|
Post by Galihan on Jul 13, 2008 22:35:26 GMT -4
Outside the massive fortress, the howl of countless numbers of lesser hollow echoed throughout the night sky as the elite vanguard of shinigami hacked and slashed their way closer and closer to the enemy base of operations. It was child's for the captain and vice-captain class members of the assault and the lower-ranked members also seemed to be having no problems as expected as these men were handpicked among the very best Squad 11 had to offer by their youthful Captain Matano Nekomi who was leading the attack along with Squad 10's Captain Saigotsuchuu Yun and Squad 12's Captain Minoru Daichi. It was Minoru who had chosen the destination to raise the senkaimon gate for Squads 2 and 9's Captains Kyuettaro Kisho and Hitotsu, respectively, to arrive with reinforcements and bring about pain and carnage unlike the kind seen for what must have been hundreds of years. It was way too long since Minoru has had the chance to prove that just because he's in charge of a majority of Soul Society's scientific development (save whatever Yun had going on with his squad such as the impressive contraption that got them over here in the first place,) that he was unable to also be a powerful warrior worthy of being ranked as a Captain in the Gotei 13.
"These hollows seem rather hungry, too bad they chose the wrong people to eat today!" he called out, his sealed zanpakuto easily dispatching one of the evil spirits among many who tried to stop them. "I'm guessing there's no chance we can do this secretly, is there?" He joked as he killed another hollow effortlessly as they kept coming at them. Even though the group as a whole was most definitely detected within Las Noches, Minoru himself was concealed by the vest he wore under his coat, which hid him for now until they'd get closer to the fortress itself.
So far nothing that had attacked them was really worth the effort of such a powerful team from Soul Society, but this wasn't just a measly hollow-extermination patrol in the real world, this was a maximum-priority rescue operation to retrieve Dante, Namida, and Takeshi, three young shinigami-in-training who were kidnapped in a field-exam gone horribly wrong. Minoru knew that it was their absolute duty to get the trio back safely before any more harm came their way than what may have actually happened to them, but he was certain that they'd succeed and that it would only be a matter of time before they meet some arrancar, and then the Espada thereafter. After all it was a member of the Espada who performed the kidnapping, so surely the Espada try to prevent the rescue. What the 12th Squad Captain didn't know was that the very same Espada who had kidnapped the trio was also making an effort to rescue them.
Yes, within the halls of Las Noches, there was disorder unlike anything before. The Tres Espada, Torre, the very woman who had taken them from their training mission was helping them escape. Takeshi did not understand the full situation going on in the titanic fortress or outside it, but he knew that he had to trust these arrancar women who were determined in freeing him and his senior classmates. They ran and they ran for quite a while, usually having to catch up to Torre who was incredibly fast compared to them. It wasn't too tiring to him, but he seemed very uneasy as if there was something trailing them. He looked down at the cat hollow and behind him only to see nothing but white hallways. Suddenly Torre lunched and punched at him, or actually above him, utterly and completely crushing and shattering the mask of a third arrancar that was in fact pursuing them. An assassin trying to kill him? No, an assassin trying to kill Torre? It wasn't important, he was clearly dead now, but suddenly a dozen more were emerging from the shadows and coming at them with the intent to kill. Without arguing, he did as he was told and proceeded in following Jessica's lead after Dante and Namida. He wanted to stay back and fight but it pained him to admit he was too weak to combat the assassins. Knowing that Soul Society was now making it's attack, were the other arrancar becoming desperate to keep them hostage, more importantly, would Torre and Jessica have to fight the shinigami who were here to also rescue them? Takeshi was pretty sure he was the eldest and most powerful of the three, despite only being in his first year at the academy where they were both in their 5th years, and he felt compelled to make sure no harm came out of his peers.
As they ran through the dark passages, his eyes were slowly becoming adjusted to the lack of light around them and was able to actually see his surroundings with relative ease compared to hen he first plunged into these shadowy hallways. After not to long he felt what appeared to five more of the assassins ahead as well as one figure directly behind him. He instinctively drew his zanpakuto and spun around in one fluid motion, but the blade of his weapon merely bounced off what appeared to be a staff of some sort, sending a shock of backlash back at him which toppled him over.
Damnit! he thought, realizing his recklessness might just be his death as this being didn't even budge an inch. He looked up at the tall figure, a tall arrancar with pale blue skin and a long bo staff for a weapon instead of a sword. This man didn't look like the identical assailants who were also attacking, his mask forming a small crown-like headband on his forehead instead of a grim, demonic skull. This being raised his hand above Takeshi, pointing each of his fingers at one of the assassins, and in a flash of blue energy they all found themselves a nice cozy place to lay down in pools of their own blood. He lowered his hand and looked down at Takeshi with an emotionless stare.
"Put that thing away, kid. You'll threaten yourself if you go swinging blindly at everybody around you," said Galihan Umbra, the Cuatro Espada. The tall blue arranacar looked at Jessica, the young arrancar who often was found tagging around with Torre-sama lately, confirming for him that his former master Torre-sama had more than simply not attending a stupid and pointless meeting to get the Exequias after her. He would also help Torre-sama in rescuing these children even if at the cost of his own life. He proceeded in moving past the children and approached Jessica, and bent over as not to loom over her so they could see more eye-to-eye.
"Jessica-chan, please allow me to lead the way, I am very familiar with these dark passages and our top priority is not letting Torre-sama down."
He would be able to show the fastest ways out of Las Noches through the maze-like canals under the fortress, and would protect the group until Torre-sama could catch up. He had no intention of staying here much longer anyways, but was reluctant to escape at the same time as Torre-sama was carrying out the rescue, the two Espada together would be impossible to hide and he had no intention of having to confront Amsodeus or Zatsumei for now.
((OOC: Sorry for the delay, as you may or may not have already heard, my computer died earlier in the week and I only got it working yesterday morning. And I also had a family reunion to attend yesterday and this morning and I also have supper at my dad's on sundays so I really couldn't have gotten any serious posting done until now.))
|
|
ZR0 C00L
Junior Member
omae wa mou shindeiru
Posts: 157
|
Post by ZR0 C00L on Jul 19, 2008 2:37:34 GMT -4
OOC- Sorry for the late/lameness of this post. Just tried to touch on what my other characters were doing before moving on to zets. Once again sorry. -----------------------
Among a group of 1st division warriors stood the newly appointed co-vice captain, gripping the hilt of his sealed zanpakuto as it lay holstered at his hip. A near palpable aura of anticipation exuded from his every pore. The wait for Yun and the others was excruciatingly slow and Kaiba felt as though time itself was moving at a lessened pace. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours. Waiting. A platoon of soldiers at his side and flank. Each of them ready. Ready to push through into the unknown and do battle with the forces that lay beyond the unopened door. Ready to kill. Ready to die. Ready.
“Perfect” -----------
The members of 9th division were generally ignored and given a wide berth at all times. Whispers and hushed voices could be heard, barely audible but it was there. Some of the other squads were mixed in opinions on the most recent of events pertaining to Hitotsu and the squad members he had chosen to bring into Hueco Mundo. While a few kept their usual attitudes of avoidance, while still others began to comment on the fact that there were only four of them while the other divisions had devoted fair numbers of soldiers respectively. Fools! The captain thought to himself as he and his team made their way to the front of the portal, awaiting the shinigami already within the hollows home world to open the gate so that he and his comrades could unleash their fury.
Unbound and set loose to wreak havoc and rain wondrous destruction upon a populace. He yearned for it, as did all his subordinates. That was why they were the ones standing at his side. The captain would rather stand with these three than any army of pitiful weaklings, only serving to get in the way of true soldiers such as those at his side. Each of them deadly. Many men do not fear battle but the four members of 9th division reveled in it.
“Today we bring the gift of death to Las Noches. Do not disappoint me” Hitotsu said to his team as they await the others to complete the first phase of the plan.
-----------------
“They’re here.”
The words were spoken in a melancholy voice and directed to the night sky. Atop his perch on the rooftop of the main building of Las Noches, the dos espada felt the presence of the intruders as they crossed over into his home dimension as he knew they would. A small vanguard had crossed the threshold in the desert, far from his home of Las Noches but the reiatsu was unmistakable. Though there were a few captain level energy signals, dos did not feel concerned. With the forces amassed and the other espada there was more then enough to handle the intruders. The fact that this was just an advance scouting party become clear as he took into account that they would not be foolish enough to bring so few to wage an assault against the castle. Zetsumei had no intention of taking the fight to them before they were at his gates. That was a job for lesser things than he. “Let them come” he said.
Dos began making mental notes of any information that may prove useful later on about the group, such as number and reiatsu levels which were only an estimate in most cases due to the shinigami’s proximity to each other but he got a fair idea. He was brought away from his observations when he felt that inside Las Noches things seemed to have taken an interesting though not so unexpected turn. Seems the exequias were unable to carry out the mission foolishly given them by the princess. Torre’s reiatsu flaring slightly simultaneously with the snuffing out of one of would be assassins was testament to that. This coupled with the fact that he could sense that she had the children with her could prove to be very troublesome for him. Deciding that this was something he would have to deal with before it got further out of hand, Zetsumei began making his way to their location. Choosing to reacquire the children first, he set off at top speed.
|
|
|
Post by Shizuko on Jul 19, 2008 12:18:29 GMT -4
Soul Society’s smallest captain didn’t have to wait long before the Hueco Mundo welcome wagon began to arrive. Just as Nekomi had suspected, there were a good many aware of her group’s presence from the moment they entered this foreign realm. The girl had little reason to believe that they would be confronted by anyone of consequence this early on, however. If the tables had been turned, she’d certainly opt to stay where she was and wait for the enemy to approach her stronghold. That was likely what was going to happen here. A wry smile crept across her lips as she recognized the fact that though they awaited the arrival of more comrades from Soul Society, at least she wouldn’t be bored.
The bleak, barren landscape around the group began to bustle with more activity than it had likely seen in years. Hollows were drawn out, victim to their own stupidity and hunger. Indeed, it seemed that they had every intention of killing and consuming the tasty new visitors to their realm, though they had taken precious little time to think about their opposition. Thus, within moments of making their appearances before the group of powerful shinigami, they were swiftly dispatched before they could make as much as a sound.
For the moment, Matano Nekomi merely watched as her subordinates darted skillfully back and forth, destroying lesser hollows with what seemed a flick of the wrist. Her observations quickly revealed that what these hollows made up for their lack of skill through sheer numbers. As each moment passed, more and more were drawn to the small party of shinigami. It wasn’t quite enough to concern the petite captain just yet. She and her squad were more than capable of dealing with the excess.
Nekomi watched with amusement as a large boulder next to which she’d been standing suddenly shifted and stood, towering over her tens of feet into the air. The representatives of Division Eleven were more or less distracted with various other opponents at that moment, and Nekomi could only assume that this one would have to be handled personally. Her grip around her staff tightened as the large enemy looked down upon her tiny form and screamed that telltale hollow howl. Nekomi’s hair and clothing whipped wildly around her as she held her ground at the monster’s feet. The great beast leaned back as though preparing for an attack, a cero, Nekomi had determined. In the blink of an eye she had disappeared, leaping upwards at great speed at the mask of her enemy.
Faster than the creature could gather its energy to fire, the confrontation was over. She’d driven the end of her staff deeply into the mask, causing it to crack and break away. Descending to the ground once more, in the exact place she had stood just moments ago, the body of her opposition began to disintegrate and disappear like dust in the harsh, dry wind.
And so it began, the very start of a long road ahead in which Soul Society would claim their own and slay any and all who stood in their way.
|
|
|
Post by GoldenKitten on Jul 26, 2008 3:49:20 GMT -4
((OOC: For now my post are pretty short until we get to something relevant to how the story progresses.))
-------------------------
Torre had faced many opponents in her life and she was much stronger than anyone but a few knew. For all her talk of peace and honor when it came down to it, when it really boiled down to the baseline and all that was left was war Torre was as much of an unstoppable murdering titan as any other Espada. What made her different was her set of beliefs, namely her unwillingness to harm those who were innocent. Unfortunately for the Exequias they were about as far from innocent as you got and above all Torre was in no mood to be kind. She was on a mission, a mission to get the children out and any leniency she might have shown the Exequias at another time went right out the window. Two who moved up behind her went to draw their zanpaktous and before they could even be completely unsheathed they dropped to the ground while their masks and zanpaktous fractured into billions of pieces and fell to the ground behind her the sheer weight of her reiatsu flaring up. She had no time to mess around, she had to get to the children before they were found and after than get to the shinigami.
-------------------------
Captains were scary beast, most seemed normal enough in everyday life and while respected few shinigami really understood how superior they were. However on the rare occasions they were given command of a true battlefield all beliefs were stripped away and harsh reality was thrown down upon them. Few of the elite shinigami traveling with the captains even had a chance to take a single hollow down, as even firing the weakest kidos or with minor twist of their hands the captains were tearing hollows asunder left and right. Yun didn't appear to even be trying to hard, he would raise his hands in the shape of a gun and without even uttering the incantation a powerful stream of red energy almost resembling a cero would shoot out and pierce through multiple hollows before flying off into the “night”. The really scary thing was this was the captains shot of red fire, a basic and considered weak kido that almost any school student could cast though by this point it didn't even resemble its basic form.
He put his foot down and looked at the ground, he had been counting off the steps in his head from their starting location at the lunar gate. He shifted in his captains robe and withdrew his small knife like zanpaktou. He momentarily turned to Minoru.
“Begin the procedure, we are here.”
Several hollows echoing screams could be heard and above that Yun began to spot several red lights in the distance. They swayed back and forth at a slow gate and as they came closer the red dots cleared up into two red eyes, the menos were coming. He raised his finger once more and it glowed a bright blue before two consecutive burst of energy fired out in a paper thin but extremely bright line, a concentrated blue fire rain down that he raked across the field. Five of the massive gillian were severed halfway up and even at their distance from the group their falling corpses caused the earth to shake. Still many more could be seen in the distance and there was a sudden raise in the local reiatsu level as well as a shift in the color spectrum for just a moment, a cero was fired.
As elite as the following members were they still could only react so quickly and while several 11th division members who had been engaging a incoming hollow tried to move to counter it they still didn't have good positioning and would have received significant backlash from the attack. Suddenly Yun appeared from the other end of the group in a flash just as the bright red cero bore down on them. Holding out his hand the energy impacted against him and sent waves of backlash around him and back outward but no significant energies got passed. Then as quickly as it had started the light subsided and with an upward toss of his hand a great ball of condensed red energy was thrown into the air where it exploded spectacularly. Yun waiting as the dust before him cleared and the incoming enemies were once more visible before he momentarily cast Minoru a neutral glance.
“Now would be good.”
-------------------------
Torre ripped a giant shard of armor off of the nearest Exequias and as blood came pouring out of the hole and the masked man dropped to the ground it was clear it had not been external armor but rather a hard shell on the arrancars body itself. Several of the death cult came running down the hall from behind Torre but she raised her fist in a fierce backhand even though the nearest enemy was forty feet away. There was a moments pause and then a blast of energy and air rippled down the hallway causing it to squeal and shudder under the pressure as the wave of energy ripped the tiles off the floor, roof and walls. It kicked up tremendous amounts of dust and while it was impossible to see down that direction in the hall for quite a while it was clear those who had been in its path would not be retaliating for quite a while...if ever. Torre turned back to face forward with three remaining Exequias quickly realizing their fatal mistake as they began to back away. She was going to let them go when she felt a new reiatsu strike her senses, she knew she had to hurry and she couldn't take the chance that these three would come back, or maybe even call reinforcements.
Mr. Snugglebottoms had taken a perch up next to Jessica as if standing in defiance to Umbra in the event the girl did not. However either way his ears perked up as he detected the fluctuations of sound before any of those around even detected the fluctuations of reiatsu, he took a step or two back.
The upper ceiling and wall next to them caved in, the figure of one of the black cloaked Exequias was thrown down the hall and skidded out of site. With insane speed atleast in terms of the quiet and still hall Torre still holding another one of the attackers by his mask, his back ripped to shreds from having been used to push through the wall eve if she would have been more than capable alone, came ripping into the clearing as she trailed dust and debris behind her. She released the Exequias and his already crumpled form went hurtling into the wall across from them which it broke straight through with ease and then slammed into another wall somewhere behind it with a great bang where upon the noise subsided. During that time though Torre swung her massive blade around with a speed and deftness that would have surprised even her long term colleague Umbra until it was right at his throat. Torre looked neither angry nor happy, simply determined.
“I have nothing against you Umbra, leave us alone and we will you.” She said simply, not bothering to say anything else knowing the man would understand.
|
|
|
Post by Galihan on Jul 26, 2008 12:50:07 GMT -4
This new being, he seemed to be extremely powerful to be capable of dispatching the five assassins in a single attack, yet the way he acted, despite his power he seemed to not be a bad person if he was going to help them out in Torre's absence. Takeshi didn't know what to think, Is he a friend or foe? It could be a trap to lure us away from Torre?, the boy thought as he found himself putting away his blade so recklessly drawn. He wished he was stronger, more powerful in the masked faces of these white-clad beings of godly strength.
He knew he was too weak to resist their might and his life was entirely dependent on their mercy. It sickened him to the core, his inability to stand his ground in this dark, colorless world. He sought strength from within, reaching deep within the pit of his soul in hopes of a solution. All was black, then in a moment, a few speckles of light began to illuminate the sky, and the moon began to shine ahead of him. Not the pale, white moon of Hueco Mundo, but a rich, orange moon as if it was fire. The silhouette of a tall man in tattered robes coming into his sight's focus, a familiar voice ringing in his head.
Stay strong, believe in your strength and there will be no obstacle too great for you to endure.
What is this place? What's happening?
This place is always with you, as am I. Don't give in to the fear, stay strong and true to your resolve and soon we'll be able to meet again.
WAIT! Who are you?
“Begin the procedure, we are here.”
Arriving at the destination without much effort, Minoru sighed at how pathetic the hollows were in comparison to his companions and himself. Nothing attacking them so far was worth his energy to slay and even the appearance of Menos in the far distance was not enough to make him tremble in the slightest. Yun seemed to be more than capable of dispatching the gigantic beasts even from this range his mastery of the simplest of kido was impressive beyond a doubt.
“Now would be good.”
A slim smile stretching across Minoru's lips, he couldn't help but silently chuckle as he held his zanpakuto in his right hand and his phone in his left. The process of opening a senkaimon gate is usually a most simple of procedures, require little more than a zanpakuto, but this was different. This wasn't connecting Soul Society to the world of the living, this was Hueco Mundo, the home of the hollows, the world between worlds. This process would require fine concentration and perfect channeling of one's energies to enable the connection to be successful. Minoru began punching in a long list of coordinates using his zanpaukto as an antennae so to speak, a focus-point to transmit the signals across the dimensions. A fine hum could be heard resonating from his blade and ripples of energy pushing the sand at his feet away from him in waves for a few short moments which must have felt like much longer for his companions with nothing better to do but stand around and deflect incoming cero.
"It's ready," he exclaimed proudly, raising his left hand high in the sky and drawing his right back and thrusting his bronze blade straight ahead, it's blade disappearing into thin air.
"UNLOCK!"
With a twist of his wrist, a massive portal opened connecting Soul Society to Hueco Mundo. Radiant light shone brightly, illuminating the world for miles around, casting their shadows all the way to Las Noches itself three kilometers west of their location.
WAIT! Who are you?
Takeshi was cut short as a sudden cave-in snapped in back into the world around him as Torre came crashing down through the ceiling, throwing the corpse of one of the exequias and drawing her giant sword to the throat of the new arrival.
“I have nothing against you Umbra, leave us alone and we will you.”
It seemed that Torre and this Umbra knew each other, but she seemed like she'd cut him down without reluctance if he stood in her way. He appeared startled by the sudden events, but not intimidated in the least. He took a large step back, and lowered his head as if in submission to the more powerful Espada.
"I have no intention to ever fight you," he began calmly, confidently. "It was only my intention to inform you of Calixta's intent to have you killed, but it would appear I arrived too late it seems." He began to turn and return the way he came, but halted for a moment and returned facing his former master after a moment's pause.
"I've had it with this miserable castle, and have no reason to stay here if all there is to do is fight pointless battles ."
Confused, Takeshi looked up at Torre, and couldn't help to ask quietly,
"Umm, Torre-san?" He began, "Who is this man? A subordinate of yours?"
|
|
|
Post by Zhiel on Jul 26, 2008 14:48:00 GMT -4
Jessica had been running in the front of the group, as it was more likely for them to run into someone than someone following them with Torre outside the opening they had used. Occasionally she looked back at the three students, noticing how atleast the girl seemed to get exhausted after a while, but the other two seemed to be doing fine still. When it came down to it Jessica would probably have to carry the female student in a short while, not that it would be a problem for her, but she was a bit unsure how well she could protect them while carrying one of them. She would worry about that when it happened.
Before it came to that point however Jessica sensed the sudden appearance of five other arrancar up ahead, she noticed that their appearances was that of the Exequias shortly thereafter when they came into view and once she saw them she put her right hand on the hilt of her western looking Zanpakutou that hanged at her waist. 'Dammit, I dont know if I can handle five of them by myself...' She thought, however before she could draw her sword she suddenly felt another reiatsu appear behind them, had it not been held back by its owner she would undoubtebly have been forced to her knees by the force of it, instead she whirled around sword in hand and was just about to jump towards the source when one of the students Zanpakutous hit the staff like weapon of the Espada, who simply raised one of his hands above the student, and a moment later archs of blue energy shot outwards, passing over the students and around Jessica, and as she turned her head quickly towards the Exequias she saw how they fell down to the floor, more than likely dead.
To say that these new turn of events surprised Jessica was an understatement, what was Galihan Umbra doing killing five Exequias about to capture or kill a group of enemies? It was well known that Espada could kill low ranked arrancar and not get punished for it, but Exequias? She was unsure if this was a trick, or if this Espada was truly trying to help them. After telling the student who had both noticed and quickly drawn his sword against the espada to put it away Umbra walked up to Jessica before he bent down infront of her, seemingly to be more evenly leveled with her as he spoke.
"Jessica-chan, please allow me to lead the way, I am very familiar with these dark passages and our top priority is not letting Torre-sama down."
While Jessica had sheated her zanpakutou, she still held its hilt with her hand. She knew how pointless it would be for her to even attempt fighting an Espada, but she would do it if necessary. However Umbra seemed to mean well, and while she was not well aware of his history she knew he had once been Torre's fraccion before he had become the fourth Espada. She was about to respond to his 'request', but before she had time to she noticed how Torre's cat, Mr. Snugglebottoms, backed away slightly, and noticing this she sharpened her senses and then realizing what was about to happen jumped backwards as quickly as she could, as only a moment later Torre came crashing through the ceiling, sending an unfortunate Exequias she had used for it flying into the next wall, and before she had even landed her massive sword was at Umbras neck.
Jessica was always surprised by how powerfull Torre was, ripping through several walls like they were nothing. Her name as the third Espada was definitely well earned, but so was most likely also the name of the fourth Espada whom she was now threatening. Yet unlike what any other Espada would probably have done Umbra backed up, submissively lowering his head to Torre before he told her of his intentions, and then turned around and began to walk away. However only a few moments later he seemed to have a change of mind and turned back around as he announced, more or less, that he was comming along with them. It seemed not only she had adapted Torre's ideals. Then the same student that had attempted to attack the Espada asked Torre who he was. "Quatro Espada, Galihan Umbra." Jessica said respectfully, having walked up to Torre's right side by now. She was intending to say more, but she figured his history was his own to tell.
|
|
|
Post by SamuraiFoochs on Jul 29, 2008 20:53:52 GMT -4
(OOC: So apparently my post makes ABSOLUTELY no sense in context. *insane sweatdrop* Sorry all, I’m just really frazzled. Enjoy the new sense-filled version while I go get in my shame corner.)
The 6th Division stood, small but dignified, in front of the gate set up for passage to Hueco Mundo. They hadn’t been given any explicit orders, and so Yamato took it upon himself to do the general “everyone else” order: follow the main force and provide backup. He turned to his division and smiled warmly, fully aware that they were going to see a side of their Captain that few of them had seen.
“Well comrades, this is the first major test for many of you. We’re going straight into the belly of the beast. I’ll likely go on ahead at some point, in which case, defer to your squad leaders. Stay together, stay strong, and know that you’re the best this division has to offer. We will win. We do this…for the fallen.” He turned toward the gate again and proclaimed powerfully:
“6th Division, MARCH! Through the gate, to Hueco Mundo!” And he walked into the darkness. ***********************************************************
Yamato grinned almost madly as he gazed out on the sands of Hueco Mundo, white and endless. It was like an all you could slay Hollow bar, and the best part was most of the ones that he saw were complete fodder. He didn’t even bother releasing, and at first kept his sword hanging at his back as he took several humanoid Hollow on hand to hand. The first, a truly massive thing, though not Gillian sized, aimed a punch at Yamato, which he met with a blow of his own. There was a small surge of reiatsu where the blows connected, but Yamato easily leapt up and gave it an uppercut under the jaw with the other arm. It collapsed backwards, and Yamato drew his sword just long enough to slice a small Hollow that had jumped up to attack him clean in half. Flipping downward, Yamato aimed his armored heel right at the center of the larger Hollow’s mask. It shattered easily under his foot, and Yamato stepped lazily away as it faded into nothingness. He gave a sarcastic laugh.
“What’s the matter? Is this the best that Hueco Mundo has to offer? Where are those Espada scum? I killed the likes of you with a sealed blade for years, and I don’t intend to change that, unless I have reason!” He drew the blade and flashed, severing one’s arm easily. “Way of Destruction 54, Abolishing Flames!” In a moment, the Hollow was engulfed in flames, and as it screamed, Yamato killed another weakling with a lazy slash. He smiled sarcastically, and spoke to Vulcanus as he continued to fight.
‘Shame they couldn’t prepare a nicer welcome for us, isn’t it?’ A large Hollow received a fist through the stomach and its mask was shattered by a backhanded blow from Yamato’s free hand, the spike extended.
‘Don’t get too comfortable, kid. If the Espada decide to come out in force, we’ll be in major trouble. A couple of the higher ups would likely destroy us without even trying.’
‘Might be the case, but why don’t they come out and try us for sure? It’s pathetic. They’re all confident until they meet a hunter as violent as they are, and then they soil themselves. What a joke!’ He dispatched another that ran at him with a no-look back fist straight to the mask.
“Isn’t there ANYBODY who can provide more of a challenge than this?” He smiled as he watched his hand-picked force tear through the weaker Hollow almost as easily as he was. “You can throw as many gnats at us as you want, but in the end, they’re still gnats!” He laughed almost madly as he sliced through the lesser Hollow effortlessly. Then, suddenly, the complexion of the reiatsu changed, and his hair stood on end, as he gave a satisfied smirk. The Menos had arrived and, by the feel of it, so had some of the Espada. Now it was a fight. He threw his head back and gave a scream, almost as if howling, and he heard Vulcanus echo the sound, though even more faithfully, in his head.
As his Zanpakuto almost trembled with excitement in his hands, he shouted orders to his subordinates. “Stay back and fight them as they come. DO NOT follow me! Battle together to take care of any Menos! Don’t be afraid to fall back! Protect your comrades’ lives as your own! Remain strong! Feel this power, make it your own!” He recklessly let loose a burst of reiatsu, spurring his comrades on.
With that, he flashed toward Las Noches at breakneck speed, girding himself for the true fight ahead. He let loose a fierce battle cry, not knowing if any would hear it, but hardly caring. “MENOS! ESPADA! Hear me! I AM Captain Yamato Takahashi, and I have come for battle! Let any who think they can stand against me appear before me, and prepare for oblivion!”
As Yamato flashed toward a crowd of Gillian, he half smiled.
‘You ready to burn, Vulcanus?’
‘…Brighter than ever, kid.’[/color]
|
|
|
Post by Shizuko on Jul 29, 2008 23:59:53 GMT -4
Nekomi’s alert gaze shifted all around the battlefield as chaos threatened to consume them. Minoru was making quick and efficient work of the gate which would connect the two planes of existence. It certainly couldn’t be an easy task, given the elaborate scheme to get this small group to Hueco Mundo and the Commander General’s irritation at Yun’s progress. Then again, such tasks were not entirely familiar to the girl. Her expressive eyes drifted away from Minoru’s position and landed upon a new threat. A rather large accumulation of gillian.
The Eleventh Division’s captain smiled as she watched Yun fire off one of his simple kido. She couldn’t help but think how much damage she could have caused if she’d been able to fire them off like that while she was at the academy. In all honesty, Nekomi had the skill and ability to use kido in a similar efficient and powerful manner, though she found much less amusement in it. Why use magic when you could hit something with a stick?!
At that moment, the petite leader decided to take care of things her own way. She certainly couldn’t have Yun racking up all the kills, after all. The girl daintily leaped into the air, directly into the face of one of the approaching menos. As expected, a great scream exploded from the fiend, and it began to wind up for a powerful blast. Nekomi was on the move, however. It really was a shame how predictable these hollows could be sometimes.
From giant enemy to enemy she hopped, all of them screaming at her and readying to destroy her with an explosion from their mouths. Her distinctive, girlish giggle could be heard as she carefully watched and gauged her movements in time with their attacks.
Suddenly, the dark sky seemed to glow red with the energy of multiple cero blasts being fired at one time. The small form of Nekomi could no longer be seen in the center of the menos group where she had lingered for just a moment. While one might fear for her safety, she was no chump when it came to combat.
Shunpo served her well in finishing the job after the menos were forced to fire upon one another. She moved faster than those who might be watching could follow, and in the end each and every gillian she had managed to taunt into falling for her trap fell apart and down, screaming in defeat.
Once Nekomi landed on the bleak white sand once more, her attention was called to the opening portal Minoru had managed to secure. The light emanating from the newly formed gateway made the other side rather difficult to see, though the girl quickly caught sight of a man bursting through the portal and immediately joining the fray.
It seemed that captain Takahashi Yamato was quite eager to enter the fight. Shortly after his appearance, the man began yelling nonsense aloud about the relative ease with which he was fighting the hollow currently in the area. Nekomi shot him an incredibly irritated look in response.
“Get a hold of yourself, Yamato. You know as well as I do that this is no joke,” she rather abruptly answered. Certainly it was strange to hear Nekomi comment on anything not being a joke, but if there was anything the girl knew, it was warfare. This group did not have any discernable advantage as it stood. They were being attacked by lower ranking hollows, yes, though there seemed to be no end to the onslaught. They were on the enemy’s turf and there was no doubt in the girl’s mind that they were being monitored by those who did pose a distinct threat. In Nekomi’s opinion, they were going to be lucky if they could get out of this mess with few casualties on their side. There was no need to further taunt the opposition.
More insults flowed from the man’s lips as he and his forces filtered into the scene, and as Nekomi dutifully set about her work nearby, she could only shake her head. He was going to get himself killed. Even as the thought had occurred to her, Yamato rocketed off into the distance alone. Watching him take off in such a manner made the girl’s blood boil. What exactly was he hoping to accomplish with such a foolish move?
Though Nekomi opened her mouth to yell to Yamato and demand he return to the group, she reconsidered at the last moment. Instead she turned her youthful gaze to Yun and said aloud to the rest of the group, “I nominate my Vice-Captain to replace him when he dies.”
|
|
|
Post by SamuraiFoochs on Jul 31, 2008 17:39:06 GMT -4
(OOC: Just posting again to make sure things keep going strong and active now that the posting order is gone. That, and I was directly addressed. Hope there's no problem.)
Yamato heard the voice and froze.
Get a hold of yourself, Yamato. You know as well as I do that this is no joke,”
The hollow he currently faced nearly got am attack off as he hesitated with his blade, but he blocked, and easily dispatched it with a side kick to the head, bearing his weight on his good leg. He turned, and spoke almost leisurely, a bizarre contrast to his almost mad attack.
"Ah, Nekomi. Fancy seeing you here. Lovely day, isn't it?" He smirked, but suddenly his eyes dulled slightly, and he nodded ,as if taking her comment under advisement. "You know, you're right.. Sometimes I think I'd have been better suited to the 11th Division, don't you Captain?"
He gazed at her pointedly before halting his forward attack, falling back slightly. "But believe it or not, Captain, part of my reasoning for my attack was for the benefit of my comrades, particularly our subordinates. Drawing fire, if you will. Still, you're perfectly correct; I was arguably endangering everyone even more by being so rash. My apologies to you and any of those whom I put in danger or whose sensibilities I may have offended. At the same time..."
“I nominate my Vice-Captain to replace him when he dies.”
He laughed and smirked again. "WHEN I die? If it came to that, Captain, I'd thank you to not make light of the situation. Still, I'm sure your Vice-Captain would make a very worthy replacement...if they managed to escape the explosion. If I die...everyone WILL know. Excuse me. I think I see a group of my subordinates in some distress. Foolhardy though I may have been, this is a battle, and when it comes to Hollow, there is no hesitation from me. I strike with all I am. Fault? Perhaps it is. But it is who I am, nothing more, nothing less. I got to this position for a reason, Captain, and despite my sometimes rash decisions, if I was truly foolhardy enough to recklessly endanger my comrades, I’d never have gotten here to begin with."
He gave a slight bow. "Thank you for reining me in, Captain Nekomi. I lose myself sometimes. Having said that, I'll thank you not to count me as dead just yet. Few of even the Captains have seen me go all out. Be careful. Call if you require assistance."
Just like that, he was gone, flashing back to his Division, clearing a path through the fodder as he went. He arrived just in time to cleave a Hollow in two that was about to kill one of his Division members.
’She’s got a point, kid. Watch your back. You could’ve seriously been endangering people there, yourself included.’
‘Of course she’s got a point. Why do you think I backed off? She was totally right. It’s just hard for me to control myself…damn Hollow filth.’
‘Trust me, kid. I know. I feel the fire in your heart. But it’s gotta be a controlled burn, or there’s no way we’re getting out of this alive.’
‘You always have to make sense. It’s really no fun.’
‘If fun requires dying, that’s probably for the best, you know.’
‘Again with the sense thing. I get it. Enough already, you made your point.’[/i] Wordlessly, he flanked a stronger Hollow with three of his other soldiers, and they easily dispatched it with a coordinated attack. The two weaker Shinigami each sliced at a leg, while Yamato and the other gave an X-shaped slash to the Hollow’s upper half, at which point it toppled easily.
“Is everyone alright?!” Yamato called over the cries of battle.
“Yes, Captain Takahashi!”
As he leapt up and landed a punch combination brutally on another Hollow, allowing another of his soldiers to dispatch it quickly, he smiled. This was good. Everyone was alright, and thanks to Captain Nekomi, whose philosophies on battle he respected even more than his other colleagues’, for obvious reasons, he found himself with a new sort of quiet rage, a focused fury that was working even more efficiently now that he was cooperating with his comrades.
He had been a fool. He had let his lust for battle overtake him. And what an irony it was that the woman who essentially made a living off of focusing that had been the one to show him his error. “Thanks, Captain Nekomi,” he muttered under his breath, “but still, don’t get it wrong…this battle will be five times more furious with me on the field.” He dispatched another Hollow with a burst of Kido fire.
“I’ll make sure of it.”
He continued battling, waiting for the challenge to come to him…
|
|
|
Post by GoldenKitten on Aug 2, 2008 14:11:12 GMT -4
((OOC: For anyone reading this post in the future at this point Galihan had to leave for a while. For this reason I will be controlling his characters until he can return.))
-------------------------
Torre and Umbra stared each other down for what seemed like forever, all the while her massive blade hummed with power a bare hairs-breadth from the mans neck. Regardless of his position though the other Espada didn't seem the least bit phased though an observer might figure he was just putting on a good show, everyone had to have a little worry in them when a large metal object five times wider than their head was ready to decapitate them. They maintained eye contact for a few moments longer and then with the same proficiency she had brought it toward him she whipped it away and reattached it to her back. She said nothing and made no obvious response that suggested what she was thinking, she scanned them over once more before she turned around and walked right past Umbra. She didn't bother responding to Takeshi since Jessica had done it for her though with her current personality it was doubtful she would have responded anyway. She had continued down the hall and Mr. Snuggles had followed right along, it soon became apparent the others were meant to follow and so they did.
-------------------------
Saigotschuu Yun was vividly aware of the land he now fought. Many years prior before he had even taken the rank of vice captain he and a group of his fellow shinigami had followed a hollow through its tear in reality to this realm. Twenty had gone in that day and four had come out only by the graces of sheer luck, he recalled that the ceaseless tide had nearly overwhelmed him and he had been laid up in 4th division’s walls for months after. He had now entered Hueco Mundo once more without a second thought and this time it was not he who was pushed to his limits. He, Nekomi and their elite followers were making this look all too easy. He knew it would not remain like this, especially once they breeched the walls of Las Noches but for now they decimated the incoming hollows regardless of strength with unerring ruthlessness and efficiency.
Thousands of hollows dropped, even gillians came crashing to the ground with world shaking falls as a show of the incursions power. Regardless Yun knew that they were only serving as a bright beacon for any powerful opponents within range and hoped Minoru would finish his spell soon. As if to punctuate that matter there was a shaking and Yun spared a brief glimpse as a bright light emanated before Minoru and a gate rose from the ground.
“Alright pull out into a protecting wall before the gate!” he yelled out to all those around.
Minoru backed away and rejoined the group; one might forget that though a scientist he was as deadly as any other captain. The tide of hollows momentarily backed off but Yun doubted it was due to the appearance of the portal. The bestial hollows were hardly intelligent enough to understand much more than rampant attacking to consume souls and in fact would be coming harder to get through the portal to a realm made of souls. Rather he figured their simple butchery of the hollows had driven a wedge into their numbers and their instinctive need to survive causing them to reevaluate their chances. He hoped that would give the forces from soul society the chance they needed to pass through but he was as prepared as the rest of the warriors for a retaliation he knew was coming.
-------------------------
The first insertion that had since disappeared and begun to do battle could not imagine the great movement that gripped those that remained in Soul Society after their departure. Those preparing to go through the gate organized and prepared, others sat about making defenses and in the center of it all the senkaimon was being raised, it was not near as large as the exit that was raised in Hueco Mundos desert but still towered above those collected and was far more stable. Any who were not taking part in these preparations sat about, most directing their attention to the now silent and still monolithic black tower that had risen from the ground though it appeared there were no more surprises to come from it for now. The entire area was in utter discord as they prepared though there was a sense of order to it in that most of those gathered had purpose and it was far from anarchy but the seeming clutter might make it hard to decipher that fact if one looked from the outside.
Kazuma still stood on the steps before the gathered shinigami though few had their attention on that place now and he once more found himself alone. Occasionally a member of his own squad would approach and tell him something of importance but other than that time stood still for the commander general as he allowed his captains to manage the situation themselves. Past commander generals had been more direct in their control of their underlings but Kazuma had long ago decided that letting the capable captains do their job with minimal micro-managing usually made things move quicker. Soon his belief was proven correct as the captains or those the captains left in charge began organizing the groups into ranks and files for the coming charge.
There were calls across the clearing and while many might not decipher the words Kazumas trained hearing easily heard the meaning. Minoru was making contact and the senkaimon would begin its activation process. The shinigami from 10th division whom Desmae had left in his place stood before the gate with a massive black flag which it seemed for politics sake was not carrying any one division’s banner and instead was pure black. He waves it over his head multiple times to signify that all preparations needed to be completed though most of the 10th and 11th division members before the gate were elite enough to have finished such trivialities long ago. Some of 1st divisions members fidgeted but the rest before the gate were prepared and so it opened. It was not a grand thing, soul energy was flooded to the gate and naturally homing in on Minorus connection a passive white veil crossed its length.
The current head of 10th division plunged the flag into the ground and motioned for the two columns from 10th and 11th to move forward. Before they could even move though there was a flash from the side and moments later several members of captain Yamatos 6th division went blaring past after what was assumedly their leader. The 10th division leader turned back to look up at Kazuma with what was probably a questioning glance since his mask made it impossible to tell. All he got in return was a vicious scowl at the disobedience of not following protocol and it only deepened in the following moments as everyone turned to the new presence walking for the gate. Hitotsu and his small contingent had all moved to the gate though unlike Yamato they seemed to be in no rush to make their move and Captain Hitotsu nonchalantly stepped through the gate despite cries against it around him. Two more of his members stepped through the gate and his vice captain Laetitia was the last to walk through; at the last moment she turned around and stuck her tongue out at those behind her before bunny hopping backwards into the gate. Outraged by both being mocked and the honor of having gone through first being stripped the 10th division leader drew his zanpaktou as he faced the gate and let out a mighty bellow, many of 10th and 11th divisions members answered the cry and as one they charged through, melding with the white light.
High above Kazuma stared down at the gate, anger just barely etched across his face.
“Imbeciles!” he remarked to a member of his division not far away.
-------------------------
Yun watched with a bit of surprise as the first person to come barreling out of the gate was Yamato. The other captain briefly yelled at the top of his lungs, let his division loose and charged forward. Yun cursed as he watched the fool and realized what had happened after he felt Hitotsus unmistakable reiatsu come through the gate next. Nekomi briefly remarked on Yamatos foolhardy charge and while Yun was no longer in a playing mood he at least let a little of his sarcasm loose, dead-panning with no emotion on his face. The remark was made even better by the fact that Yamato was already returning and had even remarked on the notion.
“Your recommendation is duly noted.”
Yun didn’t remain there for long though as he took the situation in, returning to his tactical thinking. With the initial segment out of the way it was now time to penetrate Las Noches and his eyes ever so slowly slid up the massive structure. Unlike others he was capable of staying completely secluded in his own mind and while his followers might have taken in all of Hueco Mundo as they moved forward he had only taken in what was necessary for his current mission at that time, only now including the structure in his view and plans of the world. After a moment he took a step forward and pointed to the right-middle of the structure and called out without ever turning to Hitotsu once.
“Captain Hitotsu, take your people up the right avenue and kill anything that gets in your way. I expect you to retreat should you save the children though and do not damage them.” He expected Hitotsu would respond better to such a blunt command instead of trying to give him specific details, if the structure was like most though that was the least likely place for prisoners to be kept though and so the obvious place to send someone so uncontrollable.
At this point both 10th and 11th divisions elite exploded from the senkaimon in a fiery charge, clearly showing outwardly what Yun felt inside at the attack plans being betrayed. However he knew now was not the time to worry about reprimanding any particular person and instead a time to use all resources he had at his disposal. He pointed to the left most sector of Las Noches.
“Captain Yamato that’s you! Same orders, do as you please but advance carefully this time if you would, there’s more to this world than weak hollows.”
He waited for his orders to be followed, for they would be followed. Technically he was a captain same as them but as with any group there were leaders and there were followers. Yamato might have bitten back at him but he figured the man understood the importance of what was happening, as for Hitotsu he doubted there would be problems when he had ordered him to kill. The members of his division at least fell into neat rows behind him and 11th also fell behind Nekomi in whatever fashion was common to them. He spotted the tell-tell signs of 2nd divisions members spreading out across the wasteland, their movements invisible to most and just noticeable by his perception. The last division to come through were the elite of 1st division who quickly pulled behind Kuatura and Kaiba who had stayed to the side of Yuns gathering troops.With his zanpaktou in his hand he pointed directly toward the center he yelled out to all those gathered.
“Captain Nekomi and myself will head straight up the center. Spread out as to provide a less clustered target and steel yourselves for what is to come. No more speeches now, LET’S MOVE!” he turned around and began moved off at what could be considered a walk but with great earth eating strides and his division followed while he called out over his shoulder, “Minoru and 1st division, bring up the rear.”
-------------------------
There are places deep within all realms that even supposed leaders have no knowledge of, whether they be places of history, place of rebellion or simply places where the eyes of power have no grasp. This is no different in spiritual realms like Las Noches, there are always plotters and schemers, but sometimes one has to wonder how do you decide who is in power in the first place? How do you know you are in power, what if you aren't? But then who is? And how do they know they truly hold it themselves?
There was such a place within Las Noches, not deep and not far away, simply hidden from all eyes who thought they knew power. The current leaders of Las Noches could never truly know the history of the palace for it had been around in one fashion or another for a thousand of their lifetimes and this hidden place had been there since the land of deaths birth, a place rarely seen or used. Today though it was quite full and while one would never deign to call it in motion due to the slow procession within there were still definitely events hatching amongst its occupants. A large room, completely dark but for a few candles hanging along the walls as to mask those withins features, most sitting at an oval table with no one seat clearly designated as a leaders position but rather all shared in power, eight seats. Some took an active part in discussion while others sat and waited and yet others still seemed to be completely disconnected from the goings on in the here and now.
“It's begun...they are here.” said a relatively quiet and mellow voice given the massive giant of a shadow that issued it.
“Will it happen as we expected?” asked a young female voice from a small statured shape across from the giant who appeared almost as if a child.
“Of course.” Replied one of the few standing members who was leaning against a nearby wall, his shape was indeterminate but he was obviously male and his voice sounded like the sort that was used to being accepted and obeyed.
“No. Don't be so quick. It is not as if these plans were made by seeing into the future, rather they simply came by making informed decisions on the part of the pawns in play. The guesses will have been right for many of them but doubtless others will make certain decisions that will go against what has been planned, but then that was known from the outset and so it is as ready as any other time. It doesn't matter anymore, this was all it took to set the plan in motion, beyond this whatever changes are necessary as problems pop up can be made with little issue. We are not alone and exposing ourselves now will no longer have adverse effects on future occurrences.” A cloaked and quiet male wrapped up his delivery and there was a quiet agreement from the majority of those around.
“ThEnz we got ta kell?!!” shrieked a pointy horned devil whose voice was of no determinable gender or type but was comparable to a male with significant distortion.
“Not just yet, the plan must be finalized before we can make open fire in the coming conflict. Pieces must be arranged and put into play.” The man against the wall responded.
“Soooooooooeeeeez nae kellinz?” the horned creature belted but before anyone could respond the giant raised his voice as to be heard.
“Be silent, a critical moment approaches.”
|
|
Firechild
Junior Member
"Death is but a limitation..."
Posts: 194
|
Post by Firechild on Aug 3, 2008 16:03:59 GMT -4
The white sands of Hueco Mundo swirled around in the deadened wind as the group of Shinigami battled the Hollow. The captain of one Hikaru Sutego was effortlessly dispatching Hollow after Hollow with the simplest of Kido. The Precision Fighter made no comment as to the power of Yun, she had seen it first hand on more then one occasion. Yet the power that her captain held still awed her, closest to the Commander General out of all the Gotei 13. She drew her Zanpakuto, the twin daggers clutched between her middle and ring fingers, the points of the blades pointing away from her clenched fists. "Time to go hunting...Junsei Ryoshi." Hikau spoke softly to her Zanpakuto as she vanished in a buzz of motion. This was not her flashstep...She was among the fastest in all of Soul Society. Fourteen of the Hollow fell within seconds, holes peppering their masks and black bodies. A sphere of red energy passed by an inch of her head, a few of the silver hairs that adorned her head turning into black dust as it wizzed by; The Menos had come... Hundreds of Gillian were moving towards the group of Death Gods, their white masks a severe contrast against the abyss that served as the sky in the desolate world. Hikaru cocked her head, swiftly calculating how many she could take out with a single move. "Fire...Junsei Ryoshi." Her daggers flew upwards spinning in such swift rotations they looked like sawblades. The Precision Fighter leapt after them, grabbing them in midair as she flipped over, tucking her legs beneath her. The two pistols gleamed in the dead moonlight of Hueco Mundo, as she landed on the white sand.
A blast of energy erupted beneath her as she flash stepped the entire distance from the Soul Reapers to the Gillian. Her eyes surveyed the Menos as she leaped in the air firing off quick bursts of her Spirit Energy taking down nearly half of what remained of the Gillian. In seconds the line of Menos crumpled into the ground. But to no avail...Hundreds more moved towards them, it was as if the entirety of Hueco Mundo was verging on their position...Which it probably was. Hikaru turned and sped back to where her fellow Shinigami had finally opened the portal known as the Senkaimon gate. "Reinforcements...Good we're going to need them." The Precision Fighter landed with a soft Whumph of displaced air next to her Captain. "There are more coming...A few Thousand strong at least....I wouldn't be surprised if Adjuchas were among them. It's a good thing the gate is setup...we're gonna need all the help we can get."
==============================================
The air was still, the tension filling every nook and crevice of Soul Society as the army of Shinigami awaited the Senkaimon gate to open. Division Seven gazed straight ahead at the place where the gate would form. The Chosen stood behind Arashi and Iko, the marks that defined them flashing in the light emenating from all around. As if Soul Society had an internal source where all light gathered. A deep rumbling slowly grew from within the Crypt. The Senkaimon gate was raised once more, and the beam of violet energy erupted within it, spreading to the four corners as the portal into Hueco Mundo formed. "Iko...Stay here with the rest of the sqaud, I'm taking the Chosen with me." Arashi spoke with an air of command, his fears controlled, his emotions locked. "Division Seven, prepare yourselves for any incoming assault. As for my Chosen...Do not dissapoint me...Show Captain Saigotschuu your utmost respect, this is what I've trained you for. Do not let me down." The group of Shinigami known as the Chosen let out a cry of affirmation and the group walked through the Portal...into the depths of Heuco Mundo.
=================================================
The darkness that was the sky stretched for miles over the heads of Arashi and his subordinates as they stepped out of the Lunar Path. "So, this is Hueco Mundo...Captain Saigotschuu...We are at your service." Arashi spoke with an urge to free the poor students that the damned Espada had wrongly stolen from what should have been a succesful away mission for the blooming Shinigami.
|
|
|
Post by Galihan on Aug 8, 2008 17:46:24 GMT -4
It had been a while since the forces led by Saigotschuu-taichou had vanished into what seemed like nothingness after passing through the Lunar Gate, but apparently Squad Twelve was contacted by Daichi-taichou on the other side and it would only be a matter of time before the Senkaimon gate would open on their end. Iko, vice-captain of Squad Seven was one of hundreds of shinigami who were all eager for the opportunity to move ahead. She stood next to Mouretsu-taichou ahead of the elite kido users she gathered from the sqyad, and was starting to lose her patience in such a tense atmosphere, when suddenly the large portal ahead of them activated and opened the path into the heart of the enemy itself. She began to take a step forward when the captain had began giving orders with an air of confidence and maturity.
"Iko...Stay here with the rest of the sqaud, I'm taking the Chosen with me. Division Seven, prepare yourselves for any incoming assault. As for my Chosen...Do not dissapoint me...Show Captain Saigotschuu your utmost respect, this is what I've trained you for. Do not let me down."
She watched on as members of other squads stormed through in a violent, reckless fashion while her own captain and his handpicked Chosen marched on with pride and honor. She wished she could be with them, making a difference on the front lines but she knew she was needed here to command her own handpicked unit. Thennoticed the portal itself, a black gaping hole into the darkness of despair itself. She shut her eyes tightly and cringed with fear of the thought of having to pass through there herself. She looked up at the captain, wishing him good luck on the mission. She cared about Arashi a lot as a dear friend, and the idea of losing the captain just like the former vice-captain was painful to think about.
"Be careful sir," she began, her worries obvious in her voice. "Please come back safely as soon as you can."
_
Minoru stepped back and joined with the others as the portal opened and lit the world, sheathing his blade seeing as others were pouring out like a stream of water to extinguish the flame of inferior foes who hadn't yet retreated to their underground forest beneath the white sands. He only shook his head as Nekomi and Yamato had bickered between each other the older of the two's overeager attitude and arrogant attitude for dispatching some weaklings. It reminded him of what he heard when the arrancar invaded Rukongai, Vice-Captain Azuka also got cocky and subsequently got targeted and pretty badly beaten up by an Espada for his arrogance. He also heard that after he got better, Tsuno had pretty much disappeared unless he had urgent orders to fulfill. Him having once been in Squad Twelve, albeit not for very long, Minoru was still curious as to what his former subordinate was up to, but he had a good idea that he was secretly training for Bankai. His thoughts were interupted when Yun had called him to tag along with Squad One and accompany him and Squad Ten for the attack, he was getting somewhat irritated by the way Yun had been giving him orders ever since they arrived like he was the boss, but he didn't let it get to him and he reached for his blade again as he began to move along behind. He would focus his frustration and find a worthy opponent in due time.
_
Takeshi tagged along behind the two espada without being told. Even he could feel that as they ran the assassins had ceased their pursuit if just momentarily, maybe in response to the fact that Soul Society was making it's move and the most powerful shinigami were all appearing and there would be abundant carnage in their wake. All because Torre was ordered to kidnap him and his fellow classmates, what a pointless reason to go to war, really. A whole army for three kids. He actually couldn't help but laugh out loud,
"Why are we so special today? They must have been really desperate to find a reason to attack if all it took was us being abduc-"
"This isn't a laughing matter, kid." Umbra interrupted the shingami-in-training sternly. "You may not realize it but all lives are of significance, and most of our kind are a threat to those significant lives. Your people may be going a bit overboard but they must surely have another goal asides from your rescue, by the time you're home, the white walls of this castle will be reduced to blood-stained rubble and the greatest threat to your world will be defeated."
The espada was referring to the fact while Soul Society may have sent it's armies to rescue the three, it's real objective was probably to kill as many arrancar as possible in order to insure their own safety. If they weren't careful, he was sure that there would be some shinigami who would gladly kill Torre, Jessica and himself as soon as they returned the kids just for the chance at spilling some blood.
|
|
ZR0 C00L
Junior Member
omae wa mou shindeiru
Posts: 157
|
Post by ZR0 C00L on Aug 11, 2008 2:57:33 GMT -4
Kaiba Katayama stood near the middle of the amassed shinigami as Yuns experimental gateway. The ready signal had been given and the portal was activated giving off an almost blinding white light as it first appeared. Many of the lower leveled soldiers brought there hands to their faces to shield their eyes as the upper ranks remained unmoving. As the portal stabilized Captain Yamato rushed in without orders recklessly. As Kaiba himself longed to do. His grip on the hilt of his zanpakuto was vice like and his jaw was clenched tightly. As much as he wanted to do so his newly appointed position and the responsibilities that came with it said he could not. If he could not control himself how could he be expected to lead his squad? Most of them were fidgety enough as is, he had to show strength here more than ever.
“Fuck” The co-vice captain swore aloud to express his frustration at his current position.
The next through the portal was 9th division captain Hitotsu. He and his small team had approached the gate as others shouted their disproval at the groups’ lack of concern when it came to procedure. They seemed unfazed by the shouts and unwilling to cooperate with the orders to step down and wait. The captain had gone through and like the next two of his comrades, he did not burst forth as his 6th division counterpart had done, rather he casually walked through which Kaiba found surprising since his thirst for combat…among other things were well known and documented in all of soul society. But only seconds ago the battle hungry captain looked almost disappointed as he crossed the path between worlds.
Soon after, the main forces were moving through the gate in a rush behind the vice captain from 9th whom had mocked them before following her team through the senkaimon. When the hot headed vice captain finally emerged on the other side of the portal on the white sands of hueco mundo he had been expecting anarchy and had already prepared his team to mobilize in such an event while entering the enemies homeland. What he found was disappointing to say the least. Instead of a battle he found a skirmish bordering on what could be called extermination if it weren’t for the sheer numbers of enemies, though those were dropping at a mind boggling rate. The main factions of enemies in their vicinity were maintaining a perimeter and few were brave or stupid enough to approach at the moment. From the looks of things the hollows had been more foolhardy before he had arrived. As it was he had not yet had drawn his sword. And he had been there all of five seconds already.
Yun had signaled towards Kaiba and his brother Kuatura who stood at his side. Their troops in neat rows behind the pair and addressed the warriors gathered.
“Captain Nekomi and I will head straight up the center. Spread out as to provide a less clustered target and steel yourselves for what is to come. No more speeches now, LET’S MOVE!” he turned around and began moved off at what could be considered a walk but with great earth eating strides and his division followed while he called out over his shoulder, “Minoru and 1st division, bring up the rear.”
Yun gave the orders to bring up the rear and the 1st division fell in line at the back of the larger group with Kaiba and his brother at the very back of the pack looking to fend off any would be ambushes. Just to show that he meant business and the fact that he was anxious to fight he fired off a kido blast that vaporized the few hollow unlucky enough to get in its path. With a smirk and a watchful eye, the Katayama brothers and the members of 1st division moved forward with Yun and Nekomi on point. As the team moved out, the vice captain had a clear view of the path to the right of the group. The path 9th had been assigned to.
------------------
“Pitiful”
He spat out as he felt the reiatsu of the enemies gathered on the other side of the senkaimon before stepping through. His colleagues had opposed his taking action before they could have a tea party in honor of this occasion, but Hitotsu was focused on the kill. To his dismay he felt as thought what was on the other side of the portal was but child’s play and thus he simply stepped through. As he materialized in Hueco Mundo he was greeted to the sight of Gillian cowering at the sight of the shinigami and hollows too scared to act on their most primal of urges. How he loathed weaklings.
He began to scan the area for the enemy stronghold. It did not take long. Even without the massive reiatsu emanating from it, the large white castle amidst the sandy expanse was a dead giveaway. Obviously before today these creatures had no reason to be afraid. But today Hitotsu and the 9th division would give them four.
“Captain Hitotsu, take your people up the right avenue and kill anything that gets in your way. I expect you to retreat should you save the children though and do not damage them.”
Yun gave his command and Hitotsu already determined to go to the tower decided he would not disagree since he and his team going unsupervised to unleash their personal horrors upon a populace of predators was exactly what the captain wanted. With a nod of the head towards his team and no acknowledgement of having heard Yuns orders other than heading in the ordered direction the 9th was on its way.
Hitotsu walked casually through the white sands towards the castle at the head of his team, paying no attention to the weaklings gathered around him nor to the ones approaching. Instead he just slowly walked forward.
The first enemy to reach the quartet was a fox like adjuchas who had been using sonido to appear in different spots all around assumingly to cause distraction. Whatever his plans were they were foiled when the captain reared his fist back and waited a moment in silence before letting loose a vicious punch, timed perfectly to intercept the speedy adjuchas route. The captain’s fist connected with and tore through to the other side of the hollows skull. The blow sprayed a thick spatter of blood onto the captain and left a gooey mess on his white hand wraps which were now stained crimson and dripping to the sands below as he dropped the carcass. He raised his dripping fist to his mouth as his back was still turned away from his troops then lowered it as he turned to face them and looked directly at his soldiers.
“Make a path” The captain dead panned. his words leaving no room for argument.
Though his words were more directed to Zodd and Volk, Laetitia knew that should she wish she was welcome to join them. Though he doubted she would want to waste her strength on such lowly opposition.
|
|
|
Post by GoldenKitten on Aug 12, 2008 17:20:41 GMT -4
((OOC: Ok to be blunt this whole “Kill hollows for a billion years” was meant to lengthen the arc so the story portions didn’t seem to blur past in record time but in retrospect…not the smartest decision . The story points will speed up unbelievably once we get into Las Noches so I had thought to postpone that portion until we got a few good posts in. However the setting is starting to stagnate at this point and I am hoping when the story kicks back into overdrive others might be more likely to post. For this reason while I will begin each section where they last were I will end it by time-skipping to the walls of Las Noches. Also to Galihan and Zhiel for the time being we will be leaving the Torre, Umbra, Jessica and Takeshi train. They aren’t up to much for the time being and it just adds an unnecessary and boring part for others to read, they will get their time to shine soon enough.)) ------------------------- Torre never looked at Umbra while he explained to the young Takeshi, she was too worked up and he was thinking straighter. She agreed of course, she knew in the end the shinigami probably did care more about killing Arrancar than they did about the children but then she also figured if it came to the worst she could subdue whoever she found and force them to take the children back. Of course since the shinigami were probably using the children as an excuse for this attack it was likely taking them back was one of their priorities since to maintain proper public relations it couldn’t look like they were just poking a hornets nest with a stick for the fun of it. As she thought about this she could clearly feel the shinigami pushing ever forward and she briefly wondered if Desperados initial plan might not have backfired, she wasn’t convinced in the least that Las Noches had the firepower to fight back against what was being arrayed. Still she turned her head over her shoulder and smiled even if it was a bit meek. “It will all be fine…” ------------------------- The hollows that had learned their lesson didn’t learn it long, their instincts apparently winning out in the long run as they returned to assaulting the large group surrounding Yun and the other captains. Unfortunately for them the group had only grown stronger since the last time they had attacked and it was just as much of a slaughter as it had been in the very first place. They pushed through on their unrelenting crusade and nothing stood in their way until they stood before Las Noches itself. Far off to their right there was a surge of orange energy and though he didn’t know exactly who it was due to all the reiatsu flying around at this point the position meant it could only be 9th making their entry. Yun looked up at the giant dome that now towered before them. “Big…white…wall…” he mentioned though whether he was just observing or being amusing nobody could tell due to his flat tone. He raised his hand and once more a shot or red fire…or rather a doom ray of destruction coming from him shot out. It cleared quickly and there was a massive red glowing hole drilled through the exterior of Las Noches given that there had seemed to be no extra entrances. He turned around to the group before proceeding inside. “As you would expect the quarters will be cramped, pull apart into smaller groups once we move inside as not to make a large target.” He then turned and proceeded within the halls of Las Noches. ------------------------- Laetitia had been excited to go through the portal but she shared her captain’s sentiments almost immediately after stepping through. The famed land of the hollows was more like a killing ground at the moment and there was nothing of worth to take down, she might have admired the punishing onslaught the other shinigami were performing but she had no respect for such individuals in the first place. Instead she just scanned the area looking for worthwhile targets and it wasn’t long before her eyes set on the looming structure of Las Noches. It was a beacon of spiritual energy amongst this rabble, not as great as she was sure her captain had hoped but none the less worthwhile if they took their time to weed through the weak. After a brief comment on Saigotschuu Yuns part (her only being familiar with the other captains out of the few times her services had been required) that was angering in its commanding tone but brief and broad enough that none of the members of 9th bothered arguing with it. In no time at all they were heading off at a lightning pace, as a smaller group they made quicker progress than the large central group. However as they pulled away from that central group the hollows thinking they had an easier target began to converge on the marching shinigami. A massive snake like hollow that seemed intent on swallowing all four of them in its giant maw was the first to charge. Laetitia didn’t admire Zodd in the least, she didn’t like him for multiple reasons the least of which was that she felt he had the brain of a pea but for what he could do in war and killing she allowed his presence even when her captain was not around. He displayed such strength now tearing his sword and axe from their places and in one swift and mighty stroke ripping the speeding hollow clear in half. It was at this point Hitotsu issued his decree, Laetitia knew she wasn’t expected nor did she intend to waste her time on such little nothings with the looming dome coming closer with every step they took. In front of her Zodd continued pounding away, his blood choler rising after his first kill and never returning to ask if he should continue as hollows began racing toward them. Volk to stepped forward and in a moment revealed the true power behind what compared to Zodd was a much smaller form as three charging adjuchas were split clear in half by mighty swings of his claymore. They could have killed all day to no ill effect but Laetitia wanted to move forward and she wasn’t particularly fond of being here should her captains patience wear thin in his desire to find a strong opponent and so she yelled out at the very least to her own subordinate (he after all followed Hitotsus orders as well but it was common knowledge he fell into a fervor should Laetitia herself issue the decree). “Volk make with the speed, the captain wishes to reach that place and find a fitting opponent.” She said, swishing her hand as if batting off a fly. In reality she was just as impatient but as was expected she would give whatever fight Hitotsu desired to him before she found her own. “Ai Mi’lady!” was all Volk replied and as they both watched he replaced the blade back on his back and then yelled out, “Die Maschine des Todes (The Machine of Death)” Fire ran up Volks sword and spread to his back, the center where his sword had been grew to bright to see exactly what was going on there but eight long tendrils of fire soon shot from the source around his back. Within moments the fire like energy had retreated though the joints of the construct it left behind were still burning with the strange light. Six long bio-mechanical arms now spread from his back, his upper robes had been burned away and ones could see that where the sword had been was a giant burn mark and rise in the skin as if the sword had sunk beneath it and the arms came out from here. Two more arms were strung along his own arms and ended in large katars over his hands; they were attached by a ribbed component all along his arm. Each of the arms protruding from his back was different, the top two looked to be opposite scythes perhaps to rip something apart, his middle-left arm looked like a drill and the right like a large grasping claw and on the bottom they were both like long tendrils but the tip of the left one seemed to burn with fire. As if the blade was actually an organic part of his body now it moved all on its own without any contact with his own hands and soon the top blades had punched into the ground and tossed him forward toward the nearest hollow. With a clean cut a massive hole was ripped along the top of the hollows spinal area and a jet of blood that would have put most horror movies to shame jettisoned into the air. Zodd and Volk pulverized anything and everything that came near them and by the time they worked into a fury they were actually flashing across the white desert as hollows dropped left and right. The hollows themselves seemed to be learning of the danger to as fewer and fewer weaklings attacked; though the occasional adjuchas gave it a shot…they were promptly ripped into a million pieces. All that was left was for them to make their constant pace forward to Las Noches. It was farther than it had seemed, the structure was absolutely massive but with the pathetic resistance and the good pace the team made they still pushed in quickly. Soon they were close enough to see the bottom of Las Noches itself and would be there within a few seconds. Laetitia got Volks attention and threw him a small black cylinder telling him to get them through given that there was no door before them or anywhere to be seen along the structures face for that matter. He nodded and walked forward, at just that moment the sound of something pulling itself from the ground right behind Laetitia and Hitotsu reached their ears. Three arrancar, the first any of the shinigami had seen had been laying in wait here and rocketed through the air toward the intruders with blades and claws drawn. “Wrong place shinigami!” one of the males yelled. There was no look of surprise on Laetitias face (and certainly not her captains) and she simply turned her head to look over her shoulder at the descending arrancar. She quickly returned her gaze toward Volk who after giving pause to spot the new threat had returned to his work of getting up to the white wall. The three arrancar came down hitting the ground right in from of the vice captain and her master, they fell apart in great seeping pieces and dyed the white sand red. The only sign of what had even happened was the small trickled of blood from Laetitias own blade. Ahead of them Volk brought one of his real arms back with the black cylinder in his hand and jammed in hard into the white stone. He turned around and began walking away though he was barely five feet away when the device went off behind him. It exploded with Laetitias orange reiatsu ((Note: Read her profile, she can make bombs out of many objects using her or others reiatsu.)) though it did not explode outward, instead the full fury of the blow exploded into the facility and long lines ripped up the tall dome with the powerful pressure it exerted on the structure. As the dust settled and a massive black entrance could be seen where previously there was none a wall of reiatsu came out and hit them all. It wasn’t so powerful as to make any of them gasp but there were smiles amongst the group because whatever lay within made the sour memory of this useless fodder outside be wiped away. And so without a second thought, they proceeded inside.
|
|
|
Post by SamuraiFoochs on Aug 13, 2008 19:30:34 GMT -4
Yamato watched as the group as a whole advanced toward the massive white palace of Las Noches. It was truly an imposing structure, and he mentally heaved a sigh of relief. Any group with the resources to build such a massive thing was something to be reckoned with. He had been a fool to charge so recklessly into battle, though in retrospect, he had had something of a point; it was little more than slaughter thusfar. The Hollow hadn't stood a chance. Once the Arrancar came out in force, though...then there would be cause for concern. He watched the massive blast issue from Yun's hand and smiled in dark satisfaction as a portion of the wall crumbled, giving the massive group of Shinigami an entrance into the belly of the beast. This was where the true battle began, Yamato could tell. His heart raced slightly as the thought of battle, true battle, filled his consciousness. 'Time to make our own entrance.' He thought, smiling, and shot a blast of kidou fire to rival Yun;s own, perhaps even larger if only due to lack of control, to make a hole on the left side, where his division would enter. The wall crumbled easily with a tremendous BOOM and the second hole was ready just as quickly as the first. “As you would expect the quarters will be cramped, pull apart into smaller groups once we move inside as not to make a large target.”He turned to his group and spoke quietly enough so as not to disturb any others or give too much away, but his voice was still firm and full of conviction. “Hanza, Saika, you come with me. Everyone else, split into groups of four, and make sure there’s an even balance of reiatsu. We can’t have all the weakest people together, they’ll die for certain. Watch their backs as though they are your own, do you understand me? Under my watch, this Division is a family. If one of us suffers, we all suffer. These are your brothers and your sisters. It isn’t just a Division line, either. Protect any Shinigami in need, whether they be 6th or not, if the paths between groups should happen to cross as the battle progresses. That is an order. Strike true, strike with conviction. Bond with your blades, and let them cross with the enemy without the slightest bit of hesitation or mercy. This is our moment to strike for those taken from us! Show the denizens of Las Noches the soul of the Gotei!” His hand gripped the hilt of his blade, now sheathed, until his knuckles were white. He could feel Vulcanus resonating with energy under his fingertips, as though crying for release. He stroked the hilt with a reassuring finger, as though to say, ‘Soon, my friend, soon.’ On a spur of the moment decision, he drew his blade again, and swished it artistically through the air, stabbing it into the sand in front of him, before speaking to the group at large again. “This sword is Vulcanus. Vulcanus is my Zanpakuto, and as a Shinigami, this blade is the closest thing I have to a brother. Vulcanus is my strength, and my strength is his. We are two sides to the same coin, and we breathe the same, we think in sync, we scream in perfect harmony. Your blades mean much the same to you, even if you don’t know them as closely yet. Now!” He drew Vulcanus from the sand, swishing him through the air again and holding the sword high above his head. “Draw your blades! Hold them high above your heads! Feel your energy pulse through them, feel their energy pulse through you! Make a silent pledge to fight alongside them as flawlessly as you know how, and to protect them as they protect you, as truly as you can. The true battle begins now. Proceed with fear, but still with confidence. Let your fear inspire you. Be ready to slay the gods themselves sooner than die! I know I am. WE MARCH, NOW! Stick to your groups, and be careful. I’ll see you all back home.” He sheathed Vulcanus and saluted his Division, before proceeding through the hole with Hanza and Saika. ************************************************************ They moved quickly, but not foolishly. Yamato took point, and was generally gazing around corners for any enemies before giving an “all okay” nod to the others, and seeing them dash swiftly to his side. Yamato noted how silent it was, a bizarre contrast to the bedlam that took place outside. He figured, however, that they must just have hit a quiet spot. Las Noches was so massive, it stood to reason that there would be some areas with little to no activity. He was glad for Hanza and Saika, this meant that they were in less danger. Inwardly though, Yamato cursed. He’d been hoping for a fight, and it didn’t seem he was going to find one. Still, better safe than sorry, and fighting wasn’t everything, especially not when he had the others with him. They advanced forward, quickly but silently, and Yamato kept a hand clutched around the hilt of Vulcanus, ready to draw at a moment’s notice. ((OOC: Slight edit for continuity. Sorry, GK! ))
|
|