Victor Avitus 0-5

ARRANCAR

GENETICS

Character Name:
Victor “Marcus” Avitus

Character True Age:
3786

Character Appearance Age:
30-32

Character Gender:
Male

Orientation: N/A [Former Quinto espada for the purpose of espionage against the Espada]

Hollow Form:
Vasto Lorde

Personality:

The Pacifist

Unlike so many other hollow to pass, Marcus is one that has absolutely no desire for conflict. He completely loathes the concept of pointless confrontation and does his best to avoid it. Such avoidance is not a cowardly flight response, no, Marcus will avoid combat or pointless war by either attempting to act in a diplomatic method, or use his superior standing and power above, not only his kind, but most other shinigami and other spiritual beings in the world, to intimidate others into no longer desiring conflict. His desire for peace is not to be mistaken as cowardice though, as Marcus is not one to flee from a given combat scenario if he must fight, he simply desires to avoid it when possible.

The Stoic Conversationist

The trait perhaps he is most commonly known by is the manner in which Marcus holds himself while speaking or in the company of others. Stiff lips and powerful eyes that seem to lack the presence of emotion are the commonality for the man in most instances, yet, they deceive the underlying politeness he possesses. Very rarely will the man ever speak
unless spoken to, or unless he finds himself in the (not necessarily wanted) tutorial position of correction when a fool abounds around him. He bears himself this sort of tutor emotionless style of self in most near any situation, though, it is far more prevalent in combat, sneers and insults never
falling from his lips, at least, not in the typical brutish manner so many others of the hot headed and boil blooded youth do. No, he would rather instead critique in a manner of eloquence yet sharp tone to tell one just why it is heir cero failed or their bankai was useless. But, to counter this comes the
strangeness of an odd favoritism, Marcus’ voice, tone and words, they are all but softened in the presence of the woman, strange enough of a thing to see the arrancar known for his emotionless self to quake before the frailty of the
womanly form.

The Romancer

Strangely enough, Marcus is an arrancar with a kindness reserved for women, regardless of race, so long as they take form as a human-esque being. He has no racial standards in regards to any woman, shinigami, arrancar, Quincy, vizard, all are equal in his eyes, and all are equally beautiful. Though, he has a taste for arrancar women, he has a form of taboo affection reserved for beautiful shinigami women, so much so that he would perhaps even risk his life or stretch himself to extraordinary limits to assist a female of the shinigami race. His affection for the shinigami women has yet to become publicly known, yet, should one shinigami of the beautiful
woman descript fall into danger in his presence, this taboo affection may become known sooner than expected..

The Honor Bound Fool

Unlike most other hollow and arrancar, Marcus possesses a code of honor, one he lives by in regards to life and combat. While the sense of honor is one nearly lost to all races, Marcus lives strong in his own, refusing to yield to the ideals or measures of others should their methods interfere with his own measure of honor. He will never combat a woman,
regardless of the offense she made against him. While he does not fear combat, if it is necessary, he would respect the foe before him and never demean the enemy, even in death, he would honor their prowess and will to fight by either
returning the corpse to his foe's allies or bury the body himself. Marcus is a dead breed, one who would forever hold to their bonds of honor that would keep them human.

The Berserk King

It is true, Marcus is not without his vices, the most prevalent is his seemingly arrogant nature, yet, arrogance is not but
the outer layer of a sense of aggression and rage, one that the man has long worked to suppress, no matter the cost. As rare as it might be, when unleashed, Marcus is one capable of diving head first into a blood lust that would do well to represent the very stereotype of hollow nature, a lack of concern for his life and the lives around him, or rather, he simply doesn’t care of the collateral damage that may be incurred by his own destructive tendencies whenever he would be left unchecked. More often than not, the sense of rage finds itself triggered by only a handful of circumstances, extreme loss being the primary. For example, the day his great kingdom was lost to the hateful and spited Espada, it was the first that he had ever come to know the very depths
of his rage, the man who was heralded as a king among hollow, the being who could deny the very essence of hollow self, had lost every ounce of that self-control, sprinting headlong into a mindless pit of rage and hateful destruction, one that ended in, not only his defeat, but the death of several of the ruling Espada at the time. Various other triggers for his rage exist, yet, they are difficult to find, the abuse of power, the careless casting away of precious life, or the striking of a woman undeserving of harm, all of these are but the basic yet most effective measures in commanding the release of his inner hollow nature, beware to all those foolish enough to entice the slumbering beast that exists beneath the deepest reserves of self control within the man known as Marcus.




GENETIC LOOKS

Appearance:

Marcus is an imposing figure, rising above most at a height of seven feet two inches. His eyes are a piercing teal the hint at the power lying within his human form. His hair is kept relatively "short" when compared to the many long hair shinigami and arrancar that have existed through the ages, the darkest pitch of black acting to cloak over his scalp, hiding the skin beneath from any sort of view. His torso,
muscled, toned, and the sign of a warrior by nature. His abdominal muscles are torn, healed, ripped and reshaped into the iconic and most envied "six pack" that so many humans spend years trying to achieve, the muscles themselves as solid as the thickest stone. Reaching his collarbone reveals an
equally impressive display as his abdominal muscles, his pectorals and shoulders wrought with lean yet highly power muscle mass that would seem as though they would daunt even a blade from attempting to cut their hide. Arms, the most used ligaments of a warrior's body, and a pair that are far from neglected by Marcus, biceps, triceps, forearms, even hands seem sewn into a sinewy mass of iron hard and refined muscular build, something forever required from those warriors who would desire to live in a harsh world such as Hueco Mundo. Traveling to that of his face reveals a strong jawline set well into place, the features seemingly perfect, if not for the marring scar cut near his left ear which travels the length of Marcus' jaw, traveling his neck until reaching his collar. At his right shoulder and traveling the length of the right side and back of Marcus' neck are the remnants of his hollow mask, a look of shattered armor that had once protected the man's shoulders and neck visible, seemingly locked in a no-longer traversing snaking path that ends just short of his jawbone. His face remains clean shaven, only rarely there ever being the appearance of "5 o'clock shadow" lining a strong, wide jawline. Grasping for the man's gaze, one finds a pair of evergreen hues that speak thousands, if not millions of words, their gaze seemingly permanently drawn into an imposing glare that acts to hide the deceptively caring nature beneath. His eyes find themselves set within what appears to be naturally deep-set sockets, giving Marcus the appearance of thin "bags" under his eyes, making it seem that he is perhaps eternally worn, which could not be truer, the fact of his existence being that he bares the intention of remaking
the hollow world, an imposing and stressful task that would wear and whittle away the hours of sleep most require to continue looking fresh.



Bone Appearance:
Marcus’ hollow mask takes shape on his right shoulder, a small culmination of solid bone matter that outlines his collarbone and stretches to the very nape of his neck before halting its growth completely.



Reiatsu Color: Indigo


ZANPAKUTÔ

Sealed Zanpakutô:
Marcus' zanpakuto is a unique one to say the least. Even among the arrancar race he has been viewed with strange observations and words in regards to the form of his zanpakuto. For all the mighty blades, axes, hammers, and various other forms the zanpakuto of past arrancar and Espada have taken, Marcus' is that of a single, seemingly threatless ring he wears upon his right ring finger. The ring itself looks to be made of bone with a single clear crystalline
gem embedded in bone-white prongs at the center of the ring itself.
(see zanpakuto shift below)

Zanpakuto Shift: A technique that is the shape of Marcus' zanpakuto. While this is not a "technique" per se, it is a result of his attunement with the very reality of his spiritual composition. Most arrancar are limited in the shape of their zanpakuto, however, the zanpakuto's shape often reflects some significance to the arrancar's soul. Yet, Marcus' zanpakuto is not limited to a single shape, its base shape (or its most commonly taken form) is that of a ring that Marcus wears on his right ring finger. However, he can will his zanpakuto to take any shape he so desires, so long as it is a weapon or some form of weapon combination. In otherwords, it can take shape as any solid form that is as large or smaller than Marcus himself in effective mass (ie: the actual mass of the matter cannot be greater than his own).

Spoiler:

Racial Abilities:

Gran Ray Cero


Name: Regeneración de Velocidad Alta [High Speed Regeneration]
Type: Passive
Range: Self
Description: An ability only a fare few arrancar retain after their transformation from hollow. Marcus retains the ability of High Speed Regeneration and, because of this, is able to completely regenerate any lost limb, muscle, etc caused by any such form of damage. He cannot however, regenerate organs or his brain. Regeneration occurs within a matter of seconds, making its effects almost instantaneous.


Name: Silentium (Perfection)
Type: Supplementary
Range: Self
Description: While his perfect form is not one to technically be considered a technique, it could maybe be classified as such, as Marcus was not born an arrancar with this technique. In his base form, Marcus suffers from what he defines as his imperfect form, a curse bestowed in the shape of a mask that was broken too far during his transformation into an arrancar. While in his imperfect form Marcus is perhaps some two tiers lower than his true power level. However, he has, over the course of the last ten years, learned how to force his mask to grow to a proper size, allowing his sealed powers to be recognized at the true depths that is his true powers outside of his resurreccion.
It has been determined by Marcus himself that he can maintain Silentium on a near permanent level, only ever being forced to revert to his imperfect form if his reiatsu stores have been completely depleted.


Name: Rasgar [Tear] *
Type: Offensive
Range: Medium
Description: This ability allows a Hollow to collect Reiatsu at the edges of whatever it is using to attack an opponent and make a ranged attack in the shape their physical attack would have taken. Slash, punch, claw, or stab is all viable uses of this technique. It takes a good deal of Reiatsu to use and is not recommended for prolonged usage, especially in weaker Hollows. The overall power is equivalent to that of a cero at the user’s level.


Name: Golpe Retumbante (Resounding Slam)
Type: Augment/Step
Range: Melee
Description: Escape and offense are very rarely able to find a point of cohesion in battle. More often than not, one finds themselves open, if even for but the slightest moment in time the moment they attempt to shift from offense to an escape or defense. Golpe Retumbante is perhaps an answer, or at least a decent way to lower that period or completely disperse it when an arrancar uses sonido at close range to either flee from an attack or gain some distance in a moment of melee conflict. When utilizing a sonido, an arrancar that augments their sonido with this technique creates a sort of "backlash" effect from their feet when they move, a sort of aftershock if you will. By focusing an extra burst of reiatsu at their feet, they may "kick away" from their opponent to their deflect an attack or create a knock-back effect with a similar strength and style to Rasgar. This technique is only usable when performing a sonido of course, and must be aimed at the opponent, so, more often than not, movement is limited to a straight away pattern from the opponent if one wishes to use the effect at its maximum. While it cannot produce cuts or any such similar or piercing damage, it effectively creates the same effect as a powerful kick of the user's
level that extends some four feet from the user's foot, creating a cone style effect with a maximum radius at contact of a foot in diameter. This can allow the user a quick offensive strike that may push back an opponent or even cancel out premature attacks (ie: a charging cero pointed right at one's face). The drawback comes though, for adding in an attack strength to one's sonido, the speed of their sonido is cut down roughly by half to take into account the
extra focus required on dispersing reiatsu from one's feet at the time of movement. In regards to technique effectiveness in the terms of canceling potential, the "backlash" is to be treated as a cero at the level of the user and has a maximum range of ten feet.


Note: Anyone attempting to learn this technique must have at least an Expert mastery in Sonido and be at least
2/1. As Marcus is the only practitioner and the developer of this technique, it is obvious that one must also learn it from Marcus specifically (or somebody else that has been taught the technique)


Name: Smothering Reiatsu
Type: Passive/Active
Range: 50 meter radius
Description: Marcus' reiatsu and method of combat styles, both outside of and within resurreccion have always focused heavily on negation and counter measures to defeat an enemy, from weakening to simply countering their attacks altogether and outlasting them in a game of time. This reflects heavily in his reiatsu which carries with it a strong
affinity for his nature and resurreccion abilities, giving a passive sensation of negation whenever he so chooses. Any who step within a 50 meter radius will find their fighting capabilities greatly decreased, Marcus' reiatsu carrying
with it a disruption factor that buries itself in foreign reiryoku and shattering it from the inside out, thereby loosening powers, techniques, and even spiritual bodies composed of reiryoku/reiatsu/reishi. Because of this, many will find abilities and techniques weakened, suffering a varying drop in
effectiveness, be them offensive or defensive abilities (this includes shunpo and sonido variants). The true danger though, comes especially for those of spiritual bodies, those who posses spiritual bodies will not only find their abilities and techniques lessened, but their physical capabilities away. The
scale of "physical capabilities" refers solely to that of physical
speed and physical strength. It should be noted, non-spiritual beings, such as Quincy, Mod Souls, and spiritually aware humans are completely immune to the physical aspect of Marcus' reiatsu, but their abilities remain subject to the
effects still. This reiatsu effect has also graduated above others, taking on the forms of both passive and active. Lesser negation effects will always exist when Marcus exudes his reiatsu passively. However, if he so chooses, he can focus his reiatsu to a much more effective degree, allowing it to take effect as an active status. If he so chooses to take on the focused aspect, he suffers a 15% drain of his reiatsu stores each turn. However, if left passive, he suffers no reiatsu drain.

Spoiler:

RESSERECCION

Resereccion Name:
Deus Ira

Resereccion Release Phrase:
"Speculum, Deus Ira." "Mirror God's Wrath"

Release Actions: Rare, the chance for Marcus to release his zanpakuto, but when forced, the display never ceases to amaze and terrify. By clashing his fists before him at waist level, giving the appearance that he would punch both rigid weapons together, the ring that is worn upon his right hand suddenly explodes in a massive display of bone-white liquid that appears much like a wall until becoming a dome around the arrancar's body. Moments pass until the dome collapses in on itself like a deflating balloon until the liquid itself grasps, covers and remains on only specific parts of his body, the remnants dripping away to the ground, serving no use so as to reveal the might that is his resurreccion.


Resereccion Appearance:
Marcus' resurreccion is something that can be seen as either frightening beyond belief, or awe inspiring, more often than not, these opinions differ depending on which side those who gaze upon him stand. His height increases by a generous
foot in height, placing him well over seven feet, his shoulders expandind and the muscle mass of his body increasing by roughly twenty-five percent. Yet, not only does his body change, so does his attire, his haori deepens to that of a
deep crimson, black fur lining gracing the collar and entire length of the open edges of the haori. His mask expands slowly, reaching passed the jawline on the right side of his face and curling itself atop and around the entire right side
of his face, the white armor covering his right eye entirely, leaving a black hole in its place with a gold pupil staring eerily from the depths. His mask not only expands upwards, but downward as well, reaching across his shoulders and collar-bone, creating a white, glossy cuirass akin to that of roman legionnaire armor of old. His entire right arm finds itself encompassed in an armored sleeve ending in a dangerously clawed gauntlet, whereas his left arm sports a bone-white armband, his hand encased in a spiked cestus, a representation of the gladiatior nature he possesses still in the very hind of his mind. His body from the waist down takes an appearance change as well in regards to attire, the hakama find themselves in favored company of a more armored bottom half, spiked grieves and armored boots acting as his covering against attacks and are made of the same glossy bone-white material that acts as the makeup of all other pieces of armor which cover his body.




Resereccion Abilities:
Name: Vehemens Vomica (Violent Ulcer)
Type: Offensive
Range: Melee
Description: Marcus is capable of
creating a small orb of reiatsu around his hands, from which his attack is staged. The technique itself is more of a negating effect of reiryoku and reiatsu flow throughout a given body, object, or technique for a limited length of time, or, for most abilities, is capable of disrupting their immediate use at that time. Prerequisite is that Marcus' hand must make contact with the body or technique, from which he is capable of discharging a powerful surge of what he has come to define as anti-particle. This surge can cause an opponent to lose all control of reiryoku and reiatsu for a choice amount of time, making it impossible for the individual to perform any sort of attack entailing reiryoku or reiatsu use from the affected part of that body, the general area scale that finds itself disabled is only to that of a maximum of four inch radius oftissue.. In addition, those of a Master Level in Hierro and are of equal level to Marcus or higher may simply shrug off the physical affects should Marcus managed to strike them. Even more so, Marcus can only use this technique once every other post (post 1: use...Post 2: Cooldown... Post 3: use), as the general focus of disabling reiatsu is one that requires a great deal of time for preparation and continued use. The scale is as follows......


One Level/Tier Above: If an enemy is one level above Marcus, then Marcus is only capable of disrupting immediate attacks
and techniques at that time, and for no extended period of time.


At Level: 1 post Disable


One Level/Tier Below: 2 post Disable


Two or more Levels/Tiers Below: 3 post
Disable



Name: Materia Infitialis (Material Rejection)
Type: Offensive
Range: Mid
Description: A rejection of material
itself, Materia Infitialis is probably best compared to the effects of anti-matter, but on a much smaller scale of destructive capability. By channeling a mass of reiatsu in any of his extremities, Marcus forces the Reiatsu inward, accelerating the shape and energy output to a level that
surpasses that of most, causing the particles within to clash, shatter, and bend, crafting a material from his own reiatsu that is quite akin to antimatter. While the range itself is short and capable of only being fired to a maximum of thirty feet with a charge time comparable to that of a bala strike, the end results can be devastating. When the reiatsu makes contact with any form of substance, it immediately reacts to the contact, imploding on itself and tearing away that which it touches, dragging away whatever it make contact with into the void of nothingness, resulting in a total annihilation of
the matter in which this ability makes contact with. The largest possible material that is capable of being destroyed at any given time is roughly a four inch radius sphere. This interprets into that, should the attack make contact with an enemies chest, it will only destroy a four inch radius of tissue and reiryoku, no more, no less. As dangerous as the technique and as masterful a use of reiatsu as it is, Materia Infitialis still falls within the realm of reason and power, those who harbor a greater power than Marcus himself suffer much less than those equal to or weaker than Marcus himself. Those of two or more levels above Marcus are capable of deflecting the bulk of the attack itself by sheer reiatsu and power, though, they are not without consequence, as opposed to destroying the matter entirely, they instead suffer a total disruption of reiryoku in that given part of their body within a spread out area equating to two inches, meaning that, all reiryoku or reiatsu control is impossible to achieve from that two inch area of their body for two posts and
also suffer a maiming effect, often severe bruising, even a tear of the flesh and a steady stream of blood loss.


Note: Those of a Master Level Hiero and are one or more levels above Marcus can even go so far as to negate the minor effects of this ability. Those with Expert Hiero Mastery and are two or more levels higher than Marcus are capable of ignoring these minor effects. In addition, as with Vehemens Vomica, there is a cool down period of equal
measure, this technique usable only every other second post.



Name: Infitialis Parietis (Negation Wall)
Type: Passive
Range: Fifteen Yard Radius
Description: Much akin to the general
make up of Vehemens Vomica, Infitialis Parietis serves as the bane of all those dependent on ranged reiryoku, reiatsu and reishi based attacks. By utilizing the same sort of channeled reiatsu, Marcus expands an aura about him that
reaches a radius of roughly fifteen yards (30ft). Within this radius, those who are equal to or weaker than Marcus are completely incapable of launching spiritually based ranged attacks within or into the aura that exceed a range of
ten feet, after which, due to the aura, the attacks are broken down and dispersed, regardless of their shape or size. Those of a higher tier than Marcus are completely immune to the effects of this attack. Mind though, all spiritual attacks that do not exceed the range of ten feet are still just as effective within the aura as outside of, making melee attacks
perhaps the most effective within the affected area.


Note: This technique can only be maintained for a maximum four post time-span, and must cooldown for two more
posts after that.



Name: Recipiro Vita (Acceptance of Reality)
Type: Offensive
Range: Long
Description: Perhaps the strongest
ability thus far in Marcus' repertoire of abilities in his first resurreccion stage and entirely dependent on the amount of matter and reiryoku he has destroyed in a given combat scenario, Marcus is capable of calling forth a massive destructive blast of pure matter. Each ability Marcus wields within resurreccion is one that destroys either matter, reiatsu, reiryoku, or reishi, yet, the matter is not truly "destroyed", it merely takes another form, as all energy does when expelled. By calling forth that same energy that has been changed, destroyed, or negated, Marcus summons forth a small void of pitch black at his fingertips, its shape and appearance all too eerily close to that of a black hole. A massive source of wind and reiatsu flows from the void
itself, pushing at everything within the immediate area with a terrible and ominous power. Over the course of roughly five seconds, Marcus summons forth the energy expelled and diverted that his enemy was so unlucky to lose from
their negated abilities to a single focal point, fusing with energy Marcus himself invests as well, matching the energy wasted with energy given. The end result is a devastating one, with a massive howl, the void that was no larger
than perhaps a dinner plate suddenly expands and explodes outward at an exponential rate whose range perhaps reaches the maximum range of 165 yards, its consistency akin to that of a cero, but its actual travel speed perhaps slightly slower than that of a bala blast. The overall blast diameter often
expands to that of a wide reaching thirty feet. Should the enemy be so unfortunate as to be caught within the blast, then their bodies immediately suffer, the amount of negative and positive energy gathered within the void crushing against one another, creating a massive gravitational weight within
the blast that pounds away and cuts the target's body indiscriminately. The gravitational pull itself is enough to keep those of one or more levels lower than of Marcus trapped within the blast for its entirety if they are so unfortunate enough to be captured by even the edge of the blast itself, whereas those of any level higher than his own are able to escape the blast at any time, provided they have the speed and capability to do so, making them entirely immune to the gravitational pull created by the blast. More often than
not how ever, if Marcus is so hard pressed as to use this technique, then the required energy given to match energy wasted is far too great, causing him extreme fatigue, often immediately forcing Marcus to lose his state of resurreccion and return to that of his Imperfect form for the next twenty-four hours, often bedridden from the exhaustion.


Note: This ability may only be used once per 24 hour period to refrain from suffering a major loss of power and reiatsu stores on Marcus' part. To use this technique twice in a given 24 hour period will immediately cause Marcus to lose control of his reiatsu, forcing him to revert back to his Imperfect Form, and is more likely than not, unconscious.




Segunda Etapa

Segunda Etapa Name: Universitas Terminus World’s End

Segunda Etapa Release Phrase: “Essum, Universitas Terminus” “Devour, World’s End”

Segunda Etapa Release Actions: Dark are the days
that Marcus would ever release his Segunda Etapa, but, such darker days have come and gone in the many years he has survived as a hollow and arrancar. Upon the utterance of his release phrase, Marcus’ reiatsu flares at random intervals, the pitch dark indigo reiatsu cloaking the man, hiding him from sight for but only a few seconds, in the midst of the vortex of reiatsu that surrounds him, flashes of white and gleaming metal can be seen as his body shifts and changes, growing in height and massive power until, at last, his reiatsu reaches the moment of climax, the vortex imploding on itself, black mist of condensed reiatsu screening all the land and horizon within sight of the now released Marcus, his reiatsu pulsing with newfound heights and eyes ablaze with raw power.


Segunda Etapa Appearance:


Upon the full releasing of his powers, Marcus' resurreccion state grows ever more imposing, both in size and appearance. Making his final growth in height, Marcus' stands at nearly eight feet tall, his muscle mass increasing by fifty percent of what it had been during his original resurreccion, making the beast of a warrior a massive sight to behold by sheer muscle mass alone, let alone the changes gained elsewhere. The bone armor that covered his body in various places begins
to expand yet again, but, it takes with it a dinge, making his armor that of an ash gray with crimson outlines running the length of his arms, cuirass, legs and mask. His mask grows yet again, finally reaching to cover the entire top half of his face, starting from the tip of his nose upward, leaving only the lower left half of his face exposed still, whereas the rest of his mask takes a strangely plain appearance, all detail removed aside from the two black gapes that let vision be made of the deep gold hues that were his eyes and the three
crimson stripes that converge from right, left and straight angles at the top of his head and behind his ears, meeting at the ridge of his nose and halting. The cestus that covers his left hand suddenly expands into a massive gauntlet that sported a viscous axe-like blade on the outside of the forearm. From his shoulders sprout spines that jut to the
rear some half a foot. The armored boots and grieves that covered his lower extremities expand and bind themselves together, that which covered his feet splitting itself as the toe into two clawed toes and a clawed brace expelling at the rear of his feet, much akin to a bird's foot. The cloak that draped his shoulders suffer damage from the spines, but remains and expands to a massive length, one capable of covering the entirety of his body from view should he have wished it, the cloak taking a mildly tattered and worn appearance, holes appearing in various places and what would only appear as burn marks appearing in random
places as well.




Segunda Etapa Abilities:
Name: Deus Terminus
Type: Offensive
Range: Short
Description:A cataclysmic ability,
Deus Terminus is the epitome of pure destruction, and it is the ability in which Marcus has refused to use at all times, exempt in the single time in which he had achieved this ability upon unlocking Segunda Etapa. The skies themselves
darken and crackle with ominous energies, Marcus' reiatsu suddenly taking a dark and dangerous essence about itself, his eyes glowing a devilish black, like pools of nothingness, the representation of the death which would come to
all foolish enough to stand in the present of a man who had, at this point, dedicated himself truly to the death of his foe, granting a death of total despair, one that would rob away the very essence of his foe from their bodies. Forging his reiatsu anew as he did during initial release, Marcus creates a
storm of negative particles around him, the earth around him shattering and vanishing into nothingness around his feet, such is the first sign. By forging his reiatsu into that of a negative energy source, Marcus creates an aura around his body with a consistency the same as that of antimatter itself. Everything functions the same as that of Materia Infitialis aside from two important facts. The method of delivery in regards to attack must be that of melee, the aura itself encompassing roughly four inches around Marcus' entire
body. The second difference is that of mass, as opposed to the paltry four inch mass, Marcus is instead capable of destroying a mass equivalent to that of half his own. When Marcus makes contact with a target, an orb of total darkness
suddenly grows and expands at a rate of speed akin to that of bala, destroying physical and spiritual particles caught within the orb itself. The orb's mass is roughly that of a four foot radius in all directions and overrides nearly all forms of defense. Bakudo of level 90 or higher from those of one rank lower or higher to that of Marcus can defend against this attack, but the result of such a massive amount of negative and positive energies colliding is often a high yield explosive force capable of shattering the bones of both Marcus and
his intended target. Those of two or more levels higher than Marcus are immune to the matter destruction and those of two levels higher with Master Hierro are immune to the matter destruction as well. However, the reaction to their tissue
would be akin to that of cero burns at their level, making it possible for their body to still be maimed, though, those of Master in hierro who are at least three levels higher treat the damage as a cero two levels below theirs.


Note: This ability can be used no more
than six consecutive posts (Marcus posts) in a twenty-four hour period and
drains Marcus of almost all his reiatsu, forcing him to return to his Imperfect
State.

SKILLS

Durability: Master
Physical Speed: Advanced
Strength: Master
Armed Combat: Advanced
Skill Level: Hierro: Master
Skill Level: Pesquisa: Adept
Skill Level: Sonido: Advanced
Skill Level: Cero/Bala: Master

PAST

History:

The Boy

Marcus was once a human more than two
thousand years ago. He was born in Rome as a nobleman's son, raised and
pampered like any good noble's son. He was named Victor, a common, but very
powerful name, one that was once shared by a powerful gladiator, a fact that
had Victor infatuated with the warrior caste for many years as a child. Yet,
his infatuation was one that went well beyond the typical love for gladiatorial
battles of old. The boy grew up striving to learn the ways of the gladiator,
eating as they, training as they, and hoping to live as they. Sadly, his
parents did not harbor a mutual love and instead forced their son to study as a
scribe for his childhood.


Victor was forced to move to a scribe's
school within Rome, though it was the same city in which the gladiator matches
were had, he was far from the great coliseum and watched over with strict eyes.
More than once, young Victor made attempts to flee his school to watch the
matches. Sadly, he was often caught mid-escape and whipped furiously in an
effort to force such notions of grandeur from the boy's mind. Instead, it
instilled a feeling of contempt of his teachers.


In the age of warriors, Victor was forced to
live as a scribe and scholar, a form of life he absolutely loathed as a child
and young adult. He forever fought his bonds of scholarly life and challenged
his teachers, making him a rebel in an age of laws. Such bonds forced upon
young Victor a rebellious nature, one that would break his bonds of nobility
and law. Such a rebellion allowed the young man to flee his bonds at the age of
fifteen. In a single night, he managed his escape from his seemingly tyrannical
parents and fled to the grounds of the gladiators.

The Gladiator

When Victor fled his world as a noble he was destitute and without any place to call home, no other place except the world of the gladiator. True, most gladiators were slave warriors force to fight in the coliseum, but there were those who found sponsors willing to fund the training of willing combatants. Sadly, not many stalls were willing to take in a groomed noble rebel. Such a fact of life forced Victor to settle on his training hall and sponsor, a sponsor who was poor but had high dreams as a stall leader. Victor was unwanted but accepted due to the individual sponsor's
lack of funds in being able to purchase gladiators.


His early life in training as a gladiator was one that exposed young Victor to many cultures, for, although his sponsor was far from wealthy, he was one who possessed a knowledge of many cultures and lands, allowing for Victor to learn many different combat techniques and skills for the coliseum. Because of such a wide reaching culture, Victor was permitted to learn the secrets of many cultures in regards to combat and was far from limited in regards to how he was taught. Eastern, Western, and Southern fighting styles were made available to Victor.


While most all other gladiators favored Roman
and African fighting styles due to their show value, Victor showed an affinity
for the eastern styles of Ancient Persia, receiving influences from the
multitude of Asian styles and weapons training, his proficeincy in entirely
alien combat styles cultivating within the young warrior a degree of culture
that no nobleman could have ever achieved, the understanding of a culture in
the most primal of ways, combat.


For years Victor trained within the stables
of his sponsor and perfected his combative measures, preparing the young
gladiator at the age of twenty summers. For five years Victor had prepared
himself for combat, prepared himself for the glory of the coliseum. With his
sponsor, Victor returned to Rome for the glory of his first match as a new
gladiator. When he arrived in Rome he was placed in one of the many surplus
matches that served as a representation of a battle of old. Yet, while others
died, he persisted, living and combating the remaining gladiators of western
style with his own "barbaric" styles of the east, making him an
oddball in the great ring but one loved nonetheless for his handsome face and
value as a great warrior. His first success was heralded with the cleaving of
his foes bodies and the roar of the Roman crowd, he was declared the only
surviving victor and was given title as Renovatia (Latin for Rebirth). His
name, though strange, represented his rebirth as a new gladiator and one who
utilized styles of old and new, making him a new sight in the great arena


For the next four years of his life Victor
fought in the coliseum valiantly, earning each victory with deadly precision
and warrior pride. Sadly though, a life of victory and great battle was not one
that he would have for an eternity. True, he eventually became champion of the
Coliseum, he was drafted for his combative skills, forced into the wars of
Rome. Such subjugation hardly pleased the then matured Victor, as he had no
love for Rome, but for its people. Nevertheless, he could not refuse the orders
of the Caesar and fought in the wars.

The Death

True, for even in war, Victor earned glory,
his grand experience in the arena doing well to keep the young gladiator alive
in the conquest Rome so desired, but even the greatest of warriors can die in
battle against the worst of foes. Victor was one such warrior, in a charge
against the Gaulish tribes, Victor and the army he was assigned to were
outnumbered and surrounded, all but sealing the fate of the brave Roman warriors
whom populated the small army. While the Romans themselves did well to put
glory to their names and families, their death was inevitable, for against a
horde of angry Gauls, even the strongest of Romans could fall. What Romans were
left alive fought with honor and pride, giving not an inch to the rabble of
Gauls they fought, but their numbers were dwindling, and even Victor was
growing tired.


As he watched his allies, friends who he had
come to call brothers in battle perish before the swords and axes of the Gauls,
Victor himself was engaged with several foes. True, he struck many an enemy
down, but a stealthy arrow found its way through the young warrior's ribcage.
Such a wound would cripple any normal man to a degree that would force him into
a state of immobile lethargy, Victor simply fought with newfound rage and
power. He forced his blades through many a Gaul, earning the respect of even
his foes, yet, blood loss was not a factor he could ignore. Soon, in the
passing minutes, Victor began to succumb to the injury and became sloppy,
earning him several other serious injuries. Soon, Victor could not deflect the
killing blow, one that came just below his neck from a Gaulish sword, one that
cleaved from him the very life he so cherished as a warrior. Nevertheless, in
his death, he was granted glory. For, even the hate that the Gaul and Romans
shared for one another, the Gauls granted Victor a warrior's funeral, burning
his body upon a slate of stone upon a hilltop, a warrior's custom for the
Gaulish warrior's of old, such a ritual was one of the first done for their
enemies, acknowledging a bridge of customs between Rome and Gaul warriors.
Victor was the first to be named a hero by even the Gaelic tribes for his
prowess in battle and firm strength of honor.

The Descent

While Victor's death was honorable, one that
even he as a soul was content with. However, Victor held a contempt in death, a
contempt against his Rome and family, one that was reserved for his Caesar.
Such a contempt forged a hatred for the now perished gladiator, one that
proceeded to force his soul chain to eat itself at a heightened rate, one that
would guarantee his transformation into a hollow. In his early years as a
hollow, Victor was "weak" but his knowledge of combat gave him
strength beyond most others. His knowledge of technique made him a foe with
finesse and flair no other hollow of the age could claim. A keen mind allowed
him not only to learn his life, but the way in which his body could shape and
be used as a weapon. True, Victor held no love for his being as a hollow, but
the ever presenting challenges that faced him in hunting the souls of other
pluses and weaker hollow forged a new sense of being in Victor. He held a
passion, one to become the strongest of his kind, a passion that would fuel the
epic story of the future King Hollow.


While he had no knowledge of Hueco Mundo, the
ages of hunting as a minor hollow allowed him to learn his place in the worlds.
He learned of the lives of those he feasted upon and learned that the devouring
of other hollow would allow him to grow in power beyond all others. Yet, the
human realm was a world not so overly populated by other hollow, making for
slim pickings in regards to food and growth. Soon, in the course of several centuries,
Victor had lost his hunting grounds to near starvation, he had to move on, and
he had to continue to grow. The tales of Hueco Mundo, tales of a great desert
inhabited by others like himself gave the growing hollow a goal. While he was
not overly skilled in the use of Garganta at the given time, such a skill was
basic among his kind, allowing him to find his way to the arid sands of Hueco
Mundo. In the world of Hueco Mundo Victor only found pain, hatred, and
deception. He utterly loathed the lands that were the homes of his kind, he
hated the fury his kind imposed upon other races, and he loathed their
stereotype as ruthless monsters. True, he was a monster as well, a brute that
would do whatever it would take to grow stronger, to honor his own existence
with the purpose of surpassing all others. Yet, in his own selfish goals, he
became far too curious, curious enough to test the very limits of his being by
risking life as a Gillian. Combining with the multitude of thousands of other
hollow, Victor dominated and grew into a massive beast, a Gillian of the Menos
class. His massive form was hideous, one he hated and wished to be rid of as
quickly as possible. He knew, it was natural, that he would have to feast and
kill others of his kind to grow in power.


So, for years, Victor feasted and hunted his
own caste, he slaughtered thousands of Gillian until the day of promise came,
the second stage, the evolution into that of an Adjuchas. His form shrank and
his powers grew, his body was human-like, but still monstrous. Yet, even in his
form, he confronted other hollow, creatures that possessed a power beyond even
his own, monsters of hatred and a lack of honor. By his own standards as a
warrior the future king could not permit such a fact, his journey remained.
Victor knew, he hunted, murdered, and slew countless of other Adjuchas, feeling
his own powers expand to new heights. In his mind he had no knowledge of the
final caste, the Vasto Lorde. Yet, inevitable rumors and legends came to fall
upon Victor's ears. Such a legend spiked the interest and “noble” goals of
Victor even further. He would become that which few others had ever attained,
he would become one of the most feared Vasto Lorde.


He searched, hunted, strove, bled, and killed
any hollow that would be required for his evolution. For countless years he
hunted. The concept of time was lost to Victor, he had no need of it, for he
was immortal in his life as a hollow, limited only by his goals should he be so
shortsighted as to live contently with a given shape or form. No, Victor
desired to surpass all others, to achieve a power that would be insurmountable,
a power that would allow him to reshape the course of the hollow race. For an
age, Victor grew and reached the peak of his lifetime as an Adjuchas, all until
the day he at last reached a colony, one composed of Vasto Lorde and nothing
else.

The Evolution

The colony itself was one that was far from
welcoming, it was one that was composed of only a handful of hollow. Yet, their
power was immense, so much that even Victor could not fail to recognize as
greater than his own. Yet, the bloodshed would come, regardless of the
seemingly impossible fight that awaited him. He strode with pride and power, a
clear challenge to any Vasto Lorde foolish enough to challenge the seemingly
braggart of an Adjuchas. True, he held not the raw power of a Vasto Lorde, but
skill would ensure his success.


The initial challenge was answered, a Vasto
Lorde confronting the Adjuchas with terrible powers. Yet, despite the
outweighing powers they held, Victor was far from daunted. Instead, Victor
utilized his superior knowledge of combat to succeed. He charged, slaughtering
the Vasto Lorde, albeit with grave injuries sustained. It would have seemed,
that even the great warrior would fall before the sheer might of the Vasto
Lorde. Yet, the will to surpass and command was one strong enough to succeed.
Through sheer will, Victor's success was had, his reward being the bodies of
that singular Vasto who were foolish enough to challenge his right to their
power.


The evolution was nearly instant, the powers
granted by the Vasto Lorde corpse before him reshaping his form to that of a
near human. He roared with might and will, a power that no others would be able
to deny. His body coursed with powers, black energies swathed his form in the
shape of a king's cloak. His shoulders heaved with sheer power, and his body
was shaped into a seemingly chaotic heap of pure power. In his rebirth he took
a new name however, he took the name of Marcus, one to reference his tragic,
but undeniable relation to war. Marcus had achieved form as a Vasto Lorde. Still,
he knew that his maximum potential had yet to be achieved. The colony that was
before him had become his newest hunting grounds, the remaining Vasto Lorde
before him acting as fuel to his growth. In a screen of crimson blood, Marcus
stole the lives from the remaining Vasto Lorde and rose to such a height of
power that no others could challenge him.

The Legionnaire King

It had been an age that Marcus had lived as a
Vasto Lorde, a beast who lived to battle, destroy, kill and devour those foolish
enough to challenge he himself or to disturb the peace he had so created within
an expansive area of Hueco Mundo, an area that had resulted in the creation of
a small colony of weaker and like-minded hollow. It was a thing thought
inconceivable, a colony of hollow that had lived under the protection of a
greater and stronger being, a colony that served as a place of solstice and
peace for those hollow which had the strongest desire to cast of their shackles
of mindless aggression and rage. It was under the guidance of the ever watchful
Vasto Lorde known solely as Marcus that dozens, if not hundreds of hollow
gathered and learned a life beyond their seemingly hopeless destiny. This place
of peace had continued for an uncountable number of years, the tiny kingdom
expanding to even greater reaches and outlasting the kingdom under the
leadership of the false king Aizen Sosuke. But, as all things, this kingdom of
peace was destined to end.


It occurred in the guise of a group of hollow
and seemingly rag-tag arrancar, a small contingent group whose powers seemingly
rivaled only the most average of hollow and arrancar, until a number was
glimpsed. In Marcus' absence, a new Espada and fraccion had arrived, their
powers launching to massive height, the Espada who wore the number
"0" upon his body, his fraccion and Espada suddenly reaching
out into the colony that Marcus had spent hundreds of years growing and
cultivating to act as the newest beacon of hope for the apparently damned
Hollow and destroying it in but a flash of a moment. Marcus sat upon a horizon
miles away, yet the spike in power reached even his expansive senses, causing
the Vasto Lorde to flee from his seat and flash to the location of his colony,
hoping only that he could only arrive on time, if not to save the whole, then
to at least save but a few, as was his duty, a duty he was failing at by each
second spent with him being absent from the colony which had begun to find
itself under seige from a far greater force.


What took minutes for him to arrive had felt
like centuries, the armored Vasto Lorde arriving to the scene of his kingdom to
find burning buildings, charred bodies, and a crimson painting of iron scented
liquid cast unsightly against the walls of what buildings remained. The scent
made Marcus' nostrils flair, the scent of a great number of foes surrounding
his place all too easily read. Yes, the Espada had remained at his village, his
monstrous powers excelling and reaching to a height that perhaps none of the
Espada themselves could have ever hoped to grasp for, his body tensing, the
commonly stoic expression of contentedness he always wore changing for a
grimaced snarl and raging eyes, his fury was spiked to a level it had not been
in thousands of years, the sight of the dead bodies of those he had called
comrades, brothers, sisters, even friends littering the grounds around him
doing all that was required to spark the fury of a patient king.


The Espada drew in from their hiding places,
their bodies reeking of the scent of blood, the crimson stains acting as fuel
to the rage of a bull they could never hope to control. In the time span of a
blink, Marcus had vanished, only to reappear by two of those Espada, a massive
blade of raw white bone-like material visible in his hands, the edge sporting
the slithering trails of bloodlets as a spray of bright red appeared behind
him, two of those pathetic Espada dead in an insignificant amount of time,
their powers made obsolete by a man who could be considered a god among hollow.
The others retaliated, much as he had upon the sight of the dead bodies of
those he had called comrades, the numbers of those other Espada leaping upon
the beastly Vasto Lorde, his bone-white blades curving with the motion of the
incoming bodies, creating a toll-way to Marcus that would demand nothing less
than their lives, and so it was paid, the deaths of three other Espada had in
but an instant, their number halved in but a matter of seconds before the wrath
of a Vasto Lorde who would accept only their deaths.


But where the five would die, so would five
others announce themselves, their powers greater, yet all of those powers
meager compared to the Vasto Lorde except the powers of perhaps those three,
the ones who wore the numbers "0" "1" and
"2". It was those three who responded in kind, the Two reaching
and grasping, conflicting with Marcus in a frenzied grin that disturbed the
Vasto Lorde, yet only sparked to fuel his own drive for blood. Blow after blow
was exchanged, Marcus' own body suffering from wounds the first moment in
hundreds of years, it was clear, this Espada he faced was a being who had
likely called itself a Vasto Lorde before it had taken the human shape of an
arrancar. Still, Marcus would never relent, never cease until these monsters
would perish, such a resolve was what was required for this Second to fall to
the ground in a bloodied heap, the arrancar barely clinging to life as Marcus
stood, exhausted in his own right, but far from yielding, the First stepping
forward to replace his comrade, blade drawn and energy perhaps truly surpassing
Marcus' own.


The fight ensued, seconds becoming minutes,
minutes becoming hours, and those hours becoming a full day, the titanic forces
of two powerful beings clashing with the full force of their powers. Perhaps,
had Marcus been uninjured and had some of his energies not been wasted upon the
Segundo, then perhaps he could have claimed a quicker victory, but instead, he
was rewarded with a drawn-out stalemate, the Primero and Vasto Lorde both
facing one another, energies spent, bodies scarred and battered, blood having
claimed as the dominant being upon the white sands, staining the grounds for
years to come. Yet, Marcus could not claim something as simple as a tie, not
when those around him were so intent on his death. In a flash of the final cero
he could muster, the sands around him exploded in a bright light, the earth
that spewed upward becoming glass in the intense heat, a sonido powered kick
shattering the glass and tossing the
deadly shards in all directions as he fled from the desolate and bloody colony
he had called home until those final moments, leaving his rage to fester for
another day, for the first time as a hollow, he had claimed nothing but loss in
a battle that should have never occurred.

Dying Days, Shattered Masks

Years passed, and that rage of a lost colony
of allies festered so brilliantly within Marcus' body and mind, consuming him
and his emotions, leading to a man who, while still ever caring and a soft
heart desiring for peace, desired for righteous vengeance upon the Espada as
well. From that thirst for vengeance came a spark for growth that had not
existed for many years, but Marcus knew well, the stage of a Vasto Lorde was
the maximum age of natural evolution for hollow and, quite often, represented
the maximum level of strength and hollow could attain, and, as a hollow, Marcus
had nearly maximized all areas of strength he could, leaving only one other
path that would allow for a massive range of advancement in power. Yes, as a
hollow, he was at his limit, so, only one course of action remained, the
removal of his mask.


In the depths of the Hueco Mundo night,
hidden within the caves that found themselves in the sides of the ominous
caverns and canyons that had been known as the homes to many rumored Vasto
Lorde, it was there he would hide his transformation. With pain an powers
beyond any other, Marcus' grip went to his mask, ripping away the slit mask
from his face in a furious and painful tear, the mask shattering into dust, the
armor of his body shrinking or falling off completely until nothing but a human
form remained, the reiatsu emanating from the man soaring to new heights, at
least, for but a moment, the mask had ripped too far, thus limiting his powers
in his new form, though still granting them a greater power than what had been
had as a Vasto Lorde. It was a cruel fate, but in his new form, he had make
himself "weaker" by ripping his mask too far from his body, limiting
his powers beyond that of what should have been done.


Nevertheless, the freshly born Marcus was
remade with the sole intent of gaining vengeance for those who had perished
without reason, to remake Hueco Mundo, and to destroy the Cero Espada and his
pawns, yes, that was the goal. Rising to his feet, Marcus vanished into shadow,
his presence only to be known in legend, lore and myth by those who would not
be counted among his allies. For years until recent date, Marcus has kept
himself hidden, completely cut off from the worlds unless he so desired to
reveal himself, even if it were but for a moment, his powers developing to a
degree that his fractured mask no longer proved a weakness and his powers would
rise to rival even the greatest of the Espada. Marcus had risen to the occasion
after all, all that remained, was the building of his army, an army of hollow
that would bathe Las Noches in the blood of its occupants.

Foreboding Days

In the earliest days of Marcus’ challenges against the Espada, the bastardized fools were as prey unto the solitary arrancar known infamously as Marcus. Rumors of a
powerful Vasto Lorde Arrancar ruled against the Espada permeated the dusty
walls of Las Noches, mentions of fraccion disappearing in the quiet hours of
the fortress, bodies being found pinned against the walls of Las Noches as a
display of a powerful being’s defiance. Such stories and concerns were a
commonplace for many years within Las Noches, the Espada thrown into feelings
of uneasiness as each arrancar foolish enough to leave the “protection” of Las
Noches very rarely ever returned, their fates either left to death or the mercy
of alliance under the silent banner of the deadly rogue arrancar that plagued
the Espada for so long.


Of course, the methods became refined as the ages passed, Marcus infiltrating younger generations of Espada solely to destroy them from within, a process that had once earned him the tattooed “5” that is still tattooed on his chest.
Woe upon that pitiful group, such a young and ambitious group, their status as
Espada and desires to conquer making such all too easier for an infiltration in
the shape of a seemingly “truthful” arrancar whose name fit the rumors all too
well, but still, he could never accomplish the entire task, one or two Espada
trumping him in a manner that refused to allow him the satisfaction of the
control of Las Noches and, by conjunction, all of Hueco Mundo.


Such was the process for the passing centuries, legends of the rogue arrancar exacting revenge on each generation of Espada to come into power, and such was the truth. Marcus existed quite regularly on the outer walls of Las Noches, dark
and powerful eyes watching for those foolish enough to leave the fortress
without his direct permission, after all, Hueco Mundo was his kingdom, and any
of those who resided in Las Noches that were foolish enough to think otherwise
were only contributors to the suffering of, not only hollow, but of the three
worlds themselves, it was a sin of existence he simply could not allow. Such
was near daily occurrences, constant skirmishes and battles between Espada, he
watched each year pass by as new Espada kept recycling over, at least, until a
new Espada came to power, the newest Cero Espada, and the sole one he could not combat directly with nothing but his power.


The woman whose eyes shown with no light, the woman whose very presence chilled even the mighty Vasto Lorde’s spine, She came to power, and so dark did Hueco Mundo become that very day. Asheli, a woman with a heart darker than that of any typical arrancar Marcus had ever had the misfortune of knowing, took seat as the Cero Espada. Her powers excelled, but her mind was even more impressive, so well was the new Cero Espada that Marcus’ typical vigil was forced into an end, the man expelled from Las Noches’ walls in the midst of the high hour, the forms of multiple Espada and arrancar with powers that perhaps matched even his own, the woman herself at the lead. First reaction was obvious, a reckoning of combat, blades clashed, ceros flew and Espada perished before the might of the rogue arrancar, yet, little could prepare him for the new Cero and her own montage of arrancar. He was cast from the walls, his powers beaten against by the forms of women, women whom he could not allow himself to fight at the fullest, for a curse was his personal code of ethics, yet it were those women that struck him the
hardest of blows, so hard in fact, that he was forced to flee, retreat deep
into the sands and hide his presence once more, again, he was defeated by the
Espada, but again he made mockeries of the supposed strongest of Hueco Mundo.


In his periodic
days of hiding, Marcus has found himself at the tail end of Hueco Mundo, his
eyes and ears reaching far into the horizon, but his original influence among
his very own kin long gone as the stories of the former Hollow King have found
themselves lost to passing time. Still he fights, still the man known as Marcus
plagues the Espada at every corner, but, as developments between both Demon and
Hollow have progressed to terrible heights, the former Legionnaire King has
found himself in a state of caution, the combined powers of both factions that
stand at the ready to invade the human realms acting only to further his goals,
to reclaim Hueco Mundo, to rebuild the kingdom he once held, all for the simple
cause of reshaping his kin into a force far from the negative, but instead deep
into the gray of neutrality, a place that should exist for all the worlds, and
a place he himself continuously works tirelessly to accomplish.




RP Sample:
Gray = Marcus


Red = NPC's



"I see.......you're at your limit then.
Gomen....Shinigami-san, I cannot halt the progress when it is this far gone,
not if you continue to refuse the despair that stands before you, the despair
of life. Regret and repent, those are your options should you choose life over
a needless death."


Refined and calm, fluid like the smoothest moving stream, such was the air
that came about the arrancar as he stood above the broken body of a bleeding
shinigami, zanpakuto in the arrancar's hand, blood dripping from its deadly
edge as seemingly cold yet sympathetic eyes awaited the reply necessary to
either end or save the shinigami's life. The wind itself blew a strong gust in
the pale moon light of Karakura Town, reminiscent of Hueco Mundo's own night
sky, revealing the tattoo bore on the chest that would be so painfully engraved
upon the minds of those unfortunate enough to look upon it, the deadly five
signifying a number that only those who were deemed Hueco Mundo's strongest
could wear, yes, this powerful being was an Espada, this was Victor Avitus
Marcus, Quinto Espada of Hueco Mundo, and harbinger of death, or savior of
life, all three accurate titles as he waited ever longer for the reply of the
broken shinigami before him.





Killing was never his desire, never his design, not in his mind, despite
his nature as a hollow and his humanity which was spent on war and combat.
Marcus was a man who preferred peace over all, to value and treasure life in
all its forms. Perhaps that was the reason as to why he had been chosen for
such a number and cause, for he understood, understood the value of life, the
weight of death, and the loss which Despair brought others. Perhaps, it was his
nature that opposed conflict so strongly that allowed him to stand among the
Espada as one of the strongest, perhaps only surpassed by the Primero and only
rivaled by three others among the Espada who had called themselves Vasto Lorde.
Such was the reality of it after all, for, in the sense, no other could prove
the better judge, the better executioner, or the better savior than those who
cherished life above all else, for it would save against the downfall of
mindless arrogance and conflict, yes, such was what had given Marcus his
purpose among the Espada.





The shinigami which seemed to barely crawl against the ground before him
gazed upon the Espada with fear.....and hate. The young warrior spat in Marcus'
direction, cursing the reality of the Espada and slowly climbing to his feet
all the while, blood pouring from the multitude of wounds that had accumulated
themselves along the very sense of his being, having ripped away nearly all
signs of power and life from his body. Using his zanpakuto as a brace, the
massive axe that was the shinigami's shikai slowly began to revert to nothing
more than a simple katana, sign that the young warrior's energy was truly
spent, but the rebellious nature of infantile youth and overly prideful
warriors was something that often rarely succumbed to reason. Zanpakuto raising
itself overhead, the young man shouted his cursing reply to Marcus, the
sharpened edge suddenly catapulting downwards, swooping with the force of a
freight train behind it, all with the desperate aim to kill Marcus where he
stood.





"To hell with you!"





With a look of pain that would have outweighed any that any physical injury
could have crafted, Marcus snatched the shinigami's zanpakuto mid-swing with
nothing more than his index finger and thumb, his own zanpakuto ripping in an
upward angle, cleaving at the shinigami's front with an indiscriminate power
that would accept nothing less than the man's death. And so the body followed
suit, blood threw itself upward in a crimson fountain that heralded the
beautiful despair of death, the man's eyes glossing over into fade, his body
rocking back through the motion and falling to the ground with a dead thud!
Marcus' grip on the now perished man's zanpakuto let itself lax, dropping the
blade to the dirt, a small clang of vibration heard for but a moment before the
entire area that had been battle grounds was silenced.





He stood, alone in the despair of death, or rather, it seemed he had been
alone, yet another was in the vicinity, a sorrowful onlooker who watched with
tear-filled eyes, her hands gripping the hilt of the zanpakuto she called her
own, a female shinigami who had called the dead man her husband and comrade. It
was a pain only a lover could feel, but she wished to share it in her desperate
pain and sorrow. She screamed an ear shattering shriek that would have moved so
many others from the sheer fear in recognition of the willingness to die ,all
for the chance to kill the man who had killed the one she had loved. Yet Marcus
moved not an inch, gave not a step, and only looked upon the man's dead body
with a deep sadness, ignoring the woman's approach until she was upon him, her
zanpakuto swinging wildly and on a deadly collision force with his collar.





Or rather, it seemed it would have been a deadly threat, yet, the loud
clang that had followed the swing spoke volumes of the impossibility the
woman had attempted to face. Her blade rested against Marcus' collarbone, the
man entirely unaffected by the attack, hierro having deflected the entirety of
the attack and leaving nothing more than the feel of a gentle vibration through
his body. His gaze shifted with his head, glancing to the side, and looking
upon the face of the desperate and terrified woman who had lashed out against
him, her tears as clear in his eyes as the purest natural spring one would find
in the mountains. Perhaps the look was a softness, maybe even a small sympathetic
and equally grieves smile, but the woman had not the chance to truly see it,
for her zanpakuto was robbed from her hands, and a firm palm which would have
felt as a brick wall collided with her gut, tossing the woman some few feet
before she rolled along the expanse of the ground like a rag doll, unconscious
and gone from the waking world, though far from permanently. Rather, he had
merely knocked the woman out of the waking world to forcefully place her in the
sleeping, all to allow her to survive, as his personal ethos dictated. Dropping
the zanpakuto belonging to the woman at her resting side he sheathed his own,
turning away from the scene of gore and despair, wind whipping once again,
catching up his haori once more as he stepped through the pitch darkness of a
Garganta summoned, his mission was complete, and it was time to return to Las
noches once more. And yet, he glanced back upon the bloody scene a final time,
his gaze falling upon the corpse and the woman briefly, his lips moving with
that of the tiniest of whispers, an apology that only the wind itself would
ever hear.





"Gomen"