Practical Exam (Iroka) [JT]

[Munemasa Iroka]

Aramis seemed unwilling to concede that he deserved a higher grade for when he had arrived to protect her from Hitode. Technically, he was not wrong. He had surmised that Hitode would not be able to kill Iroka before he arrived, and that was what had happened. Even though Iroka's survival had been based on her own abilities, the fact was that Aramis had judged her competent enough to remain alive until he came. If not, he would have come earlier; that simple. But Iroka did not prefer to argue with superiors.

Of course, Iroka had no idea that she had been wrong about Aramis' zanpakutō, and responded as honestly as she could afford when the Captain asked her about her own zanpakutō. "It's a textbook support kidō style weapon," she replied. "Shields, healing, the whole support shebang. It does not seem to have any offensive capabilities. One thing to note, though, is that its abilities seem to revolve around mirrors." Innocent, naïve Iroka did not even for a moment assume that the Captain might possibly become an enemy in the future.

Iroka turned to face Aramis, when he asked her if she wanted to handle Hitode by herself, or allow him to take charge and kill the Mod Soul. The Captain would notice pity in her eyes. "I've no score to settle, but please let me execute Hitode-san," she replied. The carrot-top did not give a reason for her request, but it was actually because she wanted to kill the arachnoid as swiftly as possible. Aramis, like a detached scientist might dissect without care for using anesthetics. Swift execution and minimum pain were the goals here.

Hearing the creature's location, Iroka nodded at the Captain. "Gotcha! Thanks, Kusamura-sama," she replied. Four hundred feet was close enough to be able to get in by using Flash Step, and she probably could even have the advantage of a surprise attack. First heading into the trees, Iroka moved until she felt like she had covered maybe half the distance Aramis had indicated, then used Shunpo to close the rest. She immediately spotted Hitode, slowing down behind him as she spun, while executing a Shintenken-infused axe-kick, the attack aimed at the creature's head. Take it out as rapidly as could be afforded.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Battle Info}Techs Used: Shunpo (50) and Tansashō: Aorenge- Fuetsu (150)

Technique Name: Aorenge [Blue Lotus]
Technique Class: 4 - 40 TTP
Technique Type: Hakuda (Shintenken)
Usable By: Shinigami
Technique Element: N/A
Technique Cost: 150 Reiatsu
Description: Considered the twin of Tansashō, but differing in that a palm is not used, the practitioner projects reiatsu from a limb to deal damage or enhance motion up to range of up to 10 meters. It is more versatile than Tansashō in the ways it can be used. As this technique utilizes reiatsu to attack, it does not require strength to deal damage, as is expected of a Shintenken technique. The varying styles with which reiatsu may be projected to perform are as follows:
Mekajiki (Swordfish): This is done with the hand in a "leopard fist". The pulse of reiatsu is pointed like a spear, allowing it to punch through an opponent, instead of sending them flying
Fuetsu (Axe): This is executed as a chop, and may even be utilized using the leg, with the reiatsu forming a blade-like projection to cause slashing/chopping damage
Hōdan (Cannon shell): Reiatsu is suddenly expelled from both feet which are planted on the ground, resulting in the user being launched at an opponent. Very useful for closing distance and making unexpected attacks. Does not increase speed, but can facilitate an attack when one isn't expected e.g. when the user is seemingly off-balance.
Each form is learned with increase in proficiency. At Learned, user can use Mekajiki. Fuetsu is usable at Proficient, and Hōdan is usable at Mastered.
How to Use: User gathers reiatsu and expels it from a body part.
Drawbacks: The major drawback of this technique is its range, which is a maximum of 10 meters. Also can only be used by Shintenken practitioners (must have at least 1 SkP devoted to Hakuda: Shintenken as a skill). Hōdan does not make its user invulnerable, and they will be hurt if a counterattack is made against them.
Incantation: N/A

Reiatsu: 5650

Aramis Tezuka

[Aramis Tezuka]

Aramis took in Iroka's commentary and committed every detail to memory. Even if he never planned on fighting Iroka directly, it was useful information to know. All manner of plans could be made if one knew an ally or an enemy's ability. How best to fight it, how best to utilize it. If Aramis had to fight or operate alongside Iroka then knowing how her ability worked would allow him to work in tandem with her. If Aramis had to incorporate her into a team or assign an officer to work alongside her, he could pick the one that complemented her skills best. Knowledge was power, and if that was true, then he who knew everything, about everyone was all powerful.

"Understood. Conventional Squad 4 power." Aramis replied curtly. "Clarification. "Abilities "seem" to revolve around mirrors?" Query; you are uncertain on this?" Aramis added, taking note of the unusual phrasing Iroka had chosen. While it wasn't completely unheard of for a Shinigami to not know the full extent of their powers and to develop them as they went, it was still something he might be inclined to take note of. The potential for an ability to evolve was very interesting at the very least.

Iroka's innocence extended to Aramis's own motives as well. It seemed she had no way to know it, but unless Aramis was inclined to unleash his "Bankai" (Or at least what he claimed was his Bankai....) he always preferred to end a threat as securely and efficiently as possible. Sometimes this did involve drawing out a battle against a formidable opponent, but he'd assessed Hitode's abilities and determined that, especially three limbs down, he could defeat the enemy swiftly. Three moves, at most to secure a direct hit to Hitode's head.

But the Captain had no qualms with permitted Iroka to take over. Since he'd arrived to the scene late, he had not beheld the woman's martial expertise. He had no real idea of what had gone down between them, only taken note of Iroka's spike of power. "Very well." Aramis stated. "Will devote efforts to preventing escape then." Aramis's eyes swept the wooded area the two were traveling through, tracking his own ability. His reiatsu signature was clear as day, and the two were practically on top of Hitode. While Aramis's energy sensory wasn't enough to pinpoint Hitode's exact movements, it was more than enough to narrow his location down to less than a dozen yards. And the orientation of him.

"Above."

That was Aramis's only warning before the Captain blurred into motion at full speed to avoid a sudden driving attack from above as Hitode's remaining spider limbs crashed down from above the two of them, aimed to try to smash both Iroka and Aramis at once. For Aramis's part, alerted by his own reiatsu, and with his greater speed, avoiding the attack was not difficult. Unfortunately, Iroka was on her own for this one. But the next part of the fight would be a different matter.

Aramis's left arm lashed out at Hitode from behind, and a gnarled chain flew out to wrap around Hitode's own left arm. "Hey! Let go you asshole!" Hitode tugged with tremendous force that caused Aramis to stumble a few steps forwards but barely maintained his balance. It seemed Hitode was, at least in terms of physical muscle, stronger than Aramis was, but only by a little bit.

Aramis wasn't concerned though. His eyes were on Iroka and how she'd adapt to this. IF she had been struck by Hitode's ambush, or if she was still within reach, Hitode's remaining two spider-limbs lashed out in a flurry of raking and stabbing blows at her. There was some limited technical precision but it seemed his aim was less technical and more interested in bulldozing through Iroka's defenses with raw number of attacks, assaulting with little regard for defense. Perhaps a tactic developed through acknowledgement that his considerable reach made it difficult to counter-attack, Hitode's fighting technique radiated sheer aggression. The chain wrapped around his human arm restricted his movements somewhat, and would make pursuit of Iroka difficult, but it did little to impede his spider-limb attacks.

[Munemasa Iroka]

Aramis seemed mildly interested in knowing more about Iroka's powers, asking for clarification about her abilities. She shrugged in response to his question. "I'm not a hundred percent certain, but that's what the indications reveal," she answered. "You know, it's why I'm not too trusting of the scientific process. We make observations and design inferences based on our observations. If our observations are wrong, our inferences would be faulty, likewise. As I am not omniscient, I cannot specifically say my observations about my zanpakutō are impeccable."

Everyone made mistakes. And Iroka was of the opinion that she was more likely to make mistakes than most others. But she was also grateful for the fact that making mistakes didn't have to be final. One could learn, and improve. As long as said mistake made was not a fatal one. And she seemed to have just made a mistake, that being her rushing ahead and trying to attack what she had thought was Hitode. It had been a rock situated in a considerably shadowy patch, and as someone who had not the best of senses, Iroka had not realized until she had aimed her kick, the attack shearing stone off the rock.

Whether this blunder being a fatal one remained to be seen. She heard Aramis' warning, but was too slow to respond swiftly enough to evade the diving attack, as the Captain had done. Well, actually, she would have not been too slow, if not for some unseen interference. Her muscles had frozen just as soon as she had attempted to use Shunpo to avoid the descending spider. And Iroka knew why. Now could not have been a worse time for this to happen.

Mushoku was interfering. Not only was this the worst possible time to freeze, the dratted inner Hollow had chosen the time, in the presence of a Gotei 13 Captain, to manifest. Not to mention the fact that not being able to dodge an attack for which she had been forewarned did not sound very flattering. Even though Iroka had given up hope on trying to prove herself the best in combat, she could at least show she was not useless. And Mushoku was throwing that all away.

"No no no no no! Not now, Mu-mu-chan, I beg you!" the carrot top frantically pleaded, as she saw, in what seemed to be slow-motion, the shadow enlarging beneath her. With a cry of pain, Iroka found herself being pounded into the ground by Hitode's relentless assault. She was injured, but she was tough. Although not physically durable, Iroka had a very strong mind. She could fight through the pain and still defeat Hitode... only if Mushoku would let her. But the inner Hollow seemed unwilling to do so.

And yet, Mushoku refused to take full control just yet. It seemed, for the sake of spite, that the Hollow simply wanted her to suffer pain, and so was resisting her ability to move to safety. As such, she couldn't even defend against Hitode's subsequent flurry of attacks, clothes and flesh being rent by the rogue Mod Soul. She was bleeding now, not severely enough to die within minutes, but her wounds were serious. And for the moment, it seemed Mushoku had relented, and Iroka pushed herself onto her hands and knees, fighting through the pain...

...only to realize that the pause in Mushoku's interference had just been the inner Hollow gathering momentum for the final push that would surrender her will to the Hollow's. She turned her gaze to the Captain, tears flowing from her eyes, as her expression was one of imploration. "Kusamura-sama... please...." And then she retched violently, before a strange white viscous fluid burst out from her throat and spattered on the ground. Her gaze turned to the Captain again, but even within the piteous look, there was something unhinged, something sinister. And her tears were now the same white stuff she had just vomited.

Iroka found herself restrained in darkness. She tried to move, but felt something cut against her skin, so she stopped. Where was she? A taunting voice echoed out of the darkness, a voice she knew. Her inner Hollow. "My oh my, Little Fish, what might you be doing here? Are you lost?" There was the sound of mocking laughter, as the area seemed to light up. Iroka saw that her feet had been restrained by specular crystals which grew from the ground. A pillar made of a mass of similar crystals descended from the darkness above, and her hands, lifted high above her head, had been secured firmly within the crystalline bulk.

and out of the darkness glided the colorless form of Mushoku, a wicked grin on her beautiful face. "You're making a mistake, Mu-mu-chan!" Iroka said frantically. "Now isn't the time to--" Mushoku slapped her savagely across the face. "Silence! I am the master now. You are in no position whatsoever to make demands of me." She grabbed Iroka, sharp fingernails digging into the Shinigami's side, and causing Iroka to gasp. "You know, if you begged, which is the only thing you're good at, maybe I might be nice."

Slowly, she drew her face towards Iroka's as though aiming for a kiss. Iroka turned away. "There's no point in begging," the carrot top said dejectedly. "You've doomed the both of us." Another vicious slap rocked the Shinigami's head, before Mushoku grabbed her violently by the chin, forcing her to look into the only things of the inner Hollow that had color: her cruel, menacing eyes. "It's your infirmity that has doomed us. But I'll change that. You think that green-haired midget stands a chance against me?"

"I am shorter than Kusamura-sama, so what does that make me?" Iroka asked, looking in confusion at the hate-filled glare of the Hollow. Mushoku snarled, and drew back her hand as if to strike again, making Iroka close her eyes and flinch. But the blow did not land. Instead, Mushoku grabbed a fistful of Iroka's hair and yanked it, jerking the Shinigami's head backwards violently. "You're so hateful, and yet so endearing. So pleasantly odious." She ran a sharp fingernail carefully down Iroka's exposed throat, causing the girl to shiver.

"You can bet I'll be back for you, dearest. But first, I have some things to attend to. Now, be a good girl and stay here while Mommy runs along to attend to some business," Mushoku said, before laughing as she stepped away from the restrained Shinigami. "Time to have some much deserved fun," the Hollow chuckled, as she stepped backwards into the darkness. Iroka was alone. Alone and very much in trouble.

Meanwhile, the white stuff leaking out of Iroka's head suddenly drew back, wrapping round pat of the Shinigami's face, as a Hollow mask formed. Her hands clawed at the earth, making furrows in the soft soil. From her kneeling position, the Shinigami suddenly vanished, appearing quite close to Hitode and aiming a hand, curled into the 'Leopard fist', at the Mod Soul's neck. Even as she made her attack, a spear of reiatsu emanated from her fist, aiming to skewer Hitode's neck. And then, not caring whether she hit Hitode or now, 'Iroka' turned to look at Aramis.

"Ohayo, Kusamura-sama!" she said in a playful, singsong voice. What part of her face that was yet to be covered by the mask had a rather evil grin. And her voice, it was Iroka's and yet not. Her voice was steamy, seductive, but there was an undertone that suggested that she would gladly pull out one's throat and drink the gushing blood. What was looking at Aramis was a predator. A monster. A Hollow.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Battle Info}
Tech used: Shintenken: Aorenge- Mekajiki (150)

Technique Name: Aorenge [Blue Lotus]
Technique Class: 4 - 40 TTP
Technique Type: Hakuda (Shintenken)
Usable By: Shinigami
Technique Element: N/A
Technique Cost: 150 Reiatsu
Description: Considered the twin of Tansashō, but differing in that a palm is not used, the practitioner projects reiatsu from a limb to deal damage or enhance motion up to range of up to 10 meters. It is more versatile than Tansashō in the ways it can be used. As this technique utilizes reiatsu to attack, it does not require strength to deal damage, as is expected of a Shintenken technique. The varying styles with which reiatsu may be projected to perform are as follows:
Mekajiki (Swordfish): This is done with the hand in a "leopard fist". The pulse of reiatsu is pointed like a spear, allowing it to punch through an opponent, instead of sending them flying
Fuetsu (Axe): This is executed as a chop, and may even be utilized using the leg, with the reiatsu forming a blade-like projection to cause slashing/chopping damage
Hōdan (Cannon shell): Reiatsu is suddenly expelled from both feet which are planted on the ground, resulting in the user being launched at an opponent. Very useful for closing distance and making unexpected attacks. Does not increase speed, but can facilitate an attack when one isn't expected e.g. when the user is seemingly off-balance.
Each form is learned with increase in proficiency. At Learned, user can use Mekajiki. Fuetsu is usable at Proficient, and Hōdan is usable at Mastered.
How to Use: User gathers reiatsu and expels it from a body part.
Drawbacks: The major drawback of this technique is its range, which is a maximum of 10 meters. Also can only be used by Shintenken practitioners (must have at least 1 SkP devoted to Hakuda: Shintenken as a skill). Hōdan does not make its user invulnerable, and they will be hurt if a counterattack is made against them.

Inner Hollow is active

Reiatsu: 5500

Aramis Tezuka

[Aramis Tezuka]

Aramis didn't nod or give any physical indication of acknowledgement of Iroka's statements, but he did provide a verbal answer at least. "Interesting assessment. Correct in principle. Example; earlier today. Misdiagnosed victim. Presumed hunting Bount. Could have resulted in suboptimal tactics. Counterpoint. Erroneous conclusion. Incorrect observation and inferences do not disprove scientific method. Proves conclusions, founded poorly. Correct foundations, correct result." He answered. Iroka wasn't wrong after-all. Yes, a conclusion based on faulty assumptions was probable to get someone into trouble, but as far as Aramis was concerned that just meant you had to look more closely. Observe better. As Iroka herself suggested. Learn from your mistakes.

"Example. When encountering exsanguination, will know to examine state of organs to narrow search parameter." Aramis added, using their current case as an example, right before the spider attacked. If he was worried for Iroka, it didn't show on his face as he saw the girl slammed into the ground by the ambush attack. Iroka had asked to take care of the spider, and Aramis was willing to let her. It was clearly an inefficient way to go about things, based on her failure to avoid the attack. The two were more evenly matched than Aramis would have been for Hitode, but he supposed all Shinigami needed growth. And he supposed he'd make sure she didn't die. He had said she wouldn't be sacrificed earlier. But if she was to be pummeled a bit, well, she had technically asked Aramis to allow it.

"Hah! You're puking up just from that one hit!? Can dish it out but can't take it huh!?" The Mod Soul laughed at Iroka's violent retching. Aramis wasn't laughing though. His face remained unreadable as ever, but his mind? His mind was racing to numerous conclusions, most notably based around the color of the bile Iroka was coughing up. Any other Shinigami in Soul Society may have been confused, but to one who had detailed records of all Vizard sightings and even much of the research concerning Vizard, Aramis knew exactly what this meant.

This is unexpected.

Whatever battle took place in Iroka's mind between her Inner Hollow and herself, it must have only taken a moment in realtime. Mushoku's assault caught Hitode by surprise, and the spider choked on the spear now thoroughly lodged in his neck. He gagged and began coughing and drowning on his own blood, stumbling back and collapsing. Not dead yet, but very evidently dying unless someone intervened. And frankly, Aramis had other things to contend with.

Revenant raised up, and Aramis's left arm extended out and to the side in a modified fencing posture, the point of his rapier aimed directly at Iroka.... or was it Mushoku now? In either case it was pointed directly at the center of their chest. Aramis took note of the mask that had covered his protege's face. Could a Hollow's abilities be inferred from its mask he wondered. Its gradient? Or was that an exercise in futility, much like trying to determine a Shinigami's abilities from the shape of their face? Hm. Come to think of it, that might be an interesting field of study. Perhaps he'd peruse the topic when he had time.

He wasn't blind to Iroka's last plea before she was taken over. The question was, was she asking for help, or for "mercy"? And if the latter, what would she consider "mercy"? At any rate, Aramis would have to evaluate this new enemy before him now. He didn't answer Mushoku as she mockingly addressed him. There was no need to. A greeting was pointless effort. A waste of air and effort. The Hollow knew his name. He had no need to know the Hollow's. From what he could gather it seemed that Iroka was still in an early stage of the Vizard process. Unstable. Her inner Hollow would be faster than she was. Stronger than she was. And most likely more aggressive and sadistic than she was.

Aramis continued to study Mushoku's body language. He doubted she was actually intending to discuss matters with him. But Aramis would be remiss to pass up the opportunity to test a Vizard out. Such opportunities rarely happened afterall. Condition of Iroka's reiatsu has changed entirely. Curious. Makes it difficult to detect Inner Hollow until it manifests. He thought.

While fencing master Fiore de’i Liberi advocated that the best defense was a good offense, Aramis had no intention of initiating this duel. If Mushoku wanted his head, she would have to take it. The Nakabakki did however give a twist and flick of his left arm, and the chain that bound Hitode's limb quickly unraveled and flew back to him. Clearly a maneuver that Aramis had practiced many times, as with a handful of cycles of his forearm the chain twisted and churned and disappeared up his sleeve, ready to be deployed again at a moment's notice. For now, Aramis allowed Mushoku to take the first step. Whether that be engaging Aramis verbally or physically.

Reiatsu Remaining: 7600/8000
Shikai Posts: 4/10

[Munemasa Iroka]

The tables had turned, and Hitode was the one choking now. As the reiatsu construct dissipated, and blood filled the resultant hole, Mushoku gave a high-pitched snort of derision. "Hah! You're puking up just from that one hit?!" she cruelly mimicked the Mod Soul as he died. "Can dish it out but can't take it, huh?!" Then with a leap, she flung herself atop the dying spider, nonchalantly slapping away his flailing limbs as she watched Aramis silently for a while, an expectant, yet predatory smile on her face.

She made no sound, simply watching the Captain, as the body beneath her slowed its movements. Iroka would have done one of two things. She would either have quickly put an end to Hitode's misery, or if there was a chance that the Mod Soul could be rehabilitated, she would have attempted to heal him, so he could have another chance in life. Mushoku, however, was anything but kind. There was something exhilarating about feeling the life of a victim dissipate while they struggled. How would Aramis struggle, she wondered.

As the Captain pointed his fencing sword at Mushoku, her grin enlarged, though she still did not say a word, as she waited. Eventually, with a shudder and a sigh, the Mod Soul expired. "Well, that was ultimately disappointing," the Hollow said, feigning sadness. "Maybe you'll cheer me up, right?" she chuckled, as she leaned forward until her hands touched the ground. Then she crawled off the corpse slowly, eyes on Aramis all the while.

"You're the Captain of the 12th Division, right? That gives me a bone to pick with you," the Hollow said, slinking slowly towards Aramis. "Say, do you know about Iroka's past? She's kinda like a glorified Mod Soul, you know? Really hypocritical of her to go killing poor Hitode-chan, don't you think?" There was a pause, as the Hollow searched Aramis' expressionless face for a reaction. None. She rose to her feet.

"Iroka was made to be perfect," Mushoku continued, standing still for the time being. "Genius intellect, gorgeous curves--" a slow, salacious hip roll was done to emphasize her point, "--she was initially supposed to be the ultimate soldier, made for the front lines. But her 'parent' thought she could be something more. They tried to make Iroka as 'Shinigami' as possible, but even Shinigami get wounds. Iroka had to be perfect, she had to be able to recover completely from any injuries. So Iroka's soul was grafted with a Hollow."

Why was she telling Aramis this? It seemed that underneath all the showings of a heartless temptress, there was something that wanted to be heard, to be understood. "Of course, nobody knew, because everything had been done in secret. Eventually, Iroka was discovered, but she was spared, because she was not a Mod Soul; more like an artificial Shinigami. Nobody knew of the Hollow except her parent, not even Iroka. And her parent, the little shit, is from your Division. Responsibility has to be taken, you know?" Her head slowly drooped as she spoke.

Of course, it was unfair to blame the Captain for the indiscretion of a subordinate who was hiding things, but Mushoku didn't care. She had been born into suffering, and no one seemed to understand her. No one seemed to care. Except Iroka... but Iroka was simply a weak-willed liar who pretended to care about Mushoku, only because she wanted to avoid dealing with the inner Hollow. But now, Mushoku was free. She would be running the show from now on. She would make the world suffer, just as she had....

The Hollow's head suddenly snapped up, glaring at Aramis with golden, malevolent eyes. "Well, why aren't you saying anything, you vegetation-headed pipsqueak?!" she raved, a sudden change from her sultry behavior just moments ago. Never mind that she, being in Iroka's body, was evidently much shorter than Aramis. "It's as I expected. The 12th Division, full of short, little shits, who care about nothing but their research. Not a care for the lives of others, nor the consequences of their actions."

Mushoku thrust a finger in rage, pointing at the corpse of Hitode. "You people were responsible for that. What was your solution to such a mistake? 'Kill them'. And no one punished you for your mistake. When Iroka was discovered, they didn't even kill that stupid piece of turd that made her, instead throwing the slime wad into the Nest of Maggots. The only reason Iroka was not killed by your likes was because she was too different from a Mod Soul to be considered one, and too similar to a Shinigami to not be considered one. But should they realize that she has an inner Hollow, for no fault of hers, she dies. I die! This I will not allow! You'll die first, you spastic dispassionate hypocrite!"

With those words, she flung herself at the Captain, hands outstretched for his throat, aiming to wrap her fingers around his neck.

Aramis Tezuka

[Aramis Tezuka]

Aramis seemed unplussed at Hitode's fate. Death was death and he'd seen far more gruesome during the Hellion invasion. The execution of an enemy meant little to Aramis. Besides. He was being faced with a far more interesting specimen now. Aramis had never crossed blades with a Vizard, not even an incomplete one. He was fully alert, and fully wary. Whatever Iroka's abilities were before, he could not afford to assume they were the same now. This was a near complete enigma to Aramis, and he was approaching it as such.

Reasonable assumption, that she still possesses all Shinigami abilities. Likely similar strategies. Hakuda focused. Access to Zanpakuto.... negligible threat against Revenant. Healing abilities ultimately pointless. Unable to see through Revenant. Aramis considered. Potential for Cero or Bala. Possible Hollow abilities. Be wary of attacks from unexpected angles. Aramis often favored a more cautious fighting style in any case. Revenant's ability made it very easy for Aramis to fight defensively while still maintaining a serious threat to most opponents, as Mushoku was going to find out if she attacked carelessly.

But instead, she seemed quite talkative. Hmm. Interesting. Aramis hadn't expected an inner hollow to be so verbose, even if it was mostly ranting and raging at him. ....Very chatty actually, and spilling some very interesting tea there. Aramis was unfamiliar with Iroka's project. Curious indeed, he'd need to look into it when he returned to the Seireitei, that could be.... very useful to him. Aramis let the Hollow talk until it ran out of steam. As the good book says; "Never interrupt your enemy when they're making a mistake" and Mushoku was divulging all too much to the Captain for her own good.

"D." Aramis answered Mushoku's rant and accusations, especially the part about him not caring for the lives of others. "Judgement of consequences. Risks. Necessary. Some Shinigami disregard. Foolish choice. Consequences may be dodged once or twice. Never indefinitely." He replied. "Lives. Valuable. Bodies give more answers than corpses." He continued. "If senselessly kill, maim, destroy, gain reputation as butchers. Not butcher. Scientist." Aramis made sure to emphasize this term even in his own monotone voice, to echo the pride he felt in following in his father's footsteps. His real father, Captain Bokuga Sayuri, not the black fiend who had cursed him with this half life.

"Talk too much. Should have stayed quiet. Should have permitted me execute Hitode. Secret would have been maintained. Could not sense presence in Iroka until revealed self. Very. Stupid." Aramis criticized. "F." He added. And then Mushoku attacked head on, into Aramis's stoic stance.

"F. Again." From his fencing posture with his blade outstretched, Mushoku's charge would bring her headlong into the point of Revenant. Of course, Aramis expected some variety of trying to swat his weapon away or to duck around it at the last second. He did not intend to permit that. The rapier was a weapon that possessed a number of advantages over other swords in a one on one duel. For being a one handed sword it was unexpectedly long, and its reach surpassed even that of the long sword, when one accounted for its single handed grip against the long sword's two. It was also weighted such that the weapon possessed surprising agility for its length and excellent blade control. All tools that Aramis now used against Mushoku.

The Captain backstepped as Mushoku lunged. He saw no reason to hold his ground and so it was discarded. Revenant's blade flicked in a half-circle to strike at Mushoku's right forearm. If even so much as the tip of the blade nicked Mushoku's forearm, then just like Hitode, the Vizard would witness their arm from the elbow to the tips of their fingers simply disappear. If they continued their pursuit, Aramis would backstep again with another half-circle flick of Revenant to hit their left arm as well. Such blows would not be crippling in and of themselves, and Aramis's technique and aim was easily apparent. The Captain didn't care about delivering a heavy blow. Why would he, when even the lightest contact with Revenant's blade would wipe out entire limbs? Or at least appear to at any rate.

Aramis fought freely with this technique, unwilling to kill Mushoku, and by extension Iroka. But the cold disposition that Captain exuded, the reputation of Squad 12, and the mystery around the Captain were all shields against this realization. The projected image of a man that really would simply execute and cut down the heretical abomination before him as easily as breathing.

"Even assessing for increased Hollow abilities. Not Captain." Aramis warned Mushoku, and although his voice had returned to its single note tone, something in it seemed as if it could freeze the air itself. A deadly seriousness. A final warning to the Inner Hollow to turn back from its course of action now....

[Munemasa Iroka]

An eyebrow rose questioningly as Aramis rated her heartfelt elocution a ‘D’. Questioningly, and with a good deal of irritation as well. He didn’t even seem to have any remorse for the blunders of his subordinates. So why was Kimyou, Iroka’s parent, jailed in the Nest of Maggots, if the 12th Division gave backhand passes to that sort of thing? As a leader, he was supposed to take responsibility. Aramis was supposed to be sorry for the evils done by his subordinate.

In reality, Mushoku was just whining. Like an emo child who was angry with the world, she hoped that members of the establishment (Aramis, in this case) would hear her rants and acknowledge that mistakes had been made, and that better things could have been done. Unfortunately for her, that was not the case. And as was expected, just as the response of a whiner who was told, after whining, “suck it up, bycch”, would be some form of rage, Mushoku was no different.

Actually, it was getting two ‘F’s in a row that set her off. Her initial intention had been to attempt to throttle him, but keep aware of any ploys he would play. The Captain, was after all, head of a Division known for its underhanded ploys. The plan was to keep an eye on his weapon, and try to avoid it as she came in. Mushoku had seen what it had done to Hitode, and was not willing to lose an arm, or leg, or head.

But the emotionless monotone, very reminiscent of Kimyou, the person she hated most in the world, judging her, evaluating her poorly, was too much to bear. ”DIE!!!!!” she screamed. ”DI—oh?!” The Hollow-controlled girl stopped, her eyes wide in abject consternation. Half of her right arm was gone. She looked in confusion and worry at the stump, then suddenly leaped back to put some distance between herself and the Captain, just as he attempted to aim at her other arm.

Mushoku lifted her right arm, or what remained of it, and wiggled it. It was gone. Just not there. Like it had never existed before. It didn’t even hurt. It just wasn’t there. Like asking a human if they felt pain where their tail had been. If she’d woken without any memories, Mushoku would have assumed she had been one-armed from the get-go. This was a rather sick and deplorable power. Deplorable, only because Mushoku wanted to be the one with the cards. Facing such a variable was… upsetting.

”Gimme back my arm, you little shit!” Mushoku half-ranted, half-wailed, stamping her foot like a spoiled child. And then, in the middle of what seemed to be the beginning of a tantrum-fueled episode, she charged again, shrieking. If she couldn’t get her arm back, she would take his head. The feral Vizard reached out with her only hand as though she was simply going to reenact what she had tried before with zero success. She waited until she suspected Aramis would counter…

…and then she was gone. Using Shunpo, Mushoku transferred herself behind the Captain, and aimed a jumping roundhouse kick at him, except that the kick was well out of range of hitting him. That, however, would not be a problem. Mushoku’s intention was not to kick Aramis, but decapitate him. Because it wasn’t just a normal kick, it was a Shintenken technique, Aorenge. A bright blue crescent of reiatsu formed on her leg, carving the air as it sped for the back of Aramis’ neck.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Battle Info}
Techs used: Shunpo (50), Shintenken: Aorenge- Fuetsu (150)

Technique Name: Aorenge [Blue Lotus]
Technique Class: 4 - 40 TTP
Technique Type: Hakuda (Shintenken)
Usable By: Shinigami
Technique Element: N/A
Technique Cost: 150 Reiatsu
Description: Considered the twin of Tansashō, but differing in that a palm is not used, the practitioner projects reiatsu from a limb to deal damage or enhance motion up to range of up to 10 meters. It is more versatile than Tansashō in the ways it can be used. As this technique utilizes reiatsu to attack, it does not require strength to deal damage, as is expected of a Shintenken technique. The varying styles with which reiatsu may be projected to perform are as follows:

• Mekajiki (Swordfish): This is done with the hand in a "leopard fist". The pulse of reiatsu is pointed like a spear, allowing it to punch through an opponent, instead of sending them flying
• Fuetsu (Axe): This is executed as a chop, and may even be utilized using the leg, with the reiatsu forming a blade-like projection to cause slashing/chopping damage
• Hōdan (Cannon shell): Reiatsu is suddenly expelled from both feet which are planted on the ground, resulting in the user being launched at an opponent. Very useful for closing distance and making unexpected attacks. Does not increase speed, but can facilitate an attack when one isn't expected e.g. when the user is seemingly off-balance.
Each form is learned with increase in proficiency. At Learned, user can use Mekajiki. Fuetsu is usable at Proficient, and Hōdan is usable at Mastered.
How to Use: User gathers reiatsu and expels it from a body part.
Drawbacks: The major drawback of this technique is its range, which is a maximum of 10 meters. Also can only be used by Shintenken practitioners (must have at least 1 SkP devoted to Hakuda: Shintenken as a skill). Hōdan does not make its user invulnerable, and they will be hurt if a counterattack is made against them.
Incantation: N/A

Reiatsu: 5300

Aramis Tezuka

[Aramis Tezuka]

Remorse was such an interesting phrase. The dictionary suggested deep feelings of guilt over wrongdoings. For that account.... Mushoku was right. Aramis felt no remorse for the horrific acts committed by Squad 12. Perhaps it was his upbringing, perhaps it was part of the black nature that resided within his heart, constantly whispering horrible nothings in his mind like some unspeakable dark urge. But the fact remained that Aramis didn't feel guilt for the actions of squad 12. That did not mean he did not condemn some of the past actions however. That he did not reject them. At the end of everything, Aramis was a man who was guided by practicality and efficiency. He opposed the horrific, inhumane acts of the Division not on humanitarian grounds, but because doing so was stupid. You may indeed gain results from committing mutilations, maiming or otherwise killing dozens of unwilling volunteers. Actions that ruined lives may benefit in the short term.

But one always had to think of the long term. A victory today that cost you one or more tomorrow was not a real victory. Killing someone for a test subject, meant you could not use that person as a subject again. Mistreating your test subjects, meant people stopped volunteering as test subjects. Kidnapping people for test subjects, brought unwanted eyes and attention to you, and could risk you losing everything. Aramis believed in keeping science clean, consenting and ethical not for any reasons related to morality, but simply because to do otherwise would cost the division more in the long term.

As for Mushoku's attack, Aramis was not impressed. At least her initial strike. She'd already witnessed what his rapier was capable of. Aramis had anticipated that Mushoku perhaps was planning on baiting out a movement from him so she could work around his blade, but it seemed that she had, in fact, planned to simply absorb the hit and go for a mutual exchange, or something of that sort. A tactic like that would not work against Revenant.

At least she had learned in time to avoid Aramis taking her other arm as well. "Curious. Query. Unaware of events happening outside of Iroka? Iroka already saw ability. Should not have been surprised." Aramis inquired. Refraining from grading Mushoku's performance. If she didn't know what Revenant did (or at least appeared to do), perhaps her approach made more sense after-all. If so, that was interesting information, to know if the Inner Hollow of a Shinigami knew of what was going on outside. Perhaps if not, that could be exploited in future research and cases. Or perhaps not, and this particular inner Hollow was just inattentive?

"You know, you could kill her right now. You have evidence she's a Vizard. Take the mask back as proof. You could really cut loose for once, with no fear of repercussions.... It will be FUN." Aramis's eyes didn't betray the voice in the back of his mind distracting him, kept focused on Iroka... No, Mushoku. But he did not like that one bit. "No witnesses, and if anyone picks up? Who cares, you were hunting a murderer anyways, say it was a Hellion and you dealt with it. Nobody will question it at all....

"Be silent." Aramis commanded his own (very literal) inner demons, just as Mushoku launched her assault. Aramis's rapier was still in its fighting position, pointed directly at Mushoku and ready to intercept or pierce her through. Aramis's thoughts rushed to catch up to Mushoku's actions, having been briefly distracted by thoughts of the massacre his demonic blood urged him to commit. Honestly, if it wasn't for Aramis's brutal training routines in which he regularly fought simulated enemies faster than himself, Mushoku may actually have succeeded in severely wounding the Captain with her attack. Perhaps even striking him down. Something Aramis could not allow to happen to himself.

Spurred on by the dimmest flash of fear that he might actually lose his life, Aramis's left arm flew up to guard his neck, the Shintenken meeting some resistance. Under normal circumstances this might have confused an attacker, but Mushoku had already seen the chain that Aramis had used, and could likely anticipate that it was now wrapped around his limb as a makeshift shield. Only makeshift though. Not perfect, and the hasty defense was not particularly impenetrable either. Aramis felt the blade cut into his arm, around parts of the chain. Not enough to sever the limb-- the chains that bound his arm stopped it cutting THAT deep, but were his arm made of flesh and blood, it likely would have been bleeding severely. Additionally, the back of Aramis's head was nicked on either side as while the arm partially intercepted and dispersed the attack, the wide arcing blade still had enough space to narrowly catch the Captain on either side of his head, leaving a pair of bloody tracks along the his head, just below the ears.

It also knocked Aramis forwards. A lesser trained opponent would have stumbled, but Aramis moved with the force of the attack into a forward roll to expedite his recovery. Stumbling and/or staggering forward would have given Mushoku a chance to launch further attacks, by rolling like this, Aramis created a smaller target, made distance between the two, and recovered quickly, pivoting on his lead foot as he came out of the roll to turn back to address Mushoku.

"That's enough." He told his demonic blood. "We will do this the proper way. Do not distract me again, or the fun will be over for good." A weak threat of sorts, but it served to gather his focus. Now it was Aramis's turn to be on the offensive. Ignoring the blood streaming down the back of his head, and off his neck and shoulders, the Captain suddenly counter-rushed Mushoku, thrusting directly at the Vizard's head. A feint. At the last moment, Aramis's blade suddenly flicked downward to strike one of Mushoku's legs, to break the Vizard's balance. He did not expect the Vizard would fare especially well if she had to fight him on two legs.

"Surrender. May consider alternative to death if release Iroka now." Aramis warned the Inner Hollow.

[Munemasa Iroka]

Kusamura's question about Mushoku's unawareness of what was going on when Iroka was in control was met with a sneer. "I'm under no obligation to answer your questions, you evil stupid boffin midget!" she spat. In truth, Mushoku's surprise came as a result of nothing but her own hubris. She had felt, upon gaining control of Iroka's body, that she was invincible. True, she knew about Aramis' golden rapier, but she was indestructible; surely she would be able to resist whatever strange effects his weapon had, just by the sheer might of her reiatsu. Sadly, she had quickly learned how wrong she was.

Still, that did not mean that Mushoku was going to abandon that arrogance. Iroka was a weakling. That was why she could not hope to defeat the 12th Division Captain. Mushoku was anything but weak. Aramis would be crushed by her might. And then she would figure out how to get her revenge on the worm that currently languished in the Nest of Maggots. Sure, she had to be careful with taking on the Captain, but Aramis could not beat her.

The partial success of her attack only served to increase the Hollow's arrogance level. She had to admit, though, this Captain was quite capable of thinking on his feet. He had used the chain of his grappling instrument as a makeshift shield, blocking the reishi blade on her foot. But that would only make killing him all the more worthwhile. And would prove to Iroka that the sniveling Shinigami could not compare to the illustrious being that was Mushoku.

The wound was not fatal. It wasn't even serious, at least by Shinigami standards. But the sight of the Captain's blood brought a manic grin to Mushoku's face, said expression still visible as the mask had not entirely obscured the Shinigami's face. "Ara ara!" she said excitedly. "Could that possibly be blood? Oh me oh my, this won't do at all; there's too little of it. I think we'll need to paint this place with a little more red. All the greens and browns look so droll."

Still, even though Mushoku seemed elated to see the Captain bleed, she was not going to be careless. If anything, she had made note of how he had responded after her attack. Despite being the 12th Division Captain, leader of a division not known for combat, just like the 4th, Kusamura did have impressive battle sense. Rolling instead of staggering increased his rate of recovery and made it more difficult for the Hollow to follow up an attack. He wasn't just going to throw gadgets at her. This one was a warrior.

Aramis' counterattack was expected, although Mushoku wasn't particularly expecting the feint. She took a step backwards, preparing to tilt her head out of the way, as the attack seemed to come for her head. And then suddenly, the rapier was going for her legs. The Hollow decided, in that last instant, not to attempt to dodge. The feint was too clean. However, that didn't mean she could not make a counterattack. Performing the same attack she had just done before, but this time using her available hand, Mushoku tried to use the reishi blade of the Shintenken technique to bifurcate the Captain.

Immediately after this, with only one foot upon which to stand, the Hollow performed a Shunpo, creating distance between herself and the Captain. From the knee downwards of her left leg was gone. While this was going to be a serious disadvantage, it was better than losing two limbs on the same side of the body. Still, this limited Mushoku in a great deal of ways, regarding how she could attack or defend. And even Iroka's sissy powers didn't seem like they would work here, as there was no apparent injury. The limbs were simply gone.

With the vanishing of one leg, at the very least, balance was going to be a problem. But Mushoku hoped that she would, by using such a risky gambit, manage to grievously injure the Captain. The order to surrender, in any case, was unacceptable. "Me? Surrender to a scrub-haired grumpy brat? NEVER!" Aramis would probably realize by now that Mushoku seemed to be a high-risk, high-reward kind of fighter, although that would place her solidly at a disadvantage fighting someone with an ability such as his. "I have a counteroffer: why not come over and let mommy kiss your wounds better?"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Battle Info}
Techs Used: Shintenken: Aorenge- Fuetsu (same as last post, but with hand this time) (150), Shunpo (50)

Reiatsu: 5100

Aramis Tezuka

[Aramis Tezuka]

Aramis's expression failed to be moved by Mushoku's angry retort. "Correct." He replied. "Unusual behavior. First adequate response thus far." His defense against her offense was less than brilliant, due to his distraction but the near death experience seemed to have quieted his inner demons. Well. Quieted wasn't the word. Gotten the two on the same page, might have been a better way of phrasing it. Aramis's mind went through what he knew of Vizards. Unfortunately there wasn't a tremendous amount of information on them. At present, only about six Vizard were actively known to Soul Society, five of which were dead-- killed by Sozen Kuchiki, and data collection on them had missed the obvious intermediate state that Iroka was in. Still, the information was better than nothing.

Common traits of Vizard. Enhanced abilities while mask is on. Access to Hollow powers. Weaknesses-- if mask is destroyed, powers typically cease. He considered. Revenant would be a poor tool for targeting Iroka's mask then. A move like that would only give the game away as to what Revenant's real ability was. Mushoku was probably arrogant enough to think they could stop an attack at their face, and therefore Aramis could get away with not targeting the obvious critical point with his rapier. Fortunately, Aramis had a few other tricks up his sleeve.

Revenant was up again, and Aramis had resumed his fighting posture now facing Mushoku once more. Mushoku's taunts struck at the Captain, and bounced off of his stoicism like rain on a block of wood. She wanted more blood? "Terms acceptable." Aramis replied before launching his feint attack.

Simultaneous attack. Recognize disparity in skill; attempting mutual exchange. B. Aramis considered. In response to an incapacitating or hampering blow, strike a fatal one. An understandable approach, but one that if not successful on the first attempt would only encourage Aramis to throw out only attacks that threatened a fatality. Of course. First Aramis had to survive this strike. A blow that seemed intent to split him down the middle.

"B." Aramis voiced his grade out loud. Then opted not to dodge. At least not entirely. Aramis had already decided how he was going to end this battle. It was simple to him. He'd weighed the options and come to a conclusion, that it was a waste to kill Iroka and Mushoku. So much more could come from this if he allowed them to grow and develop. True, he was putting lives at risk by doing so, but it was a calcuated risk. One he could tolerate. There was no real way to link this back to him. Hmm... Then again.... Mushoku was a loudmouth. Maybe she'd try and out Aramis? Well... That should be easy enough to create plausible deniability if she did. "Yes, unusual reiatsu readings about Iroka. Was investigating them. Squad 4 officers prevented in-depth evaluation, due to need for officers. Now recognize readings consistent with Inner Hollow. Tragic was not determined in time.

Something like that should work fine if Mushoku decided to try and out Aramis sparing her. Which brought him to the present and Mushoku's bifurcating strike! Aramis did not retreat from the blow. He didn't even try to block it. Instead, he lunged forwards at his full speed, but at a diagonal angle, such that Mushoku's blow slashed through his right shoulder, cutting through the Captain and spilling the blood she was oh-so-eager to see, right until Aramis's charge would slam his right shoulder into her descending arm, and disrupt her completion of the cut. It was a serious wound, but not one that was about to remove his arm from his body. And speaking of arms....

Aramis's opposite arm, his left one, lashed out at full speed, in a vicious swipe. It resembled a hook, though with his sleeve covering his hand it was hard to say for certain the shape of his hand. At least until it struck, and Aramis was aiming to strike his hand across Mushoku's mask, aiming to damage or even destroy it. If the blow connected, a strange twist would occur. Instead of a bludgeoning blow like might have been expected, it would be as if a series of knives had just raked across the mask, to slice through and rip it from Mushoku's face. Aramis hoped that this would revert the transformation and be worth the wound he was suffering for this blow....

"Very well. Have come over." Aramis responded to Mushoku's snark, as he completed the strike. With only one leg from his feinted blow, he expected evasion would be very difficult for Mushoku. But in the end.... as Aramis himself acknowledged. Only results mattered. Theorizing and planning and plotting only ultimately mattered if it gave you the results you wanted, and an "F" grade for himself was waiting in the wings if this did not go as planned.....

[Munemasa Iroka]

Mushoku was not pleased with the 'B' grade. Which was funny, seeing as she had no investment whatsoever in Aramis' evaluations of her actions. While the Hollow herself did not care for the reasons for her displeasure, Iroka, who had been trapped all this while, was beginning to understand more about the motivations of the being called Mushoku. It seemed Mushoku had a singular interest: proving herself. It was likely because the Hollow had had no form of agency all this while, being grafted into Iroka against her will, and just sitting along for the ride all this while, until now. There was a desire to prove herself, even if she was not sure to whom she had to prove herself.

As someone who did not like confrontations, Iroka was rather interested in figuring out what made Mushoku tick. And even though this was a very unsafe means with which to do so, if she managed to survive this, Iroka was sure she would have more knowledge with which to address her situation, moving forward. From the little she knew of Hollows, they needed to consume souls in order to grow. Mushoku probably didn't, due to her being connected with Iroka, who being a Shinigami, had no need to consume souls. Therefore, even though Mushoku was a Hollow, she didn't have to contend with the existential need that drove Hollows.

And this gave Iroka hope. Hope that perhaps one day, she would be able to make peace with Mushoku, and they would eventually reach some form of symbiosis. This was, Iroka suspected, Kimyou's plan, when they had merged her soul with a Hollow's. Although she didn't know anything about Vizards except what she knew about herself, Iroka was sure there were a lot of possibilities unexplored. But first, she had to make sure she survived this encounter.

Mushoku's counterattack struck. There was a high-pitched scream of glee, even as her reiatsu blade cut into Aramis' shoulder. But just then she realized what the Captain's ploy was. He had not just been struck; he had offered a less critical area of his body to be injured, which meant he was nowhere near dead, nor was he incapacitated. He was still very much in the battle. And that meant that he could make a further counterstrike of his own.

The Hollow-controlled Shinigami grunted as she tried to avoid his attack. If she had had her two legs, planting her feet and weaving her head would have easily avoided the threat. If she had had two legs. It was also very difficult to maintain balance when you were standing on one leg, and an opponent shoulder-butted you. And said opponent was heavier than you. That gave her a lot less maneuverability to avoid the attack, and the incoming left hook.

Except it wasn't a punch. Even though Mushoku made an admirable effort of twisting her head out of the way, the blow raked across her mask, ripping off fragments and leaving deep gouges in the ceramic-like material. But the mask still held. She fell much gracelessly than she would have done with complete limbs, and quickly adjusted herself into a seating position. There seemed to be some panic in the yellow, rabid eyes. She had realized his intentions. But then Mushoku's panicked expression faded to a sly smile.

Even though Mushoku was a loudmouth, and very brash, it did not delete the fact that she was, owing to her connection to Iroka, quite capable of making very good inferences. And at this point, she had considered the question why Aramis had not aimed for her torso when he had attacked. That would be, if aimed correctly, as critical a hit as a headshot, and she was less likely to dodge a body shot than a headshot, as moving the torso out of the way took more energy and more effort than moving the head. It suggested that Aramis somehow knew of the primary weakness of a Vizard.

"B," she said, still unable to discard her snark, even though she knew she was now grossly at a disadvantage. "B for bitch." She looked at her hand, which had some of Aramis' blood on it, then took a lick at one of her fingers. "Mmm, you taste so good, Kusamura-sama. Say, you came on over too fast the last time, and so I was unable to sufficiently kiss your wounds better. Let's try that again. Come over more slowly this time. I promise, I'll use my tongue-- gaah!"

Whatever naughtiness she had in mind was immediately truncated, as another weakness of an uncontrolled Vizard was realized: the host could wrest back control after a while. And that was the case here: Iroka, by her sheer will, had finally managed to break free of the glassy prison which had held her in her mind, and the Shinigami's consciousness was reemerging. "Go back! Go back, you stupid little fish! I haven't enjoyed myself enough!" the Hollow wailed, as it would be obvious that two consciousnesses seemed to be wrestling for the Shinigami's body.

Slowly, her hand rose, trembling violently, as though she were trying to lift it in spite of some invisible constraint. Then fingers slowly wrapped around the mask on her face, and she began pulling at it, attempting to rip it off. It became obvious that this may have posed a more difficult problem than it presently was, if Aramis had not made his attack on the mask. Although it had not removed the mask, it had weakened the structure enough for Iroka to manage to pull it off, even as she struggled for control with Mushoku.

Rrrrrrrrrraaaaaaggggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Once more in possession of her body, Iroka flung the mask in her hand away from her. She then tried to rise, but the trauma of having been controlled by an inner Hollow, and the lack of two functional limbs, made her flop helplessly onto the ground. "I'm so sorry, Kusamura-sama," she said quietly; "I can't even bow properly. But I still have at least one functional hand. Please allow me to heal your injuries, and then I shall take whatever punishment you decide to inflict on me."

She sounded dejected, defeated. Mushoku, however, was rather unwilling to allow this outcome of events. "Whaat?!! Are you just going to lay there and take it like a bitch?!!!" she ranted, back within Iroka's mind. "I swear, this is why you're useless! I'd buttered him up, and all that was left was for you to give him the coup de grace, and you're surrendering!" Iroka made no reply. Even if Mushoku had remained in control, Aramis outmatched her. She would still have lost eventually.

Aramis Tezuka

[Aramis Tezuka]

Aramis seemed to legitimately contemplate Mushoku's assessment of his own performance. Hmm... She was right. There was probably a better way to do this. Even under his actual goal of liberating Iroka from the Inner Hollow's control, he could have backed off when he saw the incoming attack. Worn Mushoku down with a series of blows until she was nothing but a torso, and then dispatched her. He supposed it would have taken longer, but then, he also wouldn't be dealing with a severe wound to his right shoulder and side. There were some risks associated with it, but overall, he was forced to conclude that while his attack had indeed netted results, Mushoku was ultimately correct. An adequate response, but not the ideal one. "Acknowledged. Appreciate candidness. Will take counsel for future endeavors."

But adequate it appeared to be, as Aramis saw Iroka struggle to regain control and ultimately ripped off the mask. Aramis gave an approving nod, and then, glancing back at the unfortunate Hitode who was very, very dead, allowed Revenant to seal. The weapon turned from its glimmering gold and silver to a dull iron-like color, complete with spots of seeming rust along the blade. Aramis slid the blade carefully back into its sheath. As soon as the weapon was sealed, Iroka's arm and leg would be immediately restored, the technique having ended. Hitode's missing limbs also reappeared, Revenant's effect dissipated by Aramis restricting his power.

Aramis sat beside Iroka as she struggled to rise. "Am capable of sitting. No need to stand. Unless believe it will help medical assessment." From Aramis, Iroka would find herself relavitely uninjured all in all. When only contact alone was required for Revenant's ability, Aramis didn't work to inflict deep wounds with the sword most of the time. Iroka would have only a light scratch on her forearm and leg for her troubles. Indeed, it appeared Aramis was actually the one with more severe injuries.

"Will appreciate fourth division medical expertise." He added. "Will consider measures from here, given state. Critical information revealed. Will permit you explain your understanding of situation, before judgement rendered." This was about as close as Aramis would get to telling Iroka he'd accept "her side of the story". For Aramis there was no two "sides of the story" there was the story. The true story, and people with incomplete information about it. But he may as well listen to what Iroka believed her understanding of that story was, that led her to make the choices that she and Mushoku had made regarding it.

[Munemasa Iroka]

As Aramis sealed his Shikai, Iroka noticed, to some degree of surprise, that her missing limbs had returned. She looked up, the surprise still evident on her face, as the Captain returned his weapon to its sheath. So the vanishing effects of his Shikai were temporary. It was also rather notable to see that, opposed to its released form, Aramis' sealed zanpakutō was rather unremarkable. If anything, it lacked any of the beauty its Shikai version possessed. It was dull, apparently ill-polished, if polished at all, and showed signs of rust.

Perhaps that was an indication of the sort of person Aramis was. His true form was radiant, if what he presented to society was anything but remarkable. The zanpakutō was a reflection of one's soul, so Iroka was inclined to believe this was the case. Or was it? Iroka could not say what her own weapon revealed about her, whether in sealed or released state. Perhaps there were symbolic meanings. She had a blade in her unreleased state, but her Shikai did not possess any cutting ability. Maybe in the same vein, she was capable of fighting, but her real purpose was a non-violent one.

The Shinigami girl adjusted herself into a 'seiza' position, as the Captain seated himself beside her. So far, she was relatively fine. Her clothes were torn, and she had a few cuts and bruises, thanks to when Hitode had attacked her, but otherwise, she was alright. Aramis had barely injured her, despite his abilities putting her at a terrible combat disadvantage. Her gaze shifted to the corpse of the Mod Soul, and her expression changed to one of deep remorse.

Iroka had a few options regarding healing Aramis up her sleeve, but the most convenient would be by using her zanpakutō. Placing both palms together, Iroka drew them apart, as a barrier formed in the space between her separating hands. As the barrier expanded, her weapon could be seen within it. Having pulled her hands apart, Iroka reached out as the barrier disappeared, and took hold of her sword. There was no need to try to figure out the extent of his injuries, as she had been the one to cause them, indirectly.

"Ganbare, Shugyoku Hirenaga!" The sword turned into light, and reconstructed itself into a meteor hammer. Then she pointed one of the heads of the meteor hammer at Aramis. "Han'nyagake!" A spectral fish head formed on the meteor hammer head, and then launched off the weapon, engulfing the Captain in a gentle white aura, as he would feel the wounds that he had incurred knitting themselves back together. Soon, aside from the gash in the shoulder of his uniform, no one would have been able to suspect that he had recently been in a battle. There weren't even the faintest hints of scars.

"He's just sitting there! Stop healing him and just kill him!!" Mushoku screeched in her mind. Iroka paid no attention to the ranting Hollow. "What?! Are you ignoring me, you tiny little shit? You just wasted the perfect opportunity which I dropped in your lap, and you're now giving me attitude for your inability to capitalize on it? You're such a spoiled, petulant princess brat!" A vein throbbed on Iroka's forehead.

"YOU SHUT YOUR FACE YOURSELF!" Iroka finally exploded inwardly. Outwardly, she was calm enough, with signs of fear, but she seemed to be keeping it under wraps. Inwardly, though, she had had it with Mushoku. "You jeopardized both of our existences, antagonized a superior officer, and slated both of us for execution! And you're annoyed that I'm losing it?! You're absolutely insufferable!"

Mushoku sneered. "Don't say 'both of our existences'; it's not like you care anything about anyone except yourself," the Hollow retorted. "Your only worry is because you're afraid of dying, and my revealing myself jeopardized your plans for Vice Captainship, which would not have been the issue if you were strong enough...." Iroka interrupted the inner Hollow. "Be quiet and listen to me, Mu-mu-chan! I frankly could care less about the Vice Captain position, if those I care about are alright.

But you're just too selfish to realize that exposing us like this puts too many people into danger. I know you hate Kimyou-sama, and would even be pleased if this revelation caused their execution. But does Oni-chan deserve this? If it gets out that she knew about this, and she'll be the first person to suspect as knowing of our predicament, she might end up on the chopping block as well. And you-- don't you know that you're a part of me, and I am responsible for you? I have to take care of you, even if it means hiding you from the world. It's the only way I know how to."

There was some silence for a little bit of time. "Heh," Mushoku finally said, "Little Fish can't even swear back at me when she's angry...." But the inner Hollow said no more. Iroka could not tell whether Mushoku was taking her words to heart, but the Hollow seemed pensive. Iroka hadn't been lying, when she said Mushoku was her responsibility. She'd been originally afraid on discovering she had an inner Hollow, but on realizing Mushoku was just as alive as she was, she had learned to feel for her inner Hollow.

In any case, now was the time for damage control. Having healed Aramis, it was time to render her understanding of the situation, and then receive judgment. Of course, by judgment, Aramis may have simply been referring to evaluation of her statement, but Iroka felt it meant the decision to execute her or not. She couldn't be blamed for thinking that, though. Aside her predilection towards taking things literally, she had also committed an offense that was repaid with death, by the Gotei 13 laws.

She gulped nervously, and then cleared her throat. "Hitode-san was clearly one of the Mod Souls which avoided extermination when the Mod Soul project was canceled," she began. "He had so far managed to hide below radar, and was thus undetected so far, until for some reason he felt he needed to accumulate power, and thus sough to do so by eating souls, like a Hollow. Of course, in that vein, eating more powerful souls would mean a greater boost in power, so he decided to set a trap to lure out stronger prey than the normal fare he would get on Earth.

We tracked him, found him and executed him, despite a few unexpected events. That sounds best for an official record, and the unexpected events could simply be suggested as owing to the Mod Soul's unique capabilities. However, off the records, I suspect that inner Hollows require their hosts to possess some level of power before they can attempt to take over their bodies, which is what seems to have happened here. I am afraid that I must come to some level of understanding, at best, or domination, less preferably, of my Hollow, in order to avoid an experience such as this from repeating itself."

She paused, as though considering her next words. "I know it is not in my place to beg, but I would desire that you show clemency." She wanted to talk about how Mushoku was a living being like she was, and had hopes, fears and feelings just as she did, but did not feel that would be the most appropriate route. Aramis did not seem to be the particularly compassionate sort, and even though he probably could feel pity, that feeling was redundant, as far as scientific endeavors were concerned. It would probably be best to attempt to appeal to him as a fellow scientist, and soldier.

"My inner Hollow possesses some level of power that I do not have, and I suspect that an improvement in my affairs with her can improve my efficiency in combat. This will be a boon for the Gotei 13, as long as there are things people do not need to know. Also, I suspect you are, being the scientist that you are, curious about my condition, ne? I will be your willing test subject, if you wish to explore my condition under more controlled circumstances." There was a pause. "Provided there are as few invasive procedures involved as possible," she finished hurriedly.

Still, Aramis was not a friend. He was a superior, and she had no relational leverage with which to try to wrangle for his cooperation in a matter that could possibly place him at risk. She could only hope that he saw some potential advantages in keeping her alive. Iroka resealed her zanpakutō, placed it on the ground before her, and put her head to the ground, bowing to the Captain. "I defer to your judgment, in any case, Kusamura-sama," she stated.

Aramis Tezuka

[Aramis Tezuka]

Aramis was intrigued to see Iroka's Zanpakuto in action. Various unique abilities and techniques existed in Soul Society, and the knowledge of them could be presumed or anticipated. Signs of their use read and predicted. But a Shinigami's Zanpakuto was always wholly unique to the user, no matter how similar they may seem at first glance. No two were alike. Two Zanpakuto may both shoot fireballs, but even in as similar a case as that, there was always going to be subtle differences in the speed, power, or other tricks to them. And a meteor hammer for Iroka. A curious weapon for a healer, but Aramis did not read any deception in Iroka's tone or voice, and permitted her to use her ability on him without resistance or suspicion. Merely interest, observing as his arm and head began to knit themselves whole again.

"Commendable ability for fourth division. A." Aramis replied. An ability like that could not have been more fitting for the fourth, and it was likely only one facet of Iroka's ability at that. A simple piece of praise, as if to take the edge off of the very serious scenario that had just..... and in a way, was still unfolding.

He was also pleasantly surprised by Iroka's duplicity in her assessment. Already the woman had concocted a cover story for the events that had happened here. It hadn't at all been what he'd expected or even been asking, but it was a point he hadn't expected her to have already considered. He had anticipated the woman to be entirely focused on justifying herself directly to Aramis. The pleas, the begging not to tell her secret, the bargaining. Shinigami valued their lives, and although Iroka's mannerisms put her as a bit of an odd duck among them (not that Aramis was one to judge), he expected her survival to be at the forefront of her mind.

To be sure, the bargaining came after but that it had not been Iroka's first response still rang in Aramis's mind. Although he didn't let it show on his expression, it gave him a very favorable impression of the woman to be sure.

"Pity you did not choose 12th." Aramis replied. "Sharp mind. Think ahead. Calm under pressure. Valuable qualities." Then, to avoid misunderstandings. "Am not pressuring to join. Lamenting lost opportunity." He added for clarification.

"How many know?" He asked. "Which?" The ambiguity in that was not ideal, perhaps. Aramis could be interested in knowing this to discern how secure Iroka's secret was. Or he could be asking to know how many traitors were in Soul Society. Realistically, Aramis chose not to state it. Either the possibility would go over Iroka's head, or anything he said to justify it could be construed as a lie. Either way, before he made his decision, Aramis had to know how secure the details of Iroka's condition really were. He was not, contrary to his demeanor and his reputation, heartless. What he was was cautious. A man who would not stick his neck out for someone else unless there was value in it for him, and he was relatively sure the blade would not come down on it.

[Munemasa Iroka]

While unexpected, Iroka was pleased with the assessment of her Shikai's ability. Due to the stigma that came with being a member of a Division known to be the dumping grounds of the Shin'ō Academy, she did not often hear such praise, except it was from a member of her own Division. And usually, those who were not from the 4th, who saw merit in her abilities, were few and far between. Being commended like so, and by a superior officer, was quite uplifting. She almost even forgot the trouble she was in.

Mushoku, on the other hand, did not appear to be impressed. "Commendable ability my ass!" the inner Hollow sneered. "He's just trying to butter you up and flatter you so that you'll lose your guard around him. That Kusamura is a sneaky bastard; you'd better not trust his words. And he gave you an A. Just an A. Not an A+. Seriously...."

Iroka noted that her inner Hollow was no longer speaking of her wasting opportunities to kill the Captain. Had her words somehow gotten to Mushoku? Otherwise, the Hollow would surely continue griping about how Iroka had failed to take a given opportunity. In any case, whatever Mushoku thought, Iroka found it difficult to read her inner Hollow. Still, maybe over time, things would change.

"I must admit, an A+ would have been nicer," she agreed silently. "But maybe I didn't get that perfect score because few things in life are perfect. I can't even say with confidence that I have perfected my Shikai abilities. There's always room for improvement... even in our interactions. I really hope one day we will be able to understand each other, and I shall try to be as honest as I can with you regarding this."

The Hollow scoffed. "Miss me with that kumbaya bullshit, hon. It's like trying to get a feral tiger and thinking to make her your teddy bear. And besides, we aren't friends. Don't know if I've said that before, but let it sink into that leathery skull of yours. I'm not your friend, or ally, or bedfellow, or whatever. My goal is to permanently take control of your body, so I can achieve my full potential and do whatever I please. Your concerns are of no consequence to me."

Well, Iroka could say she tried. Turning her attention outwards, she lifted her head from her bow, as Aramis stated that she would have been a great fit for the 12th. "Well, I did apply for the Junibantai," she replied. "But the recruitment officers felt it better to put me in the Yonbantai. I did ask why, and I was told that the 4th desperately needed officers at the time."

A rueful smile appeared on her face. "Frankly, I just think the recruitment officer I asked was being nice. I was put in the 4th, because that's the Division which expected failures are sent to. I have improved greatly, of this I am certain, but as at the time I was graduating from the Shin'ō Academy, it was often said that I'd amount to nothing at all. I wasn't good at making friends, nor was I efficient in combat; there was no way I would make a good Shinigami. Also, many of the instructors thought I was flat out stupid."

Their reasons for thinking so were not far-fetched. With her apparent vacuousness, penchant for taking things literally, as well as her naivete, few people had the patience to see that she was a lot more than the ditz most people wrote off back in the Academy days. But Iroka was a late bloomer, and she was coming into her own. She had even created an invention for the 4th Division. And now, the 4th Division was home. Even if Aramis had requested her transfer, she would have refused. Iroka was glad he did not.

The question regarding who knew about her condition was met with a look of frightened silence. For a while, the carrot-top just stared at the Captain, eyes wide in fear. Then she bowed again. "This, I am not at liberty to tell you. Forgive my insolence, Kusamura-sama," she said softly. But behind the gentle tone of voice was something that suggested that she would not be swayed to reveal this information. "Please let it suffice you to know that silence has been promised, and is expected."

Aramis Tezuka