Hollow Heat [Rita/Amaranta]

The sun was a hellish thing for most people to deal with in the inferno-like heat of Etohpia. It smothered you and drenched the soul in a pit of humid misery. So it would be a pretty ghoulish way to be slaughtered, spending your last moments in this plane of existence melting under the infinite glare of the golden giant.

Yet, that's precisely what Rita did to the souls of hollows. Well, not quite. She brought them close to death's door but let the shinigami employees under her get the final kill so their souls could be thrown back into the soul cycle and made anew as humans.

It wasn't her place to fuck with the soul cycle. Still, after hearing all the horrors coming out of this continent, she was beginning to grow concerned, and a sense of urgency was brewing to get stronger to set the balance right after a mysterious hole in the earth rose in the capital of Vastime. And being that earth was her home; she couldn't sit on her ass and do nothing and be one of these rich assholes who hid until things got so bad they were forced to act. No, fuck that. Rita was throwing herself on the front lines.

Hence, she and some of her forces were working together to remove stray hollows in villages in the outlands to help people being terrorized by this sudden increase in hollow numbers. This was done to train herself and get a feel for whatever threats may be coming out of that hole so she could prepare herself and others on the planet if needed.

So after spending days doing this, the woman was found to be a sweaty mess in a smoldering crater that expanded for a city block. By no means was she exhausted or out of energy; if anything, she felt herself getting stronger by the day, and there was a shark-like grin on her face as a fierce, fiery teal energy bled from her body.

As she was recovering and resting, one of her men jumped in the hole, alerting her to an abnormally strong hollow approaching.

"The fuck?"

After flying out of the hole, Rita tilted her head to the side and called out:

"Who in the nine circles of hell is that?"

The approaching force that one of Rita's subordinates alerted her to would make their presence known in the form of a fiery blaze as the unknown warrior roared through the hole, her body shrouded in flames as she soared upward, crashing her enflamed fists against an anomalous hollow that sought to turn her into its meal. A tremendous force of impact crushed its skull in the blink of an eye, and just as it sought to rise up to claim her as a prize, it haplessly plummeted back into the abyss. Rising from the fissure, a fierce roar bellowing from her mouth, the form of the unknown warrior is now made abundantly clear. Amaranta Valeria. As an arrancar, she was primarily found traveling wherever the wind blew, particularly wherever she could find the most action. In recent times, Ethiopia had proved to be an immense battleground that left her quivering with anticipation once she found out what was going on.

This is where battle was, where chaos was happening, and a place where she could fight freely... even if she might invite even more attention to herself by sheer merit of her existence as an arrancar. Quincy and Shinigami alike might well take her for an enemy here, and there isn't much she can say that would sway their mind if they consider her an enemy. Of course, she supposed as long as she reminded them that she technically arrived here as an ally, and was here to throw down and cave some abnormal hollow face in, then she could slide by easy enough. Fortunately, she rarely ran into them since she kept approaching the source. The inventory was kind of boring today, though. There wasn't some mammoth beast that had risen up like she heard with the rumors that the remaining civilians were floating around. Tch. Had she missed all the action already? Furthermore, what was this hole, anyway? There was no end in sight, and Amaranta wasn't foolish enough to continuously travel below any further than she could manage.

Hearing a voice calling out in alert, Amaranta turns her gaze toward Rita and her men, blinking her eyes as she tilted her head. Another group? Placing a hand at her hip, she dismissively waved her hand to assuage any worry, but if they wanted conflict? Well... maybe that teal-haired woman resting in her little area could entertain her... Her energy source undoubtedly amused her the most.

"At ease, soldiers. Yeah, I know I'm hot shit with the energy levels, but I'm not from the hole. I tried exploring it to see what it's all about, but I keep consistently running into small fry. Measly hollow that ain't even worth a damn appetizer on my menu. Name's Amaranta. I can either be a good alley for a price, or a pretty unruly enemy if any of you guys wanna' step."

Rita held her gaze on the figure and seemed at ease. If nothing else, given the woman's power, if she wanted to cause damage, she could have done so by now.

"Aye, let's hear her out. No stupid shit."

After Rita moved her arm in the way of those following her, she nodded and heard the gist of what the Arrancar ahead of her spoke about. There was no need to lose their shit since, if nothing else, she wasn't an active threat to the continent. If anything, it could prove in Rita's favor considering she was curious about what the hell even was deep in that hole.

"Name is Rita Grace, a pleasure to meet ya."

Now stepping forth to the taller woman, Rita put her hand on her hips and didn't seem to back down. It wasn't out of disrespect, but more so that even if a power gap existed in life, she learned from a young age never to back down. Even if you got your ass beat, it was always better to go down swinging than be a punk and not stand your ground. So, she stood on the tips of her toes and wriggled her nose before thinking of what to say next with a smirk.

"We ain't lookin' for a war. Hell, we are trying to clean this shithole up. This whole African place has been fucked up from whatever hole popped up in the Vastime's capital, so we've been out throwing hollows back in the soul cycle that was hostile, providing aid to folks who need it and re-investing in the infrastructure around her."

Pointing back at a village nearby, other vehicles, men, and soldiers would aid people miles and miles away. There would be a bit of air traffic in the skies as she seemed to have some pull. After all, she was the leader of this little operation.

"So, if anything, we'd probably be on the side of being an ally if you aren't here to tussle n' brawl."

Now cracking her neck, Rita let her teal energy ease into a more gentle aura before taking another peak at Amaranta.

"Of course, I've been fightin' my ass off trying to grind and get stronger myself. I have no idea what the fuck is in that hole, but I know I gotta step things up and get my petite ass in gear and get stronger. All hell is bout to break loose, I can feel it in my blood, and I'm sure even as an Arrancar like yourself can feel that, aye?"

A measure of curiosity settled into the leonine woman's features as she observed each word that fell from the teal-haired woman's lips. The confident aura that emanated from her certainly spoke to a bold and brave nature, a trait worthy of the fiery arrancar's recognition. Rita was speaking her mind, offering every degree of honesty, voicing her intentions without a hint of trepidation in her posture.

"Think you got me all figured out, huh? Well, you're not wrong. I didn't come here for any other reason to test myself against the collection of abnormalities that have been wreaking havoc all over the place. As you can see, though, I ain't fuckin' found much. I've been waiting for all hell to break loose, but I still haven't found anything particularly exciting yet. "

Chuckling softly, the woman gazed back at the fissure she had just emerged from, beastly eyes of an azure hue peering at the opening in space that now seemed as if it were a permanent fixture in the heart of Africa. Stretching her arms forward, Amaranta's eyes returned back to their prior source of interest.

"Truth be told, I don't much care about what happens to this place. I can confirm that I won't bother you guys in your little project. At any rate, I like your style. What's your name, runt? You can call me Amaranta."

"Figured you out? Nah. Good first impression? Definitely. And it's for the best that nothing exciting has popped out. Earth is my home, so I'd rather not see it be dragged into hell after that demonic crap a few years back."

Snorting, Rita rolled her shoulders and stretched, relieved that nothing out of the ordinary crept up today. Yeah, hollows were running amok, but they weren't anything she and her team couldn't handle. Still, one must wonder how much that good fortune would run for.

Meh.

For now, though, her eyes focused on Amaranta, and she nodded.

"Names Rita Grace."

With a wink of her eye, Rita then pointed both of her fingers at Amaranta as if she was posing before chuckling.

"And come to think of it, if we both haven't found anything, I could probably use a workout myself. I'd rather not have my shit wrecked when whatever Cthulu mindfuck abomination from the final circle of hell comes out of that hole."

Now rolling her shoulders, Rita popped her neck and fist and then touched her toes for a moment before popping back up.

"So, are you down for a spar? After all, I can't expect to get stronger sitting on my ass. And I wouldn't worry about injuries, either. We got medical shit miles away from here to help us recover afterward."

"Speak for yourself. I'm practically dying out here waiting for real prey to come find me. That said, i guess the feeling is mutual there. Earth is pretty damn cool compared to the endless hell of sand called Hueco Mundo'. I ain't into none of that altruistic shit, but I guess if this place got jeopardized, I'd have to head back home."

Amaranta chuckled heartily in response to Rita's banter. She can already confirm one thing so far from speaking with this lady. She wasn't boring. No, if anything, she had a certain spice to her that kept the leonine woman engaged. Like music to her ears, she is offering the woman a challenge to a spar. Stroking her chin with a wide grin dominating her tanned features, Amaranta nods her head in amusement, offering a playful shrug in response. She supposed nothing hurt with getting a warmup in until something actually showed itself. What type of meal would this battle be? She wondered.

Appetizer? Main course? Battle was something that came second nature to her spirit, something that made her feel alive. It went without saying that any promise of a good fight was enough to earn her approval in an instant. Hopefully, Rita would prove to put up a good challenge. Maybe she'd find another lady friend after everything was said and done. Now that she's accepted the battle, she settles into a defensive stance, throwing off her biker's jacket to reveal a torn, crimson tank-top.

"Heh, you son of a bitch. I'm in. Let's get to it, Rita. Since we've just met, I'll let you make the first move."

"Good shit."

Volts of electricity started to spark around the woman when the spar was agreed to. Then, with another arm held out, she motioned for her men to clear the area and return to work, taking care of the other nearby villages. She wasn't sure how large this battlefield would become, but she knew at least a mile or two would be enough.

After taking a deep breath and focusing her senses, the woman's teal energy surged around her like an inferno before she disappeared and appeared at the flank of Amaranta. By tilting her momentum, spiritual power, and raw strength into the strike, Rita aimed to have a hard-hit strike on the Arrancar's body to get a feel for either her durability, speed, or powers, as there would undoubtedly be a response.

Not wasting time, the woman would jolt from her prior position and twist herself upward to try and deliver a resounding drop kick, producing a thunderous hole in the ground for half a city block regardless of whether or not she hit the hollow. With the energy boiling and screaming from Rita, a more heated smile hit the woman's face as she could feel her blood beginning to curl and boil.

The only thought on Rita's mind? Strength. She needs to push herself to acquire more power, skill, and evolution of her soul for something bigger than herself. This was part of that process, and she had to love the grind of it~!

"Let's fucking go!!! I need this shit!"

Amaranta maintained her intrepid expression as her spirit found itself suffused with a boundless sense of excitement. This is what she truly lived for. Fighting strong men and women, relentlessly pursuing the top of the mountain until no one under heaven or earth could call themselves her equal. Compared to that, everything else came secondary. The volts of electricity billowing around Rita's body doubled the leonine woman's excitement. Ahh, if it weren't for the fact that she had already offered the first move, she would've set off into action at that moment. Fortunately, Rita wouldn't make her wait for long.

In the blink of an eye, the teal-haired woman shifted her body behind Amaranta, collapsing from above with a thunderous drop kick. Possessing no desire whatsoever to avoid her strike, sharing a similar desire of feeling out her opponent's strength, Amaranta effortlessly turned her body around, swinging her forearm upward to meet her foot in midair. The mere pressure from the impact created a whirlwind of pressure around the two as burning lioness brought her own tremendous strength to bear to match Rita's physical prowess.

"Hahaha! Hell yeah! I had a good feeling about you, Rita! Going straight for the kill... I love it! Careful now, get me anymore excited and you might find yourself stuck with me for a minute!"

A roar of jovial laughter bellowed from her mouth as her opposite hand, shrouded within fire, came roaring in at immense speed to land against the woman's midsection... if she remained in midair of course. If she shifted her body back, Amaranta would pursue her in dogged pursuit, employing a mighty burst of Sonido to close the distance between them in an instant. Yeah, she liked this one. Women with real fucking grit were right up her alley.

As each woman's burning strikes collided in a sea of strength, Rita's face turned into a grin as she could assess what this battle might be like. The sensation of fire ignited across her limbs, so this indicated that their strength was around the same. Yeah, Rita could tell the hollow's raw physical might was above hers; but it wasn't by an absurd degree. She could use her power and energy to make up for that gap. And in terms of speed? There wasn't anything she had difficulty keeping up with.

No. What Rita needed to be focused on was if she was going to use that daunting spiritual presence. By volume? The woman had far more resources to work with. Enough to probably flatten an entire town. Yet, that wasn't what determined a battle. She needed to proceed with caution and, if it came to that, use the potency of her powers to protect herself.

For now, her mind was on the battle. She jolted back down to the earth as the sounds of electricity chirping echoed in the air. Rita kept her bursts of speed within the range of her powers. There was no need to fight dirty like usual since the hollow wasn't an enemy, so she would keep these attacks clean.

When Amaranta came charging in, Rita could read the telegraph attack since it was more straightforward, and she had time to prepare mentally. As a result, she charged up a burst of teal energy in her legs, propelled herself forward like a missile, and sought to charge the woman. Stopping a few feet ahead, Rita seemed to be going straight in for a direct attack -- before disappearing. Well, not quite. She used her speed to dodge the hollow, attempted to come at her right side, and roared like a dragon.

"ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH"

In this sudden switch-up, she punched the air, and regardless of where the hollow was, an explosion of kinetic and spiritual force was released for half a city block in all directions. Given that Arrancar's had a natural hierro, Rita intended to just straight up decimate the space around them and save the physical strikes for when she knew she had a clear hit and could cut through. Furthermore, she could test the extent of her durability as this attack could cause issues with her hearing, given the sound, send chunks of the earth flying and was enough to send her on her ass at least.

Regardless of what happened, Rita focused on keeping her vital points like her throat, face, heart, and kidneys hardened with energy and prepared to move on a dime for the next attack.

Amaranta had prepared to defend herself against Rita's next charge, but her next attack proved to be anything but predictable. She shot her body forward like a missile, feinting as though she had intended to charge her, only to vanish and reappear at her side with a thunderous war cry, swinging her fist toward the woman's side. She shifted her body back to evade the punch by a hair's breadth, but the concussive impact that exploded throughout the air as a result of her spiritual force, had forced the woman to take her attacks more seriously. What a fucking thrill!

She actually had to be serious for this one, and she wasn't paying any heed to the collateral damage, either. Matching spiritual force for spiritual force, Amaranta focused all her energy on fortifying her hierro as the ground beneath them shattered into countless pieces of rubble, creating clouds of dust in their wake. As she went airborne, Amaranta kicked a large piece of rubble toward Rita as she called out to the woman.

"GOAL!"

Laughing somewhat maniacally, Amaranta sent that piece of debris soaring at her from above, and that was far from the end of it. Any piece of debris that went skyward was kicked at her a speed that broke the sound barrier. What happened next would depend on how Rita addresses those pieces of debris. If she blasted them away, Amaranta would generate a wave of flame around her first and punch it forward in the form of a fiery tornado. If she chose to handle them physically, the leonine woman would vanish from her position in the air, bursting forth with her sonido to appear at the woman's back, swinging her elbow at the woman's back with full force. Two options, two scenarios. Now that things were heating up, Amaranta intended to make sure she showed her teal-haired guest her absolute best. Maybe... she could push her into ressurecion'? That'd be fucking fantastic, really.