In the Spider's Web

[Col Arana]

Thread Title: In the Spider's Web
Participants: Col Arana, Odayakama Senshi
World: Human World
Death Setting: Permanent Injuries Enabled
Rating: PG-13 
Location: The slums of a generic city, filled with rundown buildings and abandoned warehouses.
Special Conditions:
Circumstances: There has been a massive number of disappearances in the city slums. Soul Society suspects a Hollow attack, and sent a patrol to dispatch the issue. However, when the team's reports suddenly fell silent, Soul Society sent in a more potent team, fearing the worse, including Odayakama Senshi alongside two Seated officers. However, during the investigation of the district, the group split up to cover more ground, and reports from the two seated officers alongside Senshi have suddenly stopped.....

[Col Arana]

SPOILER: Click to show

Evening was beginning to fall on the district, the sun casting a golden glow across the dilapidated buildings as it set. Despite being filled with the dregs and hanger-ons of society, the slums were normally a place of life at this time-- indeed, some might even say that the slums only began to awaken in the evening, as the more disreputable types that filled it, came out to eek out another day of their meager existence. Not so today. Not so for several days in fact. A silence had set over the district. A silence fueled by dread terror. Nobody came out at night now. Nobody wanted to face the beast that lurked in the shadows. The beast that had caused nearly three dozen people to disappear over the last week alone. Nobody knew what it looked like, or where it came from. But nobody wanted to risk running afoul of it. So people stayed in, and kept their heads down, and hoped that in time, this monster, this boogieman would pass on its way and let them resume their dismal little lives again. But for now? It was his feeding grounds. And an excellent one at that, for while the societal dregs themselves made for poor fare, this beast knew that when so many souls disappeared as they were doing, Soul Society would be quick to investigate. And sending delicious Shinigami to gorge itself upon.

Col mused upon this, as he fed. A unique advantage of his condition. His endless hunger, that led to him lashing and feeding upon human souls like a common hollow. He did not act in a manner commonly befitting an arrancar, and thus when signs of his presence were found, it was not uncommon that Soul Society would send low ranking Shinigami woefully incapable of hoping to defeat him. He expected he could remain here for a week or so longer, before he might have to depart, for concern of actually formidable Shinigami coming after him. Shinigami like the infamous Enma or Sozen. Col frowned a bit, blood running down his chin as he chewed a particularly stubborn piece of muscle. Col was confident in his power. Arrogant even. But he disliked having to fight hard for his prey, and he had little doubt that Sozen and Enma would be far more trouble than they were worth. He wanted to bide his time. Perhaps one day he would have the good fortune of encountering one of them while they lay wounded from some great battle, and he could devour them without trouble. But for now, he was satisfied with the leavings that Soul Society had so generously donated him.

Speaking of which.... The Arrancar turned a cold, red eye to his current prey. The shinigami was dead. Unquestionably so. Col had opened up his ribs and devoured his heart while it was still beating, and was presently occupying himself by slowly gnawing through the shinigami's arm. The shinigami's glassy eyes were fixed in an expression of sheer terror. But.... now he found that the prey bored him. His blood was no longer hot, and already starting to congeal. Col took a moment to savor a final bite before dropping the shinigami's arm, and turning to his victim's partner. He had been forced to watch the arrancar devour his comrade. Incapable of moving. Pinned to the floor of the warehouse by the long, slender sword that was pierced through his abdominals. Now it was his turn. Col approached him slowly and steadily, gore still splattered across his face. There was no mercy in Col's eyes. No compassion. There was only malice and hunger. A primal, animal hunger more befitting a Hollow than an Arrancar. But then. Col was not an ordinary Arrancar. He had never been an ordinary arrancar, from the moment he was born as one, when that detestable former-Espada had ripped his mask from his face. It didn't matter now though. Col crouched in front of the shinigami. Perhaps the shinigami expected to be interrogated. For Col to wax about the philosophical differences between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, the differences between their races. Col had no interest in such things. Not when he was in this state of hunger. Not when food was still so close. Col sniffed his neck, savoring the scent.... until he detected another shinigami nearby. Col's skills at sensing reiatsu were extremely well-honed. And in a place like this, even a low ranking unseated Shinigami would stand out. This one was more powerful than most that he'd encountered. A sadistic grin spread across Col's face.

Excellent

He placed one hand lightly on the hilt of his Zanpakuto and slid it out of the shinigami's torso. He coughed up blood and attempted to crawl away from Col. The arrancar dropped the point again through his neck, killing him instantly. "Now, now. We can't have you running off and warning your friend now, can we?" Col told the corpse in a tone of dissonant calm. Almost gentle. "You'll ruin the hunt~" He chided it again, as he wiped the blood from his sword and face with a handful of the shinigami's own robes, before sheathing the blade. "Fear not, I'll return for you shortly, and bring your friend with me." He teased as he stepped out towards the door of the warehouse, letting his honed Energy sensing skills lead him along.

SPOILER: Click to show

[Strength: 300 (100)

Speed: 400

Reiatsu Strength: 400 (1400)

Spirit Pressure: 340

Light Aura: 0

Dark Aura: 100

Senses: 150

Instincts: 390 (130)

Energy Sensory: 120 (420)

Healing Expertise: 100 (33)


Total: 2200]



Skill Points:

Martial Arts: Blades: 3

Martial Arts: Wing Chun: 2

Special Skill: Climbing: 3

Stealth: 2

Battle Analysis: 3

Analysis: 2

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

The crimson reaper had been traveling rooftop to rooftop as she had been looking everywhere around her. Based on her mission debriefing, they would be facing a Hollow or Hollows. She had tapped a small ear piece on the right side of her ear as she spoke. "Alpha? Beta? Anyone there?" There was only silence as Senshi had gotten worried at that moment. What had happened to her communications? Leaping through the broken and rundown building's rooftops, she was getting a bit...worried.

Speaking a few more times into the head piece to receive no answers, the young woman had drawn her Zanpakutou deciding to make a decision. She would be too open and easy to ambush in the open like this. She had airwalked and had went into a rather large alleyway putting her back against the wall. Senshi was still an amateur to combat. She had the logic that her enemy would have to come from one direction, and as a result she could be prepared to launch the first attack. "Arise god of thunder. Awake mother of storms. Unleash the lightning on the sinners."

She had aimed her hand down the alleyway keeping her cerulean blue eyes focused and had occasionally looked up as well. Senshi wasn't skilled at energy sensory and so she had tried to keep her senses open for anything that would signal the creature was near her. She was an unseated officer and honestly, she felt like she needed more skill to make it farther in the world. Little did Senshi know that the Shinigami here weren't dealing with a hollow, but rather something much much worse.

She had never met an Arrancar before and so this would be a new experience. She had been surprised to be assigned on this task with two seated officers by her captain. She was still weak and needed improvement. Her crimson red hair had stood out as it was tied back into a braid today. She honestly was more worried about how the others were doing instead of her current situation. Wetr they alright? Did they find the Hollow? Or...were they dead? Senshi would find out shortly.

Her goal if any should be to to try and call for help whenever she has the chance. She was a single Shinigami, and if her enemy had truly killed two seats, Senshi was as good as dead. She was a spiritually rich meal, but weak in all other regards. She needed to know what her enemy was capable of and the weaknesses of said enemy. Senshi needed to play it safe or risk being a human happy meal. The unseated officer took deep breaths trying to maintain her composure as she waited.

SPOILER: Click to show

Stats:
Strength:(70x.75)= 52.5
Speed:150
Spiritual Pressure:280
Reiatsu Strength:(400x1.5)=600
Light Aura:75
Dark Aura:25
Instinct:100
Senses:100
Energy Sensory:0
Wound Expertise:0

Total:1100




Skills:
Analyzing:1
Learning:1
Weapons*:1[Swords]
Martial Arts*:1[Aikido]
Battle Analysis:1
Mental Enchantation:1
Pain Tolerance:1
Kido:1
8/16 SKP

[Col Arana]

Col possessed immense talent at sensing the reiatsu of others, so it was not difficult for him to hone in on Senshi's location. Her reiatsu was so potent that he could have tracked her by it from miles away. But he was in no hurry. The Shinigami was here on a job, and they certainly wouldn't leave without their comrades. Col leisurely strolling through the packed alleys. He noticed the odd human hurrying along. Attempting to make it indoors before the sun had set. It briefly crossed his mind to attack such pitiful creatures, but he dismissed the thoughts at once. There was better prey to hunt today. Col used a nearby puddle as a mirror to inspect his appearance as he approached, ensuring he had cleaned up adequately from his mirror. To his displeasure he found flecks of blood staining his jacket. He frowned in annoyance, as he licked his thumb and attempted to rub them out. It helped some, but there were still red patches. How irritating. He would have to wash his coat thoroughly at the end of this. It spoke to the mind of a demented and psychopathic individual like Col, that at this moment, as he sought out the death of another, as he walked towards a battle that would effectively be life and death, he was more concerned with outward appearances than he was with preparing himself for any traps or preparations his opponent might have made.

Col continued his stride, homing in on the location of Senshi. He moved with an easy, quick and steady stride. Soundless in his approach, slipping from shadow to shadow in the growing darkness created by the fading of the sun's rays. He sensed his prey was moving. Had it sensed his approach? Hmmm. Or perhaps it merely detected that something was amiss. At this distance Col couldn't be sure. There was still perhaps half a mile between his target and himself. But Col was ever so certainly closing in. He slowed his pace as he neared Senshi's location. Still hidden in the darkness, Col pinpointed her location. She was in an alleyway, behind a large building not even a block away. Col approached the building from its far side and lightly leaped up the side of the structure, using air ground and making no sound as he did so. Slowly. Carefully. The arrancar closed in towards the alleyway, and peered over the ledge. There she was. She'd clearly detected something amiss, for she had placed her back to the wall of the alley to ensure she could not be attacked from behind. Col nearly laughed at the sight. How charming. She'll be a lovely toy, no doubt. Col didn't strike though. Not immediately. Instead, he let his spirit pressure cascade out from him in a crushing wave. It rolled out like a weight, grinding down and pinning Senshi to the ground like an insect. It wasn't an attack. Not really. It was the sheer pressure of Col's spiritual energy. A manifestation of his power, pushing Senshi down and informing her of just how much of a nightmare she had found herself in. Just how far over her head she was truly in. Senshi would be completely immobilized. Indeed, if Col wished to, he could have unleashed it with such force as to kill Senshi. Instead, he merely allowed her to feel the force of his will and power. A painful and terrifying experience, but not a lethal one.

....Yet.

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

As the crimson reaper had been observed from the upper rooftop, he may be able to hone in on some of Senshi's finer details. While her hair was as red as blood, her eyes were as blue as the morning sky. Her uniform was two sizes too large for her, and had been neatly secured to her body by a sash around her right shoulder and a rope around her waist. She looked to be in her twenties at this time period as she seemed to be focused on finding the beast she had heard about. Normally, Hollow in her mind were the textbook wild hollows that came running at the sense of food...but apparently not? The role of hunter and prey had been reversed at this moment.

Senshi had suddenly felt a strong force of pressure seemingly swathe on her. It was overbearing and heavier than any weight Senshi has endured. Her blue eyes had dilated in fear...as she fell to the floor with a grunt. She felt like as if she couldn't move...like she was suffocating under the giant force of gravity. She felt as if she couldn't move a muscle...and that was true in about every way. Her Kido had never been cast as she laid against the filthy ground. This wasn't good as she had much worse to fear.

Whoever this being might be, the power they possessed was strong enough to blow Senshi's mind. They had to be stronger than a captain...it filled her with a sense of dread as she had heard it was a hollow. Her two comrades surely had been devoured and she too would be assimilated into the demon. The sound it laughter rang through her ears as it sounded like a male. It sounded...oddly like a human laugh rather than the sound of a Hollow's. What madness was this?! What the hell was going on?!

Senshi had tried to move only to fall down once again...her struggles were useless. However, she could find herself able to talk and breath although with some difficulty. Her voice was shaky as it held a tinge of fear? "W-Who are you?! What's happening?!" The crimson haired woman had been extremely worried now. If this being wasn't a Hollow, it was most likely a monster far worse than one. The laughter told her that much as he enjoyed her suffering. She needed to do something...anything to try and struggle.

She would normally call upon Shonin Joka, but she didn't think he would be any help in that regard. Whatever or whoever she was facing wouldn't even let her stand. He had the high ground and even if Senshi could move, she sensed she would get slaughtered. She needed to think! Think! Her surgical was at stake here and if she died here, her dreams would never come into fruition. It was then in the recesses of her mind, she had heard a voice. "Call on me when the time is right...and then make your escape. You must stay quiet Crimson..." Heeding her Zanpakutou spirit's words, she laid awaiting a response from her captor.

[Col Arana]

Col saw the panic in the shinigami. No it was more than that. He felt the panic. Col's senses were honed to the point that he could sense his prey's panic with perfect precision and the feeling was orgasmic. Col nearly closed his eyes in pleasure at the fear that was flooding through Senshi at this moment. "You smell delicious my dear." He said pleasantly, stepping back away from the ledge so that when he released his hold on Senshi she would not be able to see him. He wanted to savor this moment. Draw it out as long as possible. He wanted to break this shinigami so unfortunate as to wander into his domain. He would take his time with her, slowly wearing her down until her fear reached its peak, before devouring her. The building had a trap door on the roof, which Col lifted and slipped inside, so that even if Senshi checked the source of the sound of his voice, she would find nothing. Within the building, Col slipped into the shadows once more, where he would be hidden, utilizing the skills at stealth. At stalking his prey, that he had so oft practiced over the centuries. He crept near a window facing into the alley, using his reiatsu sensing to track Senshi's location. "Run if you like my darling. Or stand and fight. It's all the same to me." He said in a lilting tone, loud enough for Senshi to hear him. Of course, without a source, the fact that she was being watched from an angle she could not detect, Col intended to raise Senshi's panic. "Oh, but how rude of me. I haven't properly introduced myself. Once upon a time. When I was alive. My name was Col. And it suits me well enough today." He told her, from within the safety and anonymity of the shadows.

"Are you going to call your friends, little shinigami?" He taunted, his voice echoing through the alley. "By all means, please do so. It will be three times the fun~" He continued to mock, with full confidence in the situation. Naturally, they wouldn't come, but Col wanted to first give the shinigami hope. Hope that she could fight him. Hope that she could escape him. Hope that her comrades were still alive. Hope that they could help her. There could not be true despair without hope. It was the breaking of hope that ultimately led to despair. And that was the moment Col truly loved seeing in his prey. The moment their last hopes died. The moment they completely gave in to despair. Of course sometimes he simply lacked the time to do so. But with Senshi? With this girl? Oh yes. He had ample time, or at least he believed so. He detected no other shinigami in the area. No other powerful souls to help her. It would likely be several days, possibly even several weeks before a new group of shinigami would come to investigate the disappearance of this group. Yes indeed, Col had all the time in the world to torment Senshi and drive her to madness. She was a fly in his web, and he would take his time devouring her.

"Well now, little Shinigami...." Col's voice echoed. "What are you going to do? Are you going to flee my little mouse? Are you going to call for help?" He taunted.

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

As she had been captured by the enemy, still pinned under the enemy force...she was given the option to fight or run. Call her two comrades perhaps. However, from analyzing what the so called "Col" had said, he already knew there were three of them. She analyzed that most likely he was the cause of the end of communications. He seemed to be able to track her or at least her friends. The terror in her heart increased. If this man truly did kill the two seats she was travelling with, she didn't stand a chance. He was cocky enough to state that he would be more than willing to take all three of them on at the same time. He was too strong for Senshi to face that was for sure.

"Odayakama Senshi U-Unseated Officer of Squad 9." She stuttered only once introducing herself speaking out to the figure...so that he may remember the name of his prey. She knew she was going to run far away from her enemy...and try to restore communications with her fellow Shinigami. If she were to be given the opportunity to run, she would stand before using the Shunpo to flash once...down the alleyway into the street before flashing nearly twenty meters down the street. Drawing her blade she would then run until she saw a man hole by her side. Slicing at it, it was cleanly cut in two as both halves would be kicked aside. Leaping down the hole. Senshi had landed on her feet in the dark and smelly underground pathway.

She was thinking in a place where her enemy wouldn't be able to see well nor smell her, she would be able to lose the man. "Hado#4:Byakurai!" Sticking her index finger pointed to the sky, she had used her mastery of Kido and the technique to create a light for her to see as she had run to the west of the sewer taking several twists and turns leaving the location immediately. She was hoping to confuse his energy sensory by going underground and by confusing his other senses. She needed to buy some time.

She had to formulate a strategy to fight the monster however possible. Odayakama Senshi had covered her nose with her overly long sleeves. It smelled horribly down there, but surely if she had a miserable time down there, her enemy should as well. Suddenly seeing a long cylindrical tunnel nearby, she had walked through it seemingly ending in some sort of generator room. It was empty and abandoned at the moment but it seemed it held several good places to hide for a bit. Crawling...she had hid herself underneath the crevice of a generator. Only a petite woman like Senshi would be able to pull this off. Now she needed to wait.

Deactivating her light, all that remained was silence as Senshi would attempt to slow her breathing. She wouldn't be able to make any communications down in the sewer, but perhaps the hollow or...whatever it was would get tired of looking and would leave her alone. Maybe it would forget about her and she may be able to escape the scene. She formulated a few plans of battle in this dark and damp sewer but...she needed to be careful. Her life in this battle depended on it.

SPOILER: Click to show

Reiatsu Remaining:
2575/2800
-100 2 Shunpo
-25 Byakurai

[Col Arana]

She was running. The thrill of the chase then? Col really couldn't lose right now. At least in his mind. If she'd stayed and fought he'd have enjoyed the pleasures of slowly breaking her in combat. If she'd cowered and tried to call for help? That would have been wonderful as well. As she fled, Col would get to enjoy cornering her like a rat in a maze, and letting her terror reach its peak in that way. She was fleeing quickly, but she was not yet quite scared enough to be scared out of her wits. She'd probably conceive of a way or two to try eluding him. Col gave pursuit. Senshi was quicker than a normal human, but Col was faster still. Her Shunpo allowed her a decent head start, but Shunpo could only carry her in a straight line. From there on out, she'd be on foot, and Col was much faster than she was, even moving at an easy pace. No doubt his prey would be sprinting all-out to evade him. Col's movements shifted. Like those of a panther they were swift and sure, but utterly silent. A demonic bat out of hell, whipping through the evening, slinking from shadow to shadow at terrifying speed. Col felt Senshi's reiatsu grow muffled, but only slightly, indicating she had taken cover. Discovering the manhole she had escaped through, her path was clear enough to the arrancar. Still, Col scowled in discontent. "How disgusting." He remarked, as he reluctantly descended into the sewers, using air ground to avoid stepping in the fetid sludge that was the sewer water. Col's senses were highly attuned and the sewer was incredibly unpleasant to be in. But he was not overwhelmed by the smell, and he continued his pursuit. Though Senshi tried to lose Col in the labyrinthine sewers, Col could maintain a close enough following so as not to lose her entirely.

He was unable to follow Senshi's precise path, but he could follow well-enough that he could always gauge her approximate location. "How fitting for a rat, to lurk in the sewers." Col lilted audibly as he hunted his prey. He had lost Senshi's exact path, but, but he knew he was within fifty meters of her or so. "I hope for your sake, you have taken cover~" He intoned gently, as he lifted his hand, and a blue sphere began to form at the tip of his index finger. A Cero. The initial charging of the Cero was innocuous enough. It charged to perhaps the size of tennis ball at the tip of his finger. Then it launched, and instantly blossomed into a colossal wave of destruction. Col's Cero was big. Massive even. It completely engulfed the passageway he was in and then some, ripping through the sewers as though the stone walls weren't even there. Had Col deliberately aimed it at Senshi, in her position, there would have been no possibility of evasion. Fortunately for Senshi, that was not the case today. Col had angled his hand upwards as he launched the Cero, so that his colossal wave tore open the sewers, and Senshi would now see the sky above her head, were she to look. Col had effectively annihilated her hiding places, with a display of power that was likely unprecedented for an unseated Shinigami. 

"Much better, don't you think? Let's air this place out a bit, shall we?" Col asked, a several dozen meter wide furrow having been blasted through the street of the city, exposing the sewers to the outside world.

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

Senshi's mouth was agape at the pure destructive power in that brief moment as suddenly...the cover Senshi took was gone and the whole entire sewer was blown open...as well as a good chunk of street. The sky was visible to Senshi as she saw most of the lower sewer bad been apart by the Cero. The redheaded reaper couldn't fathom this strength. She felt like she was drowning in the great power of...this beast. She looked down the hall to find what looked to be a man, but she knew no normal being could reach that level of destructive power right? Little did Senshi know that this power was achievable but was beyond her grasp...far beyond her grasp.

Senshi had quickly scrambled to her feet whilst grasping a now broken piece of piping next to her feet. She had used her average human strength to throw the sharp edge at the man as she began to use the air ground to escape to the surface. She had to escape...there was no way she was going to escape this thing. The pipe had been aimed straight for his stomach. She had to get somewhere safe...she had to keep running. Nothing in her arsenal could harm this man she knew. She had something planned, but she needed to trap him somewhere isolated.

She planned on using her ultimate binding combination to try and hold him...and then call for help. She knew that the destruction caused surely would draw attention...it surely must have. The Shinigami woman had ran and ran like an animal clinging onto survival. It was then though, she had realized...the chance of survival was extremely slim. She had to play her cards right or she would most likely be dead in the next hour. She began to run into the air as she had to take this battle away from people...it was her duty.

She would turn back occasionally to see how far back her foe was and would try her best to stay out of his sight and reach. The area she was headed to was a building with a water tower. She would be planning everything from the start. She would lure him there, bind him to the tower with her ultimate combo, shoot the tower, and electrocute him and call for reinforcements. That being...shouldn't be able to handle her Kido right? At least she hoped that was the truth.

She needed to get out of there ASAP. She already knew that her fellow Shinigami must be dead. She might not have any energy sensory, but the ear communicator was receiving no messaging. She would have seen or at least heard such a struggle occurring. This monster didn't seem to be subtle type as he didn't bother to stay subtle when he blew up the sewers. People were hiding from the action outside as they wanted no buisness of the destruction of Senshi's predator.

[Col Arana]

Col saw the shinigami. Armed only with a metal pipe, which she proceeded to throw at him. Col laughed almost politely, in an amused tone, as he effortlessly struck the pipe aside with a sweep of his arm, deflecting it away from him. With only the strength of an ordinary human, Senshi's throw offered little danger to Col, even if it had been a dangerous weapon. The shinigami then began fleeing again, and Col gave pursuit. Slowly. He wasn't walking, to be sure, he was using air ground to pursue her, but he was pacing himself very evenly. Just barely fast enough to keep up. That said, he was still running. If Senshi was moving at her top speed, then Col would be moving approximately 85% of her speed (or around 130 speed). This speed was child's play for Col to maintain, and more importantly, might give Senshi some semblance of hope. She might conceive that she was faster than Col. But it'd be no fun if Col allowed Senshi to escape of course, so Col used his air ground to climb up into the air, using a combination of his eyes and energy sensory to track Senshi as she tried to flee from him. Certainly, Senshi would notice that she was gaining ground! Perhaps she might even be able to escap--

Col shot a Bala, striking the ground about ten feet ahead of Senshi. Most arrancar had relatively small Bala. Bala were much faster than Cero but that typically came at the cost of being much smaller and weaker. Despite this, the Bala that struck the ground in front of Senshi left a crater in the ground large enough to fit a small apartment in. Even if Col was maintaining the facade of being slow, his Bala were not. "Oops." He intoned. "I missed." Senshi had made some distance from Col-- she likely couldn't make out the details of his face, but the arrancar was smiling a truly wicked smile. He was enjoying seeing his prey wriggling for freedom. To deprive it of hope. Still moving at his slow pace, the arrancar began to use the air ground to rush towards Senshi. A speed comparable, if slightly slower than hers. It would have been a laughable speed to a Captain or even Vice Captain, but for Senshi, Col expected it would be fast enough that she might consider it to be his top speed. To insert yet another sliver of hope into her mind.

"I wouldn't stop quite yet, my pet." Col mocked her. "You make a much more challenging target when you're moving!" He said, another Bala forming at his fingertip. He would give Senshi approximately two seconds before firing it. In the event that Senshi moved, Col would aim the Bala just behind her, so that the monstrous blast of Hollow reiatsu would strike right where she'd been an instant before, to further fuel her panic. Col did wonder how she would respond now. Would she continue her flight? He doubted she earnestly believed he'd missed with that first shot. She must have known he was toying with her. Prey did many things when you started to toy with it. Sometimes it merely gave up. Other times it played along in the hopes the predator would make a mistake and let it slip loose. Sometimes it would try to bite the predator back. In truth only the first option would be dissatisfying to Col at this point. It was still far too early to break his prey. He was just finishing the appetizer, afterall, it was the beginning of the main course!

Reiatsu Remaining: 3100/3400 (-100 for two Bala and -200 for the Cero last post)

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

Upon seeing that destructive Bala, she froze for a moment. It was then she heard his claims of calling her his pet...and how she was a greater challenge when moving. Hearing the sound of a Bala forming at his fingertip, Senshi did not hesitate to use the Shunpo to appear at her destination as an explosion occured where she was formerly standing. There it was...the water reservoir tower. Now Senshi could stand a possible chance if she played it out right!

She was sure her opponent would appear on the building soon enough, and thus before he got there, she would chant an incantation. "Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into three." Her middle, index, and ring finger had three glowing rays of light a she focused her reiatsu. She had used her mastery of this Kido to hold it...and when her enemy would come, she would use the Shunpo and appear right next to his right side shooting the three pillars into his side while at the same time making contact with his chest with her free hand.

Assuming her enemy was bound to the water storage tower, Senshi would begun to chant...incantation after incantation as she would plan on using her ultimate binding combination. One Bakudo was weak, but when assisted by other spells, it would be her ultimate strategy. She "Man, shaped by Divine hands, revert to the form before limbs, clutch at your own throat and be afraid." The man may find that suddenly his arms would be forced behind his back as to prevent those weird energy beams from being launched. Then another incantation.

A golden rope would be launched at the man as she muttered the incantation for it. It would wrap around his bound arms and chest like a straight jacket. Then yet another incantation as she seemed to be straining herself with each casted spell. Finally the last incantation for the Bakudo department had been launched. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat!" A red beam would fly from Senshi's fingertips to launch a paralyzing red beam straight for the man's chest. This was her tactic. However, she needed to finish this up with an offensive tactic...she had no doubt he would break from this if she didn't.

Looking up to the tower, she had wordlessly blasted a precision blast of lightning at it causing water to gush and cover the monstrous being before Senshi had spoken one name of a Hado she knew well. Using her mastery of Hainawa, she had grabbed the rope wrapped around the monster's waist which was connected to her palm. "Tsuzuri Raiden!" A powerful shock of electricity had traveled along the golden rope to the soaking wet Col electrocuting him hopefully. Senshi had hope that even a monster like him wouldn't be able to defend against such a well thought out strategy. Senshi's Bakudo had remained strong attempting to pin the beast...as Senshi panted. Did she do it?

SPOILER: Click to show

Reiatsu Remaining:
2325/2800
2 Shunpo=-100
1 Shitotsu Sansen=-50
1 Hainawa=-25
1 Geki=-25
1 Byakurai=-25
1 Tsuzuri Raiden=-25

Offensive Strengths:
Shitotsu Sansen:690
Hainawa:660
Sai:660
Geki:600
Tsuzuri Raiden:600

[Col Arana]

So the Shinigami escaped with Shunpo, did she? That was fine. Just fine. Col tracked her next location, as he was far enough away, that tracking Senshi's Flash step was certainly not impossible. Col continued to use his casual pace to pursue Senshi, arriving just in time to hear her performing her incantation. "And what's that talk? Is this some shinigami prayer, little girl?" Then she closed in. Col's eyes widened in surprise, as she struck him with Shitotsu Sansen, a midrange binding kido and pinned him to the tower. And Col was surprised to feel how strong this kido was. With the full incantation, Shitotsu Sansen's power was bolstered by almost an additional 1/5th, on top of Senshi's already considerable reiatsu strength that had led Col to drag on this chase already. But Col merely smirked in response to this. "What a clever little technique you have there! Allow me to demonstrate my own." He said, lifting his hand as Senshi brought her free hand to his chest, as though about to launch a Bala at point blank range! Impossible to evade for Senshi. ....Or would have been, if Col had been able to launch it. For her next bakudo wrenched Col's arms behind his back. "Tch. Now you're beginning to irritate me." He hissed, his crimson eyes glaring as he began to push to break free of the kido. Before he had a chance though, Senshi followed it up again a golden rope hurtling out and binding him. "You.... If you release me now, perhaps I'll make your death quick and painless girl." He growled, and opened his mouth. A Cero began to charge inside of his mouth, but before he could fire it, he froze, immobilized by Geki, unable to properly aim his Cero before firing it. "What are you doing!?" He snarled, abandoning the Cero attempt, agitation evident in his voice. "Buying time to escape? I'll break free of this eventually you know, and when I do, you will find it most unpleasant" He warned. The shinigami was up to something, and he saw her shoot a flash of lightning into the tower, causing water to spill out, drenching him. "Shinigami...." He hissed, an instant before the Tsuzuri Raiden struck.

The lightning crackled along the Hainawa, and raced through Col with shocking results. Col snarled in pain as it coursed over him. "GAH! Shinigami! You.... YOU...." He snapped, the first time he'd actually raised his voice in their entire encounter, his voice filled with fury.

And then his reiatsu flared. This reiatsu was truly monstrous. Cataclysmic even. Black and caustic it completely dwarfed and overwhelmed Senshi's. This was power that could only be matched by the greatest kido masters in the Gotei 13. Regrettably, prodigious as Senshi was, her reiatsu was utterly outclassed. Her choice in kido spells, too weak. The Tsuzuri Raiden was instantly snuffed. The Bakudo spells binding Col shattered instantly. A coursing, foul black reiatsu spilled and covered the golden rope that Senshi had conjured, dissolving it into nothingness. The arrancar stood, smirking, and unharmed. "You . . . . Idiot." Col vanished with a sound equivalent to harsh static. An arrancar equivalent to Shunpo-- Sonido. Col used his Sonido to instantly travel behind Senshi and to her left, no longer holding back on his speed. Though he was not using his full speed yet, he was still moving twice as fast as Senshi. Col lashed out with a forceful backhanded swing of his arm, aiming for Senshi's jaw, to smash her sideways and send her sprawling. Col's physical strength was not amazing, only about the level of a high-end human athlete. But from what he had seen of Senshi so far, and given her performance, he expected she was a lower ranked shinigami who focused primarily on her spiritual arts rather than her physical strength. If Col was successful in his blow, he would immediately step after Senshi and loom over her. "Did you actually think that would be sufficient to stop me?" He asked, nastily, a vicious glint in his eyes. "I didn't lie, girl." The smirk turned into a scowl. "Had you merely attempted your little light show, I might have considered being merciful. But your little trick with the tower, has ruined my coat."[/color] And indeed, while Col himself was scarce worse for wear, the longcoat that he wore was both drenched and charred by her Tsuzuri Raiden. This did not please the arrancar.

"Now... how best to deliver adequate recompense?" He asked, extending a finger. He smirked. "Ah. I know." He stated. "I'll give you a firsthand demonstration of what your shinigami arts should resemble."[/font][/color] And then Col did something that would likely shock Senshi to her very core. Something that should have been impossible for any Hollow. "Byakurai."[/color] A thin bolt of pale lightning flashed out from Col's fingertip to burn a hole through Senshi's torso. "Byakurai. Byakurai. Byakurai." Three more bolts in succession, each striking a new target in Senshi's torso. Col was even kind enough to aim one of them through her liver, and another through one of her kidneys or... well. That approximate area in any case. And with each strike, the malice in Col's eyes only grew....

Reiatsu remaining: 2900 (-100 for Sonido, -(25x4) for four Byakurais[/font]

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

As the Arrancar had cursed at her for her methods of Bakudo, she did not let up the assault. It was only when the angered Arrancar yelled in pain did Senshi think she was safe. How wrong she was. As the Arrancar cried out in anger, and the dark aura consumed his form snapping her binds, Senshi stumbled back. She knew now was the time to draw her sword and defend herself, and she had done so. However, the man had vanished from her sight, only to feel a strong backhand to the side of her face sending her falling and skidding against the floor. The arrancar was mad, she knew that for sure. She still couldn't believe the man could walk after that shock...or the fact that he broke all those binds in one shot. This monster was powerful, and she could feel that on the wound from her cheek. 

Thankfully, she was more durable than an average human. While that really hurt she would be alright. It was then that the man mocked her and seemed shocked that Senshi thought that her Tsuzuri Raiden was going to hurt the Arrancar. However, he was the most mad about his coat. He had raise his voice as he glared at her with his crimson eyes. It was then when he mentioned that he was going to show her what a real shinigami art should look like, did she yell loudly a name. "Extend above the heavens and fly! Shonin Joka!" It was then that her blade had morphed and glew red as it suddenly turned into a tanto like shape. This was the time to defend herself.

As the first Byakurai was launched, it had clanged against her release before dispersing despite it's amazing power. Then, Senshi had rolled to the side as the second had impaled the roof of the building. Swinging her blade at the third, it had too dispersed before the final Byakurai was blocked yet again by Senshi's blade as she stood straight and tall. Her blade appeared to be a three foot tanto, and it had saved her life right now possibly. It was then that Col may sense that Senshi's blade had gained an ever so minuscule amount of reiatsu from his attacks, a measly 15 stored within it. Now was the time for action!

Senshi's blade had suddenly appeared much sharper as Senshi had stored a whopping 2000 reiatsu from her reserves into her blade now effecting the swords cutting ability giving it the offensive stat of 1400. The process was almost instant as Senshi had suddenly used her Shunpo to appear right before the man with her blade. Senshi had thrown a feint punch for his face with a sparking and flashy fist imbued with the power of Tsuzuri Raiden to draw his attention, but in reality it was her blade he should have been keeping a look at. She had her blade held in the reversal grip as she had swung her blade quickly and swiftly aimed for the Arrancar's eyes. Upon their highest offensive stat now being equal, Senshi's blade would slice cleanly through his eyes removing them from the equation of combat. Blood would spray as the man would suddenly find Senshi's blade had absorbed 150 reiatsu from the man.

Senshi had then at that moment, took the liberty to use Shunpo to disappear from the scene with the remnants of her reiatsu as she had vanished appearing on another rooftop before the mans retaliation. She now had to retreat and fast. Shonin Joka had stored Col's 150 Reiatsu with no particular use yet added to the previous fifteen for a total of 165 free Reiatsu. Senshi was tired from Shonin Joka's ridiculous costs however. She had blinded the man and hopefully his other senses would not be enough to track her...or hopefully he wouldn't level everything in the area. Tapping on her mic, she had requested assistance. "HQ?! HQ?! I'm fighting a being of immense power and strength! I can't do this on my own!" There was silence as Senshi threw it from her ear and would crush it with her foot. She had to do this by herself...she had to kill that Arrancar if possible.

Recovering and catching a breath, the woman had used 100 of the stored reiatsu in her blade to give her 25 Reiatsu added to her reserves. She needed to think calmly and draw her enemy out to him. This was the moment Senshi had to do her best to defend the slums of this place...it was her duty. Therefore, she had fallen into a Zanjutsu stance using the airground approaching her foes original location. She had to finish this fast as she didn't have the reiatsu left for a drawn out battle. She had to deal with her enemy immediately. She was hoping increasing Shonin Joka's sharpness would be the key to defeating her foe as he blocked that thrown pipe with bare skin. Shonin Joka at its prime could cut through almost anything like butter. Now it was time for the Arrancar's reaction.

SPOILER: Click to show

Shikai: 1/10
Reiatsu Remaining:
50/2800
-25 Tzusuri Raiden +25 from 100 Reiatsu from Col=0
-200 from Shikai
-2000 from Transference.
-50 Shunpo

[Col Arana]

The shinigami released. Col could detect a thread of hope, yet within her. "Do you still mean to fight me?" He inquired, as he attempted to strike her with his Byakurai. He was surprised to see her deflect his first Byakurai, to be honest, but this time, Col kept his surprise concealed, his eyes focused, as he launched a second one and his target barely scrambled aside. "Desist. Your struggling is pitiful." He stated coolly. Senshi had stopped all four of his Byakurai, and though Col had barely been trying, he took note of the feat. He gave a disappointed sigh. "As you will he said." Of course with Col's energy sensory, detecting the difference in Senshi's blade was a paltry task, and even more noticeable when she flooded her sword with her reiatsu. "Are you putting your all behind a single blow then?" Col asked. "What a determined shinigami you are. I'll commend you for that at least." Col began to raise his hand. "I'll match that determination then, if you like. And put an end to this little farce." He decided, beginning to raise his hand up.

Senshi vanished in Shunpo, reappearing right in front of Col. Her fist hurtled at his face, crackling with lightning, and her blade slashing towards his face in a reverse grip. It was a valiant and good effort. Col was unarmed. Evasion was the only way he could deal with this. And Senshi had closed in too closely for him to dodge easily. Surely this attack would do something, right?

There was a sound of something igniting and a crimson blade of plasma sprung up from Col's sleeve, intercepting Senshi's sword. Col was holding onto an elegant looking silver handle, from which a red plasma blade emanated. Col enjoyed employed deception in his fighting style, and had a pair of plasma blades hidden in his long coat, one in each sleeve (also four additional ones inside the body of the coat), to be deployed exactly in situations like this. Despite the immense amount of power poured into her sword, it was unfortunate that Senshi could only bring her reiatsu up to equaling Col's. Not surpassing it. As such her strength was not sufficient to slice through the blade of oscillating plasma and slash through his eyes. Col wasn't solely relying on this however, to stop Senshi's attack. Col was significantly faster than Senshi, and as she threw her punch-sword combination, Col stepped back and off-line easily evading the punch, and placing his plasma blade at a perfect angle to check her sword swing, the two weapons clashing at a perpendicular angle. On top of that.... "Hado #1. Sho." The instant, Senshi's blade clashed with Col's, before it would even have time to complete her swing an invisible force would slam into her chest hurling her across the rooftop to slam her into the very water tower she had previously burst open. "Bakudo #62. Hyapporankan." Before Senshi would even have a chance to hit the water tower, a series of rods of reiatsu formed around Col and hurtled towards her. Col timed it so that the rods would strike her while she was still being thrown backwards, pinning her to the water tower and crushing almost any chance she had of stopping them with her sword like she had his lower level kido. This would likely severely inhibit her plans of escaping to send a message, though she would at least still have her mic.

True, Col likely could have stopped Senshi's attack with his plasma blade alone, but with Senshi seeming to cling to that sword in the desperate hope that it would win, Col was taking no chances. He did not know the capabilities of her shikai, and for all he knew it could have had another property that would have rendered it a threat to him, thus while his parry was there to check the blade, he had reacted thus anyways, just in case it was not enough. The Sho spell ensured that even if Senshi, by some miracle cut through his plasma blade, her sword would still fail to reach Col, due to being thrown back before she could finish her cut anyways. Redundancies were not always a bad thing. Col began to approach Senshi again, seeing her failed attempt to wound him. "Are you all out of tricks, shinigami, or will you attempt to amuse me further?" He asked, taking his time with his approach, the glowing blade of plasma emitting a low hum as he neared her.

Reiatsu Remaining: 2775 (-150 for Hyapporankan, -25 for Sho)

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

Now this was a total shock to Senshi. She thought that her foe was unarmed as he had never shown any use of weaponry before. However, now witnessing his red plasma blade fall from his sleeve to defend himself against Senshi's attack, she quickly acted intelligently. She had always been prepared when rushing in for an attack seeing one mistake would equal death. Funneling 400 reiatsu from her offensive force of her blade, she has gained 100 Reiatsu back to her reserves. Now her sword had the offensive force of 1240 as she had exactly enough reiatsu in this moment to launch her final attack of desperation.

As their blades clashed, she had focused her reiatsu as suddenly the sword had split open much like a flower bud blooming trapping the laser inbetween the now six thin blades before all of them had extended and moved forward rapidly to now not only stab Col's face and eyes...but his body as well. Surely this must be surprising as he surely didn't anticipate this. Either the man would take the hit along his body...or he may sacrafice his red plasma sword while also gaining a minor stab wound on his arm. She had then been completely exhausted of reiatsu...she had quite literally none to spare, but she had now secured herself another weapon. Now Senshi normally would have been sent flying from the oppressive force of Sho, but with her Zanpakutou suddenly extending it's reach the way it did, it would shield her barely as one of the narrower blades had cracked leaving itself within the body of the Arrancar.

Assuming the man had been hit, Senshi had immediately used 100 Reiatsu which she had gained from him to restore 25 of her reiatsu reserves. Assuming the man had been stabbed through his body, she had gained 300 reiatsu which she would use to refill 75 of her reserves. At the same moment, she had touched her sparking fist to her blade channeling it with the electricity to give him a shocking surprise before she would pull back. She had landed a hit on the almighty Arrancar if albeit a small one. Or so she hoped.

Shonin Joka had retained it's form as the young Shinigami had then grasped the man's laser blade for her own weapon held in her other hand while her Zanpakutou had been within the other. Entering her Aikido stance, she had panted as she knew she was going to lose if any more reiatsu was exerted. She had to rely on her physical prowess although that is the most limited source she had. She knew there were no safe directions around her when facing the Arrancar. She had to retreat.

What really could she do? The man was too powerful and she was an ant under his shoes. She had harmed him once, but that was with her ace in the hole technique, and she was sure it was never going to happen again. It was pure luck that she had landed the hit, and she knew that he would have his guard up by now. Col may see that Senshi's reserves were so minuscule, she was essentially empty and drained dry. She wouldn't be as tasty anymore seeing she was drained of her spiritual energy, but she still had some scrap of it left thanks to him.

SPOILER: Click to show

Shikai:2/10
Reiatsu Remaining:
0/2800
-150 Split
Reiatsu Gained from Sacraficing Offensive Force:100+50=150 even trade.
Offensive Force of Sword:1240
If Col is stabbed=300 Reiatsu Gained
If Col is hit=150 Reiatsu Gained.

This is getting super intense for me...