Arc 1: Canon 6: Bane of The World [Complete]

[Zou ۞]

Name: [New Arc 1: Canon 6: Bane of The World] - The Adventure Name

Participants: [Anyone, 3 RPCs maximum] - Who can participate?

Location: [Barrows, Alaska] - Where does this take place?

Difficulty Level: [Medium-Hard] - Easy, Medium, Hard, Extreme. How difficult is this adventure?

Setting: [DE] Is this DE or NDE? Death Enabled or Non Death Enabled?

Plotline: [This freezing cold town in Alaska may not seem like much, but at this time, during a two month Winter without sunlight reaching the town, you must arrive. Why? Quite simple, really. Arrancar have agreed to meet with a representative of Xcution somewhere in Barrows. Arrancar are here to arrange alliances with Xcution against the Soul Society. However, Soul Society learned about this, and has hatched plans to ally with Redemption and its representative against Xcution and Las Noches. But, Las Noches knows of this as well! And Xcution and Redemption too. There are some new goals here. What if the other representatives can be found? What if the enemy can be killed, and one faction can steal ALL the alliances to fight against its hated enemy? It's not impossible.

Soul Society representatives have the right to talk about the soon to be fixed Big Soul Cannon. Arrancar representatives will have the rights to describe the powerful Hollow which was captured in Canon 1. Xcution and Redemption respectively can describe the Fullbring powers of their leaders. This is going to be quite a thread. The Xcution and Redemption representatives are probably NPCs by default, but they don't necessarily have to be. Shinigami and Arrancar vary, quite honestly. It could go either way.

Let's see what happens.] - Explain the plot of your adventure.

Estimated Enemy Strength: [4-1] Estimate the strength of the NPC's people will fight in this adventure. Class 7-1, what is their strength on average?

Estimated Time Until Completion: [3 pages] - How many pages do you think this adventure will run for until it is over?

Starts: [Now] - When does the adventure begin?

Special Conditions: [Fast posters preferred. This place will be completely sunless for all negotiations. You will each arrive in separate inns. Class 4 or higher RPCs only. It's cold, here. There might be blizzards. Temperatures dip far below zero. Dress for the weather. Come prepared.] - Any special conditions, limitations, or other things.

[Schultz Silverhult]

I hate the cold…

Cold was more than just an annoyance for Schultz as the Espada walked through the snow, shivering lightly; it was a reminder of that permanent chill of death. For some reason, the scholar’s mind always revived memories of the end of his human life, one thing he’d never forget no matter how long he lived as an Arrancar. Though thoughts of death were nowhere near as haunting as his past life, in which his weak lungs made any day potentially his last, they were still something he hated to think about. Death meant the end of his research, the end of his quest to discover the ultimate Truth. Schultz didn’t know what it was, or even where to begin looking for it, but he knew it was out there somewhere. He just had to keep looking.

The Espada was dressed more suitably for the weather, his current clothing more insulated than his normal outfit would have been. A thicker scarf was wrapped around the lower half of his face and neck, while his jacket was a fair deal thicker than usual and lined with wool. The sleeves and gloves were now a single piece, merging seamlessly at the wrist though able to be separated if needed via a zipper made out of a plastic that wouldn’t become ice-cold like metal would. A thick undershirt of wool as well was set beneath the shirt to help keep in the warmth, though the bite of the cold air still drove through.

And yet despite his preparations, he was still chilled considerably. Schultz considered setting a house or two on fire for warmth, but he knew it was best to keep his presence a secret despite the chill settling into his bones. After all, the report for this mission had confirmed that Shinigami would be here on their own mission, just as he was, trying to gain a human faction’s support and use their abilities to crush the opposite side. In this case, the Espada was looking for the representative of a group called Xcution, which consisted of humans with an ability called “Fullbring”, while the Shinigami were looking for a similarly-powered group of individuals from a group referred to as Redemption.

Schultz had done research on the “Fullbring” technique that these humans had, interested in this new power he had never heard of. It seemed that spiritually-aware humans somehow developed abilities that allowed them to affect the soul of objects and use them in various ways. It sounded like an interesting technique, and as a result the scholar had attempted to learn it for himself, studying how some humans performed. Unfortunately, it seemed such abilities were beyond him; was it only limited to spiritually-aware humans? Regardless, after a string of failures, Schultz had let it go, understanding that no one person could master everything no matter what. A frustrating acceptance but nonetheless that was the fact of life.

Anyway, what little Schultz knew of Xcution suggested that they were assassins of some sort, and used their Fullbring abilities to do their work. Redemption was some equality group, aiming for peace; the Shinigami would have quite some work ahead of them to convince the humans that they were aiming for equality! After all, those Shingami were always attempting to kill any Hollows or Arrancar they came across regardless of their intentions, and as a result their actions were far from “equal rights.” Maybe Schultz could use that later, create a crack in a potential enemy alliance. The alternative was of course to kill the Shinigami representatives, but he wanted to avoid doing that; no sense in turning Redemption against Hueco Mundo and doing Soul Society’s job for it.

First, however, Schultz knew that he had to find out where he was to meet the representative from Xcution, and then figure out the best way to win them over to Hueco Mundo’s side. The latter was bound to be the more difficult, while the former was only slightly easier, but that was just how negotiations for such a great increase in power would have to go. The Espada knew that it wouldn’t be easy to convince this group to ally with the Arrancar and Hollows, but at the same time, he had a few trump cards up his sleeve. Groups like Xcution would want power, and with their recent “gift,” the residents of Heuco Mundo had a fair amount of leverage to try and win the Fullbringers over.

For the time being, Schultz settled himself with going to the inn that had a room set aside for him after some negotiation. Money wasn’t an issue, as he had managed to put aside a fair deal from his little stint in Vegas, and as a result he had a high-class room with warmer temperatures and any commodities he could desire. Of course, he wasn’t trying to draw attention to himself, and would keep the commodities to a minimum, but that feeling of an actual warm room to relax in when he wasn’t dealing with negotiations would be a wonderful feeling. The scholar hated the cold, after all, and any change to shut it out would be taken.

The inn itself was named the Snowfall Down, an odd name for an inn but a fitting one. Their motto, as Schultz had noticed when he was making his reservations, was “Enjoy your rest in beds as soft and white as freshly fallen snow!” Interesting, he supposed, though all that the image did was make him shiver as he imagined sleeping in a bed made of slow. The Espada shook his head; it was a wonder that this inn attracted so many customers. However, it was busy enough that another young man checking in and staying for a little while wasn’t out of the ordinary, allowing him to avoid drawing suspicion to himself.

After receiving his room key, Schultz headed upstairs to his room, tossing a suitcase onto the bed that contained a few changes of clothes and about six small journals for him to keep notes in. He didn’t bother to unpack, instead laying himself on the queen-sized bed and letting the warmth of the room sink in. It was funny how this place reminded him of his new home, Heuco Mundo. With Alaska in its sunless months, the area was cast in perpetual nighttime, just like the land of Hollows, and yet Schultz managed to find some comfort in his own private room, able to enjoy the perpetual night while he relaxed in the warmth.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t just sit around all day, so the scholar sighed and closed his eyes, extending his Reiatsu senses outwards, trying to feel the presence of either the Shinigami or the two groups of human Fullbringers. Hopefully, once he got a fix on their Reiatsu, he could determine a suitable meeting place, and then arrange for negotiations. What would happen then… well, that would depend on the actions of the other groups. For now, all he could do was wait and find out.

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength - [150 x 60%] (90) Points

Speed - [300 x 60%] (180) Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400] (400) Points

Reiatsu Strength - [350] (350) Points

Light Aura - [40] Points

Dark Aura - [60] Points

Instinct - [150 x 200%] (300) Points

Senses [150 x 200%] (300) Points

Energy sensory - [100 x 200%] (200) Points

Healing Expertise - [75] (75) Points


Total SP: 1675 Points

[Zou ۞]

Someone suddenly bumped into Schultz, albeit accidentally. Since he was a spiritual being, anyone that did so on purpose was obviously spiritually aware, and was definitely aware of Schultz's presence. Well, in this case, there was no certainty that this person knew he'd bumped into Schultz. It had been a glancing thing. He'd been on his phone, he'd bumped Schultz minorly, just a small tap of the shoulders. Schultz would see that this was the kind of bump which he'd received. However, what happened as a result of it was a different story entirely. He'd feel it almost instantly, what happened afterwards.

Suddenly, his body jerked, and was sent flying. It was as if the equivalent force of being smashed into by a freight train impacted his body. Somehow, by some lucky miracle, he didn't receive any actual damage, and simply crashed through the snow, sliding through it. Whatever had happened, he'd been bumped, and suddenly blasted away. It seemed accidental, the earlier bump. However, some sort of power was definitely at work to have sent him flying like that. What would Schultz do? If the one who bumped him had noticed, he made no indication of it, and simply kept walking. Would Schultz talk to him, or would he continue his mission?

Meanwhile, powerful reiatsu suddenly blared in the opposing direction from the one that the one who bumped Schultz was going. It seemed like two powerful reiatsu aware beings had encountered each other. And it seemed like they were hostile. One of them was obviously a Shinigami's reiatsu. The other was not recognizable to Schultz in signature, so this meant that it was definitely some sort of human world dwelling race. In other words, it was quite potentially a human and a Shinigami having some sort of battle blazing showdown against each other in a random place in that desolate, frozen hellstorm of a town. Schultz had two options at that moment.

Meanwhile, there were some other things which were happening as well. Reiatsu also popped up in another location, marking three options. That reiatsu in general was just flaring. It had no partner. However, it was not easily identified, also marking it as some sort of human world dweller's reiatsu. This meant that potentially, there was a powerful human in one area, there was some mysterious stranger walking away from Schultz, and there was some sort of showdown between a Shinigami and possible human in another direction. With three options, Schultz definitely had his hands full with the decisions. It was unlikely that he would be able to manage all three at once. Only one at a time.

Meanwhile. . .

Someone else had arrived in town too. Having been sent in an effort to train his Fullbring and become stronger, Arashi Manako was there. He was the hero of the old world, it seemed. He had defeated Azeru Cho, and even defeated King Shada. Though his reiatsu would not be sensed by anyone, due to it being newly reawakened, he'd still arrived. His deeds were great, and so had been his power. At that time, he was much weaker than he'd been before. All that he had was a relatively weak Fullbring. It would definitely be unable to really keep up with anyone else that he encountered. However, it was noteworthy that Arashi had come quite a long way since he'd first awakened his Fullbring.

The original version had just been a black katana made of reiatsu. Stronger reiatsu strength had easily shattered or fragmented it, requiring Arashi to regenerate it. His first training sessions had required him to fight against weak dummy enemies with this sword. In that timespan, he'd mastered Bringer Light, and the Fullbring technique for "movement." However, he'd ultimately been unfit for combat at that time. Still, he'd grown quite a ways even since then, simply due to the situations and circumstances of his life.

His growth had been escalated when he'd suddenly been thrown into combat with other Fullbringers, and hostile ones too. Some had been too strong for him, others relatively weak. Because of it, he'd grown, and managed to complete the "form" of his Fullbring. This was good for him, though he hadn't unlocked the powers of it either, quite unfortunately. This meant that Arashi only had a form down, and still had quite a ways to go if he wished to regain his lost powers. Either way, Arashi took up his lodgings in some random inn with a warm bed and a very warm room. Inside his room, he was even able to get away with wearing a dark blue t-shirt with the number "15" on it, and some black jeans and sneakers.

In his arrival, Arashi had been bundled up with several jackets, including a ridiculously thick fur coat. He'd even had some goggles and a Russian hat. Indeed, it was a cold place, Alaska. That frozen tundra in the world might just be death for anyone who arrived in it on that day. Regardless of the reasons, be it training, or be it negotiations, or battle, or some form of massive war and combat, it was death to anyone who came unprepared for this hellish world.

[Schultz Silverhult]

Schultz gave up with a sigh as he laid back on his bed, frustrated by his lack of a lead as to the location of the other spiritual beings. Perhaps it was because the town was fairly large, and as a result he’d simply have to wander around a bit to find a trace on them. Of course, there was always the possibility that the various Reiatsu signatures were simply being covered up, but for some reason the Espada doubted that was the case. He accepted that it was possible, but decided that it was far more plausible that they were simply outside of his detection range. That meant that he’d have to go out and brave the cold once more, drawing yet another sigh from the scholar; his mood seemed to be swinging towards melancholy today. Maybe it was the weather, since cold always made him gloomy.

Well regardless, that was just the facts of life. Throwing his heavier jacket on again, Schultz mentally prepared himself to head out into the cold once more. Once he was prepared, the scholar left the inn, immediately feeling the chill as he stepped out into the darkened streets once more. Mentally reminding himself to refuse any missions to colder climes in the future, he picked a direction at random and started walking, letting his senses extend outwards around him. Once any Reiatsu signature came within his field of energy detection, he could immediately trace it to the owner. If it was a human, they would be dealt with via negotiation; the thought of stealing the Shinigami’s alliance brought a small smile to Schultz’s face, but if it was Xcution then it was all the better; the scholar would be able to secure that alliance and then move on from there. Shinigami would be avoided if necessary; again, Schultz wanted to avoid conflict where he could.

The Espada’s mental process was thrown off as he was suddenly launched away with some sort of force. He wasn’t even sure what had happened, but he had vaguely felt someone bump against him, and then he was off. He smashed into a snowbank, bouncing twice before sliding to a stop. Pulling himself to his feet, still surprised at the sudden attack, the scholar immediately started scanning the area for his attacker. Who was it that had slammed him away, and how? It was hard to tell, but Schultz realized he wasn’t sure if it had even been a Reiatsu-fueled attack that had launched him into the snow. It had happened suddenly, while he was distracted, and he hadn’t had time to find out who had done it.

And then of course, his thought process was once again fragmented as he felt snow seeping through his jacket where it had gotten into his clothing from the impact. The chill and cold made Schultz jump up in alarm, doing whatever he could to remove the cold powder from his body short of tearing off the coat and emptying it there. It was freezing! And of course the Espada was unable to focus with his dislike of the cold, his mood shifting from panicked at the feeling to angered at being sent flying and then back to that melancholy state that the cold brought about as memories of those last moments of his life flashed back into his mind. This whole mess continued for about three minutes before he managed to get the rest of the snow out of his clothing and his moods back under control; by that point, whoever had attacked him was long gone, as they hadn’t taken the moment to attack him again.

Grumbling to himself, Schultz was about to go storming through the town after whoever had done that to him when he noticed several Reiatsu signatures flaring up around him. One was a Shinigami’s and two were very unfamiliar, so he assumed that they were humans. All three signatures he was looking for, and all within range? Certainly that left Schultz with a feeling of cheer as he suddenly brushed off the fact that someone had just hurled him into a snowbank—after all, he was unharmed minus a little trauma from the cold—and the scholar quickly made a decision. He knew where he’d have to go first to deal with the various groups within the town, and the Espada knew that he had to arrange things very carefully. This whole situation was rather delicate.

The lone human signature would have to be targeted first. This would likely be the Redemption representative, since the other two signatures seemed to be engaged in combat. The Shinigami were unlikely to be attacking their allies, placing the human in combat against him or her as either a member of Xcution or an unknown Fullbringer. Regardless, Schultz could see so many possibilities to slam a wall between Redemption and the Soul Society by using the knowledge of that battle, convincing the representative he was aiming to lure to his side that the Shinigami were the real foes. They were attacking other humans, and he could likely throw in a bit about how there was unlikely to be any provocation or something along those lines, further influencing the human’s doubts towards the Shinigami.

The battle would be dealt with after that; if Schultz could convince the first human to join Hueco Mundo’s side, assuming that it was actually Redemption’s representative, then he could take his new ally to the battle and all three of them could defeat the Shinigami. Of course, this was just a basic plan, and Schultz knew it was liable to change quickly if his assumptions on the identities of the two humans were wrong, but that was why he left plenty of room for change. What he wanted was not only to take both alliances for Heuco Mundo, giving them powerful allies, but he also wanted to capture that Shinigami to have him interrogated.

Maybe I can even break him myself… I would love to turn one of those Shinigami into a traitorous lapdog to kill his former allies…

Schultz immediately began moving towards the lone human signature, not even bothering with a Sonido. He was in no hurry either, traveling at a casual pace. However, he did keep his eyes open again so that if the one who had attacked him before came again, he would be ready. The Espada was not foolish enough to believe that he would not fall for the same trick twice; after all, he had been caught in a surprise attack, an unexpected one, and had not had time to analyze nor determine the origin of the strike. There was every possibility that it would happen again, but this time he was prepared to react to it properly. Only then would he be able to make the claim that he would not be caught off-guard by the same technique again, once he knew what he was up against.

He once more reviewed his priorities in mind as he traveled towards the lone human: Break the alliance between Redemption and Soul Society by taking it for Heuco Mundo, gain Xcution’s trust through Hueco Mundo’s display of strength via its new Hollow, and then capture that Shinigami if possible, killing him if necessary. It was a bold move on the Espada’s part, something uncharacteristic of Schultz, but if he managed to pull it off successfully, it would spell great things for Las Noches. The thought brought a mad gleam of pleasure to the scholar’s eyes as he hurried his pace, walking more quickly while trying to avoid breaking out into a full run.

The only thing that ruined his glee was a clump of snow falling from a rooftop onto his head, earning another cry of uncontained frustration from the Espada.

[Zou ۞]

When Schultz reached the other singular figure, in other words not the one that had bumped him, and rather that lone human signature, he was met with a sharp surprise. It was a type of creature that he'd never encountered before, definitely. This was going to be a terrifying encounter for Schultz no matter what the result was. Whether he spoke with this one, or was hostile with this one, the result would shake him to his very bones. It wasn't going to be something that wouldn't stun him instantly. No, for no other creature even remotely resembled that which he'd just encountered. His skin itself was even glowing a bit, illuminated by the glow given off by that other being.

The one standing before him, simply standing there in the snow, had a naked body. It was a man, tall, perhaps six feet in total. He was also bald. Despite the nudity, the man seemed fine in the cold. It probably wouldn't even cross Schultz's mind that a naked man was in the freezing cold. This was because the man's skin first of all was blue, and glowing very, very brightly. Second of all, it seemed to steam slightly with a blue steam. His eyes glowed a solid, even more deep blue. His sexual organ could be seen, yes, but it wouldn't be distracting. The entire body was distracting just because of the blue glow. It was noteworthy that this one had a rather muscular torso, definite abs.

It didn't matter, though. The thing was definitely unlike anything that Schultz had ever encountered. It looked human, male, and yet it glowed brightly, and a powerful reiatsu swirled around its body. In fact, most noteworthy, the creature's reiatsu was unlike anything that Schultz had ever encountered. It definitely was not human. It had bare traces resembling a Shinigami a little vaguely, but it definitely was no Shinigami. It also had a reiatsu strength that was monstrous. Unlike any other. The creature that Schultz had just encountered had a reiatsu strength which was far above Schultz's. This of course was a problem. If it wasn't human, it couldn't be from Xcution. In that case, what kind of organism was it?

Schultz wouldn't know it, as this was his first time encountering one, but they were quite known in the human world. This race was called "Failure." Failures were known for being originally other races. They'd originated as other races, and started normally. However, by default, an error in their bodies had caused them to have obscenely powerful reiatsu. The end result of this massive reiatsu was that it overpowered even their physical body, and consumed them. They lost stability, and were all transformed into stand-outs like the one who was before Schultz even at that very moment. All of them looked like that, with any real differentiation being in color and sometimes perhaps in texture.

It was scary, that creature. But more importantly, and much more to the point, its eyes were already focused on Schultz. The glow made it impossible to determine features in the eyes. It could have been blind for all that Schultz knew, but whether or not it was actually blind was uncertain. Quite a few creatures had the ability to produce a glowing of the eyes, but they induced it without attaining blindness. The one that stood before Schultz was practically a demon, but how he would react to it ultimately was up to him, of course. Either way, regardless, he had to say something! The thing was focusing on him rather intently. Whatever he could do or say was up to him.

It spoke first, regardless.

"Who...are you?"

[Schultz Silverhult]

Not much further now…

Schultz was drawing closer to the energy signature as he traveled through the town, pausing at intervals to make sure he was going the right way. Though it wasn’t a huge city like he was used to in the more populated areas, this place was still large enough that it was possible to get lost if one didn’t pay attention to the path. The Espada knew that, if he had to, he could always just move above the rooftops thanks to the ability to stand on the “air” using Reiatsu, but he had already drawn some form of attention by being blasted at random through a snowbank. That and, of course, the scholar liked to take his time and look for more opportunities to study and observe those around him.

Schultz took the time to study this Reiatsu signature as well. He hadn’t run into many spiritually aware humans both in his time living and afterwards, so as a result it was unfamiliar to him. The scholar hated not knowing things, and so he took the time to analyze the human’s Reiatsu in order to be able to associate that type with humans in the future. It gave the Espada yet another chance to take his time, rather than hurrying, and added yet another page to one of the journals that lined the inner pockets of his jacket. It was completely worth every moment as Schultz gained more information, as he always enjoyed doing.

However, upon arriving at his destination, the book’s page had to be rewritten with a new phrase: “The creature that this signature belongs to certainly is not human.”

There was no way that the creature before Schultz was human, no matter how manlike it looked. Shinigami, Arrancar… both of those resembled humans generally, though they were not the same. This was a similar case; the creature that the Espada was facing was in no way human. Standing naked in the snow—a thought that made Schultz shiver even more—the being’s skin was completely blue, as if it the blood had fled from every vein in its body. But what was more worrisome was the creature’s Reiatsu. The only way that the scholar could think to describe it was that it was powerful, impossibly so. Though the Espada wasn’t the strongest among his group in Reiatsu strength, he was high enough that seeing something with such a staggeringly higher level of power was both terrifying and strangely curious.

Before Schultz could take the opportunity to examine the strange creature, however, it spoke first. The request for information was a familiar one, as most individuals had a need to understand who or what they were dealing with either socially or via combat, and the Espada had almost expected it. Almost was the key word, however; he hadn’t been sure that this being, whatever it was, could talk. Oh sure, it appeared human, but there was something almost distinctly inhuman about it, both by the feel of its Reiatsu and from its appearance. What the hell was this thing, and what was it capable of? Schultz wanted to find out.

Of course, he knew better than to rashly rush into this encounter. Whatever this being was, it had to be handled carefully, for it could turn that massive Reiatsu it possessed on him. Schultz considered the best way to answer the inquiry; did he give his identity in full, standing by honesty in an attempt to avoid setting off this potential disaster? Or would a falsehood serve the scholar better for this situation? The problem was if he was caught in a lie; something this powerful could likely attempt to obliterate Schultz if he tried to deceive this being and was found a liar. The Espada had no desire to be killed again, especially since his last mission had nearly resulted in his death thanks to an overpowered Hollow.

In the end, the scholar decided on a middle ground: he’d tell the truth, but only what was necessary. “My name is Schulz Silverhult, and I am a scholar. As you can obviously tell, I’m spiritually aware. I felt your presence and thought you were someone else, a representative from another group I was to meet, and came here. It seems I am mistaken… however, it’s not a setback, as I’ve discovered you and you certainly are fascinating.” At this point, his interest in this creature was getting a bit ahead of him, and Schultz was starting to lose his calm composure. “So, what’s your name? What are you? Why is your skin blue? There’s so many things I’d like to ask you, if you have the time or patience to deal with a curious scholar.”

[Zou ۞]

"I am Sorak Ak-An Shi." This curious figure, blue in color replied to Schultz, the Septima Espada. Judging by the deep voice, and of course by the physical appearance and visible organ in general, one could obviously assume that this was male. It was always safe to be absolutely certain, of course. The reiatsu that emanated from Sorak was much more than just impressive even to standards of someone like Schultz. He hadn't met all of the other Espada yet, but if he had, he'd know. Sorak's reiatsu strength was stronger than all of the other Espada. Not a single Espada had a reiatsu strength on par with his.

"You ask me what I am, or who I am, or even my origins and of my anatomy. I can answer these quickly." Sorak said with quite a confident tone of voice. He was clearly confident of his abilities. And then again, why shouldn't he be confident of his abilities? His reiatsu strength was huge. It was such an enormous presence that even as an Espada, Schultz would be overwhelmed with the feeling of just standing anywhere near it. His bones were creaking, and he'd probably notice it too. His body was sweating of its own accord. Without any physical exertion at all, Schultz was sweating. It was quite a powerful presence. This one was a monster.

"I am the representative sent by Redemption and Death-Sama to meet with someone and negotiate an alliance." Sorak said. "But more of that later. My race, they call us Failures. We all began as different races, but we were born with naturally powerful, uncontrollable reiatsu. Our impossibly strong reiatsu was something that we could not master. The stronger we became, the less in control we were. Eventually, it consumed us and shattered what was previously our physical shell. I, like the rest of my race, am characterized by this physical appearance as a result. One other characteristic however, is that the power which we can wield is tremendous."

Well, perhaps Schultz might not consider it yet, but he should definitely consider letting loose that Hollow he'd helped to capture previously. This was because of the raw power of this being. Certainly, Schultz could attempt an alliance with Redemption. However, how much more immensely powerful would that Hollow grow if it defeated and killed this man? It could already steal stats, and it could take the strongest powers of a being too. This one was ridiculously strong, clearly. Whatever technique that the Hollow picked up would be incredible. Furthermore, it definitely would absorb the latent reiatsu power of this being, more than likely. Ridiculous power indeed.

More or less, if the Hollow took it and began wielding that power, then there was no telling how many other strong enemies which it could defeat, and therefore how much more powerful it could become. It could become the ultimate super weapon of Las Noches. And Schultz was the one credited with the find. The recognition, the favoritism, the power that he could get, all of it was within reach if that thing became even stronger. So, opening the Garganta he'd been given permission to open which would release that beast was definitely worth considering, if not anything else. And of course, the Failure known as Sorak had a question for Schultz too.

"Andwhat is your full purpose here? Scholars do not simply appear out in this place. With whom are you attempting to ally?"

SPOILER: Click to show

He's Class 1, Soldier Type.

Strength: 100

Speed: 400 (800)

Reiatsu Strength: 1050 (Due to being Class 1 Failure)

Spiritual Pressure: 100 (50)

Light/Dark Aura: 50/50

Instinct: 300

Senses: 300

Energy Sensory: 200

Healing Expertise: 0

Total SP: 1400

CAREFUL! If you engage this guy yourself, be careful. He does not know any techniques besides his flood. However, due to his incredible physical speed and his great instinctive and sensory abilities, he's good at directing it.

His flood of reiatsu, which he has yet to unleash for the moment, is blue like he is. It has the property "Disassemble." Essentially, it causes anything that reaches within five meters of it (excluding Sorak) to break down rapidly. Meaning, it disperses and tears itself apart instantly. This extends to defenses (Hierro included), attacks, objects, organisms, etc. This causes them to deconstruct, and turn into molecules which scatter apart, effectively obliterating that which it comes into contact with or gets too close to.

Choose wisely on whether or not to engage in any way.

[Schultz Silverhult]

A “Failure”, was it? Schultz was already and immediately captivated by this creature, regardless of the nature of its name. A failure was something that was unsuccessful, and judging by Sorak’s description, in this case it was a being who had failed at controlling a massive amount of Reiatsu. It was something so immensely powerful that it could potentially overwhelm several if not all of the Espada members in pure spiritual strength. And, most exciting of all, it was a creature that Schultz had never before heard of. Immediately his notebook was out, and the pen taken from his grimoire, so that he could record all of the information he was gathering here. The scholar wasn’t intentionally being rude by ignoring Sorak’s question for the moment; rather, he was so enraptured in his newest study that he had momentarily forgotten about the question.

Of course, more information was added besides just the Failure data. Sorak was the representation from Redemption, the group that was aiming to make an alliance with the Soul Society. Though this wasn’t the human that Schultz had been expecting as a representative from the group of Fullbringers, the scholar supposed that it was reasonable for another race to represent the group that wanted equality. However, what was important was that Sorak was from the group whose alliance he had wanted to sway over to Heuco Mundo’s side. His presence didn’t render Schultz’s plans useless; in fact, they made them all the more potent, if he could convince the man that the Soul Society was likely to be a bad alliance. All he had to do was show that their concept of “racial equality” was rendered useless in the eyes of Soul Society, and bam; there went the enemy’s allies.

But this had to be handled delicately; Sorak had already shown himself to be perceptive. If the scholar acted rashly, he risked not only breaking this chance at taking away the Redemption alliance but also having this powerful entity turn on him. Judging by the man’s Reiatsu strength, he could absolutely overwhelm Schultz without any question of a struggle. Oh sure, the scholar’s abilities in illusion and trickery could give him some edge, but there would be no way to win against that sort of raw power. It would be suicide. As a result, he had to step very carefully around the Failure, and take things slowly so that he didn’t get himself killed.

And I really don’t want to die again…

One step at a time. “You answered my questions honestly, and it’s only fair that I do the same in return. My name is Schultz Silverhult, as I stated, but I did not state my position: I am the Septima Espada, from Heuco Mundo. I am a scholar, as you have noted; I am truly fascinated by your race, and hope to learn more about it. But more importantly, I am here to meet with a group called Xcution and secure their alliance. Since you are from Redemption, I believe you are meeting with a group from the Soul Society.”

Schultz paused here to let the information sink in; he had clearly stated, in no uncertain terms, that he was the enemy of the group that Sorak was supposed to meet with. However, his body language gave no sign that he had the intention to strike, nor would it; the scholar was doing his best to avoid a fight by all means possible. Spilling his guts like this, as some would call it, was a gamble that he felt would be most probable for securing a peaceful negotiation with the Failure, and in the event that things went wrong, well… he had a trump card. However, the rest of his speech hadn’t yet been given, and that was where the crux of his plan rested.

“As I’m sure you’ve ascertained, that puts me at odds with you, if you should choose to join with those that are considered the enemies of Heuco Mundo. I will not lie; partially, I would like to secure your alliance for myself, because I do not want to run the risk of battling against something as powerful as you. Other than that, I do not wish you to be deceived by the Soul Society.”[/B]Again a pause, to let curiosity form, doubt begin to take root; “Before you ask, I state that they will deceive you because I understand how they work.”

With that, Schultz pulled out another notebook that he had tucked away for just this meeting, turning the pages until he found one he wanted. On the spine was the title “History of the Soul Society.” Though it wasn’t completely accurate, as only some of the highest officials had the full history of what happened there, the book had the information Schultz wanted to convey in order to sway Sorak over to his side. The scholar cleared his throat and began to speak once more. “From what I understand from my briefing, Redemption seeks racial equality; in other words, they want every race, from humans to Failures, to be treated in the same manner. If I am incorrect, I apologize. However, based on my research, the Soul Society is the last group to accept equality; in the past they have banished both Bounts and Mod Souls and actually ordered them destroyed, despite both being creations from the Soul Society. What guarantee do you have that they will accept Failures, seeing them as a potential threat? This is just a hypothesis, mind you; it may be that they will accept you right away. But…”

There was a pause, and Schultz closed his book quietly, tucking it into his pocket as he gave a small, subtle smile. “What do you think? Not as a representative of Redemption, but as Sorak Ak-An Shi? Do you think they’ll accept something that can become a potential threat to them?” And with that, he fell silent, giving the Failure time to think.

[Zou ۞]

Sorak's facial expression did not change. It had stayed a blank, monotonous expression throughout the conversation, but he did not give off the impression of being one who was devoid of emotion. Perhaps it was simply in his race's characteristics to be unable to formulate proper facial expressions? Or perhaps, regardless, his racial characteristics included his being calmed and whatnot as well. Perhaps, with all of that power, came an infuriating sense of logic. His eyes didn't blink either. Was it not within his character to blink? Or was it a racial thing? Could Failures not blink? Did he even have eyelids?

Regardless, his voice seemed rather soft, and inquisitive. A soft spoken tone, this figure without vocal variation was indeed a very logical seeming creature. Perhaps he had to be. Perhaps it was not within his evolutionary capacity to become so logical, but it was required in order to survive. Being a monster like he was, surely emotional ties eventually began to falter. It couldn't really be nice to have so much monstrosity going for him. Regardless, his speaking at last brought him to say to Schultz something which in fact was rather unexpected. Perhaps Schultz would be significantly taken aback by this.

"My mission was not to ally with the Soul Society." he said. "My mission was to falsify an alliance with them, and forge a true alliance with Las Noches. You, and the Espada, this is to say. This was not a tactic which was orchestrated by Death-Sama, but rather by his second in command. Death-Sama does not yet know. We do not expect Soul Society to uphold its end of the deal. And if it does not, we have enough might to strike them hard. Allied with Las Noches, we would have more than enough might to crush them." So a second-in-command had orchestrated all of this. Someone was tactful within Redemption.

But, what did this mean? It meant Death-Sama's usual tactics were being ignored. Death-Sama, who led Redemption, was known for being a very peaceful man. His usual tactics were actually able to completely avoid bloodshed, and they did not instigate war or incite conflict. He was a peaceful man, and his methods in fact usually seemed able to bring out the best possible, and most peaceful outcome. His team wasn't weak regardless, for he had the Executives of each race on his side. However, if Redemption was using such a manipulative, yet skillful tactic, it meant that someone else had pulled the strings for this day.

"And I am also told, by our informants, that you have rather powerful allies on your side. Espada, I will create an alliance between Redemption and Las Noches, if you will agree to also create an alliance similar to this with Xcution, and Satsujun. Our plan is not so far fetched now. As the person that I am, I feel that Soul Society is never going to be accepting. We must destroy them, as was said by the one who sent me on this mission. So tell me, Espada, what exactly do you have to offer? I quite wonder."

In demonstration, he began to move his arms. It was clear that he wasn't attacking. Sorak was demonstrating his power to his potential ally, Schultz. An enormous flood of reiatsu began forming around him, like a river all around him, made of reiatsu which had a color identical to his skin. "Get back." Sorak commanded of Schultz, obviously indicating that he should do this for the sake of his safety. The flood began moving around at a blurring speed, with Sorak directing it with his arm movements. His flood passed by a nearby well, and by mounds of snow. It simply disintegrated and disappeared as it was passed or engulfed by the blood.

[Schultz Silverhult]

Schultz watched Sorak’s reactions as his speech ended, looking carefully for any signs that might give him a hint of the Failure’s temperament. It was… discomforting, however, to watch the man. The Failure remained completely calm, quiet, and thoughtful throughout the entirety of the speech, but there was never once a shift in the expression. Regardless of the Espada’s speech, Sorak stayed completely neutral. Was it that Schultz’s words didn’t faze him? Was he bored by the scholar’s proposal? Or was there something more than what his face revealed? Any of the above had the potential to be dangerous, putting the Espada on thin ice; one wrong move could still cause trouble for this entire intended alliance.

However, the meat of the conversation was rather fascinating. A false alliance with Soul Society, but a true one with Heuco Mundo? A plan orchestrated not by the head of Redemption, but by a second in command? This was intriguing. Schultz had to wonder at some of its ramifications, though; if Death-Sama disagreed with this plan once he found out, that could cause internal strife within Redemption, and in turn cause Hueco Mundo to be dragged into a conflict that it would want no part of, weakening it so that the Soul Society could strike. The best way of handling that possibility was to have an eye kept on the members of Redemption while making a tentative alliance, and then personally negotiating with Death-Sama after the fact to ensure that no difficulties arose. Schultz’s plan was to make allies, not enemies.

But there was more to the conversation that made Schultz thoughtful. As a condition for joining Hueco Mundo in an alliance, Sorak requested that the Espada also make a similar alliance with Xcution. Though this was his original goal, the scholar felt wary once more, his natural paranoia whispering caution. It wasn’t that Sorak was untrustworthy; indeed, the Failure had been very up-front and open with his requests and conditions. But the potential for disaster increased with the power that Heuco Mundo added to its arsenal as well, putting the Espada in potential danger should something go wrong. With two powerful alliances, they had great power… but they had the potential for great internal conflict as well.

Schultz shook his head. What was he thinking? He didn’t give a damn about Heuco Mundo or the other Espada. He wanted his position so he could be left alone to study; sure, he’d go on a mission or two where required—he respected their King, after all—but for the most part the whole group could burn for what he cared. This was his mission; to secure strength for Heuco Mundo to turn against the Soul Society. Honestly, Schultz didn’t care much for Shinigami either, so he didn’t bother worrying about what would happen to them. Oh, he’d capture one or two for study, because their Zanpaktou and their ability to use Kido were interesting, but for the most part he would only participate in crushing the Soul Society because it would be an order.

There would be time to consider his next move later. For now, Schultz was warned to step back, and he did so. Sorak raised his hands, creating a stream of… was that pure Reiatsu? The Espada shivered at the high concentration of it, so much that it was a large, visible mass. To have that much concentration so as to remain visible, and yet retain that much sheer size? That was terrifying. Just how much power did these Failures have? Did they have any weaknesses? Could they be a threat to Hueco Mundo as well? Schultz was still unsure how to deal with such power, especially as Sorak continued to demonstrate, dissolving any matter that came within a certain range of the Reiatsu as he guided it around.

While Sorak demonstrated, the Espada was writing in his notebook, taking down whatever information he could on Failures. Failures – humans (Shinigami?) who had such enormous Reiatsu that it destroyed who they once were, causing altered appearances. This also leads to the ability to control large masses of Reiatsu and guide them. The one I have met, Sorak Ak-An Shi, has displayed the ability to destroy any matter within what appears to be three to five meters of the mass of Reiatsu. It is currently unknown if this ability is common to Failures, or if each have their own unique trait. More research needed.

Once his notes were recorded, Schultz tucked the notebook back into his jacket, shivering as a gust of wind pierced his heavy clothing and sent a chill down his spine. Burn this village, it was cold. But the Espada didn’t seek to antagonize, at the moment; he’d endure the cold for now, and then retreat to Heuco Mundo once this was done. He wondered how Sorak did it; despite having no clothing, the Failure stood calmly against the snow, unfazed as the cold powder drifted around him and pooled about his feet. Maybe it was another effect of being a Failure; however, Schultz expected that it was this one in particular, with his blue skin. Perhaps that had something to do with his immunity to the chill?

“I cannot promise that I will be able to assure an alliance with Xcution. However, know that it is my intention to do so. With them, as well as the strength that Redemption will lend us, we will have more than enough power to deal with Soul Society. You are right in saying that we have powerful allies; along with the Espada, who are to be feared and for the most part stronger than myself, we also have our King, one of the most powerful beings that I know of. And atop that, we recently acquired an immensely powerful Hollow, that even without reaching the Adjuchas stage, was powerful enough to fight on equal terms with and almost kill an Espada. Once it transforms into a later stage… imagine what power it will have.”

The Hollow was listed off-handedly; Schultz didn’t want to mention either the creature’s ability to absorb abilities and strength from beings it consumed or the fact that he had been the Espada that was almost killed. His powers were situational at best among the Espada, compared to those who had pure, raw strength, and in comparison the scholar was probably the weakest of the ones there. However, he had one thing that worked in his favor: his mental capacities. This was probably why he had been chosen for this mission; as a strategist and a planner, Schultz was the best for dealing with this situation. He could prepare for many possibilities, and deal with the unexpected just as quickly.

“But for now, we must conclude our talk of alliances. On the way here, I sensed a battle; two Spiritual Pressures, one of which was a Shinigami, were locked in combat some ways away. I suspect that the remaining individual is probably the representative from Xcution. If we are to secure a second alliance with them, I suggest that we go and ensure his success. At worst, we can defeat another Shinigami, perhaps capture him for use. But I believe it is in our best interest to hurry now.”

[Zou ۞]

Schultz was in the middle of speaking when something appeared next. It was out of nowhere, and it was most certainly a shocking event. Neither Sorak nor Schultz would be able to expect what was coming, and it would surprise them both like nothing else possibly could. Regardless, they would definitely need to make a decision once this event came to pass. As Schultz was finishing up with his directions with Sorak, his planning, it was then that all of the action began, and the entire place was thrown into an absolute chaos unlike any other.

A powerful sound like thunder could be heard, and a flash of light lit the sky. It was bright, blinding. Even the sound was deafening. And all of a sudden, a harsh gale of wind, a powerful current of air, blew through the area in all of its majesty and all of its glory. Heralded by twisted winds, a figure blurred past both Sorak and Schultz, crashing into a building behind them. The building shattered completely with the raw force from which the figure crashed into it. Luckily, that had been a building which, to say the least, had been at least partially if not completely abandoned. No one else in the town would even notice this, especially if one looked at the sky. A blizzard would soon be upon them as well.

The figure that had crashed into the building stumbled out, collapsing onto all fours in the snow. He was covered in blood, and obviously was quite viciously wounded. He wore a thick fur coat, but this was torn wide open, and at least three deep, gashing scars were visible on his chest. Blood was leaking out of his body. His forehead appeared to have been hit quite hard, for blood was leaking from that too. His nose was also broken, with blood freshly flowing. One eye was closed, because a gash just below his eyebrow was causing blood to fill into it. He was also significantly bruised.

To say the least, this man did not look like he was in a pleasant state of being. His hair was gray, and in some sort of mullet. However, he was adequately young, and clearly human. He appeared to perhaps be in his mid twenties. In his left hand, he was holding a black pistol. By issue, it appeared to be an M9 beretta. It had some sort of red stripe in decoration over the gun. His right arm was heavily burned, and on it he had some sort of boxing glove, though this was torn and open in several places. To say the least, his injuries were grave. He was obviously coming from battle.

And suddenly, a figure materialized there from out of a Shunpo. This one was far more recognizable. Schultz, if he kept up with the times, would recognize this man purely because of fame. The tall man standing there was muscular and broad shouldered, and his gaunt face and powerful, fierce eyes were terrifying. His blond hair was short, cropped like a military cut. He was wearing the black shihakusho of a Shinigami, but it was lined all around with brown fur, very thick fur. And inside, it was laced with some sort of under armoring. It was good for storing heat. It warmed him. This figure was Kurosaki Juuken, in other words the Vice Captain of Squad 1, and in other words the son of Old Lightning, the previous Captain Commander of the Gotei Thirteen, before the current one, Kyousou Ningen.

Kurosaki had blood also leaking from his forehead, and his torso and left arm both appeared to be burned severely. He had a bullet lodged into his left shoulder too, with blood leaking out. However, the bullet was sticking out a bit too, and it could probably be removed voluntarily by Kurosaki. His right arm was covered in white reiatsu, and lightning was visibly shrieking across his fist. Flames were roaring from his shoulder. Kurosaki looked like he meant business. His Zanpakuto was out. This probably made the man he'd beaten on the Xcution representative, with Fullbring already out. The man from Xcution obviously hadn't expected such a powerful enemy as Kurosaki to appear. Regardless, the Squad 1 Vice Captain was quickly advancing on his opponent.

"Death is coming, human." Kurosaki said out loud.

Kurosaki's Remaining Reiatsu: 1400 Reiatsu

Shikai: 7/10

Human's Remaining Reiatsu: 700 Reiatsu

Main Fullbring Stage 2: 4/13

Secondary Fullbring: 3/8

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength: 450

Speed: 450

Reiatsu Strength: 300

Spiritual Pressure: 300

Instinct: 200

Senses: 150

Energy Sensory: 100

Healing Expertise: 50

Light/Dark Aura: 10/90

Total SP: 2000

SPOILER: Click to show

Class 1 Fullbringer. 1350 SP. Rank level 2, making him a Sword. Nontyped.

Strength: 200

Speed: 200

Reiatsu Strength: 300

Spiritual Pressure: 200

Instinct: 150

Senses: 150

Energy Sensory: 100

Light/Dark Aura: 90/10

Healing Expertise: 50

Total SP: 1350

[Schultz Silverhult]

Explosions. Sound. Things came too suddenly, all at once. There was no way to be prepared for every situation, as Schultz had learned to his disappointment many times. The enemy did not fall into neat little lines and strategies like one would hope; they took every twist and turn that would take them away from the preset paths and surprised you without even trying. And in this case, Schultz had not expected a battle to be brought to him in this very location. The Espada had known where the combat was taking place previously, and had judged that it could move around a fair deal depending on the combatants, but he had hardly expected that it would arrive at his very feet. This removed the opportunity for planning and preparing an organized assault, especially as chaos erupted all around.

The man that came crashing into the nearby building was human; Schultz could tell that at a glance. Judging by the unusual weaponry combination, the Espada assumed that this was no ordinary person, and in fact was the representative of Xcution. He had to wonder what those weapons were, and if they related to the human “Fullbring” technique; well, there would be time to deal with that later. Right now, there was the matter of the other fighter to deal with, the one who was likely a Shinigami. Whoever he was, Schultz had to be ready for combat; few Shinigami ever even offered Arrancar a second glance before they went on the offensive for whatever reason. By the Truth, they were annoying though.

Unfortunately, irritation had to take a backseat to awe and concern when the Shinigami appeared via a Shunpo step. Schultz’s eyes widened as he recognized the Shinigami; though he didn’t know many of the rank and file, he had a careful collection of data on each of the officers at third seat or higher, and had taken time to commit them to memory and learn what he could of each in the event that he encountered one in combat. However, of all the Shinigami he knew by name and repute, this was the one he would have wanted to encounter least. And yet, this was the one he had the most data on, knowing that every ounce of preparation could save his life if the two of them should meet.

Goddamnit. Kurosaki Juuken, of all the Shinigami to run into…

Vice-Captain of Squad One. One of the most powerful Vice-Captains, who could even rival an actual Captain. Son of a Captain Commander and wielder of an immense power in his Zanpaktou. Raw elements in lightning and fire were at the Shinigami’s command, and when he struck, few opponents remained standing. Schultz couldn’t think of any who had survived an encounter with this man, not immediately. Of any Shinigami to come after him, Kurosaki was the one that would be most likely to cause his death… and likely would, if he was not careful. The scholar felt fear surge through him, though he quickly suppressed it. This was no time to let himself get irrational, right when he needed to focus the most.

The Xcution member was injured, and was not likely to survive another round of assaults from Kurosaki. Honestly, Schultz was surprised that the human was still alive; he was apparently quite durable. However, he was alive, and it was important that he remain that way. Crimson eyes hardened as Schultz prepared himself to take on the Vice-Captain of Squad 1, planning out strategies as he went. The scholar knew he had an ally in Sorak for this fight, and could potentially make use of the Failure’s abilities for this confrontation. However, that mass of Reiatsu was as deadly to him as it was for Kurosaki, which meant it would have to be guided carefully. There were ways to handle every weapon to his advantage, thankfully.

This situation had gone beyond a delicate one, however, which meant it was time to act. “Reveal your knowledge, Chimamire no Shijutsu!”

With the activation phrase of his Zanpaktou, Schultz stabbed the small blade that made up his weapon into the lock of his grimoire, and a surge of crimson Reiatsu suddenly flooded the area. With it came a feeling almost like horror, the blood that paid for the scholar’s information in the past suddenly staining the battlefield. Nothing came without a price, and blood was often the cost of true knowledge. The weight of that concept would settle on anyone who felt that Reiatsu streaming over them, even as the Espada’s appearance changed. Blood-red skin, chains emerging from his back and tipped with short blades, and the grimoire with its almost demonic aura made up his new form as his Primera Etapa was released.

There was no time to waste. “My knowledge will show you endless possibilities.”

The first thing that took hold in the illusion was one of sound; rather, it was one that created a lack of sound. Almost like an invisible buffer over his ears, the illusion would completely block Kurosaki’s ability to hear, giving him absolute silence, even to his own voice. This was a memory Schultz could easily draw upon; he loved the absolute silence of his rooms when it came to contemplation and silent meditation. The next sense to go was sight; darkness was another common experience for any living being, and this was no different. Kurosaki’s sight would be treated to the illusion of complete blackness; it was like being locked in a closed box without even the slightest inkling of light no matter which way he looked.

Finally, one last illusion was put down, though Schultz had to prepare himself for it. Taking the four blades that emerged from the chains on his back, he pointed them at vital points, edges just barely jabbing into flesh as if in a warning. Once the feeling was memorized, so that he could recreate it in illusion form, the Espada created the illusion of touch, so that Kurosaki would feel points just a push away from being driven into his heart, his lungs, his throat, and his skull, a threat that suggested the man sit still. Schultz doubted that it would work for long, given the Vice-Captain’s immense strength, but the illusions were merely a stalling tactic. For now, he had to get his proposed ally out of here so that the Shinigami could be dealt with while leaving the Xcution representative clear of harm.

While the Shinigami’s sense of hearing was blanked out temporarily, Schultz gave a quick command, hoping Sorak would listen for now. “Take the human away from here, get him to a safe point while I keep Kurosaki busy. Once he’s secure, come back here, and do whatever you can to blindside him with your abilities. I would prefer that you not hit me, as well. But importantly, we must kill him, or he will kill us. Understood?”

Schultz’s Reiatsu: 3,600/4,000

Resurrection: 1/12

Reiatsu Status: Infinite (Depletion After: 0)

[Zou ۞]

SPOILER: Click to show

Kurosaki didn't even hesitate to punch forwards. Schultz would not have this particular part in his notes, and it was definite that he wouldn't know it by chance himself. Kurosaki was from the Zero Division. In terms of Shinigami, only Captains knew of the Zero Division, and Vice Captains had perhaps heard the term, but did not know what exactly it was. In Las Noches, only five individuals knew what it was. Two of them had encountered a Zero Division member before and lost to him, and one had a personal relation to that Zero Division Shinigami. Two, by default, simply knew.

Regardless, it was a position held in even higher esteem than Captain. Kurosaki had been one of the only Vice Captains ever to join it. Therefore, as a Zero Division member, he was certainly one of the weaker ones. However, with youth also came the ability to improve drastically with time. He knew how to deal instinctively with so many situations which otherwise would definitely catch an enemy by surprise, that fighting him was oftentimes worse than fighting an actual Captain. Kurosaki had instantly reacted, punching forwards the moment his senses began to leave him. Schultz on the other hand, was still hesitating.

He'd had to focus to create those illusions, and he'd had to prick himself with his blade. Kurosaki had not been stunned however by his sudden loss of senses. In this way, Kurosaki's attack was guaranteed to catch Schultz by surprise, and it would most certainly hit him too, due to the close proximity and the speed as well. Kurosaki had been focused on the Fullbringer, but Schultz had caught his attention the moment he'd lost his senses. By default, it was obviously Schultz who did it, because Failures could never possess such an ability as Schultz's, and the Fullbringer had already displayed everything that he could do.

And, in this way, Schultz would feel pain. His whole body was swallowed up, engulfed in a huge surge of electric power, a bolt of lightning shooting out of Kurosaki's punching right fist. It was large, and if smaller probably would have been more focused, and more able to put a hole in Schultz's body. He lucked out in that it was large. He was also lucky that his Hierro existed. Though the difference was not what might be desirable, it was enough that at the very least, he wouldn't die from the attack. Rather, he was blasted backwards, straight through the snow, with second and third degree burns across his body.

His ears would be ringing from the thunderclap sound, and his vision would be blurred, or completely white for several seconds, purely from the raw force of that hit. The attack was definitely not something that was to be taken lightly. It was called "Sequence 1," and was a part of Kurosaki's Shikai. Injuries and less than flawless reiatsu amount did not make it so that Kurosaki wasn't dangerous. Quite to the contrary, he was already far more than warmed up, and he was much more battle capable than Schultz because of his pure strength. Regardless, reiatsu was pouring out from him.

Something shattered from him, and his reiatsu pushed outwards. Despite inferior reiatsu strength to Schultz, Kurosaki had pushed through the illusions! He'd directly overpowered them with his willpower alone. It was trademark of his family. His father, Old Lightning, had been said to be more stubborn than anything else, and to have a will and a rage which dwarfed even the fiery intensity of the brightest and hottest of stars. Kurosaki seemed to have inherited this from his father, and with it he was able to crush illusions like Schultz's. He also looked very, very angry at that time.

Sorak was quick to respond, and immediately his flood lashed out at Kurosaki. Kurosaki disappeared with incredible speed, materializing in front of Sorak, his hand in front of the Failure. The flood reacted instantly with Sorak's incredible instinct, but Kurosaki was fast enough to cast. "Bakudo #131: Goten Hoshi." Instantly, the flood stopped, dissolving away only a few meters from Kurosaki. The back of Kurosaki's shirt had been dematerializing. His life had been close to being snuffed out. Rather, a five point star of green light materialized under Sorak, and a column of light from underneath it. Sorak was frozen in place within, immobilized. It was as if time itself had stopped for him within.

It was then that Kurosaki turned to the downed Fullbringer, struggling to get up. His eyes were filled with rage as he looked down at the human, and grabbed him by the face, lifting him up into the air and holding him then and there, in that moment. Kurosaki didn't speak yet, and only held eye contact with that one through the finger spacing that existed while holding the human's face. His grip began to tighten. Was he going to crush the man's face?!

Kurosaki's Remaining Reiatsu: 600 Reiatsu

Shikai: 8/10

Human's Remaining Reiatsu: 700 Reiatsu

Main Fullbring Stage 2: 5/13

Secondary Fullbring: 4/8

[Schultz Silverhult]

((OOC: My apologies for the slow reply, life's been hectic.))

Schultz’s illusions were shattered immediately, much to his regret. He had expected something like that from one of such legendary stubbornness, but he had expected them to at least hold for a few seconds. Well, there were always alternate plans; in this fight, he would be forced to stay with more subtle illusions, those that were not obvious so that they couldn’t be broken as easily. The Espada’s mind was already moving as he planned out his next move, using the knowledge he gained from every clash to determine what he should do next. He couldn’t let himself get flustered just because his first attack had failed.

And then of course there was the physical damage from the hit that he had taken. Schultz could feel pain radiating from his body, lightning crackling from his flesh, and searing heat from the wounds that were torn across his front. It would cripple him slightly in terms of physical performance, but when it came to mental… well, the Espada could say that he had been through Hell and back after dealing with the Hollow that had nearly killed him with its flame breath. The pain was staggering, but it wasn’t enough to stop the scholar’s mental focus. With ease he pushed off the pain, still feeling it but distantly. All it took was a quick illusion to remind him of the pain he had been through before, and when it faded this lesser pain was nothing.

It took all of a moment to recover, but in that time Kurosaki had grabbed the Fullbringer again and was squeezing his head in his palm. Schultz reacted immediately, creating a sweep of pain with his illusions equivalent to the injury he had suffered while fighting the giant Hollow. Searing pain unlike any other would slam into Kurosaki, and even if only for a moment his skin would feel like it was blistering apart, his eyes were being cooked in their sockets, and the hair was being seared away from his skull. Even with his ability to throw off illusions through sheer stubbornness, it would take hold for a few seconds, enough to cause him to pause or hesitate reflexively as his body seized up from his mind’s interpretation of pain.

That moment was all Schultz needed as the blades connected to the chains on his back started jabbing forward rapidly. Two of the four were aimed for vital points at Kurosaki’s throat and skull, while the other two stabbed down at the man’s hand, hoping to free the Fullbringer from his attacker’s grip. Multitasking was nothing to the Espada, allowing him to perform all of his actions nearly simultaneously. It was especially important because his attack needed to be sudden and threatening enough to draw Kurosaki’s attention away from the human; after all, it was difficult to form an alliance with a dead corpse!

Of course, this too was a feint. The weapons would be withdrawn immediately as yet another illusion was woven, since by now the first would have been shattered by Kurosaki’s stubbornness. Even if the Shinigami hadn’t broken free, it would have faded instantly, immediately replaced by an illusion of sight; this one made Schultz and the Fullbringer vanish in Kurosaki’s sight, and cloaked Sorak behind him, nothingness surrounding them in a veil of illusion. A second illusion showed two of them reappearing in an alleyway off to the opposite side, appearing as though via a Sonido. The illusionary Schultz would be supporting the injured Fullbringer as the two “made their escape” down the alleyway. The real Espada, of course, was masking his Reiatsu, something he had a great deal of skill in, so that it wasn’t able to be traced period.

But that wasn’t all. If Kurosaki moved to pursue, he’d see an enormous Garganta appear before him. Spiritual pressure simply surged from the portal in a wave as the path to Heuco Mundo’s recently captured Hollow was open. Schultz hadn’t wanted to use the creature, as he was unsure of its capabilities and had not been given proper time to study it, but he felt that if it could put up as much of a fight as it had fighting him, then against this Shinigami it would work wonders. Imagine if it absorbed Kurosaki’s powers; it would become so unstoppably strong that all of Soul Society would be dust in the wind when brought to bear against this beast. And it had just been released from its prison.

Immediately Schultz was moving again, using a pair of Sonido while still under his illusionary guise to first move himself to the Fullbringer and grab him, and then over to Sorak, using one of his inanimate chains in an attempt to pull the Failure free of the Bakudo that kept him frozen. If he managed to free the Failure, then the Espada had plans to take all three of them away from the battle zone, where he could return to assist the Hollow once his allies were out of harm’s way. If he couldn’t free Sorak, Schultz would take the Fullbringer to a rooftop a short distance away, and then return with a different objective; to guide the Hollow so that it only attacked Kurosaki and avoided attacking Sorak. As much as the scholar would have loved to increase his pet’s power, the alliance with Redemption would be much, much more valuable.

Schultz’s Reiatsu: 3,600/4,000

Resurrection: 2/12

Reiatsu Status: Infinite (Depletion After: 200)

[Zou ۞]

The first thing that Schultz would notice. No pain reaction. Kurosaki did not show any reaction to the burning pain that had caused Schultz to become so obliterated with agony was doing nothing to Kurosaki. Was it because of his experiences? Had he been through a pain which shamed even the burning? Or was it simply that his mental ability to block it out was so great? Or was it a mix of both? While Schultz would be ignorant as to the Zero Division, it was probably the first which was most true. The pain that Kurosaki had experienced, to say the least, was far worse than anything Schultz could even imagine.

In fact, the very reason that Kurosaki was no longer within the Zero Division was because of the greatest pain he had suffered. His final mission, as it turned out, had come with pains which were so great, that nothing else would ever affect him truly again. At the same time, his mission had forced him to take an action which had caused not only his dismissal from the Zero Division, but his rejection by his own father. While it was common knowledge that his father had rejected him, and that Kurosaki resented him for it, only Captains of course would know of the general idea behind what had happened, and of the full scope of it.

It would also be noteworthy that Kurosaki had attacked the Vizard Leader Zouma Santeku, now deceased, out of rage at the death of his father. Kurosaki had been a man seeking revenge at that point. Regardless, it seemed that he was unaffected by that earlier forementioned pain. His grip did not falter, and his body moved as he threw aside his victim, dodging all strikes. Of course, soon after, all illusions were blasted away by Kurosaki's raw mental ability. It seemed that against Kurosaki, Schultz had an especially prevalent weakness. It was the son of the Captain Commander, though. Most people probably couldn't do what he did.

And, Schultz would notice one more thing. The column of light surrounding Sorak. Anything that touched it simply slid off, reflecting off of it. It could not be penetrated. Sorak could not be reached. Were it not for being blasted away at the time, Schultz would have been able to hear the name of the technique. The Bakudo ranked over a hundred. He wouldn't know it, having gotten back afterwards, but Sorak was trapped in the strongest Bakudo that Schultz had ever witnessed. In fact, it was the strongest Kido that Schultz had ever witnessed himself. He'd be unable to break it.

And, on that other hand, Kurosaki was taken aback. The gigantic hollow that was attacking him would also make Schultz become taken aback. It was bigger than before, and it looked vastly different. It had clearly evolved in between the time when Schultz had captured it, and this moment. Had it become a Gillian? It was certainly large, but not nearly the size of a Gillian. It also did not look a thing like one, indicating that instead it had probably become an Adjuchas. However, if it was an Adjuchas, it was going to be even stronger than Schultz was. This was in fact certain, considering its previous powers when he had first encountered it.

Kurosaki was actually struggling. The hollow was moving, but Kurosaki could not keep up when it roared and aimed to punch him. It barely missed him, but the snake tail whipped out and smashed him through the snow. When Kurosaki got back up, the hollow was already there, headbutting him backwards again. It was noticeable that it had learned quite a bit in terms of intelligence too. It roared and bellowed, indicating that it still could not speak. It wasn't like most Adjuchas, for most of them were in fact intelligent by the Adjuchas level. It was obvious however that it was an Adjuchas, simply because of the fact that it did talk, but in slanted, disjointed words. "Destroy...punish...kill..." it murmured.

However, it was probably still going to be outmatched. Kurosaki was an opponent in a league of his own. Schultz needed to assist it, or help with some sort of escape. It definitely could not defeat the Vice Captain of Squad 1, even with so much power. It was at that time that Kurosaki's reiatsu pumped off of his body, and he aimed his fist at the beast. "BANKAI!" he roared furiously. "Ikazuchi...Makai...." In an instant, his body exploded with a thunderous sound as reiatsu flew off of him. Clouds gathered in the sky, and the head of a dragon began to peek out of it. A dragon made of lightning. It was a huge, serpentine monster composed purely of electricity and voltage. It was composed of hundreds of thousands of bolts of lightning, and it was easily as large as the Senzaikyu (white prison tower) of Soul Society. And then, peeking out from the clouds...countless other dragons. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of these large dragons began to fill the sky. There truly was no way that the hollow would be any match for Kurosaki.

Kurosaki's Remaining Reiatsu: 1000 Reiatsu

Bankai: 1/10

SPOILER: Click to show

SPOILER: Click to show

Note: Some old techniques have been REPLACED with stronger, more evolved versions!

• Venom Reiatsu Stream: Shoots a giant, continuous stream of reiatsu from the creature's snake tail mouth. Upon contact with inferior reiatsu strength, it will poison a foe with a vicious muscle and nerve destroying toxin. 100 reiatsu direct cost.
  
  
• Takeover - Can release black tendrils from the chest, all very thin, but very long. They can pierce like a needle. Beings of inferior reiatsu strength that are pierced will be taken over, and forced to fight for this Hollow. (So long as the tendrils stay connected.) Absorbs the reiatsu of the victim as well.
  
  
• Stone Soul - A defensive technique very similar to Hierro. Anything of inferior reiatsu strength is ineffective rather than lesser in damage. Nothing at all of inferior reiatsu strength even by 1 will have an effect on this hollow now.
  
  
• Assimilation - Immediately copies the strongest power or technique of any enemy that is successfully killed, and is Class 2 or higher. Lower than class 2 will not be copied. These abilities remain with the Hollow until replaced. All abilities listed in this spoiler are a part of this Hollow. Nothing is hidden. Some of these might be abilities that belonged to others.
  
  
• Deletion - Allows the Hollow to forget techniques it has previously stolen, if they are from a class 2 or weaker enemy originally. Class 1 enemies, if a technique is copied and stolen, can never be forgotten at any point in this hollow's current evolutionary state.
  
  
• Big Bang Shot - A powerful punch attack that releases a mass of violet reiatsu upon impact with a target after activation. The reiatsu joins with the target's soul, and draws out all inherent reiatsu. This causes that reiatsu to manifest inside of the fist that is impacting, and releases both the target's reiatsu and the Hollow's reiatsu in a gigantic explosion attack with the combined reiatsu strength of the user and enemy. It drains the victim's reiatsu count to 0 as well. Costs 300 reiatsu.
  
  
• Overlearning - Is able to use techniques of any class at any class. There is no class limit to the techniques that this creature can use, regardless of its current level.
  
  
• Transfer - This allows the Hollow to directly alter ALL stats, rather than simply shift SP between them. The entire statistic makeup, as long as the total stays the same, can be completely altered. This can be used only once every 4 posts, and it costs 300 reiatsu every time this happens.
  
  
• Black String Quartet - How this technique was obtained by this Hollow is UNCERTAIN, as its owner was killed by someone else. This technique causes strings of black reiatsu to materialize and weave around the user, cutting anything of inferior reiatsu strength that gets moved through by the quick moving strings. For thirty meters surrounding the hollow, it will happen. Blue flames can materialize across these strings at the hollow's desire. The technique costs 200 reiatsu, the flames 200 also. The flames burn the outer body, AND freeze reiatsu flow in afflicted areas.
  
  
• Bringer Light - The human step technique used by Fullbringers.
  
  
• Overbuild - Allows this Hollow to have twice the normal amount of maximum SP for whatever level it is presently at. This could be an indication to its actual level. At present, it is an Adjuchas, Class 3. Class 3 at minimum has 1100 SP with earned included. Therefore, this Hollow is capable of having up to 2200 SP. It currently has 2050. It remains Rank Level 2.
  

Stats are below.

Strength: 400

Speed: 400 (200)

Reiatsu Strength: 400 (600)

Spiritual Pressure: 400

Instinct: 200

Senses: 150

Healing Expertise: 0

Energy Sensory: 100

Light/Dark Aura: 0/100

Total SP: 2050 SP