“God damnit---!” the ‘Herald hissed angrily through his teeth at the sheen of bright crimson washing over the rippling surface beneath him. He didn’t want to deal with the beast so soon---every inch of him still wreaked of the foulest urine.
Planting the wooden teeth of his sandals into the mud and twisting his shoulders in unison, Manzou unsheathed Tatsunokuchi and ripped the blade upward, slapping the flat of the metal near the tip against the spearhead of the Cero and sending the beam skyward once again. The red light above his head cast a deadly shadow over his eyes. His dripping-wet frame, head and shoulders hung low, emanated the primal anger oozing through his body.
Manzou slowly lifted his head, tracing the path of the halved and bloodied creature, not making eye contact or responding to Arashi in his enraged state. No more games. No more running.
Balling his fists to such a harsh degree that they shook, noticeable even at Arashi’s distance, and bending his legs, the ‘Herald gathered momentum and burst wildly out of the water. The water where he was burst in every direction, clearing enough gallons to bring the minute crater of wet soil into view. Like a missile, Manzou bulleted toward the fleeing creature.
Tatsunokuchi was brought to its initial release again, the slithering tongue sputtering out of the driveling maw once again, attempting to strangle one of the beast’s neck and throw it back toward Arashi.
As the remnant of the beast was catapulted towards him thanks in part from Manzo's zanpakutou, Ryoujin stood where he was, unfazed by the incoming Menos.
"You know I guess that barking of yours was becoming annoying, and here, we could have raised you as a pet.
"Destructive art sixty one, Homurahana," he finally muttered, as the air suddenly became filled with dozens of red petals. Although they floated innocently around the caster, they soon grew in more numbers before speeding forwards and attaching themselves to the falling fiend. Before it could so much as hit the ground, Ryoujin snapped his fingers, putting an end to the graceful and picturesque scene. In perfect synchrony, each of the scarlet leaves began glowing before combusting in a chain reaction. In an explosion that seemed to rock the very grounds the two shinigami stood on and cause tremendous ripples along the lake's surface, only the distinguishable cry of agony could be heard within the conflagaration.
Sealing his soul slayer, Ryoujin peered carefully as the fires slowly died down, checking to see if there was indeed anything remaining of the three-headed dog that had fought with the utmost cowardice to just appease its ravenous appetite.
[ 1668 ]
kidou because I love it
Homurahana (Blaze Petals) - Hadou #61, 1400 Kidou
Description: After the spell's incantation is finished, a large flutter of red petals puffs from the caster's body, slowly dispersing away from him and floating within a 20-foot radius. The higher the caster Kidou status, the more petal he releases. When the petals touch a target, other than the caster, they will stick. Beware the 'friendly fire'.
When the caster snaps his fingers, the nearest petals burst on fire, transmitting the scorching flames to the others by contact, in an incendiary chain reaction. The flames wither the further the petals are from the burning epicenter.
Incantation: The crimson goddess weeps upon the fallen demon. Seven suns. Forty-nine martyrs. The heavenly flower burns for an ephemeral aeon. Hadou #61, Homurahana.
Not until Buzi was airborne did it realize that it was being closely followed by the Herald, and it couldn’t charge another cero so soon after firing the last one. Feeling the air pass its four remaining ears felt sour this time, likely because it was traveling because it had been thrown and not because it had launched itself. Again it expected deadly steel to cut open its flesh, and again nothing did. The petals were a surprise, and if nothing else it thought that it would have the time to rocket away just one more time.
Time seemed to slow down at that moment. While the reaper’s deadly petals prepared to ignite, the hound’s left mouth slowly became aglow with a cero’s red light. Plumes of flame began to spread and it could feel the heat on its skin. It knew what was coming, but at the same time it felt so assured that its weaponized energy would finish gathering that it refused to give up. Not even half a mile away, it could see a collection of buildings. With both shinigami out of its immediate range it could think only of getting revenge on the city.
The red beam started to approach the beast’s teeth, and the flames rose and rose until they consumed its entire body. At once, it felt so close to taking its final shot and being burned alive. Fatal crimson tried to break free from its carnivorous maw, but time quickly resumed its march. Fire incinerated every inch of its flesh and remaining mask. Nothing remained after the fire and smoke cleared.
Even though it seemed like they had escaped having to clean up some serious collateral damage, for an instant, Ryoujin almost expected for there to be something else in store for them. The last time they had cleansed a hollow together, Prometheus's collar had been unlocked. There was no telling what could transpire now. As the fires from the kidou died down, this time it would seem like nothing in particular was going to happen.
Once the hollow had completely disintegrated, a frown etched its way onto Ryoujin's face. Unlike how he had originally intended, this had turned out to last slightly more than five rounds.
Tilting his head to meet Manzo's gaze, the pink-haired Templar finally said, "You know... I've been thinking. We'd make a really great bounty team, if there was ever such a thing that is."
Blade still in hand, body still saturated with water and a putrid funk, the ‘Herald stood there with a lifeless and wayward look still on his face. The heat of battle had died with the fires of Homurahana. As a result, the smell of urine hit his nose full on again. Not looking in Arashi’s direction---or at anything in particular---Manzou returned the Templar’s words with a listless nod of the head, not speaking for a long moment.
“Ryoujin-san...” the raven-haired officer spoke flatly. His stomach grubbed loudly. He was starving. A long and vigorous bath would have to come first. His eyes floated about for a bit before he tilted his head skyward and sighed, deep and slowly. The dejectedness in his expression came to a point as his brow furrowed and then there was a long pause before he finished. “...I hate Hollows.”
"Mhmm," Ryoujin replied in agreement, holding his zanpakutou out and inserting it into thin air like a key. As a bright light flooded in from the Senkaimon portal that opened before them, the pink-haired Templar smirked and tilted his head a bit to look at Manzo.
"Even if I do agree with that, don't bet on this ending anytime soon. Who knows when they'll call us to partner up again and cleanse another one of 'em," Ryoujin said, stifling his laughter as he remembered that the Herald had the misfortune this time to be on the receiving end of the hollow. For once, despite all of the countless number of instances when bad luck followed him, he seemed to have been exempted this time around. That was not saying that Lady Luck was smiling on him however. This was just one of those rare instances.
Ah well, I'm sure I'm gonna regret it eventually, he thought.
For what it was worth though in the meantime, they had to make it back to Soul Society in time to make it to the cafeteria before it would close. But first... Manzo had his own troubles to worry about.
