The Medusa And The Dragon { JT / Asuka}

[Torre Vulci]

Aah... Its been what a few weeks? Ah... It was hard to tell really, the moon never seems to change as well as the fake sun. It hasn't been long since the Fourth Espada, Shiki whats the rest of his name took him out for traitor hunting. He remembered the pure bloodlust that came from the blind espada when his thoughts opposed the Espada's. Was that Espada really that blind sighted to care more about a building and its inner workings than a single, but important member? Torre couldn't quite agree with him and while he did apologize, he only apologized for the outburst and not the words themselves. I mean, they were on the same side were they not? why create such a steep idealism about a fucking building. If there was any specific reason that Torre thought this place would fall apart from, it would be the stupid ideals that made the members worthless if they disagreed. Its fools like him that will die first, treat your coworkers as replaceable servants and you are bound to die alone. 

Well disagreed or had a difference in opinion on things, but it wasn't worth getting worked up over. He was told by his master Lady Asuka to meet up in the desert with her for some training, which was he happy to hear. Fighting those rogue arrancars from before was the most fun he had so far, and helped with releasing some steam. Yet helped him realize that he had gotten a tad bit rusty after becoming a arrancar, wasn't exactly at his full power and he hated it. Knowing that somewhere down the line from being a Adjuchas to becoming a Arrancar made him lose some of his former power was frustrating. So he welcomed the training session with his master in hopes of understanding where exactly he lost some power. 

He looked at the moon dial? Whatever device was used to keep track of time in the room and got ready for the event. Throwing his jacket over his shoulders and connecting the chains together to keep it on. Wrapping up his hands and legs in the same wrapping he had requested to hide his hollow hole. The arrancar male sheathed his zanpakuto and grabbed one last set of cloth on his way out of the palace, wrapping it around his head to hide his hollow hole up nicely. Making his way outside of not just the palace, but Las Noches itself he managed to stay out of trouble by avoiding the other major traffic areas. " I need to get stronger.... To prove that man wrong. " 

He was determined now, it was clear to him that Las Noches was basically nothing more than a spittoon of death and violence. It needed some form of unity that wasn't ran with fear something that made the Arrancar feel one as a group, instead of ten kingpins doing whatever they really wanted. The time for that however was not now nor any time soon and in order to do this he would have to leave Asuka, but he made his vow. 

And he was never gonna go back on it, not ever in his spiritual life. He walked till he got to the assigned meeting point and simply waited for his Master to show or come out of hiding. Who knows it could just be one big game of hide and seek knowing her mentality, which honestly was quite relieving. 

[Deleted]

Late! Late! Oh gosh she was so late! Asuka panted and zipped around the desert, almost forgetting where she was going to meet her brand, spankin’ new fraccion for their neat little training sash. You see, attempt to making cookies yet again and failing yet again and in the end she’d burnt that and a good portion of her kitchen was set on fire. She’d always gotten close but she had to say that today was her own personal best when it came to at home disasters. Putting that out and getting all the cute snakes that followed her around to safety was kinda her numero uno priority. This morning couldn’t have gotten any worse, right?

Wrong, because there was whole new set of stuff that came up! There was the issue of what to wear which, she’d never thought about ever. It was always a collared white shirt, slightly buttoned down and black jeans and boots. First she wondered if she should change it to something cooler.. Leather jackets and pants and what not.. but then that looked too scary so she went for something sporty..and that looked too athletic. Then she went for something extra cute and it was extra cute but it was all the same problem! Plus, she couldn’t fight in it anyway! She wanted to look good until she finally asked herself, ”Why does it matter”?. ‘Cause technically it didn’t but you know…

Ehehe..

She ended up settling on her normal attire and pouted the whole way through. Then there was the issue of forgetting the most important part of her outfit.. the belt. That is, the belt that had her zanpakuto on it. It took her twenty minutes to realize that she didn’t have it and back to her home she went. Anywhosits, this very unfortunate string of events left Asuka running later than a rabbit with a pocket watch in its hands. When she finally arrived at the right spot, Torre would see none other than his dear master running through mounds of sand only to trip and fall face first right onto his feet.

She was beauty, she was grace, she had sand right in her face.

“Ow..” She whined lowly before getting up and brushing the sand off to the best of her ability. “Hiya Torre…” She looked up at him like one very exasperated puppy. “I had a rough morning. I baked you cookies! Just the way you like it I think..” She held up a small pouch filled with burnt cookies and offered him a rather tired smile. “Did ya have a good morning? Did ya sleep well? What’d you dream about? Did you dream about the ocean again?” She was excited to talk to him and the Segunda would quickly scramble to her feet, looking up to the dragon-esque male with a bright smile and a twinkle in her eyes. “I dreamt about living in a ginger bread house but then I ate it but then it fixed itself and I could keep eating it and it was really cool.” The thought almost made her salivate yet again. “Are ya ready, tough guy!? We can start sparring whenever you're ready~!”

[Torre Vulci]

She was late, man was she late. Torre must of been waiting around for at least twenty or so minutes past the appointed meeting time before she finally showed up. Yet he only chuckled in his head when he saw her face plant into the sand somehow keeping a tray of cookies up and stable. " Good... Morning? Im not sure what time it is right now. " He said softly helping her up and aiding her in patting off the sand, even helping to remove the sand from her hair. " I can see that, i hope this batch didn't cause you any trouble. " He said softly unaware of the fact that the kitchen may need serious repairs for the moment. 

There was something about this female arrancar that kept him in the blissful level of calm, it was strange. Taking a cookie from the plate and throwing it into his mouth he chewed on it for a few minutes before swallowing. Licking his lips from the deliciousness of a burnt cookie he gave her a thumbs up. " Really good.... Although i must ask. Why does this batch have the taste of fire? You know what, i don't think i want to know. " He asking being able to tell the not so easy difference of the ovens heat and a fires heat. The fact that there was a taste difference entirely actually got him curious on just how fucked up his taste buds became. 

She brought up what he possibly dreamed about and he kinda just froze. His dreams were never really good nor were they easy to remember. Many of them just brought him rage and a furious desire to kill, but sometimes he had a good dream. A blissful dream of a woman with no face having a good time with him on the beach. It was filled with the emotions of joy, love, and satisfaction with out end yet those dreams were rare and far between. Shaking his head the arrancar simply looked at Asuka and smiled gently deciding it was better to not let her worry about him. 

" I had a peaceful dream. One of the Ocean side coast. " 

He blinked when she talked about her own dream, which sounded like something she would like. To have a eternal gingerbread house that you could eat? sounds like a good dream to him. When she brought up that she was ready to get this training going he only smirked in excitement. He could feel his warrior soul calling out in joy to be able to spar with his master to figure out exactly what the difference between them was, well hopefully. Undoing the chain from his jacket he tossed it onto one of the many gemstone like trees and took up his combat stance. His arms up in a strange boxing stance with his arms to the sides of his chest like a wild beast, all while he softly bounced on his feet for agility. 

" Im ready. " 

[Deleted]

“Trouble? Uhm no! No trouble! I swearsies!”

Asuka looked like a deer in the headlights when Torre spoke to her. Did it cause her trouble? No way. Not at all. Nah. Nuh-uh. Meh. A teensy bit.. maybe a little? Kinda? Well, in Asuka’s mind, it depended on what angle you looked at the kitchen fire from. From her angle it wasn’t that bad but if you were standing outside her house then mighta been a kinda bad. It was all a matter of per.. pers..purse... perspec…perspiration. When he asked why her cookies had the taste of fire, the Segunda would immediately turn red and open her mouth to give him a hundred and one excuses but he’d quickly tell her that he didn’t want to know, leaving Asuka to sigh with relief.

At the mention of him declaring he was ready, she would smile and from then, take measured steps backwards. Her breathing was careful and her eyes never left his. She was making sure never to let his eye contact deviate from anywhere else but her face as she put distance between the two of them. It was so that he wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else and limit his ability to pull any tricks from out of his sleeves. Not that he needed any. Based on his stance, he seemed accustomed to being very upfront about his attacks. Though, that was kinda an assumption. No way to to truly know until he threw his fists.

Her gaze would fall to his stance and rove back up to his chest where he held his arms tightly to. Her fingers slowly moved to her belt where she unclipped one whip from her belt. “Are you accustomed to using your fists?” Her eyes lingered just a tad longer, though whether it was studying or admiring was anyone’s guess. By the end of her question, he’d make eye contact again with her. She would seem a fair bit more serious than she was mere seconds ago. She was taking this seriously. If he was to be on her team.. If he was fighting along side her, this would be more important than anything.

In true snake fashion Asuka was gauging Torre. “I won’t use anything fancy. Promise.” She winked before resuming her silence. She was waiting for the perfect moment and when it arrived, she would strike like lightning. She let the chord fall to her feet and slowly, she’d circle him. One slow step at a time. Asuka was taking her time and allowing the tension to build up. She wanted him to be nervous so that when she struck, he would scramble. Gosh, she hoped he wouldn’t. It would be pretty awesome if he was this battle ready warrior. He already had all the bells and whistles of one. What mattered was what he would be like in combat now.

Asuka flicked her wrist once and a piercing snap would cut through the silence as she cracked her whip intimidatingly. Then she’d do it again a few seconds after. What sort of man was he? Was he impatient? She was doing whatever she could to learn more and when she did, she’d prey on those weakness. They were all things to be mindful of and she was taught to think this way. In the end Asuka had circled around him twice. She’d feign circling around him a third time and when she moved a few paces off to his side, she struck for real this time.

Asuka knew he was stronger than her physically. She wouldn’t get into any situation where she’d have to grapple with him but she could panther and make quick strikes and get out before he could do anything about it. Asuka would strike her whip and allow it to strike at his stomach; a place much harder to defend. If successful, it would really cut into his skin and hurt a fair bit. “If you prefer me to use my hands I will. I’m easy either way~”

[Torre Vulci]

To respond to his question Asuka seemed to frozen up like a predator finding a bigger predator, or something akin to being stunned. It was odd, but judging from her reactions it was simple enough. Something happened at her house during the baking of the cookies that caused her a fair deal of trouble. As well as judging from her cookies having the specific taste of fire and a strange scent of something artificial burnt he put two and two together. Even though he didn't want to know, he figured he would leave it be for her sake so that she didn't feel embarrassed. 

But she totally set her house on fire. 

Deciding to keep quiet and let her just think he wasn't aware of this, he simply smiled at her. Of course once he was ready for the sparing match she seemed to have gotten serious. Backing away from him and yet never keeping her eyes off of his almost like two predators having a turf war. This feeling felt really nice to see his master get serious about something if it meant serving with her, despite her usual attitude. 
" Yeah.... that's the look i was wondering about. " He said with a soft smirk to his face while he focused on his boxing stance, wondering when he should switch to his kick boxing stance. Course he figured he would see how well he reacted to him using boxing before he showed off any other tricks of his. 

Noticing her becoming even more serious about the spar he wondered if this was the true Asuka, the predatory beast that lays dormant under a veil of airheadedness. She removed a whip from the belt on her hip and he couldn't help, but to grin at the new found knowledge. A whip fighter... You certainly never stop surprising me do you. His thoughts only got calmer and calmer as she circled around him obviously gazing over him and gauging him. Rule number one of boxing was to gauge your opponent and act accordingly so he wasn't too surprised to see it being done on him. She whipped the air once with the intentions of getting his nerves going, but to be fair he was far more interested in the amount of damage she could do.

" Quick Question. Am i allowed to use my release during this?  " 

His words may be one of a rookie fighting or confused for it, but it was secretly him trying to form a plan. If he was allowed to then he wouldn't care if he got hurt. More pain meant more destructability for him to inflict on the area around them. Then she actually attacked him for real this time, sending the sharp bit of her whip towards his stomach. Quickly shifting to face her he knew the attack was too fast to try to block, but he could attempt to grab it when it recoiled. Raising one of his arms he purposely decided to take the hit in order to swiftly grab the whip on its way back. Sure the cut hurt, but with his pain resistance it helped him deal with the pain to be more like a stinging pain. 

" Little cuts like this won't stop me. I can promise you that. " 

If his attempt to grab the whip and have it wrap around his forearm was successful he would use his superior strength to pull Asuka in closer. Shifting his stance completely to one of kick boxing so that when and if she got close enough he would send a round house kick to the right side of her chest. He was banking on being able to keep her from attacking with the whips she used herself as well as a way to limit how far she got away. Course she could just easily avoid this by dropping them, but he wanted to see how aware she was of certain situations like this. 

Ones where her own strengths could be used against her. 

[Deleted]

He seemed surprised at the look she was giving him but honestly, Asuka didn’t notice herself or see how she looked at him. It was purely instinct for her. It was when her training kicked in and her senses honed in on her opponent. Like a Cobra facing off a Mongoose.. Only Torre was no mongoose. She was fighting her own who was stronger than her. However, this snake was clever and she was fast and she was beaten bloody multiple times by a man who only knew despair. There wasn’t anything that surprised her.

Some part of her rather enjoyed him commenting on how she looked in that moment. It was something she’d caught herself thinking about for a few too many seconds so she’d push it to the back of her mind for the time being. She couldn’t help the quirk of her eyebrow though. “You have the same look.” Asuka knew she couldn’t afford to lose her concentration. This was battle after all. In the end, it all was but different degrees of it. It wasn’t life or death but it was worth taking it seriously.

Being accustomed to whips meant lots of things. For one it meant having the freedom to attack from all sorts of angles and being mostly unpredictable. It came with lows though. Like when people grabbed the chord. She was no stranger to that and she sure got her ass beat for it time and time again. She’d found small ways to deal with it though. Torre was stronger than her and likely knew that. He’d want to make this a close quarters fight and that wouldn’t be in her favor. But if he forced her into that then… well… she’d have to make lemonade out of lemons. Again.

He’d probably try to reel her in like a fish and take a stab at ‘er or something. She could do what he did and endure it and go in for a nastier hit.. But that wasn’t her style. She watched him endure the hit in the name of grabbing ahold of the chord, wrapping it around his forearm. Mentally, she cursed at the ride she knew she was in for. Asuka kept her grip but she was adamant about not being disarmed. She’d let him yank her closer but he’d find that he was able to yank her far too easily because in this instance, she wasn’t going to try to stand her ground.

She could see his kick coming and when he pulled her closer, she deliberately made it so that she fell into him. It would be fairly controlled though. He’d pull her back and she’d fall into him, taking a knee temporarily. It’d make his kick ineffective and if she was successful, it would miss her. “Buuuut ..getting tangled with me might.” She weaved off to the side when she gauged his leg was over her head, letting whatever was left of her chord catch his foot, leaving it awkwardly suspended in the air. She bit back a triumphant smile as she looked at him.

“As far as releases go… Course ya can~!” She chirped gleefully as she pulled her whip taut and hooked one of her legs around one of Torre’s, leaning closer. He sure was in for it. She hadn’t considered releases. What would his be like? What would he say if he saw hers? It’d be good for them to see both of their releases but she also didn’t want to show off and stuff. She remembered how much she resented it when other people did it for no reason. For now, unless he requested it, she’d settle on having a good ol’ fashioned sparring match in the sand with just her and her whip. Asuka would yank her hooked leg back and shove him as hard as she could so that he’d fall back into the sand.

“But I’m allowed to get rough with you if you do.”

[Torre Vulci]

Man he really is sparing against the Segunda isn't he? Fuck he knew he wasn't really gonna win or get close to winning, but damn he was at least hoping to get a single hit in. Replaying the events in his head in what seems like seconds he decided to adjust his current fighting to try and counter her own. She allowed herself to get pulled in and purposely used the momentum to avoid the incoming kick to her side all while reading him like a open book. Well he would have to start treating it like it was a fight for his life now wouldn't he? Clearly she was doing the same even though neither of their lives were at stake. 

" Ah..... You know. I knew this would end in my loss, but im at least hoping to get one hit in. " He said proudly enough fully acknowledging that while sealed, hes no match for her if he does it as he normally does. Laughing softly as he was truefully enjoying himself with this little spar he decided to focus and bring out his inner blood lust. Focusing on the one thing that lights up the fire inside his soul, as he did that he quickly pushed himself down and onto his stomach so that his hair faced faced to her face. Oh forgive me for this milady... He thought as he forcibly reminded himself of the woman and two children. His veins glowing a bright red from the sudden flow of anger inside of him, his hair lightening ablaze like a roaring campfire. 

Despite it being now fire, the flame like hair was actually quite harmless incapable of burning anything as all it did was signal his wrath reaching its peak. This was a preemptive attempt to catch her off guard for hopefully a few seconds at most, at the cost of him now losing much control of himself. Using hopefully what time he maybe managed to create he bounced up onto his hands and tried to kick her straight in the face. His one eye now glowing gold at the iris signalling him going into his berserk feral mind set that was his worst habit turned into maybe a useful attempt at at-least getting a single hit in. 

If this was like a video game this could be assumed to be the second stage of a boss fight that surely Asuka was considered overleveled for. None the less the feral side of Torre now unleashed she would have to deal with a unpredictable monster that didn't care about wounds and pain. Feeling the whip wrapped around his leg he practically flung himself into a circle to unwrap it by force, whether he was successful or not really didn't quite matter. He landed on his hands looking back at Asuka as he stood back up, whether the whip was still around his leg or not. 

[Deleted]

It was reminiscent of her own training matches with the former Segunda. Getting a hit on him was the greatest accomplishment of all. Forcing him to release was almost impossible but getting that one little scratch on him meant the whole world to Asuka. It meant that if she could do that one little thing, then she had hope that she could do so much more. It was the one thing that let her know that she could be more than just a lowly fraccion. She wouldn’t be stuck in the same place centuries to come.. She could have the same power he did.

Only through hard work, blood, sweat and much more blood that she was able to be here. Maybe Torre might feel the same way if such an obstacle was presented to him in the same way. She wouldn’t be half as cruel as Kuroi but she did say she’d be far more rough if he released. “I understand. Don’t be sorry! This is fun. Aha~” She nodded her head with a small smile, curious to see what was in store for her. She was sure that no matter what it was, she could easily handle herself.. but she’d her best to give him a real hard time. Nothing good ever came easy after all!

Nothing delicious was also healthy but that was a convo for a totes different time..

She watched him silently before her eyes widened at how bright and glowy he got. It was like something sparked and then ignited. She took note of his hair, watching it flicker wildly like a flame. The Segunda looked on with shock and awe. Some part of her was awfully tempted to touch his hair but she’d restrain herself in the name of keeping up their training. “..Torre? Can I touch your hair when we’re done?” She couldn’t help herself on that front because man oh man oh man was that suuuuper interesting!!! She bat her eyelashes at him briefly, waiting on an answer to her small request. Not once did the thought ‘Oh this might burn’ cross her mind.

Either way, it succeeded in catching her off guard and she didn’t register him bouncing back onto his hands immediately but she knew he was going to do something with the lower half of his body so she’d slide her foot in the back, backwards slightly and tilt her head up, feeling his foot just barely graze her chin. So much for staying focused. Sure was hard with Torre. He was all flashy and fiery and uh… well he was all different but she wasn’t complaining.

Something about him seemed unhinged and far less calculated than before. That was dangerous on its own. An opponent that you couldn’t read was a fearsome one. She felt the tightness of the whip relinquish and fall loose as Torre spun himself out of its grip. Quickly she’d recall the chord to her side, cracking it in the process as she watched him. His eyes were bright, golden and a fair bit more intimidating than before. She’d take her time trying to gauge him but his stance and his earlier movement told her that she couldn’t plan anything out. She had to go with the flow and deal with things as they came.

The best thing to do was to keep her attack simple so, Asuka would return to pantherering and rather than strike at his stomach where he could grab her weapon easily, she would go for something else. She’d settle for striking him with full force on both his shins in a single wide strike before quickly recalling her whip. If successful, it would cut much deeper into his skin, causing him more pain.. Though he was released now. Who was to say what would and wouldn’t affect him. “Your best bet is to force me to let go of my weapons.” She advised as she’d start to circle him, teasing him just a tad. “Or maybe I’m better in hand to hand?”

[Torre Vulci]

To look inside of Torre's mind right now would be seeing one of wrath and suffering. To view all the memories in his life in a demented and distorted way, all everything negative was ramped up to a hundred. Memories like his step father beating him to having a demonic being torturing him with his mother praising it. To other memories like little monsters in the school yard attacking him from all over the place, with teachers scolding him for defending himself. One of the worst memories being him trying to escape from a hell hole prison ran by demonic looking beings that treat them like lab rats for some strange experiment. 

His mind was constantly overflowing with his memories being heavily distorted to the point of pure madness. Any memory that was considered positive or capable of giving him joy was either lost or blurred out. Only one memory stuck with him throughout his first death and into his hollow life, giving him a chance for relaxation. The memory of his fiance and two children that he himself accidentally left behind because of said death. This one memory stuck with him because of the fact that he was thinking of them during his death, the shame of never seeing them again. 

It was the spark to create this flame of eternal wrath, with the rest of the memories as fuel. 

The more he stared at Asuka the more he accidentally placed her face on the image of the fiance. The more he accidentally put her into his own broken heart. The stronger he wanted to reach out to her and simply hold her, but his wrath made her look like a enemy. Distorting her appearance to him to make her look like some snake devil to keep him from doing such a thing. He charged at her after roaring with the volume of a dragon, only stopping because of the sudden pain in his shins. He fell to all fours and continually smacked the ground in a fit of rage. 

"... i'll find you..... i'll find you... I'll find you.... I SWEAR IT!!!! Rampage into Destruction! VOL-CAN!" 

Yelling out the release phrase his sword burst into flames covering him in a orb of lively flames. His silhouette shifting and changing inside the orb of flame before it burst away. From the front most of his body was covered in armor only leaving his chest, neck, and head for the most part clear. His hands now looking like bone armored boxing gloves, his arms covered in the same kind of strange hollow armor. From the waist down his body seemed to have gained the same bone armor, but in a medievil knight kinda fashion. His feet having four talons in the same fashions as dragons usually do. From his waist line was a four foot long tail covered in the same armor, with the final obvious touches being his chin and jaw line having fangs along his cheeks. 

His hair still a blaze, but twice as long. In this crouching state she could see what look like five mini volcanos forming out of his back, two on his back shoulders and the other three down his spine. This was his release, his Volcan. Immediately afterwords a red flame like mist covered the area around him in a sixty foot diameter like aura. This mist was one hundred and twenty degrees in temp, yet it was completely see though. 

" Destruccion, DESTRUCTIVA! " 

He yelled out activating the technique due to how badly his body was actually damaged. The heat like aura vanishing completely and flowed into his mini volcano's. Once that finished black smoke started rising out of them and a red light flowed around his body like a outline. With this technique now active he jumped high into the air outside her whips probable range, raising his leg up to axe kick her. If it went through or wasn't dodged, it could probably break a bone or two. 

Either way he was fighting like a wild beast now. 

SPOILER: Click to show

 
Released used: -400 Reiatsu. 
Primera Etapa Duration: 1/6
Tech used: Destruccion Destructiva { Rampant Destruction } -600 reiatsu. Phase 1, Ability activated. 
Reiatsu total: 1,280. 
Reiatsu left: 280.

[Deleted]

Teasing smiles and focused looks would immediately turn into one of shock as her eyes widened in exclamation at Torre. Like a match sparking to life, he ignited with wrath. She was no stranger to seeing such fury on the battlefield but it also felt like it came out of seemingly nowhere. At least, it seemed that way at first until he spoke. He’d find her? Every muscle in Asuka’s body tensed with the increasing escalation of his voice and out of caution, she’d take a few steps back while he’d fall to all fours and slam the ground beneath him.

She’d hear that monstrous roar and her eyes narrowed, fully determined to stand her ground. It wasn’t her first time fighting an opponent like this. The werecow people were just like this. Only with chains and lots of teeth and pure anguish and really really bad breath. If she had to guess, Torre had all of those qualities.. ‘Cept maybe the bad breath. She wouldn’t know that. How could she?! Her mind wandered for a brief second, pondering on whether or not Torre had bad breath and how she could solve that conundrum but flare up from the flames on his zanpakuto and body would quickly bring the Segunda back down to earth.

Asuka took one long look at the man in front of her. Armored head to toe with talons and claws that were the stuff of nightmares. He was a volcano personified.. with traits of a dragon of course. Asuka retrieved her whip back to her side and she crack it to the side of her, keeping her eyes on him. She couldn’t help but noticed that it got quite hot and misty and at that, she’d unbutton the top two buttons of her shirt. His release totes had to do with heat but what specifically. “Nice release.” She complimented with a small smile. It was completely him.

He’d shouted something and just like that, the head inn the air dissipated and Asuka’s face twitched in confusion. She could see it flowing to his back and then the black smoke rising. That looked like a signal of some sort and it didn’t look good. Asuka watched him jump high into the air and pulled her whip hand behind her, knowing that it would be ineffective at that range. He seemed to favor going for kicks against her and he was doing it again. She didn’t quite know what the side affect would be to taking such a hit other than some broken bones and feeling sore but Asuka did know she didn’t totally want to be hit by it.

Not that it’d be a terrible problem. She could come back from such a hit with ease but she couldn’t just let him have it. Her head was tilted upwards as she watched his body specifically, looking to his raised leg. “Who are you trying to find?” She asked concerned. Quickly, Asuka swiveled her body to the outside of the leg coming down and then slammed her own leg into his side in an attempt to knock him farther away from herself. If she was successful she’d hop back and try whipping him in the face and striking him on the cheek.

“Torre?”

[Torre Vulci]

From the day he was born to the day he that he passed away, his wrath always followed him. In life his anger wasn't actually nearly as bad as it was now, as if something was amplifying it. The transformation into a hollow was perhaps the reason for it or was it all the souls he had consumed and absorbed to get this far? Either way this level of wrath was forced and anyone who could tell the difference would easily know that. To become a beast like this through the power of anger and rampant emotions was only something many considered to be part of cartoons or video games. 

In that aspect one could consider Torre a berserker type character, but in his full essence he wasn't. Even in life Torre hated being angry, but never had the help to control it. Not until he found his fiance of course, but their union was short and tragic. This pain was deeply rooted in Torre's heart and without someone like his fiance, he was bound to repeat his mistakes. Was Asuka the one to help fix him? oh how he hoped for it and maybe she could. For now however, he was in a stage of pure wrath attacking anything that was deemed a threat. 

And so he will. 

His axe kick impacted the ground with enough force to cause a kinetic explosion of sand, it was similar in size as the force needed to break through a concrete wall. This time the sand wouldn't block off sight of Asuka as she was so close to him already. Her shove to him did push him away a few feet from her, keeping him in range of her whips. When he turned to face her the whip slashed against his cheek, the pain causing him to recoil and turn his face away from her. A moment or two later though he snapped his face back towards her just in time for her to see orange lines going down from his eye and hollow hole connecting at point on his chest. The lines then spread one per limb down each arm and leg, stopping at his feet and palms alike. His arms and legs both bursting into wild red flames that quickly became orange in color. 

With this change of color of the flames so too did his flame like hair become orange, as well as his single eye. The black smoke coming from the volcano's thickening as if signalling the change. Torre sat there for a quick moment panting and catching his breath from the drain this technique did to his body. "....Im sorry..... im sorry.... im sorry.... i left you..... " He said wrath and a mix of sorrow flowing from his words. " Why can't i find you...... Why can't i remember your face.... WHY!!!!!!!!!!" With this yell he bursted into action putting his armored arms together to act like a shield and charging Asuka. This was instinct to try and guard against her bladed weaponry while keeping her close. 

Right before he would of collide with where she easily would be, he stopped entirely. Using the moment to throw a right punch towards her face, directly after using his left to upper cut. If either of these attacks were to hit, she would not only have to deal with pain of his concrete breaking punches, but the 400 degrees of flames flowing from them. If any of these attacks were to miss by five feet small first degree burn wounds would form on the nearest skin from those said punches. 

Right after those punches Torre could be heard whimpering in a way full of pain, wrath, and confusion.  "....Why.... Can't i remember their faces either.... Dear.... " 

SPOILER: Click to show

 
Release duration: 2/6

Destruccion Destructiva Phase 2: Heat build up by 25%, covering his fists and legs with a heat equal to a oven at 400 degrees only on direct impact, missed melee attacks by 5 feet leave first degree burn marks.
Reiatsu remaining: 280 

[Deleted]

"What...?"

The repeated ‘I’m sorry” and the the pain in his voice was the most unnatural thing she’d ever witnessed in the midst of fight. She’d seen tragedy before but never in the long list of opponents she’s faced had she ever come across an enemy with remorse.. an enemy with a true emotional pain and guilt. There was nothing like it. She’d been through fights where she was the one suffering such a thing but never this. It was enough to shake her just slightly as she watched and listened to his display of grief. Asuka was left wondering just what had he been through.

As a hollow or hollow kind, this was to be expected. Asuka, for the most part, remembered most of her human life. At least, the bits and pieces that stuck out to her were the truly awful ones. Her worst memories though were quite recent. So recent that it was only month ago really; the same time as her promotion to Segunda. When Torre screamed the words ‘I left you’, something in Asuka’s chest tightened. The feeling of ice in the pits of her stomach was the first thing she became aware of and then pain where her heart was. She was aware that he wasn’t referring to her but.. She was on the receiving end of such an act.

Her fingers instinctively ran over her ring finger where a ring once was and then she’d flex her hand, almost as if she were doing her best to rid herself of the thoughts. Someone was her Torre. Someone had left her when he’d promised to come get her and start an entirely new life. “Who are you trying to remember Torre?” She asked shakily.Her eyes took on a glassy quality as she remembered so vividly. There was no word on him. She did wait for years but it was only months ago she’d decided to finally move on; a decision she still wasn’t entirely sure she should have made. Love did make people do crazy things; she’d be crazy to entertain the thought of going back to him…

Not that she could anyway… He disappeared intentionally. Not on a mission and not for anything else. He certainly didn’t care about her. Listening to Torre violently scream his desires to find his former love and try to cling on to whatever was left of her made her.. jealous. It was new and it was something she didn’t enjoy either. “Whose face? Who is it?” It was jealously for the woman he loved; Asuka wished there was someone like that in life. Someone that cared even a fraction about her well being. Someone that wanted to be in her life so vehemently that he would burn the world down for her.

Maybe not burn everything the way she burnt her kitchen buuuuut…

It was a selfish thought. Asuka admonished herself mentally as the thought started to take root. She’d had two life long loves leave her high and dry. Abandonment was what she felt.. and she didn’t like it. It didn’t mean that she should be a craptastic person though; nah, that wasn’t who she was. By the end of this, Torre was still her fraccion and she was still.. Well, she was still Asuka. It would take her a lot more to have her act so cruelly as Kuroi once did. She promised herself she wouldn’t be that way. It wouldn’t be right to him and she’d be doing herself no favors.

But damn, was she having a hard time. Parts of her simply wanted to lash out in her own grief and pain over what transpired over her years as an arrancar. She envied Torre as well for being able to express himself freely. She wished she could do that in her own way. She’d been so lost in her own mental battles that she hadn’t quite noticed his punches at her face followed by the scorching flames that followed them. "Oww....." She growled roughly at the pain and heat that was currently coursing through her body. No, Asuka took the full brunt of that.. and it hurt a fair bit. Still, Asuka remained still and unmoving, her hands placed at her sides and her arms slack.

Her head was turned from the impact of the punch and severe burns splashed across her skin. Parts of her shirt either burned off or singed and her hair in that area frizzled to that ugly charcoal color. Slowly her head turned to him and he’d see the half of her face nearly burnt to a crisp as he stood in front of her. He’d watch her rapidly recover. Her skin was restoring itself to what it once was and her hair was growing itself out, the singed and frayed bits dissipating. This was the power of High Speed Regeneration. It hurt but if you gave it a moment or three, you’d be good as new. Her clothes were still in that distressed, burnt state but the burns and the broken whatever that came with the punch fixed themselves.

In that moment, she turned her whip around so that the pointed tip would face Torre. With it, she’d drag it hard across the skin on his stomach. Asuka might be able to recover from her wounds, but not Torre. She’d have to be careful with it. There was a bit of ferocity behind her attack. Fierceness none had ever seen before. Perhaps its was her own pain and shock showing through despite her determination to hide it.

“Torre?”

[Torre Vulci]

To see Torre right now was to see a man drowning in his own wrath, wrath that has been building up for years. Wrath born from shame, loneliness, pain, suffering, and a extreme longing in his heart. A longing to continue living, but a longing to see the one who brought him blissful peace once again. He longed for those once peaceful days that placed a happy smile on the arrancars face, but alas that was just a dream. To return to those days is something of a impossibility at this point, not much he can really do about it now that he is a monster. A monster who seeks combat in order to sooth his aching soul even if for nothing more than a short while. 

He heard the voice of Asuka, but it was like hearing a angel suddenly speak for the first time in centuries. Right as he was trying to focus throughout the eternal flames of his wrath, a image showed itself. A memory from his days as a plus during the year that he was one, it was blurry yet it was slowly clearing. The memory of his mother with what was distorted to be a evil angelic like being holding children with her. "......He did..... He did it.... I SPARED HIM AND HE SEPARATED US!!! " He roared out with his flames flaring out of control for but a moment, the memory of this causing his blood to boil. 

In this fit of rage his stomach was slashed, but even though it was a ferocious attack it was carefully made. Instinctively he moved one hand to his stomach from the sudden feeling of pain that formed. " I... I killed him... He separated us and i killed him..... So why.... Why.... Can't i find you?!..... " His feelings of pain and loneliness echoing through his words as even though revenge was taken, the goal was not any closer. Torre was all alone once again at least that's how he felt inside his own heart and mind, with two strange exceptions. Torre stared at Asuka for the longest of moments as the lines throughout his body became golden yellow. The flames on his limbs changing into a golden yellow, as well as his eyes and flaming hair. The smoke coming from the volcano's thickening once more becoming thick enough to be practically be barely see through. By this point the sand under his feet was starting to turn into molten glass from the concentrated heat. 

" I'll..... I'll burn this whole world down.... IF IT MEANS I CAN FIND YOU AND THEM AGAIN!!!!!! " He roared out before becoming a peaceful kind of anger. Still confusing Asuka for a snake like monster, but for just a split second he confused her for his fiance. " .....Then we can be a happy family again.... " Even with this positive sentence his voice was laced in regret and sorrow. Once the split second passed the distortion took over his view once again causing him to attempt to hit her with a round house kick to the side of her stomach. If this attack were to connect it would be sort of the same as the last set of punches. 

His feet capable of the same concrete breaking power, but with a flame of 600 degrees on direct contact. If the attacks where to miss by ten feet this time she would have to worry about the first degree burns, but if by 5ft? She would need to worry about second degree burns to the nearest bits of flesh. This was the secret to Destruccion Destructiva, it floods his mind with distorted memories to encourage rampant violence. To rampantly increase the output of his heat generating abilities by sending him into a berserk if not tormented mind set then again, not like he was gonna remember any of this anyway. 

SPOILER: Click to show

 
Release Duration 3/6

Destruccion Destructiva- Phase 3: Heat build up to 50%, his fists and legs generating heat equal to 600 degrees only on direct impact, missed melee attacks within 10 feet leave 1st degree burn marks. Missed melee attacks within 5 feet leave 2nd degree burn marks.

Remaining Reiatsu: 280.

[Deleted]

It didn’t take many words. Often times it was what someone didn’t say that spoke volumes. Through all the screaming and the rage filled voice, Asuka felt herself filled with grief and that familiar icy pit of loneliness pierced her already marred stomach. She felt. His words. She knew what it was like to be separated from the things she loved and to be forced away and forced to turn into something she wasn’t. Being a hollow wasn’t something she was meant to be but it was the path chosen for her and there wasn’t much Asuka could do with that. Nothing except make lemonade with lemons of course.

The heartbreak would cause him to act out. For some, they reacted with pure rage. They wrought destruction and crushed buildings and skyscrapers in their path. They did reckless things like set the world on fire or return to a position they were adamant on leaving because they were oh so totally convinced someone was their forever and was going to run away to become a human .. ahem. You get it, don’t you? Love made your heart spring to incredible heights and then it shattered it into nothingness. That’s why they were the way they were. Torre was very much in love or at least, once was.

“I get it you know.” Her voice was quiet as she looked at him with a sorrowful expression. Her heartbreak was quite recent. Not the same circumstances at all but the truth of the matter was that the person she loved abandoned her and she would never get an answer. She didn’t understand his exact situation, but that guttural pain was a language they both shared. Her lips parted as if to say something, but Asuka quickly shut her mouth and bit her lip, knowing whatever she could say might set him off further or even worse, set herself off. Not that it happened often, but seeing Torre in this state stirred something within her. Asuka was sure she had herself in check but his pain was almost like her own. The look in his eyes was the same anguish and loneliness she suffered and that was becoming rather hard to ignore as the minutes ticked by.

She watched as the lines connected and radiated a golden light, ignited to life. It would be then the smog started to darken and intensify. Asuka was beginning to recognize that it was a tell that something was coming. He was a volcano; he needed time to charge and when it called for it, he erupted. Dangerous. His question echoed to her: ”Why can’t I find you?!” Asuka gulped hard. “Maybe she doesn’t want to be found.” She thought rather bitterly, immediately thinking about Shinsei. Surprised at her own feelings, her eyes widened as she looked around her, trying to make sure that it was truly her. Should she pinch herself? It was just her and her thoughts and was ashamed for it.

A man who would burn the whole world down for the one he loved… She knew a few like that. She knew the type. Asuka was never like that herself. Do you save the one person you love and let one thousand die or the inverse? He would be the former and she was the latter. There wasn’t a right answer to that situation, but the thought of many people dying would be devastating to her. She couldn’t let that happen. The selfish part of her though wanted someone to express the sentiment he was expressing right now towards her. She wished someone felt that way. Was that weird? It was super weird wasn’t it. Oh my god this is weird. This is so weird. Why her?! Why her?! Why her?!

Weird wasn’t all of how Asuka felt though. She felt a hot streak of jealously run right through every vein in her body. She felt envy for the woman that was no longer here. Unnatural, yet true envy for her. Asuka wished that someone thought like that for her; even if it was for a fraction of a second. Why couldn’t she have that for herself? Was she not good enough? ”If I was good enough.. would he have stayed?” That lone thought would cause the Segunda to falter for just a moment. Her gaze downcast as she stared listlessly into the sand, lost in her own thoughts and pondering on what ifs. Shouda’s, coulda’s and woulda’s alike.

He confused her about fifty different ways and then doubled it when he said something about them being a happy family again. “Wait. Torre.” In alarm, the smaller female would raise her hands just slightly in protest as if to say halt. “I’m not uhh…” Her cheeks flushed as she looked at him, batting her eye lashes. ‘Course, wide eyes and confused pouts were nothing in the face of rage and terror. It was unlike anything she’d seen before and Asuka thought that she’d seen it all. Mighty as the Segunda was, who was she to get in the way of a ferocious dragon’s rampage?

“Uh-oh”

Asuka muttered to herself in slight panic. She knew something was coming but rather than take it and lash out, she would hold on to that restraint she always showed. She would not be Kuroi. Kuroi is not what he needs.. It’s not what anyone needs. What Torre needs is his uh.. his uhm.. m-master. Gosh, that was weird to think about. Once again, Torre would go for his favored kicks and rather than get hit, she would dodge yet again. Instead of moving back, Asuka quickly dropped to her knees, shifting her head to the side. She grossly underestimated the burns she would be suffering and as a result from being within 5ft of his leg, her skin would sear and her shirt would burn in random places. Ashen marks and holes would start to form as threads would be eaten away by his flames and heat.

She didn’t have the tolerance for heat and so beads of sweat would roll down the side of her face and trail its way down. She could take it. If she believed enough, she could endure anything. Her skin would burn but it would regenerate any chance it got. “What separated us?” Asuka decided to indulge in a hint of trickery as she’d sneakily hook the chord of her whip around his ankle while she was on the ground, hopeful it would distract him. Her head tilted up as she she looked up to him, waiting for him to realize that he’d missed. Her eyes were narrowed as she did her damndest to endure the intense heat that came with being close to him. It was weird trying to play the part of whatshername but she did it in the name of executing a plan.

If successful, before Torre would retract his foot, Asuka would stand immediately, letting her shoulder intercept him awkwardly and simultaneous pulling on the ankle she had roped up. He would fall on his back onto the sand and see her wounds slowly try to regenerate. Those second degree marks on her skin were very much present for a minute or two. It wasn’t nearly as fast but she’d be good as new. She’d step back and lash her whip onto one of his legs, seeing as he favored using them so much. “Stop using your legs.” She commanded. “I wanna see more. Show me more, Torre.”

[Torre Vulci]

Regret. What a silly thing it really is, the one emotion the living has that can ultimately determine their fate. Everyone is always told to live your life the way you want so that you don't regret anything. To make your choices carefully and live by them no matter what problems or events they cause to occur. Out of all the emotions that mortal life emits, Regret is the one that keeps them held to the earth. It is the chain that holds them from ever going to paradise. It is the anchor that can pull a person down to the deepest pits of hell without any chance of escape. It is the sole emotion that determines their fate in the after life whether they were a criminal or a saint. 

It is the one emotion that helps fuel this eternal wrath, well it and sorrow but they are practically the same thing. To be sad about something means you regretted something about it, and to regret means it saddened you. Regret and Sorrow were practically hand in hand emotion siblings, dancing around the flower of life till it withers and rots.  Wrath was a byproduct of such a thing for those who do not feel sorrow, they can only feel wrath. The wrath of why did this happen to me? Why did this happen to us? It wasn't fair! The kind of wrath that blinds a persons very soul and mind. 

This was the true meaning of Torre's Aspect of Death, Wrath. It wasn't the violent rage with a short tempered fuse nor was it years of frustrations building up to one true point. It was the version of wrath that is born from regret with no outlet. No way for the wound that has formed deep in the bowels of his heart to heal. Nay it was the wrath that was born from the regret of losing something so precious and so dear to him. Not a single being is safe from this part of wrath and not a single being ever will be. 

As long as the flames of wrath burn inside his heart, this volcano will never stop. 

Torre didn't blink when Asuka suddenly dropped onto the ground to avoid his kick, but when she looked back up to him. If her goal was to confuse him and delay him, her gamble succeeded. He simply stared at her with confusion in his eyes to the sudden response as if it was the first time in years. This eerie confusion was short lived however, as he was quickly pulled onto his back side or well sorta on his back. The volcano's got in the way from his body truly being on the back. He more or less landed on his back and swiftly was moved to one of his sides because of the arrangement of the volcano's. It didn't stop him from yelling out in frustrated pain as one of his legs was damaged yet again. The roaring hot flames however, did leave some damage from exposure to the whip.

Because the attack was so quick the damage was minimal, a decent polishing would be enough to fix it. Small bits of her bladed whip would be a red and hot to the touch, but otherwise no damage to it. The ground that made contact with his legs and arms however, were notably quickly molten glass from their temp. He stared at Asuka as she spoke almost dazed from the so convincing question to this almost demanding if not orderly tone. As he stared at her as his lines, flames, hair, and eye all shifted their color to a bright white, as white as a snow blanketed field. 

At this point his hollow hole had a ring of white flames around it. 

He was oddly silent for once her little trick causing him to have problems speaking. Yet the distortions were not stopped and his mind filled with memories once more. These memories were of his fiance during her pregnancy and after it, they were happy memories. All of them leading up to the moment of him being turned into swiss cheese by gunfire. This enraged Torre even more causing his flames and spiritual pressure to flare out of control quickly starting to turn the sand into molten glass around him. 

" They were so beautiful!.... why can't i remember their names or faces?!..... They were mine and yours!.... Our ....Flesh and Blood! " 

He sprang into action quickly pushing himself up and jumping back to put some space between them. Quickly charging at Asuka ready to throw a punch, but before he did he kicked up some of the molten glass at her. If anything this was his instincts as a boxer mixed with the dirty fighting he learned as a Adjuchas kicking in with his legs badly wounded. Using the molten glass as a distraction he went for what many would consider a illegal boxing move, a punch straight to the liver.

This punch with its concrete breaking and nearly super human levels of strength would be deadly enough as is, but it was encased in the white flames. These flames were 800 degrees in temperature, leaving first degree burns if it was dodged by 15ft. If by 10 feet the burns would be second degree and finally if by 5ft? The flames would be equal to third degree burns on whatever near by flesh or flammable object there was. 

In his eyes wasn't a killing intent, it was the look of a beast desperately trying to survive. 

SPOILER: Click to show

 
Phase 4: Heat build up to 75%, Fists and legs generating heat equal to 800 degrees on direct impact, missed melee attacks within 15 feet leave 1st degree burns, 10 feet leave second degree burns, 5 feet leave third degree burns.
Reiatsu total: 1280
Reiatsu remaining: 280 
Release Duration: 4/6