Arc 1: Canon 16: Begin Finale [Complete]

[Sozen Kuchiki]

"The same strategy that we used last time would work in a heartbeat..." Sozen said, referring to when he and Rave had killed Shiga Urago of the Ogatago. But he knew better than to use the same trick twice, and especially immediately off the bat. He also knew that preserving it would be better, in case an even stronger enemy approached them. It would probably be a much better idea to just play around with him for a little bit. Just because there was an army present there, did not mean that they could not kill that Ogatago. "I think we should save it for later, though. You never know who we might need to surprise. Instead, why don't we try something less conventional?" He was referring to the new idea that he was about to suggest, even though it was daring.

Sozen had felt the slight trembling at his feet, and he'd heard rumors lately of those who had docked anyway. He knew that something was approaching. "Do you hear that?" Sozen asked. "Or rather feel it?" He was referring to the marching of whatever was approaching. "There's another army coming." Sozen was thinking that they should attract the attention of the Ogatago to themselves with a big flashy appearance, and then run away, disappearing into the forest. The Ogatago army was meant to hunt them into the forest to exterminate them. The Ogatago army would then meet with whoever was marching across the forest. The two armies would then clash, giving the perfect opportunity to find and kill Kassen Oro.

After relaying this plan to Rave, and to Raion whom surprised Sozen by showing up, Sozen was ready for action. He'd relayed an entire battle strategy and set of alternatives to Rave. Both for the next few instances of action should be perfectly aware of what the other was going to do. And this was what Sozen was indeed relying on. Standing up, he burst through the forest, expecting Rave and Raion to follow him. He got up to the beach clearing, and he called out to the entire Ogatago army for everyone to hear. "This is most certainly one Hell of a gathering!" He waited there, paused. He let the calm wind blow as the shock of his appearance settled in. And then Sozen used Shunpo to get the hell away.

Sozen's Remaining Reiatsu: 2450/2500 Reiatsu

[Zou ۞]

There was a pause. A crude, unexpected, and unusual pause. And then, with that, the White Guardians all began to move in an instant. Their eyes glowed, and reiatsu floated around them as jets of flames launched them forwards off the ground. Sozen may have disappeared into the forest, but hundreds to thousands of White Guardians soon followed him in. The large, bulky, white armored figures flew into the forest in an instant, intent on attacking and destroying Sozen, and any other comrades that he may have brought with him. They were countless in number, though of course Sozen's initial plan was going to work. It was a correct assumption that the two armies would end up battling each other. It wasn't a slow meeting.

The instant that the Quincy army met with the White Guardians, there was an explosion of reiatsu and blasts as the entire forest began to become simply decimated. White Guardians were blasting at or slashing towards Quincy, who were blasting them with such powerful and concentrated arrows that even the White Guardians were able to be defeated sometimes. Sometimes the arrows penetrated, and other times they did not. Sometimes they were killed, and other times they survived. Whatever the case was, it seemed that the two armies lost all focus on pursuing other stragglers, because they ended up in combat with one another. There was no need for interaction beyond combat. The Vandenreich goal was in fact to eliminate all non human/Quincy races. The White Guardians were just further abomination that must be wiped out.

This of course left Kassen Oro simply standing there on that beach, with the Game Master too. Whoever Kassen Oro had been battling had vanished, and also the same could be applied to whoever the Game Master had been speaking to. Kassen Oro took a look at the Game Master, who nodded his head. And then, with that, Kassen Oro flew as well into the forest to join the fight against all of the Quincy. The only one that remained behind was the Game Master himself, who stood there on that beach with a huge grin plastered across his face. And so, that was that. Whatever happened next depended purely upon the choices of the now three Shinigami who were present on that little island. That little island which would soon be destroyed.

[Rave Haretsu]

(OOC: Sorry, wasn’t aware it was my post >_>)

“The same strategy that we used last time would work in a heartbeat...” said Sozen in reference to their fight against Shiga Urago. Rave had been quite pleased at the strategy he’d developed for that fight. It truly employed both their abilities to quite a great extent and would spell doom for just about any type of opponent they would run into. “I think we should save it for later, though. You never know who we might need to surprise. Instead, why don’t we try something less conventional?” continued Sozen as he discussed their plan of action. Rave smirked as he eyed their soon-to-be enemy. “Oh I don’t think we’ll have to resort to THAT so soon. I have a few other ideas, but we can’t rely on one plan too much until we know what his abilities are. I guess we have no choice but to go...” said Rave before hearing some rustling in the bushes.

Just as Rave heard the rustling, he noticed an Exequias member sprint through the forest, bursting past both him and captain Kuchiki. Failing to notice either of them, the arrancar stopped. It was apparent that his breathing was heavy and the sweat covering his face was obvious. This man was terrified of something. That’s when Rave heard it. A light drumming sound filled the forest ever so softly. Rave decided not to pay any attention to the Exequias though. If he noticed them and ran off, then so be it. Killing one low-ranked arrancar would not turn the tide of the battle and he certainly was not interested in dirtying his outfit so soon. “Do you hear that?” said Sozen, “Or rather feel it?” “I do... what do you make of it?” replied the shinigami. “There’s another army coming,” Rave made a mental note regarding the new development, but his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden sneeze. “ACHOO!” exclaimed Rave suddenly as his nose began to get stuffy.

“Oh god... It’s him...” exclaimed Rave in between sneezes. “Captain Haretsu! I’m so glad... so glad... that I finally... finally found you! It was... terrible...” said Raion as he stumbled out of the woods and into the same clearing that Sozen and Rave were. Rave, being incredibly allergic to animal fur, was not happy to see his intoxicated vice-captain. “Unhand me! Unhand me!” shouted Rave as the lion embraced him. The captain’s feet were planted against the lieutenant’s large body and his hands were placed on each of the animal’s shoulders. With all four limbs, Rave resisted the much stronger grasp of the lion. Finally Rave was free, whether it was of his own effort or Raion simply letting him go was unclear, but Raion continued talking. “Oh my god I was lost in the woods for two days and I couldn’t find anyone and I had to kill humans and I had to eat meat raw and it tastes terrible and I’m filthy and I need more sake and where did you go!? You left me all alone!” complained the other shinigami.

Rave dusted himself off as he stood up. After sneezing two more times, Rave responded to his vice-captain’s complaints. “I thought all lions ate raw meat! Anyway, maybe I left you because, I dunno... I’M ALLERGIC TO YOUR FUR!!!” Rave was obviously annoyed at his lieutenant’s entrance and sorry state, but he pushed his feelings aside and listened to Sozen’s plan. Rave also shared his thoughts with Sozen and Raion, refining their strategy a bit. It wasn’t long before they were ready. Rave followed Sozen as the Kuchiki family head burst out on to the beach where the Ogatago’s army had gathered. “This is most certainly one Hell of a gathering!” exclaimed Sozen as he emerged on to the beach catching the eyes and ears of just about everyone there. Rave remained hidden in some bushes nearby as they had planned. Sozen was going to draw the majority of the Ogatago’s army into battle with the Vandenreich while Rave worked on isolating Kassen Oro from the Game Master.

Sozen’s part went exactly as planned. The White Guardians chased him into the woods and soon Rave heard all hell break loose as the Vandenreich engaged the White Guardians. The captain of squad 8 smirked as he saw The Game Master nod to the 3rd Ogatago and send him speeding into the woods to join the fight. “Alright... Time to make my move...” he thought as he quickly blasted off from his location into the woods with a shunpo. Rave would cut Kassen Oro off as his shunpo made him travel directly past his nose. However, there was no immediate threat made by the soul reaper. He merely wished to get the man’s attention as he emerged from his shunpo on a nearby tree branch. With Kassen Oro’s attention grabbed, the captain gave him a wide smirk before turning tail and flying in the same direction he’d flash stepped. It wasn’t long before Rave reached the spot where he wanted to do battle. The Captain stood in a mostly-flat field surrounded by thick vegetation. The ground was high compared to the rest of the island too, so the projectiles from the rest of the fighting would likely not reach them. Sozen had been notified of Rave’s intentions, so if all went well Captain Kuchiki would be along shortly to take out the trash with him.

Remaining Reiatsu: 4,950

[Zou ۞]

Kassen Oro had been quick to follow. "HAHAHA!!! A SHINIGAMI CAPTAIN! THAT'S JUST PERFECT!" he'd been heard roaring as he followed closely behind Rave. His speed was quite high. He was easily able to gain on Rave. It was as Rave escaped into the clearing that he was caught up to. He'd in fact missed being skewered from close range by a hair. However, Kassen Oro stopped moving once Rave made his way into the clearing. The Ogatago regarded the Squad 8 Captain with close scrutiny before deciding to fly into the clearing as well. He rushed in, grinning as he took a skidding stop across the ground, and drew his Zanpakuto as well. His blade drawn, Kassen Oro did nothing yet. All that he did was observe his foe, Rave.

And yet, something was strangely off about this whole thing. His eyes wide, his grin huge, Kassen Oro stood there. He began flicking his blade around, back and forth. In the background, White clashed with white. The Guardians against the Vandenreich. It seemed like the Quincy had been well made for this fight, for the armor was easily pierced by those who desired to do so. The intense concentration of the reiatsu made the arrows fully capable of penetration. Furthermore, some of them came with blue flames, and this devastating cold fire was incredibly damaging to the White Guardians. Regardless, they fought with incredible tenacity, not ceasing until they were completely destroyed. Furthermore, many of them had the powers of Shinigami Zanpakuto at their disposal.

The forest was becoming ablaze with flames. Fire was licking at the area, and trees were being toppled by the dozen. It was an intense battle. And, meanwhile, all that Kassen Oro could do was lick his lips, grin, and spin his blade around. He was watching Rave again. There wasn't anything that he was really aiming for. As if by some odd instinct, it seemed like he could tell that there was another enemy approaching, and he was waiting so that he could get his proper and fun two on one battle, and perhaps even still win. Whatever the case was, he definitely looked like he was going to enjoy whatever fight came his way from these people. But, that was also when he began talking, saying things Rave would never even care about.

"Isn't this emotional, Captain?" Kassen Oro pointed towards the sky, which was filling all of a sudden with blue flames. He motioned with a cock of his head towards the woods behind, towards the forest being obliterated, and the flames that were rushing all about, everywhere. "Isn't it heartbreaking, to see that all of your power, all of your greed, and all of your instincts have brought this? All of you who fight in the name of what you believe in, all that you really accomplish in your war is to destroy the whole world." And Kassen Oro's grin then grew even larger. He was referencing what had happened at Karakura Town as well. How the entire town had been utterly destroyed. How the population had been decimated. This island was coming to a similar fate as well.

Kassen Oro laughed, a heinous, evil laugh. "As for me, I don't give a fuck about what state the world is in, as long as I get to fight and have fun doing it. As long as strong people exist, the world can turn into wasteland for all I care. I don't need food to survive. I don't need water to survive. All I need is souls, like a Hollow." Kassen Oro laughed again, but this did not keep him from talking after that. He seemed like someone that liked to talk a bit. Get feelings stirred up before the heat of the battle started off. "Thiswar, even if by a miracle you happen to win it, will cost you. This war, if you win it, is only the beginning. You, Shinigami, who think yourselves so great, are coming to an age of consequences. Soon, you will all be consumed by the fire of the world's revenge."

[Sozen Kuchiki]

"It is rather true that our wars are ravaging this world." Sozen said, stepping into the light. He'd gone back into the forest after his outburst. The White Guardians had soon forgotten about him after encountering the Vandenreich. After that, it had been a simple matter to slip away from the main battle. He'd known where Rave had generally started, and it did not take much effort to find him again. After that, he had secretly followed behind, until both Kassen Oro and Rave made it to the clearing in which they were going to do battle.

When Sozen saw the clearing, he didn't hesitate to step into it, next to Rave. Out into the light, from within the shadows in which he had been hiding, Sozen could be seen. He was standing next to Rave, and he was smiling a collected, and calm smile. It was also very condescending. He was looking down on Kassen Oro as the Ogatago's better. Sozen was the absolute superior of a mutt like Kassen Oro, after all. As expected of the Noble Head of the Esteemed Kuchiki Household. Sozen's Zanpakuto was out too, with his eyes refined and focused on Kassen Oro with that condescending.

"But we can always repair it. The lives that have been lost, we will regain by storming into Hell if it be necessary. The enemies that these lives were lost to, we will crush them in retribution. We are justice, you know. Everything we do is to maintain balance. Everything that people like you Ogatago do simply upsets it, and so you must be purged like animals." Sozen was trying to see at first if he could get some kind of reaction out of Kassen Oro. He was vain. He liked to talk, and to infuriate his foes in that way. Sozen was a monster when it was all about something like making his enemies feel anger. He knew how to bring out their rage.

"This is why we had to destroy the Vizards. This is why animal shit like the Bount were exterminated." Sozen was being unusually harsh about it, in the hopes that Kassen Oro's Bount pride would act up. That he was harboring some sort of resentment pent up because of that extermination, and that it would anger him and he would attack recklessly in an attempt to kill the speaker of those words. And Sozen had another plan too, if it came about to infuriate Kassen even more. There was one thing that Sozen was sure this guy would care about, and that was the future of his race. Taking information from a file he'd read, Sozen spoke.

"I was on a mission a few days ago," Sozen said. "I met a dark skinned Bount, an Englishman. He had a thing for yoyos, and I remember him as someone who attacked the Seireitei once." Sozen smiled the most dastardly smile of the most good looking man in the world. "I cut him into little pieces and sent him in that state back to your Bount homeland of Germany." Sozen broke into a full grin at that point. He had never actually met Jin Yamada, and had never actually battled him. Since he knew that this man was the recorded Bount Leader, even if known as MIA, then Sozen could claim to have killed him. If he killed the Bount Leader, how would Kassen react?

Sozen was smiling there and standing with the hope of having that Bount, that Ogatago attack him. With his sword ready, Sozen could fight. There were two Captains, and there was only one Ogatago. No matter what happened, it wasn't going to be a win for the one that had once been called the strongest Bount in the world. Sozen added in just one more line of temptation to fuel the fire of Kassen Oro. "After we kill you, I'm going to display your mutilated corpse for the whole world to see. For all the Bount to see their inevitable fate. And don't worry. I'll make sure you stay recognizable when you're dead."

[Raion Souretsu]

[OOC: Pardon my brief absence. I'm gonna jump back into the posting order here; if I need to, I can remove my post and put it up later if we want to resume the old order.]

Despite being thoroughly intoxicated, as was obvious to all by his inability to stand in one place without swaying slightly and his somewhat unfocused gaze, Raion seemed to be very attentive to the plans being laid out. He had ignored his Captain’s mention of leaving him behind on purpose—clearly that had been an accident of some sort, as Captain Haretsu was his leader and needed his Vice-Captain around at times!—but instead focused on what else was going on. The lion knew he was in a warzone, a fact that overrode even his drunken state of mind, and he did his best to focus on what their plan was and how they would start moving in order to defeat whatever potential enemies they would come across.

Raion had to admit he was a bit jealous of the synergy between Rave and Sozen; the two of them worked together well and seemed to have things in hand. Of course, the Vice-Captain had also read the report on the “Battle of Armageddon” that had occurred in Karakura Town only a short time ago, and had seen both of their names in the roster. They had participated in one of the earliest and bloodiest battles of this war yet, and it was likely during that time that they had found such camaraderie with one another. Raion could understand all too well, even when drunk; being through such a traumatic battle and fighting hard just to survive in a setting where nearly ninety percent of all forces who had engaged were wiped out brought the survivors close, or killed them.

Either way, Raion didn’t let that get to him. Instead he focused on the plan, which pretty much involved smashing the two enemy forces into each other by drawing them close together. Thankfully, Sozen was wise enough to go for the White Guardians; Raion hated fighting Quincy unless necessary because they were still human for the most part. The lion had a fondness for humans—the real, living kind as opposed to Shinigami, who were spirits—and hated to kill or even harm them if he could avoid doing so. He knew their actions would likely get some of them killed, but he figured it was better than having to fight himself. In the end, the Vice-Captain admitted to himself that this was a war, and that they had to survive; it was their duty to live so that they could restore whatever balance they could back to the cycle of life.

Once the plan was laid out, the three of them moved quickly. Sozen did his job and drew the White Guardians towards the Quincy army in order to have the two forces clash and neutralize each other. Captain Haretsu, on the other hand, went straight for the leader who had stayed back while fighting someone else at the time. Raion found himself unsure who to follow; Sozen, in case he needed assistance with the number of units following him, or his Captain, who was going to engage the leader of the Ogatago forces by himself. Thinking quickly, the lion figured his first loyalty was to his Captain. Not only that, but this was the head of the Ogatago forces; whoever this man was, he wouldn’t be easy to fight. Besides, Sozen was supposed to be of the Kuchiki household, which meant that he was supposed to be perfection incarnate or something; he’d be fine.

Mind set, Raion quickly darted after Rave, though his Captain’s superior speed left the lion behind quickly. Still, he had a general direction of the man’s movements, and caught up after a good five minutes. Unlike the other two, however, he stayed back in the trees, swaying slightly as he hid behind a large trunk. The lion’s eyes moved across the battlefield while Sozen insulted their opponent—and what was with all of the animal remarks, anyway! Raion was an animal and he did just as well as any of the humanoid Shinigami. Heck, he was a Vice-Captain!—determining the best way to attack. Of course, Raion was starting to regret drinking by this point; his vision was spinning a bit, and his head was fuzzy, so he couldn’t make any plans on the go. He had all of his smarts still intact despite the liquor in his body, but he couldn’t focus them while he was inebriated.

Well, the best way to handle this would be a sneak attack, he figured, and so he struck in order to distract attention away from the Captains so that they could take advantage of their opponent. “Drink from the fountain of rapture, lose yourself in the blissful haze: Man’etsu no Otaki!”

The command was quietly mumbled, and Raion discretely reached down to grab the jug of sake at his waist. The liquid was quickly poured over his weapon, soaking the blade in a golden, sparkling fluid that practically shone. Soon it shifted, going from a human-sized broadsword to a much larger one suited to Raion’s size, the blade curved into a wave pattern with a cruel cutting edge that would slice strips out of whatever it cut. The guard curled inwards to form a small globe of sorts, and patterns formed along the blade even as it started to perpetually drip with the liquid that now infused it. The alcoholic substance would not be taken lightly either; all Raion had to do was land a solid hit and he would weaken his opponent’s chances greatly.

With his free hand, Raion gestured towards his sake jug again, and this time the liquid rose up in a serpentine form, twisting and undulating like a giant snake. Another gesture had it moving along the trees at ground level, making its way towards the combatants, emerging after a few seconds into the clearing where they fought. Without a sound it rose up and struck at the man that they had separated from his troops, aimed to slam into him from behind. Even if it missed, a simple gesture would have it curling around to try and wrap around the target once more. The path was a little wavy, as Raion’s drunkenness had his vision swimming slightly and as a result the target wasn’t staying steady, but overall it was within only a few inches of its intended path.

It was a liquid serpent, so its bindings wouldn’t be able to actually hold the Ogatago should he attempt to escape, but if he did so he’d find himself dizzy and a bit light-headed as the contact sake that the technique was made out of would begin to inebriate him. By having the serpent wrap around the man, any movement would have him quickly intoxicated. If he chose not to move, Sozen or Captain Haretsu would be able to simply tear him down by slashing through the serpent without touching the liquid themselves. Essentially it put the man in a double bind; if the Ogatago moved, he’d suffer inebriation which would reduce his speed and his sensory abilities, while if he stayed still, he would be at the mercy of two Captains.

Remaining Reiatsu: 1670/2020 (-200 for Shikai, -150 for Serpent of Rapture)

Shikai: 1/10

[Rave Haretsu]

Rave smirked as Kassen Oro decided to follow him to the clearing. “HAHAHA!!! A SHINIGAMI CAPTAIN! THAT’S JUST PERFECT!” blurted the Ogatago as he began gaining on the captain. It was clear that Kassen Oro possessed the speed advantage, but that was fine because so did Shiga and he was taken care of without any problem. In the background the Vandenreich clashed with the White Guardians as blue flames lit up the forest. Arrows filled the sky and trees fell left and right. It was clear to Rave that the confrontation that Sozen had instigated was an intense one. There were many casualties in that fight, but thankfully none on Soul Society’s side. Rave watched patiently as Kassen Oro began to spin his blade around as he seemed to wait for something. Did he know that Sozen was coming?

“Isn’t this emotional, Captain?” Kassen Oro finally said as he pointed towards the arrow-filled sky, “Isn’t it heartbreaking, to see that all of your power, all of your greed, and all of your instincts have brought this? All of you who fight in the name of what you believe in, all that you really accomplish is your war to destroy the whole world.” At this remark, Rave’s smile widened as if he was on the verge of laughter. What was wrong? Didn’t he care that people might be dying because of his actions? Kassen Oro threw his head back and laughed. “As for me, I don’t give a fuck about what state the world is in, as long as I get to fight and have fun doing it. As long as strong people exist, the world can turn into a wasteland for all I care. I don’t need food to survive. I don’t need water to survive. All I need is souls, like a Hollow,” he said before laughing again. “This war, even if by a miracle you happen to win it, will cost you. This war, if you win it, is only the beginning. You, Shinigami, who think yourselves so great, are coming to an age of consequences. Soon, you will all be consumed by the fire of the world’s revenge,” said Kassen Oro as Sozen suddenly emerged from the forest’s edge.

It seemed that Kassen Oro’s monologuing gave the Squad 6 captain enough time to return to the designated spot. “It is true that our wars are ravaging this world,” he said as he took his place next to Rave. A confident smirk was worn on both the captain’s faces as they stared directly at their quarry. It seemed that Kassen Oro was confused about who was the hunter and who was the hunted. “But we can always repair it. The lives that have been lost, we will regain by storming into Hell if it be necessary. The enemies that these lives were lost to, we will crush them in retribution. We are justice, you know. Everything we do is to maintain balance. Everything that people like you Ogatago do simply upsets it, and so you must be purged like animals,” he said as he attempted to get a reaction from Kassen Oro, “This is why we had to destroy the Vizards. This is why animal shit like the Bount were exterminated.” Sozen continued his verbal smackdown as he told of a dark-skinned Bount with an obsession for yo-yos that he had apparently killed. Rave wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but he figured Sozen knew what he was doing.

In reality, Rave didn’t care about what happened to the world at all. As long as he had places to party and enjoy himself, the rest of the world could go to hell for all he cared. Rave was a very selfish individual whose only interests were for himself. Even Sozen would be abandoned by Rave if it somehow worked in his favor. At that instant, Rave noticed a long, thin line of what appeared to be alcohol emerge out of the grass behind Kassen Oro. It appeared that Raion was trying to provide them with an opening. Rave intended to take it as he released his zanpakutou. “Show me what you can do, Oomizugoki!” he said as his long nodachi transformed into a thick blade with a motorcycle throttle on its hilt. At that instant the captain shot forwards, reiatsu charging in his left hand and his zanpakutou in his right. When Rave reached the Ogatago he brought his shikai down diagonally from right to left, hoping to hit at least something of Kassen Oro’s.

Remaining Reiatsu: 4,750
Shikai: 1/10

[Zou ۞]

Kassen Oro could see what was coming. He had an instinctive and battle power honed by countless battles, and was one who craved and reveled in his fighting. A black orb instantaneously formed in front of him as soon as he saw the shimmer of the sake, glistening with the light, and saw the distortion which indicated this liquid moving through the air. He had been vigilant while speaking, and for no instances had he ceased to pay attention. He'd noticed it coming from behind when it was moving to get behind him along ground level. It did not fit in with the environment. There was no liquid form anywhere besides it. And, similarly, all he'd been doing was taunting. It seemed Sozen's taunts had been lost completely on Kassen Oro, who didn't seem to care. He seemed to have stopped really caring for his Bount race. Or possibly, it was a form of professionalism. He was one who knew how to taunt, and so likewise he was not affected by the taunts of others.

Either way, the orb materialized the instant Kassen Oro caught any type of sign of that serpent. And in an instant, it was drawn into the orb. Gone. In that one moment, the technique of Kassen Oro which was called Sol had pulled in the entire technique. Not just the reiatsu, but the technique itself. The orb suddenly flew forwards, straight towards Rave as he approached. This was while Kassen Oro himself backed off, moving to escape the conflict by sending that orb which would have to be guarded against as it exploded with a reiatsu power equivalent to two or three Shakkaho. Kassen himself simply moved away by using a Shunpo, escaping to numerous meters away from all three Shinigami, but with his observation ready for anything in the battlefield. He kept most vigilant for Rave and Sozen, though he was aware that a present third party had tried to attack him, it appeared, so he was indeed seen looking for that as well.

Kassen Oro then did two things which would surely make the fight incredibly painful in every way. He seemed to be aware at least of Sozen and Rave's powers, since they had defeated Shiga. He did not hesitate to use his powers quickly. "Ziege Dich, Eisen Motte." In an instant, an enormous moth materialized in the air, larger than a house. It batted its wings, and a hazy purple cloud of smoke and smog formed with the moth. Covering three miles in every single direction outwards from the moth, this gas was definitely harmful. It was poison, and this of course might be a first guess to most who experienced it. Most gases released like this were poison. What they wouldn't know was it was a very deadly gas. It was not a cheap poison, but a potent one which killed instantly after being breathed in. And it looked like they would have to fight in this cloud of vicious gas.

However, Kassen Oro was not yet through. His Zanpakuto glowed, transfiguring into a dual bladed sword. "Bereave, Kuro No Tenshi." Kassen Oro said. And at that instant, he launched towards Rave first. His dual blade was spinning around madly, dancing around Rave's body to strike him. It moved with a blurring unpredictability from the exotic stature of the weapon, and a marginally superior speed. Rave would find blocking and dodging hits to be difficult given the attacks. But, more importantly, Raion and Sozen were in trouble too. Sozen was free to strike, but Raion was in deeper trouble. As a lion, he needed the oxygen as a heavier breather with a larger heart. And, he was drunk. Drunk, could he really recognize the poison cloud of gas? Drunk, could he know not to breathe, let alone stop himself from breathing? There was a reason why Kassen Oro was Ogatago #3. It was this insane strength. Blasts of wind around Rave while Kassen slashed also threatened to cut him.

"Against me, you are all nothing." Kassen Oro said.

Kassen Oro's Remaining Reiatsu: 2350 Reiatsu

Shikai: 1/10

[Sozen Kuchiki]

As he saw a gas forming, Sozen wordlessly began his process of breathing all the way in, and exhaling all the way out. Sozen had been the only one to stand back as this all happened. He saw what was clearly a poisonous cloud of gas incoming, and so he prepared himself. Three times he inhaled all the way, and then exhaled all the way. With that, he took one last deep inhale of air, and began to hold his breath as the cloud of gas washed over him. The technique he had just used was a breathing technique that allowed one to hold their breath for longer.

It was easily applicable, especially in swimming. In fact, success could be found especially with just staying still during use of this, as movement did drain the oxygen that was taken in. Standing still, Sozen wagered that he could do this for about three minutes. Holding his breath during that entire time was possible. And, he wagered he could push it an additional 30 seconds after, before he was forced by his own body to inhale and take an incredibly deep breath. Sozen knew that he was going to find success in what was coming. The first matter of business had to be to get rid of all of the gas around them.

Without saying a word, Sozen released his Shikai. As a user of Bankai, he was indeed able to release wordlessly, though most Shinigami found much more comfort in using release phrases. His sheathe and blade both turned red gradually, and Sozen proceeded to aim his blade directly at the moth. At that moment, two things happened. First, a large column of red fired off at the moth. Second, right after the column of red reiatsu was firing off at the moth, with the intention of hitting and piercing it, Sozen moved away. He used Shunpo four times, using it in succession to rapidly get himself far off. Each step up took him a fair way, maybe a mile as a Captain with his high reiatsu strength.

Regardless, Sozen used his speed and reiatsu strength to get himself way away from the fight. He was not leaving it, but rather was leaving the cloud of gas that had been created. He captured at that time the attention of many White Guardians and Vandenreich members, taking the time to attack a few of them, and then nimbly escape off, running away. Those who gave chase would soon find themselves within the cloud of poison gas. In fact, over a dozen enemies had been brought in to interfere with the fight. Blasts and reiatsu began flying everywhere, making a larger battlefield. Sozen had taken in a new breath again as he went back in, giving himself an additional three minutes.

Sozen's Remaining Reiatsu: 1800/2500 Reiatsu

Shikai: 1/10

[Zou ۞]

OOC: Skip me, by the way.

[Raion Souretsu]

(OOC: My apologies for the hold-up but I've caught up on my IRL commitments now, so I should be good to go for a bit.)

Okay, so thinking ahead wasn’t Raion’s best trait when he was drunk, especially if he didn’t take the time to force himself to do so. He hadn’t thought about how visible his serpent was, for example, and had just used it in a direct attack. While inebriated, the lion’s best quality was improvising without meaning to, acting unpredictably yet usually fumbling his way through whatever situation was before him. However, in the few times where he was lucid he had the uncommon sense to prepare himself for several more challenging trials that would take more than his unusual serendipity to get through alive. The Vice-Captain had taken the opportunity to train himself to instinctively recognize specific threats that would require more than a little luck to avoid, and gasses were one of them; if any cloud made of an unknown substance came his way, he would simply back away while blowing the cloud away with the use of his Kido.

A pair of quick Shunpo had Raion moving quickly backwards, though it was hardly out of range of the three-mile cloud. What was worse, the lion hadn’t taken a deep breath before the cloud had enveloped him, having been surprised and a bit confused while his attention was focused on the giant moth. Though his lungs were large and could hold more air, his body also required more oxygen, and he only had the equivalent of a human’s half lungful. Somewhat slowly due to his drunkenness causing delayed reactions, Raion held out his hands and used up some of his precious remaining air to perform a Kido to aid in his survival; it was one of the escape methods he had drilled himself in.

“Hado 58: Tenran!”

A whirlwind erupted from Raion’s paw, tearing apart the cloud of assumedly poisonous gas and sending it in all directions outwards. This created a large gap for the Vice-Captain to dive into and take a deep breath, much more so than before, though he almost forgot as the twisting, weaving gas distracted him with its purplish colors and strange patterns in the windswept mist that only Raion’s drunken mind happened to see. Thankfully he managed to snap himself out of a self-inflicted mesmerism long enough to take the necessary breath before the cloud swooped back into the vacuum left as the spell-created tornado vanished, filling the air with its purplish smog again. With a new lungful of air, however, Raion was able to make his way out of the area of the smoke with another three Shunpo, putting him a good hundred feet from the poison’s radius.

Once he was free from the cloud of poison, Raion took a deep breath, coughing slightly. He hadn’t held his breath like that in a long time, and his body took a lot more energy to move around than a normal human’s. Not only was he a bigger creature as a whole, but he was also somewhat overweight and bulky besides, meaning that it took even more than the proportional difference would cause people to expect. As a result, holding his breath in that long was a bit dizzying, and combined with the lion’s natural drunkenness he sprawled on the ground, trying to regain his sense of balance. His vision spun even more than before, and his head pounded despite the liquor that was supposed to be stupefying him to effects that weren’t supposed to come about until he was sober and hung over.

Oh my aching head… need more liquor…

Reaching down to the jug at his side, Raion grabbed it and tried to pour it down his open muzzle. Unfortunately he missed somewhat, splashing sake all over his face and dribbling it down his chin a bit, but the majority of it went down the lion’s throat and helped to ease the headache. The drink didn’t do anything for his spinning vision, but the Vice-Captain was used to the world forever remaining in motion like being onboard the deck of a small ship. He’d adapt to this without too much difficulty, once he got his feet under him. Of course, that would require him to get his feet under him in the first place, a difficult feat when the world was spinning around like some sort of Ferris Wheel gone mad.

After a few tries and with the aid of a nearby tree, Raion managed to stagger to his feet. He was a fair distance away from where the Vizard or Bount or whatever the hell he was had released his poison cloud, and the lion had also been separated from his allies. This was bad, he figured; how was he supposed to watch over Captain Haretsu and make sure he didn’t get in trouble? Sure, where Raion was concerned trouble stuck to him like metal on a magnet, but the Captain needed his favorite Vice Captain to keep an eye on him anyway! It didn’t occur to the drunken lion that he was probably in danger, being separated from the others; instead he wanted to rejoin them so that he could keep an eye on them and make sure they were safe.

Because clearly, two of Seireitei’s strongest Captains needed the support of a Vice-Captain.

Remaining Reiatsu: 1270/2020 (-150 for Tenran, -250 for Shunpo x5)

Shikai: 2/10

[Zou ۞]

OOC: Rave should post too before I do.

[Rave Haretsu]

(OOC: Judging by Kassen Oro’s profile, it seems that the violet poison smoke takes 3 posts to cover three miles. Because of this I took the liberty to talk a bit before escaping, both for the awesomeness factor and because I figured he had a bit more time then you let on in your other post. Hope that’s fine.)

As Rave charged he took note of the black orb that Kassen Oro created and watch it deal with his vice-captain’s surprise attack with ease. It seemed that the orb, named Sol, absorbed all techniques in its immediate radius. Rave gritted his teeth with annoyance. Shiga Urago had also possessed the ability to absorb techniques and it had given him quite an annoying time. Then again, it didn’t seem that Shiga was able to see the runes that Rave created, so maybe Kassen Oro couldn’t either. In an instant, Rave watched as the orb flew in his direction. Was the black orb an offensive technique as well as a defensive one? The captain would have to watch out for it as it flew at him, suddenly detonating in a huge explosion that filled approximately the area of three shakkaho explosions. Rave was forced to abandon his charge as the situation changed and the reiatsu that had been charging in his hand subsided.

As the Ogatago vanished, so did Rave, appearing just a couple dozen yards away from both Sozen and Kassen Oro, forming a triangle with the three of them acting as the corners. As fast as light, a laser shot out from the tip of Rave’s zanpakutou and created a dot on the ground that neither Sozen nor Kassen Oro would be able to see.
Only Raion and Rave would be able to see the 8th squad captain’s abilities as he used them due to Rave actually being in possession of the shikai and Raion possessing the needed energy sensory. As Kassen Oro spoke his release phrase for his doll, Rave did a bit of quick thinking and lifted his blade up so that it pointed at the 3rd Ogatago. Wordlessly, the shinigami used one of his abilities, causing a purple orb to form on the tip of his blade and suddenly split off into four separate orbs that formed a rectangle between him and the Ogatago. This was Sumiyakakou and it was a technique that Rave had not used against his fight with Shiga, and most importantly, its creation and form would both be completely invisible to Kassen Oro.

Rave watched the moth as it sprung into existence and batted its wings. Visible purple smoke would be seen emanating from the doll as it fluttered around overhead. Rave didn’t intend to breathe in the poison and noticed Sozen leave with a few shunpo before the area was completely covered in the toxin that fell slowly from the doll’s wings, high overhead. However, things were a bit more complicated for Rave as he noticed Kassen Oro charge directly at him, releasing his zanpakutou as he did. Rave stood and watched as the Ogatago ran straight into the captain’s invisible Sumiyakakou, prepared to use a shunpo if things didn’t go as planned. Kassen Oro’s chest, shoulders, head, and shikai were the first things to hit the permeable barrier between him and Rave. Kassen Oro was halted in an instant as the rest of his body slammed into the invisible barrier catching up with the parts of his body that had been halted. Perhaps that wasn’t entirely accurate. The parts of Kassen Oro that had hit Sumiyakakou had not been halted, but slowed down immensely. Also, due to his initial forwards momentum, he wouldn’t be able to reverse his direction immediately, for the initial momentum that had brought him colliding into this slowed state was still present. It had simply been slowed down without taking away from the force.

The captain was on limited time due to the poison descending from the doll and he understood that he needed to retreat like Sozen had, however he wanted to explain to the Ogatago what had happened before he left the soon-to-be poison-filled arena. “Tsk tsk... You cannot simply charge blindly against me, Kassen Oro... Allow me to quickly explain. The technique you’ve been caught in is called Sumiyakakou. As you can see it slows down one’s momentum immensely without subtracting from its force. Pull back all you want. The parts of your body that have crossed that boundary are unable to move any faster then they currently are. Oh, and to give you an idea of how fast you’re currently traveling, you’re moving at the slowest possible speed that is human body is capable of. You’ll be trapped here for awhile while you either pass through the barrier completely or counter your initial momentum and pull back out of it. I really wish I had time to finish you off, but I’m hesitant to think about what your doll’s purple stuff would do to me. Ciao!” said Rave with a subtle smile as he took a deep breath and used a chain of three shunpo to bring him to Sozen’s location before the purple gas covered the area he was in.

Rave was slightly faster than the Kuchiki captain, allowing him to cover more distance with a single shunpo and as a result allowing him to escape using less reiatsu. Either way, Rave left Kassen Oro trapped in the cloud of smoke as he escaped, catching the attention of a few Vandenreich members and a few White Guardians. “He charged right into Sumiyakakou. Remember, it’s 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide, try not to bump into it,” said Rave to Sozen as he passed the Kuchiki captain who was headed back into the poison-filled area. Rave knew that Sozen couldn’t see his abilities in the same way that Kassen Oro and Shiga couldn’t. Because of this, it was necessary to convey the dimensions of his ability so that Sozen could avoid accidentally touching the invisible wall. Even if a single finger crossed the boundary of the four orbs that served as corner stones to Sumiyakakou, the entire body would be unable to get away until the finger was pulled out at an incredibly slow speed or they decided to cut it off.

This was the benefit of having the kind of absolute momentum control that Rave possessed. While it was, indeed powerful, Rave’s moves were tiring. The captain could not go into the cloud and help his fellow captain just yet. Sumiyakakou made breathing harder for him and he’d need to catch his breath for now. Trying to hold his breath and entering in now would be suicide. Rave would need to trust his partner to take advantage of the situation he’d given him while he breathed a few gulps of fresh air. Captain Haretsu watched as a tornado burst out of the cloud of gas, making the poison scatter. Presumably this was either Sozen’s or Raion’s doing. Rave guessed that it was likely the work of his vice-captain due to the unlikeliness of Sozen’s Tenran being as weak as that one. Luckily for Rave, Raion emerged on the completely opposite side of the cloud of gas as Rave did, putting them a good three miles apart from each other. At this distance there was no way that Raion’s fur would make Rave’s allergies act up.

Remaining Reiatsu: 4,450
Shikai: 2/10

[Zou ۞]

OOC: I'm letting you off for it, but the poison actually settles immediately. It takes three posts to fertilize the moth.

IC:

As soon as Kassen Oro realized that he was trapped, he was freed. The instant that he moved through the technique, it became evident that it was a technique. Rave confirmed it by talking, and then he tried to leave. Sol, that black orb of danger and death, was instant as it formed. It absorbed the technique completely, which allowed Kassen Oro a free movement. Since it was instant, it took only an instant. The orb itself flew off of Kassen's blade, into the air, and detonated with a small and weak detonation after it had absorbed all incoming techniques. This included Rave's technique, and Sozen's beam which was heading for the red moth, just as it arrived, since the moth as well was quite close to Kassen Oro, and the beam had to pass in his general direction to attack the moth. Therefore, he was able to stop those attacks.

Next, he caught up to both Rave and Sozen, ignoring Raion completely. How did he catch up, though? It was his incredible speed. Instantly, over his face, it was there. Hollowfication. With that mask on his face, Kassen Oro was easily able to catch them as he tracked them and they tried to move away. His Shunpo overtook theirs, and he was so quick, and they so desperate to get free of the cloud, that it was unlikely they'd notice what was coming. And with that, he grabbed them. He caught the backs of their collars and yanked them back into the smoke. Luckily for them, they'd managed to breathe before getting back in. But they were in his league now, within direct confrontation. And they hadn't gotten as much air as desired. They had about thirty seconds of oxygen left, each. Then, he began attacking.

With his dual blade spinning around slashing at them, Kassen Oro seemed like the master of the area. But it was at that time that the smoke also began to fill with Quincy and White Guardians that were exchanging attacks. So blows started forming as well which would have to be avoided. Even worse however, it meant there was no room for either Sozen or Rave to maneuver to. No room, but Kassen Oro was too quick to dodge regardless, and also very difficult to block. His physical strength was unbelievable. There was no room to get out of the smoke cloud! Their ways out were blocked by enemies everywhere. How on earth would they possibly overcome this incredible situation? What had Sozen's aim been when getting all of these enemies into the poisonous cloud? What was going to happen?

Kassen Oro's Remaining Reiatsu: 1850 Reiatsu

Shikai: 2/10

Hollowfication: 1/11

[Sozen Kuchiki]

I've done a lot of killing already... Sozen thought as he was drawn back into the cloud. He had to kill yet again. So, stepping away from Kassen Oro and relying on either Rave or the blades erupting out of his Zanpakuto to block Kassen's onslaught, Sozen made it the right time to attack. He only had thirty seconds of oxygen. He had to make this count. Kassen was in very good view, though. Sozen could see him well, and still see the moth too. The cloud of gas was permeable by sight, and this made it an easy target.

"Bankai..." Sozen said as his whole sword dissolved away into red sand. "Akai Birido Seken." The whole world around them began to turn red, everything included. The trees, the ground, every rock and every plant. All of the landscape turned red. But more things also turned red. The gas around them turned red. It was a red cloud for three miles around. Sozen and Rave escape? There was no need. Not when Kassen Oro had created his own death prison, and he was about to be killed inside of it. The blades shot out from every direction. Anywhere that Kassen Oro moved to, there would be more blades.

No matter where he tried to go, there was no way to escape the cloud without getting stabbed either. No matter how much he tried to dodge, no matter how fast he moved his blade to try to block, there was nowhere that the blades could not come from. If he blocked, then his sword would be turned red. And then blades would shoot out of that. If he dodged, other blades were coming from everywhere and all sorts of other places. No matter where Kassen Oro went, he was finished. The blades were going to pierce into his body and kill him. He was going to be stabbed so many times that he turned into a gelatin mess.

This was going to happen to the moth as well. From everywhere, blades would stab it. There was no way it would be left alone to fertilize. The doll like the owner was going to be stabbed and killed. Both were going to be turned into messes of goo and destruction. It was destiny for the Ogatago and his doll both to die at the hands of Sozen's swords. His blades, which appeared from everywhere, appeared because of the red which was one fluid. It was one body of red from which blades could form anywhere. And then in that time because of it the blades were going to kill all of the enemies.

From everywhere, blades stabbed into the Vandenreich fighting in the cloud, and into the already weakened and damaged parts of all of the White Guardians that had been fighting the Quincy within the cloud. And just as that happened, the cloud would probably begin to dissolve once the moth and Kassen Oro also died. It meant that there would have been two Ogatago destroyed by Sozen and Rave in combination, though Rave still had one vendetta to settle. He had been shot during the Battle of Karakura Town by Nilus Hemfada, Ogatago #4. They had been informed Nilus was on the island.

So, it was quite likely that some kind of vendetta battle was necessary, and Nilus would have to be killed. This would bring the death toll of the Ogatago up to three, which was just what was needed for this war. With the Game Master's biggest pawns being slapped down one by one, one at a time, he was going to be left on his last heels of this war very soon. Sozen smiled a cold smile when this happened. Defeating Kassen Oro within his own cloud had been nothing special. It was as expected of the Esteemed Head of the Noble Kuchiki Family.

Sozen's Remaining Reiatsu: 1400/2500 Reiatsu

Bankai: 2/10