[BiTPR2] Bleach in The Playground: Renewed Revolution Thread I

[Terry576]

[Hueco Mundo]

White sand stretches as far as the eye might see into the distance, broken only by the rise and fall of the dunes and the occasional solitary remains of a tree long dead. The pale moon illuminates the landscape, a white sickle cutting through a black sky. The camera pans across the silence and we turn to see a great white city. Its walls stretching for an unknown distance with nothing to compare them to, and within them a great wheel is formed by its walls. Buildings of various sizes and shapes fill the interior encircling a great white spiral that dominates from its centre. The tiny forms of hollows can be seen moving throughout some sections of the bone coloured streets providing scale to the massive structure even now still under construction in parts. Huge hollows with pale flesh heft slabs of stone from an unknown source into the shapes of new buildings, they themselves directed from a much more human form.

The man standing with sheets of designs in his barks orders and the hulking forms change positions, the colossal wall between then now shifting to one side of a mighty tower. The man himself is strange, initially wonder is given to the presence of a human in the world of hollows, but a segment of mask covers his brow and eyeline, its curving horns and stern expression forming an intimidating visage. The sword hanging from his belt resembles nothing so much as a zanpukto, the weapon of a Shinigami, it looks out of place in the white city. The camera pans, this new form of hollow, this man with the look of a Shinigami is one repeated dozens or perhaps hundreds of times. They dot the city, an army of those who have moved beyond the simple life of the hollow and become something greater. Surrounded by books and papers in the spiralled tower the man responsible plots his next move.

Under the rule of Dainichi Nyorai the residents of the sands had withdrawn from the mortal world, those who would not obey this edict were killed by his agents as much as by the Shinigami. With promise of an escape from the endless cycle of hunger, flavoured with a taste of power he had won many of the sands denizens to him and they flocked to his great white city.

The most loyal were given authority, the deserving formed his Espada, the blade that enforced his will. The city was dedicated in sections, given over to the pursuits Danichi saw value in. Few hollows shared his vision, but the process of arrancarification was sufficient to draw in followers. Power was built, an army was created and devices of war and intrigue were built. His warmachine ready the lord of the city of night has begun his was on Soul Society.

[Mortal World]

The High School was just that - a High School. It had no name, so to speak of. It had no origins that any could recall.

They called it "The School". Naming it anything specific would be meaningless, for in the minds of all who had ever attended it was "The School". The School was big and looming, a massive beast of a building that overlooked everything in the area - the tall cliffs leading up to it barely holding it afloat - waves crashed against them every day, lulling unsuspecting students to rest with their whispers far below.

The town was a simple place. People went about their day to day lives there, in this simple town of Ikari. It was urban, and yet it was not. Most of the buildings were industrial, for the entire town was man-made, but there were a few that looked simplistic and elegant, the look of old dojos or palaces.

That is where the rich reside.

This is not about the rich.

The School was a dangerous place to attend, but it was the only place to attend. The cliffs threatened to take whoever dared to try them, and everyone dared. It was a game to the students. Test The Waters, they called it.

A small plank of wood would be extended towards the end of the cliffs, with someone standing on top of it. Everyone would chant - "Fly, Fly, Fly!", and the person would slowly edge their way to the end of the board. If they reached the end without slipping, they would jump on the board, once, twice, three times, before returning to solid ground, slowly but carefully.

Many died this way, trying to prove themselves to their fellow peers.

It is a Monday. A good day, by any means - but the worst day to awaken, and be introduced to reality...

[Soul Society]

Soul Society. Once called "Heaven" by some. A place without hunger, where each day should be like a bright summer day, and each night like warm, starlit summer night. But now, one would be hard-pressed to believe any of this. The vast city of wandering souls has been turned into a slaughterhouse, with lost and perverted spirits occupying its streets and having their way with its inhabitants.

The supposedly impenetrable wall of Sekkiseki, seldom seen down in times of peace, circles the capitol of afterlife. Nervous guards keep watch at the gates day and night, dreading the time when the next assault will begin. Hospitals are full and cries of the wounded fill the air.

The fabled Gotei, once consisting of 13 Divisions, was shrunk to mere six during a period of 50 years - a time when the Shinigami thought they had overcome the Hollow threat once and for all. Well, they were wrong. And now everyone is paying the price.

The sky is gey with clouds as a slight breeze blows in from the Commander-General's window. On her table, a cup of tea waits before her, brought in by a thoughtful soldier to ease her nerves. But the tea has turned cold, almost as cold as the Commander's eyes when she looks at the other three captains present at the table. There is no warmth there, only a command for order, and a question -

"Will one of you please explain to me how an entire battalion can just up and vanish? No, really. I'd love to know how the oh-so competent Combat Division, and the 'impeccable' Science Institute managed to lose some three hundred odd men in the span of a single afternoon."

((gl;hf))

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]

The transition of power from the previous Captain, and his sudden death, to himself hadn’t been an easy one. There was the mandatory three day mourning period, the incense, the funeral itself and the transference of power to be undertaken in a period of time that the otherwise behemoth like SSI would have scoffed at as even a preliminary research appointment. Sawada wore the robes and trappings of the Grand Sorcerer yet they were much to big for his slight frame and the pair of Mod Souls that flanked his chair seemed to only add to the effect that the slime and effeminate Shinigami was out of place at a table of Captains and Commanders. The question however seemed almost leveled at him in a more uncomfortable manner and of course, it required an answer.

With a motion of his hand a small hologram shimmered from one of the looming Oni’s chest, showing the roster of the entire SSI. “Due to restructuring following the death of the Former Great Sorcerer, several of our members were not pleased with the change of power and have been moved to less people oriented positions. I assure all present that their value to Soul Society will not diminish in their new jobs. We are still working on such personnel changes, we hope the Gotei understands that in any command change there will be such complications.” He perked his chin up to fix those around the table with his gaze from under his broad ceremonial hat.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Mortal World, 28th of October, noon, northern Finland]

Lapland. How long he'd yearned to visit it. How often he'd meant to, first with his friends, then alone whe didn't have any, then with co-workers, or hobby partners... but every time, it'd slipped from his schedule. Once he didn't think he could make it, then he didn't have the money, then everyone said they were busy and couldn't make it...

Once, they'd felt like real reasons. Now, as he admires the landscaped, all of them feel like little more than excuses. But of course, now he has nothing to hold him back. Nothing and no-one.

Snow came early this year. Before him, there is only undisturbed whiteness spreading as far as the eye can see, with distant fjelds looming in the horizon. Behind him, there is only his own footprints - he started following a hiking trail just barely discernible among the moss and lichens, but he lost track of it some time ago. Not that it really matters.

Despite the freezing weather, he's only wearing a leather jacket with a dark blue shirt underneath - the jacket is open, billowing slightly as the winter breeze blows at him. Despite being miles and miles from nearest human settlement, he has no provisions with him. Any ordinary person would consider him insane for coming so far without proper equipment, provided they would not get too hung up on wondering how he got there in the first place.

Of course, the chance of meeting anyone this far into the wilderness is about the same as sun not rising tomorrow. Smiling, Mikael Esaja Rautianen walks forward, hands in his pockets. If there's middle of nowhere, he's found it, and he likes it there.

[Shades of Gray]

[Soul Society]

"Discipline," declared the Captain of the Internal Security Division, Ueda Nori. His posture was perfect, head resting comfortably on the back of his seat with his right hand balled into a fist supporting his head. "The Pack is just that; akin to wolves. We are not animals, my friends, so we should not act like them." He rapped the fingers of his left hand on the table, his perfectly cut nails making rhythmic tapping noises. "I saw Kiba-San's "Brute Squad" cramming through the doorway, struggling to get out of the barracks and into action on time. There are two possible reasons why this occurred. Either the men and women of 'The Pack' are too inefficient in extraditing themselves from a building or the door was too small. If the door was the issue, LogMed would be present. Since Zheng-Taichou is nowhere in sight, this cannot be the plausible explanation. Without any further solutions, we can conclude that this mish-mash of a division is still not operating under peak capabilities," he explained, keeping a level tone throughout in an attempt to not sound condescending (such an attempt would be feeble considering the intent of his words). He removed his hand from his head.

"Such a display would not stand in my division. The intensity of their combat training has increased to dangerous levels. I'm sure that repeated head trauma from these exercises might be a cause. What these men need is not combat training; they may be the best at swinging swords but if that is all that they are capable of then I fear for the safety of all of Soul Society. War is not only about being stronger than your opponent; it is about being more efficient in deploying your resources than your opponent." The Captain straightened some papers in front of him. "We need soldiers, not swordsmen. Professionals, not pillagers. If Kiba-San can not keep his men in line then I fear that I will need to enforce discipline in the Combat Division as my division has countless times in the past."

Nori went through his files as he scratched at his stubble, a side-effect of the sudden nature of this meeting. Such an egregious display of unkemptness would never stand in a time of peace. Still, necessary sacrifices must be made. "If they were to stand in a Four-By-Five formation as they left the building, rather than the embarrassing clump I saw trip over themselves in an attempt to find the way out, I surmise that the men would have gotten into the fight a full eleven seconds sooner. Eleven seconds may not sound like a lot, but it something like that may prove crucial, especially when lives are at stake."

[AnimeKid]

Soul Society

If Ueda Nori could see one Hiju Naijeru he might have been frothing at the mouth. The leader of the Brute Squad were out doing their standard bonding exercise. That is drinking merrily at one of the Soul Society's many bars. Some of Naijeru's men were cheering him on as he chugs down what has to be his 13th drink. Often times his men thought that his liver constituted to the majority of his torso. He finished off his drink strongly before letting out a sigh of satisfaction. "Man! Nothing like that to wash away the stress of the day. Okay squad, remember! Don't drink more than your capable of. We've gone 2 whole weeks without a bar-side brawl. We go three more days, and that's a personal best. Who know maybe it'll make the bartender give us a discount."

A few seconds passed with the sqaud looking at the bartender, a gruff looking woman who was beautiful in the same way the few females on Naijeru's squad were. She cracked a small smile as the squad as a whole said, "NAH!" A chorus of laughter sounded out at that as the squad continued their merrymint.
__________________________________________________ ____________

Mortal World

Haroda Tamaki was heading to school with his trademark red scarf wrapped around his neck. He was reading a Midsummer's Night Dream already being halfway through despite just starting a day and a half ago. He pushed his glasses back up his nose so that they did not fall off. He headed up to the school with steady steps. He left early so he wouldn't be late. However he would likely have to endure the 'subtle' jeers of his fellow classmates. After all, he refused to Test The Waters. Add that to the fact that he was a little intimidating so they had to mock him from a safe distance. Of course it wasn't all of the students that did this. After all, some people would rather be alive and smart rather than brave and dead.

(OOC:This good guys?)

[Terry576]

[Soul Society; Meeting]

Death laughed, a wide grin spreading across her face. "No, no, no. You seem to have misunderstood - almost purposefully! I didn't ask why I asked how you managed it! three hundred men are gone thanks to your incompetence! So please, tell me how you managed it."

[Mortal World]

The smoke flew up in the air, and the taste of ash settled in Sora's mouth. He looked up, and a small frown covered his face as he leaned against the small shed on top of the skyscraper.

The city was industrial, that much was certain. The building Sora had was on top of towered over much of it, but there were many buildings that came close - but none ever matched where he was supposed to be.

The School was the tallest building, situated on the tallest cliff in The City, looming over the rest of the industrial phenomenon with ease.

"Five years..." he said with a murmur, closing his eyes once more as he inhaled the smoke.

Five years is how much farther ahead than the rest of the world The City supposedly was. It was Japan's pride and joy, the project they poured so much money into. The newest buildings, technology, and weapons all circulated through the city.

Sora didn't give a damn whether one gun could shoot two hundred rounds without exploding from the heat, but the rest of the world did.

The rain was a serene soundtrack as his music played through his ears, and a small smile overcame his face. He looked almost... peaceful.

It was nice.

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society] Sawada

Sawada shakes his head, motioning to the hologram. "The response was both a why and a how. Of the two hundred men you are accounting in what you claim as general incompetence is nothing more than an accounting error to redirect assets that can no longer produce their original function. The men and women are not "missing", merely repurposed to tasks more befitting their general sentiments to the ongoing situation that has arisen due to those who are meant to protect our sacred home from invasion which has resulted in the loss of the former Great Sorcerer and countless other lives in the Rukon. One would ask how such an event transpired however it is an unfit time to lay blame on those who have only assumed the role of command."

Sawada again casts an eye out to the table. "I will print out my full documentation of my transferals to the Shrine Complexes Lambda and Theta after the meeting. I am certain the alarm bills will die down when you see that we have not lost nearly as much life as you worry about. I to would be worried if two hundred men merely disappeared into thin air after an attack by Hollows in an unprecedented slaughter. You however have nothing to fear. As for the remaining one hundred I cannot account for. The business of the other Divisions is not a concern that has been afforded to me with my recent transferal to the head of the Order. I am certain you will understand." He gently places a hand on the table as the hologram fades into motes of light before disappearing into the air for good.

[Terry576]

Death laughed again. Longer, and harder.

"Now you're doing it on purpose. I'm the Captain Commander, so when I ask you "where are three hundred souls", I don't need numbers. I can sense that they're not here. They're gone. So please, tell me where did my men go!?!"

A black wave of power burst from the Captain Commander as she stood up from the table, her black clothes easily following her - a stark reminder of how much she despised rules and regulations.

"I don't read my paperwork - I have a division to do that for me. Your lack of connection to the Soul Society aside, three hundred Shinigami have vanished from Seireitei! That is a massive security breach," she whirled around her eyes blazing with frustration as she snarled, "in a time of WAR! So, let me ask you again - WHERE ARE THEY!?"

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society] Sawada

"It certainly makes me feel more confident that you have others to help you with the paper work." Sawada murmurs, keeping a calm face despite the laughter. "I have informed you where they have been moved. This is not a security breach, at least from the S.S.I's numbers. Two hundred personal have been transferred to Shrine Complex Lambda in Xining, China and Shrine Complex Theta in Montreal, Canada in the mortal world where they can focused on their work and not politics, a realm the S.S.I has little interest in. That is all I can disclose, the Shrines are under the Universal Nondisclosure Agreement. I assure you with all the knowledge I have, they are hard at work protecting Soul Society as we speak."

[Shades of Gray]

"Death-Soutaichou you are in breach of decorum. Now I know you said no more numbers... But there are four of us here, one of which is Captain Commander. Three out of four is often 75%, if I'm not mistaken. Most of us here could not tell that three-hundred had "vanished"; I assumed you were referring to the most recent assault. Now if you'd sit down, I'm afraid you have spilled your tea."

Ueda Nori gave a long sigh as he straightened his papers once more, disturbed by the burst of power. He produces a small stone from his hakama, and places it on his papers such that they would be disturbed no further.

"If three-hundred souls have indeed gone missing, and not simply redeployed as Sawada-Taichou has said, we must no doubt endeavour to ascertain the nature of their disappearance. I am aware of no current efforts to cloak the signatures of our shinigami on such a large scale, and barring any interjection on this effort by Sawada-Taichou, I can safely say that this is not the Science Division's doing. I personally can tell you that the Security Division has taken no part in thwarting our own securities. And I can tell you with a reasonable degree of accuracy that 'The Pack' could not figure out how to escape unnoticed if they were given a thousand years. So what we have left is the knowledge that we did not make our own shinigami disappear. Obviously, this must be the actions of our foes."

Nori's eyes twitched for a moment, slightly exasperated. He prepared a hell butterfly. He whispered a message to it and sent it off to the Vice Captain of the Internal Security Division.

"Now that I am aware of this disturbance, I can tell you that I will commit two-hundred of my own men to investigating the plausible reasoning behind the disappearance of the battalion. Problem solved. So now, why are we still sitting here if we are already doing everything under our power to determine the nature of this disappearance? I have certainly done my part in this mystery."

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society

The Kenpachi's funeral seemed like only yesterday. Had it been only yesterday? It was difficult to tell for Kiba, as days seemed to blend in with each other. The loss of the Kenpachi had impacted the entire division, but none moreso than Kiba. The Kenpachi was the one person in all of Soul Society that Kiba would unquestionably follow. Now that he was gone, what would happen to the Combat Corps?

It wasn't as simple as finding a replacement Captain. Sure, a replacement could always be assigned, but he'd never be truly accepted by the Pack as a whole, simply because he wouldn't be a Kenpachi. He wouldn't have earned his spot at the top of the ladder through blood, sweat, tears, and combat the way every seated officer in the Pack had.

Kiba was technically in charge now, but only in the sense that no one outranked him, and no one in the Pack could strip him of that. He had tried to take over the duties of leading the Pack as best he could, but even the most basic of forms were filled out by others, and incoming letters and requests had to be read aloud to him. He definitely wasn't ready for this position, but Kiba was certain this is what the Kenpachi would've wanted.

He tried to think. There was the training of new recruits this morning. He'd gone soft as with all the chaos the healers didn't have as much time to "practice." Later he would spar with whatever seated officers were available, and he'd have to make some time to figure out how to set up their remaining forces so Soul Society could actually be marginally well protected. About now he would be having his one-on-one spar with Kenpachi, but obviously that couldn't happen. He tried taking the Kenpachi's words to heart, to meditate and to calm his raging soul.

When that didn't work, he took to one of the obstacle courses to further training. Dashing from pole to pole, leaping over volleys of flaming arrows, ducking in between swinging bladed pendulums, and holding back two thick stone slabs trying to crush him. If he had somewhere to be for Vice-Captainly duties, he didn't know it.

Mortal World

Kenzan prowled the streets more briskly than usual. Normally, he'd scour for something, anything to do. But a month ago he had encountered a strange creature, a monster with a white mask. Unlike the usual thugs he was used to fighting, this one was actually a challenge, and what made it weirder was apparently he was the only one there who could see the thing. Killing it was, for lack of a better word, interesting, and that's what Kenzan craved more than anything in his dismal eventless life. At first he thought that the thing was one of a kind, and that after it disintegrated into nothingness, Kenzan thought the experience was over for good. Then a week ago, another, different creature, also with a white mask appeared. Punching it in its mask-covered face caused the whole creature to split apart and shimmer into nothingness once again. So Kenzan continued his patrol of the city, looking for something, anything of interest. He briefly wondered if he should head to the School where he was likely "supposed" to be. Even though he'd long given up on anything interesting happening there, part of him wondered if that was the next place to look.

Mortal World, The School

'The School' was such a dumb name. Fitting perhaps for a dumb school, but it still annoyed Sazaki Miko to no end. This place had a proper name, but any time someone referred to it, no one else would really understand what the name meant. The people here was just as dumb as the name of the school.

Nontheless, here she was, going to school on Monday morning like a good little student, hoping avoiding eye contact and hopefully any contact with the rest of the student body. All the while the creature in her heart ached. The hunger wasn't as bad today, it had been sated the past weekend. Those people had deserved it. They were dumb too...

Hueco Mundo

Victor Vicente Alto Ramirez smiled at his slowly growing army. He had lived a good, prosperous life. A victorious one as the conquerer of many regimes in his country. He lived to an old age, and when he was finally killed, he was expecting a far different afterlife. One of eternal torment or oblivion. Instead, he found an afterlife that was just as conquerable as the world of the living. One where he needn't just rely on his army for victory, but where each conquest would let him grow in strength.

Before he could conquer the afterlife, he needed an army, and so he gathered as many hollows as possible, allowing them to consume one another to create the choice generals for his army. But his supply of hollow recruits was wearing thin. He needed some fresh blood. So now his scouts scour the land of the living for spiritually aware mortals, bringing the choice picks to Victor Vicente. They would die, become hollows, and either consume or be consumed until they were picks for his army.

One of his advisors approaches him. "Sir. We've found another recruit for you in Finland. Shall we intercept?"

Victor Vicente nods and smiles. The portal to the living world is open, and a dozen of his finest hollow soldiers pour through to intercept and capture the hapless mortal, hopefully before anyone can interfere.

The portal to Hueco Mundo manifests not ten feet behind Mikael as the hollow soldiers leap out to try and capture their prey.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Mortal World, 28th of October, noon, northern Finland]

Having reached foot of the fjeld, Mikael looks up along the snow-covered slope. It's beautiful. He resumes climbing up, untill spotting a small rock jutting out of the snow. Maybe it's there to mark the hiking trail? He makes his way to it and sits down, subconsciously rubbing his hands together for warmth. While the cold can't affect him, he still feels it. He'd inured himself to such sensations, but old habits die hard. He still remembers what it felt like to be a mortal.

It's about time to rest regardless. While his feet would not grow sore no matter how long he walks, it still takes time. His mind still grows weary even if his body does not. Maybe he'd take a short nap here, soft fresh snow as his bed?

But, fate has other plans. All of a sudden, something rushes against the man, knocking him down from the rock. Startled, his heart skips a beat. He expects to roll down the mountain, but something has grabbed him, and hoists him back up. It feels like... hands? Paws? It's something big and heavy, but what? His attempts to turn around and look at it are thwarted by the thing clinging to his back. With some struggling, Mikael manages to grab its arm (?), and with a burst of strenght, throws it over his shoulder. He manage to catch just a brief glimpse of it, though - it's something big and black against the white ground. A bear, perhaps? No, something is eeriely wrong with it for it to be any natural mammal. But he isn't allowed to examine it, as something grabs his foot and he falls backwards - but instead of his back hitting the ground, he just keeps falling, the sky suddenly growing very distant.

And then everything just goes black.

Mikael blinks, trying to regain his vision, but it's useless. He knows he's still awake and not passed out, but somehow the material world has vanished from around him. Abruptly, heavy things collide with him, grabbing his limbs and tearing at his clothes. Hands? Claws? What is going on?

A sharp nudge sends pain shooting through his right arm, and apparently he's being hoisted from the ground by something, as he can't feel anything under his feet. But as the invisible assailant(s?) keep manhandling him, his fighting spirit kicks in, and he struggles and tears himself from their grip, his knuckles, knees and elbows smashing at some odd beings lurking in the darkness... from feel and sound of it, he could almost swear he broke someone's or thing's jaw.

But while his strugles release him, his feet still don't meet a thing underneath. He just keeps falling! His mind freezes at the sheer absurdity of it, and he can't muster the will to keep himself afloat. Then something strikes against his side from the blackness, and he's sent tumbling sideways, his eyes instinctively closing as he flinches from pain.

Then, he finally finds solid ground, or rather, it finds him. He impacts it back first, the wind knocking out of his lungs. He bounces slightly back up and hits it again, then rolls over his shoulder and crawls to his feet. Dazed, he looks around, but what he sees serves only to further boggle his mind. Even though it was bright day just seconds ago, now it's the blackest of nights, with only a crescent moon casting its dim silvery light on the landscape. And as Mikael looks at it, he grows more and more certain that it really shouldn't twist so sharply as it does. And while the ground is as white and barren as it should be, it crackles oddly under his feet, as if it is grains of sand rather than snow.

"Mitä helvetin perkelettä?"

Translation notes: lit. "What the Hell's Devil?", or more liberally, "What in the Devil's name?"

[DiscipleofBob]

Hueco Mundo

All around Mikael in the white sands of Hueco Mundo stand legions of strange creatures, of various sizes and shapes but they all have one thing in common: they're white bone masks, and they're all staring at him. Two particularly large hollows hold him by the arms, presenting him towards their master.

Although Victor Vicente looks human, his stare makes him seem possibly more monstrous than the hordes surrounding him. He stands tall and rigid like a fascist propaganda poster, and slowly a smile curls between his thick moustache and the mask fragment around his chin.

<"Rejoice, comrade!">Victor Vicente declares in his native language, uncaring if Mikael can actually hear him or not, <"You have been conscripted into an army that will take the underworld by storm! Your life as you know it is now over. What awaits you is either oblivion or power depending on how you survive. Now, let's see what sort of monster death makes out of you."> Another hollow steps in front of Mikael, this one somehow a walking guillotine with scythes for arms. One doesn't need to understand the language to realize that this thing is meant to be an executioner.

[5a Violista]

[Hueco Mundo]

((OoC: So, can I assume that Valentina is La Cuarta Espada already?))

The loyal Valentina walks down a large street, approving or disapproving of the newly-formed arrancares. "No, you need to be more fierce." "This is no place for weaklings." are a few examples of what she says.

She is an arrancar with authority; her proud strut and her Shinigami-style sword tells as much. Her 'torn' mask does, as well.

It can be said that she's an 'internal affairs' woman, making sure others don't get too unruly and disobedient to the Hollow King.


[Soul Society] Approaching the Western Gate

The magnificence of the Seireitei is breath-taking. Even the white walls are beautiful. It all looks very regal, ennobling, and it is the goal of many souls to join up with the Shinigami and fight the hollows.

District 1, west, is the same way. Busy, energetic, clean, ordered, light...I'm sure you could think of many other adjectives to describe this place. Beautiful, there's another one of them.

None of those adjectives could describe the young woman, or, better, teenager, walking through the crowd. In fact, she's so out of place that everyone gives her wide berth. As she moves down the streets, people hurriedly pull children off the street and whispering in hushed tones.

Covered in flakes of dried blood. Barefoot, with raw sores from walking so far. Her hair, messy and in unbrushed clumps. Nearly dragging a katana behind her. Physically exhausted, but with a deep thirst of revenge behind her eyes.
These are some of the words that can describe her, a complete foil to the beauty of the ordered section of the city.

Embroidered on her bloodstained clothing is the symbol of the long-exiled noble house, the Suou family. Anybody who hasn't studied Seireitei's history wouldn't know them.

As she reaches the western gate, she looks up the towering walls and takes a deep breath. It's too late to turn back now.

Heck, it was too late to turn back days ago, when I started this journey, thinks Nicole.

"I wish to become a Shinigami," she says to whoever is at the gate.



[Moral World] Tsukamoto Residence

Ugh. Monday morning. This means school.

Miya leaves her bed, looks at her clock, and notices that she should have left a half hour ago. "Why do I have to sleep in?" she groans, to nobody in particular. "And why did we have to move to such an ugly town?"

Before rushing out the door, she stops in front of a picture of her family, taken years ago. Her, younger, with her parents smiling. Now, one's dead and the other is always away at his new job. Miya might as well be an orphan; that way, she would at least see her father more often. "'Bye, mother. Japan's not as beautiful without you."

She runs off to
[The School]

Tsukamoto Miya arrives late.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Seireitei] Just Outside Combat Corps Sparring Rings

Dosan leans back in a chair just outside the ring of possibly one of the most used sparring rings in the entire Seireitei, seemingly asleep. He'd just finished sparring against his squad, to keep them in good form.

[Hueco Mundo]

With an almost inaudible woosh, Azmus appears across the street from Valentina and the new arrancar. He doesn't say anything, but murmurs from the new arrancar may alert to his presence. He looks slowly along the length of the recruits, judging each one in turn.

[Mortal World] The School; Physics Classroom

Higure sits behind his desk, just now fully awake after his third cup of coffee, and awaits his students. He looks over his notes on the lecture for today with a rather bored expression on his face, still a few minutes before the class starts.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Somewhere in Hueco Mundo]

Mikael's eyes dart wildly from side to side as the two... creatures grab him by the arms. He would struggle, but his body is frozen from the sheer absurdity of the creatures holding him. A gut-wrenching dread start welling inside him as he faces what appear to be two, flayed skulls stuck on barely humanoid bodies.

Then, he hears someone speaking. Eyes wide open, he turns to look at the solitary human figure standing amidst the grotesque mockeries of dead bodies. It poses no comfort, unfortunately, for the man all dressed in white looks like he could be the devil himself, making Mikael's former cursing grimly ironic. Mikael's brain is still stuck in fight-or-flight mode, so he can hardly comprehend the words, though he understands the man is adressing him and dimly recognizes his speech as some form of Spanish.

Then, his executioner steps forth - a malformed figure, like a giant praying mantis wearing a human skull over its head. "Ei voi olla", Mikael blurts, once more an ironic statement from the man who can speak to the dead or unliving. But despite his own extraordinary nature, this is something far out from the left field. His conscious mind can't even begin to comprehend this unexpected situation.

Fortunately, his instincts are still aware of the danger posed by the form creeping closer. Desperately, he tries to wrench his arms free, but his captors prove much stronger than he could've anticipated. Rather than being hold by living creatures, it feels more like he's been cast in solid steel.

Then, perhaps on cue or just eager to get rid of the struggling mortal, the beasts press him down, trying to force him to his knees. He manages to get one foot against the round and remain in half-standing position, but then he freezes when a shadow suddenly blocks the moonlight. He looks up as fast as he can, only to see the mantis standing before him, malicious red eyes staring at him from deep within eyesockets of the skull, its scythe-like claw raised to strike.

Then the claw drops down in a white blur, a wooshing sound echoing through the air. Mikael slumps down, dust billowing slightly as his body hits ground. The crowd cheers.

The executioner takes a step back, lifting its claw back up. But wait... there's no blood on the blade. And the man's head is still curiously well-fixed to his neck...

Translation notes: Lit. "This can't be".

Also, Bob? Please finish Vicente's description. I'd like to know what Mikael is looking at. :smallwink::smalltongue:

[DiscipleofBob]

Hueco Mundo

((Challenge. Accepted.))

What should have been the feral roars of bloodlust at a fresh execution were instead cautious murmurs among his army. Victor Vicente's ceremonious execution has been interrupted by the victim's stubborn refusal to remain in one piece.

His regal white uniform is a reflection of both his positions in life. It has all the royal flair of a Spanish noble, but somehow combines elements from his military uniform when he was still alive. His long white coat goes down to just above his leather jackboots. His posture remains rigid with his gloved hands folded behind his back, even as his triumphant smile fades and his wrinkles contort into annoyance at the interruption. Despite standing on the highest nearby dune in this vast white desert, there is not a speck of dirt or dust on his pristine white uniform, as if the sand itself took care not to trespass upon his figure. His thick, black-gray eyebrows start to twist in anger in perfect symmetry with the rest of his rigid, rugged face, matching his short salt and pepper hair. Around his chin from sideburn to sideburn is a thick, bone plate, his mask fragment, looking as if it was the only showing piece of some full-plated armor hidden beneath the uniform. Or perhaps the uniform was the armor, since for all the belts, straps, and other decorum reminiscent of a ceremonial uniform, all of it seemed to be attached seamlessly into Victor Vicente's clothing, as if the whole ensemble was one piece. At his side is a single machete, still sheathed, is black handle and blood-encrusted blade the only color of Victor Vicente's completely white pristine uniform. The only thing that could be contrued as an imperfection a single small hole above his heart, where one would expect an assortment of badges denoting rank and accomplishment, the perfectly round hole piercing him completely so that the desert behind him is visible through it, yet the hole does not bleed or seem to cause Victor Vicente any discomfort.

<"GET ON WITH IT!""> he bellows with authority. He brings one arm slowly and methodically from behind his back, forms a gun with his fingers, and points it directly at Mikael, and consequently, the executioner, who is apparently not meeting his master's expectation. While it would seem like a childish threat in any other situation, dark energy starts to gather at a small point at Victor Vicente's fingertips. No, that's not quite right. It seems as if something is sucking and consuming energy at Victor Vicente's fingertips, as if a miniature black hole was somehow forming. The army no longer crowds Mikael, backing away from the targeted area. The two larger hollows unknowingly slightly loosen their grip, more concerned with attempting to escape the potential blast radius than doing their job of holding the prisoner down. The executioner hollow panics and tries to strike again, this time with multiple limbs armed with blades, doing everything he can to execute Mikael before he incurs his master's wrath.

Soul Society

Several explosions rock the training course as Kiba narrowly dodges the third land mine in a row. They were a pain to set up, but nothing pointed out a vital misstep in combat more than a point-blank explosion. Once they returned, Kiba would have to speak with the other seated officers on how best to assign the Combat Corps now that they had war to prepare for as well.

Mortal World

Sazaki Miko quietly enters Higure's classroom on time for her next class, takes her usual seat in the very back corner, keeps her head down, and starts counting down the seconds until this class ends and the next one begins.

[Dorizzit]

Mortal World
The School: Physics Classroom

With a few minutes left before class starts, Naito strides into the classroom. He sits down at a desk towards the back of the class room, away from the windows. He pulls his hat down and pushes his sunglasses farther up his nose, then pulls out his physics textbook and a few handouts, then leans back in his chair and waits until class starts.

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society] Sawada- Meeting

“It is no breach in protocol to confess that all of the Shrine Complexes are equipped with measures that shield their presence to any prying eyes. It is for the safety of those who operate within the Shrines and Soul Society itself. Were our enemies to breach these complexes. I fear we would be in a more hopeless situation than we find ourselves in now. I am monitoring the situation from the ground. Political red tape is not my area of expertise though I lack a whole Division to do my paper work for me. Luckily, that is why we have updated to computers.” Sawada murmurs softly, placing a hand back on the table. “If I may perhaps raise a concern? You also Ueda-Taichou are out of line in simple decorum. The Captain of the Pack is not here to defend himself from your accusations. A man of your stature is unbecoming to such antics. If you will forgive me for saying. Sir.”


[Mortal World] Sawada- High School


The Mortal World held a special place in Sawada’s heart and the City was no different. It sat on Shrine Complex Rho which in and of itself sat on the most secret operation that the S.S.I had ever undertaken. The 11th facility hid behind layers and layers of security and even those working in Complex Rho were unaware of the vaults beneath their feet. But that wasn’t why he was in the mortal world. Observation was the first step in any good experiment and with the mortal Substitute Shinigami having helped in the war, humans were perhaps a more viable aid then they first appeared. So it was for this reason he had posed as a transfer student, today being his first day. He stepped into the classroom, making a bee-line for the caffeine addled and weary teacher before giving a simple bow. “Yasunobu Sawada, Sir.” the effeminate boy stated in his typical terse manner.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Somewhere in Hueco Mundo]

The sound. What on earth is that sound? It's like the air itself is wailing and screaming in pain due to... something the man in white is doing. Mikael isn't sure if he'll dare to lift his head and look. He can't begin to guess why his life has suddenly turned into an All Hallows' Eve horror picture show, but he'd certainly have to time to find out later, once he'd escape from the this abominable crowd after his head.

First, he has to get away from his executioner. His neck hurts like hell and it's difficult to believe it's still in its right place. Luckily, the monsters holding his arms loosened their grips. Mikael pushes back up and twists his body, wrenching his arms from their grasps and consequently elbowing both to their stomachs. The creatures stumble back, uninjured but surprised a mere human could muster such strenght.

But the executioner's blade is already in motion - Mikael flinches as he finds himself face to face with the horror, and its multitude of claws strike at him, tearing apart the front of his jacket and knocking him back against the two other monters.

Wait... knocking him back? The sharp claws should've sliced right through him, with negligible resistance! The executioner freezes in terror, feeling the disapproving gaze of its superior burning a hole in its back. Mikael sees his time has come - his former captors move to grab him once more, but he tumbles down and slips away past their feet. Then, there's a bright flash of light and Mikael jumps up in the air, flying over the heads of the distanced crowd.

[Shades of Gray]

[Soul Society]

Ueda Nori leaned back in his chair. His brow became creased as the Science Division's Captain spoke to him. This frustration eventually turned into a calm, and then disingenuous mirth. "You are both forgiven and mistaken, Sawada-Taichou. Were the Captain of the Pack still alive I am sure that I would be taking a different tone. I am not bound to speak with respect to an Acting Captain who does not make his presence known at the first meeting since the scope of his duties has been increased. I understand that it is with great sadness that Kenpachi has left us. However, grief is no excuse for missing this meeting, and neither is the laziness that we have come to expect from the Combat Division. When I became Captain I made a difference on the first day. Captain duties are a responsibility, a gift, not a punishment; I should need not have my men arrest Kiba-San and bring him here. But if that is what it takes, I am prepared to do it."

Nori prepared a hell butterfly.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Mortal World] Sawada- High School


The Mortal World held a special place in Sawada’s heart and the City was no different. It sat on Shrine Complex Rho which in and of itself sat on the most secret operation that the S.S.I had ever undertaken. The 11th facility hid behind layers and layers of security and even those working in Complex Rho were unaware of the vaults beneath their feet. But that wasn’t why he was in the mortal world. Observation was the first step in any good experiment and with the mortal Substitute Shinigami having helped in the war, humans were perhaps a more viable aid then they first appeared. So it was for this reason he had posed as a transfer student, today being his first day. He stepped into the classroom, making a bee-line for the caffeine addled and weary teacher before giving a simple bow. “Yasunobu Sawada, Sir.” the effeminate boy stated in his typical terse manner.

[Mortal World] The School; Physics Classroom

Higure looks up at the transfer student and stands, smiling.

You must be the new transfer student. I'm Mr. Iwamori, nice to meet you. Take a seat anywhere.

After the rest of the students file in, Higure turns and writes "Classical Mechanics" on the board, then turns and begins his lecture.

[AnimeKid]

Mortal World

Tamaki comes in to physics class mere seconds before the bell rings. He quickly goes to take his usual seat. When Higure begins teaching he would find Tamaki reading at his desk as usual. He still made straight A's though. Probably because he memorized his textbooks within the first week of school. Of course he would still listen, it was just that he most of time he would do in while reading. And always with that same frosty expression. The weird thing is though, that he actually volunteered to help people with anything that they didn't understand in class. Weird kid.

[5a Violista]

[Hueco Mundo] On the streets Valentina

Valentina, as expected, doesn't notice him at first. She's too busy talking down on/giving tips and pointers to/whatever else she feels like doing to the new recruits.

However, she notices that the new Arrancar in front of her isn't looking at her. He's glancing at something behind her...she tries to deduce who it is based on Spiritual Energies. Who can it be? It has to be... "That is all," she says to the fledgling Arrancar. "Hello, Azmus," says Valentina as she turns around to face him.

Shoot.

This is someone stronger than her.

Now with the 2nd Espada near her, she doesn't seem so powerful and authoritative. Maybe she even looks a little meek. "What do you think of them?" she asks, her voice a little less forceful than it was before. "Some seem strong, but others just aren't up to the task. I think many of them will flee or die at the first sight of an enemy."

Indeed, some of them appear that way. Frightened. Others seem stronger. One that Valentina liked is named Lugaru. He's tall, wide-shouldered, and looks very much like a wolf. He seems strong enough.


[Soul Society] => Combat Corps, near sparring rings Suou Nicole

Certainly her circumstance of joining up had been irregular, however the Seireiti seems to know what to do, especially because new recruits are pouring in from all over the Soul Society.

Suou received directions to the Combat Corps from the man who was in charge of new recruits. What was his name again? Suou forgot. Oh, well. At least she didn't forget the instructions.

They also gave her directions to somewhere to take a bath and change clothes, but there's something more important than getting cleaned up. Nicole can change her blood-stained clothing after she reports for duty.

Take a right here, then a left, the two rights and a left, continue straight, go this way then that way then pass this one building and another and go through that way...

Finally, she finds her way to the Sparring Rings. She was told she would most likely find an officer around here. And, as luck would have it, there is! Some unranked members of the Combat Corps pointed out Dosan to her.

...Oh. He's asleep, she thinks.
Nicole holds herself in a respectful bow, and says, "Suou Nicole reporting for duty." She'll wait in this position all day if she has to, until he will respond or react.


[Mortal World] School: Physics Classroom Tsukamoto Miya

Minutes after class started, Miya goes running down the hallway, proving how fast she can run. As she nears her physics classroom, she slows down so it won't appear so much that she was running. After all, someone who is late and runs to class isn't going to be very cool or popular.

"Sorry, professor, for being late," she apologizes, giving a respectful bow as she walks in. She looks around the room to find an empty chair...oh, shoot. Right in the front row.

Miya sits down quickly and looks down, avoiding eye contact with all of the cute boys in the room because they must think she's a dweeb by now. A dweeb who interrupts class, is out of breath, and sits in the front row.

[DiscipleofBob]

Hueco Mundo

The Cero briefly fades as the sudden flying mortal is quite the surprise to Victor Vicente. It takes a moment for him to consider this surprise a pleasant one and he smiles. The thought of what such an individual would be capable of as a hollow excites him. With one hand motion, the fraction of his hollow army capable of aerial combat leaps/flies up to try to converge on Mikael.

Victor Vicente decides that the executioner hollow is not at fault since the target was such a superb specimen. The two hollows on the side who let him escape however aren't so lucky. While not fully powered Ceros, he fires off two Bala Disparos in quick succession, completely annhilating the two larger brute hollows. He then turns his attention to the flying mortal, considering the possibility he might have to personally "recruit" this one.

Soul Society

His workout completed for now, and that particular obstacle course now a smoking ruin, Kiba heads off to prepare for a meeting with whatever seated officers are available. What issues the Kenpachi used to address were now his responsibility. Heading through the sparring rings, he comes across a sleeping Dosan and another shinigami, this one with an unfamiliar scent and bloodstained clothing standing at attention. Approaching Nicole from behind, he speaks curtly and quickly. "What do you want? If you're looking for the Med division it's over that way," he says with a brief head nudge in the appropriate direction.

Kiba's vice-captain hakama is more ripped and singed than usual (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say as usual given his training regimen). His broken Zanpakuto is strapped to his back, and he wears a cloth head wrap, still mostly intact, hiding his trademark ears that only a new recruit wouldn't know about. His armband signifying his rank as Vice-Captain is also clearly visible.

Mortal World; the School

Kenzan approaches the school long after the bell has rung. Only a fraction of the faculty and student body still recognize him. After all, he never wears the school uniform and only shows up for class once every few weeks. Still, he's visible outside the classroom windows.

EDIT:

Elsewhere in the Mortal World; an Undisclosed Location

A lone figure sits in the dark reading a massive tome, somehow unphased by the lack of light in his pursuit of literature. "Commencing experiment 18-A-1. Subject of experiment codenamed 'Arachne'. As part of the experiment the abilities of subject 'Arachne' will be exposed to a hostile environment, and test environment will also be evaluated as a possible site for future experiments."

Mortal World; the School

A female student in one of the other classrooms excuses herself to see the school nurse. She does not return. A large, spider-like hollow with bladed limbs appears on the top floor of the school and immediately sets to work spreading a thin web of wire from its mouth throughout the top floor and stairwell. It leaves the classrooms alone for now, intending to trap the rest of the school first before revealing itself.

Those who are spiritually aware can suddenly feel the presence of the hollow emanating from the top of the school, but those mortals unfortunate enough to get caught in the web without spiritual awareness cannot see or feel the wires ensnaring them, they only know they are stuck and that something seems to be draining the life from them. Those who are spiritually aware will be able to see and otherwise sense the wires normally, but the adhesive on the wires could still possibly ensnare them.

Kenzan feels the presence and his pace quickens to a run. He doesn't know what he's looking for, but his first reaction is to leap up and quickly climb the school walls to get to the roof, causing a stir in the classrooms who see him scaling the school walls.

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Mortal World]

A lone woman stands on top of a building in the city. Her golden eyes scan the area, taking in all the sights.

Arianna was taking a moment to herself between checking on patrol teams. Her wings rustled in the breeze as she stood there. She enjoyed coming to the Mortal World. Loved seeing it change as time went on. She remembered when she could reach the top of any building with just a single leap.

Suddenly, her gaze snaps towards the direction of The School. She sensed some kind of Hollow presence there. A moment later, her Reiphone confirmed this. She knew the other team members in the area would be able to sense it, but looking at her Reiphone confirmed that she was the closest.

With a quick stroke of her wings, Arianna takes to the sky, headed for The School.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Seireitei] Near the Sparring Rings

Dosan, in the presence of his Vice Captain, quickly stands up, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

Suou said she was reporting for duty, sir.

[Mortal World] The School; Physics Classroom

Higure nods to Miya and Tamaki as the enter his classroom, but doesn't slow down in his lecture, using a projector as a visual aid. He casually glances out the window, and his eyes briefly widen at the young man disappearing over the top of his classroom windows. Only for a moment, then he regains his composure. He switches the projector over to a slide filled with equations.

Class please write these down, they will be on your next test. I will be right back.

With that, Higure calmly walks out of the classroom, and looks both ways down the hallway. Seeing that no one is there, he reaches inside his coat for Untaidake and, grasping the handle, sprints towards the nearest stairwell. He skids to a halt as he sees the web. Then, looking around once more, draws Untaidake and begins cutting his way up the stairs.

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Valentina.

Azmus nods to the fellow arrancar.

I fear you may be right about that. Let's see what we can do to fix that.

Azmus begins walking up and down the lines of recruits, and raises his voice.

We are at war. I sense that many of you are... afraid. Scared to fight; that when the time comes, you may attempt to flee. I would not recommend it, unless you think you can outrun my blade and I. I do not take kindly to deserters.

He stops in around the middle of the line of recruits.

That being said, if you do think you can beat me, leave now. We'll see who's faster.

[AnimeKid]

Mortal World-The School

Tamaki's pencil stops in the middle of it's slow, smooth writing as he senses the hollow presence. His eyes narrow as his writing starts up again, this time at an incredibly fast rate. He finishes the last of his assignment in a flash before turning it over. "Sensei, I need to use the restroom." He doesn't even wait for an answer or acknowledgement before he heads out of the classroom. There is a bit of urgency in his step as he heads up to the roof. 'Odd, one of those creatures has never shown up this close to the school before. Something must be different about this attack. Either way, I can't let the student here be hurt. I need to take care of this one quickly.'

With his introspection finished Tamaki runs up to the he can sense the hollow's presence, closing his book and slipping it into his jacket pocket.

[Tebryn]

[Mortal World] Sawada- High School

Sawada bows, taking his seat at the front of class as well. He smiles a bit despite himself at the bumbling young girl who sits next to him though remains silent as the teacher begins class. While certainly below his level of expertise, Sawada writes notes swiftly to keep up appearances. That was before the hollow however, which caused him to jerk a little in his seat. "Even here?" he mumbles, glancing around the room. Several students had already excused themselves and a simple scan indicated that even the Teacher was giving out spiritual pressure. He'd hope it would be enough. In the meantime however, he would run support.

He stood, holding a finger up to the ditzy young woman who had tramped into class late. Captain Ueda certainly would have something to say about her he was certain but musings aside. With the teacher gone he slipped out of class, moving to the fire alarm. If things got hairy he'd flick the switch but for now. This was a perfect test.

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society] Combat Corps, Near Sparring Rings

Suou nods at what Dosan said; that is correct.

She turns to see this Kiba. Oh. Look at that, the Vice-Captain. She's only been here for a short while, and the second-in-command is already here. Not surprising, she thinks, because not many people arrive here after walking through nearly 80 Rukongai districts.

"Sir, I am Suou Nicole. New recruit." The young lady looks down at the paper in her hand, which assigned her to the Combat Corps. She did suggest that she joined the front-line combat group.

Just in case Vice-Captain Kiba doesn't believe her, she holds out the paper to him. Yes, it says that she's now in the Combat Corps.

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Valentina steps back out of deference, and looks down.

Azmus's short speech made some stand up taller. After all, yes! It is a war! They should fight. In fact, I'd say that more than half of them now stood at a higher stature. Some, out of fear. Some, out of respect. Others, wanting to get a good name for themselves as loyal and hardy warriors.

Lugaru is one of those who stands taller.

Only a select few seem slightly more frightened. After all, the best way to see what's in a man's heart is by how he reacts.
One newly-formed arrancar, standing not far to the left of Azmus, is one of those who is afraid of death, afraid of fighting, afraid of losing. He's not running, which shows that his fear of the Segunda Espada is greater than his fear of fighting in a war. He who lives today can fight again another day, that's his motto.

However, his eyes betray him. His soft, blue eyes, which emphasize the elephant's tusks on his arms. He wants to run, but his fear prevents him from doing so. He just wants to stay away from fighting, stay away from powerful people, stay away from death and especially away from eating other hollows.

A weakling, if you were to ask Valentina.

[Mortal World] The School; classroom

Miya doesn't react to any of the going-ons outside the classroom. She feels bothered by the hollow's presence, but figures that it's just because of the bad air. After all, some things are just more important than a weird synchronized headache or magical people running up around or evil spiders.

Like, getting a good enough grade in her physics class so that she'll be allowed in the martial arts groups after school. Being detained extra time after school for not paying attention isn't really the best way to become a famous fighter on TV.

Tsukamoto Miya's embarrassment has been removed enough that she has stopped blushing. As Sawada stands up, she looks up at him and his finger. She looks at him, as if to say, What's up? Is there something out there?
She quickly takes notes of what was written on the projector, and quickly trying to understand what the equations mean.

After that, she finally musters the courage to look around at the remaining classmates who haven't left the room suddenly.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Somewhere in Hueco Mundo]

Two bangs, like gunshots, come from behind Mikael, making his ears ring. He doesn't know who is being shot at, but it doesn't make him any more willing to stay!

That's when he comes to the distressing realization that he's not the only one who can fly at these parts. Several abominations that look like they've been ripped from pages of a mythology book, some with wings and some without, and coming after him. His resolve falters and his altitude starts dropping. It's hard to retain that dreamy, light feeling when you have a crowd of ravenous beasts on your heels.

So he drops to the ground, doing his best to roll and get back to his feet quickly as he hits ground. Some of the monsters dive after him, and even can be seen running along the ground towards him. At first, they seem to be catching up, with Mikael's running being awkward and unbalanced, his whole body aching from the fall. But then, the mortal starts accelerating, starting to gain ground on at least his earthbound pursuers.

Each stride hurts like hell, with every leap straining his muscles more than should be humanly possible. Soon, he doesn't even dare to glance over his shoulder to see how far his pursuers are, in fear of tripping and falling down. For the first time in years, he's feeling legitimately pushed to his limits, but still feels he's being too slow. Mounds of sand flash by and the landscape becomes but a white blur as he runs straight ahead, not knowing where but still assured it would be better than here!

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society (Combat Corps, near Sparring Rings)

Kiba takes the paper, but doesn't take a single glance at it. It wouldn't do him any good anyway. "Orientation for new recruits was this morning. Where were you?" It's difficult to tell if his harsh tone is of irritation at Nicole or if this is just how he normally is.

Hueco Mundo

The hollows fail to keep up with Mikael's speed. Victor Vicente, while somewhat annoyed, is actually almost relieved. This one would make an excellent hollow, perhaps his right-hand general depending on the circumstances. But before that could happen, he had to be caught and executed, and Victor Vicente was not about to let him go free. <"If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."> One step forward, and to normal vision he would seem to vanish, his Sonido seeming instantaneous in speed as he took quick strides to catch up to the target. His hollow army would be of no use here.

Mortal World (The School)

As Higure climbs the stairs, the webs grow thicker, necessitating more precision in his cuts, lest he be ensnared by stray wires.

Tamaki would immediately find that the majority of the stairwell seems to have been trapped with an intricate web of trapped wires. If he rushes too quickly, he may even be ensnared.

Sazaki Miko is among the students who stay in the classroom. She can vaguely sense the presence thanks to the other inside her. Ever since her encounter with the creature, the world had become a lot more frightening. Reapers, ghosts, the masked monsters, all of them were truly dangerous. And all she could do was sit in the corner, shivering slightly, and hope that she didn't draw any of their attentions. "It's okay, Mi-chan! I'll protect you!" The voice is only inside her head, but Miko finds it at least somewhat reassuring, the voice her only true friend in the world.

Kenzan climbs up to the roof as several students poke their head out of windows to watch him, as he makes no effort to remain stealthy. Unfortunately, the roof is bare, the strange feeling emanating from just below. He finds the roof access door is locked, but it only takes a little effort for him to break it with one quick jerk. He rushes into the top of the stairwell and instantly finds himself caught in a thick series of wires. "The hell?" Not only is he caught, but he's suddenly winded, as if his normally boundless energy is being drained right from him. Instinctively, he struggles around, trying to break free. Normally, an action like this would have only entangled a victim more, but somehow the wires holding Kenzan snap, as if something had instantly severed them. Confused, but grateful, Kenzan is forced to take his time cutting through the webs to reach the top floor, though it seems that they snap apart at his touch.

On the top floor hallway of the school, a large spider-like hollow is almost finished filling the hallway with a vast network of web and wires. The hollow walks on four bladed limbs, and despite its size it has no trouble moving through the webs it has created, flexibly adjusting its body and limbs to move. Its original plan was to fill the hallways with its web before the bell to the next class could ring, releasing dozens of students into its trap, but now it seemed that there would be resistance before then.

[AnimeKid]

Mortal World

Tamaki's eyes narrow as he says, "Webbing, this one must be of arachnid origins. Cutting these things is too precarious and I'm no master swordsman, an adept at best. One wrong cut and I'm caught. No the best thing to do is find the holes in the defenses and slip though those. No matter what it is everything has imperfections."

With that Tamaki finds the holes in the webbing he can slip through. Places the Hollow would have overlooked or just plan couldn't spin it's webbing the right way. After all, it couldn't have had much room to navigate the stairway's. Tamaki makes sure to keep his scarf as close to his body as possible and holds the ends of it to make sure that it doesn't flare out.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Somewhere in Hueco Mundo]

Mikael is going fast, but insurmountably so. Few of the flying creatures, somewhat resembling harpies and dragons of myth, prepare to swoop down and capture him in their claws. But then, they hear a steady humming sound coming from behind, and instead fly away. Their master has joined the hunt, and they dare not to interfere.

Mikael keeps speeding across the desert, leaving a trail of billowing dust behind. It takes him a while, but he notices the sound of the monster stampede are growing ever fainter. For a moment, a triumphant feeling lifts his spirits, and he slows down somewhat. He'd made it!

Next moment, his heart sinks like lead to his stomach. From the corner of his eye, he can see something white, and instinctively turns to look. The man in white is running beside him. Losing his focus, Mikael stumbles and trips on his feet. He crashes down, bouncing off the ground and then rolling for a good twenty meters before coming to a stop. Quite unsure which direction is up and which is down, he tries to stand up anew.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Mortal World] The School; Stairwell

Higure slows down, making more precise cuts to avoid being ensnared. As he nears the top floor, he moves quietly, hoping to reach the top undetected.

What is this?

It's a hollow. A corrupted soul. A monster.

So kill it then?

That's the idea, yeah.

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Azmus turns abruptly and faces the blue-eyed recruit. He stares into him as he speaks, although still addressing the crowd as a whole.

And if any of you have so much as a disloyal thought in my presence, I will kill you where you stand. Do I make myself clear?

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World; (The School)

Higure reaches the top floor where he can stare down the spider-creature releasing web into the hallways.

As he does so, Kenzan has just sliced his way down to the same floor, only steps behind him. Even though he came here to find this thing in the hallway, he sees someone else has gotten here first. Which was curious, because in his precious few previous encounters with the strange white-masked creatures, he seemed to be the only one aware of their presence. Although he has questions to ask, he hears someone else further down the stairwell having trouble getting up. Knowing firsthand how getting entangled in these webs could actually hurt, a snap decision has him cut through the webs further down, for now leaving the teacher to deal with the creature.

Progress is slow for Tamaki as the webs grow thicker as he ascends, but eventually someone makes his way down, somehow cutting through the webs with no cutting implement on him.

They might have recognized each other. They were technically in the same homeroom, though Kenzan rarely showed up to class. "Are you all right?" Kenzan asks Tamaki, wiping off the remaining webbing off his person, somehow shredding the webbing into dust in the process.

Somewhere in Hueco Mundo

No longer addressing his masses, Victor Vicente no longer sees the need for speeches, especially with the apparent language barrier. Instead he stops a few yards from his target as Mikael stands up. In one hand is Victor Vicente's melee weapon of choice, a blood-encrusted machete. His other hand pointed toward Mikael and prepared to fire another Cero, the strange dark energy, or lack thereof, forming at his fingertip.

[AnimeKid]

Mortal World

Tamaki nods to Kenzan as he says in his refined tone of voice, "Hai Kenzan-san, thank you for the assistance. Those webs were starting to become a nuisance. I assume you have some sort of supernatural power given how your slicing these webs apart?" This is said as they re ascend the stairs to assist in the destruction of the malicious spirit they could sense.

[Orzel]

Soul Society: Combat Corps

The Artillery Squad leader, Hanare, slowly drags himself out into the open from under a tree. He looks dishevelled and untidy as if he had just woken up from a night's rest. His uniform hangs over to one side much like his hair.

Hanare strolls up to his vice captain and this person he never saw before. Not like he remembers most people. He only ever does what he has to.. "Kiba, who is this? Doesn't look like a fighter to me. I'm not training this one."

Hueco Mundo: Las Noches

Lyco struts across the halls and streets of Las Noches. Her smile is more of an uncaring frown. The bouncing of her zanpakuto against her sleek legs and the hard floor as it dragged along announces her presence well."This place is so boring. There is no one to fight. None to maim and watch scream in pain. How can you feel important doing nothing for so long?"

[Tebryn]

[Mortal World] Sawada- High School

Glancing about the hallway, Sawada went to work on the fire alarm as his arm opened up to display an array of devices and tools. Mortal world technology was rather simple compared to what he'd worked on in his days as the Head Researcher. A few turns of dials and a few added pieces and he had a small remote. With that finished he made his way back into class with a soft hum before taking his seat as if nothing was happening at all. However, he continued to monitor the Reiatsu in the area, on edge and ready to act should the situation require it.

[Terry576]

[Mortal World]

The song playing over his headphones halted and skipped, as a cool female voice washed over his ears instead.

"Hollow detected. The location is at The School rooftop."

A sigh dropped from his lips, and the cigarette fell to the ground. It had been nice while it lasted, he mused as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"Damn... that was a good one too."

Rain poured down on him as he stepped out from underneath the awning, his uniform slowly drenching itself under the weight of the water.

But that didn't really matter - he'd ruin it soon enough anyways.

Wings the color of blackened ash, made of demonic bones burst from his back, ripping through the shirt with ease as he stood there, hands still thrust into his pockets. He lifted his head, one red eye staring at a blank gray sky.

There are four hundred skyscrapers in the business district of Ikari, The City. And there is only one building that towers over all of them.

Sora cracked his neck, and took a step off the building, feeling the wind rush by him, water splashing onto his clothes, even as his blackened wings of ashen bone beat down, and he rose.

His destination was not far. It would barely take him a minute to reach The School - it was merely Further Up and Farther In. So he flew there, and said nothing as he stared downwards.

Teacher. Students. A relationship he didn't care to understand. He did not touch the ground, his wings lightly beating the air, their tips as sharp as razors as he glanced at the scene below him.

And then he moved.

Shiki Sora was not human, that much was obvious as the pointed tips of his wings stabbed towards the arachnid Hollow, before he dived, landing gently on the ground as he stepped back lightly.

His hands never removed themselves from his pockets.

[5a Violista]

Soul Society [Combat Corps, near Sparring Rings]

Suou takes in a deep breath before responding. Some people's voices are just irritating, she thinks to herself. At least it's just the vice-captain. Suou tries to imagine how it would be if she found the captain irritating. That would make her life very difficult. Not quite a nightmare, but almost. Nobody bothered to tell her that the vice-captain was the acting captain. And now there's someone else with an attitude grating on her nerves. She uses all her willpower to stop herself from glaring at Hanare.

She tells herself not to worry about it. Breathe out. Making enemies with high-ranking officers on the first day would make her life a whole lot more than difficult. It's just because you didn't sleep. After a good rest, you'll find everyone as pleasant as lilies.

"I suppose I was in Rukongai district number 11, around that time." Speaking of which, Suou notices that the bad shape of her clothing and feet probably doesn't help her credibility. Nicole vows to herself that the first thing she'll do after getting permission to leave is take a nice long bath and change her clothes.

Hueco Mundo [Streets of Las Noches]

"Yes, sir," murmurs the blue-eyed hollow, looking down at Azmus's feet. He really doesn't want to die. So he won't run. Simple enough!

However...

Down the line, one of the less loyal but stronger Arrancars decides to run for it, taking Azmus up on his challenge. He's down the row, thirty paces to the right. "Screw this. I fight for myself. I decide what I do." His long legs actually help him run more quickly, as he sprints away from the two Espadas. His speed is higher-than-average. Fast enough to outrun 83% of Hueco Mundo.


Valentina just watches, to see what Azmus'll do.

Mortal World - School [Physics Classroom]

Miya decides that now would be a good time to ask her fellow students a very important question, now that the Sensei is out of the classroom. A matter of life-or-death. Probably the most important thing that'll happen to her this whole day. Or to anybody, for that matter.

"So...did any of you watch yesterday's episode of UFC? The power went out at my house, and I didn't get to see who won. Was it Hiryu no Ken or was it Aloys Garros?" Surely someone in this classroom saw the end of the fight.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Seireitei] Combat Corps Training Grounds

Dosan, finally in focus, looks Nicole up and down.

You walked all the way here from there? No wonder you're such a mess.

He's... rather blunt.

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Azmus turns to watch the arrancar sprinting away, chuckling.

Fool. Not nearly fast enough.

In the blink of an eye, Azmus draws his zanpakuto from his coat and throws it at where the sprinting arrancar is going to be.

[Mortal World] The School; Top Floor

Higure thinks for a moment, then begins cutting a swath towards the creature, moving slowly, attempting to remove as much of the webbing as he can as he goes. He tenses himself, ready for whatever the creature does.

[Tebryn]

[Mortal World] Sawada- High School

More signatures. The situation above was starting to heat up. Direct observation would be needed. He would need to get some eyes in the sky. Pulling out a small tablet from his bags he quickly set to work contacting the Shrine Complex far below the City, several small camera drones ordered for a sweep of the area, all visuals sent directly to the Recon Division and to the S.S.I of course.

He'd have to wait for any tangible information for now however, it was best just to blend in and not draw to much suspecion. He glanced at the young lady who just spoke, doing his best to look interested though with his typical dour expression that was quite the feat. "What is UFC?"

[Orzel]

Seireitei: Combat Corps

Hanare put a hand on Dosan's shoulder for support. He didn't feel like carrying his own weight. "Give her a break, Dosan. Cleanliness is not an attribute most of the Squads share." Whether or not it was to cover for his and his Artillery squad's untidiness was unknown. It was probably true.

"Well, what do we do? Send her to the obstacle course or should be spar with one of us."

[KerfuffleMach2]

Mortal World - The School

Arianna nears The School, her wings keeping a steady speed as she approaches. When she is only a couple hundred feet away, she slows down enough so she can stand in the air and observe the building for a moment.

Then her Reiphone goes off.

With a sigh, she pulls it out and answers it.

Junrin...Yes, I'm at the location now...I don't see anything yet...I can only sense one at the moment...I'll send more info when I can.

She hangs up, puts the phone on silent mode, and puts it away. Can't have it going off when she's trying to sneak up on the Hollow.

It's at this moment that she sees another winged figure land in the roof. It doesn't appear to be a shinigami. And it definitely isn't the Hollow in question. For now, Arianna will stay where she is, watching the figure with the black wings. Could be an accomplice.

[Eiko]

[Hueco Mundo]

In the white city the hustle and bustle of hollows as they come and go is almost deceptively mundane. Arrancar walk the streets in groups, chatting and expressing themselves as friendships form. White robes and jackets billowing in the light breeze rolling in from the desert, shapes of bone and fragments of monstrous meins giving hint to what they used to be. They group together with those they knew before conversion when grouped for safety, and a few group together for newly explored social bonds.
In the training halls rivalries and hatreds are born beneath the humiliating defeats of their masters and fellow soldiers. Newly gained swords clash awkwardly and violently, some biting flesh others sparking from iron hard skin as their wielders get used to their new weapons. From stone seating watch figures beneath all encompassing white skulls, the elite of the city guard watching for new potential and for disobedience.
In the arena men and women howl with bestial joy as a pair of monstrous hollows rip and tear into each other for their amusement. An eight legged stooped form screams in agony as a brutish creature with a mighty human torso tapering into serpentine coils rips and wrenches one of the legs from its sockets. As black ichor sprays and stains the pristine white of the walls shouts and cheers threaten to drown out the sounds of pain.

---------------------------------------------------------------

We cut to a library, its immense shelves hardly filled; tome laden bookcases outnumbered three to one by bare wood. The arrancar walking its halls are as scant as its contents, few former hollows find themselves drawn to such academic work. Those who try are of course prized, it is said, by the King of hollows and the library is ever filling with new writings and pilfered goods from the mortal world. We follow one such figure; a mess of bright red hair streaks down and pools around a thin face accentuated by a pair or forward thrusting horns. Horns sleek shiny and a polished white to match his pristine uniform, he strides with confident steps through the shelves clearly with some purpose. Pausing only once to grab a small leather bound tome he makes his way to the centre of the library.

At its centre is a model some 15ft wide and impossibly intricate in detail, it is the white city of Las Noches perfectly recreated. Indeed it is more perfect than the reality, several elegant buildings evidenced are scaffolding dreams or empty space in the real city. This then is a design, a model of the King’s dream of the city yet to become. Surrounding the model are a series of perfectly spaced benches, their cold white stone topped with extravagant red velvet. The figure takes a seat and begins reading.

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society (Sparring Ring)

Probably a poor choice of wording on his part. Kiba didn't want to know exactly where the supposed new recruit was earlier so much as why she wasn't with the rest of the new recruits. Another shinigami would have clarified their question, but to Kiba, the answer really wasn't that important. All that mattered was that he had one more whelp to turn into a warrior. "You missed orientation. Now I have to take extra time to catch you up. Do NOT let it happen again." He tosses the paper to the wind. "Follow," he commands, motioning towards the sparring ring.

Before he forgets, however, he turns to address his two seated officers, not really caring how crass their comments are. "This won't take long. I need you two to go get Naijeru and whichever other seated officers are available. We need to figure some things out."

Mortal World (The School)

As Sora approaches the school, he finds the hollow isn't on the roof of the school. Understandable miscalculation given the presence of the reiatsu, it has to be on the top floor of the school.

The hollow turns to face Higure, as if to speak, but all that comes out is a shrill shriek. Standing about midway through the hallway, the hollow spews a large array of razor wire webs from its mouth, attempting to catch the charging Higure in its net.

"Supernatural power?" The concept might have been more unusual to Kenzan a month ago, but given recent events he decides that it wouldn't be too weird a thing to ask, but as far as he knows he doesn't have any such powers. "No. I must've missed that day in class." Without the webs blocking the stairwell, the ascent is quick and the two make it up to the top floor where Higure is battling the spider hollow.

(Physics Classroom)

The voice heard only in Sazaki Miko's head is curious. "What's a UFC?" Miko replies, unknowingly speaking out loud, albeit softly, "It's where a bunch of violent people beat each other up, for no other reason than other people like to watch."

[Terry576]

Mortal World - School

The wings retracted backwards, and Sora grunted as they worked their way inside of his skin. He looked down, a frown covering his face.

There was no Hollow there. Figment of his imagination, and it never existed.

It was one floor below. He'd imagined the abomination in his distaste for them - how ironic.

One of his hands flicked out of his pocket, and reached into a pocket of air, and grasped at something that didn't exist. It drew it out, slowly but surely, until a broadsword rested in his and, flickers of silver fire floating off of it as he walked slowly towards the entrance to the top floor.

[5a Violista]

[Seireitei] Combat Corps Training Grounds

Suou Nicole nods in response to the Vice Captain. She doesn't respond aloud, because she's mentally preparing herself for the battle. Just hold yourself together for a few more hours, Nicole.

So what if she's tired? This is her chance to prove herself. This is her chance to be worthy to fight hollows.

The girl lets the papers fly to the wind. Good riddance. They've served their purpose. She follows Kiba's motion to the sparring ring, zoning out her hunger, zoning out her exhaustion, zoning out her annoyance, zoning out everything. In this world, there's just Nicole, her family-crested katana, and her opponent, all dancing to the beat of her own heart. Everything riding on her thirst for revenge.

Suou holds out her sword, ready to fight.


[Las Noches] Streets

The sprinting Arrancar doesn't quite make it as far as he had planned. Underestimating others doesn't help anyone's cause.

The second Espada's sword severs the fleeing Arrancar in the back of the throat. "Y-you..." he starts to threaten, before falling forward speechless and quite dead. Looks like he wasn't as strong as he thought he was.

"Good aim," comments Valentina, nodding approvingly.

A pleasant side-effect has happened: All the scared Arrancares in the line shape up and seem more loyal. Loyal out of fear, but that's still loyalty. Now, they no longer doubt Azmus when he said that he didn't like deserters.
Even the wimpy blue-eyed one seems more loyal.


[Mortal World] School - Physics Classroom

"...noone?" She sighs and slumps in her chair, sitting forward.

Miya hears the soft sentence Sazaki. She assumes that it was in response to Sawada's question. But it was awfully soft, and it didn't put the UFC in good light.

Tsukamoto Miya turns her head towards Sawada, who's sitting right next to her, and adds more information in a praising way. "Ultimate Fighting Championship," she says in English, 'though with a poor accent. "It's only where all the best fighters of the world get together and see who's stronger." The tone of her voice makes it sound like it's the best sport of all times.

[Tebryn]

[Mortal World] Sawada

"I see. I am afraid it is not for me." Sawada shrugs though offers a fairly friendly smile. "I do not even own a TV. There would be no way for me to see it." A shinigami presence had appeared, it was time to intercept. "If you will excuse me? I must...run to the rest room. If the teacher returns will you convey this to him?" He stands with a bow, making his way out of the classroom. He moves quickly outside the school before shunpoing off, re-appearing next to Arianna. "You're the one the Recon Division sent?" he asks, looking over the female Shinigami. "I'm from the S.S.I. There seems to be a Hollow Presence at a high concentration of mortal children. The situation is delicate. There are already mortals addressing the situaition however. How would you like to proceed."

[CMOTDibbler]

[Seireitei] Combat Corps Training Grounds

Yes, Sir.

Dosan says with a salute, then turns to Hanare.

Any idea where that giant has gotten off to?

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Azmus walks away from the line of arrancar, towards Valentina.

Thanks. It's my specialty.

Azmus says, smiling, as he holds out his hand. After a second, the dagger appears, and he replaces it inside his coat.

[Mortal World] The School; Top Floor

Higure's eyes widen as the creature spews webbing at him.

Oh my.

In one movement Higure skids to a halt and lays down on his back, letting the webbing pass over him, the bottom portion brushing the tip of his nose as it passes.

[Orzel]

Seireitei: Combat Corps

Hanare didn't salute. He instead carved a stick figure in the dirt with Kissaki's stealth. "Yes, Sir."

The scribbling continued for a while. It quickly formed shapes of a half dozen archers. "Can't we get someone else to find him? I can send Whip, Boomerang, or Pistol Kid, while we drink."

[Frozen_Feet]

Somewhere in Hueco Mundo

No longer addressing his masses, Victor Vicente no longer sees the need for speeches, especially with the apparent language barrier. Instead he stops a few yards from his target as Mikael stands up. In one hand is Victor Vicente's melee weapon of choice, a blood-encrusted machete. His other hand pointed toward Mikael and prepared to fire another Cero, the strange dark energy, or lack thereof, forming at his fingertip.

Once more, the howling sound assaults Mikael's senses. Now, he can see the source - a black dot of... nothing, floating before the man's finger. He has no idea what it is, or how the man in white is causing its existence, but it feels like violence done to the very fabric of the world. Wrenching his eyes away from the abominable sphere, Mikael glances into the cold eyes of the man, then at his knife, then at the sphere again.

Apparently, this devil wants to fight. Myriad questions are floating in Mikael's brain, but even if could recall the words, he doubts talking would achieve anything at this point. Mikael takes a slow step back, assuming a guard position. It would be a lie to say he is wholly unafraid of the knife, but the knife is something he knows and understands. He must've trained defense against knives for eight or nine years already, after all.

The sphere is something he doesn't understand. He doesn't know what it is or what it will do. His instincts are screaming for him to get far away from it as fast as possible, but he isn't sure if he can! The dreadful realization is slowly sinking in, making his legs and arms feel like lead. For year's now, Mikael had wondered if there were more people like him. Apparently, there is. And he wants to kill him.

[KerfuffleMach2]

When Sawada arrived, Arianna was still watching the figure on the roof, her curiosity growing. Without taking her golden eyes off of him, she answers the SSI member.

Vice-Captain Arianna Junrin. I was checking on a local team when I felt it.
I would move on to observe, get a better idea of what kind of Hollow we're facing here. Obviously, step in to protect the kids. Finally she turns her head to face him. You agree?

[AnimeKid]

Soul Society (Sparring Ring)

Probably a poor choice of wording on his part. Kiba didn't want to know exactly where the supposed new recruit was earlier so much as why she wasn't with the rest of the new recruits. Another shinigami would have clarified their question, but to Kiba, the answer really wasn't that important. All that mattered was that he had one more whelp to turn into a warrior. "You missed orientation. Now I have to take extra time to catch you up. Do NOT let it happen again." He tosses the paper to the wind. "Follow," he commands, motioning towards the sparring ring.

Before he forgets, however, he turns to address his two seated officers, not really caring how crass their comments are. "This won't take long. I need you two to go get Naijeru and whichever other seated officers are available. We need to figure some things out."

Mortal World (The School)

As Sora approaches the school, he finds the hollow isn't on the roof of the school. Understandable miscalculation given the presence of the reiatsu, it has to be on the top floor of the school.

The hollow turns to face Higure, as if to speak, but all that comes out is a shrill shriek. Standing about midway through the hallway, the hollow spews a large array of razor wire webs from its mouth, attempting to catch the charging Higure in its net.

"Supernatural power?" The concept might have been more unusual to Kenzan a month ago, but given recent events he decides that it wouldn't be too weird a thing to ask, but as far as he knows he doesn't have any such powers. "No. I must've missed that day in class." Without the webs blocking the stairwell, the ascent is quick and the two make it up to the top floor where <b class='translationId'>Higure</b> is battling the spider hollow.

(Physics Classroom)

The voice heard only in Sazaki Miko's head is curious. "What's a UFC?" Miko replies, unknowingly speaking out loud, albeit softly, "It's where a bunch of violent people beat each other up, for no other reason than other people like to watch."

Tamaki wastes no time. He tightens his scarf and with a brilliant flash of light his body is covered in polygons. When they disappear Tamaki's form has shifted...into that of the Red Joker (Picture on character profile). "Sensei, duck!" Tamaki then proceeded to summon the Plasma Vulcans. The double gattling guns shift from the inside of his armor and cover his hands. The then proceeds to fire spiritually powered plasma-like rounds from the Vulcans at the hollow.

[Tebryn]

When Sawada arrived, Arianna was still watching the figure on the roof, her curiosity growing. Without taking her golden eyes off of him, she answers the SSI member.

Vice-Captain Arianna Junrin. I was checking on a local team when I felt it.
I would move on to observe, get a better idea of what kind of Hollow we're facing here. Obviously, step in to protect the kids. Finally she turns her head to face him. You agree?

"No. I do not." Sawada replies flately. "We make certain the non-combatants are safe. We shall observe the combatants. If they fail I will move in to finish the fight. I am not worried about the odds. We must study these mortals, such talents are rare yes? If we were to disrupt the experiment. These mortals may be useful for the coming war." He fixed the Vice Captain with his stoic gaze. "We shall need all the help we can get. If they die, they will be taken to Soul Society and with their spiritual powers in life there is a high chance they will have spiritual power beyond the norm. Which means they will be Shinigami. Either way, we lose nothing. If they survive, they will be stronger for it and perhaps we can convince them to aid us...after further investigation."

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World; (The School)

Tamaki's spray of bullets pierces through the webbing, and pierce the hollow's flesh as the creature screeches in pain. The force of the projectiles might have been lessened by the spray of web, but the spider hollow still must throw up two of its bladed limbs as a shield to try and deflect the bullets. The remainder of the web that wasn't pierced by guns is headed straight for Tamaki.

If Kenzan was a logical person, he probably would've stayed out of the crossfire. Two others were already fighting this... thing. But something in his gut telled him to charge in, and there was rarely a moment when he wouldn't listen to that instinct. Ducking forward below the stream of bullets,, Kenzan charged into the classroom. Despite the fact he was almost crawling, he still moved fast, letting the webbing impact him and shred apart at his touch, even as he passed Higure. Still wasn't sure why that worked. He couldn't shield Tamaki from the entirety of the web, but he could make it a little easier to dodge, hopefully.

As he neared the creature, it raised a third limb and slammed it down right on Kenzan's back before he can react. By all means, that giant blade should have chopped him in half right there. Instead, it doesn't even scratch his clothing, sparking like metal on metal. The force of the blow presses him against the floor until it knocks Kenzan through, throwing him down to the next level.

And this is the scene that awaits Sora as he descends into the school, along with traces of the strange webbing along the stairwell.

Somewhere in Hueco Mundo

<"Rejoice, for in death you shall achieve your true potential."> Victor Vicente fires off the Cero. The black sphere erupting into a blast of dark energy or lack thereof, seeming to consume and annhilate all it touched. And this time Mikael was in its blast radius.

Victor Vicente half-expects his prey to somehow run or dodge, but would not be surprised if his Cero hits and finishes the deed.

Soul Society; (Sparring Rings)

Kiba leads Nicole to one of the sparring rings and cracks his knuckles. Nicole would probably question why he didn't bring out his Zanpakuto, and if she did she would probably notice that the sword has no hilt and is stuck in its sheathe. "Rules are simple. Use whatever you've got, but above all, follow your instincts." Kiba cracks his knuckles and waits, letting Nicole arm and ready herself, possibly getting the first attack, before he officially gets serious.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Somewhere in Hueco Mundo]

The dark veil engulfs Mikael and his surroundings, the explosion kicking up a great cloud of dust. Once it abates, where the mortal once stood is a large crater. There's no trace of him... not untill something impacting a nearby dune creates a second, smaller dust cloud.

Grains of sand raining on him, Mikael crawls into a sitting position, grimacing. The remnants of his jacket slide down his back - the front of his clothing has been completely torn apart. Skin all over his torso is bright red, and his hands tremble as he lifts them before his face. To say he's in pain would be a... gross understatement, and not wholly accurate. Being struck by the blast had pushed him beyond pain, to a state he remembers being only once before, in the fateful car crash that made him aware of his unusual predicatement.

A human being should've been knocked unconscious by pain, but it seems Mikael has no such luxury. Carefully, he squeezes his fingers into fists and opens them again to check they are working right. Then he leans forward, crouching on all fours. Despite the piercing agony, he seems to retain control over his body. Or does he? It could be it's just moving on its own, with his conscious mind attaching intent and purpose to it as mere afterthought.

But what should he do now? He'd survived, but he's certain now he can't escape. His head sways from side to side as his unfocused eyes wander in attempt to find the man in white. A cold shiver goes up and down his spine. What else is that devilish figure capable of? Just like once before, Mikael's view of the world has been placed on an anvil and shattered to pieces. All bets are off as to what will come next. But he figures it's useless to think about it - because he only has one real option.

To fight.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Mortal World

Arianna met Sawada's gaze with her own. She saw the logic of his plan. But she didn't agree with it. She didn't agree with using the mortal kids like this. As test subjects. She saw that part of her role as a Shinigami was to keep as many mortal people from dying as she could.

However, she recognized the man before her. She knew who he was and what he could do. And she knew that going against him on something like this would probably be a bad choice.

After a moment, she gives him a short nod. Fine. Let's see if we can flank it from either side. Without waiting for a response, Arianna opens her wings and glides down to the roof.

[Dorizzit]

[Mortal World] School - Physics Classroom

"...noone?" She sighs and slumps in her chair, sitting forward.

Miya hears the soft sentence Sazaki. She assumes that it was in response to Sawada's question. But it was awfully soft, and it didn't put the UFC in good light.

Tsukamoto Miya turns her head towards Sawada, who's sitting right next to her, and adds more information in a praising way. "Ultimate Fighting Championship," she says in English, 'though with a poor accent. "It's only where all the best fighters of the world get together and see who's stronger." The tone of her voice makes it sound like it's the best sport of all times.

Mortal World
Physics Classroom

Upon Higure's exit of the room, Naito had taken out a small book from his bag and begun reading. At the conclusion of Miya and Sawada's conversation, he slides a bookmark back in between the pages and drops the book back into his backpack. He looks over at Miya.

"I did actually see the match last night. Hiryu managed to win, but it was a really close match. It could have gone either way."

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society] Sparring Rings

Even Suou's breathing follows her heartbeat - eight beats to a breath. This is how she was trained; a calm, clear mind can react more quickly than a hot one.

Her uncle, her aunt, and her poor, dear, dead father - they all taught her the same: technique over raw power, timing over speed, strike quickly then watch how they react. Her style is slightly different than most Shinigami, but it's effective nonetheless. Obviously she's not the best fighter, but she does have some training under her belt.

Since Kiba kindly gives her the first attack, she takes it. She nods to show that she understood what he said.

The girl quickly closes the distance, finishing with a lunge at Kiba's left side of the waist. Before she finishes the strike, a flick of the wrist feints the blade so it'll come in at a different angle.

Obviously, immediately after the lunge (regardless of successfully striking or not), Nicole's back half of her body pulls her back out of counterattack range. It also does this so she can more effectively watch his reaction, looking for any unguarded points.


[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Valentina smiles.

She's so glad that she doesn't have to fight the other Espadas. If she had do, she could probably overcome some of them. However, an ally's worth so much more than someone you can only halfway trust. That's why she loves the Hollow King's regime, and why she pledge undying loyalty to him. Without question, without hesitation. Now, if only these new recruits would do the same, and she'd be ecstatic.

"How was your week?" she asks, changing the subject slightly. "Or, better, how are your preparations for the strike against that Soul Society?"


[Mortal World] Physics Classroom

"Alright, bye," she says to Sawada before he leaves.

Oh, great. Now what can she do? It's so... "You did?" Tsukamoto Miya perks up, and turns around to look at Naito. This is the highlight of her day!

...I know, the day's just starting, but this is definitely the most important thing that's going to happen at this school today. "He won? I knew he would! He's the best," she praises.

"I love the way that Hiryu fights," she converses. "How he lets himself get hit, so his crouching roundhouse kick comes at an unprepared opponent. It's so great!" Miya smiles. Now, this definitely has to be the coolest guy in class.

"My name's Miya. What's yours?" she asks him.

[Dorizzit]

[Mortal World]
Physics Classroom

Naito's face shifts into a small smile at Miya's enthusiastic reaction to his description of the event. It looks like he is also happy to have someone to talk to about it.

"It's impressive, but risky. I think he mostly uses that technique to make his fans happy. Its been his signature since the match with Vladimir Aleksandrov last year. The problem with Hiryu is that he essentially has a perfectly trained body; since he's both stronger and faster than most of his opponents, he can get away with more than he should be able to. If he ran up against someone who could match him and stayed a bit more focused, I don't think he could win."

"I'm Naito. A pleasure to meet you."

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society (Sparring Rings)

Kiba didn't go one-on-one with new recruits often. He'd fight them in large numbers, but only to slightly even the odds. He could tell which ones were fresh out of the academy by how they all moved the exact same way in perfect unison and formation, like a marching band. Then when Kiba would scatter their formation in one attack, they would panic and act as if they'd never been in a real fight before, which they probably hadn't.

Then there were the hotheaded types. The one who'd been in far too many fights with too little discipline. They'd run in charging and yelling with at least a dozen unguarded points that Kiba could notice without even trying. The more obstinate would keep trying to fight despite their lack of any chance of winning. It usually took at least a week in the med ward for them to heal.

Finally, there were the ones with obviously formal training. They had a competent teacher, and maybe actually experienced live combat before. The feint was a dead giveaway that Nicole was this last one. It meant that in a one-on-one with the other recruits she'd most likely fare better than the rest, but it also meant there could be a lot of misconceptions that would have to be drilled out of her in the future.

One of the first things Kiba learned when he first joined the division was the Blade-Catch, an absolute necessity for a hand-to-hand fighter when dealing with armed opponents. He had perfected it to the point where using one hand was viable to block a sword even against his seated officers.

Even with the feint, Kiba's hand closes around the blade in such a way that the edge would never make contact with his skin. The difference in power between a vice-captain and a new recruit was such that even a direct hit with the katana probably wouldn't have even pierced his flesh, but Kiba this wasn't about letting the opponent get free hits.

This was teaching a lesson, the most important lesson to be learned in the Combat Corps.

In the blink of an eye, Kiba's demeanor went from gruff and stoic to a feral bloodlust, his features contorted in a combat rage and his eyes glaring directly at Nicole with a fierce killing intent. Kiba whips his leg around instantly above Nicole and swings his heel down directly where her head is.

Kiba had several followthrough attacks in mind, which one depended on Nicole's action.

Somewhere in Hueco Mundo

Victor Vicente laughs triumphantly and applauds Mikael's endurance. There wasn't one hollow in his army who could survive one of his Cero blasts, and now he found a MORTAL of all things who could walk away from, albeit apparently very badly burned. He would make a wonderful hollow. Perhaps he could even become an arrancar as fast as Victor Vicente did. He would make a fine general.

But the execution was already overdue. The time for admiring Victor Vicente points his hand fires off another blast, but this one is smaller than the previous, and with far less buildup. Firing off several Bala Disparos in quick succession, he means to finish the job as each blast fires one after another, trying to keep his aim trained on Mikael should he survive another blast.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Seireitei] Combat Corps

Dosan rolls his eyes.

Hanare, you've known me long enough to know that I don't shirk my duties. Although, the first place I was going to look was going to be the bars...

[Mortal World] The School; Top Floor

Higure, thinking he sees an opening, gets up the a crouch, the moves as fast as he can, hoping to slide under the creature and stab up into it's underbelly.

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Azmus shrugs.

It's been boring, as usual. Toying with the recruits here has been the highlight of it. I have little to prepare, as I am without Fraccion.

[Orzel]

Combat Corps

Hanare grumbles. He hates his first name and hearing it.. It sounded girly. Mostly because people used to call him "Hana" when he was younger. But to not start trouble, he allows seated to call him by name. "Fine. Let's go to the rowdiest one."

And Hanare headed off with Dosan to find the missing bash brother.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Somewhere in Hueco Mundo]

Bullets. The man in white is shooting bullets. How he's doing it without a gun...? Nevermind. Mikael dives forward, trying to shield himself in a small depression in the sand. First five miss him by mere inches, punching holes through the dune behind him. But apparently, a thin barrier of sand is not enough to deflect these missiles. Even as he cowers in the tiny pit, few bullets punch through the ground and hit him in the shoulder, causing him to flinch. There's a sound like a bullet ricocheting off of metal, and the missiles veneer wildly off course, some exploding in the air above Mikael, some burrowing deep into the ground.

But hey, bullets are something he can understand. They're something he's trained against too. Trying to recall how charge tactics were taught in FDF, Mikael rolls to the side in his cover - then sprints madly ahead for three steps before diving into another depression and rolling to the side again, this time to the other direction and for slightly longer so that his diabolic man would lose his aim. Mikael can't move faster than bullets, but he should be able to move faster than the hands directing them! The ground next to him is torn asunder just as he springs into motion again, bright sparks striking from his heels.

The distance between him and his adversary is only a hundred meters or so. He should be able to close it in few seconds - if his opponent won't retreat, that is...

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society] Sparring Rings

Oh, no! Nicole's sword has been grabbed. Either she lets go of her sword, or she stays within attacking range without use of her weapon. What would her brother say?
Oniisan - Don't drop your sword, stupid! We're supposed to practice!
Nicole - But, Oniisan, I want to go play 'House.' You can be the soldier going off to war, and I'll be the young bride-to-be.
Even as Kiba counterattacks, an audible "Ha!" (laughing sound) escapes Nicole's mouth. What a cruel ironic twist - the favored pupil, her oniisan, is the first to be massacred, while the Daughter of Low Expectations becomes a Shinigami.

Luckily, her flashback memory tells her what to do - not to let go of her sword hilt. Since getting heel-stomped is slightly painful, Suou ducks down instinctively. Of course, just ducking would cause her to be hit, so she twists herself underneath her own sword, contorting her wrist as she goes so that she maintains a hold on her blade.

This way, if Kiba is too lazy to use any of the many follow-up moves that he has, he'll just end up bringing his own leg down on Suou's blade, and not on her head.

Now, if she could just free her katana and move back, she could use her Shikai. Against a hand-to-hand fighter, it should be slightly effective than it usually is.

Following up her dodge, she moves her right hand (the one that doesn't have the sword) in a near-spiral pattern, before moving her wrist up to her sword blade and saying, "Kurai Honoo" - to show that she's using fire-type Elemental Magic to heat up her sword. (It'll take a few seconds to heat up hot enough, though.)

This is also a risky move. On the one hand, the blade will heat up faster, possibly making Kiba lose the desire to continue holding on. On the other hand, Nicole just might end up with a 2nd degree burn on her own sword hand.


[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

The recruits still stand at attention.


"Me, too. I mean, I have some; it's just that I haven't seen them in ages." Valentina looks around as if they'd just appear out of nowhere at any time. They are so going to be punished when they appear.

What to do, oh, what to do? Valentina purses her lips as she looks around, wondering what to do.


[Mortal World] Physics Classroom

"Naito's a very manly name," she compliments.

Then:
Miya objects, your honor. "I actually don't see how being the strongest and fastest is a much of a problem. There might be one or two almost as strong or quick, but Hiryu is definitely the best fighter all-around," she says with her completely biased opinion. "I think he does these risky moves just to surprise his opponents, though. Because it's unexpected, that basically guarantees that it'll hit."

Then, Miya reveals a secret desire that she hasn't ever revealed to anyone else. (Mostly, because she never had the opportunity to tell anyone.) "I would do anything to meet Hiryu no Ken. Jianjun, too." Jianjun is, of course, a Chinese man who does televised Kung Fu, and who has recently moved to Tokyo.

[Dorizzit]

[Mortal World] Physics Classroom

"Naito's a very manly name," she compliments.

Then:
Miya objects, your honor. "I actually don't see how being the strongest and fastest is a much of a problem. There might be one or two almost as strong or quick, but Hiryu is definitely the best fighter all-around," she says with her completely biased opinion. "I think he does these risky moves just to surprise his opponents, though. Because it's unexpected, that basically guarantees that it'll hit."

Then, Miya reveals a secret desire that she hasn't ever revealed to anyone else. (Mostly, because she never had the opportunity to tell anyone.) "I would do anything to meet Hiryu no Ken. Jianjun, too." Jianjun is, of course, a Chinese man who does televised Kung Fu, and who has recently moved to Tokyo.

[Mortal World]

Naito simply blinks at the compliment to his name, not quite sure what to make of it.

"...Thanks."

On to the more important things!

"It's not a disadvantage, that's my entire point. Ken has the greatest strength to speed ratio in his class. That makes him cocky and he takes stupid risks. Taking hits to score hits is viable as a surprise tactic, but he uses it almost every match. He's probably the best showman in the UFC, but his technical skill is average by their standards." He folds his arms as he concludes his argument. "If he ran up against someone who knew to look out for his tricks and could match him physically, he would get flattened. There is a difference between being an effective fighter and being a skilled fighter."

He smiles.

"That said, I wouldn't mind meeting him either. And Jianjun...now that is a skilled martial artist. I'd really like to meet him at some point."

Considering for a moment, Naito changes the subject.

"Do you practice any martial arts yourself?"

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society (Sparring Rings)

Kiba's downward heel drop continues, only a micro-adjustment needed mid-attack. With Nicole's guard position, she could avoid a direct hit, but Kiba was likely to tag and possibly critically injure a shoulder or arm, which could also potentially cut off her Kido before it can reach fruition.

One leg standing, one leg swinging down, one arm grabbing the sword. That left one arm free to swing below Nicole's guard, a devious left hook. As his arm moves to strike, his grip on Nicole blade loosens just enough that either strike should have significant knockback.

Hueco Mundo

Each "bullet" explodes in a storm of darkness on contact, much like the Cero but on a smaller scale. Victor Vicente keeps his sights trained on his target, attempting to adjust his shots to compensate for his target's movements. His amusement at Mikael's endurance is beginning to fade.

But the fox is cornered, and now the prey makes a desperate attempt at the predator. Victor Vicente stands his ground, confident that he is far superior and that a mere mortal, no matter how special, would be able to actually hurt him. That being said, even as one arm fires Balas Cero Disparo, one after the other in quick succession, he raises his machete Zanpakuto to prepare for melee combat, perhaps completing the execution with one strike as Mikael approaches.

[AnimeKid]

(Sorry for taking so long guys. Was doing stuff for classes.)

Mortal World

Kenzan had indeed made things easier for Tamaki as he jumps to the side to escape the webbing. He notes Higure headed to try and stab the beasts belly. Not wanting a repeat performance of what happened to Kenzan Tamaki fires his plasma-like projectiles as the beast once more to draw it's attention from his teacher.

Soul Society

Hanare and Dosan find Naijeru and his men without much trouble. They are extremely loud and having the time of their lives. Thier actually singing together. Very badly and off key, but they are doing it together. Except for Naijeru who seems to be trying to hit on the bar lady once more. She humored the 'ladies man' most of the time unless he tried to get too grabby, which rarely happend.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Somewhere in Hueco Mundo]

One of the blullets impacts Mikael's chest and knocks him down, but he manages to roll asides before the next two or three hit him. One more leap. Just one more, and he has him! That's Mikael's only thought as the man in white stays put, instead of falling back. His attention fixed on the devil's "shooting hand", Mikael darts up, tumbles under his aim, and the pounces up, his right hand aiming to grab the man-in-white's wrist, while his left shoots an uppercut towards his jaw. "Muere, hijo de puta!"

[Orzel]

Soul Society

The noise of the bar hurts Hanare's ears. It ring horribly. A sour grimace creeps up his face as the seated officer waves for a drink of his own. The other hand presses on Naijeru's shoulder once he and Dosing get close. "Naijeru. Come on. Kiba wants us."

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society] Sparring Rings

Fortunately for Suou, her reflexes are good enough that Kiba's heel only slightly grazes her shoulder. Unfortunately, they aren't good enough to dodge the fist.

Kiba's fist pounds against her ribs. It sounds painful, but Nicole won't worry about any injury until after the battle. After all, that's how she got all the way here, in the first place.

First of all, the punch makes Nicole's right hand recoil, stopping the heating process at a mere "warmed." Second, because she's pretty light and skinny, she gets knocked back further than most people would. She has also fallen to the ground, on her backside. Her deathgrip on her sword allowed her to keep her sword with her.

Suou figures that she's far enough away to use her Shikai. Still in a sitting position, she runs her blade across her right hand, as she says, "Kyuuketuki, Thirst in the Dark Heavens!"
Her blade turns a dark red, with the appearance to be constantly dripping blood. The fresh cut on her right hand has blood on it, but less so.

That definitely gives Kiba time to do a follow-up attack.
Just so you know: Every time Suou's sword touches Kiba, Suou's Spiritual Pressure will slightly go up (draining it from Kiba at the same rate - a very small rate, however). (Relevant limitation: If he holds it in a hand, it still only counts as one touch.) If her hand touches him, she temporarily gains some of his 'powers' - her skills will start to match his and, if he's good at Kido or is currently using a Shikai, she'll be able to use a lesser version of that. (Relevant limitation: This is dependent on time touched, not number of times)


[Mortal World] Physics Classroom

Miya nods in reply. Her black ponytail bobs as she nods. She does, in fact, do martial arts! Her mother started to teach her them 'to protect herself', and, since then, she has been training and learning all that she can to get better. Her dream is to become a famous martial artist, like Jianjun. It would be cool to be in movies, too.

"I've trained in Aikido, Jiu-Jitsu, and Kendo," she says, counting them off on her fingers. "I prefer Jiu-Jitsu, though. It's much funner."

Then, Miya returns the question. "Which martial arts do you practice?" Notice that she doesn't ask if, but which. She assumes that nearly everyone does it.

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society (Sparring Ring)

Kiba's punch is a lot more powerful than one would expect. A direct hit to Nicole's ribs would result in some sickening cracks. Even some of the larger, more durable recruits would be thrown into the nearby walls out of the ring, with enough force to leave a crater. With Nicole's light frame, she would likely fly even farther. The graze from the heel drop would probably do significant damage even on a graze, as his heel smashed into the ground, shattering it into large, jagged stone pieces, yet another testament to Kiba's raw power.

But Kiba wasn't the type to let his opponent recover even after knocking them away. If he was fighting a group like this morning, some of his targets might have gotten the chance to use a Kido or Shikai. After his heel plants itself in the ground, the attached leg springs itself as he instantly launches himself in Nicole's direction. He could have very well sprinted past her before she hit the ground/wall. Instead he thrusts his shoulder towards Nicole's gut in midair, throwing his weight behind the attack, but simultaneously leaving his limbs free to attack. "Kyuu-" Nicole starts before Kiba's shadow already envelops her as the vice-captain continues his attack.

If Nicole manages to glance at Kiba's face, she won't see the face of an instructor or an official, but the enraged, feral features of a beast. To her, it would likely seem that this wasn't just a training session. The leader of the Pack could very well kill her now if she wasn't careful.

Mortal World

The spider-hollow howls in pain as the blade rips into its underbelly and spiritual bullets riddle its hide. It raises one of its bladed limbs to strike at the interloper beneath it, but Kenzan scrambles back up and grabs it with his bare hand. By all logic he should no longer have a hand, but instead sparks fly from the friction. The spidern hollow is bewildered by the reaction, and Kenzan would probably be equally confused if he wasn't temporarily distracted by not dying.

The confusion creates an opening. The wounded hollow is distracted, its bleach-white arachnid mask exposed.

Hueco Mundo

Victor Vicente makes no move to dodge, only to finish off his prey at point-blank range, either with a Cero or his Zanpakuto. After all, surely this lowly mortal, as superior as it was to other specimens, would not be able to hurt the great and mighty arrancar, Victor Vicente...

((Direct Hit, but I didn't want to make any assumptions about Mikael's strength levels at this point, so go for it.))

[CMOTDibbler]

[Soul Society] Rowdy Bar
Dosan stands next to Hanare, arms crossed.

I thought we'd find you here.

[Mortal World] The School; Top Floor

Seeing an opening, Higure leaps up and attempts to stab the hollow directly in one of the eye holes of it's mask.

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Azmus looks up and down the street, and begins pacing.

I have yet to find anyone worthy enough to be fraccion to me. No one here seems to share my... virtues.

[Dorizzit]

[Mortal World] Physics Classroom

Miya nods in reply. Her black ponytail bobs as she nods. She does, in fact, do martial arts! Her mother started to teach her them 'to protect herself', and, since then, she has been training and learning all that she can to get better. Her dream is to become a famous martial artist, like Jianjun. It would be cool to be in movies, too.

"I've trained in Aikido, Jiu-Jitsu, and Kendo," she says, counting them off on her fingers. "I prefer Jiu-Jitsu, though. It's much funner."

Then, Miya returns the question. "Which martial arts do you practice?" Notice that she doesn't ask if, but which. She assumes that nearly everyone does it.

[Mortal World]
Physics Classroom

Naito nods as Miya lists off the martial arts she practices. He isn't particularly fazed that she assumed he practices martial arts, as they have always been a strong interest for him. He pushes his sunglasses up a bit on his nose before answering.

"Well, I've trained in Taekwondo and Sambo, but the one I'm most familiar with is Muay Thai."

He pauses for a moment, as if considering his next move.

"You're a pretty new student, right? Have you considered joining the school's martial arts groups?"

[Frozen_Feet]

[Somewhere in Hueco Mundo]

The man's last barrage of energy attacks is send flying into the sky as Mikael grabs his hand and wrenches it aside. Mikael expected the man to at least block, or step aside, but he just stands there, letting his punch connect. The punch would easily be strong enough to shatter teeth and jawbone of any ordinary man and send them reeling backward, but apparently punching the white-clad devil is more like hitting a steel trash compactor than a living being. Of course. It figures that if he really is like Mikael, a simple punch won't cut it, right?

In panic, Mikael knees the man in the groin to save his failed offense, seeing his defense is wide open. Maybe Mikael can't harm his body, but he should be able to harm his pride. Afterall, if he is like him, then the kick should hurt him.

It should hurt quite a lot, actually.

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society] Sparring Ring

If Kiba was using his sword, Nicole would already have ten liters of blood spurting from her. (Because that's how it happens in the animé.)

Because of Kiba interrupting her, the only thing she succeeded in doing was putting a fresh cut on her hand. No cool sword abilities for her, unfortunately. At least now she has some fresh blood on her.

[Math calculations: (Nicole's weight)*(Nicole's speed) + (Force behind Kiba) = Definitely enough to break clean through the first wall.]

Suou's mind flies even faster than she does, as she tries to figure out what to do against this Vice Captain. Speaking of Vice-Captains, they're an awful lot stronger than her uncle said they were. If she wasn't already so exhausted, she could use Shunpo. If she had just thought of using Shikai before attacking, maybe things might be a little different. If only...

<Unless Kiba decides to change the direction of the momentum,>
*CRASH* *crash* - They leave a hole in the first wall, and a small crater in the next.

Suou Nicole has skipped her turn, trying to figure out what to do.


[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Valentina slightly follows Azmus's pacing, though not too much to invade on his personal pacing space. "What kind of virtues are you talking about?" There's so many different kinds.


[Mortal World] School - Physics Classroom

Miya nods; she respects those styles. They're pretty fun to watch. She hasn't tried them out yet.

"Yes, I am," she confirms. She's pretty new.

Upon being (basically) invited to joining the martial arts groups, her smile goes even wider. "I would love to participate! I've been thinking about that since I moved here. I just don't know what to do to sign up."

[Dorizzit]

[Mortal World]
Physics Classroom

Naito smiles, with more than a little bit of smugness.

"Well, then. I think I might be able to help with that. I am, after all, the Martial Arts Club president. Most of the time we splinter up depending on what martial arts we know, but we're having our monthly full attendance meeting today. If you stop by room 108 after school, we can get you registered for membership and I can introduce you to the heads of the Aikido and Jiu-Jitsu groups. The Kendo Club, I'm afraid, is independent, but I know the club head, so I can introduce you to her at some point, if you'd like me to."

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society

Smashing through the first wall and cratering through the next, Kiba follows through. With just as much ferocity as if he were fighting a hollow, he thrusts his knee into Nicole's gut, preparing both free hands to either parry a blow or deliver a barrage of punches, all the while still in midair from the momentum.

But as he continues his assault, he does actually speak, though in a snarling growl. "Follow your instincts if you don't want to die here! Not your training! Not your pride! Just your instincts!"

Hueco Mundo

Victor Vicente laughs as the punch clangs off of his chin like armor. Truly he was the greatest, the most powerful...

*CRUNCH*

Pain.

Actual pain.

Although hitting down there was just as durable as the rest of him, perhaps moreso, even a thick layer of armor couldn't completely shield him from that kind of blow.

Victor Vicente doesn't move or double-over, but his face slowly contorts from his triumphant smile to wrinkled rage, his visible skin turning beet red in contrast with his uniform as an enrgage grimace covers his face.

"PENDEJO!"

He swipes at Mikael with his sword arm as his other hand twists around to point at Mikael and charges up another Cero to fire at point-blank range should Mikael remain in melee and not find a way to stop Victor Vicente.

[Frozen_Feet]

Mikael catches the man's knife hand by the wrist, while his other shoots to grab him by the shoulder, in a plan to throw the man in white to the ground. But then he hears the sound again, and stumbles. Is the man really planning to fire that thing off at melee range?

Panicking, Mikael's hand leaves the man's shoulder, and instead shoots to grab the black sphere that's getting dangerously close to his side. Without much thinking, he encloses the orb within the palm of his hand and shouts the first thing that comes to his mind.

REDUCE.

Next second, a terrible explosion blooms between the fighting pair, threatening to throw them away from each other, but Mikael's grip of the man's wrist stays firm, and he remains at melee range. Dazed, he reaches back towards the man with his free hand, aiming to grab him bu the throat.

What just happened?

[5a Violista]

[Mortal World] School - Physics Classroom

Miya makes a surprised sound. That's so awesome! This is great luck. Now, she's glad that she came to school only a few minutes late.

Before speaking, she's at a loss of words. Her open mouth evidences this. "Tha-that'd be great," Miya finally says. "I'll love that. I'll be there."


[Soul Society] Training Grounds

That's a great idea, Nicole! You should listen to your Vice-Captain. Don't think about what your brother would do, 'cause he's dead. He won't do anything now.

It takes the knee to the gut and a few more punches and bruises before this registers in her mind. (Took her long enough.) She just needs to stop thinking about what she's going to do before doing it.

First thing's first - she needs to stop getting punched. Still cratered in the wall, she brings her right hand forward in order to deflect one punch enough that it'll barely miss her.
With her other hand, still grasping on the sword, she swings her katana at the Kiba-in-close-range's shoulder.

[Dorizzit]

[Mortal World]
Physics Classroom

Naito smiles, seeming rather pleased.

"Excellent. I'll be looking forward to it."

There is brief pause in the conversation before Naito speaks again.

"So where did you live before coming here? If you don't mind me asking."

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society

The training session had been taken well outside the sparring ring at this point, several walls had been damaged. Then again, the walls of the Combat Corps saw a lot of abuse on a regular basis so this was nothing new.

The problem with the new recruits that had any sort of familiar training was that the first lesson was often the most difficult to learn, as it most likely contradicted their entire life's training from whomever their sensei happened to be.

One of Kiba's arms quickly deflects Nicole's latest attempt at an attack at the wrist, while his other arm lunges at her face, continuing the assault.

Despite the continued barrage, at several small intervals there seemed to be openings. Not in Kiba's guard, but chances for Nicole to break away and retreat. They could be bluffs or traps though, and it probably wouldn't take much effort for Kiba to pursue her.

Hueco Mundo

The Cero didn't seem to work as expected, not only producing a much smaller blast than usual but somehow not obliterating his opponent, but Victor Vicente paid no mind. The details were starting to become more of a nuisance than anything.

<"I grow tired of this."> Since his free arm is still grabbed, he swings his Zanpakuto to block and possibly sever Mikael's hand before it can reach his throat. Victor Vicente had been going easy out of pride, now he just wanted to end this. His other hand, still grabbed at the wrist, prepared to fire off another Cero.

Mortal World

The hollow shrieks in pain as its form starts to waver before the stab through the mask seems to finally finish it off, the creature finally dissolving the way hollows do when they've been purified by a Zanpakuto.

I think the Plus soul in question is just automatically sent to Seireitei when a hollow is dispatched this way, hence why you never see innocent ghostly remnants of hollows when a dozen or ]so are dispatched.[/i]

The webs instantly dissolve with the hollow, and soon it's like there was never anything at all. Well, except for the damaged floor thanks to Kenzan. Speaking of which, now that the battle is over, Kenzan's mind is racing. At first he thought he was the only one able to see these strange creatures, that they might be the figments of a bored imagination. Now he finds that there are others who can not only see the creatures, but have strange powers to fight them as well? Life may have just gotten interesting again. Unfortunately, he's too distracted by what to ask first to say anything quite yet.

At that moment one of the classroom doors bursts open and one of the other teachers, the gruff Takahashi-sensei, looks to see what all the commotion is. He sees Kenzan, a rare presence on the school grounds, as well as the damaged floor and his mind immediately jumps to the obvious conclusion. Still, one of his fellow faculty members is here, so it was best to probably get all the facts first. "Iwamori-san, just what is all the commotion out here? Is someone causing trouble?" He glares at Hakuto Kenzan, all ready to drag Kenzan down to the principal's office.

Somewhere else in the Mortal World

"Experiment 18-A has resulted in minimal results. Too many extra variables have corrupted the experiment from producing any viable data. For now, different test sites will be used for experiments, sites with a far more controlled environment. Considering the possibility of the test site of 18-A as a means of disposal or high stress factors for future test subjects, but for now, new data must be gathered to determine an appropriate site for controlled experiments."

The figure scrawls the last note into the page of his heavy tome as on the opposite page a drawing slowly materializes, that of a spider-shaped mask.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Well, loyalty, for one. My past fraccion were always looking for a way to take my place, or were much to eager to retreat. They must both be loyal to me and the King if they are to serve under me.

Azmus chuckles coldly as he continues pacing.

[Mortal World] The School; Top Floor

Higure, having sheathed his wakizashi, turns to his fellow teacher.

Ah, Takahashi-san, I heard the commotion as well, so I came up here and found some of my students fighting. I was just taking them down the the principal's office. But first, students, apologize to Takahashi-sensei for interrupting his class.

He turns to the students, attempting to communicate "play along" with his expression.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Hueco Mundo]

The knife swats Mikael's hand away from the man's throat - but there's something more to it. While the strike obviously didn't do what the man intended and sever the mortal's limb, this time Mikael notes that the pain doesn't go away quite as fast as before. As he brings his deflected hand back to control the man's knife hand, he notices something unexpected - blood.

It's but a nick, a tiny scratch on his skin - in other conditions, it might have gone entirely unnoticed - but as Mikael exterts his muscles to keep the man from slashing him again, the faint line turns vibrant red and a few drops squeeze out and trickle down his arm.

This new development almost makes him miss the new globe of darkness the man is creating, but the awful sound makes him reflexively jerk the man's hand away from them, and the blast goes wide, turning a nearby dune of sand into a glass-rimmed crater.

Mikael has been thrown, yanked, punched, slashed and shot at by what is apparently equivalent to field artillery, but so far he's escaped with mere bruises. But now, the game has changed. The man can cut him. There is a limit to what he can endure.

But! It should go the other way too! Mikael should be able to hurt the man too! With new-found fervor, the mortal seeks to firmly grip both of the man's arms so that he can neither slash or shoot at him, while at the same time doing his darnest to knee the white-clad man in the groin, stomach, solar plexus - anywhere he can just reach!

[5a Violista]

Soul Society

As Suou continues to get bloodied and bruised and hit in the face, she tries to get as many of her own attacks in on Kiba. Sooner or later, one's got to hit, right?

What she really wants to do is get away and activate her Shikkai. At this rate, she won't stand much further in a battle against this Vice-Captain. She notices the opening but doesn't act on it.

Not the first one, nor the second...it's as if she's waiting for the right opening to get out. Fleeing on the first opening would just ensure that he chases her immediately. She's seen her pet dog do that with rabbits enough times to know that would happen.

On the third opening she tries to dart away. Being smaller has the advantage of being able to flee better than the average person.

When (if) she gets out, Suou Nicole will try to activate her Shikkai (no need to cut her hand this time). Just activation by the command phrase.

Her hideously long Shikkai activation.


Mortal World Physics Classroom

"Venezuela," replies Miya. "I have cousins that live there. We went there to live with them when my father lost his job."

It's a very short, quick answer, as if she had been practicing answering this question a hundred thousand times on the airplane trip back to Japan, when she wasn't looking out the window and watching the sun shimmer on the ocean.


Hueco Mundo The Streets

"Hum," says Valentina. "That is a predicament."

She thinks, and watches him pace about.

"I'm sure you'll find someone in one of these groups."

[AnimeKid]

Mortal World

Having de-transformed after Higure finished off the hollow, Tamaki pushes his glasses up his nose as he says, "Gomenasai, Takahashi-sensei. The behavior I have exhibited today is unacceptable, it won't happen again." With that Tamaki gives a respectful bow of apology.

Soul Society Rowdy Bar

Naijeru looks up, surprisingly soberly at the two new arrivals as he says, "Eh? Ah! Hanare, Dosan how are you guys. Me and the boys and girls here were just doing a little team bonding. After all, good will equals good cooperation in battle. You should always trust your packmates with your life. But NEVER with your beer or girlfriend, AM I RIGHT BOYS? AHAHAHAHA!"

Naijeru knocks back his last drink as with relish. Once he finishes he stands up as he says, "So, Kiba wants to see us huh? Wonder what were gonna get chewed out for. HEY BOYS, I'M LEAVING AND PAYING THE BILLL! IF YOU WANNA DRINK MORE IT BETTER COME OUTTA YOUR POCKETS AND NOT MY TAB, ELSE HEADS ARE GONNA ROLL!"

Come on Hanare, Dosan. Lets find Kiba."

With that said he would follow the two fellow platoon leaders lead to Kiba's location.

[Orzel]

Soul Society Rowdy Bar

Outside, Hanare stretched his shoulders and legs. "Kiba is sparring with a recruit. Let's get back to watch." The thin man short hopped twice before taking a runner's stance. All his hands and feet hit the floor. "Last one has to go back and get snacks."

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society

Nicole darts through the opening and flees, but Kiba is right behind, keeping pace, both arms ready to strike should he catch up. If she were to stop and activate her shikai or use a kido, he would most certainly catch her before she could finish. But so far he wasn't gaining ground. If she kept fleeing, she could be safe.

Hueco Mundo

The first time this mortal tried a groin strike, Victor Vicente wasn't expecting it. He had expected a more... noble... approach from what he considered his future lieutenant.

<"You fight like a child,"> he spits in disgust.

Mikael's current strategy being so familiar, Victor Vicente's arm resists being jerked and tries to continue to maintain the angle most likely to mortally wound Mikael. Victor Vicente blade after deflecting the arm spins downward to also slice at Mikael's knee. The spinning dervish style of the machete should also make it difficult to simply grab his arm

But just in case either fails, just after his Cero goes off, and assuming it misses, Victor Vicente will thrust his head forward to butt his opponent in the face, the tough crown of Victor Vicente's skull potentially colliding with the center of Mikael's face.

Mortal World

"Hm... Very well. I'll let maintenance know about the damage." He immediately locks eyes with Kenzan, blaming the delinquent over the teacher or ace student. You and I will have words later," he promises threateningly. For now though, he leaves the students and their punishment to Higure-san.

That more mundane threat now taken care of, Kenzan breathes a sigh of relief. His mind is racing. He has tons of questions, especially now that he knows the white-masked monsters aren't just figments of his imagination. But he isn't sure what to ask first or who to ask it of.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Soul Society] Rowdy Bar

Very well.

Dosan begins to take a stance, grabbing his sword, then immediately sprints off down the street, back towards the sparring rings.

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Azmus turns to Valentina, and nods.

You may be right.

[Mortal World] The School; Top Floor

Appreciated.

Higure, after nodding to his fellow teacher, turns, and heads towards the stairwell, motioning for the students to follow him. In the stairwell, he stops and turns to the students.

We need to discuss what just happened somewhere quiet. But not here, and not now. Tamaki, you and I need to get back to class. Kenzan... I can't believe I'm saying this, but it might be best if you leave, otherwise Takahashi will find you.

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Mortal World] - The School, Roof

Just as Arianna reaches the roof, she stops. She couldn't sense the Hollow anymore. It's not that it moved away. It just stopped being there. And there was only one likely reason for that.

Which meant that Sawada was right. Which meant that the mortals defeated it themselves.

She stays there for a moment, then turns and returns to where Sawada is. It seems the mortals were able to defeat it. I can't sense it's presence anymore.

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society] Training Battle

Once again, Nicole tried to start her Shikkai. ""Kyuu..." she starts. She hears Kiba's footsteps behind her, and remembers that if he catches her, she won't be able to finish it anyway. She decides to stop herself and focus on just sprinting away as fast as she can.

Oh, how she hates cities. Everything just looks exactly the same, and it's so unfamiliar. She can't think of any way to use the environment to put a little distance between herself and Kiba.
Oh, look. There's a building. There's another building. There's a wall. There's a person. There's yet another building...and there's a dead-end! Suou, not knowing her way around here, has managed to wind her way into a dead-end.

Nicole can still hear Kiba behind her, so she doesn't look back. She just continues towards the dead-end at the same speed. Upon nearing it, she uses Earth Magic, "Seppa," to turn part of that wall to sand, losing very little speed in the process. Unfortunately for her, she should have slowed down a little more going through that newly-formed hole in the wall.

Yes, as Nicole goes through there, she trips. She hits the ground with a thwack. When her elbow hits the ground, the shock of it loosens her grip on her katana, and it clatters away several feet in front of the fallen Nicole.

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

"Of course I'm right."

Valentina gives a wry smile to Azmus. "Then again, it'll probably take you a whole week to find someone suitable," she says, her voice making it clear that it's a challenge. A dare.

((Sorry...I can't think of anything for her to say/do at the moment.))

[AnimeKid]

Mortal World The School

Tamaki nods to Higure at his words. After all he was a straight A student so his reputation granted him a small shield. However as a delinquent Kenzan had a bulls-eye on his back. Laying low would be the best option for him. With his sensei's leave he heads back to the classroom. If anyone looked up when he entered he would ignore them in favor of getting to his desk. If they wanted him to respond to them they would have to actually talk to him instead of watching like hawks

Soul Society The streets

Naijeru smiled to himself as he took off down the streets with his comrades. He was only average in the Shunpo technique so he used his immense muscle power to go into Shunpo powered leaps. It was a small skill used for crossing large distances, not for combat.

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society

Kiba catches up with his Shunpo, but this time when he appears standing in front of Nicole, all the ferocity from before was gone. He just stood, arms folded, down at the new recruit.

"Not bad. You pass." He walks over to kick Nicole's Zanpakuto back to her. "The first lesson is the most important for everyone in the Combat Corps: When your opponent is no doubt stronger than you, run. Part of you will try to tell you to stay and fight, even when you know you can't win. That's pride. Let it go. A dead warrior can't fight. And there will be opponents you can't win against, no matter how hard you fight, no matter your tactics, no matter how many lucky blows you get in. Your instincts will tell you when to fight and when to run, but sometimes your training and pride will tell you otherwise. Listen to your instincts first.

"You can go to the medic division if you think you need it. Otherwise, get cleaned up and find an empty bunk. There are plenty in the women quarters. Training starts at dawn."

Mortal World

Kenzan is a little disappointed. He was hoping to get his questions answered, but the sensei said they would talk later. He couldn't remember what class he was supposed to be in it had been so long, so for now he went up to the roof. With any luck, Takahashi would be occupied the rest of the day and he wouldn't be bothered. For now he simply paced and looked around for anything or anyone of interest.

[5a Violista]

Soul Society

Nicole's sword is successfully kicked within reach of Nicole's hand, so she grabs it. She starts to push herself upwards so that she's no longer lying on the crumbled wall.

"Yes, sir," replies Suou, still looking at the ground as Kiba talks. "I understand." Nicole realizes that it's an important lesson to learn. Definitely worth learning. It's just that her pride hurts too much from that fight. With the exception of the broken rib, none of the other bruises and cuts hurt enough to register in her tired mind, but it feels as if every single strike went straight to her pride.

She lost her honor and her family, and now her pride was mercilessly crushed. As much as she wants to mourn its loss, she refuses to shed a tear in front of Kiba. Maybe on the way to the medic division, she'll cry...but not now, not here. Not in front of someone else.

Nicole stands up and nods. "I'll be there. With your leave..." She brushes the dirt off of her, before giving a respectful bow to Kiba, and turns.

Her plans: First, go to the women's quarters and clean up, clean the rest of the dirt, dried blood, fresh blood, hair, and so on, and then find her way to the Medic place and get her rib healed. Everything else will heal quickly by itself; broken ribs take too long to heal. (So, unless someone is going to run into her at the Women's quarters, I'll just skip her ahead to the Medic Division; unless, of course, there's no player there at the moment (I'll have to check the registry): then, she would skip ahead back to the quarters.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Mortal World] The School; After Class
After class, Higure motions Tamaki over to his desk as he packs up his things.

Could you go get Kenzan from the roof and bring him down here? We need to talk about what happened. If anyone asks, you're both being tutored by me.

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Azmus raises an eyebrow, smiling slightly.

Really now? I'll wager I can find one by the end of the day.

[5a Violista]

[Hueco Mundo] Las Calles (I think that means The Streets...)

Valentina gives a playful scoff. "You're on. If you find one today, you win. If it takes you more than four days, I win and you have to serve me those little drinks with those tiny umbrellas and coconut juice and address me as "Your Most Bestest Honorableness" for a whole day." Can you even find coconuts around here? Probably not. There'll have to be a surprise visit to the Mortal World just to find a coconut tree.

The woman leans back a little, folding her arms. She looks pretty relaxed and confident. "You can take as long as you want to get started. However, I'm expecting my coconuts before the end of the week, so don't take too long."

[CMOTDibbler]

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Azmus gives a short laugh, amused as he turns to the other arrancar.

Those of you that think you have what it takes to be my Fraccion should follow me.

As he begins walking farther into the city, he turns back to Valentina, a small smirk on his face.

So what do I get if I win?

[5a Violista]

[Hueco Mundo] The Streets

Many of the arrancars look around at each other, few daring to step forward. The first one is a cocky young arrancar with four huge pincers and a wicked tail. The second is Lugaru, the wolflike Arrancar who Valentina liked. He seems very confident. The third one to step forward is less assuming, but seems like he knows what he's doing. He's just as big, if not larger, than the other two, and has many visible scars across his shirtless chest, and his bearlike mask is broken so that nearly half of it is on his jaw, the other half is worn as a pauldron.

Five others also follow, some nervous and others cocky. Valentina bets on Lugaru being picked.

Valentina shrugs in reply. "Tell you what. If you win, I'll let you choose. One favor or dare." Shaking her head, she continues, "It's not like you're even going to get close or anything, so don't get your hopes up."

She waits a couple of moments, watching those eight follow the Espada. Then, she turns to all the others, still lined up, and shouts, "All of you! You have some free time. Go find something useful to do! Just don't get killed; that's not supposed to happen until after we attack the Shinigami."

Valentina then follows Fraccion Hopefuls to see this happening. It might just stave off her boredom for a couple moments.

[Frozen_Feet]

Hueco Mundo


The first time this mortal tried a groin strike, Victor Vicente wasn't expecting it. He had expected a more... noble... approach from what he considered his future lieutenant.

<"You fight like a child,"> he spits in disgust.

Mikael's current strategy being so familiar, Victor Vicente's arm resists being jerked and tries to continue to maintain the angle most likely to mortally wound Mikael. Victor Vicente blade after deflecting the arm spins downward to also slice at Mikael's knee. The spinning dervish style of the machete should also make it difficult to simply grab his arm

But just in case either fails, just after his Cero goes off, and assuming it misses, Victor Vicente will thrust his head forward to butt his opponent in the face, the tough crown of Victor Vicente's skull potentially colliding with the center of Mikael's face.

Mikael's attempt at grappling fails, his opponent is simply too skilled. The man in white wrenches his captured hand away and slashes at the mortal's legs, a screeching sound resounding at contact. The white devil is also weathering Mikael's blows distressingly well.

With the dancing blade leaving more and more bloodied scratches on his body, Mikael despairs. If this was an ordinary fight, it would be best to gain distance, to get away from the weapon-wielding assailant. But with the man's ability to conjure up those exploding orbs, getting out of reach could just lead to Mikael getting knocked back again, which would be disastrous! His only chance is to stay as close! But what should he do...?

The mortal's brief spacing out is swiftly penalized by the man's head colliding with his nose. Mikael's head jerks back as pain shoots through his brain. But, it's what he needed to focus on the situation. Abandoning any attempt to control his opponents knife, Mikael instead grabs the man by the shoulders and headbutts him back, not just once, not just twice, but thrice in quick succession. It feels like ramming his head against a steel lamppost, but he's pissed off enough to not care.

This time, the "lamppost" shall yield.

Soul Society




Nicole's sword is successfully kicked within reach of Nicole's hand, so she grabs it. She starts to push herself upwards so that she's no longer lying on the crumbled wall.

"Yes, sir," replies Suou, still looking at the ground as Kiba talks. "I understand." Nicole realizes that it's an important lesson to learn. Definitely worth learning. It's just that her pride hurts too much from that fight. With the exception of the broken rib, none of the other bruises and cuts hurt enough to register in her tired mind, but it feels as if every single strike went straight to her pride.

She lost her honor and her family, and now her pride was mercilessly crushed. As much as she wants to mourn its loss, she refuses to shed a tear in front of Kiba. Maybe on the way to the medic division, she'll cry...but not now, not here. Not in front of someone else.

Nicole stands up and nods. "I'll be there. With your leave..." She brushes the dirt off of her, before giving a respectful bow to Kiba, and turns.

Her plans: First, go to the women's quarters and clean up, clean the rest of the dirt, dried blood, fresh blood, hair, and so on, and then find her way to the Medic place and get her rib healed. Everything else will heal quickly by itself; broken ribs take too long to heal. (So, unless someone is going to run into her at the Women's quarters, I'll just skip her ahead to the Medic Division; unless, of course, there's no player there at the moment (I'll have to check the registry): then, she would skip ahead back to the quarters.

As Nicole stumbles to the women's quarters, a lone figure rises up from one of the chairs lined up against wall of the hallway. An elderly person with a heavy limp, using a walking stick as a support, walks to her.

"Hello. I heard there was a new recruit", the senior citizen greets her, smiling warmly wih eyes squeezed almost shut. "I intended to show her around and take her to the academy, to learn the basic skills elementary to life as a Shinigami. But, it seems she decided she would be better off heading straight to the Combat Division and joining our acting captain's rehearsals." The person's eyes open up just a bit, a strange glint of light reflecting from them.

"I suspect she is in quite bad condition as of now. Have you perhaps seen this new recruit?"

If, by chance, Nicole's brains still have a single working cell in them despite all the pain and exhaustion, she might notice the person is wearing a large, conspicuous white haori...

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World

The class bell rings and Miko leaves with the other students. She seems to be muttering to herself again, and seems to be constantly on guard around her fellow classmates and teachers, especially when it comes to Higure-sensei. If left alone, she'll leave as soon as possible. Cutie Pie was starting to get hungry...

Shortly after the class bell ends and Higure-sensei sends Tamaki off to the roof, there's a slight tapping on the window. It seems Kenzan got a bit impatient and had leapt down the side of the school, somehow perching himself on the narrow window ledge.

((note: attempting to phrase this so if AnimeKid doesn't post for a bit, we can still move along, but can still join back in whenever.))

Hueco Mundo

His opponent's stance allows Victor Vicente several free slashes under his opponent's guard, but his assault is quickly cut short. Just when Victor Vicente thinks his opponent is on the ropes, the boy comes back to strike him with a headbutt. It's completely unexpected, and strong enough that the great Victor Vicente actually winces, a fresh concave bruise in his temple. <"Incredible!"> Before he can react, a second strike hits. <"Impossible!"> A third. <"Inconceivable!">

This had gone on far too long. Victor Vicente's machete twirled up towards Mikael's arms, the hope being to dislodge the two. Whether that would succeed, Victor Vicente attempted to propel himself out of the grapple with a Sonido. A moment of free movement was all he needed, and although he hated to use his Resurrecion for such an inconsequential fight (in his mind at least), his pride was quickly giving way to his impatience.

Soul Society

Kiba sat cross-legged on the roof of the old captain's quarters. Now it was a sort of sacred mausoleum, and unspoken holy site among the Pack. Technically, as acting captain, Kiba could have claimed the quarters as his own for now if he wanted to, but between his respect for the Kenpachi and his preference of the outdoors anyway, he let it be. He had figured his lieutenants would be back by now, and he was starting to get impatient. If they didn't show up soon, he'd go out looking for them, and he wouldn't be happy about it.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Hueco Mundo]

The man's maneuver is succesful - he pushes away from Mikael, his sudden use of preternatural movement kicking the mortal away from him. The bleeding mortal stumbles back for a split-second, then reaches forward to grab his opponent again - but the man is already gone! Mikael's eyes dart around wildly, until they catch the man's visage again and pin him down.

But they're not the same eyes as just a moment ago. It's like something... dark is moving behind them, giving them a new color entirely. Blood seeping from his wounds is bubbling ominously and turning from red to black as ink.

Letting out a feral hiss, Mikael leaps after the man to take him down. It may be the white devil has merely scratched the surface, in more than one sense. But what does he think of that which is being revealed from under it?

Around them, a fell wind is picking up... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeW96jOE72A)

[Dorizzit]

[The Mortal World]
Room 108

After school ends, Naito packs his class materials up with lightning speed and zips down to the school's gymnasium. Opening a storage closet, he grabs a pair of gymnastics mats. Despite them being quite unwieldy, he manages to carry both, having done the same thing many times in the past. Moving much slower, now, he makes his way over to Room 108, where the door opens for him, right on schedule. Naito turns and slides through. With a slight exclamation of effort, he dumps the mats on the center of the floor, where the desks have already been moved out of the way. It takes a scant few seconds to set them. Nodding his appreciation to the assorted club members who arrived before him, Naito walks up to the head of the room and takes a seat behind the desk, waiting for everyone to arrive. Despite the additional tasks he had to take, Naito still arrived before well over half the attendees.

[5a Violista]

[The Mortal World]
=> Room 108

Now that the school day has ended, Miya starts looking for the room where the martial arts clubs meet. As she walks around the school, she accidentally bumps her shoulders into at least three people, before finding the right room.

As is custom, Miya arrives later than the general population. However, this time, she arrives before she misses anything.

When she walks into room 108, she immediately notices Naito, and gives him a small wave. Then, she finds somewhere to wait until the festivities begin.

[Soul Society]
Women's Quarters

Suou enters the Women's Quarters, in the same condition as she was just after the fight. The only difference is that some of the blood and dirt on her face has been washed away by a teardrop or two that she couldn't hold back.

She sees the Senior Citizen, and blinks a couple of times. Seeing a warm smile like that can't help but make her feel better. It reminds her of her grandmother. She always smiled a lot. Nicole notices the white haori, but the significance of it doesn't register in her mind. ((Nor in mine. Oh, wait - does it have something to do with rank?))

Nicole has a blank stare for a moment, then starts to answer: "No, I haven't seen...oh. You're talking about me. Yes. Sorry about that." She gives a deep bow, as if trying to apologize by showing deep respect. "I didn't know."

"What can I do to make up for it?"

[Dorizzit]

[The Mortal World]
Room 108

The room is full of a large number of people; apparently, martial arts are very popular at the school. Naito is chatting with a pair of other students when Miya enters. He glances at the door, and nods ever so slightly in acknowledgement. Looking at his watch, he cuts off his conversation and rolls his chair back into place at the desk. Withdrawing some papers from his backpack, he gathers them in an official-looking manner before laying them flat in front of him.

"Alright, everyone! The meeting is now in session. Before we get down to business, let's give a big round of applause to the karate club, who had four ranking members in their big tournament last month, including the overall winner. Everyone else, try to top that."

Polite applause comes from around the room with restrained enthusiasm.

"Now that that's out of the way, let's get an update from all of the club heads on any important events coming up..."

Things quickly get into full swing. The meeting is mostly administrative, dealing with logistics and plans instead of any actual martial arts. All of the clubs apparently share a budget, so anything they want to do must be balanced against the other clubs' desires. Naito does an impressive job of keeping everything in alignment, and manages to leave each group content. He also avoids showing favoritism, remaining impartial through a few inevitable conflicts.

The meeting takes quite a while; a little over an hour, all said and done. After the different clubs are done speaking, Naito stands and delivers a few pieces of information to the group as a whole.

"...And finally, the student council mentioned to me that they've had a number of complaints about mats being left out after practices. That needs to stop. Clean up after yourselves, or at best we'll get our funding cut."

Finished, he takes a seat.

"That's just about everything. Now, does anyone want to spar?"

He delivers the question with a note of smugness that indicates he already knows the answer to his question. Around the room, a few students shake their heads or roll their eyes, but everyone remains silent. Naito smiles, satisfied.

"In that case, meeting adjourned. Wada, Shizuka, I'd like to speak with you after the meeting."

The room suddenly becomes a flurry of movement as the various students gather their possessions and make for the door. Naito leans back in his chair and stretches, then beckons Miya over.

[AnimeKid]

[Mortal World]

Tamaki nodded to Higure with a scowl on his face. A student of his caliber? Need tutoring? That one was going to hurt his pride a little if he actually had to use it. Actually when he thought about it, he could just say that Higure was setting it up so that he could tutor Kenzan. With the much more believable notion in Tamaki's head he starts off to to fetch the other boy from the roof, only to stop when he sees said boy perched on the windowsill.

Tamaki blinks twice before saying in his usual frosty tone of voice, "Well, that was convenient. Well Sensei we're all here. I can guess that what we're going to be talking about is pertinent to the incident on the top floor?"
__________________________________________________ ___________

[Soul Society]

Kiba wouldn't have to wait much longer as Naijeru came skidding though the doorway with a gigantic grin on his face. He is panting slightly from exertion as he says, "And Crusher Naijeru wins again. Guess I won't be buying the snacks. So you wanted to see your most faithful lieutenants fukutaichou?"

[DiscipleofBob]

Hueco Mundo

The boy is quickly in pursuit. Given VV's proficiency in long-range combat, this is a wise course of action. But all it takes is a moment. Grabbing the zanpakuto with both hands and pointing it forward like a rifle, VV smiles as he announces, "Bombard, Gloriajunta!"

The released explosion of energy erupts the sand around him, obscuring all but a faint shadow of the general. Then the shadow grows, transforming into something inhuman.

Victor Vicente's shape now resembles a tank, though one that's somehow organic with a heavy, thick, bone-like exterior. He has four armadillo-like legs that easily fold up into treaded wheels. None of his human form remains, a large horned skull mask adorning the front of the tank. Just when the transformation appears to be complete, several long barrels sprout from the creature's hide, already warming up to fire Ceros of various strengths.

Mikael approaches quickly now, and Victor Vicente in his new form charges forward to meet him with its horned battering ram, its barrels taking aim. The largest barrel on top is particularly vicious as it charges up the Gran Rey Cero.

[Orzel]

Soul Society

Getting to the goal first wasn't really a concern of Hanare's He didn't run our use Shunpo at anywhere near his limit. He entered the room very composed and barely tired. "Did I lose?" he yawned into the wall. He was not even going to waste energy covering his mouth.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Soul Society] Kenpachi's Quarters
Dosan shunpos into view just after Najieru, almost completely out of breath.

Eiganjo Dosan present, sir. Man, I need to work on my shunpo more...

[Mortal World] Higure's Classroom
That was the idea, Haroda.

Higure goes over to the window and opens it to let Kenzan in.

Once he's inside, Higure addresses the two.

So, I'm guessing neither of you have fought one of those before?

[Hueco Mundo] The Arena
Azmus leads Valentina and the other arrancar to a circle the size of a football field drawn in a large dirt lot.

After reaching the edge of the circle, Azmus turns to the gathered arrancar.

Your test will consist of two sparring matches. For the first one, you will be put in teams of two, that will fight against one another in a free for all. The second will be a match one on one against myself. After that I will choose my Fraccion. Any questions?

[5a Violista]

[Hueco Mundo]
The Arena

Valentina stands a ways back, with her arms folded. Her left eyebrow's raised, and an amused look on her face. This sounds like it'll be a fun match. Funnest thing that's going to happen all day. All week, probably.


Lagoshta, the cocky one with four pincers, is the first to ask a question. It's a fairly simple question, and his voice makes it seem he has no doubt at all that he's going to win. He might even win against the Espada, he supposes. "It's just a matter of winning, right? After I win, there's no other test?"

Baatar, the bear of a man, shakes his head, as if he's saying Like that's going to happen. With his warrior's training, he can see at least three others in the group who are certain to beat Lagoshta, and the group's only eight big. Cocky people always lose first.

[The Mortal World]
Room 108

Miya listens and looks around during the meeting, trying to follow along the fast-paced conversation about planning and funding. By paying attention to the club heads and the facial expressions of the members, she deduces what fighting style nearly everybody practices.

She also deduces that Naito will be a very tough opponent. That kind of reaction is only elicited from someone who can soundly defeat anyone else.

After the meeting ends, and after Miya is beckoned to Naito, she tries to make her way through the crowd towards him. Finally, she gets to him. "Wow, that was something. Impressive. Are things always like this?"

[Dorizzit]

[Mortal World]
Room 108

Naito slumps back in his chair, letting out a long sigh.

"Yeah, usually. The whole balancing act...thing...is the worst part of our setup. Since we're all technically one club we have a massive budget, but every time we actually take advantage of that it stiffs a different club. Or two. Everyone keeps careful track of any time they lose out, so they can call in favors in the future. In a lot of ways, it's really interesting. It makes these meetings long, though...I try to hash things out with the different captains ahead of time, but that only goes so far."

He looks up at something behind Miya and sits up a bit straighter. Two students approach the desk. One is a tall and strong-looking young male, the other a very short female. Earlier in the meeting, Miya was likely able to deduce that the male practiced Jiu-Jitsu, and the female Aikido.

"Wada, Shizuka, this is Miya. She hasn't been here very long, but she's experienced with Aikido and Jiu-Jitsu. Miya, Wada is the head of our Jiu-Jitsu club, and Shizuka is the leader of the Aikido club."

Both students offer polite greetings to Miya.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Hueco Mundo]




The boy is quickly in pursuit. Given VV's proficiency in long-range combat, this is a wise course of action. But all it takes is a moment. Grabbing the zanpakuto with both hands and pointing it forward like a rifle, VV smiles as he announces, "Bombard, Gloriajunta!"

The released explosion of energy erupts the sand around him, obscuring all but a faint shadow of the general. Then the shadow grows, transforming into something inhuman.

Victor Vicente's shape now resembles a tank, though one that's somehow organic with a heavy, thick, bone-like exterior. He has four armadillo-like legs that easily fold up into treaded wheels. None of his human form remains, a large horned skull mask adorning the front of the tank. Just when the transformation appears to be complete, several long barrels sprout from the creature's hide, already warming up to fire Ceros of various strengths.

Mikael approaches quickly now, and Victor Vicente in his new form charges forward to meet him with its horned battering ram, its barrels taking aim. The largest barrel on top is particularly vicious as it charges up the Gran Rey Cero.

The sudden eruption slows the mortal down and he has to close his eyes to prevent sand from getting into them. Unsure of what is happening, he stops his charge to see what is taking place - and when he does, he lets out a hysteric chuckle.

"Ehehehe!", he points and laughs. Not only does striking his opponent feel like punching a trash compactor, now his enemy looks like a trash compactor as well! Maybe Mikael should have seen this coming after all the absurdity he'd just struggled through, but the white devil's sudden metamorphosis certainly caught him off-guard. What, would this mean Mikael himself might be able to turn into a dragon or such?

Mikael laughter quickly dies, however, as his senses alert him to several cannon barrels aiming at him and the ground wails as the white mans "threads" grind against the sand. The mortal quickly revisis his mental image from "trash compactor" to an "armored wagon". Ironically, a tank is something he's taught to fight against... but he has no mines, no RPG, and most importantly, no shelter from the juggernaut that's rolling his way.

Apparently, he is forced to fight against a tank with nothing but his bare fists. A losing prospect, if common sense would have a word, but Mikael is painfully aware he should have died already... not just in the fight against this bizarre adversary, but years ago, when his car was flattened by a run-away truck.

Fixing his eyes on the "tank's" main cannon, Mikael resumes his charge. He had an epiphany a while ago - if the man could conjure ammunition seemingly out of thin air, Mikael's own abilities should be able to return them to that state. So, as suicidal as the thought appears, he'd ram his hand into the cannon's barrel and capture the charging warhead in his palm!

With that in mind, the mortal leaps...

---

[Soul Society]
Women's Quarters



Suou enters the Women's Quarters, in the same condition as she was just after the fight. The only difference is that some of the blood and dirt on her face has been washed away by a teardrop or two that she couldn't hold back.

She sees the Senior Citizen, and blinks a couple of times. Seeing a warm smile like that can't help but make her feel better. It reminds her of her grandmother. She always smiled a lot. Nicole notices the white haori, but the significance of it doesn't register in her mind. ((Nor in mine. Oh, wait - does it have something to do with rank?))

Nicole has a blank stare for a moment, then starts to answer: "No, I haven't seen...oh. You're talking about me. Yes. Sorry about that." She gives a deep bow, as if trying to apologize by showing deep respect. "I didn't know."

"What can I do to make up for it?"

"Stay still for a moment", the elder asks... or commands, it's not entirely clear. "Open your eyes wide. Follow my finger, please." The elder lifts his index finger before Suou's eyes and sways it from side to side, observing the movements of her eyes.

"It seems you already have a sword of your own. Where did you get that? What is your name?"

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society]
Women's Quarters

"Okay," says Suou, standing still. Just for reference (so I won't forget it later), she looks as if she would be sixteen, judging by human standards.

"But, why...?" she asks, even as her eyes open wide-awake and follow the finger around. There may be a slow reaction or two, but that's just because she's tired. "Nicole, of the Suou House." Part of the house that was exiled more than a millennium ago. I'm surprised that it still exists. "I received this sword a few years back."


[Mortal World]
Room 108

Tsukamoto Miya returns the greetings to both. "It is a pleasure to meet you both." After the small bows, she straightens her back and looks them both in the eyes - first Wada and then Shizuka.

"I hope to learn much from you two," she adds.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Women's Quarters

The elder seems satisfied with Nicole's reactions and puts the hand down. As Nicole says her name, the old person's smile stoops a little. "Hmmm. An interesting family name you have there. Follow me. We will take a detour to the temple before I'll let you to your quarters." The elder limps past Nicole, beckoning her to follow.

"Few years back, hmmm? So you had it before you enlisted? Is it an ordinary sword?"

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society]
Women's Quarters

Suou blinks. She doesn't think her family name is particularly interesting. After all, who thinks that their own name is interesting, when it's heard several times every day? Even less so when their name was written on nearly everything they ever saw. "Yes. Of course," she says, starting to follow the elderly woman. Maybe it's important to visit the temple. What could go wrong with following an old woman around a strange city?

Suou follows the woman. Nicole's not directly behind her, nor is she directly to the side. More like a 4:00 angle, a little behind but not directly behind the woman.

She nods and makes an audible affirmation; yes, she has had it before she enlisted. "She's an ordinary Zanpakuto, just as anyone else's, I suppose. A bit emotional, sometimes."

[Dorizzit]

The School
Room 108

The two club leaders look like they are about to respond, but Naito speaks up before either of them can.

"You're in good hands with Shizuka. Wada, on the other hand...well...I heard he's moved up to middle schoolers as his sparring partners."

A previously unseen expression makes its way onto Naito's face, a cheshire cat grin with a hint of playful malevolence. Wada glares at him good-naturedly, and slugs him. Naito crosses his arms in front of his face, an awkward gesture that was not intended to provide any defence. Naito chuckles softly while Shizuka and Wada give Miya information about when their clubs meet. Their business concluded, the two hurry out; they both have prior engagement elsewhere. Still smiling to himself, Naito withdraws a sheet of paper from his bag and slides it across his desk to Miya, along with a pen.

"Sorry about that, but I couldn't resist. Anyway, I just need you to fill this form out, and you'll be an official member of the club."

[AnimeKid]

[Mortal World] Higure's Classroom
That was the idea, Haroda.

Higure goes over to the window and opens it to let Kenzan in.

Once he's inside, Higure addresses the two.

So, I'm guessing neither of you have fought one of those before?



Tamaki pushes his glasses up his nose as he says, "I have,
however from what they can see they are a very rare occurrence. I have been spiritually ware for 3 years. I first gained my powers nine months ago. In that time I have only seen and fought two of the creatures. They are still largely unknown to me."

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World

Kenzan hops in the open window. "This would be number three for me. The last two I encountered in different parts of the city over the past couple months. At first I thought I was just hallucinating or something."

Hueco Mundo
The Wilderness

<"FOOL! FEEL THE GLORY AND WRATH OF THE GREAT VICTOR VICENTE!!!"> the arrancar yells triumphantly as his powered up form charges forward. Several of the smaller cannons spread out to cover possible exits, but his main cannon, the Gran Rey Cero, as well as several others are angled directly at Mikael. They take aim and fire...

Soul Society
Combat Division

"You're late," Kiba growls. Not that there was any set timeframe, but the acting captain was not known for being very patient to begin with. He hopped off the roof of the building to meet with his officers. "We need to figure out how to defend Soul Society. Even if we combined all the Combat squads, we barely have enough to cover each area not covered by a different division, and that's stretching ourselves thin."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Hueco Mundo]
[The Wilderness]


<"FOOL! FEEL THE GLORY AND WRATH OF THE GREAT VICTOR VICENTE!!!"> the arrancar yells triumphantly as his powered up form charges forward. Several of the smaller cannons spread out to cover possible exits, but his main cannon, the Gran Rey Cero, as well as several others are angled directly at Mikael. They take aim and fire...


As the mortal closes in, the number of cannons capable of aiming at him decreases fast - the main cannon and those next to it expected of course, as Mikael is flying straight at them! Sand is sent flying around due to sound pressure of several barrels firing at once and the air right before the white devil's eyes is set ablaze by his missiles striking against the mortal's hand at once.

Yet, one word can be heard through the rumble, cutting through it clear and loud despite being little more than a whisper. Reduce.

And so, the collected might of the man-turned-tank's blast is dispersed through the air, as if the projectiles suddenly returned to their immaterial base nature - nothing but ill will, and no matter how great, the man's willpower alone is not enough to stop Mikael's advance.

Few smaller projectiles that missed the mortal's hand and hit him in his legs instead are more succesful, however. Mikael's is stopped on his track and falls from the air, flat on the white devil's inhuman head. Dazed, Mikael does the first thing that comes to his mind - grabs the devil's horns so he won't fall down.

---

[Soul Society]
Women's Quarters


Suou blinks. She doesn't think her family name is particularly interesting. After all, who thinks that their own name is interesting, when it's heard several times every day? Even less so when their name was written on nearly everything they ever saw. "Yes. Of course," she says, starting to follow the elderly woman. Maybe it's important to visit the temple. What could go wrong with following an old woman around a strange city?

Suou follows the woman. Nicole's not directly behind her, nor is she directly to the side. More like a 4:00 angle, a little behind but not directly behind the woman.

She nods and makes an audible affirmation; yes, she has had it before she enlisted. "She's an ordinary Zanpakuto, just as anyone else's, I suppose. A bit emotional, sometimes."

The old person raises an eybrow upon hearing Nicole's explanation. She can't see it, as the elder's back is turned to her, but she might notice a slight hint of surprise in the person's voice. "An ordinary Zanpakuto you say? Well, that simplifies things. We can move you straight to advanced class, then."

"Most new recruits don't have a blade of their own when they come here, you see. We usually give them a practice Zanpakuto, called Asauchi, to train with. But then again, most of them don't come from a house of exiled nobles. Indeed, it has been a while since any of your lineage have been seen inside walls of Seireitei."

Ahead of them, a building of white marble can be seen looming behind newer structures. "Our temple has the venerable tradition of serving as Gotei main hospital. We're going there to mend your bones. I'm Zheng-taichou of Medicine and Logistics. You and me will get wll-acquainted if things continue on their current bleak tracks, I'm afraid. I also serve as the head teacher of the Academy, but you'll likely not see me as much in that role - if you left a good impression on Kiba-Fukutaichou, your place will be with his lot from now on." As they arrive at the temple gate, the old person stops and turns to Nicole, smiling.

"Just try to not get yourself forcibly reincarnated. We still haven't found an antidote for that, I'm sorry to say."

[5a Violista]

[Mortal World]
School - Room 108

Miya nods as the two club officers speak and she registers the club meetings somewhere in the back of her mind.

She nods, before grabbing the pen and scanning the form. After she looks through all of it, Miya starts filling out the form. As long as there's no complex math or history questions, she'll fill it out just fine.


[Soul Society]


"I suppose it has been a long time," says Nicole. "I remember my history lessons. Many generations ago, my family was betrayed and exiled." Obviously, that's not true, but what gets passed down to the young depends on what the elders teach. Nicole adds, "But that was a long time ago."

As they reach the temple, Nicole looks up in awe. She's never seen something so large and white before. It looks impressive, majestic, and a little terrifying. After that initial wave of feelings washes away, Nicole returns the smile. "Judging by the way the first lesson with Kiba went, I actually might have to come here a lot." She can still remember the sound her rib made when it cracked under his fist, and it makes her cringe. "He said I passed, and that I should be at tomorrow's training."

[Dorizzit]

[The Mortal World]
Room 108

The sheet is very simple. Names, student number, a legal waiver for club activities, all very standard. When Miya finishes, Naito takes it back.

"Alright, I just need to get this submitted and you'll be all set. Is there anything else you need?"

[5a Violista]

[The Mortal World]
School room 108

No soul-selling stuff on the form? That's too bad, now Naito won't have the chance to buy Miya's soul.

She shakes her head 'no'. "Nope, there's nothing else I can think of, besides this simple question: are the martial arts meetings always just after school? Every day, I mean, or just once in a while?" Despite asking another question, Miss Tsukamoto is all ready to go.

[DiscipleofBob]

[Hueco Mundo]
[The Wilderness]


As the mortal closes in, the number of cannons capable of aiming at him decreases fast - the main cannon and those next to it expected of course, as Mikael is flying straight at them! Sand is sent flying around due to sound pressure of several barrels firing at once and the air right before the white devil's eyes is set ablaze by his missiles striking against the mortal's hand at once.

Yet, one word can be heard through the rumble, cutting through it clear and loud despite being little more than a whisper. Reduce.

And so, the collected might of the man-turned-tank's blast is dispersed through the air, as if the projectiles suddenly returned to their immaterial base nature - nothing but ill will, and no matter how great, the man's willpower alone is not enough to stop Mikael's advance.

Few smaller projectiles that missed the mortal's hand and hit him in his legs instead are more succesful, however. Mikael's is stopped on his track and falls from the air, flat on the white devil's inhuman head. Dazed, Mikael does the first thing that comes to his mind - grabs the devil's horns so he won't fall down.

Hueco Mundo
The Wilderness

This was not one of the outcomes Victor Vicente could have predicted. His most powerful Cero attack... vanished? Expressions are hard to read on the cold, emotionless tank, but there is a moment of hesitation as VV tries unsuccessfully to comprehend the situation.

Mikael has a brief but quickly fleeting opportunity as the various guns on Victor Vicente's body adjust their angles to soon fire again.

The Arena

Stepping forward among the potential candidates was someone who gave even some of the other fraccion potentials pause. Karasu, as he had come to be known, standing far taller than any normal-sized human and well above the majority of the competition, stood and waited silently.

[Dorizzit]

[Mortal World]
Room 108

Naito shakes his head.

"These meetings are only once a month. Apart from that, it's just the individual club meetings, which the others filled you in on. Also, if you have a scheduling conflict, try talking to the club leaders; most of the groups are really small, so if they have someone who is interested they often shuffle things around so the schedule works."

[Frozen_Feet]

Hueco Mundo
The Wilderness


This was not one of the outcomes Victor Vicente could have predicted. His most powerful Cero attack... vanished? Expressions are hard to read on the cold, emotionless tank, but there is a moment of hesitation as VV tries unsuccessfully to comprehend the situation.

Mikael has a brief but quickly fleeting opportunity as the various guns on Victor Vicente's body adjust their angles to soon fire again.


Mikael can hear the turrets adjust their positioning. Would the man in white really fire someone on the top of his own head? No time to dwell on that, because fortune, combined with dashing around wildly and his belief-defying endurance, have landed the wounded mortal in the best spot to strike back he could ever hope for.

For while he is not entirely sure if the man-turned-tank's eyes are any softer than his carapace... Mikael is finally in a position to put it to the test. Lying flat on the white devil's head and holding firmly to the devil's right horn with his right hand, Mikael hooks his left around the devil's temple - and rams his fingers into the devil's left eye. But he doesn't end there, no - when he feels the eye's surface on his fingertips, he squeezes his pecs hard. As long as the armadillo-man's horn does not give away, not only should Mikael stab out the devil's eye - he should be able to ram his fingers through the bone behind it as well, and into the devil's brain!

---

[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou AKA Seireitei Main Hospital


"I suppose it has been a long time," says Nicole. "I remember my history lessons. Many generations ago, my family was betrayed and exiled." Obviously, that's not true, but what gets passed down to the young depends on what the elders teach. Nicole adds, "But that was a long time ago."

As they reach the temple, Nicole looks up in awe. She's never seen something so large and white before. It looks impressive, majestic, and a little terrifying. After that initial wave of feelings washes away, Nicole returns the smile. "Judging by the way the first lesson with Kiba went, I actually might have to come here a lot." She can still remember the sound her rib made when it cracked under his fist, and it makes her cringe. "He said I passed, and that I should be at tomorrow's training."

"Time is a... relative concept. Not a long time has passed since Izanagi-no-Mikoto, the man who founded Gotei, still walked among us. The man who, as you might have learned, was largely responsible for the banishment of your house."

The elderly person leads Nicole past the waiting lobby and into a small room with a mahogany desk, three chairs, one pretty comfy looking therapeutic couch and a window shaded by blue curtains. There's a quill in a green crystal bottle of ink on the table, with two neat piles of paper on both sides of it - the one on the right seems to be a bit taller. There are shelves on the walls, carrying small vials of substances in all colors of the rainbow.

"Here. Take this and drink it. Then sit on the couch and make yourself comfortable", the elder advices (or orders?), then fetches two vials from the shelves, mixes them up in a third, empty one, and lastly gives the mixture to Nicole. A stench reminescent of bitter almonds emanates from the vial.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Soul Society] Kenpachi's Quarters
Dosan thinks for a moment, then pipes up.

Is there any way to consolidate the space we need to cover? Like minimizing division's areas? It'd be a bit crowded, but easier to protect.

[Mortal World] Higure's Classroom
Higure raises his eyebrows.

...Huh. Apparently my students are more experienced than me. Clearly I need to get out more. Well, I know vaguely what these things are. They're called Hollows.

[Hueco Mundo] The Arena
Azmus, after glancing at the newcomer, turns to Lagoshta.

The test is to prove your worth to me. I still make the final decision. Anyone else? No? Good. Anyone want to volunteer to go first?

[5a Violista]

[Mortal World]
School - Room 108

"Okay," says Miya, as she flashes a smile. "That's perfect. Thank you so much." She's pretty sure she'll never get a scheduling conflict. It's not like she has anything else to do, besides study, make dinner, and work out. However, she pockets this information in her mind, just in case the clubs decide to schedule practice at the same time.

She takes a step towards the door out. "I should be going home now to make dinner, in case my father returns from work early." Of course, she doesn't expect him to arrive until after midnight, but one can always hope, right?


[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

"Wow. He must have been ancient." It's weird imagining such a man so old. Old people can't be evil. That's just nonsensical. Maybe he wasn't so vile, after all.

Suou Nicole follows the elderly woman into the room. She stares at all the vials, wondering what they all do, especially the green ones. Green's her favorite color, by the way.

The girl nods to the advice, and grabs the vial given to her. After smelling it, she decides it probably tastes pretty bitter as well. (Can't they ever make medicine taste like fruit or sugar or something?) Holding her breath, she tries to get it down all in one gulp (horribly failing, requiring her to take a breath before swallowing the rest), and quickly sitting down on the couch.


[Hueco Mundo]
The Arena

Lagoshta falls silent and steps back.


Baatar, the shirtless muscled bear guy, takes his place and steps forward. "I'm first," he says in his deep voice that sounds more like growling than a voice.

[Dorizzit]

[Mortal World]
Room 108

Naito throws Miya a mock salute.

"I don't have anything else I need from you. I hope you find the martial arts scene here to be to your satisfaction."

Standing up, Naito stretches, then walks towards the mats on the ground. With a sigh, he begins to gather them up to haul them back to their storage closet.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

Sitting on the couch quickly turns out to be the correct solution, because a couple of seconds later Nicole can feel strenght leaving her limbs, leaving her unable to move anything but her eyes. Worse, once the potion reaches her stomach, it feels like it's turned into a bunch of live eels squirming inside her and slowly working their way along her spine to her brain.

"This might feel a little unpleasant", the elderly person says, still smiling, reaching to feel Nicole's ribs through what remains of her clothes, painfully applying pressure on the fractured parts.

"Ah, it's not as bad as I thought. I don't even need to rearrange anything. You'll be good as new in a couple of hours. I'm going to catch some coffee now. I'll send my Vice-Captain to check on you as soon as I find him. Try to relax." And then the elder, still smiling, leaves paralyzed Nicole alone on the couch. Alone, with the "eels".

Just before the door closes, the hapless girl can hear the elder's voice echoing from the corridor: "Please tell Nanoha-fukutaichou to check in at reception room 36."

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

Shigure on a rare moment of free time is quick to receive the summons as a practical swarm of Hell Butterflies swarm just out of reach of his hands as he tries to bat them away, other requests or summons put on hold for the more pressing meeting. He trudges his way from his quarters to the Temple, a cup of steaming hot tea in hand yet untouched, making a polite bow once past the doors. "You called, Honorable Grandmother?" he mumbles with a yawn, holding out the cup of tea with another polite bow once he's finally found the elderly Captain.

[Frozen_Feet]

Zheng Li Lin, the venerable Captain of Medicine and Logistics, blinks at the tired greeting of the Vice-Captain. "If times were not this turbulent, I'd order you to sleep more. You look awful", the Captain states solemnly, then beckons towards the reception room with the bamboo cane. "There's a young girl resting there. New member of the Pack, it seems. I gave her a draught to mend her broken bones. The green one. I need you to watch her in the case the sedative effect fades early. I don't want her running around in a psychotic fit, screaming there are eels inside her brain."

The Captain moves to limp past exhausted Nanoha. "I'll rejoin you as soon as I get a good cup of coffee. Dismissed."

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

Shigure glances down a little at the cup of tea, frowning though nods. "Of course Honored Grandmother. I will watch the patient until you return and restrain her if needed. It would be nice to have some rest, but you must worry more about that then me." he insists, trying to slip into the room and close the door with a low bow before taking a seat near the paralzyed warrior. "How are you feeling?" he asks in a tired drone, watching Nicole carefully. "I guess you can't answer can you, yet anyway. I am Vice Captain Nonoha, I will be taking care of you until the Captain returns. Please do not try to move, the side effects will subside in time."

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

This is a pretty disturbing feeling, like a bunch of slimy parasites climbing up her insides. It feels gross.

Nicole just wants to scream. She can't...she can only stare, screaming as loud as she can with only her eyes. Did she ever mention she hates the feeling of slimy animals, ever since that time where she got lost in that forest? No? Never mind, though - you can see her unpleasantness in her eyes.

The teenage(-looking) girl watches helplessly as Shigure walks in. If she could, she would snap at him "How do you think I'm feeling?". After that, she would profusely apologize, realizing it's not at all his fault, and she would notice he looks as tired as she feels, so there would even be a bit of empathy in the pleasant conversation they would have.

But she can't. Suou Nicole can only focus her mind on Shigure's face as she tries to distract her own thoughts from slimy slithery slugs and eels and snakes.


[Mortal World]
School Room 108

With a laugh, Miya says, "Okay, I will. See you later." She leaves the room, and starts her long walk home.

Unless she runs into a famous martial artist, a rogue hollow, or run-of-the-mill thieves, she successfully returns home without incident, and figures that she had a nice day.

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

Shigure slowly sips his tea, slowly relaxing with the short break from work he's been allowed. The swarm of butterflies continue to flap about him wildly though it seems he's learned to ignore them completely as he seems almost to melt into the chair with a sigh. "If I were allowed, I'd take you to one of the medicinal springs we have around the temple. I used to frequent them back before my promotion, scantily clad people running around helps the healing process you know?" he mumbles, pulling out a hand rolled cigarette. "Mind if I smoke? Blink twice if you don't." he continues though doesn't seem to heed wether Nicole is fine with it or not as he lights the cigarette up.

"If I didn't think the paralytic would wear off soon I'd go and get you some menthol salve. You're one of the Pack yes? Remind me when you are ready to leave to prepare you some namman muay for your next...training session." He stands slowly, moving over in a shuffled to inspect the young woman, his fingers pressing against her ribs and sides. "How did you get so badly damaged anyway. Not a hollow attack or there'd be more blood. This was the work of someone who didn't want you dead. But still brutal."

[AnimeKid]

Mortal World Higure's Classroom

Tamaki' raises an eyebrow as he says, "Hollow's huh? Seems like an apt enough classification. Though by how you talk about it it seems to be a standard name rather than one you created yourself. Is there some reference to them in texts or something?"

He pushes up his glasses reflecting the light off of them as he continues, "I'm just curious because you said that in terms of first hand experience we have encountered them more than you. Or do you have some sort of ability that helps you gather information?"

Soul SocietyCombat division

Naijeru rubs his chin in a contemplative manner. He was a charismatic man, but not much of a tactician. He did use to be a pirate after all. His expertise was usually on sea battles and avoiding the law. "Well, maybe we could use specific squads for certain areas? Like if there is a wide open area we send in two people who have a wind and fire zanpakuto respectively? Or if there is an area with a lot of choke points we send in an earth manipulator?"

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World
Classroom

"Hollows?" Kenzan's brow furrows at the word, not quite understanding its meaning. "So what exactly are they? And how come most no one else seems to see them?"

Soul Society
Kenpachi's Quarters


Dosan thinks for a moment, then pipes up.

Is there any way to consolidate the space we need to cover? Like minimizing division's areas? It'd be a bit crowded, but easier to protect.

"That would mean that the Divisions themselves would have to be willing to cooperate. Last I checked, they didn't really care what we thought. Even less now that we don't have Kenpachi."


Naijeru rubs his chin in a contemplative manner. He was a charismatic man, but not much of a tactician. He did use to be a pirate after all. His expertise was usually on sea battles and avoiding the law. "Well, maybe we could use specific squads for certain areas? Like if there is a wide open area we send in two people who have a wind and fire zanpakuto respectively? Or if there is an area with a lot of choke points we send in an earth manipulator?"

"That wouldn't be a bad idea, except that we don't have that many members left capable of Shikai. And of those that are left, we have very few members with anything more than a physical Shikai."

"For the time being, at the very least we'll need to consolidate some of the Squads. Focus purely on a defensive line. At least until we get some intel or orders to go on the offense." Kiba points to Hiju and Eiganjo. "You're going to need to combine and coordinate your squads to make sure we have enough people to cover Seireitei. Hanare, we need to figure out the best way to position your squad to provide artillery cover no matter where the enemy strikes next."

"More importantly than distribution and tactics, we need to somehow step up training without exhausting our guards. If anything was proven by the last attack, it's that we need to be stronger. But the last thing I want is an army constantly fatigued from training. That goes for all of us. Serireitei is counting on us to defend it, even if they won't acknowledge us as anything else." Kiba awaits responses from his officers. Sometimes it was hard to tell if he was giving orders or looking for suggestions, what with Kiba being a little socially stunted even for a member of the Pack.

Hueco Mundo
The Wilderness

Mikael's hand reaches down to poke an eye out, only to find a dense hide similar to the rest of the beast. It's not clear whether Victor Vicente is blinded, but it feels like punching through steel. As if the mask on the front was merely a hood ornament.

The smaller turrets finish their readjustment, angled to fire at Mikael without hitting the main body should they miss.

At the same time, Victor Vicente speeds forward on his treads over the bumpy dunes, putting Mikael through a bucking rodeo. He ramps off a dune and is about to go head first into the sands, attempting to crush Mikael as well as blast him off with the smaller turrets.

The Arena

Karasu continues to face Azmus, despite his potential opponent. The large, black blade of his scythe grinds along the ground as he wields it casually in one hand. He makes no visible reaction to Baatar unless the gauntlet is thrown.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

Mikael squeezes as hard as he can, but to no avail. The devil's eyes are no less armored than the rest of its body after all. The mortal hangs desperately from the horn of the trashing beast, until a shot from one of the cannons makes his hold slip. Mikael is send flying to the side in a low arc, hitting the ground and rolling in the dirt limp like a rag doll before stopping.

"Hmmm." Lying flat on his back, arms spread wide, Mikael ponders what he should do. White sand covers his body, glued in the inky black substance that supposedly is his blood. He might be able to move, but doing so seems to have little point, as he's out of ideas what to do about the rampaging man-beast. He'd let it come to him for a change.

Pain is slowly making room for exhaustion and cold numbess. That can't be a good sign. On the other hand, he's feeling oddly calm. Te fight has gone on long enough that the wonder and terror of the situation have abated. Maybe that's what approaching death does to you?

It makes him mildly annoyed, though. His first time meeting and fighting someone presumably of his own kind, and he'd lost. What an unsatisfying manner to end his days.

Wait, how long has he been laying on the ground? It doesn't seem likely the white devil would leave him alone for this long. Has the constant throwing around messed Mikael's sense of time? Drowzily, the mortal turns his head to look at where the beast was raging last. Maybe he could get a cheap shot in by playing dead? In his condition, at least the "playing dead" part would be easy to achive.

---

[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

The door of the reception room creaks as the elderly Captain sneaks back in. "I recall telling you I'd rather not have people smoking indoors. Mortal scientists have proved it's not good for our patients' well-being. Or yours, for that matter", Li quips, smiling slightly. "How's our patient? Is she coming to yet?" Shigure might notice his captain is carrying a stack of papers in the hand not holding the bamboo cane.

"I figured this would be a splendid chance to rid ourselves of some of the paperwork that keeps piling up. These are some of the new orders from our fresh Commander-General. Non-classified, of course, so no-one has to kill her for hearing us. Well, at least no immediately, I reckon Internal Security has more urgent matters to take care of." Li hands the stack of papers to Shigure. "Shall we?"

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

Shigure looks at the smoldering cigarette longingly for a moment before putting it out with a sigh, glancing at Nicole with a shrug. "She's not started screaming yet. She's a bit overdue if you ask me." The paperwork puts an instant frown on the tired Vice Captain's face though he dutifully starts to page through them when they're handed to him. "I love paper work honorable Grandmother. Shall I leave you to your patient?"

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

Sadly, Suou Nicole doesn't have the opportunity to answer Shigure's questions. Maybe if he asked her again when she wasn't concentrating so hard, she would answer. However, he could deduce what happened easily-enough.

Doubly unfortunate, she doesn't even bother to spy on their non-classified paperwork. As the Captain and her Vice-Captain start discussing and handing the paperwork, Suou slowly brings up her legs towards her chest, and tightly squeezes herself into a fetal position. "Make it go away," she finally whimpers, blinking twice.

Since Tebryn commented that Shigure started to inspect Suou's injury, I just remembered that I had forgotten to give her a proper description. The rib is definitely the worst injury she has, and the only one that won't heal naturally in one to two days. She has several bruises, also from first day training. Besides that, all the other wounds are fairly superficial. (Speaking of blood, her feet are torn up from walking so far barefoot, but that's nearly healed already; she has a cut on the palm of her right hand with the blood still moist, but that one is obviously self-inflicted, judging by the positioning; also, her hair is matted together with week-old dried blood.)


Hueco Mundo
The Arena

Neither does Baatar make a visible sign of aggression against anyone else, yet. That's what honor is - not attacking someone before it's time. He waits.


Valentina sits up, noticing the interesting part will start soon.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Soul Society] Kenpachi's Quarters
Dosan frowns, out of ideas.

Sir, I'm open for training whenever you need me. I'm experienced, and can help newer recruits, if needed.

[Mortal World] Higure's Classroom
Higure laughs a little, looking embarrassed.

Not a text exactly... My, ah, sword told me.

He draws Untaidake from her sheath and sets her on his desk.

Oh, and apparently Hollows are like ghosts. But ones that were unable to move on.

[Hueco Mundo] The Arena
Azmus looks down the line of recruits. Seeing no one stand up to fight Baatar, he points to one at random, an average sized arrancar named Greven.

You. You're up. Both of you step into the circle, and when you're in the middle, you can start. First one to be incapacitated or be knocked out of the circle loses. Whenever you're ready, gentlemen.

Greven trots eagerly to the center of the circle, turning to face Baatar and drawing his katana.

Come on, big guy. Let's go.

Greven smiles mockingly at Baatar. As Baatar reaches the center of the circle, Greven swings at Baatar's left shoulder.

[DiscipleofBob]

Hueco MundoThe Arena

Stepping forward among the potential candidates was someone who gave even some of the other fraccion potentials pause. Karasu, as he had come to be known, standing far taller than any normal-sized human and well above the majority of the competition, stood and waited silently.


The Arena

Karasu continues to face Azmus, despite his potential opponent. The large, black blade of his scythe grinds along the ground as he wields it casually in one hand. He makes no visible reaction to Baatar unless the gauntlet is thrown.


[Hueco Mundo] The Arena
Azmus looks down the line of recruits. Seeing no one stand up to fight Baatar, he points to one at random, an average sized arrancar named Greven.

You. You're up. Both of you step into the circle, and when you're in the middle, you can start. First one to be incapacitated or be knocked out of the circle loses. Whenever you're ready, gentlemen.

Greven trots eagerly to the center of the circle, turning to face Baatar and drawing his katana.

Come on, big guy. Let's go.

Greven smiles mockingly at Baatar. As Baatar reaches the center of the circle, Greven swings at Baatar's left shoulder.

Hueco Mundo
(The Arena)

Perhaps Karasu was not clear in his intent. He rarely was. But the tall, mute arrancar apparently does not like to be ignored. Before the two can truly clash, Karasu dashes between them, scythe and wings ready. Two against one? And they're flanking him? He appears to accept those odds just fine. Karasu tightens his grip and raises his scythe to deflect the coming blow from Greven while watching to see what action is needed for Baatar.

Hueco Mundo
(The Wilderness)

The tank-arrancar circles around and aims its cannons at Mikael, attempting to play dead on the ground. Victor Vicente was not hoping for a corpse, he was hoping for a spirit. One that could become a mighty hollow to serve under him. But now he questioned that motive, whether his opponent would be worth trying to control if he gave Victor Vicente this much trouble.

Another barrage of Ceros should do the trick. If that didn't work, he'd simply have to run Mikael down the old-fashioned way. The cannons take a moment to adjust their aim as they charge up...

Mortal World
(Classroom)

Kenzan blinks a few times. The ghost-thing made sense... sort of. Why other people apparently couldn't see them. Why they seemed so monstrous. There were a lot of questions it raised, but Kenzan didn't know anything about ghosts, so he couldn't really comment on what would be normal for that or not. It's the other thing that confuses him more. "Your sword... told you?" At first Kenzan thinks it's some kind of samurai-lingo or jargon, rather than an actual talking sword. But he's still trying to wrap his head around the concept.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

Mikael blinks as he watches the giant armadillo-man wheel around inch by inch and re-aim its cannons with comical slowness. He can't help a slight giggle escaping his lips as he crawls back up. Each movement feels like it takes an eternity - Mikael's body feels heavy as lead, and several times he feels as if he's already moved his limbs, only to notice they haven't budged.

Wait, he's heard of this phenomenom, or at least something similar to it - sleep paralysis. That moment when your mind is already awake, but your body is asleep and incapable of responding. But if that's the case, what exactly is his mind awakening to? Or is he simply hallucinating as his spirit is trying to flee his dying body? All things considered, the latter doesn't seem that implausible of an option.

As he rises up, Mikael catches a glimpse of his right arm. It has... seen better days. Curious, the mortal lifts it before his eyes, even as the white devil's cannons keep shifting towards him.

At first, Mikael thinks his hand and arm are merely covered in blood, but on a second look, it's obvious all skin has peeled off it, leaving only exposed muscle, or exposed bone in the case of the tips of his fingers. White dust is stubbornly clinging into the wet surface. It occurs to him cleaning up the wound will be one hell of a task once the battle is over, provided he can make it.

Wait, the white devil still hasn't fired? Mikael glances at the cannons, noting that they are pointing directly at him, but it seems the white devil is still in the process of creating his ammunition. Odd... why isn't he hearing the voice? It occurs to Mikael that if things truly are moving as slowly in relation to him as he is perceiving, then the sound might simply not have reached him yet, or perhaps it's been distorted to such low frequency he is unable to hear it.

Oh dear. He can see the first barrel firing. But the projectile is moving towards him barely faster than a thrown ball! If his body could just keep up with his mind, dodging it should be a trivial matter! But even though Mikael feels he is speeding to the side, his body keeps lagging behind, as if it is an anchor that's he's forced to pull after him. But even more curiously, the harder the mortal pushes himself to get out of the way, the slower the projectile seems to move! When it is but mere inches from his face, it seems to have almost stopped still.

"Liiku! Liiku nyt, perkele!", the mortal shouts in his mind, but his lips have barely opened when he's already ended his sentence. Slowly, like a continent changing its place across untold aeons, his head tilts to the left, the projectile missing him by just half an inch. A century seems to pass before Mikael feels the shockwave of it speeding past him.

But it was merely the first one. Mikael can count them from the air. Unfortunately, the barrage is so vast that even if can dodge them all, he will still be caught inside the blast radius. The mortal's mind screams in rage, because he can see it right there before him the place he must get to, but his stupid body stubbornly refuses to get him there. Frustrated, his mind turns back to the projectiles - one of them is just slightly before him, black dart flying through the air like a distant falling star. As he observes it, the mortal gets an idea. Carefully, he reaches forward with his left hand, wrapping it around the black dot as if catching a fly in midair. The projectiles obviously have some sort of physical substance, so if he can match its speed and movements...

Of coure, to the white devil, events hardly seem to pass at such tranquil pace. All he sees is the mortal stand up, trying to dodge, and then getting violently thrown aside again by the shockwave of multiple black projectiles hitting the ground next to him. Again, the mortal bounces and rolls in the dust, like a rock thrown across surface of the water, before stopping next to small dune. He ends up curled into a fetal position, trembling from pain... no, that's not right. He's trembling because he is giggling madly. The white devil can hear the mortal's faint, raspy voice echoing through the air.

---

[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

"Oh no, I don't want you to go anywhere. We seldom have time to discuss at our own leisure these days, and I'm going to remedy it right here and now", the Captain states to the weary Vice-Captain. "This is a query I received from, *ahem*, Sparrow-soutaichou. It's about all the people who've gone missing in the Rukongai in the past few weeks. I'd like to know what your opinion is..."

The elder's sentence is cut short by Nicole's feeble whimpering. "Ah, it seems our patient is recovering!" The Captain shifts around to fit in Nicole's line of sight. "Don't worry, the hallucinations will wear out within a couple of hours. Your rib will fix as well. It is, however, imperative you don't move around much, or the bone might heal wrongly. You will be ready to resume practicing with your new acting Captain next morning."

"Just take this as a lesson to not get yourself so badly hurt again", Li finishes with a smile.

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

Shigure waits until the Captain finishes with her patiant, using the time to look over the documents before finally giving a shrug. "I wasn't even aware until today. Is this not something the Internal Divisions should be taking care of? Or must we find the corpses to bury ourselves?" he mumbles as he pinches his nose. "More of a mess then we need with the wounded. It's probably linked with the attack on the Scarlet Garden. Has any investigation been sent in to look into criminal activites? Have any Shinigami gone missing? Perhaps a Hollow got loose and snuck past the radar. There's a myriad of answers it could be."

[Frozen_Feet]

Li turn to look at Shigure. "Oh, there are myriad reasons why it could have happened. The Science Institute, I think, passed a statement claiming that it was due to personnel reallocations. They certainly have something shady going on at the moment. But that's not what I wanted your opinion on, nor something we can safely discuss in the first place."

"I want to hear your opinion on our new commander. Granted, I'm not sure if you've even managed to catch a glimpse of her yet. She hasn't chosen a Vice-Captain yet as far as I know."

"The sole reason I'm not in a Captain's meeting right now is because that would mean leaving our flow of new rectruits unsupervized, and we can't afford that. But I'm not sure we can afford two-thirds of our high command being forced to abandon their post to explain..."

Li's voice trails off. "... come to think of it, wasn't Kiba-san supposed to be in that meeting? Suou-san, do you have any idea why he was fighting you instead of attending it?"

[5a Violista]

[Hueco Mundo]
The Arena

Valentina sits forward in her seat. Wow, this just got interesting. Was that on purpose? She glances at Azmus, trying to read him. "Azmus, you sly dog. Just what are you planning?" she asks under her breath.

There's now a small chance that she'll lose the bet.


Baatar Baabgai was just going to grab Greven and throw him out of the ring. But, no, this winged hothead just had to jump in the way. Baatar growls at the new opponent.

The bear of a man steps forward, while ducking, to throw a crushing punch at Karasu's foot. His other gauntleted hand remains free to grab any readied counterattack.


[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

pleasestopandgoawayandpleasestopgoaway -- she thinks with all her might. She doesn't move, afraid it'll take longer to heal if she so much as stretches her legs.

But something catches her attention! Shigure mentions the attack on the Scarlet Garden. Maybe they know something about it! Unfortunately, they don't say anything else about it, but Suou's rather lucky that she started paying attention then. Otherwise, she would have had to ask to repeat the question.

"Well, you just said it was a Captain's meeting. Kiba's not a Captain, he's just the Vice-Captain, isn't he?" Nicole wrongly assumes there's a Captain.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Mortal World] Higure's Classroom
Higure stutters, embarrassed at how silly that sounds.

Essentially, yeah. This sword isn't really a sword, it's like... an extension of my soul, I guess. Or my grandfathers. I inherited it from him, and, well...

Higure explains a paraphrased version of his backstory:
Higure was born in Japan, but grew up in Minnesota, USA. His family was rather strict, as well as rich, so Higure got the best education possible, getting his bachelors in physics at 23. That same year, Higure’s grandfather, who was still in Japan, died. Higure went to his funeral, and was given a odachi, along with a note. The note said that the sword was called Untaidake and that his grandfather wanted him to have it.

When Higure got back to his hotel room, he examined the sword, unsheathing it. As he felt the edge, he accidentally cut himself on it, which teleported his consciousness into Untaidake's spirit realm, a castle courtyard. He was met there by Untaidake, a giant green scorpion, who explained the wakizashi held great power, and Higure's grandfather wanted Higure to have it. Higure accepted, and without warning, Untaidake stung Higure, injecting him with a serum that transferred part of his ancestor's power into him.

((Sorry, I couldn't think of a better answer...:smallredface:))

[Hueco Mundo] The Arena
Greven, surprised by the crow arrancar's action, loses his grip on his sword, letting it fly back behind him, straight toward's Lagoshta. Lagoshta ducks, wide eyed, then charges Greven, who also ducks, leaving Lagoshta's lunge barreling straight towards Karasu.

Azmus, flashes a smile to Valentina, then turns back the other arrancar, who are glancing between him and the fighting.

What are you waiting for?

With that, the remaining four arrancar draw their various weapons and charge into the melee.

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World
(Classroom)

"I, uh.. huh..." Obviously it wasn't anywhere close to the answer Kenzan was guessing. We went from strange white-masked monsters, to ghosts, to a talking sword, to giant green scorpion in a castle. Kenzan was willing to believe most anything at this point, but even this was stretching it. Regardless, there was the obvious question. "So... what happens now?"

Soul Society
(Combat Corps)

"We all need to train. Both ourselves and our recruits. But at the same time we can't be always pushing ourselves as we're used to doing. The last thing we want is to get attacked again and be tired from fighting each other." Kiba thinks about how he personally needs to find a way to step up his training. While he excelled in raw power, he still could not even use Shikai, despite knowing the name of his broken Zanpakuto. A few weeks ago he would not have given any thought to this, but now if he was going to lead the Pack he had to step up. "If anyone knows of any fast-track training regiments, now's the time."

Hueco Mundo
(The Wilderness)

The smoke has not even cleared yet, but Victor can still hear the raspy voice. Unsure of whether he was hearing the still-yet-miraculously-alive wonder, or finally his spirit, Victor charged forward, his tank treads accelerating as they approached. If he still lived, Victor would run him down until he stopped. If his spirit was separated from his mortal form, Victor would ensure that the chain was broken, and perhaps still try to salvage something from this fight.

Hueco Mundo
(The Arena)

With a large flap of his wings, Karasu ascends about ten feet. With any luck, the arrancars Lagoshtar and Baatar should collide into each other, making them easy prey as Karasu swung his massive scythe overhead on whatever prey awaited below as he and his scythe descended.

At the same time, the ensuing melee required more than just his blade. With one flap of his wings Karasu shoots several spiney missiles which unfold as they attempt to hit the targets below.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Temple of Ho-ou

Li looks sadly at Nicole. "Kiba is our acting Captain. His predecessor had an... unfortunate accident."

---

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

As the white devil rumbles towards the fallen mortal, a figure crawls on one knee inside the dust. Oh rats, it seems the mortal is still stubbornly clinging to life. As the devil gets closer, it can see that Mikael is grinning madly with his eyes wide open... oh wait, that's not it. His teeth and eyes are merely exposed because his lips and eyelids have been torn off. Mikael's left hand is pulled back, as if he's preparing to... punch the devil? Such a laughable gesture! How could such a miserable wretch punch through the devil's armor, when he couldn't do so previously.

But wait - something's odd. As the devil rolls closer to the mortal at ever-increasing speed, it might notice that Mikael's closed is trembling violently, as if something alive was struggling inside it with all its might to get free.

To Mikael, the advancing wall of white doom seems to move slowly like an iceberg detaching itself from a distant glacier. Inside, he is laughing as he (in his perspective) slowly extends his left arm towards the horned head of the devil. "<Hee? Ah 'a'na'ed tho chatshhh un>", he mocks, unable to pronounce the words correctly. But the next word cuts clear through all the rumble and clatter: Improve.

To the devil, Mikael seems to take a wild swing towards it, much before his fist has any change of connecting with its head. But at the same moment, the mortal opens his fist, and just before the devil's threads crush him underneath, a black sphere blooms into existence just before the devil's eyes, rapidly expanding to fill its whole field of vision. The air wails as if a million lost souls were screaming in unison.

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]
Temple of Ho-ou

Shigure nods, keeping his eyes on the papers before him intently. "You'll forgive me Honored Grandmother but I've not had time to weigh in on the new Commander though any new management will feel stifling to how we operate. New rules and obligations to work around and figure out how to circumvent so that we can do our work." He seems to have no opinion on the Captains meeting either, merely shrugging about the terminology and titles. [COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]"Beating up new recruits is important too, it would seem."

[5a Violista]

[Hueco Mundo]
The Arena

A little collision does happen, but Baatar isn't going to fall over anytime soon, given how one fist is smashed into the dirt where Karasu was once standing.

Fortunately for him, being low near the ground is usually a good thing when trying to avoid in-flight attacks.

With his muscular free hand, he'll grab Lagoshta in the kidney and hold him above himself. With any luck, the meat shield will block the brunt of the scythe.

((How much godmoding control over the NPCs will we have in this brawl?)) (If none, then Baatar's grabbing of Lagoshta may fail.)


[Soul Society]
Temple of the Ho-ou

"Oh," says Suou. "That's sad." Unfortunate accidents area always sad. It's almost as sad as...
She starts to get lost in her thoughts again, staring at nothing in particular. I'm sure that, if she were distracted again, she would snap back into reality easily.

[DiscipleofBob]

Hueco Mundo
Wilderness

Even if Victor Vicente was not completely unprepared for getting hit with his own Gran Rey Cero, there would not have been anything he could have done anyway. His mind refused to register that he would be outgunned by his own attack, that there was someone who might be stronger, who could achieve victory over him. Him. The general who in life had carved out his empire, who could be only killed by the combined forces of all his enemies assassinating him in the night. He was a god among men. He was a legend. He was...

...completely overwhelmed. Any screams he might have made were drowned out by the massive explosion. For what seemed like forever, the giant grey dome crackling with red electricity was visible for miles around. When the energy finally dissipated, Victor Vicente was suprisingly still in existence, but not by much.

The giant tank form was reduced to a meager skeletal frame, nearly three quarters of it having been obliterated. In the center, now exposed, was Victor Vicente's body, his real, vulnerable body, now stuck in his crippled, immobilized Resurrection state. His eyes are glazed over as every inch of him writhes in agony. <"I... will... not... go... quietly!>" Another turret forms, this time out of Victor Vicente's own chest. The energy starts to gather, as the exterior of Victor Vicente starts to disintegrate.

The Gran Rey Cero becomes more powerful when combined with the blood of the arrancar, and there's definitely a lot to fuel it. At most, Victor Vicente might get off one more shot after charging for a good solid minute. Just firing it would be enough to finish himself off, a literal suicide attack.

That is, if Mikael doesn't just step in and finish the job right here and now, an easy feat given VV's current state.

Hueco Mundo
(The Arena)

Lagoshta's body is cleaved in two with a single swipe of the scythe. Several of the other Arrancars are either wounded or killed from the barrage of feather-missiles from earlier. If any other Arrancar join the fight, Karasu pays them no mind. The collateral from fighting Baatar alone will take them out.

As the crow-arrancar descends, his twirling scythe takes another pass, this time aiming specifically for Baatar.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

One second, the mortal is nowhere to be seen. Next, he is standing right before the crushed general's eyes, merely one meter away from him, as if he'd always been there.

Soot and sand cover every inch of the mortal's body. He looks like a perverse anatomical model, with all skin having been flayed off the front of his body, and the lack of hair, nose, lips or eyelids having reduced his face to state eeriely similar to the skull-like masks of the monstrous creatures.

You tried that once before. What makes you think it will stick now? 49 seconds to explosion.

Mikael kneels before the agonized devil, and catches the gun barrel protruding from his chest with his right hand, easily crushing it shut.

You will not do that. You will not kill yourself. You will, however, tell me why I am here. 35 five seconds. The mortal presses his disfigured face within a mere inch's distance of the devil's agonized eyes, his bloodshot, bare eyes staring right into those agonized orbs of the white devil.

You will call off that shot of yours. 29 seconds. You will tell me what I want to know. 21 seconds. Then, I'll put you out of your misery. 15 seconds.

Mikael lifts his left hand high, clenching it to a fist, preparing to punch the dying cretin before him until its skull caves in. You have five seconds to make your decision. 10... 9... 8...

[DiscipleofBob]

Hueco Mundo
(The Wilderness)

What is that emotion in Victor Vicente's eyes? Pain? Fear? Anger? Insanity? Some combination of the above? They are the eyes of someone who is about to die a second time. His body is already collapsing, disintegrating as the last of his energy was meant to go into one last bang. But now the once-great general will end not with a bang, but a mere whimper. Reduced to this low, pathetic creature. A creature who was once a god among men, and treated his subjects like ants to be stepped on. Now he it but a maggott before a true god.

The energy from the Gran Rey Cero continues to build. Perhaps Victor Vicente is still too delirious with pain to even notice. Whether or not it ends up firing, blowing up inside him, or just completely fizzling seems to matter little now as his body continues to be destroyed. <"And now I die for the second time. Let us see if there is a third life beyond this one. To the victor go the spoils of war...>" he barely manages to spit out, reduced to rambling incoherently into the pain.

Whether or not the Gran Rey Cero ends up firing, Victor Vicente's body will collapse into shambles, eventually dust mingling into the sands of Hueco Mundo.

What little remained of his hollow army watches in the distance. Watch as their leader dies pathetically before fleeing, trying to evade the notice of the newcomer.

Victor Vicente is dead.

[Frozen_Feet]

Mikael can feel the barrel heat up and swell as energy keeps up building inside it. The white devil is not going to go out peacefully, it seems. Unable to do much else, the mortal squeezes the barrel tighter, and utters the magic word: Reduce.

The resulting explosion is still hardly a small one. For a moment, the night is illuminated by bolts of red lightning splitting the sky. But force of the explosion is directed not towards Mikael - instead, the blast follows the law of least resistance, and rips through the white devil's spine, continuing to the horizon.

Mikael stares as flesh flakes off from his adversary and he crumbles to the very same substance that makes up the sand of the desert. If he still could, Mikael would blink. His adversary's last words ring in his eyes..."die for a second time"... does it mean that he, too, is dead? That would make a depressing amount of sense. But if the terrain around him is the afterlife, well, it is the most disappointing one in existence.

Tired, Mikael slumps to his knees. What will he do now? How can he ever get back to the world of the living? Sense of touch is fleeing from his hands - as he lifts them before his face, he they are already crumbling to dust, just like the devil.

No. He can't let that happen. Through his dimming vision, Mikael focuses on his hands. He needs to stop this somehow... bandage his wounds... keep his body from falling apart... but how? There is no suitable material anywhere! Even his adversary's body is leaving not even his former white clothes behind.

Oh wait - the sand! If the sand of the desert is clinging to his bloodied muscles liek a second skin, well, it can then become so! Shakily, Mikael claps his hands together, and utters one more word: Improve.

There is a flash of blue light, and when it dies down, it seems as if the wounded mortal has been replaced by a salt effigy frozen in praying position. But then, the effigy's joints crack, and it rises up, excess sand trickling down from its surface.

Mikael can't see himself, of course, but his body has been coated in a smooth, white shell, hiding his horrible state from the rest of the world. Of course, this glazed sand is hardly flexible, so moving his fingers and limbs causes it to crack at places. It's hardly a permanent solution, but it will have to do.

Unbeknowst to the mortal, the blood left behind by the white devil is slowly trickling through the sand, pooling at his feet and then climbing up his legs. As he starts walking, the river of blood flows up his back, and draws a dragon chewing its own tail on his left shoulder.

Mikael decides he will not be demoralized by his failure to squeeze an explanation out of his adversary. There were other monsters like him... like them. Catching one and making it explain should be... trivial, compared to the feat of strenght and endurance he'd just achieved.

With those thoughts in mind, Mikael starts running after the fleeing demons of the night.

[5a Violista]

[Hueco Mundo]
The Arena

Poor Lagoshta. I'm pretty sure nobody liked him anyway.
Valentina looks to make sure Lugaru's still alive...he is. Lucky him. He's definitely the cutest, even though he's not quite the strongest. She's not too fond of birds. Their eyes are just too...peering. Like they can see into your soul.


Baatar remains holding onto the cloven arrancar's body. Might come in handy sooner or later. And, it soon does. Baatar, still on the ground, whips the piece of Lagosta around before tossing it towards the Crow-Arrancar. Hopefully, it works.

Then, there's the problem of the scythe. Baatar finally uses his freed-up hand to attempt a grab on the spinning scythe. Even if it cuts into his hand...I mean, his gauntlet-covered hand, it's worth it to hold this flying opponent in place.


Meanwhile, in the [Mortal Realm...]
City Center

Tsukamoto Miya has been out buying food for the house, since nobody else does it for her. She glances behind herself again. Is that man looking at her? If she's not mistaken, he has been following her for the last couple minutes.

She increases her pace through the crowd.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Temple of Ho-ou


pleasestopandgoawayandpleasestopgoaway -- she thinks with all her might. She doesn't move, afraid it'll take longer to heal if she so much as stretches her legs.

But something catches her attention! Shigure mentions the attack on the Scarlet Garden. Maybe they know something about it! Unfortunately, they don't say anything else about it, but Suou's rather lucky that she started paying attention then. Otherwise, she would have had to ask to repeat the question.

"Well, you just said it was a Captain's meeting. Kiba's not a Captain, he's just the Vice-Captain, isn't he?" Nicole wrongly assumes there's a Captain.



Shigure nods, keeping his eyes on the papers before him intently. "You'll forgive me Honored Grandmother but I've not had time to weigh in on the new Commander though any new management will feel stifling to how we operate. New rules and obligations to work around and figure out how to circumvent so that we can do our work." He seems to have no opinion on the Captains meeting either, merely shrugging about the terminology and titles. [COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]"Beating up new recruits is important too, it would seem."

Li looks at Shigure sighs. "I was... afraid you would say that. I feel we may have committed a grave mistake in choosing her to the position. It may be she's been away for too long..."

Nicole's confusion being palpable, Li knocks the floor with the cane and turns to adress her. "Unseated trooper Suou. Nonoha-fukutaichou will guide you back to your quarters at the Combat Division grounds. You will follow normal Combat Division schedule, save for evening remedial courses that will be held at the Spirit Academy. In case of Hollow assault, you are to follow your Acting Captain's orders."

Li gives a long glance at both of the others present, then rises up. "I'd love to keep chatting with you, but you both seem too tired for such heavy discussion. Nonoha-san, you are relieved from your duties for the rest of the day. I will make Seated Officer Tanaka take care of them. Go catch yourself a good cup of coffee."

The elder limps to the door and sneaks out of the room. "Have fun,you two."

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society]
Temple of Ho-ou

"Ah."

Suou nods. "Yes, ma'am. I'll be there tomorrow evening," she says.

Suou Nicole figures that, since Captain Li said it's fine to go now, she can safely get up and walk. She's ready to finally leave the room of slimy eely medicine and follow Nonoha out.

[Tebryn]

Shigure
[Soul Society]
Temple of Ho-ou

Shigure gives a gentle bow towards the elderly Captain at the orders though the look in his weary eyes shows that him following them isn't likely. He waits for the Captain to leave before looking at the unfortunate patient. "I'll hurry you along so you can get some rest. Please tell your Captain that despite your Divisions general methods of training that you should go easy on new recruits. Allow them to acclimate to the rigors we uphold our soldiers to."

Sawada
Soul Society
Western Edge of Seireitei

The meeting having ground down to a stalemate even before it was noticed that not all of the Active Captains had been gathered, Sawada took his leave of the official prancing about to oversee the most recent work being undertaken by the S.S.I. The edge of the Western Seireitei was a quiet place owing to the near by Noble Estates, the walls of the city well maintained along with the Gate leading out to the Rukon. Members of the S.S.I swarm about with various tools, taking measurements and running about in a hurry. Sawada survived it all from the top of the highest building, his Oni guards not far off, as an almost approving smile flickers over his lips. "Contact the Logistics Division. We'll hold the festival here." he murmurs to one of his aids who immediately shunpos off to deliver the message.

[Mina Kobold]

[Mortal Realm]
City Centre

Miya's increased pace is followed by another eye in the crowd. Yamamoto Rin, looking up from a recently-bought bento, raises an eyebrow at the sudden increase in Miya's pace before seeing the stranger following behind.

"Something's off..."

Standing and putting away the food while walking, Rin follows along as inconspicuously as possible. The young shopper was hopefully not in danger, but you never knew.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Western edge of Seireitei

The aide doesn't get very far, before he bumps to another messenger. After a brief exchange between them, both return to Sawada.

"Zheng-taichou is already coming to see you, Yasunobu-fukutaichou", the new messenger informs. "Should be here at any moment." Indeed, barely quarter of an hour passes before familiar tapping of a bamboo cane against the stone pavement echoes from the distance.

"Weird minds think alike, it seems. Funny you would send a word to my Division just when I was already coming this way", Li greets. "I have quite a few things I'd like to discuss with you. But for the sake of courtesy, do tell why you wanted to see me."

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]
Western edge of Seireitei

Sawada blinks as he hears the second messenger's voice, glancing over his shoulder with a slight frown though quickly rights it when he spots Captain Li approaching. "I would be humbled by your presence, your wisdom is invaluable." He quickly motions at one of his Oni guards who brings a chair for the elder Captain, bowing slightly in respect. "We've had blood spilled in the Rukon as you know and the placement of a new Commander Captain at the head of our people. Auspicious times often warrant celebration and sacrifice. Did you know Captain that the S.S.I has had at least two hundred members threaten leave over my institution at the head of our esteemed organization?" he asks gently, taking care to keep his tone polite in the presence of Li. He quickly takes a seat when it's brought, glancing over the area their vantage point oversees.

"We would like to erect a new headquarters here on the western walls of the Seireitei, the White Tiger Gatehouse, and tradition dictates we hold a festival to consecrate the grounds and give good luck and fortune for our endeavour. I would like to requisition building supplies and the food stores for this festival. Would you like some tea Captain?" he asks gently.

[Frozen_Feet]

Li nods at the Oni and sits down. The elderly captain listens intently to Sawada's explanation. "Two hundred, you say? That number has come up a lot lately", Li replies quizzically. "Forgive me, sorcerer, by I can't agree on these times being "auspicious" in the slightest. Nor do I think it is a proper time for festivities."

"Construction tools and supplies will be provided as usual, though I must ask - why here? You know as well as me that the next Hollow assault will likely reach the walls. Starting a major construction project here seems like an invitation to disaster. Unless, of course, you are planning to lay a trap."

"Tea would be most welcome."

[Tebryn]

"There was a bit of a fight during the Captains meeting." Sawada mentions in an almost off hand manner, motioning to another member of the division near by to fetch them some tea. "The stars speak volumes, waves of war and blood are in our future. Hollow activity has increased in the mortal world and the Scarlet Garden has been bathed in blood. The former Grand Sorcerer was slain in the chaos. The signs have shown that the halcyon days of summer are over, the peace bred in the warm months give way to harsh autumns and cruel winters. We have picked the West Gate for our new location as summer transitions to autumn. But the ravings of the priests must seem a bore for you. What can I do for you Captain Li?"

[Frozen_Feet]

"Oh, a few things. But most of all, I'd like to hear your opinion on our new Commander General. Why was there a fight? Was she upset?"

[Tebryn]

"The Commander Captain..." Sawada mumbles, toying with a lock of hair as a more lasting frown creases his face. "She is perhaps not what one would expect as a Commander. Brash, refuses to listen to her assembled Captains and generally uncouth. I attempted to explain to her that due to restructuring due to a change of leadership in the S.S.I her numbers of missing Shinigami was skewed. I cannot account for The Pack, who she also singled out rather bluntly, or their numbers however not a single piece of paper work goes through my Division without my overseeing it in due time. She then flaunted her newly gained position in my face when my answer did not...amuse her? I do not even attempt to guess what she misunderstood. The meeting dissolved from there by way of Captain Ueda pointing out that perhaps she was not proceeding in an appropriate manner. My opinion on the new Commander Captain is dim from my initial meeting. I fear for our people if she is at the helm of state."

[Frozen_Feet]

"Slow down, Yasunobu-san. You are starting to sound nervous", Li comments, picking up a cup of tea and taking a sip once the divisioner bringing tea arrives. "What you say comes off as no suprise, unfortunately. We of the old guard were... apparently too hasty to appoint her to this position. It seems she's been gone for too long to fit in any more." Another sip. "How unfortunate. We'd certainly need a person of her strenght in our ranks. But maybe she will do more good if relieved from her duties and allowed to do whatever her whim tells, as before."

Li sighs. "I will have to ponder upon this dilemma. Call a few old friends, see what they think. It is too bad Izanagi-sensei is no longer available to us. His wisdom would be invaluable." Silence. Sip, sip, sip.

The elderly captain puts down the cup, now emptied, and grabs the bamboo cane. It is apparent Li is preparing to leave. "I will put things on the move for your new construction project. Expect a few of my less over-worked seated officers to arrive shortly. But, before I go..."

"... would you mind telling me what exactly happened to those two hundred people you "repurposed"?"

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society]
Having left the Temple

Nicole nods in response to Shigure. "Alright. Thank you." She finally forces a smile (It would be a cute smile, if she were a bit more presentable), and walks out of the temple.

As soon as she leaves the Temple, she breaks into a run back to the quarters, glad that her rib's healed, despite the torturous methods to heal it. Upon arriving back there, she first cleans herself up before finding the bed that's now hers.


Mortal Realm
City Center-ish

The crowd starts to thin out - as she leaves the City Center and goes towards the neighborhood that she lives in. Miya keeps up her brisk pace before looking over her shoulder to see if the man's still following her. She hopes it was all just her imagination.

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]
Western edge of Seireitei

Sawada seems to be in no kind of rush as he waits for the elderly Captain to explain, his own tea remaining untouched as he keeps his eyes on the work below."It is natures way to replace and renew. Transition is always difficult. If you require assistance I will be here." he murmurs gently in agreement in the silence afforded him. He glances back at Li before standing as he notes the elder is getting ready to depart, even going so far as to offer a hand to aid her stand. "Thank you Captain Li, I hope dispite our disagreement you will attend the festival. It is not for our men, you must understand. The people of the Rukon are scared. A terrible slaughter was committed and the former Grand Sorcerer counted among the dead. They require something to ease their minds. We will be opening the gates for them just as much as we are doing it for our people here in Soul Society."

The air grows at the final question, those on hand unable to help stare at the Captains before hurriedly moving off to find something more important to occupy themselves with least they be noticed eavesdropping. "Exactly?" Sawada intones, tapping his lips with a painted nail. "A small portion of the S.S.I vocalized the desire to remove the vestiges of our ancient Order from our procedures with the loss of Grand Sorcerer Shenryu, thinking perhaps that I was more "modern" with my thinking. They vocalized their desire by storming my office in which my reply was to send them to the mortal world where they will spend some time working in less people oriented positions until I decide how to handle the issue. They are, as I assured the other Captains, no less productive than they were before. Perhaps even more so without the distraction of creating a schism here in Soul Society over a petty issue. Does this answer your question?"

[Soul Society]
Having left the Temple

Nanoha would chase after the woman, as asked to by his Captain, however he certainly is in no shape to be doing anything beyond a brisk stumble to the closest bed. However, he drags himself back to the Vice Captains offices to return to the piles of paperwork he had been dragged away from in the first place while he can still get away with it.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Western edge of Seireitei

Li glares intently at Sawada. "Ah, the tragedy of District 79. Today, I was reminded of an interesting little fact about that District."

The elder taps the ground with the cane. "Usually, districts are worse off the further they lie from our walls. 79 was one of the greatest exceptions to that rule. Do you know why, Sawada?"

---

[Mortal Realm]
Suburbs

Imagination? Hardly. Miya can see there's still a strange person at her heels. In fact, she is not in the least bothered by Miya noticing her - she waves to her as a greeting now that they have clear line of sight of each other.

Yes, she. Now that there are no excess people to obscure Miya's vision, she can notice that the follower is not a man, but rather just a tall woman dressed in a grey suit and a black tie. Actually, given her attire Miya would still be excused for mistaking her for a man at this distance, but the stranger's voice is a dead giveaway: "Why in such a hurry? You're walking as if a devil was on your heels."

[5a Violista]

[Mortal Realms]
Suburbs

Miya actually doesn't notice it's actually a woman until she speaks. Then, Miya stops and gives an absent-minded wave. Maybe Miya dropped something and the woman's trying to return it? Does this woman know her? Is she from the school? Or does she know her father?

Anyway, she stops and turns towards the approaching woman. "Oh. I-I was..." She looks down at the groceries in her hand. "I had to get back quickly to make dinner for when my father gets back from work." She looks back up, but her eyes betray her lie. Her father had just left a message on the phone saying he's gone to Tokyo for the week, and won't be back for a few days.

She just came up with that so she wouldn't have to admit she thought the woman was a stalker. She still thinks that, but wouldn't want to admit that to her face.

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]
Western edge of Seireitei

Li glares intently at Sawada. "Ah, the tragedy of District 79. Today, I was reminded of an interesting little fact about that District."

The elder taps the ground with the cane. "Usually, districts are worse off the further they lie from our walls. 79 was one of the greatest exceptions to that rule. Do you know why, Sawada?"

Sawada remains cool under the intent glare, gazing back at Captain Li almost impassively. "You understand as well as I, when a body is ill the sickness must be isolated if a cure is to be made. I am a scientist first and foremost and...fresh to a position requiring more empathy. I did what I felt had to be done to preserve safety to Soul Society. If you have more suggestions, I eagerly bow my head to your wisdom." He takes his seat once more seeing the elder Captain has yet to move, bowing his head almost in apology. " I am afraid you have me at a loss. I was born in the outer Rukon but never had the chance to visit the 79th District until I had to retrieve my fathers body. I am at a loss once again."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Mortal Realms]
Suburbs

The strange woman smiles faintly at Miya. It's looks like she's used to people being uncomfortable around her. Which is not much of a surprise, given her looks. Pale skin and dark make-up (wait, is it even make-up?) combined with her height and masculine posture (and clothes) sure serve to give her an intimidating presence. "Is that so. Well, I won't bug you for long, then. Unless you won't mind me accompanying you for the rest of the trip?"

As she catches up with Miya, the woman bows. "I'm Shiba Yui. Nice to meet you."

---

[Soul Society]
Western edge of Seireitei

"For centuries now, 79th District has been the home to the main branch of Suou family of minor nobles. That branch might now be extinct, save for a single person."

Li's eyes narrow, reflecting deep suspicion. "Mark my words, Sawada. If your confusion about the matter was not palpable, I would not be telling you this. Fortunately, you're a much worse liar than I presume you would like to be."

Li turns back towards Sawada and starts limping away. "The "Scarlet Garden" was no accident, and your father's death is very unlikely to have been a co-incidence. Someone wanted him and the Suou family out of the way. I'm not convinced it was the Hollows either. In fact, if what you say about the "modernist" you have "re-allocated", then it was almost certainly an inside-job. However, I can feel you are up to something of your own as well. This construction project of yours proves it. You are not free of my doubt until I have evidence towards contrary."

"From this moment on, you are under surveillance. Have an interesting day."

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]
Western edge of Seireitei

Sawada lets out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "It is because I have no desire or intention to lie to you, Captain Li. However I will keep this all under advisement. Until we speak again, do keep me updated. If what you say is true then my father wasn't killed in combat but murdered. I would like to know the truth of this matter." He remains cool under the accusation though makes no move to confirm or deny the Captain's suspicions, waiting for her to depart before taking a seat once more with a soft sight.

"Do you believe she suspects?" One of the towering Oni drones in a rebotic tone, the pair remaining as statures through out the whole meeting. Sawada gave a shake of his head, looking out at the building site. "Doubtful. Never the less, if we're being watched we'll just have to put on a show. Come, we've more to do today. I will visit with Acting Captain Kiba in person instead of unwelcome surprises."


Soul Society
The Pack Training Grounds

Sawada steps into the training grounds of the Pack, dressed down to a form fitting sleeveless vest and a pair of pair of baggy pants, tied at the ankles to avoid any loose flowing edges in which to grab. His zanpakuto hangs at his side in a rare display of it's true form, his posture ready for an attack. He motions to anyone near by, keeping his usual calm air as he speaks. "The S.S.I has business with Acting Captain Kiba. Fetch him."

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society
The Pack Training Grounds

Sawada steps into the training grounds of the Pack, dressed down to a form fitting sleeveless vest and a pair of pair of baggy pants, tied at the ankles to avoid any loose flowing edges in which to grab. His zanpakuto hangs at his side in a rare display of it's true form, his posture ready for an attack. He motions to anyone near by, keeping his usual calm air as he speaks. "The S.S.I has business with Acting Captain Kiba. Fetch him."

Soul Society
(Combat Division)

There were a few shinigami in Seireitei that Kiba could recognize by "scent," for lack of a better word. The captains and vice-captains, for example, had very distinctive scents, and the presence of someone from the SSI was rare, sticking out like a sore thumb. Kiba instantly perks up with a few sniffs, like a guard dog registering an intruder in their vicinity. "Meeting's over. Do what you must to get our troops ready, and train yourselves as well."

It's only a couple of unseateds whom Sawada finds actively training. Since they weren't among the new recruits, their training with Kiba this morning was marginally less brutal. If it were any other member of the SSI, they might have reacted with cold indifference, perhaps even rudeness depending on their moods. But with a Captain or a seated officer, they stiffen up. Fortunately, they don't have to fetch for Kiba. Having sensed Sawada almost as soon as he entered the area, Kiba's arrival was punctuated by the thunder of his Shunpo.

"What is it, Sawada?" Formality had always been one of the skills in which Kiba had been lacking, even when the former SSI Captain had been in charge. Unlike the majority of "the Pack," Kiba didn't automatically defer to the other captains, only certain ones like Zheng Li Lin or the Captain Commander. Of course there was also the fact that Kiba and Sawada had been "promoted" at the same time, though Sawada's new position was more official.

Hueco Mundo
(The Arena)

The arrancar-chunk flies into Karasu, the natural position of the scythe taking the bulk of the force as the mute arrancar flings it away. This gives Baatar the perfect opportunity to grab onto the scythe without risking injury to his hand.

His primary weapon momentarily neutralized, Karasu flaps his wings, trying to ascend and bring Baatar with him. Surely his opponent would not fare so well in the air.

[Tebryn]

Soul Society
(Combat Division)

Sawada slides a hand through his hair as the Acting Captain appears with a thunderous approach. "Greetings, Acting Captain Kiba. Congratulations on your recent promotion." He drones, the apathetic mask remaining regardless with who he speaks to. He seems not to mind any drop of formality, cleaning his nails as he continues to drone. "You were the topic of the recent Captain's Meeting or the lack of your presence was at least. The other Captains present gave you little thought. I doubt you care. Perhaps next time however your presence will be made, and their faces can be placed into a table as decorum dictates." He slowly draws his blade, casting a glance at Kiba before shrugging. "Shall we speak in your language?"

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society
(Combat Division)

Kiba visibly winces at the promotion comment. The Kenpachi's death still weighs heavily on his mind along with the added burden of duties suddenly upon him. He lets it slide though. He was never one to sugar-coat words either. "If they had wanted me at a meeting they should have sent for me. How am I supposed to know when those things are anyway?" he growls. Sawada draws his weapon for a sparring match. Apparently he thought that all Combat Division business was conducted over duels. It wouldn't be the first misconception that the SSI or other divisions had about "the Pack." Even if Kiba did have other duties to attend to, he wasn't about to turn down a challenge. He tied his headwrap tighter, braced his muscles to spring into action at a moment's notice, and took his stance. "Fine." At the very least, their apathy was matched, albeit in different flavors.

[AnimeKid]

Mortal World
(Classroom)

"I, uh.. huh..." Obviously it wasn't anywhere close to the answer Kenzan was guessing. We went from strange white-masked monsters, to ghosts, to a talking sword, to giant green scorpion in a castle. Kenzan was willing to believe most anything at this point, but even this was stretching it. Regardless, there was the obvious question. "So... what happens now?"




Mortal World
Classroom


Tamaki's expression remained carefully nuetral. After all he couldn't dismiss the story as it was no stranger than his own. However he just felt that the situation was...bigger that they were currently considering. Well he could dwell on those feeling later. After all it would probably be a while before a creature like that showed up again. They didn't seem to appear frequently after all. "Well I believe now we act as if everything is normal unless those things show up again. After all no need to panic innocents with what they can't see."

[Tebryn]

Soul Society
(Combat Division)

Kiba visibly winces at the promotion comment. The Kenpachi's death still weighs heavily on his mind along with the added burden of duties suddenly upon him. He lets it slide though. He was never one to sugar-coat words either. "If they had wanted me at a meeting they should have sent for me. How am I supposed to know when those things are anyway?" he growls. Sawada draws his weapon for a sparring match. Apparently he thought that all Combat Division business was conducted over duels. It wouldn't be the first misconception that the SSI or other divisions had about "the Pack." Even if Kiba did have other duties to attend to, he wasn't about to turn down a challenge. He tied his headwrap tighter, braced his muscles to spring into action at a moment's notice, and took his stance. "Fine." At the very least, their apathy was matched, albeit in different flavors.

"Temper temper. One expects the dog to be at it's masters heel in times of trouble. I believe our new Commander Captain is merely miffed you didn't rush to comfort her." Sawada scolds dispassionately. The other "Captain" wasn't pressing the attack, not unexpected since he wasn't the typical sword swinging opponent he was used to. "Kido Number 4: Byakurai" he drones, already moving as the kido leaves his finger. "They tell me that one hundred of your men have gone missing. Do you know anything about this Acting Captain Kiba?"

[5a Violista]

[Mortal Realm]
Suburbs

"Oh. Sure, go ahead," she says out of habit, before thinking Why did I say that? Next thing I know, I'll show up in the evening news.

Miya returns the bow. "I'm Tsukamoto Miya, championship fighter." "At least, that's the goal, anyway." Miya glances to the left and the right, not knowing what to say.


[Hueco Mundo]
The Arena

Baatar's no fool for tactics - he already knows that he's lost. Once he hits the ground, his own melee fighting won't be much of a match for flying hit-and-run tactics. Still, that doesn't mean he won't try to throw in a solid punch before he falls down.

His hand holing onto the scythe throws himself up. As a result, his other fist rockets towards Karasu, in an attempt to break Karasu's leg.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Mortal Realm]
Suburbs

"Championship fighter? In which sport? Or league? How do they classify these things nowadays?", the older woman muses. "I competed in Judo for a while when I was younger, too. It has changed a lot lately, though... do you know they removed three-point techniques from the scoring system? I don't know what they have against tripping these days..."

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World
(Classroom)

"That's it? We just treat these things like an occasional nuisance and go on as if nothing's out of the ordinary?" The answer clearly doesn't satisfy Kenzan, perhaps because it implies going back to a normal life when something finally interesting is happening.

Soul Society
(Combat Training Grounds)

The princess is trying to rile him up again. He probably thinks that riling Kiba up will make him sloppy. That couldn't be further from the truth, as Kiba quickly learned early on that his rage could be focused. "Did you come here to talk, make bad jokes, or fight? Pick one," Kiba scolds back as he ducks under the path of the lightning bolt, singing part of his head wrap. Charging forward, so low to the ground he was almost on all fours, his fist launches in an uppercut towards Sawada's face while he keeps an eye on Sawada's blade It was already considered bad form to bring Kido into a sparring match in the Combat Division, but Kiba was not about to complain. After all, if he was going to get stronger, he had to be prepared to fight all kinds of opponents. "We took the bulk of the casualties on the front lines in the last hollow attack. You know, the one that took your captain as well as mine." Kiba isn't being sarcastic or fecetious. He never understood the point of trash-talking during a fight.

Hueco Mundo
(The Arena)

Karasu's leg is hit square-on, but instead of breaking it just naturally bends. With no reason to keep it steady while he's in the air, Karasu suffers some major bruising and probably a fracture, but no clear break. It's a minor setback as Karasu continues to ascend, intending to drop Baatar from as high a height as possible.

[5a Violista]

[Mortal Ream]
Suburbs

Wow, Shiba Yui really knows how to make Miya feel comfortable quickly: distract her by talking about martial arts.

Of course, she suddenly feels a lot more comfortable talking with this strange woman now that Miya knows that she is also a martial artist. "No, I didn't know that," she says. "I wonder why, though."

After musing, Tsukamoto answers the question. "I don't know Judo very well. I much prefer Jiu-Jitsu." She shifts all the bags into one hand, so she can raise her fist in determination while staring off towards the falling sun. "I really want to win some American Mixed Martial Arts championship. The ones in that country are very prestigious, you know. Everyone there's really good. I want to win the Invicta FC eventually. You know, they have a business partnership with JEWELS, here in Japan. Every so often, the top fighters of JEWELS and of the Invicta go against each other. So, if I win, they'll have to invite me over there."


[Hueco Mundo]
The Arena

Shoot.

He hates flying people. They're so hard to hurt.

Baatar has no choice but to try again; maybe, that way, he'll bring down this bird-man with him.


Valentina looks up into the sky, trying to keep track of them. It's so very hard to see them that far up.

[Tebryn]

Soul Society
(Combat Training Grounds)

The princess is trying to rile him up again. He probably thinks that riling Kiba up will make him sloppy. That couldn't be further from the truth, as Kiba quickly learned early on that his rage could be focused. "Did you come here to talk, make bad jokes, or fight? Pick one," Kiba scolds back as he ducks under the path of the lightning bolt, singing part of his head wrap. Charging forward, so low to the ground he was almost on all fours, his fist launches in an uppercut towards Sawada's face while he keeps an eye on Sawada's blade It was already considered bad form to bring Kido into a sparring match in the Combat Division, but Kiba was not about to complain. After all, if he was going to get stronger, he had to be prepared to fight all kinds of opponents. "We took the bulk of the casualties on the front lines in the last hollow attack. You know, the one that took your captain as well as mine." Kiba isn't being sarcastic or fecetious. He never understood the point of trash-talking during a fight.

"I can multi-task." Sawada counters, shunpo-ing back away from the blow with a tsk. "Not the face Kiba." he mock scolds, giving his blade a twirl before launching forward once more with a high strike. "Oh? I hadn't heard about that yet. Why don't you fill me in? There was an attack on Soul Society?"

[Frozen_Feet]

[Mortal Ream]
Suburbs

"Something about favoring clean and strong throws with wide arcs, I suppose", Yui remarks, rolling her eyes. Mention of jujutsu makes her chuckle. "Jiu-jutsu? Are you studying one of the old schools, or that fashionable Brazilian thing? I'm very surprised if you got to either without learning Judo first, Judo is so much more common around here. Besides, much of them is the same thing, jsust different wrappings."

"Though I do suppose mixed martial arts has a wider selection of allowed techniques. I think many Judo clubs have cut off some old techniques that would be useful to know, even if not allowed in competitions. Sports are not be-all, end-all of martial arts, after all. As a sport, though, I'm not sure I like MMA. It's a bit more barbaric for my tastes. Judo is more refined."

---

[Soul Society]
Near the Temple of the Ho-ou

On the way back to the office, Zheng Li Lin summons up two Hell Butterflies to serve as messengers. Their orders are simple: "Word to Headquarters officer Suzaku Fuyu, and retired Internal Security officer Isamaru Myojin: special meeting with Captain Zheng Li Lin at Seireitei Main Hospital at sunset. Subject matter: critical organizational changes. Arrive with haste. Inform no-one of your arrival."

Li watches the butterflies flutter into the evening air, keeping on limping towards the ancient monastery.

[DiscipleofBob]

Hueco Mundo
(The Arena)

This time when Baatar hits Karasu, the crow arrancar explodes in a flock of skeletal birds which scatter. Even the scythe dissolves, leaving Baatar with nothing to support him very high above the Arena.

Soul Society
(Combat Training Grounds)

Shunpo as well, so early in what was supposedly a sparring match. But then Sawada starts talking nonsense, as if he didn't know about the hollow attack that massacred the 79th district and killed hundreds of Shinigami from all Divisions, including two Captains. Kiba breaks away from the combat with a quick dash backward, not yet bringing out his Shunpo. "Don't act dense. If you have something to say, speak plainly. If you're just here to act stupid and waste both our time, then we're done here."

[Tebryn]

Soul Society
(Combat Training Grounds)

"Such a simple thing, how boring. I believe I, and the fellow Captains, were implicating you in the loss of your men. Do you understand?" Sawada asks plainly, keeping an eye on the other man with the faintest hint of a smirk. "I also came to put your men to more practical use, we'll be having a festival in the Nobles section of the West Districts. I figured you'd like to join in. But back to the slaughter of your men. What do you know?"

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society
(Combat Training Grounds)

"Tch, typical. Blame the ones who took the brunt of the attack. If it weren't for my division on the front line of the attack, there probably wouldn't be a Soul Society left," Kiba snarles, "If it's information you want though, then if you somehow don't know it already, this was unlike any hollow attack I've ever seen since I first came to Soul Society. They were organized, they were many, and they were strong. There were hollows capable of taking on Captains and holding their own, even winning. There was no possible way to plan a defense for such an attack. If that kind of force attacked today, no matter how we prepared, we would be wiped out." Sawada mentions the festival. "A festival? Are you insane, or just abusing your newfound position while you're alive to have it? We're at war and need to prepare some kind of strategy for defending ourselves, which I'm sure you're probably going to leave me to do without any support as usual."

[KerfuffleMach2]

Mortal Realm

The School

In the air near the building, Arianna stands, her eyes watching the grounds below as her mind raced with various thoughts. Sawada may have thought little about mortal children taking on a Hollow on their own, but the notion didn't sit well with her.

As such, she decided to keep an eye on the kids for a little while.

[AnimeKid]

Mortal World
(Classroom)

"That's it? We just treat these things like an occasional nuisance and go on as if nothing's out of the ordinary?" The answer clearly doesn't satisfy Kenzan, perhaps because it implies going back to a normal life when something finally interesting is happening.



Tamaki looks over to Kenzan keeping the same cool look he always has on his face as he says, "If we make too much of a big deal out of it we could possibly cause people to panic or think we're crazy. As it is right now these things don't show up often enough to be a real problem. However if we get tossed in the loony bin it's going to become a problem when we can't stop the few that do show up. I'm not saying we dismiss it entirely but unless we can find out if other people can see these things as well it's just us. So we have to play this smart and discreetly."

Soul Society
(combat training grounds)

After the meeting Naijeru had followed Kiba out and had to hold back a scowl at seeing Sawada there. The man could be unbelievably smug and there was the fact that he always seemed to be disdainful of their division. He could be wrong but then again Naijeru had always hated those kind of guys that looked down on you while the rest of the world viewed them as "practical". Then came his request to 'speak their language'. Naijeru was the division strongman, but even he knew that unless you wanted to end up in the Hospital Division. Kiba, and holding back typically did not go together. So here he was closely watching the 'sparring match' as the combatants exchanged words and slowly started to escalate.

[Tebryn]

Soul Society
(Combat Training Grounds)

"Tch, typical. Blame the ones who took the brunt of the attack. If it weren't for my division on the front line of the attack, there probably wouldn't be a Soul Society left," Kiba snarles, "If it's information you want though, then if you somehow don't know it already, this was unlike any hollow attack I've ever seen since I first came to Soul Society. They were organized, they were many, and they were strong. There were hollows capable of taking on Captains and holding their own, even winning. There was no possible way to plan a defense for such an attack. If that kind of force attacked today, no matter how we prepared, we would be wiped out." Sawada mentions the festival. "A festival? Are you insane, or just abusing your newfound position while you're alive to have it? We're at war and need to prepare some kind of strategy for defending ourselves, which I'm sure you're probably going to leave me to do without any support as usual."

"You saw these hollows with your own eyes did you?" Sawada asks cooly, keeping a fair distance from the other man. "Killed a few maybe? Or is this hear say. I know what we've been told. That doesn't mean it's the truth. I'd find it hard to believe even if you told me you saw it. Your eyes could by lying to you. Your sense of smell, as impeccable as it is, as well. Whose to say The Pack didn't go on a rampage at the edge of town...led by their Kenpachi and only after the Grand Sorcerer was dead along did the idea come to their mind to say it was a Hollow Attack. Hypothetically that is, I'm not here to judge the veracity of the claims. Merely to...start connecting threads that have fallen out of place."

He shakes his head, tsking at the term insane before turning his back to his "foe". "It seems that it is not just Captains who have no understanding of the people we are meant to protect. There are millions of people living in the Rukon, terrified for their lives that another one of these "Hollow" attacks may occur in their district at any moment. Scared people do stupid things, Kiba. Like animals cornered. The Festival isn't for us. It's for them. They need their mind taken off the horrors of war and toil. Soul Society has long ignored it's duty to uplift the Rukon beyond our own little sphere. If we can't even do that then we deserve to lose to the monsters that gnaw at the foundations of our lives. We're not better than them, after all. You think on that before you worry about creating a stratagem. It's not the sword's job to worry where it's going to swing. Just that it must swing. My men are hard at work formulating a plan, when we've got one you'll get it. We'll write it in big words so you don't get confused. You've a member of your Division by the name of Nicole, Suou Nicole yes? The S.S.I has business with her, I hope you send her swiftly.

[DiscipleofBob]

"You saw these hollows with your own eyes did you?" Sawada asks cooly, keeping a fair distance from the other man. "Killed a few maybe? Or is this hear say. I know what we've been told. That doesn't mean it's the truth. I'd find it hard to believe even if you told me you saw it. Your eyes could by lying to you. Your sense of smell, as impeccable as it is, as well. Whose to say The Pack didn't go on a rampage at the edge of town...led by their Kenpachi and only after the Grand Sorcerer was dead along did the idea come to their mind to say it was a Hollow Attack. Hypothetically that is, I'm not here to judge the veracity of the claims. Merely to...start connecting threads that have fallen out of place."

Soul Society
(Combat Training Grounds)

One bad word about the Kenpachi and Kiba launches his Shunpo, rocketing forth like a bullet. His Shunpo was loud, but damn if it wasn't fast and powerful. In sheer speed and force Kiba was among the fastest combatants in Soul Society. His fist rockets towards Sawada from zero to faster than the untrained Shinigami eye can see instantly, and yes, Kiba aims for the face. Whether or not he hits, either directly, or even just grazed from the sheer force, is irrelevant. Either way, it serves as a warning. Before he was irritated. Now he was mad. "You do NOT have the right to talk bad about the Kenpachi! If it weren't for him, you and the rest of Soul Society would be dead. Say what you want about me. About my officers. About my troops. About my Division. We don't care about the opinions of weak men in lab coats. But you DO NOT get to insult the Kenpachi."

[Tebryn]

Soul Society
(Combat Training Grounds)

Luckily Sawada was no untrained eye, his reaction time practically legendary in the same way as Kiba's sense of smell. "Enkōsen" he drones, the circular yellow shield swirling to life from his hand. "Losing out temper are we? I hope to see Suou-chan in my office soon. Once you cool down that is. Us weaklings always were better at talking, right?"

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society
(Combat Division Training Grounds)

Sawada's shield would likely hold. He was Captain of the SSI for a reason. But he should at least feel a significant impact from the sheer force of the blow. Certainly the wall behind Sawada did, as it crumbles into rubble from the force, leaving only a chunk shaped like Sawada'a shield directly behind him. It seems almost cartoonish.

Whatever. Kiba's point is made. Whatever the feelings of the rest of Soul Society had of "the Pack," (Kiba never figured out who assigned that moniker. He assumed it was one of his detractors, but the officers and troops seemed to like it, so he didn't care about it) the name of Kenpachi would not be besmirched. Kiba would see to that.

Kiba turns to leave Sawada to Shunpo away, though he definitely doesn't let his guard down until the smug shinigami is far off.

Soul Society
(Just Outside the Combat Division Training Grounds)

A mousy little woman lurks a good distance away from the Combat Division Training Grounds. She clutches a stack of papers that she's supposed to hand in to the the Grand Sorcerer. She had just missed him at the Festival Grounds only to catch up to him here, and unless she was directly ordered to, no way was she going near the Pack's turf. That wolf-man they have as an acting Captain scares her something fierce. So here she waits for the Grand Sorcerer. She hopes he doesn't just Shunpo all the way back to the main office, not after she walked all this way (her own Shunpo needed a lot of work).

[CMOTDibbler]

[Soul Society] Training Grounds
After Kiba leaves, Dosan wanders off to attempt to find the rest of his squad, so they can train together. Failing, he heads toward the nearest training arena, just in time to see Kiba shunpo off.

IS Headquarters, Offices
Myojin sits behind a desk as one of his subordinates reads off a stack of files to him. A butterfly flies in and lands on his shoulder, unnoticed by the subordinate engrossed in making sure he speaks clearly. As she finishes a sentence, Myojin interrupts her.

That will be all for today, miss Azami.

Azami lifts her head, frowning.

But we-

Why don't you take the rest of the day off.

-don't have that much left. We can get it done tomorrow. Thank you, sir!

As the reader runs out of the offices, Myojin calmly stands, adjusts the sling on his left arm, picks up is sword from a nearby table, and begins making his way to the hospital.

[Mortal World] Higure's Classroom
Higure nods, thinking.

Tamaki's right. We can't just tell everyone that we can see ghosts, or something like that. No one will believe us. Well, I certainly can't at least. I'd lose my job for sure.

[Hueco Mundo] The Arena
Azmus raises an eyebrow at the Crow-arrancar's tactic, seeing Baatar falling, then turns to Valentina.

Looks like we have a winner.

The Wilderness

A few hundred yards in front of Mikael stands a hollow that looks vaguely like a tall human with elephant ears. Seeing him coming, the hollow turns and attempts to flee, only to be hit in the face by his own ear and tumble down the sand dune he was standing on.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

You. Stop, and I might not kill you, Mikael utters. The words are... pompous, but they feel like they fit the situation. Maybe these creatures will be willing to obey him out fear if nothing else now that he has slain their apparent leader.

Despite the fact that the Elephant Man is nearly twice as tall as Mikael, it doesn't appear very frightening after the duel to the death with the White Devil. In fact, it looks fairly comical, tripping over its own overly-large ears. For a brief while, Mikael ponders how he must look to it, covered in an uniform shell of white sand. Who is a worse monster.

Mikael bends down and hoists the fallen creature's head up by its ears. Tell me where I am. Tell me who I just fought.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Hueco Mundo] The Wilderness
The hollow squirms in Mikael's grip, then stops and looks up at him, confused.

Wh-what? You mean the Espada didn't send you? You're in Hueco Mundo of course. And you just killed General Ramirez.

[Frozen_Feet]

Mikael stares blankly into the Elephant man's eyes. His eyes have finally returned to their usual greenish-blue color. The mortal takes a deep, wheezing breath to calm his foaming thoughts. One thing at a time, he says and pulls the creature's face closer. What do you refer to by Espada? You do not mean simply a sword?

[Tebryn]

Soul Society
(Combat Division Training Grounds)

Sawada's shield would likely hold. He was Captain of the SSI for a reason. But he should at least feel a significant impact from the sheer force of the blow. Certainly the wall behind Sawada did, as it crumbles into rubble from the force, leaving only a chunk shaped like Sawada'a shield directly behind him. It seems almost cartoonish.

Whatever. Kiba's point is made. Whatever the feelings of the rest of Soul Society had of "the Pack," (Kiba never figured out who assigned that moniker. He assumed it was one of his detractors, but the officers and troops seemed to like it, so he didn't care about it) the name of Kenpachi would not be besmirched. Kiba would see to that.

Kiba turns to leave Sawada to Shunpo away, though he definitely doesn't let his guard down until the smug shinigami is far off.

Soul Society
(Just Outside the Combat Division Training Grounds)

A mousy little woman lurks a good distance away from the Combat Division Training Grounds. She clutches a stack of papers that she's supposed to hand in to the the Grand Sorcerer. She had just missed him at the Festival Grounds only to catch up to him here, and unless she was directly ordered to, no way was she going near the Pack's turf. That wolf-man they have as an acting Captain scares her something fierce. So here she waits for the Grand Sorcerer. She hopes he doesn't just Shunpo all the way back to the main office, not after she walked all this way (her own Shunpo needed a lot of work).

Sawada only chuckles softly, shaking his head as he turns to walk out. He doesn't use Shunpo almost to prolong the other "Captains" heightened state of alertness, pausing just far enough outside the bounds of The Pack's territory to stop, glancing in the general direction of the reiatsu that had been following him this entire time. "Yes?" he asks, even putting on a smile.

[5a Violista]

[Hueco Mundo]
The Arena

Baatar falls...and falls and falls and falls and...hits the ground. He lies there, dazed, trying to think what he could have done better. (And, thus, I no longer control him.)


Valentina claps her hands for the victor. Darn it, this probably means she just lost the bet, unless...no, there's no unless. She lost. At least it was a good break from this monotonous endless desert.

"Not yet," she replies to Azmus. "You still need to fight the winner. You said so yourself."


[Mortal Ream]
Suburbs

"Brazilian," she says. Then, by way of explanation, she says, "It was my cousin who taught me," as if that explains everything.

Then, Miya remembers that she has some perishables in the bags she has. She quickly says, "I like MMA better because then my opponents can throw in a surprising move once in a while." Saying that, the girl turns back in the direction of her house and begins walking, wondering if Stalker-San is going to follow her or not.

[Dorizzit]

Mikael stares blankly into the Elephant man's eyes. His eyes have finally returned to their usual greenish-blue color. The mortal takes a deep, wheezing breath to calm his foaming thoughts. One thing at a time, he says and pulls the creature's face closer. What do you refer to by Espada? You do not mean simply a sword?

Hueco Mundo
The Wilderness

"He refers to the strongest. The six swords who serve the Visionary."

At the top of the dune, a tall figure stands silhouetted against the moon, which shines dimly through the thickening layer of clouds that now cover the sky. His shadowed face is slightly inclined to look at the hollow and the human on the ground before him. The only other feature that can be made out is a perfectly round hole driving straight through his collarbone, the moon visible through it. There is a soft, distinctive noise, and the silhouetted figure vanishes as if he had never been there, reappearing without warning on the ground beside Mikael and the elephantine Hollow. Closer, he is more distinct; his skin is pale, and his lean face regal, one that would not be out of place on a monarch. He wears clothing seemingly made of leather, without adornment. Around his neck, a collar of bone rests that seems to be carved to resemble gills. If Mikael is perceptive, it might occur to him that the man before him is the same order of being as the "General Ramirez" he just killed. The stranger glances at the hollow without interest, then turns his gaze to Mikael, nothing beyond dispassionate analysis visible on his face.

"The shell you wear does not fit a human. But you have transcended that state. And yet you live. Who are you?"

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Monastery of the Ho-ou

"Good evening. I did not expect you to get here this fast", Li remarks as Myojin arrives at the monastery yard. The elder Captain has apparently been watering flowers in wait of the visitors. "Suzaku-san has yet to arrive. Would you like to have tea in the interim? How is your arm doing?"

---

[Mortal Realm]
Suburbs

The strange woman keeps walking next to Miya. "Your cousin? Do you know where she learned it?" Yui lets the comment about "surprising moves" slide.

---

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

Mikael freezes in anticipation. Another creature like the White Devil? When did it get here? And how it can move so fast? The mortal turns his head in the direction of the creature's move, but it is already beside him before he can follow its path.

From within his shell, Mikael stares at the regal man standing before him. His eyes are fixed on the hole going through the man. And of these "six strongest", was the man I killed one?

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World
(The School)

"That's not what I meant..." Kenzan retorts as he grows more frustrated. "It's one thing not to just to blabbing to everyone that 'evil hollow ghosts' or whatever exist. I get that. They can't see or sense them anyway so it'd be pointless. But why can I... why can we sense these things? Why can we fight these things? Where are these things coming from? Will there be more? Is there a way to track them? Can we find the source of these things? I'm sorry, but I'm not content to just go back to boring 'business as usual' until the next monster shows up."

Soul Society
(Inside Combat Division Grounds)

Once he's absolutely certain that the arrogant dandy from the SSI is gone, Kiba will go to look for the new recruit. Nicole was it? He has a message to personally deliver to her. Then he'll see if there's any more business to deal with with his officers. Or his officers can catch him along the way. Either works.

(Outside Combat Division Grounds)

The mousy little SSI officer quickly stands upright from the nearby shrub, her thick black spectacles nearly falling off in the process. "Y-yes, Grand Sorcerer! I have the initial estimates for the festival costs here, and a budget report and a workforce plan that needs your approval." She quickly shuffles the papers in her arms back into order.

[Dorizzit]

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

Mikael freezes in anticipation. Another creature like the White Devil? When did it get here? And how it can move so fast? The mortal turns his head in the direction of the creature's move, but it is already beside him before he can follow its path.

From within his shell, Mikael stares at the regal man standing before him. His eyes are fixed on the hole going through the man. And of these "six strongest", was the man I killed one?

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

Jehoel does not acknowledge Mikael's surprised reaction to his appearance.

"He was vermin. A fool who thought himself tall for standing above ants. I would have ended him myself had you not slain him first."

There is a brief pause.

"I ask again. Who are you?"

[Tebryn]

Soul Society
Temple of the Ho-ou

Fuyu hurries as swift as one could expect any of his age, slipping by the shinigami working over patients or any other tasks. He knocks on Captain Li's door, bowing before stepping inside. "You called for me?" he asks softly, not wishing to display his presence any further.

Soul Society
(Outside Combat Division Grounds)

Sawada perks a brow, shrugging a little as he looks about. "Approve them then. Hire the work force from the Rukon, start from the outermost Districts and work your way forward. Pay them double if we have to, we'll dip into House Yasunobu's coffers if we must. Heavy lifting and the like, don't hire them for jobs we may want skilled craftsmen doing. You know...like toilets and things." he smirks with a shrug as he starts to walk back to the Western edge of the city. "Oh...and Junior Researcher Yumiko?" he asks gently, glancing back at the young lady if she actually follows. "Next time, don't hide in the bushes."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

The man's words are hardly comforting. Based on his attitude, he clearly saw the White Devil as no-one of note, possibly meaning he is much more powerful. The very thought makes a cold shiver run down Mikael's spine. But, at least, this new arrival isn't trying to kill him right away.

Letting go of the elephantine man, Mikael straightens up and offers his hand to the strange man. "I don't think there's a satisfactory answer to that one, but for what it's worth, my name is Mikael. Mikael Rautiainen." The odd man might gather from the pronounciation that the mortal is not from an English-speaking country. In fact, it sounds somehow incomplete to his past speech. What could that change of tone mean?

"Are you one of these Espada, then?", Mikael asks in return, waiting for Jehoel to shake his hand. He's not sure of the wisdom of such gesture, but hey, courtesy can't end him up in much worse position than before.

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society]
Combat Division Women's Quarters

Assuming my sense of time not too far off, Kiba will find New Recruit Nicole lying on a bed in the Women's Quarters, in that tortuous state of mind where you want to go to sleep but your thoughts prevent you from doing so, just staring at the ceiling.

She's all cleaned up, now, so, if Kiba was looking for her solely based on physical appearance, it would take a few seconds to recognize her.

If/when he walks in, she won't turn to look at him. He'll have to say her name or something to draw her attention.


[Mortal Realm]
Suburbs

"He learned it from his sensei. They're from South America. My uncle moved there before I was born," replies Miya.

[Dorizzit]

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

The man's words are hardly comforting. Based on his attitude, he clearly saw the White Devil as no-one of note, possibly meaning he is much more powerful. The very thought makes a cold shiver run down Mikael's spine. But, at least, this new arrival isn't trying to kill him right away.

Letting go of the elephantine man, Mikael straightens up and offers his hand to the strange man. "I don't think there's a satisfactory answer to that one, but for what it's worth, my name is Mikael. Mikael Rautiainen." The odd man might gather from the pronounciation that the mortal is not from an English-speaking country. In fact, it sounds somehow incomplete to his past speech. What could that change of tone mean?

"Are you one of these Espada, then?", Mikael asks in return, waiting for Jehoel to shake his hand. He's not sure of the wisdom of such gesture, but hey, courtesy can't end him up in much worse position than before.

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

Jehoel does not notice the change in Mikael's speech, or its unusual pronunciation. Such trivialities are beneath him, and he pays little attention to such details. At least the man was showing a little respect, not demanding answers or immediately trying to attack him. The latter would have been amusing, but uninteresting. And for the first time since he met the lord of Las Noches, Jehoel is genuinely curious.

"Indeed. I am Jehoel of the Deva Realm, first and greatest of the Espada."

Jehoel eyes the hand extended to him with a little trepidation; it is not a gesture he is familiar with. Wracking his memory, he recalls seeing a similar exchange between two Arrancar, and now knows the proper response. None of this momentary confusion shows on his face; there is only a brief pause as Jehoel looks at Mikael's hand almost contemptuously before shaking it. The gesture is polite, but from Jehoel feels almost patronizing. As if done to a child.

"Tell me, Mikael, do you know where you are?"

[CMOTDibbler]

[Soul Society] Training Grounds
Dosan turns to Naijeru, shrugging.

Care to spar? Kiba's orders to practice.

Main Hospital
Myojin smiles at the captain, and bows a little with his good arm.

I would, but it would appear he has arrived.


Myojin says as Fuyu walks up. He turns to nod politely at his fellow VC.

[Mortal World] Higure's Classroom
Higure looks to Kenzan, shaking his head.

I don't know. It seems like we don't know enough about these things to really answer any of those questions. I'm mean, I'm certainly up for trying to find the answers ourselves, but how do you go about researching this?

[Hueco Mundo] The Arena
Azmus frowns slightly, and nods.

I suppose that's true.

As Baatar limps off the field and away from the arena, Azmus calls up to the Crow arrancar.

All right, it's my turn now. I'll try not to kill you.

Azmus draws his zanpakuto almost instantly, twirling it in his fingers, waiting for Karasu's first attack.

The Wilderness
The hollow Mikael is still holding attempts to scramble into as much of a bow as it can manage, it's face in the sand, and stays there as long as Jehoel is near him.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Monastery of the Ho-ou

Li glances at Fuyu. "Ah, you're both present then. Let us proceed. Close the door please."

Now retreated in the relative safety of reception room 36, the elder captain explains the matter: "There are three things I'd like to discuss with you. In order of importance: The first thing is leadership. After discussing with our Vice-Captains and reviewing reports of recent Captains' meetings, I feel we might have made a mistake in appointing Sparrow-san in the position of Commander-General. She seems to have mixed feelings about her position herself."

"Second, I think we are in need of severe organization restructuring. At the face of this recent resurgence of Hollows, it is apparent our peace-time organization is woefully small to keep them at bay. Fortunately, we are overflowing with new recruits from all over Rukon. If this rate continues, we will soon be back at our strenght of 3000 to 4000 acting Shinigami that we had roughly one century ago. But our current divisional bureaucracy is optimized for much smaller army. To accommodate all willing warriors, we might have to refound several of the old divisions that were cut in the paring down of our organization 50 years ago."

"Third, I may have discovered some distressing knowledge pertaining to the massacre in District 79, colloquially referred to as the "Scarlet Garden". But before dealing with that matter, I'd like to hear your opinions on the first two."

---

[Mortal realm]
Suburbs

"He? Oh, of course. I apologize for assuming", Yui replies with a smile. "South America? It must be interesting to have relatives in such a far-away place. But it explains your unorthodox choice of martial arts." Yui glances over her shoulder at the distance, then at the sky before returning her eyes forward. "... you know, it's a rather interesting weather today. Have you noticed anything peculiar about the atmosphere lately?"

---

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

Mikael notes that the stranger's hand is abnormally hard and cold, or maybe the hard shell around his hands is interfering with his sense of touch. After a good, firm handshake, he lets his arms drop on his sides and shrugs. "I haven't go the faintest of ideas", he replies to the man, looking into his eyes all the while. Mikael nods at the elephantine monster cowering next to them. "I only just had a chance to try and find out. Earlier today, I was just catching some fresh air in the middle of Lapland. I hope that says something to you. Then I was attacked from behind, and next thing I know, I was here...", the mortal looks around and spreads his arms, "... where ever "here" happens to be."

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World
(Classroom)

Kenzan scowls. He had thought that the teacher would know more about this sort of thing. Guess he was wrong. "Well there has to be someone, somewhere who knows about this sort of thing. Someone else who can actually see these things and has done a bit more homework." Another idea pops into Kenzan's head. "Why don't you try talking to your sword or whatever? Shouldn't it know more?"

Soul Society
(Combat Division Unseated Quarters)

It doesn't take long for Kiba to find Nicole. Cleaning herself up won't hide her scent from Kiba's nose. "New girl!" he growls, as usual. "The SSI is looking for you. You aren't required to go or anything, nor are you forbidden from going to see them. But if some lab coat comes around harassing you, you just let me or one of the officers know and we'll take care of it. That all clear?"

(Outside Combat Division Grounds)

"Yes, sir! I just need your signature on some of these!" Now that Yumiko actually has the papers in a somewhat presentable order, she attempts to hand over the necessary papers. "Er, sorry about that sir." she meekly apologizes about the whole hiding in the bushes thing. "Everyone there just really creeps me out. Especially that wolf-guy who's in charge." For some reason it doesn't occur to her that she's probably slipped into a tone unbefitting when speaking to a Captain.

Hueco Mundo
(The Arena)

The birds reform into a solid mass that slowly becomes Karasu again, though a significant chunk of his "feathers" are missing from his wings. The crow arrancar now has a new opponent. He nosedives towards Azmus, scythe primed to strike.

[The Librarian]

[Mortal World] Walking into Town

A bus rolls into the town at its designated bus stop 5 minutes behind schedule. For many of its occupants this had become a minor inconvenience as they hurried to exit the vehicle. The lateness of the bus arrival did not bother Hayato Ichimyouri as exited the bus with casual demeanor, slinging a backpack over his shoulder as he stepped. "Thanks for riding the Komagura Express" the bus driver said in a monotone voice before he close the sliding door and drove off to his next stop.

Hayato pulled out his wallet from his pocket as he walked towards the town, counting the amount of cash he had available.
Hmmm...98,350 Yen he said to himself quietly as strolled along. Should be more than enough money for me while I'm here. Besides this isn't a vacation.
He says this last sentence shifting his eyes around his surroundings. He then checks his own reiatsu to make sure its not spiking at all.
Looks clear for now. He smirks before walking into town.

((Anyone in town with a strong reiatsu might be able to sense a slither of Hayato's reiatsu, but would not likely be able to track or pinpoint it.))

[Dorizzit]

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

Mikael notes that the stranger's hand is abnormally hard and cold, or maybe the hard shell around his hands is interfering with his sense of touch. After a good, firm handshake, he lets his arms drop on his sides and shrugs. "I haven't got the faintest of ideas", he replies to the man, looking into his eyes all the while. Mikael nods at the elephantine monster cowering next to them. "I only just had a chance to try and find out. Earlier today, I was just catching some fresh air in the middle of Lapland. I hope that says something to you. Then I was attacked from behind, and next thing I know, I was here...", the mortal looks around and spreads his arms, "... where ever "here" happens to be."

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

Jehoel blinks, as much of an indication of surprise as he ever gave. The fact that this man could be so powerful and still so ignorant at the same time was unheard of. Ramirez had been a fool and a madman, but most measures of strength would have placed him quite highly. Even a Shinigami captain would have had difficulty. This Mikael had blundered his way through the fight; Jehoel had been able to tell that much from the readings his pesquisa had given him. To be able to defeat a Vasto Lorde with no knowledge of either his powers or the spirit world...Jehoel's lips quirk up almost imperceptibly.

That was interesting.

"I'll begin with the basics, then. When a human dies, most souls simply pass on. Others linger, trapped by their rage. Of those, most are released by the gods of death. There are those, however, who slip through the cracks. They become Hollows; monsters who feel only hatred and rage. Pathetic beings without control, who feast upon human souls."

Jehoel lifts an arm to the side, indicating that Mikael should look out over the barren landscape.

"This is Hueco Mundo; the World of Hollows. A desert of eternal night. Very few humans have seen what you have. Fewer still have lived."

[Frozen_Feet]

Mikael takes a deep breath. "So, you're telling me I'm stuck in a twisted sort of limbo filled with hungry ghosts. Good. That much I can understand. It's not even the least sensible thing that has happened to me." Jehoel might notice the mortal is trembling slightly. "But before you continue, there's one thing you need to make clear to me: am I, or am I not, still alive? In the ordinary, biological sense of the word. Because these Hollows", Mikael gives the Elephant Man a slight kick, "are certainly quite lively, despite being, as you said, dead."

[Dorizzit]

Mikael takes a deep breath. "So, you're telling me I'm stuck in a twisted sort of limbo filled with hungry ghosts. Good. That much I can understand. It's not even the least sensible thing that has happened to me." Jehoel might notice the mortal is trembling slightly. "But before you continue, there's one thing you need to make clear to me: am I, or am I not, still alive? In the ordinary, biological sense of the word. Because these Hollows", Mikael gives the Elephant Man a slight kick, "are certainly quite lively, despite being, as you said, dead."

[Hueco Mundo]
The Wilderness

Jehoel nods.

"You were taken whole from the Mortal World. Hollows can take anyone they desire with them as they move between the worlds. You live, even though you stand here."

There is a pause.

"Were I you, however, I would ask something else. Are you still human? Because there are few among your people who would recognize you as such in your current state."

[Frozen_Feet]

Mikael shrugs. "I haven't really considered myself one for quite some years now. It didn't seem like a relevant question. But it does make wonder what on earth are you. You and the man I fought seem... different from these Hollows. At first I thought me, him and you are the same class of beings, but the implication seems to be that I'm alive, where as you are not." Mikael lets out a nervous chuckle. "Hardly surprising considering you have a hole going through your body, now that I think of it."

"But yeah. What exactly are you? Are you someone like me, just... dead? And how do we relate to these Hollow creatures? Could... could I..., Mikael lifts his right hand and points at the location where the White Devil died, "Could I change shape like that man I fought? I think it's safe to assume you, at least, have similar ability."

[The Librarian]

Mortal World: Around some part of the town

Hayato casual walks along the streets of this town, looking around in a subtle manner for entities of reiatsu nearby. It would quite detrimental if he ran into a Shinigami after he just entered the town.

At the same time though, the thought went through his mind about how time has passed. There could have been a small chance that the Shinigami could have stopped looking for him. Hayato knew he couldn't honestly know though until he ran into one.

Hayato lets out a sigh as he finishes his thought, taking a seat at a table outside of a cafe.

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]
Monastery of the Ho-ou

Fuyu takes a seat as asked after closing the door. He remains silent as the Captain speaks, nodding a bit though otherwise remains impassive until questioned. "If Death-sama is unwilling or unable to fufil her duties she must be relieved of duty but who will take her place? It was difficult enough to fill the position in the first place. How do you suggest we go about opening these "new" Divisions? The Captains should be gathered and spoken to."

Soul Society
(Outside Combat Division Grounds)

Sawada chuckles, glancing back at the Pack's training grounds, moving a hand through his hair with a sigh before taking the papers to sign without really bothering to look. "Everything has a use Yumiko, whether they think they're dancing to your beat or not. Run along now, we've much to do."

[Dorizzit]

Mikael shrugs. "I haven't really considered myself one for quite some years now. It didn't seem like a relevant question. But it does make wonder what on earth are you. You and the man I fought seem... different from these Hollows. At first I thought me, him and you are the same class of beings, but the implication seems to be that I'm alive, where as you are not." Mikael lets out a nervous chuckle. "Hardly surprising considering you have a hole going through your body, now that I think of it."

"But yeah. What exactly are you? Are you someone like me, just... dead? And how do we relate to these Hollow creatures? Could... could I..., Mikael lifts his right hand and points at the location where the White Devil died, "Could I change shape like that man I fought? I think it's safe to assume you, at least, have similar ability."

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

His sight is remarkably clear.

Jehoel points at his hole.

"There are two stigmata that each Hollow bears. The first is a hole created when the soul's heart is gouged out."

Jehoel then points at the head of the prostrated Hollow beside them.

"The second is a mask; the remnants of the heart and the source of a Hollow's powers."

Jehoel looks out over the wastes.

"All Hollows will eventually find their way here. For a time, they will strike out into the Mortal World to devour human souls, trying to fill the emptiness in their hearts. Eventually, however, if they are not killed the emptiness they feel will grow too great, and they will begin to feed upon their fellow Hollows. These cannibals congregate, and it is from these orgies of consumption that a Menos is born."

He turns his attention back to Mikael.

"There are three types of Menos. A newly born Menos is a Gillian, a titan little more than an animal. Eventually, if it lives, a single Hollow within the conglomerate will crush the minds of the others, assuming control and altering the Gillian's body to fit its new mind, becoming an Adjuchas. Finally, an Adjuchas that consumes enough other Hollows without being humbled becomes one of the kings of Hueco Mundo: a Vasto Lorde."

Jehoel touches a hand to his face.

"At any point in this process, a Hollow may change his destiny. Those such as myself. We tear off our masks and ascend from our forced state of bestiality, becoming an Arrancar. There are two ways to perform this. Now, the Visionary has learned a more peaceful process that eases the mask off."

The grasping hand forms a fist momentarily.

"I tore the mask from my face with my bare hands. It is a process few survive."

He moves his hand to the collar of bone around his neck.

"The mask leaves fragments, but when the removal is complete the Menos rises above the hunger of a Hollow, and gains tremendous power. This also suppresses the bulk of their strength, sealing it within a weapon known as a Zanpakuto, named for the weapons of the Death Gods. At the Arrancar's discretion, he may unleash his full power. Hence the brutish transformation your opponent underwent."

Jehoel walks past Mikael, his attention focused on the distance. Mikael may notice a small, curved knife sheathed at the back of Jehoel's belt.

"I do not know what your powers are. Humans such as yourself do appear from time to time; I do not know what causes your powers, but most take completely different forms. Perhaps it comes from your heart; it is where Hollows draw their unique powers from. Regardless, such a transformation may be within your limits."

Jehoel lifts his hand palm upward in front of himself, and a glowing sphere of dark blue light begins to gather there, similar to that of Ramirez's own blasts of energy. Jehoel turns to look over his shoulder at Mikael, apparently without hostile intent.

"I suspect you have only begun to discover the limits of your powers."

[Frozen_Feet]

Mikael follows Jehoel's movements intently. The explanation is quite interesting. A whole new world has been revealed to him, with its own peculiar quicks and natural laws. Undoubtedly, many nuances of the story are yet lost to him, and will become apparent only later once he's witnessed the phenomena being talked about with his own, two eyes.

The mortal lifts his hand up and absent-mindedly taps his forehead as he ponders what to ask next. There's a lot of possible questions, but he reckons many will answer themselves once he has time to process all this new information.

As Jehoel conjures up another screaming ball of energy, Mikael takes a step back and two away from the elephantine creature. He can't really tell from the stoic "arrancar's" mannerisms what he is going to do next, but from his limited experience figures that these strange globes should be regarded with the same respect as loaded firearms.

"So, that means there are others like me", Mikael concludes. The thought is... reassuring? For years, he thought he was alone. Maybe, with help from this undead creature, he could find more of his kind? It is causing all sorts of repressed feelings and abandoned dreams to surge forth. The tapping of his fingers quickens as he tries to distract himself from his emotions and focus asking the right questions.

"Hmmm. I am grateful you've bothered to spend this much time explaining all of this to me. These "gods of death", they wouldn't happen to wear black clothes? Wait, never mind. There really isn't any other possibility. You don't need to answer that." Tap, tap, tap. The mortal's fingers stop. Momentary silence.

"... there's one thing that doesn't add up. Why have I never seen creatures like you before? Even if only a tiny percentage of, uh, souls survive to the top of this food chain, there should still be... hundreds, if not thousands, of your kind. And a lot more of the lesser kinds of these Hollow creatures. In four years, I have seen several of what I presume to be those "death gods", but I've not witnessed a single Hollow being. You imply you can travel between this world and, uh, ours with little effort, so why haven't you done so?"

[Dorizzit]

Mikael follows Jehoel's movements intently. The explanation is quite interesting. A whole new world has been revealed to him, with its own peculiar quirks and natural laws. Undoubtedly, many nuances of the story are yet lost to him, and will become apparent only later once he's witnessed the phenomena being talked about with his own, two eyes.

The mortal lifts his hand up and absent-mindedly taps his forehead as he ponders what to ask next. There's a lot of possible questions, but he reckons many will answer themselves once he has time to process all this new information.

As Jehoel conjures up another screaming ball of energy, Mikael takes a step back and two away from the elephantine creature. He can't really tell from the stoic "arrancar's" mannerisms what he is going to do next, but from his limited experience figures that these strange globes should be regarded with the same respect as loaded firearms.

"So, that means there are others like me", Mikael concludes. The thought is... reassuring? For years, he thought he was alone. Maybe, with help from this undead creature, he could find more of his kind? It is causing all sorts of repressed feelings and abandoned dreams to surge forth. The tapping of his fingers quickens as he tries to distract himself from his emotions and focus asking the right questions.

"Hmmm. I am grateful you've bothered to spend this much time explaining all of this to me. These "gods of death", they wouldn't happen to wear black clothes? Wait, never mind. There really isn't any other possibility. You don't need to answer that." Tap, tap, tap. The mortal's fingers stop. Momentary silence.

"... there's one thing that doesn't add up. Why have I never seen creatures like you before? Even if only a tiny percentage of, uh, souls survive to the top of this food chain, there should still be... hundreds, if not thousands, of your kind. And a lot more of the lesser kinds of these Hollow creatures. In four years, I have seen several of what I presume to be those "death gods", but I've not witnessed a single Hollow being. You imply you can travel between this world and, uh, ours with little effort, so why haven't you done so?"

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

"Similar, perhaps, but not identical. Even mortals who wield the same powers have different nuances. Each individual is distinct. Unique."

Jehoel does not look at Mikael as he asks about the presence of Arrancar and Hollows in the Mortal World.

"A moment."

Jehoel once again vanishes with the same noise heard earlier. This time, he reappears high in the air, extending his hand in front of him. The sphere visually grows more and more powerful for several seconds, before lancing out off into the distance. Even from Mikael's position, he can hear a tremendously loud explosion, followed by a cloud of dust rising high into the air from the impact point. Several seconds after the explosion, a fierce windstorm of sand hurtles over Mikael and the Elephant Hollow, although the former is protected by his shell. Finished with his task, Jehoel drops back down to earth, landing in a crouch before rising once again. Nonchalantly, he turns to Mikael.

"I apologize, but there were some more motivated survivors of Ramirez's army. They would have caused more trouble for Las Noches."

Jehoel brushes some dust off of his shoulder.

"I do not know why you have never seen an ordinary Hollow; perhaps the Death Gods in your area were abnormally active. As for Menos...as I said, ordinary humans cannot feed one. It would take a tremendous source of spiritual energy to draw them from Hueco Mundo. Without that, they simply remain here, devouring other Hollows of similar level."

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World
At a certain part of town

Sazaki Miko has wandered into a bad part of town. She can tell because one of the idiot bullies has her cornered in an alleyway. Or so he thinks. "Wa's a cute lil' girl like yu doin' here, nee-chan?" Does he think he's being cute? Intimidating? By all accounts Miko should be scared. She's just a small little girl and this man could do all sorts of things to her.

"Is it time yet? Is it time yet?" the little voice only she can see inside her squeak, only audible to her. Miko shakes her head.

"Wa's dat? Joo makin' no sense. No sense at all." The thug flips out a small blade. "I guess das okay, do. Joo hand over all yo cash an' joo c'n walk away. Don' worry, I ain' one o'dose pervs who does creepy t'ings to lil' girls."

"Is it time yet? Is it time yet?"

Miko shakes her head again. The thug is getting fed up. "Now don't joo be sassing me, girl. I will cut joo if joo don't do what I say!" The thug lifts the girl by her collar and shoves her against the alley wall.

"Is it time yet?"

Miko smiles. "Feeding time."

"Wa-" The thug is suddenly cut off as he's lifted by a set of powerful jaws erupting from the "innocent" girl's stomach.

Anyone nearby may hear the scream of a grown man quickly cut short and silenced. Most would ignore such a thing. Anyone who could sense the presence of hollows would notice the sudden emergence of a minor hollow in the vicinity.

Say a certain rouge shinigami outside a cafe, for example.

Soul Society
(Outside Combat Division Grounds)

"Y-yes, sir!" Yumiko puts the papers in order and starts to run off. It must seem like such a slow and inefficient method of movement to anyone capable of Shunpo. Especially when she trips and falls flat on her face. The papers in her hand remain intact as she hangs them above her, protecting the papers above herself.

Poor girl. She'll probably be fine though.

[The Librarian]

[Mortal World] That certain cafe in that certain part of town

Just as Hayato is about to direct his attention to ordering a cup of much needed tea he picks up the wave of hollow reiatsu from only a few blocks away.
A hollow...and I haven't even been here an hour yet.
Hayato smirks as he murmurs this last comment to himself, getting up from the table and casually walking towards the source of the reiatsu.
Lets go have a look then...

It would not take him more than say 5 minutes tops to reach the relative location of the Hollow reiatsu. Not wanting to give himself away completely he chooses to remain in his gigai.

[AnimeKid]

Soul Society Training grounds

Naijeru grins widely at Dosan as he responds. "A spar huh? Sounds good to me! It's been a while since I managed to get some real exercise and if it's against you Dosan then I can be sure to get a real workout!

Naijeru heads over to where they would have enough room for their spar. The few members of Brute Squad Naijeru presides over sweat a little and try to move their spars as far away as possible. They knew what a spar looked like when Naijeru was the one fighting.

Mortal World Classroom

Tamaki taps his chin in thought as Kenzan's suggestion. "If that sword really was your grandfather's and has a soul it just might have been around long enough that knows what these things are!

[The Librarian]

[Mortal World] On the Hunt

Hayato is nearing the alleyway Sazaki would be residing in at this time. Every steps he takes he makes a wide sweep of the area looking for the Hollow's main essence.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Monastery of the Ho-ou

Li's expression darkens. "We lost two Captains lately. Discounting Sparrow-san herself, how many of us are left, Suzaku-san?" Li sighs. "I have not heard of the Reconnassaince Captain for weeks now. He was not present in the Captain's meeting. Even his Vice-Captain is off Presumably, he is off to conduct some high-security mission. Of our replacements, I have already conversed with Yasunobu-san. Kiba-san, I'm afraid, is not truly ready to lead his own division. After the death of the Kenpachi, he's been like a dog without a master."

"Internal Security, I expressly do not trust at this point. That is why I asked you, Isamaru-san, to come instead", Li glances at Myojin. "I will explain why in a moment. But you two are essentially here to help me formulate my presentation so I can give it to Sparrow-san - when I ask her to step down from her position."

"Suzaku-san and Isamaru-san, you are one of the few remaining officers who still have in good memory how things used to be. True, you might not be as powerful as what has traditionally been demanded from a Captain, but if we are to refound our old Division structure, I will personally vouch for your promotions - based on your experience, if nothing else."

"During the next weeks, I plan to go and talk with as many of the old officers who are still around, and ask them to return to fore once more. The bulk of our new forces must, by necessity, come from fresh recruits, but I hope I can find enough experienced leaders to at least advice them before they climb up the ranks."

---

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

"Fair enough."

The shockwave doesn't feel like much through his insensitive shell, but Mikael has to turn his face away from the explosion to avoid sand getting into his eyes - he can't close them. "Are you sure that is enough to take them down?", he asks as he straightens up. While the blast is immense, he just survived several that were almost as bad. Then, it hits him, and he glances at the elephantine hollow. "They must be much weaker than they look." They are born of humans, maybe he overestimated them?

Wait, what is he saying? These are hungry ghosts of the dead, capable of crossing boundaries between Earth and the afterlife, and he's thinking them as "weaker"? Compared to who? What? Feeling faint, Mikael slumps and sits down on the ground, grasping his head with his hands. "... I think that's it for questions for now. I think I need to rest and clear my head before I can absorb any more information. Where is the realm you spoke of? Can you take me there?"

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World
(The Alleyway)

As Hayato nears the hollow presence it suddenly vanishes as soon as it had appeared. He turns the corner to find a young teenage girl turning to leave in his direction. She hasn't seen him yet, mostly because she's the type to always look at the ground instead of where she's going. If his sense are keen, Hayato might notice the splotch of blood just behind the girl, or the small scraps of clothing, or the knife that lay on the ground.

[The Librarian]

Mortal World
(The Alleyway)

As Hayato nears the hollow presence it suddenly vanishes as soon as it had appeared. He turns the corner to find a young teenage girl turning to leave in his direction. She hasn't seen him yet, mostly because she's the type to always look at the ground instead of where she's going. If his sense are keen, Hayato might notice the splotch of blood just behind the girl, or the small scraps of clothing, or the knife that lay on the ground.

Hayato rounds the corner of the street about the same time that Miko is walking away from the scene. He immediately makes note the Hollow reiatsu has disappeared, as he navigates his way around this young girl that appears to him to almost be sulking.
Odd...I could have sworn the reiatsu started here. Furthermore how did it disappear so qui-
His thought process is interrupted as he starts examining the scene around him. Looking just ahead he sees an already drying splatter of blood on the ground surrounded by tattered clothing. He begins to connect the dots on a "possibility" as he quickly turns to find the young girl that just walked pass him turn the corner he had turned seconds before. The thought is baffling, but perhaps not unlikely.
That girl...Could she-Is she?

Hayato weighs his options and decides to go for a more distanced approach. He heads out the alleyway walking in the opposite direction he notes the girl went. That's when he steps into action separating himself from his Gigai that keeps strolling along while he bursts into another alleyway.
Lets do a bit of scouting. Feed on the Weak, Suu~ōmuhaibu

His zanpaktou instantly morphs into its Shikai form, and from the pores of Hayato's shikai comes 3 bees, less than an inch in wingspan. Hayato whispers to the insects as they hover over his palm.
Find that girl and track her. I want to know what she is.
The bees give no audible response but bees hover off in search of the girl. It'll take one of them a few minutes but it manages to home in on Miko and start to hover near patches of flowers and plants within the vicinity. Its unlikely anyone individual could tell if a bee a was following them, with intent, however if she can sense reiatsu, she may notice its giving off a small reiatsu essence. The source being too minuet though to seem like a threat though. The other two bees will eventually join it as it follows Miko.

Hayato reenters his Gigai his zanpaktou returning to its sealed state (Can't summon anymore bugs, active ones die after 5-10 minutes) and wanders off back to that cafe from earlier, waiting for the bees to do their job.

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World
(The Alleyway)

((OOC: Only the darker magenta text is actually audible))

"Mi-chan! Mi-chan! I think someone's following us!"

"Huh?" Miko turns around and looks in the direction of the bees. She can't see the insects, but if she could she probably wouldn't notice anything strange about them anyway. "I don't see anything."

"But there's something there. I just know it! Maybe they're indivisable!"

"Invisible?" Miko softly corrects the voice inside her.

"Yeah, that's it! We can't see them, but they're definitely there!"

Miko's expression suddenly turns frightened. The thought of an invisible attacker is frightening indeed. She turns to run, hopefully escaping her own paranoia.

If otherwise unimpeded, she'll probably keep running for the shelf-life of those bees.

[The Librarian]

[Mortal World] ~ Being a Bee is suffering

The three little bees have all gathered in adjacent locations to each other, surrounding Miko in the rough shape of a triangle. By the time they had completed this formation they had sensed their hive disappear. They were running on borrowed time. They had a simple task though that they would give their lives to complete.

As soon as the girl runs as if alerted by their presence the bees switch to attack mode, and give chase. The bees are swift, but Miko's initial headstart is enough to keep from gaining significantly. Two of them fall behind as their life-force slowly drains to nothing. The last one makes life-or-death dash and its pays off just enough to catch up and grip to the girls clothing. It then begins looking for bare skin to sting her with.

Miko will have likely not notice the bee land, but her hollow spirit will have, and she'll definitely notice if and when it makes it way to bare skin.

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society]
Combat Division Unseated Quarters

Nicole immediately sits up when she hears Kiba. She turns her head towards him, and listens.

Nicole nods. "Yes, Kiba-sensei," she replies. She thinks for only a moment: It sounds like something bureaucratic. If she puts it off 'til tomorrow, they'll probably interrupt training, or practice, or something. She knows how bureaucracy works. They always wait for the most inopportune moment to bother you if you ignore them for too long. "Tell me where I can find them, so I can get this over with."

[Mortal Realm]
Suburbs

They're pretty much nearly at Miya's house already. Just one more street, to the left. She looks anxiously in that direction, as if trying to decide what to do then.

"Yes, it is very nice to have relatives there. The only problem is that I don't see them as often as I would like." Having lived with them for the past while, she often feels very lonely when at home. The house is too big for only two people...there should be at least twenty, she feels. Always people running around, and never an empty room.

Miya then follows Yui's glance. "You're right, there was something that made me wake up late. Must've been the atmosphere, or something," she immediately says. Given a moment to revise her answer, she adds, "Then again, at school, there was a really odd feeling in the morning. Maybe it was the bad air, but it felt a little different than just pollution." Gave her a headache, too, but she had forgotten about that until Yui brought it up.

[DiscipleofBob]

Soul Society
(Combat Division Grounds)

"If you don't want to go you don't have to. They do some strange things over there." Regardless, Kiba isn't about to force Nicole from going if she wants. "Look for the building that reeks of weakness and cowards." The strangest thing about that comment is that Kiba seems to be absolutely serious when he says that. Of course, it's the prevailing attitude among many of the Pack members, even the ones that do use Kido. "If you need an escort over there, just ask any of the officers." It's notable that Kiba didn't necessarily specify any of the other officers.


Mortal World
(The Alleyway)

"Quickly, Mi-chan! It's gaining!"

Miko continues running for her life with the paranoia creeping on her mind. It'd be so much easier if she at least knew what was chasing her, but alas, she remains unaware as the bee chases her. She's in a typical school uniform complete with skirt, so it should be too difficult for the bee to find a spot either on Miko's arms or legs.

[Dorizzit]

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

"Fair enough."

The shockwave doesn't feel like much through his insensitive shell, but Mikael has to turn his face away from the explosion to avoid sand getting into his eyes - he can't close them. "Are you sure that is enough to take them down?", he asks as he straightens up. While the blast is immense, he just survived several that were almost as bad. Then, it hits him, and he glances at the elephantine hollow. "They must be much weaker than they look." They are born of humans, maybe he overestimated them?

Wait, what is he saying? These are hungry ghosts of the dead, capable of crossing boundaries between Earth and the afterlife, and he's thinking them as "weaker"? Compared to who? What? Feeling faint, Mikael slumps and sits down on the ground, grasping his head with his hands. "... I think that's it for questions for now. I think I need to rest and clear my head before I can absorb any more information. Where is the realm you spoke of? Can you take me there?"

Hueco Mundo
Wilderness

Jehoel raises an eyebrow at Mikael's comment on strength, but lets him finish before responding.

"There would be no place for you in Las Noches. If I take you there, it could mean the end of your life. There is another place I could take you, however, one that would be safe. The choice is yours."

[The Librarian]

Mortal World
(The Alleyway)

"Quickly, Mi-chan! It's gaining!"

Miko continues running for her life with the paranoia creeping on her mind. It'd be so much easier if she at least knew what was chasing her, but alas, she remains unaware as the bee chases her. She's in a typical school uniform complete with skirt, so it should be too difficult for the bee to find a spot either on Miko's arms or legs.

The Bee gradually makes its way to the neck collar of her school uniform. Using what little vitality it has left, it makes onto her lower neck. The sensation of tiny feather-like feet tap along her skin. The bee then swiftly stings the neck, the sensation of a needle pricking the skin. It is in this moment that Hayato's minuet Reiatsu diffuses into her body. The bee then crumples over and dies lying next to her neck. (Assuming you don't slap it before then)

~ Meanwhile, at Tea Cafe
Hayato stops momentarily after sipping his green tea. A small smirk curls across his face as he senses the transfer of reiatsu into Miko's body.
Found you.

[CMOTDibbler]

[Soul Society] Training Grounds
Dosan smiles and enters the ring as well. He draws his zanpakuto and readies it, facing Naijeru.

You want to start?

Monastery of the Ho-ou
Myojin nods throughout, just listening. At the glance, he smiles understandingly.

I understand why you would expect us, and I can't really blame you. That being said, I am not privy to that kind of information any more. As for promotions... I've been offered a captain's position many times in my years, and turned it down. However, in the current situation as it is, I believe I would have to accept. As for power, once my arm is healed, I will once again be able to fight at at least Vice Captain level once more.

[Mortal World] Higure's Classroom
Higure looks at his two students, nodding slowly.

Maybe you're right. I guess... I'll ask then. Uhm... Give me a minute.

Higure crosses his legs in his chair, and, as he was instructed earlier by Untaidake, unsheathes the short sword and holds it in both palms in front of him, then closes his eyes.

In his head:
Untaidake? You there?
Higure opens his eyes in what appears to be a clearing in a jungle. A winged snake flies out and hovers before him.
Yes, Higure. I am here. You have questions about Hollows, yes?
Uhm, yeah, you can hear our conversation?
Yes. Eventually we will be able to communicate without you coming here. But that is not currently important. Ask your questions.
Ah, all right. Hollows; What are they, why can we sense them, are we the only ones who can, where do they come from, how do we stop them?
Untaidake thinks for a moment, then speaks. Higure notices that Untaidake's mouth doesn't actually move.
Hollows are the result of tortured, corrupt souls of humans that have turned to cannibalism. You can sense them because your grandfather could. I do not know about the other two, although I can tell that they are not truly human, although neither are you. I also sense that there may be others like you in this town, but cannot tell specifically who. Hollows come from Hueco Mundo, the white desert where all hollows reside. As for stopping them, I'm not sure if you can. Something is causing them to enter this world. I don't know what, but it's probably something big.
Uhm, all right. Thank you, Untaidake.

Higure opens his eyes, and, wiping sweat off his brow, and speaks. It's only been a few seconds. He relays to his two students all of what Undaidake said, minus the part about none of them being human.


[Hueco Mundo] The Arena
Azmus raises an eyebrow to the obvious attack and quickly sonidos to the side at the last moment, shaking his head, still spinning the dagger in his hand.

Wilderness
Seeing what he thinks is a good moment, the prostrate hollow scrambles away from the other two, eager to get away from what he perceives as two of the most powerful creatures he's ever seen. If left alone, he'll get up and run away as quietly as possible.

[Viera Champion]

Soul Society ~ Recon Headquarters

A seemingly small girl skips in to the main headquarters of the Reconnaissance Division of Soul Society's Gotei 6. She sighs as she flops down into a chair and twirls around in it. A small girl wearing the Reconnaissance Division's Captain's haori, marking her out as none other than Hikaru Tsukino herself, just arrived back from her latest self-imposed recon mission. She feels the need to get out and about every now and then, and what better excuse.

Hikaru wheels her way over to the other side of the room, checking up on Reiphone locations.
"Everything seems in order, but I'm itching to get out again. No one will believe if I go out again so soon though. Being Captain is rough... And now I'm talking to myself. Might as well go check on the barracks, at least there's people there."

Hikaru jumps up and strides on down to the barracks.

"Where's that Vice-Captain of mine?"

Soul Society ~ Between Division Grounds
Locks swinging from his ears, Eri Wa-Den makes his way to the Combat Corps. He's still a little unsure how to handle his new promotion to Vice-Captain of Internal Security, but he was determined. He would protect Seireitei with his life, and bring anyone who went against that goal to justice.

Having been recently promoted, he has determined that the first order of business is to get to know the people he will have to be working with, namely, his own subordinates, and the Vice-Captains of other divisions.

That is why he is on his way to the Combat Corps. They shared a connection with Internal Security through their diligence when it comes to protecting Soul Society. "The Pack" protects it from outside threats, while IS protects it from inside threats. It is because of this, that Eri has decided to start here.

When he first arrives on the grounds of the Combat Corps, he starts wander. After all, it was also his duty to know every inch of Seireitei by heart.

[AnimeKid]

Soul Society Training Grounds

Naijeru removes his sword from his side sheath and all as he brings it in front of him. He draws his Zanpakuto as well, revealing a long and thick odachi that he holds in his right hand, the sheath still clenched tightly in his left. He gives a grin as he says, "Don't mind if I do!"

Just like that he is off, his footsteps thundering across the ground as he closes in on Dosan. Upon reaching appropriate range he launches a two-pronged attack. A slash from his blade at Dosan's shoulder area and a bash from his sheath aimed at the ribs.

Mortal World Classroom

Tamaki sweats a little as he hears what Higure's sword had to say. He pushes his glasses up his nose once more before he says, "I see. Well on our own I'd say that we a little outside our weight class if something is actively causing hollows to appear in our world. Not to mention there is an entire world full of them. So I would say that our best bet is to try to find these, 'others like us' and try to convince them to help us."

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World
(The Classroom)

Kenzan nods. The idea of finding others like them seems to be the best moving forward. Even if the three of them didn't know much more, someone else might. "Is there a way to find these other people? A way to sense or track them down? Maybe a way to find more of these "hollow" creatures or figure out when they're going to show up next?"

(The Alleyway)

Miko slaps at the sharp pain on her neck. Drawing her hand back she sees the crushed insect. "That was all it was?"

"Um... maybe? I don't know. I've never felt something like that from a bee... I'm sorry..."

Miko rubs the sting, but otherwise pays it no mind. If unimpeded, she'll head home and spend the rest of the day there, oblivious to the being tracking her.

Hueco Mundo
(The Arena)

Obviously the Espada is a much more difficult opponent than the last guy. Regardless, Karasu's current opponent is who he is. Karasu twirls his scythe around, turns to face Azmus, and lunges at him with a Sonido, arcing his scythe up as part of the attack.

[The Librarian]

Mortal World (The Alleyway)

Miko slaps at the sharp pain on her neck. Drawing her hand back she sees the crushed insect. "That was all it was?"

"Um... maybe? I don't know. I've never felt something like that from a bee... I'm sorry..."

Miko rubs the sting, but otherwise pays it no mind. If unimpeded, she'll head home and spend the rest of the day there, oblivious to the being tracking her.

Hayato finishes his drink and leaves the cafe, heading in the general direction of Miko, now that he's able to track her movements with ease. When he notices Miko has stopped moving significantly he makes the assertion she must be at her home. As walks down the block where her house is likely located. Interesting...So our little Hollow Girl lives here. Hmmm... Hayato checks his surroundings. ...I think I'll wait till later this evening to try and draw her out again.

With that decision he walks away for now, still curious about investigating the rest of the town.

[Tebryn]

[Soul Society]
Monastery of the Ho-ou

Li's expression darkens. "We lost two Captains lately. Discounting Sparrow-san herself, how many of us are left, Suzaku-san?" Li sighs. "I have not heard of the Reconnassaince Captain for weeks now. He was not present in the Captain's meeting. Even his Vice-Captain is off Presumably, he is off to conduct some high-security mission. Of our replacements, I have already conversed with Yasunobu-san. Kiba-san, I'm afraid, is not truly ready to lead his own division. After the death of the Kenpachi, he's been like a dog without a master."

"Internal Security, I expressly do not trust at this point. That is why I asked you, Isamaru-san, to come instead", Li glances at Myojin. "I will explain why in a moment. But you two are essentially here to help me formulate my presentation so I can give it to Sparrow-san - when I ask her to step down from her position."

"Suzaku-san and Isamaru-san, you are one of the few remaining officers who still have in good memory how things used to be. True, you might not be as powerful as what has traditionally been demanded from a Captain, but if we are to refound our old Division structure, I will personally vouch for your promotions - based on your experience, if nothing else."

"During the next weeks, I plan to go and talk with as many of the old officers who are still around, and ask them to return to fore once more. The bulk of our new forces must, by necessity, come from fresh recruits, but I hope I can find enough experienced leaders to at least advice them before they climb up the ranks."


Fuyu shakes his head, resting a hand on his zanpakuto before speaking. "I have never been the leader type, Li-san. I will back any decision you make but I cannot take a position as anything more than a teacher to what ever new flock we find to lead us in these troubled times. My position has always been that of a teacher, I will continue on that path."

[5a Violista]

[Soul Society]
Combat Division Grounds

Suou Nicole shakes her head. Even though she has almost no pride left after this past week, and especially after today, she tries to salvage anything that's left. "No, I can manage on my own. Just point the direction I have to go, and I'll find my own way. I don't need help."

She recalls saying the same thing to her brother. 'Stupid brother: why did you have to go and die and leave me alone?' Rather than making her regret saying this, this thought just makes her more determined to show she can do it by herself. She can prove to herself that she's stronger than her father thought she was.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness

Jehoel raises an eyebrow at Mikael's comment on strength, but lets him finish before responding.

"There would be no place for you in Las Noches. If I take you there, it could mean the end of your life. There is another place I could take you, however, one that would be safe. The choice is yours."

Mikael shrugs. "I suppose you know better. I can't say I know enough of you to trust you, but so far you've been surprisingly helpful. Lead the way please." Leaning his hands on his knees, Mikael stands up, some loose sand rustling down along his shell.

---
[Mortal Realm]
Suburbs



They're pretty much nearly at Miya's house already. Just one more street, to the left. She looks anxiously in that direction, as if trying to decide what to do then.

"Yes, it is very nice to have relatives there. The only problem is that I don't see them as often as I would like." Having lived with them for the past while, she often feels very lonely when at home. The house is too big for only two people...there should be at least twenty, she feels. Always people running around, and never an empty room.

Miya then follows Yui's glance. "You're right, there was something that made me wake up late. Must've been the atmosphere, or something," she immediately says. Given a moment to revise her answer, she adds, "Then again, at school, there was a really odd feeling in the morning. Maybe it was the bad air, but it felt a little different than just pollution." Gave her a headache, too, but she had forgotten about that until Yui brought it up.

A strange glint appears in Yui's eyes. "Yes, I thought you would have noticed it too. It's a rare talent these days. Too few people spend their days... out." Suddenly, Yui stops, and turns on her heels, looking behind them into the distance. "... and, it seems it is about to get worse. It seems we're getting close, so I suppose we'll part ways now." Yui's noticed that Miya's pace started to slow down. The older woman hurries back next to Miya, fetches into the pocket of her suit and then hands a piece of paper to Miya.

"That's my business card. If you'd like to talk about strange "weather", you can catch me from the lower number when I'm off-duty." Yui points at the bottom of the paper, where there are two phone numbers. "I'll hurry back home before it starts to, hmm, rain. I'd be glad to see you again."

---

[Soul Society]
Monastery of the Ho-ou

Li frowns, not exactly happy to hear Fuyu's statement. "If that is your position, Suzaku-san, then may I suggest you take my place as the Shinōreijutsuin headmaster? As much as I love the position, it may be my expertise is more required in a different place. I hoped that task would ease me into peaceful retirement, but those hopes may have been for naught. I feel our new recruits will need a more, hmmm, vital person to serve as an example." There's a metallic clink as the bamboo cane taps Li's titanium leg prosthetic.

Then, Li turns attention to Myojin. "I'm glad to hear that, Isamaru-san. I admit, for a while I was afraid your injury would be as permanent as mine. But I'm worried by your statement about how information is withheld from you. I hope there are people in your division who we can consider trustworthy."

"Do you still have comments on these two topics, or shall we move on to the third?"

---

[Soul Society]
Recon division HQ

One of the unseated troopers bows at their diminutive Captain. "Tsukino-sama, Junrin-fukutaichou has yet to return from her reconnassaince mission in the mortal realm. We expect to receive word from her later this evening, should she decide to continue her mission. If not, she should be here in a moment."

[The Librarian]

[Mortal World] ~ The Suburbs (May or may not be the same ones Yui is in)

Hayato waits for evening to roll around before he makes his way towards Miko's residence again. His curiosity has been piqued from today's earlier encounter with this mysterious girl. He is intent on learning more about this child and her strange Hollow essence tonight.

Hayato arrives a block away from Miko's home.
Now then, lets call out our little hollow child.

The Rogue Vice Captain raises his hand summoning forth a magnificent Birdwing Hell Butterfly (http://www.butterflyreplicas.com/images/Live%20Shot.jpg). His essence imbued in the Butterfly he send its out towards Miko's house to get her attention. (So like if there's a window for her to look out of the butterfly is gonna just be perched on that window)

[DiscipleofBob]

Mortal World
(Suburbia)

Miko's lives in a small house in suburbia. Depending on how good Hayato's senses are or how well he scouts, he'll find three presences in the household, all mortals. Though one still has the trace reiatsu from before.

Miko sits alone in her room. The window is closed and the blinds are drawn.

"Mi-chan! That thing is back again!"

"Last time you said that it was just a bee."

[i]"Um... I know. But it could be something else this time! Something really scary!"[i]

Miko tries to ignore the presence, hoping it will go away, much like someone would treat a potential boogey man.

Soul Society
(Combat Division)

Kiba nods to Nicole. She knows who to contact if the SSI starts giving her trouble. Instead he Shunpo's over to the division grounds entrance, where the officer from the Recon Division awaits. A lot of visitors today. "What is it?"

[The Librarian]

Mortal World
(Suburbia)

Miko's lives in a small house in suburbia. Depending on how good Hayato's senses are or how well he scouts, he'll find three presences in the household, all mortals. Though one still has the trace reiatsu from before.

Miko sits alone in her room. The window is closed and the blinds are drawn.

"Mi-chan! That thing is back again!"

"Last time you said that it was just a bee."

"Um... I know. But it could be something else this time! Something really scary!"

Miko tries to ignore the presence, hoping it will go away, much like someone would treat a potential boogey man.

The Hell Butterfly lands on the window with its shutters closed. Hayato not quite sure how else to get the girl's attention without attracting the attention of every other spiritual being in the vicinity. So he goes down a more...subtle route sending his commands to the Hell Butterfly

Hayato perches himself up by the window recalling his Hel Butterfly As he reaches his hand for the window he utters one quiet thought Here's hoping for a friendly confrontation
Hayato taps firmly on the shuttered window.
Hey...Anyone there? I mean you no harm, truly.

[Tebryn]

Mortal World
(The Classroom)

Kenzan nods. The idea of finding others like them seems to be the best moving forward. Even if the three of them didn't know much more, someone else might. "Is there a way to find these other people? A way to sense or track them down? Maybe a way to find more of these "hollow" creatures or figure out when they're going to show up next?"


"Perhaps I can help." Sawada murmurs softly, stepping into the classroom after having returned to his Gigai. He adjusts his glasses, looking over the assembled students and teacher calmly. "You all did surprisingly well...to think that such a high concentration of spiritually aware mortals were present...well...perhaps it's not all that surprising."



[Soul Society]
Monastery of the Ho-ou

Li frowns, not exactly happy to hear Fuyu's statement. "If that is your position, Suzaku-san, then may I suggest you take my place as the Shinōreijutsuin headmaster? As much as I love the position, it may be my expertise is more required in a different place. I hoped that task would ease me into peaceful retirement, but those hopes may have been for naught. I feel our new recruits will need a more, hmmm, vital person to serve as an example." There's a metallic clink as the bamboo cane taps Li's titanium leg prosthetic.

Then, Li turns attention to Myojin. "I'm glad to hear that, Isamaru-san. I admit, for a while I was afraid your injury would be as permanent as mine. But I'm worried by your statement about how information is withheld from you. I hope there are people in your division who we can consider trustworthy."

"Do you still have comments on these two topics, or shall we move on to the third?"


Fuyu bows, a soft smile crossing his weathered features. "I suppose if it is what you desire Captain Li. I have no other issues with the propositions on hand. I vote for the restructuring of the Gotei 6 into a wartime body once more. Let us proceed to your final topic."

[Viera Champion]

Soul Society
Recon Division HQ

Tsukino smiles, noting in her mind the troopers helpfulness. Subordinates were always pleased when you noticed the little things they did.
"Why thank you. Have I missed anything while I was away? Everyone always seems to need me as soon as I'm not around, especially the higher ups."
It's quite possible that he has no idea, since as an unseated soldier, he would have no reason to know, but that again, word spreads around, so he might.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soul Society
Combat Division.
Eri realizes the person he was looking for is right in front of him, and bows.
Kib-san. Nice to meet you. My name is Wa-Den Eri. I was just promoted to Vice-Captain of the Internal Security division. As such, I saw it as my duty to get to know the other Vice-Captains. After all, it's my duty to know all the internal workings of Seireitei.
He's very serious and down to business. Not very fun.

[Dorizzit]

[Hueco Mundo]
Wilderness


Mikael shrugs. "I suppose you know better. I can't say I know enough of you to trust you, but so far you've been surprisingly helpful. Lead the way please." Leaning his hands on his knees, Mikael stands up, some loose sand rustling down along his shell.

Jehoel nods wordlessly and walks off into the desert. If Mikael is paying attention, he should notice the clouds getting thicker and thicker above. It's a long walk; nearly an hour. At last, however, the odd pair crests a dune. Spread before them, a vast lake of inky water stretches off to the distance in each direction. Large rocks dot the shore, surrounding the lake on all sides. At the center of the lake, an island of black stone rises out of the water. In the featureless stretch of Hueco Mundo, the entire lake is intrusive; out of place. Jehoel strides towards it, heading down to the waterfront before stepping out onto the surface of the water. He walks a few steps forward, his feet only barely sunk into the tranquil water. He turns back and beckons.

"There is a path. Come."

[CMOTDibbler]

[Soul Society] Training Grounds
Dosan blocks Naijeru's blade with his own,, and steps inside the bash, aiming a bash of his own at Naijeru's neck with the butt of his sword.

Monastery of the Ho-ou
Myojin shakes his head solemnly.

I'm worried that most of the division has lost touch with what they're true duties are, and because I am one that remembers those duties, I am no longer involved with what much of the division does. However, I believe others like the new Vice Captain Wa-Den can still be trusted.

[Mortal World] Higure's Classroom
Higure's eyebrows raise at Sawada's entrance, and blinks a few times before speaking.

Thank you, Sawada? What... what do you mean?

[Hueco Mundo] The Arena
Azmus steps to the side at the last possible moment to avoid the scythe, and aims a shallow slash with his dagger at Karasu's neck, not wanting to kill him.

[KerfuffleMach2]

[Mortal World]-Outside the School

While watching the building, it occurred to Arianna that it might be a good idea to get a glimpse of the mortals that fought the Hollow here. That would make it easier to find them again, at the very least.

She closes her eyes and lets her other senses take over for a moment. She could still feel their reiatsu, and it didn't take her long long to pinpoint where they were in the building.

With a few flaps of her wings, Arianna silently arrives just outside the window of Higure's classroom. She's off to the side, so that anybody inside couldn't see her. Just cause they could fight a Hollow doesn't mean she wants them to see her yet.

She leans her head to the side enough to look in...and sees Sawada near the door, addressing the mortals gathered. A look of surprise and confusion appears on her face. Surprise to his presence, and confusion to why she couldn't sense him.