The path of the blade [JT | Kimiko]

[Deleted]

The air was becoming warmer. That was the first thing Caballero noticed when they returned from their last trip to Hueco Mundo via Kumon. Owing to the bruteness inherent to the technique, far more crude than the subtle Descorrer, Caballero had returned to the Human World, but not to Karakura Town. In fact, they had no idea where they were. Had they known how to read, they would've figured out that they had landed in Japan, miles away from the human settlement they had grown so accustomed to. Even so, Caballero didn't meet the new atmosphere with fear or panic. The tiny Hollow was far too stubborn and far too uncognizant of the way the world worked to be.

Instead, they had simply wandered about a little bit, trying to make sense of where they were. Naturally curious and eager to discover new things, the tiny critter had climbed up trees with Tendón to scout ahead, trekked up hills, watched strange, metallic 'animals' on wheels cruising over a paved road in different directions. It was, all in all, a different experience for Caballero. They wondered whether any of their friends had seen something like this before, too. And now that they thought about it, would they find anyone they knew out there?

The thought filled them with hope to see any of them again, but also with a certain loneliness. All Shinigami belonged to a squad, a team where they could make new friends and meet new rivals. Those would become their sworn brothers and sisters, and they would fight together to preserve the balance and defend both Soul Society and the Human World from those Hollow monsters. That was how things worked. But if that was how they worked, then how come Caballero couldn't recall having a squad of their own? All the Captains were their superiors, but which one was their captain?

The more complex the thoughts became, the more Caballero's young mind became unable to bear the burden. As such, it sought for a distraction, a way to get rid of that sudden bout of sadness and do something fun, something they would enjoy. The most obvious choice was, of course, to continue their training as a Shinigami! Caballero wanted to impress those they had already met with their new skills and power, specially those who had spurred them to keep working hard. Now, they would never admit this, but they would also not be opposed to receiving more headpats and/or hugs after such a display, being the sucker for positive reinforcement that they were.

With that in mind, Caballero soon found themselves in the clearing of a bamboo forest, mostly because the shape of the plants had drawn them in. How strange those thin trees were! Nothing like the ones in Hueco Mundo, or the thicker ones in Karakura Town. Caballero put one stubby little hand on one of the fully grown bamboo trees. The plant felt so strange: tough, yet flexible, bending and then responding in kind. When they let go, it danced, not unlike an opponent feinting back and forth, goading the tiny Hollow to attack. Satisfied with that they saw and with the space they found themselves in, Caballero walked to the center of the clearing and concentrated the dense, black Reiatsu forming their body even further by using Focalizar. The ground around them shook ever so slightly, but it was over in a matter of seconds. After focusing, Caballero always felt slightly relieved, but they had yet to catch on to the fact that the technique had the potential to heal their body.

Whatever the case, after a few more seconds, the young Hollow drew Filo from their own body, then fell into their usual battle stance, with the modifications proposed by the captain of the Tenth already incorporated into it as if they had never done otherwise. As they did, they began practicing their movements, with the most basic drills that had been ingrained in their body due to the attempts at getting into the Academy during their past life. If they wanted to become a proper Shinigami, the tiny Hollow felt that it was necessary to be one with their Zanpakuto, to be able to dominate it to perfection. However, Caballero was struck with the realization that none of the friends they had met so far had been a master of the blade. It didn't matter whether they were human, Shinigami, or something else; even the Hollows they had killed used only their bodies, Bala and Cero as means of attack.

Akira Hinosai had seemingly focused on Kido, with him getting a Hollow pinned down through Bakudo and faking out an attack with Byakurai. The human woman with whom they had fought a Hollow used an axe, which was not Caballero's weapon of choice, so they had not learned much from her. Ren Asakusa, the human with a strange sword--not unlike Filo--, whose technique was still improving like Caballero's.

Rather surprisingly, they had also dueled someone far more powerful than any of them. Celes Shindazu, Captain of the Tenth, had also been one of the people Caballero had challenged, and she had taught them how to improve their stance and posture during their last encounter. However, during their friendly bout, she had focused almost exclusive on using Hakuda techniques to strike them. As such, Caballero had yet to find someone with true mastery of the blade to guide them on the proper path.

Thus, the tiny Hollow continued to move from one side to another, to dash and strike, to cut back and feint. It was almost like a dance, an imperfect dance that was slowly, but surely, improving. The act of focusing their Reiatsu may stir those nearby them who were spiritually aware, and may even draw the attention of enemies or allies. However, they were far too focused on their technique to worry about anything else.

With a dash forward, they brandished filo against one bamboo tree. Unsurprisingly, the enhanced version of their blade cut through the bamboo tree like butter, so instead of just hitting one they actually fell two more standing within the arc of their sword. The little critter panicked for a moment and jumped back as the trees fell to the ground with a loud thud, lifting some dust and dirt. Had they had a mouth, they would've coughed at that.

Resolving to be more careful, Caballero continued their routine, practicing strikes against their own 'shadow' while occasionally cutting down another tree or two.

OOC:

Using both Focalizar and Filo this post because Caballero is alone by now and this is a non-combat situation so far, so Caballero spends some time on their own before summoning Filo.

-Reiatsu: 800 -50[Focalizar] -50[Filo] = 700

-2 Focus stacks remaining

Techniques used:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Focalizar}Technique Name: Focalizar [Focus]

Technique Class: Equal to Caballero's maximum class (7-1). Paid up to class 5

Technique Type: Hollow [Custom]

Technique Cost: 50 +50 per class above 7

Description: A technique based on the nature of the extremely dense Reiatsu that comprises Caballero's body. Through sheer strength of will, Caballero can compress this dense Reiatsu even more, repairing and rebuilding their body and giving them access to three uses of techniques named "Focus:" (which would be unusable otherwise) or enhanced effects on their normal ones, in any combination. Healing ability is directly proportional to the technique's class and Caballero's Healing Expertise stat. When purging harmful effects, however, Caballero's Reiatsu Strength will be used in the clash to overcome said effect.

Drawbacks: No other offensive action can be taken in the same post Focus is used. Only three enhanced techniques can be used before Focus needs to be reused. Only certain custom Hollow techniques, as as well as the basic versions of Cero and Bala, can be enhanced via Focus; this must be explicitly stated in the technique description. Healing via Focus can only ever affect Caballero.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Filo}Technique Name: Filo [Edge]

Technique Class: 7-1, maximum class is equal to Caballero's, but they can use it at lower classes at will. Paid up to class 5.

Technique Type: Hollow [Custom]

Technique Cost: 50 +50 per class above 7

Description: This technique is affected by Focalizar. A realization of Caballero's intention to become a Shinigami. Caballero uses part of the Reiatsu that forms their body to create a long, sword-like spiritual weapon (85% of their height, so about 2.5ft as a Hollow, massive as a Gillian, 5.1ft as Vasto Lorde...). Since Caballero's 'body' is nothing but their condensed black Reiatsu given form, Filo uses Reiatsu Strength as its offensive stat when cutting something or clashing against other techniques.Caballero's ability using Filo can be upgraded and refined via their Weapons: Sword skill. Filo can be split into two separate swords and recombined at will, but nothing else besides those two forms. It can't stretch, it can't change shapes, it can't curve, nothing.

Enhanced effect after Focalizar: the created Filo gains the 50% OS Clash property as if they were a "Focus" technique.

Drawbacks: Filo cannot be reassimilated to refresh Caballero's Reiatsu. Cannot be used without at least one skill point in Weapons: Sword.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The World of the Living is often considered by those of the spiritual kind to be a battleground of sorts. Down in these grounds and waters that stretched for miles and miles, those that had moved on from Humanity could meet and do as they please, all in an attempt to either survive or do what they believed to be right. The Shinigami hunted Hollows so as to bring balance to a Cycle of Souls that is growing ever-so-more threatened by the day, the Hollows hunted Humans in order to satiate their infinite hunger before it can consume their entire being, and the Humans - be they Fullbringer or Quincy - attempt to defend themselves against both the Hollows and the Shinigami with the use of abilities that they have themselves forged through their tenacity and sheer will to survive. And then, there were the other beings who remained in the shadows, watching it all unfold with a careful eye. Together, these beings unconsciously formed a cycle that would never leave this dimension, a war that was fated to never come to an end, and there was no place in this realm that better showcased the damage of this conflict than the Human settlement known as Karakura Town.

But for as concentrated as the damages of the conflict was within that particular town, there were other sides of the Living World that just as affected. One of these places was Kyoto. Located further away from the Japanese capital of Tokyo, this city is considered by those who remain within the Living World to be one of the most culturally-important areas in the entire country. It is renowned for its many shrines, its traditional imagery, and the many historical traditions that naturally come with the maintenance of these two things. More importantly, it was also the home of the Emperor of Japan prior to the advent of the 20th century, and thus the capital of the country before Tokyo. As such, it could be said that the city of Kyoto is one that fashions itself with the likes of faith and spirituality, and one that holds onto them both with great care and respect all for the sake of the modern generation. Needless to say, this was a massive endeavor, especially in a realm that only shared its knowledge of spirits to the few and not the many.

So far, the efforts of those who remained within Kyoto have been rewarded by the visit of those whose curiosity was stirred upon learning of its existence. In other words, it became a popular destination for tourists and those who wished to have a better understanding of the Japanese people. Many of these tourists are but simple Humans, beings who could be considered as being "normal", so to speak. However, as with all destinations in the Living World, there were exceptions to this observation. At times, more powerful Humans would appear within the city to conduct business for a few organizations remaining within the aforementioned shadows, yet the most common visitor would be of the dark, hungry kind. Indeed, even so close to Karakura Town, Hollows continued to scour the lands in search of means to quell the endless emptiness within their heart. Such was the reason why a certain Captain of the Gotei 13, a scarlet-eyed swordswoman of the Eleventh Division, was sent to the Japanese city.

Nowadays, it was not very often that Kimiko found herself in the Living World. Between the maintenance of her dojo and her squad, the training of her disciples and officers, and the handling of her own issues of which she is constantly reminded of every single night, it was needless to say that she simply did not have the time to head out of the Soul Society and take care of a few Hollows. Besides, many of the Hollows who would be reported by the people of the Gotei 13 would often find themselves to be completely sub-par to her abilities, and thus a waste of time that she could have instead used for the accomplishment of her duties or the betterment of her own skills. As the leader of the Eleventh Division, she unsurprisingly very much liked doing battle with any foe, but there was of course a limit to her interest. A boring Hollow who barely has any spiritual energy to speak of is simply not worth her attention. Fortunately, the opposite of this idea was why she was here too.

A creature had apparently been spotted in the surroundings of Kyoto by several patrolmen and patrolmen wandering the area. It was fast, obscenely so, and was able to avoid any and all contact from the aforementioned Shinigami officers by simply running away from them. Due to this, many of the patrolling officers were simply unable to get a good description of the Hollow, and so had to resort to referencing themselves with its blurring figure. Although it had yet to harm any of the souls in the vicinity, many of the patrolling officers believed that it was only a matter of time before it would go on a rampage, and so those of the Gotei 13 they contacted for backup would quickly make a decision. If a creature could not be caught by those with inferior speed, then someone who was capable of reaching ludicrous speeds would have to do. It was the only way they would be able to catch this thing before it started feasting on the people of the Japanese city. There were many candidates, but ultimately, only Kimiko was free amongst them all and ready to take her shot. She hoped this agile beast would not disappoint.

It was with this hope in mind that Kimiko would find herself standing above the city of Kyoto, watching. From below, those who could see her would only be able to see her figure covering a minuscule part of the great summer moon. Her scarlet eyes wandered from one side of the city to the next as she waited, doing so with both patience and sharp observation. Well... at least it appeared as such for a good few minutes or so, for eventually, the woman would find herself letting out a long and disappointed sigh. "Ugh... Why is it always like that whenever I'm around? Can't they just show up for once?" She would speak seemingly to one in particular at first, remaining there for a moment in silence as she rested her hands on the handles of her blades. Oddly, she appeared to be listening to somebody, as would be made most evident shortly after. "Yeah, I get that, but... it doesn't mean that I'm a Captain that every Hollow should run away from me. That's boring. I don't wanna chase after them."

Before the voices that she was apparently conversing with could point out how hypocritical it was for her to say this after literally accepting the task of hunting down a Hollow whose sole motivation was seemingly to run away from Shinigami, her eyes would spot something down below. Away from her position was a number of bamboo trees which, together, appeared to form a forest. Seeing the forest itself almost brought Kimiko back to her years as a Human, as she very vaguely remembered consulting information about the area so as to potentially visit it, but this remembrance would be cut short as she witnessed one particular true that differed from the rest. Even from this far above, she could see that unlike the other trees, this one was somehow moving constantly. It would bounce back and forth, almost like it was wiggling. Left curious by this observation, Kimiko would find herself staring at the tree a little bit further... until, suddenly, the tree was cut down. She had found her opponent.

"There you are!" A quick shout would be expelled from her mouth before she suddenly dashed right for the bamboo forest, heading towards it as fast as she possibly could with a Speed of 700. The velocity she adopted was such that it caused a slight gust of wind to follow in her wake. It also caused her body to descend extremely quickly towards the forest. As she headed down, her spiritual energy boomed with excitement, enough so that it would have been perhaps a bit dangerous for her to be on the ground as it would caused quite a fair bit of collateral damage. She needed something to satiate her boredom, something to keep her from having to search for her enemy, and she needed it now! Thus, no sooner than perhaps a few seconds later, she would find herself suddenly appearing right on top of the tree which was located by the side of the one that had fallen. Then, with an excited smirk, she would look down towards the cloud of dust that had arisen from the fallen tree and call: "Hey, you! My name is Nakajima Kimiko, Captain of the Eleventh Division and owner of Nijūkan! Let's have ourselves a great... fight...? Huh?"

Upon noticing what exactly remained in the dust cloud, the Captain would realize that the creature who stood underneath her was not exactly what she believed it to be. Instead of some supersonic devil capable of dodging literally every Hollow in the area, what was instead there was a little Hollow holding onto some kind of blade. Unlike most Hollows, this one was very small, about the size of a child, and was also not intimidating in the slightest. If anything, it resembled one of those miniature figurines she has been starting to collect on the side as a bit of a hobby. As she made these observations, Kimiko remained there in silence with a bit of an awkward and confused look on her face, unsure of what to do. Eventually, she would find herself crouching down on the bamboo tree and ask to the little one: "Uh... Are you the Hollow who's been running around the city lately? Rider?" Her tone was much calmer now and a bit friendlier. It was clear that she was not really treating the bean-like creature as a threat anymore, which would most likely be strange for them, considering that she was a Shinigami.

[Deleted]

It happened in an instant. No, scratch that. It happened in a fraction of an instant. Caballero had been on their own, practicing their movements with rather basic drilling sequences that, while showing the natural affinity the creature had for their sword-like weapon and the time they had spent perfecting it, it was still far from perfect. They would still need much work if they wanted to become famous among the Gotei 13 for their expertise with the blade. As they continued their practice session, they happened to chop one more tree, which once again fell to the ground with the same sound as the others, lifting a similar cloud of dust, dirt and leaves.

And then, all of a sudden, they were no longer alone.

Something blitzed past the cloud, leaving a small gust of wind behind. While not damaging by any means, both the newcomer and the gust took Caballero completely by surprise, sending him spinning on one of his stubby little feet. As the dust settled, the little Hollow fell on their rear, their oversized mask-covered head wobbling ever so slightly. The small critter did their best to get back up on their feet, immediately spooked to proper balance by the massive Spiritual Pressure of the newcomer, dwarfing their own. Their dismal ability to sense energy usually prevented Caballero from outright telling the difference in power between him and another being without directly seeing the latter. However, Kimiko's excited state, with her Spiritual Pressure slightly flared, meant that the tiny knight could feel just how outmatched they were.

The dust cleared, and they became able to see the person who would address them with a smirk. "Hey, you! My name is Nakajima Kimiko, Captain of the Eleventh Division and owner of Nijūkan! Let's have ourselves a... fight?" As the two of them laid their gaze on one another, the newly introduced Nakajima Kimiko seemed rather taken aback by the tiny critter, a reaction that was not mirrored by the small Hollow.

In fact, Caballero went on a panic. Not the panic of a Hollow who feared the extremely powerful Shinigami that had just appeared before them, mind you. Instead, the tiny creature put both stubby little arms on the sides of their mask, as if they could not believe what they were seeing even though it was right before their... eyes? Well, whatever it was that allowed them to see. Had they had a mouth to speak, the words "Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god" would have not been far off from their immediate reaction upon realizing who the person that had just addressed them was.

The white haori, signalling the highest rank in the thirteen squadrons. The confidence in her voice. The overwhelming Spiritual Pressure. And, of course, the fact that she had just introduced herself. One way or another, through sheer dumb luck, Caballero had stumbled into another Captain of the Gotei 13!!! For the tiny critter, this would be the equivalent of a small child meeting their hero. Normally, their Hollow instincts would've warned them to stay away from the being that could easily crush them with an afterthought; however, their perception of reality had been altered not just by their delusions of Shinigami-dom, but by the fact that this was not their first encounter with a Captain. As such, what would've been a healthy, advisable fear was turned into complete and utter excitement on the tiny being's behalf.

Caballero jumped up and down as if to vent the excess energy. Not only was the top dog of the Eleventh there, but she had come right to them with the intent to have a friendly duel! Of course, their limited brain-cells had just taken a HUGE leap in logic there, but it was just how they worked. After all, Shinigami didn't battle each other to death, just to spar or test their mettle, right? As such, the tiny Hollow was about to nod 'yes' to her declaration and get ready for one of the greatest battles of their short life... but then, she asked a question.

"Uh... Are you the Hollow who's been running around the city lately? Rider?"

What?! A Hollow, running around the city?! Caballero had no idea what a 'city' was, but the running around part they got perfectly. Immediately, they turned to the side, carefully scouting the forest in their battle stance. A monster, running around, huh? Well, they would take it on! It was their duty, as a Shinigami...! and, well, they also wanted to impress the newly arrived Captain, of course. Thus, the tiny being watched ditifuly, assessing a threat that still didn't reveal itself. How cowardly! Of course it'd be afraid, considering it would be facing two Soul Reapers!

However, it soon became clear that nothing really was around them. Confused, Caballero's stance relaxed somewhat, then they tilted their oversized head to the side. How strange! Usually, Hollows always attacked by this point, didn't they? Perhaps the monster had run away, knowing its end was night. Whatever the case, it would only be prolonging the inevitable.

In that case, Caballero turned to the Captain and took two or three happy steps toward her before remembering their manners. With Filo still in hand, they bowed as deeply as they could without losing their balance due to their oversized head. Unfortunately for them, their nervousness at meeting Kimiko betrayed them, and they ended up face first onto the dirt again after wobbling their tiny arms around in a futile attempt to maintain their balance.

It was a good thing that they had a mask, because their face would've been red as a tomato from sheer embarrassment. They could not believe this was happening again. They pushed themselves back up as quickly as they could, with little specks of dirt still on the pure-white, horned mask. The tiny being hadn't considered, even for a moment, that Kimiko was referring to them when she spoke about a Hollow. Thus, they took a few more steps toward her, blissfully unaware that she may see them as an enemy--even a non-threatening one.

Perhaps the Captain also wanted to enlist their help to find and kill this stray, rogue Hollow!

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Hollows, typically, detested Shinigami. Like any and all beasts who roam the more savage lands of the Living World, they think of them much like how said beasts think of Humans who attempt to protect other beasts: as obstacles between themselves and their prey. As such, the creatures will try to do everything in their power to eliminate that obstacle in order to move forward, whether they possess enough strength to be able to do without being beaten to a pulp in the process or enough intellect to be able to outwit their way around them. That was how things worked, how it always worked supposedly since the beginning of time, and there was no reason to refute that now. Thus, when Kimiko came into contact with a Hollow tonight, she fully believed that it would lead either to a fight or to a chase. However, quite surprisingly, she got neither of those things. Oh no. Instead, she got something that she hadn't expected to see from any of the creatures of Hueco Mundo.

The little bean with the oversized head she found? Yeah, that thing who looked like a kid wearing a Halloween mask? He was... quite literally fangirling. He was holding his mask like how someone held their face after seeing their idol pass right by them, like how a child reacted whenever they met their hero at a local amusement park or convention. They even began to jump up and down from the sheer excitement of it all. Needless to say, the sight was enough to completely take Kimiko aback, enough so that she would just stand there on the tip of her bamboo tree with an incredulous look.  I... What...? What am I looking at...?  She would ask herself as she stared at the creature, with thoughts shrouded in a veil of complete hesitation as she attempted to answer her question. Even the spirits of her blades appeared to be astonished, seeing as she couldn't hear their usual banter or comments. How ludicrously awkward.

There have been times in which she had to confront Hollows who had taken the form of child-like beings. She even had the displeasure of actually taking of what remained of children after they were taken by a virus. With that said, none of those she had slain remotely acted like this. Each and every one of them acted as intended, as beasts whose sole purpose in life appeared to simply kill everything that stands before them and eat what remains of those they have murdered, whether the remains by physical or spiritual in nature. If anything, once one would get past their youthful appearance, they would be completely indistinguishable from a typical Hollow you would find rampaging around the Living World. This truth was rather painful to understand, and Kimiko has had her fair share struggling to get over it. Even so, it was the truth, and like many other truths in this world, it needed to be accepted, even if to do so was incredibly painful. 

But this creature did not conform to this truth. Not in the slightest. In fact, the further Kimiko found herself staring at it, the more she would begin to understand that the creature literally did not exhume an ounce of aggression. Hell, it seemed better prepared to do battle alongside her rather than against her, if its many reactions to her question was anything to go by. Was this normal? Kimiko did not know, and frankly, she was starting to believe that this was far, far from being as such, especially given that this Hollow could not be anything more than a Stray. She also believed that anyone from any other squad of the Gotei 13 would most likely have had the same issues as she did, especially those who came from the Twelfth Division. With all that said, was this a bad thing? So far, it seemed as though only time would tell. If it ends up being a trap somehow or some kind of lure towards a bigger threat, then she'll take care of it if need be.

In any case, it would become clear to Kimiko that this was not the Hollow she was looking for. This thing looked like it could barely keep its head from dragging it down towards the ground, and it showed as it fell while bowing to her. That was a bit of a shame, given that it meant she would have to spend more of her time looking around for the speedster she was supposed to kill... but at the very least, she could further interact with this little guy. Who knows? Maybe he could be useful to her, especially if he ends up being a lure towards a bigger threat to eliminate. "Okay.... Well... you definitely aren't Rider," she would thus remark after the Hollow attempted to introduce itself to it. Even if its bowing failed, she could appreciate it for even attempting to do so. Again, this sheer amount of respect and admiration for her was unprecedented, considering from where those two things came from. In spite of this, she was not going to question it for now.

Once introductions were finished, the Shinigami would decide to hop off of the bamboo tree before letting herself fall onto the ground below. The process was clearly accomplished by an expert fighter who was very well-aware of the limitations of the Air Ground technique, as it wasn't so much as fall as it was instead a mixture between a fall and a slide. Regardless, she would eventually find herself standing right beside the little bean. Although it was evident that the creature was much smaller than her even while she was at the top of the bamboo tree, it was much more apparent now. Even at a quick glance, she could tell that she was downright twice as tall as it was. "Anyway, nice to meet you. Sorry for earlier. It's... not often that I meet a Hollow who doesn't want to eat my face off the moment they see me," she would tell the little one all the while staring down at it. Due to where she stood now, the shine of the moon caused the white of her sleeveless haori to appear brighter than usual rather than be draped in shadow. "In fact, there was only another one who didn't do that, aside from you."

That other Hollow was Ailene, of course. Though it has been some time since their first encounter, she could still remember it to a degree. It was a time before her Captaincy, and a time before that Hollow - the literal Septima Espada at the time - returned to Humanity by via the use of Saigo no Houmen. A part of Kimiko wondered how the now-Human was doing at this time, given how busy the Captain's life in the Soul Society has been ever since they have last met each other. However, her other part would quickly remind her that this was no time for remembering things, and that she needed to focus on the present. As such, she would stretch and refocus back onto the little Hollow by her side. Apparently, he had approached her. That was a bit concerning, especially given that a few Hollows often attempted to do that in order to quickly ambush Shinigami officers. However, so far, her instincts did not immediately demand her to move. That was good.

Keeping her attention onto her surroundings to remain alert, just in case either this little guy or Rider would attempt to attack her in one way or another, Kimiko would find herself eventually looking at the Hollow with a hum. She somewhat wanted to talk to him, but... he appeared to be mute. He hadn't said a thing since they had met, and from the looks, he only communicated with gestures. This was going to be a bit of a one-sided conversation, huh? Well, she supposed she could tolerate it. Better deal with a mute Hollow than one who constantly roars or screams aggressive obscenities. Besides, there was something about this Hollow that caught her attention. "Huh... Are you a swordsman?" She would ask upon noticing what the little one was holding onto. It was a bit odd in aspect, but it most definitely was shaped like a sword. That was probably what caused that tree to fall earlier. After noticing this, she would blink in surprise, then smirk, allowing the swordswoman within her to speak on her behalf. "Heh. That's nice. Even the Arrancar don't use their swords that much." Her eyes quickly went towards the fallen tree before she then looked towards the ground. Most of it was dirt and leaves. Perhaps, with those, it could answer her question: "So, what's your name? I think swordsmen such as ourselves should know each other."

[Deleted]

Oh no. Had they caused a bad first impression? They had, hadn't they? Why else would the Captain of the Eleventh be looking at them in that way, as if she couldn't get a grasp on Caballero's existence? If the young Hollow was mortified after their little fall when trying to show their superior their utmost respect, now they had even more reason to be. In fact, in a rare bout of abstract intelligence, Caballero was now awfully self-conscious of their every movement, fidgeting with their two stubby little arms under the rags that formed their 'Shihakusho'. With the blade in hand, the image was nothing short of bizarre, but unbeknownst to the blissfully ignorant Hollow, it was far from the strangest thing Kimiko had seen that day--the first one being, of course, them.

Thankfully, she would lower Caballero's rising levels of anxiety when she addressed them again, saying that they were 'not Rider'. She then jumped onto the ground, with a slick maneuver that the tiny Hollow had never seen before. It was as if she had slid on the air, like there was an inclined platform there! Curious, Caballero headed to one of the trees that were closer to them than to Kimiko, jumped on top, and then proceeded to jump back to the ground as well, imitating her. Of course, in their case there was no graceful slide; they fell straight to the floor. The child-sized Hollow had no time to ponder on the mysticism and mystery surrounding Kimiko's specific tree that created air-slides for her to descend from, because the Captain had just gotten next to them. Their two big, void-like eyes fixed on Kimiko, not unlike a puppy looking up towards their owner. Naturally, she towered over Caballero, but then again so did mostly everyone else, so it didn't come as a surprise nor made the Hollow any more nervous than they already were.

"Anyway, nice to meet you. Sorry for earlier. It's... not often that I meet a Hollow who doesn't want to eat my face off the moment they see me. In fact, there was only another one who didn't do that, aside from you."

The Hollow raised a conciliatory stubby arm, as a sort of a thumbs up, but then they realized that something about her words didn't quite add up. So much so, in fact, that Caballero would've raised an eyebrow had they had any. Instead, they tilted their head to the side in confusion, then made a small gesture toward themselves, as if asking 'me?'. Silly Kimiko! Caballero was not a Hollow, but a Shinigami! Still, this seemed to be a consistent trend with all their other friends from Soul Society, too: all the other Soul Reapers they had met so far mentioned something along those lines. Maybe some explanations would be in order to make things clearer for everyone?

Thus, Caballero would point at their Filo with their free hand first, then to Kimiko's Zanpakuto. The same would be done with the rags that covered Caballero's body, grimy to the point of being as black as the Shihakusho of a Shinigami. This was their particular way of showing how they, too, belonged to the Gotei 13. By all definition, since Filo was created from their own Reiatsu, it was a sword born out of their spirit, so the mental gymnastics to liken it to a real Zanpakuto wasn't as impressive as the one that kept a Hollow into thinking they were affiliated to the very people that hunted them down.

"Huh... Are you a swordsman? Heh. That's nice. Even the Arrancar don't use their swords that much."

At that moment, Caballero puffed out their 'chest' in a sudden bout of pride, and even went as far as putting both hands on their non-existent hips. The fact that a Captain had just recognized them as a swordsman spoke volumes about how they were improving! Of course, they had failed to connect the fact that they were holding a sword right now. But yes, Caballero was a swordsman. Their whole fighting style revolved around the blade, even if they were not outstanding in any way. In fact, they were better than average, but that was just about it... for now.

As if to show off a little, Caballero adopted their battle stance, with Filo on one 'hand' and the other one free. Then, they proceeded to go over a few quick drills that were meant to impress the Captain, but that perhaps may end up having a very different effect. After all, if Kimiko remembered her days at the Academy, she would be able to easily distinguish the sequence of drills. They were the very same ones that were taught there, engraved in Caballero's soul during their past life as a result of that singular dream, that idea instilled that drove them forward to this day.

"So, what's your name? I think swordsmen such as ourselves should know each other."

Unlike the previous question no answer of any sort came immediately after. Instead, Kimiko's words left Caballero in a rather pensive state, which was even more of an oddity than their own existence. The Captain wanted to know her name. She'd asked the same question all of Caballero's friends had asked before, and while during those conversations it had completely flown over their head, Caballero had matured and developed since then, if only a little. Enough that they folded their tiny arms and lowered their head, lost in thought for a few moments. Everyone seemed to have a name. Celes was Celes, Ren was Ren, Akira was Akira, and Kimiko was Kimiko. In that case, what about Caballero?

The root of the issue lie in the tiny Hollow's extremely limited capacity for self-awareness, the only reason why they could still wholeheartedly believe themselves to be a Shinigami despite being fundamentally different. As such, they did not know if they had a name or not. Thus, the litle knight did what they usually did when introducing themselves. With the tip of Filo, they nicked the bark of one of the felled bamboo trees. They painted a small and rather simple stick figure with a big head, two horns and two circles for eyes. Then, they pointed at it not with the sword, but with their free hand, before pointing back at themselves. Yeah, definitely not the best introduction, considering Caballero had not given Kimiko any new information about themselves. But truth be told, the Hollow was largely uncognizant of both their own anomalous nature and the circumstances that surrounded them.

Ah, but those complicated things were better left in the back burner, pushed down in a manner that in no way was unhealthy and would result in later problems for the rather strange creature. They had more important things to worry about! A Captain was here, and they wanted to enlist their aid. As such, it was best to move on with the mission at hand, or innocent humans and Pluses might be in danger; she wouldn't have showed up if the situation did not demand it.

The tiny Hollow looked to the sides, in case the Hollow Kimiko was looking for had sneaked up on them during their brief 'conversation'. They couldn't see anything, but it was a bit dark and they were not the sharpest of Hollows, so anything could happen. Thus, they turned to the Captain again, and played a scene to illustrate their point: first, they'd be next to Kimiko, blade pointed toward a non-existent enemy in front of them. Caballero would then run to the front, and make their best impression of an enemy Hollow, which their rather cute physiology only made funny.

By this point, Kimiko had probably figured out that communication was definitely not the tiny knight's forte.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko continued to keep an eye on the little Hollow while she made her way down the tree. Being quite knowledgeable in the arts of mystical movement, the Air Ground was something that she has figured out a long time ago. In fact, she was fairly certain that she had properly learned how to ascend and descend at will relatively quickly back then, even while she remained in an area within which the technique would typically be impossible to use. As such, she was capable of accomplishing this particular maneuver in the moment fairly well; after all, the only thing that was required of her was but an extremely-minimal amount of reiatsu. With that said, it was not everyone out there who could accomplish such a thing with ease, especially when it came to the likes of those who had no fine control over their spiritual energy. This was why many Shinigami recruits were often clumsy when it came to the use of the technique while patrolling the Living World, and why there were a number of smaller Hollows who were simply unable to properly use it.

In essence, this particular notion was why the Captain was not surprised when she witnessed the small bean attempt to mimic her use of the Air Ground technique and fail miserably. For all intents and purposes, it was simply too meager to be able to properly accomplish such a maneuver, and it would require further training - or plain sustenance, as it was a Hollow - in order to be able to use it properly. What did surprise her was instead the fact that it even attempted to mimic her use of the technique in the first place. No... it did not just mimic her technique. It was more than just that. Now that she was getting a good look at it, it appeared to downright be mimicking the style of the Shinigami. The robes it appeared to wore held a bit of a resemblance to the Shihakusho a typical officer of the Gotei 13 have to wear on a regular basis, and the sword it wielded - albeit simple and most definitely not one that could be considered as an usual blade - could be mistaken for a miniature Zanpakuto. It was truly as though it was attempting to be a Shinigami.

The superior officer was ready to chalk up to only but an observation at first. It was simply too absurd for her to believe it. However, during their introductions, the creature would go on to quite literally confirm the analogy all by itself by pointing towards her robes and sword, and then its own. Something about the way it appeared to be so casual and even jovial about it all was enough to further confuse the swordswoman. It was a Hollow in nature, a being designed to consume all in its path before it would eventually be felled by a Shinigami... and yet it wanted to be a Shinigami? Just like that? Surely, that can't be right. Why would it want to be like those who wish to put an end to its current existence? Why would it want to become like those who are, by design, tasked to slaughter its kind until the end of times?  I don't get it,  she heard the words eventually echo in her mind as she attempted to think about it just a little bit further, and once she heard them, her reflection would come to an end.

Perhaps there was nothing to get from this. Perhaps this little creature was, for all intents and purposes, just a Hollow who wants to look like a Shinigami and idolizes them to a degree, and that there really was nothing more to it than that. All things considered, that answer would not be one that Kimiko would find to be that unusual. The spiritual world was, after all, one that was full of mysteries and things that she could never really hope to comprehend in its entirety, even if she tried her best to do so. If there is such a thing as a Spirit King, a Devil, and many realms in-between who are responsible for the balancing of the cycle of souls in their own way, then there can be a Hollow who simply wants to dress and perhaps even fight like a Shinigami. It was ridiculous, yes, and she would most likely require some time to get used to the idea. However, at the very least, it posed no danger to her, to others, or to the entire universe as a whole. That is, for the time being.

By the time the Captain ultimately arrived to that conclusion, the Hollow had shown off some of its swordsmanship to her, allowing her a path towards another subject altogether; after all, it would be best for the both of them that she stops thinking about the Hollow as an anomaly and instead more so as an ally, even if only temporarily. For a creature who should not have any knowledge of the sword in the slightest, the swings the bean showed to her were done fairly well. Not just fairly well, actually, but downright very well. "Oh, those are pretty good swings! You're better than some of my students already!" She first complimented, akin to a teacher congratulating a student from completing a lesson in their first try. However, before she could do so a little bit further, she would notice that there was something oddly familiar about the swings. The way the sword was raised up and down, the pacing at which the swings were delivered, the destination of the blade towards the Hollow's imaginary target... Those... Those were Zanjutsu techniques. More specifically, they were techniques taught at the prestigious Shin'ō Academy, the very same she has seen being executed by her apprentices so many times while she taught at Nijūkan.

And just like that, Kimiko was back to wondering about the creature's existence. How the hell was this little guy able to learn how to use these swings? They were only taught by teachers of the celestial institution and nobody else. Did someone teach it how to accomplish these swings? The possibility was there, especially since it appeared to be so friendly, but the superior officer hardly believed that that was the case. Was it able to learn them on his own? That was also possible, as it could have simply hid while Shinigami were fighting other Hollows near its position, and then learned how to mimic them their own Zanjutsu maneuvers in combat. Even so, that would require it to be very observant from a distance that was far enough for it to not be detected by those same Shinigami. No, that was most likely not it. So then... how? How did it know those swings? Surely, there couldn't just be no reason behind all of this. So many questions to eventually answer in time. So, so many.

The one-sided conversation would eventually move along, pushing the Captain to let the matter subside once again so as to maintain her composure before the Hollow. A name. Yeah, that was it. Getting its name would at least be some sort of resolution to her inquiry, right? That way, she could get some kind of answer from this that could potentially help her answer the other questions! With this logic in mind, Kimiko would observe as the little one would grab its sword and then head towards one of the fallen bamboo trees. Excitedly, she would watch as the creature would begin to carve into the bamboo, etching a shape into the material so as to create a figure. Yes! Yes, this was good! Come on now, a letter! She only needed a letter or two, and that would be it! Okay, that looks like a letter... Uh, alright, that one is a bit odd. Maybe it's in some kind of Hollow language. Wait... Wait, is that even a letter? No. Oh, no, that's-!

The Hollow. The Hollow literally drew itself on the bark. There were the horns, the head, the eyes. All that was missing was its body, but that didn't matter. In an instant, Kimiko felt her excitement deflate like a balloon pierced by a needle as she realized the cold hard truth about this little one: it would not be able to answer any of the questions she had for it. It knew how to communicate with her through gestures, but it most likely wouldn't be able to tell her anything with words, and the knowledge she would get would most likely be as childish as it was in aspect. "So... you don't have a name," she would respond with a look of comical disappointment as her eyes stared deep into the ones etched into the bamboo tree. She would remain as such for a moment before she would even cross her arms and hum. No. She was not going to let that slide! She was going to solve this one specific problem out of every other one she was having right about then, here and now! "Alright then. If you don't have one yet, then from now on, I will call you Kishi!"

Kishi. That sounded right to her. If a practitioner of the sword did not have a name of their own, then the title of their profession would be what would defines them. There were other names that she could have used, such as Ken or even Kenshin, but the little one's style seemed more knightly to her, enough so that it deserved to be referred to as a knight. The shape of the sword was most likely what did it for her. Maybe the creature was not going to like the name; after all, even she believed that it was a bit simplistic and even somewhat extravagant. Even so, it was at least something that she could use for the time being until it was capable of finding a name of its own, which was most likely not going to happen for the time being. It wasn't like she was going to start referring to it as "head with big eyes and two horns", after all. That would be silly, and quite a mouthful too after repeating it over and over again.

With that out of the way, the Hollow would go on to reiterate its wish to fight with Kimiko against Rider. The Captain was not going to stop it. If it truly wanted to help, then it would be free to do so. Thus, after the little one was done showing off its admittedly-charming communication skills, the superior officer would give him a smirk. "Heh, okay! I was planning to fight Rider all by myself, but I don't mind you coming along. There's no better way to understand the Nijū Kanmeki-ryu then by witnessing it!" She would exclaim with excitement then as she turned towards the main path located not too far away from the brunt of the bamboo trees. Her spirits were rising once more, pushing away the oddity of the Hollow's existence as deep as it possibly could down the confines of her mind as it instead focused on both the act of perhaps showing a few lessons to Kishi and fighting Rider in a true battle. Once she reached the main path, the bottom of her geta sandals would clack loudly against the cement. As the noise echoed throughout the night, the owner of its source would look around before she left out a sigh: "Now, we just need to find i-"

Just as she was about to finish her sentence, she heard a thump that came from the other end of the path. It did not take long for that thump to then be followed by another thump... then another. Upon hearing these sounds, the Shinigami would quiet down and turn her head towards the source of the noise. From where she was positioned, she couldn't see what exactly had caused it, as it appeared to be coming from the path ahead. The path in question was turning towards the right, thus causing whatever was coming towards her and Kishi to be hidden by the many bamboos trees the little one had yet to cut. With that said, Kimiko could sense that there was a certain amount of spiritual energy coming from the source, which ultimately meant that this was another creature and not a Human. Good. In the end, she didn't need to find her target: it came right to her. For the little one's sake, she would not chase after it. Instead, she would turn herself completely towards the source of the noise and grin. "Looks like we've got company," she informed Kishi then, just to make sure he would remain alert.

Now, they only needed to wait for its arrival.

[Deleted]

Caballero felt themselves swell with pride when Kimiko complimented their swordsmanship, and even more so when she remarked that they were better than some of her students already. While it was true that the tiny bean still had a really long way to go before being able to call themselves a master, the truth was that they had dramatically improved since they had first woken up in Hueco Mundo, and with their limited brain-power, they responded to positive reinforcement extremely well. The little creature was so lost in their short display of ability that they failed to notice Kimiko's puzzlement regarding the particular origin of those skills. Even if they had, however, it was not like they could explain them either, lacking both the memories to draw from and the ability to communicate effectively.

Said lack in verbal skills also led them to be unable to tell Kimiko that they didn't really understand the concept of a name, and that they only saw themselves as... well, themselves. Quite the statement, considering even watching their reflection hadn't been enough to convince them that they were a Hollow, and not a Shinigami. Thus, when Caballero carved the shape of their head on one of the nearby felled trees, they tilted their head in confusion as Kimiko expressed her disappointment--or rather, as her excitement deflated considerably. However, this was a problem that had quite the easy fix, actually. If Caballero didn't really know whether they had a name or not, then she could just call them whatever she liked! Nobody was born with a name, after all: both humans and souls alike named their children. Hollows might be a special case, but those who remembered their lives could of course keep their names. In that regard, Caballero would have the honor of being given a name by a Captain of the Gotei 13.

"Alright then. If you don't have one yet, then from now on, I will call you Kishi!"

Caballero looked up to her in the literal sense, taking in those words. They put a hand on the front of their mask, as if rubbing a non-existent chin given the helmet-like shape of their mask. So, if Kimiko was Kimiko, Caballero would be Kishi now? Did that mean that was their name? They were not quite sure about it, but she had been clear enough, and so the tiny being ended up bobbing their head up and down in an excited nod. Good! Now Caballero had a proper name!

After the tiny being offered their help to fend off Raider, Kimiko accepted without too much hesitation, perhaps owing to the fact that the Hollow had presented themselves as friendly so far. While their kin tended to be duplicitous in nature, using deceit and subterfuge when necessary to come out on top and feed on their prey, Caballero's overwhelmingly positive aura held no malice. This most likely helped with that judgement, the same way it helped human, Pluses and Shinigami not mistake them for just another monster when they were near.

Eager to both perform their duty as a Soul Reaper, the tiny being joined Kimiko on the hunt, eager to see what that Niju Kanmeki-ryu would exactly be--they were not good with big words either. Not that they needed to know; if a Captain wanted to show it to them, then it surely must be important, right? Of course, Kimiko was referring to her style as a swordswoman, one that Caballero might be able to draw something from in the future, even if they were far from capable of directly imitating and copying any techniques she displayed. The two of them got on the main path that crossed the bamboo forest they found themselves in, the clack of her wooden sandals in deep contrast to the soft taps of Caballero's stubby little 'feet', if one could call the natural extension of their legs such.

Throughout all this, Caballero did their best to surpress their fanboying instincts, keeping an eye on their surrondings instead. They needed to focus on the task at hand, rather than on the fact that they were teaming up with a freaking Captain to hunt down a Hollow. No, no, they could not let that utterly amazing fact distract them! Otherwise, they'd end up embarrassing themselves a second time. Focused as they were on that, they were ironically surprised when their powerful companion spoke again. Her words cut short, however, by... something. The tiny being had no idea what, since their senses were not above those of the average person. In contrast, Kimiko's could be considered honed to the extreme, with her easily able to pick up on inputs that Caballero completely missed.

One such example was the thump coming from the end of the path, which the tiny Hollow ignored, but was the reason Kimiko had stopped speaking in the first place. Caballero turned toward the Captain, finding her sudden silence strange, but understanding that it probably did not mean well. The tiny creature thus brandished a focus enhanced Filo, becoming ready to face whatever it was that she had spotted. Since the tiny being had no ability to sense energy whatsoever, they were blissfully unaware of the location of the hostile presence Kimiko had long since picked up on. They could only face the direction she'd turned, listening to her words.

"Looks like we've got company".

It did not matter. Unlike most other times they had had to face Hollows alone, Caballero was confident that they could take this enemy on. After all, they were not on their own for this one. With Kimiko by their side, they were sure that the two of them would manage to defeat that monster swiftly, securing the area for the humans that lived around it. This would also be a good time to truly test their mettle. Bamboo trees would only get you so far, but a live battle with an opponent out to kill them would teach them infinitely more about their limits, their weaknesses and their strengths.

Thus, Caballero assumed a ready battle stance, somehow balancing their oversized head with the rest of their body.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

It would seem that the little one welcomed the name Kimiko had granted to it without any hesitation. Well, at the very least, that was what the Captain could gather from its many nods of pure excitement shortly after the matter was settled. She wasn't quite sure of why that was, but seeing it being so happy from simply receiving a name was something that she found to be rather adorable. It again reminded her of the miniature figurines that she purchased from one of the stores in Rukongai. Perhaps it was because of their liveliness, their frantic gestures, and their overall behavior. Perhaps it was instead because of their rather-childish nature and how they reminded her of the children who would come to her dojo from time to time to watch her and her disciples train together. Either way, it was comforting. If this thing is supposed to be a trap or a lure towards a greater threat, then whoever created it did a really good job. A part of Kimiko hoped that that would not be the case.

In any case, the Shinigami would go on towards the main path and prepare herself to look for her target once again. Since she had released a portion of her energy while she was descending towards the ground, she believed that the spiritual signature left behind her wake on the local reishi was going to catch the attention of nearby entities who could sense it. There have been several officers from other squads who criticized her for using her energy in such a way throughout her career, as they believed it put her in danger of being overwhelmed by the Hollows who remained in the vicinity. However, she did not mind that in the slightest, and she was not going to be bothered by that possibility now, as it always led her to both interesting encounters that put her skills to the test and wonderful challenges for her to accomplish. Besides, it allowed her to outright skip the boring part of the hunt, and that was more than a good enough reason to do it.

Case in point, the spiritual entity which was making its way towards her and Kishi's position right about now. Indeed, just as she was about to start searching again, she heard the footsteps coming from the other side of the path. Shortly after she warned the little Hollow, she turned her body towards the noise and waited for the being to make its entrance, doing so quietly, yet impatiently. Although she remained silent, Kishi would most likely be able to tell that she was quite excited to see what this being was going to look like once it would reveal itself to them, much like how she was previously excited to fight Kishi before she realized that it was not her target. Her spiritual energy was slowly flaring up - with it only being consciously limited by the Captain so as to make sure it would not crush the little Hollow and their surroundings - and her fingers were slowly tapping the handles of her blade, showcasing her impatience. Really, it would not be shocking for one to believe that she was just about to dash towards the target once it would reveal itself.

Fortunately, she did not. Instead, she would stand there, letting the footsteps become louder and louder as the being approached their position. Although there wasn't much to take from this, Kimiko could understand a few things that she believed could characterize the being once it would show itself. For one, she was able to determine that aforementioned footsteps were rather heavy, with them preceding the sound of cement cracking underneath one's weight. This implied that the being in question was hefty, suggesting great strength or plain weightiness. The latter would be more concerning, as a speedster like Rider could not be both fast and heavy without the use of supernatural abilities, but her second assumption was able to put that thought to rest, as the footsteps themselves were also slow and lingering. Maybe the creature was tired, and thus, it was unable to properly balance its weight onto the cement below.

In a way, each and every one of these observations would be valid. They allowed Kimiko to understand what she and the little one at her side were going to fight together, even if the information at their disposal was somewhat vague at best and minimal at worst. With that said, her attempt at visualizing this creature with the assumptions that she had made with her observations would eventually come to a screeching halt, as what would eventually be revealed to both she and Kishi would go against the image that had been formed in her head thus far.

Over there, at the end of the path, walked forward what could only be described as a molten being. Physically, it appeared to take the shape of a typical humanoid. It stood on two legs, had two arms, and one head. It was also perhaps a few inches taller than Kimiko, which was not much in comparison to most of the Hollows the Captain had fought during her career. However, the rest of its features were downright grotesque in appearance. Its skin appeared to have vastly overgrown around whatever was underneath it, causing it to sag heavily around its body like a massive cloak. It hanged low, so much so that it was dragged against the ground, and it was so damaged that its color had turned from whatever it once was while the creature was Human to a permanent bloody red. It was also so obscenely omnipresent that its face, its hands and its feet had been left completely hidden underneath, ridding it of its ability to easily grip on things... or even eat. Needless to say, it was quite the grotesque sight.

The creature would continue to talk towards Kimiko and Kishi before, eventually, it would come to a halt and simply stand there. From beneath the skin could be heard very heavy breathing. As Kimiko had suspected, the monster was perhaps exhausted, most likely because it was carrying all this flesh attached to it around supposedly against its will. Yet there was something about its breathing that pointed to something else entirely. It appeared to be laborious in aspect, pained, as though this form it currently was occupying was causing it a great amount of suffering. It was unclear as to whether this pain it carried was strictly physical or simply psychological; after all, with an appearance like that, anyone would go insane after day or two simply from being unable to do anything with ease. Either way, it was most likely going to cause the creature to act erratically. There is no animal that is more dangerous than one who is both in pain and cornered all at once.

Kimiko's eyes stared at the creature as she analyzed it. There was something about this that did not sit right with her. On one hand, this creature most assuredly had the typical monstrous features to expect from a Hollow, but she could not see its mask at all. Moreover, if she simply ignored the skin and reduced it to what might as well have been its original amount, the monster perhaps could have been considered Human. Was it really a Hollow? Hell, was it even Rider? After all, it did not really seem as though this thing had the capacity to go any faster than a turtle. Well... perhaps, in the end, it did not really matter. What mattered instead was the fact that its attention was somehow onto both she and Kishi now. As such, she would straighten herself before she gave the creature a smirk. Might as well attempt to communicate with it before this turns into something bloodier. "Hey. Are you by any chance the Hollow who's been running around this city lately?" She would ask the creature with a tone that was just about as surprisingly casual as the one she employed while introducing herself to Kishi.

At first, it seemed as the skin monster did not understand what had been told to it. This would not be surprising; after all, if its entire head was covered in skin, then so were its ears. However, after a time, the laborious breathing would quiet down until, eventually, the creature appeared to freeze completely. Kimiko said nothing then, still awaiting a reply while she stared at the thing. Eventually, though, a reply of sorts would come from the beast, both in the form of a muffled noise underneath the skin and an attempt at completely turning away from the Captain, supposedly to escape from her. It appeared as though it didn't actually want to fight the Captain, most probably because it had now realized that her spiritual energy was incredibly obscene now that it was so close to her. All things considered, this may have been a wise decision should it had faced the slowest Shinigami in the world. Unfortunately, it found itself facing one of the fastest alive, and she was not going to let it leave.

Before it could so much as take a single step away from her and Kishi, a metallic noise rang by its side. It was loud, so much so that it resonated throughout the bamboo forest, and it caused the beast to stop and slowly look down towards the lump of flesh that was supposed to be its left foot, which caused the excessive skin of its face to sag down. Oddly, it appeared to be able to be able to see, as at that moment, it would appear to freeze once more as it noticed that the cement right beside the lump was split open by a very visible cut. The cut was fresh and very clearly caused by a blade. "Don't bother. Trust me, you won't get away from me like that," Kimiko would warn the skin beast in the moment with a tone that was now bothered, with her body having seemingly not moved in the slightest from its original position. In spite of this, her white blade now found itself very slightly removed from its scabbard. "You can understand me, so I'll ask again. Are you the Hollow who's been running around Kyoto? People around here call it Rider."

The beast would raise its head up back towards the Captain, with its face skin flapping in the wind as it did so. It seemed to be almost downright petrified with fear, as though it was scared of what was going to happen next. With that said, the further Kimiko's question would linger on, the less this petrification would last. Moaning underneath the skin, it would hold the lumps connected to its arms to its head before shaking the latter and eventually starting to shiver. This shivering would continue for a few seconds before many noises would then suddenly come from the beast's skin. Many lumps would form underneath, with them moving constantly as though it was alive. Again, it was a disgusting and repulsive sight, so much so that even Kimiko was somewhat troubled by it. What the hell was that thing? Was it really a Hollow? She had seen creatures of the dark who could evolve, but this was beyond anything she had seen from the beasts of Hueco Mundo thus far. Yet, despite this, she remained still. A part of her wanted to see where this would go, where this would lead.

This constant moving would seemingly cause pain to the beast, for muffled cries would come from underneath its skin and, after a time, it would fall down onto its knees. The wriggling of the skin and shivering of the body would continue until, eventually, it ceased completely, leaving the creature on the ground in silence on its knees. The silence lasted a few more seconds before, then, the creature slowly brought itself on all four. Laborious breathing would resume from underneath the massive skin sack, growing louder and louder and louder until, suddenly, the beast violently pushed its upper body from the ground and pulled its body back. Finally, then, with a powerful scream that echoed even beyond the forest, the entire body underneath the skin shot forward with its arms raised, revealing some sort of warped skeleton underneath as the great cloak of skin floated behind it like a loathsome shadow. Meanwhile, two massive eyes beamed from that shadow, staring down at the two with a murderous gaze.

Kimiko's own eyes grew wide upon the sight of what appeared to be the monster's true form. She was visibly taken aback by what she was looking at, maybe even a bit shocked. However, this shock would soon then be replaced with a laugh, and then a smirk. "There we go! That's what I like to see! All you needed was a little push!" She told the beast then before she allowed her body to slightly learn forward and her hands to hold onto the handles of her blades with a tighter grip. The change to her posture was minimal, maybe even superfluous, but it more than enough to convey to both the skin beast and Kishi that she was ready to fight. Hopefully, this temper of hers won't scare the little Hollow by her side away. The Spirit King knows how many officers did that upon witnessing this sudden burst of emotion. "Alright, Rider! You stand before Nakajima Kimiko, Captain of the Eleventh Division and owner of Nijūkan, and Kishi, the Hollow knight! Let's have ourselves a great fight!" 

Upon the end of her sentence, the skin monster would gurgle before letting out another scream and jumping into the air. This action was seemingly done with great leg strength, enough so that it allowed her it to float upward with its "cloak", all the while the massive eyes in the shadows looked down upon Kimiko and Kishi. Then, with a lower-pitched growl, it quickly spun in the air before flying down straight above the hunting duo and rushing through the bamboo forest. Even though its excessive skin was massive in size, it expertly moved between each tree like a swift shadow, with the moon above illuminating its position. At first, the Captain believed it was trying to run away; however, she would quickly notice the contrary. Its trajectory appeared to be designed to seclude them into a great ring, forcing them to stay put. Unbeknownst to it, this would be far from a problem for Kimiko. If anything, this was the perfect time for her to test Kishi's swordsmanship.

 "Heh. You don't want us to move? Fine by me!" Kimiko would call towards Rider before she then turned her gaze towards her smaller partner. "Okay, Kishi, get ready! Since we're here, I might as well show you our school's main technique!" Following her words, she would then begin to position herself in a stance that would most likely not very familiar to Kishi, as this was beyond the likes that were taught at the Shin'ō Academy. Her back would be pressed downward, causing her shoulders to be pushed forward towards the ground, all the while her right leg would remain in front of her. Then, she would grip the scabbard of her white blade with her left hand, and its handle with the other, ready to pull the blade out of its confines at any time. "Repeat after me! We will hit at the same time!" Her eyes would never leave the creature as it traveled the forest. Then, as it appeared as though the creature was about to dash straight for them in attempt to slice at their face, she would call loudly towards the little bean: "There it comes! One... two... THREE!"

Hopefully, their strike will be successful.

[Deleted]

Heavy footsteps resonated in the vicinity of the forest, coming from the direction Kimiko and Caballero were now facing. The tiny Hollow missed her fingers were tapping the hilt of her weapons, but it was outright impossible not to notice her Reiatsu slowly flaring to life, conveying the excitement she felt at the prospect of battle. This served to amp up the little knight as well, whose grip on Filo tightened, becoming ready to face off against the incoming threat. Still, since the captain was not moving, Caballero would not take a false step either. This was her hunt, and they were just assisting; no sense in jeopardizing the operation. They did not rush forward even when the footsteps became louder and louder, until the enemy finally came into view.

If Caballero was already an unusual Hollow, the being that had just pulled up in front of them was nothing short of bizarre. Caballero was no expert on physiology, specially considering their own bizarre body, but they had learned how humans looked like after interacting with both Shinigami and Fullbringers alike. Similar in aspect, although with a better proportioned head and much taller than they were. Their sets of limbs also ended in hands and feet, while Caballero's did not--they only grabbed their sword by wrapping their little stubby arms around the hilt via Tendón. The Hollow in front of them looked humanoid, true, but they also looked as if they were melting over their own skeleton. Disgusting skin folds cascaded down from its body, hanging and even reaching the ground, sweeping the dirt with each step of the creature. It was a crimson red in color, resembling blood, and it completely concealed the rest of the creature's body, not unlike a Menos Grande if the black cloak also covered its mask. Completely and utterly disgusting, no matter the angle from which one looked at it: while they do say beauty is within, it was pretty difficult to stand by that statement with that nightmarish fiend in sight.

The monster continued walking toward them, and that declaration of intentions was enough to make Caballero's battle stance tighten. They could hear its heavy breathing, and it reminded them of the hungry monsters that had chased them to the tightest nooks and crannies of Hueco Mundo, which further tempered the little Hollow's decision to strike the moment they were given the green light. For the time being, they would not be caught unawares by one such monster. Caught up in the natural hostility they felt towards their own kin, Caballero did not notice that said breathing also conveyed the monster's suffering. Ironically, it turned out that Caballero's friendly attitude and desire to make friends did not extend to their own kind, even those that wore their tragedies on their sleeve... or in their skin folds, in this particular case.

In fact, their animosity would seep toward their otherwise completely positive aura, focused directly on the creature. Kimiko would most likely be able to notice with her energy sensory capabilities. Not that Caballero could crush anyone with their spiritual pressure or anything like the sort, but it would be clear that the anger and aggressiveness that they were supposed to feel toward the Soul Reapers were directed to the monster instead. Caballero had seen monsters like those attacking people, time and time again. The now-named Kishi was ready to attack their target, but Kimiko tried to interact with it, just like she had done with the little knight themselves, which is the only reason why they held their position instead of plunging into battle. Her attempts at reasoning with the monster were met with a sort of growls and snarls coming from that deflated skin sac. Its pained breathing came to a halt, and it cowardly turned tail to run away from the two of them.

Then, in an instant, a loud, metallic sound thundered throughout the entire bamboo forest, shocking Caballero due to their distaste for loud noises. Even so, the childish Hollow would not stoop as low as to cover their non-existent ears with their stubby arms; that would have been found for any other situation, but not when they were fighting alongside the Captain of the Eleventh. There had already been enough shame on Caballero's behalf that day, and no proper Shinigami would be afraid of something like that. It simply would not do. As such, the tiny bean did their best to brave the shock, aided in part by how uncommonly stubborn the creature was.

Kimiko had drawn her weapon and cut road in front of the monster in a single instant. When Caballero became aware of this fact, they were left absolutely stunned. How had Kimiko moved so incredibly fast? How had she unsheathed and cut the monster in the time it took to bat an eye, without even appearing to leave the spot she was standing on? Once again, the tiny bean stared at her in complete awe, trying to process how she could be so ungodly powerful in comparison to their more humble abilities. They really had a long way to go, didn't they?

Again, the Captain would ask the monster whether it was the Hollow that had been running around Kyoto or not. At first, the creature turned back in fear--even beneath those folds, it was only natural it would be afraid, as Caballero would've been if they had been on the receiving end of such a warning strike. However, the paralysis that came with said fear would not last for too long. In what was one of the most repulsive transformations the little Hollow had ever witnessed, their enemy started to shiver, and then moaning sounds came from within its flesh. It fell to its apparent knees, but then got on all fours, as its body shifted from under the skin with squelching and crunching noises that would've immediately made a normal human sick to their stomach. Then, the foe almost burst forth from a coccoon of skin: a sort of skeleton clad in shadow, the overly-abundant skin flapping behind it not unlike a cloak would. It stared at the two of them, murder on its eyes.

Once again, Caballero's opinion on those monsters had been validated. Nothing else could be expected from them; they truly were one the most, if not the most, vile creatures in existence. It was almost funny how they could not see they were one of them, despite their differences. The little being was more than ready for combat: they were eager to cut this thing down to pieces with their blade. Kimiko changed her posture too, but the signal that she was ready to fight would not be just that subtle warning. Instead, she formally introduced herself, just as she had done with Caballero... only she did not just mention herself. She also mentioned them.

"Alright, Rider! You stand before Nakajima Kimiko, Captain of the Eleventh Division and owner of Nijūkan, and Kishi, the Hollow knight! Let's have ourselves a great fight!"

As a smaller target, Caballero was used to having a distinct speed advantage over their foes. However, this creature moved through the bamboo forest with great dexterity, weaving a circle around Kimiko and them. Caballero was intially taken aback by their foe's unorthodox approach, but they were familiar with it. After all, they had used a similar tactic during their battle with Ren, the Failure they had met in Karakura. Most likely, the monster was aiming to get to their blind spot by virtue of blizting them. Instead of blindly pressing forward, Caballero would fall to their battle stance, doing their best to see and hear their enemy. Or they would have, but Kimiko drew their attention to herself for a moment.

"Heh. You don't want us to move? Fine by me! Okay, Kishi, get ready! Since we're here, I might as well show you our school's main technique!"

The tiny knight looked at her as she assumed a stance different from that of any other Shinigami Caballero had previously met. They attempted to replicate the stance, and at the very least they would be able to get the basics down owing to their skill with swords, even if they could never match her expertise as they were now. In fact, they needed to shift their weight ever so slightly to accomodate for their larger head. Kimiko had grabbed her scabbard with one hand and the blade with the other; Caballero did not have a scabbard to pull Filo from, but they still held their blade at their side anyway, as if it had been sheathed.

Then, they waited. They waited patiently, even though a monster was closing in on them. Needless to say, the tiny being's trust in the captain was absolute. How would the Gotei 13 function if subordinates were unable to follow the better judgement of their superiors? The tiny being once again lamented their inability to speak as she told them to repeat after her, but she could be sure they'd follow in spirit. Kimiko counted to three so that the two of them could strike at the same time, although she'd most likely need to lower speed to match Caballero's if it was the plan. They were much slower than she was, after all. With each number in Kimiko's the countdown, they felt the tension rising, bubbling beneath the surface until it inevitably boiled over.

The skeleton-like monster jumped right at them, flabs of skin flapping with the wind.

"...THREE!"

Without hesitation, Caballero unleashed an upwards strike, drawing Filo from the imaginary scabbard they had conjured in their mind. The tiny knight's intent was to sever not horizontally, but vertically: they wanted to remove as much of the monster's ability to dart and move around them as much as they could. Of course, while the focus-empowered Filo was strong on its own right for a creature of Caballero's level--clocking at 180 Reiatsu Strength--, the little Hollow was outmatched by the Captain's speed and martial prowess.

Kimiko's attack would reach the enemy first, as was expected. The enemy reaching back with one of its front limbs to gain more power and momentum for their strike had left it completely and utterly exposed. Normally, this would not be an issue for a monster that was used to be able to blitz past its opponents without difficulty. However, having met its better in speed, this glaring weakness had been made all but obvious. If the monster was not cut in half, it was just because it managed to haphazardly correct its course at the very last second, making the Captain's attack maim, but not outright bisect the body. It was at this point that the tiny bean's upward strike, reaching later than Kimiko's, would come into play.

Filo eagerly bit into the grotesque monster's body, rending through the fleshy folds with ease, although it did have more trouble with the bone of the skeleton. This was enough to tell Caballero that this foe was stronger than the usual Hollows they vanquished, since those were rarely able to take an attack from that weapon without receiving grave injuries. This one, in contrast, was damaged but able to continue fighting... although a few attacks from a top level Shinigami was likely to change that soon.

Regardless, Rider landed on the ground, its own momentum and heavyweight dragging it through the dirt. It was nothing short of miraculous how its inordinate amount of skin did not entangle the monster, but rather flowed with it, allowing it to regain its composure after a few meters. The monster, now bleeding from two cuts making a cross section, growled in seething rage, hatred smoldering behind its savage eyes. This would have been an intimidating sight, but again, Caballero was very stubborn. Taking two steps forward, the tiny knight imitated Kimiko once again, doing their best to use her stance with their more limited experience. Granted, it looked mighty awkward without a sheath to actually put Filo in, but they were doing their best to follow their superior's techniques.

A mere Hollow was not going to intimidate them into hiding behind Kimiko. What kind of Shinigami would Caballero be, otherwise? They turned their oversized head toward the Captain for a moment, as if seeking her approval, before focusing their attention all on the monster. Once again, a quiet, subtle rage against the creature burned within Caballero, dark and patient instead of boiling hot. Of course, they wanted to take the lead and destroy that monster, but that would not be dutiful of them. They would await for Kimiko's orders, never letting go of the sword. Focused on battle as they were, the questions that may have arisen due to the Nijukan style would need to wait for later.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko steeled herself as she prepared her mind and body to face the disgusting Rider. It was quite clear to her now that, for whatever reason, she was going to face a most unusual enemy. The excessive skin, the ability to supposedly change the anatomy of that skin, the massive eyes it had spawned... and then, on top of it all, the use of its skin as means of transportation. It was all so take into account, so much more to consider in comparison to what the Captain typically has had to notice while analyzing most of the other Hollows she has fought in her career. Considering this, it really was no surprise that none of the officers who were patrolling the area about an hour or so ago were able to actually identify this thing, especially if it was moving so quickly while being covered by this terrible cloak it has spawned all around itself. All they could have witnessed from it was its red skin, which was hardly enough for proper identification.

But even so, she remained confident that she could take it down. No, rather, she was confident that they could it down, Kishi included. The little bean may be much slower and less responsive than she was, as the majority of Stray Hollows tend to be, but it was visibly determined to come to her aid. Some may say that this determination is not worth anything of note, nothing more than just a bit of emotional push to keep someone going in a fight. But Kimiko knew of how powerful that emotion could be. It's what allowed her to brave the many nightmares conjured by her Inner Hollow without breaking down into a mess of a superior officer, and it's what allowed her to survive the many attacks that were launched against the Soul Society without cowering in fear. If that can push her so far enough to brave even the mightiest of threats, then it could certainly push Kishi as well, if at least to bring down this repulsive monster that was now flying all around them.

Case in point, Caballero's willingness to follow her lesson. She was aware that this was most likely not an usual time for the Hollow to learn about anything combat-related; after all, their enemy was usual, and she had a feeling that it hadn't actually shown everything under its literal skin sleeve just yet. In spite of this, here this little Hollow was, trying to replicate the positioning of its body and sword both. The Captain was not going to deny that the use of the technique she wanted to show to the little Hollow was going to be rather unconventional, given that it lacked a scabbard to put its blade into. However, she believed that a scabbard was not necessary here. In fact, it didn't necessarily even needed a sword either, if Binita's own use of the technique was anything to go by. However, that was beside the point. What it really needed to understand was the timing of the technique as well as how it needed to launch its weapon towards the incoming enemy. Thankfully, it appeared as though it was a quick-learner.

By the end of the countdown Kimiko had begun, both she and Kishi sent their blades towards Rider, who had just launched itself towards them. All things considered, their attacks was surprisingly coordinated, with the both of them almost starting at the exact same time. However, there was only so much that Kimiko could do in order to lessen the impact of the the sheer disparity between both she and the Hollow. Indeed, in spite of her executing her attack at a Speed of roughly 125, she still ended up being faster on the trigger than Kishi, and thus hit Rider first and foremost with her blade. Still, the result was nevertheless impressive in Kimiko's eyes, given that Kishi was not only able to execute the technique rather well, but also hit Rider with it not too long after she did the same. It proved to her that the little bean would have most likely been an excellent candidate for Nijūkan, if it wasn't for the fact that it was... well, a Hollow, even if it was unusual in nature. Oh well. Maybe she'll be able to make it her student in the Living World! That could be interesting.

While the Captain had such optimistic thoughts for a Hollow that she fully believed to be more so a lure towards a greater threat than anything else, Rider would unsurprisingly not share this positivity. In consideration of its apparent dependence to the use of its overgrown skin, the damage it received was rather substantial. Both Kimiko's and Kishi's ivory blades cut into the beast's makeshift glider. None of them were able to actually reach the skeleton of the creature, in part due to the fact that it attempted to move away from the blades at the very last second of its assault, but even so, they were able to leave rather large holes in the skin, more specifically near one of the giant eyes that had been spawned onto the two sides of the gliders. Needless to say, this must have been quite painful for the creature, and if the screaming that came from the mouth trapped underneath the skin was anything to go by, it most definitely was.

After it passed over them, Rider would fly for a time before the pain eventually caused it to crash against the pavement below. The weight of its skin caused the crash to be much more violent than it realistically should have been, as it both left cracks, notable holes, and a copious amount of Hollow blood. Parts of the fences separating the road from the forest was also damaged, with the wooden rails sent flying between a few of the bamboo trees. For a moment, it almost seemed as though that was all it really took to defeat the creature, as it did not stand up in the seconds that followed its crashing. But then, with one coarse breath, it began to stand again. It pushed against its almighty weight, bringing itself on all fours once again before it then pushed its upper body backwards to allow the skin to clear off its skeleton. Then, it turned itself towards Kimiko and Kishi, and raised its skin cloak again to reveal the enormous eyes underneath before letting out one angry scream.

In Kimiko's eyes, the process appeared to be just about as agonous as the last time it completed it, which was good. It meant that its stamina was being tested, and that even if it was both heavy and swift, there was no way it could maintain this output for long. However, before she could maintain this positive train of thought, her scarlet eyes would find themselves staring at Rider's bloody wounds for a moment before they would eventually widen. Somehow... the wounds were healing. Indeed, the skin was beginning to reattach itself, creating strands over and under the separated fibers in a process that was just about as grotesque as the rest of the creature's body. After a time, the bloodied wound began to look like a simple cut, then a scar, then a mere bruise... and then nothing, almost like the skin was never touched once. Well, from an outside perspective, at the very least. No wonder its skin was so red and so thick. If it kept covering its wounds like that, then it must suffer from constant internal bleeding.

"So that's why you look like that. Heh. You're really something!" Kimiko found herself noting aloud as she swiped the blood off of Shizukakane, smirking to the creature. This smirk, although one of clear excitement for the creature's development and eagerness for battle, was not one of admiration. While she did appreciate its wrath and fury, she did not enjoy understanding its abilities and biology. If anything, the more she learned about it, the more repulsive she believed it to be. Regenerating one's self wasn't particularly something that she hated; after all, she's used Shizukakane's regenerative abilities multiple times in various battles throughout her career. Hell, she's even used it in a few spars with Celes and her Zanpakuto spirits. However, she herself self-regenerated through the use of spiritual abilities, not by... literally hiding the wound. Frankly, when it came to the technicalities of this ability, she could barely even call this regeneration. It was a miracle this thing could even move even through the pain.

All in all, this thing was truly, in every sense of the word, an abomination. It should not be able to move so freely and so eagerly... and yet, here it was, literally preparing itself to move again. The sight of the intense gaze its enormous eyes were giving to both she and Kishi was enough for Kimiko to judge that it was still ready to fight them. Noticing this, she huffed and returned her blade to its scabbard so as to prepare herself to hit once again. However, just as she was about to do so, she would find herself looking towards her little partner. The bean had moved forward, readied itself for battle, and looked back towards her for a brief moment as though it was awaiting something from her. Kimiko knew that look. She had seen plenty of times before, from her students, from her recruits, and from her very own officers of the Eleventh. It wanted to hear her orders, her approval on a decision that it had made. The sight made her smirk widen.

"Alright, Kishi! I'm gonna let you take the lead!" She told the bean then as she made sure to take a step back, giving more space to the smaller Hollow to do battle with Rider. She admittedly didn't do this very often, not even with her own recruits, as she vastly preferred to finish her battles on her own. However, Kishi was unique. As such, she was going to allow it just this once. "What I have shown you is the core of the Nijū Kanmeki-ryu: Iaijutsu! Your first try was good, so I want you to do it again!" After she spoke, she would then stare right at Rider with a smirk. "Right leg forward, sword near the hip, and slice up! Remember this well! Now, go! Show me what you can do!"

Her spiritual energy rang forth in the are as she called towards Kishi. The energy would be just as vibrant as the kind she released whenever she attempted to teach anything to her students. It was bright, strong, brimming with motivational power that could bring even the most diffident of creatures forward towards their enemy. Hopefully, that would be enough to convince Kishi to do its best and to make it understand that Kimiko was counting on it, for Rider was not going to wait for its decision. Right after Kimiko was done, the creature would scream again and send its flying across the bamboo forest. This time, it flew more erratically, as though driven by anger. It would even find itself crashing against a few of the nearby bamboo forest, bursting through them almost effortlessly much to the chagrin of Kimiko, who admittedly appreciated the looks of the place. Perhaps the Soul Society has a few devices up their sleeve to fix this place up after this battle comes to an end.

Eventually, much like before, the creature would turn itself towards Kishi and attempt to strike it. However, unlike that earlier time, it would not attempt to simply slash at them with its strange claws. Instead, it would attempt to collide into Kishi by draping its skin around its body and spinning forward towards the little Hollow, doing so in a way that was very akin to how a drill would spin towards a screw. Fortunately, it did not seem as though it was necessarily going faster in the air, even if it somewhat appeared as though it was due to its spinning body. Kimiko would stand there as she observed the battle unfold, ready to intervene if Kishi would suddenly find itself. However, she was fully confident that it could take it down again. At the very least, she will be able to learn more about Kishi in this process.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Technique Used}
Technique Name: Akuma no Ishi (剃るかんめき, "Demon's Will")

Technique Type: Other | Strength of Will Buff

Technique Element: None

Usable by: All races

Class: 3

Technique Reiatsu Cost: N/A

Technique Description and Effects

The projection of one's own will to empower the hearts of others. The user channels the strength of their very soul within themselves before shouting it out, most typically either in a short inspirational speech or a motivational war cry. By accomplishing this, the user is capable of bringing forth the Strength of Will skill of all of their surrounding allies by one point for the next three posts, inspiring them to go further beyond towards victory even if such a thing may cost their lives. A master of this skill is said to have such a powerful will that they are able to instead bring the aforementioned skill of their allies up by two points.


Drawbacks & Weaknesses

As saddening as this may be to those who may be interested in learning this technique, not everyone is born with a powerful will. That is simply a natural, uncontested fact that cannot be refuted even by the greatest minds there is in this world. In so doing, it is not difficult to imagine that this technique will not always show any kind of positive effect onto the people surrounding them, especially if they are used by naturally-uninspiring individuals. In order to guarantee this technique's proper success, the user must possess a 2 in at least one of the following skills: Acting, Charisma, or Strength of Will. This technique can be executed by those who have a lesser version of these skills if they so will it; however, upon execution, there will be a 50% chance of this skill failing to provide any kind of inspiration to allies altogether.


Made by: Nakajima Kimiko

Reserved? : No

[Deleted]

One should know that Caballero is usually a very agreeable Hollow. There are a lot of things they like, and they usually go out of their way to help others. Still, just as anyone else, the strange little creature had some buttons that were better left unpressed. One such thing was their distaste for very loud noises. Normally, being near one would startle them and evoke a rather comical reaction, such as when being scolded a bit too loudly. This would not apply in the midst of a battle such as this one, of course. Thus, when the monster let out a painful screech after being cut by both blades, this only served to further fuel Caballero's innate distate for the creature, as if now and only now it had made this whole conflict fully personal.

As the enemy recovered from the previous attack, Caballero kept a tight grip on their blade and a ready stance despite their earlier strike reaching its mark, still awaiting for Kimiko's orders. Dumb as they usually were when it came to life experience and the knowledge that came with it--not to mention their lack of knowledge about their own nature--, that dumbness did not seem to count for fighting. Thus, they quickly took note of the fact that their previous attack had not been able to put a significant dent on the skeleton, only on the skin flaps that served as a sort of glider for the menacing creature. Unfortunately, this meant that its mobility would remain unimpaired for the time being, meaning that they would need to contend with the beast's forte for the time being. Like Kimiko's information stated, the monster was fast, faster than the tiny bean was at the current moment, so they could not afford even a second of distraction or hesitation now that the first strike had failed to cause any significant damage. Not until they had dealt with the threat at hand; a threat that, while damaged, was far from backing down from the fight even when facing a Captain. It was true: a cornered animal was at its most dangerous, and as a disgusting Hollow, that comparison was very much fair game.

Then, Rider's enormous skin cape-like organ began to change once again. Caballero would have lightly gasped in surprise, had they had any mouth to do so. If the Hollow's body already seemed nightmarish before, then this was about to take things to the next level. The wounded skin that Kimiko and Caballero had dealt was stitching back together. Not in the literal sense as it closing down and becoming perfectly healthy, as would happen for a Hollow that boasted high speed regeneration. No, this was something completely different. It was as if new strands and threads of skin were covering the wound, as if the monster was applying an admittedly sickening patch to the wound and calling it a day. The process did not take that much time, either. For someone with a weak stomach, the sight would have been nothing short of vomitive. This explained why there was so many leftover folds of flesh, and why most of them were red. It also shed light on why the Hollow had been constantly moaning before. Even with a high level of tolerance for tolerance, it must have been hell to carry on forward like that.

Not that Caballero gave a damn about it in the first place, of course. The tiny bean had long since decided that this monster had to be put down, and so they cared nothing for its suffering. In fact, if that pain served to impede its ability to do battle, all the better for Kimiko and the tiny knight. Speaking of Kimiko, she seemed to understand that Caballero was waiting for her instructions before going on the offensive again, and that made her smile. This reassured the Shinigami wannabe, who correlated smiles with things being 'fine'--real smiles, mind you, not the ones that Hollows cracked when they had their next morsel cornered and begging for their life. The Captain of the Eleventh Squadron took a step back, but not because she wanted to flee battle. Far from it.

"Alright, Kishi! I'm gonna let you take the lead!"

The tiny critter was ecstatic that she had placed her trust in them. In Caballero's eyes, there was no reason why she should sully her Zanpakuto on such a creature; a Shinigami of her level should be above a monster like this. They were even happier when she went on to mention that he had done a good job at imitating the central piece around which her sword style revolved: Iaijutsu. She wanted them to repeat the motion, to try again as if this was a drill... only against a real opponent. Of course, Caballero was more than happy to oblige to that request, and immediately took one step forward, pointing their blade toward the Hollow not as a challenge, but as a warning. Upon seeing this, Rider sensed the danger, and flared its gross skin cape, both eyes in full view again for a moment. This truly was a hellspawn...! Well, perhaps not in the real sense of the word, but Caballero had yet to cross paths with any of them.

"Right leg forward, sword near the hip, and slice up! Remember this well! Now, go! Show me what you can do!"

The tiny bean nodded enthusiastically, although careful not to let their oversized head break their balance. They did as was told, and put Filo next to their non-existent hip once again, in a similar way to the previous time. It was difficult not to, because Kimiko's cheers had bolstered the tiny being's strength of will to even higher reaches, meaning that if they were usually one stubborn little creature, then that night they would be doubly so. A Captain was counting on them, so they would deliver. There was no 'if' or 'try to' in that statement, not with their pride as a Shinigami on the line.

Despite all this excitement, they took precaution to make some corrections, after having experienced the movement before. Not that it would mean much in the grand scheme of things, but it was reminiscent of how a swordsman with some experience would be able to tell when something worked and when it did not. Even so, they still felt like much practice was needed before they could reach the strength and speed with which the Captain had unsheathed, despite the fact that she had clearly limited herself so as to match their own rhythm.

Rider lost no more time and, perhaps frightened by Kimiko's cheer on its opponent, took off to the safety of the bamboo forest again, only this time it was not maneuvering using them, but rather thrashing about and crashing onto them. The thin, flexible trees gave way easily against the fiend's momentum, since it was big, strong and fast. Once again, Caballero would not pursue, as it would have been pointless to do so. Instead, they dashed forward a few meters while the monster jumped around in an attempt to disorient them, making sure that Kimiko would be out of the splash zone. With her speed, she should be able to reach the two Hollows with ease, and that was without using Flash Step. Standing their ground, Caballero made sure to hold the Iaijutsu stance as best as they could. It still felt foreign to them, of course; they had only used the move once before, if one could call their haphazard approach to it such. This would a welcomed challenge to their adaptability, all under the watchful eye of the top brass of the Eleventh to boot.

Rider would soon commit to an offensive action, breaking out of its evasive maneuvers to strike at Caballero. While the effects were most likely not to show yet, it should not be possible for something so big and fast to keep up that rhythm for far too long, not with that painful skin cloak dragging the creature down. The monster's attack was rather unorthodox, too: it draped itself on its skin once again, albeit differently to when it had first presented itself on a bipedal stance. Instead, it was as if they had turned into a fleshy drill, ready to collide against Caballero. Unless it had any hardening properties, the skin itself should not be particularly sharp, but the danger did not lie there. It lay in the fact that it was built like a bull, and Caballero... well, Caballero was like a twig. A dry twig, at that. A direct strike could be very damaging for the little knight, so they could not risk taking the hit to counter with the blade.

Or rather... they should not. Normally, they would not have. But with their Strength of Will bolstered by Kimiko, the Hollow was feeling more daring than ever before. Proudly, they stood their ground, sword still at their hip until it was time to strike. Once Rider was close enough, they unleashed their attack; a horizontal slash that was meant to bisect the monster in half by using its own momentum against it. But of course, mindlessly taking action on willpower alone was not a good fit for serious combat. This time, Filo did not cut directly into the Hollow's skin, but the two attacks clashed for a little while. Caballero's Reiatsu Strength was arguably high for a Stray, but so was Rider's own bulk. This resulted in a sort of draw, if one could call it such, because it ended up launching Caballero backwards, body undamaged, pride not so much.

Rider didn't take to the trees a second time. Instead, they pounced right on top of Caballero, shifting their skin cape once again. The fleshy folds contorted for a moment until the beast drove it down, attempting to flatten its enemy by sheer force alone. Should that attack hit, the tiny bean would be in grave danger, and on their back as they were, using their sword would not save them from the full weight of the skin cloak slammed on them.

But they had something that would.

In the span of a second, the black Reiatsu that formed Caballero's body erupted in a myriad spikes, making their shape hard to discern for a moment. Timed so the slam would be close, the tiny bean's Reiatsu Strength powered Espinas pushed back and not only blocked the attack, but it managed to skewer the monster's cloak like a handful of very disgusting kabobs. Some of them may have even punctured the eyes, which would be excruciatingly painful for anyone. Then, each of those spikes retracted in unison as quickly as they had appeared--at a straight projectile speed of 800. Since they also came from Caballero's back, the tiny bean was pushed off the ground as well, using that momentum to land back on their feet, ready to get on the offensive rather than let Rider recover by stitching its skin together again. Puncture wounds did not have nearly as much surface area as their previous slashes, so the window would be narrow.

Putting their sword at their hip, Caballero imitated Kimiko's Iaijutsu once again, dashing forward on a single step that took them out of the folds of the Human World for an instant. Úlcera. Rider was far too fast, but the change of pace from Caballero's step technique was sure to catch them off guard. The little Hollow returned to reality right before the Hollow, fully intent on cutting not the skin, but one of the skeleton's legs. With delighted glee, the small creature unleashed another Iaijutsu strike with Filo, hoping to at least nick or damage the right front leg of the monster. The momentum of the step, added to Filo's cutting power, might just be the thing to finally neuter the big bad Hollow's mobility.

They hoped Kimiko was watching, and that they would be proud. Of course, they were once again blissfully unaware of the fact that the Captain would most likely be interested in observing their strengths and weaknesses to decide whether they might be a threat in the future or not.

OOC: Reiatsu: 700 -50[Espinas] -75[Úlcera] = 575

Techs used:

SPOILER: Click to show

{Úlcera}Technique Name:Ulcera (Ulcer)

Class: 7

Technique Type: Stepping

Usable By: Hollows (Not Arrancar)

Technique Description and Effects: This technique is a basic stale for a Hollow's ability to slide in and out of the valley of screams at will when it is hunting or stalking prey. By gliding in and out of the space used by techniques like garganta or descorrer, a hollow can get around quickly. This technique operates similarly to a stepping technique, but only moves at 5x the user's speed. However, the user weaves through rips in the fabric of whatever world they are in, and as such the hollows exits, and then re-enters at the destination, Hollows do not lose awareness of the world as they move through an Ulcera, and can return to the material world mid-step in response to a threat or opportunity. This technique does not take up a Technique slot.

How to use technique: See Above

Technique Drawbacks: Costs 75 reiatsu per step.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Espinas}Technique Name: Espinas [Thorns]

Technique Class: 7-1, maximum class is equal to Caballero's, but they can use it at lower classes at will. Paid up to class 5.

Technique Type: Hollow [Custom]

Technique Cost: 50 +50 per class above 7

Description: A rather straightforward technique that allows Caballero to weaponize their entire body, instinctively developed as a defense to not get eaten due to their originally small size. A myriad black spikes erupt from Caballero's body, although they do not detach themselves. This allows the Hollow to skewer opponents coming from all directions at once. Caballero may keep the spikes out for as long as they want, though this is hardly recommended--instead, the Hollow's preferred usage is to retract them as soon as the target has already been pierced. OS used is Reiatsu Strength, since Caballero's 'body' from which the spikes generate is nothing but condensed black Reiatsu.

The spikes bloom and retract at projectile speed, but they don't reach very far: maximum range is Caballero's height at class 7, gaining 1.5ft per class (for example, Caballero's Vasto Lorde form is 6'0'', maximum is 15ft at class 1). For Gillian stage only, range is 30ft, but speed is equal to a Cero.

Drawbacks: Since they are made out of Caballero's body, damaging/destroying the thorns via an OS clash effectively deals damage to the Hollow as well. Each spike can't change directions and blooms in a straight line. Indiscriminately skewers allies in range as well. Due to a Gillian's massive size, not too useful during this stage--if anything, it creates a lot of extra surface for attacks to hit on an already sluggish target.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

With Rider preparing itself to strike at the little Kishi, Kimiko remained still with her swords sheathed. Her scarlet eyes, excited yet somehow patient in the moment, observed the moment unfold with a great eagerness in their gaze. The bean was obviously inexperienced in the likes of Iaijutsu, but she could tell that it was eager to reproduce the technique to a greater extent now that it had been taught its fundamentals. Its right leg was better positioned and so was his blade, all in spite of the fact that it did not possess any point of reference aside from his earlier observations nor even a scabbard to put its weapon into. These observations may seem like nothing incredible at a glance, and in all fairness, there wasn't much to go by here. However, in the eyes of a teacher who had seen who knows how many of her students fail to even so much as position themselves appropriately multiple times over while attempting to follow her lessons, this was very interesting.

From a strictly-educational point of view, seeing Kishi learn so quickly was satisfying for Kimiko. As mentioned previously, Iaijutsu is not an easy technique to learn nor master, and although the version she had showed to the little bean was simplified in comparison to the standard technique that she puts to use every now and then, it still requires most students at least a couple of swings in order to fully understand how to pose and how to swing. In comparison, Kishi only really needed to look at Kimiko once with a little bit of guidance in order to understand how to do it. Amongst the entirety of the Nijūkan roster, there were only a few individuals who were capable of achieving such a feat, and the most of them were either very well-versed in the likes of swordsmanship or, well, prodigious students from the Academy who somehow had an innate affinity for the blade. No doubt, should this Hollow had been allowed to join her dojo, she would have very much enjoyed giving him lessons every day, just to see how far he could go.

With that said, from the point of view of a Shinigami, the Captain had to admit that this learning speed was somewhat concerning. This may be but a small Hollow now, nothing but a Stray that seemingly has a very limited understanding of the world, but it was already showing to her that it was growing extremely quickly. Somehow, it knew how to use a sword like a typical officer who was able to just graduate from the prestigious Shin'ō Academy, meaning that it was able to use Zanjutsu to an extent, and now, it was beginning to understand how to use Iaijutsu after only a single swing. This ability to learn rapidly was incredible, yes, and the fact that it was tied to a Hollow who somehow was not hostile to Shinigami and supposedly Humans only made this ability shine even brighter... but who's to say that this little bean will always be friendly? Who's to say that, one day, once it turns into something of greater power, it will not turn against those it is apparently protecting now and use these abilities to become an even more powerful foe?

As the skin creature approached the little bean, Kimiko's hand rested on the handle of the black blade for a split-second as she considered what to do. Again, there were a lot of assumptions being made, and frankly, she did not enjoy making them in the slightest. It kept tugging at her wish to leave this be and to just enjoy this Hollow's company. However, Hollows were Hollows, and as much of a glaring oddity this bean may be, it nevertheless remained a member of Hollowkind. Perhaps it wasn't a trap, that it was truly a Hollow with a pure heart who wished to be a Shinigami, but there was nothing that guaranteed it would remain as such forever. Even the kindest Hollow in the world, one who wishes to remain as Human as its past self, nevertheless eventually becomes a slave to its hunger, and thus turns into a dark, selfish being driven to devour everything in its path. That was just the way things were, whether Kimiko liked it or not.

With this in consideration, the Captain was left at a standstill. Should she cut Kishi down now, while it was busy fighting a foe for her? Or should she allow it to become a greater swordsman, grant it the permission of eventually becoming a Shinigami proper in spite of its nature? The first option would be undoubtedly cruel and even filthy from Kimiko's point of view, but it would at least allow the little bean's soul to return to the cycle in a way within which Kimiko believed it would be at its happiest, which was supposedly while acting as a pseudo-Shinigami in the service of a superior officer. Meanwhile, the outcome of the second option would remain unclear for the many years that would follow her decision. As she attempted to make her decision, she could hear her blades speak. The one of ivory suggested that she go with the first option, while the one of ebony instead believed the latter option to be the best of the two.

Ultimately, the decision would be made for her, given that she would not have the time to actually choose any of the two. Indeed, before she could even so much as consider her options, her eyes widened as they witnessed the little Kishi being launched backwards into the bamboo forest. Apparently, the sheer strength behind Rider's drill-like attack was enough to overpower the bean's Iaijutsu slash, and so he was pushed away. The launching itself wasn't what almost caused Kimiko to jolt awake in such a way; rather, it was instead Rider's immediate rush into action, as it was very eager to take advantage of Kishi's loss of balance. Knowing how heavy Rider's skin was, it was doubtful that the smaller one would be able to survive being jumped upon by the skin creature. If anything, it was most likely going to be immediately crushed to death in a very agonizing fashion. "Shit! Wait!" The Captain would swear before attempting to move. However, before she could do so, she would hear a familiar voice chuckled quietly in her thoughts.

Now, now, Kimiko-chan~. It's not your turn just yet.

Kimiko's body instantly stopped moving. It was like her entire body had been submerged in cement. Her legs, her arms, her everything refused to cooperate with her thoughts, and she found herself trapped in a great struggle. As she realized this, her scarlet eyes widened as they would slowly begin to shine in a bright silver hue. That voice... It was her. It was her Inner Hollow, the very same who tormented her in her dreams, the one who was responsible for the many nightmares who keep her away from a sound sleep. But why? Why did she suddenly decide to interfere? Kimiko herself was not fighting, and she was not feeling pain, so surely, she should have been kept at bay! Well, whatever the reason may be, the Captain attempted to move anyway, pushing her trembling body forward as much as she could in spite of her extremely slow speed. "Let... me... go...!" She demanded to the spirit within, clenching her teeth as her spiritual energy violently fluctuated in power, causing the ground nearest to her to begin to crack. Kishi would even perhaps be able to detect Hollow energy coming from her in this instance, if it was not for the disgusting monster who had pounced towards its position.

Fortunately, though the Shinigami would ultimately be unable to provide any form of help to Kishi in the moment, the little bean would not actually require it. In fact, it didn't really need help at all, for just before Rider would pounce onto its small body, spikes would suddenly jut right out of Kishi to stab Rider. The spikes were not necessarily large, but they were plentiful and came at a very sudden pace. In the span of perhaps less than a second before Kishi would have been crushed by the skin creature, that same creature was immediately stabbed all over. Gruesomely, the beast remained still and silent after it was stabbed, with a shocking amount of blood falling down onto the ground below. Then, as the spikes were finally removed from its body, it began to fall backwards towards the ground, seemingly overwhelmed by the pain. The sudden Iaijutsu slice to its leg was the cherry on top of this cake of suffering.

By the time it reached the ground and briefly laid there in silence on its back, the creature had received a severe amount of damage. Much of its skin cloak had been punctured to bits, now left with various holes, and its skeletal leg had been damaged by the Iaijtusu slice with enough power to cause it to now almost appear half-detached. Not even the massive eyes that rested in its cloak were spared from the spikes, for they too appeared to have been punctured several times in a disgusting display of blood, tears, and other nasty fluids. All in all, it was hard to say whether or not the creature would still be able to stand after this or not. Kimiko would gaze at it from afar with an astonished gaze, taken aback by the power Kishi had displayed in the moment. Eventually, she would let out a sigh of relief. Coincidentally, her spiritual energy had returned to normal, and so had her eyes as she could now finally move again. "Nice!" She called, happy to see that things went well even while she was dealing with the being inside of her.

Yet, before she could continue, she would notice that the creature was moving again. Well, moving was perhaps an overstatement, given that it remained on the ground. However, it now appeared to spaz incessantly, both with great speed. It was as though as it was having a tantrum. With great cries coming from its buried skull, it screamed and screamed as its hands pushed against the skin and gripped at its face in both horror and agony. Meanwhile, the massive eyes in its cloak were constantly shaking as well, switching directions at an extreme and panicked pace as they seemingly conveyed the creature's immense pain. Unfortunately, its pain would not come to an end. Far from it, as not before long, the skin would begin to grow over the wounds once more. It would cover the many holes that had been left in the disgusting hide, and then begin to grow longer and thicker around the skeleton. As it grew, it would also grow considerably bigger, with its skin eventually pushing against the nearby bamboo trees, causing them to bend. As for the skin cloak, it was now beginning to bend, as though turning into fleshy wings. The Hollow was... mutating?

The Captain would watch with a gaze of shock and misunderstanding as she witnessed the creature's woeful transformation. Truly, this was absolutely nothing like the Hollows she has fought throughout his career. This was something new, something that was totally different in comparison to everything that she had seen thus far. "What the fuck," she let out, taken aback by what was happening, before she tried to analyze the creature again. How the hell was it able to do that?! Surely, there must be a reason behind its power! After a quick look, she would eventually notice something in particular. The creature's eyes... They were now staring right at the little Kishi with a reddened gaze. It was one of pure hatred, of wrath. Most importantly, however, the eyes were also still damaged and the creature was not trying to cover them with skin. Noticing this, she would frown before calling to Kishi: "Cut its eyes, Kishi! Destroy them!" Her voice was loud, powerful. "It can't cover them!"

[Deleted]

Caballero's quick reaction using Espinas to defend themselves had been a very effective way to dissuade the much bigger and physically stronger Rider from swatting them like a common house fly. Originally developed instinctively as a way to escape the jaws of a Hollow about to consume them, it once again had played its part in getting them to escape certain death at the hands of a much larger opponent. Caballero rarely resorted to the technique unless it was a life or death situtation, such as this one. It was almost as if their idea of being a Shinigami and not a growing Hollow would be threatened by displays of their bizarre physiology, which is why they kept their offensive mostly focused on their sword instead of on the abilities that their black Reiatsu body offered. Despite them being more frail than their brethren, the sheer, concentrated Reiatsu Strength behind the attacks launched through that body put them on par, if not above your average stray. However, Raider was far from the average Hollow, as its strange abilities and overwhelming speed and strength could attest to.

After being struck by Espinas, the opening had been big enough for Caballero to deliver a crucial strike to one of its skeletal legs, enough to topple it before the tiny being stepped away, fearing possible retaliation. Said leg had been left half-cut, a testament to how Caballero was still not strong enough to decide such battles in one blow. They needed to be better at capitalizing such openings. At the very least, the fleshy cape had also been damaged, boasting a myriad holes now, but those would most likely close soon due to the monster's rather crude regenerative abilities. What had been damaged the most, however, was the eyes. After Espinas had ruthlessly punctured both globes, different fluids were leaking from them, painting a gruesome picture. Kimiko cheered them on from aside, but that was short lived as the monster soon began to move again. Normally, this would have just meant that it was time for round two, but there was something very wrong happening there. Instead of trying to attack Caballero or even get up at all, the creature thrashed and shook on the dirt, writhing in far more pain than before. The tiny Hollow squared up and prepared for retaliation from the monster; given that it was faster than they were, it might have been baiting them, goading them into attacking before striking with a riposte. It had proven smart enough to try more complex maneuvers than charging head on, after all.

This initial suspicion proved not to be the case, as Rider's skeletal hands covered its eyes, nearly clawing at them. The fleshy folds that formed its skin cloak quickly covered up the wounds, which was bad news on its own right, but it did not just stop there. No, the monster was growing. In a matter of seconds, it had gained mass, and if it towered over Caballero before, now it was a goliath next to the lilliputian Hollow. The skin cloak of the monster bent and twisted, forming what appeared to be wings. Caballero's instinctive grasp on their own overall ability took good note of this. Wings, forming from the flesh of the monster's body. Their conscious mind was focused on the fact that their opponent seemed to be evolving, right before their own eyes. Upon witnessing this monstrosity changing and adapting, even Kimiko, a Captain of the Gotei, could do nothing but curse out loud, completely at a loss about what this monster really was.

Caballero, however, did not care. Their two brain-cells did not really understand the concept of it changing. So what if they were bigger? They'd fought bigger Hollows all the time, and so far, all of them had ended up losing. It putting on more pounds meant nothing for the tiny Hollow, who was all but used to being targeted as a snack-sized meal. Having a huge opponent meant that they had more striking area. Of course, whether Rider's abilities had changed or improved dramatically, they did not know outright; they lacked the sensory abilities to discern that at a glance, and so they prepared to plunge into battle again with the monster staring at them. It was at that point that Kimiko spoke again, loud enough that it resonated throughout the forest.

"Cut its eyes, Kishi! Destroy them! It can't cover them!"

Caballero, who had been completely unaware about her internal struggle and misinterpreted the energy directed toward them as belonging to the Hollow they were currently facing, took the Captain's orders without hesitation, questions, or even any hint of concern for their well-being... almost as if they had been made for it. The bearable itch of a Hollow's hunger, which they felt consistently but not enough to drive them to feed on anything but their kin, got completely buried by this singular drive. It overpowered it in an instant forced it to the very bottom of Caballero's list of priorities. They had a duty to Soul Society, and they would see it through to the very end.

Rider roared at them, blood shot eyes still oozing pus and fluids. Like a corpse dragon, the monster unfurled the wing-like appendages its skin cloak had transformed into, in an attempt to intimidate Caballero. Normally, their own strength of will would have been enough to power through it, but with Kimiko's Akuma no Ishi technique, they did not even think about it, and stood their ground against their foe, flaring their own Spiritual Pressure at it as a response. Enraged by the threat, Rider lunged forward at its tiny opponent in typical Hollow fashion, clearly in too much pain to be thinking clearly. It was safe to assume that it would be acting on instinct. It sought the kill, and it sought the morsel that would come with it, but Caballero would prove to be too spicy for the mutating monster. The little being actually dashed forward, waiting until the last moment, when Rider swung one of its new wing appendages down in another ill-advised attempt at crushing them.

However, instead of directly facing a stronger threat head on--one that may have been expecting Espinas, to boot-- the tiny being turned the tables on its opponent. Caballero quickly shot Tendón toward one of the nearby bamboo trees, then jumped to the side and pulled, shortening their stretched arm. Like a pendulum, they drew a spiral-like trajectory through the air, getting closer to the tree as they flew. The newly-named Kishi had taken Rider's idea to use the trees to its advantage for itself. Rider turned to the left, believing them to have only dodged to that side, but found no target to attack. Once they were at the back of the Hollow and got a direct view of one of its eyes, Caballero let go of Tendón and let momentum carry them forward. As they flew right by the monster's right eye, re-entering its field of view, the little Hollow mercilessly swung Filo. The blade traced a diametrical section of the already damaged soft organ, cutting through as if it was a wet paper tissue.

If it had been oozing before, this made the eye erupt in a geyser of fluids for one full second as Rider screeched in pain, blindly. It trashed in fury again, wildly spazzing with skeletal limbs and fleshy wings alike. Had Caballero had any acrobatic skill, they may have been able to land safely and avoid the attack, but as things stood they got caught by Rider's blind swipe and sent flying a few meters away, crashing onto one bamboo tree. Had they been heavier, they most likely would've broken through it. Instead, their small size allowed the tree to bend ever so slightly and absorb part of the impact; "part" being the operative word, of course. Pain jolted through Caballero's strange physiology, from stubby little arms and legs to the entirety of its mask. They dropped to the ground with a loud thud, their mask cracking ever so slightly due to the damage they had taken, but in stark contrast to the much bigger Rider, they were not complaining. Of course, they could not physically do so, but it still made them look cooler and more composed than the monster did as it roared like a butchered pig, futilely reaching for an organ that, without High Speed Regeneration or an expert healer willing to do work on a mindless Hollow, would be gone forever.

The little being grabbed Filo once again, using its tip to stand up. Not yet. They could still keep fighting, of course. It would take much more than that to take down a Shinigami, no matter how small or strange they were. The tiny being instinctively sought Kimiko by turning their head until she found her, then looked at her as if awaiting further orders. Other than a non-operative eye, Rider was also limping on the leg Caballero had damaged earlier. This would open up further avenues of attack, but it would fall upon the incredibly powerful Shinigami to tell them to direct their blade to the monstrous Hollow.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The longer this fight on, the further Kimiko was being taken aback by the mere existence of the fiend that was Rider. She had seen a few Hollows who's ability was to "evolve". They could grow more arms or legs at any given moment, or even grow their mouths into sound cannons. They were all absurd, but they all had some kind of natural limit that prevented them from going way overboard with their transformations. Rider, however, did not appear to have that limitation. In fact, it did not even appear to be in control of its transformations, as its pain appeared to be downright infinite. The Shinigami wasn't even really sure if it wanted to fight, really, or if it was the skin that surrounded its apparently-brittle bones that was forcing it to defend itself.  Damn it!  She couldn't help but swear again, this time in her mind, as she was reminded of another Hollow she has had to slay in the past, one who was also forced to fight against its will.  Don't tell me this is another Walker incident!

Walker. To many officers of the Gotei 13, that name didn't really mean anything. It was just another code for one of the creatures that was part of Hollowkind a long time ago. However, for Kimiko, that name had a heavy significance. It was the name of a monster who was gruesomely tortured, conditioned through chemical means, and eventually enslaved by a criminal organization within the Living World. The Captain and Ailene, the aforementioned once-Espada, were able to find its whereabouts deep into a district of the Tokyo metropolis, and after a brief battle with one of its captors, they were able to put an end to its misery. Back then, Kimiko thought that would have been the end of it, especially since she had made sure to deliver her reports to the Seventh Division and a full-fledged computer with a working hard drive containing information about the Hollow's captivity to the Twelfth Division. She also thought that, given this was the second incident connected to shady Human organizations attempting to enslave Hollows, something would have been done about them by now. Yet if Rider was somehow connected to them... If this was yet another creature - Hollow or not - who was somehow told to fight against its will...

The Captain did not have much time to think on the matter, for the creature had already begun to grow at an exponential rate. It was unclear how powerful it had suddenly become, but one thing was for sure: the battle was far from over. For a brief moment after Kimiko shouted her advice towards Kishi, she would look towards the little bean and attempt to judge its strength in comparison to Rider's. The spikes that it had somehow generated from its body had seemingly done a considerable amount of damage to Rider, or at least enough to force it to evolve. Considering this, it was reasonable to assume that the small one was at least capable of handling the skin beast to a certain extent. Nevertheless, the dojo master couldn't help but notice the disparity that was beginning to grow between the two creatures. If Rider kept "evolving" like this, then it was only a matter of time before it would become too much for Kishi to bear, and by then, its life - and therefore, its potential - could be put in jeopardy. In so doing, Kimiko believed that Kishi's instincts would demand that it immediately leave the area, or at least proceed with caution.

But to her surprise, it did none of those things. Not at all. Instead, it stood its ground, flaring its spiritual energy towards Rider in an attempt to battle the power that it itself exhumed from its body. It was an impressive display of bravery, of courage, and arguably, of complete insanity... all of which Kimiko deeply appreciated. These were the kinds of emotions she was expecting from her soldiers and her students, the exact sentiments that she believed to be most important in battle, and somehow, this little Hollow who should not have any chances to so much as contend with the foe ahead was able to show all of that much better than most of her Shinigami recruits. It was nothing short of incredible, and so perhaps in a fit of admiration and delight, the Captain found herself stunned, staring at the scene in silence.  This is... wonderful,  her thoughts exclaimed then.  Absolutely wonderful.  Perhaps the only thing that was more wonderful than this was what Kishi did next.

Once the contest of spiritual pressure would come to an end, the loathsome Rider would attempt to strike the little knight. There was no logic in its movements, no strategy: all it wanted to do was kill the thing that was nearest to it, a symptom which was most likely caused by its terrible pain. However, and perhaps unsurprisingly, it was unable to actually reach its target. Instead, said target would dash forward fast enough for the skin beast's large arm to completely miss, allowing Kishi to quickly proceed with another maneuver. Kimiko wasn't quite sure of how the little bean was able to do so, but somehow, it would transform its free arm into what appeared to be a set of tendrils that were able to elongate. This would allow it to quickly attack itself onto one of the nearby trees and begin to move rapidly in the air above Rider. The fleshy creature, still wrought with pain, could not do anything in the moment: the little one had simply become way too fast for it. Then, all so suddenly, Kishi let go of the tree, and launched itself and its blade right towards one of the skin beast's massive eyes.

The damage was instantaneous. Just about as repulsively as the rest of the creature as a whole, the eye which was sliced about by Filo would collapse, causing a massive amount of blood, tears, and what appeared to be pus to spill all over the ground and the nearby trees. Not only did it look horrible, but it also smelled horrible, as the insides of the eye quickly revealed to be a large skin hole filled with wounds that hadn't been covered by the beast. Moreover, once the eye was completely emptied of its content, the tissue which formed it fell onto the ground, and the crater left behind in the sky did not close. In fact, it appeared to be somewhat unstable, with the skin within and around the crater pulsating. It was almost as if the creature's physiology could not even so much as begin to comprehend the damage it had received. In other words... its new wing had been rendered unusable. As disgusting as it all was, Kimiko was ecstatic. She was right! This was the right path to follow! Now, all they needed to do was destroy the other eye!

Unfortunately, this ecstasy would be cut short, as then, she would watch Kishi get hit by the wounded Rider. The burst eye caused the skin beast to most likely suffer an indescribable amount of pain, and in its agony, it had launched several attacks around itself in what appeared to be a fit of absolute panic. One of these attacks had hit Kishi. Clenching his teeth, Kimiko would watch as the bean was sent flying past her position and into one of the bamboo trees nearby. That looked like it had hurt. Quickly, she would look back, wanting to make sure Kishi was okay. Surprisingly, he was... but the damage he had received was not negligible. Its mask was cracked and it appeared as though he was having a hard time standing up. For a moment, she almost wanted to take the lead again, to just get this over with before the child-like Hollow would find himself being killed by that stupid overgrown thing. However, again, she found herself stopping once she realized that it was staring back at her.

It was still trusting her. In spite of the fact of the damage it had received, and therefore of the possibility that the Shinigami could just slay it right then and there, it still believed that she could give it some advice. How it was still capable of doing so even after she herself had shown killing intent just a few seconds before while she was attempting to make her decision, she wasn't sure of how. Yet, the longer she found herself staring at it, the more she began to realize how foolish her earlier hesitation had been. How could she even entertain the idea of killing this little guy? It had only been a few minutes since they had met each other, and yet it had already proven to her that it was perhaps the student with the greatest amount of potential she had ever seen since she became a dojo master. Snuffing out this potential would not be a boon for the future Soul Society. No. It would instead be a sin, something that she could never forgive herself doing.  That's why you stopped me earlier... Wasn't it?  Her thoughts wondered then, trying to communicate with the familiar voice she had heard. Of course, it did not respond, but ultimately, it did not matter.

Closing her fists, Kimiko would look back towards Rider. It still looked just about as furious as before, but now, it appeared as though the burst of pain had ended. There was only one eye left, and its owner appeared to be both intent on keeping it as it is in spite of the damage it had already received, and very much eager to put an end to Kishi's life. The Captain believed that the little bean was not going to let that happen. "Prepare yourself, Kishi! I won't repeat myself twice!" She called then, doing so with resplendent spiritual energy resonating from her being before she unsheathed the black blade, pointing it straight at the creature in a commanding pose. "Cut his leg off and destroy his remaining eye! Tear him asunder with your blade, and put an end to his pain! Kill him, for the benefit of your blade! No, kill him, for the good of the Soul Society! GO! SHOW ME WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TRUE SHINIGAMI!" 

And with that, all that was left to do... was watch.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Technique Used}
Technique Name: Akuma no Ishi (剃るかんめき, "Demon's Will")

Technique Type: Other | Strength of Will Buff

Technique Element: None

Usable by: All races

Class: 3

Technique Reiatsu Cost: N/A

Technique Description and Effects

The projection of one's own will to empower the hearts of others. The user channels the strength of their very soul within themselves before shouting it out, most typically either in a short inspirational speech or a motivational war cry. By accomplishing this, the user is capable of bringing forth the Strength of Will skill of all of their surrounding allies by one point for the next three posts, inspiring them to go further beyond towards victory even if such a thing may cost their lives. A master of this skill is said to have such a powerful will that they are able to instead bring the aforementioned skill of their allies up by two points.


Drawbacks & Weaknesses

As saddening as this may be to those who may be interested in learning this technique, not everyone is born with a powerful will. That is simply a natural, uncontested fact that cannot be refuted even by the greatest minds there is in this world. In so doing, it is not difficult to imagine that this technique will not always show any kind of positive effect onto the people surrounding them, especially if they are used by naturally-uninspiring individuals. In order to guarantee this technique's proper success, the user must possess a 2 in at least one of the following skills: Acting, Charisma, or Strength of Will. This technique can be executed by those who have a lesser version of these skills if they so will it; however, upon execution, there will be a 50% chance of this skill failing to provide any kind of inspiration to allies altogether.


Made by: Nakajima Kimiko

Reserved? : No

[Deleted]

Being focused on the battle at hand and in surviving against the overpowering Rider, Caballero had all but mistaken Kimiko's killing intent to be that of the monstrous being. Even if they had not, their current primary directive was very simple. A Captain was near, and they were fighting a Hollow; as such, there was naught to do but to continue fighting. This is how the little bean could stand again, seeking the woman's guidance to fight the monster. Caballero lacked some of the basic senses, getting by mostly through sight and hearing alone; thus, they were not really affected by the revolting scent of Rider's now missing eye that had been destroyed by their Filo. What was left on the wing was but a crater of pulsating flesh that nevertheless was not repairing itself for the time being. The little creature did not take too much notice of this, as they were still waiting for their orders from the Captain of the Eleventh, regardless of the pain coursing through their body.

Laying their gaze on the monster, it was clear that it was growing and powering up at a frightening pace while fighting for its life. Caballero had been praised for learning and adapting faster than others, but this was completely asinine in comparison. It was as if the usual levels of Hollow evolution did not apply to that creature, since it was not feeding on anything. Instead, receiving that much damage and suffering so much pain seemed to have triggered its evolution. Although Kimiko's boosting of their Strength of Will was beginning to fade, and with it part of Caballero's reckless abandon, that did not mean the tiny knight would back off yet. They would still challenge the Hollow, and they would still kill it. It was their sworn duty. However, the Captain would soon bolster the little creature's morale again with their Akuma no Ishi technique. Striking a commanding pose, Kimiko became a spring of spiritual energy as she took out her ebony blade, pointing it straight at the mutating beast. With that position, worthy of a hero of the Seireitei, Kimiko yelled out her orders for Caballero, telling them to prepare themselves since she would not say it twice. Needless to say, the tiny being forgot all about Rider for a moment and devoted their whole attention span to their superior.

Cut his leg off and destroy his remaining eye! Tear him asunder with your blade, and put an end to his pain! Kill him, for the benefit of your blade! No, kill him, for the good of the Soul Society! GO! SHOW ME WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TRUE SHINIGAMI!

Nothing else needed to be said. Caballero did not have any questions, did not hesitate, and did not doubt their blade. They could not let out a battle cry, for they had no voice to cry suffering, rage, or excitement. But Caballero had never been one for boastful displays in an attempt to intimidate their foe. They were far too small and cute-looking for that. Instead, the little knight brandished their blade again, but then separated Filo into two swords, taking one on each hand. This would seem similar to Kimiko's twin Zanpakuto, and in a sense, it shared even more traits than it seemed at first glance. After all, Filo was part of Caballero, made out of their own black Reiatsu body, so it was part of their soul.

Rider, perhaps in even more pain, let out another roar and began concentrating deep crimson spiritual energy on what would be their skeletal mouth, spreading their skin wings again as if to cut the creature's retreat. Caballero immediately recognized the signs of a Cero blast, as they had been on the receiving end of it --and its lesser cousin, Bala--a few times before. However, Rider was far stronger than any other Hollows the little being had fought up to this point. This was enough to alert the little creature, but not to deter it from attempting an attack. They needed to kill it fast, before it unleashed the attack and caused more wanton destruction than it undoubtedly already had.

Thus, Caballero held nothing back. With a single step, they blinked in an out of existence; rather, it would be more accurate to say that they exited the Human World into the folds of Garganta via the Hollow's prime stepping technique, Úlcera. This would allow the knight to cut the distance between Rider and them in as short a timeframe as possible. As soon as they reentered this side of reality, Caballero immediately dealt a cross slash using both blades to the monster's partially severed leg. The attack was more than enough to take care of the remaining attachment, cleaving off the skeletal foot and making the monster rear on its hind legs... which unfortunately, left the other eye out of Caballero's immediate reach, since the monster was far too big and they did not have a direct line of sight to the organ. Furthermore, this was not the thing they should have been worrying about. Rider, perhaps gaining a second wind because of how cornered it was, would not go down through Caballero's attack. Instead, it aimed its head down toward Caballero, the Cero blast now fully charged. The little bean immediately realized that the monster was about to fire what would very well vaporize them if they took the full brunt of the attack. At that point, if they stepped away, they would not be fast enough to dodge the attack nor the explosion that would result from it.

But there was one way they could reach it. One that their Hollow survival instincts normally would have not allowed them to even consider. However, after being bolstered by Kimiko, they were nothing short of an automaton fighting for the well-being of Soul Society without showing any concern for their own. As such, the tiny being would take on a maneuver that was as risky as it had the potential to be rewarding. Flexing their already strained body, Caballero forced their Reiatsu onto their feet again. Then, they took another step with Úlcera to enter the folds of Garganta for a second time, aimed on an upwards trajectory. Immediately, their entire physiology crackled with a bolt of searing pain that they were only able to power through thanks to their greatly enhanced Strength of Will. , blinking out of planar existence for that single moment allowed them to not only phase through the Cero, but to emerge up to level height with Rider's second eye. Caballero mustered enough strength to slash the second eye, slicing it in a similar way than the first, but using the twin Filo this time. They hoped the added sword strike would make up for the damage they had suffered, since each singular strike would have likely been less powerful because of it.

Whatever the result, Caballero would not be able to recover and land safely. Instead, they fell to the ground, rolling a few times before coming to a halt. Then, they began writhing in deep pain, as if something wanted to tear out of their body and escape. Using Úlcera for a second time had taken far too much of a toll on the little creature, and they were now completely helpless against whatever Rider might try if it had not died from its wounds. Still, even if this might have accomplished nothing, it would have shown one thing: that this Hollow would go as far as to wreck their own body if it meant fighting for the Soul Society. As a Captain, what Kimiko might do with this information would remain to be seen in the future.

Thus, Caballero lay there, barely able to move and unable to cry out in pain. It was as if the searing feeling sought an escape valve in form of a scream, and unable to find one, wrecked the little creature to the core.



OOC:

• Reiatsu: 575 -150[Úlcera x2] = 425
• Summary: Caballero uses Úlcera once to get to Rider's foreleg and slice it before it can fire a Cero, but this doesn't prevent it. As such, they are forced to use it a second time to get up to the eye's height and escape the blast at the same time. With Strength of Will 3, they are able to power through the pain to attack the eye in hopes of destroying it, but they're left unable to continue fighting for the time being as a result.