Raze the dead (open)

"Come." Madoka said to Stratus as he stood in the mouth of the tunnel. "We have work to do. " The hollow didn't expect to get much more from the arrancar, but really wished he would explain himself. But he knew this creature well enough know if he sat and waited for it, he'd be sitting there all day. Instead he got up and followed the man down the pathway. In silenced the arrancar moved through the maze like tunnels with the hollow lumbering behind him. They came upon a chamber that wasn't part of the inital tour. Before they got close to the chamber Stratus could see the blue light spilling into the tunnel.

Spoiler:

The whole room was covered in what looked like clusters of blue gemstones. All of the radiated light almost blinding. After his eyes had adjusted Stratus noticed Madoka's had moved deeper into the cavern. He had stopped before a section of the wall. With a small trot he moved to follow and halted when he noted motion in the corner of his eye. When he looked harder at the blue glowing wall he could see a picture. It was of a city! He looked at another section just right of that and he saw a totally different location.
"What is this place?" he asked, but he had an inkling of what it was. Somehow this place was a monitoring room. With a glance they could see to the human realm. Stratus wondered how such a thing was possible. It was a shame that those questions would have to wait as Madoka was already opening a portal. The air split as the black maw opened before him. Without a word he stepped through. Once he did so the portal began to diminish. Stratus ran forward to leap through. He only had a second to glance at the wall that Madoka had been looking at. There was ruined city on the wall. It didn't matter too much, he would be there soon to see it himself.

Sanagu

Indeed less than a second later Stratus stepped out of the opposite end of the portal. The area looked like it had been through a war. Buildings were wrecked and streets filled with rubble. Human rescue workers were hard pressed to dig through the piles. Helicopters swooped overhead shining lights upon the damaged area. Madoka stood only a few feet from where Stratus had exited.
"Find souls and return here." he said simply. There was a hiss as the arrancar vanished from sight. Stratus tried to sense his spiritual signal, but felt nothing. He sighed and opened his mind to the signals around him. Plenty to pick from, he moved toward the closest one.

Somehow, Kaoseu had managed to escape the Shinigami in Karakura, and get back into Hueco Mundo. He recalled days of running rampant, devouring any Hollows weaker than him. Slowly, he began to take his personality again. He began to hunt just as that; a hunter. His intelligence began to return to him, as well as his memories. He made alliances with several other Hollow, each one equivalent to his power. However, he still had no inkling of his abilities. His body and strength were growing and evolving too fast for him to be able to gauge any form of ability.

After months of naught but hunting, and gathering his allies, their pack was enormous. As according to his plans, when they had amassed hundreds of followers, starving them to breaking point, they began to gorge themselves... On each other. It was a frenzy, full of gore and horrific mutilation. However, there was something strengthening about it. All of these Hollows, in one place, with a hive-minded mentality that had allowed them to adapt and hunt together, suddenly strengthening, but from each other, changed them. The mass of blood that pooled in the sand dried, the Hollows themselves piled up. Knowing this is what he was meant to do, if he were to get stronger, to find purpose once more, Kaoseu climbed his way to the top of the mass, along with his five most trusted companions, and settled in, letting the darkness envelop him.

From then, there was nothing of his own thoughts. Every intimate memory, every morsel of rationale, every emotion, was shared. The incessant buzz was almost too much at times, and the world at large seemed hard to focus on individually. Kaoseu knew, just as the others did, what they were. That together, they had evolved. They had become a Menos Grande. The only problem then was Kaoseu's ache to grow stronger, to retain himself, for the sake of his child, for the sake of his humanity. Slowly, his personality began to dominate the others, pulling each into himself as he went on, painstakingly rising to the top. The traditional pointed tip of their mask faded as Kaoseu's eyes watched, his awareness now the only one. Slowly, it was replaced by a much larger version of his older mask, angular and beak-like.

It was months after his transformation, months of feasting upon his giant brethren, that he felt a tugging deep within his stomach. Taking in a deep breath, he exhaled, and the air before him was rent apart. Silently, and with no noise save that of the swish of a cloak, he slid through the Garganta, and into the world of the living. Immediately, his enhanced senses eked out droves of newly made Pluses, and his eyes befell utter carnage throughout the city. He knew not what had occurred, but he did know that there would be an abundance of Hollow and Pluses alike to feed off of, which meant more strength.

He moved like a wraith into the city, crushing everything underfoot that he passed over, in search of decent sized meals, occasionally devouring a small Hollow or Plus like a handful of jellybeans as he went. Somewhere near, he felt a stronger presence, one on the verge of his own strength. He about faced and made his way towards the high level Reiatsu. He was ever so slowly inching towards a more perfect form, a true Rebirth.

"What a pain." Stratus muttered as he dug through the rubble. A large piece of the shattered building had crushed and killed many of he people. It was indeed a gruesome death for those on the street, and even more horrifying death for those occupying the building. The hollow wondered what had caused such mass destruction on the small area. Shattered buildings, deep craters, and cuts in rock as if hit by a mighty cleaver. He could only guess, but he really didn't care. Stratus held a large slab of rock up to reveal a bloody mess. He had work to to and so he dug up another soul. The person had died and their spirit had remained imbedded in the body not even knowing of it's unforeseen death. He gave a snicker as he pulled the surprised spirit from the mangled flesh. Using his slime he bound the now frightened soul's hands and feet. The sticky substance was more than enough to restrict the human spirit's mobility. He grabbed the spirit by the face and brought it up to his own.
"Not a word." He growled. "Not one fucking scream. If you do I will kill you now! Understand!?" the horrified soul let out a squeak. Stratus nodded in satisfaction.


Once this was done he tossed the helpless body next to the other two struggling forms. Two other souls that Stratus had found. Of course they had been quite vocal at their sudden liberation and he had seen fit to gag them. Only a bit of slime was needed to seal their mouths and end their screaming. Their new arrival looked at them, but still said nothing too terrified by they hollow's words. With a sigh Stratus let the large rock fall back down. It hit the ground so hard it ended up cracking. Some of the blood from the corpse started to ooze up the up. The man started to whimper at the sight, to which the hollow turned to look at him. "What did I say?" The man did his best to stifle the sobs, but tears continued to flow down his cheeks. He sighed How many souls did Madoka want anyway? He kicked himself for not asking. In the end he figured to keep looking until the other hollow came back. He opened his senses. There were more human souls to be found, but he felt something else. He had thought they were the only hollows here. There was another presence. Definitely not Madoka, but it was getting closer. "Maybe this won't be so boring a trip."

Kaoseu's thoughts drifted as slowly and as smoothly as he did. His massive form easily crushed meager Hollow beneath him as he moved about. His attention was drawn towards what was more than likely the epicenter of the destruction. With his mind, he could easily feel the vast number of newly deceased souls, the majority of them probably not even realizing they were yet dead. As he approached, he felt a flicker of two Spiritual Pressures, one stronger than his own, the other slightly below.

In a mere moment, the other disappeared, or receded, off into the distance, whilst the other remained. One by one, Kaoseu felt more of the Pluses congregate around the Hollow's Spiritual Pressure. His interest piqued, he intended to investigate. As he went, however, he could almost swear that the buildings below appeared to be getting closer, the ground he was covering decreasing with each passing moment. Then, he felt his Reiatsu increasing again.

"Another evolution... I'm so close now... What does that make me... An Adjuchas class...? So close..." he thought to himself as he shrank even further.

He began to close the distance, the ground looming ever closer, the ache beginning to set in as his physical form began to compact itself, his mask changing once more. By the time he was within walking distance of his destination, he was no taller than an above-average individual, standing at about 6'3". He could feel his hands and feet again, and his seven foot long tails danced about behind him. Something new, however was how light he felt, and the rustling sound coming from by his shoulders. When he turned his head, he jerked slightly when he caught sight of the feathery structure.

Spoiler:

It was then that his body became aware of the added muscles on his back, and the inquisitive Hollow gave them a few experimental clenches. The result was a flurry of wind that lifted him off the ground suddenly. Kaoseu almost pitched forward as his feet suddenly touched ground when the tension released. He grumbled lightly to himself, and kept his walk forward, trying to focus his newfound balance and weight with his greatly diminished height.

It took only a short while before he could walk normally again, and relished in the fact that his time as a Gillian was incredibly short. He could feel his power equalizing, though there was still more to be changed, one last evolution. The task at hand came back to mind as he heard the sound of crashing rubble and whimpering. He rounded the corner of a half-collapsed skyscraper, and beheld the source of the commotion.

Three Pluses, all bound and gagged in a similar manner, were huddled close, tears streaming as their eyes stayed focused on the figure that was moving about. On a second glance, Kaoseu could see the figure was indeed the other Hollow he had felt, the air near him thicker with the now familiar Spiritual Pressure. Slowly, he stepped from the shadow of the building and into the orange-hued light of the flames and sun.

"Planning a dinner party?" Kaoseu asked, his voice sounding like two at once, giving a strange double-echo effect, one being a higher pitched, almost grating voice, the other a sonorous lull in the air.

Hopefully this wasn't a jumpy individual that acted on the principal of attack first, ask questions later. As it were, Kaoseu was in no mood, nor position for a fight, his new form still to foreign, and his abilities not yet formed.

It was hardly a surprise when the creature arrived in the area. The hollow's approach hadn't gone unnoticed to Stratus. Before getting close the beast had given of enough energy for a novice to detect. Still it was suprising to see such a small creature. From the feel of the signal he had expected something much bigger. But being smaller did not diminish the amount of energy he felt from this winged beast. Much like himself this creature held more power than it's form showed. Size meant nothing for hollows. While bigger was best, smaller could be just as dangerous. That was one thing Stratus had learned quickly against the once tiny Moledale. This one before him wasn't as disarming.

Stratus sized up the other hollow. There was an air about the creature he didn't like. Something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The thing was nearly as tall as him, but the wings and tail made it seem abit bigger. When it spoke the annoyance level rose considerably. If he hit it hard and fast he was sure he could take the creature before it could take flight. His armor began to rattle in anticipation. They were ready for it, the wanted it probably more than he did. Just as he shifted his foot the human spirits whimpered. The sound rather than annoy him further reminded him why he was there. He groaned and relaxed slightly. Madoka had left him with this damnable task. As much as he hated it, he was fearful what would happen if he disobeyed. Against his better judgement he held his ground.
"A dinner for one." he growled finally in response. "Scram." While he had talked himself out of attacking, he still stood ready should the other not be as peaceful. Quietly he prayed the two toned bastard would try something. Claiming self-defense might go over better with the arrancar. There were plenty of wandering spirits in the wreckage, why the hell was this hollow bothering him?

There was a moment of violent tension in the air, so thick Kaoseu could feel it pressing on his chest. The Hollow, covered in what looked large, banded shoulder plates, shifted barely the fraction of an inch in his direction, only to stop when one of the Pluses let out a muffled whimper. Kaoseu's eyes narrowed at the unhappy groan that crossed the distance before the Hollow went about his task, in short, threatening him to get lost. Not normally one to be irritated, Kaoseu was mildly surprised when he felt his wings beat downwards and his tails swish back and forth in agitation.

"Plenty to go around here." Kaoseu said, his voice no longer carefree, but cool and measured, belying his inner frustration. He needed to gather souls, he could already feel the emptiness in his gut growing again. So close was he to equalizing his power to what it should be, and here was the only thing standing in his way. Knowing the other Hollow had been with him previously, Kaoseu suddenly put two and two together, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"Dinner for one, eh? Sorry, but ya don't look like the type to wait for a meal. Not feedin' yerself, are ya?" Kaoseu supplied, his old Squad 11 dialect coming out unconsciously. He was hoping to either get an answer out of this Hollow, or provoke a fight. Even without abilities, he reckoned he had a pretty 50-50 shot at taking down the opponent. And he was strong enough that he himself would make a decent meal, maybe even enough to push the final evolution into his Vasto Lorde form, as he was on the cusp anyways. If not, then maybe diplomacy could work in the end. It would be a shame to waste such strength, when the both of them could possibly accomplish so much more in a shorter amount of time, the only problem being that other presence that still worried him to an extent.

His blood was started to heat up for ever second he looked at the other creature. It would seem the other hollow wasn't so easily discouraged. With every swish of it's tail came the urge to rip appendage from the monster's body and beat him with them. Then he would tear off the monster's wings and shove them down his throat. Yes, that would be fun. His eyes glazed over as he imagined mutilation the other creature viciously. The rattling of his armor plates roused him from the savage daydream. His thoughts quickly being transmitted to the tendrils. The tendrils that made up his armor were like a separate creature for Stratus. A wild creature whom he had little control over. At best it did try to protect him. While at other times they remained non-responsive. His dark fantasy was all the nudge they needed to spring into action. Before Stratus could even think about a reply the armor had separated and launched themselves.

"Fuck!" was all the hollow could mutter as they sprang into action. Two of the bladed tentacles went straight at Kaoseu their points aimed at the other hollow's head. The other four spread out left and right of the winged beast and swung inward to grab him. Stratus was helpless to stop them. Honestly he wouldn't have stopped them if he could. He had told the stupid creature to leave, but it didn't take the hint. Silently he grinned as they moved to smash the creature quickly. Perhaps he would get something to eat after all. Humans were fun to consume, but of late he taken a liking to taste of other hollows. Although it wasn't enjoyable Moledale had told him it was necessary. Something about growth.

There was a certain amount of pleasure in watching the Hollow conflict with itself. The resulting shudder sent Kaoseu's armored form clattering, like a bag of bones being shaken up by a Shaman, the Fates about to be cast. And just like that, the ball was set rolling. Seemingly of their own accord, the separate segments of Stratus's armor sprang to life, revealing them to be multipurpose weapons as the bladed tendrils sped towards him. Their speed was impressive, but nothing Kaoseu couldn't easily outperform.

"Hmph." was the dismissive snort Kaoseu allowed himself at the sudden attack.

In the brief span it took for them to set in motion, Kaoseu counted six pointed tendrils. Two of them made a beeline straight at eye level, whilst the remaining four set about a pincer attack, two to each side and drawing inwards. Acting at the same moment the attack was initiated, Kaoseu set his own counter attack into motion. He stretched out his wings, and awaited the last possible moment to act.

When the tendrils were a few feet out, the winged Hollow crouched low, shifting his weight forwards and onto his left leg. With a carefully timed series of actions, he thrust off his left foot, and beat his wings full force out behind him, pressing them close against his body as his form laid out in the air. He was a bullet in a chamber as he sped past the deadly pieces of killer armor that created a sort of tunnel around him. As he took off, he drew back on his right arm. Closing in on his target, he forced Reiatsu into his fist as he aimed a powerful strike at the Hollow's smug face, with the intention to either leave this place with an ally, or a meal.

For once Stratus wished he wasn't right. It was a shock when the other hollow deftly dodged the surprise attack from his tendrils. It wasn't something many that he fought expected. Their numbers were enough to put most at an disadvantage, still the creature handled the attack well enough to mount a counter offensive. Stratus didn't have time to react as the other hollow charged directly at him. It moved quickly, too quickly for any type of defense on his part. Thankfully this helped him in the end. The creature's rush coupled with it's strength and reiatsu infused fist all were more than enough to send the larger hollow flying. Since he wasn't braced for the impact knocked him away rather than tear through him. While Stratus kept his head he had quite the headache. His relaxed stance had save him from taking alot of damage, but hadn't nullify the power of the strike. He tumbled end over end across the ruined city from the monstrous blow. With his tendrils fully extended as they were it was a less than graceful trip. While Stratus himself wasn't quick to recover, his tentacles were. After a couple rolls they shot out in different directions and hooked onto the ground stopping him with a slight jerk. His tumbling stopped with him on his back and his leg twisted beneath him.

Painfully he stood up and shook his head. He spit the dirt from his mouth and flexed his leg. The pain had faded rather quickly. While he stood there righting himself his tendrils hovered about him waving like angry snakes. They were sharing in Stratus' annoyance. Although he was masking it well inside he was a blazing inferno of rage. The punch had rattled his brain, and broken his jaw. Already he could taste the blood in his mouth. A fine strike, but he'd taken better and lived. Although he had technically started the fight, he was furious to have received the first blow. He looked to where the other hollow now stood. He had been knocked back quite a distance, a good forty feet or more.
"Here I was about to apologize and everything." he muttered as he set his jaw back into place. He would make sure the twin tail would pay for that sucker punch. The tendrils moved more furiously. "Yeah, yeah we're going to get him good." As if they understood they all seemed to calm down. The next instant they retracted back to their normal position as his armor. Raising his right hand to his side a burst of slime shot from his palm and crystallized. Stratus gave the five foot blade a practice swing. Perfect. The next second he was standing less that 4 feet from the other hollow. It had only taken him a second to use Sonido to close the gap. In that same second he was already thrusting the recently crafted weapon directly at the other creatures abdomen. While he could move as fast as the other hollow, he could move quickly when needed. With that in mind he might have a chance against it.NOW! he screamed mentally and his armor unfurled. All six tendrils shot forward. Like a shotgun's blast they fanned out aiming to completely skewer the other hollow.

The feel of his knuckles against the other Hollow's face brought back a primal feeling Kaoseu hadn't felt since his first days as a Hollow, nor since his time as a member of Squad 11 of the Gotei 13. Fully extending his wings, and angling them slightly forward, he brought his feet beneath him, landing easily on a mound of rubble from the ruined buildings around him. He clenched and unclenched his fingers, a rush of satisfaction causing him to shiver from wingtip to the end of his tails. In his mind, the fractured mess it still was, he could begin to imagine himself crushing the life from the Hollow in front of him. A wicked pleasure welled up inside him as he looked up, ready to advance on the Hollow and deal a killing blow. However, caught up in his own mind and used to dealing with lesser Hollow, he hadn't anticipated the quick recovery, and was a split second too late.

One moment, a flash of green sliced through the air, forty feet away, the next, there was a blade being thrust at his abdomen and an all-encompassing assault from almost every angle from the sharp tendrils attached to the Hollow. Even through the mask, Kaoseu could almost see the glee in the Hollow's face. There was little room to manuever, but he was not about to take a finishing blow so early in a battle. Reacting as quickly as possible, and using the height difference to his advantage, Kaoseu crouched, throwing his wings up to alter the angle of the tendrils. As he crouched, he turned to his left slightly, the blade piercing him through.

The combined pain of three tendrils shredding each wing and a five foot blade through his side drew a scream of fury and agony from deep within his chest as he reared back, drawing his right arm to maximum extension, and forming his sharp, bone-like fingers into a sort of spear. With his left hand, he grabbed at the extended wrist of the spider-esque Hollow that gripped the hilt of his crude sword. Kaoseu's roar increased in decibels as he focused a good ammount of Reiatsu into the tips of his fingers on his right hand and into his legs. In one fluid motion, he sprang up and thrust his right arm forward, aiming for the chest of the Hollow, fully extending his injured wings and drawing them down with a swift, forceful motion, fully intending to set this battle airborne.

The gray hollow grinned. He had every right to be happy; his plan had worked. No matter how fast the other creature was it would be impossible to dodge so many strikes at point blank range. It was a shame he hadn't thought up anything past that point. Maybe he had expected the other creature to fall after the barrage of strikes. Indeed his tendrils slashed at his opponent's body. The hollow's wings were cut as well as his crystal blade was driven into it's side. For a human that would have been a mortal would, but his opponent was far from human. A point the other hollow was sure to make as it screamed. The force it gave off as it screeched was like a hurricane, Stratus shielded his eyes as the wind blew at him. He was being pushed back by spiritual pressure alone. In each passing second the creature's reiatsu grew. As massive as it was it only seemed to get bigger and bigger. With the swelling power before him he started to question why he thought it smart to hit him head on. The other hollow's claws latched around his hand holding the sword. It was the he knew he was in trouble. The raised hand fortified with the reiatsu didn't help. With him held in place it would impossible for him to dodge the opponent's strike.

He pulled and pulled trying to free himself, but it wasn't going to happen. As the creature thrust it's hand forward he moved his own to intercept. The two clashed as they were taken into the air by the larger hollow's wings. They had rose into the sky after the flap of the ragged wings. Stratus' was happy that his chest wasn't ventilated by the other hollow's attack. He had managed to divert the attack with his hand. Of course that was putting it lightly. His left hand was ripped in twain by the other hollow's thrust. It was literally two flaps of blood and muscle hanging from the elbow. Instead the opponent's claws tore through the left side of his rib cage right below his armpit. So much damage with a single attack and he'd only manage to tear a little flesh with his own. Now they were heading into the air with him hanging below the flying hollow. The wings alone were proof the creature was more at home in the sky. Stratus couldn't fly being up in the sky was the last thing he wanted. With one are gone and the other captured his tendrils flailed at the other hollow. The whipped about and slashed at the hollow above him. In desperation Stratus released a stream of slime from his mouth. He hoped to get the sticky substance all over his enemy and gum up his wings.

The tension in his gut reached a panicking level with every beat of his wings. If he was capable of tears, they'd be streaming in rivulets of crimson down his mask. He couldn't draw a full breath from his right side, from which he drew the conclusion that the crystallized slime sword was impeding his diaphragm. Keeping his Reiatsu at it's current level would soon tire him out, and Kaoseu had already evened the playing field, destroying the Hollow's own arm with his speared thrust.

The buildings rushed past in a dizzying blur, and Kaoseu beat his wings one last time before his wings suddenly became fouled with the thick green slime the Spider-Hollow secreted. Flight would not have been impossible, but it would have proved extremely difficult and tiresome. As it were, Kaoseu's bloodlust had yet been sated, and his anger only rose at the six sharpened appendages that stung at his body like a cat o' nine tails.

"Don't like the air?" He asked sarcastically, his bi-vocal voice lilting with his lunacy.

Kaoseu forced a few more flaps as he held on tight, topping off at about eight stories off the ground, and whipped his tails around, one towards the other Hollow's abdomen, the other slightly higher and from the back.

"Then stay on the ground." He gave, his voice dropping a hundred degrees.

As the words came out, he abruptly pitched forward, putting himself above the Hollow, whose back was to the ground, , and slammed his wings from full mast, to flat against his form, keeping a tight hold of the the wrist in his left hand and opening his other like a barbed hook, making it that much more difficult to come loose. It took only a few seconds for them to reach terminal velocity, and their careening fall became a fixated speed, still full of massive force. As they drew closer to the ground, Kaoseu began re-focusing his Reiatsu in order to preserve what he could of his body, putting fortified layer just below the skin as the ground jumped out to meet them. His only thought was of the spear-like sword in his gut, and then simply,

This is gonna hurt...

Despite his efforts the two rose into the air. The damned twin tail was gaining altitude even as his tendrils viciously attacked him. Such a tough bastard. If situation was different he might like him. But that wasn't about to happen. Now more than ever he wanted to drive the sword deeper into the hollows stomach. Next he'd pull it straight up vertically splitting the creature like his hand. There was little he could think of to prevent the increased distance between his feet and the ground. Even his slime did little to stop the massive wings from push them upwards. Instead it seemed to spurn the hollow to try even harder. Anger was a marvelous thing. It fueled the body and mind to new heights, no pun intended, and for the opponent it was the driving force behind it's efforts. Stratus tried to twist the blade in his hand. He hoped the pain would shake the creature's rhythm and give him the opportunity to escape. No luck. He continued to let his tendril hack at the other hollow. They might not be enough to break the monster, but they would chip away at him bit by bit. All he needed was a second, one moment to break free and escape. The flier's intent became clear when it spoke of him staying on the ground. In the next moment they went into a dive.
"Of course." he muttered to himself as he struggled to free himself. The attack of his tendrils grew more frantic their actions reflecting Stratus' state of mind. He turned his head slightly to see the ground rushing to meet them. Thankfully this wasn't the first time he'd been in such a position, he knew what he had to do. After one last try to free himself his tendrils retracted. No sooner had they settled back into place that green slime started to secrete from every pore of his body. In seconds it no longer looked as if the winged hollow was holding a misshapen green object. There wasn't enough time for Stratus to build up a large amount of slime, but he hoped it would be enough. It was thirty feet from the ground that Status focused his reiatsu into the slime. The sticky fluid hardened and crystallized. Stratus was now covered in the same heavy crystal that made his sword. Even Kaoseu's hand was trapped in the jagged gemstone shell. In the next breath the two crashed into the ground.

Stratus hit first as planned, but rather than being crushed by the impact, his emerald prison too the blunt of the damage. Large cracks ran all along the crystal. Chunks of the stone broke off and flew off in various directions. Inside the cocoon Stratus was banged by the shockwave. He wondered if his body could have survived such a hit. It was a passing thought, he decided it was best not to find out. His body had hit into the ground first, but he other hollow had crashed into him. His sword was still sticking in the hollow before they fell, the impact would probably drive the weapon deeper into it's body if not break off. He couldn't see anything from his green shell. While he had survived he only hoped the enemy had fared much worse.

Kaoseu's bad dream could, apparently, get worse. His fractured mind only focused on causing as much damage to the Stratus as possible, he had neglected the portion of his persona that actually analyzed all of his opponent before rushing in headlong. His assumption that his foe could only secrete his slime-crystal from his hands was horribly miscalculated. In a matter of seconds, the Hollow was covered in a layer of his own slime, following his piercing tendrils retracting back into their plated armor appearance. Kaoseu noticed that both actions didn't take place simultaneously, so was it possible that he could only use one ability at a time?

Lost in thought for a moment, Kaoseu realized suddenly that they were falling faster, their weight suddenly increasing. Panic set in when he realized that he was looking at a large green crystal, rather than a Hollow. It was too late to open his wings; he'd just rip them off with the amount of velocity they were falling with. Frantically, he tried pulling his hand free, but was held fast by the stubborn substance. A moment of panic set in as he realized there was no way to escape from the inevitable crash.

With a violent impact, accompanied by a violent roar of pain, Kaoseu and Stratus slammed into the ground, sending shrapnel flying in every direction, along with Kaoseu's body in to a building, the gemstone blade snapping off in him. Pulling himself from the rubble, he let his Reiatsu return to normal. Almost every part of his body ached. His wings were bloodied and tattered, and blood poured from around the blade in his gut, which had slid almost all the way through him now, after breaking off at the base. Propping himself up on a wall, he looked at the flaming building around him. He hefted a desk leg up, with one end burning, and broke it off in the middle, taking one end and clamping it firmly between his jaws.

The other end, he held in his left hand while he reached behind him with his right and grasped the emerald blade, where the majority of the jagged green weapon was. In a swift motion, he yanked the blade out and jammed the flaming leg onto the wound, cauterizing it. The pain was intense, causing him to clench his jaws to muffle the scream. He reached around and proceeded to cauterize the other side, ceasing the flow of blood. He held onto the blade, giving it a few deft swipes in the air. For a jagged blade, made without any kind of experience, it was decently balanced, and lightweight. Taking in a deep breath, he stood to his full height, his closed wound sore. From under the ruined desk, he heard a whimper. Using his tails, he flipped the wooden debris over, to reveal a man in a worn suit. His jaws spread in a grin as the spirit below him cowered. Using his tails, he speared the man through, and began walking toward the chrysalis that was Stratus.

With a growl emanating deep from his chest, he lifted the squirming man to his face, opening his maw wide... and then wider, as he stuffed the figure down his gullet, 'til he reached the waist. With a sickening crunch, he snapped his teeth together, severing the businessman in two. It was a light snack, meant to help his wounds, and get his strength back up. He tossed the remainder of the torso aside, and reaffirmed his grip on the makeshift blade as he stood over Stratus and his protective shell, then raised the blade to where it was just above the gem-like barrier, awaiting the moment for it to crack open.

Somewhere far off, he felt the same Reiatsu he had felt when he had first arrived, the much stronger presence. In any other situation, he would have no qualms; he had taken on opponents high above his level before. This, however, was not a normal circumstance. He was a Hollow with no access to his abilities, and still evolving to acclimate to a body his power could be sustained in. He was in no shape for a battle, yet the presence drew ever closer. He had either two options, wait, and try to defeat the hollow before him at the risk of his life, or run, and risk his life with a chase he knew he could not outpace. Gritting his teeth, he chose the least intelligent of the two, and held fast. If Stratus emerged before the Arrancar arrived, for that was the only thing it could be, Kaoseu would fight to win, even if it was a useless struggle. he only prayed for a quick death.

Elsewhere

The arrancar stood still as a statue as the fight unfolded a short distance away. He had felt the hollow's presence as he left Stratus alone. Lord Amago had demanded he keep an eye on the creature and so he had. Still he was more interested in the new hollow than the one that had gained the Primera's favor. At first he was going to intervine, but decided what better way to test the creature than to have it fight. Not only could he gauge the monster's strength, but it gave him a chance to gauge Stratus' as well. Two birds one stone. Perhaps it was some of his personal disdain for both that allowed the fight to go on longer than it should. Neither of them was going to pull their punches. If he didn't do something soon they might kill each other. Or at least one of them to die. Honestly he didn't care which. He stood there watching it all. The smaller one getting knocked away, his barrage of attacks, the magnificent counter. He watched stoically as they rose into the sky and then came crashing down. Yes, one of them would die. He had seen enough, almost enough. Madoka vanished from his perch and reappeared in the air. He was flying at an incredible speed. Seconds passed and Madoka arrived at the damaged area. Slowly he descended from the sky. He landed a matter of fifteen feet from the winged creature.
"You are strong." he stated flatly. "But that is all." his own spiritual power barely emitting from his body. Yet his eyes flared brilliantly. "That one is under my care, step away and I will allow you to live."

Stratus had come out of his crystal at the worst possible time. It only took a moment for the last of the shards of the shell dropped from his body. The winged creature was standing over him with his own weapon. A glance his opponent gave him the pleasure in knowing that the fall had done a number on him. But his own body ached, but it was the least of his problems. He was so focused on his impending doom he didn't notice that Madoka had arrived upon the scene. Stratus' armor separated once again and waved menacingly in front of his attacker. The next second they were lashing out at him. Each of them flying wildly at the other hollow. One pair of the bladed tendrils helped prop him up slightly. He moved his feet to rise from the ground. Even on his feet things hadn't changed. The creature was stronger than him, and he couldn't think of a way to really take him down .

The sheer aura, pure, with no intermission from his Spiritual Power, was enough to make Kaoseu's tails twitch as the Arrancar appeared from nowhere, using their equivalent of Flash Step. He held a steady gaze that bespoke no lies, and offered no solace from their brilliance. His words drifted across the space to Kaoseu as he stood there, unflinchingly. After the threat t his life, Kao did a quick mental once-over of his battered body, and couldn't help but grin, thinking to himself that he may not live long, even if he did oblige the offer. However, the fact that a lower Hollow, like Stratus, would hold any interest to an Arrancar, which often had Fraccion, puzzled him, the reasoning unclear.

"What does an Arrancar want with a-"

Before he could finish, the area in front of him came alive with a flurry of movement as Stratus's tendrils lashed out. Letting his already battered wings take more of a beating, Kaoseu roared, flaring them high, and beat them down in front of him, attempting to smother the assault. Using his own tails to his advantage, Kaoseu whipped the barbed appendages towards his foe, who was now trying to stand, aiming to spear him through or severely wound the creature. Noticing the two tendrils propping him up, Kaoseu took a vicious swipe at the otherwise occupied weapons with the makeshift blade in his hand, no longer having his opening shot.

His mind wasn't well off, intent on ending this before the Arrancar took hold of the situation. Kaoseu's bloodlust and unsated hunger drove him and clouded his mind from the harm he knew would come, turning him into a winged berserker, Hell bent on drawing out as much pain and the eventual end of the Hollow before him.

Madoka's sudden appearance had granted Stratus a distraction, but in the end it wasn't much. Even exploiting that opening the other hollow managed to beat back his wild attacks. Still he tried. He wasn't one to take it lying down. Yet, lying down or standing the outcome seemed to be the same. As glad as he was to see Madoka return he was too late to do much good. The twin tailed bastard was already going back on the offensive. The new wave of attack began with those double tail impaling him through his abdomen. Painful as it was he latched onto them to prevent them from driving themselves in deeper. He could already feel them sticking from his back.
If that wasn't enough the hollow now hacked at the tendrils that were helping him stand. Not that it mattered as his body was now being supported by spears going through his stomach.

His painful situation made him miss the irony of the other creature using his own weapon to attack him. The sword easily cut through the first tendril. While the bladed portion might have been tough enough to repel such a blow, the body of the tendril was barely stronger than his own skin. Of course this was pain added to his already agonized position. The second tendril wasn't completely cut off, but he deep gash was enough to make it recoil. This new pain made the tendril refocus and the remaining ones moved as one to strike at the attacker.

This never came as suddenly Stratus found himself airborne. The tails that were stabbing him were gone, blood poured from the large holes left in their wake. He sudden flight came to an end with his body crashing to the ground with a loud crunch. His tendrils waved about wildly as he laid there for several seconds. Finally he sat up. The other hollow and Madoka were some distance away.

In a flash Madoka had moved. He had yanked Stratus free from the spiked tails, and then tossed him away like a sack of garbage. He was certain such a wound would not kill the hollow. Still he took little care in removing him. Nor did realize his own strength on the weakened Stratus. The casual throw had sent Stratus flying many feet away. Such an impact might increase the damage to his body. But he didn't think of it. The large man stood his arms crossed in front of the winged hollow.
"I will only give one warning, continue no further." he said firmly. This time he did let his spiritual power ripple from his body. An almost powder blue glow emanated from every pore of his body. The ground cracked as the weight upon it seemed to increase astronomically. "My mission does not include destroying you, but anything more and I will have to take action."

Just like ancient swordplay, one small cut did virtually nothing to the body, but hundreds of small cuts caused some damage. Stratus's barrage of tendrils had shredded his wings, piercing membrane and blood vessels, tearing large holes, and de-feathered the vast majority of their surface. Across his body, cuts and gouges bled, some barely, others, profuse. His mind was addled, his body, previously almost entirely white, was now slicked with crimson blood, though how much was his opponent's or his completely unknown.

He felt the slight tug as the crystalline blade slid through the first supporting tendril, and was prepared for the next, a devilish gleam in his eye, even as Stratus's remaining weapons gathered into a single mass, blocking the view of his tails running the other Hollow through. Then, there was another tug , this one much more violent and abrupt, but not from him. When his brain finally caught up with his eyes, his entire body quivered and froze, still as a statue, save for his heavy breathing and bleeding wounds.

Before he even had a chance to register the movement, the Arrancar had grabbed Stratus and tossed him aside like a rag doll, uncaring of the damage done to the Hollow's body by Kaoseu's barbed tails and manic attacking with the crude blade. Still, Kaoseu's mind was addled, his adrenaline and bloodlust at a peak. Rather than cower, he glared at the Arrancar, unflinching. The warning he gave, despite the fact that he was facing Kaoseu, seemed to not only be for him. As Kaoseu went to look around the frame of the Arrancar in front of him, the sudden influx in power made his eyes narrow, his attention snapping back to the strongest of the three of them present. As he watched, a pale blue hue began to shroud the Arrancar in a shroud-like manner, his Spiritual Power physically affecting the environment, making it harder to breath, and causing even Kaoseu's knees to shake, threatening to buckle beneath him.

When the Arrancar next spoke, Kao's anger broke, his bloodlust dissipating, all replaced by curiosity and weariness. He never relaxed his grip on the blade, though he did place the tip on the ground, and used it as leverage to lean on. His eyes darted to Stratus's form every so often, keeping an eye out for any sudden attacks, and proceeded with his train of thought.

"Mission? So the both of you work for someone stronger? The Hell's goin' on here that I'm missin' out on?" he inquired, his instincts from battle bringing out his old Squad 11 drawl to his speech, though he meant no disrespect to the Arrancar. The last thing he needed was to try and take on such a beast in his current state. As it were, he didn't think he could last much longer against Stratus. The only thing that had saved him was the feel of a blade in his hand.

Madoka took a threatening step forward. His foot shattered the ground as it came down. A low growl emanated from the arrancar's throat.
"I SERVE Lord Amago, King of Hueco Mundo. Mind your tongue." the man's arms had come uncrossed and his right hand reached for the sword on his hip. His energy spiked his reiatsu rumbling forth. It took a moment for the pressure to receded and Madoka regained his composure. Once more he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the creature before him. What a sight. It was covered in lacerations from head to toe. A multitude of gashes upon it's flesh from the other hollow's desperate attacks. Still nothing too deep or that would take long for a hollow to recover from. Now he had a good sense of what to expect. He didn't for a moment think to look at Stratus' wounds, but it was obvious who was stronger. The black hollow would have died if not for his stepping in. There was much strength in the creature, but still so much untapped power. Would he prove an asset or liability was anyone's guess. "I apologize." he said more softly and give a slight bow. "As I said that one is in my care. If were there aggressor I hope that you would forgive his actions. I sure he regrets it."

In truth Stratus regretted nothing, he was angry. Angry that he had nearly been killed by thetwin tailed bastard. He was just as angry with Madoka for interfering even though he was on the losing end of the fight. Very slowly his armor retracted. One of the plates was missing. The other was hanging on by a sliver of flesh. It hurt as it slid back into place with it's brethren. He groaned and grabbed his abdomen. Focusing his power he funneled his slime to his hands until a good sized glob covered the opening. With a bit of his energy it became crystal sealing the wound.It still hurt like hell, but at least it wasn't open to the air. For several moments he struggled to reach his back where the tails had come out. It hurt to move, but he managed to place some slime on the exit wound. He lay there in silence after he finished his first aid. Stratus knew he regenerated, but it wasn't as quick as he would like. Already he could see the blood welling in behind the green gemstone. Damage like this would probably take days if not weeks to come back from. Flesh was easy to heal, but organs seemed to be not so lucky. Not for one second did he consider himself lucky to be well enough to be able to complain about such things. Nor did he thing that if the whole had been centimeters to the left his spine would have been torn in half. Not that a pierced gut was in any way pleasant he was very lucky that things had ended there.

Kaoseu's manic grin faltered for a moment as Madoka's killing intent escalated, and he took a powerful step forward. Reacting on instinct, Kao took a defensive step backwards, readying himself for anything, his mind fully aware of the Arrancar's hand resting on his blade's hilt. He processed the words that were being said, which only confused him more, especially the emphasis on select words. He ran the name through his head, trying to remember anything he could about a Lord Amago. He was sure he would have been briefed in his previous life, as a Shinigami, if the Hierarchy of Hueco Mundo's fortress, Las Noches, had changed. Somehow, this seemed more ominous, though he waited to open his mouth, knowing full well his own capabilities at this point.

While the Arrancar spoke, Kaoseu took this time to study his enemy. Firstly, that the being was massive, even by normal Arrancar standards. He was built wide, and bulked with muscle. Large tusks protruded from his jowls, reminding Kaoseu of a mastodon, what with the culmination of this man's physical appearance. His strength wasn't something to be tested, obvious by his body's build, and neither was his willingness to dispatch anything unnecessary. Other than that, he seemed like a typical Arrancar.

As he finished his examination, Madoka was finishing Stratus' apology, on his behalf. By this time, Kaoseu's bloodlust and adrenaline had settled down, so that his judgement was no longer impaired, and his calm demeanor had somewhat returned, eking out some of his harsh Squad 11 dialect. He chuckled lightly to himself as he bowed in return.

"My apologies, no trespass intended, and no regret should be had. I pushed, he retaliated. Albeit, it was fun, though painful for the both of us, no doubt." He said, grimacing, as his body suddenly became aware of the severity of his wounds, now that the adrenaline was gone. He could already feel them healing, so that was a good thing, but that still did nothing to alleviate the uncomfortableness of so many open cuts and breaks. He watched around the massive form in front of him as the other Hollow began to gather himself, spraying that odd green slime onto his wounds, sealing them shut. Kaoseu could only wonder what his own Hollow abilities may be, or if he would even develop any.

"Though, might I ask, who exactly is Lord Amago...? And for that matter, who you two are?" he queried, hoping to gather at least some form of information. His mind snapping to attention, he forgot to take into account the way Madoka had spoken, and corrected his error in formalities quickly. "Ah, sorry, where're my manners, eh? My name is Kaoseu Enjel, New Hollow, Ex- Shinigami Captain." he said, bowing courteously, but not so low as to show deference. Thinking back, he had no idea why he added any part of his background or his full title, or the fact that he was still new to being a Hollow. For all he knew, he'd just signed his own death-warrant. Perhaps it was his nervousness, but he could feel his Spiritual Pressure beginning to spike again. Then again, he recalled that the level of his Spiritual Power was equivalent to that of a Vasto Lorde, and as far as he was aware, he was only at the stage of an Adjuchas...

Ex-Shinigami? The word stuck out to the arrancar. It took much to get reactions from him at time, Kaoseu had raised the large man's eyebrow. No matter how much he looked at it, this was no shinigami before him. And a captain at that. Surely there was something wrong with the creature. It wasn't uncommon for hollows to lose their minds after the menos stage. Not all of them survived that period completely intact. It was even suggest that the personality that emerges was a mixture of others. While other swear they had always been who they say they had been. It was hard to tell. Hollows aren't always the chatty types. Kill or be killed. Fight before the other hollow made a meal of you. They were not social creatures. Still for the monster to make such a proclamation was new even to Madoka. In all his years never had a hollow claimed to be shinigami. Nor would they. Even if it was true wouldn't that make you the enemy of very such being in Hueco Mundo? So, yes, Madoka was obviously intrigued by the hollow's strange statement and behavior. An amusing creature like this would no doubt strike the Lord's fancy. Perhaps. The arrancar shook his head as the internal conflict unfolded. Did he really wish to bring this hollow back with him? Or should he destroy him? It didn't seem to wild and unruly, not that he couldn't handle that. Still he didn't like such unknown elements around his Lord. He took a peek over his shoulder at Stratus. That creature was a prime example. Honestly he hadn't expected him to last as long as he did. Stratus had tenacity to be sure, but not much else. This creature had power, but might be short on sanity.

The tall man closed his eyes as he pondered the matter further. A possible ally or a potiental enemy. That is what stood before him. True to his words the hollow was strong. To let him go unchecked could be fool-hearty. He opened his eyes and looked upon the creature one more time. In one smooth motion he reached for his weapon and pulled it free of it's sheath. The cold metal flashed in the light briefly as it cleared the scabbard. It was a large weapon only to match the man's size. It was another flash and it vanished. Madoka stood there as still as a statue. There was a sudden his as the blade came down spinning faster than a propeller. It only took an instant for the sword to land point first into the ground inches from the spot Kaoseu stood. The thrown weapon sunk nearly half it's length into the rocky earth. Madoka regarded the sword for a moment then strode forward and claimed his weapon. He returned it to sheath on his hip and nodded to the hollow.
"Not only strong, but lucky." he said, "Let us see how that luck holds out. Come, we shouldn't stay here too long. With being said Madoka body flickered and he vanished. Sonido took him to the area where the souls had been lost in the scuffle. He grabbed them by their feet like caught fish. His next motion took him to where Stratus lay. With ease he threw the hollow over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Kaoseu was too far away to hear the complaints the Stratus made being treated thusly. Madoka nodded his head and a crack appeared in the air above the ground. The crack expanded and widened until it was a portal of pitch black. He walked upon the air and stepped through. Once he had crossed the threshold he turned to look at Kaoseu waiting.

As Kaoseu watched, a myriad of different expressions danced across the giant's face, each one differing from the last by but a few slides of muscles. Though, no matter which expression, the man's thoughts could not be discerned. The feeling in his gut began to grow once more as the seconds ticked by, one eternity after the other. Then, without warning, a massive blade sung through the air, sinking deep into the earth at his feet. One more second, and he would have easily been cleaved in two. As it were, if he'd had a heart, it probably would have stopped.

He looked up questioningly, only to be answered by the mammoth's bulk hovering just in front of him as he drew his blade from the earth and sheathed it once more. His next words set Kaoseu at ease, until he disappeared, only to reappear once more next to Stratus, a mass of captured Pluses in hand. Like lifting a newborn, he tossed the wounded Hollow over his shoulder, and with a simple nod of his head, a Garganta slid open, its gaping maw inviting him to the individual as Madoka stepped in, his head turning, an obvious sign to follow. As quickly as his injured form would let him, though he had healed quite well, thus far, he made his way to the portal.

As of yet, he still had no idea what to expect, but continued his pursuit, not pressing his unanswered questions as he walked next to Madoka. He glanced at Stratus, a green sting of envy playing at his nerves as his hand gripped the crude blade tighter. He would keep the item- it would serve him well, should he need it, since, as of yet, he had no abilities of his own. Hopefully, at their destination, he would have more time to explore such ventures, the steady rising Reiryoku in his gut telling him this was most likely true, as he could feel another transformation coming on soon. Silently he smirked to himself, and tried to even his stride with what he could only hope were new-found allies.

"What the hell!" Stratus grumbled and struggled in vein. "Let me down you ass!" The arrancar had him, but good. Not that Stratus had any strength in which to resist. There was little he could do to make him release his hold. His embarrassment of the lost fight was compounded by the undignified position Madoka held him. He had a good view of the creature a he hung over the large man's shoulder. He didn't look too keen on fighting again. Of course not now that Madoka was here. Still he would have liked the other hollow to try. He wouldn't mind seeing what the large arrancar was capable of. First hand has the spider like hollow felt Madoka's massive strength in a fight. Fight was putting it nicely as Stratus had almost had the life squeezed out of him. Calling a it a fight would be like calling the ocean a puddle. Still he doubted the winged hollow would have fared too much better in his current condition. The thought of twin tailed hollow being smashed flatter than a pancake filled his head as he was carried into the dark portal. He was so deep in thought that he hadn't felt the burst of spiritual pressure that Madoka commanded to open the gate. It was the sudden chill of entering the black space the jarred him back to reality.

It was further salt in the wound that the twin tailed bastard was accompanying them back to Hueco Mundo. Salt and a bit of lemon rubbed in for good measure. Indeed his armor started to rattle. The missing tendril throbbing. But just as the winged monster would not attack due to fear of Madoka intervening so did Stratus know that trying to attack might bring to him. He groaned and just hung there limp. No need to get worked up. Stratus couldn't wait to get back to their base and rest up. He wondered how long it would take to grow back the tendril. The gate closed and they began their trip back to the desert of endless night.