Welcome to Wonderland (Criella/Open)

Surrounded by a storm of frozen spheres, Solomon found himself forced into a position that require his undivided attention. Even if he could offer none of his focus pertaining to his partner's condition, he had faith in Mizu that she would overcome the queen of ice wherever he may falter. Of course, Solomon had no intention of allowing himself to be overpowered under this multidirectional onslaught of collapsing orbs. No matter what, he would fight ceaselessly until he was indeed but a husk drained of all it's willpower.

Electrified reishi roared around about his entire frame as he swung his blade forward in a wide-ranging arc, filling the air with inexorable strokes of lightning to eliminate and deflect every sphere of ice that sought to claim purchase against his body. He could hear the creaking of his bones, but he paid no heed to it, slashing through midair as Hirenkyaku carried his body out of the remaining wave of spheres.

Turning his gaze at the Queen of Ice, Solomon felt that there was no greater opportunity to attack than now. Mizu had employed her own mighty attack to fell her, after all, and he had to be mindful of the time limit that hung like a cloud over his own release. There would be no greater opportunity than this. Solomon held his sword upright as he soared through the air, his aim to attack the woman from behind. Executing a wide vertical cleave, Solomon created a large bolt of electrified reishi in his wake.

The lightning bolt curved through the air, thundering toward the Queen like a bolt of judgment cast down by a deity of the storms. Naturally, offering himself to such a trike impeded his movement ever so slightly, but if she emerged unscathed, Solomon could easily be discerned roaring in to finish what his first strike could not, countless wisps of lightning billowing around his blade for one final attack. In a few moments, he knew there would be nothing else to offer. His all-or-nothing gamble needed to merit some measure of success here and now.

A true storm always requires a bit of thunder and lightning. As the world roared around her, Criella only felt excitement that the pawns before her knew how to dance so beautifully. However, a dance is only powerful through the combined efforts of all participants. She has yet to show her power beyond mere theatrics of frostplay. Now she will show them that nothing they do will ever change fact.

Her body became one with the Earth underneath her, her Reiryoku flaring before she brought her arms over her chest, her fingers splayed out as chunks of ice rose from the ground around her. One layer, two layers, three layers, four. Thick walls caging her in place like a monument, standing tall and insurmountable.

Down crashed the intense heat and fierce lightning, breaking away at her defenses. One layer shattered, than another, and another, but the two wound find their efforts foiled as that last layer held fast, its structure crumbling as the storm ceased. Criella stood, watching her defense bested in the very end by their combined efforts. Unfortunately, it did was it was required to do, and all she could do was stare at her opponents.

"Magnificent work, but now you see the truth. A queen shan't be toppled by a knight nor a bishop."

The gulf between her and Solomon and this Arrancar seemed insurmountable and Mizu couldn't understand why. Was she really this weak? Was Solomon? She could cast spells in the 80's, and confidently at that! Solomon could attack with the might of a thunderstorm! How then did their attacks prove fruitless against a few walls of ice?! Mizu couldn't help but be frustrated about the state of the battle, and her own pitiable abilities. She had lost to Solomon, she had lost to Amaranta, but in both those instances Mizu felt she had put up enough of a fight and had even nearly won. But now...nothing was working, not truly.

More than her frustrations with being weak, Mizu was terrified by what it meant. She had never had any problem accepting being less talented or strong than her peers, but now she could die, Solomon could die, and a whole boatload of innocent humans could die.

No! I won't accept it! We can win! We will win!

Mizu searched and searched in her mind for some sort of plan against this Ice Witch as dust settled from their failed attacks, and eventually, as Criella spoke, one came to her. Risky, she thought, but doable! With a flourish Mizu commanded hundreds of crystal shards to fly at the Arrancar in a wave meant to cut her like a torrent of glass. As they flew, she whispered a Kidō spell name repeatedly while pointing at various points in the ground around Criella, though nothing seemed to happen as she did. Even without the spells seeming to work, Mizu could feel exhaustion creeping through her entire body from the exertion.

Using her remaining crystal shards, Mizu formed a few violet spears and launched them at Criella in a volley. While they flew she dropped to her knees and placed her free hand upon the earth's surface, her armor barely shielding her from the horrible chill still in the air. From her hand pulsed a wave of energy across the battlefield, specifically underneath Criella and around her. She whispered another spell's name before clasping her hands together, her Zanpakuto's handle tucked beneath an arm, which collapsed the Kidō barrier around the humans and formed a new, just as large one around Criella and herself. Now it was time to put her final gambit into motion.

With a raised finger Mizu shouted "Hadō #4: Byakurai!!", causing a small bolt of lightning to fire from her hand to the ground a few feet away. This bolt struck a hidden Kidō net which had been enchanted with Hadō #12. Fushibi, resulting in a red glow which quickly spread to five points surrounding Criella in the same of a star. At each point of the star laid a Hadō #31. Shakkahō waiting to be triggered, which promptly did so upon the Fushibi's ignition. Instead of mere explosions however, Mizu had applied Fire to the five Shakkahō using Genso Kakusan, amplifying the heat and flames into a gigantic star-shaped inferno which swiftly grew to fill the entire Kidō barrier.

At the last second Mizu had used the final remainder of her strength to form a small barrier in front of herself which cracked and shattered from the intensity of the fire. She crossed her arms in front of her, but even the armor she wore, her Sei-kotsu Sōkō, was being torn apart from the blast. All her hopes resided in this final attack, and should she suffer the same fate as Criella, Mizu took solace in knowing Solomon and the humans would live.

Magnificent work? Magnificent work!? Solomon found himself enraged by her words, an indignant glare painted heavily in those azure eyes. Even with all his improvement as a warrior, he still proved inferior when it truly mattered. His all-or-nothing gamble had been turned on its head, eliminated with each layer of ice that held up against his ferocious wave of lightning. There was no greater demoralization than realizing even your most powerful attacks were no match for those who stood at a precipice beyond your own.

Second by second, he felt that painful sensation roaring throughout his frame, the faltering movement of his legs as they threatened to give out on him. After all that, they still failed. Was it his own inferiority? Wherein lied the divine ability to strike all his foes down with a single stroke of lightning?

To remove all obstacles that stood before his ideal path? reishi faded from his form as he fell onto the ground, his body crashing against a tree. His spirit weapon was the only thing that kept his body held upward as he struggled to move, his body growing cold simply by merit of landing onto a ground outfitted entirely with ice.

And still, he persisted, he remained upright as he watched on. Helpless, diminished of all that reishi that held him prior. His breathing labored, his eyes filled with doubt. He despised himself, despised that all his skill amounted to was a chink in the woman's armor, and no more than that.

"Mizu... please... please... survive!""

He couldn't bear seeing someone else he cared for hurt again...

Why interrupt an ant's final struggle? When rats have been caught in a trap, is it wrong to watch them struggle, gnaw away at their own limbs, or squeal for a God that is absent? A hunter has no mercy for its prey. The animal kingdom is not for the weak-willed, nor the common man. Mizu fighting on is what it means to live. It is what it means to die. What would be the point of finishing on something that's no longer trying to live? The Quincy had shot his shot, and now he's little but a memory to fancy and chuckle over later. The Shinigami is who Criella's eyes are glued to, and the Arrancar can do nothing but watch and hunt.

Spell after spell, prepared in perfect harmony, a neat unmissed, a rhythm performed perfectly. If Criella knew no better, she'd call this work a masterpiece for the ages, but she knows a lot. She knows that this girl is weak, that she relies on her combos to hide her insecurities. She is a blooming flower that has yet been pollinated. It's a shame she'll be snipped so soon. Even as flames danced around her, forming that blazing star of hope, Criella could do nothing but chuckle. Soon, she laughed. Even as the flames roared, drowning out her voice, caressing her skin with righteous fury, her demeaning laugher wretched the atmosphere.

She feels her body melting, the ice that coated her skin but a saggy droop of sloshed matter. Her mind danced, inspiration behind her masked eyes. A beautiful performance, but Criella knows that she is not one for being outshined. "Let us embrace eternity," She cackled opening her hand towards the ground as her body cracked and splintered. "I think I'll name this move..."

"Edad de Hielo: Estrella Perfecta!"

From her hand a cero of black and blue formed, its existence hissing as the flames licked it, but as Criella fired it down into the ground, the world around her froze. An instant flash of intense cold roared, the flames that existed instantly turned to ice as anything near her was devoured by her Reiryoku and turned a perfect structure, and at the top of her massive glacier; a perfect five pointed star.

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"A shame," Solomon would hear from behind as Criella's cold hand pressed against his back, her form turned back to normal from her Ress. Yet, her hand remained cold. "She was so close to being perfect, but now she's nothing but my masterpiece."