To Begin Anew.....

[Kimiko Aimi]

Thread Title: To Begin Anew [PvP; DE]
Participants: Garret and Kimiko Aimi
World: Soul Society
Death Setting: Death Enabled
Rating: R
Location: The Outskirts of Kyoto, Japan.


Special Conditions: None.
Circumstances: With the events of the World Express; Kimiko has been under a great depression. A life of a child lost, a man she can feel is falling into his own darkness, and a power continues to grow. Altogether, these circumstances will continue to grow until they are swallowed. Something must be done. As such, the Failure has lied to the Wanderer, and led the man to the place of her birth. A place that had been long forgotten of the course of a thousand years. This is the place where it began, and so, it shall end. Hopefully, with salvation of one.

[Kimiko Aimi]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Reference, and to set the mood}

How long has it been since she last climbed these hills? The years have not been kind to the lands. But, in spite of all that has happened... it was still so beautiful. The place in which she once called home. The place where it all began for her. Where her pain and happiness swirl together along side the everlasting snow fall. Each one reminded her of a single memory spent throughout the entire span of her existence. The cold never effected her after that day. The warmth that a human would cherish became that of a nuisance to Kimiko. Never being able to know what it means to embrace others, nor become close to them. The cold of that day continued to remain beside her despite all that has happened. Of all those people she sought to help, from those who were plagued by her existence, Kimiko strove to protect the people, and to hopefully guide them towards peace.

Peace. Something that she struggled to find herself. Through the ages she saw regimes rise and fall, good men and women rose to become better, or fell into the darkness that came from their own hearts. Kimiko saw it all before her eyes. They struggled with the darkness of the world or that resided within themselves. This struggle continued through the generations, especially within one. The Wanderer. Garret was a man who she felt on a single day of her own wandering. A man who was in trouble. Not from the beings in which he slayed, but the darkness that continued to grow within himself.

From that first day, the Failure stood by his side. Though, there were instances in which they separated from the other, understanding that those times of isolation were needed. But still, they found each other again. No matter the distance, they found each other. It wasn't a sense of love, but companionship. A unique bond that was forged through their own time alone in the world. Each one had their own sense of a curse. The man's essence that drew in the creatures of the shadows, and the woman whose power overwhelmed her own power. Both were a danger to the world, and to that of each other. However, in that sense of solitude they found each other. And together, they commuted and helped to fill an emptiness that they both shared. "Garret, for the longest time.. I mean, from the time we first met, I believed that we would be good friends. Because, the difficulties with our ailments made it feel as though we shared something that no other would know of. A bond forged by pain and solitude. Despite all that has happened in my life, I was actually happy to be able to connect with someone who may have known what it means to wander. For once, I felt a warmth that I thought I lost long ago. So, I wanted to thank you, Garret. You were the first real friend I was able to make in this state."

Even now, despite everything that has happened between them Kimiko could still feel that bond. Despite the winds that blew against the mountain side in which they trodded, she could still feel that sense of companionship that the other, in which she believed, that the other needed. Regardless of how cold the snow was between her toes, it was a warmth that helped to push her forward. A means to help her continue forward. Yet, their previous engagement only brought back the fact that she continued to push to the side. The Failure was dangerous to those she made contact with. For Garret, and for the child that the man swore to protect. Before, she believe she could repent for her sins through forgiveness and prayer. From the city of the Failures, Kimiko learned of many different faiths. And one of them required to ask for forgiveness of herself, and of others. To push forward because it was her duty to do so. But this time... it was different. For the man she called her friend was hurt by it all. She was the one who sinned against him, and took the life of an innocent because she couldn't control her power.

This was something that became inevitable. Kimiko's powers were continuously growing. Even to this point in which they walked, it was growing. Her power entered into a phase that it could no longer be held back. And with such a power came at a great cost. The fear soon grew that a single use of her power will cost those closest to her to die. The child wasn't the first to bring such a realization to the Failure, but it surely was one that devastated her the most. Because, she saw what remained of the child, and the pain that it cause her friend. She saw the darkness that swelled inside of him. A darkness she didn't feel for such a long time that she was with him. That darkness was her sin, and she had to stop it. She had to put an end to it all.

For that reason she brought the Wanderer here. High in the mountains that remained beyond the outskirts of Kyoto, Kimiko spoke of a way to cure the man, including a means to save the child. She had to lie to the man in order to at least peak his interest enough to have him follow her. And even if he didn't believe her, he'd wish to see for himself the reason why she would make up such a lie. For whatever the reason, she had to lure him to this place. A place far away from those who would normally be affected by such powers as theirs.

Kimiko did not know if the man forgave her for the murder of the child. She didn't know a lot of things. The Failure made promises to the man to teach him how to use his abilities. So many false promises that she didn't know how she could manage to fulfill. But, possibly here, she could. A means in helping the man once and for all. Or at least, until the man discovered the cure for his own curse. This was all that she could do for him. It would have to suffice. Down the small hill, and around the narrow path did the two arrive at a large open space within the series of hills. A flat land that ran streams down its sides. Gravel that seemed to be untouched by the mantles of time. Frozen pillars of molded wood that were used as the foundation and structure of what use to be a Japanese styled Mansion.

The structure's remains was not much, just fragments that only labeled the edges of where it once stood all those years ago. "But, I am sorry. I can only assume that you already had figured it out that I was lying to you. All to bring you here, to this place. A place were one, which I believe, can be reborn." The Failure continued on until she was positioned at the other end of the large field, to where the remnants of her home stood before. Her eyes drawn to the edges as her fingers traced the foundation of a single pillar once more. "For me.... to be reborn once again... To be reborn, as a new person." She didn't want to do it. She hated the fact that she was driving herself to do this to a friend. To someone who helped her. She hated it all. But, "But, in order to do that... I must cast away all that in which is keeping me from it. And that means .... you."

With a brush of her hand motion, the mist that had always aided the Rogue spirit lashed out. Whipping from the base of the woman towards the bulking man with its average speed of 250. Nothing that the man couldn't dodge, as he knew better than anyone how dangerous contact with it was. And just as the mist sprang towards the man, so did the remainder of the mist that seethed from the Failure's body, covering a five foot radius around her as a protective veil of reiatsu. Already, the man knew how the woman would fight, so it wasn't expected that reiatsu would be gathered in the palm of her hands. "The child was the first one I needed to get rid of, and now, the last one that is needed is you. After, I shall be once again new. And free." She hated it all. But, it was necessary. This was where all those promises she made to the made would finally be realized. Redemption...... was at hand.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}

Prodigy Version 2 - Rank 2:


Strength - 120 - 2/3 deduction[40]

Speed - 240

Spiritual Pressure - 240

Reiatsu Strength - [X - 1050 due to Failure Class 2] *2- [2100]

Light Aura - 100

Dark Aura - 0

Instinct - 120 - [40]

Senses - 100

Energy sensory - 280*2 - [560]

Healing Expertise - 100 - [33]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Skills}

1. [Fighting Style - Aikido] {3}

2. [Battle Analysis] {2}

3. [Acrobatics] {3}

4. [Strength of Will] {2}

5. [War Strategy] {2}

6. [Mental Incantation] {3}

[RayginX]

Despite what happened he still chose to follow her. Even after that horrendous accident. Even after that traumatic event he still chose to remain with her. Despite the childs death, Garret remained beside Kimiko. But despite his decision were things really the same as they had been? Garret was more than just cursed muscle. He was smarter than he looked. He could feel that things between his one and only friend were...strained. It was if a wall had been erected between them. One that bite at his flesh with an icy chill each time he tried to converse with her. Things did not feel right. Even still he followed her. Even still he fought alongside her during the nights. Even still he allowed himself to trust in her. She had requested that he follow her. She wanted to lead him somewhere. He didn't know where she wanted them to go. Garret chose to follow.

The air on the mountain was cold. The snow crunched beneath his booted feet as he followed behind the priestess. His robe, fluttering in the wind, was the only other sound that escaped him besides his foot prints. The words she gave him still rung in his ears like the clear sound of a bell. Even now, despite what had happened, Garret still called Kimiko a friend. The feelings she had for him were mutually shared. The Rogue had believed for so long that with his ever worsening ailment, companionship was impossible. Garret had willingly ejected himself from the Rukongai to keep himself away from those who would be hurt by his curse. He chose to isolate himself from others. He had chosen hatred as his only companion. He aimed to burn himself with that hatred, and the monsters that came for him. But things had changed when he met Kimiko.

A being like him. One with a condition that endangered those around her. It was a odd little friendship they had. Two beings so very dangerous to others chose to remain by each others side. There's was a bond formed through fire. Love? No. Garret did not love her. His heart was still an open wound that Kimiko could not heal. But she was his friend. She was the only person Garret trusted in his hellish life. He trusted her with his life. Even after what had happened, Garret still felt that way. But that day had been a grim reminder. It made him remember that she, like him, was something uncontrolled. Kimiko and Garret were storms. They were hurricanes that could so easily destroy and ruin the lives of anyone around them. They survived one another because of their individual strengths, and together were something to be reckoned with.

But since that night, Garret could tell that the two storms so easily kept together were pushing one another apart. The night he was reminded of how dangerous each other was. The night that Garret held, in his arms, the charred corpse of a child he put aside his hatred for. Garret remembered the agony, the despair, the hatred that burst forth from him. Something akin to when his wife had been torn to shreds before his very eyes. The darkness that lived within him fed on that negativity. It grew. It engorged itself on his suffering. It had become stronger. The Hollows that appeared during the nights were evident of that growth. But, more than that, was the obvious worsening of the swordsman's physical condition. By his own confession to the priestess, sleep was becoming a task for him.

Already the life that the Rogue was forced to live was something that any normal man would be eradicated by. But that thing within the swordsman was taking its toll on him more than the nights were. The tremors in his hands had become very apparent. No longer could he simply hide them from Kimiko, not since he dropped the food she had given him. His sense of taste had become muted. Only the strongest of flavors could reach his tastebuds. And even those were dwarfed versions of their normal selves. Sleep had become difficult. The other, each night, pestered Garret with images and threats with what it wanted. It showed him fields of blood. It showed him what it aimed to turn him into. It showed him graphic images of what it wanted to do to Kimiko.

The crunch of snow had shifted to the sounds of shifting gravel beneath his feet. No longer travelling up hills, they had now entered into a flatlands that looked as if it were once some form of civilization. The Rogue drifted his gaze across where they stood. His eye settled upon the molded pillars of wood for a moment, before Kimiko's words drew his attention back to her. He was silent as he looked at her, drinking in her words before shutting his eye for a moment. Yes. He had been aware she lied to him. Why she did he did not know. But for some reason she felt reason to lie to him to bring him here. Garret, for that alone, chose to play along with her. She positioned herself across the field from him, tracing one of the remains with her fingers.

"For me.... to be reborn once again... To be reborn, as a new person.""

"...?" Rebirth? What did she mean by that? He didn't need to wait long for an answer. As she explained it, those words of hers striking him like daggers of ice, in order for her to be reborn she had to cast aside that which kept her from it. Namely, him. He blinked. What was she talking about. A mixture of emotions began to take shape with him. The primary of which being confusion. What did she mean? Garret frowned, eye narrowing for a moment as he began to try and find his voice to question her. But suddenly her hand moved. It moved in a way that Garret recognized. A brush of her hand that could end the lives of dozens.

That Flood. That Flood that had been used to save his life god knows how many times was suddenly lunging for him. The Rogue, eye wide, quickly back pedaled away from the mist. He was faster than it, decently so, but all he ended up doing was making more distance. Kicking off of the ground, the Rogue took to the air for a minute to gain a height advantage over the flood, before kicking off of Airground and sending himself hurtling towards a forward left. Landing back down on the earth, unharmed, Garret stood straight up again and simply...looked at Kimiko. He had not yet drawn that massive thing he called a sword. He just...stared at her.

The mist was surrounding her. Five feet of frozen embrace. Finally, though, after what seemed like days of silence...finally, "What are you doing?" He asked. There was no anger in his voice. It was rather calm in fact. His robe fluttered in the breeze as he looked at her, trying to understand what she was doing. Though she tried to throw the death of the child at him, which did cause something to spark inside him some, it failed to drive him into a fury. "New? Free? What nonsense are you spouting, Kimiko?" Garret asked, his gravely, deep, voice speaking so clearly in this clearing. "You're not one to lie. You're no good at it. If killing me is truly what you aim to do...then why do you not have any killing intent?" Garret asked. Fighting alongside her for so many uncountable, grueling, nights...Garret could tell. He knew her inside and out, just as she did him. Just what was she aiming for her? What was she hoping for?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}
Strength - 400 Points = 800

Speed - 300 - Points

Spiritual Pressure - 300 - Points = 450

Reiatsu Strength - 100 - Points = 60

Light Aura - 20 - Points

Dark Aura - 80 - Points

Instinct - 150 - Points

Senses - 150 - Points = 112

Energy sensory - 0 - Points

Healing Expertise - 0 - Points

Total SP: 1400 Points

• [Weapons: Greatswords] {3}
  
  
• [Strength of Will] {3}
  
  
• [Pain Tolerance] {2}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {2}
  
  
• [Lack of Fear] {2}
  
  
• [Damage Recovery] {3}
  
  
• [Bleeding Tolerance] {2}
  
  

[Kimiko Aimi]

He already got her before she could even accomplish what she wanted to do. He'd figured out that she was lying from the start. Kimiko was never one to deceive people. She was honest many of times. Caring and considerate, their connection to each other was indeed special. He knew some of the woman's quirks and habits, including what she favored and disliked. Those times spent wandering together the two developed something truly special. A bond of made of respect and friendship. A bond that was mystique in every sense of the word as it was their own abnormalities that allowed them for them to meet. Ever since then, their bond only grew. He felt for her the same mutual sense that she felt for him. And for that to be damned for this moment when she was trying to get him to spite her. To draw that same darkness out of him that came that day. She had to dig deeper.

"Heh, as I said before; I am going to be reborn. And to do that, I am going to cast away everything that was before. That means you, Garret." He continued to strike the nail on the head. He knows her too well for her to play the villain here. She had to dig deeper. Deeper into the pits of the man's soul. She had to find something that can help her draw it out. "You really are very easy to deceive Garret. Just a little fluttering of the eyes, a few kind words and acts, and already you believe that you know me well. How boorish of you." She sucked at it completely. The only reference she had was that of her father, and family. Their behavior and personalities were all she could turn to in order to create the mask that was falling apart. Deeper.

"Did you know that this place was actually my home once? That it was once filled with the Noble Aimi Family... We governed this area of Kyoto for some time before that day came. The day that I became like this and watched them slowly lose their color, and shattered." Yes, that was true. She couldn't stand living as they did. Kimiko was the daughter of a noble family who prized themselves over everything else. They deserved to have the best of everything. All that they lay their fingers on they had to have the best. Kimiko didn't want any of that. She wasn't like them. She was like her mother. For that reason, they resented her. The Failure was her own person, and from that, she met that boy. Her first true friend. A young boy whom she played with, ate with, and slept with on those lonely nights. Those memories were the precious moments that she would never forget, and that included his death. That was a moment she couldn't forget, for which caused her abilities to go rampant, and she became what stands in front of Garret this day.

"I was tired of their rules, their very reason for being. I could no longer stand them, and for that reason, I broke them." She watched as the azure shade consumed their bodies. Their breathes visible to the naked eye. Shortly after, their bodies splintered, then cracked. Their bodies stilled, then shatter in hundreds of pieces. She watched it all occur in a matter of moments. All of it was true. "For someone who claims to know a lot, you surely know very little, Garret." she said as a smile was brought about. On the inside, she was clawing at herself. Her nerves were strained as she continued to search. Deeper, darker, the pits of the man she saw in which he spoke of were true. The darkness that came from him, its starting point. It was not the raids, or the pack of hooligans that were with him. But, a single life that was lost. The birth of rage, just as the lost of the boy was the rebirth of Kimiko.

She gripped her own arms, drawing her nails down the mentally formed triceps and forearms that she hoped would give her courage to do it. The pain she would want to inflict on herself, anything to draw her focus away from what she was going to do. But she couldn't. This was a sin that she had to remain aware of, because she was inflicting it on a friend. "And it is that same reason why you couldn't even save that woman...... The same idiocy that damned your wife." Kimiko chuckled as her smile remained. Love, that was what started most occurrences shuch as this. Garret was no different. The sorrow that he felt, the pain, and agony that resulted in her death, all of it was terrible.

Her abilities in Energy Sensory was beyond the average. Her abilities had grown, that was certain as the growth of her Flood ability. Kimiko was stronger then she ever been. Each experience that made Garret grow only served to further develop the Failure as well. Both be praised and damned at the same time. But truthfully, she was a bit thankful to her growth, for her to further understand Garret all the more. But Kimiko be damned, as she was using such information to drown the man in that same darkness. Kimiko begged for forgiveness. "You couldn't save your wife... or the child. How pathetic. I'm sure that they are more happily enjoying their lives..... away from you." she smiled.

She chuckled, slowly erupting into a laugh. "You couldn't save either one of them. You failed them both. And you want to know something, I actually cherished ridding that poor child too. It wasn't difficult to do either. It was like.... pushing a button." she laughed. She would stab herself with a blade if she had one. Every word spouted forth was like knife stabbing into her chest. Each word said was something she couldn't take back. For this to succeed, she had no other choice. For that reason, the bright blue reiatsu gathered into the palm of her hand, the same light that took the life of the child. A Cero. "You remember, don't you? How easy it was for me to remove that child from this world, how easy it was to just... snuff her out."

The ice around her continued to grow, develop further into a wall around her. But that glowing light, the same light that swallowed the colors around them both. Garret was one of the few who knew what it was capable of as well. "You remember this... don't you?" Kimiko smiled.

[RayginX]

His frown had begun to deepen as more biting words spilled from her mouth. Just what was she doing? This talk of rebirth, the sudden spew of venom towards him, none of it seemed like her. Was he being tricked? Was he having a nightmare of some kind? Was he finally losing what was left of his sanity? He didn't know. More and more words were thrown at him by the Failure he considered a friend. Words meant to hurt him. Words meant to convince him he had been used by her. Words that ended up cutting him. Like they were a dull, rusted, knife they cut him. Hearing her say these things to him caused him concern and pain. She explained how this was once her family home, how she destroyed her family when her own instability appeared. Did she? Could Kimiko have killed her own family maliciously?

The possibility of someone like her doing that had to have been close to zero. Garret knew her well enough to know that she didn't possess the sort of maliciousness he did. She was kind, saint like, peaceful. She traveled with him, jumped headfirst into the bloodbath besides him, all to try and help him. Initially it had just been to try and teach the Rogue Kido, but upon learning Garret had no aptitude for it she decided to simply help him survive. For Garret thats all he wanted. Someone to help him. Someone to just help him shoulder everything that was happening. And now that very person he put so much trust in was throwing such words at him. He prepared to speak. He would try and reason out what Kimiko was talking about. His mouth opened, but no words came forth when Kimiko said what it was she said.

What Kimiko took a stab at was the largest wound the man had. As she drove that knife in, twisting it, trying to draw out what hide in the man, she saw the results of her attempt. Malice spilled from the man. As if a switch had been flicked, the look of confusion and concern that had drawn itself on Garret's face had turned into one of sheer disgust. The edges of his lips split open to reveal snarled teeth. That single eye narrowed itself, reflecting the anger and disgust just as well as any word would. Kimiko had hit the spot. She had hit the mans greatest weakness. The open, festering, wound in his heart that would never heal. The wound that he himself would jab and poke at to further fuel and feed his own hatred.

The chains would shift. Their rattling would be heard. The presence stirred, tempted from hiding by the great anger rising in Garret. A light rumble escaped from the darkness, as it raised its head. It's attention had been drawn. Garret's anger was like a drug. How could it resist the lure? Garret grinded his jaws together, trying to keep himself from just lunging at her. How dare she go that low. "How dare you..." He hissed lowly. How dare she say these things to him. How dare she mock Cassandra's death. How dare she make him remember it. How could she? How could she say these things? How could she make light of the child's death? "Kimiko..." Garret growled.

It shifted again. Garret could feel it. He could feel it rising. So much anger. He was actually shaking. "Was it all a lie?" Garret managed to get out. His eye wide, the swordsman began approaching her. The crunch of gravel beneath his heavy feet became louder and louder as he approached. Was all of it... The memories of their first meeting was coming back to him. A tired, bleeding, man being found by this maiden of ice. The mending of a massive wound on his back. The promise of companionship made. Snapping his jaws together, Garret lunged forward. He barreled towards Kimiko, that gargantuan weapon of his drawn as he charged. "Was it all a lie, Kimiko?!" He shouted as he rushed her.

Deep within him it had awoken. Deep within it watched. The chains rattled as it stirred. As it rose.

[Kimiko Aimi]

This was what the Failure has been waiting to occur. That spark of hatred, the temptation into darkness, the swelling torrent of anger and vengeance. This was the opportunity in which the Failure had been waiting to erupt from the man. Now, the real test began. For the man be blindly rushing into Kimiko as such was reckless. She had to get him thinking more, she had to push him further for the armor to expose itself, and with that of the parasite that reigned over it. She had to push him just a bit further. And she knew how to do that. The blue hue of light that took hold of the flatland gathered into the palm of her hand. The Cero resonated well in its wielder's hand. A powerful technique known to the Hollows, and one that Kimiko knew how to use. The same technique that took the life of the little girl. And from its creation it was released towards the man.

As if to swallow the natural light that entered into the world, it faded with the scream of Kimiko's Cero. Alone, the Cero was a devastating technique that knew no equal in terms of raw power. However, in the hands of a Failure, of Kimiko Aimi, it was unparalleled in power, force, and size. Most Cero's matched the size of ordinary cars, but with Kimiko the size of the Cero was easily able to swallow entire two story building. That was the size that came at the Wanderer. It's pure strength was something unheard of. If Garret did not move aside quickly, then his existence would be come to rather glaring end. That wasn't something that the Failure wanted, but she couldn't hold back her strength. Doing so would have given her away. It's direction had to be true and precise in fear of causing a misunderstanding. If the man came to know of her reasons, then the dark menace inside him would not show itself. This had to be done.

Beyond the hazing blue light of the Cero, the mist was already on the move once more. Peeling itself away from the frozen barriers made from before it crawled to claim further territory 5 feet away from Kimiko. The damp floor quickly crystalized within a foot of ice as it slowly shaped the stern pikes that reached up a foot up into the air. They are strong and stern as Kimiko's reiatsu strength. The closer the man would come to her the further the temperature would drop. "I am not obliged to answer you, because it won't matter. I'll be sending you to meet them anyways. And you won't be able to do anything about it."

Her Flood did most of the defensive work. Freezing the ground to point where one may slip and fall. Speed wasn't going to do much for the Rogue, not in this environment. Thick walls around her that not only fortified her position, but kept her safe from the man's shockwaves in which he mostly used for long range offensive strikes. Her reiatsu strength was beyond that of those in which the man had ever faced. Perhaps even stronger. For him to be unable to act as he desired against her would put him further into his rage. With her formation, physical blows wouldn't suffice against her reinforced walls, his speed wouldn't do much good if he had no footing in fear of being stuck or sliding across the ice, and most long ranged tactics he had would go to waste as the Failure stood surrounded by her ice. Bit by bit Kimiko was taking up both land and vantage points away from the Rogue, repelling his ability to fight as he was now. The only other way for him to fight her was the alternative; the armor.

"Is this truly the best you have. If it is, then it is no wonder that they died. You simply lack the strength. It is funny however, that even after all this time, you still have not learned anything. Truly disappointing, Garret." She knew that her instability was strong, and would only develop more within time. This couldn't be allowed to happen. She had to end it, but it couldn't be done by her own hands. It had to be done by him. It had to be. But first, she had to force him to use the armor. She had to rid him of the parasite's influence. She couldn't go until she fulfilled her end of their promise to help him.


Remaining Reiatsu: 2200/2400 ; -200 Cero

[RayginX]

Charging headlong towards someone who could create structures of ice both capable of unbreakable defense and unstoppable destruction was a foolish decision. But against Kimiko, who dominated him both in raw power and long range capabilities, it was his only choice. Garret was a close ranged fighter. It was all he could do. Though he had long range options with his shockwaves and a few techniques, he was nothing compared to her. Their strengths were in completely different fields. If someone decided to look at it from a mechanical perspective, she had the advantage over him in more ways than one.

But none of that mattered. Garret was no stranger to being disadvantaged. This hell he went through was proof of that. He endured a hardship that nobody else would have been able to go through. Except...for her. She was the only able, and willing, to endure that hell alongside him. And to hear, from her, that it was all lies. That she was only using him for her own gain? Nothing she said made sense. Nothing she said was like her. And yet, and yet, she went for his weakness. She drove a knife into his greatest, and deepest, wound.

But even as he charged his mind was not lost. He was still carefully aware of what Kimiko was doing. He saw the raise of her hand and the ever glowing light of what she was preparing to call forth. The Rogues lone eye widened when the light burst forth like an explosion of thunder. Reiatsu pushed into his legs as he initiated a Shunpo to move to his right as the Cero of incredible size whizzed past him. It’s size was greater than any he had ever seen her, or any Hollow, use. It truly was a testament to just how powerful her instability allowed her to be.

He didn’t turn to see the results of her attack. Why did it matter? He could feel the rumble of the explosion shaking the ground beneath his feet. He could feel the vibrations against his back. Once the Rogue had reappeared from his step he continued his charge forward. ”Kimiko!! Garret roared as he charged forward, but suddenly became aware of the layers of ice that was creeping along the ground birthed by her Flood.

A slur of curses danced in his mind when he noticed this. He quickly jumped upwards just as the spikes of ice began to grow up from beneath him. What could he do against her? For just a moment Garret felt it. For just a moment Garret felt the chains jingle. He felt the presence stir. But he quickly pushed it out of his mind. He quickly shoved it away. He would handle her himself. In the air above her, the Rogues cape fluttered as he reached behind him and drew forth the gigantic weapon that was his sword.

"Be quiet! Stop talking now!!" A roar escaped from his mouth as he held his sword overhead, descending downwards towards Kimiko. Once close enough he swung downwards. He aimed to cleave the tip of his sword into the top of her head. But he didn’t expect it to work. He was merely trying. He expected a sheet of ice to appear and block his sword. But if she didn’t? Then this was over...and their companionship will have ended.

Remaining Reiatsu: 4450 / 4500
-50 for Shunpo

[Kimiko Aimi]

Garret was a predicable as ever. His strategies were always two dimensional. The overwhelming physical strength that he wielded did little against her when confronted with ranged combat. Much of the Rogue's abilities lacked in such areas, as their capabilities faded away the greater the distance between them became. So, how was the man to compensate for his lack in such tactics? For most he couldn't. The training that was done with him was meant to help insure that he had more versatility in these areas. She only had hoped that he could train himself to reduce the pains of such encounters. To the Failure's dismay, he didn't. For that reason he had no other choice but to engage the Priestess in close quarters; an area in which he performed better in. Yet, even with a narrow gap between them, Kimiko was already prepared.

Just as the Rogue feared the mist that protruded from her body froze the particles in the air. Ceasing their movements until they came to a complete halt, the space between them chilled until frozen solid, turning the gap into a thick wall of ice. This was immediate as the large chunk of metal came crashing down onto Kimiko's position. Although his strength was vast, it did so little against a more matured power. Like all else that came before him the blade had been caught. Submerged within the frozen block of ice, the blade's material slowly came to suffer the same effect as the water particles in the air. Cold transfer. The metal in his blade was already lacking in motion on a molecular level. The stilled materials that forged his blade had no resistance to it. No motion. Thus, it made it all the more easier to freeze. Should the man kept his grip, then he would find that his hands would have been submerged in the thick layer of ice coating the sword.

"Come on Garret, surely you jest. Even you can see that it is pointless to land a hit on me. After all this time I have yet to have a single Hollow, or creature, come to touch my garments. What chance do you think you have in the current state you are in now?" Kimiko snickered. "With all this time spending in the warring nights, you have yet come to know the strength that is needed to win. You have become so conceded in such strength." The walls around the Failure continued to grow in size. The pair of barriers erupt, the height towering over the man's own shadow as the mist beneath their feet encircled the pair. If Garret did not retreat right away, he too will be caged in the ice that only the Failure could produce. He would be encased in ice, left in a state between life and death for all eternity.

That was only if the Rogue had a desire to liberate his blade. Leaving it behind would limit his options in fighting. Thus, his efforts would have to be poured into his fists, or utilizing other tactics to fight. Although they were enemies, Kimiko sought to push the man to his limits; to teach him in what he could not learn before hand. At the same time, force him to use the armor that kept hidden within himself. The Failure pushed on, raising only but a finger in the man's direction. With it, the crackling of air and water sundered beneath it's energy as it was released from the tip. "Byakurai (Pale Lightning)" Exploding from the woman's finger tip, what was to be of a concentrated thin electrical stream became that of a rampaging burst of energy. By no means what it centered as what it's nature intended as the energy dispersed as the size of a small motor vehicle.

"I suppose that this must be what it must have felt for your wife. The amount of disappointment she must have felt. It is actually amusing I have to say." she laughed through the gap between the towering barriers in front of her. A small space that the Failure left intentionally for the man. As she laughed about the remark another finger emerged from the opening, directed at the Rogue. Should he have avoided the first discharge of Byakurai, then the secondary spell that came afterwards would push the man even further. The soil beneath them slowly turned to ice as the mist's hand veiled over it, covering a distance of 15 feet of dirt from Kimiko. What came immediately after was that of Raikōhō (Thunder Roar Cannon), her second spell.

By the Failure's will, the amount of energy dispersed from this Hado was lowered. The input of reiatsu had to be held back, enough to allow further control of the spell while reducing it's fatality. With this in mind, Raikoho's strength was reduced to that of 1000 reiatsu strength. Cutting her attack strength in half did allow further manipulation of the spell, a good trade in. This allowed Kimiko to spread the spell's influence, causing it to cover more ground in terms of width rather than distance in length. While dispersing it across the horizon, much of its impact would have been severed to that of 500 as it surpassed the distance of 5 feet. Thus, it's damage wouldn't do much against the Rogue. However, the trade off in this sense meant it taking a toll on the woman's body. Suppressing the amount of reiatsu that it would have originally been discharged was taken out of the woman's body. Kimiko didn't allow to show as the damage done formed cracks along the woman's right abdomen.

This was all for Garret's sake. She had to push him to use that armor. Only then could she really finish her task. Everything else didn't matter.


Remaining Reiatsu: 2225/2400 ; - 25 Byakurai, -150 Raikoho.

[RayginX]

That single eye widened when he came to realize what his actions had wrought. The impact of his sword clashing against the structure of ice formed from the shrine maiden's constructs jarred his arms and successfully halted his attack. But what was more was the realization that his own idiocy had sacrificed his own weapon. The air exploded when that massive four hundred pound slab of metal came crashing against the ice and yet left not even a single crack. Kimiko's ice was greater than Garret's might. The instabilities power dwarfed his. That very ice colored and caught his blade as that icy prison traveled its lengths, hungrily crawling to grip Garret's hands and ensnare him with the blade.

"Grrrgh!" Garret growled as he quickly left go of his sword and, using Air Ground as a platform, used a Shunpo to retreat from Kimiko and her deathly ice. Blitzing from sight with the use of that technique the Rogue would reappear, hutched down, with his right hand digging through the gravel to slow his momentum as he came sliding to a stop. The back of the Rogue's back had become covered in light frost, having traveled through that mist before it could form into a solid wall behind him. But doing that and still exposed him to its chill causing his next few breaths to be small clouds of white mist. But even those his body was cold the Rogue's anger was burning hot.

He had lost his sword. The one tool with which he fought. Garret could not fight with anything else. Nights that could not be counted had been survived thanks to that blade now frozen with ice. The thick calluses grown on the man's palm were indications of just how much he used that sword. Garret was weaponless without. No. He wasn't truly weaponless. "Release me." Garret suddenly heard the voice say. The Rogue fell to one knee, quickly raising his hand to cover his lost eye, as another consciousness rose from the depths to try and possess the man. The man barred his teeth and grunted, trying to regain motor control and keep the dark presence at bay.

"Release me. Let me kill her."

No! I will not let you. I will do this...myself!

Garret struggled, but became suddenly aware that Kimiko was pointing at him. "Byakurai (Pale Lightning)" Garret's eye widened before the assault of the other consciousness was pushed back enough for Garret to leap to his left. But such a sloppy dodge wouldn't let Garret get away from that attack unscathed. "Graaaaaagh!!" Garret yelled as he placed his hands over the sizable missing chunk from the left side of his torso. Immediately a large amount of blood stained the Rogue's apparel and, travelling down his leg, began to form a splashable puddle at his feet. "A-aagh..graah." Garret winced, trying to staunch the flow of blood spilling out from the wound, the crimson fluid slipping between his fingers. It was such a clean cut too, thanks to Kimiko's outlandish power.

"You will die here. You will die in the dirt. Do you really want to be killed by the woman you called your ally? Will you let her kill you for her selfish reasons?"

Garret raised his head to look, almost pleadingly, at Kimiko. Why? Why was she doing this, he wondered. Had their time together meant nothing? Had she really only been using him? Had he been nothing but a tool to her? Garret's teeth began to bare as his lips peeled themselves back, the Rogue beginning to tremble from the sheer anger he was becoming consumed with. But then Kimiko talked. " "I suppose that this must be what it must have felt for your wife. The amount of disappointment she must have felt. It is actually amusing I have to say." What? The Rogue, despite his pain and the attack she began to prepare, simply stared at Kimiko. His single eye widened itself. What did she say? She was laughing? "Don't you talk about her.." Garret said lowly.

Kimiko fired her Kido. She fired the Kido she called Raikōhō (Thunder Roar Cannon) at him. While she held the power back, it would still be enough to obliterate the Rogue if it came to collide with him. Yet he didn't move. His fingers dug into the exposed meat of his wound, driving waves of pain into himself. [smear:F62817]"Don't you say a single thing about Cassandra!!"[/smear:810541] he screamed before it snapped. Before that raging blast could hit him, or perhaps when it did, her beam would meet resistance from the power erupting from him. It was no doubt because she weakened the beam, but Garret suddenly releasing what lay dormant inside him blew away the beam.

A tower of red and black energy had erupted around the man. Within that distorted light he screamed, both in rage and agony, as what could only be described as liquid, white hot, metal erupted from his very body and layered itself across his skin. Garret thrashed and roared as that burning metal grafted itself to his skin and began to take its shape. A tattered black cloak, shimmer with red and black colors, sprouted from the mans back as what Kimiko wanted to pull out formed. The last recognizable feature of the man, his head, was suddenly swallowed up by the formed helmet, as those eye sockets blinked to life with a hateful red light. Then he roared.

Garret's voice was mixed with something inhuman, metallic, as he screamed out. A powerful wind, born from the mans very voice, blew back multitudes of that gravel and flung them away as if they were bullets. Kimiko had gotten what she wanted. It was out. The chains within Garret holding the entity back had been shattered. Kimiko, with her minds eye, could see it clearly. The Black Hound was as clear to her as Garret's armored form was. She would be able to sense the overwhelming desire to rip her apart coming from it. Garret would, suddenly, slam himself downwards onto all fours and, without warning, lunge himself forward. He moved as if he were truly a beast. Like a freight train of hate he threw himself at Kimiko, aiming to go right through that hole she made just for him. [smear:F62817]Kill her kill her kill her kill her!![/smear:810541] Garret and the other mentally chanted. Higher thought was gone for Garret in this state. He had, truly, become nothing more than a mad beast.

Remaining Reiatsu: 4200 / 4500
-50 for Shunpo
-200 for Release to Level 2

SPOILER: Click to show

{Consumed by the Beast}
Technique Name: Consumed by the Beast

Class: 2

Technique Type: Unknown

Usable By (Technique is available to which races?): Garret

Technique Element: Unknown

Technique Description and Effects (Explain appearance, powers, and effect): There is a saying. Anger can be used as a weapon. Anger can be a flame that sharpens a blade. Anger can also progress into rage, an uncontrollable wild fire that seeks to consume and destroy everything around it. Garret suffers from the black flames of rage and hatred, burning himself and everything around him with his desire for revenge. The man lacks control, and the Bakkoto takes advantage of this. When Garret enters his release state, he is near always overwhelmed by his hatred and anger, multiplied and magnified by the Bakkoto. Each and every time Garret has released his Bakkoto, he has slipped into this state. CBtB is something of an enhanced state of release in terms of technique mechanics. Entering this state causes Garret to enter the berserker state that he has always been shown in when entering his release. The weaknesses of man are thrown out and replaced by the strengths and anger of a beast. Entering this berserker state grants Garret some rather powerful advantages. When in this state the swordsmans perception of reality is warped, blinding him to how things actually are and showing him nothing but anger and the things that are trying to kill him. His fury is directed at these apparitions, these monsters that the Bakkoto warps his mind to show him. Everything is a Hollow to him. With his perception of reality being warped to such a degree, Garret lashes out at all and every living thing around him, unable to tell the difference between friend and foe.

This uncontrolled state also causes Garrets reiatsu to become crazed and rampant. This makes sensing how his reiatsu is being used difficult, at least for people with only 100 in the stat.

But a reiatsu distortion, is not the primary factor of this technique. No, the real benefits come if, or when, Garrets Bakkoto is released past Level Four. The fourth level seals off parts of Garrets nervous system, removing physical pain or discomfort from him entirely. Pain is the natural limiter of the human body, as it keeps everyone from exerting themselves too far and hurting themselves. While Garret is the sort of man to use pain to force himself past these limitations, he is still subject to them regardless. We all are. But with his nervous system, and thus pain, being sealed off...those limitations are gone.

So when Consumed by the Beast is active when the Bakkoto is, or past, Level 4, Garret receives two major bonuses. The first is a temporary Acrobatics of 2. Without limits holding the body back, the rage blinded Garret will do anything to press on the attack. He can force his body to perform in ways that he normally could not do, regardless of what damage would be done to him. Even though this skill is, technically, a 2, it's still sloppy in presentation. It's nothing compared to what someone with actual training could pull of, it is nothing more than Garrets body being forced past its limits. But the primary, and major, bonus to the Rogue is the 50% increase in his physical stats. Both Strength and Speed are increased dramatically, a result of his nervous system having been shut down, and are the greatest strengths to this state.

How to use technique (How is it activated?): Either by releasing the Bakkoto when not in control of his emotions or the power, relinquishing control to the Bakkoto, or by being unable to stop the release when using Mantle of the Black Swordsman.

Technique Drawbacks (Limitations, repercussions for use, etc) However, despite the strengths of this technique there are a plethora of weaknesses. Let's go over the obvious one first; Garret is a berserker state when using this technique. Being in this state means that, obviously, Garret could not tell the difference between a friend or a foe. He is just as likely to attack an ally like Kimiko Aimi as likely as he would any Hollow or Arrancar. In such a mindless state of fury, where all he is concerned about is killing anything and everything around him, it makes sense then that higher levels of thinking are gone.

Gone are the possibilities of complex strategic thought. All of the Berserker Garrets strategy involve is are "attack". Dodging is only done if the Berserkers instincts feel they need to, and even they wouldn't be as well done or simply done to avoid the most possible damage, even if it means still getting damaged. Concern over being injured isn't a factor anymore, and while the Berserker still possesses the skill Garret had in a sword, his fighting style becomes rather different. almost like that of a Beast instead of a man.

Beyond that, however, is the loss of all of the swordsmans techniques. He is incapable of using even the simplest of Step Techniques. Any and all of his techniques are not able to be used in this state, the only things accessible to him are his sword and whatever feats he is able to perform with his stats.

On top of this, though, is the additional cost put on his release. Garret is required to pay an additional 50 reiatsu and Life Force, per level (7 would be 50, 6 is 100, 5 is 150 and so on), each time he has to refresh the release. But this isn't even the end of it, because this technique also places a restriction on the Bakkoto. Garret, in this state, cannot go past Level 2 in his release. He cannot access Level 1 or 0 in this state, keeping him locked at 2. There is also the matter of how this technique ends. Garret cannot, generally, pull himself out of this state. It would require a third party to be able to reawaken Garrets conscious and pull it free from the Bakkoto and anger. The, currently, only time Garret has ever pulled himself back from this state was during his battle with Noriko, when she was Shinsui.

The Arrancars identical appearance to his wife had caused a tidal wave of memories of Cassandra to come back to him, and caused him to be conflicted while fighting her. "What if this is actually my wife" he had been asking himself while fighting her, even though he had every reason to believe that this was, in fact, not true. But that thought had become stuck in him that during the battle when he released, the memories of Cassandra had managed to pull him back and place him into the controlled state of his release at the last moments of the fight. This has been the only time this has happened, and could never happen again fighting Shinsui. It takes other people to pull Garret back, and even then it has to be someone who has a strong connection to him...not just any random individual, as his inability to control his hate and anger leads him to being stuck in this state. And, when he's forced to use it with no chance of being pulled out, it only ends when everything around him has been killed or fled.

It's counted as a Long Term stat boost as well. So mechanical drawbacks aside, there is also the case that it is THIS state that causes the constant deterioration of Garrets body. The armor pushing his body past its limits so regularly causes incredibly strain on him, meaning that constantly using this technique WILL kill him. See any current threads for reference to this.

Made By: Garret

Reserved? (Yes/No) (Can others use your technique, or just your character?): Absolutely

[Kimiko Aimi]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Now is the time}

This was it, the moment that she had been waiting for. From the beginning, from the moment that she decided to play this role, this was the moment that she sought after the entire time. The result that Kimiko desired to accomplish and loathed from the bottom of her heart came to fruition. To witness the man she came to call her friend in such a state wasn't ideally what she wanted to happen to him. On and off, the two conversed about their own ailments and their goals. Their conversations were always casual, free of the insecurities that the average would feel as though they had to hide. They were comfortable with each other. But, to see Garret in such a state was something that she never would have wanted him at all. But, for this case, in this situation, it had to be done. This was all meant for him. And though she had to push him to accomplish this, it was all that she could do for him before her time came. And for that reason....

"I WON"T HOLD BACK ANYMORE!"

Yes. This was the time she long waited for in order to help her friend. For him to be released of his curse once and for all. It was going to take everything she had, in which continuing to hold herself back will prove to be fatal. For that reason, Kimiko's reiatsu erupted. An azure flame erupted from the woman's body, nearly engulfing her entire figure in it's alluring light. The chill of her Flood swallowed the landscape as her reiatsu expanded outwardly. The same strength that she kept so much restrained was now allowed to be set free. This was the extent of her power as a Failure, turning the grass, hills, and nearly the mountain side into that of a frozen wonderland. Pillars of spikes shot from around her person, tearing away the barriers of ice that surrounded her.

The mountain was divided into two segments; one devoured by the fiery passion of Garret's hate, and the other with that of the chilling ice of Kimiko's caress. These two powers rising to slowly shatter the natural form of the mountain into fragmented rubble and landscape. Garret was engulfed in his own rage as he charged. Kimiko had done the same. Both charged towards one another, with only Kimiko leaving behind her a wall of icescles sprouting upwards behind her, each one climbing up to a height of ten feet. Before the two coliided, the Failure went a step further. Within the mist of her Flood the Failure blurred out of sight, catching herself behind the Rogue spirit. Sonido aided with her new position as the Failure pushed past the Black Hound to keep a five foot distance away from each other. And as she swept through him, the trails of ice followed, leaving two solid walls of ice along side him up to her new position.

It was during her step technique that Kimiko's hands were reaching out to direct her flood along the length of her reach. With this, if the raging man wasn't careful, or lacked a conscious human thought to avoid it, then his right shoulder would have been caught in this newly made wall with that of his left arm and leg. But that wasn't all, this little tactic had created a confined space to move around inside, with only enough spacing that consisted of four feet from wall to wall. Perfect for what came next as it took a single swinging gesture from Kimiko's right hand to create an ice floor across her horizon. A wall that had a thickness of two feet that would only encase the man's steel covered abdomen.

Containment was one of the steps that was necessary for what was going to happen, but it wasn't all. Before needing to do what was necessary, Kimiko had to weaken this entity's will and spirit; even if it meant hurting Garret. It didn't make the woman happy to know that she had to do so. She had to invoke more anger, further his rage. Kimiko had to draw out more of the darkness that lurked within her friend in order to carry out her plan.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Next}

Another swing of her arm, her left arm, gestured the direction of where her next spell will be thrown. Like her ice did, Kimiko called upon a Kido spell that helped her handle a lot of her situations. "Hado #40: Gouzen Demizu (Roaring Flood)" Kimiko called out as her swaying hand shifted downwards to the ground in front of her. Conjuring the water would only take but a moment to sprout out from the ground before forming into the ten foot tsunami. This was the Kido spell that would shot forward towards the stuck Rogue if had already been captured in the layers of ice.

The immense pressure of the water wouldn't budge the man from his kept position due to the strength of the woman's ice, yet the blunt blow dealt by it's rolling motion was more than sufficient in beating the man's body within the armor. If caught by the rolling tide of water, then what came next was only obvious as being introduced into a cold environment. With the temperature well below zero, -273 degrees, the soaked armor and skin will only blister and crack within seconds of being near the Failure and her flood. It would be after seeing what would the result be that the Failure would move again, but before that, Kimiko's sights and detection grew more keen as Pesquis was immediately mustered.

Remaining Reiatsu: 1925/2400 ; -100 Roaring Flood, -100 Sonido, -100 Pesquis

Pesquis: 1/5

[RayginX]

Against a never ending horde of mindless Hollows compelled to satiate their burning hunger, the power that now controlled Garret might have been useful. By turning himself into a monster he would better be able to slay the countless monsters that lusted for his soul. Against monsters, a monster would always triumph. But Kimiko was no monster. Kimiko was far, far, stronger than any of those Hollows. She was on a level unlike any that had come before. Trading away his rational mind and abilities for raw anger and power was a trade that would fail Garret completely. The battle was over the instant Garret succumbed to the Bakkoto.

As the two charged at each other Garret, at some point, became aware that the woman had vanished. Utilizing her gifts as a Failure, she had used the Arrancar Step Technique Sonido to fly past him instead of allowing herself to be slammed into by the man. Had she chosen to do that...well we all know what would have happened. With his foe suddenly gone, Garret tried to stop his charge and turn around. Of course she’d be behind him. Where else was she going to go? But he didn’t get that option to turn though. As Kimiko used her Step her Flood followed behind her. So much faster than Garret that he wouldn’t be able to keep his right flank from being snared.

A snarl escaped from the helmets toothy maw when it realized it couldn’t turn. Snapping his head to the right, he realized that his right shoulder was encased in ice. It wasn’t just that though. His left arm and leg was encased just as well. Letting out a roar the Rogue struggled, attempting with all his might to break free of his frozen shackles. The metal groaned and pulled as it tried to free its host and resume the attack on the Failure. Hot steam escaped from the joints and mouth. But try as it might it couldn’t free itself. Her ice was reinforced by her Reiatsu Strength after all. How could it hope to get free?

"Hado #40: Gouzen Demizu (Roaring Flood)"

His helmet twitched for a second when he suddenly heard Kimiko speak. But a moment later it was like he got hit by a bus. The water from her Kido slammed into him with the full force that her power brought her, denting and smashing the armor into Garret’s body beneath it. Freezing liquid poured in through every opening, threatening to drown the man as he helplessly was pushed by the wave. The ice that bound him was still stronger than the water, so he was immobile as he was forced to endure her Kido. Though it was only a few seconds it felt like forever. The armor’s abilities to remove the sensation of pain helped, but the damage being done could not be denied. Nor did the armor prevent the possibility of drowning.

When it was finally all over, Garrets head slumped downwards as the burning lights within the armor began to blink out. The armors surface, soaked and now frosting, began to crack in places. Bit by bit, pieces of that black coating fell off, especially along his back, to expose the man underneath. Held like a prisoner as more of the armor fell off of him, Garret was very still. With her Pesquis active, Kimiko was aware that Garret was still alive. But that flame seemed to be dying out. With her power it didn’t take much to beat the Bakkoto back into hiding. With a loud crack, the top of the helmet came loose and landed on the ground to expose his dripping head.

[Kimiko Aimi]

This was it. This was the opportunity that the Failure had longed for. Everything that she had done during this entire shared time together was meant for this moment. For this opportunity. Riling Garret's anger and darkness, utilizing the fragments and pieces that she could manage to uncover of all their time together, was all meant to awaken the shadow that lurked in his heart. Transforming pain and hate into energy, it became an entity of itself. It was a parasite that fed on the negativity that filled the Wanderer's soul. All Kimiko had to do was insure that it was ever more present. She had to awaken it in both mind and body. Now that it was, it was time to move onto the next portion of her plan. The easy part was over, now it came the difficult portion; liberating her friend.

With the a majority of the man was frozen in place, it made for the opportune moment to tackle the darkness head on. However, how strong she was the question. She never had done what she was about to do before. This was placing an immense level of stress to accomplish this in such a short time. Not only it was her inexperience in doing this part, but that of the black beast inside Garret that would fight against her ability to purge it. To add on, if the Failure did not act quickly enough, then the constant flow of her flood would take over the man's physical body.... until death befell him. Kimiko had to act. Kimiko had to be fast. And most of all, Kimiko had to push herself beyond her own limits.

The Failure rushed the seized Rogue, blurring into motion before him, locking gazes with his exposed head. Eyes filled with the malevolence of what lingered inside of him reflected in the blurred sincere lights of the Failure's eyes. She sought to link their consciousness together. Her focus forced into the single perspective that could only help Garret in this situation of theirs. The Failure's Energy Sensory was near the capacity needed to truly open the doorway into the man's mind, into his soul. The gap was meager, but still stood as a obstacle in the Priestess' path to liberate the man. This was something that wouldn't change, but something that will not stand in her way. Among all those that she had encountered, there were none that managed to come close to her level of strength. This was where it mattered. This was where the true fight began as the woman pushed herself, forcing the connection between the two spirits.

"Garr---ret... let..me ...in.. Please..." Kimiko grunted as the flow of reiatsu was more keen on amplifying her Energy Sensory. To have this single trait of herself pushed further than ever before, Kimiko had to force her power to mend, to pierce through the blockage that kept her from going further. Doing so however, would cause great strain onto the Failure's body. The further she pushed, the more she struggled to break through the gap that kept her from achieving her desired goal, the more her body tore. The cracks that were there, as all Failures possessed, grew. Flares of reiatsu surged, arching from one end of the crack and about to the other end. More and more, applying the full strength of her reiatsu, the Failure sought out the inner world in which the beast resided within. Though not compared to her strength, it was the inner light of Kimiko that would light the way through the darkness. Another crack split opened, and with it a small fountain of reiatsu spouted out.

She had to push harder, further. Kimiko had to do it, regardless of the cost to her. And even as she did so, without her knowing, the section of her left leg was already dissolving.

[RayginX]

So. He was back here again, huh? He came to realize his location as he stood there, ankle deep in the red muck, staring at the bonfire burning before him. His eye remained locked on the crackling flames that, once like a tower of malice, was dwindling. The fire was fading. The mound the flames rested on were the bodies of men and beasts that Garret had slain. Perched, piercing into the bodies and bathed in those flames, was his sword. Cracked, chipped and stained, the sword looked far more worn here than it normally did. Perhaps a reflection of Garrets tired soul. The Rogue blinked, his gaze shifting ever so slightly from the flames as he began to become more consciously aware of where he was. He was back in this world. This dark, dreary, putrid world.

His eye’s focus shifted downwards at the red lake he stood in. It was blood. There was no getting around it. A endless lake of blood filled by two life times worth of fighting. Blood of men and monsters mixing together in this dark abyss within the man. If he looked close enough, he could see the features of more bodies beneath the surface. He frowned, deciding to turn away from what he was looking at to look at the abyss around him. Turning away from the bonfire, Garret looked at the black beings that occupied this world with him.

All around him, silent and featureless, man shaped apparitions were locked in endless combat with one another. Their forms and weapons like transparent smog, they fought soundlessly and endlessly with one another. Even in this world there was combat, reminiscent of the time when he was still alive. Moving on from one battle to the next. No different than how it was now. The air stunk as well. It smelled like something was rotting, alongside the putrid, choking, odor of smoke. He hated this world. He came to understand the first few times he had witnessed this place that this was what his soul looked like on the inside. A rotting and putrid place.

But why was he here now? Last he could remember...he had been fighting Kimiko. That memory brought about a quick fleeting surge of anger, but it quickly died down as the agony of that situation took hold in him. Why? That was the question on his mind. Why did Kimiko betray him? He returned his gaze to the flames. He had given himself over to the Presence during that fight. He had consented to allowing that foul thing to fight for him. With it in control he shouldn’t have been able to feel anymore pain. Kimiko’s betrayal wouldn’t have been able to sting so deep. Yet, letting that thing free had been his undoing.

Garret watched as that flame dwindled further. It would be put out soon. He closed his eye and merely decided to wait for the end to come. "Garr---ret... let..me ...in.. Please..." What was that? The Rogue opened his eye again, turning his attention away from the flames and towards the unseen sky in his world. Was that Kimiko? Why was she…? His frown deepened. Was she trying to reach this place? Why would she be doing that? The blood at his feet splashed and sloshed as he turned, curiosity being the only reason he decided to open himself up to her. Perhaps she wanted to gloat, or to better explain her reasons for why she aimed to kill him, he didn’t know. But, regardless, Garret chose to let her in. He chose to let her in to see this sick and twisted world inside him.

[Kimiko Aimi]

The world within the Rogue wasn't a siteful one to be honest. The ocean of crimson red that covered up to her shins told the tales of what the man had been through. The brief moments of his past she saw times before when they spoke to each other. When they were together as allies. The accumulated amount that filled the devoided world around her acted as the metaphor of what the man had done in his life. Removed from the light, away from the glimpses of happiness, all that remained what an empty world that kindled a single flame for what she would assume to be center. A single light that illuminated the realm of darkness that shrouded the sights of the Priestess. And with it, hunched over to gaze into its light, resided the man himself; Garret.

There he sat, secluding himself by the fire in a world that was devoid of life. Trapped in the darkness in which his entire life had resulted to. This was what he had created throughout his years of fighting and killing, stock piling the numbers of dead Hollows and humans that were involved with his life. There resided the fire, encased in a ring of bodies. A few humans, a few Hollows, and those that she could not even make out as time of the passing ages had already done their work on their figures. All that Kimiko knew was the fact that each one was slain at the hands of the Wanderer. And acting as a tombstone for the numbers of dead was his blade. The same blade that carved the bodies of the legions of Hollows every night for who knows how long. This was Garret's inner world. A world of solitude and of reoccurring nightmares, this was the world that Kimiko had set foot in.

Through the never ending pool of red, Kimiko continued to press onward. Her form remained the same as before. Flourishing silver hair, the vibrant colors of her yukata. The chimes of her bells rung through the shadows of the inner world with each step taken closer towards the dimly lit fire pit. Kimiko ventured closer towards the man she sought to kill. At least, on the surface. This was the outcome that she sought out the entire time. A way to enter into the man's inner world. It was sad to say that this was the only way to truly draw out the darkness that resided within Garret. The only means to set the man free of his curse. Even know, despite what was ongoing in the outside world. Despite all that was occurring beyond the realm that they resided in now. It is only now that the two can truly speak of what was transpiring. It was only now that Kimiko can truly talk to her friend.

"So, this is what resides within you, Garret?" she spoke, announcing herself in the manner of respect in which they often spoke to each other in. Familiar of those times in which times they first met. The same level of respect in which they often carried when conducting themselves as they usual had; as friends. "Is this what you carry with you everywhere you go? Is this where you reside in when it comes out?" she inquired softly. Almost apologetic in a manner of speaking. Although the Failure wanted this result, how it was went about could have been better. To force her friend into this state of mind wasn't the idea that she wanted to have resulted to. All that could be said was.....I'm sorry, Garret. I'm sorry for everything. But, it was the only way that I could help you....Help to finally free you from.. the Failure turned to gaze around at the dreadful scene around her. ...this."

She admitted to it. "I'm sorry that I had to put you through all of this. It was the only way I saw that could bring it out, where it out in the open. Which now leaves it vulnerable from within. At the heart of it all.... Her eyes turned to gaze at her friend. " The heart of your darkness, your curse." While she was able to gain entrance into the inner world of the Rogue, it didn't mean that it had it's effect on her as well. Even as she spoke, standing the pool of Garret's inner world, the strain was settling in. Already, her image was beginning to break apart. Pieces of her garment were already shattering away from her body. Like fragments of glass breaking away from the whole, Kimiko's frame was dissolving from the strain of forcing a connection. Though, it was much better than was was transpiring outside in reality.

---

"Ggguhhh....mmmmmggghhhhhhh..." the woman grunted loudly as her body began to fragment. Just as her inner world body was breaking apart, the strain here was more severe. Fighting on the surface world, against the awakened dark hound from the wanderer was staggering. The amount of effort that the Failure had to apply to restraint the metallic hound, and that of her own power was a constant struggle. Kimiko had to keep Garret's body in place while she operated on the inside. Keeping up with the two fronts divided her attention, as well as her power. All the more reason why she had to act fast as her body was being pushed to it's limits. The cracks along the surface of her body expanded all the more. Now, they have reached her neck lines. The amount of reiatsu that grew continuously expanded outwards, forcing the cracks that surfaced to expand themselves. It desired to be unleashed upon the landscape. Kimiko couldn't allow that to happen. For that reason, she continued to fight.

[RayginX]

"Is this what you carry with you everywhere you go? Is this where you reside in when it comes out?" Her tone was different. No. Different was the wrong word completely. Different was the way she spoke to him before now. The way she spoke now, with an apologetic tone in her voice, was much more akin to how they used to normally converse. She sounded normal now. The man stared at her, his single eye trained solely on her, as the Failure he had considered a friend and ally as she approached. She pushed through the lake of blood that existed in his world, walking through the shadowy figures locked in eternal combat like the wisps of smog that they truly were.

He blinked softly, listening to her words as if they were a cool breeze. A reprieve from the choking air and uncomfortable heat that resided in this place. She wanted to free him? ”Free...me?” Garret asked, almost as if he was unsure those were the words that he hadn’t just heard. After a few moments more, the Rogue let out a short snort before smirking a bit. He found her repulsive reaction to his minds inner world entertaining. ”Yes. This is what resides within me. My reward for two lifetimes of fighting.” Garret replied, returning his gaze to the bonfire before him and turning his back to Kimiko.

This was not normally where he ended up. When the Bakkoto took control Garret was normally an unconscious puppet. He would be trapped in the hounds maw, the teeth penetrating his flesh acting as roots that spread throughout him to control his physical body. Normally he didn’t end up here in this repulsive sludge. Perhaps Kimiko had knocked the Darkness out with what she had done to him on the outside. For how long? He didn’t know. The Rogue thought on her words, closing his eye as he did so. She had said those awful things to him to trigger his emotional instability. She had wanted him to release control to that thing so that she could invade his inner sanctum to finally free him. Was such a thing possible to do?

”What if I don’t want to be free?” Garret suddenly questioned. ”I have nothing else to live for except to satisfy my hate.” He replied quickly after. What did Garret have to go back to? Pretending for a moment that he was free of the Curse, he had nothing to return to. He had no life in the Rukongai to reclaim. The Gotei Thirteen would no doubt descend on him and apprehend him, if not execute him as they had originally wanted. All Garret had was the battle. That was even assuming that what Kimiko sought to do could be accomplished.

"I don't want to be free.." Garret suddenly confessed, knowing that he was speaking truthfully. "All I want to do is kill them. They took the most precious person in the world from me. They took Cassandra from me. My curse brings them to me...so why would I want that taken away?" Garret asked, this time turning to face Kimiko. The Rogue frowned, before deciding to confess something else. "But there is something else I want. I want to be free of my own power controlling me."