[BiTPR2] Renewed Revolution: Spirit World V

[KnightDisciple]

[Soul Society]
(Outside the Hospital)

"Wait-" Momoka reacts immediately to Shinji's stratagem, but by the time she's raised her hands it's already gone through, and she turns more pensive. "...it is true it may be the only option we have outside the Sokyoku. We must begin preparations for evacuation in case it fails, however."

Hollowtsuo responds remarkably fast, so it does seem he doesn't need to dedicate as much conscious thought towards absorbing reiatsu, but at the very least he's occupied. For Ryouma, however, this means the hollowling is charging a response cero... before being submerged into by Chuck. This prompts an early discharge, but... the destruction is still nothing to balk at, energy cascading outward in Ryouma's general vicinity and outward.

Spoiler

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"I'll give you points for determination."

Chuck comes to at the foot of the same odd landscape, drawn in ink and having a blank texture to it like parchment. But... it's no longer a verdant forest, but a wasteland, charred and black, with boiling black puddles of ink. And right now he's in front of a throne, made from the remnants of the trees twisted into something perverse and ugly. Branches stretch upward from the top of the throne, and upon that, bound in ropes of thorn is Katsuo, hanging limply with his head hanging down and a familiar, growing hole through his heart.

Upon the throne itself... sits Felicia. Who is giving Chuck a catlike grin about now. "But unfortunately for you... it's over. This is your armageddon. The end of everything you, the shinigami, and anyone who opposes my daddy finds dear. And it's all about to be destroyed by your friend."

Masaru, who had been quietly standing "guard" nearby, spoke up, his voice...somewhere between "thoughtful" and "distracted".

"Momoka-sensei...If this creature has the potential to consume a Bankai...why should we assume it could not do the same to the Sokyoku? And where should I call in the evacuation order for?"
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Spoiler

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Chuck made a three-point landing in the painting-like landscape of Katsuo's soul. He stood and surveyed the surroundings, before spying first his friend...and then Felicia. His reaction is to sigh. For the moment, he is in his "base" form.

"You know, I should have smelled you from all the way out there. You're nothing but a pile of talking garbage and ****, after all."

He took a single step. His body began to glow, and from the feet up, armor began to form.

"You say we're all dying today?"

His helmet snapped into place around his head. Whip-like wings flared into place from his back. A spear rested in his hands, and he spun it idly before taking a guarded stance.

"I say no! Katsuo! Wake up! It's time to throw off your shackles and reclaim your soul! Join me, my friend, and let my strength be your own!
Together, we can do anything! Including beat this *****!"

[Kuroimaken]

[Soul Society]

"Afraid Captain Masaru has a point. We let this kid loose, he's going to smash through Soul Society as a whole. He eats the Soukyoku,
he's going to do that FASTER. We need to stop the Hollow in him without killing him."

One might ask, wasn't Setsurou off to chase Kusuma? Well, it turns out he is. Except it was really one of his shikai duplicates. One might notice there is a suspiciously high amount of ninja-shaped Shinigami helping with the hospital evacuation.

"Not to mention the other hospitals. These sick and injured will have to go somewhere."

Hollowtsuo's half-finished Cero does not down the giant. However, it does blow right through the enchantment Shinji put together for his defense and leaves the big guy with some nasty, fuming burns. It's a testament to his resilience that he's still standing, or even trying to grip the much smaller opponent.

"Whatever you choose to do, do it fast, cuz I don't think I can take another one of these!"

_______________

Spoiler: ...?

Show

The man that appears at the entrance to the Red Light District is noticeably half-naked,
but not intoxicated (at the very least). He does seem to be very worried, however.

A minute goes by where Kagetora tries to explain the situation on not enough breath. When he finally does, it turns out he thankfully attracted the attention of the right person.

Moments later, the doctor's cart and his horse are speeding down the road towards Kagetora and Hikaru's homestead. His heart is still beating a million times a minute, but at least he's not running anymore.

Which is just as well. His feet and legs are covered in minor cuts and bruises from running down that pebble-covered road barefoot. He hadn't noticed it earlier because of the snow numbing the feeling of his feet.

[Kuroimaken]

((In the interest of keeping this going on, I will be subbing for Strawbs for the time being.))

[Soul Society: The Crumbling Hospital]

While Shinji renews the enchantment, his plan has hit a snag. After that last blast, Ryouma's Reiatsu is going faster than he can release it. Even though the giant's spiritual pressure has a numbing, slowing effect, Hollowtsuo barely seems to be feeling it. The boy-turned-monster howls at his much larger opponent, but Naito's interference hasn't been forgotten either. The medusa-like hair of the Hollow boy shoots out again, describing an arc in the air so they have more room to gain velocity towards them.

______________________

Koutarou is just about to arrive after running at the speed of plot for waaaaay too long.

[Kuroimaken]

[Soul Society: The Crumbling Hospital]

From where they are, Naito has no real room to dodge. In the end they are flung far, but before they smash into a nearby building, they find themselves caught in mid-air.

"You've done a commendable job of holding your friend back. But this is our home. I will see to it that this ends here, and you have your friend back."

Naito probably doesn't recognize that Shinigami. Ryouma does, though that's the last thing he sees before blacking out, knocked cold by a mighty fist of Hollowtsuo's thrown straight at his stomach. The beast-boy turns around and growls,

"Henshin."

DRIVER GATTAI!
METALLICA
BLIND GUARDIAN
GATTAI COMPLETE! AC/DC!

"I know that you're being controlled by someone else. And to that person inside of you, I say...

...count up your sins."

Spoiler: ...?

Show

Katsuo's soul is still seemingly numb. It doesn't look like he can hear Chuck.

Felicia, however, can respond for him in the form of a condescending laugh.

"Is this the part where you expect him to rise out of the ashes? Join you in battling me? Sorry to disappoint, but I've made sure he's thoroughly fallen in despair. I killed one of the few people that truly cared about him. And fox-boy? Fox-boy used him. He used all of you."

Tendrils of inky blackness rise from the ground, wriggling excitedly and seemingly ready to strike with the slightest provocation.

"His heart's my sandbox now. An indestructible body that I alone command. But I guess even an indestructible body can have its parasites. Time to die, Quincy!"

[Frozen_Feet]

[Seireitei; Crumbling Hospital]

"Oh, for sure." The bright-haired student yanks the door of the freezer unit open, slamming it to the side. Inside, there is a single humanoid Hollow, suspended from steel chains. It's missing both of its arms. It's in really bad shape - it's likely the cold was the only thing keeping it alive, for some dubious measure of alive. Now that the freezer is open, that's not going to hold for very long.

The student points inside the freezer and looks at Aoi. "Queensie girl! You're so good fixing buildings, could you maybe fix that thing's arms?"

Aoi still hasn't, technically, looked at the Hollow. Or the student, for that matter.

"Medical capabilities limited. Find doctor."

She's still putting her primary focus on the map. Having determined the collapse of the building to be inevitable, Aoi has shifted her focus to facilitating evacuation efforts by opening pathways and temporarily stabilizing sections of the structure to allow rescuers easier movement.

The magenta-haired girl is at loss. She looks back and forth between Aoi and the Hollow. "Find doctor. Gotcha, Queensie girl." She rips the chains holding the Hollow off the container's walls and then drags the chain-wrapped creature out of there. "Doctor! Need a doctor here!" she yells while running ahead, the Hollow in tow, as the rest if the building collapses behind her.

[KnightDisciple]

[Soul Society: The Crumbling Hospital]

From where they are, Naito has no real room to dodge. In the end they are flung far, but before they smash into a nearby building, they find themselves caught in mid-air.

"You've done a commendable job of holding your friend back. But this is our home. I will see to it that this ends here, and you have your friend back."

Naito probably doesn't recognize that Shinigami. Ryouma does, though that's the last thing he sees before blacking out, knocked cold by a mighty fist of Hollowtsuo's thrown straight at his stomach. The beast-boy turns around and growls,

"Henshin."

DRIVER GATTAI!
METALLICA
BLIND GUARDIAN
GATTAI COMPLETE! AC/DC!

"I know that you're being controlled by someone else. And to that person inside of you, I say...

...count up your sins."

Spoiler: ...?

Show

Katsuo's soul is still seemingly numb. It doesn't look like he can hear Chuck.

Felicia, however, can respond for him in the form of a condescending laugh.

"Is this the part where you expect him to rise out of the ashes? Join you in battling me? Sorry to disappoint, but I've made sure he's thoroughly fallen in despair. I killed one of the few people that truly cared about him. And fox-boy? Fox-boy used him. He used all of you."

Tendrils of inky blackness rise from the ground, wriggling excitedly and seemingly ready to strike with the slightest provocation.

"His heart's my sandbox now. An indestructible body that I alone command. But I guess even an indestructible body can have its parasites. Time to die, Quincy!"

Spoiler: ...?

Show

Chuck stood there for several moments, watching the darkness rise.

"Maybe Shinji used us. Maybe he didn't. What he has done, is sacrifice a lot, nearly his own life and existence, to help us. I don't mind helping the world along the way. You, on the other hand?"

He shook his helmet-shrouded head.

"You're just the dregs of a scum-bourne disease. You're not even worthy to be called a parasite. Now, it's time to burn you out!"

With that, he charged, his spear's shining blad leading the way!

=====================================

Masaru visibly relaxes when he sees Koutarou finally taking the field.

"Maybe the Commander can turn this around..."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Around the destroyed hospital]

The girl running around for help does not find a doctor. She finds one of the Combat Division squads that were called for help. In it is one Hoshigaki Senshi. While technically on a sick leave, he was present when the alarm was sounded and decided that he couldn't miss this piece of action!

He spots the girl first and runs to her. Not just because she's shouting for help, but because he recognizes her from earlier.

"What the-! A girl like you shouldn't be here... waitaminutewhatisthat?"

"It's a Hollow. It was in freezer at the hospital." The girl lifts up the creature she's been dragging by the scruff of its neck. "I think it was a patient there. Anyways, it looks kinda sort like it's dying, so... help?"

Indeed, the chain-wrapped form has definitely seen better days, seeing as both its arms have been brutally torn off. No-one's really treated its wounds properly, the cold has just prevented it from bleeding to death yet. That will no doubt change quickly as it thaws.

The sight makes Senshi's head throb as a recent memory flashes through his mind.

Spoiler: Brief recap

Show

The guards glance at each other, then at Senshi. The one on the left speaks:

"Remember that Hollow outbreak some time ago? A dude dragged on of those things here, saying he wanted to keep it as a pet. A pet! Can you believe?"

"It was pretty badly torn up", the one on the right adds. "Had both of its arms severed. I dunno... we don't want to heal it, but boss said IntSec might want to interrogate it. So we stuck in the freezer so it won't die when no-one's looking."

The left guard shakes their head. "The coppers keep dragging their feet, though. Something about a prison having been blown up. It's the first time I ever heard of that. So we're stuck guarding it before the higher-ups make up their minds."

There's a sting in Senshi's mind - like he's heard this being discussed before. Something about how convenient opponents Hollowd are... you can just tear their arms off or freeze them solid and no-one cares...

... wouldn't it be a mercy to just kill it? Purify it? Release the innocent soul within? Huh, Senshi-boy?

[Outside East Gate Hospital]

Senshi mulls over what the guards said, a strange expression on his face. "Huh. That's strange. Why would you beat up, chop the arms off, then freeze your pet, of all things. Seems kinda cruel to not just purify it."

"Anways, bye."

Senshi heads back towards the hospital, preparing to go through the door.

Out of some... strange compulsion, Senshi leans closer to the maimed Hollow. "Hey... who was that guy who wanted to keep you as a pet?"

It doesn't look like he'll get a reply. Indeed it's dubious if the creature is even conscious. But then, a red glow briefly flickers in the eyes behind its mask, and it laborously moves its frozen lips. "...ma... tell... Stumpy said... hello", it rasps, barely audible. Then it falls limp.

Then another member of Senshi's squad comes to see what's up and sees the Hollow. "What the Heck?"

With that, Senshi snaps out of it. "See that this thing keeps put and tell someone to take the girl to safety! I'll find the person responsible for this!"

Before the other member of "the Pack" can protest, Senshi is off. The girl, still holding the Hollow, smiles and waves to the one left with the ungratefull task of looking after them.

---

Seconds later, Senshi is dashing through Seireitei like mad. He is not sure where to look, just sure he saw who he's looking for not long ago. He knows his search is taking him closee to the source of all this ruckus, and though the prospect of witnessing the fight up close excites him, rationally speaking he realizes this is a bad idea.

That's when he sees, from far away, Hollowfied Katsuo knocking Ryouma and Naito down. Well, mostly Ryouma. The guy's hard to miss. Senshi realizes he probably should amend his mission from "find a person" to "evacuate the wounded".

Fortunately, the Commander-General appears to save Naito from crashing, leaving Senshi with just harder half of the task. He's still far away, though... out of instinct, Senshi stops and hides from view for a moment, waiting to see if the Commander-General can take the fight further away from the collapsed giant.

[Kuroimaken]

While Naito is not happy to watch his friend about to clash with a Shinigami (and even less pleased about having been touched), there's just something about this whole situation that screams for them to get out of the way. As it is, the hybrid dashes off towards the hospital to help Aoi stabilize the crumbling construction.

Maybe it's the hero look.

Maybe it's Hollowtsuo's apparent hesitation to attack, so very unlike before, in the face of the Commander-General. It is not a response one would easily attribute to fear, as Kamen Rider Rei does not project an intimidating aura - an even if he did, the creature's sheer rage would make him very much immune to that sensation.

That hesitation doesn't last, though, as it starts charging a Cero...

Spoiler: ...?

Show

As Chuck advances, the inky tendrils lash out in attempts to whip and bash at him alike, both trying to slow him down and slice at the joints of his armor. The ground quakes for a brief moment, which may or may not affect his ability to dodge, but the strange thing is even Felicia briefly needs to steady herself. Was it her doing, or something else?

[Frozen_Feet]

When the Hollowfied human starts charging a Cero, Senshi becomes keenly aware that he's in exactly wrong place. Not that he doubts the Commander-General, nonono, but if that Cero fires, Senshi will very likely be caught in the blast if he doesn't move right now.

So, he begins running in a wide circle around the duo. If he's fast, he can maybe grab Ryouma and drag him away without that Hollow spotting and shooting the Cero at him.

"... that guy looks like he had an elephant for breakfast, how'd you plan to move him fast?"

Hush, voices in my head, trying to do what's right and proper here...

[KnightDisciple]

While Naito is not happy to watch his friend about to clash with a Shinigami (and even less pleased about having been touched), there's just something about this whole situation that screams for them to get out of the way. As it is, the hybrid dashes off towards the hospital to help Aoi stabilize the crumbling construction.

Maybe it's the hero look.

Maybe it's Hollowtsuo's apparent hesitation to attack, so very unlike before, in the face of the Commander-General. It is not a response one would easily attribute to fear, as Kamen Rider Rei does not project an intimidating aura - an even if he did, the creature's sheer rage would make him very much immune to that sensation.

That hesitation doesn't last, though, as it starts charging a Cero...

Spoiler: ...?

Show

As Chuck advances, the inky tendrils lash out in attempts to whip and bash at him alike, both trying to slow him down and slice at the joints of his armor. The ground quakes for a brief moment, which may or may not affect his ability to dodge, but the strange thing is even Felicia briefly needs to steady herself. Was it her doing, or something else?

Spoiler: Katsuo's Inner World

Show

Chuck twirls his weapon, cutting at the tendrils and pushing his advance. He stumbles as the ground shakes, but notes Felicia's own steadying with a (hidden by his armor) smile.

"Having a bit of trouble? Something you tried to eat?"

He turns and fires a few blasts of energy at the tendrils around him, redirecting his voice a bit toward his bound friend.

"Katsuo! Come on! You're stronger than this piece of overgrown fungus! I won't say I know how you feel but I can tell you're hurting! It's okay to need friends to stand by you when you're in pain! Real friends don't let each other try to handle everything alone! Real friends help each other! I'm here because I care, Katsuo! LET ME HELP!"

================================================== ======

When the Hollowfied human starts charging a Cero, Senshi becomes keenly aware that he's in exactly wrong place. Not that he doubts the Commander-General, nonono, but if that Cero fires, Senshi will very likely be caught in the blast if he doesn't move right now.

So, he begins running in a wide circle around the duo. If he's fast, he can maybe grab Ryouma and drag him away without that Hollow spotting and shooting the Cero at him.

"... that guy looks like he had an elephant for breakfast, how'd you plan to move him fast?"

Hush, voices in my head, trying to do what's right and proper here...

A strong arm suddenly lifts Ryouma much more easily than Senshi seemed to be managing, aiding the struggling Combat Division member.

"Purify that Hollow you're dragging along as soon as we're clear, soldier. That's an order. Then help with the evacuations."

Captain Masaru was helping his subordinate drag Ryouma's unconscious butt along, giving the chained and unconscious Hollow a bit of side-eye but nothing more.

[Kuroimaken]

Spoiler: Katsuo's Inner World

Show

Chuck twirls his weapon, cutting at the tendrils and pushing his advance. He stumbles as the ground shakes, but notes Felicia's own steadying with a (hidden by his armor) smile.

"Having a bit of trouble? Something you tried to eat?"

He turns and fires a few blasts of energy at the tendrils around him, redirecting his voice a bit toward his bound friend.

"Katsuo! Come on! You're stronger than this piece of overgrown fungus! I won't say I know how you feel but I can tell you're hurting! It's okay to need friends to stand by you when you're in pain! Real friends don't let each other try to handle everything alone! Real friends help each other! I'm here because I care, Katsuo! LET ME HELP!"

================================================== ======
A strong arm suddenly lifts Ryouma much more easily than Senshi seemed to be managing, aiding the struggling Combat Division member.

"Purify that Hollow you're dragging along as soon as we're clear, soldier. That's an order. Then help with the evacuations."

Captain Masaru was helping his subordinate drag Ryouma's unconscious butt along, giving the chained and unconscious Hollow a bit of side-eye but nothing more.

Spoiler: ...?

Show

"You want some wine to go with all that cheese?" Many tendrils rise in a straight line, forming a wall-like structure that's quick to spew mucus towards Chuck. It doesn't take a genius or experimentation to figure that stuff is probably just as acidic as it looks.

Chuck's voice barely seems to grab Katsuo's attention. It isn't just that he's crestfallen, he also seems... distracted. Looking past the two of them, but where?

The Cero shoots out at Kamen Rider Rei - with a good deal of effort, he manages to deflect it upwards, where it speeds away from the battlefield and into a sizable explosion. That would have been awful on a direct hit, or even a glancing one, judging from the size of the explosion.

He rushes forward, trying to bring this fight to a range he's more used to, dodging or deflecting hair-spikes left and right as he goes.

Meanwhile, Ryouma groggily seems to drift in and out of consciousness.

"...Stumpy...?"

[Frozen_Feet]

Senshi is hugely relieved when his Captain shows up to give a hand. Together, they drag the giant back to Senshi's squad and (relative) safety.

After laying Ryouma down next to the Hollow, Senshi salutes Masaru. "Hai, taichou!"

The magenta-haired girl is still present, in the process of being escorted away by the lower-ranking Pack member. However, upon seeing Senshi return with Ryouma and Masaru, she wrenches herself out of his grip and runs back some way to them. The soldier (Ricky is that you?) is stunned by the girl's strength and slippery nature. "Ooh! Can I do that? It would be my first Hollow!"

Senshi gives her a flat look as he unsheathes his new-fangled Zanpakutou. "... no." He lifts his blade up to stab it through the eye socket of the Hollow's mask.

That's when Ryouma starts coming to. Maybe just to see "Stumpy" for a second before it is no more, if he cannot move. On the background, the other Pack member is already hurrying to get the disappointed girl away from here.

[KnightDisciple]

Spoiler: ...?

Show

"You want some wine to go with all that cheese?" Many tendrils rise in a straight line, forming a wall-like structure that's quick to spew mucus towards Chuck. It doesn't take a genius or experimentation to figure that stuff is probably just as acidic as it looks.

Chuck's voice barely seems to grab Katsuo's attention. It isn't just that he's crestfallen, he also seems... distracted. Looking past the two of them, but where?

The Cero shoots out at Kamen Rider Rei - with a good deal of effort, he manages to deflect it upwards, where it speeds away from the battlefield and into a sizable explosion. That would have been awful on a direct hit, or even a glancing one, judging from the size of the explosion.

He rushes forward, trying to bring this fight to a range he's more used to, dodging or deflecting hair-spikes left and right as he goes.

Meanwhile, Ryouma groggily seems to drift in and out of consciousness.

"...Stumpy...?"

Spoiler: Katsuo's mindscape

Show

"I'm not French you walking diaper stain, I'm Australian. I'll have a fresh beer when we're done here."

Chuck's spear continues to spin defensively while firing off energy blasts, and his wings begin to whirl around, striving to strike at any goop that looks to get too close. Since they're even more energy construct than the rest of his armor, it ought to work more in his favor.

"Katsuo! Whatever it is you're listening to, keep it up! Forget this **** stain and stand up! Stand up, my friend! You have strength yet untapped!"

==========================================

Senshi is hugely relieved when his Captain shows up to give a hand. Together, they drag the giant back to Senshi's squad and (relative) safety.

After laying Ryouma down next to the Hollow, Senshi salutes Masaru. "Hai, taichou!"

The magenta-haired girl is still present, in the process of being escorted away by the lower-ranking Pack member. However, upon seeing Senshi return with Ryouma and Masaru, she wrenches herself out of his grip and runs back some way to them. The soldier (Ricky is that you?) is stunned by the girl's strength and slippery nature. "Ooh! Can I do that? It would be my first Hollow!"

Senshi gives her a flat look as he unsheathes his new-fangled Zanpakutou. "... no." He lifts his blade up to stab it through the eye socket of the Hollow's mask.

That's when Ryouma starts coming to. Maybe just to see "Stumpy" for a second before it is no more, if he cannot move. On the background, the other Pack member is already hurrying to get the disappointed girl away from here.

Masaru doesn't respond to Ryouma's question, and instead just keeps dragging his over-sized butt out of the combat zone.

"Make sure that cadet gets back to her class group and stays there, then get back on rescue and containment!"

[Kuroimaken]

Spoiler: ...?

Show

Whatever Katsuo had been looking at, it's caught Felicia's attention too. Enough so that she sends a vicious-looking spiky tendril crawling and curling towards it, ignoring Chuck completely - she doesn't even bother to respond to his witty banter.

Should Chuck be paying attention, he'd see what appears to be a little girl...

Hollowtsuo takes several swings at the Commander, who seems content with dodging and weaving out of the way for the time being. He doesn't try to strike back. He knows what his goal here is, to buy time.

[Frozen_Feet]

As Ryouma is dragged away, Senshi stabs his sword through the Hollow's skull. A moment passes with nothing happening. Senshi stares down at the creature's motionless body, then pulls his sword out. At that instant, a bright light shoots out of the Hollow's pierced eye. The whole world seems to get smaller as it expands into a massive gate, with two colossal skeletons embedded in the doors. The gate creaks open, and a massive skeletal hand reaches out, snatching the armless Hollow off the ground and pulling it into the fire beyond.

Then the gate slams shut again and vanishes as soon as it appeared. Senshi tries to keep his poker face throughout. "... don't think I've seen that happen on Soul Society's ground before", he muses aloud as he wipes his blade clean and resheathes it.

Then he and his squad leave to rejoin the evacuation effort.

[KnightDisciple]

Spoiler: ...?

Show

Whatever Katsuo had been looking at, it's caught Felicia's attention too. Enough so that she sends a vicious-looking spiky tendril crawling and curling towards it, ignoring Chuck completely - she doesn't even bother to respond to his witty banter.

Should Chuck be paying attention, he'd see what appears to be a little girl...

Hollowtsuo takes several swings at the Commander, who seems content with dodging and weaving out of the way for the time being. He doesn't try to strike back. He knows what his goal here is, to buy time.

Spoiler: Mindscape

Show

Chuck saw the tendril moving toward what looked to be a child.

"No."

In but an instant, his spear was a giant, darkly-blazing sword. In a blur and a flash, he was next to the tendril, the sword swinging down to try and sever it.

"Katsuo! Are you going to let this festering worm pile hurt her? You're stronger than her, and this is your mind besides that! Let's kick her out of here!"

======================================

Masaru dropped the stirring giant with the medical crews on-site, and then moved to the knot of command-level personnel. Once there, he spoke up.

"Evacuation proceeding as planned, better than. Commander's still holding his ground?"

[Kuroimaken]

Spoiler: ...?

Show

Hikari blearily opened her eyes. She felt like she'd been running for her life for the past two days, and finally managed to settle down. But tired as she was, she was more concerned with something else.

She looked down her futon and saw her big brother asleep beside it, bandages on his feet.

"How are you feeling?" The man that Kagetora had so desperately sought sat there beside her as well. It was easy to identify him as a doctor.

"...better." she admitted sheepishly. "What... happened?"

"You had an infection. Your brother sought me out all the way to the capital and brought me back here to help you." The doctor replied. "I don't know whether to call him determined or reckless. It was freezing out there, he could have very well died."

As she hears that, Hikari leans forward a bit and softly strokes her big brother's hair. He mumbles something incoherent in his sleep and nuzzles into the covers.

"I need to be getting back." The man said. "You'll be alright."

"Wait! Doctor... what is your name?"

"You can call me Bai."

By now Kamen Rider Rei had noticed that he couldn't simply wait for his opponent to get tired. If he didn't give the berserk Hollow a reason to worry, he would turn on the surrounding folk again. His heavily armored fist swings at Hollowtsuo, whom responds in kind, the encounter of punches causing a quick but fierce shockwave to erupt between them.

"...Hikari? Who..."

Spoiler: Inside Katsuo's mindscape

Show

"You're an eyesore, angel-boy."

Chuck was thankfully successful in keeping the tendril from harming the little girl (whoever she was), but Felicia didn't relent her assault so easily. Her liquid, goopy form rolled towards Chuck like a small tidal wave, and in the confusion Katsuo's form was nowhere to be seen.

[KnightDisciple]

Spoiler: ...?

Show

Hikari blearily opened her eyes. She felt like she'd been running for her life for the past two days, and finally managed to settle down. But tired as she was, she was more concerned with something else.

She looked down her futon and saw her big brother asleep beside it, bandages on his feet.

"How are you feeling?" The man that Kagetora had so desperately sought sat there beside her as well. It was easy to identify him as a doctor.

"...better." she admitted sheepishly. "What... happened?"

"You had an infection. Your brother sought me out all the way to the capital and brought me back here to help you." The doctor replied. "I don't know whether to call him determined or reckless. It was freezing out there, he could have very well died."

As she hears that, Hikari leans forward a bit and softly strokes her big brother's hair. He mumbles something incoherent in his sleep and nuzzles into the covers.

"I need to be getting back." The man said. "You'll be alright."

"Wait! Doctor... what is your name?"

"You can call me Bai."

By now Kamen Rider Rei had noticed that he couldn't simply wait for his opponent to get tired. If he didn't give the berserk Hollow a reason to worry, he would turn on the surrounding folk again. His heavily armored fist swings at Hollowtsuo, whom responds in kind, the encounter of punches causing a quick but fierce shockwave to erupt between them.

"...Hikari? Who..."

Spoiler: Inside Katsuo's mindscape

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"You're an eyesore, angel-boy."

Chuck was thankfully successful in keeping the tendril from harming the little girl (whoever she was), but Felicia didn't relent her assault so easily. Her liquid, goopy form rolled towards Chuck like a small tidal wave, and in the confusion Katsuo's form was nowhere to be seen.

Spoiler: Inside Katsuo's Mindscape

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Chuck doesn't deign to answer with words, just a scoffing chuckle. Instead, he dismisses his weapon for the moment and summoned up three tiers of Finsternis Licht-Schild. The shields wouldn't last too long, but they'd give him just enough time to grab the little girl, flare his power, and fly away, as fast and as far as he can. He hated losing track of Katsuo, but something told him this girl was the key. If she was the key to freeing his friend, Katsuo would see her protected.

[Kuroimaken]

The exchange in blows continues. Luckily for Kamen Rider Rei, an unthinking opponent is somewhat easier to deal with. However, the more time passes, the angrier the Hollowling becomes, and the faster his blows shoot at him.

Still, when he says that name, the beast pauses for but a moment, as if something in his mind had been jostled loose.

Spoiler: Inside Katsuo's Mindscape

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"GET BACK HERE!"

"Who are you?" The little girl in Chuck's arms asks. "Do you know where my brother is?"

The mindscape continues to tremble, massive cracks erupting from the ground, hissing high-pressure vapor. Felicia poisons those steamy plumes in hopes of getting to the two escapees.

[KnightDisciple]

The exchange in blows continues. Luckily for Kamen Rider Rei, an unthinking opponent is somewhat easier to deal with. However, the more time passes, the angrier the Hollowling becomes, and the faster his blows shoot at him.

Still, when he says that name, the beast pauses for but a moment, as if something in his mind had been jostled loose.

Spoiler: Inside Katsuo's Mindscape

Show

"GET BACK HERE!"

"Who are you?" The little girl in Chuck's arms asks. "Do you know where my brother is?"

The mindscape continues to tremble, massive cracks erupting from the ground, hissing high-pressure vapor. Felicia poisons those steamy plumes in hopes of getting to the two escapees.

Spoiler: Katsuo's Mindscape

Show

Chuck pushed power into his wings, moving himself even faster.

"Call me Chuck. I'm here to help. And I don't know for sure where he is, but once we get some distance from the mean diaper-stain lady we can try to find him."

[Frozen_Feet]

((OOC note: the following is meant to happen after the immediate crisis is over, or at least when the Combat Division is no longer required to help with evacuation.))

After things start to quiet down, Hoshigaki Senshi looks around for where they've taken Ryoma to. As usual, the giant's easy to spot, since they've put up a tent for him, not having a conveniently giant-sized building close by.

Senshi walks in a looks around. Thankfully, the giant's not in a critical condition, so he's been left alone to rest. Senshi walks up to him, thinks for a moment, and then kicks one of the giant's ribs. "Yo. Wake up."

[Kuroimaken]

[Sometime after]

Ryoma's reflexes, even apparently unconscious, kick in after being kicked in the ribs and his arm swings at Senshi to swat him like a fly.

An irate nurse chastises him. "Sir, that patient is still injured. You should let him rest, not add to our work!"


---------------------------

[The Battlefield]

Kamen Rider Rei holds up his head, appearing a bit dizzy. The beast clutches its own head in kind. It's like watching them suffer from the same headache.

Spoiler: Katsuo's mindscape

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Thankfully, pseudorealities are great in that they seldom run out of airspace for Chuck to fly upwards, which the venomous vapors can't catch up to. The little girl seems a little quiet for a moment, but then she points towards a shining spot in the distance. "Onii-chan..."

Felicia hasn't given up her pursuit, unfortunately. She simply coalesces more of that putrid flow beneath her, riding its upwards wave as she tries to catch up.

[Frozen_Feet]

Senshi sidesteps the swat so he won't get crushed, looking at the giant's arm. "Can't be that badly injured if he can do that" , he says, glancing at the nurse. "Do you have something to wake him up? I need to have a talk with him."

[KnightDisciple]

[Sometime after]

Ryoma's reflexes, even apparently unconscious, kick in after being kicked in the ribs and his arm swings at Senshi to swat him like a fly.

An irate nurse chastises him. "Sir, that patient is still injured. You should let him rest, not add to our work!"


---------------------------

[The Battlefield]

Kamen Rider Rei holds up his head, appearing a bit dizzy. The beast clutches its own head in kind. It's like watching them suffer from the same headache.

Spoiler: Katsuo's mindscape

Show

Thankfully, pseudorealities are great in that they seldom run out of airspace for Chuck to fly upwards, which the venomous vapors can't catch up to. The little girl seems a little quiet for a moment, but then she points towards a shining spot in the distance. "Onii-chan..."

Felicia hasn't given up her pursuit, unfortunately. She simply coalesces more of that putrid flow beneath her, riding its upwards wave as she tries to catch up.

Spoiler: Katsuo's Mindscape

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As Chuck flew, he realized two things.
First, he was in a mindscape. It wasn't his, but still, Will and Imagination mattered here in ways they never would in the real world.
Second, as a former Quincy and current Reiniger, being in Vollständig meant he had the benefit of Sklaverei, of total Reishi dominance. And when he thought about it (ha!), this whole place was basically Reishi.

Within a few moments of those two thoughts really sinking in, Chuck nodded as he spoke.

"Hang on tight, little one. I'll get you to him as quickly as I can."

For a moment, his wings beat faster. And then, they changed, and became something else. Panels slid aside and split, and suddently Chuck was roaring through the air on wings of fire.

He just hoped it would be enough.

[Kuroimaken]

[Sometime later]

"No more sake, I'm blitzed..." He murmurs in his sleep. Hey, that could totally be a way to wake him up.

Go fetch!

_____________________

Spoiler: Katsuo's mindscape

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As Chuck flies towards that shining spot, it becomes bigger and bigger, brighter and brighter. It isn't unlike flying towards the sun, but he isn't in danger of his wings melting away anytime soon. He is bathed in that light, obscuring everything until...

...Chuck comes flying out of Katsuo, Vollstandig and all, though obviously lacking his charge.

Katsuo roars, his fingers tearing at pieces of Hollow-flesh, revealing the human still beneath.

"...I think... that may've done it."

As unsettling as watching Katsuo tearing pieces of his beastly form away can be, it is a strange relief compared to seeing him on a rampage as he was before.

[KnightDisciple]

Spoiler: Katsuo's mindscape

Show

As Chuck flies towards that shining spot, it becomes bigger and bigger, brighter and brighter. It isn't unlike flying towards the sun, but he isn't in danger of his wings melting away anytime soon. He is bathed in that light, obscuring everything until...

...Chuck comes flying out of Katsuo, Vollstandig and all, though obviously lacking his charge.

Katsuo roars, his fingers tearing at pieces of Hollow-flesh, revealing the human still beneath.

"...I think... that may've done it."

As unsettling as watching Katsuo tearing pieces of his beastly form away can be, it is a strange relief compared to seeing him on a rampage as he was before.

Chuck faceplants into the ground, his good looks preserved by Blut Vene and his transformation, which quickly falls away as he lies there, conscious but struggling to control a strained body, fingers clawing at the ground to get away from Katsuo.

"Glad...that worked..."

Suddenly the young Reiniger is lifted into the arms of the Combat Division Captain and rapidly moved to group with the others.

"Sometimes a long shot is the best shot. Good work, son."

"Hey man, my pa's alive."

"I figured 'boy' would upset you more."

"Honestly right now I just want to eat my head's weight in meat and drink too much beer."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Where ever Ryoma happens to be]

Senshi perks his ears at the giant's unconscious mumbling. "... you know what. I think I'll come back later" , he says to the nurse and leaves.

Some time later, he's again approaching the tent, this time with a jug of sake in tow. He opens it in line of sight of the tent, chugs a quarter of it down, and then sneaks closer, waving the opened jug around.

[Kuroimaken]

Chuck faceplants into the ground, his good looks preserved by Blut Vene and his transformation, which quickly falls away as he lies there, conscious but struggling to control a strained body, fingers clawing at the ground to get away from Katsuo.

"Glad...that worked..."

Suddenly the young Reiniger is lifted into the arms of the Combat Division Captain and rapidly moved to group with the others.

"Sometimes a long shot is the best shot. Good work, son."

"Hey man, my pa's alive."

"I figured 'boy' would upset you more."

"Honestly right now I just want to eat my head's weight in meat and drink too much beer."

Spoiler: Inside Katsuo's mindscape

Show

Katsuo stirs, perhaps for the first actual time in very long. He doesn't like what he sees. The shock of losing his aunt, the general feeling of powerlessness and tiredness overwhelming him up to this point had drained him of all strength, yet somehow... at this point, he begins to see a small, shining ray of hope.

Felicia, for her own part, is scandalously attempting to regain control over his soul. She screams at anything and everything, throwing a temper tantrum of massive proportions and vitriolic consequences. But no matter how much she tries, her ability to corrupt the world around her is still losing out to its ability to hold true to itself.

"YOU.

GET. OUT."

With a deafening roar, the boy-Hollow sinks his own fist into his chest. Strangely, it is not his blood that pours out, but a vile, fetid brackish liquid.

"RRRRRRRRRRROAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGHHHHHHHH!!!"

From within, he pulls at what appears to be a viscous, squirming amorph creature, which screeches all the while, fighting back with all its might. But it is a losing battle against the boy's willpower. His mask cracks and falls away of its own accord, revealing all-too-human eyes, even as it tosses away the entirety of Felicia's putrid form, casting her aside like the cancer she is. In so doing, the Hollow-like flesh melts away rapidly, falling off his body in chunks, bringing the long-haired boy to his knees.

[Where ever Ryoma happens to be]

Senshi perks his ears at the giant's unconscious mumbling. "... you know what. I think I'll come back later" , he says to the nurse and leaves.

Some time later, he's again approaching the tent, this time with a jug of sake in tow. He opens it in line of sight of the tent, chugs a quarter of it down, and then sneaks closer, waving the opened jug around.

Ryoma sits up to look at the bottle faster than anyone that big has any business getting up.

"OhmanisthatalcoholIhaven'thadanyinforever."

[Frozen_Feet]

Senshi flings the jug at Ryoma. "Well hey. Help yourself."

The jug is pitifully small compared to the giant. He could hold it between his thumb and index finger. Its contents are barely enough for a mouthfull.

Senshi walks closer while crossing his arms. "So you were... Ryoma, right? That's what you told to call yourself while we were running around town."

[Kuroimaken]

Especially considering the giant's mouth, but then, he hasn't had a drop in what feels like days. It's pretty hard to get a buzz going.

"Mwah? Oh hey, if it ain't Hollowstink. How you doing? Thanks for the drink."