[BiTPR2] Renewed Revolution: Spirit World IV

[Dorizzit]

[Hueco Mundo]
On High

Jehoel folds the phone and replaces it.

"Consuming our soldiers would be an inefficient method of enhancing combat power. I would need to devour most of the Armada to gain any significant boost to my power."

Jehoel pauses just long enough for Turiel to think he's not going to say anything helpful.

"Project Jonah involves direct exposure to my Reiatsu over the course of 24 hours, slowly increasing to full strength. Those who rise to the occasion will be able to feed off of my power and learn to better control their own. We may even produce some viable Espada candidates, although that is a low possibility."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Going clockwise

As Ryouma leaps on the Hollow, it throws up its left hand, creating another barrier to halt the large Shinigami's momentum, while grasping the hilt of its blade with its right.

Then, two things at once: it clenches its left hand into a fist, causing the barrier to disappear, while drawing its sword with the right and sending a crescent of energy flying at Ryouma, counting on him being unable to dodge midair

---

Going counterclockwise

The cornered Hollow drops its sword and throws its hands to the sides, creating a wedge formed of two Negacion barriers to block the lightning bolts.

At the same instant, the four other Hollows running from the lightning strikers shoot Ceros at the direction of the cornered Hollow, aiming to destroy everything in its vicinity not shielded by the barriers.

[Kuroimaken]

[Soul Society]
(( Clockwise ))

What the Hollow might not count on is that Tatsuya wasn't going to dodge so much out of inability as unwillingness. The wave of energy crashes against his chest, a fairly large gash opening... but the giant has blood to spare, it seems. He manages to close the distance through the impact.

"Now THAT feels like a hit." He says with a manic grin. He reaches to grab the Hollow's left arm with his right, while his left hand grips at the junction of the shoulder, pulling with all his might.

Simply put, he intends to sever that limb.

_______________________

(( Counterclockwise ))

Ahh, clever. They used one of their own as bait in an attempt to trash the constructs with the debris of the buildings. The constructs need not fear death - they are mere extensions of energy, and Kamen Rider Rei can create more as necessary. The damage to the buildings, however, is undesirable. As such, the thunderclones launch themselves closer, and attempt to detonate the ceros prematurely with lightning strikes - failing that, they'll take the blasts head-on.

Their master is not unaware of the difficulty they are facing in this fight. As such, he briefly interrupts his meeting with Momoka to deliver another order.

" Engineering. I need an ASP* field at the following coordinates. Tell the Combat Division to steer clear, it's going to get ugly."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

ASP stands for Artificial Storm Projection. Basically, Kamen Rider Rei wants a thunderstorm raging up in the skies.

[KnightDisciple]

[Hueco Mundo]
On High

[Hueco Mundo]
On High

Jehoel folds the phone and replaces it.

"Consuming our soldiers would be an inefficient method of enhancing combat power. I would need to devour most of the Armada to gain any significant boost to my power."

Jehoel pauses just long enough for Turiel to think he's not going to say anything helpful.

"Project Jonah involves direct exposure to my Reiatsu over the course of 24 hours, slowly increasing to full strength. Those who rise to the occasion will be able to feed off of my power and learn to better control their own. We may even produce some viable Espada candidates, although that is a low possibility."

"That, and most of them are too stringy."

A brow creaks up at the description of the procedure.

"Hn. That's about as close to the belly of the beast as they can get and still live, I suppose. Certainly one of the better "quick" ideas out there. Any thoughts on things you'd like me to do, beyond helping rebuild any damage, and maybe stamp out some gear?"

The day Turiel Vulkenssen just "stamps out" gear is the day Hueco Mundo becomes a swim resort, one supposes. Still, it's clear he means producing for function over form.

[Dorizzit]

[Hueco Mundo]
On High

Jehoel nods.

"Damage control. Gear. Training oversight. Rebuilding as quickly as possible is our primary priority right now."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Going clockwise

The Hollow certainly has nothing against its opponent letting in free hits. Having its arm grabbed by a giant is a bit inconvenient, though

Pulling at the Hollow's arm feels like stretching a combination of rubber and steel. If Ryouma has done this in the past, or just helped a friend with a dislocated shoulder, he can tell there's something funny going on with the creature's skeleton - it's like its bones are held together by hinges, not just muscles. This makes his task harder, though not insurmountable - he's a big guy, he can find enough leverage eventually.

The problem is, he opted to grab the Hollow's free hand for some bizarre reason, leaving its sword hand free and his side and right arm within its reach. Does he get a boner from being cut? Anyways, the Hollow channels more crimson energy along its blade and slashes at its opponent again and again and again. It's a contest now, of who makes the other guy lose a limb first.

---

Going counter-clockwise

Ceros, being blobs of solid Reiatsu, have nothing particularly vulnerable to being defused by electricity. This doesn't mean they can't be stopped, of course - it just that it requires just as much energy and results in a rather spectacular series of explosions.

The four Hollows running from the thunderclones don't see what became of them - they do know they missed a shot and begin charging new ones.

The fifth Hollow inside the barrier realizes the artillery support it needed isn't coming. It ducks down and rolls on the ground, catching its sword. Then, it attempts to flee into the nearest building by crashing through a wall.

---

Elsewhere

The gate garrison is having trouble. No-one has technically been killed, but one squad's attempt to subdue the Hollows ended up with, well, the wrong party subdued. No-one's technically dead, but mostly because they haven't had time to bleed out yet. There has been curiously little property damage there.

On the other hand, that group of Hollows is also at a dead end. The gate is shut and the gatekeeper is absent. So they're stuck dueling Shinigami until they find their match.

------

[Hueco Mundo]
White sands

Three black-clad figures have been wandering around in search of more Gillians, to no avail. Lately, they've been distracted by flashes of light, like really distant thunder, coming from direction of Las Noches.

Now, they spot a white-clad figure carrying another. It's Demetrio and Torahiko.

"... who the Hell are those guys?", the first one asks.

"And where are they going? There should be nothing in that direction, we checked."

The frontmost of the three figures tilts its eyeless, mouthless black head. ... gentlemen. Let's find out.

---

Silbern

The hall ways of the icy Quincy castle are empty and silent as if in a mausoleum. Demetrio carries Torahiko into one of the hospital rooms and lowers him on a bed. "Comrade Tachibana! Wake up!"

[KnightDisciple]

[Hueco Mundo]
On High

[Hueco Mundo]
On High

Jehoel nods.

"Damage control. Gear. Training oversight. Rebuilding as quickly as possible is our primary priority right now."

Turiel nods.

"And then what? We just hunker down? We try to hunt down any more of the arrow-flingers out to try and tear this down? We go after Tentacle Butt?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Soul Society]
Gate Fight

Elsewhere

The gate garrison is having trouble. No-one has technically been killed, but one squad's attempt to subdue the Hollows ended up with, well, the wrong party subdued. No-one's technically dead, but mostly because they haven't had time to bleed out yet. There has been curiously little property damage there.

On the other hand, that group of Hollows is also at a dead end. The gate is shut and the gatekeeper is absent. So they're stuck dueling Shinigami until they find their match.

And then Masaru is suddenly flanking the group of Hollows with the Shinigami squad, shadow constructs reaching up to try and bind and slow the creatures even as the Captain's swords work to try and deflect any incoming attacks.
He seems to be forgoing speaking for the moment, his face an emotionless mask.

[Dorizzit]

Spoiler

Show

[Hueco Mundo]
On High

Turiel nods.

"And then what? We just hunker down? We try to hunt down any more of the arrow-flingers out to try and tear this down? We go after Tentacle Butt?"

[Hueco Mundo]
On High

"A good question, but one that will need to wait until we have collected the remaining Espada in one room."

[strawberryman]

[Commander-General's Office]

Koutarou Kamen Rider Rei's sigh is audible even through the mask, and so is the slump of his shoulders.

"Central is bound not to see it that way. Especially with the recent movements on the Himmel's part. And I'm fairly sure what mortal spiritually empowered organizations there are aside from the Quincy and the Kuzunoha won't see it that way either.

Von Geister can probably tell as much. Even if for some reason he is unaware of Central's intentions, he won't be so foolish as to assume we will do nothing. At the least, he'll be prepared. We've been on the offensive so far, but with relatively little to show for it. And then there is Haven. And the general implications of letting him empower Mortals at his whim.

His grudge with me notwithstanding, I cannot stomach brokering a deal with Von Geister. And defective as they may seem to many, Central won't bow to his whims either. They could only barely accept our peace treaty with Las Noches as it is - which no doubt will have them gunning for Hishikawa's head from this latest fiasco with Nanashi, or asking for Las Noches to take responsibility in some way.

I suppose it's a good thing he's been delayed in delivering Central's message so far. He'll be away from all this when the time to give the reports comes around."

"This is what being a leader requires, I am afraid, Commander." Momoka closes her eyes. "We are in no place to assault the Ghost King, even if we were to find a manner to prevent his reunification with Izanami-no-Mikoto if my theory is correct. And this... incident does not help matters, no. Neither for our recovery nor the perception of Las Noches." A rare sigh.

"...I cannot force you to do anything, but it is my recommendation to take the opportunity Von Geister is giving us. You do not need to accept a deal from him, merely accept that at this point, we are at a standstill. From there... perhaps it is best we focus on the more pressing threat of how to maintain the relationship with our allies in Las Noches."

[KnightDisciple]

[Hueco Mundo]
[On High]

[Hueco Mundo]
On High

"A good question, but one that will need to wait until we have collected the remaining Espada in one room."

"Hn. Yeah. All...three or four of us, I guess."

He sighs and stands up.

"Looks like things are wrapping up down there. I'm going to go cuff some of these kids upside the head and keep them busy for a while. Give me a shout when we have the meeting."

[Kuroimaken]

"This is what being a leader requires, I am afraid, Commander." Momoka closes her eyes. "We are in no place to assault the Ghost King, even if we were to find a manner to prevent his reunification with Izanami-no-Mikoto if my theory is correct. And this... incident does not help matters, no. Neither for our recovery nor the perception of Las Noches." A rare sigh.

"...I cannot force you to do anything, but it is my recommendation to take the opportunity Von Geister is giving us. You do not need to accept a deal from him, merely accept that at this point, we are at a standstill. From there... perhaps it is best we focus on the more pressing threat of how to maintain the relationship with our allies in Las Noches."

"I find it is less of a gift than we are making it. You're right that this is no time to go hunting for Von Geister's head no matter how badly Central wants it. On the flipside, waiting until his next move does not sit well with me. Considering his actions so far, we have only been able to react when doing so doesn't prevent his intent. He's one step ahead of us, the whole time. Even back in Russia, it took us the antics of a semi-illiterate crazy man to find them. I wonder who that is. I've received a lot of contradicting reports from the field that day."

[TherianTheorist]

Silbern

The hall ways of the icy Quincy castle are empty and silent as if in a mausoleum. Demetrio carries Torahiko into one of the hospital rooms and lowers him on a bed. "Comrade Tachibana! Wake up!"

It takes a moment before the fullbringer responds to Demetrio's cry. "Nnh" *Cough* His eyes open, then shut again, blinking until he feels comfortable with the lighting in the room, he's breathing a bit heavily, but other than some scrapes and bruises, there's no visible signs of injury. "Thank you, for saving me back there."

His spiritual energy hadn't recovered yet, and he wasn't not surrounded by quincy or arrancar, so he assumed that not much time had passed. "Any news on the state of the battle?"

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Gate garrison

Masaru's entrance breaks the Hollows' groove. They stumble and trip on the shadows and are forced to disengage from their earlier opponents in order to fend off Masaru. The Shinigami who were in danger of being overwhelmed are a bit confused at first, then cheer when they realize who has come to help them. Then, they quickly evacuate the wounded.

Four of the Hollows end up blade-locked with Masaru, two trying to hold back each of his blades. They're clearly struggling to not be immobilized by the shadows. The fifth jumps to a nearby roof and does something unexpected - it pulls up its mask. A young man looks down on the Captain. "You're the one who killed those in the forest", it remarks and lifts its sword in a salute. "Hiraku Masaru. It is an honor."

---

[Hueco Mundo]
Silbern

Emotions conflict on Demetrio's face. Arrancars won and Quincies lost, but what should that mean to an Arrancar Quincy?

Demetrio bows, tears flowing from his eyes. "I... I am sorry, comrade Tachibana. My nerves failed me and I ran with you before witnessing the conclusion." Demetrio says that more for his own benefit than Torahiko's. Pretending not to know the Quincies had no chance quiets the programmed alarm in his mind and gives him a sliver of hope.

Then, the light flickers and dies. Torahiko can't see it, but Demetrio tenses and prepares to bolt. "What was that?"

Then the lights flash back again and Demetrio and Torahiko find it's no longer just the two of them in the room. Three Arrancars, one in the door way and one on both sides, look at them.

Or well, at least the two at the sides look at them. The one in the middle has no visible eyes, just a smooth black surface where the face should be with two curved horns rising from its temple.

Oh, it's just us. Might you tell me what is this place?

[Kuroimaken]

[Soul Society]
Going clockwise

The Hollow certainly has nothing against its opponent letting in free hits. Having its arm grabbed by a giant is a bit inconvenient, though

Pulling at the Hollow's arm feels like stretching a combination of rubber and steel. If Ryouma has done this in the past, or just helped a friend with a dislocated shoulder, he can tell there's something funny going on with the creature's skeleton - it's like its bones are held together by hinges, not just muscles. This makes his task harder, though not insurmountable - he's a big guy, he can find enough leverage eventually.

The problem is, he opted to grab the Hollow's free hand for some bizarre reason, leaving its sword hand free and his side and right arm within its reach. Does he get a boner from being cut? Anyways, the Hollow channels more crimson energy along its blade and slashes at its opponent again and again and again. It's a contest now, of who makes the other guy lose a limb first.

---

Going counter-clockwise

Ceros, being blobs of solid Reiatsu, have nothing particularly vulnerable to being defused by electricity. This doesn't mean they can't be stopped, of course - it just that it requires just as much energy and results in a rather spectacular series of explosions.

The four Hollows running from the thunderclones don't see what became of them - they do know they missed a shot and begin charging new ones.

The fifth Hollow inside the barrier realizes the artillery support it needed isn't coming. It ducks down and rolls on the ground, catching its sword. Then, it attempts to flee into the nearest building by crashing through a wall.

[Clockwise]

If Tatsuya understood the finer intricacies of leverage in a way that could be explained by him, he might find the Hollow's attempts cute. As it is, he finds them mostly laughable. Unfortunately for the Hollow, the reason he went for his free arm rather than his sword arm was so he would stop throwing up those stupid barriers. Even more unfortunate, it is hard to believe his arm has more resilience in it than the gates of Seireitei have weight.

Where was I, though? Oh yes, the leverage. The Hollow will find that at such close quarters, he quite simply can't find the ideal reach to inflict more than a number of shallow wounds on the self-styled Shinigami. The blade actually bounces off his skin as though beneath the dermis lay a thick sheet of iron. He might have been more successful if they were within blade's reach of each other, but as it stands, it's only a matter of time before his arm is painfully ripped with a disgusting sound.

And not much time at that.

_______________

[Counter-Clockwise]

It takes a little while, but the sound and darkness of an approaching lightning storm in the skies soon makes itself known. Dramatically appropriate that the first couple of bolts rage on as the Ceros are almost done charging...

...and it is no coincidence that a number of them shoot from the skies towards the Hollows, possibly through them, and down towards the last location of the thunderclones.

One of them has a target as it pursues the Hollow fleeing into the building.

[KnightDisciple]

[Soul Society]
Gate Garrison

[Soul Society]
Gate garrison

Masaru's entrance breaks the Hollows' groove. They stumble and trip on the shadows and are forced to disengage from their earlier opponents in order to fend off Masaru. The Shinigami who were in danger of being overwhelmed are a bit confused at first, then cheer when they realize who has come to help them. Then, they quickly evacuate the wounded.

Four of the Hollows end up blade-locked with Masaru, two trying to hold back each of his blades. They're clearly struggling to not be immobilized by the shadows. The fifth jumps to a nearby roof and does something unexpected - it pulls up its mask. A young man looks down on the Captain. "You're the one who killed those in the forest", it remarks and lifts its sword in a salute. "Hiraku Masaru. It is an honor."

Masaru's hat is still on his head, so the Hollow, Arrancar, whatever it is cannot see his eyes or face. But the ones locking blades with him, struggling against a man who might as well not be in a fight at all, such is the lack of distinct effort on his face, they see his expression.
It's utterly calm. Except for his eyes; those hold a storm restrained.

"You don't deserve honor."

Suddenly, his blades are coated in shadow. He shoves, likely forcing the 4 humanoid Hollows back...and leaving them pushing against independent shadow blades. This gives him the chance to move back in a sudden Shunpo and stab his swords down, causing over-sized blades to erupt directly beneath two of the Hollows, such that it would likely go a long ways toward bisecting them. He then retracts his swords from his own shadow and Flash-Steps forward, engaging in a blitzkrieg attack on one of the two Hollows he didn't try to shadow-stab, looking to overwhelm it before the other two can react.

[TherianTheorist]

[Hueco Mundo]
Silbern

Emotions conflict on Demetrio's face. Arrancars won and Quincies lost, but what should that mean to an Arrancar Quincy?

Demetrio bows, tears flowing from his eyes. "I... I am sorry, comrade Tachibana. My nerves failed me and I ran with you before witnessing the conclusion." Demetrio says that more for his own benefit than Torahiko's. Pretending not to know the Quincies had no chance quiets the programmed alarm in his mind and gives him a sliver of hope.

Then, the light flickers and dies. Torahiko can't see it, but Demetrio tenses and prepares to bolt. "What was that?"

Then the lights flash back again and Demetrio and Torahiko find it's no longer just the two of them in the room. Three Arrancars, one in the door way and one on both sides, look at them.

Or well, at least the two at the sides look at them. The one in the middle has no visible eyes, just a smooth black surface where the face should be with two curved horns rising from its temple.

Oh, it's just us. Might you tell me what is this place?

Torahiko sits up in the bed, bracing himself with his left arm, to better view of Demetrio's face. He had to know if he was seeing things correctly, was the Quincy Arrancar he'd gone to war with just before... Crying?

It was hard for the boy to process. This was the first time he really thought of his ally as an actual being, and not some sort of monster or imitation. The lights cutting out derailed that train of thought.

"The building? It's a fortress. This area? Medical wing."He wasn't in the mood for guests at the time, but it's not like he was in a position to make them leave, so he didn't have a choice in the matter. He looked over to the two Arancar on the sides before he set his gaze on the faceless one in front, and tried to get a feel for the relative spiritual power of all three 'guests'.

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Command)

"...for the time being, we have other concerns, I am afraid." Momoka sighs and shrugs. "Nonetheless, I find it unlikely that Von Geister's next move will include us. His involvement with the Seireitei is done, so far as I can tell. Naturally, we should keep our guards raised, but without knowing what it is he could be planning, we can simply only pursue the tried and true option of being prepared for as many contingencies as we are able. In the least... we could research a binding ritual. However... the 'damage' to the mortal world is already done."

Engineering finally responds to Koutarou over the comm system. It... isn't Chouko. It's a relatively unfamiliar voice. Probably one of the many minor seated on the engineering's staff. "...uh, hey, commander. We're, uh... we sent a message to the lieutenant to activate your storm, because we don't have the clearance but he does. Well and Takenaka-taichou, buut... uh... that's the other thing." Koutarou can practically hear the desperation in the kid's voice. "The... the, uh... Captain's disappeared."

[Kuroimaken]

[Commander-General's office]

Kamen Rider Rei knows best than to yell at a poor, desperate officer.

On the flipside, since he is transformed right now, he has to make an extra effort for his voice to come out as anything soothing.

"Relax. Your Captain vanishing on you is hardly the last thing I expected from her." Hell of a timing, though. "She usually has some sort of reason, even if that reason were 'I got bored'. Check everything under her personal effects and laboratory. If her robots are gone, it's a fairly sure bet she took them - activate their locating devices. Check for Senkaimon use as well. There must be some trace of where she's gone.

Worst case scenario, we keep our eyes peeled and send Hishikawa after her. He's good at finding people."

Turning back to Momoka, Rei considers their options. "Probably for the best, yes. I wonder how it was done the first time... but since that was broken, it's probably best if we find an alternative that is beyond wear and tear. Surely such a trap can be conceived, yes?"

[Draken]

[Seireitei Communication Frequencies]

Hideki butts in.

"I've got your storm released Hishikawa. And the symphony is gone and she's turned off the trackers, so whatever she is doing, she knows it will make at least one of us angry."

It is a normal storm, black clouds and blue lightning and all that non-radioactive crap. Weak.

"So, those snake heads turned on us, apparently. What do you make of that?"

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Command)

"...it is merely a question of whether one as insidious as the Ghost King can be kept in containment. The Dangai made for an appropriate site to keep the barrier self-sustaining, but the binders still needed to sacrifice themselves to create and maintain the barrier." Momoka closes her eyes in thought.

"...and, um... there's... a problem on that Senkaimon thin- ...huh, what? ....what did you say?" Pause as the kid talks to someone off the comm link. "...uh. Koutetsu-fukutaichou... do you... have a monitor nearby? You should... probably show the Commander what's going on in the mortal news."

...oh boy.

[Draken]

[Seireitei]
(Command)

Hideki takes over Koutarou's computer screen.

"Eyewitnesses claim that the upper levels of the Moto Corporation headquarters were ripped off by a giant robot that proceeded to fly off towards Okinawa. Authorities refuse to issue any statement on the subject, however there have been reports of increasing police and defense force activity around a number of properties associated with the multinational."

There is even some footage of the building flying off in the hands of a giant spirit robot.

"..."

Hideki has a mask but one can probably guess what face he is making.

[Kuroimaken]

[Commander-General's office]

To say the silence that follows is deafening is both a cliche and an understatement.

Silence has deafened everyone, then proceeded to slash their ears off and run away with their eardrums. All the while, it shattered the tiny bones inside everyone's ear with a nuclear bomb.

"...I'm not sure whether to be amazed at their callousness or at the fact they can somehow conjure up a giant robot made of Reishi." Without assembling one piece by piece, he means.

"That settles it. I will have to go down to the Mortal World personally as soon as this fiasco with Nanashi is over. This goes so far beyond the line it has taken a full round trip. Do we have any leads on who's responsible?"

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Command)

Momoka sighs and massages her temple. "...The Ghost King will be on your trail, and likely immediately upon you as soon as you set foot into the mortal world. I thought I had mentioned that to you." But she lowers her hand, likely realizing this line of conversation was meaningless. "...if you absolutely must, you will only go with myself or Hishikawa. I do not believe this is an unreasonable request."

[Kuroimaken]

"I'm afraid that is a risk I will have to take. Hishikawa will be busy delivering our message from Central, so that leaves only you to accompany me." Kamen Rider Rei replied. "Either way, best keep an eye on the surface."

[strawberryman]

[Soul Society]
(Command)

Momoka sighs. She had only just returned from the Mortal World. And now... a bunch of reckless actions were setting her back again. Mildly irritating. But, she'd endure. "Very well. But we go in the greatest of secrecy, and there is something I must tell you. But... not now. When we leave. Until then... focus on our other more local issue." With that, she... sits off to the side, taking up a meditative stance.

(Engineering - Hideki's Office)

There's a knock. Then... somebody just barges in. Oh. Hongo Hiroki. Chain smoker. Older guy, but just middle aged. Slicked back black hair.

He's tailed by some interns, who're in turn pulling on hovercarts with... a bunch of crates. Hiroki stops, dragging on a smoke.

"*cough* The Captain insisted I say: It's time to unwrap the presents, and you've been a good boy, so you get a bunch of..." Hiroki rubs his temple. "...ok, no. You can just read the note." He slides it across the desk. "We're supposed to set these up ASAP."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Going Clockwise

There's a satisfying (?) crunch as the hinge in the Hollow's joint finally gives up and its left arm is torn off, pieces of metallic bone and ink-like blood flying in a wide arc.

The giant Shinigami ought to be careful about his assumptions of how much leverage the Hollow can create, and in what ways. As the rest of its body dangles from Tatsuya's left hand, the Hollow aligns the tip of its blade with where it estimates the giant's lung and heart to be. "Lanza de Sangre." A thin, solid red beam shoots forwards from its blade, the power of a Cero concentrated into one piercing attack.

---

Going Counter-clockwise

The four Hollows on the run are thunderstruck and lose their balance, tumbling on the ground before coming to stop. What comes of the one who ran into a building is unknown, but there's a pretty loud crash and then the roof of the building caves in, so it probably stumbled into something important.

The four Hollows outside crawl back up, dazed. The heck just happened? Lightning isn't supposed to do that.

The still have their Ceros charged, but don't know where the thunderclones are. So, instead, the four fire their shots towards the exact origin point of the thunderstorm. They don't know if the Storm Projector is there, but it's as good of a guess as any. Four crimson orbs fly across the sky, eager to release their dangerous energy on the source of this new obstacle.

---

Gate garrison

There's a horrible screeching sound, like steel grating against steel, as the shadow blades erupt from under two of the Hollows. If Masaru's blades were actual metal instead of shadow, both strikes would likely create a spectacular shower of sparks. The Hollows are thrown back, their shirts cut open and both with nasty gashes across their torsos. Both fall on their backs and one loses grip on its sword. Not quite what Masaru hoped, but it looks like they're still out of combat for at least a moment.

The third Hollow is forced on the defensive by Masaru's charge. It's doing a remarkably good job keeping his blades from cutting it up, but it has no openings to exploit to turn the fight in its favor. The fourth is left behing, still fighting the conjured shadow blade.

The one on the roof regards this calmly. "So you say", the young man says with a nod, "yet here you are." He pulls his mask back down... and at the same moment, the space behind him yawns open and twenty more blackclad Hollows charge forth to surround Masaru. The upside of that is that now only four of the hivemind members are missing. The downside... remains to be seen.

---

Headquarters

There's a query on the intercom. "Sir, what should we do with the other one?"

"The other one", in this case, referring to the snake-haired Arrancar chilling on HQ's doorstep. Well... provided you can call it "chilling" when you have five multi-ton pillars of iron pressing down on your limbs and neck.

---

[Hueco Mundo]
Silbern

I can tell as much myself. What I want to know is, who built this place and why? Your companion is an Arrancar, but that uniform is not of Las Noches Armada. And you are... a living humanoid. That's highly unusual for far side of Hueco Mundo.

Demetrio takes a step forward and tries to look brave. "You don't have to answer, Comrade Tachibana. These are lowly Hollow scum, they're not even of Las Noches." He doesn't sound all that convincing.

Torahiko's own senses are not telling any good news either. All three are Arrancars and obviously powerful. A fight with them probably wouldn't turn out well for Torahiko and Demetrio. The black one in the middle is something of an enigma, though. It's not that it's stronger than the others, but it is different. Majority of Hollows, Arrancars included, have a sort of bestial air around them. This one doesn't. It feels more like a statue or a machine than any living thing.

[Kuroimaken]

[Soul Society]
((Clockwise))

Ouch. Point-blank compressed Cero. Not good.

It is a testament to the Hollow's power that his assault sends Ryouma flying. His mass alone, not to mention his resistance, make this a non-trivial task. But even a mad dog like him knows better than to let someone pierce his heart.

He does, however, land on his feet, cracking a trail of broken stone and dirt on his path.

"Ooooh, that was a really good shot, you sneaky little bastich." The man snarls and grins as he coughs up blood through his teeth.

...maybe he DOES get a stiffy out of being cut.

"Suppose it's time I started taking this seriously, ain't it?"

Reaching behind his back, the giant draws a tanto. It looks ridiculously tiny compared to his size, and it's actually somewhat surprising he knows how to keep it that small.

"Become brutality..."

The surge of Reiatsu spreading from Tatsuya is nothing short of brutal. Gale-force frost winds blow from his position, to the point that there's a minimal amount of strain against the Hollow's Hierro. A regular plus standing next to him would probably be getting a combination of frostbite and actual cuts to his or her skin.

"...Toukou Myou-ou."

A rudimentary breastplate has sealed the hole the Cero had blown into his chest, from which a considerable amount of blood was spurting just moments before. He's surrounded by that frosty gale as well.

Does this Hollow understand fear?

____________________

((Counter-clockwise))

That's right. Lightning doesn't do that.

The purpose of the Storm Projection field isn't to act as a weapon. Lightning like that is far too difficult to 'tame'.

No, the purpose of this deployment was to strengthen the thunderclones. Striking the targets on the way was just a bonus.

Still, it's kind of bad policy letting the enemy destroy equipment, so there's no point in allowing the Hollows to fire. And the thunderclones aren't alive, either, so they can afford suicide tactics.

That's why they are right on top of the Hollows the moment they turn their heads up, fists charged with lightning strikes of their own as they seek to punch them into the Ceros, and hopefully through them, to hit their targets on the other side.

They won't emerge unscathed, of course, but that's what their power-up is for.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Soul Society]
Going clockwise

Of course the Hollow understands fear. Whether it's feeling it, or anything else for that matter, is an entirely different question. It's swaying from side to side as the gale blows against it, its head drooping as if it's about to fall to sleep. The freezing temperature and loss of blood are sinking it into stupor. Tatsuya could probably walk right to it and knock it on its ass.

What might be more interesting to him, is that the four other Hollows running around in this part of town have stopped at the edges of his perception. He can't see them, but he can feel a surge of power welling inside each one. They're planning to finish him off with a barrage of Balas, using the dimming senses of their comrade to fire at Tatsuya's position. So what will he do?

---

Going counter-clockwise

The result of the thunderclones' assault is the same as before: four major explosions in rapid succession. This close to ground, they demolish the immediate surroundings completely and kick up a nice little mushroom cloud visible from miles away.

Someone better fetch a shovel, because if the Hollows weren't reduced to ash by the blast, they were probably driven a couple of meters into the ground by the downward pressure, like humanoid tent pegs. The thunderclones, provided they survive, won't face any more resistance here.

[KnightDisciple]

[Soul Society]
[Gate Garrison]

Gate garrison

There's a horrible screeching sound, like steel grating against steel, as the shadow blades erupt from under two of the Hollows. If Masaru's blades were actual metal instead of shadow, both strikes would likely create a spectacular shower of sparks. The Hollows are thrown back, their shirts cut open and both with nasty gashes across their torsos. Both fall on their backs and one loses grip on its sword. Not quite what Masaru hoped, but it looks like they're still out of combat for at least a moment.

The third Hollow is forced on the defensive by Masaru's charge. It's doing a remarkably good job keeping his blades from cutting it up, but it has no openings to exploit to turn the fight in its favor. The fourth is left behing, still fighting the conjured shadow blade.

The one on the roof regards this calmly. "So you say", the young man says with a nod, "yet here you are." He pulls his mask back down... and at the same moment, the space behind him yawns open and twenty more blackclad Hollows charge forth to surround Masaru. The upside of that is that now only four of the hivemind members are missing. The downside... remains to be seen.

Masaru slowly turns back and forth, surveying the array of humanoid Hollows in front of him...before smirking.

"Hadō #33. Sōkatsui."

Blue fire roars out at the left section of Hollows around Masaru.

Meanwhile, shadows reach up to try and slow and entangle many of the others. The ones that aren't entangled will find that Masaru is moving rapidly among them, his energy so controlled, efficient, and reigned in that he can barely be detected, yet moving so fast he can barely be seen. He is a Captain, and one trained in the ways of the shadow as well as the sword.

Certainly, he's near a force of nature as much as anything. And while these Hollows come from a strong Arrancar, they are many pieces instead of one whole...

[Kuroimaken]

[Soul Society]
Going clockwise

Of course the Hollow understands fear. Whether it's feeling it, or anything else for that matter, is an entirely different question. It's swaying from side to side as the gale blows against it, its head drooping as if it's about to fall to sleep. The freezing temperature and loss of blood are sinking it into stupor. Tatsuya could probably walk right to it and knock it on its ass.

What might be more interesting to him, is that the four other Hollows running around in this part of town have stopped at the edges of his perception. He can't see them, but he can feel a surge of power welling inside each one. They're planning to finish him off with a barrage of Balas, using the dimming senses of their comrade to fire at Tatsuya's position. So what will he do?

---

Going counter-clockwise

The result of the thunderclones' assault is the same as before: four major explosions in rapid succession. This close to ground, they demolish the immediate surroundings completely and kick up a nice little mushroom cloud visible from miles away.

Someone better fetch a shovel, because if the Hollows weren't reduced to ash by the blast, they were probably driven a couple of meters into the ground by the downward pressure, like humanoid tent pegs. The thunderclones, provided they survive, won't face any more resistance here.

[Clockwise]

They're not being very smart, it seems. It took one of them a point-blank Cero to inflict meaningful damage on the giant (who's somehow crazy enough to endure a punctured lung just by literally grinning and bearing it). What do they think they can do by sniping him with Bala?

Oh well, one thing at a time.

First, Ryouma dashes forward to the position of their weakened comrade. His massive hand reaches out to grip his head and slowly but surely dig his knuckles into it as his ice aura flash-freezes the rest of its body to encase it in a solid block. Then he turns towards the closest enemy he can feel, and throws the chunk with violence comparable to that of a cannon.

Who needs to know their position when he can simply break everything in his path with an area-of-attack assault?

_________________________

[Counter-clockwise]

"Survive" is a funny term to use when it comes to what are essentially puppets. They are weakened by the point-blank blast, however, and choose to channel more lightning strikes to their positions to recharge. There is, after all, still one enemy unaccounted for.