The Dark of the Jungle: Part 1 [Easy, NDE]

[Kazura Uzaki]

Name: [The Dark of the Jungle: Part 1] - The Adventure Name

Participants: [Anyone, Max 2] - Who can participate?

Location: [Land of the Living, African Jungle] - Where does this take place?

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

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

Plotline: [Something is stirring in the Land of the Living. Starting in Africa, the people have been noticing that the usual noise of the animals has been silent. Something is either scaring them away... or worse. The mission is to enter the jungle in the heart of Africa and discover just what is going on.] - Explain the plot of your adventure.

Estimated Enemy Strength: [5] 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: [3-4] - How many pages do you think this adventure will run for until it is over?

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

Special Conditions: [MAXIMUM CLASS 3, This is Part 1 of a mission series. Entering Part 1 does not require you to continue to Part 2, though you will get priority if you choose to enter it.] - Any special conditions, limitations, or other things.

[Souza Kuchiki]

"I was selected for this mission because I'm the best," Souza said. And he was. And he knew that he was. While it was rare for an academy instructor, such as Souza's Kido instructor, to suggest that a student try an actual mission, and recommend it to the family and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, Souza was an exception who had received this great honor. They were even considering providing him with early graduation because of his skill. He had been recognized for his greatness, and was going to be sent on a mission for the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, despite only being a first year academy student. Only...it hinged greatly on convincing his father to let him go.

"You are the most skilled," Sozen replied calmly from behind a desk. "I have never met a youth at your level, and there are but few in the academy at any level who can say that they are anywhere near you. Of those I have seen, only one or two are truly close to you. One could say that you are the best." Souza was hearing what he wanted to hear from his father. Gratification. Acknowledgment. Proof that he was the most skilled. Souza had never lost. Souza had always triumphed. Souza was always victorious. Therefore he was always correct. Souza was one in a thousand. No, one in a million. He knew it to be true. He was the best. As if anyone could ever rival him....

"I worry about you, nonetheless," Sozen told his son. "You are strong. You are skilled. But these are not the only traits required in a leader, or in a Soul Reaper. You must be pragmatic. You must learn to make judgment calls, and live with the consequences of your decisions forever. You must be mature and wise." Souza began to tune out his father right as the lecture started. The words entered his head, but he didn't mull them over, because there was no need to. Sozen was giving him the same babbling lecture as he once had before, already. And Souza would not have any of that. He was going to go on this mission. Anything he could learn, he would learn from experience.

"I am ready for it," Souza interrupted. Sozen sighed, and then closed his eyes. "Whether or not that is true, I will allow you to go. It is because experience will guide you and be your teacher. I trust on a mission such as this, you won't die. But I hope that you will learn that there are things far worse than death while you are on these missions. There are many things which you must learn, Souza..." But Souza had already started to tune out that part of what his own father was saying as well. All that he wanted to do...all that he cared about...was the mission. There was nothing but that. Nothing at all.

So Souza found himself ready, at the Senkai Gate, wearing a dark brown sleeveless leather vest, black cotton pants, and basic desert traversing shoes which weren't so different from what the Arrancar wore. His sword was sheathed on his back. He didn't know if he got any companions for the mission, but the guy who was supposed to let him through the gate hadn't arrived yet...typical peasant...Souza had to wait patiently for whoever it was so that he could be on his way. There was a lot to get done here. The mission wasn't going to solve itself. Souza would have to do all of the solving. Well, time to go. Here went nothing.

Stats/Skills will change during CIU, so will post shortly after.

[Iwamichi Saeke]

Iwa stretched and cracked the bones in her knuckles and neck. She was preparing herself for a mission, something she never had before. It was a mission, or a request, from Kazura, and she had to go all the way to Africa for it. She hadn't been to Africa before, so she readily agreed. Iwa relished knew experiences and new opportunities to grow stronger. In this particular case, she wasn't sure what she would be dealing with - Hollows, Shinigami, maybe nothing at all. She wouldn't mind if it was nothing, but she had a feeling that it was -something-. She got the report from Kazura - a whole jungle full of animals and they're all just silent.

She started pondering what it could all mean. From her experience with Hollows, she thought them to be noisy creatures: big, stupid, and wild. I guess these could be different... she thought. If it wasn't a Hollow, then what was it? Unfortunately, she had only heard of an Arrancar, never met one. She couldn't tell if it was one of its doings. Shingami activity seemed highly unlikely, although it was possible that they heard of the situation too and would want to send one of their own. She would have to be cautious. A shinigami was one of the last things she wanted to run into. She had a feeling they wouldn't get along.

Kazura had offered her a private plane, but she had refused. She had been all over the world without one already; therefore, she didn't need one now. It might take her a little longer, but at least she would get the job done. And, on her way she might encounter something just as interesting. But, of course, nothing like that happened. It was a boring trip. She often forgot where she had been and didn't bother to stop and observe the people from all the tiny villages she passed through. It took a couple days, but she made it. She stopped at the bank of a large river - maybe the Nile, she thought. Across this river loomed the dense forest.

She waited for a minute and concluded that what the reports had said were true. There was nothing: no sound, no movement, no voice. It was a little disconcerting. The river flowed silently without the noise of frogs or fish or insects. It was as if she had entered a world that was mute, or she had entered the world deaf. She took a step toward the river, walking across the top and barely disturbing the surface. As she approached the jungle, she could sense a heavy pressure, like a thick darkness. It pervaded the whole air. She beat against a nearby tree, but still, nothing stirred. No bird raised its voice or moved in protestation. She breathed in pure air one last time and marched into the dark of the jungle.

Stats and Skills:

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength - 160 (112) Points

Speed - 140 Points (100+40)

Spiritual Pressure - 195 (293) Points

Reiatsu Strength -100 Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct - 110 Points

Senses - 100 Points

Energy sensory - 10 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total SP: [815] Points

New Kido: (400 TTP to spend)
Hado #1: Sho - mastered = 20 TTP

Hado #4: Byakurai - mastered = 20 TTP

Hado #11: Tsuzuri Raiden - mastered = 20 TTP

Hado #32: Oukasen - mastered = 60 TTP

Hado #34: Kongobaku - mastered = 60 TTP

Hado #35: Raiko Kawa - mastered = 60 TTP

Hado #50: Mabarashi Dangan - mastered = 120 TTP

Bakudo #39: Enkosen - proficient = 40 TTP
Total TTP Spent: 400

Used SKP: 13/15

Abilities



Analyzing {2}

Lack of Fear {2}

Learning {2}

Strength of Will {2}

Martial Arts: Karate {2}

Focused Eye {1}

Damage Recovery {2}

Current SKP: 13/15

[Kazura Uzaki]

OOC: Posting order is loose for now. Meaning, if I've posted for you, you may post.

The Senkai gate would put Souza right at the edge of one of the most dense jungles in the country in Africa known as the Congo. While the region as a whole was full of life and population, this region in particular had been untouched by urbanization. The trees looked untouched by companies who needed their wood, the girth of the trees easily measured in hundreds of years worth of bark and wood. The first thing that Souza would notice, probably, was the silence. With the exception of his own footsteps and words, there was nothing to be heard.

The absence of sound also came with an absence of energy. Neither Souza nor Iwamichi would be able to sense any sort of reiatsu in the entire area. There were no Hollows to be sensed, nor any other sort of spiritual race. They couldn't even sense each other, even though they happened to be quite close in distance. Only about two miles of jungle separated the Shinigami and Rogue as they both stood at the edge of the area that was their mission target, which wasn't far at all. However, they had yet to see each other or sense the other, so for all intents and purposes, they would feel very alone.

As soon as they stepped into the jungle, they would feel an invader in their mind. A dark presence was casting a message straight into their brains, overriding any thoughts they would have with a single call. Turn Back... It would only last a few fleeting seconds, but would happen whether they wanted to or not. They could back out of the mission if it suited them, and turn back to their family and employer, but if they truly felt strong they could continue into the forest, which whatever awaited them in there.

?: 1

[Iwamichi Saeke]

As soon as her feet crossed that threshold, a sinister voice appeared in her mind. Turn back... Interesting. It sent chills down her spine, but in a good way - it meant that whatever was here was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. If she defeated it, she could prove her strength. Disregarding the warning, she trudged onward into the jungle. She NEEDED to see what was going on here. The heavy darkness she had felt earlier hadn't disappeared and although she could not sense reiatsu well at all, she knew she would find the source sooner or later.

Iwa unsheathed her katana and started whacking away plants and bushes to clear a path for herself. The jungle was full of life, even if it wasn't making any sound at the moment. After a while, Iwa stopped to think of a better strategy than just walking blindly through the jungle. It was better to conserve energy, figure out where she wanted to head first. Looking up, she tried to find the location of the sun. The trees proved to be a problem, blocking much of her view of the sky with their canopy.

She jumped into the trees and climbed to the top to get a better view. The sky was clear and the air less dense above the trees. Iwa could see the sun to her right; knowing that she arrived at some time in the morning, she inferred that that direction was east. Now that she figured out north, by finding east, she had to decide which direction to take. It was difficult because she didn't know what she was looking for. She needed to be practical and smart about this. After a short pause, she descended back onto the jungle floor. Even with her tramping through the trees, there was no animal in sight.

Iwa began to tire after a couple of hours walking through the thick jungle. It was probably best to rest for a while. She sat on the ground near the roots of a big tree. Looking up, she wondered again what could have happened here. If only that voice in her head would come back and tell her. It didn't sound very amiable, but it was better than nothing. Iwa rested her head against the bark of the tree and started to drift off like she always did - with her eyes wide open.

[Souza Kuchiki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Episode Opening}

---

Upon breaching the Senkai Gate and finding himself at the edge of the jungle, Souza's excitement started to pique. He had read up a great deal on jungles, but never before had he had an opportunity such as this one. To actually have a mission like this was pretty damn cool. He knew to be weary of exposed skin, of plants, and of insects and other smaller predators. Any large predator was something that he could handle. It was anything small or seemingly inconspicuous that should merit the most caution and attention in a jungle. This might just be a challenge, as a matter of fact. It was a way for Souza to test himself, and see how far he had come since entering into the academy.

His excitement didn't dim, even when the ominous voice invaded his mind, and he heard a threat. He had come prepared for anything, after all. Not to say that he wasn't surprised. He didn't show visible surprise, since there was nothing external happening. Internally, surprise dawned on him as the voice spoke, and he wondered about it. What a foolish threat, actually... Turn back...? Souza repeated in his head, hopeful that the voice might actually be able to hear him. What a mindless threat. It's useless to tell someone to turn back if there's no given reason for it. How can it even be considered a real threat if there's no way of enforcing it?

Inside of Souza's head, however, was Atsureki No Koe Ga, the white dragon. The lord of death, and the spirit of Souza's Zanpakuto, Atsureki No Koe Ga was offended by this voice's sudden intrusion, which had echoed within Souza's clouded inner world, and wantlessly treaded where it did not belong. It had invaded the space occupied by another. The white dragon, Atsureki No Koe Ga, spoke in Souza's mind. Who dares....enter my domain...? the dragon's voice boomed. So loud was the dragon's thunderous voice, that Souza felt it was possible that even the jungle presence, which he could not sense, must have heard it. Well, why not?

It was because of this happening that Souza started to feel quite isolated. He realized suddenly how alone he was in that forest. With nothing for company but conflicting voices in his mind, and no other company around, Souza realized that he was truly alone. And it enthralled him. Yes, he was finally alone...At last, without anyone and their stupid, whiny, miserable attitudes to have to deal with. At long last, without irritation from others. Yes...Souza was at last...in a peaceful place. With this, he could think more. He could postulate ideas and thoughts and reason! No more of that pesky chatter from other people always bugging him ninny willy diddy fiddy bitchy fuckery.

Newly freed, cold eyes fell on the dense jungle up ahead. Souza... the white dragon rolled from inside of the youth's mind. Ugh, how annoying...Why couldn't he at least let Souza have that peace? I want you to destroy the source of that voice. I want you to crush it... Souza actually feigned slight surprise toward Atsureki No Koe Ga for that. You speak as if I had not intended such a thing for its arrogant invasion of my mind already... Souza replied to Atsureki No Koe Ga, who remained silent in response to Souza, because of the youth's continued speaking. Well, thinking. Mental speaking. Kind of sort of. It was never going to survive against me. I have never lost at anything, and I never will.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}

Strength - [100] (70) Points

Speed - [270] (405) Points

Spiritual Pressure - [150] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [125] Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct - [100] Points

Senses [150] Points

Energy sensory - [40] Points

Healing Expertise - [40] Points


Total SP: [975] Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Skills}

[Weapons: Swords] {2}

[Battle Analysis] {2}

[Pain Tolerance] {2}

[Analysis] {2}

[Battle Focus] {2}

[Charisma/Leadership] {2}

[Kazura Uzaki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Ominous Music}

With Iwamichi and Souza both entering the jungle at separate locations, when they had traveled just a short distance they would start to notice something. There were no animals to be seen, nor jungle noises to be heard, not even the sound of wind through the trees or the rustling of leaves beneath their feet. In fact, if they tried to speak out loud after entering the jungle, their voices would be silent. Their lips would move, and they would feel their vocal chords form the words and cause the vibrations, but the air stole away the sound of their talking.

As they continued through the jungle, each of them would come across a clearing. It wouldn't be the same clearing, but it looked the same. It wasn't natural at all, looking as though something had exploded out of the ground and burnt up the jungle underneath. Even the roots of the uprooted trees were showing, well, the roots that had survived the blast. Something had come up from deep under the ground, uprooted all the trees in a thirty foot radius, and pushed them outwards and set them on fire.

The ground started to shake, and out of the wreckage of the jungle emerged a filthy hound. Both Iwamichi and Souza would be staring at a misshapen beast that was five feet tall when it was leaned over. Its scaly hide was burnt and scarred, and its back had five sharp spikes protruding from it. This hideous creature walked on two legs, while it had four legs attached to its body. As if there was another figure stuck into its rear, it had two limbs flopping uselessly about as it walked about.

With a roar, the Hound suddenly appeared to Souza and Iwamichi. While it had been emerging from the ground it hadn't existed to their spiritual sensory, suddenly it could be felt. It wasn't strong, but it suddenly existed to their ability to sense reiatsu, where before they were looking directly at it and felt nothing. Not to mention, as it roared they could physically hear it. If they made any attempt to talk, their voice would still be unheard, but this hound could clearly be heard. It started to charge. The beast was incredibly fast, and immediately upon starting to run it caught on fire. It was charging like a kamikaze, headed straight for them with flaming mouth held wide open.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Hounds}

Welcome to the Jungle of Hell Beasts



Class 6 Hason, Rank 1 Runner Type



Strength - [100 x.5 (50)] Points

Speed - [250 x2 (500) Only when Running] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [100] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [50] Points

Light Aura - [0] Points

Dark Aura - [100] Points

Instinct - [50] Points

Senses - [50] Points

Energy sensory - [0] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [600] Points

?: 2

[Iwamichi Saeke]

Iwa had started walking again and, fortunately, finally found something interesting after just a little while. She came across a clearing, if that's what it could be called. It was more like a disaster zone. The ground and trees were burnt and charred: a gloomy picture. She began to wonder what was the cause. Could a Hollow do this? Maybe, but where was it? What was the purpose of clearing this spot in particular? As she meditated, a disturbing figure popped into view. It was almost literally "popping" into view since she couldn't see it before. She couldn't sense it at all. And now, it was letting out a monstrous roar and setting its sight on Iwa.

There were way too many limbs on the back of this creature; it looked dog-like, but there was no way it could still be a dog. It was gross, that's for sure. Iwa wasn't scared of the thing, but she didn't like looking at it though. It snarled and burst into flames. Flames? That might be able to explain the damage around her. Where had it come from? That was an important question for Iwa to figure out. Before that, however, she needed to dodge that missile hurtling toward her. It's speed was incredible and she wasn't sure if she had the speed to dodge it completely. Well, she did have shunpo.

So, that's what she did. She used shunpo to step away from the creature, a good 10 meters in the opposite direction of his run. Now, that she was at an advantage, she got ready for her own attack. Pointing in the direction of the hound, she let off a blast of reiatsu. "Hado no yon: Byakurai!" Iwa aimed this shot perfectly so that it would go straight through the creature's butt. She figured that it ran like a dog, which would mean that her shot would go through its anus and whole torso. Maybe she could hit the heart. Either way, this was the way she could do the most damage to it.

There was a chance that it would not be dead. Oh well, she would prepare for another attack. She would make sure it was finished, then examine the body to find any leads. The hound let out another loud roar. Then, it dawned on her. Why could she hear it? The rest of the jungle was absolutely silent, but this.... was perfectly heard. Whatever was going on, this thing had not been affected. Iwa couldn't imagine it being the cause of everything; it was probably just a henchman. Great, now she had another mystery to solve. Whatever, she would figure it out. At least she had found something really interesting to examine.

Remaining Reiatsu: -50 for shunpo -25 for byakurai = 2855 / 2930
Life Force: 2930 / 2930

[Souza Kuchiki]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

What is that...monstrosity? Souza asked himself hurriedly. His thoughts started flashing very quickly. This was real, actual pressure. It was an actual enemy, and it was unlike anything that he had ever seen before. It was big. It was aggressive. And it was deformed. It was a hideous, disgusting monster! Ugh, how unsightly...What kind of thing could this be? A Hollow? Hell no. Not even Hollows looked this bad. This thing was just gruesome to look at. Souza almost felt like his eyes were insulted just by looking at the damn thing. Ugh...ew...What the fuck? Actually, forget it. Souza didn't even want to look at it anymore. But unfortunately he had to actually focus on it...because it was about to charge.

It roared, then, and he noticed something peculiar. While walking, and before finding that clearing, Souza had noticed the silence. Not a sound came from his breathing. From his footsteps. From anything, really. It was disorienting. All that he could hear were his thoughts, and those of his Zanpakuto, the white dragon. Not even his beating heart was something that he could hear. The pressure had been building since then, and accumulated up to this point where Souza could hear the monster before him. He could hear it. It could make sound, while he could not, and nothing else could. This was real, actual pressure. It was an actual enemy.

...It was an actual enemy. Suddenly, Souza felt free. He suddenly realized something...He understood beyond all else that rules had suddenly been restricted. He had faced real enemies with no constraints before, such as Kazura Uzaki. He had ignored the rules before, such as against Jagger Kawada. But here, at last, Souza was all alone. No spectators. Nothing to hold him back. It was then that he realized something marvelous. Yes, it was so perfect...Ahhhh...the freedom was so good. Why hadn't he realized it immediately upon seeing that hellish, weird fucking dog thing? Yes, Souza could slice and kill... He could go all out if he wished, and without restraint.

Souza's eyes focused in. He watched the creature carefully, and his mind went to work at brilliant speeds. Souza had started planning ahead as soon as he saw it. It was a predator, meaning that no matter how deformed it was, it was probably a monstrosity in the physical domain. Souza's best play would be to anticipate. So he anticipated. He watched, and waited until it was moving. Then, he timed it. When it was running forwards, he stepped to the side. There was enough distance that even though it was faster than him, a fact he noted duly and regarded as important, since very little could brag about that. Okay, all of that talk, and something had to happen, right? Ugh, too much exposition!

Souza side stepped, but timed it until the creature was lunging for him. It had to focus its mass to actually attack, such as for example ramming him, or if it wanted to leap at him. It didn't matter if it actually leaped or not. It just needed to be getting close and ready to strike. There would be a point when all it used to walk would momentarily be removed from the ground. Souza used that to his advantage and side stepped, and then in a single swift motion as he side stepped, drew his sword and cut into the mid section of the monster. His goal was to sever it and kill it in one attack by leaving it split into two pieces. Two halves to be shown that Souza was a monster himself.

[Kazura Uzaki]

Iwa dodged around her hellish enemy quickly and hit it with a bolt of lightning that did go straight through it. However, the creature was not exactly defeated as the simple bolt of lightning did not do nearly enough damage. The hound reared upwards and turned around to try and stomp on her, not realizing that she was behind it farther than it expected. It wasn't used to being hit by ranged attacks from behind, so it missed in its attack. Angry at having missed, all of the flames covering its body moved to its head and turned blue with all the focused heat.

With another roar, the Hound facing Iwa launched a big ball of blue flames at her, making it no longer covered in the heat, but threatening to char her flesh if she wasn't careful. Meanwhile, Souza with his superior speed had severed the hound down the side. Some of the hot burning flesh would heat up his blade, but not so much that it would hurt Souza or even effect him. Wounded and bleeding a black thick liquid, the hound also gathered up his flames and fired them point blank at the Shinigami's back in an act of desperation.

As the hounds were no longer acting in near unison, both Iwamichi and Souza would be able to hear the roars of the hounds that they were not fighting at present. They would be tipped off that they weren't quite alone in this forest. Whether or not they guessed that there was two invaders in the forest, or the hound in the distance was merely roaring at something else lurking about was up to them to figure out.

?: 3

[Iwamichi Saeke]

So, the hell-hound-thing didn't die from her attack. That's alright; she hadn't fully known the level of power the byakurai could do until this point. It did anger the best though. She was far enough away from him that he couldn't counterattack. Of course, she had thought of that ahead of time, but it probably couldn't think so astutely. It geared up for another attack, firing a huge ball of hot blue flame in her direction. Iwa knew that she couldn't let that hit her. It would be too troublesome to unseal her Bakkoto for THIS monster. She wanted to beat it without that power - conserve reiatsu and still practice without needing it. Iwa immediately began the move she hoped would slay the wretched creature.

The ball wasn't moving too fast, so she stepped to the side to avoid its range. Then, she did a shunpo to quickly bring her close to the animal. While she did so, she stuck out her katana horizontally. As Iwa came upon the creature, she timed it so the blade slipped right under its jaw. Then, she slashed the blade upwards. With her strength and speed, increased by the momentum of the shunpo, Iwa thought she had enough force to rip the hound's head clean off its neck. It was a simple maneuver, especially because the beast would not be able to dodge or think rationally. She already knew that her shunpo was too fast for it. It didn't matter how evil and disgusting this thing was: it was no match for her.

If she finally killed it, she would then continue to examine the beast's body. What could it tell her? Hopefully something about this place. As she examined and pondered its existence, she would hear a loud cry ring out somewhere far from her location. Another hound? What was it doing there? Maybe it had appeared in response to her slaughter of the other beast, and it was coming for another round. But, did it actually roar after she killed the beast, or did she just not give it much thought because she had been focusing on something else. Although Iwa liked to think she was always keenly observant, it could be possible. All she knew at present was that there was another hound out there - either for her or someone else.

It would be nice if she didn't have to meet anyone else. She liked doing things alone, fighting by herself. If this was a shinigami, it would make everything more complicated. Iwa thought back to a previous experience: she had met a couple shinigami, but they had no idea she was a rogue. Her bakkoto did look like a sealed zanpakuto, and to those who couldn't sense reiatsu very well, for all intents and purposes she WAS a shinigami. Iwa resolved to try and keep that facade if the time came when she would need it. Not that she would SAY she was a shinigami, but she just didn't have to say anything - she could let the other's assumptions stand. There wasn't another roar to be heard after a while. So, she assumed that 1) it was dead or 2) it was going to pop up again - somewhere.

Remaining Reiatsu: -50 for shunpo 2805 / 2930
Life force: 2930 / 2930

[Souza Kuchiki]

Souza glanced back and kept an eye on his fiendish enemy after severing it in two...not that he needed to, of course. Naturally, Souza had beaten it. Ha, what a stupid animal. Did it really think that it could challenge him? It lacked proper instincts. Hahaha. If it had had better instincts, like most animals possessed, it would have immediately sensed the danger of engaging with Souza. Most animals could detect when others were superior to them, or were predators. Souza was a predator preying on monsters like that one, as it had just found out. He kept his eyes on it and continued to demean it in his mind as it landed in two pieces behind him and skidded along the ground.

Souza noted with an ironic smirk that it bled black blood. Father would be displeased. No red? I'm almost disappointed. Black blood was such a cliche... The monster wasn't exactly finished yet, though. It was, but it had another desperate attack to make. It opened its mouth wide, and the fire on its two halves converged on only a single half and turned blue. Souza's first thought was one of surprise. Blue flames? It might be cold fire, that flame which his father had spoken to him about. It was the flame of Zouma Santeku, which father had extinguished eternally with the life of the former Vizard Leader. Souza, though, recovered quickly from his surprise.

It didn't matter. It was unlikely, on a monster as low level as this one. Even if it did have it, it didn't matter. Souza was going to be able to evade it. Souza... the white dragon's voice boomed inside of the student's head as a warning to him about the incoming attack. Since he saw it in the eye he had kept on the monster, it was easy to step far to the side with his speed. He stepped aside and let the fireball pass harmlessly over where he had stood a second before, only to miss him completely. The fire disappeared into the forest and ignited a single tree in the distance. Souza's eyes narrowed in irritation.

Silence, he commanded his Zanpakuto spirit. As if I would be struck by an attack such as that one. Souza marched up to the creature, and as he did, he heard another one in the distance. The roar echoed, and he knew that this one wasn't alone. Maybe he had triggered it with his victory, or maybe Souza wasn't alone either, because perhaps of enemy or of friend. Well anyway, Souza stabbed the tip of his sword into the monster's head to finish it off, if it hadn't already bled out and died. It was possible that final sounds might be made by the thing as it died, and this could be what Iwamichi had heard earlier.

Souza paused and looked up after that, and thought. Should I pursue it? Of course he should. Why would he even question that? It was the only real lead, anyway. Souza started to go from branch to branch, moving toward it. The sound had sounded fairly close. At least within a mile. Souza, being as fast as he was, even when holding back some speed as he was when running branch to branch would be able to get there pretty quickly. Souza would arrive around the time Iwamichi dealt with her monster and killed it, or a little afterward, while she was investigating it, or pondering the sound that had been made by his own monster.

When he arrived and saw her and the other clearing, Souza stopped. First thing, he couldn't detect her reiatsu. Second thing, he was out of sight, and remained hidden in one of the branches. He wanted to stay stealthy for a bit. He wasn't entirely sure that she couldn't sense his reiatsu as well. Despite the fact that she looked like a Soul Reaper, something was off to Souza. First, he hadn't heard any details about another Soul Reaper going on this mission. This was to be his alone. Second, she looked fresh. She hadn't been here for much longer than Souza, or if she had, she had been here long enough to rest, but would have sent a summary if that was the case. She was operating independently, by Souza's hypothesis and analysis of the situation.

Further analysis brought his eyes to her sword. It looked like a commonday, typical Zanpakuto, but he knew that it wasn't one. It was well crafted. Most Soul Reapers would not have been able to tell the difference, but for that Souza was a noble. He wasn't just any noble, either. He was a Kuchiki, and was the Kuchiki Heir. Not only did he have intimate knowledge of Soul Society from all of the archives of the Kuchiki Family, which was directly related to Squad 6, The Information Dissemination Division, but he also knew of all things which were related to nobility. He knew the slogans, sigils, histories, names, figureheads, advantages, and disadvantages of all of the other noble families. As did any Kuchiki.

It wasn't only the way it was designed, and the meticulous style of craftsmanship which stood apart even from that of a Zanpakuto. No, Souza, from up close, could have gotten it from that, but from the small distance between himself and the female Soul Reaper would probably have missed it. What truly tipped Souza off was the wrapping of the hilt, and the small marking on the bottom end, or butt of it. No one who had noble blood could mistake that sigil. It was of the Kasumi'Oji Family: One of the four great noble families, and also the one disgraced forever for its criminal activities, and its dabbling in magics it should never have, most notably the creation of the Bakkoto.

Bakkoto were completely illegal in the Soul Society. She's not part of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads... Souza thought to himself, observing carefully. No one could get away with actually owning a Bakkoto and still being around. Not with Squad 7's Captain as the policing force in the Seireitei and the rest of Soul Society. The white dragon perked up in interest. I see...Another kind of weapon... Atsu No Koe Ga thundered. Tell me, Souza...Do you feel threatened? The Kuchiki Heir stiffened. His eyes turned cold. Silence, he said. Know your place, lizard. The dragon laughed in Souza's head and he continued to watch Iwamichi.

[Kazura Uzaki]

Kazura and Iwamichi both dispatched their hounds quickly, going straight for the lethal blows to the head rather than the big fleshy sides. As soon as the Hason's life was extinguished, their body turned into flakes of black reiatsu, leaving an emaciated figure that looked a lot like a Shinigami. The figures looked up at the student and Rogue, with gaping empty sockets where their eyes should be. It wasn't long before that body too turned into black flakes of reiatsu and dissipated on the breeze.

As Souza watched Iwamichi, he would only get a split second of a glimmer of reiatsu before something charged into his back. Another hound had appeared, and had attacked in the way Hason were particularly masters at. This hound had attacked by surprise, using its natural cloaking abilities to be undetectable by reiatsu until the very last moment. And as the sounds of its running footsteps were completely silent, the student would have very very little time to react at all.

Whatever the Kuchiki did to deal with the hound, when it was dealt with by Souza or Iwamichi, a message would appear in their minds, much like the first one. "You ignored my first warning..." If Souza retreated into his inner world, he would see nothing, however, Atsu No Koe Ga could see everything. The dragon would see a dark shadow in the corner of the horizon. The shadow took the form of a cloaked figure, with the ends of the cloak spreading far across the mountaintops that it hovered over.

The hood of the cloak was down around the shoulders, but still no face could be seen. There was no head to this figure, yet words continued to echo across the landscape, filling Souza's head with the same words. "I told you to turn back, and you did not... Now, you shall be food for His Minions." Iwamichi would hear these same words, and the parasite slumbering behind her eye patch would squirm each time a syllable was spoken. It did not like to have its thoughts invaded in such a way, and felt quite violated. Whether or not Iwa felt the same way was up to her, but regardless of her thoughts, the hounds attack on Souza should alert her to his presence quite assuredly.

?: 4

[Souza Kuchiki]

The world was soundless, but not breathless. Souza exhaled silently, since silence was his only option, and for a second ceased to analyze Iwa. He didn't take his peripherals off of her, because what kind of idiot would actually do that, but he did ease up on his focus for a second or so. He had gotten a lot out of a couple of seconds of looking at her. He was going to have to decide how best to approach her, or if to stalk her silently. Souza knew that right now, he didn't have the stealth based abilities to track her and remain undetected for long. So far, the only reason he had done it was because he knew the soundlessness would make it difficult, maybe even impossible to detect him anyway as long as he kept distance.

While resting from analysis, though, Souza encountered a creature. He noticed it in a few of the more conventional ways. With the instinctive prowess of an athlete and the senses of a wild animal, Souza wasn't too bad with his sensory options, not that he needed a lot of that for the monster that was coming. It may not make sound with its footsteps, but it did give itself away in other ways. For one, Souza, like any living creature, could feel the vibrations of something moving. He wasn't sure what, but he felt it resonate through his tree, which was very close to the last one to have been stepped on. From that, he knew something of a fairly large weight was approaching.

Also, try as it might, the hound couldn't hide the displaced air from its leaping movement. Souza felt the gust of air and knew something was attacking from behind him. And, also, try as it might, the hound couldn't hide the shadow it cast as the light struck it, and it appeared behind him, leaping, ready to attack. Souza could not only feel the looming shadow cool the space around him briefly by blocking direct contact with sunlight, but he could see the shadow cast over him. There were three signs which told him even without sound that something was coming, and a quick glance in his peripherals made that obvious as well. He had been in instinct mode, with few to no distractions anyway. Dispatching this wasn't difficult.

Souza turned around and stood up on the branch. All in one fluid motion, he stood up and hacked the monster in half as it passed him. He had side stepped it and cut it in half, just like he'd done with the first hound to attack him. None of them were very bright. Ha, to think this was the level of enemy! It was smarter than the other one. This one had attacked from behind, and with stealth. It still lacked intelligence or cunning, though. This was obvious. It had thought to use an immediate physical attack from up close on Souza, despite his clear success earlier against the first predator. These things should have learned from watching their comrades get bisected like that.

Unfortunately, Souza couldn't do anything to silence that roar, which would tip off Iwa to his presence. Souza's eyes narrowed from irritation as this happened, and as he side sweeped the in motion, momentum-born hound that he cut in half for being foolish. The branch shook, and started to crack. It was in danger of snapping if any halves of the hound fell on it, though with that motion it probably wasn't going to. Souza was on the strongest part of it, and he was light, so it wouldn't break from just him. His position had still been given away though. Stealth had been killed. He was annoyed. Why the fuck did this happen?

Then it resonated in his mind again. That voice. That annoying, pesky fucking voice...Souza's temper started to flare. You've gotten carried away... Souza thought in his mind while Atsureki No Koe Ga roared at the invasion of the host's inner world. Souza was mentally speaking back to the thing that was speaking to him, of course. You can't get rid of me with low level tactics such as this. If you're going to tell me to leave, you need to make me do so yourself, if you think that you can handle it. Well, Iwa was also sure to notice something by now, too. Souza had to contend with that in a second. Annoying...

[Iwamichi Saeke]

Iwa was glad that disposing of the fell creature was pretty simple. She didn't have to release her Bakkoto, which was always helpful. Iwa proceeded to watch the creature in its final moments. The entire body changed - it looked like a human skeleton. Also, it looked like it stared at her, even though it had no eyes at all. Well, Iwa knew what it was like to have an empty eye socket - and to hide something there too. It emitted black reiatsu, but she didn't think it would threaten her at all. And, just like that, it dissipated. It was gone.

Unfortunately, there wasn't any body to examine for clues or anything much to tell her about those things. She got a glimpse of it as it died, but that was all. What information had she gathered up to this point? The entire jungle was silent, there was a mysterious voice in her head for a second, a weird demon dog attacked her and exploded into flames, and the jungle had been burned by, most likely, those creatures. Not much there. All circumstantial stuff and no answers. Like, where did the creatures come from? She should probably start there.

As she was thinking this, she noticed a blur of movement in the trees across from her. Then, a loud roar pierced the air. Great, another of the beasts. Another glance showed her that she was not alone anymore. A boy hopped into the trees, slicing a mound of the beast's flesh before his ascent. The hound howled in pain. So, the hound had not meant to hit Iwa but that kid. She was internally grateful for that because she hadn't noticed the creature in the slightest. A quick inspection of the boy disappointed her. He was a shinigami, no mistaking it. What she DIDN'T want to run into...

His eyes were cold and disdainful. She could guess that he came from one of the noble families. Or, he just thought of himself of higher rank than he was. Iwa took her mind away from him for a moment and focused on the monster. He was in pain, but she couldn't tell if he was dead yet. She wanted to make sure. getting a running start, she pushed off the ground and jumped high into the air. As she came back down, she plunged her sword right into the beast's head. She thought that's where the brain might be.

It roared again, but she was pretty sure it would not live any longer. Drawing her sword out once more, she hopped onto the jungle floor. Of course, she put some space between her and the beast, in case it exploded into flames or something. The beast died in the same fashion as the others - interesting, but not very helpful to her. Iwa decided to sheath her katana. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to get into a skirmish with the shinigami. She had a job to do, and that was not messing with the Soul Society.

Staring back at the boy, she wanted to say "Who are you?" But nothing came out... Well, why was she surprised? Everything else was absolutely silent. She didn't like talking much anyways, so she shrugged it off. Maybe he could read her lips. Anyway, they weren't going to be carrying on any conversations. Then, she heard that voice again. This time, it was a little more annoying. Of course they hadn't taken the warning seriously. Who was this voice anyways? Was it friend or foe? That was an important question.

The parasite under her eye patch squirmed for a while. It was making a large fuss because of that voice. Well, she didn't necessarily like her thoughts invaded either, but this thing was less patient with things like this. It was pretty angry, and it was all she could do to hide it from view. It wanted to come out so bad... She willed it to calm itself. Now was not the time. Especially with that shinigami watching her over there. Could he tell she was a rogue? Maybe. Maybe not. Now was not the time to focus on such things.

The voice had said something interesting, even if it was intrusive. "Food for His minions" it said. Who was this He? The minions, she assumed, were the hounds. Unfortunately, she had more questions now. But, she had a new direction to take her inquiries. If she found out who "He" was, she might fix the entire problem. Where could she search for this person/thing? Ugh, another question. Whether the shinigami had come out of the tree or not, she turned back to him. She had to wonder if he was going to help or hinder her.

If they were there for the same purpose, shouldn't they just (how could she mention this?) team up? She didn't care if he rejected the idea, but how would he respond? She couldn't talk, so she decided to use gestures. She motioned to the both of them and pointed in a random direction. That was if to say, shall we look over there or something? Could he figure that out? He looked like just a boy, so maybe this was a bad idea. Whatever. She just needed to do this job and get out.

Remaining Reiatsu: 2805/2930
Life Force: 2930/2930