Calamity Unbound [DP PvP]

[Camila Adaronde]

Thread Title: Calamity Unbound
Participants: Camila Adaronde vs. Zeich Yajuu
World: Human World
Death Setting: Permanent Injuries Enabled
Rating: R
Location: Karakura Town. Noon.
Special Conditions: Bounty Thread. 'Nough Said.
Circumstances: Looking over the Bounty Book after spending a bit of time in XCution's black market ring, Camila notices a curious - and infuriating - face within the books. Looking to hunt down the individual in question, Camila takes the mark.

[Camila Adaronde]

Cracking her knuckles, and masking her spiritual presence, Camila took to the streets, glancing occasionally toward her phone. She'd been on quite the mission for the afternoon; one that was hopefully going to result in a boost in income for the girl. After all, she'd need a good bit of money from this; she couldn't keep living in some small apartment! She wanted to move out!

And so, the goal here was Zeich Yajuu. A man that had supposedly taken a similar fall to her. Someone that had come close to her own heights of ability. To say she despised the idea was a horrendous understatement. Nobody, nobody deserved that kind of power but her. She'd crawled back from the depths of Hell, and was fully prepared to do it again in order to stay on top. The grip she had on her phone almost crushed the device before she realized what she was doing, taking a second to calm down.

Still, she was ready to do what was needed in order to assert herself. She was the woman on top. She was the 1%. And she was not going to stand for someone trying to come close to the heights she'd attained! As such, she took to the rooftops with a simple leap, keeping herself hidden and suppressed. She was going to get the jump on him if she could help it; for the time however, she needed to scout while she had the chance. Couldn't let herself get caught out while looking to do the opposite.

Though, she ran through the information she needed to in her head. When push came to shove, she had answers to what the Bingo Book had said about him. Though, it didn't seem to be the most informative. She'd have to see what he had to offer when she got into that fight. Regardless, this was going to be quite the fight. She felt her adrenaline pumping from the get-go. This was going to be fun.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Cami's Stats & Skills}
Type: Soldier, Version 2

Strength: 100 [100]
Speed: 400 [600]
Reiatsu Strength: 400 [200]
Spiritual Pressure: 400 [1,000]
Instinct: 300 [300]
Senses: 200 [100]
Energy Sensory: 0 [0]
Healing Expertise: 0 [0]

Light Aura: 0
Dark Aura: 100
----------

Stealth: 4
Weapons - Shadows: 3
Strength of Will: 3
Pain Tolerance: 4
Acrobatics: 1

[Zeich Yajuu]

((OOC: This place will be taking place after Around the Multiverse in 5 Minutes, at which point Zeich will begin officially taking over Uzaki Enterprises IC and will count towards the threads he needs to claim the rank for mechanical benefits.))

You know, you have underlings now, right?

The hiss of steel through the air accompanied a powerful swing, and the blade of Zeich’s Zanpaktou slid through the Hollow’s mask with ease. The large, boar-like creature reared back from the devastating blow, its features split in an even line from ear to chin. In moments, the body began to dissolve and break away, the purifying power of the former Shinigami’s weapon causing the tortured, twisted spirit to move through the cycle and be sent to Soul Society. Soon there was nothing left to mark the brief battle, not even any damage to the surrounding buildings; a low-tier Hollow was no match for him, and had hardly been able to begin fighting before Zeich had struck.

I mean, what even is the point of being the head honcho if you don’t boss people around? You should be sending out the usual teams that you have specifically for this purpose, no?

Sheathing his Zanpaktou, Zeich let himself relax, or at least as much as he usually let himself do so. His ears still sought out any nearby sounds, and he kept himself aware of any shifts in the air that would indicate someone was close by, but he let the tension flow out of his muscles, let his stance become less defensive. He took in the last visual image that Haiiro had sent him, but found a minor oddity; it was the same one that had been given to him a minute ago, complete with the Hollow he had just slain included. A wash of irritation was sent along the bond to his former Zanpaktou spirit, who returned the emotion with a hint of a pout to it.

You’re not going to use your ears, then I’m not going to be your eyes.

Calm down, Haiiro. I’ve heard everything. Zeich’s tone was scolding, even through their mental communications. You know as well as I do that I prefer to act on my own. Besides, I’m not the “leader” of Uzaki Enterprises in order to order others around. I did it to keep the company intact and organized. I will not direct them excessively.

Haiiro’s tone was less serious as he returned the scolding, a hint of his humor present in the words. Well you should! People are looking up to you now, and it’s your responsibility to tell them what to do!

No, that’s “Yoru Kizuki’s” job. As far as everyone else is aware, I’m still just the head of security.

The visual image finally shifted, this time towards a figure that was leaning against the wall of the alleyway, his head lowered as though he were dozing. Tall and modest of build, the man wore a well-tailored suit and looked like some kind of businessman. The oddity, however, was that a closer examination would show that the man was not breathing or moving at all. It was like a clever mannequin set up to look like a person, with incredibly realistic detail to it. No one would believe that it wasn’t a human person; rather, it was a specially-designed Gigai whose purpose was to act as the figurehead CEO for Uzaki Enterprises. Zeich entered it whenever he needed to act as the company’s leader, and otherwise stored it away and used his own to interact with other members of the company. This enabled him to run the company while otherwise deflecting attention from himself, the complete opposite of the way Kazura used to handle things.

Kazura. Zeich wasn’t sure what had happened to the man, or where he had disappeared to. The former CEO had simply vanished one day, leaving Zeich to run the company on its usual routine. The man had taken a direct hand in interacting with the public and had handled much of the development of tools and weaponry that his spiritually-aware combat units used, and then had often marched into the front lines as often as his own team members did. Incredibly popular both to the general populace of Karakura and even within his own company, the man’s charisma and involvement had led many to sign on to the company and follow him.

Now it was Zeich’s turn to take charge, though the former Shinigami did not view himself as a leader. Until he had a better plan of action, he had stepped in long enough to arrange the company to maintain its status quo, with some minor changes. Kazura’s board of directors had been given control over the company’s business in the World of the Living, while Zeich himself continued his duties as the head of security and the spiritually aware team members that made up more than half of the company’s staff. Research and Development was currently at a standstill while the Vizard attempted to arrange someone to outsource it to, but at least for the moment their ability to deal with Hollow attacks around Karakura was unhindered, even if their larger-stakes operations were also at a halt. They were limping along, so to speak.

In the meantime, though, Zeich could only take so much of the administrative work, and so he often stepped up to deal with Hollow threats on his own. Today was no exception, and he had left the office to deal with one of the calls that had come to the office, rather than delegating it to others.

Ah, yes, I know the feeling. No one wants to be caged, certainly not you and I. I suppose I can let you off the hook for now—

The pause, accompanied by a brief pang of alarm, caused Zeich to narrow his eyes. What is it?

The sensations faded, replaced by a small hint of confusion and a sense of relief. ...Hm. Nothing, really. Just had a chill down my spine, and a bad feeling. But that could just be your bad mood coming through, too. The subtle teasing feeling was back, along with the sensation of a crooked half-smile that no lupine muzzle could actually make. Now, shall we gather up “Mr. Kizaki” and head back to the office? I’m pretty sure his lunch break is over by now...

SPOILER: Click to show

{Zeich’s Stats}Stats (Rank 3 Fractured Type):

Strength - [300] (300) Points

Speed - [400] (400) Points

Spiritual Pressure – [400 x 2] (800) Points

Reiatsu Strength – [200 x 0.5] (100) Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct - [200 x 1.75] (350) Points

Senses - [200] Points

Energy sensory - [100 x 0.60] (60) Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [1800] points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Zeich’s Skills}Current Skills: (19 SKP)

• [Weapons - Katana] 3
  
  
• [Strength of Will] 4
  
  
• [Martial Arts - Hakuda] 3
  
  
• [Stealth] 2
  
  
• [Calm Mind] 3
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] 3

SPOILER: Click to show

{Haiiro’s Stats}Haiiro's Stats (Rank 3 Fragment):

Strength - [200] (200) Points

Speed - [300] (300) Points

Spiritual Pressure – [400] (400) Points [Locked: not SP spent]

Reiatsu Strength – [50 x 0.5] (25) Points

Light Aura - [100] Points

Dark Aura - [0] Points

Instinct - [150 x 1.75] (262) Points

Senses - [150] Points

Energy sensory - [50 x 0.60] (30) Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [900] points

[Camila Adaronde]

As she leapt from rooftop to rooftop, the girl focused her attention toward keeping herself blended in amongst the shadows, left as untraceable as she possibly could. Though, she kept herself moving on the slower side - no greater than 300 Speed - the last thing she wanted to do was overexert herself for the fight to come. Not while she wanted to find herself at full strength. No, she'd just focus her attention toward finding her mark for the time being.

Looking back down toward the silenced device in her hand, she did what she could to remember the face that she was hunting after. It looked... almost familiar, in an out-of-body sort of way. Like this was someone that she'd been told about in the past, but couldn't quite put a finger on why that was the case. She'd have the time to figure that out later. Tucking the phone back into a pocket, the girl did what she could to continue the search, looking for anyone that might've fit the bill.

In due time, her search would eventually lead her to a shuffling of blades, and the dying cry of a hollow. While the spiritually aware were somewhat frequent in Karakura Town, there was noticeable merit to checking through each hollow that found itself slain. She knew full-well that this combatant of legend also frequented Karakura, so she wasn't likely to have much trouble finding him, assuming he stuck out. While he wasn't to have any discernable energy signature, that didn't matter to the girl; she couldn't sense energy anyway!

Eventually, she peered down over a rooftop, watching two individuals; one that seemed to be wearing standard civilian clothes, possessing the same scruffy look that the picture in the book had shown, and an animal; what looked to be a dog of some kind, with colors that seemed to be playing tricks on her eyes. She wasn't going to question it, though; given her experiences with Albin, she knew full-well that this had to be either a pet of some kind, or potentially even his Zanpakutō spirit. Albin had been able to freely manifest himself in person before; perhaps it was just a Vizard thing? It was curious, if nothing else.

As he decided to seemingly pack things up and get going, Camila slowly drew her blade, maintaining her cover in the process. She wasn't going to be caught off-guard by whatever this man had been able to throw her way. Instead, she prepared a plan of attack, in order to start off the fight as strong as she could. Leaping the rooftop, and blasting forth with Shunpō, Camila launched herself toward the man, looking to slash into his back with her tantō.

Realistically, if she'd slashed at the wrong individual, it wasn't something that bothered her. She'd been so used to an desensitized to slaughter at this point that truthfully? She'd just do it again until she killed the right person. Regardless, she flung herself toward the man, with a goal to slash horizontally across his back. Sliding forward, and riding the ground for a few feet to slow her speed, the girl quickly turned around, and took up an offensive stance. If he still stood there, Camila would smirk in his direction.

"Hello there," she'd start, "pleasure meeting some'ne like yourself here; you that fuck with an inner hollow? Got quite a bit of money to your name... Assuming I bring back your head. Let's make this quick, aye?"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiatsu: 9,950/10,000}
-50 for Shunpō.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shunpō}
Technique Name: Shunpō

Technique Class: 7 - 10 TTP.

Technique Type: Hōhō.

Technique Element: N/A.

Technique Cost: 50 Reiatsu.

Description: A movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow. The focal point that determines the basis of this technique is speed. As speed is the main point of the technique, the method is best characterized by how fast one can get from Point A to Point B in the least amount of steps. Training and skill are what determines how fast a user of Shunpō can move. Those of little skill in the technique or those who haven't used it for an extended amount of time would obviously be out of practice, causing those individuals to be considerably slower. This requires the use of more steps to move the same distance and become tired more easily in a shorter amount of time. A single step magnifies speed for that step by ten times. Shunpō uses fifty Reiatsu per step. This one is automatically learned in the academy. All Shinigami know this when created. This technique does not take up a technique slot.

How to Use: Focus of Reishi around the feet area and launch off into a single blurring step. It is not unlike teleportation in appearance, but it is simply extremely fast movement. It is often used to gain an edge in a single moment of combat or to dodge incoming attacks.

Incantation: N/A.

Drawbacks: Reiatsu Cost.

[Zeich Yajuu]

To many, blindness is seen as a disadvantage, and Zeich is included among them. The Vizard’s lack of sight had been an issue at times in the past, especially having to rely on Haiiro to be looking where he wanted the wolf to and in the time frame required. Yet it had its benefits too; without his sight, Zeich was very reliant on his senses of touch and hearing, more so than others, to the point where he noticed small shifts in the air around him and faint sounds that others would lose in the din of the city. It was only because of this that he was able to respond to what happened, and even then, even his sharpened senses were only just enough.

It was a faint sound, a sharp scuff of shoes on stone as someone stepped or pushed off of it. That was enough to alert Zeich to the presence of someone else, particularly since it came from above; a rooftop, perhaps? Though he wasn’t sure who it was, the Vizard was aware someone was there above him. Conclusively, there were three options: a person, a Shinigami, or another spiritual being. Fortunately, the same option worked out for all three of them, and even before the explosive shove that accompanied a Shunpo as an individual pushed themselves through the air at immense speeds, Zeich was moving himself. He preemptively performed a Shunpo of his own, stepping towards an opening that led to an adjoining alleyway, giving him room to escape if needed.

The reason for his action was simple: if it was a regular human, then likely they didn’t see him in the first place, rendering his decision to make a Shunpo harmless and only a miniscule waste of Reiatsu. If it was a Shinigami, moving out of sight quickly was a viable and wise decision, as Zeich did not want a Shinigami examining him too closely. It wouldn’t do to have them find someone who was presumed dead, especially as he had revealed his nature as a Vizard as well. Finally, a spiritual being looming over him and watching him made the former Shinigami uncomfortable, not quite nervous, but certainly wary. It was best to avoid them altogether, at least until he could get an upper hand.

That’s why it came only as a minor surprise when the boom of air pressure from a rapidly moving individual erupted in the air. Zeich’s Shunpo had come a bare fraction of a second before it, enabling him to move out of the line of trajectory, and his ears caught a thin sound of something slicing through the empty space. A blade, perhaps? Haiiro quickly confirmed this as a young woman suddenly appeared where Zeich had been a moment before, her blade slashing through the air. Her attack had been aimed at his back, and had she not given herself away with the sudden leap into the air, she might have caught him off-guard.

And atop that, she was fast. Zeich’s Shunpo was pretty impressive, but this woman was a good deal faster. The distance and his early reaction had saved his back from being flayed open, but the Vizard still felt a sting along his arm, where the blade’s tip had torn through his sleeve and barely grazed the bicep. It was a small injury, not even worth noting, and there was no sense of tingling or numbness that would normally accompany a toxin. Therefore, it was currently an acceptable injury, hardly even bleeding. Nothing worth thinking too hard about. Instead, there were other issues to address.

"Hello there, pleasure meeting some'ne like yourself here; you that fuck with an inner hollow? Got quite a bit of money to your name... Assuming I bring back your head. Let's make this quick, aye?”

Wait… you still have a bounty? Do they not remove those for dead people!? Haiiro’s thought was incredulous, tinged with surprise and a bit of amusement. Zeich ignored the comment, more focused on the first part. “That fuck with an Inner Hollow” was a concerning statement. It meant that whoever this was, she knew he was a Vizard. She knew about Tsukikage.

...

As if thinking of the Inner Hollow called to the shadowy wolf, Zeich could feel Tsukikage stirring, awakening. A sense of questioning was tinged with an irritation at being bothered, and the Vizard knew that Tsukikage was scanning over recent memories to figure out what was going on. The Hollow became alert quickly, his presence bubbling up to a more active state, and Zeich could feel the edge of bloodlust that accompanied the creature. Tsukikage had quickly figured out that this was a potential fight, and was already pushing a desire for bloodlust upon him. The Hollow longed for combat and the spilling of blood, after all.

So, boy; who is this wench, and are you going to rip this one’s arms off as well? You know, don’t make that second part a question, just do it.

Vivid memories washed over Zeich as he recalled his last run-in with a huntress who had come to cause havoc in Karakura. He still remembered the rage that had overtaken him, an unintended consequence of Haiiro’s amplifying of his emotions. Tsukikage had delighted in watching his host viciously rip the arms off of the woman who had been so foolish as to give herself into the power of his Bankai, rather than simply dissolving them painlessly and leaving her in the same state of incapacitation. It had been a cruel punishment, and one that still left Zeich shuddering. His rage had been immense, his anger fueled and augmented, and at that point, he had begun to fear the strength of his own emotions.

Rather than respond to the Hollow, Zeich instead chose to examine the woman, taking a moment to analyze her from Haiiro’s point of view on her opposite side. Casual clothing said nothing, but the weapon in her hand definitely resembled a sealed Zanpaktou, at least in general appearance. A Shinigami, then? No Shihakushō, so maybe she was just off-duty, but the casual talk of an Inner Hollow…

“You must have me mistaken for another.” Zeich said. His own Zanpaktou was still drawn and held in a loose stance, ready to be brought up in a block or parry if the woman attempted to charge him again. “I can’t see what business we might have had with each other.” She was quickly making it his business to defend himself, however, and Zeich had a feeling that the woman was not going to simply back down. “I go by Wolf. What do you call yourself?” The Vizard was stalling, trying to figure out his next action, though there was always a chance he knew the woman by name. Who would be seeking a bounty on a prospective Vizard with such confidence, though?

That chill that Haiiro had felt now echoed through Zeich. He hoped he was wrong in his conclusion.

Remaining Reiatsu: 3950/4000 (-50 for Shunpo)

[Camila Adaronde]

As her own strike had almost gone wide, leaving her unable to land a devastating blow, the girl simply followed through with the same movements, skating along the ground to recuperate herself. With a deep breath, following through with her words, Camila turned to face the Vizard's new location. As he spoke, she furrowed her brow.

"'Wolf', huh?" She asked, looking down toward the miniscule amount of blood that coated her blade, "interesting name. Can't say I'm familiar with it, Shinigami." She turned her cocked head toward the Vizard. A wicked smile rested across her face. "Don't think I've mistaken you, though; it doesn't look like I've done a whole lot of damage to you, have I? Tell me; do you think that a normal person is going to be able to pull off that little maneuver you just did~? I can't say I'm too-"

As she cut herself off, the girl blitzed forward once more through Shunpō, looking to keep her stance low, a reversed grip now held on her knife. Fighting straight was distinctly not the girl's modus operandi. Especially against someone else of her kind. Her aim was to immediately follow up with a jab of the blade into his stomach region, looking to debilitate as quickly as possible, stabbing thrice more - into his lung, dominant shoulder, and neck - as her stance straightened out, trailing up the Vizard's body. Whether he deflected the blows, or dodged out of the way remained to be seen, but she was curious of what was to follow either way.

Regardless, as her stance straightened back out, she ran through a few things in her head; this individual was a notable combatant. The fact that he had been able to clear a bit of distance between the two of them - from a surprise attack no less - proved that much. He hadn't gotten where he was through luck. She'd have to watch carefully in order to make sure his movements were accounted for, if nothing else. She wasn't going to let up against this foe; keeping up the pressure here was going to be her best option, at least until she learned how he defended himself. His preferences for doing so, and his ability to keep up with her movements.

As her strikes concluded, she prepared for what was to come, taking a step back and assuming a stance reminiscent of a boxer's. While it was untrained, sure, the girl made up for it with her own combative abilities. Another smirk flashed on her face, as she spoke once more; this time, keeping her eyes focused on her foe, to make sure she wasn't caught for the same trick she just pulled. "I can't say I'm too sure that someone of a normal stature is going to be able to fight at this caliber."

Spinning the weapon within her fingers, the girl allowed a light bounce to come from her feet. She sought to stay limber. "Name's Adaronde," she started, "Camila Adaronde; Empress of the Inevitable, and Queen of Masks. Now... you gonna lay down n' die? I'm really not looking to break a nail here."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiatsu Pool: 9,900/10,000}
-50 for Shunpō.

[Zeich Yajuu]

Zeich didn’t think it’d be that easy. Fortunately, wariness was second nature to him, and he was ready for a second strike. It didn’t matter when the woman wanted to perform it – whether it was mid-sentence or even before she started to talk, his mind was already taking into account all of her actions. Haiiro’s images of her speed, the weapon of choice, the woman’s angle of attack; all of these were calculated as the Vizard’s ability to remain calm in the face of danger worked in tandem with his ability to analyze combat patterns. He was already starting to paint a picture of the woman’s combat capabilities, which would in turn allow him to plan to counter them.

Important points of note: first, the attacker was fast. Most certainly faster than him, and not by a small margin. Zeich would estimate that she was at least half again as fast as him, which he could accommodate for thanks to his high reaction speed. But that speed was not matched with physical strength, judging by the sound of her blade moving through the air. It was fast, but it lacked raw power, so he didn’t have to anticipate shockwaves of any type. Finally, judging by the fact that he had not heard the woman approach until she made her lunging leap, she was skilled at keeping her presence hidden. These three facts made the Vizard wonder if this was an assassin, rather than a bounty hunter, as the woman certainly checked all the boxes for that profession. An agent of Xcution, perhaps? Zeich would have to approach Shizuka at a later point and see what she knew.

Prolly need to focus on getting to that point first though, Master. Despite the situation, Haiiro was still relaxed, confident in Zeich’s ability to handle himself in combat.

“Tell me; do you think that a normal person is going to be able to pull off that little maneuver you just did~? I can't say I'm too-”

She’s coming.

Haiiro’s mental images and Zeich’s sharp senses pooled together to give him all the reaction time he needed in the face of a second Shunpo. Stepping techniques required a bit of a push along with the requisite Reiatsu, which often prevented them from being used in midair without some form of Air Ground to work with. As a result, the legs and feet would often tense up, even slightly, indicating some form of motion was about to happen. At such a close range, he could also hear the woman’s heartbeat, and without the ability to keep calm that Zeich possessed, the acceleration of its pace was another indicator that something was about to happen. Even if the former Shinigami didn’t know exactly what to expect, a large number of factors and his analytical ability made his reaction seem almost prescient in the right conditions.

Even as the woman suddenly lunged forward in another Shunpo, Zeich was ready. He could hear the whistle of her weapon and, being ready for an attack, neatly blocked the first stab by parrying it to the side, bringing his sword up and allowing his higher strength and skill with his weapon to slide it off to the side. The next two stabs was met with the same, almost clockwork in their aim, as her attack pattern took her upwards through his body. The attacker was fast, but her skill with her tanto and low physical strength allowed Zeich to combat her when it came to direct physical confrontation with his own impressive speed and superior weapons prowess. Very predictable, and after the third was parried, the fourth was met with a sudden counterstrike.

Shall we, Tsukikage?

Fine.

Even as the blade came for his throat, Zeich’s free hand came up in a motion that resembled an almost contemptuous backhand. His mastery of Hakuda and specifically the Hakuda: Do technique allowed him to alter the thrust of it, and rather than striking the underside of the weapon, his hand would slap against the woman’s wrist, for it too moved in the same thrusting motion she was using for her weapon and thus served as an extension of it. This would stop the arm in its tracks and delay its withdrawal for a moment, but that moment would be more than enough for the Vizard to take advantage of, even as his Zanpaktou’s blade took on a slight haze of gray.

In the same motion that had his off hand stopping the woman’s attack, Zeich used that momentum to bring his sword up in a rapid slash that would aim to cut across her stomach and leave her entrails spilling to the ground. It came with an additional surprise as well, one that would defy the attacker’s initial estimate of Zeich’s speed, should she have noted it; as the blade came around, it didn’t move at the former Shinigami’s normally impressive speed, but double that, sliding through the air even faster than the woman would move normally. With no analytical skills to adapt so suddenly, it would likely be difficult for her to dodge the suddenly eviscerating attack.

Regardless of the success or failure of his strike, Zeich moved back again, putting distance between the two of them. He continued to listen, while Haiiro warily kept his distance and watched, keeping himself out of the fight and out of harm’s way. Distance was going to be the key to dealing with this woman and her speed, giving the Vizard more time to react and respond appropriately. At the moment, he had the advantage in skill, strategy, and physical strength, but the woman was faster and undoubtedly had plenty of tricks up her sleeve.

Then the woman introduced herself, and the fear that had been budding inside Zeich grew to a full bloom. He gave no outward sign of his trepidation, his heart rate steady and his grip unwavering, his expression calm and blank. Despite this, he felt those cold claws grip his heart, and knew what he was fighting. Queen of Masks? This was another Vizard. Camilla Adaronde: Zeich did not recognize the name. Either the woman had been an individual of little note among the Gotei, or she had truly come into her own after Zeich had left Soul Society. Either way, this was another renegade Shinigami, and an aggressive one, too; most of the Vizard Zeich had met had either been passive but wary, or at least open to communication. This one, it seemed, was anything but.

So she speaks the language of violence; don’t worry, I’m fluent. Let me show you how it’s done. Just repeat after me. Tsukikage quickly ran over the script, and Zeich understood the thrust of it. They would be taking another route of attack, one that aimed at something other than the body. Tsukikage’s natural malevolence had a use, in this situation.

“Adaronde? Can’t say I’ve heard of you. With all of those titles, you sounded more important.” Zeich was not the best actor, but he could affect disinterest, as it wasn’t much different from his normal neutral tone. “Apologies, your Majesty, but I’ve no reason to lay down for anyone, especially a nobody like you.”

The reasoning was simple: all the titles given suggested that this Camilla thought very highly of herself, enough to lavish praise on her own name. As a result, it was easy to simply attack her pride, to make light of that self-confidence and use it as a spark to trigger less reasoned reactions. As long as Zeich kept his cool and the other Vizard did not, he could continue to control and lead the battle, and likely overtake her. He could overpower her, as long as he did so carefully.

“Last chance to walk away, before I break more than those nails.”

Remaining Reiatsu: 3800/4000 (-150 for Ichi)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Hakuda Defense: Do}Technique Name: Hakuda Defense: Do

Class: 3

Technique Type: Other

Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects:

This technique directly applies a palm to the perfectly correct spot in an incoming melee attack. This can be on an underside or at the very edge of a weapon, but it must hit the spot where the force is most vulnerable. The force immediately ceases, and the attack stops moving. It's good for making openings.

How to use technique: Stated above.

Drawback: It's a physical attack. No drawback.

Made by: [Sozen]

Reserved?: [No]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Ichi}Technique Name: Ichi (One)

Technique Class: 4 - 40 TTP

Technique Type: General Shinigami.

Usable By: Shinigami, Vizard.

Technique Element: N/A.

Technique Cost: 150 Reiatsu.

Description: Aptly named, Ichi, also known as "Strike", is the first of the Numbers technique line. Working with their Zanpakuto Spirit, the Shinigami manifests an aura around their Zanpakuto, a ghostly, translucent aura that flickers and fades in and out. This lasts for five posts, and grants the Zanpakuto a special power for the duration of the technique. For the duration of the technique, either the striking speed doubles, or the striking strength doubles.

Additionally, while using this technique, the user is able to perceive their Spirit holding the Zanpakuto with the user, as a faded out image. No one else can perceive their Spirit, unless they have the required Energy Sensory to normally see one. Essentially, the Spirit wields the blade along with the technique user.

How to Use: Communicate with Spirit, work in tandem with it.

Incantation: N/A.

Drawbacks: Class Four Reiatsu cost. Depending on the Spirit, the relationship they have with their wielder, and their nature, the spirit in question may not choose to lend aid to the wielder. Physical and spiritual fatigue if they do help. Damage to the users arms, due to either the increased speed or increased strength, in the form of strained or sprained muscles, as well as possible overextending. Mastery of this technique lessens the damage done, as well as overextending, due to the user knowing how much strength/speed they have and are able to handle.

Made By: Taien Hadohou.

Reserved?: No.

[Camila Adaronde]

As she proceeded to close the distance, looking to pierce her blade into the man's internals, she was met with quite the interesting situation; not only had he parried her first two blows, but it was safe to assume he was going to do the same for the third and fourth. While she hadn't the analytical skills to determine an alteration, it was an incredibly safe option, given her ability to process the information in front of her, to bank on a likely outcome.

As Zeich's own hand went toward hers, the girl swiped hers across her face; given the speed differential, she'd be able to pull such a maneuver off without worrying about being caught off-guard normally. As her own reishi began to coalesce around her face, forming into a chitinous mask within a speck of a moment. While it wasn't going to be quite enough to protect her from the Speed coming her way, she wasn't donning the mask to clear the distance, rather provide a level of defense for herself to stay on guard against her opponent. Thankfully, it was to come with unanticipated consequences.

As Zeich's blade had exploded in speed, surpassing the speed of her previous attacks, the girl made little attempt to avoid the blade; she likely wasn't going to clear out of the way, even with her boosted capabilities. Instead however, as the Vizard slammed against her with his blade, it wasn't her that was going to be taking the damage. Instead, due to the now-explosive difference in spiritual capabilities, Zeich's arms were likely to be shredded from the force of cutback.

Assuming he took the time to still put some distance between the two, Camila made no effort in moving out of the way. Instead, she'd simply point her finger toward the Vizard, a bit of reiatsu being charged into her fingertip. "S'at so?" She scoffed, her cyan reiatsu spiraling around into a small orb, "tell me, 'Wolf', when a predator is left on death's door, who's to clean up the mess? I'll give you a hint; it's the carrion birds." As her words finished, the distinct rumbling of the impending attack finished.

"Cero."

As she spoke the name of the technique, a massive blast of spiritual energy exploded outward down into the alleyway, incinerating and shredding through buildings in the process. If he hadn't decided to clear out of the way, Zeich was likely to be coated in quite a number of burns. While she telegraphed the attack, that was far from her only strategy here; the attack was by no means overwhelmingly powerful. The spiritual expenditure for the technique wasn't even worthwhile. No, this was nothing more than a decoy, looking to clear the Vizard into a better position. That, and an excuse to vent off some steam after his own provocations.

Mask Duration: 1/6

SPOILER: Click to show

{Masked Stats}
Type: Soldier, Version 2

Strength: 100 [100] [200]
Speed: 400 [600] [1,200]
Reiatsu Strength: 400 [200] [400]
Spiritual Pressure: 400 [1,000] [2,000]
Instinct: 300 [300] [600]
Senses: 100 [100] [200]
Energy Sensory: 0 [0]
Healing Expertise: 0 [0]

Light Aura: 0
Dark Aura: 100
----------

Stealth: 4
Weapons - Shadows: 3
Strength of Will: 3
Pain Tolerance: 4
Acrobatics: 1

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiatsu Pool: 9,750/20,000}
-150 for Vizard's Cero - Class 4.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Vizard's Cero}
Technique Name: Vizard’s Cero

Class: 4-2 - 40 TTP to Learn, 80 TTP to Proficient, 180 TTP to Master.

Technique Type: Vizard Technique.

Usable By: Vizard.

Technique Element: N/A.

Technique Cost: 150, 250, 400 Reiatsu.

Description: A frequent ability among Hollows and Arrancar is Cero, a technique which releases a blast of pure spiritual energy with deadly explosive force. Bearing the power of a Hollow themselves, Vizards can learn a similar ability, though theirs is augmented further by combining both their spiritual energy with their Inner Hollow’s. The result is a deadly technique far more powerful than that of an average Cero, allowing a Vizard to strike a devastating blow against their foes.

At Learned, this is a basic Class 4 Cero, albeit with a Shinigami’s energy signature rather than a Hollow’s for those who are sensitive enough to discern the two. It is at Proficient that this technique becomes more potent: not only does the technique evolve to now be Class 3, but it also gains an automatic 50% bonus to the Reiatsu Strength of the technique if used without the Vizard Mask active. Additionally, traces of both Hollow and Shinigami energy are present in the technique. Finally, at Mastered, this technique becomes Class 2, and is given a 100% boost to the Reiatsu Strength of the technique when used without the mask, giving it the same power as when a Vizard’s Mask is worn.

How to Use: Gather energy and release from a palm. As this technique grows stronger, Hollow energy is added into the technique, making it more powerful.

Incantation: N/A.

Drawbacks: While this technique becomes more powerful with increased mastery, it also becomes more expensive, expending more energy for its increase in force. Initially, the Vizard’s Cero costs 150 Reiatsu, and the cost increases to 250 Reiatsu at Class 3. At Class 2, it increases to 400 Reiatsu per use.

[Zeich Yajuu]

Damn…! That was… unexpected.

Zeich’s initial response had been fluid and effective. His blade had caught every one of the strikes from Camila’s tanto with perfect precision, and had kept those lightning-fast attacks from getting anywhere close to him. His counterattack had been executed perfectly as well, halting her final strike and forcing an opening in which he could strike out with his own sword, intending to slice across her abdomen and deal a fatal blow. It was an ugly kill, one that was slow and painful due to the lack of striking vital organs, but with the way the other Vizard had been striking, her torso was a perfectly open target. Logically, based on all of the information that Zeich knew about the woman, it was an efficient method that should have left her in a critical position, tilting the battle in his favor.

That was before the unexpected happened. As Zeich’s arm came up in a quick maneuver to thrust Camila’s arm away and leave her open, he found his motion halted, and pain ripped through his arm. No, not just one of his arms, both of them. Flesh tore in explosive bursts as the clash of spiritual pressure called cutback ripped through his limbs, the force and impact reverberating through his limbs as it cascaded through him in a surprising backlash. He could feel the muscles rip and the bones creak, pain lancing through him. Camila’s arm would still stopped, blocking her final strike simply due to the momentum of his strike, but her arm would be unharmed and simply moved rather than suffer the impact of Zeich’s strike. This in turn also had him halt his sword swing, the weapon falling from his fingers as the effects of cutback damaged the joints and left them nearly paralyzed.

It truly was unexpected; among the many opponents Zeich had encountered, the depth of his spiritual pressure was usually unmatched, with the sheer amount of his Reiatsu allowing him to counteract most foes and inflict cutback on them. In all his time fighting, he had never been the one to suffer its effects. And the disproportionate nature of the damage meant that it wasn’t a small difference, either; Zeich estimated that he had struck against an opponent whose spiritual pressure was at least double his own. The sheer difference was staggering. Either his opponent was someone whose reserves were completely beyond any expectations or…

Zeich could guess what had actually happened, and it was confirmed as even his dull spiritual senses picked up the charging of Reiatsu a short distance away. A Vizard’s Cero, he guessed from past experiences, and a technique he had never been able to properly utilize due to the weaker strength of his Reiatsu. A technique that, while it could be used without, was best utilized with the Vizard’s mask in order to draw out its full strength. And with the Vizard mask came a great deal of additional power, enhancing one’s physical, spiritual, and sensory abilities to a supernatural—even for those of the spiritual worlds—level. An already impressive foe had become even more deadly, and Zeich began to wonder if this would be the end for him.

None of this showed on his face, however, not the pain nor the fear. He was in a state of forced calm at this point, his expression blank and his eyes flat. Though his arms were limp at his sides—he felt he might be able to make them move to a very minor degree at the cost of more permanent damage, but they were all but useless at this point—and blood trickled down from the tips of his fingers, he did not waver. His will was steel, and despite his injuries, he stood tall, refusing to bow to pain or disability. If he could not win with direct force, then he would have to take another path to victory.

“...Bankai, Kage-no-Tsukinoaruji.”

Like a grenade going off near her feet, Camila would find Zeich’s Zanpaktou seemingly exploding. Gray ash scattered everywhere in a wave, and even with her speed, she’d likely be able to avoid the splash of gray that spread and expanded rapidly over an entire mile’s radius. Yet its Release did nothing to harm her as the color drained out of everything around her. Slowly everything became that vast, empty gray. Everything except the combatants, that was. Both Camila and Zeich remained unchanged, untouched by the effects of his Bankai as it stained the world around them. Anyone who knew the former Shinigami’s Bankai would probably see the lack of change to be a worrying sign, but Camila would have no way of knowing her advantage, one that Zeich could sense already.

Though he couldn’t sense a location to ping an enemy by their conversion, Zeich could get a small grasp on the level of conversion by his control over it. If he could take control over any portion of his opponent, then he had drained at least a quarter of their Reiatsu. From there, it only got easier, especially once he was able to start draining the Reiatsu from his foes and weaken them further. Unfortunately, he could sense nothing from Camila; that indicated that she was at least twice as powerful as he was now, something he had suspected but now confirmed. That meant that he could not simply coat her in ash, not as he was now, and that he would have to take another approach to this fight.

But before that, he had to deal with another threat: the Cero that was being charged. Even as it fired, the street beneath them suddenly seemed to hump upwards, forming a large hill that stood between the two of them. With everything in the area now converted into gray and able to be manipulated into an ashen form, Zeich had simply willed the street upwards and used it as a barrier to block the attack. The speed of the attack had been too quick to block it in close proximity to Camila, so Zeich couldn’t turn the explosive force of her own attack against her, but it seemed the woman’s spiritual strength wasn’t nearly as powerful as her spiritual pressure, as the hill formed between them absorbed the shock without breaking, only quivering in place before sinking down into its original position as if it had never been altered.

With the other Vizard’s attack stopped in its tracks, Zeich took the opportunity to go on the offensive. No motions were made, but the two buildings next to her would have the walls crash into her from either side. Zeich left enough of each wall to keep it from tumbling over, but that was still a massive amount of ash that would crash down on Camila. Once more, however, it did not seem to have an immediate effect if she just moved through it aside from clinging to her clothing and body. It was ash, powdery and fine, and had next to no mass to it even in such large quantities. It wouldn’t crush her. It did, however, exist in the entire area around her, surrounding her from all sides if she did not avoid the initial crash.

Of course, dodging would not prove as easy as simply stepping backwards, as Zeich had willed the floor behind Camila to rise up into the air rapidly as well. A step backwards would have her crashing through a different wall of ash, one she wouldn’t be able to sense at all given the special property of Tsukikage’s ash: suppressive in nature, it even suppressed its own signature, preventing even the barest traces of spiritual presence from one’s ability to sense it. Odds were, if she tried to dodge, she’d move through the wall of ash and have it coat her, just as if she had allowed it to crash down on her from either side. Once more, there would be no immediate harm; the ash wouldn’t slice through her, or poison her, or corrode, or explode. It simply clung tenaciously to every surface it touched, and remained there, unable to even be brushed off.

But while there was no immediate effect, there was a delayed one; if the other Vizard found herself covered in Zeich’s ash, she’d find her Reiatsu being sapped away as the ash drained it to maintain its grip on her body. If she crashed through the wall, Camila would find herself losing a whopping 600 Reiatsu per post, and her entire body would be saturated with hurt, needles of pain digging into any part of the body that the ash coated. It did no actual damage to the body, merely set off the nerves repeatedly as Reiatsu was violently drawn out to support the ash, but for most people it would be highly distracting. In a fight between two individuals on their level, a moment of loss in concentration could be fatal. Finally, that ash also served as a barrier between the Reiatsu in Camila’s body and its release into the world in the form of techniques: with her entire body coated, Camila could potentially see the cost of her techniques increased by 60%, draining her reserves even more quickly. Attrition and absorption were Zeich’s main method of combat, and thanks to his ash being present everywhere within a mile radius, he could continuously bury her in waves of it. He could win, as long as he was patient. Time was on his side.

“No, Camila; when a predator finds himself on death’s door, he fights all the harder, and tears apart any vulture who tries to draw close.”

Remaining Reiatsu: 7600/8000 (-200 for Bankai)

Bankai: 1/12

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shikai Effect Carried Over to Bankai}The first effect of the ash is immediately noticeable in that it causes pain. It is equivalent to having hundreds of needles jabbed into one’s flesh continuously wherever the ash coats a major region (see below); this part ignores a single tier of Pain Tolerance, meaning that without multiple points in this skill, it cannot be ignore or resisted, meaning that it is almost impossible to concentrate as long as the ash is coating one’s body. The constant pain will eat at one’s focus, meaning that interruptions are frequent and easy, ruining a number of strategic or charged-up techniques. Zeich is also immune to the pain effects of his own Zanpaktou, though he cannot extend this same protection to anyone else. However, this is not the major effect of Haiiro, merely a harbinger of what is to come.

When an enemy is coated in Tsukikage’s ash, their Reiatsu is slowly depleted. For every major section of their body covered, the victim loses 100 Reiatsu per post. This means that the more of one’s body that is covered in ash, the more Reiatsu is absorbed by the ash to keep itself in place. It also has the effect of making Reiatsu harder to use; for every major section of the body covered, all techniques cost 10% more Reiatsu to use. As the ash continues to coat an opponent, not only does burn through their Reiatsu by consuming it, but also causes the opponent to use up their spiritual power more quickly as they try to fight through the layer of ash. There is enough ash to coat up to five major areas, but only a single area can be coated per post, and atop that, for every technique active during Shikai, the number of major areas is reduced by one. An opponent can disperse the ash from their entire body by using 200 Reiatsu to break its grip on their spiritual energy.

When major parts of the body are mentioned, it refers to certain areas being covered at least halfway by ash. These parts include limbs, the torso, and the head; each limb counts individually towards the total, so if all four limbs are covered, that's a loss of 400 Reiatsu per post along with a 40% increase in Reiatsu costs. Hands and feet do not count towards these, as they are considered generally too small to be enough to block Reiatsu output; otherwise, most of the body is vulnerable to being a point in which Tsukikage's ash can drain and hinder the foe's Reiatsu flow.

Additionally, as the ash's ability is suppressive in nature, the substance itself exudes no spiritual presence. It traps, binds, and suppresses spiritual energy, including its own, preventing energy sensory from ever detecting it. This does work both ways, however; as it cannot be sensed, if it coats a target completely, that target's spiritual presence completely disappears, suppressed and hidden from any form of energy sensory. Though their Reiatsu may be slowly depleted and their costs may go up, a target coated in Tsukikage's ash has the advantage of vanishing spiritually, which can be turned against Zeich by one who knows how to take advantage of such a situation.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Bankai Effect}
In this zone, the world that is generally known ceases to exist. Everything touched by the ash, and converted to gray, is now a weapon. Buildings can be broken down into even larger stores of ash, manipulated and twisted into an even greater arsenal for Zeich to draw upon, while streets and even the earth itself becomes ash. Anything within this zone is now a part of the Vizard’s Zanpaktou, and can be used in any way he’d normally use his ash. This multiplies his potential a hundredfold, giving him control over every aspect of the environment around him and those he fights. His old Bankai’s form was formidable enough with its quantity of ash; what is an entire mile’s worth of that like? And worse, each post after Kage-no-Tsukinoaruji is activated, the range for Zeich’s Zanpaktou increases by 10%, causing its radius to grow larger and larger by the moment.

The only exception to this Bankai’s effects is any opponent with their own separate Reiatsu pool and their personal effects, such as their weapons, their clothing, etc. Creatures conjured via abilities, even Release abilities, that do not have their own individual Reiatsu pool are not immune, but are more difficult to convert. As long as Zeich’s offensive stat is greater than his foes, he can gradually begin to convert summoned creatures and abilities over time. Class 0 and 1 techniques are immune to his Bankai’s effects, but starting at Class 2, it is simply a matter of time. Five posts are required to fully convert a Class 2 technique, and for each Class a technique is below that, the number of posts is decreased by one (i.e. Class 3 takes four posts, Class 4 takes three posts, etc).

However, this does not leave others untouched as the ashen gray closes in, suffusing everything about them. Only the Reiatsu that others, even Zeich’s allies, possess keeps them from being converted, and even that is not an inexhaustible shield that wanes as the battle progresses. As those who exist within the gray world, Zeich excluded, continue to use their Reiatsu, they find that it has an effect on them. As their reserves deplete, their body begins to take on the same shade of gray that coats the rest of the world. It starts with the arms and any clothing or equipment covering them, gradually spreading until the entire limb is taken; once the opponent is down to 75% of their maximum Reiatsu, one arm is fully converted, and at 60%, another is converted. At 50%, one leg shifts to gray, and at 40% another does. Finally, at 20%, the torso loses its color, and when all Reiatsu is completely lost, the victim and all of their possessions are without color, and are fully lost to the power of Gray World. Naturally, those who have used Reiatsu prior to entering the Gray World will have portions of their body instantly converted, depending on Reiatsu usage thus far.

Once an area is fully converted into gray, it is treated like any other part of the Gray World and is fully able to be manipulated. This means that limbs can be broken down, or transformed into bladed weapons to impale their owners, and that the more Reiatsu they use, the more of their body becomes a weapon to use against them. Battles against Zeich’s Bankai must be sure and swift, or time will lead to his advantage and certain victory.

Of course, this effect is not without resistance, and those who possess enough strength can keep themselves apart from Kage-no-Tsukinoaruji’s power. Anyone who possesses a superior offensive stat to Zeich’s Spiritual Pressure can prevent Zeich from using an area of their body that has converted completely to gray by paying a small amount of Reiatsu, a mere 100 Reiatsu per post for a single area. The downside, of course, is that in doing so, they only delay the inevitable as more of their body is converted to gray. Finally, those with an offensive stat equal to double Zeich’s or higher are immune to this effect, regardless of their current Reiatsu amounts.

[Camila Adaronde]

"...Bankai, Kage-no-Tsukinoaruji."

Those were the words that immediately let the girl know that taking this fight seriously was going to be the name of the game. There was no option for the girl to slouch around, and she was going to have to make that known here; she was the predator here. She was going to prove victorious, even as Zeich's own Zanpakutō exploded outward into a messy field of gray. One that remained quite expansive, and quite annoying; something she'd have to resolve sooner rather than later.

As her own Cero fired out, being intercepted by massive chunks of building that had been practically uprooted, Camila scoffed. This was by no means the first time she'd dealt with a free-manipulation ability like this before; Nakajima Kimiko, Nuala Byrne, even that damned Guujin Karai all had abilities not unlike this mess, but not to this magnitude. It was an entirely new ballpark for her; one that she couldn't wait to rid the streets of.

As the effort to slam the girl into tremendous amounts of ash was made, Camila made absolutely no effort to get out of the way. She was going to show that, under every circumstance, she was under control of how this fight was going to go. Even as her own Reiryoku had been siphoned out of her body, she simply stood there, unfazed. Her tolerance for pain had long-since been broken from her time down in the pits of hell. Even constant pinpricks like this was nothing to her. Instead, she prepared to unleash a hell of her own.

"Bankai; Hikurogami Shin'en."

As her own words finished, dissolving her own Zanpakutō into an almost liquid, shadowy form, Camila watched as an expansive zone of black encompassed the ground beneath the both of their feet, not unlike Zeich's own ash. Though, hers stood impermeable, simply due to the raw spiritual difference between both combatants. Within the same span of time, a thousand-foot zone of inky blackness centered on the Vizard girl spread across the battlefield. An inky blackness that quickly coated the girl, as well. "You want to talk about a predator on death's door? We can certainly make that happen, dog."

As she finished speaking, the shadows both coating the girl, and underneath the both of their feet began to distort and spiral, before opening up like a vortex. Within a few short moments, the ash that had once covered the girl, and that which permeated around that zone her shadow covered, was to be quickly sucked into the shadowy world that existed on the other side of the vortex. Within a few short moments, due to the spiritual differential between both fighters, the air in the immediate vicinity would be cleared. Interestingly enough however, Zeich himself, nor Camila would find themselves sucked into the vortex.

Despite this, she'd still been forced to expend more than otherwise necessary from her own spiritual pool. Thankfully, she could draw on the Reishi that still existed in the air, in order to help sustain the use of her Hollow Mask. Summoning forth two Uchigatana, each at three feet long to serve as her Zanpakutō, the girl pointed the blades down toward the ground. She squinted her eyes.

"I have fucking had it with you manipulation-type users. You wanna survive this fight alive, Yajuu? Then quit hiding, and come fight me." With the end of her words, her own reiatsu began to flare outward, rather violently. Even if she hadn't been actively utilizing an attack, it would've likely been apparent that something bad was to happen if he hadn't played into her schemes.

Bankai: 1/10
Hollow Mask: 1/6 - 1 post restored.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiatsu Pool: 7,370/20,000}
-300 for Bankai.
-600 from Zeichdrain^TM.
-800 for Yami no Sekai, w/ increased cost.
-240 for Kagegakure, w/ increased cost.
-240 for Kurozu, w/ increased cost.
-200 for Hollow Wraith's Nectar.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shadows: 1,000/1,006 ft.}
-3 ft. - Camila's Shadow - Uchigatana.
-3 ft. - Camila's Shadow - Uchigatana.
1,000 ft. - Kurozu.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shikai Overall Ability: Hikage Kubomi (lit. 'Hole Shadow')}

The theme of Hikage Kubomi is the manipulation of shadows, their shapes, and their characteristic properties. Hikage Kubomi specializes in the physical characteristics; making a shadow more tangible, from an observable phenomena to a graspable one. When its release name is called, Camila drops her blade into her shadow which immediately becomes wispy or liquid like in nature, swallowing the blade entirely. From there, the shadow becomes darker and becomes a semi fluid and solid mass that Camila may shape into any form of her choosing so long as the weapon in question matches the dimensions or shape of Camila. For instance, if Camila were 6’0”, she may make a weapon of similar length or width. Camila may freely change the shape of her Shikai once per post, or may pay 100 reiatsu to do so more than once. Changing the shapes of shadows she manipulates is costless. While Camila has her release active, she is shadowless and do not cast one under any light sources.

The true power of Hikage Kubomi is the ability to make any shadow of which Camila touches into a physical and tangible object. A shadow is physically indestructible. While it can be stretched or distorted, it cannot be destroyed. Camila may turn any shadow she or her weapon touches into a viable weapon for techniques and by paying 50 reiatsu may rip the shadow from the object and incorporate it into her release. If the object the shadow comes from is destroyed, the shadow itself is lost and returns to the destroyed vessel. Shadows that are incorporated into Hikage Kubomi are stored within themselves but do not stretch as a normal shadow would; that is to say, there is no indication of how much shadow the girl currently possesses. Those looking to manipulate the shadows that Camila possesses require a superior spiritual Offensive Stat to Camila’s own.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Bankai Overall Ability: Hikurogami Shin'en (lit. 'Dark Reflection Abyss')}

Whereas Hikage Kubomi focused on the more physical manipulation and characteristics of shadows, Hikurogami Shin’en instead focuses on the spiritual connection or concept of a shadow, darkness, and how it binds to the individual. A shadow is a reflection, a mirror, and an extension of oneself; and all things in this world that is physical casts one under the right conditions. Only in darkness does the individual and shadow become one. When utilizing Bankai, Camila’s release does not seemingly change much. However, it adds one major component to her release. When Cami strikes upon the shadow of anything, whether it be object or not, it damages the thing it is attached to. Considering in release, Cami is “shadowless”, she conveniently becomes immune to this effect. Manipulating Camila’s shadows requires a spiritual Offensive Stat thrice her own.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Yami no Sekai (lit. 'World of Darkness')}

Technique Name: Yami no Sekai (lit. 'World of Darkness')

Technique Stages: Bankai.

Technique Cost: 500 Reiatsu to activate, 300/post to maintain.

Description: Camila’s ultimate technique, and one befitting of her Bankai. Yami no Sekai causes an expansive amount of shadow to emerge from the girl, quickly covering a five-hundred foot radius around the girl, and covering the landscape in expansive darkness. Terrain becomes difficult to make out, and the world itself serves as a conduit for Camila’s release. When looking to strike against this shadow through Hikurogami Shin’en’s Overall Ability, instead of precise attacks this simply results in non-specific, nonlethal but serious injuries.

Drawbacks: Quite expensive. Does nothing on its own, requiring use of Camila's other techniques and thus requiring more Reiatsu expenditure.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Kagegakure (lit. 'Hiding in the Shadows')}

Technique Name: Kagegakure (lit. 'Hiding in the Shadows')

Technique Stages: Shikai / Bankai.

Technique Cost: 150 Reiatsu.

Description: Camila is capable of increasing a shadow’s saturation and ability to absorb light, in turn to prevent light’s reflection. Essentially, this means Camila, so long as she is standing within the same shadow are completely invisible to the naked eye so long as she is within the shadow’s stretch for the duration of the release, or until the shadow itself is compromised; this similarly protects against Energy Sensory while she remains within the affected shadow, provided those looking for her don't have the requisite skills to find her. For instance, if she were hiding within the shadow of a tall-standing wall, if the wall itself were destroyed, Camila would once again be visible. However, if using a large stretch of Hikage Kubomi, Camila is capable of creating a large field where she may become selectively invisible, but the field is clearly defined as the shadow present largely defies natural laws.

Drawbacks: If foes have a semblance on where Camila might be, or a penchant for collateral damage, this technique is minimally effective. Only affects one stretch of shadow at a time, for each time the cost is paid. Projectile attacks fired while Camila is hidden does not reveal the girl, but her attacks do not get the same 'invisible' property. Utilizing this technique comes with an obvious tell; generally, Camila herself sinks into the shadows, as this invisibility occurs quickly, but in parts. It's obvious as to what is going on when she activates this technique.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Kurozu (lit. 'Vortex')}

Technique Name: Kurozu (lit. 'Vortex')

Technique Stages: Bankai.

Technique Cost: 50 Reiatsu for transport, 150/post for defensive purposes.

Description: Darkness where there is an inescapable gravity of which not even light can escape. By applying this spiritual concept towards the shadow or shadows underneath Camila’s control, every shadow surface becomes like a sea or void of which all objects within its depth will sink. If swallowed within the shadow vortex, they will feel a subsequent force pulling them downwards equal to Camila's Spiritual Pressure. When the technique is undone, any objects sucked into the shadow is gone into the void, or rather ceases to exist within the material plane; more accurately, they are sucked into a pseudo-dimension that is similar to Garganta or the Vandenreich’s Schatten, and might even exist within it’s infinite space. Because of the nature of this technique, it does not “clash” with most forms of attack, but instead acts as a gateway. This technique also allows the girl to slip in-between shadows as she desires in order to maneuver, both in and out of a fight.

When Camila wraps her own shadow around her body like a cloak, and is attacked, it may seem as if attacks are phasing into her or phasing out of existence; when in reality it is the manipulation of the shadow’s surface that makes it seem so. If fully encircling the girl; it looks as if one is staring into an infinite black vortex, hence this technique's name. Because of the nature of the vortex’s pull, it draws attacks that touch it inwards towards the cloak. Meaning if one thrusts a blade into the vortex, it does not necessarily mean they will be able to pull it out. Those unfortunate enough to fall into Kurozu are left in a world similar to a Valley of Screams. Each post they remain here, 5% of their maximum Reiatsu is siphoned each post, given to Camila. Those that spend more than a post in this world, while Camila is not present and/or actively fighting them will be spit out, though will return with nonspecific, nonlethal slashes across their body, as the shadows attack them on the way out.

Drawbacks: Those with Strength greater than the girl's Spiritual Pressure will not be hindered from this technique's pull. Teleportation techniques cost 50% more, but are a viable means of escaping Kurozu without issue. If an object is pulled into its own shadow, the shadow goes with it.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Hollow Wraith's Nectar}

Technique Name: Hollow Wraith’s Nectar

Class: 3 - 80 TTP for Proficient/Mastered, Learned automatically. Does not take a Technique Slot.

Technique Type: Hollow Wraith Technique.

Usable By: Hollow Wraiths.

Technique Element: N/A.

Technique Cost: 400 Reiatsu/post.

Description: A Hollow Wraith has experience in draining energy and life from their host, and they can use this knowledge in battle to further reinforce their strength and combat capabilities. By stealing the spiritual and physical energy of their foes, they are able to convert that excess power into a longer duration for their Wraith’s Façade. This allows a Hollow Wraith to further convert that mask energy into greater stats or more powerful techniques, depending on how they use it. This technique has two forms, one for draining physical energy, and one for devouring Reiatsu. The user must choose which of these forms is being used upon activation of this technique.

In its first form, the Hollow Wraith must make physical contact with their enemy and remain in contact for at least the duration of a post. For each full post in which they successfully do so, the Hollow Wraith will drain physical energy from their foe, reducing the target’s Strength and Speed by 10% for each post in which they are being siphoned. In turn, the Hollow Wraith can regain a post of mask usage by feeding on that energy, restoring their own reserves.

The second form can be used in any area that has been saturated in loose Reiatsu through the use of techniques and abilities. When this technique is activated, if at least 500 Reiatsu aside from Hollow Wraith’s Nectar has been spent between combatants since the user’s last post, the user can then take in and absorb the loose energy particles left in the air, drawing them into their body and converting them into further energy. This allows the Hollow Wraith to restore a post of their mask usage. Even better, if at least 1000 Reiatsu has been spent in this time, part of that spiritual energy can go towards compensating for the cost of this technique, reducing the cost of this technique by half.

How to Use: Absorb energy through contact or through absorption of loose Reiatsu, and convert it into energy that can restore mask duration.

Drawbacks: To begin with, this technique is expensive at Class 3, costing 400 Reiatsu per post it is active. Additionally, this technique cannot push the user’s remaining mask posts above six – the energy can only restore depleted posts, but cannot push the user above their limit to store for a more difficult fight by draining weaker enemies. Additionally, this can restore no more than a total of six posts in a single thread without a long resting period. Finally, this technique cannot be used at all if the user’s mask posts are already reduced to zero, as there needs to be a foundation upon which to convert the energy.

[Zeich Yajuu]

Zeich found himself surprised yet again, this time as Camila refused to move out of the way of the ash that was cascading down around her. The sheer amount of it, binding itself to her skin and clothing, was enough to siphon out massive amounts of her Reiatsu. Atop that, the amount of it would block the channels with which her Reiatsu left her body, forcing her to spend exorbitantly higher amounts just to force her techniques to the fore. In any other fight, it would be a horribly crippling effect to inflict on a foe, and leave them with fewer and fewer resources to fight back with. Not against this woman, though; Camila possessed enough spiritual reserves that she could easily afford to spend all that extra and still walk out with plenty remaining. While in the long run such reckless acts would play into Zeich’s favor, he had no guarantee that he had a long run to reach for.

Worse, his Bankai encouraged the other Vizard to activate hers, though Zeich’s blindness was a detriment here; he was unable to tell what it was that the woman’s ability did. He didn’t want to risk calling out Haiiro or Tsukikage to provide sight for him, not when it put them in harm’s way. To have either of them destroyed would tear at his spirit and make his own Zanpaktou useless, something he couldn’t afford to take a chance on. Maybe later their aid would be necessary, but for now, Zeich thought it best to simply play defensively and back off. It would be a poor decision to keep within the opponent’s range, especially with an unknown attack on the way.

Despite his lack of sight, Zeich was not without resource or information. For one thing, the entire area was filled with his ash, even down to the particles in the air. Granted, anything that wasn’t in a solid form wasn’t nearly condensed enough to use as a weapon or even as a means of draining the opponent’s Reiatsu, but it did give him an awareness of everything within his Bankai. Anything that disturbed any part of it would register, and he could piece things together from there. For one thing, Camila had raised some sort of defense around herself in a large area, absorbing his ash and leaving herself clean, no longer at the mercy of his Bankai’s draining effects. To Zeich’s senses, there was a massive hole in his awareness, marking the range of Camila’s power. Within that zone, she was the dominant power.

Still, Zeich could push his ash closer after the initial absorption, and while he couldn’t take control of the zone, his reach could extend within Camila’s personal space. Oh, there was certainly a line of demarcation where the gray simply ceased, even in the air; a splash of color that would no doubt mark to Camila’s eyes how far her power could completely neutralize his. His ash could draw close, but not too much so. Right at the ground, or touching her body, it was absolutely nullified. The moment ash touched her or the ground, it just disappeared. Therefore there was something within her area of influence that permeated the ground. Zeich wasn’t sure why he wasn’t being affected by it, but he knew it was best to be safe and avoid it while he gathered information.

Fortunately, the Vizard was able to travel immense distances within the range of his Zanpaktou, though it would prevent him from attacking while doing so. It was a stalling tactic, and one he would only use in short bursts. A Shunpo upwards would have Zeich far above the ground and hopefully out of range of whatever ground-based technique Camila had used. Immediately, his body seemed to break apart and dissolve, starting from the fingers and spreading up his limbs. Kaijin Kasumi, the Ash Mist, allowed him to dissolve himself into the ash that made up his Bankai. It wasn’t that his body became a specific portion that could move around within the area, but rather, that the entire area was him. Any part of it could be used to reform Zeich’s body at a location of his choosing, and those choices were growing with each minute as his Zanpaktou’s power spread further and further. With a mile radius, he had an enormous amount of space to move around in.

Of course, doing so would be tricky with the woman’s speed, and so even as Zeich had prepared himself to leap, he had called on the ash from the buildings around him to explode into a dense cloud around him, hiding him in the cascade of powder. There was still an area where he could initially be seen, having been within the area of whatever ability Camila had used, but it was a split second before he moved out of it, and, with the speed of a step technique and his talents with stealth, he would be able to disappear within it long enough to break his body down with ash and disappear into his Bankai’s range. It was a cowardly tactic to most, but to Zeich, it was a prudent one; facing Camila head-to-head without being able to determine what she was using against him would likely prove fatal to him.

In the end, he was stalling, and both combatants likely knew it. The one weakness to a Vizard’s mask was its duration; one could only hold it for so long over a long period before control started to slip away. With training and practice, that duration was much longer, but still finite. Zeich knew that if he could keep away long enough to run down Camila’s mask duration or even just cause her to drop it long enough to be under the influence of his Bankai’s conversion abilities, he could turn things around. Still, he had no idea what the woman would do; it would be best to stay on his guard as much as possible. Staying on the defensive was a necessity.

Remaining Reiatsu: 7450/8000 (-100 for Kaijin Kasumi, -50 for Shunpo)

Bankai: 2/12

SPOILER: Click to show

{Kaijin Kasumi}Kaijin Kasumi (Ash Mist) – The first of Zeich’s Bankai techniques, Kaijin Kasumi allows the Shinigami to make use of his cloud of ash by actually dissolving his body and weapons into it. A nearly impenetrable defensive technique, this ability allows him to avoid harm as long as he is in an ashen form, short of widespread attacks that can remove the entire cloud of ash. Otherwise, he is literally untouchable; as long as enough ash remains to compose his figure, he cannot take any severe amount of damage. Atop that, Zeich is able to reform only part of his body from the ash at any time he chooses and at any place within the cloud of ash, meaning that he could appear from anywhere. Complete dissolution and reformation are both fast processes, taking no more than five seconds for either. Partial dissolution and reformation take no more than two seconds for a single individual limb.

The weakness to Kaijin Kasumi is that it forces Zeich into a completely defensive battle; as long as he is dissolved into the ash, he cannot attack. To attack, he must reform the entirety of a limb that is used to attack, even with a weapon; for example, if he chose to attack with his sword, both the sword and the entire arm used to swing the weapon must be reformed, meaning that Zeich is vulnerable during attack even with this technique. Kaijin Kasumi’s main purpose is to avoid attack as well as provide a tactical advantage of being able to attack from any direction. This technique also costs 100 Reiatsu per post to keep hidden; should the cost not be paid, Zeich will instantly reform, though at a location of his choice.

However, the technique also has a more sinister use when turned to offense. Dissolving himself into ash allows Zeich to avoid an enemy's strikes by making himself so dispersed that it is impossible to create any form of lasting harm on him, but by making physical contact with an enemy, Zeich can instead begin dispersing his opponent's body. Upon making contact with any part of a foe, the Shinigami can infuse his Reiatsu into that person's body and begin dissolving it into ash based on the point of contact. Prolonged contact is not necessary; only the initial touch is required. This dissolution causes no actual harm to the victim's body, much like his own dissolution will not harm Zeich; instead, it's simply converting their form into another shape. However, the trick that makes this technique deadly is that the enemy has no control over their dissolution, and cannot resume their normal form without Zeich willing it. That means should Zeich manage to convert an enemy completely to ash, they will be unable to act unless he re-forms them. And should he end his Bankai at any point, the extra ash that comes with it simply disappears. If an enemy is caught within this technique, lost in the ash... they are lost forever, unable to be recalled even after Bankai is reactivated.

This technique is far harder to use on others though, for a number of reasons. For one thing, the activation alone requires physical contact. Besides that, Zeich's Spiritual Pressure is checked against his opponent's Reiatsu Strength or Spiritual Pressure, whichever is higher, and if the foe is greater, then they can resist the effects of the transformation. Normally, assuming Zeich has superior strength by even a single point, each post under the effects of Kaijin Kasumi would dissolve roughly a fifth of the victim's body spreading from the contact point. Five posts are required to completely dissolve a person. Superior spiritual strength to Zeich increases the number of posts to eight, and 25% higher increases it to ten. Should the foe have 50% higher Reiatsu Strength or Spiritual Presure than Zeich's Spiritual Pressure, this technique will be completely unable to affect them. Foes of superior Class can resist this as well; one Class increases the post requirement to ten posts, and two grants complete immunity.

However conversely, if Zeich has 50% or higher Spiritual Pressure than the opponent's Spiritual Pressure or Reiatsu Strength, whichever is higher, then the number of posts required to dissolve an opponent is reduced to three posts. Superior Class does not grant bonuses, however. For Zeich to keep this technique active and dissolving a foe, he is also required to pay 200 Reiatsu per post that he is dissolving the foe into ash; this means that at a high advantage, it only costs him 600 Reiatsu to completely dissolve a foe. At a high disadvantage, however, it can cost him as much as 2000 Reiatsu to dissolve an enemy of greater strength or Class. Naturally this technique can be canceled partway to leave a foe crippled, as a portion of their body is dissolved into ash and unable to be used.

[Camila Adaronde]

As a large swathe of ash around the girl was quickly pulled into the shadowed vortex surrounding both herself and the ground beneath her feet, she was fully ready to do what she needed in order to push this situation forward, and deal with the fight where necessary. If nothing else, he was proving to be quite the slick fighter, and this Zanpakutō of his was proving to be quite annoying. Something that was only likely to continue if she didn't do something about him being here.

Unfortunately for her, it seemed that he was planning on doing something about that. As she peered through the ashen hell, watching as Zeich's own body was quickly starting to turn into ash, she knew full-well that something had to happen. Her own instinctual capabilities and nigh-overpowering Speed being kicked into overdrive from her masked visage, the girl immediately made her move. Blasting forth at an astounding twelve-thousand Speed toward the dissolving Vizard, and following his movements from her ability to process information alone, the girl was sent toward him on a warpath.

Though, she wasn't looking to strike him. No, quite the opposite; instead of attacking the Vizard, Camila's goal was to collide with him directly, before he finished dissolving into ash. Given the process was going to take multiple seconds, and she was going to clear the area with a distinct afterimage trailing behind her, she had full confidence in her ability to collide with him. Unless his own instinctual capabilities were treated with a similar explosive boost, she had quite a bit of confidence in her ability to catch him.

Assuming she did, he - alongside her, shortly thereafter - were to be brought to a location distinctly separate from Karakura Town. A world of empty, black darkness filling the sky, and cubic bodies of varying heights filling the area around the two. Both were to land on the tallest platform, coated in shadow; much like the rest of the world had been. This fight was further in her control, now. As much as she could hope for, anyway. Surely he still had some way of dealing with her without his arms.

"You sly dog," she started, "you're a Vizard too, aren't you? You should know full-well just how we improve tapping into that utterly intoxicating power provided to us by our Inner Hollows. You can't outrun me. You can't even avoid me in that state you're in now, can you~?" She taunted. Absorbing Reiryoku through the world they were in, Camila continued to refresh her hollow powers.

Piercing the ground beneath her with her Zanpakutō, a seemingly-random, severe though nonlethal stab wound was to appear across Zeich's body. "Put on the mask," she taunted, "if you can even do so without your arms. You can't outlast me in here without it, can you?" She laughed, taking a few steps forward and dragging both blades along the ground. As she did, more wounds were to open across the Vizard's body, notably accompanied by a fair amount of pain.

Bankai: 2/10
Mask Duration: 1/6 - 2 Posts Restored.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiatsu Pool: 6,470/20,000}
-300 for Yami no Sekai per-post cost.
-150 for Kurozu per-post cost.
-50 for Shunpō.
-400 for Hollow Wraith's Nectar.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shadows: 1,000/1,006 ft.}
-3 ft. - Camila's Shadow - Uchigatana.
-3 ft. - Camila's Shadow - Uchigatana.
1,000 ft. - Kurozu.

[Zeich Yajuu]

Camila was not one to let Zeich go so easily. In a normal situation, she wouldn’t have come close to him, not with his analytical ability and rapid response time. In this situation, however, thanks to her speed and sheer reaction time, the other Vizard should have almost certainly been able to connect with him before he could react. But Camila underestimated Zeich’s ability to respond in turn; though he could not easily respond to something as fast as a Shunpo with her mask-empowered speed, he could do so preemptively, especially having understood how the woman fought up until now. Every time she had attacked, it was with powerful and fast lunges, closing the distance in a blink. This was no different, and her predictability gave Zeich an edge.

Even as he was dissolving, the sheer mass of the ashen cloud about him would have made Camila blind to him, especially combined with his decision to move. He had known in advance that the woman would likely charge him, and thus had prepared accordingly, both escaping whatever trap she had left on the ground as well as taking himself out of her line of sight. What he hadn’t anticipated, however, was that she had, in turn, tracked his motion. The other Vizard waited until he had finished his step, and then in that moment, had charged at him. There was only just enough time for him to coalesce the ash in his immediate area to cling to his clothing and the remaining parts of his body before the impact, with Camila slamming into him directly. The impact drove the air out of him, and it was only the fact that the woman was lacking in physical strength that it wasn’t horrendously worse.

In that moment of contact, Zeich felt something… shift. He couldn’t describe what it was, but he felt the air about them change drastically. The sounds of the city disappeared, along with the feeling of wind or the warmth of the sun. Whatever had happened when Camila had struck him, something major had changed. He could still hear the rustle of his clothing as he leapt back after his landing, so his hearing hadn’t been affected, and indeed he could hear all the details of his opponent’s breathing and heartbeat as well. His feet were standing on… something, but whatever it was, it was firm enough to support his weight, and that sensation indicated that touch had not left him either. So, a transportation ability of some kind? Or was it an ability that created a locked area, like an arena separate from the world about them?

It was at that moment that Camila addressed him, taunting him, trying to lure him into using his own Vizard mask. In truth, Zeich was tempted; at this point, he was running out of options. Stalling wouldn’t work as easily, not with whatever Camila had done. He could sense his Zanpaktou’s ash about him, still on his body, and although he had been forced to reform thanks to Camila interrupting him, it had not done him any good. Kaijin Kasumi allowed him to break down and restore his body from the ash, but it also maintained its current status; he could not simply re-create his arms in a healed condition. They remained broken and battered, unable to be used. Zeich could not move his hands to summon his mask, not like he was. His ash could probably be used to puppet his limbs, but it would be a slow and clumsy process, something Camila would easily intercept.

You’re letting this wench get the better of you, boy. Tsukikage’s voice was a growl within the Vizard’s mind. Yet for his scolding tone, there was a hint of curiosity to his words as well. It’s strange, though; I don’t sense a hint of an Inner Hollow within her, not like you and I. She’s got the power alright, but her presence feels… emptier. Less complete. Or maybe ours feels too complete. But there’s something different about her. Something vicious and bloodthirsty. A hunger not too different from my own. And it’s hers; nobody else’s.

She’s a Vizard nonetheless. I might not be able to fight back without accessing my mask at this point. With it, I can—

A sudden jolt of pain slashed through Zeich as a wound opened on his already injured arm, blood spraying from the injury. An attack? No, he could still hear Camila. She was starting to approach, but she hadn’t made a strike. Zeich’s expression remained calm and unflinching despite that, his ability to maintain a level head preventing him from showing the effects of the pain jolting through his limb. Drawing in a slow breath, the Vizard looked up at Camila, his golden eyes seeming to shine even in the darkness of the world they stood in. His stance was straight and defiant despite the obvious disadvantage he was at.

Alright, Tsukikage. Lend me your strength.

Deal. I’ve been itching to draw blood.

Seemingly reaching out from the shadows themselves, two black hands emerged from behind Zeich. Clawed fingertips and furred paws seemed to reach from out of the air as a shape appeared behind the Vizard. Those fingers would intertwine in a net across Zeich’s face, hiding it from view for all of a brief second, and then they pulled away to reveal a bone-white mask that covered the former Shinigami’s face. Even as the Vizard mask settled into place, the shadow finished coalescing behind Zeich, forming a large figure that loomed over him. A pair of golden eyes that belonged to a Hollow sat above a lupine muzzle, the humanoid creature hunched over as paws were pulled away from the Vizard’s face. Easily eight feet or more in height, the monstrosity’s lips drew back in a wide grin, showing dozens of razor-sharp teeth and a vicious desire for Camila’s blood.

The feeling in the air suddenly changed, and even as Tsukikage briefly revealed himself before dissolving back into the shadows, Camila’s sense of Zeich would change drastically. Calm and cold before, he was like fighting a marble statue; nothing marred his expression, even with all the damage she had done to him. That face had been empty of expression, merely observing the world from behind golden eyes. Now, for the first time, a smile creased the Vizard’s lips, and his golden eyes rose up from behind the bone mask to meet hers. Black sclera marked them as a Hollow’s eyes, and they stared into her, almost seeming to look through her, as if they could see all. Zeich’s body language had changed drastically, his rigid stance becoming more loose, more flexible. Instead of standing still, he seemed to sway from foot to foot, shifting his balance with each motion to keep comfortably on his feet.

Spiritual Projection was the technique Zeich had used, and it had allowed him to summon Tsukikage briefly in order to call forth his mask. The Hollow, being a part of Zeich’s spirit, could easily serve as a conduit for his own power. But that technique would not have caused the change in the Vizard, not so drastically; it merely allowed one to manifest their spirit in a physical form. No, the technique had just let Tsukikage appear and conjure the Vizard’s mask, and then he had disappeared, the technique ending almost immediately. That was because he was still present in the battlefield, albeit in a different way than before. In that moment where Zeich’s mask had been placed over his face, the two of them, in agreement, changed places for the battle ahead. Where Zeich’s calculations were effective, this particular battle called for Tsukikage’s bloodthirsty nature. Now it was the Hollow that was in charge, in an approved possession of his host’s body.

“Ah, that’s much better...” The voice was still unmistakably Zeich’s, in tone and pitch, but the inflection of each word, the heat behind his statement, was anything but. Tsukikage’s eyes widened and his grin grew larger behind the mask, the Hollow relishing the brief freedom he had been given. “Well, sweetheart, I’m here now, and it’s time to take this a bit more seriously. You see, you’ve been giving my host quite a hard time now, and he’s becoming rather irritated. Didn’t even pause to tag me in. Let me tell you, his anger is… something special. A treat I don’t get to indulge in much.”

The Hollow’s smile could be felt in his words, even if it couldn’t be seen. His Reiatsu was pulsing, throbbing, shifting and twisting. Camila wouldn’t be able to feel it, wouldn’t sense the shift and change of her opponent’s spiritual energy as it grew in quantity, strength converting into raw Reiatsu. “And before you give me any of that shit about him not fighting his own battles, can it. I don’t give a damn about what you do and don’t like about this fight. You want to hunt and kill, rip and maim. You’re a bloodthirsty beast, just like me. You sure you’re not a Hollow, wench? Because you and I… we’re just so compatible!.”

It was a brief moment of willpower, and Camila would likely feel a foreign sensation run through her body, staggering through all four limbs. It was doubtful that she could do anything, not without understanding what it was her opponent had just done. Tsukikage, having converted almost all of his Reiatsu Strength into Spiritual Pressure, suddenly had overtaken her in raw power, something she almost certainly wouldn’t expect him to be able to do. And in that moment, where Tsukikage was the victor in a battle of strength, Camila would find that she no longer had a leg to stand on in this fight—literally.

All four of Camila’s limbs would explode into bladed lengths that would stab inwards from the point at which they were connected, aiming to stab up into her torso. Unless she had been looking at the exact moment that Zeich’s mask had come on, she would have missed the rapid transition of her limbs to gray. The power of the Vizard’s Bankai was such that, given her remaining Reiatsu, she had been unable to shield herself from its effects. More than sixty percent of her maximum capability was left dry, and as a result, each of her four limbs had started to succumb, and even part of her torso was starting to fade to gray. Not enough for Tsukikage to take control, no, but starting with the four limbs was delicious enough. A quick use of Kaijin Ken to turn the ash they had become into blades that thrust into her torso was additionally pleasing, allowing for deadly and devastating strikes in but a brief moment and from an angle one could not anticipate. After all, who would expect one’s own insides to turn into blades and stab into the rest of their body?

Unless Camila could defend, she’d find her organs being skewered from blades stabbing through her body from the inside, formed of the ash that made up the muscle and bone and blood of her limbs. It was a devastating, direct, and devious assault, one that only a vicious beast such as Tsukikage would come up with on the spot. And so the Hollow would smile behind his mask, hoping that there would be yet more blood to spill.

Remaining Reiatsu: 4100/23000 (-600 for Spiritual Projection, -300 for RS → SpPr Conversion, -200 for Kaijin Ken x4, -1150 for Kurozu's drain)

Bankai: 3/12

SPOILER: Click to show

{New Stats}Strength – [(300 x 2)] (600) Points

Speed – [(400 x 2)] (800) Points

Spiritual Pressure – [(575 x 2) x 2] (2300) Points

Reiatsu Strength – [(25 x 0.5) x 2] (25) Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct - [(200 x 1.75) x 2] (700) Points

Senses – [(200 x 2)] (400) Points

Energy sensory - [(100 x 0.60) x 2] (120) Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spiritual Projection}Technique Name: Spiritual Projection

Class: 2

Technique Type: Special Kidou

Technique Description and Effects:
Spiritual Projection is a technique that creates an object that is spiritually connected to the user's zanpakutou. As a result, the durability of this object is nearly the same as the sealed state of the user's zanpakutou and carries the same unique properties as the sealed state. For example, if the sealed state has the unique property of glowing in the dark, then this object will glow in the dark too. Unfortunately, this object does not have a "release" but one can create all sorts of weapons to attack, be it a sword, axe, firearm or even explosive. When this technique is mastered, the user can use this ability to temporarily summon one's zanpakutou spirit. This way, people can interact with the zanpakutou spirit in the real world, which can be kind of cool. The zanpakutou spirit possesses the same exact stats as the user and disappears when the user wills its end or gets killed in the real world.

Drawback:
The more advanced the weapon, the longer it takes and the more difficult it is to create. The user would have to imagine the structure of the object and trace it into reality. It is much easier to trace copies of an object that the user has already seen than to create something from scratch so keep that in mind. For example, if the user has never seen a gun before, it will be nearly impossible to for the user to create one with this technique. Each weapon has a different type of reiatsu cost to create. A knife costs 25 reiatsu. A sword, axe or spear costs 50 reiatsu. A firearm costs 100 reiatsu. A grenade costs 150 reiatsu. A rocket launcher costs 200 reiatsu. A car or vehicle costs 250 reiatsu. A plane or helicopter costs 300 reiatsu. A zanpakutou spirit costs 400 reiatsu. An inner hollow costs 600 reiatsu.

There are drawbacks to projecting a Zanpakutou Spirit or an Inner Hollow. First off, the Inner Hollow only has the same stats as the user, is only accessible to Vizards and will not hesitate to attack the user. It is not the smartest idea. Second of all, Zanpakutou Spirits have their own will, personality and ideals that they follow. In other words, a passive and peaceful Zanpakutou Spirit will not be likely to help the user fight an opponent if he or she disapproves. Some Zanpakutou Spirits are purely social characters, which are only useful in everyday life situations. Lastly, if a summoned Zanpakutou Spirit uses reiatsu, that amount is automatically deducted off of the user's total reiatsu.

When the projected Zanpakutou Spirit is killed in the real world, it will severely impair the the user's Zanpakutou ability. As a result, the user's shikai and bankai duration will be cut in half (i.e. 10 posts will be 5). Also, the user will not be able to re-project the Zanpakutou Spirit is completely restored. Restoration cool down time takes about an hour in game time.

Created By: Shiki Kanzaki

SPOILER: Click to show

{Kaijin Ken}Kaijin Ken (Ash Blade) – Kaijin Ken is one of the few offensive techniques in Zeich’s Zanpaktou, and makes up for the fact that he does not have a weapon at Tsukikage’s activation; the Shinigami can use the ash to form a melee weapon of any shape or type. The weapon can be bladed, can have spikes or blunt force, etc; regardless of the means of attack, the ash provides the shape and definition. The density of the weapon is dependent on the size; if it is the size of a normal katana or roughly that amount, then it is regular spiritual steel and can be broken with offensive power equal to twice Zeich’s Spiritual Pressure as normal. If it is larger than a katana by at least a 25% margin, then the weapon is more fragile and able to be broken with more ease, requiring only superior offensive stat to his Spiritual Pressure. On the other end of the spectrum, a weapon that is smaller by at least a margin of 25% has twice the density, and requires four times Zeich’s Spiritual Pressure to break. Finally, Zeich treats all weapons formed with Kaijin Ken as though he had a 1 in that weapon, due to the technique being guided mentally as much as it is physically as a natural extension of his Zanpaktou's ash. This technique costs 50 Reiatsu per weapon formation or reformation, in the event of breaking.

In Bankai, this technique gains an additional trait. By paying 100 Reiatsu, Zeich can add an extra “point of durability” to his weapons, both those formed from Kaijin Ken and other ones. To do so, he thickens the ash around his weapon, reinforcing the steel and making it sturdier against powerful blows. For each additional point of durability, Zeich’s enhanced weapon can take one additional hit from a powerful source (see above for weapons formed with Kaijin Ken, or 2x Zeich’s Spiritual Pressure for any other spiritual steel weapon) without breaking, even if it normally would. This does not mean he can suddenly defend against any attack; though his weapon may not break, it does not reduce impact, increase his ability to block, or anything else. The weapon only becomes sturdier and more durable.

Finally, when Zeich's Hollow mask is active, one more trait is activated. Though the technique is limited to normal weapons, an extension allows the use of long, claw-like blades at the end of each finger, each extending far enough to double the length of each digit. These blades are razor-sharp and are treated like any other weapon from Kaijin Ken, meaning that it takes 4x Zeich's Spiritual Pressure to break, as they are, as a whole, a smaller weapon. These weapons, despite being claws, are treated as though Zeich had a 2 in "Weapons - Claws" due to drawing from Tsukikage's knowledge on use of them. This is increased to a 3 in Bankai. Additionally, a portion of ash can be used to form similar blades on his feet, though these do not grant a proficiency and are generally used only for traction or bracing.

The first drawback to this, though, is that the weapons in themselves are not special. They are easy to form, fairly inexpensive, but they have no special traits to them. They are just standard weaponry, and when formed have a variable amount of durability depending on their size. Each time a weapon is formed or the shape of a weapon is altered, it costs 50 Reiatsu, though this seems like a negligible cost unless an enemy possesses the superiority of offensive power to break weapons repeatedly. Being made of ash, they can reform quickly, but the cost to create them causes them to become a drain on Reiatsu against an opponent who possesses that superiority consistently.

[Camila Adaronde]

Watching as her own blades had opened up a number of slashes across the Vizard in front of her, Camila couldn't help but smile. This was starting to grow rather amusing for the girl, that much was certain; a fact that only further exemplified itself as time drew on. She was going to do absolutely everything she could in order to make this as amusing for herself as possible. She still had quite a number of tricks up her sleeve, and-

and then she saw it.

A pair of pawlike appendages reaching from behind Zeich, only to slowly move from the way to leave a mask splayed across his face. It seemed that he'd taken up her words. An absolutely wicked grin splayed across the girl's face, leaving her nothing short of ecstatic. It seemed that he was truly starting to kick this fight into high-gear. Enough to warrant such an explosive release of power, too; had he thought himself strong enough to deal with her now? Strong enough to finally put her in her place?

The voice that spoke seemed to do nothing short of exemplify that fact. She began with a soft giggle, which turned to a chuckle, eventually reaching a laugh, before devolving into a full, cacophonous cackle. The girl had practically doubled over at this point, before staggering herself in an almost half-balanced stance. She'd gotten what she wanted. "You," she started, "I don't think I've heard your voice yet, have I? You're this man's hollow, aren't you!?" Her words carried no fear, no worry. In fact, it was nothing short of the opposite. Camila had been thrilled.

Throwing her arms out to her side, standing up tall once more, the girl shouted back toward Zeich. "FUCKING PHENOMENAL! ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDING, YAJUU~! GOOD YOU'RE FINALLY TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY! SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE FUCKING CAPABLE OF, WILL YOU!?" As her own laugher had finished, followed with an explosive release of her own spiritual prowess, the girl took immediate notice of the twitching and tingling feeling that had shot through her arms. It seemed that the distance in their power wasn't as small as she'd originally anticipated.

As her own limbs quickly dissolved into ash, piercing into her sides and body with noticeable force, the girl couldn't help but continue to cackle. Pain simply hadn't been a part of the equation for the girl; a fact that unsettled quite a number of her foes thus far. Absorbing the ash that had gotten beneath her defenses, before casting it deeper into the shadow-ridden world the two had now inhabited, Camila felt her own spiritual capabilities almost replenished. It seemed the world was beginning to draw from her opponent.

"YOU FEEL THAT, ZEICH? YOUR OWN CAPABILITIES DRAINING FROM YOUR BODY? TEARING YOUR OWN SPIRITUAL PROWESS TO SHREDS? RELISH IT, AND PRAY YOU'VE ENOUGH TO KEEP YOURSELF STANDING~!" She continued to laugh once more, utilizing around ten feet worth of shadow to stitch up her sides, and insides. While she hadn't felt the pain, she was still certainly susceptible to injury. Though, she wasn't going down that easily.

From within Kurozu, another layer of shadow took hold, originating from her body at the shoulders. A new set of arms and legs were formed, followed by an explosive release of the girl's own Spiritual Pressure. Much like Zeich, the girl had given up on a portion of refined control to further her raw potential and spiritual pressure. While she wasn't quite ready to give up everything, about three-fourths of her capabilities should've sufficed against this foe. Taking in the residual reiatsu, the girl refreshed her hollow capabilities.

"You made mention I'm closer to a Hollow, aye~?" She cooed, clearly having fallen off the deep-end by this point, "Well, then... LET ME SHOW YOU JUST HOW CLOSE TO A HOLLOW I CAN GET! ECLIPSE, SOMBRE DOBLE!" As her words finished, and a similar explosion of spiritual prowess reverberated from the girl, a wave of shadow quickly eclipsed her. Within a few short moments, the girl had been all but reformed. Born anew. Taking up a new form, and with a heavy exhalation, the girl smirked. "Congratulations," she spoke once again, "this is the first time I've found a need to utilize this form. Tell me, Yajuu, were you aware that the strongest amongst us can attain such a power~?"

Standing before the Vizard was no longer a woman that held any trace of Shinigami. Her mask - once a full raven's beak - had split and fragmented, revealing half of her face. On her throat, a small hole opened, not unlike that found on the Arrancar. Massive, sprawling wings shot from her back, and even her feet had been altered to more suit that of an avian. The shadowed void that had once surrounded her quickly faded; it was not needed anymore. Waving her shadowed hands through, and stepping forth through the cloud of ash that formed around her, the girl couldn't help but smile as everything that she had touched crumbled and faded away, as though it hadn't been there to begin with.

Taking advantage of this newfound state, Camila burst forth, closing the distance almost immediately through Shunpō, before looking to plant a slash with her swords across the Vizard's chest, still a noticeable deal faster than him. Given her inclination to keep up the defensive thus far, striking only when absolutely necessary, were her moves to be expected? Similarly, was the shadow - manifesting behind the Vizard, looking to pierce through the shadow of him on the ground - another expected advance? She was about to apply as much pressure as she could. Letting up was simply not an option anymore; this fight was going to be hers.

Bankai: 3/10
Resurrección: 1/6 - 3 Posts Restored.
RS -> SpPr Transfer Timer: 1/3

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{Reiatsu Pool: 6,270/35,000}
-150 for Kurozu per-post.
-300 for Yami no Sekai per-post.
+1,150 from Kurozu drain.
-300 for RS Transfer.
-200 for Hollow Wraith's Nectar.
-400 for Resurrección.
-50 for Shunpō.
-150 for Doppel.

SPOILER: Click to show

{994/1,006 ft.}
-3 ft. - Camila's Shadow - Uchigatana.
-3 ft. - Camila's Shadow - Uchigatana.
-6 ft. - Yami no Sekai - Replacement arms.
-6 ft. - Yami no Sekai - Replacement legs.
658 ft. - Yami no Sekai.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Masked Stats}
Type: Soldier, Version 2

Strength: 100 [100] [200]
Speed: 400 [600] [1,200]
Reiatsu Strength: 100 [50] [100]
Spiritual Pressure: 700 [1,750] [3,500]
Instinct: 300 [300] [600]
Senses: 100 [100] [200]
Energy Sensory: 0 [0]
Healing Expertise: 0 [0]

Light Aura: 0
Dark Aura: 100
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Stealth: 4
Weapons - Shadows: 3
Strength of Will: 3
Pain Tolerance: 4
Acrobatics: 1

SPOILER: Click to show

{Resurrección: Sombre Doble (lit. 'Shadow Double')}

When releasing Resurrección, Cami is enveloped within a black aura veil which obscures her figures as she begins to go through her cursed metamorphosis. As it lessens, she has elongated wispy black claws, long raven wings of which are capable of fully enveloping her body if she folds them inwards along herself, as well as a set of raven's tailfeathers. Her eyes are devoid of color aside from the standard golden iris, and instead, it looks as if one is staring into infinite darkness, devoid of light of any kind. Atop her head rest two small, flightless wings, with a half-formed mask upon her face. Her feet change to that of a bird's, fit with talons and all. This is the fate of Cami after fully embracing her darkness and becoming its avatar.

In this form, she is capable of becoming a shadow of death, and has the ability to inflict destruction to any shadow that she touches. For instance, if she were to throw a shadowy knife into the shadow of a tower, the tower would begin to crumble and shatter. If she were to strike the hand of a Shinigami, that hand would - very painfully - dissolve and crumble away. This only affects general areas when it comes to RPCs, as opposed to simply deleting them from existence after a single strike. While this can take effect on release manifestations, release weapons cannot be destroyed in this fashion.

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{Doppel (lit. 'Copy')}

Technique Name: Doppel (lit. 'Copy')

Technique Stages: Resurrección.

Technique Cost: 150 Reiatsu to create a doppelganger, 300 to swap places.

Description: Upon releasing, her shadow becomes a doppelganger, capable of moving fully independently of Camila and is capable of performing all techniques she can but as a “shadow version”. The shadow’s attacks does not physically interact in the same way as it would if it were regularly cast, but upon contacting another shadow/s, will inflict damage as if hit by the real deal. For instance, if the doppelganger struck a building’s shadow, the real building will begin to crumble. If the shadow picked up a building’s shadow, the building will be uprooted with little problem. The doppelganger is capable of appearing in two or three dimensions and holds a durability equal to 3x Camila's Spiritual Pressure. Camila is capable of swapping places with her shadow at any given moment. This allows for her to effectively evade attacks, and or swap locations in the heat of combat to apply greater pressure upon her targets and foes. A doppel possesses Camila's stats.

Drawbacks: Swapping with the doppelganger is expensive. Given the doppel cannot physically interact, attacks need to be creative. Only one can be active at a time, and swapping places with the doppel destroys it.

[Zeich Yajuu]

Well damn.

Camila seemed to take Tsukikage’s arrival not as a threat, but as a reason for celebration. It didn’t surprise either host nor hollow, given the woman’s bloodlust and desire for violence. Indeed, it had been the only thing driving her in this relentless attack, that and some unfathomable need to prove herself. Zeich had to wonder what this drive was, what pushed Camila to such a need to prove herself. It almost seemed to offend the other Vizard that someone even came close to her power, as though she was entitled to strength beyond any other. Pride, perhaps, but to Zeich’s eyes, he saw something broken. Something had reached into that woman and had snapped her sanity. All she had left was strength. And that strength had transformed her, turning her into a monster. Something even worse than a Hollow, a being of hatred and anger.

Yet even as he watched Camila take on her new form, cloaked in shadows and becoming more monstrous, Zeich could not drudge up sympathy for someone who had devolved into mindless battle and endless cruelty. Whatever had happened, Camila was free to make her own decisions on how to live her life, and she would live with the consequences of them. It angered Zeich; after all, the woman was throwing away her life and the lives of those around her in a mindless struggle for power. By isolating herself at the top, she looked down and took away the lives of those who displeased her, who dared to approach her. To the male Vizard, who had only come to truly understand the value of his own life after Tsukikage’s awakening and the struggle between the two of them, it was almost anathema. Life was something to be treasured. It was not so meaningless and empty as Camila chose to live it.

It was wrong.

Heh, getting fired up, are you, boy?

You know what to do with it.

That crescent grin, those gleaming eyes; Tsukikage knew exactly what Zeich wanted of him. He knew what the Vizard had to give, and he accepted it willingly. Like flame flowing from within, the heat of the former Shinigami’s anger grew and multiplied. Unlike many, Zeich had been born with an unusual spirit, one that had its own unique effect on his mind and mental state. His spirit had not borne one, but two Zanpaktou spirits, each with their own role upon his psyche. Haiiro, once known as Ventus, had been an embodiment of the joy and freedom of expression. Balanced against that was Polaris, who tempered and structured that expression. Between the two of them, they had created a strong spirit and a balanced will, one that was meant to understand and empathize with those around him through true feeling.

But then Tsukikage had awakened, emerging from the depths of Zeich’s soul. He had struck decisively, consuming Polaris and devouring her in the flame of his fury. Doing so had caused an unexpected shock in their host, removing the limitations and temperance of his emotional state, and driving it into excess. Haiiro could not simply turn off his aspect of Zeich’s soul, leaving him strengthening those feelings to intense heights without Polaris to help keep them level. As a result, the Vizard felt all of his emotions with an unreasonable strength, turning anger into rage, and sadness into depressing sorrow. It had forced him to keep a complete lid on his emotions and shut them out altogether, leaving the calm, cold, and almost empty personality that others had come to expect of him.

Things had changed, however, and in an almost ironic shift, Tsukikage had taken Polaris’s role. Though he loved to indulge in his host’s rage, anger, sadness, and pain, he was equally capable of consuming the positive excesses as well, such as joy and determination. With his help, Zeich’s mental state had started to stabilize, and for the first time in a long number of years, the former Shinigami was finally able to appreciate the feelings that stirred within him, without fear that they would overwhelm him in their intensity. But that intensity was what was needed now, and so Zeich stoked his rage, and Tsukikage responded. He did not consume it, did not devour it; instead he absorbed it, channeled it through his spirit and through the host body that he now possessed. Anger flowed into strength, and that strength was channeled through Tsukikage, once more raising his spiritual power to a new height. It fell just short of Camila’s, but only just, and that was fine. It was enough.

“Well, well. I’m impressed. You actually pissed him off! Good show, woman, you might actually be fun to have around! But I’m afraid you’ll have to ask the boy about his thoughts on your new look later; right now, this is between you and me!”

Even as Camila dove forward with her assault, Tsukikage didn’t flinch. His golden eyes seemed to narrow as he took in everything around them. His immense processing speed and his understanding of Camila’s combat style by now gave him more than enough time to react, even to her speed. After all, as he had mentioned before, she was just so predictable. Everything she had done had been straightforward assault at blistering speed, hoping to overwhelm defenses and strike before her opponent could respond. Of course, that wasn’t to say she wasn’t tricky; she knew how to defend herself, and indeed had been willing to sacrifice in order to consume his ash and stop his assaults. But Tsukikage had also realized something about the woman, a recklessness and a lack of observance that would be her downfall.

Time was on his side, and he needed but a few more moments for his strategy to kick in. Forty-five seconds was the key figure, and he didn’t even need all of that time. No, with his plan? Ten seconds would be fine. Avoidance, pursuit, and then when Camila wasn’t expecting it: death. The first steps of his fatal strike were already in place, and the other Vizard wasn’t even aware that she was in the grips of death already. She had let him plant the seeds of her demise so easily, too! Really, the woman was a fool, and her ability to simply ignore pain was enough to make him laugh internally. It was that ignorance, along with her own lack of self-awareness, that would cost her her life.

I cannot wait to see her blood pool on the ground of her own shadowy world! Ahahahahaha!

With a bare flex of his feet, Tsukikage was easily able to account for Camila’s speed with a Shunpo of his own, stepping to his left and out of the woman’s reach. The moment she had begun her attack, he was already in the motion of his step. Direct assaults were going to be impossible against him, not now that he’d had plenty of time to observe her fighting style, the reach of her weapons, her improved speed, and her mental tendencies. Camila was going to have to be far more clever than simple strikes to catch him.

However, as he looked back, the Hollow saw the shadowy double that had been behind him. That was the sort of cleverness that might have been more effective, had Camila not ruined it with her own natural inclination towards direct strikes. If she had stayed put, she might have struck him. Shadows made no sound, had no scent, and from behind, he would not have suspected a thing coming. But the woman had insisted on attacking directly and provoking a response, which caused her hidden attack to fail. The fool!

Of course, Camila was doubly so if she was not aware of the changes to her body, either. So much of her Reiatsu was gone, drained away, that she was almost entirely converted into the ash of Zeich’s Zanpaktou. Less than a fifth of her maximum remained, and because of that, it was spread too thin; all four limbs, even the new ones created by shadow, had already turned gray, and so had her body, extending all the way up to the base of her neck. Tendrils of gray were already threatening to creep up there as well, waiting for her to spend more Reiatsu so that Tsukikage’s control could spread. Even more so, with so much of her body converted, it would drain immense amounts of Reiatsu every few seconds, and she’d be unable to resist. 550 Reiatsu would disappear each time the ash sucked away the Vother izard’s reserves, with five major portions of her body converted to his ash, and the beginning steps of the conversion already creeping towards her head.

Unfortunately, there was just not enough time to drain it all out, not at this point; Tsukikage could feel his own spiritual reserves waning, his Reiatsu being absorbed by the shadowy world about them. It was strange how alike the two of them were, battling with the strength of their souls and draining the spiritual power of the other. It was a battle of attrition he was guaranteed to lose at this point, which was why he had to act soon. A few more seconds, though, and it would be over. He’d only have one opportunity, but there was next to no chance Camila could see it coming.

“It’s a shame, though, let me tell you! You really are an interesting gal, and it’s a shame it’s going to have to end here! You know my spiritual energy is just about gone, so I can’t really afford to toy with my food as much as I’d like to! But I’m afraid it’ll have to end here in just a few moments. Why don’t you give it one last shot, before I spill your blood all over the ground!”

If she did not respond in time to what happened next, Camila would feel a sharp pain in her upper spine, followed by an ache and a slow feeling of paralysis creeping through her body. It would immediately be followed by that same sense of sharp pain along her lower spine, right by the ribs. She had mentioned her hatred of manipulation-type fighters, and Tsukikage could understand why: the ability to control the substance that formed one’s ability allowed for a lot of versatility and very underhanded tactics. That was usually balanced out by the ostentatious nature of many manipulated elements; metal, flame, liquid, or any number of other substances were incredibly visible and stood out to the eye. While it was being manipulated and was hard to combat, it was still very visible.

But Tsukikage’s ash was subtle and quiet. Ash was fine, powdery, and its gray was easily absorbed into the world of black that surrounded them. It had no spiritual signature, suppressing its own Reiatsu, and when spread out was nigh invisible unless you knew what you were looking for. When Camila’s limbs had erupted into blades, only part of that ash had been used for such, with the rest spilling out onto the ground and scattering from the force of the Vizard’s transformation and overwhelming Reiatsu. Those four limbs were far too large to be solely blades, and so Tsukikage had made the conscious decision to scatter the remainder in the process. Oh, he had only been able to spare a bit, true; Camila’s transformation and her shadowy power had absorbed a great deal of it. It would have been even better if more had escaped, allowing for more options.

But there had been enough for his purposes. Calling to the ash that had spread across Camila’s world, Tsukikage had just enough to forge it into two long, jagged daggers that would be launched towards the woman’s back if she chose to turn and pursue the possessed Vizard. One would aim for the upper portion of the spine, the other for the lower, aiming to paralyze the woman and maybe damage her internals a bit more. It wasn’t his main plan, not by a long shot, but the Hollow was more than happy to see if he could draw a little blood while he waited for his final strike. He only needed a few moments more...

Remaining Reiatsu: 2125/34500 (-100 for Magokoro: Kisho. -1725 for Kurozu’s drain, -50 for Shunpo, -100 for Kaijin Ken x2)

Bankai: 4/12

Mask Posts: 2/4

SPOILER: Click to show

{Altered Stats}Strength – [(300 x 2)] (600) Points

Speed – [(400 x 2)] (800) Points

Spiritual Pressure – [[(575 x 2) x 2] x 1.5] (3450) Points

Reiatsu Strength – [(25 x 0.5) x 2] (25) Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct - [(200 x 1.75) x 2] (700) Points

Senses – [(200 x 2)] (400) Points

Energy sensory - [(100 x 0.60) x 2] (120) Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Magokoro: Kisho}Technique Name: Magokoro: Kisho (True Heart: Temper)

Technique Class: 3

Technique Type: Unique

Usable By: Zeich Yajuu only

Technique Element: Spirit

Technique Cost:
100 Reiatsu per post. 400 Reiatsu to activate the tripling.

Description:
The Magokoro line of techniques was born when Tsukikage was able to align himself with Zeich’s soul enough that he could take the place of the Polaris, the spirit he had consumed. With this alignment, he has become able to feed upon his host’s excessive emotions, which can then be channeled in various ways to strengthen the Inner Hollow. These can only be used when Tsukikage is in control of Zeich’s body, or when he is manifested physically.

Magokoro: Kisho focuses on Zeich’s anger, whether it be born of fury, irritation, or frustration. When Tsukikage absorbs these feelings, his strength increases immensely, allowing him to strike with increased intensity. As long as this technique is active, either Zeich or Tsukikage’s Offensive Stat is increased by 50%, depending on if it is a possession or if Tsukikage is manifested. At any point, however, it can be ended forcibly to triple that Offensive Stat instead for a single post, at an additional cost.

How to Use:
Channel anger, and feed it into Tsukikage.

Drawbacks:
With all Magokoro techniques, they can only be used in specific conditions. Either Haiiro Yasei or Zeich’s Vizard Mask must be active for Tsukikage to possess his body, or Tsukikage must be manifested physically via techniques like Spiritual Projection or Kurayami: Kurotaigen. Additionally, only one Magokoro technique can be active at a time.

While there are no drawbacks to the base form of the technique, using the forced tripling consumes all of Zeich’s anger in order to release it as a massive burst of strength. After using it, this technique ends, and requires three posts of cooldown before the strength of Zeich’s anger is restored.

Made By: Zeich Yajuu

Reserved?: Yes

SPOILER: Click to show

{Mugen Gure}Mugen Gure (Endless Gray) – The final technique in Zeich’s arsenal, this technique is a passive ability that is active from the moment that Kage-no-Tsukinoaruji is Released. Like the others, this technique represents a suppression: a suppression of individuality. From the moment the Gray World is released, spreading itself over the landscape, it is already spreading and absorbing that around it. But that is only a minor effect compared to its true power, the assimilation and absorption of the victims within it.

Those within the range of Zeich’s Bankai will find that as their Reiatsu depletes, they are slowly but surely being sapped of color, their own body to be used against them as a weapon once portions of it fully convert. The solution to this is simple: to not use Reiatsu. While this is a difficult and daunting task, Mugen Gure prevents even that from being a foolproof defense; as long as even a single portion of the foe is gray, they will find that their body is slowly being taken in despite their lack of Reiatsu use. This is because this world is one of nothing but gray, and seeks to bring all within it into complete uniformity.

This technique acts on a foe directly by sapping away an amount of Reiatsu from their body each post depending on how far they’ve been converted. Each full area that has been converted—each limb and the torso—depletes 100 Reiatsu per post, the ash slowly consuming more of the victim’s spiritual energy. If a single area has yet to be fully converted, but has started to become gray, then a mere 50 Reiatsu per post is siphoned away for that area. These effects are additive; for example, if a foe has used 50% of their Reiatsu, both arms are fully converted, and one leg is mostly but not completely converted. This means that they will lose 200 Reiatsu from the two fully converted limbs, and an additional 50 from the partially converted one, for a total of 250 per post until the leg is fully consumed, at which point the amount jumps up to 300.

This effect can of course be resisted, though doing so becomes harder as more of the body becomes converted. If less than two portions have become fully converted, then a Strength of Will at a 2 or a superior offensive stat will allow the victim to completely resist the gradual consumption of their Reiatsu. If two to three portions have been fully converted, then a Strength of Will at 3 or a 25% superior offensive stat will allow the victim to completely resist the absorption. If four or more portions have been completely converted, then this technique is no longer able to be resisted, the foe’s Reiatsu too faint and feeble to block the slow assimilation. Resisting this effect also requires concentration and focus, preventing the foe from making any moves that require unmitigated attention.