Been Through Hell
By around 1870, there was a virus that spread throughout Soul Society, inflicting hollowfication on many Shinigami. While they were allowed to continue serving with the Gotei, they were watched very closely. Raven especially kept her eye on most of them that were in her division especially. With the obvious disregard for them, many chose to transfer out of Squad 9 out of fear that Raven would retaliate against them for the condition eventually.
Eventually, a crack was created in the gates to Hell, allowing a new and more formidable foe to emerge. They fought against foes who were called Togabito. Using her Bankai, Raven charged into battle with the other Captain. However, Central 46 was then threatened by these Togabito and as a result, half the Captains were called back to defend them, Raven included.
Upon hearing there were multiple casualties all around the globe, Raven refused to stand idly by any longer. She charged into battle with her bankai and confronted the Queen of Hell herself. The fight seemed to last forever and Raven was met with an overwhelming strength that she had never experienced before. Her morale was nearly broken and she was nearly defeated. Just when hope was nearly lost and darkness threatened to take her, Seika vanished in her hands and seemingly evaporated. Leaving Raven weakened and confused, she cried out to Seika.
”Don’t you give up on me yet, Seika! I’m not done here!! This fight isn’t over until either myself or my opponent is no longer breathing!”
As she yelled out, she hadn’t realized that a thin layer of armor covered her entire form, excluding her mouth. Her wounds were cauterized beneath the armor and smoke promptly surrounded her.
”Idiot. You should know by now, I’d never leave you… Now, let’s end this!”
Raven was able to see clearly through the smoke but her opponent was not. Using this to her advantage, Raven rushed at Ylva, using the lava that oozed from her armor in a whip-like manner to overwhelm the Togabito and destroy the gate. Most of the members of Gotei who were left on Earth were met with a devastating onslaught and were wiped out by the Togabito.
In the midst of the battle, the Captain Commander disappeared. Upon her disappearance, she left only her haori and a journal behind for her in her office dedicated to Raven. Raven read through the journal and took the notes to heart as there were writings on how she could improve herself and become a great leader. Considering Raven refused to train with Chiyoko any longer, she felt a wave of regret for turning away from her now that she’s turned up missing. For months, Gotei was without a leader so Raven took it upon herself to keep everything together herself, making appearances to each division to check the morale after all the casualties.
After a while, Central 46 came to the conclusion that due to Raven’s skills in combat and education under the former Captain Commander that she was the most fit to replace her. Reluctant and confused, Raven accepted the position and donned the First Division Haori for the first time, feeling the full weight of it on her shoulders. Even Seika was surprised that Raven was chosen to take up the mantle. However, after the tremendous loss they already suffered, she was possibly the most qualified out of those who did survive.
Reaper Split & Quilin War
From the casualties from the Togabito conflict and the decision to shorten the Gotei squads to only 10, resentment grew towards Central 46. They were blamed for the death of so many as well as the mysterious disappearance of the Captain Commander. As a result, half of the Shinigami split off from the Gotei with plans to overthrow Central 46 and have Gotei be the sole governing force in the Spirit World as it was in the old days before Chiyoko put Central 46 into place. Raven, on the other hand, did not think Central sent them to their deaths on purpose. As such, she remained loyal to Gotei and Central 46.
For years,Gotei remained split in half with a new group formed known as ‘Reapers’ who were led by Zanmato. There was no fighting or bloodshed between the former allies as the Reapers simply no longer wanted to be under Central 46’s jurisdiction. Additionally, there were suspicions that a third party would take advantage of the split and attack. As a result, the Tamashī family were employed to eliminate those who were suspicious.
A group known as the Quilin attacked Soul Society. The group was composed of Bounts and went after both Gotei and the Reapers. All of the Shinigami rallied together to take on this new threat. However, their abilities and devices rendered the Shinigami weaker. This was only until Lucien destroyed one of their devices in the form of a pillar. While this left him broken and powerless, it gave the Shinigami the upper hand they needed to turn the battle in their favor.
The lives that were lost during this fighting were completely erased from history. Captain positions were left open due to this. Eventually it was believed that Central 46 employed these Quilin to wipe out the Reapers before they could launch their own attack. This left Raven to believe Central 46 truly was corrupt. Deciding to deal with the fight at hand for the time being, Raven brought Taibana along with her to confront the Quilin leader. A fullbringer who became an ally to the Shinigami gave his life to destroy the main Quilin pillar so that the couple could enter the base of the Quilin. With their abilities and power combined, they were able to defeat Basilides.
Less than a full year after the victory, the Reapers and Gotei joined forces again and marched upon Central 46. They were deemed guilty of corruption, incompetence, and attempted assassination and were executed by the Shinigami.
A New Age
Raven received word that Thema was going to launch a large-scale attack on New York city in the years to come which gave the Shinigami time to construct a device and a plan to minimize the potential damage. When the forces of Hueco Mundo arrived in New York, they were met with several Captains and their divisions along with Raven herself.
Raven meets Thema on Staten Island and both were in their final forms of their zanpakuto. Their clash completely destroyed the device that was set in place to minimize the damage. The battle seemed to rage on forever with neither one of them having the upper hand. Both were blinded by vengeance and fought with all they had. With the destructive capabilities of both Raven and Thema, New York ended up completely destroyed. Practically wiped off the map entirely. In the end, Raven plunged her fist through Thema, the lava and excessive heat that radiated from her reduced the Arrancar to nothingness. Not even a pile of ash.
With Thema’s death, the rest of the Arrancar retreated.
Meanwhile, Captain Commander, burdened by the guilt of the devastation caused by the malfunctioning device, dedicated himself to finding a way to prevent such occurrences in the future. He worked closely with Soul Society's researchers, spending countless hours studying the device's malfunction and its effects. Through their efforts, they were able to identify the flaws in the technology and devise new safeguards to prevent similar disasters from happening again.
As Soul Society gradually rebuilt its forces and implemented the newly developed safety measures, they also strengthened their bonds with the human world. Recognizing the importance of cooperation and understanding, the Shinigami established closer ties with organizations as the World of the Living's spiritual protectors.
Upon returning to the Soul Society, Raven went to get her wounds treated whilst the Shinigami began rebuilding their ranks and got back to work to prepare for the next potential threat. As the scars of war started to fade, the Shinigami continued their mission to protect the balance between the worlds. With their ranks replenished and their resolve strengthened, they remained vigilant, ready to face any future threats that might arise.
The battle against Thema had served as a harsh lesson for the Shinigami, reminding them of the consequences of their actions and the importance of their duty. With their new recruits, improved technology, and the lessons learned from their past mistakes, they were determined to ensure that the tragedy that befell New York City would never be repeated.
Presently, since Raven had been visiting the Sanosuke Estate, she’s felt the presence of a familiar energy signature within the Rukongai. She shall be sending a team to investigate to determine if it may become their next potential threat.
