Bleach: Azashiro

Calm, measured life. Seireitei has moved on from recent events. The streets of the city are once again crowded with people, and peaceful days have returned. Ordinary residents no longer need to fear dying in an accidental shinigami skirmish. Silence and grace. Oddly enough, our detachment has also received a break. There simply are no targets. Suspicious and dangerous individuals are, of course, under surveillance, but our unit has been left behind. The shinigami from the academy and clan servants are successfully dealing with the Hollows. 

Coming out of an unexpected vacation, I expected to immediately dive back into work, but in reality, little has changed. I still train, go on dates, and visit my parents. On one hand, I should be glad that no one needs to cut anyone's throat. On the other hand, I joined the detachment with the intention of honing my skills in real battle. It's a sin to complain, of course. I've already had a serious fight and managed to endure a lot. Just look at Kurai's revelation. Now I have to get used to my Shikai again. Well, "getting used to" is an overstatement—more like exploring new opportunities. 

And there are plenty of them. *Shitsuren*—that's what my main ability is called. There are simply a lot of applications, but they all come down to energy attacks of any form, imbued with the attribute of my zanpakutō. 

Next comes the second stage, as I call it—spontaneous. Mastering fire and lightning wasn't very difficult, but I wouldn't use them in battle yet. Unlike water, I have to pay too much attention to controlling them. Even using Shunpo at the same time as lightning would be extremely dangerous, primarily for myself. Don't forget that my ability destroys everything—fire and lightning even more so. The destructive properties of these elements are an order of magnitude greater than water. Of course, there are nuances here too. Each element has its own pros and cons. 

Water is slow and less suitable for attack compared to others, but its defensive properties are superior. Although, what properties are there? It's simply denser and much harder to break through than fire, and defending with lightning is unrealistic. Plus, there's the property of destruction inherent in all the abilities of my zanpakutō. It turns out that breaking through such protection is possible, but extremely difficult. 

Fire is more suitable for area attacks. In terms of damage, it's stronger than water but weaker than lightning when it comes to single targets. I haven't been able to control it yet. More precisely, I can't produce anything more than a simple stream of fire in a straight line. Kurai insists it's not a matter of control but isn't in a hurry to explain. 

Lightning, in turn, is ideal for fighting a single enemy. Its high penetrating ability, strength, and speed of attack surpass the other elements available to me. But there are drawbacks. Too much energy and concentration are required to create lightning, causing a delay of approximately two seconds before an attack. That might not seem like much, but in high-speed battles, it's a lot. The second downside is accuracy—or rather, the complete lack of control over lightning after its release. There's also the risk of hitting myself. I need to concentrate the zanpakutō blade, and if I'm distracted during the process, it'll discharge in a random direction. I'll be lucky if it doesn't hurt me. That's the main danger of this power. 

Eh, I feel like I still have a few years of training before I completely master Shikai. And I need to devote time to Kido. I still don't control Hado and Bakudo of the 90s level. The stagnation in my Kido progress has been somewhat depressing. From the very beginning, spells were the support and foundation of my strength. Even after gaining Shikai, I didn't abandon Kido in battle, as most shinigami do. 

"No, complaining won't help here. I'd rather go practice." 

I didn't have any business for today. Shika was busy, attending a banquet with Chika-san. Our two newcomers are training with a common group today. So, I'd rather spend my time productively. 

Later, I can drop by home and see my parents. I'll train Yasuko, as I promised. She's recently gained a lot of strength. She may soon need to be trained in high-level Kido. Alas, as Grandfather said, she has no talent in this direction, but she makes up for it with hard work. Thanks to her efforts, she's come close to mastering level 80 Kido. 

Having reached the training ground, I cleared my mind of all unnecessary thoughts. Being distracted during Kido practice is risky, especially when it comes to high-level Kido. 

I threw my haori off my shoulders and launched a couple of weak Hado at the target to warm up. 

"Hoooh, let's get started," I said, gathering my focus. 

I stretched both arms in front of me, concentrated my reiatsu, and once again tried to use Hado 90. 

"The oozing flag of mutiny! Arrogant cup of madness! Boil! Deny! Chains! Blink! Break your sleep! Creeping queens of iron! A constantly crumbling doll made of dirt! Unite! Rally! Fill yourself with earth and realize your powerlessness!" 

"Hado №90: Kurohitsugi!" 

I released black and purple energy that surrounded the targets in front of me, gradually forming a cube with spike-like protrusions around them. Inside the cube, powerful streams of gravity destroyed the target. 

Time seemed to stop for me. Only a few seconds had passed since the creation of the cube, but in my anticipation of the result, it felt like hours. The moment came, and the black cube disintegrated, revealing barely damaged targets. 

"Damn," I swore. "It didn't work out again." 

Many might think that the hardest part of this Kido is forming the cube. At first, I thought so too. Creating a reishi cube was surprisingly difficult; the concentration required for it was strikingly different from other Kido. And it was all the more joyful for me when I succeeded. How wrong I was. The hardest part of Kurohitsugi isn't creating the cube but reproducing the gravity streams inside it. That's where my main problem lies. I just can't channel the reiatsu correctly to achieve the desired effect. 

It's terrifying to imagine the level of control the creator of this Kido had over reiatsu. After all, I have to do everything according to a template. Thanks to the spell, the reiatsu does most of the work on its own; I just need to direct it correctly. At the same time, when creating a new Kido, one must control and perform all these manipulations. And Kurohitsugi is only level 90. I shudder to think about the creator of Hado 99. 

The question is also quite strange: where have such strong personalities gone? They couldn't have just died. With such high control over reiatsu and even reishi, did they create Kido and disappear? That can't be. 

Of course, we shouldn't exclude the possibility that the creator of these Kido is Ichibē. As far as I know, he's gone the furthest in understanding the power of Names. But for some reason, I can't believe it. I doubt a single shinigami could create such a vast number of Kido, especially at the 90s level. Or could they? How old is he? A thousand? Ten thousand? Maybe twenty thousand years? No one knows. But in that much time, perhaps he did create all these spells. 

"Huh, I've gone off track again," I grinned wryly. 

"To all members of the squad, report urgently to the east gate of Seireitei. I repeat, all members of the squad should urgently report to the east gate of Seireitei." 

The voice in my head distracted me. I immediately recognized it as one of the Bakudo used to convey messages to a large number of people. It's usually reserved for emergencies. Without hesitation, I rushed at full speed toward the exit of the underground complex. 

Emerging onto Seireitei's streets, I was met with chaos. Crowds of shinigami rushed in all directions. Ordinary residents ran down the streets in panic. After standing on one of the roofs for a couple of seconds, I indifferently observed the confusion below and then dashed off. I needed to reach the gate as soon as possible; I'd find out what happened there. 

Approaching the destination, I noticed the walls surrounding Seireitei. In normal times, they hover in the sky near the Soul King's palace, but during an attack or breach, they lower to protect Seireitei. 

Exiting Shunpo at the top of the wall next to Chika Shihoin, I wanted to ask what was happening but froze. The sight before me left me stunned. 

Crowds of Hollows stood about a kilometer from the walls. There were so many of them—lesser Menos, Gillians, hundreds if not thousands. They roared as if in excitement. The cacophony of their cries reached me. 

"Ah, Akihiko, you're here," Chika-san's voice snapped me out of my stupor. 

"What's going on?" I asked, unable to hold back. 

"Can't you see? Hollows," Chika-san said casually. 

"Why aren't they attacking?" I asked, calming down slightly. 

The question was warranted. The Menos stood at a distance, seemingly waiting for something. Atypical behavior for their kind, especially considering the number of ordinary Hollows and Gillians. The latter are generally mindless creatures driven by instinct. 

"Hmm, who knows? But the situation is quite strange. A similar crowd of Hollows has gathered at every gate of Seireitei," Chika-san said grimly. 

"Strange" was an understatement. There was clearly a guiding force here. Has a Vasto Lorde arrived? Only they could control such a large crowd of Hollows. Adjuchas might manage a couple of hundred at most, but not several thousand. And considering the other gates, it's a sizable army. 

"Then what are we waiting for?" I asked. 

"What? It's fine. If you want, you can charge into that crowd now. No one will say a word to you, haha," he replied cheerfully. 

"But seriously, we're waiting for a few more strong shinigami. After that, we won't have to worry about the walls and can wipe out this crowd," Chika-san said nonchalantly. 

Around us were shinigami from the Covert Operations Squad. Most were privates, but there were also officers stationed every ten meters, each with a team of shinigami around them. Shika, in formal attire, was about forty meters away, giving instructions. After watching her for a moment, I turned my gaze back to the Hollows. 

"Akihiko," Chika-san called. 

"Yes?" I responded without looking away from the Menos. 

"You're a big boy now. You know what to do. When I give the command, act on your own. Just try not to kill too many shinigami. Otherwise, I'm not limiting you. We need to cut down this crowd quickly," Chika-san said seriously. 

"Understood," I replied. That suited me just fine. 

"Also, if you're attacked by a Vasto Lorde, try to hold them off. The lieutenants or I will send help as soon as possible." 

I didn't respond to his last words. It was clear enough. I shouldn't fight a Vasto Lorde yet. Of course, I could handle it, but I'm not confident. These Hollows and shinigami could fail me. My Shikai isn't fully mastered yet. I could rely on Kido, but I doubt my Hado would be enough to overcome the reiatsu of such a Hollow. 

"Haha, Chika, long time no see!" a loud voice boomed behind me. 

"Hmm, what the hell are you doing here, old man?" Chika-san asked cheerfully. 

"Ahaha, I don't know, but it seems Kageroza is coming too. Where does that old stump wander off to?" the old man shouted. 

He looked unremarkable—slightly hunched, with long gray hair, a hooked nose, and a wrinkled, roundish face. He wore a standard shinigami uniform without any identifying marks, so he wasn't an aristocrat. Although, given his familiarity with Chika-san, that might not be the case. 

"Hmm, look at yourself, fossil. Unlike some, I have responsibilities," Kageroza said irritably, landing next to Chika. 

"Oh, what did you say!? Are you implying I have no responsibilities!?" the old man shouted indignantly. 

"Enough. Since you're here, we should get started. I'll leave the gate's security to you," Chika-san interrupted their bickering. "Go, Akihiko." 

Without another word, he disappeared into Shunpo. Well, it's time for me to go too. Shunpo.