Beauties and the Beasts[Africatastrophe Act II]

There it was. Klein had been waiting this whole time for an opening. Watching his opponent, staring her down from his little vantage point and toying with her all the while. Now, though, Kaminari's attention had already shifted. He'd given her ample data to work with, but who was to say any of it had actually been all that useful? It wasn't, and that was the way Klein liked to fight. No sooner had his opponent stepped away than Klein had already moved to the other side of his mist, sonido masking his step even more than the cloud itself already intriniscally did. Arrows formed on all of his fingertips, creations of his Hollow Cross rather than mere cero, and his typical cheerful little smile grew into a sharp, condescending grin.

"Hey hey, you oughta pay better attention."

Klein was very good at being underestimated, but he was a practical guy. Being underestimated needed to be put to a purpose, and now, after Amaranta had drawn so much flak, it was about time to show at least a little bit of his true colors. An immense array of arrows immediately shot forward from Klein's fingertips, but countless more arrays formed much at the same time. Hundreds of arrows, the manifestation of Klein's own nature as a Hollow, suddenly rained upon his opponents, and he was profoundly confident that they weren't going to be deleted by that lady's zanpakuto. She had energy, but his arrows were on a whole different level from boring cero.

"Sorry, babe! You were a little too hot, drew a little too much attention!"

Even now, though, Klein didn't dare give away the extent of how he was approaching this battle, the calculating approach that considered every possible facet of the battlefield. His words were at odds with his mentality, though that wasn't to say he'd ever just let Amaranta be put at risk. No, if anything, her being taken out of commission might actually make him take things a little more seriously-

Mm. Better not to think about that. He was sure they'd win this just fine without any of that.

Finally! Finally Amaranta had suffered something to her hierro that seemed to do something. Anything to the beautiful warrioress they were facing. Exaggerated heaves of breaths came as Tento’s body paused for a moment. Blow landing from Kamnari’s efforts to lead way to the tag on effect of the ebony warrior. In a growing change in attitude and demeanor though, Tento said nothing at Amaranta’s stabbing words. Letting the wind course forward against her fist into a roaring counter towards the tornado.

The elements met, wind and blade striking against her efforts and sucking out the oxygen and air around her. A stagger to her senses and ability. As short as it could be perhaps, it did do something to slow her punch to his midsection as she let loose a roar. Just enough time for him to weave his torso away from her strike. Flying up in an upward jump as Tento let out a grunt while throwing out another slash to Amaranta’s body using the blade of his sickle. Safe to say he avoided her punch but not the explosion that accompanied it! The fiery shock flew him back several meters, all before his feet focused on the air, grappling down in a slide before coming to a halt. An eye closed in a grimace as he looked up focused on keeping his bearings of the combat environment. The last pieces of the top parts of his uniform burned to ash. Burnt marks layering his arms and chest as the fabric faded away. Yet another toll mark added to his body from this group battle. He really needed to thank Kaminari when this was over, her defensive kido really did wonders from keeping the many blows he had suffered from Amaranta from being critical or crippling…

Although a voice spoke. Coming in a soft manner it felt a lot more present than it had been before. With a bit of news as well. “Oooooo…babe?”, Tento said in a slightly playful tone while he was pushed away from Amaranta by her attack. Grin on his face. These two were a couple? She was into short kings!! Heheheheh. Oh if they weren't in a serious battle Tento would have to ask Klein how he had game that good.

With a flare of unleashed energy though Tento’s senses were challenged once again. Arrows flying out of that mist, powerful pieces of energy. In a blur of retreat Tento shunpoed to create distance between him and the array of bloody energy attacks using the space due from Amaranta’s blow to get a head start. With a flick quickly flick swing of his fan a feather detached. A whirling storm of wind flying as a shield coursing in front of him expanding in size as he evaded the first initial ‘ceros’ before breaking down into a stream of bladed wind strikes to collide with the numerous ceros that continued to come afterwards. He then moved, hearing the first ‘Danku’ from Kaminari’s lips. The overwhelming number he knew would eventually consume the winded defensive domain, and in haste he came under the protection of the quickly built Danku before traveling again. Moving alongside Kaminari’s retreat as the barrier was broken and a second was made. A rapid breath coming as he did so in a steady flow to catch his breathing and relax his body through this soft respite. Although grimaces all the same through teeth. He felt it, the burns in the remaining parts of his shinigami uniform. And the marks to his form. Grazes to his torso, arm, left leg. Endured by traveling as several ceros were burned and cut through his pants. Many wheezed close to their mark but not as many as he expected to come if it wasn’t for Kaminari’s second Danku barrier.

“Thanks”, Tento worded to her with a nod of his head as shunpoed away, going back to her individual battle against Klein before Tento shunpoed back to face Amaranta. With a crackle the sound of the radio in the Shinigami’s ears came to life after Kaminari unleashed her . Hadō seventy-three, Sōren Sōkatsui. A shaking unworldly amount of spiritual energy coming from all corners as the sectors under battle were going crazy. A wonderment and concern of battles underway in the Ebony Shinigami’s mind. How were the 4th division members? 3rd seat Shura? Captain Kanae? Before being answered. A thunderous wave of thunder and lightning kido erupted before the sound of a fierce voice sounded in his ear. With an urgent message…

This is Kurata Shura, 3rd Seat of the Fourth Division. My position is compromised, I am withdrawing to the Senkaimon effective immediately. This.... This hollow is on par with you, Captain Kanae Nagoshi.



With a crackle it ended. As fast as it came. The sudden realization of two of his division member’s energy was clear to him. The outward senses registering to his diverted focus. One…practically gone, all used up? Injured, Shura. One, pulled to its limit as it faced off at a power that for all intents and purposes made Tento shake in his boots spiritually. It was their Captain, and facing whatever monster it seemed to be just as strong as her. Maybe….stronger? A deep sigh came as Tento’s sword was held steadily in front of his body pointed to Amaranta. Fan to the side as it was suddenly let go as a veil of darkness seemed to be on Tento’s face. Spiritual energies coming in waves to him of their state of being. “Me, acting like this when others are giving their all…”, Tento voice called out. Heavy voice layered in an acid deep determination that threatened to melt away all opposing him in this instant. Bubbling at the surface just waiting to overflow. There was no light hearted joy, flirtatious undertone, or goofy spirit. Just a serene calmness as his hollowified eyes pierced out from his mask at Amaranta. “PATHETIC!!!”.

What...kind of a man does that make me? A hand quickly went up to his face. Grasp in a lion’s claw as a well of energy shook the air. Spiritual energy on the polar opposite of Tento’s. One that was not warm, embracing, or nurturing. But instead, dark, cold, and…murderous. In a downward shift a hollow mask appeared on his face as he let out a roar. A curved mask that fit his face perfectly, jagged edges and ends, the lower part of his mouth filled with nothing but a dark abyss. White strands of his hollow mask acting like barriers to keep it contained. Claw-like marks protruded from the top side of the mask four on each side, with the centerpiece strangely being a divided swirl. One color black with a white dot and the other with white color and black dot. Spiritual energy violently exploded out in a controlled quake as a red glow overtook Tento’s form to blend with his brown reiatsu.

Letting out a low hissing breath, Tento’s eyes locked onto Amaranta. The spirit of the Shinigami and his growing energy came out to bare to her. A twisting coil of red and brown spiritual energy mixed with his spirits roar. A warrior’s wrathful malicious intent. The sound of a lion’s cry and hawk’s scry slamming into her very core, the spiritual pressure screaming through the area in the visage the two creatures glaring out. The light beamed into the air to signify Tento’s determination as he gripped his sword and fan, the growing color coming to his form in an unrelenting light. Vanishing. Tento swings his sword in a strike as he dashed forward in a burst of improved speed multiple levels above his previous ability, flailing sword spinning as he came. Throwing out a fierce number of slashes, three, rotating continuously in a horizontal cyclone pattern. Aiming to break through Amaranta’s defense and appear behind her before swinging his blade against her back in an immediate follow up arrack. Unleashing an unearthly amount of wind skyward; threatening to split the very clouds above them.

This was irritating. Really, really irritating. Klein didn't really like when he had to put all his effort into things, because that meant he was in danger, and this fight was getting pretty nonsensical. But Amaranta was still being the ideal combat partner for this fight. The danku had blocked a lot of his arrows, but he'd made some hits, and that was good enough for him. He could already feel reiryoku flowing from the wounds, out into the air, and he drew it toward himself as effortlessly as breathing.

"Losers."

Klein's charming, entertained little smile had decidedly fallen now, and his expression had grown serious as he spat a brief insult toward his opponents. He either won this now, or he'd have to really let loose, which wasn't a great prospect in a situation like this. The spell Kaminari was firing his direction might have been a bad deal, but look at that. Amaranta had fed into Klein damn well, and between the wounds he'd inflicted and the attacks being tossed about so carelessly, he had enough to work with.

Well, he had to hope, anyway. He could tell this fight was getting toward its conclusion, and he really needed to handle the guy losing his cool over there, too. Better just go all out. Arrows quickly manifested over Klein's fingers, and at the same time, a dozen hierro clones spread out throughout the cloud with much the same energy at the ready. Half of the clones shot toward Tento with suicidal ferocity, obviously unconcerned with well-being. Each one cut toward Tento with wide, arcing slashes, the intense energy coalesced over their fingers shooting out like scythes.

The real Klein, however, and the other half of the hierro clones, focused on Kaminari. The clones ran forward to cut through the Soren Sokatsui, disintegrating as their cuts slashed through the spell, leaving only Klein himself, scorched but relatively unharmed. His grim expression carried with it only malice, and an undeniable air of superiority, as he seemed to look down at Kaminari even with his much smaller height. Both of his hands clapped together in front of him, fingers pointed toward his foe, and the empowered arrows on his fingertips rocketed toward her. Each projectile was already far stronger than his previous attacks, but they fused together in mid-flight, intent on creating a damning projectile that would force Kaminari to either focus on it, or probably be run through.

Maybe him and Amaranta should have actually worked together from the get go. Oops.

Good. She was getting pushed to the edge. Klein inhaled once, a deep breath as he took a moment to get a feel for the battlefield with pesquisa. It was turning in their favor, very decidedly. Less shinigami and quincy with every passing minute. He could afford to let loose, then. He'd absorbed a lot of energy by now. The energy he'd let loose in his release all at once returned to him, the red mist coiling into his chest alongside all of the energy it had consumed. With a wide grin, he pointed forward at the spell that had been shot toward him, his single finger coated in only one arrow.

"Ya shouldn't take your time in a fight, miss. Gives the other person time to prepare."

The arrow on his finger rocketed forward, but all at once split into hundreds of arrows. With the full power of all his absorbed energy within it, he had plenty to work with, and he simply met each of the rods of Kaminari's bakudo with an arrow of his own. He might have tried to dodge, but why should he? It was more fun this way, breaking an irritating person's toys. The rest of his salvo continued to shoot toward Kaminari, and likely toward Amaranta as well. But he knew his favorite lioness would jump into the fray recklessly either way, so he didn't have any qualms about that.

He was out in the open now, but so what? He didn't hide because he had to. He hid because he liked to. If the lady wanted to try and attack him head-on, he was plenty ready for that.