Raze the dead (open)

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.