(The credit for this story goes to: Haishiro Imitsu)
One hundred years ago, Soul Society was at peace, bathing in its own euphoric existence and splendor. The Quincy and Bount threats were both contained; scouting reports concerning both races having brought back news of their utter elimination. The Gotei 13 was operating at full strength and seemed more cohesive than ever. It was a time of equilibrium, of harmony and order. Serenity reigned.
And, in one simple day, one man destroyed it all.
For more than ten years, Lieutenant Aizen Sosuke had been secretly experimenting on creating Shinigami/Hollow hybrids in order to achieve an unheard level of power. While his earlier experiments ended as dismal failures, the Shinigami Research Institute was making great strides in that area of study. Captain Kisuke Urahara’s creation of the Hogyoku – a device capable of dissolving the boundary between a Shinigami and a Hollow – was exactly the opportunity Aizen needed to reach his goal of ruling from the Heavens above. He began to focus his energies towards obtaining the object.
Aizen’s Captain at the time, Shinji Hirako, suspected his subordinate of deceiving the others in the Gotei 13 and kept a sharp eye on him; though, ultimately, it was all for naught. Having underestimated his Lieutenant’s cunning and spiritual strength, Hirako was unable to prevent him from stealing the Hogyoku as it was being transported to a secure location. With no other option open to him, Shinji and his fellow Shinigami engaged Aizen and his loyal followers, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen. Surprised at the skill of their opponents, Shinji and his subordinates quickly found themselves on the defensive, overwhelmed by the cohesive teamwork of the three traitorous Shinigami.
The battle had drawn the attention of dozens of Shinigami and it soon became a chaotic clash of Zanpakuto as those loyal to Shinji and those deceived by Aizen fought tenaciously for victory. As Aizen and Shinji squared off, a particularly vicious attack by the Captain managed to crack the Hogyoku, shearing off a corner of it. Suddenly incredibly unstable, the unheard of amounts of power within the Hogyoku released themselves through the wound it had received. During the ensuing confusion, Aizen, Gin and Tosen found themselves being rescued by the Negacion ability of several Menos Grande they had summoned, escaping the resulting catastrophe.
Discharged into the atmosphere above the Seireitei, the true powers of the Hogyoku were made known as the Shinigami in the area began to battle with inner Hollows that had appeared as a direct cause of being exposed to the Hogyoku.
The Soul Society was shaken down to its very core. Captain-Commander Yamamoto, with typical intolerance of betrayal and deceit, ordered the elimination of all that had been exposed to the Hogyoku. Realizing it was his mad science that had created those altered souls, Captain Urahara rushed to save them, quickly creating untraceable gigai bodies for them to escape to the real world while helping to funnel them through the Severing World and other gates into the world of the Humans. Eventually, he left Soul Society to help them in the real world, leaving his good friend, Yoruichi, and his fellow Shinigami behind.
While a few were captured, tried by the Central 46 and subsequently executed, the majority of these modified Shinigami were able to flee from Soul Society and established themselves as a new race, calling themselves the Vaizard. With intentions and allegiances unclear, they hid themselves; instead, spending time to control their inner Hollows and master their new abilities.
For the next hundred years, a furious war waged as Captain Yamamoto ordered the elimination of Aizen as Soul Society’s number one priority. Unable to tap the full powers of the Hogyoku due to its damaged state, Aizen has nonetheless, been able to create a new type of being: Hollows with Shinigami powers known as the Arrancar, the polar opposites of the viazards themselves and possessing incredible power in their own right. It is with an army of Arrancar lead by the most powerful of their kind, the Espada, that Aizen opposes the Gotei 13, as Shinigami and Arrancar clash on a constant basis. In the interim, he waits patiently, confident a solution to the damaged Hogyoku will present itself.
There is no indication of a pause in this absolute carnage between Shinigami and Arrancar. The Vaizard are training, watching, and biding their time. Disturbingly, as of late, there have been reports that an increasing number of beings with Quincy like powers have been spotted…
And so it begins. This is the new age of Bleach. This is Bleach…Reborn.
How it all began....and fell apart
One hundred years ago, Soul Society was at peace, bathing in its own euphoric existence and splendor. The Quincy and Bount threats were both contained; scouting reports concerning both races having brought back news of their utter elimination. The Gotei 13 was operating at full strength and seemed more cohesive than ever. It was a time of equilibrium, of harmony and order. Serenity reigned.
And, in one simple day, one man destroyed it all.
For more than ten years, Lieutenant Aizen Sosuke had been secretly experimenting on creating Shinigami/Hollow hybrids in order to achieve an unheard level of power. While his earlier experiments ended as dismal failures, the Shinigami Research Institute was making great strides in that area of study. Captain Kisuke Urahara’s creation of the Hogyoku – a device capable of dissolving the boundary between a Shinigami and a Hollow – was exactly the opportunity Aizen needed to reach his goal of ruling from the Heavens above. He began to focus his energies towards obtaining the object.
Aizen’s Captain at the time, Shinji Hirako, suspected his subordinate of deceiving the others in the Gotei 13 and kept a sharp eye on him; though, ultimately, it was all for naught. Having underestimated his Lieutenant’s cunning and spiritual strength, Hirako was unable to prevent him from stealing the Hogyoku as it was being transported to a secure location. With no other option open to him, Shinji and his fellow Shinigami engaged Aizen and his loyal followers, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen. Surprised at the skill of their opponents, Shinji and his subordinates quickly found themselves on the defensive, overwhelmed by the cohesive teamwork of the three traitorous Shinigami.
The battle had drawn the attention of dozens of Shinigami and it soon became a chaotic clash of Zanpakuto as those loyal to Shinji and those deceived by Aizen fought tenaciously for victory. As Aizen and Shinji squared off, a particularly vicious attack by the Captain managed to crack the Hogyoku, shearing off a corner of it. Suddenly incredibly unstable, the unheard of amounts of power within the Hogyoku released themselves through the wound it had received. During the ensuing confusion, Aizen, Gin and Tosen found themselves being rescued by the Negacion ability of several Menos Grande they had summoned, escaping the resulting catastrophe.
Discharged into the atmosphere above the Seireitei, the true powers of the Hogyoku were made known as the Shinigami in the area began to battle with inner Hollows that had appeared as a direct cause of being exposed to the Hogyoku.
The Soul Society was shaken down to its very core. Captain-Commander Yamamoto, with typical intolerance of betrayal and deceit, ordered the elimination of all that had been exposed to the Hogyoku. Realizing it was his mad science that had created those altered souls, Captain Urahara rushed to save them, quickly creating untraceable gigai bodies for them to escape to the real world while helping to funnel them through the Severing World and other gates into the world of the Humans. Eventually, he left Soul Society to help them in the real world, leaving his good friend, Yoruichi, and his fellow Shinigami behind.
While a few were captured, tried by the Central 46 and subsequently executed, the majority of these modified Shinigami were able to flee from Soul Society and established themselves as a new race, calling themselves the Vaizard. With intentions and allegiances unclear, they hid themselves; instead, spending time to control their inner Hollows and master their new abilities.
For the next hundred years, a furious war waged as Captain Yamamoto ordered the elimination of Aizen as Soul Society’s number one priority. Unable to tap the full powers of the Hogyoku due to its damaged state, Aizen has nonetheless, been able to create a new type of being: Hollows with Shinigami powers known as the Arrancar, the polar opposites of the viazards themselves and possessing incredible power in their own right. It is with an army of Arrancar lead by the most powerful of their kind, the Espada, that Aizen opposes the Gotei 13, as Shinigami and Arrancar clash on a constant basis. In the interim, he waits patiently, confident a solution to the damaged Hogyoku will present itself.
There is no indication of a pause in this absolute carnage between Shinigami and Arrancar. The Vaizard are training, watching, and biding their time. Disturbingly, as of late, there have been reports that an increasing number of beings with Quincy like powers have been spotted…
And so it begins. This is the new age of Bleach. This is Bleach…Reborn.