Friends on the Other Side [JT, R]

[“Mizu Tsuraiko" Orina]

She had to admit, Hueco mundo was just as rough and desolate as she remembered. It wasn't exactly a place of change. She never expected it to be. Instead, she was focused on something else entirely. Las Noches. She heard a lot about it from her squad, she even heard about how some shinigami managed to invade the place. The very notion had been pretty amusing to say the least. So she had decided to see what all the fus was about. It took a bit of work to callibrate her Lure. Thankfully Arrancar were not as different from her body or spiritual energy as Shinigami were. It was almost laughably easy to adjust her Lure to be an arrancar. A single long spike adorned her forehead, her mask fragment. And her hollow hole was almos tnonexistent, a tiny little opening at the center of her throat, exiting through the back of her neck.

She felt rather proud of the disguise. She had even managed to find some bits an pieces of a raggy cloak. She knew that not all arrancar were a part of Las Noches, so she figured that her plan could work pretty smoothly. She'd just waltz up to the doors of Las Noches and see what it was all about. It took very little time to actually find the damn place. A few Ulcera and she could see that huge fucking fortress. Who the hell had a base like that? It seemed even more overly big than the Sereitei. What a weird fucking sentiment... BUT in any case, she continued her little trek, and soon she actualy found one of those bunkers, the entrances far away from Hueco that led to it's underground tunnels.

She paused. She didn't see anyone around. Now truth be told, full disclosure? Her senses were absolute shit. But even so, she moved cautiously forward. She supposed it made sense that the arrancar wouldn't bother guarding their entrances. Who would be stupid enough to invade them? As she walked in, she began to look around, a little intrigued as she felt a few presences off in the distance. Some strong, some rather weak. She could barely sense them at that, her ability to sense was....so-so. However as she moved down deeper, she did notice a few beings off in the distance. Humanoids. Arrancar? She moved a bit faster and was....careful. She could hear them talking, they were heading her way, and as soon as she ht the halfway point, they suddenly stopped, eyeing her.

"The heck? Huh, we actually have a visitor. Well I'll be!" The young man grinned, eyeing Mizu, Or Orina in this case as he began to approach. A bemused grin crossed his lips as he lightly put his hand on her shoulder. Then moving up her neck to her cheek. Ok WOW so looks like everyone thinks they can just touch her! "You must be new. Come lookin for shelter?" He crooned, as she reached in. He suddenly blinked, surprise on his face as she grabbed a hold of him. She smiled, and suddenly a cero ROARED through his body, tearing it's way up through his insides and burning it's way out back through his spine. She felt his grip clench onto her, and she winced, feeling his savage strength bruise her shoulder before he dropped like a brick.

In that next instant she heard a THOOM as the other arrancar suddenly closed in. Oh! This one was much stronger! She blurred her hand. Her Zanpaku'to suddenly slashing in and upward, that blade dragging a little due to their hierro, but still slashing clean through their body on it's way up their form, as a bala went BANG against her shoulder! She hissed, gritting her teeth as that blast shoved her against the wall, searing her skin and causing her to crumple a little, even as the arrancar stared at her and then collapsed onto the ground. Coughing up his blood and still raising his finger, getting ready to fire as a cero charged. Her bala took care of that, his finger bending at an awkward angle from the impact, blowing his hand clean off at the wrist and causing that cero to simply detonate.

Thank fully he wasn't that strong, his detonating cero only scorching his own body, but not even doing anything to the walls. Strong, but not THAT strong. She found herself panting just a little, peering down at their bodies before she smiled. She slithered out of her lure and mulched them up in her mouth, swallowing the both of them before she returned to that fake body. She took a moment, letting her meal settle. Though...one of them didn't feel very...filling. "That was a pretty click move bitch." She TENSED as a hand suddenly hit her from behind! She SHOVED herself to the side! Using shunpo to get the hell away from that thrusting arm, panting just a little as she crumpled to the ground and gritted her teeth, wincing as she rubbed her side. FFFFuck.

"What a slow-ass Shunpo. You don't even have the sense to copy our Sonido properly? The hell are you? No matter how cute you are, you're gonna die still. No changing that." He grinned, charging his own cero as he grinned down at her. Her mind raced just a little. How strong was he? He had a burn on him. He must have used some kind of clone technique and Sonido'd away. She had underestimated him. She wondered if a Bala would do the trick. He seemed to be studying her, keeping that Cero charging. He was going to regret that. "Shinkai." She murmured, as suddenly, that zanpaku'to turned into a long trident, stabbing into him.

He stalled, startled, his eyes wide as his caro suddenly fizzled out. He grabbed the haft of the weapon and she SLASHED upward, water surging from the weapon and then slicing upward as well, cleaving through his body like a bladeas she separated his body into two halves, the water still floating around her as she collapsed back against the side of the hallway. Fuck. She grunted a little and let out a slow sigh. Would that commotion have drawn attention? They would no doubt sense the release. She still wasn't that good at hiding her reiatsu. She surged out of her lure and quickly munched down the REAL body of the arrancar as fast as she could, chowing and chomping it down as she began to look about.

She raced into the area and began looking around until finally. AHA YES! She grinned, pleased as she spotted the storeroom. She slipped in and began to look around. Some base uniforms! They weren't as personalized as the ones she'd seen on the guys, but that didn't much matter. She soon had herself outfitted in a plain white uniform. She cut the sleeves and a bit of the collar. Those other arrancar seemed to have little details. so she asumed that if she was just wearing the basic uniform she might draw suspicion. She took a moment, looking herself over before letting out a sigh and sheathing her blade at her hip after sealing her false shikai. Thankfully her reiatsu came off as 100% arrancar. If anyone asked her about the bloodstains, she'd just say that they had decided to touch her. She knew that the arrancar were more lax than shinigami. HOPEFULLY that laxness was pronounced enough that nobody would question who she was. Slipping back out into the hallway, she resumed her walk, much more casual this time.

Blend in Orina, Blend in.

1 Class 7 Arrancar consumed
1 Class 5 Arrancar consumed

[Ailene Haschiro]

CTP Training

Let us consider for a moment. Hell is breaking loose outside. A Hollow disguised as a thing of beauty is consuming the evolutions of Hollows. Arrancar. The heresy of this is incomprehensible and as this is going on, what is the Noveno Espada doing? Sleeping in his quarters. Kazuna has no need for sleep, but its just a nice thing to have to do nothing. Just lounging around if you will. The depths of Las Noches don't even allow him to sense the oncoming presence of the Hollow.

Waking up suddenly, Kazuna rubbed his eyes and looked down at his tattered robes. The Espada who loved the sight of decay. In fact, it rather happy moment for Kazuna as he swung his legs around, now standing on his feet. Being clothed of course and having no need for something as mundane as food, Kazuna was going to be on his merry way. Quickly grabbing Kurakusabyou and putting it across his back, Kazuna yawned lazily.

The figure could be seen walking out of his quarters and throughout the depths of Las Noches. Such a large fortress to house the Espada and of course Sonken Kouhai himself. The Noveno Espada was not one to question Kouhai, instead simply accepting how this was going. AS he began to walk through the long halls of Las Noches, Kazuna breathed a sigh of relief. Just earlier he had beaten a Shinigami into submission, one that gave him a bit of tactical trouble naturally. 

Now then, as Kazuna was walking around, he heard the approaching of footsteps. Stopping for a moment, he braced himself for who he was about to see? Was it another Espada? Someone to fear? Apparently not, for what came across his sight was not an Espada. She appeared to be an Arrancar. Oddly a rather beautiful one at that? What was she doing here? Kazuna was not one for romance at all and did not form any attraction, but instead only curiosity.

Kazuna placed one hand on his hip. He saw the female 'Arrancar' move towards him, in his general direction. Basically this was not a red flag, but simply Kazuna assuming that she was already traveling in this general direction anyway. Kazuna planted his feet as he looked at Orina with curiosity. He eyed her up and down to see whether she belonged her or not. Of course, Kazuna had an easy way of determining this.

Kazuna took his hand and placed it close to his scythe, but still not close enough to tell that he was possibly preparing to strike her. He looked at her with a smile. "Havn't seen you around here? May I ask your name? Are you a Privaron or Fraccion?" Bombarding the young woman with questions was quite an easy way to separate the liars from the truth tellers. Kazuna was not one to be suspicious, but these simple questions could tell a lot about a person.

[“Mizu Tsuraiko" Orina]

Orina paused as she noticed ...someone? She wasn't sure who this was. But they seemed to be ....smiling? She stopped a good two meters from him, a frown on her face as she looked him up and down. A smiling face immediately put her on guard. Not only that but...this guy didn't come off as ...evil? But he definitely didn't come off in a positive light. Of course if he tried to discern her own nature he would find nothing special. She had a neutrality about her. She didn't seem good or bad. She just seemed....ordinary. And suspicious of him.

"I...don't know who you are, but I'd much prefer you don't know my name." The two punks she had killed did not really seem too buddy buddy. She didn't imagine this was that kind of place. "I'm....I have no idea. I'm new. Someone said I belonged here and they brought me here. They seemed trustworthy enough....strong too. But I haven't seen them since." Flavors of the truth mixed in with a bit of embezzlement. She kept it simple. Someone had taken her in, but hadn't really given her the tour yet. This left a bit up in the air. It meant that this man, whomever he was, would have to consider the possibility that whoever had brought her in was important.

It had worked like a charm in the gotei. Act confused, but make it clear that someone improtant had sent you. The uncertainty was generally enough to get by. Not only that but people generally would help her to figure out where to go. And Las Noches? Wasn't even the TINIEST bit as organized as the gotei was. That she had desciphered merely from walking around. The few arrancar that she hadn't killed at the entrance, had been mostly milling around. Talking. OR on their way to go hunt. None of them moved with any purpose or urgency. So the notion that there would be any sort of way of verifying her claims seemed lofty enough for her to bank on.

"You don't really seem all that trustworthy to me. If you don't mind me saying." She noted. Sunken eyes. Lanky figure. Creepy stare? Not to mention that slightly evil aura. Her own hand rested calmly on her Zanpaku'to. She wasn't hiding her reiatssu. She had the reiatsu of an arrancar. She wasn't strong, but she wasn't quite so weak either. She might even remind him of himself not too long ago. She was being careful. Unlike Shinigami, she knew that arrancar would have a ....less pronounced appreciation for beauty. IF anything they would just be more likely to be rapey Based on her own experience with hollows. So she figured the hand on her blade would not be too out of place.

[Ailene Haschiro]

Kazuna looked on at the woman. She did indeed seem rather ordinary. Kazuna made sure to make a mental note of that. The thing is that Kazuna was not one to assume that being ordinary meant that you are weak. Kazuna had met plenty of Arrancar and Shinigami who were normal per say, but turned out to be worthy advisories. There were those interesting ones, however, that defied all form of comprehension.

The Noveno Espada was not one to normally be formal, but he remembered the stress of being the new one here. Kazuna performed a short bow. One of respect and he smiled at her. "Well then allow me. I am Kazuna Hashiro. Designated as the Noveno Espada." He walked forward calmly and placed a hand onto her Zanpakutou. He looked at her straight forward. "No need for that. I mean you no harm."

Of course, if she struck, the disguised Hollow would find that Kazuna's Hierro is a bit hard to get through. As a test of faith, he let go of her Zanpakutou and moved beside her. If she really did pose a threat, Kazuna felt that he could easily take her. It was simply a matter testing a reaction. Patience was something that Kazuna had quite a bit of. No sense in making a situation burst into flame if something could be gotten out of it.

Kazuna calmly looked at her, assuming a more vertical pose to not appear bored. There was not much he could do about his outward appearance, but he wasn't sure if it did in fact repulse the Arrancar. Kazuna began to walk forward and motioned with his hand as he looked back at Orina. The motion was clearly a sign that she could opt to join Kazuna in a normal walk. As said before, Kazuna meant no harm.

Regardless of whether or not she came along, Kazuna would speak softly. "You said someone brought you here? Was it another Arrancar or perhaps even Lord Kouhai himself? If it is the latter, I'm sure you prove to have some potential in his eyes. He does not simply choose people at random." Kazuna was very interested in this girls past. Why she was so unsure? Why she was here if she did not know? It was a confusing time apparently for the Hollow.

Kazuna decided to keep a close ear to whatever she would say. Discrepancies would of course mean she is lying and Kazuna was not one to let anyone who isn't who they say they are simply roam Las Noches. No. That was too risky and could leave the Espada as well as Lord Kouhai wide open for something. The fact that he did not sense anything about the girl was a bit unsettling to the Espada. He would have to remain watchful of her.

[“Mizu Tsuraiko" Orina]

Orina paused as the male closed in and placed his hand on her weapon. Not that she was particularly concerned about that. Her Hook was able to be used regardless of who was touching it, but all the same she did feel a bit awwkard at their proximity. No less but the sudden manners the male deployed. She furrowed her brows. "I wasn't aware that manners was a thing around here. The stories certainly don't imply as much." She murmured softly, those eyes distrustful, changing to a soft and horrid yellow for just a brief moment as she clenched the handle of her blade just a bit more firmly.

Even so ...he seemed to be rather interested in who brought her in. "You seem to have a bit of a skewed idea of what 'bringing in' entails. There was a couple of us they rounded up. They more or less pointed at us, thumbed at Las Noches, and told us to get moving. And well.... an invitation is an invitation." She murmured softly. "You remember what it's like out there, the standard for 'nice' is kinda low......" She frowned. Why was she even answering his questions, that soft expression hardened once again.

"But that's not really your business. You're an espada aren't you? Don't you have better things to do?" She had no goddamn idea what the Espada even did. So she was a little startled that one seemed to be more or less greeting her like an old person at Walmart. She felt a sort of edgy anxiety about the situation as it were. She had no ilussions about taking on an actual espada, so very much she did feel on edge. Not only that but he did still give her the creeps a little. Then again wasn't that the point of being an Espada? She wasn't sure.

[Ailene Haschiro]

Kazuna smirked at Orina. The girl sure had spunk. While yes he was an Espada, he saw no point in exploiting use of the position. Instead he simply sighed and shook his head. Blinking for a quick second, Kazuna looked at her directly. "Look, I didn't look to receive sass. I didn't know that politeness was apparently confused with indifference. Let's make one thing clear.." The Espada began to walk around the Hollow.

There were no aggressive motions on his side. Atleast not yet. That would depend on her. Regardless as he walked around her, he continued to talk. "Realize that I by no means care in the traditional sense. I simply see other Arrancar as those who would not reject me for simply being a Hollow before. Not like that dreadful Shinigami who will attack on sight simply due to the past." So the Noveno Espada's voice grew sterner. 

Of course now, the Noveno Espada simply continued to look at the fake Arrancar. He couldn't quite tell that she was a Hollow, but this random picking was not necessarily...orthodox. Atleast not from what Kazuna knew, but this was rather irrelevant. To be frank, Kazuna did not need to be aware of how the choosing worked as he was not in charge of it. Furthermore, it simply left a lot of room for speculation.

He then finally ended his stride in front of her, maintaining a close proximity, being ready to strike if the need arose. Of course Kazuna was not suspecting this and simply left it up to reaction. "Now then. I can offer you some company or we can not and maybe I can find out what exactly you are doing here. It's your choice. I would rather avoid having to pull my rank to see who came with you since as an Espada, I could easily erase you." A bluff, but the Espada's voice was stern enough to sound serious.

[“Mizu Tsuraiko" Orina]

Orina paused as she listened to the man begin to grow a bit more strict. It became clear that he was actually being a bit more....focused. Intent upon knowing more about her as she let out a slow, steady sigh and narrowed her eyes, those soft blues blazing into a brilliant yellow as a smile slowly crept across her face. "Isn't that a bit much? An Espada forcing his presence on a lady? What am I going to say? No? You're essentially forcing the situation on me. Fine, I'll keep you company." she sighed and let her hand rest on her zanpaku'to. She took a few moments, gauging his reaction.

"But if I'm honest. I'd much rather be hunting. I'm not as fragile as I look, and I'm still not used to...." She reached up over her face, closing her eyes and rubbing over her eyelids. To where her mask aught to be. "So if at all possible, I'd like to hunt. Like those schmucks that bothered me at the door." She looked over her shoulder, to where no doubt the blood stains would still be. She tensed. She wasn't sure if she should be holding back any more. Her true, violent nature. But wasn't this the place to be like that? Wouldn't that help her fit in all the more. Even so, she suddenly smiled. "Then again. Surely an Espada could help me? Since you're making me spend time with you. It would be nice if you could help me. If not, then I absolutely understand if you have better things to do."

A bit of entrapment of course. It was perfectly reasonable for a newly madde arrancar to still have urges. So she put him on the spot. If he was insisting on her presence? Then she would have him assist her in hunting. He would either have to help her, or he would have to let her do her own thing. Either way, she would be able to continue her little foray throughout the area. She knew she wasn't strong, but she apparently was at least as strong as the small fry in this area, Kazuna excluded. Or so she would assume. But no. nonononono. She was careful. If he forced a confrontation then maybe she would see if she could beat him properly. But other than that she had no intention of trying to see if she could actually eat him. that would ONLY be if she could solidly defeat him.

So for now? She simply waited for his response. It was a bit of a pain for the fact that he was FORCING this little interaction. But if she actually got him to help her feed then this would only help serve her own purposes. She could FEEL the energy inside of her. That sensation of absolute relish that coursed through her every vein and fiber. The DESIRE to have more. She wanted to be MORE. So much more. But for that she needed to eat. and potentially, with him helping her, she could grow as strong as him in quite a short amount of time. Or so she hoped. It all depended on how much he was willing to help her. He had no idea what stood before him. What potential she had. For power. For Growth. For Majesty.

[Ailene Haschiro]

Among all the things that were happening, there was one thing that Kazuna found the most interesting. Not the sudden change in eye color which Kazuna passed off as an unusual trait, but instead that smile. It seemed more like a cunning smirk. As if she was planning something, but the Noveno Espada was not entirely sure and instead just kept it in the back off his mind. However, now came the interesting remark from Orina.

She wanted to hunt. Kazuna raised an eyebrow at this rather...'Hollow-like' statement. He smiled a bit. A gentle smile that hit a bit of curiosity. The Noveno Espada stood up straight and sighed. "I guess we can head back to simpler times. Sure I don't mind helping you hunt, I've been getting bored recently. However, I didn't think I would be acting like those primitive creatures I evolved from...a hollow. But for the time being, I shall swallow my bias."

The Noveno Espada surely was looking for a reaction. Perhaps how she looked at Hollows may provide a bit of insight on her. Dropping little quips about her personality albeit incredibly small seemed to not that perhaps she was hiding some of the tinier details. While other details one could easily gloss over if she was telling only half the truth. Regardless, Kazuna continued to look at her with an interested smirk. Quite the odd expression for the Espada.

Moving his scythe to his back, Kazuna was intent on helping this woman with the hunt. Only to test certain things, however, but that was for later. Kazuna now looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and courtesy as his expression show shifted into more of a interested smile. "Well lead the way to your..." Once again he decided to choose his words carefully to test for a reaction. "Let's call them hunting grounds, Miss..." Kazuna thought about it. "I never did receive a name."

[“Mizu Tsuraiko" Orina]

Orina listed a brow and that smile softened, calmer, with more levity to it as she made note of his acceptance. That certainly would make things more easy. She began to head back out toward the direction she had come. Though she did look over her shoulder as she walked, pondering the question he had asked her. There was her Quincy name. Her Shinigami Name, and of course her real name. But would there really be any harm in telling him him her real name? "Orina. Orina Sanguijuela." She murmured, and soon they were out in the sands, however rather than stay above ground, she immediately moved to a break in the sands, where they sank into a hole.

She headed down to the Menos forest. The depths of hollows where Gillians mostly fared. And there were MANY of them. The great bulking things usually traveled in wandering herds. This particular one was small. A group of about five that were hanging aroun the region close to Las Noches. But there were plenty more on the horizon. Hundreds of them, slowly lumbering toward the location in response to the reiatsu that Orina had unleashed earlier. So many often underestimated these creatures, and she herself had a very...brief encounter with them in her past. Even with the ability to tear trough them, they were always able to wear one down if you allowed yourself to be caught off guard.

She focused on one in particular, rolling her shoulders as she spotted it . She pulled her zanpaku'to free and closed her eyes, slowly pushing that blade into the ground as it dissolved into soft lit tle bubbles. There was no burst of explosive reiatsu, but her pressure DID spike, suddenly SHOWERING the area with her spiritual pressure. She wasn't that far below Kazuna. As she noticed the thing turning her way, she launched herself towards it, covered from heat to toe in white carapace, looking almost like a vasto lorde as she would SLAM into the side of the hollow, suddenly boosting with a step technique, hitting the creature in the side of the head as she flexed her claws and then SLASHED.

There was a screeching HISS as a compressed blade of water tore it's way through the hollow's shoulder, it's cry suddenly echoing throughout the area as it collapsed, the air rushing around her as she dropped with it, landing on it's chest as it collapsed to the ground. The visor over her face suddenly latched open, showing teeth as she CHOMPED down on the hollow's mask. Eating the whole thing was too time consuming, so she simply tore it's mask off and chomped that down as it died. But of course the other gillian were dran in by her spiritual pressure. And a cerro suddenly SLICED into a tree overhead, one of the gillian far in the distance having fired. Another hazard the place had to offer.

For now, she assumed that Kazuna would no doubt likely be hanging back. He probably intended to see how she fought. Not that she would blame him or anything. Even as she sped to the side, avoiding the stomp of another menos as it's foot crunched into the body beneath her. She locked her attention onto the big beast and opened up that visor, showing off teeth as a cero formed just over her face, a tiny little snale coiling over around that maw Just as that big leg began swinging in her direction she fired, the Cero Bestia TEARING up and burning clean up through the hollow's leg, charging clean through the center of it's body, and rather powerfully at that! The hollow screamed as it fell, it's face soon set upon by Orina as she began eating it's mask.

She knew of at least one arrancar she had met that still ate souls. Was it common? No she knew better than that. Even if it was something that happened, no doubt Kazuna would still probably ask her ab- ! She dodged as a hand suddenly SWUNG in at her from the side! Shit the hollow wasn't dead! Even with most of it's mask in her stomach, the gillian managed a loud screeching HIUSSSSSSS as it lashed upward with it's clawed hands, it's palm slamming into a tree as she rolled to the side, avoiding that mushing. She gritted her teeth and grunted, her voice echoing inside that helmet. Huh, that was interesting. The Gillians' chest opened up, dozens of arms bursting from it's chest and suddenly launching at her. Okay so she underestimated this one for sure.

Training for Ulcera

She raised a hand and made a finger gun. A bala fired from the tip of her finger, slamming the Gillian right in the face as it surged toward her. She felt her entire body tense as those palms were jarred, slamming around her instead of directly onto her, creating a cage around her made of those arms. She immediately felt her spine tingle. She wanted out, she had to DIG into her mind. She KNEW how to do this. It was in her very soul, a simple ability that almost all hollows knew. She felt her mind tense, even as the hollow's arms moved and the air tore open. She SHOVED herself into that opening the moment it presented itself!

She TENSED She skidded along a platform of her own reishi, grunting as through that barrier, the arms collapsed on where she had been, and the opening sealed up. Thankfully, those arms would have hidden her from Kazuna's sight. She winced, peering, looking around and eyeing the area through that thin Ulcera veil. She swallowed audibly and watched as the flailing gillian turned it's attention in the Espada's direction. She had to move carefully, having to be sure that the hollow wouldn't suddenly shift as she managed to slowly move around. It was a little tough, trying to actually get the hang of using these while still hunting the hollow themselves.

She took a slow, deep breath, making sure that the platform beneath her was solid as she eyeballed the hollow itself. A cero? A bala? No, that thing was still thrashing around. Every time one of those shadowy limbs SWUNG around her, she winced, forgetting that she was technically on another plane. It was so very very trippy. But she DID seem to be getting the hang of it. Her eyes focused, fixated on the hollow before her. Her 'Ressureccion was sleek, but didn't have any powers. She had more or less created it on the spot. And of course, it wzs perfect. It gave off arrancar reiatsu and everything. She just didn't have time to give it abilities.

But even so, it was a little challenging to have it in use. She wasn't used to fighting all armored up like this. She grunted softly and then noticed that the gillian was lumbering toward Kazuna. And she decided to take her shot. She waited, focusing on the area behind it and slowly opened up that veil, crawling into existance behind it's back, panting a little as she managed to do it as discretely as possible, and so that there was no Risk of Kazuna seeing her use it. After all, it wasn't an ability that Arrancar could use. No less, when she finally emerged, she felt that she had a good understanding of the ability. She had always been a fast learner, and with that, she LAUNCHED herself onto the Gillian's back, and then WRENCHED her hand upward, another blade of water RIPPING up, this time tearing straight through the hollow's head, cutting it in half as the big freak finally hit the ground with a loud BOOM.

Ulcera Mastered

She panted, wincing a little as she crouched down and chomped into what was left of it's head, munching that bloody mess down and beginning to look around. The other hollows were a ways away. Every now and then a stray cero would crash through the area, slicing into the trees or the ground or even the ceiling as those big, dumb menos made their impending presence known, No doubt the first wave of them would be closing in soon enough. She would probably have to do a fair bit of..scavenging? Maybe she should just let Kazuna do most of the fighting. Would he even fight? sure he'd agreed to help but, well, She knew better than to trust the promise of an Espada.

1 Class 5 Hollow consumed
1 class 4 Hollow Consumed

[Ailene Haschiro]

Kazuna smiled as he finally heard a name. "Orina. Orina Sanguijuela." Quite the interesting name as Kazuna simply agreed to the idea of a hunt. It would reduce the boredom that he was going through. Furthermore, he was curious to see what this woman was capable of. Kazuna simply began to follow her where she was going to go. Just to observe and help if needbe. Lord knows the strength of these newcomers was not always desirable.

Now then, Kazuna followed her across the hollowed white sands of Hueco Mundo. Such a dull place to walk in. Much more so to live in. Granted Kazuna was not one for the aspects of life, but nevertheless, he wished for some more entertainment. Most of the time, he did not get any of what he sought. It was so dull to him. What was he to do, but hunt and visit the other worlds for entertainment? 

Now then, they landed in what was known as Menos Forest. A subterranean area that housed the largest of Hollows, the Menos Grande. Despite not being intelligent, their imposing size alone made them a threat. Not too much of a threat, but even the tiniest of animals could be deadly to the largest. In this case it was the other way around. Kazuna was not looking to meet any such Hollows.

Now then, Kazuna watched her get to work. It was interesting watching as she tore through any creature that stood before her. Hunger seemingly driving her closer, but Kazuna was not sure of this. He had his suspicions of course. Would this woman lie to him? He was not sure, but Kazuna learned to be wary of who he trusts as it could always result in a blade in the back. Maybe literally this time.

A lumbering gillian seemed to make its way towards Kazuna and he was about to unsheath his weapon as Orina seemed to materialize. Of course it could have been the Sonido, but he gave her the benefit of the doubt. After all as an Arrancar, she should have never been able to use the Ulcera? Right? Well anyway, Kazuna looked as more onlookers came to make a snack out of Kazuna and Orina. 

About a quarter of a dozen or so, but it did not matter as Kazuna took his scythe in hand. A quick Sonido that left a static which seemed to confused the Hollows. They obviously were not quite at a state where they could comprehend this. Not like it mattered. Kazuna would appear behind one of them and swiftly bring his blade through one of their backs, ripping through it and yet another Sonido later, Kazuna kicked one of the into the other causing a stumble. Then with a quick motion, Kazuna unleashed a Cero upon them, purple reiatsu burning them to death. Quite the horrible display, but this was a days work as Kazuna looked at Orina, his expression neutral, but he would follow her lead on this.

[“Mizu Tsuraiko" Orina]

Gillian were always so......monsterous. So slow and stupid. And yet, because of that, so very many of them were.....underestimated. As Kazuna unleashed his Cero upon them, several of them were burned to death. But of course, it wasn't always so simple. Several of them lunged in through the smoke itself, their bodies burned, but still so very much intact as massive hands and feet SLAMMED into the ground where he had been standing, causing the earth to bust and break up, shredding as his footing was destroyed, making it difficult and risky to try using a step technique. One of them opened their mouths, and instead of a cero, a horrible SCREAM burst out, one that would make Kazuna's insides buzz, making it hard to move and making his hierro feel...weak.

The other hollow began charging a cero, one that formed, and then split into ten smaller little spheres, spiraling in on themselves as the hollow then let out a Gutteral ROAR as those ceros let fly, and spiraled like a flock of birds, shredding through the ground as it raged toward the espada. And all around, more of the Gillians continued to close in from all sides by the dozens. Sure, most of them were very weak. But among those weaklings were stronger, more powerful, more crafty beings. The ones near Orina also seemed to be giving her some trouble.

One big, wheezing hollow let out a slow croak as it opened up it's cloak, sand hissing as it surged outward over the area. So that when she tried to summon more water, she was shocked when it simply turned brown, transitioned into mud, and then splurted onto the ground in a mess, too heavy as she was only able to move it at a reduced speed. Even her body began to feel slow as t ha gritty sand clung to her body. Thankfully it seemed to slow the other gillian in the area as well, everything but the sandy Gillian themselves as they yawned their mouth open, and took a slow, deep breath. a spiral of sand forming in it's mouth, slowly condensing, compressing into a fine point.

Orina gritted her teeth, and suddenly GRUNTED as she SHUNTED her spiritual pressure outward, her reiatsu flaring around her, ripping some of the sand from her body as she paid a bit of reiatdsu in order to burn it off of her carapace. It was then that she BARELY saw that little dot firing. That tiny little bead of sand that had been collecting in the hollow's mouth shot like a bullet, tearing clean through her left side, making a perfect little 1-inch wide hole in her body before firing clean through her body, the impact obliterated as it simply passed right through her! She GRUNTED in pain as she collapsed onto the branch she was standing on, hissing!

That same bead LANCED with the speed of a bala toward to the west, slicing clean through a tree, and since it had no more momentum to blow clean through, the tree took the rest of it's force, causing the massive thing to EXPLODE in a sudden burst of debris and that petrified wood, raining down over where Kazuna was. A hazard to both him and the gillian around him. But all the same, Orina was beginning to wonder if she had bitten off more than she could chew. A dragon coiled into her palm, a cero anima forming and charging before she noticed a dozen gillian lunging toward her from her left side, distracting her from the sandy gillian!

She LAUNCHED herself to the side and fired, that beastial dragon roaring through the group of gillian and making her stagger just a little as beads of sand exploded through the ground she had been standing on moments before! She was getting a little tired, panting as shelanded among a group of dropped Gillian and hopped into the space between the corpses, panting for air as the roar and rage of the fighting hollow outside this little hollow could be heard. She needed energy though... So she started eating, tearing into the hollows in the pile as she hid for a mome nt. A few of them were the ones that had been rushing her earlier, but one of them seemed like it had been also taken out by that sand bullet. She needed to deal with THAT one. Even now a stray bead SLICED through the pile of corpses, and made her tense in alarm.

After gorging herself a bit more, she peeked her head out from that pile of dead and partially-eaten monsters, though most of them were almost completely gone now. And she could FEEL her energy returning, even with blood dripping down her carapace. She could see that the Sand hollow was turning it's attention toward Kazuna, but it seemed to be summoning up another attack as Kazuna dealt with the screamer and the hollow firing that spiraling Cero. The Desert Gillian was far away enough that Kazuna wouldn't be able to reach it easil y, and it opened up it's cloak again, and this time, the sand began to twist, the air slowly rising to a howl, as visibility slowly began to deteriorate.

Orina actually GASPED as through the fog of that sand, she didn't even notice a blade of sand as it slashed her across the back! She collapsed forward, GRITTING her teeth as she turned and saw a NORMAL HOLLOW! Ontop of the gillians, the fighting had drawn out smaller hollows, sneaking around amongst the rubble and the corpses. Not only did they steal some food from the dying gillians, but they also seemed to be looking for any opportunity to snag a strong enemy as a meal. Orina felt a RAGE inside of her and she GRUNTED as she lashed out, a bala firing from her palm to slam into the hollow's head.

There was a bubbling gurgling scream as the monster fell onto it's back, clutching at it's face as Orina r ushed it, charging toward the beast and then GRUNTING as she slammed her palm into it's face with a CRUNCH, smashing it through it's skull even as other similar fights went on all around her. Smaller hollows fighting over gillian corpses. LArger Gillian umunching on one another and also crowding towards Kazuna. As that Desert hollow's sand continued to shred all around it, any hollow that tried to get near it was met with a wall of sand blades, ripping them to pieces before the sand itself ate them up. Orina herself had to duck now and then as she ate the insolent hollow, as those random blades of sand would swing her way now and then. Her mind ticking away at how she should go about taking that badboy down.

3 class 5 hollows
1 class 4 hollow
1 class 7 hollow

[Ailene Haschiro]

Kazuna looked on as two Hollows seemed to arise from the searing Cero. It was astounding that they had even survived. Blind luck perhaps? Or maybe Kazuna just was not attentive enough. In either case, Kazuna simply sighed as he was about to prepare another attack. Before then, however, the Hollow released a deafening scream. A screech that actually began to make Kazuna's legs quiver.

The pain was astounding considering it was being caused by a Hollow. Naturally, Kazuna was in his sealed state and as such, much weaker. He then saw the barrage of Cero split from a single one. This was by far, the most curious thing Kazuna has ever seen an insignificant Hollow do. Either way, it was going to hurt if it all it. Kazuna still had yet to move, however. Weaving to the side quickly, Kazuna used a Sonido, but not in the traditional way. 

With the Sonido, Kazuna angled it up utilizing a kick to send himself upward at 40 degree angle, effectively catapulting himself over the cracked ground and near safer footing. With that, Kazuna quickly moved his scythe to the side and placed his hand on the blade. "Rot and Decay, Kurakusabyou." With that, the unthinkable would happen. Kazuna's scythe quite literally turned grey and seemed to wither away.

His own form would change. He would become skeletal with a cloak and finally, dual kamas would form in his hands in mirrored colors. A laugh could be heard from Kazuna as part of his power restored itself. Suddenly his Hierro would become incredibly dense and tough, not wavering to the weakest of Hollows. Utilizing another Sonido, Kazuna actually appeared right in front of one of the Hollows. It was the one firing off Ceros.

With a quick motion, Kazuna began to slice into the Hollow, seperating its flesh with almost surgical accuracy. To the naked eye, he seemed to flailing widely, but Kazuna was slowly cutting the Hollow into equal proportion sized pieces with speed and ferocity. Such was the way of his release personality. It was twisted, ruthless and psychotic beyond belief. He then looked at the screamer and chuckled. 

A quick cut on his hand later, Kazuna's curled up fist began to gather power at the tip of his knuckles. With a punch, a shockwave occured as a black bala suddenly erupted from his fist, barreling at the screamer at blinding speeds. Within almost an instant, the bala reached the screamer and promptly tore through it's mouth, leaving searing burns as it continued past, drilling into its head. It's lifeless twitching corpse now laying at Kazuna's feet, the Espada laughed with psychotic delight.

Primera Etapa: 1/12
Restored RS & Speed

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiatsu}-400 [Primera Etapa]
-300 [Bala Obscuras]
-200 [Sonido 2x]

Reiatsu Capacity: 1600/2500

[“Mizu Tsuraiko" Orina]

Mizu was doing her best to try and keep things up. However things were already escalating. Every time she tried to close in on that sandstorm Hollow, severl of the other Gillian tried to attack her from behind. She imagined she could probably force her way through with bankai, but that wasn't something she coud so easily transition into a ressurreccion. Turning her attention to KAzuna, he seemed to have the same issue.

Though he managed to slam into the Gillian that was screaming, as he was recklessly culling his way into the hollow's back, that spiral cero came in out of the blue, streaking in as Kazuna in his ressureccion had completely ignored the other Gillian attacking him, that beam aiming to slam into him frombehind, and after a few seconds, would have eaten away at his hierro enough to pierce clean through if he didn't react in time and abandonh is attempt to kill the other hollow, which already was prepping for another jarring scream.

Regardless of both their considerable strengths, there were simply too many of the gillian. And even now, more continued to crush in from the sides, several more with their own unique powers. Mizu decided that this was as good a time as any to ditch.....and actually possibly get rid of KAzuna in the process. He was a thorn in her side the moment he'd shown up. And so, with a sudden burst of reiatsu, she SLAMMED her clawed hand into the ground, as suddenly a MASSIVE dome of water blipped into existence. Dark, and obscuring.

Of course, KAzuna, like the other Gillian, might possibly begin to panic, thinking that they would begin drowning. But in actuality, the water was odd, completely breathable. It simply hampered movement and obstructed vision. In every direction beyond a couple meters, their sight would be more or less completely shut off. Without being able to see them, hopefully the Gillian would disperse. Of course, Mizu could see just fine, and she took the opportunity to promptly begin to get the hell out of there. With the dark waters produced, she promptly slashed outward, a raking sheen of water blades carving through the nearest hollow, getting it out of her way.

For just a moment, she considered eating it, getting one last meal in. But...no. she couldn't risk that freak of an Espada finding her again. She'd find her way to Las Noches again and suppress her spiritual pressure. It was an enormous enough place that she was sure she could lose him. If not, then she would just have to hoof it back to soul society. Truth be told, she needed to recover. She had used a lot of reiatsu. So, she decided to abandon the bleeding Gillian, and instead formed an ulcera and slipped inside.

For just a moment, she considered taking Kazuna along with her. He had been.....polite...ish to her after all. If not also incredibly threatening. But no. She decided that would not be the best thing to do. Some random arrancar? Possibly. but from what she had read, the arrancar were just too arrogant. Even if she could trust him not to intentionally tell soul society. What's to say he wouldn't rub the dirt in some shinigami's face? Blab to them about how there was a traitor in their midst?

No.... no that wouldn't do at all. She couldn't risk that. And with that in mind, she took her leave. The dome would stay in place, fueled by her reiatsu for a while as the water would simply float in place. She didn't mind that. After a while it would simply wear away, assuming it wasn't all blasted away. Kazuna certainly had a bit of a mad look to him. The notion of him simply blasting all of it away was not something she put above him. But then again, that wasn't her problem. She just had to make sure to never let him see her again. OR if he did. Shed have to make him think she was a shinigami spy.

Ahhh. The troubles of a hollow in disguise...

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

I was excited because it's a joint training but I forgot Mizu was a Hollow and now I'm like... well shoot. So let's see.



Mizu:

• 79 paragraphs = 780 TP total (10 per every two paragraphs. Please allocate appropriately per Hollow leveling)
• 300 + 150 + 300 = 750 CTP total from all consumptions

Kazuna: 79 paragraphs = 780 TP total