Bleach Hereafter RPG

Smothering one's own reiatsu was never a pleasant experience, especially when scouting out some shinigami. But, well, Milya had been asked to do this especially by their espada, so... they supposed that this was an acceptable sacrifice to make. What they hadn't expected, however, was another resident of Hueco Mundo to turn up and draw their attention. On the one hand, this might actually be helpful for the purposes of seeing this shikai Milya had heard so much about. But, on the other, despite this hollow seeming reasonably strong - to them, anyway - the shinigami weren't seeming to consider it a threat. Him? Her? No, that's a question for later.

But ultimately, they can't just watch these shinigami kill someone. That would be a new level of callous that Milya wasn't willing to reach yet. Besides, this creature is at the beginning of their arc - so much potential. It would be a shame to kill them off in their own first act.

Still... undetected. Hm. Undetected was the request. Aha! Milya draws their claws to their face, pulling the six blobs of energy that often serve as their defenders, but in this instance, could serve as an excellent distraction. The floating balls of pure magenta energy fly towards the unwitting shinigami, dancing around them, encircling them, not quite doing anything, but certainly present. Milya themselves moves up closer, taking cover behind a boiler atop a skyscraper, keeping a close eye on the pair of death dealers, and the hollow.

The battle was on! As the stranger leapt at her with his sword, Sombra sped away to avoid the falling blade. It cleaved into the ground with ease, but unfortunately, was pulled free just as quickly before she could counter attack. His hand rose to point at her, and Sombra vanished from where she stood just moments before a second bolt of lightning tore through the air.

The stranger's sword rose and stopped her jaw from closing around him in the next second. While she had the edge with her Sonido, he clearly wasn't at a complete disadvantage against her speed. A slash from the weapon bit into her mask and drew blood, sending the Hollow leaping back again to put a safe amount of distance between the two of them once more.

"Definitely fast." He scowled at her, and Sombra glared wordlessly back at him while she licked the bit of red from her lip. In no time at all, the flesh had stitched itself together again, earning another comment from her foe. "And regeneration. You'll be troublesome, won't you?" However, before he could attack her again, something strange had caught his attention. The appearance of six magenta orbs floating through the air was definitely cause for concern, but in the brief time he'd looked around to find their source, Sombra had chosen to attack!

This time, her teeth had found soft flesh instead of rigid steel. The sound of cloth tearing told her he had gotten away, however, just as the stranger backpedaled with his own technique. Blood trailed down his arm, which certainly wouldn't be healing any time soon, though he still seemed capable of raising it to grasp his weapon.

"What's wrong?" The voice to fill the air was not the stranger's, but the Hollow's own. It rumbled and dripped with hungry malice, but still sounded definitively feminine. A cackle of laughter followed soon thereafter, and Sombra leapt again. He dodged and used his blade to stave her off, but now injured, it was clear her speed was becoming a problem. She could see it in his face now. He was beginning to panic, and each swing of his sword grew more impatient.

"Seki!" His voice rang out, and just before her claw could pin the stranger down, a floating blue orb appeared in her way. Sombra felt her body protest upon contact, and though she'd tried to recoil away, it was the orb's power which drove her further back still. She landed several dozens of meters back, her feet sliding across the grass in a poor attempt to stop her momentum.

"Getting scared, morsel?" She cackled again, and her two tails curled around themselves just over her back. The Hollow's reiatsu built again, as she called upon her power, and when her tails unfurled, they released six ghostly lights that jointed the magenta orbs within the air.

"Tsk," the stranger scoffed and raised his sword aloft. As if to answer her challenge, his power soared to even greater heights than her own, and he called out, "Rend!"

The fight screeching out of control very quickly acted as an excellent cover for Milya to move into a better position, back on the floor behind some hedges, subtly moving the orbs around to a better angle for them. Of course, this wasn't ideal. This is all very flashy, and though getting involved was expressly against orders... even if this hollow seemed very competent, that is a strong shinigami. But, he appears to be on the cusp of shikai, giving some kind of opening command. That was common, from what Milya had heard, anyway. Someone didn't just shout the zanpakuto name. Mostly. It varied. But... if he's about to hit his release, he's about to get stronger. And he could overwhelm this beautiful creature

Uttering the best excuse they can get for an incantation, Milya extends out their hand, a cyan, half-formed cero beginning to form between their claws. "Concentrate," they whisper to themselves, "lets get this... just... right." It draws in the limited reishi from the air, before Milya releases it. The bolt of energy shoots through one of the pink spheres of energy, aiming to crack into the shinigami's back just as he gets the zanpakuto name out of his lips. Something this small shouldn't kill him. But it should throw him off his game.

Once the energy is released, Milya steps back, and utilises sonido to get further away again, taking cover in a tree this time, though keeping a close eye on it. That hollow can hold out. At least for long enough for them to see.

Sombra didn't know what it was she was prepared for, exactly, but whatever it was, it didn't happen in the end. As the fur along her back bristled and stood on end, her yellow eyes narrowed to focus only on the stranger and his ever increasing power. A primal fear welled up from her breast, but alongside it, so did a hungry glee. He was going to be a great mea-

"Gagh! Mother fucker!" A magenta light, much the same as the floating orbs, had struck him in the back, halting the dramatic rise in power and stunning the stranger for just a moment. It most certainly hadn't been her power, and now, she was taking notice more and more that something was going on here. It wasn't uncommon for another Hollow to try and steal her kill, but the timing of that attack had been very convenient.

So convenient, in fact, that she launched herself upon the stranger with another Sonido, and bore her teeth and claws down on the thin sword that had been raised to stop her. However distracted he had been to be struck in the back like that, it didn't give her nearly as much an opening as she'd thought. The sword bit into her mouth again, and though she tried to use her superior size and weight against him, it wasn't enough.

"Byakurai!" Searing hot pain filled her shoulder, and Sombra yelped before retreating with the speed of her Sonido. Blood stained her white fur, making it sticky and itch even as the burnt flesh underneath repaired itself little by little. In the air surrounding the battle, two of the ghostly lights died out and vanished.

"Rend!" The stranger screamed again, noticeably more anger filling his voice. Before she could intervene, however, the man's rapid increase in power sent a shockwave through the air, aiding her injured leg in keeping her immobile for a moment longer. When it was over, the katana he had held had been replaced with a larger, heavier weapon: a zhanmadao of great heft and size. "Umagoroshi!"

"..." Sombra didn't have any words to say. Her mind was busy absorbing this new knowledge, that the enemies she'd fought with and against had such a power within them. The four remaining ghostly lights circled nearer to her, and with a small pulse of power, she reached out with her Pesquisa. He might not just have changed his sword's shap-

What was that, she thought as her gaze briefly turned towards a tree in the distance. Now wasn't the time to investigate, however, as the stranger vanished from sight, only to reappear directly in front of her a moment later. Despite her preparations and speed, Sombra felt the heavy weapon cut into her leg even as she retreated. Blood spilled upon the ground, and she landed a foot short of where her Sonido had been meant to carry her.

"Kek." The stranger sneered at her, holding his weapon in both hands and keeping an eye on the many orbs floating through the air. The magenta ones in particular seemed to keep his attention most often.

Meanwhile, Sombra stood with favor to her now heavily injured leg. It was painful to rest any weight on it, but she couldn't let that keep her from winning this fight. No, that was simply unthinkable.

Finally! The shinigami do have a release worth talking about, that large blade... though, comparatively, it's a little disappointing. It could have been any kind of transformation. And, admittedly, the only kind of transformation they had seen was an arrancar's, and it was a tad more dramatic. Still, that can't be it, can it?

The beating that the hollow was taking, switching them onto the back foot, alongside the now-swelling reiatsu did imply something else was happening... but how can they stand by and just let this happen? But they can't be... seen... and it's pretty clear to Milya, that the large creature is already onto them.

...Fine. Bending the rules isn't too harsh. The shikai has been observed, its potential just needs to be drawn out, and Milya isn't willing to let another hollow fall to that blade. Milya crouches, and takes a deep breath. Speed will be key. Even if that isn't their forté.

Kicking from the ground and using some sonido to carry them further, Milya charges some bright white energy in their palms as they sneak behind the smug, sniggering shinigami. This should teach them to not treat hollows with such levity before his demise. Such arrogance. They clap their claws in front of his face, before rushing backwards, as the light erupts, almost taking the form of multicoloured shards of energy, the sheer sensation painful to anyone nearby, but for him, with any luck, his retinas should be giving out any moment.

Giving a wink to the hollow, Milya disappears again, into the trees once more as the bubbles of magenta energy stay with him, bar one, which follows the Fracción to their hiding place.

Between herself and the magenta orbs floating through the air, both seemed to serve as a welcome distraction for the owner of the latter to finally make their appearance. While leg rebuilt its torn ligaments and stitched the flesh painfully back together again, Sombra watched as the figure of something Hollow -yet not a the same time- appeared behind the man with sinister intent. Even at a distance away, she flinched at the suddenly bright flash of light, but it was nothing compared to what the Shinigami had just experienced.

"Gah!" He screamed, reaching for his eyes with one empty hand while the other held his large weapon aside. More words -in particular, more curses followed shortly thereafter, though Sombra paid them little mind. Still immobile for a few moments longer, she focused her attention and her power elsewhere.

The four remaining orbs of energy dove for the stranger, aiming for his soft and unprotected flesh while he was blinded. However, they did not strike him. They were incapable of such things, after all. Instead, the first orb passed through his flesh like a ghost, vanishing into the sword bearing arm without a trace. Then just a second later, the arm swelled, and a low pop reverberated through the air alongside a blood-curdling scream.

Though directing the orbs independently was more difficult than simply allowing them to follow after her body, this was as good a chance as she was going to get to end the battle quickly. She could feel the hunger growing, gnawing more ferociously at her psyche as she drained her reserves to heal her own wounds. Another orb detonated within the man's stomach, and the third took the lower portion of his leg off entirely. His voice had stopped, his jaw trembling at the shock of what had happened, as the final ghastly figure sank into his chest.

Sombra didn't blink even after the man had collapsed to the ground, his body broken beyond repair and bleeding out into the grass. She took the first tentative step on new ligaments, and slowly made her way to her prize. His sword remained as it had been for the latter half of the fight, but his spirit was fading in telltale fashion. The hunger screamed for relief, but her eyes followed the trail of one lone magenta orb to where it'd flown after the other Hollow. The others remained threateningly near.

"Thanks." Her voice echoed in her own throat, betrayed only by her very nature as a creature of pure, unbridled hunger. Taking her large, yellow eyes from where the other Hollow had disappeared to for only a few seconds, she lowered her head to pick the body up in her jaws, then threw her head back to swallow it whole. Only the man's sword laying in a pool of blood remained of him, which she felt no interest towards. "You can keep that." Her voice did all the gesturing for her as she turned and took a few steps away, and reality parted around her large form as it vanished from sight.

The Hollow covered in white fur stained red returned to her home, until it was time for her next meal.