With the Captains suffering casualties and heavy injuries on their side, all hope seemed to be lost... until Shinji Hirako appeared, along with the rest of the former Shinigami. Though the aid of the Vizards certainly helped to draw the battle in their favor, it seemed Aizen's power alone proved too much for them.
Uh oh. Looked like the Shinigami had it bad. Era sighed; perhaps it was a little too much for the average Shinigami, after all. Though he had hoped that the earlier burst of reiatsu wasn't just a fluke, a sudden spike in his energy, but something substantial, he couldn't really depend on one to do the job right. A smile did form on his lips, though.
"Pride goeth before the fall? That's really something, to be asking me for help. I'll give you cheers for that. But..." Era glanced back at the Hollow again. It had eveidently grown a little stronger since they last met; the shower of energy burst was evidence enough. That, the fella didn't have back then. "...I'm already providing you with everything you need to handle it. See... " He grinned, holding up both hands and fingers while still in his upside down position, forming a rectangular picture frame that captured the dancing Shinigami and the rampaging Hollow. "Menos level, you say? If that's how you perceive it, so it is. It is the marauding of one's abiltiy, the exaggeration, that strikes fear within us and makes thigns seem...bigger than life. Take a closer look. Use your head. Is it really Menos level? Does it think like a Menos? It's smart, and resourceful. What does that mean?"
Era let out a harsh laugh, and swung back up, standing up onto the platform this time. "Don't rush things. You need to think clearly. Keep on your toes."
While Era was tossing out his little nuggets of wisdom, the Hollow went on a charge to meet Kenji's rush, moving impossibly fast for one of such mass. But at the very last instant, when Kenji swung his blade, it actually drew back; swerving to the side very arubtly, allowing its partner-in-crime to come from behind it and wrap the boy and Shinigami in its curls of dark shadowmatter. The sword tore through the dark flesh, but again they seemed to do little real damage. Spiraaling quickly, the Hollow let out a truimphant roar as the Shinigami was completely trapped in a small circle, where folds and folds of the Hollow's snakelike body surrounded him, leaving only a small space of opening above.
"And that's your answer. Did you get that? I hope you did; cause if you didn't, you've just missed the crucial key to victory. ...Oh yeah... Three heads are better than one."
With that final piece of advice, the last head reared up, its ugly maws filling up the opening of the clearing where the Shinigami , blotting out the sun.
Surrounded, trapped on all fronts in a spiralling cage of hollow flesh which was growing ever larger and ever narrower Kenji cursed loudly. He was about to jump out of the trap but the looming skull of the beasts centre head came charging down. Confined like a rat in a cage Kenji watched as the shadow loomed, a thing of razor like teeth hurtling towards him; malice and fury incarnate. The world went dark, and from somewhere Kenji could hear a whispering in his ear. A whispering that grew steadily into a god awful roar. I WILL NOT BE CONTAINED! It screamed thundering, followed by a roar of pure hate. A scream of revulsion that grew and grew; he felt spiritual pressure rising and his ears rang as the screaming voice bellowed from somewhere near. The Hydra enveloping him stopped encircling; the skull rushing headlong towards him hesitated. It was only then Kenji realised he had been the one that had been screaming, he had been the one whose spiritual pressure had surged outward suddenly.
The moment’s hesitation was enough and Kenji managed to dart quickly out from the circling trap. He was afraid of what had just happened as he knew it had nothing to do with the hollow and everything to do with himself. Had he lost his temper just then? What was that? Not that he had time to figure it out. The hollow, sick of all the playing was finally deciding to end this once and for all. All three heads attacked. Kenji’s eyes went wide and if it were not for his ability to stay detached and think tactically he wouldn’t have been able to deflect the first skulls head long rush, parry the second and drive his sword into eye of the third. Which again seemed to do no damage to the beast beyond the superficial. It was all Kenji could do not to scream at this thing. Gritting his teeth he held his wounded shoulder suddenly as a flare of pain rose through his battle composure. Blood fell from the tips of his left fingers in rhythm with his heart.
Again Kenji lost ground falling back. He could see the spectator smiling on an opposite roof now. Kenji was beginning to hate his well meaning benefactor watching from on high like some demented and not all too friendly god. Bizarrely though he found himself listening to the bystander; he was making some points that were actually getting through Kenji’s thick skull. Kenji cursed himself resolving to actually take note for once. Don't rush things. You need to think clearly. Keep on your toes. You’re actually going to listen to this guy then? Kenji asked himself. Do I have a choice this things playing with me and using me for a chew toy! It’s listening to the mysterious stranger or end up just another initiate Shinigami who didn’t make it past his first hollow. Kenji gripped the hilt of his sword harder and shunpo’d back to give him some breathing room controlled his breathing. Three heads were better than one?
He’d stabbed the creature numerous time, no damage but to the body. The heads had all returned. Good god, Kenji’s eyes narrowed studying the thing. Was it possible that only one of the heads was real? He’d been damaging nothing but illusions? Would he have to find the real head to finish this fight? Could it be so simple? Only one way to find out; Kenji gritted his teeth in a grimacing smile and went to check his theory the only way possible a full on attack of all the heads.
"Good Lord." Era sighed, shaking his head wearily. "Don't you get it yet, boy? You're taking almost as long as I did. Everything." A slow smile formed on his lips, as the once-Shinigami raised a hand in slowly, deliberately, and tapped his own skull. "The head is everything."
But admittedly, Kenji's choice to deal with this situation had been a correct one, even if the reasoning behind it had not been entirely accurate. The Hollow let out a shrill cry, one darting up quickly to avoid Kenji's large-scale swing. The others swung back, Kenji's attack hitting them on the jaw and the bone below the left eye respectively, They gave half-choked screams that could cut glass and toppled to the ground, fazed, but not yet entirely out.
Whoa. Messy. Era thought , his mouth falling into a stubborn pout. But effective all the same. However...that kind of blow isn't anything substantial yet...But that power he showed just now...ahehehe.
With a horrid yell that sounded like a tortured cat mewling, the last of the head darted back to his injured comrades, covering them with a swirl of dark miasma. As the black fog cleared, the Hollow stood whole and three-headed once again, its furious roar dispelling the leftover of its dark aura in the air, eyes burning with a sick yellow fire. The cracks on two of their faces remained. Making a sound like chewing cement, the Hollow moved, stomping towards the Shinigami who ahd injured him with an intention to kill.
"...You're really hot-headed. But I guess it's the results that count." Era sighed again; something he was very good at. If there was an Olympic sports event for sighing, he could probably try for the gold medal. "Well, don't get too high, grasshopper- the game's only just on, and all you've done is found out who to play. Now...show me your hand..." Era grinned. This kid was beyong interesting; so much rage, so much potential, and so much...the power he had shown for the second time ago, albeit only a short burst, said it all already.
The Hollow reared back, baring its blackened molars, and fired short bursts of energy at Kenji, determined to kill the one who had wounded him. The balls of energy were only about the size of a softball each, but could very well do some real hurt if they landed on naked flesh.
Last Edit: Sept 2, 2009 0:45:10 GMT -5 by eramemory
Kenji had lost some blood and was feeling weakened because of the wound. He fell to one knee gritting his teeth behind a clenched jaw and glared up at the beast with a vengeful eye. Dark crimson splashes hit the pavement rhythmically as his overburdened heart kept him going. This was getting out of hand. Everything he threw at the bastard did nothing at all, nothing but enrage the thing. Each time he cut a head down they just reappeared shortly after. He simply wasn’t fast enough, and as the beast bellowed out its inane anger far above him Kenji couldn’t help but imagine a mocking tone to the screams. He controlled his breathing again, thinking. He was on his own, that much was clear, there would be no help from the strange observer or it would have come already. It was just the Hydra and himself, effectively three versus one; David versus Goliath.
Again the creature tried to catch him off guard with a sudden flurry of condensed spirit energy shots. Each one targeted squarely on Kenji’s position. Cursing softly he rolled to his left grabbed a heavy iron trash can and flung it up with all the strength he could muster. It managed to stop one of the shots; the other three punched through easily tearing through the iron like cheap tin. One sailed past his right ear and he heard it crackling with power as the near miss drifted into concrete not a meter behind him. The other two hit him squarely in the chest.
Kenji cried out pushed back by the stinging blows and lost his footing. He landed on his back staring up at the sky, the wind knocked out of him. Too much, he thought, too much. This wasn’t like training, this wasn’t like fighting the gangs in Rukongai, and this beast was something else. A smattering of rain began to fall; a light summer-like shower that fell from on high painting everything a darker shade. He felt the light smattering against his face and the slow soaking through the folds of his shihakushou. There was a small part if himself that whispered let it go, but it was only the fatigue talking. As he lay broken in the gutter, exhausted and hurt he could not remember once, not once in his life that he had given up. Not from the beginning when he was alive, not during the bad days of Rukongai, never. I must be faster, I will be faster.
A wind was rising, pushing the rubbish in the gutter away from him, sending papers spiralling into the air and empty can to clatter along the street. Kenji rolled onto his side, ignoring the creature’s roars, ignoring the spectator, ignoring everything. He saw Eliza from a distant memory, smiling and looking proud of him. Kenji planted on foot against the floor and with an effort rose. With it came the wind again, something from within was growling, blowing, and he rode the current up finding an energy he didn’t know he had been holding back.
A giant skull crushed full force into the ground cracking it in a spider web of debris. But Kenji was no longer there appearing just above it and bringing his sword down in a hard swing he shouted out defiance. The skull cracked; fragments of bone chipping free and the hollows cries of anger changed to ones of pain. A headlong rush from the second skull trying to help its stunned and injured brethren screamed again at Kenji. Again he was gone when the thing seemed to strike, appearing above yet again. This time, in a fit of madness perhaps, he threw his sword down with all his might. The silver bullet piercing the skulls of both creatures and driving them into the gravel below pinned. They’re screaming’s were cut short as he brought his foot down hard against the bone furthering the cracks that had appeared and wrenched his blade free. Both Skulls shattered into falling pieces of pale shards. Before the last Skull could even react Kenji was in front of it cutting its throat. He had no desire to hear any more of the beasts raging. I must be fast, I will be faster. As it reared back he once again threw his sword with all his might, the shining blade shattering through the beast’s lower jaw and reappearing; shooting out from the top of its cranium in a burst of skull fragments.
There was a moment, a slow moment where the beast hung still. Almost silence filled the streets, nothing but the blowing wind and the light smattering of rain. Then gradually the beasts began to dissipate, fading in a black mist. The throat slice Kenji had delivered robbing it of even a death scream.
Kenji shunpo’d and caught his sword mid air before returning to a near by rooftop. Breathing heavily his wounds caught up to him and he went to one knee concentrating on not falling down. As first hollows went, that one wasn’t too bad; he smiled wryly too himself. The rain began to clear at last and Kenji holding his wounded shoulder stood. Looking across the rooftops to where the observer sat smiling he called out. “Thanks for the help!” He made sure the sarcasm in his tone was rife. ”Want to explain who you are and what your doing here now? You know, before I pass out preferably.”
Not good. Era regarded Kenji solemnly as the boy again received another heavy bashing of hits. Definitely not good. Kid's at his maximum alreadly; there's no way he can go on logically speaking.
His next thought was: Fuck logic.
He watched with silent, increasing glee as , for the third time, a demon within Kenji awakened. Yes, yes! This was it. This power, this pressure, this feeling... Era's hairs stood on their ends at the prickling of energy stemming from the young Shinigami, his sheer intensity of callousness too strong to ignore. The hidden reserves of power he had drawn on this time was much deeper, much more heavier, and in terms, much more stronger. How much? Ten times? Eleven? Era grinned, forcing his hand to grip the cemented platform below him, eyes flashing with need and dark exhilaration. This was it. This is what I've been looking for...!!!
True to his word, Kenji began taking out the Hollows, one skull ata time. The punk had finally risen to his words, eh? Era wondered if it was that he retained some amount of reason within him, that allowed him to act with some degree of control still, or was it pure, untouched instinct that drove him? Either way, the results of tha lay around him; the shadowflesh of the Hollow lay dying, corroding, fading back into tufts of black smoke it had been born from. It was a warfield of death and carnage. It was beautiful.
Era suddenly dug his fingers deeper into the platform which he was holding; and realised, for the first time, that he had clenched too hard, leaving five trails of cleanly tunnelled cement grounded away by pure force alone. He held his hand up; the fingers bloodied by torn skin and raw flesh. Smiling ghastly, he gave then a lick with his tongue. The taste of iron in the blood; completion.
It seemed that Kenji had finally woken out of his stupor. Now Era had to work to get out of his; his mind felt slow and sluggish, struggling to process Kenji's words, which seem to come at him through a mile away, a buzzing in his ears blotting out everything else.
..Questioning? ...Me?
Era touched his torn fingers to his lips. "A-re~ you sure you don't want to get those wounds tended to first? You look like you could fall any moment, ne~ You can't even stand still!" He laughed, trying but unsuccessful in his attempt to keep a manical quality out of his rabid laughter. "...Well. One more thing, though. We really shouldn't leave jobs unfinished."
Then Era disappeared;
It wasn't shunpo; he had just thrown himself down the platform, letting the chains of gravity pull him down, eyes alit with steel and hardness. Below, the last skull was a-squirming, quickly making its exit, tearing across earth with snakelike speed. Era bit his lips, allowing that coppery atste of bloods to fill his mouth once more, a thin red stream dropping slowly down his side. Drawing back an arm, he hammerred a straight fist rigth down upon the cursed being, three hundred newtons of force crushing Hollow and earth, tearing it into oblivion and throwing up a cloud of dust at the same time.
The dark-haired young man straightened, blowing grit off his fist and brushing dirt of his shirt. "Well. Explanations before introductions are required, I believe." He took on a scholarly tone, as though he was a school teacher handing out lessons on maths to his students.
"Why do you think the Hollow's managed to slip from me so many times? It appears the punk's got a hidden ace up its sleeve. It's been slipping away, and regenerating overa few nights, and giving me the bloody headache. Kind of a roundabout race. Very troublesome." Era sighed, slapping a hand to his forehead in an exasperated gesture. His half-closed eyes shimmerred, like a faded cloud drifting past a red moon. "So I thought I'd let you handle it , and cut it down when it tries to escape. Slipperry thing. Above does give me a better view, though. And you sure had me worried... but you pulled through in the end. Way to go, matey! Cheers!" Era laughed, bowing mockingly to the Shinigami.
