After the early confrontation, Squad 13 managed to move the location of the fight, although if one were to see the state of Karakura Town, one would agree that the damage had already been done.
The night sky stretched endlessly above the dense forests of Karakura Town, its vast emptiness broken only by the ominous glow of the moon. Beneath it, an invisible battlefield stirred with tension. The air was thick with the weight of reiatsu, pressing down like an iron vice on the Shinigami who dared challenge the being before them.
Standing amidst the swaying trees, wreathed in an eerie shroud of black and violet energy, was Kurokujaku Tsukikage—a Vasto Lorde, a being on the precipice of transcendence, one step away from abandoning his Hollow nature entirely.
His form was haunting yet regal, his frame lean but powerful. His mask, shaped into a fusion of a raven's beak and a peacock's crown, covered most of his face, leaving only his burning golden eyes visible. His sleek, brown skin was clad in layered bone armor resembling the intricate plumage of a deadly bird, its dark hues rippling with an abyssal shimmer. His long, jet-black hair fluttered behind him like ink bleeding into the night.
Jushiro Ukitake, Captain of Squad 13, stood firm, his gentle yet sharp eyes locked onto the Hollow before him. His white haori fluttered slightly in the breeze, the only outward sign of movement as he gauged his opponent's power. Beside him, Kaien Shiba, his Vice-Captain, gripped Nejibana, his expression twisted into a mixture of determination and anger. He felt some relief that his wife had relented and head back to Soul Society to help get them reinforcements faster.
Behind them, four seated officers formed a semicircle, their hands raised as they prepared Kido incantations. They knew they were nothing compared to the monster before them, but they had their orders.
And Kurokujaku had sensed their fear.
Kurokujaku spoke calmly, his voice smooth as silk.
"You came somewhat prepared... but preparation means little against oblivion."
Kaien snarled and stepped forward.
"Enough of your cryptic crap!"
He Shunpoed forward, slashing Nejibana in a deadly arc. As his blade swung, water spiraled out, forming a whirling tide that surged toward Kurokujaku.
"Sui Rasen!" (Water Spiral)"
Kurokujaku moved with deceptive ease, a simple shift of his body allowing him to sidestep the attack as though he had foreseen it. He extended one clawed hand, his talons shimmering with a ghostly glow.
"Predictable."
With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed "Sombras del Fin" (Shadows of the End)—a burst of black feathers, each one laced with a decaying aura. The moment they met Kaien's spiraling water, the liquid darkened and disintegrated into nothingness.
Kaien's eyes widened.
"What the—?"
A second wave of black feathers shot forward. Kaien barely had time to react, twisting his body to avoid being impaled. However, one feather grazed his arm, and he let out a sharp gasp. The part of his sleeve it touched simply vanished, the fabric and a thin layer of flesh erased from existence.
Before Kurokujaku could press the attack, a voice rang out.
"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!"
A massive bolt of golden lightning streaked through the air. Kurokujaku's eyes flicked toward the incoming blast, and with a casual wave of his hand, he conjured a barrier of black feathers—"Velo de Oblivion" (Veil of Oblivion).
The Kido attack met the barrier and instantly flickered out of existence. No explosion. No resistance. Just silence.
Ukitake frowned. A barrier that erases energy itself…
From the treetops, the seated officers released a barrage of spells.
"Hadō #58: Tenran!"
A violent whirlwind tore through the forest, aiming to engulf Kurokujaku.
"Hadō #73: Sōren Sōkatsui!"
Twin waves of blue fire descended from above.
"Bakudō #81: Dankū!"
A translucent barrier formed between Ukitake and Kurokujaku meant to protect against his erasing abilities.
Kurokujaku exhaled slowly. How noisy.
Without moving his body, four dark talons of pure oblivion extended from his shadow, shooting out like serpents toward the seated officers.
The first claw ripped through the tornado, causing the wind to dissolve into nothingness.
The second claw slashed through the blue fire, snuffing it out like a candle.
The third claw collided with Dankū—the barrier lasted a second before it cracked apart, as though it had never existed.
The fourth claw shot forward toward the throat of one of the officers.
A scream rang out as the officer's body disintegrated from the neck down, his head falling lifelessly to the ground.
The others watched in horror as his body ceased to exist. No remains. No blood. Just nothingness.
Enraged, Kaien Shunpoed behind Kurokujaku, twisting Nejibana into its released form.
"I don't care what you are! You're not taking any more of my men!"
With all his might, he swung the trident down.
For the first time in the fight, Kurokujaku smiled.
"You never had a choice."
The moment Nejibana's blade touched his shoulder, the trident shattered into grains of spiritual dust.
Kaien froze, looking in disbelief at the hilt in his hands.
"Wh—?"
Before he could react, Kurokujaku struck with his clawed hand, slashing across Kaien's chest. His flesh darkened as oblivion spread, eating away at him.
Kaien screamed as his body began vanishing, piece by piece.
Ukitake Shunpoed in, grabbing Kaien before the corruption could consume him entirely. His hands glowed with Kido, slowing the spread, but Kaien's uniform, skin, and most of his muscles had already been devoured up to his ribs.
Ukitake's grip on his sword tightened as he turned toward Kurokujaku.
"Enough. You have taken too many lives today."
For the first time, a serious killing intent radiated from Ukitake.
Kurokujaku cocked his head, intrigued.
"Ah… so you do know despair."
Their next clash was about to begin.
But in the distance, more spiritual pressures surged toward them.
---
Jushiro Ukitake coughed violently, a streak of red staining his lips as he wiped his mouth. His breathing was ragged, his body wracked with exhaustion, but his grip on his sword remained firm.
Kaien lay motionless beside him, his body half-erased, the traces of Kurokujaku's attack still lingering on his form like a fading curse.
The remaining seated officers of Squad 13 had formed a desperate defensive line between their Captain and the Hollow, their hands trembling as they incanted Kido spells, sweat trailing down their faces.
But Kurokujaku stood untouched, his piercing golden eyes gleaming with cold amusement. His mask, a haunting blend of a raven's beak and peacock's crown, gave him the air of an executioner, staring down at his next victims.
He took a slow step forward, his talons clicking against the air as if he were walking upon an unseen abyss.
"This is what you call resistance?"
His voice carried a detached curiosity, like a scholar observing insects struggling against an inevitable fate.
"We can't let Captain Ukitake fall! Pour everything into Kido!"
A flurry of golden binding and destructive Kido erupted from their outstretched hands.
"Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!" (Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon!)
"Hadō #73: Sōren Sōkatsui!" (Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down!)
"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!" (Six Rods Prison of Light!)
A storm of fire, lightning, and binding light swallowed Kurokujaku whole, illuminating the battlefield with an explosion of energy.
The ground shook, trees were uprooted, and smoke filled the air.
The Shinigami panted, hoping… praying that something had landed.
But as the dust settled—
A figure stepped out unscathed.
Kurokujaku emerged from the destruction, his plumage-like armor untouched, his golden eyes burning with eerie amusement. The attacks had never reached him.
The instant they made contact with his aura, they had been swallowed into oblivion—erased before they could touch reality.
"You're already lost in the void. Your struggle is meaningless."
With a slow gesture, he raised his clawed hand.
From the remnants of the battlefield, his ability took form—"Desvanecer" (Fade Away).
The energy warped, twisting into black, ethereal tendrils that extended toward the seated officers.
Before they could react—
The tendrils pierced through their chests.
One by one, the seated officers began to dissolve, their bodies breaking apart as if they had never existed.
"Wh—What's happening to me?!"
"I—I don't want to die—"
But there was no blood. No remains.
Only nothingness.
Their very existence was devoured by the void.
Ukitake's eyes widened in horror.
"Enough!"
With renewed desperation, Ukitake Shunpoed forward, his blade a flash of white lightning as he slashed at Kurokujaku's neck.
For the first time, Kurokujaku moved with urgency.
He raised his forearm, blocking the sword with his bone-plated wrist. A sharp crack echoed as Ukitake's strike finally landed—a small cut forming on Kurokujaku's arm.
Kurokujaku stared at the wound.
A flicker of something crossed his expression—surprise?
Then, a slow smile.
"Ah… so you're still worth my time."
He retaliated, his talons lashing out.
Ukitake barely managed to block with his blade, but the force sent him crashing through the forest, trees shattering around him.
As he struggled to rise, he felt it—the corruption of oblivion creeping into his body.
He coughed, blood splattering against the ground.
'I… can't hold him off much longer.'
-Small Time Skip-
The once-serene forest was now a ruined wasteland. Trees had been reduced to splinters, the ground was riddled with craters, and the air was thick with the acrid scent of burning foliage and fading reiatsu.
Jushiro Ukitake stood at the center of the devastation, his white haori marred with blood and dirt. His breath was labored, his body wracked with exhaustion, but his grip on Sōgyo no Kotowari remained firm.
Behind him, the remaining Squad 13 members were either dead or barely standing, their faces twisted in horror. Kaien's body—or rather, what little remained of it—was a cruel reminder of the monster they faced.
And that monster?
Kurokujaku.
The Vasto Lorde stood a few meters away, bathed in moonlight. His golden eyes glowed ominously, his stance relaxed, exuding an air of effortless dominance. His hollow mask, reminiscent of a raven's beak crowned with peacock-like frills, framed his face, concealing all but his haunting gaze.
"Is this all the resistance you can muster? How fragile the forces of Soul Society truly are."
He raised his clawed hand—a swirling vortex of oblivion forming at his fingertips.
Ukitake gritted his teeth. He couldn't take another attack head-on.
But then—
A shift in the air.
A storm of new reiatsu suddenly descended upon the battlefield, crushing the weight of Kurokujaku's presence.
The moonlit sky split open as two new figures emerged, their presence commanding and unmistakable.
Captain Shunsui Kyōraku of Squad 8
Captain Sajin Komamura of Squad 7
Trailing behind them were their Lieutenants, Nanao Ise, and Tetsuzaemon Iba, as well as several seated officers from both squads.
Shunsui landed beside Ukitake, his pink haori fluttering as he let out a long, exaggerated sigh.
"Tsk, tsk, Ukitake. You always find yourself in trouble, don't you?"
Ukitake let out a strained chuckle, barely managing to stay upright.
"And here I thought I'd handle this alone. Guess I got ahead of myself."
Komamura, towering over them, let his deep, rumbling voice cut through the tension.
"Captain Ukitake… I need a debrief. What are we dealing with?"
His gaze shifted to Kurokujaku, whose aura of absolute stillness sent a primal warning through even Komamura's hardened instincts.
Shunsui's sharp eyes swept over the battlefield, taking in the destruction.
His gaze fell upon Kaien's remains.
For the first time, his usual carefree demeanor vanished.
"Kaien Shiba is dead?"
Ukitake closed his eyes briefly, the weight of the truth pressing down on him.
Ukitake replied with a soft pained voice.
"Yes."
A flicker of emotion crossed Shunsui's face before he turned back to the unshaken Hollow standing before them.
Shunsui sighed and adjusted his hat.
"Alright, Jushiro. Who is he?"
Ukitake exhaled slowly before answering.
"His name… is Kurokujaku Tsukikage. A Vasto Lorde. A being beyond anything we've encountered before."
Komamura's brow furrowed.
"Explain."
Ukitake looked toward the ruined battlefield before them, his fingers tightening on his sword.
"His Aspect of Death is Destru...no, it's something more Oblivion perhaps."
There was a pause.
Shunsui quirked an eyebrow, intrigued.
Komamura's frown deepened, his mind already analyzing the implications.
Ukitake continued, voice grim.
"Anything that touches his energy simply… ceases to exist. It doesn't burn, doesn't decay, doesn't shatter—it's as if it was never there to begin with. He doesn't block attacks. They simply vanish upon contact with his presence."
A ripple of unease ran through the seated officers and lieutenants present.
Nanao adjusted her glasses, her usually composed expression faltering."…That's terrifying."
Tetsuzaemon Iba gritted his teeth, hands unconsciously tightening into fists.
Tetsuzaemon Iba
"Then how the hell do we even hit him?"
Shunsui crossed his arms, his usual relaxed posture gone.
"That is quite the predicament, huh?"
His fingers briefly touched the hilts of his dual blades, but his gaze never left Kurokujaku, who remained eerily silent, merely watching them with his piercing golden eyes.
"Captain Ukitake, how have you been fighting him so far?"
Ukitake let out a weary breath.
"With difficulty. His Cero creates a vortex that erases everything in its path. His body is covered in a Hollow armor that absorbs energy. Even our strongest Kido attacks are swallowed before they reach him. Physical strikes barely leave a scratch."
Shunsui nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Oblivion, huh? A power that denies existence itself…" he said muttering to himself
His hat tilted downward, obscuring his eyes.
"And here I was hoping for a relaxing evening."
Komamura, however, was not one for idle conversation. He stepped forward, eyes locked onto Kurokujaku.
"Vasto Lorde! You have taken the life of a noble Shinigami and threatened the balance of souls. You will not leave here alive!"
Kurokujaku finally moved, his gaze settling on Komamura.
Then, slowly—he smiled.
It was not one of amusement.
Nor one of cruelty.
But a knowing smile, as if he had seen this exact scenario play out countless times before.
Kurokujaku then spoke softly.
"Do you believe your words mean anything to me?"
His spiritual pressure surged, the very air around them warping under the weight of his presence.
The Shinigami instinctively raised their weapons.
Shunsui sighed, rolling his shoulders.
"Well… guess it's time to get serious, huh?"
Komamura drew Tenken, his eyes sharp with intent.
"Indeed."
Kurokujaku's golden eyes gleamed.
"Come, then. Show me if you are worthy of existing in my presence."