Ashes to Ashes, We All Fall Down! [Africatastrophe Part II]

Perhaps it is time for a different approach.

At this point in most fights, at least of those she could remember, Kanae would be watching in glee, cackling, as her enemies experience the wondrous sensation of having their flesh and muscle melted and sloughed off their bones. Asher seemed hellbent on depriving her of such joy as he avoided falling into her acid trap pit. "Tch." she grumbled, scowling at his words. Though not thin-skinned or overly sensitive to simple insults, she couldn't help but be annoyed by a simple Hollow talking back to her, regardless of its power.

With a thickening, suffocating mist filling the air around her, Kanae decided to shift her focus to that nuisance flying above. As it fired more beams of energy from its eyes, Kanae flash stepped up and into the sky where it was flying, barely dodging one of its Cero as she came out of the black mist. She swiftly flash stepped again, this time to directly in front of the winged beast, and when it threatened to collide with her Kanae leapt up and over its hulking head, landing on its back with her sword lodged deep into its hide. Kanae began releasing acid from Tosatsusha from within its body as she sought to destroy the monster in the most painful way imaginable. If successful, her powerfully corrosive Bankai acid would eat through its tough hide, tissue, and bones, all while its hulking body acted as a shield against Asher's barrage of Bala-like blood attacks.

After a light hop to gain separation, Kanae came down upon the Hollow's body with as much strength as she could muster to slam into it and send its, hopefully slowly melting, body in the direction of Asher. She followed it to the ground, though she remained out of the range of the concealing mist her enemy had continued spreading across the area. With her body still riddled with burns and other injuries Kanae began performing some Kaidō as basic first aid to prevent herself from being overwhelmed, seeking to use what little time she may have gained from her stratagem to do so.

Let there be no more interruptions from outsiders and we'll be able to commit true cruelties.
I wouldn't count on it. This thing wants a fight, but isn't above using whatever tactics are necessary to win. It may require multiple Captain-levels to take it down at this rate. Good thing there's two of us, Tosatsusha.

The death of one more of his beasts meant nothing to Asher. If anything, it only meant that he himself was all the more capable in future bouts, and as he stepped away from the falling corpse, he simply held out one hand, the body decomposing into spiritual energy as Asher absorbed the creature's essence. Untold Hollow energy flooded outward, but Asher had no use for it. He'd acquired what he wanted, and he rolled his shoulders for a moment, all the while black mist continuing to roll over the battlefield.

Very good. The Vasto Lorde took one step forward, then two. With the third, the flesh on his back peeled away, forming into leathery wings as he lept upward into the sky. One more tool, one more weapon. He gazed down at Kanae with a burning new intensity, that inky haze still spilling out from his helm.

No words needed be spoken. What else was there to say, after all? This foe was not on the caliber of the previous Captain he had faced, but she was not without merit, either. Worth his time. Possibly even worth raising up to a more proper state. He could not be certain yet. Asher's eyes glowed more brightly for the briefest of moments, and all at once two burning red beams shot out from his mask, toward Kanae with an intensity that the now-dead Hollow had lacked. To build upward on the corpses of the weak; that was the way of conquest.

That is annoying. thought Kanae as she barely made out Asher appearing to absorb the remains of his fallen mount. It was difficult for her to tell precisely what occurred as the black mist continued dispersing from his helmet, concealing much of what it covered. For Kanae's part, she remained outside of its reaches for now so as to avoid a battle of the blind. It seemed Asher was fine leaving the mist too as he suddenly took to the sky with newly-grown wings set upon his back. Between his scarred, powerful body, monstrous wings, and sinister billowing mist coming from his helmet, the Hollow general was like a demon of Hell as he stared down at his foe.

Asher dispelled all doubts about what happened within the concealing smoke as his red eyes lit up brightly before firing beams of high-intensity energy at Kanae, who immediately recognized his new abilities as those of his fallen mount. Upon seeing the Ceros fire from Asher's eyes, Kanae took off sprinting with Flash Step along the ground, doing her best to stay ahead of the beams as they ravaged the earth behind her. Using a rather large Hollow as a springboard, Kanae leapt into the air and continued flash stepping, though now she was traveling further and further upward; then, when she eclipsed Asher, she continued in a circle around him, all while seeking to both cut the distance between herself and him, and staying ahead of the beams.

Once Kanae had mostly closed the gap between predator and prey, she surged forward with every bit of speed her ragged body would allow and sought to strike Asher with her most powerful technique: "Tengoku Taishokukan: Sazaeta!" With blinding speed Kanae slashed with her weapon innumerable times, each producing a violently caustic blade of acid meant to pierce and soften Asher's powerful hide so Tosatsusha's edge could draw further blood. Like two predators tearing apart their meal, Kanae and Tosatsusha tore at the Hollow with unabated aggression.

A warrior never feared injury. A warrior feared only a wasteful defeat, a failure on the battlefield, proof of unilateral weakness. Asher ceased his cero quickly as he realized the woman was faster than that, knowing fully that it would need to see use in some other manner. She was quicker than he was, by far. That was fine. Asher had dealt with many harrying pests in combat before, and this was simply a more menacing form of such an opponent.

As Kanae ran in and began her strike, Asher simply braced himself, the Captain's every strike clanging against his body as the Vasto Lorde steeled himself. The acid began to burn through his body, but that meant nothing to him. He could repair it, better himself one way or another. By comparison, this woman was fragile. He could see it in her form, in her figure.

As Kanae's blade sunk into Asher's flesh again and again, he didn't even need to take the time to face her fully. Blood seeped from every wound, spraying outward with pressure more than what seemed typical, but that blood was no mere wound. All at once, the blood which came from his wounds shot outward toward Kanae, carrying no small amount of force behind it and multiplied only by Kanae's own ferocity calling so much blood forward.

Only after those wounds had shot toward Kanae, Red Money bursting toward her like countless cero, did Asher turn to face his opponent. Not to burst Cero from his eyes, not to utilize any of his myriad powers from conquered Hollows. No, he simply wished to turn this woman's nature on her. He was Hollow, and so his own touch was plenty acidic in its own right. His fist rocketed toward the woman with the full brunt of his strength, no defense in mind. Even if she cut off the limb, it would surely continue toward her, ready to make its impact with a corrosive power that made most Hollows' acid look like it left nothing more than a modest sunburn.

The feel of skin being rent asunder underneath her sword was a familiar one to Kanae, but unlike usual it provided her no sense of joy. While brutalizing her victims was typically a happy affair for her, the end result of death is what matters most; in this instance, even as long tears were opened along his body and arms Kanae and Tosatsusha both felt this Asher was no closer to death.

As her Sazaeta completed, Kanae was greeted with the sight of floating blood and in her estimation what was about to happen would hurt immensely. Her instincts were proven correct as she brought up her arms to cover her face and felt the forceful impact of what someone more familiar with modern weaponry might describe as a shotgun blast. Wounds were opened across her chest and arms as both her haori and Shihakushō were riddled with holes.

Asher gave no quarter as before Kanae knew it his massive fist came rocketing toward her. In the last moment she aimed to cleave through his wrist with her Zanpakuto, but still felt the brunt of his attack collide with her raised left arm which immediately shattered in multiple places while the smell of burning flesh filled her nostrils. Unable to shrug off his sucker punch, Kanae felt herself flung through the air before she managed to skid to a stop in a prone position. Blood poured from the various wounds Asher had inflicted upon her, and Kanae was gasping for breath as she recovered from that sledgehammer of a punch.

Hatred and anger overwhelmed the Captain as she slowly dragged herself to a kneeling position with her right arm. She hadn't felt such intense wrath since her imprisonment, the very idea of sitting through a thousand years of darkness just to be felled here by some pathetic, disgusting Hollow shattered what little remained of her rationality and reason. Like a lurking predator, her true self crashed through the veneer holding it back.

Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Vicious spiritual pressure poured off Kanae's body like a tidal wave of malevolence as she slowly but surely stood back up. Kanae's outfit was now fully drenched in her blood as it now appeared painted crimson, what remained of it at least as it had been torn in many places. Her eyes told the tale of a woman possessed as she stared acid-soaked daggers into her enemy.


An explosion of Reiatsu burst forth from Kanae as she became encompassed in virulent green energy. Powerful gusts were whipped up around the contrasting fighters, blowing away Asher's thick smog and replacing it with a choking, oppressive pressure. Revealed after a moment's time was Kanae's new form: Her raven and violet hair was now floating around her, while her glowing green, newly-healed skin appeared covered in scales. With her irises now vertical slits, one might easily mistake Kanae for a nightmarish demon; but as she grinned her terrifying grin, it was clear it was still her behind those eyes.

The burning acid the woman had wounded Asher with was certainly a test on his body. He'd allowed the myriad burns and slashes she'd made on his body, but that had been for the thrill of the battle. Now, she was a genuine obstacle. A threat. The King of Beasts understood the nature of a battle, and so it seemed he would need to cease in testing and now fight for supremacy. The hand that had been severed quickly reformed, flesh shooting out from the wound and knitting itself together to fill the void. The acid the woman had used left it still raw and bloody, but a wounded hand was far more useful than no hand at all. His other wounds mended themselves, leaving the acid burns but closing the more grievous, bleeding cuts.

It seemed these "Gotei United" types always had some greater power locked away in their body. Asher was intrigued by the idea, and though he certainly wished to know more, he had no intention of ruminating when a foe like this had put itself before him. For now, she seemed all too willing to act the predator, creating a menacing air before him. But Asher had felled greater beasts by far, and he knew no fear as a conqueror.

"A more fitting form, for a creature of the battlefield."

That bloodlust was all too clear for the Vasto Lorde, and his own gaze simply met hers with the same measured, unreadable intensity they always had. What would she bring now? He eagerly awaited it.

Transformed, Kanae stared at her enemy with bloodlust in her eyes. The air and ground around her screamed as they were turned to vapor. Power the likes of which was unimaginable for most coursed from the soles of her feet to the tips of her fingers, bringing new life to a woman who just moments prior was crumpled on the ground. Last time she used this release, Kanae recalled, it didn't last long before she and Tosatsusha reverted back to their sealed state. Knowing she was on a clock, Kanae acted immediately. In a flash she was gone, nowhere to be seen; an invisible threat lurking below the surface.

As quick as she vanished, Kanae reappeared in front of Asher. Her sword fell upon him with frightening speed as she sought to cleanly cleave the Hollow general in two. Though acid lined her sword, it would last no longer than a second or two off it; in that time it would prove far deadlier than that of her Bankai. If he will keep regenerating, thought Kanae, Then we will find its limit finished Tosatsusha. A flurry of slashes followed her initial attack, littering the ground in horrendous wounds around them as acid flicked too and fro from her blade.

That wasn't all Asher had coming as Kanae sustained her tenacious assault upon the Hollow. Even as she swung her Zanpakuto wildly at the Hollow, her left arm clawed repeatedly at his chest. With every fiber of her being transformed into a demon of corrosion her nails and fingers would prove dangerous weapons, but even more than that the space around them would be a caustic zone capable of eating through her victims. In a final act of savagery Kanae thrust her left arm forward, aiming to impale it through Asher's colossal chest.

Her speed had already been more impressive than his own, but this was on another level entirely. Not that Asher feared the woman simply on account of her newfound power; far from it. He was fascinated by it, reveled in the opportunity to grow all the stronger by besting such a creature as this. As she appeared in front of him, her blade cutting into him countless times, Asher once more hardened himself, though he immediately could tell that he was now on the defensive.

However, her arm flying forward felt as though she was goading him. Asking him to attack. His body burned down, only to slowly knit itself back together, acting to prevent the most grievous of wounds rather than simply expending all his power on returning to full strength. No, this was a matter of endurance, and acting as though injury was a failing would only make him weak. The arm that pierced his body was caustic on a level he had never experienced, but that was good. It was experience to be used again in the future, after all.

Having been goaded thus, and with his opponent having placed herself so firmly into his range, it was only natural that Asher would take advantage of this opportunity, rather than simply fleeing to recover. His arms once more unfurled themselves into red-hot tendrils, swinging down onto his much shorter opponent at point-blank range. At the same time, cero once more burst from his eyes, fully intent on engulfing the woman even as his own body slowly dissolved.

He had no intention of falling. Even if he did, he would do so walking the path of conquest.

As her sword cut through Asher's skin repeatedly, Kanae watched his tendrils begin to react in defense. Perfect. Her gambit would pay off after all, she thought. Though hardly a carefully plotted out plan, her stratagem to convince her foe to attack her with his burning tendrils would prove fruitful. As they seared wounds into her body once again, this time she would not be without defense; even before reaching her skin, the tendrils would suffer horrific wounds from the further-empowered acid making up her body in Shikokai. Not only would the acid eat away at them, but she would also be saved from being entirely crumpled from such a barrage. Still, it was Kanae's ferocious force of will that kept her going through the pain of having her flesh stripped away repeatedly.

Pain
As burning energy engulfed her body, Kanae's mind became consumed by this single word. Pain. Pain. So much pain. I'll kill it. I'll kill it. We'll kill it, Tosatsusha. We must kill it. Kill it. Kill. When the Cero ended Kanae was revealed to almost be more corpse than woman as half the skin and muscle on her face had been disintegrated, and her left arm, which she hadn't been able to protect with her Zanpakuto, had once again been covered in horrific burns. Even still, her demonic gaze never faltered. In another flash of hyperspeed Shunpo Kanae slashed from Asher's right shoulder to his left hip as deeply as her acid-coated Zanpakuto could manage, and now from her vantage point behind his hulking body she repeated this attack with the goal of tearing the Hollow in half.

In another act of defiance against this monstrous general, Kanae hopped and sprinted up his back, each step potentially leaving behind a horrific footprint-shaped wound in his hide. Upon balancing on Asher's head, her foot pressed into the top of his skull, she leapt off and spun in midair where she lifted her Zanpakuto and swung it down with every atom of precision and speed in her body "Kudatsurakagi!" True to its name, Kanae sought to split the Hollow from the top of his skull through his entire body. Accompanying her sword was a mighty torrent of green acid that would make even Tengoku Taishokukan look like child's play. Her objective was to destroy Asher the way any Hollow is destroyed: by piercing his mask.

Asher had known that any strike he made would be returned to him as well, simply because of his opponent's form. But only a coward would fail to strike when there was an opening. He didn't need those tendrils for longer than one attack, and even after they had been melted into nothing, he reformed his arms once again, blood dripping onto the ground below as the acid kept his regenerative ability from fully recreating the limb.

Her speed continued to be Asher's greatest weakness. That was one thing the Vasto Lorde could not simply meet with raw force, and it was quickly growing more and more irritable. But if he could not stop her, then it was simply a matter of taking every possible opportunity given to him. The woman cutting through his back was damning, but before he had time to turn to face her, she had already begun another strike. There was no time to turn and meet that strike, but he didn't need to. He was in a perfectly advantageous position in his own right here. He moved forward only slightly, hardly more than a yard, but even in that short distance, countless blood red cuts were made where he had once been. The woman's blade would still cut through him, her speed and the acid causing a damning wound.

His mask, at least, remained intact. But the woman's sword had split the warlord's body in a line down his spine, muscle, sinew, even bone all exposed and burning away as much of him was bisected. Such a cut exposed nearly all of him–and this meant that near all the blood in his body had been spilled. Even without a face, one surely would have felt a smile if they looked on the visage of Asher the Empty Hearted, as his sundered body unleashed every drop of that blood toward Kanae behind him. He wouldn’t be able to use that again, he knew that without any shadow of a doubt, but he wasn’t out for the count just yet. Victory seemed as though it was slowly becoming less likely, but would Asher retreat?

No. This was a glorious battle, to push him so fiercely. He would see it to its very end no matter what.