Soul Society Civil War

The Soul Society Civil War was a major war between the mixed forces of Raian Getsueikirite's Army and the Gotei 13. It is deemed a civil war, because a great majority of Raian's army, including Raian himself, were once affiliated with Soul Society.

Prelude
After the Hell Tournament ends, Raian announces the reasons behind his entrance into the tournament by declaring war on Soul Society for the kidnapping of his wife and son. The Gotei 13 is in shambles for the loss of it's captains in the eight years leading up to the tournament and calls upon some of it's former lieutenants, seated officers, and even some former captains to reestablish it's ranks. Meanwhile, at their base in Nakayo, Raian and his Espada prepare their first strike and open up several Garganta to Soul Society, hoping to end the conflict with a brutal strike to the heart of Soul Society; the Seireitei. However, the Shinigami have anticipated this and await them in the Rukongai.

Battle of the Rukongai
Lacking a Captain-Commander, the Captain with the most experience, Gin Ichimaru, took over as commander of Soul Society's forces until one could be found. His first act as leader of the Gotei 13 was to send the entire Sixth Division, led by Renji Abarai, to the Rukongai to await the oncoming invasion by Raian Getsueikirite's Army. Soon after they arrive, a Senkaimon opens, revealing the Vizard. Renji begins to relax, seeing that his opponent is low in numbers. He then sends several of his officers to combat them. Shinji Hirako, leader of the Vizard, tells Renji that he's underestimating them and then backs up his statement by Hollowfying and easily taking down the officers afterwards. The rest of the Vizard then don their masks and Mashiro Kuna opens five Garganta, revealing dozens of Menos Grande. Shinji gives the signal, and his forces take the moment to attack.

Renji tells his soldiers to focus on the Hollows while he takes on the Vizard. He then releases his Shikai, Zabimaru. His fight quickly becomes a losing one. He is trapped by one of Hachigen Ushōda's barrier Kidō and Mashiro prepares to use a Mashiro Super Kick to finish him off. He is saved by the timely arrival of his former captain, Byakuya Kuchiki. Renji asks why the Royal Guard is getting involved, to which Byakuya says it is because the King ordered it, nothing more and nothing less. Byakuya then activates his own Shikai, Senbonzakura and initiates it's technique, Keisakura, bringing down all of the Gillian-class Menos nearby him. Renji engages the Vizard Kensei Muguruma, while Byakuya takes on Mashiro and Hachi. Mashiro's close combat techniques fail quickly against Byakuya and he easily defeats her, despite her using her Hollow mask.

However, his Shikai is incapable of defeating Hachi's Kidō. Byakuya switches to using Kidō himself, but even his level 85 spell was incapable of breaking through Hachi's barriers. Byakuya then releases his Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. He immediately activates Gōkei and shatters Hachi's Hollow mask, weakening his barriers. So as not to lose steam, Byakuya uses Shūkei and prepares to kill Hachi. At the last minute, Hachi summons his mask and creates a barrier, which shatters upon contact with Byakuya's attack and leaves a deep wound in Hachi's shoulder, but allows him to remain alive. Meanwhile, both Renji and Kensei have also entered Bankai and seemed even in skills. Kensei summons his mask and goes in for a final punch, but Renji was counting on this and attacks with Hihiō Zabimaru's Hikōtsu Taihō, wounding him to the point where Kensei passed out, falling into the Rukongai below.

Shinji, noticing that both Mashiro and Kensei have lost their battles and Hachi could loose his at any minute, begins to draw his Zanpakutō. He then notices that all of the Menos Grande have been defeated and that the officers of the Sixth Division were about to attack. Shinji yells at Love Aikawa, telling him to open a Garganta. Love does so, and several more Menos Grande arrive. These, however, were not there to fight. They activated their Negación, saving all of the injured Vizard and drew the Vizard into the Garganta, closing them behind them.