Duty Calls

Now blog will be @burdenedreverence

The difference is I actually spelled reverence right.

Now blog will be @burdenedreverence

The difference is I actually spelled reverence right.

Now blog will be @burdenedreverence

The difference is I actually spelled reverence right.

Now blog will be @burdenedreverence

The difference is I actually spelled reverence right.

Now blog will be @burdenedreverence

The difference is I actually spelled reverence right.

Now blog will be @burdenedreverence

The difference is I actually spelled reverence right.

Now blog will be @burdenedreverence

The difference is I actually spelled reverence right.

The Sentinel

I’m shaking, hands on my knees, panting. Let the monsters come. Let them come forever. Let them climb the piled bodies of their dead. I don’t care. That’s the thing I do better than anyone. Not care. Let them come in their hundreds and every one will die at my feet. I don’t care about their homing rockets, their exotic matter slugs, their blades from another dimension.

I don’t care because I cannot be moved. I am the wall against which the Darkness breaks.

Malphur can turn his gun to fire and Shinobu can dance with lightning, but when the horrors run out of the dark, I am the one who does not move.

While he did enjoy his little escapades of lounging around in the human world. The blonde did have to return to the soul society just to keep up appererences.Thankfully he was finished with all the paper work, and decided to stop by the human world to patrol the area. Which was his way of relaxing, as he stopped by a local resteraunt that frequented a lot and order a meal. As he got his meal, the blonde picked up his food and headed for a table. When he noticed a familar face as a sigh escaped his lips.

Chase of course found him quickly, which was the intention.

"You sound exasperated, I could simply be seeing how you are."

These Shinigami, they where all the same, they had standards, codes, respect, an honor system they followed, with little rules and laws laced through them all that they had to all obey without question and without failure, it was all so boring in many ways, so small minded, so simple, could the Shinigami not see what it was like, to be free.

To be your own master, to answer to no one, to go where you wished, do what you wanted, kill whomever got in your way and eat the so called, strong beings.

“Huh –”

Did he say something?

Once you heard one Shinigami rant and rave about something, truly you had heard it all as he was too busy picking at his ear to even pay attention to him, these Shinigami - so very, very odd. They thought themselves special, but everyone who he has killed that has been a Shinigami, they all piss themselves and cry in the end.

This one looked tough, but he knew a cryer when he saw one, this one was a bubbler for that he had little doubt, give it time, once a arm is ripped off, the tears flow and the cries for mercy begin.

“You fought better men, did ya?”

A little scratch to the top of his head, my oh my, quite the feisty one this one is, all talk as well, buff, tall, esh. He has stepped on bigger hollows than him and they all got crushed and grinded into the sands.

“Well, I guess I am in luck, it just so happens, I ain’t a man.”

Well, thank goodness for that, a Shinigami who only knows how to kill men and only men, that was truly a worthless talent and skill to go hawking on and on about.

“I’m a animal –”

As he merely flung his hand up and pointed it right at him, he was done with this bullshit, it meant so little to him, Shinigami where all the same, they lived the same, they fought the same and guess what, in the end, they all died the same - and it was all to easy.

“Cero.”

That was what Hayden would call this man in any other setting, they were perhaps total opposites. Hayden could tell so much simply from how they stood apart; from the few words they spoke. He has met introspective Hollows, he has also met the cowards among them. He would not say this particularly Hollow was either of these two things, instead he was something else.

There was one trait they both shared, a core attribute that he recognized even if the other did not. That was ok, he was quite certain at the end of this encounter it would be well known.

The time for talk was over as he watched the other raise his hand, emerald eyes boring into his palm. He knew what was coming next, and he found peace in it.

When faced with a ball of energy that was destructive in nature, the clearest answer was to dodge it. Perhaps block it if you was not so confident in your speed. Whatever you might do was in service to not be hit by it. It was standard practice, doctrine really.

The first lesson this Hollow would learn about Hayden, was that he marched to his own drum in battle.

Aut inveniam viam aut faciam.

'I shall either find a way or make one.'

He moved forward with all the constrained violence he was known for, his left hand moving upwards only to barely shield his eyes. The sand behind him exploded from the force of his movement, charging forward he collided with the Cero before it made it a third of the way. He could feeling the burning energy wash over his forearm, spreading across his body, as it disintegrated clothing and singed flesh alike.

A blackened cloud of smoke filled the area.

A hand emerged from the cloud, five fingers intending to wrap around the mouth of the Hollow. A vice grip which squeezed skin, intending to shove him backwards while maintain his grip. The form of the Shinigami was revealed from the smoke.

His palm was reddened and singed, the clothing on his body was mere tatters. Below his nose he seemed to have suffered second degree burns across his face. He hadn't even slowed from the impact, he simply had charged through the explosion.

A little pain, a little hurt, to close the gap.

His movements where pure savagery and roguish improvisation at the moment. Emerald irises would connect with the Hollow's own eyes, as if silently conveying something:

'Try harder.'

She was in luck however, for Hayden was also one of the rare few with some experience regarding this subject.

He watched her transformation from a relatively safe distance, shaking his hand. There was some soreness in it from what transpired, extreme burst of power was not something he did often. He preferred to use no more than the exact amount of power needed to resolve any issue. But this, this was a very uncertain situation. Best get to it.

As she leads through a tree, and the building of energy is felt his eyes widen. The world slows for a moment as he manifests his Zanpakatou, the olive tint of his Reiatsu emiting from his hand as a longsword begins to form. It feels weightless in his hand, and comforting.

'Hello, dear friend.'

The reflection of his soul, his pride.

His other hand raises to his face, and something pulls at his senses. A gathering of energy, swirling crimson black. It spreads across his face swallowing it whole, tan features disappearing under a white mask. A white face something between a human skull and an Oni. Elongated bottom fangs rise upwards, and elongated top fangs curl to the side.

His hollow mask is the reflection of something within him, perhaps the violence? Sometimes he isn't sure. The beast that sleeps within him hungers, and he surpresses it. Bent it to his will. A different relationship to that of his Zanpakatou. He wonders if it will work out for Andi.

The piercing beam of her's makes contact with him, specifcally with his Zanpakatou. The edge of his blade holds it at pay, it pushes him downward into the ground. The earth beneath him cracks as bedrock and loose dirt compress.

He doesn't lose his composure, he never dies. Not in battle.

He doesn't believe in remaining on the defensive, he'd like to seize control of the intiative. Battle tempo and audacity tended to carry the day. The hand which formed his mask would drop low, fingers curling slightly. Crimson energy begins to dance along the top of his fingers, he feels his soul drawing energy. Those dancing sparks soon swirl into a blackened ball of destructive power, and his flings it with a snap of his wrist.

It isn't full-powered or particularly devasting. It's condensed, it smashes through a tree sending splinters and branches towards her intending to obscure her vision. Before finally the ball of energy would emerge behind it all, intending to slam into her and throw her back exploding shortly after contact.

This would hopefully give him some breathing room, as the familiar sound of Sonido was heard.

When he reappeared it would ideally be closer, within arm's reach. His mask swallows her vision, his large frame blocks out the moon. He wants her full attention, blackened eyes with red hue's gazing at her.

"We slay beasts, we are not them."

She was in luck however, for Hayden was also one of the rare few with some experience regarding this subject.

He watched her transformation from a relatively safe distance, shaking his hand. There was some soreness in it from what transpired, extreme burst of power was not something he did often. He preferred to use no more than the exact amount of power needed to resolve any issue. But this, this was a very uncertain situation. Best get to it.

As she leads through a tree, and the building of energy is felt his eyes widen. The world slows for a moment as he manifests his Zanpakatou, the olive tint of his Reiatsu emiting from his hand as a longsword begins to form. It feels weightless in his hand, and comforting.

'Hello, dear friend.'

The reflection of his soul, his pride.

His other hand raises to his face, and something pulls at his senses. A gathering of energy, swirling crimson black. It spreads across his face swallowing it whole, tan features disappearing under a white mask. A white face something between a human skull and an Oni. Elongated bottom fangs rise upwards, and elongated top fangs curl to the side.

His hollow mask is the reflection of something within him, perhaps the violence? Sometimes he isn't sure. The beast that sleeps within him hungers, and he surpresses it. Bent it to his will. A different relationship to that of his Zanpakatou. He wonders if it will work out for Andi.

The piercing beam of her's makes contact with him, specifcally with his Zanpakatou. The edge of his blade holds it at pay, it pushes him downward into the ground. The earth beneath him cracks as bedrock and loose dirt compress.

He doesn't lose his composure, he never dies. Not in battle.

He doesn't believe in remaining on the defensive, he'd like to seize control of the intiative. Battle tempo and audacity tended to carry the day. The hand which formed his mask would drop low, fingers curling slightly. Crimson energy begins to dance along the top of his fingers, he feels his soul drawing energy. Those dancing sparks soon swirl into a blackened ball of destructive power, and his flings it with a snap of his wrist.

It isn't full-powered or particularly devasting. It's condensed, it smashes through a tree sending splinters and branches towards her intending to obscure her vision. Before finally the ball of energy would emerge behind it all, intending to slam into her and throw her back exploding shortly after contact.

This would hopefully give him some breathing room, as the familiar sound of Sonido was heard.

When he reappeared it would ideally be closer, within arm's reach. His mask swallows her vision, his large frame blocks out the moon. He wants her full attention, blackened eyes with red hue's gazing at her.

"We slay beasts, we are not them."