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Post by Neva on Jun 16, 2009 6:56:42 GMT 1
Click. Click. Click.
Hardened claws allowed the hollow to scale the walls of the cement structure, eventually placing Neva on the roof of the building. Night was falling, and while the sun-loving creatures of nature would soon be curling up for a well-deserved rest, this city would not slumber. Tilting her head back, the beast sniffed. It was getting more and more difficult to find a good meal, the lingering Pluses snatched up by faster, more experienced hunters, or freed from their confines by those obnoxious Death Gods. However… the Shinigami themselves were quite the treat, if one could manage to take them down.
Though it was difficult to tell with the reptilian visage, Neva grinned. She could feel no wandering souls in this specific area, but perhaps if she wandered a bit more, she’d locate a meal. It was fortunate that most of these humans remained oblivious to her presence. It made hunting that much easier. Head panning slowly to the left, she sniffed once more, a faint spiritual energy detectable… dinner. A light one, maybe, but food nonetheless. Slowly, she descended, feet landing her in the back alleys of this complex building labyrinth. Whether they could see her or not, weaving through all those beating hearts was a chore in itself.
Crawling in the darkness, the spiny entity eventually ventured into a less densely populated area. Good… fewer obstacles meant this would be easy. ’Now… where are you…?’
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Post by Azael on Jun 16, 2009 7:20:01 GMT 1
Damn...
A sandalled foot set itself lightly upon a concrete rooftop, shortly after the second followed. Black garments waved softly against the form of a short-haired male, creating a ghostly countenance against the purple-hued skies. White hair reached as far as it could as the zephyr took it in its grasp, though its length was far too stubborn to allow any dramatic movement. Optics glancing about, almost hurriedly, Azael attempted to detect any spiritual energy about himself.
There was none of importance. The Shinigami gave a sigh, this was an unusual place for him-- a place he was not used to in the least. However, the Shinigami was brought here by a turn of events in which his captain had entrusted the responsibility of to him. A rogue Shinigami had escaped through the gate and into the Living World, after committing a multitude of crimes and eluding the sixth division. Despite this, the Shinigami was not very powerful, and thus Azael was given the mission as a test.
Azael remained alert as he speedily leaped from rooftop to rooftop, until suddenly his senses went into alarm. There was a presence which was more powerful than any normal human or spirit-- Hollow-like in nature, as well. Though it wasn't his duty, the white-haired boy was unable to ignore such an event, and immediately changed direction in order to head towards the spiritual pressure.
As he moved, the people below began to dwindle. He was leaving the very crowded area of town, and nightfall began to stretch its tendrils across the once bright sky. Buildings began to decrease in abundance, forming alleyways. It was above one such alleyway which the white-haired boy landed, crouching atop a roof as he gazed downwards. It was dark, but there was most definitely movement.
And a Hollow, no doubt.
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Post by Neva on Jun 16, 2009 8:04:54 GMT 1
Frustration was quickly growing, and the painful hunger in her gut only made it come on that much faster. A low growl thundered in the back of her throat, putting even the fiercest of beasts to shame. Had there been any of the living present, it may have been the phantom wind that made ones hair stand on end. Well, it didn’t appear as if this wandering soul was simply going to pop out and allow her to devour it. Sniffing once more, the Hollow trekked deeper into the darkened streets. It was growing stronger with each step, the thought of a pleased stomach nearly causing her to break into a run. Ah… perhaps this soul wasn’t nearly as weak as she originally thought. In fact, it had an odd air of familiarity to it.
“Shinigami…?” she spoke aloud, the lifeless eyes somehow finding a way to narrow. Intrigued by this realization, Neva’s progress stopped, the Vacuo standing upright on her back legs. There were… two of them now? If the duo of Death Gods happened to be working together, her outing may have gotten that much more difficult. Two on one in a ‘life’ or death situation typically ended with a Hollow running with its tail between its legs; a humiliating feat she’d rather not suffer more than necessary. Then again… if neither of them were particularly strong, it was only a win-win situation for her. Perhaps she’d see how this played out after all.
But what to do? If she continued forward, the approaching presence may take advantage of her turned back. However, if she waited for the second to show themselves, the one she was tracking may create so much distance that she could no longer track them. ’What an interesting dilemma…’ In the end, she decided the risk of an ambush was worth taking, if it meant possibly devouring two soul’s instead of one. Dropping back down onto all fours, the Hollow dashed. There was much distance to cover, and little time to do it. Thankfully, size allowed that distance to be covered rather quickly. The well-known black garments of the stray Death God soon came into view, and with a powerful leap, the Hollow landed on a parked car stationed a few meters in front of the Shinigami, the impact of her size causing the installed alarm to go off.
“Going somewhere…?”
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Post by Azael on Jun 16, 2009 8:32:24 GMT 1
Azael had dismissed the movement below as simply a cat or other such small creature, rummaging through the remains of trash in order to simply find sustenance. Leaping lightly from the rooftop, the Shinigami landed against the concrete sidewalk, pressing five fingers against the ground to soften the landing.
"There!" It was almost an instinctual reaction, Azael called out as he realized that, while he had been focused on the Hollow, the Shinigami he had been tracking had entered an area which was close enough for Azael to sense his reiatsu. Now, the white-haired Death God was torn: trace down the Shinigami as his mission stated, or find the Hollow. One option left a Hollow to wreak havoc among any pluses or even living souls, while the other allowed his goal to slip away. Both were important to the Shinigami, but one created a failure out of Azael. Still, sitting still and dwelling on such decisions did nothing for the white-haired boy.
Then, suddenly, in the distance, a blaring car alarm sounded. Its noise reverberating through city, through the low lights and making its sound all that much louder. There was little human life about the area, and both reiatsu seemed to be coming from that direction. It was time to act, and Azael took the chance to leap upon a nearby car, and from there up to a small building's rooftop.
Dashing silently through the dimly lit city, Azael leaped from building to building towards the source of noise and the distinct reiatsu. Landing silently atop a roof adjacent to the now ruined car, Azael gazed down upon a single, menacing Hollow sitting atop the destroyed vehicle, and the very Shinigami he sought to chase down. Likely, his reiatsu would give his presence away, but for the moment, he chose to lie in waiting. Crouching down upon the edge of the rooftop, his emerald orbs scanned the scene unfolding below him.
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Post by Neva on Jun 16, 2009 9:07:41 GMT 1
“Is that a no?” her voice cooed, the split tone adding a twisted feeling to the already intimidating figure. She chuckled darkly, a mighty claw rising into the air before smashing down onto the surface of the vehicle once more. The shrieking siren had quickly become annoying, and the strike had been exactly the thing to render it permanently mute. “Wonderful.” The youth seemed to have been in a hurry, but where oh where could such a being be going with such urgency? To her knowledge, the only real reason one would be speeding about the mortal realm was to prevent her own kind from causing a ruckus. Best not to think on it too long, lest the little worm slip from her grasp.
Just as the Shinigami drew his blade, her hand swooped forward, attempting to knock the entity into another one of the stationed vehicles. Sadly, he was a bit too quick on his feet for her strike to be successful. However, he seemed slightly taken aback, repositioning himself for a better strike… not a bad idea really. Powerful legs sent the Hollow skyward once more, placing her behind the destroyed car, almost using it as some kind of barrier for herself. The second Reiatsu she had sensed earlier suddenly became much more obvious. Had the second mouse wandered into serpents jaws? “My, you all just crawl out of the woodwork, don’t you?” she spoke loud enough to be heard, but until the detected body actually presented some sort of threat, she’d leave them be.
For now, she'd keep her senses sharp, and await some form of counter attack.
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Post by Azael on Jun 16, 2009 9:14:07 GMT 1
Azael watched the scene unfold: they had begun to fight rather quickly, and though he managed to only barely dodge, the rogue Shinigami moved away from the attack unscathed. As the Hollow leaped into the air, the Shinigami dashed forward, noting the presence of another Shinigami in the area-- the one whom had been chasing him. Azael figured that he thought that with the Hollow about, Azael wouldn't try to arrest him, and he was more or less right.
The Shinigami down below became rather offensive, and set a foot against the car before leaping over it, attempting to cut the Hollow down with a simple overhead swing of his zanpaktou. Really, Azael could understand why his captain had sent him after this rogue. There was not much skill in anything he did; he wasted movements and created large openings for himself.
Idiot...He's going to get himself killed. Azael thought as he stared at the two. Instinctively, his hand had gone down to the hilt of his blade, in case he was needed to jump down in order to aid the Shinigami. Despite him being a rogue, there was no necessity for him to die by a Hollow, none at all.
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Post by Neva on Jun 16, 2009 9:27:23 GMT 1
“Ho…?” Neva’s head tilted to one side, the sudden offense taken by the shinigami piquing her interest. Well, at least this wouldn’t be too boring. Whatever this individual’s business had been before, it seemed to have been put aside for the sake of some unmentioned ‘duty.’ Or… it may have been because she was trying to devour him. Whichever. With one leap, he was airborne, and with a quick landing, he was directly before her. ’Not too bright, are you?’ Her words were not spoken this time, lest she hint to her victims oncoming fate. As the muscles in the Death God’s legs tensed, preparing for a second leap, her arms swept upward. Hands and spines alike hooked themselves underneath the vehicle, and with the upward motion, sent the whole thing spiraling away, most likely taking the body with it.
Needless to say, the Soul probably wouldn’t be too eager to stand after such an impact, should he find himself trapped beneath the weight of the tattered steal. However, should he escape, the Hollows crown would remain unscathed regardless. Surely such a sudden shift in the resting place of his feet would knock the Shinigami off balance, leaving him open for a further assault. It would not, however, be an opportunity she would snag. She preferred to play with her food a bit before eating it, and ending ones afterlife so quickly was a bit… boring. Her tail twitched, followed shortly by the female standing upright on her hind legs.
Was he still alive?
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Post by Azael on Jun 16, 2009 9:34:57 GMT 1
The Shinigami was blown away, as was the vehicle. Apparently, he hadn't expected the Shinigami to have that much strength. Azael watched as the Shinigami and the car were sent soaring through the air, moving very rapidly towards the side of a brick building. Azael decided not to interfere quite yet-- should the rogue Shinigami be injured, he would be easier to take back, and if he weren't, then Azael could simply continue to watch the fight take place.
Righting himself just before making contact with the building, the rogue Shinigami moved his blade upwards, slicing through the vehicle before him and causing it to split into two. Each half pelted the building on either side of the Shinigami, while he himself smashed hard into the red brick. Falling, he quickly attempted to regain himself and stumbled a bit as he landed on both feet. Taking a few moments, the rogue Shinigami attempted to regain his senses after the impact, and after doing so, decided to take a more defensive stance, mostly out of fear.
Keeping his sword unsheathed, he wielded it in both hands, holding it now a bit shakily before him. It seemed to Azael that he would now wait for the Hollow to strike.
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Post by Neva on Jun 16, 2009 10:02:07 GMT 1
’Not bad.’
Her tail swished in an excited master, as if she were a dog that had just been praised. While she’d failed to crush the shinigami into a fine paste – a good thing, she supposed – he still seemed to have enough fight in him to get back on his feet, sword drawn and daring her to strike. Regardless of the cleaved metal scattered on the battle field, it was a dare she was far too eager to accept. With size on her side, and many quills protecting her body, brute strength would hopefully be enough to overwhelm this stubborn individual. Temporarily overcome by the mindless beast within her, she let out a roar; a noise that would hopefully be enough to unsettle her victim enough that his guard dropped.
Shortly after her outburst, the Hollow dropped to all fours, charging forward with her head tucked. Though it seemed her goal was to smash the shinigami with the horns upon her skull, a slight angle in her charge would assure that it was her shoulder doing the ramming, damaging the male both from the impact, and from the spines located there. A bit reckless, perhaps, but should her strike be successful, the results would be devastating.
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Post by Azael on Jun 16, 2009 10:16:22 GMT 1
Azael watched as the Shinigami seemed to hesitate in his defensive stance but for an ephemeral moment-- the moment directly following the Hollow's resonating call. It was rather intimidating, Azael supposed, as the Hollow charged towards the still rogue Shinigami.
As the Hollow neared the Shinigami, he attempted to leap over her, but timed his leap wrong. This caused his legs to be caught by the spines of the Hollow's shoulder, ripping into the flesh deeply and causing him to flip uncontrollably behind the Hollow.
Shit...Azael thought, pressing a hand against the concrete rooftop. Now was his time to step in, with a wound such as that, that Shinigami wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Azael leaped at an angle from the rooftop, directly towards the Hollow, and landed safely beside the downed Shinigami. Glancing at him but for a moment, the white-haired Shinigami clenched his zanpaktou in both hands with a firm grip, his jade gaze falling directly upon the Hollow. There was little running distance between them, perhaps a meter, giving Azael little time to foresee the Hollow's next movements. Regardless, he waited for the Hollow to strike.
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Post by Neva on Jun 16, 2009 21:15:19 GMT 1
Insects.
Hunger caused rational decisions to become harder and harder to make. While she had received an odd sense of satisfaction by skewering the Shinigami’s leg, the spiritual energy she had felt earlier dropped down. If she had judged distance correctly, he was probably… right behind her. One hand had risen up, pressed firmly against the brick wall of the building to ease the landing of her charge. It would be foolish to charge directly into the solid mass and get her horns trapped within it. “Children should learn to wait their turn.” Having yet to turn around, the tail of the Hollow, easily six feet in length by itself, swept horizontally in a powerful strike. Unless he moved quickly, the new arrival, and perhaps his fallen comrade as well, would become a victim to the vicious rows of spines littering the appendage.
Neva’s head turned about half way through the swing, interested in seeing if her attack had landed, as well as the state she’d left her first victim in. The tension in the air only fueled her excitement, and caused her hunger to grow. Despite her earlier comment on interruptions, she couldn’t help but wonder… if the two were indeed working together, why would he wait for his comrade to fall? Wouldn’t it have been a much easier fight for them if they… oh… worked together? If she’d had brows, they would have arched. Unless, of course, this new Death God was confused as to who his enemy really was.
What interesting creatures…
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Post by Azael on Jun 16, 2009 21:29:16 GMT 1
Having taken a defensive posture, the white-haired boy was intent on analyzing the Hollow's movements. The press of its hands against the wall, its unmoving head, even the spines littering its body. Azael didn't know of the Hollow's abilities, except that it had great strength.
Then, a movement much more sudden and quick than any of the others caught his eye: the lengthy tail which burst from the Hollow's rear moved in a powerful attempt to smash into him. Having his sword already drawn, he simply moved it so that its blade was facing the tail, holding the sword so that its hilt would be skyward. Pressing his free hand against the back of the blade, he reinforced the block. Azael tensed as the tail smashed into his blade, its spines protecting it from any harm from the blade itself. Indeed, its strength had caused the Shinigami to slide a bit, towards the injured rogue Shinigami.
After only a moment of waiting, to be sure the Hollow would make no more moves with its tail, the white-haired youth leaped forward, placing his feet strategically onto places which contained no spines along the tail. Allowing himself to land upon the tail, the Shinigami immediately made a move forward, stepping once more onto a safe spot along the tail, before pushing violently off the tail, vaulting overhead. This vault caused the Shinigami to soar even over the Hollow, and as he did so, he twisted his body so that his head was downwards-- facing the Hollow he was now above. Quickly, he made a horizontal slash with his blade as he soared over. Assuming his leap was clear, he would land with his feet against the wall, ready to push off in any direction, depending on how the Hollow reacted.
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Post by Neva on Jun 17, 2009 10:45:37 GMT 1
Unfortunately, the metallic sound of steel against her natural weaponry wasn’t what she was hoping to achieve. The muscles within her tensed, trying to outdo the shinigami in a display of brute force. However, even with her best efforts, she managed to do little more than send him off a fair distance… which worked well enough, she supposed. Unfortunately, unlike the other pest, this one didn’t give her the chance to counter attack so easily. Pressure upon the additional appendage was not caused by any form of weapon strike, but by the feet of the Shinigami, fully intending to use her beautiful tail as a makeshift walkway. Needless to say, Neva wasn’t thrilled with the proposition.
Immediately, the Hollow began to swing her tail violently, the limb smashing against the concrete on more than one occasion. Despite her best efforts to send the Shinigami careening off in another direction, he’d made his footing very precise, allowing him to scale the lower portion of her body with hardly any effort at all. Frustration voiced itself with another bestial roar, but Neva would not give into mindless attacks; not just yet anyway. Her head had been angled just enough to see his ascension along her spine, and as such, also saw his leap. The position of his blade as he drew nearer to her cranium hinted at only one proper course of action: ducking.
Dropping her head and upper body lower to the ground, the distinct sound of steel swiping through air and air alone fell upon her auditory senses. Her eyes, while seemingly non existent, watched keenly, and as the Death God’s feet landed against the structure before her, the Hollow lashed out. Both hands crashed violently against the wall, sending a powerful tremor throughout the whole of it. While it wasn’t near enough to topple the whole thing over or even crack the surface, the sudden impact would hopefully throw her opponent off balance and create an easier target.
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Post by Azael on Jun 17, 2009 22:11:42 GMT 1
A roar from the gut of the Hollow blasted through the air. Azael watched as the Hollow easily managed to avoid his blade, which passed through the air with no resistance. Twisting in order to land upon the building next to him, he watched his opponents next movements. Assuming that the Hollow would attack immediately, Azael had already planned to move from his position before he had even set foot upon the building. Muscles tensing before his landing, he immediately pushed from the wall, less than a second before it was smashed inwards by the Hollow.
With little else to do from such a position, Azael simply rolled as he flew, so that he landed facing his opponent. From this landing, he took the offensive in a burst forward. Dashing towards the Hollow, A simple horizontal slash was attempted by the white-haired boy. Understanding that the attack would likely miss, Azael followed the attack up soon after with a simple kick, following the horizontal momentum.
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Post by Neva on Jun 17, 2009 22:44:34 GMT 1
Aggression had gotten her nowhere. As satisfying as it was to strike the brick wall and disperse her ever-growing anger, it hadn't made an impact on the shinigami at all. In fact, it seemed as if she'd played right into his plans... which, of course, only proved to further the Hollows rage. He was a quick one, that was for sure, and the only thing she was going to accomplish by smashing her limbs about was utterly destroying this section of the city. She'd have to outsmart him, or at the very least, toy with him a little. Empty sockets watched closely, and though the simple strike prepared by her enemy would have been a simple one to evade, Neva decided to try a new approach.
She swung her hand around, palm down, as if preparing to backhand the Death God. However, her motion stopped abruptly, causing the metal to hit the spines on her upper-arm with a loud metallic twang. Following up her defense, her limb was sent skyward. if all went according to plan, the momentum would have been enough to completely tear the Shinigami's Zanpakutou from his grasp, sending it spiraling over her head and landing a fair distance away. With the additional momentum his kick provided - a strike that landed quite firmly against her bicep - the loss of his weaponry was nearly assured.
Interestingly enough, Neva did not take advantage of this unarmed state. Her arm ached, and the spine that had just been her defense suffered a nasty fracture. Instead, she simply stared. "Your mind is an odd one," she spoke, the haunting duplication of sound making it seem as if the Hollow was, in fact, more than one being. "You choose to fight while an ally lay bleeding on the floor? He may die if you don't do something, you know."
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Post by Azael on Jun 17, 2009 23:34:10 GMT 1
His first attack was blocked by the spines which littered the Hollow's forearm, and his kick was all but nullified by the Hollow's bulk. The Hollow moved suddenly, ripping its arm upwards. Azael held tight onto his blade, which caused him to lift into the air a slight amount, but it wasn't enough. The blade was airborne, and lost from Azael's grip.
Shit...The Shinigami thought, ignoring the Hollow's words. As he moved through the air, he attempted to grip at the Hollow's arm in areas where there were no spines. Should he be successful, he would use this grip to alter his position, so that his feet were near the Hollow's face, and press them against the white mask, using it as a base to shunpo after his zanpaktou, catching it in mid-air. However, should his attempt to grab at the Hollow fail, he would attempt to land, and thereafter use the ground to shunpo upwards after his blade.
Azael was no martial artist, and though his skill lacked with the blade also, it offered more protection and offensive power than being unarmed.
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Post by Neva on Jun 18, 2009 1:06:33 GMT 1
And here she thought she was being nice. Had this rodent dared take advantage of her kindness? Reiatsu surged within her body, and though the shinigami had the nerve to literally walk upon her a second time, she spared him once more. She hungered, of that she had no doubt, but she was also enjoying herself to the point that she willed herself not to bite the male's foot clean off his ankle when he dared rest it upon her face. Determined to regain control of his blade, the Death God found himself airborne. Perhaps it was time to demonstrate that this Vacuo didn't speak just to hear herself talk.
What goes up must come down, and it was this brief time frame that Neva acted on. Her target suddenly changed, the beasts large figure moving over to the fallen Shinigami with surprising speed for one so bulky. Assuming that the nearest soul was incapable of movement, she lifted the body with both hands, spined fingers entwining around the upper half of his body. "If I squeeze hard enough, do you think his eyes will pop out?"
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Post by Azael on Jun 18, 2009 2:50:47 GMT 1
Success. Azael had been able to vault by using the Hollow's mask, and using a single shunpo had moved quickly towards his airborne zanpaktou. Fearing his back facing his opponent, the Shinigami threw his weight forward as he soared through the air, flying upside down, so that he would be facing his opponent.
Something unexpected happened. Really, Azael was unsure as to why it was so unexpected, but it was. The Hollow had gripped the rogue Shinigami in its powerful hands, and then proceeded to seemingly taunt Azael. Though the Shinigami was indeed Azael's enemy, he was still unable to simply look the other was as he was killed by a Hollow. Regardless, Azael attempted to persuade the Hollow to let go through other means-- he wouldn't beg or plead with her.
As he twisted himself, landing atop a rooftop, he spoke, "Tch. I've been chasing him. He's a rogue Shinigami-- no longer one of us. Go ahead and kill him." It was a bluff, really, but Azael's poker face wouldn't let that show. Not at all.
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Post by Neva on Jun 18, 2009 5:04:06 GMT 1
The Hollow let a low hum - a sound that easily could have been mistaken for a growl, were she not enjoying herself with these mind games. In truth, she had started to wonder if the troublesome Shinigami had any kind of tongue to speak with. It was proof that any puppet could dance if you pulled the right threads. "Is that so?" He seemed true to his word, but she couldn't help but wonder. Rogue or not, didn't the guardians of mortal souls have some kind of morals regarding these instances? Curious as to how far she could push, her grip slowly began to tighten.
If nothing was done soon, the bones of her victim would begin to bend, followed by them snapping completely. Getting a scream or two of pain out of her toy probably would have been enough to push him, but a few more poison-laced words would fall off her tongue; insults that surely would have gotten a fun reaction. "With that kind of attitude... you yourself would make a good Hollow."
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Post by Azael on Jun 18, 2009 5:13:27 GMT 1
Unfortunately, the Hollow did not loosen its grip. Azael had seen this coming, but wished for it not to happen. A grimace threatened to surface upon his face, but he showed no sign of it. Yes, this was a difficult situation.
The next words the Hollow would spew would sting Azael on a sort of personal level. A guilt, a sort of guilt which came with the taking of lives, still was carried by the Shinigami. A memento from his past life, he was sure, the very reason he had joined the 6th Division. There was a sudden pain in his stomach, a twisting ache. Did those words have more meaning than they appeared to?
Damn...Azael's mind rushed, attempting to find an answer. None came to him, and the situation only worsened. there was little he could do-- the Hollow was not a merciful one; none were. Azael took action, with a quick shunpo down, directly at the Hollow's side, followed by a stab towards the very same side. The stab had begun to be set in motion during the shunpo, causing the blade to devious outwards near instantaneously.
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