The Fool and the Spider

[Kitai Yoru]

Hueco Mundo wasn't a place for the faint of heart. The lands were nothing but pale sand covered in eternal night. Those that managed to survive the harsh trials of these lands were considered the strongest of their race. Vicious, brutal, effective, all perfect words to describe the hollow race. And that was exactly what Kitai was interested in having for his ever growing company. A fiery, Hellish portal opened over the vast, seemingly empty deserts of the Hollow world. Inside it were two beings that couldn't have looked more different from one another.

The first one was a large, demonic looking creature. It was fat and yellow, and its head, the only part of it that was visible from this side of the portal, was over ten feet tall. Its face looked like a cross between a pig, a human, and a rat. Numerous cuts and gashes covered its gross and slimy skin. It was clearly in a great deal of pain. The second being looked human, and would almost certainly pass off as one, albeit a strange one. Seven feet in height, ashen skin with extremely long white hair, and a grin that would look at home on a serial killer. Said man was also holding a chain around the neck of the fat giant.

"See, was that so hard Fatlet?" The smaller one said to the piggish creature, tightening the chain as he did so. The giant glared at him, clearly livid. "My name is-" Before it could finish, the pale man slammed a fist into the creature's eye. "YOUR NAME IS WHATEVER I SAY IT IS, YOU FILTHY F#CKING AKKI!" The eye popped like a grape, causing the creature to screech out in agony. The creature reared its head back, but the smaller of the two had already released a hold of it, jumping through the gateway. The chains that held the neck of the beast slithered into one of the sleeves of the man, right as the portal closed.

The man landed on the sands with a dulled thud. He stood there for a moment, taking in the smells of the world, and enjoying the cooler atmosphere. Hot as Hell wasn't an exaggeration, something Kitai could attest to. It was nice to enjoy that new world smell. After a few more moments, he let out a sigh, before getting focusing again. "Now, what's the best way to find my new employees?" He thought aloud to himself. Normally he'd just cause a scene and get someone's attention, but that wasn't exactly easy in the middle of f#ckall nowhere, was it?

And he didn't exactly want some weaklings showing up... or, wait, no, he was pretty hungry, and hollow burgers sounded better than anything Hell had to offer. So he decided that the best way to attract some company was to release his gravitational pressure in small amounts. Like a signal light getting the attention of people. Or like the light of a bug zapper for the moth. As he did so, he spotted something in the distance. It was hard to believe, but what he assumed was a giant building was in the distance. He shrugged his shoulders, and started walking towards it, whistling to himself as he did so.

SPOILER: Click to show

{The fun bits} Stats: Stats: Strength: (100x.5) 50
Speed: (100x.5) 50
Reiatsu strength: (100x.5) 50
Spiritual Pressure: (400x4) 1600
Senses: (150x.5) 75
Instinct: (290x.5) 145
Energy Sensory: (0x.5) 0
Healing Expertise: (0x.5) 0

Dark Aura: 100
Light Aura: 0

Willpower: 3
Pain Tolerance: 3
Battle Analysis :3
Crafting: 3
Martial Skill; Style of the Moron: 3

SPOILER: Click to show

{Darkskill body Stats} Strength 500
Speed: 500
Reiatsu strength: 50
Spiritual Pressure: 800
Senses: 75
Instinct: 145
Energy Sensory: 0
Healing Expertise: 0

Durability: 400

Starting with a Darkskill body: 4,000, plus 500

Reiatsu used: 4,500
Reiatsu remaining: 11,500/16,000

SPOILER: Click to show

{Techs used}Dark Skill Level 1 Property:] [His first level creates a body for him to enter and use as he sees fit. The physical body is different than his soul body, as it restricts a number of things he can do. The new body takes his highest spiritual stat, and uses it to fuel the physical capabilities of it. While in the bodies, the wearer's highest spiritual stat will act as if it is 50% of what it normally is.

In order to create a body, Kitai must spend 25% of his current reiatsu, but must spend at least 250 in order to use the technique. The amount of reiatsu used to create a body changes the effects. The strength and durability of the bodies is based off the amount of reiatsu Kitai is missing. For every 100 reiatsu Kitai has lost or used in the thread, will increase the durability by 10, with the starting durability being 300. Each body comes with 300 strength and speed as base with every 100 reiatsu that has been used or is missing from his max reiatsu pool increasing both the strength and speed by 5. If the user has physical stats higher than 300, the starting physical stat or stats will be changed to that higher number.

The strength of the body is a sort of false one. While the body is strong, it is merely a tool, not truly living, so to speak. While a real body would be able to handle such high strength and speed, this one is a mere tool, and all tools have a breaking point. Those wearing the body will find themselves unable to use main benefits that high physical stats would normally grant. Shockwaves and mending bones through sheer power are forever lost to the user. In fact, the body is completely unable to use any of the perks past 400, for both strength and speed, unless the wearer has those stats already without the body.

Much like a tool, once the body uses too much power, it begins to quickly decay. The max it can use in either physical stat is 300, before the untrained body breaks its limit. After that, the body is doomed to die quickly, and painfully. The body has no issues with stamina after this point, never running out after it breaks its limits, using a sort of Hysterical Strength to force itself to keep going. Normally a body can last indefinitely, but for every post Kitai pushes it to use over 300 in either physical stat, up to 500, it drains a post, while over that pushes it by two posts. The body has ten of these posts before it dies, ejecting the user of it from the maimed corpse. Number-wise, it looks like this; 0-300 costs nothing, 301-500 costs one post out of ten, 501+ takes two posts out of ten.

The creation of the body is instant, forming around Kiati if he so chooses, and can be exited at any time the wearer pleases. The only oddities that make the body stand out from normal humans is that the first stage of a Dark Skill will still shine through, and the chains on their soul will still appear on the new body, but otherwise, the body will be have an appearance of whatever Kitai wishes it to look like.

So long as the body is worn, Hell has a much harder time finding him. For every three posts that a Saika is in the body, the count on the duration of his escape will go down by one for every three posts they make. Can start a thread with a body for an additional 500 reiatsu of the base cost, without activating his dark skill. Any damage the body takes is not fully transferred to him. Damage is reduced by seventy five percent, and attacks that would kill the body will eject the soul before it can be damaged. The body cannot heal via the normal Saika regeneration, but his soul underneath is still able to. The damage done to the soul will not transfer to the body. Once he exits a body, the stats will be reset to how it was before he entered the body. After a body is destroyed, it goes onto a three post cooldown before he can create another one.]

[Col Arana]

The white sands of Hueco Mundo were home to various deadly beasts. Hollows roamed the wastes freely, in search of prey. Whether alone, or in packs, the vicious beasts proved a lethal threat to any who crossed their paths. Survival of the Fittest. It was an appropriate description of the world. The weak Hollows were devoured by the strong, and those in turn were eaten by the stronger still. Justice and Order had no meaning in this place. Might was the only source of right. You were strong enough to enact your will upon the lawless wastes, or others would impose theirs upon yours. There was no one to hide behind, no one to marshal valiant guardians to your defense. You were on your own. To be sure, some fortunate Hollow or another found a group of like minded, less savage individuals to join in some sense of comradery, and such groups often dominated their own little slices of territory.

And then of course, there was Las Noches. Sonken Kouhai’s private fortress. The closest thing to a proper army in all of Hueco Mundo. Kouhai and his precious Hogyoku-created arrancar that lorded about Hueco Mundo as rulers. Recruiting strong Hollows to their cause and transforming them into new arrancar, and killing those who refused. It could accurately be said, all the same, that with the demise of the Escudo, Las Noches represented the greatest power in Hueco Mundo. Unchecked and unmatched they went where they wished and struck down resistance with effortless apathy and cruelty.

But there was one part of the desert that even those of Las Noches dared not approach anymore. A lonely burrow in the midst of the sands, offering shelter from the open skies, but one of which exuded the very aura of death. None, not even the arrancar of Sonken Kouhai’s army dared come here anymore. One of their number had done so once in the past. And no ordinary member either. No mere Numeros of Fraccion either. An Espada had come out here, lured by the tale of a monster. A beast of immense power. And that was the last any heard of the Espada. Even now, when the sands were quiet, Hollows and arrancar alike still cautioned to come anywhere near the unobtrusive burrow in the sands. And so it remained, a testament to the creature that had once created it.

But every so often, it was said, that screams of horror and agony emanated from that little section of desert. Whether it was the phantoms of the beast’s old prey, or some foolish adventuring Hollow that thought that whatever had once dwelled there had moved on, none could say. But the screams that echoed through the night encouraged all to stay well clear. A reminder that all myths and legends have a grain of truth to them.

A quiet crunching sound emanated from the burrow. Sickening squelches and tears, as a malefic reiatsu poured forth from the burrow. Seated eloquently in a hammock of webs, a pale hand clutched a black limb, and drew it towards a fanged maw.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Col pleasantly chewed away at his meal, bound in a tight restrictive webbing. Though the prey had ceased its screams long ago, its eyes falling dull and lifeless, the Hollow still continued to twitch from time to time, as nerves continued to reflexively fire. Col bit into the unfortunate creature’s flesh as if it were a particularly large drumstick. A foolish creature that had stumbled into his lair, expecting shelter had met an unpleasant end instead. The arrancar feasted ravenously upon its flesh, in an attempt to sate his endless and eternal hunger. And as Col feasted, he sensed something. Col was very good at sensing reiatsu. And something was nearby. His eyes trailed away from his meal and he placed it down. This... this was something Col had not felt since his battle with Tsukyuomi. His brow furrowed, as he rose from a hammock of webs, and quickly wiped aside the gore of the Hollow's remains. He'd finish his meal later. There was something to investigate. Col began to trek out of his burrow, knowing it down to the last step. Even in the complete darkness of the cavern he called his home, he could navigate it perfectly.

And as Col himself advanced he allowed his own reiatsu to flow out and ignite, signposting his location to any that cared to search for it, as he emerged from the mouth of the cave he had called home, to face this newcomer. There the arrancar stood upon the white sands of Hueco Mundo, beneath a sunless sky. Pale skin, and platinum-white hair, flowing in an errant breeze. A long blade hung from his hip, only the tip of it visible near his knee as Col wore a black longcoat that concealed the hilt of the sword. Scarlet eyes peered ahead with a contemplative calm about them. "Welcome. Why does a denizen of Hell come to entreat with me?" He asked.

[Kitai Yoru]

It would seem that finding potential recruits wasn't going to be that hard, if they were literally popping out of the sand like this. He grinned widely at the figure, who didn't seem to be a hollow. Kitai chuckled regardless, and began to introduce himself. "Hello there! My name is Kitai Yoru, and do I have a proposition for you!" He said, taking his hat off, and making a grandiose bow with it, before returning it to its rightful place. "I decided to pay this... lively little world a visit, with an offer to the strongest hollows I can find."

He gave the arrancar an obvious once over. "And while I must admit, I wasn't expecting any non-hollows here, I'm sure you're strong enough for my tastes, if you can survive this barren place." He motioned to the deserts around them, before walking closer. Perhaps foolishly so. The Saika towered over the arrancar by more than a foot. He only got so close as ten feet however. He didn't trust a random man who crawled out of the ground so easily, regardless of what he wanted out of it. He stood before the spider and his nest with his arms in his sleeves, grinning down at him with one eye visible.

"The reason I came to 'entreat' with you, is that I'm looking to make an army. I need those that are willing to follow me and destroy what I want destroyed. To help me take what I want to take. Like Xcution or the Soul Society. Heck, maybe that big building over yonder." He says, jabbing a thumb towards a giant building in the distance The only building on this empty place. "My goal is simple; find a way to break these chains." He told the man, pulling his sleeve up to reveal black chains with an evil aura, wrapped around his forearm several times.

"I'm more than happy to pay you, of course. I just need to know your price." Kitai tells him, looking down on the man with a scrutinizing look. "And to know if you're worth hiring. I don't want to pay for a subpar fighter, after all." The unasked question; was Col strong enough to fight him? It wasn't exactly subtle, but neither was the seven foot cyclops. If the arrancar didn't want to join, he'd move on his merry way. If he was interested in the offer, he'd have to prove himself the the Saika. Show that he had what it took to defend himself against armies like Kitai could.

Out of Hell Posts: 18 2/3

[Col Arana]

Col gave a wry smile in answer to Kitai's statement about the liveliness of the world. "While I appreciate your manners, there's no need to concern yourself with flattery as to my living conditions. Hueco Mundo is a dismal land, and I am living in a cave. A well decorated cave, but a cave nonetheless. It is truly quite undignified." He answered, gauging the creature that stood before him. "My name is Col Arana, Mr. Yoru, and I will hear out your proposition. Please, come into my parlour~" Col invited. "Unless you are displeased with the dark~" Col slowly began to retreat into his lair, as the shadows began to envelope his form, but he would pause if Kitai did not follow him, to continue the conversation.

"If it is strength you ask of me, then I'm certain I can oblige, though I'm afraid any long term contracts, I must decline, for I'm afraid I have already made arrangements with another." He stated. It would have taken an impossible deal indeed to make Col part from his promise with Shizuka, but perhaps this would be a simple hit or the like. Col had made a living as a mercenary and a wanderer since the disbanding of the Escudo, after-all. He was no stranger to accepting the odd job or two now. The creature continued to make his offer of building an army, and Col smiled pleasantly in the shadows, nothing now, but the glimmer of his scarlet eyes visible in the darkness, peering out. "Ah... A pity indeed, for I'm afraid I must decline your offer of joining an army. Such a thing doesn't suit me particularly well anyways. I'm no soldier, and am more of a free agent." He replied. The creature continued to talk to him though about his goals and showed a series of chains on his arm. The eyes gleamed with knowledge. "Ahhh, yes. Of course. It is not the first time I have seen those. Though the creature to which it belonged was rather different than yourself. I find it in my interests to avoid dealing with denizens of Hell, and yet I find today, I have nothing better to do. I am not opposed to a temporary partnership or odd assignment, should you have one." He informed Kitai.

"As for my price... Well. That would depend on what the assignment is, and how you intend to test me..." Col replied blithely. It was difficult to see what Col was doing in the black shadows of his burrow, but at the very least his eyes had not moved much from his position. "I do assure you, should you hire me, you will get your money's worth. I don't mind a little test though. It would absolve the terrible monotony of this place. Now then, how you intend to test me... Well. Are you intending to battle me? Or send me on some errand or another?" He inquired.

[Kitai Yoru]

Kitai chuckled at the spider's bluntness. It was nice to be able to converse with another without yelling, or attempted murder, so the Lunatic followed the arrancar, in spite of the clear danger of such an action. Whether or not the hollow was luring him into a more advantageous position has yet to be seed, but he decided to humor him, believing himself to be superior to the arachnid. "Hehehaha, it's a pleasure to meet you Col Arana. Let's see your parlor. Said the fly to the spider." He chuckled at the joke, but tensed up as he passed the threshold and strode into the darkness, following the now named Col Arana.

As Kitai trailed after the hollow, his vision faded more and more. It would seem that this ghost either had senses far sharper than his own, or had another way of finding his way around this lightless lair. Well, lightless save for the gleaming red eyes that he could only assume belonged to Col. Quite the intimidating man he was. Kitai had the suspicion that he was more than strong enough to fight the people he wanted dead or under his boot. Col spoke in a particular manner, considering his words in a way that told him of past experiences. Like knowing of another creature from Hell. He was likely speaking of an Akki. The filthy creatures were the only one of the monsters that pit created able to leave whenever they got sick of the fire and brimstone. Oh how he hated that he envied them.

Kitai never lost his smile however, and continued his flamboyant charade. "If you aren't willing to join an organization, or have ties that prevent you from joining the one I'm making, I perfectly understand." He spoke with an undertone of glee. "But, if you aren't opposed to joining me for the occasional mission or job, I certainly wouldn't mind helping you alleviate your boredom." He said with a slight chuckle. "And I was originally going to fight you to see just how strong you were... and I still do, I'm a bit of a battle addict, but I think there's a better way to see just how powerful you are. Or, how powerful you are at handling the enemies I intend to attack."

Kitai fished around in his pocket, before pulling out a phone that had miraculously survived a trek through Hell. It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the sudden light, but once he did, he pulled up a list with pictures. "I have a lot of goals and plans, and I've never been the most organized person. That's the only reason these people are still alive." Kitai tossed the device to where he assumed the spider was. Assuming he knew how to operate it, he would see the screen filled with numerous hooded figures, clearly marking them as a cult. Several pictures were of what could only be described as the aftermath of a demonic ritual. "[color=#b8000These are some very annoying people that have caught my interest. And the interest of Hell as a whole, though for wildly different reasons.[/color]" Kitai sneered at the thought of him agreeing with Hell.


"These people are making deals and contracts with Akki and Hason, summoning them to do whatever they want. And before you ask, yes, humans can summon Hellions. Normally, this ends in a lot of dead humans." Kitai told him, looking visibly angry. It was apparent that the Saika was no fan of the other species. "Certain methods can be used to strike deals with them however, and that never ends well for anyone." He motions Col to scroll down more, and would show the face of an older gentleman. A man who was listed as Kaito Hashimono, looked to be well into his sixties. He was smiling, giving a speech to a group of people. At first, he could be mistaken for a kindly old grandpa, but the bloodstained robes, and the knife dripping blood clearly told a different story.


"You're certainly right in wanting to avoid anyone and anything from Hell. Our existence is a blight on any world. We all need to be purged and banished back to where we came. But these sick sons of B#tches are trying to summon something that can't be controlled." Kitai wasn't smiling, looking like he was remembering something he'd rather forget. "So, I'm testing you on them. You and I are going to be exterminating an infestation of demonicly enhanced Fullbringers, along with any Akki they might have with them, and stopping them from doing their summoning." The last picture on the phone was of a boat, anchored out at sea, clearly a few miles away. "Any questions?"

Out of Hell Posts: 18 3/3

[Col Arana]

Col made a soft 'tutting' sound at Kitai as he replied. "Now, now, it does no good to explain the reference." He replied, in such a tone that his voice alone evoked the imagery of a disapproving finger wag. Col's footsteps clicked on the stone paths of his cavern home, the only guide to Kitai as they slipped away from the starlit skies of Hueco Mundo and delved into the pitch black depths of the cavern. "I pray you mind your step, and your face. My home was made to greet visitors and ensure they remained a long time~" Col's voice invisibly teased from up ahead. Even his eyes had now vanished, suggesting that Col had turned his back on Kitai to venture into the lair.

Kitai pressed his venture, and Col smiled. "It pleases me that you are not pushing your cause on me further." He stated. "And are willing to be sensible about these matters. Now then." Kitai would, after walking down the passage, have to be cautious. Col's lair was strewn with thick strands of web that although the arrancar could pass by idly, would prove difficult to evade in these lightless halls, not just catching on Kitai's clothing, but potentially binding whatever touched them with a grip like steel wire and cables. Of course, if that happened, Col would politely wait for Kitai to try to free himself-- or to entangle himself further (if the latter, with a steadily growing smirk of amusement).

"I am glad to hear you do not intend to battle me. I would hate to cut short the life of a prospective employer, such as yourself." Col spoke with a natural air, as though killing Kitai to him carried no more weight to him than a leisurely midday walk. "But continue as to how you intend to test my mettle, as it were." The spider asked of Kitai. The Hell dweller threw a device to Col, which the arrancar stepped toward and caught leisurely. Col's face was briefly illuminated by the screen-- a pallid face with a charmed smirk, exposing the hint of a fang. Indeed, it was striking at times, how much Col's appearance could be compared to that of a stereotypical vampire. Kitai told him of humans that could summon beings from Hell, and Col's eyes narrowed, as he turned back around to face Kitai. "Hmm... While an intriguing prospect, I must state that my personal interest in beings of Hell is limited. Though I have never feasted on one before, I have a certain concern as to how their flesh would serve my palate." Col stated, casually revealing himself as a cannibal. Though perhaps it was mostly the company he was currently holding that made the statement come so easily. "And human flesh is rarely particularly sating." He added.

Col examined the face of the man-- Kaito Hashimono and pondered. "Are these humans spiritually aware?" He inquired. A question that was quickly answered by the declaration that they were "demonically enhanced Fullbringers". Col nodded, pleased at the statement. "Are they functionally unchanged from ordinary Fullbringers, despite their power enhancement?" He added, fueling his line of inquiry, determining the risk and reward of this potential venture. As well as the effort he would need to exert. "And what shall you be willing to pay me for my assistance in this, should I decide to accept your offer?" Col asked. "I may be inclined to accept, but I do not work for free, and I expect to be compensated well for pointing my blade at the forces of Hell itself. It need not be monetary, if you lack it yourself." He stated. "But I must know what I will be killing for to accept your offer."

[Kitai Yoru]

Kitai let out a few slightly deranged chuckles, amazed at how far he's managed to get with negotiations, in spite of his usual demenior. He was closer to getting what he needed. "Hehehehe, these cultists are a greedy bunch, as are most beings tied to Hell. These ones happen to have a large collection of gold, as well as some, mmhmhhm, spiritual weapons that I'd love to get my hands on." The lunatic was practically drooling at the thought of the chaos he could create with them. Wiping is face with his sleeve, he continued. "While I'm sure a being of your caliber would have little need for actual money, it never hurts to have something to tempt the weak willed. And it never hurts to have a little extra fire power in your pocket, hehehaha!"

Kitai wanted to move closer to the hollow, but didn't want to risk stepping on something, or bumping into the man himself. "Heck, if you want to take a bite out of me as payment, you can take a chunk out of my hide, though I must admit, anything corrupted with Hell's power is usually repulsive. Another torture down in the pits. Not a whiff of food in that place. Makes you eat anything and everything that moves, despite every bite of flesh tasting like ash." His eyes glazed over for a moment, before shuddering in repulsion. "I'm been eaten alive more times than I care to count. Glad I can regenerate though! HE-HAHAHAHAHAHA!" A brief flash of insanity shone through his facade, as he clutched his head with both hands.

"After a few seconds, he calmed down, before looking at where he thought Col was. "I pray you were a good person in life, because Hell is a nightmare all its own. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone, even my most hated of enemies." He sounded uncharacteristically serious, even to himself. He coughed, before his smile returned. "Anyway, if none of that catches your interest, you may name your price, and if it is within my possibilities, I shall gladly get it for you." He told the arrancar, waiting patiently for the hybrid's response.

Out of Hell Posts: 17 1/3

[Col Arana]

Kitai's demeanor in and of itself was not something Col opposed inherently. Though it wasn't dignified, it elevated Col's sense of civility. It let him consider himself "above" Kitai, which stoked the arrancar's ego. "While money is not typically something I express great interest in, neither is that a detractor. You may have their weapons. I have no use for them." Col stated. "My own is all I have typically needed." There was a soft click sound, as Col nudged his zanpakuto, and perhaps it might have glinted in the light... were there any light of note to glint off of it in the dark depths of the arrancar's lair. "That said, it alone would not convince me to do this alone." Col stated, but allowed Kitai to continue his marketing spiel.

Col contemplated the offer. "I may be inclined to take you up on that. Though a Hell denizen is hardly my first choice, if the job you offer fails to live up to my expectations, I will take your own flesh and power into my being. Very well." Col agreed. "You seem to possess the strength I expect of my prey." He added; Col's own twisted version of a complement. If Col viewed you as prey, it was an indication you were worth the time to hunt. Kitai's follow-up statement provided a soft chuckle of amusement from Col. "Is that so? Curious indeed. It will indeed be interesting to see what my fate would be, for I lacked much of a mortal life at all." Col replied. The arrancar after-all... or perhaps it would be more accurate to say "the mind that had proved the dominant one in this amalgation of Hollows" had, after-all, died before even reaching 13. A young, impressionable mind at one time, warped by decades and centuries of the Hollow's animalistic, darwinian lifestyle. Perhaps it was small wonder that Col himself was as twisted as he was.

"I will accept your offer. I will take their riches as my own, and devour any prey I find suitable. If there is no prey that is suitable to my needs, then I will partake of your flesh, bone and blood, in its stead. Is this an agreeable arrangement to you?" Col asked. By now even the moonlight of Hueco Mundo could not reach Col's eyes, and yet Kitai would still feel the arrancar's gaze upon him. The watchful eyes of a cat, watching a tasty mouse. Col waited quietly now, awaiting Kitai's response, and as he did, he moved soundlessly through the darkness. Col was well trained in stalking prey, and his footsteps no longer made a sound on the stone floor of the tunnel, no passing of air marked his passage, as he arranged himself behind Kitai, without anything that would note his presence to any but the most talented and sharpened of senses. "I must say I am now looking forward to this." Col quietly hissed in Kitai's ear.

[Kitai Yoru]

The fact that such a humanoid hollow would actually take up his offer briefly stunned him, before he palmed his face, and began cackling in amusement. So they had some similarities after all. With the deal being made, the left the cave, and the world itself, with Col providing transportation via Garganta. Kitai would find this embarrassing enough to figure out a way to travel between worlds later, realizing how inconvenient it was to travel as a group with Hell portals. In minutes, they were back in the land of the living, and near their destination.

"And that's our target." The two found themselves at the end of a long pier, empty of life. The sun was dipping down past the horizon, colors cascading along the ocean. It was a beautiful sight to see. It also helped empathize the boat, that just seemed... wrong. It had an unpleasant aura to it, even from this far away, standing out more than it reasonably should. A telltale sign of Hell's presence. ass much as Kitai wanted to take a few moments to admire the beauty of the sun, he focused on the boat, looking at it through a pair of binoculars "That's roughly thirty miles out. Either they really don't want to be interupted, are summoning something really big, or both. Either way that's bad, and we can't simply destroy the ship. Not if we any sort of payout, that is." He told his companion, leaning over the rails.

He offered Col the binoculars, before continuing. "While you might be a stealthy bastard, I'm not." He lamented losing that skill set while trapped in Hell. "These things happen at night, so odds are that this thing is gonna start soon. We don't have the luxury of simply walking over there, and they're going to be expecting at least me." He paused, before explaining his plan. "So here's how I'm expecting it to play out. Once we get there, I'm going to be the diversion and catch the attention of the fodder. If my guess if correct, they'll be in the middle of the ritual, and won't be able to stop. I want you to take down the ones doing the summoning. The strongest will be there, but I think you can handle them. If they had any real power, they wouldn't need demons. Expect some of those, by the way."

Saika, Akki, Hason, all of these were a possibility for them to encounter. Most Hellions that were summoned were usually mindless, so there was a chance for the two of them to get through this easy, but when was his luck ever that good? As the sun finally disappeared from view, he jumped onto the rail, before telling Col one last thing. "Wait one minute before following, and try not to catch anyone's attention. Kill anyone who catches you. The summoners will be deep in the ship, probably the cargo area. Expect to see some messed up stuff. Good luck." He told him, before flickering towards his destination with a small explosion of Hellfire, a result of using Bringer Dark. If Col was paying attention, he'd notice that his use of the step technique was exceptionally slow.

As he burned through more reiatsu, he sped up, creating more and more flaming explosions in his wake. By the time he arrived, a small group of cultists were waiting for him. They were all dressed in demonic red robes, and had a look of awe, and mild panic, on their faces. "Are you here for the summoning?" A particularly brave one asked. "Hehahaha! Why yes I am!" Kitai responded, before punching the fool's head clean off. The others yelled in alarm, before pulling out various weapons. Mostly guns and daggers. Kitai let the chains around his wrists fall to the ground as he started hacking and slashing at the demon worshipers, laughing in delight as he did so.

Five steps of Bringer Dark: 1,750

Total reiatsu remaining: 10,250/16,000

SPOILER: Click to show

{Darkskill Body Stats}
Strength 812
Speed: 812
Reiatsu strength: 50
Spiritual Pressure: 800
Senses: 75
Instinct: 145
Energy Sensory: 0
Healing Expertise: 0

Durability: 1,325

[Col Arana]

Col noted some discomfort prickling at Kitai's psyche as they traveled through his Gargantua, but avoided probing too deeply. Col remembered vividly, in the days of the Escudo, how uncomfortable it had been to probe the mind of Allen. Him and his tortured, twisted, shattered psyche. Col did not doubt it might be an even worse decision to try and probe too deeply into the psyche of a Hell race. It was enough to pick up on Kitai's emotional state, he did not need to delve any deeper. He was silent, patiently waiting for Kitai to resume the conversation, but even the Hell escapee had little to say as they emerged into the Human World, besides to mark the location of Col's targets. The arrancar's eyes gleamed with malice as he gazed ahead.

"Magnificent." He replied, reaching out with his senses. Col's aptitude with sensing reiatsu was much higher than most. He could easily determine both numbers and approximate strength of the reiatsu of their targets. It was often how he picked out his victims. The ship itself wouldn't interfere with his senses unless it was warded by spiritual abilities. Col did not rely on his eyes nearly as much as he did his ability to sense energy, at least at this distance. Kitai was using binoculars to investigate, and relay information to Col, who took in what he could. "Oh I wouldn't say that. I have a certain aptitude for sneaking, but I'm hardly a master." Col replied, looking at the pier. Kitai warned him that Col couldn't simply destroy the ship if they wanted their pay, causing Col to frown. "I can cripple it easily enough, however." He replied. But Kitai was calling the shots on this one, Col was just a weapon. If Kitai wanted the boat intact, Col would have to follow that directive.

"Well, in any case. It sounds like I just have to identify the strongest individuals and go for them, then? Fine by me. I'll see you inside." Col informed Kitai. "I'll see if I can eliminate them before you get there." Kitai then instructed for Col to wait one minute, and that his targets would be in the cargo hold. Col smiled politely, as Kitai shot off to the ship. Col waited about a moment, until he noticed reiatsus quickly going out as Kitai's flared. Well, I suppose that's my cue. Col thought as he immediately suppressed his reiatsu and dove underwater. Col wasn't an amazing swimmer, but with physical capabilities on par with a decent athlete, and his own tremendous speed it didn't take him long to reach the hull of the ship. Col emerged from the water right beside the ship and used air ground to climb about one meter up from the waterline. This should do it. Col drew his Zanpakuto, and executed a series of quick cuts to slice through the metal hull of the ship, his reiatsu still suppressed. Col aimed to cut a portal just large enough for him to slip through and quietly slipped inside, his cloak drawn about him, that he was little more than a shadow unless he had the ill fortune for someone to be explicitly watching. And if someone was? Well. That would be unfortunate for them. If Col was unlucky enough to have cut a hole right in the midst of observers, he would use a quick Byakurai through the head, to strike down the unfortunate sentry.

But most likely, Col would slip into the ship with no trouble, still hearing and sensing the commotion of Kitai's attack. He then extended his senses again to begin to track the strongest targets on the ship. While it was dim inside the ship, compared to Col's den in Hueco Mundo it was bright as day and he had no trouble seeing anything. Come out, come out wherever you are.... He thought, with a sinister smirk crossing his features as Col began to give in to his more animalistic and bestial nature. Into his Hollow nature.

[Kitai Yoru]

The deck of the ship was quickly being coated in the bodies of cultist, as Kitai sun and danced through the cannon fodder. His chains cut through the minions of evil just as easily as any blade, sending torsos and limbs into the air. Blood sprayed into the air, making a bloody mist, coating everything in the life essence. It barely took him a minute to reduce the guards to nothing. Chains retracted back into his sleeves, as he finally stopped and took a look around him. Every inch of the deck was covered in red, and chunks of flesh were littered everywhere. The Saika himself was dripping blood, having been the center of the Hellish blender. He only chuckled at the mayhem.

He made to move to find a door to the lower levels, when he saw another group of the mooks making their way from around a corner. But unlike the red of the red-clad cultists, this one was dressed in a black cloak, with a white mask. It was something Kitai recognized instantly, and it only made the Lunatic laugh harder. "HAHAHAHA! So there are Saika willing to work with these freaks! What a disappointment you are!" He taunted his fellow Saika, who only growled in response. It was tall, much taller than even Kitai, standing roughly ten feet in height. It had four massive arms, each with three fingers on them.

"You think you're better than me!?" The distinctly feminine voice came from the masked Hellion, making Kitai pause in shock. There was a pregnant silence that lingered in the air for a moment. "You're a woman?" An enraged shriek was all Kitai got in response, as her meaty hands grabbed at the fodder, before bringing them to her mask. The face covering twisted and warped, shifting into the maw of a massive beast, before biting down on two of the men she bright with her. The two were severed in two, covering her in blood. The others ran off in fear of being next on the menu. With another screech, as the mask reverted back to what it was before, she charged at Kitai, intent on ending his life.

---

Down below deck, Col would find that his entry went unnoticed by the crew at large. Currently, there was no one around him, but that wouldn't be the most pressing issue. As he passed through the entrance he had created, the feeling of Hell would assault his every sense. The boat smelled of blood, sex and rust. Along the floor, a bloody smear and viable marking of nails scrapping against the wood, with the smears indicating that the were leading to his right. He could hear screams down the same hallway, but he could also hear the enrage shouts of a woman from outside. Even the air itself had a sticky feeling to it.

There were souls everywhere, deeply tainted by the evils of Hell, but not actually of Hell. Like snacks, laced with rot. If Col went down to the right, he would find a large wall with intricate markings written all over it, that radiated with Hellish reiatsu. In the center of the wall was ornate looking oak door, with carvings on it as well. He would be able to feel a sense of dread, trying to worm itself into his head. It was very evil. On either side of the door lay two large creatures, that looked like they had been ripped straight out of folklore. On the left side of the door, closest to Col, lay what could only be described as a lion, with the face of a man, with two folded wings on its back, and a long scorpion tail wrapped around its resting body. It was roughly four times the size of even some of the largest lions.

On the other side of the door was an even larger lion, but much like the first beast, was horribly mutated. On its upper left shoulder was the head of a goat, that was looking around at attention. This beast didn't have any wings, but its tail was replaces with an incredibly long serpent, wrapping around the beast twice. Even lying down, it was taller than Col by a good three feet. Both were directly outside the wicked door, and it would be impossible for him to simply sneak past them both. With his advanced energy sensory, he would be able to tell that the two of them were physically powerful. The one on the left had 800 in both strength and speed, while the one on the right had a pitiful 120 speed, but a staggering 2600 strength, and 400 instinct.

Alternatively, or if Col wanted to back away from the two seemingly sleeping Akki, he could go down to the left. If he did, he would hear multiple voices screaming for help. Down to the left was a large storage area, with many large cages lining the walls. Inside each cage on the left was a good dozen women of various ages. Most of them looked scared and downtrodden, looking like they've already died inside, but there were a good few screaming out for help. On the opposite side were cages filled with either filled with men, again of varying ages, or cages filled with an assortment of animals, most of them being herbivores.

Unlike the evil door, this area didn't have any Akki guarding it. Instead, there was a single Saika standing guard. It would be hard to tell with the mask, but he seemed noticeably more alert than the beasts had. He was roughly the same height as Col, had had two large wings sprouting out of his back, seeming made of knives. If Col cared to check, he'd find that he couldn't actually sense the Saika. A moment later, a group of cultists ran into the large area, clearly panicked about something. They had come from the other side of the ship, and were looking for the Saika to defend them.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats of the Akki}Manicor: Fighter Version 1
Strength: (400x2) 800
Speed: (400x2) 800
Reaistu Strength: (150-25%) 122
Spiritual Pressure: 150
Senses: 400
Instinct: 400
Energy Sensory: 0

Chimera:Berserker
Strength: (400+550%) 2600
Speed: (400-70%) 120
Reaistu Strength: (200-70%) 60
Spiritual Pressure: (300-70%) 90
Senses: (200-50%) 100
Instinct: (400+50%) 600
Energy Sensory: 0

[Col Arana]

What an intriguing place Col had stumbled upon. The spider-like arrancar slipped effortlessly from shadow to shadow, little more than a wraith or flicker of movement to most that would look upon him. He sensed the Hellish reiatsu all about and it disgusted him. The line about them being snacks laced with rot was adequate, it spoiled the idea of the entire meal and that was just no fun at all. Col couldn't truly enjoy himself devouring prey like that. He'd have to find worthier prey still. As the arrancar explored the ship, he encountered a pair of creatures he was unfamiliar with. Though they reeked of the reiatsu of Hell, Col had never encountered their ilk. Beasts they seemed. Well. Once Col blew his cover and attacked, that was that. The two beasts hadn't seemed to have been awakened by his presence, nor the battle raging up on the upper decks, so Col took the moment to check the other passage first before deciding if he really wanted this fight.

The screams for help intrigued Col and led him to investigate, finding the caged men and women. Col licked his lips. These ones weren't tainted by Hell just yet and could prove serviceable meals if need be. Not a complete waste of my time after-all.... Col thought to himself. The Saika though... that one was interesting. Col's eyes narrowed in on the creature from the shadows. It was humanoid at least, which left it a more familiar adversary than the Chimera and Manticore in the other room. Col's hand fell to the hilt of his Zanpakuto. He would have to make his strike swiftly and suddenly. Kill his mark before it had a chance to attack. In battle Col often liked to draw out his victim's suffering but he expected there was no suffering to draw out in those from Hell. At least not that they had not already encountered before in the depths.

The sound of the Cultists arriving was Col's signal. In the moment they began to flood into the room, Col struck, hoping that the arrival of the culitsts would distract the Saika for an instant while Col kicked into Sonido. His Zanpakuto flashed and sheared through the air, as Col blitzed across the room at a speed of 5200, his Zanpakuto drawn and level at the Saika's neck to sever it from its shoulders. Just for good measure, Col finished his Sonido behind the Saika and whirled around with a second horizontal cut to try and cut the Saika through the back. If successful, Col would have split the Saika into three pieces before it even registered that the arrancar was in the room, decapitating the creature, followed by slicing it in half again at the stomach.

That would just leave the Cultists. Col lifted an arm behind the shield of the Saika and a Cero formed in his palm, exploding outwards to obliterate what was left of the Saika and eradicate the cultists charging into the room at the same time. It was possible his little maneuver would also kill some of the victims in the cages, due to the sheer size of his Cero but Col wasn't particularly fussed about that. If anything he was sparing them a far worse fate, if the cultists had had their way. Or so he presumed. He doubted these people were just held in cages to be set free right afterward.

Reiatsu Remaining: 3100/3400 (-100 for Sonido, -200 for Cero)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Col's Stats and Skills}
[Strength: 300 (100)

Speed: 400

Reiatsu Strength: 400 (1400)

Spirit Pressure: 340

Light Aura: 0

Dark Aura: 100

Senses: 150

Instincts: 390 (130)

Energy Sensory: 120 (420)

Healing Expertise: 100 (33)

Total: 2200]


Martial Arts: Blades: 3
Martial Arts: Wing Chun: 2
Special Skill: Climbing: 3
Stealth: 2
Battle Analysis: 3
Analysis: 2

[Kitai Yoru]

Kitai and the brute of a Saika clashed. Over and over again, their fists collided, sending shockwaves ripping throughout the air. The deck creaked and groaned under the strain of their mighty blows. Kitai, however, was on the loosing side of these hits. While his body was strong, it was artificial, boosted by a cheap means. Her body, on the other hand, was naturally stronger. She was gaining ground with every thunderous attack. He thinks his knuckles were broken. Even still, Kitai wasn't going to lose to some Saika with no self respect.

The woman swung at Kitai, aiming to knock his head clean from his shoulders. In that moment, the Lunatic's fists began to glow, as he activated Combat Cutback. The speed and strength of his body jumped in power, as he ducked under her attack. Her swing had been clumsy, skill diminished because of the ravenous hunger Gluttony was inflicting on her. "HAHAHAHAHA!" Kitai didn't hesitate, as his fist rocketed into her chest. There was no resistance, as her upper body was blown to bits. "Idiot." He said, as he shrugged off his current body, replacing it with another. "What's the point of power if you can't hit anything with it?" He said to himself, as he used his own Mark of Gluttony on his old body, boosting his Sprp.

The woman had been cheap hired help, but not one that some random humans should have been able to summon on their own, let alone humans this weak. This might have been bigger than he realized. Were they trying to summon a Monster? The thought of that happening was enough to scare Kitai. There were several rules to Hell that you were never supposed to break, lest you suffer punishments beyond punishment. Never piss off the big man in charge, his servants, never get anywhere close to Yomi's domain, and never screw with The Monsters. The Monsters were ancient, near Primordial evils that existed long before the first Akki. Long before the first soul ever entered Hell.

These creatures were almost as impossible to fight as the Guardians, and given how the Guardians tended to back off in their presence, that gave their actions weight. If one was being summoned here... the summoning couldn't be allowed to complete. Even the weakest Monster would cause untold amounts of chaos and destruction upon the world. The corruption would be nigh irreversible. He needed to- No, he needed Col for this. They needed to get to the summoning room as quickly as possible. He considered running around to find a stairway, but that would take too long. Instead, Kitai raised his foot, and brought it down like a hammer.

---

Meanwhile; "What are you idiots doing!? You're supposed to be setting up-" Unfortunately for the Saika, that was all he managed to get out, before a blade tore through his neck. This Saika considered himself the quick one, able to end the lives of a dozen men in the time it took them to draw breath. He had focused all his time on being the fastest, but had neglected his ability to sense others. That was his mistake, as his body fell apart, cut down by the blade of an arrancar. He glared as best he could from behind a mask, as his body was consumed by a small portal to Hell.

Unlike the Saika, the cultists were terrified by this. That had been their only hope for protection from what was going on upstairs. They hadn't been prepared to deal with combat. They were merely the staging crew, so to speak. They had been tasked to set up the second part of the ritual. The summoning circle had to be exposed to the light of the full moon to be complete. Some of the robed individuals pointed their hands to the arrancar, shooting bolts of fire that might have impressed the average human. But it wasn't even fit to be called a spark in comparison to Col's Cero.

The beam of light consumed them all in an instant, along with everything behind them for a few thousand feet. The hole in the ship was massive, and gave Col an excellent view of the steam rising from the ocean thanks to his attack. It was easy. Too easy. Kitai's foot emerged from the celling, quickly dropping the unloyal Saika into the room. He took a look at the destruction and just gave a whistle. "You're one scary spider. Glad I hired you." Kitai complemented. He turned to him. "We need to get the sacrifices out of here. Have you found the ritual room yet?" Kitai asked, as he made to free the hostages. Their deaths needed to be prevented. The blood of the innocent was a common ingredient for this kind of thing.

Combat Cutback: 1,200
Release: 100
Darkskill lvl 1: 2,262
Mark of Sin Gluttony: 250, sprp now 2,400

Total Reiatsu Remaining: 6,687/24,000

SPOILER: Click to show

{Body Stats}Strength 1,265
Speed: 1,265
Reiatsu strength: 50
Spiritual Pressure: 800
Senses: 75
Instinct: 145
Energy Sensory: 0
Healing Expertise: 0

Durability: 2,131

[Deleted]

I counted 63 paragraphs total, so with each paragraph equaling 300 Ryo, that'll be 18,900 Ryo for both participants!