It's Only a Dream [Open]

A dream...

It had to be. Kaoseu's mind couldn't focus. Playing in black and white, with no words, images darted back and forth in his mind, though he was sure he was seeing them all at the same time, in some chaotic, random order. Sloping dunes. Endless dusk. Flickers of things that weren't there. A boy. A shock of white hair. Agony. He clutched at his heart. Fear. Running. Running until his chest ached and each breath seared as it exited and entered. More running. Pain. Surreal pain. His mind was shattered. No escape. He saw everything, yet nothing registered. Panic. He reared back his head and howled.

Hunger.

A door. A way out. Something new, but familiar. Buildings. People. Food. The girl. Her face. Her screams. The taste, like such sweet relief. More. The school. The children. So unaware, yet so aware. Blood. There was hate, within him, for himself. Monster. Anger, filling him.

HUNGER.

The Black-Robes. Delicious. Hearty. Pain. Sorrow, outweighed by need. He knew what came next. What to expect. More Black-Robes. Torment. Anger. Running. Destruction. Havoc. More Black-Robes. More food. More would come. This he knew. So much fear. So much...

"HUNGER!!!"

A hot summer day in Karakura Town. Well at least for everyone except Tatsuya, who dressed in a dark suit and had yet to have a bead of sweat form in the hundred degree weather. "That place looks cool. Why don't we step in there." A soft female voice said right next to Tatsuya. He looked to where she was pointing. "Well I guess some ice cream would do some good." He said to Sumiko when he saw the busy ice cream parlor. "Well come on. It's an oven out here." She reached for his hand and insistently pulled him to the store. "Whoa!" He exclaimed and chuckled as he was jerked from his comfortable pace. Sumiko continued her pace until they reached the door to the parlor, only letting go of Tatsuya's hand to open the door and step into the much cooler air. "Oh dear, this is so much better." Sumiko breathed in the cool air while Tatsuya took his time to go in. "I don't know. It felt pretty refreshing outside." Tatsuya replied earning him a playful slap on his arm. "Hey! I was only kidding." Tatsuya laughed while rubbing his arm as if it hurt. Sumiko walked over to the counter and looked at there selection before choosing a cone with strawberry ice cream. Tatsuya ordered their largest cone, which wasn't really large compared to Tatsuya, with a double scoop of chocolate ice cream. They sat down on an empty table and started to enjoy their cones. Some idle chit chat and only a couple of minutes passed when they felt a powerful reiatsu nearby. "That's..." Sumiko started to speak, but stopped with wide eyed disbelief. "A very powerful hollow." Tatsuya finished her statement and looked around the parlor. Everyone there was completely oblivious to the approaching danger. Tatsuya casually got up from his seat and walked out the door, dumping his unfinished cone in the garbage. Sumiko was right behind him. "I hope the shinigami on watch doesn't go near that thing." Tatsuya stated as he grabbed for his gikongan in his pocket. "You're not going to fight that thing, are you?" Sumiko worriedly asked. "Trust me, if I thought this would go over well, I'd stay right here." He placed the gikongai in his mouth and swallowed the pill and popped out of his gigai in his shinigami form. "Do me a favor. There will probably be a lot of collateral damage. Help try and keep it to a minimum." Tatsuya said as Sumiko popped out of her on gigai. "Alright. Just don't get too reckless out there." She reached for his shihakusho and brought Tatsuya down to her level, giving him a kiss. "Please. Me? Reckless?" He smiled after the kiss and took a few steps back from Sumiko. "Back in a flash." He said before quickly flash stepping away towards the hollow.

Ezrachek had pulled patrol that day in Karakura town and was pretty upset that he couldn't have stayed in his barracks and enjoyed a nice reading with a smoking cigar in his hand. He cursed as he kicked over a rock that was on the street. He got bored fairly quick and decided to take to the rooftops. He jumped his way up there, focusing the reiatsu into his feet so that he could kick off the air. Once he got up there, he sat on the ledge of a building as he took a cigarette from his uniform pocket and began smoking. The thoughts of everything back in the Soul Society had flourished around his head as he thought about the meeting that had gone down just yesterday. He finished his cigar and threw the scraps away, watching them fly effortlessly toward the ground. He stood up when he felt an enormous reiatsu. Hollow. Definitely. He took no time taking action. "Bakudo 19! Energy Fade!" He called out as he instantly suppressed his reiatsu. No kido would be available to him during these events, but it didn't bother him, because he was hoping that he could chance his luck without it. He wasn't all too much of an expert with kido either way.

Ezrachek was just about to retrieve his phone to call the Soul Society for backup when he felt another reiatsu. Tatsuya. He would never forget that reiatsu from the night at the hot springs just outside of Karakura Town. He was attempting to save Shakaku when Tatsuya came down and helped them both out. Hopefully this time when they met, it would be on more of friendly terms.

Ezrachek shrugged the thoughts out of his head and advanced slowly towards the hollow, making sure to keep out of physical sight, for if he could, the hollow wouldn't spot him, and he could send a hell butterfly to Tatsuya. He posted up behind a statuette on the corning of a building that hid him perfectly in shadow and from sight. He had visual on the hollow, a creepy, horrific looking one. He knew he had no chance to take it on. Even with help, a cero from this one would completely destroy him. He sent a Hell Butterfly to Tatsuya with a message

This is Ezrachek Rayone. 2nd squad, unseated. We have met before if you remember. There is a strong hollow in my vicinity and I need backup now! You are the only shinigami in the area that would stand a chance to face it, and I would be destroyed in an instant. I am at (insert coordinates) Come quickly!

And with that, he sent it off, He unsheathed his zanpakuto, readying himself for battle just to be on the safe side.

For the moment, everything was crystal clear, and then some. The burning greens that were blades of grass in a lawn, the cruel browns that barked from the branches of trees. The too-bright sun, in all it's white-hot glory. Kaoseu could feel tears welling, though naught but two dropped to the floor. The memories came flooding back- His son, the days spent on the run, the Vizard mishap... Somehow, he'd lived through these events, the one involving his child being the most prominent. He recalled the moment he had pierced his blade into the boy, and pumped his Reiatsu into it, knowing what would happen- but also what might not.

In anguish, he looked down to his hands... and down, and down, and down. When he finally locked his eyes on his knuckles, his vertigo was enough to make him believe he was hallucinating. He closed his eyes tightly, then opened them back up. There was no change in the talon-like claws, with their jointed appearance and very real connection to what could only be his flesh. Panic settling in again, he took off, weaving his way through buildings, his bulk unwittingly hindering him, knocking down telephone poles in his haste, shattering buildings with abandon. He came to the park near the center of town, and made towards the pond in the center. Looking in, he immediately regretted it. An elongated neck, boney plated armor, all of it was too much to take in, and he was willing to dismiss it, until he saw the hole in his abdomen.

Perfectly circular, it nestled just above the point where his pelvic bone "V"'d off, and his lower torso changed. With anxious fingers, he probed the fissure in his flesh, and felt his fingers on his back. His anger began to swell once more. He couldn't- wouldn't- believe this had happened. Fury enveloped his body, ceased his fragile mind. A single thought wrapped itself around his brain, digging itself in, the source of his fury...

Shinigami. This was their fault. He had done nothing wrong. He had been a captain, and a damned good one. He'd excelled at all he could, never disobeyed an order. It was never his fault that fate had waylaid him. He had even taken precaution to prevent any harm from befalling Seireitei. But no. He was a mongrel in their eyes. A mistake. A biological threat, that was to be dealt with swiftly. He would have never had to run if they'd just had more tolerance. His death, the possible death of his son, it was all because of them. The delicate frame of mind he had attained for the brief period snapped. He'd make them pay. All of them.

Not far off, he felt a sudden emergence of Reiatsu. Acting half on impulse, half on his now enhanced instincts, a roar, wordless, but full of all the pain and red-hot fury of his story, pierced the relative quiet, and he tore off at full speed towards the source, careful to cause as much damage as physically possible, goring spirits as he went, devouring what he could in messy, bloody heaps, and tossing the rest aside. The taste was so sweet, tender, and wondrous, but it wasn't enough to sate the animal hunger he held within him.

"SHINIGAMI!!! WHERE ARE YOU?!?!" he shouted to the world, his head rearing back, the sun glinting off his blood-stained form.

Tatsuya maneuvered over the rooftops in haste trying to get to the hollow. Getting closer he knew that the hollow's reiryoku was greater than his own. Last time he came across such a strong hollow it was an adjuchas in Sengoku Forest. That fight left the forest horribly scarred and didn't turn out too well for Tatsuya either. But there was a difference in their reiryoku. This one was definitely strong, but it felt more feral...more primal. As he got closer something surprised him. "Jigokuchō!?" He stopped where he was, as the hell butterfly came to him. Why would anyone send him, of all people, a hell butterfly, he thought as he reached out his hand, having it land in his finger. He was shocked to hear the message. A shinigami asking for his help. From Second Division, no less. "He did say he knew me." He thought trying to remember this Ezrachek, but nothing came to mind out him. Tatsuya couldn't remember the man, he knew he had to be relatively new to the squad, but he hadn't had any contact with shinigami for sometime. "Shit, I'll figure it out later." He stated out loud knowing he had to hurry and get to the hollow before civilians were hurt. He quickly headed off to the given coordinates, staying on the rooftops. Tatsuya had to quickly come up with a strategy, but nothing was coming to mind. He knew he couldn't wait in the shadows for the right opportunity to strike; that would more then likely result in a lot of humans getting injured. And trying to maneuver around behind the hollow would take time and would have the same results. He had to keep the hollow's attention on him if he wanted to try and keep collateral damage to a minimum. There was really no other choice. The hollow roared out, calling to the shinigami in the area. Whether it knew it was more then one, Tatsuya couldn't be sure. Tatsuya didn't bother hesitating. He jumped from the rooftop and over the street were the hollow was. "RIGHT HERE!!" He shouted his reply, quickly unsheathing his zanpakuto in a reverse hand grip as he charged the hollow. As his Zanpakuto exited the sheath, his left hand glided along the back of the blade. "RISE FROM THE ASHES, SUZAKU!!" He released his shikai just as the blade fully exited it's sheath. The sword completely disappeared, replacing itself with metal silver tone, bladed gauntlets, set ablaze. Everything was performed quickly and smoothly as he charged the hollow, the unsheathing of his blade had cocked his right arm back when he finished releasing his shikai. The added power flowed through him as he punched at the hollow, intending to release a torrent of flame as soon as contact was made.

Ezrachek trembled with fear as the hollow called out to him. He knew that any chance of an attack would be useless and he would be killed in an instant. He also hated the fact that he was having to hide in the shadows as innocents were in harms way. It was a lose-lose situation for Ezrachek and he decided to do the noble thing. He pushed his muscles to stand up, and just as he started, he heard a loud yelling from a voice that was all too vaguely familiar. Another shinigami. Tatsuya perhaps. Ezrachek confirmed that it was Tatsuya with the shikai being released. Ezrachek never forgot a reiatsu, especially one as fearsome as Tatsuya. However, there was a different matter at hand. The hollow. Ezrachek wasn't about to just stand by and risk having another dead body on his conscience. If it was going to happen, Ezrachek was going to atleast try to help. He rose to his feet, sheathing his zanpakuto. He released the bakudo that was suppressing his flow just as he flared his reiatsu. He knes he was close to the hollow. Too close. Ezrachek jumped back, kicking off the air, making his way to a further building away from the scene. He needed to help. But how. He wouldn't risk shooting kido or Bakudo over there because it would just be easily deflected or blown away completely by the hollow. Ezrachek hadn't learned flash step and didnt even have shikai at the time. He was essentially useless. He had no choice but to watch the battle play out from afar.

Like from a horror movie, Kaoseu's attention was caught, and his head flicked with an uncanny movement and terrific speed, his gaze locking on the Shinigami with the higher level of Reiatsu. His Shikai burst into form as two gauntlets, bladed on the sides and front of the fist, and covered in flames. Kaoseu's fractured mind belted out a wicked laughter, manic and dangerous, as he flared his Reiatsu and lashed out his tails from both sides of his body, forming a barrier around the approaching figure with such a sweet smelling Reiatsu, it made his mouth water. Somewhere deep down inside, though he knew this was wrong. It went against every one of his facets and morals, but his new instincts overrode both, an insatiable need to destroy and devour any and all Shinigami in his path.

"Ah, Shinigami, there you are! So kind of you to make it for dinner! Simply walk right into my hands!"

Kaoseu lifted his huge left hand, and with his Hollowfied Reiatsu backing it, let the fierce punch dissipate into nothingness as it made contact. The flames licked at his flesh, and scorched his palm, and the blade pressed far into his hand, but it was like a being stung by a large bee. Kaoseu's lungs ached as the peal of his insane laughter pressed higher, both in pitch and frequency. He lifted his right hand and aimed to bring the fist down into his left palm, in an attempt to smash the Shinigami. Just before impact, there was a slight hesitation, Kaoseu's mental faculties welling up somewhat further, causing the manic laughter to falter, and the yellow tinted eyes beneath his mask to dull and return to his own shade of amber, but only for a moment. Quickly, the beast regained control and a roar broke the frantic chuckling of insane mirth, all of this taking place in the fraction of a second.

Somewhere close by, a new Reiatsu emerged, significantly weaker than the first, but just strong enough to draw a slight bit of attention. He'd see to it as a snack after he was done here, the meal before him one to not be rushed, if he were to enjoy it.

The hollow took his punch head on, and only came out with a deep gash. Tatsuya was sure it should have at least severed the hand. And then there was the fire after, that only kissed the hollow, not even singeing the beast. Tatsuya's hand was quickly grabbed and he was being slammed to the ground. Everything happened quickly. It was a split second hesitation from the hollow that he was able to escape the punishing attack. During that hesitation Tatsuya felt the hollow's grip loosen allowing him to shunpo back before being slammed into the ground. "Okay...Plan B." He said to himself. "Hinote Soujuu." He yelled, punching three times in the air, sending fireballs, four feet in diameter at the hollow. He quickly charged behind the fireballs and leaped into the air. He punched the air in front of him, crossing his arms and sending a wave of fire ten feet tall and as wide as the street. Behind the fire wave, Tatsuya jumped into it and came out the front, hoping the hollow would be distracted by the wave and not be able to guard against a punch to it's midsection.

Hate welled up inside him, but even more so than hate, raw, seething, white-hot rage threatened to boil over. The pain from the wounds inflicted was dull, but noticeable, and his prey had escaped a deathblow. He roared again, wordlessly, and searched for his target, turning to the side slightly- And catching a face full of fire that seemed to have a crushing weight to it. Three times he was struck, and the balls of flame scorched the front of his mask, breaking over the pointed surface. He called out in pain and frustration, almost not registering the wall of flames barreling towards him.

He waited, aiming to take the wall head on, and flared his Reiatsu over his form as it struck, which probably saved his life. From the flames leaped the Shinigami attacking him, fist cocked back for a fierce strike. Kaoseu had virtually no time to react as the fist connected with his midsection, at first doing nothing, but as the force of the wall of fire propelled the individual, the bladed fist slid into his bony, plate-like armor, only a few inches, but enough to draw a good amount of blood.

The force caused the two to slide back, the street tearing up behind them. Kaoseu, aiming to stop, pointed his left tail straight down, and slammed it into the ground, whipping the other nine-foot tendril around his form, and slightly behind Tatsuya, aiming to knock the Shinigami sideways and away from him. If he connected, he would already be leaning in that direction, making an easy task of a pursuit.

Tatsuya's attack went as flawlessly as he had hoped, but the hollow's skin was solid and tough. He didn't get the results he wanted, even with the extra force of the fire wall behind him. The hollow was pushed back, but quicklly came to a sudden stop, adding a little more depth to his punch. Without warning, the hollow's second tail whipped around and struck Tatsuya off to the side. Everything was happening so fast that Tatsuya had failed to notice that the hollow had two tails. Tatsuya grunted as the tail connected to his side, sending him flying. His path was a straight shot into the gas pumps of the nearby corner store. He couldn't stop himself in time before colliding with a set of pumps and destroying them. Gasoline sprayed up from the ground and quickly ignited when it touched Tatsuya flaming zanpakuto. The fire quickly went directly from the exterior to the interior of the tanks underneath the ground and caused a massive explosion, sending Tatsuya up into the air, and destroying any nearby buildings. The force of the blast dazed Tatsuya further as he fell back to the ground. The debris from the explosion hit Tatsuya, tearing his uniform and causing several injuries to his body. Tatsuya fell on his side, directly in the fire engulfed corner store. He placed his hand on the ground and struggled to his feet after a moment. His vision was a little blurry, but was soon returning. "Shit. So much for minimizing the damage." He rubbed his head and said as he finally made it to his feet. He looked around seeing dead bodies being burned as he slowly walked through the flames. When he made it outside, he looked for the hollow. People who had been a safe distance away from the blast began to crowd the area. Some had fire extinguishers and were trying to put out the flames with no luck, while others tried to bat them down with anything they could find. Tatsuya jumped up into the air and searched for the hollow.

Ezrachek watched as the rather horrific events panned out in front of him. The hollow effortlessly took the shots from Tatsuya and shook them off as if it were minor punches. They started to brawl and move about down in the streets. Ezrachek looked down in his uniform to take a cigarette from his pocket. He lit it and just as he took a drag, an explosion erupted from Tatsuya's location. Ezrachek was blown back from the blast. He flicked his cigarette away mockingly and watched the action. Fire set everything ablaze and humans started to crowd around the scene. "Shit! Those humans will be in danger!" Ezrachek said aloud. He looked up to the sky seeing the hollow and hearing him roar. Ezrachek inferred that it must have been some sort of challenge called out to encourage the two shinigami to fight him. Ezrachek mentally analyzed the fight events and thought of something. Not once did that hollow use any sort of powerful attack. He must be holding back. It made Ezrachek curious just as to what he is capable of. He pushed his feet off of the air and made his way towards the hollow. He isn't using any big moves with just Tatsuya fighting him, and it was time for Ezrachek to join the fight. He drew his zanpakuto, holding it towards the hollow as he made his way closer. Ezrachek flung his sword down to his side, gaining speed as he became more aerodynamic. He got close to the hollow and flipped in the air, spinning faster and faster. Finally once he was above the hollow he sprawled out and swung his sword towards the back of the hollow. Ezrachek knew that if it had landed, it had a chance of exploiting a weak spot.

(OOC: Okay, since I didn't think about it, I moved the post, but just imagine this still happened before... I'll post beneath it)

By the time Kaoseu registered the smell of gasoline and the abundance of now-broken pumps, it was too late. Tatsuya's flaming gauntlets ignited the flame-hungry substance, and he, Kaoseu, and many of the humans in the area were launched back by a wall of heat and force. Kaoseu's large form wasn't tossed badly, his tail in the ground helping to anchor him. However, he took a bit of a beating, what with debris flying everywhere. He only wished he had been able to stay in Hueco Mundo, to find out his capabilities, his abilities, how to use Cero as a Hollow, anything. As it were, all he had was his strength, his knowledge, and a deep hunger, which was set off again as a massive amount of Pluses began to appear, victims of the explosion.

Kaoseu kept his sanity in check, just barely, and decided his best course of action was a strategic retreat, and to regain his strength. He took off into the inferno, the fire still blazing, and snatched up a small child, a bawling woman, and speared two grown men on his tails, without ever stopping. He burst through the other side, opening his maw and tearing the child's upper torso from his lower with his sharp beak-like mask, enjoying the taste as he popped the lower half in after a swallow. He cared not for the mess as he dismembered the woman systematically as he leaped to the top of a tall building, lowering his Reiatsu to virtually nil as he gorged himself on the remainders of his victims.

In the distance, he watched as a human-sized dot rose into the air, obviously the Shinigami, his robes now in tatters. More than likely, he was looking for him. Not far off, Kaoseu caught sight of another form, in the area close to where he had been, atop a building. The other Shinigami. He growled from deep in his stomach, and reared his shoulders back, the bloody remains of his meals staining his form, and bellowed a roar, a challenge to both of them, his long neck quivering, shaking left and right on an axis from the sheer force.
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The Shinigami attacking him was not the main dish, but it was still a decent snack. So when the whistling in the air alerted the keen ears of the broken-minded Hollow, he immediately acted, the mix of his battle instincts as a Shinigami plus his new instincts causing him to behave in his typical drastic manner. He leaned forward, arching his back. He could feel the connected plates on the back of his neck lift as they stretched.

The Shinigami's blade struck, and Kaoseu reared back, lightning fast. As the blade slid along his back, his sudden movement slammed down the armor-like plates, clenching the blade in an immovable grasp. Barely turning his head, he sent his two tails into a frenzy, the barbed tips whipping and slashing at the too-close assailant. All the while, kept a watchful feel for the stronger of the two. It would not be long now before he would need to make haste and depart.

Ezrachek watched as his blade seeped through all too easily. He was caught by surprise as the tails went into a frenzy. The barbed tips ripped through his flesh, tearing away the muscles. Ezrachek would only be able to handle so much more of this, and he had to act fast. He looked towards Tatsuya, realizing that he didn't have time to wait. "Hado 8!" Ezrachek yelled out as a flame jumped from his hands. He started to deflect some of the whips, knowing that he wouldn't be able to sever the tails. He found an opening and held his hand firm, blocking the tails slashing Down. He then reached over for the hollows face. "Bakudo 5!" Ezrachek yelled out as he blasted the light into the hollows face. Ezrachek felt the strain in his muscles as he attempted to rip his blade from the hollows chest. Hoping that he succeeded, but not conscious to see if he did, Ezrachek dropped from the height in the sky, falling fast before smashing hard into the ground.

[OOC:Ezrachek is out of the fight... Purely reading for enjoyment now. Njoi!]

Tatsuya looked around the city from his perch in the air. He was so frantic while searching that he failed to just remain calm and feel out the hollow. He was worried that the hollow would just be wrecking havoc on the humans. When he finally heard the hollow's roar, it behind him and had a good distance between them. "Shit!" Tatsuya raced to the hollow's location as fast as he could. It took him a second to realize that there was another being next to the hollow. "Ezrachek!" He thought as he remembered the shinigami that contacted him earlier. No matter how face Tatsuya was, he couldn't make it in time. He watched Ezrachek try to take on the hollow and fail as the distance closed between them. Ezrachek fell like a sack of bricks to the ground before Tatsuya finally got within striking distance. "Your mine! Hinote Soujuu!" Tatsuya aimed his right fist at the hollow and launched three basketball sized fireballs at it. As soon as the last fireball left his fist, Tatsuya quickly flash stepped to the hollow's left side and threw a left punch at its side.

Down below Sumiko had arrived to see Tatsuya once again engaging the hollow. She could feel a second shinigami around the area, and that their reiatsu was low. She looked at where the two were fighting and quickly made her way over beneath them. Once there she located the fallen shinigami and picked him up, using shunpo to get away from the battle. On a roof top a couple of blocks away, she searched the body for the spirit communicator he should be carrying. Once she found it, she punched in 767 before hitting the send button. It was an S.O.S. call to Seireitei and they would be able to home in on the communicator. Once she did that, she started to heal the unconscious shinigami.

Ruined flesh and gore clung to Kaoseu's tails, dripping onto the concrete roof of the building he was standing on. Far below, he felt the dwindling Spiritual Pressure from his would be assailant. Just as he was about to make his move to gather his meal, another Reiatsu showed up, this one unfamiliar. Just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, taking with it the Shinigami he had wounded. Frustrated, Kaoseu loosed yet another roar- and almost swallowed a basketball sized sphere of flame. He had just enough time to lower his neck to allow the remaining two to break against his plated skin, thought the impact from each shook him. Obviously, the last Shinigami wasn't much in the mood for games.

Just as the newborn Hollow made to move, he felt a sharp impact, fueled by sheer inertia, against his left side, just behind the plated armor. Reacting on pure instinct, he launched a Reiatsu- charged swipe of his left arm at the source of the pain, the damnable Shinigami having crept into his guard. As he struck, he took note of the wound, the bladed gauntlet having sunk almost fist deep into his skin, grazing a rib and drawing a roar of pain from the feral beast.

At the same time he was swinging his arm, Kaoseu dug one tail at full distance into the concrete, then yanked, swinging his other tail around in a wide arc, towards the back of his opponent, aiming to either give an added sweep to his forearmed strike, or spear the Shinigami through part of his body. Little was left to do in the ways of offense, and with the present injury, he wouldn't last much longer if this fight dragged on. Slowly, he could feel all the injuries taking their toll, the wounds from the flames that had set off during the explosion, the previous strike that had pierced his armor, and now the dull ache that blistered in his throat, as well as the mind-numbing pain in his ribs. There was no way Kaoseu was going to win this fight, but he try his damnedest to injure his adversary, at all costs.

Tatsuya's fist sunk deeply into the hollow. A deep cut into the side of the hollow sprayed blood into Tatsuya's face. Tatsuya saw the tails shoot off just as the hollow turned to strike him. He quickly pulled on his arm back from the hollow fresh wound. With the hollow's extra effort, Tatsuya was unable to completely block the attack. Tatsuya was sent flying back towards a nearby building. He crashed into and through the exterior wall creating a large hole in the side of the building. People inside were frightened by the crash, some even thought a bomb might have gone off. Tatsuya quickly flipped to his feet and jumped out of the building through the new window, as people gathered around on the inside to try and figure out what was happening. "That the best you got Hollow?!" Tatsuya shouted, faking his stamina, as he looked at the hollow before charging. As he got close to the hollow he leapt up and attacked the hollow with a drop kick.

With the sweet sound of a kiss between lovers, Tatsuya's bladed fist yanked away from Kaoseu's flesh, none too gently, as his forearm connected before his tail even got around. He watched for a moment as the Shinigami flew into a building, though he couldn't exactly be sure of which was him, as spots danced about his field of vision. Shaking his head vigorously, he managed to clear some of them away as he looked back up, prepping himself for a second round of attacks. However, his bulky form could only move so fast after his ordeal.

He heard the taunt, and meant to look up, but his overburdened mind was slipping once again, his personality reverting back to that of the beast. The transition took a toll, and by the time he looked up, he was staring at the bottom of two feet. With a sickening thud, The Hollow was lifted into the air, a ragdoll effect taking hold of his limbs as he crashed back down. Laying there for a moment, he took advantage of his elongated neck, eking out the Shinigami's location as he was landing. Quickly, he lashed out with both tails, the right tail sweeping to the left about a foot off the ground, the left tail sweeping right at about his adversary's chest level.

The unsettling cracking sound made by Tatsuya's drop kick against the hollow, brought a small grin to his face as he sent the hollow flying through the air. Tatsuya slowly made his way to the hollow after it crashed into the ground. As he landed his flame covered gauntlets grew hotter and brighter as he intended to roast the hollow where it laid. He cocked his right arm up and back preparing to release a torrent of flame. Before he could the hollow lashed out with its tails. Tatsuya's eyes shifted to each tail as they shot out to the outside of him instead of straight towards him. As they came at him, one low and one high, he turned to his right and began to bend backwards while jumping slightly into the air. He intended to jump and spin dodge the crisscrossing tails, but the higher tail clipped his shoulder sending him spinning out of control along the ground. He skidded along the ground trying to regain control, until he hit a brick wall that stopped him quicker. "Ugh...Son of a bitch!" He muttered as he dizzily stood up and stumbled. He leaned against the wall for for support and raised his arms into the, angled out in front of him. He pushed his reiatsu out of his gauntlets creating a large five meter wide fire ball. "Eat this, you piece of shit. HINOTE SOUJUU!!" He threw large fireball at the hollow as soon as his vision focused.

laying there, with a clear view of the midday sky, Kaoseu watched ashes dance through the air like fireflies, some still aglow from the massive explosion from earlier. However, his reprieve was short-lived. Snapping back to reality, the Hollow stood as quickly as possible, a mild satisfaction coming from his successful strike. His grin wavered, and then melted into a mind-numbing fury, sending the Hollow back into a frenzy, completely obliterating his human personality at the sight of his opponent beginning to stand.

With a roar of sheer rage, the beast charged forward. Now, he cared little for his injuries. All he craved was the destruction of the Shinigami before him, and the delicious meal that he would make following. So great was his fury, he didn't even register that Tatsuya was speaking. The bright orange ball of flame, however, painted a different picture. Putting on a burst of speed, Kaoseu attempted to close the last bit of distance between the two, but to no avail.

Reaching out a clawed hand, Kaoseu was still just a few feet shy of his opponent when the massive ball of flame was sent careening into him. It was like being hit by a freight train. All of his forward momentum ceased, and he was thrown backwards, the searing heat burning his flesh all along the front as the flaming sphere carried him further and further, his feet dragging- until they were over open air. There wasn't enough strength left in his body to fight the the weight of gravity as it took hold of him.

From a distance, he was a smoking speck as he fell, the hundred feet to the ground seemingly an eternity up close. It took only a few seconds for him to reach terminal velocity, the upward force of wind balancing the downward thrust of gravity. At some point in the brief fall, he lost consciousness, only to regain it just as quickly. He could only wish he'd stayed unconscious when his large frame crashed into the paved roadway below, sending rubble and debris skyrocketing into the air.

Slowly, he picked himself up off the ground, barely able to move as it were, and for a moment, his intelligence took hold as he gazed at his surroundings, though once more, he only wished it hadn't as his eyes fell on the truck stop, whose parking lot he was now buried in- right next to the pumps. With as much haste as he could manage, he tried to drag himself as far away as possible, not wanting that damned Shinigami's flames anywhere near this place. Half a second's thought brought an onslaught of worry that this may be his dying day, for the second time, and the pain he felt at it saddened him, but drove him to survive even more, though that may have just been his fevered mind, riddled with the self delusional thoughts of an animal.

Tatsuya was lucky his vision focused when it did. Any later and he was sure to have a claw pierce his body and that would be it for him. He threw the massive fireball just as the hollow closed the distance between them to only a few feet. The impact sent the hollow back and into the air before dissipating. He walked forward slowly keeping his eye on where the hollow flew. The hollow was farther then Tatsuya had originally thought. He placed some reiatsu at his feet and pushed off the ground jumping on to a nearby roof. "Damn thing won't die." He thought as he tried to catch his breath while quickly heading towards the hollow. When he finally arrived his body was tired, he wasn't sure how much longer he could continue. He quickly surveyed the area, spotting another gas station close to where the hollow landed. "Shit." Tatsuya thought as he recalled the previous explosion not long ago, but then an idea quickly formed in his mind. He summoned his energy reserves and flash stepped five meters away from the gasoline pumps and right between the hollow. He didn't have much energy to spare, so he put on ruse. "Let's go hollow. I'm still up for a couple more rounds." He lifted up his hands into a fight stance. He didn't like the idea of blowing up another gas station, but if it meant killing this dangerous hollow, he'd do whatever was necessary. Keeping himself between the two also meant the hollow might retreat. Afraid that it might die if it pushed Tatsuya back into the pumps.

A garbled mess was Kaoseu's mind, full of animal instinct and human fear. Both screamed for him to make haste and flee, though underlying it all, his pride, a trait gained from his days as a Shinigami himself, wouldn't let him, not as long as he could still move. Mixed in with this pride, however, was common sense. He was at a loss here. He couldn't gauge his own strength, and his bulky form was something of a limiter. Not only that, but he had no understanding of his abilities as a Hollow.

As the Shinigami made his proclamation, Kaoseu could not only see the false bravado in the rise and fall of his chest, but he could feel the occasional fluctuation of Spiritual Pressure. They were both reaching their limit, having gone all out since the beginning of the battle. Kaoseu knew at this point that it was all or nothing, if he hoped to get away with his life. Drawing his way up to his full height, a deep, rumbling growl rolled across the expanse between them. Kaoseu focused his Reiatsu about 5 meters behind Tatsuya, compressing it so far in on itself that it began to distort the space around it; the beginnings of a Garganta.

Now, the only thing left was to find a way past the being before him. His lips parting, the growl decreased in pitch and increased in ferocity. Slowly, his arms hanging limply at his sides, his muscles almost refusing to act, Kaoseu took step by step closer to Tatsuya. When he was about ten meters out, he began to speak.

"I have no more will to fight, Shinigami... And neither do you. You've no idea who I am... Who I was. When you go back to the Seireitei, tell them..."

At this, Kaoseu put on a sudden burst of speed, channeling as much speed and Reiatsu as he could into his large limbs, in a sort of makeshift Flash Step, angled to the Shinigami's left. As he passed, he made sure he was close enough to whisper and be heard.

"Kaoseu Enjel lives..."

He forced open the Garganta that was so close in front of him, no longer caring what action the Shinigami took. He just hoped he could make it to the safety of the desolate realm he saw beyond the gaping expanse before him. If push came to shove, he could sustain the Garganta only a bit longer, as he still entertained the thought of battle, though he knew not whether that was the Hollow in him, or just the beast he was.

The hollow rose to its full height, and Tatsuya's stance tightened. When he felt the change in spiritual pressure, he focused his own into his gauntlets. The hollow seemed to lower its guard, either because he was tired as much as Tatsuya, or because it was intentional it didn't matter to him. The rumbling growl was threatening as the hollow slowly stepped forward, and then something unexpected happened. It surprised Tatsuya. The hollow finally spoke. His eyes narrowed on the hollow as it spoke which through him off guard. The entire fight the hollow hadn't said a single word, and yet here...now, it finally did. Mid sentence the hollow cut itself short and quickly charged at Tatsuya. He jumped to his right as fast as he could, not expecting the next words that escaped the hollows mouth. "Kaoseu Enjel?!" The name repeated in his mind as the hollow disappeared into the Garganta behind him. "Captain?!" He shouted, at the now closing portal when he finally made the connection of the name. Too late. The hollow was now gone, the battle over. But it only left more questions then wounds for Tatsuya. But he didn't need to think of them at that moment. He sealed his zanpakuto and slid it back in to the scabbard.

He used shunpo and quickly made his way back to Sumiko. When he made to her, she had already saved Ezrachek from his wounds and stabilized him. Before either had a chance to say anything though, A Senkaimon appeared in the air. "We gotta go. Now!" He grabbed her arm before she could reply and quickly dragged her away with shunpo. Renewed energy took over his body at the new predicament. Those coming from the gate were not just any shinigami, they were more than likely other 2nd Division members, and if they say him there, they would only pursue him. He was in no shape to take on the unit. The unconscious shinigami had know who he was. Tatsuya hoped he wouldn't regain consciousness until after he was able to get out of the town. He wasn't sure if the shinigami would inform them of his presence. And he wasn't going to wait to find out.

There was mixture of frustration and relief as the Shinigami dodged. One half of him craved the thrill of a prolonged battle, whilst the other half longed for the reprieve. However, his words seemed to have some unaccounted for reaction. The look of utter surprise on Tatsuya's face betrayed his demeanor entirely. It rang a bell, somewhere, and Kaoseu confirmed this as the Hollow passed through the opening of the Garganta.

Behind him, the shout reached his ears, the Shinigami having put two and two together. However, this outburst caused more pain than anything in Kaoseu. He could no longer see himself as such. The title Captain was reserved for those Shinigami of distinguished power. He was merely an empty shell of his former self, fittingly, a Hollow. He let the shout die as the world turned dark around him.

A pull in his gut, just behind the navel, guided him through the distorted space. He was deposited high above the landscape, for a second, granting a clear view of Las Noches, the abandoned home of the Espada, far in the distance. His brief experience of flight was short lived, and soon, as it does everywhere, gravity took hold, and Kaoseu had his second hundred foot fall within the expanse of five minutes. This time, however, he lost consciousness for the duration of his trip, a spray of grey-white sand exploding into the never-ending twilit sky. Here he lay, his body weary, his mind rewiring itself. Nagging at the edge of his consciousness was a single thought, one he couldn't comprehend or place as he replayed his battle. Suddenly, his eyes snapping open, he could feel a change, a sudden connection and understanding. He let his eyes close as he drifted off once more, this time into bliss, a whisper escaping his lips into the grains of sand.

"I am... Kaoseu Enjel..."