Tripping into Someone Else's Turf

[Teresa]

This was something that hadn’t happened to Teresa, a first that she wasn’t particularly enjoying right now and didn’t believe anyone would enjoy. She was forced to retreat. It had happened once before yet not like this, when she had first gotten back to the Human world and attacked the building with all the young humans. A large group of the adversaries that clad themselves in black fabric and use swords to fight along with what had to be magic. She had been forced to retreat in order to preserve herself from the amassing population of the enemy forces. There had been one that stood out to her in that encounter that had been strong enough she wouldn’t have won if she had stayed to fight them.

This time though there was one major difference, there were no other Hollows. During that first day Teresa had come into the Human world not alone, but with a Gillian and a partner that she hadn’t seen since. Along with the two that had come with her dozens of others had started to appear once Teresa and her partner had killed a few humans. Today though had been going like any other hunt, she had gotten out of the sewers in order to stalk a source of food. Her presence in the city had definitely been noted though as a small group of the adversaries had been waiting, managing to stop her from getting her fix. Outnumbered by an amount that Teresa knew she couldn’t overcome, she was left with no other option than to swallow her pride and vanish again.

Only a few moments ago though she was caught off guard as one of the adversaries vanished only to appear in front of her ready to slash downwards on her head as if trying to slip it right down the center. Reacting in freight Teresa had just fallen backwards activating Ulcera without thinking and now she sat on the ground of an alleyway. Looking around while she gets back onto her feet Teresa acknowledges that she’s no longer in danger, but remains unaware that she’s no longer in Karakura, no longer on her hunting grounds and perhaps stepping onto another's.

[Sonadora]

The nightly alleyway in which Teresa found herself into was definitely not one of the typical spots she has perhaps wandered by while staying within Karakura Town. The buildings here were taller with both older and sturdier foundations, and the lights which emanated from the nearby streets were almost blinding. Although no one stood beside her, she could most likely hear the noise which also came from these aforementioned streets. There were people there, many people, more so than the amount which remain in Karakura Town. Some of the noise was happier, cheerier, the sound of children or adolescents which most likely are heading towards some kind of destination in which they could have fun together. However, much of the other noise that remained in the air, the overwhelming majority of it, seemed an amplification of the mundane Teresa would have heard in Karakura. The passing of cars multiplied tenfold, the distant footsteps of hundreds of people heading home at once.

No, this was not Karakura Town. This was Ōta City, Tokyo, Japan, a far cry from the quiet neighborhood of the modern Jūreichi. In her panicked escape from those who wished to eliminate her, the antler-wearing creature had distanced herself quite a fair bit from her usual hunting ground, and instead found herself here. More importantly, it was quite clear that this place was not anywhere close to being similar to the nearby Jūreichi. Although it was quite clear that there were more Humans than the monster could ever hope to sustain herself upon, there was a notable lack of Souls in the area. There did not even seem to be one anywhere nearby, or even but the little marks usually left by a passing Hollow. For all intents and purposes, it was as if the spiritual world cared much less for this place in comparison to Karakura Town. At the very least, who could blame the beasts? It is only natural for the most of them to head towards the area which smells the best, rather than stay here where the game is less plentiful and more boring.

The description of the city aside, the noise of the alleyway was much quieter in comparison to the ambient noise of the Japanese metropolis. It was clean, and unlike the main streets which were filled with light, it was also darker and more bearable for the Hollow eye. Really, it could have been much worse for Teresa: she could have found herself in an area that was much less suitable. Even so, there was something about it that felt... off. It felt too quiet. In fact, it almost felt as though life itself had been ripped away from its very core, or rather twisted so badly that it was left severely weakened in the process, and is now in the process of recovering. Had something terrible happened here to the point that the community which inhabits these buildings now mourn their loss? Had criminals taken over one of these buildings and made sure to turn it into some sort of den for them to take advantage of? It was hard to say, though eventually, an answer seemed to come into the light.

A window suddenly cracked near Teresa. It was located on the fourth floor of the building on her right, and from it could be seen something odd. Something gassy was located within it, silvery, yet thick. There was also someone seemingly struggling to get out of there. Something hit the window again and it cracked further, until eventually, it was left completely broken. From behind which stood the pieces of glass composing the window came the face of a Human, one that seemed tired, dispirited and empty. He obviously could not see Teresa, but judging by what he did next, it would not take long until he would be able to do so. A brief whimper came to him as he looked towards the darkened skies above, tears streaking down what seemed to be bloodied cheek, and with one last inaudible whisper, he raised himself onto the window frame, then jumped down onto the pavement below. His body collided with the pavement before Teresa, with his neck broken instantly. Blood surged from his wounds upon impact, but aside, nothing else was expelled from him.

Of course, once he did, his spirit appeared. It did not even take long for it to do so, probably maybe a second or two. He appeared nearest to the wall of what seemed to be his home, and even as a spirit, he seemed abandoned, lost. Upon seeing Teresa, he briefly balked, then broke down completely. "P-Please... I beg you... K-Kill me....!!" He begged, broken. "I killed her...! I killed them! I DESERVE TO DIE!!" His tears rang loud across the street, yet now, nobody could hear him but Teresa. It was an absolutely-pathetic sight, a Human so destroyed he now remained useless both alive or dead. Not even the brightest Shinigami would be capable of brightening his day. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for him, Teresa was not the only one who he could bring his suicidal demands to. There was also another being who could hear his woes, his whimpers, his cries, his screams, and it seemed it had been in the man's room all along.

She stood onto the window frame on all four, crouched low with her hands and feet pressed onto the frame away from the remaining pieces of glasses. The gassy substance from before rained down upon her body like a cloak, making her appearing like a ghastly, otherworldly apparition. From that cloak could be seen two purple slants beaming from where the head should be. "Another one of my kind," she calmly ascertained as she stood there, gazing at the larger figure below. Her voice was raspy, as though once charred by fire, yet also smooth. It made for a strangely-enticing and charismatic voice. "I must apologize for this incident... They usually remain indoors. Please, be free to consume him at your leisure." There did not seem to be any care for the broken spirit who continued to whimper uncontrollably before Teresa, only interest in the new figure. "I do not reckon having witnessed your presence here in this city... Most of our kind remain near the town they refer to as Karakura."

[Teresa]

The buildings that formed the alleyway that Teresa found herself in were definitely different than what she had seen while in Karakura. When she had first arrived back in the human world as a Hollow she hadn’t been able to comprehend how much the world had changed in the time that she had been gone. After some additional time and thought she had realized that a good portion of the buildings were homes even if they looked quite different. Certain ones didn’t make any sense to her with how she remembered the small town she had grown up in over a century ago. Now though the buildings around didn’t even seem possible. She’d heard about buildings so tall they could touch the sky while she had been alive, but this was her first time seeing any and yet they seemed harder to believe then what she had become after death.

Shaking her head slightly Teresa refocuses herself realizing that she was now in a strange city that she knew nothing about. It only took her a moment to realize what must have happened and how she got here. Things began to happen around her though before she could make any sort of action to get back to her hunting grounds. A window from one of the buildings next to her broke and then a second later a human jumped from it. Teresa watched as the soul of the human escaped from the broken corpse pleading for death despite the fact such a thing had just happened. Teresa though could feel her hunger growing astronomically with the scent of blood near her. Regardless of what he was asking though Teresa didn’t have the urge to consume him.

Several moments past at which point the culprit of this Human’s suicide revealed themselves, another Hollow that more than likely employed scare tactics to terrify prey. Teresa could understand why although personally feeling as if they may take longer to get a better flavor. When this other Hollow offers to let Teresa devour the soul, the thin branch-like limb that is Teresa’s right hand raises in an open palm. “No, I do not need the prey of others.” Although she wasn’t going to eat this soul she was starting to get very hungry which meant that she would have to find her own, still she’d learned to be a bit more careful which meant she needed information. “What’s the name of this place?”

[Sonadora]

The gleaming eyes which illuminated the fog beyond the window stared deep into the white emptiness which covered Teresa's body. They analyzed the taller Hollow through and through, her every features, her every move, providing ample information to their shadowy owner. It wouldn't take much for the antler-wearing Hollow to realize how impressed her fellow monster was in her ability to resist the urge to consume, as the common Hollow typically are much more enthusiastic when it comes to the act. No shouting was heard from the foggy creature, no criticism, no banter. In fact, nothing was heard. All that was done in this moment was just observation, a quiet assessment of each other's abilities. Perhaps it would be a breath of fresh air for Teresa, but if it wasn't, it at least was for this monster. Her guard was not totally dropped for the time being before this member of her kin, but respect was already starting to be formed, even if it was only but a negligible amount for now.

Her offer now rescinded, the creature took Teresa's opinion without raising any conflict once all observations were completed, and with a hum, she pushed herself out the window. "Very well. I commend you for your patience," she openly complimented, letting her appreciation of the antlered monster's resistance known, before she then threaded down towards the broken Soul. By then, the latter could only do so much as watch in both terror and repentance as those beasts spoke to one another. He had nothing else to say to them, nothing more to tell: all he wanted was to just be murdered by them so that he could pay for his sins. Eventually, it would seem that his wish would be granted. With widened eyes, he balked at the sight of the creature whose fog continued to blanket her, covering her in the supernatural smoke as she descended from what was once his apartment. From where he stood, she resembled a wingless angel, a servant of the divine will about to punish him for his misdeeds who seemed brighter than the night itself.

"Please... Please..." he put himself on his knees, submitting himself completely to this creature whose intentions he gave no thought for. Eventually, the creature landed on the pavement which laid flat before him and simply stared at him. The silence reigned for a moment, and for a second, he almost believed that he would not get anything from this. However, with a sudden thrust piercing through his throat, his wish finally came true. Choking on the claws which were going right through his neck, he tried to gurgle as he was raised from the ground. The last thing he saw was the beast's true form beyond the fog, and with a horrified noise, he tried to scream. Unfortunately for him, the jaws which were so cleverly hidden bit at his face before the noise could become too loud, and a few seconds later, his head was gone, reduced to a few bits of skin and bone. The lifeless body then was dropped onto the pavement below like an used tissue, something to not care for any longer, and with that came the end of the man's life.

Soul Consumed: Class 8 Human (NPC)

Having faced Teresa, the antlered beast was most likely able to get a glimpse of what lied beneath the fog. It was not something the creature appreciated, but she didn't find any problem with the matter for the time being. The fog nevertheless remained present enough around her body, a cloak to hide her true form. She may have seen her bloodied jaw, but she was not going to let it see everything else. "Adequate again, if only to satiate the hunger," she said aloud, uncaring for the bloody mess she left behind, then turned towards Teresa. After a pause in which she wiped away the blood out of disgust, she brought an answer to her fellow Hollow: "You stand in what the Humans of this country refer to as Ōta City. You may have heard of it before: it is a sort of pocket of this metropolis. Those who reside here seem to particularly enjoy the birds of steel floating about in these skies. In fact, this one here participated in the construction of these vehicles."

Her lack of respect for the corpse which currently lied near her foggy body was such that there did not seem to be an ounce of respect for the man himself when she spoke of his profession. If anything, she admired more so the planes he made than the man himself. "But enough about the Humans. Since we have now met, I believe it is only formal of me to introduce myself to you," her charred voice moved on from the subject of Human aeronautics before the eyes raised themselves inside the fog. They were still below Teresa's height, yet there was a sense of superiority about them that could not be ignored. "My name is Sonadora. It is a pleasure to meet you. As you may have gathered by now, this metropolis could be considered as my feeding grounds, so to speak. I dislike referring to them as such, but I digress." She was being very honest with her, very thorough, seemingly trustworthy. There was no point in lying to this newcomer, especially not one who seemed to be physically more powerful.

As the both of them continued to speak to one another, this Sonadora would keep an eye on the building, as though she was watching over it. The fog which emanated from the window seemed to be fading away as they spoke. "Were you, by any chance, compelled to come to this city by the Shinigami of this Karakura Town?" She asked out of vigilance, yet with that same polite tone she held with that burned voice of hers. "If so, you will perhaps be safer here. The Souls of Tokyo are of lesser quality, but their numbers are much greater. Their lack of stench allow even the worst of us to think more clearly."

[Teresa]

Teresa wasn’t usually the type to sit around and wait for others even when she had teamed up with other Hollows in the past few months that hadn’t been the case. In truth she was already able to go on her way, to find prey of her own as she knew at any moment the craving was going to start building once again. She’d come up from the sewers in order to fight off the plague of starvation that constantly gripped her soul. That had led her here due to the previous events, all the same though humans were present in this city as well. So to her she’d simply gone from one table of food to another.

What caught her attention was the way that this other Hollow ate the prey. Virtually Hollow that she’d seen, including herself, always devoured the physical body along with the soul. So why then did this one simply allow the corpse to linger in this world? Her interest was short lived though as she felt her hunger building. All she could do was assume that perhaps flesh tasted rancid to this Hollow as most things did to Teresa. Either way it was nothing of importance to her and thus wasting her time on it wasn’t wise.

This was when she asked her question though wanting to know at least this much about the city. A world that Teresa hadn’t just been lost to, stolen from, but one that had grown while she was imprisoned to the point that now she couldn’t recognize it. The little bit of information that this other Hollow unleashed on Teresa didn’t seem to be necessary. The enjoyments of prey? Did that matter? Teresa hadn’t thought about it before. Could prey taste better if they were eaten while happy?

Teresa wasn’t really sure how long this other Hollow had been around, the others that she had come across hadn’t been so formal. Due to her limited experience though she couldn’t tell if that meant she was older or younger like herself. Either way though the act of introducing oneself seemed so . . . human. The small girl from the little village had been devoured. She no longer existed, Teresa had no reason to make friends. They weren’t part of the goal she’d set for herself and wouldn’t help her achieve that goal.

The only thing that kept Teresa from leaving the alleyway and pursuing the first human she could set her eyes on? The look to this Hollow’s eyes. A look that Teresa had seen only briefly on a few others. A sign that this one was different, someone that could be useful at some point. “I am Teresa. You won’t mind me taking a snack then?” Teresa asked Sonadora although the tone of her voice wouldn’t really give away whether or not she was actually asking this as a question.

“The ones clad in black were waiting for me. Chased me like usual. Will eat them once I get back.” Teresa began to turn and walk to the end of the alleyway when Sonadora told her more about this city and how different the humans that live here are. Teresa didn’t have to hesitate for her mind had reached this conclusion the first day she’d come back to the human world. She’d made her choice when she’d chosen to stay in the human world. “Nothing worth having ever comes easily. If there’s no danger to eating them then they must not be worth protecting. Doesn’t sound fulfilling.”

[Sonadora]

Sonadora's gaze would remain onto Teresa shortly after she ate the face off of the now-dead Soul. Although there was no real way to say what she was thinking due to that fog of hers, the beaming figures of her purple eyes would allow the antlered being to realize that she was aware of how odd it was of her to consume the Soul in such a way. It was indeed true that most Hollows consume the entirety of the Human's body, not just the spiritual one. It was what characterized Humans the most, and a reason as to why a few Hollows tend to prefer them over Shinigami. Doing so is not always beneficial as some of the beasts tend to see Human flesh as something to be avoided, but their primal side often prevents them from abstaining themselves from the act. This was obviously not the case here. The foggy monster had made sure to quickly murder the Soul and then consume it's spiritual energy, but it did not bother consuming the physical body. Even though it was natural of Hollows to eat Human flesh, this one abstained herself from participating in this unholy tradition. Perhaps her early statement about Humans here potentially tasting less good was what kept her from acting too monstrously in front of Teresa.

Even so, the creature paid no mind to her fellow kin's curiosity. It was as if she had no interest in discussing it, or at least no interest in doing so now. She had moved on from the matter like she had moved on from the subject of the Humans' enjoyment with the "birds of steel" she previously described: with the calmest tone its charred voice could muster and a quiet gaze. It was quite odd how this monster, this abomination, did not act the part. Despite its appearance and nature as a Hollow, it has never once seemed beastly in attitude. Never once did she seem to act like an animal, and never once did she even visibly display the wish to rush towards the nearby streets and consume all the Humans there. She was definitely showcasing intelligence which would definitely make her stand out in comparison to any Hollow, yes, but she was also showing clear restraint, something which was far beyond something the typical Stray to be found amidst a huge city like this could even so much as think about. It made her that much unnatural.

She listened to Teresa's introduction without a word at first, though the way her eyes grew seemingly softer in the fog conveyed a sense of newfound respect. It was clear that the foggy beast was happy to see that her fellow Hollow was willing to actually introduce herself to her, even if the antlered one's tone was not quite as respectful in comparison to hers. "Consume as much as you wish," she accepted the request which followed her introduction, uncaring for the fact that it was perhaps more so supposed to be a veiled order. For the sake of what seemed to be the birth of a soon-to-be alliance, she was visibly considering it more so as a request above the latter possibility. "I do admit that I had plans for the physical body, though its loss will not be significant." Once more as she finished speaking, her gaze would briefly turn towards the building. Whatever she had planned for the man prior to Teresa's appearance here, it was clearly linked to the people which remain inside this place.

Once this matter was settled, Sonadora then took into account what Teresa just said and, for a moment, the eyes in the fog lowered into what seemed to be a frown. It was less so one of anger and more so of thought and consideration. "Waiting for you, you say? Curious. To think the Shinigami would give you such grievances," she acquiesced quietly. Those words alone were enough to alert her of her interlocutor's strength; after all, it is not often that the Shinigami will prepare a trap to take down one Hollow, as they will instead usually hunt them in patrols. Even so, she did not appear to be more careful of what the antlered being could do to her upon hearing them. She was not threatened or even so much as bothered. Either she is incredibly confident in her abilities, is too arrogant to realize that she could not possibly beat Teresa, does not feel as though there would be any meaning to a conflict between them... or all of these possibilities at once.

Before she could ponder about the matter of Teresa's hunt any further, however, the foggy monster then saw Teresa starting to walk away towards the streets. In response to this, she followed quietly, instinctively staying in the shadows of the night the alleyway granted her. "A commendable philosophy. It is indeed true that the Souls here are worth less in the eyes of the Shinigami," she started explaining as she stopped not too far from Teresa. "However, they are not less worth to them because they are not worth protecting. They are less worth to them because the news which they receive from this city are plain and unassuming." The eyes moved up and down in the fog, not so much as a means to convey the creature nodding, but rather to point out that she was gesturing towards the street in front of Teresa with her head. "Look to the streets before you. Do you see any of our kin nearby? Can you smell the scent of any Souls nearby? I at least cannot. For all intent and purposes, despite being so close to the town of Karakura, this metropolis seems at peace. Therein lies the power of the Hollows remaining here."

A distant scream rang from the building at that moment, more specifically from the broken window. It did not come from the room behind the window; instead, it seemed a bit more muffled, a sign that it instead was in another room altogether. Despite this, the people which passed by the alleyway remained completely unaware of it all, laughing to each other as they spoke of mundane Human subjects like their jobs, food and other pointless things. "The state of peace the Shinigami most likely believes this place to remain within is a fallacy. In short, it is an illusion. In reality, we feed upon the Humans here all the same as our kin of Karakura or Hueco Mundo. If you wish it so, I can introduce you to this peaceful world, bring us both strength and power. All you need to do is follow me into this haven here," she explained further, and with it concluded, she then pointed towards the building in which the scream came from. It has yet to stop ever since it began, and somehow, it seemed louder than before.

[Teresa]

An interaction unlike any of the others that Teresa had experienced since obtaining her freedom once again. What was happening right now was something that she hadn’t really done in what felt like centuries yet in reality once only close to reaching a single unit of such a measurement. Either way though the mere fact this Hollow was willing to wait, listen, converse, to actually have a conversation like she had while Human. This was something that Teresa believed didn’t matter anymore. She was Hollow and thus didn’t need it yet right now this felt familiar and pleasant. A nice surprise to the Hollow.

The two of them speaking was something that Teresa had done with a couple others, but what set it apart from even them was that this one seemed to actually have a better understanding and could speak in a way that showcased it still possessed at least nearly full function of its mind. While Teresa was one to consume the entire body, that didn’t mean she was going to distrust someone else for not doing so. Wasting the flesh was quite disappointing, but she didn’t have to clean it so it was quickly forgotten.

When she had told this other one about how the adversaries had been waiting for her, Teresa could see the shift in her display. The long twig-like fingers that Teresa possessed were raised up to her mask reminiscent of an intellect rubbing the chin in thought. She was apparently a safe distance away at the moment, but eventually she wanted to return and continue her hunt. So she’d have to come up with some way to deal with the frustrating swordsman.

“Kill enough of them and they start to care. I’ll have to make them care a little more once I get back.”

Getting to the street corner Teresa was content to find that this other one followed her at least this far. Remarking about what she had just inferred involving the souls of this city. While they spoke Teresa continued to listen yet her face continuously moved from side to side surveying the humans that were walking along the night filled streets. “Guarding one pouch of gold only to ignore another you haven’t checked on? Ignorant simpletons!” Teresa remarked in a far more aggressive manner almost like a scornful mother.

This had already become the longest, most in depth conversation that Teresa had experienced in nearly a century. Despite that little fact though it continued to which Teresa indulged. For whatever reason she could smell the humans of this city and while the scent was pleasant like always it was missing something. Something that the humans in the city she had been hunting possessed. “Feasting behind the owner's back huh?” Although she wasn’t certain she liked the idea while her emotions still raged on the edge of wanting to return, Teresa sides with the new.

When the shouting came from inside the building Teresa only moved her head to the side slightly having been at least a little expecting something of the kind to happen for what felt like awhile now. She allowed the other Hollow to continue speaking as it was somewhat refreshing to hold this experience once again. A fact that she was already coming to realize. “Show me the lifestyle of you Weasel hunters.” She wasn’t sure this other Hollow would even know why a weasel was, but to Teresa the method of hunting down the humans that the adversary simply assumed to be ok was very similar to the stealthy predator.

[Sonadora]

The foggy beast, this Sonadora, did not detach her stare from Teresa as she picked the physical body that remained of the fallen engineer and consumed it before her. Not once did her eyes look away, and not once did they convey any emotion through the fog. They remained two simple spots of purple beaming with indifference in the cloak, rendering her opinion of Humans quite clear. Despite her willingness to bring about their identity, occupations and even their technology, there was no care about who and what they are beyond that, no emotional attachment. It was a normal thing for Hollows to not care very much about what they eat, not even the ones they once loved back they were but normal Souls; after all, why would a Hollow care about their source of consumption? Why would a predator care about its prey? It would just be counter-productive. Even so, this one seemed to share both interest and disinterest in her prey, a symptom of higher intelligence that made this Stray that much abnormal compared to the antlered one.

It did not take long for the aeronautical engineer's body to be consumed just as rapidly as his spiritual self. Once a Human with clear goals and aspirations, only a skeleton remained over a pool of blood by the time Teresa's work was completed. The people that passed by on the sidewalk nearest to the area in which the bones were left scattered somehow did not hear anything, or at least they haven't heard just yet. They continued to walk about by the alleyway, enjoying themselves as the city noise covered the tearing of flesh that was heard from the darkness, and the spilling of blood that followed it shortly. Sonadora did not react to what would have perhaps been a shocking phenomenon to a Hollow who primarily resided in a quieter area. Although these people - the Japanese - hide themselves under an image of ultimate politeness, solidarity and friendship, they become like any other civilian once they settle in a metropolis: a being who only cares about their own well-being and not the other's.

Despite this, the beast stayed clear of the blood-spilling while her fellow Hollow feasted on the corpse. It was as if she didn't want more blood to reach out for her body. For a being who seemingly preferred to remain hidden by the unknown, she sure did not want to get her hands dirty, to put it bluntly. "I take it the body was to your liking," the charred voice commented through the fog as it slowly pushed itself away from the antlered one's meal. That was it: the complete extent of her observation. No complaint, no wish to share. The fact that this Hollow - no, this Stray, the usual equivalent of a wild animal with nothing but a strain of coherent thought - was somehow capable of doing this was downright astounding. Perhaps she too understood this, for there was an air of superiority about her that made her emotionally stand out in comparison to Teresa, like her fellow kin somehow was not as powerful as her, even if that was absolutely impossible.

Reaching the street corner, this strange Sonadora continued to listen to Teresa in her fog. She seemingly found no insult in the antlered one's comment, as she did not flinch, but at the same time, she said nothing. Well, at least she didn't say anything right away. It was almost as if she wanted this Hollow who she was starting to respect to realize the potential of her strategy. Only once that realization seemed to have been completed that the gleaming slants of purple shining through the fog grew thinner, a sign of satisfaction. "You are correct. We feast behind the backs of the unenlightened, and in turn, we continue our ascension without interruption," she furthered while she remained in the dark. "The Human dies and becomes one with our sacred flesh as we tear them asunder in both mind and body, and the careless Shinigami remain forever ignorant of their failure to protect them. So is the benediction this foolish city brings to us, as one may say."

It was only a matter of time before the antlered one would eventually accept the offer that was given to her, and with that, the voice beyond the fog hummed. It would seem it was both one of appreciation for the approval of her offer, and one of quietened frustration so as to shut up all indignation felt from being compared to an unearthly vermin, but it would be hard to tell that latter part right away due to monster's difficult tone. A throat which has clearly suffered from some kind of burn will, after all, not be easily understood. "Very well," she said as the slants moved up and down in a nodding motion before the fog stretched forward into an arm. It beckoned the antlered beast to follow her towards the building. Nothing was said beyond that point, like the monster wanted to show to her fellow creature that she did not underestimate her intelligence. Again, it was uncommon for a Stray to do something like this. In fact... this was something that was more in line with the likes of the Arrancar.

The fog rose itself from the ground towards the broken window, following Sonadora as she returned into her previous prey's apartment. The room inside was what one would expect from a building like this. It was messy, with many things lying on the ground, and small, enough so to force Teresa to have to bend herself forward once she would be inside. There was a bed, a desk and a few shelves settled onto the northern wall. A portable computer was installed on the desk, currently opened on what seemed to be some sort of window. There was text written onto the window, though it was hard to read as it seemed to be rather incoherent Japanese. The words "family" and "forget" were written several times on it. The foggy creature paid absolutely no mind to the computer, seemingly completely uncaring of its existence and the textual content written onto its screen. Instead, it headed forward towards the door, which was unlocked. Opening it was no challenge to Sonadora, who walked through its frame and the hall on the other side with no difficulty whatsoever. The screams that were heard before now were much less distant, and from here, it seemed that they could be heard from not just one room, but many rooms.

"You will have to excuse this loudness. I was testing my abilities onto the people of this complex before we met. If it is too loud for you, you are free to quieten a few of them yourself," the creature apologized as she and hopefully Teresa were walking through the halls, the fog naturally following the former through it in the process. The further they walked down the hall, the more pained the screams became. It was as if they were all suffering from insanity, or some kind of mental deficiency that led them to believe they were in a world of pain and torment. Whatever Sonadora had done to them, she had somehow turned them into all into something less than Human. Worse yet was the way the foggy creature moved on, unfazed and uncaring of their suffering. To her, they were clearly subjects to be tested on, something to, as she previously said, tear asunder in mind and body. "The extent of my abilities I was capable of reaching today was rather disappointing, though I have faith that my evolution will bring me more fruitful results in time."

[Teresa]

The conservation continued for another minute or so matching what had been a normal conversation for Teresa with that little but if the exchange by itself. What happened afterwards wouldn’t be anything that the humans in this area would piece to be anything more than normal. One acquaintance offered the other entrance into their home to have a bite to eat. If only they knew what was going on along with the fact that neither of them owned the room nor that they would be eating what they deemed to be food.

What transpired I’ve the next couple minutes was something that Teresa really didn’t know how to feel about. What she saw was what she could only assume to be the results of this other Hollow’s ability. The unique ability of a Hollow was present with the majority of the unique ones although even then sometimes the most mighty didn’t have anything beyond raw power. Teresa only knew this from the memories she had gathered while gazing through the eyes of her former warden. This Hollow definitely possessed an ability that turned these humans into frightened creatures that couldn’t process what was even around them.

To break other entities with nothing other than fear itself. That was what Teresa could gather about this ability with the limited amount of knowledge although regardless of that fact it was a terrifying ability. Teresa wasn’t sure how long this other Hollow had been one or if she was missing something herself as she didn’t have a clear understanding of what her own ability was yet. All she’d figured out was that she could make others do what she wanted so long as she touched them.

This Hollow though it seemed had practiced whatever she could do and was using it to keep these humans subservient in fear until she felt the hunger to devour them. Teresa continued to follow her throughout the building yet when it came time for her to make a decision all she could do was lament the disappointment. This wasn’t anything that she had been allowing herself to hope for. Just like the original human that had fallen from the building this was no different than devouring someone else’s food. She didn’t need to be fed, she would gain power by her own efforts.

“So you allow them to ferment in fear only after taking your time do you consume them.” Teresa wasn’t really asking a question more stating what she could see with a tone that wasn’t aggressive nor friendly. What she’d seen didn’t horrify her like it would a human. She understood the needs of being a Hollow, but it all came down to how kind numbingly boring this method seemed to be. Sure this Hollow had to capture the humans, but in a place like this where they freely admit the adversaries rarely come.

“Continue with this if you like. I have no right to stop you, but when the time comes and evolution is upon you. Will you be hardened enough to stand atop the adversaries that undoubtedly will swarm.”

Having no taste for what this other Hollow was doing whether it was aiding in her knowledge and development or not. Teresa hadn’t realized it beforehand, but she had really taken to the choice she’d made that first day in the human world again. She was going to strive for power through hardship. She was going to temper her power like that of a sword. Coming to that decision Teresa begins to make her way out of the building careful not to let down her guard though when around someone who she may have just disrespected.

[Sonadora]

As the two beasts walked forward into the hallway, one of the gleaming eyes in the fog was maintained onto the antlered beast. Even though, in essence, it was nothing more than a simple slit of glowing purple that hid in a cloud of alien mist, a common thing which most Hollows experience, its intention was clear. It stared at her with utmost awareness, analyzing mind and body still just like back when they were still outside, wondering what she would say and do in response to the gruesome sights shown to her in this terrible place. It paid attention to movement, posture and behavior in a mixture of carefulness and attentiveness, and made sure to keep watch onto her empty face too so as to perhaps perceive any changes onto it. Considering the actions of its owner so far, this was far from being unusual, yet somehow, this staring made the foggy creature somehow more mysterious. Was this mere, simple paranoia? A need to commit to a quiet judgement of the antlered beast's capabilities? 

The eye did not react to Teresa's assumption, or at least not in an obvious fashion; instead, it slightly twitched before continuing to stare at her as they went further down the hall. Its owner did not seem to be offended at all by what was told to her, but at the same time, that slightest bit of movement was a sign. Whatever that sign meant, it could be anything, though the creature eventually revealed the nature of it shortly after as its mouth opened behind the fog. "That is only partially true," she revealed as they continued into the hallway, passing by quite a few rooms in the process. A few were quiet, but almost none of them were. "I do not aspire to make my prey more appetizing through fermentation. That is a meaningless goal. Rather, this is an experiment." By the time she finished speaking, they reached a flight of stairs at the end of the hallway, one which they would take to head down towards the floor below. There was a map on the wall, one which Sonadora pointed to. "This is the home of roughly twenty or so Humans, many of which are workers like the one we have consumed outside. Unbeknownst to them, one of their own was what you may refer to as a "serial killer". Thus, it is the perfect testing ground for my abilities, much like the ones before and the ones I shall find after. However, I shall admit that its usefulness is starting to reach its end."

She did not reveal any further detail in regards to her abilities, but it was quite clear that she was taking this very seriously. There was no hint of any hesitation as she spoke of the matter, no trace of dishonesty. In every sense of the word, she was telling the truth. In the matter of a few minutes at best, she had revealed to Teresa that the Humans here who probably were all once respectable engineers had been turned into crazed, mindless guinea pigs. Their lives were rendered forfeit the very moment Sonadora appeared in their lives, and now, what these people called their homes had been turned into a mental asylum. It was difficult to tell when the foggy Hollow had started this little operation of hers, but judging by the fact that no one had checked on any of these people just yet, she must not have been doing this for a long while, else the Shinigami would have already been alerted of what was going on here. At best, this operation has been ongoing for less than three days.

What was most shocking about all of this was not quite the execution of the operation itself, but rather who was able to conduct it. This Stray, this mere creature who should have undoubtedly been reduced into a mindless beast by now from the smells of the Humans' Souls, had never once strayed from her plan. She had seemingly followed it to a tee without fault, or at least none noticed for now, all the while being under the supervision of these "twenty or so" Humans. She had resisted the scents of these Souls and the sheer urge to kill them all. Something like this - a rare occasion which is theoretically almost impossible even to the greatest Hollows to have ever lived -  should have been nothing more than some fancy story conducted by the denizens of Hueco Mundo in their hunger-induced boredom. Despite this, here this strange Stray stood. Despite this, here this strange creature, this one monster who seemed so acutely more intelligent than any other ones of her kind, remained.

Perhaps it was for this reason that the beast's eyes seemed to frown in the fog upon hearing Teresa's criticism of her actions. The two slits had become smaller still, now blades of purple that were aimed directly towards the antlered one's gaze as she stood there, watching the beast head back towards the flight of stairs. "It would seem that my experiment has disappointed you," the charred voice first calmly spoke as its owner remained just close enough to Teresa so as to be heard. It was not really a difficult observation to make; after all, her fellow kin was not showing much interest in this operation of hers. Nevertheless, after that aforementioned observation was made, the calm then became more resolute. "But, to answer your question, I will tell you this: I do not fear what awaits me. Not those which seek to consume me, not those who seek to slay us, and not those who seek to destroy our kind. My adversaries and I will become one in time, and like the rest of Hollowkind, I shall then evolve into something greater than what you see now." Her voice made it hard to say if she was really angry at her fellow kin, though with the way her arm stretched from the fog as she spoke, she at least seemed convicted in that belief of hers.

Once her words were told, Sonadora seemed at least about to express her farewells to the antlered one. Despite how disappointed she was in the creature's decision to leave her and seemingly head back to Karakura Town, she was at least glad to have had a conversation with a fellow kin who wasn't the typical simpleton. However, before she could do so, she heard something. It was like a light thud or a tap of sorts, one just loud enough to be heard from where she stood. It caused her to immediately turn her head towards one of the nearby window of the hallway, one which was pointing towards the area in which she and Teresa consumed the suicidal Human. Although the moment only lasted a split-second, she saw something there: the brief appearance of a single mask staring right back at her. She did not have the time to properly perceive what the mask was, but it did not take long for her to realize what was going on. It was enough to make something akin to a low hiss underneath the fog. It looks like her experiment will have to be cut short.

Meanwhile, Teresa would hear the same noise that the foggy beast heard at the window, only this time near the front entrance of the building. From behind it could only be seen the faint sight of feet, both of which were clearly not of Human origin. If she would open the door or phase through it via Ulcera, she would end face-to-face with another Hollow. It was a rather large beast, one that was a bit bulky despite its slimness. Its body was covered in black and white fur, with two horns protruding from its head, an additional pair of arms sprouted from its chest, and a tail that ended in a spade. Its mask, bright white, was elongated into a snout with sharp fangs and round eyes of red, two orbs which now stared straight into Teresa. "Oh-ho... Well now, you're new," it spoke with a high-pitched voice before it smirked a cruel grin. "Whatever. Mind getting out of the way? That building smells real nice." It appeared that it was a "he". Like Sonadora, he seemed to be another Stray with some form of intelligence. However, his demeanor was different: it seemed more in line with the common modern Human's in comparison to the foggy one's. "I'm only gonna ask once."

Reiatsu hummed quietly around the beast as he directly threatened the antlered one without any fear for his life, like he did not give an ounce of care about her power. His body - no, just his reiatsu was enough - screamed confidence, though it was hard to blame him for that: his aura was already impressive enough as is. It seemed like, similarly to Teresa, he too was a superior Stray, one on the verge of becoming a Gillian.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Vagabond}

Vagabond, The Unparalleled

Class: Hollow - Stray (6)

Rank: 1

[Teresa]

Turning and beginning to walk away was something Teresa knew she had to do as obviously she wasn’t just going to stay inside the den of a different hunter. What she was expecting was to be attacked from behind and thus kept her guard up and her mind ready, no attack came though instead the other Hollow of fog kept calm for the most part and continued to speak. Teresa had been able to pick up on the eye language over the last few sentences which told her how this other one was feeling , right now though it seemed she’d really come across someone else similar in kind to herself. Even if their method of hunting was completely the opposite.

“Testing on the helpless will only accomplish so much. You seem to have a good understanding of what you can accomplish. Should move on to the real adversaries now, test on them.”

Teresa turned around once again as the conversation continued which would show that she didn’t have anything against what this other Hollow was doing. She didn’t feel any ill will between them nor any sympathy for the humans. She’d been human just like most Hollows at one point, but the little girl had died decades ago. Teresa couldn’t go back to the way she was then and in order to achieve what she sought she had to make sure no one pulled her down, sympathy for the weak in her eyes was essentially a guaranteed way to lose.

“Not disappointed, just not interested. Your power is your own. I’ve nothing to give nor wish to take from you. Thus I have no reason to be here.”

Teresa turning and walking down the hallway again hears the decree of sorts by the other Hollow that she would evolve into something beyond what she is now. Teresa made no real change to her body motion as she continued to walk down the hallway yet the other Hollow would be able to hear her words as clearly as when the two had been beside one another. “I’ll see you at the next starting line.” Teresa was striving to achieve the same goal as this other one it seemed and perhaps once they both evolved they would be able to work together. Keeping that opportunity open was all Teresa could do for now though.

Only a minute or so passed while Teresa walked the halls of the building seeking out the exit to the more modern architecture that she didn’t really get. She’d been in the human world several months now and yet her understanding of it still hadn’t progressed much. Everything was just so much different than a mere century before. Even now in this building where the cultural difference of architecture didn’t make that much of a difference, she was still gradually growing frustrated. Thankfully though the noise of something thudding a short distance away gave her the direction she needed to pursue.

Reaching the front doors of the building Teresa reached the exit with a thankful sigh like expression of her shoulders. Easily aggravated it seemed was a trait that had been building up in her for quite awhile and now taken shape. Looking out the front doors though Teresa could see feet that were immediately recognized as those of kin. She wasn’t going to exit through the doors as it would be no different than literally walking into a trap. “Trying to be sneaky? You can come down.”

If the Hollow did so he’d speak what he wished while Teresa waited standing in his way through the hallway of the building. “I have no stake in this place nor it’s livestock. I’m almost certain the owner wouldn’t mind sharing with you either. Your additute though. That changes a few things. You’re only going to ask once . . Ok. Beg for passage and I’ll let you go through.” Teresa moved her right hand up pointing at the large Hollow with her thin lengthy bone fingers. She spoke to him almost like a scornful mother yet somehow more demeaning as if she were treating him like a pet.

[Sonadora]

Upon hearing the antlered one's words, it took a moment for the monster behind the door to react to what was told to him. The entirety of his body had stiffened, enough so to cause him to appear frozen before the structure's entrance. Of course, this was surprise, or at least a bestial variant of it. It was clear that he was previously not expecting whoever was behind that door to be so forward with him. Usually, his prey tends to be less direct when they more aware of his presence. However, the mere fact that he was detected so easily caused many noises to be emitted from his mouth. It was this quiet thing, this strange ominous happening which could only be described as a sequence of distorted, high-pitched laughter. If one happened to listen closely to it, they could perhaps identify it all as what would sometimes come out of a hyena while the creature would hunt for food in his natural habitat. The difference was that mixed with it was plain Human laughter and a tinge of the Hollow's roar so synonymous with their race. 

It fortunately did not last forever. By the time the beast was done laughing, he stood there staring at the door for a bit longer before he moved forward to see what was on the other side. His body phased through the metallic construct with ease via Ulcera. First, his mask appeared through the darkness which formed on the door, then his large chest, then the rest soon. Once his tail whipped itself inside of the building, the darkness on the door disappeared, leaving both he and Teresa standing in the hallway. His red eyes analyzed her once he entered alongside his snout which instead smelled her reiatsu. They were both huge Strays obviously about to turn into Gillian. Not only that, they were also strong. He knew, and she probably knew too, and upon realizing this, he could not help but unleash his crude laughter again. "Oh-ho, congratulations. You're about to turn into one of those mindless freaks just like me," he complimented, then smirked wildly. "Con-gra-tu-la-tions."

His grin was terrible. It was wide, just wide enough to twist his mask into this mess of fangs which stretched from one ear to the other. From it could also perceived bits and pieces of Human flesh and bone that had remained stuck in his teeth. Out of all the Hollows she must have perceived, this grin was most reminiscent of those the typical bestial Stray sported. Was he one of those Strays? A beast which lost his intelligence? No, obviously not, else he wouldn't speak at all or even stand on his hind legs like Teresa to converse with her in such a way: he would have just attempted to pass right by her to reach out for the Souls in the building the moment he'd smell them. Perhaps he was acting like this because of the nature of the Souls of Tokyo in comparison to the ones in Karakura Town. Perhaps, instead... this was a side of him which he displayed even back when he was a Human. It was hard to tell, and it made that grin of his that much more disgusting.

After he had told his demands to Teresa, he then awaited her answer with that same awful grin. He awaited impatiently, excitedly, with a body that almost failed to contain both the eagerness within and his very own reiatsu which started to spill out from around him. If he would have been outside at this point in time, the Humans passing by the building on the sidewalks would find themselves walking away as quickly as possible for a reason they could not explain. Somehow, the spilling worsened once he did hear her answer, and so did his grin which turned into laughter again. "Look at you. Not only are you becoming a Gillian, you're also becoming someone's pawn," his laughter eventually stopped as the words came out of his snout, his grin returning to him. He stood tall then, a clear attempt to threaten the antlered one. "Usually, I'd have killed you by now, but... I'm feeling nicer today. It's the weather, you know? So, I'm gonna give you another chance. Get out of the way. Now."

The more he spoke in this increasingly-threatening tone, the more his reiatsu spilled out. it was starting to become overwhelmingly present in the building, similarly to how a typical Stray would invade a Human's home in Karakura Town. In hindsight, it was nothing to be very worried about as the both had absolutely no affinity at all for the reconnaissance of spiritual energy; however, if Teresa had paid attention to Sonadora back then when they were conversing about how she handled prey, the very fact that two Hollows are visibly about to fight each other in this area of Tokyo is dangerous. It means that, should they do battle in this building, they will instinctively liberate reiatsu to fight each other, which will naturally cause the Shinigami to be aware of their position and start investigating the area very soon. Not that it was a problem for the thief, however; in fact, he seemed partially elated by the fact he will not only consume Souls today, but also potentially battle a Hollow at his level.

Meanwhile, the foggy creature upstairs acted quickly. Considering that the creature outside the building has yet to attack her, it has now become quite clear that it was currently being preoccupied by something, else it would have already attacked. Her only guess as to what may have stopped it was potentially Teresa, but that was no certainty, and so she had no time to waste. The presence of a thief is most definitely going to cause a significant amount of problems to herself to the point that it may destroy her ongoing plan for this building's Humans. There were a few solutions that she could use to push the thief away so as to properly consume all of the Humans here safely and without attracting the attention of the Shinigami, but all of them are uncertain, risky. Out of all of them, the riskiest one is to outright eliminate the threat as quickly as possible, but that is not going to happen: she simply does not have enough power to do something like that without liberating a significant amount of reiatsu in the process. The safest one, in comparison, is bargain. She went with the latter, and hoped that no combat will occur while she did so.

One by one, she took the crazed lunatics that the inhabitants of this building had become towards the sixth floor. It was the second highest floor of the building, and arguably the one that was the farthest away from the main entrance. Some were easier to bring along, as they had become so catatonic that they only needed guidance. Others were less so, being in such a panicked trance that she needed to pull them towards the sixth floor. Given that her physical strength was rather null, the process was long and excruciating, a true test of her patience. She'd grab them like objects, drag them onto the floor, smash their heads against walls and also the stairs as she pulled them along. Although she was numb to the screaming at this point in her life, she was nevertheless growing impatient. Disgusting vermin, her thoughts spat towards two young women who she held violently by the hair as she pulled them up the staircase. I will make sure this thief dies an infinite death.

[Teresa]

Laughter was not the reaction that Teresa had been anticipating from this other Hollow although it wasn’t the last thing she’d expected either. When it came to others of her kind they usually thought of themselves pretty high up on the food chain even if they didn’t possess any real reason to believe that. This one Teresa couldn’t be sure about her although all the same the laughter that he was giving from her remark didn’t make her any less irritated. It was a poor move that pushed her further towards just ending this one out of spite.

What happened over the next half a minute just confirmed to Teresa that this Hollow was the opposite of herself. While she was still small compared to the majority this one was large. How comfortable he was getting right up in her face told her that he believed himself to be the more powerful between them. A disrespect that Teresa wasn’t too keen on allowing. His statement though brought a smug grin across her blank face revealing only a small glimpse of her fangs. “You seem quite mindless already.”

It didn’t take long though for this one to seal its own fate with just a couple more words. Exhausting the patience and tolerance that Teresa possessed within herself. The two of them so close to one another now with the clear physical advantage in his corner it seemed he believed that he was in complete control of the situation. What he didn’t seem to ponder and what would ultimately be the reason why his path would end tonight, Teresa didn’t need to physically overpower her prey.

“Oh perhaps your ability is predicting the future? It makes sense considering you just said exactly what I was about to say. Go ahead, look again and see just how many pieces of you are left scattered on the floor.”

What began to happen at an even greater level then what had already been displayed between the both of them was none other than the spiritual might of them both pressuring the environment around them. The glass on the level around them began to crack while the floor sunk slightly and shattered itself under the weight. Teresa hid her glee knowing that the more she could get this hollow to vent the bigger the chance of a better meal. Let the adversaries come, all they’d do was serve as a better meal that she’d be able to keep down unlike the egotistical sack of garbage believing himself to be a threat.

[Sonadora]

The creature was unfazed by the words that were returned to him once he spoke his observations. If anything, to hear them only made the repulsive mess of bloody fangs that formed his grin grow ever-larger on his mask. Other Hollows would have reacted violently at this point; after all, competition is what drives the beasts to succeed in this cruel world of theirs. However, there was no violence that came from him, or at least not yet. Instead, there was only laughter fueled with amusement, pleasure. "Oh-ho, I don't know about that," he replied after his inhuman laughter quietened into a mere giggle. "Unlike a few idiots I've met so far, I like to think that I don't have a screw loose just yet." Every word of his came with an innate tone of superiority and utmost confidence, with each preceding an increase in the amount of spiritual energy surrounding him. He was not scared of the antlered one, definitely not, and it did not seem as though any threats were going to affect him.

Of course, that fearlessness of his coupled with his deliberate lack of persuasiveness was going to be difficult. It was not born out of ignorance or a concrete lack of understanding of the situation, but rather pure arrogance and a will to dominate, something which was not going to bode well for either Sonadora or Teresa in this present context. The first will most likely be overpowered by his physical stature regardless of what she wished to do with the Souls of this building, seeing as his body was arguably granted a much more impressive physical development in comparison to hers, while the second was going to have to suffer his terrible presence for longer than she perhaps needed to. For all intents and purposes, there was simply no way this was going to end with mere words. No, that would have been too easy. It was thus unsurprising, then, that the way in which he would be persuaded was then decided forthwith: with force.

As their spiritual energy collided against one another, the area around them shook slightly, affected by the liberated reiatsu. The weak glass of the nearby wares and windows cracked from the pressure, and the concrete floor - a damaged section which was to be repaired before Sonadora's operation - cracked from the added weight. Outside, the people who were passing by the building recoiled in surprise from the shattering of the glass alone, taking a step back from the building after they noticed the damage. "What? Hey! Hey, are you okay?!" One of them, a young man who was returning from a night at a bar with his coworkers, was one of the main individuals who showed concern, and for a moment, it almost seemed as though he wanted to actually go into the building to see if everyone was alright. However, before he could do so, an older man who was also nearby would immediately berate him. "No, don't! It's too dangerous! Call the firefighters! I've seen this happen before: it's a gas leak!" 

The arguing that then ensued could be heard from the inside of the building, from which the hyena-beast simply chuckled quietly. The more the arguing persisted, the more it seemed as though he was enjoying himself before Teresa, emotionally unaffected by the show of power she was trying to showcase to him. "Well, look at what you've done. It looks like we'll soon have an audience," he grinned widely before the antlered one, his spiritual energy equaling hers. "And here I thought you were her pawn. I was wrong. A shitstain like her would have never allowed this to happen." As he spoke, something would slowly emerge near shadows of the stairs close to Teresa's back. It grew from the floor, first appearing fluid and amorphous before then attaining a clearer, yet darkened shape. Meanwhile, he simply watched as his stance slouched forward and his claws readied themselves for combat. "Oh well... I'm done being nice. If you're not getting out of the way, then I'll cut you to pieces until you do."  

By the time he would finish his words, the shape that had formed behind Teresa had lunged towards the top of her body in an attempt to reach for her legs. Should it reach her or her vision, she would realize that the shape was identical to her fellow Hollow. They sported similar frames, similar sizes, and similar claws. Even the noises that they would make with one another appeared to be similar, oddly enough. Whatever it was supposed to be, it was clearly some kind of entity created with spiritual energy. However, it was clear that its strength was less impressive compared to its apparent owner, as its speed was slower and its claws were of lesser strength. Such would be noticed the moment the beast lunged at her throat, as it would prove itself to be at the very least faster. In any case, they both showcased the ability to coordinate attacks in this instance, and should Teresa be touched by either, she would most likely suffer from ample damage.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Sonadora continued to guide the lost Souls towards the room, preparing them for their slaughter. To say that she was starting to feel a bit unnerved by the noises she heard below was a bit of an understatement. Her plan to keep this place as a feeding ground was starting to fall apart. It has started. Their spiritual energy is already being released, she noted disapprovingly as her weak arms dragged the body of one of the apartment owners' broken offspring by its throat. Calculations were already being made in her head as she moved, all the while she kept an eye on the stairs at the end of the sixth floor hallway. She was not worried, no. Instead, she was bothered, annoyed that this could not be resolved amicably rather than violently. If this matter is not resolved quickly, the Shinigami will arrive soon in a pack of three. Consuming them will not be difficult, though regardless, these grounds will have to be relocated... Foolish vulture. May Teresa strike you down as the brute you are.

[Teresa]

Flexing and threats that’s all the last half a minute had been and despite her involvement in the exchange Teresa had already grown tired of it. This other Hollow was definitely around the same level of evolution that she could claim to be at the moment. This he was likely just as powerful or near her at least so devouring him would aid her evolution. This knowledge was what would push Teresa forward, to actually risk the taste of placing Hollow flesh inside her mouth once again. All the same though the time for threats was over and action to begin.

Despite the power that Teresa had cultivated in her short time as a Hollow, despite how much she’d nurtured that strength and grown it to become a threat to all those that would oppose her, the antlered Hollow still lacked mentally what many possessed. Her time as a Hollow was brief and her time in combat matched, leading to her instincts, knowledge and preparation being a blip compared to many others that she’d have to boost soon with the foes that now would be crossing her path.

The Shinigami early in the night had been the first test of her knowledge when her abilities simply wouldn’t grant her victory. She had to play it smart and figure out the correct moves in order to snatch victory away from her foes. This Hollow standing her down right now was a laughter, someone that gained a wild sense of joy from the negative emotions he instills onto others. A common sort and one that Teresa would consume in her quest for supremacy. All the same though it seemed he would be the second test on the same night.

Her physical senses left Teresa unaware of the shadow like copy this Hollow managed to form from behind her. Instead her vision was fixed on him while he rambled off yet a single word that left his lips brought out a true cold contempt from Teresa’s hole. Pawn! A single word that immediately broke all patience, preparation even in a sense, sanity. “Impale him.” Teresa whispers almost seemingly to herself. In the moment following her words the shadow would rush her from behind while the floor below the hyena Hollow rises upwards at a speed of 200 altering its shape to that of a spear several inches thick, wide and multiple feet in length rushing upwards with a force of 75 to the hyena’s underbelly.

Knocked to the ground by the dark copy Teresa does her best to reach backwards managing to grab ahold of an ankle, immediately shoving her reiatsu into the body that held her down. “Attack him!” Teresa shouted issuing a command to the copy although at the moment unaware not just of whether or not her command would work, but of the fact she was commanding a copy. Whether or not it succeeded and if her spear managed to harm the hyena Teresa would have to act accordingly yet the assurance of victory hadn’t left her yet.

Remaining Reiatsu:
Influir en el Mundo: (-25)
Influencia Voluntad: (-25)

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength: 50
Speed: 50
Spiritual Pressure: 70 (88)
Reiatsu Strength: 120 (150)
Light Aura: 15
Dark Aura: 85
Instincts: 75 (56)
Senses: 75 (56)
Energy Sensory: 0
Healing Expertise: 0

Anti-Stealth: 1
Battle Focus: 1
Illusion Resist:1
Pain Tolerance: 1
Battle Analysis: 1
Strength of Will: 1