Independent Study (Akira and Caballero) JT

[Akira Hinosai]

Akira couldn't help but feel a little...exposed. Not because he was lacking clothes, but because people could see him. He melded into the crowd effortlessly, walking past boring civilians going about their tasks like NPCs in a video game. None of them knew that a god of death walked among them. At least, he was fairly certain no one could tell. A few times he scanned the crowd for any redheads who reeked of fullbring. He found nothing. He should have been content to leave the matter there, but that wasn't how these things worked. It was hard to accept "nothing" as a valid answer. Akira had even seen veteran researchers fall into that trap.

Then again, the line between "nothing" and "something you just missed" was frighteningly vague sometimes. Akira couldn't let his guard down. He was a monster now, and monsters had to worry about would-be monster slayers. The girl he met would come seeking revenge soon enough, and her resolve would only have strengthened. Akira didn't feel bad about what he did to her. Far from it. He was pleasantly surprised with how little guilt he felt. He just didn't want her to come and reverse the roles of their first encounter. He wasn't about to have that triumph retroactively tarnished. Akira flexed the fingers of his sword hand, though he had no sword.

Somehow he doubted openly carrying a sword would go over well with the public. He hardly used the thing anyway, but still. He felt like he'd lost part of himself when it wasn't by his side. Jeez, I'm starting to think like a real shinigami. Akira didn't know if that was good or bad. None of that mattered now though. He had bigger fish to fry. His mission was of utmost importance, and failure was not an option. He had already stopped for frivolous things such as food and accessories, which left him with the real shit. He had come seeking an artifact of great importance. Something that would change his life forever. Akira ducked into the small, dimly lit shop. An alcove of knowledge in a sea of ignorance. "I think you know what I'm here for."

The man behind the counter looked up, sizing up the newcomer. Players at tables looked up at the slightly below average blonde man. "A lotta people come looking for a lotta things... But I think I know what you want." Akira walked deeper into this pit of hell. He only hoped he'd made it in time. The man behind the counter pulled out a box from some other boxes. and placed it on the counter. "You're just in time. That appears to be the last one." Akira saw the package. He had made it in time. A few card players sized Akira up, but the death god would not be intimidated. "I'll have it." Akira slapped money on the counter without even flinching. "Now if you'd be so kind as to ring me up."

The man did not hesitate to take Akira's money. "If I were you, I'd go straight home. Don't go showing that off unless you want the delinquents to rob you." Akira smirked. "Danger only makes things more fun." He flipped his hair and did a heel turn out of the store. He couldn't believe this was really happening. The Super Phobos Belt Republics Core Frame to 1/400th the scale of the real thing! Oh man this is gonna be so cool when I put it next to the Scourge of Venus! Akira could hardly contain himself. Doubtless many low-life thugs would try and take it from him. Unfortunately for them, however, Akira was a super human ghost wizard.

Mission accomplished. Akira left the Local game and hobby store. He could finally rest easy. He imagined most commanders wouldn't approve of going to the human world just for mecha figurines, but Squad 12 wasn't like most commands. . So long as Akira slew a few hollows, he could afford to take a bit of shore leave to update his wardrobe, and collections. It  was all offically under the guise of "independent researech". Now he just had to find the perfect place to stash this and he'd engage in some good old fashioned hollow research. He'd been dying to test out some new kido on the hollows. He couldn't afford to get soft while his rivals got strong. Nope. Akira made his way through back alleys to a nice conspicuous warehouse.

He busted a drug ring in here once, but the building was still there. Surely no one would notice if he stored his gigai and mecha figurine here. Akira tried to slide his fingers under the garage-style door, and only succeeded in breaking a nail. "Owww..." Had it always been this heavy?  No, you're just weak as shit. Akira struggled a bit more before finally giving up. "Man, this blows." Back when he was alive, he could have busted a hole through the door by sneezing. That was if he didn't want to use soul command. Akira figured he could use his zanpakuto if he wanted to go ahead and ditch the body outside before dragging it in, but somehow he figured carving a hole into the door would negate the purpose of hiding his body in there to begin with.

Akira pulled out his leftover ramen from earlier and began slurping then up, while pondering how he was going to stash his figurine away. After all, if he went back now, then they'd know he totally just went for pleasure as opposed to business. He didn't want to explain to Aramis why owning this figure would increase Akira's productivity and morale. Akira would ponder as he ate, unwittingly leaving his guard down for any approaching creatures.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Akira outfit}

[Deleted]

Caballero brought down Filo on the raging Hollow that was opposing them. The beast was more powerful than the ones they had faced before, but the little knight was slowly growing accustomed to new heights, new challenges. Lately, they had seen their power increase, probably as a result of all the battles they had fought--friendly or not. The opposing Hollow began contentrating a reddish light on their mask, opening a foul mouth, and Caballero immediately recognized the move from the humongous one that had nearly killed a lot of humans on the Shopping District in Karakura. Bala. Too fast to dodge when fired, but for that, it needed to be fired first! Caballero skittered on a zig-zagging pattern on the sands of the White Desert, confounding the monster enough. Perhaps it believed they would jump to strike, and so it ended up firing the projectile forward.

However, Caballero's intention was far from that. Mimicking the unorthodox slide attack they had thought of during their first duel with Akira, a fellow Shinigami and friend, Caballero passed under the creature's legs, but they didn't intend to go all the way through. Instead, they stopped into a crouch, then jumped up with their self-made black Reiatsu blade. The creature's body could not resist the sheer cutting strength of Filo, and thus the tiny Hollow dealt a deadly blow to the monster's underside. Blood gushed down from the cut, partially splashing Caballero, but they didn't mind. Instead, focused on the fight, they moved on to deliver the final blow to their foe via decapitation.

The monster's head fell to the sand, rolling for a few meters before coming to a stop. The body fell limp, sprawled on all fours. Caballero slashed to the side as if to clean their blade, but not to salute. That sort of monster deserved no respect. Then, unconsciously, Caballero approached and used their bizarre physiology to consume the Hollow. The leftovers dissipated in a cloud of Reishi, including the blood that had stained their "uniform", the same rag they'd been wearing for Soul King knew how long now.

The tiny Hollow could finally breathe. That nagging feeling that pushed them toward violence and a loss of control was finally buried again, and in no danger of spiraling out of control... for a while, at least. The little critter looked at one of his stubby black arms in a pensive way that was quite uncharacteristic of them. Like a good Shinigami, Caballero had been hunting Hollows, be it on their own or alongside their friends and comrades. In order to ensure they would not be hurting anyone again, the Shinigami wannabe had unknowingly devoured them, with their unconscious mind and instincts taking over for a moment whenever they did.

Before, Caballero had only felt that sensation, that weird emptiness, as a very distant feeling that hardly bothered them. However, over the past days, the tiny Hollow had found that feeling growing and growing. Unbeknownst to them, they were the only one to blame. By consuming more and more of his brethren through pure instinct, Caballero was slowly becoming more Hollow-like. They hadn't lost control, but just as they had grown more powerful, they also seemed to require more feedings. Whereas a single Hollow left them sated for over a week, the tiny being was now feeding every two or three days. Their young, child-like mind had no idea what this meant, and they had no way to even be aware that it was a bad thing. They had only hunt down Hollows, after all, as expected of someone in their line of work.

The tiny being shook their head. They didn't need to spend more time in Hueco Mundo; after all, they'd already finished their patrol! Thus, Caballero used Tendón to tear open a rift between dimensions using Kumon, picturing the place in the human world where they had met most of their friends: Karakura Town. Of course, the gate had left them far off on more than one occasion, so they might not get there. And even then, was there any way for Caballero to know they were not in the correct place? Once the rift became stable, the tiny Hollow jumped in with the fearless determination they had always displayed, quickly getting on the other side after some travel.

As Kumon opened in the Human World creating a small tear, Caballero soon had a bird's eye view of Karakura Town. The fact that they had managed to get back brought them great joy for about three seconds. Even the Hollow's uneducated brain could appreciate the sight. A sight that, somehow, was getting closer and closer. How strange, Caballero would've thought, but all of a sudden their two brain-cells gathered enough processing power to ponder about the consequences of actually having said bird's eye view of the city.

The gate had opened in the middle of the sky, at a height of about a skyscraper. The sky, not solid ground. Had they had a mouth to scream, this would've been the perfect moment to do so. Caballero plummeted toward the floor at dangerously increasing speeds, an invisible projectile falling through the sky like some sort of twisted wishing star. The Hollow tumbled through the air like a ragdoll before they managed to get a grip and adopt a proper posture, only to see the ground approaching faster than ever before.

Fortunately, not all was lost. For a being of their size and build, falling from higher heights was nowhere near as lethal as it was to a normal-sized human. Instinctively, Caballero attempted to find a way to break the fall, and they soon launched Tendón to whatever grappling spot was near. While the strain was harsh on their body, they managed to swing up and away, launching Caballero forward like a certain comic-book superhero. They flew all the way toward a seemingly abandoned warehouse, where they managed to scrap by by using Tendón a second time on a near postlight to break the fall.

Of course, 'break the fall' meant them slowing enough that the hit wouldn't be too damaging. Caballero landed on the concrete mask first, bouncing a few times like a pebble thrown into a lake. They made no noise themselves other than the thud, of course. By the time they stopped, they slowly incorporated, their head wobbling and their sense of balance made a complete wreck. Everything was topsy-turvy! They were absolutely sure this was not how a proper Shinigami was supposed to enter the Human World. What in the world was wrong with their Senkaisomething? Of course, the tiny creature was unaware that said portal was still open and ready for other Hollows to use. Perhaps some would come, perhaps not.

Unable to hold themselves up, Caballero let themselves fall flat on their back, completely oblivious that someone they held dear was right there, slurping up ramen without a care in the world. Well, perhaps with one or two, but the tiny Hollow didn't know about them, right?

OOC: Consumed x1 Class 7 Hollow.

Reiatsu: 800 -50[Filo] = 750

[Akira Hinosai]

"GAAAAHH!" Akira jumped to his feet, spilling his ramen bowl and dropping his shopping bag. Hollow type reiatsu! Roughly of even strength to his own. Akira looked around, but saw nothing. If that tomato haired bitch wanted to get even, she had another thing coming. Akira held out a finger gun, ready for some live target practice. It was them that he saw movement, and adjusted his gaze downwards. "Squirt?!?" All the fear instantly dissipated from Akira's body. If anyone else  snuck up on him like that, he'd have been pissed, but this one? Akira thought he'd never see the little twerp again. Now here they were, stumbling around as though they were failing a sobriety test.

Could hollows get drunk? Didn't matter. A question for a later date. Akira ran over and got on a knee to be eye level with them. "I...I thought I'd never see you again!" Akira wasn't a hugger, but he figured he'd make an exception for this occasion. "Come here you little dork!" Akira opened his arms for a hug, leaning in to initiate it himself if the little one still didn't know how hugs worked. He couldn't help but laugh. He'd interrogated scores of hollows and plusses for information on the little hollow. He'd failed to turn up anything useful. And in a city this big, he thought they may never cross paths again. Now he had more than just proof of life. He had the real deal!

Releasing the hollow from the hug, he'd sit back, still at eye level with the little one. "How have you been? I-" Akira stopped himself. There wasn't any snow for the hollow to write on this time. "Is that a new sword?" Akira hastily changed the subject. He didn't want to upset the hollow because of their own lack of ability to communicate. It was more of a knife, by all accounts, but for the little hollow, it was a sword. It would keep them safe if they kept it close and remembered their lessons. It was certainly better protection than the pointed stick from last time. Akira could sense they had gotten stronger since last they met. That was good. They'd need that strength to survive.

[Deleted]

Caballero's recovery was hastened by a sudden yell of surprise coming from behind them. Not just because the little knight was not fond of loud noises--even more so those that caught them by surprise--, but because that scream did not come from a stranger. No, that was a familiar voice, belonging to one of Caballero's friends! The tiny Hollow quickly turned in the direction the yell had come from, and was surprised and enthused to see a bewildered Akira Hinosai, staring at them as if they were the second coming of the Soul King.

When the Shinigami called out to Caballero, there could no longer be any room of doubt for the little Hollow. It was their friend, and he remembered them! This brought the Hollow back on their feet in a matter of a second, just as Akira ran over to their side. The Shinigami got on one knee, perhaps so he could talk to Caballero without looking down all the time--which, admittedly, could be tiring. However, there was no need for that! Big or small, they were both part of the Gotei 13, right?

The little Hollow had been so excited to see their friend that it had taken them a long time to realize that Akira looked different. For one thing, he was not wearing his Shihakusho, like last time. The fact that the real Shinigami was wearing a gigai was, of course, lost on a being without any kind of Energy Sensory skills. Why anyone would take off the uniform was also beyond Caballero's comprehension, since fashion was also the Hollow would most likely never dabble in on their own. Thus, they simply brushed Akira's new appearance off as a temporary thing, since it didn't change the fact that it was still him, and that Caballero was very happy to have met him again. Needless to say, when Akira opened his arms for a hug, Caballero jumped in without hesitation. The past weeks, they had learned that hugs equaled goodness, so was there really any other choice?

The Shinigami asked what how he was, what he had been doing all this time. And boy oh boy, how Caballero had been. The tiny Hollow was ready to mime the crap out of every single detail of their adventures in Karakura: the time they'd met a Captain and learned how to go back to Hueco Mundo at will, the time they'd stopped a Hollow alongside a human, almost dying in the process, the time they had met this big, strong man with an impossibly cool sword that he made himself using some kind of technique... However, those stories would have to wait for later, because Akira quickly changed subjects to the one particular detail that had changed since their last encounter. The Shinigami was absolutely right: he had a new sword! And this time, it was not a stick, or a soulless item that anyone could use or get.

Just like a Shinigami was proud of their Zanpakuto, just like the sword was an extension of their very soul, Filo was such for Caballero. The tiny creature showed Akira the sword-like weapon, made entirely of the dense, black Reiatsu that formed Caballero's bizarre physiology. At first glance, it may not have looked like much, since it was instinctively tailor-made to suit the creature's size. Truly, a Zanpakuto for the Shinigami 'adjacent'.

As if to make a demonstration, Caballero waved the sword around, entering the battle stance that they had been refining all this time, and proceeded to do a few practice swings. They even split the weapon in two separate swords and recombined it with ease, displaying the flexibility they had gained in their offensive. With all the lessons and their instinctual learning, Akira would see that, where before they were a child with a stick, now they held themselves with the confidence of a man with at least a year of training or so. Footwork, posture, guard, lunges and strikes... all had drastically improved. While the Hollow had no reference to compare their growth against, Akira would be a different case.

However, a visual demonstration should also be in order. Caballero turned to the alley they were in, where one would easily find metalic trash containers. Without hesitation, the tiny Hollow picked one at random, and slashed once, just once, with Filo. The condensed Reiatsu blade cut through the steel with frightening ease, though admittedly the material was not in the best condition. Caballero turned toward Akira again, wondering if he would be impressed and if he would like his weapon as much as Caballero did.

Now though, the tiny Hollow realized that if a Shinigami was there, something may be going on. Perhaps Akira was on the hunt for another target! In that case, it was only natural Caballero would help. Using Filo, Caballero carved drawings by nicking the concrete ground, depicting themselves and Akira in a similar fashion as the first ones in the snow, and then they also painted another Hollow. After looking at the warehouse Akira was near, they put two walls and a roof over said Hollow drawing, and tapped on it, asking whether he was chasing something inside that place.

[Akira Hinosai]

It was some comfort to know the hollow hadn't lost their childlike sense of wonder. It was even better to see they had honed their skills at swordsmanship. Akira smiled. Hollows could amass power quicker than any other race. It was their blessing and their curse. When one amassed power without the time to sharpen their skills, they would end up relying on brute force. A real warrior needed both power and skill to survive out here. When the little hollow had finished showing off their footwork and swordplay, they ran of in search of a target. In this case, that was a trash can, which they defeated with a single clean cut.

"Bravo! You've really come into your own, haven't you?" Akira called out. By all accounts it was cool. Hollow physiology and powers varied wildly between individuals. Still, Akira had to wonder if this was some hollow power to generate reiatsu blades. It was too early to tell, but their sword was definitely awesome. Akira probably had nothing left to teach them about sword fighting. As hard as he tried, he wasn't able to get into the swing of things like he could before. He sometimes thought he was better off ditching the sword shit and just doing kido. At least he was ok at kido. Before Akira could get stuck in his head, the little hollow began drawing on the ground with their weird arm powers.

It would seem they had advanced past the need for snow to communicate. Akira poured over the runes intently. "The warehouse?" Akira asked. "Oh...that..." Akira laughed nervously, looking back at his spilled ramen and shopping bag. "Funny story, I, uh..." Akira wasn't sure how he was going to explain this. The hollow was childlike, but children were people. If you told them things, they'd understand. "Ok, so I had to go undercover as a human so I could procure this powerful relic. Only thing is, now that I have the relic, I want to go above and beyond and deliver justice to this lawless city while I'm here. And to do that I need to abandon this physical body so I could get my zanpakuto which is tied to my soul not my physical form...Don't ask because I don't know. It's complicated. And I needed to store the body someplace so it didn't get nabbed while I was out."

Akira rubbed the back of his neck with the hand with the nail he'd broken. The whole plan sounded kind of dumb now that he was saying it all out loud. Squad 12 is infecting me. Akira really only needed to ditch his body for two things. Firstly to avoid damaging it, and two, to gain his zanpakuto. The mecha figurine he wanted to ditch because it might get damaged in a fight and would just be annoying to carry. As it stood, he'd need the hollow's help prying the garage door open. Akira shuddered at the thought of that. Ok, so as Akira he couldn't exactly pride himself on his physical strength. He was an effeminate weirdo now. Still, in some part of his brain he was still Luca and the idea of allowing a child to help him with a physically demanding task was unthinkable!

He had a choice to make, his zanapkuto and his mecha or his pride. His zanpakuto was near useless, though. So, the The Super Phobos Belt Republics Core Frame or his pride.

Mecha or pride

"But forget about all that for now! I mean, where are my manners. You show me how much you've grown. As a fellow warrior I am obligated to show you my power as well!" The topic was successfully shifted. Akira raised an arm into the air. If he wanted to show off his kido, this would put on a show and minimize property damage. "BYAKURAI!" With that, Akira felt the power rise through his body, flowing through his arms to be focused through his pointer finger. A bolt of lightning shot from Akira's hand, lighting up the night for one magnificent moment. Odds were the little one would forget all about the warehouse thing. "I know, I know, pretty cool stuff, huh."

Akira suddenly had a bad feeling about what had just happened. His finely tuned senses gave him ample reason to be. Without meaning to, he might have just rung the dinner bell for every hollow in a several mile radius. It was no preasure, after all. He was gonna fight hollows anyway. All this did was speed up his time table a bit. "Hey, squirt? I don't want to scare you, but we need to move, now." If the little one didn't get up and go, Akira would pick them up or try to. He ran from the back alleys and warehouses to a more open battlefield in a relatively empty parking lot. It wouldn't be practical to ditch his gigai now. Besides, it wasn't like he'd need his zanpakuto for this. He had a hollow friend in dire need of sustenance. His zanpakuto was useless anyway. Maybe this'll show it to hurry up and reveal its powers if it wants me to bother with it!

in an open field it would fall to the attackers to rely on strength rather than subterfuge. Akira saw a hollows creeping up from the woodwork, ready to pounce on their next meal. A gryphon-looking hollow, a manticore, a spider crab and a few other shapes Akira couldn't quite make up. These were true killers, and they were eager to pounce.  Unfortunately for them, though, these predators were about to become prey.

[Deleted]

After Caballero's initial display of their improved strength, showing off their Filo, the little Hollow turned toward Akira awaiting the latter's reaction. Not unlike a child, the tiny being responded very well to positive reinforcement, so their little antics were meant to get a positive reaction from their friend. Of course, once the Shinigami obliged by praising, their skill, Caballero puffed out their chest and put both hands on their non-existent hips once again, bobbing their oversized head up and down in a nod all the while. Granted, they had not become that much stronger since their last encounter, but what the little knight had managed to do was come up with a slew of techniques for their limited arsenal, giving them better flexibility in battle. With Filo and Espinas, they were able to better handle both direct combat and opposition from a larger target threatening to grab them, respectively. Of course, they still hadTendón, which they could now use to grab and crush things or just slap an enemy.

Since the two had met before and he was well aware of how the little Hollow's mind worked, Akira seemed to pick up on their non-verbalized question about the warehouse nearby. Immediately, the tiny being was gripped by the story, a tale worthy of a Shinigami. Akira had gone to the Human World to secure what in Caballero's mind was bound to be an immensely powerful relic. To do so, he had to go undercover as a human! Truly, the enemy must have been foul and powerful if they were able to detect Soul Reapers. But even so, Akira had persevered, slipped by their vigilance and recovered the artifact, going as far as to stay--and potentially endanger the mission--just so he could help the people in Karakura once again. The fact that he needed a proper place to store the Gigai was just the last hurdle to overcome before returning with the relic, so much to the tiny knight's chagrin, that legendary adventure was already coming to a close.

Needless to say, the details of the Akira's explanation had been embellished to the extreme by Caballero's child-like mind and imagination, since they couldn't picture the Soul Reapers they idolized so much as nothing short of the greatest heroes around. Throughout the tale, they continued to look up to their friend in awe and admiration, with intercalated nods so that he could be sure they were listening. A question now arose within Caballero, however. What if they were still under watch? What if whoever had the relic in the first place would not let it disappear, just like that? They would need to be on the lookout, lest they be blindsided by an enemy!

Still, it seems things were calm and at peace now, because Akira also decided to show the tiny knight his progress as a Shinigami. He pointed a finger to the sky in a rather cool gesture, and yelled the name of a Kido, startling the Hollow a little bit because of the loud noise. They hadn't been expecting that! Before they could throw a small tantrum because of Akira scaring them a little, their harmless, momentary anger was quickly forgotten and replaced by amazement. The little knight watched as their friend shot a lightning bolt toward the sky, lighting up the area on a white blaze of light for just a fraction of a second. Needless to say, Caballero was enthused by the demonstration, jumping up and down in excitement and kicking their little feet on the spot, unable to stay still. They wanted to see it again! This time, however, they could also try to imitate the posture, see if they could do the same thing. After all, they were a Shinigami, right?

Unfortunately, things were about to take a sudden turn, and not in a good way. Well, perhaps in a good way, but certainly they would not be peaceful anymore. Akira turned serious all of a sudden, saying that he didn't want them to be alarmed, but they should be getting out of there. Caballero nodded, and since they had just reunited with their friend, followed Akira on foot without needing the Shinigami to pick them up. Immediately, they noticed that the Shinigami was faster than they were, but that was only natural. After all, one needed to be fast to pull off an undercover mission to retrieve a powerful relic!

They reached a parking lot, where Caballero's earlier suspicions would be realized. There they were, finally revealing themselves! As they had expected, Akira was not out of the woods yet. It seems the evil faction from whom they had recovered the relic had sent their lackeys to them, for some of the tiny knight's brethren popped up from the shadows, as if they were stalking prey. They were big, in animal shapes Caballero had never seen before, but that didn't matter for the little guy. They had, quite literally, fought worse... and without less power in their arsenal.

Thus, the tiny being actually reveled in the chance to do some practical Shinigami work alongside Akira. If they wanted to duel him, it would need to wait until later. For now, they would do as a Soul Reaper should, and cleanse those souls of their filth so they could be born anew in Soul Society. Caballero brandished Filo, adopting a proper battle-stance that displayed an amount of experience beyond their lifetime. Griphons, manticores, crabs or spiders, they didn't care. On their honor as a Soul Reaper, Caballero would assist Akira take the relic safely back to Soul Society. None of these goons would stand a chance!

[Akira Hinosai]

Akira could feel the reiatsu humming in his bones. He could almost hear it flicker around them. This was going to be so much fun! All that was left was for one of the parties to make the first move. The standoff lasted all of a minute before one hollow broke "formation" and came barreling at Akira. The griffon. Akira had dealt with this before. Bird type hollows always went for the "swoop-by-claw at your eyes" maneuver. And while his reflexes were dulled, his battle sense was keen as it ever was. Upon seeing movement, Akira threw up an arm to shield his eyes, and as soon as the hollow was too close to stop their attack, he'd grab them by the talon. "Sai." and with that, they fell past Akira in a clump of bird-lion meat.

Still very much alive, for the moment, but it was no doubt an intimidating site for the remaining hollows. Seeing as how Akira's comrade was mute, it would fall to him to deliver the pre-asskicking one-liner. "So, who's next?" Faced with such a display of insolence, the hollows were done playing games. They converged on the two shinigami as a cohesive unit. Standing back to back, that left half of them trying to attack Akira, the other half would go after the little hollow. That left Akira facing down the manticore and the little hollow facing down the spider crab. A few more shapes lingered in the darkness, seemingly content to watch the events unfold.

Akira knew just by looking at the manticore hollow that this wouldn't be an easy fight. The hollow's tail would be trouble. Even if it didn't have poison, it was perfectly suited for skewering prey. Once they were impaled, the beast could use its claws to do the rest. It wasn't a pleasant thought. The manticore waved its tail around wildly as it closed in on Akira. It's testing me. Seeing what it can get away with. In close quarters, Akira was at a serious disadvantage. The hollow knew that. Max-Voltage Horin was too risky in these conditions. Still, there was one trick that would always be useful, no matter the situation. The tried and true "step tech behind them" maneuver.

Akira shunpo'd behind the hollow but before he could say "Byakurai" the manticore tail whipped back round in time to run Akira through. The beast laughed uproariously, lifting Akira's dying body into the air. But it's laughter would be cut short as a burning pain overwhelmed its senses. Akira, clad in shinigami black and white had plunged his zanpakuto into the hollow's side. "Hard to believe, but you're actually dumber than you look!" Akira grinned. "B-but how?!? You're dead!" It was true. Akira had been run through. The manticore's tail was still laden with 100 pounds of Akira meat. "A good magician never reveals his tricks." Only it was just that. Meat. Not the soul. Akira knew from his fight with a certain scorpion hollow how troublesome prehensile tails could be. So he decided to pull a ruse within a ruse.

So instead of shooting a byakirai into the hollow's flank, Akira instead put in the gikkon he'd been given for evacuating his soul from the gigai. The pencil pushers in logistics were gonna be pissed, but it was totally worth it for this. And it solved the issue of body storage. Now he could throw it in a dumpster and be rid of it. Akira could have ended it there. It would have been the merciful thing, but it seemed like a sin letting good food go to waste. The little hollow needed to eat. It just so happened this was ethical consumption. The hollow tried to speak, but Akira cut it off. "Horin." ropes of orange energy entangled the wounded beast, binding all its extremities, and an extra strand of rope was dedicated to use as a makeshift gag.

Still the hollow struggled. "Shhhhhhh. Game over. Thanks for playing." Akira turned over to his compatriot, the hollow shinigami. If they were still fighting with the spider crab, he would offer his assistance. If they were already done with their fight. Akira would run over and congratulate them on a job well done. "Man, this really takes me back. Wasn't all that long ago we were struggling to take out one moster. Now, look at us!" The little one had probably advanced beyond Akira in terms of swordsmanship. Of course, Akira was nothing if not a bullshit artist, so he could probably engineer some reasons for the little hollow to stick around.


"Well, squirt, while you eat your dinner, I was wondering if we could pick up where we left off. About the lessons I mean. Cuz last time I had to cut our lessons short, and I didn't know if I'd ever see you again, so there's actually a lot of stuff I left out." Bingo. Nailed it. Even though Akira knew he was being slimy, he couldn't bring himself to be completely phony with the kid. Maybe they could do more lessons together, and get stronger together still.

805/930 reiatsu

[Deleted]

The first of the enemies would be a griffon-like Hollow, pouncing straight at them. The creature would have had to be very hungry not to care about maintaining its numbers' advantage; either that, or it was far too greedy for its own good. Either way, Akira had no issue with using the same Bakudo he had used against the big-mouth Hollow. Sai completely put the creature on a bind, causing it to helplessly crash against the ground and slide a few meters away, carried by its own momentum. With that and a kickass one-liner, Akira goaded the rest of the monsters into battle. Even when tired after a secret mission, he was fearless agains the enemy!

The little Shinigami wannabe squared up to do battle against the spider-crab like Hollow, who moved toward them with clear predatory intent. It was cackling in delight as it approached, positively giddy about fighting what looked like the weakest Hollow in the history of Hueco Mundo. This hubris would not last long forever; in fact, it would vanish pretty damn quickly, as this monster would be facing off against what would most likely be its worst possible matchup. See, it had a big body supported by multiple pairs of legs that ended in puncturing chitin--so much so that it was leaving marks on the concrete--, and pincers that were as long as they were menacing, what with their clicking noises and sharp-looking edges. All this meant a human-sized being would have been easy for it to handle. But not Caballero. The little knight was so tiny that the Hollow would need to reach down with its pincers if it wanted to catch them, and said pincers might end up getting in the way of its other legs. Furthermore, being suspended on the air with that many legs implied a very delicate balance that would be far too easy to break, as long as one took care of a few of those supports.

Without hesitation, as they had their friend at their back, Caballero plunged into battle against the chitin-covered Hollow, eager not only to defeat the threat, but also to check whether Filo would be able to cut through that natural armor or if there would be need to take more drastic measures. Running toward the monster, the little knight kept their sword pointing backwards, with only one 'hand'--or rather, arm-- wrapped around the hilt; the other was kept free for better maneuverability. As expected, the first thing the monster did was trying to pin Caballero to the ground with its claws, only for them to hit air as the tiny being avoided them both. Instead of jumping up to attack it head on, however, Caballero pressed on through the space under its body, heading toward the back legs. In a moment, the tiny critter swung Filo as he got to the lower right leg.

It came as a bit of a disappointment when Caballero's blade severed the leg by the last segment, immediately causing an imbalance in the crab's weight that forced it to shift over. This left the creature exposed, far too exposed, and Caballero was not one to forgive such an egregious oversight from a fellow Hollow. If this was a friendly duel, perhaps they would have backed away; instead, the tiny Hollow ran a full lap around the crab, severing more and more of its limbs with Filo strikes, not unlike a child tearing the legs off a spider. The confidence and ego the Hollow had displayed earlier soon transformed into helplessness, lack of understanding and pure fear as it literally felt the weight of the world and fell to the ground. In despair, it did its best to try to stand up on those cut limbs, since Caballero had only cut the ends; still, without extreme pain tolerance, this effort hardly meant anything.

Before it could even stabilize, the tiny knight had already jumped on its back. Akira had once told them that, in a real battle, they needed to be able to finish off their foe. Caballero was about to display just how deep that lesson had been ingrained in their body. Their mercy was reserved to Pluses, Shinigami and dwellers of the human world. The inhabitants of Hueco Mundo did not fall within that category. Thus, Caballero drove the blade down the chitin again, and turned to run down the length of the Hollow's body, splitting it open like a piñata. Regardless of its mask being left intact, the wounds were far too grave for the monster to be able to stay conscious, let alone recover, and it soon collapsed onto itself, breathing its last.

Rising to remove their blade from the fresh corpse, Caballero looked toward the other shadows that were looming in the distance, their silhouette barely visible by the faint postlights around. If they had thought about jumping in to rake in some easy kills, then that desire must have immediately vanished after the gory mannner in which the apparently small and weak Hollow had dispatched the bigger one. Truth be told, as things stood right now, Caballero was arguably one of the strongest Strays to be found around Karakura Town, even though their appearance definitely did not give that away. They did not look menacing; in fact, they were downright cute, but there was something prodoundly scary about watching a completely silent being brutalize a much bigger opponent with frightening ease.

With those monsters in line, they turned toward Akira, who had finished off his opponent with ease. In fact, he was already headed their way, about to congratulate Caballero on their victory. However, the little knight's attention was immediately caught by the shadow looming behind. The griffon-like Hollow that Akira had trapped in Sai earlier had broken free, and was about to pounce on the Shinigami, regardless of whether he could feel or sense the danger. At that moment, two sparks would fuel Caballero's quiet anger at the monster. First, it had the gall to attack from the back, but that much was to be expected from its kin. Second, the Hollow was targeting Akira.

It was actively trying to kill Caballero's friend.

Immediately, Caballero shot forward with its free hand. The tiny, stubby arm erupted into a set of void-like tendrils that shot forward toward the griffon, entangling its body and preventing it from harming Akira in any way. After growing in strength, these were no longer easy to break. In fact, the tiny Hollow was so mad that it tightened the grip, and the Reiatsu Strength powered Tendón coiled around the monster like a constrictor snake. The Hollow shrieked in pain, constrained by the attack, and Caballero slowly walked toward the beast with a singular idea in mind. With each step, the pressure increased more and more, and the Hollow's cries became wheezes as Tendón kept crushing its body. It tried to thrash and peck at the Tendrils, and although this did cause Caballero some damage, it did not manage to break free. Once Caballero was right next to the enemy, and if Akira didn't shoot a Byakurai to finish it first given he was the one being attacked, the tiny Hollow would drive Filo straight through the monster's head, splitting the mask open.

Now, it was time to purify those Hollows and send them to Soul Society! Performing their one and only special technique, Caballero used their strange physiology to tear chunks of flesh and chitin off its late foes. As it incorporated them into its body, the rest began to break down into Reishi particles and float away. Of course, Caballero was so delusional that they thought this was their way of sending Hollows back to the cycle of souls, and they were blissfuly unaware of the fact that they were incorporating their powers into their being. The power gain they attributed to train and effort was also partially due to this consumption. Once the little Hollow was done, they did not bow or anything of the sort, as those were creatures that did not deserve their respect. Still, they wished they would move on to a better existence, again clueless to the fact that they had just imprisoned those two souls within their own.

With them finally gone, the little Hollow's attitude and demeanor shifted dramatically, as if a light switch had just been pressed, as if they had not just completely slaughtered the two Strays that had attacked them. Far from the clueless Hollow they had been during their first encounter with Akira. Speaking of whom, they happily returned to his side, content that the two of them having been able to deal with the enemy without sustaining more than a few injuries in Caballero's case. They really had come a long way since their first battle in the park! Speaking of which...

"I was wondering if we could pick up where we left off. About the lessons I mean. Cuz last time I had to cut our lessons short, and I didn't know if I'd ever see you again, so there's actually a lot of stuff I left out."

Of course, how could Caballero say no to such a proposal? The tiny bean bobbed its head up and down in excitement, eager to continue learning the in an outs of Shinigami-hood. Obviously, if the two of them were to do battle like the last time, they would need to be very careful when using Filo, but then again they never had much trouble controlling themselves. They had fought against Ren and Celes with a real weapon, and while the Captain had obviously never been in any real danger, Caballero had made sure to not harm the Failure with their attacks, even when they hit the mark.

OOC: Reiatsu: 750 -50[Tendón] = 700

Consumed x2 Class 7 Hollows this post (x3 class 7 Hollows total)

[Akira Hinosai]

The satisfied smile faded from Akira's face. His blood turned to ice water. The griffon. He'd forgotten the griffon! Though before Akira could so much as blink, Cabelerro jumped in to save him. Black tendrils grabbed the hollow and began to squeeze, halting its second attack. It struggled in vain, like a beast caught in the thicket. Though the more it struggled, the tighter the bindings became. Beyond just struggling to move, it was struggling to breath, and yelping in pain as it was being crushed. Akira could have ended its suffering. It would have been the merciful thing to do, but he instead lowered his hand to rest on his sheathed zanpakuto.

Akira respected the little hollow. This was their victory. Their kill. They got to decide what to do with their injured game. That didn't make it any easier to watch. Akira had a strong stomach, but there was something unnerving about watching the little hollow consume. The path to power wasn't for the faint of heart. Maybe Akira had forgotten the little creature was still a hollow, and hollows were hunters. Even though the little one was harmless to the innocent, it was a killer. Childlike innocence and massive power was a dangerous combination. Please, god, don't let me become another Victor Frankenstein. When the meal was done, The little one was practically bouncing up and down at the prospect of learning more.

Akira eased up. Now was hardly the time for moral quandaries. It was time for lessons! Now he just had to come up with a lesson plan. He kept finding himself in these situations. He figured by now he'd at least be good at improvising. The little one had an actual release state. That provided a unique opportunity. It would be risky to spar with live weapons again, but Akira figured the little one deserved that. Akira and the little hollow were kindred spirits. Warriors by nature. Where worlds failed, combat allowed them to communicate beyond any language, spoken or written. "Last time, I tried to teach you about swordplay. Zanjutsu, as we shinigami call it. I can only hope that helped you along your journey."

Akira unsheathed his sword "Your zanpakuto has really developed since last we met. If I were to guess, I'd say you've achieved shikai. I might be interested in a demonstration." Akira entered an opening stance. "This time, we're doing no holds barred. There's only so much I can teach you while holding back. Since I'm the challenger this time round, I'll let you have the first strike." Akira smiled, not unkindly. This was risky, but the best way for a soul to develop was to be exposed to mortal danger. It was better for the hollow to learn that under controlled circumstances than out in the wild. This was what it took to acomplish ones dreams. The little hollow would understand, surely.

Last time, Akira learned that hanging back and letting the hollow come to him was a mistake. That time, Akira was limiting himself to just swordplay. This time he would be willing and able to use any kido or shunpo he saw fit. This time he would not hold back.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Akiras Stats}
Strength - 50
Speed - 100
Spiritual Pressure - 75 (93)
Reiatsu Strength - 125 (156)
Instinct - 50 Points (37)
Senses - 50 Points (37)
Energy sensory - 100
Healing Expertise - 0
Light Aura - 45
Dark Aura - 55
550 SP
----------

Analysis: 2
Strength of Will: 2
Weapon Skill (Prima Materia): 1
Mental Incantation: 2
Battle Analysis: 2
Acting: 2
Kido Mastery: 2

[Deleted]

As Caballero consumed... er, 'purified' the enemies that they had managed to kill, they were completely unaware of how Akira had just been reminded, perhaps in a not so subtle way, that they were a Hollow, after all. Regardless of how much they wanted to be a Shinigami, of how much they regarded themselves as part of the Gotei 13, delusions could not do anything to change reality. At some eventual point in the future, Caballero would have no choice but to confront it, confront their own nature as a ravenous monster. For the time being, though, they were nothing but happy after being able to help Akira with the Hollows that plagued Karakura town, and even happier when the Shinigami decided that it was time to give them some more lessons about their line of work. As explained by him, by this point in Caballero's evolution, their ability to summon Filo--or rather, to create it out of the condensed black Reiatsu that formed their body--meant that they had achieved Shikai. Of course, at their current level of power, that was a huge overestimation of the tiny bean's fighting abilities, but they were not aware of this fact either. Instead, they proudly puffed their chest out, stubby arms on their non-existent hips. Caballero really was a sucker for praise.

The real Shinigami decided that the best way to conduct their lessons would be via an actual battle. Mirroring their first encounter, this time it would be him who would issue a challenge to Caballero. This was the first time that the chibi-sized creature had been the challengee and not the challenger, so it was a refreshing change of pace for them. Akira wanted a demonstration of their abilities, one that did not involve just cutting down a trash can down to size or finishing off some weaker Strays, and Caballero would be more than happy to oblige. Of course, they were somewhat concerned about the fact that he had mentioned this would be 'no holds barred'. On one hand, it would do the tiny Hollow wonders to test their mettle against their friend, but on the other they did not want him to be hurt, on the chance that they managed to win. Filo was a dangerous weapon, after all, and Caballero had yet to turn it upon a human being instead of a Hollow. However, the Shinigami was just as likely not to hold back for that fight--granted, they probably would not try to kill each other, so some rules were still in place. This is what made Caballero nod once again after Akira mentioned the terms, and quickly stepped back, getting a couple of meters away from Akira.

The two of them got ready for the upcoming clash, and thus the fight begun with Caballero being granted the very first strike, courtesy of the challenger. The tiny bean bowed to their friend and now opponent, giving respect where it was due. Then, they fell on the battle stance that they had honed over their short lifespan, with Filo on one hand and the other one free for the time being. Since they would be the one to start, they needed to draw a proper strategy. First things first was, of course, to close the distance between them. During their first encounter, Akira had used Sai against the large-mouthed Hollow, as well as faked out a Byakurai that he fully displayed minutes before. Caballero did not have any long-range options other than Tendón at the current time, and given the current distance they could use it to strike. Their best bet, however, was to use their Zanjutsu, the same Akira had mentioned earlier.

Thus, they would begin by testing the waters and attempting to draw Akira into swordfighting, dashing towards him with blade in tow, but not commiting to an attack just yet. Instead, they would try to be ready to react to whatever action the opponent took upon seeing this apparently straight-forward approach. During their first bout, Caballero would have immediately attempted an attack, but time had passed and they had grown. Well, not in the literal sense, since they were still three foot tall, but they had matured somewhat. Their fellow Shinigami's reaction to them cutting the distance might be telling of his preferred manner of combat. Would he stay at close range, coming to meet them half-way and clash with their swords, or would he attempt to maintain the distance and try to bind or attack the tiny being with those spells he had displayed earlier? Caballero did not know whether they had any means to break free of Sai, or whether Akira knew stronger bindings--they had completely missed him using Horin before, focused on the Hollows as they were.

All in all, this might serve to give Caballero an idea on where they stood. Akira and them had been on a similar level of power the first time they fought, even if it had been a friendly duel like this one. This would shed some light on their improvement over the weeks they had patrolled around Karakura and Hueco Mundo. What if they failed to measure up to their friend's growth, despite their efforts to improve? What if they were not growing quickly enough? Only time would tell how the tiny Hollow would interpret these questions, or whether they would even face them at all.

[Akira Hinosai]

When Akira died, it was as though the world had lost its color. It was like he was stuck trying to make do with an 8 pack of crayons. Limited, stiffed. The blinders were off now, though. He could feel the ambient hum of reiatsu in his bones. He could almost hear it flicker around them like a sort of electricity. Playing lion tamer was fun, sure, but that wasn't enough to satisfy him. It was the appetizer. This, however, would be the main course. Was it dangerous? Sure. But Akira wasn't a child. He knew what he was doing. He sparred with live weapons all the time and was fine! Surely the little hollow, as a warrior, would appreciate this opportunity.

The hollow's first move seemed to involve probing Akira's defenses. Their caution was understandable. They had no way of knowing what to expect now. Still, in battle there was no room for hesitation. You act or you die. Perhaps this was an important lesson to teach. Akira closed the distance somewhat, meeting the hollow in the middle. He held his zanpakuto in a two handed low guard. It remained true that the hollow's size left little other avenue for attack. Last time Akira taught them to use that to their advantage. This time, however, he had a different lesson in mind. As soon as the distance was closed, Akira would leverage his quick reflexes to strike fast.

However, it wasn't Akira's intention to cut the hollow. This was just a feint. He stopped his attack before the blade ever cut the hollow and pulled it back just as quick as he'd pushed it forward. Most feints involved striking again while the opponent was still defending where they believed they'd be hit. However, Akira wasn't just a sword fighter. He was a wizard. As soon as he pulled back his blade, he would lift three fingers from his off-hand, his blade still being held steady. "Horin." Three energy ropes would emerge from Akira's fingers shooting at the little hollow, binding them unless they were able to dodge in time. However in such close quarters and with Akira's feint, that may be easier said than done. If it even momentarily slowed them rather than just binding them, Akira would press this advantage to the best of his ability. Pointing his sword at the hollow's head, he would utter what was becoming a catchphrase. "Bang! You're dead."

If Akira's ploy was a success, he'd kneel down and undo the bindings on the hollow. "Lesson one for today. Be prepared for anything. You expected a sword fight, but in real battle, that isn't always what you'll get. As a warrior you have to prepare for every eventuality." Of course, Akira rather intentionally misconstrued the truth in his explanation. The hollow only expected a sword fight because Akira had deceived  them into thinking that's what he was going to give them. This was intentional, of course, as it would lead directly into lesson two. "I tricked you because all warfare is based on deception. Would you trust that crab hollow to be truthful with you?" It was a rhetorical question, which was convenient since the little one couldn't speak. "You have to learn yourself what your opponent is going to do. You can't trust them to tell you."

To realize that you've been tricked is often frustrating. It was also frustrating to feel as though you've failed. Akira had no interest in crushing the hollow's spirit, only in helping them along their journey. "Let's try something new." Akira got up and waked a few yards away from the little hollow. Definitely farther than when the two started their duels. This time, Akira was going to teach them about how to better close the distance.  Akira wanted the little hollow to prepare for every eventuality in a fight. This was one such eventuality. Akira would play the role of a long range combatant. Though it might seem scary at first, AKira had already given the little hollow a hint on how to beat him.

Of course, if Akira's trick had failed, his words would be the same, only the context behind them would have changed. He would isntead speak to drive home the lesson rather than informing the hollow where they went wrong.

Last time they fought, Akira told the little hollow that they had to close the distance quickly, as being outside their effective range would leave them vulnerable to attack while having no way to hit back. That was true here as much as it was in close quarters. They had to close the gap faster than Akira could hit them. This would hopefully demonstrate to them the importance of step techniques. Whatever the shunpo equivalent for hollows was, this little one had to learn and fast. Likewise, Akira could use the practice in honing his reflexes and speed. "Alright. What's the plan when someone is out of melee range?"

To start off round 2, Akira would fire off a Byakurai towards the little hollow, intentionally missing them. Still, it would appear as if he tried to lightning laser them. The little hollow's success would depend on what they had learned from Akira before. Closing the distance, being unpredictable, using the environment to their advantage. This would show how much they remembered, and how they could handle themselves when forced out of their comfort zone in a battle. Akira would keep firing if their path towards him was too slow and unpredictable, hoping to show them they needed to be fast to overcome him.

-25 horin
-25 byakurai

(also two ranks in acting for the feint and also for making it appear as though Akira is really shooting to kill with Byakurai)

[Deleted]

While Caballero's probing of the real Shinigami's defenses may have been a good strategy, they had fallen completely for Akira's ploy. His skills with the sword may have been inferior to Caballero's, but a simple feint such as the one that he pulled off was not something so complex that he required any expertise. Just a quick fake-out by feigning a thrust and then pulling the sword back. Caballero attempted a quick block to deflect the blow with Filo, but the strike never reached them. Just when they were recognizing that they had been had, the tiny being was surprised for a second time as Akira showcased his proficiency with Kido by casting Horin, a binding spell. The tiny bean fell prey to the three golden ropes that soon had their body tightly bound. While the ring only constricted their body, it had distracted and constrained them enough for Akira to point their sword at their oversized head, calling his victory.

"Bang! You're dead."

The little Hollow nodded in acknowledgement, having been bested once again by the crafty Shinigami, and struggled a little to free themselves from the bindings. This would not be necessary, as Akira himself would undo the Bakudo, allowing them freedom of movement again. Caballero waved their arms around, happy to be able to move them again, but they would soon need to focus, since the Shinigami had some more knowledge to give them, like during their first friendly duel.

When Akira mentioned that Caballero could not trust their opponent, the little bean tilted their head to the side in confusion. Of course they could not trust an enemy, but Akira was not an enemy! He was their friend, and so, Caballero trusted him with every fiber of their admittedly small body. But now Akira was saying that he had tricked them. Did that mean that friends also lie to each other sometimes, specially if it was in the interest of a great fight? So, in a way, was it alright to not tell the truth at times--even if Caballero was very limited in what they could tell or not? Or, perhaps, was there something about the whole idea that the little Hollow was missing? These kind of philosophical and moral conundrums did nothing but overheat the wannabe Shinigami's mind. It reached the point that they soon found themselves partly dazed, head slightly moving from side to side as their two braincells worked overtime in an attempt to come up with a satisfying answer to those questions. But alas, Caballero's young mind, while quickly developing, was still ill-equipped to handle such queries.

Thankfully, there would not be any need to continue ponder on that, as Akira would move on with the next lesson. For the time being, Caballero would land on that, as long as they took care not to damage their friend too much, it was alright to make full use of their skills--this would hardly resemble the natural relentlessness that they displayed when slaying Hollow, of course. The real Shinigami would put some distance between himself and Caballero before initiating round two, positioning himself further away than when they had originally begun their duel. Then, they asked a direct question to the small being.

"Alright. What's the plan when someone is out of melee range?"

Without wasting a moment, Akira began to shoot Kido toward Caballero, the very same one that he had displayed earlier. Hado number 4, Byakurai. Lightning spouted from the Shinigami's fingers, taking the little Hollow by surprise. Without expecting an attack, there was no way for them to get out of the way in time without a step technique, and even then they had been caught flat-footed. Ironic, considering Caballero's feet weren't flat at all. However, by some stroke of luck, the piercing lightning bolt missed its mark, but even so, just a little more to the right, and it would have grazed Caballero's left horn. The tiny being was utterly confused, looking at Akira. Byakurai was dangerous; Caballero knew that much at the very least. Even so, Akira had shot with--apparently--all the intent of hitting them. Was he really shooting to kill? For a moment, the idea that he may have turned into a rogue Shinigami crossed the little Hollow's mind.

This was far from the friendly battle they had originally envisioned. True, Akira had said that it would be no-holds barred, but did that mean that he was going to try to kill them? They were hurt; wounded, even. For the first time in their short lifespan, the little Hollow felt betrayed by someone they cared about. While this might seem an overstatement, one must understand that, despite all their delusions, Caballero was a Hollow, and one with a very simple mind at that. The distinction between a friendly duel and a life-or-death battle was very clearly divided in black and white for its kind, and even more so to them. After all, they had spent their first conscious moments running away from monsters trying to kill them. Thus, they pulled their punches with their friends, and was completely and utterly merciless when fighting their brethren. The self-preservation instincts of a Hollow battled both Caballero's feelings of friendship toward Akira, and the admiration and dedication they felt toward the Gotei 13. The thought of turning their blade against a member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squadrons went against every fiber of their being, but the Byakurai had stricken too close for comfort.

Thus, a bit more of their Hollow nature would emerge. This was no longer a friendly bout; Caballero was now fighting not to be eaten. As such, more drastic measures were necessary. The little Hollow flexed their body, and the black, dense Reiatsu that formed it concentrated even more. Even without his Energy Sensory abilities, Akira would very easily be able to perceive this. The very small nicks and cuts the tiny knight had sustained from their ventures around Hueco Mundo and now Karakura would be repaired, and the Reiatsu would reach peak density as Caballero finished using Focalizar. Of course, the purpose of this technique was not just the very mild healing. After they were done, the little Hollow brandished Filo once again, entering their practiced battle stance. There was no change in their sword, of course, but Akira had said that battle was based on deception.

Now it was only a matter of catching the enemy by surprise and use their ace in the hole. Or rather, three aces in the hole.

OOC:

• Reiatsu: 700 -50[Class 7 Focalizar] = 650
• Caballero now has 3 stacks of Focus.

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.

[Akira Hinosai]

Akira was careful not to actually hurt the hollow. They were so little a byakurai would probably be like a sokatsui if it hit them. That wasn't even mentioning the possibility of breaking the poor thing's mask. That would stunt its growth forever. Just the thought of crushing their dreams like that made him sick. Still, he had to help them improve. It was better to learn these lessons in a controlled environment than out in the wild. The path of the warrior was the only life worth living. It was more meaningful than any other way to live one's life, but it was bleak and terrifying at times. The world was full of sick people who used their power to crush others.

There was only one law to the spiritual world. Might makes right. As fun as fighting was, sooner or later, this hollow would have to face that fact about the world. They had dreams. They were happy about the world they got to explore, but sooner or later they'd cross the wrong guy and he would try and kill them. Their strength would fail them. It was up to Akira to prevent that from happening. This is the only way. Akira told himself. It was easy for Akira to miss his mark in the dead of night. Especially from far away. He trusted he was giving the hollow the impression they needed to fight for their life. Despite Akira's flawless performance, the little hollow just stood there.

What the fuck do they think they're doing? This isn't a game! Akira grit his teeth in frustration. Akira could only guess at what the hollow was playing at. With a flex of reiatsu they seemed to stand up straighter, as though they'd gotten some second wind. Akira had seen abilities like this before. "A healing factor?" Akira called out. That was good. It meant he could really push this hollow to their limits. "Good. It means I don't have to feel bad about this!" Akira held out his hand again. "Sokatsui!" With that, a blue fire ball emerged from Akira's hand. The energy behind it was enough to make Byakurai look like a parlor trick. The fireball itself was about as large as the little hollow was.

If this little hollow wasn't going to take the battle seriously, Akira would leave them no other option. The monsters in this world, the evil degenerate bastards like Alastor, Abaddon, and Ailene, would give no quarter. This little hollow had to be prepared for that. That way they could keep their head held high as they pursued their dreams. That way anyone who thought they could hurt them and get away with it would pay. Dearly. Instead they hesitated like Raph did. Why can't they bring themselves to hurt me? By all accounts it didn't make sense. If Akira wasn't himself, he would totally fight to the death with Akira. It just made sense.

reiatsu: 655/930

-100 sokatsui

[Deleted]

Akira may have had good intentions with the kind of lesson he was trying to teach Caballero abou the nature of the world, but he had forgotten one crucial detail. As a Hollow, they were all too familiar with fighting for their life, with hiding from threats that were far too powerful to beat--unless someone else was in danger. They had experienced this in Hueco Mundo and Karakura Town alike. As such, this did not come across as a teachable moment for the little Hollow, but as a battle with someone that may have not had the good intentions they thought in the first place. Of course, there was a nuance to this, since Akira truly did have their best interests in mind, but that was lost on the Hollow's childish mind, at least for the time being. Knocked straight into survival mode, the tiny being watched silently as Akira said one specific line that was far too prone to being misinterpreted. He really was not choosing his words correctly that day.

"A healing factor? Good. It means I don't have to feel bad about this!" Again, the Hollow felt slightly betrayed. They did not really understand the meaning behind 'healing factor', since for Caballero, Focalizar just seemed like they were concentrating their Reiatsu, even if they felt slightly invigorated afterward.

The real Shinigami then held his hand toward Caballero, palm open pointing straight at the Hollow. That was as big of a tell as the tiny being needed to be prepared for it, but if they needed more, Akira called out the name of the spell once again. Then, he fired Sokatsui toward Caballero, yet another Hado spell, only this one packed far more destructive power than Byakurai ever did. It was not a lightning bolt, but a fireball that was as big as the little knight. If that hit them head on, Caballero would be in serious trouble, perhaps even receive lethal damage if they took the full-brunt of the blast. The technique felt more powerful than the Cero from which the Shinigami had protected Caballero during their first encounter; a direct hit would most likely decide the encounter in Akira's favor.

If they actually got hit, that was. Sokatsui traveled in a straight line, and as such it was far faster than Caballero could be at the moment with their usual speed. With all the leeway Akira had given them, he most likely expected Caballero to dodge to the left or to the right, or else they would be calcinated by the Hado. However, the little Hollow had another option that they could use at their convenience. Thus, the moment Akira called out his spell, Caballero broke into a run, heading straight to the Shinigami. The fireball hadn't been flying for more than an instant when the tiny Hollow vanished all of a sudden. Through Úlcera, the Hollow entered the folds of Garganta for a split second, massively increasing their speed. Perhaps the technique was much slower than Shunpo, but it had an added advantage: it allowed Caballero to harmlessly phase through the fiery projectile before reentering the Human World. If their stratagem had worked, Akira would have only seen Caballero get closer to the ball of fire, and it passing through unfazed as if their body posed no resistance. The following instant, however, the little knight would reemerge from the Garganta, with Filo split into two swords.

The Shinigami's extensive use of spells, both from a distance and at close quarters, indicated Caballero that they had an advantage as long as they stayed in close range and forced him to fight on their terms. Given how Akira had had no mercy when firing both Byakurai and Sokatsui, Caballero would retaliate in kind. Without hesitation, since the feelings of friendship were suppressed by the Hollow's drive to survive, the tiny knight launched itself toward Akira the moment they stepped on the ground again, slashing with both blades in a diagonal cross shape. This attack was aimed directly at the young man's chest. If he tried to block with just his Zanpakuto, the Reiatsu Strength powering Filo would most likely overpower Akira. Of course, he could always try to dodge, if his reflexes were sharp enough and he had seen this coming, but sidestep a little to close for comfort before counterattacking, and the tiny Hollow would have another way to retaliate.

Was this attack a bit of an overkill? Perhaps. It certainly is one Caballero would have used against an enemy they wanted to seriously injure. Unfortunately, they still had to learn that, at times, going all out did not mean the other person wanted to kill you, but that they wanted to test the full extent of their abilities. A grievous example of a misunderstanding, the results of which were still up in the air, up to Akira and Caballero's following moments together. What had originally begun as a heartwarming reunion may end up becoming something completely different.

OOC:

• Reiatsu: 650 -75[Úlcera] = 575
• Caballero has 3 Focus stacks remaining.
• Summary: Caballero rushes toward Akira, and when the fireball is flying toward him, uses Úlcera to phase through and close the distance. They divide Filo in two while inside the Garganta, and jump to strike Akira with a cross-slash.

[Akira Hinosai]

For a moment, only a moment, Akira really thought the little one was going to charge through the fireball. They were naive and stupid, but brave. So very brave. They had this deep conviction in their soul that made Akira doubt what was and was not possible. Still, he knew they were going to dodge. Every analytical part of his being told him they would use shunpo and appear to the left, right, behind or just in front. JUST IN FRONT! Akira brought his sword down to parry. Maybe he could force the little hollow back. But something was wrong. The hollow effortlessly bypassed his defenses, and there was nothing he could do before it was too late.

Akira screamed as he staggered back, barely keeping his balance. He clutched his chest with his off hand as he shunpo'd back, trying to create some distance. First, he covered his escape with a byakurai. The wound he'd taken was light, not the sort he'd bleed out from, but that didn't make it hurt less. He couldn't just shrug off cuts like these anymore. If he wanted to win, he'd have to pull out all the stops. He had to win. After all, what happened when the little one got it in their head that Akira wasn't a worthy teacher? They'd abandon him. They'd think he was nothing more than a lowlife and abandon him. I won't be shown up by an ignorant child!

Akira had no shot against the little hollow in a melee. In kido, however, he couldn't be beaten. He had to win, and fast. He was bleeding. Both in terms of reiatsu and actual blood. Burning this much energy this quickly made him feel dizzy, but he powered through it. He needed to come up with a plan and fast. The hollow was fast, though, so if he wanted his escape to work, he needed to pull off the big guns again. He'd need more distance. A fakeout trap, and then a last line of defense. "SOKATSUI!" Akira screamed as fast as he dared, shunpoing away once again. If allowed to, he would gain some distance, sheath his zanpakuto and take up a defensive position while the little hollow was busy dealing with the fireball.

He rushed to hold one hand in front, one in back. Each Hand was held in a "devil horns/rock and roll gesture." All fingers retracted except for the pointer and pinky finger. Akira would angle his fingers so that one pointed forward, one backwards, one left, and one right. This time he wouldn't have to gamble with being able to outspeed a small opponent in close quarters. All he had to do was say byakurai from wherever he sensed his enemy shunpo from.

305/930

-100 shunpo x2 (effective speed of 1000)

-100 Sokatsui

-50 byakurai (going ahead and banking this cost for the second shot, will be used if cabby shunpo's in, but will be refunded later if he doesn't get the chance to use it.)