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Kodate took a slow stroll to the location he had been given. It was a strange request; most missions were squad-based and very resolute. There were rarely optional missions, at least that Kodate heard of. But perhaps this was an exercise for the newly graduated to stretch their legs and figure out their niches. He saw no problem with this, and answered the summons. He walked out of the Rukongai, a rice ball in hand. He bought it there and began eating it on the way there. He had gotten hungry since leaving the Academy and figured a little use of his money would not hurt when it came to feeding himself. He was about halfway done when he stopped in the grass. He noticed immediately that no one else was there, or they were expertly hiding their reiatsu. He sighed, and took another bite of the morsel delicately wrapped in his hand. He was often the first to anything, his punctuality pounded deep into his subconscious.

He made sure not to stray too close to the pond. It was supposed to be a group exercise. He doubted that going in gung-ho by himself or being ambushed would look too good on his record his first day out of the Academy. He just stood there, towering over his surroundings, eating his snack as he waited for more people to come. Kodate shrugged his shoulder and adjusted the shield strap that lay on it, letting it slide to a more comfortable position. He was ready, he supposed. Couldn't be anything too horrible if rank novices were being allowed to head the mission.

True, the fact that he and the others that had been in the same area as him had been called to do a simple patrolling mission with as many shinigami as they did, was suspicious. But then again, Haru was never one to outwardly question the orders he was given. As long as his blades were beneath his left sleeve, he felt save. Ever since losing his right sleeve from the technique Aine had taught him, Haru had taken to putting both of his blades within his left sleeve, rather than openly wear them. Better to not let those around him know he had weapons less they be used against him.

His green eyes moving from person to person, Haru simply gave everyone that came in eye contact with him a blank stare, one that made them quickly avert their eyes. Ever since he had become a shinigami, those outside Seireitei always seemed...hesitant around him. Like he was somehow different than they were. True, he had reiatsu, but physically he was nothing superior or different than them. Thing that would always confound him...just like the reason why he was given this mission with the people there. Very few of them were more than graduates, himself included. Even if it was one simple hollow extermination why was it that they were chosen. But, there had been more than enough time to ponder the reason why they were given the mission. Now, Haru was coming upon the area where he could feel the others' reiatsu. So, only two had arrived so far.

Then again, there was no set time for this little 'patrol' of theirs to start, only the place where it would be at. It didn't really surprise him though, rarely was a time of meeting specified in any orders he had ever received. As he approached, he noticed who it was that had already arrived. Correct in assuming both had been where he had. A man, very tall even by Haru's standards, with a shield strapped onto his back. How rare that a shinigami didn't simply carry a sword around. The other was a small woman, seeming to be more out of place than anything, judging from the air about her. She was, however, somewhat loud. "Miss, would you like to broadcast our presence to anyone and everything around us. We were told that there very well may be hollows around here. The last thing you want is them swarming you when there are so few allies around to aid you." he didn't mean a harsh tone to take over in his voice, but it might still have come across that way. After all, Haru was quite blunt when it came to things. He, however, just didn't feel like finding their 'prey' sooner than more people got there.

۞Angel Kotoshi۞

When the world is yours....

Angel couldnt help but smile to himself as he continued to follow some of the graduates to a mission gathering point they were given. He followed, quietly of course, because his curiosity got the best of him. He couldnt help it. He also wanted to know how these graduates would do on their first mission. One of them could be a future teammate to him. He snickered to himself as he hid in a nearby bush and listened to what they had to say. He could hear one making conversation about cold-blooded creatures which made Angel chuckle to himself, "Hey nice way to break the ice." He didnt realize he said that out loud and when he did he knew it was to late to take it back.

.....what is left for you to take?

[[Notice]]

[If you're not here yet you can still come and join in. The more the merrier I say.]

[[Your Mission]] [[Update!]] [[In case I didn't get the point across clearly]]
[Looks like there was a hollow and it's a little larger than expected. You are going to have to use teamwork to put this thing down as its' exoskeleton covering it's body is too hard to be pierced with zanpakto or standard kido however you will not necessarily know this in character.

It is clear that it's underbelly is it's weak point and if flipped over the hollow is likely to be powerless to resist due to the shape of its' body as its' legs are not designed for such an eventuality.

If a person is catapulted onto its' back somehow (this is not the safest idea) then it may be possible to do some damage to it by destroying the other two hollows that seem to be somehow connected to it.

The hollow also seems to have a mysterious ability. A certain aura pervades the area. Watch out for it. Whatever it may be.


Teamwork is recommended as well as standing a safe distance. Have fun!]]

The Shinigami wondering about why they had been thrown together were wise. Of course this was not an entirely ordinary mission but it was not a particularly abnormal mission either. When dealing with a Hollow of unknown strength it was only natural to send the weaker shinigami at it. If it were something that could wipe unseated shinigami out with ease then they would know that a more capable team would have to be sent out. Losing a few graduates would not be a loss the Sereitei couldn't handle. However that was only half of it. All current intelligence suggested this hollow was not of great strength or possessed especially deadly abilities.

However this intelligence was flawed. They could not be blamed. After detecting low hollow reiatsu signals and seeing snake like creatures crawling in and out without attacking larger targets it would be safe to assume the creature was on the lowest rungs of the metaphorical hollow ladder (although this mostly ignored the mystery of how it broke into the Rukongai). There was another mistake they had made. Hollow do not sleep. Sleep would do nothing for such a being. Hollow merely go dormant for a while when healing their wounds or when not wanting to be found but right now there were five separate people. Too close.

The pond bubbled. Something was lurking at the bottom and it knew they were there. The snake like monster poked from the water but there was something strange about it. Though it were at least three times as tall as any of the men or women there and just a little less thick it seemed to have no weapons so to speak of. Only a solid white hollow mask covering its' face. Then from a point just a few metres away another hollow came from the water exactly the same. It seemed to be working in unison with the other just quietly observing the team that had amassed to kill the two of them. As soon as they popped out from the water a aura came from the lake. There was something about it. Something seemed to have gone silent that really shouldn't be.

At that point the real nature of the situation became immediately clear. Had the shinigami not been socialising they would probably have had initiative on the snake like hollows. One huge grey leg, the point sharp as a knife pulled out of the pond and onto the side. Then another, and two more and a final four and the huge hollow, seemingly too big to fit inside the lake pulled itself out. The legs were dangerous, getting stomped on by one of those would cut anyone wide open, however the real danger had become clear. The right arm of the hollow was an almighty great claw. As big as the body of the already massive hollow. If the legs could cut bodies apart then the claw would be capable of turning their bones into dust. To make matters worse the Hollow although massive kept its' body close to the ground and a powerful exoskeleton covered its' back. Simple brute force would not suffice. There were a few avenues which they could use to obtain victory and they all involved one common factor. Stabbing it in its' soft underbelly.

The hollow screamed an ear piercing shout that was sure to terrify the shinigami. Hollows could usually talk but this one could not. It was merely a beast and not a shred of the human soul that once occupied it could possibly remain.

The slate gray waters of the small pond began to boil and writhe. Acting on instinct, Kay lept clear, and not a moment too soon. An enormous hollow burst from the water, first its snakelike heads, which Kay immediately took to be two separate hollows. Her blade was out of its sheathe in a flash, but against such a massive creature, it seemed about as effective as a toothpick. She set her teeth and brought her guard up, trying to determine the best way to attack, but something about the two hollows gave her pause. It was at that point that the hollow revealed the rest of its enormous body, something that seemed a cross between a reptile and some sort of crustacean.

How it had managed to fold itself into the small pond was beyond Kay. All she knew for certain was that the Seireitei's intel had dropped the ball. With its armored body, several heads, and sheer size, this was not the normal opponent for a squad of recent graduates.

All this ran through Kay's head in an instant, followed closely by a bubble of panic. Her reiatsu flared around her, bright silver and blinding. She pointed the first two fingers of her swordhand at the hollow-- she hardly had to aim given its size-- and shouted the first attack that came to mind: "Byakurai!"

Her reiatsu rose like a wave and pulsed out of her fingers in a bolt of white lightning, streaking towards one of the armored plates of the hollow's body. To her dismay, the spell shattered against the monster's exoskeleton, leaving the patch of bone smoking but otherwise untouched. The attack just seemed to make the thing more angry. Quickly running through the list of kido she knew, she realized that nothing was going to make it through that tough, shell-like armor.

Kay drew a breath, silently berating herself for losing her head. Hadn't they all trained for this in the academy? Every opponent had a weakness. They just had to find it. She sized the hollow up a second time, taking in the tough armor, the enormous claw, both reptillian heads, and the sharp, serrated legs. Its heavy bulk dragged along the lip of the pond as it pulled itself free, and-- and the belly dimpled, giving way as it pressed against the bank of the pond.

"Its--" Kay choked on her words as hope and a fierce sort of excitement rose in her chest. She tried again: "Its stomach! Its stomach is soft, I think! Between the legs where the armor stops--"

She trailed off, mind working a mile a minute. The hollow's body was low-slung, so its vulnerabe belly would be hard to reach. There had to be a way to make it rear up, but the opening would still be small. Surely some of them could act as a distraction... Kodate, with his tall stature and muscular build was the obvious choice. His shield would give him the extra protection he would need to keep the creature occupied. Haru had height, but his lean frame suggested speed over power. That, too, could be used to distract the hollow, especially keeping those reptillian heads busy. Kay's eyes finally settled on the short female shinigami whose name she had never caught. Of all of them, she would probably be their best bet for reaching the hollow's belly. Unfortunately, the girl's blade was short. They would need a longer blade to deliver a mortal blow. Kay herself could act as the girl's support. Between the two of them, at least one would probably be able to reach the hollow's weak point and do some damage.

"Kodate!" Kay shouted over the bone-chilling shriek of the hollow. "If you and Haru can distract it, go for its heads, but go high! Make it reach for you! Get it to expose its belly!"

She darted towards the short shinigami, faltering slightly as she became very self-conscious of the fact that she was ordering people about. But then she righted her step. Either they'd follow her lead or they wouldn't. She wasn't about to stand there and be killed. She caught the shorter girl's arm, wishing she knew her name.

"You and I," She said hurriedly, keeping an eye on the hollow. "You're small, and I bet you're fast. Of all of us, I think you can reach its belly-- that's where we can hurt it. We can go in fast, and I'll protect you. Can you do that?"

[I hope this sort of this is okay. I mean, obviously you all can do whatever you'd like, especially if you have better ideas 3nodding ]

Haru would have given a quick retort to the much smaller Kay, but his thoughts as to what to say were quickly cut short, as the feeling of a very ominous reiatsu quickly came from the pond. Even before seeing it, Haru quickly jumped back just as Kay did, avoiding the spray of water as well as the giant legs of the snake-like hollow. From simply looking at the legs and the way they moved, Haru could tell that they were quite thick, with sharp edges, probably for simple piercing. Not to mention the huge claw that was its right arm. While huge, it must also be quite heavy to move around. The way the hollow was structured, it was more like a tank than anything. Which gave him an idea, just as Kay quickly told them of her ideas. Since it was most like a tank, the weakest point of the hollow must have been it's stomach, since it was the thing closest to the ground. Given a structure of a tank, the armor on the sides and top was quite thick, to prevent any sort of attacks. However, the bottom was relatively thin since there was a very small chance of anything hitting it. This was it's weak point. The question however, was how they were going to get it on it's side or back to give them a shot at defeating it.

Before Kay's plan could even be comprehended, a shinigami coming from within the bushes decided to be a hero and attack the damn thing. Fool. If you were going for a decent distraction the very bare minimum amount of people needed for something this large was at least two or three. Well, he would be the second. Moving his left arm out, both of the blades held beneath the sleeve quickly flew out, Haru grabbing both with his left and throwing one of them into his right hand, holding both the large daggers in reverse grip. Crouching low, Haru put as much strength into his run as he possibly could, bolting towards the oversized hollow. Reiatsu quickly flaring around his arm, Haru's right hand hit against the ground as the reiatsu exploded forth, propelling him up into the air as he soared towards the back of the hollow.

Landing quite roughly, since the hollow was moving, and from his own momentum, Haru rolled and then landed on his feet, already close to the two extra 'hollow' on the larger ones back. He would need something quite powerful to pierce or cleave through them. While Senda might have worked, he didn't trust his hands against such strong armor. However, one thing came to mind. Held within the scroll his father had given to him was the mention of a technique used to increase the piercing power as well as the speed of stabs and slashes, called the Oto Ken, or Sound Blade. But, Haru had never actually attempted this move, since it took tremendous amounts of reiatsu control. Though, the setup was much like Senda. Given the circumstances, he really wasn't given much of a choice in the matter. he would attempt the move, even if it failed. Though, knowing the consequences if it did, Haru hoped that it would work.

Wrapping reiatsu against his arm, Haru made sure that the tightness that had always accompanied Senda was there, telling him that the reiatsu was able to be used to quickly move his arm. Now, he would need to control the movement of the reiatsu to allow his arm to stab back and forth quickly. A rolling motion, like waves? That is what he must have been missing in the Senda training. Moving it back and forth just like he would his arm if he were punching. Running forward at the head on the right of the hollow's back, Haru cocked his right arm back, moving quickly to the left as the other 'hollow' that he was aiming at tried to lash out at him. His foot trying to dig against the rough armor to allow him some footing, Haru quickly turned and flung his right arm forward, aiming a stab with all his strength at the extra head of the hollow, focusing on his reiatsu as he did so.

With a quick explosion of energy, Haru's arm seemed to disappear for a second, as he stepped forward, completing the stabbing motion that he had aimed at the extra hollow on the larger ones back. Smirking as he stood there for a moment, the head behind him abruptly fell over, numerous stab wounds on and around the area where Haru's initial stab had landed. With one head completely taken out, the larger hollow he was standing on stopped it's attack on Angel, writhing in pain at the dead head on it's back. With the distraction given from the pain, Haru quickly turned around, looking at the others he hoped were already moving in.

"Flip the b*****d already while it's distracted!"

With that single motion a sharp pain tore through Haru's right arm, as he cringed and clamped his left hand onto his shoulder. Dammit, even though he had gotten the technique right the strain was almost as bad as when he used Senda continuously after first learning it. While the limb wasn't useless, it wasn't going to be very fun to move it around for a while. He had to hope that the others would finish what he started, otherwise it would be a waste.

۞Angel Kotoshi۞

When the world is yours....

Angel smirked as he watched as the others around him began to take advantage of the Hollow being distracted by not only himself, but another male as well. When two of the female shinigami got close enough for one to pierce the Hollow's belly he thought that it would be enough to weaken it so one of them could finish it off, but to his dismay he saw that the girl who pierced the Hollow didnt go deep enough for any serious damage. He smiled however when he saw the Hollow begin to lean on to its right side. He took this time to get closer and wrap his arm around the woman's waist jumped back pulling both her and her sword away from the Hollow. He then pointed at the Hollow again, "Bakudo no. 9 Geki!" A red light would engulf the Hollow paralyzing it from moving as it continued to fall on to its right side. When he landed he let go of the girl before he nodded to her approvingly, "Nicely done." He then took a deep breath before he pulled out his own Zanpakuto, put his hand to his blade, and growled out, "Howl in the darkness Kuro Gekkou!" His entire sword would become coated in shadows as it twisted and bended. When the shadows melted down to the ground his Zanpakuto was now in the shape of a Scythe as black as the night sky and as red as blood. He twirled it around a bit before he charged at the Hollow. He jumped up and came back down as he cut more of its arms off. He backed up a bit and tilted his head a bit, "Hmmm...." He watched as his Bakudo wore off and it seemed even more pissed off than usual.

.....what is left for you to take?