"Ha, all in." Kevin's confident voice drew the attention of everyone at the poker table. Five men sat around the circular table, each of them wore variations on stereotypical mobster attire.
Above them hung a light bulb illuminated the area around the table, while the rest of the room was cloaked in shadows.
"Captain Levin, what makes you confident that you'll get the whole pot?" Ikaku Madarame sat across from the alien hybrid. He wore a brown formal shirt and black pants, along with formal shoes. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt showing of his muscular arms.
"What can I say? I just a feeling that lucks on my side today." Kevin wore a pair of dark glasses, with a standard white shirt and black pants.
"Damn, I can't wuss out if the new guy is stacking everything he's got. Count me in too then." Tetsuzaemon Iba, a tall man with dark pompadour hair style, sunglasses, he holds the rank of lieutenant in squad seven. His attire was similar to Kevin's except he opened his shirt down to his stomach, the deep 'V' revealed his well toned body.
"Seems like everyone's in the spirit as the lieutenant of squad two I can't back down!" Omaeda the puggy shinigami shouted as he followed the others example pushing his chips to the center of the table were they joined the others. He wore a brown beret, white shirt his wrist adorned with a golden watch, while over his shoulders hung his earthen colored blazer. The large man revealed his pearly white teeth, as he attempted and failed to hide his chuckle.
"What about you Fro-man?"
"Aah!" The afro haired shinigami leapt a little as he was being addressed, if he had to be honest the new captains all freighted him to death. Someone not being a soul reaper yet having enough power to take on the role of a captain was ludicrous! Perhaps even more mind boggling was the reason he joined the high ranking individuals for their early morning gambling.
He was forced to get dressed and everything! He wore a periwinkle three piece suit, it was the cheapest one he could buy on short notice since he had a tone of debt. The odds and possible outcomes were all going through his mind, if he just subbed out on this round then he would not loose anything.
"I-I'm all in too. I-I guess. Also my name is Zennosuke." The oppressive auras released by his fellow players crushed the fear in his heart, his hand pushed forth the chips that were the place holders for his entire salary. A grimace plastered on his face, while the cheers of his opponents rang out, reaching his ears.
"Alright, lay 'em out!" Ikaku commanded as everyone revealed their cards, jaws dropped as their hands were made known.
"Whistle, would you look at that? Seems like I'm making it home with prize boys, thank you for you for playing along-." Kevin's bemused smile disappeared as the zanpakuto of his opponents all stabbed into the table, that forced Kevin to retract his hands with blinding speed.
"Oi, what the hell was that? A royal flush?" The bald headed shinigami looked at the alien hybrid with murder written on his face.
"The four of us had the other ten numbered cards, something ain't adding up." Iba seemed like he was on the verge of slitting the dark haired man's throat, Omaeda seemed like he went ferial due to the possibility of being robbed of his money. The Afro-man was of no concern to the newly appointed captain honestly.
"Gentlemen, please calm down you're me sound like I'm a-"
An explosion rocked the room, sending dust and small chunks and debris flying in every direction, light flooded into the room, which forced the five men to cover their eyes. A hole now stood where the door was, the silhouette of a woman with a ponytail stood there.
"A criminal might be putting it lightly." A dangerous aura flooded the room, making all the men feel as though their blood ran cold for an instance. Standing in the hole was Gwen Tennyson; she wore a sleeveless haori over a black and blue leather armored suit. Her ponytail hung on the front of her body, over her left shoulder.
The four other men stared at Kevin, the relationship between the two captains was public knowledge. The dark haired man sighed and stared at the others with a serious expression that worried them.
"Men, it has been an honor serving with you." The alien captain saluted them, as a single tear seemed to trickle down his face.
"You've been hear for less than a day!" The protests of the other gamblers faded as a blue light filled their visions.
...
The squad nine barracks shook as a shockwave travelled through the structure. Several small objects were seen by the surrounding soul reapers being launched into the air. Faint screams could be heard if one could listen in properly. Lieutenant Hisagi bore witness to this, his face palmed then began to make his way back to his home.
...
In a forest and mountainous region on the edges of the Seireitei a massive fist landed on the ground, creating a massive crater and shaking the earth. The fist wore the gloves and bracers of an ancient samurai, Chad the target of the attack dodged by a hairs width. His heart pumped with a maddening speed, he had been training ever since the crack of dawn, he felt like he was on the cusp of a qualitative evolution.
"Where are you running off to?!" The titan of a warrior Sajin Komamura appeared next to him via flash step, he then made a motion similar to a jab. His own regular fist could never close the distance but the fist of his sword did. An apparition of a samurai themed arm appeared and struck the empowered human, the blow sent him flying back. He bounced on the ground several times before his jet black arm dug into ground slowing his momentum, several parts of his body screamed in pain.
He stood up again, he felt the blood flow down his head, as the tall captain landed right before him. That punch made him realize why the captains were so feared, normally a shinigami would need to yell out the release phase of their sword to activate it, but not the captains.
Ichigo told him to achieve Bankai one has to project their zanpakuto spirit into the real world, after achieving Bankai the wielder would no longer need to use the release command for Shikai.
"This is the type of power that must have Sado, I and the other captains thanks to our mastery of our blades have transcended the need for typical sword styles and techniques. Our Shikai are fundamentally no different from our normal powers; this has allowed us to create combat arts tailor suited for each of ourselves. That is the level you must reach if you even want to think about standing side by side with Kurasaki, evolve Sado or I will kill you!"
A leg manifested behind the captain, the foot planted on the ground tightened its muscles and launched man. His new speed surpassed that of his old one several times over, an arm holding a sword came down upon him.
The image of Ichigo and his friends flashed in his mind, the time they all spent together the trials and the tribulations that deepened their bonds. He remembered what his Abuelo told him, to use his fists to protect others, what he needed to be was a shield that could guard against the threats of the world.
Somewhere inside of himself, Chad felt something break and reforge itself, he felt his right arm begin to shift as the liquid metal that surrounded it came alive. The flow of energy, of power gave him the same elated feeling he got when fighting alongside Gwen in the armor she made. Before Komamura's blade struck the young man shielded himself using his shifting right limb.
An unstoppable force met an immovable object, the result was the destruction of the surroundings. A devastating shockwave was born from the meeting of the two powers, the captain was thrown back, his helmet shattered. He landed on the side of a mountain, splayed there, a brutal pain raced through his body as his back impacted the hard stone.
"W-what the?!" Komamura's eyes widened, as he saw Sado in his tattered work out clothing kneeling, however the tattered clothing is not what drew his attention. Instead it was his arm or rather his whole body, Chad's arm changed it was still primarily black, but green neon lines ran across it. His arm had a massive protrusion at the shoulder, the more shocking aspect though was the black tribal tattoos that travelled across his frame.
"Hey, Captain Komamura, thanks for helping me understand myself. Also I recommend dodging this one." With that odd sentence the protrusion on Chad's shoulder split into three gathering reishi from the air, before he could even move the young man was already in front of the massive soul reaper in burst of green sparks.
'That technique wasn't a flash step!
"El Directo!" At the last instant before the strike landed the shinigami summoned a leg to launch himself into the sky. The human carried on with his attack, the mountain and the others behind it were eviscerated by a massive blast of spiritual energy and inhuman strength. Sajin saw a new valley be created with feet he could only perform in his Bankai state, the human tumbled over and reverted back to his normal state.
The shinigami landed, picked up his exhausted student and made way to the squad's four barracks.
"You really do have a giant arm on you, Chad."
...
Saiban walked through the Central Forty-six's underground compound; his earlier discussion with Yamamoto soured his mood; he felt as though the old man had finally lost his mind. The blond haired man walked down a spacious corridor, his wooden clogs making a rhythmic clack as they strike the ground.
"You seem to be in need of some help, of course only if you want it."
"Who?!" Turning around Saiban sensed the figure of a person in a helmet and cloak, from his distorted voice he assumed the person was a man. On the outside he was as calm and composed as usual, internally however, he was elated he needed a way to vent his frustrations.
With a snap of fingers several balls of flames rose and fired off at the figure. The fireballs moved at speeds that rivaled the fastest Earth vehicles, however Earth was a single planet which constituted as impressive there could be mundane to others.
Eon disconnected from his body, astral projecting he was able to glimpse into the future by five seconds. He extended his right hand and arm forcing his purple sword into existence; the blade could cut time rays in half fire was of no concern to it. Recalling on his battle experience the man remembered the combat art of the Forever Knights, he faced many of them over his long life.
With insight and skill combined Saiban only saw a flurry of purple ribbons appear, gritting his teeth he snapped his fingers in succession, the result being a swarm of different elemental attacks.
"HahaAHAHA!" The intruders laughter made the face of Central Forty-Six want to claw out his own eardrums. How he did it the tone and practically the entire display of joy felt as though he was not meant to listen.
"Die!" The blindman released the attacks, forcing the attacks to add to his pressure. Eon danced past the fire balls, he could feel that the attacks became potent. Taking more notes from the delusional psychopathic notes, His combat style focused on delivering as much power in the least amount of time.
Fear infected him, he could see the ribbons simply tear through his attacks with blinding speed. Standing before him was the intruder he tried stropping,
"Oh, no need for such a frightened face, mister Saiban how would you like to be the new judge of a fledgling universe?"