The Inescapable Hands of God [R, Hard, NDE]

[Hadrian J. Ryan Ⅻ]

As John watched the arrows sail towards the Shinigami, he felt his gut twist. He had forgotten something, there was something he hadn't factored in... Sam! He had been so absorbed in outwitting the Shinigami that he had completely forgotten about his comrades. He turned helplessly, trying to work out something. He couldn't knock the arrows out of the air with one of his own, there were far too many. All of sudden, each of the arrows exploded. The brilliant light blinded John for a second, but it was the wave of blue fire he was more worried about.

Without thinking, he fired the notched arrow into the mass of blue flame. Thank goodness he did. The fire was weaker due to having cancelled out so many attacks already, and because it was spread across such a wide area. His arrow carved a path through he flame, reducing his damage significantly. He scorched his hands and face, nothing too serious, and his clothes were singed. What a pity, they were his last good pair of ordinary clothes... Wait, what on earth was he thinking about?

He turned to his comrades. The deaf one had had the same idea as him, and had suffered the same minor burns. However, their blind companion was less fortunate, having borne the brunt of the attack. His clothes were badly blackened, and all exposed skin was scorched red. It was at least first degree burns. Unfortunately for him, there wasn't a huge amount to be done about that.

As the smoke cleared, John saw the Shinigami standing, along with their two comrades. He nearly sighed with relief. Unfortunately, he had not expected the lecture. ”If you’re going to aim your weapons at me, that’s fine, but don’t aim your weapons at an incapacitated ally. Don’t they teach you guys anything?” The words stung a lot more than they should have. Is she right...? Have I become exactly like everyone else? Everyone in this army is willing to do anything to win, even kill a comrade... I always thought armies had a kinship between soldiers, but these guys would just as soon as kill me, if it meant it would turn the battle in their favour... What the hell am I saying?! I'm no better... Here I am, selling out my father... But perhaps... This Shinigami can do what she likes, because she's powerful... If I need power to be compassionate, then maybe that's what I should do...

John studied the Shinigami closely. Definitely a medic, but was she even human? She seemed to have some... interesting additions. John felt his face growing warm. Some tactician he was, checking out the enemy in the middle of combat. He really needed to get a girlfriend. He stood up a little straighter, flakes of his burnt clothes blowing off in the wind. "Apologies miss, I never expected my fellow members to be so enthusiastic... But please then, if you are so concerned for my comrade's safety, leave them out of this. You have already incapacitated them, and I don't see you as the type to keep hostages..." But he was interrupted. His blind comrade shoved him to the ground, and having not expected it, and being caught off balance, fell to the ground.

As he turned himself over to see what was happening, he could only watch as the blind man sent an arrow flying towards the Shinigami again. John was sure it was another exploding one. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? YOU'LL HIT THEM ALL!" John shouted, a temporary lapse in his control. Was this the kind of army he wanted to be involved with? This Shinigami wasn't even part of their mission, and yet they were willing sacrifice TWO of their comrades to destroy her? There was no way John could rationalise it. He hoped the Shinigami had something else up her sleeve.

Blind Quincy Reiatsu : 740/1000 : -30 for a Class 4 arrow, -30 for a Class 4 arrow explosion.
Deaf Quincy Reiatsu : 780/1000 : -20 x 5 for a Class 6 arrow.
John's Reiatsu : 540/600 : -20 for a Class 6 arrow.

[Deleted]

((Yay, I think I’m helping with CD! Always nice to see things like your last post. This post is on the cinematic side of things, as I’m going to try and net John some more CD.))

Initially, the attack seemed like it had been a success. It appeared to engulf all of the Quincy, but they must have done something to defend themselves. Only one of three was actually injured as much as he should have been. Two others were mostly unscathed. Considering the strength of the attack, they should’ve been much worse off. It didn’t matter much, their attacks weren’t anything that Amaya couldn’t deal with, but that wasn’t the only part of this encounter. One of them, apparently the leader, spoke to Amaya. "Apologies miss, I never expected my fellow members to be so enthusiastic... But please then, if you are so concerned for my comrade's safety, leave them out of this. You have already incapacitated them, and I don't see you as the type to keep hostages..."

Ridiculous. Amaya had no intention to keep hostages or anything of the sort, and she wasn’t the one dragging the disabled back into the fight. Normally, Amaya was fairly kind towards all, but these Quincy were pushing their luck fairly rapidly. How many innocent Shinigami had been slaughtered by the Vandenreich? How many times had a Shinigami asked for mercy only to take an arrow to the head? There was no such thing as mercy in this war. Amaya had only been working directly with Squad Four for a short time, but she’d seen the horrors plenty. Most of their time lately was performing autopsies in an attempt to find ways to deal with the Quincy’s powers. The only time they got someone who actually needed healing was if a seated officer or higher was lucky enough to get away with their lives. Anyone weaker could do nothing but run, and they knew better than to fight the Quincy by now.

Amaya wasn’t ready to forgive the Quincy for all they had done.

In response to their leader’s question, she calmly walked towards the three remaining Quincy. ”You, a member of the army that has slaughtered countless Shinigami that weren’t even alive during the last war, have the gall to try and APOLOGIZE?” Everything about her showed rage. Her earlier innocent demeanor was gone, and her face wore a scowl in its place. Still, even at the peak of anger, there was an underlying kindness. There was still no killing intent… just anger. ”Consider yourselves grateful, Quincy. I don’t consider you weaklings worth killing.” Of course it was at that moment that the blind Quincy chose to attempt his revenge on Amaya. A single arrow was loosed from his bow, but Amaya saw it coming a mile away. Of course, the warning of "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? YOU'LL HIT THEM ALL!" helped with that.

The poor arrow never stood a chance. Amaya simply raised her left arm towards the projectile and exhaled. The arrow exploded against the sealed form of her Zanpakuto, and the reiatsu strength behind the attack wasn’t even enough to get her glove dirty. ”You… you just lost your right to hold a bow.” As she spoke, the medic began to release her reiatsu unrestrained. The pressure was enough to force any of the Quincy there to struggle to breathe unless they exerted a great deal of energy to counteract this. Amaya’s already outstretched hand shifted slightly. It had been upright, in a “stop” position, but now her index and pinky were pointed towards the shoulders of the blind Quincy. From each finger erupted a Byakurai. Without his sight, and under the effect of the gravitational pressure, the blind Quincy was likely pierced through each of the shoulders. His arms would hang limp as his side, and he would remain crippled unless he either received a prosthesis or healing from someone of Amaya’s caliber.

With the only Quincy stupid enough to continue attacking dealt with, the kitsune continued her advance towards the Quincy that had spoken earlier. ”Is this the world you want? You care for that girl. I can see it in your eyes plain as day. Do you want to be surrounded by blood, violence, and death every day of your life? Are you prepared for that reality Quincy? Are you prepared to watch everyone you know and love die at your feet? That’s the fate for both of us if this war continues. I want peace between us, but so help me, if you all continue to sink so low as to attack the healers of the other side, Soul Society won’t stop until you’re all wiped off the face of the world. Can you accept that fate Quincy?”

Reiatsu: 1300/1500
-50 for 2x Byakurai

[Hadrian J. Ryan Ⅻ]

The Shinigami barely broke a sweat destroying the arrow, it didn't even dirty the gloves she wore. She then proceeded to pierce the Quincy through the shoulders, rendering him next to useless. John found it difficult to feel sorry for him, she was right. It was no better than what he deserved... No... It's no better than we all deserve... He tried to speak, but the oppressive weight of the Shinigami's reiatsu forced him to the ground. He could barely breathe. He had never felt so helpless. John felt the tears running down his cheeks, cutting silver streaks down his soot-stained face. This WASN'T what he wanted, this wasn't the type of life he wanted to lead... He had never been very good at hating people, it was a certain quality that every other Vandenreich soldier seemed to have... He managed to return his thoughts to the fight at hand, the Shinigami was addressing him now.

-care for that girl. I can see it in your eyes plain as day. Do you want to be surrounded by blood, violence, and death every day of your life? Are you prepared for that reality Quincy? Are you prepared to watch everyone you know and love die at your feet? That’s the fate for both of us if this war continues. I want peace between us, but so help me, if you all continue to sink so low as to attack the healers of the other side, Soul Society won’t stop until you’re all wiped off the face of the world. Can you accept that fate Quincy?”

John tried to respond, but the sound caught in his throat. This shouldn't have hurt as much as it did, he was supposed to be beyond all this. He had always tried to see himself as the analytical strategist, but he never was, and probably never could be, he always cared too much. He gave himself a few seconds, and formulated his reply.

"No... I never wanted this... I care as much as you do about our respective comrades... But is it so hard to see the difference between you and me? Your compassion is worth something, thanks to your power. Whereas I care, and don't have the power to prove it. So here is my answer, Shinigami. As much as I loathe it, I will endure the pain, the bloodshed, the loss, all because it will make me stronger. And when I am strong enough, perhaps one day, there will be a peace between our people which can last forever. On that day, I can prove that I care... But until I have that power, there is nothing I can do about this bitter war... And I'm sorry about that. I wish I wasn't so weak!"

John's tears were in full flow now, and his knees were weak. The Shinigami could easily kill him now if she wanted. He was lucky the only conscious member of their squad left was deaf. It was for these kind of thoughts that the Sternritter executed people for... Was the Vandenreich the right place for John? He was beginning to doubt it, but they were the only people who showed him kindness after he ran from his parents, the only people who encouraged him to take pride in being a Quincy... Are we really all that bad? Surely the Shinigami must realise that this war is perfectly justified for the Quincy... It would have started earlier, had our numbers not been so low... And there are still plenty of Quincy with a score to settle with the Soul Society... What makes us so bad?

[Deleted]

It appeared there was little left to say. The Quincy had shown his resolve, and put his sense of justice on the line. It was a shame that it was twisted so badly. He claimed to want peace, but his methods would only bring about more destruction. If he continued to rely on power and violence to bring about peace, there would be no end to the cycle. Each side would continue to aim higher and higher, and eventually one side would be annihilated. Power had nothing to do with why the kitsune’s words had weight behind them. Her compassion had meaning because it was genuine. If she wanted to kill the Quincy before her, they would already have been dead. She hadn’t even released her Zanpakuto, yet the Quincy were helpless. Destroying them would have been trivial with her Shikai active, yet she did not.

That was why she was strong. She had power, but she did not use it to further the war. These Quincy all had power too, but what had they done with it? They had attacked. There was no provocation, nor any reason that there needed to be a fight, yet they had started one. That was the difference between the healer and these Quincy. Yes, Amaya had the strength to crush them if she wished, but that mattered little compared the differences in kindness. The kitsune had put herself in harm’s way to ensure that one of her enemies hadn’t been killed at their teammates hands. Compared to that difference in priorities, the difference in power between the Quincy and the medic was absolutely meaningless.

Amaya made sure that the Quincy would understand that. She approached the one who had been speaking to her, and laid a hand on his head. Reiatsu flowed from her hand into the Quincy, changing the processes happening within his mind. At that moment, one of his emotions was erased. It wouldn’t last forever, but for a time ((only 8 posts)) this Quincy was without the ability to feel afraid. For this time, his mind was clear to think without worrying about any kind of consequences. ”You are blinded in a way far worse than the loss of your eyes Quincy. You don’t need strength to show mercy. You need courage. Right now, you lack that. You do not have the courage to question your own beliefs and make decisions for yourself, and that is why you are weak. I may be a Shinigami, but I have chosen my own path, and that is one free of death. Can you find the courage to make the same decision?”

Reiatsu:1150/1500
-150 for Kaido 62: Therapy

[Hadrian J. Ryan Ⅻ]

She placed her hand on his forehead, and suddenly John felt absolved of all responsibility. What had she done? Had she messed with his mind? Rewritten him? Did it matter? Yes... It does matter... Because a man acts based on what he is responsible for. Now, anything I say is not what I mean... John looked at the Shinigami, feeling slightly disappointed, and a little bit... betrayed. What had she taken away from him? He had thought of her nearly as an ally, a beacon of hope that maybe things weren't so bad...

"The reason I don't want to fight you, miss, is not because I'm afraid of you. You have made sure now that I cannot fear you, so you know I speak the truth. I don't want to fight you... Because my fight is not against you. Everyone has their own personal enemies, and mine are not the Shinigami. Yes, I understand that one thousand years ago, you did my kind a great injustice, and that resentment still lingers among the Quincy of the Vandenreich today... But I don't agree with them. I believe Quincy and Shinigami should, and can, work together in harmony, to eradicate Hollows and protect humanity. That is why I joined the Vandenreich, an organisation powerful enough to help me attain my goal... But it's more than that. I owe the Empire a great deal. My parents took no pride in my Quincy powers, so I fled, and the Emperor was wiling to take me under his wing.

The Vandenreich provides me with the only strength I have, and while I cannot personally condone all of their actions, I understand why act the way they do... I'm sorry for disappointing you, miss. But the Vandenreich offers me security, a home, and in some respects, a family. The same as how you do not condone all the actions of the Soul Society, yet still fight for them, I would hope I can be the same. I do not want to fight you. My fight is not with you. Please do not give me a reason to hate you."

He was confused, more than anything else. A lack of fear made his opinions seem a lot less sensible now, thinking about them. However, the part of him locked away by the Kido was yearning for the Shinigami to accept his proposal, to end today's fight. It was words against war, and John was praying that words would win.

Fearlessness : 1/8

[Deleted]

((You should keep a x/8 counter for the lack of fear. It will persist for 8 posts, regardless of Amaya’s interaction with you any further. This will likely stay relevant for the rest of the adventure.))

Well, the technique had been successful… kinda. It had done what Amaya intended it to do. The Quincy was free of fear, but that hadn’t changed his outlook the way that Amaya had hoped. Her hypothesis had been that he stayed with the Vandenreich out of a fear of being hunted down if he was a deserter. Apparently that was wrong. It wasn’t fear that kept him a part of the Quincy’s army. He had made a conscious choice to work with them, and that meant he had chosen the path of violence and destruction. Short of completely wiping his mind, there was nothing she could do to change his choices, but what meaning was there in a mind changed in such a barbaric way?

”Such a pity… I had hoped that you were simply afraid to leave. You speak of peace, but how can you bring about peace with hands soaked in the blood of innocents? Think on that Quincy, and find me again when you have an answer worth listening to.” Those last words were Amaya had left in her. It was time to leave. In order to ensure she escaped cleanly, she needed to incapacitate the remaining Quincy though. Her hand shifted slightly on John’s head so that her thumb and ring finger were over his temples. Simultaneously, her pinky pointed towards the deaf Quincy. A geki flew from that smallest finger, paralyzing the deaf Quincy. At the same time, a pair of Byakurai were fired off Amaya’s thumb and index finger, but the strength was massively diminished. It was a tiny spark of reiatsu really, but it was enough that, sent straight into the Quincy’s head, it resulted in an instantaneous loss of consciousness.

With those two posing no threat, Amaya made her way over to the Quincy whose shoulders she had shot out only a few moments ago. She was furious with him, but still didn’t think he deserved to die. With her mastery of the spell itself combined with her general proficiency for Kido, she produced a low-power Sokatsui that she held in her hand. It was just powerful enough to cauterize the wounds of that Quincy so that he didn’t bleed out. The Vandenreich could handle it from there. Once more, before leaving, Amaya looked towards the Quincy that had spoken to her. She had no more words, and simply shook her head a few times before vanishing with Shunpo. She still had to go find and rescue that other Shinigami, but that was a tale for another time.

Reiatsu: 925/1500
-50 for 2x Byakurai
-25 for Geki
-100 for Sokatsui
-50 for Shunpo

((Amaya has exited the thread. The deaf Quincy will be able to recover from Geki within a few moments. Sam should be able to wake up soon. That one Quincy who spazzed out at the start should probably be fine soon, and John can be easily woken as if he was taking a nap. I leave it in RC's hands now.))

[Caesar]

From a distance, "they" watched. The same group that had caused the hollows to gather and attack them, the same group that had disappeared before they were ever suspected or even seen by anyone. The group that was covered from head to toe in clothing that seemed to cover their faces. The one that stood at the center, the same person held binoculars and observed the entire fight ensuing. The rest were looking around, the snow blasted tundra, unaffected by the cold. "The fight seems to be going. The female Shinigami is holding her own against the group of three. "What does that mean." the figure holding the binoculars lowered it from their eyes and stared at the one that asked. "It means that they are under performing themselves. And dragging our reputation with them down." one of them nodded and began to speak "I see. That means that we should inform Caesar." it prepared to travel towards the Cathedral but was stopped "No. Do not leave. We must watch, until either "She" is dispatched. Or they are killed." and they continued to watch. Motionlessly standing there, observing every little detail that happened in the fight and recording it in their memory. When it was clear that there would be a victor, she disappeared without finishing them. One of them smiled, out of anger. "It leaves the unconscious without the right of death? How pathetic." with that they disappeared. Appearing directly in where the fight just had ended, the group of seven simple observed the survivors and took note on their participant in the fight. Five of them separated and walked towards a single survivor, the one that appeared to be the leader simple stood there and nodded. Each of them pulled out a pistol, Colt 1911 and aimed at their heads, without ever so touching their skin. Then the leader observed one of the survivor and placed a hand up "Nein, lass ihn. Er dient noch immer einen Zweck. the imposing figure standing over John stopped and stepped back. Then the leader stared at the one standing over Sam Ersatz ihr, werden wir den Einsatz für ihr. and that one stepped away.

"Take them to the Cathedral and have them examined and healed if necessary. Once then bring them forth to Caesar." the largest one picked both of them up, and Hirenkyakud there. It was sure to get there in the fastest amount of time. Arriving at the entrance of the Cathedral as soon as it could. Off in the distance, the simultaneous discharging of a pistol echoed in the distance as a soft pop. When they stepped in the problems would continue to arise for the young Quincy. Almost immediately it walked towards the Cathedral's infirmary. Every time Caesar had entered a world and created a Cathedral, he was sure to bring skilled medics to inspect the bodies of those that entered. Walking in the being placed them in the hospital beds and left. the infirmary room appeared like a typical one, the only difference was that the walls were made of ice and the team of medical experts were observing file after file, one of them stood up and took the steps towards where John and Sam were left, the nurse appeared to be in her mid twenties, the uniform she wore made her close to a private. The woman was dressed in a typical nurses outfit, having most of her hair tucked away, only a sliver of black appeared from the edge of her cap. She placed her hands on top of John's head, gently inspecting everything from his body to how he was posistioned then she went over to to Samantha and inspected her. After a few seconds of inspecting them she went back to her collegues and explained what she had deduced. "There are no signs of permanent trauma. They are clear to be let be released." one of them looked at her and nodded before walking towards where they were placed. The nurse gently tried to wake up John, when he awoke she would not greet him nor would she have much to say to him. For at the door way leading out were two privates. "Caesar requests that we escort you towards the center of the Cathedral. He requests news from your reconisance." they expected him to comply and stepped to the side to allow him the ability to leave the room. The walk towards the center was a long one, with people taking turns and talking to each other.

On the way the two privates gazed at John before the one on the left began to speak, he appeared to be in his mid thirties. He had a grizzled facial hair and a plainly defined face. "So you are back from your reconnaissance? Heard that it was a hunt against someone who defected from the Vandenreich a long time ago. We are eager to see where he had escaped off to, or what he had done. the closer the approached the center of the Cathedral, the echos of Caesar's sermon would bounce off the walls and speak in their ears. "The Story of the Quincy, and of the Emperor, and of the Vandenreich, like all stories, has a beginning. In the beginning, there were humans, and these humans had souls unlike any other animal. They were refined souls, capable of living on after the body had perished unlike those of the feral beasts of the land. Mankind was the Paragon of animals, with its soul that shined bright into the world. Then the blight of the Hollows came, cursing mankind’s soul to be devoured and collected into a single being. For many years the Hollow Epidemic went unchecked, and the most powerful of souls, the false prophet known as the Soul “King” abandoned the world to deal with the Hollows on its own. Life always finds a way. Many years following the revelation of the Soul “King’s” Shinigami and the defeat of Hueco Mundo in a massive war, a Glorious Being of Light appeared in the world, from unknown origins. Some say that he is merely an anomaly of Space and Time, a God among Men, and we know those rumors to be true. Some false prophets say that he has an origin, and that he was once a man, and these false prophets have been silenced forever. Children of Der Kaiser! We have awaitened the day of Holy Retribution, when the skies will part! And the hand of Der Kaiser will punish those who have gone against him. Rejoice! For we! The Children of God! Will begin the age of Peace! We say this in the name of the true God-King! Amen." the row upon row of seats that were full began to empty and head off towards their daily duty. Caesar simply stood there, standing on a large stage towering over the men and women. The privates took John towards the bottom, and from there, platforms made of reiatsu began to appear. "Ascend the stairs." the order was short and straight to the point. When had reached the top, Caesar was staring at him. Boring into his soul, and his heart but on the surface he was calm and collected. "You have returned. What news have you brought of your father's whereabouts." there was no raise in tone to ask a question, it was a calm order. And John, had to deliver.

[Hadrian J. Ryan Ⅻ]

"So you are back from your reconnaissance? Heard that it was a hunt against someone who defected from the Vandenreich a long time ago. We are eager to see where he had escaped off to, or what he had done."

John was still a little disorientated from being woken up. To be fair, he had been unconscious for quite a while, and it didn't suit him. He had actually never been unconscious before, he had never suffered enough trauma. He had always been a little afraid of the idea of slipping off into a dark void for a while... Funny... It doesn't seem to bother me any more... Was this the Shinigami's doing? Had she really erased all his fear? It was such an interesting sensation.

"Yeah, I'm back. Sadly, it wasn't as smooth as anyone had hoped, but we got what we were looking for. Information." John finished with a little smile. What a pity the information was so sparse, but that was no matter. John would figure something out. One of the Quincies in his group was afraid of punishment for a lack of substantial information. Why should he have been? They had performed their task to the letter, it wasn't their fault the information returned was not equal to the effort put into obtaining it.

They walked into the main hall of the Cathedral, hundreds of Quincy were in the process of leaving. Caesar was just finishing off his sermon. John felt his heart glow with admiration. Now this was a man who stuck by what he believed in, a man who used his unimaginable power to enforce his beliefs upon the world. Yes, parts of his beliefs were at cross-purposes with some of John's, but that didn't lessen the respect John had for Sternritter 'C', the Cardinal.

"Ascend the stairs."

Platforms of reiatsu formed in front of John, granting him access to the Cardinal. John could feel his eyes boring into him, attempting to intimidate him. It wasn't even a case of Caesar gaining anything out of doing this, John decided he must just be like this naturally.

"You have returned. What news have you brought of your father's whereabouts."

John originally intended to keep his answer brief and to the point, he really did. But there was something which had to be said, before he answered Caesar's question.

"You can ditch the intimidatory act, sir, it's not going to have any effect on me today. The Shinigami has rewritten part of my mind, blocking my ability to feel fear completely. I would like you, then, to take this as a moment in which I prove that my loyalty to you, the Emperor and the Vandenreich, is not one solely based on fear, but is in fact, based on something much stronger, respect. Fear the man who fears you, sir, for he will turn on you the first chance he gets. Respect is a much healthier relationship. Plus, that frown will give you terrible wrinkles... But I digress! You inquire as to the whereabouts of my father, do you not?"

John was being unnecessarily ornate in his use of language, almost parodying the strict, formal tone used by Vandenreich soldiers.

"Unfortunately, sir, my original search has proved near to fruitless. My father has fled the World of the Living. He had, no doubt discovered that I was now a member of the Emperor's oh-so-holy Empire, and deserted, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before you used me to get to him. To add to this already cowardly deed, he has fled to the Soul Society. Now, that leaves three possibilities as to his current condition, based on my initial estimates. And all of this depends on how stupid the Shinigami are. If they are incredibly stupid, they would have done one of two things:
A. Not done anything. In this case, my father is living, undercover and undetected, in secret in the Soul Society. Unlikely, given how lucky the Shinigami seem to be in locating us Quincy.
Or B. They killed him straight away, which would save you an awful lot of work, but wouldn't be very intelligent on their part.

Most likely, they are holding him, either willingly or unwillingly, as an informant. After the Invasion, I imagine they are eager to learn as much about the Vandenreich as possible. My father, the coward that he is, is probably using his prior experience as a Sternritter to bluff his way through their questions. It is unlikely that he will give anything away that will compromise the condition of the entire army, but it is possible he will reveal Quincy powers hitherto unknown by the Shinigami...

That is my information, and my analysis of the facts, sir, it is my honour to allow you to do whatever you like with them...

John took a bow, his little spiel finished. He had no idea how Caesar was going to react, but thanks to that Shinigami, he wasn't particularly worried about that.

Fearlessness : 2/8

[Caesar]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play Me}

John stood in front of Caesar, but his eyes were different. They appeared to be different, in Caesar's eyes he would see something new. This would be evident when John began to speak, in a blatantly disrespectful manner. "You can ditch the intimidatory act, sir, it's not going to have any effect on me today. The Shinigami has rewritten part of my mind, blocking my ability to feel fear completely. I would like you, then, to take this as a moment in which I prove that my loyalty to you, the Emperor and the Vandenreich, is not one solely based on fear, but is in fact, based on something much stronger, respect. Fear the man who fears you, sir, for he will turn on you the first chance he gets. Respect is a much healthier relationship. Plus, that frown will give you terrible wrinkles... But I digress! You inquire as to the whereabouts of my father, do you not?" His eyes widened, then it went back to what it usually appeared as. Staring at the young private who chose to stand up to a Lord of the Vandenreich. But Caesar, was calm he did not lash out or demand that John be punushed, he allowed John to continue speaking. Bringing forth the knowledge, the whereabouts of his father.

"Unfortunately, sir, my original search has proved near to fruitless. My father has fled the World of the Living. He had, no doubt discovered that I was now a member of the Emperor's oh-so-holy Empire, and deserted, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before you used me to get to him. To add to this already cowardly deed, he has fled to the Soul Society. Now, that leaves three possibilities as to his current condition, based on my initial estimates. And all of this depends on how stupid the Shinigami are. If they are incredibly stupid, they would have done one of two things: A. Not done anything. In this case, my father is living, undercover and undetected, in secret in the Soul Society. Unlikely, given how lucky the Shinigami seem to be in locating us Quincy.Or B. They killed him straight away, which would save you an awful lot of work, but wouldn't be very intelligent on their part. Most likely, they are holding him, either willingly or unwillingly, as an informant. After the Invasion, I imagine they are eager to learn as much about the Vandenreich as possible. My father, the coward that he is, is probably using his prior experience as a Sternritter to bluff his way through their questions. It is unlikely that he will give anything away that will compromise the condition of the entire army, but it is possible he will reveal Quincy powers hitherto unknown by the Shinigami...That is my information, and my analysis of the facts, sir, it is my honor to allow you to do whatever you like with them..." Caesar was done. When he had learned of this he placed his hand onto his shoulder

Calmly raising him from his bowed posistion and properly standing him up straight. His blue eyes were still empty windows, but the energy radiating off of him was the same as before. A calm demand for respect, after a bit of staring Caesar opened his mouth and spoke "Child of Der Kaiser. You are becoming a lamb a stray from the light. The way in which I enforce the words of God is not meant to be taken in fear, but as awe. As stated in Seien Pracht 'On the same Day. Power came from Der Kaiser's Fingers. It gave strength to the five warriors and made them Kings. Under Der Kaiser's Will they became his messengers, his messenger of war, messenger of death, messengers of His Word.' my "intimidatory act" as you call it, is not an attempt to force you into believing in Der Kaiser. In fact" he placed his hand onto John's face and gently pressed onto his cheek, like a father gently disciplining his child. "You, like the many soldiers that serve our God. Serves as my voice. I am one of those five warriors given the immense power by our God. To spread his word, his message, of war, of death, and of course peace. But I can not be the only voice, you are my speakers. Who enhance my voice with yours, spreading Der Kaiser's will. As stated in Seine Pracht 'Let it be known. That the soldiers of God act as his voice here and in the two worlds. Bringing peace to those who have none, and destroying the Hollow Curse placed on this world. Abandoned by the Shinigami, and their so called 'spirit king' Let it be known that you are an Angel, You are his Lamb. We are his children." and the preaching was over. He let go of John's shoulders.

"You must have a way to bring your father into this world. The False Shepherds has a defense that will alert the Captains were a Captain or higher enter there. We can not risk sending privates and lieutenants to capture a Traitor. You must find a way to bring your father here. Blood runs thick in family, and if he truly loved you. You will know how to bring that man to this world. When you have figured out a way, come back to me and tell me how. Then I will put your plan into place. The traitor will rue the day he had deserted the True Army of God. As stated in Seine Pracht 'During the plague of the Shinigami. The genocide of His Majestys Angels, traitors began to abandon what they had devoted their life too. After the plight had subsided, these traitors would suffer the wrath of Der Kaiser. For defiance, Der Kaiser did not bring immediate justice down on the defilers. Instead he willed the sun to stay up for five days. Fire and Brimstone scarred the area as this punishment followed them until they died.' Go forth and bring the traitor forward. Child of God."


+350TP to Amaya for Plot Development of John and inadverdently causing the deaths of 3 Vandenreich Privates.

[Hadrian J. Ryan Ⅻ]

John had been expecting punishment, had been expecting death even. He didn't fear the concepts, but he was sure his flippant attitude would cause his death. But he did not expect this.

"Child of Der Kaiser. You are becoming a lamb a stray from the light. The way in which I enforce the words of God is not meant to be taken in fear, but as awe. As stated in Seine Pracht 'On the same Day. Power came from Der Kaiser's Fingers. It gave strength to the five warriors and made them Kings. Under Der Kaiser's Will they became his messengers, his messenger of war, messenger of death, messengers of His Word.' My "intimidatory act" as you call it, is not an attempt to force you into believing in Der Kaiser. In fact... You, like the many soldiers that serve our God. Serves as my voice. I am one of those five warriors given the immense power by our God. To spread his word, his message, of war, of death, and of course peace. But I can not be the only voice, you are my speakers. Who enhance my voice with yours, spreading Der Kaiser's will. As stated in Seine Pracht 'Let it be known. That the soldiers of God act as his voice here and in the two worlds. Bringing peace to those who have none, and destroying the Hollow Curse placed on this world. Abandoned by the Shinigami, and their so called 'spirit king' Let it be known that you are an Angel, You are his Lamb. We are his children."

John felt his admiration of Caesar grow with every word. Perhaps his beliefs were not that different from John's after all. He seemed to speak of his soldiers with great respect, and also desired peace. More than that, he had addressed John directly. I am an Angel. I am his Lamb. John immediately felt regret for his earlier disrespect. This man was exactly the kind of man John hoped to be. Only John hoped to be a little more approachable. John wasn't quite sure what to say. He was nearly tearing up with admiration for the man in front of him.

"Sir, I fear I have done you a great injustice. Please accept my sincerest apologies."

The mockery was absent from his tone. John wasn't speaking elaborately for the sake of it, he was speaking elaborately because Caesar, The Cardinal, deserved nothing less. He was a man who commanded and deserved respect. He resembled everything John admired in the Vandenreich. However, John decided, on the spur of the moment, to repeat his message, however this time in a language which he hoped would make his message sound more sincere.

"Entschuldigen Sie. Du hast Recht. Ich bin töricht gewesen. Ich hoffe, dass du mir vergeben kann."

John hoped his German was good. He had always been high up in his class in school, but he had never tried to pull it off in a situation like this. John didn't fear making a mistake, but he hoped Caesar would appreciate the gesture. German was close to the heart of every Vandenreich member, and John was taking the opportunity to re-study it whenever possible. Perhaps it would be lost on Caesar, perhaps not. Either way, he had apologised. He now felt more certain than ever that the Vandenreich was the right place for him.

"You must have a way to bring your father into this world. The False Shepherds has a defense that will alert the Captains were a Captain or higher enter there. We can not risk sending privates and lieutenants to capture a Traitor. You must find a way to bring your father here. Blood runs thick in family, and if he truly loved you. You will know how to bring that man to this world. When you have figured out a way, come back to me and tell me how. Then I will put your plan into place. The traitor will rue the day he had deserted the True Army of God. As stated in Seine Pracht 'During the plague of the Shinigami. The genocide of His Majestys Angels, traitors began to abandon what they had devoted their life too. After the plight had subsided, these traitors would suffer the wrath of Der Kaiser. For defiance, Der Kaiser did not bring immediate justice down on the defilers. Instead he willed the sun to stay up for five days. Fire and Brimstone scarred the area as this punishment followed them until they died.' Go forth and bring the traitor forward. Child of God."

John felt shocked. He was going to be in charge of the entire strategy for catching his Father? While he knew this mission would involve him taking on more responsibility, he had never expected something like this. Fortunately though, he had already given this some thought. Plus, he was eager to demonstrate his abilities.

"Sir, if I may propose my plan now? I have already given this matter some thought."

John waited until Caesar indicated that he may continue. Should he allow him, John would proceed in outlining his plan.

"With the Shinigami having undoubtedly realised our presence in Ireland due to that healer who we encountered, word will spread throughout the Soul Society. I have no doubt that my father is keeping his finger on the pulse, so to speak, and he will be aware that the Vandenreich are in Ireland. As long as we are here, his cowardly nature would suggest he would be unwilling to leave the Soul Society.

So, I propose a withdrawal of the majority of the forces here in Ireland, and make it very public. This news will filter through to the Soul Society, and my father would be inclined to return to Ireland. However, this may not be enough. That is why a small force will remain here and we will spread the word that I am to be executed for failing to catch my father. While my father would not attack if he was aware of a large force being here, the threat of my death would certainly make him attack a smaller force. He will undoubtedly leave the Soul Society. I can only hope that the remaining force should be able to defeat one, aged and old- fashioned coward, who no longer deserves to be a Quincy, let alone hold a Sternritter title.

This is my plan sir, after this, my father should be in your hands."

Fearlessness : 3/8

[Caesar]

[DM NOTICE] WE ARE SKIPPING SOME STUFF SO WE CAN GO STRAIGHT TO THE GOODS. You are free to react and the such to what is being posted but now it will become Linear and planned.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play Me}

"Sir, I fear I have done you a great injustice. Please accept my sincerest apologies." the Private took back his attitude and returned it with an apology. The tune of respect and obedience, around them many of the Quincy were going about their business. Ignoring what was happening above them. Caesar simply nodded, that was when John spoke the native tongue of German "Entschuldigen Sie. Du hast Recht. Ich bin töricht gewesen. Ich hoffe, dass du mir vergeben kann." He grasped John's shoulder and nodded "You're gesture was enough. This is appreciated." and then he let go, expecting John to have something to say "Sir, if I may propose my plan now? I have already given this matter some thought." his ears perked to listen to what the Private said. He was not disappointed, "With the Shinigami having undoubtedly realised our presence in Ireland due to that healer who we encountered, word will spread throughout the Soul Society. I have no doubt that my father is keeping his finger on the pulse, so to speak, and he will be aware that the Vandenreich are in Ireland. As long as we are here, his cowardly nature would suggest he would be unwilling to leave the Soul Society"

"So, I propose a withdrawal of the majority of the forces here in Ireland, and make it very public. This news will filter through to the Soul Society, and my father would be inclined to return to Ireland. However, this may not be enough. That is why a small force will remain here and we will spread the word that I am to be executed for failing to catch my father. While my father would not attack if he was aware of a large force being here, the threat of my death would certainly make him attack a smaller force. He will undoubtedly leave the Soul Society. I can only hope that the remaining force should be able to defeat one, aged and old- fashioned coward, who no longer deserves to be a Quincy, let alone hold a Stern ritter title. This is my plan sir, after this, my father should be in your hands." Caesar nodded for a few seconds and then turned around and gazed at the grand amount of soldiers, cleaning and performing other tedious daily maintenance of the Cathedral towards Der Kaiser. Towards their true God. He then turned around and stared John straight into the eyes "And you are sure, that this plan will work? That this will bring your father towards this world and we will have him captured? If you are confident this plan will work then so be it. I will relay the order that the majority of our forces here will withdraw. We will only leave a single squad, and that is for your protection." he turned to the crowds of hundreds if not thousands, making a single gesture of placing his hand into the air. Almost immediately immense ringing echoed through out the Cathedral. Loud brass bells only run three times.

But in the sequence of that three times, every quincy within the Cathedral had gathered in front of them, surrounding the stage with their heads bowed. "The time of Punishment is among us. We have the knowledge to bring a traitor back to this world, where he will be publicly executed for his crimes against the True God-King Der Kaiser. But this man is a coward and will not show with a large presence here. So all must return back to the Shadows of the Soul Society where we will return with the knowledge that a traitor has died. A traitors soul will be punished by Der Kaiser. You must all return to the world of Darknes at Once. But before you depart, recite." they all bowed their heads and spoke in complete and perfect unison. [smear:FF0000]"We Believe in holy servitude, under the watchful eye of Der Kaiser we will rise above the call of his magesty. And spread his words to those that have not been enlightened to his holy words. We believe in one God, the true being whose sheer perfection has given us a life to live again, his message has changed the lives of millions and continues to do so until the end of days. When he has descended from his holy throne and had began the transformation of this flawed world into a world of his image. We believe in the day when the world will be bathed in a fire of holy light. The cleansing of our sins, and the bringing into a world of perfection. We believe in the world to come, when we are free from the imperfection of life. And reborn into the holy world of Der Kaiser. Long Live Der Kaiser, his word is our orders. His breath is our life, his will is our life."[/smear:00FF00] When they were done, Caesar created the platforms made of reiatsu and decended the stairs, expecting John to follow. When they were at the bottom of the stairs he turned to John as the platforms disappeared "Child. Do you have trust in your own plan? with whatever response he gave, Caesar immediatley nodded. And suddenly darkness would overcome his face as his head would be covered in a black sack.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play me now}

Foot steps would occur and John would find that he was gently being pushed along four other people. Silent as could be, when they were outside. With the crunching of the snow bringing sound to the wasteland that was created by the Cathedral, suddenly crumbling was heard behind them. Hundreds of thousands of Quincies were gone, disappeared back to their homes. Caesar continued to walk him towards John's home town, because it was a small presense they did not fear being detected by the town, so as a result they used their step techique to get there faster. The moment the small group of five arrived to John's home town, Caesar's reiatsu had disappeared, it could not be sensed by anyone at that point. "When you arrive, you will not refer to me or speak to me until your father appears." he calmly spoke to John as he was being guided to the center of John's birth town, many people were gathering to see what was happening, suddenly he was brought to his knees without even removing the sack a voice began to speak, it was a different voice. A male voice that sounded as if he was in his early twenties. "The man that kneels before you is John Ryan. He is to be executed as ordered by Caesar, C, The Cardinal for failure of capturing the Traitor deemed to be named 'False Angel' he will be executed by the process of Crucifixion. Then there was silence, John would hear foot steps and murmuring in the background, but they would not get closer. The area around them was beginning to fill with attention, and as a result the word trickled down to John's father that his son was to be executed. After fifteen minutes of waiting, a doorway silently opened as a man that bore the likliness of John stepped through, though he appeared aged and weak, he still had a sense of power leaking from him. With his familiar voice he spoke outwards towards the men.

"Son! Son! I have come here to save you." the energy around them became heavy. The man was attempting to use gravitational pressure to scare away the Quincies that surrounded them but in return the grouped quincies would fight off the pressure and lessen it, the combined attempt to pressurize each other away would press down on John greatly, but it did not kill him. "Are you John's Father? Thaddeus? I presume? The Vandenreich have demanded that you be executed. Surrender now and we may promise you a quick execution." "You spout lies, you spout lies and go against the tradition of our Kind. The traditions that we have developed and created since the beginning!" John's father yelled back, by now the group of people that were watching the "execution" had fled, leaving them there. "Tell me, son. Why. Why do you continue to follow these People the sound of scorn echoed from his voice. He awaited his response. When he had responded, regardless of what he said, John's Father would interrupt him. "You soldiers make me sick. You do not know who you are dealing with! I was a part of the Quincy Old Guard! Do you hear me! I was revered as the most elite of our kind. You can not hope to defeat me with your mere power! Let my Son go and we will end this as peaceful as possible. You will leave and I will be sure to spare your lives.

Suddenly they heard footsteps, John would hear his father speak the following "You, old man. You look like you shouldn't be here. You're going to get hurt, run along before you get yourself killed." the moment he said that, an immense pressure crushed the previous ones. For a brief second, all but Thaddeus felt like they were going to die and still then it was clear by the stopping of his voice would John realize even he was afraid. "W-What are you!?" the hood was removed from John's head and the sight he would see was Caesar standing in front of them, he had not even drawn his bow, what Caesar was doing was crushing the area with only his Reiatsu Strength. Thaddeus drew his bow and aimed it at Caesar before speaking again "WHAT ARE YOU!? WHO ARE YOU!?" John would see around them a barrier composed of reiatsu was placed around them, the group had veils around their face and wore white cloaks, the tallest one held a hand into the air and the barrier was holding. They could no longer feel the pressure of Caesars Reiatsu while the man that was known as John's father felt everything. Caesar drew his breath in and stared at the bow before speaking "My name, the name I was given will never be known to parasites like you. The name you will know me by, the name that you will fear and dread is like yours." Caesar was calm, his voice echoing in everyone's ears. Thaddeus aimed the bow directly at Caesar before speaking "What the fuck do you mean!?" he launched the arrow, as it flew towards them. Before it had the chance to strike Caesar, he used his speed to dodge. As if he disappeared and reappeared a few feet to the left. "My name... As a Former Sternritter like yourself. Is Caesar, C, The Cardinal." the man's eyes began to widen as Caesar spread his arms as if making himself into a cross, from underneath the large brown cloak he wore five crows flew out and perched themselves onto Caesar.

These crows were pitch black and and bore red eyes, in a few seconds they flapped their wings violently, spreading a thick cloud of feathers to fill the air around them. Once there was a cloud, exactly five hundred crows burst from behind Caesar and flew everywhere, surrounding Thaddeus as screams of horror filled the air. These crows attacked Thaddeus and pecked at his flesh, but pulled nothing but but flesh made from illusions. After a few seconds these crows dispersed from the man and flew away, before exploding in the air. Thaddeus was curled in a ball, clutching his head A traitor to God's holy empire is a paraiste. A False Angel, you have been lead astray from the flock and have deserted what you were given. And with the power you were given. You chose to flee to the False Shepherds. You became tainted, you are no longer a child of God! But a disgusting freak!" Caesar spoke, even with power in it, he was gentle and did not raise his tone above a stern level. "By the power that has been given to me by our God King! I deem it worthy to sentence you to the ultimate form of punishment. 'The Angels Embrace' he stared at Thaddeus, who soon stood up. Caesar had stopped pressing his reiatsu onto the area. Allowing the man an "equal" fighting chance. "You are guilty of turning your back on God. For this Crime, you will be made an example of." and then went silent, the fight was about to begin.

[Hadrian J. Ryan Ⅻ]

"Child. Do you have trust in your own plan?"

"I do, sir. And I have faith that we will succeed. The will of my father cannot undo the Will of the Vandenreich."

Lack of fear made John complacent. Of course nothing would go wrong with this plan. Every action made by the Vandenreich would be perfectly in keeping with their character, while his father only needed to be the coward, which John knew he was, in order for things to play out perfectly. Since John had heard his father was in the Soul Society, he had envisioned something like this happening. Now the time has come... Am I able to pull this off?

The fearless side of him said yes. There was nothing else to be done. However, the real John wasn't so sure. He hated his father, that much was clear, but would he be willing to kill him? John thought back to his time as a child. The first memories which sprung to his mind were happy ones, ones of him and his father in the field at the dead of night, practicing and perfecting his Quincy powers. Those were good times... Would things have been different if he hadn't been so self-righteous?

And the memories took a turn for the worse. John remembered asking his father about other Quincy powers, and he remembered his father snapping. He felt the hand strike his face over and over. He heard the words 'stupid', 'ungrateful' and 'just a child' over and over again. He remembered being sad and confused, not understanding why he couldn't do the cool stuff anymore. He remembered his mother, totally disinterested in the turn of events. She placed no value in her powers, to her they were an accessory, like the jewellery she used to wear.

But he remembered that night, the school play. His father had sat there in the audience, watched as John's friends were slaughtered by the Hollow. John had always thought it was the Shinigami he had feared, but that was wrong. His father feared the Quincy, feared the Vandenreich. His own people, who he had turned his back on. He had let innocent people die to preserve his own life, he had let people die as a result of his cowardice. He had no excuse to live, he had to die. Or perhaps...

I won't intervene in the fight... I won't offer him the mercy he refused to offer my classmates... There was a justice to it, something which pleased John greatly. His father would die in the same way John's friends had died. Since that day, John had imagined that his father's death warrant had been signed, that his days were numbered. And this was it, the day of his execution. It was all going to end.

But first, his own 'execution'. John felt the hood pulled over his head. He did not fear the concept, not even irrationally. In a way he was annoyed, the Shinigami had stolen something from him. But this annoyance was just like an ember beside the roaring inferno that was his hate for his father. Nothing else was on his mind. This hatred was not borne out of fear of his father, as many hatreds are, but out of pure despise. His father represented everything which John hated.

They were outside. They were using a step technique. They were in a town, John could tell by the sound of cars and people. They'd better not fight here... No one needs to die today except my father. but they were inside now. Caesar spoke to him, ordering him not to reveal his presence. John tilted his head slightly to indicate he had heard. He did not utter a word. He hoped the gesture was visible with the sack on his head. Trivial details seem to matter a lot more when one is nervous.

Everything else was a blur. There were murmurs and whispers. Nearly everyone here truly believed that John was to be executed, only the small group of Quincies around him were privy to the detail that the execution was a lure. Someone gave the official speech, method of execution, name, crime, executor, all present and accounted for. Was this a test to see if John's father loved him? Yes, in a way. But even if he did come, that wouldn't absolve him of his crimes.

Or so John thought. He heard his father's familiar voice through the door, and his heart leapt. He did come! He did care! ...But it wasn't enough. He had to die. The wheels had already been set in motion. Next was the display of power, pufferfish blowing themselves up to try scare the predators away. Masses of spiritual pressure were being exerted on the area, John felt sweat forming from his body's efforts to resist it. Both displays were powerful, but it was Caesar's which put an end to it all.

Imagine... Just your very presence being able to create such obedience... Perhaps he could be like Caesar. John felt like a boy from a book. Perhaps the aged pathetic man who cowered before Caesar was not his father, perhaps he was really Caesar's son. The idea buoyed John, it was quite a thrilling prospect. Unfortunately, he would have to consign it to the realms of fantasy. Things were beginning to escalate.

And John could see. The hood was removed, and John watched as his father despaired before the crushing might of Caesar. Suddenly John could see it. His father did love him, but not enough. He had been willing to risk his life to save John, but only when he believed the odds were stacked in his favour. Now that the tables had turned, the only person his father was thinking about was himself. Of the two men, John felt more loyalty to Caesar. His father descended into hysterics while Caesar did not even lose his cool. John wanted to say something, to further his father's despair. The coward deserved it. But...

I'm not going to interfere... This is his battle. He deserves as much as help as he gave them that night. This will be the end of him.

There was a coldness in John's heart. Gone was the passionate hatred, instead cold fury. He was angry, yet he was emotionless. He was going to watch his father die. He had waited so long for this to happen.

Fearlessness 4/8

[Caesar]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play}

The two men stared at each other, one out of fear, the other out of disgust. Thaddeus was a cower by nature, while Caesar did what was necessary when it came to enforcing the word of Der Kaiser. These two were virtual opposites of the other, yet before they would have known each other's real name, they would have held each other with great respect, because a Stern Ritter meant they were important in the hierarchy of things. "You choose not to run. Good, if you were to begin running it would further push your punishment and cowardice." Thaddeus was a man of emotion, and as much of a coward he was he still had a small amount of pride. This pride resonated when it was put into question "You are the one that is a coward! Choosing to stick with the Vandenreich. They have lost their way. What promise have they given you for my head? A rank? Of what?" Caesar was silent through out his rant, and remained silent. Thaddeus calmed down a bit and realized that the fight had began and it was to the death. "I see. Then it leaves me no choice!" his voice quivered in fear, he was trying to act brave in front of his son. An attempt to show his son that he can be brave "Son! When I kill this w-weakling. I will Free you! And you will see how strong! I truly am!" the man yelled out at the barricaded group.

Then he released, in arrogance only releasing his first level of release, Caesar was smart, he knew what to do and what kind of things he had to do in response to another's actions. And he was confident in his ability to fight to withdraw actually releasing, instead he released Eigenschaft. The small bow composed of white reiatsu had selected top class, every arrow that he fired from here on would be considered class 1 yet had the cost of a Class 7 arrow. The traitor was the first to throw the first punch, with accuracy he quickly drew his bow and fired, exactly a hundred arrows were fired, in a row and in the shape of a continuous spiral. But Caesar had the supreme speed and the supreme ability to react, dodging each and every arrow with expertise. As each arrow penetrated into the walls and ground, Thaddeus was slowly losing hope that this was going to be a fast fight. Caesar drew his bow and fired it directly at Thaddeus, the basic class 1 arrow sped towards Thaddeus, with just enough instincts he had Hirenyakud out of the way, but The General did not stop there, drawing back the bow he fired it again, using his ability to analyze his opponent and predict what he was going to do next. This persisted for a few more seconds before Thaddeus stopped and stared deeply into Caesar's eyes. "Why do you fight for a False God!?" Caesar's eyes remained calm, though inside fires hotter than the sun burned in disbelief.

"Why do you choose to lay down your life for someone who does not care about you!? He has sent my own son to find and execute me because I saw the truth. Because I saw the true meaning behind his words. And they are all false!" Caesar was not fighting at his all, but this opponent was proving to be an annoying one. But it seemed that this man tried to wiggle his way out with petty negotiations. "You continue to disrespect our true God-King. You do not believe in his words, because you have not truly opened your hearts to His message. You try to Change my mind with weak words. You do not deserve a battle, you deserve an Execution." The air around them pressed down harder than before, it became clearer and clearer as Crows began to fly and flutter their black feathers everywhere. While Caesar did not express his annoyance and anger as clear as his actions did, it became clear to Thaddeus he had made a grand mistake. With a slow movement, Caesar immediately placed the smaller bow on its side and closed his eyes. After a second the bow shattered and reformed itself. Caesar had a rare means to release his second release because of the damage it can do, his level one could do deadly damage but his secondary release would truly destroy someone.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play Me now}

His secondary release took the form of Seine Pracht that has been composed of energy. It was opened in his arms, shaped to cradle it with much care and respect. Love and admiration, Caesar stared at Thaddeus, "You may not see what this is. But you will know from the basic phrase I speak." Thaddeus scoffed at the form of the bow, or he assumed this would be the strongest that Caesar had to offer. "This? This is your release? What a pathetic thing to see!" even with hot and false arrogance, Thaddeus was afraid, but he did what it took to seem confident. Caesar did not hesitate from there, without moving his eyes and without losing a single step in flawless memory, he recited the first line of Seine Pracht. In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was Law. And the Law was of Der Kaiser’s will." With each word spoke, a word rose from the book and fired directly at Thaddeus, aimed directly at his limbs. Becaust of the rate in which he spoke it, the traitor had less of a room to dodge, having resort to the maximum version of Hirenyaku and dodging arrow after arrow. After the phrase had all but hit it, it was clear that Thaddeus was tired from that bit of attacks. But Caesar was not done, he awaited his reaction and was pleased when he received it. His mask and cross began to glow a brilliant bright white as he absorbed more and more reiatsu.

"Impossible. Those were bits and pieces of Seine Pracht! But.. But How!!??" But Caesar was silent, he did not bother letting the traitor get a continued response. So he saved his breath for the power of Seine Pracht. He opened his mouth and spoke another verse "Der Kaiser, the Name above all, the Strength above all, the Mighty Warrior and Conqueror of Land and Sea. He is the True God, He is the Only God. Many tales of many gods arose, but Der Kaiser is the only God of Truth and of Reality, the gods of Imagination are like stones beneath the Diamond that is the God-King." This time, instead of a small amount of words firing, there was a larger amount. And the moment the word Diamond was spoke. The words had taken the shape and size of large perfected diamonds glistening in the air. With the same sense of dodging he was only capable of dodging the first half. The second half tore into his body, leaving varying sized holes on his arms and legs. The brown of his suit turned crimson with blood. But it was not the fact that he was bleeding, that John would see trouble his father. It was the fact that he clutched onto his head and screamed. "THE VOICES! WHERE ARE THEY COMING FROM! MAKE THEM STOP! MAKE THEM STOP!" the voices were the repetition of the same phrase. Because he was hit with half of it, it only repeated 181 times, the man clutched into his head and glared at Caesar in both anger and fear. At this point he continued to absorb more reiatsu, through the usage of his mask and cross.

"This is the power of our God King. The power that has been bestowed upon me when I was raised into the rank of General." but Thaddeus was deep into shock and fear to listen to any more reason. "YOU'RE A PSYCHOTIC KILLER. YOU SOLD YOUR SOUL FOR POWER BUT EVENTUALLY! EVENTUALLY YOU WILL BURN." but Caesar did not allow him the satisfaction of a reply. Caesar opened his mouth and spoke once more “You are the sow, and I thy Master. I am the Beginning and the Never ending. Come to me, those who are weak and weary, and I will purge thee of thy impurities." When the words "Purge Thee of Thy impurities" was said the arrows took on a bright white flame. This flame contained the ability that normally would have made someone stronger, but it was only rewarded to those that continued to serve their God King. Instead it did the opposite and made them weaker, because of the previous attack of arrows Thaddeus was too weak to even dodge properly, only dodging three beginning words. The rest penetrated into his arms and body, effectively destroying both of them. Riddled with holes his body burst into flames of holy fire.

It did not burn him, but greatly drained his strength. Making him feel weaker and weaker with every passing second. He fell into the floor, his hands and arms streatched out, too tired to scream but not yet dead. His body was bleeding profusely at this point, if they left him he would bleed out. At that point the fight was over, he stared at the group of Privates who dropped the barrier and approached Caesar, one of them respectfully bringing John to his feet. They stood before Caesar and knelt, Caesar calmly spoke a few more words "Out of his Bow came Truth, restoring the broken Man to the Glorious Light of Der Kaiser." the words immediately left the book and covered the wounds of Thaddeus, it did not restor or heal him. But it prevented him from bleeding out. Caesar then stared at one private and ordered "Return to the Cathedral and bring "His Embrace" he nodded before Caesar opened a portal into the shadows of the Soul Society. A few minutes later it opened again, with a captain, and three large muscular lieutenants carrying a large Metal Statue, standing over 8 feet tall that had a perfect resemblance of Der Kaiser. With metal chains at the attached to his hands, they were posistioned as if the hands were holding something with tender love, crossing over each other, his head looking down on what it was holding.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Now, Play me}

The lieutenants placed the statue at the center of where they stood and then dragged the traitor to the chains, dangling over the ground his eyes and strength were all but lowered, his breathing very heavy. Caesar stood by the statue, he had left his release and was calmly regaining his strength. A lever was visibile on the side, Caesar slowly pulled it and the arms of Der Kaiser's spread, spreading both the statues arms out and wide, and also spreading Thaddeus' arms, as if about to embrace something. He screamed with immense pain, forcing the wounds to open but the binds were there to prevent him from bleeding out. "Thaddeus. You are here on grounds of Execution for deserting your Rank and Your God King. There will be no judgement, for we have evidence and we have proof of your desertion. There will be no plea, or apologize. Your execution will be here, and now. The Executioner will be none other than..." Caesar glanced at John and motioned him to come forward to the devise "Your son... The person you so desperately tried to save, John." He stared at John spoke again "Ange of Der Kaiser. Son of God, are you prepared to punish those that have turned their back on the True God? Who so denies your desire for peace, and denies our dreams of a perfect world? Are you ready... to prove your worth to Him, and to your Brothers and Sisters who have laid their life on the line so Justice will be delivered?"

After John had replied, Caesar took a step back and allowed John to push up the lever, once that occurred large holes appeared on the arms and spikes slowly rose before slamming into His fathers, returning to the holding posistion. These spikes were medium sized, taking about 7 inches long with hooks at the end of them. These hooks penetrated and latched onto his insides, but it did not immediatley kill him. Caesar nodded again, indicating that he must pull the lever once more. But he was allowed last words, once pulled the arms spread once more. But the hooked spikes pulled his chest cavity open. It even spread his rib cage open, exposing and spilling out the majority of his internal organs. Thaddeus' eyes rolled to the back of his head and dropped down. The sight would be burned in everyones memory, a large statue opening its arms to embrace, with a dead man at the center of it. "It is a represenation of "falling out of Grace with God" a poetic death, deserved only to traitors of unforgivable crimes. They have in essense, fallen out." Caesar looked at the muscular men "Take this back to the Cathedral." they nodded, without resistance or effort they carried it, with the captain following behind. Caesar approached John.

Placing his hand onto his soldier and staring into his eye "You have done well. You have done what was expected. Like a child of our True God, you have proven your worth. We must return home, your trophy of killing the Traitor will be a reminder to those that have any thoughts on Betraying our God. In Justice and in Glory." he left off a spot for John to continue it, with whatever made sense to the quote. Once it was said, they returned to the darkness of the shadows. The Inescapable Hands of God has taken the life of a Traitor. Like it has in the past, and like it always will.

[OOC] John gets final post, reactions and all that nice jazz

[Hadrian J. Ryan Ⅻ]

His father was... pathetic. There was no other word suitable for describing him. He screamed insults at Caesar, insults that only applied to himself. He wasn't able to accept that he had lost. In a way, that made John sort of proud. But his father wasn't being brave, he was being desperate. He was like a cornered animal, attempting to put on an impressive display of strength in order to scare away a predator. There was nothing honourable in the way he was acting. John observed the fight, not letting a single emotion slip onto his face.

He was still kneeling, he had not even stood up after the other soldiers had removed his hood. It was strange. Part of him just didn't want to draw attention to himself. He didn't want to remind the other Vandenreich members that the man they saw before him was his father. It was like the feeling when one's father embarrasses oneself in front of classmates, except the feeling was far more acute. For everyone here, John's father was a man who represented everything they despised. An Angel who fell from Heaven.

"Son! When I kill this w-weakling. I will free you! And you will see how strong I truly am!"

John didn't miss the stutter. His father was too weak. A real hero wouldn't let his weakness show, even when faced with the greatest adversity. However, all the soldiers turned to face John, expecting a response. He bowed his head in shame. How dare he draw attention to John!

"You... You don't deserve to call me your son."

The words were barely muttered. There was a good chance he wouldn't hear them. In fact, John thought it was safe to assume that the only people who heard that were the Quincy standing closest to him. He didn't look up at his father, and kept his head bowed. He was staying out of this, just like his father had refrained from intervening when John and his friends were in danger. This was exactly what he deserved!

John's fists were clenched so tightly, the skin was stretched white across his knuckles. It was unlikely that they other Quincy would realise he was in such a state. He still didn't look up. He heard the pitter-patter of arrows, like raindrops, hitting the wall and floor of the room. It was pitiful, his father couldn't make his attacks even sound powerful. John took a brief glance up, looking below the line of his fringe.

Caesar stood there unscathed, a pillar of power and a paragon of devotion. Whereas his father stood opposite him, cowering in fear and cursing the Cardinal. But he had gone a step too far. He had insulted the Emperor. John knew his father had signed his death warrant. Caesar was not going to let that pass. His father was finished.

John watched as Caesar let his bow shatter, and in his hand formed something small. John couldn't see it properly because of the angle he was standing at, but he was aware of what it was. It was Caesar's Second Release. This was famous amongst the Vandenreich, as it was one of the greatest examples of just how devoted Caesar was to the ideals of the Empire of the Quincy. Its power was formidable, and difficult to deal with. Again, John felt his admiration for the Sternritter surge. Such power was the only way to end this bitter chapter in John's life.

And Caesar spoke, and his words reverberated around the room, filling it with a sense of power. John had not been aware of the massive Spiritual Pressure until it had increased, and now it felt like the air he was trying to breathe had liquefied. The weight in the room was effecting the other Quincy similarly. One of them had even gone down on one knee due to the strength of the power present. It swallowed everything else. John couldn't sense his father, nor the other Quincies. Only one person in the room mattered, and that was Caesar.

Each word struck his father, and slowly but surely, his mind began to snap. He began shouting, the insults and slurs against Caesar became more and more incoherent. There was a good chance there would be nothing left of his mind by the end of it. And John still didn't care. When you turn your back on everything you stand for out of fear, then you don't deserve pity, or mercy, or even just respect. His father had lost every ounce of respect John once had for him. He deserved this.

His father fell to the floor with a loud thud. John looked up, just about. He could see his father's hand, ruddy from exertion, with the veins showing through the aged, wrinkled skin. Pathetic. He had barely lasted three minutes. He felt something sticky touch knees, and nearly jumped up with revulsion when he realised it was Thaddeus' blood. However, one of the Privates took his arm and gently guided him up. John snatched it away.

"I'm fine!" he snapped, before turning back to him, immediately regretting his words. "I'm sorry...

He didn't say anything else. Caesar used some sort of technique to cover his father's wounds, preventing any more blood from flowing. John only caught snippets of what was said after that, he wasn't paying a huge amount of attention to them, he was just trying not to look at the body on the floor. They were bringing something called 'His Embrace'. John was familiar with the device, but he had never seen it used before.

When it arrived though, he was struck with awe. It was a statue of der Kaiser, or as close a representation as one could create of him out of metal. It was like he had walked into the room, and was watching them all. While his pose looked inviting and welcoming, the cold cruel eyes of the statue told a different story. This was a device for killing, it would be dishonest not to acknowledge that. His father was going to die here, in the arms of the Emperor he had betrayed. This was where it was all going to end.

John watched as his father was roughly raised onto the statue. While he moaned softly in pain, his wounds were held closed by the bindings Caesar placed on them. Even still, he would still die of internal bleeding even if they just left him. However, that was never going to happen. Caesar could now let no one but the Vandenreich kill his father, and only in the proper way. And John felt a dark thought grow in the centre of his mind. It's inevitable... They're going to ask me to do it...

Caesar said something, and beckoned John to come forward. Of course, the justice would seem pleasing to both Caesar and der Kaiser. How better to save the son from the sins of the father? John walked up, not saying a word, his head bowed. He felt as though if he opened his mouth, words of protest might stream forth. This had to end here and now, and if he had to do it, so be it. The lever stood resolutely in front of him.

This was a test of his devotion. If he couldn't do it, he would be killed. He had no problem with sitting back and watching his father die, but to take an active role in his death. Could he really do it? He didn't reply to Caesar's questions, but instead gripped the lever tightly. The cold metal felt almost refreshing under his sweating palm. He started weighing up reasons in his mind, trying to work out if he could really go through with it. But the only things that came to mind were the faces of his classmates.

They first appeared to him, perfectly intact and smiling. But slowly, they morphed into crushed faces with vicious wounds all along their bodies. The final face that swam into his vision was his father, staring dispassionately from the audience, his hand on Mother's arm, preventing them from taking action. It had to be done. He had to die.

John yanked down the lever with renewed vigour, not even looking up to see what his father had experienced. There was a sound of sliding metal, and a gasp of pain. A sound of blood dripping onto the base of the statue. Was he dead? A rattling breath indicated otherwise. John saw Caesar nodding his head at him. So I have to pull the lever again... John felt it was unfair. He had managed to build up the courage to do it once, and now he had to do it again.

But the memory of his classmates corpses strewn across the stage as they were desecrated and devoured by the Hollow was still the predominant image in his mind. His father killed those people, every single one of them, through his inaction. And so, for them, John would do it.

For Michael...

The lever moved a millimetre.

For Rory...

Another millimetre.

For Sam...

The lever was beginning to fall of its own accord now, trying to move onto the next phase.

For Shauna, Alex, Matthew, Louise, Ryan, Connor...

The lever clicked.

It was accompanied by the sound of something akin to cloth being torn, and the sound of liquid hitting the ground, like someone spilling soup. The smell was disgusting. John didn't look. He had done his part. He took a few shaky steps away from what he had done, before collapsing to his knees and retching violently. It wasn't out of regret, or even because it was his father. If John had seen that happen to anybody, he would have had the same reaction. Caesar approached him and said something, but again John didn't hear.

It's over now..

This was the only thing he could think of. Finally, his past had been laid to rest.

[Zou ۞]

There is actually no way that this thread was Hard difficulty. After reading through it, at best I would give it medium, but to a degree even that could be considered a bit generous.

That said, the character development of John Ryan was fantastic, and Amaya was pretty awesome here too.

Therefore, I'm going to bypass our normal reward standards, since, you know, I'm kind of admin and I can do that. +800 TP to John Ryan. +600 TP to Amaya.

DM does not qualify for thread reward, because adventure did not meet the minimum requirement of 3 pages for DM reward.