Cleansing [Ask]

[Canaan]

A distorted zipper sound rang through the air for a brief moment on top of Mt. Kanegatake. From the siwlring black vortex within the mouth that opened up stepped a pale figure, clad in a white jacket with black trim and a matching hakama, and a black sash. He didn't bother with footware. He didn't plan on touching the ground. The garganta close behind him and he closed his eyes. The wind felt wonderful here. As an Arrancar of the wind he felt at home whenever the wind blew. Up there that's all it did. It felt wonderous to him. He loved being high up and in the comfort of the very air that loved him and that he loved. While he kept his eyes closed he began to flex his powers a bit, calling out to every single Hollow in the area. There weren't many. Just shy of one hundred and twenty. He could sense the demi-hollow too, and he did not both accounting for them. They could not be helped. The demi-hollow were trapped where they were, and there was nothing to be done about it. Either Shinigami would come and kill them, or they would turn into a Hollow. Those were their only two options.

The Hollow who were available though responded to his call. He opened his eyes to look at the sky before him. It was cluttered now with filfth. He grimaced a bit. He hated to be faced with so many low life's in one small space, but...it could not be helped. They looked at him. He say a variety of colors before him. Some were yellow with fear, others were green with envy, there were also a few who were orange with curiosity. So many colors in this space, it almost hurt his eyes, but he had dealt with worse since dying. He sighed a bit and rubbed his temples. "How many of you know who I am?" A wave of "I do"s swept across them. The wave was silenced when he raised his hand. "How many of you got my order?" He looked at them. Instantly all of their colors turned to a shade of pink. Guilty. They were all guilty. "I'm not pleased. How many of you spoke with the Adjucha that displeased me?" They all tilted their heads in confusion and some looked like they might speak up to say that they did. "None of you. Because he died on my floor, by my blade." He shifted his stance a bit, to force their eyes to be directed to his Zanpakuto. They all turned yellow with fear.

"Honest! W-we didn't think you meant it! W-we thought you were kidding!" That irritated him. He didn't let it show, but his face did visibly harden. "Oh. You thought I was joking. Then forgive me. Let me make this clearer." He snapped and a Garganta opened above them. "I don't joke." Before any of them could react a wave of Gillians swept down on them from the Garganta. There was a brief skirmish that Canaan watched with very little satisfaction. In the end it ws the Gillians that won. Their reward? Feasting on those that had been bitten. At the end of it all, Canaan dismissed them back to Hueco Mundo. Gillians were not remotely intelligent. They really weren't. They act on pure impulse, they strike out of hunger. There is no brain to tell them what to eat and not to ear. They do not feel fear, they are creatures without it. However, they do understand power. They know better than to lash out against the Espada, and they will obey every command without complaint and without hesitation. It's why Canaan adores them so. Plus they do not speak. Just an added bonus.

He looked upon Atsugi. He didn't bother trying to mask his reiatsu. Those who were spiritually aware probably saw and felt the massive shift in power as the Hollows gathered in one spot, and then felt the void that was left when they were all obliterated. Confusion was sure to ensue, and that's exactly what Canaan was counting on. He would not be denied this. He knew enough to simply lay in wait for now though. It was only a matter of time before someone stepped forward. Besides, even if he did storm the Soul Society, he knows nothing of their forces. He would either be a dead man walking, or he'd be conquering a ghost town. Neither of those outcomes were pleasing to him.

He looked up into the sky and enjoyed the breeze some more. His eyes were closed and he gently sighed. It was such a relief to kill those who didn't follow orders. Just one less problem he'd have to deal with in the future. Hopefully this would get the message across to the others who would think to defy him.

[Miwa Kiyomizu]

Her hair stood on the back of her neck, her shortened tuft of black hair unruly as it bent to the wind. Her figure stood at the end of one of the local buildings, her sapphire irises focused towards a single area which had caught her attention.

Miwa didn't know what the phenomena was on top of Mount Kanegatake, but she knew for certain it didn't belong there. The swirling black mass was reminiscent of a black hole and an omen to anyone who could view it. Glancing around, Miwa's eyes shot around the people wandering the streets of Atsugi. Nothing..... The people merely wandered around as though the vortex in the sky was nonexistent. that in itself rang as peculiar. Surely it was noticeable to someone as it stood out amidst the pristine blue sky of midday. Her eyes narrowing, she assumed it must be something created from their kind...

"Hollows......"

Her lips loosely formed the words, though not many knew what they were. Corrupted souls, masked to hide their shame. She knew better. Even though the masses below couldn't see them, Miwa could see the lone figure standing amidst a horde of what she confirmed to be the Hollows, her eyes squinting as she strained to make out details of the abominations.

As she watched, she briefly turned away as another vortex opened, only to rush over the existing mass. Giant spectral forms overtook the smaller ones like a black plague. Their forms retained no features aside from the plain masks they adorned, giving the appearances of phantoms. Disgusting, the whole lot of them. Miwa despised the creatures, partially due to the fact they had swept her own mother away from her, second because they were but an empty shell as their namesake clearly portrayed.

Leaning over, Miwa picked up a small object laying at her feet. A metal ball bearing.... It would do quite nicely. Clenching her hand, Miwa's thumb stood slightly raised as she balance the small metal piece, raising her hand till the ball was aligned with that of the Gillian swarm. Wait for it...... Bringing her other hand to rest on her outstretched arm, lowering it down to clutch her wrist and steady her shaking hand. A small shower of sparks emitting as though from nowhere soon engulfed her hand in arcing electricity as her crosshair aligned several Gillian.

Miwa pushed herself to overcharge the small marble, her muscles contracting as the electricity became more fierce, send arching from nearly every contour of her slim frame. As the ball began to frequently vibrate, Miwa's effort soon paid off. The offshoot of electricity blew up her hand in a small concentrated explosion as the ball shot like a bullet towards the Gillian.

Miwa's body was flung backwards from the explosion, her body going aerial as she struggled to regain her footing. A small ounce of static emitting from Miwa's feet sent her skidding through the air , her body going full rotation as she spun violently to a screeching halt. Her body hunkered over, as her eyes shot towards the damage.

The shattering sound indicated she had hit something, as she watched four of the Gillian fall, their masks cracking around the point of impact where the small ball bearing had ripped violently through. A smile echoed across Miwa's face as she admired her work, though the gillian soon were devoured by the others.

Now Miwa just had to come up with a counter maneuver to dispose of the rest of them and find a way to prevent them from storming the area and drive them back into the vortex which she had no doubt led to their twisted dominion.

[Canaan]

Canaan opened one of his eyes as he heard the shot ring out. He looked as four of his foot soldiers were slaughtered, rather brutally at that, and the Gillian who had yet to return feasted on them as well. Canaan narrowed his eyes and flexed his control over them. They quickly retreated to Hueco Mundo. The skies were clear again except for his lone figure. He looked down to where the shot was fired from. So many humans, only one with the energy capable to summon a shot like that though. He didn't move from his spot. If she wanted an audience, she was more than welcome to it...if she came up to mountain to him. She could kill several Menos Grande with a single shot, surely she was strong enough to ascend the air to him. He did not touch his blade, he did not move, he made no acts of violence against the town or that girl. His pale eyes were filled with her aura though. She was shining a white brilliance. Delightful. He sighed a bit, grateful she was down there and couldn't possibly hear or see him do such a thing.

The wind continued to blow through the skies at a gentle pace. It was as if the wind was telling him to still his hand. Of course he wanted to devour this girl who thought she alone could stand up to him, who thought that SHE, a mere mortal, was worthy of standing up to him. That was Pride talking. "Forgive me Father, for I have sinned..." He whispered softly, and the wind kissed his cheek lovingly. He would have patience with her. Besides, he wanted a word with a human anyway. Sadly, only a handful of them could actually interact with his kind. Something he hoped to change soon enough, but for now he'd be the thing that nightmares were made of. His lips pushed together and he began to whistle. It was a soft tune, one that was hauntingly repetitive, and yet far from annoying. That didn't make it's purpose any less clear. He was calling to her. His dead blue eyes never once left the shooter. His hands moved to be shoved into his pant's pocket. He simply watched her as a bird might watch their prey.

While he did this, beckon her with his sound, he gauged her. Due to the distance, it was a bit tricky, but he got the general message: She wasn't a fatal threat to him. She was, however, someone who could see him. So while she wasn't a threat to his being, she could be an issue down the road for his plans. His mind began to work while he whistled, calling her to him. Challenging her to ascend the skies or the land to stand by him. He wanted to know more about her, get the full details of her person and know exactly what he was getting into.

[Miwa Kiyomizu]

Miwa's feet gripped effortlessly at the air molecules beneath her feet as she seemingly hovered a few feet above the rooftop of the building she had just fired a railgun from. In her peripheral vision, she saw the indentation of where her own feet pressed into the top of the building. She could even feel several bruises across her legs where the pressure she had obtained had done a slight number on her. Yet such a thing would have crippled her if she was but an average human. Even though her attention was focused on the corner of her eyes, her face remained watching the man atop the mountain just watching her, her stern blue eyes never faltering from the strange figure.

"Cocky bastard......"

Miwa could feel her anger rising, her insides boiling at the man's carefree and callous nature. Of all the things the man could have done, he had started whistling. Miwa didn't know the origins of this stranger, but she assumed he had something to do with the vortex and hollows which had ushered through the demonic portal. The man didn't even budge as Miwa had disposed of four of the Gillian nearest him. What matter of being could just idly stand by and watch the monsters being destroyed without so much as even lifting a finger?

Miwa didn't know herself, but she wasn't the cautious type. She had been taught by some of the best when it came to martial arts and in order to successfully gauge her opponent, she needed to rush forward and find out herself what the individual was capable of. This man above her was no exception. Positioning her right hand forward, Miwa bent her fingers as she cupped the hand. Then she proceeded to bring her left hand across, clenching into a fist as several volts of electricity flared as her two hands neared one another. As Miwa brought her left hand down to her side, a blade seemed to conjure straight out of her right hand, as her left hand now gripped the electrified weapon. The girl's right hand then positioned itself right below her left, clutching onto the conjured blade hilt, as she swung it down in front of her.

Her eyes never faded from the strange individual hovering above her, but her stance now clearly suggested she was anticipating a fight. In her eyes, it was better to act then to allow the opponent to have time to counteract. Her position itself was a variation of that found in Iaido, her knees slightly arched but otherwise straight. Her blade was held with both hands in front of her. Rushing forward, Miwa's foot soon gave a burst of electricity as she kicked off the ground.

The first kick had sent Miwa soaring forward, the explosion of a gunshot having echoed around the town. The explosion had frightened numerous people along the streets of Atsugi, wildly glancing around fearfully as they looked for the source of the noise. Two more similar sounds followed, causing them to rush indoors, thinking that someone was gunning down the area.

This was enough for Miwa now, as she stood nearly 20 meters away from the unknown man. Her blade poised for combat, Miwa immediately swapped her weight to that of a defensive stance, her eyes glowing a fierce blue color as she glared at the man, noting any abnormalities on his person.

First and foremost, the most distinguishing feature was the mask fragment of the right side of the man's face, and it immediately drew Miwa's attention. He was one of them... He was but another hollow, and as Miwa's eyes drifted down the man's stomach, spotting the Hollow hole she was searching for. Raising her blade higher towards where it pointed at Canaan, Miwa would direct a single statement towards the individual, her voice cold and deprived of any emotion it may have originally held.

"Hollow, why are you here?"

[Canaan]

Canaan eyed the girl with interest as she approached him. She was a brave one. Not many humans would take on such a task, but then again...this town was different. Karakura Town had been...well weak. The humans there didn't seem to really care about their lives, much more content to live in ignorance of the world around them. Atsugi though...these people were vastly different. Going as far as to gather children to fight the good fight. Enlisting them in specialized schools where they train to tackle the Hollow problems. It was amusing. To Canaan it was as if ants were suddenly training to take down gods. He wasn't so bold as to call himself a god but...in the face of something as frail as a human...He dismissed the thought as she came closer to him. The electricity didn't escape him as she moved. Obviously she held a blade made from it, but the fact that her movement reflected the same element as the one she held suggested that it was her only element. That was fine by Canaan, although he kept his wits about him. The last thing he needed was this girl pulling out wind based attacks as well. That would just be silly.

His eyes didn't linger on hers. Even as she stood so close to him, he did not seem to pay any mind to her weapon or her stance. Whether it was because he was cocky or because he didn't care, his face did not betray his true feelings. His dead eyes seemed to look right through her though as he looked her up and down. He was so far from checking her own, this one was so not his type. He pursed his lips for a moment and tilted his head ever so slightly. It seemed his first read of her was more accurate than he though. She wasn't terribly weak, but she was still much weaker than he. Something he planned on exploiting if the moment should arise. He straightened his stance and clasped his hands behind his back. He looked at her dead in the eyes and smiled coyly. "It's a fine day we're having, isn't it?" He spoke softly. His voice was like velvet, and his words seemed to gracefully dance passed his gentle lips.

He had, of course, totally ignored her question. He closed his eyes and tilted his head up. A bold move, but he kept his wits about him. He knew exactly where she was. "The wind...it smells soft, gentle...loving evem, and sounds so sweet...is there a bakery nearby?" Most would assume he's crazy after such a comment. In truth, it was just his synesthesia. His sensory inputs were all jumbled up, and thus he experienced things differently. It was not easy to fool him as a result, but it becomes easy to isolate him at the same time. He looked back at her warmly. His smile was welcoming, despite the fact that this was not his world, and friendly. "You refer to me as Hollow...this is because you do not know my name, correct? How could you, after all, this is the first time I've been in your world...for a while." He bowed respectfully before her. "Canaan D'Larosa...At your service." He righted himself.

Now, Canaan is clearly not the Hollow that is whispered through the streets...at least not on the surface. Canaan detests fighting, he really does. So he avoids it by whispering honeyed words, and gentle wiles. If only so he can exploit someone's strengths for a while before, with a smile, stabbing them in the back. Of course, if a fight does break out, he's more than capable of supporting his own...but his clothing is a pain to mend. His face, may look innocent, sweet, trusting, but those dead eyes keep his Hollow nature within them. Though they show little emotion, even the most idiotic of people can sense the shark the waits under his calm waters. Yet his words...his actions...they do not betray him, they do not give hint to the dangers that lay within this man. They merely support the fact that the weather is lovely, the water is warm..,

Why not take step in?

[Rayle Yukiyami]

Months of endless paperwork. Months of endless patients and strange cases knocking on her door. Then suddenly, it was as if someone had turned off a faucet and all was still. Rayle sighed and allowed her forehead to meet her desk in a resounding snap, her body rather limp as she rested there, bored out of her wits. Paperwork and helping others was a daily staple of her life, and for the first time in over a hundred years, she had none of both. However, she was sure that within a few weeks someone would do something stupid, or something crazy would happen, and she would be back in business.

But until then... Boredom...

Unless!

Suddenly she stood, purpose in her purple blue eyes as she snatched her sword from the mount on the wall, and strapped it to her side. She could take a break and go spy on the humans in Atsugi. Such strange creatures they often were, doing many strange things. Maybe she would be able to find out what exactly this I-Pad thing was that everyone was raging about. Or maybe she would even be able to sample a taste of human technology if someone got injured. That was always quite interesting to her.

So, after telling her First Lieutenant where she was going and paying a special visit to the Research and Development division she was off to Atsugi. She slipped out of the portal, her uniform's folds and sleeves picking up with the sudden wind over the skies of Atsugi. She smiled as she floated there for a moment, feeling the closing of the portal behind her, and then suddenly her hair was swirled about with the wind.


She slowly floated down after a while, trailing after a couple of humans with a I-Pad, sneakily investigating the strange object over their shoulders.. Why didn't she have one of these things? It help so much with paper work and patient information, and.. Well she would most definitely have to speak to the Head Captain about this in the next meeting. Surely she could convince everyone that these I-Pads would be beneficial to both her division and quite a few others.

Like maybe keeping those other brutish divisions from injuring themselves in stupid fights.

She snickered and dashed around Atsugi, just enjoying herself for the time being, and even at one moment, standing directly in front of a man and making faces at him. This had been quite a good idea on her part, taking a day off to enjoy herself.

Then.. She felt it.

There was a spiritual pressure of the most abominable kind, a hollow that passed over her, followed by many others. She frowned and watched from the shadows, her hand on her blade as she carefully followed them. They were gathering far above the skies, called to a much higher being..


She hissed, and watched from afar as he conversed with the hollows. Rayle could not understand his words, but she could understand the tone they carried. He was disappointed, but why? She never truly got her answer, as he opened another garganta and commanded gillians to slaughter the hapless hollows. She clenched her teeth tightly together and looked away briefly from the slaughter. Even if they were hollow, this was wrong.. They deserved a more honorable death than this. Immediately hatred sprung up in her heart for this hollow, and she almost dashed forward to attack, until a sharp noise rang in her ears.

Rayle turned her head and spotted a young girl fighting off the gillians, she sighed and shook her head, but continued to watch. The girl soon came and stood before the hollow, challenging him it seemed, and the woman frowned, her dark blue eyes narrowing as she watched the girl and the man talk. She caught his last name as she soared forward, standing beside the young girl, weapon drawn and already called into shikai form; a closed, simple-looking, immense fan.

Her hair was flowing in the wind like a purple stream cut short before it could spread across the world, and her captain's haori swept to the side along with her long sleeves and mantle. She smirked at him, releasing the opposite edge of the fan and allowing it to fall open, the huge thing pointing toward him. "Then I suppose Mr. D'Larosa, it is quite time that you leave this world." she stated calmly, her dark purple-blue eyes flashing brilliantly as she pulled her fan close to her chest.

Then she swept it to the left, murmuring words under her breath and watching a flow of bright yellow gas raced toward him. She smirked and watched as the swirls of gas swept away from her and the girl, reaching out toward the hollow like tendrils of strange light. She then briefly turned her attention to the girl. "You should not be here. It is quite unsafe for you." she stated calmly, not wanting the girl to get hurt if things went sour. "Besides, I have a feeling things are about to go downhill very fast." she hissed as she watched her shikai in action.

[Miwa Kiyomizu]

The man was very clearly deranged. Nah, tainted would be a better word as her gaze shot daggers at the man. If looks could have killed, than the Arrancar would have been dead several times over. But alas, Miwa had only the forged blade in her grip, as she brandished it threateningly towards the arrancar, as a few jolts of electricity shot from the tip of the blade.

The subsequent muttering of the arrancar caused Miwa to further question the sanity of the individual. As the hollow introduced himself, Miwa felt her knees bending slightly as her grip on the blade hilt tightened. She would deliver the first strike while the thing was distracted. It wasn't necessarily the fact the hollow was showing any signs of hostility. The gestures of his body were inviting to say the least. But from Miwa's experiences, just because one looked so harmless didn't necessarily mean they were harmless. That and as Miwa's eyes continued to survey the hollow for any signs of movement against her. Even the slightest calculation of a finger maneuvering towards the hollow's blade was an indication of bad intent.

Thus Miwa's posture turned to one of the offensive. She was full-on ready to go on the attack when a voice stopped her.
"Then I suppose Mr. D'Larosa, it is quite time that you leave this world."
Wwiveling her head around suddenly, Miwa's eyes darted for the source of the voice as the figure halted beside her. As her eyes took in the sight of the woman, she noticed the attire. A shingami? Here?

[/i] She was not accustomed to seeing one around these parts, especially with the development of the academy which deterred most of the Shinigami around now.

As she further watched the Shinigami woman, she noticed that she had a fan, extending it outwards as her face turned to look at Miwa, calmly telling her to step aside. What the f*** was up with that? She had taken on Hollows before, what was so different about this one?!!! She'd be damned if she stepped aside. She had too much of her father in her to even think of such a thing as retreating. Miwa's face turning a deep crimson as she clearly blurted out her frustration and unwillingness against the suggestion.

"Hell if I let some cranky old hag tell me what to do!!! I have my pride!!!"

As soon as those words escaped her lips, Miwa rushed forward in front of the Shinigami's wave of mist towards D'Larosa, her blade off to her right side as she swung it two meters away from the arrancar, as an accumulated arc of electricity was blown into the hollow's face with her swing of the blade.[/blockquote]

[Canaan]

Canaan's eyes narrowed and shifted to the right. The sky, in his eyes, was blackened. It was not a solid black, but he did not see the beautiful blue sky anymore. The sky was black and the clouds just a shade lighter. Against that black sky though there was a blazing white figure. He frowned a bit. He detested Shinigami. How fitting that one should show up here though. He arched a brow at her though. He could read her like a book. She was a quick one, that was for sure. What she boasted in speed, she lacked in spirit power though. This is what made Canaan smile a tad. Her strength was just a hairs width below his own, which wasn't anymore good than it was bad realistically. Her connection to her Zanpakuto was a strong one though. It barely overshadowed his connection with his own soul. All in all, she was roughly on par with him most likely. Good. He would relish this for sure. However, he wasn't a fool. He knew he could handle the human, he was aware that he could probably take on the Shinigami, but together? He'd be pushing himself well beyond his limit. He didn't enjoy the thought of releasing his power, but if a fight were to break out, most likely that would occur.

He turned his full body to her as he then took notice of the fan in her hand. He didn't see a Zanpakuto, but he felt a reiatsu from the fan itself. It was her Zanpakuto. Great. He rolled his eyes visibly bored of this situation already. His lips were set in a firm line, and he listened to what she had to say. He didn't like this woman. He didn't like her for a multitude of reasons, but the major reason was that she attacked without assessing the situation. Canaan had a blade drawn on him, but he himself had not even touched his weapon or this girl. There was no harm done to her, so why should he be attacked? This is why he hated the Shinigami. This very situation defined their mantra, their morals, and their flaws. They were pretentious beings who saw themselves as the protector of everyone, the judges of life and death, the people who got to decide who was morally good and who was flawed. Canaan wanted them all dead. He would not be denied this wish, even if it meant his life. He would not give up on this quest. He had the majority of an eternity. This woman...oh how he wanted her blood to flow. Her lips were sublime...they were beautiful and her skin look delightful...He wanted to hear her screams. He wanted to hear her beg for mercy. His lips parted as he let out a gentle sigh of ecstasy. Oh he wanted this so bad, but he would wait...he'd bide his time.

The pale blue eyes settled on the dark cloud that made it's way to him. It came from the fan so he knew whatever it was it wasn't good. He frowned a bit and drew his blade calmly. His right hand reached across is waist. He gripped the chilled hilt and drew his weapon. Holding it by his right side, he tilted his head calmly. As the gas made it's way to him he was ready to defend himself, but...it seemed defense would have to wait. His eyes shifted to the girl as he saw her go from white to a rather lovely shade of red. Well someone was cranky. He then noticed her stance change. Well shit...The Arrancar prepared himself to move at any moment. There. The girl moved in front of him, but he kept his weapon drawn. Things just got hellainteresting. He watched the human with interest. Her red body moved in for the kill, and the electricity was released. The black sparks he saw moved for him, but he was quicker. Utilizing his Sonido, he moved from the spot he was at, to stand only two meters to the human's left. He spoke softly. "Wind Cutter." The gas was pulled into the vortex that erupted around Canaan's blade. It hadn't quite reached the human girl yet thankfully. Meaning...Canaan just protected a human. How cute. Wind Cutter spun violently around his sword. Getting close to it was not advised. It kept the gas trapped within, and away from both the human and himself.

Canaan narrowed his eyes at the Shinigami. "Explain to me, Shinigami, why I should leave? You should thank me, you too Human. In several hours I did your job better than you have in several hundred years. Take a moment and look around you. Do you sense any Hollow around here? Aside from the Demi-Hollow, who can no more move from the spot that they are bound to than you Shinigami can stop being arrogant. I have cleared the Hollow from this area so that I and the humans may have a relatively peaceful meeting. Here you are, however, swinging wildly and presuming to understand the full situation." He placed his free hand on face and chuckled. He shook his head and sighed, removing his hand from his face. He looked at the both of them. "How charming it is to see you both striving for the same goal. My head on a pike...Do you realize the ease with which I could quickly isolate either one of you from the battlefield? Think before you rush in."

He looked down at his Zanpakuto and then back to the girls. "I'm unsure what this gas does, but it was clearly meant for me. In your haste to attack me, however, you almost endangered this woman's life. Some protector you are, hm? Also, you, Human, you strike at me but for what? For making your town just a little bit safer? If this is how humans express gratitude, then maybe my kin are correct in their ways? Doubtful..." He sighed and kept his blade in front of him. He loved this moment. It was more than perfect. "Now then...can we all agree to a friendly chat? I really don't want to be here any longer than need be. If you MUST fight me out of some...petty sense of honor, then by all means...let's go. I will not kill you though. I think I've had my fill..."

He shrugged and looked at the two of them. His eyes, however dead they seemed, were dangerous. Talking with this Hollow would not be like chatting with others. It was clear that whoever Canaan was, he was not someone you took lightly, especially now...

[Nero Metora]

While things began to get heated down on the ground, another rip would form in the sky above along with it's signature distorted zipper sound resounding throughout the immediate area. From this rip the Cuarta Espada Nero stepped out and seemed to be standing on nothing but air, as if he were standing on an invisible platform. As the garganta closed behind him he would look out upon the city and the country side to get his bearings. He was greeted with sunshine... blue skies and a view most would kill for. The wind blew gently through his dark hair and caressed his pale skin with it's cool touch. "Hmph.." He sneered with a bit of disgust. His fierce yellow, draconic eyes darted downward to the three below. Canaan... toying with a human and a shinigami captain. "Pathetic." His words came out like ice from the brooding expression on his face.

Nero stared coldly at the two women. His pesquisa wasnt far advanced but he could feel that their threat was minimal at best. This slightly perplexed the Cuarta... what was Canaan doing wasting his time with filth such as this? Did he need to babysit the remaining Espada and make sure they dont get themselves killed? They weren't ready to reveal themselves yet... they weren't ready to make their move against the shinigami... yet.

He then began to slowly decend, keeping a mental note of the yellow gas coming from the shinigami. His gaze stayed the same, looking right through the three. He made landfall roughly 10 feet behind where Canaan was currently standing, his stature appearing lax. "What are you doing with this trash?" He clearly was referring to the human and the shinigami who would also have likely heard it as well. It would also be obvious that this new Espada was disregarding the two with little thought. If the human girl and the shinigami woman weren't worried about their odds before... Nero's appearance would surely change that completely.

[Rayle Yukiyami]

She frowned deeply at the girl's actions, and even though she didn't want to harm the child, it seemed as if she might be when she charged ahead of the captain's gas. She couldn't dissipate it just yet, and if this foolish girl wanted to get in the way... Then fine. The effects would wear off with time.

However, she watched as the hollow defended against the girl's blow and used his powers to trap her gas within wind. She sighed and closed her fan slowly, watching as the bright yellow gas dissipated as he yakked on about this and that. If there was something more annoying to her than a yapping shinigami, it was a yapping hollow. She sighed and decided to play this hollow's game.

Then she'd kill the foolish man.

She held the fan close to her side, giving him one of her kinder smiles, eyes relaxed and open with warm emotion as she began to speak. "I'm apologize for attacking you outright. I'm not used to not having to fight your kind.. You learn after a while to attack first and solve the issue..." she stated softly and truthfully, as if she was talking to one of her patients back home.

However when the next hollow showed his face, she mentally frowned, her grip on her zanpakuto tightening as she mentally calculated her and the girl's odds. Two very powerful hollows against a shinigami captain and a odd human girl. Their chances of survival were slim, even with her illustrious healing skills. Might as well be friendly and not provoke them into attacking her and the human girl. "Oh, I see you have a friend, why don't you introduce him and yourself to me?" she inquired calmly, even though she was nervous on the inside.

She had gotten good at hiding her feelings on the inside, very useful when one needs to calm patients. She smiled softly at them both, her dark hair picking up with the wind and glinting purple in the sunlight. She held herself with perfect poise, motioning to his friend as she spoke, making sure not to do anything that might seem threatening.

Currently, whatever the girl did, as long as it wasn't fighting the two, wasn't going to bother her. Human's were always such proud creatures... Sometimes they needed to be taught a lesson of peace, and if she fought against the two hollows, it would probably be beat into her.

[Roarek Macullen]

Odd looks here, odd looks there, for this was the day’s pattern for the oddly dressed man. A man indeed, clad in a white tunic made of a rough, loose fabric, with large open sleeves much like any robe, while around his waist and over his left shoulder was a hefty amount of fabric with an odd pattern of blues, greens, and gold, it almost looked as if it were a blanket of some kind. While he walked there was a large fur pouch which shifted and bounced as he moved, which hung from chains from his dark leather belt which kept the whole of his kilt up. He made his way through the hustle and bustle of the Rukongai, and he did so with a deliberate, but casual pace. As the wind swept through his hair and beard he eventually found his way to one of the great gates, only to be abruptly stopped at them.

“Who goes?” Sayed the keeper of the gate as he lifted the gate just enough for him to slip through. “I am the Blue Stream Gate Guardian, who goes?!” Said the gate keeper once more as he exited through the gate, sounding more ill-tempered and annoyed as he slamed the gate behind him.

Roarek’s temper flared, his journey had been long, his travels harsh, his stomach empty, and his patience, exceedingly low. His gaze was piercing and venomous as he stared down the sturdy giant of a man, breathing through his clenched teeth and out his nose. His lips were pressed firmly together as if thinking of just the right wording, just the right thing to say. This, naturally caused the hair beneath his bottom lip and his chin to stick directly out as if it were being pulled by an unearthly force.

“Yeh little shit, ‘ow dare yeh speek t’ meh wit’ tha’ kind o’ disrespect!” Roarek bellowed as he reached inside the folds of his great kilt, only to pull out a sealed document from the clothcovering the left side of his shirt, the document crumped as he thrust his fist up to the giant of a man. “I should ‘ave yer arse bust’d back t’ theh lowest most insignikant rank thar es, an’ ‘ave yeh re assign’d t’ cleanin’ out tha latrines fer theh entire Eleventh Devision, as well as behin’ meh own personal arse wiper!”

Roarek glared firmly at the guard as he fumbled through opening the tiny document, taken back by bold and authoritative tone of the oddly dressed, bearded man, only to open his eyes with the slightest of horror after squinting to read the document he was handed. “Uh y-yes sir, right this way sir!” The gate keeper blurted out as he hurriedly opened the door allowing Roarek to step through, only to realize the orders he was so forcefully handed were snatched from his hand before Roarek even stepped through the gate.

The Captain to be, then made his way through the Seireitei to meet with the Captain-Commander, aided in the endeavor through the use of a very convenient but outdated map. Eventually he made his way to the Commander’s office and after being admitted by the Commander’s staff he cautiously stepped towards the Commander’s desk. In an attempt to show some sense of the discipline, which he strictly lacked as he brought his hand out and in a wide swing of a motion, brought his fist against his chest in a resounding ‘thud!’ “Captain Roarek Macullen, reportin’ fer duiteh ser!”

He said as he reached for his orders only to realize that in his previous fit of rage, he crumpled them. He then quickly and with his best effort tried nonchalantly straighten the crumpled piece of paper, only to have failed miserably as the Commander snatched it from him and proceeded to glance over the document. “Ahh yes, Captain Macullen, welcome to the Seireitei, I have work for you.” Roarek grinned, being eager to prove himself so early with what should be a glorious assignment, only to have his grin fade at the Commander’s next choice of words. “For your first assignment I want you to locate and retrieve the Fourth Division Captain, Yukiyami. She deserted her post and is somewhere in the human town of Atsugi, find her and peacefully retrieve her.” The Commander ordered, as he emphasized the word, ‘peacefully.’ Roarek by this time was practically fuming, doing his best effort to hide his disgruntled expression. “Yes ser!” he said with his best possible restraint, only to have barged out of the Commander’s quarters moments later, the commander grinning as he left, knowing full well what else was in Atsugi.

Roarek made his best pace towards the Senkaimon, grumbling all the way, having made sure to be out of any sensible means of earshot. “This es unbehlievehble, not nae ‘ere bu’ ten mintues an’ the Captn’ Commander alreadeh ‘as meh runnin’ around like some errand boy! Bah, tha lads back ‘ome said this would beh an ‘umblin’ experience, I bet thaer rollin’ now, bastards thay are!” With quick pace the enraged captain made his way to and through the Senkaimon with the aid of a hell butterfly.

In the human world, a flash of lightning tore through the sky over the mountain as a red portal elegantly opened, only to form into traditional Japanese sliding doors which proceeded to open themselves to reveal our proud Scot, waiting right behind. As he stepped through he gauged the area around him, only to see the Fourth Division Captain, in front of him and to his right, and to his left the two Espada as well as a human, of which the last one gave him a moment’s pause, but it did not last, Roarek with an eager grin and a glint in his eye, drew his lowlander sword with one hand and rested it comfortably against his left shoulder, already reading his stance and posture. “Ach, an’ wut a ‘umblin’ experience indeed,” Roarek’s grin turning vicious as it widens enough to bear his teeth.”An’ as they seh, thah lord blesses thah ‘umble, an’ thah pios.”

[Miwa Kiyomizu]

Furina struck nothing but empty space, as the arrancar phased out of harm's way. What matter of being is this? Surely, there was some logic to this. She had heard of Shunpo and even possessed her own variation, but this. This was something else entirely. Miwa's head swung violently around, the strange mist of the Shinigami woman rolling in. Blinking, her blue eyes soon located the visage of the arrancar, standing ominously nearby. A second presence soon caught her vision as she saw another individual enter the vicinity. This one was similar in nature to the one already here, as Miwa got the same feeling in the the form of the hairs on the back of her neck rising.

Bending her knees, Miwa jumped backwards, using a quick burst of reiryoku under her feet to quickly gain distance between her, the mist, and the humanoid hollow. Though she had barely avoided the mist itself, her eyes widened at what happened next. The arrancar had inhaled the mist up, not with his mouth but with his sword. Miwa's thoughts became clouded and doubtful as she stared confused at Canaan. Did...he......a hollow.............just save her from the mist? Nah, she was sure she was just imagining things. No matter how humanoid the hollow appeared, he was still just that. An abomination just the same as his lesser subordinates. The mist wasn't dispersed to protect her, but merely a display of power and a means to save the skin off his own back. She had seen hollows resort to such tactics before. Just because this one seemed more intelligent just made him all that more dangerous.

"Also, you, Human, you strike at me but for what? For making your town just a little bit safer? If this is how humans express gratitude, then maybe my kin are correct in their ways? Doubtful..."

Miwa's nostrils flared, her fists clenching at her side, steadily flexing as she leered at Canaan, the image of the other arrancar kept within her peripheral vision. How could a hollow speak to her of valor and honor. Miwa just couldn't stand the thought. She pretty much spat out a response towards the hollow's accusation.

"A hollow would never hope to understand..... We have lost so many to your putrid breed, so now we take up arms and fight. You are Hollow, therefore you are my enemy. It doesn't get any simpler than that. Someone such as you would never hope to understand the logic behind such a thing."

Maneuvering herself, Miwa struck herself in yet another fighting stance, this time her hands dropping the blade as the metal seemed to corrode upon its descent without Miwa's own influence. Her right foot pushed forward as her hands motioned around each other in a circular motion, accumulated electricity beginning to form in her trance like motions. This stance was that of Tai Chi combined with Miwa's own natural electromagnetism. She was focusing on controlling her chi, what the shinigami referred to as reiryoku, and in turn described the trancelike movement of her hands. She was so focused in her chi control, she didn't even heed the presence of yet another shinigami coming into the fray.

[Canaan]

How interesting. Nero joined the fray and he wasn't gunning for the Shinigami. Canaan would have to take note of this and reward him later. Maybe he'd offer him a Shinigami plaything later. He mentally shrugged and looked at his blade as the mist vanished. He deactivated Wind Cutter and sheathed his blade once more. His eyes were now focused on the Shinigami woman. He chuckled at her words. "You dress as a Shinigami, and yet what you just said...well I would expect such behaviors from a Hollow..." It wasn't meant to be an attack on her, but he was aware it could easily be seen as such. He made no attempt to dismiss such ideas. Instead he moved on. It seemed one of his kin had joined them. His eyes shifted to the male and a small smile touched his lips, but it did not reach his eyes. Another forced smile, per usual. Canaan rarely smiled out of joy, usually it was just for looks. "I just thought I would come here and...assist the Lady Shinigami with her duties...As well as the humans. Have you not noticed how silent it has been, dear Cuarta? Forces are at work here, and with the Cero out of commission I won't have my kin caught with their pants down and thumbs in their rears..." He spoke with a gentle but firm tone. Despite this little speech he still had not said why he was here, but the information was good enough to covey a message to the other Espada: Don't fuck this up for me.

Canaan opened his mouth to respond to the human girl who, at this point, had taken up yet another stance. He immediately closed it though and looked to his right. He had picked up yet another Shinigami. A high ranked one, just like the woman, was on his way here. He didn't smile, his face didn't even twitch. This was getting good. As the man arrived Canaan looked back at the human girl and waved his arm at the male Shinigami in a presenting motion. "You claim I could not possibly understand your struggle...Here is proof that I do. Since the dawn of man, we, the Hollow, have been hunted for something we cannot control. Just as you have. The Shinigami strike us down without thought" --he looked at the female Shinigami, shooting daggers at her through his eyes-- "without care. I did not survive this long and not become prey to the continuous assaults of Shinigami. I lost friends. Before you claim that you and I are of two entirely different worlds remember...We are all someone's prey." With that he closed his eyes for a moment and enjoyed the gentle breeze.

Opening them he turned his body to look at the Shinigami. "Unless you plan to prove my point...I suggest you put that enlarge tooth pick away" --directed at the male Shinigami-- "and you control him, take him away, whatever. I don't care. Obviously I did not come here to hurt anyone, a fact that should be more than obvious by now..." He rubbed his temples. Dealing with other species was always such a pain in the ass. Someone had to do it though. Unless more Shinigami wished to come and strengthen his argument. He had cleared the entire town of Hollow, not one civilian was harmed, and yet here he was being attacked. "Human." His eyes shot over to her. "Tell me. Why do you still take up arms against me? Because he is here?" He motioned to Nero. "What has he done? He makes no moves against you, nor do I. In fact, I saved your life from that gas, the Shinigami so carelessly released..." He looked back to the female Shinigami and slightly canted his head. "Why don't you tell us what would have happened if she had been caught in that gas, hm? I can't imagine it's something that would benefit her, otherwise you wouldn't have launched in in such a close vicinity to myself...How harmful would it have been, hm? Was it poison? Did it cause inflamed lungs? Was it a hallucinogenic? Did it cause paralysis?" He was just throwing things out there, but he was proving a point...A point that he knew was entirely situational, but worked for him either way. "No matter. The fact of the matter is, human, you would not be so lucky right now if I hadn't stopped that gas from getting to you...So...I ask you to relax. We have not come here to harm you. I only wish to be heard. Something we never gave you humans in the past, but I will personally see to it that we start to..." His eyes were warm. His voice, at no point during this discussion since the arrival of the male Shinigami, was not threatening...it was not raised. He spoke calmly, with purpose, and with feeling. As he asked her to stand down he smiled.

It touched his eyes.

[Nero Metora]

Nero looked at Canaan when he spoke to him, his eyes narrowing a bit. He, in fact, did feel and note the lack of a hollow presence in the area. However the Cuarta also notice that his superior didn't answer the question posed but decided to not press the matter at the moment. He then looked at the human girl, moving into different stances, flexing her muscles and showing that she had a near uncontrollable anger. "Disgusting..." He then looked at the newly arrived male captain. This one was so loud, yet he couldn't understand a fucking word that escaped his mouth. "Annoying..." Finally his leering gaze shifted to the female captain. Her sudden shift from being protective and willing to attack, to being submissive and apologetic. Either she had something wrong upstairs or she was... "Deceiving..."

This trip already reminded Nero of his disgust for the other two species and this disgust was now apparent on his face. However it was at this point he noticed a faint but strange set of signatures not too far away. At first he tried ignoring it but after a few moments passed by, these signatures got the better of his curiosity. His eyes shifted to the direction where it was coming from... a lone building... a temple. A breeze blew threw through the area, shifting his hair while he thought to himself. "Just what is that down there...?" He then whispered to Canaan low enough for him to hear alone. "I am sure you feel that by now." Without missing a beat, Nero disappeared, heading towards the temple. The only thing he left behind in his wake was the static sound of sonido.

(Exit)