Arc 1 ~ Canon S-3: New Generations: Arrancar [Easy-Med, DP]

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Name: Arc 1 ~ Canon S-3: New Generations: Arrancar, Series 1-2

Participants: Max of 4 allowed. Restricted to Class 8-3

Location: Karakura Town, Japan

Difficulty Level: Easy-Medium

Threat Level: DP

Plotline: There is chaos amongst the World of the Living that cannot be explained. This chaos can be prevented or repaired, but everyone understands that something doesn’t feel right. These events that keep happening can’t seem to be explained easily outside of one thing - a powerful spiritual being. Also, it has been made clear that there is a side quest the participants must take. If seals had been broken, that means they can be repaired. Right? Solve the puzzles with correct answers to repair the seals. If the answers are wrong, though…

Estimated Enemy Strength: Class 6 - Class 3

Estimated Time Until Completion: 4 pages

Starts: October 26, 2024

Special Conditions: Each character can only join one Canon thread at a time. There is a strict one-week posting timer that begins once a previous participant posts. If the next participant fails to post during their turn during this time period, they get skipped. This does not mean they get dropped, but that participant’s character will suffer the consequences (such as being forced to take whatever damage has occurred due to a previous poster’s actions). Participants are free to drop if they so choose and new participants can join, but there can only ever be a maximum of four participants at any time. If someone gets skipped, the DM will post who was skipped and whose turn it is to post. If any participant is skipped 3 times within the Canon thread, they will be automatically dropped and someone new may be permitted to join.

DISCLAIMER: I fully expect your characters' Classes to increase because of other threads outside of the Canon! That is okay, but you are required to use the stats and skills your character has at the time of Canon entry. They cannot be updated. If your character was Class 6 for an Easy thread, for example, and you post your stats and skills as they were at Class 6, then that is what they will be throughout the duration of the Canon thread. If your character's Class increases to 5, that is okay. They are still required to use their Class 6 values. Likewise, if your character was Class 8 at the time of entry and increased to Class 6 outside of the Canon, they must still use their Class 8 stat and skill values. The same rule applies for any power changes/additions.

[Odalis Delgado]

Throwing Odalis headfirst into this.

[Alacrán]

I'll be the first to hop in this and hopefully nothing bad happens.

[Ren Akasawa]

“By order of his majesty, our beloved Sankt-Kaiser, I am to undetake this mission. The final test of my loyalty to his will has come. Reinstatement as a quincy in good standing may well be at the end of this long dark road.”

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

According to legend, over a million years prior to the Soul King's alleged ultimate demise, all of existence was a single, chaotic, primordial world overrun by Hollows that preyed upon the world's denizens. When said Hollows started to evolve into the first Menos, the being that became known as the Soul King first emerged, "born" as if the world itself rejected the Menos. To protect the inhabitants of that world, the Soul King proceeded to annihilate the Menos that preyed upon them and turned them into sands of reishi, temporarily stabilizing the world's decline.

However, five powerful beings from that time were not content with the status quo, and decided to work together to create what they believed was a better world. Thus, for their own respective reasons, the five sealed an unresisting Soul King inside a crystal and used his omnipotent powers to split their world into three new ones: Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the Human World, and in the process created the cycle of life and death.

Despite the Soul King's lack of resistance, the five beings were unconvinced of the Soul King's cooperation and feared his immense power, and proceeded to first tear off the Right Arm of Stillness and the Left Arm of Progress, before taking their time to carve out his heart, whittle away his legs, and mutilate and tear out his organs, leaving the Soul King trapped in an agonizing state between life and death for millions of years.

Or so the story was told.

In this world, the Soul King was the sole creator. Feeling lonely, he took sands from the universe he'd made and sculpted four other beings in his likeness. Lacking any life, he stole the hearts of evolved Hollow beasts and placed them inside his creations, effectively inventing the first Arrancar. These four Arrancar looked nearly identical to the Soul King outside of hair and eye color, and each of them considered each other, along with their creator, brothers. The Soul King, proud of his work, celebrated the new life he made as he and his brothers went on to build even more in the universe, eventually leading to the beings who reside in each world today.

The first of the four brothers, named Sekai, had black hair and dark brown eyes. Due to some mutations during his birth, he developed a Hollow-like mask on part of his face. It covered exactly half of it on the right side and was reminiscent of a human's skull, causing worry within the Soul King as he felt this could be due to a failure. Sekai reassured his brother, saying that was not the case, and it was simply how he came to be. The Soul King let the topic rest and allowed Sekai to steal spirit particles from the universe, molding them into Soul Society. Eventually, souls began to populate his world and prosper. Sekai had the unique ability to combine souls into powerful beings.

The second of the four brothers, named Mundo, had brown hair and brown eyes. Mundo's unique mask resembled something one would see during Día de los Muertos with brilliant colors painted on it. The mask covered the top half of his face and left his nose and mouth exposed, allowing him to smile happily at the Soul King. The Hollow beasts who existed prior to the brothers' creations were corralled into a single area, and the sands of the universe came together to build what came known to be Hueco Mundo. Proud of his work, Mundo decided to practice with his own abilities a bit and found that he was able to travel interdimensionally as freely as he wanted.

The third of the four brothers, named Welt, had blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Welt's unique mask resembled something of an eyepatch, in a way, framing his left eye and circling around only half of his head as if it were a partial band. Having the smallest mask out of the brothers, he was often picked on, but his unbridled rage resulted in the spontaneous creation of the World of the Living. Able to wage countless wars, the residents of this world, along with the residents of the Soul Society, made a pact to always return to each other when their lives ended, thus beginning the soul cycle. This was to allow for years of planning and conquest. Welt had the unique ability to summon an army of one hundred Hollows to put an end to any extended war in his domain.

The fourth and final brother was an interesting case. He didn't have a mask. He didn't have any single unique power. Instead, he had shortened black horns that protruded out of his head just above his temples. His hair was red and the length faded as it reached his neck, quickly turning a midnight black as it did so. He favored black dress pants and a black shirt of various styles depending on his mood that day, but being a prideful man, he tended to show off his body entirely too much for the Soul King's liking. He was also covered in several tattooed markings on his forehead, cheeks, chest, and arms. Crimson red eyes glared at the Soul King almost constantly.

This brother was the most like the Soul King in appearance, though his overall color scheme was darker and more sinister. Outside of that, they could have been twins. Because of this, the Soul King took a liking to this brother, favoring him over the other three. But when tensions got tough and the fourth brother wanted more power, the Soul King denied him and banished him. Because of this banishment, the fourth brother was forced to build a world all his own that tied to all three other worlds, naming it Hell and becoming its King. He sought out revenge and was able to convince the other three brothers to seal the Soul King away.

Before the sealing could be finalized, the Soul King, resentful due to the betrayal, stole the unique abilities of each of the other three brothers. The fourth had been presumed to be powerless for so long, so he was left alone, but the other three weakened brothers entered a state of sleep because of how draining losing their abilities had been. Since the seal had never been finished, the Soul King was able to break out and instead seal his three brothers away in each of their respective worlds. Their god-like powers leaked into each of them, creating all of the races that exist today. The fourth brother, now angry and alone, stayed in Hell and cut his ties with the Soul King. It wouldn't be until later that he realized he had more power than any of them could have comprehended. The Soul King had unknowingly created an equal, someone who matched him in every way possible.

---

Eons had passed since these events took place and the seals began to weaken due to immensely powerful battles within each of the three worlds. The first to break out was Welt in the World of the Living, and he was intent on causing as much destruction as possible in order to get the attention of the Soul King and force him to restore the power Welt lost. The setting is modern-day Karakura Town, Japan. Sudden bouts of terrorism had been happening all over the world, but this was focused much closer to home. No one knows what is causing the destruction and no one knows that Welt had broken his seal and woken up, but what they do know is that there is damage everywhere that needs to be repaired or stopped.

Buildings had started to crumble because of what people assumed was just earthquakes, but the truth was that Welt had sent his army of one hundred Hollows to the World of the Living. What you will see is all of these Hollows causing chaos everywhere they went and consuming everything in sight. It has only just begun, so while damage isn't yet on a grande scale, it has garnered the quick attention of every spiritual organization out there. They have sent volunteers to defeat these Hollows and ultimately save the World of the Living from falling into despair once again. Since the Soul King had stolen Welt's original unique ability, these Hollows were significantly weaker. They needed to be eradicated in any way possible.


Meanwhile...

With all of the seals broken, chaos ensued all over the world. Three of the brothers were doing everything they could to entice the Soul King, and he was starting to become responsive. Now, he has reached out to any spiritual being who will listen, begging them for assistance. He couldn't possibly accomplish this job on his own if he wishes to save as much time as he could. The seals were riddled with puzzles of various kinds that require hastened solving by only spiritual beings. They couldn't be seen by normal humans, which made sense given the origins of the brothers. The Soul King had never felt such desperation before, but he was feeling it now.

The balance of the universe had fallen out of wack for some time now. As each brother entered a different continent, they were seeing just how far even their weakened powers could get them. Welt was particularly fond of Asia, already tormenting the citizens of Karakura Town. Mundo had visited Europe out of curiosity, disguising himself amongst the humans as he explored each country day after day. As he traveled, he used his abilities to create miracles for the people surrounding him, causing them to see him as some form of deity. Sekai was busy in North America, hiking across as many mountains as he could, creating volcanoes where they never existed.

---

Given the tremendous state of everything and how it was becoming an absolute mess, the Soul King spread his powers out all over the world and called to anyone willing to listen. Those who finally did would find themselves brought to Karakura Town, Japan. The setting is night time, and the journey begins just outside of city limits. The sky is partly cloudy as the moon finds unique ways to shine from behind the massive fluffy mounds, creating a bit of a spooky atmosphere on its own. Night life was starting to slow down as people tried going home, tired from the previous events of the day. Welt hadn't been giving them a break from his Hollow army.

The first seal, specifically belonging to Welt, was on top of a massive boulder blocking a cave in the side of a mountain. Green intricate markings were painted on the stone face and were so bright that they practically glowed underneath the moonlight. The writing within the markings was ancient; no doubt from the Soul King, himself, all those years ago. He didn't anticipate the level of power that the future - and now present - would hold. The constant use of strong spiritual energy started weakening the seals faster than he could realize, freeing his brothers against his wishes. This needed to be remedied.

[Ren Akasawa]

How long had he been in Silbern? Ren had lost track of the days already. The mental effects associated with flood leaking from his broken schrift ensured that he'd never be able to keep a sense of time in his own head, and the windowless cell where he was kept between sessions of intense training and purification. Each day began with the absolute basics of heilige ausbildung expected of child quincy, who had yet to develop any meaningful spiritual powers, followed by schmelzen, the purification that removed impurity, and raffinieren, the purification that multiplied existing quincy blood. By order of the saint emperor himself, the half-melted soul was to be prepared for the repair process that would mend the damaged schrift at his core, curing his failure status. Progress had been slow, but there had been a noticeable effect already in the form of pushing back the disfigurement incurred along the way back to the lamd of ice and shadow, hard evidence of his majesty's miraculous blessing.

Now that he'd made some small progress, he was being tested. Not a test of ability, of course; no sane person had ever expected a failure who couldn't use reiatsu-based techniques to amount to much in terms of practical value even after they'd attracted his majesty's attention. As one whose faith had greatly increased after being crippled at a soul-deep level by the Auswählen, Ren had been seen as promising for that conviction; the drive that led him to throw himself at the emperor's enemies in hopes of piling enough corpses upon the pyre may finally draw the gaze of the father of all quincy had itself shone brighter than that pyre ever could have. The purpose of this mission was not to succeed but rather to prove that his devotion would not crumble upon being granted everything he had desired since the moment of his exile. In other words, he had to demonstrate that was more than desperation by risking his life once more now that he had a secure position in Silbern.

And so when the door to Ren's cell slowly rose out of sight to reveal one of the vandenreich's captains, he had kneeled with hands pressed against the icy floor and accepted his orders without hesitation. Despite the frigid air, his new uniform had kept him warm enough in the small chamber. No reply had been spoken by his superior as their shadow pooled beneath him and carried him back to the living world; what must have been five minutes later, he pulled himself free of the darkness and found that he now wore a pristine version of his lost cloak with a familiar sword at his waist. He and the captain now stood in the long shadow of a tree, and the ranking officer pointed towards the mountain before them.

"You want to earn a bow so bad? Get to work, serf."

"For faith, glory, and our beloved Sankt Kaiser." Ren bowed, then jumped as high as his strength allowed and began airwalking along an imagined upward slope until he looked down at the mountain from above. Stood in the night sky, where even the cool night air felt warm compared to the icy chill of his majesty's lands, he began his search for the abnormality he was meant to investigate. The task complicated by a complete and total inability to sense reiatsu, he slowly circled the summit in a manner not unlike a vulture and held onto hope that something would stand out to his more mundane senses before long. Thankfully the green markings gave him exactly that, having drawn his attention mere minutes into the hunt for any points of interest.

He stared at the near-luminous patch of green from a fair distance and began to approach at a casual pace that conserved stamina for any potential battles to come. Being blind to the souls of others meant that he could be walking into an ambush, and if that were true, he wanted his maximum energy so that he could inflict the most damage upon thequincy empire's many, many enemies. The low expectations placed upon him were no excuse to fail at step one; at the bare minimum he'd need to find the source of the abnormality, and all the better if he could manage to defeat anything he found there. The real question had been, what would he do if there weren't any enemies waiting ahead?

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{The May-Have-Been Knight}Class > 6

Stats >

Strength > 112

Speed > 42

Spiritual Pressure > 30

Reiatsu Strength > 150

Light Aura > 30

Dark Aura > 70

Instinct > 50

Senses > 30

Energy sensory > 0

Healing Expertise > 0

Skills >

Pain Tolerance > 1

Weapon: Poleaxe > 1

Weapon: Swords > 1

Anti-Stealth > 1

Battle Focus > 1

Lack of Fear > 1

Alcohol Tolerance > 1

Rei Points> 300/300

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{Just A Sword}Class 6 Spiritual Steel Uchigatana

IP — 250

Durability — 500/500

[Alacrán]

The shadows over Karakura Town stretched long and restless, unsettled by a creeping presence that defied the town's sleepy atmosphere. Alacrán could feel it—a dark, throbbing energy woven into the night air, almost as if Hueco Mundo itself had torn open. To any average soul, the air might have just felt thick with an inexplicable weight; but to a seasoned Hollow like him, it was a scent, a signal of something fouler than mere Hollow meddling. As he scanned the outskirts, his senses pinpointed traces of hollowed-out souls and spiritual chaos spiraling out of control in the distance, closer to the heart of town. His instincts flared, prickling with the awareness of what must have been nearly a hundred Hollow signatures scattered and on the prowl—a pack of them, swarming and snapping at everything that crossed their path.

The Human World, quiet and usually too mundane to interest him, had now become a curious battleground. Alacrán’s gaze narrowed as he took in the strange sight: Karakura’s streets and alleys, cloaked in a deceptively peaceful silence, had become host to what could only be described as a Hollow infestation. It was unlike the realm of Hueco Mundo, where natural selection and strength ruled; here, these creatures behaved like unleashed beasts, ravaging the place with no concern for balance or restraint. His lip curled at the thought. There was no elegance, no power to be respected in their frenzy—it was chaos for chaos’s sake. Alacrán saw it for what it was: weakness masquerading as strength, the lowest of Hollows trying to claw their way up by feeding on helpless souls.

The idea of Kohai’s creations fouling up the Human World was almost laughable, but the truth burned in Alacrán’s mind, irritating him like a thorn. Whoever had set these Hollows loose clearly intended to draw attention, though whether from Las Noches, Soul Society, or even Karakura’s defenders, he couldn’t be sure. But what he knew for certain was that this swarm of rabid underlings had come for easy prey, trampling through the world like rats drunk on their own numbers. They left a trail of destruction in their wake, but it was the mindless destruction of weaklings. Alacrán could practically smell the fear and desperation in their energy signatures, mixed with the faintest trace of arrogance. These Hollows weren’t warriors—they were scavengers, blinded by the hunger that drove them.

The limitations of his gigai grated on him, keeping his spiritual energy at a low hum, but he could already feel the thrill of the hunt beginning to seep into his bones. Beneath the disguise, his plasma claws flickered into existence, gleaming faintly with a violet hue as he readied himself for battle. Though he despised the restraint of this human shell, he recognized its usefulness, a bitter necessity that allowed him to keep his true nature concealed until the right moment. He could sense the weaker Hollows scattered like vermin across the streets, their energy thin and spread wide as they roamed without purpose. With a grim smile, he muttered to himself, “These runts think they can tear up the Human World without anyone steppin’ in?” He shook his head, already looking forward to putting them down—one by one, until the last Hollow fell under his claws.

Each step brought him closer to the denser clusters of Hollow energy, where the chaos was thickest and the destruction was greatest. The pull was irresistible; he could sense every weak soul trapped in the throes of this infestation, their fear a subtle perfume in the night. Alacrán didn’t care for humanity, but he couldn’t abide the cowardice of creatures attacking the defenseless without purpose or gain. There was no honor, no strength in this behavior—only the baseless savagery of beasts pretending to be predators. As he moved through the shadows, he allowed himself to indulge in the satisfaction of his coming hunt. After three long years of waiting, he was finally free to do what he did best: exterminate every Hollow that dared cross his path and make a statement to whoever had orchestrated this pathetic spectacle.

The scent of prey and predator alike hung thick in the night, and Alacrán felt a renewed sense of purpose coursing through him as he closed in on the nearest Hollow. This was no grand battle, no glory-laden challenge, but it served its purpose. The Soul Society might think itself above such chaos, and Kohai might ignore the plight of the weak, but Alacrán saw opportunity. With every Hollow he cut down, he sent a message—not only to those watching but to himself. In the dark of Karakura’s night, the hunt was his, and the victory would be his alone.

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{Stats & Skills}Type: Roughneck

Strength - [400] (75% multiplier) 700
Speed - [200] (-40% multiplier) 120
Spiritual Pressure - [265] (25% multiplier) 331.25
Reiatsu Strength - 150
Instinct - 150
Senses - [135] (-25% multiplier) 101.25(100)
Energy Sensory - 0
Healing Expertise - 0

Light Aura - 10
Dark Aura - 90

Anti-Stealth 1
Battle Analysis 2
Battle Focus 2
Calm Mind 1
Damage Recovery 1
Focused Eye 1
Pain Tolerance 2
Stealth 1

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{Items}

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{Kitai Brand Gigai}Description: Kitai has the ability to create bodies through the use of his Darkskill, bodies that can be worn and used by any spiritual being. These bodies can be made to look however the user wants upon creation. The body that is created must be something possible to have been made in nature, however unlikely, and cannot be something like a living brick wall or the like, but are not strictly limited to the human form. Just note that once you have the body, you cannot change how it looks later. These bodies, due to the nature of Kitai's power, have built in durability. Normally they would include physical stats in addition to that, but these bodies have been modified to have static numbers, in order to both sell more copies, as well as to not have something better than his own versions.

This item is a highly durable type of armor, with a form of built in Heirro. Damage that would be taken is still transferred onto the user, but because of the defenses of this item, that likely won't be much. While wearing the item, the user's physical stats will be reduced to the IP of this item. This does not increase the physical stats if one has less than the IP of this item. The user can willingly take off the bodies whenever they wish, at no cost to themselves.

Class: 3
Item Type: Armor/Utility
Item Power (IP): 600
Offense Type: N/A
Durability: Double IP (1200)

Bonuses: While not released, the user will register as human to anyone with less than 300 ES plus 50 for every point they have in Stealth. When taken off, this item can be ordered to run to safety on a kind of autopilot, at a speed equal to its IP. The OS of attacks that impact this body are reduced by half of the IP of this item, with the rest of the damage occurring as normal to the item.

Drawbacks: This item is not available to Fullbringers, Quincy or Bount. Users cannot use releases while wearing this item. If they do, they will be forced out.

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{Steel Silk Cloak}Description: When purchased, this item can be made into any set of clothing that the wearer wants. Said clothing becomes a highly durable armor that can block most attacks.

Class: 3
Item Type: Armor
Item Power (IP): 600
Offense Type: Physical
Durability: Double IP (1,200)

Bonuses: N/A

Drawbacks: Cannot wear more than one layer of Steel Silk.

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{x2 Bionic Arms with Plasma Claws}Name: Bionic Limb
Description: An artificial limb for those who would rather get a stronger metal one for the one they just lost, or for those preparing themselves for when the machines finally take over. This limb can either be used to replace a missing one, or can be fused to the body wherever the user wishes it to be placed, giving the user a 'leg up', on the competition. The speed of these limbs are equal to the speed of the user

Class: 4
Item Type: Weapon/Armor/Utility
Item Power (IP): 600
Offense Type: Physical
Durability: 1200

Bonuses: Can be upgraded through Kitai's 'Bionic' items. For 100 reiatsu, the arm is able to move at a speed of 600 for a post.

Drawbacks: Can only have four limbs at a time. Can only have five upgrades at a time. Cannot create shockwaves outside of techniques
-----------------------
Name: Plasma Claws
Description: This is an item that is used with any 'bionic' items from Kitai's shop. This is a modification for the arm type. This is a hand modification that modifies the fingers of the prosthetic, so that, when activated, will create energy blades from the tips of the fingers. These blades are one foot in length, but increases to three at class 1.

To those who don't want to lose an arm, but also want the claws, this item also comes in a glove variant.

Class: 4
Item Type: Weapon
Item Power (IP): 500
Offense Type: Spiritual
Durability: 2xIp (1,000)

Bonuses: Can recharge claws with 100 reiatsu. Can turn off to save charge

Drawbacks: Lasts five posts before claws must be recharged. Glove variant has 100 less base Ip(700 max)

[Odalis Delgado]

Odalis perched atop a two storey house in the outer suburbs of Karakura. She'd been doing a lot of that lately. Finding some high vantage point and seating herself on it. It made sense, especially in Hueco Mundo. It made it easier to spot anyone trying to sneak up on you if you had higher ground. Even the human world had its dangers. After all Odalis wasn't the only soul eating beast prowling around. She had noticed however, that this habit was more than simple rationality. Often times she would find herself already atop some hill, rock or even a building without thinking about it. Was it an inherent instinct of this vaguely feline form of hers? Or was it perhaps something borne out of one of the spirits or souls she had consumed. They say you are what you eat so what does that mean for Odalis? She hoped she wasn't about to hear the voices of those she'd eaten. That would just be annoying.

Not that there weren't bigger concerns right now. "What an unusually rowdy night this is." Odalis said aloud as she expanded her spiritual sense outward. She'd been having fun with this recently. She'd only been able to vaguely feel this 6th sense before, catching only glimpses that warned her if a prey would be too much for her to chew. But recently she'd gotten more attuned with it. She could now feel each individual's signature far more precisely, provided they were close enough and could even pick out slight differences in each one. It was a fascinating experience she struggled to put into words. Farther out things got more vague, but she could still feel something was off. Spiritual energy seemed to surge all around this night. Despite being new to this sense, Odalis was sure that if this were the norm. She would have experienced it first hand.

"Something's happening. Something big. Then again, it might just feel big to me. Could be this is just a minor issue as far as the greater spiritual world is concerned. Still, I should probably try to figure out what's going on. Regardless of the scale, this could be the perfect opportunity to learn something of value." Odalis rose to her feet and just as she was about to head off into the city, she froze. A voice rang inside her head. Or something akin to a voice. It felt felt less defined than clear words and more a wispy sense of emotion and direction. A sense of urgency pulling her the opposite direction of where she'd intended. Odalis grimaced and hoped this wasn't a precursor of things to come. She really didn't want to deal with the ghosts of her past victims trying to guilt her about eating them.

Odalis considered her options for a moment. It seemed to coincidental to be what she initially thought. It had to be connected to whatever was happening within the city. "The city seems riskier. Outside the city doesn't have the chaotic swirl of energies as the city." Odalis scratched the edge of her mask with a spiked tentacle. Her curiosity pulling both ways, making her wish she could split herself in two and pursue both options. "No matter which I go for I'll be missing out on something. Well, I guess I might as well take the safer option then. Can't do much with new information if I'm dead." With that Odalis took off toward the city limits.

---

It didn't take too long for Odalis to reach her destination. She felt drawn to the mountain and once she got close enough she could pick out the energy coming from the opening to a cave on the mountain's side. Or rather it came from the large boulder blocking the entrance. Once she saw it however, she didn't need her newfound senses to understand it was significant in some way. Boulders typically didn't glow green after all. She studied it as best she could from a safe distance away. She would have gotten closer if she were alone. Unfortunately, she could sense someone else. The energy of this person came from above and he brought to Odalis' mind a multitude of questions. Almost more than the boulder itself did. His energy was unlike any Hollow or human she'd met and his luminescent form rivaled the green markings of the boulder. Was he an ally? A competitor? Perhaps a guardian of some sorts?

"Hello there. Are you here for the green magic rock as well?" No harm in asking. From his vantage point he could definitely see her so stealth wasn't an option. Especially not if she wanted to examine the markings more closely. She slowly padded towards the boulder, one eye wary of the stranger even as she attempted to study the green glowing patterns. For now she would gauge the stranger's reaction to her approaching the blocked off cave entrance. She tried to appear as non-threatening as her monstrous visage allowed.

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{Stats and Skills}
Reiatsu: 2000/2000

Strength - 40[-33%]=26
Speed - 250
Spiritual Pressure - 200
Reiatsu Strength - 158[+50%]=237
Instinct - 75[-33%]=50
Senses - 50
Energy Sensory - 67[+50%]=100
Healing Expertise - 25[-66%]=9

Light Aura - 50
Dark Aura - 50

Beastly Fighting: Fang, Claw and Tentacle: 1
Battle Analysis: 1
Battle Focus: 1
Stealth: 1
Anti-Stealth: 1
Analysis: 1

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Ren and Odalis - The Green Seal of Welt

The moon illuminated the stone tomb almost perfectly until clouds began to enshroud the light. Any normal human would have likely felt a bit of spookiness from the area as this was traditionally the type of scene from any horror movie. Fortunately, due to Ren and Odalis' spiritual nature, they wouldn't have such feelings. They just needed to be wary of their surroundings since anyone could walk around the mountain. It wasn't closed off in any way, and anyone could see the tomb. In fact, it was an interesting sight. The massive stone that had been placed in front of the tomb's entrance was crushed completely, and the seal that was still on top of it looked to be unharmed.

The crushed boulder was blocking the entrance to the tomb. Should either Ren or Odalis try to pick up the pieces, they'd be surprised at how heavy the stones were and how impossible it was. The Soul King had whispered to them at some point that it took the strength of a god to move those stones, hence why he was capable of the feat so long ago. It was intended to be this way, since that is the only way his brothers could possibly be held captive and sealed away. Instead, they'd have to get more creative. It was clear the seal was broken because of the boulder being crushed. If they wren't strong enough to piece everything back together, then the focus should be on fixing the seal, itself.

Suddenly, the Soul King's voice could be heard by Ren and Odalis: "It takes a tremendous amount of pressure to make me, though only I can break me. I am loved by many, gifted by any, and only the rich can take me. Find that which I am and place it within the center of the seal." He sighed. "Non-spiritual beings cannot even see this seal. I need help with repairs."

Should the two of them solve this puzzle, it didn't matter where they got the material from. The only mission was to go find it and bring it back.

---

Alacrán - Welt's One Hundred Hollows

Karakura Town had been experiencing several natural disasters as of late, and it seemed that they were happening more often than ever before. Unbeknownst to the citizens, Welt had unleashed his army of one hundred Hollows to destroy one of the Soul King's favorite cities. He'd seen it as a ploy to draw his brother out and take back his power. As it was now, he was only able to coerce the Hollows into following his orders, not fully summon them. Back in the day, he was able to forcibly gather one hundred Hollows who were at the equivalent of being the highest-Ranked Class 1 position known to any of the four worlds. This time, he could barely scrounge up one hundred Class 8 Hollows.

For Alacrán, he'd be exposed to humans being eaten, buildings being broken, and underground sewage canals being disrupted by a multitude of Hollow beasts. It was enough to cause a commotion, but the Hollows were somehow capable of keeping their destruction to a minimum at the moment - no doubt due to threats from Welt, himself. He enjoyed making himself crystal clear and frequently used other beings as examples to what he was able to do should they defy him. Out of fear, the Hollows listened, though they didn't complain much. They were able to eat to their heart's content. In a large park in the center of town, Alacrán would be exposed to a child who was running for his life from a Hollow. Evidently, the child could see them, unlike many of the others. Was it worth saving him?



OOC: The official posting order is Ren, Alacrán, Odalis, then the Canon Master. This is the order we will go off of in the event of skipped posting turns. Each participant has a week since the previous participant's post to make their own post before they get skipped. The Canon Master counts as a participant in this case.

Alacrán ONLY: During this time, be as cinematic with your abilities as you want. There are 100 Hollows that you can defeat. Your attacks won't cost any Reiatsu and you can consider these opponents as Class 8. You have the freedom to write as much as you want for a few turns and I'll add details in as we go, but it's up to you what happens to these guys. You're going to be stronger than them by default, but limit any defeats/consumptions (yes, you can eat them following normal consumption rules!) to ten per post, total. So for the next turn, simply use your abilities however you wish!

[Ren Akasawa]

A voice? So someone else had come for whatever this stone was? He readied to draw his sword as he turned around. Cloak opened on one side so that the uchigatana at his waist was free of any potential obstacles. Under that cloak, he wore a double-breasted trench coat, gloves, trousers, and boots all in the vandenreich's iconic style and sheer white coloration. Although no part of his actual body had been visible in that garb, dark red light still spilled out from under the hood as it radiated from bangs of energy without visible eyes beneath. Upon arrival to Silbern in Caesar's custody, the very first order of business regarding the failure had been to have him bathed in freezing cold water and dressed more properly.

Oh, now that he'd turned to see where the voice had come from, it was just a hollow. It could talk, so he may as well preach at it before the fight started. Ren liked to hold onto the hope that any hollows that proved as good at feigning sanity through their hunger as he was at doing so through his flood's mental influences could be swayed to take up the faith and fast-tracked to arrancarification for proper conversion. The chances were slim, as very few hollows ever seemed receptive to his words, but Ren always preferred to offer that particular hook to anyone who could hear him. Besides, he seemed to get through to the tiny, unspeaking knight before. And if his words didn’t hit their mark, then he'd dredge for whatever information he could out before making the first cut.

“Way I see it, this rock is part of whatever abnormality 'm here to suppress on behalf of the Sankt-Kaiser.” He descended to stand upon the broken seal with a blurry grin of red light joining the obscured features beneath his hood and a hand at rest upon the hilt of the sword he wore. “Gonna make this simple. Killing 'ya isn't part of my job; even hollows are welcome in the quincy empire, long as you're willin' to accept the true Emperor of all that is, and in exchange for service in the Vandenreich, 'ya get to come back to life and enjoy all the benefits of having a flesh 'n blood body. Bein' honest, you're looking too small to accept just yet. Best if 'ya scurry off, glut yourself on shinigami until you're one of those menos th—”

The voice that interrupted him reached beyond even the deepest parts of blood drive's mental influence and left Ren braced to draw his sword the moment he could see whoever was capable of doing that. Whatever this voice wanted, the failure couldn't understand at the moment, but the seal had clearly been part of his mission; therefore, he'd humored the request to repair it. Besides, it sounded like a basic fetch quest, and that meant it was no obstacle to an aspiring knight of his majesty. Also, he had no real idea of what else he could do with the boulder and seal, other than aid whoever this voice was. “Sure, I'll help. But whoever 'ya are, lay off with the speaking in riddles when 'ya ask for help.”

After aiming that bit of snark skywards, he'd returned his focus to the hollow from before, his obscured face slightly darker without the grin. “Don't have the time to fight or preach. Offer to join the empire still stands; just back back as an arrancar, we'll sort out the rest from there.” And with that recruitment pitch wrapped up, he turned towards the town and loped through the air once more. He had confidence that whatever he was supposed to find to fix the seal, he had better odds of getting it in Karakura than in the middle of the woods. Thoughts as to what fit the requirements rapidly surfaced and submerged over the course of his travel. Things that formed under pressure—oaths, souls, sapphires, glory, those kinds of things, but the idea that something could only be broken by itself was nonsense to the failure in white.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Release charging posts}Release charging posts > 1/6

The flood is inactive for now, but will automatically charge so long as Odalis stays within fifteen meters of Ren. Should the hollow leave that radius, the charging will stop and any progress made towards release activation will be lost.

[Alacrán]

The familiar scent of fear and death drifted through the air, pulling Alacrán into the depths of Karakura's central park like a silent call to a feast. The Hollow swarm—familiar in its low-grade frenzy—ripped through the town with reckless abandon, the weaker beings devouring anything they stumbled upon. Humans ran or cowered, some blissfully unaware while others, like the lone child running for his life, could see the monsters hunting them. Alacrán’s gaze settled on the boy’s pale face, twisted in terror as he sprinted toward a small grove of trees, only to be blocked by the scaly maw of a slavering Hollow, claws flexing in gleeful anticipation. Alacrán felt a pang of disgust; weaklings always went for easy prey, as if it earned them respect among Hollows.

He didn’t bother with words or warnings. In a single swift motion, he raised his hand, letting his plasma claws glint under the moonlight before plunging forward, piercing straight through the creature's skull in a blaze of violet energy. The Hollow convulsed briefly, its mouth hanging open in shock before crumbling to ash. Alacrán’s gaze flicked to the child, who had collapsed in terror, staring wide-eyed at him. For a brief moment, he locked eyes with the boy—a flicker of primal recognition in both of them—before Alacrán turned his attention back to the battlefield, indifferent to the life he’d just spared. “Get outta here, kid,” he muttered under his breath, already stepping forward to intercept the next wave of Hollows.

As Alacrán moved through the park, he spotted small groups of Hollows clustered near the crumbling remnants of park benches and trees. Their forms shifted and twisted in a macabre dance, each more grotesque than the last, gorging themselves on helpless souls and debris alike. With a barely-contained smirk, Alacrán raised his claws, slashing forward in a sweeping arc that cleaved through three Hollows at once, their essence disintegrating into the night air. He reveled in the efficiency of his strikes, each motion calculated, each movement a reminder of his own strength. There was no elegance in these creatures, no skill—they were just fodder, and he had every intention of cleaning them out before they could do any real damage to his world.

The first Hollow fell with hardly a struggle, their form dissolving into the ether. The hollowed shrieks of their disintegration echoed through the park, a grim symphony to Alacrán’s ears as he pressed forward. He paused only long enough to assess the situation, noting the panic in the scattered humans and the foolish way the Hollows continued their mindless assault. “Pathetic,” he muttered under his breath, invigorated by the thrill of the hunt.

His senses sharpened as he spotted a bulkier Hollow snarling at him, its jagged teeth bared in a menacing grin. It lunged forward with a surprising speed, but Alacrán sidestepped the charge, letting his plasma-coated claws tear into the Hollow’s side as it passed him, spilling a trail of black, writhing ichor. The creature howled in agony, but he didn’t stop there. With a swift motion, he plunged his hand into its chest, ripping out a core of condensed spiritual energy and consuming it with a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. “Guess y’all don’t taste too bad,” he mused, feeling a brief surge of strength from the absorption, though it was meager in comparison to his own power.

The carnage was relentless, the swarm seemingly endless as more Hollows poured into the park from all sides, drawn by some unseen command to destroy, consume, and conquer. Alacrán couldn’t deny the thrill that pulsed through him, the satisfaction of battle mingling with the quiet rage that simmered beneath the surface. He dispatched a smaller Hollow with a precise blow, watching its form dissolve with an almost clinical detachment. There was no challenge in these fights, no real test of his skill or endurance—but there was satisfaction in the efficiency of it all, in the knowledge that he was purging his world of pests. Each strike, each consumed essence, was a step closer to a cleaner, emptier battlefield.

Alacrán fought his way through another group, his claws dancing through the air as he tore through two more Hollows with swift, brutal efficiency. The air crackled with energy, and he felt the familiar thrill that accompanied each successful defeat. As he dispatched the last of the group, he could feel the remaining Hollows recoiling slightly, sensing that their ranks were thinning against the tide of his power.

As the skirmish wore on, Alacrán felt a shift in the night’s energy—a faint disturbance, as if the some presence brushed the edges of his awareness. The thought was fleeting, dismissed almost instantly. He had no use for gods or kings, only for the thrill of conquest and the clarity of his own power. Yet a part of him couldn’t help but wonder who or what had driven these creatures to his territory, and why. As he tore into another Hollow with brutal efficiency, he made a silent promise: when this massacre was over, he’d find out exactly who was responsible for sending these weaklings into his domain—and he’d make them pay for every ounce of chaos they’d dared to unleash.

With his blood thrumming in his veins, Alacrán spotted the final two Hollows of the ten he was set to consume. They were bickering over a pile of human remains, their grotesque forms hunched and swaying. He relished the thought of ending their petty squabble. A sharp slash severed one from the other, and the other turned, horrified, before meeting the same swift end. “Now that’s what I call a meal,” he chuckled darkly as he feasted on their cores, feeling the residual power surge through him.

[Odalis Delgado]

Odalis immediately regretted sparking up a conversation with the floating man as he immediately went off on a half-hearted recruitment speech for whatever shady group it was he represented. Apparently they were called the Quincy or the Vandenreich. Or, from the specific wording it seemed like the Vandenreich was some sub-faction within the Quincy. Odalis wondered at the scale of their supposed empire. If it truly existed then surely it had to be on some plane of existence other than Hueco Mundo or the material world. Surely she would have heard about an empire existing within either of those if it in fact did.

Odalis sighed with relief as something interrupted the man's speech. Presumably it was the same voice Odalis could now hear clearly echoing within her own head, for it coincided perfectly with the abrubt halt of Ren's preaching. Well, at least she wasn't going insane if other people heard it as well. So that was reassuring. But what was that it said? A riddle of some sorts. Nothing too complicated even. In fact Odalis was sure she'd seen just where to look on one of her many hunting trips to the world of the living. "You know, I appreciate the offer and I'll give it some serious consideration. However, as you so aptly pointed out we have bigger concerns right now."

Odalis took off, heading straight for the city, not bothering to match her fellow puzzle solver's speed. In fact she was actively trying to outspeed him for fear of an impromptu sermon along the way. Instead she used the quiet to think. So obviously this had to be connected to the chaotic energy signatures Odalis could feel within the city. It was just too coincidental that as soon as something like that happens she all of a sudden hears a voice in her head leading her to a glowing pile of an ex-boulder and dealing out riddles. Odalis almost felt like she was in one of those old fables. Unfortunately those tended to not end so well.

Arriving at her destination, Odalis stood before the jewelry store and looked through the large glass window at the front. A swipe of her tentacle produced a shimmer covering a portion of the window, then another swipe created another shimmer as the previous one collapsed, erasing its portion of glass. Then another and another and another and so on in sequence until a large enough hole was created for Odalis to step through. As she did she looked around for the answer to the riddle: A diamond. "Now, how much of it is necessary. There was no hint of any amount so presumably it's irrelevant. Now, my frame of reference for what is and isn't expensive is a bit spotty. But I'm certain that's far too big of a number for it to be anything but a real diamond."

Odalis regarded the price tag on one of the displays, giving a loud, approving whistle. A single Vacío Desplazado opened the display up and allowed Odalis scoop up the necklace. It was made of gold with several small diamonds embedded into ornamental sockets, each socket progressively larger as it got to the center, with the absolute middle being thrice the size of the outermost one. "This is probably enough. But just in case." Odalis secured herself a veritable treasure trove of bracelets, necklaces, rings and earrings all with embedded diamonds. Coming out of the store she literally glimmered in the street light hanging overhead as each tentacle was covered from base to tip with the gaudy loot.


She tried her best not to drop any of it and she failed. A few of the jewelry falling to the sidewalk as she sped back to the mountain. "Well, someone's gonna be lucky tomorrow I suppose." She said aloud, still decked out in far too many of the glittering things. Once she reached the pile of rubble she picked out the first necklace as it had the largest diamond and pressed it against the center of the glowing green seal. "Is this to your liking? If it's not your style then I've got others."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Techniques Used}
Technique Name: Vacío Desplazado [Displaced Void]
Class: 8-1
Technique Type: Hollow [Custom]
Usable By: Odalis [Reserved]
Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects:
This technique allows Odalis to open short lived rifts in space in conjunction with some form of attack. Whether it’s a lash of her tentacle, a bite or the swipe of her claws. The action will produce a brief shimmer in the air somewhere within 30 meters within her line of sight. The shimmer then disperses and whatever is inside of it will suffer the effect of whatever attack she made as if they’d been hit normally. The shimmer lingers longer depending on how far away the the target point is. All in all it lingers as long as it would take a cero to travel that distance.

The shape of the shimmer duplicates the motion of the attack in question. A sideways swipe of her claws will produce a similar sideways ripple covering the same area as the original swipe. A bite will manifest as a ball about the size of her open maw. Anything bitten or sliced off by the rifts vanishes and is considered consumed by Odalis even if it doesn’t technically enter her physical stomach, but rather the void within her. Of course anything strong enough to resist being damaged will not be consumed and this can only consume as much as was damaged. Meaning if all this manages is to tear a strip of skin off then that strip is all that’ll be consumed.

Outside of using RS instead of Strength, the rifts retain the properties of whatever attack she’s using and the class if it is higher. So if she uses a physical technique with a higher class in conjunction with this, the resulting rift will carry the same class as that technique and deliver slashing, piercing or blunt trauma depending on the technique. Similarly if a technique enhances her regular attacks, such as Manto de Vacío then the rift will also be enhanced to that class, if higher, and confer the Reiatsu draining effect.

As an example: Odalis has Manto de Vacío active at class 6 and uses Vacío Desplazado at class 8 and hits the opponent then they will be hit with a class 6 attack and drained of their Reiatsu.

How to use technique:
Focus the intent of an attack upon a point within sight and then execute the attack.

Technique Drawbacks:
If used at class 7 to 5 it costs 50 Reiatsu to use, class 4 and up costs 100 Reiatsu.

Made By: Odalis

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Ren and Odalis - The Green Seal of Welt

"I'll speak how I wish, child. Be sure not to forget the fact that I am infinitely older than you are. If I simply gave you the answers, everything I would have done to prevent my brothers from finding you would become nullified."

The Soul King responded with irritation to Ren's comment. Perhaps he'd chosen the wrong group for this mission, though he didn't have much of an option anymore. He already made calls to others who were actively at their posts, and he was a bit desperate for the help. Karakura Town had an abundance of spiritual beings, yet they were still somehow rare enough to the point where it was difficult to find legitimate help. He also couldn't risk going to Earth himself, given that his sheer presence would alert his brothers to his location immediately. He was hiding safely, at the moment, and wanted to be sure to continue doing so.

As Odalis ventured out to complete the mission, clearly figuring out exactly what the answer to the riddle had been, the Soul King raised an eyebrow in an approving manner as a smirk appeared on his face. Though Odalis and Ren could obviously not see him, nor would they ever know he made such a face, he still made one anyway. He was impressed with the quick resolve of the female Hollow, even more so than the Failure who needed more hints as to what to gather. Within a few moments of consideration, the Soul King turned his attention back towards Ren and spoke once more, careful to not say something that would induce the snark once again.

"The Hollow seems to have beaten you to it. You didn't care to work together, I see. What I need from you, then, is simple. Find the strongest metal in the World of the Living. The quantity matters not, for I only need the properties." He then redirected his voice at Odalis. "You did well, child. You certainly gathered excess, but we will use it all. Place each diamond into the green pattern to outline the encircled 'X' that the seal forms."

Off in the distance, should anyone be within earshot, was a human who was jumping for joy at finding the jewelry Odalis had spilled onto the street.

---

Alacrán - Welt's One Hundred Hollows

Shockingly, Alacrán was able to save the child from being devoured by Hollows, but that child wasn't the only one suffering. The army of one hundred Hollows was busy attempting to overshadow the town, and several people had already lost their lives. Despite that, ten Hollows lost their lives to Alacrán successfully as his almost video game-esque moves and dialogue seem to tear right through the group. More Hollows caught wind of Alacrán's slaughter and turned their attention towards him in an effort to avenge their fallen brethren. What Alacrán wouldn't realize is that Welt's Hollow army would develop somewhat of a hivemind. Welt was able to force such a thing on his Hollows. They were going to come after Alacrán like bees.

[Ren Akasawa]

Trees passed underfoot as the failure continued airwalking. He hadn't even reached Karakura when the voice had requested something else and phrased in much more understandable terms than their first request had been. The real question was how the hollow had done that in so little time. Had they found it back at the mountain? There had been no way of knowing, so he hadn't bothered to pursue that train of thought. There wouldn't have been any sense in wasting his limited focus on keeping it on track and above the surface when he had a quest that called for immediate action. The literal strongest metal was usually an alloy; he knew that much, but he was pretty sure it was also the nickname of one in particular. Something they typically added to steel, wasn't it? Not titanium. Tungsten? That felt right.

A few minutes more had passed before the scent of trees faded from the late autumn air and he entered the town proper. His steps sloped downwards and gradually transitioned into the soft thud of boots on concrete as he took to the streets in search of metal. A task that began with approaching a constriction site on the edge of town, followed by the swift realization that he had no way of knowing what metal any of the materials or tools had been made from only by looking, which led directly into a search for somewhere that labeled their metals better. The first thing that came to mind was one of those home and garden centers for people who did their own renovations. What were they called again? ...CAINZ! That was it.

There had been a while more spent wandering before he'd been able to find the store he was looking for, lost in the unfamiliar area of the town where Akasawa had found himself. Even if he'd known where he was going, it wouldn't have helped much. Ren was slow because he was a failure; his movements were weighed down by unusually heavy reiatsu that filled his body and worked against him at all times, and further held back by a defective spiritual body that wouldn't have withstood higher speeds even if he'd been capable of them. By the time the white and green building came into view, he was sure that the hollow must have made significant headway in their own branch of that mystery voice's demands.

As a dead soul, an inconvenience that traced back to the immediate Auswählen that had occurred when his then-newly-granted schrift had broken, the store itself posed no obstacle. Nobody inside had enough spiritual potential to see him as more than a blur, and while the flood would have sabotaged him in his pursuit of clearly labeled tungsten the moment it was allowed to do more than observe, it had no hope of being released any time soon despite its attempts every time he stepped within range of another person. In a rush to get in and out before that situation had a chance to change, the failure traveled the aisles until he found what he'd been looking for, a tungsten drill bit. It was perfect.

Without a shred of hesitation, he drew his sword and cut the bit free from its plastic clamshell prison, then sheathed the blade just as nonchalantly and pocketed the small and surprisingly weighty bit of hardware. That done, he walked back outside and leaped into the air, where he began his airwalking journey back towards the mountain. The advantage of traveling above the buildings ensured that he exited the city quickly, but that could only reduce the distance to a straight line. From there, he simply clung to the hope that the voice wasn't about to change their request again during the time it took him to get back to the seal.

[Alacrán]

The park crackled with the energy of approaching Hollows, their growls growing louder as they converged on Alacrán’s location. He stood amidst the fading remains of his earlier kills, his plasma claws humming faintly in the tense silence. The pressure around him was mounting, the sheer number of enemies threatening to overwhelm even his confidence. But Alacrán wasn’t one to back down, especially not when the battlefield had become a playground for his creativity.

“So, y’all really think numbers’re gonna do it, huh?” he muttered, his lips curling into a sharp grin. “Fine. Let’s see what happens when I stop holdin’ back.”

He raised his clawed hand, condensing his reiatsu into small orbs that floated ominously in the air around him. With a flick of his wrist, five Cero Durmiente formed in rapid succession, each one glowing faintly as they hovered in place. Alacrán moved deliberately, placing the orbs strategically across the park—a web of destruction waiting to be triggered. “Let’s see how smart you are when the ground starts bitin’ back.”

The first wave charged recklessly, a trio of snarling Hollows aiming to overwhelm him with sheer aggression. Alacrán crouched low, his leg muscles coiling before launching him upward in an arc with his powerful legs. The force of his leap cracked the ground beneath him, sending debris flying as he soared over the attackers. From his vantage point, he triggered one of the Cero Durmiente below, the blast catching the three Hollows in its fiery wake and reducing them to ash. He landed with a resounding thud, the impact sending a shockwave through the ground that staggered the next group.

One Hollow, a wolf-like creature with gleaming fangs, leapt at him from the side. Alacrán spun, his plasma claws slicing through its torso mid-air before biting into the remains with a charged Cero Morder. The weak energy from the attack didn’t impress him, but it was enough to finish the job. “Cheap trick, but effective,” he muttered, spitting out the taste of ash as he turned to face the next wave.

More Hollows closed in, their numbers growing denser as they surrounded him. Alacrán smirked, placing three more Cero Durmiente at key points before vanishing into a swirling Úlcera Falsa. The black portal screamed open, disorienting the attackers as false exits appeared around the battlefield. The Hollows snarled in confusion, striking at shadows as Alacrán emerged from a true exit behind them, his claws tearing through two unsuspecting foes in a single strike.

The remaining Hollows roared in fury, their frustration palpable as they charged en masse. Alacrán activated another Cero Durmiente, the explosion scattering the group and disintegrating two of them instantly. The rest stumbled but quickly regrouped, their persistence drawing an irritated growl from him. “Persistent little bastards, ain’t ya?”

A particularly large Hollow, its body covered in jagged, bone-like protrusions, stepped forward with a deafening roar. Alacrán’s grin widened, his reiatsu flaring as he condensed a single Cero Consolidar in his palm. He launched it toward the creature, the glowing orb picking up speed as it merged with another he had placed earlier. The combined energy slammed into the Hollow, obliterating its form in a brilliant explosion that left a smoldering crater in its wake.

As the dust settled, Alacrán stood amidst the chaos, his chest rising and falling with measured breaths. The faint echoes of growls and footsteps in the distance told him the battle wasn’t over yet. He flexed his claws, the faint hum of plasma filling the air as he prepared for the next wave. “Y’know, I was startin’ to get bored. But if y’all wanna keep this goin’, I ain’t gonna complain.”

With the battlefield rigged and his arsenal of techniques ready, Alacrán waited, his predatory grin daring the next set of Hollows to test their luck. For every step they took toward him, he had already planned three ways to take them down. Tonight, this park would be his domain, and he wasn’t about to let any weakling Hollows claim it.