Chapter 71 - Gifting

Soul Society was not having a good time.

First their entire batch of cadets died at the hands of an unknown Hollow, another being with unclear intentions.

With the results being, one missing and only two survivors, Aizen had fallen in ranks and Gin had become the Captain.

Then as they researched the only proof of the existence of Hollow Yin, all his swords dissappeared.

No one could figure out how and why.

Normally if it was an Arrancar class Hollow, then it might explain the Shinigami like aspect of this Hollow.

But as claimed by Aizen and Gin, the Hollow wasn't even a Vasto Lorde class. This left the many researchers in a spiralling loop of confusion, drowning even more in a myriad amounts of theories.

So they had no choice but to wait for more information on Hollow Yin.

Until the extreme phenomenon occured.

It was then they realised how shallow they were being. Because if as claimed that this energy wave which was extremely similar and was probably caused by Yin, then Yamamoto might tear them down for such negligence.

But that wasn't even the end, it was only when they were forced to kneel down or nearly die, only then did soul society understand just what kind of being was strutting around.

A being more or less in equal terms with the Soul King.

A thought so valid yet so ridiculous to figure out.

So when Kisuke came about and asked for permission to find any traces or information about this Hollow, no one objected.

Even if this mad scientist was a banished one, his intelligence was top notch. To the point that many researcher's breathed in relief when he came and started compiling the Data on the Energy Wave epicenter.

It was a nonsensical task to pinpoint the cause of such an extreme Reishi wave.

But as proved by Kisuke once again, all he needed was to know and to see, the rest was on his mind to do.

It was Heuco Mundo where this began. If before this discovery anybody had doubts of the participation of Yin, this was no longer was speculation.

It was fact that this was Yin doing something that was not within their understanding.

Kisuke wanted to immediately run to this spot and begin the capture of this Hollow, but he was stopped by Gin and Aizen.

The statement was "Even when Yin was just Adjucha Class, he could run from Captain class Shinigami. If by chance he had advanced then even running from a few Captains won't be a big problem".

Yamamoto wasn't really happy with this variable that roamed around. He was more angry that an entire year of Cadets had been extinguished, the next batch had become more fearful of Hollows and many opting for Logistics rather than the actual battlefield.

This could cripple the entire Soul Society given time, but given time people would also forget this event.

So Yamamoto wasn't really disturbed, at least until the Reishi Waves came, even he who could stand in face of the Soul King nearly kneeled.

These researchers may act like they know the true strength of this Hollow named Yin, but they were far from it.

If Yamamoto was seriously underestimating this Hollow then Soul King was it's strength, and that is no way to fight.

But he needed to know more about Yin to actually estimate his strength. So he agreed with the plan of at least sending out more than a squad to combat Yin.

This was a sacrifice made for the greater good, it was a far better outcome than falling down with Soul Society before figuring out the enemy.

Aizen was not happy with this Yin going around putting arbitrary blocks in his plans. But he was confident that even someone like Yin would fall in his illusion forever.

Aizen would then become God, a step above all beings in the three realms of Bleach. But right now a new source of extraordinary curiosity grasped his attention.

He wanted to know what Yin did to achieve the surging Reishi wave. It was all encompassing and all suppressing, just like how a Godly being would seem.

So when the three Squads numbering 24 reached the place, they realised that no one was there, they had been a step too late.

The only sign of someone being there was a spatial crack that closed in record breaking speeds and a box of some sorts.

They were cautious of any sort of oddity and a box wrapped like a gift was a clear oddity.

But as if detecting their presence, the Box unwrapped itself.

Everybody was unsure of what to do until Kisuke walked towards it.

Then a voice came out the box "Oh we have a brave one".

It was an angsty and sarcastic voice.

Then a projection of two monochrome eyes came out.

Gin who had witnessed the end of an entire batch of Shinigami Cadets remembered these eyes.

But as if they could interchange, Red and Blue shifted, then mixing, until it became Purple.

"As a reward, I will give you an advice, don't trust Soul Society, no matter what".

Kisuke was curious "What do you mean ?".

But as if that was the trigger, the box then unleashed a grand spell of some sort. All Shinigami's present instinctively went for their swords only to realise nothing had changed in the vicinity.

"Ahaha you should have seen the look in our faces".

Kisuke was amused, the mad scientist within him trying to figure out what had happened and what sort of mechanism this box was made of, to function in such a sci-fi fashion.

Gin was the first to unsheathe his Sword saying "We don't have time to waste, figuring Yin's whereabouts has a clear expiry date".

Kisuke knew Gin was right but he also felt like something was amiss. Then he looked at Aizen and both their eyes widened in an instant, looking upwards only to see two Draconic eyes gazing at them with a hungry and beastial look.

"Oh my, you figured it out. So I present to you Seiryuu, its a work in progress so please do forgive his beastlike presence".

The Dragon was huge and his blue verdant scales a clear sign of it's name, The Azure Dragon Seiryuu.

Then the wind's blared and before the Shinigami's could stabilise themselves, the Dragon arrived with a huge Draconic Roar.

In the same moment it lunged towards the Shinigami tearing a few apart with its Fangs and Claws.

It had no majesty of it's own, like it lacked a mind, for the draconic beast only wildly attacked and thrashed at the Shinigami's, akeen to a mad dog on the loose.

But such a beast was no match for the well trained Shinigami's. So except for the initial ambush and sudden attack not many Shinigami's had perished.

So all of them tagged together and attacked the Dragon slowly pushing it at the edge. The Dragon's vitality was no joke, but it was a mere trickle for the Shinigami with their superior numbers and better training to tie such a beast down.

Then as if a drip on the calm lake, a voice sounded out "How unfair it is for one Beast to be beaten down by such a human wave tactic, tch tch. No wonder Seiryuu has a few freinds of it's own".

At once all present had their hairs tingle and in that same moment, lightning crackled. A storm was brewing out of nowhere, these storms were but a breeze in face of the Shinigami's who control parts of the worldly Laws, but there was only one little problem, Hueco Mundo has no weather system.

With the crackle of thunder and the fall of a lightning it arrived. A tiger with a fur of snow white, filled black stripes, such a majestic and sharp temperament was what made many exclaim "Byakko".

Only to be ruined by the listless eyes and the dripping saliva, upped with its predatory gaze. It was more of a Zombified corpse moving around than a true Cardinal Beast and its target was no other than the Shinigami present.

But as if that wasn't the end, a razing fire tornado appeared out in a spark. Its heat searing the desert, turning the fine sand to glass in mere moments, and with it's entry the soaring heat climbing, making the Shinigami feel like a wood crackling on fire.

Then the Earth quaked and all Shinigami's stumbled only to see a huge tortoise shell appear out of nowhere.

This was no longer 20 on one, it was 20 on 4.

"Hahaha isn't it fun, so do you like my gift. Please do give a star review between one to five".

Zero Stars, that's what we give you, zero stars you f.u.c.k.i.n.g box, was what all present would have liked to say. But they lacked the privilege to even divert their mind.

"Atomisation Sequence initiated".

Everybody was instantly sent to the edge, only to hear a cackle.

"Just Kidding".

Poof.

The Box had turned to fine sand, no Kisuke felt it. It had been Reishi given shape and Reishi it became in the end.

Then a speculation entered his mind and he gazed at the Cardinal Beasts with interest until all he saw was that they were just immense amounts of Reishi given shape.

But before he could continue to understand or inform anyone, all four beasts lunged and they wrecked havoc in the small amount of stability they held.

Gin was the first Captain to unsheathe his blade. The God Slayer elongated like a whip only to be met with the shell of a Black Tortoise.

It hit each other creating sparks, the strongest defense meets the sharpest spear.

But Genbu in itself is still an incomplete beast, so to say that his shell was weaker than normal is a stretch.

But to say it's invincible would be a lie.

It would have been invincible, had Genbu been a complete beast. But right now being just a prototype beast, it clearly lacked both the power and finesse of a complete being.

As such it was of no surprise for Aizen to see Gin's blade stab through Genbu and seek it's other three companions.

The sword ran like a sentient spear among a group of mad beasts. All the God Slayer needed was a Nick and it would all end.

It did pierce through all the beasts and weakened them. But it did not end them, because Gin still needed to search for Yin, or perhaps he just didn't see the need.

But as insidious as Gin was, he wasn't very knowledgeable about the Cardinal Beasts and it showed, for Kisuke was the first to shout out "Who has seen Ooryuu ?".

Everyone was a bit confused, some understood what the name meant and a few remained dazed.

Now that the Cardinal Beasts were struck down by the God Slayers poison, they could only wait for their deaths.

So quite many of them had been lax.

Well calling the devil has never been a good thing to do.

So when Five golden and jagged mountains appeared out of nowhere, surrounding both the beasts and them within. It did not surprise them as much as they would have been.

They were ready to fight, Gin striked first, because all he wanted to do was end it in one move.

His Sword shined and flew to its target only to pass through the mountain without stopping. For the first time Gin's eyes stayed widened, but he did not stop.

Waving his sword he attacked all the mountains, only to miserably fail at hitting any of them.

Calling back his sword he could only helplessly gaze at the mountains with worry.

That's when a extremely peculiar flash of colour permeated these mountains.

This powerful stream of golden colour rushed at the Cardinal Beasts and flowed through them.

If before these Beasts were at the mercy of the poison in their bodies, then now they were born anew and began wreaking havoc once more.

Surprised Gin did not hesitate to decapitate all the beasts before they could run amok.

But under the gazes of his squad his sword hit nothing. His sword seemed to have gone awry and under the golden streams guidance, distorted in various degrees and were f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y bent.

Just what was happening.

In a stage in Tokyo, a magician in a suit was performing tricks for the crowd, when he mumbled, "So they were able to force Ooryuu out of my gift after all. I guess incomplete minds aren't capable of being true calamities".