[BitPR²] Mortal World IV

[Dorizzit]

[Russia]
Battleground

After spending a few seconds powering up, Naito begins speaking again.

"Initiating Phase Shift. Restriction parameters cleared. Beginning consciousness transfer in 3, 2, 1. Vollständig: Lahavel."

Naito assumes a form that will be disturbingly familiar to Shinji, at least. As the armor-plated figure of Alpha-1 steps out onto the air, it looks across the battlefield before conjuring a blue screen in front of itself.

"Analyzing battlefield. Target threat level is SSS. Preparing strategy."

[Kuroimaken]

Momoka looks over to the arrancar and stranger, halting her chant. "...you will excuse me for not possessing the full information, given I have just arrived? Nonetheless, it is quite simple, it is no longer safe to bring them out, we should instead go in." With that, she stands and walks past Sagarosso and Margrave to the castle proper, beckoning Shinji and Masaru.

If they're pulling her leg, she is going to be awful cross. Of course, she is scanning them for indications of deception, but it seems a rather simple prank to pull in this time.

"Not like that." Sagarosso points out. "The ones responsible for the barrier are lying in between wall layers. As we were leaving, I left a trail of my shadows behind... like a foot in the door, so to speak. You might be able to breach the barrier that way."

Margrave seemed to have a similar idea, except he used Ransoutengai strings.

"We can use those as tethers, or as a guideline to breach in." Shinji muses. "Either way we have more options now. If we had a means to guide ourselves in that dimensional space we could simply push the whole damn thing elsewhere. This rift isn't too different from the void-space of Garganta... it probably follows similar rules."

[KnightDisciple]

[Wilderness, Russia]
[Portal Remnant Next to SNAFU]

Just as Momoka suggests they all move through the portal, Masaru finishes his incantation, and a golden-green barrier of Kido energy begins rolling down from the top of the dome of shadow energy he had created, intersecting smoothly with the shadowy pillars he had created (after all, ultimately it was all just his own spiritual energy, just slightly different expressions), creating a single, unbroken structure. It won't hold forever, but it should hold for long enough. Looking more than a bit winded, Masaru and Ancalagon dive down, landing right next to the portal. He glances at those present before speaking.

"I will guard our entry and move through last or near-last, so that my barrier does not die off too quickly. It should maintain itself for a time, but considering what's going on out there I cannot make many promises."

Unless urged very strongly by the others, Masaru will pull up the rear of the micro-convoy headed back through the tunnel into the castle's space, ready to attack or defend at a moment's notice.

[Draken]

[Russia - Battlefield]

Mikael can hear the sound of hand bones rustling, of wind against a staff and the crackling of some unknown, but surely foul, energy.

"Allow me to speak about myself, then, so that those listening may have better material to use should they elect to face me in the future. I have now and had in the past many loyal servants. I value loyalty deeply, if you must be told such. Together, my servants and I learned, trained and grew."

And a hundred lightning bolts strike the shadowy figure, beckoned by one of its three free hands, and then flowing into the staff in his hand.

"My most trusted servants are my knights, and among them is one Vanessa Adler. A remarkable woman, her heart the calm at the center of a storm. Beautiful, cruel and calamitous. We learned to speak thunder and to grasp lightning."

The whirling dust and debris stop.

"Another is Oscar Meyers, a proud warrior the likes of which the shinigami could not help but emulate. A mountain in stature and will. His footsteps alone shook the land, but ours together made it heel."

"Who is at your side, young man?"

A movement of the staff shoots the lightning back at Mikael as a single bolt.

The rift left behind by Von Geister's eruption smolders and crackles, the edges fraying off in a fashion reminiscent of an opening garganta.

[Frozen_Feet]

It becomes quite a lightshow as the gathered energy striking the blackened creature looks for path of least resistance. When it's over, Mikael's left side is covered by gleaming yellow lightning pattern, showing where the energy went through him. His swollen body trembles for a split second, and then he exhales in an instant all the crap he breathed in a moment earlier. The force and speed of the expelled air and debris is such that friction turns it into an advancing front of plasma. It sweeps over Von Geister and the rift his attack left behind.

Mikael himself is pushed back by two hundred meters, talons of his feet leaving black trails in air. His body shrunken to an even smaller size than before, he drops on one knee and beats his chest to force his lungs to regain their shape. More of his scorched exterior flakes off, revealing that where his heart should be, there's a perfect black sphere, with a glint of red burning at its center.

Well I sure know the number is less than it could be!, the man gasps as air returns to his lungs, giving a tired look at the barrier Masaru and Shinji put together. So much for that 'enemy of an enemy' thing. But really, I don't feel sorry for myself. I feel sorry for them. Mikael straightens and points at Naito, or Alpha-1.

The bandaged stranger is trying to peer at the blue screen while keeping a respectful distance. "Lots of S. Does that tell how to hurt him?", he asks.

The giant Hollow turns towards the barrier and... melts, apparently. The ink-black blots turn into smaller, humanoid Hollows. They scatter into the four winds.

[TherianTheorist]

[Inside Shen Yi's castle]

The Quincy girl blinks in response to Torahiko query. "Don't you remember? I'm Alice. Alice Winchester." The other Quincies observe the conversation between the Arrancar, Chuck, Sagarosso and Torahiko, a low murmur filling the dark room.

"Of course I remember you, I'm just bad with names."

[Inside Shen Yi's castle]

Having escorted Margrave and Sagarosso out, the black, faceless Arrancar returns to the dining hall, surprised to see it so well lit.

It looks back and forth between Torahiko and Chuck, though it's really hard for anyone in the room to tell as it lacks eyes. Chuck is underestimating it somewhat; it doesn't need telepathy to guess at his or Torahiko's thoughts, their words and demeanor have told it enough.

It looks like you've made up your minds, then. Very well. It walks next to Chuck, hands behind its back. I cannot force you to have faith in your own strength. So, Anderson, Framme, follow me. I will move this place and create a branch Negacion to get you as close to the co-ordinates you mentioned as you can. From there you must continue on your own.

It turns so it is facing Torahiko and the ZHE remnants. Anyone else who wishes to go is free to come as well.

"We've got no real, choice, we'll be rebuilding elsewhere for now." He motions for any soldats that may not understand.

Chuck mostly lets Torahiko have some space to talk and think out loud, though he does chime in on the "feeding" bit.

"Yeah, there's not gonna be any "feeding" like that happening here."

There's not much heat in his voice, though; Margrave's there, and seems to be keeping an eye on the Chocula-wannabe.

Chuck turns as Torahiko addresses him directly, having finished spreading the lights around. He gives the boy a sympathetic look.

"Like I said, I don't plan to bar all of you from never being near this thing. We just need to understand it more and better. As for Hasunaga-sensei, you can tell him yourself. You and all these other people can and should come with us, Torahiko; it's pretty clear this Russian location is no good for living out your lives. We'll work with the Kuzonoha to help everyone figure out a better place."

His voice carries the strength of conviction.

When Alice identifies herself, Chuck freezes for a moment, Torahiko likely being the only witness to the minute widening of his eyes in shock, before he composes himself and turns to face her.

"Alice Winchester? How did you-wait, no, you know what, not important. ****. I'm glad you're safe, at least. Well. You know what I mean."

"Safe" seems a bit relative at the moment.

"Look, once this blows over, maybe we need to have a...a sit-down or something. ****. This is all so messed-up..."

Chuck's a bit overwhelmed by multiple classmates being dejected remnants of a fanatical Quincy army. Not exactly everyday stuff, even for a guy like him!

"If you want to understand that artifact, I could learn a lot about their past and purpose right here and now, at least if they didn't reject me again." He seems especially upset about that, almost like it's a reminder of something. Oh wait, it is.

It's a reminder his soul has been tampered with twice over, what wouldn't want to reject him when it found that out?

"I'd rather not face Hasunaga-sensei. He already told me not to get involved in this, before it happened on it's own." Not his fault he attracted a hollow, or that the shinigami neglected their duty in stopping it. If they had done their job, he wouldn't be indebted to the ZHE right now, which would have left him... Probably at home, where he should have been to begin with. Certainly not where he was now, planning to tear the heavens apart and lay siege upon the pretentious gods, but restrained from doing so by his pact with a monster who shouldn't have given him the time of night in the first place.

...For a moment, he felt like the villain there. Oh well, if it came to it, that might be a role he wouldn't mind. Back to the train of thought that matters.

"So this is Russia. I wondered where we were to have a western-style castle laying around. Well it looks like we will be leaving, I expect 'No Face' here to remain by my side for this trip, too."

"Do you two know each other?"

Again: if you want to get out, I need you to move your legs. If you need help with the cross, just ask, the black Arrancar says and heads for the exit.

The Quincy girl is confused by Chuck's reaction. "... have we met?", she utters in disbelief. It might be Chuck's confusing her with someone with a similar name.

The boy finds Alice's near-simultaneous questioning to be amusing. "We'll be willing to talk, but I don't think 'sit-down' would be the words I'd use for it."

"Come on, let's try and finish this somewhere that's not under attack..." Torahiko follows alongside the faceless one, expecting his 'retinue' to do the same for him. "You can have your sword back when we get there, Chuck-san. I've already seen you training with it."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Inside Shen Yi's castle]

As Torahiko and the gathering of Quincies get in the courtyard, they can see the black, faceless Arrancar examining the barrier. It draws its sword and strikes it, as if to sever something, then presses a hand against the same spot. [Color=slategrey]Barera de Negacion. Move, it commands, and the whole structure shakes. Then, Torahiko et all can feel a sudden weightlessness for a second, as if in an elevator that just started moving.

---

[Outside the barrier]

Three things happen at once.

One, Margrave can tell his threads of Reishi have been cuts halfway through. He might be able to squeeze a person or two into the closet-like space he was in before, but getting into the castle is no longer an option.

Two, Sagarosso's shadow returns to him. His supernatural powers have been cut off at a new interface. He too might be able to squeeze between the original two barriers, if he really wanted to, but getting into the castle is out.

Three, Jigen can tell the barrier is no longer where it was. It is falling, accelerating at the rate of the gravitic constant. Being twice removed from Earth, the only thing that kept it stationary was will of those maintaining the barrier.

It might have been prudent of Margrave to inform those trying to evacuate those inside the barrier, that the barrier is capable of evacuating itself, thank you, have a very nice day.

"You know, Dracula, that was a clever way of sneaking into my castle you came up with", the bandaged stranger calls out, though unsure if Sagarosso can hear him through Masaru's barrier. "But why in blazing fires of Hell did you think it was smart to, you know, say it aloud? I'm pretty sure Darth Vader told you he can perceive the world through it. You've been within his earshot all along."

[KnightDisciple]

[Wilderness, Russia]
[Shen Yi's Base Ruins, Inside Caja Negacion]

Chuck frowns at Alice's response.

"I...hm. I thought we knew each other. I...must have been confused. My apologies."

He continues to refuse to directly acknowledge the blank-faced Arrancar, though he does move with the other humans toward the courtyard. He continues to, instead, talk with Torahiko.

"See, when you say "reject", that's what makes me think we need smarter and more-skilled people helping us. I'd rather not see you get burned to a crisp or something.

As for Hasunaga-sensei, that's up to you, but if he gives you nothing but guff I can cut in on your behalf. **** happens, sometimes."

He looked around at the "castle", considering.

"The structure's not from Russia. It's a chunk of Soul Society. It really ought not to be here, but Von Geister's...well, apparently he had some means at his disposal they weren't expecting. Hopefully the worst of the damage-"

He means from large amounts of spiritual matter ending up floating around Earth.

"-can be contained. As for Creepazoid over there, no I don't know him, don't want to know him, hope him and his wacko philosophy-spewing *** leave as soon as we reach our destination. They can go find a cactus, sit, and spin, for all I care once this is done."

Not that he's cranky or anything.

"Anyway, the point is, more talking less fighting between Mortals would be nice. Quincy, Fullbringer, Mediums, whatever. Things are changing, and I think we all need to figure out where we stand.

You're right about waiting to talk, though I hope the folks trying to help figure out what's going on. And don't sweat it, that things just a bullet anyways."

Meaning it's nothing special and he has several.

[Meanwhile]

Masaru continues to be completely superfluous as a character, contributing absolutely nothing and being utterly powerless in a narrative sense.

[Draken]

[Battlefield - Russia]

Spoiler: Only click if you are Dorizzit

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Spoiler: I mean it

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Naito/Alpha 1's systems identify Von Geister's plated four hands emiting reiatsu matching expected levels, which is to say, immense. Whatever else she can analyze on that shows tremendous defensive power.

The staff on his hands appears similarly resilient, and the headpiece's energy emission is akin to a tiny, horrific star.

Her systems can get absolutely nothing on the black figure besides visual. The possibilities are many. There could be an active interference in the readings. There could flat out be nothing there. The black figure could be as invisible to Naito's systems as spirits normally are to common people.

Overheated slag born of physical processes. What claim does it have on the supernatural flame Von Geister has already demonstrated proficiency in?

A movement of his staff casts the plasma wave aside, parried casually by an inferno in green.

Von Geister has no face with which to make expressions at Mikael. And yet... His scorn washes over the world in contemptuous disregard for such trifling things as the barriers of metaphor or dimension. No doubt even those inside the caja negacion know that something very close is very displeased at something else entirely unrelated to them.

"You bore me now. Clearly strong enough to cast aside a builder's tools, but far too unlearned a spirit to face a god. Learn to do battle and meet me in another incarnation, child."

Von Geister spins his staff and raises it above his head, and the fiery head becomes a spear tip of crackling energy.

"Extinción."

Von Geister throws his staff at Mikael. It is a simple movement, yet the attack that follows is of such speed and power that it feels as if nothing could stop its path. Von Geister vanishes immediately after releasing the weapon.

He appears again to stop the weapon's journey after it has gone past Mikael's former position.

[Dorizzit]

[Russia]
Battlefield

The armored Quincy does not turn to acknowledge the bandaged stranger, all attention focused on the screen.

"Multifunction Analytical Projection yields variable results depending on topography and combatant capabilities. Primary target cannot be analyzed."

The screen itself shows a large view of the surrounding area, with lines leading to QR codes dotted across the map at what are presumably points of interest. A number of lines and data points emerge from both Von Geister and Mikael's representations, but almost all of the lines coming from the Ghost King dead end without providing any visible information beyond an assorted variety of error messages. Anything else going on is lost as Alpha-1 abruptly closes the screen.

"Analysis complete."

Alpha-1 launches higher into the air.

[Kuroimaken]

[Mortal World]

Koutarou suddenly bolts up like he just sat on a cactus and dashes out of the room, possibly much to the puzzlement of the messenger.

His instincts drive him directly towards finding Katsuo. He doesn't know his way around the Sanctuary, but he gets the very distinct feeling he knows where Katsuo is. So he tries to find his way to the boy.

[Frozen_Feet]

Mikael observes the green flames parry the cloud of plasma. Hmmm. It appears his musings were in the right direction. Just like Von Geister's eye could not affect him, Mikael's superhuman strength, speed and endurance are useless against the old ghost. It could be Von Geister exists as far outside Mikael's domain as Mikael existed outside his.

Still, if Mikael could still smile, rather than just bare a row of inhumanly sharp teeth, he would. The old ghost is so close to figuring it all out, yet... no, maybe he did figure it out? Because that little speech of learning hits quite close to home. That is why Mikael went through all this trouble: to learn.

But... there's a problem. As Von Geister spins his spear, Mikael prepares to dodge... only to find his body unmoving.

What, again? It's like when he was fighting against the White Devil. His mind, his spirit can easily keep track of Von Geister's movements, they strain to move out of the way, but every time they're yanked back to his body. The damage acrued from Masaru's attack took the best out it and now, despite all its apparent power, this construct of volcanic ash has become an anchor weighing Mikael down.

It brings to a mind a science fiction story, of a man who could perceive all in slow motion, but could not move with speed to match. It ended with the man's thoughts as he was watching a bullet approaching his eye for subjective eternity, knowing he could do nothing about it. It makes Mikael want to laugh, even as he knows that even the first hint of laughter will never manage to leave his throat.

From perspective of the outside world, all is over in an instant. Mikael's body tries to move out of the attack's way, but its burned legs don't carry it fast enough and the attack blows a hole through the right side of its torso. It's right hand is severed and flung far away, while the rest is knocked aside by leftover force and embedded deep in the ravaged ground. Mikael's Reiatsu dies out on the same moment.

The bandaged stranger, now left alone, watches this from afar. "Well crap."

[Draken]

Von Geister waits for a moment, and then strikes the butt of his staff onto the ground. The flames are snuffed, the earth roils back into a resting place. And the benighted figure shuffles calmly back to where he first arrived.

"I have commanded this place unraveled, squatter. I hope I will not have to return to make my will done."

[Dorizzit]

[Russia]
Battleground

Seeing the duel reach its conclusion, Alpha-1 descends slowly to the ground between Von Geister and the fortress. A number of unpleasant-looking blades manifest in the air around the Quincy AI, but it makes no immediate aggressive moves.

[strawberryman]

[Russia]

Momoka is nonplussed as the barrier essentially closes, placing a hand on it in concentration.

...then, she puts her hands together. She had to act quick. A pillar of green forms between her hands, one holding it from below, and one from above. "Jikanteishi."

Time freezes, slowing to a crawl outside a circle of green. Masaru, Shinji, and Margrave find themselves still able to act as Momoka speaks, deep in concentration as she maintains the spell. "The barrier is shifting. We have nary an idea where it will end. As such... we must act quickly. I do not know what you are all capable of... but we will need a great force to pierce this wall. I believe you can manage this."

Momoka speaks with confidence, but... her job has been set. Beads of sweat begin to form as she maintains what basically amounts to a pocket of displaced time.

[Kuroimaken]

"Barriers are made so they cannot be pierced. That is essentially their nature. That is why we must think not of breaking, but rather moving."

Shinji dismisses his own barrier, the one shielding them previously. He will need the extra power.

"Captain, Mr. Anderson. I am going to enclose this Caja Negacion into a larger barrier so as to remove any tethers it has on the dimensional space. It will essentially be free-floating in what we have surmised to be a weightless environment.

I need the two of you to be that driving force. Jigen will scout ahead to find us a safe spot to stop into. At that point, I will cut open a rift so the entire "box" is shunted out of its current dimensional space. It will take a great deal of my power to do so - I cannot move this alone."

Shinji begins to float as he channels more of his heritage's powers into himself. His features become slightly more feral as a result, his irises glowing with a dark purplish hue as two more spiritual tails come into being. Channeling the flow of power from the leylines into the rift opening (which Jigen makes good use of the stopped time to widen) as well as a portion of the landmass' reishi, he fashions a perfectly square "box" out of the previously encased castle. Without any tethers to its dimensional space, the Caja Negacion cannot force the rift closed again, nor can it produce drag against the space it's in.

"Let's do this! Everyone, hop on!"

[Frozen_Feet]

The only reason the people observing the barrier have "nary an idea" where it was going is because Margrave did not spit it out, despite the black Arrancar telling him. Regardless: Shinji's new barrier unfolds part of the dimensional fabric, making the entire outer shell visible again. "Hopping on" would actually be more "stepping on" it, as the construct has fallen down by dozens of meters and the top is nearly level with Shinji & co.

But there are two things he surmises wrong, almost exactly backwards even. First, since its creators stopped holding it in place, it already had no "tethers" and the only way it's interacting with rest of the world is through gravity. The Hollows holding up the barrier won't notice the effect of Shinji's barrier untill they try to stop it themselves.

Second is corollary to first. The construct does have weight, that is why it was freefalling, and though it appears stationary from inside the time-stop, it still has all its speed and momentum. Jigen could observe this.

Maybe Shinji's barrier could counter that. Maybe Momoka's spell could. Maybe Ancalagon could catch and halt the barrier. But, to paraphrase Shinji, it would take massive effort.

However, instead of fighting gravity, they could let it do the heavy lifting. Just by giving the barrier a good shove and letting it fall through the Earth twice, they could get it close to Northern coast of Japan and bring it to halt easily when it's at the "peak" of its arc. In fact, given time, they could move it to anywhere on Earth this way. By placing a Garganta or Senkaimon on its path, they could slingshot it to another world entirely.

Put shortly, they can move it where ever they want, as long as they decide before Momoka's spell fails.

[KnightDisciple]

[Mortal World]
[Russia]

Masaru had glanced away, entirely as coincidence, when Momoka started casting. After all, Von bloody Geister was in his Second Release, and about to attack someone with a rather nasty-looking attack...

And then time froze. Or nearly so. His head whipped around to Momoka, and he sighed.

"You really do enjoy making paperwork for me, Momoka-sensei."

He and his sword-spirit made manifest moved right over to the rip in space-time. They both considered the construct for a moment.

"Someone will need to tell us how to steer."

With that, they fly into the void, quickly landing on the box. The darkness of the Void gives Masaru a bit more "stuff" to work with, which meant he'd have to spend a bit less energy to...tie himself and Ancalagon to the box with shadows.

As soon as everyone else is on the huge construct, ready to go, Ancalagon will aim his head away from the box....

And begin breathing fire. Within seconds, Masaru is sweating, and it's likely this is taking all he's got right now, but such is the way of things.

[Kuroimaken]

[Russia]

Luckily, lady gravity is a force that acts within time - it is a force of acceleration, after all.

That gives Shinji just enough time to order Jigen to open a path. The ayakashi does him one better, ripping open a path for reinforcements from his peers. The lot of them won't have to hold on for too long thanks to that.

For his own part, Margrave fashions himself some Ransoutengai tethers to hold him back as he uses the full sustained power of Cerberus Overdose to aid Masaru.

_______________

[???]

The landing is anything but gentle, but the entire Caja Negacion construct can take it.

Wherever they did end up, it's on top of a mountain somewhere.

________________

[Back in Russia]

A man in a trenchcoat and a fedora whistles as he gazes at the scenery from the distance.

"Glad I didn't have to stick my head into that mess..."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Inside Shen Yi's castle]

Everything inside the barrier is given a good jolt when it comes to an abrupt halt.

The black Arrancar walks along the inner surface of the barrier, confused. This... I'm not sure this is the place you requested, it says. Regardless, we are far away now and I can only detect your nominal allies outside. Move at your will.

The Arrancar steps aside and a ten-by-ten meter tunnel appears in the barrier, leading outside. Two Hollows in Quincy uniforms, one male, one female, drop down to the ground just outside it.

Chuck, Torahiko, Framme and the Quincies are free to walk any second.

[TherianTheorist]

[Wilderness, Russia]
[Shen Yi's Base Ruins, Inside Caja Negacion]

Chuck frowns at Alice's response.

"I...hm. I thought we knew each other. I...must have been confused. My apologies."

He continues to refuse to directly acknowledge the blank-faced Arrancar, though he does move with the other humans toward the courtyard. He continues to, instead, talk with Torahiko.

"See, when you say "reject", that's what makes me think we need smarter and more-skilled people helping us. I'd rather not see you get burned to a crisp or something.

As for Hasunaga-sensei, that's up to you, but if he gives you nothing but guff I can cut in on your behalf. **** happens, sometimes."

He looked around at the "castle", considering.

"The structure's not from Russia. It's a chunk of Soul Society. It really ought not to be here, but Von Geister's...well, apparently he had some means at his disposal they weren't expecting. Hopefully the worst of the damage-"

He means from large amounts of spiritual matter ending up floating around Earth.

"-can be contained. As for Creepazoid over there, no I don't know him, don't want to know him, hope him and his wacko philosophy-spewing *** leave as soon as we reach our destination. They can go find a cactus, sit, and spin, for all I care once this is done."

Not that he's cranky or anything.

"Anyway, the point is, more talking less fighting between Mortals would be nice. Quincy, Fullbringer, Mediums, whatever. Things are changing, and I think we all need to figure out where we stand.

You're right about waiting to talk, though I hope the folks trying to help figure out what's going on. And don't sweat it, that things just a bullet anyways."

Meaning it's nothing special and he has several.

"What's wrong with that word?" Torahiko didn't say that like he wanted an answer. "Do I have to explain? A park bench, a handful of white sand, the weapon you gave me. They all have one thing in common, they open up to me." He retrieves the 'Bullet' that Chuck gave him just minutes ago. "You saw it, right? It works fine in my hands. But there's a bit more to it than that, just by holding it, I can 'Watch' The training session where you used this one." Speaking of which, there was a contradiction. "They... Weren't green for you."

"The cross is different, they won't let me in. That's probably because they know I'm not a Quincy."

'Just a bullet?' Is that why he only got the training montage out of it, because it had left invested in it?

There's a shift in tone, as he changes topics from explaining his ability to see things he clearly wasn't there for to his plans for the future. "Well, where I stand right now is that I need to get around to reading the exact terms of my deal with Jehoel, but that can wait until my people can stay safe for more than an hour at a time."

As Torahiko and the gathering of Quincies get in the courtyard, they can see the black, faceless Arrancar examining the barrier. It draws its sword and strikes it, as if to sever something, then presses a hand against the same spot. [Color=slategrey]Barera de Negacion. Move, it commands, and the whole structure shakes. Then, Torahiko et all can feel a sudden weightlessness for a second, as if in an elevator that just started moving.

The misplaced student takes note of the movement, but doesn't drag it into his usual thinking out loud.

He does, however, continue bantering with Chuck as the sensation of slowly falling washes over them. "Just two more questions, before we get wherever we're going. The 'Von Geister' you mentioned, were they the presence from before the barrier went up, and are they protected by the Accords?"

Everything inside the barrier is given a good jolt when it comes to an abrupt halt.

The black Arrancar walks along the inner surface of the barrier, confused. This... I'm not sure this is the place you requested, it says. Regardless, we are far away now and I can only detect your nominal allies outside. Move at your will.

The Arrancar steps aside and a ten-by-ten meter tunnel appears in the barrier, leading outside. Two Hollows in Quincy uniforms, one male, one female, drop down to the ground just outside it.

Chuck, Torahiko, Framme and the Quincies are free to walk any second.

"Assuming we're going to stay for a while, could you tell me what part of the world this is?"

[Frozen_Feet]

[Russia]
Battleground

Seeing the duel reach its conclusion, Alpha-1 descends slowly to the ground between Von Geister and the fortress. A number of unpleasant-looking blades manifest in the air around the Quincy AI, but it makes no immediate aggressive moves.

The bandaged stranger walks to Alpha-1, looking after Ersch with one eye. "Relax. It's over. He's leaving.", he remarks. "So, girl. Or, uh, dude, dunno which it is at the moment. Could you come with me for a second?"

---

[Ikari; Kuzunoha Sanctuary]

The messenger is, indeed, much surprised by Koutarou leaving so suddenly. They dash after him. "Commander! Is something wrong? Do you need assistance?"

[strawberryman]

[Ikari, Japan]
(Sanctuary)

Koutarou and the messenger see...

...Katsuo, curled up on the floor, whimpering. With no real visible source of pain, apart from him holding the center of his chest.

[Russia]
(SNAFU)

Momoka almost needs to be carried onto the dragon rocket, because, well. She is just holding the spell for as long as possible. She's really working up a sweat.

[Kuroimaken]

[Sanctuary]

"KATSUO!" Koutarou rushes to the boy's side and picks him up. He gives a light shake to get a reaction out of him. "What's wrong?! Hang in there!"

He turns to the messenger. "Please seek out the Kuzunoha attendants. I think he needs medical attention!"

[Frozen_Feet]

"Yes, sir!"

The messenger rushes off. The first person they'll find is likely Tobioka, because he was already sort of on the way.

[Kuroimaken]

[Sanctuary]

Mostly by coincidence, since it's not like Tobioka can sense when there's someone in need of medical attention within the Sanctuary.

He is easy to find, however.

The look on the messenger's face tells him almost everything he needs to know. "Where?"

[KnightDisciple]

[Russia->???]
[Exterior of Barriers]

[Russia]

Luckily, lady gravity is a force that acts within time - it is a force of acceleration, after all.

That gives Shinji just enough time to order Jigen to open a path. The ayakashi does him one better, ripping open a path for reinforcements from his peers. The lot of them won't have to hold on for too long thanks to that.

For his own part, Margrave fashions himself some Ransoutengai tethers to hold him back as he uses the full sustained power of Cerberus Overdose to aid Masaru.

_______________

[???]

The landing is anything but gentle, but the entire Caja Negacion construct can take it.

Wherever they did end up, it's on top of a mountain somewhere.

Masaru holds their "thrust" until they land, the rough nature of said landing not jarring him over-much.

However, within moments of the landing, Ancalagon's manifested form is gone, and Masaru is sprawled on the barrier-construct, weakly clutching his twin (sealed) blades. He's gasping in deep breaths of air, his eyes focusing on little for the moment. He's pretty clearly thoroughly spent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Russia->???]
[Inside Castle]

[Inside Shen Yi's castle]

Everything inside the barrier is given a good jolt when it comes to an abrupt halt.

The black Arrancar walks along the inner surface of the barrier, confused. This... I'm not sure this is the place you requested, it says. Regardless, we are far away now and I can only detect your nominal allies outside. Move at your will.

The Arrancar steps aside and a ten-by-ten meter tunnel appears in the barrier, leading outside. Two Hollows in Quincy uniforms, one male, one female, drop down to the ground just outside it.

Chuck, Torahiko, Framme and the Quincies are free to walk any second.

"What's wrong with that word?" Torahiko didn't say that like he wanted an answer. "Do I have to explain? A park bench, a handful of white sand, the weapon you gave me. They all have one thing in common, they open up to me." He retrieves the 'Bullet' that Chuck gave him just minutes ago. "You saw it, right? It works fine in my hands. But there's a bit more to it than that, just by holding it, I can 'Watch' The training session where you used this one." Speaking of which, there was a contradiction. "They... Weren't green for you."

"The cross is different, they won't let me in. That's probably because they know I'm not a Quincy."

'Just a bullet?' Is that why he only got the training montage out of it, because it had less invested in it?

There's a shift in tone, as he changes topics from explaining his ability to see things he clearly wasn't there for to his plans for the future. "Well, where I stand right now is that I need to get around to reading the exact terms of my deal with Jehoel, but that can wait until my people can stay safe for more than an hour at a time." The misplaced student takes note of the movement, but doesn't drag it into his usual thinking out loud.

He does, however, continue bantering with Chuck as the sensation of slowly falling washes over them. "Just two more questions, before we get wherever we're going. The 'Von Geister' you mentioned, were they the presence from before the barrier went up, and are they protected by the Accords?"

"Assuming we're going to stay for a while, could you tell me what part of the world this is?"

"I at least generally understand why it might block you, that's not my worry. It's the scope of the "rejection". This thing isn't just a personal totem for manifesting my own weapon. I don't even fully understand what it is, or the full measure of what it can do. That's the whole reason I'm getting help to study it. I don't want you burning yourself up or something because it gets nasty."

Chuck shifts his burden a bit as the group of Quincy starts to move toward the tunnel created. He'd managed to keep to his feet when the whole place shook, though only just.

"As for treaty terms and a safe place, like I said, I'm hoping we can arrange that. I'm not really a logistics guy, but since my family signed the Accords I can do what I can to put in, well, some good words.

As for Von Geister, that's the guy who made me flip my **** and call for help, yes. He's not protected by the Accords, and he's crazy. I'm pretty sure everyone's mainly just trying to figure out how to take him and his cronies out all at once; they're pretty good at guerilla warfare and just plain slipping away, and on top of that a couple of them seem to be good at biological warfare. Like, we're talking crazy zombie plague level stuff.

Not quite sure where we are..."

Chuck stepped aside once he'd moved through the "tunnel" to the outside (assuming the Arrancar with no names or faces didn't try to shank him or something on the way, and that they really were able to move outside), squinting a bit at the sunlight before quickly pulling out his field-duty phone to try and check the GPS on it.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Ikari; Kuzunoha sanctuary]

"Follow me!"

The messenger leads Tobioka to Katsuo and Koutarou without delay, moving as fast as the doctor can keep up with.

---

[Unknown Mountaintop]

The black, faceless Arrancar walks out after Chuck, the two Hollows assuming positions by its side, man on the right, woman on the left. The ZHE Quincies pour out as well, some quickly, some slowly, made hesitant by sudden change in scenery, the thin air, and all the light (even a cloudy night is less pitch-black than inside of the barrier was after Chuck's flares burned out.)

The Arrancars can sense Chuck's continued nervousness of their presence. They are quite amused by it. They do nothing to hinder him, they don't even comment on his discussion with Torahiko for once.

"W-where are we?", Alice Winchester wonders aloud.

Good question, the black Arrancar notes, startling the girl due to being behind her. I admit to liking it, though. This view is quite scenic. It lifts its hand as if to shield its eyes from the sun. Wait, why is it doing that when it has no eyes?

[Kuroimaken]

[Some mountains somewhere]

Shinji's quite spent from the barrier that allowed this massive motion feat, having reverted to his fully human self. Of all the people in this group, Margrave is the least exhausted, apparently - but then again, he's the one with energy conservation skills thanks to the way his coffin works.

Therefore, Margrave is the one who gets to greet the group going outside.

"Nephew! Everyone okay?"

_____________________

[Back at Russia]

"Save your breath to beg for mercy!"

Sagarosso suddenly appears from behind the bandaged stranger as he throws a punch that could easily shatter concrete.

"What the hell did you get me involved into? That old abomination was bad enough, but you had to get me mixed up with the damn foxes as well?!"

[strawberryman]

[Mountains?]

Time resumes as normal around the group of Shinji, Margrave, and Masaru. However, there is a slight oddity...

Momoka is nowhere to be found. She's just vanished entirely, without a spiritual trace.

[Ikari, Japan]
(Sanctuary)

Tobioka arrives to Katsuo still clutching his chest in pain. He can barely piece two coherent words together.

Spoiler: Diagnosis

Show

By first sight, depending on what sort of analysis Tobioka is capable of...

Something is pulling at Katsuo's soul chain, straining the still-quite-damaged link even more. Who knows how much pain he'd be in if not for the sanctuary.