---

The park was empty when Mitsuaki bound into it. Sliding to a stop in the gravel, he was quick to turn around when he felt those ever watchful eyes on his back. The hollow that stood before him was like nothing he had seen before; the ones he had already slain were both bigger and bulkier than the beast in front of him. They were slower, and were weak against his blade, but this one…

Hair standing on end, he swallowed hard, his zanpakuto at the ready. Never once did those grey eyes leave the hollow in front of him, taking in every detail, trying to anticipate any movement. It was fast, this he already knew, with how it seemed to try to herd him into a corner. It was smart, too. Smart and fast was a danger level he hadn’t yet dealt with, at least, not on his own.

Hopefully the other power he had felt moments before those eyes found him didn’t show up.

Trying to keep the fear and anxiety from his hand, to keep the trembling steady, Mitsuaki took a deep inhale. Slowly, he exhaled, grounding himself with his breathing. Confidence, he thought. Conviction. This was just another hollow. Just another hollow.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Focusing on his breathing, the young man was slow to inch forwards, not wanting to wait for the hollow itself to attack first. If it wanted a fight, he’d give it his fight. A fight he’d win.

The distance between Mitsuaki and the tigerfish-hollow was quickly closed, the substitute shinigami utilizing Jiho when he was close enough. Aiming to move behind the hollow, he kept lunged towards it with his zanpakuto, aiming a strike at its left hind leg. The fight had begun, and Mitsuaki silently hoped that this would not be his last.

Anthony "Tony" Adams-Himura

---

Tony's expression turned serious, he felt heavier, his breath became slightly sharper. "Yes, i feel it Bakuto." he replied to his question, he stayed behind Ouga, whatever thing they were going to face it was like anything before. he wasn't weirded out by the fact he could feel something that didn't seem to be visible, he strangely felt sure of himself.

He entered a defensive position. "Ouga..." he said without looking at him. "I'm not lying to you..." his face became even more serious, the shadows darkening his features.

"I'm really scared." he turned to look at Ouga, his serious facade completely faded for an almost laughable terrified expression. yet it didn't last too much, as he got into a more calm one. "But don't worry, i'll hack and slash. cus' that's my principle." a sweat drop from his forehead as he awkwardly smiled.

His grip got tighter as his smile grew more confident. He was scared, that was for sure. but the thrill made him sorta love this fear. his hairs standing on end, the spirit pressure only empowered that too, "Let them come, whenever is that Regalhorn or any hollow creature, let. them. come." he said he changed his position to a more offensive one, he was an idiot, challenging something he couldn't match even if he was this motivated, yet his mind only told him to keep this actitude.

Sara paused when she realized she was going in circles. Her grip on her Zanpakutō tightened as her thumb almost but not quite hit the emergency call button. How was she going in circles? It didn’t make any sense. She wasn’t that new to Sagamiyama and she had been to Sakuhana Park a few times. She shouldn’t have gotten lost. Had she been so focused on not getting jumped that she had gotten lost? Except she didn’t even know where she was. She recognized the subtle signs she had been going in circles, but she didn’t know exactly where she was. Yes, she was going to be late, because she needed to find out how to get to the park. Just how mad would the Shinigami … actually … be?

Sara’s thoughts slowly trailed off as the familiar song started. She barely heard it, but its temptations were strangely alluring. Wasn’t she just thinking that she had only delayed her death, that this war would kill her? Wouldn’t it just be easy to give in to the sweetness of oblivion? No one would miss her. Slowly Sara walked towards the song and its promises. The Soul Pager slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground as she staggered forwards. Her grip on her Zanpakutō loosened as she gotten closer and closer. She was unaware of her heartbeat slowing and her breathing spacing out. The song was so beautiful, its words nothing but truth. Nothing else mattered.

“Sara! Sara! Sara move! Sara! Please!”

The second voice snapped Sara out of the hypnotic trance and thankfully her instincts were strong enough to send her into a series of backflips to get her further away from the trap. She used just a touch of Reiatsu to and smoothness and speed to her flips to get even further away. She returned to a standing position with her grip on her Zanpakutō’s hilt tightened enough to make her knuckles white, but she didn’t draw the blade just yet. She looked to see the threat and her already skyrocketing heartbeat got faster as she saw the Hollow standing in front of her. Suddenly she realized why the song had been familiar. It was the Hollow that Hayasegawa had saved her from the night she had died. Her memories of that night were fuzzy, but somehow Sara knew that this was the same creature come to finish the job.

Sara had no illusions. She had no idea where she was. She couldn’t see the person belonging to the voice that had saved her. It wasn’t Hayasegawa or Tatsuha. She didn’t recognize it … except that she had. She didn’t know how, because she was entirely convinced that she had never heard it before. No! That wasn’t important right now. Right now, she needed to figure out a way away from the Hollow. She wasn’t beating it. She didn’t think she was strong enough. And getting way wasn’t likely either. Sara was starting to think that the world was just a little bit … fuzzy. She couldn’t claim to know Sagamiyama that well, but she had done a lot of wandering. Given how long it had been she couldn’t be that far from the places she knew, and this looked nothing like them. Was the Hollow doing something? If that was the case, Sara could cross getting away off the list, because the Hollow would be able to just circle her back around. She glanced at the Soul Pager on the ground. Yeah no, she had already proven she couldn’t scoop things off the ground while running, so calling for help wasn’t an option. She had no options. Maybe the song was right maybe she should just …

“Sara!”

The same voice, but fainter, it still sounded desperate. Sara couldn’t give up. Not tonight at least. She was already late and didn’t need Hayasegawa and Tatsuha even angrier at her for giving Hollows more power. She needed a plan, and she needed a plan now. She did not have one. The best she thought she could do was distract the creature long enough to get away and hide. Maybe not distract. Maybe just blind. She had no way to blind. Wait! Hayasegawa could make Kido do some interesting things. Maybe she could try that. No guarantee that it would work, but it was a chance, and a chance was better than nothing.

Sara was surprised at how cold her voice sounded, “If you want me, you’ll have to come and get me.” She threw her hand out and called out, “Hado Shakkaho!”

Sara was hoping to create more of a bright light than a blast with any kind of power. She probably put more Reiatsu into the spell than she should have, but she did aim it at the Hollow. If she couldn’t create the blinding light and instead did a normal blast maybe it would do something. Sara didn’t stay to find out. She simply turned and used Graceful Slide to run off. She was definitely using too much Reiatsu, but she didn’t have any other plan. Maybe if she found a place to hide, she could lay a trap for the Hollow. The one thing she knew for sure was that she was alone with no way to call for help. She thought she was alone, there was still that strange voice she could barely hear and now could almost not remember. No! Investigation later. Hiding and trap now.

@Sho Minazuki

Mikazuki Nakajima

The fear, the cold, the darkness of the park at night. The sheer horror of what they were about to face; pitiful souls consumed by corruption and impurity, gathered together by a Hollow 'Warlord' who had the power to command others of its kind, ready to rampage through his home and wreak unspeakable havoc.

As he squirmed like an earthworm under the overwhelming spiritual pressure, Mikazuki knew what they were going to endure was an order of magnitude higher than anything their group of wannabe True Companions had faced before, but the fear kept him frozen in shock, as though his feet were encased in ice.

But the boy knew what he wanted, and that was to draw his Zanpaktou and stand, to protect people from the horrors of death and what was beyond it. Mikazuki Nakajima, kendo student, was not going to let fear styme him; he had made a promise to Mr. Leonid, while he knew that his grandfather would scorn him from Soul Society or Hell - Probably Hell - if the teen betrayed his ideals by being a coward. So Mika struggled, forcing himself to take a standard kendo stance and stand his ground as he waited for the foe to make his appearance.

But deep inside, he was concered by the thought of two missing members of the team: Mitsuaki and Sara... where are they? Did they get ambushed?

He had faith that neither of them would willingly abandon their mission and just leave; Mitsuaki's grief and Sara's lonliness would not allow them to flee the scene without a fight. So they must be fighting; Mikazuki had faith aplenty that his friends had their own battles elsewhere and would win - He could not imagine them losing this round.

@Sho Minazuki @BladeSS4 @McNephelim @WSilversun

---

The sound of a horde was heard before it was seen. Hollow of all shapes and sizes came into view as the street lights illuminated them, an unseen army heading towards the park, and with intent it appeared. Why here? Why in such a horde? Their stampeding footsteps would be drowned out soon over the thundering lumbering steps of another behind them. Sporting a mask that appeared like a crown with two horns, and hair of red, billowing behind it like a cape... That had to be Regalhorn. Normally Hollow only had bone around their mask, but Regalhorn seemed to have armor-like bones growing at various spots on its body.

As the army of hollow came into view at the entrance of the park, they stopped. Regalhorn stood up straight and crossed his arms, looking upon the lowly Shinigami before him. He had to be at least a dozen feet tall.

"Gehehaha, it seems we have a welcoming crew, and a meager one!"

"Excuse our lack of preparation, but we weren't expecting you here tonight. Maybe come back in a couple more nights and you'll have a better welcome",

"Hooh, some bite on this one", the grinning mask of Regalhorn almost made it seem like he enjoyed this display of resistance. His golden eyes would look down upon the rough-house man.

"My lord, my lord, the ones behind him look tasty don't you think?" A smarmy rat-like hollow piped up, getting on all fours getting ready to pounce on the inexperienced shinigami.

"Yes yes! Easy prey! The big one of course is all yours-" This one, a hollow with an unusually wide mask would turn to see Regalhorn's fist crater through.

"No one gives my orders, do you all understand? I decide who eats who", the other Hollow keeled to him as they bowed almost in unison. As Regalhorn got back up, having had to kneel to kill his blabbermouthed subordinate, he turned to the group of Shinigami.

"Now then, I am not convinced anyone in front is worth my horns", he crossed his arms, a burst of reiatsu would emit from him as it did.

"You lot, have at them, let's see what they're really worth!, the horde of hollow cheered in glee as they without restraint dashed into the park, a large group would be upon them. More than a dozen were about to crash into them all at once. Even with their training, such a horde was but a wall of Hollow.

"Ride, Douroki Douji!" A crash of lightning would erupt right at the face of the Hollow swarm, thinning their numbers immediately as they were all caught in the electric crash. When the smoke cleared, Ouga was no longer holding a wooden sword, but instead, a spiked bat. The handle was adorned with the wrappings more typical of a katana, as well as a seemingly innocuous tsuba. Even though it was wrapped that way it seemed messy and haphazard.

The Hollow that were not caught in the blast though would run right at the other inexperienced shinigami, but they were much more manageable. What could have been a fight against four or five hollow at once per person, was now closer to one or maybe two. Now was the time to make use of their training and demonstrate their ability.

There were about five hollow that made it past Ouga, one that flew with a bat-like mask, two large humanoid types that were pretty typical, though one was hunched over and the other had larger arms than normal, one quadrupedal dog-like Hollow as big as a horse, and a lizard-like Hollow with claws and a tail.

---

---

The Shakkaho's inordinate power output caused a unique kind of misfire, where it could barely do it's job, but instead turned into a kind of flashbang. The blast itself was not strong, after all it was a binding Kido, but it's unstable output caused it to burst into light that lit up the entire street for but a moment and in that moment Sara would manage to turn the corner and out of sight.

"Ahhh, don't run my sweet... Embrace oblivion, and join with me...", realizing she was running, Veilcaller began to slip into the darkness once again.

"After all, the dark is where we both belong... Where all belongs"

---

All would seem quiet for Sara for awhile, she had a chance to set something up, but how much of a chance? How much time? It was certainly much shorter than what she thought. The Hollow had some interesting abilities, and given their nature it was likely this Hollow was quite old. Still that didn't matter at the moment, after all, given it was able to make her run in circles in a cloned neighborhood, what did she think simply running to get a chance to lay a trap would do?

From the shadows behind Sara, she'd hear it again, it's song. However instead of Veilcaller appearing first like before, cloth-like tendrils would shoot out to attempt to strike or grab at her.

---

---

The choice to attack first, it was hard to tell if it was foolhardy or smart, the line between both were razor thin at times and this was one of them. As Mitsuaki attempted to move behind the Hollow, it's own speed made evading his attempt rather simple. All it needed to do was move forward too, as the two glanced past each other. Now facing each other once again after arriving at swapped positions, the Hollow Aquafang would make it's move, initially charging forward at first, only to move to the side, disappearing from view as it slipped behind some of the playground equipment. In that moment of losing vision it'd climb up in a bound before pouncing from above, however it's leap was not a typical one as it began to spin in the middle of it while extending it's bladed fins, turning into a bladed drill as it came down upon Mitsuaki.

Anthony "Tony" Adams-Himura

---

Tony got himself focused, it was going to be a long night, now seeing the hollows and the chief only made him stick his up their spiritiual ass even more, they were ugly, or, in better words. Tony didn't like them. they showed intelligence, albeit very low one. Ragalhorn seemed as he thought he would see, a big mean hollow man. although much of that ragalhorn said was pure generic villain talk to Ouga and their team in Tony's eyes.

Tony knew deep down that he wasn't thinking what was he doing, he was acting like a clueless fool to everyones eyes. but now facing the hollow horde. he knew he couldn't act like an idiot or be all stoic. As the horde began to approach Tony almost froze out of fear. he was atleast saved by Ouga's Ability, well, he wasn't saved, he still will fight against hollows.

As a more managable group of hollows manages to get around Ouga's Ability, Tony shakes his fear away as he looks at the hollows themselves. it was varied group (if that's possible for hollows). He jumped straight at their close quarters and began to swing his sword against the horde, he used Tsubame Gaeshi, but not really shouting out its name. Two of the slices conected with the dog thing, while the last one conected, albeit beraly, with the lizard hollow. He had an strategy, a very bad one, it was to slash as most hollows as he could. he wasn't really sure if he was going to get out alive tonight, so it might be the best to go out fighting.

"Come on, you mutant poodle, fight me!!!" he yelled at the dog thing. he didn't even know if trash talk works with beings whose IQ must be in the two-digits. it must had, because the dog hollow became a bit angered by this. Tony got into a more defensive pose as the dog hollow began to dash its way to tony. "Bring it on!!!" He yelled.

Everything happened fast- and in so doing, further pressed on Darius just how similar these Hollows were to older, familiar foes. That pulse of pressure, the terror it wrought on his companions, may as well have been an IED- the tactics were identical. Take the group by surprise, paralyze them, then come shouting and hollering over a hill, guns blazing, while the troops were still collecting themselves. The familiarity of it all helped him to stay calm, in truth, rising carefully to his feet once the worst of the pressure passed, jaw set and determined as the Hollows unveiled themselves.

This Regalhorn had a big mouth, and if he hadn't just felt the impact of it's spiritual pressure, hadn't listened to the briefing, he might have thought it was all hot air. The byplay between it and Ouga went mostly unnoticed by him, his attention fixated on the horde, grim. They were many, but they were foolish, charging head on. It they had a good machine gunner, maybe-- no. This was a realm of swords and claws, and he couldn't wish for what they didn't have. Or at least, he thought he couldn't, until Ouga unveiled a truly surprising trick. He could feel the air change, feel Ouga's strength flex in the pressure around him, as his sword became something else, something new- and unleashed hell upon the charging force.

That was as good as any machine gunner, cutting the horde down to size and leaving only a few left to skirt around Ouga and attack the kids... And himself. He resisted the urge to grin at the efficacy of that lightning, focusing up on the still very real threat that faced him. Before he could so much as bark a warning, though, Bakugo and Anthony were bull rushing past, headlong and reckless into danger. With an irate grunt, Darius lunged after them, ripping his sword from its sheath with one hand and drawing on reishi with the other, the sensation familiar by now, through weeks of practice. Kido, the soul reapers called it. He still thought of it as magic, to himself, and found as much delight as confusion in wielding it. He raised his voice to his best battlefield shout, deep and carrying, easily audible over the chaos, even as he brought his hand down in a slicing motion, drawing an invisible line- between the reckless boys and the Hollows they had charged, praying he was fast enough to save them from what vengeance might come. He hoped, too, that he was loud enough to be heard by their missing companions, too, to draw them towards the group. Hopes that they were still alive to hear.

That power manifested like a solid wall of light, rusty orange in hue- a broad, heavy barricade between hollow claws and fangs and the soft flesh of his companions.

"Bakudo: Fūsa! Are you boys out of your minds!? Keep behind me- You strike around me, around the barrier, at any claw or face that pokes it's ugly way out! Keep them penned in, pick them off, and keep your damn necks safe!"

There was no guarantee that they would listen- they didn't have the training of soldiers, didn't have that discipline ingrained in them, to jump at a good ol' Sergeant's holler, but he hoped the noise of it, the physical block of the barricade, would be enough to get some sense into them. To keep them safe. Even as he shouted, he ran to the barrier himself, lashing out fiercely at the first claw or mask that dared to try and peek around the top or sides. The Hollows could skirt around it widely, of course, but at least then they would have time to see them coming and react.

Mikazuki Nakajima

Mikazuki was at a loss for what to do when Bakuto and Tony launched their attacks early without even a pretense of coordination. But Darius had centered them all again when he put up a barricade of glowing energy in front of them, and that re-centered the young man. Looking up and knowing that Hollows can fly, he channeled spiritual energy through his left arm, lifted it up, then shouted: "Barrier, Barrier, Barrier!"

Three round shields were deployed in the skies above them, denying those areas and the ground below them to the Bat-shaped Hollow. He then shouted, "Hokori, Adams-Himura, follow Darius - Mr. Darius' - advice! Mr. Darius, I'll keep acting as area denial for the enemy's flyer and also a source of emergency healing, but if you or the others have AA capability as part of your Kido, it would save me some effort!"

Mikazuki grit his teeth; just because he no longer liked his Grandfather didn't mean that he hadn't absorbed lessons from him or Mr. Leonid. Like many boys his age, he was interested in military-related topics, although with him... He was more interested in deterring violence, in preventing the horrors of war by researching its causes and how it is done, than dishing out force - Not that he was bad at that last part, though.

For both himself and the others, the boy said, "Do not let them goad you into a duel - This is a group fight and it will stay such! Each of us has an assigned duty and we're following them to victory!"

To be honest, he wanted to impress Darius and the others by his proficiency in tactics. He kept a clear head not just because he was supposed to keep a clear head, but because it made others proud that he had one. Quite frankly, the fact that he, a sixteen-year-old, was able to keep his cool when two people older than him just rushed in thinking they were invincible...

The substitute shinigami grinned slightly as he prepared to put up more barriers, staying close to Darius for mutual protection; both of them were best at barriers and he was the main healer with defensively-oriented techniques. As long as they, and he, focused on the objectives - Elimination of the enemy - They can win this.

@Sho Minazuki @BladeSS4 @McNephelim @WSilversun