Judgement Day [DP PVP]

[Celes Castellanos]

Thread Title: Judgement Day
Participants: Celes Castellanos & Tala Selao
World: Human World
Death Setting: Non Death Enabled
Rating: R
Location: Karakura Town
Special Conditions: Given her position narratively, Celes does not have access to the Top 3 Captaincy SP Boost for this thread.
Circumstances: After heightened spiritual activity within Karakura, Celes has decided to enjoy a restful day. Along the way, however, the ex-Captain comes face-to-face with Tala Selao, Third Seat of the Sanbantai. Needless to say, violence ensues.

[Celes Castellanos]

It was a warm summer day. The birds were singing, the wind was cool, and spirits were high. It was a stark contrast to usual. Karakura Town, the Jūreichi, was a haven for wacky spiritual events. Hollow ran amok quite frequently within the unassuming town. A Shinigami and Vandenreich presence seemed to slither in as well. It didn't feel too long ago that Celes had encountered the Vandenreich and a small outfit of Shinigami in a nearby park. Needless to say, it felt like the citizens of Karakura would never find a moment of peace and normalcy again. At least, until today.

It was surprisingly quiet. No rampant destruction. No screams of terror. No cries for help. Today felt like a normal day. Naturally, the calm day didn't go unnoticed by Celes. She had decided to take advantage of what effectively amounted to a day off. Even since her departure from Soul Society, the girl did her best to protect those in need. She'd go about her day, purifying Hollows as normal. It felt like a job she was not getting paid for. Today would be different though. She could focus on other things. Wasting little time, the girl decided to go for a morning run.

The girl prepared her clothing. She slipped into a comfy set of workout shorts before taking a white cloth to prep her sarashi. She'd bind it around her bust, tightening it, before wrapping the rest around her wrists. The remaining bandages would then wrap around her girls' ankles and feet. Just in case, Celes threw on a tank top. Due to her monstrous strength, her clothing usually had a habit of ripping so wearing two layers had quickly become a necessary precaution for her. After all, she still did have some of her modesty. Lastly, the girl grabbed a large bag to stow a few last-minute things. A change of clothes, several water bottles, and her Zanpakutō. She could never be too careful, but she also did not to stick out like a sore thumb. With everything ready to go, Celes slung the bag over her shoulder and left the apartment.

The sun's golden rays felt so comforting. She exhaled a deep breath and then proceeded to jog down the street. She had decided to pace herself to keep appearances. Roughly the speed of an average athletic human. She did not anticipate any Shinigami taking note of her, but running around at the speed of a racecar would certainly attract unwanted attention. So she'd jog along the side of the street for quite a while. Through the park, past the recreational facilities, and by several shops. One of them, a quaint little place, stood out to her. "Rēgīna?", she read the sign in her head. "what an odd name... May be worth a visit, in the future.

As she carried on, Celes soon jogged through another park. The lush grass felt wonderful beneath her feet. The cheers and joyful screams of kids could be heard nearby. It warmed her heart to see that safety and security had returned to Karakura. At least, to some capacity. Soon, Celes would find herself beside a bench. Throwing her bag down onto it, she unzipped it before taking it out a jug of water. Flipping the lid, Celes took big gulps. Water trickled down her cheeks and chin. As she was done taking her swig, the girl wiped her hand across her face before letting out a sigh of relief. Maybe she could take in the sights for a little. Enjoy the breeze? "Yea.", the Shinigami thought to herself. She fell back against the bench and decided to take five.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Celes' Stats n' Skills}
Type: Genius

Strength- 400 [1200]
Speed - 400 [1200]
Spiritual Pressure - [300]
Reiatsu Strength - 150 [100]
Light Aura- 100
Dark Aura - 0
Instinct - [300]
Senses - [150]
Energy Sensory - 100 [66]
Healing Expertise - [0]

Total SP: [1800]

Pain Tolerance: 4
Martial Art - Flowing Water Style: 4
Martial Art - Hakuda: 3
Martial Art - Pankration: 3
Calm Mind: 3
Battle Analysis: 2

[Tala Selao]

Tala had heard the news but he was still trying to wrap his head around it. Captain Celes was MIA. He wondered if the enemy had captured her but even that was very absurd to imagine. He remembers the several times he'd sparred with her and how clearly outclassed he'd been so to think that she ended up going missing during the Quincy show of power wasn't fathomable to him. He need to clear his head. To much had been happening recently and his recent promotion had swamped him with newer responsibilities. He hadn't even been on a real patrol in the human world for some time.

As the senkaimon opened, he found himself once again in Karakura. It hadn't been that long since he had actually been here, the little evaluation spar with Hikari having happened not that long ago, but to go on an actual patrol was a different story. He hasn't even been to the Rukongai for a good month or two. On his way here, he'd learned that the Hollow activity had recently been dropping which he found odd since the patrols that had been getting sent out hadn't increased.

Which means that he actually had a legitimate reason to be here. He scans the area and confirms that there doesn't seem to be any kind of activity in the immediate area. He sighs and begins head off in one direction, rushing through the air and feeling the area for any large sources of heat that'd be out of place. He didn't feel anything however as he passed by the park something caught his eye. Or more accurately someone.

He wasn't sure if he was imagining things or not as he stared down at Captain Celes. Was it really her? How? And more importantly, why? He had to be sure and if it was really her then he'd be able to escort her back to Soul Society safely since he assumed she had lost access to being able to move through the Dangai. That'd probably explain why she'd remained here in the living world, assuming she'd managed to escape the Vandenreich.

"Captain Celes?" He tentatively spoke out to her as he descend from the air and landed a few feet away from her.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats/Skills}Type: Perma-Release

Strength: 150
Speed: 200
Spiritual Pressure: 400 (x2 Increase) 800
Reiatsu Strength: 200
Healing Expertise: 0
Instinct: 100
Senses: 100
Energy Sensory: 50
------------------

Light Aura: 50
Dark Aura: 50

------------------

Analyzing 2
Memory 1
Battle Analysis 2
Weapons (Pole Weapons) 1
Acrobatics 1
Mental Incantations 1
Heat Tolerance 2
Pain Tolerance 1
Charisma 1

SPOILER: Click to show

{Ocular Lens w/ Reiatsu Scan}Description: A contact-like lense that fits over the eye. This is a powerful recording device, that allows the user to instantly record everything that they see while wearing it, allowing for more efficient reconnaissance even if the user is killed, as all data recorded with it is sent via live feed to Squad 12's archives. In addition to this, the Ocular Lens may have any of the following "visions" added for no extra cost: Reiatsu scan (Allows the user to judge the approximate strength of the target's reiatsu for those with lower ES), Night Vision, Infrared and Binocular. Only one vision type may be selected with the Ocular Lens which is specified upon purchase.

Class: 4

Item Type: Utility

Item Power (IP): 500

Offense Type: N/A

Durability: 50

Cost: 10,000

Crafting Skills: Crafting 2

Donated to Urahara's: No

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes closed her eyes as she took in the ambiance. The soothing sounds of nature reminded the girl of her favorite spot in Soul Society. A little clearing in which she sought refuge when the struggles of Captaincy got to her. She took a deep breath and hummed softly. The thought of no longer needing to manage an entire division left the lime-haired Shinigami... elated. It was strange to say, but there were no more duty rosters to fill, defenses to assess, or people to train. No expectations of her to meet. She could finally, and truly, focus on herself. A small smile crept along her lips as she took another gulp of water.

It seemed that this moment of peace would not last forever, though. She could sense something on the move. It started small but began to rapidly build momentum. It was like a tidal wave of reiatsu. The girl's smile quickly turned into a scowl. She opened her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Great. What is it now?", she briefly muttered to herself. Was someone foolish enough to pick a fight with her? That lingering question aside, the source of the reiatsu would soon make itself clear. In fact, Celes would have an idea long before it came into view.

"Captain Celes?", the disembodied voice asked inquisitively. The girl recognized that voice and her eyes rose to meet the Shinigami's descending form. "Tala?", she returned. She had some history with the Third Seat of the Sanbantai. She had sparred with him on several occasions. She found herself drawn to Tala as his time in the Gotei largely mirrored her own. From what she had gathered, the young man lacked confidence in his own abilities. Additionally, he didn't have a Captain to provide him feedback nor guide him through his journey within the Gotei. That all aside, Celes briefly muttered, "What the hell are you doing here?"

There was a brief hint of panic in her voice. Shortly after, however, Celes took a few relaxing breaths. Upon reflection, she was not entirely surprised that Tala was here. After all, Shinigami patrols had become more frequent over the past few weeks. It did beg a single question, though. Was he aware of Celes' defection? Ume and Hanako didn't seem to know. Either Soul Society lacked intel on what happened at Nifelheim or it was information that was shared on a need-to-know basis. Based on Tala's etiquette, she suspected the former. She stood up from her bench and left the duffle bag lying on the bench. There was no need to escalate things. At least, not yet. There was no telling how problematic Tala would prove to be, though. Only time would tell.

[Tala Selao]

Tala raises a brow as she answered his question with one of her own. He could hear the momentary panic in her voice yet he didn't know why or what she had to fear, especially from him of all people. With that aside however, he was rather more confused by the question itself, "I feel I should be asking you that question, ma'am." He gestures towards her outfit, "What happened to you? I'd heard you were MIA yet you're just here in Karakura...and intact it would seem."

He wasn't sure whether if it was his intuition or just his own skills of deduction and observation, but she definitely didn't seem like she'd escaped from Vandenreich control. She didn't even have her shihakusho and he couldn't see her zanpakuto anywhere either. This whole situation gave off the feeling that she wasn't here on circumstance but by choice.

His face goes solemn for a moment, "I'd heard that most of Squads Ten and Eleven had been wiped out by the enemy forces. The exact details of how aren't clear but the absence is clearly felt." He watched her face with an inquisitive stare, looking for any tells on how she feels and reacts to hearing this. What really happened with the Vandenreich.

[Celes Castellanos]

"I feel I should be asking you that question, ma'am." Celes' eyes narrowed at the Shinigami as he reversed the question. It was clearly accusatory and cast suspicion on the girl. Tala further cemented this by adding, "What happened to you? I'd heard you were MIA yet you're just here in Karakura...and intact it would seem." Celes' features softened for a brief moment. "Missing in Action, huh? It's true then..." It seemed that Kaen and Kimiko were indeed silent about the Shinigami's betrayal.

Surely she could just lie, right? She could fabricate some scenario to explain all this away? Celes felt herself growing more desperate by the moment. At least with Ume, she could weave a narrative that was dubious but could be believable. This scenario, however? She had been caught redhanded. As Tala said, she was very much intact. Almost immediately, her mind attempted to forge something. Anything. "Perhaps that I was taken captive by the Vandenreich?" Suddenly, a voice erupted from with the depths of her psyche. "You little fool. We all know how zealous the Vandenreich is. Keeping you alive would've been too great a risk."

Celes simply bit her tongue in frustration. It was a fair point. "Besides. Why wouldn't you have just gone back to Soul Society after escaping?" Yet another point that shot a hole in Celes' argument. She sighed and shook her head. Ultimately, Tala would rip her from her haze with his next comment. "I'd heard that most of Squads Ten and Eleven had been wiped out by the enemy forces. The exact details of how aren't clear but the absence is clearly felt." It couldn't have been a more inopportune time for her to have a change of heart. The Tenth and Eleventh suffered mass casualties from the Nifelheim invasion. They were blown to bits, their souls never to return. It was... depressing to say the least.

The girl grit her teeth and shook her head at Tala. "The Tenth and Eleventh will endure. They always have been strong." She took a deep breath. "You ought to leave, Tala. Just forget you ever saw me here and walk away. Trust me, you'll be better off for it." Her voice darkened, sounding just short of a threat. In some ways, it was. Slowly, but surely, Celes was getting a bad feeling about this. It couldn't end well if this continued any further. Especially if the whole of Soul Society caught wind that she was still very much alive. News of a defection would be sure to lower morale. For now, she'd stare down Tala while still keeping a relaxed stance. Perhaps he would see reason and heed her warning.

[Tala Selao]

Tala gave her a look, trying to decipher what she was going through in her mind. However when she finally answered he just raised a brow at her, "Ma'am, Eleventh will sure, but the Tenth? I'm sure they would endure better with their Captain." He could hear the subtle threat in her words, the unspoken warning of what would happen if he did not back off. Yet he knew he couldn't. If what was to transpire was to happen, he needed to know for sure then.

He needed to know why someone he looked up to and respected would refuse to return to Soul Society after such a blow. He tilts his head as he takes a small step closer, "Captain...what really happened? Why do you not want to return?" Surely whatever reason she gave him, there would be a good way to convince her to come back. She was a Captain after all and as things were, Soul Society could not stand to lose any more than they already had.

[Celes Castellanos]

It was no secret that the Tenth was left in rather horrific shape. The Nifelheim had done quite some damage to the Jūbantai and Jūichibantai with its opening volley. The most recent invasion by Las Noches did little to help the situation as the Right Hand of Kouhai, Guujin, had decided to pay a visit to the Tenth Division. They had already rebuilt their barracks, but the damage was done. It took quite a bit for Celes to boost the morale of her people, but she could only do so much. And now? She had suddenly disappeared and the Tenth was leaderless as far as she was aware.

She let out a soft sigh as Tala commented on her returning to Soul Society. To take her rightful place as Captain. Unfortunately, that was no longer an option. Celes had sealed her fate when she came to the aid of Hiyori. Her amber eyes met Tala's as she spoke, "Mizu will do what needs to be done. She may only be a Third Seat, but she must pick up the pieces." Celes felt little remorse for helping Hiyori. She was her sister after all. Could she really face Kimiko? Kaen? After all of that. "No.", Celes thought to herself as she shook her head.

As the woman made her intentions clear to Tala, the Third Seat would not let up. He approached her, asking her why she refused to return. Her grip tightened into a fist. Why couldn't he just let her be? Why did he have to ask her to justify herself? She had made peace with her decision. Her eyes briefly darted over to her duffle bag and then back to Tala. Could she tell him the truth? She deliberated internally for a few moments. Ultimately, the woman sighed. "You really want to know the truth?" It was a rhetorical question as she already knew the answer.

"I'm a traitor, Tala.", she said plainly. She let it sit in the air for a moment before elaborating. "We responded in Moscow to a Quincy attack and my sister was there. She's among the Vandenreich." Her aura changed, intensifying. She did not know how Tala would react, but she had to prepare herself. "I stood against Soul Society to protect her. And y'know what? I'd do it again in a heartbeat. That's why I can't return and I will say it once again. Leave and forget about me. In truth? Celes did not want to hurt Tala. She prayed that he would go his separate way. That he would let her walk away. To illustrate the sincerity of her conviction, Celes allowed her reiatsu to bleed out. A thick blanket of reiatsu would wash over Tala, mildly pressing against his entire body. It was gravitational pressure and would just serve to intimidate the Shinigami.

[Tala Selao]

Tala was reeling back from everything he'd just learned. Captain Celes had a sister? A sister that was a member of the Vandenreich? How was that even possible? Did this mean that Captain Celes was previously a Quincy, in her past life perhaps? Too many questions were racing through his mind and, unfortunately, he wouldn't seem to be getting any answers as he felt his body begin to be pressed down upon by an unseen force.

It was like the world's heaviest blanket had been draped over him and it was taking all his strength to stay standing. His eyes darted around, trying to find the source of this pressure and when he spotted no one except for the two of them it was then when he realized what he was experiencing. He'd only seen it once before, back during the Hell invasion, when Captain Tsuyoshi had used it to clear waves of Hellions in one move. He didn't realize how much it would take to resist such tremendous force. It also told him how serious the Captain was about not returning.

But surely, under such extenuating circumstances, those in charge could understand. "If that is the truth...then why not explain that to Central Forty-Six? Surely they would understand? There are plenty of us who would stand by you, is there not? I know I would. You don't have to do this Ma'am." He wasn't sure if Central Forty-Six would be as forgiving as he but he'd be damned if he'd let someone like Celes be branded a traitor for defending her sister. Surely there was something that could be done.

[Celes Castellanos]

The gravitational pressure that surrounded Celes began to lightly crack and crumble the ground around her. The same would occur around Tala, but the Shinigami was showing remarkable resilience. Even despite the increasing pressure in the air, he did not turn to flee. He stood his ground. Celes had to admit that she was a little impressed by the Third Seat's will. Unfortunately, it meant that Celes may need to face Tala. She let out a soft disgruntled sigh. "Damn it, Tala...", she muttered beneath her breath. Allowing her energy to settle, the gravitational pressure quickly dissipated.

It was then that Tala made a suggestion. He wanted Celes to return with him and explain her actions to the Central 46. Her eyes widened and she shot Tala an incredulous look. "You can't be that naive, Tala. It was an outlandish request. It was enough to stir Honegumi. "That better have been a goddamn joke! This guy is gonna get us killed if he had it his way!", she violent exclaimed within the depths of Celes' mind. The Shinigami shook her head. "You and I both know the traditions of Soul Society. The Vandenreich is the enemy. Central 46 would cut me down where I stood before I even had a chance to justify my actions."

The woman idly paced over towards her duffle bag. Unzipping it, the girl rummaged through it briefly before grabbing hold of something. She'd pull out her Zanpakutō, neatly tucked within its scabbard, holding the emblazoned hilt tightly. The top brass cling so tightly to ideals and traditions. I was once told to kill Camila, a dear friend of mine, shortly after she defected. I was expected to fulfill my duty and kill her in cold blood. Ridiculous and cruel...", she said in a melancholy tone. It was another memory of hers that stung a great deal.

Her reminiscing aside, Celes slowly drew the white blade from its scabbard. Shortly after, she allowed her reiatsu to flow. It surged through her body and her Zanpakutō. Before long, it glowed a bright green and faded away into fragments of reiatsu. Those same fragments then began to envelop her and form into an aura that surrounded the lime-haired Shinigami. Jade green bones twisted to life and expanded around Celes. Further twisting and contorting, it formed shoulders. Then, suddenly, two arms coiled outward and a head formed atop the construct. It was not the first time she had unleashed her Shikai upon Tala.

The visage of the projection stared down at Tala, focusing on him with white eyes of pure energy. It's mouth began to quiver before Celes' voice practically boomed from the 15-tall construct. "Tala Selao, this is your final warning!" The earth underneath Celes' feet and all around her quivered beneath the commanding presence of her voice. "You want to take me to Central 46? Back to Soul Society? Then you'll have to take me by force!" Celes' stared at Tala from behind the safety of her Shikai. Her amber eyes studied the Shinigami's body language. Would he see the futility of it all and turn back? Or would he stand and fight to bring Celes back to face judgement?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shikai Overall Ability}The theme of Honegumi Gassō revolves around manipulation of qi, a person's vital essence. Upon releasing Honegumi Gassō, Celes can access a specialized font of energy which is tracked through a resource known as Chi. Beginning at 0 and gaining 10 per post, capping at 100, this resource is tracked regardless of whether her release duration expires. Furthermore, re-releasing simply continues its progression from where it was halted. Through her Palms & Arms of the Astral Soul, Celes can forcibly extract qi to redirect it into herself. Any victim, or their release weapon, struck by the aforementioned tools will increase her Chi by 10. While spiritually resilient individuals boast much higher vitality and are unhindered by this, basic humans and other non-spiritual creatures simply drop dead from having their life energy drained even once. When spending reiatsu for her Zanpakutō techniques, Celes may elect to pay an additional cost in Chi, thereby reducing the reiatsu cost by 25%.

Unlike most Zanpakutō release forms, Honegumi Gassō takes the form of a spectral avatar, known as the Astral Soul, to fight alongside the Shinigami. While the Astral Soul, at a glance, might be seen as a construct formed of reiatsu, the avatar itself is solely fashioned from the users' qi. Upon releasing Honegumi Gassō, the Shikai takes the form on a ribcage. This ribcage, while summoned, grants Celes a 360° defense as it manifests around her. From there, Chi may be used to make additions to the ribcage which are detailed further below. Each addition, until made permanent using Ascension of the Astral Soul, has a per-post maintenance cost of Chi. Once these additions have been manifested, Celes may spend Chi to make these permanent additions to her Avatar. This gives Honegumi Gassō the unique ability to evolve over the course of a fight, becoming more durable in the process. Honegumi Gassō forms the Astral Soul at a speed equivalent to the users'.

Honegumi Gassō has durability equivalent to Celes’ Strength and is 15 ft tall. This durability increases by 1.5x Celes’ Strength when Humanoid while the height increases to 20 ft. The durability finally rises to 2x Celes’ Strength while Armored while the height increases to 25 ft. Each component which includes the Head, Body & and Arm, has its own durability. No part of the Astral Soul may ever be more than one stage above the Body. When any component of Honegumi Gassō comes into contact with a spiritual or physical attack, technique, or ability, a unique clash occurs as the OS of the attack is subtracted from the durability. The Astral Soul can only suffer durability damage once per execution of an attack unless the attack explicitly hits multiple times. Attacks that possess a 2+ class superiority to the Astral Soul pierce the Astral Soul, harming the durability and leaving Celes’ susceptible to its effects; a 3+ class superiority will pierce and deal 2x OS. To contrast, a 2+ class inferiority will deal 50% OS; a 3+ class inferiority will deal 25% OS. Classless attacks always deal with full OS. If the attack does not reduce the durability to 0, Honegumi Gassō absorbs the full brunt of the attack, protecting anyone within the spectral construct from any damage or negative effects that the technique would have otherwise imposed. Conversely, if the attack does reduce the durability to 0, the attack continues with its leftover OS after subtraction. Finally, if the Body of Honegumi Gassō were to fall to the durability of 0, the entire construct regresses to its previous stage. For example, Armored would regress to Humanoid. Once per post, Celes can spend any amount of Chi to restore the Astral Soul. Each Chi restores 4% durability and can be split, as needed, to any of the Astral Souls' components.

Celes may allow others to enter her Astral Soul freely and doing so incurs no harm to the individual. Opponents may also force their way into Celes’ as long the durability of the Astral Soul's body has fallen below 25%. This includes techniques that would target Celes directly, requiring opponents to wear down her defenses first. Opponents of a higher class than Celes can always force their way into the construct or target Celes through her Astral Soul no matter the durability. At any point, Celes can also "lockdown" her Astral Soul, preventing anyone from leaving or entering with the aforementioned stipulations. Additionally, Celes can dismiss her Astral Soul at any point.

Given the malleable nature of this Astral Soul, Celes can utilize the construct much like one may don regular armor. By condensing the size of the armor, Celes allow the Astral Soul to fit close to her skin. This grants all the benefits that the Astral Soul would normally grant its user. However, the armor only fits over the appropriate body parts, effectively leaving Celes' lower body without the natural protection afforded by the Astral Soul. Additionally, this does forfeit any range advantage that the Astral Soul's enormous size would've naturally provided.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Palms of the Astral Soul}
For 1 Chi, Celes can summon one arm, up to a maximum of four. These arms have a reach of 15 ft and have a Strength equal to Celes’ own strength. When using the Complete Astral Soul, the arms extend outward to 20 ft. Each arm must be maintained via the upkeep of Chi until it is made permanent. The upkeep cost of the arms increases with each stage.

Skeletal: 1
Humanoid: 2
Armored: 3
Complete: 4

SPOILER: Click to show

{Visage of the Astral Soul}
For 2 Chi, Celes can summon the head of her Astral Soul. This head, while active, heightens Celes’ visual acuity by allowing her to see through the eyes of the Astral Soul. This allows her to treat her Speed as 25% higher for the purposes of perceiving high-speed movement. This bonus increases to 50% upon using the Complete Astral Soul. The upkeep cost of the Head increases with each stage.

Skeletal: 2
Humanoid: 4
Armored: 6
Complete: 8

SPOILER: Click to show

{Arms of the Astral Soul}
For 1 Chi, Celes can summon weapons wielded by the Astral Soul. These weapons can be anything as long as Celes possesses the appropriate weapon skill. If wielded by the Astral Soul, these weapons grow larger so that they may be comfortably used by the construct. All weapons have an OS and durability equivalent to Celes’ Strength; Bankai increases the durability to 2x Celes' OS. These weapons can be destroyed by a 2x OS superiority to durability. Once broken, Celes may spend 1 Chi once more to resummon these weapons. As long as the weapons are not broken, Celes may dissipate the weapon. Celes may summons a copy of the weapon in her hand that acts as her release weapon. She may transfer her copy of the weapon to the Astral Soul at will, or vice versa, as long as it is not broken. The weapons do not have an upkeep cost.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Acension of the Astral Soul}
By spending varying amounts of Chi, Celes can permanently grant herself the superior stages of the Astral Soul. Once a stage has been unlocked permanently, Celes does not need to spend Chi to maintain enhancements of that stage anymore. These permanent enhancements, if destroyed, allow Celes to spend Chi equivalent to 1.5x their upkeep cost, rounded down, to restore the enhancement. When restored, the enhancement returns to the current unlocked stage of Ascendant Spirit. If the Astral Soul were to regress to a previous stage, Celes can spend Chi equal to the most recently unlocked Stage to immediately upgrade back to it. For example, if Astral Soul reverts to Skeletal, she can spend 9 Chi to enhance the Astral Soul to Humanoid once more. Upgrading Ascendant Spirit lasts until the end of a regular thread such as a PVP/JT. In longer threads such as adventures, Ascendant Spirit resets on a "long rest". The requirements for upgrading or restoring Stages are:

Skeletal: 5 (Rank I)
Humanoid: 9 (Rank II)
Armored: 13 (Rank III)
Complete: 20 (Rank IV)

For another rank of Ascendant Spirit to be purchased, Celes must have at least maintained the next stage of enhancements at some point. For example, if Celes is currently using the Skeletal Astral Form, she must first purchase and maintain Humanoid Arms and Head to upgrade to rank II (Humanoid) of Ascendant Spirit. While each enhancement can be maintained individually, all enhancements must have been maintained at the next stage at least once. The only exception is Palms of the Astral Soul, which only require a minimum of two arms to be maintained to fulfill the requirement. Additionally, after upgrading Ascendant Spirit, the technique goes on cooldown for two posts before being able to upgrade again. If an enhancement is destroyed, Celes must wait 1 post before being able to restore that enhancement.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Honegumi Gassō Durability}
Astral Soul Body: 1200
Astral Soul Right Arm: 1200
Astral Soul Left Arm: 1200
Astral Soul Head: 1200

SPOILER: Click to show

{Celes' Reiatsu and Resources}

Reiatsu: 2850/3000
Chi: 1

-150 Reiatsu for Class 4 Shikai
+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: 1/10

Genius Stamina Posts: 1/8

[Tala Selao]

The words hit Tala like a brick wall as she called him out on his naivety. Somewhere in his subconscious he knew she was right. Most of Soul Society were stuck in their ways but he figures that perhaps the many merits of Captain Celes would count and make up for this one incident. After all she was quite the powerful Shinigami. It would be better off to have her as an ally than to try and eliminate her and make her an enemy. Yet it seemed like that course of action, that  was already underway, rapidly becoming unavoidable.

He felt even more confused as she brought up her friend, Camila, someone Tala had never heard of before. But for her to bring up this name...it must have been weighing deeply on Celes' mind. It also brought another thought to Tala; why bring this up? Did Camila commit a similar act as Celes had? Or did it just affect Celes that deeply? For all the questions he had at the moment, it seemed he wouldn't be getting the answers to them anytime soon as he felt Celes channeling her reiatsu as she unleashed her Shikai.

Tala had only seen it once before and didn't get very far in combating it to exactly remember it's ins and outs. He only remembered how terrifyingly intimidating it's visage was and still is. Tala took a tentative step back, his inner self-loathing telling him that this was not a fight he wanted to engage in. However when he turned his attention onto Celes, he hesitated as he saw her eyes. Perhaps it was his own feelings projecting or he was picking up on something Celes was feeling but he got the inkling that she did not want it to come to this.

Perhaps she would hold back for fear of hurting him. If that would be true then maybe Tala could take advantage of that and stand a chance. Whether he was going to bring her back to Soul Society or not, he hadn't completely made up his mind on however he did know he wanted more answers from her. There was too much at play here for her to simply turn her back like this. Or at least so he felt.

So he tightened his grip on his Zanpakutō and steeled his face as he took a defensive stance. As soon as he did so, Celes would feel the immediate area beginning to drop in temperature as the heat was actively and rapidly being drained by Tala's Zanpakutō. Still Tala knew that he'd need more than just the Heat to fight Celes. So he began to concentrate his reiatsu, letting it build up to the peak that he can get it to before he let's it all surge into his hands, making his striking power with them even stronger. 

He'd have to remember to get back into studying the martial arts when he makes it back to the barracks now that he had this skill in his arsenal. That was for later though and he needed to focus on here and now. He stares down Celes and lets out a long sigh. If she didn't make the first move then he would, quickly launching a wave of heat with Hāsu and and starting to chant under his breath, "Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! Bakudō number sixty-one: Rikujokoro." As he finished the incantation, he held out his hand with the palm open and facing Celes as six beams of light quickly closed in on her.

Of course, having seen Captain Celes' speed first hand, Tala expected her to be able to dodge the beams, so he used a Shunpo to leap away from his current position and rush her side, swinging with his Zanpakutō in a horizontal arc, aiming to strike her side, following completely through with the strike before jerking backup to follow it with a strike from not his blade but his fist this time, which was still clenching the shaft of his double bladed Zanpakutō, aimed directly at her sternum.

If the fist made contact then Tala wouldn't hesitate or waste time with an incantation as he mutter his next spell, "Bakudō number one: Sai." Celes would then find her arms being restrained as the spell was unleashed on her. Tala would then quickly back away, learning his lesson previous times to know that restricting a martial artists hands didn't mean they were done. He quickly glanced over the situation now as it was to try and figure out how he could proceed from here and take out Celes in shikai.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiatsu Pool - 7,225/8,000}-450 +600 effective to Strength w/ Combat Cutback
-100 Hearth's Warmth
-150 Bakudō #61: Rikujokoro (Six Rods Prison of Light)
-50 Shunpo
-25 Bakudō #1: Sai (Restrain)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Combat Cutback}Class: 4
Technique Type: Reiatsu
Usable By (Technique is available to which races?): Anyone with 300+ SpPr
Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects: Persons with high spiritual pressure are known for their large reiatsu pools, but they also tend to be known for their weaker reiatsu strength, which means they have a ton of reiatsu, but not that much to actually use it on. This techniques entire purpose is to take that sheer volume of reiatsu and turn it into a viable, dangerous weapon.

The user builds up a pool of reiatsu internally, increasing the internal pressure, before channeling it towards a set of limbs, such as the hands or feet, discharging it as a weapon. By doing this the user can harness their reiatsu into physical striking power, allowing them to match a physically stronger opponent blow for blow, or possibly even beat them. Upon initial use the user pays 75 reiatsu per 100 strength, maxing out at their spiritual pressure, but afterwards the per post upkeep drops to 25 per 100. The amount of force generated can be changed once per post, going down merely drops the upkeep, but going up, the user must pay the initial upkeep as well as an additional 75 reiatsu for every 100 strength they add to the technique.

How to use technique (How is it activated?): Building up internal reiatsu before focusing it on a set of limbs such as hand hands or feet (or other applicable appendage like a tail). Before mastery of this technique only a single limb, such as one hand or foot, may be selected at a given moment, after master is obtained both may be used at once.

Technique Drawbacks (Limitations, repercussions for use, etc): Besides a fairly large initial cost and a moderate per post upkeep this technique only has one major drawback; reiatsu burns. When using this technique the user is forcing a large amount of reiatsu to be funneled through a relatively small area, so extended use can be dangerous. 1st degree burns begin to form after about 3 posts, 2nd degree after 5, 3rd after 7, and finally after 9 posts the chosen limb becomes borderline useless and the technique can no longer be used in that area. Healing, specifically of the burns, will reset the timer of this technique.

Made By: Yetsuna
Reserved? (Yes/No) (Can others use your technique, or just your character?): No

SPOILER: Click to show

{Hearth's Warmth}By controlling and combining the heat that Hestia gives off with his own Reiatsu, Tala is able to launch a wave of intense heat towards his target when he swings his zanpakuto. It travels at a speed of 300 and all flammable objects will be set aflame. Once it hits it's target, it will feel like a small explosive has gone off and leave second degree burns.

Drawbacks: Cost 100 reiatsu to use. This technique can also be noticed quite easily as it does appear as a heat vapor. As long as someone has a 50 in Instinct or Energy Sensory, they will be able to notice it. The burns can also be pushed through with Heat Tolerance 2.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Bakudō #61: Rikujokoro (Six Rods Prison of Light)}Class: 4
Technique Type: Kidō - Bakudō
Usable By: Kidō-users
Technique Element: Light
Technique Cost: 150 Reiatsu

Description: Summons six thin, wide beams of light that slam into a target's midsection from all sides, holding them in place. This technique also results in total paralysis, and can even suspend targets in mid-air.

How to Use: This requires the user's eyes to be focused on the target, and their casting hand to be aimed at the target as well. The six beams will then close in, but those who are quick enough or instinctive enough will be able to dodge.

Incantation: The incantation increases the reiatsu strength of this technique by 25%. (I.E. Reiatsu strength of 100 is instead worth 125.) ("Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six!")

Drawbacks: Reiatsu cost
Made By: Unknown
Reserved?: No

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{Bakudō #1: Sai (Restrain)}Class: 7
Technique Type: Kido
Technique Element: [None]
Technique Description and Effects: Causes the target's arms to lock in place behind their back.
How to use technique: Physical contact is required from the hand of the caster to any part of the body of the target.

Incantation and Effect: Incantation increases the strength behind the technique by 10%. (I.E. A reiatsu strength of 100 would instead be valued at 110 for this technique.) "Man, shaped by Divine hands, revert to the form before limbs, clutch at your own throat and be afraid."

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{Shikai Overall Ability}In Shikai, Hāsu's abilities are more focused on the generation, control, and manipulation of heat. To start off with, Hāsu's blades are always hot to the touch, producing enough heat to cut through metal and other materials that aren't reinforced by reiatsu and even burning flesh that it cuts through.

The user also learns how to make use of the heat that she is giving off and will continue to give off as long as she is released. Hāsu can also allow the user to control and manipulate any source of heat and fire, excluding the heat of living creatures save for their own.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats Change}Strength: 150 (+600 Combat Cutback Strength impact strength w/ hands)
Speed: 200
Spiritual Pressure: 400 (x2 Increase) 800
Reiatsu Strength: 200
Healing Expertise: 0
Instinct: 100
Senses: 100
Energy Sensory: 50

[Celes Castellanos]

With the release of her own Shikai, Celes expected Tala to utilize his Shikai. What surprised Celes, however, was the sudden feeling she got. The heat seemingly faded from her body as the environment grew colder. Her eyes descended on his spear as she hummed softly. Hāsu, wasn't it?, the Shinigami thought to herself. She already knew that Tala could manipulate fire from their previous spars, but it seemed that it had more in store than just flicking out burning embers. She'd keep it in the back of her mind as she prepared herself for Tala's coming attack.

As usual, the Third Seat flicked his spear and a wave of flame erupted from it. "Tch.", Celes clicked her tongue. In all the times that Celes engaged Tala, that fire wave was the only ability he ever used. The girl stood her ground and didn't even brace for impact. This was a good chance to gauge her opponents' capabilities. The wave crashed into the coiled ribcage and exploded in a blaze. The force of the blast sent ripples and fractures throughout the bones. It had some impressive power, but Celes' Shikai had unmatched defensive capabilities. It was the perfect defense and it would show as the Shinigami was practically unharmed by Tala's attack.

Perhaps Tala would see the futility in all of this? It seemed not as six familiar beams of light appeared around her. Once again, however, her Shikai would intervene. The rods that threatened to crash into her grinded against the coiled ribcage and suddenly locked in place. They couldn't penetrate the spectral body! "Pathetic.", Honegumi remarked. "His Bakudo is as worthless as ever!" Then Tala disappeared from sight. The classic Shunpo carried the Shinigami towards Celes until he was just along the perimeter of her Shikai.

As he primped to swing his Zanpakutō into the construct, Celes prepared to swat the Third Seat away. She moved her arm, expecting her Shikai to mimic her movements. It was sluggish and stiff, briefly struggling against the Bakudo until the rods of light shattered beneath the overwhelming strength of the construct. It did give Tala an opening, though. Reflexively, Celes took to mending the Astral Soul. Her energy flowed throughout the body of the construct, fusing the split bone and hardening it as the attack landed. Once more, the force of the attack echoed throughout the ribcage, shattering bone once more. It seemed that the girl underestimated Tala's resourcefulness as the Third Seat was standing up to a former Captain's Shikai. However, the true battle was just beginning.

Within the blink of an eye, Celes rushed towards Tala as he opted for an unarmed strike. She had allowed the barrier between them to dissipate as she pounced on her opponent. Part of the Astral Soul latched onto her arms, the bone-like structure coiling around her arms akin to armor. Her right arm struck upward and tried to redirect the force of Tala's strike, a classic staple of chinese soft styles. If successful, the momentum of Tala's blow would be disrupted as Celes shifted the trajectory off to the side, past her body. However, she wouldn't let him escape unscathed. With her other fist, the girl would shift her weight to the other foot, moving her torso along with it. The result would be a vicious uppercut right into Tala's gut of if it landed.

While seemingly overkill, Celes paced herself. She moved at 300 Speed and her uppercut struck with 250 Strength. Nothing crazy, but it would certainly leave most people winded. Each strike, if successful, would also siphon some of the Third Seat's very life essence. It wouldn't be enough to debilitate him in any capacity, but it all served as fuel for Celes. If Tala got dropped, Celes would take a few steps backward and sigh. She wasn't out here to kill Tala. Far from it. She wanted him to leave. To forget about this entire meeting. If he wasn't going to do so willingly, then Celes' only other choice was to force him. "You fight a battle you can't win, Tala. Don't you see how pointless this is?", she exclaimed at the Third Seat.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Honegumi Gassō Durability}
Astral Soul Body: 80
Astral Soul Right Arm: 1200
Astral Soul Left Arm: 1200
Astral Soul Head: 1200

SPOILER: Click to show

{Celes' Reiatsu and Resources}
Reiatsu: 2850/3000
Chi: 20

+30 Chi from Shikai Overall Ability
-11 Chi for Astral Restoration

Class 4 Shikai: 2/10

Genius Stamina Posts: 2/8

[Tala Selao]

Tala knew her monstrous speed and strength would allow her to be able to counter the rikujokoro and likely the hearth's warmth as well. What he hadn't expect was the her to just stay in place and let her enormous skeletal avatar take the brunts of the attacks. He was already committing to engaging her from the side so he couldn't change his course of actions now but he did make a mental note as he charged her of how damaged the ribs of the avatar seemed as well as the fact that it was the area in which Celes was encased. He'd likely be having to get through it first before he could get to her so he fully followed through with his plan to swing at her.

What he hadn't taken into account was the possibility that she could cause the avatar to disappear, allowing him to pass through as he swung at her, where he noticed the spectral armor encasing her arm as she countered his swing and proceed to knock the air out of him as he stumbled back from her, his body making strangled noises as his lungs tried to retrieve air. It could have been worse though. He could have had his entire rib cage shattered, but from he'd felt from the force of her blow, she'd held back. That gave him hope. He wasn't exactly sure if it was Hope that Celes hadn't completely committed to betraying Soul Society or hope that he would be able to beat her before she decided to get serious.

Either way, it didn't matter right now. He needed to come up with a new strategy. If she was able to deploy and recall that avatar as she pleased then he'd likely not be able to make this a ranged fight. Of course that meant that this would be a close-quarters fight which was in Celes favor. However, he had a new way of utilizing Hearth's Warmth that he hadn't done so with her before. If it was to be a face-to-face fight then that might be his best be-

"You fight a battle you can't win, Tala. Don't you see how pointless this is?" The former Captains' words interrupted his thoughts. He stared at her for a moment and then couldn't help but let out a soft sigh. Of course this seemed like a pointless battle and it was very obvious that he was outmatched. Third Squad rules of engagement dictated that he disengage from this confrontation now before it escalated further. Take the intel he had and return safely to Soul Society to report. Yet, his encounters was always being directly transmitted to the archives within Squad 12 thanks to his ocular lens, the glint in his eyes as he stares at her an almost imperceptible give away.

However, right now, this went beyond duty for him. This felt personal to him. This was someone he knew and looked up to willingly choosing to abandon them while they were weaker, which in turn, would only make them even weaker. All because she felt she couldn't trust those in charge? Had she no faith in them? And if not then at the very least to have faith in her fellow Shinigami. The fact that he had to learn of what had transpired directly from her meant that whoever she thought knew either hadn't said anything or it was being kept quiet from the rest of Seireitei. So no, he would not be giving up this fight, no matter how outclassed he is or how pointless it was.

He didn't say any of this to her though. Instead he continues to channel reiatsu into his fists as he just steels his emotions and fixed a glare on Celes as the temperature in the area dropped once more, "I'm just doing my duty, Celes. You're the one who doesn't understand how pointless this is." And with those words spoken he swings his sword upwards in a diagonal arc, sending a wave of heat out towards her. As it left his blade, he used another shunpo to send himself up into the air this time, speeding above her at 1,000 speed before he stopped and sent out another blast of heat down towards her.

He doesn't hesitate nor wait to see if the giant skeletal avatar reappeared as he'd rush at her with a full speed shunpo. If he was able to get close, then he'd land right in front of her while slashing down from her left shoulder, across her torso and ending at the right side of her waist. He'd also be simultaneously unleashing a blast of heat, the following explosion catching him a little as well if it made contact with her.

He was making a gamble here, hoping that she'd take him head-on in this fight, confident that she'd be able to take him on, which was a fair assumption. Either way, it didn't matter as he couldn't let up on the offensive. Whether the attack hit or not, if she was still in front of him and his spear still inline with the right side of her body after the slash, he'd then quickly pull back with spear and turn it to try and pull her right leg out from under her, using a quick punch from his fist, still infused with strength, to help offset her balance.

If he was successful in knocking her to the ground, an accomplishment all in it's own for him, then he'd quickly spin the spear around his body and pull it up for a downward, overhead strike aimed at her, accompanied of course with another blast of heat. He would step back to catch his breath as well as assess the situation as it was now. His reiatsu had grown larger since his battle with Hoshi but he was still using a lot all at once. Then again, this was a former captain he was up against.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiatsu Pool - 6,600/8,000}-100 Shunpo x2
-400 Hearth's Warmth x4
-150 Combat Cutback Upkeep

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes gradually felt the tension rise until the intensity was practically palpable. She wished more than anything that Tala would stand down. Fighting him brought her no joy, but he had become a threat. As she waited for an answer, Honegumi's voice roared from within. "Let's just kill him, Celes! Come on. For as long as he continues to draw breath, Soul Society knows that you are here!" Celes softly grumbled, ignoring the Inner Hollow. There was a hint of truth to her outburst. The former Captain didn't want to admit it, but killing Tala likely would save her a heap of trouble. Could she do it, though? Could she murder the Third Seat in cold blood?

The lime-haired woman's breath almost stopped as Tala spoke. "I'm just doing my duty, Celes. You're the one who doesn't understand how pointless this is." The girl gritted her teeth, fists clenched tightly. Her frustration was as clear as day on her face. Unfortunately, she did not have much time to argue back as Tala went on the offensive. With a swift slash, another wave of fire erupted towards Celes. Planting her feet and taking a strong stance, the martial artist cocked her first at her waist. With nearly flawless form, her fist erupted outward with incredible force. Following this punch was a shockwave that shot forward like an arrow, splitting the Third Seat's attack in twain before it detonated.

Frustration was suddenly replaced my a smug look as Celes trained her eye on the Third Seat. He had grown, but was he quite at the level of a Captain? She needed to trade more blows with him. As Tala executed his Shunpo, Celes could still make out her opponent's movements. Celes could guess that she was pacing himself. Her eyes followed Tala even through his Shunpo until he stood triumphantly in the air. As usual, he let forth yet another shockwave of flame and embers. "Is that all he knows how to do?", she thought with a hint of annoyance. So she'd repeat the same motion and pierced the veil of fire with her own shockwave.

In response, Tala executed yet another Shunpo. This one was different from before. His body flickered and he vanished before suddenly appearing before her. His spear was raised and poised to strike the girl. Thankfully, Celes had sharp reflexes. Raising her arm, clad within her armor-like Shikai, Celes sought to clash with the spear. It was foolish for Tala to engage in close quarters with Celes, a renowned martial artist. Unfortunately, Tala was craftier than that. Celes' assuredness was broken by a psychic scream, "Dodge, you fool!" Too little, too late.

As soon as the girl made contact, there was a brief detonation. A small inferno washed over Celes' body and charred her skin. The armor surrounding her arm cracked the blow, but the additional explosion shattered it. If Tala paid close enough attention, he'd see and hear the spectral bones that surrounded her left arm breaking apart. Reflexively, Celes kicked backward. Combined with the force of the blast, the Shinigami flew backward like a missile. From a quick glance, it wouldn't be difficult to tell that she was riddled with burns. She scoffed before crashing into a nearby building. As the structure gave way, the falling debris created a temporary smoke screen. Then, suddenly, the girl's vision went black!

---

When Celes awoke, she found herself in a familiar place. A soft matte rested beneath her bare feet. A shrine rested in the back of the room with a lit stick of incense. When Celes turned to gauge her surrounding, she saw a window. Whereas she'd normally expect other buildings, the outside was almost completely overgrown with lush and vibrant forestry. She marched over to the window and saw trees stretching into the sky above. There was no mistaking it. "I am..." The girls' voice was cut off as another interjected. "In your Inner World, yes." The girl turned around and saw Honegumi leaning against the wall.

The Inner Hollow's bright, yellow irises met Celes' as a smirk arose. "I know what your thinking.", she admitted. "Why am I in my Inner World? Does Honegumi have anything to do with this? Is she planning to beat the shit out of me again?" Celes scoffed with a mild hint of annoyance. "Relax. I'm just here to talk." Celes reflexively took on a defensive stance. "When the hell is it ever just talking with you?!", she roared out. The Inner Hollow shifted her weight and walked forward. There was tranquility and grace to her movements. Not a hint of malintent. At least none that Celes could feel.

"Can you do me a favor and stop being a little bitch?", she declared, ignoring Celes' question. Needless to say, the Shinigami had no words. Nothing coherent to retort, at least. "You don't want to kill Tala? Fine. We don't have to kill everyone we fight. However..." She leaned forward, her eyes scanning Celes' body language. "He won't leave unscathed. I've told you before that your emotions are a liability. You're soft. Weak. For someone with so much potential. It's wasteful!", she exclaimed. Celes didn't respond, merely glaring at the Inner Hollow. Her frustration, once more, was clear.

Honegumi smirked arrogantly. "Well, no worries, my dear. I won't let any of that potential go to waste. So let's play a little game." Celes merely raised an eyebrow. "What are you playing at, Honegumi?" A malicious cackle arose from the Hollow's lips. "Just listen. For every wound you inflict upon Tala, I'll reveal more of our power to you. I'll even sweeten the deal. None of them have to be lethal and I'll teach you one right now!" Celes' eyes widened. She was downright insane! However, she'd compose herself. "Why so generous? Isn't my ignorance to your benefit?", Celes remarked. Honegumi couldn't help, but let out another cackle. "Oh, Celes. The stronger you are... the more of a challenge I'll get! I pity the weak... but I won't allow you to be among them. So. Do we have a deal?" Celes looked at Honegumi, skepticism painted throughout her face. Did she really have anything to lose? She wouldn't need to kill Tala and she'd learn valuable information. She deliberated for a brief moment and sighed. "Fuck... deal."

---

Before she knew it, Celes' vision was met with a smokescreen again. She felt groggy. Her vision was blurry. Her head pounded. She was back in the World of the Living! It took her a few seconds to recover, but she'd come back to her senses. There was another feeling, however. One of clarity. She couldn't quite explain it, but she felt like she regained some long lost memory. The Shinigami allowed reiatsu to surge through her body. Her body practically moved on its own as she held out her hand to the side. The energy around her shook as Celes envisioned a weapon. Suddenly, a bow appeared in her hand. Almost simultaneously, a quiver appeared on her back. Both were a vibrant jade green. The girl merely blinked. "A bow? I'm holding a bow...", her mind screamed in disbelief. However, her body moved once more. An arrow formed in her quiver and Celes grabbed it before nocking the projectile. Her breathing was calm and collected. It was as though she had spent years training how to use one. The girl visualized Tala's approximate last known spot and waited somewhat for the smoke to clear a little more to make adjustments. Then, she let loose. The arrow shot forward, moving at 800 Speed, with the intent of digging into the Third Seat's flesh. "Just what the hell am I doing?!"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Honegumi Gassō Durability}
Astral Soul Body: 80
Astral Soul Right Arm: 400
Astral Soul Left Arm: Destroyed
Astral Soul Head: 1200

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{Celes' Reiatsu and Resources}
Reiatsu: 2705/3000
Chi: 30

-100 Reiatsu for Instant Jinzen
-75 Reiatsu for Spirit Arsenal
-20 Reiatsu for Projectile

+20 Chi from Shikai Overall Ability
-10 Chi for Spirit Arsenal
-1 Chi for Projectile

SPOILER: Click to show

{Instant Jinzen}Technique Name: Instant Jinzen

Technique Class: 5 - 10 TTP

Technique Type: General Shinigami - Cinematic.

Usable By: Shinigami, Vizard.

Technique Element: N/A.

Technique Cost: 100 Reiatsu.

Description: Named after, and an improved version of, the classic Jinzen position, Instant Jinzen allows the user to communicate with their Zanpakuto Spirit even during the heat of battle. Allows the user to contact their Spirit for the duration of, at most, half a post. This is entirely a mental affair, and time flows differently for the user while using it. While not necessary for the Numbers techniques, this does allow one to work with their Spirits better.

How to Use: Concentrate on the Inner World, and expend Reiatsu to appear there, mentally.

Incantation: N/A.

Drawbacks: Costs Reiatsu to do, while the regular Jinzen position doesn't cost any. While time passes slower for the user while in their Inner World, they may be disoriented upon entering or exiting, due to how fast the switch occurs. Doesn't last nearly as long as the normal Jinzen does.

Made By: Taien Hadohou.

Reserved?: No.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spirit Arsenal}Technique Name: Spirit Arsenal

Technique Stages: Shikai/Bankai

Technique Cost: 50 Reiatsu to convert an SkP/5 Chi to convert an SkP; 20 Reiatsu for a projectile/1 Chi for a projectile

Description: Able to utilize a degree of manipulation over her mind and body, Spirit Arsenal allows Celes to modify the type of weaponry she is proficient with. Upon using Spirit Arsenal, Celes' SkP becomes fluid and she can remove points from any of her skills. New weapon skills can then be created, allocating points to them as desired. Any newly created weapon skills can have a maximum of 2 SkP added to them; 4 in Bankai. Any weapon skills created this way are then added as eligible weapons to the Arms of the Astral Self. When converting SkP from one weapon skill to another, the reiatsu cost is halved. While this allows Celes to create ranged weaponry, they not only require ammo, but projectiles travel at 800 Speed; 1200 in Bankai. Melee weapons that have ranged properties such as a Kusarigama are instead counted as melee weapons for the purposes of this technique. When wielded by the Astral Soul, they increase to a size appropriate for use by the Astral Soul.

Additionally, Spirit Arsenal allows Celes to amplify her weaponry using the Astral Soul itself. By sacrificing durability, Celes can increase the OS of a singular weapon attack on a 1:1 basis. If the weapon uses ammo, the projectile increases in OS, but its Speed is also increased by 1 point for every 2 durability sacrificed. If Font of Life is currently applied to the Astral Soul, Celes can also draw on any combination of the Astral Soul and the pool of energy created by Font of Life.

Drawbacks: If a technique requires a certain skill rank prerequisite, lowering that skill below the prerequisite via Spirit Arsenal makes Celes lose access to that technique until the appropriate rank is restored. To place a 4 in a weapon skill via Spirit Arsenal, Celes must reduce at least one 4 in the process. While shifting from one weapon skill to another can be done with little difficulty, restoring her original skills is less efficient. Every post, Celes can shift 1 rank in the weapon skill to the original skill it was drawn from. In Bankai, Celes can shift 2 ranks per post. While ranged attacks benefit from an increase in speed when sacrificing durability, the same does not apply to melee weapons. Points sacrificed from the Astral Soul can risk compromising Celes' defenses, if not used cautiously. Sacrificing durability, or points through Font of Life, to empower these weapons is mutually exclusive with Astral Flow's charges. In essence, if one is used, the other cannot be used within the same post as an attack boost for weapons created via Spirit Arsenal.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Celes' Modified Skills}
Martial Art - Pankration: 2
Calm Mind: 2
Weapons - Bow: 2

Class 4 Shikai: 3/10

Genius Stamina Posts: 3/8

[Tala Selao]

Tala wasn't sure what to be more surprised about; the velocity that Celes was sent backward with or the intensity of the explosion which had managed to bust the spectral armor around her armor and sent him skidding back a few feet. Regardless, it spoke volumes to how effective the move was in using it this way. It was a rather good counter to those that like to close the space and engage them as long as they did what Celes did or weren't able to blitz him.

Still with the way this fight was going, Celes had been holding back so even if she did charge him with her speed and strength, it's likely that she would go for a maiming strike instead of a killing one which gave him the room he needed to be able to hold his own against her. This, alongside needing to catch his breath, are why he hasn't chased after her as she collided with the building and disappeared in the smoke. No, instead he prepared himself as he spun his zanpakutō around his torso and held it in front of himself in a defensive stance as he kept the channel of reiatsu to his hands open, which were now slowly starting to warm up and the sweat on his hands begin to evaporate and turn to steam.

With the reputation of the Jūbantai Captain being an extremely skilled martial artist which was complimented by her strength, he was prepared to take a hit from her, as much pain as that might cause him. However when the smokescreen was disturbed by the high-speed arrow, Tala hadn't even noticed it. It wasn't until it was sticking out of his shoulder that Tala had realized he'd been hit, as he stares down at the arrow in shock, one part from the sudden pain that was now coursing through his shoulder and another from the fact that Celes had used a ranged attack, something which he hadn't even known was possible.

He leaves it be for now as he turns his attention back to Celes and, assuming that she was firing another arrow, swings Hāsu out in front of his, pushing and redirecting any heat that was directly in front of his before away from him as he used a shunpo to move and curve to his left around Celes, launching another blast of heat towards her as he lands. If she was able to use range now then that was going to make this a little bit more complicated. He wasn't sure how quickly she could nock another arrow or if she even needed to since he didn't have a solid visual on her and his ability to sense heat was a little out of wonk right now thanks mostly in part to himself.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reiastu Pool - 6,250/8,000}-150 Combat Cutback Upkeep
-150 Hearth's Shelter
-50 Shunpo
-100 Hearth's Warmth

SPOILER: Click to show

{Hearth's Shelter}Using the intense heat that Hāsu gives off, the user can repel ranged attacks that have an OS less than the user's Spiritual Pressure or if the attack's Class is less than this technique by swinging the zanpakutou in front of them and extracting the heat it gives. They then send it off to meet the attack.

Drawbacks: Cost 150 reiatsu to use. Cannot control where the deflected attack goes, meaning it cannot be redirected back at the opponent.