Arc 1: Canon 8: Nilus Hemfada [On Hold]

[Zou ۞]

Name: [New Arc 1: Canon 8: Nilus Hemfada] - The Adventure Name

Participants: [Arrancar, Akki, Nakabakki, Hollows. 2 RPC participants maximum.] - Who can participate?

Location: [Las Noches] - Where does this take place?

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

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

Plotline: [As mentioned at the end of Canon 5, there is an attack on Las Noches. It began during a time of relax and unsuspected peace. All of a sudden, explosions everywhere. Cero, bombardment from ressurection techniques, Bala, etc. And enemy forces have already burst into Las Noches. The Escudo have made their first move in the war. They have begun an attack on all within Las Noches. While their current leader, Sokuho Mayaro is participating in this battle, fighting someone somewhere in the throne room, the basement levels are worth worrying about too. It seems a vicious, incredible reiatsu is present within the basement. And yet, a third, even stronger reiatsu is somewhere at the entrance, still. When you enter this thread, you may choose which direction you can go in. Decide what you will do.] - Explain the plot of your adventure.

Estimated Enemy Strength: [6-1] 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: [2 RPC participants maximum. Class 2+ only. The STRONGEST participant of this thread has ONE life line, in which they can summon that beast hollow thing that Schultz captured in Canon 1. Don't summon it under the wrong conditions. It's one of your greatest weapons in Las Noches.] - Any special conditions, limitations, or other things.

[Yuki Ayumu]

The former Tercera Espada returned to her home. She had just situated herself in her new room, after allowing Lincilla to take upon her old one. She had to find Sounken Kouhai in the throne room, so she could speak to him and gain her position as the Tercera Espada back. The Arrancar would be retaking her spot as an Espada. She had some information that would prove to be useful also to Sounken Kouhai. About the army and the Game Master, her last adventure that made her stumble upon something amazing. An army of white and a man in a white tuxedo with the 'Ogatago'. They seemed to be a threat to the Arrancar in Las Noches for he knew of the upcoming attack. She was walking up the steps to the throne room when there was a large earthquake, or that was what Ayumu believed it was at first. Until she heard large explosions and felt different reiatsu signatures starting to fill up, and surround the King's palace. Then it was what the Game Master had told her, resonated in the back of her head. His voice was cold, and emotionless, and she could hear it all clearly. " Rather, you should be concerned with the happenings in your own home. You can leave now." Now she knew what he meant when he had said those words, about Las Noches.

The words seemed simply like a joke, or a meaningless threat to her. But now she knew that he had to be a part of this plan if he had known it was coming. She recognized some of the reiatsu signatures with her past encounters with the Escudo. She had defeated one of these Escudo a long time ago, but that did not matter at this time. She did not sense his reiatsu, so she did not care. She was pretty sure he was long gone by now anywayas. The Tercera Espada quickly dashed through the palace to enter the throne room. She needed to talk to Sounken Kouhai regardless of the situation, to gain her Tercera Espada spot back. She was going to get it back, by retaliating against this onslaught against Las Noches. Whoever was rebelling against the great Espadas would be crushed, Hueco Mundo was their territory and attacking Las Noches was like attacking the capital of one's country.

Yuki did not feel any emotion at all, simply the need to battle against these fools who dared to attack her home. The female's quick legs brought her to the throne room quickly and she saw who was there. It was Sounken Kouhai's counterpart as the Escudo's were the Espada's counter part. The leader of the Escudo, Sokuho Mayaro. Ayumu simply stood at the large doors of Kouhai's throne room. Watching the battle between Mayaro and a shadowy figure, that was blocked from her view battling. Ayumu wondered what was going on as she stood there. Another blast of reiatsu, a cero, blasted across the walls of the throne room. It didn't seem to bother the former Espada as she stood there, waiting to pin point out her master.

OOC| Not the best introduction, but wanted to get it in before anyone else joined.

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength - [200] Points

Speed - [400] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [300] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400] Points

Light Aura - [0] Points

Dark Aura - [100] Points

Instinct - [100] Points

Senses [50] Points

Energy sensory - [50] Points

Healing Expertise - [400] Points


Total SP: [1900] Points

[Cierro Muerte]

Something was going down in Las Noches and Cierro wasn’t too thrilled about having to leave the comfort of his bed to see what was going on. “Well this is lame...” thought Cierro as the entire area shook as the force of so many explosions rocked Las Noches’ walls and floors, “I should probably find somewhere more secluded to rest...” It was obvious that Cierro wasn’t planning on dealing with the threat directly, and he honestly didn’t seem to mind the fact that they were under attack. The Octavo merely yawned as he opened the door to his room to see Yuki Ayumu run by towards Sonken Kouhai’s throne room. Cierro’s instincts were piqued by this development and he took off after her. Cierro knew much about Yuki. She was the fastest espada before he joined the ranks and the ex-Tercera, but the Octavo didn’t care about any of that. What mattered was that she was sexy and she hadn’t exactly turned him down like Asuka, Miho, or Alkaid. Cierro thought he might as well see if he could turn things in his favor.

Cierro arrived in the throne room right behind Yuki and witnessed with his own eyes an invader, unknown to him, fighting against someone else. Cierro stared in awe for a few moments as the two fought and took his position to the right of Yuki. She’d no doubt have noticed him by now, but even if she didn’t she was about to notice him more than she’d have liked. “Stand back!” declared Cierro as he placed his left arm in front of Yuki’s chest. His hand cupped her left breast “accidentally” as he continued speaking, “It’s too dangerous here! I’ll awesomely cover your escape in a manly way” Cierro’s face looked serious, and he dared not look in Yuki’s direction because he knew as soon as he did his eyes would be drawn to what his hand was doing, so instead he merely imagined the sexiness that was Yuki.

“YES! VICTORY!!!” thought the espada as he burned the feel into his mind, “These boing boings are certainly top-notch, I’ll give you that, oh I will give you that... yes I will...” The espada planned on escaping shortly after Yuki left and didn’t even hope to get involved in the fight happening in front of him. He’d done basically what he came to do, and that was molest Yuki in one way or another before they all died. Little did the Octavo know that he’d likely be swept into helping Las Noches in this whole ordeal and wouldn’t be able to catch some sleep like he’d wanted.

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength - [100 (/2)] = 50 Points

Speed - [400 (x3)] = 1,200 Points

Spiritual Pressure - [200] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [325] Points

Light Aura - [60] Points

Dark Aura - [40] Points

Instinct - [300] Points

Senses [200] Points

Energy sensory - [50] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

[Zou ۞]

Sokuho, once he moved out of the darkness, was a terrifying man. He wasn't terrifically tall. He was probably only 5'10, roughly. However, it was his appearance in general which was outright horrifying. Unlike others, he had never been a part of Las Noches, and had reached the stage of Arrancar of his own will. And it was his firm belief because of his power that a Shinigami was unfit for the throne. This was why Escudo had gained him as its leader in the first place. He hadn't been the first leader, and it was quite possible that he would not be the least either. Regardless, it was he who was most terrifying in that room. None could look upon him and state otherwise, once they received a true glimpse of his appearance. To say the least, he was incredible.

His appearance was unique, for he did not have substance to his body. This was to say that his entire body was skeletal. It was quite similar to the original Hollow King of Hueco Mundo. His entire body was bones, skeletal. He wore a black leather coat and matching pants and boots over his body, but looking at his coat sway, and at his hands and his head, anyone could tell that he was a skeleton. He had reached the final stage in hollow evolution, essentially. Whereas others were hollow only in the hole, his entire being was hollow, sustained only by reiatsu and by hatred. Where he should have eyes, there were only black sockets. Everything existed from this darkness that he was. On his head was a black bowler hat, which might be anticlimactic were it not for his strength.

His Zanpakuto was an enormous scythe, larger than his body, and yet flicked around with speed and with ease. A blue scarf flowed around him from his neck as he moved. His scythe was twisted and curved moreso than the moon, and it was closer to a complete circle, though still more than open enough to stab if desired. It looked sharp from every angle, indicating that it could also perhaps cut from every angle. It was a blurring flash around his body, for his arms were constantly moving. He was constantly at work as his scythe carved through the air swiftly. A sound like a whistle danced notes along the currents which allowed breath, and every stroke from the opponent was dutifully blocked by this skeletal monster.

He was more advanced than the hollow king had been, for he was still an Arrancar, and yet he had a very hollow-like body. This very fact was the daunting part. His sealed form was fully evolved regardless. Soon, with a few swift strikes, his opponent was forced out of the shadows, and landed in front of Yuki Ayumu wounded to a grave extent all over, and barely even able to move. The Decima Espada, Cain, had been the opponent. Yes, it was only natural that this happened. Cain's power to reflect injuries could not possibly apply to a skeletal beast like Sokuho. It was also quite noteworthy that there would be no aid from other Espada, who were busy. Most notably, Primera and Segunda both were missing at the time of invasion. They were in battle far, far off, elsewhere.

What would happen?

SPOILER: Click to show

Look out. This is the first of three NPCs in this arc which will be a fully evolved hollow with natural shinigamification to become an Arrancar. His stat point total right now is 2300. He's Rank Level 3, obviously. He's Soldier type.

Strength: 400

Speed: 400 (800)

Reiatsu Strength: 400 (200)

Spiritual Pressure: 350

Senses: 250

Instinct: 250

Energy Sensory: 250

Healing Expertise: 0

Light/Dark Aura: 0/100

Total SP: 2300

[Yuki Ayumu]

Yuki Ayumu simply stood there, as she noticed an Arrancar was tailing her. She didn't really mind, but she was aware of the fact there was someone closely behind her. As long as that Arrancar did not bother her, she would be fine with leaving it alone. If it attacked, which Ayumu expected, then she would retaliate, if it was an ally then she would leave it be. It didn't matter, because she was witnessing what was unfolding before her. The walls of the throne room shook with violence as a large cero smashed through it hitting a pillar. It knocked it down, bringing in the shining moonlight into the room. That was when everything seemed to clear up. Yuki watched as Sokuho and the Decima Espada fight. Well that was interesting, the Decima was already here fighting the leader of the Escudo. She wondered where Sounken Kouhai was at, at this time. Where were the other Espada also? "Dam, Las Noches is more unorganized than I thought, tch... typical nothing has changed since I've left,"[/i][/color] she thought in her head, as a figure appeared standing to her right.

Yuki looked to her right to see a new figure, she didn't know this man, but from her average sensory abilities she could tell he was of a higher rank than a normal Numero, or Fraccion. She couldn't identify a number visible, but he was wearing a long sleeved Arrancar robe. The female Arrancar then looked at him staring ahead. This male Arrancar dared to get so close to Yuki Ayumu. Who the hell did this Arrancar think he was?! Ayumu did not know who this man was, but his next action was what sparked her anger. The instant the man laid hands on the female, a retaliation was sparked. "Who the fuck are you?!" Ayumu's question was simple. Her voice was daunting, it was almost a growl, similar to a tiger's. Her left hand grabbed his wrist and pulled it down. Her strength was too much to bare compared to Cierro's. He would have no means to back off since he got so close to her. Her grip was iron tight around his wrist. Ayumu's soft, slender fingers held his wrist tight and it would amaze Cierro how strong such a beautiful lady could be.

Ayumu quickly unsheathed her blade, it happened in a blink of an eye. Cierro would be able to follow her movements since his speed was up to par. The lady Arrancar's movements were swift as her blade quickly sliced down towards Cierro's arm. She was about to amputate his arm! Cierro was in big trouble now from the female Arrancar! Yuki did not know of his encounters with the other female Arrancar, but Cierro certainly did not choose the right female this time. Out of all the other females in Las Noches he decided to choose, probably, the strongest one out of them all. The blade halted at the skin of Cierro. It cut into his Hierro, but didn't dig deep enough to create any sort of large wound. But one thing was obvious, she was powerful enough to cut through his Hierro with ease. The factor that stopped her from slicing through his arm was the Decima Espada. The old Espada that was known throughout Hueco Mundo as the oldest, Cain. Yuki's blade was stopped by Cain's body landing in front of her.

Yuki Ayumu tossed Cierro's arm aside with her brute strength. The force behind it would send Cierro stumbling slightly. Ayumu didn't sheath her blade, but simply started to walk away from Cierro. She started walking towards the Skeletal creature she saw before her. "What the hell happened to you Cain?!" she asked in her icy, cold bitchy voice. Her golden eyes surrounded by her skeletal mask fragments looked down at the Decima. She didn't even acknowledge Cierro, as she walked past the Decima towards the skeletal Arrancar known as Sokuho Mayaro. His image didn't frighten her, she could only guess he was of the stronger side of the invaders and attackers of Las Noches. If he was able to infiltrate the throne room and on top of that already defeat the Decima Espada. "I'm guessing you know the Game Master?" Ayumu asked, her voice never changing once from the cold-hearted tone. [/size]

[Zou ۞]

The emotionless man who was Cain did not respond to Yuki's question, and merely lay there in wait. Was he waiting for a healing factor? That couldn't be right. Cain did not have high speed regeneration. He simply would heal up if he released, or if he died and revived. Or something similar. Cain also had no form of feelings. He felt no pain. In this case, it meant that Cain was obviously not feeling the pain of his wounds. In other words, his wounds were so grave that he was immobile, which was why he didn't just get up and keep on fighting. It was impressive to do something like that to Cain, but it didn't really matter. It seemed that Sokuho hadn't even released yet, which of course indicated that he had a dangerous amount of power left to show off.

When Yuki spoke to him, he turned to her with cracking sounds, like bones cracking. His head turned towards its side, and a skeletal grin fixated itself on his face as he looked at her in that odd, sideways head position. "I...don't know who that is." Sokuho said. That was when he started walking towards Yuki. His head turned back upright, and his smile faded away as his weapon swung back and forth. With every and every step, Sokuho's scythe danced along with him. With every step with which he approached Yuki, a feeling of dread would wash over her. It was his reiatsu washing over the area. The reiatsu strength was not impressive. It was nothing to brag about. His aura by itself simply contained dread as a byproduct, probably because of his skeletal nature.

Sokuho made it in front of Yuki, and stood there looking at her. The hollow outs where eyes should be stared down at her in a daunting manner, and his scythe could be seen moving back and forth, still. His power was nothing to be taken lightly, having defeated Cain already. "The Escudo Leader..." he said. "This is me." Sokuho did not waste any time in clarifying who he was. His casual approach was quite bold, for surely he must know exactly who both Yuki and Cierro were. The Escudo would definitely know of all Espada and Privaron Espada, simply because these were direct enemies, and were the most powerful opposing forces within Las Noches as well, for the most part. Sokuho was ancy, it seemed, looking for his chance to attack again.

"Do you know...why I fight?" Sokuho asked in a raspy voice, beginning to move his scythe just a bit faster from side to side in his grasp, shifting it around in his hands, from one to the other quite quickly. His skeletal grin returned. Since his head in the first place was a skull, of course it was difficult to tell when he was smiling, but that one was obvious. His cheek bones shifted up visibly, so that a cracking sound was heard as his face contorted into a smile. Then, when he stopped smiling, he spoke again, continuing on. "It's because I don't ever lose." On the other hand, where was Sonken Kouhai? Surely he must be around Las Noches somewhere. And where was Guujin? Why were neither of them present?

[Kento Waffles]

OOC: Fixed a typo for you.

[Cierro Muerte]

As Cierro’s hand cupped Amuyu’s chest she opened and voiced her displeasure with the other arrancar’s actions. Cierro couldn’t have possibly expected that his move wouldn’t have been met with some protest and he wasn’t surprised when Yuki voiced her feelings. “Who the fuck are you?” she grunted as her left hand grabbed his arm by the wrist and pulled the espada down. “Ow ow ow ow ow... I’m on your side! I’m the 8th espada, Cierro Muerte!” explained Cierro as his entire body was pulled around for the ride. Not only would Cierro be set off-balance by the sudden force, but he was in danger of losing his arm as the privaron unsheathed her zanpakutou in the blink of an eye. Not only would the Octavo be able to follow the ex-Tercero’s movements, but he possessed the quick thinking to react to them as well. Before the blade reached Cierro’s arm something began to happen to the eighth espada’s body. Yuki Amuyu’s sword would not get the chance to touch Cierro’s arm, because before it even threatened to cause any damage to the espada it was gone. Yuki would be left holding nothing as Cierro’s arm seemingly disappeared. While it was true that he didn’t possess the strength to break her grip, he didn’t need to in order to escape her grasp.

“I really hate how this form looks...” said Cierro in a gruff voice, “But I’d really hate losing my arm more...” Cierro had transformed before Yuki’s eyes into an old man with only one arm and a white beard. The form looked almost like a stereotypical fisherman and it was only one of the many people that the Octavo had seen in the human world. The 8th espada was a shapeshifter and he could take the form of anyone he’d ever seen and even alter details about their form to a degree. He’d chosen this particular disguise because it would leave him with no left arm and nothing for Yuki to grab on to. Cierro transformed back into his typical squinty-eyed self after he was free and he smiled at the privaron with a grin that was reminiscent of Gin Ichimaru. “Ah... Much better...” he sighed, “You’ve got some fire... I like that...”

It was at this moment when Cierro noticed Cain’s body being thrown against the ground by a skeletal monster. Was it a hollow? The Octavo had never seen a hollow as old as the one standing before them and was more than impressed that he was able to beat the Decima so easily. Cierro was confident that not even he was able to best the 10th espada in combat. Something about Cain told the espada that he was a lot stronger then his rank revealed. “What the hell happened to you, Cain?!” asked Yuki in a bitchy voice. Cierro could sense that the privaron still felt very highly of herself even though she’d lost her position. At least one of the two arrancar present had confidence in themselves. Cierro was immediately looking for an excuse to get the heck out of there while still looking awesome in front of the privaron. Cain strangely didn’t respond to the privaron’s question and he only laid in wait. He didn’t look to be in pain. He almost looked like he didn’t care what was happening and was just accepting the fact that he couldn’t do anything in his condition.

“I’m guessing you know the Game Master?” continued the privaron, speaking at Sokuho Mayaro now. Cierro’s face was obviously confused and intrigued. It was clear to him that something big was happening and this wasn’t your average raid on Las Noches. Somehow Yuki Amuyu knew more about this than he did. He made a mental note to find out any information that Yuki might know and to keep wary of the bony figure standing before him. “I...don’t know who that is,” said the creature who Yuki addressed as Sokuho. Without saying another word he began walking towards Yuki, swinging his immense scythe as he did. Sokuho made it in front of the privaron and stood there, gazing down at her with empty eyes. “The Escudo Leader... This is me.” he said as he looked for a chance to attack, “Do you know...why I fight?” he continued in an eerie voice as he began moving his scythe faster from side to side, “It’s because I don’t ever lose.”

“Wow... He’s pretty cool...” thought Cierro as Sokuho finished his monologue. But the Octavo couldn’t get too starry eyed. This person likely meant to kill both of them just like he’d nearly done to Cain. Cierro pulled his scimitar out of its sheath and twirled it around on his finger with a smirk on his face. “Congratu-fucking-lations... You beat our weakest espada...” bluffed the Octavo with a cocky smirk, “I’m two ranks higher then that chucklehead over there, and the woman in front of you used to be a whole seven ranks higher than him... I’d hold off on the celebration till you’ve actually seen us fight... I don’t know who you are, but out of respect for you beating Cain I’ll show you my release off the bat!” Cierro caught his spinning scimitar by its hilt and held it horizontally in front of him. “Espiatu, TRAIDOR!!!” he yelled, releasing his zanpakutou. Before everyone’s eyes the espada’s form changed. He gained bone-like armor that covered him across his chest, forearms, pelvis, and shin. His skin turned pitch-black and a skull-like helmet adorned his head. The espada’s eyes glowed ferociously and short bone spikes protruded from the tops of his fists. On each shoulder the espada wore half a hollow mask as sort of a shoulder-guard and his feet grew jagged, sharp bone-spikes. All up his forearm there were pieces of bone armor designed to cut into flesh that stuck out around an inch. Narrowly dodging one of the espada’s punches would likely still cause these spikes to cut into your flesh. But perhaps the most noticeable change to the espada’s form was a long, black tail that split into two separate ends near the tip. Both of these ends were sharp as spears and could skewer someone through if they happened to get hit by the Octavo’s tail. In this form the espada’s running speed became his overall speed. Cierro was the fastest fighter present whose speed dwarfed even Sokuho’s.

In an instant the espada had transported himself in between Sokuho and Yuki. It wasn’t even a sonido, but it was still so fast that Yuki’s senses wouldn’t be able to register the level of speed. “Don’t worry, I won’t let him hurt you...” said the espada trying to look as cool as possible as he glared directly up at Sokuho. “Oh god... what the hell am I doing?” thought the Octavo as he stared into the other monster’s eyes, “This has got to be one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done. I’m gonna get my ass kicked... Shit... If only she wasn’t so damn cute I wouldn’t be in this mess... Ah the things I do for a pretty face...” Cierro glared up at the other arrancar fearlessly as he got ready to react for any quick moves that he might attempt to pull.

Remaining Reiatsu: 600
Resurreccion: 1/12

[Zou ۞]

Sokuho did not look pleased, nor did he look displeased. His face was rather blank when Cierro appeared, as if Cierro was a bore. He cocked his head to one side, sighing with exasperation. An actual puff of black smoke shot into Cierro's face, blinding him and dirtying his face at the same time, all from Sokuho simply exhaling and sighing out loud. He cocked his head back to normal, and shook it a little bit, as if he was trying to clear it of something. He didn't really look very impressed at all. Being blinded so suddenly, Cierro would probably panic. He'd panic, expecting an attack. Sokuho however did not attack. He simply stood there. It had just been a sigh, like laughing and spitting on someone. "Save the bluffing for someone else." Sokuho said.

He knew Cierro was bluffing. He knew that Cierro was bluffing! Would Cierro panic? Perhaps. Either way, Yuki wouldn't. It wasn't in her character. At the same time, it was in Sokuho's character to take his time. He was lax, and casual. He would do it whenever he wanted to. But, perhaps Cierro wouldn't notice, not being much of a combatant compared to the other Espada, but his movements had been weird on the way to Sokuho and Yuki. His step had been heavier, and black reiatsu had been emitting from the bottoms of his feet. Some oddly colored, out of place reiatsu had been released when he'd released too. He might not notice, but his skin was releasing some of this reiatsu in very, very tiny pieces, here and there.

One would have to be an expert and master in the harshest of combats to notice it. It was coming off of Yuki too. Perhaps Yuki would notice it on herself and Cierro. Perhaps Cierro would notice it on Yuki, since he was paying so much attention to her. Sokuho's presence was dominating them, it seemed. His raw power was crushing inwards on them. Whatever it was that he was doing, it was making their bodies feel heavier, and there was an out of place reiatsu. However, it did not slow them down. It was nothing like the power which had come from the original King of Hueco Mundo. Instead, it was a power that was Sokuho's alone, for it no longer existed within the Escudo. Perhaps it once had, with Asa Escudo, but with Sokuho it was left with only one keeper.

Suddenly, Sokuho was on the move. It was all of a sudden, and it was without warning. His scythe was in motion, heading towards Cierro and Yuki all at once. However, though normally Cierro and Yuki both, at least released, should be able to dodge or block something like a slash easily, their legs were getting heavier and heavier. The closer it got, the less energy the two of them had to move their bodies. The nearer to them the scythe drew, the closer it seemed that they were to their deaths. Was this man death incarnate? That couldn't be right. His scythe did indeed simulate it, though. It simulated the inevitability of death. Was his aspect of death also time? Regardless, it did not matter. His approaching scythe could spell doom. Their legs...couldn't move! What could Yuki and Cierro do without the ability to move their legs in those final seconds?

OOC: I'll reveal the technique he's using in my next post.

[Yuki Ayumu]

The female Arrancar stopped in her tracks as Sokuho Mayaro was only a couple of feet in front of her. She gave herself enough space to defend herself. She wasn't the reckless type of fighter, but she used deception more to her advantage. Ayumu looked at Sokuho with an odd look, her eyebrows lifting at the site of the man. He was a skeletal beast and the closer he got, the stronger his 'Hollow' presence became. She felt like she was staring at a Hollow more than an Arrancar. She stood there her hand grasping the hilt of her blade. The female was ready to strike out at her opponent at any given moment. But she had to gauge her opponent first. She knew that the momentum of his scythe was simply him playing with his blade. But it was also a way he could easily attack at any given moment. Yuki's facial expression did not change as he answered her question regarding the Game Master. The Escudo Leader probably had his own agendas then. She had already experienced the other Escudo Leader, Asa Escudo and her Escudo's. This one was different than her, and seemed to have a power different from her.

"You never lose? Then you don't know what a fight really is," she replied to the Escudo Leader, with a soft laughter. It was almost as if she was laughing in a whisper, to herself. She wasn't sure about the Octavo Espada, from her observation he could change his form. She watched as he turned into an old fisherman human back into his fox-looking Arrancar form. Ayumu simply ignored the odd Espada, he didn't seem to be much of a fighting type. She listened to him speaking to Sokuho, it was true that Cain was simply the weakest Espada in terms of rank. But she also knew that rank sometimes didn't matter, and it was initially Sounken Kouhai's way of organizing and determining the strengths of his Espadas. If he was the Octavo Espada, then she could put some confidence in his ability. He was fast, and she could see that. Speed was a major factor in a battle, but she wasn't sure if he was capable of utilizing to his advantage. Ayumu wasn't sure if he was stupid, or had no ability in fighting without his release.

Ayumu saw battle almost like a game, and by releasing his form, he was letting his opponent able to start analyzing his powers before he could analyze Sokuho. It didn't matter to the former, and soon to be again, Tercera Espada for it would give her the chance to analyze both of them. She had the habit of analyzing everyone around her, she was the observant type. Yuki laughed this time a lot louder and in a voice that looked down on Cierro. The voice held a very superior tone, the one that seemed to always be in her voice with her superior complexity. She laughed at him because Sokuho seemed to believe the Espada was bluffing. Was he really that weak for the Escudo Leader to look down upon and say he was bluffing? It didn't matter to her, though, she hadn't taken any interest in Cierro the moment he had showed up. Ayumu was only interested getting her title back, but there were to be obstacles in he way. The female Arrancar watched a puff of black smoke emitted towards the male Arrancar.

Being able to analyze the most difficult situations even when engaged in a battle, Ayumu surely did notice the odd reiatsu that seemed to emit from Cierro. He noticed it when he released, it wasn't normal when one released for that kind of reiatsu to come out of one. She guessed it might have something to do with his release, but it was when he moved that she realized it again. Ayumu could see he was faster than even the fastest Arrancar in Hueco Mundo. Sure she couldn't follow him precisely, but her eyes were trained to see speed that fast. She herself could move at that speed in her Segunda Etapta, no, she could move faster than that. But the odd reiatsu wasn't only pouring out of him, but also her. It was discreet, was this the Escudo Leader's technique? She wasn't sure, yet. Ayumu watched as Sokuho took off towards them. Her blade was ready to defend, but she was going to get out of the scythe's range as he came closer. She was going to prepare a counter-attack, but she noticed something! Her legs wouldn't listen to her! Ayumu attempted to jump into the air and use a Sonido, but her legs did not move. They felt as if cement replaced the blood and everything inside her legs.

Ayumu prepared her blade in front of her, ready to defend against the attack. She had no other choice. Yuki knew that the male Arrancar was in front of her, and would probably defend the blow. But what if he decided to run? She couldn't count on him, and the length of the scythe would definitely slice at both of them if Cierro didn't defend correctly. She had her blade in front of her. Being a master in the art of battle, she already knew how to counter the scythe. It depended what Cierro did also, though. She would swing her arm at the same time the scythe would meet with her body, then her blade would slice across the length of the scythe parrying the blades against each other. If Cierro defended, her countering would not matter, but in case Cierro couldn't or decided to run, she had this counter measure in hand. Of course, Ayumu did not know this effect of having heavy, immobile legs was also the same for Cierro. "I hope you're as fast as you can run," she spoke to Cierro finally, regarding his combat ability.

Reiatsu: 3,000/3,000

[Zou ۞]

OOC: Probably better to double respond, since you both need a chance to put up your defense. Skip me this post.

[Cierro Muerte]

“Save the bluffing for someone else,” said Sokuho in a demeaning tone that annoyed the Octavo just a bit. It seemed that Sokuho was very confident in his abilities. Well, if he’d just decimated the Decima without even breaking a sweat then he had a right to act a bit cocky. It didn’t mean Cierro had to like it though. It wasn’t long until the Octavo noticed the a strange aura surrounding both him and Yuki. Had they already fallen into his trap? Was this fight over before it even began? Cierro thought about the Decima. Surely Cain knew something about this person’s powers. He should have asked the other espada what Sokuho was capable of when he had the chance. It was too late for that now, since Cierro had already confronted the hollow and placed himself between Yuki and Sokuho in an epically heroic way. The Octavo was one to look on the bright side of things and fantasized about Yuki allowing him to do naughty things to her because of his selfless actions during this fight. But this was no time to pop a boner, and Cierro wouldn’t be able to finish his fantasy before Sokuho made his move.

It all happened so quickly. First the Octavo noticed that he couldn’t lift his legs to move at all, then he realized that this must be the affect of the aura that surrounded both him and Yuki. This meant that Yuki was in the same boat as him. Looking back he noticed that the privaron had adequately erected a proper defense, so he took liberty to do what came naturally to him. Cierro was not one to block attacks, but rather the espada preferred dodging everything that was sent his direction, and in the case of Sokuho, he had a significant speed advantage. Instead of blocking, like Yuki, Cierro chose to duck down to the ground, evading the swing completely in the case that Yuki’s block failed. Cierro was lucky that the Escudo leader hadn’t swung downwards or else he may have not been able to dodge at all. “I hope you’re as fast as you can run,” muttered Yuki after her block met Sokuho’s scythe. The released espada smirked as fire filled his eyes. “I won’t deny it, I’m a straight up G” said the Octavo in response, trying to look totally badass before he unleashed hell.

In an instant three bala shot out from Cierro’s mouth and both his hands in a triangular formation at Sokuho’s torso. At this range, they’d undoubtedly hit and with Sokuho’s weak reiatsu strength, they’d undoubtedly affect him quite negatively. Just judging by his body it was clear that physical attacks were not the most affective way to go about things. Cierro needed to blow him up with reiatsu attacks. As if the three bala wasn’t enough, Cierro began charging a cero in his mouth immediately after shooting the three bala at the hollow’s chest. He needed to take advantage of the fact that Sokuho’s scythe had been swung and it would take him precious moments to recover from the swing and ready another one. In this time the espada kept up his onslaught by making multiple stabs at Sokuho with his long, forked tail in hopes of opening things up for Yuki to attack. Meanwhile Cierro paid special attention to his legs, looking for the first opportunity he could get to move them. If he was permanently unable to move then this would definitely be a problem.

Remaining Reiatsu: 450
Resurreccion: 2/12

[Zou ۞]

Indeed, Cierro and Yuki had been left with quite a predicament. Yuki would soon find that the much heavier weapon and far superior physical strength would make a block very, very difficult. Though her legs seemed to have been made light and normal again soon after, it was unfortunate for her. Very suddenly, her body was jerked upwards, torn from the ground, and sent flying across the room. This was just from the scythe hit, so strong that it sent Yuki as a rocket to the other side of the area. Of course, there were other issues to it as well. Immediately afterwards, Sokuho's scythe blade began blurring around him at a maddening speed, forming some sort of continuous series of spinning rings around him, at least in terms of appearance. It was a very powerful defensive technique with his blade.

It was not unlike the hell styles used by some of the Akki. Of course, it looked like the Bala and even the Cero dissolved against the blade. Someone like Cierro who didn't fight very often, and therefore had no real battle instinct, may not realize that the reiatsu strength difference was enough that the scythe should have taken at least a minor amount of damage for taking on all three hits. It took no damage at all. This was in fact because the scythe never even touched any of the techniques. Yuki, who was sent flying, wouldn't get a chance to notice this exchange. Cierro's legs were still incredibly heavy while in Sokuho's presence, meaning that it was a matter of distance. Regardless, Sokuho had not blocked any of Cierro's attacks.

The attacks had in fact dissolved on their own, as if breaking apart into computer pixels, and shattered into nothing. It had been like they'd simply broken apart in one solid burst. Sokuho most certainly had a power which was useful. He was a strong enemy. It should be obvious that a Privaron Espada, even the former Tercera, and the Octava, together would probably be no match for him. He led the Escudo. In terms of strength, he was supposed to be able to fight on par with Kouhai. Though it was unlikely that he could, the Escudo were strong enough to threaten Las Noches, meaning that Sokuho could at the very least fight on par with perhaps Guujin or the Primera. It meant that even if Yuki still held her rank, she was outmatched, and Cierro was outmatched in general regardless.

It meant that, long story short, Sokuho's power exceeded theirs in such a way that victory was definitely not happening if they tried keeping this up, least of all while not knowing how to work with each other. Of course, even together it would probably be impossible to win. Also noteworthy, a powerful reiatsu could be felt in the ground underneath. They were fighting Sokuho, but something else seemed to be coming up from the floors down under. At that point, it didn't matter. Sokuho's blade began moving again, while Cierro was still there, and while his legs were heavy and unable to move. Sokuho's blade picked up speed, slashing around Cierro with vicious wind force, blazing around him like a waterfall as it fluidly transitioned from stroke to stroke, each one aiming for some vital part of his body, or for a limb chop.

He was surrounded by the attack of that blade, which was as deadly as a pendulum trap. Surely, he would not be able to fight against Sokuho while he couldn't run. He had to find a way to free his legs. There was certainly a clue in Yuki's freedom, which she would have to discover. But, still. How were they going to defeat Sokuho? After his series of attacks on Cierro ended, he immediately blurred, moving into a Sonido over to Yuki. Instantly, she'd find that once he neared her, her legs once again became incredibly heavy. So then, she was left unable to just run away as Sokuho used the exact same attack sequence on Yuki. There was however a key difference. Yuki was much slower than Cierro's released form, and slower than Sokuho. She did not have the speed to dodge Sokuho's onslaught. She was about to lose a limb or three, and take severe chest damage. Possible decapitation if she didn't avoid the worst of it!

Sokuho's Remaining Reiatsu: 3400 Reiatsu

SPOILER: Click to show

-Reiatsu Fragmentation Control - Remember back in the original Arc 2? The Escudo were all able to use this. This is a power which carried on to the new leader, Sokuho. He is able to produce reiatsu fragmentation, like the Zero Division can, but control it. This means output of reiatsu can be fragmented and shattered, effectively destroying reiatsu based techniques. The difference in this case is that Sokuho can only do it to attacks coming from individuals with inferior spiritual pressure. Reiatsu fragmentation control is based on pressure in this case.

-Movement Fragmentation - This is a newer power, derived more from a combination of reiatsu fragment and Sokuho's own deadly aura. This causes "crushing weight" in those that get within ten meters of him. Basically, though this can be felt slightly in appearance before the 10 meter mark, legs become heavier and heavier in his presence. Within ten meters, they're so heavy that running is impossible. Within five, they can't even be lifted.

There are TWO more "Escudo brand" power techniques that he will be displaying if you continue to combat him.

[Yuki Ayumu]

Yuki Ayumu felt the strength of Sokuho Mayaro first hand as she felt the strength of his blade send her flying across the throne room. "Dammit, what the hell is this guy?" she said aloud, as she landed on the ground pretty hard. She watched as his blades spinning around him stopped. Ayumu was surprised none of the balas or the cero released by Cierro had landed on the male. He seemed to have some sort of defensive power, but she was in mid-air when he had used his defense. It had caused her to be unable to analyze what kind of ability he displayed. Her movements were disabled when Sokuho was approaching that part was obvious. He had some sort of grim aura that seemed to cause her unable to move.

Attacking head on seemed to be the most unwise choice in this battle. She stood there watching Cierro's battle capabilities. She knew she should have attacked, but she noticed the odd black reiatsu around Cierro as Sokuho approached him. She was correct in thinking that the closer he got to you the heavier your legs got. That was obvious since she felt it once he had threw her across the room. She started to charge a cero in her palms, it started to create a disk form, not a normal cero. She prepared herself to aim and throw it at Sokuho, but he was fast. He appeared instantly towards Ayumu before she could get her aim down and throw the powerful cero.

Before she could attack, the first of Sokuho's blade made contact with her left arm. The one not charging the cero. At her elbows, her left arm was sliced off. Blood splurted out of it violently as her arm fell to the ground. But this game a break in Sokuho's transition of swinging his scythe. Ayumu aimed at the scythe letting her cero loose at it. The cero's strength would grind and cut at his scythe. "Cero Sierra," she spoke. It would stop his movements, and since he was in mid swing, it would take him a couple moments to use his reiatsu fragmentation. If she was correct, she would be able to use her speed to move back from him when he attempted to use his defensive mechanism. She assumed he couldn't keep up a defense and an offensive technique to keep her from moving at the same time. With one wrong move, the cero could cut past the scythe and start to grind at the skeletal body. Ayumu's bones popped out of her chopped limb then the muscles started to reform. After her muscles had regenerated, her skin started to regenerate, her arm being fully intact once again. She had the abiltiy to use high speed regeneration, which had caused her to willing to take the damage to her arm.

"Alright listen closely, baka," she started off. Ayumu hadn't taken Cierro to her liking at all, more than she usually did with people she first met. Her drunken state was wearing off causing her to analyze the battle more closely."I don't know if you've noticed, but the closer you are to this freak, the heavier your legs get, causing you to be immobile. You need to stay as far apart from him as you can, try using long ranged attacks, use your Primera Etapta abilities so I can formulate a plan how I can counter him by working with your abilities. I work in analyzing and observing a battle, that's why I haven't released yet, I don't want him to figure out most of my abilities, just yet," she continued as she started to form another cero in her mouth. It blasted out towards Sokuho Mayaro to stop him from any counter attack, this would be done at point blank range if she wasn't correct about the movement fragmentation. If the previous theory was corect she would be firing it at long range about ten feet beside Cierro.

Reiatsu: 2600/300

OOC|| What was the ruling on HSR, I can't find it on the Rulings on Release page. Was it once per battle? Any limb and such as long as it's not a vital organ?

[Zou ۞]

OOC: I'll post shortly. HSR regenerates all wounds except damage to vital organs, though self damage can slow it down significantly depending on the technique used. It costs 300 reiatsu to deactivate hierro, and deactivating hierro is a requirement for activating high speed regeneration.