Arc 1 ~ Canon 3: Man of Steel [DE, R]

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Name: Man of Steel

Participants: @sanothesoul, Nadezhda Esterházy, Valentin Acciai, Ludwig Verrlicht

Location: Moscow, Russia

Difficulty Level: Easy-Medium

Setting: DE

Plotline:

Whoever leads this army of Hollow-controlling gangs has been recruiting even those we have long thought deceased for all eternity. When a new threat owning a famous name comes into the light, it's almost unbelievable. But are they really the ones in control? A stranger under the name of Shizofreniya has amassed a small group of destructive Hollows for himself and is wreaking havoc on the capital city of Moscow. Humans are in danger and don't understand the unnatural, inexplicable occurrences that are causing so much harm. Anyone who was interested in patrolling the World of the Living has a chance to be a hero as they save this beloved city from utter turmoil. Who will step up to the plate?

Estimated Enemy Strength: Class 6 - Class 4 maybe

Estimated Time Until Completion: 3-5 Pages

Starts: After participants are selected and an intro post goes up.

Special Conditions: None

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

It was a fairly beautiful day in Moscow. The sun was shining, allowing for a lovely temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit. In just a few days, the citizens would be expecting a storm, but they were enjoying what nice weather they had before the rains brought it down to the high sixties. Somewhere in some part of the world, a young woman was surely incredibly jealous of the lower temperatures and less-intense humidity. What a life that must be. Anyway, everything was going exceptionally well with little to no disturbances despite what had been going on with some of the world's leaders. Vladimir Putin hadn't been touched yet, but Russia was still put on high alert. The citizens were mostly unaware of this since the government kept it to itself, but they knew something was amiss.

Putin had heard of what happened to the leaders of the United States. He feared for his life after learning of other political leaders suffering the same fate. He was being heavily guarded, but something was telling him that he would suffer soon, too. He couldn't let that happen. He had worked hard to get to where he was in power, and he didn't want to let that, along with his life, get out of his hands. So instead, he took precautionary steps. Security was at an all time high, he was not to go anywhere without an escort, and his family was also to be protected. No one was going to be hurt so long as he was in charge.

But how would he know if he was being hunted? He was not a spiritual being and could not possibly perceive such things. As far as he knew, some assassin was coming after leaders and taking them out. He had no idea what was actually going on. And since nothing was making sense, he decided it would be best to assume the worst and continue on normally. He couldn't afford to let his citizens grow suspicious and worry them. The last thing he wanted to do was start a world war, especially if he already knew he was in danger. So he learned to protect himself after hearing about the other incidents and went on from there.

Unfortunately, however, someone was after him. They were hiding in the shadows. They were waiting for an appropriate time to strike. But how could they? It was impossible. Hardly anyone in Russia could see him and he was so confused about why. Others had told him this would be a possibility, but he was alive, wasn't he? So why couldn't anyone hear him speak? Why were they ignoring his words? He was a ruler. Practically a king! So why didn't the Russians treat him with the respect he deserved? Well, all of these questions were answered when he came face to face with the one causing all of these problems.

Stalin had been a powerful ruler of Russia and led many armies. He was basically a god in his prime and led a rewarding life. That is, of course, until his unfortunate death. Stalin suffered from a stroke that left him in an embarrassing state on the floor of his bedroom. He was discovered by someone since everyone was instructed to not disturb him, but the discovery was too late. No one could have saved him. And he wasn't even that old, but old habits can kill a man. And, even worse, he wasn't aware he was dead. He was welcomed into the Soul Society as a plus despite his heinous actions and eventually went on to become a Rogue Shinigami.

The only issue was that he was unable to use his powers. A block was placed on him that prevented him from using his Release, so he couldn't even fight on his own. He was disgusted with how Russia had become after all these years, as well. It seemed his absence made the nation soft. But he was back, and he wanted everyone to know it. But the only problem was that no one could see him. He reached out to many Russian citizens and not a single one could possibly notice he was there. How was he supposed to accomplish his goals if no one would listen because, despite becoming a Rogue and traveling to the World of the Living, he was still dead?

Stalin waited patiently in an alley in Cathedral Square. The white structures with beautiful golden domes were distracting enough to keep him occupied while he sulked. What a pitiful sight this must be. Well, it would be a pitiful sight if anyone could even see him. He grew more and more depressed each passing day and didn't know how to keep himself going. He was about to waste away completely as he stared at the world around him until, one fateful evening, a man walked by. This man was tall, slender, and very, very unhealthy. His appearance was similar to that of an anorexic drug addict. He had extremely sunken-in eyes and his hair was grey and unkempt. But he could see the former leader of Russia.

"Um, excuse me, sir? Are you okay? I saw you sitting here for hours and you haven't moved. Well, I mean, I wasn't staring at you for hours. That probably made me sound like I was. I actually had to go pick up some things and noticed you were there but when I walked by I still saw you and--"

"Please. Stop talking. It pains me."

The man became rather embarrassed after rambling so much. "Oh. I'm sorry. I'll leave you alone." He started walking away.

Stalin's brain soon caught up with him, though. "Wait. You can see me?"

"Of course I can see you. That's a weird question," the man said with an awkward giggle.

"If you can see me, that means..."

Stalin pulled the man away and began talking to him about a plan he had. After speaking with a mysterious person so long ago, he had come to formulate an idea to get himself back in power. He needed to take out Putin, though, and he couldn't do it himself. He was weak and unable to use his own spiritual abilities. So he was able to manipulate this sickly man into helping him by forming a contract through their Reiatsu. Stalin was able to link the two of them up well enough to where he could, at times, literally live through this man. The ability was unusual, but it was the only thing he could do. It was the only chance he had.

So, as quickly as possible, three chained Hollows began crushing their way through the Cathedral Square. Two of them were attacking normal humans, but since no one could see anything except for the man holding the chains, they assumed he was some kind of psychically gifted monster who came after them. He was laughing maniacally with his newly found powers and gifted Hollows, tearing his way through the area with Stalin watching closely in his alley. He would be able to feel this man's actions through their spiritual link and chose to stay away in case anyone came to stop them. He could not risk being sensed.



Pointed-Nosed Hollow: Class 6, Non-Typed

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}
Strength - [200] Points

Speed - [300] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [200] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [200] Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct - [100] Points

Senses - [100] Points

Energy sensory - [100] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: 1200

SPOILER: Click to show

{Hollow Ability}
Can shoot energy out of its mouth twice per post at a Speed of 600. This energy turns anything it touches to stone for a single turn. If it hits a player, they turn to stone for that turn until the DM posts again. The DM will remind the player that they can move again. Each blast costs 50 Reiatsu.

Round-Nosed Hollow: Class 6, Non-Typed

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats}
Strength - [300] Points

Speed - [200] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [200] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [200] Points

Light Aura - [50] Points

Dark Aura - [50] Points

Instinct - [100] Points

Senses - [100] Points

Energy sensory - [100] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: 1200

SPOILER: Click to show

{Hollow Ability}
Can create massive holes 30 feet in diameter whenever it touches something. Can only create two holes per post. Each hole costs 50 Reiatsu and are all half a mile deep.

---

Even though the two other Hollows were attacking relentlessly, one was being relatively quiet at the start. Valentin did not know how he got to be in the World of the Living, but he was able to recognize where he was. Whatever the power was that controlled his two Hollow comrades had a lesser effect on Valentin, so he was going to be able to prevent the power from having a larger effect on him than the others did. Unfortunately, that did not help him much. He was still chained. He was still having to act out and attack based on his master's orders. But all of this seemed so sudden. He was in Hueco Mundo and then suddenly not, but his memory was failing him. He did not know what happened in between those times.

The strange man holding on to Valentin's chain whipped it against all three Hollows and yelled out commands. He was being ruthless and terrible, with some strange sense of confidence that even Valentin would be able to tell wasn't truly his. But what choice did he have? He would have to follow the orders he was given anyway. But perhaps there was a way to break free. Maybe there was something he could do to stop this. But so long as his chain was in tact, he could not betray his master and turn on him. It was impossible. He couldn't even break it himself, so what was he to do? The only option he had now was to wait and obey.

"Slaves! Attack Cathedral Square! Don't leave any structure standing. And if anything gets in your way, eat it! We're making our way to Putin."

---

Other areas of the world have caught wind that something was up in Russia if Putin was heightening his security. Most leaders assumed it was simply him being cautious, but the spiritual individuals knew better because of the footage they had seen. They understood what was actually going on, and it wasn't pretty. Uzaki Enterprises had already issued a call to its employees, and Luke Clyburn was well on his way to the capital city of Moscow. He was being flown in by jet, as per usual, and was already about to land. What he didn't know was that the attack on the city had been happening for a full day at this point, so seeing the news on the small television in the jet was startling.

His plane landed in the Vnukovo International Airport about an hour away from Moscow. He would have to find another way to travel to the city since air traffic was going to be strictly limited. The information he knew now was that an attack was currently happening, three Hollows were responsible, and no one else could see these spiritual beings. These humans were convinced that the man controlling them was a monster with psychic powers of some sort who did all of this damage on his own. And, despite the fact that Stalin was truly in control, Luke would not know that. No one did. So what was he going to do about it? And, not to mention, did he notice a Quincy on his flight?

---

Shōkan was possibly the only being in the entire world, aside from the mysterious leader of the Hollow attacks and the man controlling the ones in Russia, who knew of Stalin's return to the World of the Living. He was sent there on a mission to take Stalin and bring him back. The Gotei had heard of the former Russian leader's Rogue status and his plans to escape, but since he was powerless, they thought nothing of it. Now, all of these problems in Moscow were because of him and Shōkan was the only one who could take him back. The Shinigami would be able to land himself directly in Moscow using his spiritual abilities, but finding Stalin would be difficult. The block made it nearly impossible to sense him without a special item hidden somewhere in the city.

The only hint Shōkan had to the location was a note that he was given. None of the other Shinigami knew what it meant, so it was up to Shōkan to find it. But while he wasted time looking for it so he could find the infamous Rogue, he would be risking the lives of innocent people by not heading to the Cathedral Square. He was given a mission, though, and was being held responsible. It wouldn't be smart for him to stray away from what he was told to do, so he would have to just decipher the note and continue on. If he looked at it, he would notice it was a small, crumpled up piece of yellow paper that read:

What you seek is like a ghost,
since it's hiding from the most.
Only those without Release
can hope to find the Jewel of Peace.
Within the water it shall stay,
since Friendship's Fountain had its way.

---

And, finally, there was one. Adalvulf had just come to realize his spiritual potential when he heard of the goings-on in Russia. He had since decided to set out and begin his journey to find whoever was responsible, even if all he could to was interrogate behind the scenes. He heard a rumor that most Russians could not see spiritual beings for some reason, but he was going to use his ability to see them in order to help in any way he could. He knew direct combat was likely a wrong move, but perhaps he would be able to steer innocent people away from the wrath of the enslaved Hollows. It would be up to him to decide.

Luckily, he was on the same flight as a one Luke Clyburn. He would be unaware at first, but he would be able to know someone else with spiritual abilities was on the flight. He was told there would be a possibility since Uzaki Enterprises was sending one of their employees, but what were the odds of it being on his jet? There weren't very many people, so maybe Adalvulf would be able to find him. Perhaps, if he asked, they would make an alliance and help the new Quincy. For now, though, he would be at the Vnukovo International Airport. He was going to have to come up with a plan since Moscow was an hour away.

[Deleted]

Adalvulf Rhinekranz had been listening to informants and watching the news. He did not often like to travel to places where Spiritual awareness was a rarity but he knew also that Russia would be teeming with people investigating the outbreak in strange happenings. He found a way out to Russia on a strange flight, this flight had VERY lax security and he was quite certain that they saw his hidden weapons, but let him keep them anyway. His kunai that had the attached wire that were kept in his utility belt, kept stealthily under his vest that he wore.

He had sensed that there was a person of some immense spiritual presence on the same exact plane he had been riding on. He made sure to steer clear of the man on the plane in-case he was not a very friendly individual. it was after they got off of the plane and Adalvulf found the presence remaining in the same Airport as him that he was drawn closer towards the Strong presence. He however was not yet skilled enough in detection to determine which of the people in the area was the strong one.

Adalvulf was good at staying hidden when he wished to, so he simply observed the Airport rooms, following the rooms that the Stronger presence was moving through, though he wasn't aware that he would need to be hiding his reaitsu signature as well as his physical presence, so to anyone with energy sensory he was sticking out fairly brightly. He was hard to pick out of a crowd, but his energy signature was pulsing and shifting wildly as his concentration changed from person to person.

[Deleted]

It didn't take long for him to hear the news. That much was fucking certain. Luke had volunteered himself to go and try to sort this out. Out of the rest of U.E maybe there was someone better they could have sent, but really he was the only one available to do this. Marcus was busy infiltrating the gangs. Luke had no idea who that Irina woman was, but he remembered her being tasked with going to Russia. Oddly enough she wasn't being sent on this mission with him. It didn't matter though. Even if Luke was going in alone he would still try his hardest to succeed. But there was no way he wasn't anxious. The Bount had spent his time during the flight with his eyes glued to the television. It was constantly the same. Didn't matter what channel it was. Each news channel was reporting the same thing. Moscow was being attacked.

Luke had, in truth, been sent as a response to the report of Vladimir Putin, Russias version of the United States President, upping his security. Luke had only been sent to investigate. But what he was seeing now made everything make sense. Putin must have been increasing his personal security as a result of the numerous important political leader deaths across the globe, and now the murderers were coming for him. But why are they rampaging through the city? Luke had to wonder as he saw the scenes of destruction on TV. The other deaths had been careful, calculated, hidden. Bodies in places they shouldn't have been able to gotten to. This was completely different. A chance in the MO. This was like a murder parade while the others had been stealth like assassinations.

Luke mumbled to himself these inward thoughts as he stared at the television, trying to figure this stuff out. "Maybe they've changed tactics cus Russian Trump has Fullbringers or other powerpowers on his team?" Jäger asked as Luke sat back and crossed his arms. That doesn't make sense either. Putin isn't some sort of bear riding superhero like the internet memes say he is. He'd be rushed somewhere safe, like the President is when the white house is attacked. Luke continued to ponder, tapping his finger against his bicep. "I loved that movie!" There were too many questions that still needed answers. But, regardless, Luke's priorities were not actually Putin.

Luke was coming to Russia to put a stop to these Hollow Handlers. Putin was, honestly, his second or third concern. The safety of the people was what he was concerned about. Luke had sworn himself to walk a heroes path, so only being able to sit here and watch as people got hurt...it bothered him. The young mans fingers wrapped around the fabric of his pants around his knee. Luke would do something about this. But then he was suddenly knocked out of his train of thought when his seat got kicked...again. "I WANT CHICKY TENDIES!!" the kid behind him screamed, before kicking Luke's seat again and again and again. This had been the plane ride. Watching the news and being on the receiving end of a screaming childs tantrum.

Once landed, Luke rushed himself through the lines and terminals trying to find his way out of the terminal area and a way to pick up some transpotation. His private bag, a sword case hidden in the bag, bounced on his back as he rushed through the airport. He needed to find a vehicle rental counter. He was an hour away from Moscow since the plane landed in Vnukovo. "Luke." Springflut commented, noticing the same thing Luke noticed on the plane. I know. He's tracking me. But he's so weak we don't need to worry, even if he was Vandenreich. Luke replied as he bounced his head back and forth trying to find a Exit sign. He had sensed the Quincy on the plane, and could still now sense the Quincy following him from a distance. But Luke wasn't concerned with that. He needed to get to Moscow, even if it meant running.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats, Skills, and Items}

• [Weapon: Swords] {2}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {3}
  
  
• [Strength of Will] {3}
  
  
• [Pain Tolerance] {2}
  
  
• [Anti-Stealth] {2}
  
  
• [Charisma/Leadership] {1}
  
  
• [Battle Focus] {3}
  
  

Luke | Soldier

Strength - 200 Points

Speed - 300 Points

Spiritual Pressure - 400 - 700 Points

Reiatsu Strength - 100 - 60 Points

Light Aura - 90 Points

Dark Aura - 10 Points

Instinct - 150 Points

Senses - 150 Points

Energy sensory - 100 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total SP: 1400 Points


x1 Uchigatana
x1 Omni-Tool

[Valentin Acciai]

He had been perfectly content where he was, having achieved a level of power that allowed him to feed upon his fellow hollow with little worry. It prided him to be strong enough not to have to rely upon the slaughter of defenseless humans yet here he was again, forcibly taken from Hueco Mundo and put into the human world with not even the slightest clue to how he had found himself here. All Valentin knew was that it wasn't voluntary as he looked upon the chains locking around his body. His long tail slamming against the ground and forming cracks in the stone from his sheer annoyance.

At first he had made attempt to pull them off his being yet when he tried to do violence upon them his actions were reduced to a childish tug void of any power that would not have broke even a straw. Needless to say this made him very confused as to why he could not act not to mention angry, furious about it in fact. Ignoring the chains that bound him for a moment he looked around over his surroundings and recognized the golden domes upon the cathedral building from several books he had stolen from the human world to entertain his idle mind, this was Russia without a doubt. 

He also spotted two other hollow but neither seemed very talkative, were even their minds restrained? he did not know and ultimately he did not care about them. They were not even Adjuchas so even if their minds had been free the likelihood of worthwhile discussion was near zero. They were engrossed with the bloodletting of men and women as he still watched, his eyes now following along his chain to his new slave driver. He scowled at the man and had tried to run at him to gouge out his heart but once more his body did not act according to his will, instead halting after the very first step and then turning around to the bloodied streets. He seemed more free than the others, possibly because he was an Adjuchas he didn't quite know but he was still prisoner to whatever these chains had done to them all.

He felt the powerful urge to move forwards and consume, to obey the orders being barked out by the lunatic holding his chain. He couldn't place his finger on what it was but this man could be nothing more than a puppet himself, he certainly seemed too incapable and careless to be the one to orchestrate this mess. Regardless of his theories Valentin reluctantly moved forwards, somewhat behind the other two as he pondered how the ability that bound him might work. Seeing a woman without legs right in front of him trying to crawl away he noticed himself instinctively thrusting his hand through her heart and pulling out the remains to eat, quickly killing her.

Her despair and pain had been deafening to his ears before ending her yet there was nothing he could do to halt his actions, only quicken them. The orders were clear ''If anything got in his way, eat it.'' as he wiped the blood off his mouth he pondered further how his restrains affected him. Curious as to what would happen Valentin walked in the direction of one of the other hollow as he pulled up one of the square rocks that the streets were composed of, roughly the size of a human head. It was strangely uncomfortable to hold it, likely because he was much smaller these days. When he was still an ordinary hollow he could've held several of them in his palm at once but now it was a bother to hold onto just this one. 

Technically this ought to make the hollow eligible to be in his way, and testing that theory with the full might of his strength he would attempt to hurl the stone in his hand like one would a baseball, targeting the hollow's neck in attempt to break it. If it worked, great. A trick up his sleeve to piss off his captor, if it didn't? then back to the drawing board. Valentin didn't intend to be anyone's disposable puppet, he would break free of these restraints one way or another and when he did someone was going to pay with their life, and that was non-negotiable.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}Strength - 150 [50] (33%)

Speed - 200

Spiritual Pressure - 200

Reiatsu Strength - 250 [375] (150%)

Light Aura - 50

Dark Aura - 50

Instinct - 150 [50] (33%)

Senses - 50

Energy sensory - 50 [17] (33%)

Healing Expertise - 340 [510] (150%)



[Pain Tolerance] {2}

[Bleeding Tolerance] {2}

[Stealth] {2}

[Swords] {2}

[Acrobatics] {2}

[Street Fighting] {2}

[Cero] {2}

1 Class 8 Human Consumed

[Shōkan Kawada Ⅺ]

Being sent to the World of the Living was not an unusual occurence for Shōkan. Although usually he was sent to terminate hollows, his current mission was not to far outside of Squad 11's parameters. His orders were to find and retrieve the rogue shinigami Josef Stalin, and bring him for judgement by the Soul Society. In the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, betrayal and dereliction of duty were not tolerated, and as such, while this hadn't required a powerful seated officer, seeing as Stalin was relatively weak, they sent the next best thing. Shōkan. For an unseated shinigami, he was exceedingly powerful.

The only thing he had was this scrap of a riddle. Shōkan was actually very analytical for a Squad 11 member, and while he knew next to nothing about Moscow, even a small bit of research was able to point him in the direction of the People's Friendship Fountain. However, before he could proceed with his mission, hee was stopped by the sounds of chaos, and the vague sense of energy being released in an area relatively nearby. While Shōkan had little to no skill in energy sensory, when someone was so blantantly throwing it around, even he could sense a vague indication.

Taking his duty to protect the people of this world superior to Stalin's relatively small threat, Shōkan made the quick decision to rush to the location in question. Moving with his considerable speed, and a quick shunpo, Shōkan was able to reach the area what must have been soon after the attack had begun, not much destruction had been caused yet. At least, not much by the standards a hollow could cause if let loose. Taking a quick survey of the area as he arrived, Shōkan spotted three hollows, one of which appeared to be an adjuchas to his experienced eyes.

This wasn't good, adjuchas were rarely spotted in the human world, and one here would not bode well for the population. Standing behind the three hollows, what appeared to be a human was holding three chains connected to each hollow. Did this have something to do with the attacks on all of those world leaders? before Shōkan could think much more, he knew he needed to act. The real threat would be the man, but Shōkan couldn't afford to let these hollows rampage, h had to act in defense of the populace. Seeing one of the hollows, an adjuchas, attack a woman crawling away, Shōkan acted.

Compared to a normal human, the hollow was supernaturally fast... Shōkan was faster. Executing his quickest movement technique, Senka, Shōkan all but teleported the short distance between himself and the hollow, merely across the square to intercept his strike at the defensless woman. Seeing as how he was in a hurry, Shōkan couldn't afford to use the precision he normally required of himself. Using his mastery of the technique, Shōkan sacrificed skill for speed, instead of shattering the hollow's soul chain, he simply slashed at the arm reaching out for the woman, stopping the strike from injuring or killing her.

Turning towards the hollows, as well as the strange man, Shōkan stood in their path. "I will not allow you to harm these people any further." Standing in defiance, Shōkan readied his zanpakuto into a basic guard, prepared to stop any attack on those retreating behind him. he would hold his ground until they escaped, and then he would attack with all of his might. Unfortunately, Shōkan couldn't risk going all out at the moment, he was literally too strong and powerful. The collateral damage could easily kill or injure anyone in this densely populated area.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}
Strength - 400 [450] > [787.5]
Speed - 300 [350] > [612.5]
Spiritual Pressure – 100
Reiatsu Strength – 100 [150] > [225]
Light Aura - [100]
Dark Aura - [0]
Instinct - 125
Senses - 75
Energy sensory - 0
Healing Expertise - 0

SP Total: 1100

Skills:

Swordsmanship: 2
Hakuda: 2
Strength of Will: 2
Battle Analysis: 2
Analysis: 2
Charisma: 1

-50 reitsu ~ Shunpo

-100 reitsu ~ Senka (3300 speed)

850/1000 reitsu remaining

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

OOC: Tima, don't forget to add in Adalvulf's Stats and Skills, please!



Adalvulf and Luke have this turn to interact and find a way to Moscow. If you wish to take a taxi, you can control that on your own. If you wish to go by foot, then I will post appropriately during my next turn.

---

OOC: Due to Shōkan's attack, the initial attempt to consume the human failed.




The other two Hollows were ordered to protect their third comrade. The first Hollow took Valentin's side while the second one approached Shōkan. These two were Gillians and looked virtually identical aside from their noses. Ones nose was pointed while the other one was round. The round-nosed Hollow got fairly close to Shōkan, but he seemed to be just inspecting the Shinigami. Anyone else would see these two at a momentary standstill and assume the round-nosed Hollow was simply curious, maybe just wondering what this man was rather than wanting to attack him. But the master's orders were absolute. The Hollow was to eat anything in its path. It lifted a hand-like appendage and slammed it against the ground just ten feet in front of Shōkan, immediately opening a 30-foot-diameter hole from where his hand touched to 20 feet beyond the Shinigami.

The pointed-nosed Hollow set its sights on Shōkan, as well, blindly obeying the orders. It opened its massive mouth and shot out a blast of energy, aimed straight at their Shinigami foe. Some citizens were still within the area, refusing to move because of their paralyzing fear. They had no idea what was going on, but found themselves trapped by their own emotions. The blast fired towards Shõkan would turn him to stone if he didn't move, and this Hollow was ready to fire again if he tried to dodge. What was Shōkan going to do? And what of that third Adjuchas? He didn't seem to be as blindly loyal as the others.

The human woman got lucky. She was still injured despite being saved by Shōkan, so she was going to die anyway. It was just going to happen even more slowly now. Actually, if Valentin ate her, that would be more merciful than what she was going to experience now. The two Gillian were busy facing off against the Shinigami since he was standing in their way. Valentin would also have to act since Shōkan was, technically, in front of him. The pointed-nosed Hollow was roaring excessively, as if trying to scare the Shinigami off. But because of the loose ties of control on the Adjuchas, he would be able to maneuver himself more swiftly. It was now three against one so long as Valentin teamed up with his comrades.

"It seems someone has tried to thwart my plans. ... Yes, that's what I'm doing. ... I know."

The person holding on to the chains seemed to be speaking to himself, but anyone who was close enough by would hear it. Since Valentin was the closest, it was unlikely that he wouldn't. That seems odd, though. Why would he be talking to himself? Regardless, the Hollows needed to act fast. Shōkan obviously had a speedy upper hand. The pointed-nosed Hollow moved quickly to attack and tackle Shōkan with the round-nosed one close on its heels. They were attempting to double-team Shōkan and possibly overpower him by force. They prepared themselves for some kind of defense if their tackle failed, but they would have to keep a close eye on him.




Pointed-Nosed Hollow's Remaining Reiatsu: 1900 (-100 for two Energy Blasts)
Round-Nosed Hollow's Remaining Reiatsu: 1950 (-50 for giant hole)

[Deleted]

Adalvulf follows the Swiftly moving Luke through the Airport. The Young man was Quick on his feet, compared to Adalvulf he was even swifter. The Gap between them was growing and he knew he had to act sooner rather than later. He Started to move through the crowd, giving no mind to hiding his presence at all, just making his way directly for Luke as swiftly as possible while trying to look as un-threatening as possible. The Tall, lithe man was moving through the crowd and taking care to no knock anyone over but not so much taking care to not rub up against people, he didnt care if he had to squeeze through or around people to make his way as fast as he physically could.

He made sure to start talking about 5 feet away from Luke, so that luke could stop Adalvulf from approaching any closer if he had the desire to. "Excuse me ser, My name is Adalvulf Rhinekranz.. I Vonder if we might be able to Help one another?" He Extended his hand in a offer to shake his hand and smiled at the Bount in front of himself, he had no idea what luke was, he only knew that luke was worlds more powerful than himself and that he needed to see if he could make an ally out here in Russia while he still had the chance. The chance was hopefully not as slim as it looked, but there was another smaller chance that he was going to react violently and that would not be a great time for Adalvulf.

He kept his eyes forward, gazing intently at the Man before him. The man he was looking at was strong and determined, And in an apparent hurry, that made him naive at least in a basic sense. Appearing in a hurry and being in one are different things, even the push through the crowd he himself had just made was a dumb overt move, and he was internally berating himself for having done it, but he needed the attention drawn to himself. He needed Luke to see and hear him approach to make that sense of safety apparent for them both. 

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats - Skills - Inventory}
Current Stats - Cunning Type 25% Boost to RS, 50% boost to instinct 25% reduction to STR and SPR

Strength - [50] Points - 40
Speed - [30] Points - 30
Spiritual Pressure - [50] Points - 40
Reiatsu Strength - [50] Points - 62
Dark Aura - [30] Points
Light Aura - [70] Points
Instinct - [50] Points - 75
Senses - [50] Points - 50
Energy sensory - [0] Points
Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Skills (5/15 SKP used)


[Analyzing] [1 *Free*]
[Stealth] [1]
[Battle Focus] [1]
[Crafting - Thread work] [1]
[Weapon skill: Throwing Weapons] [1]
[Weapon skill: Wire] [1]

Inventory
10 Kunai w/Wire attached
Utility belt
2 kunai clips

[Deleted]

"Luke it's-" I know. Luke snapped back. Having made it to the baggage claim area, Luke had stopped searching for a means of transport as the Quincy made his approach from behind. The Bounts guard was raised, even if Adalvulf meant no harm. Turning, Luke glared at the Quincy while he spoke. He introduced himself as Adalvulf Rhinekranz and he was wanting a partnership between them. What? Why? "You could, literally, sneeze and this guy would fall over." Jäger commented. Well, he wasn't wrong. It was rude to say, yeah, but it wasn't inaccurate. This guy was like a perfectly normal, powerless, human compared to Luke. Why did he want to partner up? More importantly...was this guy Vandenreich?

Luke's eyes narrowed. "I don't like Quincy." Luke said right off the bat, turning to completely face the Quincy. Luke had had some bad experiences with Quincy, and he wasn't aware of how Adalvulf felt about the Bount. Luke wasn't even aware of the blood soaked history between their two races either. "You want to partner up with me? I sensed you on the plane." Luke chatted, crossing his arms across his chest and rejecting the hand shake from Adalvulf. "What do you want?" Luke asked, deciding to get to the point.

[Deleted]

Adalvulf bristled slightly at the full on refusal of his handshake. He did not cross his arms in response to Luke crossing his own but instead he slips his hands into his pockets and moves to a relaxed stance. The Way that Adalvulf was watching luke was the same way that someone that might watch someone they didn't trust. He let loose a sigh, gentle and not one that was annoyed just a settling sort of sound before he nodded and spread his arms in a acquiescent gesture "It is true, I am an Echt Quincy.. But I am no threat to you or anyone else here.. But What I am is a helper"

He smiles and adjusts his glasses before continuing "I am sure that you know what Sort of problems there are here in Russia.. The Probable situations... the ways of infiltration.. The ways that one can move around and find information about these.. problems?" He Speaks softly, and vaguely hoping to keep the topic of conversation from those who arent aware. The topic of conversation was one that Adalvulf didn't feel comfortable with making public. He looks around sidelong for a moment to make sure no one heard them before taking a step forward.

"I can pay for the transportation.. or we can walk.. But The fact of the matter is.. i can help you. I am not A threat to you.. But i am capable.. Though perhaps less so than yourself." He nods once and adjusts his glasses again before looking straight at luke, awaiting an answer.

[Valentin Acciai]

A surprising turn of events Valentin was barely able to register what just happened, a brief flash and the legless woman was gone and a deep cut had penetrated the white carapace that protected his arm and left a bleeding gash as he winced back from whatever caused him the injury. A Shinigami already? that was fast Valentin thought, having expected it would be a while before anything challenging appeared. He wasn't keen on fighting him however, the speed in his step already making evident the difference in their abilities, but perhaps his arrival was a boon rather than his doom.

Whilst every part of his body yelled at him to strike what was in front of him Valentin managed to contain himself for the moment, taking slow steps forwards to still obey his accursed orders, taking note it was in the Shinigami's interest to protect the mortals of the city while only being confused with the nonsense his slave keeper was sprouting directly afterwards he chose to strike up some friendly conversation, or at least as friendly as a Hollow might possibly be. ''If that's what you say know that you've only prolonged that woman's suffering, she will bleed to death instead. Unless of course, you get these chains of me, i can regenerate the flesh and bone of all that breathe so she might be saved.''

Knowing any actual defense on his part would likely fail anyhow he went for the cinematic approach, raising his bleeding arm in front of him so that Shokan might see the wound clearly if he even had the time to do so. The flesh pushing itself together, the bleeding coming to a halt slowly as the muscle began to weave itself together. ''Free me from his control and i will use my powers however you see fit, win-win situation. You get to be a hero, i get to have revenge on the fuckers who kidnapped my ass. Decide quick, not really the master of my own body right now!'' he said impatiently as his walk became a brisk jog followed by a full on dash towards the Shinigami.

He would have his healthy arm pulled back and ready to strike Shokan with his claws but it was a feint, whether if he was attacked or not if Valentin came within a few meters of the Shinigami he would attempt to use his own momentum to activate an Ulcera and disappear into the valley of screams and try to reappear behind Shokan if he could hopefully inches away and thrust his claws in the slightly curved reminiscent shape of a hook aimed to gut him like a fish. If it all failed and he managed to react to a counterattack he would attempt to flee into a second Ulcera and reappear a small distance away.

If he was for any reason unable to make use of his Ulcera which he had a small fear might ring true he would instead upon the failing of the Ulcera dive low and try to dodge any blow from the Shinigami, slithering forwards on all fours and letting the spikes in his back extend in attempt to lacerate his opponent and then try to make a speedy jump backwards to reevaluate the situation, fleeing behind the other hollow if things become too heated. 


-25 Organic Generation

1975/2000 Reiatsu Remaining

[Deleted]

Annoyingly, Luke had some trouble understanding the Quincies accent. But it wasn’t so bad that communication was impossible. Was just jarring suddenly hearing a accent. But it was something he needed to get used to, especially since he was in a foreign country. The Quincy claimed himself to be a helper and not some sort of enemy. This made Luke raise an eyebrow, but the more he talked the more Luke realized that this guy actually had an idea about what was going on. At least he seemed to have an idea anyways. Luke frowned, narrowing his eyes a little, wondering just how much this guy knew.

When he suddenly stepped forward, Luke felt his fingers tense up as he got ready for trouble. But rather than bringing trouble he brought some good news. This guy would pay for transportation? He wanted to help Luke? It was true that someone could be more helpful in more ways than just battle strength. The Bount frowned at Adalvulf for a few more moments before his face suddenly lit up. ”Alright. If you want to help be my guest. First things first is we need to find some transport into the city. Come on, let’s find the taxi services.” Luke said to Adalvulf, waving for him to follow him.

Hunting through the airport exits, Luke finally found where they could rent a taxi. ”There it is.” Luke said with a sigh, before hurrying over to the counter and waiting for the lady at the desk to notice him. ”Hey. We need a ride to Moscow!” Luke stated, ready to get going and forgetting his manners.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

OOC: Due to Arashi's absence, he has been removed from the thread. Shōkan is no longer a player, and his character will have simply never existed. Therefore, the two NPC Hollows have not yet attacked and we are retracting back to when Valentin ate the human, which I'm counting as a consumption. Ren and his bount, Nadezhda Esterházy, will be entering the thread. She is Class 8, so please keep in mind that this thread is meant to be easy despite its difficulty rating. The medium part comes in later. Ren, you're free to post your intro! Nadezhda will be entering the square right after Valentin consumes the human. Luke and Adalvulf, your progress remains the same. I would like you two to post one more time and I will continue on after Nadezhda.

[Nadezhda Esterházy]

(PLAY ME)

Melodic humming could be heard alongside the hushed tapping of footsteps. The pace of the steps indicated skipping, but the pressure placed on the ground was light. The wind softly blew, each blade of grass swaying to the right. Tiny feet stepped along the grass, squeezing her toes so the soft, fresh grass could be felt. The mysterious little girl continued to hum a gentle melody in her childlike falsetto. As she hummed she encircled nearby trees, allowing her body to swing around the base of the tree. Her hands gripped the bark as faint giggling interrupted the melodic humming. 

Leaves were caught by the wind and whipped around playful child. In the shadow-covered woods, the girl continued to skip and hum. With each passing second she neared a small park at the edge of the wooded area. The park was housed within a rather small town outside of Moscow. Zvenigorod was perfectly situated near the banks of the Moskva river,which ran directly through Moscow. Nadezhda had been patiently following the path of the river, but became sidetracked and wound up in the woods. She didn't care. She simply enjoyed the fresh air and those she stumbled across within the woods. Some of those people were pretty friendly, others not so much.

Friendliness didn't much matter. If she had a particular subject on her mind, it would trump most variables. Her falsetto humming grew closer to the edge of the park, catching the attention of a nearby couple. "A child?" The man questions as he tightly gripped his partner's hand. "You would think this child's parents would be responsible enough to keep on eye on him or her and not allow them to wander, especially around here." His partner nodded followed by a shrug. They passed it off as irresponsible parenting, but didn't think too much of it. After all, crime wasn't terribly prevalent in this small village. In fact, violent crimes were rare and the more recent crime was a robbery. No one would care to rob a child. They possess nothing of value.

As the sun clung tightly behind the clouds, a pair of eyes could be seen peering from the shade of the forest. One could only imagine the perspective of these eyes and what says in comparison to others. Suddenly, a faint howling broke out from within the woods. The couple was immediately startled by the cries of a young child. "Must have hurt herself." They both began running toward the entrance of the forest. As they converged on the location of the cries and entering the shadowy canopy, the crying ceased. The two separated for a moment, wandering through the woods hoping to find this potentially injured or scared child. "Can you hear me? What is your name? Are you alright?" The man said as he quickly lost site of his partner. "You okay, Alexei?" He asked.

"Yeah, I can't seem to find her, though. Are you alright? We want to help if you're hurt." He shouted as he neared a low-hanging branch. As he passed by a large tree, a pair of feet could be swinging back and forth. Nadezhda playfully smiled as she kicked her feet back and forth, staring down at the man. "I'm doing better now, mister." She said cutely in a hushed voice. The man looked behind him, spotting her bare, dangling feet. He looked up slowly to find her smiling down at him. His eyes widened just before she leapt down and slammed her fingers into his throat. 

While she possessed the visage of a child, she was deceptively strong. She grabbed onto his skin and allowed her momentum to twist his next. He fell to the ground with a loud thud, grunting sightly. She stood over him as his partner yelled his name. She turned him so he was lying face down, which caught the eye of his partner. "Alexei!" He shouted as he approached his body. "Are you alright? What happened!?" He asked of his dead partner. "He fell down and didn't get up, mister. I saw it all..." The man turned quickly to see Nadezhda standing behind him. She smiled coyly before grabbing him by the collar and jumping to a higher branch. In that moment, she dropped him. He landed on the ground, breaking his legs. 

His shin bone was protruding from his leg as he writhed in pain. She giggled as she hopped down. "His neck broke so quickly. Why not yours?" She pouted for a second before smilign at the injured man. He began to scream for help, but it was in vain. Her mouth widened as if her jaws were capable of dislocating. She bore her teeth to him before leaping down to saw into his neck. An hour or so later, she emerged from the shadows of the forest and made her way toward the edge of the river, planning to follow it to Moscow. What awaited her there? As she neared the river, she noticed specks of blood on her legs. "Oopsie." She said with a giggle. "Bath time!"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}
Stats


Strength - [50] -> [100]

Speed - [50] -> [100]

Spiritual Pressure - [75] -> [37] (Non-release)

Reiatsu Strength - [100] -> [50] (Non-release)

Light Aura - [10]

Dark Aura - [90]

Instinct - [50] -> [25] (Non-release)

Senses - [100] -> [50] (Non-release)

Energy sensory - [25] -> [12] (Non-release)

Healing Expertise - [0]

Total SP: [450] Points


Skills


[Battle: Street Fighting] [1]

[Weapon: Emei Piercers] [1]

[Body: Acrobatics] [1]

[Body: Stealth] [1]

[Body: Anti-stealth] [1]

[Utility: Acting] [1]

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

The woman behind the desk stared at Luke and the other strange man following him. She was a bit confused at the urgency, but her phone was ringing loudly with text warnings of disasters in that area. She wasn't sure if she felt comfortable offering these two men a form of transportation, but she could at least lead them in the right direction. All she could do was assume they knew what they were doing, because she wasn't necessarily forced to prevent people from going anywhere. That wasn't in her job description. After a few minutes of looking up information on car rentals, she pulled up a file and displayed it for the two of them. A Honda Civic was available, and it barely costed anything to rent. It could easily be afforded by anyone.

"Okay, well, you two need to make sure you stay safe. And we are not liable for any injuries you sustain. We are only responsible for the vehicles."

As if Luke and Adalvulf needed to be reminded about that. Regardless, this car would easily get the two of them to Moscow, but not before one of the Hollows had already eaten a woman. When they got there, all they'd likely see was blood splattered on the ground and a few limbs left over from one of the other Hollows after they ate someone, as well. It was becoming a disaster. Upon arrival, the two of them would see a maniac with three chained Hollows. One was obviously more evolved than the other two, and he seemed to be able to act on his own relatively well enough. The other two were no more than slaves. The human controlling them, however, was laughing crazily as he whipped the chains a few times to enforce dominance. He was a bit distracted by the damage.

---

Nadezhda already had her fun as she took a break from it to get cleaned up, but she'd soon come across a small piece of paper with a note written on it. It seemed like a riddle, in a way, and it would eventually lead her to where all of the destruction was going on. Whether she chose to solve the riddle and find out what was hidden was up to her, but it would inevitably bring her towards the Hollows and the other two men. As she flattened out the crumpled up note, she'd see the words written as clear as day. If she were smart, she'd be able to figure it out without a problem. But the question was, would she follow it?

What you seek is like a ghost,
since it's hiding from the most.
Only those without Release
can hope to find the Jewel of Peace.
Within the water it shall stay,
since Friendship's Fountain had its way.