Culling the Unfortunate, Open / "JT" / R

[Maria Ashwin]

' BEING SECOND BEST....ISN'T SO BAD' 9 paragraphs 19 paragraphs total so far Location: Eastern Kara Kura Outskirts

(1) Maria popped the rest of her McDouble in her mouth, the lukewarm cheese sticking unpleasantly to the roof of her mouth. Frustration gnawed at her. This wasn't the first time she'd felt a surge of spiritual pressure like this, and it never sat well with her. Here she was, on the cusp of an unimaginable break through , and the peace of her lucrative mine was constantly being shattered by these… skirmishes. She slammed the empty McDouble wrapper into a nearby overflowing trashcan, the sound swallowed by the din of the highway.

(2) The hitchhiking wasn't exactly glamorous. Car after car whizzed by, oblivious to the woman in a grease-stained uniform with a haunted look in her eyes. Just as Maria was about to concede defeat and call it a quits, a beat-up pickup truck with a rusted bumper coughed to a stop in front of her. The driver, a weathered old man with a scraggly beard that rivaled Santa Claus', rolled down the window. "Headin' somewhere in a hurry, miss?" he asked, his voice raspy from years of chewing tobacco.

(3) "Karakura Town," Maria blurted out, relief washing over her. "Actually, anywhere even remotely close would be a lifesaver." The old man squinted at her, his rheumy eyes filled with suspicion. "You sure you don't want to explain what a McDonald's manager is doing hitchin' a ride in the middle of nowhere?" his question was sound , and her answer could make or break her cover in this instant she had to be tactful.

(4) Maria hesitated. She couldn't exactly explain about the Arrancar child labor force or the secret Sekki Sekki mine. Thinking fast, she concocted a story. "Let's just say my car crapped out a few miles back, and I gotta get to a friend's place for a… family emergency." The old man grunted, seemingly mollified. "Alright, hop in. But I ain't drivin' all the way to Karakura. I'm headin' to the outskirts, that's all." the old man was firm in what he was saying , for a second maria considered stabbing him and taking the truck but rembered she still owed kitai so best behavior it was.

(5) The ride was slow and bumpy, the air thick with the smell of stale cigarette smoke and something vaguely… swampy. Maria tried to make conversation with the old man, but he was a man of few words, content to chew on his tobacco and stare out at the endless cornfields stretching out on either side of the road. After what felt like an eternity, the truck sputtered to a stop on a dusty side road. "This is as far as I go," the old man grunted, gesturing vaguely ahead. "Should be able to find a ride into town from here."

(6) Maria thanked him profusely, clambering out of the truck. The old man drove off in a cloud of dust, leaving her standing alone on the deserted road. She took a deep breath, the air thick with anticipation and a strange, metallic tang. In the distance, the spiritual pressure was a palpable weight, a storm cloud gathering on the horizon. Squinting, Maria could just make out the faint glow of reiatsu in the sky. This was no ordinary Hollow attack.

(7) With a sigh, Maria adjusted the straps of her backpack. It wasn't ideal, leaving her precious Sekki Sekki mine unattended, but she couldn't ignore a potential threat to Karakura Town, not after everything Kitai had done for her to set it up. Besides, a little skirmish might be a good way to test out her new acquisition. She’d have to maintain a position eastward she wasn’t beyond assuming some lunatic or a mindless hollow would fire off a cero or beam in a residential district and those things typically kept traveling till they met something of meaningfull resistance.

(8) With a sigh maria realized she may have to go and actually fight , and given the fact their may be enemy elements she didn’t want to give them the chance to gather intel on her. It pissed her off a bit but she would had no choice in the matter , witha sigh she would snap her fingers as she was enveloped in a puff of smoke. her form shifting to that of what could only be described as an older version of her male self , upon doing so maria would look onward toward the distant karakura noticing a rather large avian hollow in the distance.

(9) Removing her sidearm from her gun holster on her waist she would take aim , “lets see if this works” she would mumble to herself letting loose a bullet. Her intentions being to head shot the bird but she was no marksmen , nor was she a quincy her bullet ended up colliding with it’s wing instead. The avian hollow falling from her view at this distance while she could not see it , she could indeed feel it’s riatsu fading ‘hmm guess it crashed into something that broke it’s mask, welp time to start walking’ she would muse to herself.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}Strength: 200->[100]
Speed: 400->[1200]

Spiritual Pressure: 400
Riatsu Strength: 400->[500]->[1500]

Light Aura: 100
Dark Aura: 0

Instinct: 200->[300]->[150]
Sense: 200->[300]

Energy Sensory: 100->[-50%]->[50]
Healing Expertise: 400

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{Items on Hand}R-Siphon (Class 1)

Copycat-tatoo (Class 1)

Burden (Class 1)

Rat Bullets (x10)

Beat Stick x2(Class 1)



1 (1200->1300):

Corrosive E.(100)

Release E. (N/A)



2 (1200->1200):

Release E. (N/A)



A Propper Uniform (Class 1)

Bionic Voice Implant (Class 1)

Seki Seki Detector [on person]

Seki Seki Harvester (x20) [in use at mcdonalds]

Gonzo Tart (x2)

Taro Card: Chariot (class 1)

Decoy Zan (Class 1)

IP: 1100

Artificial Zanpukto (class 1)

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{Techs Used & Hollows Destroyed}N/A
Reversal 1/2: lets maria swap gender at the snap of her fingers
1 Statless bird hollow shot with a rat bullet

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4000/4000
N/A
4000/4000

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Combat Post: 1

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes continued to sit in the shade of a nearby tree as Hanako successfully eliminated the Hollows that stood against her. The aftermath allowed Celes to focus elsewhere for a little bit as mighty wings flapped proudly once more. The frigid wind briefly surged around her as the dragon soared overhead causing more and more goosebumps along the girls' skin. She rubbed her hand across her bumpy flesh and sighed. "Ugh. Remind me to wear a winter jacket next time." Unfortunately, Celes would only be greeted by a mischievous chuckle. At least, initially. "You can tough it out. Moscow was way worse than this." The Shinigami just shook her head dismissively at Honegumi's comment.

Amidst the countless distractions, Celes would be ill-prepared for Ume and Hanako's arrival. The pair of purple-haired Shinigami suddenly popped up in front of her, earning a brief Yip! from the girl as she almost stumbled backward. It would be a surprising reaction from a renowned former Captain, if nothing else. Thankfully, the girl caught her footing and stood her ground for the most part. That's when Ume would begin bombarding her. "Shindazu Celes." Celes' eyes narrowed. No taichou honorific? No Captain title? This was definitely surprising. That was until Hanako chimed in. "H-Hi, Shindazu-taichou," "Annnnd there it is.", the girl thought to herself.

She just let out a brief sigh as the two Shinigami introduced themselves. "Ume Oboro: Observation and Data Collection Department of the Juunibantai's Research and Technology Division." Celes' eyes traced Ume's movements as she bowed. "So the Twelfth Division is out here, huh? Curious." Her eyes then shifted to Hanako as she spoke, "Hanako Nozawa. Student." Most interestingly, it wasn't Hanako's answer that the Shinigami paid attention to. No. The student's eyes seemed to be... occupied. She seemed to be staring at her? Was there something on the lime-haired woman's body? Celes looked down before it clicked in her head. Hanako was looking at her... Celes trailed off as a crimson blush touched her cheeks and she refocused her attention on Ume.

"How am I to approach?" Celes' raised her eyebrow, genuinely confused. Approach? Approach what? The Hollows? The structure looming in the background? It was terribly vague. Before she really had a chance to ask for clarification, Ume continued. "And what kind of assistance, if any, are you here to provide?" She gently bit her lip. "Shit." Perhaps she could play into the role? It didn't seem that Soul Society had quite caught wind of her defection? Or it wasn't communicated to the lower echelons of the Gotei 13? Either way, this gave Celes an edge.

She cleared her throat, amber eyes meeting Ume's, as she spoke, "I was just sent to reinforce. Especially if the situation escalated. However, I only just arrived." A mere half-truth. Well, mostly lie that Celes utilized. In her experience, Captain's could be sent out if the need was considered dire enough. "However, I'm largely unfamiliar with the logistical situation. Perhaps you could update me with any intelligence you may have gathered?" It wasn't completely out of the ordinary for Celes to ask for field recon in the past, but it was risky. Would Ume pry? Or would she merely offer updates?

In the meantime, Celes turned her attention to Hanako. Had she still been staring, Celes would've quickly calmed her bashful nature. "A student? Of Shin'ō Academy?" The girl would be rather surprised. This kind of introduction to field experience was rather... interesting. Nevertheless, Celes was protective. She eyed the woman closely, studying her body and torn kosode. Could she have been the source of the Hado earlier? Her injuries, though relatively mild by Celes' standards, indicated that she was in the thick of it. She couldn't help, but smile at the woman. "I definitely look forward to seeing what you can do."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Celes' Reiatsu and Resources}

Reiatsu: 2850/3000
Chi: 29

+10 Chi for Shikai Overall Ability

Class 4 Shikai: 2/10

Genius Stamina Posts: 0/8

[Ume Oboro]

"Sent?"

When Ume heard those words, she instinctively put herself between Hanako and Celes, as if that would matter. Her body tensed and her heart started pounding, but she inhaled, adjusted her glasses and looked at the greenette.  Her eyebrow cocked. "You have been reported MIA since the Moscow event." Ume said. "I assume that if you are not missing then you're part of some clandestine operation where disseminating that information is necessary." 

However, why would she suddenly appear and not  have a briefing of the situation? Ume was weary of Celes despite her friendly demeanor. She could deal with that when the time arose, though. Celes was not immediately hostile, in fact, she seemed to be willing to help, so she continued with the sitrep. "As far as I can tell, this area has been besieged by a swarm of low-level hollows and a few moderate hollows. The source or reason for their sudden appearance is unknown currently. However, those in the area have been eliminating the gathering hollows." 

Ume closed her eyes. "During the culling, a Vandenreich castle appeared in the middle of the city's park. They have been dispatching hollows and spreading propaganda. The count is unclear, but some of them seem particularly powerful. Aside from that, there's other sporadic reiatsu signatures around the area, all making their way tot he park. At least one member of Uzaki Enterprises is lingering in an alley while his dragon is in a holding pattern above him. Hopefully he's making his way towards the citadel, because the Hollows may not be the biggest threat when all is said and done." 

Ume pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I would like to get closer for some deeper observation. This may be a good chance to collect some information on the Vandenreich. So far very little is known about their organization or how  they can just appear, where they go and where they come from."

Ume shook her head. "If I can't get any decent data, then today is going to be such a waste of time." She added and glanced back at Hanako. "Why are you even here?" She asked. "Were you taking a day pass?" Ume then glanced at Celes. "I should call a senkaimon for her, but...." She tilted her head. 

"I am going to assume you don't want too many people to know you're alive? What am I supposed to put in my report? Furthermore, what's the plan going forward?" While she spoke, Ume maintained a firm grip on the handle of her zanpakutou. The milky liquid jostling with each of her movements, the occasional eyeball pressing against the back, turning to look at something, blinking and then vanishing back into the liquid once more. 

___________________________

Reiatsu 2075/2400 | 0 Eyeballs (Sheathed) |

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and skills}Reiatsu: 2400

Strength:30
Speed: 200
Reiatsu Strength: 30
Spiritual Pressure: 160 (240) (+50%)
Instinct:110
Senses: 110
Energy Sensory: 110
Light Aura: 50
Dark Aura: 50
Healing Expertise: 0

15/15
Hoho 2
Memory 2
Analyzing 2
Learning 2
Illusion Resist 2
Anti-Stealth 2
Hacking 2
Acrobatics 1

[Hanako Nozawa]

Fortunately, the attention didn't seem to be on her or her ill-conceived decision to remain and fight -at least, not yet. Unfortunately, there was a lot of talking being done, and a lot of information passing back and forth to absorb. Hanako did her best to keep up: Celes was here to provide aid, presumably by the Gotei, but was a part of some otherwise clandestine operation. That didn't seem weird to her at all, not since she herself was on her way to joining the Nibantai, who themselves took part in such missions regularly -aside the Onmitsukidō, of course. What was strange was how standoffish Ume was being, with everyone. Hanako looked at the other woman quizzically as she explained, visibly working the problem in her head all the while.

Finally, however, the attention was placed on her and her insubordination. A soft squeak escaped Hanako's throat, and she nervously explained herself, "I... Well, I was sent here because Karakura Town had been so quiet lately. My teachers thought it would be a good way to learn more about the world of the living, and humans in particular. They said it would help for when I was assigned a patrol after graduation." One hand rose up to awkwardly scratch at her cheek. "I was supposed to leave if any Hollow showed up, but... Well, one was going after a kid, then another showed up... and another... Things just sort of happened this way." She wasn't lying. That was, in wholehearted truth, how she had come to be here, standing in front of a captain and a very aggressive -yet lazy- Juunibantai member.

However, she wouldn't let that be all she offered to the conversation!

"Oh! One thing," Hanako used the same hand that had been scratching at her cheek to point upwards as she spoke. "When the Hollow first appeared, their reiatsu came from the sky." She lowered her hand and clasped both innocently behind her back, a small and disarming smile appearing on her face. "I don't know if that's anything we can use, but sensei says no information is worth ignoring." Another throaty giggle punctuated her attempt to help bring Celes up to speed on the situation, and her smile broke wider without her intent.

[Raphael Laurent]

He didn't like the quincy that joined the vandenreich, though... perhaps it wasn't just them, he didn't like religious fanatics, in general. This, however, made them much more dangerous, given that they viewed a man, flawed and mortal as they were, as a god. That was something he couldn't abide by. That went beyond stupidity. Thus, he kept his distance, at least for the time being. He wasn't about to get anywhere near those people, standing near the weird church that they'd decided to simply plop down into the middle of Karakura Town.

Overhead, there was a loud CRUNCH as one of the dragon heads snapped up a hollow. At least someone was having fun. He held out his hand to the right, and fired a beam of energy as two more hollows came charging out from an alleyway, pushing one into another and burning through them both. This was a horrible situation. Vandenreich weren't coming to "help", as their altruism was claiming. He looked behind him. He knew that he'd seen one on a roof. They were potentially taking up sniper positions.

"Hopefully, you won't be too sore, if I just keep the hollows from getting closer to y'all," he shouted across the way to the quincy near the church, and their general. "Would prefer them not getting obliterated, and all that, I'm sure you understand. Besides, my people have some ways to minimize fatalities, as well as humanitarian outreach efforts, if you'd let us do our job, that is." He frowned, looking at the large ice church. "And if you wouldn't make it colder than the tundras of Antarctica around here..." He exhaled a bit of flame, to keep himself warm. "Seriously, how you all don't have frostbite is beyond me..."

He stretched, and checked his phone quickly, hoping for a response from some of the others at UE. He felt a strong signature show up, suddenly. A... shini...shinigami? It was much stronger, but felt very odd and he couldn't quite shake the way that it felt. Almost... like... No. No way. Still, if he could hold out until reinforcements of some kind arrived, he'd be fine.

SPOILER: Click to show

Tree hollows killed by Raph and the dergon

[Deleted]

At the church ice castle (Caeser and Ren):

Captain Ciel rolled his eyes yet again as he ensured the food was being prepared and stored, that the humans were being treated as necessary, and even keeping tabs on those of his command that had a more . . . reconnaissance aspect to them. He'd be lying if he said he completely understood why effectively the representative of his deity decided to save absolutely everyone but that was above his paygrade. Thus, he simply decided to focus his efforts on those around him, though his eyes never left the failure. It was something of an enigma to him. From the appearance of the blood, it created they were very clearly previously a quincy. Yet how had one of their own become like this? It was a strange occurrence and one he wasn't keen on finding out personally. With a critical look over the humans being treated he noted a few of the medics were more or less finished treating what amounted to shallow cuts on a small family and walked over briskly.

He waited silently until the family was treated and on their way. Even going so far as to change his expression to a light smile and a small wave to the children. The moment he returned his gaze upon the medics it was back to stone cold as if it'd always been. The medics before him immediately stood up and saluted him only to have him wave them off. "I've been informed that there are two individuals of note from our reconnaissance team. One is that failure over there. I want two of you to immediately go assist the General and ensure that failures needs are met. Specifically, so it does not detonate near our General. Der Kaiser may care about these people, but I care about our men and our General first. Replenish their reiatsu CAREFULLY and tend to any wounds you see. Remember that they need to be sealed first as the body is a vessel first and foremost."

Ciel waited to see if there were any questions from the group. Silence found itself the only sound between the group of four and the captain. Thus, he nodded at the two on the left and motioned for them to leave. The two immediately ran off towards Caeser and Ren. Meanwhile the remaining two stayed put as Ciel hadn't said anything about their duties. Once Ciel was certain the other two were actively attending to Ren he spoke towards the medics before him. "As for you two, you have two tasks before you. Firstly, seek out Captain Dallmann, ensure she has no injuries of note and then replenish her reiatsu. While the hollows are thinning, we have dangerous enemies nearby, we need her to be as ready as possible. After that, go find the only other of our kind here. Reports have stated that they possibly infected by hollows as their reiatsu is lingering on them. Ensure they are treated and brought back here, I'm certain they will be of use. Move quickly and report to me when the task is done." The quincy before him saluted him again and immediately stepped away.

Back towards Ren and Caeser . . .

As far as the two would see, it was a pair of medics that more or less ran directly towards them. A very obvious amount of apprehension shown in how they stood and watched the two. Even with a mask on, their faces looked at Ren silently wondering how to attend to him, his injuries, and how to give him reiatsu without causing any internal chaos in the failure. Once Caeser had sat the failure down the two slowly walked forward and moved to either side of Ren before steeling themselves and creating green auras around their hands. Between the two of them they each ended up creating half a sphere of green reiatsu that engulfed Ren completely and slowly but surely started healing up any wounds he'd gained. This would take a few minutes as the two were attempting to not interact with the rampant spiritual energy within Ren and simply address his physical body.

Once they were done however the medic on his right stopped creating their half of the green sphere and touched his shoulder. Then using his cross he began to absorb reiatsu into it, which would filter to his soul, only to be redirected gently into the failure before him. It would be akin to a small steady stream. Calm and lazily flowing water into a pond. Said pond being Ren's pool of reiatsu which was a bit more chaotic to say the least. His compatriot in the meantime was actively monitoring Ren's soul and internal reiatsu making sure that though they replenished his energy that they would not overload or overwhelm him. He'd make a fist when he was certain Ren had all his reiatsu replaced within him. This in turn caused the medic to step back and stop drawing in reiatsu. The two would then give a last once of over of Ren before running off to speak to Captain Ciel and then begin tending to a human family that had just shown up.



In the shopping district (Leonie):

As Leonie finished off and collected her specimen, she'd very easily sense a pair of quincy making their way towards her. Each using Hirenkyaku to more or less skate through the sky towards her location. They would wait until she was done with her inspection of the vial in her hand and whatever else she deemed important enough to deal with first before even attempting to address her. Once she decided to humor them in some capacity, they'd immediately salute her and speak up. "Captain Dallmann, we've been instructed by Captain Ciel to ensure you are in top fighting form. There are several noteworthy beings that have been spotted by reconnaissance that could become threats. If you have any wounds, please inform us and we'll attend to them as well as replenish your reiatsu if you require any." The two were very clearly nervous about even talking to Leonie, let alone attempting to do anything to her. The one speaking especially as she'd seen Leonie conjure up meteorites.

This would mostly be from the slight shake despite her standing at attention and the light tremble in her voice. Assuming Leonie had any injuries to speak of the two would begin to conjure up green reiatsu spheres to encompass Leonie and slowly begin rejuvenating her body's cells. More or less a gentle nudge to make them reproduce themselves and heal any injuries in the process. If she had none but desired her reiatsu to be refilled she would find that the speaking quincy would be the one to walk up and hold out her hand. She wouldn't dare to touch the captain before her, but she did require physical contact to ensure she could transfer reiatsu to her. Something Leonie likely already knew. Assuming she reached out to touch the medic's hand she would see the medics cross glow brightly with the nearby reiatsu being drawn in. This would create a flow of energy into the medic's soul that then flowed into Leonie's as the stream of reiatsu quickly but gently was transferred over. It'd take about a minute for either treatment to be completed.

Once done, the two would inspect Leonie's soul and body to ensure they hadn't missed anything. Once they were certain she was back in top form the same female quincy would speak up again, a bit less fearful though not completely gone. "If you have no other issues Captain Dallmann we must go find our other ward. Reconnaissance found another quincy who is possibly enduring hollow poisoning." She'd wait nervously concerned that Leonie would have another order for them. Once they were given the ok to leave the two would create reishi platforms again and begin flying off towards the perimeter of the ice castle.



Perimeter of the Park (Gael):

It would take another few minutes, but the two medics would eventually find Terror and Gael more of less gliding towards the last set of buildings next to the park. However, it would be immediately apparent that Gael was pretty severely injured as his body not only reeked of hollow reiatsu but some portions of it had more or less started to melt off. All the blood on his person wasn't helping the matter, even if the hollow blood was rapidly disintegrating. Terror however caught onto their presence and quickly moved to land on a building. Gently as possible shifting Gael to the rooftop and causing a slight splat sound as Gael fell face first onto the cement and mortar. He groaned and looked up with shaky vision at the two quincies before him and Terror.

Terror was making a low growling sound threatening them but even Gael knew it was a hollow threat. Terror was slowly but surely breaking apart into reishi even as he stood before the two. The medics simply stood in the air and waited as Terror continued to break apart further until he finally let out a final roar in their direction and reverted to a sphere of rieatsu. Said sphere condensed itself and beelined for Gael's bracelet before reforming into his cross. His vision had grown exceptionally blurry to the point he was seeing moving splotches of color more so than he was seeing individuals. He felt so tired that he didn't move anymore and simply continued lying in his cold blood more or less just waiting to feel what may be his last moments of life. He wouldn't find out until awhile later given that by the time the two walked up to his body, he'd passed out.

The medics having had enough time to look him over immediately got to work as Gael was more or less bleeding from the front of his body. The female quincy immediately began purifying the hollow reiatsu on his body while her companion began to speak out an incantation while pulling out three ginto tubes. A minute passed but thankfully the hollow reiatsu was cleansed completely just in time for the ginto tubes to be charged up and glowing bright green as opposed to the light blue white they usually would. The medic immediately opened all three and spilled the contents into a circle around Gael and created a symbol of the quincy cross within the circle. The two would then use another incantation and cause the liquid reiatsu to evaporate and create a glowing quincy cross on Gael's chest. The sigil glowed and pulsed, quickly knitting flesh together, stopping and replacing lost blood, and overall causing the body to regenerate at a rapid pace.

With Gael stable and rapidly healing up they each grabbed a part of his body while creating yet another set of reishi platforms. The female grabbed his arms and torso, while her companion grabbed his legs and feet. The two then propelled themselves up into the air and flew back to the church, given they were already on the perimeter it'd take them not but a few minutes to get there. Once there they'd find a pew to lay Gael upon and began doing several things at once. Immediately giving him a change of clothes to remove any hollow blood that may still be on his person, followed by another physical inspection, and ending with beginning to channel their reiatsu into his soul through his cross. By this point Gael would be in bright white clothing and physically back to full health but asleep. With their job done the two would make sure Gael was laying down on the pew before returning to Captain Ciel for further orders.



Near the park? (Celes, Ume, Hanako):

While the trio were talking Squad 12 had been watching with great intent on the situation in Karakura. Not keen on sending out a large number of forces just yet as the Vandenriech though prevalent hadn't been killing too many hollows. More than anything it was such a frankly strange situation that it warranted far more observation than it did immediate action. Especially considering that a high-end member of the Vandenriech was present. Namely a captain of some kind. Though orders had been given and Suad 12 was watching they weren't without the means to intervene in a subtle way. Mainly through a small portal that had been tested recently to be able to send a small number of objects to alternate worlds, namely the human world, without the need for another shinigami to be involved. Originally intended to make routine drops easier now it was being tested to deliver a few noteworthy items to the trio present.

The machine, a circular spiritual steel contraption whirred as reiatsu flooded its cables. Slowly but surely creating a small twist in the space within its circle. It'd take a few minutes before it would steady out and actually create a functional garganta that had instead of tearing through space and into the void, to then lead towards the human world it'd create a direct tear. This would show up almost immediately as a small tear that in between the three that was only two feet in diameter in all directions. A swirling mass of black that almost looked like it was spinning yet created no noise and almost no spiritual presence. Even the three presents would have a bit of difficulty sensing it despite seeing the tear in reality before them.

Stranger yet would be what traveled through the tear. A small metal box that had a bright red ribbon tied up around it. The box would be pushed through the tear and then fall onto the ground with a loud clang if none grabbed it while it fell. If any looked at the tear once the box was pushed through, they'd see it immediately swirl into itself and fade away. It's faint presence nowhere to be found. Inside the box would be two syringes and two pills. The syringes were light green and glowing dimly with small bubbles forming at the bottom and making their way towards the plunger. There was a label on each syringe that read "Regenerative Stimulant 2.0". Next to the syringes were blue pills that "R.S. 1.0" written onto the surface of the pills. underneath both of the pills and syringes was a letter. A simple folded piece of copy paper that once opened had freshly printed text on it. It read as follows:

"Ume,

Surveillance has indicated heavy Vandenreich activity in your vicinity. Continue surveillance. Gather as much intelligence as possible on Vandenreich capabilities. Have sent supplies to assist with operation.

Surveillance noted others in vicinity of high spiritual ability. Considered expendable for purposes of attaining additional information."



Alleyways near the park (Raphael):

His phone previously having been silent would now start springing notifications one after another. The company wide alert that was previously sent out had very clearly been received by this point and if he read the various notifications on his phone that others were being dispatched. One specific individual was being dispatched to his location with an order to Raph to stay in place. If he pulled up another section of the company network, he'd be able to find out who was coming towards him. Isaac Fulton, a member of U.E.'s R&D section famously an individual that was renowned for never leaving the building. Let alone the laboratory, to have him being sent out would immediately mean that the company was taking this about as seriously as could be with him being sent out. Or at least . . . that was likely the first conclusion to be had until "Isaac" showed up.

In the man's stead was nothing short of a metallic golem. Humanoid, brutish in form, and it looked like it was freshly welded together with rivets connecting various pieces of metal sheets together. Its form squealed and ached with every movement it made, especially its feet which somehow had thrusters under them. The golem upon locating Raph flew close to his position above him. Then changed to a vertical position and let itself "land" as if it were a rocket with the last few feet being it more or less dropping next to Raph with a loud CLANG. It then shifted its head and opened its mouth to reveal a speaker. The quality was shit and background noise could be heard but the real Isaac's voice eventually distinguished itself from the sound of various fans and other live experimentation sounds in the background.

"Hello? Hellooooo? Raph? Stupid thing, I should have upgraded the microphone when I had the chance. Whatever, I guess I'll assume you're there since I can't hear you and my golem is registering something in front of it. Hopefully its correct. Listen bud, we got your message but had some slowdown on our end. Finding people and getting folk set up. The whole shebang. Anyway, I've sent along a couple things for you, per my supervisor's orders. It's experimental stuff buuuut it should help you out. You'll be ragged as shit tomorrow morning though so be prepared for that. First things first, touch my golem's hand. Doesn't matter which, it'll transfer some reiatsu your way. It'll take a moment so make sure you're safe to do so."

"Once that's done it should open its chest and have a small vial for you to drink. Gonna tell you know it'll taste like shit. Old school cherry cough syrup kinda bad. However, once you drink it up it'll basically give you a surge of spiritual energy. You'll be able to fight like you'd just arrived on the scene and do so for the rest of the day. . . Well unless you go really hard in the fighting. Then maybe not. Anyway, make sure you drink it up and then put the vial back inside the golem. You should feel the effects immediately and be good to go. Anywho, keep up the good work bud, I'll be sending off golems around to assist others, so you'll be on your own as usual." The golems mouth closed, and it held out its hands for Raph to grab onto.

It would wait patiently for Raph to grab ahold of either or both. Once he did, he'd feel his body being forcefully flooded with reiatsu. It was like being injected through his hands with pure ice-cold energy. Thankfully it'd only take a couple seconds before it'd stop, and he'd feel his reserves completely topped off. The golem would then open its chest cavity with a screeching metal sound and reveal a glass vial with a dark crimson liquid. It looked syrupy to the point of being damn near molasses especially with the cold temperature. And once Raph drank it, true to Isaac's words it would be cherry cough syrup with all the slimy and syrupy texture that he could likely never want. Once drank he'd find himself akin to being on a caffeine and a sugar high all at once as energy would flood through him throughout his body. From there on once he replaced the vial the golem would fix itself and then launch back into the sky and fly off towards U.E. leaving Raph and his dragon to themselves.

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{Updated Hollow information}60/65 base hollows killed

4/5 intermediate hollows killed

0/1 boss killed

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{Karakura Status}Most hollows are clear with only the last remaining pack present. This pack will be racing towards the ice castle and are just entering the park. They are led by the last intermediate hollow.


Additionally, Karakura is now at 0 celsius or 32 F. Literally freezing temperatures as the clouds above are now heavily snowing across the entire city. Vision isn't impaired but it's easy to see the snow around. Additionally, the winds have gotten strong enough to throw snow on the ground around and come in random gusts in all directions from the ice castle. Ice is actively forming throughout the city.

SPOILER: Click to show

{READ THIS - IMPORTANT}So, the thread is getting an extension with a soon to be event occurring. All character's sans Caeser and Celes have been provided with reiatsu and/or healing to assist in making sure they are ready for the next event. Everyone has ONE post for the next round to react and make sure they are in their top form and to kill off the last pack of hollows before things pick up. Once everyone has had a post to recover, I'll start the next event so please wait until then.

[Maria Ashwin]

' BEING SECOND BEST....ISN'T SO BAD' 4 paragraphs 23 paragraphs total so far Location: Shopping District

(1) Maria trudged down the bustling road, the weight of her boots a comforting rhythm against the gravel. The metallic tang in the air grew stronger, a cold taste that sent shivers down her spine. As she rounded a bend, the sight that greeted her took her breath away.

(2) It was kara kura town draped the embrace of christmas!! except..there where no decorations...or music...and it was the middle of mother fucking june. 'the actual fuck is going on here? all the hollows seem to be convering on one spot?' she would think to herself hugging her arms to her body.

(3) "first i need to find a cofee shop" she would think to herself , as she wandered the shopping district a few botiques had closed due to weather but the true hustlers had their stands open and ready for business. 'better get something to warm me up or i'll freeze my ass off' she would internally chide herself.

(4) After much haggling and twenty thousand ryo later she had bought her way to the front of a cafe line , leaving her with enough money to get a simple thermos of crappy Folgers coffee. she would take a warming sip as she made her way twoard where she could feel the mass of hollows gathering 'wonder what all the hub bub is about?'

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{Stats}Strength: 200->[100]
Speed: 400->[1200]

Spiritual Pressure: 400
Riatsu Strength: 400->[500]->[1500]

Light Aura: 100
Dark Aura: 0

Instinct: 200->[300]->[150]
Sense: 200->[300]

Energy Sensory: 100->[-50%]->[50]
Healing Expertise: 400

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{Items on Hand}R-Siphon (Class 1)

Copycat-tatoo (Class 1)

Burden (Class 1)

Rat Bullets (x10)

Beat Stick x2(Class 1)



1 (1200->1300):

Corrosive E.(100)

Release E. (N/A)



2 (1200->1200):

Release E. (N/A)



A Propper Uniform (Class 1)

Bionic Voice Implant (Class 1)

Seki Seki Detector [on person]

Seki Seki Harvester (x20) [in use at mcdonalds]

Gonzo Tart (x2)

Taro Card: Chariot (class 1)

Decoy Zan (Class 1)

IP: 1100

Artificial Zanpukto (class 1)

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{Techs Used & Hollows Destroyed}N/A
Reversal 1/2: Still a man at the moment

---

4000/4000
N/A
4000/4000

---

Combat Post: 1

[Leonie Dallmann]

Turning her head upon hearing her name being called, Leonie spotted two individuals quickly making their way toward her. Humoring them, the girl placed the vial she'd held into a coat pocket, before nodding her head, encouraging them to speak. As they did, the girl simply nodded along, looking almost bored; as was typical of the Captain. Though, upon sensing an enemy, she held her hand up. "Hold that thought, a moment."

Six. Six total enemies remaining, and six more that were going to perish within the next few moments. She wasn't going to bother humoring the life of these ones; not while they were perfectly good examination subjects. Blitzing forth toward the remaining pack, Leonie reached into her coat once more, pulling out the same metallic hilt she'd utilized earlier. Igniting the blade, Leonie took the opportunity to momentarily - and near-instantaneously - scout out the group ahead.

Five lesser hollows, and one Adjuchas. Easy enough work. Touching down on the ground, the girl took the opportunity to start the rain-down of arrows onto a few of the lesser beings. As she sprinted past the strays, a barrage of arrows raining down overtop each and every one of them, a small smirk began to appear on the girl's face. Oh, how she relished in the delightfully agonizing sound of these unholy beasts returning to the ether. It was music to her ears.

As each one had taken a more-than-lethal number of arrows, she'd eventually found herself squaring off against the biggest; a beast that looked not unlike an almost humanoid weasel. "Just who do you think you are!?" They shouted with a distinctly feminine voice, "how dare you run through MY pack and-" "-quit the rambling," she interrupted, "I'm uninterested in what your kind has to say."

Hearing a scoff from her target, Leonie closed the distance at her full Speed, lunging low against the beast and looking to slash at their legs. While it seemed to be prepared for such a maneuver, it seemed that even after observing her tear through the others, a few arrows was more than enough to catch them off-guard. As a set of five rained down above, pelting them with noticeable force, an agonized groan resonated from them. Though, there was no way it was enough to put them down.

"How DARE YOU!?" They shouted, "I'LL MAKE SURE YOU-" Blasting forth once more, at ten times her own Speed, this time through the use of Hirenkyaku. As she did, blade held out to the side, Leonie took the opportunity to bisect the hollow with relative ease. "-like I said," she started, landing on a nearby building, "I am uninterested in anything you think you need to say. Don't think for a second you are worth having last words. I will cut you off. Again."

Deactivating the blade thereafter, watching the remnants of hollows dissolve, the girl sighed. It seemed the process was happening too quickly for her to reasonably collect another sample; a pity, if nothing else. Regardless, she had subordinates to get back to. Making her way back over, presumably meeting them halfway, Leonie nodded her head. "All right, you are free to do what you may."

As the restoration process was followed as expected, Leonie let out a soft huff. She couldn't deny it; she felt quite wonderful now. While she hadn't exerted herself very much thus far, being restored to top condition certainly had quite a feeling to it. "Understood," she spoke, hearing their next plan of action, "you are free to- wait. A Gemischt Quincy? Curious." Deliberating for a moment, Leonie decided to follow after them.

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{Reiatsu: 6,000/6,000}
Full reset! Nice.

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{Hollows Slain}
5 lesser hollows, and 1 intermediate sacrificed to His Majesty.

[Celes Castellanos]

After having shared her narrative, it seemed that Ume was hard-pressed to buy it. As Celes turned her attention the Hanako, Ume immediately stepped in front of the Academy student. Had she seen through Celes' bluff that easily? If nothing else, she appeared very cautious. "You have been reported MIA since the Moscow event.", Ume declared. "Well. That's one question answered.", Celes thought to herself. "I assume that if you are not missing then you're part of some clandestine operation where disseminating that information is necessary.", Ume continued.

Celes' reaction to all this was almost comical as an incredulous expression painted her face. "Huh.", she said. Admittedly, it caught her a little off-guard. Nevertheless, it appeared as though Ume would be amenable to sharing some intel with her. To summarize, Hollows had begun gathering here for unknown reasons. Additionally, there were a few other players who made their presence known. Most notable among them was the Vandenreich. Celes' eyes widened at their mention. "Fuck. Why is it always the Vandenreich...", she muttered to herself. In any case, it seemed that Celes had found the culprit who effectively murdered the start of her day.

Ume continued to talk, discussing something something about data. Then something about a waste of time. In truth, Celes' eyes glazed over as she lost interest briefly. Even Honegumi piped up, groaning noticeably. "She's... definitely a part of the Twelfth. Loves to hear herself talk." The girl stood quietly and listened to roughly every fifth or sixth word. That was until Hanako was brought up. The Academy student's presence was certainly odd. Especially given the situation. Ume and Celes both turned their gaze towards her in unison. Hanako's reaction was nothing short of bashful. Even despite that, she seemed able to choke up the words.

It turned out that the Academy sent her here for field experience. To give her a chance to get to know the Human World. Even despite the danger, she stayed to protect others. It brought a small smile to Celes' face. "Heh. You got a good head on your shoulders, girl.", she complimented Hanako. She admired the girls' will and values. It was something she often tried to instill in her officers of the Tenth Division. Unfortunately, Celes' reflection would come to an end as Ume made another inference about Celes' status along with a few questions. "I am going to assume you don't want too many people to know you're alive? What am I supposed to put in my report? Furthermore, what's the plan going forward?"

Before the girl could offer an answer, a rift formed between the three of them. Celes remained calm as she eyed it. It was a swirling, inky void. She couldn't sense its nature nor origin. Shortly after, with little warning, a box with a beautifully tied ribbon fell before them. Moving far faster than the naked eye, Celes instinctively caught the box before it fell to the ground. "Huh.", Celes remarked as she inspected it. Before Hanako or Ume could really object, she'd undue to bow and open it. Within it were the two vials, two pills, and a note. Looks like Soul Society was providing aid after all.

With a soft sigh, Celes placed the box on the ground and slid it over to the two officers. Her status aside, they seemed to need the supplies more than she did. With that aside, Celes finally addressed Ume. "As you've surmised, it is in all of our best interests if Soul Society didn't know about me being here." It almost sounded more like demand than a mere suggestion. "Don't really care what you put in your report as long as I'm not in it.", she grimaced briefly. "As for the plan? I don't have one. I was just going to investigate the strange church in the distance and go from there. Probably punch someone if they try to stop me.", she admitted without a hint of shame. Her eyes briefly shifted over to Hanako, staring at her. "I can help you two get closer if you would like. Cover your back."

In truth, Celes still cared about Soul Society. Not necessarily the upper echelons, but the Shinigami with whom she fought side-by-side. Despite having her own agenda, there was no reason why they couldn't support each other. While she waited for an answer, Celes allowed her energy to pour out. The skeletal construct came to life and surrounded the lime-haired Shinigami. It shimmered with a jade-green gleam as it grew larger. Soon, another shoulder would form as a second arm, and a head manifested. She took a deep breath as the bones seemingly hardened, becoming less ethereal. Then, it disappeared just as quickly as it had reappeared. "So. Ume, was it? I'm willing to follow if you would lead the way."

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{Celes' Reiatsu and Resources}

Reiatsu: 2850/3000
Chi: 30

+10 Chi from Shikai Overall Ability
-2 Chi for Visage of the Astral Soul
-2 Chi for Palms of the Astral Soul
-5 Chi for Ascension of the Astral Soul

Class 4 Shikai: 3/10

[Ren Akasawa]

Had the failure approached out of desperation? No, he'd only ever broken down so badly as a result of his efforts to reach the castle; if he hadn't been trying to find it, he would have given up on a chase he couldn't have won without the environment bending it in his favor to cut down slower hollows that didn't require a jaunt through the valley of screams to catch. There were still enough left that hadn't been so frustratingly fast. It couldn't have been out of curiosity; he'd known what the chilled air and announcing voices meant and had a decent idea of what would be inside when he got there. Madness, then? Yes. That had been a major factor when it came to Ren's decision-making, even if he wouldn't have acknowledged how much it impacted him.

It wasn't exactly a secret that all failures were fundamentally incapable of true sanity. Pretty much everyone knew that release abilities were at least partly mental; quincy needed to clearly envision a property before they could reify it; a fullbring required emotional investment through memories shared with its focus; shinigami and bount splintered off pieces of themselves to form companion spirits. A flood was something so fundamentally damaged that it couldn't manifest as anything other than a smear of abnormal spiritual pressure driven to make an impact on the world in the only way it was able to. Failures had broken releases; therefore, they had mental wounds that could not be healed so long as they were tormented by their floods. But it hadn't been his only reason for having sought out a cold, dark shelter such as this one.

Though broken as it was, the flood had taken a liking to the general, as was made clear in how the fake blood crawled off of their cloak and clothing and wriggled free into the air as they carried Ren into the castle. It did not extend that courtesy to anyone or anything else caught up in the sphere of influence centered on him, as any and all inanimate surfaces within fifteen meters of the failure began to bleed. Fake blood manifested, began to writhe in slow motion, and aimlessly moved without any form of coordination or intent. The most gentle of disasters had arrived, a harmless calamity that had struck Silbern itself once, and it would not stop until the failure was isolated once more.

If Caesar remembered anything of Ren's short stay in the emperor's own palace, in the land of ice and shadow, it would be that rapidly unfolding scene of a wounded world. In those days, the flood had moved at a speed of 2, even less perceptible than the 7 it currently displayed. And that scene would be the only real point of visual comparison; the dead soul of the young quincy, whose physical body had been incinerated from exposure to a drop of the emperor's blood during an otherwise normal communion ceremony, had looked like an ordinary dead soul with abnormal red blut vene, while the one who now relied on the general for support looked more like a human torso attached to limbs molded from red light in a poorly done attempt to mimic someone's vollstandig. Even if they'd been there for the event or the cleanup that followed, would they ever have remembered a stray quincy one of the sternritter brought back with them after they'd burned an apartment complex? One who'd never done anything of note between arrival and snapping under the pressure of something incredibly normal.

The would-have-been knight's mind was too occupied by his surroundings to consider any of that, and he could barely make out the scent of food through the tangy copper haze he'd come to think of as a default. How long had he gone without food this time? He couldn't remember the exact number of days; it had to be at least two weeks; maybe it was a bit over a month this time? The dead, shinigami and hollow alike, ate to replenish lost reiryoku, but as a failure with an extremely limited pool that he found difficult to use for anything, Ren felt little drive to eat even now that he had pushed his limits. What he did feel was a need not to reject any hospitality offered during his stay at the frigid castle.

“Caesar? The same as the Cardinal's mortal name.” He looked into Caesar's eyes with the points of burning light that passed for his own. “Ren Akasawa, rank suspended until such time as his majesty chooses to restore it.” The failure's liquid wings flowed to a comfortable resting position, close to his sides so as not to get in the way of either medic, though the effort needed to maintain that position increased as he ate. The efforts of the medics had left him far more uncomfortable than before, frustrated by the sensation of freshly restored reiatsu and felt as the excessive pressure within built higher without the minor cuts that had been letting it escape in a natural attempt to equalize. It was plain to see that being healed had made him much less stable, wings bristling with rounded spikes like a ferrofluid as they made the discomfort known.

Another source of discomfort had been that hearing the quincy general's name had dredged up a memory that had long been buried in silt by the advancing flood. A memory of Sternritter C, the Cardinal, as they were when he last saw them. They had looked older than they did here and now, and so he'd assumed this must have been another man with the same name. He remembered that sternritter as a man of faith, a mentor to many of the newer privates who were still adjusting to life within the vandenreich, and a man who had once given an eight-hour lecture warning a gathering of young quincy of the dangers of... Bacon-centric heresies? No—no, that wasn't supposed to be how the story went. Clearly, that memory was flood-damaged, far beyond what he could ever salvage. Why would the holy emperor, who was the sun itself, ever have had such a strong fixation on such a thing as pork? There was no point in questioning that; he expected his past to be filtered through an unreliable narrator or two on its way up from the deep red depths. That's why it was better not to think about that kind of thing at all.

He tried not to interrupt any replies or instructions as he settled into a compromise between eating politely enough to not offend his hosts and quickly enough to finish before he could be asked to leave. Based on the sounds from outside and the expressions on the medics' faces, he'd be back outside before long and probably have one last chance to dedicate a slain hollow to the Emperor where their favored people could see, such that none could doubt his motivations. A good last impression for this meeting would be as important as the first, especially as he had no way to force further encounters once the castle and those within it departed this unimportant town he'd drifted back to.

[Caesar]

His eyes widened at the words that Ren had said, not at the name but whether Der Kaiser had allowed him back. A faithful of the herd not being welcomed was as blasphemous as standing in Der Kaiser's way. And he did not allow that, as if a switch had been flipped Caesar's face went slack and emotionless, his eyes piercing into the very skull that was Ren Asakawa. "My Child."[smear:FF0000]"Child"[/smear:00FF00] his voice as if coming hollowed, like coming from an old speaker followed by the chorus of many repeating the word child echoed in his ears. "A child of The Vandenreich is always welcomed back to the fold if they come so at their will and plea."[smear:FF0000][/smear:00FF00] the voices echoed. The many around them had began to give ample room, cleared by the forces on the ground and out of reverence. Some chose to pray as they scattered into the church. The guards on the roof did not react to those outside the safety zones. They cared little for the hollows eliminated as the job was done regardless of who had intervened. They chose not to kick a hornets nest if they in return were not kicked.

"Come now, you are missing mass. You may see me after mass and we can talk about... restoring your wings." [smear:FF0000][/smear:00FF00] as with childish excitement the voice exclaimed in glee. As Caesar walked away he had thought so far what they had done here. Food and supplies were delivered to those in need and medical healing given. He personally oversaw medics that were in the process of assessing the men and women. Before they could hurry and salute the General he had returned them to duty, their actions a little shaken but their resolve ever stronger. "Bless you, had we not gotten here in time we-" "Naw, that's enough. Y'all made it and survived so Aigh did mah job."[/color] the drawl had returned to his voice and a boyish grin had found its way up there. Many of this conversation repeated until he had gotten to the small office behind the altar of Der Kaiser. Men and women began to congregate, first the choir in their uniform white and black uniforms followed by the piano player. Caesar in turn returned dressed in a typical pries outfit colored in White and Black. Several bells tolled to imply that mass or at least Caesar was preparing to speak. Standing before the altar Caesar was calm, a towering figure with the light before him made him appear closer to a prophet than a man. The light that was breaking behind his back made the man stand out even more.

"My children, we have gathered here in solidarity. My home has been attacked like this before, and like many of you I have lost some close to me in this attack. That is why we are here. The Church of Der Kaiser. In the Book of Der Kaiser it states “Refrain from seeking vengeance, beloved companions, and allow space for Der Kaiser’s judgment. For it is declared: 'Vengeance belongs to Me; I shall repay,' says Der Kaiser." I am here to ensure this will continue. We raise our hands! To Der Kaiser in glory and in thanks.

We face a formidable foe, one that seeks to tear down our faith and break our spirit. But remember, we are not alone. Der Kaiser, in His infinite splendor, watches over us and promises justice. His judgment is righteous and swift. In times of trial, it is easy to succumb to anger and seek revenge. Yet, we must remember that true strength lies in our faith and trust in Der Kaiser’s divine plan.
Let us stand firm in our convictions. Our faith in Der Kaiser is our shield against the darkness. When we gather together, we draw strength from one another and from the divine presence of Der Kaiser Himself. Lift your hearts, for we are the chosen, the ones who walk in the light of His glory.

When the demons attack, they aim to instill fear and despair. But we shall not be moved. Der Kaiser has given us the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. He has called us to be beacons of hope in a world that often forgets the light. Remember, every challenge we face is a testament to our strength and resilience. Every trial is an opportunity to prove our faith and our unwavering dedication to Der Kaiser.
Let us also take this time to pray for our lost loved ones, knowing that they rest in the eternal embrace of Der Kaiser’s glory. Their spirits are with us, urging us to continue the fight, to uphold the values and faith they held dear. We honor their memory by standing resolute and unyielding.
Now, as we lift our hands, let us do so with hearts full of gratitude and voices raised in praise. To Der Kaiser in glory and in thanks. For He is our protector, our avenger, and our eternal king. We commit ourselves to His will, knowing that His justice is perfect and His love everlasting.

Let us close our eyes and bow our heads. We Believe in holy servitude, under the watchful eye of Der Kaiser we will rise above the call of his majesty. And spread his words to those that have not been enlightened to his holy words. We believe in one God, the true being whose sheer perfection has given us a life to live again, his message has changed the lives of millions and continues to do so until the end of days. When he has descended from his holy throne and had begun the transformation of this flawed world into a world of his image. We believe in the day when the world will be bathed in a fire of holy light. The cleansing of our sins, and the bringing into a world of perfection. We believe in the world to come, when we are free from the imperfection of life. And reborn into the holy world of Der Kaiser. Long Live Der Kaiser, his word is our orders. His breath is our life, his will is our life.
After mass he had greeted everyone that greeted him, he spoke well words and after that returned to his office to prepare. He had dressed in his battle uniform, a plain white shirt and jet black pants. The white cloak bearing Der Kaisers symbol and sat at his table. Anyone was able to see him. And anyone could walk in, there Caesar prayed.

[Ume Oboro]

Ume pushed up her glasses as Celes told her not to include her in the report she made. "Very well." Though she couldn't guarantee her captain  would never find out, Ume wouldn't put it into an official document. She was  an observer and reporter, but collecting data, in her mind, was fun in and of itself. Unless she needed it for her own  ends, which Celes' current status within the Gotei Thirteen was certainly not  a part of. That was about when the portal suddenly appeared. Ume focused on it, recognizing it, even as the package dumped out of it. 

"So they have  got it working..." She muttered, intrigued and impressed at her own division's abilities. She had almost thought of what came out of it as an afterthought until Celes picked it up and started rifling through it. "H-Hey!" Ume squawked, trying to snatch it away from Celes until it was tossed to the ground. "It has my name  on it, you know." Ume huffed and read the note. She pursed her lips and then looked at the castle. That was about when the temperature suddenly caught up to her and she shivered and tugged at her lab coat. 

"I ... am not convinced that the change in temperature is directly caused by the appearance of that icy church. There's no information that Quincy have such ubiquitous use of ice powers that they could change the weather so quickly and efficiently." Ume surmised as she neatly pulled out the contents of the box. "So, we should be wary. It's likely going to get colder before it gets warmer." She explained and pulled out two pills and one syringe. "Here." She said, handing a syringe and a pill to Hanako. "Squad Twelve recovery items. Syringe for physical recover and the pill for reiatsu recovery. Good."

Ume then grabbed the handle of her zanpalutou and pulled. What she produced was a metal bar dripping with some kind of viscous liquid with eyeballs attached to every bit of it. They looked around, they blinked, somehow, but seemed to be completely independent as Ume held it up. She then snapped her free finger and one of the eyeballs turned into an infrared detector, allowing her to see heat signatures as well as anything else. "At the very least the cold will make things easier for me." Ume then popped the pill in her mouth and took the last syringe and stuffed it into her lab coat. 

"I was here before these jerks showed up and I am to continue observation." Ume said. "Gathering as much knowledge of Vandenreich Quincy as possible is of the utmost importance. Ume then tapped one of her eyeballs, causing it to twitch. "If I can get one of Nijuume's eyes on or in the church or, on some equipment that the Vandenreich might take back with them... that's  the goal." Ume said, glancing at Celes and Hanako. "I'd much rather deal with a million Quincy than one more Hollow." Ume said and shuddered. 

"Well, Miss Shindazu, if you're coming, we're going." Ume said and hopped off the building, using her surprisingly impressive agility to bound from building to tree to lightpost, to anything else as she made her way towards the Vandenreich church, all while keeping an eye on the Uzaki Enterprizes' building as well as the underside of Raph's dragon. She made a note of it to the others as they traveled. "The guy from Uzaki Enterprises is now talking to a giant... the worst construct I have ever seen. Who in this  day and age can't at least replicate human articulation, speech and hearing? I'm starting to wonder why I have been wasting my time observing them, to be honest."  

___________________________

Reiatsu 2400/2400 | 20 Eyeballs (Sheathed) |

Item: 1 Health Syringe

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and skills}Reiatsu: 2400

Strength:30
Speed: 200
Reiatsu Strength: 30
Spiritual Pressure: 160 (240) (+50%)
Instinct:110
Senses: 110
Energy Sensory: 110
Light Aura: 50
Dark Aura: 50
Healing Expertise: 0

15/15
Hoho 2
Memory 2
Analyzing 2
Learning 2
Illusion Resist 2
Anti-Stealth 2
Hacking 2
Acrobatics 1

[Hanako Nozawa]

Her comment about the origins of the Hollows' reiatsu seemed to go unheeded, but nevertheless, the conversation continued on. Celes had even commended and complimented her on her actions, widening Hanako's smile as far as it could go and baring a few teeth in the process. However, the sudden opening of a gate between them put a stop to any such revelry, and as events unfolded, Hanako tried her best again to keep up with everything that was going on.

"Mhm," she hummed as Ume handed her one each of the syringe and pill. Contrary to the Juunibantai woman's choice, Hanako stowed the pill away in her clothes while preparing the syringe; it might be for the best to save such a thing for later, she thought. With a brief wince and a small wine of pain, she awkwardly stuck herself with the needle and depressed the plunger, soon feeling the contents flow achingly into her thigh. However, the pain soon subsided, and within moments, she felt renewed strength fill her. Her many aches and bumps left her like waking from a dream, and even her thoughts seemed to come a little more clearly than before; she might have had a concussion, after all.

However, with the disappearance of her aches and pains, the cold just felt that much sharper than before with nothing to distract her. Almost immediately, she brought her arms up and hugged herself, rubbing each just above the elbow to try and keep some sense of warmth about her. She nodded at Ume's observation that Quincy didn't normally employ the cold like this, though any deeper reason for it escaped her.

All the while, Ume had been explaining her plan and their next course of action. Hanako nodded again, even confirming her willingness to continue to follow the more experienced Shinigami with a brief, "Yes, Ume-senpai!" She, too, leapt from the rooftop to follow after Ume, opting to exercise her stepping abilities to instead walk upon the air to avoid slipping in the snow beginning to accumulate on top of the trees and light poles. However, she remained low to the ground, nearer to what was pretty much her superior officer at this time, and continued to suppress her own presence as they made their way towards the icy cathedral in the distance.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiatsu & Status}Wounds healed. 1 "R.S. 1.0" held until a more dire situation.

125/150 Reiatsu remaining.

[Raphael Laurent]

Raphael glared, watching the damn vandenreich, from the alleyway, trying to consider his next move, cuz there weren't a lot. Then, suddenly, his phone started going insane, every single second there was a new ping and he started to just stare at it for a few seconds. People were starting to move all over, getting a perimeter set up, and moving out all over the city. It was insane to think that it had taken them so long to get everything going again, but now that they were, it was like a bee hive was awake.

Yet, as he looked over his message, he saw one from Isaac Fulton, the myth of UE's research and development department, was heading to him. His brows raised. Something like this was historical. He was pretty sure he'd never even seen the man in the hallways before, let alone out in the field! He was pretty excited and stood by ith a smile, waiting on the scientist.

You seem quite happy to meet this man. Is he not a scientist? Would he not try and find out what you are?

"Making a lotta assumption, HIkisaku. A LOT of assumptions."

Yet, when the time finally came, instead of a human, it was a very large and very rudimentary golem. The sound alone, was terrible; the grinding, squealing and booming of the metallic body, overhead, concerned him. Then the "flying"golem took on a vertical position, before suddenly lowering itself to the ground with feet thrusters. The "clang" was fairly deafening and Raphael held up his hands, covering his ears. That was one of the worst sounds, metal on rock, and metal on metal... Ugh... It was horrible... Then things got worse.

A speaker suddenly started up, and Raphael nearly jumped out of his skin. At least they were all moving now. It wasn't entirely surprising that it had taken them a bit more to get the ball rolling, but at the very least it was now... He sighed, realizing that he wouldn't ble to talk to Isaac, but, that was fine. Isaac mentioned that he had some things for Raphael, first a refill of his reiatsu from the golem. That would be useful, in case something... bad happened with the shinigami and quincy, well, that would work. Then he mentioned the drink and that it was like the old cherry cough syrup. He felt himself gag... Then he reached out and put his hand on the golem's feeling enervated and then took the vial and drank, gagging, again, before placing it back in the chest of he golem, as it closed and lifted off. He couldn't lie, that he felt recharged, though he was going to feel even worse the next day.

The dragon landed in front of him, and he got onto its back, the heads lowering as it stalked forward on four legs. One of the heads raised, as he stood on it, the large violet dragon in the center of the street, as it stared at the different quincies as the other stared at Leonie. He really did not like the Vandenreich.

"...why'd you put a church in the middle of a park and make it zero degrees kelvin?"

SPOILER: Click to show

Reiatsu: 5200/5200 (ty for the recharge)

[Col Arana]

In years gone by, Col would have treated the swarms of Hollows over Karakura Town as something of a buffet for himself. An opportunity to freely sate his endless hunger. Fortunately his work for XCution had kept that... somewhat at bay. And besides which these Hollows were far too weak to be worth the effort. Col suspected he'd actually exert himself more than the Hollow would satisfy. No point really. Feeble creatures like that were beneath his notice, but perhaps the worms might attract a tasty sparrow. He'd keep an ear to the ground at least, but he didn't expect much to come of this.

The arrancar moved through the suite that XCution had arranged for him to his study, glass of wine in hand, and took a seat in a large comfortable chair by the electronic fireplace. It wasn't as nice as the one he'd had in the XCution headquarters, but it would suffice, and Col had very few irreplaceable belongings in any case. He settled in, placing the glass on the stand beside his armchair, before turning his attention to the book he'd been working his way through, Charles Baudelaire's "The Flowers of Evil". He gave a slightly amused chuckle as he sipped from the glass, realizing he'd picked the appropriate drink for the occasion as he noticed the title of the segment he was reading; "Wine."

Flip

Mmm... The Hollows were still active it seemed. He was picking up a few Shinigami reiatsu, but nothing of note. There was a moderately strong Fullbringer running about.... Under other circumstances it might have been worth taking a look, but then, Col had a reputation to uphold, the desperate growling of his stomach notwithstanding. Although he despised the pain, it had become a constant companion, never truly sated, and it would take more than the Fullbringer to satisfy him; though from what Col could sense he did indeed seem to fall nicely into the range of Col's favorite prey-- powerful enough to be worthwhile prey, but not powerful enough to put up a serious fight. Perhaps he'd pay mind to that one-- hmm?

Well now. That was interesting.... Was that a Quincy's reiatsu? And nearly as powerful as the Fullbringer at that. Curious, curious...

Flip

Maybe this would be worth stretching his legs for afterall--

An eruption of power, and a bellowing commandment that Col could hear even from his suit. This one was different. Oh yes. This one was very, very different than all the others. His power was staggering-- the likes Col had only seen thrice in his life. Sonken Kouhai, the Mozo of the Escudo, and Shizuka Sanamizu. This one was of a similar caliber to them. And by that shouting and bellowing, he was a member of the Vandenreich....

Not since the black tower had Col crossed blades with the Vandenreich and the one he had seen there had been poor sport indeed. Strong, yes, but foolish. And such a blatant aggression toward him at that. I daresay this Vandenreich thinks this is his town now. We certainly can't have that. I think Miss Sanamizu would not take issue if I were to take measures to remind these Quincy to whom the Human World truly belongs. Col placed a bookmark, marking his place and abandoned his half-drunk wine glass, stepping up to the full length window. He slid it aside and stepped out onto the air ground, not allowing his reiatsu to erupt just yet.

Oh, there was another reiatsu. A Shinigami's, and a Captain no less! A shame the Vandenreich had already drawn Col's attention, else he might have beelined for the Captain's location in search of worthy prey. Alas, there were more pressing concerns.

Col moved along the air ground, still perhaps ten or eleven blocks away from Caesar's new structure in Karakura Town, but he wanted to put at least a city block away from his current accomodations. While it was certainly replaceable, to do so would be something of an inconvenience and he didn't wish to replace his library yet again. No, no, Col would be attending this matter personally. Until now, Col had been suppressing his reiatsu, but as he stepped upon the rooftop of a tall office building, some eight blocks to the North of Caesar's church, he allowed his reiatsu to leak forth. The visible reiatsu of an arrancar. Ah.... Perhaps I should learn that "Tenteikura" spell the Shinigami practice. It would be lovely for moments like these. ...Alas.

It wasn't that Col was completely unaware of the goings on around him. The Shinigami, Fullbringers, Quincy and the like all battling for survival their fights against the Hollows. They were simply beneath him. Beneath his notice. As were the ripples in the air as he allowed his reiatsu to surge forth, threatening the barriers between the Human World and the worlds beyond. As his hunger seeped from his soul, attracting more hungry eyes still. But for the moment, the walls between worlds held. For the moment, those ravenous invaders were warded off.

Col lifted a finger, and declared loudly. He couldn't broadcast a message so he felt it would be most appropriate to make his intent clear to as many as could hear, even if that was very few.

"A reminder to all Vandenreich!" Col bellowed. "This world is not yours to conquer."

Even from this distance, the light would be visible. A brilliant, pale blue light like the twinkling of a star in the night sky. Those who, by some poor judgement had chosen to come close to Col after his declaration would hear the Arrancar murmuring a chant in a low voice. ""Oh raging god of disaster and storms, incarnation of destruction and herald of lightning. Arise before this one who has summoned you, come forth and wreak devastation upon our enemies. Cracked sky, scorched air, calamitous noise. Let these things become your image. Burn them into the immortal souls all beings who witness your power. Bring forth your fury and anger, the power of the lord of the skies. Strike down all who oppose us, deliver them unto their heathen gods."

The blue orb forming in the palm of Col's hand ignited into a crackling ball of electricity, illuminating the Arrancar's twisted and gleeful face. "Hiryu."

"Gekizo."

"Shinten."

"Raiho."

From atop the office building where Col stood, the air screamed. To call what emitted from Col's palm a blast would not be doing it service. It was a cataclysm. The world screamed, the air buckled, and reality cringed back from the catastrophic force that Col had just unleashed as a pillar of thunder and lightning and reiatsu roared into existence, splintering apart the space between it and Caesar's church. It careened through the skies of Karakura above the buildings between Col and his target, a terrifying display for any with the spiritual capacity to witness it, intent on turning the Vandenreich's little power play, along with everyone within it into naught but bubbling plasma and atoms. A direct hit would result in a colossal explosion erupting from the space; a devastating pillar of light reaching to the skies as a testament to the arrancar's power; leaving naught but fragments and flecks of spiritual particles of its targets behind, too minor for even a Hollow to consider worthwhile table scraps.


-----

Speaking of Hollows.... Col's attack had not been the only problem that Karakura Town was about to face. The defenders, only having just staved off the waves of Hollows would perhaps look in horror, frustration, annoyance, or-- for the battle-lusting among them, excitement, as the Kido spell ripped open the tenuous barrier between the Human World and the next. From around Col, and the path his spell had traveled, rips in reality tore open and once more, swarms of Hollows, drawn to the precipice by Col's reiatsu and the insatiable hunger they sensed from the Arrancar, began to pour forth, hoping to glut their own hunger upon the spiritually rich souls gathered.


Reiatsu Remaining: 2800/3400 (-600 for Hado#88)

Hado #88 Reiatsu Strength: 1960

SPOILER: Click to show

{Hado #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō (Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon)}Class: 2
Technique Type: Kido
Technique Element: Thunder

Technique Description and Effects: While Hado #63: Raikōhō, is a particularly powerful blast of electrical force, it pales in comparison to this spell, which is usually only employed by masters of the Kido arts. When released, this spell fires an enormous burst of spiritual and electrical energy that simply disintegrates all in its path, tearing it apart until nothing is left, not even dust. This technique’s range is roughly the size of a train in terms of width and height, and will devour all before it.

How to use technique: Speak the spell and point hand towards the target.

Incantation and Effect: "Oh raging god of disaster and storms, incarnation of destruction and herald of lightning! Arise before this one who has summoned you, come forth and wreak devastation upon our enemies! Cracked sky, scorched air, calamitous noise! Let these things become your image! Burn them into the immortal souls all beings who witness your power! Bring forth your fury and anger, the power of the lord of the skies! Strike down all who oppose us, deliver them unto their heathen gods!" With the incantation, this spell gets a 40% increase in Reiatsu Strength (i.e. if Reiatsu Strength is 100, this is treated as 140 with incantation).

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}Strength: 300 (100)
Speed: 400
Reiatsu Strength: 400 (1400)
Spirit Pressure: 340
Light Aura: 0
Dark Aura: 100
Senses: 150
Instincts: 390 (130)
Energy Sensory: 120 (420)
Healing Expertise: 100 (33)
Total: 2200


Martial Arts: Blades: 3
Martial Arts: Wing Chun: 2
Special Skill: Climbing: 3
Stealth: 2
Battle Analysis: 3
Analysis: 2