Purgatory [Bleach Fanfiction]

1. The Rifts

[I]n the quiet suburbs of Karakura town, a sudden rift tore through the fabric of the night sky, creating a portal that linked to the world of the living.

The silhouette of a little girl, with long braided white hair flowing behind her and piercing green eyes, no older than five, was seen sprinting inside the dark tunnel on the other side of the breach.

Her breath strained and raspy, she glanced urgently over her shoulder into the shadows, as if being pursued by an unseen threat.

A grim scowl etched on her small face, as her tiny footsteps echoed in the dark expanse, attempting to reach the light at the end of the tunnel.

Quickening her pace, she harnessed the speed of Shunpo to propel herself forward in the blink of an eye.

With a swift twist, she landed on solid ground, a sudden chill traveling down her spine.

Glancing backward, she found a pair of dark eyes peering at her from the depths of the surrounding darkness. Her breath hitched, a momentary pause before she sprang into action utilizing Shunpo again to execute a narrow escape.

****

Long, bony fingers danced urgently across a keyboard, analyzing the eerie triggers flickering across the red screen.

Through the chaos that reigned, the frantic rhythm of typing conveyed a palpable sense of urgency.

Opening a window on one of the many screen in his labyrinth-like lab, the air buzzed with the hum of machinery as Mayuri Kurotsuchi established a direct contact with the first division.

Soon after, the face of the Head Captain, Shunsui Kyoraku, materialized on the screen, his hat casting a shadow over his calm visage.

"Currently under a state of emergency. You might as well do your job instead of lazing around," Mayuri remarked sarcastically, his haori billowing as he turned to address the screen.

"And to what do I owe this call?" Shunsui's laid-back voice echoed through the room.

Mayuri's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Just a matter of unknown rifts disrupting the mundanity of the living world. I thought I'd share my findings. Your leadership skills are required, or perhaps you're too busy daydreaming in the sunlight?"

Shunsui chuckled, swirling a cup of sake lazily. "Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine today? I'll be sure to handle it. Anything else?"

"Nothing of importance, just the fate of the world of the living hanging in the balance," Mayuri replied, his tone dismissive as he resumed typing on his keyboard.

As Shunsui's face slitted in shadows, the atmosphere grew more menacing. "What are the chances of this being something more serious?"

"Well, as per my analysis, the rifts are neither from Hueco Mundo nor an anomaly in the Senkaimon from Soul Society. According to my database, this is an unexplained phenomenon."

"Establish a link with all captains at once," Shunsui commanded.

"Just as I thought." Upon receiving the order, Mayuri pressed the enter button on his keyboard, and green dots appeared on his screen, connected by green lines, successfully establishing a connection.

"Captains from all squads, we've got an urgent matter at hand. Assemble immediately at the Assembly hall of captains in squad 1," Shunsui's voice echoed through every captain's office.

As soon as Shunsui's orders reverberated through the air, each Taichō from every squad swiftly picked up their Zanpakutō, the distinct hum of the blades resonating with a sense of readiness.

Fifteen minutes later, Shunsui Kyoraku was seen occupying the Head Captain's seat, flanked by rows of six captains on each side. By his side, stood his Fukutaichō, Nanao Ise.

The war with the Quincies had left indelible marks on the Seireitei, prompting drastic changes in its system.

Measures were implemented to ensure that they wouldn't be vulnerable to another existential threat upon the Soul Society. The captains, each bearing the weight of their past experiences, gathered in the meeting hall, their expressions a mix of curiosity and preparedness.

Shunsui Kyoraku, the Head Captain, sat at the forefront, his hat casting a shadow over his eyes as he addressed the assembly. "We're facing an unexplained phenomenon in the world of the living. Kurotsuchi has been analyzing the breaches, and we need to act swiftly to understand and neutralize this threat."

"And if I may ask, what kind of threat exactly? Does this have something to do with the war with the Quincies ten years ago?" The stoic voice of a certain white haired cut through the thick tension in the room.

Shunsui Kyoraku nodded, acknowledging the sharp question. "Good question, Hitsugaya Taichō. I'm afraid I'm in the dark myself. The one best suited to answer this question is..." The Head Captain's sentence held a dramatic pause, and his eyes, shadowed by the brim of his hat, turned towards the eccentric scientist in anticipation.

"It would seem that it is now my time to shine," Mayuri Kurotsuchi blurted out, his excitement evident. Without delay, he plunged into the heart of the matter. "I received an urgent notification earlier today about numerous unknown dimensional breaches in the world of the living. Not your typical occurrence, mind you. This might be a phenomenon never seen or experienced before."

Rukia Abarai, known for her numerous years of interaction with the world of the living, leaned forward with a mix of skepticism and concern. "How untypical are we talking about here?"

Kurotsuchi, savoring the spotlight, continued, "To prevent another threat of the scale of the Quincy war, I'd installed monitors everywhere – in the world of the living, Seireitei, and even Hueco Mundo. But this time, we're dealing with unknown dimensional rifts. Whatever is behind those rifts could range from the most harmless life disturbance to the gravest existential danger," his scientific tone attempted to conceal the sadistic pleasure he felt from this unknown occurrence.

Pausing as he observed his colleagues' confusion, Kurotsuchi sighed and decided to simplify for this bunch who were seemingly not grasping the meaning behind his genius words, "I'm saying that none of those breaches originate from either worlds. They might be connected to something darker, more dangerous. Like how—"

"The Quincies created another dimension within the shadows of Seireitei and existed among us for years?" Shunsui concluded, evoking reactions from the small group of captains.

"There's no time to waste. I suggest we investigate before this escalates into something more critical," Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of the 6th division, stated bluntly.

"I agree," declared Rukia.

Quieting them down with a hand gesture, Shunsui adjusted his hat and issued his final orders. "Taichōs of the Gotei 13, receive my orders. Kuchiki Taichō, Hitsugaya Taichō, and Abarai Taichō, assemble with your fukutaichōs. Break down into several small groups and spare no resources in your investigation of the rifts. The rest, give orders to your divisions to remain on standby in case of any greater threats that might possibly arise from it."

"Hai!" They all agreed in unison, before splitting to act upon the head captain's orders promptly.