Re: Sphere Of Strife: Enter The Realm Of War And Causality [Akureyri - Iceland Conflict Mission Event Thread]

Fri Oct 02, 2015 12:04 am

[PLEASE PLAY THE POSTING MUSIC FOR THIS POST IN THE YOUTUBE BAR]

Artist: RedHel - Song: 3rd Rejection - Word Count: 2636

...

Ah. She did a bad thing. The blood, the bodies and aura of death filled every bit of the battlefield around The Void Enigma. However, there comes a point where a person becomes so forgone that reality seems like a distant window to observe from a distance. This is where Saiko was. There was apart of her that felt bad for the things she did, but the overwhelming fraction of her heart was filled with enough sorrow to numb it and cease her capacity to care. Therefore, the only option on this dark road was to keep fighting until she either met her demise -- or found a way out of this.

So Saiko composed herself, breathed loudly and tried to focus her sights on the foes ahead of her. Vision twitching between shades of black, white and purple; most of the people were blurred and appeared nothing more as shadows of the world around her. Vicious, ugly and monstrous shadows waiting, aching and ready to kill her. It caused her heart to accelerate, sweating to increase and the sense of helplessness and fear to grow further in her. As she witnessed Hayden preparing to engage first, there was no way that her sense of self-preservation was going to allow the timid girl to stand there and get butchered. Even if she yearned not to fight, her sub-conscious mind knew better -- and so that is where her Zanpukto Spirit kicked in.

'Fight these miserable clouts, lass. We've come this far, no point in turning back, eh?'

A familiar voice rang in her head just as The Fallen Solider was preparing his next series of attacks against the maiden of melancholy and carnage. In that moment, despite feeling such extreme emotional instabilities, something about that comfort allowed her to focus and try and figure out a way out of this -- even if it ultimately seemed futile to find a light at the end of this dark tunnel.

The first thing he would find untrue is the fact that his death matter was not powerful enough to overwhelm her Death Energy. If there were two energies in the universe which were similar in nature and the only characteristics about them were the difference in strength, it is only natural to assume the stronger half of that power struggle would prevail. As such, the Death Matter which Hayden consumed would be eaten through and devoured in order to lower the potency of that attack by 3/4. Some death matter still alluded her grasp, but it would take a lot longer than a few post in order for him to rebound from that. Hence, he'd feel more winded and strained at this point more than likely.

Eyes becoming as big and black as the cosmos itself, the DE Force that beat within Saiko grew more ravenous by the second. So by the time that Hayden had emerged to her left side, an eruption of this toxic energy sought to outright fling him away like a piece cloth against the wind. This wall of reaping energy sought to devour his limbs, burn off his skin and induce critical damage in the form of taxing his tendons, bones, muscles and the male's entire internal structure with a devastating flash of darkness that consumed the lands behind The Void Enigma for one hundred meters.

However, if The Fallen Solider managed to somehow endure that onslaught and still keep going for the lightning counter, The Void Enigma would waste no time dismantling that attempt as well. Feeling the pulsation of energy radiating within the area caused Saiko to pay attention to the glum skies above and prepare for whatever was to come next. From the extrasensory capacities that The Archduchess possessed, The Maiden of Death could detect the presence of Death Matter in the area and she could only give a cold sigh to its loathsome presence.

While Hayden was able to prevent one third of his men from falling, the other remaining souls were not as fortunate. The reason for this is because the more potent energies that lay within Saiko's Death Energy were able to regain control in time in order to finish the deal and strike them down. It reduced her assault, undoubtedly, but it did not entirely bring it to a halt. Furthermore, following that point, the murky depths of The Void Enigma's DE Force became aware of this threat and started speeding up the process in which they devoured the death matter within the region to prevent him from having such a strong hand.

"Nothing ...this world....belongs to you or me. The only thing....which we share in common is....our same fated end with death. That is all our spirit owns....."

Coming down from her maddening high, the words of Saiko had a hard time coming out with the strain placed on her throat; but the increased amplification of her voice was more than enough to make her timid voice heard. It was futile to become enraged over such trivial matters, but souls drew themselves into insanity for smaller reasons than that. So, the only thing she could do was to continue her blood soaked path and meet her furious foe in an exchange of blows.

Which is why when Hayden began lifting his blade in the air, a sickening feeling may run down his spine. Given that he may be able to consume a quarter of the energy unleashed by The Void Enigma, it stood to reason that he left his body open to being tainted and corrupted by the influence of DE Force that still lived within her. So, through that bonding, Saiko would attempt to have her energy erupt within the male and cause intense strain to his organs, bones and life-force.

Attacking him from the inside, the male may have felt like he was stabbed over one thousand times with the amount of damage The Archduchess wished to inflict upon him. Copious amounts of blood, strength lost and the lowering of durability could be induced from this hidden blow. Ultimately, It was meant to teach him that not everything produced in this world belonged to him; nor was for conquest. The boy would be wise not to become greedy on this battlefield.

Yet -- Saiko was still at a lost for this.

'I feel....like I can't do this....there is nothing in me to fight....but I keep fighting....why? I want to die, do I not? So....why?'

Those thoughts kept looping themselves as her body almost felt as if it were on auto-pilot at this point. Yet, her body still moved regardless. It is why the woman's battle instincts directed her toward the sight of Hayden's illuminated sword. Yearning to put an end to his blade, one of her blobs of darkness within the area forged into row of row of teethes and caught to seal it within a sub-space of DE Energy. Best case scenario? It would consume and dissolve the blade into nothingness. Short of that, it would at least have to waste the energy he was saving to destroy the dense dome of DE Force consuming it to make him burn through his reserves.

Time and time again, he would attempt to alter control of the atmosphere away from The Maiden of Death, but it would still result in the same conclusion: he was only able to do one third of what he desired. Hence, the majority of the storm was compromised of Saiko's influence, but it wouldn't remain that for long. Now feasting off DE Force's of those long since deceased, the augmentation boost started coming in and The Archduchess would user her own sinister enhancements to drown out his hand in her storm. Even going as far as to fight the Death Matter attempting to cluster in the skies and fight it at every step and turn like the big, bad monster it was.

"Be quiet for now....hush....and accept this defeat...."

That was for both Hayden -- and herself. On the inside, Saiko felt nothing about this fight, but understood she was obligated to continue waging war as per her contract made with Demons. All for that wish for ensuring the safety and life of her loved ones would she suffer this unending road. Even if she could no longer see them, the thought that they were okay was well enough for Saiko to continue enduring this pain. No matter if she was surrounded in this cold world all alone, the fading imagery of their warmth would comfort her until the last dying spark of conscious evaporates from her mind and body.

"...."

Pausing for a moment, a pile of black, crimson and indigo blood hurled from the mouth of Saiko and she began to shiver upon its release. While Hayden's DE was unable to utterly overwhelm The Void Engima, it still left its mark in the presence it had in the air. It was beginning to cause Saiko's body to feel injury from the extent she moved in order to prevent its release and the contact she made with it. Hence, it was only natural wounds would begin to open up across her arms and more of this toxic essence crept out of her body.

Yet -- to her -- a soft smile could only come as she felt the damage being done to herself. Apart of her mind felt at ease because it meant she was closer to being released from this existence. Only through the death of an earnest combat could she otherwise be freed from her accursed pact forged in blood. There was nothing she yearned for in this world anymore, so it would be just fine with her if this battle did her in -- even if the survival instincts within the Archduchess's body was giving a ravishing thoughts. These thoughts came in like a flood of glum and melancholy delusions to wash out the fear and embrace the end.

Hence, this was the burning reason why she attempted to outright fight back and aim a wave of darkness towards the chest of Hayden. Upon reaching him, it would divide itself into a dozen smaller sections of shadows and attempt to pierce through each of his upper arms, ankles, hands, kneecaps, lower stomach, chest and forehead in order to stun him, inflict a heavy amount of pain and wash him out of the game by utterly corrupting him with DE Force. In this way, she sought to rot out the male's body from the inside and out to drain him of life, vitality and render his conscious into the shades of unconsciousness to neutralize him and leave him fainted. If he would allow himself to accept this fate, she would hope that would be the end of it. If not, another tidal wave of DE energy from the monsoon around them was was sure to follow. This would persist until the enemy was rendered unable to fight.

It is why her blackened eyes fixated themselves on the sight of Ash Iramasha. One glance at this frightened child was enough to deem her unfit for battle and suited for her target of attention next. For this reason is why Saiko then aimed to have a colossal hand comprised of darkness appear in front of male. In the center of its palm would be a sight of sunshine, fresh grass and clean air. How could this be? Simple enough: The Maiden of Death utilized the functionality of The Demi-Network to infuse a portal to hopefully send Ash into Greenland to avoid getting butchered in this battle. This was a war for people ready to die, not someone as vibrant and filled with life, enthusiasm and youth.

"Please.....just leave this place.....you do not have to die here....not someone as beautiful as you."

Those would be the only pained words which Saiko uttered out towards Ash. Hopefully, if the boy had any sense, he would heed them. The sight of the male's radiance was just too much for The Archduchess to ever decide to kill. One could almost call this a smitten feeling at first glance, but the woman felt a sense of utmost positivity beaming from the male. And to find a sense of pureness in this world that had not been tainted by the shadows of reality? That was too precious to slaughter.

But -- those sentiments would be tossed on the back burner. For now, The Void Enigma had to deal with the other target on the field and keep her eyes alert and ready to assault at a moments notice. Thus, her eyes soon turned on the Unabara running amok on the battlegrounds. Mentioning something or another about a "code blackout", one could only assume that Tsubaki intended to become quite ravenous and bloodthirsty. Given the cold shift in persona with the woman's outlook, it was fairly easy to read into what she was planning -- and Saiko was fine with it. It's only natural to want to resort to such irate and aggressive actions against someone who is so far gone. The Void Enigma considered herself far beyond anyone's help at this point and these were the consequences that came with that. It was alright.

Nevertheless, with Saiko's influence tainting this area like a plague, it would only come as natural that her senses would be ticked off to the slightest of offensive moves heading towards her. And while Tsubaki did her best to conceal the attack's energy, the DE Force overwhelming the area could still physically pick it up and alert The Archduchess that danger was afoot. Unsure of what was surrounding her at this point, the best move Saiko considered in order to escape this explosive fate was simple: dig.

While Tsubaki did well in setting up the elaborate traps, it was't a full proof plan and did not take into account that the ground beneath them had already been brutally excavated by Saiko's tendrils and shadows. Which is why Saiko was able to quickly dissolve the earth beneath her and fall into darkness in order to evade getting caught up in the assault. All the while, a replica of herself forged from DE Force would take the onslaught for her as The Void Enigma started tunneling and digging herself all through the battlefield. Smashing, crushing and destroying all of the earth around her with her tendrils daunting physical strength.

Then, with the energy she possessed from feasting off the deceased energy of all the soldiers in the environment, Saiko summoned more tendrils to emerge behind Tsubaki Unabara at speeds and strengths comparable to master-level stats. These were meant to pierce every inch of her back, inject their DE Force into the girl and leave her drained of spiritual energy, physical strength and ultimately reduced to a fainted bag of flesh. As the intent as to force her to tap out as Saiko wasn't exactly running on infinite energy and she needed to deduce a way to end this soon.

For, underneath the tunnels, she was still mulling over her injuries from the clash earlier and mending the damage done by Hayden bit by bit. Throughout sobs and cries, she would hide her own sorrow while concealed by the darkness and continue her vicious onslaught no matter what. As the feeling of burning flesh surged up her spine, a smile still emerged throughout the tears and she felt happy this burden was nearly over despite the anguish and pain. Just what was going through her mind at this point?

Fri Oct 02, 2015 10:30 am

Artist: N/A - Song: N/A - Word Count:2421

When it came to fighting Hayden knew he had to be adaptable with his thinking so when he felt she was gaining the upper hand in the conversion he knew he would have to come up with some secondary solution. This girl was a mad raving beast, like that of a rabid animal seeking only to kill or be killed in his eyes. Death would be a mercy he could bring her yet she persisted so bringing a sickening smile to Desmond face as he finally began to accept this battle. This was the first true war he had been in for quite some time and he felt it, he felt something clawing at the gates inside of him aching to be let out as he felt the power of the girl taking the murderous intent he had for this battle. It was thrilling to fight such a strange enemy but something he would remember; this battle field held no time for soft emotions only the hardened thoughts of a soldier out to do what he was told. If he saw her as a raving mutt then he would be the attack dog, but how far would he have to go to put her down?

As he appeared on her side it seemed she had already set up a way to counter him his focus and sharp eyes allowing him to react in time to defend against this. That dark mass of energy would be exploding soon so his time to react was severely shorten but not impossible so he used what was at his disposal, pushing out his inner death matter through his skin he formed a hardened barrier over his body that would protect him for a short while against the devastating explosion. As the mass of energy converged upon him it send him rearing back his feet digging into the ground as he used his hands to keep himself stabilized by crossing them in front of himself as his death matter hierro took the brunt of the attack, despite this he would still be steaming with a few burns scattered across his body. Compared to what she originally intended he’d count this as a successful counter but he knew that this body could take a turn quickly, he needed to go the extra step to prepare himself. He needed to release.

With the raising of his blade he felt the tugging of something foreign within his body, he afterall did had complete mastery over his body so he would be able to feel something awry particular in the energy she left within him. This would prove to be a blessing and a curse all in one, while he could still receive the empowerment he knew she would be doing something to bring great harm to him but she didn’t account for something that was very crucial at this moment. He allowed the pain and energy to erupt inside of his body causing his body great harm but his natural regenerative properties were working passively to lessen the damage but none the less his durability had taken a blow. However, she had her energy inside of him and that was like throwing fruit into a blender- Hayden was a slayer after all and like with shatari foreign energy within him would be expanded very violently; at the users command. But as the pain and anger built inside so did his focus and resolve to survive. To win.

Imbetween this and the time it took for her to send that glob at his sword something was happening to the young man, in fact as he opened his mouth and a black hued crimson substance leaked from his mouth from the damage he held a very masochistic smile appeared over his lips. He was ready to show just how far he had come, it was time to release. But not quite his last resort but it was time none the less to reveal something he had kept under locks and wraps till now because frankly he needed it more than ever.

“Iaiadix...Coraxo...IOR!”

As he yelled the final word a sudden burst of energy erupted from the male easily going up a few tiers as was apart of his Shikai. His energy levels had increased to a level where he could easily compete with Saiko now if he had trouble but that was simply the first change. The overflowing spiritual energy was simply the initial effect followed by a large burst of… blood from his back. A black substance made of his own blood and what seemed to be other foreign energies containing his Death Matter began to wrap around him quite violently forming what looked to be some sort of ribbed armor that held joints that seemed to be just as sharp as the much larger Zanpakutō that was absolutely brimming with energy. His strength at full capacity even exceeding it, his energy at it’s complete potential for three posts allowed him to compete with those on the lower end of the zero tier spectrum when it came to his energy, strength, and speed but only for three posts. That was the trade off for this power, he had no time for strategy only attacking rapidly and fiercely. However, Hayden mind was now nothing but a mixture of battlefield carnage focused into a single point and it was the woman now attempting to dissolve his weapon.

The man formerly know as Hayden could only reply with a animalistic and gruttal yell that sounded more like a caged beast being released into the world to hunt down something. The substance would envelop his sword but… it would just dissipate as Hayden lifted his weapon shifting to his charging stance as with each little move of his blade he was currently slicing anything with reishi to a molecular level. In fact this cuts was so fine and powerful if someone didn’t have a supernatural healing factor they would not be able to heal the wounds inflicted upon them by this sword for a short duration. This was the hidden power caged away by the Fallen Soldier who now was descending into madness as something bestial and old took over his body with the sole intent to slay Saiko.

The intent to kill was so strong even for his own soldiers it felt as if their was a sword at some of their necks, going so far as forcing them to retreat back to the rally point. This battle was taking a turn where they couldn’t help their commander but from the sheer amount of energy he was using followed by a near complete negation off all his pain receptors and mental clouding effects at great risk to himself. He was using one hundred percent of his body and muscles to increase his speed and strength and with this armor to literally keep him together and fighting things were going to be taking a turn.

“Arrrgghhh….ARRRGHHH!”

The words of pure besital power escaped out of his mouth as his body simply reacted to the wave of dark energy coming at him. He was running at his full speed which breached into the hyper speeds of Mach ten as he traveled towards them with his Shunpo. Normally.. this would be very taxing on him enough to perhaps pull muscles but currently, his body was able to withstand this force being exerted on him as he was able to move and maneuver at this speed due to the effects his shikai had on his mind to either not make him care about the pain or make his body able to withstand this. So he charged at the spikes head on, his blade at the ready.

When they met well despite the bestial rage he possessed the focus he was able to process all this information quickly as all that stored energy from earlier that had injured his body finally came to use. His slayer gene was adapting to it not to take it over but rather lessen the general effects of it on himself; he doubt he could be completely recognized as her energy but by adapting to it being injured by it was far less likely for it to be devastating. His wounds from earlier were also healing at a not natural rate, his mouth opened as a flash of swirling black and blue energy erupted in a weird mix of burrowed DE and his own abilities like he did with Shatari. Should this not stop most of the spikes his blade with extreme detail and speed would swing to rapidly and finely using his mastery over focus and Zanjutsu to simply shred it into nothing but molecular strains of Reishi seeing as there wouldn't be much left from the plasma like blast. To put the cherry on top he did this while moving at Mach ten and never slowing as he sped past all the defenses and air. Should anything hit his armor unless it rivaled the force of a nuclear explosion or built up
To that amount his armor would take the hit and compress it into death matter; that was his shikai special ability. For instance, if a spike was to aim for his head it would hit his armor and begin to shatter into death matter while giving up some of the armor durability and thinning it out.

The distance to be fair was very small between them so even if they were still trying to kill him or talk to Ash he would be rushing them at a speed that they could track but unlike her he was moving at the upper echelon of speed. The effect of this in his body was his muscles where tearing ever so slightly but with each tear his armor kept him together and moving reminded him of the primal urge. His intent was two things currently, either ram her into the net of energy Tsubaki had formed and hold her there with himself despite the damage it would cause or ram his blade through her gut. Any obstacle that made it's self known would find his blade slicing through it with it's empowered strength. However he did not stop instead he activated another buff to his being called Naneel which multiplied his strength through supernatural means followed by Qo Nos Instead of launching it however he simply let the energy build up in the blade empowering it's already heightens cutting power. Saiko could dip under the ground but should she do that Hayden would simply follow her, sending a flurry of empowered blade strikes rapidly and effectively aiming for her limbs or vital organs.

This would allow her no time to rest, Hayden was a berserking beast that held no qualms about injuring himself. The death matter seeping through his armor into the air but Remaining close and condensed around him so Saiko would feel the effects when he got close because he would at the very least. His mind was focused between the two and Tsubaki could use this rage to set up a trap because Saiko abilities had the upper hand but Hayden intended to end this soon. His muscles where tearing from the exertion, his lungs burning as they plead for a rest, and his brain working to a insane capacity as his Willpower began to physically manifest it's self in each movement and strike at Saiko. Should she send an explosion at him she'd see him simply running through and slicing what he could with his armor thinning, if spikes were shit he'd slice through that too and whatever hit his armor. Even the death energy that was once inside of him was gone due to his efforts of the armor and using it in the mouth blast.

Hayden Shikai was a very simple concept and design, keep him alive and empowered long enough to rip you to shreds. With Saiko she wanted to corrupt him and render him dead or useless in this battle but that wouldn't happen. His armor was his blessing and curse in their battle for every injury he brought through this ferocity would not heal while he was in his armor instead he would simply forget the pain and work to destroy a Saiko. However should Saiko be rendered unconscious then his shikai would break due to her being defeated. He didn't have to kill her but so long as she kept fighting she would find a angry bull after her.

As he moved after her the small vortex of Death Matter that was forming a small invisible shield to the normal eye but it would protect from any DE by being the first field they had to negate before touching his armor. Meanwhile if he got close like within slicing distance his bubble would also bring harm to her from the corrosive effect it had; the DE was purged from his system but it had lingering effects that he would have to deal with after this battle.

His 'resolve armor' as he had dubbed it was not to be taken lightly, it was to allow him to do battle with those on the lower end of the zero tier spectrum such as a 0-5. When he said it was temporary invulnerability from outside sources he meant it, should his blade slice Saiko she'd find that her blood would be flowing out of the wound more than normal and healing with with a supernatural effect would take twice as long due to slicing through molecular at such a fine level. Each strike may seem like they are aimed randomly but in reality he is aiming at small points on their body such as joints, tendons, pressure points, and openings with extreme precision.

Seeing as he usually fought with one hand his free hand seemed to be glowing slightly as he began to condense his energy into it, steam began to flow off his arm at a rapid rate as he prepared his secret attack. This would be his showcase this fight should he be able to land it, but it would require two more post charge and with each charge he'd have to find himself slowing down or even have to switch to defense but for now he was intent on pushing Saiko into the ground or into the nets Tsubaki had set up.. While slicing at her still. The Fallen Soldier was slowly becoming something new. Something.. Different.

Sat Oct 03, 2015 9:48 pm

Artist: P3P OST - Song: Wiping All Out - Word Count: 1281

The least experienced of all the fighters here remained somewhat safe within their bubble for the time being. Cracks still formed all along it from an earlier attack that led to air leaking out as the corrupted energies began to leak within. Tainting the precious reserves he still had as he was forced to watch for the time being. Spectating the actions of Hayden as he seemingly went on a full offensive. Feeling the energies exerted as best as he could. He was introduced to Hayden's Death Matter before, and it felt quite similar to the Death Energy he himself exerted... And far surpassed his own to add unto their thought process. Even though it could surpass what they were capable of, the foe seemed to overwhelm Hayden. To an outside source, it's obvious that the fighter was using a large amount of energy with powering through the attacks, but Ash knew enough to tell that it wasn't his full potential.

Before the Son of Azure could even react, an offer was extended out towards her. A rift, portal, a way to a safer... And much nicer place. It seemed peaceful there when compared to the death and violence here, and even partially obscured her view. It seemed like a wonderful idea for any sane person, and the thought that someone this murderous would extend safety to someone like him... It was sweet, but what was sweet was the chaos they caused. The deaths they brought forth. The families they ruined for a stupid war. Ash never once considered himself pure or kind, let alone sweet. She instead always thought of herself as something waiting, hiding. And for a good reason. The whispers. The calls to the deep end. Her power.

His head was quickly shaken from side to side, eyes staring past the portal as a look of determination came upon his face. He had to fight. He did feel bad inside for denying this one offer as leaving this war scott-free but it just wasn't fair to everyone he tried to protect. To those he failed to protect. To those who died here. He was here to make sure everyone came out of this alive and happy, or at the very least, as many people as he could get out of this. The best way of doing this was taking care of the massive threat in front of him. Eyes stared forwards as he yelled out to the fighter, to the one lost from the path of good and falling down into one that led to useless carnage of lives just to -own- land...

"Thank you but no thank you! I won't be dying and neither will Hayden or anyone else I'm fighting with! All I need is a little bit of 'energy' from 'Death'!"

Now was one of the worst possible times for wordplay considering the situation, but he needed a way to remain sane after all of this. After all the things he's done in his life. After all of the dark energies had taken a firm hold in his body, nothing benevolent coming off of him. Only death. Chaos. And something that did not belong. Their determination was something to notice, but with how the fight was going already, it was wavering just slightly. Eyes staring ahead as Hayden began to tear through damage, Harm to his body as something happened that he's never seem before. Energy bursting out from the male as Hayden's body was covered with armor, something to protect himself from all the attacks, all the blow. To keep himself from bleeding. From leaking. Well, to keep himself from losing fluids for the most part. The Hybrid began to get an idea of what to do considering he had eliminated one of her larger concerns.

The barrier could take one more good hit and she was given much more free reign over the battlefield considering Hayden's injuries were taken care of for the most part. A surge of Death Energy was sent out from the seemingly frail body. Nowhere near enough to contest Saiko over control of the battlefield, but that wasn't her purpose. Instead the energy seemed to take a more passive effect as fluids found themselves flowing at a quicker pace than before. Saiko could feel something almost violating her body's natural order as pain welled up within. The liquid that found itself spurting past from her lips was now attempting to surge outwards. Almost as if her body was being squeezed like a single opening tube. Wounds all across her body having the same effect as wounds and cuts felt like floodgates. Ash's Flowing Wounds was activated and toggled, and sadly, it affected Hayden as well. Everyone on the field was affected by the odd attack.

Everyone that suffered any type of wound was now subjected to their wounds pouring out double the amount of fluids than before. Be it blood, bile, spit, dark energies, corruption... Everything came out. The first step of the Hybrid's initial plan went through, their ability toggled as now it came to what they'll actively do. Air is being lost from her orb but she needed to keep fighting... And worst case scenario, she could always resort to something horrific to keep her alive. Fingers were outstretched, pointing towards Saiko as she focused on doing as much support as she could.
The only problem was that now Saiko was nowhere to be found, digging deep underground and away from sight. An easy fix for someone like Ash, someone ready to subject their mind to tortures to end a war as quickly as she could. A rift within reality, a portal to a place that shouldn't be accessed was opened up. Something rearing it's ugly head towards one of the holes, bulging eyes poking out from the sides of it's face as the rest of it's head seemed to be decayed, burnt off. And soon, the reason was exposed as too why, the creature's mouth opening wide as it vomited a thick stream into the hole. The stream of the odd substance seemed to be a pale green in coloration, and extremely corrosive. The ground it touched on the way burned horribly and even being melted fair enough.

The disgusting fluid poured out from the being's mouth more and more, just as pale as it's flesh as Ash wanted to flood the tunnels Saiko made. Fluids rushing down throughout it, melting the underneath ground and anything it got in it's way as effort was put into this. A full attempt at keeping this hole open, and a full attempt at trying to not succumb to the screams and whispers of the dark. His special friend already needed to be called upon as it hid away within his. Color getting darker and darker as she couldn't lose her mind yet. What was once a gray blob was pure black, a single eye sprouting forth from it as it peeked out from his clothing. Her back-up drain was already gone, but the flood was released, and the being kept poking out was still visible to all on the field. Looking horrific in sight and sickening to even think about.

Whispers were heard now. Speaking to him. Telling him what she should do. How she should just let go. Violence was the answer. Devour her alive. Become one of them. Lay waste to all. Thought after thought of things he's heard before. Even though he was used to them... They still held a hold against his mind, eyes narrowing as their body shook slightly, already starting to become distraught in the situation they were put in for fight for those trapped. For those dying... For his dad.

Sat Oct 10, 2015 5:48 pm

Her eyes closed as the female went under ground, two choices were open to her. She could avoid the attack coming, her body was stiff something was coming from behind. It was sort of a nervous sensation she got when she could feel something coming from the back. She could risk getting caught and using her shunko to freeze the object, but staying on the ground that she stood on could be life threatening. Other option was releasing her Zanpakutō and trying to poison the woman with mercury poisoning. However that option seemed less then satisfying when she thought about it. Time wasn't exactly on her side she tapped her toe and used a quick step that her father taught her. Avoiding the tentacle but the female wasn't done as she stood she activated a trump card, behind her something wrapped around the tentacle as it began to freeze. The liquid form was chilling the thing till it was a solid chunk of ice. She didn't take chances on allowing it to move, the mercury liquid was impressive. She used the power of her Zanpakutō to create the liquid mercury to slow down the attack a fraction giving her time. The speed of which Saiko could move her objects was impressive, she sighed softly as she accepted what needed to happen. It seemed unlikely she would get a chance to breath. The liquid mercury was a good slowing agent to keep things from happening in a way. "[color=red]"Dream, Suigin no Tenshi"[color] She said sadly as she accepted the situation, She couldn't win in sealed form and that became obvious as she closed her eyes, one wing of solid mercury formed from her back. She prepared to fight as she glanced at the two. She would need to limit use of Gas based mercury till she was at a decent range. Poison was an understatement this stuff would mess someone up if she wasn't careful. She needed a higher level kido, something in the 90s to even damage this girl. She pondered if she could pull them off at all it wasn't likely due to her reiatsu level she could. It would only result in death for her and those around her.

She took stock of the area around her thinking and pondering as she slowly took a stance. Something she could do to go after the woman, she pondered what other kido spells and combinations she could access. Two things saved her from being wounded and taken out of action, the use of her Zanpakutō's mercury to slow and freeze those tentacles somewhat. Second the God Step move of her father, it let her move a bit faster then a normal shunpo. Had she been even a fraction slower on her instincts or her reactions. She would of died, she knew something was behind her right before it came out. Giving her that chance to act quickly, combat for so long gave her at least instincts to survive. She had to burn quite a bit of energy, she'd even been ready to pop her Shunko and freeze the creature's tentacles if it did so. Her orbs looked around, so the being went underground. She got herself an idea, her orbs looked to the location that the creature went into the ground. "Don't inhale too much or get close to the holes in the ground." She said softly staying in the air now where she could see things a bit clearer, getting behind her would be much harder now, using her range. She sent a massive amount of Mercury gas into the hole behind the creature. The amount was enough to cause severe nerve damage and her next stage of the plan was coming as the mercury gas amount beneath the earth with the creature grew. She extended her hands, solid mercury began blocking the holes and exists. She was making sure no escape existed for the creature. "Careful she will want out when she figures this out.." Tsubaki's plan was simple, poison Saiko with Mercury poisoning and force her out from underground. How long could she keep up the task of poisoning Saiko was the question and how much mercury would be needed. She could cover the large holes and everything with the hard substance. She was making quick work of this strategy as she filled the underground with the gas.

Once it reached Saiko would have seconds to react, the gas would be dangerous to inhale but it would be cold enough to freeze her as well. She had released a massive amount into the hole the girl went in covering it up instantly afterwards, for a normal person this would of killed them but Saiko was a special case. If Tsubaki was right it would likely only poison her a bit the freezing and internal organ damage would be enough to slow down the girl. Tsubaki really wished she could of fought this battle holding back, merely damaging Saiko and returning her to Soul Society. Her heart hurt for what she had to do, using her shikai and Unabara training. On an innocent girl her morale wasn't high but her options were few. The holes in which tentacles remained emerged would be wrapped in solid Mercury covering them up, she spoke calmly to Hayden and Ash. "Be prepared for her emerging." How close was she to being hit she wondered it had to be centimeters perhaps even less. Escaping under such close conditions, she was a failure as she'd not thought about her back much. However it was alright she managed to avoid the attack, but only due to good training. If she'd been someone not trained or taught under Unabara conditions that attack would of worked. She became alerted the moment the girl went under the ground. It may of taken her a second to realize it. But Tsubaki's training kicked in reminding her the back was the likely target. Had she been wrong it would of spelled her doom, using her Zanpakutō and using the god step made her grip her chest for a moment after. Before unleashing her next strategy, she had a new idea. She was going to fire Sokatsui times five, sending a condensed five spells at the female all at once of the most powerful Hadō she could perform. The rest was waiting and hoping she could avoid what came next. Shikai provided her with some resources and answers that she didn't have previously.

Graphics by: Forsaken Crow
Coding by: [THEFROST]

Wed Oct 21, 2015 6:53 am

[PLEASE PLAY THE POSTING MUSIC FOR THIS POST IN THE YOUTUBE BAR]

Artist: Kamex - Song: Heartache [Re-Orchestrated] - Word Count: 1685

Break, shatter and return to an animal. That was the first line of thought that came to Saiko's mind as she observed the primal aggression of Hayden beginning to come to the forefront. In order to overcome the trials of her glum web, the man turned himself into a savage beast to cope with the cold reality of strength which otherwise separated the two. However, she could tell that the male was putting everything he had to sustain that high volume of power. The pure aggression was blinding his mind to all around them and that left him -- weaker -- than before. Even if the male was faster, stronger and more powerful than ever -- his movements were predictable and The Void Engima had a plan in store in order to ensure her victory.

While, to her other concern, the alluring pull of Ash's embodiment seemed to dishearten Saiko as she reflected on his refusal to pull out of such an ugly war. There was quite the attraction to the pure spirit she felt generating from the male, and it was a shame in her eyes to stifle it and taint it with the blood of brutality. Yet, like with most actions on this battlefield, there was simply no avoiding it. Thus, he would be dealt with soon enough as well.

Then, as for the third foe on this field, she was too caught up in attempting to trap and freeze The Archduchess that her movements would fall in line with the plan as well. Unfortunately for them, they were all too focused on Saiko and never once paid attention as to why a foe as powerful as herself may flee into the ground. Nor did they ever once try to dispel the entirety of influence she placed on the field with her DE Force being amplified by the bodies of so many slain Vanguard and Shadow Fall operatives. Not even did they properly equip themselves with any sort of weaponry from their respective organizations to deal with a large-scale invasions. They were all as exposed and bare a new born baby ready to be violated by the darkness of the adult-world.

Therefore, while they were busy attempting to claw and maul their way underground to murder The Archduchess, Saiko seized the moment in order to produce a replica of herself forged in the blood of her Death Energy. It would be made of flesh, blood and bone in order to make it difficult to distinguish between whom was real and whom was fake. In this way, she would fake her own death, while utilizing the prowess of The Demi-Network to begin to change the tides of this battle.

[FROM THIS POINT ONWARD: READ THIS THREAD TO GRASPS WHAT HAPPENED:

https://www.platinumhearts.net/t12714-shadow-fall-terrority-defenses-america-europe-demon-world-etc-progressively-updating ]

With telepathic connection to Shadow Fall's defenses, she commanded the resource to mend her through the shadows and teleport her into the glum skies of the heavens themselves in a flash. Wormhole based transportation was all but simple and she would keep her energy masked in order to prevent deduction during the initial period of flight to the atmosphere. In the meantime, there would be nothing but blood curdling screams had from the clone as the combination of their attacks would have indeed inferred that she was being absolutely massacred within the depths of the black hole.

Yet, in truth, the woman was a mile in the air towards the heart of the storm. As the war around them grew more intense, as did the need for more violent weaponry. Did they not hear the reports which were occurring in other cities? Truly, they should have kept in contact with their allies. For above Saiko's cold cloud of darkness that devoured the skies, a second crimson mist intermixed and this was the needed reinforcement she required in order to seal the deal in this fight.

"Begin Energy Sync Authorization: Code ASM."

Those words were echoed out and monotone as the vessels of demonic taint consumed and possessed The Archduchess. For this mist of blood was, in actuality, the miasma of hell itself. The demonic origins of her corrupted essence feasted off this matter and sought to empower The Void Enigma. Tendons hardening, health restoring, energy empowering, body rigid; the core of Saiko Mori was becoming enriched and enhanced by the taste of Shadow Fall's war weaponry.

Whereas Hayden received a power boost comparable to a Captain at its peak for a brief few moments, Saiko wielded enough energy to sink this city if she so chose to. That is because The Demi-Network was connected to the embodiment of Za Koa itself and the numerous resources of energy that Shadow Fall tethered into their intricate magic based systems. Therefore, the embodiment of The Archduchess would feel as if she ascended to the heights of bankai; despite not even wielding his shikai. This is what it meant to fight them on their turf and these foes would soon know that.

With magical runes emerging all throughout her body, the essence of demon kind tainted her body further and the eyes of Saiko Mori soon became devoured entirely by darkness. For, in her perception, that is all that this world seemed to possess. From the actions in which she took, to the words that she uttered and down to the way most spirits operated in the world of shadow's; the ways of these creatures of savagery and carnage were dawning upon her and she was growing to accept that fact that she was just as bad, if not worse, than those whom marked and corrupted her soul.

Therefore, upon this acceptance, an eruption of purple fire sparked from her eyes and the surge of energy within herself only swelled and ignited like a burning star. This is the path she had chosen with her own ill-decisions and it was a road that had no way of ending. Hence, with all the precautions put into place, The Sinning Shinigami held no further restraints and sought to bring an end to this battle.

The first step? Isolation. The key to killing any being is to separate them from the pact, and brutal instincts of Saiko Mori's worrying mind would see to they felt this. Ergo, through the Demi Network's terrain modifications, she would yield a high chance of placing them all within a piece of confined space. It would serve to tether them away form the earthly dimension and put them in a temporary sub-space to prevent any further damage from occurring in the material ream.

Following that, the intention was to then have this separated plane implode on itself with enough force to equal two Cero Oscuras. This is due to the fact that this assault was being generated by two power sources: the first was coming from hell itself, while the second had been empowered and charged overly with The Demi Network. At the expense of Saiko's personal energy to command and wield this force, she clenched her hand and sought to obliterate the entire space around them all. No matter if they forged a barrier of kido mastery, it would still falter and fall to the destruction of this weapon's destruction that Saiko so callously wielded over.

"You want to defeat me so badly? You want to risk life and limb to end me? Then there is only one solution: prove yourself. Prove to me you are strong enough to survive and defeat me. For the only thing that awaits you after me is further ruin worse than anything I could cry upon you...."

The voice of Saiko sounded pain, yet she was resolved in her course of action because it made no sense to falter at this point. No matter what move they made, she would strike them down with unrelentingly force. However, if they should fall here, The Void Enigma would at least spare their lives. Unlike others within the ranks of Shadow Fall, these unfortunate souls may discover further devastation least they encounter anyone from the Queen's Royal Force if she failed to stop them.

Therefore, as her mind burned, body ached and spirit quivered; The Archduchess knew it was her duty, for everyone here, to put an end to this. It mattered not if she detested the situation, it needed to end -- NOW. For this reason is why one final measure was put into place: spiritual lock down. All of the known energies that had infected the field from Hayden's Death Matter, to Ash's DE Force and Chaos Energy; leading all down to Tsubaki's knack for wielding reishi and spiritual energy; every last one of them would be attacked by The Demi-Network and made to be restricted once their energies were detected on the field. In other words, each time they would unleash their attacks, anywhere from fifty to seventy five percent of their effectiveness would be reduced in order to make it further crippling to fight back. While she couldn't utterly negate it, she'd make it a hellish affair to fight back against her hand without throwing their lifes to the wayside for it.

Therefore, most kido spells from Tsubaki would either be neutralized and negated; or heavily brought down in potency. While, in the case of Ash, she may very well find herself losing control of her DE based attacks and finding it futile in the best case scenario. All the while, with the explosive implosion drowning them in a sea of carnage, Hayden may very well find himself pushed to the brink with his armor and finding himself heavily stunted by these combined assaults. These were all designed to constrict, restrict, isolate and damage with the utmost of devastation.

Which is why there was nothing left for The Void Engima to do but wait -- and observe.

"This is for your own good.....and mine....."

Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:02 am

Artist: - Song: - Word Count: 905

Hayden would find his assault prematurely stopped for some reason giving him enough time to grasp back into the concept of speech and advance thought patterns returning. But by the time this had returned while he was in his shikai it was far to late to stop the assault as Saiko returned to the world above. But when she returned she returned in a force Hayden did not expect to see but none the less he would have to deal with it. This woman just wouldn’t stay dead, how far where they going to push themselves before deciding it was enough and they both attempted to end this; Hayden was going to have to go on the defense if only to regather his strength for the time being.

A purple fire began to emit from the girls eyes as Hayden stopped beginning to jump backwards to clear some distance between them, while the magical runes began to appear in the air Hayden began to concentrate and bring all the death matter in the air- every portion of it to him beginning to coat himself in it as a type of black cocoon was being formed. This cocoon formed in the same time it would take for her to finish the magical runes that had formed. But all of this wasn’t important the only thing that mattered was how this cocoon of Hayden’s life and death force faired upon Saiko attack. Well before we could address that we have to address what this cocoon was doing for Hayden.

It was allowing himself to be coated in the dark energy to conserve his energy and draw all the spread out death matter for miles into a singular point on Hayden. The time it would take for her to shift his and all their positions would allow him to absorb roughly sixty percent of any death matter like substance within a two mile range. He had full thought in this bubble of energy but his movements were restricted to what you could say no movement at all as he remained compacted within the bubble of energy gathering. In fact he didn’t even know he was being shifted and wormed to a fake area of existence but what he did feel was the implosion the woman wanted.

The cocoon would protect Hayden and his armor from the majority of the blast able to lessen the damage but the energy could only be so dense. When they returned to the material world Saiko would see the cocoon was heavily damaged with a actual hole at the top of it, Hayden inside was able to survive the blast due to this type of healing cocoon he had entered to conserve his energy, but if he was alive or even unconscious it was hard to tell as smoke poured from the hole at the top before beginning to rapidly morph over the hole closing it. Hayden had effectively closed himself out from the outside work as this cocoon was drawing the residue death matter from any possible source- yet the cocoon was slowly being attacked by this foreign energy and should he decide to remain in for two more post this cocoon would be gone or at the very least not be able to be maintained.

Inside Hayden was holding his Zanpakutō close to his body his focus diverted to only one part of his body, infusing all his inner energy into it slowly but surely as his reiatsu merged with his death matter causing a black steam and lightning to pulse over it. Yet no one saw what the third seat was doing as far as everyone else knew this was the death matter way of protecting and keeping their user alive from that terrible attack. In reality Hayden armor had taken a decent hit but the man on the inside was still fine as his healing factor was working at only seventy percent capacity from his and being inside the cocoon helping keeping it up. Yet something was also happening to him beside how he was infusing his energy into his glowing arm in the cocoon, his hair was for some strange reason turning white. Being inside the cocoon had the strange effect of surrounding him with the strange element and this brought about some type of small internal shift that for now held no significance.

Hayden body was under going some type of physical and chemical shift as his body began to bond with all the death matter surrounding him as he was mentally pushed to a brink. From the implosion to the Demi network trying to eat away at all his energy he was safe inside the cocoon for now, all the energy he had pumped into the area was not formed into a thick tight ball of defensive energy to protect its user and surround him. Like a fetus in a Mother womb Hayden was going through a rebirth, what emerged would come soon but then again… would Saiko be interested in the new develope or ferociously attack the ball? At any rate should another implosion on that level Happen he would be ejected from the ball after it took the brunt of the attack, but should anything less than that consistently attack the ball it would find that it was like striking some type of weird dark metal. Only time would tell what would happen.

Wed Oct 21, 2015 11:10 pm

Artist: Crysis 3 OST - Song: New York Memories (Ash's youdunfuckdup Theme) - Word Count: 1369

Something didn't seem right. No, everything didn't seem right. Screams of pain and sorrow erupted forth from underground, giving the illusion that Saiko was dead, and Ash bought it. She bought it like the fool she was despite a gut feeling that it wasn't over. The air was still heavy, and the atmosphere was tense. What was going to happen? Eyes began to scan across the area, attempting to see what was happening. That's when it hit her, all too late however. Death Energy. What she sensed that was screaming at her that something wrong was intense DE in the form of Saiko... Did she make a replica? Was that something a person could do with the Death Energy around them? The novice at the dangerous arts was confused, but her determination was still strong.

Words began to echo out as Ash's eyes bolted upwards to see something in the far distance. It was the target, the one bringing forth all of this death and destruction. She couldn't quite understand what was said, but it didn't take a genius to realize that something strong was coming. Something intensely powerful was about to come down upon them. Ash was already strained with just a few assaults from this woman... She would need to go all out if she planned on surviving any further. The barrier was still activated. Still surrounding her body to protect her from further harm. It was a long shot, but she had a plan to try and help this fight resolve itself quicker.

Saiko seemed able to use a large amount of attacks with heavy ferocity. Such vigor and strength that challenged many others. What would happen if that was messed with? If her focus was starting to be affected enough to the point that once easy tasks now became difficult? Ash needed to start going more offensive, at least in a way that was useful to everyone fighting her. A power that shouldn't be trusted now had the Iramasha's faith. Why wouldn't she trust it? She was the Hybrid of Eldritch. The corruption of innocence. The abomination of reality. The power that no being should ever witness... Even if she couldn't access it's power fully, she can still delve along the surface to take what she needs and escape with her sanity still intact.

The Iramasha's eyes were now shut tight as her senses were dulled all around her. Complete and total faith was put into the barrier she had erected around her earlier. She knew that no matter what, even if it shattered, it would still protect her from whatever force was strong enough to break it. Perhaps it was the genes of who she came from, but her father's power was very helpful, inheriting a strong will from him and a desire to do good. That was the desire that empowered her, that allowed her barrier to stay strong. That kept her standing tall in the face of death with friends. To make a difference in this pot of blood, gore, and bones. She needed to survive. To live. To allow everyone around her to thrive -with- her. To be better than her. To live happier lives.

The body that once housed Ash's mind was being twisted and contorted. Falling prey to the manipulating ways of unholy forces that took hold of it. Any hints of Ash ever once being a shifter, one of two genders at any one time, was blown away as their body shaped itself. Hips thrust out slightly, curves added unto their body as their chest began to grow... Just slightly. Hair began to grow outwards, falling down and down with it's abundance as the colors shifted. Right down the center of her head was where the pigments were split. Right side of her hair pure white, as the other was black. Both formed themselves into long pigtails, beautiful hair falling down her sides well past her hips as she seemed just as frail as before...

During this transformation, all of Saiko's efforts to destroying Ash was put to shame but the last of her defense. The Chaotic Barrier covering her was broken, of course. The strong attack slamming into it and shattering the manifestation of her power. Despite it being broken... Ash was left unharmed by the initial assault, the broken energy shooting outwards, flaring violently and dangerously as the oncoming attack against her very being was warded off and negated. The burst of energy was fairly noticeable, and one could easily tell that it would leave her without that resource for a fair amount of time. With the flaring of the Chaotic Barrier's aura... Something else began to emanate off of her. Corruption of the mind. Calls to the Deep. Powers fueled by those that shouldn't be. Eldritch.

Saiko would already begin to feel something poking at her mind without her permission. A power that tried to tear away at her sanity and leave her mind a wreck. The intrusions were fairly minor at this time, but still seemed to be there. Faint whispers in the back of her mind telling her of the situation... Of how easily she could do all of this herself. No need to call upon great powers. She should just let loose and tear everything apart in her path, even herself. It'd be a sure way to wipe the guilt from her mind if she didn't have one anymore. These thoughts were quiet, small, insignificant... But still there, scratching at the back of her mind with knowledge that shouldn't be available.

Ash felt something tug at two of the three energy sources she had available to her. Her Death Energy and her Chaos Energy. She barely used her Death Energy powers, mainly having them act as passive nullifiers or enhancers in battle. Chaos Energy however? She didn't need it right now. The one useful ability with her current allies was already on a cool down from just using it and having it destroyed. All that was left was Eldritch. The power she relied upon the most. Eyes stared straight towards Saiko high up. They showed some of the same innocence as before but... Corruption underneath. Seeing things that no person should see, living horrible scenarios but still able to smile afterwards... And underneath all of that was fear. Fear of death. Of losing her friends. Of more people dying... Of not getting to see her father after all of this.

Determination took over as this was her time to shine now. Her goal was to harm Saiko's mind as much as she possibly could. To ruin the girl's focus on her powers and have her falter, have her slip up... Have her put herself in a position to be defeated. Fingers were outstretched towards the girl high up in the air as Ash slowly dragged her fingers through the air, the fabric of seemingly space and reality tearing open as a rift was formed. Much stronger than what she made before, and much more potent. Unholy and unknown energies poured forth as it seemed to be the size of Ash's body, a dark green expanse seen within as no details could be revealed further. Something began to reveal itself...

Tentacles slowly curling out from the rift as a being called forth for one specific task was made. Something to induce a Sanity Drain upon Saiko. The being pulled itself out as it seemed to resemble... An octopus? Main body only standing at about a foot tall as each tentacle reached out to at least 5 feet away. This odd beast certainly didn't seem all too scary, at least until it revealed it's underside. It fell on it's side, bottom facing Saiko as the sight was... Hard to describe. Eye in the center of a gaping maw that resembled a worm's mouth... If magnified many many times. Rows and rows of sharp teeth as tongues gnashed around, each suction cup having an eye upon it that stared towards Saiko. The longer it stared at her, the more intense each whisper at the back of her head got, Sanity drain slowly intensifying along with Ash's natural aura...

"Please... Just stop. Just surrender. I don't want to keep going, but I can't just give up..."

Thu Oct 22, 2015 3:48 pm

She was about to continue everything, but that's when a stern voice came through. It was one she'd known since her first steps, she froze for a moment. For the first time in a while a frown came over her expression, she listened to the orders. She was being given it wasn't unlike her father, he meditated on things and changed his mind. She sighed softly as she waved a hand all the mercury began returning to her. Slowly she released her shikai, this didn't feel right to do to them. They were so engrossed in this fight. What was her father thinking, she knew he was coming here personally. She had orders to pull out and leave this to her brother and father. She remembered being told to worry about herself and only others if she felt strong enough. " Guess this ends my involvement..Stealth Force, pull out we are leaving the combat zone." Tsubaki stood a safe distance from the people she was handling, she looked at the illusion sighing softly. She didn't have time for it or any of it. Her father snapped her out of whatever confusion would of gripped her. Tsubaki had been given an order, her father hadn't done that in what felt like forever. "It seem's I am ordered to pull back, my father Tsubasa Unabara and brother Tetsuya Unabara are coming. I do not know for what reason or purpose.." She said softly her face still showing something felt off about it to her. It wasn't a fake or an illusion of her father's voice, the reason she knew it wasn't. She could sense his energy growing closer to this place, her father's energy was easy to detect and massive in itself. She stared down at the other two from her spot, she hadn't used much energy or began to really battle. She touched the Vice Captain badge on her shoulder before speaking. Not to them this time, she touched an earbud."But, dad we can't just leave it like this..They are fighting someone really strong, what about Saiko didn't you want her saved? Her eyes widened for a moment as she stood stunned.

"I see, so that's why we are doing it this way..a mistake was made that lead to this whole thing..Alright dad I understand, I'll pull back immediately." She now had a grasp of this situation, the Vanguard started a war here for some reason. Iceland however wasn't worth this many lives no matter the reasoning. Her father explained it to her calmly and in his normal way, she understood. " I can't proceed any further with this given the circumstances. I've been ordered to withdraw and I won't disobey my father..He say's that justice isn't on the Vanguard';s side this time." That was the part that shocked her, but she started to think and look over the situation. Her eyes scanned the area Saiko didn't attack or lash out till others came at her. The people here weren't here by force or anything like that, her father had decided to check into how Shadow Fall got Iceland. The news didn't surprise her, but Iceland joined willingly. So they were forcing and attacking a land that belonged to the enemy. But the more she thought about it, the more she didn't like it. The Gotei 13 were guardians of the Balance, what balance was this? What was gained from attacking a palace that willingly joined. Freedom of speech and all that was important, did they want out now after all this time. Tsubaki turned her eyes around looking over the area, scanning. Aside from the war this looked fairly nice, the buildings and everything seemed in order. She sighed softly before glancing at the other two, she could sense they wouldn't be stopped by a mere communication. "I won't try and stop you, I listen to my dad because I respect him..As much as I want to save Saiko, this time I can't they aren't in the wrong here. I will be pulling back a safe distance and regrouping with father's group..you are welcome to join us." She said softly, with that every trace of Tsubaki vanished. Spiritual pressure, smell, heat, all of it faded instantly. The young Shinigami had completely disappeared from Radar and almost all means of detection.

She didn't have to tell them where her father and family would be, the energy coming from that direction was obvious. Tsubaki Unabara wasn't a coward or leaving because of anything in particular. She didn't get yelled at ever, her father had much more patience then that. She understood her fathers wishes, the Gotei 13 wouldn't be involved in this. It was time the Vanguard did this on it's own. She'd come to offer aid as was her original orders, but upon her father's wishes. She would change that instantly to whatever desired, a child is loyal to their parents first. Duty is part of the job, but the Stealth Force at the end of the day served the Unabara. Not the Gotei 13 so this was simply a matter of Vanguard vs Shadow Fall. The Unabara and members of the Gotei 13 would withdraw, a Captain had given orders thus they would be obeyed on that alone. But also a member of Zero Division had done so. for now this was their fight and battle, it wasn't up to her anymore or anything. If someone could convince her father to raise his blade perhaps something would happen. But her father had grown less and less willing to draw his sword to fight these days. He didn't mind training, but he knew now the cost of his blade coming out. Perhaps that was something to learn from, whatever the reason Tsubaki and her team had vanished. They would no longer be present in any shape or form, this wasn't to protect Shadow Fall. But at the moment this wasn't the Gotei 13's mission or anything to do with it. The Soul Society was undergoing a massive change and who knew where or how the chips would fall, she could only follow orders. Her Captain was missing in action as was custom in some ways. but this would end her part here, everything had disappeared involving her entirely. A shadow must fade into darkness and become one with it at the end.

Exit Thread

Graphics by: Forsaken Crow
Coding by: [THEFROST]

Sun Oct 25, 2015 1:10 pm

Orders were something one learned to deal with, he glanced over the situation from his invisible station. Tetsuya watched calmly and quietly as his sister questioned their father on why she needed to withdraw. His energy had been unveiled yet, his arms stood crossed over his chest. Radar couldn't detect him as he remained still, no breeze or smell was brought from Tetsuya. Using his prowess as an assassin to it's fullest extent. The male looked over the situation with cool orbs, the fierce look like an animal sizing up it's pray from left to right. His father was the Head Captain once again, this meant changes that would begin almost immediately for the Gotei 13. The Captains and people would be trained and united again under that banner they were once before. How different would things be this time though, he looked over each person. Hayden was the pup from the mission that he was previously on. His orbs drifted to the being known as Ash analyzing each of them before his eyes fell on the target. One Tsubaki finished her talk with their father and vanished, his eyes scanned her energy and the others. Something was off with Tsubaki, he measured her reiatsu not long ago. She was strong then this, so a show of energy allowed them to lose their powers here perhaps? His eyes drifted over each person before he sighed softly. The situation was clear, whatever Saiko had just done was a limiter of some sort. how did it work was the question. Tetsuya let a breath release as he sighed softly, his figure became clear and yet his energy didn't. He decided to keep it hidden for now as he spoke clearly to them. "You should really judge your enemy and area before releasing all this power." He said directing the statement at the figures of Hayden and Ash as he walked forward. From what he gathered this area effected spiritual capabilities, so how would it work on someone who fought melee. A feral feeling could be felt as he looked at Saiko's form, it wasn't for blood or anything.

It merely seemed like an animal stood before them, a beast who was ready to bare his fangs at any moment. "I am captain of Squad Ten, Tetsuya Unabara. Withdraw from here now Saiko Mori, the Gotei 13 will be arriving shortly." His fathers orders were for each person who came to Iceland to end this fight. He didn't really give them a defined way to do it and Tetsuya's was clear as he drew his Zanpakutō and took a stance. It was clear Tetsua was far faster then those here and could react with animal instinct. His haori blew in the breeze as the first relief appeared for the area. "Last chance." Tetsuya said it calmly and something about it was almost expecting a no from Saiko. She wasn't intimidated by the three on one previously, the girl wouldn't be this time either. "Don't get me wrong, father doesn't agree with Azure but this blood bath needs to end." He said to answer any questions that were put out by those here. He waited for her response, the order was to give Shadow Fall a chance to surrender and back off. Tetsuya chuckled out that, what demon or beast would surrender. His aura was that of something ghastly, the blood lust was almost choking as he stared. But it was evident he wasn't blood thirsty for any reason, it was just like a hollow or perhaps a wild beast of unknown origin hunting. He knew the answer before he said it, but he didn't have to say what would happen with no. Saiko and anyone who worked for Shadow Fall knew what blood bath would come out. Tetsuya's hunger was clear, he wouldn't just kill he would eradicate those that stood against him. Oh he knew his father well enough, his father knew bringing him here was a risk. Well it wasn't one that paid off well, Jack the Ripper and he had something in common. Their job was death and both of them were exceptional at the art of slaughter. "Hayden, was it? Make sure to let your people know I am going to make a bit of a mess." Tetsuya said as it became evident what that meant in a second.

How long had it been since his blade tasted blood? How many moons had passed since the chain was removed as he glanced at the female. He glanced at the situation, calming himself as the excitement was building in his spine. "Prepare yourself." He wasn't going to hold back much longer, his excitement was in the air almost as a blood lust. A desire for battle so strong and thick that it filled the air. It brought back memories of the slaughter that happened upon the fields of Rukongai as a boy. His father's lessons didn't slip though, his mind stayed focused and calm. Staring through Saiko, as he tapped his toe on the ground. "Hayden, don't just swing your blade recklessly every stroke must have a purpose..Every ounce should be devotion, not just simple mindless blood lust. Every swing must have your resolution to fight, revenge isn't a suitable trait for a warrior..It weakens those who chase it." His vision cleared as he spoke the red started to fade as he got ready to fight. He gave Hayden a short lecture as he glanced towards Ash. "It's disrespectful to keep asking for a surrender from the enemy, ask once and if they refuse prepare for a death match..You are Azure's kin you must bear that in mind with your actions.." Tetsuya was able to focus on the battlefield and speak one hundred percent, nothing would get near him unless he desired it too. "Finally, dimwit sister don't use your power till you have an idea of your enemy and don't feel sorry for them and hold back.." Tetsuya said he'd been teaching for a while so pointing things out that weren't clear or perhaps needed to be said became a job. How annoying it was to play babysitter to these people on a battle. But it was about time that animal instinct calm a bit. "Since I know the answer already, let's get started Saiko Mori." His vision fell on the female as the pressure in the air got higher.

Tension began to mount in his shoulders, excitement was trembling through him. But it was time for him to begin moving again. He pointed his sword at the female, giving his blade a single swing which released a massive burst of power towards her. Making sure the other two were located behind it he stood in front ready to battle. This wasn't some spiritual pressure trick, this was physical force. Tetsuya wasn't required to use his pressure to fight, he wanted to evaluate something. See if he was effected, the swing seemed normal. The cutting into the ground and path of the blade continued towards the female with destructive force going with it. He didn't know for sure if these two could hear the lecture from him. Hayden likely couldn't due to whatever that was he sighed softly. His eyes glanced around as he examined the area closely, metal felt close to him. Earth was nice too still despite the energy around here that was suffocating it. The plants he could summon were all prepared. The Beast had awoken and it was time to feed the need for a battle.

[center]Graphics by: Forsaken Crow
Coding by: [THEFROST]

Wed Nov 04, 2015 3:58 pm

[PLEASE PLAY THE POSTING MUSIC FOR THIS POST IN THE YOUTUBE BAR]

Artist: Hatsune Miku - Song: SKY BURIAL - Word Count: 1900

...

There was not a response had from the male from her challenge issued. That is because it is an impossible one in the mind of Saiko Mori. Even if they were able to defeat her, someone stronger would take her place and enforce the rules of this kingdom. It was a futile battle to attack Shadow Fall on their own soil and they would soon discover that very fact. In the mind of The Void Engima, she was sparing them a worse fate and she was doing her damndest to avoid it -- for both them -- and herself.

Therefore, as the body of Hayden began to protect itself within a cocoon, the chance to strike and attack with unrelenting force was upon The Archduchess. The Demi-Network had a wealth of satanic energy for Saiko to summon upon her cold fingertips, but could she hold on and grasp to the mental and physical commands it took to wield a power greater than her own? Only time yielded that answer, and she was on a quest to make quick work of that loathsome concept in this battle of determined spirits.

"I. Am. Sorry. I. Am. A. Horrible. Person. I. Should. Die. Forgive. Me."

Those words echoed into the abyss of existence like a pained whisper of sorrow and misery. They were uttered from the essence of Saiko's spirit and rang true to the guilt, remorse and grief which reflected within her souls for the choices she made in her life that lead up to this point.

Because no matter how the ball was spun --- everything here was her fault. She couldn't possibly understand how it may have felt for her foes to pose themselves against her chaotic grip. The pain within her heart, mind and soul was too much for her to process and consider that. So it contorted itself, morphed her viewpoint and turned the once innocent girl into a foul beast suitable to wield the power of demonkind within her reaper soul.

Therefore -- what was the point of stopping? Pull the trigger -- and let go.

BANG

That was all that was heard as the cluster of Saiko's emotions activated the prowess of The Demi-Network once more and pushed herself beyond the brink. Black blood gushed from her eyes, mouth and ears; but these consequences were trivial compared to where The Void Enigma's ultimate path would lead her. For, at the end of this road, there was nothing but a blackened demise awaiting in the cold depths of hell for her. She was that horrid of a creature to deserve such a fate for the grief she inflicted upon the world. And -- she embraced it.

Which is why if Hayden awoken from his shell, he would find nothing but a cluster of absolute darkness hurdling towards him and seeking to annihilate him with the same force used as before. Comparable to a cero oscuras in its destructive nature, Saiko sought to overwhelm with sheer misery, carnage and heartbreak in the form of this detrimental attack.

Of course, at that moment, the girl began exuding shade sweat from her body and panting as she felt something nasty crawl up her side following that assault. Pain surged through her body, fluids projected themselves from her mouth and something fierce within her head was gnawing, clawing and attempting to make the girl destroy herself.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

In a blood curdling scream, the ache of Saiko's soul reached a sudden thresold and exploded in an eruption of plum and shadow energy. The heavens screeched, the earth trembled and it felt as if the entire battlefield became devoured in a sense -- of hurt. The trees groaned, the bodies of the dead shook, the skies bled black tears and the very air around them became fractured and distorted; as if everything was descending, falling and becoming nothing but a black abyss.

Kill yourself. Kill yourself. Kill yourself. Kill yourself. Kill yourself. Kill yourself.

KILL.

YOURSELF.

YOU.

MISERABLE.

CREATURE.

Over and over that voice rang out again, and again, and again AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. Reaching the point where Saiko forged a dagger made of acidic DE matter, pointed it to her head and started to violently thrust and jab it against the right side of her skull.

STAB. STAB. STAB. STAB. STAB. STAB. STAB. STAB.

Dozens and dozens of time she would force it against her head until copious volumes of blood spewed from her skull.

Drip, drip, drip, drip.

This crimson and black essence bled on the earth beneath Saiko's feet until her breathe became labored, eyes became dulled and the voices -- stopped. These were critical wounds, of course, but not enough to pierce past the bone or flesh. The force of her Zanpukto spirit was the only thing keeping her alive and it seemed to refuse, if only out of survival instinct, to let her go out like this.

Therefore, in a series of sobs, Saiko Mori would fall to her knees and shed a mound of tears before she clenched the dirt, looked upwards towards Ash and find the trigger of this mental assault. The beautiful boy she spared -- how could he do such thing? Why....?

...right....she was a monster.

....

A monster, from his point of view, that needed to be slain.

...

...

...

Alright. She would play that role and live up to it as her tears soon became blackened, eyes filled with shadows and energy overflowing with hostile intent.

"Go away. GO. AWAY. GO. AWAY. GO. AWAY. GO. AWAY. GO. AWAY. GO. AWAY. GO. AWAY. GO. AWAY. GO. AWAY. GO. AWAY. GO. AWAY. GO. AWAY. GO. AWAY. "

Looping over and over, the eyes of Saiko Mori became devoured in a total black flame and the prowess of The Demi-Network began to overload and empower The Archduchess's mind. Screeches of total horror screeched from her mind, while the girls own skin seemed to be melted and turned into flames of shadows on her arms and legs. Something was breaking, the dam was bursting and the cracks were beginning to show as even the Void Engima's teeth faded of light and became entirely devoured within darkness.

Crunch

Crack

Shatter

HOLD

Even with the shackles of her mind becoming under siege, there was still a fraction of her humanity holding the loose psyche of Saiko Mori together. The person she was before the bloodshed, carnage and betrayal still beat, if ever faintly, within. If this sense of consciousness was broken -- a beast far worse than what The Archduchess has shown herself to be to emerge. As, in fact, instead of growing weaker -- she was growing stronger.

No, this fact didn't negate from the truth that the Void Engima sustained damage. Her body was breaking down, the injuries were still there and the mind was still quite fractured. But, push too hard, force her into a corner and trap the frenzied animal in a space where she cannot escape -- then the berserker would arise and come to slay all those in her path.

Which is why, Ash was both helping and fighting against her own cause. As, the injuries were still there, but it was only making her energy and body stronger. Even if it meant fighting until the lost blood-curdling breath, the Berserker within Saiko would butcher every last one of these spirits who dared to cause her pain. And she did not desire for that to happen, so even as her mentality pushes towards the edge of insanity, there was still restraint; if ever so slightly.

So, in another echoed screech of outright pain, the powers of Saiko called for a heavy sum of power to crush her opponent. Therefore, in the form of two tornadoes of blackened energy, The Archduchess called upon the Demi Network to induce these clusters of absolute force in order to send one hundred times gravity surging into the body of Ash Iramasha. They would disburse, turn into a cluster of spirals and explode in a showering of void carnage.

In total, there were three dozen of them meant to explode across a one hundred meter radius in order to pulverize, crush and subdue The Iramasha into a beaten pulp. Slamming not only into her physical self, but crushing the sum-total of any remaining energy left in her body by bridging the cap between the material and immaterial and targeting her energy outright. If one were to imagine a person being able to shoot a bullet through a container of gas and having the innards bled out to the world; this illustration could then be used to reflect the means of attack that Saiko was trying to use against the lone Iramasha.

....

Pant.

...

Pant.

...

Pant.

Everything was burning, aching and hurt; but she still -- needed to continue on her path. This mission could not fail.

Yet -- another being still insisted on dragging themselves into the heart of the battle. This foe was powerful, but it was nothing the deranged Saiko felt she could not handle. It didn't matter what force they sent, she would reject them and send them back to where they belong.

But, before plunging into further madness, the howling cries of Saiko Mori eased and she focused her hearing into his wording of wanting to cease this fighting. If that was truly the case, then he would pull these foes back and take them back to the Vanguard's home.

Therefore, she would attempt to express these sentiments -- only to find that shrieks and screeches exited her mouth instead.

...

It was apparent enough the mental damage had been fierce.

Therefore -- another spoke on her behalf.

"Lad, we've only defended ourselves as best as we could against these vermin. We've pleaded with them to pull back many a times and are still open to the idea. If you were serious about pulling back, then we'd recommend taking those runts and high-tailing it out of here. If not, then we will retaliate. It's as simple as that. We don't want to fight, but we're not gonna let some stooges like that push us around."

A void of darkness would then emerge before Tetsuya; but it wasn't filled with hostile intent like Saiko's. Nay. It was calmer and more in control. This was her Zanpukto spirit speaking with him and it yearned for this battle to cease for the sake of her master and everyone around her. With her mind so cluse to the brink, this could end poorly for both sides if that were allowed to happen.

Hence, why under his command, did another vortex of unadulterated darkness swoop down on the physical force launched from Tetsuya's blade and absolved it from this world with the rotting capacities associated with Saiko's DE force. In this way, his owner would not have to worry any further and the attack would have been neutralized before it reached her. In turn, this would give The Void Enigma time to recover and recoup her mind before it was too late.

So, with a silver light piercing forth from the veil of shade, this Zanpukto would ask one thing:

"What will be your decision, Shinigami? Will you stay -- or will you go?"