Offer for Power { JT / Luca }

[Alastor Caedes]

It wasn't something awful to say that Alastor did take a fancy of certain humans. Some of them were so interesting or marked so specifically that their corruption was marked down on Alastors nonexistent calendar. Some of them were simple, just normal humans. Those willing to offer their souls for just about anything really. It was kinda sad how easy it was to manipulate some stupid humans into throwing their souls away for eternal damnation for just some simple stuff. Hell, last week all he had to do to get one persons soul was just to trick the poor sod that his crush liked him. Needless to say that by time he found out the truth, the deal was already sealed. 

Yet in this circumstance, Alastor had someone more interesting to converse with. Sometimes the name of someone with actual power finds its way to his attention. For this specific time, Luca Castabella was the name that came to him. A member of the strange human organization called Uzaki Enterprises. Alastor didn't really care what they did, he just knew that they weren't X-cution and so he didn't like them nor care of them. Someone that he had to do a fair bit of research to know something about. Using different sources to find out what he could about the poor lad. Luca Castabella, a human male Fullbringer that rumor has said is searching for something. 

As for Alastor himself. He is currently sitting out in a open location within his preferred method of concealment being a stolen gigai from a now dead shinigami. Dressed in his red suit, white mask and black top hat. Alastor held a wine glass in one hand, his gloves hiding the chain tattoo's on his wrists. A Large and old wine bottle sitting on the table, half drank. He was the only person there, minus all of his servants using the workers as flesh suits. " The message was sent to the man yes? Taro?" The Hason called Taros nodded, wearing a male server as a skin suit. " Yes. The letter was sent to his office. The time and place was written exactly as you required. " 

Alastor chuckled swirling the wine in his glass slighty. " Perfection. Leave me. Keep up the guise. After we are done with this one we will be returning. " Taro simply bowed before his master and left, the other servants of Alastor using the skin suits to make the place seem alive and active. There were no other customers, but then again there were no other people really walking around the area entirely. For when Alastor's presence is within the World of the Living, he makes sure that there is no civilians. Well. No living ones. 

Alastor spoke him to himself recalling the wording of the letter he had written by a allied Nakkabaki. 

" Dear Mr. Castabella. 

I have been made aware that you are unsatisfied with your life as is and i would like you make you a offer to help mend your unsatisfaction. If you are willing to converse and talk about the offer that i have. Please come to 1840 street and find me sitting at a table of the wine business called ' Liquor Fantasia '  I will be in a red suit with a black top hat. As well as arrive at four thirty in the afternoon. I am a busy man as is and i do not have a lot of time to spare. So please, arrive on time as i cannot promise that i will be there if you arrive late. 

Yours Truly. A.C. " 

[Akira Hinosai]

" Dear Mr. Castabella.

I have been made aware that you are unsatisfied with your life as is and i would like you make you a offer to help mend your unsatisfaction. If you are willing to converse and talk about the offer that i have. Please come to 1840 street and find me sitting at a table of the wine business called ' Liquor Fantasia ' I will be in a red suit with a black top hat. As well as arrive at four thirty in the afternoon. I am a busy man as is and i do not have a lot of time to spare. So please, arrive on time as i cannot promise that i will be there if you arrive late.

Yours Truly. A.C. "

"Ha...HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAAA!" Luca tried to keep it together, but the letter was too much. The more he thought on it, the funnier it became. The offer of mending Luca's "unsatisfaction",  "Liquor Fantasia", even the fact the man would be dressed in a fucking tophat and red suit. Who does this guy think he is? A circus ringleader? The icing on the cake was the signature at the bottom. "A.C." What does that stand for? Animal Crossing? Air Conditioning? As far as pranks went, this had to be the most obvious. What it lacked in subtlety, it made up for in comedic value. It had to be a joke or some deranged form of advertising. Those were fairly logical conclusions.

Yet Luca couldn't seem to accept either of them as true. If it was the latter, how did they know his name and place of work? If it was the former, which of Luca's friends/coworkers did it? Who and why? It was a fairly simple question, but it was enough to cast doubt on the simple explanations. Luca ran down the list of suspects in his head, but there were no obvious answers. Irina and Kaz were out. Both were too serious and too busy to waste time on a dumb joke like this. Luca hoped Raph knew better than to contact him, even through dumb jokes like this. Amare? He was too stupid and too honest to ever try and pull something like this. Besides, the initials were A.C. not A.M.

Even outside of UE, there were no obvious answers. It gnawed at Luca deep inside, even as minutes turned to hours and the sun began to sink lower in the sky. The hour of the meeting grew closer and closer, and Luca still didn't have the answers he wanted. Let's say some creep is trying to meet with me. What do I care? Not like I have to go. What's he gonna do? Call the cops? "Yeah, right, like I'm actually falling for this." Luca crumpled the letter and threw it into the trash. He wasn't even a little curious as to what this whole thing was about! He had important shit to do. Important shit like training and playing video games on company computers.

2:00 came and went. Luca was definitely not falling for whatever bait had been laid before him. 2:30, then 3:00. He didn't care. He absolutely didn't. Totally not. He'd never cared less about anything in his entire life, and that was saying a lot. By 3:30 his resolve had crumbled entirely. Luca had been desperate for his next big adventure. Maybe this was it? He couldn't let it pass him by. He wouldn't. Having only an hour remaining, Luca scurried to find a suitable outfit. Something cool, practical, that also said "don't fuck with me." He'd need to bring his scabbard too, and the broken shovel. The reiatsu scrambler and omni-watch too. Looking at the ever-changing pile of clothes he had in a storage closet he'd appropriated, Luca span the proverbial wheel to decide what style he wanted to go for. In the end, he settled on a signal blue and white letterman jacket over a faded red tanktop with some not-too-distressed jeans.

Luca followed the directions, trying not to arrive too early. It wouldn't do to look too eager. By the time he saw the building, the anticipation was killing him. Upon opening the doors to Liquor Fantasia, Luca found the author of the letter very quickly. As excepted, he stood out of a crowd with his "deranged ringleader" getup. Luca walked over to the man's table. Luca planted himself at the seat opposite him with some caution. "A.C., I presume? Yeah, hi. I got your letter. You mind telling me what in the sweet and sour fuck it's supposed to mean?" Luca said, trying not to sound too terribly hostile too early into the meeting.

[Alastor Caedes]

As the hours came and went Alastor was wondering if this Luca was as big of a fish as he was led to believe. A human fullbringer. Capable hands and powerful enough to potentially rival a vice captain if not a seated officer in battle. Truly, he had his work cut out for him and besides. Even if Luca decided to not show, Alastor wasn't one to let a waste time go to permanent waste. While yes, he would be done for the day and had gone back to hell to do his other duties. He would be back to torch the place called Uzaki Enterprizes and burn it to ash. Course all of this could still occur, but luckily for Uzaki Enterprizes. The fish took the bait and showed up wearing cheap ass looking clothes. 

Oh great. Hes a commone- 

"A.C., I presume? Yeah, hi. I got your letter. You mind telling me what in the sweet and sour fuck it's supposed to mean?"

His thought pattern stopped when he noticed a small little detail. A slight shift in his tone. Something many would just pass on, but for Alastor who had to struggle sometimes to keep his Psycho side at bay. Why. It was something he was far too used to doing by himself. Yes, his cue for the slight shift was more physical than vocal, but this was still a cue non the less. At least, that he is going to have fun with this one. As Luca stared at the man waiting for a answer. Alastor was already probing Luca's reiatsu to learn about him. From what he could tell, Luca's reiatsu was fine and normal. Yet His personality was shifting like sands in a desert. Hes strong, capable, if not a bit looney at the moment. Or maybe.. Not looney enough?

How... Interesting. 

" Yes. Im glad you could show up Mr. Castabella. Help yourself to the wine and lets get to the details. You want something. I don't know what, but people who want something always find their way to my eyes. So. Judging from your current state, you seek either a new form of excitement... or Power...." Leaning in to the table resting his head on his hands. He stared into Luca's eyes, Alastors eyes glowing a slight bit under the mask. " Hmm... Yes. Power. Your eyes say it all. You lost to someone. Someone strong enough to make your mind hunger, no. Crave for Power. Ah. So let me take a guess. " Alastor sat back in his chair. If Luca was perceptive, he would notice that despite the blaringly obvious red flags his wording had. The other civilians around them didn't seem to bat a eye. 

" You got your ass handed to you by someone you thought you could take. Only they one-upped you at the last second and showed you the gap between you and them. A common thing to occur. I've seen this a thousand times before. So. My offer to you. Is quite simple. I can offer you what you seek. The power to rival those who would dare underestimate or challenge your strength. " Alastor's words were sharp and pinpointed. He wasn't exactly lying when he said he had seen this a thousand or so times. This wasn't the first and certainly won't be the last time someone bit off more than they could chew and was now seeking a new high. Or maybe, maybe what he saw was a old wound. Its hard to tell sometimes. 

"So. The power you seek is surely reachable and i can give it to you. The price however, is something not many can stomach. Your body for example would be but one, part of the cost. " 

Alastor leaned back even further now with the front legs of the chair up in the air.  He was comfortable where he was and if Luca would take his words to heart and get angry. Well. He would find himself face first on the ground from gravitational pressure. Like being hit by a floodgate forced open by a tsunami. With one hand Alastor downed the rest of his wine. Even then and even now the other civilians wouldn't bat a eye or even change in the slightest. In truth, besides the workers being his servants in disguise. The other civilians were also other servants, just lesser in rank. Hiding within skin suits procured at other points in time for these very social occasions. 

[Akira Hinosai]

"Mr. Castabella..." Just hearing it out loud seemed so weird. No one had ever called him that. Mr. Castabella is my father. Call me Luca. For a moment, Luca considered blurting that out. Instead Luca said nothing. This man was an unknown variable. Even revealing your first name, even showing how something irks you could be really bad. It was for the same reason that he refused any wine he was given. Don't reveal your name. Don't take food. Don't say thank you. Be really careful with any gifts you're given. This man was an unknown variable. He was clearly very dangerous and very powerful. Worst of all, he seemed to have some interest in Luca. All in all, not exactly a winning combination of traits.

Until Luca knew the score, he'd be operating under fey rules. This man most definitely wasn't a member of Oberon's court, but Luca hoped the basic principal would still apply. He repeated the rules in his head. He'd read enough fantasy novels to have them permanently imprinted on his brain. No names, no food, no gifts, no thanks. The ringleader's eyes bored into Luca. He spoke of Luca's desires, before trying to reason through why he might want such a thing. The man eased into the point at first, before really attempting to lay on the pressure. "You got your ass handed to you by someone you thought you could take. Only they one-upped you at the last second and showed you the gap between you and them."

Oh, you pompous dickbag! Luca didn't let his boiling anger show. Every word A.C. said was another weight pressing on Luca's chest. It was harder and harder to not just explode or run away. The deranged ringleader was right. It wouldn't hurt so much if he wasn't at least a little right. What choice did I have? I had to show her I was worth something! I had to show her, I had to show everyone that even someone like me could matter in the end... But it hadn't gone that way. For a long time after that, Luca wanted to escape that failure. He wanted to become something else, someone else. Someone strong, someone cool. It was that wish that brought him to the seireitei, and allowed him to meet Ken'ichi and Kaen...

What was being offered was power. Plain and simple. Power to never have to go through that failure again. Luca knew what he was trying to do. Bringing up old wounds to sway Luca in a certain direction. Though there would be no need to sway Luca unless there was a price. Nothing was ever free. As if to answer that thought, A.C. piped up again.

"The price however, is something not many can stomach. Your body for example would be but one, part of the cost."

Luca's brain shorted out. His mind was full of static as his neurons tried to make sense of that. "Wha-... Are you...What kind of pervert are you?!?" Luca didn't like thinking about that sort of thing. It had taken him a minute to even register what was being asked. Now the idea of it was stuck in his head, and it made him feel sick. Getting physically intimate as a form of payment...It was so wrong. Luca didn't want to think about it. He'd rather get the shit kicked out of him again, anything would be better than this. "Look, I'm not doing anything with some strawberry pimp!" Luca was mad, but not violently so. Alastor would likely notice he was more at risk of running away than drawing his weapon.

[Alastor Caedes]

To be one to view into Alastor's mind, one would notice a simple thing. He was growing both more entertained by Luca's weirdness, and a bit. Nah, he was actually laughing his ass off. Luca's little outburst of confusion over his words was simply hilarious to the Akki. A Genuine shock and confused look on Luca's face was absolutely hilarious to look at it. For a sinner who spent so much time around those willing to obey at a moments notice that the little things were so amusing to the sinner. However, it was something he had to correct or else let the inner psycho out to play with some of his friends. Alastor waved his hands in his genuine fit of laughter that would insinuate that it wasn't his intention for that kind of thing.



"No no no... Oh that is a good one. But No, no. If i wanted that, i wouldn't have bothered to invite you out here to a public place. No. Allow me to clarify. " Taking a moment to actually calm his nerves, he could hear the Psychopath personality just growl in interest. Down you, not now. Keeping his psychopathic self at bay he looked at Luca. " Your body, as in your physical form. The thing that keeps you from unleashing the rest of your potential. Yes, you could be the most powerful human alive. Yet even that power is temporary. " Re aligning himself to back to his normal business posture. " In Essence. The reason that despite how powerful you could be as a human, what i am offering you is power that you could never have as a human. " 

" However, to have abilities like that. One of your kind would need to become either a Shinigami, or a Hollow normally. What im offering is a different path. " 

Sitting straight, hands together he leaned back in the chair once more. " How much do you know of the soul cycle? The very thing that keeps this whole cycle of suffering functional. On one hand, you die and go the Soul Society. Maybe become a Shinigami, but lose your sense of self to a sense of duty. And when you die again as a shinigami? You return to being a human, but you lose what makes you well. You, in favor of becoming someone else. On the other hand you become a hollow, where you risk losing yourself entirely. Even if you make it to the last stage.  But there is a third option. One that grants you power to rival the other two options, but at no cost to your sense of self. That is the power that i offer to you. One where you are always yourself, and never someone else.  "

Alastor leaned in towards Luca. His hands moving and pouring more wine into his glass. " Even if, you ever die. " The knowledge of the soul cycle was something Alastor knew all too well. Yet, he also knew that humanity was normally kept in the dark on how it worked. A endless system of rebirth and recycling of souls that never ended. The knowledge of such a dreadful thing would be enough to break most humans desires to even live. To those with intellect, they would quickly figure out that the Hollow threat is Eternal. It will never end, as long as humanity existed. For as long as humans exist, Hollows and Shinigami will exist. 

For as long as Hollows and Shinigami exist, there will always be strife of some kind. That being said, He also knew that the knowledge of the Hellions was something barely anyone knew about. Mostly Shinigami Captains, and Espada's that were allowed to be in the know. " A power of rebirth. To continue existing as yourself no matter how many times you die. The power to get stronger and stronger, no matter how many times you are defeated. The power to defeat those who have mocked and bested you before. That is what i offer you. " At that point in his statement he stands up and downs the rest of his wine before looking at Luca. " And all you need to do, is shake my hand. But if you want time to think it over, feel free to take a few minutes. But if you are worried about becoming subservient to me, then i will let you know. Working for me, is not part of the cost. You are free to do whatever you want with the power im offering. 

And with that Alastor would extend his gloved hand to Luca and hold it open for a shake. If Luca would ask for time, then Alastor would withdrawl his hand and sit back down to take another drink. 

[Akira Hinosai]

For a long moment, Luca was silent. Uncharacteristically so. "You're from hell, aren't you?" The question was innocent enough. "I couldn't be sure before, but now it's starting to add up. I've heard about you guys, but you're the first I've ever met in person." Luca leaned back in his seat. His tone was entirely too calm, all things considered. "I wonder if you really believe all the things you just said. Honestly, it's just sad if you do." Luca's words weren't dripped in venom or mockery. "To keep existing as oneself for all eternity... Had you asked me to imagine a worse fate, I honestly couldn't think of one."

"I don't doubt that you're powerful. Stronger than me, even. How long did that take? A few centuries? Millennia? Was it worth staying true to the idea of yourself you had all that time ago? It must get boring. Me on the other hand, I'm a fullbringer. I'll probably live far longer than a normal human, but maybe someday, I'll be something or someone different. Who's to say I should be afraid of that? Life is all about change. The creature that survives is the one that's most adaptable. Besides, I could never see myself satisfied by an eternity of the same thing over and over, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna have my fun while I still can. I don't know what tomorrow is going to bring, but I'm not going to let fear cause me to stagnate forever."

"I'll have to decline your offer. If that's all you needed me for, I'll be going." Luca stood up, bowed his head and if Alastor had no more things to discuss, he would make his way out of the creepy little cabaret club he'd been summoned to.

[Alastor Caedes]

Alastor just looked at Luca. Listening to his words. His temper slowly rising like a volcano waking up. The words Luca spoke while toned correctly, were worded in such an insulting way. Alastor was not going to stand for such an insult, not for his pride and certainly not for his power. As Luca got up to walk away, he found find Alastor's gravitational pressure pushing down on him, due to their 2-class difference in Alastor's favor. Luca would find the gravitational pressure to be especially nasty. Alastor himself took his mask off showing a man in his late forties. Wrinkles starting to set in around his eyes, silver hair and golden eyes. "Sad? Sad?! To exist for eternity to continue your own work is sad to you!?" The Akki yelled. For once the others around them reacted and stood up. Quickly moving to cover the exits. 

"I do not understand you modern mortals. So quick to be prideless, so quick to be shameless about your own incompetence!" Even if Luca resisted his gravitational pressure, it would be rough to move. In a flash Alastor would reappear in front of Luca, as if he teleported. Rage filled the Akki's eyes, as he was not one to tolerate such insolence. "So. Here is what we are going to do. You want to say being eternal is sad? Well, let's have you meet the saddest bunch in Hell." Alastor looked at Luca and raised his hand. "Gates. Open." The moment the words were spoken Luca would see as dozens of ten-foot gate formed from bone and hell fire would rise from the ground. 

Inside the gates would show different parts of a massive forest. The sound of wailing and sorrowful cries would leave through the gates with the occasional roar from whatever sinners would live there. "The Suicide Forest. Have fun." Alastor teleported back to the table he was at and pointed his finger at the lad dropping the gravitational pressure. "Sho." Firing a beam of pure kinetic force at Luca when he got up, only ten feet from him. The beam aimed at his back to propel him harmlessly through one of the gates if it connects with Luca. If the Sho hit Luca and the man was unable to do anything to not be pushed into Hell. He would be dropped ten feet from above the forest's canopy line. 

SPOILER: Click to show

Technique Name: [Placidus]



Class: [4]



Technique Type: [Other]



Technique Element: [None]



Technique Description and Effects:



This is the Akki step technique. While Akki can use step techniques from other races, this technique is particularly devastating because it belongs to them. This is the unique Akki ability for stepping.



What this technique does is allow the Akki to phase briefly in and out of their current plain of existence. In other words, they momentarily disappear, blinking out of existence. As they do, a flash of black explodes outwards. Anyone that witnesses them blinking out of existence will suddenly see nothing but blackness for that split second. It is hardly enough to affect the battle, but rather it is theatrical. The Akki, during that brief second, is gone, and cannot be attacked. This is a direct "teleportation," unlike Shunpo or Sonido, which are merely fast movement.



Averagely, this is performed at 15x the user's speed, making it one of the fastest individual steps. It is also known to be able to move forwards within three small steps rather than one. It can also be done for one. If done in three, the same distance is covered in three smaller steps, creating a theatrical flash of black with each appearance and disappearance. Additionally, there is a flash of white light when the Akki reappears and blinks back into existence. Any who witness this flash of light will suddenly see hallucinations of horrible monstrosities and new body features on the Akki in question that uses this technique, and their fear of the individual will increase.



How to use technique:



Like all step techniques, this one requires a simple step as well. It is done for 200 reiatsu per use, which is why most Akki prefer to use the steps of other races. It is an expensive step technique, but is easily one of the most powerful.



Technique Drawbacks



Reiatsu cost.



Made By: [Admin]

Placidus { Mastered }

Technique Name: Hado #1: Shō (Thrust)

Class: 7

Technique Type: Kido



Technique Element: None



Technique Description and Effects: This technique creates a simple burst of force that pushes at the opponent backwards. The force is equal to the user’s Reiatsu Strength.



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



Incantation and Effect: Incantation unknown. When the incantation is spoken, the Reiatsu Strength used to determine the power of Sho is increased by 10%. (i.e. 100 Reiatsu Strength is treated as 110.)

Hado #1: Sho {Mastered} Reiatsu Cost 25

SPOILER: Click to show

Reiatsu pool- 4,000. 
x2 Placidus- 400
1 Sho- 25 with 400 RS strength.
Remaining Reiatsu-3575.

[Akira Hinosai]

Luca didn't remember falling. It was as if time itself had been erased, for a half a moment he didn't know what was happening. Their air tasted like static, and his body betrayed him. An invisible hand was pressing his body against the ground, and that was when he knew. He didn't want to believe it at first. He wanted to believe this was all a bad dream, but deep down he knew it wasn't. He'd experienced this before. Alastor was crushing him with his spiritual pressure. Luca hadn't even been looking for a fight. Somehow, something he said was wrong. And now...And now...

He was in the same position he was with Abaddon After everything he went through, he was crushed just as effortlessly. The only thing that changed was who was doing the crushing. Luca's heart began to beat like a war drum in his chest. NO I WONT LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN! NEVER AGAIN!

Luca raised an arm to pull himself up. Moving was difficult, but he was too consumed by fear and anger to care. His reiatsu began to glow around him, almost shielding him from Alastor's aura. Luca stood on his feet, looking at Alastor for a second at most before he pointed a finger at Luca, and sent him flying back.


Luca saw the portal behind him, and his heart sank. NONONONONONO NOT AGAIN!!! Luca tried to stop his acceleration. Soul command to create a dust of wind, air strings to form a rope to tether him... Between Alastor's overwhelming power and the effort it took to resist it, Luca could hardly do anything. Soul command did nothing and when he tried to form a rope, he only succeeded in loosing four fingers when the rope was pulled taut. Hew didn't even feel the pain. Time seemed to stand still as he was so near to the portal. I just need more power! Power to win this, power to escape... I CANT LOSE AGAIN!!! I REFUSE!!!

...

The air smelled wrong. Everything about this place was wrong. That much was apparent before he hit the ground. He landed on his back, sending dull bolts of pain throughout his body. He hardly felt them, though. Just like his missing fingers. Pain was a secondary experience. The trees around him stared at Luca. Their eyes boring into his soul, as they moaned and writhed in ways that Luca did not understand. He didn't want to believe any of this was real. Even when he covered his face with his hands, smearing it in blood, he could still feel the faces on the trees judging him. "THIS ISN'T REAL, I'M NOT HERE, THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!"

...

Something snapped inside Luca. A voice he hadn't heard in some time called out to him, and for once he was ready to listen. Alastor would see Luca's scalera go black as a mask began to form on his face. "Luca" did not acknowledge Alastor's presence at first. Instead they looked at their bleeding right hand as the fingers immediately began to grow back. "I commend you. Not many can force me to show myself life this." By the time they looked up at Alastor, a grotesque gasmask had overtaken the lower half of their face. "You can stop this game now. The one you seek to punish isn't here anymore." their tone was even, and their voice reverberated through the forest. "All this time you believed Luca to be a human. That isn't, strictly speaking, accurate. Neither is he a hollow. He is both, and he is neither. To our knowledge, no one like us exists. Many are interested in what we are and what we represent. To leave us to die here...That would be such a waste, wouldn't you agree?"

Luca's hollow mask

[Alastor Caedes]

The Scream as Luca was propelled through the gate of hell was enough to make Alastor chuckle. The moment Luca was out of eyesight from the gateway, Alastor closed the gates. Taking a few moments in order to gather himself and calm down. "Are the items of interest taken to the castle?" As if to respond, one of the waiters walked up. "Yes Sire. All of the alcohol of interest has been gathered and taken to the castle." Alastor nodded as he could feel the Psycho squirm in anticipation. "Good. Drop the bodies at Gustaves kitchen. New disguises will be needed." The waiter nodded as one of the other waiters dropped the skin suit and showed themselves as Angranam, Alastor's personal butler. 

The Akki butler opened a gate to the castle. "As the master said. Let's move." Alastor grinned and moved an arm infront of one of the sinners. "Cinder Burn this place to the ground. I want not even ash remaining." The Sinner named Cinder was a Saika with horrific burns across her body. "Of course, sire~ It would be my pleasure." Yet before she moved, he stopped her again. "On second thought... make it look like a gas leak explosion." Reason slowly claiming him. Cinder bowed and head straight into the kitchen.  Alastor making no further time be wasted, opened a gate to the Suicide Forest and went after Luca. A few moments later in the world of the living, Liquor Fantasia exploded.

Alastor now appearing 40ft from Luca, or well Hollow Luca Alastor closed the gate behind him. The Akki's reiatsu flaring up to show his distaste for Luca's words. This flare caused all of the Spriggans, who were slowly creeping up on Luca, to turn their heads like deer and retreat to their respective trees. The roars of beasts from the forest quieted down. For once for Luca since he arrived, the Forest went dead silent. However, The Akki's rage would quell ever so slightly seeing the change in appearance. "Hollow Reiatsu?.... Very interesting...." Alastor grinned and made his way towards the lad. The Akki's rage lowering by the second, yet by the second his interest in the man only rose. 

"I commend you. Not many can force me to show myself life this. You can stop this game now. The one you seek to punish isn't here anymore. All this time you believed Luca to be a human. That isn't, strictly speaking, accurate. Neither is he a hollow. He is both, and he is neither. To our knowledge, no one like us exists. Many are interested in what we are and what we represent. To leave us to die here...That would be such a waste, wouldn't you agree?"


Alastor listened to the being's words. They weren't completely wrong. Yes, Alastor could now experiment on the lad and kill him in order to see what type of Hellion he would produce. Yet, an idea came across the Akki's mind. Useful as a soldier Luca could be, he was far more valuable as a spy even if unwilling. "My my... Normally i would just kill you and use whatever Saika or Akki you become as a solider. But you are right... it would be a waste for now. I will let you live and i will let you out. However, You will sacrifice your eye for this freedom, but i imagine you would want to be the one to gouge it out instead of myself. " Alastor gave the Hollow version of Luca a choice. 

Gouge out his own eye as the price for freedom and his life or Die. Alastor grinned as he felt like he needed to properly show the gap between him and Hollow Luca. Alastor started laughing manically. "Saisei Oni. Venator Occisionis." In that second the entire dull black and dark green forest became blood red. Decorations of bodies and other gruesome slaughter filled the forest with the faintest sound of creepy distorted festival music echoing throughout. Where Alastor was standing is now a massive orb of blood, that began to twist and turn. Outlining a humanoid being with every part of his body in the wrong direction. His back being his torso, his arms and legs twisted and turned in gruesome ways. His fingers bent back in unbelievable ways; his neck twisted unbelievably tightly. 

Yet the face only grinned and everybody part snapped and twisted into its proper place. Blood making the outlines of a sleeveless duster jacket and a wide brim hat. There were an additional set of arms growing from the back of his shoulders. Finally, the transformation finished with the blood sliding off like rain, revealing the mummy like wrapped humanoid body with the clothing made of human flesh." Now.... Pay up or die."

SPOILER: Click to show

Stats for intimidation's sake.


Strength: 200 {50 S}

Speed: 300 
Instinct: 200 { 100 base+ 100 from bonus SP } {50 S}

Reiatsu Strength: 400 +250% [1400}
Spiritual Pressure: 400 {400 +250%} [1400] {14,000 reiatsu} [400 S} [4,000 reiatsu S]

Energy Sensory: 150 {x2 = 300] {150 S}

Senses: 250 { 150 base + 100 from Bonus SP } [62 S]

Light Aura:0

Dark Aura: 100

Healing Expertise: 0

Legatus Guard: 2800

-200 reiatsu for release
-25 reiatsu for Sho from earilier. 
Remaining Reiatsu 3,775/4000. 

[Akira Hinosai]

Luca, is this the best that you could do? Damned if I leave you alone for a minute... If their host was good at anything, it was getting into trouble. Even when he wasn't actively looking for it, as he so often was, it seemed to find him without fail. Abaddon, Ailene, That whole business in the soul society, and now this... The Inner-Hollow wanted to yell at Luca for being so careless. They wanted to punish him...anything to make him understand. Luca wasn't stupid, nor was he a bad person...He just couldn't help himself. Even now, their anger was blunted by their connection to the boy. They had watched his meeting with Alastor. They could hear Luca's thoughts.

He hadn't meant to provoke the demon. Far from it. He repeated the lessons that idiot scientist Ken'ichi him learn. It must have struck a chord with Alastor. No one gets that mad over mere words unless they truly cut through to one's core. The inner hollow dared not bring that up to Alastor, though. Not when he could so easily kill them. Well, maybe he could have killed Luca...The longer the inner hollow stayed in control, the more their power grew. Maybe, just maybe if they achieved full-hollowfication, then maybe...

"You will sacrifice your eye for this freedom, but i imagine you would want to be the one to gouge it out instead of myself."

"An eye?" they asked, incredulously. "What for ever could you need that for?" For all Alastor's claims to power, for all his smug superiority...This seemed a little too lenient. Forcing one to disfigure themselves was cruel, yes, but an eye was an eye. It would hurt like hell to pluck out, but it wouldn't reduce one's quality of life all that much. Certainly not enough to make death seem preferable. After all, this would still leave them with one perfectly good eye still in their skull. I might even be able to grow it back. Still, the inner hollow was suspicious. Maybe it was just a grizzly trophy Alastor was after...Though some part of that explanation didn't seem to add up.

Maybe it was a bluff. If they so desired, the inner hollow could bring up the attention it would draw if they went missing. Especially when Luca had left Alastor's invitation back at UE. And what would that prove? That there's a hellion about? He can escape to hell if they come close to finding him. Besides, who's to say UE wouldn't kill him on sight anyway? What exactly does being exposed do beyond inconvenience him? But if he's bluffing...If he won't really kill us...Then why take an eye? That was assuming that it was a bluff. It wasn't like they were in a position to call it. The inner hollow and Luca both were in grave danger here.

"Saisei Oni. Venator Occisionis."

The inner hollow watched as the forest around them was twisted and misshapen. They watched Alastor's body turn into a foul accursed parody of the human body. Blood was everywhere. Bodies hung from trees by their entrails as an unsettling tune seemed to come from nowhere. Now you're just overdoing it. What gave them pause was not the manufactured traumatic scene Alastor created, it was Alastor himself. His power was...considerable. Perhaps more than Luca could have thought. They could match him in his current state for a short time. That was assuming this was anywhere close to the apex of his abilities.

"So be it." The longer they spent in control, the more their mask grew. It had come to encompass Luca's neck, shoulders, even extending down his right arm. Fingers were remade into long, claw like appendages. Those would do nicely for the task at hand. With their left pointer and middle fingers, still human in shape and function, they held their right eye open. The dry, sulfuric air made their eye water. With their hollowfied arm, they wove a claw past the eyeball and began to push from behind. The pain was indescribable. A few pathetic whimpers escaped their mouth. Pure instinct kept them going. Not of fight or flight, but pure self preservation. They pulled until the eye was out of its socket, and with a flick of their clawed fingers, severed the eye from the strands of muscles that once kept it in place.

For a moment, they held it in their hand as the black scalera faded to white, and yellow irises returned to its natural aqua hue. The inner hollow would offer it to Alastor. "Take your prize. You've won."

[Alastor Caedes]

Alastor watched as the man tore his own eye out and held it out to him. Alastor only grinned behind his linen wraps and swiftly took the eye. There was a slight tilt to his head, yet Luca would never stop feeling as if the Akki was watching him. "Payment obtained. But little mortal. If you ever speak a word of what occurred here, then... well." As Alastor moved closer, the stench of blood intensified. The sensation alone would have been enough to make most people puke from the intensity. "Let's just say you will find yourself back to this exact spot faster than your heart can beat." The Akki threatened and it wasn't obviously a bluff. The specific amount of venom that Alastor had showed that. 

"Now... Get out." Alastor opened a gateway back to the world of the living and pointed a finger at him within 5ft of him. "Sho" Launching the same kinetic blast straight into the chest of Luca. Once Luca was through the gate, he would find himself about 100ft in the air above Aokigahara. Otherwise known as the Suicide Forest of Japan. Closing the gate once Luca went through. Now by himself, he canceled his release and grinned looking at the eye. The Akki opened a gateway to his castle directly. Stepping into his throne room he grinned and sat down on his throne. "Eshira!" The Akki yelled out as moments later, a massive crystal formed and shattered. 

Revealing a female Akki with crystal skin and a crescent moon for a face dressed in an Edo Japan period kimono. "Sire. Welcome back. How was-" Alastor smiled and held out the eye. " Not as successful as i would like. Yet, still successful. Crystalize this would you kindly." The female Akki walked up and picked up the eye, within moments covering it in crystal to keep it from decaying. "Thank you Eshira." The female Akki only bowed her head and sat down next to his leg. "Anything else i can do for you, my lord?" Alastor only stared at the now crystalized eye and grinned. "Not at this moment.... For now, we will simply watch and observe. But... actually, what is my next appointment?" 

"Several with normal humans who arranged for wealth and other such futile things." Alastor only grinned and smirked. "Then there are more souls to claim and souls to recruit.... No such rest for the wicked." 

[Akira Hinosai]

It wasn't like it was in the movies. To fall, to really fall only took a few seconds. There was no time to reflect on one's life before that moment. No time to appreciate beauty of the earth or sky. There was nothing. For normal humans, it might have been different. Perhaps the ancient part of their brains concerned only with continued existence and procreation would step in. Perhaps it would shout "NO!" regardless of if the person wanted to live or not. It was hard to say. The inner hollow had never been human. Not really. They didn't share in a normal human's frailties or fears. Had they so desired, they could have crashed into the forest without a scratch on them. Even if they did, it was nothing they couldn't immediately regenerate from.

It didn't happen like that, though. They could barely remember what they did. They used Luca's fullbringer powers to slow their descent, hardened the forest canopy to act as a net, even softening the ground to cushion the rest of their fall. Looking around them, there was little evidence one had just crashed into the quiet woods around them. Why? To protect Luca? He could have survived the fall without their help. Is this place important to us? They searched memories, but found nothing. They weren't sure where they were. Mt. Fuji, maybe. The legendary landmark held no special meaning to them. It is sacred. It isn't right to damage something so beautiful and so old. That was all they could come up with. Maybe it was all the reason they needed.

It was their reason. That was enough. The air cold, and still. The sky was a beautiful deep blue. They thought they might like to live in a place like this one day, with a body of their own. Even with one eye, they could appreciate the scene. "That's right...An eye...I'm supposed to have two." The bleeding had stopped, though there was still an empty socket where there had once been an eye. It should have started to grow back by now. Luca would not be happy with that. They didn't know how much he'd remember, or when he'd wake up. There would be a struggle when he woke, and the hollow's moment of rest would end. Whether Luca knew it or not, he had surrendered himself to them, even if it was temporary. He would probably deny that, though. He didn't trust the inner hollow. I gave him good reason not to.

In spite of whatever affection they may have had for him, it was tempting to think of taking his body for themselves, completely. They wondered what it would be like, to be alive. To have a past, to have a future. To have anything but the present moment. They closed their good eye, and dreamed. They felt a hand rise to cover their missing eye. Their hand. The one not completely hollowfied. Oh. they thought, as Luca began to scream in their head. "IS THIS SOME KIND OF TWISTED JOKE?!?" They felt Luca struggle from control as he woke from his slumber. "LUCA, STOP IT!!! I CAN-"

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP!!!" Luca moved the hand from his eye to the mask, trying desperately to pry it off. "I'll...get you out of my head - even if it means splitting it open...AND GRABBING YOU MYSELF!!!"

"LUCA, JUST THINK FOR A MOMENT! THINK ABOUT HOW YOU-"

"I DON'T NEED YOU, I WON'T FALL FOR THIS AGAIN!"

Human and hollow reiatsu clashed in luminous pulses until suddenly, the inner hollow fell silent. Their reiastu seemed to fade. Luca had won. Utterly exhausted, wounded, but alive, Luca began the journey back to Karakura. Somehow he had ended up at Mt. Fuji. Though he was expecting to find a trail of destruction from the mountain to the capital, but there was none. His missing eye was the only apparent sign that his hollow had ever stolen control from him. To go to sleep with two eyes and wake up with one was...difficult. Luca hated how vulnerable it made him feel, to have to learn to adjust to it. Even if it was temporary.

Luca acquired an eyepatch and some eye bandages from a pharmacy he spotted while walking to a train station. Clever use of soul command made up for the fact he had no money on him. His company issued phone was dead too. Even his soul pager wasn't on him. For once, he was entirely cut off from Karakura and anyone who could help him. He managed to catch a train with money he'd commandeered, leaving him time to rest. Luca patted his pockets, this time finding a letter addressed to him...

Reading the letter felt strange, like he'd done it before, but he couldn't seem to remember. Why is this addressed to me? Did the inner hollow do this? No, no, that didn't seem right. It had to be someone else The letter was an invitation to a meeting, the time of which had already passed. That seemed odd too. Why carry an expired invitation? By the time Luca got back to Karakura, his curiosity was gnawing at him. He went to Liquor Fantasia only to find burnt ruins. Police had sectioned the place off. The official story was a gas explosion took the place out, with some wild speculation about it being a yakuza hangout destroyed for insurance reasons.

"I've been here before..." Luca muttered under his breath.

Luca slipped past the barrier, walked and knelt in the ashes, as he began to remember everything.

[Kitai Yoru]

62 paragraphs, 310 TP awarded