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| This article, Hunger and Greed: Predation, is part of Bleach: War for the King's Seal, which continues on from the opening segments of the site's former Fanon Canon project. Use of this page's contents is determined by the author of this page, unless otherwise specified. |
This article, Hunger and Greed: Predation, is the third chapter of the Hueco Mundo arc, which is part of Bleach: War for the King's Seal. It's the first community RP of Bleach: War for the King's Seal, and features Averian as the antagonist.
There were many creatures that called Hueco Mundo home. Some were content to slither through the sand, the reishi in the atmosphere enough to sustain them. Some, like Gundinger Dreliarn, carved out for themselves a small portion of the sandy dunes and called it theirs. Others, like Ashido, had a mission to fulfil. Then there were the recent arrivals. The remnants of the Wandenreich also called Hueco Mundo home.
But there were others, more ancient, and far more primal, who chewed on the chaos of Hueco Mundo and swallowed it whole.
There was nothing keeping one such creature confined to the Forest of Menos now. Gundinger and Ashido had managed to flee through a Garganta, said primal force left behind to roam as he wished. And he had set his hungry eyes topside!
Averian, who was once thought to be a mere myth in this world, walked the secret passages of the Forest of Menos, very much a reality. His steps were light upon the ground, his demeanour exuding confidence as if he hadn’t a care or a worry in the world, but his face told an altogether different tale. There was a hunger there. It wasn’t quite frenzied; not yet, but it was clear that he hadn’t quite got a handle on it. His appearance hardly gave the impression of some ancient primal entity, but when was it ever a good idea to judge a book by its cover? He was lithe, tall, wiry and powerful, and wore a colour-inverted garb identical to the Shinigami, with a large triple-bladed scythe resting casually on his shoulder. His white hair wavered in the breeze that blew through the tunnel whose exit would take him topside, under the light of a crescent moon.
And then he might finally be able to sate some of this endless hunger.
Hollow and Arrancar were creatures with heightened senses. Whether by instinct or through the enhanced sensory perception employed by the Arrancar in differing forms, all were sensitive to powerful reiatsu. The trio of Arrancar, known collectively as Trillizos and who once counted the Espada as their comrades, were no different. They all felt it: a sudden weight on their shoulders and a pang of growing hunger in the pit of their stomach.
“What now!?” the brothers asked in unison.
Meanwhile, a diminutive figure clad in a hooded robe of dark purple colour moved quietly across the vast white desert. Small, unassuming, silent, they moved with incredible grace, jumping swiftly from shadow to shadow. Their spiritual pressure was heavily suppressed, tapered to a point, so that they remained nigh-undetectable.
That was not Muto's first mission to Hueco Mundo. Far from it, they had already conducted several successful ones. Both to spy on the violent inhabitants, as well as to participate in the violence themself. However, that marked the first time they deliberately veered from their primary task. Rather than continue observing the goings-on in Las Noches, Muto decided to investigate the source of unfamiliar, potent spiritual pressure.
They were well-aware of the former Espada and de facto rulers of Hueco Mundo, as well as the powerful Arrancar who had joined them a few years prior. But for another one to emerge out of the blue was truly a reason for concern. After decades of severe mistreatment at the hands of Shinigami and Quincy, were the forces of Hollows preparing to finally take revenge? Only time would tell. So Muto kept cautiously approaching the source of the immense spiritual pressure, intent on finding out more about the newcomer.
Among the severe white dunes of Hueco Mundo, a figure clad in black trekked his way through the stark cold and coarse sands. A thin barrier of blue reiatsu shrouded the young man from the treacherous weather conditions. A number of severe, yet sporadic winds picked up, threatening his already tenuous footing. However, this would not deter him. He narrowed his eyes and ground his teeth until he reached his destination. A graveside that held numerous tombstone. The one that immediately caught his eye was etched with the name "Judah Eli".
A storm of emotion clouded Hikari's visage. Anger, regret, sorrow. He let them wash over him, attempting to strengthen his resolve. He forced himself pass the grave towards the epicenter of the strange reiatsu he felt emanating from a place not to far from where he was. Almost like a miasma, it produced a thick shroud of dense spiritual energy that most definitely belonged to the Arrancar that fell his father. With a grim resolve, Hikari made his way towards the spiritual pressure.
There was more than one Quincy nearby who sensed what was, quite frankly, a ludicrous amount of reiatsu. It was clearly an Arrancar -- the dualled nature of the reiatsu on display was a dead give-away of that. That said, it was neither Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez who fancied himself "King of the Hill" these days, nor was it the previous Queen Tier Harribel, and it certainly wasn't the voice of reason amongst the three Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck.
Which begged the question: who did that reiatsu belong to?
This was a question Siegfried Adler needed to answer, if for no other reason than to identify whether the owner of that overwhelming reiatsu was friend or foe. The remnants of the Wandenreich empire had always liked to know their enemy. The detail of the information they had amassed on the Shinigami had been frightening, to say the least. And they now had something similar compiled for the Hollow and Arrancar of note that they had encountered throughout Hueco Mundo.
With pen and paper in-hand, Siegfried adjusted his glasses and moved towards the scene on a flow of reishi.
One never really put "Hueco Mundo" and "Scholar" together in one sentence, yet that was exactly what Gengetsu was. Like his father before him, Gengetsu was on a mission to amass knowledge and his travels in pursuit of such had led him here, to Hueco Mundo of all places. Still, a Vampire, walking the dunes? At least he had no sunlight to worry over here.
He was no stranger to danger, so when he sensed the sudden influx of reiatsu, which instinctively made him bare his fangs as though ravenous with hunger, he didn't immediately show much reaction. It was in the nature of Hollows and Arrancar to battle one another, and with the Quincy here, they just had another target. Yet this seemed different. There were already a number of others, all with high reiatsu levels, converging on the large presence.
"Well, this certainly qualifies as an oddity," he mused. "And father said those have left the world? I can't wait until he sees this one."
He reached inside his expensive suit jacket, found the inner pocket, and removed two empty vials. These were specially designed to hold his blood, to act as a chronicle in the event disaster ever befell him, and his pocket jingled, signfying the presence of others. The first vial was labelled VLAD whilst the second was labelled ZALESKA. He filled both vials, secured them, and secreted them inside his suit once more.
Thus ensured, he began walking towards the source of the reiatsu, without a care or a worry in the world.
Slowly, carefully. Muto approached a rock formation that protruded from the sea of white sand, then descended into a shallow depression between nearby dunes. There was a sizeable opening in the stone wall in front of them, presumably the entrance to an underground cavern. The immense spiritual pressure that they had sensed earlier was emanating from that place. Without taking their eyes off the dark hole, Muto sneaked behind one of the tree-like quartz formations that emerged from the ground in the vicinity.
Patience, vigilance. Suppressing their own spiritual pressure with utmost precision, they crouched in the shadow of the skeletal tree. The colour of their robes changed, swiftly camouflaging them against the white, grey, and black of the surroundings. Muto glanced at the eight-pointed star pendant they held tight in their left hand, seeking reassurance. They closed their eyes, and focussed. Several different signatures were converging upon this place, all of them strong. That was not pure coincidence, but fate. Arrancar, Quincy, and...? A single wrinkle formed on Muto's otherwise smooth forehead. They sensed something they had never felt before. All the more reason to stay here and investigate.
They did not forget about the instigator behind that all, though. They turned their head toward the exit from the cavern again.
It's coming, they thought.
As Hikari made his way towards the source of the power he felt, he grasped the elongated black cross that hung low around his neck. A flash of light emanated from the heirloom and covered Hikari in a stark, crimson Reishi armor. "It's time I finished this." He spoke resolutely to himself.
Averian emerged from the tunnel's exit, bathed in the light of a crescent moon, the wind tender on his bare face. How long had it been since he stood beneath that light? He wasn't sure. His confinement in the Forest had been long, and his mission to return his strength to what it had been longer still. Those responsible: What was it they called themselves now? Ah, yes: Shinigami. Heh. Gods of death? They'd learn soon enough.
And what was he sensing? Numerous meals, all racing towards him?
His eyes narrowed as his senses expanded outwards.
The lesser Hollow had mostly retreated beneath the sands, the surging reiatsu driving them to ground. Or had they been commanded to hide? Hmm, time would tell. He identified most of what was coming towards him. Arrancar. One of Baraggan's court, if he weren't mistaken. Though the reiatsu was familiar it seemed... diminished, somehow? Almost like it had been carved up. Another with powers akin to Starkk, perhaps? There was a Quincy, as well. No. There were several Quincy. One closer than the other, his reiatsu flaring like a bright light. The other was farther away. There was a... chaotic ebb to his reiatsu. Like that of a beast. Yet it seemed excited? Averian had witnessed a curious sight once, before his imprisonment. A Human -- what they called a "Fullbringer" -- fighting beneath the crescent moon. His reiatsu had sang then; a song of welome, and the sandy dunes responded. The reimyaku that flowed through this realm was receptive to their own kind.
Interesting.
He threw his arms out wide in embrace.
"... Come, I hunger!"
Hikari's eyes widened as he took in the full force of this Vasto Lorde's reiatsu. It poured off of the figure clad in white in waves so strong it nearly paralyzed the Quincy where he stood. Still standing on a platform of reishi above The Hollow, he flared his own spiritual pressure in order to combat the overwhelming sense of...of..."What the hell is this?" He thought. "It's like...I'm getting hungry? Must be a result of his reiatsu. He might have been an Espada. With an aspect related to hunger." Hikari postulated as he landed before the Arrancar. Normally, there would be no way in hell Hikari could stand up to an opponent like this. However, there were several notable spiritual energies converging on the location. So that was more than enough reason to... no. He couldn't act like there was any reason behind what he was doing other than wanting to put this bastard into the ground for what he did.
Hikari's eyes shined a stark whitish blue as his reiatsu flared once again. A plume of light shot into the air towards the crescent moon high above them. His voice boomed out. "Are you the Hollow that killed a Quincy by the name of Judah Eli?"
Averian tilted his head to the side, his hair parting enough to show the circular remnants of his Hollow mask looping around his left eye. As the Quincy spoke, Averian's blank expression transitioned into a twisted smile.
Silvery hair billowing in the wind. A sword and shield held defiantly aloft. Quincy and Hollows, both scrambling, struggling, dying. Only one fighting back.
His reiatsu was familiar enough to that silvery-haired Quincy from before to suggest a familial relationship. Ah, but just admitting to it? There was no fun in that, and anger added so much spice to the hunt.
"I am not in the habit of learning the names of my prey, and I certainly do not name my dishes afterwards."
Truth be told, he didn't know the name of those Quincy. And with those few words it became crystal clear that the Quincy before him, not to mention the entourage of approaching people, amounted to little more than food in this creature's mind.
Upon hearing his father being disregarded as mere prey, Hikari's anger reached a boiling point as his spiritual pressure became electrified, arcs of lightning emanating from him, bombarding the white sands with sporadic bolts one after the other. Ear-bursting claps of thunder rang out all across Hueco Mundo. When suddenly the sand beneath Hikari's feet exploded, creating three foot crater in his wake. He shot towards the Hollow with frightening speed in an even more feverish anger. He reached out, manifesting a spirit weapon in his left hand; a elegant golden knife commonly seen from those who practice kali. The lightning storm condensed around the blade as he brought it down upon the smirking demon in an attempt to bifurcate him. "You speak so carelessly about my father, about the squadron you killed. When I'm done you won't even be prey! You'll just be another statistic! " He bellowed.
Blue fire, made seemingly of condensed reishi, and very much a Quincy technique, rose in reply to the arcing lightning before Hikari had even started moving.
Around Averian himself rose a pillar, made from the selfsame flames, a blue column that pierced the heavens! Hikari would likely recognize the technique as one of many employed by the Sternritter of the Wandenreich. Averian's pillar was made deliberately more dense immediately in front of him, exactly where Hikari struck, as a means of blunting his foes attack, before the booming sound of Sonido indicated that he had moved.
His movement took him upwards.
Hidden by the pulsing blue of his created pillar, Averian clenched his fist. The surrounding flames intensified all around Hikari, his forward movement doing little more than propelling him into the heart of an encircling inferno!
"Your father was more impressive,"
And from the heavens Averian sent his scythe flying donwards, the weapon guided by a considerable length of cord.
The appearance of the azure flames gave Hikari pause as his eyes widened. A Quincy technique? If Hikari needed any more confirmation that this creature was the one responsible for his father's death, he would have it at the sight of one of the signature abilities of his people. But that was just it; it was suppose to be an exclusive power. How was this Arrancar capable of pulling such a feat off?
As these thoughts raced through Hikari's mind, he pulled upon the arc of lightning surrounding him to alter his trajectory from crashing into the wall of fire before him. He would shoot up, the lightning enhancing his perception and reaction times far beyond the norm, towards the Hollow. His blade still in hand, he aimed this time to cut him in half from the bottom up. Until...
"Your father was more impressive."
The mere mention of his father from this monster was seen as nothing more than a taunt, a way to cloud Hikari's vision and mind . Force him into making foolish mistakes. Of course, one could call this entire venture the same thing. But Hikari didn't. No matter how strong this creature was, he simply couldn't allow it to keep enjoying the opportunities at life that it stole from his father.
Yet Hikari would not have the luxury of any further comments or thoughts, as Averian's scythe crashed down on him with a bone-rattling impact. Hikari had to muster all the speed he could just to barely block the attack that sent him hurtling into the inferno. However, he noticed the cord connecting the blade with the length of the weapon. Using his other hand, a similar knife sprang forth and he immediately began an attempt to slice through the cord and hopefully make progress in disarming the Arrancar before he hit the ground.
Rather than slam into the ground, hit the flames, or make an attempted incision against the cord of Averian's scythe, Hikari found his descent slowed by a platform! It was the kind a Quincy skilled in Hirenkyaku could create. Averian's scythe sailed harmlessly past, its trajectory suddenly changed by Averian pulling on the cord, and it soon returned to his hand.
"Sorry about that!" A voice bellowed from Hikari's right. The platform subsequently hovered Hikari over to the owner of the voice. "I'm Siegfried Adler, and if I'm not mistaken, we're colleagues."
Averian, rather than being upset by the interruption, actually looked pleased. After all, his meal had just gone from a single course to two.
"So, it was the Quincy. And now I know why his energy felt odd. He's descended from those rabid beasts."
Rather than allow the newcomer to team-up with Hikari, Averian opted to keep them seperated and unsure. His intention was as clear as the light of the Cero shining in his hand. Mere seconds, and with a whoosh, Averian sent the beam hurtling between the pair! Meanwhile, a small, robed figure manifested suddenly in his vicinity.
Muto had been wondering: should they ambush the Arrancar right away? Or approach him openly and talk to him in order to judge his worth properly? But the decision was made for them. The depth of his power, the foul quality of his spiritual pressure, the things he said, and the abilities he displayed... all of those factors combined meant that he was a grave threat. One that had to be dealt with as swiftly as possible. So, forced to move from their hiding place anyway, Muto manoeuvred above him with the use of a technique resembling Hirenkyaku. Then, the moment he blasted the two Quincy with a Cero, their left hand shone with the purple light of a Heilig Bogen.
"Licht Regen!"
The realm of perpetual semidarkness was then flooded with even more brilliant light. Tens, hundreds, over a thousand spirit arrows rained down upon the, hopefully distracted, Arrancar. Muto strove to guide the myriad projectiles toward the intended target. Most fighters were the most vulnerable when performing an attack; Muto hoped to exploit that narrow window of opportunity to gain an early advantage in what would most certainly be a very difficult battle.
Unfortunately, Siegfried's arrival had put Averian on alert. Still, Muto had managed to sneak up and lie in wait, and then strike. Which was impressive.
Gundinger had learned to his shock that Averian's durability was no small thing, for the beast had quite literally tanked a Gran Rey Cero and emerged with little more than burns, the smoke rising not from burnt skin, but from burnt cloth instead. His Hierro was nothing if not tough. Which afforded him a measure of time, even as arrows began to rain down on him! The first impacted his skin, the heads barely penetrating, as the tell-tale boom of Sonido echoed.
"Not bad,"
Again his reiatsu surged! Hueco Mundo was a land of chaos, where power ruled absolutely. Those without power, or the will to seek it, got swept up in the waves of those who were. As if in answer to his surging aura the sands began to shift, as Hollow began to emerge, and suddenly this wasn't a situation of three-on-one. Three died instantly as Averian swept his scythe through them, his wounds knitting closed.
Siegfried, meanwhile, was quietly thankful for the interruption. It appeared that it had shifted the Cero's trajectory a little, allowing him to evade it, and he only hoped Hikari fared as well. But then that wasn't his concern right now. He had another problem, namely the sudden arrival of countless Hollow driven to a ravenous frenzy by that beast's reiatsu!
Hikari felt his rapid descent halt considerably upon a platform all too familiar. Another Quincy. Just as he thought. Though honestly, he wasn't expecting them to interfere. Not that he could think any more on the subject, however, seeing as how his entire vision was drowned in a crimson glow. Nearly blinding, especially with the increased visual ability, Hikari just managed to utilize Blute Vene in order to hold off the Cero and hopefully alter it's trajectory away from him and into the ground beneath. His gloves began to peel away revealing nothing but the flesh that would soon follow.He grit his teeth as the weight of the Hollow's attack began to force his hands back into his chest, the energy projectile coming dangerously closer and closer to his face and chest. Soon he realized the very platform that saved him from the inferno was now sandwiching him between itself and the blast.
So the solution at hand was pretty simple. Dispersing the construct beneath, Hikari shifted his body to work with the newfound lack of resistance and span out of the Cero's way. It crashed into the ground covering the once pale landscape into a crimson explosion of light and spiritual pressure. "Damn that was close, I'll have to thank the other guy later." Hikari remarked to himself as he landed. Before he could even take a breath of relief, he heard the inhuman cries of what felt like... several? No, dozens of Hollow emerged from around Hueco Mundo. No doubt lured there by Averian's monstrous reiatsu. "Damn it, was this guy holding back all that power the whole time? So this is the strength of a Vasto Lorde!"
Hikari then found himself standing in the wake of ravenous beast looking to devour him. Probably as an appetizer for the main course, if he was being honest. Drawing a line of reishi across the air with this index finger, he fired his version of Holy Arrows towards the beast. Each arrow was coated in a shrieking veil of electricity and were aimed squarely at their Hollow Mask.
Snap.
Not the healthiest sound for anyones body to make, yet that was exactly the kind of sound Siegfried's made. Lōcuria was something of a midway point between a Presas and their Vociferante state, and unfortunately the height of Siegfried's ability to manifest his unique lineage. The sounds his body made were because his musculature was increasing, his bones becoming thicker and more dense, as he completed his transfrmation into something resembling a humanoid-beast hybrid.
He moved to Hikari's back, claws tearing through a Hollow approaching from the latter's exposed flank, and snarled deep in his throat. Lōcuria brought out and enhanced his animal instincts and it appeared his instincts were telling him to stay close to his fellow Quincy.
Averian, meanwhile, moved to the ground, and allowed the summoned Hollow to swarm about him. By now, every manner of Hollow was in evidence. Some slithered across the sandy dunes, others flew on powerful wings, more than a few skittered on spindly legs. Several stood the size of two-story buildings, arms and legs as thick as tree trunks. The dunes were awash with masked creatures, a scene from nightmarish fiction, played out in real-life.
And while they followed Averian's command, it was clear that they, too, were only food for him.
"Tch."
The ambush had failed, and Muto had little to no time to deliberate upon the best course of action. Beings possessed of such power as Averian tended to alter the course of history in pursuit of satisfying their selfish desires. More than that, for an Arrancar to so casually employ a Quincy technique, and then regenerate using nearby Hollows... Muto could not help but perceive a dark mirror image of themself in his person. They removed their garb with one swift motion, revealing their child-like form. However, their stern face expression was definitely that of an adult.
Dressed in a form-fitting uniform reminiscent of those worn by members of the Onmitsukidō, and with a kaiken-shaped Zanpakutō in their right hand. The elegant medium purple Heilig Bogen gleaming gently in their left. Small, curved horn emerging from their jet black hair. Shinigami, Quincy, Arrancar. They were like all of them, but unlike any of them at the same time, and that was the kind of sensation others could experience as Muto unleashed their spiritual pressure in full.
The two Quincy could fend for themselves. As allies of convenience they could prove quite useful, but the cold glare of Muto's cerise eyes was fixed at Averian.
"Dream, Kachō Fūgetsu!"
As they spoke the incantation they swung the Zanpakutō to the side, its shape rapidly changing into that of an ornate gunsen. With the second sweeping motion Muto let loose a gust of wind at the army of Hollows and their Arrancar master. It was gentle, though, and ostensibly harmless. In truth, Muto attempted to confuse perception and dull the reflexes of everyone affected as such by the Shikai's special ability, however slightly, in preparation for the next move. For the third sweeping motion unleashed something that was all too familiar to the native inhabitants of Hueco Mundo.
"Cero!"
Illuminated by the glowing lines of Blut Arterie, the hybrid employed an augmented, wave-like Cero to engulf the enemy ranks in a destructive flood of condensed spiritual energy.
"Just what am I sensing, here!?"
Gengetsu ceased his movement, mere minutes from what was obviously now a battlefield, and furrowed his forehead in consideration. All the while his Soul cried out for nourishment.
He pushed it down, hard.
He needed his wits about him, not clouded by hunger. There was one reiatsu that he just couldn't nail down. There were two, both Quincy, but one flavoured with the tell-tale sensation of a Presas. Not a full-fledged member of the clan, but rather a descendant, the heritage likely quite diluted. The other was fully Quincy and had been fighting the longest, having been the first to arrive. The third, however, exhibited traits of a Shinigami, Hollow, and Quincy, all rolled into one.
"... This warrants study."
So with that in-mind, he resolved to get closer, and watch, to better add to his chronicle later, because his father always said such oddities had long since left the world. He once again injected pace into his steps. The closer he got, however, the hungrier he grew, and no amount of willpower was helping lessen those pangs of hunger. A dangerous thing for a Reikon Kyuuban. The thirst was powerful, even for an Elder at times, and it had been so long since last he fed.
Like his father, he had a tendancy to show his teeth when he smiled, and his canines were glistening.
Instinct was a powerful driving force. Even moreso for a creature whose very existence was driven by one particular notion. Hunger and greed, and the desire to sate that endless pang, couldn't be so easily calmed. Even by a Zanpakuto. So, whilst Averian was affected, he was not affected to the same degree as evrything else.
Siegfried, for example, had calmed, his growling sounds growing noticeably lesser.
Still quite lucid, Averian allowed his summoned Hollow to absorb the brunt of the Cero, their bodies burning away to ash, buying him all the time he needed to charge a Cero of his own in response, even if he did notice his response time somewhat dulled. He controlled the crimson wave, slamming it into the opposing wave like a needle, before rapidly expanding the width of his own! The result was an implosion, the shockwave kicking up sand in countless directions, but before the blasts completely caved-in on one another the boom of Averian's next movement was audible. This was due to the additional steps he introduced, which was a technique formerly employed by one of the Espada who followed that Shinigami Aizen.
The result was frigthening.
Tangible clones, at the moment numbering three, appeared on either side of Muto, a triumvirate, hunting as one. The real Averian was not amongst them, content to wait. Another reiatsu... no, four reiatsu were approaching, and he would strike at them soon. One clone held their scythe aloft, much like a Shinigami. The second was surrounded by blue flames, signyfying the Quincy. The third, mask remnants revealed by the billowing wind, signified a Hollow. This show was clear in its intent: you aren't the only one.
The clones struck in unison! Cero, blues flames, and a hurled scythe!
The myriad of explosions, Hollow's roars, and spiritual pressures put Hikari on an even more high alert than the preceding skirmish between himself and the Arrancar. Not to mention the Quincy who had just intercepted an attempt to attack Hikari at his flank just probably snapped one of his bones. Yeah, this wasn't - wait, DID HE JUST TURN INTO A WEREWOLF?! Okay, now he's seen everything. Yet he couldn't think on that for too much longer as another Hollow, this time a Gillian launched a Cero in his direction. Luckily, in comparison to the one he narrowly escaped, it was like a popper firecracker. He leaped up and ran his knife through the bottom of the Gillian's mouth all the way to the crown of his skull. Though, his movements weren't as crisp and precise as he would like them to be. In fact, he started to feel a tad bit calmer than what was appropriate for the situation. It was subtle, almost imperceptible with everything going on. But, it was there. He felt a bit light headed as he slowly descended to the ground, before sending a jolt of lightning through his body to rid himself of the external influence. "Was that another of Averian's abilities?" He inquired to himself.
In the meantime, the actual perpetrator found themself cornered. Everyone engulfed by a gust of wind produced with the use of Kachō Fūgetsu was affected to some extent. Of course, the severity of the effect depended on factors such as individual power, perceptiveness, and awareness. Although they succeeded to decimate the Hollow ranks, Muto had also hoped to stupefy Averian long enough to prepare another move. Yet there they were, surrounded, with barely any time to react.
Metal spikes jutted out from the sturdy ribs of their gunsen when they poised the Zanpakutō to block the Arrancar's scythe. A torrent of spirit arrows burst forth from their short bow, dispersing the plume of blue flames. They were, however, left vulnerable to the third attack that constituted this three-pronged assault. The beam of spiritual energy immersed them completely.
As it subsided a couple of seconds later, Muto emerged sliding backward on platforms of Reishi. Their uniform was frayed, burnt off at the point of impact, exposing their well-toned abdominal muscles. Their skin was visibly singed, and their face contorted in a frown. Even though their hardened flesh was shielded by Hierro and further reinforced with Blut Vene, they sustained some damage. If they had not activated the Quincy technique in the nick of time, their wounds could have been significantly more severe. All that because of what was basically a normal Cero.
Focus. Owing to their acute senses, Muto quickly detected the real Averian. Then, they immediately launched a counter-offensive. They began leaping around the Arrancar at high speed, repeatedly changing location. All the while they continued waving their Shikai at him, engulfing him with Kunpū, then firing a barrage of glowing projectiles which combined the homing and piercing capacity of Heilig Pfeil with the speed and explosive properties of Bala. Time and again, each time from a different angle, in the hopes of keeping him occupied just long enough for the two Quincy to join in.
It was clear that stalling was the most Muto could manage alone. Their only chance of defeating an opponent of such a calibre was through combined effort.
Averian had had quite enough of that balmy breeze, but his effort to dispel it was cut somewhat short by three Bala impacting him on the left and right shoulders, with the final smacking him right in the small of his back! The follow-up to this was a three-pronged Cero, which had the added benefit of not only blasting Averian, but producing an explosion sufficient to repel the remainder of Muto's assault.
"YEHAA!!"
The smallest Arrancar, to the right, exclaimed, giddy as a schoolboy. His brother, on the far left, pumped his fist, equally as excited. Only the one in the middle, face as hard as stone, refrained from such antics.
The shockwave kicked up also went a good way to lessening the effects of Muto's Shikai, for Siegfried didn't appear as subdued as he had earlier, now that the calming effect it had on him was blown downwind. In fact, using his sense of smell to track Averian through the smoke, and overcome by a rising anger, he managed an attack aimed at the latter's throat, which Averian casually side-stepped before punching the Quincy hard in the chest! Siegfried flew from the smoke, blood and spittle flying from his mouth, his ribs either cracked or broken.
"So, it was you I sensed," Averian said, whispering, from amongst the smoke. "Sadly, you aren't whole. Such a shame!"
The movement was almost instant. Averian was behind the newly-arrived brothers, his scythe angled, and he struck! The jubilant brothers fell to the floor, their heads coming free of their bodies, their eyes wide in shock. Only the middle brother ducked clear, and his cry was pure anguish. Averian's reiatsu surged anew! This was altogether different than when he devoured the Hollow earlier to heal his wounds. Rather than the burns from the triplets' Cero healing, or the punctures from Muto's arrows closing, Averian's reiatsu increased.
"Meals, indeed," thought a pained Siegfried. "And every one he partakes in only makes him stronger...! This is bad. Really bad!!"
But he could barely move.
After dispatching the last Gillian to his left, Hikari took note of Averian's barrage of attacks on the strange amalgamation that had eluded making their presence known for the entirety of the battle so far.However, his eyes widened as the familiar sense of intense hunger exploded through him. The werewolf that had assisted him prior had been blown back a considerable distance in one attack! Before he could register the insane level of speed he witnessed, He turned to see Averian beheading two male Arrancar. When suddenly their adversary's spiritual pressure soared. If Hikari was in for a rough fight before, he would now have little to no chances of besting this beast.
"Damn it, did he just absorb their power? It's almost like he's perfected the Hollow's ability to consume souls." Hikari postulated. He then rose his hand, crackling electricity emanated from and surrounded it. "Tokan!" He shouted as he hurled a bolt of lightning towards Averian while the beast had his back to him.
That was the opportunity that Muto had been waiting for. Although they paid for that with their life, a couple of newcomers managed to draw the powerful Arrancar's attention for a short while. Meanwhile, one of the Quincy launched his own attack. As such, the hybrid acted promptly. Once more, they switched to Blut Arterie, causing multiple glowing lines to illuminate their lithe body, and their cerise eyes to shine like miniature stars.
"Cero!"
In a modest imitation of the technique once employed by Primera Espada Coyote Starrk, Muto fired four Cero-infused Heilig Pfeil from their short bow in quick succession. Each one of them, augmented, was wreathed in currents of electricity. The thin beams slithered through the air, constantly changing their trajectories, as if they were live snakes. The intent was to strike Averian from a few different angles, in an attempt to render evasion impossible and help all five attacks reach their target at virtually the same time.
And they did, the only indication that any kind of defence had been conjured being the sudden pillar of blue flame, quickly shattered!
Whilst Averian's ability to feed was his greatest strength, in many ways it was his greatest weakness, too. The urge was strong; at times, completely overriding. In his desire to feed, he had already been taken by surprise by Muto, not once, but twice. In the same vein, the brothers had managed it as well, even if two of the three had paid for it with their life. There was an opportunity to exploit in that, and Gengetsu sprung into action! His gentle features gave way to a demonic visage of shining red eyes and curving, demonic horns. Armed with a large scythe he waited until the dust had settled, and Averian had staggered forward, skin and clothing burned, and a crazed, hateful look on his face.
He slashed once right down the Arrancar's back!
At the same time, the last remaining member of Trillizos bathed Averian -- and Gengetsu both -- in a shining, spinning, purple-coloured Gran Rey Cero!
A chink in the armor had finally presented itself to the silver haired Quincy after their combined efforts had led to an attack finally landing on the Arrancar. One Hikari could not allow himself to fail at exploiting. Slamming his hands to the ground, Hikari sent a bolt of lightning hurtling towards Averian, aiming to strike him from the bottom up and trap him in a pincer position between his attack and the other Arrancars. The lightning tore through the sands, heating them to the point where they had turned to glass before spiking upwards at the white haired fiend.
Gengetsu thought a surprise attack an effective stragetgy.
Usually, it would be. But Averian wasn't ordinary opposition. He hadn't seen such a tenacius enemy since Yamamoto during the Reikon Kyuuban-Shinigami War, where his father fought against the legend and survived, saving countless members of his House in the process. But this coalition had never fought together before, and they're attacks were thus uncorrdinated. And his father wasn't here to offer advide or strategy.
Unfortunately, instinct, influenced by Averian's reiatsu, was a powerful urge. And it clouded ones judgement.
So, when Gengetsu struck at Averian's exposed flank, his instincts expected the likes of his sister, Zaleska, to follow up and maim their opposition, whist covering for his inexperience. She was the warrior, the blade that struck at House Tepes's enemies, the one everyone else relied upon despite everyone calling him "the young heir". So when he was struck in the back by one of Averian's enemies, he was taken somewhat by surprise. When a blast of lightning hit him is ability to think was overrriden by pain.
"You die now," Averian whispered, who had used Gengetsu as a shield.
Even as Averian was assaulted by enemies on all sides, he managed to run the blade of his scythe across Gengetsu's throat. The heir of House Tepes, weakened jointly by a Gran Rey Cero and a volley of spiritually-charged lightning, was powerless to resist. Even as he felt his power flow into the Arrancar, he reached for the vials in his coat. He channelled his blood into them, smiled, and succumed.
"Mother... Will I see you again?"
And as his reiatsu faded, Averian's only increaased.
Hikari's eyes widened as the explosion incurred from the combined attack rattled his bones and blew so much sand in his eyes and trousers it was going to be torture getting it all out. Naturally his vision and some of his hearing was impaired due to the aftermath; yet that didn't prevent him from the sickening sense of Averian consuming another soul. It must have been the strange man that attacked him from behind! The coward must have used him as a shield. Hikari grit his teeth; he was so sick of this snake constantly shedding his skin to get out of harms way. However, blindly attacking him again wasn't going to do him any favors. But he couldn't let a possible opening slip by. So for now, he would wait to properly judge the situation before him before engaging once again.
Despite his wounds, Siegfried was up and walking. And even though the mere act of movement overloaded his senses with pain, somehow he mananaged to keep standing. He was the kicked dog who growled at his attacker even when all hope of victory was lost.
"Yet, if you survive the battle, isn't that a victory?"
Resolve.
Siegfried walked, at times stumbling, his vision blurred, until he was beside his fellow Quincy. He grasped Hikari by the shoulder, using him as a crutch just to keep his balance, and began to speak.
"Listen, unless we leave now, we're done for." Siegfried whispered, every movement agony, and every word strained. "Whilst I was lying in the sand, I sensed something. The Tres Pilares are on their way. That guy -- the one with the scythe -- asked me to deliver this to his family. He's the only reason I'm still standing." And Siegfried showed Hikari several small vials, all filled with what appeared to be blood. "He drained my reiatsu to stabilize me. Please, help me. As I am now, I can barely move."
Hikari's eyes snapped to the bloodied hand on his shoulder. "You're still kicking?" He said mostly to himself in disbelief. Then the Quincy proposed that they retreat. Hikari's immediate reaction was to refuse... however, Averian's steadily growing reiatsu rapidly depleted Hikari of any confidence he had in a victory. And with the Tres Pilares quickly making their way to this location, it was apparent that Hikari had no business standing between them.There was no guarantee that they would not turn their blades on him as well. So was retreat his only option? Unfortunately the answer was a resounding yes.
"Damn it! Come on!" He whispered roughly to the other Quincy as he slung him across his shoulder and dissapeared, utilizing the Quincy translocation technique.
Rejuvinated by Gengetsu's death, Averian struck out once again. The final brother couldn't move quickly enough to evade him, and the triple blades of Averian's scythe cut clean through Hierro and bone like butter. Muto was still nearby, as where the Quincy, but something else was on its way, too. Long had Averian watched from the Forest of Menos. Long had he studied the so-called King and Queens of Hueco Mundo.
And it was them who were on their way now. In seconds they would arrive.
If there had been any doubt in Hikari's mind before about Averian's role in the death of his father, those doubts would be put to rest now. Just as Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Tier Harribel, and Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck appeared, their combined reiatsu surging, Averian loosed a blinding flash of light! This was Averian's acquisition for killing Judah Eli, and now it was his means of escape. Thus blinded, Averian slipped into a Garganta, his destination once more the ancient heart of the Forest.
There, he would rest for a time. And then... the Soul Society would become his buffet table.
Muto hesitated. On the one hand, their joint assault was somewhat effective. On the other hand, it was somewhat effective. The advantage held by the white-haired Arrancar because of his immense power was further compounded by the lack of coordination between his many opponents. It was evident that he was not the kind of enemy that one could defeat without the power of a Bankai. Muto was allowed to use theirs only under specific circumstances, though. Firstly, their life had to depend on it. Secondly, they had to leave no witnesses.
The situation was dire, and unpredictable. Muto was convinced that they could overcome the Arrancar the way he was now with the use of their Bankai. However, they shuddered to imagine what his own released state entailed. Seeing as the other participants could not be relied upon, and a few had already perished, the conclusion was obvious. Muto did not want to, and was not allowed to die there. They had to inform the Archon about this grave threat.
Thankfully, the Tres Pilares at last decided to intervene. With their arrival inevitably drawing the attention of everyone present, Muto quietly slipped into a Garganta of their own, not a single word uttered to any of the participants. The original goal of their mission was to gather information regarding potential threats, and they had gathered more than enough. Thus, they vanished without a trace.
Siegfried hadn't returned to the remnants of the Wandenreich. After leaving an account highlighting the abilities demonstrated by Averian and those who fought against him at a secure drop-off location, and updating his own Daten archive in the process, he turned his back on his companions. That had been just over twenty hours ago, and although he was still extensively injured, Siegfried had, at the very least, regained a good portion of the reiatsu that Gengetsu had drained from him to stabilize his condition.
"Farewell... and thank you,"
He formed a gateway using his shadow, large enough for a grown man to pass through easily, and stepped through. He had a personal debt to pay. The Reikon Kyuuban who saved his life, and who lost his own not long afterwards, had given him a set of vials filled with blood. When he had returned to the battlefield to gather samples of Averian's reiatsu, he had still been clinging to life. Too far gone to help, unfortunately. Still, he had been able to fill two more vials, the "last of his memories", he said, before finally succumbing.
Vlad and Zaleska.
Those were the names inscribed on each vial, and apparently Vlad could be found in Naruki City. Once again, Siegfried set out for the World of the Living, the crescent moon of Hueco Mundo left behind.