who authorized_"
"What manner of creature is he fighting?"
"We should release_"
"Deny!"
"Sending Back-up is the prudent choice."
On and one they went, each talking above the other and not really listening to what each other had to say. All of them so busy they didn't notice something move in the shadows of the chamber. Even if they had noticed the motion, whatever it was, it was already gone.

Back in Sanagu

It's second strike failed to land just like the first. The effect of the strong winds on the ground were just as pronounced as it had been on the building. A deep trench was cut into the pavement from where the high winds had touched. The devastation of the strike made the whole area shake and the blast of wind sent more debris flying. Even as Kuro rose into the air the funnel did not move in the slightest. The head of the hurricane instead aimed it's mouth at the captain and released another torrent of crescent blades into the air after the captain. Just like before the energy waves flew out in a spread with no real focus other than the enemy's general direction.