Test the Limits [Laskt/Sol/Dragon]

"I will do whatever it takes to defeat you Hollow. I don't recall agreeing to limit myself for your amusement."

Laskt's voice, normally steady and montone, came out hard and harsh from behind clenched teeth. While this wasn't the Vizard's first time drawing upon the Hollow energy in his system, it was the first time he had attempted to combine it with the powers of Junkyomaru. The psychological and physical strain of combining the two powers wasn't something he could sustain for much longer without risking an outbreak: the Vizard reckoned he had only one more big attack before he would be forced to drop the Mask for his own safety.

Nevertheless, the risk seemed to be worth it. Laskt wore a savage grin behind the mask as the Agonyflame contacted the Dragon's body, causing the beast real damage for the first time since it had loosed that first Cero barrage. Perhaps Laskt would never be the strongest among the Gotei, but feeling as though his power mattered? Feeling like he could match threats that weren't some common rabble? Those feelings were the first among Laskt's psyche to be amplified by his Hollow's corrupting influence. Now, it was simply a matter of capitalizing on it. Thankfully the first step had already succeeded: the chains produced by Laskt's Hollow powers were no mere backup weapon.

The instant Laskt's chains breached the Dragon's skin, the Hollow would notice its vision begin to darken as, despite the fact that Laskt's blade had missed her eyes. The Curse of Debilitation wasn't true blindness in any sense: the Dragon could still make out objects with reasonable clarity and even reduce the effects if enough focus was dedicated to the task, but it was clear that its eyesight was no longer as sharp as before. At the same time, the Dragon would also feel something a lot more concerning: a significant drainage of its total energy reserves.

The Hollowfied Reiatsu surged up the links of the chain with lightning speed, merging with Laskt's own Spiritual Energy. A total of 10% of the Dragon's total energy reserves would be drained before the acidic Effluvia the dragon released reduced the chains to naught but iron slag, but it was more than enough to educate the Shinigami of the folly of trying to draw on too much Hollow energy too quickly.

Laskt gritted his teeth as the twin-pronged attack commenced: acidic effuvia melting away at his skin from the outside and malignant Hollow energy burning him up from within. His barrier of Agonyflame had been overwhelmed by the torrent of effluvia, forcing him to resist the acid with naught but his body's own durability similar to Sol. Thankfully he was durable enough to withstand the initial torrent, but it was obvious he couldn't sustain this kind of damage forever. A few more minutes and he would be dead from the Dragon's attacks, or Hollowfied from the excess energy. Or both.

"Get....clear......Sol!"

With a quick Shunpo, Laskt attempted to reposition himself above the Dragon, facing downwards towards the bound beast's huge back. Desprately, Laskt thrust his right arm forward, dark armor manifesting even as the red sphere of Reiatsu sparked itself into existence. The Vizard threw every scrap of Hollow energy he had into the Cero, overcharging the attack with everything he had acquired from the Dragon and a good chunk of his remaining energy. The crimson blast roared forward from his palm, slamming into the beast's broad back if not avoided and likely sending the beast spinning off-balance. It was a blast that would have reduced a small town to ashes, yet Laskt wasn't sure how much it would damage his foe.

Breathing hard, Laskt's mask shattered into pieces, the Vizard dropping to one knee even as his armor slowly returned to normal. If that attack didn't significantly wound the beast, he wasn't sure what would. With the injuries from the effulvia and the amount of energy he expended, victory was growing increasingly uncertain.

What was happening to her vision? And her powers, too?! The beast roared once more as she felt the indirect damage be dealt to her. She couldn't see as well as before, and her rage was so overflowing that she couldn't make out any attacks that were coming her way. The kido rope was still binding her somewhat, too, lasting surprisingly long against the constant effluvia degradation. The lack of proper eyesight and the binding of her body kept her paralyzed long enough for something to crash into her, and once again The Dragon cursed her ignorance of this lesser Shinigami.

Despite his weaker overall powers he had just enough physical and mental prowess to capitalize on the fact she was hyperfocusing on his comrade. That infuriated her to no end, especially as she crashed into the earth and was forced to endure blow after blow to her skull. Her brain rattled in her skull, but the damage was insufficient in comparison to her robust body.

The rope Sol had bound her with finally rotted away from her effluvia, leaving her to thrash and toss Sol to the side without so much as a second thought. Claws furiously raked the ground as she pulled herself upright, and The Dragon roared to the heavens at the top of her lungs, letting both men hear her pure fury,

"I will not be made a mockery of by some scaleless meat!!"

Sight was not necessary. Laskt was pulling upon the powers of a Hollow which The Dragon knew the smell of far too well. Her wings flared outwards, some of the gaps in her flesh starting to glow as she tilted her head straight in Laskt's direction and began charging up several Cero, including one in her mouth. He might have shot first, but that was fine. There was just enough distance for her to finish building up her rotten reiryoku. A second later, she fired a barrage of Effluvial Cero just like she had done to start this encounter.

The only one aimed straight for Laskt was the Cero from her mouth. Laskt's beam connected with hers, and even if he might have immediately beat her out in power, her Effluvial energies immediately started to rot away at the mixed energies it was clashing with. The immediate battle was nearly lost, and his almost reached her, but then it was rotted down to a more manageable level, and then even further until hers was starting to quickly overcome his. It would keep pushing, rotting away at it until there was nothing left and her cero was sent flying at him even if it was only at one-fourth of its original power.

The rest were fired outwards, one close enough to threaten Sol, though she wasn't consciously aiming at him. It was like a lightshow of matter digesting energy being shot in every direction, and one of those directions was towards Sol. The immediate vicinity was ravaged by the cero first, and then the effluvia that was left behind by her destructive beams. Just standing in the environment would be dangerous, as every Cero left a thick mist of Effluvia as well as a layer of Effluvial Grime wherever it didn't immediately destroy. Just being in a mile wide radius from her now equated to willingly getting digested, and after the damage he had already sustained, it was better off for him to simply leave and fight from afar. That is, if he didn't get hit.

Pain was his every sensation, his every thought and feeling.

It had only been mere minutes since the desperate duel had begun, but Laskt's wounds had already begun to reach a staggering total. Tozat's straining at his mental leash as the Hollow energy chewed at his bonds. The sheer energy expenditure that it had taken to provide both he and Sol protection from the strange white mist. The creeping acidic digestion of his exposed skin and the burning as the acid sunk into his open wounds, still bloody and fresh from where the Dragon's talons had raked him. It was only through sheer willpower and the might of his Shikai that Laskt remained standing, but he wasn't sure how long Junkyomaru's powers could continue to protect him. Bits of flesh and muscle were already falling off his body: if he didn't find a way to win soon he doubted he would survive this contest.

So when the Vizard Knight saw that his full power strike, his everything had not even reached the Dragon's body, he almost laughed. Even drawing upon Tozat's considerable powers hadn't been enough to overwhelm this foe: at most prolonging the inevitable. Despite his bravado, despite his newfound confidence. He was right back where he started. Weak. Helpless. Forced to run or hide against foes that those centuries younger than him could slay in an instant. Well if there was one thing Laskt Matiche was experienced in, it was disappointment and battles against impossible odds. With a cry of agony, Laskt rose to his feet, his bloodied face vanishing behind an ornate faceplate as his Shikai approached its full power.

So when Sol crashed to the earth beside him and grasped for the key to open the Senkaimon, Laskt felt a curious kind of peace. This was what he was meant to do. Solhammond, a young Shinigami with so much potential and lust for life, would escape as Laskt, the old Shinigami that had produced nothing but chaos and death, perished in the act of protecting him. It was what he was meant to do, what he should do, what he had to do. And for the first time in centuries, the Vizard felt a faint echo of approval from his Zanpaktou: the resigned nod of an old teacher as the student they had attempted to tech for so long finally accepted that first lesson.

As the burning mass of Cero roared towards them, Laskt would attempt to shove his junior through the portal, then grasp his massive blade in a two-handed grip, shoving it towards the sky. With a smile on his face, Laskt drew upon the deepest wells of his power, drew upon his very soul to summon a blinding pillar of Purity Flame, emanating like white banner from his blade. Roaring in a final challenge, Laskt loosed the blast, clashing directly with he oncoming Cero. Corruption met Purification. Decay met Progress. Hollow energy met that of a Shinigami and Vizard with nothing left to lose. Slowly, gradually, the two energies cancelled each other out, the Spiritual energy fading to nothing even as Laskt's form flashed blue, his Shikai finally dispersing.

Falling to his knees, Laskt would watch as the rest of the Dragon's attacks approached, his flames weakly resisting against the acidic gas. He closed his eyes.

"Not yet you stupid bastard! I still have to free myself from this wretched prison and claim my kingdom! You will not be allowed to die before I can extract my vengeance!"

Even with his power restrained by the remnants of Hvit's influence and the combined bindings of Junkyomaru and Laskt himself, Tozat still was able to wrench himself free by the tiniest sliver. With a burst of energy, Laskt's critically wounded body, assuming it wasn't interfered with, would be launched backwards through the portal before it closed, vanishing from the now destroyed battlefield.