The Price of Honor [JT]

[Deleted]

Orobas strolled down the streets of Karakura rather slowly, both due to the physical strain from his age, and his general lack of sight. Having been around for tremendous amounts of time was likely to set in on quite a few beings over time, and he was not exempt from that at all. Old age had been hitting him like a truck, though he was making the best of it. Taking his time to walk along the sidewalk and to be careful as to not walk directly into others, the Akki made his way toward a nearby park.

His goal for the day was mostly just people-watching. He wanted to see just what he could learn about the general populace; find out what he could about the people of Karakura, and where some vulnerabilities were within those that lived here. He'd wanted to learn what he could, and in the most time-efficient way possible. Hell, perhaps he'd even encounter a hollow or two, as Karakura had been a spiritual hub for many a people over the last few decades. He'd quickly realized that, which was why his business had been located here.

Sighing, Orobas sat himself down in a nearby park, and at an open bench. Generally speaking, most people probably wouldn't have approached him due to his age. Thankfully for him, this was likely the only reason he wouldn't have been approached, as 2000+ years had given him quite a large amount of time to learn how to conceal his hellish nature. Either way, while he wasn't going to be picked out on the spot by others, that didn't stop him from looking to do the same for those in the area. If another spiritual being came in the general vicinity of him, he'd likely be aware of it. Thankfully though, a fight was the last thing he was looking for.

[Celes Castellanos]

It was a lovely day outside. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping a lovely tune and the air was thick with the scent of dust, rubble and the sounds of combat. In one of the many plazas of the town, a Hollow was doing battle with one of its most fearsome adversaries. A Shinigami. This was not just any Shinigami, however. It was the Vice Captain of the Tenth Division of the Thirteen Court Guards. She often came to the Human World when she had downtime to train. Either with a sparring partner or even while looking death directly in the eye while facing Hollows. After some time, however, the idea of hunting Hollows for experience began to become dull. Though despite this, Celes would always stand up the menace.

Celes was well aware that there existed Hollows who had intelligence. Who were truly sentient beings aware of their actions. It was after she fought Valentin, one of these Hollows that Celes got a better appreciation for redemption in Hollows. Despite this revelation, Celes could still identify a wild and rabid Hollow when she saw one. This was one of those cases. A vicious snake-like form with a white mask that marked each Hollow, this one was slithering around Celes, looking for any openings. It's tongue would click slowly. Celes would take note of these clicks and would begin to devise a strategy. Slowly beginning to count a rhythm matching the clicks, Celes noticed the smallest discrepancy.

As she took notice, the Hollow went in for a blinding strike. Thankfully, Celes was rather quick on her feet as she disappeared from sight. It was clearly a Shunpo and the Vice Captain would now be above her opponent. With that, she would quickly plunge how Zanpakutou down. It seems that the Hollow was a worthy match as it used its body to its advantage, making sure to create little gaps by coiling its body in certain locations. As Celes collided with the ground, the Hollow grinned and hissed triumphantly. With a quick motion, it would attempt to slam its tail upon Celes. Though even the Vice Captain seemed to have a contingency for this. Her arm would quickly move at an incredible speed to meet the tail.

Under normal circumstances, the size of the Hollow would make one believe that any attempt to apply opposing force would lose out to the Hollows' bulk. Thankfully, this was not the case for Celes. At this point, any onlookers would be able to see Celes holding the Hollow's tail with her bare hand. Smirking somewhat, she would quickly clasp her other hand around as much tail as she could. With this, she would begin putting her weight into it as the Snake was lifted from the ground. Hissing aggressively, it shrieked as it collided with the ground. The resulting thud even let a rather large crack in the concrete itself. This was a testament to Celes' incredible physical strength.

As she watched the Hollow squeak somewhat exhausted, Celes would slowly unsheath her Zanpakutou. With what to the naked eye appeared to be an almost imperceptible sword slash to most, Celes watched as the Hollow began to squeak a little as its mask was pierced. With that, Celes would notice the Hollow slowly begin to fade away as was usual for the process of purifying Hollows. In some ways, Celes took no pride in doing war against the Hollows. In fact, she to an extent was repulsed by the idea of killing. These Hollows were an unfortunate exception. To allow them to continue to exist and rampage could result in untold damage and destruction. This was something that Celes could not help, but fight against.

After a job well done, Celes looked around to get a better grip of her surroundings. The plaza was in the middle of a park and Celes smiled a little. She enjoyed nature very much and this was a great experience to get close to nature. After all, what was the chance that she had an audience or that someone was able to see her. The chances were rather slim. Making sure to relax, she sat down on a nearby bench and placed her Zanpakutou against her side, smiling a little. She was happy to have her Zanpakutou, Yunorashi, by her side. After all, it was her partner and was what defined her as not only a Shinigami, but also as a fighter. Celes calmly rested, hoping that she would be left undisturbed, though knowing Karakura town, this would be difficult if not impossible.

[Deleted]

Remaining on the park bench as he observed the girl before him, Orobas couldn't help but smile. He realized quite quickly that she was an amazingly skilled combatant, and one that he'd like to continue to see in action. He chuckled to himself at the thought of that. Surely that opportunity would present itself shortly. He stood up, and slowly began to make his way over to the bench she had been walking toward. Naturally he was far slower than she had been, but in time he eventually arrived.

After sitting down, he smiled and looked in her general direction, honing the direction of his head on the girl's reiatsu signature. "My, that was some work you had put in there," he said, "I can't say I've seen a Shinigami take down a hollow so elegantly before. Certainly respectable, to say the least." In truth, it absolutely was. While he couldn't naturally see what had went down, her spiritual strength left a lot to be desired, meaning the aura she gave off was rather small. Due to that, he had been able to get a rather refined image of her moves, especially when compared to the hollow she'd taken down.

"I'd love to be able to get a better look at what you're able to do in a fight if you'd indulge an old man such as myself," he said, a serene smile on his face. Perhaps she'd be an interesting being to test out the capabilities of his horrors against? They'd absolutely need some fine-tuning when being created and commanded, and this was likely the perfect opportunity for him to be able to do so. He'd hoped she would be willing to agree, though ultimately there wasn't really any way to tell if she would.

He chuckled to himself as he went to continue speaking. "I'm something of a fighter myself," he said, "though I've since grown... venerable. I can certainly still hold my own, but I'm not what I used to be." He once again flashed her a serene smile. He wasn't looking to deceive the girl at all, and was trying to have a genuine conversation with the girl for the time being. Hopefully he'd be able to get a better feel for her in combat, Lucifer knew he needed the practice to keep his mind sharp.

[Celes Castellanos]

As Celes sat down to rest on the bench, she began to take in the environment around her. It was a lovely park with playground in a sandpit for the kids, numerous benches for family to enjoy and overall had a very nice atmosphere. There weren't too many walking around which was to be expected given that there was a Hollow roaming around the premises. At least there was before Celes swiftly took care of it. She was beginning to feel that she needed greater challenges. Hollows at this point were becoming more a part of a duty as a Shinigami rather than encounters that she could learn from. It was truly disheartening. She needed something or even someone stronger.

It seemed that her wish would be fulfilled even though she didn't even know it yet. An elderly man sat beside her on the bench. He appeared to be in his 60s, one could even guess 70s. He moved slowly befitting a man past his prime. Grey hair and wrinkly skin didn't help his situation. Though despite what she initially thought was a happy coincidence, he turned to her and began speak. "I can't say I've seen a Shinigami take down a hollow so elegantly before. Certainly respectable, to say the least." As she heard this, she immediately turned in his direction. He could see her? Well maybe not see, but sense her. This was becoming increasingly more interesting, but also alarming. Was he just a spiritually aware human or was there more to him? 

He continued most likely due to her startled reaction which almost seemed to steal her voice. "I'd love to be able to get a better look at what you're able to do in a fight if you'd indulge an old man such as myself," Celes blinked rapidly. Was he really asking to fight her? This old man? This gave Celes two immediate assumptions. Either he truly was more than he let on or he was a human fighter wizened by age and tempered by experience. To his credit, the offer did not sound disinteresting to the Shinigami. Celes gave him a look over once more and began to try and size him up. Physically, he was not much to look at yet she didn't feel anything spiritually. Granted her senses were not the greatest, but he truly did not give off any shred of information. 

After hearing him share a bit about his experience, Celes noted that he claimed to have garnered a great deal of respect. This is when Celes would respond. "You truly flatter me with your attention and your praise. In truth, I did not expect anyone around here to be able to see. Especially after I expected most to clear the area due to the threat of the Hollow. Most may not be able to see it, but I find that nature has instilled that key survival instinct in everyone. At the fleeting feeling of danger, they flee. Yet, you are here. And you can see me. Now you also claim that you are a fighter. I'd be lying if I said that I can get a read on who or even what you are."

Celes was cutting straight to the point. She had met her fair share of most of the different races. From sinners, to Quincy, to even Arrancar. She began to note certain defining characteristics about most of them yet none were matching up with this one. There was an air of mystery around him and Celes did not like that. As a fighter, she liked things at face value. She hated secrets. She wanted to fight straight to the point. Then again, what if he was more than what he was letting on? Could he be a threat to Karakura? Even more to the Soul Society? Unfortunately the only way for her to find out would be to indulge his request. Celes sighed and she began to look at him, not that he would be able to see that.

Celes spoke in a calm voice, still able to keep her composure. "Well, I suppose you have caught my interest. I am Celes. A Vice Captain of the Tenth Division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. May I be given the same respect by hearing your identity?" There was no deceit behind Celes' voice. She wasn't intending pry any needless information from him. Celes had most likely already shown herself the honor-bound warrior by being so open as to claim interest in his request to duel along with stating both her name and rank. These were important to her identity, yet she believed in sharing them to her opponents as a way to show respect. It was something that she awarded anyone she would meet in battle or even train with. 

[Deleted]

"I'd be lying if I said that I can get a read on who or even what you are." These words made Orobas chuckle; this was exactly as intended. At the moment, he was looking to lay low and blend in with the Human World. He didn't want to make any overtly aggressive actions toward those that weren't fully willing and ready for it, as he didn't want to come off as a threat for the time being. Per what the these two were talking about, some sort of physical engagement was to be expected.

"Well, I suppose you have caught my interest. I am Celes. A Vice Captain of the Tenth Division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. May I be given the same respect by hearing your identity?" Orobas simply nodded. "Of course, I've no vices about letting you know who I am, Celes. A pleasure to meet you, by the way. In this world I'm known as Orobas Price, though in mine I'm simply Orobas. Take your pick, make nicknames, or whatever you'd like. I've no qualms either way." He chuckled once again after speaking.

"As for what I am, are you familiar with Akki? We're effectively Arrancar from Hell. Hollows that have since been damned, and tore off our masks in the midst of all of that fire and brimstone. I've since risen to the top of the food chain over the last thousand years, and hold the position as the strongest being in hell - well, right below Lucifer himself." Upon finishing, he'd do what he could to flare his sensory capabilities, in order to see if there were any noticeable reactions from the girl.

"Truth be told though, I'm not looking to bring wanton destruction right now, so I do promise you there's nothing to fear regarding that. I'd simply like to see what a Vice Captain is capable of; call it a way to see where the Soul Society is doing at this moment. I apologize that my interests are somewhat selfish, but it's been far too long since I've been able to stretch my muscles and actually get my own blood pumping. You seem like someone who would be quite an enjoyable experience to spar with, would you be willing to indulge?"

[Celes Castellanos]

As Celes asked Orobas who or even what he was, Celes was not really expecting an answer. While she could not get a read on him, she also got an eerie feeling from him. She could not quite put her finger on it, but despite not showing any signs of aggression, there was an aura of unease about him. Almost as if he would pounce on her if she let her guard down. With that, feeling the Shinigami tried to steel herself yet despite this, the eerie feeling never dissipated. Were his intentions truly as pure as he was making them out to be and more importantly was he an enemy? An Arrancar? No mask so that was likely a no and he certainly did not give off any energy that was tangible enough for Celes to feel. 

As she waited for the Akki to speak, she would finally get a response and she was surprised by just how innocent it sounded. "Of course, I've no vices about letting you know who I am, Celes. A pleasure to meet you, by the way. In this world I'm known as Orobas Price, though in mine I'm simply Orobas. Take your pick, make nicknames, or whatever you'd like. I've no qualms either way." Though in that sentence, it was the mention of the Human World even if it was indirectly that caught her eye. Celes had many thoughts race through her head. This confirmed that he was otherworldly, but from where? He clearly was not Soul Society? Nor Hueco Mundo? At least, not from what Celes could tell. The anticipation was eating her up.

His next answer would have Celes utterly captivated and curious. "As for what I am, are you familiar with Akki? We're effectively Arrancar from Hell. Hollows that have since been damned, and tore off our masks in the midst of all of that fire and brimstone. I've since risen to the top of the food chain over the last thousand years, and hold the position as the strongest being in hell - well, right below Lucifer himself." This certainly proceeded to shock Celes. She was learning much more information about Hell in the process. All of this was a concept that she could not even begin to fathom currently. A Hollow who was purified and sent to Hell? Was Orobas truly that vile? 

Then of course there was he mention of his rise to the top over the last thousand years. Wait, Celes had to recalibrate herself there. Thousands years?! That was utterly shocking for Celes. She was aware that spiritual beings could far transcend the normal boundaries of mortality and by extension age, but that number made Celes head spin. For a moment, she could not help, but let a little gasp at that insurmountable age escape her lips. It most likely would not take much for Orobas to pick up on it. Even despite her training. Despite her dedication and good-hearted nature, even she was vulnerable to the fear that Orobas could instill. In fact, thinking about it, Celes had very rarely felt afraid. 

Of course there were times when the realization of death had touched her heart, but this was mainly when she was alive. The loss of her sister and of her mother struck her hard. Almost as though she were shot with a gun. The fear of being powerless along with the fear of loneliness creeping in. Ever since her induction into the Shinigami, she has been working on this. To improve. To adapt. To keep her calm. Yet despite all of this, she was losing a little bit of that built up calm. She could compose herself if she gave it time, but this was certainly tough. Given the threat that loomed in front of her now. All he wanted to do was spar, right? Could he truly mean no harm?

"Truth be told though, I'm not looking to bring wanton destruction right now, so I do promise you there's nothing to fear regarding that. I'd simply like to see what a Vice Captain is capable of; call it a way to see where the Soul Society is doing at this moment. I apologize that my interests are somewhat selfish, but it's been far too long since I've been able to stretch my muscles and actually get my own blood pumping. You seem like someone who would be quite an enjoyable experience to spar with, would you be willing to indulge?" Even despite this new sense of fear, Celes found the moment to ground herself. He wanted to gauge her ability? To stretch his legs? This could be interesting. Besides, Celes tried to look at it objectively. He clearly had centuries on her. Maybe even millenia. Could she learn something from this Akki?

Though somewhat trembling lips, Celes would speak after all of this. "An Akki? I had heard and even met Nakkabakki before, but to my understanding they were the spawn of a sinner. The product of a sinner and a member of any number of given races. It was curious to consider what one of these sinners looked like. It had weighed on my mind for quite some time..." She began to eye Orobas up and down again to get a better understand of his physical capability. His old age seemed to make him fragile and almost physically weak. She would then continue. "A warrior like me learns to size up opponents with experience and you seem to have the frailty of an elderly man, but then again..." Celes clicked her tongue. "I've learned looks can be deceiving and weakness can be a shroud to hide ones real strength. A teaching of Sun Tzu.." 

It was this comment that most likely showed Orobas that Celes was well read, especially in terms of philosophy and battle tactics. Yet despite his eerie feeling and terrifying prospect due to his potential experience, Celes looked at this positively. She rose to her feet and hopped a little bit. She then spoke. "Our respective identities would have us be enemies, but I see value in experience. In wisdom no matter the individual. I would be honored to show a wizened warrior the respect of a spar and perhaps even learn a few things from my elders." Celes would actually bow to the Akki. If she were seen by any other Shinigami, this would most likely look ridiculous, but Celes truly saw this as an opportunity to improve and even gain insight on someone who claims to be one of the strongest. 

[Deleted]

Orobas couldn't help but chuckle to himself as the girl before him gasped over his age. Surely she knew it was possible for someone to exist that long, no? She seemed to be quite adept already with the spirituality surrounding the afterlife as a whole, it was hard to imagine that she wasn't particularly familiar with it all. Either way, he was glad to be able to show her what that age had certainly done to benefit him over the years.

As he had finished up speaking, he began to listen to what she had to say. "An Akki? I had heard and even met Nakkabakki before, but to my understanding they were the spawn of a sinner. The product of a sinner and a member of any number of given races. It was curious to consider what one of these sinners looked like. It had weighed on my mind for quite some time..." A serene smile rose to the Akki's face; surprisingly, this smile hid no deception behind it. "Well, Celes, I wouldn't particularly mind showing you my true body, given you don't lose any semblance of sanity you have at the moment." He laughed over this, rather enjoying Lovecraftian humor.


"A warrior like me learns to size up opponents with experience and you seem to have the frailty of an elderly man, but then again... I've learned looks can be deceiving and weakness can be a shroud to hide ones real strength. A teaching of Sun Tzu.." Oh this opportunity was far to good for him to pass up. He absolutely needed to continue to 'flex' his age, and that was exactly what he planned to do. "Ah, Sun Tzu. I only wish I could meet that brilliant man, his thoughts and philosophies on combat have certainly given me quite a bit to think about over the years. It's such a shame that I wasn't born a few hundred years later, I might've been able to meet him if I hadn't died by then."

Noticing her energy signature move from the bench, Orobas took note as it seemed the girl was... bowing to him? This rather surprised him. Though, what was he going to do? Not show the same respect back? He waved his hand. "Oh, Celes," he spoke, "I promise you there's no need for such actions. I'd like to believe we're on equal footing here, no? Sure, I've a few years on you, but from what I had witnessed not too long ago you're a highly respectable combatant. You could lead an entire force on your own, should you desire! So please, don't act as though you're lesser than I am, because I assure you that you are not. Let today be a helpful experience for you; tell me, Celes, do you look to rise above Vice Captaincy within that organization of yours?"

With that being said, he followed in suit and stood up. Taking a deep breath, he once again gave the girl another smile, this time though, opening his blind eyes. If she decided to peer into those, she'd be met with a glare of nothing but pure red sin shining through those supposedly empty sockets. His calm and serene demeanor had become something much more dark; far more sinister than most anything that had been seen upon the Human World in the past.

As he gave her his smile, he proceeded to do two things; firstly, he let his hellish reiatsu flare wildly around the area. Second, he exerted a spiritual force over anything and everything in the area, though not with killing intent; it was enough to apply a rather noticeable amount of pressure to the girl, as well as force every living thing within a solid fourth of a mile into a state of unconsciousness.

"If you've a dream to rise above your station, Miss Celes, I could certainly be of assistance. I could help you achieve that position. I'd be glad to do so, in fact. I could help you achieve power you never thought imaginable; power that none of this world have ever thought possible. All it would take is a bit of tutelage, and that much could be easily taken care of if you so desire. Oh, and no need to worry; not a soul around here has lost their lives. They're all simply in a state of slumber, as to not witness what is about to ensue. Even you need not worry for your life, I've no need to take it. That said, let's get this under way, shall we little Celes?"

[Celes Castellanos]

As the Vice Captain closed her eyes and performed a very polite bow at the waist, her eyes would open as she heard what she assumed to be chuckling. It seemed that she was right. As the Shinigami slowly raised her head to look at Orobas, the Akki was raising his own hand and seemingly trying to convince her to stop. Celes blinked a little. Was he looking to devalue her show of respect. Admittedly this for a moment caused Celes' blood to boil. She after all, did not just bow to anyone, much less someone who she is practically destined to despise and go to great lengths to kill. In truth, however, Celes was not sure if she could. Celes firmly believed that he played down his strength when confronted with it.

It was this uncertainty of being able to combat him effectively that left Celes tilting her head and calmly peering at him as he spoke. "I promise you there's no need for such actions. I'd like to believe we're on equal footing here, no? Sure, I've a few years on you, but from what I had witnessed not too long ago you're a highly respectable combatant. You could lead an entire force on your own, should you desire! So please, don't act as though you're lesser than I am, because I assure you that you are not. Let today be a helpful experience for you; tell me, Celes, do you look to rise above Vice Captaincy within that organization of yours?" This certainly elicited a few nervous blinks.

There were a few chief reasons for this. For one, Celes was suspicious about his overall strength. Part of her felt that he was hiding it. That his true power was locked deep within and that he was playing the weakling. Then again, he admitted to being strong enough to hold a position just below Lucifer in hell. Yet he was claiming to be on the same level as Celes. Slipping past Celes' initial notice, it seemed that the Akki was trying to play into her pride. She had revealed herself very early on to be just that kind of type. Was she really this easy to read, however? Could she really be strong enough to go toe to toe with one of hell's finest? As much as Celes wanted to tell herself, yes, she doubted that. 

Second and more importantly, Celes was cautious about him inquiry as to her aspirations. It was true that Celes worked hard. She did her best to uphold the ideals of the Soul Society while also leveraging her own and trying to make decisions that way. Was she really fit to be more? She mulled it over in her head. If she truly was to one day be more and truly become a Captain of the Soul Society, it would be through hard work and determination. Right now, she didn't feel up to the task. She didn't feel worthy of it. If she was going to lead a Squad, she was going to make sure to be the best damn Captain she could be, but she also knew her weaknesses. 

As Orobas opened his eyes, his almost lifeless orbits met Celes' and what she felt in that brief moment truly horrified her. She couldn't explain it, but she felt that she was face to face with an ancient evil. Almost as though she were looking into the ideas of an occult entity. Of an Old God! This realization chilled her to the bone. Though in the hopelessness of the orbits, she felt something else. It was a type of spiritual pressure that almost seemed to be pressing down on them all around her. It was not a Hollow. Nor was it a fellow Shinigami. It felt otherworldly...almost hellish. Was this coming from Orobas? In mere moments, Celes began to see others collapse around them. Did he kill them with a mere thought? 

It seemed that Celes would have her question answered. "If you've a dream to rise above your station, Miss Celes, I could certainly be of assistance. I could help you achieve that position. I'd be glad to do so, in fact. I could help you achieve power you never thought imaginable; power that none of this world have ever thought possible. All it would take is a bit of tutelage, and that much could be easily taken care of if you so desire. Oh, and no need to worry; not a soul around here has lost their lives. They're all simply in a state of slumber, as to not witness what is about to ensue. Even you need not worry for your life, I've no need to take it. That said, let's get this under way, shall we little Celes?"

Could she really trust him? At this point she was not even sure if this was a possibility. In some ways, despite no harm coming to anyone around them and even a promise that Celes would not be harmed, the Vice Captain felt a kind of responsibility for the inhabitants who were quite frankly caught in the crossfire. The Shinigami would move very quickly. In fact, she would draw her blade at an impressive speed, producing an almost mock Iaijutsu slash using her natural speed. Assuming that Orobas did nothing to stop her, Celes was almost sure he wouldn't because he most likely felt in control of the situation, Celes would halt her blade a few inches away from his neck. 

She had enough discipline and control to do such. Assuming that Orobas just stood there, Celes would speak, venom running through her words. "My aspirations are solely my own. You will need to excuse me for I already have a mentor and I am ill-equipped to trust you after your little display towards the innocent townsfolk. Harmed or not, they are now in danger. But I am also no coward. And I will not strike you down with underhanded tactics." Assuming that Orobas still did nothing, Celes would withdraw her blade and walk a dozen or so feet away. Taking a ready stance, she breathed calmly. "I am curious to see what someone of your stature can do. I hope to learn much here, but don't take my open-mindedness for granted." 

[Deleted]

Orobas didn't even do so much as flinch as Celes drew her blade not an inch from his neck. All he did was continue staring at her with that same smile he had been holding the entire time. Truth be told, he wasn't worried in the slightest. He'd experienced death enough times to no longer bear the fear of having his head lobbed off. Gently pushing the sword away from his neck with one finger, Orobas never broke eye contact with the girl.

"My aspirations are solely my own. You will need to excuse me for I already have a mentor and I am ill-equipped to trust you after your little display towards the innocent townsfolk. Harmed or not, they are now in danger. But I am also no coward. And I will not strike you down with underhanded tactics." Orobas simply maintained his stare on the girl as she spoke. Once she finished, he decided to chime in as well. "My, that's rather disappointing to hear. And here, I thought that you'd be willing to take up that offer."

As he finished speaking, Orobas held out a hand in front of him, his thumb positioned tightly against his middle finger., while also listening to what the girl had to say. "I am curious to see what someone of your stature can do. I hope to learn much here, but don't take my open-mindedness for granted." His shit-eating grin persisted on his face. "Very well, then. Let's get this spar underway, shall we?" As he finished speaking, the Akki snapped his fingers, as another surge of reiatsu and spiritual pressure began to burst outward from him in waves.

While his appearance hadn't shifted, Orobas had now released into his first stage of release; "Saisei Oni; Primera Etapa." Moving his arms down to his side, a snow white tendril emerged from his upper back, accompanied what sounded like flesh ripping. The tendril made its way around toward Orobas' front, where it rested on his left shoulder, easily much thicker than his arm. Grasping at that same tendril with his right hand, Orobas ripped a chunk of flesh off from that tendril, which was already in the process of growing back, as he threw it up into the air.

As this fleshy mass seemed to remain floating in the air, it seemed to be in perpetual motion. It wouldn't take much thought for anyone to realize that something was incubating inside of there; something that was quickly released from the pod within a matter of seconds. As the pod split open, with flesh and muscle rupturing to let this newly-created creature spawn into the world, another sack of flesh dropped from the air, seemingly the same size as the orb still persisting in the air.

As the chunk of flesh on the ground made contact with the pavement, it quickly began to take shape. Within a matter of seconds, this chunk of flesh was already in the form it'd maintain for the duration of its existence; something akin to that of a dog. Granted, this dog was easily sized like a great dane at this point, though exceedingly malnourished. At a first glance, it'd seem almost impossible for its legs to be able to hold it up, yet it stood.

The beast itself was easily horrid in appearance; various chunks of "skin" were missing, tendrils were spewing and launching from its back, and the beast seemed as though it had no bones by the way it stood; legs were bent and contorted in ways that should've been impossible, along with its torso and neck significantly out of any semblance of shape they should've normally maintained. The beast seemed to stare Celes down without eyes.

"Come now, Celes," Orobas said as the beast slowly made its way over to him, nuzzling its deformed head against his leg, "we'll even allow you to make the first move. I won't aim to make a single strike against you until you follow in suit. Does that sound fair to you?" The same eerie chuckle that seemed to follow everything he said once again persisted at the end of his words. He was ready for what was about to ensue.


Primera Etapa: 1/8

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}Type: Aged

[All stats have a 25% boost applied to them, due to Orobas being an Envainar.]

Strength: 50 [32 sealed] [188 released]
Speed: 100 [63 sealed] [375 released]

Spiritual Pressure: 400 [250 sealed] [1,500 released]
Reiatsu Strength: 400 [250 sealed] [1,500 released]

Instinct: 100 [125 sealed & released]
Senses: 50 [32 sealed] [63 released]
Energy Sensory: 300 [375 sealed] [1,125 released]

Healing Expertise: 0

Light Aura: 0
Dark Aura: 100

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Battle Analysis - 2
Mental Incantations - 4
Stealth - 4
Leadership - 3

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{Reiatsu Pool & Soul Fragments}Reiatsu Pool: 14,150/15,000

-200 for Primera Etapa.
-300 for Birthing pod activation.
-350 for Birthing pod spawn.

Soul Fragments not gained until Segunda Etapa.

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{Horror Stats}Class 2: 400 SP.

Strength: 10
Speed: 190
Reiatsu Strength: 0
Senses: 50
Instinct: 150

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{Birthing Pod}Orobas rips off a small portion of his horrific form, and quickly uses 300 reiatsu to reshape it into a pod double the size of a basketball, and has a durability equal to Orobas' OS. This pod is then released out into the air, where it hovers and remains indefinitely, spawning eldritch creatures only seen in nightmares. These creatures act as Orobas' personal army of nigh-indefinitely spawning monstrosities. By spending 50 reiatsu, Orobas can create a Class 8 horror, no larger than a small dog. A Class 8 horror is given 100 SP to divide however Orobas sees fit upon creation between Strength, Speed, Reiatsu Strength, Instinct, and Senses. An additional amount of reiatsu can be added to each of these summons, increasing the Class of the horror spawned by 1 for every additional 50 reiatsu, up to a maximum of Class 2. Every Class above 8 that a horror is created at gives said horror an additional 50 SP to work with for stats. Due to these beings not being of this world, they’re not prone to collapsing from having below-average stats, nor are they locked out of spiritual abilities due to having low spiritual stats. Upon being killed, these horrors immediately dissolve into dust. Only one summon can be created from a Birthing Pod per post, but multiple Birthing Pods can be set up. Though, this cost is prone to quickly add up if too many are created. In Primera Etapa, only one birthing pod can be created per post, and only two horrors can be summoned at any given time.

Once Orobas activates Segunda Etapa, he can consume the horrors he’s created to regain some reiatsu back. By touching a live horror, Orobas can regain the reiatsu spent to create the creature, plus an additional 20 reiatsu per Class of the horror above 8. For this to work, the horror needs to be alive. Second, only one horror can be consumed per post this way. This consumption requires one paragraph per 200 reiatsu absorbed, and should Orobas be interrupted during the consumption process the horror is lost and only half the reiatsu is not gained. Four horrors can now be summoned at any given time.

In Tercera Etapa, Orobas can spend 150 reiatsu to force these horrors to fuse together in an unholy combination of flesh and rot. The fused horror retains the highest class of the horrors fused, and both summons have their SP pools added together, up to a maximum of 1000. This SP is then redistributed, and all injuries previous horrors had are healed. Only two total fusions can occur per post, and a horror must be active for at least one post before it can be fused; once a horror is released from its Birthing Pod, it cannot be fused that post. Once a new horror is created via fusion, it cannot fuse with other horrors for one post. Six horrors can now be summoned at any given time, and two birthing pods can be created per post.

Cuarta Etapa brings about the ability to fuse into specialized horrors for 400 reiatsu. When fusing together three or more Class 2 horrors at one time, the user can create a Class 1 horror. This horror has a predetermined amount of SP, is given a “type”, and cannot be fused with lesser horrors, but it can be fused with other Class 1 horrors of the same type. The available types for these horrors are Attacker, Defender, and Proliferator. All of these types, upon creation, have 1000 SP to spend freely, no matter how much SP the previous horrors had, and can be fused up to Orobas' current total SP. After allocation, each type grants these bonuses; Attacker provides a 50% increase to Reiatsu Strength, Defender provides a 50% bonus to Strength, and Proliferator provides a 50% bonus to Instinct. These increased stats cannot go beyond 75% of Orobas' OS, after type. When two Class 1 horrors of the same type fuse, another Class 1 horror of that same type is created, with these fusions. Horrors of different types cannot be fused. Eight horrors can now be summoned at any given time, and up to two of them can be specialized horrors.

Quinta Etapa allows for the detonation of these horrors. By forcibly pumping reiatsu into these horrors, they can be sent to run into a target, and detonated in a large blast (twenty feet in diameter), mixing flesh and fire. Only Class 1 Attacker type horrors can be detonated, and forcing these horrors to detonate costs 200 reiatsu. This explosion has an OS equal to the average between the horror’s Reiatsu Strength, and anything hit by the blast is afflicted with Eldritch Decay. Ten horrors can now be summoned at any given time, and up to four of them can be specialized horrors.

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes just stood in her stance, waiting for any sign. Any indication of aggression. She needed to give herself a reason to not just treat this as a simple spar. After all, Orobas has gone to great lengths to try and make her feel unwell. Not only did he exude a very uneasy feeling, he not only remained calm with a blade to his neck, but he even just moved it to the side as if nothing was wrong. Was he truly so far gone? So deeply intertwined with the depths of Hell that death itself didn't even scare him. In some ways, it was something to be admired. But it also made Celes look incompetent or even weak. Was that, despite all he said, what Orobas was trying to prove?

As Celes waited for the moment to strike, she also had a moment of relaxation as Orobas seemed to speak. "Very well, then. Let's get this spar underway, shall we?" It seems that even he was ready. Things were heating up as all that Orobas did was snap his fingers as he spoke. "Saisei Oni; Primera Etapa." Primera Etapa? Celes knew well the resurreccion of the Arrancar and yet the Akki who were according to Orobas hellish Arrancar had a similar type of release. Though as soon as he said those words, Celes felt something in the pit of her stomach. That uneasy feeling...it grew. She could not explain why, but it was growing like a wildfire. 

Celes had rather terrible ability to sense energy yet even she could tell that there was a monster behind that face. Perhaps she could not tell literally, but she could sense the depths of his spiritual ability. It felt...crushing for lack of a better word. As if her entire world would come crumbling down upon her. It was good that Orobas was still prepping himself as Celes simply stood there, in both shock and awe over what she was feeling. She did not even entirely notice the process the Orobas was going through to form his little pet. When Celes came to, she looked before her at not only Orobas, but some eldritch abomination of a dog that stood before her. 

In truth, this was all very odd to Celes. It seemed that she was not going up against what seemed to be a physical fighter. Was he a summoner perhaps? She also remembered when he mentioned something about his true form? Was something truly so vile trapped behind the mask of flesh? Did she have to be careful or worried? No. No! She was a warrior. She had an incredible battle sense and she would use it to her advantage. This Akki may have centuries on her, but Celes had to act. She had to keep calm. Or else she would surely fall. Her breathing would slow. It was a part of her martial arts training. She needed to keep her cool. 

It was through this momentary change in attitude that Celes was actually able to comprehend what Orobas was saying. "Come now, Celes," The Vice Captain would tilt her hand somewhat and continue breathing. He was ready to go. The eldritch dog just seemed to be on guard next to him, showing some kind of affection towards the Akki. "we'll even allow you to make the first move. I won't aim to make a single strike against you until you follow in suit. Does that sound fair to you?" It seems that Orobas was trying to test her perhaps? See if she was able to combat him at various stages? This was something that Celes was accustomed to herself. Though she did wonder...was there more to his power?

Well, Celes had nothing to lose with this then. Tapping her foot, Celes would create a small rhythm to keep her mind focused. It was this rhythm that would also mark the initiation of her attack. Of course, Orobas had no real way of knowing this. Of course, currently, Celes did not know that the Akki was in fact blind. She assumed that the lack of light and lifeless look of his eyes was simply a biproduct of being in Hell. Perhaps the Vice Captain would learn later to use this to her advantage? Even then, Celes hated to use others deficiencies for her own gain. Perhaps she needed to in this situation...? No! She would not pick the path of the coward. 

She would, however, be sure to use the first strike to her advantage. Upon the second tap of her foot, she would speak. "Seems fair to be Orobas. I'm curious to see what you are able to do. Especially after bring out your little pet.." It was then that Celes would continue to tap her foot. Tap. Tap. Upon the third consecutive tap, Celes would disappear from view. She needed to see just how well Orobas could track her. Her movements using a Shunpo would take her right next to Orobas. In fact, she would be very close to his side, a few inches away from the dog next to him. It was then that Celes would using her natural speed of 500, reach down and grab the dog. As she did this, she would spin.

Assuming that she was able to grab the dog successfully, Celes would simply aim to complete her spin and throw him with force at the Akki, but this wasn't just it. Assuming that Celes had now successfully tossed the dog at Orobas, she wanted to try and end this all in one strike. Using the momentum of her spin, she would sheath her blade. The sound of the sheath, if Orobas was able to hear it, may have confused the Akki. Atleast, so Celes hoped. In a mere moment, at a speed of 1000, would would perform a quick draw technique known to many sword fighters as an Iaijutsu strike. It would come out with impressive speed, looking to cut deep into the Akki's arm. 

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{Stats & Skills}Strength- 400 x 2 = 800
Speed - 250 x 2 = 500
Spiritual Pressure - 250 x 0.5 = 125
Reiatsu Strength - 50 x 0.5 = 25
Light Aura- 90
Dark Aura - 10
Instinct - 150
Senses - 75
Energy Sensory - 25
Healing Expertise - 0

Total SP: [1100]
Pain Tolerance: 2
Martial Arts: Baguazang: 2
Martial Arts: Hakuda: 2
Battle Analysis: 2
Lack of Fear: 2
Weapons: Spear & Shield: 2
Weapons: Katana: 2

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{Iaijutsu}Technique Name: Iaijutsu (Sudden Strike Technique)

Class: 4

Technique Type: General Physical Technique

Usable By (Technique is available to which races?): Any

Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects (Explain appearance, powers, and effect): The user of this technique draws their sword and strikes with one fluid, lightning-fast motion. This technique can easily catch an unprepared opponent off-guard. This attack is made at 2x the user's Speed, or at a speed of 600 (whichever is faster). Due to the sudden nature of this attack, characters with less than 200 Instinct are caught completely flat-footed and unable to react to this attack, unless they meet one of the alternative requirements (see drawbacks below).

Except where noted, this is otherwise an ordinary melee strike and has no reiatsu cost. Proficiency with this technique allows the user to immediately sheathe their weapon after making their attack.

Mastery of this technique allows for it to be combined with Shunpo to draw, strike, and sheathe the weapon in the blink of an eye. This variant costs 50 reiatsu to perform, and gains the benefits of a 3x Speed Boost (instead of the usual 2x). This variant is imperceptible to characters with less than 200 Senses. Characters with 200+ Senses detect a blur of movement from the user but may not be able to react to the attack unless they have 200+ Instinct and/or one of the benefits listed in drawbacks below.

How to use technique (How is it activated?): Simply draw your weapon and strike in a single fluid motion.

Technique Drawbacks (Limitations, repercussions for use, etc) This technique rarely works more than once per thread, as any opponent who witnesses this technique being used can react to it normally (regardless of Instinct). Even against aware opponents, this attack retains its speed however and should not be underestimated.

In addition, characters who know this technique or have Battle Analysis of 2 (or above) can easily identify the ready stances used in this technique and predict the user's intent. Such characters are never caught off-guard by this attack but will still need to react to its incredible speed.

This technique can only be used with a sheathed sword. In order to use this technique more than once during a single thread, the user must sheathe their weapon prior to using this technique again. This technique requires 2 SKP in Weapons (Sword) in order to be used, and 3 SKP to be mastered.

Made By: Kerrigan

Reserved? (Yes/No) (Can others use your technique, or just your character?): No

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{Reiatsu}
Shunpo x1 - 50

Total Reiatsu: 1200/1250

[Deleted]

The very moment that Celes disappeared from sight, Orobas knew he needed to react. He'd been ready to make a move, though was rather surprised upon noticing Celes going after the horror. He'd thought for sure that he'd be the primary target here. Unfortunate, but something to consider nonetheless. As she grabbed the horror, Orobas ripped once again at the tendril on his shoulder, and threw the chunk up into the air.

As he was doing this, Celes was throwing his own horror back toward him with rather alarming speed. He knew exactly what needed to happen here. Orobas bolted toward Celes through the use of Placidus, moving at an astounding 5625 speed in order to pop back into existence behind Celes, a flash of pitch black enveloping her view for a split second. The very moment he appeared behind her, she was continuing with her rather fancy slash. He decided to take advantage of that.

Pressing his fingers against her shoulder as fast he could, Orobas began to fire off something akin to that of a Kido; something quite similar to Shakkaho. As he fired off the spell, instead of a burst of lightning, though, trails of searing flesh coated in hellfire burst from his fingertips, and if she didn't move, Celes' shoulder. While this spell was certainly potent, it was by no means the worst of it all. Just by making contact with the girl, Orobas began to corrupt the girl's very being.

If he connected, Celes' shoulder would begin to fester as the skin around the area would mutate and rend itself. While it wouldn't be anything severe to begin with, it could've certainly added up over time if left unchecked and constantly kept up with. Only time would tell if that would've happened. In turn, he took a step back in order to back off from the girl. "My, you've certainly got guts, Celes," he said, "though I must say I'm rather interested to see if you'll be able to keep up from here on out."

As he finished speaking, both pods that he'd created began to spring to life once again, and dropped two more chunks of flesh each, now that the original horror had been slain. Both of the ones spawned looked almost identical to the one that had been originally slain, and functioned similarly. Building an army up was something he had grown fond of being able to do with his abilities, and something he desperately sought to make use of during this fight.

Primera Etapa: 2/8

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{Reiatsu Pool & Soul Fragments}Reiatsu Pool: 12,850/15,000

-300 for Birthing Pod activation.
-700 for Birthing Pod summon x2.
-200 for Placidus.
-100 for Shakkaho.

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{Horror Stats}Horror A:
Class 2: 400 SP.

Strength: 10
Speed: 190
Reiatsu Strength: 0
Senses: 50
Instinct: 150

Horror B:
Class 2: 400 SP.

Strength: 10
Speed: 190
Reiatsu Strength: 0
Senses: 50
Instinct: 150

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{Overall Ability}Orobas' Saisei Oni revolves around the occult, and the horrific beings seen only in eldritch horror. His powerset revolves around both the creation of these eldritch beings, as well as the general occult concept of black magic through the use of “corrupted” kido. Orobas' Saisei Oni Overall has the appearance of his kido changed, as to both throw off the opponent a bit, as well as take on a much more sinister, occult appearance. Most of the casting of these kido invoke the appearance of various pentacles being formed near the origin of the technique, and the actual techniques themselves take on a darker shape. For example, Hado #4, Byakurai is going to take on a black lightning color, originating from a floating, spectral pentacle in front of the user's hand. Hado #33, Sokatsui is bound to lose its fiery appearance, and instead take on the shape of an amalgamation of eldritch flesh, rot, and general waste engulfed in the flames of hell.

Orobas' Saisei Oni is fairly handicapped when it comes to physical strength. The release itself is incredibly focused around fighting through the user's summons, subterfuge, stealth, and, if needed, incredibly potent spellcasting. Orobas is a commander. As such, he prefers to sit back and observe the carnage as opposed to fighting in the middle of it. There's very little benefit to him being in close range, aside from potentially inflicting Eldritch Decay, Orobas' signatire "fuck you and your reiatsu" tool. Eldritch Decay works as follows; After being afflicted, every post the afflicted target has the option to spend reiatsu in order to slow the decay effect. The afflicted loses 50 points in one post-type stat of their choice, up to a maximum of 200 total SP lost. This loss lasts until Eldritch Decay ends, so long as the duration is not refreshed. For every 25 points of reiatsu they choose to spend, the stat loss is reduced by 10, with the potential to completely negate this stat loss for the cost of 125 reiatsu per affliction. Eldritch Decay lasts for 2 posts normally, but can be refreshed back to 2 posts with each additional application of the affliction while it’s still active, with a maximum duration of 2 posts. Eldritch Decay can be resisted entirely with a 1 in Poison Resist, a Class superiority, or an OS superiority.

Other than that, his release requires him to be at a range at almost all times, if not then in the shadows picking off his opponent from a safe area while they struggle to fight against his summons, and then swoop in for the kill. As a bit of a side note, Orobas' kit is incredibly powerful. That much is exceedingly obvious. That being said, though, this is a powerset that requires quite a lot of setup, and has an exceptionally tedious amount of micromanagement built into it that helps to balance that out a bit for it to be truly used at its fullest potential.

[Celes Castellanos]

As the Vice Captain used the Shunpo to close the distance at an incredible speed and went in for the grab on the dog to throw it at Orobas, she was suprised to know that the dog itself felt feather light. Then again, Celes had little room to talk as she had was most would consider rather overpowering strength. Going into the spin, she wanted to make sure to build up some momentum so she could effectively distract Orobas with the thrown Lovecraftian mutt. Yet despite her impressive speed, it seemed that Orobas had a countermeasure to this. With a speed that Celes could recognize, but not necessarily match, he began to move towards her. Though this itself was not entirely unsettling.

For a moment, Celes' vision turned pitch black. It was almost as if she were swallowed the void. Was this something that Akki could just do? Her questioning would come to a close as just as quickly as the void had consumed her vision, so quickly had it spat her out. Orobas was no longer in sight though this is when Celes battle experience quickly kicked in. Quite frankly, she could make a healthy estimation as to where he was given how he moved. This caused Celes to turn around rather quickly though what would meet her eyes would be surprising even for the Vice Captain who had fought her fair share of magick users and specialists in the realm of spirituals. 

She was wise to not perform the Iaijutsu stroke as her vision was filled with the darkness as she saw for a moment, Orobas fingers emit something that just felt and even looked sinister. It was a fleshlike extension that seemed to be surrounded in hellfire. Overall, this did not seem like a good technique to be struck by. Even if Celes could not get away entire, she could atleast try to minimize its effectiveness. Within an instant, Celes kicked off the ground to propel herself backward though she was a little too late. The fleshy mass had already been careening towards Celes though she brought her shoulder forward to attempt to shield the rest of her body. As the Kido made contact, Celes had to bite her tongue to not scream out.

The mass despite looking like it only had concussive force, actually burned like hell. In fact, the hellfire slowly began to disperse, erupting like a fireball. Thankfully Celes using the positioning of her body was able to localize most of the damage towards her shoulder. What a damn shame too. As Celes now created dozen or so feet of distance, she looked at the her shoulder. First of all, her Shihakusho was torn and absolutely ruined around her shoulder. Furthermore, the wound that was left over had quite the nasty appearance. It began to fester and pulsate. It certainly felt warm to the touch and her body around the area just overall felt hot. In truth, she felt like she was going to burn up if she did not localize the damage.

It seemed that there was more to it than that. Almost as if she were afflicted with some malady, Celes felt the affliction melt her strength away. She still felt rather durable and could tell that she had only last a small margin, but the effect could still be felt. For now, she decided to play along and just see how this would affect her. She secretly hoped that this would not become much worse. With that, Celes would slowly rise, looking at Orobas as he seemed to spawn two more of those infernal hounds. Celes scoffed and smirked as she listened. "My, you've certainly got guts, Celes," It seemed that despite their sparring, he had not lost his manners. "though I must say I'm rather interested to see if you'll be able to keep up from here on out."

Still eyeing him closely, Celes cautiously eyed the hounds which seemed to be acting as guard dogs. At this point, she could make a few assumptions. First, Orobas clearly seemed to prefer being at a distance or even just blindsiding his opponents. Two, these dogs were not durable at all. Celes could reasonably use them as fodder or as a way to distract the Akki. Her analysis for now was incomplete. She needed to know more about what he could do. For now, she definitely knew that getting hit by more of those spells would prove potentially lethal. Not only did his spells pack one hell of a punch, but there was also the matter of this festering flesh. What did it do...?

Sighing somewhat, the Vice Captain cracked her neck from side to side and chuckled as she spoke. "Oh I'm only just getting started Orobas though I do have to admit..." She let out a bit of a hearty laugh to ease the tension. "Despite your age, you clearly are a force to be reckoned with. Yet I have the suspicion that you are hiding more." The Shinigami slowly tilted her head as she tried to ponder as to what kind of spells that he was slinging. They were unlike anything in appearance that Celes had came into contact with. They felt and appeared hellish yet Celes could not shake the feeling that they reminded her of Kido. That being said, she just sighed again as she resumed to speak. 

"That spell..." She then touched the festering wound and chuckled. "This strange wound. Is this some kind of hellish magic? Similar to our Kido?" Celes would give him a chance to respond if he chose to at all. As he would, Celes would take this time to breath out slowly. She still had enough strength to see how he would handle a more ranged attack. Celes drew her blade and with a quick movement, almost appeared as though she were flinging blood off of the blade. In that instant, the air would change around her. That simple movement created a shockwave, still formidable enough despite her somewhat sapped strength to bolt towards Orobas and his hounds. Celes could see is Orobas had the battle instincts, vision and actual speed to dodge. The shockwave was imposing in size, similar to a Cero and it moved nearly just as fast. Celes would be curious to see how he reacted, using this chance to ready a stance and hone her senses. 

[Deleted]

"Oh I'm only just getting started Orobas though I do have to admit... Despite your age, you clearly are a force to be reckoned with. Yet I have the suspicion that you are hiding more." Orobas simply returned a laugh toward the Shinigami. After all, she was incredibly correct. There was quite a lot that he'd been hiding, though the question was how much of that had he wanted to reveal to the girl? "Well, Celes, I'm not going to lie to you in that regard. There's quite a bit that you've yet to see. Instead of functioning off of one form like that of Arrancar, Akki have grown accustomed to having up to five. I've five myself, though I'm not quite sure you'll see all of those at this very moment."

"This strange wound. Is this some kind of hellish magic? Similar to our Kido?" Orobas simply smiled at this comment. He was by no means opposed to taking a short break in the midst of the spar, as it'd give both of them time to recuperate from the first few blows that had been exchanged. "Very perceptive of you," he said, "my spells are in fact Kido, though with a plethora of unique little effects. You'll see that soon, as each of the spells I cast are the exact same, yet so very different from the ones you might be accustomed to. Tell me, are you someone who enjoys the casting of these kinds of spells?"

While he was fairly confident he'd known the answer, it didn't hurt to confirm. While he'd never truly be able to get a good look at the girl, the spiritual aura of sorts that he'd been able to effectively "see" her through was by no means imposing. Judging from her position as a Vice Captain, he'd been able to rather quickly deduce the fact that she was likely a physical fighter. That theory was only further confirmed by the fact that she'd started with a physical approach. Still though, he didn't want to let a conversation between the two of them die out. Plus it'd be fun to see if she could keep one up in the midst of combat.

Speaking of combat, though, unfortunately for the Akki, there was nothing he could've done against the attack that Celes had just launched. Shockwaves were effectively the amplification of raw physical prowess. There was nothing spiritual about it; nothing that he could "detect". If his hearing were a little better, he might've been able to pick up on it, but unfortunately there wasn't anything he could've done at the time except for take the hit. Shifting back quite a few feet with a grunt as the wave collided with his body. Despite the natural frailty of his body, Orobas managed to recover from the hit quite well. Sure, while the wave itself easily would've cracked ribs and broken bones, he was an Akki; he had access to incredibly potent regeneration capabilities.

Within a matter of a few moments, his wounds were patched up as he stood up straight, still facing Celes. "Very nice, Celes," he said, speaking genuine words of praise, "very nice indeed. Dirty, but good on you for utilizing any advantage you can get." With that, he tapped the skin right by his open yet hollow eyes, and flashed her a devilish grin. It shouldn't have been hard for her to pick up on the fact that he was making it apparent that he'd been suffering from blindness. "I promise you, though, I'm not going to let you get away with something like that again."

Taking a deep breath, Orobas began to focus his head toward Celes. As he did, the tendril resting on his shoulder began to wriggle as though it had a mind of its own. Within seconds, the tip of the tendril had sharpened and thinned out, as though it formed some kind of knife blade. Holding his right palm upward, the tendril immediately moved to pierce straight through his palm. Wincing slightly in pain, Orobas kept his head focused on Celes. "Tell me, Celes," he said, "what's the strongest Kido you've seen someone use in person? Was it overwhelming in strength? Perhaps it was incredibly large? Well, let me know how this compares to that."

Holding his now-pierced hand out in front of him, and grabbing onto his forearm with his free hand, Orobas began to speak an incantation that Celes likely could've recognized. “Ye lord. Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man. Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws.” As he paused his words, a small mass of flesh and fire began to form right in front of his palm, and quickly began to increase exponentially in size in a matter of seconds. "Hado #33: Sōkatsui."

Launching from his hands was an absolutely massive orb of perpetually moving an writhing flesh coated in a thick layer of pale flame on every side. If she listened closely, Celes might've heard the orb itself let out a sort of "scream" as it travelled through the air and straight toward her. Even if it didn't connect, Orobas was glad to use the attack to send a sort of message to the girl; one that had shown that he might've been telling a half-truth about the desire to not cause destruction. After all, he was a denizen of hell; the desire to destroy was innate within him.

If the attack hadn't connected with the girl and soared into one of the buildings behind her, it'd erupt in an explosion of fire, flesh, and framework. An attack of that caliber could've easily razed a building with relative ease. In truth, he'd hoped that he wouldn't hit the girl. He didn't desire to put her out of commission so soon, so naturally he'd take his time with casting the spell. That said, he was curious to see how she would respond to the attack. Surely she wouldn't be too thrilled over the wanton destruction he'd just caused if the attack wasn't successful, so just what was she going to do in retaliation?

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{Reiatsu Pool & Soul Fragments}Reiatsu Pool: 12,750/15,000

-100 for Sokatsui

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{Primera Etapa - Blood Magic}Orobas' weapon of choice is a sacrificial dagger of sorts. As such, this is more meant for rituals than for actually attacking. With this dagger, Orobas can injure himself, and spread his blood across his palm. His blood remains there until he decides to cast any kind of Kido. From here, depending on the class of the kido being cast, Orobas can gain a benefit to this kido cast after sacrificing his own life essence. While in Primera Etapa, the first kido of Class 5 or lower can either have its Reiatsu cost halved, or the OS bonus gained from speaking the incantation is doubled (a 10% bonus to OS for the technique is increased to 20% instead). After casting a kido like this, the blood is then burned, causing a slight searing pain to Orobas' hand. For another kido to be cast this way, more blood is required, and this does add up quite quickly. It also takes time to apply blood to the user’s hand, leaving them open. When casting a Kido like this, the incantation must always be spoken aloud, no matter how many points in Mental Incantations the user may have. High-Speed Regeneration is delayed with the injuries caused from this technique; for every Class of kido used, High-Speed Regeneration will not heal that wound for a number of posts equal to half the Class of the kido above 8, rounded up (a Class 7 kido would leave this wound for one post, while a Class 2 kido would leave this wound for 3 posts).

In Segunda Etapa, Kido of Class 4 or lower can be cast this way. In Tercera, this benefit goes for Kido of Class 3 or lower, Cuarta brings this benefit for Kido for Class 2 or lower, and finally Quinta Etapa allows this benefit to affect Kido of Class 1 or lower.

1 post until Blood Magic injury can be healed.

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{Sokatsui - Incantation Bonus Doubled, 2100 RS}Technique Name: Hado #33: Sōkatsui (Blue Fire, Crash Down)

Class: 5

Technique Type: Kido

Technique Element: Fire

Technique Description and Effects: This technique is a more powerful version of Hado #31, releasing a fireball of blue flames that’s about half as large as an average person in size. The impact of this fireball leaves first-degree burns upon impact, and has more impact force than Hado #31.

How to use technique: Speak the spell and point hand towards the target.

Incantation and Effect: “Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws!” With the incantation, this spell gets a 20% increase in Reiatsu Strength (i.e. if Reiatsu Strength is 100, this is treated as 120 with incantation).

[Celes Castellanos]

The break in combat was a nice change of pace for Celes. Sure she loved combat, but socializing was a close second to her. The battles that she had, the crossing of blades. The dance that arose from these simple actions sung a song that could tell Celes much about her opponent. To her, the art of war and combat was one of the most intimate things that any number of people could do. To put their life on the line for their ideals and to face death head on. As the two of them talked, Celes could tell a good deal about Orobas. He was confident. Almost arrogant. Despite that, he clearly commanded great power. This was further confirmed by Celes' suspicion.

As Orobas outright told her, Akki have the ability to use Kido. This admittedly baffled Celes for a moment. Kido was one of the most defining traits of a Shinigami. To manifest their spirit as a weapon, their very spiritual energy and manipulate it in all kinds of creative ways. Despite her distaste for Kido, it is something that she admired about it. Both its versatility and creative uses. That being said, Orobas posed an interesting question to Celes that made her blink for a moment. "Tell me, are you someone who enjoys the casting of these kinds of spells?" This was an odd question to Celes. Orobas could easily tell, at least Celes believed so that she relied on her physical characteristics. 

Before her next movement of unleashing the shockwave, Celes spoke calmly, but with a chuckle. "I have to admit, Kido is far from my favorite aspect of being a Shinigami. In fact, Orobas, between you and me, I dislike Kido. It's not...stimulating enough for me. I fight in physical combat not just because I command a great deal of physical prowess. It is also because I love being in the thick of things. To taste the cold edge of steel against my skin. The clashing and movements of blades. It is a passion of mine. Kido takes me out of that element." Her dislike, nay distaste, of Kido would be made abundantly clear to Orobas. Unfortunately for him, he would have to deal with a shockwave in the meantime. 

As Celes unleashed the shockwave upon the poor, frail-looking gentleman, it was clear to Celes in mere moments that he did not have the capability of dodging it. Celes wondered why to herself. He clearly possessed a formidable speed. So why didn't he put it to use. As the shockwave barreled against Orobas, the Vice Captain could tell that it was in fact a nasty hit. Given his older age, she just believed that it would leave broken bones and several fractures around the ribcage. At least, any ordinary opponent may have experienced such a sensation, but Celes could tell that Orobas was not just any opponent. He was a calamity that if he wanted to, could easily crush Celes.  The ocean of reiatsu that she felt from him made that much clear.

Acting as a confirmation to her suspicion, Orobas after being hit by the shockwave seemed to waver for a moment. Overall he looked fine. No bruises. No scarred flesh. Nothing. The Shinigami's eyes went wide as she heard Orobas speak. "very nice indeed. Dirty, but good on you for utilizing any advantage you can get." Even though Celes was still in a trance of sorts over Orobas uninjured status, she could make out what he was saying. It was genuine praise. Hearing this from an opponent like Orobas admittedly made Celes a little proud. He then continued to speak. "I promise you, though, I'm not going to let you get away with something like that again."

Just before the declaration was made, however, Celes got a good look at this eyes as he motioned towards them. The hollow orbits. The inability to dodge the shockwave. It was all clicking. He was blind! For a moment, this took Celes off of her guard, more in shock. Her opponent was blind, but despite this, she was struggling to make her marks. She gulped for a moment, a twinge of fear emanating from her soul as she composed herself once more. Remembering her martial arts teachings, she slowed her breathing and relaxed her stance to attain the fluid and calming motions that Bagua was known for. Despite this, Orobas was about to do the unthinkable.

Celes continued to watch as the Akki sharpened one of his tendrils to a razor-like edge. She watched for a moment in shock as he pierced his own hand. She exclaimed. "W..what are you doing Orobas?!" Despite her question, she felt that she would learn the meaning of this soon. With a blink, Celes began to listen to Orobas speak. "Tell me, Celes," A brief pause touched his lips as he continued. "what's the strongest Kido you've seen someone use in person? Was it overwhelming in strength? Perhaps it was incredibly large? Well, let me know how this compares to that." This immediately raised her defenses. Cami, her friend, was the only she typically fought against when it came to Kido. By his tone and words, Celes could tell that he felt this would be on an entirely different scale. His palm was extended and was facing Celes.

Unlike most that she faced who used Kido, Orobas made the choice to speak the incantation. Despite her ineptitude in using Kido, she knew a bit about the types used. Particular around the 20s to 30s categories. Of course she also knew the famous 90s spells like Kurohitsugi. That being said, she listened closely to make sense of it. “Ye lord. Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man. Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws.” She blinked for a moment as the fear of the situation hit her. She knew what this was. Her thoughts echoed Orobas' own words as she exclaimed in shock, [smear:5cd72a]"Hado #33: Sōkatsui."[/smear:badfed]

Within mere moments, the large ball of hellish fire and flesh would make its way towards Celes. Its size was incredible and Celes could feel its heat from where she was standing. Her thoughts raced. Dodge? Outmaneuver? She had a look behind her as the situation became dire. If she moved, the ball of fire would crash into a building. A Kido of this magnitude could easily destroy it, the fiery inferno consuming everyone and burning them to a crisp. Celes knew she had only one option. Her duty as a Shinigami was to protect. She knew, however, that this could potentially put her out of commission, but she had to try. Her duty demanded it. 

She breathed calmly as she took a stance much closer to the ground. It looked like she was preparing for a sprint. Though in mere moments, an intense vibrating would emanate from her arms, slowly rising up her body and down into her legs. She took one deep breath. And then another, focusing on the center of the Kido. Before taking her next breath, she bolted forward, tearing up the ground where she once stood. In almost a mere instant, Celes unleashed a powerful strike upon the Kido looking to cancel it out. Thanks to the technique that she was using, it would without a doubt be able to power through the Kido, but at a grave cost. 

As Celes entered and finally emerged from the fire as it dispersed, her condition looked severe. Blistering and scarring formed almost immediately as the flames clung to her skin and her Shihakusho. The pain was so severe that she actually crumbled as she hit the ground. She cried out in pain, actually tearing up somewhat to give herself some solace. Even though she was able to overpower the Hado, it certainly left its mark. The fire would continue to burn until it fizzled out. The sizzling sound of Celes burning skin would permeate through the air as she tried her best to stand. She would take it slowly, using her Zanpakutou to help her rise to her feet. Despite this, her legs quivered. It was clear that she had taken a heavy hit. 

As her thoughts went silent from the pain, a voice began to pierce her mind. Her eyes widened as she recognized it immediately. The voice of her Inner Hollow. His tone appeared to be somewhat dissapointed as Celes eyes focused on Orobas. "Tch. You really got yourself into a mess now, didn't you Celes? Naïve girl. Risking your life for some humans who are likely to die in the next few years anyway. As always, you never think ahead. It seems like I may have to step in again to fight this Akki. Or else he may kill us both. You are a liability!" As the voice echoed throughout her head, she whimpered for a moment as she focused on Orobas, using all of her mental ability to keep the Hollow at bay. 

SPOILER: Click to show

{Final Crescendo - 2400 OS}Technique Name: Final Crescendo

Class: 3

Technique Type: Hakuda

Usable By: Shinigami, Beast-Clan, Escudo

Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects:
Everything must come to an end, and so to does this apply to the forward momentum of a continuous series of strikes that is the Rhythm Beat technique line. However, the finale is where the most effort is needed for a successful combination, and this applies here. The user doubles their current speed and strength to strike at a foe with a single blow, hitting them with an amazing amount of force. However, the real power behind this technique is not the initial hit; rather, the momentum built up by the user's speed and increased strength is transferred through the blow, generating enormous impact force that sends a foe flying even if it does not break through defenses.

While this is a standalone technique, it flourishes at the end of a successful Rhythm Beat combination. Normally no other stat boosts will stack with this technique, but Rhythm Beat's speed boost through continuous momentum does apply before the doubling bonus. Naturally, the 3x cap on speed still applies. This technique counts as a short-term status boost.

How to use technique:
Tense the muscles and release a single powerful blow. More effective if momentum is already built up to make for an even faster blow.

Technique Drawbacks
The doubling of speed without the use of Reiatsu, simply overexerting the muscles, is extremely straining on the limb used for the strike. The limb's muscles will tear and the bone will weaken, making that limb more susceptible to attacks and reducing its speed by half. Additionally, a second use with the same limb will only grant a 50% speed boost for the technique, and will tear the muscles completely as well as shatter the bone, making that limb useless until healing is given. Requires at least a 2 in Martial Arts: Hakuda.

Made By: Z-Wolf

Reserved?: No

[Deleted]

Not seconds after their attack was launched, Orobas only wished they could've seen the fear that was likely in the Shinigami's eyes. Oh, how they missed being able to see such moments. Alas, they'd have to make do with not being able to. After all, blindness was an absolute bitch. They mentally shrugged. There wasn't much that could've been done regardless, so they decided not to let it pester them. No sense in crying over spilt milk.

Interestingly enough, though, taking the time to peer over Celes' reiatsu signature, they noticed something rather interesting; the girl wasn't moving from where she was. Just what was she thinking? Surely she wasn't going to try to stop the attack. Surely she was smarter than that, right? To their surprise, though, that's exactly what Celes was going to do, and inevitably ended up succeeding in doing. The girl managed to stop the flare dead in its tracks. 

Orobas was... shocked, to say the least. Just who was she? How was she able to just flat-out do something like that? That being said, Orobas couldn't help but smirk as the girl took a knee in pain. That's what they'd expected. An attack like that had to have been killer on the poor girl; after all, they hadn't expected her to take the hit like that. Orobas fully thought that she was going to get out of the way, like any reasonable person might have done. 

"My, Celes," Orobas said, "color me surprised at your choices. What on earth possessed you to try to challenge something like that? That couldn't have been the best idea, don't you think? Surely you could've realized that something like that isn't to be trifled with." As they finished speaking, Orobas held out their uninjured hand. "Please don't think of me too harshly for what comes next, Celes," Orobas said, and snapped.

As they finished speaking, another surge of reiatsu burst from them, surging through the area, though this time simply for show. Smirking as they began to slowly take steps toward Celes, Orobas held up their injured hand as small but noticeable writhing tentacles burst from the injuries they'd given themselves just a moment before. That said, Orobas had been quickly distracted by a woman screaming off in the distance to truly be able to make an advance on Celes.

Turning their head, the screaming woman had been sprinting from where the two had been fighting, and forcing herself to move to the best of her ability. Naturally Orobas had laid a blanket of his own spiritual force down on the area, as to make sure the only ones able to take much of any action were Celes and themselves. Seems they were wrong in thinking that another spiritually aware being wasn't going to be strong enough to resist. They smirked in response.

In turn, Orobas turned to face the woman. While they definitely couldn't see her, if Celes had bothered to look, she'd be able to see just what the woman looked like; she'd been defined by her maroon hair, held neatly in a braid down her back. She couldn't have been much taller than 5'9", and seemed to be in her early twenties. Orobas seemed to chuckle as the woman screamed and continued to try to run. It could've been easily apparent to practically anyone in the area that this woman was not going to escape.

Orobas sighed. "Well, I certainly wasn't looking to take a stride like this so quickly, but it seems an opportunity that I'm not going to pass up has presented itself quite nicely. I hope you're rather ready for this, Celes. Saisei Oni: Cuarta Etapa." Once again, Orobas snapped their fingers. Though, instead of having their reiatsu surge out around them, their reiatsu instead condensed almost entirely. Most anyone would've struggled to pick up any kind of trace from the Akki at this point; on all levels except visually, they'd practically gone off-the-grid.

Not seconds after they were finished, Orobas launched themselves toward the woman through Placidus. Within seconds, and through a rather enveloping darkness, Orobas had been upon her. "Well, what do we have here?" they asked aloud, as the girl seemed to be frozen in place due to shock, "seems as though you've made the worst possible choice to continue your survival. Should you get another chance in the next life, try not to alert a predator."

After they finished speaking, they placed their head atop her head, and gently ruffled her hair, giving her a serene smile. As they did, a rather thick tendril launched from the tip of their hand that had been placed over her head, bolting instantaneously through her skull, down the middle of her body, and coming out on the other side. The woman's life had been taken quickly, and hopefully rather painlessly. After all, their goal wasn't to torture her; they weren't some kind of monster!

As the spike retracted, and the girl fell limp, blood flowing like water from two rather large, new cavities in the woman's body, Orobas gripped at their shoulder and ripped off a chunk of flesh that had quickly reformed. As per usual, this chunk was quickly formed into another familiar pod, which was thrown into the air. Quickly thereafter, that same pod had come to life, plopping down a rather small horror.

This horror wasn't anything special, though it did take on a rather humanoid shape, as opposed to the dogs that Orobas had been using more consistently. That said, this horror hadn't stood more than three feet off the ground. The moment it had been spawned, it immediately made a charge for the recently-deceased body, and began to crawl into the body through the rather large hole in the woman's skull. 

Within a matter of seconds, it had crawled in completely, and the woman slowly began to jerk and move around post-mortem. Orobas simply chuckled to themselves. Forcing herself to stand, the woman began to rise, though not without significant struggle to do so. Almost immediately Orobas forced their hand around the woman's throat, who naturally didn't seem to be struggling at all. Tendrils launched out from Orobas' upper arm, and began to immediately envelop the newly-deceased woman.

As a mass of tendrils completely covered her body, Orobas paused for a second. "I hope you're ready to see something rather interesting, Shinigami; watch closely." As they finished speaking, the tendrils surrounding the girl's body quickly began to cave in, crushing every last part of her. Blood launched in every direction through the spaces between each tendril as her body was crushed into an almost unnoticeable amount of space. Slowly thereafter, the space the tendrils had occupied began to grow smaller and smaller, until eventually, they retracted entirely back into Orobas' body, without a trace of the woman's form.

Letting out a sigh, Orobas turned back to face Celes. "Ah, a much needed meal. Now, to truly show you what the benefits of doing so was." Per usual, as if on queue, something was about to happen. Tendrils burst from Orobas' back, and immediately looked to completely cover their body. If Celes had been able to hear from all the way over where she was, the shifting of liquids was likely to be heard as the tendrils retracted. Where Orobas had been standing, that same woman that had just been massacred and consumed now was.

Stretching their limbs, Orobas took a deep breath, and exhaled. "Ah," they started, "this body doesn't feel half bad! I could certainly get used to this! To feel so young and lively again, certainly something I'm going to enjoy." As they spoke, their voice had been the exact same as that of the woman that had just been consumed, too. On almost every occasion, it seemed that Orobas had become a perfect clone of her.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiatsu Pool & Soul Fragments}Reiatsu Pool: 11,625/15,000
-400 for Cuarta Etapa
-200 for Placidus
-250 for Cuarta Etapa Evisceration
-300 for Birthing Pod Creation
-50 for Class 8 Horror Creation
+75 for Class 8 Horror Absorption

SPOILER: Click to show

{Segunda Etapa - Evisceration}In Segunda Etapa onwards, Orobas gains more fine-tuned control over their body and can weaponize themselves to a fairly potent extent. For a cost of 150 reiatsu, sharpened tentacles are launched from Orobas' abdomen, impaling anything up to 20 feet ahead of him. Upon reaching their maximum distance, these tentacles withdraw, attempting to pull anything impaled inside of Orobas. This grapple attempt can be resisted and broken out of with a superior Strength, compared to Orobas' OS. On its own, this technique is not very strong, but it scales as new Saisei Oni forms are utilized.

In Tercera Etapa, these tentacles are increased to a range of 40 feet, and their cost is upped to 200 reiatsu if this extra range is used. In addition, these tentacles no longer need to be launched solely from Orobas' chest, but can instead be launched from anywhere on the body.

In Cuarta Etapa, Orobas is now given the option to forgo a multitude of fine-pointed tentacles, and replace them with one large, thick tentacle spike. This spike is 40 feet long, and follows the same grappling system as the standard technique. This spike must always be launched from the chest, but this spike can cause incredibly heavy bleeding resisted by a 2 in Bleeding Tolerance. Using this thick spike costs 250 Reiatsu.

In Quinta Etapa, all of Orobas' tentacle spikes will now inflict the target with Eldritch Decay if they end up pierced.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Cuarta Etapa - Myriad of Many Faces}Unlike most of Orobas' other techniques, this one is more of a passive effect, and is made active as soon as he enters Cuarta Etapa. Using horrors he had created with his other techniques, Orobas can will one of these to enter a deceased body nearby. When a horror enters one of these deceased bodies, their overall stats are cut by 50%, making them effectively useless in combat. Though, that’s not exactly what this technique is used for. This technique is used for two reasons; reiatsu restoration, and shape changing. Upon absorbing a horror inside of a deceased body, Orobas gains 1.5 times the amount of reiatsu for doing so than he normally would have. In addition, the body is then absorbed into Orobas entirely, and can be used in conjunction with Skin-Stealer, the non-release technique, as a suitable body. In turn, though, a non-release technique slot is taken up when Orobas unlocks Cuarta Etapa, due to modifications to Skin-Stealer. In addition, any body absorbed through Myriad of Many Faces can remain active during all of Orobas' release states without any cut to stats or capabilities, and now require an Analysis of 4 in order to pick up on the body being fake both in and out of release, as opposed to a 3. While in Cuarta and Quinta, any and all Akki reiatsu is masked as the reiatsu signature of the original race the deceased body belonged to, so long as half of Orobas' OS is greater than the Energy Sensory of those trying to detect his reiatsu. For every point in Anti-Stealth or Focused eye that someone has, Orobas' OS is reduced by 20% for the purpose of detecting anything faintly 'Akki', and is completely seen through if someone has a 4 in either skill, or a 3 in both. Each body taken via this technique must be described and marked in Orobas' point bank. Using these bodies via Skin-Stealer is PURELY Cinematic, and bares no influence over stats, or anything of the like. Additionally, Cuarta Etapa costs 50% more in order to enter.

While in one of these bodies in Quinta Etapa, Orobas can choose to pay a static 100 reiatsu per post in order to release a cloud of gas from the body at all times, covering it in a 5 foot radius of the faint smell of rotting flesh. This gas will inflict anyone who gets within the range of it with Eldritch Decay, should they either be of an equal or lower class than Orobas, and possess an equal or smaller OS. Absorbing a horror now grants double the reiatsu, instead of 1.5 times.