A Crack in the Dam I (Hunt)

[npc]

: Emergency Deployment :

Unit Threshold - 3 Shinigami, Reiryoku Level 3-8
Difficulty - Normal

A dangerous level of Hollow activity has been reported in the Dangai space approaching Karakura City. In order to prevent civilian casualties, any available operatives are to mobilize immediately; a Senkaimon has already been prepared for your departure.

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Eastern Karakura, Komatsu District, Residential Area; A heavy cloud of damp and vile energy, like the lingering stench of old skin and refuse, hung throughout the otherwise tolerable air of inner city Karakura. While night had fallen, the street and sky were illuminated by rows of streetlights, filling the urban world with a dim yellow glow and ushering in the illusion of an artificial life. Not a soul could be seen or heard from within the sheltered homes along the roadside, yet twisted flickers of some unknown movement disturbed the stillness of the night. Even the darkest of alleys were devoid of live, yet something twisted and churned within the sky, as though the air was wrestling to free itself from some unseen grasp.

It was small at first, like the twisting of air above a flame, but the distortions intensified with each passing moment, becoming violent, until the space itself was left in twain. In that moment, the shrill cries and dark laughter of hollows tore the silence of the city, their bodies flooding the pavement in a sea of writhing shadow.

---

Enter Hollow Type 0, Nameless
Reiryoku Level 1-2

~ Near mindless hollows of the lowest order, Type 0 are generally only found in Hueco Mundo, away from the impending threat of shinigami. Where larger hollows gather, Type 0 follow in hopes of scavenging a meal. ~

Ability Notes

Type 0 Hollows are not controlled by the NPC account and may be killed without consent (within reason). As shinigami move against the Type 0, Hollows for this special Emergency Deployment will be selected to suit the level of participating parties.

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((OOC: The stage has been set; three shinigami, make your entrances and the hunt will begin.))

[darkwings]

Karakura town, a place under near constant attack by Hollows. Shinigami were charged with protecting this place. One of the Shinigami charged with hunting Hollows this time was Yuudai Shinogi, 4th seat of Division 11. He held no pride in the fact that he was part of that barbaric division, but he still followed orders. It’s the life of a warrior. Take order, kill, return, rinse, repeat. A bit like a mercenary if you look at it the right way, except Shinigami don’t get paid as much.

Yuudai stood atop a light pole, Shoukyaku in hand, scanning the area. Supposedly there’re some Hollows here. Yuudai said to himself mainly. He had arrived in Karakura town a bit before anyone else and was itching for a good fight. Yuudai had been training a great deal in recent months and wanted to train against something that could really kill him, something that made the fight more real. In training there’s less a chance of dying and a greater chance of just getting hurt, not nearly as real as possibly dying from Hollows. Purge, Shoukyaku. Yuudai said, raising his sword, it becoming engulfed in light, and with a swing, it took the form of his Shikai.

Yuudai’s eyes snapped over to the residential district when the sound of Hollows broke the cold silence of the night. Must we wait for the others? Shoukyaku asked Yuudai. Azure replied with an unfortunate yes. Yuudai leapt from the light pole to the roof of a house, jumping from rooftop to rooftop until he reached the residential area. He could almost feel the Hollows staring at him, could almost see them hiding in the darkness. He was in plain sight, so anyone else who came after would see him and realize that he was waiting on them.

Fear not, Hollows. You’ll get yours soon enough. The Shinigami said to the darkness as he rest his giant blade against his shoulder.

TAG - ME SO FAR
WORDS - 323
NOTES - FIRST?
TUNES - devil in a midnight mass , billy talent.
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0

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[Deleted]

"Hollows, Hollows, Hollows...it's always Hollows...not that I'm complaining or anything"

Hollow hunting...actually one of Sachiko's favorite activities and, apparently, just about the only combat-related activity she did anymore. She found it much better and more productive than training because you didn't have to hold back in the slightest. And even though it was technically her job, she still felt sometimes that she enjoyed it way more than she should. This particular job was going to be interesting. Apparently, the forever-interesting and forever-in-trouble Kurakara Town was once again the source of spiritual troubles. Apparently, a great deal of Hollows were gathering and heading for the somehow-oblivious human population. Three Shinigami had been called to deal with the problem before anyone actually got hurt and Sachiko, obviously, was one of them. She was currently heading towards the Hollows, Okami strapped across her back. She tracked the Hollows gleefully.

Finding the Hollows was hardly difficult. The beasts were loud and it wasn't like they were trying to mask their presence. They couldn't have been more obvious if they had been waving huge flashing signs that said, "Kick me". As Sachiko ran in the direction where they awaited, she also felt the reiatsu of another Shinigami. Another one of the team, apparently. When she got closer she saw him, standing on a roof, probably waiting for the others to join him. She recognized him; 4th seat of the 11th Division...she had considered joining that one. She stopped on the roof adjacent to his and nodded, pulling out Okami. It seemed like the third member of their party had yet to show up.

"Hey" she said, stopping a short distance away from the other Shinigami. She dropped Okami's cloth to the roof, stepping forward so it wouldn't get in her way (because the last thing she needed was to trip while fighting). She looked around, shaking slightly with excitement. It didn't look like there were any humans around. Good...less people to get in the way. Even though their presence wouldn't have slowed her down, Sachiko much preferred it when she didn't have the injuries of other people on her mind. She stood sideways so that the other Shinigami was out of her view, keeping all of her attention on the prey.

[Deleted]

As the clouds softly passed over the infinite sky above, Kai seemed to drift through the air, much as he did in Soul Society, as he made his way towards the meeting point. This part of the real world was new, yet it was peaceful and calm. All except for the hollow of course, no matter were you went, eventually you would end up fighting these creatures of malice and hate.

He had answered the call of the hollow attacks, they had been brutal and uncalled for, it made Kai weep inside thinking of all the unnecessary violence these things of darkness had done to people, good people, innocent people. It was not a time to be going softly, now was a time for Kai to be serious and do what needed to be done.

The closer he got, the more he could feel the vile presence of the hollow, the sensation crawled up his skin as it always did when near a hollow, but he endured it, he did not waver at all or flinch as he got closer, after all he was not to be alone. He could also feel someone else...He did not know whom as others had also answered the call but he was sure to find out.

Reaching the meeting area, he stopped ontop of a nearby building, there, as plain as anything, was another shinigami. Smiling to himself for not being too late, he jumped on ahead to catch up to this new face. With one hand resting atop the blue orb on the pommel of his zanpaktou, he stopped once more almost side on to this new face. It was then he noticed not just him, but also another face, this one female and another one he had yet to encounter.

"I guess you too answered the call then? The name's Kai, 14th seat of the 5th division."

Smiling warmly with a hint of comfort in his voice, he awaited the response of his fellow shinigamis.

[npc]

While the shinigami stood in idle, for whatever their personal reasons may have been, the mass of hollows spilling into the streets began to ebb, collecting in a pool around the torn strip of space in the center of the street. Their bodies were each their individual, unique, yet their stark masks and dark eyes shared a similar sense of excitement and hunger with one another, and at the same time, an underlying sense of muffled fear. Not one made a move out toward the city; opting instead to remain huddled about the portal they had emerged from, muttering incomprehensibly and casting reproachful glances toward the unlit allies and windows. It would appear the group as a whole could not have seen or heard the group of shinigami that had organized nearby, but their attention seemed to be divided between the city and their origin. For a moment or two, there would be no sign of just what it was that they were waiting for, but it wouldn’t be long before their collective powers were dwarfed by another presence approaching from within.

Almost immediately, the entire mob of lesser hollows parted around their Garganta, completely forgetting the rest of the city that lay around them as a skeletal hand curled around its edge and into the world of the living. Scarecrow, this hollow was known as in the Soul Society; its tall body hunched to fit through the Garganta’s portal before straightening to tower over its reception. Perched atop its shoulder was a smaller, but no less menacing human-esqe figure, its twisted limbs folded over the back of its head and inverted wings wrapped about the lower half of its body. Illraptor’s sick grin and beady eyes were aimed directly at the rooftop shinigami, causing the group below to turn in surprise toward their location. Scarecrow gave a mighty screech, and like the flood they were, the mob rushed forth.

---

Enter Scarecrow
Reiryoku Level 6

~ This huge, humanoid hollow’s body is reminiscent of an enormous stick figure, with long, skeletal limbs and sharp, pointed fingers that drag along the ground as it walks. It is without many distinguishing features on its body, but at just over twelve feet in height, its weight and reach are frightening advantages. ~

Ability Notes

Scarecrow uses its long reach and heavy claws to overpower adversaries before they can engage in melee combat. It’s skin is thick and armor-like, and its scream can be used as a powerful blast to knock over enemies attacking in groups. Proceed with caution.

---

Enter Illraptor
Reiryoku Level 5

~ Illraptor may be no larger than the average human, but the thick, curved claws on both its hands suggest a less tame creature. Its humanoid body is twisted and disfigured, with shoulders turned upward so that its arms are held perpetually over its inverted head, and legs facing backward with crumpled, talon-like feet. Where a human’s hips would sit, a large pair of inverted, bat-like wings curls around its lower body. ~

Ability Notes

Illraptor, as its name suggests, prefers to attack from above, using the thick claws on its hands and feet to hold and tear apart its prey. It boasts no supernatural abilities, but can be extremely difficult to land a blow on due to its multiple limbs and high mobility.

---

((OOC: Dispose of the Type 0s before you do anything else >.> otherwise they’ll go after the civilians. You won’t be getting much more in the way of advice.))

[darkwings]

Yuudai shrugged some, feeling the presence of his fellow two Shinigami. The girl was quieter than the male, who ran up and introduced himself all happy. It didn’t really bother Yuudai all too much, he just preferred quieter people. Name’s Yuudai Shinogi. Call me Azure if you wish. I’m Division 11, 4th seat. Yuudai said to the group before looking around, scanning the area. He knew the Hollows were there, he just didn’t know where. Yuudai completely zoned out to his partners in the hunt, focusing only on looking for the targets.

Out of seemingly nowhere, a rather large Hollow stood up from out of the ground, which was apparently where their Garganta was located. I hope you two are ready. Focus on the weaklings. Two stronger ones can’t do as much damage as an army of little ones! Yuudai shouted at the two as he leapt from the roof top, to the street. When in doubt, take the fight to the enemy. Yuudai dashed towards the oncoming weaklings, the tip of his giant sword cutting into the ground as he ran with it trailing behind him. If one were to look at his face right then, they wouldn’t have seen a stone face, like usual. They would have seen a face that seemed to enjoy the hunt, seemed to enjoy killing. But he wasn’t mindless, like his captain, he thought it out. Yuudai knew just how many Shunpo he could use before it seriously affected his fighting.

The first Hollow to get close to him was one of the numerous weaklings. Nice to meet you, you can thank me later. Yuudai said with a laugh as he cleaved through the thing’s mask. He then began to make his movements more towards getting to the main Hollows, and of course killing as many little ones along the way. He spotted another weakling in his path. With a Shunpo, Yuudai closed the gap between the two before the Hollow could react, and he stabbed his massive blade through the Hollow’s mask. He then quickly swung up to remove his sword from the Hollow. This is gonna be fun. Yuudai said as he looked at the two larger Hollows. He readied himself in case either of them tried to attack him.

TAG - KITTY, KAI, ...NPC RUIDE
WORDS - 379
NOTES - MEH NOT MY BEST POST
TUNES - devil in a midnight mass , billy talent.
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0

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[Deleted]

One more Shinigami joined the “party”. Sachiko felt him and heard him rather than saw him, for her attention was still put towards tracking the Hollows. She knew better than to turn her good eye to her comrades, no matter how curious she might get. She heard the man introduce himself, but didn’t respond with much more than a wave over her shoulder in his direction. She was focused commotion in the streets below…or disturbing lack thereof. The Hollows didn’t seem to even notice the Shinigami yet and they made no move towards any of the population or the buildings, just milling about in that one spot. There were more than just a lot of the monsters…there were a whole lot of them. They seemed restless, much like Sachiko was beginning to feel, just waiting on the roof for something to happen. If this long stretch of nothing continued, she would leap in sword first, as she was often prone to doing. She had been told to come and fight, and come and fight she would.

But she held back, just in case something happened that gave some kind of clue as to why exactly all these Hollows were gathered and hadn’t begun their rampage yet, in spite of the peace that gathered and the seeming lack of interference. They were just…there. It made very little sense.

She didn’t have to wait very long for an answer.

A flash of movement on the edge of her vision made Sachiko turn her head, in time to see two Hollows emerging from seemingly nowhere right in the middle of the small mass. Well there was her answer. The small ones had been waiting for these two to show up, either on orders or by instinct she couldn't decide. One was huge and skinny and the other, perched on its shoulder, was small and winged. They were more powerful than the others…that much was painfully obvious. The gaze of the smaller one fell directly upon the three Shinigami lying in wait on the rooftops and this, of course, alerted the rest of the Hollows to their presence. With a screech that inspired chills, it sent the small army rushing forward. Sachiko wasn’t sure if she admired how quickly they all obeyed the small Hollow’s command or if she was disgusted by how long it had taken them to notice the three in the first place. Either way, though, it seemed that the Shinigami's brief lie in wait was over.

“Here they come…” she muttered, adjusting her grip on Okami slightly. The tip was dancing in circles in the air and both she and the sword hummed with anticipation for the battle that was coming up.

She, of course, went to meet the threat head-on. She was never one to think her actions through, though she heard Okami’s warning ringing in her head. She distantly heard Yuudai’s directive, but she dismissed it as common sense. Of course they had to take care of the little ones…they were, as far as they were aware, the main threat! She dropped down from the roof, almost immediately encountering a small group of Hollows…three of the little bastards. She looked from one frozen grin to another, getting chills on her arms. She really really hated these monsters. She already felt herself starting to “lose it” (as Okami always called it…snide bastard).

She swung her sword to the right, turning her head only slightly in that direction so as to keep the other two in her sight. She cut through the Hollow’s mask and turned to deal with the other two.


(OOC: And I guess I’ll stop it there…The more I write this, the more I realize that she really should have been in 11…also, I apologize not only for my slight lateness, but also for this long but suck-taststic post. I am having certain emotional and muse-iscal errors at the moment....)

[Deleted]

Well, this was going to be different...Kai wasn't use to these kinds of people, they seemed more interested in ridding of the hollows than in other things but then again this was a pressing matter so he should have seen that coming. Perhaps he was taking the situation too lightly for his own good.

Readying himself, he looked towards the waves of hollows that had been streaming out of the Garangtua and then things became clearer. The two new hollow were obviously not as brain dead as the little ones, but that made them ever more deadly. Listening in to the orders from the 4th seat, he scanned the area around him. Looking forward into the fray, Kai found his targets, moving in closer to the enemy, yet not too close.

As he closed in he raised both of his hands infront of him, index and middle fingers extended infront of him while the others were closed.

"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!! Look upon yourself with horror and tear out your own throat! Bakudō # 9. Hōrin!"

As the incantation was spoken, two orbs of orange energy formed infront of his fingers, as soon as he had finished they shot out a tendril each, flecked with yellow, towards the two nearest Hollow to him, one was medium sized yet rather bulky, the other one was smaller and thinner but no ways faster than the others, or even Hōrin. As they approached their targets, the Hollow leaped forwards towards the Kido, obviously not realizing just what it was flying towards them. Each one made contact with the separate hollow binding their arms to their sides.

Completely dumbstruck, they stood motionless for a bit whilst they tried to realize just what had happened to them, this moment of confusion was all Kai needed. Twisting the two lines together, the Hollows themselves started to move towards each other as if being drawn to the other. The large one did not move that much while the smaller one moved alot quicker towards the other. Using the mass to his advantage, the smaller one hit the larger one with a large amount of force, enough force to stun it for a bit while Kai made work of the alrger one.

With both Hollow bound to the other, one becoming more annoyed by the minute, the other one knocked senseless for a little, Kai unsheathed Raicho, the blade giving a slight crackle of anticipation. It new play time was ahead and he hummed gently, awaiting the time he can be unleashed. He didn't want to release him yet, it was not the time, instead he used the moment he had to try and destroy at least one of them, he would be no good attacking them completely head on, but since it was currently tied down it was easier for Kai.

He was not a great combat specialist, usually being behind the lines suppressing the enemy, but with only three of them and dozens of the others, that was not an option. If it came to a head on combat situation, he would not fair so well however. With one swipe, he attempted to strike the Hollows mask, unfortunately it was a little more clever than he thought and at the moment Kai's blade would have struck the Hollow, it had turned around so instead Kai struck the smaller Hollow, slicing clean through it's mask, destroying the creature. At least one was down...

[npc]

From behind the melee breaking quickly between hollow and shinigami, Scarecrow’s mask glinted with some semblance of human confidence, twisted by its sinister nature into just one of many hungry glares. There was little to say of what happened next; the Illraptor’s body lifted from its larger partner’s shoulder with a burst of wind as its wings unfurled, and a moment later, its torso had been flipped upside down, wings, head, and arms suddenly seeming far more appropriate to its stature. The flying beast took to the sky, but the Scarecrow’s eyes were fixed upon the combatants, who had made the unfortunate mistake of attacking from the same direction to stop the incoming hollows.

It would be but a moment before the tall, wiry hollow had reared back its giant body, and with a fell shriek, a blast of air enveloped the whole of the main street, cracking windows and tearing the asphalt beneath their feet. The shinigami might have been offbalanced, even thrown off their feet by this force, but not particularly injured; the hollows, however, were blasted apart upon impact, a demonstration of the potential power held within this great beast’s bellow. Standing defiantly, challengingly before the almost inevitably toppled warriors, the giant let its long arms hang low, claws spread wide in anticipation of an oncoming attack

---

(OOC: That attack isn’t impossible to dodge, by any means, but at that range, it does fill the entire street, while being significantly weaker. Approach it as you will.)

[darkwings]

Yuudai looked around his area, scanning and taking a head count. No more weak Hollows. How are we going to do this, I can feel that the big one is a great deal stronger than the flying one. Hm… Yuudai thought to himself as he used a Shunpo to get within earshot of the one who introduced himself as “Kai”. When Yuudai was next to the person, he slid and stabbed his massive sword into the ground, parallel with the giant. Use Bakudo to hold the flying one, he’s mine.Yuudai said to the person before looking up at the larger Hollow. It was about to attack. Yuudai slid behind the cover of his sword’s broad blade. Yuudai shivered some because of the sheer force behind the creature’s screech. Suddenly, it stops. All seems much quieter than ever before. Like the scream penetrated the norm and left it much more different than before. Shaped it to its will.

Yuudai grabbed his sword out of the gravel and dashed up a light pole. Remember, Kai, hold it! Yuudai shouted to his companion as he took to the air. He used a Shunpo to reach the height at which the flying Hollow was, then another to get much higher. I might not have Kido or anything like that, but I’m smart! Yuudai thought to himself as he began to flip in the air, flipping 3 times to be exact, then using the centrifugal force and gravity combined together to make his already devastating sword do so much more. His aim was dead on that flying Hollow. He figured that once it was out of the way, the three Shinigami together could take out that huge one. By the way he timed it, he wouldn’t hit the flying Hollow until Kai already had the Bakudo in use on it.

TAG - KITTY, KAI, RUIDE NPC
WORDS - 306
NOTES - SORY FOR SHORT POST, MAINLY TO GET BALL ROLLING.
TUNES - devil in a midnight mass , billy talent.
CREDIT - template by MUNZTAR * of caution 2.0

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[Deleted]

The Hollows seemed to have absolutely no regard for each other. While the Shinigami were dealing with the small fry, the two bigger fish seemed to have decided that they were all in the way. Sachiko didn’t really notice anything was happening until she heard the shriek which, honestly, she paid little attention to (who can afford to be shocked every time a Hollow opened its mouth?). But after that, she had barely any time at all to prepare for the blast of air that forced its way down the street. She stumbled to the side, not prepared for the sudden attack. She had been mid-leap when it hit her and she had to use Okami to stop herself from being knocked out of the air and onto the ground. But even though this mess-up would have given her enemies the upper hand in the battle, it hardly seemed to matter; they weren't there anymore. It seemed that the attack had taken the mindless beasts out at the same time that it had pushed the Shinigami. Well...that was convenient, wasn’t it.

So…Sachiko was just standing there. She turned to look at the men, who briefly conversed before the 11th Division soldier (Yuki or whatever his name was) jumped up, using Shunpo to stay level with the small flying Hollow. She stared up at the two of them for a moment, cursing herself for having chosen a position that was that far away from them. She was too far away to hear their dialogue, but she assumed they were probably taking out the flying one by themselves. That left her and the big shriek-y one, the one who had sent the blast of wind.

She turned to look at said shriek-y one and sighed. “That bastard owes me a battle” she commented, nodding to herself. There was barely a second of hesitation before she was tearing in that direction, eager to get paid (in full) for the battle of which she had just been deprived. She used Shunpo to get to the Hollow’s left side, swinging Okami in its direction. As usual, she didn’t hold back. Aiming for its hand, she swung downward, hoping to at least afflict some damage without releasing. Her comrades were now blocked from her view, but she just had to trust that they could take care of themselves. She had bigger fish to fry.

[Deleted]

As he tried a swing for the other hollow, his sword passed through nothingness as the larger hollow cried out it's shriek of horror and pleasure. One by one the smaller ones changed into nothingness. The cry could be heard all around them, it echoed through Kai's head giving him a slight headache. He had heard a fair few hollow roars before but this one had a chilly tone to it, piercing through each other hollow and destroying them. More souls that wouldn't get rest...

In mid swing, he had next to no time to prepare himself for the slight shock wave that would send him flying, he had to do his best to take the impact. As he moved, he managed to gain a small footing on the floor to flip in mid air to catch himself. All throughout the 11th division man was on his way dealing with the small flying hollow. It seemed to be the most agile and therefore a real annoyance when it would come to dealing with the larger one.

"Use Bakudo to hold the flying one, he’s mine."

Kai heard the instructions and he needed to act now, the other had already lunged at the enemy so he had to act quickly or their timing would be completely off. As it was wafting and weaving Kai knew it had to be a strong one to hold something like that. Crossing his hands as so his palms faced outwards, he thought it would be time to try this one out. He had practiced with it a fair few times before and was getting good at it, its sole design was to hold the captive down and if they struggled it would only tighten. For something with wings it seemed appropriate. As he concentrated, blue energy formed in each palm, swirling and shaping itself into a ball.

"Oh nature's blessing from above, the judgment is nigh, bind and hold ye down ye dealer of woe and suffering. Bakudo# 28 Seigen!"

Crossing his arms as if slicing at the air itself, the balls launched themselves towards the enemy, whilst they crossed each other a line of blue energy connected the two. As they spun in a spiral motion towards the enemy their speed increased as they gained more ground between them and the enemy. If they managed to connect, it would act much like a Bola, winding themselves all around the enemy and it's wings. If not he had to be prepared, re-sheathing Raichō quickly, he extended his pinky, index finger and thumb he quickly unsheathed his Zanpaktou again whilst reciting.

"Kaze Ni Dorifuto, Raichō!"

With a flick, his sword came full circle until extended, crackling with electricity all down the blade, it changed form to it's released state ready and waiting to play.

[npc]

Even in the silent wake of Scarecrow’s cry, the atmosphere in the Komatsu streets was noticeably shifting; the stillness and tension of the few moments’ silence dissolved as the shinigami made their move, and the power of the two hollows reared as they began to make theirs. Perhaps it was that the shinigami had made the grave mistake of thinking they were hunting animals, but these creatures had human minds: twisted and depraved, perhaps, but not stupid, a fact that their opponents would no doubt be quick to realize.

The Illraptor’s path was one of almost mocking simplicity, having plainly seen the two shinigami directly and blatantly moving to the offense. In the sky, in his domain, one bat of his thick wings was enough to pull it off to one side, out of the path of the distant Bakudo and, needless to say, leaving the other shinigami to his devices. Rather than counterattack, the twisted creature let itself drift ever more quickly away from the other combatants, leveling into a circular path around the battlefield. Perhaps they would give chase, perhaps not, but the Illraptor would most certainly be back.

Elsewhere, Scarecrow might have scowled had he any lips, obviously unimpressed with the mighty rush of a single shinigami. Her incomplete sword scraped heavily along the armor-like skin of its palm, but wouldn’t leave much more than a superficial scratch without the full force of its wielder’s power. Already at deadly close range, the great claw slammed forward against the attacker’s blade, undoubtedly throwing her back and off her attack, though how far would depend on her reaction. The other claw would follow up with a wide, arcing swing, fit to bat the small shinigami right out of the battle zone if not properly addressed.

((OOC: Erm, this’ll be an opener in the event that Kitty loses her internet access; she’ll be knocked out of the battle zone. If you don’t {Hopefully} just approach it however <3 ))