What Lies in Darkness [DE | R] !OSEN ACTIVE!

[Adrastos]

"Axios... Axios... AXIOS.... I. Am. Worthy." The sound of beating drums and clash of steel against steel. Gnashing of skulls and teeth against fists and shields was splendid. Memories from a long forgotten past came clashing into the for front of the Adjuchas' mind. His adrenaline reached the pinnacle of its intensity. He knew this sensation all too well to not cease this opportunity. Dire was the situation. Adrastos' body mangled with broken bones and blood oozing lacerations. Garret proved to be a subject that could really have the creature's blood running as it did in the past.

The smell of sweat and blood staining steel matched the aroma of war. That sweet smell of carnage was something that he had been looking for his entire existence. He deemed it impossible to allow such a moment to escape his grasp. To early say as the being that use to be human vanished from his sights once more. Yet, it appears that he remained perfectly still until the sheering pain throbbed up the side of his left eye. Naturally the he snarled, snapping out of carnivorous instinct at what was suppose to be there, yet nothing resided. Originally all creatures have use of a spare eye. Its conventional uses allowed a better insight as to what occurs on the battlefield. Adrastos lacked the full use of his right eye.

That little handicap prevented the beast from truly locating his target with keen accuracy. He had little use for that since he considered all to be beneath him and had no friends. As such, he made full use of his berserker like nature. From a clear vision of what lied before him was now obscured with blots of red that clouded the natural clean slate of his iris. A ruined arm, numerous puncture wounds that was more than enough to bring down a horde of of Hollows, and stamina sapped from a hungry armor. Adrastos had literally become a living example of a walking wreck. And he loved it.

The only means to bring his mind back to reality was the fact of flaring reiatsu taking place behind his staggering form. What the hell was going on? But a roar shortly followed the uproar that gave the beast the whim to face bout towards the two conflicting reiatsus. Obviously what would be seen were two silhouettes shrouded by blood in his eye. However, that bestial cry reminded him of the hordes of raging legions that came about onto his position. Back then he had allies, those who were just as vigorous as he was. All of them ready to die for the glory of battle.

Suddenly, the sound of tearing Earth tore through the immediate vicinity from the Adjuchas' dragging foot. To replace the sound of fist against shield did the King of Beasts beat his foot into the ground. He wanted more. His desire to relive those moments of the past came surging back one piece at a time. That desire was what separated him from other Hollows. Never before did a Hollow emerge to satisfy the craving of battle of its own free will. For Hollows it was a strive for survival, for Adrastos it was necessary to grow and develop oneself naturally. Spartan child were often removed from their families in order to begin their training as warriors. To preserve their home of Sparta. From birth Adrastos was raised to fight, he was raised to declare war against those around him.

Axios He survived against other children and the very nature of the world he was plunged into. Trial after trial did the child prevail and went on to don the red cape of the soldiers that fought and died before him. That honor and glory continued on down the line into his generation. Even as he well in defeat, he was victorious. Even Hollowed, that fire continues to burn within. "A...AXIOS." the creature cried out in defiance as he entered into a sprint. Unlike other warriors, unlike other Hollows that Garret's darkness had come to face, none compared to his spirit. For the greater the adversary was, the stronger his will became to face it. He hungered for it.

Yes, it was in his nature. Jagged and broken teeth ripped open from the blood infested mouth to bare down at the metal Hound. His entire being enticed at a foe that injured him, that done so much onto him. He relished in that fear, in that pain. More is what he wanted. Though those broken jaws were not meant to bite into its body, more to grip onto his body. He wanted to ruin that metal chassis and continue to war with what it was that stood before him.

SPOILER: Click to show

{New Stats}

Berserker Stats

Strength - 350 *[150%] = 875

Speed - 200 [50%] = 100

Spiritual Pressure - 200 [50%] = 100

Reiatsu Strength - 150 [50%] = 75

Light Aura - 20 Points - 20 = 0 Light Aura

Dark Aura - 80 Points + 60 Dark Aura (From Noriko's Release)

Instinct - 100 Points

Senses - 200 [50%] = 100

Energy sensory - 50 [50%] = 25

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total SP Points = 1250

[Noriko 'Asuka"]

Shiryou had been a foolish little doll. Wandering about without a care in the world, who spent a majority of her meaningless existence prattling about as though life itself would not have come to an end. Dib dab a single finger into a pound like the child she was. With no mind to truly understand how the world truly operated. Its mechanics forever beyond her understanding. Whimsical in every sense of the word, but even more arrogant than a new born gazing about at a world of wonder. A world filled with lies and deception. Only the darkness resides in the world, sheltering those little secrets. Yes, those little tricks that the world hides in, and only few know of it. But Noriko knows, she knows it very, very, well.

Before Shiryou relied on her better half, Iraishin, to make sense of the situation. A nose being led by tasty morsels without recognizing where it originates or its purpose. A body without a mind. Passion without direction. Before she required a hand to guide her.... Not anymore.

Shiryou was whole thanks to Noriko. A fragment that was no longer a half of a whole piece. Now, with Noriko's rebirth Shiryou unwillingly acquired her other half. Now she can think. She had direction as well as the passion. All she had to do was give the girl a small push. That was all it took to get the girl moving once more. Trapped within her soul did the whimpering spirit linger. Her constant sobbing wasn't too difficult to locate as it clung onto the half that remain weakened by the Rogue. She knew that Iraishin still lived, just barely. Her thoughts were empty just as her body refused to operate based on her will. The Arrancar knew she lived, though for now, Shiryou was the better option to had fuel to the fire. Or so she thought so.

Like before during their first encounter, Garret unleashed the metal dog upon her. As annoying as it was its nature was all too simple. Destroy destroy destroy. That was all it thought about. An intelligent being can not lose to a beast. Which was why her flattened friend Adrastos fails to gain the upper hand. From her experience with Garret and the metallic frame, all its movements were basic. No strategies or a means to conceal his movements Garret easily became an open book to the Arrancar. Although his Soul Steps did manage to catch the woman off guard, its repeated usage revealed its nature. A clever trick, but that was all it was. A trick. Beyond that, the man-beast remained predicable. His reiatsu flared. This signified the use of a technique about to be used, though, it was strange the reason why it would be flaring when she came up from behind him. She saw it.

As her bitter child was allowed to assume control she offer a helping hand. Everything had been in place, even her little stumble. She can not say that it had been planned from the beginning, not at all. Noriko had been too busy amusing herself with her new bound freedom to even give a damn. Hehehe. Though, there was one aspect she didn't have a chance to partake of. And so she felt it. That crunching sound of her ribs taking on the blow of thick metallic arm to her side. She wanted it. She craved it. That last bitter sensation of what it meant to be fully alive once more. The pain the pain THE pain THE PAIN THE PAIN ^{THE PAIN!} That was what she wanted.

It was though a bolt of lighting struck her side with surprising force. While breathless as she was, she couldn't help but put on a smile from the background of Shiryou's pain induced growl. Shiryou groveled at it, Noriko smiled gleefully at it. Though the arm came crashing into the woman's side, it did not go entirely through. The armor's bulky movements were all too similar to Garret's. The contorting motion of steel clinging to flesh that triggered her reaction. It was subtle, but Shiryou saw it. Even while in armored form Garret displayed his use of Shunpo Karin to easily move a single limb similar to that of a flash of light. Before taking a swing the shoulder adjusts itself to begin the motion, then the reiatsu of the man rose.

If the Hound were to swing the blade then the motion would have been done with the opposite arm. Noriko's newly awakened form trounced the beast's average speed by three times before initiating a swing. While being able to avoid all togther, Shiryou didn't have a desire to do so. What she craved for the most was to see that metal figure beaten to the ground. Her true self on the other hand refused. Yet, still, she allowed to place herself in harms way. To the fact that she couldn't avoid it, and to feel a long standing sensation that she wanted to feel once more. A basic man being followed by a foolish beast. Two idiots do not make an intelligent one.

Shiryou's fist committed to its target, only allowing those signs trigger her defensive reaction of coiling her tails around her side to remove much of the impacted force. Five of those nine tails came jolting up to cushion that heavy metal trouncing. Yet, her remaining four tails whisked around the man's leg as she was flung away. Or was she? Those four tails acted as a means to drag his body along with her flailing about. Her own strength only being applied but the added force of his strike caused his own body to be dragged with her. The difference in their strength was clearly noted, yet, none of it mattered as he howled as the Hollowed cage of steel it was, and while the woman's body sprung back towards his body once more.

If that was enough he committed into charging towards her. Little did the attempt to drag him would do her much good, but that wasn't the reason. The two would come in contact with each other. A mindless Hound filled the desire to destroy the Arrancar that was in front of him was to be his down fall. As he charged towards her her body would be pulled back towards him with by her remaining tails. His willfulness to take her on head to head did do a number when she came into his arms. Her head and body went numb as their bodies crashed, his strength overtaking her. But that was it, the moment that was required as her arms coiled his metal body, and ensnared it with the four tails.

What came next was something that not even the Hound could ever see coming. It was time for it to know what fear really was. Even before her body came close to colliding with his armored figure did the two come under the sphere of darkness. "Desesperación." was all that the woman had to mutter. Shiryou's vengeance as well as Noriko's ploy all came to fruition. Garret's inner beast being unleashed. Having the two swirl in the midst of their own darkness. And fueling the beast with the man's own tainted darkness until it reached its breaking point. This was indeed the void, the single glimpse of what the Arrancar spoke of when bringing despair onto him. His spiritual prowess was no match against her own. Despite the strength of his steel based will, it was equally met with the amount of charisma that she held within herself. This was a battle of spirits, and a man who was consumed by his own darkness was no match.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Music}

From within, Garret's darkness came to life. His sins of murder. Those acts of evil that he committed during times of war and pillaging. The Hollows that he fed to his beast. And yes, even the beast itself became part of this spiraling storm of darkness. It was alive, and its form became that of the Hound itself. Its mass triumphed over the small Hound. What it couldn't achieve, this shadow could. Bolts of lightening engraved into its head. Jagged teeth clearly tearing out from its gums. The anger and hunger that was believed to be unparalleled was never challenged. No. Not even challenged. The better word to describe it was "surpassed."



The Hound peered down at the pup that was to be Garret's Hound. A mass that it itself will fail to ever become. Regardless of the amount of Hollows that it destroyed or fed on would never allow it to become what stood before it. The meager Hound was only formed based on a single man's will, this creature was formed not only itself, but of those that it fed on as well as Noriko's. An Arrancar who was once a young Adjuchas, how many unfortunate souls did it take to forge her body? Hundreds upon hundreds. The Hound itself was only but a single soul, and it faced against a being that is built of hundreds if not a thousand of tormented souls. Eyes ripped open from surface of the mass that made its body. Human eyes that sought out only one being, Garret, his Hound. And from there, the beast's mouth tore itself open, ripping apart the flesh and skin that bound it limits, to engulf the two into the void.

No sounds. Not even a whisper. Absolutely weightless. With nothing in sight. In here, there is no past, no future. Desire is a myth. Hope at a loss. Only despair lingered. This was Noriko's technique, Desesperación. It shall turn the individual's darkness against himself, and it is at its strongest when he is fully invested in that darkness. For Garret or his Hound, there was nothing for them. Their will's were to be engulfed by the new reality that they have entered. No hope... but one. Yes. It was by her grace, her love that they shall be set free. The only hope that they have. And that hope came in the form of a single pale white hand, extending from the darkness. If they chose to accept it, then they shall be set free, with the memories of where they ventured to remaining with them. Those horrors lingering in the back of their minds. Chose not to accept, then they shall remain trapped within until they do.

In reality, Noriko held onto the man's body, refusing to release him. The technique only last but a moment, however, for Garret and his companion, it would seem like an eternity for them both. This was the despair she would bring with her, as well as the hope she promised. Only those who accept her will know what love truly means. As for Adrastos, should he continue forward, he shall be met with a force that he had not met before.

Remaining Reaitsu: 70/1870 :

-200 reiatsu (Forgot to remove this from total due to Freak Type Release Drawback)

-300 Desesperación

Ressurrecion: 4/8

Transfer 20 LA(Light Aura) To DA(Dark Aura): Adrastos, Garret.
(If within the 50 ft Area of Effect of Release)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Desesperación}

Possibly her signature technique while in release, and quite possibly the trickiest to pull off. Noriko's single moment to express her devotion to those around her, to those she comes into contact with. An overwhelming display of dark affection and embrace that no other can rival. When the darkness within herself and that of her foe's join as one to bring realization that no one will ever love them but Noriko. Her embrace, bringing her arms around her foe, causes the Black Matter to engulf the pair and pull the negativity (Dark Aura) out of two to assault the spirit of Noriko's prey. From afar a black sphere is formed to devour the two, on the inside there is only darkness.

That sphere that swallowed the pair does remain as it binds the two inside until the technique is completed. The opponents Dark Aura is released into their spirit and allowed to run rampant, thus allowing the ill desires of the flesh, the dark memories of past killings, trauma, and sins against other people. Each dark thought and memory causes the soul to burst into utter despair that leaves the opponent's body frail as though it were like glass. Their souls hollowed by the spiraling negativity of their own darkness, unable to resist or move. Quite literally their eyes rolled to the back of their head with nothing in their sights but the effects of Despair.

All of this only costs a total of 300 reiatsu to turn the opponent's body into husks whilst their mind and souls continue to spiral down a path into nothingness. The void awaits, and it desires to share what it has to offer.

Drawbacks/Weakness

The Weaknesses are quite numerous if not the restrictions are. First off is that this technique must make direst physical contact with the individal. But, even with that the technique won't work. This does require Noriko's adversary to be over 50 or more in Dark Aura stats. Now, although for each rank in [charisma] does make resistance more difficult, by 100 more required to resist with either Spiritual stat [Spiritual Pressure or Reiatsu Strength], [Strength of Will] will allow further resistance.

If by same Class, then 50 less points of superiority will be required for each rank in said skill. However, for those who are lower than Noriko in class, then there will be no resistance if they do not posses the same amount in Light Aura compared to the users Dark Aura, along with a rank of 3 in Strength of Will. Obviously higher classes will only need a rank 2 in [Strength of Will] to remove any influence done by the [Charisma] boost. Aside from all of these the cost is practically the only other drawback to the technique.

OOC: Some areas of the post did not make sense and so I wanted to revise the post before continuing on to insure that it did. Yay.

[RayginX]

SPOILER: Click to show

{OOC} Sorry for the wait. Just got done moving and been doing a lot of overtime. If there are issues with the post feel free to PM me. Would like to request that Noriko wait until after Adrastos responds to this post, since it directly involves him a bit more, and seeing how it plays from there. Like I said, feel free to PM me...since this got rewritten twice.

Do you know what the difference was between Noriko and Garret? It wasn't that one was a human and the other a Hollow. It wasn't their histories were different from one another either. No, where it mattered was their difference in battle. To sum it up, it all came down to experience. Noriko was powerful. Noriko was an Arrancar that could make it up into the higher ranks of her kind and earn herself a rightful spot amongst the best. But, as she was now, such a goal was far from her capabilities. Noriko may have had experience fighting, but what she did have was currently stunted by her predicament in life. For so long the Arrancar had been locked behind the veil of her shadowy world, only able to surface upon the release of the sisters Zanpakuto. She may have been newly reborn into the world, as a permanent entity now, but the time spent in suspended animation would have taken a toll on her.

She would have only observed fighters that the duo had gotten themselves into, and while she would have learned and grown in this way there was still sacrifices made from such a life style. Being freshly reborn into the material world, Noriko had failed to release the drawbacks that her existence before now had taken upon her. She wasn't used to fighting. She watched fights, like a fan of boxing watching it on a television. Her body wasn't quite used to it either. A fan of a sport can play a sport from time to time, but compared to someone with actual practice and regular activities involving the sport will always do better than them. Compare now the Arrancar who had, for so long, been kept behind a screen to only watch battles with the man who fought with his life on the line every single night.

Garret was a being born into a world of battle, someone who had killed his first man at the age of when he was still beneath the age of ten. All Garret knew was fighting. Even now, in his after life, the battles had not ended...only the opponent had changed. Garret was built for battle, he was experienced, and it was his experience compared to Norikos that would lead to the Arrancars defeat. Noriko had made a fatal error with rushing in, aiming to finish Garret off with her ultimate technique. Norikos body was not yet ready for such intense combat. She may have incredible physical strength, but none of it mattered when her mind was too slow to react to combat like this.

Norikos mind was slow, and it was that which would lead to her defeat. Her instincts were below that of an athletic human, incapable of reacting to that of a ball being thrown at her. So her plans to block Garrets blow with her tails, being able to anticipate the sudden movement of his arm by the sounds of moving metal and shifting of reiatsu, was beyond what her current levels allowed. As a result, Noriko would not have even realized she had been hit, even be able to register the pain of Garrets blow, until she was already being flung away. Her plan had holes, too many holes in it to ever think it capable of succeeding.

Her instincts being too low to actually be able to understand and react to Garrets sudden movement wasn't the only issue with her plan, but there was also the issue of her method of defense. Noriko had planned to use a set of her tails to encase a portion of her body in a furry armor, absorbing most of the force behind Garrets backhanded swing. But there was an issue with this. Noriko had intended to move at her max speed (300) to block the attack thrown by Garret, an attack that was moving at a boosted speed (1000). The result of this clash would always win for the one with the higher speed. Noriko was trying to outspeed something that had over triple her base maximum speed; there was no way that she could hope to block, or dodge, what was coming.

So, as a result, Noriko would already be flying through the air, her ribs broken beneath the skin of the impact, before she would even have realized what had happened, and before she would have even registered the pain. Wrapping her tails around Garrets legs wouldn't be possible in that state either, as her mental speed was just not high enough to allow for her to suddenly think up that plan with her being smacked around. In a way, Noriko was lucky that her plan to grab at his legs, to pull him into her dark embrace, did not work. The result of that move would have ended with her being run through, that massive blade shoving its way through her bosom and through her heart.

Those glowing eyes beneath the helmet turned in the direction of where Noriko had gone. The berserker had planned to rush ahead, to charge the now injured Arrancar, but the sudden roar from the other battlefield fighter had caught the beast's attention. That helm whipped itself around, turning to face the damaged Adjucha that was rushing towards him. Had Garret still been in control. Had Garret not become consumed by his black flame, by that beast within him, he might have admired the spirit shown by the Adjucha. But as he was now...Garret didn't even recognize the Hollow he fought.

The damage done to Adrastos was enormous, his sight near blinded by the damage done by Garrets sword. The armor planted one of its legs into the ground, pushing off of the surface of the world and rushing towards Adrastos, forgetting about the Arrancar it had been dealing with a moment before. With a roar escaping from those jagged, metal, teeth the berserker charged forward in response to Adrastos. He wanted it. He needed it. He was demanding it. He was thirsting for it.

[smear:F62817] All of you. I'll kill all of you. I won't stop until you're all dead. Every single one of you![/smear:810541]

The armor kept itself low as it charged towards Adrastos, eyeing that mouthful of teeth, no true plan in mind. All it wanted to do was destroy Adrastos. To rip him apart. To bleed him dry. To devour him. His arms raised up, the sword held high, as if in preparation to swing, the armored clad swordsman did not flee or dodge when Adrastos great jaws came clamping down on him. The result wasn't surprising. The reward for bitting down on the armor was an eruption of brand new, and the worsening, of the cutback caused wounds inside of Adrastos mouth. His jaws, gums, and even the around outside of his mouth tore themselves even further open as the cutback damage spread all around. But amidst all that pain, Adrastos would feel the sharpened digits of the armors fingers tear themselves into the inside of the tyrants mouth.

The berserking Garret dug the clawed armor into the Adjuchas mouth, clutching down with his full, unbridled, strength to make sure that he would not be tossed or spat out. With his left hand clutching the blood soaked, injury covered, jaws, the Beast pointed that massive sword upwards, and stabbed forward. A torrent of blood spilt down atop the armor, drenching it in a coat of crimson coloring. It was easy to shove that sword into Adrastos's inner jaw, considering all the injuries that were created by the constant cutback damage that was worsening each time those jaws scrapped across the armor.

Trapped within Adrastos's jaws, clutching onto him and having that massive sword impaled into his mouth, just what was the rampaging swordsman doing? Adrastos had proven himself too tough, too durable, to simply kill. To simply bring down. But there was one way. One way that the armor knew. One way that worked before. The berserker knew that a simple stab into the roof of Adrastos mouth would not bring the beast down. So instead it chose to feed. To devour the last remains of what was left in Adrastos. To steal his life.

The requirements were already fulfilled. The Bakkoto, both the armor and sword, where both locked in physical contact with the tyrant lizard. The Vita Solertia Life Drain activated, and like before the monster would feel a dark prescence within him. But unlike before, what he felt now was nothing like he felt before. The darkness now was overbearing, like a great weight being smashed down onto. A oppressive force that brought with it such magnitudes of hate and fury that one would stop to wonder if Garret were even human to possess such intense emotions? The Bakkoto suck its teeth into Adrastos soul, what remained of it, and began to rip away at what little reiatsu the Hollow still had left. If the Tyrant could not find a way to remove the life draining parasite from his mouth, then that was that. Game over for the Adjucha.

Will do the reiatsu calculations in the morning, tired

[Adrastos]

His teeth collided with the armor chassis that guarded the Rogue's body. The beast knew what was to come from it as it did before. Some trick, some manner of technique or power that reflected the damage back at the King of Beasts. What remained of the Adjuchas' fangs came crushing down on the metal frame to have the same effect reoccur once more. Just like before large lacerations tore open from the seams of Adrastos' jaw line and gums. The previous wounds dug in further into beast's body to renew the flow of blood. A moment of shock over came the beast, which disabled its ability to react to the man's next action. If were not for the shock then the beast would have simply crush the armor beneath the force of his jaws, as the jaw is known to be the strongest muscle in the body. But none of that mattered now.

The result remained the same as the Rogue was taken off the ground and gripped between the remains of the Adjuchas' mouth. Though, even the beast knew something was wrong. An itch that didn't suit Adrastos well. From what he could feel in his mouth Adrastos knew the man was up to something. He felt the blade being jammed into the roof of his mouth as the bottom was gripped with something similar to knives. Beyond that the human wasn't moving. Instead, he remained still, with a strange sensation returning. A familiar sensation of being gripped by something and pulling him into... It was happening again. That technique, or power, something was attempting to grip his power once more.

It came before when the man struck Adrastos with his sword and remained hanging on his side. That time the man did what ever necessary to remain on the Hollow's body to drain him of his strength. Before the beast knew what was happening he felt his strength leaving him, making him weaker. How could he forget a cheap trick that brought him so much anger and frustration. For a human to steal another's power, because he was too weak, was insulting. The Rogue required to steal the King's strength in order to win. Not this time. This time Adrastos wasn't going to allow it to happen. The King of Beasts was not afraid for what it had to do.

From Garret's point of view he could hear bones being cracked. Its stern material splintering with the sounds of flesh tearing all around him. Though it would be the next moment that the Hound noticed that his so called "prey" was tearing the seams that kept its jaw constricted. The layers of fat and meat that restricts the mouth from opening at its fullest capacity was torn apart, revealing the full extent of fangs that ran down the back of the Hollow's mouth. So, from a farther perspective his mouth seemed to form a near perfect 90 degree angle. The joints that kept restricting his jaw from opening were also disconnected, granting the beast to open even further without straining himself. In fact, this played very well to what the beast had in store for the Rogue.

Physically the Rogue would be unable to keep the monster's mouth shut, leaving him to hang or cling to the roof of his mouth. No matter as the beast swung its head toward the sides to make out what seems to be the beast's attempt to shake the Rogue off his sword. But really, the motion was a distraction while at the same time breaking the Hound's concentration. Though not entirely as his torso was gripped a moment later by the left hand of the Adjuchas. Currently, his right hand was useless due to the third degree burns, therefore, he resorted to the other hand to tear the heretic from the roof of his mouth. And more than likely a chunk of meat from the roof would remain clinging to the blade. Painful as it was Adrastos found it more than necessary to rid himself of the annoying pest. And with him the effects of his annoying technique voided.

Once more did Garret's arms find themselves being pinned to his sides, though from what memory served the Adjuchas wouldn't allow the man to rest. Soon did the metal body find itself being thrown into the Earth, dug into the rubble that his body made. The impact itself would have caused a moment of shock, a moment that was needed. Dug into the ground Garret would find himself being launched far into the sky by the Adjuchas' tail. A full sweeping swing from the massive tail that tore through the ground to meet with his body. The two forms meeting with a loud crash as he would be sent upward. However, the difference between Garret's spiritual pressure and Adrastos' reiatsu strength was great. The cutback was applied once more despite being struck with a blunt object.

That smashing effect was felt surging through his rib cage, taking the breath away from him. Both spit and saliva drooled over the cracks in his broken jawline was the result of his attack. However, the pressure and force behind his tail sweep was more than felt through the metal covering that shielded the soft flesh that lies beneath it. It didn't change the fact that Adrastos' body was at its limit, so he dropped to a single knee. Beaten, broken, bleeding, the Hollow could only carry on for some time before he completely collapsed. His vision blurred, he could no longer carry on. But before death, the beast will carve his name into the man's flesh should he push onward toward him once more. For Adrastos is the King of Beasts.

[Noriko 'Asuka"]

OOC: Because the situation never occurred 300 Reiatsu will be refunded by Desperacion Technique. If any concerns then just let me know. K .

The pain. The was pain was ever so present when the armored limb came crashing into her side. The utter sensation was.... fantastic. In all of the fight the Arrancar never did feel a bit of pain. There were no scars, cuts, bruises, or punctures. Out of the trio Noriko had been the only one who was still fine. Yet that all changed when Garret's arm collided with her. Though she did manage to react and guard herself, the difference in strength was beyond insufficient to protect herself. Not to say that the extent the damage was nullified more than it would have been before, but the fact remain that the backhand blurred with a speed technique still did a number on her. So to say that it didn't hurt was a lie. With that in mind she found herself groveling over a few broken ribs.

It throbbed and spasm like any other wound. So she knew she was hurt just by shifting her weight to her left side. It stung. It stung but it was so exciting. She could feel her blood racing as though it were on fire. The first official wound she received when returning to the real world. No more did the Twins cause her to suffer. Now, it was by the actions of other people, those that dare to stand before her, that have inflicted such pain on her. She gagged as she attempted to draw breath inwards. The feeling was exhilarating that she couldn't keep it all to herself. Shiryou's consciousness remained present, though not in action, so the pair cried out. Shiryou in absolute rage, and Noriko in ecstasy. This is what it means to feel alive once again.

Slowly gathering her wits about her she took note of the background noise going on as the two animals collide. All of that crashing and howling, who in all honesty would not even notice that happening. The two idiots were ruining her moment, and even if she was injured she was going to kick some ass. Despite her numbing pinching side the Kitsune moved onward. Blood and carnage reigned supreme as the Adjuchas attempted to remove the man from its mouth. This did give Noriko some insight as to the strange aura that the armor had been using for some time. Like before a foreign energy was manifesting itself as Adrastos clawed at the man. Even with a damaged arm and a small brain, the beast fought through the pain to achieve his goal.

This was the reason why Shinzui chose the Adjuchas as her guardian. Savage, strong-willed, and loves the idea of battle, it was the incarnate of a God of Battle. The King of Beasts? Perhaps that name was too subtle. Adrastos proved himself again and again to protect the twins as well as demonstrating his capability to remove those that stand in her way. This time however he was struggling. With the other Hollows that came on scene he had been distracted, which allowed Garret to take advantage of and strike. An ideal opportunity to strike while his back is turned. Noriko would have done the same, and shameful that Adrastos would allow himself to vulnerable to. She laughed.

As the Arrancar continued to look on the ensuing struggle she found herself beaming down at a fallen Adjuchas. Seemed that the wounds finally caught up to the King of Beasts and no longer able to keep himself going. This was going to be a problem. Noriko herself could continue fight Garret's Hound, but risking further injury should she find herself needing to protect her guardian. Back and forth will Noriko would have to look over her shoulder to see if Garret would target a downed Hollow. Most likely he would. The man's depraved mind didn't realize how many Hollows he alone has created. His blade tainting himself with the blood of animals that were once human, like her, like the Twins. The very idea of fighting monsters by becoming a monster is quite a contradiction.

Sad to say for her situation it couldn't be helped. Thankfully there was another Hollow coming on scene. The Garganta gate emerged behind the woman. She knew one would reoccur with the night still upon them. With the two fools distracted with each other this new being came onto the battlefield unnoticed. Its strength lack the ferociousness that the others did but its purpose would be served. This new creature came roaring onto the scene like an infant attempting to draw attention to itself. More than likely it was an infant but she digressed. "Síndrome de Pesadilla." Noriko muttered. The silent callout phrase mustered two black spots to manifest in the woman's line of sight.

A single spot that levitated five feet over Garret's position to have its four arms lung out to suppress him. If he remained in the mouth of the beast than certainly with Adrastos' actions and 600 physical strength of each arm, then he will find himself being thrown into the air. If he had been thrown already from the Adjuchas' actions, then the arms will ball themselves into fists to lay the smack down into his armored abs. Their speed were the exact same rate as Noriko's overall speed. That continuous assault on his body would keep him the air long enough for the other set of four arms to drag the Adjuchas through the Garganta. Dragging his fat ass was a nuisance of itself. Undoubtedly he would resist and snap at the arms, but considering his current condition he wouldn't put up much of a fight anyhow.

This fits into what Noriko had going on. Her technique would haul Adrastos into the void while handling Garret at the same time. However, despite having the technique targeting the man he would have to deal with the single Hollow that was waiting for him down below. If the Hound was in control, then he would most likely target any Hollow that was in sight, or the aggressor first. With that in mind there was little left to do than follow the limping animal back to Las Noches. Looking up she would at least give her appreciation to the burried man in armor. "Thank you very much Garret. Thank you for reminding me of how wonderful it is to be alive. We should definitely play some more again. So until then, become stronger." she flipped her hair over her shoulder before entering the void. Another moment later the two would be swallowed by the closing mouth of the void.

OOC: Adrastos told me to end the thread here, so Garret can do a final post to wrap things up and turn in the thread.


Remaining Reaitsu: 170/1870 : -100 Síndrome de Pesadilla x2.

Ressurrecion: 5/8

[RayginX]

Sorry for the wait. Also, grading mod, remember that Adrastos gets Rampage Thread TP values.

If Garret still possessed his sanity then he might have viewed the desperate tactic that Adrastos performed as something worth of praise. Willing to destroy their own bodies so that an enemy could not defeat them was not something nearly any fighter was capable of doing, and was something that only the most steel willed could do. Especially without hesitation. But consumed by those black flames, his mind warped by hatred, Garret couldn't even truly comprehend what was going on. All he knew was that the Hollow was still alive, and he needed to kill the Hollow. He couldn't keep Adrastos mouth shut, and the Bakkotos attempt to feed on the remaining Life inside within the Hollow was interrupted and canceled out. The Bakkoto probably could have carried through with the Life Drain, using the armor itself as the conduit of the technique instead of the sword...but right now just intelligent thought was beyond the berserker.

Adrastos had planned to swing his head, to grab onto Garret and to pin him to the ground to begin to crush him. But, unfortunately for the Hollow, as Adrastos moved his arm towards Garret there was a moment when his arm breached the perimeter of Garrets expanded awareness. He didn't have the time to leap out of the way, so instead of dodging the armor had decided to fight back. That massive sword came swinging down, blade meeting the flesh of Adrastos's hand as it leapt back, using air ground to give itself a platform to hold that sword properly. But, before the battle could continue something happened. A series of new entities breached the parameter of extended awareness that Garret possessed in this state, and having already lashed out against the tyrant lizard he couldn't respond properly to what was now grabbing him.

Norikos technique succeeded in hindering the swordsman, grabbing onto him and pulling him away from the Adjucha and laying into his ribs with a series of blows. The armor howled in frustration, before gripping onto that massive weapon with a single arm and swinging. The force of that swing, directed at the phantom appendages that had laid into him, released a shockwave that smashed and obliterated the phantom limbs upon contact. Down below, however, was even more danger. A lurking and hungering Hollow lay below, already making a move to lunge upwards and snatch up the enraged swordsman. With a roar, Garret used the momentum from his swing to begin to move his body as he descended down towards the Hollow, turning himself into a summersaulting saw blade. That massive blade came down, crashing onto the Hollows head, slicing, destroying really, right through it.

Crashing down, heavily, onto his two feet the armor howled. It turned, returning its attention to the kitsune as she dragged Adrastos away into that dark portal. He began to charge as Noriko spoke to him, teasing him with some mocking show of gratitude. That sword dragged behind him as he rushed towards her, tearing apart the ground beneath it as he charged. He roared as she stepped into the void, that sword raised with its end pointed for her back. Run her through run her through run her through. But, sure enough, Noriko stepped into that void and...with that...she was gone and that sword rushed through empty air.

Normally, had Garret been in control, he would have felt a mixture of emotions ranging from frustration to disappointment from having let his prey escape him...but right now, in this possessed state, Garret felt none of that. All he felt was rage. Blind rage that didn't care that Noriko was gone. He didn't care because, in her absence, more of the masked beasts began to come out of the woodwork. Black maws began to open in the sky as Hollows began to bleed in once again as if to fill in the void of power and presence that Noriko and Adrastos left behind.

His black cape fluttered in the wind, encasing his form for a moment as the black armor remained still, but for only a moment. Those glowing red lights beneath the helmets eye sockets left behind trails of light as the armor jumped into action. Like a beast jumping about, the armor spread even more carnage and chaos across the burning forest. Corpses would litter the fallen and burning trees, their blood mixing into the earth with each swing of that sword. Garrets howls mixed in with the Hollows own as he continued to fight on, blinded and fueled on by his inhuman rage against these monsters. The fighting wouldn't stop, it wouldn't quit, until the sun began to finally rise.

Streaks of heavenly light stretched out and reached across a blackened and burnt forest. Corpses of monsters, some burnt by the blaze, littered the land. The swordsman who had fought through the night, against these monsters, was still there. He stood there, leaning against his weapon, breathing like an animal. The black armor that had encased him was gone, dismissed once the fighting had ended. His body was bruised and bloody, and wracked with tremors from an unnatural level of physical and mental exhaustion. He could barely stand, leaning against his sword for support and like a crutch.

He opened that single eye of his, red from all the blood spots in it, before spitting out a glob of a mix of saliva and blood. Coughing a bit, Garret raised his head up and took a step. He had spent the time after the fight searching the corpses, looking for either Noriko or Adrastos. It was possible they had been burnt by the flames..but Grret found no evidence of it. They must have escaped amongst the fighting. The thought of, knowing that, Noriko would appear before him again caused him to have a growing spark of anger. Regardless, right now, Garret needed to move. He needed to leave the area, tend to his wounds, eat and rest. He'd worry about Noriko and her pet when they returned. Right now...he needed to move.

[Kento Waffles]

+3550 Noriko and +300 for what appears to be victory. Thus +3850 total.

+4250 Garret.

Will get Kitamura tomorrow. Tired from all my moving.

[Kento Waffles]

+950 Adrastos