What Can One Find In the Wasteland

[Sargon Denumic]

Traversing through the sand with nothing beyond the attire that he felt comfort in the most with his zanpakuto on his back the Tercera made step after step up yet another high sand dome in the endlessness of the white desert of Heuco Mundo. Although hundreds, no thousands of Hollows were constantly in the presence of this world it was due to the vastness that very few were close together. Only a few thin groups and Las Noches held a large number of the Hollow race together while the majority roamed the waste in search of something to quench their unending starvation.

It had been a familiar sight of late to the Tercera. There had been a time several decades ago when he had traversed the desert like the typical meager Hollow yet he hadn’t done so to fill the void of his gullet, but of curiosity. Just how far did the desert extend? Was it truly endless? Was there perhaps another stronghold somewhere else? All the questions and more. Traveling for years Sargon came across many new things yet none of them as interesting as the mysteries themselves. Now he traveled through the desert once again. The curiosity not edging him onwards, but the boredom of Las Noches pushing him further away.

[Mariposa Serrato]

His solitude seemed to perfectly mimic that of the occulted moon in the dreary sky of Hueco Mundo, at least until he passed a triad of towering dunes in this lifeless sea of sand. Once he ascended upon the third, he saw a lone, skeletal tree, towering high above the horizon. It was almost wondrous how it was invisible considering its sheer height - the only landmark in at least a dozen miles. And all the while, in the complete silence, the telltale signs of a past battle were still visible. Deep, singed craters in the ground, dunes split in the middle and blasted away. Vitrified, jagged ridges of sand turned to glass by malevolent outbursts of energy - perhaps by the abilities of a powerful Hollow. Indeed, at the base of the tree, there were dark mounds of what seemed to be mangled limbs and bodies devastated by a force unknown - and atop one of the branches a small, fragile figure sat with a cloak as white as bone. An agent of Las Noches, no doubt - at peace, resting, reminiscing perhaps.

There was no telling how long these carcasses were lying bare on the sand. Their ichor seems to have all but seeped into the soil around their heavy, broken frames, tainting the ground with their repulsive fluids. They exuded no traces of Reiatsu, and neither did the ground - even the figure’s Reiatsu was barely tangible, which was somewhat unusual for an Arrancar. Perhaps the creature suppressed its signature to remain undisturbed - it certainly seemed to remain calm at the approach of the Espada, despite their glaring difference in power. Perhaps it was a strong Números or even a Fracción, but most certainly no match for the fiery tyrant who traversed the desert, perhaps in search of something that would stimulate his mind - or quell his boredom, at least.

The figure only reacted when he drew closer to the tree, descending to the ground with a graceful step to arrive at a comfortable distance a few feet away. It seemed to be a fellow Arrancar from Sonken’s army of misfits, a fragile female with a supple frame. Her face half-covered in a sinister shadow cast by the hood of her cloak, her small hands ashen pale - she barely even left an imprint in the sand. Yet she immediately took up a position of deep respect and submission, kneeling before her superior and keeping her head low while staying completely quiet. While her sinister, insidious Reiatsu might be unfamiliar to Sargon, her knowledge of proper etiquette and the subtle uneasiness coursing through her aura meant that she knew who she was dealing with - or at least understood the vast difference between their power.

[Sargon Denumic]

The sight as bleak as it was still was different from what he had been seeing for the past several hours. Sargon wasn't particularly interested in what he saw. It was another Hollow surrounded by the prey that it had managed to devour. What he felt was more interesting though and that led to the interest of the Hollow who just may be one blessed with an entertaining ability. Approaching the Hollow Sargon watched as it dropped from the tree. It had been some time since he had seen a Hollow move as elegantly as this one. He was starting to have hope that he may have finally found another gem in this desert of boring average trash.

He could see now from a close distance that this Hollow was definitely a female and was in fact already an Arrancar. Based on what he felt though it was clear she was no more powerful than either Zegram or Aurora. That meant that she may be slightly entertaining, but she wouldn't be a diamond quite yet. She still required polishing in order to truly sparkle. It was when she dropped into a deep bow though that Sargon's interest was gashed. If she knelt like that it meant that she knew of him. Both reasons were boring. Either she was afraid and sought mercy or she was a servant of Las Noches still looking for mercy. Either way it amounted to nothing entertaining.

Perhaps it was time to leave Hueco Mundo behind. He could look to Soul Society or the Human World to entertain him. He hadn't been to the Human World in some time and perhaps they had developed something that may just hold his interest longer than what was currently available. He would have to ponder the idea a bit more though before really choosing. "Name, position and reason for why you're out here." Sargon looked down at the girl his hands in his coat pockets. He wasn't asking her it was a command. His aura would make it very clear that if this girl wanted to stay alive it was in her best interest to do what he wanted.

[Mariposa Serrato]

“Mariposa Serrato, Arrancar Trece, Fracción to master Shikitsuhiko Isayama. This place used to be special to me - and I do not take kindly to animalistic brutes despoiling it. Sadly the rabble here would not amount to much more than target practice - certainly nothing that would satisfy your palate.” As she stood up, she had to force her legs not to start shaking, to gain composure and not look like a complete fool in the face of the Tercera. She had strived to learn more about her superiors, the Espada - their fighting style, their Resurrección, their strengths and more importantly, their weaknesses. Or simply even the reason why they were able to hold and defend their position within the loose hierarchy in Las Noches in relation to the others.

The opportunity to fight one has eluded her up to this moment, although she most certainly would get more than what she bargained for in this case - her master was one of the top four Espada, and since she saw what kind of things he could do without even releasing, she knew from the start that she didn’t have the inkling of a chance to beat the one standing before her. The mere presence of the Tercera has weighed heavily on her, and he was not even flexing his Reiatsu to make her choke on the very air...something he could most certainly do, he had the reputation of having some of the most oppressive Reiatsu in all of Las Noches, after all.

Unfortunately for her, she was a young but very inquisitive Fracción, and due to her relentless prying, she knew other things about him aswell - enough to sketch up a profile that would amount to nothing but the promise of pain and terror all around. He was reputed to be arrogant, aggressive, cruel and volatile, prone to insubordination even to Sonken himself. And yet, despite all of these perceived “flaws”, he lived...and not only did he live, he was far, far stronger than she could hope to be, simply shrugging off any animosity or disdain and continuing on his lonely path of devastation, no matter what others would say or think, not even the King of Las Noches.

She was afraid. Despite all of her conditioning, her iron will that made her evolve into a fledgling Vasto Lorde, the power that made her shatter her mask and become one of the strongest Arrancar within Hueco Mundo, this would be more than she could handle. Aside from the elusive Primera and Sonken himself, this was possibly the worst matchup she could have picked, and yet it seemed that there was no choice but to stand her ground and prove to him - and herself - that she was not one of the moronic trashbags that lie cold and dead on the ground around the tree. She would be crushed, humiliated, possibly even maimed - her Hierro would certainly not be strong enough to resist even a single blow from him.

For now, she had to keep her composure, and force herself to calm down and think clearly. If she didn’t despair, she could have defeated that cursed Quincy with his insane phasing powers and taken his blue hide back to master Shiki as a trophy. She had the chance of proving herself by slaying a Vandenreich officer, yet she faltered because of her inability to keep her cool against a superior opponent. She could not afford this to happen - neither could she afford to be seen as a liability. Her master had already hinted at the possibility that he made the wrong choice when rescuing her and accepting her as a Fracción - she had to prove him wrong. Staying alive and standing tall after this encounter would be a decent way of doing it. He had to make the first move, though - it would be disrespectful otherwise. A sextet of purple Reiatsu-moths flew out from under her cape, taking up positions in a wide circle around them - while her senses were stunted in her sealed form, with these she could at least manage to observe Sargon's movements close enough to dash away should he mount a surprise attack to end this encounter prematurely.

A T T R I B U T E S

Strength: 50
Speed: 200
Reiatsu Strength: 400
Spiritual Pressure: 150
Instinct: 50
Senses: 75
Energy Sensory: 13
Healing Expertise: 0

Light aura: 25
Dark Aura: 75

REIATSU POOL: 1500/1500

S K I L L S

Battle Analysis 2
Strength of Will 3
Cero Mastery 2
Calm Mind 3
Bleeding Tolerance 2
Pain Tolerance 3

[Sargon Denumic]

Despite being an Arrancar that seemed to know her place this one who revealed her designation to be Mariposa Serrato she was definitely one that assumed to know things. This was another of Isayama's Fraccion. Sargon had heard of the first Fraccion that the Espada had taken only to shortly afterwards banish from Las Noches. Sargon couldn't help the prospect of whether or not Zegram would be able to meet his expectation by defeating Serrato.

She wasn't wrong though the Hollows that littered the ground were of the lowest quality yet the quality of Serrato was still something that the Tercera assumed to only be slightly above the typical servant of Las Noches. While many of the Fraccion were strong in their own right most of them were in actuality barely stronger than servants. On the grand scale they were far closer to worthless than exceptional. However, perhaps Isayama had managed to find one of the few diamonds in Hueco Mundo.

Serrato may have been trying to keep calm in the face of a high tier Espada yet the long pure haired Arrancar was tired of giving this insect his attention. At most she made him ponder whether or not she was an insect. For could she be called one when she served an insect? Hmmm. That was enough it didn't matter. What he saw before him was just another servant one that didn't have the fire within her soul to stand up to him.

Aurora had always possessed that fire it had been one of the things that had given her Sargon's attention. It wasn't always the best thing though as Aurora typically didn't know when to fight and when to retreat although perhaps in time the latter wouldn't be necessary to know for one such as his former Fraccion. Sargon gazed off in the distance wondering how much further he would need to keep before he came across a true diamond that may grant him some semblance of entertainment.

That was when he felt the reiatsu of Serrato spike and then saw the moths of her reiatsu fly across the area. It seemed that she did have at least a small degree of fire in her soul. "Little bug do you really wish to try this. You are not one of my possession. I will find no disappointment in breaking you." Sargon would wait and if Serrato planned on truly trying to attack him then he would draw his zanpakuto from his back and see just what she could muster.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats + Skills}
Strength: 150 (50)
Speed: 300
Spiritual Pressure: 200
Reiatsu Strength: 400 (1400)
Light Aura: 0
Dark Aura: 100
Instinct: 250 (83.5)
Senses: 100
Energy Sensory: 100 (33)
Healing Expertise: 400 (1400)

•Cero: 3
•Battle Focus: 3
•Battle Analysis: 3
•Pain Tolerance: 3
•Weapons* Polearms: 3

[Mariposa Serrato]

It certainly seemed as if the small Arrancar was indeed getting ready for combat. Her hand moved toward the handle of her sword, brushing aside the white cloak and showing off a guard shaped like a stylized, jagged butterfly - not much of a surprise after her display of moth-shaped Reiatsu motes, which would have spread across a diameter of a good hundred meters by then. “There is nothing to be gained by fighting mindless beasts and feeble enemies. The true worth of an ally shows itself when faced with adversities which surpass their capabilities. While the circumstances are often muddled, the practice of ‘adapt or die’ is still very true to our existence.”

She took a few jumps backward before arriving in a crouching position, flexing her legs and rearing herself up to stand once again. “I might still be new to Las Noches, but I’ve seen enough to know that we are in dire need of improvement. Shinigami may be blinded by their compassion, but I’ve seen the Vandenreich fight - their officers transcend the frailty of their human forms with ease and are able of conjuring up manifestations of Reiatsu I could never imagined possible. If we want to survive, we have to adapt, and this is especially true for us Fracción...we cannot afford to be merely swept aside by the enemies you, the Espada are meant to face. And all of this starts by learning to breathe while being smothered by someone as strong and vicious as yourself, Master Sargon. Arashi o motarase, Polilla Blanca.”

Mariposa softly stroked the hilt of her sword, and the steel bloomed into a flurry of the same sphinxmoths she had sent out to observe the battlefield from above. Her ominous reiatsu seemed to seep into the entire area rather than burst outwards like other releases do, and after the transformation was complete, a similar, yet somehow alien being emerged from the saturated center of the slowly whirling cloud of insects. She had become a mixture of her human form and the creatures she used to summon, and the name of her Zanpakutou, which amounted to nothing more than “White Moth”, had suddenly received a whole new meaning.

Her new appearance sported four arms instead of two, her eyes grew black with ominously glowing, faucet irises, and most of her body was covered in either the porcelain-esque armor of Hollowkind or fine, fluffy hairs - if it wasn’t for the tapered claws replacing the ends of her elegant, pitch black fingers and toes, she could have been described as soft-looking, perhaps even adorable, especially as her mask fragments turned into two long antennae. Yet her most striking feature would be the quartet of vaguely triangular wings on her back, their fluid, startling patterns immediately drawing the attention of the Espada, who would definitely marvel at this glorious display of a Resurrección, stunned with morbid fascination and unable to avert his gaze from her amazing wings.

“Gorgeous, aren’t they? Please be gentle, I’m still quite fragile...” - she said in a terrifyingly distorted voice, making them softly flutter. A mere facade - not only did she need to focus her senses and assemble the full power of her release, she also needed to warm up her wing muscles to be able to fly. She knew that she was able to transfix Sargon, but that alone would not be enough to make him falter - it only made him more focused on her form, which was extremely dangerous on its own, since he had to maim her to break the spell. But for now, it was without consequences. She posed no danger just yet...she could double up on her subtle magic and take his imagination for a ride.

A sudden feeling of dread would descend upon the Espada - something he undoubtedly forgot since his years at the top of the pyramid that is the hierarchy of Las Noches. It was an indescribable, yet constricting fear that something terrible was about to happen, yet there seemed to be no certain source of this terror. Any attempts to grasp the nature of this attack would undoubtedly fail as it turned the vast experience and analytical mind of Sargon against itself - no matter how hard he would try to predict what would happen, all of his thoughts would end the same - defeat. It was a ludicrous thought by any means, that someone so feeble could defeat him, the Tercera - but while he was a terrifying fighter and more than a match for his enemy, possibly able to demolish her in a single attack, his soul was not conditioned to withstand such an insidious assault on his psyche. Reason would not help him here, where witchcraft and the occult would thwart any attempt at understanding what was going on.

This did not mean that Mariposa would stand by idly and just stare him down gleefully, at least not beyond the mere appearance of such. The first abilities she restored when she released were her speed and instinct, to be able to evade the undoubtedly monstrous attacks he could unleash - she was well prepared to face his ire, since it was undoubtedly rare that someone could make him feel so vulnerable, and thusly hurt he might just forget about Sonken’s policies and the protection that Shiki offered her and try to seriously hurt - or worse, even slaughter her for this insolence. Then again, she wanted him to feel, if not understand her potential, and the great value that she could have as an ally and a servant of Las Noches. “Do not worry, Master Sargon. We are just playing, after all.”

Restored abilities:
- Speed
- Instinct

Omen of Doom [-200]

REIATSU POOL: 1300/1500

A T T R I B U T E S

Strength: 50
Speed: 400
Reiatsu Strength: 400
Spiritual Pressure: 150
Instinct: 100
Senses: 75
Energy Sensory: 13
Healing Expertise: 0

Light aura: 25
Dark Aura: 75

S K I L L S

Battle Analysis 2
Strength of Will 3
Cero Mastery 2
Calm Mind 3
Bleeding Tolerance 2
Pain Tolerance 3

[Sargon Denumic]

"Yes, yes if you're going to attempt something get on with it. Bored me though and you'll regret it." Sargon stood his hands still in his coat pockets as he watched this Fraccion get into a crouched position. It was obvious what she was about to do yet stopping it wasn't even a thought or plan registered within Sargon's mind for why would one prevent a insect from doing it's best against a God. The reiatsu of her release he could say was at least elegant instead of crude although it lacked any sort of powerful impression. "I wonder what season it is in Japan." thought the Tercera as thoughts of returning to the human world still soared throughout his consciousness.

This Fraccion did possess a beautiful form that much couldn't be contested yet beauty didn't always translate to strength. Sargon had lived a very long time even by spiritual standards and he had seen some of the most beautiful woman to have ever been birthed by existence. Beauty grew dull eventually. Perhaps if he were a few thousand years younger and still human. She was acceptable as one of his wives although the white was pure and such as bitter in his mouth. Her eyes though were definitely marvelous. Eh it mattered little if all she possessed was beauty.

What he felt happening to him though was the opposite of what he thought about her true form. She didn't look to be overly powerful yet he could feel the sensation that he was going to lose should a fight between them actually start. Sargon's body started to tremble. It looked as though her ability to inflict dread and doubt upon those against her was working even on the Tercera. "Hahaha YES!" Sargon would shout his pupils trembling as he starred at this Fraccion. Perhaps she thought that giving Sargon the sensation that he would lose would keep the Espada from fighting her or make it so he was more cautious. She was wrong.

Sargon lived to be entertained and nothing gave him more entertainment than battle. Even battling against the one percent of the spiritual worlds had grown weary after centuries of rarely finding an adversary that could challenge his true power. This feeble little insect was giving him the sensation that he could LOSE. She was giving him exactly what he had been searching for on a golden platter. His reiatsu would spike in excitement causing the sand beneath his feet and all around him to turn immediately into glass from the sear heat of Sargon.

"I may not know what you're doing, but if you stop or prove to be lying YOU'RE DEAD." This Fraccion although she possessed an interesting Resurreccion had just done perhaps the worst thing possible for who would tease a King. Right away cero would blast from beneath Sargon's feet larger than a bone fire sending him straight towards this Fraccion. His zanpakuto the long trident pulled from his back by his right hand. Closing the distance between the both of them within the blink of an eye Sargon slashed out with the blades at the head of his zanpakuto set to slash the left arm of this Fraccion.

Remaining Reiatsu: 1950/2000
Luna Paso Cero: {-50}

[Mariposa Serrato]

“And so it begins…” Mariposa thought as she saw the Espada speed towards her. The clarity of the realization surprised her highly - it seems that fear helped her rein in the warped mess that was her personality in this form, and while her disturbing desire to be manhandled by the superior being was still quite an annoyance to the underlying intellect, it was not sharp or strong enough to blind her to the obvious fact that she can’t hope to put up a fight for long, especially not up close. And the fact that Sargon was getting excited meant that he would likely forget that he’s dealing with a mere Fracción - which is a dangerous honor at best, and fatal attraction at the worst.

She had no intention of awaiting his strike. She knew that his jagged trident would easily pierce her Hierro since the difference in the strength of their Reiatsu was so massive, and even a slight edge could mean that the defensive shell that was so dreaded by many Shinigami would be ineffective and leave her vulnerable body exposed. Conversely she needed to whittle him down before she even had a shot of injuring him, and even her full power might not prove to be enough to break through his undoubtedly powerful defenses. She used Sonído to gain distance from the charging lancer, and used her wings to build up even more momentum to be able to keep her distance from Sargon.

Luna Paso Cero. She knew about the technique - it required a reasonable degree of finesse, perhaps Sargon was just as proficient in the usage of Cero as she was. She had no use for this technique, at least within the confines of her release, but he could use it to counteract the innate advantage her large wings had offered by simply flying upwards, leveling the playing field. Realizing this, Mariposa used the time to let her Reiatsu well up to full power. It would soon become apparent to the Espada that she is one of the types whose Resurrección seals away most of their bang, resulting in an unassuming sealed state and a truly monstrous release, even more so than normal Arrancar.

As it became apparent that he would not let go easily, she stuck close to the ground and tried to take advantage of the terrain by firing a quartet of Balas from her hands - not towards the Espada, but into the sand around herself. The explosions whirled up a massive dust cloud in quick fashion - she could have used her moths to provide a screen for her to retreat from, but that would haveundoubtedly resulted in him obliterating her swarm with a massive Cero, causing a chain reaction that would leave her burned and bruised. She stuck to the ground and tried to make charging as unpleasant as possible, and while she was visibly blinded by the crude obstacle herself, her moths hovering above the battlefield provided her with additional eyes and olfactory organs, negating the disadvantage she seemingly imposed upon herself.

Once her Reiatsu Strength was restored to full, she tried to move on the offensive herself. While within the dust cloud she used Sin Sonído to get into the Espada’s back, where she would use one of her most formidable techniques to blast him from behind, at a distance of at least thirty meters. Not bothering with a blood sacrifice to boost the speed of Cero Extensión, Ceros formed on each of her appendages - each four of her hands and wings respectively, seeking to singe Sargon while he turned back to face her. Little did she know that he would be able to wither even this stealthy, underhanded assault with ease - and while this would definitely be enough to incinerate an enemy of similar strength, the Espada was simply on another level entirely.

Restored abilities:
- Reiatsu Strength
- Senses

Omen of Doom [-200]
Sonído [-50]
Sin Sonído [-150]
Cero Extensión [-700]

REIATSU POOL: 200/1500

A T T R I B U T E S

Strength: 50
Speed: 400
Reiatsu Strength: 800
Spiritual Pressure: 150
Instinct: 100
Senses: 150
Energy Sensory: 13
Healing Expertise: 0

Light aura: 25
Dark Aura: 75

S K I L L S

Battle Analysis 2
Strength of Will 3
Cero Mastery 2
Calm Mind 3
Bleeding Tolerance 2
Pain Tolerance 3

[Sargon Denumic]

The type of tunnel vision that came when closing a distance in a manner similar to a rocket was one that Sargon hadn't viewed the wasteland of Hueco Mundo in some time yet. Now though as this Fraccion seemed to seek out the pain that came with being taught a lesson by an Espada, she ran. Vanishing from his sight Sargon knew just what could be going on, but would have to check and make sure.

As he perhaps the method to keep track of this Fraccion over the battlefield he could hear the sound of her wings flapping meaning that she was one to rely on those weak extra appendages even if they did give her an advantage against most other adversaries. Revealing to much about herself so early wasn't a wise choice in battle. Now though he could hear the sound of bala being fired off and impacting near him.

She was trying to hide. Perhaps she was an assassin of some sort. She had yet to truly attack him at the moment it just seemed that she was waiting which meant there was a chance she was getting ready to launch her strongest of techniques. Just maybe it would be an entertaining ability. Now though as the sand of the desert dimension concealed everything around Sargon and the Tercera ceased his movement he closed his eyes.

Sight was unnecessary as Pesquis had now been activated and Sargon could sense everything around him giving away the position of the Fraccion. The dust cloud was concealing everything in the battlefield meaning that by nature neither of them would be able to see yet physical sight wasn't always the only way to locate a foe. This Fraccion likely had been taught this or at least should have been if she was already willing enough to challenge the Tercera.

Sargon couldn't help the memories of Aurora when he had first found her and she an Arrancar of near pure rage had so foolishly believed she stood a chance. How she had grown the last few years. It was almost like a daughter finally leaving the home of her father. Now it was time to watch and see if she could bring pride to the Tercera by excelling at showing she was superior to the common trash. He was ready to throw his trident through the cloud to see just how good the reflexes of this Fraccion happened to be when he sensed her position change.

She was no longer in front of him, but now behind roughly thirty meters and her reiatsu was rising at a monstrous rate meaning that she was channeling a technique of a high degree. It was more than likely a cero of some kind yet despite not being able to see her Sargon could tell her skill with cero was acceptable. She was more skilled and any of his Fraccion . . . yet not himself. Sargon charged a cero in response his own skill in the art allowing him to channel the technique virtually instantly.

The battlefield was then truly marked as the massive beams of reiatsu were fired towards one another. The six beams converging together to increase in size and strength met by the cero of the Tercera. To any onlookers off in the distance this would look as if two massive skyscrapers were being smashed into one another casting the sand away from the impact point until after either of them started to slow down. The moment that the Fraccion grew tired or stopped her cero Sargon would do the same not wanting to eliminate her so quickly.

The battlefield now though was marked with a crater not very large only twenty meters yet deep enough that darkness was the only visible sight. "Make your next move little bug before I grow bored." Sargon spoke loud enough that he knew she would hear. Despite how he felt he was almost certain now it was just an aura ability of her release which while refreshing meant little. Still she was acceptable already as a Fraccion so just what else could she do. That was what he wanted to know now.

Pesquis: 1/5

Remaining Reiatsu: 1925/2000
Pesquis: {-25}