Wolf Amongst Sheep [Africatastrophe Act IV]

That explosive blast made him grit his teeth. He had been hoping to get a bit more mitigation, but this damn thing was too fast for the both of them to react properly! Whew this thing was desperate! It was almost alarming how much more frantic this thing was, so much more lively than a lot of hollows he'd fought in the past!

Scorches riddled his frame, the explosive power of that barrage of Ceros leaving his frame smoking, that sturdy frame of his still rattled by that confined blast. And unlike the creature, he didn't have regeneration to automatically assist him. No, if one of them was hurt, he'd have to heal them himself. A small solace.

But as he recovered from that blast, the sudden flicker of the enemy had his eyes going wide. SHIT! His eyes flicked upward as one of his legs almost buckled slightly, delaying his response for just a half a second as that facsimile of himself shot upward. And so those Stripes bit into his own skin. Covering his wounds, staunching the bleeding along the part of him that had been closest to the blast.

"Shunko!"

His declaration punctuated the burst of spiritual energy that flashed across his frame and he shot up and into the air after the creature. It was just as the creature was darting around that Danku that Igen would aim to plow into the creature from below. A shunpo closing the distance as his arm cocked back. Cold air instantly introduced into the area, that bright roaring pink Reiryoku causing ice to creep along his frame, potentially even the Hollow's frame as he opened his hand and lunged, those black stripes spiraling around his hand like a blade, wreathed in that Kido energy as he stabbed forward. Aiming to plunge his hand clean through the creature's midriff, a move which would come with an explosive burst of pink ice gushing outward and attempting to bog down the creature's body.

This thing seemed too potent to simply freeze through and through. And So his only hope was to somehow slow it's regeneration and movements by freezing it's body. Even if it meant locking himself in melee range of the creature, it was preferable to that thing getting it's claws on Kaminari.

Just.....barely!

The razor thing margin with which he'd managed to score that hit on the beast was something that Gnawed at him. This was too close, WAY too close! Even as he unleashed that spearlike lunge into the creature's chest. He could feel it. The tug of fatigue at the edges of his frame. It took tremendous effort, to put enough energy into his attacks that he could affect a creature like this hollow. It was something that he had felt many many times. For all of the skill and talent he'd garnered in Kido and even Shunko. That limitation haunted him.

Though he'd scored that blow to the creature's chest, and ice crawled along it's frame. It was....shallow. The ice wasn't freezing deeply enough. And he could feel frustration burning through his mind as he still felt energy pulsing within the iced-over creature! Was he really that Weak?!

An answer came in the form of a fresh form. As the iced upper body broke apart, a fresh new one had seemingly sprouted instantly between them, and Igen was caught off guard by the sheer speed with which it emerged. He had hoped the ice would slow it down, and so he was caught off his guard as those limbs rained down on his shoulders. Black stripes and his very own Shunko wrapped around his frame to take the blows. But it was a sesnation so very akin to his fight with Kanae. Even as those strikes pummeled down onto him, and his energy and Shikai managed to barely keep him from simply being pounded to a pulp, he could feel that he was losing. The creak of his joints. The sharp sting of what felt like tiny little fractures. The rattle of his body struggling to stay upright amidst those strikes.

A flood of light broke his concentration further and his eyes widened.

Ah, a Cero.

His Shunko Flared and wrapped around his body, the Stripes of Koozoku twisted up his frame and collected into his arms, turning them, black as he thrust his hands toward that blast. His body strained as that Cero crashed over him! His own energy coiled around it, keeping that beam from simply exploding, trying to push back even as he felt that energy threatening to overtake him.

But it was way too much energy. He'd already put in so much in those attacks. He could feel the heat searing along his palms, only his Shikai kept his limbs from simply being burned away! But he felt it. The instant that that wave of energy chipped away enough at his Shunko, enough that he could no longer keep it from simply bursting over him.

FWASH!

The attack finally exploded, without being allowed to simply carry him back thanks to his stubborn grit, the energy simply burst outward and the explosion sent him flying downward. He was slammed straight into the ruins of a building, a loud crash sounded as the entire upper section of the building came crashing down while fire and smoke billowed outward. And as the flames and dust settled out, Igen would stagger his way from the rubble, panting as a trail of crimson followed him from the chunks of building. In that last second, Koozoku had quickly shifted from his arms to wrap around his head and upper body, keeping the damage away from anything Vital.

But not without cost. His left hand was almost completely gone past midway down his forearm , and his right hand was missing a section of his thumb and pointed finger. The rest of his arms and legs were littered with bleeding charred flesh. "GHRRRRRRRH!" He staggered, and almost dropped down to one knee, as the sheer pain of his injuries hit him all at once! He was panting, sweating, the corners of his eyes tearing as he fought tooth and nail to keep from simply not passing out from the pain and the shock. The dark stripes bound the worst of his injuries, but he was still bleeding from everywhere else.

Everything was searing. He couldn't hear what was going on around him, he couldn't form proper thoughts. He wasn't used to this sort of injury. His sheer sturdiness had always dampened his injuries considerably, but he didn't have the energy reserves to contend with a hollow this destructive. It took everything he had to stay upright, and try to lock onto wherever the hollow was. He was exhausted. HE was Hurt. And his head spun as he tried to keep it together. Fighting the urge to expend energy to try and heal himself.

Even in his panicked state, he knew that he'd need that energy to try and kill this thing. Or lock it down so that Kaminari could.

It had to die.
It HAD to die.
Push through the pain.
Push through the panic!

The sensation of Kaminari's assault infringed on the haze in his head as he raised his head. Panting with exertion, taking so much of his focus not to pass out as he looked up at the exchange. The sudden cleave which seemed to end the hollow. But those eyes narrowed and he hissed, shakily getting up onto his feet, even as his blood dripped to the ground. He could still sense it's spiritual pressure. Especially when it released again so explosively. The pressure almost dropped him back down to his knees, but he kept his focus somehow. Hissing through his teeth as the muscles in his frame stood out. His teeth clenched together as he felt his spiritual energy welling up within him.

He knew he'd exhausted a fair bit of energy. He didn't have a lot left for much. And that was before. But healing in the after was not on the table. This thing was way too strong. But whatever it was doing, this seemed like it's true form. He closed his eyes and focused on his Reikaku. Feeling out the sudden explosive burst of energy. It didn't matter if it was a hollow, it still needed those core organs. The Mask. The well from which their spiritual energy flowed and allowed them to continue. This .... thing didn't have an obvious one. But it would be just like surgery. Focusing. Visualizing. He allowed himself to take in that explosive roiling spiritual pressure. Feeling for where it seemed the strongest.

He couldn't kill it. BUT!

He wasn't going to give up!

His breathing came more forcefully as he straightened himself up, and tongues of bright pink reiryoku began to course up the length of his body. Slowly increasing in number. Dredging up every last bit of energy he could manage, even as the pounding of his own heart sent shocks of pain through his body, he continued to push himself. Those embers slowly building into a roaring fire. Ice once again crept long his own body. The bleeding stopped entirely as that blood solidified and darkened. As the cement around him cracked from the expansion of freezing water.


As Kosmos reared his head, setting his sights on carnage and torture, Igen shot up from the ground like an arrow. The cold kept blood from spurting from his wounds as he exerted himself, a hand raised above his head as he appeared in a freezing blur above the Gillian. Those stripes peeled up the length of his body. Abandoning his wounds. No longer wrapped around him now that the ice kept the bleeding at bay. That dark ink collecting along his palm, into a single sliver of twisted ink. A spear, tossed into the air as Igen's body twisted. With his ruined hands, he had no hope of selivering a proper thrust. And at the height of his ascent, he unleashed a kick into the butt of that spear.

Ugatsu 鑿

That Spear spiked toward Igen's best Guess at this creature's mask. And with it, an explosive release of that freezing pink reiryoku, the air cracked from the sound of the weapon shrieking towards the Gillian at breakneck speed. Every bit of his Shikai condensed into that point, intent on marking the spot as an explosive wave of ice and cold would crash down on the Gillian right on the heels of that projectile. Hoping to freeze the creature in place while marking it's frame with that spear as a target. One that hopefully Kaminari could follow up on.

But well, it didn't really matter if it succeeded or not. In the echoes of that impact, with his Shunko entirely spent, the blood covering Igen's body would start to thaw, and start flowing freely again. Enough that a few drops would hit the ground.

Shortly after Igen did.

Everything was buzzing. His breath drawn in with ragged gasps, his head spinning a little as he stared up at the sky and tried to suck in air as every inch of his body burned. Pain from his ruined hands, the dozens of burns littering his body.

Was this......his fault?

Maybe.... if he'd spent more time training, he could have been fast enough to avoid so much damage.
Maybe if he'd pushed himself into his duties as a commander and a leader he could have led a small squad to take this out in a more intelligent way.
Maybe if he'd studied more in the academy he might have thought of something to deal with this creature.
But .... he was a prodigy wasn't he?
His growth had been so impressive. His learning of Shunko in such a short time was nothing short of astounding.

Right?

He could feel Kaminari near him. She was trying to check on him. He was injured, but nothing fatal. He was covered in burns, his hands were all but destroyed, one of them WAS. And he was bleeding profusely. But at least his vitals were intact, thanks to his Zanpaku'to. But well....his energy was very low. He'd pushed himself to exhaustion and then some. And then some more. What could he do now? Hakuda used reiatsu. Kido used reiatsu. Shunko used Reiatsu.

But he had to fight.

His eyes snapped into focus as a chunk of pink ice plummeted down toward them, and with a mighty HEAVE he swung his leg up! Slamming his heel into the chunk of ice and gritting his teeth as he launched the slab away from them! The other shards pummeling the ground around them as he stood up. Ragged, bleeding more than he should be. And with his eyes narrowed, almost sealed shut by the blood running down his brow. If she attempted to heal him, he'd promptly stop her.

"I'll.... be .....fine. You need your energy.... to kill it." He'd hiss through gritted teeth. He didn't have his shunko to make him stronger, faster, more durable. He'd just have to tough it out. And so when those bright lights flared, he stepped forward and held out his hand. From it's spot on the ground, his Zanpaku'to exploded into ink and surged towards him at high speeds, congealing into his palm to slowly turn solid as those ceros glowed to life infront of him.

Waiting for it's Food
A Tiger sits as Rain pours down
Not a tear joins them:

His eyes hardened as his gaze locked onto the creature.
"Kill the hollow." Not even a shred of hesitation in his voice.

His body flickered as he charged toward the creature as those stripes SPRANG out and wrapped around the air in front of him. He wasn't as fast as before. He couldn't weave in or even try to find a safe route in through those ceros. That dark ink od his Shikai forming a hard shield infront of him. Taking those blasts as the ceros erupted around the creature. Protecting Igen. And of course Kaminari behind him as well. Flames and concussive energy tore outward and surrounded him as those ceros detonated on contact with his defense. But he pushed himself. As slow.... as weak... and as tired as he was. He forced himself in through the heat and the flames. So that when at long last he finally reached the hollow, as those Ceros finally died down, flames blanketing the area, save for a band behind him. He emerged from the smoke.

That ink was gone.
And in it's place, was the gleam of steel. The edge of his Shikai, a Guandao polearm gripped tightly in his ruined hand. His body covered in scuffs, blood, burns, and cuts from the shrapnel of his exploding surroundings. IF nothing else...he barely had any reiatsu for the creature to sense his approach. Even now, he didn't have enough energy for his Shikai to remain active. The first time that even he saw his Zanpaku'to in it's sealed form.

He chopped downward, cleaving with all of his strength down the center of the hollow's body. Attempting to hew the creature clean in two. Which would.....accomplish nothing. Without his Shunko. Without a Kido spell. A mere slash was probably nothing in the face of that regeneration.

He twisted his frame and then brought that blade straight back up. Transitioning into a brutal uppercut.

And then a flourish to slash at the thing horizontally.

And then a downward swipe to try and open up it's lower body.

Again and again he slashed and hacked and tore into the hollow. It was going to start beating him down. HE knew that. He expected that rain of fists. Another barrage of Ceros to punch holes in his body.
And all throughout, his roaring shout would cut through it, as he put everything into attacking this thing, while his nerves and his bones screamed in protest.

But what else was he going to do?
He was just gonna keep cutting, and hope that Kaminari could finish it off, before this thing or the fatigue that burned every inch of him finished him first.