In the Pale Moonlight, Shinigami Arc Thread

[Katashi]

A harsh wind swept across the endless sands of Hueco Mundo, rearranging the ever shifting dunes. Sharp crags of rock loomed over the sands, eroded into jagged barbs by an eternity of weathering the unforgiving temper of the realm. Even these desolate mountains would eventually be claimed by the sands, reduced to the dust that permeated this realm. And then the earth would shift and new stone shards would erupt from the sands, untouched by the tempests above for eons, and the weary cycle would renew itself.

This was a realm of extremes, and that was its only constant. 'Ordinary,' as a human would understand it, did not exist here.

Few shinigami would ever set foot in this harsh realm, and of those that did, almost all were immediately surprised at just how cold it was here. For despite its resemblance to terrestrial deserts, Hueco Mundo was not some scorching furnace. Indeed, the chill of death was an ever-present weight upon the air, and it was plain to see why.

In this land of constant extremes, there was no day, and no sun. Only an endless night, a moon that never waned nor waxed, never moved across the sky. It was forever a pale crescent, the one and only light that shone from the heavens. In a way, it was fitting; if the Soul Society truly was heaven, then this wretched place was farthest from it.

The glow of the unchanging moon cast an unearthly pallor upon the sands, bleaching the entire realm a stark white. More than one shinigami had remarked at how the land appeared to be covered not in sand, but in bone. The light was eerily bright, and if the sky were not a shade of midnight black and the pale moon full, one might be forgiven for assuming the light had come from a real sun. But even with its brightness, it had none of the warmth of true sunlight, none of the energy.

This harsh expanse was truly worthy of the name 'Hollow World.'

Hueco Mundo.

In the sky above a mountainous region of the endless desert, one dominated by towering spires and jagged peaks of stone, split by sharp canyons and deep ravines, a thin vertical line appeared. And as it grew, the line split the sky, opening a void as it parted. It was as if a door had opened in the air, revealing a completely alien realm beyond it, one that was less harsh; less extreme.

And from this void emerged the shinigami.

The captains appeared first, their white robes standing in stark contrast to the black sky. And as the three of them descended upon the pale sands, more shinigami followed from this doorway in the skies. Trackers, medics, kido specialists; the group had been carefully assembled for a singular purpose: To find and destroy their target.

To kill a Vasto Lorde.

Katashi reached the ground first, the sand shifting noiselessly under his weight. He suppressed the urge to shiver at the penetrating chill that found him despite the layers of fabric he wore. He swept his gaze across the bleak landscape, not truly searching for anything, but merely observing his surroundings.

He hated this place.

The aged captain had not set foot here in many years. Not since he had come to retrieve Luthien's remains. This was where she had died, paralyzed by her fear of water in the endless sands of this wretched desert. The irony was tragic, and his stomach still twisted at the thought of it. He'd never forgiven himself for it.

Oh yes, Sutashi had been Luthien's captain, and she had ultimately given the order for Luthien to venture into this realm, but he had been the one who had recommended her for it. He'd been confident in her ability to overcome any obstacle, and he had put her name forth. She had always been there, with him, for as long as he could remember, and he had never once put a thought to the idea that someday, she wouldn't.

And then she was gone, just like that.

A dull heat ached from inside his robe. Narsil didn't like it here either. The ancient zanpakuto was the one keepsake of Luthien that he kept with him always, securing it at his side under his kosode. It had survived Luthien's death, and he had taken it with him when he retired to the Living World. He had never been able to communicate with the blade in the same way he could with Kagu-tsuchi, nor did he expect to be able to. Shinigami could hold only a single zanpakuto as their own. But after seventy years, he had formed enough of a bond with the blade to sometimes feel a faint emotion or desire from it.

This was the strongest he had ever felt the blade resonate. It did not want to be here.

He ignored the uncomfortable sensation, setting his mind on the task ahead. The currently blond-haired Captain of the Second Division approached him, stopping at his side and observing their surroundings as he had.

"Sutashi," he broke the silence, discarding the usual honoraries and titles. "Can you sense its trail? We should not waste any time."

[Jay]

She would follow him to the ends of the earth if he asked her to. Did that mean she wanted to be here? Absolutely not. She hated this world. Sutashi surveyed the dead sands as she stepped through the void into the world of Hueco Mundo, descending to the sands behind Katashi. She shivered imperceptibly. The chill of death was never to be treated lightly, nor would she ever be able to forget it while she was here. This was a world not meant for the living to visit, and she regretted deeply the necessity for it.

But here she was, and here she would stay. At least until this job was done.

It was one of the reasons she’d had no objections to coming herself. Katashi may have suggested sending Luthien here, but it was her order. She was the one who had made the final decision that had sent one of her best friends to her death. So if someone had to go into Hueco Mundo, it was her. She wouldn’t send anyone else to their death here.

Jess was a bit confused as to why she had been chosen for this mission. She shivered as she descended behind the rest of them, drifting off to the side where she would be alone, keeping everyone else about 15 feet away from her, far off on the side of the group. She knew if she got too close, there would be problems, and this mission really didn’t need them.

Why her? Two division two people had found her, told her she was to accompany them on this mission. What could she do here? She had no idea, but for right now, her goal was simple: don’t cause problems.

So she kept her distance.

And yet, even that in and of itself was unnerving. She didn’t like being off by herself. It made her an easier target for ambush. With her bad luck, that was a very real possibility if they ran across something. So who could blame her for being just a little bit jumpy? It was perfectly logical that her fear made her glance suspiciously not only at the mountains in the distance, nor at every curve of sand, but at her fellow shinigami. To her, anything and anyone could be dangerous.

Sutashi meanwhile, was searching the sands. Her vision of reiatsu activated, the entire group glowed like a beacon of Reiatsu. It was good she had been one of the first to touch the ground, had been able to see things before their reiatsu began to seep everywhere. There was the faintest trace, a trail leading off into the distance. She’d have to stay ahead of the group to be able to track it so they didn’t obliterate it with their passage. So when she stepped to Katashi’s side and he asked her if she could sense the trail, telling her they had no time to waste, she nodded, but snapped her fingers twice just to be sure.

One of her top trackers appeared at her side, pointing the same direction she had seen the trail, and she nodded.

“Confirmed. The two traces we have are pointing the same direction. I’ll have to stay ahead to keep my trace, however. Otherwise it will be like an elephant stepping on the tracks of a mouse.”

Did she want to go first? No way in heck. Did she need to? Yes. Would she do it? Of course. Was she going to take precautions? Absolutely.

After all, every good hunting party had a forward scout, and today, that job fell to her. She would have to go first, alone. Looking at her subordinate, she nodded, and then turned towards Katashi and said quietly,

“I have to go first. I’m going to activate my Shritaku. Katen here will keep you going the right direction as a whole. I’ll leave small scuffs in the sand like this behind me so you have a clearer trail to follow.”

She scuffed her foot, leaving a straight line in the direction she was going to go. She would do it every 15 yards or so, but otherwise would be running so that no track would be seen. She was still uneasy about the whole situation, but that didn’t show through her mask of utter calm.

“I’ll go now.”

She smiled softly at them, then activated Shritaku. Dissapearing utterly from view and from the senses, she did the one thing she hadn’t dared to in front of everyone else. She reached over and gave Katashi a gentle hug. With it, she said what she couldn’t voice. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust in either of their abilities. It was the sense of foreboding doom she’d been feeling lately. Like something terrible was on the horizon, and focused around this place. It was her goodbye, a last expression of love just in case she didn’t return.

With that, she set off, following the traces of Reiatsu in her vision.

Jess started as she watched one of the captains utterly disappear. It was a bit unnerving to her that the captain could just… vanish. It made her wonder what else could conceal its presence here in the sands, and nervously, she shifted just a bit closer to the group.

This place gave her the creeps.

Not quite as much as the young shinigami who was sneaking into her circle of disaster area. He looked like his mind wasn't completely on the mission, and more on the fact that bundled as she was, her chest had more padding then normal. The boy had obviously styled his curly hair using a ton of gel and mousse, and as he approached her, he tried to rake his hands through his hair all... rakishly. Only, his hand got stuck. He seemed to be trying to hide the fact that his hand was stuck in his hair by posturing, and his voice was trying to be suave as he told her,

"You know, you shouldn't be out here on the edge by yourself. If you want, I can stay by you..."

She couldn't help but laugh, feeling the slightest edge of her fear ease. She shook her head, saying quietly,

"You know, I think I'm fine. But you might want to get your hand out of your hair, you might need it soon. So with that, I'll leave you to your moosey fate."

[Izanagi]

The dice had been cast and the decision to travel to Hueco Mundo was made. Izanagi could remember the little commotion inside the assembly hall, where the Captain's meeting was held. The mask wearing fox faced Captain was a sceptical about the mission. But after having travelled with the group, the man had began to change his opinion. The Sotaicho or anyone else on the mission didn't affect any change in his current train of thought. It was simply the prospect of once again stepping on the pale sands of Hueco Mundo. The desert, the desolate realm, where creatures of the abyss resides, was like an arena. The Colosseum where the gladiators would often do battle. Only this time, they weren't fighting for freedom, instead they fought for survival. Hueco Mundo was a place where the dammed roamed, searching for salvation. Izanagi was truly fascinated by the horrors that went on inside this realm. It was less diplomatic and more straight to the point unlike the Soul Society. The savagery of such a place was far more honest and worthy of forgiveness, than that of the militant politicians who remained the schemers and hypocrites of the spiritual realm. The pathway leading into Hueco Mundo was openand from the void descended the expedition party, here to assess the treat level that some poor creature poses to the Soul Society. Izanagi soon landed behind the Captains that exited the void before he did. And as soon as his feet touched the sands, Izanagi moved away from Jess, avoiding the accursed woman. Being next to such a person was bad luck, and that may be why she was chosen for this mission in the first place.

While the other Shinigami seemed to shudder at the cold air of the desolate desert. It was life a warm blanket being wrapped around the very being of the fox faced Captain. The fox grin painted on the mask made it difficult to ascertain his true feelings towards this realm. However, the man was currently enjoying the cold embrace of Hueco Mundo, which brought warmth to his body. As the Sotaicho and other exchanged dialogue with each other, Izanagi knelt down and dipped his right hand into the sand. A cold wind blew throughout the area in that moment, whispering the dangers of the realm into the ears of the Captain. The Reiatsu residue of creatures that passed through the area, resonated with the Captain as grains of sands settled in his palm. Hueco Mundo was just like the Soul Society, well the Seireitei considering it was made up of spiritual particles too. The moon that illuminated the desert was most fitting too. The constant presence that never waned, forever carrying out the task that was given to it. The sand and the air as a whole carried a certain stench, and such a stench was death, destruction, fear, despair, rage, loneliness, greed. A man could easily find himself being swallowed up by this place, but Izanagi wasn't so weak to be absorbed in such a manner. The man was having fun, and the ever changing expressions of his mask was proof of that. Listening on Katashi and Sutashi's conversation, while carefully paying attention. The Captain stood up and dusted his hands off while cocking his head to the right. And for a moment, directing his crimson orbs in the direction, that Sutashi and her men were pointing in.

According to her, clues were to be left behind, showing the direction that she ran off into. Izanagi was just fine with this of course, having actually placed some faith in the skills of the second division Captain. The man soon released an exasperated sigh, and fixed his Zanapakuto that was currently being worn on his hip. Izanagi was hoping that he will have to draw his weapon at some point. The man could use a bit of exercise, but knows better than anyone that fighting a meaningless battle was always a bad idea. The 3rd Division Captain began wondering what would happen should they catch up with the Hollow. Will the Sotaicho order them to dispatch of the creature in a timely fashion? If the creature was as powerful as they reckon it is, then killing it may take more than five minutes, depending on the mood that they were in of course. "I dare say we best be off now. Staying here will do us no good, right? I am desperate to go sight seeing in this place. A soul could get use to residing in a place like this ere'. Lead the way, Sotaicho-dono". As Izanagi spoke those few words, the fox faced man looked towards the direction of Jess, with his fingers crossed that the woman wouldn't venture too close to his position. Jushiro couldn't afford another accident like the one that occurred at the Sanbantai barracks. How could someone blow half of the division to bits? While she wasn't directly sighted as the culprit, everyone in the division believed her to be responsible. Her unlucky nature sent a chill down Izanagi's spine. The might come to fear the woman's luck more than any other great power out there.

[Katashi]

"Sutashi, can you sense its trail? We should not waste any time."

Sutashi nodded, but her eyes were fixed on the horizon. She snapped her fingers, and almost instantaneously, one of her subordinates appeared at her side. He pointed to some point in the distance along the same path her eyes were fixed upon.

She nodded once more.

“Confirmed. The two traces we have are pointing the same direction."

"Good," Katashi replied. He'd been a little concerned that they might already be too late to pick up any trail. Now his fears seemed unfounded.

Sutashi finally drew her eyes away from the horizon, and she turned her head to regard him. "I’ll have to stay ahead to keep my trace, however. Otherwise it will be like an elephant stepping on the tracks of a mouse.”

"Understood," Katashi said, nodding in agreement. He was about to suggest she take point anyway. Her array of stealth abilities would make her far less vulnerable alone than any of the others.

She turned and seemed to converse briefly with her subordinate, but no words could be heard, only a nod. Then she turned back to Katashi.

“I have to go first," she repeated. Her expression, her voice, everything about her countenance radiated calmness and ease. And yet, she brought up that point again. Katashi had a feeling she wasn't as at ease with it as she let on.

"I’m going to activate my Shritaku," she continued, gesturing towards her subordinate. "Katen here will keep you going the right direction as a whole. I’ll leave small scuffs in the sand like this behind me so you have a clearer trail to follow.”

She took a few steps forward and demonstrated, drawing her foot across the sand below her and leaving a long straight line.

She smiled.

“I’ll go now.”

And without another word, she vanished.

But she was not truly gone, and before Katashi moved to address the rest of the group, he felt the soft, light touch of her embrace, invisible to him and the rest of the group. He did not return the embrace - she had waited until no one else could see it to do it - but he smiled softly.

"Good luck, Sutashi," he whispered.

And with that, she was gone.

His eyes traced the small marks in the sand as she made them, each evenly spaced and almost perfectly straight.

He felt Izanagi approach from behind. "I dare say we best be off now. Staying here will do us no good, right?"

He glanced over his shoulder to regard the man, who continued in his distinct accent. "I am desperate to go sight seeing in this place. A soul could get use to residing in a place like this ere'. Lead the way, Sotaicho-dono."

Katen, as Sutashi had introduced him, gestured in the direction of the marks. "The trail leads in this direction, sir."

Katashi nodded, and turned to address the rest of the team. "Our quarry's trail has been spotted. Let's move out."

And, in unison, the Shinigami left.

It was slow going. Katen mentioned several times how faint the trail was, and often they stopped as the trackers worked to verify its direction. The entire time, they were being led even father away from Hueco Mundo, and deeper into the jagged rocks and sheer cliffs of a great mountain range. They were moving far outside of the territory the Shinigami had charted, and even the hollow seemed to thin.

The wind had stilled gradually waned as they continued, and by the time they began navigating the maze-like ravines that separated the massive mountains, the air was as still as the stone around them. There was no sound but the patter of feet against rock and their own breath, no reiatsu aside from their own. No movement beyond themselves. It was truly an eerie feeling, as if they had been completely isolated from all else that existed. They knew only grey rock and white sand.

That rock and sand seemed endless. And it was difficult to keep track of time without a sun to guide them. But Katashi was sure they had been at it for hours, if not a day. And still they had found nothing, not even a stronger trace to follow. He was about to signal for Sutashi to return and discuss a change in strategy, when the rock that surrounded them gave way.

A great valley stretched out from the mouth of the canyon, reaching to the horizon, where another mountain range formed another wall. The valley looked untouched by the elements, the sands settled into an even layer, rather than swept into dunes. And in the center of it, he could make out irregular, white shapes. Stones.

The procession followed Sutashi's markers into the valley, closing on the strange stones. They looked as if they had once been shaped, tooled, and arranged by an intelligence. Already, Katashi could see several square outlines, like the foundations of old buildings. Sutashi's final marker lay only a few meters from the edge of the stones, and Katashi ordered the company to halt.

Approaching the stone shapes, he knelt down next to the nearest one and dusted the sand away. He could feel the stone sapping energy from his hand as he brushed it across the smooth surface.

"This is... Seki-seki," he observed quietly. There had never been any evidence of hollows using seki-seki stone in their architecture. And yet, here it was, in a distant corner of Hueco Mundo that even the hollow seemed to avoid.

He stood. The stones stretched out over a wide area, some arranged like buildings, others tall and straight like pillars or parts of walls. This was not the remains of just a few buildings or a single structure.

It was a city. A city forgotten by time.

His mind raced with questions. Who had laid these stones here? And when?

[Jay]

Katashi had not returned her gentle embrace, nor had she expected him to, since she had waited to not be seen to do so herself. But his gentle whisper had brought a smile to her face, and eased the smallest portion of her fears. Her friend trusted her to do this. She would do so, without fail.

So Sutashi set out, following the faintest trail of reiatsu that had leaked from the injured Hotaru. She moved much more quickly than the group behind her, for two reasons. She was alone, and her way of tracking was different. While they used different methods, what she was tracking was actually something she could see. A trail laid out before her. All she had to do was mark it…

Even so, she disliked being out here by herself. She noticed that they stopped more frequently, but she didn’t. They were further and further away from her as she pressed on, the reiatsu leading her into the mountains. The ravines made her nervous. She couldn’t help but shiver, and her arms subconsciously hugged herself, as if trying to keep the heat in, even though the wind had stopped long ago. She had been listening to it, but it had not brought her any snippets of conversation or speech, only the lonely howling of the desert.

What was waiting for her around the corner? On top of that cliff? At the bottom of the ravine she passed? Her imagination could have gone wild, but she searched endlessly for traces of reiatsu, and followed the path deeper. Even if Katashi had tried to contact her, she was too far ahead to know. Hours ahead of any help.

And that scared her more than anything else, because she knew it, and they didn’t.

She was utterly alone.

So she did the only thing she could… she kept going. And then, she was free from the oppressive walls, the valley opening up in front of her. She contained her small gasp, though it would not have been heard anyway. It was habit. She felt as if she had stumbled on a forgotten land. She barely dared to make marks in the sand as she followed the reiatsu to the heart of the valley, towards what she could only guess was a city long dead, long forgotten. Pausing for a moment, she shot into the air, wanting a more aerial view. It reminded her of something…

No, make that two things.

The deadened quality, the air of abandonment and desolation, it reminded her of the ruins on Kyoshi island. But the layout, the very set up of the land… no, it reminded her of her home. Of seireitei. She descended again, going closer to the ruins. The traces were leading straight into it. She made her last scuff on the edge of what would have been the city. The sand here was even, and she didn’t like marking it. What if something else came along before the rest of the group? She was alone, and felt like she was leaving a trail as broad as a car running through the street in daylight. Even though that was far from the truth. There was a weird quality in the air that was making her more nervous. Her only consolation was that she knew they couldn’t sense her. She was invisible.

But… she wouldn’t be for long. She realized that as she followed the reiatsu into the city. The stone around her was undoubtedly sekkisekki, and she could feel it draining on her. If she kept going, she felt as if she would be left powerless, and alone. She didn’t dare to make marks in the city… and soon enough, she stopped. The faint traces were gone, overpowered by the sheer presence of the sekkisekki stone around her.

The trail was gone.

She returned to the edge of the city, feeling better once she was no longer being drained. She put another scuff through her last scuff, making it an X. Katen would know to stop and wait for her return at that point. The forgotten city was large, enormous…. But she had a few hours lead. She fully intended to use it.

So she ran.

Around, around and around, straight around the edge of the city. Staying close, but far enough away that it wouldn’t drain her energies. The reiatsu was nowhere to be found. For all intents and purposes, it was if Hotaru had entered the city, and not left it. There were other faint energies that came and left, but none of them were Hotaru’s reiatsu. And there was something… else. Something malevolent. She couldn’t place it, but it worried her. Perhaps she was overthinking things. But neither could she shake the feeling of dark foreboding that had stolen over her these last few weeks, and only seemed to be cemented the longer she stayed in this place.

Going into the city seemed the only option. A seriously stupid option.

Jess was terrified. She didn’t know why she had been chosen for this mission. She didn’t belong here. She was cold and she was scared, and the further they went into uncharted territory, the more she just wanted to go home. It only got worse when they got into the canyons. Her captain had thrown her that look, and she knew what he was thinking… she was cursed. She’d heard him say it before, and she couldn’t completely blame him when she believed it herself. Bad things just happened around her.

Which was why she was trailing at the back of the group when they entered the canyons. Everyone seemed to be on edge, and she was more on edge than everyone else. But unlike most everyone else, she wasn’t content to simply watch and follow. No… she needed to have some distance from people, and nobody was really paying her attention, so she had taken to the air in the ravines. As long as she kept some distance from the others, accidents were less likely.

So she followed from above, trying to get a different perspective. No one even noticed she was missing from the main group. It was probably a dangerous thing to do, but she couldn’t help it. She shouldn’t be here in the first place.

At least it was more interesting higher up in the canyons. There were complexes of caverns here that looked like they hadn’t been touched in eons. If she wasn’t terrified of being left by herself, she would have liked to explore them. She didn’t feel anything from them, so they were probably empty. Who knew, maybe there were some beautiful hidden crystals there. She did like crystals, and not just because it was her last name. Either way… it seemed the canyons were opening up, so she descended, coming down just as the group exited into a great valley.

It seemed she had gotten too close though.

A precarious rock on the cliff seemed to fall, hitting the ground with a hollow thud that echoed softly back through the canyon and was muffled as it sounded a bit in the valley too. She had curled up in shock, and when she straightened, Krys smiled. She strode confidently through the masses more towards the front, and the incident was soon forgotten. Instead, people began to feel more the need for confidence, to prove themselves as they passed through her aura, approaching the forgotten city.

As they had reached the city, Katen had seen the X mark, and said quietly as the Soutaicho examined the buildings,

“It looks like the Captain would like us to wait here…”

“That’s fine Katen, I’m back.”

Her face held a light smile as she stepped into view, letting her Shritaku drop as she shimmered into being in front of them, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. However, she walked closer to Katashi and said quietly,

“The trail ends here, Katashi. I followed it into the city, but you’re right, that’s sekkisekki. Going in there is suicide. We’d be powerless, and we don’t know what effect it has on them. Plus, the trail… ends. Unfortunately, it doesn’t begin again. I just did a full circuit of the city, and there was… nothing. No trace of Hotaru. She went in, but there’s no trace that she came out. And something doesn’t feel right. I don’t like this place… and I don’t think we should stay here any longer. There’s nothing we can do right now. ”

She didn’t want to say that, but she had to. As much as it was important to her to track Hotaru down… their lives were more important. She didn’t ever want to lose a friend again. Not here. Not now. And though she appeared utterly calm, she wanted to leave desperately, and she didn’t know why.

It just felt wrong.

And, having already spent hours traveling the edge of the city, she was more than ready to be rid of the sensation that came from being so near to sekkisekki. It was horrible. Finally, she said the last thing.

“I’ve left some sensors at various points around the city that seemed strategic. It’s not much, but we’ll have to just wait and see. Come back if something happens. For now, let’s go home.”

[Izanagi]

The Shinigami group began their descent deep into Hueco Mundo's deepest and darkest corners. And all the while that they travelled, Izanagi had begun to wonder when the enemy would show up and confront them. The fox faced man seemed more amused than anything at this moment in time as he followed the group. The lead man did his best to keep track of the trail being left behind. The terrain itself seem to undergo some changes the further they travelled. Which made Izanagi believe, that if they are to confront a Vasto Lorde, a creature of that stature would be found close to their current location. That was something fascinating for the Shinigami to look forward to as he moved. The black mask on his face had a small question sign on it. And on either side of the question mark, several pictures of Hollows stood, now looking animated as the man moved. It was quite easy to tell what the man was thinking, or what he was pondering about for that matter.

Where are the Hollows? That's what Izanagi wanted to know, but the old fox knew and found a certain old saying to be true. A saying that suggested that patience is a virtue or something along those lines. As they trod through the region, Izanagi was soon fascinating by the smallest of creatures that seemed to follow the Shinigami group. A hollow butterfly, not much larger than those of the Soul Society's own Hell butterfly. The tiny creature soon flew away and so the moment passed. The Captain remained as focused as he possibly could while sight seeing. In some ways, the Shinigami were showing themselves to be most audacious. To think they would be in the enemy territory, moving as casual as they were. can be seen as disrespectful to the Hollows themselves. Izanagi more than anyone else seemed to be the more carefree of the bunch, well apart from that accursed woman they call Jessica. Thus far, there were no mishaps, and Izanagi was most grateful for that too. "Seki Seki? Interesting". The Captain thought as the group came to a halt.

Things were definitely starting to become more and more interesting as time went by. Jushiro saw this as reason enough to want to investigate the area even more. In addition to that, the Captain had begun to wonder what kind of structure previous stood in the area too. Only time will tell, the man will have to follow the Commander's lead and await the mission update before acting. Majority of the expedition team appeared to be on edge, except a few. Izanagi was of course apart of the few. The Shinigami was more interested in getting answers now. Sutashi had returned, and as per usual, her words seem to be directed specifically to Katashi as if the others did not matter. How annoying that was, but being the person that he is. The Captain didn't let that bother him, the man instead kept on surveying the area, coming up with several theories of his own too. For now, Izanagi would wait for the Commander to make a decision.

[Ba'al]

It was old.

The city that the Shinigami had discovered was old, even by the standards of Hueco Mundo.

In those days, the Arrancar had not existed, only the Hollow.

The Hollow did not come here. They feared this place as much as they feared death itself, for that was what was expected here.

All hollow except for one, of course.

After he had sensed the reiatsu from one of his long lost brethren, he had set out to find it. He wanted to find just what had brought the reiatsu of one he thought long dead back to the forefront of his senses.

Even a Vasto Lorde's reiatsu would not have persisted after all this time.

Did that mean that Hotaru had actually survived? If so, then it was very possible that the only Vasto Lorde older than Fyrentennimar himself still lived.

Of course, age meant nothing when power was what ruled the Vasto Lorde.

There was no doubt, even when his brethren were at the peak of their power, Fyrentennimar was the strongest.

He had proven it multiple times, as he knew that several of his brethren wanted nothing but total destruction of the realms they knew. He had put a stop to that. When the king of the Vasto Lorde gave a warning, it was not simply a verbal warning, for all the Vasto Lorde could use the same telepathy he could.

When one failed to observe or obey his edicts, Fyren showed them the difference and how easily the offender would be wiped from existence.

Roused from his thoughts by the intrusion a single mind, he closed his off, sealing his reiatsu so that he would be as dead to this mind as the city that he was now inside of. Curiosity did take the best of him, however, and he made sure to observe where this mind traveled. Fearing risk of discovery, he was unsure of what he had discovered.

The reiatsu was masked, but now he could feel the approach of others. Many others.

It was much different than any reiatsu he had sensed before, but it was strangely reminiscent of something he had felt long, long ago.

Fyren's eyes followed the reiatsu as it approached, and what his eyes saw told him much. There were two fires that burned much brighter than the others, and he could tell that they were easily the strongest.

Yet one of these flames burned with a color that reminded him of the color of the Primero's energy. It was not grey, like the others that traveled beside him, but he could see red and orange interspersed within it.

Fyrentennimar immediately understood what this meant.

Curious, he began to approach the group, his heavy, slow, footfalls leaving deep impressions in the stone that had not been consumed by time.

He could see them now, the physical bodies appearing much different to him than the bodies of the Espada. They appeared...no.

They couldn't be.

His curiosity hastened his pace, and before long, he knew they would be able to see him, but of course, they would sense nothing. His reiatsu was gone, and he saw no need to display it, either to intimidate or otherwise. As he approached, the mind he had felt first showed itself, a rather tall woman speaking to the one whose reiatsu continued to puzzle Fyrentennimar.

Now his strides covered great length, the heavy sound muffled by the sand which was much more plentiful here at the edge of the city. Curiosity took the better of him, and he could not resist scanning the surface of each mind. Gingerly picking the tallest up by his neck, he saw the mask, but the image upon it was irrelevant to him, for Fyren was far more interested in each of the others.

Dropping the masked being, he scanned the small group that had in unison backed off as he approached.

"Shinigami..." His probe of each of their minds was even more confusing to him than he could have imagined.

Turning the massive armored, faceless helm to regard each of the strongest in turn, he focused on the strongest before walking towards him. Fyren's massive size dwarfed him, but he knew this would not intimidate them.

These beings were a mystery to him.

Fyrentennimar did not like mysteries. His massive baritone carried over all of them, showing his sharp teeth as he uttered each word.

"What are you, and why are you here in search of her?" Referring to Hotaru, he reached out towards the strongest and extended his hand, palm skyward. "What business have you here? I would know, before you took another step forward into my home, Shinigami! Now answer, for I am Fyrentennimar!"

Releasing his reiatsu from its shield, he watched with an emotion that he had not felt in ages. Satisfaction, was it? The lessers each balked at his power, and he knew that while he had only unleashed a mere tenth of his power, he matched--nay--he exceed all here and they would know he was Hollow.

He would now know why these beings intruded on his realm.

[Katashi]

"Sekkiseki?" the soft tones of the Third Division Captain echoed Katashi's observations. "Interesting."

The lead tracker from the Second approached the ruins as well, and knelt down to investigate a spot as Katashi had. But rather than examine the strangely out-of-place stone, he was tracing his fingers along an impression in the otherwise even sand.

“It looks like the Captain would like us to wait here…”

“That’s fine Katen," a melodious voice cut through the still air. "I’m back.”

Sutashi reappeared before them as if a veil had been pulled back. She wore a small, disarming smile, and Katashi briefly wondered who she was trying to reassure with it. Them? Or herself?

“The trail ends here, Katashi," she said as she approached. Her tone was hushed, she was addressing him and him alone. "I followed it into the city, but you’re right, that’s sekkiseki. Going in there is suicide. We’d be powerless, and we don’t know what effect it has on them."

She wasn't wrong. Sekkiseki was the ultimate defense against spiritual attacks. Even small stones could neutralize massive quantities of reiryoku at once upon contact, and they could dampen spiritual energy in a wide radius. Katashi doubted any of the captains would be rendered powerless inside the ruins, but with so much Sekkiseki, their power would be greatly reduced.

Before he could ask the next clear question, Sutashi already answered it. "Plus, the trail… ends. Unfortunately, it doesn’t begin again. I just did a full circuit of the city, and there was… nothing. No trace of Hotaru. She went in, but there’s no trace that she came out. And something doesn’t feel right. I don’t like this place… and I don’t think we should stay here any longer. There’s nothing we can do right now."

While she had started evenly enough, Katashi could tell by the quickening in her tone just how unsettled the experience had left her. No Shinigami enjoyed being rendered powerless, a Captain least of all. But in this place, where they'd both lost a dear friend? He couldn't say he blamed her.

“I’ve left some sensors at various points around the city that seemed strategic," she added. "It’s not much, but we’ll have to just wait and see. Come back if something happens. For now, let’s go home.”

Katashi was very tempted to agree with her. But as he cast his gaze across the ruins, his mind was still filled with unanswered questions. He couldn't abandon the search so quickly, and these strange ruins, these distinctly shinigami ruins, they demanded further study.

"There isn't a full building in these ruins left standing," he said, standing up. "We might not be able to sense our target if it were hiding inside, but we should still be able to see it." He turned his head to regard her. "I don't see anything, do you?"

His gaze swept across the ruins once more, looking for anything of significance hidden amongst the broken walls and toppled towers. "There may have been another reason it came here," he suggested. He still wasn't comfortable calling it 'her.' It was as if the pronoun humanized the parasite; legitimized its existence in some way. But to him, it was an abomination, nothing more than another hollow to purify. He would not accept it.

"There may be something hidden in these ruins that it needed. Or at least, something that might tell us where it went." He offered a sympathetic frown to his friend. "I'm sorry, Sutashi, but we can't leave without investigating these ruins further."

He turned and was about to take a step to move further into the ruins, when a voice shot out from one of the trackers.

"Sir! From the ruins!"

Katashi's eyes followed the man's finger as it pointed into the rubble. A lone figure was approaching, clad entirely in an ornate suit of armor, the color of the midnight sky. It was already dangerously close by shinigami standards, but they had yet to sense its presence. It had only been by the vigilant eyes of one of Sutashi's subordinates that they had managed to spot it even this close.

At first, he thought the sekkiseki had been dampening its power and concealing its presence, but as it neared the edge of the ruins, he realized that it - whatever it was - was actually hiding its presence so perfectly that it was completely invisible to their reiatsu senses. He knew of few beings capable of such a feat without the assistance of other stealth techniques.

Ayane was one such being.

Could this be their target? It was so different from how it had looked when it escaped the Soul Society only a month ago. There was not a hint of decay or weakness in the armor it wore. Even without a hint of reiatsu, its appearance alone was intimidating.

And it wasn't slowing down. "Ready yourselves," he said, drawing his own zanpakuto with a practiced grace.

The black-clad titan strode to within striking distance. And it was then that he began to understand just how large this behemoth was. His head was level with its waist, and it towered over the three captains impassively. It was then that he became aware of a strange weight on his mind, almost a pulling sensation. It was as if his thoughts were being opened to this creature. Kagu-tsuchi grumbled in the back of his mind, and he had the feeling his zanpakuto knew more about this behemoth than he.

But he had no time to contemplate such thoughts, because before any of them could react, the thing reached down with one massive arm and picked Izanagi up by the neck, holding the captain as if to examine him.

Without hesitation, Katashi wordlessly released his shikai, blue reiryoku flaring out of him, pushing away the sand in a burst of power. Sanbo-kojin was strong, and in only his first release, the power he unleashed was capable of matching many captains in bankai. Surely it would be enough to give an even an opponent of equal power pause.

But the night-clad titan seemed unconcerned with him, and he levelled his blade at the creature. "Release him."

As if on command, the behemoth dropped Izanagi, and each of the captains took a few steps away from the beast. For the first time, it spoke, but only a single word escaped the faceless helmet it wore.

"Shinigami..."

The voice was as deep as the rumblings of the earth, and seemed to have just as much power behind it. Katashi raised his guard, determined not to allow the creature to catch them off guard again.

"What are you, and why are you here in search of her?" it rumbled, and the earth seemed to shake in rythm of each syllable.

"Her?" Katashi asked, confused. What did it mean, 'her?' It should already know who they were after: it.

"What business have you here?" the titan boomed. "I would know, before you took another step forward into my home, Shinigami! Now answer, for I am Fyrentennimar!"

Black armor exploded in a blood-red torrent. And the earth roared.

The creature was surrounded in a tempest of its own power, easily matching Katashi in bankai. Some of the weaker shinigami were actually thrown back by the explosion, and others simply fainted under its crushing power.

And it was at that moment, that Katashi knew.

This being was not their target. It was not 'Hotaru.'

Whatever this Fyrentennimar was, it was much, much more powerful.

There were only two explanations for this being's unbelievable power. Either it was the Primero - and Katashi knew, it couldn't be.

Or, it was...

"Fyrentennimar," he repeated the creature's name, standing strong despite the torrent of energy crushing against him. "You are vasto lorde."

There were two of them.

"I am Katsu Katashi," he said, raising his blade in defiance. "Leader of the Shinigami." His confident mask showed no fear, but behind it, even he was concerned at this being's monstrous power. "We cannot abide the existence of a hollow so powerful as you. Surrender, and I will end this quickly."

He only hoped he could back up his threat.

[Jay]

Sutashi wanted to frown, wanted to say something to contradict Katashi, but she couldn’t bring herself to. Her face was calm and impassive as she simply nodded, bowing her head slightly in acquiescence. She only said one thing in response,

“As you command, Sir. However, there were no signs of anything when I did an aerial view either.”

She was easy to figure out, sometimes. At least, to those who knew her well. The fact that she had switched from using his name to calling him Sir meant that she was choosing to respect his decision as the Soutaicho, even though she did not agree with it in the slightest. It meant that she would follow her orders, even though her intuition was screaming at her to get out of there.

And then she heard it. A voice that seemed to compound her fears, though she gave no sign of it, turning instead to calmly survey the being that was approaching from the ruins. Absently, she reached up, flicking a button on her uniform. The same recording device she had used on her survey of the ruins, but that she had turned off when she’d returned to the group, flickered on once more. She felt a sliver of true fear as her heightened eyesight took in the details of what she would only describe as king of monsters.

It would tower over them. That concerned her less than the armor, or the reiatsu void that surrounded him. It was different from the loss of reiatsu signatures from sekki sekki. No, it was something she was very familiar with. It was what happened when someone masked their reiatsu completely from sight. They could make it not appear, but they could not get rid of the lack of reiatsu in the air around them. If she were to guess anything, it would be that the sekki sekki simply did not bother this being.

It was not a comforting thought.

Like Katashi, her swords had been drawn the moment she saw the beast, and was held ready in her hand. She considered disappearing again, but decided not to when she felt the strange pull on her mind. Was it… pulling her thoughts from her head? She frowned slightly, her mind resisting the pull, though unsuccessfully.

And then it was there, in front of them… or rather, towering over them.

The others had stepped back further, but she had stood her ground with Katashi and Izanagi… right up until the thing simply picked Izanagi up. She saw Katashi’s reiatsu spike as he wordlessly released his shikai. She blinked. Had she not really seen Katashi release since… then? Why had she not noticed? Either way, the thought was soon brushed from her mind as Katashi told the beast to put Izanagi down, and she watched him drop unceremoniously.

She took a step back.

Well, five steps, to be exact.

After all, the thing had opened its mouth, and she had taken note of the extremely sharp teeth. The thing reminded her of nothing so much as a dragon, despite its faintly humanized form. She made a quick movement with her fingers, and two of her squad moved to the back of the group. She had not given the order, but they would be ready to go start the gate at any time. Much as she wanted to leave even more right now, she could tell Katashi had no intention of retreating, and she could not, would not, order one against his will.

So she looked for an opening instead.

It was speaking to them, it’s voice a roar of thunder, deafening against the stillness of the sands. Asking why they searched for her. Declaring its name, asking why they had intruded on his home… if it hadn’t been obvious to her before, the being before them was not Hotaru. It became glaringly apparent as he released his reiatsu… but there was still that void spot, which made her pale slightly. It had released -some- of its reiatsu, enough to equal a bankai easily. But it was still holding back more. She had not flinched, however, as was looking at the color.

It was like looking at a corpse.

The blackened heart of the mass of energy was Fyren himself, but spreading around him like a fire was reiatsu that to her, appeared the color of old blood. She had seen reiatsu that appeared red before, but this… it was vivid, alive. And yet it felt like death. The color was bright and dark at the same time, as if it was freshly spilt blood that was beginning to dry, taking on darker shadows and tones. When Katashi said that this Fyren was a Vasto Lorde, she had to agree, though she said nothing.

Was this why the hollows had started acting strangely? The appearance of not only the injured Hotaru, but this Vasto Lorde… it seemed this being was what her fear had predicted. Katashi was right that they needed to destroy it, of course. But she had the sinking feeling that was MUCH easier said than done. In almost a whisper, she released.

“Silver Mist, Drink a Fountain of Blood.”

The swords in her hands seemed to split, 6 curved swords coming off the sides of each of the main swords like a fountain. It seemed rather ironic that her release mentioned blood. The color of the thing’s reiatsu was still eerie to her, and she would let her swords drink it in, would let them pierce it if she could. She did nothing more, but her body lowered slightly, reading to spring at the slightest moment. She was watching. She considered putting a lightning bolt into its head, but waited instead for its response.

She would not release her Bankai. She had done so only a handful of times outside of training, and only when she was on solo missions. She hadn’t even shown it to the others when she became a captain. There was only one -living- person who had seen it. Everyone else had died. But right now, she would not be able to release her Bankai even if she wanted to. Not unless she moved away, for she knew it would hinder those around her far more than the being in front of her should she do so. She would have to remain in Shikai for the moment.

She was studying his armor warily though. It looked flawless, though the carved designs would normally have alluded to a weakness, in this case, she saw none. Would she be able to pierce it?

Meanwhile, the less powerful Shinigami had retreated slightly. Krys had already been near the back when Fyren was spotted, and decided to stay there, watching. She didn’t miss the subtle signal that sent two of Sutashi’s underlings back near her. It was curious. However, when Fyren released, when Katashi and Sutashi summoned their shikai… the pressure was daunting. Krys relinquished control, and Ica stepped into place. Her calming aura settled on those around her, and she said quietly,

“It’s okay. There’s only one of him.”

Did she feel that it really was okay? No, but they needed to believe it. They needed to not run away scared, or collapse under the pressure of reiatsu. She stood firm against it, and unsheathed Rain. The sword shimmered in the pale moonlight, seeming to reflect all the colors of the rainbow as she too released her shikai.

“See light in the Rain, show your true colors.”

Her main offensive abilities probably wouldn’t touch the beast in front of them. She was better for taking out battalions of hollow and lesser beings, for clearing the field than taking on a boss. However, she had released for one reason, and one reason alone: so that she could be a shield. She prepared herself, watching those in front of her with sharp eyes. If any attacks came their way, she would lessen their impact on those who did not have the power to stand against the captains and this Vasto Lorde, as Katashi had named him.

For now, that was all she could do.

It wasn’t much. But she felt better with the various colored daggers around her body, like an extra precaution. The captains were busy with Fyren, and so the fact that she seemed to speak with some authority, even though she had none, made them calm. Made them listen to her. The ones who had collapsed got back up, retreating a little further away from the massive reiatsu coming from the four in front of them. Closer to Ica. She was like a rallying point.

Ironic really, considering how much they had all avoided leadership like the plague. In third division, they would never be promoted. No, Captain Izanagi hated her too much. Feared her. Called her cursed. It meant she could normally sneak away and wander as she pleased, and he didn’t care, because it meant she wasn’t in Division grounds. Right now, that freedom seemed less important than instilling faith into the masses around her. So she became the voice of logic and reason, and said quietly, though those around her would hear clearly,

“Be prepared to support them in any way possible, and to defend yourselves. Think carefully about what abilities you have. Even the smallest opportunity can turn the tide of a battle. Do not be reckless, but logical. Think. What is it that you can contribute here?”

She felt several others release at that point. They must have decided they could either defend, boost or support, or that they had an attack they might be able to fit in at some point. Most everyone had drawn their swords at least now, the shock having worn off under her calming words. Their faces appeared more determined.

Well, she supposed that really was what she could do.

She wasn’t the strongest fighter in the world. She was support. She was a healer, a shield, a distance attacker. Unfortunately, her distance attacks were more of a general base, so she couldn’t use them here without harming her allies as well. Perhaps more so than the monster in front of them.

Shield and Leader it was then.

[Izanagi]

The unexpected occurred and Izanagi found himself pondering about things of the unknown as the beast that picked him up released the Captain. The black glossy looking mask formed a question mark on it, soon wiped and replaced by an exclamation and then a fox grin. The third division Captain, although somewhat manhandled found the situation to be most amusing for a few reasons not yet disclosed. It was a known known that the creature that appeared must be a powerful one. That has to be the case or this hollow was merely retarded.

Jushiro cocked his head to the right with his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon now. An excited Hollow or Arrancar will always be bad news for anyone. Jushiro figured that the Hollow must be one confused being. How unfortunate it could all turn out to be for the creature. However, with an accursed third division member by the name of Jess lurking. The Shinigami's fortunes go from bad to worse, and with that in mind, Jushiro Izanagi was beginning to dislike the predicament he found himself in. The size of the creature now in the midst of the group amused Jushiro. If they needed to fight this creature, there was a chance he might prove to be overwhelming.

Thoughts of not been able to exercise his muscles raced through Izanagi's head. The white haired man was now ready and waiting for the moment when the pleasantries would end. One may refer to it as having spoke too soon, since the Fyrenwhatever creature began speaking and demanding. The Hollow went as far as releasing his Reiatsu, and with such a release. The fox grin on Izanagi's mask grew even wider with anticipation. The Hollow's actions thus far was calling for battle, and who knows what will happen now that he has the Shinigami's attention? The white haired Captain felt as if he could bask in the spiritual pressure of the Fyren creature for a while yet. Strangely enough, Izanagi could feel a tugging sensation, mingling with his own thoughts. Whispers of indecencies began to bother the Captain somewhat. However, Izanagi didn't want to make the first move without first knowing what they were dealing with.

None of that really mattered now, since during the time the creature picked up Izanagi and released him, the Sotaicho had released his Zanapakuto. Izanagi was playing the role of the spectator for a few moments longer it would seem. As he looked on, Izanagi noticed that quite a few of the Shinigami that came with the group were definitely affected by the Hollow's spiritual pressure. The fox faced Captain vanished and with every time that he appeared, he vanished again, collecting the fallen Shinigami. It was Izanagi's prerogative to get the little ones to safety, which he did for the most part before reappearing on the scene once again. Izanagi returned just time in time to hear the Sotaicho's demands. In that moment, the fox faced Captain drew his weapon, now standing ten meters away from the Hollow.

Izanagi was well aware of the fact that the Sotaicho and the Nibantai Taicho had released their weapons. However, if the Sotaicho is in fact the man that he purports himself to be. Then Izanagi's gift should allow the other Captains to capitalize before this battle could escalate any further. "Cast them into chaos, Sa-ka-shi-ma". The Captain said rhythmically while his Zanapakuto changed into its Shikai form. A 29.7 inches long silver blade with six skulls imprinted on each side was now in Izanagi's hand. The green and grey square shaped cross guard stayed the same with a ten inches long green sash attached to the end of the hilt. Izanagi's Shikai form was simple and yet extravagant in its own way.

[Ba'al]

Shinigami.

Fyrentennimar could hardly believe what he was looking at now were Shinigami.

Not only would that mean he failed in the genocide, but it also meant that there was a possibility that their culture had fully revived.

He had slept for ages, long enough for civilizations to rise and fall.

When he had last arisen, Elim was the primero, and that was the single arrancar he believed he could respect.

Although, with Elim's death, that also meant that any use of the Arrancar would be severely hampered.

Now these beings that called themselves Shinigami arose before him, and brandished weapons at him.

Fyrentennimar was many things, but blind was not one of them.

Between the power of the strongest three before him, they barely matched a fully-released General of the old guard.

Fyren had wiped out the old guard without even finding a soul that could challenge him.

The destruction, of course, had been wrought at a price. For the time he slept, entire civilizations may have risen and fallen.

These were not shinigami.

No, these were simply a paltry imitation.

Fyrentennimar was not impressed. In fact, he was nearly offended.

"I am Vasto Lorde, and I know you hunt my brethren. I will not allow this." However, as he spoke, the varied leaders began to release their swords.

This was yet another curiosity to the elder beast.

He remembered how the Shinigami that resisted him fought, and their weapons were not of this manner.

If this was the limit of their power, then mighty Fyren would have to do little to swat them aside. He was old, and wise to the ways of battle, but for those to hold back the full amount of their power was utterly inexcusable, especially considering the power he had released.

A deep, tremendous bellow issued from Fyren's lungs. "Begone! I have neither the patience nor the desire to entertain the weak."

Fyrentennimar was offering them their single chance. They could leave now, before they began to test his patience, or they could stay here and die.

To accentuate his point, his massive right foot shifted, red energy crackling around the representation of the limb and into the ground.

Three massive pillars of stone shot towards the chests of each of the captains.

Fyrentennimar did not entertain the weak, as the weak did not entertain him. As for the group in the distance, a wave of his arm preceded a compressed arc of energy no wider than two meters, where it would impact the sand in front of them and push the message in further.

They had intruded his home, they were hunting his brethren, but he had done the unthinkable. He had now given them two chances to leave.

Fyren had no desire to kill the weak. None of the strikes would exceed the power that was displayed by each captain,

If they continued to persist, his patience would expire.

Then they would die.

[Katashi]

[[Hey look, I'm back! Sorry this took so long, moving is teh suck.]]

The earthen baritone rumbled once more from behind the mask.

"I am Vasto Lorde," it boomed, confirming Katashi's declaration. "And I know you hunt my brethren. I will not allow this."

So this was a true Vasto Lorde. The ultimate evolution of a hollow. Every soul in the Seireitei had heard the tales of such creatures. The myths of the great hollow dragons that held the power to move mountains and crush cities in a single motion. No confirmed sighting had ever been recorded in over ten thousand years of Shinigami history. They were truly mythical creatures.

And here they stood, confronting the legend. Despite his hatred for hollows, his loathing of the creatures that had taken so many of his friends; he could not help but be impressed by the being that stood before them. And there was no doubt in his mind that this creature was truly a Vasto Lorde. That the myths were true.

The tales may have been exaggerated on the form and size of such creatures. Dragons as tall as the shrine of pertinence, with wings large enough to envelop an entire division's grounds, they claimed. This creature did not possess such stature or mass, nor was it truly dragon-shaped, despite the draconic imagery that featured so heavily in its ornate armor.

But its power was undeniable. It had unleashed a torrent of energy equal to that of his own bankai, and it seemed completely unconcerned about it. Even he could only maintain an energy output like that for a few hours at most, before his reserves would be depleted. And maintaining such an output was strenuous; it required concentration and willpower.

If this being was straining to maintain its power, its titanic, armored form betrayed nothing of it.

Katashi's nigh-awe did not seem to be reciprocated by the mythic creature. "Begone!" it boomed, the sound sending a shockwave of air past the shinigami. "I have neither the patience nor the desire to entertain the weak."

Perhaps to demonstrate their inadequacy, the creature lifted his right foot. Reiryoku, compressed and amplified a thousand times, crackled like arcs of lightning around the limb. And then he slammed it into the ground, and the earth shifted just as if a mountain had fallen.

Three massive pillars of stone erupted from the desert floor, quite different and altogether more solid than the sand from whence they came. Each one shot forth, aimed squarely at one of the captains.

The Vasto Lorde did not rest with a single attack, however, and his arm crackled with the same intense energy as he swung it in an arc through the air in front of him. The air bent to his will, compressing many times over into the crescent shape that matched the arc of his hand. Picking up speed, what had just a moment ago been a collection of invisible, substance-less gases became a deadly, roaring arc of air so compressed as to take shape and become visible. The second strike was not aimed at any of the captains, but at the many, weaker shinigami behind them.

Katashi did not wait for the others to react; he acted decisively in their stead. Jumping forward with a quick, short shunpo, his reiatsu flared as he drew his blade in a long arc across the space through which all of the attacks would pass. The torrent of reiryoku that enveloped his blade left a brilliant blue trail of fiery reiatsu. A brief, powerful barrier. The crescent of air was snuffed out effortlessly as it impacted the wall, and the three pillars were torn apart by the powerful, focused reiatsu. Eroded into nothing as they passed through the other side, the sand that remained of their once mighty forms scattered harmlessly to the ground.

Now, all told, Katashi was not a man that was terribly inclined towards violence. Given the choice, he preferred to solve his problems with more subtlety. More tact. Even his initial, bold threat towards Fyrentennimar was not intended as a prelude to battle. In fact, the bold, almost cocky attitude with which he declared their intentions was aimed to elicit a direct response from the creature, to determine how the being would react to threats and - more importantly - to confirm his suspicion that it was, indeed, a Vasto Lorde.

It was for this reason that he did not immediately counter-attack once the initial volley had been defeated. Instead, he took a step back and raised his guard once more. With his left hand, he made a simple hand gesture that Sutashi would instantly recognize. 'Open the Senkai. Send the non-combatants to safety.'

Katashi knew that such a powerful being could as this Fyrentennimar could not be ignored for long. Indeed, such logic was the crux of his argument for coming here anyway. But Katashi was not a fool, either. They knew nothing about this being's power or capabilities, and they had no idea just how powerful it was. It was matching the three captain's power effortlessly, and from a completely dispassionate viewpoint, he was not eager to risk assets as powerful as captains just to get more information about the creature.

And there was another, probably weaker Vasto Lorde out there, one he was more confident they could defeat easily. He could not ignore Fyrentennimar, and not only because the Central 46 would never abide its existence for long. The emergence of such a powerful hollow could represent a significant shift in the balance of power between the Shinigami and the Arrancar; just what this expedition had been assembled to prevent. But attacking with so little information was, in a word, unwise.

They would, of course, defend themselves if attacked, and if the opportunity presented itself, destroy Fyrentennimar right here and right now. But it was a big risk, and if Katashi could prevent things here from coming to blows, he would.

But he might still be able to use one Vasto Lorde to find another...

"Why do we search for 'her?'" Katashi echoed the Vasto Lorde's question. "Then another Vasto Lorde did indeed pass through here, did it not?"

He eyed the Vasto Lorde confidently, showing no fear. "Perhaps I can tell you a great deal about 'her,'" he offered. There was still a trace of venom in his voice when he used the feminine pronoun. "In exchange, I want to know where she went."

[Jay]

(Sigh. Sorry for the crap post, but it's the best I could do right now.)

Sutashi was silent as the exchange went on. Fyren sent a blast towards them, but she didn’t blink, for she felt Katashi moving in that instant. The attack, as she suspected, came nowhere near her. She appeared utterly unconcerned, despite her mounting desire to get everyone to safety. She noted Katashi’s subtle hand signal, and nodded. She held her hand out to the side briefly, making two small signals of her own before returning her hand to her sword and watching the being in front of her with curiosity.

The only words she had spoken in the presence of this monster were the words of her release.

That was about to change. Her curiosity got the better of her. And as she had been studying the armor of the being in front of her, feeling it’s reiatsu, she decided a little information wouldn’t hurt, if the being would answer her questions.

“That’s not your true form. You’re normally much larger. Nor are you releasing but a fraction of your reiatsu, if I am correct.”

Half statement, half question. She tilted her head slightly, then gestured at his armor and continued, despite the fact that she probably ought to be worrying about other things.

“Not that the armor isn’t impressive, but why did you take this form? I would think it uncomfortable to assume a different form, though I suppose it would be harder to maintain a quieter presence with a larger form in this dead world. Which is why you chose this place. Because you could be here unhindered by the normal hollow, who would avoid the stone which saps their energy.”

She stopped talking, stopped speculating aloud. She didn’t do it very much normally, but she was curious how the being would react, and if he would confirm her assertions. It was unusual for the quiet captain to speak so much when she wasn’t correcting someone, much less speak so much to an enemy. If her assumptions were correct, however… it could mean trouble. She was glad Katashi had given the order for the innocents to escape. If this dragon were to assume his true form, or release any amount of his true power… the underlings would stand no chance at all.

Heck, she didn’t even think she would stand a chance.

After all, she was an assassin for a reason. She wasn’t particularly fond of straight up battles, and preferred to stab people unaware. She didn’t join battles if she didn’t think she would win. There were exceptions to that rule, however. She would protect those she loved, no matter what.

“Let’s go.”

One of the ones near the back spoke, and Krys glanced over at them as four people separated slightly, two on each side, and summoned the gate, nodding to her. It was almost instantaneous with the four of them working at it, and they were looking at Jess. She had been the one helping lead the underlings to this point. People were listening to her, and one of them said quietly,

“We’ve got orders to leave.”

She nodded, then turned to the rest. One of the captains had brought those who had passed out from the beast’s spiritual pressure towards their group, and she waved her hands at them briefly, speaking clearly,

“Make sure each person who’s passed out has two people to carry them, and go calmly and quickly. We’ve been ordered to retreat. Start in the back, do not run, simply walk quickly.”

The confidence in her voice was firm, and those around her nodded, grabbing the fainted and carrying them towards the open gate, as three by three, they began to disappear back to soul society. She walked around quickly, helping settle the fainted onto the shoulders of those who would carry them, encouraging people quietly and directing them to walk quickly, making sure there were no holdups.

For a moment she stopped, looking over to listen to the captains. The commander was offering an exchange of information with the thing. Captain Sutashi had asked some odd question statements. Krys wanted to see how this ended. They were getting to the end of those going through the gate, and she slipped off without anyone noticing her from the group, concerned as they were about getting through. She whispered softly to herself,

“Anonymity is key.”

The aura void around her started immediately, and she slipped away with a quick step of hohou. There was a small rocky outcropping not too far away, and in the blink of an eye she was behind it, positioning herself so that she could barely see through a small crack in the rocks, watching, her presence masked.

The last of the underlings went through, save Krys and the four who were holding the gate open, looking expectantly at their captain. They would not leave, would not close the gate unless they were in serious trouble or unless ordered to. Thankfully, they were a good distance away from the beast and the three captains. However, now that the majority of people were through, even two of them turned and walked through the gate, leaving only two holding it open, as was their customary protocol.

It had taken five minutes for the mass exodus to happen, thanks to Krys and the four taking control of the situation, leaving the captains free to worry about the vasto lorde in front of them.

Now they waited. They waited for the Vasto Lorde to respond to both of the captains. They waited for the order to seal the gate behind them.

Sutashi did not look behind her as the exodus occurred. However, the sword in front of her had seven shiny surfaces, through which she glanced at occasionally to monitor the progress of the exodus. When it was her last two men remaining, she nodded to herself, and muttered softly, though she knew Katashi would hear her,

“Clear.”

The last two she trusted. She let them hold the gate for now, for a quick escape if necessary. They knew that if the battle came to them, they were to enter and drop the gate immediately. Truthfully, she felt better. Three captains and two gatekeepers was a much smaller possibility for random casualties. What would be pointless deaths. They needed more information.

She would be the last one to underestimate this creature in front of her. Perhaps she overestimated it… but she had learned to gauge her enemies. This one hadn’t even begun to get serious. Which spelled trouble. This… this was the driving force behind her unsettled feeling recently. She simply knew it must be true. This was the being that caused the hollows to act strangely. She supposed she had one more question for it.

“You have obviously been out of the picture for a millennia. What are you planning to do now that you have returned?”

Perhaps she was being more than a bit blunt. But she was curious to see if it would answer her. If it did, that would be helpful. She doubted it would, but hey… any information was a boon. She always did like to know the why behind things. She wouldn’t say anything about Hotaru. It seemed this being was protective of her, and she guessed it wouldn’t take kindly to Katashi’s offer of an information exchange. It did not want them to track her, for whatever reason. Did it feel some kinship, some sense of duty towards the weakened member of its kind? No, it seemed she wanted to ask another question.

“Why do you protect her?”

Ah yes, the captain’s curiosity was an interesting thing. Buying time for the others to leave, trying to get information from the enemy itself. Keep it talking, though any distraction that caused it would be minute. Sometimes it was the smallest of things that gave one the advantage, however. She was alert, ready to move at a moment’s notice, and yet appearing utterly relaxed and unconcerned.

Yes, the master of spies was a supreme actress. She had to be, for her line of work. Layers upon layers of motives. If Fyren was trying to read her mind, it was a spiraling web of confusion, especially now that she knew it was doing so. If her thoughts were not her own, she would make them circle in such a way that it was bound to be an annoying headache for anyone trying to interpret or understand them.

[Ba'al]

Tens of thousands of years of history surrounded all gathered here, and before the Shinigami that stood before him, Fyrentennimar was turning from annoyed to irritated. He had declared himself of what he was, and these beings still believed that they had a chance against him!

The last time three beings of this power stood against him, he had wiped them from existence.

That subtle footnote made the being behind the mask of darkness smile, revealing the sharp fangs that trailed along his impossibly wide smile. No, on another thought, perhaps this was not irritation.

Impatience was closer to what he truly felt.

He was puzzled by the sudden brashness and then the lack of following through coming from the commander, whose reiatsu Fyrentennimar hardly respected. Even the weakest of the ones who had stood up to him in the long past had more power than these whelps displayed, and that honestly amused Fyrentennimar.

He was, however, still hesitant. Out of all of them, not one had begun to inscribe the proper runes, yet, and they claimed to be hunting a Vasto Lorde? Surely they would have such methods prepared and ready for use in combat if they sought a foe as dangerous as his brethren.

Even the least vicious would tear them apart if they did not prepare properly.

Puzzled as he was, Fyrentennimar continued to hope to goad them. That was when a curious thought passed his mind, and the massive Hollow laughed, a deep, gravely sound more akin to two massive stones crashing together.

They honestly thought they could escape? They had prepared no attack, there was no thought of the ancient spells, and there was no consideration for what his own abilities might be.

Very well. Well, he would let them try.

"Indeed, the eldest of my brethren passed through here."

The next statement from the man drew his attention. What could he possibly know about a beast that could tear this ragtag group to shreds?

"What lore could you have for me that would merit the granting of permission for you to kill one of my brethren?" No, no information was worth a Vasto Lorde's life. Not when there was still such work to be accomplished, and not when Fyrentennimar might desire to call upon it for a purpose.

No, he would not agree to this, but then the female piped up.

At that moment, she committed the gravest of errors. She overestimated herself and made casual presumption, as if he were some simple, meager mindless Gillian.

She was not necessarily incorrect, but no, she was certainly not correct about the reiatsu. The power he showed was, for now, the power he had. This power was more than enough.

“Form is as unimportant to me as the color of your soul is to you.” To Fyrentennimar, there was no such thing as physical or metaphysical. Electing to digress instead of answering her question, he knew the value of information. The ancient beast began to speak again.

"All assume this world is dead, yet none seem to look or listen to what is about them. As for your curiosity, you can stop attempting to allay my mind with petty questions. As for the knowledge about this stone, I thank you for it."

Indeed, he was grateful. His mind contained thousands of years of secrets, but he knew not that these stones actually bore the ability to dimulate the energy of those of whom walked within. Did the stones also do this to his own energy?

If such was the case, then he did not notice nor care. Actually turning from the Shinigami, Fyrentennimar looked towards the sekkisekki ruins and considered the impact it had on him so long ago. Perhaps it did have some impact then, but now, his power was so far beyond what would be comprehensible for these weaklings that they would be unable to even survive, were he to unleash it all.

The massive turret that was his helm cocked to the side and from within him a wave of barely visible energy passed.

None would feel the effect, but there was one.

He had not missed the thoughts of escape from the leading male and the female who commanded her officers to allow the whelps to escape. No, this was his dimension. He was a god here, and none left without his permission.

Especially those that intended to harm his kin. Taking his hand, he reached up to a wall and took a perfectly cubical block of sekkisekki. As he slowly turned to face them once again, he trivially crushed the stone,

His gaze diverted to evaluate the woman as she announced that it was 'clear.'

"Indeed. I shall make it so." Opening his hand, Fyrentennimar in turn opened the dimension around those that had tried to retreat. It began like a shimmer, and they simply faded back into existence, the senkai gate shattering as he extended his influence. All of them were once again on the sand of Hueco Mundo, and Fyrentennimar regarded the female intently.

He knew that he was not wrong when he knew that her world was one of secrets and deception, lies and assassinations. She had made that clear throughout the time he had felt her mind wander the waste around his city. His echoing, mighty -and somehow, soft- voice penetrated the night of Hueco Mundo. “Why do you protect those who are of your kin? All hollow are my kin, furthermore, I have never missed what is going on in my realm.”

“However, now you have forced my hand. I offer you a choice, Shinigami.”

This was a coward's tactic, and Fyrentennimar knew it was so, but he also had read something else in their minds. That was a resolve that he had not seen in millenia, and only from so few...and he could feel it from all of them. He knew they would not bow without a threat, and as Fyrentennimar knew little of the exacting qualities. he needed them to consider this so he could gather the information he needed which he could not glean from the hollow.

He required this knowledge from beings with true sentience.

His voice carried an edge. If this was a threat, then it would be among the first he had ever issued. "You will tell me all of what I wish to know, beginning with where your realm is, and you will in turn tell me..."

His upturned palm curled into a fist as he pointed his index finger towards a random shinigami from the group.

"Or they will all die."

Fyrentennimar was suddenly behind him, the flicker of orange and blue light preceding his movement, which truly was instantaneous. Unbeknownst to him, the ageless Vasto Lorde picked was the woman's subordinate, Katen.

"Beginning with this one. Now. which is more important? A simple question or the subordinates that you treasure and the lives you swore to protect?" Turning to look at the female, he only spoke with the edge of a sword on his words. "Is this clear enough for you?"

[Katashi]

What was this power that could reach even those beyond the gates of this realm? This power that was untouched by sekkisekki, so unconcerned about its effects. And so curious, about Shinigami?

That power's hand loomed high, hovering above the Shinigami it had selected to strike. They had forced its hand, and now it had in turn forced theirs. Fyrentennimar saw no joy in fighting through this method, therefore this would not be remembered as a battle, but a manipulation of the enemy through force.

Extortion was a word that it had once heard Elim use to describe it. Regardless, it was the same, and to the Lorde, necessary now that there might be a force that could oppose it. Oppose him.

Could was the operative word.

Fortunately, the Lorde was not disappointed. In an instant, Katashi was between Katen and the monster. His speed was a gust of the wind, his power a flare in the night. His response, "Bankai."

The release of the Captain-Commander's Zanpakuto was a quake ripping though the earth. The Shinigami that were nearest to him were thrown away by the force, those farther away, pressed flat to the ground by the pressure. A massive whirlwind of dust and sand flared outward, until it was overtaken by the fierce fire that was Katashi's reiatsu, glowing a brilliant blue as it consumed all.

Red glowing eyes narrowed in pleasure as Fyrentennimar analyzed the expression upon the commander's face, meeting his answer with the curiosity of a being that had not seen an opponent in an eon.

This power...yes, this was much closer to what he remembered! He could almost respect this power now.

Provided he didn't crush it first. Allowing his hand to fall, he added power enough to the blow that it would certainly strain the power being brought before him, but Fyrentennimar knew that this being would not surrender while his subordinates were at risk. Perhaps the Shinigami had survived his genocide after all...

Now he only looked forward to seeing how this one would defend himself.

Katashi raised his blade as the Vasto Lorde's hand fell, meeting the strike in an upwards cut. A burst of energy - brighter, even, than Katashi's own cloak of reiatsu - exploded as the two strikes connected, shining like a starburst and illuminating the valley. The burst shot outwards in a wide arc towards the Vasto Lorde, thundering as it pushed through the air.

Fyrentennimar was frankly impressed. His first impression of the man did not show that great physical prowess, he in fact seemed much more gentlemanly than any of those he had fought long ago. Any of the others would have cut through the Shinigami to get to him, rather than batting them out of the way. What almost could have been called approval crept into Fyrentennimar's mind, but now it was up to the Shinigami to endure the power pressing down on him.

As Fyrentennimar's reiatsu itself compressed into a blade for him to grasp, his hand pressed in towards Katashi with even greater force. The ancient being wondered; Would he endure or would he break? Would this Shinigami even be worthy of meeting his own blade? Now the Lorde was only concerned with how strong the Shinigami was, for drawing out the strength would answer all of his own questions.

The massive armored hand on Katashi's blade showed no sign of wavering or even struggle as it pressed down into the defense that had been presented by the Shinigami. For several tense seconds, neither moved, and that truly did impress Fyrentennimar. So long had it been that he had encountered a being capable of resisting him that he could almost forget the face. There was something about this one though, something that made Fyrentennimar respect his power.

For that moment, the two titans seemed locked in an immutable struggle, each pitting equal strength against the other. And then, suddenly - unexpectedly - Katashi gave way, his sword glowing brightly for an instant before being consumed by its own flames and evaporating into nothingness. As his subordinates gasped in surprise, the aged Shinigami leapt backwards, narrowly avoiding the blow as it crashed into the earth and rocked it with another quake.

Katashi did not appear distressed, however. "You are as formidable as I expected," he stated calmly. His gaze laid upon the Vasto Lorde's massive, midnight-black blade.

"And you are not as weak as I first surmised. Clever, using yourself as a distraction."

Referring to the shinigami now scrabbling together near the feet of the female captain, Fyrentennimar's gaze returned to Katashi as he made a rather bold statement. "Yet weakness or strength cannot stop the flow of nature." This in itself was a lie, but one perpetrated by all of his kin.

Katashi did not respond to the declaration. Instead, he found his eyes drawn to the Vasto Lorde's blade. It was monstrous; a bastard sword nearly three meters long and as jet black as armor of the one who held it, with a red, nearly rust-colored streak which traveled along the edge of the blade. Its smooth surface shimmered like a pool of midnight itself, into which all light was extinguished.

"I see you have drawn your sword," the ancient general observed. "It is only fair that I show you mine."

A flash of blue momentarily blinded onlookers as a new blade appeared in Katashi's hand. It was anathema to his opponent's weapon, a beacon of light; a white flame whose brightness knew no equal. A sun to pierce the darkness and set the world alight.

In a flash, Katashi had closed the distance between the two warriors, and his blade was raised high, firmly seated in the grip of both of his weathered hands. One had time merely to blink before he brought the blade down on his opponent in a mirror of the motion the Vasto Lorde had first used to attack him.

As it moved, the air around the ethereal blade rippled into shockwaves, growing in speed and power as the edge of the blade was thrust towards the Fyren's head.

The explosion when the blades clashed was brilliant. Indeed, the two blades struck with such force that Fyrentennimar actually needed to take a step back. But despite it's overwhelming pressure, both combatants endured it equally, and the line between them barely moved.

For Fyrentennimar, this was intriguing. Surely the reiatsu that Katashi unveiled was impressive, but there was something about his strength that almost unnerved the most powerful of the Lorde.

For the Katashi, it was distressing. No one had ever shrugged off a blow from his bankai like that. Not even Cornelia, with all of her power, could match Kagu-tsuchi's blade so evenly.

Indeed, the being he fought seemed to consider him only as a curiosity. It was not intimidated, nor, did he believe, it was fighting seriously.

That being narrowed its eyes in curiosity. Digging into the sand, he halted his rearwards movement effortlessly and then struck forward with his empty hand, aimed at Katashi's ribs.

"One way or another, I will have the answers I seek. Now, is that the limit of your power, or can you at least test me?" No rage was present in the bass-baritone that echoed off the walls of the massive ravine, but disappointment instead.

"If this is the limit of your power, you most certainly do not deserve your titles as 'Shinigami.'"

"And what do you know of Shinigami honor?" the general returned in an even tone.

A quick strike against the flat of the hollow's blade kept Fyren from immediately counter-attacking as Katashi lowered his blade to strike the other hand head on. The shockwave that resulted was enough to level a city block in the human world, but did not even leave a mark on the hollow's armor.

Red energy crackled up and down Fyrentennimar's massive blade, which to him was no more impressive than Katashi's reiatsu blade. Neither blade held the power to cut a Vasto Lorde as they were, but there was one absolutely crucial difference. Katashi was fighting with the majority of his energy on the line, and Fyrentennimar...

Barely a tenth of what made up the Vasto Lorde was revealed in this struggle, and the General so sternly analyzed all of what happened during their engagement.

Narrowed eyes that had formerly been out of curiosity were now glowing with impatience as the Captain decided to respond to Fyrentennimar's offense with the only means he had open to him. Feeling the powerful strike against the flat of his blade, another massive shockwave resonated through the valley as his hand connected with Katashi's blade for the second time.

"I know not of Shinigami honor, but I know of Shinigami pride. The belief that the city was safe from the enemy, the empowering strength of the ruling Pharaoh of the city...all of it struck me as something I needed to remember."

That was when Fyrentennimar lowered his blade and hurled it to the side. It was not meant to do any great degree of harm, but it had a very poignant side effect. It had pinned the other male captain that Fyrentennimar's mind had first touched to the opposite wall of the valley. 

"You do not seriously believe that you are the first beings to call yourselves Shinigami, do you?" Gesturing to the city ruins, he only bellowed now at the top of his voice, an effect which created a quaking in the earth as strong as the strike against Katashi's blade.

Katashi's eyes widened as the midnight-colored blade rocketed away, striking Izanagi without loosing any speed, and carrying him with it to the opposite side of the valley. But there was no time to occupy himself with thoughts of his subordinates; he knew this battle would require his full attention.

So the ruins were Shinigami, as he suspected? In another time and place, he would find these revelations fascinating, but right now he was fixated upon another fact: That if this Vasto Lorde spoke the truth, he was a being that had lived an unfathomable count of centuries.

Understanding was omnipresent in his opponent's eyes. The ageless dragon now fully understood that the man had come to comprehend one of the most important things about Fyrentennimar, and that was his incredible age. Among hollow, age equated to many things, but the most important were power and intelligence.

"Would you believe that you have existed for so little time when cities akin to your own laid underneath my sands? How impudent!" Taking his now free hand, a black orb of energy that none but the strongest of hollow kin could summon gathered in his hand and Fyrentennimar held it towards Katashi.

The dragon knew that this man would no longer stand by and restrain himself. Therefore Fyrentennimar would need his blade returned to him, but that was another mistake that the Shinigami had made.

Fyrentennimar's blade was a physical manifestation of his reiatsu, not a true solid object like the Shinigami Zanpaktou that he had destroyed so many of so long ago. No, his blade was energy forced into matter by the most powerful force within Hueco Mundo: Fyrentennimar's will. That will gave the blade its shape, gave his armor its form, and gave his power expression.

"Your arrogance is unbecoming, shinigami."

Katashi could feel waves of power rolling off of the orb in his opponent's hand, and the blade he had so effortlessly reformed. And that was when he knew. As much as he was loathe to admit it, he could not afford to treat this battle as anything less than what it was: the fiercest battle of his life.

"I am not here to amuse you, hollow."

The blade in his hand split in two, and the earth was torn asunder.

The explosion from his initial bankai release was nothing compared to the power the aged general displayed now. The world around him began to break down. His terrifying reiatsu proved too strong to permit other complex structures exist. Sand and rock eroded away, releasing spirit particles as the building blocks of Hueco Mundo's matter were reduced to their base elements.

Farther away, a great sandstorm picked up, complicating the misery of the remaining Shinigami as they looked on, some gawking, some gasping for air. All watching a battle between two titans with power that stood as far from theirs as the sun was from the moon.

The orb of power that Fyren had cast was blown away by the tempest, even its impressive power was unable to withstand the full, unmitigated fury of the Captain-Commander of the Gotei Thirteen.

"Indeed,” a voice boomed through the torrent. A black form became visible through the light, a void of a power all it's own, one that could match the power Katashi had released. “You are here to kill my brethren. This I will most certainly not permit." If his voice was not intimidating before, it was terrifying now, for every syllable uttered was coated in the intent to kill.

Katashi's release to his ultimate power was not lost upon Fyrentennimar, but the massive helm remained in place as the red eyes then closed.

His attack was neutralized, and the Lorde merely looked over the massive shroud of reiatsu that surrounded them and smiled viciously. This was it, the pinnacle of the being's power, and to Fyrentennimar, it was less than nothing. The strength, the power, it was all increased, enough to simply blow away the power that he had unleashed.

Fyrentennimar almost asked if this was the limit of the power, but a cursory scan of the man's mind was all he needed to know just that this was his limit. His power was sublime in this state, so Fyrentennimar would answer by rising to match it. In an instant, another blade, identical to the last was in his grasp and as Fyrentennimar watched, he grasped the hilt with one hand, brought the blade up overhead and sent it crashing down, the flat of the blade presented, giving the intent to crush the man under his power.

"You come to kill one of my brethren without the power to even stand against one heart. A true Shinigami would have killed me in that state. How far your race has fallen, but I should know."

A pregnant pause followed. "After all, I wiped them from existence."

'Wiped them from existence?'

The Shinigami had existed for ages. Thousands of years of history, reaching back to time immemorial. There was no record of any force powerful enough to threaten to so utterly destroy the Shinigami. Topple the government? Destabilize the Gotei? Yes. But wipe from existence?

Launching to action, Katashi raised his left blade and deftly blocked the strike. The pressure from the attack was enormous, but the old shinigami did not look strained in the least. Already he was moving to counter-attack, bringing his right blade up and striking the hollow's weapon, flat edge to flat edge, knocking it away. In the same motion, he shifted to the left and stabbed with his other blade, aiming for the center of the Vasto Lorde's armor.

"Interesting," he responded dryly. He was not about to be intimidated by this being's hollow threats. "It seems you missed a few."

The sheer doubt that coated the Shinigami's tone when next he spoke was not lost on Fyrentennimar. What was almost glee surfaced in his mind as he continued to examine this one's mind. Truly, the Shinigami had no idea how old their civilization was...and that was when he found it. To have the location of the Soul Society...this was a realm that Fyrentennimar altogether was unfamiliar with. Smiling deep beneath the black darkness of his helm, he would have to send others to search for the power he sought there instead.

No answer came from Fyrentennimar as his blade was met with trivial force, and he knew how strong this man was. Yes, dealing with him in this...limited form would prove challenging.

That was one of the great attractions of fighting within this form, however, and a being of his magnitude would not have to surrender to even the strongest since he knew now that to fight in this form against such a being would test his millenia of existence.

“Only a child would believe that they were the first.” Truly, Fyrentennimar was astonished that the Shinigami would believe so certainly that nothing existed before the establishment of his dimension. He wouldn't have been faulted by his peers, certainly, but to believe that in front of a being as old as Fyrentennimar was folly.

“Then why are there shinigami ruins in my world, larger than your own city and even more intricate? Would you explain that as coincidence?”

Reiatsu crackled around his knee as he brought the limb up to intercept the blow and withdrew his blade for a second strike, this time not aiming to crush the Shinigami, but to cut him in twain. With both hands on the hilt of the blade, his full power would be enforcing this strike. To block would be ill advised.

But Katashi did block it. His blades glowed furiously as he crossed them like scissors and caught the swing. With a heave, he redirected the strike into the ground between them, locking the Vasto Lorde's onyx blade into the sands.

It was impressive! How superb this single being was doing against Fyrentennimar at his level of power was enough to perhaps even stall or injure any of his brethren, for Fyrentennimar had always been the strongest of the Vasto Lorde. Not all became humanoid in their diminished form, but Fyrentennimar had seen that it was appropriate for what he had to do.

Yet even Fyrentennimar had never once encountered a being that had the strength to withstand his blade.

This one had done such not once now but twice. That was certainly commendable. Not only that, he had succeeded in managing to trap Fyrentennimar's blade between his own. It was almost as if he were challenging the ageless behemoth to a battle of wills, but such a contest would not be won easily, even by another Lorde.

With the two of them stooping over to maintain a grip on their respective blades, Katashi and his opponent were closer than ever before. The fearsome helmet was mere centimeters from Katashi's face, and he stared into the abyss of the creature's maw. Though to the uninitiated, the glance lasted a mere instant, to both of them, the pause was an eternity. At last, Katashi spoke.

"So it is as I surmised; You can divine the thoughts of others."

He was holding his gaze with the Vasto Lorde's eyes now. "Did my skepticism give you the impression that I believe I know everything about the history of the Shinigami? Or did you make that mistaken observation to convince me your power to read my thoughts was limited, I wonder?"

His eyes were again narrow as Fyrentennimar inspected the Shinigami standing before him. A horrid grating noise that sounded like rocks being ground to rubble issued from the fanged maw.

“You are most astute. I applaud your power and your mind, Shinigami.” Indeed, Fyrentennimar's compliment was not false, nor was the congratulation. Among the Lorde, it was only his will that had not initially clashed with the Shinigami when he beheld them and their power, but instead the already ancient Lorde had merely ignored them.

“I care not about your doubts or supposition. Any being could ask the sands and reason for themselves, were they of sound mind.” He did not avoid the question about his limited success in drawing out information about the Shinigami, for information could always be manipulated. Even the mind could become the most fearsome of fortresses if they chose to hone it. Few ever did, and thus the Lorde was met with the most paltry of defenses when he chose to seek the minds of others. Even now, with the hearts in his body, the dragon would not risk mental conflict with those strong enough to defend themselves.

Rather than pressing his attack, Katashi drew himself up and retreated out of reach, his gaze never wavering from the eyes of his opponent. "In another time, were you and I not enemies, I would have relished the opportunity to hear of times long forgotten from a being as ancient as you claim to be." The twin blades in his hands evaporated into dust, their light extinguishing as suddenly as it had been summoned forth. "But the present - this moment - is all that concerns me now." With a flash, two new blades erupted from his fingertips, composed of pure reiryoku. To stare at them was to look upon the sun. It was Katashi's most powerful technique. His Twin Aspects of Fire.

"And I intend to win."

This time there was no laugh, no smile, no thought of the ancient days, nothing but this man crossed Fyrentennimar's mind, and yet at the same time, nothing crossed his mind. The dragon took in what he saw and realized the power of those blades, and yet it was too shameful that Katashi had not fought Fyrentennimar before he matured.

That was when he would have had a clear chance of victory. His hearts drove him to defeat this being, and he would and he would find why his reiatsu was so perturbing.

The ground beneath the general exploded as he disappeared in a flash, closing to striking distance faster than the eye could see. Before even completing the flash-step, he was already swinging his right blade at the hollow's shoulder, and his left, to strike the flat of his opponent's blade.

Blade met blade as the massive longsword rose effortlessly to block the blade coming from high. Trusting his own armor to defend him, Fyrentennimar felt instead a sensation that he had not felt in thousands of years.

Pain.

It was far greater than that, and as the Lorde spared a look downwards to Katashi's second blade, it was imbedded to the tsuba in his side, stopped only by a massive bone. Never before had such a wound been inflicted onto him, even in this state. Never before had Fyrentennimar's blood soaked the sands of Hueco Mundo, and never before had that challenge come from a mere Shinigami!

For the very first time, a blade had cut the dragon.