Misunderstood Masks [JT]

[Date Maharo]

It was a late evening in Karakura town, the moon hanging high in the sky and casting its pale light across the city. A rift into another world opened and a masked individual stepped through, an unusually common occurrence in the town. This time, though, it was no Hollow or Arrancar, just a Shinigami in a wooden, long-nosed mask painted a bright red. Maharo preferred nights when it rained, but clear nights like these were nice as well. At least they weren't being scorched by the sun. The masked Shinigami only remained in that thought long enough for the Senkaimon to close behind them. They had a mission to complete and a target to track down.

Maharo had been taken off the regular rotation for patrolling Karakura, but it seemed that their 'partner' had not been. A while ago now, they had been caught in a small-scale Hollow rampage while on patrol. Maharo very likely would have died had it not been for intervention from an unlikely source, another Hollow, an unusually small one. The Shinigami had convinced themselves that the thing had simply been more interested in gaining power by cannibalizing its own kind rather than trying to consume Maharo at that particular moment. However, that didn't explain its oddly... friendly? Respectful? Non-hostile demeanor toward the Shinigami. Of course, Maharo included the presence of the small Hollow in their report of the incident, they weren't going to lie. Even if they did heavily downplay the idea that they had worked together to stop the rampage. They had played it off as the opportunistic scavenger that they'd convinced themselves it was. Now, more reports had been coming in about the Hollow carrying a blade and hunting its own kind. Given that they were the one most familiar with it, as far as official reports go, Maharo had been assigned the task of finding, engaging, and, if possible, purifying it.

The Shinigami began traversing the town, moving from perch to perch atop buildings short and tall. They weren't just wandering around aimlessly, hoping to come across their mark. They were simply traveling between the spots where sightings had taken place. Maharo wasn't even sure exactly what they were going to do when, or if, they actually found the Hollow. Maharo had been training, sure, but they had no way of knowing how much stronger the Hollow had become as well. Even when they had first run into it they hadn't been sure if they could actually defeat it. It was fast, strong, and even had the reach advantage given the thing's ability to create tendrils out of its body.

Maharo grimaced under their mask as they recalled what the Hollow had used those tendrils for. It had saved Maharo's life, pulling them out from underneath a collapsing giant of a Hollow. Not to mention that they likely would have been overwhelmed without the backup it provided. If it really was there just to eat Hollow and grow stronger, then why did it save Maharo? It definitely wasn't a scavenger, as much as Maharo would have liked to believe.

Regardless, Maharo had to purify it. It was a Hollow, friendly or not it had to be put down.

Right?

[Deleted]

They were not the hero Karakura deserved, but the one it needed. They were the thin black line, keeping the denizens of Hueco Mundo away. They were hope for the citizens, despair for the Hollows! They were... Cabatman! Or at least, that's what Caballero thought as they stood at the rooftop of one of the taller buildings in Karakura, watching their beloved hometown--nobody could get into their brain that, technically, Hueco Mundo was their home turf--as the evening progressed. With their posture, they hoped to liken themselves to one of the comic book heroes they only recently had found out about. Ever since they had picked up reading and writing from Ailene, they had tried to improve on those skills by reading whatever came into their hands. As it turned out, some of those were comic books; their colorful pages and rather simple dialogue were perfect for Caballero to continue learning.

The Adjuchas used airground to start their nightly lap around the city, a daily routine that saw them pull the most unlucky Uno reverse card on those Hollows that crossed the boundaries between worlds to come feed in the city. Caballero used a leisurely speed of 200 to hop above the city, scanning their surroundings in search of any possible trouble that may be brewing in those streets. Since they also needed to feed every once in a while, it also served as a means of keeping that awful Hollow hunger at bay. Normally, their sheer willpower kept it in check, but having a snack every once in a while greatly facilitated staying sane.

To someone particularly observant, it would be possible to see that, while Pluses walked below in the streets, they did not scream, run, or get paralyzed in fear because of the Adjuchas's presence. If anything, they only pointed at them rather energically, as if trying their fellow souls to see. The tiny bean's constant patrols around Karakura Town had stirred up some chaos at first, but it hadn't been too long until the spiritual denizens of the city had grown accustomed to their presence. Whatever they were, it was clear they had good intentions, since rumors had started to spread that they actually saved people rather than eating them.

The little knight was oblivious to all this, and they were still just a very minor local celebrity, but they were being talked about. As it turned out, a certain organization had heard of these exploits--the one Caballero had always looked up to, the Gotei 13. Had they known about it, they would've been super happy, conveniently ignoring the fact that if a particularly strong Hollow showed up and acted wierd, it would raise the alarm and cause some enforcement to be dispatched so they could be purified. Since that hadn't happened so far, Caballero had yet to adjust their routine to that reality, and so they made no efforts to conceal themselves. After all, if their sheer presence could scare off the weaker Strays, all the better, right?

And then, they heard it. A Plus, calling out for help. Caballero's attention was immediately turned to a particular corner in the streets below. Under the postlights, they saw the body of a man lying on the ground, as well as his spirit attached by the soul chain. A fresh prey for a nearby Hollow that made itself visible not a second later. Big, strong, and of course, not alone. It was crazy how, for a cannibalizing species, Adjuchas tended to form tribes with weaker Hollows so that they could all grow in strength and reach the next stage in their evolution.

All that meant for Caballero, however, was that they were easier to track down and eliminate. The tiny bean launched themselves down below at their full speed of 400, producing Filo out of their black body. This was not just any other weapon, but a blade made out of their Reiatsu, and as such it pulsed with all their Reiatsu Strength. Caballero landed right before the man, shielding them with their body... or trying to, because they were just above 3ft tall and didn't look intimidating at all. However, those Hollows did not seem as crazed as the ones they usually fought. The moment Caballero touched the ground, the Strays froze in place, and the Adjuchas nearly stumbled. The little knight was not just any other pushover. In fact, they were on the upper end of the power scale, specially for a Menos below Vasto Lorde level.

The tiny bean didn't waste any time trying to reason with the Hollows. Instead, they pointed at them with their sword and swung it to the side, showing that they would not allow any harm to befall this Plus. When the enemy Adjuchas realized it was not claiming the prey, but protecting it, it yelled in anger. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Unfortunately for the beast, Caballero did not appreciate loud noises. This was enough to make them lunge forward, plunging into battle with their blade in tow. The Adjuchas leaned forward and also dashed, clearly the physical type--a bad matchup against Caballero.

The little knight weaved in using their speed and small size to their fullest advantage, and used the blade to block the spine-like bones protruding from the monster's skin, which were sharp, but not as sharp as Filo was. Once Caballero saw this, they turned from blocking to striking, cutting them down to inflict pain and disorient the opponent with it. As the enemy Adjuchas reeled back, howling in frustration, Caballero stepped forward and delivered their trademark cross slash by spliting Filo in two. The now twin blades pulsed with their Reiatsu Strength, and decimated the creature, allowing Caballero to fly through. With their strange body, they tore off a bite-sized chunk of its flesh, which would be consumed immediately, as the rest began to turn into Reishi and scatter into nothingness.

The other Hollows, mere Strays, were paralyzed by the display at first, but soon their flight response kicked in. They tried to open a Kumon gate, though they were clearly inexperienced and struggled to create the opening. If they tore the gate open, it would be a disaster, as many more beasts could pour in! But one needn't fear, for Caballero was there. With sheer gravitational pressure, the tiny bean pinned the Hollows to the ground. They continued to exert their power over them without even touching them with their blade, and the Hollows got compressed, smush, until they were nothing but, again, bite-sized chunks. Caballero swept those up with a class 8 Tendón, as if picking up the trash.

They then turned to the civilian, who of course was very confused and scared. But Caballero could also communicate now! Taking out their trusty, gifted pen and some scrap paper, the tiny bean wrote a quick note.

"You safe! I help you. I'm good!"

They even included a smily face. Caballero was getting quite "hip" and "trendy" as of late. Well, in truth, they had picked it up from some advertisements around the street.

Normally, anyone would've called bullshit on that, but their aura was so overwhelmingly positive that there was simply no conceivable way this creature could be lying. The Plus was confused, but set rather at ease. Caballero then took out their toy-looking, completely harmless Purification Blade from their back. With the blunt, fake edge, the tiny bean gently tapped the Plus, which immediately initiated Konso. The Plus didn't understand much, but it had to be done or else the chain would erode and he would turn into a Hollow! Caballero waved them goodbye from the ground, while the Plus returned the sentiment.

"Thank you, little guy!"

The tiny bean watched the man vanish, headed straight to Soul Society: a Hell Butterfly fluttered away in peace, hopefully not to suffer at the hands of the Hollows ever again. Caballero nodded to themselves, and jumped back on the air with air ground. This had stirred up quite the momentary commotion; it was possible that someone else might have picked up on it! In any case, Caballero would need to return to their patrol, unless they met someone interesting, that was.

Their attention span was, unfortunately, pretty damn limited.

OOC: Reiatsu: 4000 -150[Class 5 Filo] -50[Purification Blade Konso] = 3800
Caballero has consumed x1 T2 Hollow and x2 T1 Hollows, for a total of 200 TP.

[Date Maharo]

Maharo wondered if they should have requested that someone else come with them on this task, someone who could actually sense the presence of a Hollow. It was one of Maharo's more glaring weaknesses, that they struggled to sense the presence of even the most obvious souls. Their ears worked fine, though, and it was hard to not hear a nearby scuffle on a quiet night like this. They had to cut across a few streets, but Maharo managed to catch the back half of the Hollow's interaction with the Plus. They tensed, grasping at their Zanpakuto's hilt, certain they were about to watch this Hollow try to eat the Plus, finally giving Maharo the peace of mind that killing the thing was for the best.

Yet, what they watched was something they could never have expected. The Hollow performed a Konso on the plus. It shook Maharo to the bones. Just what was this thing? A Hollow that rescued the lives of Shinigami and performed Konso on Plusses? Besides, just where did it get that purification blade? Was it given to the thing by a rogue Shinigami? Maharo had to step back toward the center of the rooftop they watched from and take in a deep breath to clear their thoughts. All of these questions could wait until their job was done. At the end of the day, Maharo was a Shinigami, and that thing was a Hollow. They had trained for most of their life in Soul Society specifically to hunt and kill Hollow, and one odd duck wasn't going to change that.

The masked Shinigami let their breath out as they pulled their wakizashi from its scabbard, watching the Hollow begin to run off, seemingly unaware of Maharo's presence. They took another deep breath in, steeling their resolve before running to the edge of the building, using their last step to shunpo directly behind the small Hollow and finally breathing out once more as they swung their blade, a horizontal slice aimed at the nape of the Hollow's neck. They knew that they likely weren't going to overcome this Hollow in a direct confrontation, both because of its strength, and their shaken resolve. So they attacked now, while it was unaware of them and while their resolve was still in one piece. A single, perfect moment. If this didn't kill, then Maharo knew that they were in for a drawn-out battle that they weren't likely to be the victor of.

Reiatsu:
750 - 50(Shunpo) = 700

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}Type - Roughneck
Strength - 80/104
Speed - 100
Spiritual Pressure - 50/75
Reiatsu Strength - 60/42
Instinct - 60/40
Senses - 60
Energy sensory - 0
Healing Expertise - 0
Light Aura - 75
Dark Aura - 25

[Deleted]

Caballero was so embedded in routine that they did not notice the Shinigami stalking them, looking for an opening to kill them and send them back to the soul cycle. The tiny bean was used to having enemies either hide or fight directly, not try to wait for an opening like that; perhaps this would be a good lesson that they needed to pay more attention. Maharo's attack strategy was a worthwhile effort, too. Since Caballero was not paying too much attention to any Shinigami on approach, and it was not like they had the energy sensory skills to feel the Shinigami's energy, they were pretty much oblivious to his Shunpo. If anything, Caballero's instinct and senses warned him of the blade that was coming right behind them, aiming towards their neck in a surprise attack that sought to behead them in one go. A worthwhile effort that should have been rewarded with at least a good opening strike to give the unseated Shinigami an advantage, for sure. Unfortunately for Maharo, Caballero was only turning toward the source of the familiar sound, thinking it may be an allied Shinigami, and so they did not dodge the strike.

Why was that unfortunate for Maharo? Because the Shinigami had not considered what might happen if their sword did indeed connect with the Adjuchas's neck. The moment the steel bit Caballero's Reiatsu body, the tiny Adjuchas's mighty Spiritual Pressure lashed out at Maharo. Not only did it turn a potentially deadly attack into nothing more than a mild scrape for Caballero that would further draw their attention, but it also reversed the attack on the Unseated officer, lashing out with the Adjuchas's own power. With almost a 350 difference between the two beings' Spiritual Pressure, Maharo's arm would suffer the consequences, and suffer them badly. A bladed attack warranted multiple lacerations on the Shinigami's limb, to the point that it would be rendered almost useless. In return, Caballero was just as healthy as ever, and only felt a very mild stab of pain from that attack maneuver.

The combination of all this made them quickly turn, finding a black uniform that was very familiar. They tilted their oversized head upwards so that they could see the newcomer's face. Well, they actually couldn't, because it was covered behind a mask... a familiar mask! They recognized the Shinigami; Maharo had helped them defend Karakura in the past, after all. Innocently oblivious to the fact that Maharo had just tried to kill them due to being a potentially dangerous Hollow--since Caballero had long since decided they were a friend--the tiny bean jumped up and down in happiness, glad to see that the Soul Reaper was doing okay. Completely oblivious that it was due to their own cutback effect that Maharo was suffering, the tiny bean took out their notepad and trusty pen and scribbled on a piece of paper, showing it to Maharo.

Only after their excitement faded a little did they notice just how injured that arm looked. Oh, no! If Maharo was there, and his arm was in this bad shape, it meant that another Hollow must be lurking in the dark! Curses. How had that dastardly creature avoided their gaze? Surely it was lurking in the shadows, like a coward trying to get the jump on Caballero, and Maharo had just intercepted the blow! Unfortunately, Caballero had no idea how to help heal things, since they had zero medical knowledge to speak of. Their body being so bizarre meant that what they knew about their own inner workings just alienated them from the rest of the world in that regard. They could only limit themselves to fighting the monster!

Falling into their battle stance, Caballero stepped protectively before Maharo, quickly putting the alleyways near them under scrutiny. Where was this beast hiding? From where would it try to attack next? Wait as they might, however, this monster would not show itself up again, or try to attack either of the two. This left Caballero slightly confused, although they did not break their stance, careful as ever. One could never tell when those beasts would try to strike at them again. Still, for the time being, the two of them seemed to be alone... again. Just in case, Caballero would still keep an eye out, but turned to Maharo.

That injury was bad, so what could they do to help? Maybe they should call someone? Wait, but they could not speak. Those strange human artifacts with bright screens that they constantly spoke to would be useless for them! Lost in their own dilemma and delusion that Maharo truly was a friend, the Adjuchas tilted their head to the side in confusion, arms folded as they tried to think about what the best way to solve the situation was.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and skills!}

Stat	SP	Type
Strength	75	45
Speed	400	400
Reiatsu Strength	400	700
Spiritual Pressure	400	400
Senses	100	100
Instinct	125	125
Energy Sensory	0	0
Healing Expertise	0	0
Light Aura	100
Dark Aura	0

• Saber Filo: 2
• Strength of Will: 2
• Learning: 1
• Lack of fear: 1
• Battle Focus: 1

Saber Filo [Edge Lore]: Being created from their very being, Caballero has an affinity toward Filo that they just can't achieve for any other weapons, and they have incorporated aspects of the Shinigami they've so far trained with into their technique. This skill dictates Caballero's level of weapon mastery when wielding Filo, how refined their style is. 1 point means they can use Filo adequately, as if trained for a year. 2 means 5 years of experience. 3 means their mastery is unheard of, with the equivalent of decades under their belt. 4 means they go far beyond, and can reliably implement almost impossible maneuvers into their combat style with great success. Being incredibly specialized in this particular weapon, Saber Filo would give them a superior level of mastery than someone with a general Weapons: Sword skill would have, even if both are at 4 SkP. In the event Caballero becomes an Arrancar, Saber Filo applies to their sealed Zanpakuto as well.

[Date Maharo]

As Maharo's blade struck the small Hollow's neck, they were struck with an unexpected sensation. Numbness shot through their arm, reminding them of when Captain Odayakama had demonstrated Seki to them. However, that sensation quickly blossomed into overwhelming pain as their arm practically exploded. On instinct, they lept back, making some distance between themselves and the Hollow, barely managing to withhold a cry of pain behind their gritted teeth. Their right hand lost its grip on their zanpakuto, but they did manage to catch it in their left before it could fall to the street below. They brought their weapon up, as though guarding would do anything to stop an attack from the Hollow, other than destroy their other arm.

Their mind raced. Just what had happened? Some kind of new defensive ability? No, it seemed entirely unaware of what had just happened. That would mean that what Maharo just experienced was cutback. Maharo knew of the phenomenon. How when the gap in power between two opponents was too wide, the weaker one would only manage to hurt themselves by attacking. But that meant that the Hollow's strength was an ocean compared to Maharo's puddle. That seemed impossible to comprehend for the masked Shinigami, that the Hollow could have become so much stronger in such a short amount of time, it was freakish. They truly had a monster on their hands now, and it was all because Maharo had been too weak to strike while they still had a chance to purify it. This mission was nothing but suicidal from the start, they had to retreat, return to the Seireitei and bring someone actually capable of putting this pint-sized monster down.

To say they were on edge was an understatement.

They tensed up, preparing for the end as they watched the Hollow pull something out, only to watch it scribble on a notepad and show it to them. Maharo knew some hollows could speak, but this one could write! It knew how to use punctuation! Its... spelling and grammar needed some work, but overall, it was legible! And it was referring to Maharo as a friend? Asking them to help protect the town? Didn't it know that the two of them were sworn enemies? That the natural way of things was that one was meant to slay the other? Staring, wide-eyed at the Hollow, Maharo lowered their blade, knowing that it wouldn't do any good anyways.

Slack-jawed behind their mask, Maharo watched the diminutive Hollow bluster about, looking for another attacker. It was trying to protect Maharo, entirely unaware that it had been their own attempt to kill it that had caused their injury. Their eyes followed the Hollow's gaze as it turned to them, looking at their own, injured arm. It was worried about them? There was a quiet moment between the two before Maharo sighed and sheathed their short sword. They took a deep breath and carefully pushed their mask up off of their face, they didn't care if this Hollow freak saw how ugly they were underneath.

Caballero would be met with a visage of delicate beauty, sharply contrasted to the Shinigami's more masculine qualities. Soft blue eyes framed with long, white eyelashes gazed down onto the Hollow for just a moment before Maharo lifted their left forearm to their face, using their teeth to tear the sleeve off of their arm. They knew little of how to apply first aid, but they did their best to tightly wrap the cloth torn from their shihakusho around their injured arm. It was nothing but a patch job, they would need someone else to bandage it properly when they returned to the Seireitei, but for now it would do the job, or at least seem to.

"I'm fine." Maharo spoke softly, looking down at the Hollow with an expression even more wooden than their mask's. "See?" They managed to move their arm around weakly, trying to convince the Hollow that their injury wasn't so bad. "Pretty sure the thing that hit me just ran away." Why the hell did Maharo want to comfort this monstrous Hollow? Why weren't they just fleeing while they had the chance? Maharo couldn't rationally say, but they found themselves reminiscing about the time that the man who had given them their mask had told them "The best anyone can do is whatever they feel's right in the moment."

"Do..." Maharo hesitated. They knew what they were doing was wrong, but it felt right deep down, for whatever reason. "Do you have a name?"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}Type - Roughneck
Strength - 80/104
Speed - 100
Spiritual Pressure - 50/75
Reiatsu Strength - 60/42
Instinct - 60/40
Senses - 60
Energy sensory - 0
Healing Expertise - 0
Light Aura - 75
Dark Aura - 25

[Deleted]

There really was no better gift than innocence, and in this case that phrase applied in full to the Shinigami. It was not that Caballero would attack Maharo even if he found that it was the Shinigami who had tried to kill them, but they would have been forced to defend themselves. And, well, such an encounter did not bode well to the unseated officer, given how trying to attack Caballero had resulted in all that strength being turned against them... and returned with quite the extra punch behind it, to boot. But no, thankfully, Caballero only believed that a dastardly, cowardly, despicable Hollow was hiding in the shadows of the night. The tiny knight's aura, positive as ever, would feel like prickling needles of justice as they exerted it in the area around them--except for Maharo's position--, not unlike a dog whose neck fur stood on end when angered to the point of snapping. This was a warning for the creature that they were absolutely sure was lurking by: try something, anything, and there would not be nothing left of it.

The masked Shinigami's voice, telling them that whatever had attacked them was now gone and that their arm was fine, made Caballero settle down a little bit. However, the fact that a Hollow would be running around their town put a sense of urgency in them, and so they needed to return to their patrolling immediately. That would have to wait, as Maharo removing their mask took them completely by surprise. Caballero would've willingly shown their face, but to do so, they would've had to rip off their mask.

And ripping off their mask would mean absolute, certain death, from what they had seen so far! It was not like breaking it would turn them into something completely different, allow them to pierce through the barrier between Hollow and Shinigami to become something else entirely, right? ...right? In any case, the tiny bean was way too distracted by Maharo's face to spare any other thoughts on their own mask. Upon they had revealed the features beneath the tengu-like façade, the little bean happily jumped up and down, showing their excitement.

It was not like Caballero understood what made a human pretty, handsome or beautiful, however you wanted to call it. They only understood that they liked those they considered a friend, appearances be damned. No, they were just happy that Maharo apparently was comfortable enough to take their mask off around them. The Shinigami then wanted to know if Caballero had an actual name, which immediately made them fold their stubby little arms and tilt their head slightly to the side, thinking.

Hmmm, there it was, that super complicated question again. However! After being asked so many times, Caballero had begun to understand that everyone was expected to have a name, and there were those who chose a name for themselves. However, they had no need for such a thing; after all, they could not speak, and the little Adjuchas was more than happy letting their friends use whatever name they wanted to refer to them. However, their latest escapade into the Rukongai had taught them that they could not go around telling other Shinigami that they were friends with Captains like Kimiko and Celes. It could mean trouble for them!

As such, it was not like they could tell Maharo that Kimiko called them 'Kishi', or that Celes referred to them by 'little warrior', which admittedly was less a name and more a title. Thus they quickly made another scribble in their notepad to show the Shinigami, hoping to give a satisfying answer to their question. As usual, the calligraphy and grammar left much to be desired, but it would still be enough to communicate. At the end of the day, was that not what truly mattered?

"Me, no name. What yours?"

Maharo had never ended up telling them their name in their first encounter, after all, so Caballero only remembered them by their mask.

Then, the little knight remembered that they were supposed to be ensuring that coward of a Hollow that had dared sneak onto their friend was still running around there. They could not afford to give them even another second of advantage, which is why they began jotting down a third note to show Maharo, trying to get the obviously injured Shinigami to join them in their efforts to subdue the vile creature and bring it down before it could rampage in town. Caballero had seen what Hollows could do if left alone with nobody strong enough to defend them. They would not let that happen again, not under their watch.

"Can fight? We find Hollow, together!"

If Maharo gave a positive, Caballero would take to the skies using air ground, a nifty trick possible in the World of the Living due to the lower concentrations of Reishi. Although the Shinigami may have thought that inventing an imaginary Hollow had gotten them out of trouble, they'd better think again, because all that had accomplished was making Caballero almost drag them into a quest to find said monster. Of course, that was impossible: one could not find what did not exist.

But they were sure to find other Hollows that had not gotten the memo and continued to invade Karakura via Kumon, endangering the public and drawing the ire of a very tiny Hollow...

[Date Maharo]

Maharo watched the small Hollow express its joy at seeing Maharo's face by jumping up and down. Such intentions were lost on Maharo, all they saw was a Hollow getting worked up about something. Maybe it had thought the mask was, in fact, the Shinigami's face. It didn't matter to Maharo as long as the Hollow didn't seem like it was getting ready to fight them. Well, 'fight' may be too nice a word to use. They knew that if the Hollow wanted to, it would likely strike them down before they had a chance to react.

The Shinigami's brow furrowed at the answer that the Hollow gave them, not because the answer upset them, but because they really wanted to correct its grammar. As someone who spoke and wrote very deliberately, they felt tempted to try and teach this little being how to write properly. That was certainly out of the question though given, well, everything about this situation. Maharo closed their eyes and let out a breath, unfurrowing their brow before opening their eyes and looking down at the Hollow.

"Sorry, it seems I had forgotten my manners last time we met. I am Date Maharo, Unseated Officer of the Thirteenth Division." They gave the Hollow their full, official title as though it meant anything to it. They were simply proud of their position, as low as it was amongst their Shinigami comrades. To be fair, they had spent over a century in the academy to get to where they were. They had earned some measure of pride, right?

"If you would expect some advice-" Maharo had started speaking without considering that they were speaking to a Hollow. "Advice from someone who once had no name as well, you should try choosing one for yourself." More advice from the one who had given them their mask. "It can be difficult to find your own identity when you're just known by what anybody feels like calling you. Besides, if you start to dislike the one you gave yourself, you can always give yourself a different one." Of course, this advice probably made more sense to Maharo than it would to the Hollow. Maharo had never been called "Little Warrior", they had been called a creepy freak. The closest to a positive pseudonym that they had been called was, again, given to them by their mentor, "Small One", or as he had said it, "Small'n".

Maharo was just about to say farewell to the Hollow and run off to open a senkaimon far away from the curious Hollow, but then it just had to go and ask Maharo to go hunting for that imaginary Hollow with it. They thought about refusing, but the idea of returning to the Seireitei empty-handed after having been picked specifically for this duty gave them a pit in their stomach. Though, if Maharo did agree to go off on this weird Hollow's quest for a nonexistent Hollow, it would be likely that they'd eventually run into one that does exist. They could take advantage of that by hanging back and studying this thing's fighting style and movements, they could bring home some information that may very well be helpful to whoever they send to actually do away with it.

The whiplash of going from giving advice and relating to the Hollow, to considering how best to take part in its violent demise gave Maharo a headache. They pulled their mask back down like a symbolic barrier between their emotions and the Hollow.

"Certainly." Maharo answered, headache be damned. As the Hollow took off, Maharo hurried after it, leaping from one invisible plane of air ground to another. The two appeared to be defying gravity to any hypothetical onlookers. Already Maharo realized something of note, the Hollow could use air ground just as a Shinigami did. They had heard that Arrancar could use the technique, but couldn't recall any events in which a Hollow had used it.

The unlikely duo's journey took them through a few areas of the town, the residential district, the shopping district, and eventually the industrial district. It was unfortunate for the two that neither of them had much skill in energy sensory, as if they did, they likely would have had some warning before the roof of an abandoned warehouse exploded right beneath their feet. Before the sound of it could finish reverberating in their ears or ear-equivalents, two massive hands reached out with a speed that should have been impossible for their size, trying to clap the small Hollow between its hands.

It was a powerful Hollow, yet it spent weeks, months at a time entirely inert, only waking to strike at any powerful spiritual presence that wandered too close. As the smoke cleared, the monster stared up at its targets with six gleaming black eyes set deep into its flat slab of a mask, no apparent mouth to be seen. Its body was gnarled, but resilient, and its arms were several times the length of that body, segmented with three elbows each. The whole thing was supported by six legs, the size of those of an elephant's. Maharo was only alive by this point because next to the small Hollow's spiritual presence, they were barely a blip in the senses of the beast.

[Deleted]

Caballero was happy to finally learn Maharo's name, and they gave the Shinigami a quick, repeated nod, as if ensuring that they understood and would commit it to memory. To his comment about them choosing their own name, however, Caballero was a bit confused. They really did not need one, because they could not speak, right? But then again, Caballero had slowly learned that names were something that was typically given to you by the people that loved you. It was why humans and Pluses alike were named by their parents upon being born, right?

In that case, they were more than happy to stay nameless, and allow their friends to name them whatever they wanted. After all, if they gave Caballero a proper name, did that not mean they cared for them? Furthermore, even without giving themselves a name, the tiny knight knew who they were. How could anyone not know who they were? They were... themselves, of course! Wasn't everyone in the world unique in a way, despite the similarities one may hold to one another? At the very least, that was the conclusion the tiny Adjuchas had reached over time, after really wracking their two braincells until their oversized helmet had nearly caught on fire.

After all, there was absolutely no way that there could be any beings like Caballero themselves, with their same abilities and their same origin, right?

At any rate, the two of them would be patrolling the city for now. It was always good to have reinforcements, so the tiny bean was happy about their fortunate encounter, still ignorant of the fact that Maharo had been specifically dispatched to kill them. After they soared over a couple of districts, they ended up in the more industrial area of Karakura Town, one that Caballero admittedly did not patrol as often, given the lower concentration of humans and Pluses other than during working hours. Once again, their lack of ability to sense energy would make it impossible for them to detect the nearest threat before something burst from an abandoned warehouse, seeking to take Caballero in their grasp; a good tactic that they were only able to react to thanks to their battle instinct.

Just as the hands were about to close around them, Caballero took advantage of their movement, and used a technique that they had specifically devised for one such an occasion as this one. Immediately, the tiny knight's black body erupted in a myriad spikes that blossommed in all directions, seeking to skewer the monster's hands and leave them like a sad old block of gruyère cheese. Espinas did not fly off on their own, however; instead, they would retract just as quickly as they had appeared in the first place, leaving Caballero's body in its usual shape. At 700 Reiatsu Strength, that would be most likely enough not only to prevent the giant Hollow from taking them on their grasp, but also heavily damage those hands.

This monster was a big one, bigger than the kind Caballero was used to slaying. But if they had learned something, it was that size did not directly correlate to fighting strength. They had cut down and eradicated many Hollows much bigger than they were, after all. Thus, the tiny knight was far from scared. It would take more than any old Hollow, even if it was an Adjuchas class--because this gigantic abomination, barely humanoid looking aside from having arms, could in no way be a Vasto Lorde. Had they been able to, Caballero would've grinned, relishing the challenge.

From their body, the little knight created a second Filo after dissipating the first one. They would be in need of extra firepower, and a stronger sword. They quickly split it in two and assumed a defensive stance, clearly showing their prowess. They were not just a small creature flailing their arm with a sword; they were a rather accomplished swordsman, in fact, with little to envy from even the highest Seated Officers in the Gotei 13, Captains excluded. They did not know whether Maharo would be able to properly fight with their injury, despite what the masked Shinigami had said, but that didn't matter. Caballero was used to fighting while defending Pluses, so this should not be in any way different from their usual routine.

Regardless, they would not make the mistake of sparing any firepower. That was reserved for those foes that were not Hollows. After fighting Madelyn, they had learned not to make light of an opponent; but there was no need to bust out the big guns like Cero del Caballero just yet. That could wait for later, if the situation truly became dire. Of course, this would all be moot if Espinas could not pierce through the Hollow's hands, but Caballero would figure out how to deal with that later.

OOC:
Reiatsu: 3800 -150[Class 5 Espinas] -250[Class 3 Filo] = 3400

[Date Maharo]

Maharo had always figured that while they were lacking in spiritual senses, their physical senses worked just fine. Yet, everything seemed to happen within a beat of their heart. An explosion, an enemy, danger. They realized that they weren't the one being attacked well after the small Hollow had been seemingly crushed by those hands, well after Maharo would have been dead had it chosen to attack them instead. The blade-wielding Hollow may be relishing this challenge, but Maharo was most certainly not.

Maharo had frozen in shock before, but this was different. Fear for their life was normally something that got them moving, not something that stopped them in their tracks. This surprise attack, however, left the masked Shinigami downright paralyzed as their mind tried to process what was happening before them. Once things did begin to come into focus, their faculties slowly returned to them until they could think and move again. They used them to run. They lept backward off of the air-ground they were standing on, sailing through the air until they were sure they were out of the giant Hollow's range, landing on a new platform of air-ground. This wasn't something that they could face, not head-on, not indirectly, they were certain that if that thing even so much as noticed them, they would be as good as dead.

The pain of their mangled arm was all but forgotten in the wake of their terror.

---

The small Hollow's Espina's pierced through the monster's hands, and it groaned in pain, the low sound causing the very air around them to observably vibrate. The spines piercing it's hands only slowed it, however, as its hands forcefully closed on Caballero. It wasn't enough to properly crush the Hollow swordsman, though, which clearly confused the massive Hollow. It pulled its hands away from the little ball of spikes and swords, the wounds on its hands oozing with grotesque purple blood, the fluid concerningly coagulated like spoiled milk.

Still silent, aside from its previous groaning, the massive Hollow raised one hand in a fist, swinging it down like a hammer at Caballero. It probably seemed underwhelmingly simple a move to Caballero after its surprise attack, but this monster wasn't finished with its surprises yet. As it followed through with the attack, strips of its gnarled main body peeled away, forming four smaller arms. Seemingly without the limitation of elbows, these arms extended out, arcing through the sky. Each one was locked onto Caballero like a quartet of bravery-seeking missiles, each one aiming to strike them from different angles. If its snapping ambush wasn't fast enough for the tiny enemy, and if the pure strength of its main hands was not enough to crush them, then it would simply aim to overwhelm Caballero with multiple high-speed attacks.

[Deleted]

This Hollow was persistent, no doubts about it. It still tried to enclose its grip around the tiny Adjuchas, but the more it tightened its grip, the more it slowed down, as the spikes were less spread apart the closer the hands were to the main body. This saved Caballero from getting crushed, although that had never been a real concern for the small creature. It was not that their body would not be damaged by it, it was that it took far more than that to break them and put them out of comission, given how easy it was for them to recreate it at will by virtue of focusing their Reiatsu. Caballero would drop down the moment the monster's hands retreated, and they landed on the floor.

The creature was dangerous. It was far too big, and far too used to doing what it liked, claiming what it saw fit, and hunting what fell right on its territory. Maharo quickly attempted to escape, using air ground to jump away from the raging battle. Caballero tended to dislike cowardice, so that should've immediately make their impression of the Shinigami sour considerably. However, the tiny Adjuchas understood that with a destroyed arm and against a much more powerful opponent, Maharo might just be trying to not get in their way. Most Hollows wouldn't be above playing dirty and taking hostages, after all, so better be safe than sorry.

Now that they had resolved that their new friend might be in danger, they didn't think about it for a second. It was time to get dangerous. Caballero swung Filo to the right, with an engraving that read "DESTRUIR HUECOS" (destroy Hollows) gleaming white along the flat of the jet black blade. Then they charged a Cero, flashing a reddish glow all over the scene, only there was no sphere being charged anywhere. The characteristical humming of the technique would come out at first, but it would quickly become a jarring one, as if it was being forcefully contained. At that moment, Filo exploded in what looked like flames, and Caballero tightened their stance, ready for what was to come.

That was not a normal Cero. That was the culmination of their training: Cero del Caballero, a technique that layered a Cero's destructive power on top of Filo, containing it alongside the blade and dramatically increasing its destructive power. The attack coming from the massive Hollow didn't take too long to come, an equally massive fist swinging downward like a hammer. Four other arms also swung, possibly trying to strike them from different angles. All in all, five attacks, coming toward them all at once... but the creature had made one fatal mistake. Caballero did not need to dodge. No, they didn't need to dodge at all. The other arms covered their preferred escape routes... except for one that they would cut open themselves.

The tiny knight let their aura surge in one of the techniques of their sword style. Conquista needn't any concentration, just allow their naturally dense Reiatsu to thicken the area around them, causing those with a lower Reiatsu Strength to move far slower than normal. This would allow them to counter the monster's speed, giving them a better edge, but that wasn't all. Allowing their Reiatsu to pulsate alongside the blade, Caballero would bring forth Tizona, further enhancing their sword, only this one would not grant it any extra power. No, what it did was far cleverer, and capitalized on brutes like this one, who had the physical power were not spiritually strong.

Caballero lunged forward, directly toward the massive fist. The moment it entered a space 10 feet away from Caballero, it should slow down dramatically, provided the beast had low Reiatsu Strength of course. Since the monster was already attacking there and its line of sight would be blocked by the fist's size, it was unlikely the other arms would be able to target them there. Caballero would then bring their sword on an upwards strike, seeking to bisect the fist in a single, deadly strike.Tizona would make it so that the creature's physical strength and durability would not be what mattered when defending. Instead, the amount of damage Caballero inflicted would depend squarely on the enemy's Reiatsu Strength as well. Against 1400 RS, a paltry number like 25 or 50, common amongst those spiritually weak, should see said arm cut through as if it was a red-hot knife going through butter.

If the fist was bisected, Caballero would then follow that upwards swing with a step forward using air ground and downward one. Their aim was to do the same to the monster's mask: to bisect it in one fell swoop. Even if this still proved insufficient, Caballero still had more tricks in their arsenal.


OOC:
Reiatsu: 3400 -300[Class 3 Cero del Caballero] -100[Class 3 Conquista] -50x2 strikes[Tizona] = 2900 (3000 if they do not deliver the
Filo (Cero del Caballero) clocks in at 1400 RS, but will dissolve in 3 posts.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Tizona}Saber Filo - Tizona [Edge Lore - Tizona]

Technique Class: Weapon's own class.

Technique Type: Saber Filo, Other.

Usable By: Any

Technique Cost: 50 per sword swing.

Description: Flare the user's Reiatsu Strength on their spiritual blade, making it resonate and suffer a spiritual shift. While Tizona is active, take 200% of the foe's Reiatsu Strength: that, and not Strength, will be the stat that dictates how much damage they take when hit by these strikes (100 would be 200). A Proficiency and Mastery reduce this number to 175% and 150%, respectively. Note that this does not allow a 500 Reiatsu Strength foe to flex against incoming attacks; it would just mean they take a lot less damage.

Drawbacks: Reiatsu cost per swing. Requires 1 SkP in Saber Filo or 2 SkP in a suitable, specific sword skill, as well as 300 in Reiatsu Strength. As with all Saber Filo offensive techniques, requires a spiritual blade (e.g. Filo, or a sword made of fire), and does not work with physical items. For Release weapons, they must be based off of Spiritual Pressure or Reiatsu Strength, but the technique still uses Reiatsu Strength in any case, and the blade must still be spiritual in nature. Weapon must be in the user's hands for this technique to be effective. Does not affect any clashes against Strength based techniques.

Made By: Caballero

Reserved?: No

SPOILER: Click to show

{Conquista+}Saber Filo - Conquista [Edge Lore - Conquest]

Technique Class: 5, 3, 1. Proficient up to class 3.

Technique Type: Saber Filo, Other.

Usable By: Any

Technique Cost: 50/100/200 Reiatsu per post.

Description: Deploys a simple domain that decreases the post-type speed of those inside except for the user by a flat amount, due to the increased Reiatsu density within the domain. As such, this effect is based on a Reiatsu Strength difference: -20/25/30 Speed per every 50 Reiatsu Strength difference. When deploying Conquista, it uses Reiatsu Strength to clash against someone else's spiritually-based techniques and overall abilities. Physical techniques are not clashed with (a punch would go through normally), but they are subjected to the speed drop, if any, the moment the foe enters the range.

Drawbacks: Requires 1 SkP in Saber Filo or 2 in a suitable, specific sword weapon skill. Requires 450 Reiatsu Strength. Very limited range: 6ft at Learned, 10ft at Proficient, 12.5ft at Mastered. The opponent can easily escape with a step technique regardless of speed, though be warned that the step speed will be reduced given the lowered base number. A foe's after-type speed can never drop below 150. For the speed drop, only whole differences of 50 are counted: if the user's RS is 100 and foe's is 25, it's a 75 difference, and that means only a 20/25/30 speed drop will be applied, depending on technique class. Since the opponent needs to be inside the domain for the speed drop to occur, those with longer range weapons are largely unaffected. If winning a clash against an opponent's field-like effect (as in, something happens around the user within an X feet range), it does not remove it, only neuters them for the user of Conquista.

Made By: Caballero

Reserved?: No

SPOILER: Click to show

{Cero del Caballero} Cero del Caballero [Knight's Cero]

Technique Class: 4-1. Paid up to class 3

Technique Type: Custom Hollow Technique, Cero.

Cost: 200 +100 per class above 4

Description: This technique is affected by Focalizar. Caballero's "civilized" application of Cero, instead of charging a destructive energy blast and firing it to nuke a small area, they coat the sword with it thanks to Filo being created out of Caballero's body. This layers the Cero's Reiatsu Strength on top of the weapon's and gives it a very distinguishable, flickering red glow, as if it had been set ablaze. Filo also hums with the signature Cero charge sound as well. Cero del Caballero can still be shot forward, in which case it does not create a huge explosion or area damage; instead, it is blade-thin and pierces through the foe in a stab-like manner. This makes it less destructive, but allows for more accurate attacks to vital points without causing wanton destruction.

Focalizar effect: Gains the extra 50% OS of a Focus technique. Its glow also turns from red into a mixture of swirling black and white.

Drawbacks: Can only be layered on top of a pre-existing Filo. Requires at least 2 SkP in Saber Filo to use correctly. Limited attack surface when fired. Due to the excess energy coursing through Filo and spiritually-based attacks affecting Caballero's physiology, the weapon dissolves 3 posts after cast, or immediately if Cero del Caballero is fired. Highly telegraphed due to the swords glow and the sound they give off.

Reserved?: Yes

[holika]

Date Maharo
130 TP Awarded