The whole Seireitei had witnessed how a mass of black clouds quickly formed, only to disappear...
And then reappear once again, this time, the rain crashing down against the ground.
It was an odd phenomena, only explained by the power of the man who now, was standing before the corpse of his student, as well as surrounded by corpses of all his Division.
A flaming Reiatsu, had escaped his control for a few moments, hence bringing forth this odd climate change in the surrounding area.
To make things worse, without Kurotsuchi Mayuri, there was a delay in the response for countermeasures. Even with Akon's expertise, it was difficult to keep track of all the data as well as the man behind the RD Division.
"Old man!" Another one of his students had arrived at the site, watching the back of his Captain Commander. "What the Hell happened?!"
"Curse the day, Kyouraku..." The old man muttered. "Curse the day I couldn't finish them off"
"Don't tell me-"
"That means they're back *cough* *cough*" Ukitake arrived as well.
"Juushirou!" Shunsui noticed his condition. "You shouldn't be outside with your health in this rain"
"Maybe not, but I couldn't just leave things be. The response was late, but by now, the whole Seireitei knows about the attack"
"But you being here all by yourself..." Kyouraku looked around. "Don't tell me there were no survivors!"
"He wanted to pay me back for what I did a thousand years ago, that's for sure" Shigekuni turned around.
His pupils could see his expression, although it was strong and determined as always, there was a clear hint of sadness that could be detected in those who had known him long enough.
At least for the Captain Commander's standards, he was devastated.
"But... How...?" Ukitake couldn't comprehend how such an event took place.
"They wiped them out one by one in silence, like assassins. The moment I realized something was going on was when Sasakibe and Miss Harribel resisted. They were the only two who were able to put a fight"
In the rest of the conversation, Yamamoto explained how the battle developed, with details such as Tier's disappearance and how Choujirou's Bankai was swallowed by a strange medallion.
"I think it's safe to assume that Harribel escaped to Hueco Mundo to notify Ichigo right away" Kyouraku theorized.
"That's mostly, but then why hasn't Ichigo-" Ukitake managed to mutter before...
...As if on cue, a Garganta appeared on the site, the single-horned Arrancar King coming out alone.
"Kurosaki Ichigo" The three Captains spoke.
"I'm so sorry about the delay, but two of those Quincy soldiers appeared on Hueco Mundo and prevented me from coming earlier"
"First things first, is Harribel-san alright?" Juushirou asked.
"Harribel? I haven't seen her, I assumed she was still around here"
"She left" Yamamoto spoke. "She disappeared through a Garganta as she fought a pair of Quincy Soldat"
"I see... Well, if she did so, I trust in her ability" Kurosaki finally said. "More importantly, I believe you need my help on whatever is going on?"
"I'm afraid so..." Shunsui sighed as he agreed.
"It only makes sense, so what-" Ichigo was about to ask, but only seeing the scenery more attentively revealed the answer. "No way. How... How could them?!"
"They acted even quicker than I estimated, and they're stronger too" Yamamoto admitted bitterly. "But before going over the details all over again, I'd rather form a meeting with all Captains and Lieutenants. Any information you have about their actions in Hueco Mundo will be of the essence, Ichigo"
"I understand" He grit his teeth. "Dammit"
On a different end... Squad 3, Jail.
"...So by tomorrow you should be free again" Byakuya concluded to Isshin the results of the meeting.
"Thank you all for your help getting out of this one!" The prisoner was scratching the back of his head. "Huh? This feeling"
"Something grave happened on my way here" Byakuya told him. "Although we have not gotten any details, there seems to have been attack moments ago"
"No way! Where's Karin?" He became worried.
"Last time I checked, she was staying at the Shiba Estate, but I believe Yoruichi took her to the Shihouin Estate to guard her better"
"So she's safe... Phew"
"Still, I would advise you two to return to the Human World as soon as possible. As much as we could use some extra help from you in a war, I accept the fact that you have more important things to protect"
"I won't deny it" Isshin accepted sternly. "I managed to just escape a perilous fate thanks to your aid, which reminds me, how will you convince the Central?"
"We managed to unify 4 out of the 5 Houses" He revealed. "With that we can at least negotiate on equal terms"
"Wouldn't that be all nowadays, though?"
"No. There was still a House that wasn't interested in joining. However, a restoration took place. You're now a noble, Ex-Captain Shiba"
"Wha?" He was out of words at such a revelation. "I feel like I need to know how this all happened"
"I'm sure you are, but even I don't know all the details myself, and unfortunately, it's a terrible time" He heard a voice through Tenteikuura calling him to a summons. "Looks like all Captains and their Lieutenants have been called"
"I see. I shall go to the Shihouin Estate in that case. Again, thank you so much for your help"
"You're an innocent man. I don't have enough proof, but I just know you are, Shiba Isshin" Kuchiki declared. "This isn't a favor. This is merely justice, and you can rest assured that once this chaos is over, we'll do all we can to find the actual culprit"
~~~~X~~~~
Meanwhile... Jigoku.
"Yomi-sama! Are you sure you want to face him alone?!" A worried servant expressed his concern.
"C'mon, Arikado, don't be such a pain" The Demon Girl retorted carelessly. "Besides, it's just a Lieutenant. As the ruler of Hell, it is my duty to defeat him and disperse the negative energy so he can return to the Soul Cycle properly"
"Maybe so, but the fact that he arrived here is proof enough that he is on par with powerful Gotei Captains"
"Hm... That's true, but hey, I can't have you helping me with this forever, can I?"
"*sigh* If you insist. But make sure you are in perfect condition before descending into Tartarus, please"
"Hai, hai..." The black and white haired girl made a gesture with her hand to send him away. "You just go back to your regular duties, you can leave this to me!"
Inside a deep chamber in Hell, Choujirou Sasakibe was being consumed by dark emotions, blinded by rage and frustration.
"Quincy! Damn you all!" He outraged. "I hate...! I hate it all! Why was I...? So weak?! Ejisai-dono!!!"
~~~~X~~~~
Catnipp House, same time...
"Ahhh... I'm stuffed" Candi sighed as she laid on a sofa.
"Yeah, I guess it was too much food after all" Atticus complied as he played a videogame, taking a bite off a Quince Pie.
"THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL EATING?!"
"Dunno. It's not like I created a skill to efficiently transform all I eat into energy to use at my full disposal"
"You wouldn't!" She was at disbelief.
"Actually no, I didn't. Although I have been feeling more hungry ever since I altered my specs a bit, and not only about food" He paused the game and laid on top of her.
"Eh?" She was more than confused.
"It might be the Hollow powers... Cause I can't help but feel about five times more aroused when we're all alone"
"Atticus, wha-" She became flustered, only realizing his proximity as he went down on her, biting her neck playfully. "Mnhhh~"
"*slurp* Don't worry, I'm not so savage as to ignore your own feelings on the matter" He told her with a grin. "So what you say...? Wanna do it?"
"I-I mean, I'm not against it but, wait. What was that about Hollow powers?!" It only clicked after a while.
"Oh that" He got back up. "While experimenting with my awakened Archétype, I was asking myself whether it was possible to create skills from other races"
"And you did?" She sat properly as she listened.
"Yes and no. See, I wasn't able to just use a Hollow skill in my previous Human state, so I had to create a Hollow element within me to enable it"
"Wait... Wait, wait, wait! So you're no longer human?!"
"Well, I was never human per sé, but put that way, yeah I am something of a mixed race being now, which is what would explain my increase in all kinds of appetite" He took out his shirt. "Look"
"W-Wait, I didn't say I- Huh?" She froze as she saw it. "Is that...?"
Right through his heart, a round dark void was staring back at her.
"Yes. It is a Hollow Hole" He confirmed, and right away made it disappear, flesh returning to its regular state. "And now I'm back to normal"
"Huh? I mean, what? How?"
"At my core, I am a being of energy, Mana to be precise" He explained as he wore the shirt again. "If I order the Mana within me to take a certain color, to say, the Hollow color for example, my body changes accordingly to that. If I pump more Hollow Reiryoku through that process, I'm sure to grow horns or pieces of mask. Don't know for sure, since I haven't gone that far yet, but... I find the possibilities quite amusing"
"..." Candice was silent, and looked perplexed as well as troubled somewhat.
"Do you find it... Disgusting?"
"Eh? No" She snapped back. "I just... I was thinking about something. I mean, Hollows are just so savage and all, I was worried that you could lose yourself in that process"
"That is something I thought about as well" He admitted. "So far, I've noticed a couple changes about me. Even without forcing it, my regenerative capabilities are already those of an Arrancar, and some primal reflexes and instincts have also started to awaken in me"
"Then...!"
"But, there's somethin' really odd about it" He interrupted her. "For some reason, besides those changes, I haven't felt my personality or my 'self' changing or disappearing in any way. On the other hand, I feel I'm more myself now than I've ever been"
"What do you mean?"
"As if... There was something particular about Hollows, particularly Arrancar, that I'm familiar with" He collected his thoughts. "Nostalgic even"
"Do you think... This has anything to do with that stone we found back in that lake?"
"I think it does in fact. There's no way that such an important piece of my original self just happened to be there. That place... It is something key to my whole being, and when I saw it... I couldn't shake away the feeling that it looked like-"
"A grave. Or mausoleum of sorts" She completed.
"That's right! Actually, I remember now" He recalled that moment. "Back then, you asked me whose grave that was. I find it really interesting that you chose that word to refer to it"
"Well, the whole area around had a somber aura that was screaming it" She recalled. "And now, well, you told me the memories belonged to your past self, so then it would only make sense to assume that grave belonged to him as well"
"Exactly"
"But then, that would mean your past self was-"
"A Hollow, or Arrancar to be precise" He smiled sadly. "That would explain this strange mix of melancholia and comfort"
"So you're saying that, in a way, it's only natural for you to have Hollow blood running through your veins?"
"Something along those lines. I wouldn't say it's a dogma, but it definitely hits closer to home"
"Oh, God... Oh, dear, why me?"
"Eh? What's wrong?"
"Are you stupid? Did you forget that Hollows are like poison for us Quincy?!" She was sweating bullets. "Just you and I... Doing it... It could kill me!"
"Welp, it didn't seem to kill you last night"
"Guess not" She chewed onto one of her thumb nails nervously. "But still..."
"Candi" He sat down beside her and held her hand. "Did you really thing I'd put your life at risk?"
"I... No... But-" She tried to put her thoughts in order. "I'm not as smart as you, and I was taught and raised under certain paradigms, so I can't just avoid a feeling of uneasiness regarding this whole thing"
"Oh, buster, you really love to praise me, don't ya?" He rested his head on her shoulder. "I won't deny you that I like to test my own limits a lot, but I'd never go to those lengths when it comes to you. So don't worry, I won't have sex with you as a half-Arrancar or something of sorts"
"But aren't you already that?"
"No, no. As I explained earlier, my whole being doesn't have a static nature. I can sometimes be an Arrancar, maybe a Soul Reaper later and well, most of the time I am a Quincy in order to have all my Sternritter library available, but what I'm trying to say is that I'm a Joker card of sorts. Always have been"
"So as long as your physical form doesn't take the Hollow characteristics..."
"...I'm no more Hollow than you are, physically at least" He concluded the idea. "Although, that might also imply an interesting theory that just occurred to me"
"I don't think I follow" She seemed even more baffled at this point.
"Don't worry. It's nothing really important. I just remembered though, there's something I have to tell you!"
Atticus slipped his hand into the void.
"Wh-Wha? What is that?! And where are we going?" She inquired, but was forcefully taken by the wrist.
On the other end, they appeared at an Arcade place.
"Huh? Human World..." She recognized.
"It's the only way to travel without being followed" He clarified. "Majesty is becoming more and more wary of me, so to avoid any spies hearing about this, I brought you here. It's a good thing you were wearing casual clothes actually"
"I see... So, what is so secret that you gotta do all this stuff?"
"Ahahahah... What do you think?" He smirked mischievously.
Her eyes widened upon the realization:
"No way! You did someone in? Someone involved in Austin's death?"
"That... Is correct!" He smiled happily.
"Eeeeeh? Who was it?!"
"Funny enough, the current Sternritter carrying the letter 'S' nonthel-ess" He laughed at his own pun while Candi rolled her eyes.
"Oh, I see how it is! It was that musclehead, Mask! I bet Quilge chose him cause he was stupid enough to do the dirty work"
"So says the intel I acquired"
"So, what was it? You really killed him?
"I didn't have so much time to give him a proper death all things considered, so no" He explained. "But I did give him a fate that's more befitting"
"What did you do then?"
"Let's just say, I delivered a special present for the King of Hueco Mundo"
"You didn't!" She covered her mouth in amusement. "How???"
"I just saw a chance during the battle at the Seireitei. I tossed him and an Espada into Hueco Mundo and chopped him up enough to render him useless. I also told her not to kill him, ideally, but who knows? They might not really care in the end"
"Holy fuck! That's so cool!" She giggled as she imagined the way Mask had to be suffering in that moment.
"Maybe, I don't know. To be honest, I wanted you to have the finishing blow, which is why I requested that they left him alive"
"Hm... It would be nice, not gonna lie" She quickly pulled him down by the neck. "But what you did is surely more than enough to deserve this *smooch*" She kissed him passionately.
"Damn... I wasn't expecting that" He admitted, a tad ashamed. "Especially here in public"
"Everyone's too focused on their little games to check us out" She assured. "Trust me, I wouldn't be so careless otherwise. So since you brought me here already... How about we celebrate with a little date?"
"As long as we're back by midnight, I don't see a problem. We still need to have a good sleep before the next attack, that's likely to be tomorrow, or ar least, real soon"
"True that, but don't worry. There's no way I'm waiting that long to give you what you deserve" She smirked at him lasciviously.
"Dammit, don't do that... If you say it out loud, I can't think about anything else!"
"What are you talking about? All I was thinking was about baking something special" She feigned innocence.
"You little Kitten..."
"Oh, I also was thinking about that" She remembered.
"Hm? What's on your mind?"
"It's true that I'm your Kitten and you're my Darling" She said blushing. "But! I have no equivalent for you when it comes to my usual nickname"
"What do you mean? That I have no nickname like 'Lil', 'Meni' or 'Candi', for instance?"
"Right. So I was thinking while you were carrying out the mission, what would be the best?" She continued. "First I thought about things like Atti, At, and some other stuff like that, but it was all way too cutesy and silly, or just too short to have any meaning at all!"
"I see..." He couldn't see where she was going with that, but let her ramble on.
"Cus-Cus was definitely not an option either, at least on a day to day basis..." She blushed. "So, I decided to leave your name out for a moment and focused on your surname" She pointed out eloquently. "Which led to things like Arc, Opus, and such... But I don't know, it sounded too unique now"
"So then... You couldn't find one?" He still didn't see what she was getting at.
"Don't jump to conclusions! Right when I was at wits' end, it finally came to me: ARcTopus" She highlighted a couple letters.
Atticus only tilted his head, puzzled.
"Don't you get it? ARcTopus. A.R.T. ART! Just like those vinyls you have at home!"
"You mean Art Tatum? That's because the guy was named Arthur, ahahaha!" He couldn't help but laugh, and then noticed her pouting face. "But still... Art doesn't sound all that bad"
"Of course not! I mean, 'Arct' definitely sounds weird, probably the weirdest option there'd be. Art sounds way more natural, and it suits you"
"If you say so. Welp, I guess if you start calling me that I might get used to it soon enough" He finally accepted. "As long as it makes you happy, I'll roll with it"
"Thanks... Although, it'd also make me happy if you helped a bit more around the house, cleaning I mean" She took his word for it.
"Eh... You know what? My salary is pretty high these days, I could hire a maid to come a couple days a week and leave the house real clean"
"You and your sloth!" She spouted. "Though... As long as it works and YOU pay for it, I can't really complain"
"See? No need to get angry about it. So let's get this date started" He took her by the hand.
"Ok... Art" She purred his new nickname.
~~~~X~~~~
"*huff* *pant* *huff*" Tatsuki couldn't even speak, the defeated Menos Grande laying lifeless at her feet.
Covering her body, a spectral darkness was flowing, almost forming a sort of Shihakusho, yet not quite stabilizing enough to display it.
"~Ara ara~" Michibane Aura couldn't help but feel delighted. "My, oh my... Just what is the meaning of this?" She thought. "This form... This power... Though weak and incomplete in conparison, is the same as that one Tsunayashiro-dono showed me over and over. I can't be mistaken.
This girl's Fullbring... Calls forth the same power as that of Kurosaki Ichigo"
"Aura-san... *pant* Did I... *huff* Did I do it?" Arisawa wondered, as she barely held onto a shadowy blade.
"Fret not, Tatsuki-san. Although it's too raw to define it properly, this is indeed a Fullbring, and a powerful one at that" She told the girl. "With this, we can now train so you can reach the next level"
"Y-Yes! I did..." She fell down unconscious, losing her transformation.
Aura picked her up before she fell to the ground completely and opened a path back to the Human World.
The second stage of the plan was complete.
~~~~X~~~~
Vizard Hideout, an hour later...
"Hnngh... My head hurts" Hiyori complained as her eyes slowly opened.
"DON'T MOVE!" Lisa ordered her loudly, as if she was an enemy.
"Ehh? What do you mean?"
"You'll break my inspiration!" She said as her hand moved like crazy over a sketchbook. "I was out of material for this year's boot, but now it spiked up! I don't know what's the reason behind this, but I won't risk losing this sight due to a false movement!"
"What's her problem...?" She averted her eyes towards the other present. "Hey, Love, can you tell why Lisa's acting so weird?"
Aikawa Love however, merely stared speechless, frozen in place for about 10 seconds, before his shades shattered and his nose bled.
"EEEEEHHHHHH???!!!" Hiyori yelled in shock, and right on cue, her phone rang. "I wonder who..." As she picked up, she noticed her elbow hitting a round flesh mound she didn't recognize. "What the- Wait... What is...? WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?"
"Oi, Hiyori, I don't know what the Hell's going on over there, but something happened and I need your help" It was Shinji. "So quit your yelling and listen to me!"
She put the phone on speaker to scream at it.
"NO, YOU LISTEN TO ME, BALDY! I don't know why or how, but right now I think I must be inside a weird dream or something cause-"
"Hiyori, Squad 1 was wiped out"
"What?" The three Vizards asked in unison.
"What you just heard. The whole division was done in by Quincy Invaders. Only the Captain Commander was left alive"
An hour earlier, Gotei HQ...
"There truly couldn't have been a worse time for this to happen" Yamamoto started. "And somehow, I'm ashamed beyond belief, that I, personally, wasn't able to prevent it"
All Captains with their respective Lieutenants (including the Kidoushuu executives plus two guests) were present.
"More important than my own catharsis of self-hatred however, is our course of action to prepare for the next raid" The Commander continued. "Mark my words. This was not even close to a real attack.
A thousand years ago, the Gotei protected the Soul Society, and managed to repel the attack of the Quincy invaders, but those were different times. The Gotei Captains weren't soldiers nor honorable swordsmen.
Back then we were all... Coldblodded killers. We had no compassion for the enemy, and some of the Captains were even as reckless as to hurt their own men in battle if they got in the way.
Many of them were even criminals, who ran free due to the impossibility of defeating and imprisoning them. I, was the only one who was able to convince them of creating the first alignment that would bring forth the Gotei 13.
But even said alignment, made a single mistake. We let their God-Emperor, Yhwach, escape.
And I made a second mistake, which was believing said experience would stop them from ever attacking again...
...And a third mistake, which was allowing the Gotei 13 to become soft over the next thousand years, bringing forth our current status.
Needless to say, this all occurred right when we lost one of our Captains under strange circumstances, and as we're still looking for the fugitive, Kagerouza Inaba.
This, I'm afraid, is a moment of weakness for our Soul Society, which is why I find myself in the need to ask previous acquaintances for help.
Hirako Shinji, as well as the others, I ask of you and your Vizard companions from outside to remain in the Seireitei, get help from those who are still in the Human World, and finally, fight alongside us in the War that is about to happen"
"*sigh* I hope you understand some might be reluctant to cooperate so easily, but given you went out of your way to ask nicely, I can't afford not to try my best at it"
"Thank you. Next, Kurosaki Ichigo: I shall request your aid once more, not as a Substitute Shinigami, but as an ally and friend, as well as the Ruler of Hueco Mundo"
"No need to mention it, Old Man" Ichigo smiled determined. "While I cannot command all my forces to help, as that would leave the Hollow Society exposed, I can bring some Espada to aid in this battle"
"Much appreciated, we are in your debt. Now, finally... Urahara Kisuke: I beg of you to return to your duties as Captain of the 12th Division"
The remaining guest was actually surprised that the request came to be that of all things, but given the current events, it was difficult to find another solution, especially considering which was the Squad that lacked a Captain.
"Wow, I wouldn't really mind, but... Would this really be fair for Mayuri? I mean, he might seem pretty dead, but I wouldn't bet on it" Kisuke pointed out.
"If somehow, Captain Kurotsuchi is still alive somewhere and decides to come back, I won't be against restoring his position" Yamamoto clarified. "But for the time being, you're the only person I can entrust this to"
"...So that's pretty much what happened. We're all currently preparing our respective Squads for the invasion that's to come, in hopes to at least minimize damage" Shinji concluded.
"So even that lazy bastard Kisuke accepted helping? That's as serious as it gets" Sarugaki pointed out.
"Exactly. This is a whole new level of dangerous, and considering the power-up we all got during the Hellish Invasion, it only makes sense that they request all Vizards to be present"
"Even if we declined, Shinji and all the others are still fighting so..." Lisa noted.
"Yeah. I'd rather be there than lamenting myself for anything that happened" Love added.
"So then... Can I count on you all?" Shinji asked more properly.
"Hrngh... I'd much rather have all them return rather than fight for a Soul Society than ostracized us all" The chibi blonde argued. "But I get it's your job now and all, so whatever. I'll go and make sure you lot don't get killed"
"Perfect. I'll tell the guys at lab right away so they can open a Senkaimon next to the building"
"I hope they have some really nice rewards for us after this though!" Hiyori continued her shenanigans. "And that goes to you too, baldy! I'll make sure that you pay me back in full for my services, I'm missing out on my actual job here"
"Yeah, whatever, I'll see what I can do" Shinji carelessly concluded. "We'll be waiting for you to arrive"
Sarugaki hung up.
"Tch... Who does he think he is? He just goes and see Sayuri without telling me, but when things get ugly THEN I'm supposed to come running"
"Well, he did ask nicely, somewhat" Love pointed out.
"And it's not like he has a choice" Lisa remarked. "Neither do we either..."
"Yeah, those guys would eventually come for us, even if we didn't even try to help" Hiyori sighed. "Besides, who knows if their ambitions really end at annihilating the Gotei. They might just destroy the Seireitei as a whole, or even worse. No one really knows..."
"That is quite the horrible but sensible conclusion" Lisa commented. "Kinda unexpected of you. Do those make you smarter?"
"What are you...?" The blonde had forgotten about her current predicament. "Krgh...! LISSSAAA!!!"
~~~~X~~~~
Ichigo returned to Las Noches, bringing the news regarding the attack.
"Ichi!" Nelliel came to him right away. "You have no idea what happened right after you left!"
"No! Don't tell me they attacked again...!"
"No... Not exactly" Ulquiorra joined them. "But before that, I wanted to inform you that Harribel returned"
"Yes? Is she alright?" He remembered what the Captains told him.
"She's currently resting at the Healing Division" Orihime stood besides Ulquiorra, holding his hand. "She seemed a bit battered, but was ok"
"More importantly, she brought a prisoner" The Primera Espada informed. "Cien is currently questioning him at the Lab"
"No way! I assume it is one of those Quincies. Back in the Seireitei, I was informed that those were indeed the Sternritter Ishida Ryuuken informed us about"
"Coincidentally, we got that confirmation from the hostage in question" Cifer continued. "He appeared to have a loose mouth, and didn't seem too intelligent either, so we thought he'd be easy to interrogate, but it's actually been difficult to get any really important info out of him"
"Which is why we left it in Cien's hands. He seems to have an unconventional yet more useful method" Nelliel noted.
"We should go to the Lab and see what he has discovered" Ichigo decided. "I assume Grimmjow is looking after Harribel...?"
"Yeah... Saying he was worried about her would be an understatement. I was the same..." Odelschwanck remembered his reaction earlier, as well as her own grief. "But we're both fine now. Seeing she was alright put us at ease once and for all"
"I would say it's nice to see he cares about Harribel so much" Orihime pointed out, seeing the silver lining. "I just wish we could've seen that under different circumstances"
"Yeah, I know what you mean" Ichigo agreed. "But still, it's fine to know both of them are doing well now. Let's go see how Cien's doing. I'll fill you in on the details discussed at the Seireitei as we do so"
Arriving at the Lab...
"...And now I poke a little here, and in a moment this should inhibit every sort of resistance you might have left~" Cien was almost singing as he played around with his specimen.
"I see you're having the time of your life, Cien" Ichigo greeted him.
"Kurosaki-sama! And how wouldn't I? Finally I get the chance to study an intelligent- or well, that might be an overstatement, but a human being and a Quincy at that! Simply fascinating!"
An unmasked Mask's torso was held immobile by a couple straps, while his head had been carefully opened to show the brain, which was connected to a strange device Cien had developed.
"What... Is that???" Nelliel seemed disgustingly surprised.
"It is what I call an Artificial Brain Activator. Those wires can send electric impulses to different areas of the brain to generate responses, activate or even inhibit certain behaviors. It's something I had been working on for a while, but didn't have a specimen to actually test it"
"Ok, so... What are you going to do with him?" Ichigo inquired.
"Basically, find a way that inhibits all resistance to our questions. An open book, to put in simpler terms" Granz clarified. "And that would be managed by picking right... Here... And here... Annnd a little bit here"
"Ack! Ouch! Oogh..." Mask complained involuntarily.
"Now then... What are the current plans of the Quincy?" Cien asked politely.
"Eradicate... The Gotei 13" The Superstar finally replied.
"It worked!" Everyone seemed amused, except the Scientist who was just pridefully accepting the result.
"Well, that's a great start. But... How do you actually plan to achieve it?"
"We already... Killed everyone but the Captain Commander... At the 1st Squad Barracks" The Sternritter continued. "I don't... Know specifics... But his Majesty... Wants the Shinigami... To despair"
"I think I can get an idea of how their attacks are going to be in that case" Ulquiorra commented. "And seeing how it appears to be aggression fed by spite... I'd theorize that Hueco Mundo is far from their list of targets"
"Then why did they come here first then?" Lilynette questioned his remark.
"I believe that would be the phenomena explained by the energy readings" Cien supported the theory. "It makes sense cause they avoided direct contact with us, and instead left as soon as possible after it occurred"
"So... Whatever they did or found here, has made them stronger...? Maybe?" Ichigo tried to find an explanation.
"Aum. That would make sense" Satya agreed.
"Stronger... Or at least help them to a degree. We still don't know exactly what caused the strange phenomenon" Cifer continued that train of thought. "It could've been a weapon, an energy source or maybe even...!"
"...A living being" Cien smiled. "Correct, Ulquiorra-sama. For all we know, the Quincy Army could have obtained a new ally of sorts. Do you remember anything that could prove this theory?" He asked the two Espada who were there.
"Not exactly, but supposedly someone was hurt, and there definitely had been a battle" Gingerbuck recalled. "Probably... That fight was to capture this being, you say?"
"I don't know. It could be" Cien shrugged. "We lack too much information to jump to conclusions, but it's a fascinating theory nonetheless. What would you say, Mr. Sternritter? What was that expedition for?"
"Expedition...?" Mask seemed confused, although that wasn't strange considering the state he was in. "I believe... There was something like that... But it was classified. The only thing... I know... Is that there were... Two Sternritter in charge"
"Who were they?" Ichigo asked.
"One is... Dead. Quilge Opie died... On the expedition..."
Everyone widened their eyes at the reveal of information.
"How did he die?"
"You... Killed him" Mask looked at them with dead eyes.
"No... That's not true" Lilynette denied. "We only fought three of them, and they forced us to go back. We didn't kill anybody!"
"Aum... Although, this guy we fought, the one with white hair. He seemed to know something" Satya recalled. "Back then, he had this girl in his arms, and he was asked about a Captain. I don't remember exactly what he replied but... His answer was of the evasive type"
Ichigo connected the dots in that moment.
"Quincy, who was the other Sternritter in charge of the expedition?"
"That was... Atticus Arctopus - Sternritter Ω" Mask confirmed his suspicion.
"I knew it. What do you know about him?"
"Not much... He just... Appeared one day... His Majesty... Gave him our rank... But no one knows... Much about him" He continued. "If anyone does... That would be... Candice Catnipp... She was... His roommate... I believe"
"Did she go to the expedition?" Ulquiorra inquired.
"I think... She did"
"Does she have green hair?" Lilynette asked to confirm.
"Yes"
"Then she was" The 5th Espada concluded. "This means that out of the three Sternritter, only two made it home"
"And suspiciously, these two seem to live together" Nel remembered how she lived with Ichigo back in the Dangai. "I mean, not that it means anything! But... It could be an indicator that they trust each other"
"This could be really useful information" Ulquiorra pointed out. "We don't know if the girl knows a lot, but she might be our ticket to Arctopus himself. That guy knows a lot about this... He knew about the energy readings, and wasn't afraid to engage us all back there"
"Yeah, and was cheeky enough to pull that weird cage that wouldn't allow us to use Descorrer" Ichigo remembered. "Which reminds me, what kind of skills does he have?"
"I... Don't know for sure... How it works" Mask continued replying like a zombie. "But... He could improve... Our abilities... And use them... As well"
"So not only a support but also an all-rounder..." A carefree voice joined them. "That sounds dangerous indeed"
"Kisuke!" Ichigo recognized. "I didn't expect you so soon"
"I just had to put things in order back in Squad 12 since I'll be filling in for Mayuri" He showed his Captain attire. "Been a while since I wore this get-up"
"Oh, right, Nelliel told us about what happened with Kurotsuchi Mayuri" Ulquiorra told Ichigo.
"So anyways..." Ichigo went back to Mask. "Anything else you can add about this Arctopus guy?"
"He... Betrayed me... Left me to die... Here..." Mask said, with a particular hint of contempt. "Unless...!"
Suddenly, Mask seemed to gain a surge of power, his eyes turning white as the straps containing him were destroyed, unable to contain his regenerating limbs.
"Hahahahahahahah! How foolish of you, Arctopus!" Mask laughed, putting back the removed top of his head as if it was a hat. "Thanks to your improvement of 'The Superstar', I can still hear James cheering for me back in Silbern"
In the blink of an eye, Ichigo, Nelliel and Ulquiorra were entering Resurrección, when someone yelled: "NO!"
Everyone looked towards the source of the voice:
Cien Granz showed a hectic leer as he stared at the recovered enemy.
"He is my specimen, and as such... I shall be the one to deal with him" He pressed a button, lowering a protective barrier on all the lab instruments. "Sip... Fornicarás"
Releasing his Zanpakutou, the 8th Espada showed how his eye tattoo transformed from an 8 into a 0.
"Ho? So the nerdy guy was actually a fighter? Gotta give that to the Arrancar" Masculine complimented. "They're all fierce"
Cien quickly used his tentacles to forcefully grab him, using Sonido to go out into the open desert to fight.
"My, it's a good thing that the lab is a couple miles away from Las Noches" Urahara observed.
"Unlike Szayelaporro, Cien can get tremendously violent and erratic at times, to the point that he'll fire Ceros if things don't go the way he intends to, which is pretty frecuent considering he's a scientist" Ulquiorra commented. "Which is why everyone agreed that his lab had to be far away from the Citadel"
"Should we really leave it to him alone?" Nelliel asked Ichigo.
"I think it's alright" Her husband replied. "In this form, Cien is probably a bit stronger than Ulquiorra in his Second Release even. I don't know just how strong the Sternritter truly are, but this is a great opportunity to assess that and inform the Gotei about anything of importance"
"Well, we should see this fight in the best possible quality then, right?" Urahara grinmed as he showed everyone a large set of monitors installed in the lab. "I told Cien this would come in handy if he created some surveillance bugs. Mayuri has some of his own too, I'd say it's mad scientist sorta feat"
"Then make sure it's all recorded. We'll be able to see in full detail how to beat them"
Back in the white sands, Cien was firing a barrage of dual energy Cero as Mask did his best to dodge them.
Surprisingly, each move done by the Superstar was far from lousy, and instead, he looked rather stylish even as jumped and rolled over to escape the Espada's range.
"Stop dodging, dammit!" Granz cursed, splashing a rain of an ink-like liquid from his back.
Being as tiny as water drops, not even Mask could escape the blackness that fell in the area.
"Yuk! What is this supposed to be?"
"Kekeke. Now you'll see" The Espada wanted to rejoice on the look of his adversary.
From the remaining sludge, carbon-copies of Mask started rising and taking form, quickly attacking the original.
"What the- What's the meaning of this?!"
"Enjoy fighting these carbon-copies. Although not nearly as powerful as yourself, their massive numbers make up for the lower power input" Cien explained.
In a moment, the Superstar found himself evading an army of clones that hit him with the very same basic moves he had poilshed from his days as a Soldat.
"Argh, this is so annoying!" He complained as he punched around ten to death in a couple seconds. "Is there no end to this?"
"So you want it to end? My pleasure" Granz whispered from behind him, one of his wings swallowing Mask before he could make a move. "Teatro de Títere!"
Out of the other wing, he was blasted out, falling back into the sand.
"Urgh... What was that? That was disgusting!"
"There, there... Just wait a single moment and..." He was pointing a needle at a doll with Mask's shape and look. "Die!"
The scientist stabbed the doll right through the heart and brain, making sure that the enemy wouldn't recover.
The Superstar fell to the ground, inanimate, with no hopes of coming back to life.
Unless...
"Wah! Did I die for a second there?" Mask came back to his senses.
"You gotta be kidding me. I knew this happened to Szayel once, but to think it'd happen to me? And a mere Quincy at that?! It can't be!"
"Ah, well, I think James must still be cheering me on. For as long as he does so, I don't think I can die"
"I see" Cien tossed the doll away. "So you like doing things the hard way"
"Yes, but even I've become tired of your schemes, Arrancar!" Mask declared. "I won't be running away anymore. James... I hope you're rooting for me, cause here I come!" Upon an explosion of Lightblue Reishi, came out Mask, back in action.
Instead of the typical one-star Mask he was always wearing, he now had a red, white and green one, with multiple stars all across, as well as a Heiligenschen shining on top. His muscles had become even more pronounced, a star appearing on his chest as well as small lightblue wings, and a lightblue cape finally adorned the final attire.
"Hm... Interesting. I thought it'd be possible to keep you alive and continue studying your body" Cien sighed. "But that doesn't seem to be possible anymore"
"You can go ahead and try. My Sariel won't be losing to the likes of you. Its purpose is punishing the sinful and evil, and you seem to play the part perfectly. After I'm done punishing you, I'll go punish Arctopus the traitor myself!"
"You really like to talk, don't you?" Granz seemed tired of chitchat. "Let's have a straightforward fight instead. And what better way of showing you than using my true release!"
"True release? Wait, that wasn't Cien's true Resurrección?" Lilynette wondered.
"If I'm not mistaken, Fornicarás was only Szayel's release, but Cien is a different being, one that also contains Yylfordt's power and personality" Ulquiorra explained.
"Impale and sip..." Cien commanded his soul. "Fornicarás del Toro!"
A blast of purple and yellow Reishi opposed the earlier transformation, showing the Sternritter the true face of the Hollow Society's mad scientist.
While very similar to his earlier transformation, Cien's torso was now armored, and two large horns came out from the top of his head.
"Tch... So you weren't using your full strength from the beginning" Mask noted, disappointed.
"And you think I'm using my full strength now?" Cien mocked. "Don't be so full of yourself, Quincy"
"Grrrgh! Let's go!" Mask clashed head on with Cien, who received him with another barrage of Cero from his tentacles.
Masculine's body however, seemed to not be fazed by the attack, though Granz quickly realized why:
"That Reishi aura around him is repelling the Cero, so I'll need a greater attack in order to finish him off, especially cause he regenerates faster than even most Espada!"
Each punch of Mask seemed to blast a wave of Reishi that left Cien's tentacles out of combat, pissing off the Scientist.
"Not so tough after all, are you? Hahahaha!" Masculine laughed triumphantly.
But just as he was showing despair, Cien smiled again.
"What? Did you really fall for it?"
The Superstar looked up, only to find a gigantic ball of mixed yellow and purple Reishi that had been charged between Cien's horns.
"What the-"
"Gran Rey Cero Sincrético" Cien blasted it at point blank range.
The blast blinded even the surveillance bugs in the area, whiting out the TVs at the lab.
"Cero Sincrético? I thought that was only Pesche and Dondochakka's movement" Nelliel pouted.
"It might be Cien's way of channeling both types of Reiatsu in one" Ichigo theorized. "After all, he told us back when we let him join that the reason Szayel and Yylfordt had divided was because of their conflicting personalities. It wouldn't be far-fetched to think that such conflict still occurs inside of him"
"Aum! They're back" Satya realized.
Cien observed how the body of his enemy laid standing, yet lifeless. All that was remaining of it came from the navel down.
"Is that your best?" Granz sighed. "Guess I put my hopes up for nothing"
The Espada turned his back and was ready to go back to hos base form, when he felt an energy surge behind him.
"Arrancar! Why are you leaving? This fight is far from over!"
"What in the world?" Cien facepalmed. "So you're still alive? This is some bad joke. But even so, I'm glad it's not over that easily"
"Heh. You gave me a taste of your strength, so now it's the turn of the Superstar!!!" Mask jumped into the air and flew high up.
"Just what is he doing?"
Using his cape and wings, de Masculine soared through the sky, shaping a star with his Reishi at high speed.
"Star Flash: Supernova!!!" He yelled as he crashed back into the ground, an explosion of Reishi obliterating everything on its path, even the bugs.
"No way!" Ichigo yelled. "Everyone, go!"
Without a moment to ponder whether Cien was truly dead, all Espada and Urahara had gone to the site of the battle.
Mask seemed battered and bruised, but still in one piece, while Cien seemed to be a mess of charred tentacles.
"Ah, that was a grand battle, Mr. Arrancar. I commend you!" Mask gave him a thumbs up. "Now, who's next?" He asked the newly arriving audience.
"Kgh...!" Lilynette grit her teeth.
"Ke... Ke... Ke..." A laugh was heard. "Kakaka..." It continued. "I haven't had so much fun in years!"
From the charred mess, a cocoon rose, unharmed, opening like a flower in full bloom and revealing Cien Granz back in his incomplete release.
"Don't steal my words, Quincy. I commend you for making me go this far! It'll take a couple weeks to fully restore my brother's Reiatsu, but it was a necessary sacrifice" He said, standing atop his previois body. "And for that, I'll show you something no one has ever seen!"
"I can't wait" Mask said with a reckless smile.
"I won't lie, it wasn't particularly hard to achieve, for madness is an all too familiar feeling for me" Granz introduced. "So within myself, all I had to do was embrace the part of my brother that my previous self once discarded... And that, is what brings us to this moment:
Resurrección: Segunda Etapa"
A blast of black and purple energy forced everyone to cover their eyes, blinded to the new form of the once Cero Espada.
Out of the light, came a form that, while very similar to the first, was noticeably different in color.
Instead of white, the wings had turned black, as for the eyes on them, they became furious pink, each looking in different directions simultaneously.
Instead of the purple fibres that covered his chest, he now seemed to show a naked torso, only covered by black sludge like the one he used to create carbon-copies, and finally, the tentacles now seemed to be way more numerous, probably reaching the hundreds.
"In his Majesty's name...!" Mask was at a loss for words.
"This is the forbidden fruit you wanted a taste of, Quincy, so I shall respond accordingly" Cien flamboyantly declared.
In that moment, all eyes looked ahead, the wings blasting a concentrated Cero Oscuras of purple and black Reiatsu at the Sternritter, who instinctively dodged.
"That's fast!" Mask admitted.
"What's wrong? I thought my puny little Cero could hardly do anything to damage you?"
"Heh, that's anything but puny at this point. Besides, I wouldn't feel right even touching that disgusting Reishi"
"Kekeke, I'm afraid it won't be long until that happens though!" Cien continued firing relentlessly, the eyes locking onto Mask's position time after time.
The Superstar, although still managing to get away, was only doing it in the nick of time, which worried him greatly.
"If this keeps up, he'll get me in no time" Masculine thought. "I have no choice, I need to rip those wings off!"
In between the lasers, Mask flew towards Cien, ready to use the impulse to rip the wings off in one fell swoop, but unfortunately for him, that much was expected by Cien.
"Rejoice, for you'll be the first to feel this..." Cien laughed to himself, as he prepared something in his hand.
Just as Mask was reaching him, a sharp object went right through his heart.
"Ackgh!" He spat a lot of blood, falling to the ground as the black horn with pink eyes seemed to squeal in ecstasy.
"Cuerno Demencial" The Espada named the attack. "That's what I call that stake that went right through you, although I know, that can't possibly kill you!"
Yet, (un)fortunately, Granz was apparently wrong.
"Um... Cien" Ichigo spoke. "I think that was, actually, pretty effective"
"Eh?" Cien seemed confused.
"Arrgghhhh! Ahhhh! Nooooo!" Mask was screaming, his veins and arteries corroded by the black sludge that had been pumped through his heart.
"Soul Suicide" Urahara spoke. "Now I remember... Hollows are pretty much poison for Quincies. Which would explain why the powerful Reishi was not enough to end him, but this is"
"No... Are you telling me it's really over?!" Cien was about to cry. "Just when I thought he could survive anything... This is such a disappointment"
"Well, at least you had the chance to show your true strength" Ichigo tried to console him.
"No! I can't... I can't die...! My fans! James! James! Call for me! I need you! If I see you I'm sure..." He saw a memory of his partner cheering him on. "I'm sure... I would... Stand right... Back... Up"
Back in Silbern, right away...
"Aaarrrgghhhhh!" James screamed as he faded away, dissolving into nothingness.
A Quincy spy monitoring the development following Mask's dissappearance noticed the event, quickly informing Jugram.
~~~~X~~~~
Wandenreich, Ishida Residence...
Just as the sun was falling, Uryuu had just returned from another training session with none other than Jugram Haschwalt, still in secret from the other Sternritter.
"Welcome back, Ishida-senpai!" Yuzu greeted him. "Are you hungry? I cooked some omurice while you were gone!"
"Ah, thank you, Yuzu. I'll have a shower and then I'll come back to eat"
"B-But, it's gonna get cold! Look, I just finished serving"
"*sigh* Alright, I'll be eating then" He finally accepted.
The two sat down and had their meal together. Yuzu noticed thathe looked way more tired than ever.
"Is your training coming alright? Are you sure they're not going overboard?"
"Huh? No... I must look pretty tired, don't I?" He understood the reason for such questions. "But don't worry. I'm just a little behind in comparison to the average Sternritter, so they need to be particularly demanding when it comes to me"
"I see... But even so, try not to overwork yourself" She requested, worried. "I know how self-demanding you can be, Senpai, so please try to take that into consideration"
"I know. I'll try to bear that in mind"
"Who are you training with anyways?"
"Oh that. Jugram Haschwalt, one of the strongest Sternritters actually. But I can only spar with him so much... Both because of ability and cause he has other duties to attend, but he has a pair of soldat at his charge that take over the duty for him"
"Ah, so you mostly train with them then"
"Yes. They're closer to my level so they have a better idea of how I can improve in the more basic aspects"
"What are they like?" She became curious.
"Well, they're both a guy and a girl. The guy is named Florian. Not much of a talker, but when we spar, he's as fierce as they come. His punches are probably the fastest I've ever seen, even faster than Chad"
"Wow, I can't imagine something like that"
"You bet. Ironically, the girl, Aleksandra, is not much into hand-to-hand combat, but instead she's some sort of weapon master. I've had to practice both my bow and sword skills with her, and she's just unstoppable on that field"
At the same time, Throne Room...
"Grandmaster Haschwalt!" The two Soldat reported.
"Florian, Aleksandra, how did your duties go?" Jugram requested a report.
"Mostly positive. Uryuu Ishida is slowly getting closer to the proper level of a Sternritter. I calculate that he should be ready by the end of this week" Florian Münzner replied.
He was a man almost as tall as Haschwalt. He had reddish brown hair that was short but grown, blue eyes, and was of fair yet slightly tanned skin. His left eye, however, was covered by a white eye-patch marked with the Quincy cross, showing bits of a scar across it.
"I'm afraid that's not good enough. The declaration of war was done today, so we have at most two days for the next attack, and from there it's gonna be an all-out war"
"Ehem, Florian was referring to his close combat abilities, but on the weapons department he is more than ready" The young woman noted.
"Is that so, Aleksandra?"
Aleksandra Geldschläger, a woman in her early twenties. Of slim yet toned physique and considerable proportions. She had long blonde hair, just like Haschwalt's, wrapped in a long ponytail. Her eyes were honey yellow, and her facial features were clean and attractive, showing mixed elements of both Germanic and Slavic ascent.
"Undoubtedly. While he hasn't mastered the sword at your level, Grandmaster, his skill with the bow is likely on par with my own, for in our last practice session, I went all out and even then was evenly matched with him"
"If that's the case, then it's ok. Still, try to make sure that he's as skilled as he can possibly get by the time we invade" He requested. "Now, more importantly, how did the surveillance go?"
Both Soldat looked disappointed upon hearing that.
"I apologize, Grandmaster Haschwalt" Münzner spoke. "But we couldn't get any new information from Atticus Arctopus"
"We suspected he would discuss something of importance with Candice Catnipp, but when the time came, he disappeared along with her without a trace, through unknown means" Aleksandra explained.
"I understand" Jugram nodded. "Don't worry, Arctopus is a clever man, dangerously so. It's only to be expected that he wouldn't be so careless"
"There hasn't been any development regarding Mask de Masculine, Sir?" Florian wondered.
"He's dead. Moments ago I was informed that James had perished, which can only mean that Mask has passed away. All we know is what Arctopus told his Majesty, so if that's true, we can assume the Espada killed him" Haschwalt informed. "While Arctopus's story is plausible, I can't shake the feeling that counting Masculine, two Sternritter have met their demise after working with him. What we ignore, however, is the motivation behind said actions" The Grandmaster analyzed. "For instance, we lack proof, so there's little we can do to pry further"
"Do you have any theories?" Geldschläger inquired politely.
"Without evidence, it is preposterous to go pointing fingers" Jugram determined. "Although... I do have my suspicions regarding Candice Catnipp"
"Wait, so Sternritter Catnipp is also involved?" The two asked almost at the same time.
"Easy there. I'm not so sure about Catnipp's participation in the deaths directly, but I do believe she might have something to do as a motivation for Arctopus. You were the ones who informed me of how close those two have gotten lately after all" He corrected, to which the other two nodded in accordance. "I just find it way too pointless for Arctopus to reduce our numbers otherwise. There is the possibility of him trying to prove himself to his Majesty, and hence eliminating a couple Sternritter to get a chance at showing his skills, but even so..."
"...That would be too shallow" Aleksandra complemented.
"Exactly, which is why I believe this has more to do with his dear Thunderbolt than anything else, besides..." Haschwalt passed them a paper. "I do find it interesting that Mask out of all people was one of the targets. Although loud and annoying, he wasn't the kind to make enemies, but I did remember that he became a Sternritter under odd circumstances"
"Grandmaster Haschwalt, this is...!" Florian was astonished.
"See? I told you there had to be a connection" The Grandmaster smiled a bit. "For Austin Catnipp did die under odd circumstances. While the report indicates treason, his behavior and profile don't match that of a traitor, at all. In fact, I was suspicious of that report when it first came in, but his Majesty didn't seem to mind, for he had complete trust over the person who handed him that"
"Don't tell me that person...!" Geldschläger realized.
"Correct. That was none other than Quilge Opie"
"So then... Is Atticus Arctopus a traitor?!" Münzner became upset.
"Remember, Münzner, this was just a theory" Haschwalt tried to calm him down. "Besides, his Majesty would've already done something if he truly cared about this.
As you might already know, his Majesty despises conflict, so everyone who breaks that rule without enough reason, is prone to meet their demise"
"So you're saying that, his Majesty might know already, but chose not to punish him cause he thinks they got what they deserve?"
"I might be the Grandmaster, but I'm not his Majesty himself to speak for him. This is only what I think possible given the circumstances.
I won't deny you, if true, his actions deserve a punishment for reducing our fighting force right before the invasion. However, that choice does not belong to me"
And here's the quickest update I've done in a while I believe, lol. Thank you all for your wished regarding my thesis. We passed! So that's great news.
Now all that's left this semester is my practical work experience, and we're closing the college book (or at least for my current career). Ngl, I'd love to go study Sound Engineering in Australia to finally get into the world of videogame music production, but I think Imma work for a while and see how things go first with my current degree.
I'll do my best to bring the next chapter soon and I hope you enjoyed the fighting. Never liked Mask too much as a character tbh, but even so I didn't want him to go out with at least a bit of fighting done beforehand. Besides, that was the golden opportunity I needed to show Cien achieved his second release. Neat, huh?
Btw, I changed my mind about Atticus's voice, cause I originally intended him to be like Gate from Megaman X6, but he isn't as stuck-up as him, so it didn't really fit him.
Besides, I've been playing a lot of Fate GO lately, and Oberon definitely became one of my favorite characters and reminded me of Atticus in a lot of ways. So, I'd say the voice of Arctopus would be a lot like his in his Vortigern phase, maybe a tad more manly(?). In english it might still sound off, so you might as well think of Pip from Hellsing Ultimate, but idk, whatever sounds in your head as you read must be good enough.
Anyways, be seeing you soon. Evhron out.
Back in Catnipp House...
"*hic* Are you sure it was ok to go drinking with the invasion so close?" A rather tipsy Candice asked as she held onto her boyfriend.
"Please, Candi, you had barely three Margaritas (cause I even helped you with that)" Atticus sighed as he closed the Garganta, picking her up bridal style. "How could you get this drunk?"
"I know! But... It was too much food, so I lost my appetite upon seeing it" She complained as he took her to the bed.
"But not your thirst apparently" He rolled his eyes. "Welp, here we are. I'll make breakfast on my own tomorrow, so you can have your hangover in peace"
Just as he was putting her down, she embraced him by the neck.
"Please... Don't go" She requested. "We've been sleeping together lately *hic* so why won't you do the same tonight?"
"Heh, cause I don't want to wake you when I get up in the morning"
"I don't care... I just... I just wanna be with you, for as long as I possibly can" She was on the border of tears.
"Oh, Candi..." He embraced her.
"It's so weird. We've been preparing for so long for this moment. I should be ready for it and yet... I'm so scared" She started crying. "I'm scared that I end up dying, or worse, losing you. Hell, even losing any of my friends seems awful"
"It's ok, buster. I won't be dying anytime soon. That much I can promise" He kissed her cheek.
"You can also promise to stay with me tonite *sniff*" She begged, sobbing a little.
"*sigh* Alrite then. I'll sleep with you" He took his t-shirt off. "But don't go complaining if I grab a piece or two in exchange"
"Art... You just don't know how much I love it when you grope me all over" She toppled him, landing on top.
"What the- Is this what drunk Candi is like?" He spoke out loud, baffled by the more than sudden change in her mood.
"Don't be silly. This is just tipsy Candi, don't cha see? But yeah... I might be feeling a little more honest *hic*" She said as she placed his left hand on top of her left breast. "And I feel so hot right now"
"Well, in that case... I'll gladly swallow you whole" He pulled her by the waist and collided his lips with hers, over and over.
By the end of the night, the two were sleeping together, holding each other... like it's the last.
~~~~X~~~~
"Welp, Atticus here. You might understand that, with Candi on a heavy hangover we can't have our 'Cooking with Candi' segment, so no tasty pastries this time.
However, I'll still drop one of my personal recipies to make up for that, so today let me bring you:
'Mariachi Macho Meat!'
Not for the faint of heart, this recipe is meant to spice things up. While ideally used to cook meat for tacos or burritos, it also works great as a meat dish to have along some white rice or even plain pasta.
So anyways, for this recipe you'll need:
- 2 whole onions.
- 2-3 fresh chilis (use the ones you prefer based on your own tolerance of spiciness)
- 1-2 Garlic teeth.
- Salt
- Pepper (ideally black)
- Sugar (Optional)
- 1 small carton of whole cream (300ml)
- Cooking oil
- Tequila
- 1Kg of beef, ideally a portion meant for stir-frying.
Now to the steps:
1. Peel (obviously) and slice the onions, leaving thin but long slices.
2. Put the sliced onions in a strainer, add two layers of salt and sugar respectively and rinse the onion. This will make it a bit softer, since onions tend to be quite strong (the stronger, the more your eyes will cry while slicing them, so you'll notice).
3. Set the heat on high and place a large frying pan or wok on top. Add some cooking oil.
4. Once the oil is hot and covering the whole pan, add the sliced onions. Make sure to stir with a wooden spoon or something similar to avoid burning the onion slices. You can also add more oil if you notice it requires more, but be careful not to add too much!
5. While the onion slices fry, use that time to slice the chili's into medium-small pieces, try to leave the seeds on. You should also slice the garlic teeth into small bits.
6. Cut the meat in medium-small cubes, but don't forget to check on the onion in-between!
During this process, you can add salt and sugar to your liking.
7. When the onion slices are already transparent, toss the chili slices and add salt and pepper to your liking (if you're good with the amount of salt added previously, that's alright).
8. After a little of cooking, group the onion amd chilis on one of the borders of the pan, and move it so the heat only centers in the opposite end. On that end, add more oil and the garlic bits. These will give flavor to the oil.
9. Once the oil is filled with the garlic essence, place the meat cubes on top of the oil and move them so they can cook properly. The level of cooked is up to you as a chef, but I always prefer to seal them yet leve it rare at the core. As they cook, add some Tequila to it so that the meat gets a bit softer texture, as well as a slight touch from this all so mexican alcohol.
10. With the meat cubes properly sealed, add salt and pepper to your liking, and then return the pan to the original position. Mix the onions, chilis and meat together and lower the heat to medium.
11. Add as much cream as you like. Normally I use the whole carton, and keep stirring regularly so it doesn't burn. Trust me, burnt milk and derivatives are probably one of the worst smells one can have while cooking.
12. After a minute or two, you can turn off the heat and serve immediately, or, leave it there to cool off. This meat can be heated up later and still taste great (maybe even better), for the flavors have settled better and hence it all becomes more delicious"
"Argh..." Candice woke up holding her head.
"And there's my sweet Kitten waking up all hangover" He said cheerfully. "Come, I made enough for breakfast and lunch"
"Soon enough... Just let me get some water first"
"Sure" He served her a long glass.
She started chugging without a second thought.
After that, he served the meat with rice as a side.
Just one bite was enough to give her the oush she needed.
"Wow, this is delicious!" She complimented. "So tasty! Although... Argh, it is really spicy!"
"It's meant to be. Won't wake you up from the grave otherwise"
"C'mon! I didn't die last night... Did I?"
"Hm... If I recall correctly we snuggled and made out for a while, but just before the deed you fell fast asleep on top of me, so I decided to follow" He didn't lie.
"Wait, wait, wait. What? I don't remember any of that! Last thing I recall was you asking for the bill after I was falling asleep on the restaurant's table"
"Then I guess you really did die, buster (especially since you got really loud and started to annoy other couples)"
"Seeing as I can't remember what I did after I got drunk, I should probably be more careful next time" Catnipp admitted, holding the cold glass and pressing it on her head. "Though no matter how drunk I get, it's not like I'd actually try to do anything with anyone other than you..."
"Heh, I hope not! I don't wanna have to kill anyone, you know?" His eyes showed a Yandere expression for a moment. "But I trust your word"
"Thanks, Art" She held his hand and smiled even through the headache. "For taking care of me... And for everything. I had a blast last night, regardless of how I feel now"
"Now, don't get all emotional with me all of a sudden. You're gonna make me think there's still unprocessed alcohol running through your veins"
"Of course not! Urgh, I wouldn't be able to even see- Is that a bottle of Tequila?!" She noticed it standing by the kitchen.
"Ah, yeah, I used it for cooking. Really gives it a particular touch" He scratched the back of his head.
"Please hide it now... I feel like Imma puke if I stare at it any longer..." She felt sick.
"AAAAAaaaaaahhhhh, right away, Kitten!" He breaks the 4th wall to bid you farewell. "Hope you enjoyed this recipe, muchas gracias and see you next time!"
Glossary:
Cuerno Demencial: Deranged Horn. Cien creates a sharp stake out of the black sludge, infused with both that substance and Hollow blood, which gives life to the small eyes that protrude from it. Meant to destroy and corrupt the sanguine torrent of the enemy from the inside.