Spectre of the Past: Noon

Part 1
, First Division Barracks. Evening.

As the slowly setting sun was bathing the complex with its scarlet glow, there was an atypical silence there. Guards and the Division members had disappeared, and the place seemed completely deserted.

Unexpectedly, a single individual materialised inside the Barracks, bypassing the massive gate and walls which protected the place from most unwanted visitors. Then, the remarkably tall intruder began walking toward the headquarters in a casual pace.

Glancing briefly at the surrounding buildings with an arcane face expression, the man appeared to be composed, but vigilant. He had immediately noted the lack of any guards, and as such he calmly placed his hand at the hilt of his. The headquarters loomed on the horizon, 's ancient power easily palpable from afar.

All of a sudden, two other spiritual pressure signatures could be felt nearby. The intruder halted instantly and drew his sword. Two figures emerged from amongst the buildings on opposite sides of the road and stopped some distance in front of him.

"Stop right there, Hikari Maebure!", warned Captain Fudo Shōdo. "Genryūsai-dono isn't receiving any guests today!"

"Cleave", whispered Captain Tarō Kinzoku menacingly.

Subsequently, his drawn nodachi split into two identical longswords. Seeing this, Shōdo silently released his Shikai as well, transforming his Zanpakutō into a large, two-handed sledgehammer with two exhaust pipes protruding backward from its head.

Maebure narrowed his eyes slightly and slanted.

"Bakuhatsu!", shouted Fudo promptly.

Then, he struck the ground with his Zanpakutō and cracks of scarlet energy dashed forward. Hikari leapt to the side, evading a column of flames erupting violently from the very place he had just left.

"Hataken", declared Kinzoku sternly whilst piercing the ground with his twin swords.

Afterward, a number of blades raised rapidly from below Maebure, seemingly impaling him. However, the Sōzōshin vanished in the blink of an eye, only to reappear a split second later, plummeting at the two Captains with his katana lifted to strike.

"Kanzan-dan!", exclaimed Shōdo.

"Rendaken!", barked Tarō.

Hikari widened his eyes. Suddenly, a barrage of blades pierced his chest, prompting blood to gush from his mouth just before he was hit with a boulder of smouldering lava. Engulfed in crimson fire, his body was incinerated in the extreme heat.

Dumbfounded, the two observed astonished as the ashes of their opponent fell to the ground in front of them.

"Did we... got 'im?", asked Fudo, confused.

"Bakudō #79, ", he heard in response.

Suddenly, both Captains were encased by eight black spheres of energy with purple outlines each. Subsequently, two larger orbs materialised in front of their chests, further immobilising them.

"Black sun, starless night, cold void. Overwhelm and bind the sinful for all eternity", continued the same deep, menacing voice.

Empowered by the spoken-after incantation, the black holes expanded rapidly, reaching almost twice the initial size. Afterward, a single figure appeared from thin air opposite to the bound Shinigami.

"How the, hell!?", bellowed Shōdo, not even capable of struggling with the Bakudō spell.

"Maboroshi", replied Maebure with a faint smirk, looking at the gleaming blade of his Shikai. "By bending the light I have created a purely visual illusion which has lured you into my trap", he explained.

Then, he stood in front of the constrained Captains and gazed at them with inhuman indifference.

"Damn trick", seethed Kinzoku.

Maebure raised one of his eyebrows and glanced at him, slightly lifting his head.

"I admit I usually prefer much more "direct" approach to combat as well, though this particular time I wanted to get rid of a potential interference in the most economic way."

After saying this, he sealed his sword and sheathed it with a swift motion.

"Although I use this technique rarely, it is of great help in such instances", he continued, casually passing by the immobilised Captains. "After all, this is the very technique which has saved my life in the past", he added in a deepened, ominous voice.

Subsequently, he proceeded to walk toward the First Division headquarters unhurriedly. However, after several seconds he heard a sharp sound and turned around to the left.

Then, he faced a burst of light blue energy dashing toward him with considerable speed.

Unperturbed, he swung his right hand and deflected the spell, redirecting it at a nearby building. An explosion followed, reducing the relatively small construction to ruins in an instant.

"Oh my", began a feminine voice coming from one of the passages in-between the nearby buildings. "I've hoped I'd surprise you with that."

Afterward, a female Shinigami wearing haori walked into the main road, her hand placed on her Zanpakutō's hilt. She was an attractive woman of average height with long, dark brown hair arranged in a waist-long braid. Her eyes were blue, mischievous and focused at the same time.

"Who are you, if I may ask?", demanded Maebure in a stern tone.

The Captain drew her katana and grabbed it two-handed, pointing its tip at the Sōzōshin.

"Eighth Division Captain, Ayako Fukushima", she replied with a threatening smile.